kids Archives - Page 7 of 14

Be a brilliant gift-giver with Brilliant Sky Toys & Books

Are you as overwhelmed with toy shopping as I am? You’d think I would be good at it by this point considering I hear about toys even before they hit the market. But, sometimes even I have a child on my list that I have a really hard time buying for. Those times I’m very grateful for neighborhood toy stores with a diverse and eclectic mix of high quality toys that won’t be abandoned in just days for the next new fad.

Stores like Brilliant Sky Toys & Books offer that and more at their 17 locations {and counting}. By offering amazing and personalized service, and more than 10,000 high-quality specialty products, it allows you to “discover, experience, explore, interact, and enjoy” in a fun and relaxed environment.
But wait, before you get overwhelmed with the idea of 10,000 different products to choose from, you should know that Brilliant Sky understands how you feel. That’s why they announce their annual Brilliance Awards every year before the holiday season to make shopping that much easier for their guests.

The 5th annual Brilliance Awards were just announced and again I’m wowed by the amazing collection of toys and more that they have chosen to highlight. In fact, we own many of their top picks this year, and they are the ones we return to over and over again.

This year's 2014 award list features 12 products with price tags from $9.99 to $129.99 with most toys running about $24.99 to $29.99. And, with the exception of the Sphero 2.0, these picks are surprisingly low-tech and classic, which I know I appreciate. By using this brilliant list as a guide for all your holiday shopping you can be a brilliant gift-giver and do all your shopping quickly and easily.

Travel must-have for kids: The LeapPad3 learning tablet

My kids are pretty awesome travelers for the most part. They can handle short flights like pros and are the best road trip buddies on long car rides. But, as it turns out, they are pretty awful redeye international travelers. Go figure.

When I look back now, I can’t help but ask myself what I was thinking taking two small kids on packed overnight flights that included 4 airports, long layovers, no meals, and a trip through customs. Oh, and did I mention I am very pregnant and have a hard time getting comfortable in even the plushest digs?

Seriously. What on earth was I thinking?! Having taken dozens of flights with them before, some of them international and some of them redeye in which they handled themselves perfectly, I was clearly going into things far too cocky considering the itinerary and their ages.

Thank goodness our friends over at LeapFrog realized that even good travelers could use something to pass 14+ hours of travel and they sent us their newest tablets, the LeapPad3 to use on our way to #BeachesMoms Social Media on the Sand conference. I spent the night before our big trip loading up on learning software, TV shows, and music to put on the tablets in addition to our collection of software cartridges from our original LeapPad, and I’m so glad I did. This awesome show? This was my view during one of our shorter flights. Would you believe that she is rocking out to the old classic "Do you Know the Muffin Man"? Someone download this girl the Frozen sing-a-long, stat.

Corolle Dolls for your beach babies

Our vacations almost always include water, which isn't that surprising considering we're literally surrounded by water here in the northwest. We spend our summers with our toes in the sand, splashing in the sound, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The one problem with spending so much time at the beach is that there are certain things that just aren't beach-friendly, like electronics and toys with small parts. Thank goodness that Corolle dolls, which are one of my kids absolute favorite toys, are definitely water-ready, as long as you know which dolls to choose. Since the kids can't go on vacation without bringing a baby, I was really excited to learn that we already owned a few water-approved dolls in our Corolle nursery. Whether you go with the soft bodied Tidoo dolls or with Emma and Paul, there are multiple options for your beach babies to play down by the water, including some awesome water and sand accessories to really enhance the doll play.

We need your help to give kids a Childlike Summer

I partnered with The Motherhood and ConAgra Foods to help spread the word about a Hunger Free Summer, but all opinions are my own. I know I’ve said it before, but I love summer. The past few weeks have been a blur of playdates, farmer’s markets, library visits, and playing at our local parks. But, even with all this fun we’re having, I never forget how lucky we are.

Lucky because even though money is always a little tight with only one steady income, we never worry about whether we will go hungry. We have a well-stocked fridge and pantry, a small neighborhood co-op of small urban gardens that can provide anything we couldn’t afford otherwise at the grocery store, and we are able to give what we can to those less fortunate.

All kids deserve to have a Childlike Summer in which they don’t worry where the next meal will come from. If we all do our part and give what we can {whether it’s time, energy, money, food donations, or even simply watching this video below}, we really can make a difference for the children in our communities.

Simply view this video to find out more about child hunger this summer. Or, better yet, share the video so your friends can watch/share/like it as well. For each of these actions, the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America, up to two million meals*.

Disney Planes: Fire and Rescue is in theaters now

On the morning of my son’s third birthday, he came running into our bedroom to wake us up. He wasn’t wondering about cake or parties or even presents, what he really wanted to know was when he could be a fire fighter. When I explained to him that he had to be grown up – not just merely older – to fight fires, his face fell. I felt so bad for the little guy that I promised him that we would get him a fire fighter outfit and make him a fire engine so he could play fire fighter all day long. It’s been 9 months since then and his obsession with fire fighters has only grown, so as soon as I heard about Disney Planes: Fire and Rescue coming to theaters this summer, I knew I had to take him. He already had a deep love for Dusty from the first Disney Planes movie, so I was anticipating he would fall hard for the new film as well.

As it turns out, he loved it even more than I ever imagined. All week long, the kids have been fighting their own pretend fires at home while playing Planes: Fire and Rescue and I couldn’t be happier.

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.Have 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.

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

My 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. For 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.

The untold story of Disney’s Maleficent {review}

Growing up, I loved all things Sleeping Beauty. I loved the magic, the fairies, the wood cutter’s cottage, and the Sleeping Beauty castle. More importantly, I loved Maleficent. I think we can all agree that she’s one of the best Disney villains, but yet we knew almost nothing about her aside from her unique headwear and her disdain about not being invited to a baby shower. But why did she bestow such an awful gift on a helpless baby? Where does her hatred for Aurora come from? And why on Earth would she trust a crow to be her eyes and ears in going about her evil plans?

A sensory adventure with SentoSphere art and learning kits

This is going to come as a shock to anyone who knows how close my daughter and I are, but a few months ago I found it hard to bond with my sweet little girl. We spent most of the day together but sometimes it felt like we were so similar that we were constantly at odds. With the start of school and the addition of ballet and playdates there was a lot of hurry up and clean up and eat up and we’ve got to go, but not a whole lot of time to just sit and talk and enjoy each other. I realized I had to do something fast or this school year was going to be pretty awful for both of us, but I wasn’t sure what. It was then that I tried crafts and I realized that was going to be our saving grace. Crafting gave us a time to slow down, to relax, and for some reason, it made my girl open up. Crafting time told her she had my undivided attention – and she was going to make the most of it.

For that reason I am constantly on the lookout for crafts that we can do together, and I’ve found the perfect company to help me keep us both happy and connected. SentoSphere started in France creating high quality artistic and educational games, kits and toys but are now selling most of their lines in the States. Sure, we still do coloring books and doodling on some days, but other days we want something with a real wow factor, and that’s when we turn to SentoSphere.

Looking for fun on your trampoline? Look no further! This is the ultimate list of insanely fun activities and ideas you can do on your trampoline for kids and adult. From workouts and collaborative games to learning activities and creative play – there’s something for everyone!