Special Savings for Big Apple Circus in NYC

If you'll be in the NYC area with your kids over the holidays, you're probably looking for ways to keep the family busy. From now until January 9, 2011, the Big Apple Circus will be at Lincoln Center with its new show, Dance On! In its big top, under which all seats are no more than 50 feet from the ring, you'll see monocyclists, lasso twirlers, a chorus line of 12 miniature horses and more. When you book your tickets, be sure to use this special discount code for saving up to $25 off of each ticket! 

To purchase discounted tickets to the Big Apple Circus:

•  Online: http://bigapplecircus.org/mommy11LC.aspx and submit the code MOMMY11 in the Promotional Codes box in the lower left of the page

• By Phone: Call 888-541-3750 and mention code MOMMY11 
  

Story Time and Kids' Club From Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble offers two different story-time options. One, you can head to various Barnes & Noble locations for in-store story times. Many locations hold story time at 11 a.m. on both Tuesdays and Saturdays, but be sure to check your specific location for times. There will be a special Thanksgiving story time on Saturday (Nov. 20, 2010). Or, you can go to their website for a book read aloud by authors and celebrities. There's a new book read each month. This month, it's The Mitten by Jan Brett (who also reads it). Next month's story will be online on Dec. 7, 2010.


While you're on the site, check out the B&N Kids' Club. Some cool stuff you'll get:

•  30% off list price on any one kids' book or toy 
• $5 reward for every $100 you spend on kids’ stuff online and in stores 
• Free cupcake from the café for children's birthdays 
• Free digital book created by your child on Tikatok.com

Using TV (and TiVo) for Good

I often feel guilty when I let A watch TV while I work or clean. But sometimes you just need some help! I do only let her watch the educational options where at least her little brain can do some work. On these shows, there are often opportunities to reinforce things your kids are learning--whether that's while watching, that you have been teaching, or that they've learned in daycare or school. For instance, if the show is asking your child to tell the character to choose the correct path to go or the green ball from a group of objects, if you have TiVo or another DVR system, you can pause the show to give your child a bit longer to answer appropriately. You can also pause to ask your own questions. Maybe an animal pops up. You can pause and ask what the animal is and what sound it makes. If there are multiple of an item, have him count them. And don't forget, you can then rewind the show or segment to go over the lessons again.

FREE Christmas Song Downloads

Download Christmas songs for your kids to dance and sing to--for FREE! The VeggieTales' The Incredible Shrinking Christmas Tree is available for free download on Amazon. You can download the whole album or individual tracks--and don't forget, you can sample each song before downloading. Get it soon; I doubt it will be available for long. Could make for entertainment while you're trying to shop! The album includes 16 songs (both new and old favorites):

"O Christmas Tree"
"Puppy Love"
"The Friendly Beasts"
"Jingle Ka-Ching"
"Battling Kings"
"Silent Night"
"Christmas Sizzle Boy"
"Candy Cane Blues"
"Was He a Boy Like Me"
"What My Father Did on Christmas Eve"
"Caroling Melody"
"What Child Is This / The First Noel"
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing / Angels We Have Heard on High"
"Joy to the World""
"For Unto Us A Child Is Born"
"It’s About Love"

Thanks, Baby Good Buys!

Great Values on Toys

If you're looking for toys that will be worth your money (especially as the holidays approach), check out the lists this week on Baby Cheapskate. Angie posts the "most loved" toys for five age groups. Today's group is for babies 5-12 months. And if you find deals on any of these (or have a personal experience with any), post a comment so others can benefit too. For instance, A got the Playskool Busy Ball Popper for her first birthday. However, she didn't start enjoying it until about 18 months (all the noise was a bit too much). However, she got the LeapFrog Learn & Groove table for her first Christmas and the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Home for her first birthday and loved them both from day one (and still does).

Free Packs of Origami Paper

While most little kids can't do origami, you can still take advantage of origami paper and all its fun colors! Use it for other crafts or for an art project for their rooms. You can get a pack for FREE (AND free shipping) from Everything in Paper Crafting--50 sheets total in three different sizes. All they ask is that if you want more, you purchase from them. But no obligation or other sign ups necessary!

How will you use yours?

FREE Small Photo Book (Great Tool to Help Little Hands Learn!)

Through Wednesday (Oct. 6, 2010), you can get a FREE purse photo book from Walgreens (4.5"x6" with 20 pages). Use it to show off your beautiful monkies, or it could even make a great item for teaching your baby. Include photos of loved ones so she can learn their names--especially those she doesn't see often. Or include photos of items around your house to teach the words for each item, their colors, ABCs or numbers. For instance, take photos of common objects found around your house such as a chair, lamp, toy, and dog. To get the book free, use the code FOREVER at checkout ($2.99 shipping applies).

Customize a Coloring Book

Little kids love to color (as evidenced by the scribbles on your walls). To help keep their creativity on paper, give them pictures that capture their interests. With all the coloring pages available online, it's easy to create the perfect, customized coloring book for your little one. Go with one whole theme (for instance, ABCs, or mix it up with some Little Mermaid, favorite animals and some shapes. Check out these links for some popular options for toddlers and preschoolers: 

• Learning themes (letters, numbers and shapes), Little People, Rescue Heroes,  dinosaurs and more
• Nick Jr. characters
• Disney, Playhouse Disney
• PBS Kids

You have several options for putting the coloring book together.Whichever option you take, start by printing out 20 pages or so, which gives your child options to choose from (sometimes they want that perfect subject to color!).

1. Punch three holes along the left side and put into a paper folder with brads. This makes for a book feel but with flexibility so it's easy to put into your bag (great for restaurants and waiting rooms). You can also have your child decorate the outside with stickers.
2. If you want durability, stick the pages into plastic sleeves in a 1/2-inch binder. This gives the option of either taking the pages out and coloring with crayons, OR leave them in the sleeves and color with dry-erase markers! 
3. Punch three holes along the left side of the pages. Then add a construction-paper front and back; pull pieces of yarn through each hole and tie. 
4. Of course, the simplest route is just to staple them all together along the left side. Maybe add a blank "cover" your child can decorate.

Fun at a Discount: Family Deal Sites

We're always looking for good deals on things to do with the little ones. Lately I've gotten into using various discount sites, and we've found some great deals on food and activities (at least 50% off). For instance, we got half-price tickets to the children's museum (saving those for a cold winter day!). So far, I've come across two sites specifically geared toward families:

Mamapedia Sweet Deal - includes deals for the following cities: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, L.A., Miami, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and St. Louis. When you make a purchase, 5% of it goes to the school or preschool of your choice.

Famgrab (click at the top to change the city) - includes deals for the following cities (all in the South): Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Louisville, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, St. Louis and Tampa. With Famgrab, 10% of the site's profits go to a different charity each month.

Each site has a different deal each day; if a certain number of deals are not sold (but you buy one), your credit card is not charged but the deal is also defunct. This seems to rarely happen. Usually there's plenty of interest in a deal--especially if it's a good one!

Tips:

• Be sure to check on the expiration dates. Sometimes you know you won't make it to a certain location before your discount expires. 
• Sign up to receive the daily deals in your e-mail. That way, you don't have to remember to check the site.
• If you find a deal you like, buy it! Remember, it won't last past the day and it may not last that long if it sells out first (many of the deals on these sites don't have a maximum number of deals, but it never hurts to be sure you have yours).
• Always carefully read all of the details to a deal. Some may have restrictions you can't work with. (However, generally, they're easy to use.)
• Keep other cities' sites in mind for when you'll be traveling. Then you can buy before you go as they come up and enjoy the discount when you're on vacation!

Know of any other family-deal sites?

Build a Bear...or Not...for Fun

The weather has been unbearably hot, and recently we were looking for something inside to do--but we had to get out of the house. At the time, Build-A-Bear Workshop was having a good sale, so we headed to the mall for a bear-making session. Figured it'd be a treat for A, and with the sale, it wouldn't be too costly.

Once we got there, A was definitely more into the accessories than the actual animals. We looked at each animal option, and while she got excited about a couple for a few seconds, overall she just wanted to check the place out. We even tried to talk her into choosing one (which isn't normal for us!), but she was just enjoying the experience. So we watched a few being made, checked out the clothes, and pretended to talk on a cell phone or two, and off we went. Money still in our pockets. So needless to say, if you, too, have a 2 year old, you might consider heading to Build-A-Bear just for the atmosphere! If the child's any older, you'll probably have to buy something. ;) So if you want to make a purchase, print this $5 off $25 purchase coupon on redplum.com for some savings. Just choose the "gifts" category to access the coupon.

Animal Magazine Made for Little Kids

Most little kids love animals--acting like them (as in my little monkey!) and learning about them. I just discovered a magazine just for little ones on that topic. National Geographic Little Kids is targeted to kids ages 3 to 6. I haven't yet seen an actual copy, so I can't say what the content is like, but they do have a website also for that age group (and with a mag subscription link, of course). It has various animal-themed activities such as interactive games (connect the dots, puzzles, etc.), masks to print out, coloring pages and science experiments (though the experiments aren't animal themed!).

If I have a chance to get to the newsstand and check an issue out, I'll post a review.

Recordable Storybooks

Hallmark now offers recordable storybooks. I'm interested to try them out. It looks like you just record yourself (or whoever--could even be your child) reading the story, and once you're happy with your recording, you can save it so it won't be deleted (even with a battery change). There are 12 different books to choose from, including some for the holidays. This could be a great keepsake for years to come, whether for your children or your grandchildren. They'll love being able to hear your voice whenever they like! Check out the website for ideas on how to use them and which stores have the books available for purchase ($29.95 each).

Here's a list of the books available:
All the Ways I Love You
Bright & Beautiful
Frosty the Snowman
Hey Diddle, Diddle
I Love You, Grandma
My Grandpa & Me
My Little Princess
The Night Before Christmas
Thank You, God, For Everything
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
The Very First Christmas
We're Not Scared of Anything

If you've purchased one and used it, let us know what you think!

Thomas Fun at Toys R Us

If your kids love Thomas the Train, you might want to head to Toys R Us this Saturday (September 11, 2010). Stores are having a Thomas Play Date from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with giveaways, story time and coloring activities.

Put Your Child in His Favorite Show

The four of us took a trip to the library over the weekend. Thought A might be getting to the age to enjoy seeing all the books (she wants to read EVERYthing lately). We chose several and read a few. Then we also picked a few DVDs. She loves "Arthur," so we took one home. In the end commercials, there was one for Kideo, which puts your child's photo in an episode of certain kid shows. I checked out their site (not knowing if they were even still in business since this video came out). Come to find out, they don't only offer "Arthur" versions, but others as well. Here's a full list:

• Dora and Diego
• Precious Moments
• Spider-Man
• Arthur
• Care Bears
• Baby Genius
• Barney
• Gregory

I think most little kids would get a kick out of seeing themselves on TV. Could be a special treat. The Dora selection has one with a birthday theme, which could make a great gift. You can upload your child's photo on the website to get a preview. They're $29.99 each (must say, I was hoping for cheaper...yet I'm still considering one as a potential Christmas gift).

Make Your Own Foam Letters for the Tub

As one of the many bath-toy options, you can buy foam letters for sticking to the tub. All it takes is getting them wet. But instead of buying pre-made letters, make your own! Not only can you create exactly the letters you want, but it's a lot cheaper to do yourself. For the record, the wet foam will stick to the fridge too, but of course it will fall off once dry. But, hey, that could be an activity to keep them busy while you make dinner, at least!

To make the letters, just buy some sheets of craft foam (I bought a multi-pack of 4x6 colored sheets at a dollar store) and cut out whatever letters you want. Of course you could also cut out shapes, numbers, or even animals.

$1 Each for Popcorn and Drink at AMC Theatres on Sunday!

If you're taking the kids to the movies this weekend, plan to go on Sunday (July 25, 2010) at an AMC Theatre and you can get popcorn and a drink for $1 each...ANY size! Just provide your e-mail address to print the coupon.

Kid-Customize Some Pottery

Do you have a budding Picasso on your hands? Or even just a toddler who likes to draw on whatever she can find? A and I went to a pottery shop a few weeks ago to make some gifts. Basically, the shop provides various pieces you can choose from (all varying prices), and then you are set free to choose colors and paint it however you wish. At this particular spot, the price of the piece includes the paint and the firing of the pottery. We chose a couple of tiles to use as either a wall plaque or coaster. After we picked some paint colors, I let A go to town painting however she liked. We then topped that off with her handprint (and wrote her name and the date). She did get disinterested every now and then so she'd go play with some toys the shop had available. It certainly took longer to do than it would have sans a 2 year old (we were there about two hours), but she had a great time. And knowing she basically did it all by herself, the gift meant more too.

You can even do this with babies. Of course, you'd have to do the initial painting, but you could certainly paint up their little feet or hands and press them onto your piece. We had several babies with us when we went and they all made their marks--plus, all the mommies had some time to talk.

Once our masterpieces were complete, we left them at the shop so they could be fired. We returned a week later to pick them up. The little monkey immediately remembered that was her creation (and her hand)!

Free Baby Sign Language Resources

Interested in teaching your baby sign language? When you sign up for the free Sign2Me Spotlight Newsletter, you'll receive a baby sing language chart, an American Sign Language alphabet chart (with illustrations) and an MP3 song. The e-newsletter itself includes sign demonstrations, tips, coupons, etc.

Signing can be a great way to bond and communicate with your infant. It can become key if your child has a hearing problem. It opens up a whole new world to them! I only taught A a few signs when she was a baby, but I'm planning to do more with T.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!

Easy Planting: Seeds in Match Tips

My little monkey planted an herb garden and some tomato seeds with my mom a month or so ago. Now they have plants! While you can certainly go the traditional seed or seedling route, I just discovered a fun and very easy way for your kids to plant their own garden...even without your help. The Matchstick Garden Book of Seeds contains 10 matches with tips that include seeds. All you have to do is stick the matches seed-end down into the dirt. Choose from herbs, Italian herbs, mixed greens or wildflowers. You can find them for $3 each or less. These could be great in goody bags--especially if the party had a garden or flower theme.

Where to Buy:
Olive Barn
Pop Deluxe

Free Sesame Street Webzine for Download

If your child loves Sesame Street, check out the free monthly webzine! Just download all or part of the latest issue in its PDF format and let your little one play and learn. Each issue has a different theme, and the current one is safari animals. You'll find various activities, from coloring pages to finding hidden objects to making animal sounds. 

Thanks, Freebies 4 Mom!