Back to Basics Toys is currently hosting an online Trivia Game at their site. The best part about this promotion is the holiday spirit it helps foster in all of us. For each question that a player answers correctly, Back To Basics Toys will donate 10 cents towards toys to donate to Toys for Tots. No purchase is necessary to play the game. Players can play all 50 questions in the trivia game, and/or repeat the game at any time. It’s a great way to help put toys in the hands of kids in need just by playing trivia. The questions are all based on cool facts about classic toys. For example, which classic board game features a Rube Goldberg contraption to catch your opponents? (the answer is Mouse Trap). Head over to BacktoBasicsToys.com/trivia to help make a child’s Christmas a little brighter just by playing a free online game.

If you’d like to help your child develop his or her computer and literacy skills in a safe, no-cost environment, check out the offerings at pbskids.org. Whether or not your child has watched the many educational programs that PBS offers, there are tons of activities here that are sure to capture the imagination. When my oldest daughter was in preschool, this was a favorite resource for printable coloring pages and online games. I am thinking that my little daughter will enjoy it now, and the site has really come a long way since my older daughter used it. Children can now watch short videos, listen to music,  read blog posts from favorite characters, and more. I highly recommend this site for all children. You might catch yourself enjoying it too.

Want to try to save a few bucks? Have a gander at RetailMeNot.com. Type in any website and it will let you know if there are any coupon codes available for that site. It will even tell you which coupons were unreliable and their percentage of success. I typed in www.cottonbabies.com and found a few coupons, including free shipping on baby carriers and detergents.  Next time you’re shopping, give it a shot and you just might save some money. With today’s shaky economy, who’s going to turn that down?

ebay.com can be a wonderful place to shop for baby and children’s items. In fact, it’s the first place I check when shopping online. Often, sellers on ebay receive new baby and children’s goods in a wholesale lot, which enables them to sell to you, the consumer, much more cheaply than some of the brand-name baby stores. Also, you can find parents who are sellling used baby clothing and baby gear that still has much life left, perfect if you don’t mind second-hand clothing or goods for your baby.

Personally, I always buy my son’s winter outerwear on ebay, second-hand. Winter coats and snowsuits are used for just one season, and hardly show any wear, so they are the perfect item to buy used. I have had much success selling used baby clothes on ebay as well. If you’ve never tried, it doesn’t cost much to sell on ebay, and their interface makes it easy to start selling.

Before buying from any ebay seller, check their feedback. You especially want to pay attention to any negative feedback they’ve received during the past 6 months. I wouldn’t necessarily reject a seller for having negative feedback, but if they repeatedly receive negative feedback about the same thing (for example, slow shipping times, excessive shipping prices, or items with defects) then I would look for another seller.

Also remember to check shipping rates, as some ebay sellers will offer free shipping on larger items that would usually require a high shipping rate. Whatever you’re looking for, ebay.com is a great place to start!