Review: I get tired of having lemonade, tea and juice all summer long. My children are even more tired of it. I wanted to give them a little excitement to their summer by changing that. It was one way I could help to make their summer a memorable one.

I found this neat little book and boy have we had some fun making smoothies this summer.

Filled with lots of information this book has helped us to reinvent our summer drinking habits. By using fruit I know these drinks are healthy for my children too. Even though there are a few that hit that sugar spot for them once in a while.

From the names of the recipes to how these smoothies all come together you will find some humor. It’s great fun to let the kids pick a new smoothie to try just because of those cute names. Like Pineapple Pixel or Lord of the Bings my kids laugh every time we open this up.

We haven’t tried them all yet but so far the ones we have tried have been delicious. The recipes are easy to follow, the items used are easy to find and it even gives you some alternatives that you can use to change it around a little. The part of how to buy and store the fruits is also interesting. I also like the part about the equipment you can use. That has helped me in a lot of ways with knowing what is a good recipe for the kids to make or if I should do this one as a surprise for them.

We’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with our smoothies. I see smoothies in the future for every summer. They are a cool, refreshing drink that my children enjoy and I can’t beat that.

Description: Outfit your little gardener with everything she or he needs to develop that green thumb. This set includes a nylon gardening bag, three garden tools with wood handles, two plastic pots with saucers, sprayer, apron and gardening gloves.

Review: Most of my time is spent in my garden. My children like to be out there with me but I’m always afraid they will get hurt on the garden tools. I wanted them to be able to spend time with Mom, help in the garden if they wanted to and still be safe.

I found this little garden tool set. It has worked great with my children. Although I wish we had 2 sets so both the kids could play at the same time. They still have a lot of fun with it and have decided to start their own garden next year.

The kids have a great time with the trowel. I find small holes dug all over the yard. The rake is great too. The only thing is they haven’t really gotten down pat the fact that once they dig the hole they can use the rake to put the dirt back. I usually find it in the grass along the way.

This little garden set is a lot of fun for my children. It’s not used much in the garden, but they still find ways of entertaining themselves with it for hours. That’s enough for me because an entertained child is a happy child.

Description: This activity center comes with two sides one for water and one for sand. It also includes a cover, an umbrella and an eight piece toy set.

Review: Without a doubt this is a great outdoor activity center. It’s easy to put together and not hard to move. We can set it up on the patio if we are there or even in the yard if we are working in the yard.

It has two sides one for water and one for sand. Just don’t hold your breath that the water and sand will stay in those different areas. My girls think it’s great to mix the two together and see just how much of a mess they can make.

I like the cover. It actually stays on and is easy to attach. Plus it has a play space so if we are out on the deck my girls can still play with it. It does a great job of keeping the rain and those unwanted bugs out.

They enjoy the toys that came with it too. There are boats, bridges, shovels and sand buckets and they just have a ball with them. I have to laugh when I watch them play because you never know if the boat will be in the sand and the sand bucket full of water or not. Imagination  encouragement is great with this toy.

The sun umbrella is a great addition. I like to be in the yard and my daughters like to be with me. With the umbrella I’m not worried that they might become sun burnt or even overly hot while playing.

This activity center is a great addition to our backyard. My girls love it, we love it and all the neighborhood kids love it. Oh yea I almost forgot, the assembly was pretty easy too. That’s the best part of all.

Review: I love to garden so I spend a lot of time there. Having everything I need in one place and readily available is important because once I’m there I don’t want to have to make a lot of trips back and forth. This caddy has been a life saver for me in that department.

It’s made of a very durable canvas. If it gets wet that’s ok. It doesn’t ruin it in any way. It has deep pockets so all my gardening tools fit in it very well. I like the idea that I can also have a place to put my cell phone. I have children so I keep my cell phone close all the time. I have to admit I’ve lost a few in the garden because I would lay it down then step on it or the dog would run off with it. It’s been a money saver in that department.

The area for the seed packets is pretty neat too. I have a terrible time getting my tools ect wet when I’m in the garden. The hose is not my friend that’s for sure. With the seed packet compartment my seeds stay dry and all in one place. No more looking all over them when the dogs carted them off somewhere.

The canvas fits right over a five gallon bucket. That’s great because now I don’t have to worry about standing all the time or taking that dreaded lawn chair that always gets in my way with me. I can just turn the bucket upside down, slip the caddy right over it and I have myself a chair with everything I need right there.

This garden caddy has been a wonderful purchase for me. If you have a garden or are thinking about starting one I recommend you try the Fiskars Garden Bucket Caddy. It’s the greatest thing since cherry tomatoes.

Review: I have such a hard battle with my children about going outside to play. They don’t want to or they have their nose stuck in a TV program or a video game. This book is what I’m going to use to get my children to go outside.

I am a firm believe that my children will follow me if I show them it can be fun and interesting. This book gave me many ideas and resources to get outside. I use a lot of these ideas and just go out and do them. The kids do seem to follow if for no other reason than the fact they are nosey and want to see what Mom’s up to.

It works – they come out and before you know it we are doing something. There’s an idea for every time of the year. Summer, spring, winter and fall. It’s a non stop whirl wind of outdoor activities that we can have fun doing.

If you’re having troubles getting your kids outside set an example. Buy this book, take a chance and see if they don’t follow your lead. It worked with my kids and they are the most stubborn children I know.

Description: Bright colored balls with tails that sink to the bottom of the water for you to grab and have fun with. They come in a package of three.

Review: These balls are so much fun. Just throw them in the water and down they go. The tails flutter so they are easy to see and fun to watch. Once they hit the bottom they stay until retrieved by some of the best divers in your family.

Because they are so brightly colored the kids have no problems finding them once they hit the pool bottom. My kids like to watch the tails float. They kind of look like fish fins the way the sway in the water. The more the water moves the more the tails move.

We adults have a lot of fun with them too. We play games and see who can grab the most at once or who can bring one up the quickest. My children are even learning to do some great dives in the process. They think it’s a kick to see who can make the smoothest dives so the tails don’t flitter or who can make the water move the most when they dive so the tails go like crazy.

If you have a pool and are looking for something a little different for the kids (and adults) to play with to have some fun with, grab a pack of these dive balls. They are great.

Review: It is summer vacation time again and I can’t stand another one filled with “I’m bored!” and “There’s nothing to do.” I went on a search to find things that would keep my children occupied not just the first couple of weeks, but for the whole summer. I came across this book and found it to be very interesting and very helpful.

From summer camps to community service and everything in between, this book covers it. It goes in great detail about all the different things your children can do over their summer break.

It’s not just for the young or just the old. It covers things that any age group can do. My children are a little spread out so trying to finds things that will suit their ages can be a little daunting, but this book helped me with that.

There is a great section on finding pre-college course classes. I have a child who will be entering college in a year or so. She showed some interest in wanting to do this. It helped me to know what we needed to do and how to go about getting her started.

There are also ideas for clinics of all kinds such as art and sports. There is information on travel ideas and even ideas about community service. It is chalked full of things to keep them busy. In fact, there are so many things I can see me using this book for many summers to come.

Don’t let your family fall into the “I’m bored” routine again this summer. Grab this book and check out some of these ideas. They may not all appeal to you and your children but there are so many of them I’m sure you’ll find a least a couple that will work.

Review: First off I have to say not only do my children have fun with these, but we adults do to. It’s a great game and we play almost every time we get in the pool.

When you play with these you throw the fish in the water. Place the gloves on your hands and dive to grab the fish. The magnet is in the palm of the glove so it’s not too hard for even the smallest of hands to pick them up.

The gloves are adjustable and can be worn on either the right or left hand. They are made of a durable fabric and ours have lasted beyond the time I would have imagined.

Each color of the fish indicates the point value for that fish. So there are tons of games you can play to add the points. My kids like to see who can grab the most on one shoot. Whoever grabs the most fish wins and whoever has the highest points wins. Usually we don’t end up with any losers that way. It keeps us all happy.

I also like the mesh bag on the back of the gloves. We can keep the fish right with the gloves and there’s never any “I want to play but I can find the pieces.” syndrome going on.

This is a fun toy and can give your children hours of great play. I’m having a great time with them and with my kids. If you have a pool, try these diving gloves and see just how much fun you can have too.

Description: This is a fairy tale story about a little boy and his wild imagination. Filled with colorful pictures and a rhyming tone this book is perfect for children age 3 to 7 to learn to use their imaginations to the fullest.

Review: This is a cute little book. It begins with a young boy in his classroom telling the story of how he spent his summer vacation. He winds a tale about cowboys, trains, cattle stampedes and much more that will keep your child interested from beginning to end.

I don’t want to ruin the story for you or your child so I won’t tell you anymore about the story itself, but I will tell you it’s very imaginative and will keep your child wanting more. This book would be a great addition to any classroom or home library. Reading it the first day back to school after summer would open up a new world for any child.

The story rhymes so it keeps the children interested. The pictures are bright and exciting from the classroom to the cowboy trails. My children likes to open it and just look at the pictures, even though it’s been read enough times to them they can recite the whole story. Sometimes they change things just a little in their version but it’s cute and shows me they have learned from this book. They are using their imaginations and having a lot of fun too.

I’m glad I found this book and may just have to pass it on to my child’s teacher to read to the class. I have visions of some wild stories being made up by her class by the time they are finished. It never hurts to encourage ones imagination and this book will help your child to find the one inside them.

Review: With the come and go world my family lives in I wanted my children to have a way to get hold of me if necessary. I had heard some of the horror stories from my friends of their children and cell phones. I didn’t think I wanted all that but still I knew I would feel more comfortable if my children could reach me any time from anywhere.

I found this neat little phone. It’s made just for children. The way it’s designed makes it easy for children to handle. It’s bright and colorful and has lots of neat sounds that any child will like.

The best part is that I program in the numbers I want my child to be able to call. They are pin protected so they can’t change them, erase them or add numbers to it. It’s also prepaid. No contracts to tie us down or take all our hard earned money.

It fits right in my child’s backpack making it much easier for them to carry. It also helps with the “I forgot where I put it” syndrome we seem to have at our house.

It’s easy to set up and get going and it’s very easy for my children to understand and use. I feel much better knowing that they are within just a phone call if they need me or if I need them.