Now this has been up for over a week now
family
What brings me joy in my life
Barking Mad is holding a contest and wants to know.
If you’ve read my blog regularly, you know the past year has been full of ups and downs. break ups, make ups, family feuds, financial issues etc. The one thing I can always count on to bring me joy and happiness is my children. McKenzie(4), Alexandra (3), and William(2 on the 7th), are the best things in my life. Even though they stress me out and fight and scream, a little laugh and smile, is all I need. Of course when my hubby is being nice, he brings me joy too. (he is career oriented)
This post has been written for a contest with Barking Mad
Getting A Big Girl Bed
I wrote a post not that long ago about my daughter finally getting potty trained at age 3. Well I got some scrutiny for waiting so long, when most people potty train at age 2.
We wait until our children are ready, i’m not a pushy parent and will never push anything including potty training on my children. Did i try introducing her to the potty earlier. Yes and she didn’t want anything to do with it.
I think that when you push potty training, they are more likely to have accidents.
ANYWAYS:
We promised her when she was fully potty trained we would buy her a Tinker Bell bed. so Wednesday we had a bed delivered just for her and bought Tinker Bell sheets and comforter.
She is super excited
Yay Potty Training Success
My dear Alex is now on the road to potty training success and I’m so thrilled. She has gone two days with no accidents and no diapers/pullups!
It’s very exciting for us.
Now we need to save our money. We promised her a big girl bed(twin size) and Tinker Bell sheets.
Now just one more to go nad my house will be diaper free.
Ice Age 3 Dawn of The Dinosaurs
Get ready, for the dawn of a new age! Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back for more pre-hysterical hijinks when Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs stomps onto Three-Disc Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo Pack October 27 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The third film in the outrageously popular Ice Age franchise, the sub-zero heroes return another wild and fun adventure. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while maybe finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amuck, and meet a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck. The coolest animated comedy of the year, Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs features hilarious performances from Ice Age veterans Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Seann William Scott (Planet 51) and Josh Peck (“Drake & Josh”), along with newcomers Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Lynch (“Glee”) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).
The Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs “Scrat Pack” Double DVD Pack, a great value for moms and fun for kids, will also be available for a limited time only featuring an overload of special features focusing on the determined squirrel including three “Scrat” games exclusive to the disc.
*** This movie is hilarious, we are big fans of the first two and this one is right up there with them. My favorite part is when there in the green cave, and they are acting goofy and laughing like crazy. My kids loved seeing the T-rex, plus all there favorite characters. My kids just think it’s so funny how Scrat can never catch a break, with his nuts. The Scrat DVD also includes a music video and games.
Release date: October 27,2009
Retail value:$34.98
Running time:93 minutes long
Rating:9
Disclosure: I received a review only copy of this DVD at no charge to me, this however does not affect my views on the product
Holiday Gift Guide: Make A Wish Water Globe With Max teddy Bear
His name is short for “Maximilian”, which means “greatest”. And he’ll be one of the greatest gifts you give. He has soft movable arms, a plaid bow around his neck and he comes with an engravable water globe that plays When You Wish Upon a Star. For each bear purchased, $2 will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help make wishes come true for children with a life-threatening medical condition. Things Remembered guarantees a minimum donation of $250,000 this year.
– Max’s arms and legs can be posed in several positions.
– He was handcrafted by our artisans, specially designed for Things Remembered.
– He’s the perfect gift for a son, daughter, sister, brother, mom, dad, friend or grandparent.
– The water globe has plenty of room for an engraving of a name and a message like “You make all my wishes come true!”
We Received this cute little guy in a beautiful gift Box, and had it personalized.
We personalized it with out last name and christmas. Kind of a Family Holiday decoration.
This is really a beautiful bear and personalized snow globe. Perfect to place n top of the fire-place. The bear is moveable to, His arms and legs move, so the kids could even play with him. Shipping and engraving are fast. I received this in only a couple of days. it was so fast. kudos to sponsor!
Visit www.thingsremembered.com to purchase this bear.
Retail price: $29.99
Rating: 10
Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.
National School Bus Safety week
October 19-23 is National School Bus Safety Week.
We live near several school bus stops, and I see so many people daily ignore the stop arm. It’s dangerous to ignore it and people will and do get hurt. So please stop and Obey. It is never legal to pass a school bus from behind when the red lights are flashing, and it is illegal to pass such a school bus when traveling in the opposite direction. In a few states, it is legal to pass a stopped school bus with flashing red lights when traveling in the opposite direction on a divided highway.
26 million students who take the school bus daily – Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm! This is the theme for the 42 annual School Bus Safety Week.
The yellow school bus has been found by the National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Department of Transportation to be the safest way to transport students, which is tremendously important considering half the nation’s students ride the bus daily. Additionally, each school bus takes an estimated 36 cars off the road, decreasing traffic, especially around schools. Despite this, less than half the nation’s parents (49 percent) realize the school bus is the safest way for children to get to and from school according to a recent American School Bus Council nationwide survey of parents
importance for drivers to follow the rules of the road and stop when the stop arm deploys, which includes red flashing lights and a stop sign, and children get on and off the bus. The stop arm requires drivers in all states to stop, but this traffic violation is a common occurrence as noted in studies conducted by numerous states.
About School Bus Safety Week
School Bus Safety Week was created in 1960, commemorated by Congress and the President in 1969 and recognized most recently by a congressional resolution in 2006. The goal of SBSW, which is sponsored each year by the National Association for Pupil Transportation, National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and National School Transportation Association, is to emphasize the importance of a unified effort among students, parents and the motoring public to ensure a safe and secure ride for the nearly 26 million children who are transported daily on yellow school buses. This week also recognizes the hard work and dedication of school transportation professionals, especially the school bus drivers who ensure a safe journey for students daily. For more information about SBSW, visit www.napt.org.
Please teach your children, and everyone else the importance of this. The American School Bus Council Web site features school bus safety coloring pages and a downloadable children’s book www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org.
Some articles relating to this:
http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/class-28682-bodycopy-stop.html
http://www.indystar.com/article/20091001/LOCAL0503/910010383/1020/LOCAL05/Safety+campaign+targets+school+zones
Holiday gift guide: Gotta catch santa Clause DVD review
Description from DVD:Hold on to your reindeer because finding Santa is about to become an adventure of a lifetime! Lionsgate releases an all-new CGI animated feature Gotta Catch Santa Claus, starring William Shatner as the voice of Santa. Sure to become a modern-day holiday classic, this funny, contemporary DVD is enjoyable for the entire family and features six jolly jammin’ new holiday songs. When a friend starts to doubt the idea of Santa Claus, 12 year old Trevor sets out on a mission to catch old St. Nick in order to prove his existence and put the skeptics to rest.
Gotta Catch Santa Clause will be broadcast during ABC family’s annual 25 days of Christmas, but you can own it now on DVD.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWiZFDqOEOE]
**** This movie is filled with holiday fun. It’s also great for any small child having doubts about Santa. My children and I really enjoyed this movie and my children are so excited about christmas, even though it’s still a while away.
This is a perfect gift for any age child in the family!
Release date: October 13, 2009
retail price: $19.98 but you can find it on amazon for $14.98
DVD bonus features:
- Deleted Scenes
- Santa Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- 2 Sing-Along Songs
Disclosure: I received this DVD free in exchange for my review. This however does not affect my views on the product.
my three sweeties(singing abc’s)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw18Mx6xSb4]
tonight is Family game Night
Tonight is national family game night 9/23/09, so gather the family up and spend some quality time together playing your favorite games.
I use to love playing games as a kid and still do, my mother would always play Monopoly with me and my brothers. Now There are so many more fun games and more ways to get involved. The main thing is getting to spend sometime with family!
Here are some tips for National Family Game Night:
Looking for some quick tips to make the most out of National Family Game Night on September 23? Below are ten helpful hints to prepare for the nationwide event and to start creating a family game night tradition that the whole family will look forward to week after week. Call the family together and gather around a Hasbro game for a great night in any day of the week!
1. Schedule it!: National Family Game Night is Wednesday, September 23, mark the calendar!
After participating in the gaming event, decide in advance which day will be your weekly family game night. It doesn’t matter which night of the week you choose – any night will do! As long as the date is marked on a calendar that everyone can see and parents make it a priority to keep the appointment, the night will be one to remember! Use stickers or a colored marker to help make the family game night dates stand out on the calendar.
2. Involve everyone in the planning: Involve the whole family in the planning process by allowing the kids to pick the games or choose the snacks. For variety, rotate responsibilities during each family game night.
3. Game suggestions: Be sure to pick games that are age-appropriate for all family members so that everyone can participate. For an active family, BOP-IT! or the classic game of TWISTER are great options. For a laugh-out-loud time, families might want to try GUESSTURES or TABOO. For families that thrive on competition, try CONNECT 4×4 or MONOPOLY CITY.
4. Fun food “pairings”: A special family game night menu will make everyone look forward to the festivities. Serve fun finger foods that are easy to eat during game play, such as hamburger sliders or chicken fingers. A make-your-own sundae bar is a sweet treat for dessert before or during game night. Or, use a family recipe to make your family game night unique.
5. Create a tradition: Whether it’s the way that teams are selected, a 30-minute bedtime extension, or having everyone play in their p.j.’s, establishing an activity on family game night that becomes a family tradition will create even more excitement around game play for everyone in the family.
6. Keep a family scoreboard: From week to week, recognize the family member who won the last family game night by posting their name on a special scoreboard that receives a place of honor on the refrigerator. Or, create a family crown that can be worn by the winner at dinner or during the next family game night.
7. Remind everyone: To keep the date with the family, set up reminders on a handheld device or on the family computer to make sure that game night happens. For the tech-savvy, reminders can also be sent through Evite.com or on social networking sites such as Facebook. For the kids, put a note in their lunchbox reminding them about family game night.
8. Mix it up with “special guests”: To expand the fun, invite other families in your neighborhood to participate in a family game night tournament. If you have extended family members living in the area or if you are traveling during a scheduled family game night, invite everyone to participate!
9. Capture the memories: By having regularly scheduled family game nights, families are guaranteed to create new and lasting memories. Snap a photo of special moments at each family game night and place the printed photos around the house or email to relatives to share that come-from-behind win or incredibly tall Jenga tower!
10. Brainstorm for next week’s family game night: As each family game night winds down and clean up begins, start brainstorming for next week’s event. What games might be selected? What will be the special food served? By planning in advance for the next event, you can get a jumpstart on the preparations and raise the anticipation level for the next family game night.
Have fun and don’t forget to check out hasbro’s latest games