National Craft Month – Dinosaur Train

March 29, 2012 By 5 Comments

The folks at Quilting treasures sent some of their new Dinosaur Train fabric in celebration of National Craft Month!

They put out four craft projects that include a bulletin board, lampshade, picture frames, and book covers.

I decided to work on the bulletin board for Matthew’s big boy room update I am slowly working on! He loves dinosaurs (as much as he loves cars!) so I am combining cars and dinosaurs in his room as I update the decor!

Here are the supplies I needed for the bulletin board:

As a note, I didn’t use the braid the directions stated to use, I just went with a flat ribbon.The directions on the project sheet were really simple to follow so don’t worry about trying to figure out what to do. Oh and this project is no-sew … get out your glue gun and you are set!

Ta-da! Here is the finished bulletin board …

This project only took me about an hour and half (with a four year old “helper”). I was happy it was a short project I could sneak in on a Sunday afternoon when the house was a little quiet. Plus I could get the need to work on a craft out of my system for the week! Now I just need to get Brian to hang it up in Matthew’s room!

NOTE: Fabric is not intended for children’s sleepwear.

What would you make with this fabric? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Filed Under: Kids, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Wee Believers Floor Puzzles

March 26, 2012 By 1 Comment

We recently had the opportunity to review two of Wee Believer‘s Floor Puzzles, the 2-in-1 Easter Floor Puzzle and the 2-in-1 Noah’s Ark Floor Puzzle.

2-in-1 Easter Floor Puzzle

Details …

This 54-piece jumbo 2-in-1 floor puzzle features a joyful Easter Resurrection illustration on one side and a serene Wee Believers animal friends scene on the other.  With an impressive finish size of 3 x 2 feet, this puzzle makes a precious family or classroom activity.

Our Thoughts …

Grace went to town on this puzzle. We had to remind her to share the puzzle solving process with the other kids. Here is what they ended up with.

Oh the side says, “Spring!” Grace is working on reading and that is a word she knows so she was excited to read the puzzle to everyone else!

2-in-1 Noah’s Ark Floor Puzzle

Details …

This 48-piece round 2-in-1 floor puzzle features Noah with an uplifting Wee Believers® animal march illustration on one side, and an enchanting undersea wonderland on the back, making a fun-filled family or classroom activity.

Our Thoughts …

I love that this puzzle is round. It really challenged the kids since it was a round puzzle. Brian was helping the kids with this puzzle and you can see them sorting the edges.

In progress …

I some how missed the final version of this puzzle but here it is. This side is labeled the back but I love the verse on it so it is my favorite side of this puzzle!

Brian managed to “flip” both of the puzzles like they were pizza pies without them breaking so the kids could see the other side. The problem was that after he did that, they kept wanting him to just flip them so they could see both sides over and over and over again!

We are excited to learn about Wee Believers and love their slogan of “Toys … where Faith meets Fun!”

Are floor puzzles a hit at your house too? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Wordless Wednesday: Reason for the Season

December 7, 2011 By 19 Comments

The kids have a nativity set that they love to play with and throw the pieces around the living room. We try to accept this as this the ONE of many nativity sets we have they can touch and play with and not harm. The other day, they decided to set it all up instead of pieces everywhere.

I think they got it right. Maybe we should set up all of our nativity sets like this to remember the true Reason for the Season!

Let us know where your Wordless Wednesday post is so we can come leave a comment!

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Chuggington: The Chugger Championship

November 23, 2011 By 2 Comments

Details …

In “The Chugger Championship,” the traintastic trio is ready to put their “wheels to the rails” for the biggest race in Chuggington!  These six, action-packed adventures will have the whole family cheering. Young fans join Wilson, Brewster and Koko as they prepare for a test, invent a new contest and pick up a fun hobby, while learning about the importance of accountability and responsibility.  Along the way, the three friends – and viewers at home – discover that a true champion isn’t always the one who finishes first!

“The Chugger Championship” is the newest addition to Anchor Bay Entertainment’s “Chuggington” DVD collection, which also includes “Chuggers To The Rescue,” “It’s Training Time” and “Let’s Ride The Rails.”

Our Thoughts …

Little Dude loves Chuggington and does this crazy happy dance when we get Chuggington DVDs. He is getting  more and more into cars and trucks and well trains have wheels so they are becoming cool too.

This DVD includes the following episodes:

The Chugger Championship” — All the chuggers compete in the annual Chugger Championship to see who is the fastest

“Helpful Hodge” — Wilson and Koko compete to see who can complete the most “helpful” tasks in a day

“Cool Wilson” — Brewster and Wilson vie to be assistants to the ice-cream train, “The Great Frostini”

“Brewster’s Hobby” — Brewster the train has a new hobby, “people-spotting,” (LOL), and it interferes with his work

“Wake Up Wilson” — Wilson and Koko stay up very late one night, with near-disastrous results

“Koko Pulls It Off” — The three trainees face a nerve-wracking test of passenger train-pulling skills

You can buy this DVD on Amazon in time for Christmas!

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this DVD in support this review. No other compensation was received. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Filed Under: Kids, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , ,

Caillou’s Holiday Favorites

November 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

Details …

Join your favorite 4-year-old in this Caillou’s Holiday Favorites 3-pack DVD Set. You’ll be able to help lead the marching band, play with penguins, search for alligators, and much more! You can even celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with Caillou. When the winter comes, Caillou enjoys building a snowman, playing hockey, and making paper snowflakes!

    Episodes:

  • Caillou’s World of Wonder
  • Caillou’s Holiday
  • Caillou’s Winter Wonders

Our Thoughts …

My kids love winter shows. It really doesn’t matter what show it is. I think it is the snow in them. So when they saw this, I was certain they would pick the Caillou’s Winter Wonders DVD to watch first. Nope. I should know better than to try to figure them out yet I keep trying. It was near Halloween and they saw the Caillou’s Holiday one had a Halloween show on it so that was the first pick. They loved it. They just sat and watch until it was time for dinner. Sitting and watching a whole show is rare at our house. As it get closer to winter, I am certain that Caillou’s Winter Wonders is going to be their favorite DVD rotation as they really do go in cycles. I am looking forward to letting them watch these more … maybe they will even end up in the van for one of our longer trips coming up!

This is a great holiday list to put on a wish list for your child. It is easy for a Grandma to order online and might just buy you enough time to get dinner on the table in peace! ;0 You can find Caillou’s Holiday Favorites over on Amazon for a great price right now!

Do you love Caillou at your house? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Kids, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Daddy Plays Lullaby Christmas and Acoustic Rock Lullabies

November 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

Details …

Daddy Plays Christmas Lullabies is a collection of holiday classics that bring the joy of Christmas into your home. Share the sounds of the season with your baby, make Sleepy Time part of your family’s holiday experience. Give The Gift Of Music!

DADDY PLAYS: Acoustic Rock Lullabies celebrates some of the most memorable and melodious acoustic guitar moments in rock & roll history. Now you can share music by: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Simon And Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin and other acoustic guitar masters with your baby. Sleepy time has never been so cool!

Our Thoughts …

We were first introduced to Daddy Plays a few months ago with the Daddy Plays Lullabies CD. My girls love this CD so I was excited to be asked to review these two new releases.
First up, Daddy Plays Christmas Lullabies … I don’t think the kids will get this CD. It is Christmas music made simple. I love acoustic music and I was ready for it start snowing (OK, not really but pretty darn close!) when listening to this CD. This might be some good sitting by the fire place after the kids go to bed and I stare at the Christmas tree until I fall sleep music!

Daddy Plays Acoustic Rock Lullabies … When I saw that this CD had Beatles songs on it, I was all for it. I loved listening to the Beatles as a kid (I know that might seem odd but oldies were on the approved listen to lists my folks had for us!) I tried to figure out the songs as I went along but I am horrible at that. I am going to challenge Brian soon to see if he can figure them out. I am sure he will get most of them because they are great, simple versions of the songs and his brain holds information like song titles like he is going to be on Jeopordy tomorrow and win big cash. Maybe you should take the challenge and at the same time introduce your kids to a great song collection!

We suggest you head over to Amazon to pick these up for Christmas stockings or to pop into your own CD player and not tell anyone that it was for you and not your kiddo!

Have you listened to Daddy Plays music yet? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Kids, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

itty bitty HeartBeats

October 25, 2011 By

Details …

itty bitty HeartBeats™ …we do things from the heart

Leonardo Da Vinci believed the best way to learn is by discovering truth from the inside. So he invented the expression “learning by heart.” This is the inspiration behind itty bitty HeartBeats, an animated musical television series designed to entertain and educate young children in a magical world called Heartland, where everything is done from the heart. Through colorful animation and irresistible music, children will experience the adventures of the itty bitty HeartBeats, featuring CoolHeart, his sister SweetHeart, and their little brother BabyHeart. Every week, these tiny, adorable, multi-hued characters face their problems, learning that love is an action, and that positive thinking will solve any problem. And to help them on their journey, they can always count on the sage advice of WiseHeart, the encouragement of MamaHeart and PapaHeart, and the antics of their colorful friends, KookyHeart, GiggleHeart, HeartAche and DreamyHeart. Half-hour episodes will consist of two eleven-minute “adventures,” each based on an original song. These songs are the “heart” of the series, as they help reinforce an atmosphere of fun, learning, and interactive participation. Children ages 2 through 5 will love the music, and parents will love that they’re absorbing and learning positive lessons about honesty, sharing, and caring for others.

Our Thoughts …


We were excited to get a gift pack that included 1 itty bitty HeartBeats DVD, 1 plush doll – CoolHeart or SweetHeart, 5 sheets of stickers, and 7 download links to the original songs from the shows! We get to share the the Choo-Choo Trian song with you at this link! Sophie really loves Sweetheart character. Matthew’s favorite character seems to be CoolHeart.  The characters  in itty bitty Hearbeats are friendly and make the shows fun to watch! If you looking for a kid-friendly show that is parent approved, be sure to check out itty bitty HeartBeats!

 

We are excited to offer one of our readers the same gift pack minus the songs!

Details:
This drawing will end Tuesday, November 8th at 11:59pm EST. The winner will have 48 hours to reply with their address. You must include your email address in the comment form so you can be contacted if you are a winner! You must complete the Mandatory Entry for the additional entries to count. This giveaway is open to US residents only !

So how do you enter?

Mandatory Entry: What your favorite itty bitty HeartBeats character? (click here to view them)

Additional Entries:

1) Follow us on Facebook HERE. Worth two entries so leave two comments here! (Psst … we love comments on Facebook so maybe you can leave us one!)
2) Follow BOTH SimplyBudgeted and This_Cookin_Dad on Twitter. Leave a THREE comment with your twitter name.
3) Tweet about this giveaway with this tweet:

RT #Win a itty bitty HeartBeats gift pack at @simplybudgeted http://bit.ly/tZ3t3c ends 11/8 #giveaway #kids#DVD

Leave a comment with the URL for your tweet. (One Tweet per day until end of giveaway!!)
4) Follow us publicly through the Google Friends Connect in the footer. Leave a comment with your name that you subscribe with.
5) Subscribe to the daily email here at Simply Budgeted. It is at the top of the sidebar!;) Please leave a comment. (worth 5 entries!)
6) Like itty bitty HeartBeats on Facebook HERE. Worth two entries so leave two comments!

NOTE: We were provided with a gift pack product to provide this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are our own. All prizes are mailed by the PR company or actual company.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Kids, Promotional, Reviews, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , , , ,

ChildCostumes.com

October 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 Details …

 Girls Sparkle Mermaid Costume

Dazzle everyone on land and under the sea in our girls sparkle mermaid costume! The polyester dress features a pink and purple iridescent top embellished with blue sequins along the torso and a large blue jewel set in a gold pendent at the top. The shoulder straps are lined with elastic and accented with the same pink iridescent fabric. The blue skirt is covered in sequins for extra shimmer (please note the skirt is blue and not aqua green as pictured). The bottom of the skirt is lined with purple mesh and covered in pink, purple, green and blue sequined tulle strips creating a beautiful fin. Be sure to check out our fun mermaid accessories to complete this fairytale look!

Our Thoughts …

 

Sophie loves this costume. When she decided she wanted a mermaid costume, I was able to test the search feature at childcostume.com. I was thrilled that several results came up in the search. This costume is true to the  size chart on their site. And yes, Sophie was being all silly when I asked her to stand there for a picture. The shipping is also super fast so yes you still have time to order from childcostume.com!

Note: We were provided with a sample product to support this review. All thoughts and opinions are our own honest opinions.

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Friday Favorite: Really Woolly Bedtime Prayers

October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Friday Favorites is another almost weekly feature here at Simply Budgeted. The whole point of this feature is to share some of our favorite finds. Anything is game. Food. Cleaning supplies. Kid stuff. Garden favorites. Recipes. Anything that I really like and want to randomly post about. Reminder/Disclaimer/Whatever: Everything in Friday Favorites is something that we use and bought on our own.

Up this week …

Really Woolly Bedtime Prayers

Details …

The perfect way to introduce children to the joy of having a special time with God at night right before they close their sleepy eyes.

A case-bound padded board book from the Really Woolly® brand by DaySpring® with devotions and prayers that center on various aspects of God’s shepherd-like love for us with themes of The Shepherd . . .  listens, cares, loves, promises, watches, rescues, sings, smiles, guides, teaches, blesses, encourages, understands, shines, forgives, comforts, chooses, plans, and creates. Little ones will love the charming Really Woolly® illustrations, engaging verse, and Scripture that show how much God loves and cares for them. Prayer starters encourage children to talk to God.

Our Thoughts …

I bought this book at the Women of Faith conference I attended to bring something home to the kids. The girls LOVE this book. We trade on if Brian or I pick a prayer from the book or if the girls get to pick. The listen to the verse and short, rhyming story then repeat the prayer after us. This a big bedtime hit and generally helps calm them down at bedtime.

If you are looking to introduce prayers a bedtime, I would highly recommend this book.

You can buy it on Amazon right now for $9.99!

 

Do you use a book to lead bedtime prayers? Let us know what you do or if you are headed to go buy this book!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites, Kids, Memes, Simply Family Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Wordless Wednesday: Kings Dominion

October 5, 2011 By 15 Comments

A couple  of weeks ago, we took the girls to Kings Dominion. We left Little Dude with my parents (good decision on our part!) The girls had never been to anything more than a local fair before this so this was huge to them! I went to Kings Dominion growing up so it was interesting to see how it changed since I had last been there.

 

 

 

Let us know where your Wordless Wednesday post is so we can come by and leave you a comment!

Filed Under: Kids, Memes, Simply Family, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: , , , , ,
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