Easy Christmas Ornaments for Kids: Cinnamon, Sugar & Salt

Making Christmas Ornaments with kids is really easy. You can actually make ornaments with simple ingredients from your pantry like: sugar, salt and cinnamon!  These ornaments are great for preschoolers, kindergartners and older kids too, because they are made with all-natural ingredients and they are inexpensive to make.

Over the past few years, I've been making the cinnamon ornaments with my sons, and it's something they request to do time and time again!  

Continue here to read my full post from last Christmas:

How to Make Cinnamon, Sugar and Salt Christmas Ornaments

Enter to win a special prize from Evenflo Feeding!

My friends at Evenflo Feeding are excited to announce that their new Advanced Double Electric pump has won Top Products award from Pregnancy & Newborn magazine!

To celebrate, they are giving away a Breastfeeding Essentials Collection which includes a Deluxe Advanced Double Electric Breast Pump, Milk Storage Containers and Nursing Pads!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

Thanks to all who entered.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast Broadway Musical Tour

Disney's Beauty and the Beast 
Tuesday, November 26 - Sunday, December 1
At the Academy of Music in Philadelphia 

Disney's Beauty and The Beast, the smash hit Broadway musical, returns to Philadelphia! Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of more than 35 million people worldwide. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including 'Be Our Guest' and the beloved title song. Experience the romance and enchantment of Disney's Beauty and The Beast at the Academy of Music!

Learn more and buy tickets on the Kimmel Center Website.

Not in Philadelphia?  Learn about the national Beauty and the Beast National Tour here.

Easy Raspberry OREO Cookie Ball Recipe #OreoCookieBalls

 

When the holidays come around, I always like to have some basic ingredients in the kitchen. That way, if I need to whip up a quick dessert for company, I'm ready. Oreo Cookie Balls are PERFECT for those days when you want to make a homemade dessert, but you don't feel like battling the crowds at the supermarket. The best part is, everyone I know LOVES these little dessert delights!  

The original Oreo Cookie ball recipe is fantastic, but, for this post, I decided to make Oreo Cookie Balls with a berry twist. My son is a huge fan of the Berry Burst Ice Cream Oreos. By using this variety of Oreos and adding a little Raspberry Extract to the recipe, I made Raspberry Oreo Cookie Balls, and they were phenomenal!

How do you make Raspberry OREO Cookie Balls?

Here are the Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) brick cream cheese, softened
• 36 Berry Burst Ice Cream OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
• 1 tsp of Raspberry Extract
• 4 pkg. (4 oz. each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• Make it!

Directions to Make Oreo Cookie Balls:

1. First, take your OREO Cookies and chop them in a food processor until they are very finely crushed.
2. Then, MIX the cream cheese, raspberry extract and cookie crumbs until blended. 
3. SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. 
4. Freeze 10 min. 
5. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. 
6. Decorate!
7. REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.
8. Share and enjoy!

Cookie balls are easy to make and a great way to spread a bit of festive cheer to friends and family!

My family were all impressed with this easy dessert. They loved the hard shell of chocolate on the outside, and the rich raspberry OREO center. Next time you're at the store, don't forget to grab these ingredients to keep on hand for a holiday dessert emergency!  

What's your favorite way to eat OREO cookies?

Heading to Best Buy? Check Out the Shine Activity Monitor

 

I've been eyeing up wearable activity trackers for a while now, and I finally got the chance to test one out! The Shine, by Misfit, is a brand new wearable monitor that aims to empower people to be more proactive about their personal health. With Christmas coming up, and so many people starting new year resolutions, it seems like perfect timing to tell you about the Shine.

Shine's Features include: 

• Activity Tracking (Steps, Swimming, Biking, Sleep, etc.)
• Tracking Calories
• A Clock
• It's Waterproof 
• It runs on a coin cell battery which lasts about 4 months

For activity, the app shows step count, distance moved, and calories expended. For sleep, the app shows total hours slept.

What Else? 

This is what the Shine looks like. I have the black one, but it is also exclusively available in additional colors at Best Buy including Silver, Champagne, Topaz. I think the Champagne and the Topaz Shine trackers are gorgeous! 

The Shine connects wirelessly to your iPhone, and it's pretty cool to see it sync up. It would be even better if it worked with Android phones, but it's not an option for now.

See those little lights on the Shine above? That's how you know if you're active enough. You set your goal and then see your progress throughout the day. When your tracker is lit up all the way around, you know you've met your target. My son likes to come and tap my shine throughout the day to see how I'm doing which is extra motivation to keep moving!

Not only is the Shine nice looking, but it's really comfortable too. Typically, when I wear a watch or a bracelet, I can't wait to get it off by the end of the day, but this is different. It is very thin and lightweight. But, for anyone who doesn't want to wear a the sport wrist band shown above, they also offer a leather band and a necklace.

Have you ever tried an activity tracker?  What do you think of the Shine?

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Printable Word Search For Kids: England

When I was trying to find information about England for kids, I wasn't thrilled with some of the online resources I found. So, what's a mom to do? I decided to create my own word search full of English slang words. 

This word search was created for kids in elementary school (about aged 7-12). These children had already learned about English castles, the royal family, soccer, and other facts about England, so this was a fun way to keep them learning. The kids thought it was really cool to learn that many English kids use different words than what we say in America.

 

If you'd like to download a full size printable word search (as shown above), just click here:

Printable Word Search For Kids: England

Enjoy!

Independence Blue Cross (IBX) #IBXLiveFearless contest

 

Life is an adventure for us all—and leading health insurer Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is encouraging people to embrace the journey. The Philadelphia-based health insurer is launching the #IBXLiveFearless Contest, encouraging everyone to submit photos on social media of how they’re living fearlessly. As one of the nation’s leading Blues, IBX is all about tackling challenges and overcoming obstacles. That’s why the company is looking for the person who most embodies the company’s new motto: Live Fearless.

Start posting your photos of how YOU Live Fearless: whether it’s climbing a mountain, running a race or taking on a personal challenge. Everyone who uploads a photo is entered to win one of two monthly $1,000 prizes. Participants can share the links to their photos with friends and family and encourage them to vote. Individuals will also be entered into a monthly $250 sweepstakes drawing by voting for the entry they think best captures the Live Fearless spirit. 

To enter #IBXLiveFearless and for official rules, please go to: ibxlivefearless.com

“Like” Independence Blue Cross on Facebook

“Follow” Independence Blue Cross on Twitter

The #IBXLiveFearless contest is open to all legal U.S. residents over the age of 18, beginning September 9, 2013 at 12:00p.m. ET and ending December 1, 2013 at 11:59p.m. ET. Winners will be announced each month on the IBX Live Fearless website.

Teaching Kids About Gratitude

Time after time, I flip on the t.v. and see people suffering after natural disasters. Everything they had is gone. Their houses, their clothes and just about all of their belongings got swept away by a flood, hurricane or tornado. It's heartbreaking and always so difficult to explain to my kids. But, it's another reminder, that we need to look at the big picture and be grateful for what really matters.

Last winter, I wrote about How to Teach Kids to be Grateful. The reason I think this is so important is that I don't want my kids to grow up feeling entitled. I want them to appreciate the gifts, both big and small, that come their way.  It's important to realize that life isn't easy, but no matter what, we need to try and stay positive.

After doing some research on the topic, I realized that it's pretty easy to help our kids become more grateful. The simplest way I found to teach my kids about gratitude is by talking about 3 Good Things before we go to bed. It's really simple: every night, when my kids are laying in bed, I ask them to tell me 3 things that they are grateful for. It can be anything they want. If they can only think of 1 or 2 things, that's fine too.  Hearing what they are grateful helps me know that they are on the right track.

There is actually quite a bit of research that shows the positive effects of this simple routine. Studies reveal those who continue this exercise for one week straight can increase their happiness and decrease depressive symptoms for up to a six-month period.* Doing this with my kids has definitely made me a happier person, and I think it helps to keep them grounded as well. 

Ultimately, I want them to know that there is much more to life that "stuff" and it doesn't matter what someone else has. There are people with much more than us and there are people with much less than us as well. Ultimately, we need to be grateful for the more important things in our life like our heath, a roof over our head, family and friends. The other "stuff" we have is just a bonus.

Want a more in depth way to teach kids about gratitude?

Researchers Jeffrey Froh, Katherine Henderson, and colleagues have developed a gratitude curriculum for kids based on Froh’s work studying gratitude in schools.  See their gratitude lesson plans here.

Thanks to Mari from Inspired by Familia for organizing The 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge.

* source / source 

Enter to WIN a mug & set of personal stationery from Treat

 

In a world, of texts, tweets and status updates, it's important to remember how much it can mean to someone to get a phone call or card in the mail from a friend.  When Christmas-time rolls around, I'm always excited to check the mail and see what cards arrived that day. I think most kids are just as excited as their parents (if not more) to see all the new holiday cards with their friends photos on them.

Treat's one-to-one holiday card collection and gifts are a simple way to send a personalized card or gift to someone you love. They have a great selection of cards, and I always find one that fits the occasion.

Going Green?  In a Hurry?  Treat now offers digital cards too!  

Since it is the season of giving, one of my lucky readers will win:

1 mug & 1 set of personal stationery from Treat*

To enter this sweepstakes, please visit Treat holiday cards page (by clicking the Christmas card image above) and leave me a comment with your favorite card. *This Sweepstakes ends on 11/21 at 12 noon. (US only)

******************************

Good luck to everyone who enters this sweeps. If you're a tweeter, please join the #TreatCheer Twitter party on 11/18 at 2 PM ET with @ResourcefulMom.

Congrats to the winner of this giveaway Susan!

Fun & Free Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Looking for fun and easy Thanksgiving themed crafts for your preschool, kindergarten or elementary age child?  If so, then there are two blog posts that you need to check out.  

Mamas Like Me has 30 Days of November Crafts for Kids where you can find enough simple kid's art projects to keep you busy through the end of the month.  Her highlighted posts show you how to use popsicle sticks, coffee filters, recycled materials and other things you have around the house to get crafty with your kids!

With the cold weather keeping us inside the house more, I'm looking for simple ways to entertain my kids after school. Luckily, The Better Mom has put together a list of 50 activity ideas and free educational printables to keep kids engaged and learning.   

A warm thank you to both The Better Mom and Mamas Like Me for featuring my Recycled Thanksgiving Turkey Craft in their posts. This was a simple craft that I created in 2010 when I first started this LocalFunforKids.com, and it's nice to see it still being enjoyed 3 years later!

Gobble. Gobble. 

Personalized Gifts with Bright Star Kids {Plus a 15% Discount Code}

"No more toys!"

Even if you've never said this before, you probably know someone who insists that their child does not need one more toy in the house. Maybe they're tight on space, or, maybe they have too many "things."

With my kid's birthdays and the holidays coming around, I truly understand this feeling.  As children get older, you realize how much stuff you've accumulated over the years, and buying presents can sometimes feel like a chore. However, when you find a truly personalized gift, like a special t-shirt or onsie from Bright Star Kids, giving that gift can be really special.

  

In my opinion, the best gifts really speak to the person you're giving them too. Anytime my children have received custom gifts with their names on them, I have always been blown away. First of all, it tells me that the gift giver really put a lot of effort into the gift and wanted to get something very unique. Also, it's something that we never would have been able to buy in a local store. When a friend of mine gave my son a personalized t-shirt for his birthday, it instantly became a favorite. Time has passed and he has grown out of that t-shirt, but I decided to hold onto it as a memento since it has his name on it.   

          

How do you add special personalized touches to your gifts?  Here are a few ideas:

1) Put their name on it - For some reason, adding my children's name to a bib, blanket or tote instantly makes it better. 

2) Include their interests - Does your child's friend love baseball?  Include his love of baseball in your gift. 

3) Practical gifts can be good too - For the child who doesn't need any more toys, think outside the box. There are plenty of gifts that are fun and practical too, like school bags, or personalized wall art or a custom t-shirt.  

The more personal the gift, the better. Bright Star Kids has a really nice assortment of gifts. They have everything from trucks, to owls, to cupcakes - so there is something for just about everyone!

  

Be different this Christmas & get the kids a super cute gift personalized especially for them! Save 15% when you use the code "GIFT" in the shopping cart. Min spend $30. Expires December 15, 2013.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Bright Star Kids. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ultimate Aquarium Experience Sweepstakes

Philadelphia area readers, this one is for you! 

If you, or your kids, have ever dreamed of going behind the scenes of a local aquarium and getting up close with sea turtles, penguins, sharks and other aquatic animals, then you'll want to pay a visit to Adventure Aquarium's Facebook page.

Announcing the "Ultimate Aquarium Experience" Sweepstakes!

Adventure Aquarium is giving one lucky Grand Prize winner a once-in-a-lifetime Aquarium Experience for four (4). This exciting prize includes all-day Aquarium access; a VIP, behind-the-scenes tour; $100 gift card to  Adventure Aquarium's Gift shop; and your choice of exclusive animal Adventure: meet hippos up close, snorkel with the largest collection of sharks on the east coast, help train and feed sea turtles or even pet and paint with a penguin!  And if that wasn't enough, each week from now through December 20, Adventure Aquarium is giving away a 4-pack of general admission tickets to experience all the NEW there is to see and do this fall, including a pair of critically endangered, rarely-exhibited Orinoco Crocodiles from South America.

Winning this sweepstakes would give you memories that your family would treasure for a lifetime.

To enter, LIKE Adventure Aquarium on Facebook and visit the sweepstakes app. Questions? Email contests@adventureaquarium.com. Sweepstakes link and complete contest rules: https://api-apps.com/s/8Yuyka

Shop Local: Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2013

I will be hitting some of the bigger stores for some of my kids Christmas presents, but I always make an effort to shop locally too, and I'd love for you to do the same.  This holiday season, please try to make purchases at locally-owned businesses like toy stores. Why?  It's simple.  More of your dollar stays in your community. According to the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA):

• Dollars spent at locally-owned stores create a multiplier effect in the local economy.   For each dollar you spend at independent businesses in your community, three or more times as much typically goes back into the local economy compared to a dollar spent at retailer owned by a chain. 
  
  
• More sales tax revenue is generated for your local jurisdiction if you shop locally rather than leaving your town or county for malls and big box stores. 

Here is some information about Neighborhood Toy Store Day:

Toy stores across America will be celebrating the joy of play during Neighborhood Toy Store Day on November 9, 2013. To kick off the holiday shopping season, ASTRA members across the country will host special events at their stores. 

These fun & FREE events will highlight local talent and bring neighbors together in the spirit of giving. The programs vary depending on location, but some include crafts, entertainers, scavenger hunts, and charitable donations. Their goal is to give customers a chance to see that specialty toy retailers are more than just stores, they are a central part of our community. 

To learn more and find a local store near you, continue reading about Neighborhood Toy Store Day.

Find a Local Toy Store Here.

Best Buy Mobile Specialty Stores

I've been shopping at Best Buy stores for years, but now there's a new place to shop for mobile devices and accessories.  There are now 414 Best Buy Mobile™ specialty stores that are conveniently located in malls and shopping centers across the U.S.  I don't know about you, but this is a huge benefit for a mom like me who wants to make our family shopping experiences as quick and painless as possible.  

Everything in this store is focused on mobile devices and accessories.  At Best Buy Mobile™ you can shop for smart phones and tablets from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, from all the top brands, along with stylish accessories to suit your personal taste. 

My husband is in need of a new android phone and I'm looking forward to checking out the Best Buy Mobile store near us.  I like that their staff is highly trained, yet non-commissioned, so they can help determine the right phone for us, as well as compare plans across the carriers. They can set up and activate your new phone, transfer your contacts and data and set you up with the complimentary Walk Out Working™ program.

To find a Best Buy Mobile specialty store, go to www.BestBuyMobile.com

Special Offer for My Readers:

Visit a Best Buy Mobile™ Specialty Store, now through November 30, and Save $5 off one in-stock mobile phone case, shield or charger. Click here for the Best Buy Mobile Coupon.

Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

21 Days of Gratitude for Families

Gratitude: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Are you grateful? 

Let's be honest.  There are some wacky people in this world.  There's no way to completely avoid negativity, but, that makes me even more grateful for the kind and loving people in my life. 

I'm very grateful for my family who continually show unconditional love. There is something very warm and reassuring knowing that they are there for me.

I'm grateful for my friends who just 'get it'. We have similar expectations for our children and when we get together, everything just falls into place. When it comes to parenting, we're on the same page and that makes our time together so special.  

I value the teachers who I entrust to take care of and educate my kids.

I appreciate the people I work with. They are a big reason that I love what I do.

Those are some of the people that I am grateful for and, personally, I'm ready for the excessive amount of Thanks leading up to Thanksgiving. These relationships are truly priceless to me and saying "thank you" is important.

I've seen some snarky comments about the over abundance of 'thanks' during November, and I feel sorry for anyone who feels like that. Life can get complicated. Let's celebrate what we're thankful for year round and if it gets a little excessive in November, so be it!

This month, I'm working on a project with some other bloggers called 21 Days of Gratitude and I want you to join us. Each day a blogger will share something special. Maybe a quote, an activity, or their thoughts that will help us cultivate a heart of gratitude with our families.

These are the wonderful moms joining in the 21 Days of Gratitude project: 

Inspired by Familia, Upside Down Homeschooling, Still Playing School,  Makeovers and Motherhood, P is for Preschooler, The Educators’ Spin On It,  Toddler Approved!,  The Connection We Share, Mama Pea Pod,  Mum in the Madhouse, Mama Miss,  Plain Vanilla Mom,  Tips from a Typical Mom,  Learning with Mouse,  Preschool Powol Packets,  Kids Yoga Stories,  Dirt and Boogers,  Local Fun for Kids,  Positive Parenting Connection,  Kitchen Counter Chronicles, The Good Long Road,Bits of Positivity, JDaniel 4′s Mom, The Eyes of A Boy

The schedule is here and all of the info for you to join in.

Disney Frozen Printable Activity Sheets & Fun Tour

The Disney Frozen Fun Tour is making its way to select U.S. cities to promote the new film, Frozen. During this tour, kids will have a chance to sample tasty treats from Ore-Ida®, The tour also includes activities, crafts, themed lunch boxes and other giveaways.  If you don't have a tour stop near you, join in the fun with some printable Frozen activity sheets below.

In “Frozen,” fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey, encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) in a race to find Anna’s sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. The movie will be hitting theatres in 3D on Nov. 27, 2013. 

This is the tour schedule as listed on FrozenFunTour.com

There are six Disney Frozen Printable Activity Sheets.  

Just click the link below to access the printables.

Build a Snowman

Snowflake Maze

Frozen Memory Cards

Anna Disney Frozen Coloring Sheet

Kristoff Disney Frozen Coloring Sheet

Make a Disney Frozen Snowflake

I haven't seen this movie yet, but the mystical trolls and funny snowman make it sound like a very cute movie.  Are you planning to see this with your kids?

Free Admission to U.S. National Parks November 9-11

America's national parks are always a great place to explore with your family, and they're even better when they're free!  Most U.S. national parks are free year round, but the parks that charge an entrance fee are FREE* to enter this weekend, November 9 - 11.

Children can also sign up to participate in the Junior Ranger Program. The goal of the Junior Ranger program is to introduce children to the natural wonders of the park and their own role in preserving these wonders for the future. We haven't participated in this program yet, but I've heard it's a lot of fun for kids.

Don't live near a national park? If you are unable to visit a National Park, you may be interested in the National Park Service WebRanger Program. Through this program, kids can earn a patch through the mail by playing games and learning about National Parks online.

To learn more about the U.S. National Parks go to www.nps.gov

*According to NPS.gov,  the fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise.

Amazon Mom: Deals on Diapers & More!

The gift-buying season is upon us, so if you haven't already signed up with Amazon Mom, now is the time to do it!

Amazon Mom is FREE for mom, dads and anyone else who cares for young children. 

Some of the current benefits of Amazon Mom:

• Choose 5 or more Subscribe & Save items to arrive on your
  monthly delivery day and save 20%.
• My favorite part: FREE 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime
• Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Videos.  

Sign up with my Amazon Mom referral link as a new member and save $25 on eligible diapers in addition to 20% off diapers, wipes, and other family essentials. 

Earth Fare Trade In Halloween Candy for Healthier Treats

Personally, I wouldn't classify any lollipops or gummy candy as "healthy."  But, would I rather have my sons eat candy without high frutose corn syrup and artificial colors?  Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

If you feel the same way and have a local Earth Fare store, the Trick or Trade-in this Saturday is for you.

Kids can bring the candy they got on Halloween and swap it for healthier treats like natural lollipops and gummy bears that don't contain some of the yuckier ingredients we don't want our kids to eat.

Trick or Trade-in is Saturday, November 2nd, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Check your local Earth Fare stor for details or see Earth Fare's Facebook post about the Trade In