kids Archives - Page 4 of 21 - Look What Mom Found

Consignment and Thrift Store Shopping for Kids Clothes

April 4, 2013 by Melissa

I’ve talked about my thrifting before. I love to save money by visiting our Goodwill and Salvation Army stores. Trying to clothe 3 kids is expensive especially when you want them to wear clothes that fit and look good. The community I live it is mostly families so I know I can find lots of kids clothes to choose from. Getting things for boys is harder though. I chalk it up to boys being harder on their clothing and they aren’t worth donating once they are outgrown. We keep sets of clothes for Shaun, school and play. The play clothes end up trashed, torn and stained.

I’ve been taking more frequent trips lately trying to stock up on spring and summer clothes. Two trips to Salvation Army and one to Just Between Friends Consignment Sale in Philadelphia really produced some great items. Here is a REALLY long video of me going through my purchases from that date. I ramble, I can’t help it. I apologize.

Here are my Salvation Army finds, some things were purchased on Family Discount Day, 50% off certain color tags.
Not Shown 5 various tees for Shaun, local professional and college sports and AberCrombie and Fitch $2 each

Gymboree Green Tunic Length Sweater $3

Kobe Kids Pink Sweater Shrug $2

Knitworks Pink Plad Button Down $1

Old Navy Pink Tee $2

Kids R Us Purple Tee $2

Faded Glory Floral Twirly Skirt $1

Tech Gear Basketball Pants $1

Urban Pipeline Blue Cargo Shorts $1

Urban Pipeline Blue Cargo Shorts $1.50

Burnside Plaid Shorts $2

Gymboree Striped Capris $4

Old Navy Plaid Capris $2

Arizona Jeans Denim Shorts $2

Mossimo Denim Shorts $3

Justice Black Sweat Shorts $2

Bob Marley Tee $2

Sabreena can often be found with me shopping thrift stores, especially the outlet where things are dirt cheap. This time around I took both Shaun and Shae. Shaun was bored but a good sport with trying on shorts and keeping out of trouble. Shae on the other hand picked out 20 other tees to buy. She likes clothes and really like to pick out her own things. This is the reason I like to shop alone.

New Balance Rainbow Shoes Giveaway

March 28, 2013 by Melissa

With warmer weather comes more time spent outside for the kids. That means more time at the park, bike riding, running and playing. New Balance has Shae suited up in these spectacular Rainbow 890v3 sneakers.

A break from tradition is how I like to describe the fun vibrant colors of these Rainbow shoes. They are lightweight but provide the stability and comfort that kids needs, keeping them constantly on the go.

New Balance are our family’s go to brand of sneakers when we are looking for functional footwear that will withstand a beating. Most of our athletic footwear is from New Balance because we know we can trust them to fit, wear well and look good.

New Balance is partnering with Chop Chop magazine to encourage families to “Run the Rainbow/Eat the Rainbow,” or educate readers on the benefits of exercise and healthy eating for the whole family. Launching in March, Chop Chop and New Balance will be running a sweepstakes in which entrants have a chance to receive a $400 gift card to their favorite local grocery store, as well as monthly prize packs including a 1-year subscription to Chop Chop magazine and a pair Rainbow 890v3s.

Enter to win your own New Balance 890vs sneakers for girls here at LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too. Tell me what kind of steps you take to make sure your kids are living a healthy lifestyle.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED entry above. Please note the changes to the entries and frequency, entries that don’t follow rules may be disregarded/ignored/deleted.

SUBSCRIBE to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via NEW Email Subscription or BlogLovin‘
SHARE this giveaway on your social networks such as Facebook , Google +, Pinterest, Stumble Upon or Other (let me know where you shared)
FOLLOW Mom , Dad and New Balance on Twitter and TWEET this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time: I’m entering to win @NewBalance #RainbowShoes from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/10dtCs7
LIKE New Balance on Facebook
ENTER another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment
COMMENT on any other Review/Our Life/Our Travels/Our Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Thursday, April 18, 2013. The winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Contiguous US residents, age 18 or over. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

Spring Collection @UMIShoes #Giveaway

March 18, 2013 by Melissa

I’ve been doing tons of clothes shopping (and reviewing) for Shae for the Spring weather that is peeking around the corner. Next up is SHOES. UMI is our old faithful. Each season she receives a new pair to review and each season she wears them till they don’t fit or they’re worn out.

This season’s shoes at UMI are bright and fun and perfect for days at the playground or in your own backyard. They remind me of sherbet, a big trend in kids clothing this season.

I’ve said numerous times how much I love not just the colors and designs of UMI Shoes but the construction. Each shoe is made specifically to comfort and grow with your child’s foot. UMI uses quality child safe materials and techniques to ensure only the safest of shoes leave their hands and end up in your home.

Each month check out their Deal of the Month for 40% off a specific shoe and always get free shipping and returns (expect clearance items) .

Enter to win a $60 UMI Shoes GC just by telling me what shoe you’d love to win for a kid in your life.

SUBSCRIBE to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via NEW Email Subscription (you must confirm subscription)
SHARE this giveaway on a social network such as Facebook , Google +, Pinterest, Stumble Upon or Other (leave your update link for each)
FOLLOW @UMIShoes, Mom & Dad on Twitter and TWEET this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time: I’m entering to win $60 @UMIShoes GC from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/Ycdvw6
LIKE UMI Shoes on Facebook
ENTER another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment
COMMENT on any other Review/Our Life/Our Travels/Our Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Monday, April 8, 2013. The winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Contiguous US residents, age 18 or over. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

Notes in the Lunchbox #kidsinthekitchen

March 14, 2013 by Melissa

You know that moment when you realize that your bad mood or snappy response might have hurt your child’s feelings. How about when the day is so chaotic you know that you didn’t get in enough cuddles or whisper enough I LOVE YOUs.

These days happen to all of us at one point. Being a parent takes a lot of juggling and sometimes we drop the ball. I’ve been trying to be more proactive of these moments and remind my kids how much I love them and think about them even when they aren’t around. A really simple way to bring a smile to their face is a lunchbox note.

Handwritten, personalized or stamped onto a sandwich it doesn’t matter. Here are some that I received from Hallmark that I’ve been tucking into the kid’s lunches once in a while.

So even if they weren’t in the kitchen with me when they saw these notes they knew they were always in my heart.
Did your kids help with meal planning this week? Did your kids discover a new food and love it? Share your experiences, photos, stories or recipes that include your #kidsinthekitchen. I would love for you to join me and my co-hosts, Paula at Frosted Fingers and Sara at Sensibly Sara, each week linking up a post, new or old, that feature the theme Kids in the Kitchen. It doesn’t matter what you are doing as long as you are doing it together and enjoying it and learning something.

preparing healthy snacks
having a tea party
counting skills with m&ms
pouring from measuring cups
discovering a local restaurant that your kids love
creating new family friendly recipes

Don’t have a blog, then share a photo you uploaded to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Share whatever you have, we want to see it.

Linky Rules

1. Link up only your kid friendly recipes, stories, pictures or cooking lessons here.(No Etsy stores or giveaways please).
2. Link directly to a specific post, update or tweet not your homepage.
3. Please add a Kids in the Kitchen button or link on your site or blog post or share through social media so readers know you are participating.

4. Click through and comment, pin, like, tweet or share with other participants. We love to share inspiration and ideas with each other, don’t link and run.
5. Follow the hosts of this feature,Paula at Frosted Fingers, Sara at Sensibly Sara and me, Melinda at LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too!

I can’t wait to see all of the fun food themed ideas, excursions and photos you have to share.

Shopping @Gymboree Again plus #Giveaway

March 5, 2013 by Melissa

This spring I was given the so hard and arduous task of shopping Gymboree 🙂 I have to honestly say that I haven’t stepped foot in a Gymboree store since Sabreena was a baby. The store is in the same spot in our mall as it’s always been for the last 18 years but there is something that doesn’t steer me through the doors. I said yes because I know Gymboree is very popular but wanted to know why it wasn’t catching my attention.

I started looking online and found prices that ranged from “high” to “expected” for name brands. Their sale section was really good, like stocking up prices. There was a variety of colors and sizes and designs but I wasn’t looking for winter clothes at this time so off to the mall I went.

Rob and I spent a good time looking at all of their collections and settled on Blooming Nautical and Tea Time Afternoon as our favorites because of the bold colors and cute designs. We walked out with 2 complete outfits, 1 basic tee and 2 leggings. I was excited to show Shae her new duds.

She loved Corsage Poppy tee. I was excited because it’s something I saw online and fell in love with. I did notice after it came out of the wash the blue was faded but I’m not sure if it was always like that. I wish it was a more vibrant saturated hue like the brink pink poppy flower in the girl’s hair. The skirt maintained the bright pink that I was originally drawn to. The pastels of the Tea Time Afternoon separates didn’t loose any color after washing. The material maintained it’s structure and shape, something that doesn’t always happen with kid’s clothes.

Corsage Poppy Tee

I think I had an image of Gymboree in my head of having very preppy stiff designs; clothing with no character. I was wrong, dead wrong. I also need to realize that Shae can give life to a burlap sack. Will I go back to Gymboree? Probably. I do like the more trendy vibrant collections so will definitely keep my eyes open for key items that Shae can rock with style.

Do you want to check out Gymboree for yourself and win a $75 GC? Tell me what pieces you’d like to shop for.

SUBSCRIBE to LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! via email or RSS feed
LIKE us on Facebook and SHARE this giveaway on your wall (leave a link)
ADD us to your Circles on Google+ and SHARE this giveaway (leave a link)
FOLLOW Melinda on Pinterest and PIN this Giveaway (leave a link)
FOLLOW Mom & Dad & Gymboree on Twitter and TWEET this giveaway (1 time per day), please leave your twitter link each time: I’m entering to win a $75 @Gymboree GC from @lkwhtmomfound @anddadtoo http://bit.ly/XGL4oW
LIKE or SHARE this photo on Facebook
LIKE Gymboree on Facebook
ENTER another Giveaway – let us know which one in the comment
COMMENT on any other Review/Our Life/Our Travels/Our Thoughts post, let us know where to find it

Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Tuesday, March 26, 2013. The winners will be emailed and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Contiguous US residents, age 18 or over. For complete rules please read our blog contest rules page.

Portraits

February 7, 2013 by Melissa

Sabreena and Shae are really close. They do lots of things together. The one thing that I can count on when they are trying to kill time for fill in the gaps between activities is draw. My mother brings home scrap paper from work just so they don’t use up my printer paper. You can imagine with all the drawing, crafting, painting and glueing going on our stack of “kid’s art” gets big. I let pieces stick around for a couple days then it gets tossed in the recycle bin. But sometimes a special piece comes along that I want to save and cherish and this time share with you. Sabreena and Shae discussed drawing portraits of each other. This is the end result.

this is Sabreena’s portrait of Shae

this is Shae’s portrait of Sabreena

I know we’re talking about a 17yo versus a 5yo but the drastic difference between them sent me into hysterics. Sabreena thinks she looks like a witch while Shae looks quite angelic.

Kids Craft #PinterestFail

January 24, 2013 by Melissa

I use Pinterest almost daily to get inspiration for new meal ideas, kids activities and crafts and DIY projects around the house.

This particular craft I’ve seen floating around for about 2 years. Celery Heart Flowers. It’s supposed to be a simple but cute gift giving craft that just requires a couple supplies and a celery root/core.

I was breaking down the produce while Shae was in the kitchen and remembered to save the celery piece. Shae was excited. She knew who she was going to give her card to and what it was going to say and how many flowers she was going to fit on her paper.

The prep took seconds but it was an instant fail. The blob of paint on the paper looked nothing like a flower. Neither did any of the other attempts. Pinterest failed us. It hasn’t been the first time and it definitely won’t be the last.

Shae wasn’t going to let that stop her. She ended up painting the paper plate with the left over paint.

It’s All Our Fault

December 31, 2012 by Melissa

We’ve created the monsters that we call kids. We’ve showered them with gifts and review new products that span every tech gadget imaginable. Now I have a 9 yo boy who can’t seem to find anything else to do with his life but play video games, watch videos on his iPod and play on the computer. I blame us.

video games I’m first to say I’m lost without my laptop or computer. I don’t leave a room without my phone in my hand or pocket. BUT I also know the enjoyment from reading a good book (nevermind that it’s on a kindle) or getting creative with a craft. Shaun seems lost without something with an on/off button lately. He’s at a age where toys aren’t appealing anymore. Playing outside is hard lately. It’s cold, rainy and the other kids in the neighborhood aren’t around much. That leaves him to play with his sisters. Shae wants to play kitchen and put puzzles together and Sabreena is experimenting with new make-up techniques and working on a script for a school project.

No one wants to do what Shaun wants to do so he’s left to occupy himself with electronics. I take them away for a few hours and he roams around the house. He spends 15 minutes looking through football cards then moves onto tossing a basketball through a mini net on his door then usually ends up falling asleep out of sheer boredom. I tell him he’s not allowed to fall asleep when it’s time time to unplug, that doesn’t count as down time. Board games seem to be the best way he spends his down time. They usually take up lots of time and Shae is always up for a game. I do join in the fun too but sometimes I have to work or cook or clean.

What do your kids do when it’s time to unplug?

Tea Collection Clothes from Around the World

November 28, 2012 by Melissa

Shae is getting older and much more independent. She likes to pick out what she wears, her shoes and even her accessories. In order for this to go smoothly and ensure she doesn’t walk out of the house looking like a clown (every time) I like to make sure she has great choices.

This is why I love Tea Collection clothing. The styles are appropriate for children but constructed like top designer clothing. The inspiration of their designs comes from around the world. This season Shae is sporting the colors and patterns of Denmark, Sweden and Finland with bold rich colors, delicate florals and eye catching graphics.

We already had a Plum/Wine color pair of pants from last year that match wonderfully with the Forget Me Not Layer Dress. Pairing it with these boot cut pants gives the dress a tunic look instead and goes great with sneakers or casual shoes.

She loves dresses but the winter months can make it hard to keep warm and look cute. Coordinating leggings with dresses is a great way to keep the kids warm without ruining the look of an outfit. Shae added tall boots and high socks on this rainy day.

Tea Collection may be higher priced than department store clothing but I find that they last longer, can be handed down to siblings or friends and even saved as keepsakes because the quality is far superior than discount clothing.

DIY Kid’s Worksheets-Fill In The Blank

November 9, 2012 by Melissa

Shae came home with a worksheet from school a couple weeks back and it was all marked up in red. She had gotten all of the problems wrong. It was a simple fill in the blank worksheet I thought but she said she didn’t understand how the substitute teacher explained it.

I figured I would try to recreate the worksheet and see what the problem was.

There wasn’t a problem. She completed the sheet and got every problem correct.

It was a simple little educational activity, one that she keeps asking for.

blank sheet of paper
various picture stamps or stickers
pencil

Stamp a variety of pictures on your sheet of paper. Under each picture write out the word leaving he FIRST letter blank. Instruct your child to write that first letter down.
Simple and fun but with a learning spin. Just what every kid likes.

Linky Rules

Read Something

Kids in the Kitchen Linky Party

Find it Here

How To Cancel?

What’s Mom Found Now?