Fabulous or Not?

Sesame Street K'NEX and a K'NEX CONTEST!!

If your kids are into sesame street and also like to build and create, a great new toy is the Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building Sets.   You can build exactly according to directions or you can use your imagination and build anything you want.  Tons of parts, hours of fun!   K'NEX building sets help physical, social and emotional development by encouraging imaginative play and hand-eye coordination.  You can talk to your child about the creation which enhances language skills and development and sorting through the pieces is great problem-solving.

The building sets are available at Target, Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us from $9.99 to $19.99. Designed for ages 2-5, from personal experience, I would say an older two-year old is probably more equipped than my almost-two year old who preferred to just disassemble everything as I put it together.

 

We sat down as a family to play with our new toy....

We looked for all the pieces and decided to follow the instructions.

Marc was Head of Construction....

Noah was Head of DEstruction....

But, we all had fun and it was nice family time.  It all came together for a brief moment ...

We really had a lot of fun working on this as a family.  The pieces are easy to grip for small hands and it features recognizable characters and symbols, like the STOP sign. 

Contest!

You have the chance to win $1,000 worth of K'NEX Building sets and be featured on the K'NEX.com website.   All you need to do is make a video showcasing your child's K'NEX building skills using specific products.  

The ten best videos will be featured on KNEX.com and one winner will receive $1,000 worth of K'NEX toys.

Contest ends December 7, 2009 ... so hurry!

No purchase is necessary to enter.  To enter, post a video on your blog or website and submit the link along with a completed entry form, including name, age, email address and phone number to knexvideocontest@knex.com.  If you don't have a blog or website, submit a DVD or VHS along with the entry form to: Make a K'NEXion Video Contest, K'NEX Brand, L.P., PO Box 700, Hatfield, PA 19440.

Videos must be at least 30 seconds long ad no longer than 3 minutes and must include on of the following products:  K'NEX 400 pc Tub  or K'NEX Sesame Street Building Sets

WIC cuts subsidy on baby formula -- COUPONS! GIVEAWAY!!

So you are pregnant or maybe you just had a baby and for many of you the decisions about how to feed your baby are simple and straightforward, dictated by personal choice, cultural habits and personal/family goals and needs.  For what it is worth, I breastfed my first child for over 18 months and there have clearly been benefits for both of us in terms of health, bonding, and convenience.   However, among the drawbacks are the fact that I didn't leave him alone until, well, I still haven't really.  I've never been away from him for one night and I won't be until I have my second child in two and a half months!   Breastfeeding in public is legally protected but often awkward for mother and baby.  Pumping breastmilk and toting it along is not always practical and if you are going to be bringing your breasts, why not just feed from the tap? 

My plans for my second child are to breastfeed early and often but a bottle or two of formula so that mommy can have a night of sleep or a few hours of quiet alone time is probably better in the long run for the emotional health of the family.  Those eight lost ounces of nature's gold immunity will not make a darn bit of difference.  And if it does ... too bad.  The second time around, I'm going to be realistic and practical, and less dogmatic. 

That said, baby formula has come a long way in recent years.  It is well balanced, and formulated with the proper amount of vitmins, proteins, fats and carbohydrates to helps babies thrive.  According to the 10th Edition Consumer Reports Best Baby Products store brand formula is just as nutritious as the nationally recognized brands. 

Formula, it is no secret, is not cheap.  However, you can save up to 50% by buying store brand formula in place of the commerical brands. Unfortunately for mothers who need and or choose to use formula are now facing another hurdle,  a new Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program designed to promote breastfeeding is reducing the subsidy for formula by  over 25% in some cases.    With formula prices being what they are, this change in subsidy is enough to really derail the financial situation of many mothers in our country.   While I am a big proponent of breast feeding, what worked for me, isn't always what is best for others, and, I don't think reducing the funds available is a good way to encourage people to make a different choice.  

So, if you are opting for formula, start by clicking below to SAVE some MONEY. 

TO GET SOME FORMULA COUPONS CLICK HERE!! 

Also, I'd like to giveaway one copy of the 368-page Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, to one lucky reader.  Just leave a comment and you'll be registered to win a free copy.  Tweet a link to this page and you'll get an extra entry!!  (On Twitter, I'm Miss_S)  

Eating Right Kids: Safeway makes healthy foods for kids

If you are parent who packs their child's lunch everyday, I'm sure you often wonder what parts they actually eat, what they trade away and what gets trashed and wasted.  I certainly remember begging friends for a fruit roll-up or a sandwich that looked tastier than what my mother had packed for me.

There just might be a good solution to your concerns available at a grocery store neat you!  Eating Right Kids is a new initiative between Safeway and Warner Bros. to provide healthy options for kids at lunch, snack time and on the go.  

 Eating Right Kids features bottled juices that my son and I love, and some tasty fruit cups, snacks and cereals too.  The Spaghetti-O's-like Pasta Rings with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce is made with Whole Wheat and contains 10 grams of protein per serving, 20 if you eat the whole microwavable container, which is simple enough for an older child to prepare by themselves once parents are comfortable allowing the kid to use the microwave.  I'm a big fan of the fruit and vegetable snack packs available in the Produce section.  Apples with Cinnamon Dip, Celery with Peanut Butter and Grapes with Cheese are just a few of the options available.  If we want our kids to consume healthy foods and teach them good habits for life, this line of products is a good place to start.  

Warner Bros Consumer Products is now partnered with Safeway to offer a healthy eating solution targeted at kids featuring Looney Tunes characters.   There are more than 60 items across many categories including produce, breakfast foods, dairy, snacks, including chewy granola bars and frozen entrees.   Eating Right Kids is available at over 1700 Safeway stores throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Eating Right Kids is an offshoot of Safeway's already in existence Eating Right line targeted at adults.  Eating Right Kids was highlighted by the Federal Trade Commission for its ability to positively impact the childhood obesity crisis in America.

The Looney Tunes characters make snazzy packaging that appeals to kids. 

I'm glad to see a collaborative attempt between various kid-friendly outlets and food manufacturers to encourage better health habits among the younger generation.   I hope to see much more of this in the coming years.  Cheers to Safeway and Eating Right Kids and Warner Bros. Looney Tunes for partnering for this important initiative.

You can learn more about Safeway's Eating Right Kids by clicking here.