Since 1946, Ten Thousand Villages has supported the work of artisans in over 30 countries including Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.  The company has grown to over 145 retail stores.  They continually strive to improve the lives of artisans in developing countries through the expansion of fair trade.  Most of its artisan partners use environmentally friendly processes, sustainable natural resources, and recycled materials for their products.

I was able to try out the Handmade Caterpillar and Butterfly Puzzle. Now, this is a tad too old for Will (who is 18 months old), but Madison (my 4 year old) seems to handle it pretty well. You can definitely tell this is a hand painted puzzle. It has the detail that you don’t normally see.  The butterfly puzzle has more pieces, but the bottom of the tray is also painted with a butterfly, so it makes it easier to figure out where the pieces go.  The catepillar is less pieces, so it is a tad easier to do.  As for materials,  this is painted albizia wood (and the paint is nontoxic).

Ten Thousand Villages has many other items to pick from also.  I focussed on the toys, but you there is really something for everyone there.  I found gifts for women, men, and even teachers!  If you are a looking for a one of a kind gift this Christmas, Ten Thousand Villages is your answer.

Can you think of a word containing a double a (no proper names either!)? How about double h, i, or w? If these kinds of puzzles are right up your alley, you need to get Fabulous Fun With Puzzles. It just became available on October 7th, and it is right up the alley for any puzzle lovers you know. Each section of this book is broken down into what kind of puzzle it is. It makes it quite easy to find the word and letter puzzles, the anagram puzzles, and the mathematical puzzles (there are a ton more too chose from too!).

The part the amazed me most about this book was that it was originally published in 1947! They are republishing it again for all of us who don’t remember this book (which would include me). There are over 400 mindblowing puzzles that are just as good today as they were back then. I also love that they do give you the answer guide too. Sometimes I can’t help but to look up the answer.

Anyone who loves puzzles or even is mildly amused by them, will love this book. Did you figure out the answer to the above questions? Here you go if you didn’t:

Double A’s: bazaar, baaing, ma’am
Double H’s: highhanded, hitchhike, bathhouse, beachhead, fishhawk, fishhook, roughhewn, roughhouse, washhouse, withhold,
Double I’s: genii, radii, skiing, shiitake, taxiing
Double W’s: bowwow, glowworm, plowwright, powwow, arrowwood, arrowworm, screwworm, yellowwood

How many did you get?

Do you own an iPod? I do, and my biggest complaint is that I don’t always have a something to plug it into to listen. I don’t always want to use my headphone. Most of the docking stations that are out there are both expensive and huge. Most people, including myself, don’t have room for those. I also don’t want to be having to carry my docking station from room to room either. The Orbit is the answer. It weights less than 7 oz yet sounds just as good as any speaker you’ve ever used. It easily fits into a large pocket. It connects to iPods, MP3 players, laptops, and even has a 2.5 mm adapter for use with mobile phones! You don’t have to worry about having to find a plugin either — it takes just three AAA batteries which allow for up to 24 hours of straight playtime.

In my house, we use this in the kitchen.  I don’t have a lot of counter space, so we wanted something that was little yet still sounded good.  For us, the Orbit works perfect.  I love that I can easily take it into the living room with me too.  For a speaker this small, it has incredible sound.  It is actually quite impressive.  It even comes with a travel carrying case, so you can take this everywhere you go!  This makes both a great gift for yourself or any music lover you know!

Ever wonder what to get for the person who has everything? Jones Soda has the answer for you! How about a customized label on a few bottles of their soda (well, actually you order a 12 pack)?  This works not only for the person who you don’t know what to buy for but also for grandparents and other family members.  This also works great for other holidays and even bridal showers.  How awesome would it be to pick up a bottle of this soda at the rehearsal dinner at a wedding and see the bride and groom’s picture on there.

The process is really quite simple.  All you need to do is log into www.myjones.com.  You then submit the photo you want to use.  If you need some ideas, they have a photo gallery of other pictures people have submitted.  Then you pick which flavor of soda you’d like the picture to be one.  There have several flavors including Fufu Berry, Orange & Cream, Blue Bubblehum, and Ameri-cola.  Once ordered, your bottles will show up on your doorstep within 3 – 4 weeks.  A 12 pack sells for $29.99 plus shipping.

School is upon us again.  Madison was in preschool last year and is in it again this year.  She had two backpacks that she used last year, so neither of them are very worn out at all.  I decided that since it was only preschool and they would work perfectly fine, I was not going to buy her a new backpack.  To the left here is the backback that she is using this year.  I feel slightly guilty, since it seems that the rest of the kids have new backpacks.  However, when I came across PakNak Charms, I knew I had my answer.  This was a way to alter her backpack and make her happy without me having to by her a new one.

Now, I got a snail and a butterfly to add to her backpack since it goes with the Tinkerbell theme pretty well.  She noticed right away that I added them!  The PakNak charms are made of a soft material that is both flexible and weatherproof!  It took me less than 5 minutes to attach, and I can easily switch the places of the charms.  Now, Madison’s backpack is pretty busy.  Can you imagine the difference these would make on a single colored cooler or backpack?  All I know is that the PakMak charms made my 4 year old a very happy little girl!