Danimals Rally for Recess

Yogurt is one of the top choices for snacks in our house. My son has it at least once a day, if not more. And if he's with us in the grocery store, Dannon is typically the top pick, especially the Danimals Coolision Tubes. He loves the flavor, and I love how portable they are.

Dannon Danimals recently launched it's national initiative, Rally for Recess, as an effort to motivate parents and kids to support recess, and overall health and fitness of children. As schools nationwide have been forced to cut recess time due to limited resources, childhood obesity has been on the rise. Dannon Danimals wants kids to get back to the playground.
Rally for Recess is a healthy competition between schools across the country. Five schools have the opportunity to win new playground equipment and an all-day recess celebration. Through February 8, 2012 you can find codes on Danimals packaging (or free by mail). Then head to the Rally for Recess site to enter and register your school online. The schools in each of the five categories (based on size) with the most codes registered wins!


Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Back to School with Eight O'Clock Coffee: Giveaway

Closed: Congrats to Tes283

We are a few weeks into school, and I still am looking for all the back to school tips I can get. It seems that every night we rush around before bed getting everything ready for the next day, but come morning, we still feel unprepared.

With a new baby, I'm up all night long, so starting my day with a cup of coffee is essential. Eight O'Clock is perfect for a pick me up in the morning, and they have also come up with a few back to school tips to help our hectic household.

Tip 1: Become Your Own Brewista – Save time, money and gas this back-to-school season by brewing your morning coffee at home. You can even set your coffee maker’s timer the night before to wake up to great-smelling Eight O’Clock Coffee.

Tip 2: Preplan Lunch – A few days before school starts, sit down with your kids and create a grocery list of healthy snacks and lunches they would like for school. Rotate each of their selections throughout the week. Make Tuesday "Turkey Tuesday" or Wednesday "Wrap Wednesday" – adding variety to keep lunch exciting. When possible, pack their lunch the night before to reduce stress in the morning.

Tip 3: Assemble Weekly Wardrobes – Every Sunday check the upcoming weekly weather forecast with your kids. Then, have them pick out five outfits for the upcoming school week. Hang them in daily order in their closet to avoid the inevitable, "Mom, I can’t find my favorite blue shirt!"

Tip 4: Be Prepared for School Projects – Avoid late night rushing around to complete school projects by having art supplies on hand. Create an arts and craft bin that includes more than just crayons and colored paper. Collect items like pipe cleaners, stickers, figurines, beads – even coffee beans – and other creative finds, and put the fun back in school projects.Win It: To help get your school year off to a good start, Eight O'Clock is offering one lucky reader a Back to School Parent Survival Pack, which includes a drawstring bag, travel mug and 2 bags of Eight O’Clock Coffee

Mandatory entry: Tell me your best tip for keeping your house running smooth in the morning.

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Be sure to leave a way to contact you.
Giveaway ends 9/23 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email, so be sure to leave a way to contact you. Open to US only.

Product was provided for review. All opinions are my own.

The "Our School Needs" Contest from Bing

I love being active in my son's classroom. Not only does it give me a chance to peek in on how he behaves (or misbehaves) at school, but it lets me see how he interacts with his teachers and classmates.

Education is so important, yet every time you turn around, it seems like the school budget is getting smaller and smaller. And it doesn't take long before the budget cuts impact our kids. More and more, I've noticed teachers asking for more contributions to the classroom, teachers buying supplies out of their own pocket, and kids finding ways to go without.

Bing believes every student deserves a great education, and they are asking: What does your school need?

Before Friday, October 22nd, teachers and students can head over to the Bing website, and tell them what they dream about for their school. Teachers and students can submit their story, along with photos and videos. Entries will then be rated online and the top 5 from each category (grades k-6, 7-9, and 10-12) will have a spot in the finals. Voting will begin October 27th.

You can view a video about the submission process as well.

In the end, four winners (1 grand prize and 3 first places) will be selected, winning $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. And Bing will be donating up to a million dollars in prizes and donations to schools in need.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Bing and received a DonorsChoose.org giving code and gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

The 1st Day

My baby had his first day of the first grade yesterday.

We woke bright and early. A little too early, after a jittery, too excited to sleep through the night night. As we were brushing teeth, Little Man looked at me and asked "So you're sure I can't have just one more day of summer?"

After assuring him, that we could not have just one more day, even though we both were wishing for it (secretly in my case), we got on with our day.

The uneasiness of a new school, a new teacher, and the first day followed us out to the bus stop. I tried to joke around with him, I tried to get him to crack a smile.
It didn't work.
Finally, he got annoyed with me and faked a half smile. Better than nothing, I guess.

After school, I greeted him at the bus stop and asked what his favorite part of the day was. He responded with "nothing." I was terrified that his fears had come true, getting lost in the halls or not having anyone to play with at recess, or worse yet, a mean teacher.

So I asked, "You didn't like anything?" my voice full of worry.

The child looked at me like I had gone crazy. After a full second or two, he says, "No, momma, it was all my favorite," with a tone that made me feel dumber than dirt for assuming otherwise.

Yay for the love of first grade! Let's just hope it stays this way!

Back to School Time with Smead

I can't believe that summer is quickly coming to an end. Two weeks from today, my little one will officially be a first grader.

After experiencing our first year in school, I learned quite a few things. The first is that even kindergartners bring home a ridiculous amount of papers. And the second is that this momma really needs to work at being organized, or I will again be realizing we've "misplaced" permission slips or homework five minutes before we need to be at school. (Thank goodness we live 30 seconds from the school.)

Fortunately for me, Smead has a variety of products designed to help me get organized. Smead has been helping homes and offices get organized for over 100 years. They offer a huge variety of office supplies, some of which can be found at Office Depot, Staples, or Franklin Covey.

We recently received the new Stadium File and SuperTab Folders from Smead. The Stadium File has 12 tiered pockets, which allow easy access to files. The reinforced side gussets are heavy duty, so I can easily see the Stadium File lasting quite awhile on my desk. Plus, because it can hold 900+ sheets of paper, I can safely assume that it will help me keep our little one organized throughout the entire first grade.The SuperTab folders, which fit in any standard file drawer (or in the Stadium File), have tabs that are 90% larger than standard folders. This means that our labels (such as "return to school" or "work to save") can easily be read. No squinting and no scribbling in the world's smallest writing.Maybe with the new tools from Smead and our own homework station our back to school experience won't be quite so hectic this year. A momma can hope right?!

Products were provided for review, as well as a gift card to thank me for my time. All opinions are my own.

Teacher Gifts

As excited as we are for summer, the last day of kindergarten also brings a twinge of heartache. My baby's no longer a kindergartner after today. I'm not sure I'm ready for that realization.

He has had a fabulous kindergarten teacher and is sad to say goodbye this afternoon. Momma is a little sad too. But we created several gifts for her.

Homemade flowers (from colored coffee filters):

Fingerprint cards:

And a box of supplies & treats:

We will definitely miss kindergarten!

Finally...The F-Word

Today was the day of the F-Word. It's arrival resulted in someone waking up 2 hours early with pure excitement. And continued with a little boy bouncing off the walls until it was finally time to leave the house.

We saw all sorts of animals...
And I learned quite a bit about spending a day with a group of five year olds.

First of all, never try to approach the day without a cup of coffee. Big fail on my part. By the time I hit the back door this afternoon, I had a major caffeine craving and a huge headache to go with it. Momma needs her coffee.

Secondly, 5 year olds are completely incapable of keeping their hands to themselves. No matter whether you tell them 50 times to stop, to chill, to sit on their hands. None of it works. And as a result, you will be hung on or have your hair "combed" (aka pulled and twisted for 20 minutes).

But you'll also get lots hand holding and smiles.
Third, keeping track of more than 1 kid makes me buggy. I swear, I've never done more head counts than I did today. I was constantly afraid I'd lose one of them. (Even though, I had a minimum of two holding onto me at any given moment, so it really shouldn't have been too hard.)

And finally, no matter how much fun you have as a chaperone, no matter how much fun the kids have, you still run the risk of your own kid telling you "at least you're not being bossy anymore" when you get home. Apparently, someone was tired of me telling him to stay with the group. (Or maybe he was tired of me after the 5th time I told him to stop digging for gold.)

And that's another thing I learned. Kindergartners pick more noses, fart more often, and spit more than any other group I've ever seen before. Who knew that the ten minutes after lunch has been dubbed "stink time" by the girls? Though after today, I can completely understand why.

Finally We're Eating...

So my kid who wouldn't eat lunch, the one who came home with a full lunch box every day since September, is finally eating. Wahoo!

I could seriously do a cheer. I was so tired of sending food that was never touch, of packing lunches that barely got opened, or buying food I knew would go to waste.

Finally, Little Man is eating. And all it took was a little creative thinking. (Okay, and possibly the threat of making him buy lunch. Gasp.)

Apparently, food tastes better when it's shaped like an animal. Sandwiches are okay, as long as they don't look like a sandwich (or contain any meat.) And lunch time is more fun when your friends "try to steal food" from your lunch box.Though I was told, "No more tails, Mommy. They get all soggy and sticky and gross." Well, now I know.

4 Weeks In

I feared the worst sending Little Man to school. It was his first time being away from home for so long. The first time he would spend so much time surrounded by 30 other 5 year olds. The first time dealing with fitting in. (Which when you're 5 means no picking your nose, no discussing bodily functions with the girls, and shutting the door when you use the bathroom.)

I had my fears.

But 4 weeks in, it seems that all is well.

Unlike my sister-in-law, the principal has yet to call my cell phone.

My 5 year old niece, who started kindergarten at another school apparently threatened some of other kids this week. (Though I'm sure mommy and daddy won't blame it on the completely inappropriate movies and music she's exposed to. Like Twlight, which she can basically recite word for word, or the random lyrics she spouts out: "if I ever see you again and this gun is loaded, you'll sleep in hell." Because every 5 year old needs to talk like that, right?)

This week, she also apparently stole snacks from other kids and broke other students' pencils.

So yes, I'm glad my fears were limited to nose picking and mild potty talk (aka "I just tooted"). And yes, I'm glad my little one still shows his innocence. I'm glad that his biggest worry of the day is what he can take for show and tell or where he'll get to sit at lunch.

But, I'll also still prepare myself for when my moment comes, when I have to deal with school drama, a principal's call, or a note from the teacher. I'll keep reminding myself that no one's perfect, and our day may come. (Okay, will come.)

But for now I'll just be thankful that we're 4 weeks in. 4 weeks with exciting stories of recess and friends. 4 weeks of excitement over heading off each and every day. 4 weeks down and lots more to go.

MSN Mom's Homeroom

My little one starting school has brought with it so many questions. I am constantly questioning if I'm doing everything possible to help him succeed in school and enjoy it. And like all moms, I worry. I worry if he's on track, wonder if he'll keep up with all the skills they are teaching, wonder if there's a way I can help make his school experience better.
MSN Mom's Homeroom, backed by Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats, is dedicated to helping moms with the same questions and concerns. Featuring four moms, including a a teacher, a psychiatrist, a former marketing coordinator, and an ob/gyn, the site offers school tips, articles designed to help your children succeed, and quizzes on a little of everything.
The MSN Homeroom community offers moms a chance to post questions, share ideas and experiences, and gain advice or support from other parents. The topics range from health & nutrition to home life to reading & study skills, so there's something for everyone.

I loved the ideas offered in the article 10 Ways to Teach the Alphabet with Food. My little one would have a blast making letters out of pretzels or painting with pudding. Such a creative and fun way to incorporate learning!

For more tips and ideas be sure to head over to Mom's Homeroom.

And just so you know...I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

I Learned...

The conversation that occurred yesterday:

Me: What did you learn in school today?
Little Man: I learned. (very dramatic sigh) To Listen.
Me: Well, that's good!
Little Man: Not if you don't listen. Not good at all.

I guess listening at school isn't as easy as he thought it would be.

How to Pack a Lunch

Maybe I should title this one "How to Pack a Lunch that No One Will Eat." Because obviously, that's what I'm good at doing.

The last two days, my little man has come home with almost everything still in his lunch box, still unopened. The first day he ate two mini pancakes and a little jello. The next, goldfish. He tells me he runs out of time or just didn't feel like eating.

I'm wondering if maybe it's just too overwhelming at lunch. And I'm hoping he gets used to it.

So what do I pack?

Day 1: Mini pancakes, grapes, yogurt, and jello (all his faves)
Day 2: Soy butter on crackers, goldfish, strawberries, and applesauce
Day 3: Trail mix (pretzels, raisins, crackers, cereal, a few m & m's), carrots, grapes, and soy butter crackers

The rest of the month will use a lot of these rotated throughout.

He'll also be getting mini muffins, cheese, mini waffles, smoothies, apple "fries", oranges, pears, cereal, soft pretzel sticks, and salad.

It's so tough to pack with a picky eater, food allergies, and school guidelines. But, he won't eat the meals they sell (and I'm not sure I blame him).
I do love the lunch box he picked out from Lunchopolis though. The containers are a perfect size for food, and let me pack 4 separate things that don't touch. (One less reason I have to worry about for why he isn't eating.)

Do your kids pack lunches? What do you include?

The First

Early Wednesday morning, our house was filled with commotion. A little one donning a shark backpack was ready to head out the door. An hour before the bus was to arrive.

He was so anxious and excited, he could barely stand still. I was so anxious, my mind was racing through every last minute reminder I could think of.
He looked so grown up. So much older than just a few days ago.
By 3:45, I was waiting impatiently at the bus stop, ready for him to hop off the bus. He finally did, greeting me with a huge smile and a "Mommy!"

He grabbed my hand and talked all about his day, so quickly I could barely take it all in. Talked about the friends he made, the games he played, the things he learned.

Then he crashed. He curled up with as much food as his little belly could handle. Ate and ate and ate and just snuggled.

It was the first. And we made it through in one piece. One 179 more to go.

Kick off to Kindergarten: Lesruba Designs Giveaway

When searching for fun clothes to start kindergarten, I stumbled upon Lesruba Designs. Lesruba Designs carries a little of everything, from apparel and bags to decor and gifts. The site is set up so that you can easily shop by occasion, interests, holidays, or recipient.

Lesruba Designs carries a huge assortment of products geared towards kindergartners, including tees, totes, journals, and pillows. The designs are fun and whimiscal, with bright art adorning the front of each item and sayings like Off to Kindergarten, Kindergarten Rocks, and Kindergarten Kid. What a fun way to celebrate the beginning of school!

The tees are standard fit, 100% cotton, and pre-shrunk.

Win It:
One lucky reader will recieve the Kindergarten Rocks tee (shown above) in a child's small (6-8).

To enter:
Visit Lesruba Designs and tell me one other item you love.

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
• Grab my button
• Add me to your blog roll
• Follow me on Twitter (Leave your username)
• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link)

Be sure to leave a way to contact you.
Giveaway ends 8/31 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

2 Days...

In two days, my little one will officially become a kindergartner. And I'm still not ready. All along I've thought: I'll be ready when the time gets here. I'll get used to the idea. I'll be ready for him to go.

But deep down, it hurts to see him go. I know that sounds absolutely crazy, but the thought of going from 5 years of him around almost every moment to being away from him for 7 hours/5 days a week, makes my stomach hurt. Every time I think about it, I want to sit down and cry.I don't though. I pretend to be so excited. I try to be a good momma. We read together about going to school, we practice our writing and our manners. We talk about what foods to pack for lunches, what we'll need to send in his backpack. We smile and laugh about it, and I ease his fears.

But who eases mine? All anyone wants to know: is are you going to work full time? What are you going to do all day? Won't you be bored?

And all I want to know is: how do you let go? How do you give them that push to grow, and learn, and still know you'll miss them every minute? How do you handle that complete change? And why do I feel so guilty that I'm the one worried?

Kick off to Kindergarten: ebeanstalk Plan Toys Review

Lately it seems that when I'm in need of a toy, whether for a birthday gift, a special occasions, or just because, I get overwhelmed with all the choices. It's tough to find something that will withstand the play of a little one and hold their attention. But I've found a huge selection over at ebeanstalk that looks like it will do both, including learning toys and baby toys.

We recently received the Activity Bus from Plan Toys, a company who specializes in safe, green toys. With my little one getting ready for his first day of school, and his first bus ride there, the Activity Bus allowed him to explore some of his anxieties.
The bus arrived with two figures, school desks, a blackboard/map, and books. I was impressed with the quality. The set is made of wood, except for the figures' yarn hair, and very sturdy. As I was cleaning up one afternoon, I accidentally stepped on one of the desks, and was upset when I thought it was broken. But, the pieces popped right back together in an instant.

My 5 year old really enjoyed playing with the bus and figures. I was surprised at how long he spent making up dialogue for the "teacher and kid." Listening in on his play gave me a lot of insight into what he is worried about in regards to starting school.

The activity bus is intended for ages 3-6. The books included are rather small, so I set them off to the side after the first time we played with the bus, so my son wouldn't lose them (and I wouldn't step on them). The set is made from rubberwood, wood from rubber trees too old to produce latex. They are also dyed using water-based dyes.

Little man has been scouring the Plan Toys catalog, and has many items added to his own personal wish list. But the Crane is at the top.

*This is part of my Kick off to Kindergarten Party. Be on the look out for more posts, reviews & giveaways throughout the week!

Kick off to Kindergarten: The Night Before Kindergarten

We are avid readers in this house, and our book shelf is filled with a little of everything. When any new experience comes up, we try our best to find a book that explains it to our son. Reading about new places and new experiences usually helps to calm his fears.

We recently had the chance to read The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing. The book follows kids as they get ready for school, head off for their first day, and find out what the classroom is really like.
Set to the rhythm of The Night Before Christmas, the story is easy to read, and held my 5 year old's attention very well. While reading it together, he continually asked questions, allowing me to understand some of his worries about starting school. Once I finished reading, he asked me to read it again.

We spent almost an hour reading the book together, answering questions, and talking about what school will be like. Each time the story ended, he got so excited at the last page:

The children all waved
from the door of the school.
"Don't cry, Mom and Dad;
kindergarten is cool!"

He asked if I would be lonely without him here, if kindergarten was really that fun, if I would be there to get him at the end of the day. The Night Before Kindergarten is truly a great way to open up communication with your little one. It lets them bring up any questions they may have.

Wing has also written many other Night Before books, including The Night Before Summer Vacation, The Night Before Halloween, and The Night Before First Grade, among others. She has also authored Go to Bed, Monster!, An Eye for Color, and Jalapeno Bagels. You can see a full list of her books over at her site.

Win it!
I have a copy of The Night Before Kindergarten to giveaway to one lucky reader.

To enter:
Check out Natasha Wing's site and let me know one book you'd like to read (besides the one I'm giving away). And leave a way to contact you!

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
• Grab my button
• Add me to your blog roll
• Follow me on Twitter (Leave your username)
• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link)

Giveaway ends 8/31 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

*This is part of my Kick off to Kindergarten Party. Be on the look out for more posts, reviews & giveaways throughout the week!

Leapfrog: Let's Go to School DVD Review

Little ones have all sorts of anxieties when it comes to start school. It's a whole new world. New people, new rules, new surroundings. It can be a lot to get used to, and a lot to look forward to.Recently, my son and I had the chance to watch Leapfrog: Let's Go to School on DVD from Lionsgate. The DVD takes children through Tad and Lilly's experiences as they tour a classroom. During their exploration, they find out that the classroom is more nervous than they are. From the bell to the blocks to the globe, everyone is worried about something.
Throughout the DVD, kids also learn various phonics skills, can work on counting, and meet new animals.

My son was so excited to learn more about different animals, and was astounded to find out a group of dolphins is called a pod. I loved how the DVD reinforced many skills we've worked on while showing school as a fun place.

Let's Go to School is aimed at kids 3-6 and has a run time of approximately 35 minutes. (And for those 35 minutes, my little one was glued to it.) It is currently available at Leapfrog.

*This is part of my Kick off to Kindergarten Party. Be on the look out for more posts, reviews & giveaways throughout the week!

Kick off to Kindergarten: Wet Ones Review & Giveaway

With school starting, I can only imagine the number of germs my little one will be coming into contact with. Unfortunately, he's the type of kid who gets sick very easily. Every fall and winter, we battle one cold after another. And it's miserable. (Some days I consider putting him in a bubble to keep him from getting sick!)

Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand and Face Wipes are perfect to have on hand to kill germs. They are hypoallergenic, contain Aloe, and kill 99.99% of germs. They come in two scents, Citrus and Fresh Scent. And they are so easy for kids to use when water isn't available.
My son finds it easier to wipe his hands with Wet Ones than to run to wash them sometimes, and often times it's much quicker. I'm sure as school starts, they will find a permanent spot on my counter so that he can clean his hands quickly before having an afternoon snack.

Would you like to try Wet Ones?
I have two canisters to giveaway to two lucky readers.

To enter:
Leave a comment telling me one way you prepare for the new school year (with a way to contact you)

Want extra entries? (Leave separate comments for each)

• Follow me on Blogger
• Grab my button
• Add me to your blog roll
• Follow me on Twitter (Leave your username)
• Tweet this giveaway (Leave link)

Giveaway ends 8/31 at 11:59 pm EST. Winner will be notified via email. Open to US only.

*This is part of my Kick off to Kindergarten Party. Be on the look out for more posts, reviews & giveaways throughout the week!

Kick off to Kindergarten: Back to School with Office Max and Peter Walsh

I recently had the opportunity to take part in a webcast from Office Max and Peter Walsh. Peter is an organizing guru. And I have a lot to learn. So I was paying very close attention throughout the webcast (with only the occasional interruption from someone missing a shoe, someone needing help with a drink, you know, the normal requests when momma sits down for a second).

Peter offered some great advice for organizing this school season:

Tips for Organizing the Home
1) Find the Vision you have for a Space
2) Make Organization a Family Value
3) Use the Right Tools for Great Organization

Tips for Organizing your Child
1) Show that you Value Organization
2) Establish Clear Limits and Routines
3) Always ‘Finish the Cycle’ (Complete a Task)

Tips for the Classroom
1) Establish Clear Routines
2) Involve Kids with Classroom Organization
3) Use Words, Pictures and Color to help Organize

I loved some of the simple advice offered, such as labeling, color coding, finding a system that works for you and going with it. During the webcast, it was suggested that parents talk to the teacher about what papers should be kept at school, at home, or trashed. Papers take over our house sometimes, so being able to organize and purge will work wonders for us.

The webcast provided me with a ton of useful tips. Hopefully, I'll be able to make them work for us so our school year goes smoothly and well-organized.

If you're interested in what other bloggers had to say, you can check out their tweets

#OMX_Blogcast. You can also connect with Peter Walsh or Office Max on Twitter.

*This is part of my Kick off to Kindergarten Party. Be on the look out for more posts, reviews & giveaways throughout the week!