As a mom I have to pick my battles carefully especially with two girls. They act so much like me it’s ridiculous! Because of that…they do what I do, eat what I eat and drink what I drink. Which is not always a good thing.

When I discovered Wat-Aah I was excited to have the twins try it…while it looks and taste like water…it’s a lot more fun! With wonderful added extras like Pure Spring Water, absolutely no sugar, no sodium, no chemicals, Kid friendly electrolytes and bone building Magnesium…you know you are giving your children the best.  Plus the uber cool packaging makes doing something good for your body a lot of fun!

My girls love Wat-Aah. Don’t believe me…swing on over to Twin Kitchen and see how excited they are about Wat-Aah!

It is so easy just grab a juice box or a soda can when your child ask for a drink. But easy doesn’t make it the right choice. If you offered my girls a glass of water they’d probably wrinkle their noses and say “Never mind” but with Wat-Aah they actually argue over who gets which bottle!!

I can not thank Wat-Aah enough for creating a fun way for my girls to enjoy something good for them. You Rock Wat-Aah!

• WAT-AAH! was launched in June 2008 in New York by Rose Cameron with the help of her own kids and other moms, utilizing her background in marketing and branding.
  
• WAT-AAH! is currently distributed in many stores and groceries throughout the east coast, from Maine to Florida, specifically Whole Foods Market.
• WAT-AAH! contains no sugar, artificial flavors, colors or unnatural additives.
• WAT-AAH! is ultra pure water containing the right amount of essential ingredients such as magnesium, electrolytes and oxygen to help maintain children’s health.
  
• Wat-ahh comes in four “flavors”:
  • ENERGY –
    
  • BODY –
  • BRAIN –
  • BONES –
    

Win A Mixed Case filled with WAT-AAH and GOODIES!

To Enter:

Swing on over to TWIN KITCHEN to enter!

Do NOT Leave Entries here.

Review Opportunity Provided by Wat-Aah
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.
*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

What is so special about imagination play? Pretty much everything! It allows your child to explore, reproduce and create their worlds. They are able to imitate what they see. They learn by site and touch the world around them. Imagination play is a major milestone in the lives of Toddlers. Play Food sets are a great way to get your child(ren) involved in cooking and eating.

The IE Twins love their Gummy Lump play food sets and were thrilled to rip open the boxes and start “cooking”. They love to cook on Twin Kitchen and they love to cook in their pretend kitchen as well.

We received the Kitchen Pots and Pans Set by Melissa & Doug and the Slice and Bake Cookies Play Food Set by Melissa and Doug and they were a hit!

In fact they were beyond a hit! I don’t think the twins have stopped playing with their toys from Gummy Lump. They have created meals for us, for their Barbies, for their stuffed animals and for Twin Kitchen. Check out the delicious Gummy Lump Strawberry Shortcake.

Imagination is a wonderful part of childhood. Learning about your life, surroundings and who you are is all a part of growing up. With Gummy Lump play food sets…you are guaranteed phenomenal quality and a wonderful experience for your child.   The Melissa & Doug play sets carried by Gummy Lump are not toys that will be easily thrown away or discarded…these are quality toys that will be passed down to the next generation. I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw my grand kids loving these sets as my as my girls do.

Right now, Gummy Lump is offering a fantastic Buy 3 Get the 4th Free on Melissa & Doug Play Food Sets…hurry up and pick up a couple….they’d look great in Easter Baskets!

Toys that make sweet memories…We are dedicated to retailing only the highest quality and most unique toys, building blocks, and puzzles available. Our goal is to bring you the best selection of creative & educational toys for children Ages 0-6.

Quality

All of our wooden toys and building blocks are built to withstand generations of active play.

Award Winning Toys

Many of our wooden toys and building blocks are past award winners. We are proud that many of our toys have won prestigious awards. We feel that these honors are a testament to the quality of our toys as well as an endorsement of their play value!

Our Manufacturers

We have developed very good relationships with our manufactures over the years and because of that we are able to provide the widest selection of NEW toys to you – before our competitors! We also carry the entire line of Melissa & Doug Toys, Guidecraft, and Kidraft. We also carry select items from many other manufacturers

One Twin Kitchen Friend will *WIN* an Awesome set of Melissa & Doug Play Food from Gummy Lump!

To Enter:

Swing on over to TWIN KITCHEN to enter!

Do NOT Leave Entries here.

Review Opportunity Provided by Gummy Lump
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.
*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

When Rainbow Brite made her appearance I was a young teenager…a bit too old…to play with her. But I vividly remember the dolls, horses and cartoons that my nieces (now adults) loved to play with.

Of course, back then Rainbow Brite was a much younger version of herself with a cute little, itty bitty, girl voice…she was fun and loved but created for a much younger age group then the new, current and so stylish Rainbow Brite and her friends, Moon Glow and Tickeled.

The Rainbow Brite spirit and adventure are still very active in the latest Rainbow Brite but she is so much cooler! I am enjoying the fact that I get to enjoy Rainbow Brite this time around with my own children and not my bratty um, sweet nieces. (Lol..You know I love you guys!)

I was excited to receive a Rainbow Brite CD pak that included tons of fun games and activities. I tried the games alone with out the girls the first time to give them the “Mom once over” and they passed with flying colors. The games are fun, interactive and a great mix of challenge and ease. Most of them have different option levels to set the game up perfectly for your child.

Take a moment to visit the Rainbow Brite website where you’ll find great games, activities, coloring pages and fun downloads, like door signs for your child’s room!

Rainbow Brite was fun when she first debuted (some 25 years ago). She is even more fun, exciting and entertaining for our little ones now…Check out the new Rainbow Brite!

Rainbow Brite has delighted generations of children with her exciting and imaginative adventures. Among adults who grew up with the original cartoons and dolls, Rainbow Brite has a significant following as a nostalgic property…but her unique brand of sweetly futuristic fantasy – and her sincere message of courage, kindness and hope – make her a true 21st century hero.

When Hallmark first introduced the Rainbow Brite brand about 25 years ago, girls all over the world fell in love with this colorful character. Rainbow Brite was launched with a consumer products program that included toys, books, comic books, cereal, party goods and even a traveling stage show. Girls enjoyed Rainbow Brite as a TV series, in addition to three TV specials and a feature film.

About Rainbow Brite:

Not so very long ago, a little girl name Wisp appeared in a colorless and unhappy world. Through courage, kindness and friendship, Wisp became Rainbow Brite and transformed the unhappy world to Rainbow Land, a magical place where all the colors in the universe are created.

Now, Rainbow Brite is one of Rainbow Land’s four Sky Powers, characters whose magical powers determine the cycles of Rainbow Land’s days and seasons. With the help of her friends, her magnificent horse Starlite, and her magical Color Belt and Star Scepter, Rainbow Brite travels to the far corners of the universe, bringing hope and happiness to everyone she meets. No matter where you are, you can always count on Rainbow Brite to make your heart a little lighter and your world a little more colorful!

FOUR Lucky Friend IE Mommy Friends will *WIN* a Rainbow Brite CD that contains Games and Activities

To Enter:

1. Mandatory Entry: Friend the IE Mommy on Facebook
2. Follow IE Mommy on Twitter and tweet RT – Enter to win the Rainbow Brite Giveawy @iemommy  http://www.theiemommy.com/2010/02/20/rainbow-brite
3. Join the IE Mommy Mailing List

Contest Ends – March 3rd!

Open to the U.S. Only

Review Opportunity Provided by Rainbow Brite and Mom Select
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.

*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

When I showed the IE Twins the adorable leotards sent to us from “We Love Colors” s they were like “Oh cool!” but when they put them on…. Wow! It was as if a hurricane just hit the house! They loved them. They looked adorable and it seems that “We Love Colors” Leotards also provide a turbo-boost of energy!

The moment they had them on the IE Twins were doing cartwheels, splits, jump kicks and every other heart stopping feat you can imagine. It was if someone just flipped an “on” switch.

Then it hit me!  They feel good, they feel comfortable and they know they look cute! Slipping on their Splash Color Tank Kids Leotards gave them a bit of energy because they suddenly  had a bit of confidence.  I really liked that. As grown ups we act differently when we feel confident in what we are wearing also….I guess kids are the exact same way.

I know that We Love Colors offers an amazing assortment of tights, dance wear, leggings, socks and gloves for men, women and children so “I” can feel confident that I will find what I need for myself or my girls at a price that I can afford.  Ordering is easy and shipping is even easier with a flat rate of only $5 for the US!

While my girls were tumbling and somersaulting through our living room…I noticed that I didn’t see any gaps or slippage on the shoulder straps or rear area…which is a very good thing if you are tumbling around, moving and grooving! You really want to make sure everything that should be covered, stays covered….especially if you are an adult and fall in love with We Love Colors, like I have.

OK, so you won’t see me doing any somersaults anytime soon but We Love Colors has a killer line of tights, leggings, footless leggings, fishnet pantyhose, thigh highs and knee highs which can be worn under a great looking tee or plaid print dress. Perfect for hanging out with my girls! Oh and don’t forget their fun Dance wear, Mini Dress and their Plus Size Hosiery departments!

We Love Colors is a one-stop destination for the dancer, gymnasts and anyone  who loves a little color in their life!  Spring is right around the corner and I want some of those great tights for the twins and myself! Wouldn’t the look adorable under the bright Spring styles?

You know…. I just love... “WE LOVE COLORS!”

Swing on over to the Twin Kitchen and enter the We Love Colors Giveaway and learn a fun recipe for Confetti Salad…Hey! We had to keep it “colorful”!

You will find the perfect colored tights, fishnets, or other hosiery items, to match any outfit or occasion here at We Love Colors. Also, leotards, unitards, and other dancewear. Kids to plus sizes. Now offering 51 Solid Colors. opaque tights and over 13 Unique Splash Colors.

One Lucky Friend will *WIN* a Pair of Kids’ Micro Fiber Tights from “We LOVE Colors”

Swing on over to TWIN KITCHEN to Enter!

Review Opportunity Provided by We Love Colors
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.

*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

I want you to pretend that I am at the top of mountain and am shouting my joy for all to her regarding my discovery of WordToons!!

Are you all with me? Good! I’ll begin Shouting from the Moutain Top

When I first learned of WordToons I thought it would be a cool thing to do with the twins at school. It covers penmanship, spelling, arts and crafts. Great! Plus it looked like a lot of fun!

I had a bit of difficult time getting the PDF file to download. Wayne was more then encouraging and helpful. It was no fault of the program…my computer is just a bit older then I remembered it to be! With Wayne’s patience and expertise I was excited to review the book and was able to download it effortlessly.

I could not wait to show the girls. One day after too many math and spelling problems I showed the girls how to create a dog from the word DOG and how to create doll from DOLL. You should have seen their faces. “That’s so cool!!” they said. “We want to try!”

Try they did and succeeded very well! They loved it. In fact, they asked if they could have a few more “words” to work on for homework.  The directions were easy to follow. Whether your child learns visually or is an auditory learner…they will find the drawings simple to imitate.We still have a lot of the workbook to recreate but what an amazing start to a great project.

On a side note, it was fun to learn that I could draw too! I have always been a stick figure drawer and even as a child envied other people’s skills at drawing. Till this day I still draw the same face, house and tree. It’s all I can do. BUT now, I can draw too! Pretty exciting for this IE Mommy.

I loved that WordToons enlightened the minds of my children but it also encouraged creativity, fostered confidence and reinforced their spelling and learning.

I can not gush enough about WordToons. I may have to get off my mountain top soon but before I do..swing on over to WordToons. You can receive a FREE sample download *plus* you can receive a certificate for your child by uploading a photo of his creation. Rylan and Skylar can’t wait to get there certificate.

Easter and Spring break are right around the corner…this would be a great time to pick up WordToons to keep your children learning and interested during their school break!

From one mom to another…WordToons Rocks!

I am not getting off my mountain top now but I won’t promise to stop shouting about WordToons!!

Wayne Logue has been a professional cartoonist for over 19 years producing cartoons ,illustrations and designs for magazines ( 9 years with the New Zealand Womans Weekly Cookie’s Fun Club ), books, web sites and advertising. Wayne has produced an extensive number of posters for educational purposes for Enducationillustrated.com and Greenlighteducation.com.

Currently attending Auckland University Wayne is doing a BA Degree in Linguistics English Language Teaching and Education.

Review Opportunity Provided by Wordtoons
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.

*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

You know there are few names in the Toy Industry that will make the IE Twins jump up down and squeal like little girls!! Oh! Wait! They are little girls…OK, well you get what I mean. They get excited. They love them. They know that they are in for an adventure if they can just get one of “those” toys!

Webkinz Jr. is at the top of that list. How could it not be. You receive an adorable, squeezable plush animal that is perfect for cuddling and hugging *plus* you have access to a whole shebang of fun games and activities online! Double the fun toys perfect for my Double the fun Twins!

We received the cutest Pink and Blue puppies (see below) to review which were quickly named Strawberry and Blueberry. Personally, my favorite is the “New”  Grey Elephant or Giraffe…which I would love to have as my very own (hint, hint, wink, wink).

As a toy lover I enjoyed the interactive games and the reassuring aspect of a stuffed animal. Nothing gives you a better nights sleep then a plush friend to snuggle with when it’s cold. The challenges of keeping your animal fed, exercised and healthy give a wonderful “life” lesson of responsibility while having fun.

As a mom, I was thankful for the precautions and controls the site allows you to have. You can choose your password, who your “friends” will be and who has access to the information of your child.  The IE Twins have played for hours with their Webkinz Jr.

Now, you have may have heard of the original Webkinz but the Junior version are fairly new and larger then the original. The have a very soft plush material and look a lot more like a regular stuffed animal then the smaller versions but with as much fun!

In today’s society…it is a must that our children know how to use a computer. With the Webkinz Jr. you can make learning the skill of computer use a fun adventure.   I know that our Blue and Pink Puppies are just the start of our Webkinz Jr. Menagerie!

As the story begins … shortly after WWII, when Samuel Ganz, son of a candlemaker, made his way to New York City, his sons, Sam and Jack, settled in Toronto. On one of his visits to see them, Samuel brought along a doll he had seen produced in New York. After making a few contacts, and holding discussions, Ganz Toys was in business!

Distribution of several licensed products from top names like Disney and Sesame Street brought incredible growth to the company. Ganz Toys rose to become the premier toy company in Canada, producing high quality goods following impeccable safety standards.

When Howard joined the company, this marked the third generation of the family to be officially involved in its operation.

As the firm continued to grow and evolve, the company name was changed to Ganz.

Ganz established collections of giftware, tabletop accents, candles and personal care, garden decor and more. By welcoming MaggiB and Bright Star Designs into the Ganz family, the business continues to grow.

Ganz is more than a successful company, it is a tribute to a family’s history

Review Opportunity Provided by Ganz & Webkinz Jr.
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.

*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website

As part of the Twin Kitchen debut we received a fun box of Yummy Dough to enjoy!  Enjoy the twins did! You can swing on over to Twin Kitchen to see how much fun they had creating their own masterpieces and then actually getting to EAT THEM!

As a mom…it seems you are constantly saying “no” as in “No, don’t eat that!” and “No, don’t put that in your mouth!”. I realize that I don’t say it as much now as when they were toddlers but believe me I still say it a lot more then I want.

The twins are very creative and found the  Yummy Dough to be exciting! Play-Doh you can actually eat (without mom saying “No”).  One Yummy Dough box contains four different color pouches. They provide you with the basic colors of red, yellow, blue and green.  Yummy Dough provides a great teaching tool on the side of the box which carefully demonstrates how you can get different colors by mixing the four basic colors together. As a home school mom I thought that was  a great feature and so simple to include.  Good thinking Yummy Dough.

The Yummy Dough mixture was simple to create. Getting the right dough was totally dependent on the amount of water you put into the mixture. Thankfully the packaging came complete with a little syringe that held the exact amount of water needed.

The only thing that surprised us with the Yummy Dough was that it required “baking paper” which we didn’t have and didnt’ realize we needed until we were ready to try it out.  We found it easily in our grocery store as Parchment paper.

Yummy Dough website is a great resource for tutorials and tips for parents and kids. It will provide you with fun inspiration for great designs.  Yummy Dough taste a lot like Sugar Cookies so they are not only FUN to play with and create but yummy to eat! Hmmm…? Probably why they call it Yummy Dough! Go get some!

Yummy Dough is actually a multi-purpose toy! Mixed with water the Yummy Dough powder turns into smooth, kneadable, well shapeable dough which can be baked afterwards. You can eat it raw and after it is baked.

Yummy Dough cleverly combines two favorite childhood activities: creating designs with play dough and baking with mom, dad or a grandparent — a wonderful bonding experience for all generations

These are the main important points:

1. Add the EXACT amount of water to the Yummy Dough powder.
2. Stir the mixture with a spoon until you have a crumbly dough.
3. Knead the dough with your hands until you have an even lump.

To Get Started:

• Wash your hands and off you go!
• Add the EXACT amount of water to the Yummy Dough powder.
• Stir the mixture with a spoon until you have a crumbly dough.
• Knead the dough with your hands until you have an even lump.
• Now you can start to mould the Yummy Dough!
• When not using Yummy Dough, wrap it in Saran Wrap so that it does not dry out.
• Put the Yummy Dough figures on a baking sheet with baking paper. Bake them for 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size and thickness.

One Lucky Friend will *WIN* Yummy Dough!

Swing on over to TWIN KITCHEN to Enter!

Review Opportunity Provided by Yummy Dough and Plasmart
Opinions are strictly those of the Blog Owner.
*Information obtained from Press Release and/or website