More toy thoughts

I've been intrigued by all this toy recall news and the fact that so many toys are made in China. I did a totally random check Friday night of about 10 toys at our house and here's what I found:

1 Barbie car (Mattel) - made in China.
1 stackable wood train by Melissa and Doug - surprisingly made in China.
1 Thomas the Tank engine train car case by Learning Curve, made in China
1 V-Tech driving toy - made in China
1 Leap Frog ABC toy - made in China
1 Bumble ball, purchased at Dollar General, Made in China
1 Gund stuffed animal baby rattle, Made in China
1 AMERICAN Girl Doll (Yes, you guessed it Made in China)
1 Wilson baseball, 1 Rawlings baseball - Made in China (this surprised me being that baseball is the favorite pastime of so many American boys)
1 shark puzzle (3-D) - Made in Poland. But then again, it's a puzzle and not a toy.

I don't know what this all really means, but found it interesting. I do know that Lincoln Logs, which we have at our house, are still made in the USA. Oh, and Minivan Mom, thanks for the suggestion on "misplacing" the Polly Pockets on my previous posting. I have permanently "misplaced" them.

A review of High School Musical 2

High School Musical 2 was enjoyable, but I must admit I didn't like it as much as the first one. The baseball number was fantastic as was the pool number with the pink piano in the water. I just like the storyline of the first movie better. My daughter and niece also like the original movie better. There's my in-depth review.

Sharpay, Troy and the gang

Break out the popcorn and the smoothie ingredients! There's only a few hours left until the premiere of High School Musical 2! It's been on our calendar for weeks. Yes, I know. I'm way too excited about this.

Made in the USA

Trying to figure out of we have any of the recalled Polly Pocket play sets is too much trouble. They all look the same to me. Think I will just discreetly "misplace" them and start buying toys manufactured only in the USA. After a check of our toy boxes, that's probably going to be pretty difficult. So, now I have to worry about lead and magnets too.

Seriously, more information about all the recent toy recalls can be found at cpsc.gov (the Consumer Product Safety Commission's site).

Lunchbox notes

Hopefully you're enjoying your summer and not thinking too much about back-to-school tasks. I did see some cute, free printables today at familyeducation.com. They have lunchbox notes if you have a child who doesn't think it's embarrassing to get a note from mom or dad at the lunch table. They also have coloring sheets, and worksheets if you are looking for those.

We're trying to pack every last minute of fun into our summer. We've stocked up on Popsicles and are watching lots of Braves baseball.

Have any good brown bag lunch suggestions? I have one who eats school lunches, and one who won't, so I'm trying to get some new lunch ideas together.

Hope your summer is good to the last drop!

Mini meat loaves

One of our 2006-2007 Times-Herald Teen Board Members, Michelle Landrein, entered this recipe in the 4-H food contest earlier this year, and won in her category. I love this as a great, easy family dinner. And with school, homework, and activities about to pick up, maybe you will too.

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves
By Michelle Landrein

1 lb. ground beef
1 box (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix
1 cup water
Tomato sauce
Shredded cheddar for topping

Mix first three ingredients until moist and well blended. Preheat oven to 375°F. Distribute evenly into 12 medium muffin cups which have been sprayed with cooking spray. Make an indentation in center of each mini loaf with back of spoon. Fill with tomato sauce. Bake for 30 minutes or until temperature reaches at least 160°F. Take out and top with some shredded cheddar. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoying the older generation

My paternal grandfather, my last living grandparent, turned 90 Wednesday. My family all gathered for the occasion last week at a state lake resort in Kentucky (Land Between the Lakes). Grandpa's wife, Rose, had us all submit questions, and he answered them. My kids have really enjoyed the booklet she put together. I read part of it to them at bedtime and we learned a lot we didn't already know. They've enjoyed picturing "Grandpa Charlie" as a young person. He was telling my seven-year-old son about having to work in onion fields all day when he was that age. He had a tough childhood and worked hard his entire life, and turned out to be the sweetest person I know. Enjoy your grandparents and great-grandparents if you are still blessed enough to have them!

By the way, if you are looking for a great family vacation spot for future summers or school breaks, Kentucky Lake was great. It's beautiful country with lots to see and do.