Do you recognize the two people to the left?  Look very close.  That is what Stephanie and Sportacus from LazyTown really look like!  Hard to believe, I know!  Lazytown is a show on Noggin and Nick Jr. that encourages your kids to get off their butts and be more active!  When asked about the inspiration for the show, Magnus (the shows creator and Sportacus) answered:

Really, when you get down to it, LazyTown is a state of mind. We’ve all been to LazyTown. When we decide to go “veg-out” on the couch, you could say you’re “in LazyTown.” Even me. It’s a place we all go.

In a funny way, LazyTown reflects characteristics that you see in yourself or in people around you. These characteristics are universal: It’s that dynamic of opposites.

For instance, in the show, Sportacus is a driving force. He’s fit, agile, and an amazing athlete who’s patient, kind, and understanding. He encourages kids through example. He doesn’t take the low road. Conversely, his adversary, Robbie Rotten, is all about easy solutions and pulling the group down to his level. Then there’s Stephanie, the lead kid character, a wide-eyed optimist who believes she can make a real difference; while Pixel, a boy character, can conquer every video game, but when the situations are real, he has a harder time.

Just like in real life, nobody’s perfect and LazyTowners are constantly trying to find ways to understand and improve themselves. I guess that you could say that LazyTown explores the opposing forces that we encounter in our own daily lives.

How is that for teaching your children? Most moms and kids that I have talked to like this show. Magnus knows what he is talking about too — he was the Icelandic Men’s Individual Champion in Aerobic Gymnastics in 1992. In 1993, he became the Scandinavian champion, and was the European champion twice in 1994 and 1995. He was voted Athlete of the Year by Iceland in 1994. Adding superhero to that resume just makes it twice as nice (and you know is his shape he doesn’t have to worry about getting term life insurance quotes).

Now, why should you and your children watch this?  It does get them off their butts.  I find Madison and Will dancing and singing with the show when its on.  It has taught my children that there is nothing wrong with going outside and playing.  On top of the activity lessons, there are moral lessons too.  Check your local schedule and see when you can watch it at your place.  You won’t be disappointed!

Brighter Minds Media has now introduced Bob The Builder Can Do Zoo. It has already been awarded three awards — that’s how good it is!  I let my greatest kid tester in my house try it out — that would be Madison who is 4.  Since we have gotten the game in the mail (thanks Family Review Network!), Madison goes around singing “Bob the Builder . . . We can do it  . . . Bob the Builder . . .  Yes we can”.  That has been my house for a week now.  However, I don’t actually mind all the much, because we really like this game.  As soon as I found out the Diner Dash (my favorite computer game ever) was behind this, I knew we had a winner.

Bob The Builder Can Do Zoo has 3 modes of play - Story, Free Play, and Sticker Book.  There is also 6 animal habitats to build,  7 unique learning activities, and hundreds of stickers to collect for building achievements.  There are three levels, so it is quite easy to pick the level that is best for your kids.  You are able to play in both English and Spanish.  There are also many skills taught through this game - problem solving, critical thinking, object classification, planning and time sequencing, pattern, size, and spatial recognition, and shape and color identification.

Why is this game a winner in my house?  That is actually pretty easy.  First, this game works on our desktop that is 8 years old.  Most games won’t work on there, and we actually consider that Madison’s computer.  When a game works on there, we all cheer for joy.  The second thing that I loved was that she was actually learning something while playing.  There are a lot of games out there that are just mindless, and I would much rather have her playing games like this.  Next, the price is right.  It should retail around $19.95 which is very cheap and affordable for a computer game.  Lastly, Madison can play this herself.  I didn’t have to help her at all.  She is only four, but that say a lot about this game.  It is truly simple and age appropriate.  Nothing is more frustrating than to get a game for her, and I have to play it because it is too hard to do and/or navigate.

If you are looking for a great Christmas or birthday present, I highly recommend Bob The Builder Can Do Zoo.  It was a big hit in my house and will be in yours too!

The first product of the Huggies Clean Team products that we recently tried are the moist wipes. Madison isn’t too sure about them yet. However, mommy does like them. They are soft and have a great smell to them. I love that they are flushable. I can definitely seeing this being a product used often in our house.

Another Clean Team product that I am absolutely loving is the foaming hand soap.  I like the foaming, because Madison likes it.  It helps her to wash her hands, because she thinks its more fun.  It is also scented.  I am not sure what the scent is, but it definitely smells good.  I wouldn’t mind washing my hands a few times more using this.  The top of the bottle is a hippo, so Madison giggles when she sees it.  I loving that you can lock it, so your kids won’t use the whole bottle up in one day.

The last Clean Team product that we tried was the extra conditioning shampoo.  Again, this product smells awesome.  The shape of the bottle is a little different, but it actually makes it much easier to grip especially when it is wet.  This is a no tear shampoo, and Madison enjoyed using it.

The next time you are in need of cleaning products for your kids you should definitely check out the Huggies Clean Team products.  They are working great in my family.

I wrote about how we were able to sign up for this program through my sisters work place over at My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This program is awesome. Granted, it does cost you a little every month. However, through the amount of exercise and steps you do, you are able to earn up to $400 by the end of the year! Also, it forces you to get in shape and out of plus size clothing (hopefully)!. You get a free pedometer, so you are able to get some instant gratification that what you are doing is doing something. I ended up with a little over 4,000 steps yesterday. Not bad for my first day (of course, not the 7,000 I was hoping for either!). Everybody needs a little motivation and money always works! I wish more insurance companies would step up and offer incentives like this.

The Playdoh Creativity Center is a winner in both parents and kids eyes. If you find you have playdoh and playdoh accessories all over your house, you need one of these! Not only does it have a table for your little one to play on, all of the playdoh and accessories go inside. I know it has been a lifesaver in my house. Now, Madison and I both know where all of her playdoh stuff is. There is enough space inside that you can put other playdoh accessories and playdoh in there. We have several different sets in ours. On the table (which is the cover) there are also spots (or molds) that allow the kids to make all sorts of different shapes like strawberries and such. You can also buy the plastic that goes on top and gives the kids a theme to build playdoh things with. I think it comes with one that looks like four plates, so the kids can make playdoh food to put on the plates. I can’t tell you how many hours Madison has played with this. It is worth every penny. You can’t get it at places like directbuy, but it should be pretty easy to find at Kmart, Target, etc.

Madison wanted these, so we got them. To be honest, they taste exactly the same as the regular Spaghetti O’s (the price was the same so I was willing to try them). However, I have to admit was I was impressed with the shapes. I figured they would have Dora and that was it. Instead, they have Dora, Boots, Backpack, Map, Star, and Swiper. The shapes even look like the characters. Madison loves them, so I give them 2 thumbs too.