a big thumbs up ..

A big thumbs up to:

• The new “market” section at Toys R Us. If you haven’t been to TRU in awhile, it’s worth a trip to check out its recent makeover. It is now filled with interesting organic and healthyish kids snacks, by brands such as Earth’s Best, Terra Chips, Annie’s Homegrown, Revolution Foods, Honest Kids, Ian’s, Apple and Eve,  and Horizon Organic. In addition, it boasts a large selection of organic/natural baby food and baby care products.

TRU is one of my least favorite stores — inept cashiers and a horrible return policy are just the beginning — but this new addition will bring me in the door on a more regular basis, as it has many products I have never seen on shelves in C-U. But as for toys, I try to stick to local stores such as Urbana longtime favorite Art Mart Toys and Bee Active Toys in Monticello.

• Refreshingdeliveries.com for stopping by with my favorite Klarbrunn sparkling water in Lime and Raspberry flavors; unfortunately it isn’t available as a regular delivery product. I’m not used to blog swag, but I couldn’t pass this up. And wow to their expediency! They also brought me a sampler of some other non-Pepsi products. Looking forward to trying the Starbucks drink. Oddly, I’ve never had one of those.

• The baby trunk show and sale event this Saturday at B. Lime in downtown Champaign. It’s hard to resist, especially when the word sale is used!

• The $1 children’s movies at the Savoy 16 this summer. If your child has never been to a movie theater — that includes my Peanut — this sounds like a great opportunity (and a great price) to do so.

give me princesses, or give me death

I absolutely hate the Disney Princesses. Individually, I really like several of them. Beauty and the Beast — one of my favorite all-time movies. Disney Princesses? Hate them. In fact, I hate anything that says princess on it.

That’s not to say that Peanut doesn’t know what they are. This is one of those things — much like Dora and Mickey Mouse and McDonald’s — that has brand recognition from virtually every preschooler in America, regardless of the level of exposure. But my almost 93-year-old grandmother hasn’t gotten my Disney Princess hatred memo. A few months ago, she bought Peanut a DP toy purse, complete with a toy cell phone, makeup, keys, money, you get the drift.

Recently, Peanut started playing a new game. She would put on her DP purse, get her baby’s stroller and put the doll in it, and walk around the house playing “farmer’s market.” She would shop and talk, just like Mommy. So when the Market at the Square opened a few weekends ago, she wanted to bring her purse.

We usually get her some banana bread from the Muffin Man for a snack, but he had sold out early. So instead, I substituted some kettle corn, a big treat indeed as I try to avoid it at all costs (it’s too good!!). Even though the market closing time had arrived, they were staying to make sure every last customer was served.

It was a few days before I realized the DP purse was gone. And a couple of weeks passed by.

We went to the market last Saturday and made a beeline for banana bread. And then I saw it. Peanut’s Disney Princess purse was perched upon a ledge on the kettle corn vendor’s trailer. When I asked the kettle corn lady (should have asked Lisa B-K her name) about it, she said they had had it there the previous week and were sad when no one claimed it. They decided to put it up there again just in case the little girl who lost it might return, and they were delighted when I told her it belonged to Peanut. Perhaps even more delighted than I was.

When I gave it back to Peanut, she hardly even realized that it was gone. She resumed playing farmer’s market without pause. And now, whenever I see that thing, even if it is Disney Princess — I can’t help but smile.

no place like home

There’s a question that I often receive when I venture north to visit family and friends: When are you moving home?

Home is an interesting term. This summer marks 11 years since I moved here (the first time anyway). Eleven years since I met Mr. lbotp. With the exception of about 21 months, I have lived here for most of my post-collegiate life. We have solid professional and personal networks here. Having kids roots you to a place like nothing else. Yet, there is still something about this place that is unnerving to me.

C-U is a very transient community, especially for people like me: professionals who didn’t grow up here and/or are somehow connected with Big State U. This summer, I was expecting to lose four friends who were moving away, on to continue their lives in another place, or another state. Their real lives. For them, C-U was just a stop on their epic journey.

One of those people is Mrs. Chicken, my first blog friend. I say that because she was the first person I met directly because of this space. She found me when she discovered she was moving here so Mr. Chicken could study for his doctorate, and even though she is a passive-aggressive phonaphobe, we became fast friends. This summer was supposed to be D-day for the Chicken family. But as circumstances happen, for better and for worse, the Chicken family will be staying for at least another year.

Now Mrs. Chicken and I are working together on a project that has our brains on fire, a term she coined. We hope to launch it by the end of the summer, and you people will be the first to know when it’s ready for primetime.

I know that the Chicken family will take their leave at some point. But for now we have a reprieve, and I couldn’t be happier.

don’t knock it until …

There are many things in this town that can be delivered (unless you live where Mrs. Chicken does). There’s the old standbys such as pizza. Then there’s the grocery delivery service from Schnuck’s. And the Schwan’s man (I will never understand the Schwan’s phenomenon. Never.) And now, all the Pepsi products you could ever want.

That’s right, Pepsi products. From six packs to 24s. And juice, and bottled water. Oh wait, canned Starbucks frappaccinos. And Gatorade! All for the bargain-basement price of .99 cents per delivery to most of Champaign-Urbana, all from refreshingdeliveries.com.

I can see how this could come in handy for parties, and Mr. lbotp is very keen on the stuff. Of course, if they had my Klarbrunn sparkling water, I would be all for this, but they don’t. But the fact of the matter is … I had to look through the archives, but I have made my allegiance to Coke products pretty clear on lbotp over the years. I resent the hold that Pepsi has on this town. I understand that the folks who own the local distributorship are good folks who work hard and give back to the community — but I just wish they sold Coke!