Category Archives: Age 5-7

Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball

May 23, 2007Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Food and Drink, HolidayAlicia

I love ice cream… my kids (even Madelyn) loves ice cream too.
What I don’t love about ice cream though is that most of the time I can’t pronounce half of the ingredients on the label. Now, Sebastian and I make our own ice cream in about 20 minutes. What’s even better is that we can make whatever flavor we want! Craving cookies and cream ice cream? No problem.. just add some Oreo’s to the mix. Sounds like too much trouble, doesn’t it? It’s not! I am not one to make things hard on myself. I like to take the easy way out whenever possible. That’s where the Ice Cream Ball comes in really handy.

There are five simple and FUN steps to making your own ice cream with the Ice Cream Ball.
1. Put ice and rock salt in the ice end of the ball.
2. Pour your ice cream mix (cream, sugar, and vanilla) into the other end.
3. This the fun part. Shake and/or roll the ball for about 10 minutes.
Read steps four and five on the website.

The Ice Cream Ball is not just a great way to make yummy ice cream but also a wonderful way to have fun with your kids.

You can make up your own recipes or get recipes from the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker website. Recipes on the website inlcude Rum Coconut, Smores Ice Cream, Juice Slush, Grasshopper, Chocolate Chip, and many more!

As most of you know, I LOVE oreo’s so I add about 1/2 cup of crumbled Oreo’s to the original vanilla recipe to make a great cookies and cream desert for me! Seriously YUMMY!!!

Your kids will be so proud of themselves for making their own ice cream. The Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball is a great addition to birthday party activities and holiday celebrations.

Where to buy: Amazon.com

Stubby Pencil Studio – Color n’ Kids cards

May 2, 2007Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Announcements & Stationary, HolidayAlicia

I love the look of a child’s handmade card… but as all parents know, that’s just not reality. Asking Sebastian to make a birthday card for his friend Hunter’s birthday was like asking him to unplub the ever- beloved telvision (torture, in other words).

With the help of Stubby Pencil Studio’s cards, I am finally able to compro
mise with Sebastian when it comes to greeting cards. I pull out one of Sebastian’s Stubby Pencil Studio’s Color n’ Kids cards and feel confident that he will have an awesome card ready in just a matter of minutes.

Stubby Pencil Studio’s Color n’ Kids cards are designed with kids in mind. The simple illustrations are perfect for little hands to color. The cards are blank on the inside so Sebastian writes his own crazy thoughts such as "happy birthday, glad you’re not sick today"… I don’t know where these ideas come from.

Color n’ Kids cards are not only more creative and fun than a grocery store greeting card but are also less pricey. A set of six cards costs less than the price of two greeting cards bought at the store which can cost up to $3.50 each.

Don’t worry, you will find cards to fit your child’s personality. One of Sebastian’s favorite sets is the "Six in Space" set which comes with an "alien" card, a "rocket" card, a "star" card, and three other space related designs.

Where to buy: Stubby Pencil Studio

The Gifted Grasshopper – Bags bursting with books

April 17, 2007Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Books, Educational ToysAlicia

This is one of my all time favorite gift ideas for kids. I LOVE IT!
I truly hope that The Gifted Grasshopper wins one of the first The Mommy Insider awards being announced around December.

I don’t like shopping at the mall or at large stores where there are a lot of people… especially with the kids. I prefer to shop online whenever possible. The Gifted Grasshopper makes it easy for parents to give their kids a wonderful selection of books just for their age, all in a super cute Gifted Grasshopper tote, grasshopper glasses, and a stuffed animal.

When Sebastian’s Gifted Grasshopper tote arrived, he was so excited. The first thing he did was put on the glasses. He says they make him smarter. How cute. He loves the books that came in his tote. They are unique books that you and I probably wouldn’t find on our own, and the kids love.

Upon browsing the Gifted Grasshopper website I saw that they sell Party Bags! How cool is that? You can choose from three different ‘levels’ of party bags depending on your budget and what you think the kids would like.

The Gifted Grasshopper sells bag’s for baby’s and for kids all the way up to 3rd grade. You can select the size of the gift bag which determines how many books are included and you can also choose the theme. Kindergarten themes include Fairy Tales, Alphabet, and Numbers.

I think The Gifted Grasshopper "bag of books" is a great idea for birthday gifts. Kids have enough toys don’t they?

Where to buy: The Gifted Grassshopper

COUPON CODE: The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off with code SPRINGSALE10!

The Bowtique – Hair bows for little girls.

April 3, 2007Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Baby & Kids ClothingAlicia

Not many things make me melt as much as seeing Madelyn (left) wearing a super cute hairbow. There are a lot of online hairbow shops but the great thing is that most of them are ‘mom owned’ and every mom has her own style, so all the hairbows are unique in their own way. The Bowtique is no exception.

Here are a few reasons why I love The Bowtique:
1. The hair bows are just plain cute!
2. Even dad can make your baby girl a beauty with these easy to use, super cute hair bows.
3. The Bowtique has a huge selection of bows including plenty of designs for casual days, dressy days, and Holidays.
4. You can purchase a beautiful bow holder personalized with a Swarovski crystal initial at The Bowtique.

I love Jillain’s style. She has an eye for design and her color combinations are great. After browsing her entire site I feel confident that she has a hair bow to go with any outfit or for any occasion including Hanukkah, Easter, Birthdays, and more.

Most of The Bowtique’s bows are available in several colors and you can even personalize a cupcake clip with a Swarovski crystal number to show off your baby girl’s special day!

With tons of design and color options, you are sure to find bows that fit your baby or little girl’s personality at The Bowtique.

Where to buy: The Bowtique

The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off with coupon code ‘insider’!

Personalized Birthday Hats

March 24, 2007Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Baby & Kids Clothing, HolidayAlicia

I can’t believe that Madelyn is going to be one in May! The first year goes by so fast and the fun has just begun.

I am in the midst of planning Madelyn’s birthday parties. We have to have at least two because of our extended families so I may be a little stressed in April while trying to figure out who is coming when and how we will celebrate at each party.

One thing that is making the thought of having multiple parties easier for me, is this super cute personalized birthday hat from Darling Designs Boutique. I put it on Madelyn and everything is OK.

This personalized birthday hat is simply too cute for me to put into words how cute it is. There is pink, fluff, polka dots, Madelyn’s name, a big "1".. and it’s all on Madelyn’s cute little head. (You can brag too if you send me pictures! – alicia@themommyinsider.com)

I can’t wait for our families to see Madelyn in her personalized birthday hat.

If you purchase a personalized birthday hat from Darling Designs Boutique or have already, please send me a photograph of your child wearing it and I will post it on The Mommy Insider for your family.. and the world to see! I don’t do this for many products, but these are just so adorable, that I want to see your kids in them too!

When you order your child’s personalized birthday hat, you are given the opportunity to enter your child’s name, age, and the date you need the personalized birthday hat by.

Darling Designs Boutique offers several other personalized birthday hat designs including an adjustable princess crown party hat, and they don’t leave the boys out. There are designs for the little prince in your family too!

A few things I love about this personalized birthday party hat:
1. The durable construction. The hat itself is very sturdy and not easily squished when a seven year old "accidentally" steps on it. Sebastian called it part of the review process?! He’s smarter than I think sometimes.
2. The fonts are adorable.
3. The colors are vibrant.
4. The selection of fabrics and trim make your child’s hat even more personalized.
5. The chin strap keeps the hat on and doesn’t leave a mark on Madelyn’s skin.

Where to buy: Darling Designs Boutique

The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off with code WAHM10!