Last winter I had the pleasure of receiving and reviewing some games from The Wonder Forge. I was thrilled that they approached me again this spring to check out their newest offering for preschool train aficionados: Chugginton's Traintastic Cargo Game.

Trains are a hot commodity for the toddler and preschool set. Back when my boys were small, I spent many hours in various train museums and at model train displays. We rode trains, we built trains, and we talked trains.

As every educator knows, making a topic relevant to someone makes it easier to learn. And so, a board game focusing on colors, shapes, numbers, memory, and trains is destined to be a hit with those girls and boys who proudly run around yelling "choo-choo!" and begging to ride their favorite local train again and again.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a fabulous Stonyfield Organic event, featuring Robyn O'Brien of AllergyKids, author of The Unhealthy Truth. During that event, I met some other pioneers in the organic and eco-friendly food movements, such as Coco from Opera Girl Cooks (whose site I've now bookmarked since so many of her recipes make my mouth water), Michelle Stern (I just bought a bunch of ingredients to try out some recipes from her new book The Whole Family Cookbook), and Dina of Be Food Smart, which is a super-useful food additive database that I am sure I'll refer to frequently.

A big portion of yesterday's luncheon was to talk about the challenges of eating well, from the economics to the convenience. From health care to behavior to environmental concerns, food's role is huge. Treatment of animals, livelihood of farmers, and the well-being of those closest to us are all at stake. It is such a complex balance of factors, but it is reassuring to be part of a group of people who are making an effort to improve our eating situation. I am surely not perfect, but being with people who have made a difference fuels my own enthusiasm for eating well.

Of course it is refreshing to hear that Stonyfield Organic is ahead of the curve in terms of healthful eating, but I already knew that. In fact, you already knew that, because last autumn I sang the praises of their chocolate Greek yogurt, plus other terrific yummy varieties of their product.

If you happen to be in the San Francisco area tomorrow and/or Sunday, consider attending the North Beach Festival for the Stonyfield Organic Family Love Fest. Come to Vallejo Street between Grant and Columbus between 10am-6pm on 6/18 and 6/19 for FREE organic yogurt, cooking demos, and more. I won't be able to make it because I'm putting on a bridal shower for my brother's fiancee, so that's a different type of love. But, I look forward to looking through Stonyfield's Yogurt Cookbook to see how I might add a bit of their yogurt to my cooking. But eating it just straight suits me fine, too.

(If you aren't in San Francisco, don't fret. Check out Stonyfield Organic's community events to see if they will be near you.)

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Disclaimer: I am an Amazon affiliate, so if you purchase something through one of those links, I'll get a few cents. Yesterday Stonyfield paid for my delicious lunch and gave me some free product, plus a cookbook and a rubber spatula. I was a Stonyfield customer long ago, so my enthusiasm for their product came before they gave me any free stuff.

I've been super-excited about the release of Cars 2 since even before the Cars 2 media event, but even more so during and afterwards. Thankfully the wait is nearly over, as the movie hits theaters this Friday, June 24th. Plus, I received a copy of the Cars 2 video game just a few days ago (and of course, the boys have been playing ever since.)

While my younger son had a bit of a learning curve to conquer, my older son picked it up quickly and soon taught his brother. Plus, the tutorial mode made it enjoyable for both to learn. They've enjoyed playing the various roles in the video game and are definitely eager to see the actual movie.

Don't miss a super-special event for folks in the Bay Area: Lightening McQueen, Mater, and Finn McMissle will be zooming on down to The Tech in SJ this Sat from 10am-4pm for their only Northern California public appearance. Imagine what a weekend it would be to take the kids to the movie on Friday and then let them actually see the life-sized cars on Saturday!

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the Cars 2 video game for free, and earlier attended a media event to preview the film and movie. I am am Amazon affiliate.