School is upon us again.  Madison was in preschool last year and is in it again this year.  She had two backpacks that she used last year, so neither of them are very worn out at all.  I decided that since it was only preschool and they would work perfectly fine, I was not going to buy her a new backpack.  To the left here is the backback that she is using this year.  I feel slightly guilty, since it seems that the rest of the kids have new backpacks.  However, when I came across PakNak Charms, I knew I had my answer.  This was a way to alter her backpack and make her happy without me having to by her a new one.

Now, I got a snail and a butterfly to add to her backpack since it goes with the Tinkerbell theme pretty well.  She noticed right away that I added them!  The PakNak charms are made of a soft material that is both flexible and weatherproof!  It took me less than 5 minutes to attach, and I can easily switch the places of the charms.  Now, Madison’s backpack is pretty busy.  Can you imagine the difference these would make on a single colored cooler or backpack?  All I know is that the PakMak charms made my 4 year old a very happy little girl!

Teddy Bear’s Fun to Learn First 1000 Words is book that is great for all little ones. My 4 year old enjoys it just as much as my 1 year old. Granted, you won’t find las vegas hotels in here. However, there is pretty much everything else. Each page in the book has a theme (like the beach). It lists the theme and a ton of items to go with it (for example, the beach pages show things like sunscreen, water wings, sailboat, beachball, etc). There is also a picture in the center of the page with all the miscellaneous items.  There is also a short poem asking you questions about the theme.  Will (my one year old) just likes to look at everything and go “ohhhh”.  Madison (my 4 year old) enjoys looking at the pictures and telling us what each thing is.  She likes to answer the questions for us too.  My only complaint is that the pages are paper which are a little to easy for Will to rip.

This book is great because your little ones can use it as they grow older.  I would definitely purchase it a birthday, baby shower, and/or Christmas gift.  The little ones who you are getting for will get a lot of use out of it!

I’ll admit it.  The header of this blog (Stitching Mama) makes me jealous since I want learn how to do that.  This is another blog with a great simple theme (seriously, I wish I could do one sidebar!).  Not only does the design rock, but the content is awesome.  You can read about how to save money on your grocery bill and taking pictures.  You can definitely see the author in each one of her posts especially when you read about how she is terrified of flying!  Even if you aren’t a crafter, this is a blog you should check out!

Another blog you should definitely add to your blogroll has to be Unguided Blog.  The first thing that jumped out at me with this blog is its calming colors.  I love the blue background and green text.  I find it relaxing and enjoyable to read.  This simple one sidebar theme is just awesome.  It is a clean design and doesn’t make anything look cluttered.  The other thing that will stand out for you is the content.  You will find yourself reading the posts and wanting more. You can read about everything from acronyms to arab women finding men sexy.  If you want to read a view of the world like you’ve never seen before, definitely check out the Unguided Blog.

Challenges of Life is a blog that has a little bit of everything.  I read posts about how to get your kids to eat vegetables and tips to applying makeup.  As you can tell, she covers all aross the board.  Normally, orange is not a color I like especially on a theme.  However, Challenges of Life pulls it off with style.  This blog has an awesome design.  You don’t have 40 million widgets blinking at you.  Everything just compliments each other.  Her blog theme is very pleasing to the eye, and her sidebars definitely do not take away from the post content.  Like I stated in my last review, the only thing I would change is that she needs an about page.  I like to read about the author of the blog.  It gives one a better understanding of why they write about what they do and gives another glimpse into their life.

I love when I come across a blog that I wish I would have thought of that title.  New Memories is one of those blogs.  Each post gives a glimpse into Anna Glendenning’s life — you know, a new memory.  I love how she is gut wrenching honest.  To be honest, that is the first thing I noticed when I first saw her blog. Every post she does has a bit of her heart and soul written into each one.  This is also the first dark theme that I have seen that is easy on the eyes to read too.  The grey background with the cream lettering actually compliments each other quite well.  She has made it pretty easy to navigate her blog and be able to read her newer posts as well as some of the older ones.  My only complaint is that she needs an about page.  I want to read more about you!  From her header, I have figured out that she has adopted special needs siblings.   However, I want to know more!

New Memories is a blog that I would highly recommend reading.  Though the posts may be a long, they are truly informative and grab your attention to the point you can’t stop reading.

I never thought Braincandy would infiltrate my household like it has. My 4 year old and my 1 year old are absolutely in love with the Hear My World DVD from Braincandy. My daughter (the 4 year old) has begged me to buy the rest of the series. That is how much she enjoys this movie.

Now this DVD does not go by Hear My World in this house.  Instead, it is referred to as the ear movie (can you figure out why?).  The movie is all about the sounds you hear.  There is a lot of singing and they have short little skits.  My kids love it.  The skits are just long enough to hold their attention.  Every time the singing starts, Will (my 1 year old) starts dancing.  It is both cute and funny at the same time.

The great part of these movies is that they are both learning and not realizing it.  Braincandy has won 35 awards and industry endorsements, so they must be doing something right!  I know that Madison goes around singing their theme song “Braincandy” that plays at the beginning of the video.  I know Santa will be bringing some of these videos come Christmas time at my house.  If you need an awesome present, definitely look into getting some of these DVDs.