Welcome to Tried and True, a monthly feature where cool products are put through the ringer -- from our family to yours.

It's that time of year, folks. The warmer weather is just beckoning our kids to come outside and play on the green lawn. This month, I had the chance to try out some of this summer's coolest products with the help of a few kid testers.

The three products we put to the test were the Wiggling Water Snake by Small World Toys, the Noddo Croquet Set from The Land of Nod, and the Sand and Water Table from One Step Ahead.

I must say that our kid testers loved all three products, and the parents were pleased as well. Check out the Tried and True photo gallery for shots of the kids in action, and continue reading on for the pros and cons of each product!

Shaped like trains, numbers, and stars and filled with helium, Mylar balloons have become a colorful staple at birthday parties in recent years. Unlike traditional latex balloons, Mylar balloons can last for several weeks before deflating. Latex balloons sink and shrivel up within a day of being inflated, generally. So it's understandable why they have become such a large part of the celebration industry.

Unfortunately, there is a downside to Mylar balloons too. If released, the electrically conductive inflatables can -- and do, on a regular basis, apparently -- short out power lines, causing outages and costing businesses as much as $120 million in California alone last year. And so it is that Senate Bill 1499 is making its way through various committees on its way to becoming law. If it is passed, the bill would ban the sale of helium-filled Mylar balloons.


The Save the Balloons coalition has been formed to try and save the businesses and jobs that would be affected if the bill passes. While I do like getting the kids a decorative Mylar balloon for their birthday, I also don't like it at all when the power goes out. I suppose the best solution would be for manufacturers to come up with an alternative material that will last as long as Mylar, can be made into an equal array of shapes and, most importantly, is non-conductive.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 9,350 LaJolla Boat Bed and Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Beds due to an entrapment and strangulation hazard. The lid supports on the toy chests can fail to prevent the lid from closing too quickly. Sadly, a 22-month-old boy in California strangled to death when a lid fell on to the back of his head, trapping his neck on the edge of the LaJolla Boat Bed.

These beds were made in China and imported by Bayside Furnishings (a division of Whalen), of San Diego, California. They were sold at Costco and furniture retail stores nationwide as well as at Costco.com from January through May 2008 for between $700 and $1,400.

The recall involves two styles of youth beds: the LaJolla Boat Bed and the Pirates of the Caribbean Twin Trundle Bed. The preassembled toy chests are part of the beds' "bow" and are attached as a foot board. The LaJolla Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top and white wood base with a blue stripe. The Pirates Boat Bed toy chest has a hardwood top, wheel shape and brown wood base with decorative carvings.

If you have one of these beds, you should immediately stop your children from using the toy chests and contact Bayside Furnishings for instructions on receiving a free repair kit with replacement lid supports. You can reach them by calling (877) 494-2536 anytime, or by visiting their Web site, where you can register online to receive the free repair kit.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,500 pairs of Nordstrom's Cadence-Lea and Trio-Lea Girl's Sandals. The flower embellishments on the sandals can detach and pose a choking hazard to young children.

The sandals were made in China and sold exclusively at Nordstrom stores nationwide from March 2008 through May 2008 for about $30 each. They are leather with leather flowers attached on the top. They were sold under the names "Cadence-Lea" (white, light green or silver) and "Trio-Lea" (white or silver) and sold in sizes 5 through 12. The word Nordstrom is printed on the sandals.

If you have these sandals, you are advised to immediately take them away from your child and return them any Nordstrom for a full refund. For more information, you can call Nordstrom at (800) 804-0806 anytime, or visit their Web site.

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Chances are, your kids have feet and those feet are, more often than not, enclosed in shoes when they go to the playground or park. The question is, what exactly are they wearing? Soon, they may be wearing Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Elmo on their feet, thanks to a new line of shoes coming from New Balance. The deal is a first for both New Balance and Sesame Street. The shoes will sell for more than forty dollars a pair.

I'm not a big fan of shoes on kids, but if they're going to wear them, I'd like them to be good shoes -- light and flexible and easy to put on. That's why I've been a fan of Tsukihoshi shoes for a long time. Now, however, companies like New Balance and Reebok are vying for a share of the toddler shoe market. But are these shoes worth it when the kids will outgrow them in a matter of months?

It's a tough call, of course. Do you spend the money for good shoes over and over again, or buy less expensive ones knowing that they'll only be worn a short while? And now, part of that decision is given to the kids who will undoubtedly be clamoring to see their furry friends on their feet.

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Stewi Griffin (of television's Family Guy) make want Gwen Stefani dead, but somehow I can't get enough of her. The singer and business woman, who has her own line of clothes, bags and perfume, is set to be mom to baby number two any day now, but she and husband rocker Gavin Rossdale don't know the sex.

Rather than choosing to find out, they are going the other way and keeping the suspense until the last minute. But, how to buy? How to decorate? How to have fun while you wait (outside of your reunion with No Doubt)? Not a problem. The rockers plan on having a Goth baby and painting the child's nursery black.

Rossdale is quoted as saying this to OK Magazine in regards to whether he was going pink or blue with the nursery. I'm sure Gwen,already mom to Kingston, was amused at the remark if anything. The whole thing is probably a joke, but I wouldn't put it past these two to actually follow through with it! I wonder what color Kingston's room is!

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 1,800 Infant and Toddler Shortalls due to a choking hazard. The buttons on the shoulder straps can detach and possibly end up in a child's mouth.

The recall involves infant and toddler Gingham and Flannel Shortalls (overalls with short pants) which have a collegiate appliqué or embroidery on the front. They were sold in sizes 6/9 month, 12 month, 18 month, 2T, 3T, & 4T.

The shortalls were made in Peru and China for Sara Lynn Togs and sold at college bookstores, fan stores, children's boutiques, and gift shops nationwide from March 2007 through February 2008. The Gingham Shortall sold for about $35 and the Flannel Shortall sold for about $24.

If you have any of these, you should immediately return them to Sara Lynn Togs for a full refund. For more information, you can call the company at (800) 426-9377 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit their Web site.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 28,000 children's camouflage pajama sets due to excessive levels of lead in the screen print on the shirt.

The pajama sets were sold with long and short sleeved blue shirts with a red screen print that reads "Athletics 90" and a coordinating pant. They were available in boys' sizes XXS (2/3) to XL (14).

The pajama sets were made in Vietnam and sold exclusively at The Children's Place stores nationwide and through The Children's Place online store from December 2006 to January 2008 for between $15 and $17.

If your child has these pajamas, you are advised to immediately take them away and return them to any The Children's Place store for a full refund. For more information, contact The Children's Place at (877) 752-2387 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit their Web site. You may also email the company at customerservice@childrensplace.com.

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According to Perez Hilton, who seems to be on the cutting edge of celebrity happenings as well as fashion, rap star and sometime actor LL Cool J is set to design a line of clothing. Like many a star before him, Mr. Cool J has endeavored to create a line of clothes, this time for department story Sears. the only difference? His line is for CHILDREN!

According to LL, since he was raised by a "matriarch" and has a wife and three daughters, he knows what women are looking for. At least in terms of clothing. I think he knows what I'm looking for, too, but it has more to do with shirtless than shirts. On the very downside of all this, LL wants to make the clothes "relaxed and sexy." Sigh. LL, women may want to look sexy, BUT NOT CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!!

The line should incorporate elements from LL's personal life, including tattoos and lyrics to his songs. I can't trump what Perez has to say about the song "I Need Love Girl" (you'll have to check it out) but all I can think is: What next? A onesie that says "Doin' it, and doin' it and doin' it well"???

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Kimberly Jacobs went to school in a shirt bearing symbols of her religious beliefs. Actually, she did it several times -- enough to be suspended five times. Jacobs attended Liberty High School near Las Vegas, Nevada which requires that students wear khaki-colored pants and a solid-colored shirt in either red, white, or blue.

Jacobs felt that her freedom of expression was being infringed upon and the ACLU agreed. The civil liberties organization took her case to court but the federal appeals court found that the school's uniform policy did not infringe upon freedom of religion or expression. The ACLU plans to request a rehearing of the case.

"This has implications not only for schools but for all sorts of free speech. Wearing a message on clothing is like the armband in 'Tinker,'" said Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel for the ACLU in Las Vegas. "Tinker" refers to the 1969 case of Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District in which the Supreme Court ruled that wearing an armband to protest the Vietnam War was constitutionally protected speech. "What this decision essentially did is overturn 'Tinker' and precedent," Lichtenstein added.

I'm not sure I agree that this ruling conflicts directly with Tinker, but then, I'm no lawyer. I'm also not a huge fan of school uniforms, although it seems the one in question is fairly benign. On the other hand, it does seem to me that we need our young people to stir things up and protest the status quo.

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Back in 2004, singer Beyoncé and her mother Tina started their own fashion line, House of Deréon. The look, dubbed "where the sidewalk and catwalk meet", is designed to embody sexy sophistication for the modern woman. Finding some success in dressing grown-up ladies, Deréon has now expanded to include clothing for girls. That's all well and good, except it seems they forgot that 'sexy' isn't exactly what most of us are looking for when it comes to dressing our daughters.

Check out this ad for Deréon Girls and you will notice sweet-faced little girls wearing high heeled pumps, feather boas and bright red lipstick. This ad campaign might be called "where the playground and prostitute meet." If you can manage to look past the inappropriate accessories and somewhat suggestive poses, the clothes themselves aren't that bad. Maybe a little on the tacky side, but not overtly sexual.

Just what message are they trying to send here? It is never to early to begin dressing like a fashion-impaired adult? Had they presented the clothing line in a more age-appropriate way, would parents have reacted with "well, that's just not sexy enough for my kid?"

Seriously, does sex really sell when it comes to children's clothing?

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So, the children of Iran don't get to play with Barbie dolls because they undermine their Muslim culture. American kids, meanwhile, are apparently eschewing the dolls because of the environmentally unfriendly packaging. There's probably not much Mattel can do about the former, but they're turning the latter into a profit center.

Barbie BCause is a new line of "eco-friendly accessories for girls." And what exactly makes it so eco-friendly? The product line "repurposes excess fabric and trimmings from other Barbie® doll fashions and products which would otherwise be discarded, offering eco-conscious girls a way to make an environmentally-friendly fashion statement with cool, patchwork-style accessories."

Barbie dolls come packaged in a huge amount of plastic packaging; I'm not sure that making some bags out of leftover fabric makes up for that. Certainly, from a business point of view, it makes sense -- why waste all that perfectly decent fabric when you can sell it and rack up some Brownie points for being "green" at the same time? From an environmental point of view, I think that picking up an equivalent product at the local thrift shop makes more sense. While I'm no expert on women's fashion accessories, I have to say I don't find the pictured items very attractive. What do you think?

via Eco Child's Play

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced the recall of about 84,000 Children's Storage Bins due to excessive levels of lead in the paint. The bins were made in Taiwan (not China!) for Magus Industry Company and imported by L G Sourcing, Inc., of North Wilkesboro, N.C.

The recalled bins were sold in pastel green (item number 226782) and pink (item umber 226781) and are made of wood with scalloped edges. You can find the item number of the bottom of the bins. No other storage bins are included in this recall.

The bins were sold exclusively at Lowe's stores nationwide from March 2007 through February 2008 for about $6 each.

If you have one of the recalled bins, you should immediately take it away from your child and return it to any Lowe's store for a full refund. For more information, you can call LG Sourcing at (866) 493-6563 anytime, or visit the Lowe's Website.

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Hand-me-downs are a beautiful thing. The bane of a younger sibling's existence can be a financial lifesaver for economy-minded parents. While the practice of passing an older child's things down to a younger child might be motivated by fiscal responsibility and a desire to reuse what is still usable, here's another reason to love hand-me-downs: you can get great stuff with a celebrity connection and support a good cause at the same time.

That's the idea behind Johnson's Celebrity Hand Me Down Auction. Famous parents like Matt Damon and Elisabeth Hasslebeck are passing on their child's outgrown things to the highest bidder in support of charities such as the March of Dimes, Save the Children, Zero to Three and Baby Buggy.

The auction runs from April 29 to May 9 on eBay and will feature items such as Matt Damon's diaper bag, an Adidas track suit worn by Mariska Hargitay's son, Julianne Moore's high chair, Elisabeth Hasslebeck's car seat and more. Sign up now to receive email notification when the auction begins.

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I'm raising a couple of shoe shoppers. Whether it's glittery ballet flats or flashing tennis shoes, my girls just can't get enough of footwear. I let them try on shoes to their heart's content, but limit purchasing to only the necessary one or two pairs per season.

In general, my kids wear out their shoes before they grow out of them. But parents of kids with fast growing feet know what a pain in the pocketbook new shoes can be. American inventor Hank Miller has tried to solve that problem with the INCHworm trainers. These shoes have special technology that let them expand up to two half sizes, meaning that kids can wear them longer before they need a new pair.

The shoes weren't popular with American shoe manufacturers, so INCHworms are currently only available in Britain. They also aren't cheap -- nearly $100 American. At that price, the INCHworms might not save you any money in the long run, depending on how much you normally spend on shoes. I'm also pretty sure they don't come in pink glitter or flashing Princess, which would place them at the bottom of the shoe heap at my house. Still, inventive, don't you think?

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