knuffle bunny :: a cautionary tale

I was a huge bookworm as a child, and still love to cozy up with a great story. I knew before I even had kids that I wanted to someday pass along my lifelong love of reading. At one of my baby showers, the guests were asked to bring a book along to help build my girls' library. Knuffle Bunny was one of those books, and I adore it!

Knuffle Bunny is written by Mo Willems. and although my girls are still to small to actually read the words, the pictures are enough to capture their attention. Set on black and white photographic images, the characters stand out in brilliant color. The tale starts with a trip for Trixie and her dad as they head to the laundromat. Little Trixie doesn't quite yet speak, although you can certainly count baby babble as a language! Trixie brings her beloved Knuffle Bunny with her to the laundromat, where she inevitably leaves it behind. (As a parent, I know all too well what happens when a "lovey" is left somewhere. Yikes!). She tries and tries to communicate with her dad after leaving the laundromat, but he doesn't get why she is upset. Needless to say, tears ensue and after arriving at home, they discover that poor Knuffle Bunny is nowhere to be found, and Trixie's first words stand out in bold as she cries, "Knuffle Bunny!".

Such a cute story, and I love reading it to my girls. Maybe it's the uncanny resemblance between Trixie and my daughter Morgan, I don't know. But I love seeing the characters pop off the page! This is a wonderful book to add to your own library, and if you have ever lost a "lovey" in your house, you will certainly relate! Oh, and did I mention it's a Caldecott Honor Book? Not too bad for this sweet tale!

Knuffle Bunny :: $15.99

*I received this book as a gift. The opinions expressed are my own.*

opa cove :: bringing fun to life

It's summer in Michigan and that means my girls and I will be spending a lot of time near the water.  Starting last summer I began transitioning Michaela from the "spider monkey death hold on mom's neck" method of swimming to getting out there confidently on her own.  Our latest step towards swimming independently has come thanks to Opa Cove and their Swim Assist Vests.

Opa Cove's Swim Assist Vests are a learning aid to help advanced swimmers.  The vests are all fish themed in style with a fin on the back and are made out of very durable neoprene.  The neoprene makes the vest comfy for kids to wear and the heavy duty zipper makes me feel secure that the vest isn't going to work itself off/loose in the water. 

I'm pretty sure my and Michaela's favorite part of her Swim Assist Vest are the same: The Fin.  For her the fin lets her turn into a Pink Dolphin whenever she wears her vest, making it fun all the time.  For me it's a great handle to help grab her in the pool so I can get her to try work on her swimming skills while I control the level of "independence" she truly has.  As she becomes more and more confident over the summer I'm sure I will quickly be vetoed from helping like this, but for now it makes me feel better. :)

The swim assistance comes from the 3 flotation panels in the back of the vest that can be removed to meet the level of assistance your child needs.  When you no longer need to use the vest for a swim aid you can remove all the layers and let your kids use the vest for dress up or to play in the tub.  We've really enjoyed using the Opa Cove Swim Assist Vest so far and are really looking to all the use we will continue to get out of it as the summer progresses!

I feel the need to clarify that these Swim Assist Vests are NOT life jackets.  If you're putting your kid on a boat or in any other instance where a life jacket would be needed, this is NOT your answer.

Swim Assist Vest ::  $59.95

*I was provided with the Swim Assist Vest shown above in order to conduct this review using personal experience.  The opinions provided are my own.*

the original tree swing :: classic fun {giveaway}

There are few toys as classically timeless as a tree swing. I'm not talking about the cheap renditions made of hollowed out plastic with seats have a 30 lb. weight limit and that are meant to last for all of 60 seconds. I'm talking about good, old-fashioned tree swings with seats made of solid wood and with real ropes that are built to last. I'm talking about tree swings like the kind made by The Original Tree Swing.

A family owned and operated business, The Original Tree Swing, has a great selection of classic wooden toys including what I consider to be the ultimate of tree swings.

Each Original Tree Swing seat is hand made out of reclaimed Elm (from trees that would otherwise have ended up in the city dump). Once each seat is kiln dried and sanded a light coat of mineral oil is applied to bring out the natural beauty of the wood. Before shipping each seat is packaged with either 20 or 30 ft. of the best 3/4" natural fiber rope available (no oil or chemicals so it's safe for your kiddos).

The Original Tree Swing is meant for ages 3+, but the swing is very sturdy and it's so well made that I didn't have any second thoughts about taking a ride myself (and it was FUN!!!). Weight limits are going to be dependent on where & how you hang your swing, so use common sense and test it out.

I thought it was really nice that The Original Tree Swing even has a link from their site to a great knot tying resource. Also, if you want to increase the life of your Original Tree Swing you can treat the wooden seat with a wood sealer of your choice.

The Original Tree Swing with 20 ft. of natural fiber rope :: $42.99

{ * GIVEAWAY CLOSED :: CHECK THE WINNER’S TABE TO SEE IF IT WAS YOU * }

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!
One lucky SIMPLE reader is going to win their very own The Original Tree Swing with 20 feet of natural fiber rope. Here is how to enter:

• Visit The Original Tree Swing website & come back to tell me your favorite product. (Required)
• "Like" The Original Tree Swing and SIMPLE on Facebook
• Post a status on your Facebook hyper linking SIMPLE and The Original Tree Swing. In order to hyperlink, you need to be following both companies you will be hyper linking. Then enter the "@" symbol and start typing the name you want to hyperlink and choose it from the drop down that will pop up.
• Follow @simplereviews & @naturaltoys on Twitter and send some twitter love. Tweet this (daily tweets allowed) :: #Win your very own The Original Tree Swing from @naturaltoys with @simplereviews: http://tiny.cc/xjvdj #giveaway #contest Please RT!
• Sign up for SIMPLE updates - enter your email address in the left sidebar on SIMPLE
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect
• Vote daily for SIMPLE via Top Mommy Blogs (the blinking logo on our home page - just click it)

Winner will be randomly chosen on May 19, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering. Good luck!

*I was provided The Original Tree Swing shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*

Paint Those Piggys with NEW colors!

For those who have been reading this blog a little while, you know that I am a BIG fan of Piggy Paint! And for those of you who are new and this is the first that you are reading about Piggy Paint, you are going to LOVE it too!

What makes Piggy Paint to special? Let me tell you. Piggy Paint is a natural, eco-friendly nail polish designed for fancy girls. Its non-toxic, hypoallergenic formula makes it safe to use on all piggies. Say good-bye to harsh, smelly chemicals and hello to Piggy Paint…it’s as Natural as Mud®! Piggy Paint dries to a hard, durable finish that can easily be removed with our eco-friendly, low odor Piggy Paint nail polish remover. Made in the USA!

I have two girls and they are VERY diva - all things diva in this house which is very fun! Well, the post I wrote previously didn't include their newest line - an ADULT line! Yes, I am excited!! It's called REFINED, and it is the same Piggy Paint Formulation! They have also added new colors, Sea-Quin & Sweetpea to Piggy Paint and Groovy Grape to Project Earth + GREAT NEW GIFT SETS TOO!

Also, a portion of our sales from the Breast Cancer Pail will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for Research!

GET YOUR OWN: Piggy Paint has given us a coupon code for all you guys to use! The code is KEEPIT10L and it will get you 10% off your order. It expires April 30, 2011 and can be used on anything on their website AS WELL AS sale items! Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter and Facebook for secret sales and special offers too! I've actually picked up a lot of my colors through these secret sales....seems like they are always having one!

{ ** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!!! ** }

WIN YOUR OWN: Piggy Paint is giving one lucky reader a $15 gift certificate to their online store! To enter, just check out their store and come back here leaving a comment telling me which item you would buy using your gift certificate. (This entry is required)

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• Like Piggy Paint on Facebook
• Follow @piggypaint on Twitter
  
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets allowed): Enter to win a $15 Gift Certificate to @piggypaint at @simplereviews: http://tinyurl.com/4coccjh #win #giveaway Pls RT

Winner will be randomly selected and announced March 4, 2011! Good Luck!

*I was provided with a top coat as well as How Merlot Can You Go from Piggy Paint free of charge in order to conduct this review - all others pictured above I have purchased on my own. I love Piggy Paint and think you will too if you are looking for a safe alternative to regular ! The opinions shown here are my own.*

Tutu's for you! {Beana Baby Boutique :: Giveaway}

Beana Baby is a baby boutique featuring a trendy and stylish line of pouch baby slings, mom gear, ring slings, girls couture and all things mother and child.

When Beana Baby asked me to review one of their newborn tutu's I was super excited. I knew it was going to be a great prop for my photography not to mention that my daughter would look super cute in it.
I received a pink newborn tutu and it was the perfect size. I love how you can just tie the tutu in the back so she can wear it for longer then just a couple months. This newborn tutu is tiny at just 3.5 inches long ; so perfect for a new perfect baby! I do love how fluffy and full the tutu is.



Beana Baby not only has tutu's but has pettiskirts, slings, jewelry and much more. I will definately be looking at Beana Baby when my baby turns one for their First Birthday Tutu Outfits.

GET YOUR OWN!! Newborn Tutu - $14.99

A SIMPLE COUPON!! Use code " Simple " to receive 10% off your entire order

WIN YOUR OWN!! One lucky SIMPLE reader will get to win one of these awesome Newborn tutu's from Beana Baby Boutique! To be entered, LIKE Beana Baby Boutique on Facebook. (This entry is required)

Extra Entry:

• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets allowed): Enter to win a newborn tutu @simplereviews: #giveaway http://tinyurl.com/2wm8m2v

Winner will be randomly selected and announced January 4, 2010. Good Luck!

*I was provided with a newborm tutu free of charge to conduct this review. The opinions shown here are my own.*

Nap-N-Sack for Tired Little Travelers

Here at our house we love The Piggy Story! (see original review here) They have fun, kid-friendly products that my daughter and I both love.  We recently have been able to try another of their great products and I just had to share...

It's that time of year where we are routinely packing the kids into the car at all hours of the day to travel to various parties with family and friends.  Many of these gatherings just plain wear the kids out or they interfere with bedtime and we know that by the time we get home there will be two sleeping kids in the backseat.

To help get our oldest to sleep faster while we are away we've been taking along her new Nap-N-Sack from The Piggy Story.  She loves having her very own little pillow and blanket to use and carrying them in the matching backpack with a few of her 'treasures' makes her feel very important.

Here's some more info on the Nap-N-Sack, straight from the folks at The Piggy Story:

"Red eyes, big yawns and a little crankiness: warning signs to reach for the Nap N Sack and avoid a meltdown. This handy pack is equipped with a child sized pillow and super fuzzy fleece blanket. The machine washable sack pack can be used over and over for other toys, books or stuffed animals too. A pocket space for embroidery makes it essential for traveling on day trips or grandma's house. Kids will gladly take a nap with this fun set. Blanket: 39"X29" Pillow: 12"x8" Sack Pack: 11"x14""

GET YOUR OWN!!! Visit The Piggy Story online to order the little ones in your life their very own Nap-N-Sack.  It comes in 9 different patterns and you're sure to find one for each of your tired little travelers. 

*I was provided with a Nap-N-Sack from The Piggy Story free of charge in order to conduct this review.*
 

The Real Tooth Fairies

The Real Tooth Fairies is a place where love is magic, and every kindness counts, and how it can offer children, not only a foundational experience with their own personal tooth fairy but also tools for effective character building and shared values.


Even tho my daughter is not of age to do this yet, and my son probably would not be interested, I still wanted to check it out and share it with our readers. I will definately be using it with my daughter when she is able.

A Peek Inside the Books! The book series allows girls to get to know The Real Tooth Fairies and the rich, magical world in which they live. Each book sends a positive message telling girls to believe in themselves and make the kind choice. Which is huge for girls these days.

Play on The Real Tooth Fairies Website! Girls will not only be able to create their own personal avatar, but she’ll be granted the opportunity to meet her Real Tooth Fairy and explore the expansive magical world of Real Fairyland! By taking the Royal Quiz, your girl will be matched to her own fairy based on her interests, allowing her to connect on a more intimate level with the actual face and name behind her tooth fairy. There are so many fun activities that she and her tooth fairy will be able to do together – from touring Real Fairyland, decorating her very own hotel suite in the Royal High Towers or even singing and dancing to magic music videos by the Real Tooth Fairies!

Magic Letters! The Real Tooth Fairies write personalized letters for Earthie Grils, called Magic Letters. Your girl can ask for a magic letter from her Real Tooth Fairy for any occasion – everything from a lost tooth to a sports achievements or even a tough day at school. Magic letters are a great catalyst for mom and daughter bonding!

Every Kindness Counts Program! Whether its setting the dinner table or being nice to her sibling, this program encourages your daughter to become a hero for kindness because every kindness she does helps make the Earths Glow Score go up by 1. She can get kindness kits (with ribbons and charms) and go online to track and record how many kindnesses she’s done and what level she is at. Girls will glow with each Kindness Ticket they earn and inspire those around her to do the same.

The Real Tooth Fairies is a very exciting and magical world for your daughter. She will be excited to be matched up with a Fairy that is most like her. I explored the website quite a bit and foudn many interactive game and activities for your child to do. Your child can get excited about finding letters from their fairy, while parents can keep track of the lost teeth.

The books will create great family time and activities will encourage kindness and both of these are things that I find very beneficial with the REAL TOOTH FAIRIES!


GET YOUR OWN!! The Real Tooth Fairies was released in October 2010.

WIN YOUR OWN!!! One lucky SIMPLE reader is going to win:

• A complimentary 1-month VIP upgraded membership for your child online
• Two Real Tooth Fairies storybooks – Magical World of The Real Tooth Fairies and Twinkle Becomes a Real Tooth Fairy
• Kindness Starter & Level 1 Kit
• Magical Letters Gift Certificate

To enter go and meet The Real Tooth Fairies and tell me who your favorite is.

Extra Entries: (leave a separate comment for each)

• Follow The Real Tooth Fairies on Facebook
• Tweet this giveaway: Enter to win The Real Tooth Fairies gift Pack from @Real Tooth Fairies over at @simplereviews: http://tinyurl.com/2bxqu5h

WINNER will be randomly selected and announced on December 20, 2010. Good luck!!!

*I was provided with The Real Tooth Fairies Pack free of charge to conduct this review*

VeggieTales for your Princess!

Call me oblivious, especially for as much as we love VeggieTales over here. But while shopping on their site time and time again, I never knew that they had toys. Did you?

VeggieTales is having a HUGE sale on the site right now. Just in time for Christmas! You can pick up this castle for $24.99. They also have a great Nativity set you can get on sale for $13.19 right now as well as a Larrymobile Playset for $14.99.

Some additional sales they have include a 4-book set for $11.24, DVD's and CD's up to 30% off and even their bedding is 35% off!

They have a lot of great sales going on right now. You have to stop over and check them out if you are still looking for Christmas gifts for your little ones or others on your list.

"Like" VeggieTales on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to stay in the know on special promotions as well as additional giveaways and new products!

GET YOUR OWN!! Start shopping now - you may still be able to get it shipped to you in time for Christmas! HOWEVER, please check their shipping schedule to make sure so you can plan accordingly! Also, the Official VeggieTales Store offers FREE USPS Standard Shipping for orders over $30! Valid in the continental US and excludes over-sized packages including rugs. Enter Coupon Code SHIP234 at checkout! Happy Shopping!

{ ** GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!!! ** }

WIN YOUR OWN!! One lucky SIMPLE reader will win a castle of your own! To enter, visit VeggieTales and tell me what product you like and who you would like to get it for! (this entry required)

Extra Entries (leave a separate comment for each):

• "Like" VeggieTales on Facebook
• Follow @veggietales on Twitter
  
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets allowed): Enter to win a VeggieTales Princess Castle from @veggietales on @simplereviews: http://tinyurl.com/2al2fct #giveaway
  

Winner will be randomly selected and announced December 17, 2010. Good Luck!

*I was provided with the castle mentioned in this review free of charge. The opinions expressed in this review are mine.*

A Princess and a Pettiskirt...or two!

Dress up is incredibly important in our house. :) My 1-year old is already taking part is the dress up fun with her 4-year old big sister! From fancy dress up necklaces to amazing skirts. I found My Princess Academy and it is everything the name says it is! There are TONS of items that your little princess can dress up with!

These skirts are just fabulous! They are made with the best quality and have tons of TWIRL!! Not only do they have dress up clothes, but they have accessories as well!

Head on over to My Princess Academy, the main page, and you can explore a world for princesses! There you will find a princess academy, a princess story and much more! And, don't forget to check out the "free stuff" section where you can get wallpapers and coloring pages too!

Find My Princess Academy on Facebook too to join in on the specials they have from time to time or just to chat about new products they post!

SIMPLE COUPON: By using PrincessVIP at checkout, any SIMPLE reader who places an order between now and December 15, 2010 will get 20% off your order! Not only could these items be used for a fantastic Halloween outfit, but think about Christmas!! What little princess wouldn't love to open up a gift and have one of these fabulous pettiskirts come flying out!
GET YOUR OWN! You can get your own items that were talked about above over at the shop at My Princess Academy. The skirt pictured above can be purchased for $24.50.

*I was provided with the Polka Dot skirt with matching headband and a Princess Pettiskirt free of charge in order to give my unbiased option and to conduct this review. What was written above is my opinion!*

Sid the Science Kid

My son doesn't watch to many shows on TV, but Sid the Science Kid is one that he will watch over and over. He loves it.

He got the oppurtunity to review 3 episodes from the 2nd season that starts on October 4th. Let me tell you he watched those over and over again.

It is great because Sid is always trying to learn about everything. Each episode he always wants to learn why things do what they do.

It is very educational and fun. Introducing preschoolers to the basics of science through the eyes of a young science reporter named Sid, is a fun way to educate. Each episode begins with a new question and Sid embarks on a fun day of adventures filled with singing and dancing. My son truly loves it. He sings right along with Sid...it's boggles me on how quick he learns from this show.


We also recieved a Learning Kit called Why are Wheels Round?. With this Why Are Wheels Round? Learning Science Kit, you can observe how the shape of wheels affects car movement and what happens if they race a car on different surfaces or at different angles!




Also included to review was this cute microphone. Fun push-button features let you create applause noise after you've interviewed someone, laughter noise when you've told a joke and even the Sid the Science Kid series theme song and silly sounds when you're ready to sing! Set it to echo mode and listen to your voice echo...echo...echo... everywhere you go! My son just loves it.




GET YOUR OWN!! You will be able to start watching the new season that premieres on October 4th on PBS. You can find these learning kits and microphone on shoppbs.org.

WIN YOUR OWN!! Simple readers have a chance to win on of these Learning Science Kits. To enter, please comment as to whether your child will be watching the new season of Sid the Science Kid.

Additional Entries: (comment once for each)

• Like SIMPLE on Facebook
• Like Sid the Science Kid on Facebook
• Tweet this giveaway - just copy and paste- Sid the Science Kid Learning Kit giveaway @simplereviews

Winner will be randomly selected and announced October 11, 2010. Good Luck!

*I was provided with these products free of charge to help facilitate my review*

Little Dress Up Shop & Giveaway

Got a little princess who loves to dress up???

We have found a GREAT little shop with many different princess choices and an entire line of Disney princess dresses!! My girls loved looked through all the dresses, talking about which they liked and which would good on each other:)

What THIS Momma liked was how kid-friendly these dresses are. First, they are reasonably prices so you can afford them and not just save them for special events... you can let them play with them:) Second, the dresses have no buttons or zippers. This is crucial so that my girls can dress themselves.

The colors of our Snow White dress are so vibrant and really look like Snow White's dress!!! The fabrics are also very thin, so that the dress is lightweight and the girls won't get too hot. Although, with the very thin fabric as the skirt, we'll be on the hunt for a slip (which they sell) for them to wear underneath! The thinness of the skirt does worry me a bit knowing that my kids are rough on their clothes, but so far my oldest has worn the dress twice and I've washed it and it's been fine:)

Little Dress Up Shop also carries all sorts of dress up costumes for little girls, little boys and adult women. A one stop shop for your Halloween needs this year:) Or to stock the dress-up collection!

GET YOUR OWN!! Your princess can be ready for Halloween, too!! Little Dress Up Shop has adorable dresses at great prices, most starting at $27.99! And free (very fast... I might add) shipping!! So easy to have a dress they will LOVE shipped to you.


WIN YOUR OWN!! SIMPLE readers have a chance to win a girl's dress of their choice from Little Dress Up Shop:) To comment, visit their shop and share what you like!!

Additional Entries: (comment once for each)

• Like SIMPLE on Facebook
• Like Little Dress Up Shop on Facebook
• Sign up for Little Dress Up Shop mailing list (bottom right column on website)
• Tweet this giveaway - just copy and paste- Fun kid's dress GIVEAWAY from Little Dress Up Shop @simplereviews

This giveaway will end Oct 8th!! Good Luck:)

* We recieved a Snow White dress from Little Dress Up Shop to help with the review. All opinions are ours:)

Crafty Kids Playhouses - now in "mini"!

What kid doesn't love to take cardboard boxes and turn them into forts, garages for their cars, etc?! (It can't just be my kids that turn anything into a place to drive their cars on, right?) Well Crafty Kids has upped the ante on cardboard boxes. They've made easy to assemble, cardboard playhouses that your child can color and decorate to their little hearts desire!

We have featured Crafty Kids (formally Kidscraft) once before here on SIMPLE. We love them so much we wanted to show off their newest product, the Mini Craft Models! These have all the same features as the full size playhouses, which means they're still easy to assemble, eco-friendly, and come with blank white exteriors to encourage imaginative play.

The mini craft models come in either the Shuttle Imagination or Creation Cottage, and each includes a set of markers to get the creative juices flowing. The smaller version of these playhouses are perfect for your kids to decorate with markers, stickers, etc. Toss in a few dolls, action figures, (cars if you're my kids) and you've got a recipe for hours of imaginary play! Yessss.

I gave this to my sweet nephew for his 4th birthday last weekend with some glittery, puffy space stickers. This playhouse has been the perfect outlet for him to use his creativity and imagination! He had a blast (no pun intended!) decorating it and his imagination has been soaring to the moon and back.

GET YOUR OWN!! Visit www.craftykidsusa.com to purchase any of their playhouses! The Mini Shuttle Imagination sells for $24.95, and the Mini Creation Cottage sells for $22.95.

WIN YOUR OWN!! Crafty Kids would like to give one of our lucky readers a Mini Shuttle Imagination! To enter, visit their site, then comment here telling us something else that Crafty Kids sells.

Additional Entries: (comment once for each)

• Like Crafty Kids on Facebook
• Become a new follower of SIMPLE - add yourself on the sidebar!
• Tweet this giveaway - I'll make it easy, just copy and paste this: Enter to win a Mini Shuttle Imagination from @kidscraftusa at @simplereviews, great for imaginary play! http://tinyurl.com/2fvc576
  

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be randomly selected and announced September 16, 2010. Good luck!!

This contest is now closed - congrats to our winner, #17 Brittany!