Removeez

We were catching up on our blog-reading today when we stumbled upon a post about a product that promises to get "out" many of the things that kids get into. It's called Removeez and it sounds great. Now does it work? If you've tried it, please let us know!

Merry Christmas from Beautiful Brown Babies!

Holiday Plans: Princess and the Frog

If you're still pulling together your holiday plans, you have lots of company. Like most American families, we're still trying to plug in all the nuts and bolts. But we do know we want to take the time to see The Princess and the Frog. As you've probably heard, the movie features Disney's first Black princess in a retelling of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. But what you may not know is that it is set in the city of New Orleans during the Jazz Era. For us, that's makes it a must see. Have you seen The Princess and the Frog already? If so, what did you think about it? If you haven't seen it yet, do you plan to make it part of your holiday plans? Let us know!

The Muppets Go Viral: Bohemian Rhapsody

Just in case you missed one of the most popular online videos this holiday season, we're here to keep you in the loop. We're talking about the Muppets' new parody of Queens' "Bohemian Rhapsody" featuring no fewer than 40 of your favorite muppets and it's closing in on almost 10 million views since last Monday. But don't take our word for it. See for yourself why it's being called the "king of Queens tributes".

Obama Sweet Potato Pie

Or at least that's what The Huffington Post calls it because sweet potato pie is supposedly the presidents favorite dessert. I followed the recipe they call "Obama Sweet Potato Pie" last year and it came out great. So I'm passing it along to our readers, since it's really simple and great for holiday season.


Ingredients:
1 pound sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust


Directions:
Boil sweet potato whole in skin until soft when poked with fork (40 to 50 minutes for 1 large sweet potato or 20-25 minutes for group of smaller ones). Run cold water over cooked potatoes, remove skin, and place in large mixer bowl.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mash cooked potato and beat with softened butter until combined. Add sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour into unbaked pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a soufflé, and then sink down as it cools.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Stroller Check: Maclaren Recall

If you haven't heard by now, Maclaren USA is recalling all (that's ALL) of its single and double umbrella strollers sold from 1999 until November 2009. That adds up to about one million strollers. The CPSC says the hinge mechanism at the rear of the strollers can cut, or even cut off, children's fingertips. The models affected by the recall are Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, TechnoXLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. If you have one of these strollers, stop using it and contact Maclaren for a repair kit.

Website: Maclaren
Telephone: 877-688-2326

Lego Duplo Fire Station

As you could probably tell by our recent by our recent post on Lego-inspired cupcakes, I'm a huge fan of Lego toys. The fact is I almost always prefer lo-tech, building toys to ones that only require a child to press a button. So when I was offered a chance to try out the new Lego Duplo Fire Station this month with my 3-year-old, I grabbed it with both hands.



Just a tip: If your child is a toddler or preschooler, he or she will definitely need help setting up the fire station and vehicles the first time. (I put my husband in charge of this duty. *wink*) But after that, feel free to let their little imaginations rip. My son has thoroughly enjoyed taking apart the original creation and turning it into lots of different things. To be honest I'm not even sure our Lego set is even a fire house anymore, but it's exactly what the munchkin wants it to be. Another good point: the pieces are larger than the Legos you might remember from your childhood, so I felt these were much safer for the under-5 crowd.

Finally, outside of the lighthearted play we've enjoyed in the last couple of weeks, we also are happy to see such a diverse crew for this fire station. My son takes all of them to bed with him each night and it's comforting to know that Lego is reinforcing the idea of a diverse world. Would I buy this toy for my son? Absolutely. In fact, with Christmas coming up, I'm also eyeing the Busy Garage

Birthday Cake Idea: Legos!

-by Erica

Aren't these awesome? They're courtesy of Betty Crocker and would be perfect for my little Lego-lover. Check out the recipe, here

So, What's the Deal With the Tylenol Recall?

Many parents of young children were already wary of giving their little ones over-the-counter cold medicine and pain reliever. Now Tylenol is in the midst of a major recall involving children’s and infants’ liquid products made between April, 2008 and June, 2008. Apparently, the company is concerned that an inactive ingredient in the formulas may have been contaminated with bacteria.
Need to see the whole list of Tylenol's recalled products? Click here

Tuck In The Kids, Turn On Mo'nique

This Fall, mommies and daddies will have a new way to unwind at the end of the night. That's because actress/comedienne Mo'Nique is hitting the airwaves with yet another project. This time it's her very own late-night program airing every weeknight. The Mo'nique Show premieres one week from today (that's Monday, October 5th) on BET. She promises lots of laughs, celebrity guests and musical performances.

Here's a taste of what viewers can expect:




And you can click below for more about the show, and its lineup: