Idea Queen Tips & News

I’m a big online shopper. I love especially comparison shopping for big ticket items or things I don’t need immediately. Just about everything you’ll ever need you could buy online. Yet still there’s a good chunk of the population that absolutely refuses to shop online for various reason.

So I got to thinking, if you are one of those who doesn’t like shopping online, why is that? I’m sure there’s a variety of reasons such as not wanting your personal information online or not trusting various sites. Which you all have very good reasons, I don’t doubt that one bit. Even though I’m a big online shopper there are sites that make me uncomfortable and warnings to heed.

Actually I just wrote an article about this very topic the other day for Associated Content. It focuses on the pros and cons of shopping from small businesses. You can take a look at it if you’d like and leave your feedback.

So what about you? Do you shop online? What are your reasons for shopping online or not shopping online?

My kids have tons of toys which are never played with. As far as activities go, they tend to stick with certain toys and activities. Sure they play with other stuff sometimes, but for the most part they have set things they do several times a week.

If you are looking for a list of “hot toys”, this isn’t it. This is a list of activities and toys that will ALWAYS keep their interest to a certain extent, and isn’t just a fading fad.

1. Computer Games & Sites
I don’t know what it is about the computer, but my kids love it. They each have several downloaded games they play on a regular basis (maybe once or twice a month per game), as well as a list of sites they visit weekly. See our list of game sites for kids and free toddler games.

2. Game Systems
As much as I hate to admit it, game systems will always be popular and a source of entertainment for kids. I broke down and bought my son a GameCube for Christmas, which I’m glad I did. He loves it and plays it often for no more than we have invested in it.

Amazon.com has a lot of options for game systems and games you might want to check out. If you are concerned about the educational value or concerned your kid might turn into a couch potato, you can check into getting a Wii with games designed to get them moving.

3. Books & Magazines
Classics that never die. While typing this, my preschooler is looking at her Highlights magazine, and asked me to read to her. Of course I had to before finishing this post! Just proof how much entertainment a simple book or magazine can be.

Books are everywhere, and best of all they are FREE at your local library. In the summer you can make it a weekly family event to take a trip to the library. We are lucky enough to live just a block away from our local library, and my oldest son is old enough to go up there by himself now to check out books.

Magazines and books both can make great gifts as well. Take a trip to the local bookstore or see what children’s books are currently at Amazon.com.

4. Board Games & Card Games
Not only can you get involved with your kids and have a little family time, but it keeps them pretty entertained. My kids love to pull out certain games to play. Many of the classic games you can find featuring their favorite characters (Spongebob Monopoly for example). We’ve got a whole list of places to buy board games listed at Idea Queen.

5. Webkinz, ePets, and other online pets
While this may seem like a “hot toy” right now, I really think with the combination of online and offline play, they will be around for quite some time. I have never seen my kids play more with any one thing as I have with the Webkinz. They log in every day to play with their pet, and do various activities. Sometimes the real stuffed animal comes with us when we leave the house too.

Epets are also pretty popular, and the site has quite a bit to do. There’s several other version of the two most popular types as well - Littlest Pet Shop now has a stuffed animal you can play with online, and there are a few other smaller companies that sell them as well. Our experience so far has only been with the Webkinz though, and they absolutely love them. Since we can adopt as many pets as we want, this is going to be a big deal for quite awhile.

There’s my list for the top 5 toys they’ll never get tired of. If you have anything to add, please leave a comment!

Since there are a limited time deal and Easter is almost here, we just had to mention these adorable Easter egg candles for sale at Prairie Soy Candles.

There are  6 different colors available with your choice of scent (and there are a LOT of scents available - well over 60!). With only two of each color, you’ll want to grab these FAST before they’re out of stock!

While you’re there, you might also want to check out the discount shelf for some great deals on in stock items. Fast shipping and discounted product - it doesn’t get much better than that.

One of the best ways to really take advantage of all there is to do with a Webkinz pet is to have the pet of the month. Featured pets get a loot bag (if adopted in the month they are the “pet of the month), and get to do all kinds of extra stuff under the hourly and daily activities.

This month’s pet of the month is theWebkinz Lil’Kinz Pig. For the whole month of March 2008, all owners of the pig are getting lots of fun extras. If you don’t have a Webkinz yet or would like another, do think about getting a pig so you can have even more fun playing!

April 2008 will feature the Pink Poodle as the Webkinz Pet of the Month. So if you are thinking about a gift for a lucky kid but won’t give it to them until April, you might want to think about getting them this one in particular.

While the Pet of the Month does have it’s benefits, there is a lot to do with any Webkinz. For more information about what Webkinz are and how much you can do with them, you can see more details on Idea Queen.

Have fun playing with your Webkinz!

I’m usually the last to jump on the latest trend and I usually attempt to curb my children’s demand for the hottest toys. Although when my daughter started to beg for an E-pet, I thought I’d better take a closer look. I absolutely love it, and my Webkinz World review is as follows…..

Epets vs Webkinz

I did a little search for reviews on the epets, and found them less than great. The animals were expensive, the site wasn’t that fantastic, and some were claiming they were just a copy of Webkinz. Hmmm, what’s a Webkinz?

A few more reviews later, I found that the Webkinz animals are plush toys that contain a secrete code to go online to “Webkinz World”. Your pet comes to life on this site, and you do all kinds of fun things with them. I took a tour of their site, and thought this was something really fun (and even educational) for the kids. Plus to buy Webkinz animals was not THAT expensive either. Why not try them out?

Webkinz Animals

We ended up getting two different Webkinz animals - the pink and white cat, and the cheeky monkey. Both are absolutely ADORABLE! We went online to Webkinz World, named them (WildMonkey and PinkyPie), and got their rooms all set up. There is just SO much to do on the site, I really am impressed.

Webkinz World - The Site

Now one thing you should know about this site is you WILL need to help the kids out a bit. If they can’t read it’s just a tad bit hard to navigate. There’s quite a bit that requires reading, although there are some games they can play while you are away from the computer. Younger ones especially I recommend keeping a close eye on so they don’t get stuck.

I really love the educational aspect as well. While there a lot of non-educational games to play, there’s also quiz questions to do. That’s the fastest way to earn the “KinzCash” and I like really like that. It’s like an extra incentive to do something educational instead of just playing games, which does take longer to rack up the cash.

The money in the game is used to buy them food, toys, clothes, and all kinds of stuff for their room. Since you are given quite a bit to start with, you can buy some general items like a sink so you can wash them, a bed so they can sleep, and some food so they aren’t hungry. We’ve only had our first pet for a day and he’s not hungry yet, so I really don’t know how long it takes for them to even start needing food. But I do know they don’t have to be logged on every moment of the day to take care of them (a big plus!).

Another interesting option on the site for the older kids is the “Club House” where they can chat with other members. Although what makes this a VERY safe environment is the fact they have to use already written comments. Yes they can “talk” to each other, but only by selecting pre-approved lines. There really is no “open” chatting.

Yet another plus about this site is their “membership” lasts for an entire year and is included with the adoption of a pet. Each child gets their own account, and they can adopt as many pets as they’d like. For every new pet put on their account, the year “starts over”. For example, if in May we get another pet, our new expiration date would be May 2009. There is LOT to do on this site, so I’m surprised it’s free for a whole YEAR instead of a monthly fee like some sites.

For more details, be sure to also see their parent’s area on the site if you have any questions.

Where to Buy Webkinz Animals

Ours came from Amazon.com, and actually two different stores. To avoid paying separate shipping fees, I do recommend seeing what other animals that particular store has to offer. Since these were our first, I wanted the kids to be able to pick out exactly what they wanted. And yes, they are VERY happy with their choices. Although I can see already several of the others are going to be on our wish list!

There are a LOT of choices for buying Webkinz animals, so do take your time and look at all of them. Each have special items just for them like special furniture, food, and the like. But since they are so inexpensive (about the price you’d pay for a regular plush toy without all the online extras even), it’s very easy to have more than one.

Have fun with your Webkinz!

A brand new page was just added to Idea Queen! We’ve been working hard on this page over the last few days to bring you some suggestions and ideas for personalized gifts for kids.

This new page features several different suggestions, and a few links to go along with it. Instead of just showing off a few different items, we’ve linked to several different sites who specialize in specific items. On this page you’ll find links for personalized books, jewelry, clothes, and more.

If you have your own suggestion, please feel free to send it in! We’re always looking for new ideas to feature.

Enjoy!

So I admit - I get addicted to games very easily. Especially when they have “tycoon” in the name. Zoo Tycoon has always been one of my favorite games, and ranks up there with my absolute favorite of all time. I even tore the house apart looking for the CD one day so I could play.

Imagine my delight when I saw there was a Zoo Tycoon 2. I know, it came out a few years ago. So I’m a bit behind. Sorry! But I finally got my hands on a copy of it. LOVE IT!

There’s quite a few things that are the same as the first. The animals of course, certain buildings, zoo keepers, etc. However, there’s other objects that are brand new to this game. Some replace some of the old buildings (no more pizza stand, sorry!), while much of it is just in addition.

They’ve made a few changes to the game play as well. You no longer have to worry about fences wearing out or trampled terrain. That’s a HUGE plus to me and allows you to focus more on other activities in the zoo.

But the biggest change was the ability to put yourself in the view of the visitors. I LOVE this feature, and LOVE to see exactly what the visitors see (no more stuck on just overhead view!). Also you can do the tasks of your staff, which is another huge plus. I always got annoyed when staff wasn’t doing their job the way I wanted them to. Now I can just do it myself! (Feed the animals, empty trash, etc).

The last major addition was that of the goals. They have already set up zoos where you complete certain tasks to move on to the next campaign. I don’t remember this being an option with the first Zoo Tycoon. I really like this feature, as it gives me something specific to do. More challenging I guess.

If you already have the first Zoo Tycoon, this one is still worth buying. If you already have it too, they have several zoo tycoon 2 expansion packs available now. I might have to look into those expansions once I’m done playing all the regular features. Although I really don’t see that being an issue any time soon!

Highly recommend this game for both kids and adults - very fun to play together!

Today I stumbled on a page of freebies I had to pass along. I know freebie sites are a dime a dozen anymore, but they are starting to get loaded up with a whole lot of junk.

This page, on the other hand, only lists actual freebies which are individually checked for quality. You will NOT find any junk here.  There’s quite a few different crafts, scrapbooking freebies, graphics, and a lot more. She’ll be updating this list over the next several weeks, so DO bookmark it!

See freebies at Shop with a Mom.

I woke up to a phone call this morning to check my kid’s bags of candy to make sure they didn’t have any Pokemon lollipops. Luckily they didn’t. As of right now it looks like they just found it in Florida, but if you have them it’s best to throw them away. Better safe than sorry.

Read the full story here 

Yup, you guessed it - they were from CHINA. When are retailers going to get a clue?

A friend just passed to me a story about a woman who received chemical burns from flip-flops of all things. Now keep in mind I ALWAYS check these stories at Snopes. This email made it a whole lot easier because the link to the Snopes story was linked directly in the email. The story actually WAS from Snopes!

It just makes me sick to know despite how many people get hurt, they keep importing products from China without checking to see if they are safe or not. Granted it’s not always easy to buy American, but you’d be surprised how much you really can still find and how little it actually costs. Just a few weeks ago I was looking for a picture frame and found one made in the USA that was actually cheaper than the Made in China ones. Not a hard choice to make there!

So be sure to pass this along to your friends - it’s just terrible what they are sending us!