mommy's reviews

I am all about getting cute gifts for children. There are some great companies out there that cater to children and gift ideas for them but I would have to say that my favorite company for children's products is Kidorable. With Christmas right around the corner it is time to really start looking for gifts for those cute little people on your list. If you have no clue what to get that special someone, Kidorable can help!! The Kidorable Holiday Gift Buying Quiz is designed to help you find the perfect gift for your child. It is quick, easy and educational as well and best of all, can help you make a child's Christmas perfect. This quiz also helps you understand what children love and how they enjoy to play. Obviously, all children are different but this quiz can help to narrow down your options. Kidorable has been a long-time favorite for my children. My son is absolutely in love with their rain boots and my daughter loves the umbrellas and rain coats. We own several Kid...

My children are finally to an age where they enjoy going to museums. The winter of 2015 was the first time we took our children to a museum and it was only because there was a Curious George exhibit and they LOVE Curious George so it was the perfect opportunity to introduce them to a museum. Because they loved that trip so much, we bought a family pass for the year and enjoyed going many other times throughout the year. I have always heard alot about The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. I live about an hour from this museum and my husband and I have always wanted to visit there with our children...but we had to wait until our children were old enough to appreciate and enjoy it. This museum encompasses all things play and game related. Before I tell you more, here is a bit more history about this fun museum... The Strong® is a highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play. It is one of the largest history museums in ...

My daughter is starting to get to an age where she appreciates nicer toys. She LOVES dolls and because I grew up reading the American Girl Books , I know she would LOVE an American Doll. So, I entered this sweepstakes and wanted to share it with you today. Here are the details... Enter for a chance to win the American Girl Samantha Doll Sweepstakes Giveaway ! They are giving away 100 prizes! Ends December 31, 2014. Good Luck! PRIZES INCLUDE: A random drawing to select one hundred (100) prize winners will be conducted on or about January 19, 2015 by an independent judging organization, whose decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes. Each prize consists of one (1) Samantha™ doll and one (1) Manners and Mischief: A Samantha Classic Volume 1 book (Approximate Retail Value [“ARV”] $115; Total ARV of all prizes, $11,500). Have fun with this one...hope you win!! :)

I cannot believe that we are in mid-August already!! Where has the summer gone? It has been a gorgeous summer and our family has enjoyed being outdoors immensely. The only downfall to this summer has been that I have been hugely pregnant and being in the heat outside was brutal. We always have enjoyed long evening walks but again, due to my pregnancy it has been difficult for me to do the long walks. Ah well...nonetheless it has been a lovely summer full of fun outdoor activities for the children. Swimming, playing with their yard toys and going to the park have been frequent activities that the children have enjoyed but another activity that they have thoroughly enjoyed is playing with bubbles. Bubbles are so easy for them to do outside and they require very little supervision. My youngest hasn't quite gotten the concept of blowing bubbles and likes to just dump out the solution so he needs supervision but the older ones are totally fine with playing by themselves. Recently,...

My children LOVE to play. Recently, I have discovered that they just love to play with puppets and better yet, they love to see me make a puppet move and talk. I find that using a puppet helps with home school and my daughter really enjoys taking instruction from a puppet rather than mom. Go figure. It is odd, but works well and helps take the monotony out of our school day. Sometimes, using a puppet helps my children do simple chores...encouragement from a puppet is much more motivating and they will do anything to please a cute puppet! Several weeks ago I was made aware of the fact that Cate & Levi (an online store that carries toys, clothing and accessories for children) had come out with some new hand puppets! I was so excited about these puppets simply because I know how much fun they are for my children and how great it is to use them for tools of encouragement. Before I continue though, here is a little bit more about Cate & Levi...a Canadian based company... ...

I remember the very first time we ever put Hannah on a tricycle. She was so little, but we just HAD to see if she was big enough to ride it. Her little legs were too short and she could not reach the pedals, so we just pushed her around the driveway and watched her giggle and have the time of her life. Now that she is bigger, she can definitely reach the pedals and I love watching her zoom around our black topped basketball court in the back yard. Jacob is our next little "bike rider" and he is already chomping at the bit to start. We had one day last week when the weather was gorgeous and the children could go out and play. Jacob found the closest thing to a bicycle and was trying so hard to make it go. As I watched him, I felt sad that I didn't have anything for him to use that was more on his level. Today, I am not sad any more because I have found the most amazing, simplest bike for him to use and it is called a PlasmaBike ...a balance bike for beginners! Paren...

In October, I found out that I was going to be able to go to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair and I was SO excited!! I have never been to ChiTag before but had heard of it and have always wanted to go. You can imagine my excitement when my blogger friend Lori from At The Fence , let me know that I could join her and her family there this year...for FREE! You see, bloggers are able to get in as media and therefore, do not have to pay admission. Oooo! It was even more exciting to be able to take the family. So, a little over a week ago we packed up our little family and hit the road. Our trip to Chicago was wonderful and the children were so well behaved...even little Isaac, who had never been on a road trip this long before. It took us about 10 hours to get there and we were happy to arrive after a loooooong trip. Lori's family and our family enjoying breakfast together. Our morning at ChiTag began with a lovely, complimentary breakfast at Navy Pier. It was nice to be able to sit and r...