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Eco-friendly Easter Basket

March 30, 2014 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Spring is the time of year that, for many of us, we are inspired to celebrate nature. As the snow clears and the flowers begin to bloom once more, it’s a handy reminder for us all about life cycles, renewal and the importance of protecting nature—even in big cities. New York is a city that positively bursts with color in spring, whether you’re exploring the wilds of Central Park or merely lucky enough to be a resident in a complex that respects and protects green-spaces (such as The Greenwich Lane in the West Village, which features incredibly serene gardens.) Of course, this great season of re-birth coincides with Easter, and if you’re looking for an eco-friendly way of celebrating with your kids this March 31st, a thoughtful Easter basket could be the way to go. Here are five ideas of what to put in yours:

1. Eco-Friendly Books
Thoughtful publishers are now, more and more, focusing on sustainable practices when it comes to releasing their books. Since it wouldn’t be Easter without a bunny or two, we’d recommend a copy of Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. The new Snuggle Book version of the classic tale comes in a cuddle-friendly organic cotton and is perfect for toddlers, while the original version has been delighting children for over a century now and is a great way to teach kids about farming and wildlife.

2. Seeds and Gardening Equipment
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Filed Under: holidays, kids Tagged With: easter, Easter Basket, eco friendly, green, kids

5 Fun Summer Backyard Activities for Kids

February 26, 2014 by Samantha 2 Comments

Every time that the summer season rolls around, we as parents find ourselves in a bit of dilemma. Although there are always things like swimming and going to the park that our children can do, we all know that kids tend want to break out of their play routine on a pretty frequent basis; this means that they’re always looking for something new and interesting to do.

So, as you’re gearing up for a few months of fun in the heat, we wanted to provide you with a list of five summer backyard activities that your kids can do; ones that will be sure to keep them happy all summer long.

Help them to make their own tent. Whether you want to “camp out” as a family or let a few of your kids’ friends over for an outdoor slumber party, rather than going to a store to purchase a tent, how about letting them make one of their own? In fact, there are websites that will show you how to make tints, teepees and even playhouses. One of our favorites is Spoonful. Just go to the site and put “DIY hideouts” in the search field.

Create a clothesline theater. There are some of us who remember growing up and putting on a puppet or even our own theater show. You can pass this tradition onto your own children by creating a clothesline theater where they can do the same thing. All you need is a couple of clotheslines, three white sheets (that can be painted or drawn on), some clothespins and a few metal binders. BunchofFamily.ca is one website that can walk you through the instructions. When you go to the site, put “cool clothesline theater” in the search field.
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Filed Under: parenting Tagged With: activities for kids, kids, summer

MOM, I’m Bored (Ideas to Squash the Whineys)

February 18, 2014 by Samantha 1 Comment

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.

Snowed in? Stuck home with endless “snow days” and “no school days” this winter? It’s been a brutal and snow-covered season for much of the country this year. What to do to break up the boredom? A new toy will get the kiddos off your back (for at least a little while- take what quiet you can get!)

Some fun new finds include;

The Power Rangers Mega Force Giant 31″ Red Ranger Action Figure by Jakks Pacific Inc. Available online, at WalMart, or Toy R Us, this Power Ranger is huge and features seven points of articulation that lets you put it into a number of poses. He is more then half the size of my 6 year old, but is not very heavy, making it easy to play with. It’s giant size let’s it do things that the smaller action figures can’t, such as cook with kids in the play kitchens, sit next to them to watch TV, and jump out behind doors to scare their mothers. This (as you might have guessed) is my son’s new favorite activity. While I am no longer startled (although I need to pretend to be each time, of course) it’s hysterical to him every time. He also likes to tuck it in under a blanket on the couch, or leave it in the bathtub (so he is clean for his next mission?) from time to time. It makes an excellent play-in-the-snow toy because it is too large to lose. He stands on his own, and is large enough to be a “Godzilla” type destroyer of block cities and action figures- another of my son’s favorite activities. $30
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Filed Under: parenting, toys Tagged With: kids, toys

Valentines Day Gifts for Your Little Ones

February 4, 2014 by Samantha 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.

Looking for a Valentines Day gift for your child? Something fun, sweet, and that they will love. Here are a few cute ideas for any age range.

The Build a Bouquet set from Green Toys is a very cute alternative to a set of blocks, and perfect for this holiday (or spring time). Your child can create flower arrangements in different shapes and patterns, or even bouquets. These brightly colored flowers are fun to play with in the winter when it’s drab outside, and kids can even make floral arrangements for their parents or grandparents and get their creative and artistic juices flowing. This is a gift you can feel good about giving, as well, as it’s made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic with no BPA, phthalates, PVC or external coatings. This 44 piece set includes 4 bases, 16 stem and leaf pieces, and 24 lilies, petunias, and daisy flower pieces. Recommended for Ages 2 and up and can be found in specialty toy stores or at http://www.greentoys.com for $28.

Prefer to grow a garden? Think outside the box with Thames and Kosmos. One of my favorite educational toy companies, they have created an adorable and fun to create (while learning and spending time with mom and dad) Crystal Garden kit. These quick “growing” crystals “bloom” from the centers of the four included cardboard flower trees. Learn how crystals grow, and choose the colors of the crystals you grow in your garden. You will see your garden in full bloom in less then 24 hours- but be careful, they are quite delicate. These crystals can’t be touched or moved, and never harden.

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Filed Under: review, toys Tagged With: gifts, kids, toys, Valentine’s Day

Hot Toys for Christmas

December 13, 2013 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Disclosure- I have received the below in order to review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please feel free to see the “I Disclose” tab for more info.

Getting ready for Christmas? It can be hard to wade through all the noise to find the best Christmas items. Now that “Black Friday” is over, we can focus on what’s fantastic for the season vs how much can be saved at 3am. A few of my current favorites are;

North Pole Communicator Microphone- This is super cute and fun for kids, and lets them “talk” with Santa every night before bedtime. Beginning December 1, get the family together daily and dial up the North Pole to have “real” back-and-forth conversations with the “big man”, elves, and more. The communicator is quite a lot of fun, will amuse adults as well, really psychs kids up and gets them excited, and and is a great way to get the family involved in a nightly activity.

Hallmark’s Keepsake Ornaments are a tradition for many, and giving a treasured ornament (or building a collection for your children) is something that so many people enjoy doing. Keepsake Ornaments has a variety of ornaments that commemorate milestones and nurture memories, as well as scenes from your favorites movies, TV shows, or cartoon characters. Our favorite this year is “Lions and Tigers and Bears”, a Wizard of Oz ornament that moves and talks. All the characters move and speak lines from this scene in the movie. There is an amazing variety of Keepsake Ornaments, so finding the perfect gift for your child or loved one is easy.

The new interactive storybook “Santa and the Christmas Eve Flight” is adorable and will make bonding over reading with you kids fun for both of you. Santa responds with questions or choices as you read key words and phrases. how your child answers will shape this story, which can change each time you read it. There are more then 30 responses from Santa, which makes the possibilities for the storyline pretty diverse.
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Filed Under: holidays, review Tagged With: Hallmark, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013, holidays, kids, stuffed animals, talk to santa, toys

Elf Magic- Fun Holiday Traditions

December 3, 2013 by Samantha 5 Comments

My son loves his Elf Magic Elf, Burke. Burke was hard to get back to Santa last year, and my little dude was NOT a happy camper. He made an early return this year, with my son finding him inside of his Trick or Treat pumpkin.

Burke, like us, likes to travel. When we sent our letter to Santa last year, we let him know how much we move around, and asked him to send an elf that would like to see the world as well. We can’t have an elf that gets car-sick or won’t get on an airplane now, can we? LOL. Burke, luckily, is a hardy elf, and enjoys all the new places and spaces we tote him to.

With Burke in Philly

Last year he joined us for many trips and daily outings, even really exciting things like the supermarket. I know. Mind. Blown. Try to contain yourself. You are a grown up, act like it.

My son was so taken with his Elf Magic elf that he even took him to our Christmas photo session last year. Yes, that’s us, and Burke. I’m not telling my then-5-year-old that the elf isn’t part of the family, that’s just mean.
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Filed Under: holidays, kids, review, toys Tagged With: elves, Holiday Elves, holiday gift guide, holiday gift guide 2013, kids, toys

Eddie Bauer Boys Winter Coat

November 25, 2013 by Samantha 6 Comments

Disclosure: The below was provided to me to help 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.

Cold weather is officially upon us and it is time to break out the winter gear such as boots, heavy socks, gloves and warm coats. This year I will have one less worry about keeping my son bundled up and toasty as he has a fantastic parka that is wind and waterproof and is fully seam sealed for exceptional winter weather protection. The Eddie Bauer Boys’ WeatherEdge® Superior Down Parka is made with 550 fill Premium European Goose Down, it features a detachable hood and faux fur ruff and WeatherEdge ® technology to keep him as snug and warm as possible, no matter what the weather is like.

The Boys’ WeatherEdge® Superior Down Parka has 5 exterior pockets and 4 internal pockets to offer my son plenty of room to transport all of his gear like gloves, a hat, a scarf, small toys and even an MP3 player. The parka is well made and durable It is an ideal length, reaching the thigh area for optimal warmth without being bulky.

Glow Pets- Perfect for Gifting

November 23, 2013 by Samantha 1 Comment

Having a child that is afraid of the dark can make bedtime an ordeal. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an alternative to a traditional night light that would help your child by giving them confidence and companionship while helping them fall asleep safely? Let me tell you about Glow Pets. With a simple push of a button, your child can illuminate their room with safe LED lights that never get hot and drift of to dreamland peacefully.

Glow Pets are adorable, they are furry and fun companions in the daytime and they make night time activities extra special. Camping, watching movies, going to sleepovers, and even bedtime is enhanced with the soft glow that is emitted when the button on a glow pet is pushed. Children will enjoy soft glowing light while parents enjoy the 20 minute auto shut off feature. I thought that was the perfect amount of time for comfort and battery preservation.
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