Category: Family Life

Herring family adventures, Jeep life, organic living. Karie Herring, Jeep aficionado, organic advocate and chef, details life as a reformed corporate woman, wife and motherhood to her twins and tween.

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Girls Gifts My Little Pony & Littlest Pet Shop

My boys are generally the easiest to shop for: Nerf guns and swords to battle each other with rubber coated foam bullets and or Lego’s. Enough said.

My daughter, the girly girl is a bit tougher to shop for since she is at an age where she might be able to play with older girl toys, but still lacks the maturity to enjoy them. However I found that she loves My Little Pony and Littlest Pet Shop. These two appeal to her and her little hands and she is able to maintain them in a way that I am not worried about. The toys themselves do not have any small parts that would frighten me about a choking hazard like some Barbie toys do, and she adores how quaint they are.

Since she is rather petite, theses petite little toys are great stocking stuffers or stand alone toys just for girls.

The Littlest Pet Shop Walkables are a great addition for any holiday gift. Add some motion to any LITTLEST PET SHOP collection with the WALKABLES Pets Assortment! These quirky pets are full of spunk and ready to get up and go. At the touch of a button these pets get going, moving across any smooth surface. Girls can collect up to 12 LITTLEST PET SHOP WALKABLES Pets including a dog, seal, snail, fish, cat, spider and more. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com not to mention the price is just right for those of you shopping on a budget like myself! Priced at $7.99 MSRP, these little critters are sure to light up any little girls holiday.

The more friends the merrier with the MY LITTLE PONY pony assortment! Girls can expand their pony collection with these adorable MY LITTLE PONY figures, each featuring a unique cutie mark that reflects their personality.  The circle of friends continues to grow as each pony comes with a special animal friend! Each figure in the assortment includes an accessory to tote their pet friend along and a comb for girls to style the pony’s bright, brushable mane.  Eight MY LITTLE PONY pony figures will be introduced in the spring with an additional ten ponies available in the fall. Each sold separately. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com and again, priced just right for those looking to add that last minute gift or pinch those pennies in a rough economy at $4.99 each MSRP.

So for less than $15 total you can add some great gifts under your holiday tree for your little girl this holiday season, I know mine is enjoying her recent addition of the Walkables to her Littlest Pet Shop toy collection and another pony to her My Little Pony toy collection.

“Disclosure: I was provided with a sample of My Littlest Pet Shop and My Little Pony at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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MOGO Charm

Zhu Zhu pets are a thing of the past. Bedazzled just doesn’t hack it. My daughter was recently introduced to MOGO and all that MOGO has to offer with charm jewelry. Not your average charm jewelry either! Mix and match gems, picture gems, statement gems and colored bracelets and other accessories. Recently my daughter has become fixated on jewelry, accessories and pretty much all thing girl. Like her mother, her affection for shoes could also be deemed damaging to the closet space in the house.

But she is really loving the jewelry and that she can have a new jewelry item at will just by changing out the magnetic charms to give her bracelets a new look and new life. Did I also mention these are a great “green” gift for your kids as well. That’s right, no plastic or PVC charms and charm bracelets. The bracelets are not the traditional metals and or plastics with weak construction, they are constructed from a tight weave canvas seen on military bracelets but with an ultra girl twist. The mosies, or slippers, are fabulous! What girl would not want a soft and squishy pair of mule slippers that she can add charms and bling to and they just click.

The company’s tag line that “We just click.” The “we just click” tag and the idea of MOGO’s came from the owner trying to fix horse blankets and had an idea that she could use magnets to replace the worn out velcro. The idea didn’t work but the idea of magnets as charms for a new and different modern charm bracelet, did work out. More from the owner and MOGO,

“The name MOGO is in memory of my childhood pony who was rescued and given to me by my father when I was 9 years old. In recognition of my first pony MOGO, and all the wonderful animals in the world, MOGO supports a shelter animal each month, supporting vet care and socialization support until the animal is ready to be adopted.

Our MOGO tagline, “We just click!” is all about the connections MOGO creates. Friends who just click with each other, Moms and Grandmas who click with their Tweens, even Tweens who just click with animals. And, of course, the charms themselves which “just click” to the charmbands.”

Great items for a stocking stuffer or your fashionista looking to make a statement. MOGO’s even has flip flops! Check out all the great bands and charms and even build your own bracelet, headband, or necklace in a matter of seconds on the MOGO website. Found in over 2700 retail shops including Nordstroms, this eco-friendly and affordable gift is sure to be a hit with any girl.

“Disclosure: I was provided with MOGO Mosies and charms at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Arizona Celebration of Lights

This past Friday was the kickoff to the holiday season here in Phoenix. Not an official kickoff with ribbons and hoopla and hullabaloo, but a kickoff in the grand scheme of over seven million twinkling LED Christmas lights celebrating the wonderful season that truly commences this Thursday.

Twinkling, glowing, flashing, dancing, and blinking in over a one mile maze of wonder for children to gaze their eyes upon each and every holiday season are beautiful Christmas lights. In the west Valley of Phoenix metro is a local farm that hosts these now eco-friendly LED beauties to share in the spirit of the holiday season and to give back to the community on a truly astounding level.  Friday night was the official opening night for the Arizona Celebration of Lights for the VIP members of the media here in Phoenix and I was so thrilled to attend as a member to be among the staff of 12News and AZCentral. Not only to share the Christmas lights with my kids, but to also here more about how the Arizona Celebration of Lights has touched our community.

Thanks to generous sponsors like Sheely Farms who give up their farm for the wonderful production of glowing lights and the drive through traffic to enjoy the joyous event. Other generous sponsors such as PostNet, 12News, Channel 3, 99.9 KEZ, Holiday Inn Suites and Holiday Inn Express, Jamba Juice and Chik-Fil-A to name a few. With the help of the sponsors, proceeds from visiting the Arizona Celebration of Lights park where admission is $15 per vehicle Monday through Thursday 6-9pm and $20 Friday through Sunday 6-10pm, go to heartfelt organizations such as Salvation Army, St. Mary’s Food Bank, and Ronald McDonald House of Phoenix. Get $2 off as well by bringing in a bag, with a minimum of (3), canned goods to be donated to the food bank and families in need.

While listening to the presentation about the 14 year history here in Arizona I was pleased to hear about all the organizations that will receive proceeds from the event. The boost in local economy is tremendous in a devastating recession, but the truth is that these organizations are in great need as are the people they serve and as we come into the spirit of sharing, gratitude, and giving we should remember to give where we can. I was tweeting up a storm on Twitter that night in order to retain all the information to memory about how our non-profits will profit our local families and community members. This year alone St. Mary’s Food Bank of Arizona donated over 400,000 food boxes to local families in need, that is over 72 million pounds of food! Where in years past they doled out only half that, and this year is the first year the food bank has seen a decline in donations. So now even more we should give , if just for the receipt of a small discount while driving through the park, every little bit helps to donate to the food banks to help local families who are not as fortunate.

Moreover are the families of the children who travel to be at Phoenix Children’s Hospital for care and sought treatment and their families sought refuge and relief with Ronald McDonald house while in the care of the loving staff of Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where Ronald McDonald House Charities housed over 1900 families so far this year and the year is not yet over!

Everyone enjoys beautiful, seasonal Christmas lights and we should love them even more knowing that the lights help our local communities and families like ours each day the park is open this holiday season.

My kids were loving the event on top of me getting my philanthropic fill of goodness to make me want to do more. They were antsy and chomping at the bit to get back in the car and see all the lights. But in the meantime we took photos next to the tree, and with the Chik-Fil-A cow! When we arrived at the park we were immediately greeted by a glowing tunnel of beauty and the cool evening air where we rolled down the windows to really take in the spirit of the season and the magic this time of year brings. Christmas music playing across the pretuned radio station as we drove along the path to Santa’s Village where the kids could get out and play.

http://www.azcentral.com/ – Photo by Ryan Ruiz

How can so much fun be so rewarding on so many levels. If you have the opportunity, the drive is well worth seeing the fun the kids will partake with seeing the lights and taking at pit stop at Santa’s Village, and to share in the season of giving and sharing with your family and other families. If coming from the east valley, head over to I-10 and head West to 99th Avenue exit and go right for about a mile and a half and you will see all the signs and lights. But if you cannot get out that way, view a few of the videos on You Tube of the fun lights on display, or “like” the Arizona Celebration of Lights page on Facebook where you can see other great videos and photos.

Animated Christmas Lights Display Arizona Celebration of Lights

Wishing everyone the happiest and safe holiday season.

Big thanks to the staff at AZCentral for the photos and an ever generous and speechless thank you to the folks at Miller Davis Agency who put together and promoted a wonderful event, the generosity and kindness of Mike Miller, thank you for you time that evening Mike, and affording me and my family the opportunity to get a sneak peak before the park opened to the public and to share what the Arizona Celebration of Lights is all about.

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Zippies Fun

Are your kids losing their belongings at school or friends or functions? No matter how you try to identify their items, with no slip, no peel stickers with their names, permanent marker which can bleed and end up ruining your clothes or items. Now there is a great new product to help identify your children’s items or identify them and their special needs. Zippies.

zippies, zippies ID tagsZippies are a fun collectible ID tag for your children. Attach them to their back packs, water bottles, lunch boxes, bikes, and winter jackets, you can even attach the labels to indentify if your child has an special allergies or health conditions without having them feel out of place or too old for their age.

We like them in our house to help identify the many toys the kids share that are the same or similar. This helps to eliminate fights and they are able to identify what are their items and learn to respect each others space and personal belongings. Additionally when in a large group or at events with people more than just our family you can clip the Zippies on a bottle of water or drink to help identify what is theirs and prevent the spread of germs by mistakenly taking someone else’s water bottle and or drink.

What is questionable about the Zippies is the construction. The chain that attaches to the ring which attaches to the adjustable zip line. The chain appears and feels like it can snap at any moment and if you are dealing with kids, we know how they can destroy anything in a matter of seconds, literally they have nothing on Hiroshima or Nagasaki. The plastic Zippie face mold is great and as smooth plastic which seems to stand up to a lot of wear and tear, but again can it withstand the smoldering Arizona summers and heat when kids toss their backpacks in the sun waiting for the bus, parents to pick them up, or while on the playground. I even questioned the use of them on bikes with the breakdown of the extreme heat and dry weather. So more to come on how these products can stand up to the test.

Overall a great product and the kids love them. Lots of fun to use and collect and make great stocking stuffers. For the holidays Zippies has special holiday pricing of buy one set for $12.99 and get another set for free. Normally $39.99 a set this is a savings of over 80% off the retail value! You get the original 10 Zippies plus another 10. Buy yours online just in time for the holidays and help spread the collectible fun with Zippies.

“Disclosure: I was provided with Zippies at no cost in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

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Busy Moms Plastic Surgery

It’s no big secret that mothers have a lot to worry about. Raising children is tough, constant work that entails far more than anyone could possibly imagine without having been through it. Even with children who spend most days in school, the responsibilities of keeping up with them and raising them right in the home are endless…. You want to make sure they’re happy, safe and healthy, make sure that they’re working hard on school and learn senses of responsibility, etc. With all of these concerns, it can be difficult to find time for yourself. For example, many busy mothers find that it is hard to, literally, keep up appearances – with all of the time spent on your children, you may let yourself go a bit, and find that you no longer look as good, or as youthful, as you once did. But with not enough time in the day for very much exercise, you may have to look into other options – such as some of those offered at www.aboutplasticsurgery.com.

The decision to undergo plastic surgery is a big one that involves a number of different factors, but it is also something that you should definitely at least consider, if you find that you are becoming less happy with your body or physical appearance. Not all plastic surgery entails drastic changes or obvious fixes; in fact, modern methods and experienced surgeons are able to bring about very subtle, yet still very effective results. You may want to look into a procedure like liposuction, if, for example, you feel that you are having a harder time keeping weight off due to the fact that you’re too busy to find much time to exercise. Or, if you’d like to regain something of a more youthful form, you may want to look into some different breast augmentation procedures, which, again, can be performed quite subtly, but can still help you with your body and image.

If you do a bit of research in this field of medicine, you will discover that there are large numbers of procedures that may appeal to you. Plastic surgery has come a long way, and is now used more frequently than you might think. This is not to say that you should rush into a procedure, or that one is entirely necessary. However, if you have seen yourself “slipping” physically due to all of your responsibilities at home, this is definitely an option that you should at least give a bit of thought to.

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Mother Goose Club

Education is an intricate part of any child’s upbringing. From the day our children arrive out of the womb we are educating them; educating them on how to eat, walk, and talk. In addition to walking and talking we like to teach our children to read or have the want to read at an early age. We teach them through songs, reading books to them and as our children grow older, they become more interested in the television and the various shows available to them to watch.

But sometimes as busy parents we do not always censor what our children watch and or learn on TV. I have been a fan of PBS since I was a young child and watched Sesame Street as my learning platform. Now PBS has an even extended platform of various learning programs for all the different learning styles and the ages that watch their shows.

My kids have recently become huge fans of PBS television shows like Sesame Street and recently I was introduced to Mother Goose Club. Featured on PBS stations, the Mother Goose Club is a series of 1-minute educational programs for preschoolers promoting early literacy.  This live-action and colorful program, invites your little one to sing and dance along to their favorite nursery rhymes. Early childhood research has shown that familiarity with nursery rhymes helps young children learn to read and my kids have an amazing memory and enjoy the songs and rhymes.

They watched the DVD and listened to all the CD’s non-stop. In the car, in the house, they couldn’t get enough singing, nursery rhymes and fun playing with each other. I found my daughter, while she was coloring at the table, singing her nursery rhymes and my heart was warmed at how much she enjoyed the Mother Goose Club Super Pack.

Why Nursery Rhymes Matter
Helping Children Read. Nursery rhymes help children learn to read. Research has shown that familiarity with Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes helps children develop pre-reading skills, including the ability to detect rhymes. Children who can recognize rhyming words, cat and hat for example, learn to read quicker and more successfully than their peers. This relationship holds true regardless of a child’s socio-economic background or the education level of the parents.
How Do Nursery Rhymes Help? Nursery rhymes are short and rhythmic, which makes them easy for children to learn and memorize. As children hear, sing or read nursery rhymes, they develop “phonemic awareness” or the ability to detect the individual sounds that make up words, a crucial first step in learning to read. Nursery rhymes, especially Mother Goose rhymes, also introduce children to new vocabulary which increases comprehension and benefits learning in all subjects. Most importantly, nursery rhymes are full of colorful characters and stories, which make them fun. The delight children experience as they engage in rhyme activities fosters an enduring enthusiasm for books and reading.
How Mother Goose Can Help Parents. Nursery rhymes are terrific tools for parents and teachers to help get young children ready to read. Spending a few minutes each day reading or singing nursery rhymes with a child is a simple, cost-effective and enjoyable way to promote early literacy at home. The Mother Goose Club website contains a collection of rhymes, including many Mother Goose rhymes, with illustrations, audio narrations, songs and printable coloring pages. Some live action and animated videos are also available. For parents and teachers, the site offers activities and tips on using rhymes to promote literacy at home and at school (Sockeye Media LLC, 2011).

In addition to the shows, books, CD’s are also available, not to mention some online printable sheets for your children to color and have the lyrics readily available for them to learn to read and sing along to. You can purchase all the various Mother Goose Club CD’s, books, DVD’s and coloring books online at the Mother Goose Club store. All items are an average price of $20 which makes this learning gift a wonderful item for your children this year at the holidays or any time of the year. Share in all your children’s favorite nursery rhymes with this wonderful, educational gift.

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Netflix Categories Fail

While surfing through Netflix the other night to find something of substance and interest to watch, to feed the intellect; the hubs and I found this instance to be rather interesting. I cannot say much, I think the video will have to speak for itself.

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A Kids Point of View – Week 3

If you haven’t seen these posts before please enjoy.

This will be a post every Monday to jump start the week. I was inspired to do this weekly post when I found that my kids had gotten hold of our Sony Cybershot Camera and needless to say there are some very incriminating, informative, and even down right hilarious and frightening photos that my children have captured. I hope you will enjoy these brief moments in time, captured by my children when they thought no one was looking.

In honor of Halloween this month these will be some spooky and even frightening photos.

Enjoy!

Your photographers are:

Grant – eight years old

Seth and Sara – three and a half years old.

 

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A Kids Point of View – Week 2

If you haven’t seen these posts before please enjoy.

This will be a post every Monday to jump start the week. I was inspired to do this weekly post when I found that my kids had gotten hold of our Sony Cybershot Camera and needless to say there are some very incriminating, informative, and even down right hilarious and frightening photos that my children have captured. I hope you will enjoy these brief moments in time, captured by my children when they thought no one was looking.

In honor of Halloween this month these will be some spooky and even frightening photos.

Enjoy!

Your photographers are:

Grant – eight years old

Seth and Sara – three and a half years old.