Baby Brandon's Adventures

Kidorable Valentine’s Day 25,000 Fan Giveaway

2012-02-01T11:17:00.000-08:00

Kidorable is providing fans with a special gift giveaway. Each time Kidorable gets another 1000 fans (18k, 19k, etc.) they will post a special question. And all they ask for in return is a special place in your hearts, a response to the question that they post. In return, the winner will be chosen at random to receive a $25 gift certificate to redeem at www.kidorable.com.

On the day when Kidorable reaches 25,000 likes/fans on Facebook, they will give away 25 more $25 gift certificates to the fans that posted comments throughout the contest. If they reach the goal of 25,000 fans by Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012, they will double the giveaway and 50 fans will win a $50 Gift Certificate. There will also be a special treat for all the fans that helped.

Like Kidorable on facebook at www.facebook.com/kidorable if you haven't already! Post for a chance to win a gift certificate for some of their cool stuff for kids.

Good Luck to all!

Max & Ruby: Max's Mole Mash App {Review}

2012-01-31T17:15:00.000-08:00

Max & Ruby: Max's Mole Mash

This app provide kids hours of fun with their favorite character. Help Max mash moles before Grandma gets home. When the mole appears, tap them and they will disappear back into their holes. Mash all the moles before time runs out to win!

•Select from 8 Max & Ruby themed mole mash machines.
•Play in Arcade or Puzzle mode.
•Enjoy an unlimited number of levels to play and mash.
•Unlock a mini version of the racing game, Speedy Max.
•Collect 8 Max & Ruby Wallpapers.

Brandon is a huge fan of Max & Ruby. Finally, there's an app available that features his favorite characters. Our television is always on the Treehouse channel. I think this game helps a bit in his reaction and response skills. The game is very simple and fun. I hope the developers will create more of these apps and more games that feature Max & Ruby (and other Treehouse characters like Franklin, Dora, Kai Lan).

Disclosure: I received a code for the mentioned app to try in exchange for my review. Thanks to Watch More TV Interactive Inc. The opinions expressed are my own personal and honest thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Tiny Prints Valentine's Day Cards

2012-01-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day will be here in a couple of weeks. This year will be Brandon's first special Valentine's celebration at preschool. And it is also the best time to get creative and get crafty. I usually like to order prints and greeting cards online because I can choose the ones I like (and even personalize it).

Tiny Prints offer a wide collection of Valentine Cards for kids that is perfect for giving to friends in the classroom. I will be helping Brandon celebrate Valentine's by baking heart-shaped cookies and bringing them to his preschool to share with his classmates and teachers. The cookies will be individually wrapped and will have the cards attached. That is our idea for making it special.

Here are some of the cute designs available. These are my favorites...

Brandon loves the pictures of the car and animals.

Visit TinyPrints website and let me know which
Valentines Day Greeting Cards are your favorite.

To stay up-to-date with the newest designs and offers,
connect with Tiny Prints via Twitter and Facebook

Disclosure: I am receiving a gift code to use at Tiny Prints in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed in my review are my own personal and honest thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Crafts: Chinese New Years Firecrackers

2012-01-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

I had a bunch of toilet paper rolls I've been collecting and gave me an idea of making Chinese New Years firecrackers. Brandon was excited in making some, so I told him what to do. I showed him some pictures from the internet so he has an idea what it looks like.

What we used:
- toilet paper rolls
- red tissue paper
- lucky red envelopes (we had some scraps)
- stickers (we had shiny stars)
- glue stick
- scissors

Visit to the Dentist for Filling

2012-01-28T21:38:00.000-08:00

This was the 3rd attempt to have Brandon get his fillings done at the dentist. Can't believe he had to get a filling at this age. There was a bit of cavities underneath the top front teeth. Dentist say that it is possibly from drinking juice and because he was breastfed when he was a baby. I water it down every time when I first gave him juice to drink. Anyway, since Brandon is a bit older now, he was more willing (and a bit more brave). Good job! We finally have this done and over with!

Chinese New Year Outfit

2012-01-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Last night (well, around 3am), Brandon came into our room and woke us up. As usual, he wants mommy to sleep with him in his room. Just when I was tucking him into bed, he started hurling. For the rest of the night till morning, Brandon threw up about 7 times and tells me he had a stomach ache. Poor little guy. I was blaming on the carrot cake he had.

I didn't get much sleep myself. I had to change his soiled clothes like 3 times! Since he was still throwing up and hurling, we had to miss out on the Chinese New Year Potluck at Frog Hollow Neighborhood House. He really wanted to go. Later that evening, I took some photos of Brandon in his red Chinese New Year outfit. This will be the last time he will be wearing it because he was already growing out of it.

And he seems to be feeling a bit better. Hope he'll be fully recovered for preschool tomorrow.

Hasbro's Annual Fun and Game Event

2012-01-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for great savings and amazing daily deals on some of your favorite Hasbro toys and games, then check out Hasbro's Annual Fun and Game Event going on now! You can register today to print over $125 in coupons (quantities are limited) and get access to incredible daily deals. All daily deals include free shipping! U.S. residents only. Sorry my Canadian friends.

Kids, ages 6 - 13, can also get in on the action by playing games for a chance to win hourly prizes from their favorite brands, such as My Little Pony, FurReal Friends, Littlest Pet Shop, Beyblade, Nerf, Transformers, Connect 4, Bop It! and Simon Flash.

Disclosure: I did not receive any products nor was paid for this post. I was provided info from the PR firm to share. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Kid's Bento Lunch: 3 Little Piggies

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt making kids bento lunch box for Brandon to have at school. It took some time to prepare so I got up early in the morning to make it. It's fun to make if you have the patience. Here I made The Three Little Piggies. Pretty cute!

What I used:
- Japanese sticky rice (mixed a bit of ketchup for coloring)
- mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
- seaweed / nori (leftovers I just placed around the bowl)
- cheese sticks (I made little trees as garnish)
- ready-cooked bacon strip (for snout and ears)

I've seen images from the web and books. I'm actually reading this book called Yum-Yum Bento Box by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa.

Study Finds Robots Inspire New Learning and Creativity Possibilities for Kids

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

According to a new Latitude study, Robots @ School, robots are helping to reveal a potential shift in kids’ social and learning psychologies, suggesting new opportunities for educators and technologists to better address common hurdles children encounter in the learning process to inspire self-direction and creative risk-taking and to enhance kids’ experiences with technology more broadly.

Latitude, an international research consultancy, asked kids across the world to write and illustrate a short story answering this question: “What if robots were a part of your everyday life – at school and beyond?” The goal of the study was to provide educators, entrepreneurs, technologists, and interactive content creators with insights about the close, often overlapping, relationship between learning and play for today’s children, to identify common frustrations in the learning process, and to suggest possible solutions – both high- and low- tech.

The multi-phase innovation study was designed and run by Latitude, and published in collaboration with LEGO® Learning Institute and Project Synthesis, an Australia-based ideas consultancy. Robots @ School follows on the heels of Latitude’s 2011 study, Children’s Future Requests for Computers and the Internet, which envisioned possible futures for technology (as seen by kids across the world, ages 12 and under), and highlighted actionable opportunities for new content, user experience (UX), and technology offerings. Robots @ School focuses more specifically on kids’ psychology of learning and the role of technology in education.

"On the surface, this study is about robots but, more importantly, it’s about a new paradigm for learning and creativity, which kids – using robots as a focal point – are helping us to uncover,” explains Steve Mushkin, founder and president of Latitude. “Education and learning are moving, at least in many children’s eyes, beyond acts of knowledge transmission toward acts of exploration and creation. As participants in this new model, robots and other intelligent technologies could help unleash the inherent and expansive capabilities of each child in ways that we've only begun to conceive."

Nearly 350 kid-innovators, ages 8-12, from Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, have participated in the Robots @ School study, submitting drawings and text-based narratives of their imagined experiences with robots. Latitude is planning to expand the study to include children in Asia.

View some more of the kids’ drawings here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/37527143@N03/sets/72157628799529293

Specifically, children were asked to select, as the basis of their stories, one of three narrative prompts rooted in particular life settings: in the classroom, at school but outside of class, and at home after school. Researchers scored kids’ stories on variables relating to human-robot relationships and the dimensions of human-robot activities (e.g., play, learning, creation, and exploration).

See infographic displaying some of insights derived from children’s submissions:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37527143@N03/6680290835/

Overall, the stories demonstrated that, unlike many adults who see technology as separate from humanness, kids tend to think of technology as fundamentally human: as a social companion that can entertain, motivate, and empower them in various contexts – blurring the line between play and learning or higher-level creative pursuits, and highlighting a variety of new directions for content and technology based on kids’ evolving relationship with it.

Key insights from the Robots @ School study include:

1) Smart = Social, Machines Tell Us: Nearly 2/3 of kids took for granted that robots could make excellent human friends in spite of their machine intelligence. In most cases, kids conceived of their fictional robots as humanoid peers that they could identify with and aspire to be like. Moreover, children imagined robots that were considered popular and socially successful by their human peers precisely because they’re smart; in other words, being perceived as a “nerd” actually creates, not detracts from, social opportunities – giving children a solid motivation to learn. This is, no doubt, also true in the real world (sans robots) for today’s digital natives – robots simply helped to illuminate what many kids already value in social scenarios.

“This study clearly emphasizes, that if you ask children about their relationship to robots, it will not only provide a glimpse into the future of technology but, more importantly, the children will describe to us how we should imagine our future relationship to each other,” says Bo Stjerne Thomsen, Senior Research Manager at LEGO® Learning Institute, which collaborated with Latitude on the study.

2) Robots Free Us to Learn and Create in New Ways: Kids imagined robots that were, essentially, better versions of our teachers and parents, offering limitless time and patience, encouraging confidence and self-direction, and allowing us to make mistakes sans self-consciousness. The majority of kids’ robots (75%) acted patient and supportive in educational contexts. Kids also saw robots as figures that could inspire them to take more creative risks: emotionally, without the risk of becoming a social outlier, and practically, by taking on boring tasks so they could be freed up for higher-level pursuits (which 25% of kids explicitly conveyed in their stories).

“While children imagine robots that are virtually human in many regards, it’s their slight machine-ness that ultimately makes robots such effective partners for learning and creative exploration,” says Ian Schulte, director of technology and business development at Latitude, who led the study. “Robots support and encourage, but don’t judge. They don’t run into scheduling conflicts, and they certainly don’t ostracize kids for wrong answers or unconventional thinking. Because they’re just mechanical enough, robots enable kids to grow and explore without regard for social stigmas that so often stifle learning and creativity.”

3) Let’s Close the Divide Between Learning and Play: While one might expect kids to create more stories about play than learning, an equal number (38%) focused on each of these themes. In fact, kids didn’t make much distinction between the roles of “playmate” and “study buddy” when describing their robots; they tended to view learning and play as related, often overlapping, pursuits, moving fluidly between the two – even if their lives appear much more compartmentalized in practice.

“Robots @ School demonstrates the importance of respecting and engaging with the ideas and expectations of children,” says Daniel Donahoo, Director at Project Synthesis. “This study gives us an early insight into the world they want to create, how they expect technology to interface with their lives and their positive aspirations for the future.”

Read Latitude’s blog post discussing the findings of Robots @ School:

http://latd.com/2012/01/16/robots-at-school-findings

About the study
The multi-phase Robots @ School study was designed by Latitude (and published in conjunction with LEGO® Learning Institute and Project Synthesis) to understand kids’ evolving learning psychologies in today’s digital age, and to highlight specific opportunities for educators, technologists, and content creators to integrate learning and play and to enhance educational experiences overall.

Over the course of 2011, Latitude asked 348 kid innovators, ages 8-12, from Australia, France, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States to submit drawings and text-based narratives of their lives as if robots were a fixture – both at school and at home. Researchers then scored and analyzed kids’ stories and drawings based on the presence of specific themes.

About Latitude’s Kids Innovation and Discovery Studies (KIDS)
Robots is one installment of Kids Innovation and Discovery Studies, an ongoing research series by Latitude which invites kids from across the globe to tackle big ideas in structured problem-solving scenarios, providing valuable insights for educators, technologists, and society. For other KIDS studies, visit: http://www.latd.com/#kids

About Latitude
Latitude is an international research consultancy helping clients create engaging content, software and technology that harness the possibilities of the Web. http://latd.com

About the Study Collaborators
Robots @ School was designed and run by Latitude, and published in collaboration with LEGO® Learning Institute and Project Synthesis.

LEGO® Learning Institute
The LEGO® Learning Institute carries out foundational research on creativity, learning, play and child development based on the values of LEGO® play and learning. The institute has an extensive collaboration with academic experts and research institutions, to understand how to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. http://learninginstitute.lego.com

Disclosure: I was not paid nor received any products for this post. I was provided info to share. Any opinions expressed are my own personal and honest thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Pampers Gifts to Grow Codes (January 2012)

2012-01-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

Here's some new codes. Enter them before they expire. Please comment and let me know you used them and I will continue collecting the codes for next month's list. Thanks!

FBMLKKU4RPP6P12 (10 points) - expires Jan 20, 2012
10PTSFREECODE4U (10 points)
FB2012NYAFJRYCN (10 points)

{WINNERS} What To Expect Books Giveaway

2012-01-19T15:26:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is having a great week! The 3 winners of the What To Expect Books Giveaway (winner's choice) that ended January 16, 2012 have been randomly selected. The winners are..... (drum roll, please).

Congratulations to:
Jessica W (#200)
Andrea Amy (#244)
Lori Beth Carson (#35)

Again, CONGRATULATIONS to you all. I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to respond. Thanks everyone for participating in my giveaway contests.

CampusBookRentals.com: A Review & Giveaway

2012-01-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

Do you have teens going to college or university? Or perhaps maybe it is you going to college/university and find that textbooks are extremely expensive? I know how it is like. Tuition fees are expensive enough already. I felt like I was a "starving student". haha! Back then, I buy USED books. After the semester, I never touched that textbook again.

There is an online book rental service called CampusBookRentals.com that is easy and affordable. Campus Book Rentals offers new and gently used textbooks for typically less than half the price you'll pay in your school bookstore. You can save up to 90%! How awesome is that? The website provides easy navigation and a search bar that lets you search books by ISBN, Author Name, Title, or Keyword.

Here's a couple of textbook examples that I've searched:

Renting textbooks can save you LOTS of money. Rent textbooks without the risk of your books becoming worthless by the end of the semester. I wish I knew about this service before. I remember when I wanted to sell my books back to the school bookstore, sometimes they don't accept it since new edition is coming out or you don't get a lot of money back.

Benefits:
* No Membership Fees
* FREE shipping BOTH WAYS
* 30-Day Risk-Free Returns
* Trusted Source since 2007
* Live Customer Support
* Largest Selection in the Nation
* Most Flexible Rental Periods

Sell Textbooks

If you have textbooks lying around that you won't need anymore, CampusBookRentals.com has a buyback program if you want to sell your books. They have partnered with FirstClassBooks to offer you the highest buyback price for your books. Simply, enter the ISBN numbers in the provided box and get an instant quote. FirstClassBooks.com can pay you via PayPal, check, or Amazon Gift Card.

CampusBookRentals.com donates to Operation Smile with each textbook rented. It is a wonderful organization that performs life changing cleft lip surgeries on children whose families could not otherwise afford it. The long term Improvement in quality of life for the children that receive these surgeries is almost incomprehensible.

GIVEAWAY
One (1) lucky reader will have a chance to win a $50 Gift Code (no expiration date) to redeem on textbook rentals at CampusBookRentals.com. Chosen winner will be selected via Random.org through Rafflecopter and is open to US residents only (ends February 17, 2012 at 11:59pm EST). Winner will have 48 hours to respond to claim their prize.

{Please wait while Rafflecopter entry form loads...}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was given a $50 code for to use in the giveaway in exchange for this post. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.

DailyScoup's Blazing Hot Giveaway: WIN a Kindle Fire

2012-01-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

DailyScoup's Blazing Hot Giveaway - WIN a Kindle Fire!!!

Daily Scoup is hosting an exciting contest just for us, for one of the hottest items on the market - the Kindle Fire! Their DailyScoup's Blazing Hot Giveaway - WIN a Kindle Fire Contest is designed to help you monetize your blog and give you a chance to enter for two amazing prizes!

Daily Scoup is a brand new site for daily and local deals! They offer services to merchants for FREE so they always have the better deals than competitors, and best of all - they have an affiliate program that pays 50% on a 60 day cookie! There is huge income potential there!!

Here is how it works!

ONE (1) Kindle Fire will be awarded to the person with the most REFERRALS

$100 CASH (via Paypal) winner will be drawn at random from the Rafflecopter form below!

To enter - join the DailyScoup.com affiliate program

Then fill out the Rafflecopter form HERE!

Best of All
You can earn a TON of extra entries for promoting the contest!!! For every blogger that signs up and names YOU as a referral, you get 5 extra entries on the Rafflecopter!

Ready Set GO!!! And make sure you say
Baby Brandon's Adventures sent you!!

Disclosure: I did not receive any products nor was paid for this post. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.

My Very Own Kitchen Set {Review}

2012-01-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

Today, we went to the mall and had lunch at the food court. Later, we went to Walmart that is just in the mall and just browsed around. We always like to browse around the toy department to see what's new and see what's on sale. We saw a toy kitchen set (My Very Own Kitchen by American Plastic Toys). It was only $20 so hubby said it's not bad and I was still thinking about it. Then we walked around the clothing isle and I saw this cute Lightning McQueen Cars racing jacket. That was $25. So we asked Brandon if he wanted the toy kitchen set or the jacket. He picked the toy kitchen set.

My thoughts:
The box was really light so I assumed it wasn't too big. We would put it near our kitchen. When I took the parts out of the box, I saw there was a lot to put together. The cheap plastic was a bit warped so matching the screw holes was a bit difficult. It took me a while to assemble and I had to clip it all apart with an adams plier. After assembly, it does look a bit smaller than expected. Basically, you get what you paid for. I would only give it 2 stars for this product.

We decided to keep it since it was already opened and assembled together. And also Brandon will have something to keep busy with while I am cooking dinner.

PROS:
- small size didn't take a lot of space
- comes with utensils and pans
- features stove, oven, and microwave

CONS:
- took a long time to assemble
- cheap quality and plastic is thin
- flimsy and can tip over (so I put it against the wall)
- the toy cell phone included was kinda useless

I wish I would've gotten the jacket that I mentioned too, but I am waiting for the price to drop.

Brandon's Personalized Coloring Book

2012-01-13T19:25:00.000-08:00

This past week, nothing much exciting. Out of boredom, I took a snapshot of Brandon coloring his coloring book that we got from Frecklebox a while ago. He loves it because it has pictures of cars and trucks. The book is even personalized with his name on every page! He asked me for his pencil crayons because he saw me take out mines, but I used it for my photography "Project 366".

Zoozoo Readables iPhone App FREE for Limited Time

2012-01-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

You can get the Zoozoo Readables iPhone App free for download for the next week starting today, Friday the 13th! This special deal is only available for limited time in honor of Chinese New Year!

Visit the App Store for more info: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zoozoo-readables-by-cavallo/id455497320?ls=1&mt=8

Disclosure: I was not paid nor received any products for this post. I was provided info to share. Thanks to Cavallo Media Group. The opinions expressed are my own personal and honest thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Guest Post: 7 Things to Avoid When Naming Your Baby

2012-01-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

The following is a guest post by Heather Smith of nanny.net. Thank-you Heather for the great article.

Naming your child is both a fun and daunting task. There are many things contributing to your decisions like family names, how it will sound with your last name, the meaning of the name and etc. You want a name that not only you adore but one that your child embraces. Here are a few things to consider before naming:

1. The ‘Adens’
It’s the attack of the adens! In the last couple of years the abundance of names ending in the sound of ‘aden’ is overwhelming. This is trend that is not looking to slow down any time soon. Names to reconsider are: Hayden, Braeden, Aden, Cayden, Jayden. Chances are there will be at least 3 other ‘adens’ in your child’s classes.

2. Twilight and Harry Potter Characters
You may love this book now, but 20 years from now will your child appreciate you naming him or her based on some vampires or dorky wizards? There are many fans that are deciding on names from their favorite fantasy books. Perhaps, the names Bella, Hermione, Nessie, and Katniss are best left for the books and the big screen.

3. Name Meanings
When you start to narrow down your picks for your child’s name, make sure you search the meaning of their name. Check several sites when doing so. For example some believe that the name Calvin means little bald one and Cameron means crooked nose. A name topping the charts is Kennedy, meaning ugly or deformed head. So do your homework and double check!

4. The Emma’s and the Jacob’s
We can thank Harry Potter and Rachel from ‘Friends’, for the ever so common, Emma. It is guaranteed there will be quite a few Emma baby showers in your near future. As far as boys go, Jacob is the number one baby boy name in 2011. Be sure to check out the most popular baby names list. It would be unfortunate that you and 7 of your Facebook friends have named your child the same name.

5. Celebrity Baby Names
Celebrity’s that name their kids after fruit or landmarks are carving the way for unique names. As much as the names like Apple, Bear Blu and Pilot Inspektor are unforgettable, these may be too extreme for your child. We guess celebrities can get away with anything just ask Blanket or Moxie Crime fighter.

6. Names that will have your kid getting picked on

Every child is almost guaranteed to get made fun of at some point of their lives. But whatever you do, don’t help them by naming them something like Gertrude or Dick. Think of a name and the worst possible nick name you can come up with and decide if you are willing to put your child through that torture. Remember rhyming schemes that kids are so clever with coming up with.

7. How do you say that?
Spelling your child’s name with an extra e or adding a silent j doesn’t make it easy on your child or anyone else for that matter. If you want to go against the norm and be creative, be prepared for a life of mispronounced and misspelled names. Stick with simple/normal spellings.

Author Bio

Heather Smith is an ex-nanny. Passionate about thought leadership and writing, Heather regularly contributes to various career, social media, public relations, branding, and parenting blogs/websites. She also provides value to nanny service by giving advice on site design as well as the features and functionality to provide more and more value to nannies and families across the U.S. and Canada. She can be available at H.smith7295 [at] gmail.com.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and Twitter

Dentist Appointment

2012-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

It was Brandon's dentist appointment time and we had a new dentist (same office). Brandon was very good as daddy held his hands and re-assured him. This appointment was just regular check-up, cleaning and polishing.

Last time, we couldn't get Brandon to sit still to do the filling for his cavities, so we have booked an appointment in the next couple weeks and try that again. Then we'll see how it goes.

A Funny Conversation

2012-01-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

Last night while I was getting Brandon cleaned up during bath time, Brandon and I was having a funny conversation. I was in the bathroom with him and I was looking at my hair. I found a few strands of white hair. I hated it and I wanted to pluck it out with my tweezers.

Brandon: What are you doing, Mommy?
Mommy: I am plucking out my white hairs.
Brandon: Why you have white hair, Mommy?
Mommy: Because I'm getting old. *pouts face* I feel like a grandma.
Brandon: But grandma is upstairs.
Mommy: I know. I mean I feel like a grandma with all these white hair. You know what? I'm gonna become grandma when you have kids and babies of your own. You're growing and you're not baby anymore.
Brandon: I want to stay a baby.

Brandon's Christmas + Happy New Year

2012-01-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to say Happy New Year to all of you!

I know I'm a little behind here as it was such a busy week since Christmas. Now I've finally had a chance to upload some of the photos of Brandon and his Christmas surprise. My reaction after opening all his presents, I thought to myself, "Holy Moly, I think that Brandon has too many toys already." Really, his playroom is full of so many toys and games, and especially cars. He LOVES playing with cars.

Brandon decorating his gingerbread man. He already took a bite of it before we even started decorating it.

Milk and gingerbread cookie for Santa. Brandon wakes up to find that Santa drank all the milk and took a bite of the cookie.

Unwrapping presents.

Brandon finally gets the Smokie Firetruck he asked Santa for.

More cars and tracks for Brandon to play with.

{WINNER} On-the-Go Time Toddler Tools Board Book Giveaway

2011-12-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

The lucky winner for the On-the-Go Time Toddler Tools Board Book Giveaway that ended December 22, 2011 is..... (drum roll, please).

Congratulations to Lisa Smith (#91)

I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to respond. Thanks everyone for participating in my giveaway contests.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings!
Wishing you all a Safe & Happy Holiday!

ABC.com Disney Prep & Landing Holiday Special December 23rd

2011-12-22T14:42:00.000-08:00

Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice (http://abc.go.com/shows/prep-and-landing ) was aired on December 5th, but will be re-aired tomorrow on December 23, 2011 on ABC at 9:00 PM EST (8:00 Central).

I just watched a couple of the episodes with little Brandon and we both really enjoyed it. We love the animated shows. I thought the little elves were really adorable. Since it's almost Christmas, the holiday special was perfect and gets us into the holiday spirit.

Brief Synopsis:

The yuletide adventures of Christmas elves Lanny and Wayne continue this season. With the Big 2-5 fast approaching, Wayne and Lanny must race to recover classified North Pole technology that has fallen into the hands of a computer-hacking Naughty Kid! Desperate to prevent Christmas from descending into chaos, Wayne seeks out the foremost Naughty Kid expert to aid in the mission, a bombastic member of the Coal Elf Brigade who also happens to be his estranged brother, Noel.

Visit ABC.com to view the rest of the webisodes, exclusive online content, and for more fun stuff!

Disclosure: I did not receive any products nor was paid for this post. I was provided info from the company or PR firm to share. Thanks to Fanscape, Inc. The expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Wordless Wednesday: Seattle Motorcycle Show 2011

2011-12-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

iCaughtSanta.com Photos

2011-12-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself.

How it works:

Step 1 - Capture Your Background
Take a digital picture of your Christmas tree or maybe your fireplace... it's up to you. This will be your background photo.

Horizontal, high-resolution pictures work best. Save your background photo to your computer and then upload it to this site.

Step 2 - Create your Photo
Pick one of our many Santa poses and magically place him into your background photo.

You can adjust his size, color, brightness and position with our easy-to-use tools. Then select a festive border, preview and finalize your design.

Step 3 - Share the Magic!
Download, email or print your photo, automatically, for quick pickup at a store near you. Plus you can share it instantly to more than 30 popular web sites: