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Clorox has not only created a website full of Recipes for Fun but they are also featuring the Ultimate Mess Party contest.   The “Recipes” are broken down into four categories:  Wacky Science, Arts & Crafts, Kiddie Cooking and Creative Cooking.  There are literally pages and pages of activities with full instructions and a clean up tip.  There is also a spot to leave comments which I like because I like to see if others have tried something or their suggestions.

One craft I found on Clorox Recipes for Fun was super easy and I actually had the supplies on hand!

Ice Paints:

One craft I came up with for Arts & Crafts is actually one I remember seeing on Pinterest but it needs fine tuning.  (Sorry it doesn’t really have a name other than Mess-Free finger painting.)

Ingredients:

• Paint
• Tape
• Ziploc bag
• White Paper

You just squirt the paint into the Ziploc bag, tape the bag over a sheet of paper and have mess free painting fun.  I taped the white paper into a plastic tray, but you could easily tape it directly onto a table or in a cookie sheet!  My problem though was I used Acrylic paint which was too thick that it didn’t really move around well.  Next time I will use a tempera paint or maybe add some water.

By registering for Recipes for Fun (and why wouldn’t you since its free?)  You are automatically entered into the grand prize for a chance to win $10,000 toward an Ultimate Mess Party.  Plus there are instant win prizes daily of $100 gift cards just by viewing recipes.  So really it’s a win-win!  You get to browse fun recipes (and crafts) and get a chance to win money by doing nothing extra!  By registering you can also save your favorite recipes and if you submit one of your own you receive an additional 10 entries into the sweepstakes (and a $1 off Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner coupon.)

So now I suppose I really have no excuse not do get hands on with my kids!  Clorox has made it easy and I love the extra chances to win!  The recipes are all pretty basic and easy to follow for moms and kids to work on together.  I do wish there were pictures on the recipe pages but they are easy so I’ll take what I can get!

Mom and More Disclosure:  I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox Clean-Up Recipes for Fun blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on this program, click here and see the Terms link.  Please see my Disclosure Policy.

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From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.

In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

NOTES:

• When Tim Burton originally conceived the idea for “Frankenweenie,” he envisioned it as a full-length, stop-motion animated film.  Due to budget constraints, he instead directed it as a live-action short, released in 1984.
• “Frankenweenie” follows in the footsteps of Tim Burton’s other stop-motion animated films “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—both of which were nominated for Academy Awards®.
• Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
• The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
• Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgemeister— were inspired by classic horror films.

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Leapfrog: Numberland

Released: January 31, 2012

Studio: Lionsgate

Running Time: 35 minutes

ABOUT:

Join Scout and his friends for another exciting learning adventure from the world of LeapFrog.  When the pals long to learn about numbers, their magical car, Axle, whisks them away to Number Land.  With the help of a new friend, Max, the pals meet all the numbers in the land and build early numeracy skills. Then it’s time to help the residents of Number Land plan a surprise birthday party for Max.  It all adds up to plenty of fun and adventure as kids sing and count their way through Number Land with Scout & Friends!

In addition to the skill sets taught on the DVD, Dr. Jody Sherman LeVos — mother, developmental psychologist and the mathematics curriculum designer behind LeapFrog: Numberland— has offered the following tips and activities to engage children with early numeracy concepts:

• Practice number recognition and verbal counting with your child by walking through your house or neighborhood, and pointing out the different numbers that you see. Ask your child to say the number names, and then practice counting out loud together. For example, if your child finds the number 5, practice saying “1, 2, 3, 4, 5”.
• If your child can recognize numbers but struggles to put them in the correct order, you can play games that help them create their own number lines. Have your child write the numbers 1 – 10 on large pieces of paper, and then scramble the numbers so they’re out of order. Then ask your child to switch the numbers around so they are in the correct order from smallest to largest.
• Invite young children to arrange objects of different sizes, such as stacking cups, in order from smallest to the largest. The ability to compare things based on a dimension, such as size, and arrange those things in order is a very important aspect of mathematical development.
• Play games together! Several studies have revealed that children can increase their knowledge of several important early math skills by playing board games that contain a number line, like Chutes and Ladders.
• Get active and move around! Try drawing a number line from 1 to 10 on the ground outside using sidewalk chalk, and then invite your child to hop on the numbers and say them aloud. You can even practice skip counting by asking your child to jump on the even numbers — 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 — to drive the concept home.

MY THOUGHTS:

My boys love Leapfrog products and the few letter DVDs we have seen from Leapfrog, so I figured this DVD would be a hit as well.  “Numberland” is a DVD that features the fun characters from Leapfrog products, but also numbers 1-10.  It is a perfect first counting DVD for kids to learn from and it fits nicely with the other Leapfrog products.  Throughout the DVD the numbers 1-10 are repeated and re-arranged over and over, but not in a boring way.  The DVD makes kids think too because it puts the numbers in different orders, has them answer which number is missing and so forth.  The animation is bright, colorful and kid-friendly.  While this DVD is only 35 minutes, my boys don’t mind watching it over and over again!  The DVD states its for 2-6 year olds, and my boys are 3 and 5 and love it.

BUY IT: You can buy “Leapfrog: Numberland” at http://www.leapfrogdvds.com or look for it wherever DVDs are sold.

WIN IT: (1) US winner will receive the DVD “Leapfrog: Numberland”

RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mom and More Disclosure: I was sent this DVD to review in exchange for my honest opinion. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

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Rudi’s Organic Bakery is inspiring people across the U.S. to live free in 2012 with its 30-day long Brighter Days Giveaway.  By “liking” Rudi’s Organic’s Facebook page, fans can instantly get a coupon good for any Rudi’s Organic product. Additionally, fans can enter to win daily prizes by clicking on the giveaways tab on the Facebook page. Rudi’s Organic has always been about living free – free of artificial ingredients, preservatives and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – and is now sharing its optimistic attitude with its fans to inspire families to live healthy, happy lives every day.

Upon entering the Brighter Days Giveaway on the giveaway tab, fans will also be eligible for a variety of prizes that inspire fun and healthy living, such as Gaiam yoga DVDs like “Aim True Yoga,” “Detox Flow Yoga” and “Strengthen & Restore,” a digital camera from Kodak and Rudi’s Organic products, including the new Sandwich Flatz and Bagel Flatz. Users are encouraged to visit the site and enter daily, all in an effort to brighten up their day and learn about the benefits of eating food that is free of artificial ingredients and preservatives.

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BACK by POPULAR DEMAND!

sneakpeeq is offering NEW Members a FREE SILK SCARF and FREE SHIPPING! Just sign up for Free to get your Free Silk Scarf today. Choose from 2 designs: a romantic bed of roses or shimmering blue waves. Valid for NEW Members only! Click Here

I just ordered mine and it was completely free (no credit card information required).  I haven’t received it yet but it only took a few minutes and my address – crossing my fingers!

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Acoustic Research ARS35i Rotating Docking System for iPod, iPhone and iPad

ABOUT:

This Acoustic Research iPad Docking Station is the all-around sound station. It has a motorized 90-degree rotating arm that quickly and conveniently switches the iPad’s position from portrait to landscape with just the push of a button. Use apps and the internet in portrait positioning or watch your favorite videos in landscape.

Features:

• App-Enhanced (Free) so you can customize your settings
• Comes with multiple adapters (iPad, iPhone or iPod)
• Charges devices while playing audio
• Includes audio line-in connection to listen to other mp3 players or phones
• FM radio
• 20 watt total audio power
• Multi-alarm functions
• Component video out to hook up to TV and view iPad, iPod or iPhone media
• 4 high performance front firing speakers
• Remote control

MY THOUGHTS:

Right out of the box the Acoustic Research Rotating Dock System is ready to go.  Once you plug it in (yeah for no batteries) it will automatically prompt you to download a free app from the App Store.  It was nice to not have to search for the right app or forgot to do it.

Upright:

Horizontal:

Features from the app:

• Alarm
• Sleep Timer
• Playlist
• Rasio
• Aux-In
• Equalizer

Comes with additional docking station adapters:

This Docking System is so nice I actually think we need at least one more because I can’t decide where to put it! The bedroom would be nice for the charging and alarm feature; the kitchen would be nice for charging, radio, and ability to follow recipes while my iPad is safely docked; basement would be nice for music feature!

I found the quality to be great and have had no issues whatsoever.  The design is sleek and not bulky.  I love that it comes with additional adapters since we do have an iPhone and iPad in our house.  The System allows for a durable stand too for my boys to watch a movie on it – its like a little tv for them!

Overall, my family and I really enjoy the Acoustic Research Rotating Docking Station.  It is simple to use (no buttons on it, all controls via free App)  and the design works everywhere.  The design also allows for easy portability which is nice because I see us moving it room to room for different activities or even parties!

BUY IT:  Check out the Rotating Docking System direct from Acoustic Research for a suggested retail of $129.99.

Mom and More Disclosure: I received this product to review in exchange for my honest opinion. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

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(I told Aidan to share his tools with Olivia and this is what I find!)

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(Click on the Image to Enter Giveaway that ENDS TONIGHT!

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• See and Stamp Jumbo Lowercase Alphabet Transparent Stamps (Ends 3/2)
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