Winner announced

Puzzle Review and Giveaway!

When I was contacted by Melissa and Doug to do a review and giveaway I squealed! We own many Melissa and Doug products from sparkle paint to shape sorters and firetrucks. Of course one of our favorite things are their puzzles and other manipulatives that can be used in all different ways to teach and play.

The puzzle I chose to review was the Chunky Number Puzzle. It's a wood puzzle with large "chunky" number pieces, perfect for little hands. The colors are bright and fun, the board is sturdy but not heavy ( I was worried it was going to be heavy) and my son knew what to do with it immediately.

Besides that here is what I like : I like that all the color combinations on the numbers are different. My son still has some trouble recognizing 17-20 but because the colors are unique on each number piece I could say to him the numbers on 17 are orange and the wall ( background color) is purple and it gave him enough help to do the rest himself. I always talk about challenging our children without making it so hard it's frustrating and this puzzle was exactly in that window for my son, he can't quite do it on his own but he requires very little help. This is when the most learning occurs!

Here is what I think could be better: Some of the edges are rough and if you have a toddler or preschooler you will know that they can be finicky about textures, they only want to touch things that feel good so I can see this being an issue for some kids. Also while I like that each number has that many things around it ( 1 has one dinosaur, 2 has two horses...) it gets busy and is a little over stimulating in my opinion although my son didn't see bothered by it at all!

So do you want one?Melissa and Doug generously gave me another to give away!!

Here is what you have to do to be eligible:

Visit Melissa and Doug's Website here .
While there check out:
Melissa & Doug Wooden Puzzles
Knob Puzzles
Chunky Puzzles.
Come back and tell me which specific puzzle you like the best !

For extra entries you can ( leave a comment for each) :

1. Put my button on your blog - if you have it tell me that counts too ( I love my followers old and new)

2. Click on the "Mamasphere The Great Launch Blog Carnival" button and join in the fun as we help The Mamasphere.com celebrates it's launch.

3. Tweet it !

4. Stumble it !

The contest will close Sunday June 7th at 10pm PST. Contest is open to American residents only. A winner will be drawn by random.org , if the winner does not respond within 48 hours a new winner will be drawn.

WINNER

AJ and Adam !

AJ and Adam said...

We love Melissa and Doug puzzles! We have about 12 chunky puzzles. My 1 and 2 year old love them. They play with the pieces too and make the cars zoom around on the floor or use the tools to fix things around the hosue! We have the ABC puzzle and it is a hit in this house. My son is really into numbers and dinosaurs now so I think those would be the next puzzles I would love to have!

June 3, 2009 11:56 AM

Parent's Corner Extra !

I am totally honored to be mentioned as the website of the week on Family Anatomy. If you aren't familiar with this site, you should be. It's a treasure trove of information about issues facing families with kids. The men behind this site and the podcast are both clinical psychologists who are also dads. I thought the discussion about self-esteem was bang on and didn't want to miss sharing this with all of you! Click on the image above to be linked to FamilyAnatomy.com .

Children's Book Week

Favorite Books

Sent In By You

First of all thank you so much to all my readers who sent in their favorites. There were some I have never read and can't wait to dive into. Of all the activities we can do with our children , none are more important than reading.

"In The Town All Year Round" by Rotraut Susanne Berner was sent in by Lynn @ Chronicle of and Infant Bibliophile . She said "If I had to pick one book to be stranded somewhere with him with for hours, it would be that one. It's big and extremely detailed. The littlest readers can just stare at all of the images, slightly older can have fun finding items as you call them out ("where's the bus?," etc.), a little older than that can start to follow some of the story lines that weave their way through the book ."

"Goldilocks and The Three Bears" by Jan Brett was sent in by Marietta @ The Bookworms's Booklist. She said "I picked this book as my top favorite (among many favorites) because I have many sweet memories of laying in bed reading this book to my boys when they were so young. Those are precious times and I cherish those memories."

"But Not The Hippopotamus" by Sandra Boyton was sent in by Daniel @ Daniel The Poet , he said " I love But Not the Hippopotamus because of the sing-songy voice my wife uses, and the very sad sound in her voice."

"The Going To Bed Book" by Sandra Boynton was sent in by Cindy @ Aunt Cindyland she said "I love the pictures of ALL of the animals in the bath together, then as they brush their teeth standing on top of each other. The best is when they all go up on the deck of their boat to exercise as the very last thing they do before bed. It's a book full of silliness!"


"Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown was sent in by Melanie @ Life in Progress she said "It is the first book my 2-year-old requested by name. It's a comforting, familiar book in our house now. And it's especially sweet when the kids put their fingers to their lips and join in with the old lady whispering, "hush."


"The Important Book" by Margaret Wise Brown was sent in by Jennifer @ ZRecommends .I love this book as well, it's another simple but brilliant must have by this author!


"The Secret World Of Og" by Pierre Burton is one of my favorites but it was Carrie Anne @ Another day , another thought ...or two that sent it in. "I still have my original copy that my parents bought me when I was, I think 12. I know read it to my kids, though my 4 year old is a little freaked out by the thought of a hand reaching up through the floor." She said. When she emailed me I immediately emailed her back because I was so excited to see this book on my list. It is an amazing book and I have such fond memories of it as well.


"We Are All Alike... We Are All Different" by Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergarten was sent in by Annalee @ Out On A Whim and I am so glad she did. This is a great book that got a lot of use in my classrooms. Here is what she said " It is a beautiful simple story of how everyone of us are alike in some ways and different in other ways. I love the illustrations and the reminder of this lesson on each page. I also love the great extension activities you can do after reading it. My favorite is to pair kids together (could easily adjust it to pairing siblings together or a parent and child), draw two circles on a paper and hand them mirrors to look at themselves and draw a picture of their own face in the first circle, then look at their partner and draw a picture of their face in the other circle. Afterwards, I ask each child a way they are like their partner and a way they are different (encouraging them to look deeper than just physical traits) and write these sentences on the paper."


"I Will Never Eat A Tomato" by Lauren Child was sent in by Amy @ Let's Explore She said " My girls love to make up their own silly names for foods after reading this book."



"Beezus and Ramona" by Beverly Cleary was sent in by Jeremiah @Punnybop and immediately I got excited about when my son will be old enough to read this. I loved Beverly Cleary as a child and hope I get to share her wonderful books with my son too.


"Are You My Mother?" by P.D. Eastman was sent in by Jennifer @ Twinhappy but I liked something else she wrote in her email to me, how her girls like to write and illustrate their own. I like that too!

"How to Heal a Broken Wing" by Bob Graham was sent in by Susan @ The Book Chook This is what she said about the book" ..the reason it's my current favourite is because it is the perfect marriage of illustrations with text. It is a gentle, heart-warming story, and one that kids will remember"


"A Bargin For Frances"by Lillian Hoban was sent in by Jeremiah @ Punnybop I have always liked this story, about how to deal with a friend who isn't being very friendly!

"Danny And The Dinosaur" by Syd Hoff was sent in my @Be A Good Dad what he said about the book was short but very sweet " I love listening to my kids read it and it is such a cool way to show an impossible thing in a normal world."

"Positively Mother Goose" by Diana Loomans was sent in by Sam @ babyReady.ca it's filled with centuries old nursery rhymes reworked to spin a positive message instead of the traditional negative one. I can't count how many times I have wondered how we ever thought that the rhymes in traditional versions were okay to share with young kids! This takes care of that.


"The Alphabet from A-Y with bonus letter Z" by Steve Martin was sent in by Rebecca @ A little bit of Momsence she says her son " wants this book every night before bed - awesome to teach letters and very interesting words. " This is another book I have never seen, and have added it to my list!



"You're All My Favorites" by Sam McBratney was suggested by Nancy @ My Parenting Source This book is about how parents can love their different children equally is so valuable. Nancy wrote "Siblings need to often be reminded that we love them all the same." I agree!



"I Love You Stinky Face" by Lisa McCourt was sent in by April,and I couldn't agree more with what she said about it " This book is so much fun. It was a great way to bond with my children. It explains that a mother's love is pure and unconditional. I will love my kids no matter what! "

"Hug Time " by Patrick McDonell was sent in by Heather @ All The Way To Pluto And Back she said it's " The sweetest little children's book in the wide world". I think it looks adorable and can't wait to read it!


"Open the Barn Door" by Chris Santoro was sent in by Rebecca @ A little bit of Momsence and I love what she said in her email " We had to buy my daughter her own copy because my son's was very well loved!! " That is a true recommendation !


"In The Night Kitchen" by Maurice Sendak was sent in my Jennifer @ ZRecommends This classic was my favorite Sendak book growing up and the illustrations always made me giggle!



"No, David!" by David Shannon is beloved at our house but Sandra @ Celebrate Every Day said "Our favorite books are the David books by David Shannon. We love the child-like illustrations, the simplicity of the stories, and of course, that my son's name is David!"



"Tummy Girl" by Rosanne Thong was sent in by by Amanda @ Funny Days with Mommy and Maddie. She found this book at the library but loved it so much she bought a copy for her daughter. Here is what she said about it " I love the rhyming scheme of the story and the little girl is just adorable and reminds me of myself when I was younger."

So there it is all of em... well almost. You'll have to wait for my favorite along with a special Sunday Spotlight tomorrow!

Celebrate With Us!

This week is Children's Book Week , a week celebrating my very favorite thing! Did you know it's been celebrated since 1919! I admit I had no clue it's been going on that long. I spend a lot of time both with my son and after he has been tucked in for the night reading children's books. Almost all of my activities have been inspired in some way by a children's book I have read . Click on the logo above to visit the official website, they have listings of events,activities, and even book mark to download !

To celebrate this we asking you to share your favorite book with us. I have comments closed because I want you to email the title, author and why it's your favorite. Submissions along with a link to your blog will be posted in my regular book list post on Saturday.

I am excited to find some new books and see some familiar titles too!

Sunday Spotlight - Earth Day Special

The Spotlight is on :

Earth Day is right around the corner and I can't think of a better blog to showcase than Green Mama's Pad ! What I love about this blog is that readers follow along with Marianna as she makes changes to her family's life to be more environmentally friendly. So many are small changes that add up to a greener life! She has great product reviews and giveaways but my favorite feature is her new green glossary. In honor of Earth Day Green Mama's Pad is having a blog party all week don't miss it !

Parent's Corner Extra :Reading is Playtime !

Book Festival!

My son gets read to a lot, he didn't always like books books though. As an infant he would happily read along with me, swatting at bright colors in the illustrations and mimicking silly sounds I made to keep his attention when he was digging to nurse instead. We did a lot of reading while nursing too - sometimes I would read my books , other times I'd balance a copy Babar or Madeline on the boppy just past his head while we both multi tasked.

Then it happened, he started walking and playing and didn't want to sit for books except for right before bed. He'd grab a book sit in my lap , we'd read 2 pages and he'd slam it closed and sign "Done". I'm a patient mom, but that really bugged me. I would patiently grab another book and the slamming and dramatic "DONE" ( I imagined he was screaming the sign) would continue.

In time he started sitting for a book here or there, and by 18 months would easily sit for one or two but never more than that. I knew he was young and I was over thinking things but isn't that what I do best? Some parents want their child to be a major league pitcher, all I wanted was for my son to love books was I asking too much?

Then one day when he was about 2 we were stuck at home due to weather and I went into his closet grabbed a huge stack of books and we had our first "Book Festival" . We locked ourselves in my bedroom, sitting a top my big bed where there was nothing to distract my son and we read 20 books.

I kid you not. 20.

He was well past signing at this stage having a pretty good vocabulary for a 2 year old but when I would close a book his signing came out again, not the sign for "done" like he did 6 months earlier, instead it was "more" and "please" he said the words as well but he was so excited he busted out his signs to show me just how badly he wanted more!

My whole point isn't to say that I was being neurotic and putting unrealistic expectations on him ( which are both true) but it's to say that I was approaching reading the wrong way for him. I always say to parents "Let your kids lead" with toddlers and young preschoolers their interests should lead the way. We as parents should jump on their interests and capitalize learning within that frame work. I wasn't taking my advice at all. I was sitting down and saying it's reading time, instead of making reading playtime.

Now we have book festivals at least once a week, sometimes much more. We read 5 books some days and others seem to go on forever! I always start with a huge stack of books and show him each one, he gets to choose which to read and which to pass up. I try to doctor the piles with more advanced books , or ones he's vetoed during previous festivals but he's figured it out and will often say " No mama, I no want that last time." I still keep trying, but we keep it fun and now reading is playtime.

Need book recommendations for your first festival?
Click Here

Want to get more ideas for playtime and insights about play from other parents
Pop over to
PhD in Parenting
They are hosting a Carnival of Play where they are devoting the first two weeks of April to discussing the importance of play in our children's lives.

Sunday Spotlight

The Spotlight is on...



I love to cook but between my schedule, my son's and husband's individual food quirks and trying to provide the healthiest options possible it can get stressful. What I love about this blog is that they ( Kara and Celeste)not only have recipes but they test the food out and give real reviews and reactions from their own kids! There isn't an ounce of pretense, they are real moms who will have you in stitches laughing with them while trying to feed your family better.

PS : I also love that like my son, Kara's older daughter loves to wear her PJ's for the photos!

Ultimate Blog Party !

5 minutes for mom is a great resource for moms, bloggers and of course mom bloggers like me. They are hosting The Ultimate Blog Party 2009 from March 20th - 27th . They have events online and live, prizes and lots of networking for everyone. Pop on over and join the party!

There are so many prizes ! My wish list would be:
$50 Target gift card from Beginner Baby Blog
Ergo Baby Carrier from Giveaway Addicted Mom
$25 gift card to Shutterfly from SandwichINK.com

Really though everything is awesome and you need to check it out!

Oh oh I forgot I am supposed to introduce myself and this little piece of the blogosphere I call No Time For Flash Cards. Well I am Allie,mama to one paint loving 2 year old - you can see him doing all these fun and educational activities . I used to be a teacher now I stay home, write preschool curriculum and all together spend far too much time with a computer on my lap!

Basics for Beginners !

"How do I start?"


I have been asked this question a lot lately, and I never mind answering it. The thing is is that every child is different and the younger the child the harder it is to ask them what they want to do today. So here are some of my most basic activities, most were done when my son was 15-18 months old . For a full list of beginner activities look in the index under Beginners .

Duckie Stamping!


Dig and Find ~ Sensory Activity

Pastry Brush Painting

Sponge Prints!

Painting with Water

Spring Fling Giveaway !

Spring Fling Week is here! Don't miss my review of Music Together as well as CD giveaway I am hosting over at Blissful Kids. I am happy I can pass on some of the fun I have every week with my son at our Music Together class to you with a copy their awesome Family Favorites CD !

So click on the button and enter !

Sunday Spotlight

The Spotlight is on ...

Cooking Claire

What I love about this blog is that it's a realistic cooking blog ,items get used more than once, results aren't always perfect and as a mom of two young kids Claire keeps the menu tasty without being unfriendly to kids !

Pop over and see why Cooking Claire is my pick for this weeks
Sunday Spotlight !

`Sunday Spotlight

The Spotlight is on

Blog Roll !

Yes the long awaited newly categorized blog roll is up, if you don't see your blog listed , it's not because I don't like it, it's because you didn't send it in , or I missed it ! So send it in and I will add it! I have visited every single one and I am always so impressed and amazed , more than a few of you had me laughing and a few posts had me in tears too. My awe got me thinking and NTFFC will devote every Sunday to spotlighting one reader blog . If you are on my blog roll you are in the running! Also remember you can always find the blog roll on the side bar.

Thanks for sharing !

Re-Doing Blog Roll !

Share Your Blog !

I am going to start breaking my blog roll up into categories , there are so many just outstanding blogs and I don't want other moms and readers to miss out just because they are lost in the long list. Here are the categories:

Family Blogs
Adult Crafts
Kids Crafts and Learning
Product Review Blogs
Recipes and Cooking
Other

All you need to do to be included is email me a link to your blog, with the category of choice. Even if you have been included in previous blog rolls please send me an email with your category choice. Thanks! Our new blog roll will be up next weekend.

allie@notimeforflashcards.com

Parent's Corner - Valentine's Treat

xoxo

Cupcakes !

It's easy to make plain old cupcakes a Valentine's treat with some rope licorice and way way too much red food coloring. I am no good with an icing bag so I cheated, and think the results were cute enough and like I said if you are concerned about red food coloring ... might want to skip adding the dye.

1. Gather your ingredients. I cheat when it comes to baking so, a cake mix and it's ingredients, some rope licorice ( I used pull and peel twizzlers) , icing , the above mentioned red and pink food coloring, and a few extra bowls.
2. Make the cake mix, separate it into two bowls one red and one pink. If I did this again I would make the pink lighter so there was more contrast.
3. Fill the muffin cups with the red first , then at the pink, I used a toothpick to swirl it a little.
4. Bake and let cool.
5. While they cool add a little more pink food coloring to the white icing.
6. Ice the cupcakes when cool.
7. Start creating with the licorice, write names, messages or just hearts! The licorice is really easy to work with!
8. Have a treat!

Outtakes By Request !

Ooops !

Crafts don't always go smoothly, paint and glue are eaten daily and yes tantrums happen, usually him but sometimes me too! I try to roll with it, sometimes we take a break half way through crafts we just walk away and go back when the time is right. Here he kept pulling up the newspaper I had taped down with painters tape and putting the tape in his mouth. Not to mention the green paint everywhere, including up his nose!

I can't remember what craft he was supposed to be making here but as you can see he wasn't doing it. Instead he was carefully placing the chalk onto his beloved John Deere tractor. A perfect example of why I try not to do crafts when time is limited.

I have framed this picture for family because it is my son in a nutshell, he celebrates his "exploration" with abandon. He knew I was too far away from him to stop him from pouring the lentils everywhere. He was right. I found lentils in my kitchen for months, usually with my feet. They hurt.

This was a post that never made it up. I was going to do a post about an airplane "Busy Bag" and all the fun things in it to keep him busy. It never got posted, he wouldn't take it off his head and I gave up.

Ah the classic timeout picture.

As you can see we are not perfect, far far from it! I try to keep my expectations appropriate but I mess up , miss the mark and have bad days. So if a craft tanks, or a pretty art project gets ruined , so what?! Try to follow your child's interests and know that messes will be made and the goal isn't a perfect project, it's an interested and engaged child.

Light A Candle

A few months back I posted a link to

Jenny's Light

It is an organization that is devoted to helping families struggling with Post Partum Depression. Exactly a year ago Jenny Gibbs Bankston and her infant son Graham tragically died . Now through this foundation her family and friends are making sure that their lives however short were not in vain. On this tragic anniversary I hope that this post reaches someone who needs it and makes a difference.

To see the memorial video
click here

Parent's Corner

My Art Closet

Let me start by saying this is NOT what my art closet looks like right now the holiday craft bonanza has not been kind to it, come January I am cleaning it up again! I have been flooded with questions lately about how I keep my supplies organized so here it is!

• Gather your materials. I use a shoe hanger from Ikea , and I slide in it baby wipes and Gladwear containers they fit perfectly! Inside those I keep markers, crayons, cotton balls, pencil crayons, paint, glue etc...

• Then on the bottom few slots I keep newspaper ( just a few sections at a time) toilet paper rolls, and other recyclables that I can use for projects.

• Also the top section has foam sheets, they fit perfectly, and pipe cleaners in it.

• Now onto my cheap shelves that in June broke and I used some pipe cleaners to hold them together, call me McGuyver ! Anyway on those shelves I have white paper construction paper and card stock on top. As well as scrap printed paper in the silver box.
• On the shelves I have one with tissue paper and paper bags, the one bellow it has my son's easter basket with all the fun big sponges, bath poofs etc.. for free painting.Under the basket are a few brown paper grocery bags.
• The square closest to the door has a large box for scrap paper. It also holds my magazines I use for crafts.
• The square above it has all the specialized things- like googly eyes, pinking shears, buttons, sequins, sparkles etc... in a container so I can grab all the non kid friendly things fast if need be. It also keeps my paper plates close at hand.

I hope this helps !

**Also a reminder - send in or leave a comment with your favorite activity **
we did this year for our
Best of 2008 !

Holiday Gift Showcase

Twitter Finds!

Are you on Twitter yet? If not you should check it out, I have found so many cool blogs through twitter and more than that I have found awesome additions to my gift showcase! Here are my twitter picks !



I couldn't pick just one item from just dots , you can tell that great care and talent went into making the dress pictured above, the detail is amazing. My second favorite is this headband, if you have seen my hair you know why I love this, I need something just like it, I am way to lazy to do my hair and this headband is a perfect solution when a hat just won't do!



This item isn't so much a Christmas gift idea but how cute would these be for thank you notes for your child to write to those who spoiled them over the holidays? Robots are huge in our house but if they aren't in yours, there are lots of other designs over at Paper*Cakes



Look at this shirt! I love that it's girly , my favorite color and has somehow made skulls look fun and flirty! How beyond adorable is this? Oh and it's less than $20! There are other amazingly cute bohemian style clothes at Baby-Vagabond !



Thrifty Craft Mama lives up to her name with this awesome FREE pattern for felt pumpkin pie, I don't know about you but my toddler is getting a kitchen this Christmas and this is a perfect and thrifty stocking stuffer! Check out Maryanne's other awesome ideas at
Thrifty Craft Mama


Building blocks are a must have for every child, and these from Princess Time Toys are awesome. They make a castle but there are enough plain blocks that you don't have to make a castle every time you play! I am kicking myself that I didn't see these before I bought my son blocks for Christmas!

Don't be fooled , this isn't a toy for your child, it's a dog toy, and it's earth friendly, 100% recyclable, and made in the USA. I think it's perfect for the environmentally conscious dog owner, not to mention I think an artichoke is much more pleasing to see laying around your house than a yucky old bone! Find it and more ( including bones) at Paw Luxury !
** Paw Luxury has offered my US readers FREE Shipping !
Just enter the code FIRSTFREE !**

Sent In By You !

Christmas
Photo Ornament



When Michelle over at Her Cup Overfloweth sent me this idea I knew immediately I wanted to feature this! I just think it's funky, personal and a great keepsake to cherish, oh and way simpler to make than you think.

For the full how to pop over to
Her Cup Overfloweth
and don't forget to check out Michelle's other awesome ideas!

Holiday Gift Showcase

Made By You!

This week's showcase is filled with things made by our loyal readers. Nothing makes me happier than to share these awesome holiday gift ideas with everyone .

Finding unique gifts can be hard, what about the person who has everything? The Perfect Profile is the perfect gift! What mom or grandma wouldn't love one of these? Because they are custom made you can match them to your decor. Oh and don't think they are just for parents, pet owners can have their fur baby's profile done too!


Another personalized gift is this classy embossed glass ornament . Kids love things with their names on it and if your child isn't a Jacob or a Madeline it can be hard to find something special , and custom gifts can get so pricey, not a problem with this ornament! It's under $10 and worth every penny, there are lots of other cute handmade gifts at Scraps ' n ' Stuff.


There are lots of cute toddler shirts out there but I had to share this cowgirl shirt with you, you can find it and more at Pilarina's Boutique . If you have a little girls don't miss her adorable hair bows!


If you have been to my site before you may know I have a deep appreciation of all things that sparkle. These ornaments are not only beautiful , sparkly and affordable they can be customized too! Head over to Say It's By U and check it out!



As a mom I am always toting everything except what I really need around town, now I can do it in style with one of Jen's beautiful and functional bags. Her beautiful bags can be made into a stroller bag with a extra attachment! Swing by Handbags By Jen and you won't be disappointed!