Go Graham Go: Parenting | Recipes | DIY | Brand Ambassador | Product Reviews | NC Mom Blog

Friday Five: Valentines Crafts for Kids

2012-01-27T00:04:00.000-05:00

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought today would be the perfect day for a Friday Five that was all about Valentines Crafts! Here are some favorites from Go Graham Go as well as a few from across the web. Have fun!

Baked Valentine Paper Craft

Candy Airplane Valentine

DIY Personalized Candy Holder Valentine {or pencil holder}

Super Hero Valentine Suckers

Source: zakkalife.blogspot.com via Felicia on Pinterest

I "CEREALsly" Like You!

Source: bestfriendsforfrosting.com via Felicia on Pinterest

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All in a Day's Work by Kelly Florio Kasouf

2012-01-27T00:03:00.001-05:00

My girls love to read stories. We go to the library every week and return home with loads of picture books filled with inspiring characters and gorgeous illustrations. They are so excited to pore over the pages and imagine themselves in the story.

A new book just released by Kelly Florio Kasouf allows your child to do just that. All in a Day's Work follows Sophie on fun-filled adventures in her father's office. While her father is busy at work in the fashion industry, Sophie explores new worlds on every floor that the office building elevator takes her. Each time the door opens, Sophie learns something new about cultures, tries on fabulous couture ensembles, or learns the ins and outs of the fashion life. Despite a whirlwind, exhilarating day exploring her father's office, Sophie realizes she is happiest and has the most fun when she is with her family.

I loved that this book had bit of a history, cultural, and fashion lesson entwined in each page. I was blown away by the whimsical and imaginative illustrations by Judit Garcia-Talavera--they are seriously beautiful and capture your attention--I know, for sure, despite my daughters' young ages, they would love to examine each page for the fun details. From my standpoint, I did find it a bit materialistic--I wasn't even familiar with all the fashionistas and couture clothing houses Kasouf dropped in her book! Thankfully, though, the book ended on a high note when it highlighted the importance and meaning of family.

While All in a Day's Work seems a bit mature for my oldest (3.5 years old), I could see her enjoying it in a year and embracing Sophie's imaginative brain. She most likely would get a lot more out of the book's app (sold on iTunes for just $0.99!). The book is currently sold in Barneys and on Amazon for $29.99.

After stints of living in the Midwest, Northeast, and England, the Monkey's Mama (AKA Allie) currently resides in Atlanta with her wonderful husband of 7 years, "J". Together they have three daughters.

The Monkey's Mama takes great joy in being a Christian Stay-at-Home-Mama. In her spare time, she loves to run and race competitively for her local track club, read mystery novels, and walk her cats Churchill and Thatcher outside on leashes!

You can find her on twitter @monkeysonthebed.

Allie was sent a PDF of the book in order for review. These are her honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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NEW Medela Calma Feeding Bottle Review

2012-01-26T00:04:00.001-05:00

Bottle, breast, or both? Can you have both? We did and still do! My husband travels a lot so we decided that he should feed the current baby in the house a bottle on the nights he was home. I really do think this bottle feeding ritual helped (and is helping) my girls better bond with their daddy. Bonus: it also helped them establish a bedtime routine faster--they knew that when they received a bottle it was their last feeding of the day and almost time for bed!

I've been a Medela mom since my first was born nearly three and a half years ago. I've only used their breast pumps and supplies and have had nothing but the best results. I loved using Medela so much that I even signed up to be a part of their test product panel. Three years ago I was sent an innovative bottle to try with my oldest daughter (about 6-months at the time). She loved it and took right to it and I was really disappointed when I had to return it.

With my third daughter just 2-months old, I started thinking about that product we tested for Medela so long ago--I really wanted her to get into the same routine as her older two sisters since it worked so flawlessly for them!

She transitioned to a bottle of expressed breastmilk at night seamlessly and I'm happy to report she sleeps 10 hours at night! During the day, however, she doesn't really like a bottle which doesn't bode well for her long-term bottle career. Imagine my surprise, though, when Medela contacted Go Graham Go! to see if we would be interested in reviewing the very product I tested years ago. I could not wait to see the newly-released Calma feeding bottle and try it with my newborn.

The Calma bottle is vastly different than a normal bottle that you'd find in a babystore. I've found that most of those bottle manufacturers are concerned about gas reduction, milk flow, and nipple size and not at all concerned about the similarity between your breast and the bottle and the transition process that requires.

The Calma changes all that. The uniquely designed "teat" is a three-part system based on years of research. It is simple to assemble and prepare for each feeding. With a vacuum-like quality very similar to the breast, the Calma teat only allows milk to flow when the baby is feeding from it. My daughter pauses in her feeding a lot and then resumes with gusto following her little break--unlike the other bottle we use that gushes out without stopping for a natural nursing pause which is a nice change of pace (literally). The Calma bottle properties allows your baby to maintain their natural feeding behavior that they learned breastfeeding and helps facilitate the transition to and from the breast and bottle. The Calma bottle comes with one nipple teat that lasts through your child's entire nursing career. You can choose a bottle in two different sizes

While everything I've read and watched on the Calma bottle makes sense to me, it, unfortunately, does not work so well with my daughter--I'm bound and determined to keep trying with her, though! Obviously every baby is different and I highly recommend that you try this bottle if you're looking for a new solution in your family! With all the research that went into this great bottle, you are bound to find a child who takes to it quickly and easily.

This product was provided free of charge to Allie by Medela. These are her honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Giveaways Galore {1/26} Come link up and browse

2012-01-26T00:01:00.001-05:00

Make sure to check out the Giveaway Linky List to promote your giveaways on other blogs!
Head over to Jolly Mom for even more!

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Wordless Wednesday: The Joys of Boys...

2012-01-25T00:04:00.001-05:00

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$10 Thermal Totes from Thirty-One {$100 Gift Card Giveaway} #ThirtyOne

2012-01-25T00:01:00.014-05:00

If you have not been introduced to Thirty-One I hope you have the opportunity very soon to either pick up a catalog or attend a party. Better yet, why not just head over to the website and start browsing now? Wait, before you go, let me fill you in on a few sales and offer one of you $100 to spend there! Sounds good right?!

I was introduced to Thirty-One last year when a friend of mine brought over a catalog. At first I was hesitant and brushed it aside as just "another" at home party to attend, but when I opened the catalog I was impressed and excited about the products being offered. Once I found out the meaning behind the name I was even more excited.

The name Thirty-One comes from the verses of Proverbs 31 in the Bible that celebrates the busy, hardworking wife, mother, friend, daughter and sister in all of us. Thirty-One recognizes women for who they are and all they do for their families and their communities!

Organizing Utility Tote

With that being said, I currently own a wallet from Thirty-One and have been admiring all of my friends lovely bags. The secretary in our office has the Organizing Utility Tote ($25) that she had monogrammed with her initials. I am in love with it because she can store everything she needs, find it quickly and carry it as her purse! One of my best friends has the Thermal Tote (currently $10) for her preschool aged daughter's lunch box. Not only is it big enough to carry plastic containers, but it is adorable with her name on the outside. The exterior is an easy to wash Nylon and it is lined with foil to keep food the perfect temperature. You can choose from 14 different patterns for the Thermal Tote. Make sure to check out the entire Thirty-One Spring Catalog.

Special January Sale Not to Miss!
From now until 1/31 you can purchase the Thermal Tote for only $10 and the Cinch It for only $20. What a wonderful Valentine's Day gift or maybe purchase ahead for end of the year teacher's gifts. I really have never met anyone who did not like Thirty-One and all of their options. Don't forget, you can have the items personalized which makes gift giving even more special.

Become a Consultant
If you have every thought about adding to your family's income, this could be a fun way to do it. Some women participate to have money for extras while others have made Thirty-One a career. To get started it takes a $99 investment to receive about $300 worth of products.

Now one very lucky Go Graham Go reader will win a $100 gift card to spend at Thirty-One! Here's How:

1. Head over to Thirty-One, browse the catalog and leave a comment here telling me what you would buy if you won the gift card. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each):

2. Blog about this giveaway and link to www.thirtyonegifts.com and www.gograhamgo.com and leave the link to your post in the comment.

3.Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email or reader (RSS) Only verified email addresses will be counted (check your inbox if you choose the email route).

4. One Extra Entry Per Day: Follow Thirty-One and Go Graham Go on Twitter and Tweet about this daily. Make sure to leave your twitter name in your comment.

5. If you already "Like" Thirty-One and Go Graham Go on Facebook you've earned an additional entry. Leave your Facebook name in the comment.

6. Add the Go Graham Go button to your sidebar (html on the right)

7. Stumble this post (the post,not the site). Just click on the third icon on the bottom of this post that looks like a world and has an SU on it!

This giveaway ends 2/7 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.

This post was sponsored by Thirty-One. These are my honest opinions. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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DIY Personalized Candy Holder Valentines

2012-01-24T00:04:00.000-05:00

I have seen this idea so many times all over Pinterest that I am not even sure who to give credit to! I keep running across the photos, so if you are the originator of this idea then by all means, send me the link to your blog post. If you are looking for a quick, cheap and easy way to create your own Valentines then this is the way to go! Not to mention, mine were FREE! That's right. If you have never used the photo account at CVS then you automatically receive 25 free 4x6 prints!

Personalized Candy Holder Valentines

What you will need:

Photo of your child holding their arm out (as if holding a stick)
Suckers of choice
X-acto knife
Photoshop or you can use Picnik.com (which is sadly shutting down in April)

Instructions:

Once you have a photo of your child holding their arm out you are going to want to put some personalizations on the card. You can use your photoshop or photo editing program or you can use Picnik.com which is free (until April). I added hearts, borders, "Happy Valentine's Day" and "Love, Graham". Make sure to resize the pixels of your picture so that they work with a 4x6 photo (1800 x 1200 pixels). Print these out in a 4x6 size. I received free prints by opening a CVS photo account. Once the photos are printed just use your X-acto knife to cut two slits at the top and bottom of the hand in the picture. Insert your sucker and you are good to go!

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Flower Girl World: Books and Tips for Girls

2012-01-24T00:02:00.000-05:00

I remember one of my biggest dreams when I was a little girl was to be a flower girl in someone's wedding. Unfortunately, that never happened for me. Maybe that's why I decided to have 2 in my own! Of course, I have two little boys, but I wanted to share this with my readers who have little girls of their own.

Flower Girl World is an entire site dedicated to the honor of being a flower girl. Your little girl will love the sweet picture book Camellia the Fabulous Flower Girl whether she is planning on being in a wedding or not. The illustrations are simple and bright and the story is fun and all about Camellia's take on being a flower girl. There are 6 total flower girl characters to choose from that each have their own unique personalities. So, you can choose what fits best for your child: Ballerina, Fashion Model, Cowgirl, Detective, Arts and Crafts, and the Entertainer.

Check out Flower Girl World for fun tips for parents, flower girls, brides and more. You can also purchase the Flower Girl World books, shirts and celebration kits. The hardcover Camellia the Fabulous Flower Girl book starts at $16.99.
This product was provided free of charge. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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16 Personalized Valentine's Cards with Purchase of My Very Own books

2012-01-23T15:44:00.000-05:00

If you love the My Very Own personalized books from I See Me then it is wonderful time to buy! From now until January 30th when you order a My Very Own personalized book your child will receive 16 Personalized Valentines free! They match up with the book you choose and feature your child's name. You have only one week to get in on this offer so act fast!

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Stinky Bug Scratch and Sniff Valentines from Peaceable Kingdom

2012-01-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

With Valentine's Day only 3 weeks away, the race is on to come up with fun craft ideas, yummy treats and of course, Valentines!

Peaceable Kingdom is a company we love to feature because we believe in what they are doing. If you have happened upon any of their games in stores like Barnes and Noble, you will quickly see why they are set apart from the crowd. This company focuses on not only educating our children, but helping build their character. So, when I found out they also offered some unique Valentines I really wanted to share them with you!

Check out Graham's impression of the Valentines!

We were sent the Stinky Bug Valentines for review last week. Not only does Peaceable Kingdom offer these scratch and sniff cards, but there are many other creative Valentines to choose from on their website. The Stinky Bug Valentines come in a box of 28 with 4 different styles. Each card features one of the Stinky Bugs doing messy things and includes a scratch and sniff spot! Graham says they smell like coconuts, but I am here to tell you they smell like onions! I also found that the smell sort of lingers, so just be prepared when you start to scratch them. It is absolutely hilarious and I know that the kids at Graham's preschool are going to get a kick out of these this year {especially the boys}!

You can purchase the Stinky Bug Valentines for only $13 from the Peaceable Kingdom website. Envelopes are also included.

This product was provided free of charge by Peaceable Kingdom. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle Review {Giveaway}

2012-01-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

When you are thinking about baby carriers there are so many different options. It all really comes down to your price range and the specifications you are looking for (how long you will use it, where you will use it, and your physical build). The new BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle is definitely one worth looking into with new added features like the waist belt for added support and the extra soft and durable fabric. Because Davis has moved on from his baby carrier days, I had a dear friend test this carrier out for me. She was already a BabyBjorn fan with her original carrier, so I knew she could give the Miracle a great comparison. Here is what Nichole had to say:

Nichole and the BabyBjorn Miracle

The original carrier

I was so excited to get to use the BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle in the soft cotton mix! I use the Babybjorn Baby Carrier Original Spirit almost everyday (in pink of course for my girly girl) and we both love it! The Miracle has a waist belt that is intended to distribute the weight better so I wanted to see the difference between the two styles.
I wore the Miracle around all week while I was cleaning the house and running errands and I love how it distributes the weight of my 9 month old. She was comfortable the whole time in it and her weight didn't make me tired. The advantage that it has over the Original Spirit is the waistbelt because it does help a little with the weight. The disadvantage is that it is a bit bulkier because of the extra band and so I had straps that I wasn't sure what to do with once it was on and tightened and it was a bit more cumbersome to put on for a quick trip into the store.
The Miracle would be perfect for a walk while the Spirit is great for running quick errands and taking sweet baby in and out. I know one thing for sure though, Carter and I love our Babybjorn Carriers and would not be the shoppers that we are without them!

The new BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle Soft Cotton Mix is available in two different colors: black/silver and black/purple. You can pick up the carrier for about $150. If there is one thing I know, it is that a quality baby carrier is not something you want to skimp on. Go ahead and spend the extra money on one and cut costs somewhere else for baby gear.

Now one Go Graham Go reader will win a BabyBjorn Baby Carrier Miracle! Here's How:

1. Head over to BabyBjorn and leave a comment here telling me a product you see you like other than the Miracle. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each):

2. Blog about this giveaway and link to www.babybjorn.com and www.gograhamgo.com and leave the link to your post in the comment.

3.Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email or reader (RSS) Only verified email addresses will be counted (check your inbox if you choose the email route).

4. One Extra Entry Per Day: Follow BabyBjorn and Go Graham Go on Twitter and Tweet about this daily. Make sure to leave your twitter name in your comment.

5. If you already "Like" BabyBjorn and Go Graham Go on Facebook you've earned an additional entry. Leave your Facebook name in the comment.

6. Add the Go Graham Go button to your sidebar (html on the right)

7. Stumble this post (the post,not the site). Just click on the third icon on the bottom of this post that looks like a world and has an SU on it!

This giveaway ends 2/6 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.

This product was provided free of charge by BabyBjorn. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Giveaways Galore {1/19}! Come link up and browse

2012-01-19T00:04:00.000-05:00

Make sure to check out the Giveaway Linky List to promote your giveaways on other blogs!

Head over to Jolly Mom for even more!

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Wordless Wednesday: Shoot for the moon...

2012-01-18T00:04:00.000-05:00

It's a New Year and I continue to be inspired by women around the blogosphere who are leaping out and trying new and bold things, the students I work with who keep going even in the most unthinkable situations and the family who loves me and supports all that I do. I found this quote at Barnes and Noble around Christmas time, but I'm feeling like it needed to be shared today. Maybe this one was for you?

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Check Your Teens Facebook Privacy Settings

2012-01-18T00:03:00.002-05:00

First of all, I have to say that the teenage girls class I teach for Sunday School is awesome! I recently discovered a little more about them as I browsed their Facebook pages last weekend. You see, I have this policy where I will not "friend" them on Facebook until they have graduated from high school. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is because I work in the school system and that just seems like the ethical thing to do. Many other counselors friend students on Facebook... but I just can't bring myself to do it... yet.

With that said, let me get on with what I found. Because I am not friends with any of these young ladies on Facebook I should NOT have been able to see their walls and personal info. Wrong. Parents, I urge you to check you teens Facebook privacy settings asap. I was amazed at the amount of girls who had not touched their settings.

Picture from Microsoft Clip Art

How Do I Check?
If you are on Facebook and are "friends" with your child then you are going to need to log out and access their page. If you are not on Facebook then you only need to access their page. Once you are there take a look around. Do you like what you see? Hopefully you can see little to nothing. If you can see their "wall" and everything they are saying, personal info, etc then you need to have them hop on their account and make some changes. For those of you saying, "It's their page. I don't want to invade their privacy." Believe me when I say that everyone else is invading their privacy. They are still your children and still need your protection. Guide them. Help them. Be a parent.

Off my soapbox now.

How Do I Change the Privacy Settings?
On the top right corner you will see your child's picture and name. Beside the name is "Home" and beside that is a drop down arrow. Simply click the arrow and select "Privacy Settings". From there you will be taken to a list of options. I would suggest choosing the "Custom" option and going through each and every setting to select the privacy features you want enabled. Just click on the "Edit Settings" option beside each category. This is going to be a little time consuming, but well worth it.

Once you feel like you have cleaned things up log out again and view your child's page. What does it look like? It should be a lot more restrictive. If you are not happy with something simply log back in and edit the settings again.

Why is this Important?
Well, there are the obvious safety reasons, but beyond that, Facebook is slowly becoming the number 1 source of bullying among school aged children. I think text messaging is a close tie for first place. It is amazing how brave kids become when they are behind a phone or computer screen typing rather than talking. The reality is that society is becoming more social media oriented and our children and navigating the waters much earlier than we did. Honestly, they probably know way more than we do! So, just like you would want to make sure your child was wearing their seat belt or looking before they crossed the street you need to make sure they are protected online.

Now, everyone... go check your teens Facebook! {PS. If your child is under the age of 13 they should not even have an account}. Check out the Information for Parents provided by Facebook.

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Valentine Sheep Craft for Preschoolers

2012-01-17T00:04:00.001-05:00

This idea was inspired by Kids Craft Weekly. I knew that when I originally saw this it would be a fun craft for anytime, but with Valentine's Day right around the corner, what a fun way to celebrate! You could even fill the sheep with candy and give to friends. The best part is that you probably have most of these items on hand in your house. I love crafts that don't involve me heading to the craft store to purchase 45 different things.

Valentine Sheep Craft

Materials Needed:

one toilet paper roll
several cotton balls
4 q-tips
one black pipe cleaner
hot glue or craft glue
tissue paper, toilet paper or paper towel
black sharpie marker
red construction paper

Instructions:

Using an empty toilet paper roll, hot glue 4 q-tips to the roll in order to create legs. TIP: make sure to angle the legs so that they look a little more realistic.
Determine which end is going to be the head and start gluing cotton balls onto the toilet paper roll. Make sure to leave the opening for the head and glue cotton balls on top of each other on the back to close it in. I even added one extra in the middle for a tail!
Bunch up your tissue or toilet paper and stick inside the toilet paper roll in order to create a face.
Draw eyes on with the black sharpie
Cut the pipe cleaner in half and roll each to look like horns. Attach to the top of the cotton balls above the head.
Cut a heart out of your red construction paper and write "I love Ewe" or maybe your child's name.

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Quib: Four Sided Bib from Bebe au Lait {Quib and Nursing Cover Giveaway}

2012-01-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

I've just been introduced to my new favorite bib! Quib comes from the Lille collection from Bebe au Lait. If you are a nursing mother then you are probably very familiar with the brand. If you are an expecting mother then you must know that there is a reason why the Bebe au Lait nursing cover made the Go Graham Go Ultimate Baby Registry Guide! Make sure you check out all of my picks for nursing moms. With that said, let me tell you about your toddler's new best friend, Quib.

We were sent the Quib for review and myself and even my mother-in-law have been impressed with the innovation and quality. If you have ever experienced feeding a toddler you know that there are about 20 different variables involved. It is not like you can just sit down and have a pleasant dinner! You have to make sure you have the right utensils, strap in their squirmy bodies, get the food cooled, try to affix a bib without them taring it off and then begin the messy battle. This mess generally ends up in several different bibs or wiping them down constantly (Or maybe you have a baby that is not messy. If so, don't tell us). Davis is one of those toddlers that really could care less for a bib, but he hesitantly put on the Quib. At first he tried removing it, but after I put it back on he left it on.

Goldfish anyone? Good thing we have three more sides!

What makes the Quib so different from other bibs is that it actually has 4 usable sides. When you spend your $14 for your Quib you are really getting 4 bibs! Inside the Quib is a magnet that attaches it together on the bib portion. Simply open the Quib and flip it around to reveal 2 brand new sides. From there you can over lap the bibs differently in order to use all 4. It really is a cool concept that I wish I would have thought of!

You can purchase the Quib in 5 different stylish designs for $14 (would you expect anything less from Bebe au Lait?). What a wonderful baby shower gift idea!

Now one lucky Go Graham Go reader will win a Quib and a Bebe au Lait Nursing Cover! Here's How:

1. Head over to Bebe au Lait and leave a comment here telling me an item you see you like. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each):

2. Blog about this giveaway and link to bebeaulait.com and www.gograhamgo.com and leave the link to your post in the comment.

3.Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email or reader (RSS) Only verified email addresses will be counted (check your inbox if you choose the email route).

4. One Extra Entry Per Day: Follow Bebe au Lait and Go Graham Go on Twitter and Tweet about this daily. Make sure to leave your twitter name in your comment.

5. If you already "Like" Bebe au Lait and Go Graham Go on Facebook you've earned an additional entry. Leave your Facebook name in the comment.

6. Add the Go Graham Go button to your sidebar (html on the right)

7. Stumble this post (the post,not the site). Just click on the third icon on the bottom of this post that looks like a world and has an SU on it!

This giveaway ends 1/31 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.

This product was provided free of charge by Bebe au Lait. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Crock Pot Mexican Lasagna {recipe}

2012-01-16T00:04:00.002-05:00

I have been eyeballing this recipe from Weelicious for quite some time! Of course, anything in the crock pot is right up my alley because I can just throw it in and go. And anything that is Mexican is great for my husband so this was the perfect combination. I am happy to report that even the kids gobbled this up. I was worried that it may be to spicy for Davis but he loved it! Score! This is also another great way to sneak in veggies if that is an issue in your household.

Again, the original recipe came from Weelicious which is a must see site if you have never been. This is just my take on her original which leaves out a few items and steps.

Crock Pot Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb
ground beef
1 tsp
ground cumin
1 tsp
salt
1/2 tsp
chili powder
1
egg
1/2 cup
fat free sour cream
1 cup
carrots (peeled and grated)
1 cup
frozen or fresh corn kernels (need to defrost if frozen)
1/4 cup
cilantro (chopped fine)
12
corn tortillas
2 cups
shredded cheese (mexican blend)
2 16 oz
jars of mild, chunky salsa

Cooking Directions

Brown ground beef over medium heat.
Add cumin, salt and chili powder and simmer for a few minutes.
Place your meat mixture aside to cool.
Whisk the egg and sour cream together in a separate bowl.
Add the meat mixture, cilantro, carrots and corn and mix well.
Spread one cup of salsa on the bottom of the crock pot.
Layer tortillas across the bottom of the crock pot until the bottom is completely covered. You can tare them in order to make them fit.
Pour half of the meat mixture over the tortillas and top with 1 cup of salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Add another layer of tortillas and pour the remaining meat mixture on top.
Add another half cup of cheese on top of the meat mixture.
Add another layer of tortillas.
Pour the remaining salsa on top and cover with 1 cup of cheese.
Cook on low for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Fore more recipes head to: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and Blessed with Grace.

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Giveaways Galore {1/12}! Come link up and browse

2012-01-12T00:04:00.000-05:00

Make sure to check out the Giveaway Linky List to promote your giveaways on other blogs!

For more giveaways head over to Jolly Mom!

Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email as well as follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest!

Wordless Wednesday: Just another day captured by Instagram...

2012-01-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

Love coffee and NC!

Spotted this on our way to pick up new pants for Graham

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal in the Crock Pot for breakfast

Buddy Fruit applesauce, Grilled Chicken Nuggets from Chickfila for lunch

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A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures DVD {Giveaway}

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a cute new movie to add to your DVD collection, you need to check out A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures. We were sent a copy for review just before Christmas and it has been viewed many times since then!

Not only is the story adorable, but it puts the message of conservation and what is happening in our world on a level that kids can understand. It has started many conversations between myself and Graham about how and why we should take care of our Earth.

A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventure takes you from start to adulthood of a sea turtle. Sammy is in search of the love of his life (Shelly) and has many fun adventures with his best friend, Ray. Some of the voices you may recognize in this film are: Melanie Griffith, Kathy Griffin, Tim Curry, Anthony Anderson and Stacy Keach.

Right now you can download A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures from the iTunes store for $9.99. I highly recommend this movie as a family friendly film that will take your family even beyond the film when talking about what the film meant. Anytime you can get a 4 year old talking about things as big as conservation it is a plus in my opinion!

Now one lucky Go Graham Go reader will win a copy of A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures! Here's How:

1. Leave a comment here telling me why you think your family would enjoy this movie. Make sure to leave your email address in the comment (used only to contact the winner. If your email shows up on your blogger account then do not worry about leaving it).

Extra Entries (leave separate comments for each):

2. Blog about this giveaway and link to http://tinyurl.com/SammytheTurtle and www.gograhamgo.com and leave the link to your post in the comment.

3.Subscribe to Go Graham Go! by Email or reader (RSS) Only verified email addresses will be counted (check your inbox if you choose the email route).

4. One Extra Entry Per Day: Follow Go Graham Go on Twitter and Tweet about this daily. Make sure to leave your twitter name in your comment.

5. If you already "Like" Go Graham Go on Facebook you've earned an additional entry. Leave your Facebook name in the comment.

6. Add the Go Graham Go button to your sidebar (html on the right)

7. Stumble this post (the post,not the site). Just click on the third icon on the bottom of this post that looks like a world and has an SU on it!

This giveaway ends 1/25 at 11:59pm (EST). The winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this post. US entries only please.

This product was provided free of charge by Vivendi Entertainment. These are my honest opinions on the product. I do not post reviews on products I can not stand behind. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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Good Morning Sunshine Nutella-Egg Bites for Kids {recipe}

2012-01-10T00:04:00.001-05:00

When I was growing up I used to love to visit my grandmother's house because she would always offer you some sort of food. Now, keep in mind that it wasn't just any food... she would pull out the pots and pans and full on cook for you! Just 2 years ago when I was pregnant with Davis she pulled out the pressure cooker and made her famous green beans. Love them. Love her. One of my favorite things Nanny made was her Egg Sandwiches. They were very simple. You just took two pieces of toast, slathered them in jelly and plopped your fried egg in between. They were delicious!

While I was thinking about what to make my kids that would be different one morning my mind went back to that egg sandwich Nanny would make for me and I knew I wanted to add a new twist on this for my kids. And the Good Morning Sunshine Nutella-Egg Bites for Kids was born!

Good Morning Sunshine Nutella-Egg Bites for Kids

Ingredients

1
slice of whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons
Nutella
1
egg scrambled

Cooking Directions

Using a fun shaped cookie cutter cut your whole wheat bread. Kids love to eat things that look fun and are bite sized. Toast it in the oven on 350 for 5 minutes. Scramble your egg. I chose this method because kids tend to prefer softer textures as opposed to crispy or runny. Spread Nutella over one side of toast. Add your scrambled egg to the top. Enjoy the sweet goodness!

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Preschool Math Activities for Everyday Life

2012-01-09T00:04:00.001-05:00

Graham at about age 2

Math was definitely not my strongest subject all through school {especially high school and college}. I am so glad I married a man who is very talented in the math department so that he can help our kids! In the meantime, I try to find little ways throughout the day to incorporate and make math fun for Graham. I decided to put together a little video with examples from our weekend. You will see us learning about likes and differences in the Mast General Store, seconds and minutes while brushing teeth and patterns on our shower curtain.

Here's our video {if you are reading this via email or RSS you may need to come on over to the blog in order to see this}:

If you are looking for even more activities, including some for on the go, check out the PBS Kids Lab which features so many wonderful ideas. If your kids are ready for online games you will find several fun ones that help reinforce math and science.

How about you? What are your ideas for incorporating learning during your everyday activities? I'd love to hear what you guys do! I often find that many of our favorite ideas come from comments you leave.

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Giveaways Galore {1/5}! Come link up and browse

2012-01-05T00:03:00.000-05:00

Make sure to check out the Giveaway Linky List to promote your giveaways on other blogs!

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Wordless Wednesday: Brotherly love...

2012-01-04T00:04:00.000-05:00

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Centrum ProNutrients $5 off Coupon #NutritionPossible

2012-01-04T00:01:00.006-05:00

Vitamins and supplements are such a huge part of mine and both of the boys lives. The thing is if you want to find a quality vitamin you are going to spend money. That is why I was delighted to share with you all my thoughts on the new Centrum ProNutrients as well as a $5 off coupon! Just head over to the Centrum Facebook page for the link.

We were sent a sampling of the Centrum ProNutrients for review which included: ProNutrients™ Omega-3, Fruit & Veggie, ProNutrients™ Probiotic and Centrum Specialist™ Energy. I can tell you that the two I have been the most excited about are the Probiotics and the Energy. I think that energy is what all of us busy moms are looking for, right?! And the probiotics are such a necessity for me. They help regulate everything about my body and make me feel better all around. The Centrum ProNutrients Probiotics come in packets you can sprinkle into your cool food. I use mine in my yogurt in the morning.

Centrum is also offering a great tool on their website for assessing which supplement may be the best fit for you and your body. It even lets you specify two areas that may be a concern for you. My top two are definitely energy and heart health. I know that heart attacks are the number one killer of women and want to stay on top of that. I'm sure if you look into your family history many of you will see instances of high blood pressure or cholesterol. Even though I like to think of myself as still being young (31 this month) it is never too young to care for yourself. When you have kids this takes on a whole new meaning.

So, I'd like to invite you to sign up for the $5 off coupon as well as take the Nutrition Possible Assessment in order to find out what your body may be lacking.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Emily!

I am participating in a Centrum ProNutrients campaign hosted by One2One Network. I received nutritional product and compensation. While all opinions stated are my own, I make no claims about Centrum ProNutrients as a product or it's effectiveness. Please see my Terms of Use for more info.

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