GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

It goes without saying, when we become parents, we somehow will forget something. Sometimes a bottle of water/milk, sometimes a school-book and for me, a stroller is often left at my son’s school. Yes, in the frenzy of getting everyone home, so I can start making dinner, I’d strap everyone into the car, and drive off, leaving the stroller, high and dry, on the pavement. Just like that. Sigh…

But, we would never leave a child in a car, right?

Well..before anyone is quick to judge, we are only humans. We will make mistakes. We don’t like to make mistakes, but it happens. Sometimes, we lose track of ourselves, and as we run our errands as efficiently as we can, there is always a possibility of forgetting our child. I had a friend who quietly confessed to me, she inadvertently forgot that her son was with her, and left him in the car for just 5 minutes, while she had to drop off some laundry at the cleaners. Luckily, it was a rather cool day, so nothing happened to the lil baby. I couldn’t help but emphatise with her, as sometimes there are just too many things to remember!

Well, with the Child Minder Infant Smart Pad Safety Seat Monitoring System, the probability of this ever happening can be significantly reduced. It comprises of a smart pad and a key ring alarm unit. The lightweight, slim smart pad can be easily slipped under your child’s car-seat and passively monitors your child while they are in the seat.  You need to place the Key Ring Alarm  Unit on the automotive key ring. An alarm immediately sounds when the child remains in their seat, as their parent or caregiver walks more than 15 metres from the vehicle.

BUY IT: Child Minder Infant Smart Pad‘s easy installation only takes less than 3 minutes. Retailing at $89.90 with a 7 Day Money Back Guarantee, it is certainly very assuring to know that this product can help prevent such incidences from happening.

For those of you with toddlers, there is a Toddler version, which works the same way.

Remember, no parent in the world would intentionally leave their child in their car. But with this clever invention, this helps reduce the possibility.

WIN IT : We’re giving away two Child Minder Infant or Toddler Smart Pad Safety Monitoring System worth $89.90 each to our readers. That’s not all – This giveaway is open to everyone!!!!

Here’s what you need to do:

• Visit our sponsor, www.babyalert.info and let us know which model of Child Minder Smart Pad  you would like to win.
• Three additional entries if you grab our button from our sidebar and link back to us from your blog, AND/OR
• Three additional entries if you  Subscribe in a reader, AND/OR
• Three additional entries if you stumble this post.
• Giveaway closes on  7th April 2009 and a winner will be picked using Random.Org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe or check back here for the announcement of winners.

To the winner of our Fortune Girls Goodies Giveaway

Rosanne Tamara B. (2nd draw)

The winner is required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted. 
3. If the winner does not claim her prize by the 31st March 2009, we will do a second draw. 

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

When I heard about Name Bubbles I was like – no way! – how can a sticker withstand being thrown into the dishwasher or the laundry? So, when I received mine in the mail I wanted to test them out right away! I labeled a few of my son, Xander’s sippy cups and placed them back in the cabinet until I needed them (the stickers need to sit for 24 hours before you wash them). I also labeled a couple outfits for when Xander begins daycare (and for testing purposes of course!).

The next day he took his sippy to a playdate and when it was time to wash it I threw it right into the dishwasher with the rest of our dirty dishes. The sticker stayed on the cup and didn’t fade or anything!

I washed a shirt with the “laundry” sticker on it with my next load and just like the dishwasher sticker it stayed put!

Honestly? I’m kinda amazed here. Like I said, I didn’t think a sticker would withstand being washed. Labeling your child’s stuff has come a long way from using a permanent marker that isn’t ever very permanent.

BUY IT : I ordered the “Daycare Bubbles” which included 124 stickers – laundry safe stickers, dishwasher safe stickers and water-proof “fun” stickers. You can get your own Name Bubbles at their website http://www.namebubbles.com/

WIN IT : We know you would love to try out these labels, so Name Bubbles has generously sponsored  a personalized daycare pack worth $31.88 to one lucky reader. The daycare pack will also include 8 pairs of their recently launched Bubble Toes (shoe labels) and protective cover.

Here’s the usual drill:

• Visit www.namebubbles.com and let us know what are your favourite label packs (besides the daycare pack)
Three additional entries if you 
Three additional entries if you stumble this post.
If you qualify for additional entries, please comment separately and let us know which option you’ve used
Giveaway is open to Continental US shipping addresses only.
Giveaway closes on 31st March 2009 and a winner will be picked using Random.Org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe or check back here so that you do not miss the announcement of winners.

Congratulations to

allie Emily B. (2nd draw)

for being the winner of our Loyal Army Giveaway

The winner is required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted. 
3. If the winner does not claim her prize by the 23rd March 2009, we will do a second draw. 

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

By Jay Tucker

So, what did you do today? If your schedule is anything like mine you probably woke the kids up, made their breakfasts, nagged them to brush their teeth, got them dressed, and rushed them out the door in a NASCAR type effort to beat the late school bell. I feel a lot like an Army soldier because I do more before 7am than most people do all day!

But the day isn’t done, not by a long shot. I’m also a stay-at-home dad. The rest of my day is consumed by making sure my son and I make the most of it. We have stuff to learn, things to see, lunches to make, and then thankfully, naps to take. Most of the time, the nap is just for him. I typically use that time to answer e-mails, write, clean up, plan dinner, or make a few phone calls. At least the house is quieter, for a little while.

Nap time is short-lived. Immediately after nap time it’s out the door again to pick up my daughter from school. Then it’s time for homework help, dinner prep, and making sure the dog is taken care of. That leads us into the evening. We have activities to attend, engagements to keep, friends to try and meet up with, and the inevitable “boo boo” to mend. When it’s time to put the kids to bed, my wife and I are ready to go into a temporary coma! Remember when you used to wonder why your parents were so cranky?

Well, I have a few ideas that came out of necessity in our house. I can’t honestly say that life isn’t still at break-neck speed, but it’s a little more doable.

• Examine your children’s bed time routine. We have it down to almost military precision at our house. Turn off the television during this time so that every one can concentrate on the tasks at hand. We made a picture chart and laminated it so that each night our kids can check off the tasks like taking their vitamins, brushing their teeth, going to the potty, etc.

• At least one night a week is a “stay-at-home” night. No one and I mean NO ONE gets to leave for any activity. We spend a quiet night at home playing foosball, board games, or reading. Yes, sometimes we watch a little television too.

• My wife and I give each other breaks. Sometimes one of us just doesn’t have the energy to be super parent. When those times occur, we encourage each other to take a little nap or whatever is necessary to get the other one recharged.

• We analyze every new evening activity- When our daughter brings home the brochure for the next “I must be involved” activity, we sit down with her and ask her which one of the current things she is willing to eliminate. I firmly believe that no one member of the family should dominate the majority of the family’s time. I have witnessed marriages that have been ruined because they have allowed all of their time to be taken by driving their children to countless activities during the week.

• Be firm, and let your “no” mean “no”- That doesn’t just apply to the kids. If an activity isn’t flexible and tries to cut into family stay at home night or another activity, make sure the coach or leader of that activity knows that it isn’t acceptable. Bill Gates doesn’t make it to all of IBM’s meetings so I’m sure the 4-5 year old soccer team isn’t going to fall apart if your child doesn’t have perfect attendance. Piece of mind and family unity is much more important.

The time has come to reclaim our precious family time. Just remember, being busy doesn’t necessarily make a life better. I think there is a lot to be gained from a few boring moments in each of our weeks. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and make dinner.

About The Author

Jay Tucker is fulltime Youth Minister and dad in Florida and author of “The Whole Youth Worker: Advice on Professional, Personal, and Physical Wellness from the Trenches” from Loving Healing Press. You can read more articles by Jay at his website www.BetterYouthMinistry.com·

I did a review of Piano For Preschooler’s Basic Course a couple of months back and cannot tell you how thrilled I was with this course. Coming from a person with absolutely no musical background, this fantastic course has work wonders for me and my daughter. We’re both looking forward to progressing to the Holiday Songbook during her kindy’s next semester break.

Here’s an overview of Piano For Preschooler’s Basic Course:

The Basic Course includes a 17-song music book, a 17-track CD, a 19-lesson parent/teacher handbook, and two keyboard color strip guides (one for full-sized piano, and one for mini-key keyboard).  Ideal for ages 3-8.

The Piano for Preschoolers beginning piano lessons teach what a child would learn in 6-12 months of a group piano class or private piano lessons.  With this method, a child learns rhythm, counting aloud, finger numbers, finger position, and reading music (including the names of the notes).  The familiar songs in the beginner piano book give a child the opportunity to practice these musical concepts. The 17 songs include Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Old MacDonald, Ten Little Indians, etc.  A seven or eight-year-old child will move much quicker through the preschool piano lessons than a three-year-old.  An older child will be very familiar with the songs in the music book.  A caring parent or grandparent is the best judge whether these beginning piano songs will motivate an older child.  

A Blog Tour was recently organized for Piano for Preschooler’s Basic Course and here’s what our panel of parent reviewers had to say:

Amanda – What I have noticed with Sam is that since she already knows the keys on the keyboard, so for her Piano For Preschoolers is so much fun. We even took it to her Piano teacher,and she said it was a great book for Sam to use as “free time”.

From Melissa’s Desk – I used this curriculum with my 10 year old son. Okay, I know that is much older than a preschooler, but he has a very short attention span and will not sit still for long if he’s not interested. Because of the immediate results of this program, he loved it. He played every song in the book within the first week.

Maria’s Space – This is a great idea for homeschoolers, preschool parents, kids who want to learn an instrument without a parent putting loads of money into lessons to find out that the child isn’t that interested.

My kids loved playing the songs. I kept the keyboard and book on the table for the kids to play with whenever they wanted them. They went to them often and loved that they could actually play the song.

Sassy Frazz – To help preschoolers learn how to play, they use the two keyboard color strip guides. You just place the color guides onto your keys, and kids can learn from color rather than notes on a staff. What is nice about the color strips included in the kit, one fits a piano, and one fits a mini keyboard. That is a special bonus, because you can get your child practicing piano while on the road. They don’t even know they are practicing that way!

Ponderings From My Heart – Because of the color coding, my son was able to sit down to the piano and begin playing instantly. He caught on right away and was so thrilled to be able to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by himself. And we couldn’t be more proud of him! The songs in the book were familiar to him so he can even tell if he is not playing the right note.

5 Vinez Monkeys – The best part is, the parents don’t have to be musical genuises to teach their children how to play the piano. The lessons in Piano for Preschoolers are really easy to understand, the concept is a breeze to pick up, and the cd they include really helps you understand the timing and rhythm of the songs.

3 Ps In A Pod – I thought this sounded great but might be a little too good to be true.  I was wrong.  Piano for Preschoolers uses color-coded notes written on a traditional musical staff to teach beginning piano. You place a durable color strip behind the keys and it guides the child to the correct key for each note. Since the songs were songs they knew, both P1 and P2 were really interested in trying it out. Piano for Preschoolers teaches the children to read actual notes and play them right on the piano from the very start.  You cannot believe how happy they were when they each picked out the notes and played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!

SAHM Reviews – Both the girls have been playing with it since we set it up and you can probably hear me swearing at the creators of “Piano for Preschoolers” each night around 7:45 pm when the girls insist on playing it before going to bed.  (This is usually when I’m trying to get the girls to get their pajamas on and brush their teeth.)

The crash course in learning to play piano made me smile and it’s going to be a great lesson for my kids.

Lille Punkin’ Reviews – We are now on our 3^rd lesson. I can’t wait to keep showing my son how to play! (Note: You do not have to know how to play piano to teach your children with this program. It tells you exactly how to give the lesson, and you may even learn something new yourself!)

A Little Bliss – I am so glad we discovered this course! It is comprehensive, simple and fun and gives that wonderful head start that only an early education in music can provide. This program is economical, costing less than one month of private lessons, and is a true value once you see the excitement on your child’s face when they begin to play music all by themselves! We love Piano For Preschoolers!

Bragain Briana Buzz – The system is a great introduction to the very basics and gives children the confidence to encourage them to continue. It is fun and easy and requires no musical background on behalf of the parents. Even though I used to play as a child, I’ve forgotten many simple things so it was easy for me to help them.

Little Kiwi - My suggestion is if you want your little ones to learn piano and have fun while doing it head over to Piano for Preschoolers and get your kit today! I am glad to have tried this product because it was fun and it brought the Kiwi and I closer

Atomic Mama – My son has hardly any attention span – but for some reason when music is involved he is all ears (pardon the pun!). The lessons are short and actually kept his attention. I can’t say he’s “mastered” any songs in the couple weeks we’ve been using the system but it amazes me how far he’s come. We have been using the system pretty loosely – and not everyday – but he’s still learning. I know that if I had started him out as “usual” learning scales he would’ve been incredibly bored!

The Mud Bug – My girls are always playing on their big brother’s keyboard and now I was able turn that awful pounding into some beautiful music. My 5.5yo was able to pick it up a little easier then her little 4yo sister. You should have seen their faces when they did a little concert for their family. They were thrilled (to say the least). This program is a great introduction to the very basics and gives children the confidence to encourage them to continue. The best part is that it is fun and easy and requires no musical background on behalf of the parents.

Mommy Brain Reports – We worked on the lessons for a few minutes about every other day. Now my little Mozart wanna be’s are loving it! The first song they played was amazing. Their faces just lit up and their smiles were so huge! Now we all can’t wait until we can go through the lessons all over again!

One House Schoolroom – We had such amazing results with Piano for Preschoolers- in fact my little princess is sitting at the piano right now, tinkering out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” all by herself. I think the reason that we enjoyed this systems so much is that it gave my children immediate results. They were playing a song that they recognized in the first lesson.

Finally, we have a Vlog from PlusSizeMommy here and here.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

I’m sure parents and educators alike are discovering that these days, it has become increasingly difficult to find a free site that is safe for children. So, I am excited to have found Fortune Girls,  a new, free site for tweens that has tons of things!

Fortune Girls, founded by a 12-year-old Madison and her mom, is an online community which encourages tweens to be confident, focus on the positive, appreciate diversity and discover ways to make a difference in the world while having fun!

The site has some cool online games like Sudoku and Magic Fortune but I believe the So Ya Wanna Be in Fashion! game will probably be the biggest hit among tweens who aspire to be fashion and business divas!  It lets tweens pick their own items, design them with the choice of fabric and then sell them.

Other cool activities which promotes creativity and learning include:

• Wow-A-Torium - See interviews with celebrities and fashion professionals as well as Amy Poehler new show Smart Girls at the Party! She was the star of Saturday Night Live and Baby Momma.
• FG Café -In the café, read about Girls in the News and learn what other girls are doing to help their communities.
• E-Cards –  Share the love and send a friend a funny e-card.
• Meet the FGs - Learn about each character’s story, hobbies and personality.

WIN :  Please drop by and see what all the fun and buzz is about! Fortune Girls would like to encourage all of us to share their site with the world. They have partnered with us to giveaway a Fortune Girls-themed canister with a Fortune Girls t-shirt, tattoos, and other small Fortune Girls-themed items (refer photo above).  Here’s what you need to do to win:

• Sign up with www.fortunegirls.com (it’s absolutely FREE!), come back to our comment section and leave the name of the tween which you had sign up with. YES, we will check with Fortune Girls to  verify the signup.
• Three additional entries if you subscribe to us via email. By subscribing, you will also be eligible for a monthly prize draw. Please use the button on our right side bar.
• Three additional entries if you retweet this post. Please leave your twitter id in the comment below.
• Giveaway is open to everyone and closes on 23rd March 2009. A winner will be drawn using the Random.Org number generator.

Congratulations to

Sheila Hickmon

for winning a pair of her shoes of choice from See Kai Run’s Spring Collection Giveaway

All winners are required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted. 
3. If the winner(s) does not claim her prize by the 16th March 2009, we will be doing another draw

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAD PARTICIPATED!!!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

by Marsha Finkelstein

As parents you want the best for your kids… the best schools, the best friends, the best opportunities. But, parents often forget what’s in the middle of all that effort – a young person trying to figure out who they are, how they’re going to fit in and what choices they should make.

The good news is that as a parent you’re the key player in guiding your child towards success. The more difficult news is that there are often obstacles along the way and they usually occur during the tween and teen years. This is the time to prepare yourself for parenting a drastically changing person. What might come across as attitude or rebelliousness might actually be a reaction to a parenting style that is often more effective with much younger children. Many experts in the field of youth development, including Dr. Richard Lerner, author of “The Good Teen”, Barbara McRae, author of “Coach Your Teen to Success” and Diana Haskins, author of “Parent as Coach” agree that a positive and more engaged approach is most effective when parenting teens.

The old adage “It’s not what you say, it’s what you do” is a perfect reminder of the importance of both spoken and unspoken communication. Today’s teens juggle endless priorities AND distractions – sports, academics, cell phones, instant messaging, texting, email, internet, social networking, etc. It’s now, more than ever, a necessity for parents to master the ins and outs of communicating with their “plugged in” child.

When it comes to effective communication, paying attention both to what your child tells you and what they “say” in their body language is imperative. If, for example, you’re having dinner with your son or daughter and they have their arms crossed and eyes averted, they’re telling you they don’t want to talk and need time to themselves. Paying closer attention allows parents to more successfully read their teen’s emotional state. Your teen won’t be aware you’re doing this, and I promise I won’t tell.

At the same time, make your communication clear and to the point. Given that many teens won’t listen for long, this will save tons of time and energy. You may need to repeat the message in different ways to get the point across, as your child’s brain may not have developed enough to process what you feel like you keep saying over and over. Knowing this gives you a break from wondering why they don’t seem to listen.

Current research on teen brain development supports what parents have experienced for years. The good news is that the more you can educate yourself about your teen’s brain development and functioning, the easier it’ll be to deal with the typical responses (emotional outbursts, risky behaviors, poor judgment around decision-making, etc.) that come with raising a teen.

So, take some time and practice being an effective communicator. Here are some tips:

• Active Listening – Don’t interrupt – be open to what they have to say, and reflect back to your child what you heard.

• Get to the Point – You may only have 30 seconds to get your point across so use your time wisely, because your teen may not be interested in a long speech.

• Body Language – Pay attention to your body language and keep it open. Arms down, relax your face and body. If you have tension, take a deep breathe.

• Use Technology – Find ways to use your teen’s communication style. Texting and instant messaging can be a great way to stay in touch.

• Communicate Like a Coach (a life coach that is…) – use opened ended questions/statements like “Tell me more about…”, “What was that like?”, “How did that make you feel?”, etc. You’ll be delighted at the responses you get.

• Ask their Opinion – this tells your teen you care about what they think and their opinion has value. And, what teen doesn’t want to feel valued.

• Hold off on Quick Fixes – If your teen’s upset about something, don’t try to fix the problem before you know more. They may not want to talk about it or might need time to sort things out. What you can do is say something like “You seem upset. If you need me, I’m in the other room watching TV.” That tells them your concerned, but also lets them know you aren’t intruding. Chances are, if it’s serious, they’re likely to come back later and talk to you about it.

So now that you have some tips to try out, and you know you’re not crazy, but your child’s behavior is, at least to some degree, on a physiological level, you can take a moment to breathe a sign of relief. And, perhaps find a way to have more fun with your teen? Hey, anything’s possible, right?

About the Author

Marsha Finkelstein is a parent educator, life coach, writer and founder of Moving Beyond Coaching, a company whose mission is to help families support children so that they can grow into successful, happy and healthy adults. For more information, visit the website at www.movingbeyondcoaching.com.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

I am so kicking myself for not coming across this website sooner – although I think I would’ve bought them out by now (if I had any money!) Loyal Army.com – is an online store chock full of all things “Kawaii” (which is Japanese for “cute” by the way.) Now, I’m not entirely into the whole “Kawaii” thing, but I do appreciate cute stuff (especially if there are skulls involved) and well made products, both of which can be found at Loyal Army!

I was asked to “choose two things to review” – so I picked the “Obama Wins” Tshirt (of course!) and the “Lucky Star Tall” tote bag. When I received my package in the mail I was so excited and dumped all of the stuff in my current purse into the tote bag! I’ve been using it for a week now and love it so much.

The tote bag is made of strong material (100% cotton) and even has two pockets – one that fits my cell phone perfectly and another one that fits my wallet (and zippers up). The bag is deep and can fit a magazine (or in my case, a school textbook) with ease. The bag even snaps shut at the top – and stays shut.

The t-shirt is super soft and doesn’t shrink in the wash. My only issue is that they are a “baby fit” style (for the women’s shirts at least) and my body isn’t quite small enough to look good in the “baby fit” t-shirt – even in a large. So, it’s a bit snug – but doesn’t look awful.

Some of the other t-shirt designs include “Party like a Wok Star,” “Breakdance, not Hearts,” and a super cute kids t-shirt that says “Cupcakes are the new Black” with little skull cupcakes! Might I add that if I had a baby girl she would so be rocking the “Girlie Skulls infant outfit” – it’s so adorable!

BUY IT : Okay – so you know you want some Loyal Army stuff now, right? Please visit the Loyal Army website or check out the Find A Store page where you can plug in your zip code and find a store close to you.

But – I know you would love to WIN IT too – so check out our contest:

• Loyal Army has generously given our readers an option to win either the Obama Wins Tee or the Lucky Star Tall Tote
• Visit www.loyalarmy.com and let us know which product you would like to win
• Three additional entries if you grab our button from our sidebar and link back to us from your blog AND/OR
• Three additional entries if you stumble this post.
• Giveaway is open to all destination where the USPS is able to ship to.
• Giveaway closes on 17th March 2009 and a winner will be picked using Random.Org