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Tuesday Tales – Potty Animals (Giveaway!)

Posted on July 27, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

One of the hardest things that I have done as a parent is to potty train my youngest son. I should know, we are almost ready to say he is officially potty trained after the adventure began last Wednesday. That same night, when we were starting the process, I took out a book to read with the boys. The book was Potty Animals by Hope Vestergaard. I figured a little lesson learning about potty etiquette would be fitting given what we would be doing over the next few days. This is another of the books that I had received from Sterling Children’s Books.

Rather than explain what the book is about in my own words, I think Hope Vestergaard and illustrator Valeria Petrone did a fabulous job with their Book Trailer for Potty Animals. Make sure your volume is turned up and get ready for a lesson in What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!

While the little guy was off playing between reminders to head to the potty, NHL read Potty Animals to me. As an almost seven-year old, he is pretty good with his potty etiquette. He laughed at the scenarios and we talked about why these things are important for little kids to learn, especially once they go to school. We both liked when we read about Arnold and his troubles being accurate with his aim in the bathroom and reminder to lift the seat. There really was something profound about seeing Wilbur, Wilma, Freddie and friends make the wrong choices and then get reminded about things. Of course, as the girl in the family I secretly wished there was a reminder to put the seat back DOWN when finished. You can see NHL reading the story to me here.

A little while later, we were trying to calm JSL down. He was upset about using the potty and did not want to bother. I sat next to his little Winnie the Pooh potty and read him Potty Animals. He laughed at the reminders at the end of each section. I was not sure if he really understood some of the items. He will be going to nursery school in September and I think at that time it will be more relevant to him. Still, a day or two later when he was using the potty, he reminded me several times of the items we had read about in the book. He told me he had to wipe each time, to close the door when he was using the big potty, and not to forget to flush. Even at three, the fun rhyming verses with colorful characters on each page had made an impact.

More about the book from Sterling:

Meet Wilbur, who won’t wash his hands after going potty. Wilma, who waits too long…and sometimes doesn’t make it in time. And Freddie, who’s afraid to flush. These are just a few of the preschool animals who need a little help with their bathroom etiquette! With wit and good humor, Hope Vestergaard presents a unique “toilet basics” guide for toddlers. It covers everything from lifting the seat and closing the door to planning ahead when you’re on a trip. All told in cheerful rhyme, with hilarious illustrations, it’s a fun way to handle a serious subject. PLAN AHEAD! DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! GO POTTY BEFORE YOU SLEEP! EXCUSE YOURSELF! KNOCK FIRST! BE SURE TO LIFT UP THE SEAT! CLOSE THE DOOR! DON’T LOLLYGAG! NEVER FORGET TO WIPE! WASH YOUR HANDS! ZIP AND FLUSH! ALWAYS TURN OUT THE LIGHT!

Sterling Children’s Books sat down with author, former preschool teacher and toilet training expert, Hope Vertgergaard, who gives us the bottom line (ha ha!) on her unique and lighthearted guide to bathroom manners and some useful tips for parents and kids. Read the Q&A

And download a free copy of the Potty Animals Bathroom Poster: it’s the perfect way to remind everyone about the “dos and don’ts” of bathroom behavior.

Potty Animals (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale March 2010; $14.95; Ages 4+; ISBN: 1-4027-5996-7

We enjoyed Potty Animals and will be reading it again with JSL as we continue on our potty using adventure. I will also be asking JSL’s teachers if they would like to borrow it. I imagine it would be a great addition to read aloud to the children in the first few weeks of nursery school (and even into 1st grade) where many of the kids will be new to the social etiquette involved in potty time at school. There are even some adults that may benefit from some of the gentle bathrooms manners reminders within the book. As a teacher, I could tell you stories involving the bathrooms in kindergarten and first grade classrooms that would scare you!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Sterling Children’s Books, FIVE lucky readers will each win a coupon for a copy of Potty Animals and a bottle of "Potty Animals Hand Sanizer" to go with it.

Potty Animals

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What was your favorite part of the Book Trailer for Potty Animals?

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – Who will this book be for and why is it perfect for them?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Potty Animals Book Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Tuesday Tales from @TheAngelforever is all about Potty Animals. The best part, 5 will #win the book in #giveaway http://bit.ly/c5tcA2
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July (Be sure to check out my other Tuesday Tales posts). Leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 27 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 13 , 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Sterling Children’s Books are also providing the giveawsay items to my readers.

Categories:
books giveaway jsl nhl photos Product review school Tuesday Tales

Breyers Smooth & Dreamy (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on July 26, 2010 11:58 am by TheAngelForever

Summer time and ice cream just go together. Of course, the calories and fat associated with most ice cream treats means that a lot of us do not splurge very often. When I was asked by Mom Central to participate in a Review/Giveaway for the new Breyers Smooth & Dreamy products, I jumped at the chance. I had seen these in a magazine and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches really caught my eye.

There are six varieties of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy available. They include Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip. As seen above, three of the varieties are bars and three are ice cream sandwiches. They contain no artificial flavors or colors, have 160 calories or less and 4-6g of fat per serving.

Since we only had room for one book in our freezer, we picked up the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough variety. I am a big critic for all things related to ice cream with cookie dough. Here is a closer look of what we found inside:

Yes, those are good sized chunks of cookie dough in these ice cream sandwich treats. Of course, the boys had to join in the taste testing. As you will see, they were very much involved in the process and did not want to be interrupted.

Overall, we really enjoyed the box of Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream treats that we tried. TechyDad has already requested which type to try next (he was scoping them out at the grocery store on several occasions). I really liked the cookie dough flavor throughout the ice cream sandwich. There were nice chunks of cookie dough throughout the sandwich, so it was there from the first bite to the last. The boys and I also really enjoyed the cookie part of the sandwich since it was not too crispy (we like more soft cookies). To say that we would purchase more of these and try others would be an understatement. As I said, the boys already have the next box planned out!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Mom Central and Breyers, FOUR lucky readers will win a coupon for a box of Smooth & Dreamy treats of your own.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: Which of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy would you purchase with your coupon and why?

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – What is your favorite type of ice cream? If you can not pick just one, tell me your top few flavors of all time.
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Stop by for your chance to #win some ice cream. Breyers Smooth & Dreamy #giveaway from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/dA60P5
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 26 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 9, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers. They provided me with the coupons to purchase the product to facilitate my candid review. The opinions of this review are 100% mine and I will be purchasing more of these products with my own money for my family to enjoy. Mom Central will be sending me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Categories:
food glorious food giveaway jsl nhl photos Product review summer yummy

The Kung Zhu time has come in the Zhu-niverse

Posted on July 25, 2010 7:31 pm by TheAngelForever

If you have been inside a store that sells toys in the last year, chances are you have seen Zhu Zhu pets. Each of our boys has a Zhu Zhu that they received as a gift from us for Passover. They really enjoyed playing with them, especially on the wide open kitchen floor at Nana and Papa’s house. Soon after this, I was contacted by Mom Select apply to throw a party for the latest in the Zhu-niverse.

The Kung Zhu line was recently released and have taken on a storm. Geared more for boys, the Kung Zhu line has several commercials that we have seen on television and they are in all of the stores (Target, Toys R Us, CVS and more). To help us to throw the ultimate Kung Zhu party we received pretty much everything you could imagine – LITERALLY. This is the box that arrived and everything out on the floor at Nana and Papa’s house (note how large it is compared to JSL standing next to it):

The trick has been getting kids together for a party. Kind of a nightmare when school is not in session. Since NHL really wants a Kung Zhu party, we will have it on August 22 for family and friends (many more kids in attendance). That is the day that we will break out all of the Kung Zhu games and make some Kung Zhu edible critters. For now, we decided to have our own party this weekend. This would allow us to set everything in the Kung Zhu-niverse up, test run items and celebrate JSL’s potty training success. Let me take you on a tour of the items we have.

First, meet the Kung Zhu’s themselves. There are eight Kung Zhu hamsters. The Kung Zhu Ninjas are Drayko, Yama, Azer and Thorn. The members of the Special Forces are Stonewall, Rock’O, Seargent Serge and Rivet. NHL selected Stonewall (blue) and JSL wanted Sgt,.Serge (green).

When these ordinary looking members of the Zhu-niverse put on their special armor, they turn into fighting warriors ready to do battle. Here are the battle armors that are made for each of the eight Kung Zhu’s. Scorpion Tank and Rhino Tank. Beware: the moving parts on the tanks really catch the eye of little people. . . they will not want to stop playing with these.

Once the Kung Zhu members of the Ninjas and Special Forces are all dressed, they can head into the Battle Arena. Meanwhile, the other Kung Zhu’s can man the battle area in their Spider Tank, Buzzsaw Tank,

Of course, you must also have your Special Forces HQ and Dojo for the Ninjas. These, along with the Combat Bridge, really help to get things ready for the Kung Zhu hamsters.

No Kung Zhu Ninja or Special Forces member can be ready for battle if they are out of shape. To help with this, they have multiple options for training.

Individually, TechyDad found that the pieces were not too difficult to assemble. The hardest part of the assembly was making sure that the items worked together for maximum fun for the entire Zhu-niverse. Here are some photos of our mini Kung Zhu Party.

NHL especially liked putting Stonewall through his training session. Check out the video of this member of the Special Forces team. As you will see, he is a persistent little hamster that is not intimidated by some bricks. (Please note the laughter from the kids – this will no doubt be a lot louder for the big party coming soon).

Of course, JSL had to put Sgt Serge through the process as well. Here is his little guy – note how he comes to attack me at the end of the video.

So, there you have it for now. This is just the start of our Kung Zhu party fun. In a few weeks, we will share more of our adventures with you as other children join our Kung Zhu-niverse for NHL’s 7th birthday party.

Disclosure: This review and party (part 1 – and 2 coming soon) was made possible by MomSelect and King Zhu. They provided me with all of the items shown above to throw the ultimate Kung Zhu party.The opinions of this review were mine and I received no other compensation.

Categories:
birthday fun jl jsl nhl photos play time Product review TechyDad video weekend

Potty Training Central

Posted on July 24, 2010 8:58 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

You and I have not seen eye-to-eye when it comes to potty training. I have known you were ready for a while. Once you went into a special private location to do your "business" and would ask to be changed, it was time. Of course, whenever we asked you to wear underpants or go on the potty you would scream at the top of your lungs. I didn’t push, but had mentioned to you in the middle of June that I would not buy more pull-ups. Then, we had to go away. Obviously, I was not going to start potty training two days before a car trip. So we went to the store. When you saw the pull-ups being put into the cart, you told me "Mama, you say no more pull-ups!" You got me and I knew it.

This week, something perked your interest and I went for it. I told you that we had Wiggles and Buzz Lightyear underpants. I pulled them out from storage on Wednesday and went for it. NHL was home from camp thanks to the storms and the roof getting fixed. We went for it. At first, you fought me. You did not want to wear the underpants. Then, when NHL made it exciting, you went. There was a small accident when you could not get to me quick enough. I cleaned the floor, then went to help your soggy bottom. That day, you went 4-5 times and had two accidents. The best part, you went to the Winnie the Pooh potty on your own three times and announced to me you peed.

Thursday was battle time. You had your Wiggles underpants on, but you were not in the mood to use the potty after an accident when you could not get your shorts down in time. To help with this, you played the role of streaker most of the day, or just underpants at times. I think you missed NHL. Once he came home from camp, you stopped fighting me and went potty several times for him. We ended the day with one accident and a few trips to the potty and quite a lot of frustrating moments. You did not want to do this, but day one showed Mama that you could indeed do it. My lesson learned – if I want you to deposit into the potty I had to push the water into you.

Friday was a rainy and nasty day. NHL stayed home from camp again and you had your Buzz Lightyear underpants on early. I reminded you that when you potty chart was filled we would get you a prize. Daddy and I told you we would get you a Buzz Lightyear toy like the Woody doll you have. Things went really well. Whenever NHL asked you to go potty, you went to your little potty seat and did you business. After 3-4 trips (thanks to lots of water), you learned to exploit the system. You would go more often and just leave a small deposit and scream "Mama I pee – sticker time!" By the end of the day, you had peed nine times and even pooped a little! That meant you got 11 stickers for the day. Here are the charts the way they looked at the end of Friday.

Your last sticker before Wednesday was that lonely star on the chart. Everything else was earned later on. You are doing a great job and making me so proud. I know we may take some steps backward in this process again, but you are a big boy and have taken some HUGE steps this week. I love you my little guy.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. A special thank you to big brother NHL. Without your help, I never would have been able to do this. You seem to have potty training skills with your little brother. You rock big kid!

_______________________________________

If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

Categories:
brothers Dear Kid Saturday jsl milestone nhl photos sahm

Ramona and Beezus – The Movie!

Posted on July 23, 2010 10:05 am by TheAngelForever

As much as I love to read now, I was a reluctant reader as a child. I did not like teachers telling me that I had to read so many books each month, or a specific title. Thankfully, there were books out there that made me want to read and keep at it. Beverly Cleary is an author that saved me for years. Thanks to her books, I was able to find characters that would keep me engaged in reading and laughing while I went. If you are not familiar with the name Beverly Cleary, you may remember her infamous Ramona Quimby. Ramona was the Junie B. Jones of my generation – only she keeps on giving. Ramona and her family and friends continue to keep generations of kids reading to see what quirky adventure she will go on. I have secretly been wishing and waiting for NHL (almost 7) to be ready to read the Ramona books to share the experience with him.

Several months ago, I heard that they were finishing up a movie called Ramona and Beezus. I had mixed emotions. Movies that are based on books often do not live up to my expectations (see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs – my favorite picture book). Of course, the Harry Potter movies have created a new level of book to movie phenomena. While teaching, I also did comparisons of books and Hollywood versions with my students (perfect Vehn Diagram opportunity for pre-writing). I knew that I had to see this movie.

Time went by and I heard bits and pieces about the movie. Then out of the blue, we were invited to a pre-screening of Ramona and Beezus (rated G) last week (it opens TODAY). The boys and I went, along with my Aunt S and grandmother to see Ramona and Beezus on the big screen. Thanks to the quick nature of this, I did not have time to reread the books, so my memories of Ramona are sketchy at best. When the movie began, I was instantly brought back to my childhood. Here was Ramona, Beezus, Picky Picky, Henry Higgins and the rest of the gang in front of my eyes. Thanks to Selena Gomez (Beezus in the movie), I have the official Ramona and Beezus Trailer to show you. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

What we thought:

Let me begin by saying that I really enjoyed the movie. Every time a new actor came onto the screen as a familiar character, I was taken a bit more into the wonderful and wacky world of Ramona Quimby. While watching the movie, I made a mental note that I had to find my old copies of the books to reread. The story of Ramona and Beezus is classic. There are two sisters realizing the important family bond as they move through some struggles in life to save their home. The movie really lives up to the tagline: "A Little Sister Goes A Long Way."

Joey King was Ramona and did a fabulous job in the role. She was cute, spunky and had the Ramona timing down. It really is hard to believe that this is her first motion picture appearance. The chemistry between Ramona and Beezus was also special in this film. Selena Gomez takes on the role of big sister Beezus and plays the perfect teenage counterpart to King’s Ramona. The two young ladies without a doubt brought the world of Ramona from the pages to the big screen.

Simply stated, director Elizabeth Allen created Ramona’s world in this film. She did a great job going from the serious scenes about the family losing their house, to Ramona’s day dreams and back to the silly water fight and lemonade scenes.

In addition to Joey King and Selena Gomez, the cast of actors in Ramona and Beezus helped this classic book come alive for fans of all ages. I am a long time fan of John Corbett and enjoyed seeing him as Robert Quimby. He showed his softer side and really had nice chemistry with Joey King, especially during the drawing scene with her. Bridget Moynahan was Dorothy Quimby. She played a serious mom, who could see the humor in a the antics of her quirky little girl. One of the best surprises in the movie was Ginnifer Goodwin in the role of Ramona’s beloved Aunt Bea. As a big fan of Big Love, it was nice seeing her spread her wings and show more of the comedic timing that is sometimes hinted at when playing Margene. Josh Duhamel as Hobart is a great counterpart to Goodwin and works well with the kids in the film. One other big surprise to me was Sandra Oh (Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey’s Anatomy) as Mrs. Meacham. As a teacher, I loved her portrayal of the straight-laced and slightly sarcastic Mrs. Meacham. Of course, I have to admit, I did see hints of Dr. Yang coming into the role – especially when she rolled her eyes a certain way.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I do believe that Ramona fans of all ages will appreciate the book coming alive in front of their eyes. On the flip side, my almost seven year old son now wants to read the Ramona books. He had never heard of Ramona before the movie and is now excited to read more about this quirky little girl. Today, I will be heading out to get a copy of the book to use as the perfect summer read aloud now that we have seen the movie. Oh, I am purposely not telling you my favorite scenes from the movie since I do not want to spoil anything for you when you go and see it.

I highly recommend the movie Ramona and Beezus to people that grew up with Ramona and new fans alike (also a great summer family movie). The storyline and acting will help keep you in the land of Ramona Quimby and begging Beverly Cleary for more wonderful literary creations.

Disclosure: I received complementary passes for my family to see the pre-screening of Ramona and Beezus from the PR agency releasing the movie. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine. All pictures used with permission. Photos by Alan Markfield.
2010 Twentieth Century Fox and Walden Media, LLC. Was given special permission to use these photos after viewing the pre-screening of the movie as a member of the media.