i just wanted to let everyone know about this magazine i LOVE and swear by! it's put out by Consumer Reports and it's called Shop Smart!

there are literally NO ads whatsoever and every page is a review of different items.

September's family section (they have a family section EVERY month):

Summer Fun: Out kid testers flipped for these cool new toys, plus three not to buy.

Safer Cycling: the toughest bike helmets for kids.

A Mixed Bag: the best backpacks and a few to skip.

Another great article this month is about Dollar Store Deals & Dangers - you won't believe what we found.

What i like about it is that they are consumer reports - so they BUY all their stuff - they aren't given stuff by companies - so they don't push any particular product line at all!

One thing they did mention in the dollar store article was that CVS tends to be 3 times more expensive for basic items than anywhere else - that surprised me!

July's Family Section:

Camera Ready: 10 tips for snapping great kids' photos.

Safe Kid Havens: the best playards we tested.

Baby steps: cost-cutting measures that could make your child sick - or worse. (a bunch of tips like don't add water to stretch formula - don't have your 3 year old and infant share toys (choking hazard on the 3 year old's toys)...etc..)

:)

http://shopsmart.typepad.com/