When I was a child, my mother was forever searching for her scissors, her Bic pens, her roll of Scotch tape. And when she’d find them - in my backpack, on my desk, under my bed - she’d screech: “Don’t take my things! When I look for them, I need to be able to find them!”

I always wondered why she was so touchy about her stuff. Well, now I know.

My hairbrush goes missing. So do my notepads. And my scissors - every last pair of them.

I can’t find my bike helmet. Or my water bottle. Or my Sharpies. I shudder to think of where those Sharpies might turn up.

So I probably frightened the kind lady who emailed to offer me samples from Label Daddy when I gushed: “Yes. Oh, YES. Please please PLEASE send me some labels. At least this way if my kids persist in taking my stuff, they’ll be reminded of their transgressions. And maybe, just MAYBE, they’ll remember to put my stuff back.”

When those cute labels showed up in my mailbox, I tore open the package and ran around sticking labels all over my stuff. I’m not sure if it’s because of the labels, but my hairbrush has remained in my bathroom - on my vanity - for over a week. That’s truly amazing.

They’ve survived trips through the dishwasher too, which is especially important for labels that identify kids’ things. No sense spending money on labels to note whose sippy is whose if they come off easily.

One product that’s especially cute is the photo labels. They’re just as adhesive as the other labels, but instead of a name and an icon, they feature a photo of your choice. I’ve never seen anything like them. Perfect for kids who can’t yet recognize their name, but who know what they look like!

So although everyone thinks about labeling their kids’ things, too few of us think about labeling our own stuff. I’m here to tell you, it will make your life easier. Check out the selection at Label Daddy, and take back your stuff.

This summer, we deemed CJ to be officially potty trained. Surviving umpteen thousand miles in the car without a single accident - I can’t think of a better gauntlet to lay down as a measure of success.

Even so, she still has her moments. Which cause me to have my moments.

Which is why I’m glad to have a copy of Once Upon a Potty to reinforce the lessons I thought she learned back in July.

Once Upon a Potty is a board book and audio CD that comes in both girl and boy editions. The cover is so durable - I wish all of our kids’ board books had a cover like that one. The illustrations are simple, but with charming details that bring Prudence - our potty heroine - and her long-suffering mother to life.

The story is a basic one - from diapers to potty - but the language is what makes this book so entertaining for parents. It just begs to be read with a British accent. Considering how much potty training paraphernalia we parents are bombarded with, a book with a good dose of humor like Once Upon a Potty is a welcome breath of fresh air. Pun intended.

In the past few months, CJ has really begun to enjoy reading, and she’s now added Once Upon a Potty to her regular repertoire. She names off all of her body parts too and laughs at the different ideas of how to use the potty. But the part that I think really helps kids make a connection is how Prudence loves her potty even more after she makes “wee-wee” and “poo-poo” in it. Just a small taste of success can be a fantastic motivator, for kids and adults alike.

CJ and I still have our moments, those when I sigh exasperatedly and direct her to change her clothes. But now we just sit down for another reading of Once Upon a Potty.

For more reviews of Once Upon a Potty, check out the review schedule at PBN!

On the heels of my sprint triathlon last month, I insisted on taking a shot at the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” here in Denver earlier this month. It was a family affair - all five of us rose at the crack of dawn to head downtown - and I ran in the women’s race at 7am, while Kyle ran in the coed race at 8:30am.

While I wasn’t running specifically in support of or in memory of anyone in particular, my favorite part of the day was reading the dedications pinned to the backs of other runners and walkers. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, friends, and so many more - breast cancer has touched far too many people’s lives. We even found men wearing “survivor” tees.

But my second favorite part of the day? All that pink!

I confess, I love pink. Even in my punk rock days, pink was a staple in my wardrobe. What can I say - it’s flattering.

And since I love shopping too, October is a perfect month to get my pink on - and to feel good about doing it:

Aphrodisiac perfume - From Lumar of Beverly Hills, this scent combines white rose, tuberose, and amber. The perfume itself is pink, but more importantly, it smells delicious. A little aphrodisiac does everyone some good. Lumar will donate 10% of perfume sales in the month of October to the Libby Ross Foundation.

Cor facial soap - It may not be pink, but it’s made with silver - a natural anti-bacterial agent. It also includes a complex of Collagen, Sericin and Chitosan, which are absorbed by the skin via silica. I don’t understand it either, but it makes my face squeaky clean. Cor will donate 10% of online sales in the month of October to the Libby Ross Foundation.

KitchenAid: Cook for the Cure collection - I’m not much in the kitchen, but I love my pink KitchenAid stand mixer. Looks like I need to check out the rest of their pink products. Oh, and redecorate my kitchen. For each pink product purchased and registered at cookforthecure.com, KitchenAid will donate up to $50 to Susan G. Komen.

Philosophy: She Colors My Day line - I’ve got more brand loyalty to the Philosophy skin care line than any other. So it’s no wonder that it made me smile to see that they donate 100% (yes, you read that right) of net proceeds from sales of She Colors My Day products to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund.

Zensual Asian Lychee Blossom candle - This candle isn’t pink either, but it’s incredibly fragrant and clean-burning. Every master bathroom can use a fragrant candle, especially one that won’t have me scrubbing smoke residue off the ceiling. Zensual’s making a very generous donation of 30% of proceeds from sales of the Asian Lychee Blossom line to the Libby Ross Foundation.

As far as I’m concerned, one of the coolest kids toys you can possibly have is a good old fashioned dollhouse. I wasn’t yet five when my mother and my grandfather built one for me in the workshop in my grandparents’ basement. My love for balconies - which endures even now - was sparked by that beautiful dollhouse, which had a balcony off the master bedroom. The interior was decorated with wallpaper and carpet remnants, and we regularly added new furniture and accessories, complete with the tiniest of details.

Given my fond memories of my own dollhouse, naturally I was thrilled to get one for my girls. When the Caring Corners Mrs. Goodbee Dollhouse arrived, I knew that even if Tacy and CJ didn’t play with it, I certainly would.

I needn’t have worried; both girls fell all over themselves with excitement. CJ and I put it together while Tacy was out, which was a great way for her to get first crack at playing with it without arguments immediately ensuing. By the time Tacy got home, CJ was ready to show her the dollhouse and explain all the details of how it worked.

Look at the proud homeowner!

Yes, it’s a dollhouse, but it’s so much more than that. Mrs. Goodbee is your hostess - a cheerful British lady who’s not quite as spit-spot as Mary Poppins and not quite as granny-ish as Mrs. Doubtfire - and she talks and sings each time you push a button. Ring the doorbell, and she greets you. Rock the baby’s cradle, and she instructs you to get milk from the fridge (and then congratulates you when you open the fridge door). Tap the boom box on the rooftop patio, and she sings about cleaning up - and not in an annoying way reminiscent of that purple dino we all know. We’ve got a lot of talking and singing toys around here, and Mrs. Goodbee is by far the most pleasant of the bunch. I honestly like listening to the girls play with the dollhouse, and not just because it’s nice to hear two sisters enjoying each other’s company.

The dollhouse itself is full of neat details that impressed all of us. CJ was enamored by the sound of the flushing toilet and water running in the sink, as well as the hooting owls and chirping crickets that sounded off when she flipped the window panes to reveal the nighttime scene. Tacy immediately created a plot and dialogue for the dolls, which was augmented well by the input from Mrs. Goodbee as doors were opened and buttons were pushed. We’re still discovering all the ins and outs. Even Oliver was curious enough to take a peek - and then he promptly fell over and bonked his head on the rounded corner of the dollhouse. Caring Corners indeed - thanks for rounding them off and saving me a trip to the ER!

But the really neat part about the dollhouse is how it advocates thoughtfulness and good behavior. Not only do we hear from Mrs. Goodbee herself, but Caring Corners is partnered with Goodwill. A pamphlet that comes inside the dollhouse box suggests asking your child to fill the empty dollhouse box with items for donation - things of hers that she doesn’t use anymore, but that another child might like to have. Then take the box to Goodwill to receive a Certificate of Appreciation. Use the code on the certificate to access more activities at CaringCorners.com.

We’re all having a great time playing with Mrs. Goodbee and her dollhouse. Next month, I’ll be back to post about how we helped another little girl get a chance to become a homeowner too.

Much to my chagrin, Tacy has not inherited my compulsion to always read the directions. Instead, she has taken after her father and his “jump right in and figure it out as I go” approach to just about everything in life.

Granted, reading the directions doesn’t always mean that I do everything right on the first try - because, yes, that is my primary motivation for reading them - but at least it gives me a better shot at it. Fumbling around blindly takes all the fun out of it for me.

So when the V.Smile Cyber Pocket game arrived in the mail, I made both girls wait until I’d finished cleaning up the kitchen before opening it, because - of course - I wanted to read the directions.

I only made it to the part where I popped the Smartridge into its slot before Tacy said, “Okay, I know what to do,” and I gave up and handed it to her. My compulsions can only handle so much anxious, high-pitched whining.

Fortunately, the whining ceased as soon as I handed the Cyber Pocket over to her. In fact, all three kids were silently absorbed in the wonders of technology. It was a moment I’ll never forget:

In all seriousness, the Cyber Pocket is a fantastic little gadget. It can go along just about anywhere - trains, planes, and automobiles - and it’s compatible with all the VTech Smartridges. Cross-compatibility is a huge plus for me, even though we actually don’t own any other VTech offerings yet. Knowing that I can use the same Smartridges in different systems is a major incentive for me to buy more of them, so VTech gets two thumbs up from me on that point.

I also like the fact that it uses AA batteries. Yes, it’s a pain to change them and they’re wasteful, but they provide instant gratification. Plus, if you go on a vacation and forget to bring your Nintendo DS charger, then you have to listen to incessant whining from the third row for umpteen thousand miles.

One more point of convenience - the stylus is attached with a string. The DS stylus fits nicely in a little slot, but if a little sister jostles her big sister, and the big sister lets go of the stylus and it falls onto the airplane floor, then everyone has to unfasten their seatbelts to look for it. Which is especially problematic when the plane is on final approach and the FASTEN SEATBELT sign is illuminated.

Tacy did get frustrated a few times with the game (the Cyber Pocket comes with Zayzoo: An Earth Adventure, which I thought was pretty cool). I handed her the booklet of directions, which she flipped open and tossed aside: “Mom, I looked at the PICTURES!” But she got the hang of it. More power to her, I suppose.

I’m not a fan of the licensed characters; they’re just not my bag. So I wish that more of the Smartridges weren’t so character-focused. For Tacy’s part, she doesn’t need to identify with a character in order to be interested in a game either.

But I love how the VLink connects the Cyber Pocket to the computer to let her track her progress. She’s already quite motivated by games that have a serial aspect to them, where successes and earnings accumulate. That’s another big plus for the Cyber Pocket.

And as long as VTech keeps making Smartridges that are cross-compatible, I expect that I’ll buy at least one of their systems for Oliver, and then Tacy can hand the Cyber Pocket down to CJ. Again, it’s a great motivator to me for investing in the systems when I know that all of my kiddos can use them eventually. Good on you, VTech!

Go here to buy your own Cyber Pocket, and for more VTech system reviews, check out PBN!

I’ve always loved lists. As a child, I made lists of the 45 rpm records I owned and all the stamps in my collection. As a teen, I made lists of the outfits I wore each day so as to maintain a regular rotation. And in college, I made a list of all the guys I mashed with at fraternity parties. It wasn’t a long list, but I’m still not exactly proud of it.

So when I had the opportunity to check out a new title from Chronicle Books - My Listography: My Amazing Life in Lists - I jumped at the chance.

How I would have loved to have had this book as a child! It’s such a neat way to take a snapshot of a kid’s likes and dislikes, accomplishments and yet-to-do’s - and I bet it would be a huge help in getting kids to practice writing. After all, who doesn’t like writing about themselves, especially all about everything that’s important to them?

Each set of facing pages includes a list-making prompt and several lines for writing on the right-hand page, with an accompanying illustration on the left-hand page. The illustrations are simple pen and watercolor, in a child-like style themselves.

But it’s the list-making prompts that I love so much. Of course, several of them are fairly standard - favorite games, movies, and TV shows - but there are many more that really require a kid to put on her thinking cap, such as the superpowers you wish you had, the times you got in the most trouble, and the nice things people have done for you.

My Listography is for ages 8 and up. While Tacy’s penmanship and spelling aren’t yet ready to be documented for posterity in this book, it’s going to be a great activity for us to do together. I can ask the questions and write down her answers. Since those answers are going to evolve over time, I think I might buy another few copies and give one to her every other year or so. Then I’ll have to do the same for CJ. And Oliver. Looks like I’ll be raising a family of listmakers.

Really, with as much thought as I’ve been giving to my own answers to the list-making prompts, I should have asked Chronicle to send me a copy for myself too. Old habits die hard.

Two things about kids: 1) They love animals; and 2) They love anything with their name on it.

CJ will point out C’s and J’s anywhere she sees them.  When she sees me at the computer, she hops onto my lap and starts pestering me to type her name.  Never mind that she thinks C-J spells “Mousie”; she’s a big fan of her name in any incarnation.

Likewise, she loves animals.  She’s more fascinated by them than Tacy was at this age.  On one of our trips to the zoo, she and a baby baboon stared at each other through the glass - until the baboon’s mother leaped at CJ, screeching in alarm.  Startled me more than it did her.

So even though I was a little dubious about this blue-haired main character named Billy, I figured a DVD filled with animal facts and several mentions of her name would be right up CJ’s alley.

Billy Blue Hair: Why Do Giraffes Have Long Necks? is an award-winning DVD (2006 iParenting Media Award, for one) hosted by Billy Blue Hair himself - an animated character whose blue hair and casual style is intended to appeal to kids.

CJ definitely enjoyed the DVD, but I’m not sure Billy deserves the credit.  I think she really dug all of the animal footage.  Oh, and hearing her name.  Not even Blue’s Clues or Dora address her by name.

For my part, I liked all the animal footage too, as well as the facts and figures.  The style of the script was a bit inconsistent though.  Billy’d be going along just fine, speaking at a kid’s level, and then all of a sudden he’d launch into a description that sounded like it was straight out of Encyclopedia Britannica.  I got the gist of it, but I’m pretty sure it would go right over most kids’ heads.

Even so, I’d rather have her watch something that she might not fully comprehend yet than something that’s completely dumbed down.  With Billy Blue Hair, Tacy can watch and not be bored out of her gourd.  Plus, it’s one of the few items that I can hand down from CJ to Oliver - as long as he doesn’t start thinking that his name is CJ, or that C-J spells “Olliepop”.