Author: Elizabeth Brooks

Elizabeth Brooks https://lizardbrooks99.wordpress.com/ I'm a single mom of 2 wonderful daughters. I love blogging.

Teddy Bear Rhyme: I Love You Ritual

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I love you rituals are fun rhymes, songs, and touch play activities to stay connected to your child.  These rituals are done through songs and games because play is our childrens world.  They learn, discover, and develop through playing.  They feel safe and are attentive while doing it.  So, by having fun, you can keep your child’s attention while showering them with love and adoration.

Goals of these rituals

  • Optimize your child’s brain for success at school and in life.
  • Increase your child’s learning potential and effectiveness through touch.
  • Create loving rituals that hold families together even through the rough times.
  • Strengthen the bond between adults and children that insulates children from drugs, violence, and peer pressure.. laying a foundation for mental and emotional health.

These rituals are perfect in our hectic life.  They don’t take a lot of time, but give you special moments with your children.

Teddy Bear Rhyme

Round and round the garden, like a Teddy Bear.
(gently trace finger in a circle around child’s palm)

One step, two step
(walk your fingers up child’s arm)

Tickle you under there!
(tickle under chin, under arm, or tummy)

Parents Make Your Life Easier with NoTie Shoelaces

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While kids are learning to tie their shoelaces, parents really get sick of tying and re-tying shoes!  Let’s face it bows do not stay tied, and untied shoelaces are a tripping hazard.  I know as a parent of 2 small children, Hickies has been a life saver for me.

Hickies are a no tie shoelace system that works in any shoe with eyelets.  All you need to do is thread them through the eyelet, and loop for a secure fit.  One size fits all.  Hickies are made from an elastic material keeping shoes secure, comfortable, and stylish.  They are available in fun colors, and you won’t have to mess with bows again! Children can slip on and off their shoes by themselves, and can play uninterrupted.

COUPON CODE: Save 25% off with code: USFAM!

Website: Hickies.com

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This post was sponsored by Hickies via US Family Guide. As with all of our sponsored posts – we only share products we truly use and believe in. We appreciate your support!

October Trick Or Treat with NCircle + DVD Giveaway

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My kids are still pretty little, so we avoid the scary stuff on Halloween.  We usually go to the pumpkin patch, then paint our pumpkins, find some cute costumes, and enjoy Halloween movies. NCircle Entertainment has some really great Halloween DVD choices. Here are a few of our favorites!

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Cat In The Hat:  Knows as Lot About Halloween DVD Description:  The Cat in the Hat takes Nick and Sally on the craziest Halloween ride filled with howlers and shockers and scary fandangle’s, big laughs and music and fun from all angles! Their fright-filled adventure takes them deep into the Oooky-ma-kooky Closet where Nick and Sally discover the very best Halloween costumes ever.

Click to buy on Amazon

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The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! Tricks and Treats DVD Description:  A new spooky adventure this DVD brings, with the Cat, Nick and Sally, Fish and the Things. Meet the eeriest critters you’ve ever seen, arrived just in time for Halloween. There will be lots of tricks and of course, lots of treats, to share with the animal friends you will meet! There’s coconut crab, spider monkeys and bats, and plenty more fun with the Cat in the Hat.

Click to buy on Amazon

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Sid the Science Kid:  Sid’s Spooky Halloween DVD Description:   It’s Halloween! Join Sid and his friends as they discover how bats catch mosquitoes, why spiders are expert engineer web builders, and how skeletons make up the foundation of our bodies. The kids dress up to celebrate Halloween at school, and Teacher Suzie leads them in a special Halloween parade song to show off their costumes! With Sid the Science Kid, Halloween can be spooky and scientific!

Click to buy on Amazon

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Pocoyo: Boo!  DVD Description:  Join Pocoyo and his friends on seven playful adventures. Whether it’s playing a new game called Boo!, enjoying a monster mash party or pretending to be Godzilla & King Kong, every day is fun & engaging with Pocoyo and his friends!

Click to buy on Amazon

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Doozers Spookypalooza DVD Description:  Welcome to Doozer Creek where the Doozers live! They’re green. They’re cute. They’re three inches tall and they’re full of energy, ideas, and enthusiasm! It’s Spookypalooza! The time of year when all Doozers get together to spook each other. The Pod Squad makes the spookiest pumpkin ever a cool Pumpkin Doozer made by stacking three pumpkins together. But when their new invention starts rolling all around town, the Doozers have to find a way to reign in their spooky creation! Enjoy four STEM-based adventures with the Doozers!

Click here to buy on Amazon

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Houdini DVD Description:  Twelve year old Harry has lived and breathed magic since his early childhood.  The problem is that his hometown, Appletown, is not the best place for his natural talent to blossom.  Although he rehearses endlessly in his parents’ barn he realizes that his dream is just that a dream. One day Harry catches the glimpse of a chance: the New York mayor has announced a magic competition due to the official opening of the Statue of Liberty. Unfortunately, there is a slight problem with this competition, in order to try out one must be trained by a real magician.  Poor Harry doesn’t know a single one.  Until Harry s father runs into the magician, the Great Tesla, in town and Tesla promises to see Harry. Despite the young boy s lack of knowledge Tesla spots talent, creativity and boldness in Harry.  He decides to give him a chance and invites him to his own home, accompanied by his niece, Beth, and his assistant, Amrold. Tesla will teach Harry the basics of magic, his tricks but will also test him. Will Harry be strong enough to become a true magician?

Click here to buy on Amazon

What do you enjoy doing with your kids for Halloween?

Time for a GIVEAWAY!!  

NCircle Entertainment is generously offering one lucky reader a DVD prize pack consisting of (3) Halloween titles — they will surprise the winner!  This giveaway is open to the US and Canada and will end October 23rd, 2017.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN

Be sure to check out my other giveaways while you’re here and GOOD LUCK!

Visit NCircle On Social Media

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** Disclosure:  I received product (s) for free, in exchange for my honest review.  I only recommend products I’ve used personally, and believe will be a good fit for consumers.  This post contains affiliate links. **

 Your kids will flip over these toys this holiday season!

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As a parent I love the idea of having a toy that is more than one!  My daughter’s have been obsessed with FlipaZoo products since they received a unicorn that turns into a dragon last year.

FlipaZoo

FlipaZoos are the best friend for any occasion!  Each stuffed animal features two cuddly soft characters that flip back and forth for two sides of fun!  Cuddle, explore, or just hang out – there’s a flippable friend for everyone!

Currently Available at FlipaZoo.com and Walmart.com.  $19.99

Check out these *NEW* flipable favorites that are sure to be a hit this Holiday season!

Flip Zee Girls

Have you heard of the new Flip Zee Girls?  These dolls flip from baby to big girl — and my girls are obsessed and carry them everywhere!  They are two dolls in one -and feature colorful wacky hair, beautiful dresses, and unique personalities.  They are loveable, huggable, and stylish.  They come in six styles to collect:  Zara Flower, Zabrina Ballerina, Zandy, Candy, Zo -y Bear, Zana Strawberry, and Zuri Cat.

#FlipZeeGirls are both loveable and huggable <3. What more could you ask for? #Besties #Snuggle

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Currently Available at FlipaZoo.com and Walmart.com.  $19.99

 Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

FlipZee Stuff Toys

A smaller version of the FlipaZoo – the FlipZee’s are the perfect size for a travel buddy!  This toy features not one, but two cuddly soft animals that flip back and forth for great fun!

#flipzee a smaller version of the FlipaZoo. The perfect travel buddies and stocking stuffers! @flipazoo

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Currently Available at FlipaZoo.com and Walmart.com.   $5.99

FlipaZoo Mini Collectibles

The new FlipaZoo Mini Collectibles are so perfect!  With over 100 characters to collect and share you’ll never run out of fun!  You can find them in blind bags as well as 3 and 7 pack options.   My daughters are in love with these Mini’s.  They have a special box they keep them in, and track their progress of “collecting them all.”

Currently Available at FlipaZoo.com and Walmart.com.  $1.88 for Blind Bag, $9.88 for 7-pack, $5.44 for 3-Pack

FlipZee Mini Collectibles

Collect all these minis for some Flip Zee fun!  Flip bonnet for big girl eyes — flip swaddle for big girl size!

***I did not receive any financial compensation, simply the product free to me in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion***

Tips for using praise, encouragement rewards

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Help build your child’s self-esteem and encourage good behavior with these tips

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When you feel good about your child, say so.  See if you can give your child some words of encouragement every day.  The small things you say can build up over time to have a big effect on your child.

Try to praise more than you criticize.  As a guide, try to praise your child six times for every one time you say something negative.

Look for little changes and successes.  Rather than waiting until your child has done something perfectly to give a compliment, try to praise any effort or improvement.

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Accept that everyone’s different.  Praise your child for her unique strengths and encourage her to develop and feel excited about her particular interests.  This will help her develop a sense of pride and confidence.

Surprise your child with a reward for good behavior.  For example, “Thanks for picking up the toys- let’s go to the park to celebrate”

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Praise effort as well as achievement.  Recognize and praise how hard your child is trying – for example, “You worked really hard on that essay” or “Thank you for remembering to hang your coat on the hook.”

Try to make your praise dependent on your child’s behavior, rather than your feelings.  You might find that the more you look for good behavior to praise, the more positive you’ll feel (and the more good behavior you will see).

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Tear-rifying Jackolanterns

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Here is a fun Halloween craft we did to practice tearing.

Tearing paper is a great way to strengthen bilateral coordination, cognitive skills, fine motor skills, strength, visual motor integration, and visual perceptual skills!  

I printed off pumpkin pictures from the computer.    The girls then covered the pumpkin with glue, and torn pieces of paper.   We used colored streamers  – orange for the pumpkin,  and black for the eyes and mouth.  Different types of paper will change the difficulty when you do tearing crafts.

We made several pumpkins — and hung them in our hallway.   Our own little pumpkin patch. 🙂

How to Help Your Child Eat Healther

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The kinds of food your children eats and drinks is important for their health.  Fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy foods provide the nutrients that their bodies need.  Keep an eye on the amount of added sugars, sodium, and saturated (solid) fat your children are eating.

Some Food For Thought

  • Fruits:  Let your child enjoy a variety of whole or bite-sized fruits such as apples, bananas, mandarin oranges, etc.  Serve 100% fruit juice in small amounts and less often.
  • Vegetables:  Prepare red, orange, and dark-green vegetables like tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and broccoli as part of your child’s meals and snacks.
  • Grains:  Make at least half of their grains whole grains by offering 100% whole-grain cereals, breads, and pasta.
  • Protein:  Choose a variety of protein foods such as seefood, beans, and small portions of meat or poultry.
  • Dairy:  Give them low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese to provide much needed calcium.
  • Encourage water instead of fruit juice or sugary drinks.  Too much of these things can add more calories than your child needs.
  • Check out the salt (sodium) in canned food, bread, and frozen meals.  Read your labels, and find food with lower numbers.
  • Watch the amount of saturated fats in foods.  Cakes, cookies, icecream, pizza, cheese, sausages, and hotdogs are okay sometimes, but not everyday.

Snack time 🍎🍎🥜🥜🍇🍇 #healthysnack #apple

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Another great tip — model healthy eating habits for your children!  Your children look to you! — Apple nachos is one of our favorite healthy snacks in our home!  What is yours?

An App that encourages healthy eating!

I know that I’m not the only parent who thinks getting my kids to eat healthier is a challenge.  This is why I’m in love with this new app called HuePets by HueTrition.

This new app turns daily eating into a fun game for young children.  The pets are what YOU eat – and the HuePets App makes it fun for kids to eat healthy and try new foods!

 

Using the app, kids scan their real-life meals to feed their pets, unlocking prizes and raising their pets from little eggs to HueMasters.

You can track your child’s eating, and can get personalized recommendations on what to serve.  Who doesn’t need ideas for healthy eating!?!  I know as my children have played with the app, their love for trying new foods and healthy eating has grown!  Especially their love for new fruits and veggies.

Get it on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

I would love to hear some ideas on how you get your kids to eat healthier!  What are some of your favorite healthy foods? Tips/Tricks?  Drop me a comment!  🙂