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National Geo Kids Halloween Book of Fun @NGKidsBks

October 20, 2011 by Samantha 4 Comments

Happy Halloween!

Are you in the mood for some spooky festive fun without the terror and nightmares that the holiday is known for? Maybe more of the fun and costumes, pumpkins and all that wonderful stuff. Well, a good place to start is National Geographic Kids. I know what you are thinking. What do animals have to do with Halloween? Well “Nat Geo” does a lot more then just animals. This year they have published a wonderful book called National Geographic Kids Halloween Book of Fun. Contained in these pages are hundreds of fun activities to do with your kids, ranging from creative costume ideas to coloring pages, to Halloween themed crafts that are easy for kids, and adults.

I especially liked the Halloween fun facts which were peppered throughout the book. Much too often, kids get the wrong ideas about Halloween, thinking it is all about monsters and scaring people. Yes, that is a fun by-product, BUT Halloween is more about letting your “other” self out. Expressing yourself in the form of a costume/role play is to let that creativity that is within you shine for all to see (and the candy of course!) Another point I like about this book is that it is easy to flip to a page and have something fun to do with your kids, there isn’t a lot of planning and prep work. Daddy likes that a whole lot, too, LOL.

Make sure you follow National Geographic Kids on Twitter- they have awesome books!

Filed Under: education, holidays, kids, review

Member’s Mark 4X Probiotic- Good for Your Body! #Health #Fitness @SamsClub

October 20, 2011 by Samantha 11 Comments

So you all know how much I love probiotics. It is a necessary part of our busy lives in this modern world. Eating right unfortunately isn’t always the easiest especially with little ones and there are lots on ingredients in our foods where we aren’t quite sure what they are.

You all know I am the organic food nut, but even I need a little help digestive-ly sometimes. A bit more then a week ago I started using Member’s Mark 4X Probiotic Digestive Care Supplement. These pills are taken once daily and will help regulate your digestive system. They contain 4 strains of bacteria, the good kind that will help balance out your digestive system, not hurt you. The bacteria are Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium lactis, Bifidobacterium longum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum.

Quite the mouthful, I am thankful the pills are smaller then the ingredients’ names. When starting to take these, as with all probiotics, keep in mind it will take a few days for your body to regulate and get the a healthy state. You might be…. well more “auditory” for a day or so, but after that your ‘gut’ will thank you. This was via my husband, I have been on other probiotics for over a year now.

There are lots of recent studies out there touting the need for a healthy gut and 4X is another way to get you to that state. Some of the advantages of this brand are the dosage, once daily is very nice and also the packets by week is a nice touch, great for leaving in a desk at work and taking with lunch or breakfast also the amount of bacteria per pill is quite a bit more then other brands of probiotics. You all realize i have a favorite brand of probiotics but Member’s Mark is a good substitute if you aren’t able to find them. 😉 These are available at Sam’ s Club!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own, yours may differ. I blog with integrity.

Filed Under: health, review

Daddy’s Corner- RocketBirds for the Playstation 3 – JUST Released!

October 19, 2011 by Samantha 14 Comments

Welcome to another addition of Daddy’s Corner- where Daddy gets his turn.

OK everyone with a PlayStation 3 listen up.
You all know there are some killer games for the PS3. You also know it is a killer system. Able to do so much in such a small box its amazing. Well there is one portion which is quite often overlooked, the PlayStation Network. They are currently running a promotion, called Only on PSN. One of these shining gems is Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken. I had the honor of giving this game a test run and I have to say this game is very well put together.

You play the part of Hardboiled Chicken who is fighting against the totalitarian penguin leader, Putzki. I know, great names lol.
The game play is varied between side scrolling gun totting chicken shooting his enemies and melting into shadows to rocket pack fueled dog fights. One of the first characteristics I noticed playing was the soundtrack. It was quite dynamic and alive. Almost as if you are playing a music video which perfectly fits the music but also playing a game where the music perfectly compliments the game, without actually playing a rhythm based mini game, thankfully.

Take a look at this video by New World and Rocketbirds, which will give you a small taste of the music.
The art direction is cartoony, BUT it is violent so you will want to be aware of that. Rocketbird also has couch co-op (2 people playing together on one screen) I love this feature and I love how this mode is coming back to video games. There is nothing like sitting next to a friend, kicking butt and taking names while actually talking to one another. Rocketbirds has Stereoscopic 3d as well. This means, if you want to, there is 3D with the silly glasses, not the expensive TV and shutter glasses. These are the same glasses that you wear while watching movies in the theatre. Rocketbirds retails for $11.99 and $9.59 for PlayStation Plus members.

Filed Under: gaming, review

ThinkGeek – Captain America and a Jawa Arrive

October 16, 2011 by Samantha 5 Comments

Hello all and welcome to another episode of Awesome from ThinkGeek here at Daddy’s Corner. In today’s episode we will discuss the age old question- can Daddy actually be Captain America? As well as “what do Jawa’s actually say?”

Halloween is coming upon us very quickly and now is the time to get creative and get spooky/witty/ unbelievable and most of all have a good time. We have a big resident dork in house (cough cough) and I like the new Captain America movie with a passion, and am actually marking off the days until the Avengers movie comes out. There are rumblings of an alien race being included in the movie, maybe some Skrull or Kree, so cool. Back on track. Check out this nifty sweatshirt- the Captain America hoodie.

This shirt is quite awesome. Its colors are bright and unmistakable, its quality is good and it is official Marvel merchandise! What I like about it is, it isn’t a heavy sweatshirt and if you do not feel like ‘doning the hood’ and being full on Captain America, it is still a great sweatshirt. Little Man loves the shirt too, it doesn’t fit him yet but he adores when daddy is wearing it. (Saying, ‘You aren’t a hero daddy’, poor daddy.) Well then he puts the hood on and, ‘Yeah Daddy’s Captain America’. Quickly followed by a little man ninja punch to the groan or stomach if he is lucky.

Next up is the talking Jawa, also called the 9 inch Jawa in the Star Wars Plush w/ sound category. He is a little under the size of your average sheet of paper and is soft as anything. Also when you activate him his eyes light up and he talks some Jawa phrases from Star Wars. I really like the size of this little guy, he is bigger then a beanie baby yet still portable. Another good characteristic of it is it volume, it is not very loud meaning he is not very annoying. Plus its a Jawa, I mean out of the desert how bad can it be? Cue Jawa invasion.

Little Man adores his new little buddy, ‘talking’ back to him in Jawa. It is very interesting, I didn’t know we were studying Spanish and Jawa in pre-school. Daddy, OUT!

Filed Under: review

Curious Critters, a great new kids book for animal lovers and Pre-K ages!

October 9, 2011 by Samantha 3 Comments

How many of you make funny noises at your kids just to see that quizzical reaction from them? You know you do, don’t ya? In a store you look at them and make a funny noise to get them to laugh or even just cause you want to make a funny noise and have an excuse? Well, for once you will have a good excuse for making funny noises at your kids. Curious Critters is a new book by David FitzSimmons. This book has some of the most incredible looking animals around in such large format and sharply defined pictures you will want to pick them up and pet her/him. Pictures of frogs, goldfish, possum, snakes and birds all look like the colors were turned up to an 11, maybe even 12. Amazing!

There is one other component to this book, the little blurbs written about the animals. They almost always, for each specific animal, have a part in them where you make an animal sound. Be it a Kee-eee-arr of a blue jay to the snap of the Ohio crawfish. This makes this book so much fun to read to kids it should be illegal. Making silly noises and getting a giggle is the best, pair it with a silly face while doing it and you are golden. Then leave it out and have your friends pick it up thinking its an animal photo book only to get a giggle out of them about the musings written for each animal.

Enjoy this wonderful book!

“When parents read CURIOUS CRITTERS with their kids not only will they have fun reading, but they also inspire in them a life-long interest in nature. Kids will want to swap TV and video games for a trips to the park or more time in the backyard. So, get ready to have a budding biologist on your hands!”

Just some of what kids will learn:

What turtles and humans have in common
Why black swallowtail butterflies impersonates their toxic cousins
How Eastern box turtles can live longer than humans (over 150 years!)
If squirrels can fly
Why crayfish grow new legs
How bats find food
Why frogs sing
How jumping spiders jump and why they never have to look over their shoulders.

Filed Under: animals, book review, education, kids, review

Tommee Tippee- Review and Contest! Great Bottles and Cups for your kiddos!

October 8, 2011 by Samantha 279 Comments

Tommee Tippee makes some pretty cool sippy cups! I like all the options they have. My son can now drink from a cup, but when we are in a car or at the Pre-K, I am ALL about the sippy cup, too messy otherwise! Tommee Tippee has options from baby’s first bottle all the way through sport’s sippers, which I appreciate. I was sent a variety to review, and the timing was great! I don’t know if you saw all my Hurricane Irene photos, but we sure lost a lot of our sippy cups in the flood 🙁

I was honestly a little nervous trying a new brand. My son is a little picky about his cups- he likes Nuby the best, but will tolorate Advent and one sort of Playtex. Only one kind, though. However, he took to the Tomme Tippee Explora cups– No Problem, and he likes them as much as his Nuby cups- which is a BIG DEAL for a kid like him. I prefer the Tommee Tippee, because he can’t chew off the top like he does with Nuby. We also tried the Explora Lil Sipee and Spill Proof Straw Cup, and he likes them as well- he prefers sippies to straw cups, but he will drink out of them, which is something. LOL.

They don’t leak, but they do screw on tightly and are sometimes a bit hard to get off. I’m guessing that’s the trade off, LOL. The straw ones leak a tiny bit, about the same as other straw cups. I love that they are BPA free- and of course I would not have given them to him if they had BPAs in them, so this is a major deal. I know that most moms feel the same way as I do at this point.

They have other mealtime products as well, such as Explora Section Plates. Little Man is rather enjoying himself in this photo, since he gets to eat as his own private table, LOL- our kitchen and dining room are not usable at the moment (Again, thanks Irene), so he eats (like the rest of us) in the one “good” room- but he alone gets a table, LOL. The rest of us are stuck with trays. He thinks he’s the king- new cups and plates, AND the only one in a chair and table. Life is good, LOL.

I am told by a friend who is trying out the new Tommee Tippee baby bottles that they flow nicely and she has not had any problems with them, that they are (like the cups and plates) dishwasher safe on the top rack, and that her baby uses them with no problem. The bottles come in several sizes,

so that you can choose what is best for your baby. There is even a Hygiene Cap for travel!

One of you lucky readers can win any one of the products mentioned above from Tommee Tippee (who are just starting to be sold in the USA!)
You can also easily buy Tommee Tippee at www.babiesrus.com/tommeetippee or in stores now!

There is also a new site, The Day Baby Was Born, that you can check out as well!. So cute!

Here is how to enter!

Mandatory entry

You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win.

Extra Entries
(Please leave a separate comment for each entry)

-Like Tommee Tippee on Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommeetippeenorthamerica (not mandatory and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway)

– Follow Tomme Tippee on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tommeetippee_na
#Win Tommee Tippee- Review and #Contest! Fab Bottles and Sippy Cups http://tinyurl.com/3w9rj2r #kids #baby #giveaway @TommeeTippee_NA @haveSippy

– Check out Tommee Tippee’s new site for moms-to-be and tell me something you loved: www.thedaybabywasborn.com

-“Like” me on Facebook -feel free to give me some comment love! 🙂 This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.
+2 entries

-Subscribe to Have Sippy Will Travel by email, and confirm subscription or via RSS
+3 entries

– Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win Tommee Tippee- Review and #Contest! Fab Bottles and Sippy Cups http://tinyurl.com/3w9rj2r #kids #baby #giveaway @TommeeTippee_NA @haveSippy

*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– Follow any of the Collective Media Magic Spooktacular event Bloggers’ sites!

3 Princes and a Princess 2, Closer to Lucy, Have Sippy Will Travel, and The Thrifty Things. You can Follow GFC, Twitter, or Facebook- each is worth an entry.

– Email a friend about this contest, with a CC to me at kangabunnie@gmail.com
(you get an extra entry if they enter, too!)

-Add my button to your blog, and leave me the link so I can find it

– Follow me on “Networked Blogs”

– blog about this giveaway, and link back to this contest (leave me the URL in comment, please)

-Add me to your blogroll, with a link back to me

– Vote for me on “We’re On The Fence!” (Just Click the Button to the left that says “We’re On the Fence” until it confirms you voted for your’s truly!) *Can be done daily

– enter another one of my giveaways

– Like this post on Facebook, Stumble it, or hit G+1 button (each is worth one entry)

OOO, so many ways to win! Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: I received the above product for this post. All opinions are mine, yours may differ. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Open to US shipping addresses only. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Sponsor is responsible for providing and mailing prize. Ends Oct. 31, 2011

Filed Under: baby, giveaway, kids, review

#Win a Spooktacular Dinosaur Train Contest

October 5, 2011 by Samantha 171 Comments

CELEBRATE A SPOOKTACULAR HALLOWEEN WITH THE JIM HENSON COMPANY’S HIT PBS KIDS SERIES DINOSAUR TRAIN AND SID THE SCIENCE KID!

Dinosaur Train is pulling into the station with some great new costumes for your kiddos! With a costume in the Buddy or Tiny style, your child can be his favorite dino for Halloween (or anytime, really). My son has taken Halloween to new levels this year, wearing his old bat costume just about every day for over a month. Sigh. Now that Tiny is here, he has swapped it out for a new flying creature- a pteranodon! Tiny, pal of Buddy and one of the stars of Dinosaur Train on PBS, also has wings, feet that go over shoes, and a headpiece- what more can a kid want? It has been two days, and there is precious little I can do to peel my son out of the costume so I can wash it (and him!)

It is holding up pretty well- I made a “No sleeping in the costume” rule so I can wash it. I am also happy to report that the tail and wings still allow you to strap your child safely into the car seat, LOL. I didn’t think it would happen- but hey, it worked! YAY Dinosaur Train Costumes, LOL
For two FULL days of 6:30 am to 7:30 PM (sans a nap)wear, plus a round in the washing machine, I think it looks pretty good, ay?
He loves, loves, loves his costume. I know this will end up at year round use at the Pre-K as well, LOL. Really fun costumes have a way of doing that!

Halloween is right around the corner, and The Jim Henson Company has all the right ingredients for a spooky fun holiday! Get ready for the festivities to begin in October with:

All New Episodes from Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid scheduled to air on PBS Kids®
Halloween Costumes to Make at Home Designed by The Famous Jim Henson Creature Shop
Dinosaur Train Halloween Costumes from California Costume Collections Available for Purchase
“The Spooky Scavenger Hunt” New Book Available from Grosset & Dunlap

ALL NEW TELEVISION SPECIALS OF DINOSAUR TRAIN & SID THE SCIENCE KID:

Dinosaur Train NEW EPISODE Haunted Roundhouse/Big Pond Pumpkin Patch premiere 10/20 on PBS Kids (check local listings)

Repeats- 10/24, 10/28, 10/30 , 10/31

In Haunted Roundhouse, dad takes the kids on a special Night Train to Troodon Town, where the Troodons have decorated their Roundhouse into a “haunted house” for a spooky party. The kids end up meeting a strange new nocturnal creature – a mammal named Vlad Volaticotherium, who was hiding in the roundhouse trying to get some sleep. And in Big Pond Pumpkin Patch, the Pteranodon family learns more about the customs of their neighbors, the Lambeosaurus family, when they are invited for the first time to accompany them to the Big Pond to celebrate “Gourd Day” – a kind of Mesozoic Halloween. The kids see their first pumpkins, and Larry Lambeosaurus even shows our family how to hollow them out and carve faces into them.

Sid the Science Kid NEW EPISODE Spooky Science Special premieres 10/17 on PBS Kids (check local listings)

Show Repeats- 10/25, 10/28, 10/30, 10/31

In Halloween Spooky Science Special, it’s Halloween time and Sid and his friends have dressed up in the spookiest and scariest costumes possible. Sid is a bat with big fangs. May is a spooky black cat. Gabriela is a furry, yucky spider. And Gerald is a super spooky skeleton that goes boo! Susie (dressed as a silly mad scientist) loves their costumes, and helps the kids discover that Halloween can be spooky and scientific! The kids investigate how bats are helpful creatures that catch mosquitoes, spiders are expert engineer web builders, cats are leaping aerial acrobats, and skeletons help hold up our body frames! At the Halloween party, the kids also investigate how to make icky, gooey green slime. Susie then ends the day with a special “Halloween Parade” song so the kids can march around and show off their spooky and scientific costumes!

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES TO BUY OR MAKE!

Dinosaur Train Halloween Costumes for Purchase, from California Costume Collections.

Buddy is the main character on the hit TV series, Dinosaur Train. This colorful costume includes the orange colored T-Rex jumpsuit, Buddy the dinosaur hood, and the shoe covers to match the costume. Available for toddlers ages 3-4, and children between the ages of 4-6. SRP: $34.99 – 39.99.
Dinosaur Train Costume – Tiny

Tiny is one of the main characters on the hit TV series, Dinosaur Train. This colorful costume includes the green colored Pteranodon jumpsuit, Tiny the dinosaur hood, and green shoe covers to match the costume. Available for toddlers ages 3-4, and children between the ages of 4-6.

Each Dinosaur Train costume is made up of soft fabric to enhance a child’s comfort while wearing them. The costumes are also created in vibrant colors and realistic design patterns to make your toddler look and feel like a dinosaur train character. SRP $34.99 – 39.99.

Additionally, for those who are feeling a little adventurous, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop — the folks who brought you Elmo and Miss Piggy, among many others — have created a Buddy costume that can be made at home!

For sew and no sew options, click this link: http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/costume

And to see a video of the sew version, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QANroqbPing

And click this link to find out how you can make your own Sid the Science Kid Halloween Costume! http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/halloween.html

OTHER SERIOUSLY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN FUN!

For a little scary Dinosaur Train Halloween Fun – enjoy reading The Spooky Scavenger Hunt” from Grosset & Dunlap in which Mr. Pteranodon takes Buddy and Tiny on a nighttime trip to the Big Pond for a spooky nature walk! Mr. Pteranodon and the conductor insist they can’t be scared, but when the conductor’s mom jumps out at them, everyone gets a good scare! This simple storybook is perfect for read-aloud fun! Ages 4 – 8; SRP $3.99.

Now, Sid and his friends Gerald, May and Gabriela can come along while your child is trick-or-treating with this spooky candy bag that can be personalized with a youngster’s name. To collect your favorite candy and goodies, check out the Sid the Science Kid Happy Halloween Black Trick-or-Treat Bag. available for $14.99 at the following link.

http://sidscience.shop.pbskids.org/sid-the-science-kid-happy-halloween-black-trick-or-treat-bag.html

From the world-renowned Jim Henson Company, the hit DINOSAUR TRAIN series is seen in over 13 million households every month. The series encourages scientific thinking and other skills as it teaches children about natural science, natural history and paleontology. DINOSAUR TRAIN’s second season will focus on exploring the outdoors and natural phenomena, and will feature “Big Dinosaur Week” and a special based on the fan favorite “Dinosaurs A to Z” song.

Here are some ways to connect with Dinosaur Train and the Jim Henson Company-

www.pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain
www.pbskids.org/parents
www.henson.com

One of you can Win this cute book!

Here is how to enter-

Mandatory entry
You must be a public follower on Google Friend Connect.
Leave me your email so I can contact you if you win. In your comment, please.

Extra Entries
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

– Follow The Jim Henson Company on Facebook www.facebook.com/hensoncompany This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.

– Follow the Jim Henson Co on Twitter –www.twitter.com/hensonparents

-Follow PBS Kids On Facebook – www.facebook.com/pbskids

This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.

-Follow PBS Kids On Twitter- www.twitter.com/pbskids

-“Like” me on Facebook -feel free to give me some comment love! 🙂 This is not mandatory, and Facebook is in no way sponsoring this giveaway.
+2 entries

-Subscribe to Have Sippy Will Travel by email, and confirm subscription or via RSS
+3 entries

– Follow me on Twitter ( or you can use my adorable button to the side!) and tweet about this contest
#Win The DINOSAUR TRAIN: Dinosaur Big City DVD http://t.co/X60UMiA @HaveSippy @hensonparents @pbskids #birthdaybash

*can be done daily

Please make sure you follow first!
+2 entries

– Follow any of the Collective Media Magic Spooktacular event Bloggers’ sites!

3 Princes and a Princess 2, Closer to Lucy, Have Sippy Will Travel, and The Thrifty Things. You can Follow GFC, Twitter, or Facebook- each is worth an entry.

– Email a friend about this contest, with a CC to me at kangabunnie@gmail.com
(you get an extra entry if they enter, too!)

-Add my button to your blog, and leave me the link so I can find it

– Follow me on “Networked Blogs”

– blog about this giveaway, and link back to this contest (leave me the URL in comment, please)

-Add me to your blogroll, with a link back to me

– Vote for me on “We’re On The Fence!” (Just Click the Button to the left that says “We’re On the Fence” until it confirms you voted for your’s truly!) *Can be done daily

– enter another one of my giveaways

– comment on a non-giveaway post

– Like this post on Facebook, Stumble it, or hit G+1 button (each is worth one entry)

OOO, so many ways to win! Good luck!

DISCLOSURE: I will receive the above products for review . I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Open to US shipping addresses only. Limited to US residents; 18 years old and above. Sponsor is responsible for providing and mailing prize. Ends Oct 23, 2011.

Filed Under: kids, review

Travel in style with Trunki by Melissa and Doug!

October 4, 2011 by Samantha 6 Comments

If you are traveling with kids, you know that they like to carry their own stuff. Well, maybe not ALL of it- just the toys 🙂 And they get to feel like they are contributing as well, when they take a part of their own luggage and have some responsibility. The Trunki from Melissa and Doug is super cute, and what’s more, it’s functional. Kids can not only use it for a suitcase, but also to sit on as a seat while waiting around, and the extra bags can fit inside to separate toys and other items. They can also scoot along on it since it has wheels, LOL which is fun for them but may annoy those in the airport! 🙂

My son had so much fun decorating his Trunki with the stickers and accessories that can be purchased separately- you can get locations, letters, all sorts of fun things to personalize and accessorize your Trunki.

This style is “LadyBug”, and it’s very cute since it has little black spots all over it. The horns are also handles, and he put his name on the side (as well as the name “Ladybug” on it). He added some destination stickers as well, some we have been to, like the beach. Some are “dream destinations” – you know, like the moon? Hahaha.

It is very lightweight, and easy to carry- he can both wheel it and carry it all by himself, at age 3. He loved having “his own” big boy suitcase, and he did feel like a big boy! He kept all his favorites in there, like Dudley and Dudley, the twin Scare Me Nots, his horse Kentucky, his puppy Cooper, you know- all the ones you see all the time, haha.