Yesterday my baby boy turned 1 year old. It hardly seems possible that he is that old already! We are so blessed to have our happy and sweet Caysen as part of our family! He's such a joy and has been from the moment we held him in our arms.
This birthday was particularly bittersweet for me. I love to see him growing and learning new things, but at the same time...it's kind of sad to know that he really isn't a baby anymore, but a toddler who will be walking around and talking before we know it. I remember having similar feelings with our other two children as well. Sad to see them getting so big so fast, but on the other hand...each new milestone and age is so much fun. I think it's hitting me even more this time around though, as Caysen is likely our last baby.
We had a fun first birthday party for him this past weekend with lots
of family. My husband and I made the cake and decided to go with a
"football" theme. It was fun coming up with the food ideas for the
party (which included a football shaped cheeseball and football helmet
watermelon), as well as getting Caysen all dressed up for the big day
as well.
Although the day is over and I now have a 1 year old, 5 year old and (almost) 3 year old , I am going to cherish each and every cuddle they will give me as I know these years when they're little will be gone in a blink. I feel like each year goes faster than the last.
The weather has cooled off and it's definitely beginning to feel more like winter here in the Midwest. We get to spend some of our days outside, but for the most part we've already been cooped up inside. It's times of year like this that I especially have to get creative when it comes to keeping my kids active and not letting them turn all of their time to iPads and computers. Yes, these are great learning tools, but knowing that kids need to move to develop cognitively, I try to come up with things we can do indoors that will keep us active, learning and having fun!
Most winters I have a difficult time coming up with activities that incorporate physical activity while also including educational benefits as well. Not anymore though! As you may remember, this past spring we had the opportunity to review the iBounce Kids Trampoline from JumpSport. It has been a fantastic way to keep the kids active and learning, even on the days we can't get outdoors.
For those who aren't familiar with JumpSport, they were founded
in 1997 when CEO Mark Publicover invented the world's
first affordable backyard trampoline safety net enclosure. Today
JumpSport distributes its top- rated safety trampolines and accessories
throughout the world, and its adult Fitness Trampoline at fitness clubs
and retailers like Costco. With over 25 patented safety and game
innovations, JumpSport continues to create playful, active and
educational products for kids and adults of all ages.
We have been very happy with the quality of our JumpSport products, and the kids absolutely love them as well! I know the JumpSport iBounce Trampoline for Kids is going to perfect for Kaelyn and Kaden when we're indoors this winter, especially now that JumpSport has released two new animated adventures for RompyRoo in Let The Games Begin and The Grand Finale!
I knew the kids were going to be very excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review these videos, as Kaelyn and Kaden both LOVE RompyRoo and interacting with him as they bounce and exercise.
As you may remember from my review of the iBounce Trampoline, it has a Tablet Mount for iPads, Kindles, etc. Although we usually use this, my husband has been using our iPad for work recently, so I have just been popping the RompyRoo DVDs into our DVD player which works great as well. I love that there's this option for families that may not have a tablet, but still want the JumpSport iBounce Trampoline!
We have been using both of the videos and the kids don't seem to ever get tired of them. They keep them hopping along, working on their balance and coordination. Of course, this is all done while learning to listen carefully and follow directions as they learn new skills too!
I've been really impressed with these two new videos. They are a lot of fun, and just like the first one they are exciting for the kids, but keep them learning without even knowing it. For instance, RompyRoo will have the kids jump 10 times and counts with each jump. My 2 year old has been doing great counting along. It's amazing how much this has helped him with his counting and number skills! I love it!
Of course, it's also a lot of fun that RompyRoo takes them on fun adventures. Here's a quick clip of Kaden on our iBounce Trampoline using the new DVDs. SO.MUCH.FUN!
The Let the Games Begin! video leads children on an adventure teaching everything from numbers to letters and colors (it's perfect for my 2 year old!). I'd say this is probably Kaden's favorite adventure with RompyRoo because he takes them through the land of dinosaurs, exploring a farm, skiing down mountain slopes and so much more. It also includes 3, 5 minutes Mom and Child workout exercise videos as Bonus Materials as well!
The Grand Finale! is a lot of fun as well, and one that Kaelyn especially enjoys. This is a progression from counting, letters and colors learned in Let the Games Begin! RompyRoo helps make learning fun and active by teaching kids to count forwards AND backward and so much more. Kids can challenge themselves by going through an obstacle course and trail race near RompyRoo's home.
Overall we've been really happy with the two new RompyRoo animated adventures from JumpSport. They really help keep the exercising experience fun and fresh. I would definitely recommend these to anyone with the iBounce...they'd make a terrific Christmas gift this holiday season! And, if you don't have the iBounce Trampoline yet, I would definitely suggest looking into that as well!
For those who may not remember, the JumpSport iBounce is for ages 2-5 (or up to 80 lbs). It retails for $129.95 and comes with Hop-A-Long with RompyRoo - Where Is Mr. Fuzzy? which is the first video. And now of course, they also have the two new videos as well: Episode 2 - Let the Games Begin and Episode 3 - The Grand Finale.
They have also now won eight toy industry awards as well, the Spring 2012 National parenting Center Seal of Approval, Spring 2012 Parents' Choice Foundation Award, 2012 Mom's Choice Awards, and 2012 Parent Tested Parent Approved are just to name a few!
For information about the iBounce and its newest RompyRoo DVDs/downloadable videos, you can visit www.jumpsport.com/kids-trampoline.
With three little ones, I feel like much of my day is spent cleaning up after my kids. Between the art projects we do, mealtime messes, etc...I always face the task of picking up messes. Thankfully, there's Glad Bags to help!
Glad Bags help make even the largest of household messes more manageable. From yard work to cleaning out the clutter in our home...Glad Bags prove the ideal companion in tackling any clean-up we're doing. We turn to these garbage bags often for messes large and small, which is why I was excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review Glad Black Bags.
After testing them out with many of our messes...garage clean-up, bagging up leaves, and the many birthday party messes we've had over the past several weeks...we have found that they hold up great and hold a lot too!
One of the "Wild and Crazy" big messes we've encountered most recently is the aftermath of my son's first birthday party. We had lots of family at our home, and between all of the wrapping paper/boxes and paper plates/silverware...we had a big mess to clean up. The following is a picture of the gift area and the mess we were left with. The great part is, all of this fit into a couple of Glad Bags easily and it made clean-up a lot faster and easier.
As I said, we have many messes around our house that we're constantly picking up. Something I've learned is that if I keep up with the mess and find a way to make clean-up easier...it doesn't get out of control. I'm especially going to remember this as the holidays approach. We will have many get-togethers and house guests, which means there will be additional clean-up. That's why I'm thankful for Glad Black Bags! The quality is fantastic. My favorite feature is just how strong they are thanks to the ForceFlex design. I can fill it, stretch it, and stuff it with just about anything without worrying it's going to rip. I also appreciate the large-size of the bag and the handles.
Glad has partnered with mom of four and reality TV star Tori Spelling
to host OMG Extra: After the Wild Life, a fun Facebook series featuring
the loveable, messy animals from last year's mock reality series The
Wild Life. If you haven't already, I suggest heading over to the After the Wild Life Facebook Tab and liking the Glad page. Be sure to play the Missing in the Mess game as well!
*I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Glad. I received products to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.
When it comes to Christmas gifts, do you ever find yourself wondering what to get someone? I have a few people on my list that I have a hard time deciding what to get them each year. I always like to find something unique and one of a kind, which is why I'm thankful for ProFlowers!
ProFlowers offers a large selection of high quality gift baskets, yummy treats, etc...however, they are best known for their beautiful flowers!
What began in 1998 with a single farm in California, shipping just 500
rose bouquets for Valentine's Day grew 10 years later to serve more
than 7 million customers with 185 fresh cut varieties from eight
different countries around the world! No matter what the occasion, or
what type of flower and arrangement you're looking for...they have it
all!
I always enjoy browsing the ProFlowers website, especially this time of year with all of their delicious Christmas Candy and gift basket choices! When I learned I was going to have the opportunity to review one of their products, I was instantly drawn to the Mrs. Fields Bites Basket. Not only would it make a fantastic gift, but it is also the perfect thing for someone to bring to a holiday get together!
When the Mrs. Fields Bites Basket arrived, I was impressed with the way it comes packaged. Everything was individually wrapped to keep it fresh, and the basket itself was also wrapped up making it perfect for gift-giving.
We were just getting ready to head to a family get-together the next day and I thought this would be the perfect thing to bring along. With a variety of bite sized snacks, I knew this would be a yummy snack for everyone to enjoy. I was right!
We all LOVED each and every bit of the contents of this basket. Absolutely delicious! It included 12 mini muffins, 18 brownie bites, and two dozen bite-sized cookies in classic flavors. It really allowed everyone to find a snack that they could enjoy thanks to the variety offered!
I am still amazed with how delicious these bite-sized snacks were, as well as with how many were included. Who wouldn't love to get a beautiful gift basket full to the brim with yummy snacks that taste like they're homemade?! I know I would!
Of course, the Mrs. Fields Bites Basket is just one of so many great gift ideas found at ProFlowers! No matter if you're looking for flowers, gift baskets, fruit or chocolates...they have something for everyone!
