I have to admit, I’ve never cared much for Valentine’s Day.  To me, it has just been an excuse for florists to jack up their prices!  I’ve alway felt like people should let the people they love know this on an everyday basis.  But, as I get older, and time with my husband becomes more and more valued, so does the the “idea” of that special day to celebrate our love. 

Now, the question arises…What are we doing on Valentine’s Day?  We’ve done the usual dinner and a movie.  But by the time we wait in line for two hours at the restaurant, eat, then sit through the two hour movie, the night is over.  Sometimes that route is more stressful than enjoyable.  So, I’ve done a little research, and have found some fun, different, and sometimes even FREE Valentine’s date ideas.

I, personally, love the idea of a date that allows for communication.  If you have children, you know exactly what I mean.  A few hours talking to your spouse is almost unheard of in the everyday life of today’s busy families.  A few of my favorites are :

• A picnic…outdoors or indoors…takeout or homemade.  Be creative about the place. 
• Take a hike…together, of course.  Bundle up and go for a walk.
• Plan a game night for just the two of you.  Think about it…how long has it been since you’ve done this without the kids?
• Cook a meal TOGETHER.  This can be really fun without the added stress of the kids fighting in the background.

There really are some great ideas out there.  If these ideas don’t appeal to you, try doing a little research of your own.  One of my favorite resources is Coolest Dates.  This site offers lots of ideas for many occasions, even for different age groups.   Whatever you decide to do with that special someone, ENJOY IT!  After all, Valentine’s only comes once a year!

Photo by Illusive Photograpy via Flicker Creative Commons.

My cousin from Indiana sent me a facebook message a couple of weeks ago asking me to look in every Nashville area store I step into for a thing called a Zhu Zhu pet.  Huh?  She said she’d been looking everywhere for them for months and months - they are to be gifts for her eight-year old twin granddaughters.

I always thought the full press search for the hottest toys was kind of silly.  But then when my oldest daughter was three-years old, the Barney doll came out.  We love him, he loved us, we were a happy fa-mi-ly, with great big hugs and a kiss for me and you…

Yes we were a Barney family.  I drove to a town 10 miles away when I heard the local Wal-Mart had TWO plush stuffed Barneys left.  And they held both of them for me… we got our stuffed purple dinosaur.  Sadly, I’ve never owned a cabbage patch doll.  And I have yet to find a Zhu Zhu.

Ron over at PopFi gives us the low-down on the little gerbils hamsters,

Apparently, a Zhu Zhu pet is a little hamster that can drive a car and that runs around squeaking randomly.   The toys are the brainchild of veteran designer Russ Hornsby and St. Louis company Cepia Inc.  This six-year-old company is looking at sales of $100 million in Zhu Zhu Pets alone, with an estimated $300-$400 million by this time next year.  All for what is basically a $10 cat toy with a bubble car.

Will there be a zhu zhu in your house this gift giving season?

Father’s day is June 15 and Shakadoo has a great gift idea for that special man in our lives!

Back away from the ugly ties and golf shirts ladies! This year, give your Father or your children’s Father something that he will absolutely love! Love Shak Baby and Wholesalekeychain.com is excited to announce our latest giveaway! 

Shak and wholesalekeychain.com are offering our readers the chance to win three Digital Photo Keychains! This contest will run from today, May 31st until June 11th.

From now until midnight CDT June 11th, here’s what you need to do in order to be entered to win:

* Go over to the Wholesalekeychain website and take a look around.

* Take a look at their huge assortment of automotive, sports and digital  keychains.

* Leave a comment on this post telling us which ones you like and your thoughts on how these products could be used as great promotional items.

* Make sure you leave us a valid email address so we can contact you when you win!

* Tell everyone you know! Help us spread
the word- link us on your blog, Twitter about this, email your friends,
an let all your neighbors know!

Three winners will be randomly selecting to each win 1 Digital Photo Keychain. All three winners will be

announced on June 12th! This giveaway is open to US residents only.

The Digital Photo Keychain features a 1.5 inch screen and holds up to 70 pictures! But what sets this company apart is they offer custom engraved messages to your loved ones on the back.

Don’t want to wait for the end of the contest for your Digital Photo Keychain? Need one in time for Fathers Day?  -You’re in luck! Wholesalekeychain.com is offering free shipping for any keychains purchased by Shakadoo readers. Just enter the coupon code "Shakadoo" when
you check out  and your shipping will be free. Prices start at only $19.99, but hurry- this discount is only
available until August 30, 2008!

(This is a "sticky" post and will remain at the top of the page for
the duration of Just In Time For Father’s Day Giveaway but new posts will be written
daily and published underneath this post.)

When I arrived at my son’s preschool the other day to pick him up, he just didn’t want to leave. He was busy working on some puzzles and was very absorbed in it. I was kind of surprised at how much concentration he was putting into the project.

I decided to buy him some puzzles for home since he seemed to enjoy them so much at school. I bought him two puzzles that contained 25 pieces and he mastered both of them the first day. He is just three so I was rather impressed! He would put one together, do the next one and start all over again. These puzzles really occupied him for a long time.

At preschool, they have been talking about the solar system and now my son knows all of the names of the planets. He likes to talk about them and name them for us. On my search for even more puzzles, I found this wonderful solar system floor puzzle by Melissa and Doug. It contains 48 pieces and once again, my son mastered it the first day!

Working on puzzles help children practice many skills that will help them in school. Kidsource.com talks about how: "Puzzles in Early Childhood Education: Putting the Pieces Together":

"When children work on puzzles, they are actually "putting the pieces together" in more ways than one. Puzzles help children build the skills they need to read, write, solve problems, and coordinate their thoughts and actions—all of which they will use in school and beyond. Find a puzzle with a picture that has particular interest for your child, and you may help her begin to recognize colors and letters, and come to realize that the sum of parts make up a whole—a concept that will help her with math later on. By inserting pieces into the puzzle, children also develop the muscle group used for writing, or the "pincer" grasp."

Further into the article, they list how many pieces are appropriate for each age. Boy, was I impressed when it said that "Five-year-olds can handle large or small piece 18 to 35 pieces puzzles" and here my three year old is handling a 48 piece puzzle in one day. I actually think their age range guide seems a little low, but it made me feel good!

Undoubtedly this holiday season, you either received or gave gift cards in lieu of purchasing or receiving an actual product. Gift cards are all the rage these days and their growth is predicted to continue to increase.
Ellen Cannon an Editor at Bankrate.com says in her article Gift Card Trends: Gift Cards Are Everywhere that

"Gift cards are booming — on the buyer and seller sides
of the market. According to Comdata, in the 2007 holiday season, the average
gift card buyer will spend $203 on cards, a $23 increase from 2006. And the
National Retail Federation’s 2007 Holiday Consumer Survey found that 54 percent
of consumers said they want to receive a gift card as a holiday gift."

That’s good news for the retailers who are hoping that Post- Christmas shopping will save the season.USA Today reports,

"Retailers are rolling out after-Christmas discounts, hoping bargain shoppers and gift-card splurgers can help salvage the season."

But what do you do with gift cards that you just don’t think you will use? I for one have a drawer full of gift cards that I never seem to have with me when I want to purchase something? Then to my horror one day, I actually took one with me and found out that the $100.00 card (from 2 years ago) had penalties for each month that it was not used and was now reduced to about a $35.00 actual cash value!  since then I tend to give cash rather than cards on most occasions or buy the ones that I am sure have no expiration or penalties.

But back to what to do when you don’t shop at the stores from which the gift card was issues? Well today I checked out some sites that offer solutions to that problem. I had no idea that there were websites that   allow you to manage gift card balances and to swap gift cards with other consumers. What a great idea. Swap A Gift is one such site that for just a one time fee of $1.99, you can list your gift card for swap or sale. Plastic Jungle offers a secure place to buy gift cards at reduced prices as well as sell or trade. And finally, Leverge Card another site that allows you to

• Purchase gift cards from top retailers

• Earn interest on gift cards you register with Leverage 

• Swap gift cards for free 

• Manage gift card balances, frequent flyer miles and
  loyalty programs from one computer screen with no downloads needed 

• Receive targeted offers and savings from retailers based
  on gift cards you have, as well as your loyalty program and calendar info.

Hallelujah! No more unused cards that sit in my drawer and collect dust. If anyone has used a card swap company before, share your experience here with your fellow Shak-ers.

Last Christmas I bought my son a lot of Thomas The Train engines. He loved them and played with them all of the time, That is, until I heard about the recall and had to take them away. He was left with an empty train table to stare at.

This holiday season, consumers and parents are struggling to find safe and lead free toys. The choices are limited and often expensive.

I came across this adorable little train set. It is made in the USA and is lead free. The great part is that it is compatible with Thomas and Brio sets. The price of $36.90 is reasonable too. It is quickly becoming the fastest selling toy this holiday season.

Here is further product information from the manufacturer:

Little Engine That Could Wooden Toy Train Set

Featured on ABC & NBC

Looking for a toy train set that’s child safe and made in the USA? We love Watty Piper’s classic story around here, so we were thrilled to find this Little Engine That Could train set. This wonderful made in the USA toy is compatible with Thomas and Brio sets. Includes the engine, three cars, and red caboose.This is crafted just like traditional toys were made in the past, so you can bet it will last!

:: Authentically made to last for generations
:: Painted with child-safe lead free paints and sealers
:: Fine Hand Detailing
:: Handmade of reforested birch hardwood
:: Railcars are heavier than other brands

Made in:
USA

I already bought this train set for my son for a Christmas present. He will be able use his train table again and I won’t have to worry about taking his trains away again. Satisfy your little train lover with this lead free train set!

Create You Squidoo Lens On A Shak Subject And You Could Be Featured On Shakadoo! Once you have built your lens, submit it to the group HERE.

Great books for babies by sonia_simone

Encourage your baby to be a lifelong reader (0-12 months)

If you’ve recently had a baby—or maybe you’re a new aunt or uncle—one of your goals might be to encourage a lifelong love of reading in this gorgeous brand-new person. 

This lens will give you some resources and encouragement, including a few gentle pieces of advice, to set you on that course. 

To learn everything you ever wanted to know about great books for babies (including great book recommendations), visit the entire lens by clicking: Great books for babies

Create You Squidoo Lens On A Shak Subject And You Could Be Featured On Shakadoo! Once you have built your lens, submit it to the group HERE.

Great books for babies by sonia_simone

Encourage your baby to be a lifelong reader (0-12 months)

If you’ve recently had a baby—or maybe you’re a new aunt or uncle—one of your goals might be to encourage a lifelong love of reading in this gorgeous brand-new person. 

This lens will give you some resources and encouragement, including a few gentle pieces of advice, to set you on that course. 

To learn everything you ever wanted to know about great books for babies (including great book recommendations), visit the entire lens by clicking: Great books for babies

It is time to make your holiday gift list. Usually I find it fairly easy to come up with ideas for my children. There is always something new that they want.

The difficult part of my list making is thinking of ideas for the older generation family members. They seem to already have everything, don’t they? It is tempting to buy them one more sweater or one more coffee mug but I truly like to be original each year.

I found a website called First Street For Boomers And Beyond that has products made specifically for senior citizens. They have nifty little gadgets that can help improve sound quality for television viewing and for hearing better during phone conversations. Other products include outdoor, travel and hobby gadgets.

Another feature of the site that I like is that it offers seniors numerous gift ideas for the younger generation on their shopping list. I always like an all in one shopping stop and First Street For Boomers And Beyond seems to be it!

It is time to make your holiday gift list. Usually I find it fairly easy to come up with ideas for my children. There is always something new that they want.

The difficult part of my list making is thinking of ideas for the older generation family members. They seem to already have everything, don’t they? It is tempting to buy them one more sweater or one more coffee mug but I truly like to be original each year.

I found a website called First Street For Boomers And Beyond that has products made specifically for senior citizens. They have nifty little gadgets that can help improve sound quality for television viewing and for hearing better during phone conversations. Other products include outdoor, travel and hobby gadgets.

Another feature of the site that I like is that it offers seniors numerous gift ideas for the younger generation on their shopping list. I always like an all in one shopping stop and First Street For Boomers And Beyond seems to be it!