A Hands On Partner

Giving your kiddo a focus has never been so simple!

You know how easily distracted we can get in parking lots. Loading or unloading packages, rifling for keys or tending to the baby can take precious attention away from our children, leaving them vulnerable to a number of dangerous situations. The Parking Pal Magnet is your child's safe spot.

Simply place the magnet on the side of your vehicle and have your kiddo place his hand on top of the hand on the magnet. The magnets are designed with fun bright colors in several designs to keep your child occupied. This is so much better than asking your kiddo to keep his hand on the dirty tire or some other less than exciting spot on the vehicle.

Speaking of exciting... everyone placing an order in the month of July will be put in a drawing to win a $50.00 Toys R Us gift card! Kudos to the Parking Pal for a great product - High Five!

Help for the Rising Grocery Bill

I think we all have seen our grocery bill rise in the past few months... or more accurately in the past 6 months. Around Christmas I was able to buy our favorite ground Starbucks coffee for around $6. After a couple increases since then, we are now paying close to $9 - yikes! And just last week I noticed a 30 cent jump in the price of a can of black beans that I buy weekly. Not to mention eggs and milk have been on the rise - along with most items on the grocery store shelves.

I don't know about you, but being a full time mom means there is one income coming in - my husband's. So, I have started clipping coupons, watching the sales and fixing some vegetarian meals each week. Meat is probably one of the more expensive items on the grocery list. And eating red meat is recommend only once a week for heart health - so you can save money & help your heart! Another saver is to plan meals for the week. Then you know what you need from the store, instead of buying a bunch of stuff and then later realize you still don't have everything to make a complete meal. Also, keep alert to the prices you are seeing. I dread shopping at Walmart, but I can get some of our things cheaper there - but not everything, so beware when you shop. Surprisingly, Target can beat Walmart prices on some things. Of the staples I buy often, I keep a mental note of who has them cheaper. I know, it can be easier to just pick things up all at one store - and sometimes I do that. However, if you know you are going to be driving past another store that has your items less expensive - why not save a little?

Looking for more tricks to help save on your grocery bill? Here are a couple good articles to read. Check out the Coupon Mom and 50 ways to save money on your grocery bill.

Patriotic Play

The fireworks started days ago and the kids are anxious for the real show to start tonight. But whatever are you gonna do to keep them busy until the party starts at 5pm? Besides taking them to the pool, here are some fun crafts that will entertain them. And if you start early enough - they can sport them for the rest of the day.

And if your up for your kiddo giving you a pedicure, have them give your piggies a patriotic make-over, like the ones here!

All craft projects are from FamilyFun.com.

Happy Independence Day!

The Fourth & Food

I can't believe it's just 2 days away. The 4th of July is already here... where did June go?

Since the Fourth usually means food and fun, I'm going to share this great site with you. Kraft Kitchens has already picked out recipes for the holiday; Appetizers, meat dishes, side dishes and desserts - just mix and match your favorites and you have your whole meal already planned. Just click on the desired dish for it's recipe. Most are easy to make and very yummy. What a time saver, and we all could use help with that!

Don't care for what the Patriotic Party Menu has to offer? No problem, the site is filled with tons of recipes that is sure to please.

Happy 4th of July and enjoy!

Creature Comforts

Gifts for girlfriends can get difficult sometimes. Maybe it's someone you've only known a short while but want something special for.
Or possibly you've been friends for so long that you have to keep a spreadsheet to catalouge what you give to her throughout the years.

Chances are that you'll never mess up with this fab idea...
Send her a PajamaGram - the best pajama's delivered in an adorable hatbox!
Really...who doesn't love Pj's? Or my favorite, Robes & Slippers.

Check it out and start planning your gift giving for the remainder of the year! New moms. Old friends. Even stuff for kids and guys!

As usual, the Mobsters have a sale tidbit for you!
Save 10%! Enter Code pptr10d at checkout! Expires Oct 15th.

Fit or Fat

Let's face it...those seem to be the two categories we place ourselves in...and if you feel like I do after having a baby, it's not the Fit category I'm looking at. But I also can't be bothered to do any exercising......

Is Denise Austin still around? Seriously. She was kicking butt way back before I had kids. I remember being quite overambitious, buying her pregnancy work out dvd. After one try it stayed on the shelf and collected dust for a very long time. I pulled it out, waaayyyy post-pregnancy and I STILL couldn't keep up. She's crazy-fit!

Anyway...she's still at it and here is her latest. Maybe it's worth a try?

Water Fun

We all loved the creation of Baby Einstein. It actually allowed us to set the child in front of the boob-tube and not feel guilty about it!
I really like new toys for the bath so couldn't help but scoop up this Baby Einstein™: Scoop, Pour & Discovery Toy.

Of course, after a few uses the little monster will realize that the water can just as easily be poured out of the tub and onto the floor to make, yet another, "lake". Fun times.

You can grab this great toy, and maybe another for a gift, at Disneyshopping.com. And this little tidbit just came in...

Receive 2 theater admissions when you spend $75 or more at DisneyShopping.com. Use Promo Code WALLETKTS. Valid 20-June-08 through 6-July-08.Enjoy!

Plugged In

We have tested another cool and genius product. I found a MOBster with a 7 year old son and she said these earphones were superb!

First, they are smaller than typical earphones, so they fit the kiddos ears perfectly than adult size earphones and are comfortable to wear. And since kids like to pump up the music, these earphones are the first of their kind - they help prevent long-term hearing damage due to their outer ear design. AirDrives are approved for all day listening even at max volume so you can be confident your kids ears are safe.

And we can't forget to mention, these beauties let your child remain aware of life's surroundings... meaning your darling son can't say he didn't hear you when you told him to clean up his room. Or more importanly he can hear a car coming behind him while riding his bike.

They also make AirDrives for adults, perfect for outdoor activities, on the airplane & working out. You can pick you pair up at Best Buy & Amazon. These aren't your typical earphones, so expect to pay a little more for premium earphones. Save your kids ears and still enjoy music while living life!

Sample Sale: Kate Spade

I know what you are thinking... today is supposed to be Cool Boy Stuff Reviewed. Well my friends this sale was too good to wait! Kate Spade is having a sample sale that was opened to the public today. There are items up to 60% off! Hurry, you know the good stuff won't hang around long.

Vacation Baby!

My mental list had failed me once again! I meant to let you know that the Blog was going to be on vacation for the week while we took our Prince out of town. However in the chaos of packing and making sure everything was taken care of, I forgot to post a vacation notice. I'm sorry, but I'm sure you busy mama's can relate. Next week, I will have some new reviews of some cool products, so be sure to check back.

Enjoy your weekend!

Sleepy Head

Yawn. Stretch. Yawn. Crack open an eye. Check the clock. Yawn. Ughh - it's not even 6am!
The Prince has awoke already.

I would place bets that my darling son has some sort of super power to know when I go to bed late. On an average morning he will wake at 7 or 7:30 am. However, the nights I go to bed after midnight, he wakes up at the crack of dawn the next day, every time! Coincidence or not?

I'll never know, but one thing is for sure... I'll be ready for a nap today too!

All Aboard

Excitement is building, grandma is coming and we are all gearing up. We are taking our little train lover to A Day Out with Thomas this weekend. If you have a Thomas the Tank Engine fan under your roof, you might already know Thomas is making stops all across the country. Just check the website for a location near you and to buy tickets.

This will be our first experience and we can't wait to explore all the fun there is to be had at A Day Out with Thomas. The event provides an opportunity for kids to take a 25 minute ride on board a train led by Thomas and have their pictures taken with Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of Thomas' Railway. Also, extra fun with Thomas videos, story time, temporary tattoos & Legos!

I'm sure the look on our little tike's face will be priceless when he see the life-size Thomas on Friday. If you are in the Kansas City area, click here to see ticket availability for this weekend and next.