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Learning to read & count with Kumon Books

May 8, 2010 By Whitney Leave a Comment

Always on the hunt for workbooks and fun educational items to help teach both of my boys, I was happy to hear from Kumon Publishing.   Kumon publishes a series of workbooks to help teach early reading and math skills.

For my 6-year-old, I got him My First Book of Sentences and My Book of Money: Dollar & Cents.  The latter one has been especially great as he loves math and loves to count.  He’s gone through most of the book by now and has learned all of his coins and loves to just play with adding up change.  For my 3-year-old, I got Numbers 1-30, which both of my boys have loved. (Dot-to-Dot tracing and counting)

These workbooks are educational and fun.  Both of my kids have been treating these books as a cool activity rather than a learning one (when in fact, they are both.)

Check out all the workbooks available from Kumon on Amazon.  These are fabulous products for early education and homeshooling of preschool and elementary age children.

Many thanks to Kumon for sending workbooks for both of my boys to test out for this review.

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An Earth Day Giveaway: Win one of three Word Girl book & DVD prize packs on Mommies with Style

April 15, 2010 By Whitney 38 Comments

As many of you know, Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day.  On that day, PBS will be airing the WordGirl episode “Earth Day Girl.”  The language loving superhero saves the planet in this episode. 

We have three prize packs to giveaway to 3 Mommies with Style readers as we spread the word about the episode – the prize includes the “Earth Day Girl” DVD from Paramount (which includes the episode plus 7 others) and a new WordGirl reader book of the same name from Scholastic Press.  Check out http://pbskids.org/wordgirl/ to play cool WordGirl games with your kids.

To enter, leave a comment about what your family does to help the environment or keep green. 

For extra entries, tweet about this giveaway (one extra entry per day – only one please).  Follow and @mommieswstyle so we know you have tweeted it out.

This contest ends on Thursday, April 22nd.  3 winners will be selected and notified after that time.  Please be sure to include your email address in your entry!

Filed Under: Books, Books for the Family, Eco-friendly, Giveaways, Movies & Music Tagged With: , ,

Answering Questions: Children’s Resources

January 20, 2010 By julie Leave a Comment

encyclWhen Middle recently asked what an Earthquake is, Big ran off. Saturday night, he asked that question himself and, unbeknownst to us, grabbed his resources, researching the information himself.

When he was only two, my mom gifted him My First Encyclopedia. I found it a silly, unnecessary gift back then, what 2 year old needed an encyclopedia? In the future he’d have a computer with internet access to answer his questions. And us. We could always answer questions.

But in the past 4 years that encyclopedia has seen much use and much love. It sits out on his dresser and he refers to it for questions about health, food, weather and, most recently, Earthquakes.

The writing style is basic, intended for a grade-school aged student. The book simply explains science and history to children. Its vivid images further explain each area of interest.

For Christmas this year, Santa added to our collection of research books with Scholastic’s My First Dictionary. Another wonderful resource written for young minds, we first found use for this book when Big asked “what’s a dynasty?” It was the first time we, as parents, could say “look it up.” In 3 weeks we’ve looked up dozens of words.

We’re teaching the kids one of the basic ways to get ahead in life: Ask questions; Find the Answers.

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Planning for Walt Disney World: A book review

January 12, 2010 By Whitney 4 Comments

mwsindisney-copyI could not be more excited about an upcoming trip my family has planned to Walt Disney World in Orlando.  My parents live in Florida, so we get a lot of opportunities to get to the parks for a day here and there but rarely plan the big week-long trip.  This year we decided to go for it, as we are able to combine it with my attendance at the Social Media Moms Celebration.

Over the following weeks, no doubt I’ll have many reviews in relation to our trip.  But I wanted to start at the beginning, which is where I am now – in the planning stage.

Two resources that are providing invaluable to me are:
Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers - the author, Lisa Battista, sent me a copy of her book a few weeks back before I even knew we were going.  As I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old, I knew this book was perfect for us as soon as we booked the trip. 

It’s been a wonderful resource and easy read for tips on good things to do with young kids while at the parks.

And I signed myself back up for Tour Guide Mike – an informational website that gives subscribed users valuable information on the parks from a seasoned Disney veteran.  The last time we visited Disney in February of 2008, I used and reviewed this service. 

The insight I received on this site two years ago saved us hours of lines and hassle.  There was no doubt in my mind that I would be doing it again.  I’m basing my entire itinerary on his recommendation for this trip as well.

Sign up for a year subscription and you pay $21.95 a year.  Such a little price to pay to avoid long lines and serious irritation!

Filed Under: Books for the Family, Entertainment Tagged With:

Preserve your 2009 memories with gorgeous Rag and Bone Bindery albums (and a Giveaway!)

January 5, 2010 By Jen 13 Comments

One of my major New Year’s resolutions is to really get organized with my photos and scrapbooking. And one of the major tools to help me do this is Rag & Bone Bindery and their amazing, gorgeous, handmade albums.

Rag & Bone offers a full range of sophisticated products, from baby books, photo albums, address books, and day planners, to wedding and shower albums, guestbooks, binders, growth charts, and more. There are countless stylish cover options from whimsical designs to classic to sweet and simple looks.

One of their newest products is the 4×6 slip-in photo frame album. The cream colored paper pages are 100% acid-free and lay flat when opened. Photos may be removed & rearranged by simply sliding them out of the frame pages. These albums hold twenty 4 x 6 standard sized photos and make great brag-books or coffee-table books featuring your favorite holiday pictures or pictures from 2009.

Rag & Bone albums, made in Rhode Island, are made extremely well by skilled artisans. They are archival quality and are not only well constructed throughout, but are simply beautiful. You will definitely enjoy preserving your family’s memories in one of these classic albums!

Want a chance to win a 12×12 Paper page Album in Dogwood design (value: $98.00) and a Photo Frame album (value: $29.00)? Please comment and tell us your scrapbooking/photo goal for 2010 and you will be entered to win! Winner will be drawn on January 14th and will have 24 hours to respond to claim this special Rag & Bone prize.

Thanks to Rag & Bone Bindery for a sample of their new 4×6 frame album for this review.

Filed Under: Books for the Family, For the Home, Paper Products & More Tagged With:

For Red Headed Children (and Families) Everywhere: Little Redheads Across America Book!

December 13, 2009 By Jen 4 Comments

When my younger son Jonah was born, the first thing the nurse said was “We have a redhead!” I didn’t believe her, and when I saw my little baby with flaming orange hair, I couldn’t get over it.

Two and a half years later, you could say I am still shocked that I have a redhead with blue eyes (both my husband and I are brunette with dark eyes, as well as our older son), and every day I enjoy the fun comments and feedback that we get on my son’s hair. I realized that my son (and I, as his mom) are now part of this exclusive “club” of redheads. When we see one another, we smile. We love to chat about our kids and their unique features. It’s really fun!

So when I learned about a new book written by a mom with a similar story to mine, I had to check it out. Little Redheads Across America, written by Nicole Giladi, is a fabulous book for special redheaded children and their families. It features tons of beautiful pictures of redheaded children from all over the country with all different shades of redheaded hair. Also peppered throughout the book are fun facts about redheads, like “Which Shade of Red Are You?”, “How did you get your red hair?”, “Myths and Superstitions,” and more, including information on sunburns and skin care, freckles, teasing and name calling.

My son (to the right) loves looking through the book, seeing other kids like him and looking at their pictures. And I love learning more about redheads, something I never thought about before my son came along.

If you have a redheaded child or know one, this unique, beautiful, hard-covered book makes a perfect (and very special and thoughtful) gift! Check out the book’s website with fun facts, pictures, games, and an online store, where you can order the book.

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The First Adventures of Incredible You: A Treasured Family Keepsake

November 24, 2009 By debbie 1 Comment

firstadventuresbookI fondly remember having this amazing book read to me that was personalized with a few facts about me when I was a child. I thought the book was the neatest thing! So when I was sent a book called, “The First Adventures of Incredible You,” for my son, it brought back memories of my favorite childhood book (which I think I have laying around somewhere)! I adore reading The First Adventures of Incredible You to my son and he loves listening to it. The book is fabulous! My son really enjoys hearing about his favorite park, zoo, friends, sports team and more! He gets so excited when we start to read it and proclaims, “my book”!

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a extraordinary hardcover book full of whimsical, full-color illustrations and rhyming text with personalized details about your child. This marvelous keepsake children’s book follows your child from the day they arrived on Earth through the exciting first adventures in life. The book becomes a completely personalized storybook with just a little input from you regarding the people and places that are special to your child. With over 20 places to seamlessly incorporate details about a child and his/her family, friends and family traditions into the text of the award-winning book (even including a special page to incorporate a favorite family dish)! In the front of the book is a dedication page so your child never forgets who gave them this unique keepsake adventure.

This artistic, award-winning personalized storybook is a memorable and super unique gift for new parents! Great for gift giving, if you do not know how the child’s family would fill in the personalized information, there are easy standard options available to choose from or you may order a book gift certificate so that the recipient family may fill in the information themselves! (What a great idea!) Save 15% off your order until December 5, 2009 by entering code mws15 at checkout.

Filed Under: Babies, Books, Books for the Family, Coupon Codes & Sales, Kids, Play Time Tagged With: , ,

Feeding the Growing Belly

November 17, 2009 By kristi 1 Comment

book-coverSince the week before I even knew I was pregnant, I’ve been hungry.  I’ll never forget begging my mom to take me to a diner the day before I took my pregnancy test.  After inhaling my meal and part of hers, she was convinced that I was “with child”.  She was right…and I haven’t stopped eating since.

For someone who has always had a small appetite, I’ve had a lot of fun eating while pregnant.  However, it has been a challenge to answer my cravings while simutaneously fulfilling all the nutritional requirements of growing a baby.

Recently, I was sent a free copy of Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom’s Healthy Eating Guide, and man…I wish someone had handed me this book months ago!  Frances Largeman-Roth, RD – a dietician, mom, and Health magazine editor – wrote the book so that it was completely understandable, totally skim-able, and well worth the read.  It covers everything from what nutrients a pregnant woman needs to how to combat a caffeine addiction.  The book discusses the best diet for morning sickness and the healthiest options for dining out.  The guide also includes:

  • a 7-day tear-out eating plan
  • stay-fit secrets with yoga poses
  • pointers on when to choose organic
  • advice on the safest seafood selections
  • how to pick foods to get the nutrients you need most

My favorite part of the book is the last section – 65 mouthwatering recipes organized by the cravings a typcial pregnant woman has: Sweet, Meaty, Salty/Savory, Spicy, and Thirst-Quenching.

My tastebuds have been screaming for “sweet” since the end of the first month.  So, the first recipe on my list to try was Chunky Monkey Muffins.  They certainly did not disappoint!  How could you go wrong with a chocolately banana and peanut butter muffin?  As an added bonus, the muffins are loaded with protein, fiber, and also pack in some omega-3′s.  The Peach and Blackberry Crumble is next up in my kitchen.

If you’ve got a bun in the oven, Feed the Belly is the only healthy eating guidebook that you may need.  It would also be a great read for any dad who enjoys cooking…or better yet, enjoys having a happy wife.

Filed Under: Books for the Family, Breastfeeding, Dads, Feeding Baby, Pregnancy & Maternity Tagged With: , ,

Freshman in the Kitchen: A great gift for cooks of all types

November 16, 2009 By julie 1 Comment

freshWhen I think of cookbooks, they fall into 2 categories: those for gourmet or professional cooks and those for non-cooks or beginners. But authors Max & Eli Sussman merged the two categories in their  new cookbook: Freshman in the Kitchen. Recipes are created to instruct ”from Clueless Cook to Creative Chef.” They don’t just tell you to boil the egg, they teach you to do it.

This cookbook has everything I look for in a cookbook: pictures, simple instructions, and binding that stays open easily. Its also printed on a glossier stock so that it wipes clean easily from spills and splashes. And I love that they give you tips to alter your recipes. Because I always alter my recipes.

The introduction helps readers set up their kitchen and pantry and teaches you how to grocery shop and save money. It also introduces you to the authors, brothers who learned to cook from scratch in the kitchen with their mother and now cook professionally.

As soon as I opened the cookbook, I knew I wanted to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie, which I found to be a great, simple snack. This week I’ll be making eggplant parmesan, from scratch. I love that throughout the book cooking terms are defined and tips, like “leftover tips” and “Sophisticated Crowd-Pleaser Tip” (as found on the page for Eggplant Parmesan), teach you as you cook. Plus there are friendly little notes about the foods from the authors.

I’m planning to gift Freshman in the Kitchen to a few members of the family. Especially the one who calls, like I did in the past, for instructions on boiling an egg and for a definition of braising. Its all in the book.

Freshman in the Kitchen was provided as a sample for review on MWS.

Filed Under: Books for the Family, Entertainment, Misc Tagged With: , ,

Keep your child’s important school info safe with Mom Agenda’s School Years (and contest!)

July 14, 2009 By Jen 6 Comments

I love to scrapbook, create photo albums, preserve birthday memories, and more. But sometimes I take on more than I can chew and I am left with lots to do, and not a lot of time to do it.

So when I got to check out Mom Agenda’s latest product, School Years, I was extremely excited! This great book preserves and stores all of the important information from each year of school, from pre-K through 12th grade, in an easy, concise manner.

A 2-sided 7″ x 9″ folder represents each year of your child’s schooling. Each folder allows you to place a photo, record the school name, teacher, date of the first day of school, age, height, weight, friends, activities, sports, special achievements, and a place for your child to sign. Inside of the folder, store report cards, class photos, artwork samples, writing samples, or anything you choose! You can get your child’s book in aqua, sage, or rose, and have the option of getting your child’s name embossed on the cover as well.

What a great concept to store and capture these special times for your children… and in such an easy way! Just one book for your child’s entire school career. It’s a relief!

Pick up one for each of your children, or as a gift for a recent pre-school grad! Use code STYLEMOM to receive 15% off your total purchase in their online store (good from 7/14-8/15)

Plus, want a chance to win one of your own? Leave us a comment with your favorite color and why you would love to have one of these great keepsake books and we will pick a winner on July 17th.

Filed Under: Books for the Family, For the Home, Housewares, Misc, Mommy Time, On The Go, Paper Products & More Tagged With: , , , ,

Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby?

July 2, 2009 By julie Leave a Comment

corneliusI’ve asked myself this question time and again… with the answer, clearly, no, not yet. So it was really fun to ask my 3-year-old this same question today. I asked it when I read to him the new book by Barney Saltzberg, Cornelius P. Mud, Are you Ready for Baby? Together we talked about Cornelius, the adorable little pig who in the first illustration is sitting with his pregnant mom, reading a baby name book. By the next page, Mom brings home a little piglet.

The illustrations are cute, vibrant, preschool friendly; the text, very simple. On each page Cornelius asks if baby can do different things, like eat and play. And on each page, Mom answers “no, not yet.” With the answer to the “what can baby do?” being the very funny line “He can sleep, drink, pee, poop and cry.”  Cornelius also shows some insecurity asking “Do you love him more than you love me?” and Mama reassuringly replies “I have enough love for both of you.”

The brief story opens up so many windows of opportunity for discussion and relating with a preschooler about to become a big brother, it was quick to become a new favorite. It only arrived in the mail Monday and he’s already “read” Cornelius P. Mud, Are You Ready for Baby? several times (as in his chosen book for the past 3 naps and 3 bedtimes): loving the story and the discussions each time.

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Travel to China, one recipe at a time with the Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook!

June 29, 2009 By debbie 4 Comments

My kids love cooking with me in the kitchen! We’ve been having so much fun recently with the Handstand Kids Chinese Cookbook, trying out all sorts of recipes together. This cookbook comes packaged in a large takeout box kit with child-friendly chopsticks.

chinese_cookbook_kit1It is so adorable and my kids love it! The Chinese Cookbook Kit introduces kid chefs, ages 3 to 12, to delicious and healthy Chinese recipes. Recipes like Spring-a-licious Spring Rolls, Kung Pow! Chicken and Year of the Monkey Smoothies take your little chef around the world through your own kitchen.

All of the utensils and ingredients are translated into Mandarin so you can speak the language of China as you cook! The recipes are leveled from 1 to 4 chopsticks to determine the recipe’s level of difficulty. Our favorites so far have been the Banana-rama Spring Rolls and the Great Wall of Chicken Lettuce Wraps! We’ve been having a blast cooking while trying to pronounce the different ingredients. They also love practicing with the chopsticks on all sorts of foods!

In addition to the Chinese Cookbook are the Mexican and Italian Cookbook Kits. Each cookbook in the series introduces kid chefs to a new country and culture through tasty, healthy and fun recipes. Each recipe also offers alternatives that allow for dietary flexibility and creativity in the kitchen.

Handstand Kids also carries aprons, chef hats, oven mitts and all-purpose mats that can be used as place mats, cutting boards or work stations. Ours includes a fabulous map of China and a listing of all of the different ingredients in the cookbook in both English and Mandarin. My kids are always practicing!

Enter code MWS on the order page in the coupon box located at the top of the page before checking out to save 20% off of your purchase!

Filed Under: Books, Books for the Family, Feeding & Mealtime, Kids Tagged With: , ,

LeapFrog provides the little guys with something too: Introducing the Tag Junior

June 22, 2009 By Whitney Leave a Comment

You may know about LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System, which was a hot pick of ours for the 2008 Holiday Season.  The Tag is recommended for kids between ages 4-8 and is a great learning tool for early readers.

Now, LeapFrog has announced a new product to cater to the younger crowd — the Tag Junior Book Pal.  Geared for toddlers and preschoolers, the Tag Junior helps encourage early reading skills.  Tag Junior books help children learn the alphabet, teach counting and more.

The age range for this one is 24 months-age 4.  It’s a great little toy to have for a younger brother or sister who sees an older sibling using the regular Tag.   You have to buy the books separately – all of the books for the Tag Junior are board books.

Organizational tip:  Be sure to get it with the Storage Case too, it’s easiest if you keep the book together with the actual Tag system and having the case is key.  We’ve found the same with the regular Tag.

It sells for $34.99 on Amazon and ships for free.

Filed Under: Books for the Family, Electronics, Misc, Toys Tagged With: , , ,

Do you love Trader Joe’s? A Fabulous Cookbook for TJ Fans! (Giveaway)

June 5, 2009 By Jen 11 Comments

I am all about efficient, easy cooking. I have tried the make-ahead meal places, frozen food, and various cookbooks. And then I found Trader Joe’s (or TJ’s for short). I love this place! Lots of gourmet foods, ready-to-use items, like washed and cut veggies, gourmet cheeses, marinated meats, frozen delicies, and much more. I love that the items are inexpensive, often organic and nutritious.

And then I discovered “Cooking with all things Trader Joe’s” — a fabulous cookbook written by two huge TJ fans (not at all affiliated with the store). This cookbook is perfect for those of us who love to eat healthy, nutritous, home-cooked food, but lead busy lives and have trouble finding the time to make these types of meals.

The idea behind this cookbook is combining fresh items with already-prepped items (that you can easily find at Trader Joe’s) to create easy, quick, home cooked meals (all in about 10 minutes!) ALL items in the cookbook can be purchased at TJ’s, and every recipe has a real photo (not professionally styled, the real thing!).

There are tons of recipies to choose from, including appetizers, soups, salads, and light meals, main meals, side dishes, desserts, and drinks. There is even a chapter for “bachelor quickies” which you can use when you really have no time. I tried a few different recipies — each very easy and delicious. The Soyaki Broiled Salmon was amazing and only took 6 minutes (and I never knew how to use my broiler with fish until I tried this recipe!), and the Peanutty Sesame Noodles made a yummy and healthy side dish. We tried the roasted garlic recently at a party and it was a big hit. I am excited to try even more recipies in this book!

Want to try out this book with your family? Let us know your favorite TJ item(s) (hey, I would love to hear so I can try it out!) in the comments field below and one lucky winner will get a brand new cookbook shipped directly to them. (We’ll pick a winner at random on June 12th, winner must respond within 24 hours). Can’t wait and want a copy of your own?  Use code MOMMYSTYLE to receive $10 off your cookbook purchase. And for some enjoyable reading, check out the author’s cool blog, featuring some more great recipies and interesting food-related information!

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