Many of us are about to send our kids to preschool or school in the next few weeks. The tone has changed from Summertime activities to talk of back to school.
Most preschool and Kindergarten kids are learning to read or are about to begin reading. One way to encourage children to start reading or become more confident with reading is to provide them with age appropriate books they can read easily.
Bob Books by Scholastic are a series of books that are easy to read with pictures on each page and use sight words on each page of the book. Each Bob Book set has 10 books and 30 flashcards, both of which have 30 sight words in them.
Enter to Win the Kindergarten and First Grade Book Book Sets and a Bob Books Lunchbox. 2 Entrants will win this prize pack.
About Giveaway:
Enter August 9 through August 30th, 2010.
To Enter to win please leave a comment about why you would like to win this book prize pack.
Back to school is here- for some of us it has already started and for most of us it is starting in the next couple of weeks. I found this great eco-friendly and unique lunch bag by Mimi the Sardine.
It is the perfect size for kids and compact so it takes up virtually no room to store it.
I love the bright colors and easy wipe material.
What is even better is this Lady Bugs Lunchbag is 25% off if you use coupon code EXCITE25 between now and August 16th, 2010.
All Mimi the Sardine fabrics meet Oeko-Tex 100 Standard to verify that they are eco- and human-friendly. They are never made with harmful chemicals. All of their water-based acrylic-coated cotton fabrics are wipe-able or machine-washable; you can even tumble dry them on low!
Some children have a really high sensitivity to tactile sensations (SPD-Sensory Processing Disorder). Seams in socks seem to be one of the biggest triggers. I know from personal experience how uncomfortable socks can be when the seam isn't where it should be. Children have the most trouble with this because they are just learning to dress themselves and often put their socks on crooked. Luckily SmartKnit Kids has come up with a solution- seamless socks.
SmartKnit Kids seamless socks are completely free of seams. Their "no heel" design allows children to put on socks with confidence and helps keep their little feet from outgrowing their socks so quickly.
The socks are designed to hug the feet to eliminate wrinkling and bunching. A special non-binding top fits comfortably around the leg to prevent the sock from slipping down the leg. Regular socks often have elastic that binds or pinches.
SmartKnit kids socks are made from fibers that wick away moisture to help ensure dry feet. Antimicrobial benefits help prevent foot odors.
For a truly seamless and comfortable sock, check out SmartKnit Kids seamless socks. Your kids will thank you!
Save on kids socks at Zappos from TheFind.com's coupon site
I am always trying to fit in more fruits and vegetables to my kids diet. In their lunches I often put the fruit cups that do not have added sugar or apple sauce cups (the natural ones without corn syrup or sugar or anything else added). But when we are in the car or at a Soccer game I often find the fruit cups difficult to bring. We usually stick to bananas and apples but sometimes we run out of fresh fruit or my oldest son does not eat apples.
Anyways, a French company recently contacted us to tell us about their product. They produce GoGo SqueeZ which is 100% natural applesauce in a recloseable pouch that does not require a spoon.
I asked them to send me a sample to try it out since I was not familiar with them. Well I am in love with the product. Since receiving the sample GoGo Squeez Apple Sauces my kids have tried them in the car, at a soccer game and in their lunches. I love that I can throw them in my pack or put them in the car and I don't have to worry about a spoon and the juice getting all over my son or the car.
I have tried the apple sauce as well. In my house the plain applesauce, apple peach, apple strawberry have been the big winners. I also liked the apple cinnamon but for my kids that one did not go over as well.
I had an opportunity to try the Veggie Patch Veggie Bites this past week. My family tried the Brocolli Bites, Spinach Bites, Sweet Corn Bites, and Portabella Bites. I was interested in trying the Veggie Patch bites because they are vegetarian, do not contact Trans Fats or MSG.
I first warmed up the Broccoli Bites and Sweet Corn Bites. The outsides were crispy and golden and the inside was moist and tasty. The veggie bites have vegetable and cheese on the inside. I enjoy both of them but the corn won for me based on the extra sweetness. My kids tried them and they liked the Corn Bites. The Broccoli Bites were not as big of a hit but I think if they tried them several times they would have enjoyed them more.
Next, I served the Portabella Bites and Spinach Bites when we had a few people over and put them out with lots of other finger foods. Both the Portabella and Spinach Bites were gone by the end of the evening. I served them with a small bowl of marinara. My kids liked the Spinach Bites.
The Veggie Patch Veggie Bites make a nice dinner option for an ocassional fun dinner when paired with fruit, veggies and a side. Serve the Bites with a side of healthy marinara sauce and enjoy the easy and fun dinner.
Veggie Bites are a great source of Vitamin A, C, Calcium and Iron. They have both fiber and protein as well. They have a similar amount of fat per serving as Chicken Nuggets (8 grams of Fat for 3 Veggie Bites) so just like other kids food favorites, you need to keep the number of bites to a single serving.
If you child saves money or gets an allowance and is between the ages of 6-18 and has a great story about saving money please contact us right away. Maybe your son or daughter is saving money to buy a big ticket item, or possibly saving money to donate it to a cause close to your family's heart. If your child has a great money story please email me your name, child's name and age, city you live in and a sentence about your child and money.
Send the email to kristin[@]ziggityzoom.com (remove the brackets)
The hustle and bustle of the holidays are here. For many of us the frenzy has begun- decorating, shopping, wrapping, holiday parties, school parties, baking, and overly excited children. It can make for a stressful time of year. I love the holidays and everything that comes with it- the Christmas music, decorations, holiday treats, family time, and special memories.
I have found that sometimes as parents we get so wrapped up in checking off our to-do list during this time of year and making sure we get every last gift our child begged for, that we forget what this time of year is all about. We forget that it is a special time of year that allows us to make lasting memories with our children through holiday traditions, whether old or new.
The other day I asked my oldest son who is 7 what he likes most about this time of year. I knew he would say the presents, which he did, but I asked him to tell me the other things he liked. He told me he liked decorating the tree, reading Christmas stories, baking cookies and hearing Christmas music. It was then that I realized the special things we do with our family each year, either for Christmas or Hanukkah will be remembered by our children for years to come.
This time of year is also a time to make sure the excitement of getting gifts does not reinforce a message of "me, me, me" with our kids. In order to combat the ulgier side of the holidays we do a few things in our house to reinforce the message of giving during the holiday season. You may find these helpful:
Here at ZiggityZoom.com we want to encourage parents to read to their kids every day! We want kids to get excited about listening to stories, learning to read, and telling stories. We want kids to connect to stories and the characters they read about.
To enter our Bunbun Book Giveaway Contest Sign up and leave a comment about our site for this post!
All entrants will receive a printable ZiggityZoom coloring book by email! Your information is not shared or given to anyone.
Contest runs from October 19, 2008 and ends November 5, 2008. Giveaway is OVER-WInner will be contacted Nov 10-12th.
We have tons of reading and early literacy activities and tools on our site.
Healthy Bean and Vegetable Whole Wheat Wrap Do you need an idea for a quick, easy meal that does not require cooking? Well these wraps are super nutritious and easy as 1-2-3 to put together and get on the table. My kids love wraps and this one is definitely healthy and filling.
Ingredients
1 can Vegetarian Refried Beans (Low fat)
1 10 pack of Low fat Whole Wheat Tortillas
1 Tomato (diced)
2% Sharp Cheddar Cheese(Lowfat)
1 Avocado (chopped)
Shredded Romaine Lettuce
1 bunch Cilantro (optional)
How to Make: Warm refried beans of med. heat and then remove or microwave them (optional- heat your burrito at the end instead). Next, take a tortilla (warm if desired) and lay out flat on a large plate. Now spread a layer of beans on the tortilla and then add vegetables (I put the veggies I know my child will eat and maybe a little bit of something new). Last I will add the cheese and wrap it up (either use a paper towel to wrap it or a toothpick if it will not stay closed). You can either serve or warm up burrito in microwave for 10-30 seconds. Serve with a side of fruit and you will have a meal that is healthy, and has protein, fiber, whole grains, vegetables and fruit! And you get a healthy 1 dish meal your family will love without cooking a thing! This has become a favorite lunch or dinner at my house. When you first serve this, if your kids are not used to this type of food, I would recommend trying it with only lettuce or a vegetable he/she likes and if you need to put just a bit of a low-fat salad dressing on top to give it a little more flavor that they are used to eating.
Black Bean and Salsa Soup Are you looking for a fast meal to make tonight? This Black Bean and Salsa Soup is a favorite in my house!. My 2, 4, and 6 year olds all love this soup! Make this dinner and it will fast become a Kid Favorite Dinner at your house! You can make this Soup in less than 10 minutes and it only requires 2 main ingredients! Here's What You Need:
I am a mom, a wife, a cook, a runner, a friend, a small business owner and a woman. Along my adventure called life, I sometimes discover great products, or items that get me excited- things I really love or think are huge time savers or just plain adorable. Because I love sharing things I find that I think other moms, wives, friends, women, cooks, and our families will love I have become a Open Sky Seller.
What that means is anything I share and you are just as excited about and want to buy it-you can purchase it directly from our website and every purchase comes with a Happiness Guarantee, and let’s be honest life is really about the Happiness. So why shop somewhere else when you can shop Happy here? Here is Open Sky’s Happiness Guarantee: “When you shop at OpenSky, we guarantee your happiness. You may return any purchase, for any reason and in its original condition, within 1 year for a full refund. And we'll pay for the shipping!”
If you love checking out great products for yourself, your kids, a friend, your kitchen, innovative products or gizmos, or stuff that is just plain adorable then check back often to see what I find.
Basically, anything I find that I love I can make sure everyone else knows about it and its available from a place you trust- our site.
The shopping environment is secure and your information will not be shared with anyone.
Today's Activity- a Great Activity for Every Day of the Week
At Ziggity Zoom we have lots of activities, games, coloring pages,fitness and searching games and educational worksheets. We also have great ideas for easy dinners and snacks. Come check out our daily tips, ideas and activity every day for a new idea to inspire you to have fun and teach your kids new things!
We will focus on providing ideas for play, games and worksheets that help your kids grow (by having fun of course) through observation and experiments, and games that improve listening skills and some ideas that are about having fun and family time. And ideas for healthy living and getting your kids up and moving which is so important for kids to do.
With Today's economy, parents are looking for ways to save money and still keep their kids busy and entertained. We want to give you a few ideas to keep your kids busy and have fun too!
Fun Toy to Make for Free Sock Puppet Toy-Dog To Make a Sock Puppetgather a few socks, spare material or paper and glue and make this cute dog puppet and a few your child can play with.
We will focus on providing ideas for play, games and worksheets that help your kids grow (by having fun of course) through observation and experiments, and games that improve listening skills and some ideas that are about having fun and family time. And ideas for healthy living and getting your kids up and moving which is so important for kids to do.
With Today's economy, parents are looking for ways to save money and still keep their kids busy and entertained. We want to give you a few ideas to keep your kids busy and have fun too!
Fun Toy to Make for Free
Sock Puppet Toy-Dog To Make a Sock Puppetgather a few socks, spare material or paper and glue and make this cute dog puppet and a few your child can play with.
Many of us are about to send our kids to preschool or school in the next few weeks. The tone has changed from Summertime activities to talk of back to school.
Enter to Win the Kindergarten and First Grade Book Book Sets and a Bob Books Lunchbox. 2 Entrants will win this prize pack.
Back to school is here- for some of us it has already started and for most of us it is starting in the next couple of weeks. I found this great eco-friendly and unique lunch bag by Mimi the Sardine.
I am always trying to fit in more fruits and vegetables to my kids diet. In their lunches I often put the fruit cups that do not have added sugar or apple sauce cups (the natural ones without corn syrup or sugar or anything else added). But when we are in the car or at a Soccer game I often find the fruit cups difficult to bring. We usually stick to bananas and apples but sometimes we run out of fresh fruit or my oldest son does not eat apples.
because they are vegetarian, do not contact Trans Fats or MSG.
Healthy Bean and Vegetable Whole Wheat Wrap
Black Bean and Salsa Soup
I am a mom, a wife, a cook, a runner, a friend, a small business owner and a woman. Along my adventure called life, I sometimes discover great products, or items that get me excited- things I really love or think are huge time savers or just plain adorable. Because I love sharing things I find that I think other moms, wives, friends, women, cooks, and our families will love I have become a Open Sky Seller.
Nesting.com
