Someone Else’s Kids

Are you starting to feel you were deprived as a child as you read the entries I have been writing about summer toys available to kids these days?

Do you remember the slip n’ slide? I bet you haven’t though about that one in a while! First introduced in 1961, the product is still available although it has much fancier designs and themes these days including Spider-Man (sure to be big this summer no doubt), Superman, and Batman. In fact, the company now makes versions that have two or three lanes so kids can race their friends at the same time. That sure beats the old fashioned method of trying to time racers one at a time with a stopwatch.

Companies now also manufacture other version of the backyard water slides too that are inflatable and include tunnels and slides which end in the pools. When you buy them for your kids, your only regret will be that you will be too big to play on them yourself!summer, water slide

Since tomorrow is officially the first day of summer, this is the perfect time to discuss solar garden lighting and other types of garden lighting products.

I bought solar lights this year for the first time and I think they’re great. I always thought the area in which I placed them was a little dark and creepy at night anyway and now it is lit up enough that it looks more secure and also very nice because the flowers are illuminated at night. The great things about the solar lights are that they don’t use any electricity so there is no cost beyond the initial investment and since there is no wiring needed; you can place them anywhere you like.

There are other types of garden lighting available too so be sure to check out the link above to find the option and style that you like best.

Having recently written about the soft flying disk known as the Koosh Woosh and pool toys, I am continuing this series about summer toys because they are so much fun to write about and to reminisce about.

Let me tell you that Hammacher Schlemmer catalog reminds me of a Sears Christmas Wish Book, but for adults as well as kids. Everyone in the family would have fun with a remote controlled floating water cannon. If only we had those we were kids in the backyard pool! We only had the small handheld water guns or we would use old detergent bottles to make our own. (OK, that almost sounds like I am talking about the Great Depression except for the fact that they wouldn’t have had plastics in the 1930’s.)

Then along came those battery operated super soaker types to create backyard water battles. I never had one of those, but I must say they looked like fun.

Now it’s been taken to a whole new level. Can you imagine having a floating water cannon that can be operated up to 40 feet way by remote control? If you get one of those, your poolside activities will definitely be elevated to a new level of summer fun.
summer toys

If you are a fan of the HBO series ROME, then you noticed that gold was as valuable in the days of the Roman Empire as it is today. I find it amazing that so many other things have completely changed in value over the centuries, but gold remains one of the most sought after elements.

While you probably won’t find many gold coins with Caesar’s likeness floating around these days, you can still become an investor in gold and other precious metals through companies like Monex Deposit Company which will help you through the purchase and even with the delivery and storage of your gold. Check out Monex and see why they have been in the precious metals business for 30 years.gold, monex. monex.com, precious metals, silver

Since I like to write about childhood nostalgia and reminiscing about “when we were kids” on this blog, sometimes that takes the form of the following conclusion – “How come we didn’t have THAT when we kids?” Read on to find out what “THAT” is.

One of the most anticipated events of the year was the annual trip to the pool supply store to get what we needed to open the pool for the season. Of course, we would beg and please for expensive pool toys that we didn’t really need and probably wouldn’t last more than a week anyway. These included surfboards, floats, diving games, etc.

I just saw an awesome pool toy that we could only dream about years ago. How about motorized bumper boats ? I was looking at a catalog today and saw those listed in the link. I couldn’t believe they only cost 99.95 each and ran on D size batteries. Coming from another source, I would be afraid that they were not going to last, but those are sold by Hammacher Schlemmer, a company that has been around for 159 years (imagine, they have an great website too.) and operates with what they call their “Lifetime Guarantee Of Complete Satisfaction.” Considering that, I would say these motorized bumper boats are worth checking out.

Imagine your kids faces if you surprise them with these ultimate summer pool toys! (Be sure to mention how lucky your kids are that they can get something like this. It’s also a good time to mention a walking both ways to school up hill in the winter story too!)

pool toys

If it seems like school work was a lifetime ago for parents out there, but they still have an interest in getting their college degrees, there is now a way to fit higher education into a busy schedule by taking adult education classes online. Parents can now earn the degrees they may have missed out on the first time around.

It always exciting to find university faculty members who have written books. Capella University has their share of such professors. One example comes from the University’s School of Business and Technology. Her name is Sara Orem and she holds a PhD. She has recently co-written a book titled “Appreciative Coaching: A Positive Process for Change.” As you may have guessed, she also owns a coaching firm. I think that is a plus as well because it means she brings her students current real world experience, not just theoretical ideas.

For parents who are looking for way to continue their higher education, then they can rest assured that online learning can bring them in touch with practicnig professional in the area in which they would like to study.adult education, capella

Paying for college is a topic that most parents worry about eventually and many start worrying about before their children are even born. As the costs rise annually, the problem just seems to get worse for parents every year.

When I was in college, researching student loans and other forms of financial aid meant a trip to the school’s financial aid office, a trip to the public library, or a trip to the local bank. (Did I just date myself with that information? My college years just missed the start of the Internet revolution by a hair. I was doing my college work on word processors, not manual typewriters!)

You can imagine the inconvenience and limited information available to me and my contemporaries when it came to financial aid information. Thankfully, today’s parents and students have it much, much easier when they are ready to research financial aid options such as a Federal Plus Loan thanks to sites like FinancialAid.com.

They have a wealth of information on their site about different types of student loans including frequently asked questions on the topic. They even have a scholarship search section along with the option to speak to a loan counselor at a toll-free number.

Check out the site and be thankful that you don’t have to get in the car and take a trip to find such valuable information.financial aid, school loans

I know the title of this blog entry sounds a little strange, but it will make perfect sense when you read the information.

There is a toy version of everything these days from kid-size kitchen sets to child size racing cars and everything else you can possibly imagine. What if you didn’t buy all those plastic toys and instead saved a ton of money and told the kids to use their creativity and make their own versions of the items.

To continue with the two examples above, they could create their own “stove” by using an overturned box as the main surface and using paper plates as the burners. They could get really fancy and cut out an oven door, using tape for the hinges. Knobs and controls can be large sized old buttons. The “racing car” could be a simple wagon with some racing stripes added on the side and a dashboard with moving parts made from a shoebox and an old clock.

The next time your kids want some expensive toy, encourage them to create their own versions. The fun of doing that will result in memories that last a lifetime.child, children, dad, father, fatherhood, mom, mother, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, parents, raising children, raising kids, teenagers, teens