Cat in the Hat Costume Review

March 22, 2012 by 15 Comments

Little Man loves his costumes. Just the other day he was mentioning how much he loved his old bat costume, “..but now it shrank so I can’t wear it….right? Or can I wear it?” Indeed his costume did not fit him, but of course not because it shrank, but because he grew. Sigh. He is just growing up so quickly, momma can’t stand it….but I digress.

He thoroughly enjoys to wear costumes; this kid LOVES dress up and imagination play. His most recent addition has been a Cat in the Hat costume from anytimecostumes.com. They have a whole page full of Cat in the Hat costumes. This costume is well made and good quality, and what we really like about it is that it is sort [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids, review

Teaching Kids the Importance of Saving Money

March 21, 2012 by 8 Comments
Teaching your kids how to save money isn’t difficult. You can get started early by paying them for chores, setting up savings accounts, and making them sock away a portion of their earnings. Heck, you could even go old school with a piggy bank. And as kids get older you can teach them how to create a budget so that they learn to balance their income and expenditures in order to figure a savings plan into their equation. You can also teach them how to invest and even help them to set up retirement accounts early on. But while these are valuable life skills that every child should learn before they leave the nest, teaching your kids how to save doesn’t necessarily give them incentive to do so. For this reason you need to find ways to impress upon them the importance of setting aside money for a rainy day.

Of course, the most important reason to save money is preparatory. You want kids to have cash on hand for common expenses like college, home ownership, starting a family, and retirement. But they also need to be ready for unexpected emergency expenses such as accident or injury (leading to medical bills), car repairs (or replacement), or disasters not covered by insurance policies (a mugging, for example, or a flood in an area where most people have earthquake coverage). But telling kids about these reasons for saving money may not be enough. You also have to imbue them with a desire to save, and this comes from training.

The easiest way to give your lesson real-world impact is to tailor it specifically for your kids. Suppose your young daughter has [Read more…]
Filed Under: education, kids

Strasburg Rail Road’s Easter Bunny Train

March 21, 2012 by 4 Comments
We will soon be on our way to the Easter Bunny Train, and we can’t wait! We hope to see some of you there- what better way to celebrate Easter weekend? Hop on over, and spend the day with the Easter bunny at the Strasburg Railroad!

Hop into the season with an Easter tradition at Strasburg Rail Road. Travel with Peter Cottontail as an authentic steam train takes you on a 45-minute journey from the East Strasburg Station to Paradise, PA and back. Also enjoy a ride on our miniature steam train, or steer the Cranky Cars around a track.
Filed Under: family, holidays, kids, travel

Adorable Stuffed Animals from @GottaGettaGUND

March 20, 2012 by 13 Comments

Super soft, mega floppy, and so huggable- you are going to flip over the new Gund Fuzzys. This collection is to cute- every child is going to want at least one. They come in five different animals- cat, dog, monkey, froggy, and pig. They have adorable expressions, and their soft, cuddly bodies are just perfect for nap-time, bedtime, car rides, you name it. The new Fuzzys will be your child’s constant companion. My son has not let the Gund Fuzzy Dog out of sight.


We had a near emergency, where we “lost” him at the library last week. He put the dog down while we were putting up the “smart cookie” stickers, then forgot where he put the doggie. It was near chaos for a few frantic minutes- luckily, the ladies at the library all went into “mommy mode” and all helped find the missing mutt. (We have all been there, haven’t we? [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids, review

Should You Give Your Kids Rewards for Good Grades?

March 20, 2012 by 6 Comments
It’s probably not thought about in this way as much as it should be, but think about it. Those of us who have jobs, we were able to get them because we have an education, correct? Even if we didn’t get a college degree, we still have a high school diploma (or GED) as a sign of proof that we learned the skills needed for us to know how to read and write (among other things) at a fairly progressive level. And so, while as adults we have jobs, for children that are in school, learning is their job. Education is what they are investing in so that someday they can have a prosperous and fulfilling career.

When you look at it that way, doesn’t it make you want to take a very thorough approach when it comes to how you deal with your children and their education? After all, if we can spend eight hours a day to earn a paycheck, shouldn’t there be something done for the child that spends eight hours at school?


This is the reason why the question, “Should you give your kids rewards for good grades?” is one that doesn’t really have a clear cut “yes” or “no” answer. But if you are pondering what will work for you, rather than using words like “reward”, consider swapping them out for ones like “encourage”, “support” and “incentives” because those three things are what every child needs to develop and succeed, both in and outside of the classroom.

It is certainly understandable why many parents and educators are not very obliging when it comes to the idea of giving children money or gifts in return for a good report card. To some, it’s seen as a way of bribing a child to learn, which could potentially send the wrong message about the importance of receiving an education; without [Read more…]
Filed Under: education, family, kids

The Muppets Coming soon on DVD

March 19, 2012 by 18 Comments

Ok, first of all- I am going to take for granted in this review that you know who the Muppets are. If you don’t, please look into it, you really are missing a whole lot of awesome. Even better, find everything with Jim Henson‘s name on it, start with early stuff and go forward through time.

Everyone with me now? OK. This movie does them justice. The Muppets movie reminds me of an episode of The Muppet Show. One where the show is more about the backstage, not the front. With a whole lot of guest stars, a whole lot of music, and a whole lot of Muppets and funny business 🙂 The songs will stick in your head, and you too will wonder whether you are man or Muppet, especially for some reason in the shower….. don’t ask. Just watch.

In terms of story, it follows a new Muppet who is looking to meet the cast of “The Muppet Show”, there are some zany issues and eventually the cast comes together again. This is a great movie for kids, the main issues we had with it was a lack of interest by Little Man, know why? There is no Muppets Show on TV right now….This we will discuss later on. But after listening to the sound track and pulling out some of Mommy’s old stuffed [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids, movie

Lena the Lamb- Perfect for Your Easter Basket @GottaGettaGUND

March 17, 2012 by 20 Comments

My Little Man loves Easter. It is his favorites holiday- he loves soft things, animals, and bunnies- so this really is “it” for him. Christmas is great, but he just adores Easter. Special church services, the end of Lent, the best food is at Easter, and then a giant bunny brings you candy and toys. HELLO! Best. Day. Ever.
We have the cutest little lamb to put into his Easter basket this year- Lena Lamb. Lena is the perfect Easter gift because not only is she super soft and cuddly, but she is unique as well.

Gund’s talking “Lena Lamb” is a mommy lamb who recites nursery rhymes to the baby lamb in her arms Telling nursery rhymes in a soothing voice [Read more…]

Filed Under: holidays, kids, review

Help Your Kids Develop Good Study Habits

March 17, 2012 by 11 Comments

In case you didn’t notice, parenthood does not come with a manual. And while there are certainly plenty
of books out there that can help you to understand stages of development and give you pointers for
behavior modification, there are so many conflicting viewpoints on raising kids that you might have a
hard time sorting through all the noise to center in on the theories and techniques that will make you
the best parent possible. Should you let your child cry himself to sleep or offer comfort? Are spankings
a strategic display of authority or are they child abuse? At what age should you talk to your kids about
where babies come from? These are all questions that every parent wrestles with and for the most
part, nobody can give you the answers; you just have to figure it out on your own. But when it comes
to academic pursuits the lines are a lot clearer. Although every child develops at his own pace, you can
definitely start teaching yours good study habits from a young age with just a few simple tools at your
disposal.

The first thing you should do is get your child interested in reading. Even before he learns to decipher
alpha-numeric symbols you can read him nightly bedtime stories, and you should definitely start teaching
him letters and numbers before he enters school. A lifetime love affair with reading starts at home in early
childhood and as a parent you can definitely encourage this pastime. But how does this help your child to
develop good study habits?

First and foremost, reading is a gateway to every kind of learning, and kids that master it early will
open many doors. The formative years are the most [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, kids