Make Your Bathroom Child-Friendly In Five Steps

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Even though bath time can be a fun time, bathrooms can be dangerous places for small children. All that water can create a wet and very slippery environment! Therefore, it’s very important to make a child-friendly bathroom. That doesn’t mean you have to banish your rubber ducks, though! You can still have fun and splash around in a childproof bathroom. Here are five ways to make it a safe space for your kids.

Secure Your Storage

We often store toiletries, chemicals and cleaning products in our bathrooms. Usually, these are harmless, but in the wrong hands, they can be very dangerous. To prevent your kids from getting hold of them, close your cupboard doors securely with child locks.  If you don’t have much cupboard space in your bathroom, simply keep any potentially dangerous products out of reach on high shelves. Or, store them in another room.

Buy A Baby Step

You should encourage your child to brush their teeth independently from a very young age. One problem you will probably encounter is that they are too small to reach the sink. It doesn’t make sense to move your unit down to a convenient height. What does make sense, though, is buying a baby step.

Keep It Easy To Maintain

Bathrooms need a lot of cleaning. This isn’t something you can escape from, but you can make your room super easy to clean. This is especially useful when you have little kids who make lots of mess! One way to minimize dirt and grime is to swap your carpet for wipeable tiles. Non-slip tiles will be extra beneficial in your bathroom, especially if your kids are still only toddlers. For extra safety, add a bathmat to your floor.

Add Some Fun

It’s a family bathroom, so as well as creating a beautiful bathroom, think about adding some elements of fun that your kids will enjoy.  So how to add bursts of fun to your bathroom? Lots of toys! Kids love splashing around, and they’ll enjoy it even more with rubber ducks and other waterproof toys. Add color to your decor to brighten the room up. Think about buying shower curtains, regular curtains and bathmats with bright patterns on, they are easy to find at online discount stores.

Turn Down The Heat

Having around-the-clock hot water can be a godsend. But it can be dangerous for kids if they ever get their hands on any taps. To prevent them from burning themselves, install safety devices that limit the temperature of the water coming out of the taps. Another tip is to keep a thermometer in your bathroom, so you can double check the temperature of your children’s baths.
Follow these steps to a child-friendly bathroom and to create a room your whole family can make the most of!

Win Kate & Mim-Mim “FLIGHT OF THE FLOWERS” on DVD

The first “Kate & Mim-Mim” DVD, “FLIGHT OF THE FLOWERS” will be released on March 1, 2016. This debut DVD features six fun-filled tales perfect for spring. From trying to catch and plant a speedy surprise sapling seed, to getting miniaturized by beautiful sunny shrinking violet pedals, the outdoor adventures within “FLIGHT OF THE FLOWERS” provide a wonderful way to get kids excited about the upcoming warmer weather and heading outside!

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In the story “Flight of the Flowers,” Lily is having a Spring Thing party to kick off the season and Kate has an idea to help Lily decorate with some nicer-than-nice spring-tastic flowers. Kate, Mim-Mim, Gobble, and Tack fly silky soft wind flowers to Lily. Along the way Mim-Mim has trouble flying his flower, but with encouragement from Kate to keep trying, Mim-Mim becomes a flower pilot! This DVD also includes a tree-mendous story called “Bunch O’Boomers.” In this tale Gobble is working to create delicious jam from popper peach trees. The group runs into a problem when the peaches start to pop before they can be put into a jar and Boomer uses Tack’s copy-zapper to create several Boomer clones. In the end, Kate realizes that more friends help make a job go faster and she enlists the assistance of all the Boomers to collect the needed peaches for Gobble’s jam!

FLIGHT OF THE FLOWERS” will be available on DVD March 1, 2016. The DVD run time is approximately 65 minutes and its SRP is $12.99.

Inspired by a real life little girl, “Kate & Mim-Mim” follows the fantastical adventures of five-year-old Kate, who, together with her toy rabbit Mim-Mim, travels to the fantasy world of Mimiloo where Mim-Mim comes alive as a larger-than-life playmate. In each story, Kate and Mim-Mim and their group of loveable friends discover exciting new places and set off on adventures, all in the hope of solving a puzzling problem Kate has encountered in the real world.

Exploring themes of friendship, adventure, and problem solving, “Kate & Mim-Mim” encourages children to use their imaginations and work together, believing no problem is ever too big to solve! The stories included within “FLIGHT OF THE FLOWERS” are below.

Flight of the Flowers

Kate’s riding her bike for the first time without training wheels and she keeps falling. In Mimiloo, Kate and her friends must learn to fly giant wind flowers in order to surprise Lily at her Spring Thing party! But Mim-Mim has never flown a flower before, and Kate must help him gain his confidence to become a flower pilot.

The Need For Seed

Kate doesn’t understand why her flower is so much smaller than Mom’s. In Mimiloo, Kate and Mim-Mim help their friends catch a surprise sapling seed – a speedy seed that sprouts in the most surprising way! The wiggly seed leads them on a wild underground adventure in search of its ideal place to grow. But will it be worth the chase?

Butterfly Flowers

Kate wants to fix her pop-up book without Mom’s help. In Mimiloo, everyone’s preparing to watch the butterfly flowers fly away after sunset. To get a good view, Tack tries to build a lighthouse all by himself – but loses his light bulb in the process! Kate must convince him that he needs his friends’ help to get his lighthouse working.

Small Wonders

Kate’s too small to carry flower pots and can’t help her parents. In Mimiloo, shrinking violet petals fly all over Kate and Mim-Mim, shrinking them to insect-size! To return to regular size, they must traverse the vast jungle of Gobble’s garden. It’s a daunting journey, until they meet Tiny, a teeny little ant who can do big things!

Babysitting Squoosh

Kate wonders what’s wrong with her birdhouse – the birds aren’t visiting it. In Mimiloo, Kate, Mim-Mim and their friends offer to babysit a shape-changing baby squoosh so its mama squoosh can focus on building a nest. But getting the squoosh to nap and eat is harder than it sounds!

Bunch O’Boomers

Kate needs to find four purple buttons for plushy Mim-Mim’s new sweater, but there are so many to look through, it’s going to take a long time. In Mimiloo, Gobble uses Tack’s copy-zapper to duplicate popper peach trees so he can make the biggest batch of popper peach jam ever. But things get messy when Boomer duplicates himself!

One of you can win a copy of your own- feel free to enter using the RC form below. Ends March 19, 2016. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open Season: Scared Silly on DVD

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Elliot and Boog are back in this fourth installment in the Open Season film series! During a round of campfire tales Boog (who has never been the bravest bear) gets even more spooked by a monster story that Elliot tells. Of course, Elliot always has a plan and decides to help Boog by “scaring the fear” out of him! Thus begins a journey of friendship and overcoming fear with tons of laughs along the way!
This new movie is packed with laughs, beloved characters and heart, Open Season: Scared Silly is a must-own for the entire family! Bring home this hillarious adventure on March 8th!

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY is a heartwarming tale incorporating wholesome values and laugh-out-loud fun for all ages. Bonus materials including all-new featurettes, bloopers, a director’s commentary track, and an Inside Sony Pictures Animation profile of director David Feiss. The first featurette, available on both formats, “OPEN SEASON Super Speedy Re-Cap” will give viewers a look back at the previous three films, and some of the most exciting moments of the franchise. Exclusive to the Blu-ray™, “Scaredy Pants: The Fears of OPEN SEASON” will tackle what our favorite characters are truly afraid of, “Stepping Into the Spotlight – Mr Weenie’s Process” gives a glimpse into Mr. Weenie’s trials and tribulations of shooting his most trying scenes for the brand new movie, and a collection of bloopers and outtakes will have family members of all ages giggling in their seats. The film has been rated PG for Rude Humor and Some Action.

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY features the voice talents of Donny Lucas (Boog), Will Townsend (Elliot & Mr. Weenie), Trevor Devall (Shaw), Kathleen Barr (Edna & Bobbi), Garry Chalk (Ed), and Melissa Sturm (Giselle).

Synopsis:

Boog and Elliot are back in an all-new fun-tastic adventure! When Elliot tells a campfire story of a monster in the woods, Boog – who has never been the bravest of bears – becomes very scared. His best friend Elliot comes up with a crazy plan to scare the fear out of Boog! With the help of Mr. Weenie, McSquizzy and the rest of their forest friends, they embark on a memorable journey where the power of friendship helps Boog overcome his fears with lots of laughs and some surprises along the way!

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital Extras* include:

  • Stepping into the Spotlight – Mr. Weenie’s Process
  • Blooper and outtakes
  • Scaredy Pants: The Fears of OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY

DVD, Blu-ray™ and Digital Extras* include:

  • OPEN SEASON Super Speedy Re-Cap
  • Feature Audio Commentary with Director David Feiss and Writer Carlos Kotkin**
  • Director profile – David Feiss

How You Can Get Your Kitchen Ready For Spring

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The warmer weather is around the corner, which means a number of things. Summer vacations and planning trips away. It also means time for a spring clean for the home. One room in the house that gets a little neglected is the kitchen. It is used all the time and by all members of the family. So it is only fair that you start with updating the kitchen, right? Here are some things that you can do, to get your home ready for spring.

De-clutter

First thing is first. You can only update your kitchen if it has been cleared out well. You should start by going through your kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer. Throw out anything that is out of date or damaged. It frees up space in the cupboards but also means you can thoroughly clean those areas. A spring clean is the best time for doing this. These areas are quite often forgotten about the rest of the time.

Update Your Lighting

Lighting in a kitchen is so important. When you spend a lot of time in there, you want to have the best lighting. If yours isn’t doing what it should, think about changing your main light fitting. A strip light with space for several bulbs is the best option to choose from. Then you can angle the bulbs to point at different areas of the kitchen. Do you have lighting under your cabinets, that shines on your counter tops? If you don’t, you can get ones that you can screw in or stick on. The lighting here makes such a difference when you are prepping food.

Change the Flooring

There are a few options of flooring that you could already have in the kitchen. If you don’t have tile flooring, consider changing the flooring to tiles. It adds an update to the room, without the hassle of having to change the wall tiles. There are some great designs at Ellegant Home Design that could give you some inspiration. Choosing large tiles looks amazing and makes it all easier to lay too.

Oven

An oven deep clean can be very hard work, but it can be totally worth it. When you think of getting your kitchen ready for spring, you should include your oven. It does a lot of work and doesn’t get cleaned all that regularly I imagine. You could use a specific oven cleaning spray, or you could use baking soda and vinegar. Make sure that you get comfy and give it some elbow grease.

Sink

The sink is the place where things get clean. You’d be surprised that it can be one of the grimiest places in the kitchen. Give the sink a clean and a wipe down. Then you should focus on the draining rack and drying area.
The final thing to do is to step back and admire your clean and updated kitchen. You need to make sure that you have a plan in place now to maintain the cleanliness that you now have. Putting together a chore chart or cleaning rota is a great idea. It gets all of the family involved in to too.

Win Fun New Travel Items

Who loves to travel?  You know I do.  There’s a really fun way to get some essentials and gear for your next trip right now- and it’s the #TravelEssentials event! From February 26th– March 2nd, you will have the chance to try amazing products that are perfect for on-the-go, enter flash giveaway contests and get in on all the fun! There are a few bloggers (like me!) offering fun flash giveaways, and 5 awesome brands giving away products you’ll love. And guess what? You’ll get the samples sent right to your home!  Easy, right?  All you have to do is click the “App Links” below to participate in the event, and don’t forget to watch for our fun flash giveaways next week!

Below are some of the items you’ll get to try – but first, you must RSVP to #TravelEssentials in order to participate.  When you RSVP, you’ll get access to the event calendar and be entered to win a Grand Prize gift basket.

On the calendar, you’ll see more about the amazing sponsors and all the events coming next week. Click here to RSVP – http://smpl.ly/TE-RSVP

Fun New Items

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Lumene had a very simple idea and concept behind their products- they want to give you the best beauty products the Arctic Nature can provide combined with the best of science.  The key ingredients are tough Arctic berries including Arctic blueberries, Arctic cloud berries, Arctic lingonberries, and Arctic sea buck thorn.  This paired with skin care technologies like stem cell, skin messenger molecules, encapsulated vitamin c, and anti-glycation, bring you the best of both worlds. Want to check it out for yourself? Here’s the direct link: http://smpl.ly/TE-LU

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De-odor-cream?  What pray tell is that?  Well it is a new natural deodorant by Routine.  It is a novel way to keep your armpits smelling fresh, with a cream that is applied either with clean fingers or with a clean sponge.  The deodorant comes in 12 scents and 3 formulas including vegan and sensitive skin.  This product is all natural and is a family-run business in Canada. Here’s the event link: http://smpl.ly/TE-RC

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Dr. Dan’s CortiBalm is a natural chemical free lip balm you’ll love.  Dr. Dan’s mixes natural yellow bee’s wax, mineral oil, petroleum jelly and hydrocortisone into one of the best lip balms around.  After careful research and experimentation, he came up with this product, which is often imitated but never duplicated.  Dr. Dan’s found that most lip balms contain chemicals which actually make chapped lips worse, thus keeping the consumer buying more. Dr. Dan’s actually fixes the problem. Check it out here: http://smpl.ly/TE-DD

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Mouth Watchers is an innovative new toothbrush which uses silver for its antimicrobial properties to keep your toothbrush free of the millions of microorganisms which usually end up on the toothbrushes in the average bathroom.  The bristles of the toothbrush are dual flossing- this means it gets into the hard to reach areas where cavities form and clean then out, helping to keep them clear of cavities and gingivitis forming debris, making your teeth cleaner and with less microorganisms. Here’s the direct link: http://smpl.ly/TE-MW
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Green Goo is a salve for many different purposes including eczema, dry skin, first aid, diaper rashes, skin rashes, and even more.  Each product uses wild crafted or organically grown herbs infused with organic oils which increases their medicinal potency.  These products don’t only soothe and moisturize, but also make a difference and improve your well being. Check it out here: http://smpl.ly/TE-GG

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There is also the adorable Baby K’Tan bag.  A total of 12 storage compartments make it perfect for cloth diapering, potty training, or any mom/baby essential. One outside zippered pocket and two inner pockets are lined with a unique anti-microbial medical grade FDA approved nylon. The pockets are water-resistant, odor-resistant, germ resistant and food safe!

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RevoMax calls itself a flask, but it’s not for adult beverages only. Not only that, but it keeps your beverages at the temperate you want them to stay at for quite a long time. The RevoMax Vacuum Insulated Flask features an innovative twist-free cap design that open and close smoothly and instantly with a single click. RevoMax requires only one hand to open and one second of your time to open or lock it. As the thermal loss is negligible, your beverages stay ready to drink way longer – hot stays hot up to 18 hours and cold stays cold up to 36 hours – than conventional screw cap flasks in the market.

New Healthy Foods and Fitness Products

If you are looking for new, healthy foods to incorporate into family meals, we have a few new items you might want to try out.

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First- how much tofu do you eat? If you are like most Americans, the answer is “not much”. If you are like my husband, you think tofu is for “hippies”, or at best, vegetarians. You know- hippies? (Like his wife, by the way- calm down, hippies.) You can do a lot with tofu, it’s very versatile and takes on the flavor of nearly anything.  House Foods makes a large variety of tofu items, including several kinds of noodles. There are a ton of recipes as well on their website, for those less then familiar with cooking this traditional Asian food.   You can choose all sorts of world cuisines from (of course) Asian to Italian to American and more, as well as fun, kid friendly choices.  Another way you might entice your kids to try this new food is by showing them that the packages have Kung Fu Panda on them- they can eat like Po!  You and your children can prepare the food together, which will make them more likely to give tofu a try.  Inexpensive, kosher, gluten free, non GMO- there are a ton of reasons to try House Foods Tofu the next time you head to the grocery store.  Prices vary per item.

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Another plant-based option is Vega Protein and Greens, a protein powder you can use as a breakfast shake or any snack throughout the day. The whole food ingredient proteins include hemp, peas, and sprouted whole grain brown rice. It also contains papaya enzymes which help you break down the foods you eat.  In every scoop (thus every shake) you will get two servings of  greens from kale, spinach, broccoli, and alfalfa.  It comes in a variety of flavors, from the basic chocolate and vanilla, to berry, coconut almond, mocha, and more.  The Protein & Greens is available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Berry, Tropical and Natural.The flavor and texture isn’t what you think it might be- it’s not like other “green” drinks I’ve tried, the flavor is not “biting” like many of them can be- but it’s not a milkshake, either. There are also snack bars available.   Head to https://myvega.com/ to find out more and to place an order- prices vary.

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For something perhaps more familiar to your palate, yet still something new, try Noosa Yoghurt.   The tastes and flavor combinations, along with the fact that it is made in small batches on a small family farm, make this unlike any other yogurt on the market today.  Made with all natural whole milk, fresh fruit purees, and honey, one bite will keep you coming back for more.  It’s also  all natural, gluten-free, and probiotic, so it’s good for the whole family.  It comes in a variety of sizes- some just perfect for lunchboxes in cases of four, some in larger, single containers. With brand new flavors like Key Lime, Salted Caramel (my favorite), Blood Orange, and Blackberry Serrano joining favorites like traditional Vanilla and Blueberry as well as seasonal favorites, you are sure to find something you love.  Find a store that sells Noosa near you at http://www.noosayoghurt.com/

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Before you turn in, you want to get in a good workout.  This time of year, with temperatures still low in much of the country, many of us are looking for something to break up our routine.  Have you tried the recent trend of Hula Hooping?  I know- sounds strange.  It’s more fun then you might think, though (even if you feel a little silly at first).  Hey, with every other adult carrying around a coloring book, why not?  Nostalgia is in, run with it.  Or hoop with it, as it were. The Cardio Core & More Fitness Hoop by Empower is a  three-pound, weighted, multicolored hula hoop.  It targets your core to burn calories and build muscle while you are having fun hooping away.  You can grab your new hoop and DVD set for about $33 on Amazon, also available at stores like Target.  The same brand carries a line of women’s workout accessories (headbands, gloves, etc) featuring retro-reflective ink technology that glows in the dark but looks completely normal during the daylight, making this some pretty cool fitness safety gear.

Top Tips For Planning A Family Ski Trip

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Going on a family ski trip will give you all the chance to spend time in the great outdoors, having fun and learning new skills. Skiing is fantastic for families with kids of any age as more and more child-friendly classes and slopes are becoming available. It’s often been noted that the children often surpass their parents skiing abilities by the time the trip is over. But before you start booking hotels and choosing your ski gear, here are some top tips to help you plan the most perfect trip possible.

Stay somewhere local

It’s no secret that skiing can be strenuous, especially after a full day on the slopes. The last thing you want to do after such a long day is spend hours travelling back to your lodging. Remember that your children’s legs will tire before your’s do. So walking for miles or having to make multiple transfers to get back is not ideal. So wherever ski resort you decide to travel to, make sure your accommodation is local. Chalets, condominiums and hotels are just a few options you have and these will vary is size, price and quality. Always book with a reputable supplier such as tremblant hotels, who can accommodate families for a more comfortable stay.

Plan other activities
While skiing is the main reason you are planning this trip, try to include some alternative activities to do as well. Kids can get bored easily, and they may not want to ski every second of every day. Plus if it’s your first time, you all may find that your bodies need time to acclimatise to the ski positions and the weather. Being cold and wet is not something every child will enjoy so always have a backup plan just in case. You could go shopping around the local towns or visit other tourist attractions that are age appropriate. It will make the trip far more enjoyable for everyone and give your body a chance to rest and stay warm in between.

Make sure everyone has the right gear

While you might have the right ski gear and equipment, it’s unlikely that your young children will. It might be beneficial to hire their equipment as they are still growing. So you need to ensure that the ski resort or hotel you are staying with can provide your children with the appropriate skiwear and equipment. You should be able to find this out online or call the directly if you are unsure. It’s always better to find this out before you get there. Otherwise, your child may not be wearing the right sized clothing which can expose them to the cold and harsh elements. Equally not wearing the right boots or using the correct equipment can increase the chance of injury. So always make sure the right gear can be provided to every member of your family before you book.

You should now feel more confident about planning a one in a lifetime ski trip for your family. Always wear the correct gear, check the weather forecast and stick to the ski regulations to keep everyone happy and safe on the slopes.

THE LION GUARD: RETURN OF THE ROAR is available to Own on Disney DVD

Are your kids fans of The Lion King?  Have they seen The Lion Guard yet?  If not, they will love it.  My son loves following the adventures of Simba’s second cub, and he is very excited for the release of this DVD.  Show these cute clips and videos to your kids and see what they think!

Check out this music video from THE LION GUARD: RETURN OF THE ROAR!

Beau Black Music Video “Here Comes the Lion Guard”

KION’S FIRST ROAR

FULI FLEES THE BABOONS