Based on a classic Eastwood western, the Clint Eastwood; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Minimates Box Set features entertaining characters from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Don’t let these gunslingers get away!

They have put the Mini-mates spin on this classic Western! Bring your favorite Wild West gunslingers to life with this Minimates box set based on the 1966 spaghetti-western classic! Featuring the Good Blondie, the BadAngel Eyes and the Ugly Tuco as they search for buried gold, this set also includes Showdown Blondie from the epic final standoff! Sculpted and designed by Art Asylum, each 2-inch tall Minimate features 14 points of articulation and sculpted accessories!

So cool.

Clint Eastwood; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Minimates Box Set at Amazon.Com ($16 bucks [+shipping])

We were greeted at the Rose Bowl parking lot by a small army of Rose Parade workers (known simply as “White Suitors” because of their pristine white suits and white straw hats which are a throwback to the Parade’s 100 history), that directed us with mechanical precision to an open field that quickly swelled into a tightly packed lot full of SUV’s and Minivans.

We arrived kinda early, so they lines moved faster than we could scoot our kids along and we were on our way to one of the many chartered school buses taking us across town to the floats. Knowing that three Park N’Ride locations were feeding bus-loads of us to the same neighborhood, things got pretty congested. The three parking locations are the Rose Bowl, Pasadena City College, and the Community Education Center in Pasadena.

If you are planning on going here are some parent tips to make the trip a little easier;

• Go Early! - The streets fill up late morning, if you can afford to get there when they open to the general public (9am), you will have a much easier experience. We got there around 10-10:30am and it was filling up quickly! When we were leaving (early afternoon), the ticket line was twice the length as it was for us!


• Bring your most nimble and lightest stroller - We have three kids and opted not for the double stroller and that was a wise decision.


• Pack drinks and snacks - They do have delicious kettle corn, funnel cake and other county fair favorites at a price. For families visiting on a budget, pack a bag of sandwiches and drinks (non-alcoholic).


• Wear comfortable shoes - It will be crowded and you will be moving at a leisurely pace. Skateboards, roller skates, bicycles, tricycles, Segways and wagons are not permitted.


• Bring cash - $7 for anyone over the age of 5 yrs. and $3 bucks for parking, but the ticket booth takes plastic, not to worry. Be warned though, if you’re yearning for some of that tasty funnel cake you best be packing some cash in your wallet. There are only two ATMs at the venue, sponsored by the Pasadena Federal Credit Union. ATMs are located near the West (Red) Gate and at the corner of Washington and Sierra Madre Boulevards.


• Download the free Audio Tour - The Tournament of Roses is currently offering a free audio tour of the floats featured in the 120th Rose Parade.  The audio tour can be downloaded from the “podcast” area on iTunes. We did. Since we have small children, we listened to most of it on the car ride there, so it was a good primer for what we were about to see.

If you want to sit down and take a break, check out the 15 minute documentary about the making of a float for the Rose Parade at the 1600 theater at Pasadena High School. It puts some perspective on the massive effort put forth every year. I guarantee you won’t watch the parade the same way.

Some of the highlights of the showcase for me was being able to look into the underbelly of these homemade monstrosities. Many of the ones with heavy animatronics rigs looked like they had full server racks next to the driver’s seats! Sure that is probably on of the geeker fun facts, but it really is interesting to get up close to these works of art after seeing them on TV.

This is definitely not bargain basement shopping, but what my wife and I have discovered with three children is certain pieces of clothing can be worthy hand-me-downs, ultimately saving you money. One of those key items is a good winter coat. Check out these beautiful Petit Bateau pea coats for both boys and girls.

On sale for $96 bucks at TrendiChic.Com (they have a clearance bin as well)

Now that the gift wrap has been thrown away and hopefully those sugar “highs” have passed, you think you have a moment to kick back on the couch and watch the kids fight over play with their new toys - wrong. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a six pack of recalls on items that may have sitting under your tree or in your kid’s room, so please read on.

Regarding Christmas decorations, there are two recalls - one with an obvious design flaw and the other one maybe not so obvious. We should all know this from 9th grade Science class, if you have a big enough snow globe in the sun for too long it will magnify the sun’s rays and potentially ignite a fire. Hallmark’s Jumbo Snowman Snow Globe (Stock #1XAG5093, measuring 11 by 12 by 17 inches) for a suggested retail price of $99.95, has been recalled due to a potential risk of fire.

Gardner’s Supply Company has voluntarily recalled their Candle Powered Christmas Pyramid (*pictured above). The candle carousels generate heat which rotate the fan blade and can cause the center platform to spin. The candle holder placement on the base of the carousels is too close to the structure, allowing the candle flame to come in contact and ignite different parts of the carousel, including the fans, trees and deer, posing a fire hazard.

Munire Furniture Company is in trouble again this year, they had a sizable recall a few months ago for there Majestic, Flat Top, Essex, Brighton/Sussex, and Captiva Cribs. Now it is there 4-in-1 Newport Rubbed Black Convertible Crib and matching furniture. The red paint beneath the black rubbed paint has been found to have excessive amounts of lead in it. There has been one report of a child ingesting the paint and being diagnosed with lead poisoning. The combined number of units involved in the two sets of Munire recalls is 34,000 so if you have anything with the Munire name on it in you nursery or kid’s room, please read this twice.

In the sports arena there are two additional recalls. Foursquare Outerwear, of Irvine, CA, made a classic fashion faux pas by selling hooded jackets with drawstrings in boys and girls sizes XS, S, M, L, and XL.

Drawstrings have been a fatal design flaw over the years because of the potential strangulation hazard to children (most victims generally 2-8 years). The lesson here parents, avoid buying hooded sweatshirts, jackets or any other garments for youngsters.



Atomic Skis USA has announced a major recall for a number of their ski binding lines due to a design flaw on the heel housing of the bindings. The affects bindings are Race 310, Race 412, RaceRace 310, RaceRace 412, Xentrix 310, Xentrix 311, Xentrix 412, C310, C311, C412, CR 310, CR 412, R 310, R 412, SX 310, SX 412, Device 311, Device 412, Centro 310, Centro 412, and Dynamic ADX 312, RD10, X412, Centro 412. There have been a number of reported injuries and concussions due to falls when these binding prematurely release. This recall alone affects over one million units worldwide, so if you notice someone wearing Atomic bindings while waiting for the lift you may want to give them the “heads up” on this recall.

Woodstock Percussion Inc. has 2.8k Steel Drums sold with massive amounts of lead paint on them, so the aspiring calypso musicians in the family, please take note.

Sited and Related Links:

Hallmark Cards | Jumbo Snowman Snow Globe Recall

Recent Munire Recalls | metaDAD

Gardner’s Supply Company | Candle-Powered Pyramid Recall

CPSC | Hallmark Recalls Jumbo Snow Globes Due to Fire Hazard

CPSC | Gardener’s Supply Company Recalls Candle-Powered Carousels Due to Fire Hazard

CPSC | Woodstock Percussion Inc. Recalls Toy Drums Due to…

CPSC | Foursquare Recalls Hooded Youth Jackets with Drawstrings

CPSC | Munire Recalls “Newport Rubbed Black” Cribs and Matching Furniture…

CPSC | Munire Furniture Recalls Cribs Due to Fall Hazard

CPSC | Atomic Skis USA Recalls Ski Bindings Due to Unexpected Release

We all procrastinate, that’s okay, so long as it gets done time and the job is done well, right. When it comes to holiday shopping there’s no exception. Here’s a quick list of five affordable gift ideas for the family with an emphasis on everybody in the family. They are simple ideas to help spark some memorable gifts.



Baby Leg & Arm Warmers - I love these things! I have written about them before. They protect Baby’s elbow and knees when they’re crawling about, they provide an additional layer of warmth, and they make diaper changes super quick. Get them for the newborn, baby or toddler! I am a big fan of the selection at BabyLegs (between $7-$21, most $7-$12) but due to their popularity you can now find them at places like Amazon and Target.

Framed Personal Photos - Take a minute to burn a CD with some favorite family photos, either jump in the car and take them to be printed, print them yourself or upload them to Shutterfly (or the likes of), next buy a single frame or a set of frames at your favorite store and viola, you have a thoughtful gift of memories that the wife, grandparents or the in-laws will adore.

Classic Toys Under $10 - There’s a number of classic toys (*that aren’t choked with phthalates or dipped in lead-heavy paints) that I would recommend for either stocking stuffers or as solid little holiday gifts for your favorite niece or nephew when visiting for the holidays. There is a solid list of classic inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play (here are a few);

• Slinky


• Travel-sized Checkers Set


• Wooden Alphabet Blocks


• Small Lego Set


• Silly Putty

Gardening Starter Set - Get a good sized planters pot and fill it with the following; a few bag of seeds (flowers, herbs are very hearty and forgiving), a hand shovel and rake, gloves, and if you want to make the kit complete buy yourself a small bag of soil and put it into a zip-lock freezer bag.

Or, if you’re like me and running out of time or don’t want the DIY approach, check out the cute Kids Gardening Kits that are available online (starting at $20 [+ shipping]).

Emergency Play & Craft Kit - I have recently written a post about this ingenuous piece of packaging. The Momergency Kit is a bag filled with stuff. Stuff your kids can use to do various activities and craft to pass the time when your stuck at the airport, waiting in holiday traffic or just killing time. Granted the DIY Dad in me is tempted to run to an office supply store and make one myself, the most redeeming aspect of this little gem is that a portion of the proceeds go to the Heifer International to fight poverty and hunger.

I stumbled upon this fresh wooden train set at a small toy store in the area and wanted to share it with you all. What I like besides the cool simple designs is the fact that the makers of these Nuchi Trains made them compatible with existing wooden tracks (ex. Thomas the Train tracks). Really adorable, simple and easy designs, I like them.

$15-20 bucks at the Little Little Little Toy Company (*good prices at Amazon, too)

How many times have I had downtime with the kids and they are bored, they’re slumping around the house with gaze fixed on me, as if to say, “Dad, what can we dooooooOO?” It’s not easy having fresh ideas to pull out of my hat, some of you dads might know what I’m talking about. Here are five free activities that will entertain the kids for hours.

I often try to see this as an opportunity to bond with the kids and to teach them the finer point of playing well with others and communication which usually means picking up on social cues, keep in mind I am talking about toddlers and preschool kids.

Over the next few months I will throw out a few more ideas and maybe eventually I will compile a master list. Moms and Dads, please pipe in.

1. Shadow Tag: all it takes is a sunny day - go to an open area, chase each other around using shadows. Whoever is “it” steps on somebody else’s shadow thus making that person “it.” Of course you don’t have to play with them, but explain the rules and set them up for a friendly round or two of tag, so they can get some exercise, have some fun and maybe blow some steam off. 

2. Play Fort: I just did this with the boys yesterday. It was cold and rainy outside. They had an absolute blast. Span blankets across the backs of two chairs or simply throw a sheet or tablecloth over the dining room table, viola - a “fort.”  They filled the fort with pillows, stuffed animals, snacks and flashlights. Once the novelty started wearing off, “Daddy Monster” came in to attack them when they were inside the fort, squeals of joy - that’s all I’ll say.

3. Monster Mask: regardless of your artistic abilities, I think everyone can have a good time with this. Take a brown paper shopping bag and have the kids draw a scary face with crayons, pencils, markers, whatever… Cut the eyes out, unless they old enough to do it themselves. Have them take the time to paste colored paper (perhaps for the hair), paint it (poster or tempera paint would work good), color it in, be creative! Have them put there Monster Masks on and have them chase you or each other around [*be sure to give them good-sized eye holes so they have some type of peripheral vision].

4. Fly a Kite: I got a cheap $5 kite on a whim months ago because I saw some dad flying one with his kid in the park. I have since taken my kids to the park to fly that cheap $5 kite over a dozen times! They really get a kick over wrestling that little thing as it gets tugged up and down and all around.

5. 20 Questions: on post-it notes write down characters, people or things that your kids know (ex. Mickey Mouse, Daddy, giraffe, peanut butter sandwich, etc.) and tack them on your kid’s back and have your kid do the same for you. Spend up to twenty questions trying to guess what is on your back.

When I talk to people about buying kids gifts for the holidays the conversation seems to swing one of two ways, toward whatever toy is getting the biggest buzz (heaven forbid Oprah mentions a toy on her show!) or commercial air-time or the discussion becomes a friendly debate about the most beneficial toys or “smartest” toys based on current studies or some recent research or article.

Lately though, I find myself rediscovering the magic of some of the time worn classics. You know the toys, you grew up with, you know - the good ones. Little green plastic army men, matchbox cars, alphabet blocks, Legos (don’t get me started!), Play-Doh, the list goes on.

Recently the Strong National Museum of Play had three more inductees into their hall of fame; the baby doll, skateboard and my personal favorite, the stick. Can you imagine your kid’s face when they open their gift on Christmas morning and it’s a stick from the backyard! Priceless.

A lot of strong ideas conjure up when you stare at their list of 41 inductees. If this list doesn’t do it for you, I highly recommend you popping over to the Holiday Gift Guide put out every year by the Parents’ Choice. Here’s something to jog your memory while you’re trying to figure out what to get you grandson, niece or daughter; [* in alphabetical order]

• alphabet blocks


• Atari 2600 game console


• Baby Doll


• bicycle


• Barbie


• cardboard box


• Candyland


• checkers


• Crayola Crayons


• Duncan Yo-yo


• Easy Bake Oven


• Erector Set


• Etch-a-Sketch


• Frisbee


• G.I. Joe


• Hula Hoop


• jack-in-the-Box


• jacks


• jigsaw puzzle


• jump rope


• kite


• LEGO


• Lincoln Logs


• Lionel Trains


• marbles


• Monopoly


• Play-Doh


• Mr. Potato Head


• Radio Flyer Wagon


• Raggedy Ann and Andy


• rocking horse


• roller skates


• Scrabble


• Silly putty


• skateboard


• slinky


• stick


• teddy bear


• Tinker Toys


• Tonka Trucks


• View Master

Sited and Related Links:

Strong National Museum of Play

International Herald Tribune | Honored toys: Baby Doll, skateboard and the stick

Parents’ Choice Holiday Gift Guide

Solar Powered Christmas Lights, this is definitely the find of the day - no outlet needed! Now decorate anywhere without dangerous extension cords or need for an outlet. Sun charges string of 60 lights by day, turn on automatically at dusk and run for about eight hours!

No energy cost! Great near road, around mailbox or lampost - now you’re not limited to nearby outlet. 26′ length.

$20 bucks [+shipping] at Amazon.Com