Make your own baby food with Annabel Karmel products!

I have always wanted to be more frugal with my options, especially when it comes to baby food. Buying pre-made baby food items can get so expensive, and sometimes, there is added ingredients that you may not want your baby or toddler to have. I love the new food product line that Infantino carries: the Annabel Karmel products!
I really like the Mash & Serve bowl, because it is a great product to mash that fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, bananas and more! This bowl works great for babies 6 months and older. I like how convenient this product is, because I can mash up the fruits/vegetables, and then serve it to my baby right in the bowl. The bowl has a little handle for easy use. I love that the Annabel Karmel products are BPA free, which gives me reassurance that my baby is fed safely.

The Fill & Freeze Puree Pops are so much fun! With these freezer pops, kids will get the fruits they need, in a fun way! Each of these Freeze Pops can be divided and separated, or you can snap them all together to freeze all four at once. Each pop has a different color handle. The Fill & Freeze Puree Pops has a great recipe on the box for Annabel's tropical mango fruit pops. It sounds delicious!
The Stackable Food pots are 6 individual portion-sized containers that you can put the perfect amount of food in for your baby/toddler. There are two- 1.7 oz. sizes, two- 2.5 oz sizes, and two- 3.4 oz size pots. I really like that these containers are designed to go into the freezer. This makes it great to make a bigger portion of a food item, and then freeze portions for future use. I am so excited to make my own baby food with this baby, and these Stackable food pots will be so handy when I am preparing the baby's food. I like that the food pots have lids, so I will be able to bring my baby's food with me on the go.
I love the Annabel Karmel Freeze trays, too, because I will be able to puree foods like fruits and vegetables, freeze them, and they are ready for when I need them. I also like this product, because I can freeze foods, and bring them with on a trip. When the foods thaw out, they are ready to eat. It is known that frozen food can last longer, too, and I am thankful that with the use of the Annabel Karmel Freeze Trays, I can store my baby's food longer.

The Fresh Food Mill is a great tool for every mom! I love how you can put most any food into the food mill, grind it up, and feed your baby! Some of the skins on vegetables like peas and potatoes gets ground up easily with the Food Mill. On the side of the box you will find a recipe for Annabel's lovely lentils.
I think the Food Mill does the best job at making food a puree. I really like that the Annabel Karmel products work so great together, because you can use the Fresh Food Mill to puree your baby's food, then store the food in the Stackable Food pots and/or the Freeze Tray! I also love that the Annabel Karmel line is dishwasher safe, too! That is a big plus for me!

As your baby gets older, the Annabel Karmel Steam Release Micro Dish is great for bringing fresh vegetables for steaming. The Steam Release Micro Dish is BPA free, and microwavable. I love that I can steam fresh vegetables for my baby and serve them right in the same safe dish. The Micro Dish stores a perfect serving, too!

Annabel Karmel products are a great set of products to make all your own baby foods, and store them safely. I am so excited to have this line of products for our next baby on the way, and I wish that I would have had these products with my other babies. I highly recommend these products to you, and also recommend these for those baby registry lists! The Annabel Karmel products help a parent in the kitchen, making food quicker and healthier for their babies (in my opinion). I think that with the help of the Food Mill and the Mash and Serve bowl, little ones can eat foods that will be easier for them to eat.

Annabel's Biography
Annabel Karmel is a mother of three, and is the UK's best-selling author of seventeen books on baby and children's food and nutrition. She is an expert in devising tasty and nutritious meals for children without the need for parents to spend hours in the kitchen.

I love that Infantino carries this line, and I think that many parents will appreciate the time saved by using the Annabel Karmel products. Infantino carries great products! To check out the Annabel Karmel feeding line that Infantino carries, just check out their website at INFANTINO.COM.

I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

Mom Central Valentine's Day Gift Guide & giveaways!

Mom Central is offering their second annual Valentine's Day Gift Guide and they have prizes for
men, women, and kids! Not only is the gift guide a great resource for your gift buying ideas, you can enter to win giveaways each week for each of the featured products!! Week one ended on Sunday, but you still can enter to win great prizes!

Here are a few of this weeks prizes:
Serenity Smartbox , Teleflora ,VTech DS6151 Phone (I want this one!!)
and I would love to win the Wilton bakeware because I know my kids would have a fun time baking with me using these!
I can't wait to see what is coming up for the gift guide & giveaways!!

Head on over to Mom Central to see what is recommended for those on your lists...and while you are there, sign up to win!!
I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central. Mom Central entered my name in a random drawing to win a gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Automoblox Minis make for a great Christmas gift! (Review and Giveaway)

One really fun, educational, creative, and innovative toy that I have been introduced to are the Automoblox cars. The newer version of the Automoblox are the Automoblox Minis!
The Automoblox Mini line is a smaller version of the traditional Automoblox car. These cars are made with quality and detail. I love the wooden cars, and so do my kids! The parts to these cars are made with quality materials, and you can tell that much thought went into the design of these cars. Once put together, the Automoblox cars glide smoothly across the floor. The wheels are made so well! I love the look of these cars, so styling! One really fun feature of the Automoblox minis is you can mix and match the pieces to design many more cars. If you want to get the cars back to how they came, you just match up the colors to color coordinate. The Automoblox minis can fit in the palm of your hand, too! These cars are perfect for families with more than one child to share with each other. I love that about the minis...makes sharing a little easier.
Ages 3 and up, $30.00 Made by Manhattan Toy found at Maukilo.com.

Would you like to enter to win a $25 gift card to Maukilo.com? You can get these great Automoblox mini cars, or pick out something else you may want. To Enter, visit the http://www.maukilo.com/ site, and comment here with something you learned about the company, or an item you would like to purchase with your gift card (if you won). This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 23rd, 2009.

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment about something you learned from visiting the Maukilo website. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Maukilo.com. They have provided me with a free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a Gift Card to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Hickory Farms makes a great gift for Christmas~

My Dad was an Insurance Agent when I was little, and we got a special, and thoughtful gift almost every year from one of his customers. We loved this gift, because it was a tasty treat, and it was great to fed us when we were hungry! The great gift was a gift basket with meat, cheeses, sometimes fruit, and fun strawberry candies. I am pretty sure that the baskets we received were from Hickory Farms. I think, as an adult now, this gift is a superb gift to give someone whom you don't really know what to get them, or if you think they have most everything they need. I recently reviewed a wonderful gift basket filled with delicious meats, cheeses (block and ball style), crackers, and candies from Hickory Farms. The display of the basket was gorgeous, and the basket was delivered securely. I think that Hickory Farms takes great pride in their products and services, from how they delivered their product and what it was all about. We brought our basket of goodies to our family Thanksgiving Day get-together, and everyone enjoyed the appetizers. The Hickory Farms basket had a few different flavors of the meat and cheese, and it was fun to taste the differences. I recommend Hickory Farms and think that their products/services are great and make fun gifts to share with others.

For a limited time this holiday season, for each Party Planner Gift Box sold, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength, a leading national non-profit organization working to end childhood hunger in America. Additionally, for 40 of these gift items, Hickory Farms provides free military shipping, allowing our troops across the globe to share in holiday traditions. Visit hickoryfarms.com to learn more about these two opportunities as well as the variety of gift boxes available! I think that Hickory Farms really does a great job to rise above the bar in their efforts to accommodate needs and give from their heart. (my opinion)

Check out Hickory Farms for your Christmas shopping! Their products are great tasting, and many people really enjoy receiving a gift that will make the tummy happy. :)

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Adorable Kinders Doll Review & Giveaway!

I love having a girl, and my girl loves to play with her dolls! I was recently sent an adorable doll from Granza, Inc. that reminded me of a doll that I had when I was a little girl. The Adorable Kinders Dolls are wonderful, USA MADE, rag dolls, and we give them two thumbs up!
Madelyn loves Alise. She is a brown haired girl, member of the Adorable Kinders Dolls. She is one of 26 dolls. Each doll represents different cultures, and their names each represent a different letter of the alphabet. Some of the dolls, like Alise, come with a stuffed teddy bear...because they are in their pajamas. I love that the Adorable Kinders offers girl and boy dolls. I think that they are promoting great dolls!

The little slippers on Alise are adorable. The slippers come off, and so do all her clothes. You can purchase other clothes for your Adorable Kinder doll, and share clothing among the dolls.

The Adorable Kinders Dolls are so safe for kids! There are no button eyes, small pieces, and no hard/plastic parts. These dolls are made of 100% soft cloth, and each doll weighs less than 2 lbs.,

so kids can carry them around just fine. The Adorable Kinders have already won seven of the top toy industry awards in 2009, including being named to Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Toys of 2009 List, and earning a NAPPA Gold Award. The Toy Man gave the Adorable Kinders four awards. They are cleverly designed with high quality in mind. I love how these dolls look and feel...so does my daughter, Maddie! The Adorable Kinders dolls are bringing the simplicity of Kindergarten back...the alphabet, friends, no judgements among others, and the love of toys/dolls!

My daughter loves her new companion, and she recommends you bring an Adorable Kinder Doll to your home, too. My daughter loves sleeping with her little Alise, and playing with her throughout the day.

Dolls come with an Internet key-code that can be used to register for the Adorable Kinders eSchool. The Adorable Kinders are bringing the rag doll into the 21st century with a fun and challenging online game zone called Adorable Kinders (AK) eSchool. Each doll comes with a unique Internet key-code that children can use, with their parent’s permission and assistance, to create a user name and access the online area. The AK eSchool is full of activities to help develop a child’s computer, reading and problem-solving skills. School starts at the Kindergarten level, and children complete challenges using their knowledge of letters, numbers, patterns, and rhymes to unlock the next level, or grade. Each grade level presents children with harder challenges. eSchoolers can currently unlock up to the 4th grade level, with more grades and zones coming this month.
Outside of eSchool, there are additional activities available at www.adorablekinders.com. Kids can choose from the 26 Adorable Kinders characters and play house with them, create a printable greeting card or sticker sheet using their favorite Adorable Kinders doll, or have fun coloring on a digital coloring page.
About the Designer/Creator:
Aranza Zamora-Goodenbury began hand-making rag dolls at age 16 in her native Puerto Rican home. The dolls really became popular, so she kept making/improving them. Being a mom and working kept her busy, so making dolls was put on the back burner for awhile. Aranza's son, Ivan, was a big inspiration and they worked well together to get her business off the ground. A undetected heart condition took Ivan's life at a young age, so Aranza's dream was stilled because of her great sorrow.
A few years later, Aranza gave one of her rag dolls to a friend’s daughter for her birthday. Everyone there was captivated with her work, even the Dad's. After meeting her husband/partner, Greg Goodenbury, he helped encourage her to keep her dream alive and start the company GRANZA, Inc.— a name created by combining the names Greg and Aranza, and developed a line of 26 doll characters and the Adorable Kinders eSchool. They decided to keep operations based in the U.S., to help create local jobs. The 26 characters they created represent a wide range of ethnicity's, hair colors and personalities—much like you would find in any kindergarten classroom.

WIN AN ADORABLE KINDERS DOLL!!

This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009.

To enter, leave a comment about which Adorable Kinder you like most, or which one you would like to win. (mandatory for entry)
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment about something you learned from visiting the Adorable Kinders. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from AdorableKinders.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a doll to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Going Christmas shopping? Let the TIA help you find SAFE toys!

What is one of the main things parents want for their kids? Safety! I am happy that companies are getting smarter about wanting better quality and safer toys for our children!
The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is our industry's trade organization: the one that hosts Toy Fair in February in New York, and the one who has led American toy makers through the new toy safety testing laws and standards they must meet. The TIA is reaching out to moms to help us understand how to buy safe, and great, toys. I think this is important to share with you as you are considering toys for your Christmas shopping lists.
The TIA have created two websites for consumers: Toyinfo.org (provides you with all the information you need to choose the right toys for your family. From toy safety facts to free downloadable play guides, this exciting new site is a one-stop resource for caregivers and parents to discover everything about toys and play) , and Toyawards.org. ToyAwards.org showcases the top toys in 11 product categories that have been nominated for the 2010 Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY), recognized as the “Oscars” of the toy industry. Not only will you discover which toys the experts think are best, but for the first time, kids and parents can register for one (or more) of 12 prize packages, and can also vote for their favorite toys.
Celebrating it's 10th Anniversary, the TIA wants to share the finalists with us! Here is some of the TIA's holiday gift ideas/suggestions:
Trio Building Set from Fisher Price $30.00
This is a great set of pieces to encourage kids to use their imaginations, and creativity while building. This set is made easy with clicking bricks, sticks and panels, where the pieces just snap together. The kits come with suggested designs, but kids can make their own creations, too. That is what makes this kit so fun, because kids can make it their own. Includes 100 pieces in a convenient storage tub. I love that I can bring our tub to Grandma and Grandpa's house, or to a friend's house who doesn't have toys for my kids to play with. The top of the storage container makes for a great base to build upon. I like that the Trio building sets all work together so kids can collect all of them and mix them up a bit.
Mythbusters Weird Water World from Elmer’s Products, Inc. SRP $19.99
SCRABBLE SLAM Card Game from Hasbro Games SRP $6.99
UNO Moo! from Mattel SRP $19.99
This is an adorable and fun game from Mattel, UNO but with farm animals. Kids match the colors or animals in this fun game of UNO Moo! If you get a farmer, you are in luck, because he is wild. The first player to get all of their figures back in the barn wins.
Be sure to watch out for the skunk, because he will "skunk you." I think this is a great game for toddlers and preschoolers, because it teaches colors and numbers.
Laugh & Learn Learning Farm from Fisher-Price SRP $79.99
Plus other great toys: Check them out here.
TIA wants families to feel confident in the toys they buy, and they'd like to be a reliable resource for us when we need the latest in toy safety tips and news from the toy world. I am so thankful for this list, and it is very helpful when searching for a gift for my kids, or for gifts for others on our lists. I urge you to share this information with others needing ideas for the Christmas shopping. Let this Christmas be a "safer" one for our kids.

This review was provided from Team Mom and the TIA, which provided me with the information to share with my readers. I was given the information for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Mom Central's 2nd Holiday Gift Guide (giveaway)

Mom Central is hosting their second annual Holiday Gift Guide. Not only does Mom Central give fabulous gift ideas for the entire family, they are also posting new giveaways each week for many of the featured products!
Three exciting giveaways they'll be including over the next few weeks are:
Pandora Bracelet: These versatile bracelets allow you to customize your look through numerous charms that you can add or change to match your outfit. Create a tradition with family and friends by giving charms for different celebrations and milestones after presenting the bracelet as the original gift this holiday season.
Daisy Rock: Debutante Electric Guitar Starter Set: A starter kit for young girls who aspire to be rock stars! The set includes all she will need to begin her musical adventure: an "atomic pink" guitar, 10 watt amplifier, electronic tuner, guitar strap, picks, string winder, polish cloth, and an instructional DVD.
Cuisinart Rice-Plus Multi Cooker: Perfect for the cook in the family, this new kitchen appliance from Cuisinart makes much more than just rice! Ideal for homemade soups, oatmeal, steaming veggies, and slow-cooking, the Multi Cooker will make preparing those hearty winter meals easier than ever. Fun features include pre-programmed menu options, a programmable finish time and an automatic "keep warm" setting that activates after your cooking is completed.
Hurry over to Mom Central to enter into the amazing weekly giveaways through their Holiday Gift Guide!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central. Mom Central entered my name in a random drawing to win a gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Wii Games (**Approved**) for your Holiday Shopping Lists...

Looking for a video game to give someone for Christmas? Here are a few that I have recently received to review, and I recommend them (so do my kids)!

MySims Agents
This game starts out with you as a secret agent. You create your agent specialized for you, then you take on an identity. The city you are in appears normal, but underlining the city is crime, mischief and suspense. As a agent, you will need to search for clues and solve cases by balancing, jumping, climbing to where ever the case leads. At the beginning of the game, you are equipped with a crowbar, a magnifying glass and a wrench. As you gain in your experience, you will get more tools to help you on your quest to track footprints, pick locks, hack into computers and do molecular forensics. The more mysteries you solve the more well known you become and more experienced. This game is fun, because you are totally engaged in the mission of defeating the enemy and you get to go on fun adventures like: taking a private jet to reach an ancient temple, a spooky mansion and an icy mountaintop chalet. Throughout the game you are given rewards of unlocking rare items, and you also can recruit other agent MySims to help you increase your team. Your recruits can be sent out to solve cases while you continue to investigate Morcubus. This game also has from mini games included. (1 Player rated E for everyone) **My son HIGHLY recommends this game! He said it is one of his favorites!** From EA games. SRP $49.95

HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT 2: Hosted by Mr. Potato Head!
Gather the family around the TV for a fun night of games galore! Up to 4 players can participate in Hasbro's Family Game Night 2. You can choose between 5 games in two different modes (classic and the new version) of play. This game is a sequel to the award winning Family Game Night, and with the new FGN 2 you can win and collect parts for the Mr. Golden Potato and become the ultimate show champion! You can earn new themes and trophies the more you play.
Here is what games you will find on Family Game Night 2:
OPERATION : You will have to search and find the piece needed to be removed to perform surgery on your patient. Once you find the piece, you are brought to it and you need to grab on and carefully bring the item out (between shapes).
JENGA : (This is one of my favorites!) You take your Wii remote and pull out the Jenga piece that you think may come out without toppling the tower of blocks over. The suspense is almost unbearable! Can you beat the game?
BOP-IT : You can twist it!, BOP-It!, Pull it, shout it in this game of copy. You can play this game with spoken instruction or sound instruction. Great game for concentration.
CONNECT 4x4 : All new way to play this game of 4 in a row diagonally, vertically, and horizontally.
PICTUREKA : Find the clues given in the cards laid out.
You have the option to play with your Nintendo Mii and you can even customize Mr. Potato Head. (4 player game rated E for everyone) **This is a great game to enjoy with the family. It is a great game to play for just a short time period (if you are short on time) or you can enjoy for a longer time frame.** From EA games and Hasbro. SRP$39.95

LITTLEST PET SHOP
Set with an all new cast of quirky pets and their best friends, you can enjoy this game with your favorite LPS friends. Loaded with new mini-games like: Busy Bakers, Wags and Tags, Kibble Cups and Strike a pose.
Busy Bakers: Order up! Fill your pets' orders using the different colored bone shaped cakes, fillings and toppings.
Wags and Tags: Tag, you're it (and you don't want to be it). Try to stay away from the pet who is it. The longer you can prevent getting tagged, the more points you get.
Kibble Cups: Keep your eyes glued to the cup with the yellow ball! If you are playing with a friend, their ball is purple. As the cups switch around, follow the one with your ball closely. Once the cups stop, select the one with your ball.
You can explore new towns with your favorite pets, and dress them up for the outing. Venture on quests, deliver invitations, serve up ice cream, and style your pets as you get ready for the biggest Littlest Pet Shop party of the year, you may even have an unexpected (and new) pet arrive for the festivities! In the Littlest Pet Shop Friends, you can play with your best friend! Each pet has a best friend that will help them prepare for the parties. You can also play the mini games with your best friend (in real life) creating a great co-op play feature, and if you earn a blue ribbon for an Expert game, you will unlock a new accessory to the boutiques.
(2 player game rated E for everyone). **Fun interactive game for kids.** From EA games and Hasbro. SRP$39.95

Taking care of a baby is a lot of work, good care, and demanding. My Baby First Steps is a game where the player will take care of a baby from 15 months to 30 months. You will see your babygrow, learn how to walk better, learn to speak better, and do new things. You get to put your baby to bed with a story, give him/her a bath, go shopping, dress and change your baby and more. Using the Wii remote you can hold and shake a stuffed toy to get your baby to walk across the room. Your game has two important people to help you on your journey with caring for your baby. Clara, the pediatric nurse, gives you advice to help your baby, but she is also firm if you aren't careful with your baby. George, is a pediatrician, and he follows the development of your baby since birth. He suggests the steps to take to help your baby with exercises to help him grow. The game has several places in the house you can go with your baby: living room, kitchen, bedroom, dressing room and more.
There is a progress book that you can access by opening a flower menu. This tells you all the information about your baby and profile. This tells you the time you have spent on this game, your baby's that you have cared for, number of objects your have and more. You can see all the information on your baby (weight, name, size, learning skills) In this book is also the instructions from George for the exercises you should do with your baby. **I think this game is a good game for fun. My kids enjoy this one. They like that they can pick to be a mom or dad, and what sex their baby is. They like having a "surprise" baby, too (where the computer picks which baby you have). I think it is good for kids to see what kind of things/activities are involved in taking care of babies.**
(1 player game rated E for everyone) From My Baby Village. SRP$29.99

Join the Greatest Show on Earth and bring it into your own living room! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey just came out with a video game that brings you to the heart of the circus. In this game you will get to go clown bowling (you are the bowling ball), be a human cannonball, juggle the balls with your Wii remote and nunchuck, work in the ring with the tigers, walk the high-wire (can be played using the balance board), ride down the high wire on a unicycle and more. This game has several mini games to enjoy with a friend or alone.
You can edit what your player looks like: skin tone, clothing wear, and hair color. As you play, you will unlock special costumes as prizes. Earning Barnum Bucks you can buy costumes, food, toys and prizes (clown car, bag of peanuts, mini circus train, clown fish and more)
**This is a fun game.** This game is from 2K Play and Feld Entertainment. SRP $39.99
(2 player game rated E for everyone)

This review was sponsored by EA games, MyBabyVillage and 2K Play. They have supplied me with Wii games to sample for review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Father's Day Gift Guide

Mom Central always has such great things happening! Since Father's Day is just around the corner, Mom Central has put together a gift guide of their favorite gifts for Dad!

From DVDs and custom steak brands to a seven-person domed tent, there is something here for every Dad. Plus, they have organized their gift ideas by price, so there's no reason to break the bank (unless you want to!). The prices range from gifts under $25 all the way up to gifts over $100. In Mom Central's gift guide you can expect to find almost everything from camping equipment to a digital camera to imported beer steins. Each day, Mom Central will post giveaways for Dads. Upcoming giveaways include barbeque accessories, a Jeep tent built for 7 people (pictured in the photo at right), CDs, DVDs, books, razors, and so much more. Check here for a link to the daily giveaways! I know I am heading over there now to catch up in the contest sign ups!

Double Daring Books for Girls (Challenge) Book Shower!

I am thrilled to be a participant in a book shower for the authors of the new Double Daring book for Girls! Andrea J. Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz have compiled a whole book of double daring adventures, crafts, stories, sports and knowledgeable facts to encourage all those daring girls to put themselves to the challenges. It is a great book to learn new things, and try your hand at the activities and crafts! Even my son had a kick out of the Math Tricks and used them to stump his peers and his teacher.
The Double Daring Book for Girls is a follow-up to the bestselling book: The Daring Book for Girls, and has all new material. Girls will learn how to play football, catch a fish, make a labyrinth, learn about the Chinese New Year, how to make a scarecrow, what words impress, the Nobel Prize, learn about the origin of phrases and idioms, being a detective and much more!
I have really enjoyed reading this book, and some of the contents brought me right back into my childhood days, and the fun things my friends and I did and learned about.
I think the Double Daring Book for Girls makes for a great book for any homeschooling family because you can use so much of the information and activities in your studies. Did you know that you can learn how to paint a room, how to build a raft, make antique paper, how to make a rope ladder, and learn about the history of the bicycle....all found in the Double Daring Book~ Plus so much more!

I was asked to host a dare on my site to help promote this great book, and also participate in the book shower for the authors. So, I thought it would be fun to make our own piñata out of papier-mâché as something to dare my readers to do, but instead, I have decided to make a snow globe. I know winter is over, but who says it is too late to make a gift for someone. I personally love homemade gifts, and love to give them to people. So, I am daring you, my readers, to make a snow globe. I will give you the directions that are in my Double Daring Book, and you can make one. I would love it if you could post this on your site, link to me, and let me know you did it. I think it sounds like fun! I will work on my globe this week. I am actually going to ask my 10 year old son to make one with me. (even though he is NOT a girl). I will post the picture later this week of what my globe looks like. What a fun craft, huh? The Double Daring Book for Girls is packed with such fun craft ideas!

Here is what you need to do to make a snow globe: (taken from the book)

1. You need a glass jar with a lid that screws on tight. (even a small baby food jar)
2. Fun doodads that will fit inside the jar and glued tightly on the inside of the lid. (plastic dolls, game pieces, Legos, etc.)
3. Glue, or clay that is strong enough to keep the doodad connected to the lid. (hot gun glue, super glue, modeling clay, or florist clay)
4. Glitter
5. Water
6. *Optional: glycerin, to make the water a bit thicker so the glitter moves slower.

First, glue the doodad to the lid of the jar with the glue of choice. Modeling clay will even hold the doodad. Set aside to dry fully, and make sure it is really sticking. Then, when the glue is dry, fill the jar most of the way to the top with cold water, leaving some room for air. Add a few teaspoons of glitter and *glycerin*. Close lid tight, and shake. Once you have the right amount of water and glitter, take the lid off and dry well. Put some glue on the inside of the lid, and glue it tight to the jar. You can hold it with clay, too. Allow the whole thing to dry before shaking.

That's it! Doesn't it sound like fun!? I think you should make a snow globe with me! Your kids can really have fun with this project, too!

Here is a quote from the authors:
Daring is all around us. It is in girls who break barriers and girls who help out friends. It is in girls who scale mountains and girls who speak their minds. It is in girls who make things and girls who ask questions, girls who set their sights on adventure and girls who find adventure in their own backyards. Daring is about finding your journey and following your dreams—getting off the sidelines and getting in the game, whatever your game may be.
So fire up your inner daring, turn the page, and remember the daring girl credo: Enjoy yourself, learn new things, and lead an interesting life.
Go on—we double-dare you!
Andrea J. Buchanan & Miriam Peskowitz

So, you have been officially DARED!! Will you take the challenge and join me in making a snow globe?

You can purchase the Double Daring book for Girls online at Amazon, and you can also look in your local bookstore. SRP: $26.99

"Green" Baby Bunch~ in time for spring?

Are you looking for a great baby shower gift? Would you like to "shower" the new mom with a gift of spring? Baby Bunch makes such adorable gifts for new moms! I love the Organic Baby Bucket Bunch! It is an assortment of baby necessities wrapped in a colorful floral arrangement! You will find an organic hat, onesie, bib, socks, and a t-shirt for your little baby tucked inside the flowers of your bouquet. The Organic Baby Bucket is such a great centerpiece for that new mom for her shower! It is such a fun display, she may not even want to use her gift! I love that the buckets can be used again, too. The Organic Baby Buckets come in a variety of colors: Apricot, Cornflower, and Blush. The sizes are for babies 0-6 months, and 6-12 months. I just got the Cornflower Organic Bucket, and I love the arrangement of the 100% organic un-dyed and unbleached cotton! It is so soft, and I know the material is safe on Cole's skin! The 0-6 month clothing is perfect for up to 16 lbs. The bouquet of baby clothes are surrounded by cornflower and celery rosebuds and leaves crafted of wood and recycled paper. You can recycle them again to create a lasting keepsake bouquet. The Organic Bucket Bunches retail for $69.95, and I think that is a great value for your cost!

I was impressed at how well this fun bouquet traveled in the mail! The Organic Bucket Bunch was wrapped in cellophane, and was tied with a ribbon. Check out Baby Bunch for a creative and fun gift for a new mom you know! You can even see Martha Stewart learn how to assemble the bunches when visiting the Baby Bunch!

ColorMe Company

My kids really enjoy doing projects, crafts, and hands-on activities! I was excited to have my kids put their energy into the project from ColorMe Company! I got the Mountain Sleigh Ride pillowcase, as well as a greeting card. We got a quality, 100% cotton, standard size pillow case, crayons, fabric markers, the directions on how to set the color. We also got a greeting card that matched the pillowcase. (So this would make a great gift to give someone...pillowcase~hand colored, with a matching greeting card).
Caleb and Madelyn really enjoyed coloring the kid-drawn scene on the pillowcase. It was thrilling to see Caleb take his time, and color in the lines so carefully.

Madelyn used the crayons on the pillowcase, and she liked making a lot of circles and lines.

ColorMe Company is designed to have children express their creativity while making their projects/gifts personalized with their own uniqueness. ColorMe Company founder, Paul Marciano, was inspired to start the company because his card to his goddaughter was re-created with her drawings and designs. He wanted to create cards that kids can create their own fun, and unique greeting cards. He brought his business to the next level by including in t-shirts, pillowcases and Christmas stockings. He invited children to submit fun, creative designs that would be featured on cards and products. Soon talented young artists sent Paul artwork featuring whimsical characters including “Beach Girl,” horses, and the USA map, as well as secular Christmas and Nativity scenes and Hanukkah images.

All ColorMe products would make great gifts, projects to work on while traveling, birthday favors, or a fun activity to do with a group of kids over (like a slumber party).
Built on the simple principle that “Giving is Good,” 10% of ColorMe Company's gross proceeds are donated to children’s charities that you choose through their Charity Choice Program.

ColorMe Company offers products that spark the creativity in your children. I recommend their products. As you can see, my kids had a lot of fun with their hand-colored pillowcase.

Prices vary, please see website for ordering. You can get a 20% discount with your order by just entering the code: colormelovesmoms

Personalized blanket~

Have you been looking for a gift that you can "leave a mark" on it with words? A gift that speaks from your heart, and that your message stays with the recipient? Fill in the Blankie is a great company that personalizes baby blankets with the names, words, verses, poems, important information, etc. on them. You get to pick out exactly what you want the blanket to say. Fill in the Blankie embroiderers the message on 4 sides of the blanket on Satin material. You get 200 characters to work with when you make your personalization, so you can say a lot! Fill in the Blankie offers 32 blanket styles/colors, 27 fonts & 12 thread colors, and prices range from $39- $109 for each blanket depending on what you would like to order. The prices are divided according to what size you want your blanket to be, what fabric you would like your baby to be wrapped with (Good/Soft, Better/Softer, Best/Softest). I got an adorable white Martha's Majesty blanket with the "What are little boys made of..." poem on it. I love it, and I can't wait to use it on our baby~ IF, our baby is a boy. Otherwise, I know this blanket will make a great gift to one very special baby. This blanket has pretty easy care instructions, too: Wash in cold water on gentle cycle.
Sonya Bebeblankee is the creative designer and founder of Fill in the Blankie. She was inspired from the Sweedish Miss Sonya who was born in 1901. From the site: Started in June 2004, we're a Dallas-based Baby Blankie company specializing in unique Embroidered Baby Blankies: all the while, trying get a few smiles in the process. While many personalization shops or national retailers offer personalization, it's usually 20 or so characters and takes a few weeks. Well, it's part of who we are not to settle for status quo. So, we offer up to 200 characters per blankie and 3-7 day turn-around.
Fill in the Blankie makes great personalized gifts for those special little babies in our lives!

Mom Central's Holiday Giveaway

Mom Central is a great community to be apart of! I have had such a great time getting to know the ladies behind Mom Central, as well as helping launch their blog tours. Not only have I learned a lot about different products/websites, I have enjoyed the "perks" of being on the Mom Central Team of Mom Testers. I am happy to let you know Mom Central's First Annual Holiday Gift Guide launches today!
Mom Central put up a Holiday Gift Guide for him, for her, for baby/toddler, for tweens, for teens, and even for pets. There are several products that I already own to give to my kids and nieces and nephews. I found a couple of fantastic ideas for my husband, even, but I'm not telling, he occasionally reads my blog, lol.
In conjunction with the Gift Guide, Mom Central is also having a ton of giveaways (prizes worth hundreds of dollars)! One every day from today, December 3, through December 18! In order to enter you need to register at the Mom Central Testing Panel (click link), then you comment on each post each day. There are ways to get extra entries, like Tweeting the giveaway or emailing friends. Just leave a second comment after you have earned your extra entry. Sign up today for Day 1, December 3rd: Deck the Halls and 'Tis the Season Gift Packages; Day 2, December 4th: We're Expecting Gift Package; Day 3, December 5th: Green and Global Gift Package; Day 4, December 6th: Family of Photogs Gift Package; Day 5, December 7th: For Grandparents Gift Package; Day 6, December 8th: Baby on Board Gift Package; Day 7, December 9th: Toys for Toddlers Gift Package; Day 8, December 10th:Little Book Lovers Giveaway; Day 9, December 11th: Being a Kid - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages; Day 10, December 12th: Furry Friends Gift Package; Day 11, December 13th: For Tweens - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages; Day 12, December 14th: Teenage Fun Gift Package; Day 13, December 15th: Health and Well being Gift Package; Day 14, December 16th: For Him Gift Package; Day 15, December 17th: For Her Gift Package; Day 16, December 18th: Family Night Gift Package
Head over and sign up, log in, enter to win! Mom Central is super! Thanks Mom Central!

Christmas gift guide! Plus a great giveaway...more to follow!

With Christmas coming up, you may be searching for ideas. I have a few suggestions of some great toys for a wide range of ages that I would like to share with you. The first one is Elmo Live! I wrote a description on this adorable, soft and fuzzy monster a few months ago (you can read about him here). This Elmo is like no other: He waves his arms, sits and stands, even crosses his legs, all the while telling stories and jokes, singing songs and playing games. Children can activate the magic with a tickle or a squeeze of Elmo’s foot, tummy, back or nose. He is approximately 1 foot tall, so he is pretty tall. I know he is a big hit with Elmo fans everywhere! He is retailing for $60 and will bring hours of fun! What a great interactive toy for our little ones! Elmo Live is a great gift to give to kids ages 18 months and up! Even adults will get a kick out of this little red guy!
Oompa Toys carries a great selection of toys for kids! One of the newest editions to their line is the "green toy" Cheekeyes wooden block sets! Cheekeyes won the prestigious Platinum Award for one of this year’s best preschool toys. Cheekeyes can only be found in the United States at online toy store OompaToys. These wooden toys are handmade in Sri Lanka, from the hands of Dutch designer Rogier van Zijp, with eco-friendly rubberwood. Painted with slight color, with a one-of-a-kind red cheek and painted eye (creating the name Cheekeyes) these sets are in different categories: Arctic, African, Forest, Farm and Dinosaurs. The sets come with 5 animals for $29.99 and you can buy trees and rocks (separately) to go with the animals. Cheekeyes are great for ages 3 and up. You will have the chance to enter to win a set (your choice) of Cheekeyes coming soon!
Playing cards and trading cards are really big right now for the elementary age kids! My son really enjoys the earth-friendly Xeko Mission card game! This is a 2 player card game that he can learn about conservation and the environment while he plays, plus he can be strategic with his moves! Xeko Mission: China is the newest edition of Xeko. This mission includes endangered animals like the Giant Panda, critically-endangered Snow Leopard, and the King Cobra. The Xeko Mission: China starter set comes packaged in a pagoda box decorated with animals from China’s habitats and dragon illustrations that capture the mysteries of ancient Chinese culture. The starter set retails for $24.99. Booster packs of 9 cards are available for $3.99. A new line of eco-friendly plush, the Xeko Pals, also debuted this fall. Each plush is based on the most popular characters from the Xeko eco-adventure game. The plush are made with soy and certified organic cotton “fur” and filled with soy-based stuffing. These new toys feature “mission codes” that allow kids to join the fun at xeko.com, where the Xeko adventure comes to life on the web. The most popular character from Mission: China is the Giant Panda and!retails for $19.99. I think this is a great educational and fun game geared for kids ages 8 and older. Great game to work on math and comprehension! You will also get the chance to win this game and Panda Plush valued at $45.00 total!
One big hit for those toddlers learning to go potty is the new toy from Mattel: Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Gotta Go Doll! This is a great toy to promote developmental and learning activities! The Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Gotta Go Doll includes a complete bathroom area where girls can help their doll learn to go potty and clean up. The Gotta Go Doll goes both “number 1” (and “number 2!”) on her very own small potty, but, unlike real toddlers, there is no mess and no water – just realistic sights and sounds! The doll can flush, knows to wash her hands and loves to do all the things a big girl does when she gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night. The bathroom area features potty, sink, towel and more. Available in Caucasian, African American and a Spanish speaking Hispanic version. Approximate retail price is $39.99 each and is geared toward ages 3 and up!
Everyone is raving about Organic Products these days, and the safety of toys for children. When I was introduced to the new cuddly (and quite adorable) Jooble plush characters, I was greatly impressed! Joobles are from the company Fair Indigo, started by a Mom, Dad and daughter. These adorable animals are made of organic cotton, by artisans in Peru under fair trade conditions. When I gave Madelyn her 11" Mooey Cow Jooble she just kept hugging her and saying, "Oh...Oh..." She is just tickled by the softness. I am so happy that I can rest assured that this plush is totally safe for my daughter to play with. Mooey Cow (as well as the other 8 Joobles) are made with cotton grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or other chemicals. The dyes are eco-friendly, too!
Retailing for just $29 each, Joobles can be found online at http://www.fairindigo.com/ or at specialty e-tailers like Oompa.com. There will be a giveaway for one of these amazing plush animals...keep reading!
Looking for a fun, and active game for your pre-teen-adult ages? Guitar Praise (by Digital Praise) is a fun and challenging CD-ROM game that includes a wireless guitar controller. This is the Christian version to the currently popular Guitar Hero. This game is for your Windows/Mac and is fun for the whole family. You can hook your computer up to your TV and enjoy this game on your big screen as well. Guitar Praise has over 50 tracks of songs with a wide variety of music. Some of the artists are: toby mac, Skillet, Petra, David Crowder, Kutless, Newsboys, Jennifer Knapp, Paul Baloche and more! There are onscreen lyrics (so you can sing along, too). You can unlock songs in sets of five as you play. You can also manipulate the guitar to score more points. Do your best to keep up, or the artists will stop the music on you. Keeping track of your high scores is fun, because you can keep the competition going strong, plus you can post your scores online to see where you are ranking. This game is a challenge, but it is a good one trying to master. You strum the guitar to the onscreen cues, press the fret buttons and you move up through 4 levels of difficulty. There are 5 buttons to make the chords. This game can be played with 2 players as long as you have 2 guitars. This game retails for $99.95. For one week only, Digital Praise is offering free shipping~ until December 7th enter FREESHIP as a discount code upon checkout.
I love playing games, and it is a great way for our family to have so much fun! We recently got Pictionary Man, the new game released from Mattel, and it is such a blast! I thought Pictionary was fun, but Pictionary Man brings in a whole new kind of fun! You get to draw on props to have people guess what you are drawing. With a dry erase marker, you can either draw on this man, rectangular prop, or a round prop. Once you draw on the 3 props, you can then act out using them. You can't talk, though! You get your clues from the bottom of the Pictionary Man's foot. There are 5 categories (people: character, celebrity, history; actions; titles: movie, music, TV; role play: occupations and pastimes; and miscellaneous) that the Pictionary man will randomly chose from. Sometimes you get a hint to give to your team mates, but not always. If your team is struggling to get those points, you can catch up in the challenge rounds. Retails for $34.99 and is for ages 14 and up. I think my son, who is 10, could play with...but some of the categories/ideas are a bit challenging. This is a super family game, and I highly suggest it~ especially if you love games! Another great game that I would highly suggest is the Apples to Apples game from Mattel! This game has been around a few years now, but it is still one that deserves to rank high on the top! We play this game a lot at our gatherings, especially Ladies Night Out!
This game is super for 4-10 people! Every round is different! Everyone gets a certain amount of cards dealt to them (depending on how many people are playing). It is a game of comparisons with a wide range of nouns and verbs, adjectives and superlatives. People, places, things and events get categorized with words. The card reader is the ultimate judge, and you never know what they will decide. This game is sure to produce laughter and tears! It is a game where you don't have to think to hard, and you can have a blast! Apples-to-Apples is perfect for any get together with family and friends. Approximate retail price is $24.99 geared for ages 12 and up. (There are also other versions of this game for other ages).Looking for another popular game for pre-teens? High School musical 3 DVD game would be a hit! High School Musical 3 DVD Game combines trivia, video clips, outtakes, songs and dances from both of the popular Disney Channel movies as well as the upcoming "High School Musical 3" theatrical release. Players compete in different categories and test their knowledge of the popular franchise, making the High School Musical 3 DVD Game a definitive performance-based game for all true HSM fans! This game has a DVD that you play along with, but also a game board to help keep score. Players can sing along to the songs, and find the missing lyric, dance the steps to figure out the right dance sequence, and guess which character said what. For ages 8 and up this game retails for $19.99.
Would you like to win one of these great gift ideas? Fair Indigo has offered to sponsor a giveaway for one of their adorable Jooble characters! This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To enter, you must go to the Fair Indigo site, and click on the tab About Fair Trade to learn what this term really means. Come back and tell me why you should care~ plus what character (by name) you would like to win . Feel free to leave a second choice, because you may not get the one you chose due to these adorable plush are handmade, so it depends on availability. You may come back each day and enter again after you do the first rule, just leave a comment about what other eco-friendly product you like. Click here to see how you can earn extra credits to win, and click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on December 10th, at 7:00 PM CST. GOOD LUCK!