I love watching my boys pretend that they are superheros.  They get so excited and I am finding so many great products that are not costumes to help fuel their interest in superheroes.  We recently had the opportunity to review a FAB Starpoint Superhero Piggy Bank.

My take:  Here are some closer picture details:

Isn’t he cute?  I love all the details such as the curly lock on his forehead, and his adorable utility belt.  Since I knew he was going to be a very fought over item, I chose to gift him to my 2 year old nephew who will hopefully follow in his older cousins’ footsteps with his lover of superheroes.

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Looking at cost first, an easy way to keep a close rein on your budget is to choose an all-inclusive package holiday. An all-inclusive deal means you know exactly how much you’re spending, up front, with no nasty surprises halfway through the holiday when you realise you’ve massively overspent. Depending on where you book and who you book with, all-inclusive package deals will usually include all meals, unlimited drinks and some form of entertainment put on by the hotel. Check exactly what is included in the package deal before you book and make sure that the entertainment on offer is enough to cater for the age range within your family and keep everyone happy.

In terms of where to go, a long haul flight can often prove traumatic with young children, but that’s no reason you should miss out on some sunshine. Picking a location such as Lanzarote is a good chose for many families as the flight time is short enough to be bearable, but you’re going far away enough to guarantee better weather than the UK 99% of the time.

The five-star Princesa Yaiza in Lanzarote is an ideal choice if you want a luxury hotel that caters for families. The hotel provides juices and a surprise present for children in your room upon arrival (as well as bubbly for you), free entry to nearby children’s park Kikoland, meals and two hours of free babysitting during your holiday.

Although it’s a five star hotel which might usually seem out of the budget for a lot of families, if you choose a low cost holiday provider and an all-inclusive option, you may be able to afford more than you thought. Choosing a destination like Lanzarote means that you have a wide choice of family-friendly hotels and accommodation to pick from.

Guest post by Jet2Holiday

My boys continue to love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, particularly my 5 year old so I knew this next DVD would please him.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s The Wizard Of Dizz

Journey to a wondrous land of enchantment and surprises when a classic tale gets a brand- new twist in a full-length adventure that follows Minnie Mouse and the rest of the Clubhouse pals as they visit the strange and wonderful world of “Dizz” in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s The Wizard Of Dizz!
Overflowing with music and laughter – plus two extra “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” episodes, ten bonus Minnie’s Bow-Toons and a FREE download of the Minnie Bow Maker digital book app – this song-filled celebration of fun and friendship proves there’s no place like the Clubhouse!

My take:  If you have fans of Mickey and his pals this DVD is a great addition.  My 5 year old roughly knows the story of the Wizard of Oz but he (and I) were entranced by the Wizard of Dizz.  It was adorable, memorable and had so many great things.  The girls will love the sparkly green shoes, and blue dress Minnie wears (even though my son insisted blue is a boys color lol) while the boys will easily follow the storyline.  Pete is not scary as the bad witch and as always the great message of friendship is found throughout this episode.  Minnie’s Bow-Toons continue to delight as well, I love how short they are!

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Summer means only one thing to my kids…running around outside.  Now that my parents have gotten a golden retriever puppy, running around takes on a whole new meaning.  I recently had the opportunity to review a dog bed from Sam’s Club.

Cesar Millan Folding Pet Travel Bed

This travel bed has a comfortable, wear-resistant, micro suede top. Its quilted top provides extra comfort and insulation, and the poly-fill cushion material insulates even when wet. It also features a rugged, water-repellent fabric bottom, an interior cushion that unzips to replace or add fill, and a zippered exterior pocket for small items.

Retails for $42.88

My take:  I was impressed at how compact this bed was when zipped up:

Here is a picture of the bed laid out flat:

The real test came when the dog approached and this was the result:

To say it was a hit is an understatement, he stayed on this bed for over an hour then I checked back a little later and he was right back on his new comfy bed.  Since I live 4 hours away from my parents, I love that this folding travel bed can now be brought when they come to visit.  When folded the bed takes up very little room compared to other dog beds they have used.  We also like how the bottom is padded and not a hard surface.  There is even a zippered pocket for storage of treats, toys, etc.  A great solution if you need a portable ped bed while traveling.

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This next review touches near and dear to my heart as I now have a necklace I will always cherish since I literally have my children’s handprints forever captured on a necklace thanks to Kidz Can Design.

We love our kids, and we love their creativity. Wanting to find a way to honor and cherish their creative works, KidzCanDesign was born.

KidzCanDesign will turn your child’s masterpiece into a sterling silver work of art that you can display with pride. Whether you’re wearing it on your neck or on your wrist, your child will know that you adore what he or she has “designed”.

So go ahead, get the kids together and spend some special time drawing, painting, and bonding with one another.

KidzCanDesign will turn those special moments into keepsakes to last a lifetime.

My take: I knew immediately want I wanted to have for my necklace- all 3 of my children’s handprints.  However since my youngest one was 8 months old at the time I knew that would be a challenge.  I started by tracing both of my boys’ hands on a paper and then separately traced my daughter’s hand on a separate piece.  I then cut her handprint out and taped it to the boys’ page and scanned my image in.  Here is what my image looked like scanned:

The company then created this piece:

Let me tell you tears came to my eyes when I saw how perfectly they captured my children’s hands.  I know can remember how small my daughter’s hand was compared to the boys- this piece literally captured and froze a very precious keepsake!

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Have you ever finished doing the dishes by hand and became dismayed hours later when you realize how rough and dry your hands felt?  I recently had the opportunity to review three new Palmolive Soft Touch products.

Soft Touch, Palmolive’s newest line still has the powerful grease cutting action that Palmolive is known for, but now also has more gentle ingredients for your hands. Because the product is fortified with more caring ingredients, your hands will be in perfect condition for a manicure after you do your dishes.

My take::  I received three bottles of Palmolive Soft Touch along with 3 coordinating nail shades.  I took the challenge and was impressed with how soft my hands felt immediately afterwards.  I applied the nail polish (and of course my 5 year old had to get his done as well) and now have great looking nails along with super clean dishes.  Since I have several baby items that I don’t wash in the dishwasher (breast pump accessories, pacifiers, etc) it is important to me that I use products that get my dirty items super clean but also help protect my hands from daily cleaning and Palmolive Soft Touch fit this bill perfectly!

Palmolive has generously offered 1 lucky MommyPR reader their very own set of all three great dish liquids and nail colors!

Win It

Mandatory Entry:

Tell what your favorite Palmolive product  is!

Extra Entries:

Contest ends 11:59 pm Pacific Time on 6/28/13

See Contest Rules for More Entries

There you have it lots of ways to enter so please help us get the word out and good luck!!!!

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I love summer but try to keep my face protected from the sun as much as I possiblly can.  I recently had the opportunity to work with Dorfman Pacific to review one of their summer hats.

Dorfman Pacific has been expanding the sun protection portion of its line season after season and the 2013 Scala and Tropical Trends  brand collections are the most exciting and comprehensive yet. The variety is enormous and exciting so that everyone is tempted to discover a hat they can enjoy that expresses their own personal style.

Solids, stripes and patterns in simple or high fashion silhouettes abound. Buckles, bows, ties and shells are just a few examples of the unique detailing included in the mix. Visors, fedoras, floppies, safari looks, caps, bucket shapes, boonies and large sun brims (up to 10 inches!) are all so appealing that most women will want several. Hats are featured in many wonderful materials, too.  Cotton, raffia, toyo, sewn ribbon, and paper braid are just a few of many options. Priced affordably, this is a real possibility since most retail from $20 – $75.

I chose to reivew the Tropical Trends Brimmed Sunhat:

Tropical Trends Brimmed Sunhat  is a strikingly pretty brimmed hat. It is a floppy style with a 4-inch brim. It, too, is paper braid which is both chic and practical. It has a self sizing tie to adjust to one’s head size and is offered in four color variations….all natural with different trim tipping the brim, including black, tea, turquoise and fuchsia. Each trim is very appealing and will accent many outfits. This style retails for about the same price point as the visor, $25. On top of all its fashion benefits, it carries the UPF Sun protection factor of 50 plus which is just what today’s savvy women want as added protection to their daily summer outdoor routine! Another great advantage is its pack ability and recovery. It is light weight and bounces back into shape 1-2-3, therefore it can be easily stored in a beach bag or taken away on vacation.  This hat is also ideal to wear at home for a walk and other activities like gardening.

My take:  This hat is so perfect for summer no matter where I go thanks to all its features.  I received the fuchsia color and love how vibrant and light weight this hat is.  I can take it anywhere thanks to its squishability….no matter how tiny I pack it, it always bounces back to its original shape.  My most favorite features…how floppy it is-perfect for protecting my face and neck and that it is adjustable so it will stay on my head despite the wind.

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Now that summer is fully upon us, have you been keeping your family protected from the sun?  If not, please consider Neutrogena’s Family Sunscreen Products.

Neutrogena® Beach Defense™ Broad Spectrum SPF 70

Hosted by @FunkyMonkeySnck & Co-hosted by @MommyPR

Join in for prizes too! Prizes include Funky Monkey Snacks prize packs and a $25 Amazon gift card.

(Winners will be chosen based off the amount that they participate)

Twitter chat will be on Healthy Snacks for Summer. So start grilling and let us know what your favorite healthy snack is!

Details:

• 8pm – 9pm Eastern
• June 10th, 2013
• #FunkyChat
• @FunkyMonkeySnck & @MommyPR

We recently had the opportunity to review the Table Top Puppet Theater

The Wooden Tabletop Theater has two marquis options; a Puppet Theater and chalkboard for a unique theme! A clock with moveable hands and cotton canvas side curtains and front curtains with Velcro tie-backs enhance the theatrical experience. Features an interior puppet storage pocket. Folds flat for easy storage. Wooden frame ensure years of safe use. Adult assembly required. Puppets not included. Ages 3+. 28″W x 9.5″D x 25.5″H

Retails for $59.95

My take:

Parent Perspective:  You know those products that take hours and hours to assemble (and you hate)?  Well let me happily tell you that this puppet theater took less than 30 seconds to assemble!!  All you have to do is slide the top part in and you are set.  My boys got such a kick out of this theater and the small details really do add up.  I love the tie-backs for the curtains…they are Velcro and very easy for little hands to successfully complete.  It is a toss up between the clock with moveable hands and the chalkboard as to which is the kids’ favorite.  I love that they are able to personalize the marquis and set the time for shows (which also helps the youngest learn time).  The side curtains allow for no behind the scenes peeking and the mesh pocket for storage and the ability to store flat are sure to be a parent favorite (mine at least).  Please note that the puppets are not included, but if you are like me this gave us an opportunity to make our own puppets out of old socks.

Mesh pocket for storage:

Physical Therapist Perspective:  Fine motor, hand-eye coordination and tactile stimulation are a few great skills you can work with when utilizing this Puppet Theater.  Manipulating the moveable hands of the clock, securing the tie-backs for the curtains, feeling the difference in material from the curtains to the chalkboard and finally practicing spatial awareness when placing the puppets in their correct place.

Want to own your own Puppet Theater?  Keep an eye out for Teach Preschool’s giveaway that is coming up shortly!

More reviews from my fellow Guidecraft Educators

Mommy Moment, Planet Weidknecht, Huppie Mama, Simply Stacie, Mamanista, Pre-K Pages, Katie’s Literature Lounge,

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