Foods and Drinks That Damage Children’s Teeth

November 15, 2012 by 1 Comment

You might think that since your children lose their entire mouth of teeth to the tooth fairy before adulthood that being concerned about damaging those baby teeth is a waste of time. In fact, nothing can be further from the truth. Cavities and tooth decay are painful at any age, and chances are the dental hygiene habits your kids develop early will stick with them throughout their adult lives. While brushing and flossing are obviously important, the foods and drinks your children take in have just as much to do with the health of their mouths. The younger your kids, the more susceptible their teeth are to decay. So try your best to help them avoid food and drinks that can damage their teeth.

Sodas are some of the biggest culprits behind tooth decay. Dark sodas can stain your kids’ teeth, while the sugar content and the acidity can slowly erode their enamel. But did you know that clear sodas are actually worse for your kids? Ginger ale, Sprite and those other light sodas have higher concentrations of ascorbic and citric acids [Read more…]

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Unreal Candy Party

November 14, 2012 by 5 Comments

With Halloween just past, and the big man in the red suit waiting around the corner, it is time to reminisce a bit about a wonderful little get together which was held to celebrate sweets and pumpkins. Under the guise of a normal Halloween party, we participated in a pumpkin carving get-together with some absolutely awesome treats. These treats were as natural as Halloween candy can get- maybe even Unreal. Unreal Candy are known as candy unjunked, made with real cocoa, dry roasted peanuts, real cane sugar and natural coloring.

Now you may ask, how exactly is this unjunked? It is quite evident there are lots of wholesome ingredients but the icing on the cake is Unreal candies [Read more…]

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Nickelodeon Floam Factory and Gak #GiftGuide

November 14, 2012 by 7 Comments

Floam is an odd substance which brings a smile to kids faces all around. It is an odd sort of sticky modeling compound with little foam-ish balls in it which doesn’t dry out like other modeling compounds. The interesting part about Floam is its ability to add textures and bright colors to everyday objects like a brightly colored underwater castle with bubbles or an alien head with bumpy skin. Also it comes off relatively easily for next time. The colors are so bright and fun the possibilities are endless. Check out the Nickelodeon Floam Factory. This nifty set comes with rollers, mashers and shapers to help make all kinds of ‘blocks’, petals, shapes and designs for just about anything you may want to build. From bugs to [Read more…]

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Wordless Wednesday with LINKY

November 13, 2012 by 5 Comments




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WIN Pajanimals Snuggle Up Storymat from TOMY #GiftGuide

November 13, 2012 by 24 Comments

My son LOVES the Pajaminals- he just can’t get enough of them. Really. It’s almost maddening. From the first time he saw the show, it has been a favorite. He even painted a Squacky pumpkin for Halloween.

Halloween Pumpkin

He’s so proud of himself, LOL.

Just as your kids were getting back into the regular routine, here comes the end ofdaylight savings time! Although the early arrival of darkness due to the time change on November 4 can often help in getting children to settle into healthy sleep-time routines, there may still be some transition time required. That’s where THE PAJANIMALS can help, with their new and super cute nap mat. Hey- anything to get them to sleep, ay?

The new PAJANIMALS Snuggle Up Story Mat from TOMY is really adorable, and has all the Pajaminals featured on it. It is lightweight and fun to play camping with. While I would not use it for a real blanket, and it is super-super thin in the mat, my son loved it and we used it nightly during the hurricane to get Little Man to go to sleep. It was a fun object that he enjoyed, and we just put a sleeping bag under it and blankets over it (it was COLD, man! No heat with no power to start it, LOL). It was great to have that around as a bribe to get him to sleep when he was pretty freaked out.

The PAJANIMALS features four cuddly “loveablepuppets” [Read more…]

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Beanie- My 1st Story- Jack & the Beanstalk Review and Give it Away #GiftGuide

November 13, 2012 by 23 Comments

Reading to your kids has been proven to blossom your little ones into little readers in ways teaching can not and between this and setting a good example and reading yourself, your kids minds will constantly grow and expand. But there is an age old problem parents have, and that is, what to read? There are billions of books available, many of which have stunning stories. But the real trick is to find a book which is both interesting to your kids and to yourself. I personally love nostalgia, the times of being a kid are always get to recollect. One of the most fun ways to do this is with classic stories and fairy tales.

The problem being, most kids have heard them all, in one manner or another and are bored [Read more…]

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Planning A Trip To Chicago, Check The Cubs Schedule

November 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Whether you’re actually a fan of the “lovable losers” (the Cubs) or not, visiting Chicago between late March and the end of September should include Chicago Cubs tickets. Wrigley Field is one of the few original ballparks left and one of the most historic. Baseball fans of all teams should catch a game while staying in Chicago.

Of course, there’s quite a bit to do in the city of Chicago, but there’s nothing like the experience of a Chicago Cubs game. Many sports fans have compared this to a trip to Lambeau Field in Green Bay or to Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. These are two of the other most historic sporting venues and Wrigley Field ranks up there with the best of them.

Going to a baseball game is an American tradition and who can turn down a great game, hot dogs, soda, beer, peanuts and even cracker jacks. Nearly everybody that grew up in the United States knows the words to the famous song that comes out during the [Read more…]

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Teaching Children about Money

November 13, 2012 by 5 Comments

The economy and money are a hot topic this time of year. With a presidential elections just behind us and a natural disaster coming every few months. Talk of money and spending is everywhere leading to some difficult conversations. The most difficult is with your kids. How do you explain the current economy to a five year old? Go ask your teacher will not suffice at this point. But there are a few tips and tricks to having a well rounded financially sound little gal or guy.

 

The conversation should start early as a learning experience with fun and games. No big charts and numbers.You don’t want to add a level of stress to something that could possibly mold a little mind to either embrace or shun an understanding of financial topics.

Start with dollars and cents and then once the math level of your child grows so too should your teaching of money and financial matters. With addition and subtraction budgets can be introduced, not on a company or even household scale but on a smaller level [Read more…]

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