Holiday Gift Guide for Kids & Families 2015

The smell of fresh pine, cooler weather which all means the holidays are coming.  In an effort to help you from panicking and give you some ideas in a variety of categories that would make a great gift for the children and families on your list.

(Photo Credit: CoffeeandKid)

HOT TOY OF THE YEAR

The Avengers need you!  Playmation by Disney is a way to get your kids up and playing while using amazing technology and imagination.  The wearable gear lets users feel the battle and put them in the center of action.  Jarvis will teach you how to put on the Iron Man arm attachment and become a superhero to help battle Ultron!  With motion sensored technology you can blaze through missions that require blocking, jumping, dodging, and more.  With light and sound effects, players can play alone or with others.  The start pack will get you started with 1 Power Activators, 2 Smart Figures, Repulsor Gear and 25 embedded missions.  Additional missions and figures are available for purchase and add on.  We had the pleasure as a family to test out the new game and gear over the summer and had a blast racing around the Disney Store battling.  Playmation Avengers Starter Pack retails for $119.99.

 

 

(Photo Credit: HP)

FAMILY

The HP Envy All-in-One printer is a great compact solution for your home and office printing, scanning and copying needs. Now, when you buy the HP Envy 5540 e-All-in-One printer, it comes with 3 months free of HP Instant Ink!

With HP Instant Ink you select your subscription plan and HP takes care of the rest so that you never run out of ink and printing costs a lot less! Ink, shipping, and cartridge recycling are included in your monthly plan. Plans start as low as $2.99/month and are based on pages printed, not cartridges used.

There’s no annual fee and you can change or cancel plans online at anytime.  It is that easy!

Now through December 31st, when you enroll your printer in HP Instant Ink, you will receive six free months of ink! To decide which plan is right for you and to enroll,  but remember to do it before December 31, 2015!

 

(Photo Credit: Coffeeandkid)

SCIENCE

Over the Summer I tried to keep our learning going and we embarked on science fun.  The Insect Lore Butterfly Garden gave our whole family learning fun and entertainment.  The kit includes everything to raise very tiny caterpillar into beautiful butterflies.  If your child would rather have ladybugs that is an option too.  It is a great learning gift for one child or a gift for a family with several kids as it is something everyone will be involved in.  The best part is that with the kit, for a small fee later you can raise butterflies again and again.  The Butterfly Garden Kit is $24.95

 

BOOKS

(Photo Credit: Amazon)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo

The definitive guide to the characters, droids, aliens and all things Star Wars.  Beautifully illustrated and details about everything.  Perfect for a Star Wars fan and a coffee table book.  The book is definitely a must have for fans.

(Photo Credit: Barnes and Noble)

 

Harry Potter: The Coloring Book

Unleash your creativity with the hottest trend for kids and adults.  From the heraldry of the four Hogwarts houses to the extravagant wares of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes.   You will also pages of magical creatures and iconic scenes from the films, from the Sorting Ceremony in Harry’s first year, to the unforgettable final battle between Harry and Lord Voldemort, as well as some of the marvelous props used in the movies, such as The Quibbler, Quidditch World Cup posters, and the Triwizard Cup. Also includes sixteen pages of full-color art from the movies to inspire you as you draw.  Retails for $9.94.

Barnes and Noble Free Summer Reading Program 2015

When I was a kid I remember my mom taking us to the library for summer reading contests.  So, I am keeping the tradition alive by looking into fun summer reading to do with my preschooler.  Barnes and Noble Imagination’s Destination Summer Reading is a great free one that is sure to be a hit with both you and your kid.

Download the Reading Journal and print it out, read any 8 books and record them.  Bring the completed journal in to your local Barnes & Noble store.  And then pick a FREE book from their selection, which is divided up by school grades.  The book choices are great and your little one will surely find a book that they are going to love.

We already turned in our journal as summer for us started early, and it was so easy and in the children’s section the books were set up on a display end cap.  My kiddo picked out his book and we took it to the register, of course with a few other finds, and out the door we went.  Easy, Easy!

Barnes & Noble also has on their website an Activity Kit with ideas on how to incorporate activities and teaching tips perfect to make your kids books more magical and keep the learning going.

I hope you enjoy your Imagination’s Destination Summer Reading as much as we are!

(Photo Credit: CoffeeandKid.com)

South Florida Summer Savings Pass of FUN!

It is almost that time when kids are excited about being out for the summer and we are to, except, if no summer school or camp, what to do for those 3 months can be tricky.  I love a good outing and yet, many amusement parks, museums, zoos can add up quick.  Which is why I am so excited about the Summer Savings Pass in South Florida.  We are members of the Miami Zoo and love it, but this pass includes other attractions.  The summer savings pass is for 4 Attractions that are hits with kids and adults; Lion Country Safari, Miami Seaquarium, Museum of Discovery and Science and Zoo Miami.  The pass is good from May 18th to September 30th and you can use it as much as you want both on weekdays and weekends, so it pays for itself after one visit.  We certainly got our moneys worth last summer and we will be getting our passes for this summer.

Weight Watchers New Cereal’s

(Photo Credit: Weight Watchers)

In an effort to be more conscious about food and health, I was very fortunate to come across an opportunity to test out the new Weight Watchers cereal’s.   Everyone talks about breakfast being the most important part of the day and yet, that personally is my hardest meal to fulfill.  I do like cereal however, many of them are two sugary or sweet to start the morning off and I don’t want to feel guilty at the start of my day when thinking about dieting.

Weight Watchers has come out with 5 new cereals that if you are familiar with their point system are only  3-5 PointsPlus^® value per serving.  If you are not familiar with the point system it is a different way of counting calories, and you are allotted so many points in a week to help achieve a goal.  The cereals have options so that everyone can find their favorite.

The Five Cereals:

• Oat Clusters with Almonds features steel-cut oatmeal clusters, real almonds and 8g of whole grains per serving
• Honey Nut Toasted Oats are made with real honey and provide 18g whole grains per serving
• Frosted Shredded Wheat with Protein features 12-layer biscuits, 6g protein, 5g fiber and 40g whole grain
• Oat Clusters with Cherries & Almonds are made with real cherries, crunchy almonds and 8 essential vitamins and minerals per serving
• Chocolate Frosted Shredded Wheat is made with real cocoa, featuring 5g fiber and 38g whole grains per serving

Weight Watchers sent me the Frosted Shredded Wheat with Protein and the Oat Clusters with Cherries & Almonds to try.  Everyone at my house tried them both and and were surprised at how delicious they both were and were equally surprised that in fact it is a weight conscious cereal.  The cereal that I loved was the Oat Clusters with Cherries & Almonds as I am a fan of fruit and nut flavors.  The best review of the product is that after the boxes were gone there were requests to buy more on my next grocery store trip.  Thanks Weight Watchers for making it delicious and easy to watch my waistline!

(Photo Credit: Weight Watchers)

** I received free products from Weight Watchers in order to test.  My opinions expressed in this post are my own. **

Crock Pot Recipe Test: Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Creole

The crock pot is one of my go to inventions and I love testing new recipes on a weekly basis.  One of my Christmas gifts this year was the Miles Kimball Perpetual Crock-Pot Recipe a Day Calendar.  It is full of recipes in a variety of food categories and after the year is over I will be saving it like a cookbook.  One of the recipes I decided to try out this week is Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Creole.  The recipe was a hit and it will be a regular at my house.  Can’t wait to try out more recipes from the book and of course I will share those with you.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless chicken thighs
• 1 can (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

• Place the chicken thighs in the crock-pot slow cooker.  Add tomatoes with juice, bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper.
• Cover: cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours
• In the last hour of cooking, add the shrimp, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce.
• Serve over rice

Notes: I also added crab meat and a little less of the shrimp.  I also did not have stewed tomatoes but I had a can of dice tomatoes and chiles which added a little more heat and flavor.

Handwriting Practice Find

(Photo Credit: handwritingworksheets.com)

Having a preschooler means that practicing handwriting is something they work on in school and at home.  My kid is not that interested when he’s at home. I have letter pages, workbooks, bought the placemat that I think is super cute and still not in to it.  We are also at the stage that he is still tracing letters, dot or line letters and then copying after he practices.  I thought that maybe if it was words that were of more interest that it would get him to want to try, things like his name, which he recognizes.  But, that means I have to hand write all of these as I tried in Word and could not make it work.

Luckily for me I found Amazing Handwriting Worksheets online.  A free website that lets you make handwriting worksheets of words, sentences, paragraphs in a print text or cursive text.  It really only takes seconds and then you print it at home.  It is so easy and you can pick the size so it can go from big to smaller based on your kids level.

Hope this helps you and your kiddo!

Dream Dinners: Making Dinner Easy

I like to cook, but some nights there is just not enough time, or you start late because as a mom you have tons going on, or better yet, you go to start dinner and realize that you are missing an ingredient.  There are many nights that one of theses three things happen to me.  I am not the biggest fan of frozen lasagna that could be used in a bind as it tastes like a grocery store frozen lasagna.

I joined a mom group when I moved to Florida and one of the events was held at Dream Dinners, a meal prep company that helps make dinners easier and a little time away.  I signed up for their introductory offer and figured I’d give it a shot.

The meals that you make are with fresh ingredients, homemade and packaged so that you can store them in your freezer and everything (yes all of it down to the pads of butter) is ready when you need it.  Sounded great to me and it is.  An added bonus is that the clean up is so easy, less mess and dishes to clean.

Prep Stations ready to go! All measuring is color coded to make it easy!

The store is set up like a commercial kitchen with prep stations and bars.  The prep stations are prepared with all of the ingredients that you need chopped, diced, and with measuring tools all ready for you.  Did I mention that the food is restaurant grade, fresh and not pre-frozen?  Above each station is the recipe for each meal, which come in 3-serving or 6-serving sizes.  Easiest recipes ever, you build them and then place it into a freezer until you are done.  Once, have prepped all your meals, you take all of your meals home and into the freezer until you need a dinner.

So, you may be wondering are they delicious?  What did my family think?  Do I go back?  Yes, Loved them and Yes every month.  The meals are delicious and we are hooked at my house.  And finally the price?  Honestly, it is not more than going to the grocery store, no excess of ingredients so less things going bad and cheaper than eating out.    It is a WIN!

The Dream Dinners that is my home store is Sawgrass and the ladies there could not be any nicer, genuinely helpful and great.  If you are in South Florida, you should be a fan of Sawgrass Dream Dinners, it is a fun location!

Meal from start to finish at home! Arroz Con Pollo

Hot New Toy: The Amazing Zhus Review

It is that time of the year when we all start thinking about holidays and gift giving.  If you are like me then you are looking for a fun surprise and something new to give your kids or for a niece, nephew, friend’s little one, or a kid at heart.

Many of you may remember a few years ago the ZhuZhu Pet craze and even have one, my 4 year old was too little, so I was not really aware about the hot toy until this year.  Meet ZhuZhu’s newest collection The Amazing Zhus!  The Amazing Zhu’s are magicians that will have your child leap into their magical world and create fun not only with the mice but their amazing acts.  Just in case you are like me and missed all of the ZhuZhu Pet fun in the beginning.  The fun little guys hit the scene in 2009 and have two different modes of play “nurturing mode” in which they coo and purr and are ready for love, or “adventure mode” in which they race on the floor and explore their habitat and respond to various stimuli.  They have been a hit ever since and delighted children and adults.

The Amazing Zhus collection is the brand new pet collection featuring four different characters: Stunt Pet “Abra”, Stunt Pet “Dynamo”, Stunt Pet “The Great Kardini” and Stunt Pet “Piccadilly”.  Each stunt pet is a motorized that can perform tricks with the help of their magician accessories.  In addition, the collection has multiple accessories to make your magician be able to put on a performance and kids to wow their friends and families.  The accessories include: The Magician Cards, Magician Shell Game, The Disappearing Box Trick, High Dive, Circus Ball, and High Wire.

We were fortunate enough to be sent Amazing Zhus Stunt Pet “Abra” and the Disappearing Box Trick to test and play with.  My four year old was very excited to open the box and find not only a pet but the magician trick, and after going recently to a circus the timing was perfect.  Not having a ZhuZhu pet before, he delighted in “Abra” and the fact that she runs around our floors, chats and if she gets close to furniture or items, recognizes it, turns around and races in a new direction.  Just that alone was amusing and he plays with her everyday!

The Disappearing Box trick allowed my little one to put on a show for us with “Abra”, after practicing once or twice he has it mastered and delights in the fact that he can make his mouse disappear and reappear.  He also came to realize that with the magic box you can make other toys disappear and reappear as well.

 

We all are loving The Amazing Zhu and there will be more accessories found under our tree as it is a fun toy and helps with creating a magician’s imagination flourish.

Where can you get The Amazing Zhu’s?  They are sold exclusively at Walmart both in stores and online.  The pets and accessories range from $7.99 to $24.99, so can fit any budget.  Given that they are a HOT new toy for this holiday season, start looking early to get yours as they are going to be a magical disappearing toy off the shelves.

** I was sent an Amazing Zhu and Amazing Zhu Accessories by Cepia, LLC to review.  My opinions expressed in this post are my own or my child’s. **