Fun Ideas for Spring Break!

I am doing these with my own kids and there just isn't time for boredome here!
These are some things that I think are just out of this world fantastic and easy to do with your kids:

1. This is my absolute favorite: Crayola MESS FREE Color Wonder Finger paintsI bought mine at Michael's Craft store, but if you don't have one of those or maybe want to find it on the cheap, just take a look and compare prices here.

If you haven't heard of this stuff it is like the greatest stuff ever... for parents and kids! Your kids can finger paint with this stuff and it won't leave a mess for you to clean up anywhere! It only colors on the "special" color wonder paper that comes with it (you can buy it separately as well) but I was getting pretty sad cuz we are renting you know, and I just can't afford to have my 3 year old spilling paint on the carpet or some other nightmare. For me, this has been the ultimately perfect decision. I don't have to be nervous when she's painting. just enjoy watching her paint and not even have to clean up after her! You have to try this stuff if you haven't already! I am in love :)

2. Put a Puzzle together
I bought one with 50 pieces and pretty easy, but enough that it's fun for us (the parents) too. I put together the more difficult pieces, and kids love to sit there and play with the puzzle pieces and help you put it together. It really gets you and your kids together so you can bond. You can find some really cool 50 piece puzzles here.

3. Painting easter eggs
I'm sure everyone is going to be doing this sometime this week and this is loads of fun as well. I found some really awesome kits here.

4. Read a book about spring or St. Pats day
Kids love to be read to, and it's especially fun on special occasions to read books about whatever it is. I found some really adorable books here for fantastic prices.

5. Cook something together

Well, I think these five ideas will keep you busy enough today and through the week, so Happy St. Patricks Day and Have Fun!

How to Make the Perfect Easter Basket for Your Toddler

Author: Arlene Pellicane



Article:
Browsing online, I saw a toddler Easter basket selling for $65.
Since when does a parent have to spend so much money on a basket
filled with a stuffed animal, candy and plastic grass for a
two-year old? You can spend a lot less and create a basket
that’s even better because it’s tailor made just for your
child.

Here’s how you make a perfect Easter basket that will not
break the bank and make a great impression on your terrific
toddler:

1. Start with a basket you already have at home. Don’t buy
that Easter basket at the grocery store that you will use once
and then pitch into your garage to be lost forever. Can’t find
a basket? Look for a small plastic storage bin, decorate a
shoebox, or extra plastic wastebasket. Nix the cellophane wrap.

2. Skip the candy and load up on healthier treats instead. Your
toddler’s favorite fruits or crackers will do just fine. Or
try a new brand of cracker. If your toddler is asking for candy,
just include one small chocolate egg or a few peeps. Remember
the less your toddler is exposed to candy, the better!

3. Instead of filling plastic eggs with candy, fill them with
beans instead. Tape them up with colorful electrical tape and
you’ve got a new shaker instrument. You can also fill the eggs
with small toys or stickers.

4. Include items you need to buy anyway: a toothbrush with one
of your child’s favorite characters, nice socks, new character
underwear or pajamas.

5. Great toys to include are inexpensive items like crayons,
sidewalk chalk, coloring books, toy cars, stickers, play doh,
rubber duckies and other toys for the bath.

6. Celebrate the coming of spring with some outdoor activity
toys like a Frisbee, bubbles, or ball.

7. Write them a simple note that says “I love you” or
“Happy Easter.” Encourage them to say each letter in your
note.

Create your basket with your toddler in mind. Include some of
his or her favorite things and you’ll be sure to have a hit!
And it will cost you a lot less than $65.

Creative Kids!

My son got a ton of Marvel cars of all of his favorite characters for christmas this year (Hulk, spiderman, batman, the list goes on) and he loves them, but what caught my eye was when I walked in his room one day, and saw how he had arranged them...



I was actually impressed! It looks to me that he has shaped them into a transformer!

MEGATRON DECEPTACON

This is, of course the baddest of the bad deceptacon robots from transformers, Megatron! We were lucky to find this toy as I had not seen it in the stores around town here.

It is a bit complex for the toddler to shift it into the ship it changes into, but my son always just plays with him as is, so we haven't had any problems with it. And he loves it! he absolutely adores Transformers.

I give this toy a 9 out of 10!

Transformers Movie Review

This is the perfect movie (in my opinion) for kids and adults alike. We all love this movie. We bought it when it came out and we still laugh at Shia's jokes even though we have heard them a hundred times.

This movie is truely a classic to ad to your collection. My 3 year old even likes this movie!

We did a Transformers birthday (per request) for our son and the picture says it all. He was a happy boy!


What else can I say? TRANSFORMERS ROCKS!!!

Compromising on a Birthday Cake Budget

There is no doubt when you have picked out the perfect gift for your child.
My son's birthday was a hit this year. He went back to school bragging to all his friends what he got for his birthday. It made me feel so great.

How I did it was simple. I asked him what he wanted, and I did it. You may think now hold on! I can't afford to do everything my child wants me to do. Maybe not. I know I can't, but I can improvise, which is what I did this year!

He wanted everything transformers all the way down to the cake. I could not afford to get a huge sheet cake with the extra kit you have to buy at the store to make it transformers. We could never eat the whole thing anyway!

All the cake was for the kit was completely blue with red icing flames, with a transformers toy on top. That cake was $25!

I decided to get a 1/2 sheet cake for $6.99, and had them make it blue with red trim. (this is PLENTY of cake for a family of 4), had them write his name on it, then I searched for something transformers to put on top of the cake.

I couldn't find a toy I was happy with, but I went to the party store and found a gummy transformer with the same coloration as the cake (I think that's optimus prime) and put that on top.

So then I cut out the part of the package to the gummie that said transformers and put it on the cake as well as a header.

I thought the end result was perfect and my son loved it!

The Real "Santa's Helpers"

When will this stop? Personally, I think this may only get worse, because even if they tried to fix what is going on in china, or stop buying their toys, our markets will crash. America is just making way too much money off of chinese products.

We, as consumers need to take a stand and hit them where it hurts, (their pocket books) otherwise, this will continue on for the rest of our lives.

I found this video to have a wealth of information. It is a year old, but has anything changed?

This is an interview with Charles Kernaghan, Executive Director of the National Labor Committee.

Interesting Find....

I found a video today while researching the toy recalls, and found this to be important enough to post.

This video is of an amateur filmer that went to his local walmart one day, to find that the store is selling it's chlorine products for swimming pools right by the children's toys, when it says on the chlorine bottles, "keep out of reach of children", it is stocked from the top all the way to the floor where children can easily reach it.

What is wrong with this picture?

Found! American Made Toys!

I have been searching and searching for this and finally I found an easy to navigate site where you can buy American made toys. This is a HUGE help to those of us that want to play it safe and stay away from China's toys. I even heard a terrible story a few days ago that said they poisoned their kids at a local school there in china. Most kids that ate their school lunch that day became ill. I am very concerned about China and so whenever I find something useful, I will pass it along to you.
This is the site I found. It will take you directly to the page where you can search for American made toys.

http://www.fatbraintoys.com/specials/made_in_america.cfm?source=google&kwid=made+in+america&gclid=CPO36sPxpZACFUWoGgod3lMd7A

A Brand New Grandma!

My kids Grandma was recently forced to retire due to her growing number of health problems.

The root cause: Obesity. She has been obese all of her life and has always been scared of surgery, but she didn't have much of a choice at this point. They told her if she didn't lose weight, she'd be in a wheelchair soon.

Many grandmas share this same story. I know, I have seen several since I started to research different surgical options with my mom.

Lapband surgery was very attractive to my mom. She would be up and running after 1 week recovery, which is actually quicker than it used to be for lap band surgery.

Lapband is also the least invasive form of weightloss surgery with the least hospitalization, and the quickest recovery. With other surgeries such as stomach stapling and gastric bypass, unexpected complications can arise.

My mother weighed the pros and cons of all, and in the end opted for the gastric bypass about 6 months ago. With the lapband, she would have been required to drive every month or 2 to her doctor 1 1/2 hours away to get the band adjusted and she thought it more practical to just get it over with and just do the gastric bypass.

In six months time, she has lost a total of OVER 100 pounds, and is starting to feel better. Yes-just starting! Her recovery was not fun at all and more painful than she thought it would be, but now she is well enough to start enjoying dropping a different size every week, and we are happy to have a healthier grandma.

To find out more about the lapband surgery, click on the link below.
central florida weight loss surgery