Yummy Tortilla snow flakes

Watch the snow fall while eating your own YUMMY snow flakes....

Find out how to make your own by visiting the Little Nummies blog.

Hasbro, Yep! They're on our wishlist too!

Ah, childhood memories....

Candyland

Easy Bake Oven

My Little Pony

Play Doh

These are all toys that I used to play with as a child AND GUESS WHAT? They are still around for my kids to enjoy.

I am willing to bet that if you go into any child's room and search through their toyboxes then you are guaranteed to find something made by Hasbro. Go ahead....CHECK! I will wait....

See, I told ya!
Anyhoo....I wanted to share some of our favorite Hasbro toys with you. Surely, someone out there needs a great gift idea.

Fur Real Friends Biscuit happens to be on BOTH my daughter's lists so let's talk about him for a minute.

For ages 5 and up

Retail Price: $179.99

Biscuit features voice recognition, obeying six commands, including, “Sit!”, “Speak!”, and “Lie down!” Biscuit is pretty much like a real dog. He will bark, beg and obey your commands for his bone. He even sniffs his food before taking it! Biscuit is very life-like which is great for all those parents that are leery of getting a REAL pet for the kids. (Hey, there's no cleaning up after him either!) He even comes with a certificate of adoption to insure that he stays in your home for ever.
Another FURREAL friend to check out is Tumbles.

For ages 4 and up

Retail price:$39.99

Tumbles is probably my favorite. (No, not because he is cheaper!) Tumbles is smaller in size than Biscuit and he just makes you wanna pick him up and hold him. This loveable little Beagle dog will roll over when you rub his tummy. He will definately make you giggle! He makes all kinds of puppy noises when you pet him and the more you play the happier he becomes.

(Tumbles also comes with an adoption certificate)

Arts and Crafts make great gifts at any time and what kid doesn't like playdough?

We all scream for Ice-Cream!

The Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice cream shoppe is a great addition to your craft cabinet. It comes with everything to make a great ice cream sundae. Your child will have a blast coming up with different creations. Swirl, scoop and mold lots of pretend goodies, including soft-serve “ice cream” in cones or cups, mini “candies”, “cookies”, “pretzels” – even decorate a “cake”!

The Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice cream shoppe won the Parents Magazine -2008 Best Toys of the year Award.

And last but not least I would like to tell you about CLIPO. I have been hearing about CLIPO from my son, youngest daughter and daycare kid like EVERYDAY for the past couple of months. I had no idea what it was until Hasbro generously sent us the CLIPO Bucket.

AH, I get it now....CLIPO IS FUN!! I mean REALLY FUN!

Let their imagination run wild.....Clipo will have them building all sorts of things. They are unique building blocks filled with LOTS of color. Perfect for little hands to assemble. Each peg shape easily connects to another for an afternoon of fun.

For ages 18 mos and up

Retail price: *varies from $6.99 and up

Alrighty folks, I have just shared some of our favorite Hasbro toys. I would love to hear some of your favorites!

If you need more gift ideas just head over to Hasbro's website for more awesome toys!

The countdown .....

Well, the turkey is gone (or almost gone). It's now time to prepare for the next holiday.....

CHRISTMAS!!

YAY-My favorite holiday

Here's some great ways to COUNTDOWN the days with your lil ones :

Advent calendar (Origami style) by Ellaberry

Instructions and more great advent calendar ideas HERE

The Christmas Jar by Mom Advice (love this one!)

Little Birdie Advent Calendar by Skip to my Lou

See Kai Run shoes (Giveaway)

Giveaway has ended....Winner notified (congrats Jenna!)

Thanks for entering!!

I have been seeing blog posts talking about See Kai Run shoes all over the place. All the posts seem to RAVE about these shoes and I was still clueless. I felt a little left out....UNTIL we received our own pair of See Kai Run shoes!!! (Well, actually youngest dd wears them but I can still admire them.)

First of all, the shoes are ADORABLE.

She has this pair : Emilie

Cute, eh?

I couldn't actually try them on myself but THE PRINCESS did tell me that they were comfy. She even wore them around the house for a few hours even though they didn't match her attire that day.

I guess you could say SHE LOVES THEM!

Which is pretty awesome considering she is very picky about shoes and clothing these days.

*Yep, 3 going on 16 (HELP US!)

A little bit about See Kai Run shoes...

*Handcrafted from butter-soft sheepskin leather
Flexible rubber sole – healthy for developing feet but sturdy enough for outdoor play!
*Generous width and wide toe box for plenty of wiggle room!
*Padded collars for extra comfort
*Adjustable Velcro closures make shoes easy to get on and ensure a great fit
*Breathable leather insole and lining

I highly recommend See Kai Run shoes for your lil one. Not only are they stylish but also very comfortable for little toes.

****

Considering a See Kai Run purchase?

SHARE!

For every pair sold on seekairun.com in the months of November and December, See Kai Run will donate a pair to a child in need through Soles4Souls and local organizations in our area. It's the season of giving - give a pair and share a pair!
Shop and share now.

****

Would you like to WIN a pair ??

See Kai Run has generously donated one pair of shoes from the See Kai Run line or any pair from the smaller lines to ONE LUCKY READER!!

*All you have to do is ....

Visit See Kai Run, browse through all the awesome designs and then come back HERE and tell me which is your favorite.

That's it!

Giveaway will end on Friday December 5th and winner will be notified.

Black Friday DEALS- around the web

Baby clothes and accessories...

Ambajam is having a 25% off sale for Black Friday weekend.

25% off the entire Ambajam collection (sale items excluded) Friday-Sunday, 11/28-11/30.
Promo Code: BF25

Monkey Toes SHOES 30% off Monkey-Toes on Friday Saturday or Sunday (Code-BLACKCYBER)

Banners, greeting cards and blog graphics....

Riooso designs-20% off of "premade" items in our shop...not including the Premade Bundle Pkg.

I hope you snag some great deals this weekend!

Crayola ROCKS....enough said : )

It's definately not a secret.....I am a CRAYOLA lover and have been one since a young child.

You see.....All crayons ARE NOT created equal. CRAYOLA JUST ROCKS! I love the smell of a brand new box of crayons. Did you know that I buy new boxes of crayons about as often as I buy toilet paper. (THAT'S A LOT!) I.CAN'T.HELP.MYSELF!

Well, Crayola may be known for their crayons but have you checked out some of their newest creations lately?

We were lucky enough to get the Crayola Beginnings Scribble and Sing art station and boy is it a hit!

*Perfect for ages 18months and up*

What's inside the box?

*1 Art Station
*5 Nontoxic Washable First Marks Markers
*1 Giant Activity Sheet

How it works-

Your lil one places his Tadoodle in the center of the Art Station and it is immediately recognized. (Color and Name)

There are lights at the top that will randomly stop on a certain activity such as Lines, Dots, waves and zigzags. Your child can then complete the activity with their special (washable) markers.

My lil one enjoys humming along with the tunes and you will enjoy the creativity that comes along with each stroke.

-You can also use Tadoodles All in One Paints with the Art Station (purchased seperately)

**

Need something for the older crowd?
Have no fear....

There is something for every age.

Check out the Color Explosion GLOW BOARD :

This one is a huge hit!

You draw on the special board with GLOWING markers and with the touch of a button your creations come to life.

Two see-through drawing surfaces and alternating lights let kids create cool animated pictures.

***

Make clean-up a breeze with Crayola Color Wonder products.

The Color Wonder Magic light brush will definately be a hit this holiday season.

The Magic Light Brush knows what color you are using and magically reveals the color of clear Color Wonder paint!

WOO HOO! No more scrubbing your table because the color ony appears on Color Wonder Paper.

*Color Wonder Paper is specially coated so color only appears where it should.

The Magic Light Brush comes with 6 Classic colors. Additional colors may be purchased seperately.

*The Magic Brush recognizes 12 colors*

Crayola products would definately make GREAT christmas gifts for any child on your list!

Check out their 64 days of Crayola Holiday Gift Guide for more ideas.

Christmas ornaments

Here's some FUN christmas ornaments to make with the wee ones.

I found them over at Bizzy Bee Creations blog.

Be sure to visit because she has all kinds of goodies to put you in the CHRISTMAS spirit!

Build-a-Bear Workshop *A Friend FUR all Seasons GIVEAWAY

Giveaway has ended.....Winner notified (Congrats Rebecca!)

Thanks for entering!

On just about every kiddo's holiday wish list you are bound to find a video game listed. With so many different ones on the market how do you know which one to choose?

Well, it gets tricky since there are games for every age....games for boys, games for girls, puzzle games, action games...well, you get the picture.

If you have boys then you know they will like anything ACTION oriented but girls....

What to get girls? (I have two to buy for.)

Well, here is the answer!

Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons

My girls LOVE Build-A-Bear!!

-a little bit about the game-

Your furry friend is invited to a great party on Palace Island by Bearemy and Pawlette. In order to cross the sea and reach the party, Bearemy and Pawlette offer you the FriendShip. Explore new islands on the way and take time to meet and interact with the furry friends that live there. They love playing games too, so on each island you get to play mini games, help them out, and find the puzzle pieces needed to recreate the map that will lead you to the next island. Finally you reach Palace Island where a big party awaits you! A Friend Fur All Seasons is a highly interactive and trans-generational adventure and party game in the true Build-A-Bear spirit! Let your imagination guide you as you board the FriendShip and set out to have fun with your new virtual furry friends…

Of course, the game can also be for boys but since I am shopping for my girls at the time, I just thought it would work best for them!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN a copy of Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons for the Wii?

OF COURSE YOU WOULD!

Visit The Game Factory and browse through all their great game choices.

Come back HERE and let me know which one is on your kiddo's wish list.

Giveaway will end Friday December 5th and a winner will be notified.

**

Want more GREAT Build a Bear goodies?

They are auctioning off celebrity-built Build-A-Bear Workshop bears, along with autographed copies of the Build-A-Bear Wii game. These bears and signed games will be on eBay's Giving Works to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. These one-of-a-kind bears were built by celebrities like Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, the Jonas Brothers, James Gandolfini, Melissa Joan Hart, Bonnie Hunt, Mitchel Musso, Meaghan Jette Martin and more.

Click HERE to view the auctions.

*Thanks Family Review Network for this great campaign opportunity!

Something for MOM from AVON (GIVEAWAY)

Giveaway has ended....Winner notified

Thanks for entering!

Have you guys checked out AVON lately? I used to order avon from my neighbor when she sold it but that has been many years ago. Much to my amazement A LOT has changed since then!!

Have you seen all the new goodies? The make up lines? The skincare products? WOW!

With the holiday season in full swing, NOW is the time to check out their latest gift ideas.

Avon is always coming up with unique and cost-effective gifts for the entire family.

Here are some of my favorites:

Sincerely Sarah by Sarah Ferguson Travel Set

$14.99

Bubble Bath 24 fl oz. $5.99

Botanicals Bamboo Reed Diffuser $16.99

And there are so many more GREAT gift ideas for everyone on your list. Visit http://www.avon.com/ for more shopping.

****

Would you like to win a great gift???

See the Botanicals Bamboo Reed Diffuser above?

It could be YOURS!

(I have the same exact one and it is WONDERFUL, the essential oils will fill your home with a nice sweet smell.)

All you have to do is visit AVON.

Browse through their Holiday Boutique....

Find something AWESOME that you would like to receive as a gift and let me know about it.

One lucky lady will receive their very own Botanicals Bamboo Reed Diffuser to make their home smell SUPER NICE this holiday season!!

Giveaway will end Friday, December 5th and winner will be announced.

Give the gift of EXCITE! (Reading with your children)

I love reading with my children. I love to see their faces light up when something FUN and EXCITING happens within the book. I love to hear them say "Turn the page, momma." They can definately get wrapped up into the story line.

Want to EXCITE your child this holiday season?

Give them an imagination....

Give them BOOKS from excitebooks.com.

Excite has been referred to as the "Netflix" of Children's books.

It's definately not your AVERAGE book company.

Excite strives to add excitement and energy into your child's reading activities by allowing the child to be an active participant in all phases of learning and development through "RESPONSIBILITY, MOTIVATION, and GIVING back to the community.

Here's how:

*Sign up for a plan (some starting at just $4.99 per month)

**There are different plans according to your child's age**

*Once you receive your book each month....READ! ENJOY! BECOME EXCITED!

*After all 12 books have been read that's where the "GIVING" part comes in....

Your child has the opportunity to help someone else become EXCITED about reading by donating all 12 books, or some to a public library in need.

Excite will even cover the shipping by sending you a pre-paid envelope.

Head over and browse through all the different plans offered by Excite. I am sure there is something for every lil reader in your house.

SIGN UP for the FREE TRIAL and receive the following :

3 Excite books

1 Excite educational activity

8 FREE gifts!!

Oh, and if you visit right now you can get a 4th book absolutely FREE by entering :

"4th book free" in the personalized message box.

Visit http://www.excitebooks.com/ for more info

Fa...la...la....LA...LA...LA..la

Or something like that!

Well, can you believe that Thanksgiving is here??? (Well, not today but more like tomorrow) ANYWAY, That means Christmas is not too far behind.

People actually have their trees up around here. ::Gasp::

We better get crackin'!

And when I say "Crackin", I actually mean SHOPPING.

Got your credit card?

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to be sharing some of my FAVORITE gift ideas including toys, clothing, accessories and much more.

*Oh and don't forget about the HANDMADE HOLIDAY ideas!!**

Stay tuned...

TOOBEEZ ---Like Big TINKERTOYS!

*Be sure to read about the SPECIAL TOOBEEZ HOLIDAY PROMOTION below this review.*

I am going to let you all in on a secret.....

When our shipment of TOOBEEZ arrived last Wednesday, my kiddos were out of town with grandma. I stared at the big box for about oh......two minutes before opening it. I just could not help myself. I started building......and I built a tent (pretty big one), ship (or at least I thought it looked like one), a house, and then amused myself with several other "Weird" creations.

TOOBEEZ are so much fun!!

I called my pal that lives down the street and told her about my new TOOBEEZ. She said "TOO-WHAT??" Umm hello...TOOBEEZ, They are like Gigantic Tinkertoys. Don't you remember tinkertoys?

TOOBEEZ® name simply comes from "tubes and easy" and unlike any other product TOOBEEZ® combines a highly imaginative multi-tasking approach and results. Determined, optimistic, innovative and resourceful. These are key traits necessary to become a successful business in today’s economy.

TOOBEEZ are easy to put together too. Each "Tube" fits into a "Sphere" through special grooves and all you have to do is give the tube a slight twist and it locks into place.

There are a few different sized "Tubes" in each kit so you can build and build until your imagination gives out.

As soon as my kids arrived home, They saw my creations and became a little jealous of my talents but I told them not to worry because building with TOOBEEZ is not that complicated at all and anyone could do it ....(haha!) Ok, maybe I made that part up. It was more like them making a mad dash for the TOOBEEZ and forgetting about mom. :Sigh:

Needless to say, they like TOOBEEZ just as much as I do.

I was browsing through the pamplets and discovered that TOOBEEZ can also be used for education purposes as well as physical education activities.

There are workbooks with tons of activities for classroom use such as Math problems and Language activities. I am actually going to be using some within my own lessonplans soon!

They would make great Christmas gifts for all kiddos on your list.

******

TOOBEEZ HOLIDAY PROMOTION

Would you like to win a 57 piece Toobeez kit along with a special 15 piece kit to share with someone else?

Simply visit TOOBEEZ and enter to win!

Can't wait long enough to win??

Purchase a 57 piece kit ($99) and receive a complimentary 15 piece kit FREE!

You can keep the 15 piece kit for yourself or Share it with someone special.

*free shipping*

-Thanks to Family Review Network for another awesome campaign.

Another Handmade gift idea

It's a "Fishy" one !!

This will definately get the kids to giggle.

I LOVE IT!

Fish in a bag SOAP by Little Birdie Secrets

I love a good "SALE"!

Don't you??

Visit Lillybella Boutique for their 12 days of Christmas Savings event.

Each day there is a different "sale".....

Today's special :

Design your own coin purse for $10.50

Dear Santa, Shop at nmctoys.com

When I am shopping for my children I try to purchase toys that also serve as learning devices. Being a homeschooling mom, I am always looking for new and creative ways to teach my kids. Of course, I could just go the boring old SCHOOL BOOK route but why? when there are so many wonderful products on the market to make our job as parents a little bit easier. (as well as FUN!)So, when I stumble upon a site like NMC Toys.com, You better believe I am going to stop and SHOP!

NMCtoys.com was developed by parents of two small children in 2007. They make it their mission to provide quality toys that stimulate and challenge a child's mind.

We received the Toddler Tote.**

Lots of activities in a carrying case that's ideal for both travel and storage. A Lauri learning toy for kids on the go or a variety of activities for a child care center. All shapes are made from Lauri Crepe Rubber. Includes large and small geometric shape puzzles with a 9" square carrying case. Great to bring along when eating out with the kids.

**

My 3 year old and 5 year old loved piecing together the shapes and adding the plastic pegs to each puzzle piece. It's a huge hit! Plus a great learning tool for my 3 year old as she is learning about all the shapes and colors.

The only complaint: They wish they had more shapes to play with!

Stimulate your child's mind this holiday season....

Advise Santa to shop at NMCTOYS.COM!

There's something there for every age group and every budget.

RideMakerz

It's like Build-A-Bear with wheels.

If you have girls then you know all about Build-A-Bear, right?

But what about the boys?

Boys aren't into BEARS that much but I betcha' they would like a tricked out Viper, or a smooth riding Mustang.

RideMakerz is just the thing for your guy. This is something they can enjoy with Dad just like you may enjoy stuffing bears with your girl.

RideMakerz is a modern-day model car kit that your guy can customize.

Customization options include: body styles, side pipes, engines, tires, rims, paint schemes and graphic decals. (Lights and Sounds can also be added as well as a remote control feature)

Oh, and guess what?

There is NO GLUE involved. You simply snap the pieces in place.....A lot easier than the other model car kits, right?

Things have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember watching my little brother spend HOURS on his model kits. Whew....That was just too much to handle!

RideMakerz has brought car building into the 21st century making it much easier to achieve the perfect vehicle.

Your lil guy can have fun building his own one-of-a-kind ride including Mustangs, Dodge Vipers, Scions, race cars, fire engines and more.

And he won't need to know Rocket Science to do it!

Ok, I bet you are wondering how you can get started....

All you have to do is visit any RideMakerz location (Ultimate Customizing garage) or visit Ridemakerz.com ....CHOOZE, SONICIZE, MOTORIZE, MOBILIZE, CUSTOMIZE, PERSONALIZE and CRUIZE your one of a kind RideZ. (Soundz cool, huh?)

After your guy has customized his ride then he will get a personalized license plate and certificate of title with unique Ride identification numbers, which can be used to play with their ridez online.

**

Price: Ridez start at just $12-$29 *depending on paint and body selected

Ridez measure 10 to 12 inches long and range from 1:14 to 1:20 scale

**

This would make a great gift for the holidays. It's something that Dad and Son can enjoy together.

Visit RideMakerz.com for more information

Hang it up !

How do you display your kiddo's artwork?

Do you post in on the fridge?

Do you file it away in a folder?

Do you hang it on the wall?

Here are some creative ways to display those masterpieces....

Pretty Pinches by Colorful Kisses

Magnetic boards by Controlling My Chaos

Someone call the Doctor....I am cleaning (GIVEAWAY!)

Giveaway is now closed....Congrats Jennifer (Super Blogger Girl)!

I just sent you an email.

AND I LOVE IT!

What makes me so happy, you ask?

Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes and Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish....That's what!

You see, every appliance we own is stainless steel. Was it my choice? NOPE! But that's what came in my house and well, beggars can't be choosy so we kept them instead of spending mega bucks on BLACK (Which I wanted). ANYHOO...Cleaning stainless steel was not something I wanted to do all the time. *THINK- fingerprint HAVEN. It drove me nuts! NUTS!

No matter what I did the fingerprints would not go away UNLESS I used some special Stainless Steel cleaner. That special cleaner I was using had a strong odor and left streaks everywhere so I stopped using it and let fingerprints accumulate. HEY, Kids are only young once, right? Maybe preserving those fingerprints would bring me some sort of joy?

WRONG!

They drove me bonkers and I hated everyone seeing them.

DA-DA-DA-DUM....

Weiman came to my rescue!!

They sent me their Stainless Steel wipes and Cleaner/Polish and I was so excited when the box came that I started wiping down all my appliances.

*Hubby thought I needed to get checked out by the Doctor.* I was actually enjoying my chores for a change.

Weiman Stainless Steel wipes shine, polish and protect all stainless steel surfaces. They leave NO streaks and the strong odor?? Well, it's not there. It's actually a pleasant smell for my nose.

Oh, and get this...

It actually repels fingerprints, water marks and dirt.

NOW THAT'S WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!

You can use these wipes/cleaner on outdoor surfaces too.

Suggested retail price-$5.49 (30-count canister of wipes)

Weiman products are available nationwide at stores such as Ace Hardware, Expo Design Center, Kmart, Target and Wal-Mart.

The holidays are upon us....

Get your appliances clean with Weiman products.

***

~OK, now for the giveaway~
Weiman is going to make someone HAPPY this holiday season. They are offering up $100.00 in cleaning supplies.
WOOT!
Check out this list of products:
*They could be yours!!
-Wrights Silver Cream
-Perfect Planet Floor Cleaner
-Weiman Furniture wipes
-Weiman Stainless Steel Wipes
-Weiman Granite Wipes
-Wonder Mop
-WonderFiber Cloth
Whew...Think of all the cleaning you could do.

WANNA WIN?
All you have to do is visit the Weiman website, browse around and then come back here and let me know which product would help you out the most.
Giveaway will end Monday December 1st.

**Thanks to Family Review Network for yet another great campaign.

Mopping made EASY with WONDER MOP

Mopping used to be a hassle for me. (hmm....I am beginning to think all cleaning is a hassle to me)

I have tried several different mops.

*Mops with removable pads-too expensive replacing all those pads

*Old fashioned mops (icky water...need I say more?)

*Fancy Smancy mops that leaked everywhere

All of the mops that I tried eventually did the job but it took a whole lotta sweat and effort to get my floor sparkling.

I mean, I love a CLEAN and SPARKLING floor just as much as the next gal but geesh....I have three kids running around. I don't have time to change water or charge a mop, ya know?

That's why I love my new Libman Wonder Mop!

I never have to touch icky water because I can dip it and use the special wringer sleeve to get rid of any excess water.

There are also more holes and deeper grooves that help in that process making it remove even MORE water than other mops.

The cloths are great on all surfaces (Even my hardwood floors!)

Oh, and you can also remove the mop head and toss it in the washing machine.

SEE...No more icky water to deal with.

I LOVE IT!

Forget the more expensive mops out there, This is the ONLY mop you will ever need.

**

Suggested retail price: $10.99 (That's a steal, huh??)

The Wonder Mop is available nationwide at stores such as : Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, Kmart and most regional grocery store chains.

**

Cleaning for the holidays?

I am giving away over $100.00 in cleaning products!

See the post above for more details.

Hurry....Hurry!!

We only have a week until Thanksgiving.

Do something CRAFTY before it's too late....

Or make something YUMMY in time for turkey day.

This would make a great "Happy" for someone. Don't you think?

Marshmallow pilgrim hats from Creative Holiday Gift Ideas

Poor Kitty

These kids put her through A LOT!

I am sure she would like to run away on most days.....

P.S. NO, she was not being choked in the 2nd pic. Oldest DD was trying to get her to "SMILE".

*Cheese*

Fa la la la la......Christmas party planning

YAY!

My favorite holiday is coming up......Christmas!

I love Christmas time. I love spending time with my family and friends. I love throwing parties and/or simple family get togethers. Do you?

Do you go all out with a special theme? Or do you just "swing it"?

I love throwing parties with a special theme.

If you are looking for special party ideas then why not visit Celebrations.com.

Celebrations.com is a great place to find holiday tips, planning tools, Christmas Food recipes and even videos to show you how to do it all.

Sounds pretty awesome!

While browsing the blog I found this cool idea for my next get-together....

Host a party that features a HOT CHOCOLATE BAR.

YUM!

Everyone needs to warm up on those cold snowy nights, right?

Provide the hot chocolate along with all the goodies so everyone can create their own drink.

OR...

Feliz Navidad

Host a mexican themed Christmas party!

Decorate with warm and rich colors, hang up a pinata, serve YUMMY mexican dishes.

See, You can put a spin on the holidays by hosting a themed party.

You can start planning by visiting Celebrations.com.

**I would love to hear about your holiday parties. Drop me a line and let me know what your traditions are. Maybe you could even start some new ones?

oooh and here's another

Paper Cornucopia of "THANKS" from flipflops and applesauce

Here's a neat idea....

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK???

OH MY!

Be sure to get the kiddos busy with their turkey crafts this week....

Here's one to try:

cereal box turkeys from PlumPudding

Messy Kids? (giveaway)

GIVEAWAY is now CLOSED.

Congrats Jenn S. (Email just sent)

Let's face it.....KIDS are MESSY!

How can we control it?

Well, we can't actually control the mess that the kid makes BUT we can control where the mess goes with Neat Solutions!

From their site:

Neat Solutions Floor Topper disposable splat mats help keep floors neat at home and away. Generously sized at 38"x38",they are plenty big enough to capture messes. Zip close packages of 5 and 6 mats fit conveniently in a diaper bag and make it a breeze to bring along. Perfect for playgroup, grandmas house, or anywhere children eat or play. There's no clean-up...Just toss them away with the mess.

AH....Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to our kids making messes. There is now no need to worry about Aunt Jane's precious WHITE carpet or Grandma Sue's new hardwood floors. WE HAVE Neat Solutions Floor Toppers!

These are perfect under high-chairs and arts and craft's tables. As soon as we got our package in the mail I knew where I would use them.

As some of you know, I run a small in-home daycare and we recently turned the huge upstairs rooms into a lovely DAYCARE space HOWEVER, when we do our art projects we would have to do those at my kitchen table due to carpet upstairs. (think PLAY DOUGH, PAINT, and MARKERS on the carpet)

As you can imagine, It was crazy having to bring everything downstairs all the time.

WELL, NOT ANYMORE! I put two of the Floor Toppers under our table and guess what?? My precious carpet was spared.

We love our Neat Solutions Floor Toppers!

You can find Floor Toppers at select stores such as Target, BabiesRUs, Wal-Mart and ToysRUs.

Retail Price: $4.99

Neat Solutions also offer other products to make clean up's a breeze...

Table Topper

Potty Topper

Changing Pads

Disposable Bibs

Visit http://www.tabletopper.com/ for more info.

****

Would you like to try FLOOR TOPPERS?

I have one package to give away.

All you have to do is visit http://www.tabletopper.com/ , check out their cool products and then come back here and tell me which one would help you out the most.

Giveaway will end Saturday November 22nd and a winner will be notified.

Secret Mountain Books

Ok, picture this :

It's 8:25pm and you are exhausted from the day's happenings....Your kiddos are still running around acting crazy and you are wondering WHERE IN THE WORLD DO THEY GET THIS ENERGY and how on earth will I get them to calm down for bedtime??!!

Been there?

That's how it is every night around here.

My secret....

STORY TIME!

After we get the kids teeth brushed and pj's on (and of course drinks of water, hugs, kisses OH and potty time) we settle into our beds and I will read them a story.

Usually mid way through the book I notice a few yawns.

WOO HOO!

And at the end of the book there is little to NO fighting about turning out the light.

SCORE!

Do you read to your kiddos at bedtime?

If you are searching for some new books to read I highly suggest The Secret Mountain books.

Recently, we were lucky enough to receive three of their award winning books and each one includes a cd filled with wonderful songs.

The books we reviewed:

*Down at the Sea Hotel

*A Duck in New York City

*Dream Songs Night Songs: From Belgium to Brazil

Our favorite was definately A Duck in New York City. This story is about a cute little duck who dreams of dancing on Broadway some day. He meets up with a friendly truckdriver and she helps him along the way. Does he ever get to sing and dance on Broadway? You are gonna have to read the book to find out!!

The Secret Mountain books are known for their many prestigious awards and there are so many different book titles to choose from.

These would definately make great stocking stuffers for the holiday!

Visit http://www.thesecretmountain.com/ to order yours before the rush.

Show mom some love

I know we all like to shower our kiddos with LOVE and PRESENTS during christmas time but what about MOM??

UMMM HELLO?

Yeah .... MOM!

You know, The one who feeds you....

Wipes your nose....

Washes your bedding when you puke....

Kisses your boo-boo's....

and so on

What's on your wish list, MOM?

*If you are extra nice to me I may secretly send this list to Santa for you. (Wink Wink!!)

If you don't already have a wish list then check out these items below:

*They may just TICKLE YOUR FANCY.*

The "BEAN" bag in black from TTPeasandCarrots on Etsy.

Martini Camera Strap from Shealynn on Etsy

Hip T from My Hip-T.com

Check back next week for an awesome giveaway just for MOM!!

Poingo (A great gift idea!)

Just thought I would add this bit of info regarding Poingo's batteries : CLICK HERE

I have been getting a lot of page views/hits looking for Poingo battery information. Hope it helps!

Here's another great gift idea....

Poingo

Poingo makes books COME TO LIFE with the touch of a digital pen!

We were lucky enough to receive our very own Poingo kit to review.

(Which was perfect since my 5 year old is just starting to read on his own.)

The kit came with the Digital POINGO pen and two oversized books(Cars and Finding Nemo).

Once we opened the box, I thought to myself...."Oh NO!" I don't have batteries.

Well, much to my amazement the 3 AAA batteries were already included

*BIG PLUS because most toys do not come with batteries and we all know how impatient kids can get waiting on batteries to be installed, right?

Anyway, we took out the first book which was CARS and decided to give it a try. I let the little man navigate the pen since he was the closest kid I could find at the moment.

All you do is run the pen across the words and the book "TALKS". (in the words of my lil man) You can also touch the pictures to make the book "TALK" and make noises such as cars zooming by!

It is not complicated to use at all.

Just turn it on.....Point to the picture or text and listen.

*Pretty Neat*

I love the fact that this is a learning tool as well as something fun for my kids to enjoy. My son has been playing with POINGO for the past few days and already recognizes certain words while rolling the pen over the text.

I would definately recommend Poingo for children ages 3-7.

Wanna buy one?

Right now you can find them at select stores such as Toys-R-Us, Wal-Mart, Target, Sam's Club, Costco and of course online....www.discoverpoingo.com.

Suggested retail price: $34.99

What's in the box?

Poingo Starter Set includes Poingo pen and two hardcover books as well as batteries

You can also purchase and download additional books to use with your Poingo pen.

Titles like....

Cinderella

The Lion King

Sleeping Beauty

Winnie The Pooh

For more information on Poingo visit http://www.discoverpoingo.com/

The countdown to Christmas

Over at MomDot they are asking if we have started our Christmas shopping yet.

Well, HAVE YOU???

We have "started" but still have a good ways to go before it's all over with.

Thankfully, the kiddos haven't asked for too much this year and the things on their lists are fairly cheap.

Of course, I always try and start early for the kids but everyone else on my list usually gets VERY LAST MINUTE gifts......and I mean VERY LAST MINUTE!

This year I am trying my best to make "handmade" gifts for my extended family and friends.

Have I started??

uhhh.....

NO!

I do have lots of great ideas rolling around though!

Head over to MomDot and see who is being Naughty and who is being Nice!