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I'm so annoyed by this whole Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) put together by our Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) which is set to go into effect early this year. Admittedly I have a small handmade obsession stemming from my stumbling upon ETSY. I love handmade goodies.

According to a recent Wired article, "Disney conducted a recent survey of 11,500 parents about their kids' technology habits, which provided some interesting results: because children are being exposed to technology at younger ages, it seems some parents are struggling to keep up. The parents are unsure what gadgets are age appropriate and confused about how to keep their kids safe online."

WREXlabs is everything that is right with parents today. This awesome site crafted by a father son team, Tim and Declan, is a forum for curiosity encouraging kids and parents alike to take stuff apart and see how they work.

Our household is abuzz with election talk today. For the first time our 9 year old son has taken a fairly large interest in the voting process and we're actually having some pretty intense discussions about the candidates, propositions, historical significance, voting and even the electoral college. It's been very entertaining the last couple weeks listening to him conduct backseat debates with his close buddies over this election spouting regurgitated information they've no doubt picked up listening to us adult folk.

Holding regular living room "jam sessions" with our kids using their collection of kid-friendly instruments and homemade noise makers, attending family-friendly concerts and classes, etc...we attempt to surround our kids with music even if our own musical talents are lacking(sadly mine is really lacking). Hoping to create a life-long appreciation for music we try to educate our kids the best we can with what resources we find.

Blogger Rachel Campos-Duffy writes:

"Thanks to years of careful planning on the part of the Chinese government, China put on the most spectacular opening ceremony in recent memory. Viewers were rightfully dazzled by the combination of Chinese artistry and technology. If my kids are any indication, interest in China is at an all-time high. But what about the other China?"

Calling all bug enthusiasts! Cornell University needs your help locating and photographing ladybugs in your community as part of their Lost Ladybug Project. According to their site "Over the past twenty years several native ladybug species that were once very common have become extremely rare. During this same time several species of ladybugs from other places have greatly increased both their numbers and range. In many areas the native ladybugs are being replaced by exotic ones.

Aching to do some world traveling this summer but can't afford that dream family trip "down under" thanks to the tanking American dollar? Why not bring the beauty and wonder of this island continent to life at home with a little aboriginal art and music? A recent issue of Kids Craft Weekly offers some nifty aboriginal inspired projects perfect to inspire your mini globe trotters into action. Projects include background information and wonderful directions with pictures.

Are you raising your very own flight obsessed Orville Wright or Amelia Erhart-- If so, you've probably heard or talked about the ornithopter at one time or another. According to the Ornithopter Zone site "An ornithopter is a device that flies by flapping its wings - just like a real bird or insect!