giveaway

new for us friday: NEW at camden yards (& giveaway!)

April 6, 2012

This New For Us Friday I did something that really made my husband jealous. I got a behind-the-scenes look at the new and exciting things going on at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, before anyone else.  All in the name of a huuuuge summer o’ celebration of 20 years at Camden Yards.  Woot! [...]

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new for us friday: SitterScout = more ME time!

March 17, 2012

Parenting is a pretty hard gig. A very hard gig. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it every day because it’s so true. Anyone who tells you otherwise is totally lying. And just when you think you’ve got things under control, somebody throws you for a loop. Your first kiddo was a napping, sleeping [...]

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meet THE melissa of melissa & doug!

March 16, 2012

Is there really a Melissa? And if there’s a real Melissa, is there a real Doug? Do they really make toys? And if they’re real people–do they have kids? Do they really work for the toy company or are they relaxing on a beach somewhere? Is their pantry full of wooden food and their playroom [...]

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quick trick: play. outdoors. (no matter the weather!)

March 14, 2012

Who knows what happened to winter this year? I am convinced that we had absolutely no snow this year because this was the first time I ever–ever!–bought snow boots for Maddy and Owen (because lucky Cora has Maddy’s hand-me-downs) before the season started instead of scrambling like a maniac at first word of a snowstorm.  [...]

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fab resources for read across america week (& giveaway!)

February 27, 2012

It’s Read Across America Week! Everyone who’s anyone will be reading, thinking, talking, dreaming a little bit o’ Dr. Seuss this week, to celebrate literacy and to recognize the accomplishments of the talented Theodor Seuss Geisel, THE Dr. Seuss, whose birthday is March 2.  He would be 108 this year, but really–who’s counting? PBS Kids [...]

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learning with pet poetry (& fun giveaway!)

February 9, 2012

We love our pooch, we really do. Sure, sometimes I say things to him that I wish I didn’t.   No, Maddy, I  promise we’ll never give Brady away, I promise. I’m just frustrated.  . . Owen, Sweetheart, we are not taking Brady back to Miss Marty’s farm and to his mom and dad. He will [...]

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ways to make math learning FUN! (& Kindle giveaway!)

January 17, 2012

For some kiddos, math IS fun. Adding is awesome.  Subtracting is super-cool.  Practicing multiplication or division facts in their little heads is the stuff of dreams.  Contests and quizzes–Mad Minutes especially–make kids happier than happy. For these children, even flashcards are a rockin’ good time. But for others, we’ve got to sprinkle math learning creatively–through [...]

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learning in the every day: classic, creative play (and melissa & doug giveaway!)

January 10, 2012

As much as I am an advocate of parents being teachers for their children and helping their kiddos to build a solid foundation for learning waaaay before those children walk through the shining school doors, I am also a strong proponent of play. Free play, pretend play, independent play, group play, inside play, outside play, [...]

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new for us friday: LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Octopus (& giveaway!)

November 26, 2011

As much as I have had a ton of success with LeapFrog products and love nearly everything LeapFrog, I knew that I needed to outsource a bit when it came to really taking an honest look at one of their new-to-me toys, the Peek-A-Shoe Octopus. Luckily, I have a ton of awesome pals whom I [...]

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just 1 book: author melissa ridenour (& signed book giveaway)

November 14, 2011

It’s not always an easy topic to cover with children, but stranger safety should be tops on our list of must-cover items with our children. Today’s just 1 book contributor has written a book that will help caregivers with this difficult task, and the author shares the heartbreaking event in her life that led her [...]

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new for us friday: LeapFrog Storytime Pad (& giveaway!)

November 11, 2011

This New For Us Friday, I’m totally excited about a new product from LeapFrog designed especially with younger kiddos in mind. And I’m not at all surprised that though I originally handed it to Cora, that Maddy and Owen have been vying for the LeapFrog Story Time Pad for the last few days. It’s new, [...]

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