Family Blog & Daily Life Hacks
When it’s too hot to play outside, make it an adventure inside.
This is Shae’s fort made from the kitchen table, some blankets and pillows and her play camping gear.
We are going on day 3 of the fort, meals are now eaten in the living room while watching the Food Network. I just wish my niece would learn to STOP standing up under the table. She’s gonna knock herself out one of these days.
Pink and white shoes for a little girl are special but when they change color to pink and purple they are extraordinary. Crocs Chameleons Color Changing shoes are the shoes we are talking about today.
Just a couple seconds in the sun and Shae’s shoes transform from pink and white to pink and purple. Each time it happens she squeals in excitement and shows them off to anyone within earshot.
The Chameleons are made with the same trusted Croslite™ material to ensure a formed fit against your child’s feet. The top color changing material is different than the original shoes. Its firmer texture is less giving when inserting Jibbitz; especially for those unfamiliar with the twist and shove action needed. The helpful people at a Crocs store were able to get all of our Jibbitz into Shae’s new shoes.
Crocs Chameleons were released May 13 but are a limited edition. Get yours today and choose from the below color changing options:
Oyster (white) clog changes to pink lemonade in the sun.
Yellow clog changes to lime green in the sun.
Celery clog changes to sea blue in the sun.
Summer vacation planning is in full swing for most families right now. There’s just a couple weeks left of school and then the fun begins. Our vacation is staying the same is every year, a week at the Jersey Shore. Thankfully not the Jersey Shore that is depicted on TV but a more relaxed and toned-down version. Travelocity dug into it’s their records of summer reservations and came up with a list of Top Family Destinations for 2011. Not surprisingly beaches flood the list.
1. Orlando: Orlando is, not surprisingly, the number-one family destination for summer 2011. With theme parks galore and some of the summer’s most competitive room rates, fun and value reign supreme on Orlando vacations.
2. Cancun: A destination once known for spring break debauchery, Cancun has reinvented itself as a family-friendly destination. It comes in as the number-one destination for families traveling internationally, and two on the overall list.
3. Honolulu: Four destinations in Hawaii made their way into the top ten summer destinations for families, but of those, Honolulu comes out on top. Direct flights to Honolulu are available from many U.S. cities, making getting to world-famous Waikiki Beach a breeze.
4. Maui: Famous as a honeymoon destination, Maui vacations are also a favorite for families, especially during the summer months. Turns out kids and couples alike love the beautiful beaches, where the sand color ranges from white to black to red.
5. Kauai: Beautiful coastline and secluded beaches are a given on Hawaii vacations, but Kauai is the perfect island choice for active families and nature lovers.
6. Bahamas: Cheap flights to Nassau make getting to the Bahamas both easy and affordable. Though not technically part of the Caribbean, expect the same beautiful white-sand beaches, hotels in every price range and flowing rum punch.
7. Kona: Found on the island of Hawaii (or, The Big Island), Kona is an excellent destination from which to explore. From snow-capped mountains (yes, there’s snow in Hawaii!) to rainforests to the world’s most active volcano, this island is also the state’s most diverse.
8. Puerto Vallarta: Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s second-most-popular destination for families this summer. Mexico vacation packages are always a great value and this beach destination on the country’s west coast is no exception.
9. Turks & Caicos: Talk about an island that just keeps getting more and more popular – Turks & Caicos climbs up the list of top-booked destinations each year. Caribbean vacations are always popular for families and this island is proving to be a top pick.
10. Dominican Republic: Rounding out the top 10 most popular summer destinations for families is the D.R. and it’s no wonder. There are many direct flights to Dominican Republic every day, so towing the kiddies and all their stuff is no problem. Plus, Dominican Republic resorts come in every shape, size and price range.
Where are you going this summer? Where is your top vacation spot?
This list was provided by Travelocity and they would like to welcome you to Window Seat Blog for updates, images and daily rates.
Shae’s greatest loves in the world are of course ME, her pillow pets and her play kitchen. The play kitchen is over 2 years old but gets used every day. We’ve been slowly switching out the original plastic and flimsy food and accessories for high quality wooden play food and toys that are made to last.
KidKraft Kitchen Playsets are fun to look at but are constructed to last many many years making them heirloom toys. The quality put into the creation of all of their products is top priority for the KidKraft team and that dedication to excellence makes them a leader in creative and imaginative playthings.
I’m a little bit of a baker and Shae loves to help so of course we got the KidKraft Baking Set for review. Not a single switch to turn on and no batteries to replace. You can see for yourself how she makes the mixer “mix” her ingredients. The utensils are realistic, the mixer is simple but looks just like mommy’s and the cookies look delicious!
As a GummyLump Mom-bassador I want to give a LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! reader the chance to win a KidKraft Wooden Kitchen Toy Accessory. The winner get to choose from the Mixer, Blender or Toaster. Let me know which set you prefer.
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 will be disregarded/ignored/deleted.
Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Thrusday, June 9, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.
Spring is here and that means Shae gets to wear dresses, skirts and sandals again; she’s grown tired of sweaters and fleece. Her latest outfit from My Baby Clothes Boutique has ribbons and flowers and NO SLEEVES.
My Baby Clothes Boutique is an online shop for your little one’s entire wardrobe; baby hats and tutus all the way to boy’s suits and diaper bags. Shae’s Christmas dress and Easter outfit came from their great selection of dressy, ruffly, frilly and embellished toddler and baby clothes.
Their sizes run from infant to toddler; typically up to size 3. The few size 4 items that they do carry have been BIG hits with Shae. I wish there were more choices though, Shae might be tall but she’s still just 31/2 years old. The Mud Pie collection is my favorite but just not big enough for my big little girl.
tutu outfit
A big shout out to their customer service too! I had sizing questions about an outfit and they were there to help with no problem at all!
Win a $25 My Baby Clothes Boutique GC from LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! Let me know one of your favorite outfits on their website.
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 will be disregarded/ignored/deleted.
Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 17, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.
This is my 16th installment of Project 52, my attempt to capture our lives in a couple pictures once a week.
This week was a busy one again but not much that was picture worthy. Last Sunday Shae, Sabreena and I went to see the Imagination Movers in concert and it was sa-weet! I had so much fun but then again I love those guys and could watch them all day. Other than that not much else to report, oh yeah except for our crafts 🙂
final performance with choo choo soul
sabreena and shae dancing in the aisles
me and the lil one
the girl squad
goofy
more goofy
this is what i get when i give the 3yo the camera
dining room art gallery
One of Shae’s (and mine and Sabreena’s) favorite kid shows is Imagination Movers. Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun!
In 2003, four New Orleans friends – Rich Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche and Scott “Smitty” Smith – started gathering after their kids’ bedtimes to write songs and brainstorm ideas about a children’s television show. Two years later, they had become the latest sensation of their musical city, attracting parents and children alike with an eclectic pop sensibility and lyrical turns about healthy snacks and playing catch and conquering childhood fears of bedtime. Lines to the Movers’ shows stretched down blocks.
The songs are so catchy and rhythmic that as a family we find ourselves breaking out in song at random times during the day. When Shae mentions she doesn’t want to go to school, I immediately start singing “First Day of School”. When we talk about what’s for dinner Rob often yells out “When I Say Mac, You Say Cheese”. She’s bedtime routine includes listening to Calling All Movers and Eight Feet, her 2 favorite Mover’s albums.
I’ve been wanting to go to an Imagination Movers show for over 2 years now and when I saw they were going to be in the area I got so excited. I knew this was something we would all love. Shae, Sabreena and I are headed into Philadelphia this weekend to catch one of only 2 shows they are perfoming at the Tower Theater. I’m expecting high energy, lots of movement and even more singing along.
I have another set of tickets to giveaway too! A LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! reader is going to receive a 4-pack of tickets to the Tower Theater 4:30pm show on April 10th. Leave a comment and tell me your fave Mover or song.
Extra Entry:
Like LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! and Imagination Movers on Facebook AND like this giveaway.
Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes.
This contest ends 11:59 AM, Friday, April 9, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 4 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.
Welcome to my 14th installment of Project 52, my attempt to capture our lives in a couple pictures once a week.
We celebrated Shaun’s 8th birthday this week. The weather was gloomy and cold so there weren’t many opportunites for pictures outside but that made for a very crafty week. Shae and I did lots of crafts so i’m sharing the finished products with you. Many of them are inspired by GummyLump’s 300 Crafts for Kids Project and some by random ideas found online.
dinner at Red Robin
looky looky shaun got a Kinect
why does my 15 year old look 21 years old
soap from the kid's shower, what are they doing with it?
blinged out sunflower, check out her signature on the bottom
old school comes alive, pompom bear
fancy cuff bracelet
Hope this gives you a glimpse onto our lives behind the blog. If you are doing Project 52 this week leave your link in the comment so I can come check out your life.
Shaun has made huge strides this year with his reading and one of his favorites is the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The movie was a favorite too and DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES comes out March 25th.
In this sequel to 2010’s surprise hit, Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. (Kinney’s Wimpy Kid” series has thus far sold 42 million books.) As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother – and chief tormentor – Rodrick must deal with their parents’ misguided attempts to have them bond.
In honor of 20th Century Fox’s DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES movie release LookWhatMomFound..and Dad too! readers are getting the chance to win a Prize Pack valued at $79. Win everything listed below
• Zoo Wee Mama Card Game
• Cheese Touch Board Game
• Wimpy Kid Action Figure Set
• 200-pc puzzle
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid UNO Game
Check out the Official Website and let me know if you saw the 1st movie.
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 will be disregarded/ignored/deleted.
Your entries must follow the rules or they won’t be eligible for prizes. This contest ends 11:59 pm, Sunday, April 10, 2011. The winners will be emailed and will have 24 hours to claim their prize. This contest is open to Continental US residents only. For complete rules please read our contest rules page.
I started this blog as a way to share cool things for kids and families. The quintessential baby item has come up for review; the stroller. Not just any stroller though; the Mamas & Papas Sola Pushchair from Britain’s #1 luxury stroller brand.
mamas and papas sola stroller
I received this stroller smack in the middle of winter, a very snowy and cold winter. Only until a couple weeks back did I get a chance to really test it out in the streets. It plowed over curbs and cracks with little effort partly due to its lightweight frame. This particular model is considered a compact model, aside from weight there was nothing small about it. The frame had a wide stable stance and the seat was definitely big for kids up to preschooler age. Even when it was folded this stroller took up a lot of space. This was 1 of its few drawbacks. When it’s folded it doesn’t stand on it own, it requires a large footprint of trunk or garage floor space to store.
A couple things I didn’t talk about were the adjustable footrest. This feature I find good for when your child is a little older and is sleeping reclined, hanging feet can be uncomfortable. There is an optional carrycot that switches places with the stroller seat that acts as a bassinet. If you get the chance to walk more and drive less this would be a great accessory to have for the littlest babies.
The Sola Pushchair also doubles as an infant stoller. Similar to the Snap ‘n Go there is an option to attach select infant carseat carriers to the Sola frame with an available bracket system. This piece is separate and at a cost of approximately $60.
optional carrycot
optional cupholder
Like most European styled strollers you’ll find very few bells and whistles. Things like cup holders, snack trays and umbrella holders (yea, I had one of those before) aren’t included in the sleek and modern designs. Included with the Sola is the stroller bar and a raincover but everything else comes at an extra price.
I loved the Sola Pushchair. It had a great look, great glide and great features. Like I said, I’m past the baby stage so this stroller found a nice home with my sister in law and her soon to be born little boy Carter. I’ll at least get to visit.
(my apologies for an erratic video, it’s quite hard to do with a kid in the same room)
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