My first memory of consumer mania would have to be the Cabbage Patch Kids. I was about 7 years old, and ALL of my friends had one… at least. One of my friends had 6! I was so jealous.

You couldn’t buy them anywhere. We heard stories of lines for hours outside the store and parents literally knocking people down to grab one of these prized possessions.

Then one day we went to one of the local stores to see if they had any. Of course, they didn’t. But a helpful employee clued my mom into the fact that they would be getting their next shipment in at about 2:00 p.m. that day!!! So we went to lunch and arrived back at the store at about 1:40. That was the longest 20 minutes!!!

Lo and behold, in roll the prized Cabbage Patch Kids. There were probably 30 of them. They were gone almost as quickly as they rolled in. But there was no violence. And I did manage to get a very pretty one! I was so happy.

I think I got a second one for Christmas the same year. So I had a bald baby and an older girl with long hair. Eventually the fad died down… only after the gross callback by Garbage Pail Kids cards. Blehhhh!

Now Cabbage Patch Kids are celebrating their 25th anniversary! (Wow. That makes me feel old.) This season you can get a one-of-a-kind, Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid. So now, my generation can share the warm memories with our kids. I only hope that people don’t hurt one another trying to grab one!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance shipment of one of these lovely ‘Kids. Her name is Stella Debby. Her birthday is June 28th. She came in a specially marked box with a commemorative 25th anniversary silver spoon. (We were admittedly a bit let down to find that the spoon is actually plastic. Oh well.)

Twilli loves the spoon!! lol She carried it around for about an hour, while I was promptly using Stella as a model for photographing my Twilli Pie Podegi baby carriers. I was pleasantly surprised to get the ‘Kid. I’d been wanting a doll of more appropriate size to use as a model for the still photos of the podegis. The only other baby doll Twilli has is very small… an appropriate size for a baby to actually play with.

Twilli is very curious about the ‘Kid’s clothes and disposable diaper. It’s an old-school diaper. You know. One of the shiny plastic kind… Not the improved, fabric-type ones. (The fact that my teen son wore those old-school diapers also makes me feel old!) I’m trying to keep her from getting at the diaper. At least it has the resealable tabs!

I find it curious that someone with one tooth, in a diaper, could have such long hair! lol And my friend was concerned that Twilli would grow up with a complex about wanting blonde hair. I’m not too worried about that.

I’ll do an update once I get some photos of Twilli playing with the ‘Kid. But until then, check out the CPK 25th Anniversary celebration website.

Please LEAVE A COMMENT sharing your stories/memories of your Cabbage Patch Kid. Send a link to photos. We love old photos! Will you buy one for your kid?

In the name playing catch-up I am posting some FRIDAY FUN FINDS that have been sitting around waiting to be posted for a month! lol There’s no time like the present! Right?

This week we have SOCK MONKEY SLIPPERS with memory foam in the soles and CUSHY STRAPS plush kitty strap pads for your carseat, stroller, etc.

The slippers are actually quite comfy! And they look cute on my feet as well! We have tile and hard wood (bamboo to be exact) floors. So I rarely go barefoot around the house. It’s nice to have something other than flip-flops to wear around the house. I got these slippers on clearance at Target for $6.99. They retail for $12.99. I love to find the deals!

We haven’t tried out the strap cozies yet. They are very soft plush with plenty of padding. I’m sure Twilli will find them quite tasty as well! And they were a great buy for $3.99! I got them at a wonderful local baby “everything” store called BabyLove This store is very well stocked with many items that you would not find in a big box store. I LOVE supporting local and privately owned biz!

This is the first of a new weekly feature, Friday Fun Finds. These are things I come across online. They will never be paid reviews. (I have yet to do any of those anyway.)

IKEA POTTY

First up we have the sexy LÄTTSAM POTTY from Ikea. These babies are only $2.99!!! Holy Moly! I think I’ll have to buy one in every color. (Then I can take pics of Twilli sitting on it, and it will match her outfit! lol) I am actually going to Ikea as soon as I finish this post!

UPDATE: I went to Ikea. They only had white. I bought 3, realized I only need 1. So act fast and BUY the other 2 for $2.99 each, plus shipping. You cannot buy these from Ikea’s website. So if you are too far from a store, JUMP ON THIS! There are only 2. I will honor the first 2 claims in the comments. Please note: I am not making any $$ off of this deal. Just trying to be helpful.

I read about it in the forums at one of my favorite sites, TheBabyWearer.com. Some people questioned the quality. One of the readers said her 46 pound son could use it with no problem. So it sounds pretty sturdy to me!

iROCK BABY SHIRT

Next we have a super cute baby shirt that says, “iRock“. If you have been living under a rock, I’ll let you in on a secret. It is a callback to the iPod ads. I found this at ShopIntuition.com, a celebrity boutique in L.A.

I would totally buy one, except for the fact that it depicts a baby holding a bottle. So since Twilli is a booby fan, that wouldn’t be totally representative. Maybe I’ll design one that says “iNurse“! lol

Speaking of nursing… gotta go take care of the Twilli. Stay tuned next week for more Friday Fun Finds!

MARIO ONE UP MUSHROOM - CROCHET

I remember one of my aunts would crochet EVERYTHING! I was always amazed by her craftsmanship. I can imagine, if she were sill around, that she might make something like this.. for her grandchildren.

I found out about this Etsy shop on GeekMomMashup.com and went ahead and added this (literally) at the eleventh hour, since we need the extra (wakefulness) to get through today’s workload.

Wow. I just found a great looking baby and childrens boutique called Giggle.com. They have beautiful, modern STUFF! (I wish I had some mad money! And no. I have no affiliations with them. Yet!)

They are having a sweepstakes to WIN A NURSERY - Sleepi Collection by STOKKE! The catch is that it ends TODAY!

[Update 03-02-08] They are giving away an even prettier set for March!

So scoot on over and enter. (Or actually, don’t enter. That will make my odds of winning higher! hehehe)

Good luck and have a great weekend!