New Treats, No Tricks

Well we are gearing up for Halloween here.  It is not a big thing to me but of course all the kiddos love it.  And Other Mother and Princess Emma really do it up well.  I always have the bowl of candy and all but neighborhood trick or treating has really become non-existent.  Most of the kiddos here go to the town square and the businesses have booths set up for them there.  It is safe but sure does change the whole look of Halloween.  Oh and it is not even dark when they are there!  I understand all the safety precautions but, WOW, how life has changed.  What was your favorite part of Halloween when you was a kiddo?  The candy, dressing up, staying out after dark?  Mine?  The lil ol lady who put a bowl full of candy on her porch and left it for us.  Honor system....sure.  Never worked.  We all took great big ol handfuls from that one!  Or my favorite lil ol lady who always had a whole 6 pack of full size Hershey chocolate bars just for me!  That is a Halloween haul in itself.

Of course I know that we have to adapt to the changes in the world.  So I also am doing my part.  This year I am contributing prizes to a Halloween party.  Instead of just tons of tummy ache candy there will be door prizes, games with prizes for the winners and even a scavenger hunt.  Since my own Grandbabes will not be here I thought that if I shared some prizes then it would be a good way for me to get into the spirit of giving.  So what to share?  Well of course we are adding in a big bag of mixed candy for the kiddos.  But then we thought we would do some more original gifts.  My first pick was Hand Vibes.  Have you seen them?  Well they are like the ever popular rubber bracelets but are rings instead.  And each one has different words on them.  Mine say "Groovy" "!Live!" and "Word".  Another one has a heart on one side and a broken heart on the other.  There are also hidden rings in the package that may have words on them as these do or could be rainbow, black or emoticon on them.  Of course they are on Facebook like the rest of us.  Great place to show off the ones you have.

Another one I am sharing is JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS: THE TRULY OUTRAGEOUS COMPLETE SERIES on DVD.  This was a 1980's cartoon that played up on the girl power pop rock culture that was so popular.  I know that I had it on so I could be-bop to the tunes with my lil girl.  Yeah we know that us mom's watch all the cartoons too.  Really try not to get the Phineas & Ferb soundtrack not stuck in your head!  But Jem and the Holograms was like battle of the bands for kids.  And the 1980's fashion was so much fun.  I mean who does not want pink or purple big hair?  Okay, I am a throw back.  Well I bet that there will be others who will enjoy this now as much as we did then.  Oh and I also have coloring sheets you can grab too!  Wonder if you will get the crayons out to 'play' with the kiddos?

Now I also have three books to share with the party gifts.  They are great mysteries that all take place in Scotland.  Quite a change from the norm so I think that they will be great to explore.  I love that I have one book great for girls, one great for the boys and one that will go either way very well.  Cloudberry Castle is wonderful and one that Princess Emma would love for a bed time chapter book.  In it Katie's family has inherited a castle.  There is where Katie hopes to one day build her ballet school.  But her folks are considering selling the castle.  Katie starts finding out the secrets of the castle and things begin to get a lil mixed up then.  But Katie's family, friends and her own goals helps her to unravel the mystery.  She just hopes that she can get it all in time....before she loses her dreams.

We move on to Red Fever for the boys.  Wow!  Here a deadly virus is knocking off the people on earth.  And Toby's sister has now come down with it.  His family takes to the coast searching for a cure before it is too late.  They battle the storms on the water, fight off pirates that are chasing them and encounter packs of dogs that are very very hungry.  It seems that the odds are all against them.  Toby does find that even thought his world has completely changed, his family has not.  As a matter of fact they are getting closer still. But will the Red Fever get his sister before they can find a cure?  Or will they lose out to all the adversity around them?

Last we have Rocking Horse War.  This is the one for me.  From magic to missing triplets to intrigue, you have it all.  Set in the Highlands in the 1920's, Pearl is trying to find her siblings.  They disappeared with only a few clues as to where they went.  Teaming up with Thomas who she meets while she is searching it seems that he is the only one who may be able to help her.  But is he looking for her brother and sisters or is he working on his own plans.  Discovering a world of magic all around her, Pearl is fighting off magicians and the very land she walks hoping that there is a way to get everything back to the way it should be.

I love all three of these books.  And think they will be great to add in for such a night full of spooktacular fun.  What great alternatives to candy all night.  Thanks to all who have let me review these items and share with me.  As always, this is unpaid of course.  But I did get lucky to actually have the books, rings and DVD sent to me to try out.  Who could ask for a better hobby?

Related articles

• Truly Outrageous Jem and the Holograms painted earrings and cuffs (zacharypryor.wordpress.com)
• A Fun Halloween Tote Bag Giveaway from Colortime! (Rafflecopter) (susanheim.blogspot.com)

DIDYANO?

I was so happy when I opened my mailbox this last week. Why? Well, because Timothy D Thomas sent me his newest flip book of DIDYANO?
Yes, like above. All signed by him and full of great illustrations. He is a talented artist and author from Florida and has helped out there with state wide campaigns to help protect the wildlife.

Well, now I am going to be able to share this great book with Miss Emma and our two newest lil ladies to join in, Miss Lilly and Miss Shyla. These lil ladies will love the bright paintings in the DIDYANO? book. But, I am waiting to hear the oldest two repeat all the fun facts.

One the first side, DIDYANO? ZOOS, we find out that each group of animals have a different name for their group. Like a parade of elephants or a crash of rhinos. Sounds like a circus right there. And then each page is filled with fun facts about each type of animal. The a fore mentioned elephants have four knees but can not jump. Oh, I understand that, my knees can't bear the brunt of my weight either.

But when you finish the first half of the book you then flip it over and start all over again. Now we are on DIDYANO? AQUARIUMS. Here we learn about a shiver of sharks and that many odd things have been found in their tummys. And my ever favorite huddle of penguins and that they they can dive 1,700 feet underwater.

Of course you can see this is on my gift guide for my grandbabes too! I am a great fan of reading. And sharing that love with children is a passion of mine. I am so thankful to Timothy Thomas for creating this wonderful, fun and informative book for me to share with my grandbabes and babysitting girls.

Where are Your Glasses?

Do you have a child who has to wear glasses?

I know I started at an early age and HATED it!
My glasses fell off (oops) every chance I had.
Then my mother put the dreaded granny chain on them. Oh that was delightful in school!

Well Randy Kazandy also has to wear glasses.
And he does not like it either.

But his mom knows how to stay one up on Randy and has many pairs of glasses for him. It is fun to see all the ways Randy decides to get rid of his glasses. But know he adjust with the help of his exasperated m0ther and his helpful father.

This is a delightful book to share with your child. Especially if they are new to glasses. I especially enjoy the website that goes along with the book. There they have fun and games for kids. And the story of Helen Keller, one of my heroes!
Your child can also send an email to Randy with any questions, comments or ideas about their glasses and sight. In addition to children's poetry and Randy on YouTube. Just an all around fun site. So pop over and check them out. And get this book for your new glasses owner!

"THREE THINGS EVERY PARENT SHOULD TEACH THEIR KIDS"

Here is this Monday's McLinky Blog Hop.
"THREE THINGS EVERY PARENT SHOULD TEACH THEIR KIDS"

Now we are not talking about the big things like be honest, love your parents, love God, be kind to others, accept Jesus as your Savior. But those less than obvious things.

So what would I say were the three things I taught my College Girl.

Well, let me think. I know that we had 10 rules to life. But I will not post them here. What else?

If it was a guy here I am sure we would have how to make armpit farting sounds and how to play pull my finger. And the 'goody goodies' are likely to say follow what your told by your elders and alway say yes sir and no sir.
But I am looking for those lil things that we end up finding invaluable later on.

So here is my attempt.

#1 Rely on yourself first. When you can care for yourself then you can start having others as a relationship. This way if something happens your not staying in a bad relationship because you do not have a way of caring for yourself.

#2 Pass it on. Try every day to pass it on. Do some good deed or act of kindness. Weather it is picking up the tab of the person behind you in line at the drive through. Or simple as giving a smile to the person next to you. Just find ways to Pass It On.

#3 Round up your totals in your checking account. If you write a check for 10.59 the round it to 11.00. You will never be overdrawn and at the end of the year have a lil nest egg to move to your saving account.

So what are your 3 things? Post them on to your blog and jump on the McLinky Blog Hop.


Special thanks to Purell Hand Sanitizer for sponsoring this blog hop.

Using Your Strengths

Kids do not come with instruction manuals do they? And we all feel like we should have some sort of booklet that says "Now Your a Parent". So there are many self help guides out there and many have some sage advice. But our lives are changing and sage advice does not always work in today's situations. So where do we go from there.

"Parenting by Strengths" is a workbook for the challenging situations that we have in today's world. This workbook is made up by 7 different authors. A collaboration of advice that they have found works. Using positive psychology and personal strengths to help us guide our young ones. Also giving advice on how to work as a team to parenting. There is also a website with more information with a blog like feel to it.

So if your looking around and wondering how the kids got in control or where is the other half of your equation then you may want to look at this guide. You may find some workable solutions and helpful ideas waiting for your here.

? Lockers ?

We have all made it through the 1st month of back to school now. How are you surviving the time away from the kids. Ok, Ok, do not celebrate that much now that they are not underfoot all day.
Honestly, we miss our children but also are glad they are off and at school again. Now is the time that the first teacher conferences start up. Some of them are great and do it over the phone as your child is an angel. But others, must see us in person.
I went the other day down to the school with a friend who had such a conference. While she was 'visiting' with the teacher I had a lil look see of the new school.
Do you know that something is amiss at our 1 yr old school? Yes, someone forgot to put in the lockers. There is not any in the halls. School Lockers were a great part of our day when I was in class. It was where we congregated for a quick visit. And who can forget the smell of a gym locker? I know that this is a growing trend to not put then in the schools but I feel we are losing something. Not just a place to stow our books and bags but a time period of being with each other.
So what kind of things do you remember from hanging out at your locker? Did you ever have a wood locker? And do you know where there might be some lockers for sale ?

Win a FREE 24 x 24 Graphic

A new product is being rolled out on UPrinting.com, a Wall Graphic. Just imagine a huge sticker that you can peel and stick on any flat surface! (Similar to the Fat Heads stickers you’ve seen on TV). In addition, these use the same high-quality printing we use for our poster prints, so you can print photos, artworks or patterns in great detail.

Uprint wants to offer (2) of my readers a 24”x 24” Wall Graphic.

This the way Mary wants hers to look for the Bed and Bath. It will look just perfect on the wall of the stairs going up to the Bed and Bath.

College Girl's lil sister wishes to have one of her coloring pages blown up really really big so she can color it. What a great idea!

**Winners and bloggers must pay $5 Handling Fee to claim prize, shipping is free. Only open to US residents.

Giveaway Directions

1. Leaving a comment on how they will use the product if they win.
2. Tweet about this giveaway.

Winners will be selected on September 18th, 2009.

Emma and Zula

I am enjoying watching College Girl's lil sister, Emma. It is refreshing to have a lil one around again. And she is introducing me to a new DVD series. Have you watched Zula Patrol? “The Zula Patrol,” the popular animated science-and-astronomy series for kids that airs Saturday mornings nationally on NBC as well as weekdays and weekends on public television stations.

This is a series of children's DVDs that is focused on science. I have found it quite interesting to learn more about habitats and metamorphoses with Emma. I did not expect to hear about Eco-systems and more. It is quite refreshing from the "let's repeat everything three times" that I hear on so many children's shows.

It is also nice to have a break with an active Emma. She is an avid 'swinger'. Our tire horse swing gets quite a workout from Miss Emma. And of course I have the prettiest porch from her beautiful chalk art work. But she has also told me things like there is powder on butterflies wings that helps them fly. So she is quite capable of understand Science at 3 years old. I feel that her travels with the Zula Patrol will be quite informative.

Later we will visit Zulaworld to make her own alien character. Here she can play games and earn 'zlinkles' to buy fantasy clothes and such. So it seems that a whole new world is going to be opened up to both of us.

So now here is your fav part. I am doing a give away of Zula Patrol too! So just leave me a comment and send others too! I will pick a winner in one week. And then you will also receive Zula Patrol DVD's.

Is your Child Good Enough?

Today we have a guest post by Jan Denise. Jan Denise is a syndicated newspaper columnist, an

Cover via Amazon

empowerment guru, and author of the new book, Innately Good: Dispelling the Myth that You're Not (Health Communications, 2009). You can find out more about her and her teachings at www.innatelygood.com.

5 Ways to Raise a "Good Enough" Child

By Jan Denise

How many times have you told your ebullient child he's too loud or too active? How often have you told your contemplative, cautious child not to be a scaredy-cat and so shy?

In subtle ways, you are giving your child, when he's expressing his or her unique temperament, the message that he's not good enough. He will get the same messages at school, at church or temple, and from the media. By the time your child is an adult, he will have learned how not to follow the beat of his own drummer and how not to be himself. He will have learned exactly how to act in order to get the approval of others.

If you think that's not much a problem for a child, wait till she grows up and marries someone she thinks she should marry, works in a job she hates because it's expected of her, gets in debt buying a house or car that makes her seem more successful than she really is, or is on a perpetual diet and hates her body because women are supposed to be rail thin.

You can stop this negative conditioning! As a parent, you already instinctively know that your child is good enough. Your child was born good enough. Here are five ways to reinforce that positive message.

· Be there for him. Let your child have his true feelings--sadness or fear, for example. Show him with your support, reassurance, and presence that it's okay to have emotions, and that you'll stay with him through all those feelings, without judging.

· Teach her not to personalize rejection. If someone tells her she's ugly or too brainy, for example, remind her that someone else's words aren't the truth. The truth is that she's fine--just the way she is.

· Teach him not to worry what other people think. If he's afraid to take chorus at school for fear of being teased, or cuts class with his friends to be part of the "cool" crowd, help him understand that following others' opinions won't help him be happy.

· Encourage her individuality. If your child wants to wear a pink tutu to church and it embarrasses you, consider the message you might be giving her about being an individual and expressing herself. Unless it's an act that could harm your child, try to allow her to be and do what she needs in order to fully explore who she is.

· Show him he is loved--unconditionally. Remind your child dozens of times a day, in gestures, words, and acts, that you love him just the way he is. A child who learns that he really is good enough will grow into a confident, healthy, fulfilled adult.

* * * * *

Help--My Kid Drove Me Crazy

We are all in the back to school swing. Right?
No? Well, maybe some of us still need a little help.

Dr. Swanson shares the following back-to-school transition tips:

1. Before school starts, send your child to bed at the normal school year bedtime.
2. Start waking your child up at the same time he would if school were in session. (Waking up early is a great trick for getting a child to fall asleep at a reasonable hour.)
3. Begin to set limits around things that conflict with school-year priorities (video games, television, overnights, e.g.).
4. If assigned, make sure that your child's summer academic projects are completed and ready to be handed in.
5. Put other structured routines--such as dinner time, baths/showers, and hygiene rituals--back into place.
6. Regardless of the stress, fight the battles of getting back to the normal routine now. Waiting for the school year to return will only add to your stress.
7. Lastly, take your child shopping for school clothes and supplies. Usually, new clothes and supplies elevate a child's excitement about returning to school.

Now that we have that all down pat, you do have that routine set? Right? Okay at least we are still working on a routine. Now what can we do for the dragging our feet to get ready times. Or is it the I don't wanna do my homework? Yeah, of course we are still struggling with "Chores, I have to do chores?" But we can work on all of these things with a little help and guidance.

Dr. Swanson has a new book to help. "Help! My Kid Is Driving Me Crazy: The 17 Ways Kids Manipulate Their Parents and What You Can Do About It". Sounds familiar right? I know I have had to deal with some issues when helping to raise children. Some with ADD/ADHD and others just lil button pushers. We all have them. Which are your kids favorite ways to get you to do what they want?

Emotional Blackmail
Shutting Down
Irrational Logic
Negotiation
Divide and Conquer
Playing the Victim

Each of these issues and more are addressed in Dr. Swanson's book. I know that CG was a great lil negotiator. And Nessa's son can do the irrational logic to a tee. Of course lil Miss Ashley just shuts down. I am glad there is a way I can find some help, back up, bring out the child raising hand book from time to time. We are all great parents but help and advice is still needed.

SO, check out
"Help! My Kid Is Driving Me Crazy: The 17 Ways Kids Manipulate Their Parents and What You Can Do About It"
and find some answers for yourself.

Related articles by Zemanta

• How to Recognize ADHD Symptoms at Every Age (momblognetwork.com)
• ODD Child Parenting: Giving Attention (5min.com)

"Back-to-School-itis"

Just some information in case your interested in how you may help your child with "Back-to-School-itis"

Six Tools to Relieve Your Child's "Back-to-School-itis"

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

By Charlotte Reznick PhD

For some kids, going back to school at the end of summer can be traumatic. Anticipating a new teacher, classmates, grade, or school can trigger fear, anxiety, and depression--not to mention very real physical symptoms such as stomachaches, headaches, and insomnia.

Fortunately, your child has a whole toolbox to draw from--in her own imagination. Here are six imagination tools parents can use with young children to relieve "back-to-school-itis."

Teach her to balloon breathe. With her hands around her navel, have her

Image by niclindh via Flickr

breathe slowly and deeply into her lower belly so it presses into her hands like an inflating balloon. The Balloon Breath has dramatic calming effects and facilitates a waking state of focused concentration and receptivity to positive suggestions. This one tool makes all the other ones easier.

Visit his special place. This is a safe private place within your child's inner world where he can work out problems or take a mini-vacation from stress and worry. He can invite a wise Animal Friend into his special place to talk to and help him, or he can even dig for a treasure box there that contains the antidote to his fear.

Draw the fear. Putting an image on paper: (1) makes her fear of separation realer and less frightening than keeping it inside, and (2) makes her fear less likely to grow because there is a concrete picture to work with. Once she has a picture, she can talk to it, find out why it's trying to scare her, strike a bargain with it, surround it with a soothing color bubble, and so on.

Talk to his symptom. When a child suffers from a worry headache or stomachache, these three questions can help eliminate the pain. Have him do deep balloon breathing (diaphragmatic breathing), then ask: (1) What color is it? (2) What shape is it? (3) How heavy is it? After more breaths, ask him again. Continue to breathe and question in rounds. His pain will likely change or disappear. If it doesn't completely go away, ask the ache what it wants him to know, do, or understand to release any more bits of pain.

Image via Wikipedia

Picture the future. Artwork is also an effective starting point when you're working with clear end-goals, like getting a good night's sleep or reducing a fear. Have your child draw two drawings--how things are now and how she'd like them to be. Hang the picture in her bedroom; this is a great reminder of her desired goal and the first step toward getting there.

Encourage drama. For kids whose nature tends toward drama, acting out their worries and troubles is a wonderful way to release them. Let them play it out--with puppets, with their bodies, with anything their imagination suggests. It's amazing what creative solutions come up when given free reign.

* * * * *

Charlotte Reznick is a child educational psychologist, an associate clinical professor of psychology at UCLA, and author of a new book, The Power of Your Child's Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (Perigee, 2009, $14.95).

www.ImageryForKids.com

It Takes a Village

I had a friend call me last week for some advice. You know that when your friends ask for advice you sit back and take a deep breath. Taking the time to hear what they are seeking and making sure you formulate your ideas before you talk. I am glad I did just that this time.

Image via Wikipedia

They wanted to know if I could help them find a drug rehabilitation for a friend of theirs. Oh this is a sticky situation was my first thought. Now I know that drug Treatment is very important. And that as friends we are often called on to help others when they do not perceive a problem. But is very hard to tell a friend that they need to find help.

Well I asked some questions about the situation that this friend was in. And I tried to draw from my own knowledge of seeking help for other type of problems. Most of all I passed on how I had been helped through my medical group to find a good place to go so I could quit with problems that I had unknowing had for most of my life.

I do know that residential drug rehab is the best way to go when trying to stop a habit of this nature. Because your needing to change your environment as well as your thought process. By being away from family, friends and especially bad influences the info you receive is processed faster. Also you have to take the time to think for yourself.

I really hope that I was able to help my friend with the lil bit of knowledge that I had. I especially hope that they were able to guide their friend to help. I know that it takes a village to raise a child. But it takes the same village to support one another too.