Category Archives: kids

August 17, 2016 · 11:46 pm

Check Out These Star Wars & Harry Potter IncrediBuilds! #Giveaway

I hope everyone is enjoying their August and soaking up every minute of summer they can. I want to share some exciting news with you from IncrediBuilds. They have a new line of 3D wooden models that just launched in July! IncrediBuilds combines crafting with popular characters, animals and monuments to make 3D wood models that are unique and customizable.

There are a variety of model kits to choose from like; Harry Potter’s Dobby, Star Wars’ R2-D2, Finding Nemo’s Dory, the Eiffel Tower, and much more. The kits are eco-friendly and are made of FSC-certified wood that is laser cut along with step-by-step instructions to assemble the model.

There is also a deluxe book that is included with each model that gives young builders a closer look at the characters or figures they are building. These books are full of fun facts and behind-the-scenes information. The models vary in skill level and are intended for children and adults ages 8 and up.

The fun does not end when the IncrediBuilds model is complete, kids can bring it to life with paints, glitter, and any other decorations they choose to personalize their model. Decorating tips and ideas are included with every IncrediBuilds model. This is a way to really allow kids the freedom to let their imagination and creativity soar! Watch the video HERE to learn more.

We had a lot of fun building a Star Wars Ty-Fighter and Dobby from Harry Potter. It was fun to do with our kids and we love how they turned out. What do you think?

Giveaway:

If you would like a chance to win a kit like this, you can enter by clicking HERE. Hurry and enter because he giveaway ends August 26th. Good Luck!!!

I received these kits from IncrediBuilds to facilitate my post. As always my words and views are 100% my own.

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Filed under Crafts, Creative Activities, Family Fun, Gift, Giveaway, kids, Review

Tagged as Creativity, Disney, Dobby, giveaway, Harry Potters, IncrediBuilds, Models, Star Wars, Ty Fighter

June 22, 2016 · 2:42 pm

Save During Lemonade Days at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom

Here in New York, the last day of school is tomorrow. If you are thinking about fun family trips to take with your kids, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, PA is a great choice! Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom has been bringing thrills and fun to visitors for 132 years. If you like roller coasters the historic ThunderHawk that originally opened as “The Coaster” back in 1924 has been refurbished for the 2016 season. The ThunderHawk has all new trains and is totally repainted to resemble the original design. The outline of the classic wooden roller coaster is outlined in bright, white lights to remind riders of timeless American wooden roller coasters of days past.

Don’t despair if you are not a thrill rider because Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom truly has something for everyone. Whether you come for water slides to seek relief from the summer heat, love the thrill rides, want to try your hand at games of chance or skill, live events, Dinosaurs Alive or kid’s rides and fun in Planet Snoopy, you will find it!

Our family just spent Father’s Day there and we had a blast! If you have little ones, KidsFest is taking place in Planet Snoopy on Saturdays and Sundays from June 17- 26 from 11 am- 5 pm. There are lots of fun activities like craft stations, science demonstrations, a petting zoo and special character opportunities. Our kids loved the trivia contest where they each got a Dorney Park mini fan after answering some fun questions about the Peanuts Gang and Dorney Park. Schroeder also had a sing-a-long and Lucy, Charlie Brown and Linus were there donned in their camp attire! There are plenty of character photo opts too!

Planet Snoopy is full of fun rides like the Kite Eating Tree, Snoopy’s Moon Bounce, Peanuts Road Rally, Woodstock’s Express and much more! Woodstock’s Express is a runaway train kid’s coaster that our kids just loved!

A video posted by Carolyn Matri-Kavarnos (@mommyramblingsblog) on Jun 19, 2016 at 5:43pm PDT

This June Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom wants everyone to feel like a kid so everyone pays the kids price for tickets and a portion of online ticket sales goes to the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the fight against childhood cancer. Now you can spend the day riding heart-racing coasters and waterslides, knowing there’s a heartwarming cause behind all the fun.

If you do take a trip to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom by June 30th, share your photos online with the hashtag #OneDorneySmileAtATime and Dorney Park will donate $1 to help make an impact on those children battling who are battling cancer. Now that is a great reason to capture and share those smiles!

A video posted by Carolyn Matri-Kavarnos (@mommyramblingsblog) on Jun 19, 2016 at 1:58pm PDT

You can learn all about the events going on at Dorney Park HERE! Keep up with Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you have any questions, please ask me in the comments. If you do go to Dorney Park, let me know how you liked it in the comments too!

A video posted by Carolyn Matri-Kavarnos (@mommyramblingsblog) on Jun 19, 2016 at 3:05pm PDT

This post is sponsored by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in conjunction with Blog Meets Brand, and I have been compensated for my participation. As always my words and opinions are my own.”

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Filed under Attractions, Family, Family Fun, kids, Review, Sale, Travel

Tagged as Alex's Lemonade Stand, Allentown, Amusement Park, Dorney Park, Family Fun, KidsFest, Peanuts Gang, Planet Snoopy, Theme Park, Ticket Sale, Ticket Savings, travel, Wildwater Kingdom

May 21, 2016 · 12:00 pm

The Little Linebacker Blog Tour & #Giveaway

Teaching kids that hard work pays off is probably one of the most important lessons we can teach them as they grow. So many adults that I know believe things come easy and don’t require effort. As an entrepreneur I learned a long time ago there is no such thing as “overnight success.” Most people do not understand the years of work that go into becoming an “overnight success.” If kids learn this at an early age, it will serve them well throughout their life. They will not be the kind to give up at the first hurdle but instead find a way to get over each and every one on the way to reaching their dreams.

A book that can help kids understand this is The Little Linebacker. This book written by Maria Dismondy and Stephen Tulloch and illustrated by Heather Heyworth is a story of determination. The story is about a little boy who dreams of becoming a professional football player. This dream comes even before his first little league football practice. His mother is supportive and tells him to dream bigger dreams! He finds support through his life when he feels like giving up.

An elderly man he likes at the nursing home where his mom works provides some wise advice that you have to keep going even if you fail a few times. He helps Stephen practice his math skills when he gets a bad math test grade. Throughout the years, Stephen has defeats but someone is always there to help him summon his determination and keep going. He learns that when you don’t give up but keep pressing on, great things happen! This is a great book with a very valuable message. You can find this book on Amazon. You can download the Free Reader’s Guide HERE.

Take a look at the video trailer for the book below:

Enter now for your chance to win a copy:

Cardinal Rule Press is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of The Littlest Linebacker! Thank you to Cardinal Rule Press for the review book and for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

The Littlest Linebacker – A Story of Determination Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Blog Tour, Books, Family, kids, Life, Life Stages, Review

Tagged as #operation55, Blog Tour, Book Giveaway, Cardinal Rule Press, Determination, giveaway, learning, Teaching, The Littlest Linebacker

May 16, 2016 · 7:40 pm

#ESVFamilyDevotionalBible- Share God’s Word As A Family -#Giveaway

The say that family that prays together stays together, in fact my priest just told me that the other day! If you are looking for a way to help your family read and apply God’s Word together, I have good news. The ESV FAMILY DEVOTIONAL BIBLE is a hardbound colorful Bible that retells 130 key stories from the Bible. The stories feature full color illustrations as well as a key verse and are placed within the Bible text where it is found. The stories are simplified and easy for children of all ages to understand.

I was happy to see that this Bible provided a way to share stories whenever with our children. They are the perfect length for reading in addition to a traditional bedtime story. There are questions that you can use with your children to spur discussion of the story. There is also a key verse for the story that I really liked.

The ESV Family Devotional Bible is designed to help families read and apply God’s Word together. This full-color edition features the complete ESV text interspersed with engaging illustrations and gospel-centered devotions related to key Bible stories—guiding families through the entirety of God’s Word over the course of a year. Each devotion also includes discussion questions and suggestions for additional reading, helping families develop a habit of reading the Bible together and applying its truth to all of life. You can find this Bible on Amazon.

Enter The Giveaway:

Propeller / FlyBy Promotions is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own ESV Family Devotional Bible. Thank you to Propeller / FlyBy Promotions for the review Bible and for sponsoring this inspirational giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

ESV Family Devotional Bible Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.”

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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Filed under Family, Giveaway, kids, Spiritual

Tagged as #ESVFamilyDevotionalBible, #FlyBy, Bible, Family, giveaway, God, Mommy Ramblings

May 2, 2016 · 12:00 pm

Amazon Original Series, Tumble Leaf-All New Episodes Available May 6th!

Many shows made for kids are downright annoying for parents to watch with them. Most of you can probably list at least a handful of shows that are almost as bad as listening to fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. It is refreshing when a children’s series actually fosters lifelong creative learning for kids. It is doubly impressive when it is also enjoyable for parents to view alongside their child. Unfortunately, there are not too many preschool children series that can achieve one of those things let alone both. However, the Amazon Original Series, Tumble Leaf is one that rises to and meets that challenge. This series is back for Season 2 and available for Prime members. All new episodes of this multi-Emmy award-winning series premiers on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, May 6th.

This preschool series features Fig, a curious and endearing blue fox and his best friend Stick, a friendly caterpillar who is always on the move. Together Fig and Stick set out on exciting adventures filled with nature and science. The episodes start with a colorful crab who pulls in a fish trap that is filled with “treasure” from the sea. In one of the episodes I recently previewed he pulls in a camera and after snapping a quick photo of himself he tosses it into the magical Finding Place. A curious Fig hurries off to the Finding Place to discover what new treasure has been added. The new discovery is utilized to bring about science through play lessons that are filled with a healthy dose of imagination.

The delightful characters created by Drew Hodges features voices from Christopher Downs as Fig, Brooke Wolloff as Maple, Zac McDowell as Hedge, Addie Zintel as Pine, and Alex Trugman as Ginkgo.

The episodes are packed with fun and learning and my sons loved watching along with me. The characters and voices are not annoying as can be the case with some other kid’s series that will remain nameless. It is a series that gets kids all excited to see what new discovery will end up in The Finding Place at the beginning of each episode. As the episode unwinds that discovery will be weaved into the story line seamlessly and when it ends Fig will tell the kids to get out and play! That is such a great message and one that is necessary for all kids today.

This series won 5 Daytime Emmys including the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Animated Program along with being the winner of the 2016 Parents Choice Award! Check out the Season 2 Trailer below!

Prime members can soon stream the second season of Tumble Leaf at no additional cost to their Prime membership with the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online HERE . Prime members can also download the series for offline viewing on iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. In addition to SD and HD, the series is also available in 4K Ultra HD on compatible smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Sony. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free 30-day trial HERE! There are also brand new clips you can download or view HERE!

I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think in the comments. If you watched the 1st Season, let me know that too along with how you liked it.

This is a sponsored post, I was compensated by the company I am working with on this but as always my views and words are 100% my own.

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Filed under Education, Entertainment, Family, kids, Review

Tagged as Adventure, Amazon Prime, Award Winning, Kid's Series, learning, May 2016, Original Series, Premier, Preschool Series, Science, Season 2, Tumble Leaf

April 22, 2016 · 9:04 pm

5 Great Safety Tips To Keep Your Kids Safe! #MyHigh5

Better to be safe than sorry right? I find that especially true as a parent. We work so hard to keep our children safe. This Saturday, April 23rd is Safe Kids Day!

Safe Kids Day supports the life-saving programs of Safe Kids Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to protect children from unintentional injuries, such as drowning, fires, burns, poisoning and traffic injuries. Preventable injuries are the leading cause of death to children in the U.S., but with education and simple precautions, most injuries can be prevented.

This Saturday, and every day this month for Safe Kids Month, parents are encouraged to take action to keep their families safe. Parents can choose their top five safely actions from a master checklist of activities with #MyHigh5.

Below are some top safety tips from Safety 1^st and Safe Kids! Please share some of your safety tips with us in the comments.

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Filed under Baby, kids, parenting

Tagged as #myhigh5, Safe Kids, Safe Kids Day, Safety 1st, Safety Tips

April 21, 2016 · 9:04 pm

3 Main Reasons Why Parents Should Write a Will

A will is a legal document that specifies who will acquire your real estate properties, cars, bank accounts, jewelry, and the like when you die. It is up to you to whom you will leave all of your belongings, just be sure that they are eligible to receive and that everything goes through a clear legal process.

As for parents writing a will and testament is not all about the properties, rather the assurance that your children will still be well taken care of when you are gone. You need to choose trusted people in your family to look after them in case anything happens to you.

Here are some of the reasons why parents should draft a will for their kids:

To avoid family disputes

Will and testament disputes happen to even among the closest part of the family. Challenging a will implies that one party thinks he deserves more than what is written in the will, hence if one of your children challenge your will with your other kids, their relationship might suffer from irreparable damage and as parent, this is difficult to imagine. That is why, it is important that you properly and carefully write a will to make sure your children get equal shares of the property you’d leave and avoid any family disputes in the future.

To have a trusted guardian to look after your children

The most difficult task for parents when drafting a will is choosing a guardian for their children. It is really tough to decide on this matter, but you have to do it anyway. Your children’s future well-being is at risk when unexpected things happen to you. This is the reason why you need to choose a person who you think will take good care and love your children when you are gone. Also, it is essential to name a trustee, someone who will manage any properties you pass on to your children, in your will.

To make distributing assets easier

The problem about not having a will is that the probate court might send away inquiry letters to financial institutions to handle the deceased’s financial situation. Additionally, your relatives may be requested to give out financial documents. By writing a will and testament beforehand, you can prevent all the paperwork and footwork your relatives will exert. You will save them from all the hassle and stress that they might acquire from processing various documents. Having a clear proof of distribution of your assets for the court to see will be easier and more convenient for everyone involved.

It is your obligation as a parent to secure your kids future and drafting a will as early as now is the first step in keeping your kids safe in case something unexpected happens. Nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow, so might as well be ready by securing a will.

Many people think that a will is unnecessary and just a waste of money, but no one knows the future and you can leave your kids behind in an instant. Would you rather leave them with problems or investments? As parents, we obviously know the answer.

This is a sponsored guest post and does not necessarily reflect the views of Mommy Ramblings.

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Filed under Guest Post, kids, Life Stages, Sponsored

Tagged as #Sponsored, children, Guest Post, Parents, wills

March 7, 2016 · 12:15 am

How To Have Fun With Breakfast!

Do you love family breakfast time? A big weekend breakfast with pancakes, bacon, maple syrup and fresh squeezed orange juice sounds great doesn’t it? How about taking the fun factor up a notch with fun shaped pancakes. Think it sounds like a lot of work or is too hard? Well, you might be surprised to find out that it is not hard and it actually is a very fun process. It is so easy to make pancakes in fun shapes using the batter pen and fun silicone molds from Kitchen Khancepts.

The batter pen is easy to fill and easy to clean because both ends unscrew. Just fill it up with your favorite pancake batter and then squeeze it into the molds that you have placed in your pan or griddle. You can also use the pen for cake batter making it easy to fill cupcake molds. Everything is food safe materials and BPA Free. Take a look at our video below to see how it works.

You can find this great pancake set on Amazon and if you want to take a look just click on the link below. Let me know what you think.

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Filed under Cooking, Family Fun, Home & Garden, kids, Kitchen, Review

Tagged as amazon, baking, Breakfast, cooking, cupcakes, fun, Fun Shapes, kids, Mommy Ramblings, Pancakes, review, Video Review

February 21, 2016 · 2:32 am

A Smart Way To Inspire Creativity In You Child! #SocialBttrflyCo

I guess I would consider myself a pretty creative person. I love trying my hand at new things, enjoy art projects, crafts, DIY and more. I would say it has rubbed off on just about all of my 5 kids in some way, shape or form. We love painting river rocks, making ornaments, tackling a new DIY project together and making all kids of things. My daughter is a champion knitter as well. My husband joins in too and so I think all 7 of us are a creative bunch.

If you have a creative child or maybe you want to do your best to inspire some creativity, I have something great to share. Smart Art Box is a month subscription art box. Every month it arrives filled with the instruments and supplies to inspire the artist in us all!

Each month, your box will feature a range of top-shelf FULL SIZED art supplies – from acrylic paint to polymer clay – plus a project to go along with it to help teach and inspire your inner artist.

PROJECTS FOR EVERYONE

The project’s are unique and cultural. We create projects that give a quick step by step to help those who are new, and guide those that are seasoned. We also provide tips to help new and old artists gain invaluable new skills.

THE TOOLS YOU NEED

With each medium come the tools to manipulate it and bring out the strength that each style can achieve.

Smart Art was created by a small group of friends, driven by the desire to see the world and experience the culture created by historical visionaries. Along the way, they found inspiration in the many mediums found everywhere, from the poorest of villages, to the most prestigious of cities. Each medium expressed the artist’s individual communities, heritage and personality. For this reason, inspired by the passion portrayed in their art, a new determination was born to pursue and discover the many exciting art mediums across the world.

Together, they are committed to ensuring artists understand art and it’s many mediums throughout time in order to create a better understanding of the world around us. Their mission is to deliver products that kindle creativity, stimulate exciting new techniques and establish a deeper connection with art for everyone.

We received our Smart Art Box and were so impressed with everything inside, full size products, everything we need and instruction to guide and inspire us. I will be updating very soon with our masterpieces. This is certainly “Happy Mail“ for a family like ours and I would bet it would be for yours too!

You can visit Smart Art on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Let me know if you do try Smart Art Box of if you are already receiving monthly creativity delivered to your doorstep.

I was provided with a Smart Art Box to facilitate this post as a blogger working with @SocialBttrflyCo. As always my words and views are always 100% my own.

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Filed under Art, Crafts, hobby, kids, Review

Tagged as @SocialBttrflyCo, Art, Clay, Create, Creativity, Inspiration, Paint, Smart Art Box, Subscription Box

January 3, 2016 · 4:16 pm

How To Relieve Cold and Flu Symptoms

Tis the season for colds and flu. My poor little guys were hit hard with a marathon fever virus that was going around. They literally had fever for over a week and they were not alone. Our pediatrician said it is hitting the area hard. It then turned into strep throat and our youngest missed many days of school leading up to Christmas vacation. They are still not 100% but there are some things we are doing to keep them more comfortable.

One of the things that can make already sore throats feel worse is breathing dry, stuffy air. A cool mist humidifier and make the air much more comfortable. I love this one from Safety 1st, the Ultrasonic 360° Humidifier helps to ease cold symptoms and reduce dry skin and itchy eyes.

Some features that make this my go-to humidifier are that it has 2 fully rotating mist outlets which let me control the direction of the mist and is perfect if you have 2 children who share a room. The other thing I am stoked about is that it requires no filters, so no expensive filters to replace!

It operates very quietly so it works well in the bedroom without making noise that might be frightening or keep children awake. It has a super large tan so you do not have to fill it up as much as one tank lasts about 36 hours. When it is time to refill the unit it will shut off automatically and light up to let me know.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children get an average of 8 to 10 colds every year. In the U.S., the flu is most common between October and May, and peaks in January, February, and March. Parents everywhere should be ready to tackle this season.

If you are looking for other ways to help ease your baby or child’s discomfort when they are sick, Safety 1st has many products besides the humidifier above to help you do that. Check out their extensive selection of thermometers, nasal aspirators, medicine spoons/dispensers and more.

What are some ways you keep your child comfortable when sick. Let me know in the comments, I would love to hear your suggestions. Stay healthy!

I was provided with the above product for free to facilitate my post. As always my words and views are 100% my own.

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Filed under Health, kids, Review

Tagged as baby, Cold, Cool Mist, Cool Mist Humidifier, Flu, Flu Season, kids, No Filter, Relief, Safety 1st, Symptoms

Category Archives: kids