Personally I feel like spring time is when you start to do all new and exciting things outside – especially if you’ve been cooped up … so today we’re talking some great gifting ideas for taking outside to play with baby this spring.
Into the Forest Musical Nature Stroll [amazon] This sunny on-the-go flexible arch features 6 different baby-activated toys that encourage the development of fine motor skills and is compatible with baby’s age and preferences.
Meadow Days Thomas Jitter [amazon]
Thomas, an all-smiles inquisitive bunny, is a charming on-the-go clip toy with jittery feedback that stimulates the senses and helps develop fine motor skills.
Meadow Day Dynamic Gymini [amazon] A uniquely versatile baby activity mat with adjustable moving arches that adapt to baby’s age and stage, encouraging the development of fine and gross motor skills from day one.
We’re giving away a prize pack from Tiny Love that includes The Meadow Days Dynamic Gymini and the Thomas Jitter.
How to win it: Leave a comment with which animal you think the cutest is…
Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on May 16, 2018. Limited to US residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter. Winner chosen at random.
With Mother’s Day quickly approaching it’s time to think of those last minute gifts to purchase (we have plenty more to say on that) but it’s also time to start thinking about the card. Rather than buying a card, why not make something from the heart. So I’ve partnered with the Paper & Packaging- How Life Unfolds campaign to share some creative ideas on how you can make your own cards and gifts for mom.
As you can see below, my girls are making mom some one-of-a-kind cards using colorful construction paper. Another simple project I love is taking colored sticky notes and having my kids write little personal notes to mom. Then they can stick them around the house and mom will find little surprise notes throughout the day.
This is a really, really beyond simple project, but it teaches the kids to remember all the small things that mom does for them. Like “Thanks for making my lunches”…. “Thanks for reading me my bed time stories”…. “Thanks for picking out my school outfits”…. “I love singing songs in the car with you”… think of it as little notes of appreciation.
Plus we’re giving away 1 – $150 Amazon giftcard to make sure a mom has an extra special day thanks to #HowLifeUnfolds
But first the step-by-step guide.
We’re using this great paper set we found at staples or amazon.
Have the children take a sheet of paper and you can do a daily note (365 of them – if you go with this option if you write the month and a day in a corner it could become a pull calendar too) a weekly note (52) of them or just keep filling out notes till you feel like that’s enough.
Place notes back into plastic and gift wrap it up.
How to win it: Leave a comment with one saying you’d like to write on a note to mom.
Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on May 12, 2018. Limited to US residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter. Winners chosen at random.
From Marvel Studios comes the eagerly anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War,” the third installment in the “Avengers” franchise and 19th Marvel Studios film to date. The release also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began with the release of “Iron Man” in 2008.
Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” is the preeminent collection of iconic Super Hero characters in one film and stars Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark/ Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes/War Machine, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Paul Bettany as Vision, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Benedict Wong as Wong, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, with Benicio Del Toro as The Collector, with Josh Brolin as Thanos, and Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord.
First appearing in the “Iron Man” #55 comic book issue in 1973, Thanos is a powerful Titan warlord who rules over the furthest regions of space and commands massive armies known as the Chitauri and the Outriders. “We always knew that the bar was very high with Thanos,” says Kevin Feige. “He made a very brief appearance in ‘The Avengers.’ He had a couple lines of dialogue and a brief appearance in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ and we saw him very briefly at the end of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ But other than that, we’ve never really seen him do anything. We’ve just been teasing his presence and the coming of Thanos since ‘The Avengers.’”
Feige continues, “In our story, Thanos had to deliver a threat far beyond anything the Avengers had ever seen before. That’s not just making him strong and powerful. It’s about having a villain who’s charismatic and who you surprisingly begin to feel for. More so than any of our other movies, this is very much a story about Thanos and his drive, goals and past. This is the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that a film is really told from the villain’s point of view.”
“Thanos is this virtually indestructible character who’s stronger than the Hulk and has invincible skin,” explains Anthony Russo. “Many years prior to ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ his planet, Titan, experienced a cataclysmic shift. They were running out of resources, and they were overpopulated. Thanos made the recommendation to exterminate half the population randomly to save the rest of the population. Titans rejected his notion, branded him a mad man and exiled him. And the planet ended up dying.”
Ok so crazy Titan is hunting infinity stones to fix the universe in a similar way he saw a solution for his own planet.
THE INFINITY STONES PRIMER
SPACE STONE (Tesseract)
Color: Blue
Power: Used to control space and create advanced weaponry
Currently in possession: Asgard
REALITY STONE (Aether)
Color: Red
Power: Ability to warp reality at will, immense strength, durability, powers, and subjective influence over the universe
Currently in Possession: The Collector
POWER STONE (Orb)
Color: Purple
Power: Increases physical abilities, allows manipulation of energy. Can obliterate an entire planet when unleashed.
Currently in Possession: Nova Corps
MIND STONE (from Loki’s scepter)
Color: Yellow
Power: Subjugate the minds of others, bending them to the will of the user. Increased intelligence.
Currently in Possession: Vision
TIME STONE (Eye of Agamotto)
Color: Green
Power: Able to control the flow of time.
Currently in Possession: Doctor Strange
SOUL STONE
Color: Orange
Power: Unknown
Currently in Possession: Unknown
Avengers, Assemble!
There is NO mid credit scene in Avengers: Infinity War, however there is only a end credit scene.
Is this movie ok for kids? This is a tough question because I will say there are tough discussions to have and having to tell a child well it’ll only be a year before the next one comes out doesnt really fly either. so I think for older kids, they’ll get it. younger kids might not.
I will say I loved this movie and it totally did justice to the 10 years and 18 other films leading up to this moment…. now if you’re a fan of the comic books I going to say I believe the next avengers movie (part 4) which hasn’t had its official name released yet might be called Avengers: Secret Wars.
As we finally had our first taste of spring this weekend it means that its time to start prepping the BBQ grills for those family cookouts. My wife watches The Chew daily (sometimes even cooks a thing or two from the show) when I heard that Michael Symon (one of The Chew co-hosts) had a new book out called “Playing With Fire” I just had to check this out.
The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City–to name just a few–as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides.
Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of Playing With Fire AND they’re providing a prize pack for one of you! The Grillmaster prize pack includes:
Michael Symon cooks with soul, having grown up in a Greek and Sicilian family. The Cleveland native shares his exuberant, approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers as an Iron Chef on Food Network and as a co-host on ABC’s The Chew. Michael is the chef and owner of more than 18 restaurants, including Lola and Mabel’s BBQ in downtown Cleveland, locals of B-Spot Burgers throughout the Midwest, and Angeline at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. He is also the author of five cookbooks.
How to win it: Leave a comment with your favorite food to grill!
Contest ends 11:59pm EST on April 21st, 2018. Limited to USA residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter.
The upcoming DC Baby Show is a family-friendly mega-event! The DC Baby Show, a JPMA and family media and trade event is happening this year in Washington, DC. JPMA will host its annual trade show to industry insiders on March 20th-23rd. Then on the final day of the JPMA Baby Show will open up to the public for those who purchase tickets as, the DC Baby Show will take place this Saturday March 24th.
I have an exciting offer that will allow my audience 50% off the ticket price. Please use the coupon code: DADAROCKS50. Regular priced tickets to the DC Baby Show are $30 per family (for 2 adults and up to 4 children), or $20 per individual.
You will be able to connect with influencers from the world of parenting and pregnancy and most importantly see, touch and feel the products you may have been reading about on blogs, Instagram or pinned on Pinterest. For a full list of exhibitors click here.
REGISTER HERE with my special coupon code for 50% off.
PROMO CODE: DADAROCKS50
How to win it: Leave a comment with the name of your (or your child’s) favorite Star Wars character.
Contest ends 11:59pm EST on March 21st, 2018. Limited to USA residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter.
Have you been watching Star Wars Lego Freemaker Adventures?
“LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures,” the animated television series on Disney XD, is set between Stars Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and stars three siblings who scour the galaxy for useful debris that they use to build new vehicles of their own design. Rowan Freemaker is a spunky Force-sensitive 12-and-a-half-year-old with a thirst for adventure; his quick-witted older sister, Kordi, manages the family business and is the glue that holds the family together; ace pilot and charming rogue, Zander, is the oldest brother and the family’s self-proclaimed starship connoisseur; and R0-GR is their refurbished battle droid from the Clone Wars. When Rowan has visions of an ancient and powerful Jedi starship called The Arrowhead, he and his family set out on an epic quest to rebuild it so they can turn the tide of battle for the Rebellion. Together, they explore new worlds, meet new characters and Star Wars icons, and have unforgettable adventures.
In season two of “LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures,” the three Freemaker siblings—Rowan, Kordi and Zander—have found a new home with the Rebel fleet. But working with the Rebels in their fight to bring down the Empire brings them face to face with brutal Imperial forces, desperate Hutts, conniving Sith Lords and the Emperor’s latest plaything, M-OC.
Into the Forest Musical Nature Stroll [amazon]
Meadow Days Thomas Jitter [amazon]
Meadow Day Dynamic Gymini [amazon]
