A unique book , written and illustrated by a 10 year old girl with a desire to spread kindness and friendship, Natalie Tinti starts Sewing a Friendship with a picture of each of the characters in the book and character profile of each, answering the questions of birth date, age, family, eye color, hair color, favorite food, favorite color, and specialty.  Thus, once the story starts in earnest, the readers can know just exactly who is involved.
The story is basically about five girls becoming friends because of …

See this child?   Looks innocent,doesn’t she?  Harmless.  Well, she is that child.Yes, well, this same child is the one who fell and split her lip at age 3 and needed stitches and the same child who fell and broke her arm about a year later, made like Houdini and pulled the first cast off and had to have a second one put on.  Then of course she is also the one who suffers in silence while her ear drum is bursting so I have to try to out guess her …

Ah the after school snack time.  It should be so simple, right.  Hah!  Not at my house and I would wager not at everyone of yours either.  Tired, picky children are not looking for nutritious things, rather anything they can quickly get their hands on.  I just saw a great idea of using a 89cent pencil box per child, putting their name on it and a coupe of sticker or something to jazz it up a bit things in it they can choose from such as a granola bar, cheese …

This wonderful little book took me quite by surprise and it it may you  as well.  New on the market, written by Eva Marie Cote and illustrated by Tom Myers, it is an unassuming little paperback that I was contacted by the illustrator about.  He wondered if I would take a little time and look over it and give them my opinion so I said sure, especially since I knew I had Book Week coming up.
When the book arrived, I instantly knew with P3’s birthday being days away, I had …

Do you collect Box Tops? Although I have always seen Box Tops on many of the products I bought, I did not really pay attention to them until last year when I got to visit General Mills. What a great program for schools to earn a little extra money!   And I love that it it is a way for me to teach my girls about saving money, giving and something akin to coupons all rolled up in one.
Right now, our buddies at Target® have a special promotion …

I recently received a copy of an adorable book called Hayseed’s First Race. I knew immediately that I had to give it to P2.  She LOVES it.  Of course, it IS about a horse after all
Written and illustrated by Sally Schrock for children PreK through 2nd Grade. Sally has even listed print out activity sheets for those ages as well.
In Hayseed’s First Race, Hayseed and your child remember to love themselves for who they are and to never, ever let anyone tell them they don’t don’t belong. …

Mandy and Pandy are a little Chinese girl and a Panda Bear who have been paired up to create a cute series of 6 books to give a basic introduction to the Chinese culture and their language for English speaking children. Each book is accompanied with an audio CD which includes English text read by a native English speaker and Chinese text read by a native Chinese speaker.  When you are the mom of a Chinese born/American raised daughter, books like this are EXACTLY what you …

Fashion Playtes is an online site that allows you or your daughter to design clothing for her to wear. If you have a daughter like one of mine who is very picky about what she wears, this is a dream come true! For me, was a great adventure and opportunity for my daughter to choose exactly what she wanted and open the door to discuss modesty and style as well.

On Fashion Playtes you can use the virtual sketchbook to create their own shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, …

In the US, I would like to think that everyone has at least heard of Autism, however many of us may not be educated as to just what it is, how many varieties of it there are and just how closely it hits to many, many homes.
Autism Speaks is the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy group, dedicated to helping fund research, treatment, prevention,cause, and cure autism.  Autism does not affect just any one group of people nor does it come in any one ‘type’ of behavioral patterns.
Autism Speaks has …

I know how crazy the summer can get at this point with school starting for many like us in a few days, for some in a few weeks, but the Fresh Air Fund is still in need of host families. I posted about it a couple of times last year.  Thousands of inner-city children’s lives can still be changed.  Take a few minutes of your time and read about it and see if you can be of some help.

The trusty ice cream maker

The wannabe golfer

Happy Unbirthday Daddy!
Brett’s birthday is actually December 18th, the same day as Paris’ but when you grow up in a family of 6, you often feel a little overlooked when it falls somewhere between the last day of school, family Christmas Parties and Christmas.  To make a switch for him to a fun Summery birthday, we now officially celebrate his birthday ob July 18th (June 18th is often Father’s Day;)  If you have a kid who has a birthday at a time where you …

……AND THE WINNER IS…..#16 TESA SHELTON!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

THANKS TO ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS. WATCH FOR MORE FUN AND INTERESTING ARTICLES and GIVEAWAYS!

….dim the lights….
“…..La-dies and Gen-tel-men….I prrrre-sent you with the Grrrrreeee-aaaaaattttest Show in Eeeaarrttthhhh!….”

While I will never forget the fun I had as a child when my parents took me to the Circus, nor understand what a gift it was, I will also not forget last year taking my girls all together for the first time.  Grammie and Pop had taken P1 for her first visit but P2 and P3 …

Did you know that every newborn in the U.S. is eligible to receive a free ticket to Ringling Bros. circus? What a wonderful way to celebrate the special arrival! The free admission offer is good for one ticket that is redeemable at any time during the lifetime of the child, whether at age 2 or 92. It’s definitely something you readers would love to share with their families and friends.

To receive the child’s first free Ringling Bros.® ticket, parents need only complete the registration form in the “Special Offers” section …

Here are some fun things you can do to avoid this summer slump and give your kids a leg up on math for the fall which will be here sooner than we realize!  We have used some of them and thought they were really fun.
KEEP KIDS’ MATH SKILLS SHARP ALL SUMMER LONG
By Frances Nankin, Executive Producer/Editorial Director, Cyberchase
Our kids are at risk over the summer months for losing the skills they’ve developed during the year in math – and the risk is greater for losing math skills than …

Summer is in full swing and if your kids are like mine, they think ‘Snacktime‘ should be about once an hour.;)  It always seems like a brutal shock to them when I say no.  Funny how that is.  And when I guide them towards the fruit-veggies-nuts and such,well, I must be speaking a foreign language.
Here are some great suggestions and ideas to keep snacks easily portable, sun-proof, and diet-friendly from dietitian and nutritionist, Elisa Zied, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips:
1. Nuts- Crunchy and delicious, nuts provide omega-3 fatty acids that …

When P3 was placed in my arms in China, she wasn’t able to sit upright yet.  She was 9 1/2 months but coming from an institutionalized setting, that was not really shocking.  By the time we left China, a week and a half later, she was able to sit up just fine, a perfect example of how the rest of her small and gross motor skills continued to improve over the next 6 months and she was all caught up in no time.
Her language skills, however, did not make the …

It’s almost time to celebrate our nation’s birth yet we are having some hum-drum rainy days lately.  What to do to keep the kiddos entertained?? Here are the latest July 4 ideas from Disney FamilyFun magazine – all new this year and in their June/July issue.

Confetti Launcher: Fireworks happen only after dark, but this craft creates a pop of color any time of day. Kids pull back on the string to release a shower of tissue paper confetti, then gather …

I think I have told you before that Mother’s Day used to be a very hard holiday for me while we were trying to build our family and we went to great lengths to make those weekends better – taking trips, holding Anti-Mother’s Day parties with our other infertile friends.  Well now that I am a mom, I am very sensitive still to the holiday, knowing that it is not something I want celebrated lightly and I love nothing better than items created just for me, centered around my girls.  …

I know that the Luck ‘o the Irish and everyone else is with me because I have wonderful readers and friends like YOU!
We are having a crazy day at home, spent with the oldest 2 Ps spending most of the day in their rooms grounded for hosing down the garage yesterday (yes, you read that correctly, the GARAGE FULL OF STUFF – they actually did us a favor but it was the principle of the thing…without asking, while babysitter was here, and doing nothing to try and clean it up:).  …

When I was offered to review an American Greetings PhotoWorks Studio Book that was baby themed, I was so excited. I had been planning to make one yet not just for any baby – for my P3.  As our pictures of her first 10 months are minimal, I felt while it could prove a bit challenging with the typical American shades of pink for baby girls, I wanted to make the most of what we have.  I never want her to feel that she was unloved just because she …

Fashion is Fun with Lisa! Lovely Lisa helps younger girls learn the importance of having fun and working hard while earning your way to your own fashion style! Earn Lisa-points by perfecting your beauty skills and techniques, helping out around the house and even learning what it takes to become a successful working girl! Providing a well-rounded approach to beauty and fashion, Lovely Lisa rewards girls with gorgeous accessories, original clothes and fabulous hairstyles and make-up! Prove you’ve got what it takes in …

Family Fun Magazine is one of my favorite spots to get great ideas for fun with my family.  We do not have a ‘tradition’ regarding St. Patrick’s Day but this year I totally aim to start one!!  Here are the ideas they have presented this year:
Crafts and Games
Wee Leprechaun: Make-your-own leprechaun! http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/wee-leprechaun-667671/
Make a Festive Bowl-er: Create leprechaun hats by painting and embellishing paper bowls. (p. 34)
St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt: Follow fun all the way to a faux pot of gold. http://familyfun.go.com/playtime/st-patricks-day-scavenger-hunt-708446/
To Catch A Leprechaun: Three clever traps for taking …

Right now through the end of March, you can run over and get 4 FREE Dr. Seuss book digital downloads from Kidthing!   How perfect for my new Sony Reader!
The titles offered are:
:: Hop on Pop::
:: Horton Hears a Who::
:: Green Eggs & Ham::  (My favorite!)
:: The Cat in the Hat::
So here is what you do:
1. Download the FREE kidthing 2.0 application.
2. Go to the “Store” tab, enter “KTCODE-NEA5RAA” into the search engine and hit ENTER.
3. Add the 4 books to your cart
4. Go to checkout and download your books for …

Last week, I told you to quit whining and get rid of the laundry and Badger Mom wanted to know how many items her kids actually needed, anyway.
Instead of just replying to her comment, I thought it would be best to write a post with my answer.   Now, please understand that everyone’s needs are different, but this should be the bare bones of each person’s wardrobe.
You need to sit down and plan how many outfits each member of your family needs. Most families wash the laundry once a …

Brainy Baby DVD’s are more than just your ABC’s, let me tell you!  Created with the intent of providing something reality-based and intelligent – for both parents and children, Brainy Baby was started in 1995. Their videos now feature multi-ethnic children, toe-tapping original music, nursery rhymes and instrumental classics and their product line now includes over 100 product offerings including videos, CDs, books, games, and toys!
A brand new study found that “The Brainy Baby Company today announced the results of a study conducted at the University of Texas, Austin, which …

Remember me mentioning Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s impending DVD release of LeapFrog: MATH ADVENTURE TO THE MOON next week?  Well here is your fun Math tip for the weekend.
TIP #5:  Count-down for Launch!

You and Your Kids can pretend to be rocket ships set for launch.  Practice counting down to blast-off!  You can make the challenge as easy or difficult as you want remembering that you don’t have to start counting down from 10.  You and your kids can count down by ones (e.g., 17, 16, 15, 14…) or  Practice counting …

Suave Kids® has launched the Wash Them Grow Sweepstakes, with chances to win awesome weekly prizes of a Family e-Keepsake Kit and the Grand Prize of a family vacation to Orlando!  Who wouldn’t love that!?!?  Simply head over to WashThemGrow.com to play a fun online trivia game and receive an automatic entry into the Suave Kids® Wash Them Grow Sweepstakes. You can enter daily from January 18th until February 22 and literally watch your baby grow online as you progress through the milestones of …

Remember me mentioning Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s impending DVD release of LeapFrog: MATH ADVENTURE TO THE MOON next week?  Well here is your fun Math tip for the weekend.
TIP #4:  Since It’s the Weekend — Make it a game night!

Playing number-related, age-appropriate board games, such as Chutes and Ladders, can help support many math-related skills.  For an important twist, help your child practice saying each number he or she lands on and passes by with each roll of the dice. For example, if your child is on 23 and rolls a …

Have you heard the news?? Lionsgate Home Entertainment’s impending DVD release of LeapFrog: MATH ADVENTURE TO THE MOON has caused the folks at Lionsgate Home Entertainment to do a ‘Count’down to the DVD release on February 23rd by offering up Math Tips aimed at easing a child’s fear of math and making learning fun.  I know I could have used those myself!!  Below are the first three tips for you to see if you can get the kiddos excited about math and the DVD release on Tuesday!

TIP #1:  Math …

Image compliments of Hoodie1313

Well, this day just keeps getting better and better.  After being woken up at 5 by my Hubby and the cat, things were going alright for a a while.  Then the children started getting up for school, and yet, things were going smoother than they have been.  Until it was time for P1 to brush her hair.  I guess she brushed her hair as well as she ever does and yet she was shockingly compliant when it was time for me to double check her …

GORDONSVILLE, VA., December  2 , 2009—PBM Products, LLC, a leading infant formula company that supplies store-brand infant formulas to Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Kroger, Walgreens, and other retailers, has received a favorable jury verdict and a $13.5 million damages award in its false advertising lawsuit against Mead Johnson & Co., the operating subsidiary of   Mead Johnson Nutrition Company (NYSE: MJN) (“Mead Johnson”), the makers of the national-brand Enfamil® LIPIL® Infant Formula.  Mead Johnson is 83 percent-owned by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
PBM’s lawsuit claimed that Mead Johnson engaged in false and misleading campaigns …

You know it is a Monday when the computer beats you at Wii Tennis and then your 3 year old beats you at Wii Bowling, not once but TWICE twice, all before 9am.

Happy Monday Everyone!

I am not one to jump to conclusions and freak out every time that there is some sort of recall but this one seems big enough to warrant some attention.
Two widely used children products have been recalled. If you have them, stop using them, check with the company and get repair kits.
First are 635,000 cribs made by Dorel Asia SLR. The drop-side hardware on the cribs can fail, causing the drop side to detach from the crib. When the side detaches, it creates a space in which an infant …

 
It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
Which made her sigh, “Now what’s the matter?” With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.
He was covered with …

One of the coolest things under our tree this year is some Melissa & Doug play food.  It’s the Slice and Bake Cookie Set and my 3 year old will love it!  This thirty piece wooden set includes twelve cookies, twelve cookie toppings, an oven mitt, spatula, knife, cookie tray, and cookie tube.

The Melissa & Doug toys are incredibly sturdy and well made.  The  Bake Cookie Set even has a durable dough tube for storing the serviceable velcro cookies (cool, huh?).  Its paint is non-toxic, tested safe, and lead free. I just wish …

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MomDot’s Tribute to Bryson Ross, son of Shellie Ross, and a friend of ours, as we pray for him and his family to heal from his death. Our community came …

Sometimes you just feel like you got blindsided by this whole parenting thing (didn’t we all!). You are a complex mama! You don’t let your kids push you or anyone else around, but you are also able to chill out and see what’s really important (letting kids be kids). You do your best to get the kids a healthy meal but if pizza pops up three nights in a row, so be it. And if the Lion is the King of the Jungle, then you – Cool Cat that you …

Lately while I have been waiting to pick up my kids at school, I have been really disturbed by some of the seating arrangements I have seen.  Parents allowing their Elementary age kids to sit in the front seat, some without seatbelts, some getting in vehicles without enough seatbelts and the list goes on.
And did you know that more than 32 million Americans will be on the road during the holiday? Don’t forget to make safety your number one priority during your journeys.
A recent study published by the …

I do not know what to say.  Shellie over at MomDot and her own blog of Blog 4 Mom, has had a horrific and indescribable nightmare occur – the drowning of her precious 2 year old son last night.  I don’t know all of the details and it really does not matter.  Losing your child would be horrible anytime but especially at Christmas.  I cannot imagine their grief.  Anything I would do or say seems so inadequate.  I just pray they can find the peace and comfort they so desperately …

With our eldest child being exceptionally bright and inquisitive, the question regarding Santa’s authenticity has already come up several times….although, as you can see from this picture taken only last year, when faced with reality, she still believes.  Nevertheless, we have been working through how to help P1 understand yet not spoil the magic of Santa and all he represents.  This article below written by Martha Brockenbrough and posted on Cozi, provides the perfect answer for us.  I thought it might help a few of you out as well.:)
Ho, Ho, …

Build-A-Bear Workshop really amazes me with depth of their creativity and the generosity of their hearts.  Every year they have something or someone new that will light that spark in a child’s eye, and more accessories than imaginable to dress them up in.  Kids really love and need a special friend that is all their own -  I know my girls sure do – and Build-A-Bear makes quality and unique toys that can hold up to all of the loving a child can give them.
This is especially important this time …

My girls are off on Thanksgiving Break and I actually love it.  Less stress, less homework, less deadlines.  As soon as we finish Thanksgiving, of course, it is on to Christmas Fun and Activities.  Twitter Moms has asked what our Top 5 Holiday activities to do with our kids and I knew I had to share.
I am very blessed to have my Mom living nearby.  When it comes to doing fun things with my girls, she is my partner in crime and at the beginning of December we calendar the …

You may recall that for her birthday in September, P1 asked for and received a Nintendo DS.  Being the wise parents that we are, we were not sure that she would enjoy it and use it as much as she thought she would.  Thankfully, we have been proven wrong and she has shown very good judgment in taking care of it as well.  With Christmas only a month away, so have come the girls’ Christmas Lists and it is no surprise that P1 has requested a game or two for …

Fiber. Fiber, fiber, fiber.  Fiber is something we all need for a healthy diet but most of us just do not eat enough of it. It helps us digest our foods better as well as get the nutrients our bodies need for stamina and energy. The current recommendation is 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day yet most of us get about half of that.  Fruits, vegetables, grains and beans are where we can find the fiber needed in our daily diet.
As a mom, I am constantly trying to …

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This Giveaway is closed.  Congratulations to #120 Colette!
Thanks to everyone who participated!  Watch for more great products in 2010!
One of the most important decisions you can make for the …

“Mo-om, are we there yet???”  If you have kids and take them any further than next door, you have likely heard this in one form or another.  Well, have I found the cure for that – and no, I do not mean extra Benadryl all around!;)
Meet TravelKiddy, our next giveaway in the Because It’s Christmas 2 Kids and Charity Giveaway.  TravelKiddy is a company that has taken a fun and amazingly simple approach to the issue of traveling with children and trying to keep them entertained.  Jen, the Momprenuer behind …

According to an NHTSA study, 3 out of 4 kids are not as secure in the car as they should be because their car seats are not being used correctly. The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) was developed to make it easier to correctly install car seats.
If you have not heard about the LATCH system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council want to make sure that you know where you can get the information you need to keep your kiddos safe on the …

We have had quite the past couple of weeks.  My oldest daughter was being baptized on Oct 10 so we had family coming in from out of town.  Of course, Brett was gone Sunday through Wed late, my aunt arrived Tuesday and his parents arrived Thursday, not to mention it was a regular school week.  I had to finish the sleeves on P1’s dress and try to have the house in some semblance of order.

Well, that part all came together and the Baptism was wonderful.  P1 was so thrilled …

Huh? Did ya?  Well, it is.  In fact, the first week of October is ALWAYS Fire Prevention week.  And yes, that is me over there in one of my favorite dresses at about age 2 sitting up like a really cool kidlet in the big fire engine at City of Vernon Fire Department with my Daddy.  Not only was he part of the Engine Crew for many years, going on to become the Captain and then moving from Fire Suppression to Fire Prevention.  (Can ya tell I am just …

Would you like to add a free, limited edition copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar to your family’s library of books?

Well then join Walmart and Jumpstart on Thursday, October 8th as they Read for the Record! Read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar along with hundreds of thousands of other families in an attempt to beat the world record for the most people reading the same book on the same day. The goal is to break the 1 million mark and raise not only awareness …