Friday, November 27, 2009

Kangacoo Thanksgiving Sale


Kangacoo is offering 25% off on all their designs now through Sunday, November 29th. Check out all their darling new winter clothing. Visit www.kangacoo.etsy.com.

Kangacoo is also now offering a boy's clothing line as well as sizes up to 5T to meet the requests of all her clients.

Get your little one something original this holiday, and they'll really stand out in the crowd!

Disney On Ice Presents Worlds of Fantasy


This Holiday season catch the new ice spectacular Worlds of Fantasy presented by Disney On Ice. Come and see the action packed show with all your beloved characters from Cars, Tinker Bell, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid.

Get there early and experience the Disney Princess Pre-show free with the purchase of a ticket! You will be able to see enchanting ball gowns and mementos from the Disney Princess stories as well as a special appearance by a Disney Princess.

Disney On Ice will be in Southern California this Holiday season. Get your tickets for Los Angeles - Staples Center: December 17-20, 2009; Orange County - Honda Center: December 22-27, 2009; Inland Empire - Citizens Bank Arena: December 30 - January 3, 2010; and Long Beach - Long Beach Arena: January 6-10, 2010. All venues have both matinee and evening showings.

There is a special offer for all of our readers! Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for a Monday through Friday matinee show, or receive $4 off all weekend shows (4 tickets must be purchased to receive the discount) by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code MOM. This offer is not valid on rinkside or VIP seating.

Treat your family to something extra special this holiday see Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy.


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Layla Grace Update

On November 16th, Layla Grace began a 6 week hospital stay to undergo a High Dose Chemotherapy with Autologus Stem Cell Rescue, more commonly known as a Bone Marrow Transplant. This is the 2nd phase in Layla's treatment plan as she fights Neuroblastoma - an aggressive form of childhood cancer. Layla's story has touched so many lives and the response has been overwhelming. We have received several emails from people wanting to help, but not sure how.

Mom takes care of Layla at the hospital while Dad holds down the fort with Layla's two sisters. The easiest and most convenient way to help the entire family is by giving Visa Gift cards. These can be used at home or the hospital for various necessities (meals, gas, groceries, parking, etc). If you would like to donate, please send gift cards to Layla's PO Box at:
LAYLA GRACE MARSH
12320 BARKER CYPRESS RD, SUITE 600 #264
CYPRESS, TX 77429

You can also make monetary donations directly through PayPal at:
Layla will turn 2 on Thanksgiving Day. She loves to receive cards. If you would like to send her birthday wishes, Texas Children's Hospital has a FREE card delivery service through their website.
and simply fill out a card and it will be delivered directly to her room on her birthday. Be sure to include her full name, Layla Marsh, on the form. If you would like to send her balloons, they can be sent to room 847. Please make sure they are mylar - her floor prohibits latex. **Please do not send stuffed animals or flowers - she is not allowed to have them in her room.

Go to www.laylagrace.org to follow Layla on her journey. Please feel free to spread the word and forward this email onto your family and friends. Awareness is key to finding a cure!!

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Layla's Angels


Layla's Prayer Team
www.laylagrace.org
http://www.twitter.com/laylagrace


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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Great Gift Alert: SkyBelts, The Tweens in Your Life Will LOVE Them!




Looking for a great gift for those hard to buy for tweens in your life? Look no more, I've found the solution for those picky little people! SkyBelts are the ultimate accessory, available in 22 colors, the interchangeable wonder makes the perfect addition to any wardrobe. Easy to "operate" and comfy too, SkyBelts are available in two sizes (S/M which fits up to 32" and M/L which fits up to 42"). All belts fit the SkyBelt buckle, so once you have purchased your first belt, you can add other colors for only $12.95. After choosing your colors, be sure to pick out some SkyClips to add some personality to your gift! Made to collect/trade, SkyClips are a fun way to show your personal style. The enameled clips simply slide on and off the belt making it easy to change your SkyBelt's mood.

Looking for something with a little more pizazz? Check out the SkyBelts with bling! You can even have them customized with an initial.

Visit the SkyBelts site today and cross those tweens off of the shopping list. One stop shopping for boys, girls, and if I were you, I'd pick up a little something for myself too!

Info You Need to Know by The Toy Industry Association


With the concerns we all have with toy safety, the new testing laws, and wanting to be sure that the toys we buy for our families during this holiday season will be not only safe but loved and used by our children, I'm excited to share some new resources with you.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) is our industry's trade organization: the one that hosts Toy Fair in February in New York, and the one who has led American toy makers through the new toy safety testing laws and standards they must meet. And now, the TIA is reaching out to moms like us to help us understand how to buy safe, and great, toys. They created two websites for consumers. One is www.toyinfo.org. There's a neat video here that provides tips for shopping for safe toys and how to keep your children safe with their toys after they're home.

The site will be an ongoing source of news for parents, with regular updates. Check the home page often for new videos, to sign up for recall alerts, to learn about new safety initiatives and more!

'Tis the season to buy toys for the youngsters in your life, and TIA has another great new resource to help! A second website, found here, showcases the top toys in 11 product categories that have been nominated for the 2010 Toy of the Year Awards (TOTY). Well-recognized as the “Oscars®” of the toy industry, the coveted awards program is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To celebrate, TIA is sharing for the first time its list of finalists with you and your readers.You may want to consider using their holiday shopping list when you begin your hunt for great toys for kids this year.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Perfect Gift for Your Young Scientist!


Have you got a young scientist on your hands? The Young Scientists Club has what you need. The Young Scientists Club has multiple award-winning science kit for your kids. These kits are geared for children 5 and over and allows them to see science happen right before their eyes.

As a former elementary school teacher with a sub credential in science, I found the Magic School Bus Going Green kit very impressive! Not only is the kit fun, but it helps children learn the scientific process and the terminology. These kits include everything you need for each experiment that is not typically found in a household. With multiple guided experiments your child is sure to learn and discover amazing things. Each experiment guides the child through the process and encourages them to record their results and draw conclusions about their discoveries. In the back of the experiment booklet there expected results and conclusions for your child to compare.

Visit The Young Scientists Club at www.kidsciencekits.com and explore. With The Magic School Bus Series, Nature Series, Let's go Science Series, The Young Scientist Series, and Adventure Science Series you are bound to find more than you can imagine for your little scientist.

Be the 3rd reader to email me at lynne@swankymoms.com and receive a free Young Scientist Kit.


Monday, November 16, 2009

HABA for the Holidays!



Ever heard of HABA? I have, and until recently I thought they were just a toy manufacturer! I had no idea they made high quality fantastically fun games as well. HABA is an amazing German company that has not sold out to cheap plastic parts and easily broken pieces. Their unique games prove to withstand the beatings of repeat play without a scratch.

We're big on games around here. In fact our game closet is a little ridiculous. We have tons and tons of games. We play tons and tons of games. My favorites are ones that involve cooperation and teamwork. Ones where my boys actually have to work together instead of "trying to win." There aren't too many of those around, so Castle Knights was really a refreshing discovery. Made for 2-4 players, ages 5-99 (I love that it goes to 99!), players use a special construction tool to build the castle towers. Really fun, really unique! Also, on sale, which makes it even better!

I recently spent some time browsing a great site that features an extensive HABA collection. Maukilo.com features only the finest European toys and has fantastic prices to boot! Their site is very easy to navigate and I love their "daily steal" which changes from day to day and features a great item with a significant discount.

You may want to alert Santa that www.maukilo.com would be a GREAT place to get some unique ideas!

Friday, November 06, 2009

Play This Way Every Day

Developed by a Doctor and mommy of twins, this "U" shaped interactive floor mat is used to encourage children and their caregivers to play a variety of exercises with theme based cards. The card decks come in subjects such as: Animals, Foods, Dress, Outside, Play, Fruits & Vegetables, Go and Home.

This educational game can be used for fun at home or professional use for teachers, speech therapists, and moms who homeschool their children. The "U" shaped mat was developed for convenience, so the child wouldn't be knealing or stepping on the cards and the clear pockets makes it easy to slip the cards in and out and protect them from getting damaged. A great way to play in an education way!

To find out more, visit www.playthisway.com



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Baby Bunch

Pretty and Practical!! What an awesome gift for a new mommy! Everything baby needs when he/she arrives home from the hospital, all in one beautiful bouquet, so pretty you wont want to take it apart! Each Baby Bunch includes, one bib, one hat, one pair of mittens, two pairs of socks, one long sleeve onesie, and one long sleeve romper suit. Each item is carefully wrapped like a beautiful bud and surrounded by pretty fabric and wooden flowers and presented in a clear top, sturdy box ready for delivery. Baby Bunch will even ship and deliver your beautiful bouquet to your gift recipient along with a personal note. The Baby Bunch would also make a spectacular centerpiece for a baby shower!!


Visit www.babybunch.com

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GreenSmart

I received the GreenSmart Neogreene water bottle kozy and laptop sleeve and both items are fabulous! My son uses the bottle kozy for school, it has a clip so can be easily attached to his backpack so he wont lose it. It also keeps his water nice and cool! I use the laptop sleeve, it is a great way to pack your laptop and keep it safe from damage.

GreenSmart products are made with Neogreene which is made with toxic free materials and uses 25% less electricity and 25% less petroleum to produce and the best part….it doesn’t have that awful chemical smell. Neogreene is also lightweight and waterproof!

To find out more visit www.greensmart.biz



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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Sponsor: LoLo's Garden Jewelry

LoLo's Garden Jewelry offering beautifully handmade jewelry. Perfect for giving as a holiday gift or a gift for yourself!

Visit www.etsy.com/shop/lologarden

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