The Wii and Preschoolers

It may surprise you to know that I let my preschooler play video games. In fact, she is pretty good at them. Here is why we have made the Wii available to our four-year-old. When the Wii video game system came out, we thought the craziness surrounding it was completely ridiculous. Why would people practically kill each other trying to be one of the first ones to plunk down a lot of money for a Wii system and then even more money on the games themselves? Well, after much of the hoopla died down (and several friends of ours had … Continue reading

Beware of Free Group Scams

While it is good to be frugal, more and more con artists are popping up to take advantage of people who are frugal. There is a lot of focus on frugality right now, and the bad guys know this. Be on the look out for free group scams, especially if you are new to the frugal living lifestyle. Free group scams are modeled after legitimate free, trading and sharing groups. The good groups let you give away items you don’t want for free, get items you need for free, and trade your existing non-wanted items for other items that you … Continue reading

Finding Free Stuff Events

Earlier today, I talked about free stuff events, and how wonderful they can be. I also talked about the etiquette involved when attending one. If you missed that earlier article, click here: Free Stuff Events. Now, I’ll talk about how to find these events. The best way to learn about free stuff events is by word of mouth. Let everyone that you know that you are interested in yard sales and free events. Very often, someone you know knows of an event coming up that is being hosted. Who hosts these types of events? Very often they are held by … Continue reading

Free Stuff Events

Have you ever been to a free stuff event? It is very much like a yard sale, except that everything being offered is free. That is right, nothing costs a thing. Free sales are wonderful events. You can find some great items that are wanted and needed. I have seen free stuff events that give away everything from household goods to children’s clothing, from tools to books. If you are lucky enough to find one of these events, be sure to take advantage of it. I’ll give you some advice on the etiquette involved in a free stuff event, as … Continue reading

Wii Zapper with Link’s Crossbow Training

Last week, Nintendo released the Wii Zapper. The Zapper itself is a plastic holder. Once the player inserts a wii remote and a Wii Nunchuck the plastic holder the Zapper is like a gun or a crossbow. The remote lays flat on the top front of the zapper. The Nunchuk goes in the back. A small compartment holds the cords that connect the Nunchuk to the remote. A trigger at the front of the Zapper lets the player shoot. Another button allows the player to zoom in for close shots, and the Nunchuk lets the player navigate through the game. … Continue reading

Free Wii Jacket

The effort to protect Wii users and all who come in contact with an active Wii unit goes on. Why do all of these people need protection? Well it isn’t that their is anything inherently wrong with the unit or electrical components. And no, as far as we know, the Wii doesn’t have a trace of lead paint on it. The danger really has to do with the design. Or maybe a more accurate declaration is that the danger is about 60 percent design and 40 percent user enthusiasm. Yes, the issue that first surfaced when the Wii was released … Continue reading

Kids, Frugality and Being in Fashion

Accommodating trends in kids clothing without spending a fortune can be a little tricky but not impossible. Here is how to help your child still be cool without spending $1,000 on clothes every year. Proper Fit If you do nothing else with your child’s clothing to help him or her be in fashion, please at least ensure a proper fit. Nothing will get noticed more by other kids that clothes that are too small or in some cases too big, depending on what the current trend happens to be. Remember “high waters?” Whether you use hand me downs or buy … Continue reading

Nintendo Teaches You to Drive

Yesterday, I finally changed my driver’s license over from Connecticut to Pennsylvania. While I didn’t have to take a knowledge test, I did have to stand in line for nearly an hour. During that time, I glanced through the drivers manual. While I already new all of the information that was presented in the thick book, it struck me that the book was very thick. There is certainly a lot of information to know, from what a buggy crossing sign looks like (we are in a state with a large population of Amish) to how to safely enter and exit … Continue reading

Video Game System Failure

If you have been trying to decided which video game system to purchase, here is a new feature to consider: how likely that video game system is going to break. Personally, it is information that I would like to know. A few years ago, my son received a V-Smile kids educational video game system as a gift. Later, we purchased several cartridges to go with it, as well as an extra controller. The games were fun for him, and they helped teach him letters, numbers, addition, subtraction and reading. We looked forward to passing the game down to his sister … Continue reading

2007 Video Game Report Card

MediaWise, a parent advocacy group for the National Institute on Media and the Family, released its report Tuesday on which video games are yeas and which are nays when it comes to family friendly content. This report comes at a great time, just when the holiday gift giving season is here. This year it is especially important to have a video game report you can trust, since many parents are looking to video games as replacement gifts for toys that could possibly contain unacceptable levels of lead paint. There are thousands of children out there, ages 8-14 who play with … Continue reading