Argh! We're going on a treasure hunt.

My little man likes to play "Pirates and Light Sabers" with his friend. I guess in another universe there could be pirates that carry around light sabers, right?

Anyhoo....As I was watching him play and have a grand ole' time last night swinging that light saber around while saying "I'm gonna get you, Matey ARGH!" I thought why not have a real Pirate Party?? (ummm Pirate party for 5 that is) I thought surely we could come up with some fun PIRATE things to do here at the house.

I began searching..... and searching.....and then I had to stop and fold laundry and cook and clean up after the lil munchkins but I did get back to searching and found these great "ARGH! PIRATE" ideas.

A favorite blog of mine (Kidzarama) mentioned this TREASURE HUNT idea on her blog. It is actually from another great blog.....Fiskars.

I also found these neat-o ideas from FamilyFun.Com

Peppers and Pollywogs is full of great ideas too. Check them out HERE.

Have you ever had a Pirate themed party?

I would love to hear about your ideas.

Your kids will beg to take a bath

Having trouble getting the lil ones to take a bath?

Try try these "Soap Surprise" bars.

Materials:
1 cup of grated Ivory soap

1/4 cup warm water

food coloring

small rubber toy (Make sure toy has no sharp edges)

1. Mix water, soap and food coloring together in a medium bowl. Stir the mixture until it begins to thicken.
2. Remove the mixture from the bowl and knead it until it is the consistency of very thick dough. 3. Roll the dough into the shape of a ball.
4. Make a hole in the center of the ball that is big enough for the small rubber toy to fit inside.
5. Fill the hole with the treasure then seal with some extra dough.
6. Allow to dry overnight before using.

Clean and happy kiddos!!

We like to play with our food around here

Giveaway is now closed and winner has been notified. Please check our new "Winner's Circle" for more info on winners and upcoming giveaways.

Thanks for entering ! !

Ah, yes indeed!

Especially if the food is COOL and WOODEN and comes from the wonderful Melissa and Doug.

If you have never heard of Melissa and Doug you are definately missing out and possible living under a rock. Seriously, I can not say enough good things about Melissa and Doug products. We own quiet a few and it is hard choosing a favorite.

I love the style and quality of each toy. You can rest assured knowing your child is playing with a toy that is made with tremendous quality. They test each toy NUMEROUS times before it leaves their hands. No need to worry about re-calls here!

Have you seen their Food Play line?

OH.MY

It will have YOU wanting to play in their tiny kitchens.

Your lil one will love cooking up their own creations with one of these Melissa and Doug play sets.

Would you like to win one?

SURE YOU WOULD!

Visit Melissa & Doug, browse the site and then come back here and tell me what caught your eye. Which is your favorite?

You may just win this awesome Sandwich Making set.

Isn't it great? (Kind of makes me hungry!)

Giveaway will end on Monday August 4th and winner will be announced.

The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly

http://www.lillybadilly.com/

I have been meaning to post this review for some time now but you see WORK and KIDS and EVERYONE ELSE'S KIDS got in my way. However, I am proud to announce that I am now ready to discuss The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly.

**

The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly is a remarkable children's book written and illustrated by Debbie Glade.

Lilly P. Badilly, a very talented and artistic millipede sets off on a Costa Rican vacation with her grandparents. The "vacation" was meant to be a way of exploring and having a great time however Lilly soon realizes that there is more to this so called vacation. Lilly and her grandparents meet some pretty interesting creatures/insects along the journey including a riddling millipede and a very scary spider....scary as in SHE WANTED TO HAVE THEM FOR DINNER!

As the story starts out we find out that Lilly P. Badilly is pretty much scared of a lot of things however by the end of the journey she has actually overcome the fears and shown great strength and skill by helping others.

The book is filled with colorful illustrations, geography, culture and tons of humor.

I had a great time reading this to my children and they really enjoyed hearing how the story unfolded.

YOU MUST listen to the amazing cd that is included with the book. It is filled with great music and songs that will definately have the whole family humming along.

*My children loved the cd so much that they had to share it with their neighbor friends yesterday!

The Travel Adventures of Lilly P. Badilly is a enjoyable read and I can not wait to read the next collection by author Debbie Glade.

http://www.lillybadilly.com/

Trick OR Treat ?

Yes, I know we are all still sweating in the middle of July but it is NEVER too early to start planning for holidays such as Halloween. Well, that is unless you like to walk on the WILD SIDE like me and wait to the NIGHT BEFORE halloween to start searching for your lil one's halloween costume. Yep....I do that!

However, if I start planning right now then I am sure I can come up with a great costume choice and leave all the "left-overs" to other moms who wait until the last minute. Surely no one reading this does that though, huh??

Anyhoo....Head over to inCostume.com and pick out a great Halloween Costumes for everyone in your family. I am willing to bet that Batman and Iron-Man will be popular choices so you better snag those while you can!!

*Sponsored Post*

What kid doesn't like Sushi??

ummm maybe mine!

Well, here are some "KID FRIENDLY" sushi ideas for your kiddos to try.

(mom may like them too!)

kid friendly sushi from Creative Holiday Gift Ideas

Mock Sushi from Family Fun

Back to School shopping (Land's End Giveaway)

Giveaways is now closed....Winner notified and if I do not hear from winner within 48 hours then another will be chosen.

Thanks for entering!!

It's that time of the year again.....

Time to start shopping for school supplies, new shoes, clothing and backpacks. Land's End makes back to school shopping simple with their "Mix to the Max" knits. You can coordinate a complete outfit from the head down to the toes in a matter of minutes! I just browsed through the newest catalog and have already picked out several "Must-haves" for fall.

Whether you are buying for a boy or a girl they have you covered!

Not only can Land's End style your kiddo to the nines but they can also equip them with a sturdy and ultra cool backpack.

You must check out the complete line of backpacks for yourself. They have a backpack for EVERY kid. Ones with wheels, ones with handles, ones with EXTRA pockets and even backpacks with character. All backpacks are available in a variety of colors and you can even personalize them with your child's name or initials.

So, now that I have told you about the great back to school gear at Land's End are you ready to start shopping? WAIT....before you start I have a special code for you. The code is for FREE SHIPPING on your purchase. The code is :backpack and the pin # is : 2784.

July 24th-July 31st

BUT WAIT....there's more

You may not have to buy a backpack just yet because I am giving one away!

That's right, You could be the proud winner of a new RED ClassMate backpack.

-All you have to do is visit Land's End and browse through their children's sections (Either girl's or boy's department) and then come back here and tell me ONE item you would like your child to have for the new school year.

Giveaway will close on Friday August 1st @ 10:00PM and a winner will be notified.

The Banana Splits

Alright all you HIP and HAPPENIN' parents out there, I am here to tell you that the Banana Splits are BACK! Do you remember this wild and wacky show when you were younger? Starting on September 2nd Cartoon Network will begin airing the Banana Splits.

The Banana Splits feature kid-style comedy with a mixture of contemporary music.

You can expect tons of fun and a lot of laughs. This is definately something you can enjoy with the whole family.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and check out their new website with my two younger kids and they loved it. The website features music that will definately have you humming along, games and videos.

They also have a "Phone a Joke" feature where your little one can phone in their favorite joke and if the banana splits find it cool then they will feature it on the website!

Join the Banana Splits club to receive a downloadable certificate and club card. Send "fan mail" to Fleegle, Snorky, Drooper and Bingo and check to see if they answer back.

My kids will definately be tuning in to the new program and I hope you will check it out too!

Oh, and don't forget to check out http://www.bananasplits.com/ ......

I hope you don't SPLIT your pants laughing!

-eh, maybe I should leave the comedy to them.

Some great blogs to keep ya going.....

Just wanted to apologize for the LACK of posts this week. I am babysitting a friend's kids for the next two weeks so my computer time has definately been put on hold.

Until I am back I thought I would share a couple of great blogs with you :

Grosgrain-Bi weekly giveaways featuring awesome clothing by the blog author.

(cute CUTE stuff....be sure to check it out!)

1+1+1=1- featuring TOT SCHOOL

I have a few giveaways and reviews to catch up on when I return to blogging so definately stay tuned!

Princess Linens (Doodlebugz giveaway)

Giveaway is now closed and winner emailed.

Thanks for entering!

Princess Linens is a great site filled to the brim with cute accessories and clothing for the wee ones. Kids will love their whimsical designs and Moms will love the functionality and quality.

My very own little Princess had the opportunity to try out a Doodlebugz crayon keeper (which was PERFECT seeing as how this momma is always picking up crayons on the floor!)

The Doodlebugz Crayon Keeper has tiny pockets to hold up to 64 crayons. Once the crayons are stored properly in each pocket you can fold it up and secure it with a velcro strap. Unlike other Crayon holders I have reviewed in the past this one also has a grosgrain hand strap. Your little one can transport it just about anywhere! Princess Linens.com offers several different color choices and you can even add personalize it with your kiddo's name.

We love it!

Princess Linens also offers other Doodlebugz products such as the Doodlebag, Chalk table Mate and Crayon purse.

If you travel a lot of just have a hard time keeping up with crayons then I highly reccomend any of the above.

Head on over to PrincessLinens.Com and check out their adorable products. I am almost positive that you will find one MAYBE a few things to buy and LOVE!

**Would you like to win a Doodlebugz product? I have ONE Doodlebugz Crayon Purse to give away to one lucky winner. All you have to do is visit Princess Linens, view everything they have to offer and then come back here and tell me which is your FAVORITE.

I will choose a winner on Friday July 25th.

If you happen to find something that you like and want to purchase today then Princess Linens has also given me a discount code for you to use :

Just enter TrendyTykes at checkout for an additional 15% off your order.

We built a house today

I have been trying to come up with unique ways to keep the kids entertained during the day.

So, what did we do today?
We built a house and decorated it.

(To be honest it is decorated WAY better than my own home!)


I bet your kiddos would love to do this.
Here's what ya need:

cardboard box *or cardboard pieces
magazines
scissors
glue
Flip through magazines and find all your home essentials (living room, dining room, bedroom...)
Before you glue the photos on your board you may want to figure out where everything will go first.

Once you have your house "decorated" you can search for your FAMILY.
We cut out DADDY, MOMMY, KIDS and even pets then glued them to construction paper. (They will hold up better)
A fun project that will keep the little ones entertained for hours!

Your Little Sweet Pea

Ok, here's your dilemma....

Your lil one is growing by leaps and bounds and all of a sudden that "cutesy baby" bedding that was so darn cute while you were pregnant just isn't cutting it anymore.

Ok, here's another dilemma....

You have the walls painted and the furniture picked out but you just can NOT find the PERFECT accessories.

I have the perfect solution for both dilemmas and maybe even a few I couldn't think of.

Your Little Sweet Pea offers some of the cutest bedding and accessories I have ever laid my eyes on.

Just look at this coordinating ensemble:

*Perfect for any GIRLY GIRL*

Or if you need something for the little man :

Your Little Sweet Pea also offers a wide variety of accessories such as Storage bins, clocks and picture frames as well as these adorable wall letters.

If all this "decorating" talk has your mind spinning DON'T WORRY because Your Little Sweet Pea also offers Design Services. That's right, You can have a professional help decorate your room!

Head on over and pick out something nice for your cutie patootie's bedroom. While you are there why don't you enter the ROOM DESIGN CONTEST. You could just walk away with a cool crisp $20.00 gift certificate.

~National Gummi Worm Day~

According to Candy USA! Today is National Gummi Worm Day.

We couldn't let the day go by without a little celebration!!

And what better way to celebrate than with a nice big CUPCAKE :

Gummi Worm Cupcakes

Gummi Worm cupcakes (another version)

Splish Splash.....Bath time fun & Johnson's giveaway

Giveaway is now closed and winner has been notified.

Thanks for entering and by all means...Keep those babies smellin' good!

Bath time.....
Is it fun at your house or more of a hassle? And when I say HASSLE, I mean does your lil one HATE getting wet? Here recently our youngest has been screaming everytime she goes near the tub. She haaaaaaaaates getting her hair washed and believe me.....I HATE WASHING IT!

So, if you have one of those kids that just DOES NOT want to take a bath maybe you can try some of these fun "toys" below:

Tub Tunes Musical bathtub toys

Boon Bath play and storage frog

Dirty Dogs (my favorite)

And of course everyone needs a nice big hooded towel, right?

Here's our top pick...

Puppy hooded bath towel by Simply Sweet babystuff

A bath just isn't a BATH unless you smell good after it's all said and done.

So, we are giving away a basket full of Johnson's bath products and lotions to ONE lucky person!

Johnson's is definately a name mom's can trust. Not only do they offer a tremendous selection of bath products but they are constantly coming up with new products with our babies in mind.

included in the basket:

Johnson's Head to Toe baby wash

Johnson's Head to Toe washcloths

Johnson's Bedtime Moisture Wash

JOHNSON'S® BUDDIES™ clean-you-can see BODY WASH

JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME TOUCH™ MASSAGE GEL

Would you like to win the Johnson's bath-care basket?

All you have to do is leave me a comment stating which JOHNSON'S product is your favorite (or state which product you are most excited about trying).

*Giveaway ends Monday July 21st.

*Please leave a valid email address so I can reach you once the giveaway is over.

For extra entries simply post about this giveaway on your blog and link back with an additional comment.

Smiles Across Miles Photo cards (giveaway)

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED and A WINNER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.

THANKS FOR ENTERING!

We have all been there.....

Christmas is coming up and you are frantically searching for the perfect christmas card to send your family and friends. However, nothing you come across is PERFECT. What to do ? What to do ? Snap a photo and head to a photo processing center just to wait in lines and pay an arm and leg for 10 photo cards OR Grab one of the only boxes of Christmas cards still on the shelf at the local department store?

ummm....NEITHER!

I have found the PERFECT place for holiday cards and announcements. SmilesAcrossMilesCards.com is the place to shop when you are looking for birth announcements, holiday cards, invitations, and wedding cards. They can also print up special Thank You notes to suit your purpose.

Smiles Across Miles cards will customize any of their designs to make YOU happy whether it be font, colors and occasion.

Because you see they want to make sure you are happy and will even generate unlimited digital proofs until everything is right. *Now, that's what I call CUSTOMER SERVICE people!

The prices are low which means you can actually purchase even more cards for friends and family members.

Each 4x6 or 5x7 print comes with it's own envelope.

Quality?

Let me just tell you that I was blown away with the proofs I received.

The print quality is outstanding and I love how every photo is placed on the card with a cute little saying such as the birth announcement or a simple THANK YOU!

The cards fit perfectally in each envelope (Which is MAJOR for me since I always have a hard time finding the right size envelopes for my cards!)

I know you are just dying to head over and check out all the creations, right?

**

GUESS WHAT????!!!

Smiles Across Miles cards is offering one lucky reader a chance to win 20 4x6 cards *with envelopes OF ANY DESIGN on their site.

Got a birthday coming up ? Now would be a great chance to get some cards.

All you have to do is visit their website and browse the designs.

Come back here and tell me which is your favorite design.

Simple, huh?

Giveaway will close Friday July 18th and I will announce a winner.

And if you can not wait until the giveaway ends you can also use code: WELCOME upon checkout for an additional 10% discount.

Art via the Salad Spinner

I have found yet another WONDERFUL art/craft project for your lil one to enjoy this summer. (or any other day)

Megan of Brassy Apple has posted this "Spin Art" tutorial and I just loved it so much that I knew I had to share it with all of you.

So, grab your salad spinner and click HERE.

Panda-Monium ! ! !

Have you been Kung-Fu fighting with your lil ones yet??

If you haven't already seen Kung Fu Panda then I highly recommend getting to the nearest theater like RIGHT.NOW!

Oh, OK! Maybe not RIGHT THIS MINUTE but soon.....very soon!

It's such a cute movie and the kids will really enjoy it. Now I don't want to ruin anything for you so I will stop right there with the movie talk. However, I would like to take a moment and tell you about this awesome "Panda-Monium" cd my kiddos have been enjoying. The folks from HP have compiled a whole bunch of Kung Fu panda goodies and put them on a cd for you and your lil ones to print out.

There are photo/print projects such as frames, labels and stickers.

Ringtones

Screensavers

Cards

and ....

...

..

The "Panda" dance video!

Yes, that's right. You can learn the "Panda" dance.

Also included:

Fun recipes like the one below....

Chillin' China Punch

Ingredients

1 can frozen cherry juice concentrate *thawed

2L bottle Gingerale or Club Soda

Pineapple and Lemon slices

Directions

In a large plastic bowl, combine juice concentrate and soda.

Using a 2 inch star shaped cookie cutter, cut pineapple and lemon wedges and float on top.

Set bowl on ice or in refrigerator to keep cool until guests arrive.

Yummy!

There are also great game ideas and trivia questions.

This would be great for a KUNG-FU PANDA party.

I have 5 copies of this CD.

Would you like one?

I will give them to the FIRST FIVE commenters.

(Be sure to leave a valid email addy so I can contact you.)

The Schoolhouse planner

As many of you know I am currently homeschooling our oldest daughter and will also homeschool my 5 year old son this coming school year. I have been working on lesson plans for both children which has been quiet an ordeal to say the least.

So when the opportunity to review The Schoolhouse planner presented itself, I just could not turn it down! This is exactly what I have been searching high and low for!!

The Schoolhouse planner is digital and interactive. You can schedule all your assignments and even upcoming field trips right at your desktop. When you want to know when something is coming up just jump on your computer and find out.

There's also all sorts of curriculum planning forms, (which I desperately needed) evaluation forms, resource lists, recipes, and there's even a place to plan your household duties too.

Here's some other things you will find:

12 “homeschool must-know” items, one for each month of the year
12 essays from some of our favorite authors in the homeschool community – you absolutely won’t want to miss these!
24 easy main-dish recipes from some top homeschoolers around the nation
Forms that are appropriate for preschool – graduation
A 12-year planning form, so that you can plan your child’s school career from beginning to end!
2-page monthly calendar with BIG blocks with lots of room for writing in details each day

*247 pages of information *

Would you like a little sneak peek ?

Click HERE

I am so happy to have found something so great as the Schoolhouse Planner. It is going to be a HUGE help for this coming school year.

There's a new blog in town.....

Check out MOMS IN A BLOG.

It's a new network especially for MOMS like YOU and ME!

Head over there right now for a chance to win some awesome goodies like a 3 Month Membership to ListPlanIt.com along with a Scentsy Warmer and Candle Bar.

HURRY UP!!

Super hero to the rescue!

Do you have a super hero in your household? Maybe a super-hero in training?

I found these great "Little Hero" capes over at the Discovery Denim etsy shop.

Aren't they adorable?

Visit Discovery Denim and get your little hero his very own cape!!

Cahootie

When I was younger we would play with a little contraption called a "Cootie catcher". Do you know what I am talking about? Although you may have called it something else it still served the same purpose.....fun times!

Making one is fairly easy and you can add your own little tidbits. For instance, We would add colors on the top and then numbers on the inside flaps. You would choose a color and spell it and when it landed on the the numbers you would choose one and lift it to reveal a question or "fortune". Ya know.....something like...."You are going to marry a ROCKSTAR!" just something fun like that.

I recently received a CAHOOTIE in the mail. CAHOOTIE is just like the homemade versions except they are WAY more colorful and cool.

There are numerous Cahootie's to choose from like :

Sporty Girl

Birthday Wishes

Truth or Date

&

Wishes and Dreams

Each one has it's own theme and comes with re-useable stickers that are added to the "flaps". The stickers can be changed out every so often.

We have the Birthday Wishes one and my kids loved it!

They applied their stickers and went to town asking questions and having fun.

Even the neighbor kids got in on the fun and did not want to put it down.

It also brought back some childhood memories for me.

You should definately check out CAHOOTIE for your own lil ones. They would make great gifts for the next birthday party.

Fun with Index cards

I found this great idea over at Scrumdilly-do.

I would definately say this is a great boredom buster!

Have a great 4th of July!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

We will be taking the day off tomorrow to spend time with family but have some great reviews coming up when we return.

Before logging off I thought I would share this cool project with you in time for the holiday...

Film Canister Rockets

Project was found on WearyParent.com.

NewBaby.com (learning sharing and creating memories via video)

Alrighty Mommas, I have a brand new site to share with you. It's NewBaby.com.

What is NewBaby.com? Well, I am glad you asked :giggle:
NewBaby.com is the online video resource for moms featuring thousands of mom generated videos, product Vcasts and Expert solutions segments. It's an online community where moms can learn, share and create videos in a safe, secure and Free environment. Come Vlog with us at NewBaby.com (www.NewBaby.com)!

Get the grandparents talking too!

Our little ones spent a good deal of time with my parents this past week and I thought it would be a great time to introduce them to the wonderful game "Grandparent Talk". (You may recall that I did a little review on "Family Talk" not too long ago.)

Around the Table games is responsible for the fun talks that went on.

My mom called me and told me how interested the kids were in hearing about her first car and the type of chores she had growing up. You see those were both questions found on "Grandparent Talk" along with 98 others. The cards come attached to a metal hook and the idea is to have everyone gather around the dinner table and TALK! You just flip a card over and ask the question. It really is a great way to get everyone talking again especially in the fast paced world that we live in today. So, instead of rushing through dinner the family actually gets to re-connect and maybe even learn some new things about each other.

Will your children be visiting grandma soon? If so then I suggest packing "Grandparent Talk" in their suitcases.

You can find it and all the other wonderful AROUND THE TABLE GAMES on their website.

Another giveaway YES INDEED! Crayola Color Explosion

GIVEAWAY is now CLOSED! *winner notified*

Thanks for entering!

Ok, everyone knows that Crayola TOTALLY rocks the house when it comes to crayons and even markers but have you checked out some of the other goodies they have to offer lately?

We are big time supporters of Crayola here in the "H" household. We have the crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, clay, paint and many more that I can not even think of right now. I never have any doubt whether the product will be great because Crayola never ceases to amaze me.

Our newest obsession is the Sidewalk Spray Painter. OH.MY! That thing ROCKS and my kids have hours of fun with it. (If you don't already own it then I urge you to check it out next time you are in the store.)

Crayola is always coming up with new ideas to keep our kids busy. Their new product CRAYOLA COLOR EXPLOSION GLOW BOARD looks like fun too.

Surface lights make the marker inks glow! Two see-through drawing surfaces let kids create exciting 3-D effects or surprise animations by showing only one light at a time.

Your child can create masterpieces with their own GLOWING markers and the designs light up with the touch of a button. COOL STUFF!

Would you like to win one for your little artist?

All you have to do is visit the CRAYOLA website and browse through all their amazing products and then come back HERE and tell me which is your favorite. (Or which would your child say is his/her favorite)

I will choose one winner on Tuesday July 8th.

(ANON COMMENTS MUST LEAVE VALID EMAIL ADDY OR POSTS WILL BE DENIED)

*For extra entries just post about this contest on your own blog and then come leave a link in the comments section.

I spy with my little eye

Remember Where's Waldo? I loved those books. I enjoyed trying to find him within the big photo. Here recently, I made a "SPY BOX". I got a small rubbermaid tote and filled it with rice and small objects and then gave the kids a list of what was in the box. They each took turns digging to find the "Buried treasures". This is a great Rainy Day activity.

I was browsing etsy today and came across these "I Spy" bags. I immediately imagined how much fun these would be especially for long car rides.

Stuffed inside each bag is a group of small items and the child must squeeze the bag and find the items.

Hours of fun!!

Here are a few I found :

(click on the photos for more information)