Otterhop.com - Because your kids need something to do.

Healthy Child, Healthy World's informative guide to buying safe toys

wendy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:49:39 +0000

What to do about toys? Your kids want them. You love seeing their little faces light up when they open that perfect gift. Yet finding that perfect gift nowadays seems to mean so much more than a hunk of plastic eye candy. It has to be a balance of fun, safe, eco-friendly, not plastic and not made in China yet still doesn't break the bank. What's a time-challenged parent to do? Luckily, Healthy Child, Healthy World has put together a comprehensive crash-course guide to purchasing toys.

Take-along fabric dollhouse tutorial for the doll on the go

wendy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 01:15:52 +0000

Crafty gal Dawn of UK Lasse in the US generously shared her fabric dollhouse and barn tutorial a while back and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Call me crazy or a sucker for multi-purpose goodies but I'm thinking a certain little half-pint deserves to unwrap one of these super cute fabric homes this holiday season. And depending on how it goes maybe a few of her mini playmates will receive one as well. I can just see it now.

Charge your pre-holiday batteries with a special family yoga/hike around Inspiration Point

wendy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:48:31 +0000

Start: 12/20/2008 - 10:00am

End: 12/20/2008 - 12:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

The only outdoorsy thing you've been doing lately seems to be mad dashes from your car to mall entrances. The kids are on constant buzz mode which only seems to be growing in intensity with each passing day drawing you closer to winter break. The insane holiday kookiness is surly pounding you something wicked. Right now you could use a little break to center yourself and recharge before the main event pummels you into next year.

Los Angeles

Threadless's sale cause cheap ironic tees make the perfect gifts

wendy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:48:16 +0000

Right now Threadless is holding their pretty awesome Annual Holiday Sale. For a few bucks you can cloth the uber-cools in your life with oodles of artsy irony. The sale includes quite a few $5 tees as well as some for $10 and $15. And let's not forget their super sweet hoodsies, part hoodie part onesie all fun, starting at $10.

Free artsy Family Festival @ Getty Villa December 6th

wendy — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:51:56 +0000

Start: 12/06/2008 - 10:00am

End: 12/06/2008 - 5:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

If you're like me you've been desperately wanting to stroll the grounds of the Getty Villa in Malibu exploring the Greek antiquities and such yet have hesitated since it's reopening over two years ago because you just can't shake the image of the havoc your tiny tikes are sure to wreck if cut lose on the villa's beautiful grounds.

Los Angeles

Happy Thanksgiving, yo!

wendy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:55:48 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving from us to you. Eat lots of turkey, bite your tongue and hold your family tight. Enjoy.

Hey kids, wanna go to a thrasher style, kid friendly dance party with The Melvins?

wendy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:55:19 +0000

Start: 11/29/2008 - 4:30pm

End: 11/29/2008 - 7:00pm

Timezone: US/Pacific

Super awesome, uber-cool and way too hilarious kiddie music show Pancake Mountain has landed in LA. To wake up the neighborhood, show us they're here and shake things up a bit they're hosting a TV Dance Party with non other than The Melvins.

Los Angeles

An easy yet meaningful way to get the kids involved in the spirit of giving

wendy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:08:43 +0000

Tis the season for giving and giving thanks. And as we watch our children make their way through mountains of presents it's important for them to understand that along with the getting it's nice to be giving. An easy way to accomplish this is by checking out what a group of Army Corps Engineers in Iraq are doing. They're asking for people to send gently used stuffed toys to the children of Iraq for them to distribute to some very grateful children.

It's a wigwam, it's a tepee..it's Turkey Day fun

wendy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:54:42 +0000

Native tent making equals Thanksgiving fun. Why not get a little crafty with the kids and raise(make) a village and perhaps learn a little something about these cone shaped homes along the way?

OLPC "Give one, Get one" program @ Amazon has started..a true bargain

wendy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:42:10 +0000

Earlier this year the OLPC Organization and Amazon announced their future collaboration regarding the organization's "Give one, Get one" program.