The Best Frisbee Ever!

 



 

Thanks to my resourceful 1 and 4 year old, we have now found the best Frisbee ever! It's lightweight, soft, and you probably have several of them in your own home right now. Check in your kitchen...

That's right. It's a potholder. It actually works really well, and the best part is that it is soft enough to use inside. Go ahead and give it a try.

 

 

 

A Day in Pumpkinville

 



For the past few years, our family has made a little tradition of visiting Pumpkinville around Halloween time. Pumpkinville... well, it's basically a gigantic pumpkin patch with moon bounces, hay rides, face-painting, zip chord, things to ride, animals, etc. Even after spending over four hours there, we still didn't have a chance to do everything.

This year was especially fun because there were tons of new activities. Playgrounds are always a hit with my kids. And of course we had a great time petting and feeding the animals. My little girl was so brave. She walked right up to all those huge creatures!

 

One of my favorite things was the hay ride. Um... I got to sit down. But it really was fun! They drove us through the woods and we passed by dinosaurs, scary monsters, and got bounced around in the mud.

My boys seemed to be super-excited about riding the pedal carts. Unfortunately, I was too big because I totally would have been on one of those things. Moooove aside kids!

The kids were not showing any signs of being tired, but we had to go home some time. We ended the day on the ball swing and in the moon bounces. Everyone had a great time!

 

Although I complain how pricey the place is (and how it gets more expensive every year), there really is a lot to do. And I know where my money is going... indoor bathrooms. Next year there will be no more Don Jons! Worth. Every. Penny.

 



Free LEGO Building at Toys R Us

Well I don't know how I was unaware of this, since my boys love LEGOs, but apparently October is Bricktober month at Toys R Us. That means many great discounts and free LEGO building in the store! Now because I am me, we arrived at our store with only 15 minutes to spare before the activity was over. No problem. I helped the boys pick out all the pieces they needed and they got started right away building their DC Super Heroes Bot. They are really good at following those instructions. Ahem... LEGO instructions at least. :)

I believe this event is at all Toys R Us locations throughout the month. Check with your local store if you think your child would be interested.

Ultimate Back-to-School GIVEAWAY!

If you have a child heading to school this school year, you are going to want to take a look at this Giveaway! The winner will win over $350 worth of great prizes that are sure to help you and your child start the year off right. Keep reading to learn about the prizes and then enter the giveaway using the form below.

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Welcome to the Ultimate Back to School Bash #bts2013!

3BoysandaDog has teamed up with A+ Interactive Math and some fabulous other brands to bring you this giveaway.

Prizes:

• A+ Interactive Math - 1 year FREE Online Full Curriculum - A+ Interactive Math - 1 winner (choice of: grades K - Algebra I) Value $124.99 . A+ Interactive Math is dedicated to making math enjoyable and learnable for all ages. A+ Interactive is perfect for homeschooling parents or parents that just want to give the child some extra math help. A + Interactive Math offers full curriculum books, workbooks, online education and interactive math CD's. You can purchase A+ Interactive Math or view their catalog here.
  
  Door Prize for all participants:
  Multiplication for Elementary & Middle School - download (value $21.99)http://aplustutorsoft.com/SpecialOffers.do (Code: enter 3DOGSMATH upon checkout).

• $100 Visa Card - This fabulous gift card is being brought to you by www.learntobloghangouts.com! This is the perfect way to get a great jump start on your back to school shopping! You can use this $100 Visa gift card at any location that accepts Visa.

• Back to School Survival Guide - This back to school guide is brought to you by The Confident Mom. In this Back to School Survival Guide you will find everything you need to help you ensure the school year runs seamlessly. This guide is an 80 page printable that will help you keep your child safe while using the internet, help with homework, making packing school lunches easier, become a savvy back to school shopper and much more! You can read more about the Back to School Survival Guide or purchase one here.

• Office Depot Sackpack of School Supplies -Office Depot is committed to providing affordable school supplies! You will find $25 worth of school supplies in this sack pack. The Office Depot Foundation donates over 30,000 backpacks to school children each and every year!

• BYOU Magazine Subscription

• Go Picnic Ready to Eat Meals - Go Picnic makes packing lunches and snacks a breeze. They offer gluten-free, kosher, all-natural and a variety of other snacks that are perfect for back to school lunches and snacks. You can view the large variety of products they offer here.

• Tummy Calm - Have a little one with an upset stomach? Tummy Calm is a safe option to helping your child feel better. Tummy Calm is made with all-natural FDA regulated ingredients. You can read more about Tummy Calm and place an order here.

• BIC School Supplies - BIC offers a wide range of back to school items from pens, pencils, markers, highlighters and much more! BIC is your one stop shop for your back to school supplies.

• Teach My Preschooler - Teach My is your one stop solution for giving babies, toddlers and preschoolers a jump start on education. You will find interactive learning products that promote learning in a fun manner. You can order a Teach My learning program here.

• Texas Instruments - Texas Instruments should be your go to supplies when it comes to tools for math and science calculators. One lucky winner will be receiving this http://education.ti.com/en/us/nspire-family/cx-handhelds. This is a colorful and engaging way for to learn math and science!

• Wild Planet Foods - Wild Planet Foods has tuna like you have never tasted before. This tuna is the perfect ingredient for a healthy and delicious school lunch. Wild Planet offers tuna that has 6 times the Omega 3 and 1/2 the mercury other brands have. Order up your own supply of Wild Planet Foods here.

• GHCretors - GHCretors offers all-natural, non-GMO and gluten-free popcorn in a variety of flavors! You will love that a healthy snack can taste so good. This might just be the best popcorn you have ever tasted. Get your order placed here.

• ListPlanIt - Are you ready to get your life organized? If so then ListPlanIt is the place to visit! Any kind of list you can imagine you will find on ListPlanIt. The winner is going to receive 2 ePlanners (Student ePlanner and Home Education ePlanner, value $10) + a coupon code for a 3-month trial to ListPlanIt! This is a fantastic prize to get the school year started off. You can also sign up for ListPlanIt here.

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Live Like a Mom is not responsible for prize shipment. I was not compensated for this post.
 

Rockin' with Rocknoceros

 

 

Today I took my children to see a fun band called Rocknoceros. This group of three crazy characters is funny and they have really good songs too! Kids enjoy the music, but parents will appreciate the factual and historical accuracy within the lyrics. One of the songs they sang today was Lucky Lindy and I just loved the harmonies! My baby girl was rocking back and forth the whole time and even my boys, who don't like being 'silly' in public, got into it.

If you live in the Northern VA/DC area, check this summer schedule to see when Rocknoceros will be near you. Everyone else can get silly in the comforts of their own home while listening to the playlist! Warning:  Your foot will tap along. It is unavoidable.

Little Merboys!

I am a teacher at heart, so I obviously love opportunities to teach new skills to my children. I've taught my boys how to ride two-wheelers and it was my plan to teach them to swim. The problem with that is, well... I just don't get them to the pool often enough. Lots of reasons for that. :/

 

So reluctantly, I had to put my teaching urges aside and focus on being a parent. And some parents put their kids in lessons! I was free to sit and watch my children learn, which was pretty nice. Oh. I had the chance to chat with other moms during the lessons. Woo hoo! Let's hear it for adult interaction...



 

 

There were a lot of benefits to putting them in lessons. First of all, they got to see other kids practicing the same skills which made them a little more excited to try things. Plus, the instructors had some nifty equipment that even I wanted to use! The boys loved swimming through the hula hoops and going underwater to grab the sinking rings. Might I add that a good pair of goggles is a must! They had to go through three pair each in order to find one that fit their giant heads and did not leak.

Kick, kick, kick!

 

Future athletes here!

 

In case you were not aware, kids with goggles and purple lips look... awkward.

They ended each lesson with a couple jumps off the edge. Another childhood thrill! In two weeks time, my boys went from hating water on their face, to seeing who could hold their breath under water the longest. My 5-year-old can now swim short distances on his own, and my 3-year-old is getting pretty good at using his arms and legs at the same time.

Do you know what the boys said was their favorite thing about the lessons? Getting to take hot showers in the locker room.

How did your children learn to swim? What advice to you have for parents who are teaching their children to stay safe in the water?

 

 

Is this Why Parents Dread Summer?

FOR. CRAP. SAKE. What's it been... 26 days since my boys have been out of (pre)school for the summer? I am already counting the days until they start back again. I love them and enjoy their company, of course, but let me tell you. Put the two boys together and you have just created the ideal recipe for disaster. They love each other. They can't stand each other. And it goes back and forth like that ALL DAY. Then (and here's where I come in), they start banding together in effort to drive me to my grave.

I used to get comments from other people about my magical abilities with children. "You're so calm," they'd say. "Those kids respond so well to you," I'd hear. NOPE. Not any more. I yell, we fight, they scream and run around and I think to myself... gee. I'm glad our neighbors are far enough away that they don't think I'm a lunatic. But I definitely feel like a lunatic.

And it can't be blamed on boredom either. We have something to do just about every day. Bike-riding, camps, trips, park, library. I specifically planned lots of fun activities for the summer in attempt to ward off boredom. But excuse me. I still need to do dishes, clean up, play with the baby every once in a while and I should not have to deal with crap the whole time. Seriously. Ten million toys in the house and they are not satisfied with any of them... except the one in their brother's hand!

Sooo... that's it. *let's out deep breath* It has just been a rough couple days and while I know my kids are truly very good, happy children, I am just having awful visions of the what is to come over the next 2 months. Can it get worse? Don't answer that. :) Plus, it makes me sad to be a little hopeful for the school year. Not because I don't want to spend time with my crazy boys - because I do! But really it's because I think they need some time apart from each other. Darn kids. I most certainly did not aggravate my sister (or my parents) like this when I was younger! Right? ... mom? ...anyone?

Let me hear your summer horror stories! Or your tips on how to avert them. ;)

VINCI Educational Smartphone/Tablet Giveaway

 

If your child is always asking to use your smartphone to play games, here is the giveaway for you. VINCI Genius and Whole Mom are giving away a 5 inch smartphone preloaded with digital curriculum ($560 value)! The phone and digital content are kid-friendly. Next time you hand over a device to your kids (if you ever actually do that!), you can feel confident that they will be learning and having fun.

Disclosure:  Entering through the link above will help me earn additional entries. Sharing your link will help you earn more entries  too!

Kids, 911 is Not for Fun... :)

The other night, my husband noticed a police car pull into our driveway. I immediately thought that the officer was going door-to-door collecting donations, which happens a couple times a year in my neighborhood. When we opened the door, we were greeted with, "Hi. We received a 911 call from your home." Whoops.

I looked at my kids and asked if either of them had called 911. My three-year-old looked up at me and, with a strange and bashful smile, nodded. Great. I told the officer that we had been discussing what to do in an emergency a couple weeks ago and that we had practiced dialing 911. He said it was not a problem and left, but I was stuck with how to handle the situation with my boys. I didn't want to get upset at my little guy, but I couldn't act like it was no big deal.

I asked him if there was an emergency, was anyone hurt, was a stranger trying to break into our house? No, no, and no. Okay, then. We do not need to call 911. I think that seeing a real police officer show up at the door might have shocked him a bit too. He let out a deep breath when the officer left and said, "he didn't even take me to jail." Lucky you, sunshine!

For the time being, we have put the phone up on a high shelf. I can't chance another mishap occurring again any time soon. But I am a little proud, though. After reading stories about two or three-year-old children calling for help all on their own and actually saving the life of a parent, I had always wondered if my kids would be able to do that. Now I know that if I happen to need assistance, hopefully, my boys will come to the rescue!

And P.S.
No, my kids are hardly ever out of eyesight! They are just too mischievous and buck-wild. My husband actually saw our son messing with the phone, only for a second, but evidently, the damage had already been done. The WORST part... the receiver was never hung up properly, so the 911 attendant could hear everything up until the officer was gone! I wonder what we said... : /

Saturday Mornings at Lowes

Twice a month, Lowes offers a FREE Build and Grow workshop for kids. I have been taking my boys to these workshops for about a year and a half and they really enjoy each project! 

 

Everything you need to build the project comes in a prepackaged kit, and Lowes provides child-size hammers for your kids to use all on their own.





 

Usually, an adult needs to help read (or interpret) the instructions, but the kids can help locate the pieces, do the hammering, add the decorations, etc. These Build and Grow workshops do not use paint as part of the activity, so you don't need to worry about your children staining their clothes! The projects are themed and are usually based on current movies. Each kit contains full color stickers, cardboard cutouts, and/or other materials for attaching to the project.

 

My boys love coming home to play with their new 'toys'. I love how they get to create something with real tools (and how the projects actually hold up during rough play).





 

Don't forget to pick up your FREE Build and Grow apron so that you can iron on all the patches you will be receiving at each workshop! *Note- You do have to preregister for each workshop. Sessions fill up quickly!*

 

 

Have your children ever been to a Build and Grow workshop? What do you think of the projects?



Easy DIY Dry Erase Boards

As a former elementary school teacher, I know all about the magic of dry erase boards. Ask kids to write a math problem on paper. Grunts, groans. Give 'em a dry erase board and they're solving quadratic equations all over the place. Sometimes my own children get tired of the same old paper and crayons too. Today I remembered an old trick of mine that I used to use in my classroom. Do-It-Yourself dry erase boards! You only need three things to make one, and you might even have everything at your house already:  Paper, dry erase markers, and sheet protectors.

Just slip a white or colored piece of paper into the sheet protector and voilà. You can obviously use dry erase markers, but some wet erase markers work well too. Try it. It's amazing how much you will want to doodle! Ooops. Mom made a little mistake here. Let me just wipe that line up real quick. What's that? Three plus one does not equal 15? Darn. I'll just erase that and try again.

It's cheap, easy, and portable, and great for art, homework, or homeschooling. The downside... when your kids draw a really wonderful picture, it's guaranteed to smudge off. I just take pictures...

 

What are some cool DIY projects you have come up with?

 

 



Lazoo Review and Giveaway!

Here is a great giveaway from S.O.S. Mom and some other fun bloggers! Continue reading to see what S.O.S Mom has to say about Lazoo's products and apps.

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Lazoo is a quality-conscious lifestyle children’s brand and media property emphasizing award-winning design, creativity, and play. Inspired by an internationally best-selling series of Japanese children’s books, Lazoo products all embody the same core mission: to foster a child’s creative process, encourage self-expression and empower the imagination.


When we enter the world of Lazoo, we enter the realm of a child's imagination, a place of endless possibility where cars race across tree branches, mermaids teach dinosaurs to sing, and ghosts host fashion shows. In this world, kids are encouraged to think independently; "coloring outside the lines" is celebrated and all types of creative self–expression are honoured.


As mentioned priorely, Lazoo is not only about clothes and toys, but extremely interactive and colourful apps as well. Squiggles and Let's Color are two apps where the little ones are invited to draw with the use of their finger on very magical and fun drawing pages. With the hit of the go! button, they can then watch their masterpiece come to life on the screen! "Squiggles!" is based on Lazoo’s “Hands On! Mind On!” curriculum, developed in conjunction with top educational experts. Lazoo apps are designed to:

• Build divergent thinking skills. 
• Foster problem solving skills including implementing, evaluating, communicating, and revising creative ideas. 
• Assist a child in becoming comfortable with uncertainty. 
• Encourage a resilient approach to play and creative problem solving so that a child learns persistence. 
• Support the kind of appropriate risk-taking in play and thinking that inspires creativity. 
• Encourage an interest in, and openness to, emotion in both play and thinking. 

Besides the fact that they are entertaining, they are also very educative. Briefly, the apps offer the child 14 unique "living" drawing pages where the drawing palette includes stickering, chalk, mystery tool, ketchup tool and more! The apps include a gallery where the masterpieces can be saved preciously, or the option of sharing to friends and family by email, Facebook, Twitter, Lazoo community, or simply printing. Squiggles includes an amazing interactive storybook and animated short featuring Lazoo's adorable characters, Bobu and Miku, who model creative thinking and encourage children to use their imaginations and color outside the lines.

The Lazoo apps review by S.O.S. Mom: "Squiggles and Let's Color must be two of the coolest apps I have come across since I have been a connected mom. As a mother who knows her son, I can tell when he is really passionate about something. The Lazoo apps are definitely on that list! The apps' interactiveness is incredible and the colours highly inviting. The apps are built and designed with a high level of ingenuity and thoughtfulness and are an amazing tool to build and explore the true potential of a child's confidence and creativeness. Allowing children to use their finger as a tool to create whatever their imagination throws their way is fabulous. My son loves to switch between the different colouring pages and doodle away and then see it come to life as he presses the go! button. As he chooses a drawing page, the app invites him to a specific task, for example to draw some spaghetti on a plate or smoke coming out of rockets. Okay so, my son doesn't really draw spaghetti on a plate or smoke coming out of rockets... he's only 21 months-old! But he has all the fun in the world seeing colours appear as his finger runs across the screen. He has a real blast seeing little images appear as he taps the screen using the stickering tool! This app really captivates him and helps him to practice and develop his dexterity, creativeness and imagination. But I think that is really, what is the most important, that he gets to grow those skills and learn while having fun. As a parent, I just want to ensure that my son grows from interacting with an app. Lazoo Squiggles and Let's Color gets my two thumbs up and a well deserved 10/10."


You can connect with Lazoo via their website, Facebook page, Twitter profile or Pinterest profile. 


And of course, there is a giveaway involved! Thanks to Lazoo, S.O.S. Mom and Real Momma, two winners will each win their choice of Lazoo clothing between the following (sizes 18 months, 2T, and 3T). The event will take place until December 31st and is open to all US residents. Each item retails for $25. To enter for your chance to win, simply fill out the form below.

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Making Gingerbread Houses

We decided to make gingerbread houses this year. Here are some photos of the process with some tips, in case you want to try it out.

 

 

I was going to buy the individual ingredients separately, but my husband found pre-assembled kits at Home Depot. I bought two kits so that each of my boys could decorate their own house. The kits came with the gingerbread, two colors of icing, decorating bags and icing tips, and candies. The first step of the instructions did not make any sense, by the way. A very confusing jumble of words basically said... squeeze the icing into the decorating bag.

 



 

I added my own step here. Using some wax paper, I wrapped the cardboard that came with the gingerbread so that the boys could have a clean surface to display their houses on. I just folded the edges of the paper and taped it together like a Christmas present!

Here are my little guys using the icing to glue the walls together. My husband was helping with this part. The icing was a bit stiff and it was difficult to squeeze it onto the house (even after we 'softened' the icing for several minutes). For some reason, the icing was not working out so good for my three-year-old. He was doing a great job holding the walls together, but the poor house started tilting like some Fun House from a circus!

 

 

Once the roof pieces started going on, the houses became a little more stable. Then, FINALLY, they could begin decorating! It was rather fun. The candy looked like little Christmas lights and the boys did a really great job making the houses looks very yummy. However, the icing did not taste too good. Every piece of the kit is supposed to be edible, but who knows how long those boxes were sitting on the shelf at Home Depot. We also ate some of the candies. They weren't too bad, tasting a little like stale NERDS. My boys are counting the days until Christmas has passed when they get to eat some of the house. Ewww.

  

 

I had a lot of fun helping out with this project. The whole thing probably took about an hour to do (with two adults helping). If I do another gingerbread house in the future, I will probably let the kids pick out the gram crackers, candy, and icing from a regular grocery store. I think these pre-assembled houses were perfect for us beginners this year, but next time, we are going to need a challenge.