Paper Trax are a paper based race track which attach to your walls for hours of fun! The Paper Trax are completely recyclable and attach harmlessly to your walls using 3M Command Strips. The Trax come in a box of 10 track sections PLUS the box they come in can be made into an extra track! The tracks were very easy to put together. There are instructions printed on EACH piece of track! A couple simple folds, insert tabs into slots,  and push the tabs in. Hannah (3 years old) was able to help me even!

Additionally, these are not just boring printed paper. The Speedway Super Track is shown and it has words printed on the wall, race cars printed on the side, and best of all tire tracks on the road surface! The tracks have a lip so the cars will stay on the tracks on the walls. They all have tapered ends on the track to overlap nicely with the next piece, while not slowing down the cars.  The box also includes all of the 3M Command Strips necessary to attach the tracks to the walls. (Note: please test so you don’t remove paint etc!) I was able to easily attach and even move a couple of the tracks. You can’t see the 3M Command Strips! There is a lip on the track which goes against the wall – so that all those colored matchbox cars don’t scratch up the wall!

The Paper Trax can be configured in many different ways to incorporate jumps or crashes! My kids are a little on the shorter side so we didn’t go too crazy with our track design, however I am planning on buying some new 3M Command Strips in a couple months and updating the configuration! The kids loved racing their cars from both ends and seeing if they could crash! The loved having ‘jumps’ in the track and cracked up if a car didn’t make the jump! This is definitely and activity that they will play for longer than 5 minutes. I seriously appreciate that!

Paper Trax also have a Dino edition & a Corner Track pack if you are using in a room and want to go around a corner! If you have kids or grandkids who LOVE race cars – this needs to be on their Christmas list! This product has moved to the top of my toy list for these kids!

Where do your kids race cars in your house?

I was provided this product for this review and affiliate links are used in this post. However, all opinions are my own. As mothers, we wouldn’t share a product for your family we don’t use for our own. 

Taking a toddler out to dinner can be a fun, but also very stressful experience. Taking a toddler out to dinner who has allergies, oral aversions, and sensory issues… Well let’s just say the thought of it exhausted me for a long time. When he threw up not once, but THREE times at one of our favorite family friendly dining spots – I thought our days of eating outside the home were numbered.

My son has FPIES and sensory processing disorder, the two of these combined means that eating has become a challenge for him, let alone eating at a restaurant. However, with a few tips, and some time we have actually been able to have quite a few successful family dinners in public. With all the recent press about kids and dining out, I thought I’d share a few mom tips that have worked for my family when it comes to dining out with a toddler.

Pack Your Own Food. Yes, I realize you are going to a restaurant, but I have found that by bringing some foods that we know our toddler loves – like these awesome and convenience organic Sprout pouches, we are able to fend off any meltdowns that may happen due to waiting, or if he just isn’t happy with what I ordered for him to eat.

Both my boys have had and enjoyed Sprout pouches and snacks. They tend to be my go-to for convenient pouches. I know the quality is always good and the ingredients are organic which is important to me. You can find these Sprout Organic Baby & Toddler Purees at many retailers – we got ours at Albertsons which is where I always stock up on them when there is a sale. Plus they are organic and made with fun ingredients which both my boys love.

Bring an activity pouch. This has been something I have carried around with me since my oldest was a toddler. I love having this for dining out or even unexpected issues/delays when you are stuck in a place you weren’t expected to be. I try to swap out the toys and coloring sheets for their current favorites to keep things exciting. Included in my activity pouch is:

• Printed Coloring/Activity Sheets – Currently the favorites are superhero coloring pages or mazes. (I print them from my computer so I can keep current with their new favorite characters/show, but also so the back is blank for other activities.)
• Tape – To tape the paper to the table so they don’t have to worry about holding it down or it falling on the ground.
• Toys – Small characters or cars. Depending on the type or restaurant we use the salt/pepper shakers and sugars to make obstacle courses for the cars. On the blank side of the paper we often draw roads to race on as well!
• Crayons/colored pencils
• Stickers
• Small set of memory matching cards.

Don’t Forget the Tablet. Yes, I realize this one is not a favorite of everyone, but when all else fails sometimes his favorite game or favorite show is enough to let the rest of us enjoy our food and some quick conversation.

Pick a Family-Friendly Restaurant. Think loud, casual, and fun. There will come a time when your kids grow up and you will be able to go back to your favorite places as a family, but picking a place that is used to accommodating children let’s your kid learn to dine in public without the pressure you might feel from other diners.

Be Ready to Walk Around or Even Leave. When all the above fails, chalk it up to a learning experience and be ready to move. This could mean taking turns eating food while one adult walks outside or around the waiting area with your toddler, or this could mean asking for to-go boxes and calling it quits. Dining out with toddlers can be hit or miss. While I believe it should be done to help them learn how to act in public or in different environments, I refuse to do it at the expense of someone else’s meal. If your toddler just can’t hang that day – it’s okay to try another time, but don’t leave them to scream and fuss while you try to slam you meal down. My toddler often needs to get up and roam around, and you can usually find us at the door greeting other customers as they come in to dine. He loves waving and saying Hi to everyone.

Do you have any other tips for dining out with young children? Let me know. Be sure to check out Sprout complete line of Toddler and Baby food products to learn more about the company!

And please enjoy this coupon as well! It’s good for any Albertsons or Harris Teeter location.

$1 Off 2 Sprout® Baby/Toddler food products! – Get Coupon!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sprout® Organic Baby Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.

Today my sweet little boy had his tonsils and adenoids removed. This surgery was a long time coming. As I mentioned in my last FPIES update we were basically referred for this by all of D’s doctors. He’s had gigantic tonsils from birth, but it wasn’t until his endoscopy just before his 2nd birthday that we were told that when he laid down his tonsils touched each other.

I wanted to document this process because I couldn’t find much out there in the way of a toddler’s experience with Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy. I am a researcher. I like hearing about other people’s experiences with things before we dive headlong into them. Obviously I knew no matter what I read that we were going to do the surgery, but it’s nice to know what helped or didn’t help with other people going through the same stuff.

Ginormous Tonsils:

Our major deciding factor into this surgery was not chronic illness or sleep issues like some, but rather that we were concerned that his tonsils we so just too big and hindering his ability to swallow food.

As he has made strides in his eating beyond his allergy issues, D still couldn’t swallow solid foods. So we finally got in to see the ENT and sure enough he too was shocked by the size of his tonsils. He told me he had read our chart and was actually going to try and talk us out of removing them, until he saw them. And once he saw them he knew they would have to come out.

He said he couldn’t believe that we had gotten along this long without removing them, and he was certain that this would be a great step towards helping him swallow food. The space that his tonsils left in his mouth simply was not enough to allow him to swallow without gagging. He told us they were among the biggest he’s ever seen at that age.

He also told us we could expect to hear a completely different voice from our toddler because he was talking behind golf balls. He also said to expect a great improvement in the hours and quality of sleep he was getting. (This would have been nice to know when he was a baby – no wonder he preferred to sleep on his belly from nearly day one. When he was an infant he so frequently woke up choking, and wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. It was pretty miserable.)  And of course we could be really hopeful that he would be finally able to swallow solid foods.

Day 1 and Already Seeing Big Changes:

 Top Right: Playing Before Surgery. Top Left: Waking Up.
Bottom Right: Eating a Pouch Post-surgery. Bottom Left: Sound asleep with his Dream Blanket.

Today is day one, so I am sure we have about 2 weeks of recovery in front of us, but after he woke from surgery and shook off some of the anesthesia, he saw his Doctor and said, “HI DOCTOR (his name)”. It was almost like music to my ears. It was a completely different voice that the voice I’d been listening to talk non stop since he could. It was clear, and loud, and not stuck in his throat. It was beautiful.

We are spending the night at the children’s hospital. Mostly because he’s under 3 years old and just over 30lbs (33.4lbs to be exact). So far I couldn’t be happier with how he is doing. Other than the medicine he was given during surgery and right after, he has only had Tylenol. No additional pain meds. He’s been very mellow, but also very happy. I’m certain we will have some rough nights ahead of us, but I can honestly say I am very hopeful.

Currently, and the only reason I am able to blog this as quickly as I am – he is sleeping very very soundly.

We are currently stocked up on his favorite flavors of Nuun (electrolyte tabs – because he won’t drink Gatorade or pedialyte), sorbet, and all his favorite TV and movies. Fingers crossed for as uneventful recovery. I promise to post a recovery update so if your toddler will be having this procedure you are able to read about our experience and what worked best for recovery.

Toddler Tonsillectomy & Adenoidectomy. Why we had it, & what we hope will change.
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Did you your little one ever have a similar surgery? How was their recovery? Any tips? – Let me know in the comments

Related articles across the web

• Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) Surgery and Procedures
• ME AND MY OPERATION: The technique to trim your child’s tonsils to help them sleep
• Rare food allergy affects babies, toddlers
• Sleep apnea in kids: More than a sleep problem

You guys, I know I have not updated our FPIES journey on my blog in a really really long time. In fact I never even shared how our Food Trials at Denver’s National Jewish Health Hospital went. I will try to be better about it in the future. I know I have turned to other people in social media for help and answers. It can be a really encouraging and helpful source of information when you are limited in resources (since FPIES is still pretty rare).

I should say I am usually much better about giving quick updates on Facebook and Instagram – so if you aren’t following me there and you want more frequent updates – please do.

• Catch Up Here: FPIES – Diagnosis and More
• Learn About What FPIES is: FPIES Foundation

Here is the “as short as I could make it” update on what’s been going on with us.

Food Trials

D trying eggs (and passing), with his awesome nurses, and Doctors at National Jewish Health in Denver CO.

One year ago exactly we were in Denver for Food Trial. We spent 3 weeks living in a hotel (just me and both boys since the hubby was overseas), and we didn’t get nearly the amount of answers we had hoped for. Our first week D was SO sick so we couldn’t trial anything. It became apparent on our 2nd week as we started trials that D has severe oral aversions. This was something I had suspected because apples are a safe food for him, but he can’t tolerate the texture of applesauce. He’d gag at the first touch of it on his tongue.

We tested:

• Eggs – PASS!
• Rice – Possible Pass (He didn’t take as much as they’d have liked him too, but since that one is usually a high reactor and he didn’t at all they called it a pass. I would love to re-trial this one.
• Soy – Fail. Doctors at NJH did not want to call this an FPIES fail because his throw up happened hours after it was supposed to. We re-trialed while we were there and had the same hours after vomiting. I know my child enough to say this was a non-typical FPIES fail, but the doctors weren’t willing to say FPIES with it at all because it didn’t happen within their prescribed time frame. We did however both agree we should avoid this food.
• Chicken – Texture Fail. *NOT FPIES fail. He wouldn’t tolerate it.
• Peas – Texture Fail.

After the Pea fail due to textures I decided, and the staff agreed that we were done. Further testing only stressed his the severity of his oral aversions. I will say I was very happy with the staff at National Jewish Health and their FPIES/food allergy program. They were really awesome to us and both of my boys.

Speech/Food Therapy:

We came home and met with our Allergist who refereed us to a speech and food therapy place. To this DAY they couldn’t fit us in.  I will be super honest here. I tried really hard for 5 months to get him in for appointments. Then we had some big breakthroughs and life got in the way. I am back on the proactive band wagon and I’m exploring state assistance now.

Endoscopy:

We changed GI doctors after our visit to National Jewish Health because I couldn’t stand the staff at the office we were at. Two months after our hospital stay they called to ask where they should send D’s medical chart to!! I had them promise me it would be sent before we went to our Food Trials – but they didn’t “Get To It…”. Our new GI wanted to do an endoscopy to rule out one additional issue. During that test we were told two things:

• When D lays down his tonsils touch – Our GI doctor was a bit concerned about that.
• The Endoscopy showed no issues in his esophagus like the new GI was concerned about. It did show some irritation in his stomach (mild gastritis and duodenum inflammation. The GI said he’d really only expect to see that if the child had been retching recently. He had not. So it’s a bit concerning, and he wants to put him on acid reflux meds.

FYI – I opted out of them because he hasn’t be experiencing pain, and in the past the only frustrated him and usually ended up with him throwing up due to his oral issues. However, I am now hoping to ask for a prescription so that he can have some comfort with newer foods he’s been eating.

The Elecare Issue:

One of the reasons I couldn’t put all my attention into speech therapy was because for about 4 months I fought tooth and nail to get his Elecare covered. Our insurance refused to cover it. We had an awesome Doctor who helped us with samples, but eventually those ran out too. If you are fighting with your insurance – all I can tell you is KEEP DOING IT. It took me so long to finally get someone to listen, and once I did we started to move in the right direction. No one will tell me why it’s covered now. But it is. And that’s a great thing because out of pocket it would cost nearly $1200 a month! If you are reading this and need help – feel free to email me. I can’t promise I will have any information you don’t already have, but I’m happy to help.

Breakthroughs:

I don’t know what happened or why, but right before his 2nd birthday D started to eat some pureed foods. (He likes the pouches.) At first we were pretty nervous, and we did have our fair share of gagging pukey messes, but each day seemed a little bit better. Now he will eat 1-2 pouches a day. Nothing with extra texture.

So we have lots of new veggies and fruits that are passes!! He loves strawberries and blueberries. He loves mango and spinach. He likes really smooth hummus, and he ADORES hot sauce and mustard. (Obviously the last two are not very full of nutritional value, but a step in the right direction.)

After he began to eat pouches he also began to want to suck on big kid foods. He can no swallow solid food without puking, but he loves to hold it in his mouth and then spit it out when he’s done. This often triggers his gag reflex, but he loves it.

Because of this we have re-affirmed that dairy – while not an FPIES reaction gives him HORRIBLE eczema. I also believe that wheat causes the same reaction, but we have time to figure that out.

Someone said that when their molars come through it triggers a change in their saliva and they are better able to process food. Someone else mentioned that using a vibrating toothbrush helps to desensitize their mouth and allows them to eat more. We had both things happen at once – but whatever it was – I am excited to see him eating more. He typically has 1-2 pouches a day.

We have had NO additional fails at this point. So that is really really awesome. Our Doctors at NJH hospital said reactions to fruits and veggies at this point would be pretty unlikely.

What’s Next?

Tomorrow I will be sharing more about it – but D is going to have his tonsils removed. The GI, Allergist, and Pediatrician all recommend we check with an ENT about the size of his tonsils. They will be removing them this week and we hope that will begin to allow him to swallow food better.

If I can say one thing to any parent who suspects or has a child diagnosed with FPIES. It’s not easy, but it does get better. You will learn and adapt as your child does. There are a lot of amazing resources available.

But most of all – DO NOT be afraid to continue to push until all your questions are answered, and do not be afraid to ask a million questions. FPIES has no “test” so it can be really frustrating to watch your child have to rule out lots of other issues. It will be okay, and you are doing awesome.

Well, that was as short as I could make this post. If you made it reading all the way through here… Bravo and thank you. Please consider sharing our post so that others who are also struggling might find it and maybe take something away from it that they wouldn’t or didn’t previously already know.

A long overdue FPIES Update: What’s New at 2+ Years?
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About Bluum Box:

Bluum Box is a monthly subscription service that is geared to moms with children 0-5.  Their boxes actually start in pregnancy, then baby boxes 0-12, toddler boxes, preK boxes, and preschool boxes. Each box has 4-6 FULL SIZED products for your child, plus 1-2 products for mom and coupons. Each box is supposed to have a total value of $40 and cost $24.50. (So basically you are getting everything 1/2 off.)

How It Works:

You can customize the box by letting them know your child’s name, age, gender. I recently learned (after the shipment of my first box) that you can also pick 3 milestones your child is accomplished or working on. I wish I would have known about this developmental stage customization or been directed to it automatically. Then maybe the box would have been tailored a little bit better to my son.

You can also earn free boxes by collecting points. Points can be earned by referring friends for the monthly box (although I’m unclear if they need to purchase the 3 month subscription to get referral points), or providing feedback for the products in your box. You need 500 points to get a free box.

My First Box: Total $40.40

• Fresh Baby Plate – $8.95
• Little Pim French DVD Series – $18
• Brinware Silicone Placemat – $7.50
• Apple Park Finger Puppet – $12.95
• Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens – $10

Final Thoughts?

Overall I have mixed feelings about my first bluum inc. box. I wasn’t overly impressed with it, but I realize I’m a bit biased as my 19 month old doesn’t eat food so much of this didn’t apply to him specifically.  I love the Snack Happens bag, I liked the Apple Park finger puppet. Everything else… It was okay. The more I looked into the Little Pim DVD the more I liked it. I really need to get another box now that I’ve specified some developmental milestones for my son to make a final call. I do think this would be a fun gift, or a nice box for someone who doesn’t have a lot of the newer toddler gear/stuff at home already.

Discover a monthly box of new goodies for you & baby. From pregnancy to preschool! Try bluum today!

GIVEAWAY!

Want to win the Fresh Baby Plate? Leave a comment on the youtube video below!

That’s it! Just one comment!  Open to US only!

This post contains affiliate links. This is not sponsored in anyway. All opinions are my own.

Hey everyone! So after seeing so many of my friends join Citrus Lane and sign up for a box for their families, I decided to do it for Baby D.  While we do have so many toys, I really like the idea of a few new things each month that are just for him.

Citrus Lane is a subscription service where each month a box that you tailor for your child comes to the front door.  They are $29 (with discounts for purchasing multiple months in advance), and each box has over $40 in goodies from very well known quality companies. Right now they are running a limited time code SPRING20 where you can get your first box for $9 instead of $29!!  I purchased my first box last month at 1/2 off.  If the SPRING20 code is no longer working you can get 1/2 off your box (making it $14.50) by using my referral link.

So when you sign up you can specify your child’s name, age, and gender to get a box made just for their age group.  Boxes can include toys, food, books, and more!  It really is so much fun to see what will arrive each month.

Check out what came in our April Citrus Lane Box!

Baby D is 16 months old and I think this box was great.

Barefoot Book – Port Side Pirates – Retail value $9.99

Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate’s Life for Me! Dive into Port Side Pirates from Barefoot books and travel the high seas with a lively band of buccaneers as they enjoy a melodic adventure aboard their galleon. Includes fun information about historical pirates, pirates around the world, and even a helpful chart naming the parts of a ship. Book with CD editions include song sung by Mark Collins.  We LOVE books in our home, and I have a very soft spot for barefoot books, so I was very happy to see this.  Both boys will get use from this book.

Green Eats – Snacking Bowls – Retail Value $6.99

Set of 4 Snack Bowls from Green Eats (which is the same company as Green Toys).  They are made from 100% recycled plastic and seem very durable! They are made free of melamine, BPA, pyhthalates, or PVC and have no external coatings.  We just finished Baby D’s food trials and will begin the process of introducing new foods to him, so it was fun to get this in this box.  I’m more than happy to throw out some of our old well loved bowls and replace them with these.

Green Toys Racing Car – Retail Value $8.99

Vroom Vroom! The Green Toys Race Car is ready to roll! Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this sleek racer will tear up the track without harming the planet. My older son actually got this for a birthday from his Aunt and it has stood up to his beatings for the past 4 years! The ultra-eco design has no metal axles. Just like the snacking bowls there are NO BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings. You can purchase car in red, blue, or pink.

Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena Dish Soap – Retail Value $3.99

While we were sent a sample size the full 16 oz bottle of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Dish Soap retails for only $3.99.  It’s eco-friendly, biodegradable, and has a wonderful lemon scent.  Obviously this is not for a 16 month old toddler, but toddlers sure to make lots of dishes, so I didn’t mind getting this.  I have bought it previously and really liked it.

Treat Cards Code – Retail Value Up to $3.49

Obviously this was again not meant for my toddler, but if you’ve never used Treat.com you are missing out.  I’ve long used them to send thank you cards, birthday cards, and holiday cards. As a busy mom I love that I can jump on and in seconds send a personalized card with pictures on this site and have it sent right away.  I don’t have to worry about forgetting to mail it, or even if I have a stamp on hand! So I was very happy to see this in our box.  Looks like Grandma’s are going to get a card from Treat this year!

UPDATE: Treat is now part of Shutterfly.com. I’m fine with that – since you know how much I love my Shutterfly Calendars.

My Final Thoughts?

So overall this box cost me $14.50 (because it was my first Citrus Lane Box and I got it half off) and was filled with products valued at $30.47.  Which is pretty close to the price I should have paid for the box at full price.  However, all of these products are going to be used and enjoyed by my toddler and me so I will be continuing my subscription next month!

Get the Discount!

 Use this link and code SPRING 20 to get your first Citrus Lane Box for only $9!  If that coupon code has expired you can still get your first box half off ($14.50)!

Please note this post is NOT SPONSORED, but I am including my referral code.  Anytime someone signs up using my code I get $20 in credit toward my next box and they get 1/2 off their first box!

Disclosure: I received the outfit to facilitate my review.  As always all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and honest.

I admit I am a total sucker for adorable kids clothing.  So it’s probably a good thing that I only have boys, because there is so much adorable clothing on the market for girls.  With boys clothing I’ve had to look a little harder, but thanks to Mamas and Papas I’ve discovered a whole line of adorable clothing sizes newborn to 6 years.  From stripes, to plaids, bow-ties, and ties, Mamas & Papas is current with all the trends!

I received this adorable outfit for review, and every time he’s worn it I get asked where I got it.  EVERYTIME!  I love the baby jeans.  We got the 18 –24 months.  He certainly has been able to grow into them.  We likely could have gone smaller, because they are sized more true to size than any other clothing line we buy.  I pretty much go by weight now when buying all our clothes.

They come with an adjustable waistband which I found much needed with my little man.

The material, while denim, is incredible soft.  While I love putting baby in jeans, I won’t do it if the material is stiff or scratchy. I don’t have to worry about that with these!  He can more around with no issues in all his crazy flexible baby  ways.

We just love the Wolf in glasses, wearing a bowtie shirt.  I love the detailing on  it.  They used a velvety fabric for the glasses, the colored color, and red snaps all make this shirt stand out from the everyday stuff you find in the store.  Plus the bow-tie is just too cute.

It was so popular that it actually sold out, but there are several cute ones that I think are adorable like this Striped Anchor Long Sleeve Shirt.

We LOVE this outfit and I’m going to be sad when Baby D grows out of it.  At least I know that since it is such great quality it can be handed down to our other kids or friends and still look as great as the day we got it.  I’m so impressed with the quality and cute designs that I plan on checking Mamas & Papas for our baptism outfit!

Come on  – tell me that isn’t adorable!!

You can go shopping for trendy outfits in their online shop and you can follow Mamas & Papas on Facebook and Twitter.

**The product for this review was provided at no cost to me. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Unguard!

If your little one is as much of a Jake and the Never Land Pirates fan as my Bug then Jake’s Never Land Rescue is a necessity this holiday season! We loved getting this DVD in the mail to review, because it is the perfect video for those cold winter days.

In typical Jake fashion, this full-length feature is full of excitement and adventure!  Jake, Izzy, and Cubby must work together to find their magical treasures after they disappear.  Their adventure takes them all over Never Land, even under the sea! With the help of their friends and each other they outsmart Captain Hook to save Never Land.

One of the best parts of Jake’s Never Land Rescue is the music!  The songs get stuck in your head and you find yourself humming them for days.

Also included with this DVD is an inflatable Jake’s sword of destiny that your little one can decorate with the glow in the dark stars provided.  My bug has a blast playing along with Jake with his own sword!  There are also four (4) full episodes (two stories each) and eight (8) cartoon shorts featuring Skully.

Jake’s Never Land Rescue will make you believe in the magic of Never Land and the special friendships formed.

This DVD is available now and retails for $19.99.  You can find it in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide as well!

1.  If you live in a climate like we do in Las Vegas, snowball fights are not part of our winter activities.  That’s where Snowtime Anytime comes in.  Snowtime Anytime is a snowball fight you can have indoors!  I know what you’re thinking, that sounds like a mess, or wont things get broken?  The answer is no!  The snowballs are actually made of a soft, machine washable (and dryable) material that has a “crunch” like a snowball.  They are very lightweight so damaging anything in the house is virtually impossible.  Snowtime Anytime also has inflatable snow forts and castles for a more elaborate game.  Get the kids (and you too) laughing and having a blast all while getting exercise and burning off all that energy!
2.  Do you have a budding gardener, flower lover, or even dinosaur enthusiast?  Then check out Garden in the Koop!  You and your child can grow anything from an edible garden of flowers or vegetables, to a red dragon carrot or dinosaur kale.  No, I didn’t make those names up, they are real!  There is also a box with seeds from plants that were around when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth!   Each pack comes in an egg carton you can use to start your seeds and the website is a wealth of information about caring for the plants.  I think this is a great way to teach young kids where their food comes from and I figure, maybe if my bug grows the kale himself he will eat it?  Maybe!

3.  As kids get older they like to stretch their imagination and building blocks are a great way for them to do just that.  However, sometimes it can be frustrating when the building keeps falling down!  Tegu (TAY-goo) has solved that problem in an ingenious way.  Magnets!  Ok, so magnets aren’t new, but what Tegu has done with them is.  The magnets are inside the blocks!  No small pieces to worry about coming off so they are safe for kids of all ages!  These beautiful blocks are colored with 100% non-toxic, water based dyes that will last a lifetime.  Tegu is a company with a mission.  “To help bring lasting change”.  They provide living wage jobs at their factory in Honduras, plant trees by the dozen, and have partnered with a local school to give kids the education they deserve.  This is a great toy with a great cause behind it! 

4.  Writing can be a difficult task to master, especially the curves of lowercase letters, or the dreaded cursive!  Kid O has found a way to make practicing writing fun!  The Magnatab is a great way to practice forming the letters.  The easy to follow arrows direct the child in the proper way using a magnetic stylus creating a multi sensory learning experience.  As the child traces the letter the stylus pulls beads up to create solid lines that erase with just the tip of your finger.  The Magnatab boards are portable making them great for car trips, at the doctor’s office, or anywhere! 

5.  Last but certainly not least are the amazing wooden blocks from Uncle Goose.  I know, how many blocks does one kid need?  But these are different!  Yes, they carry the traditional alphabet blocks, but there is so much more!  One of my favorites is their invisible creature collection.  It is a set of blocks that can be made into any type of monster or robot your child can think of!  It includes blocks with dials and knobs, hands, feet, faces and so much more!  The possibilities are amazing!  As your child gets older there is no need to put away the blocks!  Uncle Goose has a gorgeous set of blocks with the periodic table of elements on it!  Each block has the element name, symbol, and atomic number on it.  All of Uncle Goose’s products are made here in the USA.  There are so many amazing sets, you just have to check out their website!

Which one of these toys do you think your child would like the best?

ABCMouse.com has become a very helpful addition to our 4-yearold’s learning at home.  And the best part is; my bug absolutely loves it!  If you ask him what his favorite part of ABC Mouse is, he responds with: “All of it!”

I, as a mom, rarely expect to find something to catch his attention that is educational, and not just recreational.  ABC Mouse is the perfect blend of both.   With a great mix of creative learning techniques, and plenty of fun, it keeps us both looking forward to our “ABC Mouse Time” as a regular part of our routine!

ABC Mouse is a subscription service ($7.95 a month for up to 3 kids) that offers different educational activities for children from 2-6 years old.

The experience starts out with a fun tutorial on how to use the mouse (the one attached to the computer, not the one in Red shorts), then, it’s on to the classroom!  In the classroom you can either choose an activity, or start along a learning path.  The path takes you through different environments and activities including shapes, numbers and letter recognition.

My little guy loves the learning path because, every time he completes a task, he earns tickets that he can spend on things for his ABC Mouse Virtual Room.  He is exited to win each and every time.  He really enjoys all of the positive reinforcement while he “plays”.   (I put the word in quotes because, learning, is what he’s really doing!)

One of things I love most is the app for the iPad!  I am able to bring ABC Mouse with me wherever we go.  There is also content available for use while you are offline.  Bug loves to play the music videos, especially the letter I!

Most of us, at some point, have seen a commercial for ABC Mouse and wondered; “Is it worth it?  Does it really work?  Will my child really benefit from it?”

As far as our family is concerned, hands down, the answers are: YES!

Connect with ABCMouse.com on Facebook!

I was provided with a month of free service in exchange for an honest review.