Blogging Lull

I am about to do something that I cringe at when other people do it. I'm going to blog about blogging. Ugh. I give you my apologies now. Go ahead...roll your eyes. Feel better? Good. Feel free to turn away if it really appalls you. Or you can stay for the cute pictures too.

Blogging has been part of my life for over 7 years now. I started to write when my oldest son was about 10 months old. I had been following some blogs and reading and commenting. I finally decided it was time to start my own. I found that it was a great way for me to connect to other mothers like me. It is it's own online community.

I have made many great friends through blogging and social media. There are many times that they/you are the ones that I turn to first when a problem or challenge arises. Sometimes I take to Twitter just to let out a little frustration. It does make me happy to know I'm not the only one who does this. I try to repay my gracious online friends by being upbeat and positive when they need a little encouragement too.

My oldest, Zachariah, is now 8 years old. I still have no idea how the years fly by at such an alarming speed once you have children. And we've added our sweet little Jonah to the mix now. He is 13 months old. Life with one child was busy. Life with two can be pure crazy. (I can only imagine that compounded for those of you with more children.)

From having one little baby at home to having a busy toddler at home. It is busy, but it's not too bad. Those were the years I was really into blogging. I had time each day/week to write and share, research and work. It was even easier when my oldest started school and I was still at home. I had time to keep up with everything at home easily. I had time to start going to bible study each week. I had time to volunteer in my son's classroom. I had time to blog and start fun projects. Of course there were busy times with a busy school-aged child, but there was more free time for me to fill.

It threw me through a loop when we found out I was expecting again. This pregnancy was very wearing on me. I had such low energy the whole time. I seriously started to think that I was never going to feel a normal level of energy again. It was a pleasant surprise when I bounced back quickly after birth. I had so much energy, probably more than before I was pregnant. However, it didn't take long to realize that all my time and energy was going to be occupied with a needy newborn.

It was during this time that I really fell off the blogging bandwagon. Sure I've been around here and there. But I really haven't taken the time to write and stick with it. I do better at social media, but without blogging I wasn't keeping up with those things connected to my blog.

Here's the thing. I think about blogging a lot. I still compose posts in my head. I talk to PR reps about reviews. I connect with bloggers and readers on Facebook and Twitter and more. I still need this platform to open up about my life. It's a creative outlet of sorts that I still need. I was thinking for a while that maybe it was time to call it quits and focus on other things. But the truth is that my mind keeps wandering back to this blog.

So here we are. I do have a little more time now that my youngest is gaining more independence as a toddler. My oldest is pretty self-sufficient, but his various activities do keep us busy. Truthfully it's this blogger mindset that has me wanting to recommit to this blog.

I want some place to connect to other mommies online. I want to share the things that I have learned and am still learning. I want to find others with similar interests. I want to document things that are happening in my children's lives. I want to keep reviewing great products and hosting giveaways for my awesome readers.

Thanks for sticking around. (Or coming back. Or just finding me.) I'm definitely still here. And I look forward to being around more often. I hope that you'll stay and share with me. There is more adventure waiting for me.

***
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Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Campout Book

It's so much fun for kids to get outdoors to explore and have adventures. We spend so much time indoors that it's even more important now than it's been before. This last summer many people participated in the "Great American Backyard Campout" with their children, and now you have lots of time to prepare to do it this summer. And how much fun is it to add the Dinosuar Train gang to the adventure with their book Dinosaur Campout!

The product: 

CELEBRATE THE GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT INITIATIVE WITH DINOSAUR TRAIN AND PENGUIN YOUNG READERS GROUP

Join the Dinosaur Train Nature Tracker’s Club for FREE for fun activities to enjoy while camping out!

DINOSAUR TRAIN’s “Buddy” supports “The Great American Backyard Campout” initiative, organized by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), coming up on June 23.  The campaign is devised to remind parents and children the importance and benefits of spending time outdoors.  To celebrate, The Jim Henson Company has teamed up with Penguin Young Readers Group to offer you two of their latest Dinosaur Train books, Dinosaur Campout and Ride with Buddy.

“Nature,” as part of childhood, has changed to not having much nature in it at all.  The NWF provides some interesting facts about just how much times have changed, and the implications of spending less time outdoors.  Did you know for example:
•       Children are spending half as much time outdoors as they did 20 years ago. (Juster et al 2004); (Burdette & Whitaker 2005); (Kuo & Sullivan 2001)
•       Today, kids 8-18 years old devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes using entertainment media in a typical day (more than 53 hours a week). (Kaiser Family Foundation)
•       In a typical week, only 6% of children ages 9-13 play outside on their own. (Children & Nature Network, 2008)
•       Children who play outside are more physically active, more creative in their play, less aggressive and show better concentration. (Burdette and Whitaker, 2005; Ginsburg et al., 2007)
•       Sixty minutes of daily unstructured free play is essential to children’s physical and mental health. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2008)
•       The most direct route to caring for the environment as an adult is participating in “wild nature activities” before the age of 11. (Wells and Lekies, 2006)

Be a part of the NWF’s “Great American Backyard Campout” and set an example for children that will get them excited about the great outdoors!

You can participate in the campaign by registering for FREE at http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Great-American-Backyard-Campout.aspx.   Whether or not you can participate on June 23, the website provides FREE helpful information to make your camping experience a fun one, including campfire recipes, nocturnal wildlife guides, campfire songs and games, nature activities and much more.

Buddy and the clan from Dinosaur Train want to ensure you’ll have some extra fun during your campout with these latest books from Penguin Young Readers Group.

In Dinosaur Campout, The Pteranodon family is going on a campout! This adorable 8 x 8 is perfect for a first camping trip or night away from home. (SRP: $3.99).

And in Ride with Buddy, Buddy introduces readers to his friends and family on the Dinosaur Train. This Level 2 reader is perfect for young fans who are starting to read on their own.

And don’t forget to download Dinosaur Train’s Nature Trackers Club Guide Book, available here, filled with fun activities that you can also enjoy during your campout.  The Dinosaur Train Nature Tracker’s Club is a community of young children, their families and educators committed to learning about nature and doing good things for their environment.   Nature Trackers enjoy exploring and having adventures, respecting their environment, collecting things, tracking and observing plants and animals, and challenging themselves to get outside and make discoveries every day. When you have completed all four activities in the Guide Book, simply mail in the form provided in the download and receive an official Nature Trackers member token!

What we thought: We got the chance to review the Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Campout book (shown above). My son enjoys the Dinosaur Train books, and this one was well received too. In this book your kids will see how to prepare for a campout. They will also learn that campouts are full of fun and adventure. Even for those who are a little timid, reading this may open their eyes to the concept. We enjoyed the book and are looking forward to next summer, so we can join in the "Great American Backyard Campout" too!

Where to buy: You can get the Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Campout book in stores or online, as well as the Ride with Buddy book.

How to connect:
Follow Dinosaur Train:
www.facebook.com/DinosaurTrain

Follow The Jim Henson Company:
www.facebook.com/hensoncompany
www.twitter.com/hensonparents

Follow PBS Kids:
www.twitter.com/pbskids
www.facebook.com/pbskids

Penguin Young Readers
Penguin Young Readers Group
 www.penguin.com/youngreaders
 www.twitter.com/penguinkids
 www.youtube.com/penguinyoungreaders



*Disclaimer: I received this product for review. All opinions are my own.*

Norwegian Cruise Line & The Children's Place

It's time for summer fun! Cool clothes and cool trips are a much this year!

The product: We had the chance to go pick out a "cruise worthy" outfit for Zachariah at The Children's Place. Not only could he look great in this cute summer polo shirt, but if we did take a cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line he would have a blast.

Norwegian Cruise Line now offers fun programs for children. Now your whole family can cruise together. Your children ages 6 months through 12 years will enjoy the Splash Academy. They have lots of fun, creative activities to keep kids busy and have a great time on vacation. From crafts to movies there is something for everyone. And for the teens there is the Entourage program where they can participate in theater, fashion, pool parties and more with other kids their age. Parents can relax and have fun, knowing that their kids are having a great time as well.

What we thought: Believe it or not, my son had fun picking out his "cruise worthy" outfit at The Children's Place. He has been wearing a lot of stylish, cute polos this summer, and this new one (pictured above) is nice and relaxed for summer fun. He likes to spruce it up with nice khaki shorts. We found lots of great options at TCP and plenty of sizes to choose from for growing kids.

We did not get to experience a cruise, but we did get a fun beach ball to enjoy.

Where to purchase: You can get a great "cruise worthy" outfit for your kids at any Children's Place stores near you or online at http://www.childrensplace.com. Book your Norwegian Cruise today at http://www2.ncl.com.

How to connect: You can learn more about the great children's programs for Norwegian Cruise Line at http://www2.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/freestyle-family-fun/kids-crew-and-teen-crew.



*I received these products to review. All opinions are my own.*

“Happiness Is…Peanuts: Team Snoopy” DVD #Giveaway

This giveaway is closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!

Cartoons are a great part of every childhood. I have good memories of cartoons I watched on Saturday mornings as a kid. My son now has his favorites too. But once in a while I can pass along a favorite of mine to my son. Peanuts is one of these cartoons that I've enjoyed introducing my son to.

The product: Happiness is...Peanuts: Team Snoopy is a video collection of some of the Peanuts gang greatest sports moments. Here's a little more about this DVD:

HAPPINESS IS…PEANUTS™: TEAM SNOOPY
AN ALL-NEW COLLECTION
FEATURING HILARIOUS SPORTS-THEMED ADVENTURES
WITH THE ENTIRE PEANUTS GANG
IS AVAILABLE ON DVD
MAY 8, 2012
FROM WARNER HOME VIDEO 

Release Includes Television Special Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown 

BURBANK, CA (February 16, 2012) – It’s a grand slam hit with Charlie Brown and Snoopy in Warner Home Video’s DVD release of Happiness is…Peanuts™: Team Snoopy, the all new animated, sports-themed Peanuts collection available May 8, 2012.Happiness is…Peanuts™: Team Snoopy is the newest installment of the Happiness is…Peanuts™ collection. This title pairs the TV special Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown with an episode from The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show on one disc.  This title will retail for $14.97 SRP. 

Batter up with Peanuts and celebrate their greatest sports moments in Happiness is…Peanuts™: Team Snoopy. For Charlie Brown, a new baseball season equals new hopes of winning. Unfortunately, one player just isn’t measuring up, which makes the team decide that Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown. This delightful special finds Charlie Brown trading his teammate, Lucy for Marcie, one of Peppermint Patty’s players in hopes this will finally end his losing streak. Will Marcie lead Charlie Brown’s team to victory? More importantly, will Peppermint Patty have the patience to tolerate Lucy and her antics? 

Viewers will then suit up for a triple-header of laughs with The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. The three featured segments available on DVD for the first time include, The Pelicans, which finds Charlie Brown getting stuck with mascot duties while Peppermint Patty is on the road to victory with her baseball team. In Great Pumpkin, the Peanuts gang visits the bowling alley in hopes of teaching Charlie Brown a new sport with hilarious results. In Spike, it’s game on as the neighborhood cat meets his match when Snoopy’s older brother Spike trots into town.  It’s time to catch the winning spirit and share these tales with your teammates! 

“With summer on the way Happiness is…Peanuts™: Team Snoopy is the perfect way to celebrate having fun outdoors with sports and activities,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WHV Executive Marketing Director of Family & Animation Franchise. She added, “We are delighted to add another title to the growing Happiness is…Peanuts™ collection, which offers consumers great value with one Peanuts television special along with an episode from the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. It’s a must own title for Peanuts fans and anyone who loves classic animation.” 

What we thought:

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AllerMate - Take Action for Your Child's Allergies #Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. Congrats to the winner listed below!

We are very fortunate that our son is not allergic to anything he's tried in the first 6 years of his life. I was always really paranoid about him developing allergies. I did everything I could to delay certain foods when he was younger. I have been around plenty of families with children who have severe food allergies. I know what a tough road that it, and I wanted to do anything in my power to help prevent that. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that what I did kept my child from getting allergies completely. While it may possibly have helped, I also think genetics and pure luck have had a lot to do with it.

The product: AllerMates are an easy way for you to make your child's allergies known. It makes summer play dates and back to school a little easier for them and mom. You can get a bracelet/wristband, dog tags, or lunch box with your child's allergy right on it. It will make more people aware and cautious around your child.

Allergy- Conscious Mom Takes Action 

With AllerMates®

Parents, Camp Counselors, Care-Givers, 

Teachers and Kids Get Comfort and Security

Perfect for Camp and Summer Travel 

Montvale, NJ (May 1, 2012)--- A mother of a child with multiple food allergies was frustrated by the lack of allergy-related kid-friendly products so she took action and created AllerMates®, a new line of bright, fun, whimsical character-driven wristbands, dog tags and lunch boxes that her son would happily embrace. 


Parents of children with allergies can now enjoy the safety and security of knowing their young ones are better protected against unwanted allergens when they wear or use AllerMates products away from home in places like school, daycare, parties, sleep-overs and summer camp.  AllerMates arrive in time for Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 13-19 and for camp and summer travel.


AllerMates products are based on 14 fun, original characters that represent the most common allergies: peanut, nut, gluten/wheat, milk, egg, shellfish, penicillin, insect sting, latex, pollen, fish, soy, sesame and cat. The characters and product line was created by Iris Shamus, Founder and CEO of AllerMates, in part to help kids feel positive about their allergies.  


“No matter how many forms I signed or how many times I spoke to the teacher the inevitable happened” states Iris Shamus,AllerMates Founder.  “My son and another allergic classmate were offered food they weren’t supposed to have.  It didn’t go well. So, I set out to create something more personalized so that a teacher or caregiver would always be aware of his allergies,” continues Shamus.  “AllerMates wristbands gave me a sense of comfort and security I couldn’t have without them. 


Even with posters like nut-free zone or dairy-free zone around a classroom, AllerMates is designed to present a more personalized, visual representation of specific allergies. When a child raises his or hand or carries an AllerMates lunch bag there is that distinctive visually appealing character as a constant reminder to be on alert.


AllerMates products are hypo-allergenic, nickel and latex free and have passed rigorous safety standards and testing.  The wristbands are adjustable and fit most children.  The AllerMates Gang characters are:
P. Nutty (Peanut Allergy)Nutso (Nut Allergy)Professor Wheatley (Gluten / Wheat Allergy)Pint (Milk Allergy)Eggie (Egg Allergy)Crabby (Shellfish Allergy)Super-Cillin (Penicillin Allergy)Bizzy (Insect Sting Allergy)Dr. Strangeglove (Latex Allergy)Drift (Pollen Allergy)Detective Fin (Fish Allergy)Soy Cool (Soy Allergy)Teeni Tahini (Sesame Allergy)Nine (Cat Allergy) The AllerMates website (www.allermates.com) offers both parents and children easy to read and understand tips, facts and general information about allergies as well as lots of fun games and activities based on the line of AllerMatescharacters.  The website also has a fully functional social community allowing its members free and easy interaction and sharing of the latest blogs, news, videos and information within the allergy community. You can meet the AllerMates Gang there and get the back story on each character as well as fun tips (did you know a peanut isn’t actually a nut … it’s a legume).

AllerMates products can be purchased at www.allermates.com, at Amazon.com and at independent retailers throughout the U.S. as well as stores in Canada, United Kingdom, Portugal and South America. Look for AllerMatesproducts at national retailers this summer.P. Nutty

Allergy Facts:Food allergies among children jumped 18 percent from 1997 to 2007. One out of every 25 children, or 5.9 million, has a food allergy, according to a study published last year in "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Of those children, nearly 40 percent have a history of severe reactions. About 15 percent of all allergic reactions occurred at school. In 2010 researchers found that 8% of children under age 18 in the United States have at least one food allergy. 

About AllerMates: AllerMates is a registered DBA of Awearables, LLC, a Montvale, New Jersey company.  The company is privately held and counts Benjamin Shamus (age 8), VP of Incentivizing the CEO, among its employees. For information about AllerMates products call 866.245.1370 or email info@allermates.com.

What we thought:

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Wordless Wednesday - Another Tooth Gone

I have had a crazy few weeks. I'm trying to keep up and catch up. But I couldn't help sharing this picture of my son. Zachariah lost his 2nd tooth today! He's thrilled. I just hope the tooth fairy remembers to "stop" tonight.

2nd tooth lost

I Call Uncle...or Another Sick Week

My poor son just can't stay healthy. He was back to the doctor this week. Once again he was diagnosed with strep and send home for the day with antibiotics to take for 10 days.

I don't think I've written about it here, but I have complained on Twitter. A lot. I'm so sick of this kid being sick. It's not his fault. We've treated it every time, but then he just gets sick again.

My son is 5 years old (almost 6). He has been the healthiest kid his whole life. Besides for minor colds now and then and a bout of chicken pox when he was a baby, he's not been sick. In fact until December, he had never been to the doctor for being sick. He had only had well-child checkups as needed.

I know we've been very lucky with him this far. But something changed this fall. He went from being home with me all the time to being away at school 5 days a week. Apparently the germs run rampant in Kindergarten. He had a few colds to star this fall. Then the bad stuff started.

About the middle of December Zachariah started complaining of an ear ache. My husband was worried right away, because he had a lot of ear infections as a child. He didn't want to take the chance. Well, within a day or so he had a fever. I knew then that we'd need to make a visit to the doctor. We came home with the diagnosis of an ear infection and antibiotics to start him on. He took the prescription for 10 days as instructed and the ear drops too, and he got better.

Then New Year's weekend he started acting tired, sluggish, sick again. But there was nothing major bugging him. After going back to school to a day or two (I already can't remember), he started complaining of a sore throat. The teacher called to let me know, and I set up a doctor appoint right away. By the next morning he had spiked a fever and that was making him throw up a bit. A quick appointment revealed strep throat.

He took the medication they gave him (same as first time) for 10 days as instructed and got better. But 5 days after that I could hear his throat getting "thick" again. His tonsils were swelling. He woke up in the middle of the night complaining that his ear hurt. We were able to get him to the doctor the next day to reveal another ear infection and tonsillitis. Different, stronger antibiotics were prescribed that time.

We did as instructed. 10 days of these antibiotics and ear drops. And wouldn't you know it...5 days after that he starts sounding funny again. His tonsils were swollen. I waited a few days, because he didn't have a fever and wasn't complaining about anything. We were hoping and praying he would get better. But no. By Tuesday afternoon this week his teacher had called. Zachariah had stopped in the school office first thing that morning to tell the secretary his throat hurt. She said his tonsils were big and throat was red.

I called the nurses at our pediatricians office to get some advice. I didn't know if I should bring him in, have a throat culture taken, or wait it out. There was no fever this time and he really wasn't complaining much. But it was obvious something was wrong again.

This is getting old now.


So after a consult with the doctor we ended up scheduling an appointment first thing Wednesday morning. I packed his backpack and brought it along fully expecting they would send him to school afterwards. He still had no fever and was acting and eating fine. This appointment was quick too. They could see his irritated tonsils, swollen glands and sore throat. A throat culture in fact revealed he has strep throat again! He earned himself another prescription (back to the one he had the first 2 times...a higher dose now) and the rest of the day off from school.

At this point he's been on the antibiotics for 3 days. He's feeling fine, back to school, and sounding better every day. He's acting good, sleeping fine and eating well. I have a sinking suspicion that in another week and a half he'll be sick again. I sure hope not, but that's the pattern this has followed.

My poor boy. I hope something finally works, and we can get him healthy again.

So many people tell me that their kids go through a lot of illnesses in Kindergarten. I hear that it does get a little better each year. What's your experience been? 

He's sick of being sick!

GoalForIt.com

We're just past the first of the year. And it seems spring is just around the corner. You know what that means, right? No, not bunnies and flowers...it means spring cleaning and organizing.

I'm always looking for ways to stay more organized, plan and keep track of goals. Now I found a website that can help me with that. Goalforit.com is a great way to have a more focused and balanced life. They have easy-to-use goal charts for adults and children. This free chore chart can help teach kids, tweens and teens many important lessons, including:

• Responsibility: A Chore Chart is an ideal way to help your kids feel like they are making a contribution to their family by doing their part around the house.
• Understanding right from wrong: Setting behavior goals is an important way to help children strengthen their character and judgment.
• Healthy Habits: Teaching good habits involving nutrition and physical activity are the cornerstone to prevent obesity in children and adolescents.
• Money Matters: The optional point system teaches children three important lessons for managing money, earning, spending and saving.

I set up an account with Goalforit.com very easily. And as soon as you're signed up, you can begin. You can customize your list for your child. Just include the chores you want them to do or goals they can reach. And each day they can mark off when they did this. It's easy to give each chore a monetary value, so they can see how much they are earning towards their allowance every week. You can also change the look and theme of the chart to be fun and personal for your child.

There are also To Do Lists and other things that you can set up for yourself. It's easy to use. And one of my favorite features is you can have an email sent to you each day to remind you (or your child) to fill out their chart. Then it's not something that you set up and forget about. The friendly little reminder makes it easier to log in and take care of the list quickly. And you can check in on an older child to see what chores they've completed for that day/week.

Goalforit.com is a great resource for families. Since it's so easy to set up and use, you will have problems starting today. And even better, you can use their website for FREE! Go try it today and see how much it can help you stay organized and goal oriented.



*I wrote this post while participating in a campaign from MomSelect and Goalforit.com.*

FoundIt {Giveaway - Ends 1/27} (CLOSED)

*This giveaway is closed. Congrats to the winner listed below.*

Have your kids ever lost anything? If you answered no, I'll be shocked. Kids don't always keep track of their things. They get distracted or just forget easily. At one time or another they could lose something important,  and it is a very frustrating experience.

FoundIt! helps return lost things to their owners. It's simple to use. They provide you stickers and tags to put on yours or your children's items. You are assigned an ID number that is on all the labels and tags that you have. Your contact information is not on the tags. When someone finds your lost item, they call or text the number right on the tag and give the ID number. FoundIt! will then contact you, the owner, through email or a phone call.

If you find an item that has a FoundIt! sticker, you'll see it's easy to contact them to return a person's item. You can text the phone number for FoundIt! on the item, or you can go to their website to enter the information at FoundIt.com. When you find something, you can choose how you want the owner to contact you and include your information. So simple, and of course it's so nice to return people's lost things.

FoundIt! offers several packages with different prices. The Starter package is available for only $9.99. The Starter Package includes: 1 year access to the FoundIt! Network; Your own unique FoundIt! ID; and starter pack of 10 FoundIt! stickers. If you're looking for a little more, you can try the Premium package for $16.99. The Premium Package includes: 2 years membership to the FoundIt! Network ($8.50/year); Your own unique FoundIt! ID; 36 FoundIt! stickers & more next year; Keychain tag: 2 bag/backpack tags; and FoundIt! ID card/luggage tag. Or the largest package, which is great for families, is the MacDaddy Package for $29.99. The MacDaddy Package has 3 years membership to the FoundIt! Network ($10.00/year); Your own unique FoundIt! ID; 62 FoundIt! stickers & more each year; 2 keychain tags; 4 backpack/bag tags; 2 round tags (pet tags!); and a FoundIt! ID card/luggage tag.

FoundIt! can be used for anything. You can protect your children's backpack, lunch box, toys, electronics and more. Or you can use it for other things for yourself and other adults. Great things to keep tabs on are e-readers, iPods, iPads, laptops, luggage, purse and so much more. You will feel better knowing that your things at least have the chance to be returned to you if you should lose them.

I think the FoundIt! system is a great idea. The labels are great for placing on small items, and then the tags can be added to bags and keychains. I'm always afraid that I will lose something that won't be found. If it is found how will someone know how to return it. These are labeled well and makes it so easier for the finder to get in touch with the person who lost it without the owner having to display their phone number on everything.

The only thing I would like to see different about FoundIt! is that they have smaller stickers available. The small ones aren't quite small enough to place discretely on my little items like my camera. But the sizes they do have are great for many items, like my cell phone, Nook, and my son's backpack too.

The FoundIt! system is great and makes a good New Year Resolution too. It will be one less thing for you to keep track of this year, knowing that your and your kids' important items are protected. Just visit FoundIt.com to get started today!

You can enter to win your own FoundIt! MacDaddy package to protect your family's things. (This is a 3 year package!) Just enter in the Rafflecopter form below.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer: I received this product to review. All opinions are my own.*

Family Muve DVD Review

A family exercise DVD...disguised as dancing.  I don't even know if you can really call this an "exercise" video. It's really about the dancing.

I know, I know, but Sarah I am not a dancer. Well, let me let you in on a little secret, neither am I. At all. You can ask my husband. He'll tell you the truth, won't you honey?  And if we're being completely honest, I really don't like to exercise.

But as parents/grandparents/caregivers, we know how important it is to get our children moving. And they love when we join in and do something fun with them.

The creator of MUVE, Maggie Kunkel, is from Hawaii. That's where she developed this DVD.  This creative way of dance was made to cross gender and generation barriers.  She has been teaching this form of dance for over a decade and says:

"No memorization is required and you can't do it wrong. MUVE is versatile, you can do it nice and easy and you can do it tough and hard. We are not striving for perfection, but for energizing the body and giving our busy minds a break. There's magic in music, it can move you beyon shyness straight into physical and mental joy.  And when the dance is over, you'll suddenly realize: 'Oh, I just had a workout, and it didn't feel like work at all!'"

The DVD includes a short dance instruction that can help you understand the idea of the movements.  It also explains the animated graphics that go along with each dance.  The instructions in each dance are only these visual graphics.

One of the best parts is that the "moves" are not specific.  There are only general movements that you can follow to the beat of the music. This makes it easy for anyone to dance along. Nothing is right and nothing is wrong. It's all just very fun to move to the beat.

We got to try the Family MUVE DVD and really enjoyed it.  My 4 year old son and I laughed and enjoyed trying the fun movements.  The only problem we had was Zachariah wanting to do the exact thing they were on the screen.  He had a hard time relaxing about that, but that's just part of his personality.  It was fun to have a "workout" video that we could do together.

Buy It: The MUVE DVDs are available at www.muve.com.  There are two DVDs available, Family MUVE and Mellow MUVE.