If you think that Peppa Pig is just for preschoolers, think again. My friend’s children who are 3, 4, 7 and 8 all watched a DVD version of 12 episodes and were all smiles. Leah (age 4) played Peppa and Layla (age 3) was George when the DVD was over! Layla’s favorite show was Peppa Pig – Hide and Seek. She liked when they counted. Even, Lauren (a teen) said the episodes were entertaining and kept her attention.

From washing a dirty car with her family to meeting a veteran an at school, the Peppa Pig episodes encourage working together to solve problems, being curious, expressing feelings, creating fun out of chores and every day activities and being helpful. This show aims to support preschoolers’ social and emotional development.

Watch Peppa Pig on Nick Jr every Monday-Friday at 12-12:20 pm Monday-Friday and 2-2:30 on Saturday and Sunday. Take advantage of introducing your little one to the movies with a showing of Peppa Pig Muddy Puddles and Other Adventures this month at selected theaters. To see if there’s a showing near you, check out the Kidtoons site.

I received Peppa Pig toys, keychains and a DVD, (which were given to my friend for her children) from Team Mom. All opinions are my own with the help of my reviewers.

Image via Wikipedia

If you live in a warm weather climate like I do, you probably haven’t carved your pumpkin yet. We wait about 5 days before Halloween for this family event. For others, this weekend is prime time for carving those pumpkins with the kids! It’s a Halloween tradition for my family and Zippo has assembled some easy-to-follow tips so that you’ll be able to hit the ground running.

What You Need:

• Pumpkin (choose a large pumpkin for easier carving)
• Newspaper (just roll up and throw away the pumpkin guts!)
• Marker (to mark the lines of where you’ll be cutting)
• Stencils (search online for free stencils)
• Sharp knife and spoon or a pumpkin carving kit
• Small tea-light candle (to show off your talent!)
• Zippo Flex Neck ($19.95, http://www.zippo.com/product.aspx?id=1023899) — with a flexible nozzle, you don’t have to worry about burning your fingers when you bring your carving to life!

Instructions:

1. Place a pumpkin flat on its bottom, on a flat surface (you may need to cut the bottom of the pumpkin to keep it stable)
2. Draw a circle around the stem with a marker – make sure the circle is large enough so that you can fit your hand through it!
3. Cut around the outline with a long, sharp knife
4. Lift the newly made lid and remove the flesh of the pumpkin with a spoon. Go ahead and use your hands and let the kids give it a try. There’s nothing like the feel of pumpkin guts! Separate the seeds for roasting later on. Yummy!
5. Rinse the interior, clearing out the remaining flesh, and tip away the waste.
6. Draw your design on the front of the pumpkin with a marker or draw around an already-made stencil. Go simple if this is your first time, then move on to more difficult and amazing designs.
7. Insert the tip of your knife into the lines drawn and begin carving your design
8. When your Jack o’lantern is done, place the small tea-light candle inside the pumpkin.
9. Save your fingers from any unnecessary burns by lighting it with a Zippo Flex Neck. The long, slim, adjustable nozzle will fit right in between the carvings so that you don’t have to remove the candle to light it. Your fingers will thank you!

Zippo is on hand to get your family together this Halloween.

Information for this post was provided by Zippo. I will receive a Zippo Flex Neck for writing this post. All opinions are my own.

Then print out your coupons, up to $83 worth, to buy new Hasbro games, like Scrabble Flash Cubes, Trouble, Bop It XT, Chutes and Ladders and much more. Coupons are good until October 9th and can be used at major retailers.

You’ll be ready for National Family Game Night on September 28th when families all over the US spend time together playing a game. Unplug and reconnect as a family! Tell your friends about this important time when you family comes first. By the way, Hasbro recommends a family game night each week and I agree!

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Here are some first day of school tradition suggestions:

Take A Photo – This is a very common tradition that has been passed down from generations, but now many of us share that photo on our blogs and other social media sites. As your child gets older, you may get some flack about having a photo taken, so do it in private at home and not in front of the school bus! Keep each photo in a special photo album and always write a date and the grade your child is attending on the back of the photo.

Special Breakfast – Prepare a special breakfast for your child. You can surprise them with something new, or something they’ve eaten a few times and really enjoyed or that fancy breakfast you only make for guests. You can also set the table with a new place mat, fresh flowers, or add a card that will put a smile on your child’s face.

Small Gifts – Give your child a small present, like that super-duper sharpener they asked for when you were buying school supplies, a new book, or a key chain with the school year. Decide if you want to give the gift before or after the school day.

Dining Out – Some families have dinner out on the first day of school to celebrate this special occasion. Go to your child’s favorite place to eat, spend time together as a family and talk all about what happened during the day. You can also do this for breakfast. Just watch the time!

Special Notes – Children of all ages love to get notes from Mom or Dad in their lunch box, backpack or pocket. They just won’t admit it when they’re older. Write something sweet, funny or both and be sure to add a smiley face or a heart. If your child is in grade 5 or higher, you will want to be sure the note is found only by your child and not by classmates. Lunch boxes are out by that age.

What are your first day of school traditions? Is this something that you came up with on your own, was it passed down from your parents or did you learn about it somewhere else?

Branson is a hot vacation spot for families, especially in the summer. With all of the family friendly activities and attractions, you’ll have a blast. It’s not pricey and can fit most budgets.

Besides the shows that Branson is known for, there’s the National Kids-Fest at Silver Dollar City, the Southern Gospel Picnic, brand new concerts, and the Ride The Ducks attraction. At Ride The Ducks, you get to see the sights in a Duck (a land and water vehicle), drive the Duck, listen to stories and music and quack like a duck too. You can see all of the events for this summer on the Branson Calendar of Events.

And there’s a great deal going on right now for a trip this summer to Branson. The Branson Best Value Vacation Package includes a free night stay with two nights at the Hiltons of Branson. You also get two adult and two children’s tickets to the Legends of Kung Fu show, two adult and two children’s two-day passes to Silver Dollar City, a $25 gift card for shopping, and a $25 food credit for the Level 2 Steakhouse.

Both the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and the Hilton Promenade at Brason Landing are taking part in this special package. They have larger rooms for families and are close to the attractions. Enjoy some time away with your family!

Did you know that it’s possible for your child to get free online college textbooks? With Flat World Knowledge it’s not only possible, it’s one of the top ways to save on college costs.

It’s a pretty well known fact that college tuition is rising, but according to the Department Of Education, textbooks cost almost as much as tuition and fees (72%) for 2 year community college students. I remember when my daughter was in college and graduate school her biggest complaint was the amount of money she paid for textbooks that were used for just one semester.

Instead of using regular print technology, Flat World uses older books that are written by experts in their field and reviewed by peers. These books are open (Open Source) for professors to change to meet the needs of their classes. Students can get them for free online or pay much less for them in print than “regular” textbooks – about $35. Your child can choose which way works best for him or her.

There’s no such thing as new editions because professors simply upgrade these books as they wish for their classes. Textbooks become a platform on Flat World Knowledge. This is one of those unique companies that is doing something good. Visit their site and request more info and learn if your child can get free college textbooks too.

Since 2009, 115,000 students have used these textbooks and Flat World has raised over $27 million dollars. This company is working toward more books in more colleges and assisting more students to complete their course work and graduate.

Green Food

Add green food coloring to almost anything and watch your kids eat it up. Some suggestions – vanilla pudding, ice cream shakes, white cake or cupcakes and of course plain old milk.

Share all sorts of naturally green foods such as green apples, kiwis, grapes, celery (add some peanut butter), green pistachios and a platter of green peppers, raw broccoli and cucumbers with dip.

Candy

You should be able to find all sorts of green candy and other St. Patrick’s related candy on sale for this special day. Think green M&M’s, lollipops, sour candies, and green apple flavored candies. Gold coins and shamrock shaped candies are popular too.

Lucky Charms Cereal

Serve it for breakfast, as a snack or add as a topping to iced cupcakes, cakes, pudding, etc.

photo credit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/laffy4k/403048731/

Corned Beef and Cabbage

The great thing about corned beef and cabbage is that children can pick out what they want to eat from this famous meal. If they don’t like the cabbage, then give them some carrots and potatoes with a slice of meat.

This is the recipe I’ve used for years:

Ingredients

1 Corned Beef Brisket with spice mixture (size depends on your family and if you want leftovers), rinse under water
1-2 heads of green cabbage – take off outer leaves, rinse and cut in fours
6-8 carrots, peeled, rinsed and cut in half (you may need to add more if corned beef is larger than 4 pounds)
6 large white potatoes, peeled and rinsed (you may need to add more again)
1 Loaf of Rye Bread
Various Types of Mustard

Preparation

Use a large pot to fit all ingredients. Add corned beef and cover with water. Do not add seasoning mix. (I find that children are more likely to eat this meal without the strong flavor of the seasonings. The meat has been brined so it holds a lot of flavor.)

Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 2 hours. Add cabbage and carrots. Cook for another 30 – 40 minutes. Add potatoes (keep them whole) and cook for another 20 minutes. Make sure all vegetables are cooked thoroughly. You may need to add more water when you add the vegetables. Keep another pot of boiling water going on the side.

When done, carve meat. Serve on a large platter with vegetable. Offer rye bread to eat with meal. Mustard is often used as a condiment too. My family likes to mash up the potatoes and carrots on our own dishes.

For leftovers, add some of the liquid to your containers to keep meat moist. Eat as a meal or have sandwiches.

Whatever foods you choose to eat with your kids on St. Patrick’s Day, remember to spend time together, share stories about the history of the day and about Leprechauns. Go see a parade or make a craft.

While there is a diverse assortment of toy trucks from which you can select, before you think about the type you would like, you’ll first want to make sure that you keep your search limited to those products that are suitable to the child’s age group. This is important because some trucks may actually come with additional accessories or have parts that can be removed, which could present a choking hazard to small children.

Once you are ready to explore the variety of toy trucks, you will find all different kinds, including – but not limited to – tractor trailers, dump trucks, trash trucks, vans, box trucks, tow trucks, fire trucks and so on.

Something else for you to keep in mind, when you are searching for the best toy trucks, is diecast toys. These are really neat models that older children like to collect and play with, and they also make excellent collector items for adults who enjoy collecting this type of merchandise.

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At his school, he had to bring something for each classmate on Valentine ’s Day. One year, I forgot about it and had to scramble at the last minute. Luckily, I love buying school supplies at the back to school shopping sales. There are great bargains to be had.

Here are some things that I always keep in stock for the last minute projects or  Valentine’s Day cards

• Colorful construction paper
• Stickers, glitter, ribbons, and glue
• Markers
• Old Shoe Boxes—they come in handy if you have to bring notes for 25+ people.
• Fancy cut scissors are extraordinary. They are a simple twist that goes a long way.

With supplies, the options are truly endless—simply making “love” coupons that they can give to their friends or siblings for a hug or a smile or a nice gesture could make some kids truly happy.  And don’t forget that you can make a special valentine for your kids as a surprise as well such as a Valentine’s Day Coupon Book.  Use any of these ideas as a starting point and think about what would make your kids feel the most loved.

Most of all, remind them that caring for each other should happen year-round, not just on Valentine’s Day.  But there’s nothing wrong with an extra-special treat on this extra-special day.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

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This is a guest post written by Aparna Vashisht who is the founding mom and CEO of Parentella.com.

Grab some hot cocoa, sandwiches and blankets and set the TV to watch if the famous groundhog comes out of his burrow. You can follow Punxsutawney Phil on his own Facebook page or read about him on the official Groundhog Day website.

The website is full of information about the day’s events, news and activities for your children. You can even watch Phil’s live prediction and send a free eCard.

Here’s a poem about Groundhog Day:

There’s only one day the whole long year, that I hope the pray the sun won’t appear.
The second of February, you all know, the ground hog goes searching for his shadow.
If he should find it, the story is told, we’ll have six more weeks of winter’s cold.
But if it’s cloudy, his shadow’s not there. There’ll soon be warm weather and days will be fair.
So please, Sun, for just this one day, find a big dark cloud–and stay away

Some More Activities

• Have a fun discussion about superstitions
• Use a weather website to learn about what is really predicted for your area
• Make a craft of a groundhog
• Read about the history of Groundhog Day
• Find some free online coloring page for this special day
• Since groundhogs eat greens, serve up a salad and pretend you’re groundhogs

Enjoy this video about Groundhog Day:

And remember there’s nothing like making a day even more special when you spend it with your kids!