Author: brandy3

Big Book Of How 501 Facts Kids Want To Know

- brandy3 1 Comment

Time Home Entertainment and Time Kids introduce a brand new book for adults and kids.  The Big Book Of How: 501 Facts Kids Want To know is loaded with answers to questions kids ask, and adults don’t have the answers.

The 192-page book, packed with vivid illustrations and comprehensive reporting for which TIME For Kids is known, helps kids ages 8 and up discover the answers to questions such as: How does a chameleon change colors? How was Mount Rushmore built? How to stay safe during an earthquake? How do you build a spaghetti bridge? How do diamonds form? How does an iceberg form? How do astronauts train for a space mission? How does a lock work? How does popcorn pop? Detailed explanations, more than 200 colorful photos and diagrams, and over 20 “How to” activities help to educate and engage young readers.

*** This book couldn’t have come at a better time, my kids have been full of questions I have no clue about. Lately it’s been about tornados (since all the devastation of the Joplin Tornado). Luckily there is a full spread of how to stay safe during a Tornado, and also explains how it is formed. Now some of the questions in this book, are very simple to answer, like how to make a paper airplane. Since my husband is a Scientist, he already knew the answers to a lot of questions, like how to make crystals or how a hybrid car works.  There are a few questions I think are really silly and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a kid ask like, How do you mark your territory and how do you make blubber.  This book is recommended for ages 8+, but my kids are younger and ask a lot of these questions. It’s a great book to have on hand for those tough to answer questions kids ask all the time.

Retail: $17.95 at www.timeforkids.com/bigbookofhow or retailers nationwide

Release date: June 7, 2011

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post, a product was provided by the company. All opinions are my own.

Giveaways June 6, 2011

- brandy3

Mom Knows It All-CSFS New Moms/6/7/11

A Frugal Friend-$25 Olive Garden gift card/6/7/11

Mom Knows It All-CSFS My Cats Life/6/7/11

Mom Knows It All-CSFS My Dogs Life/6/7/11

Mom Knows It All-CSFS Country Music/6/7/11

Everything Up Close– Daddy Diaper Changing Toolbox/6/9/11

MOm kNows It All– Listerine vibrant white/6/9/11

Val’s Kitchen-safe grilling pack/6/11/11

Frugal Experiments-Large utility tote/6/14/11

Everything Up Close-Barbie Tough Trike/6/17/11 (Canada Only)

A Helicopter Mom-French Toast outfit/6/20/11

Summer Reading list

- brandy3

When it’s to hot to go outside this summer and play, keep your mind busy with books. Here is a great list of must reads this summer.

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick rules Just in time for the Blu-ray and dvd release on June 21, 2011

Harry Potter

To some kids, and adults, the Harry Potter books are an essential part of their life long reading experience. From Sorcerer’s Stone to The Deathly Hallows, the Harry Potter franchise is something of a legend. If you’re one of the few that hasn’t made these books part of your summer list, make this the summer that you do.

Ramona and Beezus

The Ramona and Beezus book series follows the lives of Ramona and her family in Portland, Oregon. The popular series began in the 1950’s while it’s last written book, “Ramona’s World” was in 1999. The series remains popular to this day.

R.L Stine’s Goosebumps

Want a way to get the chills during the heat this summer? Pick up R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. The book series has been giving kids the heeby geebies for years and it’s sure to bring some dark adventures into the brightest summer day.

Nancy Drew

It’s no mystery that Nancy Drew’s series will really keep you on your toes. You’llhave lots of fun solving crimes and snooping around with this classic books series that has been around since the 1930’s.

The Clique

Strangely that you find yourself missing the caddy kids in school? Try reading The Clique by Lisi Harrison this summer and you’ll find yourself loving to hate the characters. All the drama will keep you flipping the pages, and possibly never leaving your house!

James and the Giant Peach

The beloved classic James and the Giant Peach has been a joy for many growing up. Author Roald Dahl will take you on a journey of adventure and friendship which actually might have you wishing you were outside soaking up some sun.

Matilda

Another Roald Dahl book to check out over the summer is Matilda. The classic story of a gifted 4-year-old with really bad parents will have you rooting for her success of becoming a normal little girl. It also quite possibly will have you taking your little sister out for summer ice cream.

The Outsiders

At any age, you will get a blast from the past when reading The Outsiders. Follow characters Pony boy and Soda pop as they try to get through mistakes they make in a judgmental society. This is a fantastic summer read for teens and adults!

Holes

Talk about wanting to stay out of the sun. In Louie Sachar’s Holes, follow Stanley and his friends as part of a juvenile detention, while they dig holes in a wasteland of heat and sunburns. Together they improve their characters as young men but not before embarking on a wild adventure in the desert that will leave you cheering for all of them.

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post, reading list was provided by 20th Century Fox.

Mary J Blige Records Song For The Help

- brandy3

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon,  “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different,
extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s,  who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

 

Switching To Half Day Kindergarten

- brandy3

My oldest daughter Kenzie is in Kindergarten this year, and my other daughter Alex will start this fall. They were so excited that they are going to be taking the bus together.  Unfortunately Early this year we were informed by a letter, that due to budget cuts kindergarten will be cut to half day. 1st through 4th will stay the same 9-3, but Kindergarten will have a AM and PM session so either you get 9-12 or 12:15-3.

It really makes me upset that this is happening, what could be more important than education. My daughter never attended preschool or daycare, he could never afford it. So I am just afraid that she will not be learning enough in a 3 hour period.

The school had a meeting and we received our assignments AM/PM, the school also said that extra curricular like art, p.e, music will be limited. They will have 2 periods of P.E a week and art and music will switch 1 period a week, so one week she will have art, the next week music.   As for library they were not sure how often they would get to go.

I just don’t think it is fair at all, you should have seen parents at the meeting they were angry and sad. No one was allowed to choose what session they received, so what you receive you have to figure out your work/daycare schedule. I am a stay at home mom, so to me it was not that big of a deal which session I got. Even though now I will probably never be able to attend blog events unless they are on the weekend. With the hour commute to NYC, by the time I would get there I would have to turn around and get home to meet someone on the bus.

I was secretly hoping for AM that way Kenzie could show Alex where to go and help her out. NOPE, I received PM kindergarten, I was crushed, but my girls will be coming home on the bus together.

My day is going to be jammed pack next year. between my everyday life of cleaning cooking, taking care of kids, I will be seeing a child off at the bus stop in the morning, feeding an early lunch to my other 2 children, seeing Alex off at the bus stop a little before noon, then waiting at the bus stop at 3:20 for the kids to come home. Seriously that doesn’t even give me enough time to grocery shop.  The main thing is remembering to get her to the bus stop before noon,

 

Anyways My real complaint is what is school without lunch, recess, and free time.

Disney’s It’s A Small World India Collection

- brandy3

The collection available at Nordstrom, celebrates the 45th anniversary of the famous Disneyland ride, and brings together beauty meaning and Walt Disney’s belief that we are united in our love of children.

Four seasonal collections for newborns, infants and toddlers will hit Nordstrom stores nationwide and nordstrom.com/smallworld throughout 2011, each delivery representing an individual country: ‘Japanese Spring’ launches the line on February 28, followed by ‘Indian Summer’ in June, ‘Scottish Fall’ for September, and ‘Russian Holiday’ in November.  Each collection includes items priced from $18 – $169 from collaborators such as Petunia Pickle Bottom, TOMS Shoes, FEED, Trumpette, Baby Nay and Mighty Fine.

They just released Indian Summer

On The Prowl T-shirt $22.00

Feed bodysuit with pants $42.00

Ruffle Tank Dress $46.00

To order this collection visit Nordstrom.

Disclosure: No compensation or products were received, Information was provided by Disney.

Bust The Boredom This Summer With Chuck E Cheese

- brandy3

Summer starts in 20 days for my daughter, but for some School is already out.  Bust the boredom this summer  by going to Chuck E Cheese, it is one of my children’s favorite places.

Right now you can earn tickets before you set foot inside Chuck E Cheese, with their online skeeball game. Just go to http://www.chuckecheese.com/chuck-e-games/ and play. You can print out your ticket voucher and redeem in store.

“For as long as we can remember, one of everyone’s favorite arcade games at Chuck E. Cheese’s has been Skeeball,” said Brenda Holloway, Chuck E. Cheese’s marketing manager. “We’re always looking for new ways to bring the one-of-a-kind Chuck E. Cheese’s legacy to families even when they can’t be with us in stores, and the new online Skeeball game is the perfect example of that. For the first time, kids and parents can play a long-time favorite right from their home while still winning tickets for great prizes.”

I just played the game and its very easy, just a click of the mouse and the ball goes into the point buckets. I scored 400 and received 30 tickets, but it states that you can receive a maximum of 40 per child, per day.

Disclosure: No compensation was received, just sharing information provided to me.

Car Safety Tips For On the Road

- brandy3

Summer is almost here and that means that tons of families will be hitting the road, going on vacation whether its family or the beach. The most important thing about going on a vacation is safety, specially when it comes driving since that is the most dangerous way to travel.

1.If you have small kids, please make sure they are in a car seat or booster seat. New recommendations are that if a child id under 4’9″ they need to be in a booster seat.  Personally I think that is a little overboard since I am only 5’1″, I was 4’9″ when I was 17.  I will follow the rules of course. I can’t tell you how many times I see children even little babies in their parents arms while driving. It’s so dangerous.

2. Always pack water- It gets really hot everywhere, and even if you have your AC blasting, you can still get dehydrated. Pack plenty of water for everyone.

3. Don’t talk, text or use the internet while driving- I love Social media as much as anyone else, but posting something on facebook or twitter can wait until people get out of the car. Seriously I can’t stand you and your making the road dangerous.  Please don’t use your cell phones in any way while driving.

4. Make sure your car is in good condition-If your going a long way be sure to get a oil change, If you have a chip in your windshield get it fixed. A chip could turn into a crack at any time, often when you are least expecting it. Windshield repair is often a safe and economical alternative to a full windshield replacement.

Safelite AutoGlass brings you peace of mind by emailing you a Technician Profile before your appointment, showing you a photograph and credentials of the technician coming to your home or place of business.

5.  Don’t bump your bass- I understand its the new thing to have your radio blaring or bumping your bass, but I have seen countless times someone who has a radio to loud getting in teh way of a Firetruck or Ambulance. Please If you want to listen to your radio feel free, but your neighbors don’t need to hear it.

6. Have kids, bring activities- I am a mother of three, and I know first hand that if kids are fighting or screaming, its a big distraction if you are behind the wheel. Bring coloring books or toys to keep your kids occupied and your eyes on the road.

7. Rest- there is no deadline for vacation, if you are tired of driving take a break. There are so many accidents a year from people falling asleep behind the wheel. Take a break it pays off.

8. Watch your speed- I have done it before, but here in NY it is crazy. Speeding can be dangerous, so don’t do it.

9. pack food- you never know when your going to get lost or stranded (specially in winter), so have food on hand, even just little snacks

10. Weather- if you encounter hail or strong rain and don’t feel comfortable driving in it, then don’t. you getting to your destination is what is important. If you can’t see then thats a sign to wait it out.

Please be safe during road trips this summer and always prepare. There will be a lot of people on the road and keeping your family safe is always #1

Disclosure:“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Safelite blogging program, for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

 

Safelite Auto GlassSafelite on Facebook

Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest & Digital Frame GiveawayClosed

- brandy3 199 Comments

Energizer and National Geographic have teamed up together for the fourth annual Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest.

The program brings together the society dedicated to inspiring people to care about the planet with the company rooted in developing products that offer high performance with more responsibility. Energizer brought the world’s first mercury-free alkaline batteries to market, commercially available since 1991, and now Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries last up to 8x longer in digital cameras, so you can use up to 8x fewer batteries and create less waste for the planet. A dedication to performance and responsibility is the backbone of the new communication platform at Energizer called now that’s positivenergy.

Here are some previous winners to give you a little inspiration:

all you have to do to enter is submit your best photo to www.nationalgeographic.com/lithium, there are 6 categories to choose which best fits your entry. You can submit a photo until June 30 from there, entries will be judged and narrowed down to two finalist per catergory. From there a grand prize winner will be announced, the winner can be choose their own Destination, an Alaskan cruise through remote wilderness, a Moroccan odyssey spanning the sea to the Sahara or a 12-day journey into the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

In honor of this exciting contest, Energizer has offered to give one of my lucky readers a battery-powered desktop mini digital photo frame, powered by two Energizer Ultimate lithium AAA batteries. (pictured below)

To enter: Tell me your favorite/dream destination, for scenery or wildlife. (mine would be Scotland!)

Extra entries:

Subscribe to my feed-8 entries

Blog about this-7 entries

Grab my button-6 entries

Follow me on twitter-5 entries

Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post- 4 entries

Enter the contest-3 entries

Tweet this giveaway-2 entries ( can be done daily, button at bottom)

Share this giveaway on Facebook-1 entry (can be done daily, button on bottom)

Contest ends 7/1/11

Disclosure: A gift card was provided by Energizer who is also providing the giveaway. All opinions are my own.

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