holiday gift-guide: must have stocking stuffers for kids

when it comes time for santa to stuff the stockings it can be hard to think of enough things to fill it with. today we are sharing with you our favorite must-have stocking stuffers of the year. follow our list and you will be finished with stuffing in no time! 



must have stocking stuffers for kids:


loopeez
shoe tying? eventually every parent is faced with the task of teaching their child to tie their shoes. i have been working on helping my first born learn and have had no luck. loopeez works by accelerating the learning process and eliminating frustration. teaching kids to tie their shoes using the loopeez shoe tying system is simple, fun and most of all requires little time to master. the *perfect* stocking stuffer--useful and much needed. 

dvd's make for a great stocking stuffer for kids of all ages. these two awesome ones are our favorites for this season that your littles are sure to love. 

equestria girls dvd

thomas king of railway dvd

crayola color bath dropz
Kids love these bath dropz. It's fun to color the water a different color daily. Coming in the primary colors red, yellow and blue, I love that my kids can then learn how to mix colors to create new ones like green, orange or purple.

disney figurine sets:
we have gone through countless of bath toys over the years. most of those end up slimy and gross after having water become trapped in them. a couple years ago i switched to these solid disney figurines. the boys love setting them up on the edge of the tub and pretending to be the characters as well as letting them sink to the bottom of the tub and "diving" for their favorite character of the moment, hidden below the bubble bath. the figurines are solid and won't take on water. they are also easy to clean by sticking them in the sink with a mixture of water and bleach. have fun collecting ones from your child's favorite movies or shows. 

princess

sofia the first

jake and the neverland pirates

doc mcstuffins

ghost island --- choose your own adventure

i remember being obsessed with the chose your own adventure series when i was in jr high. i loved picking what choice the character would make in a given situation and then seeing what the outcome would be. i am thrilled to hear that they now make them in early readers! while my boys are too little to read these alone, they LOVE mommy reading to them and finding out what the end story will be based on their decisions.

  

water games

i was a huge fan of the handheld water games when i was a kid, so i was so excited to find out they are still being made! i can't wait to see if my kiddos love them as much as i did.

chinese jumprope
another classic game of my childhood that i can't wait for my own children to experience. do you remember playing chinese jump rope too?

slingshot flying monkey
this silly monkey is shot through the air like a slingshot. i know it will be a big hit!

lip smackers

fun flavored chap stick is fun for kids of all ages and genders. 

power kids toothbrush

my kids get so excited for a new toothbrush. santa is sure to bring them a new one this year in one of their favorite animated friends. an easy stocking stuffer and, again, something that they need, but still get excited about too.

water wow books

i am in love with melissa and doug water wow books. the pages are activated with simply water and you use the small re-fillable brush with water to "color" the pages. once dry, the color disappears and they can color over and over again. the water wow books are the perfect size for taking in the car and will make for fun, effortless learning. 

we hope you enjoyed our stocking stuffer must-haves. what will santa be stuffing your kiddos stockings with this year?

san diego: disney on ice presents passport to adventure, september 25-29

san diego friends, join me on a globetrotting tour of disney destinations in disney on ice presents passport to adventure coming to san diego, september 25 – 29. I am always looking for fun experiences to share with my kiddos and this is truly fun for the whole family!

pack your bags and get ready to embark on the ultimate sightseeing adventure in disney on ice presents passport to adventure performing at the valley view casino center (former sports arena) from september 25-29, 2013. join mickey mouse and minnie mouse as your tour guides on this magical getaway as they travel to four exciting disney destinations all in one fun-filled ice production!

audiences will be transported straight from their seats into the enchanting worlds of disney’s the lion king, the little mermaid, peter pan and lilo & stitch in this sightseeing spectacular created for the entire family! explore the pride lands with simba, timon and pumbaa; voyage under the sea with ariel and all her aquatic friends; tour jolly old london with peter pan and tinker bell, before flying to never land; and travel to hawaii to visit lilo and stitch.

disney on ice presents passport to adventure features an international team of award-winning figure skaters, high-energy choreography and a colorful set that captures all four unique worlds. audiences will be entranced as they experience this exciting excursion — one that will fill the arena with magic, music, and best of all, mickey and minnie!

when: 

wednesday, september 25 – sunday, september 29

-wednesday, sept. 25 7:00 pm

-thursday, sept. 26 7:00 pm

-friday, sept. 27 7:00 pm

-saturday, sept. 28 11:00 am, 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm

-sunday, sept. 29 1:30 pm* & 5:30 pm

*spanish language performance


where: 

valley view casino center (formerly known as the san diego sports arena)
3500 sports arena blvd., san diego ca 92110

tickets: 

ticket prices range from $17, $25, $39 (vip) and $55 (front row)

special opening night discount tickets available for only $10 each (not valid for vip/premium level)

all seats are reserved; tickets are available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in-person at the valley view casino center box office.

*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees.


for more information, visit www.disneyonice.com or visit us on facebook, twitter and youtube.

friday fun finds: netflix and the kiddos

I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experience as part of this sponsored campaign from Netflix. While Netflix is sponsoring this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

about a week ago, a friend of mine asked if i could watch her sweet children while she attended her father's funeral. i was so thankful she had asked me and was absolutely willing to help in any way possible. her sweet babies are close in age to my own kids so i knew exactly what was in store for me. while my friend and her family took part in a sweet remembrance of her daddy, i sat in a little room in the back of the sanctuary with her babies where we were still able to see and hear the service but we were not seen and heard. it was perfect. the parents had so much on their plates that day that i was just grateful to be asked to help...and i came armed with a charged ipod and my netflix app. (if you're unfamiliar with the app, it's a free app and can be downloaded on multiple devices. for basic streaming, the cost is about $8.00 a month.)

the funeral service was so far over the sweet 2 and 3 year olds' heads that they were quickly antsy and needing a distraction. i passed over my iphone and the sweet little technically savvy ones jumped right on the netflix app without batting an eye. i hadn't spent a lot of time looking through the toddler programming but, seriously, i could have kissed someone in their corporate offices that day. when had netflix added a bunch of disney programming? i was so happily surprised and spent the next four hours (funeral and reception combined) moving from "mickey mouse clubhouse" to "mater's tall tales" with other pieces of disney in between. when their four year old brother joined the viewing, we just kept the party going with other choices. i have never been more thrilled with an app in my life (not to mention thankful that i came with a phone fully charged.)

armed with my new bit of netflix knowledge, i continued my love affair with the app over then next week when both of my youngest came down with a horrible virus and high fevers. the poor babies were miserable and didn't want to do anything but lay on the couch or on the recliners, snuggle and watch tv. i was able to keep them both happy with netflix again and the sweet ones loved having control of the tv viewing as well as my iphone (just for sick occasions). they were so well occupied that i actually had a chance to shower (i know, shocking!) and get some laundry done. again, i felt i should be laying a big thank you kiss on someone in corporate those days as well...if for nothing else than time to shower!

he finally got his chance...

i know it sounds as if i only use netflix as a form of childcare (sometimes that is the case, i'm not going to lie). the truth is that while i am thankful for the programming that allows me to get some things done, we also do movie night at our house and use netflix movies so we don't have to go out and rent anything. netflix has a dedicated kids section that has family favorites appropriate for children ages 2- 12. all content is selected with help from common sense media to provide ratings, reviews and information so i can easily make choices for my kiddos. as i am typing this, my kids are cuddled up together watching "the lorax" that we are streaming through our nintendo wii. they are spread out with pillows and blankets all over my family room and these moments are some of the most peaceful ones in our crazy lives. movie nights are moments when we get to be "that family"...the ones who post pictures of their kids hugging each other and holding hands on their way to school. while my kids aren't cuddling with each other, they are all in the same room and no one is trying to beat anyone else with a pillow. i'd say that's pretty much a hallmark moment for my family. all of this love and tolerance and i didn't have to leave my house to get a movie...that is nothing short of miraculous. 

so here is my public thanks to netflix. thanks for adding the new disney programming. thanks for the shower. thanks for making me a superhero when my friend needed help. thanks for entertaining my kids when they were sick. thanks for providing me with a great movie night with my family when i didn't have the energy to run one more errand today. thanks for making me look good. tell me who needs kissing in corporate. i'm on it.

what are you watching on tv with your family? netflix has family favorites from disney, disney jr., hasbro, cartoon network and dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere. and streaming is easier than you think! download the free app on your ipad, click on the netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business.

check it out here!

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of netflix.