Thomas & Friends Live on Stage: A Circus Comes to Town recently did come to a town near me and MomSelect sent me to check out the show!  Although I was thrilled to have the opportunity to go to this great event, I was also very afraid LOL.

Taking our twin 3 year olds out anywhere is always an event, but to take them to a live show … well, I feared I could be taking my life into my own hands.  Add to that one more almost-3 year old cousin and my 36 week pregnant sister and our event is complete.  Not to mention the fact that my twins have only seen Thomas & Friends on TV about … oh … ONCE.  This could have gone very very badly.

We showed up early and found our great seats, got the kiddos settled in and before we knew it the show had begun.  I am VERY happy to tell you that it was AMAZING!   My Twinkies were in heaven.  They loved every single second that there was a train or a helicopter on stage and they even loved the tractor.

My sister and I were very impressed that the acting was so lively and upbeat.  We were all very entertained.  In fact, the only thing I can think of that would have made it a little better would be if they offered the patrons in “floor” seats little boosters for toddler/preschoolers to sit on (like they have at movie theaters).  There were very few children sitting in their own seats in that section … almost all of them were in a parent’s lap (or in my case two of them were in my lap LOL).  I didn’t mind though and the Twinkies definitely didn’t.

They loved participating throughout the event and asked me several questions throughout.  The intermission came at just the right time for their little legs to get up and stretch a bit.  Then, it was just the right length afterward and the boys were all so smitten with it.

I’m so excited that I can tell all of you that it doesn’t matter if your child is even remotely familiar with Thomas and Friends, they will still love it and you will know that you have created a great memory and a fun experience for your child!

Be sure to stop by their website to see when the show is coming to your area!

Well, actually it is not coming to a town near me, but it IS coming to a town near many of you!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have been putting on the “Greatest Show On Earth” for as long as I can remember.  I love the memories I have of going to the circus.  I was very very young, but there are some very cute pictures of me snuggled up in my bed with all the fun circus fare my parents purchased for me when we attended.

There are some truly great deals available right now for families who would like their children to experience this amazing event.  Be sure to visit their website for a lineup of all the cities the circus will be visiting this year.

There are some amazing offers available right now when you use the code MOM while purchasing your tickets.  Be sure to tell all your friends about it too and share the code with them as well since it will not be publicly advertized, except through this blog tour.

Ringling Bros. circus is also all about tradition and to encourage families to create their own great memories through their Baby’s First Circus program. This program allows babies to receive a free ticket voucher that can be exchanged for a free ticket to any Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance, anytime, anywhere. No expiration date!  Make sure you visit the site for more information on claiming a ticket for your little one.

Without further ado, feel free to read on for the offers available using the code I mentioned earlier as well as a list of the cities the offer is available in. (more…)

This is such a fun reinvention of an old PBS favorite!  And by old, I mean 1970′s and kids from my generation grew up watching it.   Bringing it into a new milennium to meet the needs of elementary age children who overall are struggling with reading in school, this is a brand new take on a classic.

The Electric Company is very well done and both my 3rd and 4th grade boys truly enjoyed the preview of the new series.  You and your children can enjoy this series every Friday (began January 30th).  Even though this series is clearly educational, my kids didn’t think it was cheesy at all, in fact they loved it!

Each episode features themes that are very kid friendly … there are heroes and villains, and words and phonics come to life in a very creative way!  What children don’t know is that the curricular goals of The Electric Company include: decoding, comprehension of connected text, vocabulary and motivation – all of which are very necessary for reading success.

The episodes have the main mission, with lots of mini segments mixed in to focus on sounds and word combinations to help children understand them in a new way. The characters will quickly become familiar to children from the troublemakers (“Pranksters”) to the main Electric Company characters who each possess a special literary skill!

Check your local PBS station’s program listings to see what time it comes on in your area and check it out with your kids! Also, be sure to check out their website for even more great information about the show and learning opportunities for your children.

Safety is a primary concern for most parents, but when it comes to teens and tweens going online, we aren’t always sure how to keep up.  This is something that has been on my mind for quite a while as we currently have one teen and two tweens in our home.

There are predators and bullies even online no matter how much I’d like to think of the internet as a nameless, faceless and neutral territory.  Protecting my kids from possible exploitation is the key objective.

While it is true that at the moment we do not have a computer the children can use (an unfortunate situation actually), I have always known that the second we could afford it and have a space for it, one would most likely make an appearance.  There are many “guardian” type programs out there that can, for the most part, keep your children from accessing questionable or inappropriate websites, which is great.  But truthfully, for my peace of mind, I want to know that my sons have a clear understanding of the proper way to use the internet and WHY!

NetSmartz was created for just that purpose!  One of the leading online resources for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, you have a very clear understanding of who is behind this site that is specifically for teens and tweens.  This website does an excellent job of educating and equipping our youth for a safe and fun internet experience.

NetSmartz introduces seven different teen characters.  I went into the videos and I was immediately impressed by the presentation of “penalties” and consequences that children would not be aware of.  How your online profiles and the reputation you build online can be accessed by future employers, sports coaches, colleges and more!  It also gets very specific on what information is ok and what information is definitely NOT ok to post online (pictures and text information).  Potential consequences are very important for youth to understand and take seriously.

There’s even a link to lots of educational material that you can use in your home, school and even statewide!   The Activity Cards begin presenting online safety information to children as young as Kindergarten by offering a fun group activity that teaches children everything they need to know – ask mom and dad first for the little ones and as they get older, the information grows with them.  Their Supplemental Materials section offers some great resources for parents and teachers to take their online education yet another step further with pledges, certificates and licenses.

I encourage you to check out the site and show it to the young person in your home. I know for a fact that there are many 3 year olds out there using computers for educational games or even to access sites like NickJr, so it is important that their education begin early … and particularly helpful if it starts at home!

Finding babysitters is always a challenge for us, but even for families with far less children than we have it can be tough.  Many parents live far from family and friends and who wants to invite a stranger into their house when you really don’t have much information about them?

Enter Sittercity, a website that offers parents an opportunity to basically interview many potential babysitting candidates.  Whether you need a sitter for a night out or regular daytime care, there are many people out there looking for a variety of positions.

The thing that Sittercity offers though is peace of mind.  A full interview of the potential sitters as well as background check on many of them and more.  An annual membership is $95.88, which is well worth it for many parents.

At Sittercity, even I can find what I need.  Someone close to home, available during the day, once a week or every other week who has their own transportation and at the right price.  Sounds like a tall order I suppose, but it’s what I need and there’s someone out there to meet that need!

Right now, use the code: Sitter10 to get 10% off their annual membership fee.

Also, Sittercity is offering one very lucky commenter the opportunity to win a full year membership!  To enter, just go to their site and have a look around, check out the number of sitters in your city and once you are done come back here and leave a comment with that number in it (in your comment, you are also welcome to tell me why you need this membership)!

This giveaway will end Feb. 20th and is brought to you, in part, courtesy of Mom Blog Marketing.

Keeping the boys entertained and busy is the key to keeping them out of trouble. Unfortunately the Twinkies’ attention span is very short … much shorter than any of my other boys because they tend to distract each other constantly so they are an extra challenge.

Lion, our 5 year old, will be starting Kindergarten next year and is the first one of our boys not to go to preschool.  At the beginning of the school year I called the preschool we send our boys to and was told that they frequently have openings in January for the second half of the year. Since this was a more convenient and affordable option for us, we decided to wait.

Lo and behold though, here we are in January and the school is completely full. On the one hand, I don’t mind much at all – it’s still very challenging to figure out all the dynamics to managing life around half a day of preschool three times a week (especially considering it’s 20 or so minutes away).  On the other hand though, I feel terrible that he’s not getting something “equal” to his older brothers – kind of something I strive for with my boys within reason.

He does need structure to prepare him for school and he needs to learn some basics and fine motor skills too, so it’s time for me to get down to business and get this little boy ready for his future education!

This isn’t our first adventure into preschool education at home though, so I thought I’d share some great finds I’ll be re-using this time around.  You should know that my preference is to have an all-encompassing curriculum that basically plans everything for me.

This isn’t for everyone and I know that, but I need to preserve all my brain power for scheduling and coordinating each day’s activities and appreciate all the hard work my favorite programs have already done to get a great curriculum put together.

All Around Favorite - Hands down this one goes to The Learning Box Preschool.  Ok, so the site design and layout doesn’t exactly scream an invitation for parents, and it takes a little bit of navigating to get to the online ordering page, but the product is sooooo totally worth it.  Oh, and you absolutely cannot leave out the fact that you are receiving a box filled with ALL the curriculum, books and materials you need each month to teach your children – for less than half of what our local preschools charge per month for just one child.

Runner Up – Itty Bitty Bookworm is also at the top of my list of favorites!!!   Offering curriculum for children from 18 months through 5 years, this monthly curriculum is Literature based (yay!).  You can choose to have a cd shipped to you ($25/month) or download the monthly curriculum ($20/month).  You can also choose to purchase each month’s booklist through them ($20/month) and have it shipped to you or you can try to find it at your local library (I recommend you purchase it though).   There’s tons more information I could share, but I’ll just tell you to visit the site to find out more .

Honorable Mention – Wiggle Giggle Learn offers customized educational cd’s from infancy through preschool.  This option is a little spendy for me, but if you look at it over time it is a great idea and is a wonderful complement to many of the other preschool educational options.

There are also tons of sites that offer free resources, printouts and much more.  Feel free to share your favorites here!!

I truly feel honored to be able to introduce all of you to some truly amazing products throughout the year.  Through giveaways and simple personal reviews I love bringing all my readers the best available product information.  My very favorite thing though is to bring you products that are helpful, will last and are affordable.  Anything to help you meet or beat your budget is what I look for in particular.

As I was looking back over the items I discovered, used and loved most for my home and family, I thought I’d take a moment to mention some of my very favorite ones to all of you.

Favorite Menu Planner: Most of you know that I believe that many of our monthly expenses can be pared down by simply planning a good menu (and only buying things that you KNOW you need NOW).  This isn’t always easy and, let’s face it, moms are busy and it’s nice not to have to think of everything on our own all the time!  Recently I was skipping around the web and happened upon a site offering one year menu planners.   Intrigued I read more, and it looked like an excellent idea.  Having a much larger than average family though, I decided to email the site owner (and menu planner) to ask her opinion on if it would work for us.  She was super fast to reply and said that most of the meals were made in casserole dishes or in the crockpot so only a few would need to be modified to work for us.  I promptly placed my order.

I will tell you right now that it has changed my life.  Ok, maybe not really changed it, but it has made a huge difference in meal planning!  Seriously!  About now you’re starting to talk to your computer screen to tell me to stop gushing about it and give you the link already …… fine!

It’s called My Family Meal Planner and it plans out 4 meals per week for one year for your family to enjoy.  It is true that most of the meals are enough to feed our family of 8, so smaller families will enjoy having some leftovers the next day.  Every single family member has LOVED almost every meal, so you can be encouraged that they are indeed “kid friendly”.  Keep in mind while considering purchase that the price is for an entire YEAR of planned meals with recipes and shopping lists.  You can also purchase a combo with a separate weekly shopping list, but I actually think that using the list in the planner is enough since you have to rewrite the lists anyway.  Oh, and if you’re a single parent or it’s just you and your hubby, there’s a planner for two.  Also if you are planning on getting healthier, she also offers a “Light” meal planner.

I know I need to move on, but there’s one last thing I want to mention (as if you weren’t already over on the site placing your order by now) … this is the FIRST meal planner I have found that plans the ENTIRE meal for you.  Entree, side dish, fruit &/or veggies.  I’d say that this fact (combined with all the other conveniences of having everything in one planner) is what really made me fall in love with it.

Favorite Natural Household Products: I’m blessed that the nearest grocery store carries a very decent selection of Natural and Organic products.  My very favorite ones for household cleaning and laundry is by far Mrs. Meyers Household Products.   For dishes, I like Seventh Generation.

I can’t think of anything else at the moment and as I think back over all the products I reviewed last year it is honestly overwhelming to try and consider the “favorites” among them. But here’s a few reviews that stand out in my mind ….

Safety: My Precious Kid (huge variety of safety products for children)
Baby Variety/Mom-Owned Shop: Micah & Co. (Prices are good, the owner is so sweet and the products are very nice)
Chore System: Mom Can I Help Around the House? (get an extra chore book for each child – comes with one)
Educational/Learning: Wiggle Giggle Learn (complete preschool education)
Baby Product: Evenflo Symphony All In One Car Seat (affodability, safety and durability all in one product)

Maybe the next thing isn’t a discovery so much, but while I’m listing my favorites, I simply had to mention this one last favorite …..

Favorite Book – I absolutely cannot choose just one, so you will see my list from each genre at Froggy Reviews soon.  If I was forced to choose one favorite among all the wonderful books I have reviewed it would be …… Before the Season Ends by Linore Rose Burkard.  I am absolutely looking forward to the release of it’s sequel this spring .

This contest has ended and winners have been contacted. Go to our home page to enter all the latest contests.

‘Tis the season …. for many coughs, colds, viruses and more.  So, finding a natural way to fight off illness and maybe even to help bolster up immunity is a huge issue around here.  I prefer not to buy just any old name brand either.  As part of getting healthier and going greener, it’s all about going back to natural products that really do work.

We’ve definitely seen our fair share of viruses … from stomach bugs and croup to full fledged RSV and it isn’t fun no matter how positive you try to be about it!  So when I was contacted to try out Sinupret for Kids, I was very interested!

Sinupret for Kids is a safe, natural remedy that supports healthy sinus, respiratory and immune function.

No other clinically tested, all natural kids’ product on the market does all three.

Sinupret for Kids syrup promotes healthy drainage in the upper respiratory tract, improves airflow in the nose and supports healthy mucous clearance from the nose and sinuses. In addition to supporting sinus and respiratory functions, it also supports the immune system.

Sound good?  I thought so!

Dr. Sears, a very well known pediatrician supports Sinupret for kids.  In conjunction with Sinupret for Kids, he has created some great podcasts filled with common childhood medical and development answers and information.  You can see and listen to all those podcasts HERE.

Of course many of you will also want to check out the Sinupret for Kids website, and I encourage you to do so.

I have 5 Sinupret for Kids gift packs that include:

• a sample of Sinupret
• a copy of Dr. Sears’ book, The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood
• Children’s Yellow Binoculars
• Activity books
• Sinupret Stickers

If you would like to be one of the 5 lucky winners to get this package, make sure you leave a comment here telling me why you want natural alternatives for your children.  There’s also two ways to get extra entries ….

1. Blog about it.  Once you have done this, simply come back here and leave me a comment with a link to your post.

2. Tweet about it (make sure to include a direct link to the contest and include @afroginmysoup in your tweet).  Then come back here and leave a comment with your twitter name to let me know!

This giveaway is open to US addresses and available for entries from Monday December 23, 2008 through Monday Jan. 5, 2009!

This giveaway has ended and winners have been contacted. All new contests are listed on our home page.

I know, I know you’re wondering why on earth I’m posting about Precious Girls Club, which is (of course) a Girls’ site and products, but bear with me!  I may only have boys of my own, but I’m always on the lookout for fun products for my neices.  But on top of all of that, I love to know about sites and products for girls that are Character building and wholesome!

After all I will have many daughters-in-law someday …. so, as you can see it is in my best interest to make sure that as many moms as humanly possible have access to the best sites and products I can find and recommend!  And you thought I was just being nice!

The Precious Girls Club was created by Precious Moments and offers a great site and products.  Their product line includes books, charm bracelets, charms, figurines, plush toys and much more.  All products come with special codes that they can enter online that will .  Encouraging character, virtue and strong values by offering rewards and more, this site has lots of great lessons and fun activities!

Parents are encouraged to be involved and they can send messages to their daughters as well as awarding them special merits when they do good things in the “real” world. Each new award and merit opens up new items for your daughter to use online.

My niece loved decorating a room of her own.  This site is setup as an entire virtual town for your little girl to enjoy, with post office, chapel, home, pet shelter and MUCH more.  A safe environment where you know she’ll be learning great values.   You can even download the first chapter of their book.

There are always lots of fun things for little girls to do for free, but if you are interested in a fun gift idea for the girl in your life, you may want to consider giving her the Rainbow membership!  This allows her access to lots of extra activities and goodies while she plays on the site.  Extra patterns and items for decorating her virtual room, opportunity to spend and use credits earned, exclusive games and more.  In fact, $1.00 per month from every Rainbow Club membership goes to St. Jude Research Hospital!

Every Precious Girls Club product you purchase comes with more access codes that will upgrade your little girls’ membership!  So take a look around and see what they have to offer

I have a package with their book Little Bit of Faith and a 1 month Rainbow club membership for two lucky commenters!  To enter, please visit www.PreciousGirlsClub.com and take a look around (If you have a little girl, have her sign up and let me know what you think).  Come back here and leave a comment telling me who you’d like the book/membership for and why.

This giveaway is open to US addresses only and is open for entry from Tuesday, December 16th through Tuesday December 30th.

There is definitely an increased risk of fire during the holidays.  Extra decorations strewn about the house, dry Christmas trees, extra heat for the cold weather, etc.  In fact there are about 47,000 household fires during the holdays each year (according to the US Fire Administration).

Since we’ve been talking about the comforts of home and making everyday living a little easier with our At Home for the Holidays series, I definitely wanted to talk about this!  As parents it is one of our very top priorities to keep our children safe!  Fire is a very real possibility, and it is something that I take seriously.  So I was thrilled to learn about the new Be Fire Smart program and website put out by Liberty Mutual.

At www.BeFireSmart.com you will have access to information on preventing fires, creating a fire escape plan, how to talk about fire safety with children and much more.  There’s even games and activities for you to print out to help children learn even more …. hands on (so to speak).

The site is easy to navigate and offers sections for Parents, Educators and Children.  I pray that you will all be safe this holiday season and I highly recommend checking out this great resource!