Oshkosh B’gosh Spring Collection

February 5, 2014 by 6 Comments

Disclosure- I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for OshKosh B’gosh. I received a gift card to facilitate my shopping trip and to thank me for participating.

oshkosh b'gosh

OshKosh B’gosh have been around since 1895 starting business as overall manufacturers in OshKosh, Wisconsin for adults.  Soon after they began making these same overalls a bit smaller for their customers’ children and the story began.  Since then OshKosh have made quality children’s clothing and currently have stores across the country.  As of now, OshKosh is showcasing their Spring collections of children’s clothes.  There are brightly colored dresses, shorts and shoes for the little ladies.  The Striped Shirts for boys and for the tiny ones in your life, prints and patterns to complement the little cuties at every stop.

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At a recent shopping trip to the local OshKosh store, we were pleasantly surprised with the attentiveness of the staff.  The staff was easy to find but not hovering too close.  The quality and quantity of items available and the prices of the garments were wonderful as well.  Shopping for Little Man was a breeze and we were able to get 3 pairs of pants, 2 shorts, 6 shirts, 1 sweatshirt, and 3 teddy bears, for $100.73.  Is three teddy bears excessive? Yes, yes it is.  But he could not decide which he wanted, and they were all quite inexpensive, so it was easy for me to cave in and make his day, LOL.  Little Man loves warm snuggly clothing (anything fuzzy and soft) but also has an appreciation for anything with animals or super heroes on it.  There was lots of soft and cuddly clothes and quite a few with animals, as well.  The OshKosh baby section also had tons of adorable baby wear if you are looking.
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Filed Under: clothes and shoes, fashion, kids, review Tagged With:

National Geographic Kids Books

January 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my post. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

Gifts have been given and received, the holidays are finally winding down. Wrapping paper recycled and unfortunately some stuff returned. Now is the time to use some gift cards.
Today I am going to tell you about a few National Geographic Kids books which deserve your attention.

pic1First up is National Geographic Little Kids Magazine is a bi-monthly magazine which is geared toward kids aged 3 to 6 and as such is full of sharp huge pictures, short stories, picture games, and more.  The magazine is run by National Geographic so picture quality is out of this world and is an incredible wealth of information.  Its so great to come home to an excited little guy who seams to know everything possible about parrots.  Each subscription costs $15 for 6 issues.

pic 1For the bigger kids is National Geographic Kids Magazine, which is geared to ward kids 6-12 years old and has 10 issues a year, roughly monthly.  Sporting more in depth articles and features while still including tons of picture and illustrations.  This magazine is great for kids who are nature and animal lovers as well as lovers of science.  Both magazines are great fun but adults will find it more informative to read through the regular kids magazine. a subscription of 10 issues retails for $15.
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SesameStreet: Make a New Friend

January 12, 2014 by 2 Comments

Disclosure: Tickets to Sesame Street Live: Make A New Friend have been provided to me for my family in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

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Wow, is the first word out of both my girls mouths as the show got started!  I must admit that I was right there with my girls. We had an incredible time and would definitely go to Sesame Street Live again.

About the Show:

No matter where you’re from or where you’ve been, everyone is special – so join in! Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and their Sesame Street friends welcome Chamki, Grover’s friend from India, to Sesame Street. Together, they explore the universal fun of friendship and celebrate cultural similarities, from singing and dancing, to sharing cookies! Join the fun and make a memory with your friends and family.

Sesame Street Live

My Thoughts:

My daughters were completely amazed with the show. They were entertained for the entire hour and a half. They sat there in awe. It was so fun to see both of them completely into the show. I also enjoyed watching the girls singing along with the characters and recognizing who was coming on screen each moment. The girls enjoyed the show while we were there and having been talking about it nonstop ever since.

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Let Your New Years Resolution Work For You

January 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Do you have any New Years Resolutions? According to a 2012 survey by the University of Scranton, an estimated 190 million Americans make a yearly list of things to do or improve upon. If by chance, one of your items is to create a financial plan, live on a budget or get debt under control, then January is the perfect month for you to map a course to stronger financial stability.

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January has been designated National Financial Wellness month in the U.S. and MyJobChart.com recommends making resolutions that are achievable for you but can also serve as teachable moments for your children. The average adult will make thousands of financial decisions during the next year, including many which will be made with kids watching or listening.

To help move your children in the right direction in 2014, Greg Murset, CEO of MyJobChart.com and a Certified Financial Planner offer the following out of the box suggestions:

No More Hand Outs.

Start the year off right by deciding that you are not going to just shell out money to your kids anymore. When they come to looking for money, let them know that they will have to work for it. The bank is now closed unless they start pulling their weight a little more around the house. Tying work and reward together in some meaningful ways will help them understand responsibility and accountability. It will also help them understand that in real life, no one ever gets money for doing nothing.

Smash The Piggy Bank.

Piggy Banks are a bad way to teach kids about money. That’s right, take that piggy bank and smash it or throw it away. Long gone are the days when we should be teaching our kids about money by dropping coins into a bank that looks like a pig, jar or favorite sport team mascot. Using banks like these only teach children about money in a manner that isn’t as relevant anymore. Get them a real bank account and teach them how to manage their money though online services. It is far more useful to learn to manage money in a bank rather than a pig.
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Filed Under: family, kids, lifestyle

Adorable Aurora Stuffed Toys

January 3, 2014 by 3 Comments

Disclosure: The below was provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

stuffed toys

Looking for soft and snugly?  If you are like my son, winter (ok, all times of the year) mean cuddling up with a soft, fluffy stuffed animal.  Or 12.  There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that makes him happier then a new stuffed animal.  If I save it until the end of the day, he will even willingly go to bed.  It was one of the only things he asked Santa for this year- Stuffed animals, action figures, and Skylanders.

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Some adorable stuffies come from Aurora.  They have some of his favorites, including the popular “YooHoos” (many of which make funny sounds, speak, or sing when their stomach is pressed) and the new Miyoni, which are available in several sizes.  The have such sweet faces, very expressive- even the smallest ones.
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Fun and Creative Gift Wrapping Tips and Techniques for Kids

January 2, 2014 by 2 Comments

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Whether it’s a birthday present or a Christmas gift, a part of the fun in giving something to someone else is finding some pretty wrapping to put it in. And while you could go to the mall and pay a customer sales associate to wrap your present for you, why not take a more fun, creative and cheaper route and do it yourself? And while you’re at it, why not have your kids help you?

If that sounds like a good idea and you’d like some suggestions on some effective wrapping tips and techniques for kids, we have provided you with five of our favorite ones below:

Use gift bags. Definitely one of the easiest ways to wrap a present is to put them in a gift bag. You can find them at Wal-Mart or even your local Dollar Store for a really low price. Then all that you have to put inside of them is some tissue paper. If you take your children with you to pick out the bag and paper, it’s a quick way for them to wrap a gift while incurring very little mess in the process.

Put “it” in a recycled cloth bag. If you want to make the wrapping just as usually as the gift, consider putting it inside of a recycled cloth bag. That way, the person can use the bag to go grocery shopping or to carry their lunch in. And as far as your children’s contribution to the wrapping, if you purchase a white one, you can purchase some paint and have them either paint a picture on the bag or put their handprint on it.
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Super Mario 3D World

December 30, 2013 by 10 Comments

Disclosure: The below was provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

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Mario comes in many different iterations from his first 8 bit adventure through his 16 bit days and beyond.  His most recent is one of the most fun and social ways to play a Mario game that I can remember.  Mario’s latest foray is in a 3D interactive environment full of bad guys of all shapes and sizes.  The bigger the more fun to take down.

Family Video Game

Super Mario 3D World takes the familiar run and jump mechanics of 2D Mario puts them into a 3D environment AND throws in the fun of co-op with up to 4 players.  Players can pick between Mario, Luigi, Toad and for the long awaited return of Princess Peach.  Each player races to the end of the level, trying to collect more coins and rack up more point than the other players, sometimes working together, but at all times competing for those little gold coins.

The bad guys include fire flowers, turtles, and of course the big villain himself- Bowser.  While progressing through each level, the players are rewarded with access to the next leading up to a boss battle, with one, sometimes more big guys who have a trick or a pattern to them, that once figured out makes the battles a breeze but is always fun to figure out, especially with a room full of people.  The “Ah ha!”, moments are always entertaining.
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5 Fun Places to Host a Child’s Birthday Party

December 30, 2013 by 3 Comments

When throwing a birthday bash for your child, yet another party in your dining room with cake and balloons may be getting played out and tired. Change things up a bit with a fresh, new idea. Instead of doing the same thing each year to celebrate, try something unique and out of the box this year! Here are 5 fun and unique places to host a child’s birthday party.

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A pottery studio is a unique location for you to celebrate your child’s birthday. This kind of party is super fun since each child can create their own pottery masterpiece. They can choose from a selection of pottery styles within your price range and paint them as they wish! Each piece typically costs around $15. Also, you won’t have to plan any party favors since the pottery pieces will be beautiful things each guest can take home with them! You can find information about a location near your by visiting PaintYourOwnPottery.com.

Ice Skating Rinks are fun-filled birthday locations that provide your guests with hours of entertainment. Usually you can rent out a rink for the day or evening specifically for your child’s party. Kids will have plenty of time to be active and use up all of their energy skating around the rink! Afterwards they can warm up, watch the Zamboni clean the ice, and enjoy pizza and cake in a back party room.
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