reviews from the crib

emmy rossum's sentimental journey review: takes me back to the "good ol' days"

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 02:08:00 +0000

i'll admit: i would like the experience of being in a café in paris, moping in my french café au lait, when the love of my life (bill, of course) walks in, our eyes lock and our lives are changed forever.

that's the kind of daydream evoked by the songs of emmy rossum on her album sentimental journey.

due to be released on january 29, sentimental journey is a collection of covers from the american songbook. each of the 12 songs represents a month in the year. i actually don't care very much for the first song on the album, but i absolutely love all the rest of the songs. my favorite (because of my french café daydream), is the song for october, "autumn leaves." the songs range from peppy big band style numbers like "the object of my affection," to more quiet sentimental and thoughtful melodies like "many tears ago."

we've listened to the album so many times around here that two-year-old lilianna is starting to sing the songs herself. it has been a favorite for our whole family.

If you think you would be interested in this album (a great choice for that special someone for Valentine's Day), it is available on itunes, as well as amazon.

if you still need convincing, you can check out emmy's music video, "these foolish things (remind me of you)":

i participated in this campaign for one2one network. i received a free copy of the cd to facilitate my review. by posting, i am eligible for incentives. all opinions stated are my own.

raising a reader: diary of a wimpy kid review (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:02:00 +0000

i never want to seem like a pushy parent or a helicopter mom, but i like to do everything i can to encourage my kids to have a love of reading.

we make multiple trips to the library. i buy books i think they will like from the thrift store (our shelves are overflowing), and we try to make time for reading throughout the week.

another way to encourage a love of reading is to make sure they have access to a wide variety of books that will hold their interest.

the diary of a wimpy kid series seems to be one such series. for one thing, it is extremely popular. my kids always want to be reading "what everyone else is reading" (which is healthier than doing some other things "everyone else is doing"). both zoe and tessa's classmates talk a lot about the series, and the girls want to be able to contribute to the conversation.

of course, the drawings and illustrations are hilarious and appealing to kids. the storyline is not only something my kids can relate to, but i think it is a great way to open the door to important conversations about how to treat our friends, how to deal with bullies and the best way to develop a healthy self-esteem.

to be honest, when i first read this, i wasn't sure i wanted the kids to read it. i'm not sure that greg is properly remorseful for the way he treats his former best friend. i wasn't sure i wanted my kids to read a book that endorses using your friends to get something for yourself. i still think greg wants to see what he can get out of his friend, rowley, but since the books are so popular and the series is continuing, i think that they will be useful and beneficial as conversation starters for our family.

if your kids (or you!) are into this series, i am happy to announce that i am giving away a copy of your choice of any diary of a wimpy kid book in the series. just leave me a comment describing your worst junior high memory, and i will choose a winner using random.org on january 21. you must be 18 to enter and a resident of the united states; make sure you leave your email address so i have a way to contact you if you win.

i received a free copy of diary of a wimpy kid (book 1) for the purpose of this review. regardless, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

"sticky" situations in our house

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:28:00 +0000

i have been trying to give our house a cleaning overhaul in time for the holidays. there are dust monsters (much bigger than dust bunnies) hiding under all kinds of furniture in our house. laundry (both dirty and clean) is piled up like twin mountains in our laundry area, and the kids are complaining about being out of socks. the situation is dire.

unfortunately, trying to clean with kids around is like trying to stop niagara falls from falling. i feel like every room i clean, they go behind me and mess things up again. it is a little discouraging.

i have decided the best thing to do is corral the kids in one room, while working on the others. then, we all work together to clean up the final room (the kids just love that!).

do you have tips for how to deal with "sticky situations" with kids? wet ones is running a contest on facebook for us to share our best tips for cleaning up messes. they are giving away an ipad mini or tickets to six flags. check it out here. it only takes a few minutes (i did it myself). just think how happy you will be that you had to clean up that mess if you win one of these prizes!

i participated in a campaign on behalf of mom central consulting for wet ones. i received a promotional item as thanks for my participation. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

holiday gift guide: stocking stuffers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:45:00 +0000

at the chicago toy and game fair, we had the opportunity to meet a real inventor. have you ever wished that you had more versatility with your legos? if you haven't, you had better believe your kids have! greyson had this problem, and he decided to do something about it. he invented reusable, removable and restickable cling decals for legos. each package comes with a sheet of decals related to a different theme. you can buy home, pets, signs, metro, space, transport, rescue, splats, shops or all of the above! you can stick a dog to a house, create an oil spill or provide various signs for your shop. i love that these are completely reusable and give my kids flexibility and versatility for all their lego creations (they work for other plastic bricks as well).

if you are a fan of settlers of catan, you probably familiar with mayfair games. they have a crazy little game called, "le boomb." this game is appropriate for 2 to 16 or more players. it last anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. it is small and portable, with only four rules. players roll a die to see if the bomb stays, gets passed or explodes.

we have a lot of puppets, but we have yet to try the "puppet on a stick" by educational insights. these are very sturdy and well made. the puppets' mouths move with a small lever near the bottom. i think these are a lot of fun for puppet shows. i'm looking forward to seeing what kind of stories my kids can come up with using these. they come in a package of three. (educational insights also has great ideas for teaching units, whether you are a teacher in a classroom or if you homeschool. i received a few trial items, and i have been intrigued to see how i can incorporate them into our own home learning).

for awhile now, pillow pets have been must-have items for my kids. everyone now has their own pillow pet. unfortunately, they can get a little bit...yucky...if the kids sleep on them every night. this is where petjamas saves the day. they are "pajamas" designed for pillow pets that come in a variety of colors and textures. tessa's pegasus has seen better days, so i'm excited to get her a pair of pajamas for her friend so she can enjoy sleeping with her again. they are easy to put on and remove so you can throw them in the washing machine any time they need to get less...yucky.

if your kids have collected as many silly bandz as you ever want them to have, you should definitely turn to floppets. like jibbitz for crocs, these are (adorable) rubbery icons that are attached to velcro bands, instead of a rubber button. this means they can be attached to a wide variety of things. they can go in your hair, on your backpack, on flip-flops or sneakers, on a bracelet, be worn as a ring, on a pencil and/or notebook, or even in a buttonhole. these will make great stocking stuffers for anyone on your list.

i received a sample of each of these products through my involvement at the chicago toy and game fair (to which i received free passes). regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

holiday gift guide: games (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 04:06:00 +0000

we had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend the toy and game fair. this has become a favorite yearly event for us now. we love getting to see (and play with) that newest and most fabulous toys and games on the market (at least, that's what we tell ourselves!).

here are some of our favorites:

from wiggity bang, we tried out magic feather. it is described as "a nutty rumpus of a game for kids and families." what i like about it is that it is a board game that encourages activity and actions so my littler ones don't have to sit for a long time. "magic feather develops creativity and imagination; helps build problem-solving, story-telling, counting, reading and map skills; encourages physical activity; and exercises the sense of humor!" players move around a magical neighborhood, trying to stay ahead of "pesky crows." players have challenges like pretending to be a cat that swims, or having a conversation where you and another player talk like crows. i'm looking forward to getting the kids to play this all together this holiday season.

wiggity bang has another game that i am personally interested in: quao. "what is quao you ask? quao (pronounced ‘cow') is the absolute, supreme ruler of an unruly wasteland at the edge of civilization where attempts at democracy are futile. quao is the ultimate dictator — an evil bovine with secret rules.
"what does it mean to be quao? being quao means you know the rules and everyone else has to figure them out. as you play this fast and fun card game, you'll be challenged to discard all your cards first to win each round, as you try to become the quao." i love dictator games! i think this one would be tons of fun for all the cousins this holiday season.

you've probably heard of bananagrams by now, but did you know how many different new games there are now? you can get jumbo bananagrams, double bananagrams and foreign bananagrams (what a great way for students to practice their foreign language learning!). they have also added a few more fruits to the mix.

appletters lets early readers practice spelling words as everyone works to build a word worm. whoever gets rid of all their letters first, wins. as kids develop more confidence, they can play some of the other variations of the game.

this is also true for the game pairs in pears. each bag comes with four sets of the alphabet, each with a different pattern. this game has a lot of variations. tate and i played by letting me make a word with my set of letters, and having him look for the matching letters with his own set of letters. this was a great way for him to practice reading as well as to reinforce letter recognition.

tessa really likes the game zip-it, which also comes in a jumbo version now. in this game, two players each get seven cubes with letters on them. they race to see who can use all their cubes to make connected words first. when you have used up all your cubes, you can keep score with the zippers on the bag. the first one to score ten wins.

my favorite of the bananagrams games is fruitominoes. even lilianna managed to join me and tate in this game! the dominoes have different numbers of fruit on them (two bananas, three apples, four oranges, etc.). you play just like regular dominoes, but the fruit pictures make it easy even for kids who can't count yet to play. lilianna could see if she had bananas or oranges and make a match.

of course you won't want to miss game recently nominated as toy of the year by the toy industry association, don't rock the boat. players take turn balancing pirate penguins on the boat. be careful not to let any penguins fall off the boat! zoe has actually asked for this game from santa this year. i think that we'll all have fun playing this together.

for the younger set, goliath games has a number of great choices. lilianna and i had the opportunity to play sonny the seal at the toy and game fair. each person takes a turn trying to throw rings over sonny's head.

tate seems ready for something a little more challenging, so this year he will be getting pop! the pig. players take turn feeding the pig, trying to be careful not to make his shirt pop open. the kids like games that have more than just a board. pop! the pig definitely fits the bill!

tate is just getting his first loose tooth. we'll be getting a visit from the tooth fairy soon, i'm sure. players in this game travel around the board trying to collect lost beth. when they put the tooth under the pillow, the tooth is magically transformed into gold. whoever collects four gold coins first, wins. i'm looking forward to seeing the kids faces when the tooth changes into gold!

zoe spent quite a bit of time checking out the games she was most interested in herself. she tried out a lot of different games, but when she left, there were two that she asked for in particular. she really enjoyed the game, oversight. the goal of the game is get four of your game tokens in a row. for each turn, players can either place one of their token on the board, or slide an entire row or column of pieces to line up colors or mess up a player's game plan. zoe is getting more and more intrigued by these strategy games, and this is a great one for her to practice careful and calculated strategy.

the other game zoe specifically requested was albert's insomnia. this is a great game to help kids practice and develop their math skills. tessa is just learning her multiplication tables so i hope zoe will let tessa play too so she can practice. kids can play this alone or the whole classroom can get involved. players start with two cards with different numbers on them. they try to come up with a math operation that will let them achieve the answer on the card in front of them. they then progress to three cards, then four and so on. i played a game similar to this in junior high that i really enjoyed. i'm looking forward to testing my skills with zoe.

finally, i am always looking for games that can travel with us, since we spend so much time in the car. tangrams by edustic is a great option. each game comes with a variety of colored shapes, and laminated cards for each player. in guess what! players create pictures with their shapes and try to get the other players to guess what they have created. in pattern smart, players compete to copy the pattern from a flip chart booklet. finally, in tangram smart, players compete to create the patterns in the flip chart booklet.

the nice thing about the tangrams pieces is that they can stick to a wide variety of surfaces. the kids can play with them on the car window, the bathroom mirror or any glossy surface. they don't leave any residue. i really hope this helps to keep multiple kids occupied on our ten hour trip to tennessee from michigan.

i'm so happy to say that i have a tangrams game to offer to one of you! just leave me a comment below telling me which game you are most interested in purchasing for a family member this holiday season. i will choose a winner on sunday night at 8.00 p.m.

i received free copies of most of these games, as well as free passes to the chicago toy and game fair. regardless, the views and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

princess stories: real bible stories of God's princesses review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 22:24:00 +0000

we gave this book to tessa last year for christmas, and i have to admit i was a little skeptical. i am nervous about all the princess stuff that surrounds our girls all the time. while i was intrigued with the idea of letting my princess-loving daughter think about biblical princesses as opposed to princesses from that other popular industry, i wondered if the book would provide an accurate interpretation of the true biblical stories.

we ended up reading through this book as part of our family devotions and we loved it! it brings to life even the most obscure of women in the Bible. princesses, slaves, heroes and not-so-much heroes all have a story to tell and a lesson for all of us.

like the my princess bible, the last story is about the reader as God's princess. this is a wonderful way to highlight how loved each of us is by God and what it means to live like God's princess.

my only qualm about this book is that all the drawings of princesses are of thin, beautiful women. sarah is pictured with white hair, but she looks like a very fit 40-year-old.

i still highly recommend this book. it was great for our family, and it is great for tessa to read on her own.

i received a free copy of this book from the tyndale blog network for the purpose of this review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

start off your holidays with a bit of sweetness: cali candy cane doll (review and giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:55:00 +0000

edited to add: congratulations, lili! you won the christmas groovy girls doll!

in december, i will be posting a variety of holiday gift guides describing some of the toys and games that we have been learning about and asking for lately. i thought it would be fun to start off the holiday gift guide writing with a fun, little giveaway.

isn't she sweet?

this doll is our family's first official groovy girl. my older girls always liked the groovy girls, but never somehow, they never found one under the tree. i'm thinking that lilianna needs a toy to call her own, something the girls haven't already played with and collected (and dirtied). i think groovy girls is a good choice for her.

these dolls are great because they satisfy a girl's fashion consciousness (i'm sorry if that sounds "gendered" but i can already see this consciousness with two-year-old lilianna) without the sexiness of a barbie doll. her skin is a nice, soft plush so she's nice and cuddly for sleeping with at night. her hair is pretty and curly without getting too tangly or frizzy. her dress comes off (with velcro) but not her hat (unless you want to snip the threads holding it in place). she is listed for ages three and up.

cali candy cane is pretty holiday-focused, with her green and red outfit, so i'm trying to decide if we will keep her out year-round or if she will just make special appearances at christmastime. i'm also considering using her as our "elf on a shelf." i'm sure that offends the purists out there, but since we don't have an elf on a shelf, and i don't really want to pay for one, i thought she would make a fun alternative.

i have a cali candy cane to give away to one of you faithful readers. hopefully you can find a sweet, little girl to share her with, or make her a part of your own holiday decorating. just visit the manhattan toy website and tell me one other toy you would love to share with a special someone (i know someone who would also love a baby stella). i will choose a winner using random.org on thursday, december 6. usa residents only; must be 18 years old or older to enter.

if you just can't wait to win the giveaway, you can purchase your own cali candy cane doll (or choose from a wide variety of other groovy girl dolls) at the manhattan toy website or from your local specialty store.

i received a cali candy cane doll from manhattan toy (plus one to give away) for the purpose of this review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

treat greeting cards have a treat for you! (free offer)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:00:00 +0000

in an age when we "shoot" emails, facebook or tweet people, it can be nice to find a special something in the physical mailbox.

treat is shutterfly's new greeting card brand. they want to make it easy for us all to create and send greeting cards. they have cards for holidays, birthdays, congratulations, thank yous and just about any other occasion you can think of.

with the holiday season now upon us, treat wants to "treat" you to a free card to send to someone special. do you want to say "thank you" for a great thanksgiving? spread some holiday cheer? celebrate the season's first snowfall? now you can create and send a personalized greeting card for free.

this offer is only good for monday, november 19 and tuesday, november 20 so head on over and make someone's day extra special. just use the code: TREATBLOGR when you check out.

happy thanksgiving, everyone!

i am receiving compensation for sharing this offer with you. nevertheless, i love the card selection at treat and i believe you will too. the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

a pinypon party every day (review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:52:00 +0000

if there is one thing we love as a family, it is being able to share with others.

recently we were given the opportunity to share pinypon dolls with a whole group of our friends. have you heard of pinypon dolls before? we hadn't either, but now they are one of our new favorite things.

pinypon dolls come with a variety of accessories. you can change everything about your doll: hair, face, shirt, bottoms, along with a wide range of flowers, barrettes, "jewels" or bows. of course, the more dolls you collect, the more choices you have.

i always appreciate toys that can keep all four kids engaged and occupied together. while the pinypon dolls are marketed to girls, there is one little boy doll that consoled tate when he had to miss out on the party. his little boy doll has had lots of fun adventures with his sisters' dolls. not only can you collect the pinypon dolls, but the dolls can shop at the mall or take the caravan to the beach or invite all their friends to stay at the hotel.

the girls had so much fun at the party, trying out the different accessories and changing their dolls' faces. at home, all four kids have had fun coming up with fun adventures for their dolls.

check out the pinypon website for special offers and coupons.

of course, we wouldn't want to leave out lilianna. she had the opportunity to try out a nenuco doll, as well as share one with a friend.

the doll is cute and comes with a potty chair and bottle. of course, any baby can make lilianna and her friends happy!

here are some other fun photos from the party:

you can also find pinypon on facebook and twitter and nenuco on facebook and twitter.

i received 12 pinypon dolls, 2 nenuco dolls, and 2 pinypon caravans to share with the girls for this party. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

ringling bros and barnum and bailey presents: dragons! delivers thrills and skills

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:46:00 +0000

last night, found dragons "tatianna," "may belle" and "bianca" wrapped lovingly in children's arms.

this morning, swords were flying to defend our honor, our home and our happiness.

can you tell that we were at the circus?

the theme of this years ringling bros. and barnum and bailey circus presents: dragons has inspired a lot of creativity and imagination around here. thankfully, so far nobody wants to set a circle of swords on fire and leap through it.

during the martial arts display of the shaolin troupe, i leaned over to tate and said, "please don't try that at home."

"i can do that," he assured me confidently.

hopefully he just meant jump around and wave a stick, not the wrapping steel rebar around his neck part, or the laying on top of a very pointy spear part.

we have been to the circus many times now, but every year, i find myself gasping in awe or holding my breath with fear as i watch the performers in the magnificent acts.

some favorites for us this year definitely included tatianna and the cossacks riding their horses around a 46 foot diameter ring at speeds more than 25 miles per hour, performing all kinds of amazing acrobatic skills and feats, including climbing under the horse's belly while he continues to gallop. thankfully, everyone made it out of the ring safely!

for tate, the show just wouldn't be complete without the tigers. while we missed taba, our favorite tiger tamer this year, alexander lacey amazed us all with his courage in the face of so many snarling tigers and lions. i still say it is hard to think of anything more majestic than the king of the beasts, the mighty lion with his shaggy mane.

i was a little nervous about attending the show on a school night. it does seem a bit long. we ended up leaving during the intermission, in spite of the kids' cries and complaints.

i thought the best part of the show was during the "all access pre-show." we were there early, we had a front row position at one of the rings. we saw the performing poodles, including one hilarious (but very naughty) jackson. i could completely identify with the trainer, trying to keep a happy face for the public while wanting to let that naughty and rebellious child, er. dog, know exactly who was boss. we watched a goat practice riding on a pony, and, best of all, say kelly ann, the elephant, and newcomer, may belle, up close and personal.

the kids and i had a great time talking to some of the performers. i learned that when viktoryia medeiros of the medeiros troupe hangs from the ceiling from her hair, it actually does hurt, "some days worse than others, just like with life." knowing that made me appreciate her performance even more. on the other hand, tessa asked a clown if it hurts when they slap each other and learned that they don't actually make contact at all. i'm sure that helped her relax a little more during the clowns' performance (my personal favorite).

overall, once again, the circus was a highlight for the kids. when asked what they were thankful for on the way home (as we get ready for halloween), the kids said two things: 1) i'm thankful my mom is a blogger, and 2) i'm thankful for the circus.

you can't go wrong with that!

my family and i received free tickets to the performance. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

a new favorite around here: jakks pacific's monsuno toys (review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

as you can imagine, with four kids around, we love toys. we particularly love toys that are fun for a wide range of ages (in our case, ages 2 to 10), that are attractive to both genders, and, as an added bonus, encourage learning while having fun.

oddly enough, we have found the perfect combination of all those traits in the jakks pacific monsuno toys. the monsuno cards and toys offer a wide variety of ways to play.

you can collect the packs of cards and play just with the monsoon card packs. or, you can buy the collectible metal cores and play that way. or, our kids' favorite, you can collect the two-packs of cores and figurines and play against each other with those, or, as tate currently loves to do, act out all kinds of stories and adventures with the figurines. you can learn the monsuno story or find instructions for each of the game versions, as well as a list of retailers, on the monsuno website.

however you play, there is some math involved, as players need to figure out attack numbers and power loss, all while keeping score.

we had a gathering of the cousins this summer (all of whom were a variety of ages), and we spent a significant amount of time having a monsuno party. a good time was had by all.

if your kids really want to get into the storyline of the game, they can watch the monsuno shows on nicktoons as well.

the monsuno toy collection will make great stocking stuffers for my kids this year; i can anticipate many more hours of (quiet!) play while they play the games!

i received a monsuno party pack to share with our cousins and friends (some of whom are pictured here) in exchange for writing this review. regardless, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

lions, and tigers, and...dragons?! ringing bros. and barnum and bailey presents: dragons! chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:52:00 +0000

every year at this time, the kids start wondering when it will be circus time. i'm happy to announce that the circus is on its way to chicago and this year we'll be seeing...dragons!

to celebrate "the year of the dragon," ringling bros. and barnum & bailey® will bring "dragon tribes" from all over the world to display their amazing skills in a circus "tournament of champions." each tribe will prove that they have "virtues of courage, strength, wisdom and heart to arouse dragons which appear right before your very eyes"! the whole performance is presided over by ringmaster jonathan lee iverson, the first african american (and the youngest) ringmaster in the history of ringling bros. and barnum and bailey®.

the shows are running throughout the month of november. from november 1 to november 11, you can find the show at the all-state arena in rosemont:

Thu, Nov 17:00PM

Fri, Nov 210:30AM, 7:00PM

Sat, Nov 311:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM

Sun, Nov 41:00PM, 5:00PM

Wed, Nov 77:00PM

Thu, Nov 87:00PM

Fri, Nov 97:00PM

Sat, Nov 1011:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM

Sun, Nov 111:00PM, 5:00PM

from november 14 to november 25, you can see the show at the united center in chicago:

Wed, Nov 147:00PM

Thu, Nov 1510:30AM, 7:00PM

Fri, Nov 1610:30AM, 7:00PM

Sat, Nov 1711:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM

Sun, Nov 181:00PM, 5:00PM

Tue, Nov 207:00PM

Wed, Nov 212:00PM, 7:00PM

Fri, Nov 2311:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM

Sat, Nov 2411:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM

Sun, Nov 251:00PM, 5:00PM

these are the ticket prices:

$90.00 (Circus Celebrity)
$60.00 (Front Row)
$50.00 (Front Row)
$40.00 (VIP)
$25.00
$19.00
$13.00

you can purchase tickets here. use code MOM when you check out to save 40% on weekday shows and 20% on all weekend shows. the good news is that parking is free at all shows.

you won't want to miss the all-access pre-show. doors open one hour before the show starts. you can meet the stars of the show, try out your clown skills, get autographs, watch the elephant paint a picture, and get an early glimpse of the acts you'll see in the show.

our family received tickets to the show in exchange for sharing this information with you. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

green giant steamers: edible vegetables in a snap (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 18:53:00 +0000

congratulations, nicole-lynn, you won the giveaway!

i will admit that my kids are better than average at eating a variety of vegetables, but i promise you that their vegetables are always the last thing they feel like eating. every day i try to figure out more ways to get them to eat more vegetables--and, if i'm really being honest, i could stand to eat a few more vegetables myself.

with this in mind, i'm looking forward to giving the new green giant seasoned steamers^TMa try. these flavorful vegetables are made "without a drop of sauce." these vegetables are made solely with "chef-inspired" seasonings with "premium cut vegetable blends."

your family can choose from six varieties: mediterranean blend, tuscan seasoned broccoli, brussel sprouts with sea salt and cracked pepper, honey roasted sweet corn, honey dijon carrots and backyard grilled potatoes.

if you think you would like to give the new green giant seasoned steamers^TMa try, you can get a coupon for $1 off here. the month of october is a great time to give these a try because green giant has a "love it or your money back" offer going on. just go to green gianthttp://greengiant.com/pages/SeasonedSteamersSubCategory.aspx's website to check it out.

i also have a fun gift pack including a coupon for a free bag of seasoned steamers^TM for you to try. just leave me a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat vegetables, along with your email address. i will choose a winner using random.org on october 26, 2012. must be 18 years old and a us resident to enter.

disclosure: the coupons, information, and gift packs have been provided by green giant through myblogspark. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

games and toys galore at the chicago toy and game fair! (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 17:33:00 +0000

it is just about time for my kids' all-time, top-favorite event of the year: the chicago toy and game fair. each year i remind them to hold off on making their christmas lists until we can see what the latest and greatest toys and games of the year are going to be.

last year, after attending the event, zoe set her heart on a remote-controlled helicopter; lilianna got herself a smartmax magnetic building set (which everyone around here loves); i fell in love with plan toys; tate mastered the marvel slinger by upper deck; and tessa whooped us all in shake 'n' take. i still have no idea how we managed to walk around (without bill!) for the entire day then drag our weary bodies home on the train after making our way through the crowds for the magnificent mile lights festival.

this year we are going to do things right: we are going to get ourselves in shape for a long day of walking. we will bring pencil and paper to make our lists and check them twice. we will plan to attend the lights festival, rather than trying to avoid the crowds, and, most importantly of all, we will bring bill with us!

if your kids love toys and games, or you yourself are a kid at heart, you will not want to miss this event. you can play extra large versions of your favorite games, compete in tournaments, try out brand new items that have yet to hit the market and meet the inventors of popular toys and games.

i have a weekend family-pass to give away to one of you readers. just leave me a comment below (with your email address) telling me your favorite toy or game. i will give away a pass for each week between now and the event. if you don't want to leave anything up to chance, you can go ahead and purchase your pass now and get $2 off.

since we can't live in the north pole, i figure, attending the toy and game fair is the next best thing!

our family receives a free pass to the chicago toy and game fair in return for writing this post. regardless, all the opinions expressed here are purely my own. in fact, all of the toys and games described here were purchased by us or our families for the kids after their experience with them.

parents just want to run too! stroller 5k (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:30:00 +0000

how often have you heard about a really cool 5k and then looked around at your four kids and wondered, "what about them?"

or am i the only one?

if you have been looking for a way to include your whole family in your efforts to getting exercise while having fun, look no longer. sassy moms in the city along with urba baby, growing smiles, the chicago area runners association, mix 101.9 and time out chicago kids are sponsoring a "strollers in the front" 5k run/walk to benefit npn (the neighborhood parents network).

on sunday, october 28th, you can bring your stroller(s), your crying baby, your toddler prone to tantrums or your preteen who likes to pretend she isn't capable of enjoying herself with her family. this race has been designed from beginning to end with the family in mind.

you will find portapotties big enough for a parent and child together, nursing stations and changing stations. there will be a kids' dash (they get their own race bibs) and other halloween-themed activities.

registration is $35 for runners, $25 for walkers (kids under 14 participating in the 5K get a $10 discount). the registration includes a race bib, an amazing goody bag, race t-shirt and admission to the post-event familial festival. the kids dash starts at $15 for one child, $25 for two to five kids.

um, don't you think the dad should take a turn pushing the stroller?
she looks worn out while he appears to be fresh as a daisy...

a portion of the events net proceeds and 100% of fundraising will benefit the neighborhood parents network (NPN), a not-for-profit organization that connects a diverse community of families with the resources they need to navigate parenting in the city of Chicago. you can learn more about the organization at www.npnparents.org.

our family is excited to do something like this together as a family. i would love to see others of you out there with us. i have one family-four pack to give away (2 adult runner/walker tickets and 2 kids dash tickets). just leave a comment below with your email address. i will choose a winner on october 21, 2012. (must be 18 years old and us resident to enter.)

disclaimer: join sassy moms in the city along with npn, urba baby, growing smiles, chicago area runners association, mix 101.9 and time out chicago kids for a chicago’s first and only family-focused 5k run and walk, at the “strollers in the front 5k run/walk” at montrose harbor on october 28th. i was selected to host this giveaway by sassy moms in the city and provided one complimentary race registration.

chicago children's theatre presents: harold and the purple crayon

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 02:08:00 +0000

one thing i love about living in chicago is getting to expose my kids to a wide variety of cultural events. what i especially appreciate are those people who seem to know how to create an opportunity for kids to experience culture in a way that speaks to them at their level yet is still done with quality and attention to detail.

every production of the chicago children's theatre that i have seen fits this description.

the plays are performed with mastery and skill. an enormous amount of creativity goes into the way the plays are performed (often with puppets, music and animation.

the production of harold and the purple crayon continues this tradition. listen to the press release for the show: "this imaginative musical uses breathtaking animation, inventive puppetry, video projections and live, original music to bring harold's purple-hued world to life. perfect for introducing young children to theatre, while simultaneously captivating their older companions, harold and the purple crayon will amaze, delight and entertain, while teaching youngsters that anything is possible with a crayon and a big imagination. "

i do not enjoy many of the children's movies that my kids want to watch. but i have thoroughly enjoyed every single performance by the chicago children's theatre and it sounds like this one will be no exception.

i still remember when we received a copy of harold and the purple crayon when zoe was born. i did not remember reading it myself when i was growing up, so i thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading it to zoe. now all four of my kids have requested it be read to them. i am so excited to introduce the book to them in a new theatrical experience.

if you think that you would like to take your kids to see the show (or "kidnap" some kid-friends so you can see the show yourself) check out all the possibilities for show times:

"to start, thursday is the new friday for families too, thanks to the debut of piece pizza party nights at harold and the purple crayon. starting at 5:30 pm, thursday, october 18, october 25 and november 1, families are invited to the ruth page to enjoy pre-show pizza courtesy of piece pizza, izze sparkling juices, and then see cct's chicago premiere of its new live musical based on the beloved children's books by crockett johnson at 6:30 p.m. tickets are only $20.

friday, october 19, october 26 and november 2 are pajama party nights with wishcraft at harold and the purple crayon. families can kick off the weekend at the 6:30 pm show, and enjoy a post-show party with the cast and crafty activities led by wishcraft workshop. tickets are $25. suggested attire? pajamas.

newly added thursday and friday evening shows are an expansion of chicago children's theatre's familiar slate of weekend performances for the public and weekday morning shows for school groups. the complete performance schedule for harold and the purple crayon, october 11-november 4, 2012, is: tuesday at 10 am; wednesday at 10 am and noon; thursday at 10 am and 6:30 pm (including pre-show pizza party at 5:30 pm); friday at 10 am and 6:30 pm (including post-show pj party); saturday at 11 am and 6 pm; and sunday at 11 am. exceptions: no 6:30 pm show on thursday, october 11. no performances saturday, october 13. press opening is friday, october 12 at 6:30 pm."

i cannot recommend chicago children's theatre enough. i am so happy that they have a permanent home at the

ruth page center for the arts

1016 n. dearborn street, chicago

tickets: 872-222-9555 or chicagochildrenstheatre.org

my kids and i received complimentary tickets to the show in exchange for writing this review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own. i love the productions done by this group and highly recommend them.

time to order tiny prints holiday cards (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:30:00 +0000

someone had a handy schedule on her blog telling us all how we could get ready for christmas with very little stress. unfortunately, i am already behind the game, but i realized that if i go ahead on order my christmas cards now, it would save me all the stress of worrying about them arriving in time for us to fill them out and send them before christmas for a change. what a novel concept!

i have never been good at planning ahead for things like christmas cards, but i would love for this year to be the year!

i love to send (and receive!) photo christmas cards. the kids change so much from year to year. i think photo christmas cards are a great way to update people about our family and the ways that everyone is growing up. bill and i have both been happy to delegate the writing of the letter to zoe, but i think it is nice to give everyone a photo of us as well.

i can easily spend hours and hours scrolling through the choices at tiny prints. it seems like each year they come up with new and fresh designs so we don't have to send the same card every time. this year, they have a new premium doublethick™matte paper, their most luxurious card stock yet. i love to send a quality card at christmas, and i appreciate their affordable cost.

i am always impressed by their selection varying from traditional colors and embellishments to colors and designs with a more modern feel (i think you can tell which ones i prefer!). there are also plenty of religious cards to choose from for both christmas and hanukkah.

check out the tiny prints special offers and promotions. i am also happy to offer one reader $50 off your order (does not include shipping and cannot be combine with other promotions). just leave me a comment below describing your favorite christmas card. i will choose a winner using random.org on october 22, 2012.

i received a promo code for myself as well as one to give away in exchange for writing this review and hosting this giveaway. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own. i would want to order my cards from tiny prints even without this offer, but i'm pleased to be able to share with you!

textbands winners

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 01:35:00 +0000

i admit that i have been a little slow getting to this giveaway. okay, okay, a lot slow! i apologize for my tardiness. i feel like i am finally starting to get my life back in order after that crazy strike. now that we are about to finish up our first full week of classes, i am starting to get a feel for what our lives our going to be like this year--absolutely crazy!!

it makes me feel happy and a little less crazy to be able to give things away. the winners of the text bands packages are...

amy! yay!

and...

...lili! yay!

i can't wait to hear what crazy combinations your kids come up with!

winx club fairy doll flies into our home

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 01:21:00 +0000

as the big kids and i sorted out new school supplies, lilianna felt a little left out of the festivities. it seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce her to a winx club fairy.

i haven't heard of winx club previously, but it turns out that wins club is a new nickelodeon show: "an animated modern fantasy series that follows six best friends – bloom, stella, flora, musa, tecna and aisha – enrolled in alfea college, the finest fairy school in all the realms. when trouble arises, the winx club members transform into beautiful fairies who use their unique magical powers to fight villains and save the world from evil.

"now fans of the show can collect all of the fairies and relive the group’s magical adventures with the new line of dolls, play sets and role-play items from jakks pacific and creative designs international. parents and their kids will have the chance to rock out and style their favorite winx club characters including bloom, stella and flora when they ‘come to life’ as part of the all-new doll collection.

"the winx club fashion dolls will feature two different lines, basic dolls and deluxe dolls. the winx club concert collection basic dolls (srp $12.99) feature the winx club in their stylish concert fashions. the winx club deluxe fashion dolls (srp $19.99) feature trend-setting outfits and spectacular wings that showcase the winx club in their beautiful believix transformation, with removable wings that can be worn on all winx club fashion dolls.

of course the three older kids were immediately jealous of lilianna's new 'treasure.' they've all had a turn to play with her, even tate! similar to a barbie doll, the wings give the doll an added dimension of fun for the kids. the wings are (a little too) easily removable. lilianna takes them off frequently and they are very easy to put back on. her clothes and boots are easy to take on and off as well.

i haven't seen the show, but i think these dolls are a fun alternative to barbie dolls and have provided hours of enjoyment for my kids already. i'm pretty sure that more of these dolls will be on at least one christmas list this year!

i received the information and a free sample doll in exchange for writing this review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions are all mine.

text bands: letting kids express themselves (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 02:23:00 +0000

have you ever watched one of those scrolling marquis and wondered what kinds of things you would put up, if you had one of your own? now your kids can have the chance to express themselves however they like with hallmark's fun new text bands.

similar to a plastic watch, the text bands let you input any message you like (up to 10 characters), and have it scrolling across your wrist. if you see a friend with a text bands, you can fist bump, high five or shake hands and your will trade messages with each other. it certainly beats passing notes in class the old fashioned way! they are available at hallmark gold crown stores ($14.95 for a starter kit).

my girls took theirs to the cubs game last week. it was a great opportunity for them to think creatively as they figured out various messages to express their own personalities and to send messages to each other.

they are a little bulky for continuous wear, but the girls have had fun with them on longer car trips and at events that don't require their full attention. i would like to see what happens if some of their friends get them, and they have more friends with whom to share messages.

as if that weren't enough, "hallmark just launched fan mail – a program allowing people to nominate the biggest “belieber” they know, or someone they simply want to thank, congratulate or recognize in a fun way to win a pack of hallmark justin bieber greeting cards and a $5 hallmark gold crown store gift card. the swag will be delivered right to the nominee’s doorstep.

"the selection of cards could include a bieber fever fan kit card, a bieber door hanger or many other well-wishes from the biebs. also inside the package will be a card telling the nominee that they have a secret fan, as well as an online code to unlock the identity of their “fan.”

"for more information or to nominate someone yourself, visit www.hallmark.com/fanmail. the program ends oct. 31, 2012, so there are many opportunities to nominate loved ones.

if you would like to give text bands a try in your family, i have two packs of two bands to give away. leave me a comment below telling me what message you would like your text band to display. i will choose a winner on september 17, using random.org. must be 18 and a usa resident to enter (don't forget to leave your email address so i have a way to contact you!).

i received two text bands from hallmark for my kids to try out for the purpose of this review. i have also been given the information above and two sets of text bands to give away. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

our favorite "back to school" treat: disney on ice (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:39:00 +0000

we are getting ready for school to start again. that always means a lot of bittersweet feelings: happiness to be back with friends, sadness to have to go back to doing regular homework; happiness to be back in a recognizable routine, sadness to lose the freedom that summer brings.

one way that we like to ease the sadness is to schedule a visit with our friends from the world of disney. we are particularly excited about this year's show: disney on ice presents treasure trove.

this is the show's description: "get tangled up in disney’s 50th animated feature with rapunzel and flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite disney princesses –tiana, cinderella, jasmine, ariel, sleeping beauty, belle, mulan and of course, the one who started it all, snow white.

then, set sail with peter pan, the always sassy tinker bell and the cantankerous captain hook & his pirate pals on an adventure beyond never land!

trek the wilds of africa with simba, nala, pumbaa and timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘circle of life.’

tick-tock! tick-tock! don’t be late to a very important date with alice & the mad hatter as they march with the queen of hearts’ army of cards. be sure to see this show full of memories guaranteed to last a lifetime."

can you believe they are able to fit so many of our favorite stories into one incredible and amazing show? me neither!

here's what you need to know to get your tickets.

show times are as follows:

thursday - 7:00

friday – 10:30, 7:00

saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:00

sunday - 11:30, 3:30, (7:00 Spanish)

here is the purchasing link: http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/32958/1606655

the best news of all is that you can save 20% on weekend shows and 40% on weekday shows with this code: MOM

(weekday shows include thursday evening and friday matinee shows and weekend includes all shows friday evening through sunday evening. savings offer not valid on front row or vip seating. no double discounts; service charges and handling fees may apply.)

i am also excited to be able to offer one reader a family 4-pack of tickets to see the opening night performance on september 13, 2012. just leave me a comment below telling me your favorite disney character. i will choose a winner on sunday, september 2. must be 18 to enter; it will probably be helpful if you are in the chicago area if you win!

i received free tickets to the show for my family, as well as a 4-pack of tickets to give away. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 03:03:00 +0000

i can't think of anything i like better than handing out fun prizes! Yay!

the winner of the pretty muddy mud run is...

...lisa noel! congratulations. i hope you let me run with you so we can carry each other across the finish line!

if you didn't win, i have heard there is a groupon discount available for a few more days. check it out and join us.

the winner of the all mighty pacs is...

...sherilyn! yay! i'm sure now that school has started again for you-all, you will still have plenty of laundry to do!

finally, the winner of the the stonyfield yogurt superhero giveaway is...

...coconpeppers mom! yay! i'm would love it if the "purple haze" could come to my rescue one of these days!

thank you to everyone who entered. i love to give things away!

all®mighty pacsTM make laundry a breeze (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 03:17:00 +0000

when we moved into our new apartment, the laundry area was...well, sticky. laundry soap had spilled and leaked and left residue everywhere.

i generally buy the big huge plastic tubs of detergent with the spigot. it seems like it would be easy for dispensing detergent, but it always seems to drip, sometimes on my freshly washed clothes.

that is why i am super excited about the all®mighty pacsTM. i just open a bag, grab the pac, toss it in the washer, throw in my clothes and i'm done. fabulous. no mess, less time and less waste.

all® wants you to have more time for fun this summer, and less time to spend cleaning up soapy messes. if you would like to win a summer prize pack from all®, leave a comment below telling me your family's favorite summer activity. i will choose a winner using random.org on tuesday, august 14. must be a usa resident to enter, and 18 years or older to win.

to encourage parents to savor precious family moments, all®mighty pacs is partnering with parentsconnect.com, a nickelodeon parenting site, to launch the “mighty fun, mighty moments” contest, which encourages parents to share their families’ favorite activities and moments in 140 characters or less. contestants have an opportunity to win a cruise onboard a norwegian cruise line with nickelodeon activities and entertainment. take a look at the video below:

i received information, products and an additional all®mighty pacs gift pack from all® through myblogspark. regardless, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

beat the summer slide with reading eggs reading program

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:59:00 +0000

i have not been as structured about getting my kids to do schoolwork as i intended at the beginning of the summer. maybe i should say...as i intend every summer!

our days just seem to fly by. we are either rushing out the door to get to some activity, or the kids are enjoying some much-needed and much-deserved time to play creatively and freely, without specific instruction from me. it is hard to break into that to get them to do school work.

that's why i am thankful for the reading eggs website. it is a learn to read online program that works with kids at any level to build them up step by step and turn them into readers. i especially did not want tate to lose the reading skills he had learned in preschool this past year. i want him to start kindergarten already ahead of the game. i think reading eggs website has been a great tool for us in that regard.

he loves to play on the computer anyway, and he hates reading aloud to me. the games are so much fun, he doesn't even seem to notice that he is reading. i love it because he can do it by himself but i am confident that he is learning and reinforcing important skills. he loved being able to create his own avatar. when he accomplishes levels and earns credit, he will have more options to choose for his avatar:

the graphics are a little cheesy and some of the games require a dexterity with the mouse that have been a little challenging for tate. if you have younger kids, you will want to help them maneuver the mouse for some of the games. otherwise, i absolutely love the website.

reading eggspress has levels available for more advanced readers, like tessa and even zoe.

as tate accomplishes levels, more places are unlocked so he has more to explore and discover. it seems to take a lot of time to move up to a higher level and get more places unlocked. tate has not seemed to notice this, however, and doesn't really care. he loves playing the games any chance he gets.

if you think this is something your kids might possibly be interested in, reading eggs and reading eggspress offers parents and teachers a free trial (for parents, you can have up to three kids signed up).

give it a try. it may just be something you want to continue using, even into the school year!

i received a free trial of the reading eggs online learn to read program for one child in exchange for writing this review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

stonyfield yogurt...be a food superhero (w/giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 02:33:00 +0000

we work hard to eat healthy around here. any time that i can, i purchase organic foods for my kids. i work even harder to avoid things that i think are detrimental to my kids' health, like red #40, high fructose corn syrup and aspartame.

when it comes to buying yogurt, it is hard to find options that don't have at least one of these things. that's what i love about stonyfield. when i purchase stonyfield yogurt for my kids, i really do feel like a superhero.

"food superheroes know their food and make food choices that protect their health, family farmers, animals and the planet." now you can feel and look like a superhero yourself!

stonyfield is offering everyone the opportunity to create a superhero persona, complete with a fabulous superhero name. for every food superhero profile created, stonyfield will donate $1 to foodcorps, a national nonprofit organization that addresses childhood health through food by working directly in schools in limited-resource communities.

i would love to help give you a jumpstart toward being a food superhero. i am giving away a coupon for stonyfield yogurt, a gift card to whole foods, a superhero cape (you can decide if you want to share it with your kids!) and some temporary tattoos.

just leave me a comment below telling me what superhero name you would give yourself and which power you would most like to have. i will choose a winner on tuesday, august 14. must be a resident of the united states and 18 years old to enter.

here is my superhero profile:

what do you think?

i received a superhero package from stonyfield yogurt as part of my involvement as a yo-getter. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. i am committed to feeding my kids healthy foods and stonyfield yogurt is one of the choices i make.