February 7, 2012

20% & 25% off Coupon Codes for StrideRite.com

Click to visit the Share the Love Stride Rite page on Facebook and you’ll receive a 20% off $50 and 25% off $75 or more coupon code for online and in-store at StrideRite.com!

I could have used this coupon last week!  Cole and I were just in-store and he HAD TO HAVE these Darth Maul Stride Rite light up shoes.  I could not say no to his excited face and I can’t tell you guys how much pleasure he gets out of walking around in these shoes on a daily basis now.

But seriously, go check out Stride Rite on Facebook and get the coupon code – this one’s a good one!

Bubblebum: a portable, foldable booster seat for on the go!

We are a big family on the go. With three kids we have countless activities, playdates, carpooling, and all of that involves driving around in the car. Add to that trips to the shore during the summer and vacations during the year, and we are pretty much non-stop. I am lucky enough to drive a mini-van (yes, I am serious!) and typically have an open car seat for someone who needs it, but there are occasions here and there when I find myself lacking in a seat for someone.

Enter The Bubblebum booster seat!

This neat, colorful, and fun booster seat is totally portable and perfect for those times when a bigger traditional booster isn’t available or an option. These times may include going on vacation, riding in a taxi, rental car, or bus, or just keeping one in your back seat or trunk for emergencies or for a spare. We love keeping ours in my husband’s car, which has a much smaller backseat. He keeps one traditional car seat installed at all times, and then can bring out the Bubble Bum when he needs it if two of my children ride in his car. Some people use three Bubblebum’s in a row in a very small backseat because of its narrow profile.

The Bubblebum is small and light, so you can easily pack it on an airplane or in a school bag. It is easily inflated and is held securely in place with the car seat belt restraints. My kids enjoy sitting on it as it is cushioned and soft. And the best part is that The Bubblebum meets ALL US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and also has been tested and approved to European Standards as well! Please note The Bubblebum is suitable for children ages 4-11 years who weigh 40-80lbs and should be used only with a 3 point car seat belt. Learn more here about safety and see The Bubblebum in action! (This is a great video that has some helpful info about why using a booster is important.)

At an affordable $39.99, it’s so worthwhile to keep one (or two!) in your car for emergencies, vacations, and more.

Fun for the Kids & A Great Easter Gift: Wuggle Pets

So if you or your kids are As Seen on TV junkies like us, you may have witnessed the commercials for Wuggle Pets. While not exactly the same, Wuggle Pets remind me of the Build-A-Bear experience.  Here’s how it works.

Kids get a unstuffed animal and using the Wuggle Pet Kit they can stuff their pets at home with stuffing, magic dust and adorable key words to give your animal “traits” that they’d like them to have.

Check out my boys here with the Starter Kit ($19.99+ S&H).

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Here’s are the key ingredients that come in the box including two pets, stuffing and the Fun Factory:

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Here Cole added the Magic Dust and stuffing to go into his Wuggle Pet:

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Connecting the Wuggle Pet to the Fun Factory:

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Cole was so excited to twist and add the stuffing and Magic Dust:

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Cole selected “cool” and “brave” as personality traits for his new Wuggle Pet:

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Overall, it was a fun and engaging experience for my kids.  They have named their Wuggle Pets and have been carrying them around!  Love the idea of a Wuggle Pet kit for Easter.

Big Miracle: Surprisingly Awesome

Normally I wouldn’t do a movie theater review, but my family and I went to see an early screening of Big Miracle over the weekend and I just had to throw a post up here on how amazing it was.  Nate (8) is now calling it one of his favorite movies of all time and my husband and I were both riveted during the film.

The movie is based on a true story from the late 80s – a family of three whales trapped by ice in Alaska and the media blitz and huge rescue that ensues to save the family from death.  Sounds interesting but not like it would be floor-stopping, right?  It was incredible.  Drew Barrymore and Jon Krasinski star.

You can check out more about Big Miracle on the official website but seriously, if you have kids of an appropriate age, it’s a must see.  It comes out February 3rd.

(Regarding age – personally I’d say at least 5+ should be the age for this movie and that’s even if you have a 5 year old who finds nature interesting. It’s rated PG and there is some mild swearing.)

Fabulous Educational iPad & iPhone App: Stack the States

Okay guys, this app is AWESOME.  I saw Lindsay posting about this on Facebook and knew I had to download it.  Called Stack the States, you have to answer various trivia questions with a multiple choice answer of 4 possibilities.

Kids learn about state capitols, state geography and so much more.  (Which state houses which National Park and so forth.)

Nate (8) played this pretty much all day yesterday as he was in bed with a bad cold.  You play to “earn” states and he’s earned 45 of his 50 states and I can’t tell you guys how much he’s learned in just one day.  He can identify almost all of the states by shape alone, knows many of the capitals now and knows which states border one another.

Oh and you have to “stack” your states which can get pretty precarious!  If your stack topples over you are starting over, so it’s not only educational but fun. (Because that’s the best type, right?  The ones where my kids learn and they don’t even realize they are doing it…)

You can get a Lite (Free) version too but we only tried the paid version – get Stack the States for $.99 for the iPhone and $1.99 for the iPad on the iTunes store.

Awesome Deal: 3-Pack iPad Stylus for $1.40 & Free Shipping (95% off!)

If I hadn’t just bought a $20 Stylus for my iPad, I’d be all over this one!  Check out this deal for a 3-pack of Universal Touch Screen Stylus Pen (Red, Silver & Black) for $1.99 with free shipping. Not sure why it’s so cheap, they must be trying to clear out supplies but it’s too good to pass up if you don’t have a Stylus and are looking for one.

I noticed the reviews ae kind of mixed on these because of the rubber tip but I have the rubber tipped pen and it works great for me.

Get the 3-pack of Universal Touch Screen Stylus Pen (Red, Silver & Black) for $1.99 with free shipping on Amazon.

For Your Baby: Baby Einstein Activity Table

I have had an activity table for all my kids. I love them. They are so entertaining for babies/toddlers and they can be educational too. The activity table has been especially great for my kids when they are learning to pull themselves and stand.

They are encouraged to pull themselves up and stay standing at the table while they play. I already have the Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table by Disney for my infant and can’t wait to watch her interactions with it as she grows. The Baby Einstein Activity Table even has pull off legs so that babies can play on the floor. The table helps babies learn colors, shapes, and counting to five in three languages and plays five classical melodies. The light up colors and sounds attract babies’ attention and are just fun.

You can buy the Baby Einstein Discovering Music Activity Table at Target for $39.99.

My Entire Family is Obsessed with the Ezy Roller {Video}

As you can see from the video, Cole (5) completely loves his Ezy Roller Riding Machine that Santa brought over Christmas. Beyond Cole though, I have to tell you guys, not only does Nate (8) love it, but I love it!  There are extension pieces to make it fit up to 5’5″ and it’s for ages 4+.

No pedals, no extra parts and you propel the roller around using your legs.

Order the Ezy Roller for $129.98 from Amazon with free shipping.

Tegu Mobility – As Addicting as the Blocks

Last April, I wrote about how I wanted to steal my boys’ collection of Tegu Blocks for myself.  These simple wooden magnets encourage hours of imaginative play and fun.

Tegu Blocks now makes Mobility which is a series of car packs that come with wheels, blocks and more for more endless play!  We have the Dart ($38), which comes with 10 blocks and wheels you can click into place and make various shapes.

Ages 3+ only (small magnets involved in the wheels).  Get Tegu Blocks and Magnets on the Tegu website.

12 Days of iPad Apps, Day 11: Pulse News

These days, it’s tough to keep up with every blog and every news site you want to.  So many options!  I do love my Pulse News app on my iPad – it consolidates all the blogs and sites I love to read into one program and one visual.

It’s free and as you can see in the pict on the right you can catch a small photo and snippet of each story before clicking over.  Great for time management.

Get the Pulse News app for iPad on the iTunes store.

12 Days of iPad Apps, Day Six: Toca Boca Hair Salon

I have to thank my Twitter buddy @WickedGood for telling me about this one.  My kids and their friends are loving Toca Boca’s Hair Salon, a fun little app where you run a hair salon and get to do all sorts of fun things to your customer’s hair.

It works on the iPad, iPhone and iPod and Toca Boca Hair Salon costs $1.99 in the iTunes store.  Well worth it for hours of entertainment.

12 Days of iPad Apps, Day Five: Words with Friends

Yah yah probably most of you know about Words with Friends but this app may be used on my iPad more than anything else.  It’s basically Scrabble without the name Scrabble.  It’s good fun for all ages and you play friends around the world.  I think I currently have a good 12 games going.

It’s all ages too – Nate (8) has been playing with some other kid friends too.  Gotta love it.

It’s free in the iTunes store – available for iPad, iPhone and iPod… upgrade to have the ads removed for a couple of bucks.

Anyone want to start a game with me?

12 Days of iPad Apps, Day Four: Nyan Cat, Lost in Space

This is how my kids described this game to me:  “Mom, it’s really cool.  You’re a cat with a Pop Tart body and you have to fly and catch things while you poop out rainbows.”

There you go people.  I don’t really think that’s what it’s supposed to be but now that’s all I think about when I look at this game.  There’s not much to it other than seeing how long you can last while flying and picking up various “treats” as you fly.

Totally mindless and retro looking, it’s free Nyan Cat! is free in the iTunes store and is available in app form for the iPad or iPhone.

Hits from Under the Xmas Tree: Skylanders (Wii, DS, Xbox, Playstation, PC & DS)

For my kids and apparently tons of other kids according to my Facebook friends, Skylanders Spryo’s Adventure is the game hit of the season.

If you have a game system, this one is available to you: it comes for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, Playstation or PC. Just about any kid can participate in this game.

The appeal? Little characters that are interchangeable throughout game play via a base that comes with the game. Characters have different powers that seem to enhance their abilities given the level you’re on (earth, fire, water, etc.)

It’s rated E 10+ but I’ve got my 8 and 5 year old playing with it with no issues (I’m guessing the rating is for the violence – you fight enemies in each level.)

It’s around $59.99 for a starter pack for pretty much any game system you’re choosing for. It’s a hit for sure and I definitely recommend this one for young gamers. Get Skylanders Spryo’s Adventure on Amazon with free shipping.

12 Days of iPad Apps: Day Two, Temple Run

My nephew told us about this one.  There’s not much to it but it’s addicting, quick fun and free!  You’re a treasure hunter being chased by crazy monkeys and you have to jump, slide and turn.

And the best part, it’s free!  Get Temple Run on the iTunes.com store.

Images of the new American Girl Doll for 2012: McKenna Brooks

Embargoed until today is the news that the new American Girl doll for 2012 will be McKenna Brooks.  According to the press release, she’s into gymnastics and stuggling in school.

She ends up having to get a school tutor and keeps it a secret.  She also apparently befriends a handicapped girl in a wheelchair.

Not much more info but I’m sure those of you with girls will be excited to hear more about McKenna as it comes out on January 1st!

Here are some images from the new book:

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