Last week, my husband made the 2-hour drive with our three children to visit his Mom. After two cancelled trips due to bad weather, they were all finally able to visit Grammy and head to a nearby beach.
Below are some photos and a video shot by my husband. There were plenty more photos of marine life they had managed to dig up, but I thought these were cuter (and less slimy).
After returning to Grammy's house from the beach, the kids had a blast washing off in the backyard with the sprinkler . . . well, all except our daughter, who wanted no part of it.
Here is a short video of the boys enjoying themselves . . .
The children really had tons of fun, but were wiped out and slept almost the whole ride home. Hopefully they will get in one more visit before the summer ends.
Breakfast is the easiest meal in our house, meaning that we do not usually have a fight on our hands when it comes to our children eating most or all of their meal. Still, our 3-1/2 year old daughter eats as slowly as humanly possible. She does not take bites, but rather nibbles. She likes to look around and make conversation. She also plays with her food even though she has every intention of eating it. Generally, it does not matter what she is eating . . . cereal, waffles, pancakes . . . well, ordinary pancakes, I should say.
These new Aunt Jemima Confetti Pancakes are no ordinary pancakes. Yes, they may have a tiny touch of added sweetness, but nothing really noticeable underneath all the butter and syrup we use. I think something about the colorful confetti just makes children happy. All three of my children were delighted before they even took their first bite.
The real proof that these Confetti Pancakes are a winning product is that our daughter pretty much inhaled hers. She did not play with her food nor did she stop to make casual conversation. In fact, she beat her two brothers and was the first to finish eating. I think I might have to keep our freezer stocked with these pancakes for when she starts school in the fall. It may very well be the only way to get her out the door on time.
Look for these new Aunt Jemima Confetti Pancakes in your grocer's freezer. They retail for $2.69 per box of twelve.
Thank you to Aunt Jemima for sending us a coupon for a free product sample to base this review upon.
Anyone who has been a long time reader of my blog knows that I am an avid believer that children should engage in educational activities outside of school. I even started my Kindergartner-in-Training series last summer to make sure my son was well-prepared to start elementary school. This summer, I did not have a clear plan about what skills my son should be working on. I know he was already doing some 1st grade work in kindergarten, so I wanted him to continue on that path.
When I had the chance to try out the Summer Bridge Activities books, I was excited. I usually think up my own activities, so it would be nice to have some that are created by experts.
These workbooks are designed to be a "bridge" between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. It is set up so that your child does 2 pages per day for 60 days and it is estimated that it would take your child 15 minutes to complete those two pages.
Well, I have quickly come to the conclusion that these books are only a good fit for children who are a little behind or right where they should be in reading, writing, and math. If your child is a little ahead, then these books may be far too easy. In the Grade K-1 book, my son can do 8 pages in 10 minutes. He has not completed the entire workbook yet, but looking ahead, there is nothing in it that he will find challenging until the very last few days in the entire workbook.
Since not all children are the same, I want you to be able to judge whether this book would be right for your child. This book covers the following:
Single digit addition and subtraction
Writing upper and lowercase alphabet
Sounding out parts of words (beginning sounds, vowel sounds, etc . . .)
Telling time
Sequences
Counting by 2s, 5s, etc . . .
Counting money
Counting to 100
Reading comprehension
Following instructions
Rhyming
There are probably a few more things, but this list should give you the general idea. There is something unexpected and fun I found in this workbook, which is the "Fitness Flash". At intervals, there are instructions for your child to do something physical. It could be something as simple as 10 shoulder shrugs or something like imagining you are an animal stretching, acting it out, and asking your parent to guess what animal you are pretending to be.
Overall, I think these workbooks would be useful as long as they match your child's skill levels.
We have three contests to draw the winners for today, but actually seven winners to determine. Contests with multiple winners are always fun! Let's get started . . .
Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter these contests and to support these sponsors. I will be sending out official email notifications to the lucky winners right away. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prizes.
Many businesses have turned to postcard printing and marketing as an affordable way to promote their brand that is one step up from handing out business cards. You have many choices for custom printing companies out there, so I wanted to share my experience with UPrinting.com, since I have received various custom printed products from them in the past as thank you's for hosting contests for them.
Among the products I have received, custom printed postcards was one of them. In fact, I have had the opportunity to try their postcard printing services twice. Both times I have donated the postcards to my children's preschool and elementary school. I designed a high resolution graphic myself for each one. Unfortunately, I cannot post photos of them without publicizing the names of the schools my children attend.
The two cards were very different. One was very child-like and was meant to give out to the graduating preschoolers so that they could send a note back to the school from kindergarten to let their teachers know how they are doing. The other was very professional with the school logo glowing and a thank you message from the PTO. These postcards are now used to send thank you notes to all those who volunteer their time on behalf of the school.
I was very pleased with the quality of the printing for both sets of postcards. I was even able to design the backs of the cards to include the return address and lines on which to write the mailing address. The full color printing on the first set came out very vivid and true to the original design. The color on the second set, however, came out a little darker than the original design. The school logo is navy blue and gold and the navy blue came out a very dark midnight blue rather than a true navy blue. The school did not mind since I was donating these postcards free of charge, but as the one who worked very hard to design the graphic, I was slightly disappointed.
Aside from this, I have found the services at UPrinting to be very professional. The turnaround time is always within the time frame quoted and the product has never arrived flawed or damaged. I was able to receive a digital proof of the printing, so there has never been any errors.
Uprinting.com's postcards are available in both flat or folded and come in a variety sizes, including custom sizes. You may also choose between glossy, matte, or uncoated cardstock, as well as full-color printing on one or both sides. To find out more about their postcards and other custom printing services, visit UPrinting.com .
I had the opportunity to possibly receive a mention in a national magazine and they asked me for a photo of the family at the kitchen table. So we attempted to set the timer on my SLR and take a casual family photo.
I think we probably took almost forty shots. Around the twentieth we were losing our patience. There was always at least one child that was not looking at the camera or just looked extremely disinterested.
Photos always come out better when they are candids. The first two photos below were test shots taken by my husband before we got started. Everyone is smiling and there is levity in the air. Then you move down to the third photo below . . .
Our 6yr old was complaining that his eyes were burning from the flash, which explains his odd stare. Our daughter refused to smile in 98% of the photos. We even had to resort to tickling her. Her twin brother, however, smiled in almost every photo, but do you see what this little monkey is doing in this photo?
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!
Did you know that Partylite offers beautifully packaged gift sets? Not only do Partylite gift sets exist, there is even one especially for that special little girl in your life. I am referring to the "Cute As a Button" Gift Set, which contains a lavender-scented bear and ultra-soft scented throw.
These two items came in the most beautiful Partylite logo gift box. In fact, I still have the gift box put aside. I do not know what I am going to put in it yet, but I know it will be something equally as special as what came in it originally.
I am not very comfortable with having candles or tart warmers in my 3-1/2 year old daughter's room, so these scented items are a wonderful alternative. This bear actually has a secret. It contains a pouch of flax seed and lavender buds that can be warmed or chilled for a soothing effect depending on your child's needs.
The embroidered heart on the bottom of the bear's foot just adds to the sweetness and elegance of this gift. It was truly the perfect way to commemorate my daughter's first "big girl" bed. This set would also make a great gift for a new big sister, the flower girl in a wedding, or the birthday girl!
I had hidden the teddy bear before my daughter came to bed that night. She was thrilled about the soft new lavender throw, but that did not compare to her reaction when I pulled the bear from its hiding spot. She was utterly delighted and just could not stop hugging her cuddly plush new friend. She actually insisted on sleeping with her new bear that night.
The 40"x50" fleece throw is finished with a matching satin trim. It smells equally as nice as the bear. I am not certain how long the scent will last after a few washings, but we are enjoying it while we can. I can always use linen spray on it after the original scent has faded.
Thank you to PartyLite for sending us a sample gift set free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second gift set for our contest prize.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receivea PartyLite "Cute As a Button" Gift Set.
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:
Take a look within the different gift categories offered by PartyLite . Then leave a comment telling me what you saw that would make the perfect gift for someone you know.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.
3a) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post ANDPartyLite.com. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
3b) If you helped me promote this event by blogging about it prior to June 6th, 2010 according to the directions in my Room To Play Event post, then please give yourself an additional 5 entries. Remember to leave a separate comment for each extra entry.
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.
11a)
Add my "Room To Play" Giveaway Event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
11b) If you helped me promote this event by displaying my event tag prior to June 6th, 2010 according to the directions in my Room To Play Event post, then please give yourself an additional 2 entries. Remember to leave a separate comment for each extra entry.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed onMonday, July 19th, 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.
To my delight, I was given the opportunity to try out a Bamboo Booster Seat for feeding from Safety First Nature Next. These are eco-friendly booster seats made from the renewable resource of bamboo, which is able to grow quickly and rapidly replenish itself. This is both fully functional and environmentally friendly.
It features a three point harness safety belt, a safety restraint bar, and an easy-to-remove three position tray.
Personally, my favorite thing about this booster (besides that it’s eco-friendly) is its look. It is so modern and beautiful and looks great at my table.
I’ve used this seat on both the 13 pound 7 month old that I watch and the 25 pound 18 month old, and both have fit in it great. The straps easily adjust to fit and I love the “crotch bar” that keeps them from being able to slide down.
The crotch bar also is foldable so the tray can sit semi-flat on the table, an idea that is both helpful and unique.
The tray is also easy for an adult to remove and is big enough for even a plate for the 18 month old. It is super easy to clean too because all the surfaces are smooth and don’t have any creases or gaps for food to get stuck in. It was very simple to put together from the box. I put it together by myself with only a Phillips head screwdriver.
Honestly, this is the best booster seat I’ve owned, hands down. I love everything about it and am so pleased I got to review it.
Thank you to Safety 1st for providing a sample booster seat free of charge for us to base this review upon and for providing a second seat for our contest prize.
What you can win: One lucky reader will receiveNature Next Bamboo Booster Seat by Safety 1st.
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:
Browse the selection of bamboo, recycled plastic, and bio-plastic products offered by Nature Next. Then leave a comment telling me the name of another eco-friendly product you saw that impressed you (aside from the product reviewed in this article). 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 ANDNatureNext.Safety1st.com. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.
5)For 1 extra entry each, follow Safety 1st on Twitter and/or "Like" Safety 1st on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or 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.
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, July 19th, 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.
Last week, my husband made the 2-hour drive with our three children to visit his Mom. After two cancelled trips due to bad weather, they were all finally able to visit Grammy and head to a nearby beach.
