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Giveaway: Leap Frog Phonics Farm DVD

January 13, 2012 By

Own anything by Leap Frog Phonics?  If you do, I don’t have to tell you the awesome quality their items are, especially their DVDs!  My kids love them, time and time again!  They are so fun to watch and the tunes are so catchy that even my two-year-old was singing the letter sounds!

In this Leap Frog Phoincs DVD, Leap Frog’s Scout and Friends Phonics Farm is another of the great line of Leap Frog DVDs I’ve seen around! This one teaches early reading skills such as the alphabet identification and sound (phonics).  This DVD is geared for children ages two to five but a late bloomer would love watching this as well.  The DVD runs for a short 37 minutes which kept my little active ones focused since it didn’t last too long.  The animation is adorable and top quality, like all Leap Frog products.

Want to have a sneak peak at this DVD?  Here’s LeapFrog: Phonics Farm – Trailer

 

DVD SYNOPSIS 
Meet Scout and his friends, Violet, Eli and Penny…best friends who have all kinds of learning adventures along with their magical toy car, Axle. When the pets long to learn about new animals for their games, Axle whisks them away to a magical farm to see a collection of letter animals the likes of which have never been seen before! The pets learn phonics as they participate in the  animals’ alphabet antics. The team gets in shape with an Athletic Alligator, consoles a Sad Seal and converses with a High-Pitched Horse as they make their way through the entire alphabet and make many new friends along the way!

 

Buy It

Ready to add this awesome Leap Frog Phonics DVD to your family’s collection?  Buy It!

Win It

Three (3) lucky readers will win a copy of Leap Frog Phonics Farm DVD of their own!

REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the website, look around, then come back and tell me something you learned.

BONUS #1:

Follow @momof3boys3702  and @LeapFrog on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY!

BONUS #2:

Like 3 Boys and a Dog on Facebook, then share this post by clicking the Facebook share button at the bottom of this post.  Follow Leap Frog on Facebook, because they let you know when there are sales and deals.

Other bonus entries:

  • #1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
  • #2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
  • #3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
  • #4. Put my button on your blog.
  • #5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
  • #6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on 1/26/12

OPEN TO: US & Canada Only

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent items by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*


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Filed Under: Early Years, Giveaways, Homeschooling, Just for Kids, Parenting, Parenting, Parenting and Family, Review and Giveaways, Reviews, Teachable Moments Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Giveaway: The Story of Hanukkah Howie (book)

January 12, 2012 By

Hannukah Howie kids bookEver had a bad hair day?  My kids are notorious for those, water, hair gel, etc., usually fixes the uncompromising hair for my kids but in this story, the mom isn’t so lucky!  The Story of Hannukah Howie is a great little story about the adventures of a small Jewish boy who grows up with hair with a mind of it’s own but in the end it turns out to be  a really special gift.  What seemed like just another bad hair day, is what makes Howie eventually become a special boy.

As a mom and teacher, I really enjoyed reading this book to my kids.  We got to learn about the religious practices of another culture and I thought it was perfect because it was during a time when our family was celebrating Christmas.  So we got to compare and contrast the two holidays.  Why would a Christian family want a Hanukkah book?  Simple, Jesus Christ was Jewish!  It also gave me an opportunity to also teach that our Christian faith was grounded on Judeo-Christian principals.  This light little story aided in this process at our home and the added feature was how well the story was written.  It felt like listening to your favorite grandmother telling you a real story about a little boy with bad hair who turned out to save Hanukkah and bring cheer to others!  The rhyming feature in the book gave it that great added touch everyone enjoys in a read aloud.  The text was also predictable so the kids were able to chime in ever so often to keep them engaged in the story.  The illustrations helped in this aspect as well.  In a very clever fashion this book teaches about Hanukkah but in a subtle and gentle manner.  Actually, Howie reminded me a little of Santa Claus a little!  :) So whether your family is Jewish or not, I recommend this great little story!

About the Book:

Have you ever had a bad hair day? Well, imagine eight bad hair days in a row — and at just the wrong time. Our hero, Howie, has very strange spiked hair, but only during the eight days of Hanukkah.  By day eight, in fact, there are “… nine spikes in all, four at right, four at left, one in center so tall”. Howie’s Mom gradually realizes that Howie’s hair looks like a menorah — the nine-candled centerpiece for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. But just when she wonders what she can do, Hanukkah ends and the spikes disappear.

Was the hair-spiking a one-time event? Not a chance. Each year at Hanukkah, Howie’s hair springs into spikes. Since they are impossible to control, over the years both Hannah and Howie search for possible remedies. Readers learn that “…the only solution that seemed to be there… was for Howie to cover his very strange hair.”

This clever book, besides being hugely entertaining,  presents a gentle message that, regardless of our personal appearance and our differences we each have a role in this life – we each have a place in the family of man.  For Howie, his hair and its particular uniqueness ends up being the crown jewel of his personality!

Buy it!

Interested in adding this great book to your family library, buy it today!

Win It

One lucky reader will win a The Story of Hannukah Howie Book of their own!

REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the The Story of Hannukah Howie website, look around, then come back and tell me why you would be interested in adding this story to your family library.

BONUS #1:

Follow @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY!

BONUS #2:

Like 3 Boys and a Dog on Facebook, then share this post by clicking the Facebook share button at the bottom of this post.  You also want to follow them on Facebook, because they let you know of events related to this book.

Other bonus entries:

  • #1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)
  • #2. Sign up for my NEW Weekly Newsletter.
  • #3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.
  • #4. Put my button on your blog.
  • #5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.
  • #6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did! YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on 1/26/12

OPEN TO: US & Canada

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent items to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

 

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Filed Under: Early Years, Giveaways, Holidays / Seasons, Homemaking / Housekeeping, Homeschooling, Just for Kids, Parenting, Parenting, Parenting and Family, Reviews, Teachable Moments Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ask Kelli: Parenting Teens, Who is the Parent here?

January 10, 2012 By 6 Comments

MOMs-Arguing-With-Teen

I am back with another “Ask Kelli” question.  If you are on my newsletter, you know that you can email me questions and I will do my best to answer them!

Stephanie G. asked:  How about some tips on how to get your teen to stop parenting you? From the Mom of a 17 year old girl!!

Since I am not a parent of a teen yet, I had to go to the experts for the answer to this question. Smile  I also don’t have girls and from what I understand, they are the world’s worst at trying to act like Mom.

To be quite honest, I was extremely disappointed in the quality of supposed “experts” that weighed in on this topic.  Many didn’t come close to answering the question and others gave such silly answers that I am sure they don’t take parenting problem seriously!

So, before I get to some of the “better” answers, let me just say that I am pretty sure parenting teen girls isn’t all that different than adolescent boys.  You find pregnancy tests in your child’s pockets, book bags, etc and I find bugs and lizards. LOL!  No, seriously… parenting a child in the Autism Spectrum can be VERY challenging, so with that in mind, here is my advice.

1.  Always remain calm!  Although sometimes kids go totally “whack”, if you do also it only makes things worse.  Trust me, there have been times that I have looked at my screaming child and thought, “hmmm…. you are so lucky I am a grown up!”  The one they all seem to hate?

If you want to be treated like an Adult, you need to act like one.  Go to your room and calm down.  When you are calm, let’s try to have this conversation again. 

Then, ignore them until they do as they are told.  Unfortunately, as long as your child (no matter the age) lives under your roof, they have to follow your rules.

2.  Provide a way for them to “get it out”.  From a 2 year old breaking every crayon in the box, to a 7 year old kicking and screaming, to a 16 year old screaming “You Hate Me!”, they all need a way to release their insecurities, frustrations, and fears.  Help your child to channel it into something productive!  Turn on the music and dance to some high-stepping, bumping, music with them.  Buy them a punching bag and gloves.  As adults, (most of us) are able to make counting to 10 work.  The others run like there is no tomorrow, go hunting, pump iron, and bake the day away.  We need to release it, too!

3.  Just Listen!  As much as we Women think everyone that tells us something wants advice, I have learned over the years, unless they say, “What should I do?” they don’t!  They just want someone to hear their frustrations without judgment.  Work on this!

So, those are my tips for parenting a teenager – or any child for that matter. Smile  Let’s see what the experts have to say…

1.  When the going gets tough I tell my kids, "You don’t need me to be your friend, you need me to be your mother"  And then I mother them like crazy! :-) – Roberta P. Scrubz Natural Body Products

2.  "Bake a lot! Their wise little mouths will be too busy crunching on brownies to deliver any coherent verbal smack downs." ~ Tracey L Pacelli, Teen Author, www.Timewarped.net

3.  "Point to the adult. Point to the child under 18." – Source not given

4.  I believe in teamwork.
T-teach respect, for you get what you expect.
E-engage in continual open communication.
A-acknowledge good behaviors.
M-make time to have fun with your teenager.
As always, "together, everyone achieves, more!"(TEAM)  Ali I. Champion Parenting, Inc.

5.  "If all your kids ever hear is "Don’t!"; when it comes to their dreams they won’t."
~Ann Morgan James Author of How to Raise a Millionaire

6.  If respect from your teenager is the what you yearn, then the first step must be Listening to Learn." ~Ann Morgan James Author of How to Raise a Millionaire

7.  During adolescence many teens attempt to claim their independence in a disrespectful way. Be sure to encourage your teen’s self-expression while holding to your expectations for respectful language, tone of voice, and body posture. Dr. Fran Walsh – Author of The Self-Aware Parent. www.DrFranWalfish.com

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Amber Alerts: What to Do If Your Child Goes Missing

January 10, 2012 By 1 Comment

By Marc Courtiol

International_Missing_Children_by_deviantonis1

It is one of every parent’s worse nightmares. You take your eye off your child for a minute only to find her gone when you turn around. Or one day he does not get home from school at the normal time. Or she goes outside to play and does not come back in. Scenarios like these are fortunately uncommon, and when they do happen there is usually a good explanation, and it is usually pretty easy to find the temporarily missing child. But what about those very rare cases where the child is not easily found?

If this should happen to you, your first instinct may be to panic. Any parent would. But it is important to keep a level head, think rationally, and do what needs to be done. Should the unthinkable happen and you cannot find your child, here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Someone who knows the child should be out actively looking while you are going through the first few steps of the process. If you wish to be the one out looking, have someone else go through these steps on your behalf. Ideally, multiple people should be out looking-at least one person on foot around where the child went missing, and at least one other person searching the surrounding area via car. But make sure someone is always at home.

Step 2: If there was ever an emergency, this is it. Pick up the phone and dial 911. Do not worry-they will not dismiss you or tell you your case is not an emergency. Calmly inform them of how long your child has been missing, and give them all the relevant information they need. They will likely ask take you through a process that involves a series of questions about your child’s age, appearance, clothing, and last known whereabouts. If you do not feel your call is being treated seriously enough, ask to speak to someone in charge.

Step 3: Notify other authorities of the missing child. Your 911 call will get the ball rolling on some crucial aspects of the investigation, and they may tell you that you do not need to call anyone else. But just to cover all bases, call the local police as well as any other police departments whose jurisdiction covers the area where your child went missing. You might also get in touch with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Each of these resources should have a process for dealing with missing children.

Step 4: Notify local media. Many local news sources are always willing to help out in cases like this by sending out alerts and notifying their viewers and readers to be on the lookout.

Step 5: Contact organizations devoted to finding missing children. A great place to start is the National Center for Missing and Exploiting Children, and you may be able to locate nonprofits in your area with expertise in helping out in this kind of situation.

Step 6: Ask for help from those around you. This is going to be a difficult time for you. And even if your child comes home safely very soon you are likely to suffer frayed nerves for a while. Get in touch with anyone who you think would be able and willing to drop everything and help you. And if you do not have any close friends or family nearby, ask neighbors. In situations like these, most people are willing to lend a hand, even if they do not know you.

Step 7: Follow up on everything. If you feel the law enforcement agencies are taking too long to investigate your case or get back to you, do not be afraid to call and visit them multiple times. Meanwhile, keep taking matters into your own hands. Keep searching actively and calling around to anyone who might know something. Do not give up hope. Despite all frightening stories we hear on the news, keep in mind that the vast majority of missing-child cases have happy endings.

About Marc Courtiol: Marc Courtiol is an accomplished health researcher in the field of natural wellness. A graduate from Cornell, Marc is a contributing author for several online journal sites and believes in the many uses of gripe water.

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Giveaway: I See Me Personalized Book

January 7, 2012 By
I absolutely love personalized books, so when I saw this one right before my little girl turned one, I was THRILLED!

About I See Me Books (from their website)

Welcome to I See Me! where we provide the highest quality, most personalized children’s books available. We opened for business in May of 2000, after a year of active product development. My husband Allan and I received a personalized book as a gift for our first son in 1998. While we loved the fact that it was personalized, we thought that the illustrations could have been much better and the story more customized to the child. Thus I See Me! was born.

Allan, who is a graphic designer, and I developed the first book My Very Own Name as a team. Our goal was to produce an educational book that would teach young children how to recognize letters and spell their names. After I developed the concept and wrote the book, we brainstormed together to develop the characters in the book. Allan found and hired the illustrator, and designed the book, while I wrote the business plan.

We are pleased to say our books have become popular among celebrities including Courteney Cox, Brooke Shields and Jessica Alba.

Our mission is to increase self esteem in children through personalized books that celebrate the uniqueness of each child. The goal of our books is to show each child how absolutely unique and special he or she is, to teach the child how to spell his or her name, and to build vocabulary skills.

We hope that you enjoy the books!

–Maia Haag, author and CEO of I See Me! Inc.

About the Author and Illustrator

Author Jennifer Dewing has always been a kid at heart. She started her career in the Toy Industry in 1995, developing children’s products ranging from Matchbox cars to Madeline dolls. In 2006 Jennifer became a member of the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her recent personalized picture books “Who Loves Me?” and “A Christmas Bear for Me” have won Mom’s Choice Gold awards and Creative Child awards. She is currently working on more personalized titles for I See Me! and enjoys reading her work to her own “focus group” of three kids at home!

Illustrator: Maria Carluccio
Maria Carluccio loves to mix things up. Her collages incorporate both an old, vintage appeal with a fresh modern sensibility. She has enjoyed a seasoned career as a textile/product designer as well as a children’s book author/illustrator. She has received multiple awards for her work from the New York Society of illustrators and 3×3 Magazine. She draws her inspiration from her surroundings in nature where as well as from the textural objects she collects. Her work has a unique sophistication, which she attributes to the range of papers, textures, and details that fascinate her. Maria currently lives in Westchester County NY with her daughter, dog, cat and turtle.

My Thoughts

I absolutely LOVE this book!  It is so adorable!  The cover has my little girl’s name on it and the next page has information about my baby!  Each two page spread has people that she knows and loves!  There are a ton of bright colorful pictures that are very well done too!  I also like the end where it brings it all together!  I think this is a fantastic book for kiddos, because it has their name in it, people they know are in it, and there are pretty pictures to look at!  This way they are learning to recognize their name and other’s names!  Plus there is rhyming which is always helpful for children and repetition!  I would highly suggest this book as a birthday or Christmas or any other speical holiday book!  They can even come with a personalized lovey blanket for $49.95 for the set!  Cute!

Buy it!

You can buy your own here for $24.95!  It’s worth it for this fantastic hardback book!

Win it!

One lucky winner will win their own personalized book (worth $24.95)!

REQUIRED COMMENT: Visit the website, look around, then come back and tell me something you learned.

BONUS #1:

Follow @iseeme and @momof3boys3702 on Twitter and RT this contest. The easiest way to retweet is to simply click the green ReTweet on the top right of this post. YOU MAY TWEET ONCE DAILY!

BONUS #2:

Like I See Me Books and 3 Boys and a Dog on Facebook, then share this post by clicking the Facebook share button at the bottom of this post.  (You really want to follow them on Facebook, because they let you know when there are sales!)

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Put my button on your blog.

#5. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

#6 – Vote for me at Picket Fence by clicking the button on my sidebar. Be sure to leave a comment saying you did!  YOU MAY VOTE ONCE DAILY!

CONTEST ENDS: at Midnight CST on January 21st, 2012

OPEN TO: US

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent a book by I See Me books to help my review.  I was not paid!  Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

 

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Just for Kids, Parenting, Review and Giveaways, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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