KidKraft Pirate Sandboat Giveaway! Ends 7/20

My kids are loving pirates!  They recently got a new game for their leap-pad based on Disney's Jake and the Pirates and are hooked (pun intended) on Pirates!  They would love this prize wouldn't your kids?!  Check out this awesome giveaway!

Ride Along Dolly Review

Does your little one have a little one of their own?  A little best friend or baby doll that just has to go everywhere with them?  I know mine has a little bunny that she carries with her.  She's had it since she was almost 2 and now that she is learning to ride a bike, well her little buddy has been getting left out.

Rollor's Game Giveaway

Have you seen this fun game? It is perfect for those fall festivals you have coming up!  This game is a mix of some of your favorite games.  A mix of Bocce, Bowling, and on the ground darts makes for an interesting game and great way to get off the couch as a family!  I think that this would be a great way to have people play for a grand prize at a Fall Festival!  Works in a gym and in the grass for whatever weather you have on your Festival day!

Natural Pals Giveaway

 Mommy Moments with Abby wouldn't be here with out those lovable babies!  So, we are participating in a giveaway to help those of you who are having or have an adorable baby at home!  This Giveaway is sponsored by: Tiny Love and Mom Blog Society OPEN TO US ONLY: Giveaway starts September 4, 12:01 am est and ends September 19th 12:01

Howard Wigglebottom Book Review and Giveaway

Does your kid have a hard time sharing or being a good sport? For that matter maybe we should take this book with us to sporting games for some, ahem, adults to look over?  It is a book about being a good sport and working together to achieve a common goal.  What better way to express this to kids than with a bunny right? So, getting to the point, here is a review of Howard Wigglebottom Learns about Sportsmanship, Winning isn't everything.

Basant Mela

On March 26 this year we decided to go outside and enjoy a culture other than our own!  We found out about the local Pakistan Event Basant Mela and felt it would be perfect for our little ones.  Basant Mela is the Kite Festival.  We both wondered if there would be a great mixing of mainly people from Pakistan at the festival.  I was surprised at just how many showed!

Tied up Tool!

How do you teach your kid to tie their shoes?  This can be tricky, it is easy for them to get frustrated and discouraged when tying their own shoes.  So, we moms have to get creative.  We have to make it into something they created and then a sort of game!  Kids love creating things and exploring that side of their brains.  That makes these special “shoes” even more ideal for learning this skill!

Numbers, Numbers, Everywhere

Numbers, numbers, numbers, they are everywhere.  This is why it is important to really focus on number recognition and start money identification early.  So, we have to think of teaching numbers like we approached words.  Words started with us repeating or labeling everything.  There were times when I found myself literally narrating my own actions every step of each day.  Now, I find myself counting everything, bowls, ingredients, sometimes even steps.  This helps with the act of counting but visually seeing the numbers and recognizing them is a different beast.  So, what do you do? 

Last, but not least...Maraca's!!

Add a little flare with this working instrument!  All kids love noise so making a few working maraca’s will definitely please your crowd!  It is almost as good as a cow bell! Kids love making noise and this will allow them to create how they make that noise!

Guitar Hero! Essential to the band!

Video games are so popular that they are fast replacing board games.  You don’t see kids as often sitting down for a great game of chess or life.  Now, you see them sitting in front of the TV to play a game that involves trying to kill each other in a brutal way.  A lovely switch don’t you think?  Why not get inspired by the games out their now and come up with a way to bring out the kids natural creativity and imagination!?

Everyone's making something! Playdough Recipe!

Everyone’s making something! 

Need something to keep little hands busy when you’re trying to cook and the step your on isn’t safe for little fingers?  Make them some play dough to pretend to bake with!  Best part it lasts about 6 months!  I love homemade play dough, the color is what the kids like and it doesn’t cost a bundle.  I use old baby food jars to store it, saving even more and they are re-usable for when you make more every 6 months.

Blue Jean Cape!

I went through my clothes and noticed a lot of pants with holes in them.  I don't go shopping often and it seems that I tend to wear my clothes until they literally fall apart.  Now, I can either walk around like I belong in a trailer park with my goods hanging out or I can get creative and make something for the kids to play!  I decide to say good bye to the jeans and hello to the latest kids creation!

Baddha Konasana- Butterfly Pose

Another year is coming to an end and changes are about!  To celebrate the changing of the years lets explore our stretching and changing bodies by doing the Butterfly or Baddha Konasana pose!  Let's allow the new year to change us like a Catepillar changes to a Butterfly!

Sea Life Event Review Phoenix AZ

 I visited Sea Life's Santa Claws event today in Phoenix, AZ.  Santa Claws is a giant lobster whose tank is decorated with a beard and a Santa Hat!  Sea Life is an aquarium geared to children.  It has a theater that talks about the latest exhibits and animals, feel me tanks, multiple bubble views, intricate tank shapes, a large children's play area, and a gift shop.  Now, Santa Claws himself is moving to a sister Sea Life location, but the Santa Claw's event will go from the 19th to January 1, 2012.

Kids' in the Kitchen

Thanksgiving is coming! Everyone loves the smell of the meal cooking all morning while the kids pretend to cook or wait for a scrap! This year why not give the kids something to pretend to make their own meal on! You can either go shopping and spend a few hundred dollars on a kitchen set or visit back over the next week as we make our own kitchen with a kid flare!

Kid Powered Car Craft!

On an earlier post I talked about all the boxes I had lying around and how to make helmets. This post is about how to make a wearable car from the larger boxes. Its kid powered (no batteries or laziness needed) and kid decorated if you choose. I chose to decorate this one on my own, but kids can create the look of the car too!

Helmet Head

Items needed:
a box
a knife
white paper
tape (clear packing is better)
glue
buttons (optional)
scraps of fabric (optional)
pipe cleaners (optional)
markers (optional)
paint (optional)
crayons (optional)
egg cartons (optional)
popsicle sticks (optional)
diapers that is too small to use (optional)
Basically anything that can be taped or glued on to create a fun look!

GOO!

Here is a fun easy to make toy for kids of all ages. Most of the work is done on the stove, so you will need to do it but older kids who are good with instructions can help with the coloring and putting the goo in bags! For kids that are able to or learning words, have the kids write the color labels to attach above or on the bags. These fun bags last about a week and can help teach colors, textures, how the light reflects on things, and (if you have the bags labeled with their color) letter/word development.

Dress-Up Vest!

Kids are not picky when it comes to their imagination.  They just need some materials to help it grow and develop.  A great way to do that is to recycle some of your husbands or your larges old pants and make them into dress up clothes!