Yogibo {Review & Giveaway}

You can see this review at A Frog in My Soup, where I am the Product Review Coordinator.  Yogibo has kindly offered to run a review and giveaway on both AFIMS and Stuff Mom Loves.  Enjoy! :)
I don't even know where to begin with this review.  The Yogibo Max has literally become the most sought after, fought over, adored piece of furniture in our home.  By everyone.  Even the dog and cat.  I was given the Yogibo about a month ago to review, and I honestly haven't sat on my couch since.  It's seriously that good.

I have been thinking about what I wanted to write about this amazing company for days now.  I even told my husband last night that I had no idea how I was going to express just how much I LOVE the Yogibo, so I thought I would just share a few stories about how our family has used the Yogibo and give you a little background information on the company.

If you live in New England you may have already heard of Yogibo.  The company began in 2009 in New Hampshire, with their first concept store opening in Massachusetts shortly after.  Now, there are stores in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut and more are popping up all the time! These lounge bags ("don't call it a bean bag - you'll hurt it's feelings")are so incredibly versatile, it's near impossible to tell you about all the uses.

It is essentially a couch.  But more comfortable.  My favorite use for it is to cuddle my kids and relax in the living room.  We read books on it, play games on it, watch TV on it, and yes, my kids jump on to it from the couches.  In fact, that's the only time they use the couches too.  I can be extremely comfortable on the Yogi Max with my 4 year old, 2 year old (almost!), my dog and my cat.  I also love that the outer cover is removable.  You can wash it and replace it, or keep a spare in one of the 14 colors that it comes in. The beads that fill the bags are non-porous, so if you spill  something, just wash the cover, let the bag air dry, put it back on, and forget about it.  The beads will not absorb it and start smelling your basement circa 1980.  I have used this as a bed during nap time, a recliner while reading, and a chair while watching television.

An Amazing New Toy for the Whole Family {Review & Giveaway}

My kids are (almost) 2 and 4 years old.  Even though that isn't a huge age difference, it can sometimes feel like it is.  When we have "family time" on the weekend, it can quickly become a game of divide and conquer - my husband and I taking turns playing with the kids separately.  My son often wants to play games on the computer or video games that are too advanced for my daughter, so we end up running errands together or playing dress up.

I am absolutely for one-on-one time with my kids, but I frequently find myself wishing that there was something that the 4 of us could do together on a Sunday afternoon, besides watching a movie, when it's cold outside and we want to stay in.

When I received an email from ThinkFun, asking if I would like to review their new toddler toy, Roll and Play, I was excited, but certainly did not think that it would be a whole family kind of game.  I was WRONG!  Roll and Play is a ton of fun for both my kids, and my husband and I really enjoyed it too!  By the end we were all laughing, goofing around, and genuinely enjoying our time together.  The game, which is designed with toddlers in mind, includes a large, plush, color die, and color coded game cards.  Each player takes turns rolling the die and choosing a corresponding card.  The cards have small actions that the player then needs to complete, such as "moo like a cow", "jump 3 times" or "make a happy face".  Your child will learn about colors, numbers, emotions, and more while playing this game!  (The six categories of cards are emotions, body parts, colors, counting, animal sounds, & actions.)

My four year old is a huge fan of Roll and Play and has asked to play at least once a day since we received it.  I have even caught him pulling the cards himself and trying to get his sister to play with him.  It makes me so happy that we now have a fun, interactive, learning game for the whole family to play together.  The cards can be neatly stored in a velcro pouch on the color cube, or can be taken out for fun on the go.  Most of these cards have actions that can be completed in the car, at a restaurant, on a plane, or while waiting at the doctor's office.  You can keep your kids occupied at home and out and about while teaching them some really important skills - what a great alternative to sticking them in front of your smart phone!!

Check out this video on how to play.

We have had a blast playing this game, and I'm sure we will continue to!  If you want to have some fun, educational bonding time with your toddler, check out the ThinkFun's Roll and Play.  Even better - enter to win one, right here!

You can enter below!  This contest will end Monday, March 2nd, at 11:59 pm EST.  Good luck and happy entering!!  (Please note, you MUST be a public follower, or become a public follower, of Stuff Mom Loves to be eligible to win.  This contest is open to US residents ages 18 and over.)

Serious Withdrawal...

I am going through some serious withdrawal.  I want to be here again.

Can you blame me??

Mind in the Making

Today I was lucky enough to get to learn about Ellen Galinsky's theories on raising our children in a way that prepares them for success in their life.  Ellen Galinsky is the author of the book"Mind in the Making:  The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs". 

I am so excited because I actually won a copy of the book at the workshop and I cannot wait to start reading it, but I thought I'd share some of the really amazing things that I learned from the Learning Community session I attended.

The research that is in Glanisky's book stresses the importance of life skills over cognitive skills.  They go on to share that not only is it more important for your children to learn these skills, such as focus, impulse control, low level empathy, and so on, but these skills are actually a better predictor of success in life than a child's IQ. 

I don't want to go too deeply into the research until I have a chance to read the book, but I will tell you that the videos that we watched stressed the importance of interaction with your child, and how these interactions are the absolute best way for your kids to learn.  I walked away feeling like I needed to step away from my phone, my computer, my ipad, and all of the other multimedia devices in my house.  I need to have my kids put away their electronics, turn off the tv, and pick up their books.  Honestly, I have no intention of taking these things away completely, because in my opinion, giving them a little downtime with their LeapPad or favorite movie is not a terrible thing, however, the constant need for technology in our house needs to stop.  We need to pick up their books more than just at bedtime.  We need to sit and play creatively more often.  I need to make myself more physically and emotionally available more often so that my little ones can learn from me. 

I encourage you to take a minute to visit the Mind in the Making website and see what you can learn.  I am going to take this book on vacation with me, and hopefully attempt to implement some of the teaching tips that Ms. Galinsky suggests.  After all, it is our job to set our children up to thrive, and there is no greater gift that you can give them.

Packing!

So this weekend began my countdown until we are on the beach!  6 more sleeps 'til I get to rest my head in a big, cozy, king sized hotel bed and listen to the ocean outside my window because, yes, I will be able to sleep with the windows open! Wahoo!


My weekend consisted of stocking up on toiletries, snacks, little presents for the kids for the airplane ride, and of course, LAUNDRY.

This morning I have already put 2 loads of laundry away, and I have a load in the dryer and a load in the washer, but honestly, we have traveled so much now, that I have  a pretty great system down.  As a matter of fact, this trip, we are all using carry on bags so that we don't have to pay the astronomical checked bag fees.  (We are flying internationally, so they are much higher than usual.)

I thought I'd give you just a little idea of how I make my packing a little more organized, and hopefully you will find it helpful. Since my project last night was getting things ready for my diaper bag, I thought I'd start there. I use quart sized ziploc bags for almost everything in my diaper bag. This makes it super easy to find everything, and to take out all of my liquids when we go through security. Here are the categories that I break our supplies into...

• First Aid:  bandaids, neosporin, infant/children's tylenol, advil, disinfecting wipes, sunscreen, aloe, etc.
• Electronics:  extra batteries for the kids toys, phone chargers, ipad charger, camera charger, outlet adapter, etc.
• Snacks (Dry): fruit snacks, granola bars, ritz crackers, cookies, gum ,mints
• Snacks (Liquid):  ella's pouches, a juice box each, and a water bottle each (this is usually not a problem if you go through the "family" security line
• Wipes:  bottom wipes, hand wipes, table wipes, boogie wipes, shout wipes, and so on.  I carry a lot of wipes!

I know I am forgetting something, but I just heard the laundry go off, and my kids are asking for lunch.  Stay tuned, if I am motivated enough, I'll get back to this ;)

Happy Monday, y'all!!

Toddler Travel Tips

My children are little travelers, just like their parents.  My husband and I have always loved to travel, and one thing we promised ourselves when we decided to have kids, was that we would expose our children to all kinds of places and cultures.  They are still very little, but already we have taken our P man to Hawaii, California, Florida, and many places in between.  Bean is still quite young, but at 4 months, she was on a plane to Disney, and has been several times since then. In a few weeks, we are off to Aruba and I have already begun planning and packing.  I am by no means an expert, but I do have a lot of experience with this, so here are a few things that I've learned, sometimes the hard way. ;)

Pack a little more than you think you will need - in a carry on bag!

This is one of those things that I learned the hard way.  I would always pack at least one extra outfit for each of my children in our carry on, but if you are flying with a very small child, you should also bring at least one extra outfit for yourself.  I figured this out en-route to Hawaii (from NY) when P spit up all over my shirt, pants, seat, and himself of course.  Luckily we were flying with family and my sister in law had an extra pair of pants in her bag that she let me borrow.  Even if you are traveling without kids, this is not a bad idea.  When I was about 6 months pregnant, my hubby and I went down to Paradise Island.  It was cool here when we left, so I wore a sweat suit thinking I'd change as soon as we got there.  Unfortunately, our luggage didn't make it the island until about 12 hours after we did.  I was pretty hot, smelly, and uncomfortable after that.

Pack snacks and drinks - lots of them!

Ever been trapped on a runway with your kids for hours on end?  I have!  NOT cool!  Especially if the plane runs out of water bottles or milk.  One of the biggest advantages of flying with children is that security is a lot more lenient on allowing you to travel with liquids.  I always make sure that I have a few water bottles, plenty of Ella's pouches, and some snacks with me.  I love YummyEarth Organic Lollipops, so I always pack them too.  It's a treat for my kids that I don't feel guilty about.  Of course, when packing snacks, it is essential that you pack extra hand wipes too.  :)

Make Airplane Goodie Bags

When we fly I always prepare little goodie bags for my kids.  I will stop at Target or Michael's a few days before we leave and grab a bunch of the dollar section toys and art kits.  They are perfect for distracting them on long plane rides, especially because everything is new!  I love the little coloring books with the "magic" ink that appears when you draw with the clear marker, and I will sometimes even throw a small container of play-doh in the bag.  Its fun to roll out on the seat back trays and it's relatively mess free. 

Technology

Our kids are most definitely growing up in the age of technology.  It's impossible to deny when I see my 18 month old using my iphone proficiently and asking her Daddy for his "I-pud, I-pud!"  At least we can try to set our kids up with something a little educational that entertains them as well.  Both of my kids have LeapFrog Leappads that are filled with LeapFrog videos, games, and books.  They are touch screen, and interactive, and my kids LOVE to play with them.  I have allowed them to download some tv shows, like Umizoomi and Bubble Guppies as well, and they have been a lifesaver on long car/plane rides.  I always charge their batteries the night before we leave, and I keep my charger in my carry-on. If there is a delay, I can always give them a little extra juice before we board.  Another great toddler activity is to let them use your camera to document their adventure.  You may have to delete quite a few finger shots later, but hey, that's the beauty of going digital! :)

Emergency Preparedness

I know it may sound crazy, but I ALWAYS have infant tylenol, benydral, band aids, and neosporin in my diaper bag.  I also keep saline solution, an extra contact case, a tide stick, boogie wipes, disposible bibs placemats, adult tylenol, and sanitizing wipes in my bag.  You never know when you will need these things.  They are small enough that I have them all in a zip lock bag, and if I need any of these things I won't have to run all over an airport or resort trying to find them.  They have come in handy many times, even when I was just out at the mall.  I'd rather be over prepared.  I usually pack a thermometer in my checked luggage.

Of course, there are inevitably situations where I do end up running all over creation trying to find something that I need, but in general, I feel like everytime I travel things get smoother.  My kids are now used to flying, and know all of the quirky details, like having to take their shoes off once we hit security.  I love traveling with my babies and would never have it any other way.  Do you have any tips for travelling with little ones?  I'd love to hear them!! Especially with our trip coming up so soon!! Share away! :)

Sickies...

Everyone around here is having a rough winter.  We have had so many viruses going through this h6ouse, it's unbelievable.  My poor kids are finally recovering from double ear infections and sinus infections, and I can't tell you how ready we all are for a vacation and some warmer weather.  Th6e forecast says 65 degrees on Thursday and I can tell you th6at we will be outside the ENTIRE day!!  (Not to mention I will have every window and door in my house open to finally get rid of some of the lingering germs!!)

If you can't tell by the number of typos in th6is post, our computer is also under the weather.  It had completely stopped working and now is working but very temperamentally so I am trying to finish th6is post before it totally dies on me.  Part of me wouldn't mind designating this laptop as the kids' computer and getting myself a mac book like I've been wanting, but another part of me (known as my wallet) would like to beg to differ. :/

Anyhoo, I just wanted to hop on, say hello to all of my new followers and a BIG thank you to everyone who participated in my last two giveaways!  I am working on getting some more great stuff for you guys, so stay tuned, but in the meantime, don't forget to head over to A Frog in My Soup to check out my reviews and giveaways over there.  We currently have a giveaway for a 1 Year Supply of Hiney Healer, and a giveaway for a 1 month membership to the Klippie Klub.

Enjoy and Happy Monday!!

xo

Just for g5ig5g5les, ch6eck out th6is little clip of wh6at my typing5 lookis like with6 my wonderful, dysfunctional keyboard.  We h6ave a new keyboard on th6e way, but until th6enm everyth6ing5 I write is g5oing5 to be littered with6 g5'-s and h6'-s.  Cute, h6uh6?  :)

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