Plan Toys, one of the leading manufacturers of green battery-free wooden toys, has unveiled their highly anticipated 2010 Plan Preschool and Baby toys.
If you can't tell by looking around my site, I am a huge fan of educational toys. The Tower Tumbling set from Plan Toys is both educational, challenging and fun for preschool-age children just like my 3yr old twins. The set comes with all the pieces you see below plus a box for storage.
The back of the circles are each numbered from 1 to 5 for additional possibilities for educational activities.
You can ask your child to match the various shaped pillars to the wooden disk with the same number or color.
Because some of the pillars are cut at a slant, this adds a challenging element to this toy. For this reason, I would also classify the Tower Tumbling set under developmental toys. Even just lining the pillars in a row on the table was a challenge because the ones cut at a slant needed to be balanced just right. This really forced our 3yr old son to work on his dexterity and to practice being deliberate and patient . . . skills his twin sister has already mastered. Even I had to rebuild the tower a few times because it came tumbling down more than once.
Even though our twins enjoyed the educational activities for which we used this toy, I believe their favorite part was free play. It was interesting to see how they would each decide to use and organize the pieces.
If you have more than one child, I would definitely recommend buying two sets. Although our twins had no problems sharing, having only one set did limit how far each one got as far as actualizing whatever they had pictured in their minds.
Look for this and other new toys coming soon to the Plan Toys online store and to other retailers of Plan Toys products.
Thank you to Plan Toys for sending us a sample toy free of charge to base this review upon.
Last week our 6yr old son participated in his first TKD tournament. Since it was his first time, he only selected three categories to participate in. He was actually extremely nervous that day and was not feeling well on top of that. We realized later in the afternoon that he was running a fever. So, the fact that he brought home a silver and two bronze medals made us super-proud!
The category in which he won the silver medal was jumping. Can you do this? . . .
The second category was board breaking. We are so proud that he opted for a thicker board instead of choosing the thinner board, which would have been a piece of cake for him to break.
The third category was patterns. By then, you can see how not-so-good he was looking and he was getting flushed. Still, he made it through and got to take home three medals to remember the day. Hopefully next time he will be feeling 100% and not quite as nervous.
Peanut butter and chocolate is a favorite combination in our house, as I'm sure it is in many households. Leave it to Dove Chocolate to improve on an old idea.
The latest addition to the Dove Promises line is their Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter. This sweet treat is not the same as a peanut butter cup. The peanut butter inside is smooth and melts in your mouth in conjunction with the creamy Dove Milk Chocolate. With the standard old peanut butter cup, the peanut butter is dryer, has a texture, and is almost crumbly. Although my husband doesn't like change, I think change is good sometimes and this is definitely one of those times.
Dove Promises not only are deliciously decadent, but there is a positive message printed inside each wrapper. I personally ate about half the bag and I do not recall reading the same message twice. Wrapped in gold, these chocolates are clearly made for adults. I think I would consider putting a few in my children's Easter baskets, but the rest of the bag would be mine!
You can find Dove Chocolate with peanut butter at your local supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers of Dove Chocolate products. To learn more about new Dove Chocolate products, follow Dove Chocolate on Twitter and fan Dove Chocolate on Facebook.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of DOVE and received sample DOVE Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter products and a gift certificate to facilitate my review.
Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to an adorable clothing item for girls while promoting a local mom business. I'm referring to Tutu Pour Mon Deux, a Massachusetts based online business that offers custom tutu tanks and long-sleeved tees for girls. Not only is the concept of the product unique, but this mom donates $10 per item sold to Children's Hospital Boston.
It is so easy to design your own tutu on this user-friendly website. You simply choose your shirt style, shirt color, shirt size, applique design, tutu color, and ribbon for the trim. Then the site gives you a summary before you add the tutu shirt to your cart. If you don't quite love it, then you can start over again.
When I saw that there was the option for a Red Sox applique, I just knew I had to have it for my daughter. It's actually tough finding Red Sox clothing for girls that is unique and girly, but is not pink and white. I am extremely pleased with the workmanship. The applique has a nice soft backing inside the shirt so it does not irritate my daughter's skin.
The tulle for the tutu is machine stitched along with the ribbon trim you selected. There are 16 fun ribbon prints to choose from. Even though the product tag says to wash this item separately inside-out, I prefer to hand wash this tank because of the delicate tulle. I want this adorable top to last my daughter as long as possible. She currently wears a size 3T and this tank is a 4T, so it should last her at least through the current baseball season and the next. Even though this top is 100% cotton, it still has a bit of a stretch, which also adds to the versatility of the sizing.
As you can see, my daughter loved her new Red Sox tutu tank. It really made her feel girly and pretty. She could not help dancing around so she could see the tutu move.
Thank you to Tutu Pour Mon Deux for sending us a sample tutu tank free of charge to base this review upon. This review has been written as part of a campaign for the Family Review Network.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter these contests. I will be emailing each winner right away. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prizes. I always reply to confirm that I've received your information. Congratulations to our winners!
I recently had a chance to review the soundtrack to Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. It was actually the first music CD I had reviewed in quite awhile. The last one may have been at least 6 months ago. I have to say how amazed I am at how much my 6yr old son has grown up over those few months.
One huge difference I've noticed is that my son is starting to attempt to pick up lyrics from songs. Whereas in the past, he would have lyrics taught to him by us or his teachers. I am very happy that this soundtrack featuring Alvin and The Chipmunks and The Chipettes have very tame lyrics that are suitable for children my son's age all the way up to children in their tweens. This CD is a fun way for my son to sharpen his listening skills.
The Squeakquel Movie Soundtrack is great entertainment for both kids and parents. Featuring chipmunk'd renditions of classics from Beyonce, Katy Perry, the Bee Gees and many more, Alvin, Simon, Theodore and their girlfriends, The Chipettes, provide hours of fun for everyone.
You can find the Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel soundtrack on Amazon.com, iTunes, and other retailers of children's music.
Thank you to the WB Word of Mouth for hiring me to help spread the word about this CD.
I don't know why, but our 3 year old twins always confuse my husband and myself. They often call me "Baba" and call my husband "MumMum." Sometimes they even call us "BahMum" or "MumBah."
So I am one MumMum and my husband is another. There is also a third MumMum in our household. When the children play pretend, our 3yr old daughter often pretends to be MumMum. When I hear her twin brother yell, "MumMum! MumMum!" I really have no idea which one of the three of us he is speaking to . . . me, his father, or his twin sister.
If you have a Silly Monkey Story to share, sign Mr. Linky below with the link to your blog post (not the link to your main blog page). Please do not forget to visit the other participants and leave them comments to let them know you stopped by!
Just when you thought Yoplait had all varieties of yogurt covered, they come up with something new. The latest Yoplait yogurt product is Yoplait Greek yogurt. This new fat free product provides 23% of the daily recommended amount of protein per cup.
Yoplait Greek comes in four varieties . . . strawberry, blueberry, honey vanilla, and plain. This yogurt has a texture similar to cottage cheese, so it would be perfect for using as a cooking ingredient. You can find Yoplait Greek yogurt recipes for appetizers, entrees, baked goods, and desserts on YoplaitGreek.com .
Yoplait Greek yogurt is available at Stop & Shop and most places where Yoplait products are sold. Click on this link to snag a $.30 coupon off one cup of Yoplait Greek. That's $.60 off if your supermarket doubles coupons under $1.00 .
Thank you to MyBlogSpark for providing a sample gift pack (yogurt, gift card, and product information) on behalf of Yoplait and Stop & Shop free of charge to base this review upon and for providing an additional prize pack for our contest prize.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receivecoupons good for 4 free cups of Yoplait Greek yogurt plus a $20 Stop & Shop gift card to try out one of the recipes.
Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries:
Scroll through the list of recipes found on the Yoplait Greek website. Then leave a comment telling me which recipe looks like something you might like to try. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.
Extra Entries:
1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.
2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.
3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND YoplaitGreek.com. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.
5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.
6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.
7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.
8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed onMonday, April 12th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
I know! I know! I'm a little late drawing the winners for these contests. I have more giveaways ending tonight and I promise I will do the next round of drawings tomorrow.
Congratulations to our 3 winners! As I had mentioned previously, look for more winners to be announced tomorrow. I will be sending official email notifications right away to these winners. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prizes. Remember, I always reply to confirm that I've received your information.
With Easter less than a week away, I thought this would be a great time to share this list of safe and eco-friendly ways to handle eggs. These tips are not just things to remember for Easter, but should be kept in mind all year round.
Keep Everything Clean – Be sure to wash utensils, countertops and hands thoroughly with soap and hot water before and after contact with eggs.
Be a Good Egg – Choose eggs labeled "free-farmed." It's the only label that ensures the hens were verifiably raised in a comfortable environment without any unnecessary antibiotics.
Beware of the Rotten Egg – Do not let anyone eat eggs that have been unrefrigerated for more than two hours. That includes hard-boiled egg used as part of the Passover Seder.
Cautious Cracking – When preparing hard-boiled eggs for an egg hunt or other contest, keep a close eye out for cracks in the shells. These cracks can allow bacteria to contaminate the egg.
Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket – Remember that hard-cooked eggs that have been refrigerated properly must be eaten within seven days of cooking.
Go Green – If you don’t have time to run out and get an Easter Egg decorating kit, use common foods to color your eggs. Boil eggs in water with a teaspoon of vinegar and one of the below ingredients; let simmer for about 15 minutes; and the let the dyes sink in!
Yellow: orange peels or lemon peels
Red: Red onion skins
Pink: Beets or cranberries
Orange: Yellow onion skins
Purple: Purple grape juice
Green: Spinach
Brown: Coffee or black walnut shells
Blue: Red cabbage
These tips have been provided by Stop & Shop supermarkets. No compensation was received for sharing these tips with my readers.
Plan Toys, one of the leading manufacturers of green battery-free wooden toys, has unveiled their highly anticipated 2010 Plan Preschool and Baby toys.
