Tag Archives: toys

A Hurricane – A Horricaine – And Some Baggage

Some Hurricane Flummery… AND The Thought Bubble Of A 4-Year-Old…

“Mommy, Mommy, The Horricaine Is Coming!” Yes folks, that’s what they call it. It’s a Horricaine and it’s big, bad and ugly!

October 29th, 2012 – Hurricane Sandy hit a little old town in Massachusetts. The tree limbs were flailing, the rain poured down, and two little girls snuggled next to their mother while watching the news.

Thoughts from a mother… Gosh, I hope a tree doesn’t fall on our house (well, sort of)… Ok, so maybe this should read… Gosh, I hope a tree doesn’t fall on our house while we are in it… that’s more like it.

Thoughts from a 6-year-old… Goodness me, those trees are swaying an awful lot! I am so very happy though! I get to spend the whole day in my pajamas and be lazy!!! Yippeeeeee!!!

Thoughts from a 4-year-old… Hmm… I just heard something about an evacumation (evacuation, for those of you who think that was a typo)… I wonder what that is?

Julia (The 4-Year-Old) – “Mom, what is an evacumation?”

Mom – “Well Julia, it is when people are asked to leave their homes for some time because it may not be safe to stay there.”

Julia – “Oh… um, do you think we will ever have to be evacumated?”

Mom – “I’m not sure. You never know.”

20 minutes later…

Sounds – Something being dragged down the hallway, accompanied by grunting from a 4-year-old. Julia finally appeared, two bags in tow.

Mom – “Julia, what’s in those bags?”

Julia – “Mom” (she said with a twang), “I had to pack my toys in case of an evacumation!!!”

Mom – ((crickets))

Posted in Children, Education, Family, Flummery, Funnies, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting | Tagged hurricane, natural disaster, rain, sandy, toys, trees, wind | Leave a comment

Technology, Baby And Fisher-Price

The Technology Savvy Baby And Fisher-Price…

Fisher-Price products have been a staple in my home since the birth of my children. Since 1930, Fisher-Price has been crafting products for young children that are not only safe and age appropriate, they help our children’s developing minds grow. Through the years, I have watched the impressive evolution of Fisher-Price toys and products. Recently, I was approached to do a review on a brand new product by Fisher Price.

Clearly, babies and toddlers are more tech savvy than ever before. Fisher-Price, well aware of what our little children are interested in, came up with every parent’s dream… a device to keep our tech savvy kids from ruining our favorite tech items… The Apptivity Product Line. Currently, the product line features 4 amazing tech accessories to keep your devices safe and secure.

The Laugh And Learn Apptivity Monkey - Compatible with the iPhone or iPod Touch. This monkey is not only cute and cuddly, it holds an iPhone or iPod and entertains baby at the same time.
The Laugh And Learn Apptivity Case For The iPad – Put your iPad in the case, drop it, hit it or drool all over it. Trust me, the iPad is safe.
The Kid-Tough Apptivity Case For The iPhone And iPod Touch – This is the case I received.
The Kid-Tough Apptivity Case For The Kindle-Fire.

When I received the Kid-Tough Apptivity case, I initially thought I’d use it with my iPhone. Moments after I took it out of its box, my daughter Julia decided to claim it for her own iPod touch. I agreed quickly since she is a bit of a mess maker and has a tendency to not only leave food stains on the screen, she also has trouble keeping it safe and out of harms (or should I say our bulldog’s) way. Since the Apptivity case met Julia’s iPod, all has been good. The case has kept her iPod safe. Even Cooper, our bulldog, has not been able to ruin it. What is most impressive is that Julia, my lovely daughter, did in fact drop it in a bowl filled with milk… Both the Apptivity Case and her iPod Touch survived.

Thank you Fisher-Price!

Posted in Children, Education, Family, Girls, Kids, Media, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Shopping, Tech | Tagged baby, Children, fisher price, Kids, safety, toys | Leave a comment

Elfster, Birthday’s, Presents And More… The App

http://www.elfster.com/

Description: What was it about Elfster that got me? Two things on this little app made me smile. First, the cute little green and pink picture with the elf, and second, the description which includes the phrase “a party in your pocket”! Hopefully, you are already interested in this “FREE” app. It is your very own wishlist, or your families wishlist, that you can share with anyone. Even better, once you start creating wishlists, you have the ability to view trending gifts and add, share, like or simply view them. You can also choose anything to add to your wishlist by entering a website link and browsing. Can’t find what you really want through a website or would prefer being surprised? Enter a description using text. If you are at the mall and see numerous things you would like to put on your Christmas list or child’s birthday wish list, just scan the bar code directly from Elfster and it will be added to your list. You can now follow your families wish lists and they can follow yours! This little app kicks butt and the colors are oh so girly!
Please don’t forget to vote for me! You can vote every day, once a day, until April 10th! I really need your votes and it takes only just a moment!

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Shopping, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged amazon, best, birthday, blogging, business, buy, Children, computer, facebook, Family, google, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Mom, momblog, mommy, moms, Parenting, presents, read, shop, Shopping, social networking, tech, today, toys, toysrus, trend, trending, trends, twitter, website, wordpress, write | Leave a comment

My Little Pony In The Belly Of My Bulldog Pup?

“Is anyone missing a My Little Pony?” Yup, that’s what she said…

Thursday evening, I noticed Cooper didn’t look too hot. My normally crazy bulldog pup was not his usual self. Not interested in his food or water, and having regurgitated a stinky liquid, I realized Cooper had more than just a little stomach bug. Of course, since the veterinarian’s office was closed, before taking him to an ever so expensive animal hospital, I decided to look up his symptoms. The results all pointed to one thing… get him seen immediately.

Off we were, to our local animal hospital! I drove as calming music played in the background… Cooper huffed, puffed, and complained the whole ride. The pathetic noises were nothing in comparison to what we were about to deal with. Arriving at the hospital, I realized the wait would be long. There were many other patients ahead of us. Sitting with Cooper in the waiting room seemed like forever. He is still a puppy and very inquisitive. Every patient that came in was a new friend according to Cooper. Finally, the Veterinarian came and asked for Cooper. We spoke briefly, and she let me know that they believed he needed x-rays. Handing off my big baby, I prayed for our pregnant veterinarian, hoping she would have a positive experience with my puppy, although I knew the moment they tried to keep him still, he would cause a ruckus.

The moment of truth came when our Veterinarian asked for us after his x-rays came back. Her first words… “is anyone in your home missing a My Little Pony?” Danny and I looked at one another with complete disbelief (well, kind of)… “Yes, I am sure” I said. We both shook our heads and did not know whether to laugh or cry. The vet then told us that Cooper was a little out of sorts because they had to sedate him for the x-rays… shocker! She took us back to the x-ray room because she needed us to verify whether the My Little Pony in question was in fact the type with plastic hair or doll hair. The difference being the way they may need to remove it and whether they needed a lasso or it could be pulled out by the hair. The x-ray was amazing. A perfect silhouette. I have added two pictures, one side view and the other a rear view.

At about 2:30 am, my daughter Julia woke up and asked where Cooper was. When we informed her that a My Little Pony was in his belly and he was at the Animal Hospital, she responded “Oh my gosh! Is that where Scootaloo is?” Well, we thought maybe she was right but the next day, we saw Cooper just after the operation and the Veterinarian showed us a bag which contained the My Little Pony and the real culprit of his issues… an actual doggy rope toy. Once home, I showed Talia the x-rays and she immediately said, “MOM! That’s Applejack! You found Applejack!” Torn between whether the pony was Applejack or Scootaloo, I asked the girls what each looked like. Wouldn’t you know it, Talia described little Applejack perfectly. It was most definitely the same pony found in Cooper Cotter’s belly. Mystery solved, Cooper is well and on the mend.

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Funnies, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Photography, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged applejack, blogging, bulldog, children write, doctor, dog, Family, mylittlepony, pony, rainbow dash, rarity, scootaloo, toys, vet, xray | 1 Comment

Etsy, Pinterest, What Next?

If I could have any job in the world, I would like to be a buyer for Etsy. I understand this job doesn’t exist. Being a shopaholic, I don’t know how many hours I have spent on my iPad cruising through the Etsy website. Is there anything they don’t sell?

Lover of all things antique, shabby chic, and just plain unique looking, Etsy is the place for me. What amazes me is the amount of creative and talented people who are selling through the website. Everyday, I come across another artist I love. I did not even realize until last evening that I could pin anything that I want through Etsy as well. Be very afraid of my Pinterest boards in the next few days… They are sure to fill up with fantastic goods! Fortunately, for you, I am going to name my new board “The Etsy Pin Ups”… pure genius (not referring to myself). Etsy and Pinterest have made it easier for me to take pride in the fact that I have a good eye, and not dwell on my lack of creativity for the things I wish I could do. An example would be my not so fantastic knitting skills. Instead of losing stitches, like most people, I gain them in mass quantities from row to row. Again… thanks to the amazing talent on Etsy! I can now buy homemade knits instead of trying to make them myself.

Posted in Apps, Blogology 101, Children, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Shopping, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged amazon, art, artists, artsy, best, Blogology, business, buy, Children, computer, creative, etsy, facebook, Family, google, green, i-stuff, iPad, iPod, knit, Mom, momblog, mommy, moms, organic, Parenting, parents, photography, pin, pinterest, presents, read, shop, Shopping, social networking, target, tech, Technology, today, toys, toysrus, trend, trending, trends, twitter, wall, website, wordpress, write | Leave a comment

Need Some Advice…

Since we all know that I cannot make up my mind about the look of this website, I am reaching out… Please let me know by comment, email, tweet, Facebook or any way you know how to reach me (besides calling my house phone), if you like this header or not. Please helppppppp…

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Shopping, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged amazon, animalrights, best, birthday, Blogology, business, buy, Children, computer, design, facebook, Family, google, graphic, graphic design, green, i-stuff, iPad, iPod, leapfrog, leappad, Mom, momblog, mommy, moms, organic, Parenting, parents, photography, presents, read, shop, Shopping, social networking, target, tech, Technology, today, toys, toysrus, trend, trending, trends, twitter, website, wordpress, write | 1 Comment

Social Networking T.I.P.P.s – The World Of Social Media And Building An Online Presence

SOCIAL NETWORKING T.I.P.P.s

the reality

HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO BREAK INTO THE WORLD OF SOCIAL NETWORKING, LAUNCH YOUR BRAND, BUILD YOUR PRODUCT LINE OR SIMPLY CONNECT WITH THE WORLD? WHETHER YOU ARE LOOKING TO MAKE MONEY OR JUST LET PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT YOUR CAUSE IS, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO DO… THAT IS, IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT IT.

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO NETWORK SOCIALLY, IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE TO START.

FIRST, YOU DO NEED A BUSINESS PLAN. SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF INITIALLY ARE:

What are you trying to do?

Sounds like a big question right? IT IS! If you do not have a business plan, consider yourself dead in the water. You need an idea, and you need goals. It doesn’t matter if you want to make money from this idea or not. What does matter is that you establish some sort of goal and work towards it.

Take into consideration that no matter what type of venture you start, you are going to have days where you feel accomplished and days you may think you are dead in the water or extremely lonely. If you have a goal, you can track it and now… you don’t feel so dead in the water. Everything you do, no matter how little or how big, is one step closer to your goal.

REMEMBER, THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND NETWORKING THROUGH THE INTERNET AND AVENUES SIMILAR CAN GET VERY LONELY. YOU MAY BE TRYING TO BUILD AN ON LINE PRESENCE BUT YOU ARE STILL LOSING TOUCH WITH REAL HUMAN CONTACT. On so many occasions I have read that I need to find my tribe in order to succeed with Social Networking. That is absolutely true! If you think you will be a Social Networking Success without a tribe, you might. Unfortunately, you may be very lonely in the process and could give up before real seeing real results. Social Media and Social Networking is similar to sales in the real world. You need to interact with people, even if it is only through your computer.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SOCIAL NETWORKING IS BRIDGING THE GAP FOR US. GROWING UP, DIRECT CONTACT WAS THE ONLY WAY WE KNEW HOW TO DO BUSINESS. TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE COMMUNICATING MUCH EASIER AND LESS TIME CONSUMING FOR SURE. THE NEGATIVE, IT HAS TAKEN A LOT AWAY FROM THE SEE IT, FEEL IT, TOUCH IT PIECE. ALTHOUGH I DON’T ALWAYS HAVE AMPLE AMOUNTS OF TIME TO ACTUALLY LUNCH WITH SOMEONE AND TALK BUSINESS, IT I NEVER REGRET IT WHEN I DO.

BY NETWORKING SOCIALLY, YOU ARE NOW TRICKING YOUR MIND TO FEELING CONNECTED IN A WORLD OF WI-FI. IT MAY SEEM TEDIOUS BUT IT IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS. WE ARE STILL HUMAN PEOPLE! WE ARE NOT COMPUTERS OR ROBOTS! WE STILL LIKE CONTACT! IF NOT, YOU WOULD BE A RECLUSE, NEVER LEAVE YOUR HOUSE AND LIVE ALONE FOREVER!

Now, back to the topic at hand… Try keeping your business plan open to change as well. Track everything you do and know that you may alter things here and there. Progress may occur when you least expect it and all of a sudden, the plan takes a slightly different turn or detour. Embrace it and work with it. NO business plan should be a steadfast one.

If you are considering making an income from your idea, keep reminding yourself that you need more than one income stream and work towards obtaining a few. Baby steps is the best advice I can give you. If you have multiple streams of income working for you and your idea, if one goes south, you still have others helping out. Can you imagine if amazon sold only physical books. When the world of e-books came into the picture, Amazon would only have physical books to sell and may have crumbled before the rise of their Kindle and their own e-books. Amazon was smart, they had different streams of income coming in regardless. If their Kindle never happened, they would still have a very profitable business. This may not be a great example but you get the idea. MULTIPLE STREAMS OF INCOME!

More to come…

Posted in Apps, Blogology 101, Children, Family, Girls, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Shopping, Uncategorized, Women | Tagged amazon, animalrights, best, birthday, Blogology, business, buy, Children, computer, facebook, Family, green, i-stuff, iPad, iPod, leapfrog, leappad, Mom, momblog, mommy, moms, organic, Parenting, parents, photography, presents, read, shop, Shopping, social media, social networking, target, tech, Technology, today, toys, toysrus, trend, trending, trends, twitter, website, wordpress, write | 1 Comment

The Imperfectly Perfect Parent – Trending Mom T.I.P.P.s

What Is The Imperfectly Perfect Parent You Ask?

It pretty sums up who I am or should I say what some people think of me. I am not mainstream, I don’t follow all old school values expected of me. Tired of listening to what everyone else thinks I should be doing for or with my kids, I do what feels right. Sometimes, my parenting doesn’t fit the mold of everyone around me. The results are what I want though… happy, healthy, smart, sweet, compassionate and loving little girls with an amazing sense of themselves and what family truly means.

Through the years, I have heard mothers coach their kids on what to say, I don’t. As long as my girls are polite and know right from wrong, say their pleases and thank you’s, it is more important for me to let them be kids and say what is really on their mind. Can you imagine being in your 30′s and having someone tell you what to say or not to say all day long? Not me!

I am also tired of people pretending, yes pretending their lives are perfect, their husbands are perfect, and everything on the exterior is just dandy! Guess what… It’s NOT! Everyone knows that so please people, STOP PRETENDING! You are the joke! We all have bad days! We all have our moments! We are all REAL! I understand not wanting to divulge everything although I am not one to exercise restraint regarding my life. The difference is that if you want to judge me for these things, I don’t really want you in my life. So there, I finally said it like it is.

If you want to be a part of my life and read my blog, be prepared to hear what you may not want to. You might hear things that upset you, don’t fit your mold, or you may not agree with. Just do me a favor, stop reading and participating if you feel the need to judge me because the reality is, I am still a good person, love my friends, love my family and love my life. I just happen to be imperfectly perfect… for me… and my family loves it!