Kids stuff — Page 4

Love your kids, but hate their toy clutter – Smart Storage Solutions!

Love your kids, but hate their toy clutter? Then keep reading…. Most of you know about my Master Bedroom & Playroom Makeover Challenge I’m working on…. Due to some extra family living with us for awhile, Abby is sharing the Master Bedroom with me for another year. I thought that babies had a lot of gear – but transitioning to a toddler has brought SO many more storage challenges! Toddler = Lots and lots of toys. I rearranged our space to make more of a playroom area for her and I wanted a way to store all of that toy clutter out of sight, while still making it easy for her to access to play and put away. I have found a PERFECT solution – The ClosetMaid Cubeicals 9-Cube Organizer.

5 Ways ClosetMaid solves your toy storage challenges

This ClosetMaid Cube Organizer comes in 5 different finishes, and the fabric cubes are available in single or double packs in over 20 awesome colors – which means you can totally customize this piece to match any space in your home. I love that it coordinates perfectly with our Catskill Craftsmen Black Storage Chest & Bench, and I was able to find a fabric bin that matches our storage buckets too! {Those are a fun dollar store find, that we personalized with stickers to spell Abby’s name.} Here are a few of the reasons I’m lovin’ it –

It’s well made. This organizer is made of laminate, but is so much more sturdy than a lot of other laminate pieces I’ve looked at. It’s strong, without the slightest hint of a wobble – which is incredibly important when it’s going to be used by a toddler.
It’s durable. I have a laminate desk in the same finish, that scratches SO easily. In over a month of use, there is not a single mark on the ClosetMaid organizer. The finish has a great texture to it, and holds up great with a toddlers wild playtime antics.
The bins are super helpful. This gives me a way to hide all of Abby’s toy clutter out of sight, but it’s still easy for Abby to access things when she wants them, and simple to pick things up when playtime is over.
Fun way to display. The cubes without the fabric bins in them give us a super fun way to display some of Abby’s favorite dolls and toys, and make the playroom area look super fun!
Easy to reach. The organizer is just the right height for a toddler – she can easily reach all of the cubes, to get all of her favorite toys!

So, it’s a well built piece that gives you a fun way to store toys, while keeping clutter hidden out of site – what more could you ask for, right?

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” – Jerry Seinfeld

See how easy it is for little hands to pull out a bin of toys at play time? Each fabric cube is sturdy enough for storage, but also can collapse down flat if you decide not to use them. And, since they’re fabric, they can take some abuse – like when my little girl crawls inside one of them to read a book, lol. They have handles on them too – which is great if you want to bring a toy bin to another room to play. We’re thinking about making decals for the bins, like the ones on the toy buckets, to label what goes in each one – Dolls, Cars, Blocks, and Music – as she gets a little bit bigger.

ClosetMaid is a busy moms dream come true…

ClosetMaid is known for durable storage solutions at affordable prices – perfect for busy moms. They even have some cool tools on their site to help you design your own perfect spaces and places in your home – check out the uDesign tool to create your own one-of-a-kind organization designs, very cool.

Want one too? You can get the ClosetMaid 9-Cube Laminate Organizer online today, or look for it in major retailers like Target and Fred Meyer.

More Fun Ideas and Get Connected

Stay updated on cool new products and promotions by following ClosetMaid on Facebook and Twitter. And for more super fun toy storage ideas, check out my Playroom Storage inspiration board on Pinterest – and feel free to pin these ideas to your own boards too.

{Disclaimer: I received a complimentary organizer product to review – all opinions, photos, and tips are 100% my own! Love this product, and I know you will too.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 10, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 6 Comments

Easter Fun: Dipped Baby Chick Cookies

Easter Fun – Treat Recipe

Ok – We didn’t make these ones. This is a fun photo from the Free-n-Fun Easter ideas section on Oriental Trading Company. Super cute, right? They looked like they’d be pretty simple – and since I have pretty wild helpers in the kitchen, {my nephews are 8 and 5, and Abby is 20 months. The combination leads to a lot of kitchen craziness!} – I need things that are simple. And, they mostly were, but ours weren’t quite as successful as these ones. But that’s the usual result around here – I’m much more enthusiastic in the kitchen than I am skilled, lol.

Making Easter Baby Chick Cookies

While our version isn’t quite as adorable as the original, they were still a ton of fun – and came out pretty cute. The kids LOVED them!! We did this as a trial run, and will be making more for our big Easter Egg Hunt party on Saturday. For the body of the chick, you can use any type of sandwich cookie – But since the kids at my house LOVE the Newman-O’s, we used those.

The Newman-O’s are a way healthier version of the traditional sandwich cookie, which is great for me – I’m on the Nutrisystem diet, but am going to splurge on a couple of Easter treats this weekend. {I’m so super-duper busy, hopefully I’ll burn off the extra calories quick, lol} – They even have a Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free cookie, for kiddo’s with food allergies. That’s a huge bonus when we’re having a ton of kids over!

Dipped Chick Cookie Recipe

The ingredients are simple, and you can make easy substitutions if needed. The process is pretty easy too – and they’re still pretty fun even when they don’t come out perfect! {Hint: Get some great spring candy and baking coupons right now, printable from Coupons.com – they have a lot of great ones through the weekend!}

Easter Fun: Dipped Chick Cookies

Ingredients

Cream-Filled Sandwich Cookies
Pretzel Sticks, broken in half
Mini Chocolate Chips
Orange Conversation Heart Candies - or icing
White Chocolate Candy Melts or Almond Bark
Yellow Gel Food Coloring

Instructions

Melt your candy melts or almond bark according to the package directions. {Add a bit of Crisco, if you have some, to make the dipping easier!} Stir in a couple drops of the yellow food coloring, until it's the color you want it.
Dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, then place them on a big piece of wax paper.
Add the mini chocolate chip eyes, and the pretzel legs. Also add the candy hearts if you have them - if not, wait until they cool and add frosting instead, like we did.
Display, enjoy, then eat!

https://sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/04/easter-fun-dipped-baby-chick-cookies/

For More Fun Easter Ideas

Check out more Easter Fun Ideas and Inspiration on my Pinterest board – and if you’ve got a favorite Easter craft, recipe, or activity post to share – drop by and post it up on my Facebook wall, so everyone can check it out too! Have a cool idea to share but it’s not in a post? No worries – Post a pic on my wall too! I love seeing your fun creations – Happy Easter!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on April 4, 2012 Filed Under: Holidays | 3 Comments

Be Featured on a Curious George DVD! – #CuriousGeorgeMoms

Exercise Your Creativity with Dance!

Everyone loves to dance, right? Football players whip out some crazy dance moves when they make a touch down. Your husband probably does a little dance at home too when his team scores. I pull out some sweet 80’s dance moves when I’m cooking dinner, lol. And, I am SO glad to see that my little girl loves to dance as much as I do – She has her favorite songs on the radio, and will yell “Dance?? Dance!!” until everyone in the house is doing silly dances with her too. Goofy? Yes. Sometimes embarrassing if we have company? For sure. But those giggles and twirls and wiggles? Priceless.

Join the Curious George Dance Party!

Just like my little monkey – Curious George loves to dance too. Dancing is a great exercise for little bodies – it builds coordination, creativity, and confidence. So grab your little dancers, turn on your video camera, and capture your families best moves for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Curious George DVD. How cool is that, right?

How it works:

You’ll want to head over to the Curious George Dance Party Contest site to read all the rules and regulations. But here’s a quick overview to get started:

Get a video of your cute little monkey dancing to the Curious George theme song. {You’ll find it on the contest site!} There’s a limit of 60 seconds per video, so no need for anything too complicated or time-consuming. Just have fun with it!
Submit your video and fill out the easy entry form. And do it soon – the deadline for submitting your awesome videos is April 2, 2012.
A panel of judges will choose 10 finalists, based on creativity, enthusiasm, and originality. Those 10 super fun videos will be posted on their site, so that fans can vote on their very favorite little dancer. I can’t wait to see the finalists!
The grand prize winner will have their moves featured on an upcoming Curious George DVD, a great Curiousity Kit filled with fun Curious George goodies, and maybe even a visit from George himself! There are also prize packages for all of the runners up too.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to the contest page today to download the theme song – {Unless you’re like us, and have plenty of DVD’s to pop in for music} – and get your monkey-moves on today!

Have fun & Good Luck!

{Disclaimer: This post is sponsored in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and WGBH. Image Disclosure: CG (R) & (C) 2012 Universal Studios and/or HMH. All Rights Reserved. FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY.}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 28, 2012 Filed Under: Contests | No Comments

Kissaboos Make Boo Boos All Better

“You know you’re a mother when the smallest wimper from your child can wake you from a dead sleep.” – Linda Poindexter

One of the most important jobs a momma has is to save the day when little ones get hurt. And if you have a toddler – you know that are constantly getting hurt. In my house, the enthusiasm for climbing, running, jumping, and discovering isn’t matched by the skill for all those fun activities, lol. So we get lots of bumps and boo boos, which can lead to lots of tears and pouting. Most moms learn really quickly that putting a fun band-aid on any type of ouch makes it better fast – whether that band-aid is actually needed or not. And that’s the same type of idea behind the Kissaboo – it’s a reusable, washable, adorable solution for boo boos, bug bites, bruises and more. Read on – you’ll love this product!

“A mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go.” – Author Unknown

A kiss from mom also makes things all better for most little ones injuries too – and there have even been studies that show that kissing your child’s boo boos may lead to better health. So when you combine the comfort of a band-aid and the love of some kisses into one product, you get the Kissaboo. It works great in SO many situations:

To cover a band-aid, so little fingers don’t keep peeling it off.
For bug-bites or other itchy spots, to keep kids from scratching too much.
For all of those “invisable” owies that kids always want band-aids for.
To keep trouble spots covered up – Like a bandaged up knee from a fall on a bike.
To cover scary looking bumps or bruises.
To keep an IV in safely, if kids are getting medical procedures. {Be sure to get the doctor’s ok on this.}
To prevent thumb sucking.

And there are tons more ideas that you’ll think of once you start using these in your home. From my little girl, who is 19 months old – to my nephews, who are 5 and 8, these work perfectly in every situation.

“Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love.” – Mildred B. Vermont

See? A Kissaboo cover makes any boo boo all better! The covers come in a package of three, so you get several options to fit any type of ouch that comes up. They’re washable, so that they can be used over and over – and that will save you loads of money, since you won’t have to waste so many band-aids on “invisible” owies. And – they’re totally adorable! See those little kisses on the cover? Love it. Want to check out more on the Kissaboo? Check out the adorable little guy over at Mallery’s Deals showing how a baby rocks the Kissaboo, then check out some great close-up product shots of the different covers included in the kit on Cinnamon Hollow.

Learn More and Enter to WIN!

You can learn more about the Kissaboo cover, and other great products that are – Solutions for Everyday Living – from Vive Vita on their site. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get updates on new products and promotions. Love learning about the best new products for babies and kids? Then check out my boards on Pinterest too – and feel free to pin any images here to your own boards.

Enter to WIN a Kissaboo set – as well as all the other mom-invented health and safety products too – in this weeks Mompact Bundle Package Giveaway!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 27, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution | 13 Comments

Solutions to Make Kids Safer and Healthier- Win a Mompact Prize Bundle!

Moms supporting Moms – Mompact.com!

No one cares more about keeping kids safe and healthy than a Mom does. So this week I’m very excited to share some of my favorite products that do just that! Check out these great products invented by moms, read the stories behind them by visiting mompact.com, and enter to win ALL six products. How awesome is that?

Solutions to Make Kids Safer and Healthier

Ok, you know that I’m all about finding you the best sites, services, and products to solve your busy-mom challenges, right? That’s my goal with this site, to find Smart Solutions for Busy Moms to share with you each day. And some of my favorite solutions come from other moms – From you guys, from my family and best girlfriends, and from other women entrepreneurs who invent awesome products to fix common problems we all face. Check out a few of these great solutions here:

Parking Pal: These are super cool magnets that you place on the car, to give kids a safe spot to stand while everyone gets out of the car – They’re fun enough to keep them occupied, and increase parking lot safety. My nephews love ’em.
S.A.F.E.R Car Seat Cover: You don’t want to put kids in the same old dirty clothes each day, right? So why put them in the same germ-filled car seat for weeks at a time? This cover makes it quick and easy to keep a clean and safe seat for your little one to travel in.
Gripsterz: This is one of my favorites! Abby is getting bigger, and is starting to push for more independence – but she’s still so little that she’s easy to lose track of. With the Gripsterz, I can hand her the handle, and ask her to hold the monkeys hand so she doesn’t get lost – then either hold the other end of the strap, or hook it to the car or stroller. She thinks it’s funny, I think it’s a lifesaver!
Boogie Snatcher: Ok, I love the funny name. But I love the idea behind this even more – We all know how uncomfortable it is for little ones to get yucky, clogged up noses. But we also all know how difficult it can be to fix that. The Boogie Snatcher works much better than those little bulbs, and is perfect for cleaning tiny newborn noses.
Sniffle Buddies: This is a great solution, especially for moms of kiddo’s with special needs. The Sniffle Buddies work to catch runny noses on little ones during playtime – instead of them using their hands to wipe ’em, spreading germs.
Kissaboo: This is my favorite – it is such an adorable idea! It’s a reusable cover for boo boos, bug bites or itchy spots, or to keep kids from picking at bandages. It’s super cute, and comes with 3 different types of cover to fit any bumps, cuts, or bruises your kiddo gets. You know how every bump feels better just by putting a band-aid on it? This cute cover works the saaaaame way. {See it in action at our house here.}

All of these super smart ideas were invented by moms, for moms. You can find more amazing products like this on Mompact.com, find support and resources for your own mom-owned business there too – and then enter to WIN an awesome prize package filled with all of these great products!

Enter to WIN – Big Mompact Prize Package!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to get your entries in, and don’t forget to come back here, or the Mompact Facebook page, each day to tweet for a daily entry. {And, if you’re feelin’ lucky, enter to win all of the other fun prizes I’m giving away too. You’ll find ’em all in listed together in the sidebar.}

Have fun & Good Luck!

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 27, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 3 Comments

Easter Basket Ideas + Win Busytown Playsets too!

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” – Pablo Picasso

Playtime is incredibly important for kids. Great toys can help kids in so many ways… They learn to use and stretch their imagination in new ways. They learn to share and cooperate. They learn problem-solving, as they figure out how things work. And they even get some exercise – I mean, heck, even just crawling around to drive a car around a track is much more active than playing another video game, right?

“Easter, so longed for, is gone in a day.” – James Howell

Easter is one of my very favorite holidays, because our celebrations include so many of my favorite things – Play, Joy, Sunshine, Spring, Family, Treats, Flowers… It’s just such a pretty holiday. And I absolutely LOVE making Easter baskets for all of the kids! This year, instead of candy, I’m going to fill the baskets mostly with some of my favorite toys for creative play – The Busytown sets! {You might remember me talking about them before, when we got our first Busytown playsets.} So, to help your family celebrate this season, I thought I’d share these adorable little sets that are a perfect idea for Easter baskets – AND give a couple of you a chance to win some too! A few of these great sets, along with a book like Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town or a Richard Scarry Matching Game would combine to make a perfect playtime gift basket for your favorite kiddo this Easter!

Richard Scarry’s Busytown Toys – Great Easter Basket stuffers!

“Welcome to Richard Scarry’s Busytown! It’s the liveliest, funniest, busiest town around! Based on Richard Scarry’s classic books enjoyed by generations of families, children would love to be surprised by an Easter basket filled with a Richard Scarry’s Busytown vehicle pack, figure pack or mini plush. These vehicle and figure packs are compatible with most wooden railway track play systems. A comprehensive Richard Scarry’s Busytown play system is available, too, so kids can collect them all or build a Busytown all their own! These toys are available at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide or online at ToysRUs.com.”

“It is a happy talent to know how to play” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

We have almost all of the Busytown sets now, and most of the smaller additional character sets too. I seriously love them. These were my favorite books when I was a little girl… I was always so intrigued with them. There were so many details on each page, and just like the title suggests, the characters were all so busy – driving and playing and walking and working… It’s so much fun to set these up with Abby and the boys, and relive those great memories. The sets are all really well made, and while they’re suggested for ages 3+, they’ve stood up wonderfully to the mayhem of a 19 month old just perfectly.

Enter to WIN a Busy Town Easter Basket of Goodies!

One lucky winner will take home an Easter Basket filled with a surprise selection of 3 products from Richard Scarry’s Busytown:

One Busytown Small Vehicle Pack, one Busytown 2-pack Figure Pack, and one super adorable Busytown Mini Plush!

Use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form to enter, and be sure to come back daily to get your bonus entry. And – If you’re feelin’ lucky, enter to win all of the other fun prizes I’ve got available right now, in my sidebar!

Have fun & Good Luck!

{Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary set of Busytown toys to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own!}

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Posted by Meagan Paullin on March 20, 2012 Filed Under: Holidays, Giveaways | 4 Comments

Family Game Night: Super Mario Bros Wii #CouchCritics #CBias

Super Mario Bros Family Game Night

These are my nephews – Mario and Luigi. I mean, Cade and Cole :) For this weekend’s family game night, we rented the new Super Mario Bros game for the Wii from Redbox, and the boys really got into character. They are BIG fans of Super Mario Bros! And I admit, so am I. I’m a child of the 80’s, and you just can’t help but think of your childhood when you play this new version of Super Mario Bros – So much fun! It was a perfect choice to bring the kids AND adults together.

Shopping for Game Night Goodies

I was super excited about this week’s game night – My dad moved to Seattle a few months ago, so the kids haven’t seen him since last November. He had a really serious surgery recently, and is finally feeling better again. He was coming over to stay with my brother and I for the weekend, and I was SUPER excited to see him! So, Abby and I headed to Walmart on Friday afternoon, to pick up some great goodies for our game night with Grandpa. Here’s what I had on my list – and you can see our whole shopping trip on Google+ for more pictures too:

Lasagna, garlic bread, and salad for dinner: Because, you know, Mario is Italian and all. I also got some mini-pizza rolls for appetizers, and drew little mustaches on them with tinted sour cream :)
Star Cookies: Sugar cookies cut into stars, frosted yellow, with little faces drawn on. To look like the stars in the game. Um – ended in disaster. I’m not sure how to get the cookies to stay really pointy and sharp – mine turned into puffballs, and looked NOTHING like the stars on the game, lol.
Mushroom Cupcakes: I planned to make yellow cupcakes, frost them red, and then add little white polka dots – like the mushrooms on the game. Another disaster! I could NOT get the frosting for the spots to set. I made little dots on waxed paper, and put them in the freezer, so I could have great disks to place on the frosted cakes. Nope – they wouldn’t set. I made totally sloppy looking mushrooms. They were yummy, but not pretty. I get an A for effort, right??

How can you mess up a candy bowl?

I figured I’d also make a big Mario-themed candy bowl too, for everyone to much on through the night. You’d think that there is no WAY to mess this up, right? But – we couldn’t find ANY of the candies I wanted! The holiday candy we were shopping in above, had been switched out to only Easter – but I’d been hoping to find gold coin candies in with St. Patrick’s Day supplies. Then we headed to the “regular” candy section, for Fireballs and bright M&M’s, but no Fireballs either! So, I settled for the mixture below – M&M’s to feature the Super Mario Bros bright colors, gold-wrapped Rolos instead of coins, and Cinnamon Disks instead of Fireballs.

Game Over for Game Night??

Well, even though most of my desserts didn’t work out the way I planned – they did all still taste good! And everyone had a BLAST. I even went to Amazon later that night and ordered the new Super Mario Bros Wii game for the kids – it was that fun. Like I said – it’s such a great game for kids AND adults, since pretty much all of use remember playing this as a kid. This brand new version for the Wii is similar enough to make you feel nostalgic, but new enough to feel fresh and fun.

Redbox Makes Family Nights Easy!

You can find a Redbox Rental Kiosk at just about any grocery store these days. That makes it super easy to put together a family game or movie night – Head to the store to pick up supplies for dinner and snacks, and then grab your favorite movies and games on your way out. You can even check out the selection online from home, and reserve your favorites before you shop – if you want to plan a theme night like we did! I used to think that Redbox was only for movies, but lately we’ve been changing up family night to include games too, and it’s a blast.

Love Redbox? Follow them on Twitter and Facebook to get updates on cool new products and promotions – even free rental codes!

{Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias. All photos, opinions, and kitchen catastrophes are totally my own.}