Tag Archives: children

March 14, 2014 · 5:02 pm

pediped Debuts Spring/Summer 2014 Collection With 70 New Styles & Colors!!! Enter Our Giveaway To Win A Pair!!!

pediped

Shoes are so important for children’s feet. Their feet are always growing and it sometimes can be hard to find the right fit. pediped makes it easy for me to get the right fit for my kids and to get the most wear time from the shoes with the sizing tools on their site and the Flex Fit System. The Flex Fit System allows for additional included insoles to be inserted or removed for a custom fit as your child’s foot grows. These insoles can increase the size by as much as 1.5 inches, greatly increasing the life of the shoe.

I recently selected the pediped Boulder Flex Waterproof hiker for my 6-year-old to review. Right out of the box he could not wait to put them on. With the winter we have been having these were the perfect shoe to wear to school because they were waterproof and warm. They are flexible, comfortable and one of his favorite pairs of shoes to wear. I have the inserts in now so he has lots of room to grow. He is able to run and jump in them and be as active as he wants with them on and they are not stiff or cumbersome.

pediped flex

pediped flex fit system

pediped shoes

Rugged and sporty, these pediped® shoes are some perfect hiking-inspired style for your little guy’s wardrobe.
Awarded the Seal of Acceptance from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).
Waterproof leather and suede upper with breathable mesh underlays.
Double hook-and-loop closure for an adjustable and secure fit.
Padded tongue and collar provide additional comfort.
Breathable textile lining and a cushioned textile insole.
Flexible rubber outsole.
Flex Fit System™ allows for additional insoles to be inserted or removed for a custom fit as your child’s foot grows. These insoles can reduce or increase the size of the shoe by almost a half a size, which extends the life of the shoe.
Machine washable.
Imported.

pediped® Debuts Spring/Summer 2014 Collection with Over 70 New Styles and Color Combinations

Collection highlights Memory Foam Technology™, water-safe Adventure Line

and machine washable athletics

pediped® launches its Spring/Summer 2014 Collection of American Podiatric Medical Association accepted footwear. The collection offers more than 70 new styles and color combinations across its three signature lines: Originals®, Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®.

The collection highlights over 20 styles designed with a water-friendly material that is machine washable. Two new styles have been added to the water-safe, eco-friendly Adventure Line, Shoreline and Shorebet; and best-selling Sahara is now available for girls. Riddell and Orion, two athletic styles featuring Ultra Light Technology™ debut in both Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®. Memory Foam Technology™ highlights 10 new styles across Grip ‘n’ Go™ and Flex®.

Originals®

pediped girls original

• Originals® feature flexible, soft-soles recommended by pediatricians and podiatrists as the shoe’s design closely mimics barefoot walking.

• 12 new styles have been added this season. Highlighting the collection is Louisa and Lacee for a brighter wardrobe, and Isabella and Betty cover signature styles. For boys, Martin is an ultra breathable choice for outdoor adventures.

• Originals® will retail at $35 and are available for children in sizes newborn to 24 months.

pediped Spring Line

pediped Originals Boys

Grip ‘n’ Go™

Pediped Girls

• Grip ‘n’ Go™ is made with all the benefits of Originals®, but a special feature G2 Technology™ is added to help a toddler stay balanced while transitioning into a confident stride.

• The collection highlights Memory Foam Technology™ in five new styles: Mirabella, Lacee, Tori, Martin, and Brice. Also new to Grip ‘n’ Go is Riddell and Orion, two athletic styles that are machine washable and water-safe.

• Grip ‘n’ Go™ will be priced at $39 or $48 and is available in EU sizes 19-23, US kids 4-7.

pediped flex girls

Flex®

pediped Boys

• Flex® is the ultimate shoe for confident walkers who have developed a natural stride. Flex® offers more than 50 styles available in a variety of sandals, Mary Janes, ballet flats, athletics, and casual wear that feature a color palette of pastels, bright neon, classic browns and signature black.

• Popular as ever, the water-safe, eco-friendly Adventure Line expands with over 10 new styles and color combinations. Featuring pops of bright colors, the Sahara and Shorebet make their debut for girls alongside Shoreline for boys.

• The innovative line of machine washable athletics, made with Ultra Light Technology™, expands with six new styles and color combinations. Featuring flex grooves to support natural foot movement and heel cushion for added comfort, maximum flexibility is achieved all while remaining light as air.

• Flex® styles range in price from $48 to $57 and are available in EU sizes 20-36, US 5 kids- 4.5 youth (available sizes vary between styles).

The pediped® Spring/Summer 2014 Collection is now available for purchase online at www.pediped.com and in select retail stores.

Win a Pair of pediped Originals in Girl or Boy!!!

Pediped Originals Spring Girls

Pediped Originals Spring Boys Line

pediped is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a pair of pediped Originals in their choice of boy or girl. pediped Originals are available in sizes newborn-24 months. The style of the shoe will be chosen by the sponsor. Thank you pediped for the review shoes and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

pediped Boy or Girl Originals Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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

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Filed under Giveaway, Main Page Post, Reviews

Tagged as baby, children, giveaway, kids, Mommy Ramblings, pediped, review, shoes

December 5, 2013 · 2:16 am

“Denton the Dragon in Tales of Bubbleland” Teaches Children Important Character Building Values Through Stories and Songs!!!

Do you worry about the poor values and morals our kids are exposed to? TV shows, music, performers and celebrities do not always present the kind of values we want to instill in our children. Jeff Hutchins a father of 2 girls as well as a retired inventor and businessman, is the author of Denton the Dragon in Tales of Bubbleland. This newly released book was written by Jeff to help parents and teachers teach children universal values like honesty, gratitude and how to treat others who are different. The book contains 19 character building stories aimed at children 4-8 years old.

Bubbleland Collection

The book is available in both home and school editions. The school edition is made with the teacher in mind and comes in three over-sized, beautifully illustrated storybooks with an 18 week curriculum guide. Designed to be read aloud to one child or an entire class, they include the unique ability to show pictures to the children while the text remains visible to the reader. The home edition is a beautiful hardback book with 19-tales featuring Denton the Dragon and his friends. Both books were written to help parents and teachers teach character development in a fun and engaging way.

Denton

Children will be captivated by the stories and illustrations while parents and teachers will appreciate the large, easy to read book and the powerful discussions they act as a springboard for. School editions are perfect for homeschooling moms and dads too! Denton is a lovable and naive dragon that lives in Bubbleland. Children are able to easily relate to Denton and understand and discuss life lessons based on his silly yet insightful experiences.
Denton dragon

I recently read one of the included stories, Hilwin, the Boy with Wheels. This story was about differences and Hilwin is a little boy who uses a wheelchair. Denton was curious and through his curiosity we learn about some of the things Hilwin experiences, like people looking at him funny. In the end it’s less about the ways they are different and more about how much they have in common that resonates with kids. The end of the book even includes a way to expand and get children engaged in conversation about the story. You can download, Hilwin, the Boy with Wheels for free HERE!

A safe entertainment section for kids is coming soon to the website. The music section of the website features a collection of songs inspired by the Tales of Bubbleand produced by Jeff Hutchins and George Scott and performed and written by singer/songwriters like Billy Jonas, Jane Kramer, Timmy Abell and the Swayback Sisters. You can check out the song section yourself HERE and even download a free song!!! You can find Denton The Dragon on Facebook, and Twitter . Check it out for yourself and leave a comment letting us know what you think!

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Tagged as Character Building, children, Denton the Dragon, home, Mommy Ramblings, review, school, Tales in Bubbleland, teach, Teaching

April 16, 2013 · 11:58 pm

Unexpected Gratitude For Broken Crayons and Eraserless Pencils

It might have been the gray drizzle falling coupled with the cool morning air, that was surprising given the weather forecast I had watched the night before, that made things feel off. Whatever it was, as I drove my son to preschool, my mind drifted back to the horrific events that unfolded in Boston yesterday.

Then my mind wandered to the horror that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut a few months ago and how after dropping off one son at preschool, I was headed to volunteer at my other son’s kindergarten class. I started to think back to something my son’s teacher mentioned during a talk we had the other day about the teachers all locking their classrooms doors now, so they couldn’t be opened from the outside. The more I thought about all these things together, it made me really uneasy, but I knew I could not let evil win.

You see, I live in a town that is similar to Mayberry, but we all saw last December that even the Mayberrys are not immune from the violence and terror we have seen or have even come to accept in bigger cities.

Our school is quite secure and has its exterior doors locked and visitors must be buzzed in and checked in with their driver’s license etc. Well, as I pulled into the parking lot it was very lucky I saw a custodian exiting because when I walked up to the main doors and pressed the buzzer I noticed there was no one at the reception area. After a minute, I buzzed again and that was when had I not seen the custodian, I would have been very alarmed. I have never been to the school where the reception area was unattended. That was when I had a bad feeling that something was wrong. Finally, the woman who was in charge of guest reception emerged from the bathroom and apologized profusely. I felt better and signed in and walked to my child’s classroom.

When I went in the classroom the children were all seated on the brightly colored alphabet rug going over some things with their teacher. It’s so funny to hear the things these uninhibited children say. One little girl was all excited because she was going to get up and show her fellow classmates how she counts to 20 in French. She went through the numbers 1-20 in French and the other children repeated after her. When she was done, one of the little boys raised his hand and said that his sister takes French and he thinks she said the right words. The teacher agreed telling them that the little girl’s mom speaks fluent French. After she said this the classroom aide, turned to me and whispered, “Yes, but her pronunciation was off.” I could not help but chuckle to myself.

I was going to be helping in the Science center as the kids rotated through the various centers and helping with an Earth Day Poster. As the teacher was explaining what they would be putting on their poster, one of the sections was to draw a picture of something they could do in their neighborhood to make a difference. Many hands went up and one little girl said she could help her dad rake outside and clean up his mess. To which the teacher replied, “That’s good you can help you dad clean up his mess.”

As the kids got up and went to the different centers, the reading center was being attended by the teacher who was doing reading groups. I heard one of the boys tell her that the classroom aide says that when you fart it’s called passing gas. To which the teacher with the straightest face declared that was correct, and it was called passing gas. This and about a dozen similar funny comments from the mouths of babes made me just shake my head and chuckle to myself. Then as I was helping all these individual and beautiful children with their posters, teaching some how to easily draw a butterfly and knowing how it takes a village to raise a child and privileged to be able to help nurture these little minds, it came back. That terrible thought came back.

I thought about the unspeakable evil that was unleashed on children just a little older than the ones surrounding me. How they were probably doing very similar things as these children when evil entered. Children who should be thinking about Earth Day and making posters with their class, children whose greatest problem would be waiting for their turn to use a certain color crayon. Children who were no longer in school, no longer with their families, no longer in this life due to the deranged actions of a very disturbed young man. I was snapped quickly back to the present by the children asking me to look at their work or where they were to glue what and was thankful for that.

Thankful because when we live in a world where evil does not discriminate between the big cities and the Mayberrys of our world, we need to cherish our every moment and live life to the fullest. I was extremely blessed to be helping in my son’s class with his friends and classmates, listening to their laughter and helping them draw butterflies.

Looking down at the broken crayons that were once whole and new in September and are now broken and very used, I mentioned to one of the little girls that it looked like they needed some fresh new crayons. She agreed and then told me that the next table needs new pencils because people have been eating the erasers. A smile and a small laugh could not help but escape my lips and a silent prayer that broken crayons and eraserless pencils are the only problems these kids will need to deal with.

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Tagged as Blessings, Bombing, children, Crayons, Evil, Gratitude, Pencils, Sandy Hook, School Boston, Terror

June 15, 2011 · 3:33 pm

The Yoga Garden Game from YogaKids Review & Give-Away!!! {Give-Away Ended}

Recently I received The Yoga Garden Game from YogaKids to review. This beautiful game was created by Jennifer Durand and is a cooperative game and fun learning tool. The game is designed to help children plan and learn yoga in the Parents Choice award winning YogaKids style. The Yoga Garden plants seeds for a lifetime of harmony, peace and well being.

This game is really great because kids naturally love to move and enjoy yoga. The objective of the game is to plant a flower in the garden before night fall. As the players travel around the board they learn classic yoga postures, and have the chance to invent their own.

The Yoga Garden pose cards show the different poses and since they are named after animals and objects found in nature it provides a natural springboard to develop their imaginations and awareness, while learning the different poses.

As parents we like our kids to be active and have fun while playing and learning. This game is fun but also provides physical exercise, learning and creativeness that we as parents try hard to foster in our children. The game is for ages 4 and up and the illustrations on the board are so beautiful it really is a work of art as well.

YogaKids has generously provided Mommy Ramblings with another Yoga Garden Game that we will be giving to one lucky blog reader. Would you like a chance to win this great game? If so follow the give-away rules below and good luck. This is open to US residents.

Mandatory Entry-Go to the YogaKids Website and let me know another product of theirs you like. Leave your choice in a comment on this post. (This entry must be done or all others will not count and be deleted).

Extra Entries: (make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry of they will not count)

1. Like Mommy Ramblings on Facebook and leave me a comment here that you did.

2. Like YogaKids on Facebook, and leave a comment on their wall that Mommy Ramblings sent you. Then leave me a comment here that you liked them on Facebook.

3. Follow Mommy Ramblings on Twitter, and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.

4. Follow YogaKids on Twitter, and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.

5. Subscribe to Mommy Ramblings by email and leave me a comment here that you did.

6. Vote for Mommy Ramblings on Picket Fence Blogs (Button is on the side of our blog, “We’re on the Fence) and leave me a comment here you did.

7. Vote for Mommy Ramblings on Top Mommy Blogs (button is on the side of our blog) and leave me a comment here that you did.

8. Post this give away on your Facebook status and leave me a comment here that you did.

9. Tweet this give-away on Twitter and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.

10. Like Blueberry Hill Photography on Facebook and leave me a comment here that you did.

Good Luck Everyone!!! Give Away Ends July 5th at 12am EST. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

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Tagged as children, garden, give-away, Mommy Ramblings, review, The Yoga Garden Game, Yoga, YogaKids

April 6, 2011 · 6:42 am

Tea Collection Boys Clothing Line Review!!!

The Tea Collection recently sent me out some pieces from their boys clothing line. I was beyond thrilled to be selected to review these pieces. Luke modeled the size 3 (a bit big on my peanut) Escarabat graphic tee which is available in sizes sm (6-12mo) to 7 yrs. The tee has a retail price of $19.00. It is a super comfy, 100% cotton, in a gravel color.

Then we paired that with the El Born Tile Print Shirt available in sizes sm(6-12m) to 11/12 years. Barcelona’s tiny El Born district is characterized by narrow waterfront streets. It’s medieval, artsy and hip all at once. This shirt will definitely be coming along on our vacation. The shirt is 100% cotton and super comfy. The retail price on this shirt is $35.00.

Ethan is wearing a size 5 (also a tad large but perfect for this Fall) Boardwalk Hooded Sweater available in sizes Sm (6-12mo) to 11/12 yrs. It’s Picasso in casual beach mode with color blocking and stripes. The perfect pullover for breezy afternoons and cool nights. This sweater is 100% Pima Cotton and super cozy and soft. This sweater retails for $59.00.

You can view the entire Tea clothing line for girls and boys. You will be sure to find some cute, comfy, stylish clothing for the little ones in your life.

Vacation Rentals vs Hotels, My Views on the Matter.

You may notice a theme here because I am in vacation-planning mode. When Jimi is competing in Atlanta, at the USAPL Masters Nationals we will be staying at the Atlanta Sheraton, since that is where the meet is taking place. We will only be staying there for 2 days. After that, we are driving down to spend a week on the gulf, in Dunedin, Florida. We were scouring internet sites like Expedia looking for hotels. I will tell you, that has always been our choice for vacation lodging. I have heard here and there, from friends, who stayed in a vacation rental, but really knew nothing about it and never ventured into learning more. However, this time we just could not find a hotel where we wanted to stay, that had the atomosphere we wanted, so I took the plunge and started searching for vacation rentals. I found that what I pulled up was great and that the reviews were that family after family loved this type of lodging. Most families said they would never stay in a hotel again.

Some of the things that are different between hotels and vacation rentals are that hotels are usually owned by a corporation and vacation rentals are owned by families for the most part. The owners of the vacation rentals tend to be very attentive to their guests and will really work to make your stay enjoyable. Often, the owners will communicate a great deal with the guests beforehand, finding out about their family and providing things that will make their stay more enjoyable. The owners for instance will be happy to tell you, they have sand toys, highchairs, cribs, etc to help families out by not having to pack those things. Staying at vacation rentals is supporting the mom and pop businesses and feeling more like extended family then just a reservation. Another perk of vacation rentals is that they are usually pet friendly and most hotels are not, so this is great for families taking beloved Fido and Fifi along. There is often much more square footage with a vacation rental than a hotel. This is great for big families or it can allow friends to split the costs. Most vacation rentals have multiple bedrooms, living area, full kitchen, patio or deck and a yard. Often the rentals have bbq grills, bikes, boats, fishing gear, and even perks like sunset cruises depending where you are staying and what the climate is.

Vacation rentals vary in price and can be more expensive than hotels, but given the perks and the fact that the extra space can allow families to split the cost, helps to make it manageable. Each rental will vary on what they supply and you have to understand that some require you bring your own linens, towels and cleaning supplies but many will provide all of that. In addition, most vacation rentals have on site laundry so that really is convenient, especially when traveling with kiddies. If your vacation rental is near a state park or beach, most rentals will include a season pass to those attractions so that comes in very handy. Some vacation rentals will charge a cleaning fee and other do not. Like any type of lodging you need to do your research and read lots of reviews. Do internet searches and just don’t rely on reviews on the owner’s site. If you do your homework, then you can make the decision which will work best for your family. We booked with a vacation rental and I will be taking you along every step of the way, in the hope I can enlighten the novice as to what vacation rentals are like. If you are a savvy vacation renter then be sure and post your tips here.

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Tagged as amenities, beach, children, corporation, dog beach, Dunedin, gulf, hotel, kids, mom and pop, pet-friendly, road trip, travel, vacation rentals

December 30, 2010 · 11:57 pm

Christmas Day!

Well, Christmas Day was a blast. The little ones were definitely all aglow when they saw what Santa left under the tree. We, left out some homemade cookies and milk in front of the fireplace for Santa. The big kids got some nice gifts as well, most of which they opened on Christmas Eve (no fair). Alexandra got a huge bottle of Chanel Chance, Yankee Candles, Footie PJs, Charlie Brown Christmas hardcover special edition book, and a lot of clothes, plus she is getting new tires for her Rav 4. Ray got new tires for his car (boy were they hard to wrap), lots of clothes, leather gloves, and other stuff. Michael got a ton of clothes, hats, gloves, DJ Hero set with the turntable for PS3, some video games for the whole family for the wii, the dance ones that are great for exercise. Ethan loved the workbench with real working tool sounds and effects, they both loved their Bruder trucks, Zhu Zhu pets were another hit with the kids and dogs alike. Believe it or not the little ones got so wrapped up in the presents they opened we still have wrapped presents under the tree which they open everyday. The other big hit was their acoustic guitars and Singamajigs. Ethan got the Tag Junior reader and books and he really likes that. Santa brought Mommy a new speedlight for her camera, an extra camera battery, and this neat camera lens travel mug that looks just like a camera lens, bracelet and necklace. Daddy got a Dallas Cowboys throw, Superman PJs (lol), the new Jimi Hendrix box set (West Coast Seattle Boy), new sweat pants, a mousepad of a favorite picture of him and the little guys, and things I cannot even remember. Santa also stuffed all of our stockings with goodies as well. Later in the evening we had a great dinner with a delicious beef roast with organic carrots and fingerling potatoes, a roasted turkey breast, and lots of sweet goodies for dessert. Later in the evening our cousins stopped by to visit with their two kids. It was a very long but very blessed day to spend with family and enjoy the greatest gifts of all, each other and love.

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Tagged as children, Christmas Day, Family, food, love, Presents, santa

December 11, 2010 · 6:54 am

Gingerbread Dreams, Sugarplum Wishes!!!

Well, as I type my fingers are still sticky with royal icing. I just finished assembling the cottage structure of the gingerbread house, so that tomorrow it will be nice and sturdy for little hands to decorate with a multitude of colored, sweet and tangy candies. I am not going in with expectations of a perfectly decorated gingerbread cottage that would grace the pages of “Good Housekeeping.” I am well aware that with having 1 and 3-year-old designers, perfection is not what we are going for. We will be going for perfectly imperfect. I imagine between the sugar rush and their little fingers that the finished product will be lucky to come away with all four walls and the roof still attached. I want to create the memories my children will carry with them as they grow and one day have their own families. I think those things are so much more important than material things. So late at night I fumble with the piping bags of sticky icing and mutter under my breath as it takes me a few tries to get the structure standing. Tomorrow I will be whipping up another batch of the sticky stuff to use as glue for the decorations.

Visions of chubby little hands sneaking tastes of the sticky sweet stuff and thinking that it is the greatest thing in the world to be decorating with the vast array of treats. I am sure they will be in Gum Drop Heaven, with all the colors and textures and tastes. It will be a lot of messy fun and I am looking forward to capturing their little faces on camera. Those are the memories I want to keep long after the cookie house has crumbled away. I love seeing the joy of the season through little eyes just discovering things for the first time. To see the wonder and the amazement of the season in their faces is so incredible. I am so blessed to be able to go through this again as my it just goes by in a blink as I know with my older kids. God was so great to have blessed me with the opportunity to experience it again. I am so very grateful.

Embracing Dandelions!

All Winter Ethan has been waiting for the “wishy flowers” aka Dandelions. He has tried to blow on many other variety of flowers but nothing gives him the satisfaction of seeing the little seeds take to the air with a simple puff of his own air. Little children love to cause a big change. This is the reason they love to throw rocks in the water because they can cause such a big reaction. Well, when that first Dandelion went to seed and he saw them again he was elated and spent a great deal of time going from one to the other and spreading their seeds. Now, many people would be mortified to find these “weeds” on their lawns, in fact they labor over eradicating them from their property. Not here, here we embrace Dandelions.

I am proud of our natural, organic, chemical free lawn and that comes with Dandelions. I cannot fathom how people put pesticides and chemicals all over the lawn that their children and pets walk and play on. I cannot even understand companies with the name ChemLawn. I mean really…let’s just pour poison all over our lawn. I know that my son revels in the Dandelions and that a perfectly manicured weed free lawn would never bring him that joy. Let’s face it, if Dandelions were hard to grow then everyone would want them. We however will just leave them and when we cut the grass they are gone for a few days and that is okay with us. After all God created them and we know he does not make mistakes. At our house we will continue embracing Dandelions.