AFFORDABLE Health Food...

My favorite place for groceries is Trader Joe's! I love this store. I am able to purchase healthy foods for my toddler (and entire family) without breaking the bank. This store is awesome. Most items are 'Trader Joe's' brand so their prices are low. They specialize in foods that are healthy, made without hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc. Not only is the food yummy and priced low, but the service is impeccable. Everyone is so friendly and helpful and if there is a food you try and don't like it, just bring your receipt next time and they will refund that item. They even have out-standing wine at extremely low prices. Find one near you at http://www.traderjoes.com/

The Best Bubbles Ever!

Is your toddler obsessed with bubbles? Mine is. He wants to take them everywhere and blow them all the time. One problem I ran into is the mess of it all. Now, my boy is a little stubborn and he wants to do things by himself. He would spill the bubbles everywhere. Then I found Little Kids' No-Spill Bubbles. They are great! They have fun designs and blow great bubbles. The best part is, he can do it all by himself. Bennett will hold those bubbles all day, stopping for a quick beautiful bubble whenever he feels like it. There is no sticky, slimy mess, and he feels very independent. Find them at Amazon.com or Target stores.

Tip of the Week...

One of my top stresses with my toddler is his eating. I always worry that he isn't getting enough of the nutrients that he needs. He loves fruit but will not eat most vegetables. I am not big on things like PediaSure, Kids Boost, etc. I like to do it a little more natural and those drinks have added junk. THIS IS MY FAVORITE THING!! Spinach smoothies for my toddler. I always mix it up but an example smoothie includes: blueberries, bananas, raspberries, vanilla yogurt, and a handful of fresh spinach. He thinks he is getting something better than ice cream and you can't even taste the spinach. It is so yummy! And Bennett is getting all the valuable nutrients of the leafy greens. My 10-year-old doesn't fall for it but it is easier to force her to eat her greens. Let me know how it goes if you try it.

Personalized Jewelry for Mom's...

I know I have written about personalized jewelry before, but I found another one I love! For Mother's Day, I received a hand-stamped, sterling silver bracelet with my children's names on it (I did hint around that I wanted this gift, but sometimes us mothers have to do that, am I right?). It is simple, yet elegant, and something that I can wear everyday. The picture shown is a necklace but they are available in many different pieces. Find them at http://www.jewelboxonline.com/.

Fisher Price Travel Tray

Do you ever need to feed your toddler or child on the run? Do you ever wish they could play with their cars or color in the car to keep occupied? Well, with this travel tray, you can! Fisher Price makes a soft tray (some would call it a lap desk) that straps to the child so they can have a surface in front of them while riding in the car. It is handy for us on long trips or when I need to give Bennett his lunch in the car. I even use the suction bowls and stick them right to the tray so there is no mess. It is pretty cool and available at http://www.amazon.com/.

Reading and Writing Made Fun...

An Author Squad location popped up in my area recently and at first I didn't know what it was. Then after talking to friends and stopping in, I learned about this neat place! Author Squad is a book and gift store, publishing center (where children can create their own books), and an educational party center. I first visited a facility with my friend for a Easter egg hunt with the children a few weeks ago. Yes, they do fun little activities for kids of all ages. My son found eggs around the store and then we all gathered for story time. They have great books and unique gifts. Visit an Author Squad in your area. http://www.authorsquad.com/

New Designs for Table Toppers!

Neat Solutions has done it again! They offer their award-winning Table Toppers in designs that our kids love. Cars and Princess Table Toppers and Potty Toppers are now available at most Target locations. The place mats have two different designs in each pack. Find them at tabletopper.com.