Corolle Dolls have our hearts

Sponsored post basic disclosureCorolle Dolls is a brand that I will never grow out of. My love of the brand started in my own childhood when I grew up playing with their baby dolls and then later collecting their older dolls as a young girl.

Even well after I was done playing with dolls and had purged all my old stuffed animals, my old toys, and my once-sentimental items, I just couldn't get rid of those Corolle dolls I had loved so much. Instead, I packed them away and hoped that one day I would share this love of Corolle with my own children. I was thrilled when not just one, but both of my children gravitated towards the brand at a young age, and even more excited that they loved their dolls as much as I used to. Sleeping with CorolleIn fact, I think it would be fair to say that they love their Corolle dolls even more than I had as a child, which I never, ever thought was possible. Their babies are not treated merely as dolls, their babies are truly friends that go everywhere with them, sleep with them, and are part of nearly every game they play.

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Back to School shopping with Northgate Mall in Seattle

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Can you believe fall is just around the corner? It seems like just last week I was walking the kids to and from school each day, packing lunches, and taking them to and from extra curricular activities, but here we are again ready to start a new school year. While I don't love the idea of summer ending and sending my kids to school, I do really love going back to school shopping.

Northgate-mall-03Last week we headed out to Northgate Mall in Seattle to shop our favorite stores and check out all the new stores they have added this summer. With great clothing and gear for all ages, it just makes shopping for everyone so easy.

It truly is a one-stop shop, which is why it's one of our absolute favorite places to shop. And, with back to school sales signs in nearly every window, now is a great time to hit the mall! Back to school sales at Northgate

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Disney’s MUPPETS MOST WANTED on Blu-ray Combo Pack today!

Sponsored postIn our family, Kermit is a very big deal. He is part of nearly all of our vacations and our vintage Kermit puppet has travelled extensively around the US and even into Canada and Europe. Kermit on Bull in ChicagoAre you like us and can’t get enough Kermit? You’re in luck because the new movie Muppets Most Wanted has not one, but TWO Kermits! Okay, it technically only has one, but don’t tell Constantine, aka The World’s Number One Criminal, that we’re not buying his impersonation of our beloved Kermit.

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Keep summer boredom away with a DVD collection from NCircle

by Susan, editor and reviewer

It's no lie that our family enjoys watching TV together.  As a stay-at-home-mom of two active boys, we like to keep ourselves very busy with whatever we can; play-dates, walks to the park, gymnastics, tae kwon do, and even a living-room-destroying art project on occasion. Not to mention countless hours outside in the backyard dancing to our favorite songs. "Everything is AWESOME!!!" Boys playing outside at UWBut on those days when we're pooped, it's nice to cuddle with my boys and watch some TV together. And it's pretty amazing to watch my two littles get completely wrapped up into the stories unfolding in front of them. With an education background, I often prefer shows that {not to insult a certain sea dwelling yellow sponge} teach something. And many of the shows NCircle puts out educate my kids!

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Johnson’s shares their Promise To Baby

Sponsored post basic disclosureWhen I was expecting for the first time, my husband and I were beyond thrilled. We did all the first-time parent stuff like pregnancy journals, maternity pictures, and we busied ourselves getting ready for baby by decorating the nursery and washing all the little clothes.

One day, when we were dreaming of life with baby, my husband admitted that even more than little baby clothes and nursery decor, he was excited about the smell of Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Even though it had been a good 15+ years since I had used Johnson’s Baby products at that point, just the mention of the smell of the shampoo immediately brought me back. Johnson's Baby Shampoo

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The new good2grow drinks are good2go

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meets blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.Good2grow mom and kid approvedHave you seen the new good2grow drinks everywhere recently? I had coupons for them and was looking for weeks without any success, and then out of nowhere they appeared in nearly every grocery store I visit. We’re talking huge displays, full shelves of individual drinks with special character bottle caps, and refill packs in a variety of different flavors. Good2grow drinks being enjoyed

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Mission: Courage for starting school #PlanesToTheRescue

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. (#CollectiveBias) and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
Planes CourageThis is a big summer for us because the beginning of fall doesn't just mean my daughter goes back to school. This year, my son starts school as well. That means I've got exactly 2 months to prepare him mentally for the fact that he will soon be a big kid – the kind that has the courage to walk through the school doors without either parent a sibling.

This is happening, whether we’re ready or not. Going to school

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Summer project: Making a switch to natural ingredients

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. {#CollectiveBias} and its advertiser. All opinions on #FreshNaturally are mine alone.  A better routineLike most people, now more than ever I’m paying a whole lot more attention to the brands I purchase for my family. It’s really surprising when you start reading what’s in the things that you buy, and it’s even more surprising when over half of those ingredients are virtually unrecognizable. Making a switch to natural ingredients has been a goal of mine and I’ve recently made a huge effort to make it happen.

While I’ve still got a ways to go before I’m completely done with the transformation, I’ve made some huge progress in ridding my household of items with artificial colors and flavors, unnecessary fragrances, and preservatives. And, it really wasn’t that difficult at all, in fact, it was actually quite fun.

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Our Groovy Girls Sweet 16 Tea Party

Sponsored post Groovy Girls Sweet 16
We all want our daughters to grow up in a world where they are only limited by their own imaginations. Even in our fast-paced lifestyles, such a place still exists and it’s within the world of Groovy Girls. These colorful soft dolls are full of personality and spunk with a message to girls to be true to themselves.

This year the iconic Groovy Girls from Manhattan Toy Company are turning 16 and they are as big of a hit now as they were when they first arrived in toy stores all those years ago. In fact, Groovy Girls just won the prestigious Parents' Choice Award this year!

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Tadpool life vest from Exxel Outdoors keeps kids safe while learning to swim

Sponsored post basic disclosureMy daughter is a water baby. Ever since she was really little, I had to be very careful with her around the water because if I looked away for a half a second, she would be up to her neck in water – and that’s when we’re talking the cold Puget Sound water. Tadpool after swimmingFor this reason, we always make sure she’s always with us and in a lifejacket whenever she’s around the water, you just can’t be too careful. But, now that she’s learning to swim, we needed to find a solution that let her move freely while still keeping her safe.

The solution is Tadpool, a new PTPA Seal of Approval winner, that allows kids to learn how to swim in a way that feels natural while still keeping their heads above water. I was so thrilled when the package carrying our princess Tadpool PFD arrived at our door just in time for our family vacation full of water play.

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