Amazing Zhus

About Picadilly

The Amazing Picadilly. Pic, as her friends call her, comes from a long line of Big Top performers — so she’s especially skilled at feats of balance like riding the Circus Ball or braving the High Wire! Known for her shocking pink color and heart shaped tail, you can tell she is a true performer! Just look at the hearts and stars in her eyes and you can tell she loves doing stunts!

About The Amazing Disappearing Box

A true magic trick for you to perform and astound your friends! Use the Magic Box to make your Amazing Zhus disappear! Easy-to-follow instructions are included so everyone can become a magician!

Here is avideo of Jordan doing the Amazing Disappearing Box trick and of Picadilly running around our hallway. What the video doesn’t show is how afraid my dog, Mushu is of Picadilly!

There are 6 different Amazing Zhus available for you to collect. There are also numerous accessories including the tomato can, the high dive, the cereal box and the high wire. The Amazing Zhus are available at Walmart.

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When each of my boys were born my OB-GYN gave me a coupon to create a personalized book for them. i thought is was one of the best gifts I had received. Over the years, they received more personalized books as gifts and those books, with their names in the stories are some of their favorite books, even today.

Those are the reasons I am so excited to be working with Put Me in the Story personalized books this Christmas!

About Put Me In The Story Personalized Books

We think that books change lives, and we love the magic that the greatest stories create for kids – and adults, too!

As parents, we know there’s nothing better than snuggling up for storytime with your kids. Sharing a good book together is about much more than the story – It is about the small moments with your child:

• Rocking and whispering On the Night You Were Born to your baby
• Watching your child clap his hands as he hears his name in his favorite story
• Seeing your reluctant reader eager to curl up and read a book again and again
• Taking a breath at the end of the day with that extra special snuggle and story

At Put Me In The Story, we create a personal connection between you and those special books you love. Our partners are the world’s greatest characters and favorite bestselling books. In our stories, you can assist Doc McStuffins on house call, explore the world of great women throughout history, suit up with Avengers, or simply tell your little one just how much you love them.

By taking the very best stories and giving families a way to personalize them, making their child the star, magic happens!

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I love Put Me in the Story personalized books and I have chosen the Avengers book for my 8yo friend Matthew’s Christmas gift. He is a huge Avengers fan and a great reader. I can’t wait for him to read this book to me!

When you visit the website you can choose books by age or gender. These choices narrow down which books are appropriate for the child you are getting them for. These are great gifts for aunts, uncles and grandparents to get for children because they encourage reading and show that you took the time to personalize it just for them.

The Giveaway

The winner will be chosen on December 6, 2014 by Put Me in the Story from all entries received. The prizes are:

• Grand prize: $500 shopping spree on Put Me In The Story
• 50 winners will receive a free personalized book of their choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Deep Blue Kids Bible: Diving Deep into God’s Word

Deep Blue Kids Bible: Diving Deep into God’s Word

Designed for children between the ages of 7 and 12 and hosted by the playful and daring crew of Asia, Kat, and Edgar, the DEEP BLUE KIDS BIBLE is uniquely approachable and comprehensible for every child’s unique learning style.

• With the help of his always-handy spyglass, Edgar is an explorer who has a need to know how to get from here to there and then investigate whatever he finds in a new place. His spyglass helps children understand what they encounter as they travel along each page.
• Asia just loves to talk. She keeps track of the action around her, documenting and reporting whatever she sees and hears along the way. With microphone in hand, Asia stands ready to narrate the journey from beginning to end.
•  Kat is an adventurer at heart. She loves all the opportunities to explore and connect with people centuries ago in ancient lands. She is always ready to go on an adventure with you –pirate hat on and jeans rolled up—as you discover the Bible together.

Additionally, there are seven distinct features used throughout the text that make reading a fun, interactive experience for children, parents, teachers and pastors alike.

•  The Life Preserver provides responses to tough questions and offers context to difficult-to-understand passages.
• Did You Know? offers trivia and facts about fascinating customs related to the text.
• The Lighthouse call-out discuses core faith concepts at an age appropriate level.
• While the Sailboat emphasizes positive character traits and emotions being displayed such as courage and forgiveness, the Umbrella addresses challenging character traits and emotions being displayed such as lying and disobedience.
• Bet You Can! Reading challenges encourage readers to read for themselves and improve language skills.
•  The Navigation Point verses mark key promises and passages good for memorizing.

If you would like to give God’s Word to a special child in your life, please check out Deep Blue Kids Bible: Diving Deep into God’s Word I’ll be giving my copy to a special young man at our church as a Christmas gift.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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The Wuggle Pets starter kit which makes 2 Wuggle Pets includes: Cuddly Puppy And Magical Unicorn Pets With Clip Attached, 1 Fun Filled Factory, 2 Bags of Fluffy Stuffing, 12 Personality Charms Pet Pet, 2 Bags of Magic Dust, 2 Birth Certificates and 1 Zipper-Up Tool for $19.99. You can also get the party pack for $49.99 which makes all 8 Wuggle Pets!

We had fun making our Wuggle Pets. The entire process just takes a few minutes but the kids loved being able to create their own stuffed animals. Wuggle Pets would be a great addition to an Easter basket, Easter party or any other fun occasion.

Disclosure: we received a Wuggle Pets starter pack for the purpose of this review. We gave the two pets we made away to kids at church. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I have told you many times before how much I LOVE Build a Bear Workshop and the new Fun Packs are so adorable! We got the Brown Sugar Puppy, which was perfect for us because Jordan has the full size Brown Sugar Puppy!

Enterplay’s Build-a-Bear Workshop Trading Card Fun Packs have also just hit the shelves in BABW stores. And, at $1.99msrp, they won’t last long. Each pack has 6 collectible items: 2 Trading Cards, a Tattoo Set, a Scratch-off Activity Card, and a Bearville.com online code card. Pawsome fun for every BABW fan!

This slideshow shows you everything you get.

One lucky winner will receive a build a Bear Workshop Fun Pack and a set of Trading Cards!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We received a Build a Bear Fun Pack and 2 sets of Trading cards for the purpose of this review/giveaway. All opinions are 100% mine.

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The Internet and television may be dominating leisure activities and zapping outdoor time for kids, but that won’t slow down the fast growing trend millions enjoy: GPS treasure hunting called, geocaching. Thanks to Apisphere, Inc., the company behind Geomate.jr (www.mygeomate.com), children, their families and adventure seekers from all walks of life can get hip with the increasingly popular and fun geocaching phenomenon, a great group activity for scouting, summer camps and schools. Geomate.jr, the first and only device of its kind, combines technology and outdoor play while providing hours of geocaching entertainment; it is preloaded with 250,000 geocache locations.

Sadly, according to the Outdoor Foundation, outdoor activity among children ages 6 to 17 declined 11 percent in 2008. “Geomate.jr offers a way to reconnect our children with family time and nature while encouraging them to be active, get outdoors and explore the environment,” says Warren Hewerdine, co-inventor of Geomate.jr and Apisphere’s vice president of marketing. He says, “Savvy kids will get their technology fix from the easy-to-use device, and it eliminates the traditional fuss of Internet connections, downloads, coordinates and preplanning to provide a spontaneous geocaching experience families can enjoy anytime, anywhere.” Geomate.jr acts as an electronic compass, guiding you to within yards of a geocache.

People all over the world have enjoyed geocaching but up until now, the GPS receivers required were expensive and difficult to use. “Geomate.jr is about the size of a granola bar and built tough so it can take a beating. The contoured grip fits comfortably in the hands of kids and adults,” says Hewerdine. “Then all you have to do is head out to a local park, the back country or just down the street to get started on creating lifelong memories and a new found appreciation for the outdoors.” The Geomate.jr makes a great gift idea any time of year, and thanks to its size, it is a perfect stocking stuffer around the holiday season.

Products available include:
Geomate.jr – Geocaching GPS Retail: $69.95
Pre-loaded with 250,000 geocaches covering all 50 U.S. states, just switch it on and be directed to your closest geocache.  European, Canadian, Australian & New Zealand versions are also available.

Geomate.jr – Update Kit Retail: $24.95
The key to update any Geomate.Jr with the latest and greatest geocaches for the U.S. or for around the world.  Other features such as being able to create a private geocache list and Pocket Query support are also accessible with an Update Kit.

Geomate.jr – Combo Pack Retail: $94.95
Everything you will ever need in one box including a Geomate.jr, an Update Kit, a Geomate.jr Travel Tag, batteries, lanyard, and documentation.

Geomate.jr is available for purchase at major outdoor retailers including REI, L.L. Bean, Gander Mountain and Eastern Mountain Sports.  It is also available through Target, Amazon.com and Geocaching.com. For more information about the Geomate.jr, including demo videos, please visit www.mygeomate.com. Follow on Twitter: @geomatejr and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/geomatejr.

My 16 year old son and I headed out to check out 2 local geocaches. We had no luck locating the first one but we had success at the second one. Here is a video of our expedition:

Geocaching an a fun, affordable family activity that you can do anywhere and the Geomate Jr makes it easy!

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Writer/Director Robert Rodriguez did a great job continuing the SPY KIDS franchise. I honestly didn’t expect much from this film and I was mistaken. The storyline includes plenty of spy missions and excitement along with the family first theme that is prevalent in all of the SPY KIDS movies. Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all: married to a famous spy-hunting television reporter (Joel McHale), with a new baby and intelligent twin step kids, Rebecca (Rowan Blanchard) and Cecil (Mason Cook). When the maniacal Timekeeper (Jeremy Piven) disrupts her domestic bliss—threatening to take over the planet—Marissa comes out of retirement as a top secret agent. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action! With a little help from some familiar Spy Kids friends, Carmen (Alexa Vega), Juni (Daryl Sabara), their faithful dog Argonaut (Ricky Gervais) and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world!

In SPY KIDS: All the Time in the World, the evil Time Keeper and his minions manipulate and steal time all because, as young boy, the Time Keeper was robbed of quality time with his dad. How do YOU make time for family? Is it game night appointment setting, spontaneous outings, or making an event out of a weekend night dinner together? Share how your family makes time together via Twitter, and use the hashtag #SpyKidsFamilyTime (you can use the retweet button on this post to Tweet your family time ideas).

Heading to store shelves on November 22, SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD is available for a SRP of $39.99 for the Blu-ray Combo Pack, which includes a Blu-ray, a standard definition DVD, a Digital Copy of the film, as well as a special bonus disc that includes a 3D Blu-ray version of the film—for a total of 4 discs; and $29.98 for the standard definition DVD. So pick up a copy and enjoy a family movie night together.

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