Auto-Filling, Self-Tie Water Balloons Are Epic

This changes everything. Everything, I tell you!

These are the genius Bunch O Balloons Self Tie Auto Fill Water Balloons.

Last year on Independence Day we spent several tedious hours filling and tying water balloons much more slowly than the kids went through them. That meant hovering kids fighting over the next balloon, hurt fingers, and no chance to actually participate in balloon throwing. This year, filling 100 balloons literally took a few minutes. Here’s the video I took:

Can you believe it? Amaaaazing. I immediately tried to figure out how to make my own, and the answer is “not worth it.” The balloons auto-seal with one of those little rubber bands that come with mouth braces. Each balloon works out to about 17 cents, which I’ve decided is a small price to pay to get back to my frozen beverage.

Toys that are Good for Baby Brains, 0-6 Months

I’ve been doing research on toys that are good for Ozzy’s brain, so we have them around when he hits new stages. These are some pretty versions of classic toys that get baby synapses dancing, whether you’re looking for your kiddo or just want to win a baby shower.

1. Manhattan Toy Classic Baby Beads Wood Rattle, Teether, and Clutching Toy, $10 This is one of my favorite baby shower gifts. The balls move around in a mezmerizing way, and it’s so pretty. Also supportive of LGBT friends, which is always nice.

2. Melissa & Doug Color-Flap Mirror, $10 It’s good to have lots of mirrors. I also like this simple Wimmer-Ferguson crib mirror with black and white shapes on the reverse, and these Edushape geometric mirrors for the bath. The downside being mirrors in the bath.

3. Nuby Click Links, $5 These are more useful than I’d ever have thought. The baby plays with them and chews them, but you can also use them to hang toys from carseats, strollers, and cribs. Bam, insta play gym wherever you are.

4. Green Tones Polar Bear Shaker, $9 Good for chewing, shaking, and reminding your newborn that the Earth is a precious resource.

5. Plan Toys Play Gym, $66 Looks boring, I know, but Oslo finds it borderline overstimulating. He loses his mind kicking and cooing, and then konks out. He’s way into spare modernist design.

6. Infantino Textured Multi-Ball Set, $9 I was going to keep these in a glass bowl on the living room table, until I realized how overtly stupid that would be. I haven’t slept in a while.

7. FAO Schwarz Mini Plush Elephant, $12 FAO Schwarz makes the best small softies, which babies can grab and shake without smacking themselves in the face. I also love the unicorn.

Babies at this age apparently also benefit from hearing simple songs and nursery rhymes, and seeing photos of faces. I’ll do a few more of these toy roundups for different stages. If you’re interested, here are some great toy recommendation guidelines from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Grow baby brains, grow!

Justine Mahoney

I want one of Justine Mahoney’s bronze sculptures for my apathetic doll collection. These kids do not care about your treble.

Justina Blakeney is Juicy

Do you read The Jungalow? Justina Blakeney is a nice person to have bouncing around in your head.

In particular her recent citrus styling piece was so playful. It reminds me of a time in my kidhood when I just took whatever I had around to make pretty things.

I need the Internet to bring me more oranges on sticks.

Life List: Fill a Room With Balloons!

For years I’ve been looking for a reason to fill a room with balloons, and we finally did it to celebrate Hank’s first day of summer. His best friend Clark came over, and Hank knew something was up immediately when we didn’t let them just run into his room.

We said there was a surprise in there, and I asked if I could take a photo. Clark reluctantly complied with my request for a fist bump.

They opened the door.

And responded with screamies, and happies, and laughter.

It was so rewarding. Parenting! I momentarily forgot the throbbing in my raw balloon-tying fingers.

The boys spent the next couple of hours thwapping each other with balloons and then we went for ice cream.

Afterward there were balloons everywhere. Brad loved it.

I kid. Brad kept trying to pop balloons covertly so he would stop stubbing his toes on things. The nerve. You can’t sweep away celebration Brad, you can’t tidy joy.

But eventually I admitted that balloons spontaneously combusting in the night wasn’t the best situation with a newborn. So Hank laid down on his bed and cut the ends off hundreds balloons so he could watch them fly around the room.

Summer is such a damn delight.

There’s a video over on Go Mighty if you’d like to see their reaction. It’s nice to check something off my Life List again.

Vintage Salt Lake City Postcard

This vintage post card of Salt Lake City, Utah has a tiny pouch of sand from the Great Salt Lake attached. Neat, huh? I’d never seen anything like that before.

Kids and Vegetarianism

This video is pretty touching. Do any of you relate to this kid too? I remember finding meat so upsetting in childhood that I would have trouble finishing meals. His mom’s response feels so evolved compared to the response I got, which was more like, “Eat it.”

Acquistion!

I bought this ordinary cabinet last week, because it is secretly …

a Tardis desk. If Superman lived his daily life as a superhero, this would be the desk where he lived out his true identity as Clark Kent. (And other nerdy references, etcetera, etcetera, Star Wars analogy).

Anyway, secret writing! No one can know.

Solar System Lollipops

Hank would love these Solar System Lollipops from the Colossal Shop. Amazon also has Galaxy Lollipops for about a buck a pop, which would be great for a space-themed party.