I threw a box of these in the cart as I was shopping for supplies for Baby A's birthday party last

weekend. Thanks to the bungalow lifestyle, we're a streamlined, no-extra-stuff kind of family. To date, A has had probably two forks and four spoons to her name, each of which has been washed and re-used, what, a couple hundred times each.

But now I believe we've become friends with the ZooPals from Hefty. The knives, actually called "spreaders," are relatively safe, the forks work great in a toddler's hands, and the spoons are the perfect combination of scoop and mini-snowshovel.

Plus, every time I pull one out for Baby A, we have fun. "Mommy, whas dis? Is a snake! Sssssssss! That's funny! Ooooooh, octopus!"

So, we'll just keep washing and re-using the ZooPals. I think I'll throw a few in the car for those unexpected restaurant stops. Hope they hold up well with repeated use. Just thought I'd share what turned out to be a pleasant gear-related surprise.