Category Archives: Age 3-5

Breakfast Breaks 3 in 1 breakfast in a box

Breakfastbreaks1Sebastian, my eight year old son, ripped through our sample Breakfast Break packages like there was no tomorrow.

Inside Breakfast Breaks boxes, parents will find the same cereal, fruit bar, and juice that can be purchased off the grocery store shelf (a box of cereal or pack of juice boxes for example) but at the cost of a higher price tag.  Is the higher price worth it?  That is a good question. I think it is worth it for a family whose children eat breakfast at school or on their own at home before school, but for those of us who stay at home with our children, there is no need to buy Breakfast Breaks packages.  Breakfast Breaks do provide a well balanced meal which is imperative for good brain function especially in younger children. If I wasn’t able to give Sebastian or Madelyn a healthy breakfast in the morning, I would definitely consider buying Breakfast Breaks for them.

While Breakfast Breaks as a whole provide children with 25% or more of several key nutritional ingredients, there are a few set backs that I hope they will consider improving on for the next go around including completely omitting the saturated fats which is at a low average of 1g, but still there, and the high fructose corn syrup. I know the products in Breakfast Breaks have been around for years and are loved by millions but it would be nice if East Side Entree’s would strive to provide children with products that don’t have these un-necessary ingredients.

I am really torn on this product. It has its benefits which include providing kids with a complete meal but I am a believer in buying in bulk and I love Zip Lock bags in which I can portion out cereal, etc.. for Sebastian to take to school if needed.

Overall, I would recommend Breakfast Breaks for children who eat breakfast at school and for younger children whose parents might not provide them with a complete nutritional breakfast meal.

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Yoplait Kids

Madelyn’s love for yogurt was about as great as her love of going to bed at night.. non existent.  That changed when we received the new Yoplait Kids to try.  I think the character branded packaging sparked her interest because she actually picked up the bottle and drank from it.  She drank several sips the first time she picked up the bottle and  I thought surely she was going to decorate the table with the yogurt she had just drank, but instead she swallowed it!  That was something for the baby book.

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Ever since introducing juice (seriously diluted but still a big mistake) to Madelyn’s ‘diet’, she hasn’t been drinking enough milk and may not been getting the calcium she needs.  Now that she eats Yoplait Kids I feel confident that she is getting the calcium she needs.  The nutritional benefits don’t stop there.  Here is a brief run down of the benefits of Yoplait Kids:

  • naturally-sourced DHA – supports healthy brain growth
  • a good source of vitamins A & D
  • live and active cultures – help break down
    lactose making yogurt a great way for kids who are lactose intolerant to enjoy
    dairy
  • no artificial sweeteners or flavors – what a novel idea!

The natural sugar content makes for a yummy flavor and the consistency of the cupped yogurt (not the drink) is perfect for new eaters as the yogurt won’t slip off the spoon easily.  I really appreciate the smaller than average bottle and cup size so all of the yogurt can eaten leaving none to waste.

Most toddlers don’t enjoy yogurt with chunks of fruit in it so this is a great alternative to the chunky yogurts that older children might enjoy.  However, I do hope that Yoplait Kids will soon add a ‘chunky’ yogurt cup for the older kids to enjoy and maybe they will consider adding an organic version to the Yoplait Kids line.

Want to try Yoplait Kids, free? Visit to receive your coupon for a FREE sample!  Coupons
are not available for residents of the following states: California,
Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Magnetic Activity Play Garden

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Had we purchased this toy, it would have been one of the best investments we’ve made for Madelyn.  She is 20 months old now and has an absolute blast with this magnetic garden as do our older testers.  This magnetic garden toy has provided Madelyn with hours of fun and creative play.  I’m not just saying that.. it is very true. 

Other moms that were around during the testing of this product were just as pleased with Kushies as I was when we discovered that the flower garden doubles as a carrying case for storing the 11 magnetic garden accessories.  What a great concept and very useful. Just that feature alone has made the Magnetic Activity Play Garden a favorite to take on road trips, and to Grandmother’s house.

Madelyn spends a lot of time watering her garden with the watering can which has shiny strings ‘flowing’ of the spout to simulate a real watering can.  How neat is that?  She even has her own watering sound effects.

Kooskies_magnetgarden1The bottom of the reusable carrying case is the garden (grassy area) . There is a magnetic pad in the bottom of the case so when you turn it over, your child can place the magnetic garden accessories anywhere on the bottom
of the case.  Magnetic creatures
stick to the garden and the magnetic plant pieces stack and build! When your child is done playing, simply gather all of the garden accessories, put them in the case and zip it up!

Madelyn also enjoys putting the magnetic accessories on the side of the refrigerator, and on other metal surfaces around the house.  I needed to keep Madelyn in her stroller during Sebastian’s baseball tryouts, so I took these hoping that she would occupy herself by putting the magnets on the metal parts of her stroller and sure enough, it worked!  She was great!!

The garden is light enough for Madelyn to carry by herself and has a handle on either side for an easy grasp.   Garden accessories include a few flowers, and some really interested creatures.  All of the pieces are brightly colored and have some sort of texture which is great for tactile development.

I will be reviewing several other Kushies toys and other Kushies items soon.  Join our mailing list using the ‘subscribe’ box in the right column to be notified of new reviews.

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Click here to learn more about or buy the Magnetic Activity Play Garden on the Kushies website.

Froose: a healthy juice for kids

What’s low in sugar, high in fiber, made with organic ingredients and yummy?  Your kids migFroose1_2ht say.. uh, nothing!?  Have your kids try Froose, a naturally healthy juice for kids, and I think they will change their minds.  Froose is a novel idea. Combine good flavor with organic ingredients and very low sugar to create a great tasting drink.  Good idea huh?

Our testers, ages 20 months – 9 years, tried all three flavors, Perfect Pear, Cheerful Cherry, and Playful Peach.  We didn’t hear complaints about any of the flavors but the Cheerful Cherry was the favorite. The kids loved the packaging with the cute moose and I as a parent love it because the colorful juice boxes add fun to a healthy drink.  I tasted the Froose juices, and it was like biting into a real pear or peach.. it was great!  I really appreciate that Froose juices don’t have the ‘flavored water’ taste that many juices have. You feel like you are actually enjoying a piece of fruit when drinking Froose.

Froose juices combine the best of whole grains and fruit in one nutritious, portable package that kids can grab out of the fridge or include in their packed school lunch.  I am impressed that Froose chose to package their juices in smaller 4.23 oz packages than the typical 6.75 or 8 oz packages. No more almost empty juice boxes laying around and no more ‘I’m not hungry for dinner’ after your child drinks a 6.75oz juice box!

Go to the Froose website to learn more about the flavors, how Froose is made, and the nutritional facts.

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Froose whole food kids juices

The First Adventures of Incredible You: personalized book

Custommadeforkids1The First Adventures of Incredible You is a personalized book about the most memorable experiences of early childhood, those that we want to hold on to forever.  An iParenting media award-winning book, The First Adventures of Incredible You,  is the perfect gift for the special child in your life.

Rhyming verses and rich, colorful illustrations will keep the attention of your younger child while the people and places mentioned in the story will delight your older child to no end.  Because faces are not shown in this book, it is perfect for any child no matter what their race, gender or family lifestyle is.

The book begins with a dedication page for which you can request a special dedication from mom and dad. The dedication in Madelyn’s book is "This book was custom made for Madelyn Rose Hagan who arrived on May 9th 2006. We Love You! Mommy, Daddy and Sebastian – 2008.

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a story about the first adventures
of your child’s life. What child doesn’t love a story about them self?   Your child is the main character in the story but the personalization doesn’t stop there. The story
includes the people and places that are most important to your child,
including your local zoo, park, and sports team, as well as her favorite food and the street where you live no doubt bringing the story to life every time she hears or reads it even as she gets older.

If you want to buy The First Adventures of Incredible You for a friend or family member’s child and don’t know the name of their local park, zoo, or favorite friend that’s not a problem. You can order a book gift certificate so the parent can fill out the form and complete the order.

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Custom Made for Kids personalized chidren’s book

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The Mommy Insider readers get 15% off with code insider15