Automoblox mix-and-match cars are fun for any kid and they can deliver big play-therapy benefits for children with special needs.

These heirloom quality cars encourage creative problem solving, visio-spatial processing and the development of fine motor skills–plus they are just good, old-fashioned fun.  Kids who have difficulty communicating may open up as they discuss their designs.

Joe Barrett, CEO of Automoblox explains, “We hope this campaign can help make the schooling of children with Autism a little more interactive and fun for students as well as instructors.”

Get your favorite kid (or kid at heart–Automoblox make a great desk toy for adults, too) an Automoxblox retro-cool car and Automoblox will send one to a school that serves children with autism. Now that’s really cool.

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SHARE IT: For every car purchased at www.automoblox.com using code “donate” at check-out throughout the months of July and August 2009, Automoblox will donate a car to a school specializing in the treatment of children with Autism. Upon completion of the program, participating consumers will receive a list of the schools that received Automoblox donations.

The distribution of donated cars will be managed by The May Institute, a national organization dedicated to providing comprehensive, research-validated services to children and adults with autism, brain injury, mental retardation, pervasive development disorder (PDD), and behavioral healthcare needs.

Federal Express will donate its services with regards to the shipment of donated cars to schools within The May Institute’s network.

Shains brings all of this together in a fun, hip, eco-friendly and affordable way! Kids can easily spell out words and add icons to a variety of fun bracelets, necklaces or other accessories.

And, according to Shains, all products and packaging are made of recycled and recyclable content and everything Shains produces is certified lead free.

My daughter had a great time customizing her pink bracelet with her name and some of the icons included in the packet.  She picked out the letters and placed them in order and then selected some more embellishments to add.  Since she is not yet quite three, I had to help her push the plastic pieces into the bracelet but I think that a four year old would have no problem doing this on his or her own.

After we finished, she asked if she could change out the icons every day, so I think Shains are a hit.  When she wears her bracelet, she looks like such a big kid and she definitely takes pride in having designed it herself.

At just $12 for a bracelet, $13 for a cuff, $5.50 for a keychain or pin, or $4.50 for a necklace or ponytail holder, Shains are inexpensive enough for stocking stuffers, small rewards, and even a make-and-take craft party favor.  And you can get additional packs of elements to add, too, which kids can trade to get just the look they want.

Older kids and even hard-to-please teens will enjoy the opportunity to be creative and send a message with their customized accessory.  Young activists can spread the word about their favorite cause using the letters and the themed icon packs.  Because Shains are recycled and recyclable, the medium will suit the message for environmentalists. For the next party, club meeting, or rainy day, pick up some Shains and the kids will dive right in, designing their own unique jewelry and accessories.

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WANT IT: Visit Shainsware.com to buy Shains and use coupon code Mama1101 for 10% off all items ordered through November 1.

Save $5 Off Baby Purchases of $25 or more at BabiesRUs.com Offer good 7.3.09 - 7.5.09

RED HOT BONUS DAYS - Save up to 70% when you save an extra 20% on clearance toys at BabiesRUs.com. Offer good 6.28 to 7.18

My daughter and I signed up for the Summer Activities Challenge–just complete 20 activities by August 31, 2009, and you’ll get a certificate of achievement and even be entered to win some prizes.

The best part is the fun activities.  There are things to do outside or inside, tasks that challenge the mind and the body, and plenty of ideas for every age group.  We’ve bookmarked “Play the rainbow” and a few others to get started.  A great challenge to begin if you plan to be at home for the long weekend.

To our U.S. readers:

From our little firecrackers to your bright sparks, “Enjoy your Independence Day celebrations!”

My daughter received a the Rock Band Tee from Slick Sugar, a cotton-candy-colored confection with a groovy girl band silhouette. Feminine and rocking, this tee is perfect for a junior musician. The comfy cotton tee is cut just right for a feminine look. Wear with jeans to rehearsal or pair with a pettiskirt for gigs.  And Slick Sugar has tons of hip styles for boys, too.

Just like their name, Slick Sugar tees are the perfect combination of edge and sweetness. Although the motifs are head-banging hot, there’s nothing your darling could not wear to the grandparent’s house.

When our daughter turns our garage into a sound studio, I’ll know where she got the inspiration–or at least the outfits.

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WANT IT: Visit Slick Sugar to check out all the Rock and Roll Styles. Save 30% off all regular priced items for the month of July with coupon code savebig. Domestic orders only.

WIN IT: Visit Slick Sugar and tell us which style you would choose if you win and why and you will be entered for a chance to win a t-shirt of choice ($23 value)!

Contest ends July 14, 11:59 PM EST. Winner chosen at random. Shipping to US + Canada only.

While a trip to an organic farm is a great learning experience, it may not be a practical way to do your weekly or even special occasion grocery shopping. At Greensbury Market, you have quick, convenient access to premium-quality organic meats.

Greensbury Market is a modern-day, online market specializing in bringing you healthy, delicious, certified organic meats. Meat from animals raised on organic, vegetarian feed has more nutrients (including Omega 3s in grass-fed cattle), fewer toxins, and better taste!

Summer is grilling time, and I’ve been enjoying the organic grass-fed beef hotdogs and the organic grass-fed hamburgers from Greensbury Market.

“Organic meat” often means “expensive meat,” but Greensbury Market offers affordable organic meat for everyday cooking as well as premium steaks and pork-chops for special meals. (I’ve tried those too…and yum!)

The organic grass-fed beef hot dogs cost $3.79 for a pack of 4, and the organic grass-fed ground beef patties cost $7.49 for a pack of four quarter-pound burgers. At these prices, I can opt for organic meat and stay within my budget. Pick up some hot dog or hamburger buns, throw together a side salad, and serve fresh watermelon for dessert. You have dinner for four for under $20, and it will take you very little time to prepare. On those nights when I’m too busy to cook, using the pre-made ground beef patties saves time. It’s as good as having dinner out, but much cheaper and healthier too.

* Disclosure: I am now a regular customer, but I received a free sample pack from Greensbury Market after meeting their owner.

MySims Party for the Nintendo Wii will keep your young kids entertained. Play individually or against up to 3 other players. Compete against each other as you play 50 different mini-games.

The arcade-style games, like many Wii games, are more physical than typical videogames. For example, one game involves outrunning a robot. Others include flipping bacon and extreme snowboarding.

The variety of games will appeal, and the short amount of time required to play a mini-game is ideal for younger children.  MySims Party will appeal to kids who enjoyed the Wii Littlest Pet Shop Game. Both MySims and the Littlest Pet Shop allow kids to select characters (either MySims or pets) to play a series of mini-games. In both games, playing the mini-games earns points towards purchasing items for your MySims or pets.

One major difference between MySims Party and the Littlest Pet Shop Game is the “party” concept.  MySims Party is more fun when you play with others. The goal is to get a group of friends (or siblings) together to play the mini-games.  Since the Wii is such an active game system, your kids will burn off energy running in place, throwing, shaking and moving in order to complete the game challenges.

Adults and older kids will quickly tire of this game, but the MySims Party is entertaining and fun for young children who will enjoy earning points and buying items for their MySims avatars. It is an affordable and family-friendly option for the Nintendo Wii, and the variety of games will please young players.

MySims Party is available for $29.99 at Amazon as well as many toy and game stores.

You can make summer a fun, educational time for your kids. Prevent summer learning loss with “stealth” educational activities.

If your kids enjoy playing video games and being online, introduce them to the All Star Buddies. Moms Caryn Burns and Cindy Prince started www.allstarbuddies.com in order to close the gap between websites that were created for entertainment and those developed for education.

They wanted to seamlessly weave learning into the fun their kids were having online, so they created “Varsity Heights”- a safe, virtual playground for kids ages 6+. Varsity Heights has a sports theme, which appeals to kids and parents. While playing “sports,” your child will practice math, language and science skills.

Parents will like how lessons about problem solving, goal setting, teamwork, good sportsmanship, fitness and nutrition are incorporated into the games. And kids enjoy playing games related to their favorite sports- football, basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, hockey and baseball.

You can try the online games for free, or buy an All Star Buddies plush toy. Each toy comes with a secret code that allows your child to earn unlimited coins and to receive bonus coins, which can be used to purchase virtual items for your child’s buddy.

Buy online for $19.99 at www.allstarbuddies.com. (I also found some of the plush All Star Buddies on sale for $9.99 at Amazon.)

* Disclosure: Mamanista received a review sample from AllStarBuddies.

Can’t Catch a Butterfly is a sweet book, illustrated in the style of children’s crayon drawings. I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Zimmerman, author and publisher of Rainbow Star Books, at a local wildlife center fair. As a speech-language pathologist, Zimmerman has written a book filled with love and help for pre-readers and children with special needs.

Following the journey of a young child who catches butterflies in his net, Zimmerman’s book addresses spacial skills, color identification, counting, rhyming, and emotional intelligences.

The primitif, folk-art style and large book format lends a familiar and warm feel to the artwork, making this a very accessible and attractive book for even the youngest children.

As children follow the book’s protagonist, they’ll learn through the repetitive, rhyming descriptions. The book is simple enough for young preschoolers to memorize and engaging enough for even the most reluctant learners. Memorizing a favorite book provides a confidence boost for beginning readers and brings a comforting sense of routine to a child’s day.

Children will be so charmed by Can’t Catch a Butterfly, they may not even realize how much they are learning.

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WANT IT: Purchase signed copies of Can’t Catch a Butterfly ($17) through Rainbow Star Books or buy Can’t Catch a Butterfly at Amazon ($17).