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Help Prevent Spills with Muchie Mug

Having children doesn’t have to mean having a huge mess all of the time.  Yes, kids are messy.  Luckily though, there are products that can help reduce some of the messes children make.  When we got new carpet in our basement we vowed never to let our kids have snacks downstairs.  That rule didn’t last long.  It morphed into something like “only dry snacks like cheerios and crackers”- nothing a vacuum can’t handle.  Those things still make messes but something called a Munchie Mug helps keep snacks from getting spilled (or dumped) on the floor which means less clean up for Mom and Dad.

Munchie Mug features:

  • Spill Resistant Snacking for Car or Home
  • Soft Fabric Opening for Sensitive Little Hands
  • Secure Screw on Top with Easy Grip Handle
  • Top Rack Dishwasher Safe
  • Made in the USA. BPA and phthalate free. FDA food grade compliant materials

Now snacking at home or on-the-go can be enjoyed with less mess so when the kids say “Snack please, Mommy!” you can smile instead of cringe when you hand over their munchies.

Let’s Talk Kids Pajamas

There’s something so cute about kids in pajamas.  Maybe it’s that we know that some peace and quite is in the foreseeable future.  Or maybe it’s just that they look so sweet and innocent all snuggled up in a cozy pair of pjs.  Footed sleepers, especially the fleece ones in the winter, are great for the cooler seasons.  That is, until your child is potty trained.  After that, no matter how cute they look, they just aren’t practical anymore.  Then it’s time for big kid jammies!  Don’t worry- they will still look adorable in a pair of pajama pants with the matching collared button down top (like the Star Wars ones from Pottery Barn pictured above).

Snuggle up with your kids and enjoy some quality time with them before bed- they’ll be all grown up before you know it!

Natural Dentist Groovy Grape Toothpaste Sparkles


February is Children’s National Dental Health Month.  It’s perfect timing too.  Just think of all the sweet chocolate goodies, lollipops and Conversation Hearts that your child might be gobbling up this month. Makes you want to go out and buy the whole family new toothpaste and toothbrushes doesn’t it?

Have no fear, Natural Dentist is debuting their newest flavored kids toothpaste, Cavity Zapper Groovy
Grape right now.  Sparkling and purple in color Groovy Grape joins Berry Blast in the Natural Dentist kid’s dental health arsenal.  This kid approved brand is safe, effective and the best of science meets nature.  Groovy Grape and Berry Blast taste great and they are sparkly too.  Mica, a naturally forming mineral, gives it that shine while beet and tomato create the fun pink and purple colors.  Even better is that Natural Dentist products do not contain any dyes, alcohol,  harsh chemicals, detergents, or artificial ingredients.  These things can irritate young teeth and gums.

Add Natural Dentist’s Groovy Grape Cavity Zapper toothpaste and its accompanying Cavity Zapper Fluoride rinse to your shopping list today and know that your child’s teeth are protected and safe from this month’s onslaught of candy.

Tell Her She’s Sweet with Neff’s Cupcake Beanie


Neff is known for creating stylish and practical cold weather sportswear typically found on the ski slopes, surf or sand.  Their Cupcake Beanie has all the warmth and style you love from Neff as well as a bit of whimsy.

Available in three flavors- chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, I mean colors, the Cupcake beanie hat is one size fits all, 100% acrylic and very affordable.  It is completely adorable too.  Each hat has complimentary colored sprinkles adorning it, a ribbed cupcake wrapper hem and balled edging that looks like decorative frosting.  The whole hat is topped off with a knit cherry pom on top.  Cute as a button you will surely stand out on the slopes or just jetting around town.  It works for women and teens and has even been worn by some of the women on the television show, The View.

A chilly winter weather staple the beanie hat style looks great on almost everyone.  The Neff Cupcake Beanie makes a sweet gift for someone you cherish or as another addition to your own wintry gear.

Cupcake in vanilla-

Melissa & Doug Bake and Decorate Cupcakes


While shopping for my daughter’s fourth birthday presents I found this sweet treat of a play food set.  Melissa & Doug have always created top of the line wooden toys, especially ones that can be found in the grocery store but this cupcake set blows their Velcro-topping pizza off the party table.

The entire multi-use set includes four wooden cupcakes, a wooden baking pan, decorative wooden candles with play flames, icing tops and an oven mitt.  Best of all the cupcake toppers and icing tubes work together for some unique baking fun.  Each cupcake topper is wipe-off while the icing pens are actually dry erase markers.  There are four dry erase colors included in this play set.  Your child will have hours of fun decorating and redecorating these cupcakes alone or while sharing them with their friends.  This set is ideal for birthdays and tea parties alike.

The Melissa & Doug cupcake play set is great for children ages three to eight.  It makes a wonderful gift because the set is durable, fun and it is the same consistently high quality toy that parents have come to love from Melissa & Doug.

Maestro Classics- The Tortoise and the Hare


Maestro Classics is a wonderful way to share and explore the world of music and classic storytelling with your child.  This fable is the eighth audio release from Stories and Music CD series.  The award-winning story of the Tortoise and the Hare is told through the use of narrator and symphony orchestra.

Conductor and Composer Stephen Simon has created an original score for this CD while the London Philharmonic Orchestra provides the music.  What I really love about this edition from Maestro Classics is that it includes six supplemental tracks, information about how the music was composed including information about the tale and an original Dixieland rendition of a fun song called the, “Pretzel Vendor of Paris.” There is a family sing-along and a 24-page activity book that has beautiful illustrations by children’s book illustrator Renee Andriani too.

All of Maestro Classics CD’s are educational and fun.  The Tortoise and the Hare is a timeless story that teaches children a valuable lesson about patience and kindness.  It teaches children how to hone their listening skills, the importance of listening and doing something together as a family as well as gathering musical memories.  I still remember hearing Peter and the Wolf as a first-grader.  Your child and your whole family will love Maestro Classics.

Valentine’s Mailboxes for Classroom Card Exchanges

Valentine’s is a fun event for children, and most all schools and day cares celebrate it in one way or another. I know that my preschooler loves to receive mail and likes to play post office as well. So, needless to say she is very excited at the concept of exchanging Valentine’s Day cards with her classmates. This year she is making cards for her classmates with pink paper cards, white paper doilies, and various heart related rubber stamps, tissue paper squares and glitter glue. We are doing a few each day, and once she gets bored her nanny or I end up getting into the act.

Where will all of these little Valentine’s cards go in the classroom? I asked myself. When I was a kid, our teachers taped a paper bag onto the back of our chairs. Today, Valentine’s is much more elaborate, as I spotted some adorable child-sized Valentine’s mail boxes created to be used for card exchanges.

Here are my picks, featured above from upper left, clockwise: K&Company KA-ZOO VALENTINE Valentine Mailbox Kit – Frog or Dog, $5.09 at StopandScrap.com, Ladybug Love Valentine Mailbox, $16.99 at Christmasandholidaydecor.com, Red Felt Children’s Valentine’s Mailbox Chair Backer/Backpack w/Name Embroidery $28.99 at arealcraftychick at Etsy.com

Save on your purchases with Coupon Codes from Oriental Trading Company from TheFind.com’s coupon site

My Pretty Valentine: Gifts for Girls

Some significant others need a little push in the right direction when it comes to gift giving, especially for Valentines Day. It seems to be a little intimidating and they aren’t sure what your expectations are. Help them out a little and send them here for some ideas:

  • Chocolate scented bath fizzy- a hot bath and chocolate? Calgon, take me away!
  • A diamond ring- diamonds are a girls best friend after all, right?
  • Flowers- If you can’t have diamonds, flowers delivered to you should make your girlfriends jealous and brighten your day
  • Candy- Yes, it’s cliche but I for one won’t turn down sweets any day of the year!
  • Luxury vacation- Hey, one can dream, right?

Gifts are great, but really the holiday is about celebrating your love for one another.  Make sure to tell your significant other how much you love and appreciate them.  It’s easy to forget to do that on a day-to-day basis but Valentines Day is a good reminder to take the time to really express your love.  Enjoy the day!

Sandra Boynton Books: Quirky & Whimsical

Sandra Boynton got her start designing greeting cards however, you probably know her as the much loved author of children’s books.  Her whimsical and quirky illustrations along with silly stories make her books a huge hit among the youngster crowd.  In fact, three of her books made the Publishers Weekly All Time Best Selling Children’s Books list.  Over 20 million copies of her books have been sold.

A few of my personal favorites:

  • Belly Button Book!- a board book about a bunch of hippos who love to bare their bellies at the beach.  The littlest of which calls it’s belly button “beebo”.
  • Barnyard Dance- a wacky barnyard crew that includes a fiddle playing cow and a pig twirling a sheep, will make your kids want to hop up and dance.
  • Snuggle Puppy- the perfect year-round Valentine from parent to child and great bedtime story.  “OOO, Snuggle Puppy of mine! Everything about you is especially fine. I love what you are. I love what you do. Fuzzy little Snuggle Puppy, I love you.”

If you and your kids haven’t experienced Boynton’s books, what are you waiting for?

ThinkFun Games: A Spin on Classics That Encourage Creative Thinking

ThinkFun games are easy to learn and play yet they encourage creative thinking and challenge young minds to push themselves to their full potential.ThinkFun’s award winning games are available in an assortment of skill levels and interests.  Many of their games are twists on classics such as Bingo and Memory.  For example, S’match is a spin on the classic Memory game . It includes a spinner that determines which type of match the player should make.  The spinner lands on numbers, colors, or category.  Each memory piece has a color and one or two items from categories such as vehicles or animals.  So, not only does the child exercise his or her memory but they practice their numbers, colors and ability to group common items together.

Having fun is a great way to learn.  That philosophy  is what ThinkFun’s games are based on.  You can count on all of their games to be a fun and engaging way to occupy your child’s time.

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