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An alternative to juice boxes
My girls only drink milk and water at home because they get enough juice boxes and fruit “drinks” at playdates and other get-togethers. There are few products that are as convenient as juice boxes or pouches for drinking “on the go”. This is one of the reasons I was happy to sample all four flavors of Horizon Organic Single Serve milk that Mom Central sent us.
This product is not new to my girls - sometimes we make a trip to Starbucks just for chocolate “moo milk” as Marsy calls it. Okay, I admit I also get a vanilla latte for myself. But that’s not the point. The combination of the cute cow on the packaging and the delicious creaminess of the milk make this beverage irresistible to her, and I’m happy that she’s drinking something nutritious, produced without antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides.
Like a juice box, Horizon Single Serve milk comes in an 8-oz container with an attached straw. It has a little foil part that you can peel away to open up the box so that the last drops of milk won’t go to waste, which makes it easy to pour it into a bottle for a baby to drink as well (although she drinks perfectly well from a straw). The milk “box” will keep at room temperature for up to seven months, or until the expiration date. 
Horizon Organic Single Serve milk comes in four flavors - traditional white milk, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Marsy prefers chocolate, and baby will drink any of them. She especially liked the strawberry milk that Marsy wouldn’t touch (she has something against anything strawberry-flavored, but not the fruit itself).
Generally I only let M&M drink flavored milk once in a while (like when we go out to eat), but I’m seriously considering having a pack of Horizon Organic Single Serve milk in the pantry at all times. Since baby is drinking whole milk now, it’s so easy to just throw one of these boxes in her diaper bag in case she gets a yearning for milk while we’re out and about. Once they start school it will be the perfect beverage to pack in their lunches.
Check out the Horizon Organic website to learn more about eating organically. You can also download an activity book, learn fun cow facts, print coloring pages, and find fun games to play with your kids!
Truly, the Greatest Show on Earth
I remember enjoying the circus when I was a little girl, and I’m not ashamed to say I love it just as much now, maybe even more so since I get to see it from my daughters’ eyes as well. It’s one of the few things that hasn’t been completely overhauled by technological advances.
Marsy has been to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus three times (and she’s barely turning four years old!) Last Spring was the most memorable of all. She still talks about it! It was a “Bellobration”, focusing on Bello the clown. They do a great job of changing the theme every season so even if you go more than once a year you never see the same show twice.
I’ve taken full advantage of the Baby’s First Circus program that Ringling Bros. offers. Babies can receive a free ticket voucher that can be exchanged for a free ticket to any Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance, anytime, anywhere. The best thing is that it has no expiration date! I have baby’s certificate sitting in a drawer for when I actually have to buy her a ticket. At most venues, kids 2 and under get in free as long as they sit on Mommy or Daddy’s lap. MJ has already gone to the circus herself, when she was 7 months old. Surprisingly it held her attention for the majority of the show (I didn’t want to startle her with the camera flash, so sorry for the dark photo!).
Ringling Bros. just rolled out a new website with a train as it’s focal point. Move from car to car to learn about the different shows, meet the animals, discover more about the history of the circus, and play in the “Fun Zone.” The Clown Cannon game had Marsy cracking up! A neat feature is the desktop train widget that you can download to countdown the days until the circus comes to your town.
Purchasing tickets is easy; it only takes two clicks of your mouse. All you have to do is go on ringling.com and type in your zip code to find a show near you. Mom Central and Ringling Bros. have teamed up and are offering a special 20% discount code applicable for tickets in the following cities:
- Indianapolis, IN - Sept. 4-7, 2008
- Kansas City, MO - Sept. 10-14, 2008
- Grand Rapids, MI - Sept. 18-21, 2008
- Denver, CO - Oct. 2-13, 2008
- Boston, MA – Oct. 8-13, 2008
- Cleveland, OH - Oct. 24 - Nov. 2
- Chicago, IL - Nov. 6 - 30, 2008
- St. Louis, MO - Nov. 6-9, 2008
- Auburn Hills, MI - Nov. 12 - 16, 2008
- Highland Heights, KY - Feb 27 - Mar. 1, 2009
- Cincinnati, OH - Mar. 4 - 8, 2008
The 20% discount code is: MCC. Feel free to pass this code on to friends and family that live in or near those cities! If you’ve already bought tickets to a show, plan on getting there a little early for the All Access Pre-Show. One hour before showtime, clowns come out, you can see (and even touch!) animals up close, and much, much more!
I would love to eventually attend the circus as a VIP and ride in the train around the ring. It’s pricey, but I know the girls would love that. Maybe when they’re a little older!
Wordless Wednesday - Trouble
But it’s not what it looks like! Click here to see what really happened…
guilt-free chocolatey goodness
Last year I wanted to dress the girls up as M&Ms. I brought it up with Marsy last week, and she gave me a funny look. Apparently it’s a dumb idea because according to her kids only dress up as princesses, super heroes, witches, or pumpkins for Halloween.
I tried to push the M&M idea by letting her design her own candy character on the M&Ms website. This is what Marsy & I came up with for her and baby:
But it didn’t work. The answer to the costume question is still up in the air. Marsy changes her mind everyday; I might just see what’s available in the neighborhood costume exchange so I don’t waste any money. I figure I can’t go wrong with anything Disney or Princess-y. As for baby… she’ll probably be stuck wearing her big sister’s old witch costume if I can figure out where I stored it.
Want to become an M&M yourself? All you have to do is go here: www.m-ms.com/us/becomeanmm/ and follow the step-by-step instructions to customize your character. When you’re finished, you can buy custom merchandise, download it to your computer, print it, email it to a friend, and even play games with your new character! How cool is that! My daughter had a blast creating a likeness of herself.
What’s your favorite kind of M&M? I love peanut, especially mixed with popcorn! YUM.
It all started with a piggy bank…
On her last birthday, Marsy received a beautiful piggy bank from her savvy auntie, Monica. It’s so cute, and even has her name hand-painted on it. Immediately the money she got in her birthday cards went in there, as did the loose change from her daddy’s pockets.
I thought about it for a few days, did a little research on allowances both online and by talking to some friends with older kids, and decided it was the right time to start our own system. She was already showing interest in dealing with money, so I knew that was a good sign. My dilemma was whether to tie the allowance to chores or not. Ultimately I chose the former, because I didn’t want her to think that we were giving her money “just because”. I explained to her the concept of having a job and responsibilities, and how sometimes you get paid for that. Her “job” would be to keep her room tidy, clean up her toys after playing, and put her dishes next to the sink after each meal. I figured 3 responsibilities for a three-year old sounded fair. At the end of each day she would get 50 cents to put in her piggy bank if all her chores were done. She made her first purchase with a combination of gift cards and allowance money a few weeks later - a V-Tech Kidizoom digital camera.
Dealing with the steady stream of “I want that!” and “Can I buy this?” is easy. If she sees something she wants, I tell her that she has to save up for it. We still buy her Christmas and birthday gifts obviously, but anything extra is up to her. Her most recent purchase was a light-up hula hoop and a 3 gallon container of bubble solution. I didn’t think the hula hoop would have a long life (considering she doesn’t know how to use it) but she loves it. She still uses her camera on a regular basis also, and other than a few scuffs, it’s in pristine condition. Maybe the fact that she bought it herself makes all the difference.
It’s been almost a year since she received that piggy bank, and although I still have to remind her about her chores once in a while, she carries them out without complaint. Her fourth birthday is less than a week away, so it would make sense to add one more task to her daily chores, but I’m not going to. She is great about helping me when she sees me doing household work (transferring clothes from washer to dryer, sorting socks, unloading the dishwasher, watering plants, etc) so I think she really understands the concept. I’m still not sure if I’m going to raise her allowance, though… but I still have a few more days to ponder that question.
I wrote this post to participate in this week’s Parent Bloggers Network Blog Blast. It’s sponsored by Capitol One, which just launched an interactive Moneywi$e eLearning tool to help you learn about money management, as well as how to talk to your kids about it.
The Responsibility Project
A while back, Liberty Mutual ran this commercial about doing things for strangers:
Other commercials have since followed. They showcase the concept of “paying it forward,” where someone sees another person doing a good deed and is then inspired to do something similar for a stranger. People responded extraordinarily well to these commercials, so the insurance company decided to create a series of short films and a website to further explore the idea of “doing the right thing.”
Liberty Mutual thinks that “the more people think and talk about responsibility, the more the world becomes a better place.” Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I totally believe that. It’s so important for me, as a mother, to instill important values in my daughters. They’re almost always by my side at this point, but as they get older and start going to school, I won’t always know what they see and hear when I’m not around. So it’s crucial to talk about this now.
The Responsibility Project website includes resources to help families discuss the subject of personal responsibility and the importance of showing consideration for others. There is a blog with provocative articles and stories about responsibility, several discussion guides, and - my favorite feature of the site - a variety of short films.
Marsy responded very well to the animated film “Dinner For Two” . It had her laughing out loud within the first minute, yet at the end she still understood the underlying concept of it - the importance of sharing, and how fighting affects everyone around you. There are 8 other wonderful films to watch, so check them out with your kids when you have a few minutes to spare. It’s worth it. Thank you to Mom Central for introducing me to yet another wonderful parenting tool!
This begs the question - what’s your policy? What does responsibility mean to you?
Wordless Wednesday - Huh?
Can you figure out what this is?
Click here for another pic and the answer!
You know you go out to eat too much…
When your daughter starts designing restaurants with her blocks!
Last weekend we had dinner at the place where I used to work. I don’t usually like to eat there because our meal is frequently interrupted by ex-coworkers stopping by to say “hi” or “when are you coming back,” which is nice, but kind of ruins the experience. My food gets cold, my kids get impatient, and having to introduce MilkDud to so-and-so gets old after a while. I stopped working there back in 2005, so I figured after 3 years it’s highly unlikely that I’ll know anyone, considering the high turnover rate in the industry.
We had to wait a bit before we were seated. Marsy ran around the host stand, marveling at the beautiful designs painted on the columns and ceiling of the restaurant. Once we were seated, she still couldn’t take her eyes off the ceiling, and asked me “Mommy, is there another restaurant up there? I remember riding an elevator up to the other restaurant.”
My jaw dropped. She remembered! There IS an elevator that goes up to the second floor, which houses offices and training classrooms. It’s only accessible to staff, since you have to go through the kitchen to get to it.
Why was I so shocked? Because I took Marsy to work with me for a short period of time. When she was 3 months old. I would carry her in her infant car seat on the elevator every morning, and she would sit there happily, or in her travel swing, for a few hours everyday. It was great while it lasted, but the arrangement didn’t sit well with the area director, so I decided to resign when Marsy was 5 months old. She hasn’t been upstairs since. So you can see why I was amazed at her memory!
I remember being on an airplane with my mom when I was 2 or 3 years old and seeing Santa Claus. I also vividly remember playing on a Slip ‘N Slide at around the same age. That’s all. Nothing significant, really.
What do you remember from your early childhood? (if anything)
Pass the lemonade please! The Noodleboro Picnic Basket Game
I love to play board games with Marsy while her baby sister is napping. It’s a great way to spend quality one-on-one time together. Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders are two of our favorites. Being able to reinforce counting and color recognition and teach her social skills, like taking turns and good sportsmanship, all while having fun really is priceless.
I’m thrilled to announce that Hasbro has done it again! Our new favorite is the Noodleboro Learning About Manners Picnic Basket Game. Marsy loves having picnics so this game was an immediate hit before we even opened the box.
It’s so hard to have a perfect picnic when troublesome little ants want to steal your food! By saying “please” and “thank you”, you chase the ants away, and collect all the items you need to share a nice lunch. You start off by setting up the gameboard, which looks like a checkered picnic blanket. The picnic items (lemonade, sandwich, apple, etc) are printed on different colored tokens. Choose the color that you want to collect, and sit on that side of the board. The youngest person plays first, by using their manners to ask the other players, “May I please take a token?” They then say “Thank you,” close their eyes, and take a token from the basket.
If the token matches the color of their items, they place it on top of the matching item. 
If it doesn’t, they put it anywhere on the picnic blanket, so another player can collect it on his or turn. There are 5 ants in the picnic basket as well. If you get one, it’s okay! Just put it on the blanket, and it’s the next player’s turn.
If you forget your manners, other players are allowed to remind you, but forget too many times and your token goes back in the basket! The game ends when one player collects all 5 of their picnic items, so it only takes a short time to play. No getting distracted or bored before it’s over. In fact, Marsy usually wants to play it over and over and over again!
Included in the box are a companion CD and a storybook that enforces the social skills taught in the game. We always like to sit and read the book together before playing. Sometimes Marsy prefers to read it along with the CD instead. Mommy isn’t so good at doing all the different voices, I guess!
Marsy’s 4th birthday is coming up soon, and another Noodleboro board game is on her wish list! There are two others to choose from:
These games retail for approximately $19.99 and are recommended for ages 4 and up. I had a blast watching Marsy play the game with 3 of her friends. It’s neat seeing them be so polite to each other, for a change!
You have a chance to own one of these great products! Mom Central is giving away 200 Noodleboro games! Click HERE to enter. Your kids will thank you! It only takes a minute, so go for it. Mom Central will let you know in a few weeks if you’re a lucky winner!
The Rules of a Toddler
While reading through my usual blogs
the other day, I came upon a post from
Mommy on Top that I enjoyed, so I
thought I’d share it!
The Rules of a Toddler!
If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be removed.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy’s hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn’t stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it IS food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a car seat, it must be protested with arched back.
If it is Mommy, it must be hugged.Borrowed from Love Those Kids - Clean Jokes & Family Entertainment.
This describes both my kids perfectly! Can you think of anything to add?
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