Kid K’Nex- Creative Play for Smaller Hands!

Screen Shot 2018-08-08 at 5.33.36 PMWOW! We were lucky enough to be selected for a Tryazon Kids K’Nex Play Time Party, and today was the day!

The kids had a blast! It was hot already at 10 am at the park, but there were a few kids out, in addition to our guests who came over to check out these awesome toys and play.

38804508_10106054182526514_4093103128713363456_nAnd for those who couldn’t attend, but want to check out all the fun of Kid K’nex, here is a sweet coupon code TRYAZONKK. It will allow your friends to purchase the Budding Builders Tub for 70% off here.

 

About K’Nex: Founded in 1992, K’NEX, part of the Basic Fun! Family of brands, wanted to show kids that the only limit to building was the size of their imagination! 25 years later, K’NEX prides itself on connecting Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math with imagination. STEAMagination can be found in every K’NEX set and with it building dreams become a fun-powered, 3-D reality! Winner of over 390 awards and recognitions, the K’NEX product line has building toys specially designed for every age group and skill level.

In addition all this fun play, the kids and I gave away two of the KID K’NEX Zoo Friends Construction Toy Sets.  Recommended for Ages 3-5 , each set includes eyes, ears, paws, and more! It comes with 30 building ideas in a cool handout, and includes 55 colorful parts!

Here are a few of our creations:

If, you’ve never heard of Tryazon (pronounced Try-uh-zon ☺), Tryazon is a service dedicated to getting innovative products into people’s hands and mouths, in fun settings like the party we had today. They offer excellent product samples and savings for all who participate.

We had a great time and can’t wait to party again soon with Tryazon! We received free items to facilitate this event, however we were not financial compensated to hold this event. All opinions are mine solely. Please review our Disclosure Page for more information.

DaffaDoot- Helping parents & Families!

daffadoot_logoDaffaDoot is all about family values, and They are on a mission to improve the lives of everyone they can reach. They are a Mother/Daughter team, and proudly donate our time and money to numerous organizations supporting pregnant moms-to-be, new parents, battered women, and school age children. We are insanely committed to providing the best customer service on the planet and delivering only the highest quality products available.

Happy Times! DaffaDoot Brings It!

Their three products each solve problems that parents face with kiddos. I’m most excited about the Auto Seat Protector! I’ll be reviewing one in the coming weeks. I can’t wait to put it under Bitty Bird’s carseat and try to keep my car a little more protected.

Print1. Crib Wedge
DaffaDoot Baby Reflux Wedge Pillow. For babies who frequently suffer from reflux or dramatically spit-up. It’s a safe, natural baby reflux treatment which gently elevates the baby’s head and torso to help alleviate discomfort due to frequent stomach acid or frequent spitting up.

They used only the best material, making it waterproof, hypo-allergenic, and anti-bacterial. Drooling, spit-up, and leaky diapers can all wreak havoc, but cleanup with a disinfectant wipe or warm rag is a breeze. It sports a non-skid bottom (holding the wedge firmly in place for safety and convenience), is free of harsh chemicals, and meets and exceeds all federal safety regulations.

main-seatprot-1000x10002. Auto Seat Protector 
Got grime? Daffadoot has the solution: They know the importance of having children in carseats and boosters, but without some kind of protection under their seat or booster, all those dropped cookies and Cheerios can make a serious mess. Plus, car seats and boosters have a nasty habit of digging and denting your fine upholstery and leaving a permanent mark on your backseat. What you need is some high end protection.

DaffaDoot’s latest release, the Deluxe Auto Seat Protector is exactly what you need. Other mats or pads can’t compete with our 14mm padding and heavy duty durability. It’s neoprene non-slip backing grips like no other, and our Universal Fit with an extended “lock-down” bulb ensures that no matter what you drive, it’s perfect for you and your kids.

It’s Full-Size, Premium Construction, with No Compromises. They’ve’ve used only the strongest material and threads, and reinforced in ALL the right places. Many protectors provide only a sliver of extra fabric and claim to protect your seat, but we refuse to compromise on quality. It’s evident from the first moment you take our protector out of its box. You will enjoy the premium feel, the superior stitching, and the quality fabric.

And it gets better: it’s anti-slip and color-fast? We even baked it in an oven to make sure it could take the heat. And it has spacious elastic storage pockets where you can keep things like diapers, pacifiers, bottles, sippy cups, toys, wipes…and yes, a bag of extra Cheerios. Bottom line, it’s perfect for you and perfect for your little one.

mirrormain-1000x10003. Car mirror

Your baby’s smile is worth it! No doubt about it! That’s why Daffadoot insists on the highest quality, with just the right amount of curvature, shatterproof glass, and a solid stay-put mount… all so Baby gets a perfect reflection of herself in the mirror. She will have a blast babbling, giggling and jabbering at that “other baby in the mirror.” And should she get lonely, she simply needs to look up and can see Mommy looking back at her! Oh yeah, because you can see her too!

Just like you, DaffaDoot is all about safety, and we understand how frightening it can be when you’re driving and baby makes a funny choking sound, and you can’t see around her rear facing car seat to see why! Boost your confidence with the safer baby car mirror specifically designed and tested for parents wanting a safe way to view Baby. It’s the Best of the Best with its independent lab-crash-test, safety tested rating, and shatterproof crystal-clear reflection.

Installation is an absolute breeze! No tricky parts to snap together, no tools needed, & installs in seconds. (Requires an adjustable headrests for proper installation.) You can rest easy because here at DaffaDoot, we are totally committed to providing a robust, quality product, & if you have ANY problems with your DaffaDoot mirror, simply let us know and we promise to make it right. We truly want you to love our mirror as much as we do. It’s that simple.

My Readers Receive 20% off orders using Promo Code HWBLFYLE 

Thanks to Daffadoot and USFG for the opportunity to try the Car Seat Protector!

 

Get Out and Play at The Nat!

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Recently the kids and I got to preview the Natural History Museum’s latest interactive exhibit, The Backyard. Even though Henry is 7, he still had a great time playing and exploring. He loves the Nat, it has all the things he loves about nature (dinosaurs, animals, plants, and bugs).

Screen Shot 2018-07-21 at 7.21.55 PM.pngInspired by a quintessential San Diego backyard patio, The Backyard is packed with experiences that encourage curiosity about the natural world including, a shade tree, live animals, a potting bench, a giant ladybug, stepping stones, a pergola-covered reading nook, a garden bed for infant tummy time, an urban nature soundscape, and more.

The Backyard contains interactive activities and objects that instill a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world.

Exhibition highlights include:

 

Screen Shot 2018-07-21 at 7.22.05 PM.pngA garden bed (ages 0-2): Modeled after a self-contained garden area, this enclosed, soft space is separated from areas designed for older toddlers and preschoolers. It is an ideal area for infants to work on tummy time, rolling over, and sitting up. Within this space, older infants have an area to practice crawling, walking, and grasping different textures.

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Dinos enjoy The Backyard too!

An old oak tree (ages 2-5): Children will embody imaginative, dramatic, and realistic play as they dress like familiar backyard animals, crawl on a giant ladybug, and gallivant around an old oak tree. Self-directed play can take many forms as kids build block structures, color mix on the light table, and uncover hidden sounds and live animals in the garden wall.

 

 

 

Screen Shot 2018-07-21 at 7.22.11 PM.pngA potting shed (ages 2-5): Adults can relax and recharge on plush bench seating with free WiFi and a charging station while kids exercise fine motor skills and build imaginations as they create and pot flowers, read books, solve puzzles, and sort shapes. The Potting Shed area has a great selection of kids books (that are available in the gift shop as well).  Henry and I loved the dinosaur books!

The Backyard is located behind the cafe on the bottom floor of the museum. Entrance to The Backyard is included with your museum ticket. In addition to the fun exploration for the kids, there is a new 3-D movie at The Nat called Backyard Wilderness:3-D. It’s all about the beauty and natural wonder that is around us- even in our own backyard. The kids loved it, and Henry has been asking for us to “get into nature” so we can explore more.

If you haven’t been to The Nat lately, its completely different! With lots of great exhibits all about the natural history of San Diego/Southern California, there are lots of exhibits at kids level, with hands on and interactive learning stations for kids. Margaret loved the Coast to Cactus in Southern California exhibit. There were lots of hands on activities and cool stuff to look at at her eye level. Henry enjoyed the Fossil Mysteries exhibit, and of course, Unshelved.

We’re going back to The Nat soon, I hope to see you there!

Chick-Fil-A Cow Appreciation Day is coming!

Are you ready? Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A is coming up on July 10th! The kids love it, so we are prepping to go. You can check out my past post here with how you can DIY a quick costume with stuff that you may already have around the house.

It’s easy to score a free Entree at Chick-Fil-A on 7/10/18:

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Anyone who goes into Chick-Fil-A wearing any sort of cow apparel will receive a free entrée on July 10th.

Children wearing anything cow-like will receive a free Kid’s Meal.

I’ve been saving the treats (I’ve got a free fries and a free fruit cup, and a free White Peach Tea Lemonade) on my Chick-fil-a app to use on the same day- So lunch will be free for all of us.

I’ll be posting pics of our adventure on Instagram, I can’t wait to see yours as well!

More Free Summer Meals for Kids!

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This is an update to this post, which has sites all over San Diego County listed.

I just received this in my inbox this morning!  Here is a great list of East County resources for free lunches for kids- And many sites also serve breakfast too!  We’ll be checking them out in the coming days, and I’ll post pictures (probably on Instagram), so make sure to follow me! Dates vary by location.

I am really excited about Hilton Head Park being on the list- That is a great park with a splash pad (only $3 to use for the whole day), shaded picnic tables, and a fun, sandy playground!

If you aren’t in the San Diego, CA area and are looking for more information on free lunches for kids, check the USDA website here. THe USDA plans to serve over 200 million meals to kids 18 and under this summer!

Free Meals this Summer for Kids!

file0001360139839.jpgI’m still pulling together resources and lists, so I’ll be posting more resources as they become available.

School will be out within a month for most kids in San Diego, and that means there are some parents (and kids) who usually rely on free or subsidized school lunches may find themselves wondering what to do.

Thankfully, a lot of great organizations have stepped up and partnered with local area schools, libraries, rec centers, and civic organizations to provide free breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for al kids 18 and under this summer.

You can search here for a list of California Department of Education sites that offer free meals (some sites offer breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks).

Some Library sites offer lunch too! Here is a complete list of areas that offer free lunches or snacks.

Some County of San Diego Library Locations offer lunch or snacks. Here is a filtered list for the month of June. Most libraries have a print calendar each month available that can be picked up with more info. The El Cajon Library on East Douglas has a really great lunch program in the summer with a fun activity/craft afterwards.

San Diego Unified School District has partnered with some awesome sponsors to host the Sumer Fun Cafe 2018 all over San Diego County! Lunch will be served at over 30 locations all summer for kids 18 and under! The kick off Summer BBQ (with free lunch for adults too) at Skyline Hills Park 6/20/17 10:30am-2:00pm! There are all kinds of activities too!

What I love about this program is that there are tons of rec centers hosting these lunches and they are usually adjacent to a playground, which means after a long morning of playing, the kids don’t have long to wait to get a yummy lunch!

Looking for a few ideas of summer fun with a nearby lunch?

If you know of more summer lunch programs for kids in San Diego County, I’d love to hear about them! Please leave a comment!

Free and Low Cost Summer Movies for the Family!

One of my favorite things about Summer Vacation is that lots of businesses and parks get into the fun of summer with free and low cost movies!

Screen Shot 2018-05-25 at 11.55.08 AM.pngRegal Cinemas has $1 movies all summer! Each location has a different schedule, but the same movies. Here is the complete list and your closest location.

Screen Shot 2018-05-25 at 11.58.02 AM.pngSummer Movies in the Park is an awesome summer long event that takes place all over San Diego County in various city and county parks. There are lots of great movies for kids and families to chose from!

Santee Lakes will be hosting Movies and More at the Lakes all summer long! The event is free, but park admission is $10 per carload during the event. If you go in earlier in the day and just play at the park, it’s $6/carload. The first movie is on June 22nd, and it’s Lego Batman! Here is the calendar with all of the events taking place at Santee Lakes all summer!

 

Which movie are you looking forward to seeing with your kids this summer?

Score Free Stuff and Share Opinions!

 

UPDATED 2021 to remove programs that are no longer in business.

I’ve been getting a lot of really great freebies recently in my mailbox, and I mean full-sized items, not simple sample sized sachets of lotions or laundry soap.

But how, do you ask? Word of Mouth Marketing or (WOM).  It’s not new.  Remember the “I told two friends, and they told two friends” commercial from the 1980′s? That’s word of mouth marketing.  Since the invention of the internet, WOM marketing has been amplified, lucky for us consumers!

Here are just a few of my favorites and some of the cool things I’ve gotten lately:

Screen Shot 2018-04-29 at 10.31.11 PM.pngBzzagent A WOM (word of mouth) website that helps spread the word on tons of great products. Sign up for campaigns when there are products that interest you, use them, and share your opinions (as well as coupons and samples!) with others in person or via the Internet. This sharing is called “buzz”, and the more you buzz and report your buzz, you earn Mypoints points, and chances for early invitations for more campaigns. I’ve been a Bzzagent for eight years, and I receive 2-4 campaigns per year. In the last year, I’ve gotten campaigns for: Glade Atmosphere Collection Purell Hand Sanitizer, Edwards Frozen Pie, Alexia Frozen Potato products, and Spin Master Toys.

Smiley360  is much like BzzAgent, in that it is also a WOM (Word of Mouth) website. Sign up for campaigns and you will receive samples to use, and coupons to share with friends. Report your sharing and earn points! I’ve received Laundry detergent (full sized bottles), vitamins, supplements, tampons, and razors all in the last year.

In the same vein as the two above, Generation Good by Seventh Generation uses the same type of interface as Smiley360. I’ve gotten Full size laundry and menstruation hygiene products from Generation Good.

Moms Meet I love Moms meet, but I haven’t been getting a lot of stuff from them as of late. Read my post here telling you all about Moms Meet and their awesome sampling programs.

Screen Shot 2018-04-29 at 10.58.50 PM.pngSocial Nature is different. Sign up for food or beauty products that you’d like to try (they are in both the US and Canada), and if you are selected, they’ll mail you a full sized product (or a coupon to get the item for free in a local store). Then after you try it, complete a survey and do a few social media shares ( FB, IG, Twitter, etc.). This year I’ve sampled: Vegan Miso Soup, Ocean’s Halo Ramen Broth (it was crazy good), Little Northern Bakehouse bread, Emerald Valley Kitchen Salsa, A. Vogel Herbed Sea Salt, and the biggest family fav: Hip Chick Farms chicken tenders!

Home Tester Club is pretty cool. They are one of my new favorites. You sign up to review items and they send you something. A lot of the time they don’t notify you prior to shipping, you’ll get a package in the mail and a few days later, you’ll get an email notifying you that you were selected and a link to the survey to complete once you have sampled the product. I’ve gotten a Changing Pad Cover, Flushable Wipes, Makeup Remover, and a moisturizer.

And that’s my most up-to-date list of the WOM marketing companies that I use and get free stuff from.  I recommend any and all of these companies!

If you’ve got another WOM Marketing company that you’d like to share, leave a comment!

 

 

 

San Diego STEAM Camp- Learning and Fun!

Screen Shot 2018-04-24 at 10.03.42 PM.pngMy friends Annie and Christine are hosting an awesome STEAM camp this summer, and Registration JUST OPENED!

They are very excited to be offering four summer day-camp sessions this year. Camp will be open for children age 5-10. We will be holding camp at two different locations in Clairemont and Kearny Mesa. Camps will be Mon-Fri from 9:00am-3:00pm and include free lunch. Lunches are provided by the San Diego City.

Screen Shot 2018-04-24 at 9.54.50 PM.pngCampers will do daily art and science around a fun weekly theme. In addition to art and science, our days will also include interactive games, STEAM inspired stories, outside play time, free lunch and more. We will have an underlying focus on kindness and helping others. Each camper will put together a care package for Cali Kids Medical Foundation to give to a family with a child admitted in the hospital and will also make cards for kids in the hospital.

Be sure to submit your complete your child’s registration form.  You can learn more on their Facebook page.

Not only will your kiddos enjoy STEAM activities, but they’ll be helping a family and child during a tough time! I’ve known both ladies for many years and they love kids and they are passionate about STEAM education.

Craft Mornings: Creativity and Fun!

Screen Shot 2017-10-31 at 8.29.00 PMFor the past few months, Bitty and I have been hosting Craft Morning at our house.  We set up a table (or two) get out craft supplies, invite mommies and their littles over, and we create.

Sometimes I have a specific craft in mind (ornaments in December), but sometimes we just look at what is available, and creativity takes over!

Tomorrow, we’re doing it again! I’ve got supplies for tissue paper stained glass and scrapbook paper wreaths, but my craft supply stash is pretty deep, so there will be other supplies out for whatever the mommies and kids want to make.

I’ve started a Pinterest Board with ideas here. If you are a San Diego area parent and you’d like to join us, check out the event page here.

February’s Craft Morning will be held at a park, and we’ll be painting and hiding rocks! All of our Craft Mornings are free to attend. Screen Shot 2018-01-28 at 9.25.31 AM.png I get craft supplies for free from local swaps, Buy Nothing groups, Craigslist, as well as family and friends who are cleaning out their supplies.

I hope to see lots of smiling faces at our upcoming craft events!!