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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Fun Product Review: My Feeding Friend

I love blogging.  I haven't done enough lately considering how tired I've been during my pregnancy, not to mention driving my kids around to school, parent participation preschool, art class, and play dates.  But this wonderful product review for My Feeding Friend, a grow-with-me nursing pillow, was handed to me and I couldn't pass it up.  It was cute, relevant to my upcoming delivery (any moment now), and just plain fun.  Not to mention that it promotes play from birth!  How cool is that?  Let me show you...

As my bun is still cooking in my oven (a little longer then expected at the moment), and my other children are beyond nursing, I sought out one of my best friends to help me.  She's not only nursing but has a 1 year old; a great combination for showing the grow-with-me side of this breast feeding support pillow.  Above is her youngest, born this past July.  Look how happy she is playing with the tiger!  
Her 1 year old moves fast, like a 1 year old should, so trying to capture her enjoying the nursing pillow was difficult.  Right away, she was enchanted by the giant tiger.  If you were a kid, wouldn't you be?  I mean, it's a big tiger and it's soft!  Incredibly soft!  My daughter got on the floor with her and they played with the tiger.  It was great for sitting on!

When it was time to nurse, my friend was able to check out the benefits of this adorable breastfeeding support pillow.  It was a hot day and one of my biggest concerns was the comfort level of fur next to skin.  Surprisingly, mom and baby didn't change in temperature.   
The nursing pillow fit nicely across my friend's lap, hugging and supporting baby while she fed.  With My Feeding Friend, nursing can be comfortable and fun!  I'm excited to use it myself.

My Feeding Friend comes in 4 adorable animals: Monkey, Turtle, Dalmatian, and Tiger.  Each animal is designed with comfort in mind; super soft fur and the perfect length for complete nursing support.  The grow-with-me features include tummy time support, bedtime friend, and a soft place for resting little tooshies.  And of course, imaginative play is encouraged as the child grows.  I love the versatility this nursing pillow offers.  So much more then the traditional breastfeeding support pillow which, I know from experience, ends up in storage after about the first year.  Thanks to My Feeding Friend, my new addition will have her first friend right from the start.

Check out My Feeding Friend on:
Facebook
Twitter
and of course you can order online at http://www.myfeedingfriend.com/

*Disclaimer
In exchange for this review I received 1 My Feeding Friend to touch, feel, play with, and enjoy as to give my honest opinion.  No other compensation was exchanged.  
      
    

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Fall Learning and Fun on It's Playtime


I laugh at fall posts these days.  Only because I'm in Southern California and while everybody else is enjoying Autumn in September and October, it doesn't really hit us until the middle of November.  It's the hottest time of year for us (it was 110 degrees last week!), the leaves are still green (or simply turning brown from lack of rain), and we batten down the hatches for fire season because it's extremely dry.

But I love fall; I wish we had an earlier one.  I love the colors, the pumpkins (and the pumpkin eats!), the apples, and all the fall activities.  This week on It's Playtime, I'm going to pretend it's not 95 degrees, imagine the trees are changing color, and share some of the wonderful fall activities you all shared with us last week.

I love this Letter and Math Game with Autumn Leaves from the NutureStore!  They use real leaves but if you are in a place like mine where they aren't available yet, craft stores often carry faux leaves that would work just as well.

Join My Buddies and I by creating your own Not-Yet-Fall Tree on a glass door or window in your home/preschool.  It can easily be changed to a fall tree as needed.

 Who needs to cut their pumpkins when painting them can be easier and more fun!  Check out the ArtClubBlog for one way to Decorate your Pumpkins without all the carving and gooey mess (which has it's place but you can't really carve a pumpkin this early; it would be disgusting by Halloween!).

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."   


These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 
Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :
* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!


* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

It's Playtime: Old Concepts, New Tricks


I love when I find a new way to use an old concept don't you?  So often we come across the same old thing all over the interent and while it may be a good idea (thus everybody doing it), sometimes it's nice to go, "Oh wow!  Why didn't I think of that?  I do that activity all the time and if only I had changed it ever so slightly...."  You get my point, right?  That's what's going on this week on It's Playtime!

Looking at this picture from Play Create Explore you might think, "oh, that's cloud dough," but not quite.  This Fluffy Stuff is a slightly different recipe.  Use it and create your own summer snowball fight!

At this point I think we all know what a water wall is, right?  Why not take the same concept and create a bead/ball run like the Russian blogger from The World of My Dreams...Lizon.org did?  She used plastic bottles to create a Rotating Ball Game, fun for grown-ups and kids alike.

 Puddles are for jumping and it can be fun to create Art in the Rain, but why not use some dried Tempura and create some Rainbow Puddles?  This fun idea from Play Create Explore will have your kids excited to mix some colors and create outdoor art.

If you were featured this week, don't forget to grab your special "featured button."  


These activities plus more can be found over on the It's Playtime Pinterest Board.  Happy Pinning! 
Now, on to this weeks play date! 
It's Playtime is a community and Thursday link-up hosted by:

* Rachele : Messy Kids (That's me!)
* Anna : The Imagination Tree
* Rachel : Quirky Momma
* Jamie : hands on : as we grow
* Jenny : Let the Children Play

How to Play :
* Link up a post about a playful learning experience enjoyed by kids.
* Give us love and pop a button into your post/blog. Invite your readers to the weekly play date!


* Stop by one of our blogs every Thursday and add your link about play. Your link will show up on each of the blogs in the It's Playtime community.
* Each week the playtime hosts will choose favorite posts to feature. (By linking you are giving us permission to use an image and link to you, if featured.)
* Be sure to visit some of the links that catch your eye. Commenting on posts that you find interesting or inspiring is a wonderful way to develop your own playful community.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

BabbaBox Review: Fun & Learning Delivered to Your Door

Occasionally I have the privilege of reviewing products.  I reviewed a great scrapbooking software back in February and I'll have another product review in the the next month or so.  It's a blogging perk that I enjoy.  I LOVE trying new products and sharing how I feel about them.  The BabbaBox by BabbaCo is no exception.  I was so excited to review this product I could hardly contain myself!  It fit fantastically with my blog plus I've developed and taught curriculum in the past, so I felt comfortable reviewing this product.  I wasn't disappointed!

We were so excited to get our BabbaBox in the mail.  It was like Christmas!  The theme for the month was "Sprouting Seeds".  The box included everything we needed to sprout and explore our own seeds, make flower pens, read and learn about seeds, plus a treat of yummy caramel chocolate (which being pregnant, I ate right away), and some coupons for babysitting sources and such.  It was quite the treasure trove.        
Amongst the crafts and science fun, was a Curious George book, actually two books in one.  My son, not being crafty, immediately grabbed the book to read.  He loves books!  After looking at it on his own, he asked me to sit and read the stories to him.  Both the stories related to seeds and planting, corresponding with the BabbaBox's theme.      

Once we sat down to play with our BabbaBox, my son became very interested.  We used one of the charts to do a quick review on parts of a plant.

After our plant review, we pulled out the "explore" pack.  It included a guide and a sturdy magnifying glass.  Michael loved looking at everything with the magnifier before checking out our seeds.  
 One of the "create" packs included a packet of herb seeds needed for both that project and the "explore" project.  I placed some of the seeds on a towel for my son and my daughter to examine.
The "explore" guide had a lovely picture of the different seeds in the packet along with the corresponding herb plant.  The kids sorted the seeds they wanted to grow in their own pots.

After sorting, they each got a small bowl to soak their seeds in before planting.

Both "create" projects came with enough supplies for two children.  For our planting project there were two pots, 4 dirt pellets, and a box of chalk.  The kids used the chalk to decorate their pots.

Once the seeds were ready, my daughter added two dirt pellets to each pot.  Then we added the water...
The kids loved watching the dirt "grow" until it filled the pot.  My son may have added a bit too much water...
Time to plant the seeds and place them in a sunny spot.  

The other "create" project in the BabbaBox were Flower Pens.  We pulled out that packet and the included scissors to get started.  The project included a guide, two silk flowers, two pens, two leaves, a vase, and green floral tape.  
 I had to start wrapping the tape for both the kids, but then they took over...
creating two unique flower pens.  My daughter has decided this is what she wants to make for Christmas gifts.
 


So now, what do I think?  I think the BabbaBox is a well thought-out product.  It has parents in mind who want to provide fun and educational activities to their children at home without all the work of downloading and "pinning" ideas, plus shopping for supplies.  This box can be spread out throughout the month or completed in a couple of days where a parent can add their own corresponding theme ideas.  I love that everything you need is included: the instructions, the supplies, reading material, and even a parental treat!  I didn't have to use anything of my own!

You can sign-up and join BabbaCo at anytime.  There are 3 great membership options to choose from; you can also give the box as a gift!  If you use the following code, you'll receive 20% off your first box: MK20OFF      

Don't forget to follow them on:

I hope you enjoy your BabbaBox as much as we did!  

Saturday, August 25, 2012

A is for Apple


School has started and fall is fast approaching.  It's time to break out the alphabet and the apple activities for back to school fun!  

We started our theme with a simple letter trace.  It's great for developing letter recognition and fine motor skills, especially in early writers.  I drew a letter A on a piece of construction paper and allowed my son to choose from markers or crayons (both would have been OK too) for tracing.  Once Michael was done, he pasted on a few apples I had cut for another project.  

  For more letter recognition and word association, Michael glued apples to the letter A.  

We took our art outside for some simple, apple tree inspired easel painting.  I gave Michael red and green paint, along with a brush and a cork and set him free....
 Michael's creation
Later, his older sister joined the fun.

We also made some applesauce together.  Yum, yum!

For more apple activities check out my Apple Themed Pinterest Board!    

Books you can read:



*Disclaimer: These activities are a year old.  Often, I do things with my kids, take pictures, but never get around to blogging what we've done.  I'm lazy, I'll admit it.  You know, I sit around, doing nothing all day....Ok, not really.  I'm usually running my son to playdates, my daughter to art class, assisting with homework, and doing pesky chores like laundry, vacuuming, and cooking.  I figure though, since I'm pregnant and doing less with the kids at the moment, I can catch up on things we did last year so the pictures don't go to waste :)   

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