Kidoozie 4 in 1 Drum Set from International Playthings

     The fundamental senses of seeing, tasting, hearing, smelling and feeling encourage a child’s curiosity and activate their young minds to discover the things around them. Sound can be considered a motivating force as an infant grows and begins to explore and establish a connection towards the people and places in their environment.  Music plays a hugely significant role in our children’s growth and development.  It brings a multitude of benefit on cognitive, emotional and social levels.  Toys, such as the Kidoozie 4 in 1 Drum Set from InternationalPlaythings, assist in facilitating musical educational growth and offer lots of creative play opportunities. 

     This five piece set includes an orange drum with a stick; a yellow tambourine; blue maraca rattles filled with tiny colorful balls and a green shaker that clacks as your little one moves the multi-colored beads.  Each piece in this set is perfectly shaped for little, growing hands to grasp and shake.  All of the instruments in this drum set snap easily together and attach to the base of the drum, making it convenient to store.  So, get ready to sit back and watch as your little one pounds, shakes and jingles away!  

      The Kidoozie 4 in 1 Drum Set from International Playthings for ages 2+up, retails for $14.99, and can be purchased thru their website at http://www.intplay.com/

DK Publishing's Touch and Feel Jungle Animals

     With bright colors, soft fabrics and completely irresistible touch-and-feel textures touch and feel books are designed to stimulate your baby’s budding sensory awareness.  And, for as long as I can remember, my family has been fans of the 'Touch and Feel' series of books by DK Publishing, and their recent release, Touch and Feel Jungle Animals did not disappoint.  This brilliantly photographed book introduces various textiles for your little ones to explore. Our little cousin loved to explore the wonders of nature, as she tried to tickle the adorable orange orangutan.  This charming book is very durable (as it traveled with Ashley all over, including trips to the potty), and playfully introduces babies and young children to the wonder and enjoyment of reading.

Touch and Feel Jungle Animals

For ages:

Publisher:  DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley Limited)

ISBN: 978-0-7566-9289-6

Retails for $6.99

Website:  www.dk.com

Green People--Organic Skin Care Products

     A good anti-aging moisturizer is a beauty essential that every woman needs in her daily skin care routine. And, as I’m heading into my forties, I realize the importance that daily hydration and protection from harmful free radicals plays in keeping my skin looking youthful and moisturized.  So, when the kind folks at Green People recently sent a few samples of some of their skin care products, I jumped at the chance to see just how well they would treat my, sadly, aging skin! 

 Over a period of one month, I used their Anti-Aging 24-Hour Cream twice a day (once in the morning after I cleansed my face, as well as in the night before bed), and in a month’s time, I notice how this cream kept my skin feeling soft and nourished, without heaviness that other anti-aging creams that I used in the past. It evened out the lines around and under my eyes and forehead, much to my delight!  This moisturizer is perfect for use either in the day or night or both.    Richly loaded with 89 % certified rich vitamins, minerals and soothing botanical organic plant extracts , this light cream assists in protecting your skin against harmful free radicals and signs of aging.  Best of all, Green People’s products are created without the use of harmful parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrances and chemicals.

     Uneven skin tone can most definitely add years onto our actual age, but fear not, as I’ve found that it is a lot easier these days to correct or at least conceal problem skin tone.  Filled with healthy Omega 3 and Omega 6 nutrients, and lightly scented with extracts of pineapple, tree tree and antioxidant-rich green tea, Oy! Organic Young No Gunk Cover & Clear Spot It! Sets out to help you hide those embarrassing blemishes and annoying fine lines.  Only a small drop will suffice, as you tap this cover over all those spots, and it is suitable for all types of skin tones, even those with sensitive skin tone like mine.  After using this product for the past month, I found that it worked well in combination and alone as both a concealer (I used it as a foundation too under my regular makeup) as well as a healer (thanks to the tea tree oil) to irritated spots and blemishes on my face.

      After using these products for myself, and learning more about how Green People was started from a mother’s single wish to provide children like her daughter (who suffered from allergies due to the chemical-based personal and cleaning products), and families with a healthier, chemical free, organic alternative, I couldn’t be more impressed with this truly “Green” company.  To find out more about Green People's  line of organic skin care products for the whole family, please visit their website at:  http://www.greenpeople.co.uk/

American Academy of Pediatrics Sponsoring Children's Art Contest

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics is sending a call out to all budding young artists in grades 3 to 12 to submit artwork that promotes this year’s AAP theme, “A Healthy Start to Your Day”.  This contest is open to boys and girls in three groups, grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. Group winners and their parents and/or guardians will be invited to attend a presentation ceremony before several thousand pediatricians at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans Saturday, Oct. 20, 2012.

This contest is open to children in the US and abroad, as, each first-place winner US will receive a $500 cash prize and up to $1,000 for travel-related expenses. The three second-place winners will each receive $250. For the single international award, the contest is open to children ages 13-18. The winner will receive a USD 500 cash prize with a matching amount for the school or home school. For this international category only, entries may instead be submitted by email to artcontest@aap.org.The six winners’ schools will be awarded matching cash amounts. Some artwork will be featured on the AAP website and in promotional materials.

To enter, children in the USA should send original artwork to: Children’s Art Contest, American Academy of Pediatrics, 141, Northwest Point Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Entry forms and consent forms must accompany all entries and are available online at http://www.aap.org along with official rules and regulations. Entries must be postmarked by Monday, Aug. 13, 2012. Winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges including pediatricians, and announced in the summer.

Good luck, and start drawing!!!

My Bunny & My Birdie, Two Charming Puzzle Pop-Up Books

     Decorative art work by United Kingdom-based Illustrator/Author Jessie Ford enlightens her two charming puzzle pictures books, My Bunny and My Birdie.  The puzzle books each contain a short story with a sentence per page that goes along with a picture.  My Bunny teaches amusing facts about the bunny and its senses─ what it likes to eat (carrots, of course!), smell (flowers) and you can help your little ones take out the four (4) puzzle pieces with a simple lift of the flap.  One side of the puzzle piece has these images and a border while the other side has pieces to make up the shape of the bunny and bird. Each puzzle piece in both books easily fits back in place into the book.  My Birdie will provide your children with an amusingly valuable lesson on numbers (how many feet does the little birdie have?  2!)  By the end of each story, your children will thoroughly enjoy the animal theme as well as the interactive play from the pop-up puzzle pieces, and you will appreciate the enchanting way that your little ones will absorb early learning concepts.

My Bunny & My Birdie

Illustrated by Jessie Ford

My Bunny ISBN: 978-1-4197-0205-1

My Birdie ISBN: 978-1-4197-0206-1

Both hardcover books retail for $6.95

Published by Abrams Appleseed, an imprint of Abrams.

For further information on these, as well as other titles from Abrams Appleseed, please visit their website at: http://www.abramsappleseed.com

Plum Kids Fruit Shredz and Crunch'ola

     Momma’s household is always on the go, between school activities and weekend trips, so needless to say, I’m always on the lookout for healthy, organic snacks that are tasty, and mess-free!  So, when the kind folks at PlumOrganics asked if I’d like to try their newest line of organic snacks, Plum Kids Fruit Shredz and Crunch’ola, Momma and her family jumped at the chance!

     Plum Kids Fruit Shredz are made with organic fruit that’s mashed up into yummy flavors, with combinations that include Peach Peelz (my son’s favorite, filled with organic apple juice, apple and tart peach puree), Rooty Blues( my personal favorite, containing organic apple, carrot, pumpkin, blueberry, cherry puree and dried kale) and Berry’licious (filled with puree of organic apple, cherry, strawberry, raspberry and blueberries) With 97% blend of real organic fruit in each bite, and containing no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or preservatives, Fruit Shredz are the perfect size for anyone─ small enough for your little toddler who is learning to eat independently to grasp, or for your older ‘little’ ones to scarf down!   

     My family has always been huge fans of granola─ eating it with milk for breakfast, or as a topping on Greek yogurt or ice cream. Plum Kids Crunch’ola mixes healthy grains like millet, quinoa, and brown rice with sweet and crunchy treats like chocolate chips, peanuts, and pretzels.  The Crunch’ola flavor combinations include Apple Snapster, Choco Chipster and Peanutty Pretzel.  While the Apple Snapster, with its subtle hints of fragrant cinnamon, was our favorite flavor, my family found that each of the three combinations that we sampled provided us with a deliciously satisfying, yet not too sugary sweet bite sized treat!

     Available in packs of 5, Plum Kids Fruit Shredz and Crunch’ola are the perfect size snack to pack in your children’s lunchboxes or in your bag for a quick and easy bite on outings.  Plum Kids Fruit Shredz and Crunch'ola can be found at Target stores nationwide. To find a retailer near you, please visit their website at: http://www.plumorganics.com/store-locator