Parenting
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Aren’t Bath Bombs Getting Expensive Lately?
Bath bombs with licensed toys now cost around 550 yen; here’s a look at their 20-year history, makers, and why they don’t warm you up like medicinal bath additives.
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My child's loud snoring was adenoid hypertrophy--medicine fixed it
A sudden harsh snore led to ENT visits. The scope showed adenoid swelling but not severe--meds and nasal spray calmed it in a few weeks without surgery.
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Running C-cell Plarail trains on AA batteries—with spacers
Many Plarail trains still take C cells. Rather than buy C-size Eneloops and a charger, I used battery spacers—100-yen ones were flaky, but BTONE spacers worked great.
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Swapping kickboard wheels to fix loud pavement noise
A cheap Kaiser kickboard was roaring like a skateboard on asphalt. Replacing the hard plastic wheels with 4-inch JD RAZOR wheels made it smooth and quiet.
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How many languages is Robocar Poli on YouTube in?
Robocar Poli (Korean CG kids’ show about traffic safety) is dubbed in 80+ languages. I poked around YouTube, found the pirate uploads, the official channels, and noted which languages actually show up.
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The cute Kuroneko Yamato point-reward trucks
Scanning Kuroneko Yamato barcodes earns points; redeeming them gets die-cast Yamato trucks. Kids love them, and points come faster than expected.
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Beating cold park days with a Hakkin hand warmer
Disposable warmers weren’t enough for winter playground duty. The reusable Hakkin catalytic hand warmer ran hotter, lasted to evening, and is economical over time.
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Cutting my kid’s nails outside makes it painless
Nail clipping battles eased when we moved the task to the park/bench. Fresh air and distraction beat chasing them around the house.
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Our “mother’s bag” evolved from tote to backpack as the kid grew
Baby era needed a big tote; toddler years demanded hands-free backpacks. Here’s how our bag changed with our kid’s age and what worked (or didn’t) in Japan.
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McDonald’s Happy Meal Plarail: triangle driver and battery swap steps
Happy Meal Plarail trains use tamper-resistant triangle screws so kids can’t open them. Here’s the exact driver size and a photo guide to replacing the tiny LR41 batteries.
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Norovirus prep for homes with small kids: what to keep on hand
Norovirus is brutal for two days, highly infectious, and shrugs off alcohol. I pulled together a home kit and notes on what actually works (heat, bleach) and how to handle vomit/poop.