Quitters never win: A Lesson on Committment

I've always been one of those moms who insists her children stick with something until their commitment to it has been met.  For example, if they want to take guitar lessons, they must stick with those lessons until the session is over even if they've hated it from day 1.  This comes as no surprise to my children because I spell out my conditions from the start.  My reasoning for this policy is multi faceted.  

The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Volume 4

Now on DVD, here's some summer viewing from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for the high school and older aged crowd.

Who won the frog's?

The winner of the Wild Creations eco aquarium is #54 kimbuckjr.

Coming Soon to Build-a-Bear Workshop: Ice Cream Bears

While visiting the Build-a-Bear Bearquarters recently, I had a chance to check out a few of the upcoming lines soon to be appearing in a Build-a-Bear Workshop near you.  One of my favorites is a Limited Edition Ice Cream themed line of bears arriving in stores this Friday, July 2nd.  This yummy line includes an Orange Sherbet Bear, Bubblegum Bear, Mint Chip Bear, and Hot Fudge Sundae Bear as well as adorable outfits to match each.  Additionally, a backpack style bear carrier fashioned to resemble a cone with sprinkle cap is also being sold.  Each bear includes a plush cone and a Baskin Robbins Offer.

Even cuter in person, these bears will be sold at a special price July 2nd thru the 18th, 2 for $35 or $20 each (while quantities last).  Cordelia, the twins, and I will be heading to our local store on Friday to take advantage of this special offer.  Cordelia plans to get Bubblegum bear for herself and to make Orange Sherbet Bear for her friend's birthday.

BuildABearville.com fans will be excited to learn that each bear comes with an exclusive ride and if you collect all 4 you will get an exclusive room for your cub condo house.

* Please note Build-a-Bear paid for my lodging and travel expenses to visit them last week as well as sent me home with some fun goodies.

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Cheesy Explosion Line {Review & Giveaway}

We are big Kraft Macaroni & Cheese fans in our house, so no twisting of arms was needed to get us to try their Cheesy Explosion line.  It consists of 3 flavors: Extreme Cheese Explosion, Grilled Cheese Explosion, and Cheddar Cheese Explosion.

Artterro Art Kits, indoor summer fun

We were recently asked if my 9 year old daughter would help review her choice of dozen eco-friendly art kits currently offered by Artterro.  Cordelia loves doing crafts and was happy to try out one of the cool kits offered by Artterro for the 7 & up crowd.

Madeline’s Great Adventures DVD

Madeline's Great Adventures DVD hits stores today.  Join little Madeline, her loyal canine companion Genevieve, next-door neighbor Pepito, and her 11 delightful classmates from Miss Clavel’s Parisian school as they encounter royalty and pirates in this animated, fun-filled DVD.

Giving Back (Build-a-Bear, Huggable Heroes, Zach Bonner, & Donors Choose)

While visiting Build-a-Bear World Bearquarters last week as part of the Build-a-Bear Connect Event, I learned a lot about the numerous ways the company Build-a-Bear both gives back to chartities directly and rewards others for their charity initiatives and outstanding deeds.  It would be an understatement to say I was quite impressed, I was deeply touched.

One of the most notable ways Build-a-Bear aids in charity initiatives is by simply honoring and cele-bear-ating the Build-A-Bear Workshop® Huggable Heroes each year.  Now it's seventh year, the Huggable Heroes Program is designed to reward youth for their outstanding acts of generosity, volunteerism and leadership.




"This year's class of Huggable Heroes, ranging in age from 8 to 18, is elevating the bar on giving. Collectively, these dedicated young people have raised funds and collected items valued at more than $22.5 million, and they volunteer more than 650 hours of their time each month. These numbers keep rising as they continue to support military troops, advocate for literacy, raise funds and awareness to help medical advances, help build and fund schools and orphanages in underdeveloped countries, inspire and mobilize other youth from all over the world to help make the world a better place and much more."

I had the honor to meet a previous Huggable Heroe, by the name of Zach Bonner, and his Mom, Lori, while at last week's event.  Zach is 12, putting him at about the same age as my second oldest son, Hayden.  Readers may recall that my son Hayden was challenged to do some charity based fund raising of his own about 6 months ago and rose to the challenge raising nearly $400.  Our entire family was so very proud of Hayden and what he accomplished in such a short time.  I can only imagine what life has been like for mom Lori Bonner as her son Zach and his various efforts have raised both awareness and an impressively large amount in charitable donations.

The Little Red Wagon Foundation was founded in April of 2005 by then 7 year old Zachary Bonner.  The main goals for Zach and his foundation are to help homeless youth by providing them with backpacks full of food, supplies and a small toy.  He is committed to helping supply kids in Title 1 schools, foster care, and orphanages around the world with the school supplies they need to succeed in school.  Watch for more info on Zach Bonner soon, "Rudy" and "Hoosiers" Director David Anspaugh is turning Zach's tale into a movie.

In honor of Zach Bonner's appearance at the #BABWconnect event, Build-a-Bear gave each of the 25 bloggers in attendance a DonorsChoose.org gift certifcate for $25.00 and I'm asking readers for help in picking a project for mine.  Leave a comment below with your suggestion prior to 11:59pm 7/5/10 and I'll randomly choose one to designate the money towards.  Thanks in advance for your suggestions and to Build-a-Bear for making this donation possible.

* Please note Build-a-Bear paid for my lodging and travel expenses to visit them as well as sent me home with some fun goodies such as this donorschoose card.

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party: Part 5 of 5

Our puppy dog birthday party for the twins would not have been complete without food and decor to compliment the fun theme.

The main piece of our decor was a reusable fabric pennant banner draped in our picture window by etsy merchant BlueMoonStudios.  This colorful birthday banner has 9 flags, each about 7 inches long, sewn into a red grosgrain ribbon.  The entire string is about 8 feet long, including around 15 inches of ribbon on either end for hanging. Flags are double-sided so bunting can be viewed from either side.  The double sided feature is my favorite part, guests saw the festive fun in my window as the approached the door.  Special Offer - Mention "andtwinsmake5.com" in the "message to seller box" for a 10% discount on orders.

The appetizer menu included dog bone shaped chips served with hummus in a plastic dog bowl found in the Target bargain bins.  The chips were easy to make.  We simply used a cookie cutter provided by Wilton to cut bones from soft store bough tortillas.  The tortillas were then brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with Mrs. Dash for a hint of flavor, and baked until crispy.

Additionally, we had some kid friendly snacks such as scooby doo graham crackers placed in adorable dog themed reusable snack bags for the highly mobile twins to carry around with them as they enjoyed their day.  The eco-friendly small snack bags were provided by Etsy merchant MojaCreations.  They feature a full velcro closure, double nylon lining, and are free from lead, BPA, or phthalates.  Another big plus is the eleastic handle for easy carrying.  The twins will be able to remember their big day for years to come as they snack from these containers.  Special Offer - Mention "andtwinsmake5.com" in the "message to seller box" for a 10% discount on orders.









For the meal itself we dined on hot dogs, pasta salad, and other basics that the twins love.  Many of the dishes were adorned with these sweet handmade doggy cupcake picks by etsy merchant PaperCircus.  We dazzled guests as we topped rice krispie treats, hot dogs, dips and more with the darling paper dalmations and terriers intended to top cupcakes.  Special Offer - Mention "andtwinsmake5.com" in the "message to seller box" for a 10% discount on orders.









The guests deemed our puppy dog cake to be both yummy to eat and super cute.  We were provided with the highly adaptable animal crackers pan by Wilton to help us create this birthday cake.  We followed the pans instructions for baking and enhanced the cake with the natural colored rolled Wilton fondants cut to resemble a puppy dog's ears, eyes, noses, tongue and etc.  The twins were beyond thrilled when presented with their puppy dog birthday cake.

If this series of posts inspired a puppy dog party of your own, please send us the links!

---

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party Index:
Part 1 - Baking themed cookies
Part 2 - Personalized birthday party apparel
Part 3 - Themed Birthday Party Games
Part 4 - Themed Party Favors
Part 5 - Decorations and Food

Schleich Toy Figures Giveaway

Schleich recently provided us with some of their fabulous dog themed toy figures to compliment our puppy dog birthday party motif for the twins.  These hand painted figures were a huge hit and are a great gift idea for the 3 and older crowd.  You'll see in our post that we used these to adorn the party table providing an element of play for younger guests.

The Schleich product range extends well beyond the world of dogs to include dinosaurs, farm animals, knights, and smurfs to name a few.  They've provided us with a second match set of Schleich toys to giveaway to one lucky reader.  Included figures are the German Shepard puppy, German Shepard Female, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy, Husky Female and Husky puppy laying down.

Enter to Win:  Visit Schleich's website then return here to leave a comment about your favorite figure.

Optional Additional Entries for:
1 extra entry if you follow this blog or subscribe to this blog's feed.
1 extra entry if you "like" And twins make 5! on Facebook.
1 extra entry if you tweet about this giveaway and include @andtwinsmake5
1 extra entry if you blog about this contest and link back to it.

Rules:
An email address is required to enter. Please leave it in your comment, or make sure one is visible for me to find in your blogger profile. If you qualify for additional entries please comment separately telling us which options you have used. Please limit your tweets to once daily.  A winner will be chosen via random.org. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen.  This contest is open to 18 + USA & Canada.  Ends on 7/28/10 @ 11:59PM CST.

I just returned from Build-a-Bear Bearquarters in St. Louis!

Cher (MamasMoneySavers), Maxine Clark, & I

I just returned from a multiple day visit to Build-a-Bear Bearquarters in St. Louis where I met Maxine Clark, many other Build-a-Bear Staff members, a great kid by the name of Zack Bonner, Zach's Mom Lori, and several wonderful bloggers.

I can't wait to fill everyone in on all I learned about the Build-a-Bear company and the people behind it.  While there I was able to tour the executive offices, hear from Maxine Clark and several other employees on a range of topics including charity initiatives, upcoming product previews, a commitment to children's cyber safety in relation to buildabearville.com, and much more.  I even attended a charming backyard BBQ at Maxine's home.

My trip ended at the nearby mall where we visited a Build-a-Bear Workshop and attended a Build-a-Bear party where we made a bear of our own to bring home.  I look forward to sharing more details about this trip with you soon.  A huge bear hug to Build-a-Bear for inviting me to this wonderful connecting event.

That's my spot

Myself, Danyelle (TheCubicleChick), and Cher (MamasMoneySavers)

Adding the stuffing

Dressing my iCarly Bear in Pajamas and a robe

My bear makes friends

* Please note Build-a-Bear paid for my lodging and travel expenses to visit them as well as sent me home with some fun goodies.

The Great American Backyard Campout, June 26, 2010

Join in the fun with families, friends and communities for the sixth annual Great American Backyard Campout on June 26. National Wildlife Federation encourages parents and kids alike to trade their website for a campsite and screen time for green time to experience a night under the stars with Mother Nature.  This year Hershey's and American Girl are joining the National Wildlife Federation in this Backyard Camping celebration.

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party: Part 4 of 5

Pin It

In my last post on the twins' puppy dog themed 2nd birthday party, I told you about some fun group games we played.  In this post, I'd to show you all the great party favors we found that worked wonderfully well with our chosen theme.  I love party favors for a variety of reasons.  Most obviously, they are a way of thanking your guests for coming to help you celebrate the occasion and for providing a memento of the day itself.  However, party favors can also double as party decor and additional entertainment.

We found several cute items that were a huge hit with invited guests and our twin boys.  And while our theme was "puppy dogs" many of these items are also available in other other patterns and styles as well.

Party Favor Treat Bags:  EmmiGraceKids another etsy merchant provided the perfect sized tote style favor bags in a red cat & dog print.  The tote features 2 handles for carrying and can be purchased in 3 different sizes.  Our bags were the small size.  Stuffing them with items shown below, scoooby themed fruit snacks, scooby graham cracker cookies, or playdoh along with a bone or dog shaped cookie cutter.

Crayon Wallets:  EmmiGraceKids also provided us with matching crayon wallets.  These are great for parties, travel, restaurants, waiting rooms and more.  You can even pick the crayon configuration you desire from 6 crayola sized crayons, 2 fun shaped recycled crayons, or even a configuration that allows for some of both.  Incidentally, the crayons are recycled by another etsy merchant named Gaddy Nipper.  We went with the 2 fun shaped crayons that double as a toy.  Each wallet includes a little memo pad and can be closed be tucking one end into the pocket.  Special Offer - Mention "andtwinsmake5.com" in the "message to seller box" for a special price of $13 on crayon totes and $10 on crayon wallets. 

EmmiGraceKids Crayon wallet with Gaddy Nipper Crayon

Dog Party I Spy Bags by GiggleJunction

I Spy Bags:  If you haven't discovered I spy bags yet, here's your chance.  Basically, kids can hold the I spy bags in their hands manuevering them to shift the non toxic plastic pellets and hidden "treaures inside".  While doing this, the objects randomly become visible via the spy window.  Each bag comes with a laminated card depicting all the hidden objects.  I looked at a lot of these on etsy and in my opinion merchant GiggleJunction seems to really do these neat homemade toys a step above the rest.  Unlike most of the others, GiggleJunction's are beautifully embroidered and feature a shaped window.  Everyone had a great time with the bags provided while at the party and little guests were able to take them home for additional fun.  GiggleJunction even offers Party packs with a large bag for the guest of honor and mini bags for invited guests to bring home.  Special Offer - Mention "andtwinsmake5.com" in the "message to seller box" for free personalization on your spy bag orders.

A selection of Schleich figures served as table decor and fun play

Dog Themed Schleich Action Figures:  Schleich provided us with 6 of their awesome hand painted dog figures to adorn our table and provide our guests with an added fun toy distraction.  Included figures were the German Shepard puppy, German Shepard Female, Bernese Mountain Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog Puppy, Husky Female and Husky puppy laying down.  These adorable and realistic dogs were a huge hit with all the kids as well as the adults.  Schleich has hundreds of these high quality animal and people figures in a variety of themes.  I've spotted them at various stores such as toysrus and target.  Don't they make a great favor or gift?  Please note that these Schleich figures are designed for the 3 and up crowd and our twins will require adult supervision until next year.  Giveaway alert - Thanks to Schleich, we will be giving away an identical set of these dogs on our blog.  Enter to win.

In our next puppy party post, watch for details on the party menu and decorations.

---

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party Index:
Part 1 - Baking themed cookies
Part 2 - Personalized birthday party apparel
Part 3 - Themed Birthday Party Games
Part 4 - Themed Party Favors
Part 5 - Decorations and Food (must see cake)

Wordless Wednesday: Driver's Permit

My oldest son has had his driver's permit for about 2 weeks now.  To say we've hit a few bumps along the way is an understatement.  Are we sure a 15 year old who adores playing football partly because "you get to hit things" should really be driving mommy's beloved Buick Enclave?

More Wordless Wednesday posts found here.

Good Earth dry dinner kits {Review & Giveaway}

"What's for dinner?" has to rank in the top 10 most asked questions of any mom.  It also happens to be a question I frequently can't answer until about 30 minutes prior to serving it.  I tend to wing it at least a couple times a week, so I'm all for items that help me do that.

With that said, I didn't have to think twice before agreeing to sample a dinner kit provided by Good Earth and MyBlogSpark.  New this June, each variety of Good Earth dinner kits include vibrant and flavorful sauces along with specialty ingredients like sweet basil, white wine and dried tomatoes. Delicious dinners that allow you to keep a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing taste, Good Earth dry dinner kits are perfect for whipping up a no-fail, five-star cuisine in less than 30 minutes.

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party: Part 3 of 5

Pin ItPuppy Dog Themed Party Games:

The twins just celebrated their second birthday and we are sharing all the details of their puppy dog themed party with readers.  Part 1 included some pre-party baking of cookies and Part 2 featured some personalized party apparel for the big day including shirts and hats.

In this post, I'd like to tell you about the puppy dog themed party games and activities we enjoyed.  As a Mommy of 5, I've planned a lot of parties over the years and I can't stress enough how important it is to have a bunch of group and individual activities ready and waiting to keep the celebrant(s) and guests busy.  Twin toddlers turning 2 as the guests of honor were my biggest challenge yet, but I couldn't be more thrilled with how it all went.

Puppy Themed Bean Bag Toss Game by Kid N Around Creations

Storage Bag for Bag Toss Game that we used in another game too.

Dog Themed Lawn Tic Tac Toe by Stell & Livi

Puppy Dog Themed Bean Bag Toss:  Etsy merchant and new blog sponsor Kid-N Around Creations provided adorable Puppy Dog Themed Bean Bag Toss Games for the boys.  Each game came in a cute sack and included 2 felt embroidered bean bags and 3 embroidered felt targets.  The targets were simply arranged on the floor for a game playable by all ages.  Everyone loved it and it will be a wonderful playable memento of their 2nd birthday party for many years to come.  We went on to utilize some of this game's parts in two additional ways as well.

Puppy Buckets:  I made this game myself.  It's a puppy dog themed version of Bozo buckets.  To make it party pretty, I purchased 3 new white paint buckets at home depot and decoupaged them with some puppy graphics torn from the pages of a battered book.  Play was simple and enjoyable for everyone.  We lined up the 3 buckets in a row had participants stand behind a line outside drawn in sidewalk chalk and they took turns trying to toss the bean bags.

Find the Bone:  This is another game we made.  30 Bones were traced on white poster board, cut out, numbered, and hidden around the party location prior to guests arriving.  Much like an Easter Egg Hunt, the twins and guests set out to find to find all the bones.  A sack made bone collecting easier to manage for the little ones.

Tic Tac Toe with Bones and Paws:  A lawn, floor, or picnic table version of the classic tic tac toe provided a great way to entertain the slightly older kids attending.  No X's and O's would do for this puppy dog crazy party, we were provided with a Bones and Paws version by etsy merchant Stell & Livi.  Composed simply of canvas, ribbon, and felt, this was an adorable addition.  Check out their "pin the tail" games for older kids too.

For a fun award idea, cut out ribbon badges with titles like "best in show" and "top dog".

Planning your own party soon or need a cute gift?  Mention this post on "andtwinsmake5.com" for a 10% discount on your order with either of the etsy merchants featured above.  In my next post, I'll show you some puppy dog themed party favor that allowed for individual play during the party itself.  Also watch for posts on the food and decor!

---

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party Index:
Part 1 - Baking themed cookies
Part 2 - Personalized birthday party apparel
Part 3 - Themed Birthday Party Games
Part 4 - Themed Party Favors
Part 5 - Decorations and Food  (must see cake)

New from Zhu Zhu Pets: Kung Zhu Pets {Review & Giveaway}

Special Forces, Rivit in Thunderstrike Armor

When asked by MomSelect last year to review an electronic hamster toy with the help of my kids, I hesitantly answered yes.  I wasn't quite sure this was going to be a long term hit with my crew until seeing them in action.  My review found here went on to predict that the Zhu Zhu Pets would be a huge 2009 hot holiday toy and as we all know, they most certainly were.

This summer I was provided by Cepia Llc via MomSelect with several items from the new Kung Zhu Pets line and I'm thinking they have another hit on their hands.  The Kung Zhu have caught the interest of my 11 year old son, Hayden, with their ability to do battle against each other.

Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Pasta Sauce in Spicy Marinara

I recently was offered a chance to try a new "ToBe Healthy" pasta sauce by Francesco Rinaldi.  Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy pasta sauce is the first major line of pasta sauce fortified with DHA Omega 3.  While I know that DHA Omega 3 is important to heart health, I also know it's important to serve my kids a pasta sauce they will like.

iCarly: iSaved Your Life DVD

Hitting the road this summer with the family?  If you have family travel plans, you'll likely be making a list of the latest DVD releases to keep the kids occupied.  With that in mind, here is one my 9 year old daughter and I recently enjoyed watching.  It's geared towards the for the 3-11 crowd.

iCarly: iSaved Your Life released on DVD June 8th.  Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, iCarly: iSaved Your Life features two of the highest rated iCarly TV specials plus three additional episodes, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes special features that show fans all of the off-camera fun.

Giveaway Winners:

The winner of the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor Kit is #18 Chip.
The winner of the Kraft Foods Gift Basket is #9 Derinda.
The winner of the Sid the Science Kid: Weather Kid Sid DVD is #27 Anita Yance.

Outside Toys by Backyard Safari Outfitters

While all kids are different, summer tends to be the time when they get into the flora, fauna, wildlife, and insects.  One of the key elements of nature exploration to kids tends to include bugs.  My sons go for the creepier and uglier the better when it comes to insects, but my daughter limits herself to admiring a limited amount of butterflies and ladybugs.

Lately, we are looking like we have seriously stepped up our game when it comes to this whole outdoorsy thing.  Donning a spiffy cargo vest and wielding tools like a Bug Vacuum and Mega View Periscope all provided by Backyard Safari Outfitters (via Team Mom) have put us in the big leagues of backyard exploration.

Our vest and it's many pockets enabled the kids to carry extras around such as the camera and water.  The bug vacuum helped us capture a fly (see picture) to study and the mega view periscope allowed for some fun underwater pool spying moments.

Favorite?  We adore the bug vacuum the most.  The magnifying lens on the bug vacuum allows for an extreme close-up of the captured bug or bugs.  We also loved that the rotating end-cap lenses made it easy to free the insects without harm when done fully inspecting them.

What a fun summertime gadget for the aspiring nature buff!

Pancakes with Log Cabin All Natural Syrup

Birthdays, Father's Day, and a 19th wedding anniversary (for hubby and I) meant there was a lot to celebrate for the Wagner Family this past weekend.  It just wouldn't be a celebration weekend without some pancakes in there somewhere either.

Following the recent removal of high fructose corn syrup from all Log Cabin products comes a new natural syrup.  The new Log Cabin All Natural Syrup has no artificial colors or flavors, and I'm told that it is the first of it's kind to ever be nationally distributed.

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party: Part 2 of 5

Pin It

The twins are 2!

Yesterday was the big day for our twins.  Cormac & Declan turned two years old and we celebrated the occasion by throwing a puppy dog themed birthday party.  A few guests were asked to bring their own dogs to further the kennel club feel and add additional opportunities for the twins to interact with their four legged friends.

The twins have been big dog fans for several months now, evident in among other things their numerous requests to watch one of their Air Bud or "Buddies" movies, constant attention to our own dog Lulu, and a preference for their dog stuffed animals.

It seemed like a fitting choice to "go with it" and throw a puppy dog themed bash fit for two.  In my part 1 post, we prepared for the party a few days in advance by baking dog themed cookies.

Another pre-party thing to consider is what the guest (or guests) of honor will wear.  You'll want to allow a few weeks for monogrammed or personalized items.

Party Apparel: 

Both boys wore personalized dog themed birthday apparel provided by one of our blog sponsors, Sugarlocks.com. Everyone loved the adorable puppy dog themed shirts and party hats, including the twin guests of honor themselves.  As an added bonus, the hats can double as an additional themed table decoration when not being worn.  Jen can accommodate virtually any request.  We had the number 2 placed on the birthday hats, but left it off the birthday shirts so we can use them well beyond the day of our party.

 

Coming Next:

In upcoming posts, I'll provide you with the menu for the party, pictures of our cake, party games, decorations, gifts, and party favors all picked to work perfectly with our puppy dog birthday party theme.

---

The Twins' Puppy Themed 2nd Birthday Party Index:
Part 1 - Baking themed cookies
Part 2 - Personalized birthday party apparel
Part 3 - Themed Birthday Party Games
Part 4 - Themed Party Favors
Part 5 - Decorations and Food  (must see cake)

Grab Guard Purse Lock

When I was in my early twenties I had my purse stolen from right under my feet while I was at a cafe in Chicago with my mom and brother.  It happened in seconds.  The establishment was connected to a large shopping area and the thieves were working with a team that utilized distraction tactics.  One person asked my mom a question while a second dropped something near my brother.  The third stole my purse while the three of us were distracted by the other two.  The thieves were never caught and my purse and contents were never found.