I love Swagbucks!

I just got this for $9.97- tax and shipping included (reg. $59.99 at Target). How? I signed up for Swagbucks a few months ago and since then have been racking up $5 Amazon gift cards since. What are Swagbucks you ask? Well, it's digital dollars you earn just by doing what many of us love to do when we are online: searching, shopping, surveys, watch videos, etc... . It's easy, free, and legitimate! You do not have to install anything if you do not wish but I have found that if I use their search engine as my home page as well as the toolbar you can add on, then I am more inclined to use Swagbucks and therefore win more. The more effort you put into it, the quicker you will earn Swagbucks but really, they are easy to get just by doing everyday searches, participating in the quick daily poll, and doing a survey every now and then. I put minimal effort into it and look what I got!


So what are you gonna buy with your Swagbucks? Sign up under my referral link simply by clicking below. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. It's like Google but with you actually get rewarded for using it!

                                                    Sign up here for Swagbucks

The Red Ruby Studio

What better way to say "I'm thinking about you" or "Merry Christmas" than with a homemade card? My sorority sister Betsy has just opened up her shop on Etsy selling her beautiful and original paper creations. She also has some super cute recipe cards and diaper bag tags (hello baby shower gift!). Please go check her out and support her! Feel good about your purchase too because 10% of all purchases go directly to Compassion International.

The Red Ruby Studio
http://www.etsy.com/shop/redrubystudio

Train Talk

Geo Trax or Thomas? Wood or die cast? Take-Along or Early Engineer? If you are the mom of a little boy then you know all too well what I am talking about. I have found that choosing a train set is harder than choosing a wedding dress and china pattern. At least the train set will get more use.
I recently acquired a massive collection of like new Geo Trax complete with accessories. The first thing I noticed is that Geo Trax has a "big kid" look to it which ups the chances that my kids will play with it for a longer timespan than Thomas. Even though it looks like a toy for older kids, my at the time two and a half year old needed little help in creating a massive track. My favorite part of the Geo Trax system is that each engine can be remote controlled with a very user friendly joystick. I also like that each engine comes with a removable engineer adding a whole new realm of play. When I asked my husband which set he would've preferred, he said Geo Trax is much cooler than Thomas.
Don't get me wrong. I do like Thomas a lot. In fact I am pondering a set as a Christmas gift. I just find the whole brand to be a little overwhelming and expensive. Instead of just one style there are wood and die cast and then there is the Track Master Series, Take Along, as well as Early Engineers. I have no idea if all of the the Thomas trains and track are interchangeable but I'm guessing they aren't which would have greatly frustrated me as a child.
As if I wasn't confused enough, Disney has started making the trains from their cartoon Chuggington. They are so adorable and very affordable. There is a track system you can buy for them but I watched a review on YouTube that says they work on the Thomas wooden tracks. That's a plus. (Geo Trax fits on our wooden tracks as well). I'm thinking Santa might bring of few of the Chuggington trains to our house this Christmas. Right now they are buy one get one half off at Toys R Us which means you can get two for around $8. They are die cast but feel a little lighter than the Thomas die cast. I don't like the heavy ones simply because I can think of three head injuries that have occurred from engines being tossed around by little hands.
Despite my research and opinions on all three of the brands, you know good and well that I am going to end up with a collection of all three!

Which do your kids like best and why? Please include your child's age.

To all of you with little girls. Imaginarium makes a precious girly wooden train set!

Build-A-Bear Shop and Rewards (Stuff for Stuff Club)

Like so many other kids, my daughter loves to go to Build-A-Bear. The one we go to at our local mall is very roomy making it easy for toddlers to get around without getting lost or too overwhelmed. The staff is very sweet too, making each child feel special as they bring their new animal to "life". True, it can be a little costly if you buy everything at once but we have found it much easier on the wallet to pick an animal and then go back later for accessories. A big plus is that Build-A-Bear offers a free rewards card program where you accumulate points with each purchase. After $100 worth of points, we recently received a $10 off coupon. That's a free outfit for my daughter's beloved Fluffy or Coco. We've also received other promotional coupons one of which was for $12.00 off (that's a free bear if you choose one priced at $12.00). I just wish they would have had Build-A-Bear when I was little!

The Build-A-Bear website is fun for kids and a great place to browse what you will find in the store. You can find it here.

BabyFirst TV

   When my little girl was about 5 months old, we watched a free preview for BabyFirst TV and were immediately impressed with what we saw. The 24/7 commercial free channel, which was developed by educational experts, is for children thru age three. Now I'm sure you are asking why in the world one would need that kind of programming at 3 in the morning. I can't tell you how many nights my colicky baby was soothed by their gentle night time programming full of soft images and lullaby style music. The daytime shows are educational with each marked by a color coded BabyFirst logo letting you know what subject area it is focusing on (numbers, letters, art, etc..). We have enjoyed this channel as a family and love watching our children interact with the characters on screen.

To learn more about BabyFirst TV, click the link here.

  

What is the most played with item in our house?

A Doodle Pro! My almost three year old got one of these when she was just a tiny thing and has been drawing on it since. Recently, my 16 month old has started playing with it (when sister isn't looking) and he loves it just as much. I guess I need to buy another one! The one we have is the small size which is great for little hands and for traveling. Doodle Pro's can be found at most major retailers in the toy section.

Dionis Blue Ridge Wildflower Body Products

I have a small obsession with bath and body products. Especially ones that are extra gentle and leave me smelling good from head to toe which is why I love this gift set by Dionis. This particular fragrance, Blue Ridge Wildflower, has a light hint of rose but if floral isn't your thing, there are plenty of others to choose from like Almond, Milk and Honey, Ginger Mint, and lots more. The products are gentle and moisturizing, much like those made for babies. In fact, they do have a baby line! For a full list of all of their products, check out their website here.