Marvel Universe Live! Recap

My husband took our almost 5 year old to Marvel Universe Live! tonight in Cincinnati. Nothing like a little father daughter bonding with a couple of the world’s best superheroes!

They enjoyed the action and stunts. They enjoyed seeing the different heroes and all ages were able to connect to the show and everyone in the crowd had a good time.

The Marvel Universe will be in Cincinnati Thursday, Dec. 17 – Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. Kid’s tickets start at $20! (Not valid on premium seating.  No double discounts.  Child discount applies to children ages 2-12.  Service charges, handling, and facility fees may apply.)

Follow Marvel Universe Live! on Facebook and Twitter and check out #MarvelUniverseLive.

While you are waiting for it to come to your town, check out these fun Marvel Universe inspired activities on Pinterest!

 

*I received items in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.*

Glider Gloves Review (For People That Like Using Smartphones in the Winter)

Glider Gloves are my new favorite cold weather accessory! In short, the entire glove is conductive and allows you to easily use your smartphone or tablet with it on. Now more freezing your fingers off to snap a photo for Instagram of your kids playing outside!

Watch it in action then pick up Glider Gloves on Amazon! Get 20% off with code: YV2KLBBS!

I had given up on trying to use the gloves with the one little finger section so I was skeptical if these would work. In addition to being able to use my phone with them on, I like the rubber grips on the inside of the hand that help me hang on to my phone. They have been keeping my hands warm in the early morning chill but these are the lighter weight “Urban” so I’ll have to pick up on a the heavier “Winter” set for the coldest months.

These look very neutral and the material is soft, not at all scratchy like I thought it might be. A nice little bonus is that the tag doubles as a microfiber screen cleaner.

At about $20 a pair (plus free shipping with Amazon Prime) Glider Gloves will make a great present or stocking stuffer for anyone on your holiday shopping list. Get 20% off with code: YV2KLBBS!

 

*This post was sponsored and I was provided with a product to review. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.*

Buy, Get, Give and Win!

A few months ago I had the pleasure to review a Switch-A-Rooz stuffed animal. In the process of that review, I had the opportunity to learn more about Wild Republic. Recently I found out they are teaming up with Project Night Night, a charitable organization that provides blankets, books and toys to children in homeless shelters across the United States. From November 16 – December 16, all purchases of $35 or more on Wild Republic’s site will get:

 1.       Free shipping,

2.       A free stuffed animal, and

3.       Wild Republic will also donate a stuffed animal to Project Night Night. These stuffed animals will go in special care packages that are provided to children in homeless shelters across the United States.

This holiday season, treat the child in your life and child in a homeless shelter to a wonderful product from Wild Republic. Project Night Night, a 501(c)(3), donates 25,000 Night Night Packages each year to homeless children under 12 hoping to reduce the trauma of this uncertain time in their life and advance the emotional and cognitive well-being of the children served.

To get you started, read below for your chance to win a Switch-A-Rooz stuffed animal and book.

Domesticating Michelle is part of the Super Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop hosted by The Mommy Island and The Kids Did It.

Enter to win a Tubby & Cubby Switch-A-Rooz stuffed animal and a copy of What Would You Do if You Were Left at the Zoo? by Renee Hand. This giveaway is sponsored by Domesticating Michelle. Enter to win by November 30th, 2015, 11:59pm.

Enter giveaway here!

Then visit the linky below and join the giveaway hop for lots of gift ideas to stuff your families’ stockings this holiday season.
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*Post contains affiliate links.*

We Love Disney Songs!

I enjoy compilation albums. I enjoy Disney songs. We Love Disney brings those two things together in a great album that gives classic Disney songs a new sound with some of todays most popular artists. The new We Love Disney album featuring Ne Yo, Gwen Stefani, Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly and more!

Gwen Stefani’s “Rainbow Connection” from the Muppet Movie is nostalgic. Fall Out Boy’s rockabilly “I Wan’na Be Like You” from The Jungle Book gets your toes tapping. I like that they chose some songs that you don’t hear as often like Jhené Aiko’s “In a World of My Own/Very Good Advice,” from Alice in Wonderland. Even new classics like “Let It Go” from Frozen (the current favorite song of both of my daughters) sounds refreshed when sung by Lucy Hale & Rascal Flatts. The artists and songs chosen really do come from and cover the range of popular genres out there today.

 

 

Looking for something for the Disney lover in your life? We Love Disney makes a great gift and will be released in several configurations, including as a digital album, a standard CD, a Deluxe CD, on Deluxe Vinyl, and as a picture-disc set. The Deluxe versions feature two bonus tracks. The Collector’s Edition Box Set will include:

• the digital deluxe album

• limited-edition double vinyl,

• standard-edition double vinyl

• limited-edition CD

• standard-edition CD

• limited-edition double-picture disc

• four numbered lithographs

• a DVD of “The Magic Behind We Love Disney”

• a limited-edition T-shirt featuring a one-time only design

• an exclusive tote bag

• and a Certificate of Authenticity

 

Learn more at the official We Love Disney website. You can also follow We Love Disney on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and check out more videos by the artists on YouTube. Order your copy on iTunes or Amazon on October 30th!

I participated in the We Love Disney album review program as a member of One2One Network. I was provided an album to review but all opinions are my own.

Amber Crown Baltic Amber Teething Bracelet

We have enjoyed being able to use Baltic amber necklaces to help our little girl through teething. We even started using it with our 4 year old when she was having recurring ear aches and to help her heal from having ear tubes put in. However, with a defiant 2 year old, I’ve been looking for other options to make sure she can’t take her Baltic amber off during the night.

The Amber Crown Baltic Amber Teething Bracelet has safety knots between the beads and a screw closure. Which the bracelet size, I’ve been able to put it on my daughters ankle and inside her footed pajamas – giving her relief and me piece of mind.

Why Amber Crown Baltic Amber? Keep your baby calm and happy by reducing teething pain almost to zero with amazing chemical-free authentic Baltic amber baby teething bracelet by Amber Crown. The high content of succinic acid in amber, which is released by your babies body warmth, stimulates thyroid glands to help reduce pain, drooling and inflammation.

Amber Crown Baltic Amber Teething Bracelet comes with a certificate of authenticity and a 100 day 100% money-back guarantee. It comes in a gift box so it’s great for baby showers; add it to your baby registry today! Learn more about them at www.AmberCrown.com.

Check out my YouTube review here.

*I received a free product to review. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.*

Wild Republic Switch-A-Rooz Giveaway

Current Switch-A-Rooz and Book giveaway here!

Switch-A-Rooz™ characters look just like your favorite wild animals, with realistic coloring and life-like features. Fantasy Switch-A-Rooz characters have colorful coats of fur and large glittery eyes to bring their magical qualities to life. Each realistic Switch-A-Rooz has two characters in one! They are incredibly soft and huggable in addition to being cute and my daughters love that they can choose which animal to play with.

You can learn more about Switch-A-Rooz at the Wild Republic website or purchase through Switch-A-Rooz Tiger/Elephant Plush through Amazon. They make a great little present or stocking stuffer for this holiday season.

Visit Wild Republic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

This giveaway is over. Since Switch-A-Rooz thinks everything is better in two’s, they are sponsoring a giveaway with 2 winners! Two lucky people will win a Switch-A-Rooz of their choice. Enter through the link below by October 20, 2015, 11:59pm. Good luck!
Click here to enter!

*I received a free product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.*

Fox and Finn Silicone Teething Necklaces

I love how stylish silicone teething necklaces have gotten over the past few years. Fox & Finn necklaces are no exception. I had the opportunity to try one out for myself recently.

Fox and Finn Silicone Teething Necklaces, available on Amazon, look like statement necklace pieces but are made with 100% premium food grade silicone and BPA free. Each necklace features a safety knot in between each bead to ensure that, if it should break, only one bead will break free.

The colors Fox & Finn uses throughout it’s line on completely on trend right now and match a variety of outfits and occasions. I even wore mine to work one day and got compliments on my new necklace. Everyone was surprised to find out it was really a teething necklace.

You’ll want to see the details, like the satin cord, for yourself. These make a great shower present for the mom that wants to look good while keeping her little one’s hands and mouth occupied. Does it need a wash? Just wash with warm soapy water or toss in the dishwasher.

Pick one up for yourself or a friend today. Check out the one I tried, the “Isabella”, or browse the entire line. You can also visit their website. Which one caught your eye?

 

*I was provided an item to review in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.*

 

Letters Make Words

My 4 year old doesn’t turn until 5 until January so we have one more school year before Kindergarten. At daycare, she has been moved to a Pre-K class but even before this move, her teachers have been doing a great job of getting her interested in writing and reading more and more.

It still impresses me when she points to a word and can tell me what it is. Wasn’t she just learned how to walk yesterday?! I have been trying to work in ways to encourage her to practice identifying words at home.

When we were practicing recognizing letters I came up with this fishing game. I revisited the idea with words she knows. When she catches one, she has to say what it says, maybe find a matching fish, etc. I plan to make more of these using sight words to reinforce those as well.

Words used: hat, bee, mop, pop, map, dog, top, fun, bat, log, tap, sun (Dr. Seuss’ Hop on Pop provided some inspiration on word choices.)

I was fortunate to get to review these Bath Toy Organizer with 36 Alphabet Letters and Numbers from Brilliant Babyz. Almost immediately, my 4 year old started trying to make words with the letters she was wading through and it has continued to be a popular activity.

In the video below, you can see what we talk through swapping letters out and sounding words out to get to a new word. My almost 2 year old participates in playing with the letters by putting them on and off the wall and I name the letters and numbers as she picks them up.

The foam letters, once wet, stick right on to the shower wall and side of the tub without any damage to the wall grout, etc. The best part is the organizer it came with sticks right on to the wall so all the letters can dry out between uses. My girls can also put them away by themselves.

You can see I am all about the bath toy storage. My Pinterest-y solution was putting a shower curtain rod across the back of the shower and attaching a couple of dollar store bins to it. They slide across, I can add more if I need it, and it only cost a couple bucks.

With summer, incorporating word practice into water activities has been an easy way to make it interesting. I’m going to have to work on some other ways as we head into the cooler months.

How do you encourage kids to practice letter recognition, letter sounds, and sight words?

*I received a product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

End with Summer with Shutterfly

It’s Back to School time which means Summer 2015 is coming to an end. Before things get too busy heading into the fall, visit these sites to take advantage of these details today and get all of those summer memories in print and on gifts. I have yet to be disappointed with any of the items I have purchased through Shutterfly, and you won’t be either.

Shutterfly:

All customers enjoy 101 free 4×6 prints with promo code 101TREATS at checkout

All customers enjoy $10 off qualifying merchandise orders of $10-$49.99; $25 off $50-$99.99; $50 off $100-$149.99 and $75 off $150+ or more with promo code BIGSAVINGS at checkout

Don’t forget to use CARD4U for a free card and receive free shipping on orders $39+ or more with promo code SHIP39!

Wedding Paper Divas:

Save 40% off Save the Date orders using the code 0806DEAL at checkout

New customers save $50 off orders of $159 or more using the code WPDSAVE50159 at checkout

Tiny Prints:

Save 20% off home décor orders using the code 20DECORAUG at checkout

Save 40% off address label, gift tag and name label orders using the code 0808DEAL at checkout

Also, right now there is a Groupon for Shutterfly Photo Books starting at $9.99!

Happy shopping!

 

*Post contains affiliate links. I was compensated for this post but opinions are my own.*

Encouraging STEM with My Daughters

I was never very good in math growing up. When it came to the sciences, I did well in biology and anatomy but horrible in chemistry or anything that required working with numbers. I know part of it is innate ability, but I am hoping that my daughters won’t be quite so math-phobic especially as the world is more and more geared to the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) related areas.

Regardless of whether or not they pursue careers in STEM, I want my girls to be able to keep up with the new demands of school as they get older and know that any career path could be for them. I am hoping that the everyday things I have been doing with my now 4 year old and almost 2 year old since they were born are laying the groundwork for math skills once she begins school.

• Counting everything – Whether it’s the number of horses, the red fish at the aquarium, or the number of apples at the store. I try to remember to incorporate counting, adding and subtracting into everyday life so it becomes second nature. I am happy that my 4 year old can already do simple addition and subtraction.
• Helping around the house – Whether it’s matching socks or setting a plate and fork at each place at the table, they are working on basic concepts for math.
• Helping in the kitchen – Counting out how many scoops of flour, adding up fractions, and learning the differences in sizes are all incorporated in assisting with making cookies. Cutting up an apple is a great chance to review fractions so we’ll talk about cutting in half makes two, cut those in half marks 4, etc.
• Children’s programs – whether it’s science museums or the monthly kids builds at home improvement stores, I use children’s programs to gain access to other toys and ways to encourage design.
• Puzzles and building sets – In addition to matching and sorting, I encourage them to play with a variety of building sets to explore creating something from pieces that can then serve a function.

As my daughter starts the transition from preschooler to kindergartener, I’m exploring fun new ways to keep her interest. I was happy to get the chance to review ThinkFun’s Maker Studio Gears Set. It comes with a variety of pieces and gears to build a racecar, a cable car, a 3-wheeler and a motorcycle.

Each kit includes:
• 1 Spool
• 2 Long Connectors, 3 Medium Connectors
• 1 Large Gear, 1 Medium Gear
• 2 Large Wheels, 2 Medium Wheels, 2 Small Wheels
• 3 5.5″ Rods, 3 1.5″ Rods
• 13 Hub Caps
• 1 Hole Punch
• 3 Rubber Bands
• 10 Engineering Challenges

For each build you’re given Engineering Challenges – experiment with friction, torque and propulsion as you engineer your solutions. My 4 year old is also working on following picture directions so I like that she could work with her father on identifying the parts and putting them together. The challenges do a good job of walking you through so that even if you aren’t an engineering expert, you, as the parent, can follow along and understand the concepts, too. Once you’ve mastered all four builds, you can get creative and design something that’s all your own! My husband enjoyed following along right with daughter.

While we are still working up to being able to complete the projects (at 4, she’s not quite ready for utilizing the entire kit just yet) it will be a product we’ll be able to keep coming back to and trying new things. I also can’t wait to explore some of ThinkFun’s other offerings – Robot Turtles Game just went on the Christmas Wish List! To pick up a kit of your own, visit ThinkFun’s website or order through Amazon. You can also check them out on YouTube, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Websites I like to follow:

• ThinkFun
• A Mighty Girl
• Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls

Home Depot and Lowe’s have free kid’s workshops every month. If you are military, be sure to check the Blue Star Museums program for free admission to museums and centers nationwide.

*I received a product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.*