CELEBRATE MOMS Sponsor Highlight - Kindle Couture

It's time to introduce you to yet another of our fabulous CELEBRATE MOMS Event Sponsors! The super crafty and talented Kristen at Kindle Couture has some of the cutest Kindle, Nook, Nook Color and iPad Covers!

Many of us use our Kindles, Nooks & iPads everyday. I know my Kindle has a permanent spot in my bag for easy reading on the go. So why not jazz it up with a cover that reflects your style?

I love the idea of turning something plain into an accesory and Kristen's shop has so many covers to choose from - there is sure to be something to please everyone!

Here are a few of my personal faves:

Aren't they gorgeous? Which is your favorite? I had a hard time picking just one!

Kindle Couture will be graciously giving away a gorgeous Kindle Cover during our CELEBRATE MOMS Event! So stay tuned on 4/27 for the fantastic giveaway!

Bern

Show & Tell Saturday - It's All About the Chick

This week we spent time reading, learning, crafting and having fun with chicks & eggs!

Here are a few Chick related books we read:

It's been a slow week craft wise around here because the girls were pretty all over the place and it was getting frustrating rather than fun to work together at home. I never want it to get to the point where it isn't fun (for either of us) so I kind of just let it be. I hope to get back into the swing of things next week,

For now, I want to share a super easy & cute Footprint Chick Craft with you (love this one!)

What You Need:
Yellow Paint
Yellow Feathers
Blue Construction Paper
1 Wiggly Eye
1 small orange beak (traingle) cut out

What to Do:

1. Paint bottom of child's foot using yellow paint

2. Press firmly onto blue construction paper

 3. Add feathers (to liking), wiggly eye & beak to make your chick

It really came out cute & I plan on saving it as a memento of how little their feet were this Easter.

Enjoy & come back on Sunday for some more crafty fun!

Bern

**I have linked this to Childhood 101 - We Play!, Sharing Time,  Get Crafty,  Read, Explore, Learn , For the Kids Friday, and Preschool Corner **

CELEBRATE MOMS Sponsor Highlight - 76th Street, Ink

I am so excited to introduce you to another of our wonderful event Sponsors - Beka from 76th Street, Ink

Beka, is the designer behind 76th Street, Ink and has previosuly worked in animation for The Simpsons and King of the Hiull and she also worked with Scholastic. Despite a successful career, she switched gears to start her own stationary company - 76th Street, Ink which features personalized greeting cards, stationary, invitations, labels, note cards and more!

I am enamored with Beka's adorable designs.  There are just so many uses - birthday invites, calling cards, mommy cards, teacher notes, kid stationary, bumper stickers, etc.... I could go on & on.

I love how you can choose to highlight yourself, a club, kids, pets, teachers, the entire family and more

Here's a peek at some of my fave things from her 76th Street, Ink Etsy Shop

Family Note Cards

Address labels

 

Teacher Notes (what a cool gift!)

 Bumper Stickers!

 Invitations

Ok, seriously don't you want some of these? They are just so cute!

Stay tuned on 4/28 when I unveil the 76th Street, Ink giveaway! You won't want to miss it!

Bern

Toybox Thursday - Hot Dots Jr. Beginning Phonics Cards & Ace – the Talking, Teaching Dog

The Lil Divas and I had the opportunity to review Educational Insights Hot Dots Jr. Beginning Phonics Cards and Ace the Talking, Teaching Dog.

The Lil Divas and I both really love this product. Ace the Talking, Teaching Dog really makes learning fun - the Lil Divas love playing/learning with him. He was very easy to use - simply press down on your answer and Ace responds with a "correct" or "terrific" and even lights up or wiggles from time to time. If you answer incorrectly he let's you know and encourages you to "try again". The Lil Divas were able to work with this set independently as it is self-correcting and Ace helps them along.

The Beginning Phonics card set was perfect for what I am trying to reinforce with the Lil Divas at home. Both my (almost) 4yr. old & my 5 yr. old really enjoy this set. There are 36 double sided cards offering a total 72 beginner phonics activities which review initial and final sounds and rhyming words. The Lil Divas love the rhyming cards and they love to take it a step furthur and think of additional rhyming words on their own!

As both a Mom and a Teacher I found this set to be a great way to reinforce letters and sounds with your beginning reader in a fun and interactive way. The Lil Divas were having so much fun playing with Ace they didn't even realize they were learning/practicing crucial Phonics Skills. They have actually been asking for more cards.

There are other Hot Dots Jr. sets available which review, the alphabet, colors, numbers, patterns and shapes.

There are also Hot Dots Sets sets for older children - I have my eye on the vowels set becasue that is a concept my oldest Diva is struggling with - that the vowels make 2 sounds! This set would be perfect to practice & reinforce the concept with her in a way I know she will like due to the success of Hots Dots Jr.

Overall, The Lil Divas and I give Hot Dots Jr. Beginning Phonics Cards & Ace a big thumbs up and we will definitely be looking into adding more sets to our collection.

***************

Buy It: Purchase Hot Dots Jr. Cards and Ace at Educational Insights website and at other local retailers.

Win It: Educational Insights has graciously agreed to giveaway an Ace The Talking, Teaching Dog Pen + 1 Hot Dots. Jr. Card Set to one (1) lucky Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas Reader!

How to Enter:

**Contest ends on 4/27/11**

 One (1) lucky Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas reader

(US Residents Only!) is going to receive:

(1)  Ace The Talking, Teaching Dog Pen + 1 Hot Dots. Jr. Card Set

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Educational Insights and tell me which other product you would like to try!

**This must be completed in order for any extra entries to count**

Extra Entries (Optional)
Please leave a seperate comment

for each entry &

please include your e-mail

so I can get back to you if you win! 

*If you are already a follower leave a comment and let me know as that will count as an entry*

1. Follow Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas Publicly via Google Friend Connect 
2. "Like" Educational Insights on facebook 
3. Follow Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas on Twitter 
4. Subscribe to Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas emails 
5. Make a comment on any non-giveaway post on Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas Blog and leave a link.  You can do this for up to 3 posts but please note that comment must be dated after the start date of this post - not valid on previous comments.
6. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link - can be done once a day
   
   Tweet:  #Win an @ed_insights Ace - Teaching Dog Pen + Hot Dots Jr. Cards w/ @Momto2PoshDivas Ends 4/27 http://goo.gl/fb/fQMMT #giveaway #homeschool

Giveaway Rules:
Giveaway ends 4/27/2011 at 11:59 (PDT)

Winner will be chosen via random.org. 

Winner will be announced on 4/28/11 through a post on the blog

& contacted via email if an email is given .

Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Please note any entries that can not be verified will be disqualified.

*****************

Disclaimer:I received a Hot Dots Jr. Begnning Phonics Crad Set & Ace Pen for the pruposes of trying them out for this review. That being said, this review is my 100% honest opinion of this product - I  am not paid for my reviews or optinions! They are 100% mine! Please remember that your opinions and tastes might differ from mine. 

Good Luck,

Bern

Wordless Wednesday - 2 Silly Girls + 1 Silly Mommy = Lots of Giggles

I did not have a Wordless Wednesday post ready for today but after lunch I decided to explore iphoto on my new Mac & well, a Wordless Wednesday post was born amidst tons of silliness & giggles!

Hope we made you smile!
Bern

CELEBRATE MOMS Sponsor Highlight - Tiny Tokens Designs

I am so pleased to introduce you to one of our FABULOUS Celebrate Moms Event Sponsors Tiny Tokens Designs <---- click

Sandi over at Tiny Tokens Designs specializes in gorgeous hand stamped jewelry designs.

She has so many wonderful necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, cuffllinks and even pet tags!

As a mom, the idea of handstamped jewelry really intrigues me because not only is it an accessory but it is also a memento of your loved ones.

Tiny Token Designs offers wonderful personalized service. The Etsy shop has been open since 2008 with over 10,000 sales and 100% feedback which is a testiment to the quality jewelry and service they offer.

If you haven't checked them out before here's a sneak peek at a few of my fave piecses. It really is just a small glimpse at what they have to offer so be sure to visit the shop.

Tiny Token Designs will be giving away a beautiful personalized hand stamped necklace during our CELEBRATE MOMS Event - so be sure to stop by April 24th - May 1st for your chance to enter.

Which one is your favorite? Hard to choose i know!

Bern

Spring Weather Theme: Clouds

The girls are very interested in clouds these days so to end our Spring Weather Theme we talked a bit about clouds.

Books:

Cloudette


Little Cloud

The Cloud Book

Activity #1: Cloud Mini Books



Using the information we learned from The Coud Book we made our very own simple mini own cloud books.

What You Need:
Cloud Book Template
Shaving Cream
Glue
Cotton Balls
Blue Constuction Paper
Plain White Paper
Silver Glitter Paint (you could just use gray paint or something similar as well)

What To Do:

1. For the Cover we used Puffy Paint to make our clouds! Puffy paint is so much fun! I don't measure but I try to use equal parts shaving cream and glue by eye - it always seems to work well enough anyway!
It came out so cute!

2. Page 1 - Cumulus Clouds

We used puffy cotton balls to make a cloud shape and glued on the wording as we discussed the type of cloud.

3. Page 2 - Cirrus Clouds

We used cotton balls that we pulled apart to make them appear feathery and glued on the wording as we discussed the type of cloud.

Page 3 - Stratus Clouds

Again we used cottong balls for the clouds but we pulled them and tried to make a blanket on the page and then painted them with silver glitter paint so they would look gray & stormy. Finally, we glued on the wording as we discussed the type of cloud.

Here's a peek at all the pages - they must be completely dry before you staple your book together!

Activity #2: Making Words with Letter Tiles (based on the book Little Cloud)

What You Need:
Alphabet Letter Tiles (I'm sre you could also find some sort of printable of these but we have them & they are fun to use!)
Little Cloud Letter Tiles (from Making Learning Fun)

What to Do:
Print out the letter tile cards and supply the correct tiles for younger learners (there are a lot of tiles in the tub and it can get frustrating to search for each letter)

Have fun making the words - be sure to review the letters (recognition) and their sound (phonics practice)

Activity #2: Melissa & Doug See & Spell Puzzles

The girls had so much fun with the letter tiles we took out our Melissa & Doug See & Spell Puzzles to let the fun continue. These puzzles are great!

The box comes with all the letters you will need and 8 double sided wooden boards (16 picttures) with 3 or 4 letter words. This set is great for lowercase letter and common word recognition.

Bern

**I have linked this to Childhood 101 - We Play!, Sharing Time,  Get Crafty,  Read, Explore, Learn , For the Kids Friday, and Preschool Corner **

CELEBRATE MOMS Review & Giveaway Event - Sponsor Highlight: THIRTY-ONE

I am excited to begin our Sponsor Highlight Posts for our Celebrate Moms Mother's Day Event with a terrific company - Thirty-One and a wonderful Hostess - Mayra Talarico who has so graciously sponsored our event!

If you have not heard of or seen Thirty-One products before - you are missing out on some fabulousness my friends and we must remedy that right now so click here for ---> Thirty-One w/Our Hostess Mayra but if you want to place an order please use the link for our party provided below! :)

Thirty-One is a mother's "dream" company. They have so many wonderful and practical products for us on the go Moms, Teachers, etc... and great products for the kids too.

A few of my absolute faves from the Spring & Summer 2011 Catalog are:

For Mom - LOVE this pattern/design!

(I would look HOT in that apron!) 

Don't you just love the adorable purses

with the rosette clips!

For the Baby - I wish I had all this cute organizational stuff when my girls were little!

 For the kids - adorable storage bins/bags, lunch totes, backpacks & more



 On the Go - large totes that are perfcet for the beach, picnics, diaper bags, etc...

What I love about Thirty-One besides their amazing products is the mission behind the company. They are a faith-based company that is devoted to supporting & encouraging women. They celebrate, encourage and reward women by offering quality products and giving women the opportunity to become successful business owners.

I can not think of a better company to have as part of our Celebrate Mom's Event and I am excited that our hostess, Mayra, has also opened up a special online party for all of my followers! Just click here ---> Mom to 2 Posh Lil Diva's Thirty-One Web Party and you can view the many wonderful products and place an order if you see something you can't live without! Beware, you will see many things that will fit into that category! :)

April's Special is spend $31.00 and get the All-in-One Organizer for 1/2 off ($9.00).

Stay tuned for the Thirty-One Giveaway which will post on April 24th to kick off our Celebrate Mom's Review & Giveaway Event and if you have any questions about placing an order or the company/products in general just shoot me an e-mail at bern425@aol.com and I will get you in touch with Mayra.

Happy Shopping,
Bern