The drawback to this toy is the paint chips off slightly when the rings are banged about. The paint is described by the Melissa & Doug company as “non-toxic” but it chips so that is something to know.

I like that this stacker is made of wood and is obviously fun for my daughter.
Rating: 4 / 5

Also, the pole and the hole are small requiring really really good fine motor skills. For babies just learning this skill look for bigger poles and holes otherwise, it’s really hard for them to do this one.

Rating: 2 / 5

- It’s wood. The rings make a satisfying “clink” that plastic or cloth stacking rings lack.

- It’s easy for kids to do. We’ve had other stacking toys (like the Melissa & Doug stacking train) where certain pieces only fit in certain places, and that is frustrating for little ones just figuring out how things work. This one’s simple and straight-forward.

- It’s inexpensive.

My older son received this when he was about 18 months and played with it quite a bit. Now his younger brother enjoys it, and has been able to put the rings on & off since about 12 months.

(Just a warning: the stick, or “ring holder” as we call it, often gets banged around like a hammer in our house – this is partly why they like this toy so much, but it means close supervision is necessary!)
Rating: 5 / 5

I’ve tried lots of organization books, time management courses, and self-help books that just haven’t worked, but Cheryl Richardson’s book is different (much like Julie Morgenstern’s Organizing from the Inside Out is different and works!) But where Morgenstern focuses on cleaning up the clutter and creating SPACE for a new life, Richardson tells you, in step-by-step fashion how to actually create “the life you want.”

Richardson recommends reviewing the whole book before you start taking action, and I found it easy to do this in two evenings. Then, at a MUCH slower pace she tackles one area of your life at a time, giving you practical and thoughtful guidance on how to make changes that really matter. My favorite chapters were “Put yourself at the Top of the List,” which advocates adopting an “extreme self care” approach by starting a journal, designating a few hours a week for a date with yourself, and making sure that you’re taking time for your physical and emotional health. For those of you who feel overwhelmed with that list, Richardson advises taking on no more than one of these tasks a day (and even less than that if you need to). “What’s draining you” helps you to figure out the 1001 niggling details of the day that suck the energy from you–even if you’re not doing them! Her mantra of “do it, hire it, chuck it” is finally getting me through the 247 unopened email messages sitting in my inbox! I’m still working through the financial chapter (my biggest nightmare), but progress is being made.

Sure, we all know that we should exercise, get enough rest, and balance our checkbooks–but how many of us actually do? Richardson’s book is the anecdote for the hysterical pace of life in 2000. If you imagine your life differently, I’d try this book out and see if you can’t turn that dream into a reality.
Rating: 5 / 5