Quarto Doodling Books

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Pumpkin is one of the artists in the family and loves getting books that teach him new techniques. He keeps all his drawings into a big 3 ring binder so he can show them off. The binder goes with him everywhere even school. I love his creativity and his unique drawing style. I am so excited and can not wait to give him two wonderful doodling books for Christmas.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

What You Need:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled a little
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granukated sugar

1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract ( I used Haitian Vanilla but I know not everyone has that available)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

What You Do:

Preheat your oven to 325* degrees.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. Either by hand or with your mixture mix together the melted butter, salt and light brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and  beat on low speed (or mix by hand with a spatula) just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Make about 1 in balls and place on your cookie sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes and then allow to cool on cookie sheet.

This recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies

ENJOY!!!

Protein Fruit Smoothie

 Protein Fruit Smoothie

What You Need:

1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt ( I used Chobani because it has the most protein)1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk1 cup fresh fruit
What You Do:Place all ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth. I then freeze the smoothie and place it in Pumpkin's lunch box and by the time he has lunch it is thawed and he can drink it.

In the smoothie pictured we used 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and a half of a banana. We have also done a mixed berry with fresh strawberries, blueberries and black raspberries. 

Handy Tips for Traveling Abroad with Kids

 

Handy Tips for Traveling Abroad with Kids

 

Traveling with children can be a headache at times, and that can be even more so when going overseas. Travel times are longer, the kids are more on edge from being out of their element, and depending on where you go, the parents also have the added burden of trying to handle things in a place where no one speaks their language. Despite all that, it’s still worth it. Here are a few tips to help.

Take Pics of your Kids

It's a vacation, so you're going to be taking pictures of your children all over the place. What we mean here is something different, and not nearly as fun as funny poses in front of the world's art treasures. Every day before going out, take a full body picture of your kids dressed in what they'll be wearing for the day. Should the unthinkable happen, or they simply get lost, authorities will have a current image to help them in the search.

How Do You Say Goodnight?

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

I recently received the opportunity to review an adorable bedtime book with the kids titled How Do You Say Good Night? I quickly feel in love with this adorable book and have been enjoying reading it with the little ones before bed. I am not sure about you but we love to read a good story and cuddle before bed. I think it creates wonderful lasting memories not only for me and Mr. Anderson but also for the kids. It also enhances their love for books. 

Tips for Planning a Family Ski Trip

 

As the weather gets chillier and the school holidays approach, lots of families are excitedly looking forward to hitting the slopes for some skiing and snowboarding. Whether you’re a lifelong skier and are looking forward to teaching your kids for the first time, or you’re all beginners excited to play in the snow, it’s great fun for all. We all know that travelling with kids can be challenging, especially when they’re young - so here’s some tips for a fuss-free holiday.

Getting the Most Out of a Family Vacation

 

Getting the Most Out of a Family Vacation

Family vacations are meant to bring loved ones together on an adventure of a lifetime. Without proper planning, however, these getaways can be more stressful than relaxing. It's possible to have a spectacular vacation on nearly any budget when travelers consider their interests and plan itineraries several months before the trip. Get the most out of a family vacation by following a few simple guidelines.

Goodbye Summer 2021

 

 It seems like Summer came to a end to quickly this year. Luckily we had planned a great family trip to close out the kids summer before school started back into session. Though the trip started off on a very rocky note thanks to our car dyeing as soon as we got into Florida we did not let that keep us from making the most of everything. We got to spend a week away with the kids just relaxing and reconnecting. 

Help Your Child Learn To Read

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

One skill that our children will always use in their life is the skill of reading. It seems like children are expected to know how to read when entering Kindergarten now. With Angel being 5 she will be entering Kindergarten in the fall so we are working on her skills at home to get her ready. I recently received several sets of Learn to Read with. Bob Books and Versatiles to review with Angel. 

Tips for Cruising with Children

 

How to Keep the Children Entertained on a Cruise

A cruise is a great way see more of the world in a short space of time. When travelling with kids, though, it can sometimes be difficult to keep the journey in-between stops entertaining. Fortunately, there are many trips centered around those that are bringing young children along with them, with a wide-range of on-board activities. Here’s just a few of the things you should look out for to make sure you get the most out of your family vacation.

Young Whit & the Traitor's Treasure

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

I love finding books that I feel my older boys would enjoy reading! Recently I got a copy of Young Whit and the Traitor's Treasure for Pumpkin to read and review. This just seemed like a book that he would really enjoy and get into. Pumpkin has really been getting into adventure and fiction books lately.

Keep The Kids Entertained during Quarantine

 I know that right now many of us parents are trying to find ways to keep our kids entertained during the quarantine. I am sharing some wonderful ideas below with you that I have been coming across. I personally am trying to limit my kids time with electronics. I have been doing this by finding virtual field trips for them to take so they are still learning and not just playing games or watching mindless TV shows.

Zoo Cams & Field Trips

Media Masters Publicity BOOK REVIEW: Disney Stories for 2 + 3 year olds

 

How perfect are these Disney books for specific age groups. My LO is now 3.5 and we still read every night. It is a great way to bond with your child. Most of these short stories have a few sentences on each page and less than 15 pages. I know after a long day of working, cooking, cleaning, running a toddler, and taking care of my husband and two dogs, by the end of the night I am SPENT! These short stories have beautiful illustrations which my LO loves. 

National Geographic for Kids

 

One thing that I love to do is encourage my children to read. I also love to have them learn about different cultures that are not local to our area. National Geographic Kids helps me give my children to learn about the world that they live in. Most books seem hard for my younger children to understand and National Geographic understands that and made books that the younger readers can easily understand. 

National Geographic Kids has such a great variety of products to offer children of all ages. It no longer is just the magazines for adults. They have broadened their selection of products to reach more audiences. I personally love the kids selection of items they offer. I enjoy sitting down and reading the books with my children. Not only are my children engaged with the books I am too. 

I recently received some wonderful books to review with my children from National Geographic Kids. I love the wide variety of topics that they offer for the kids. There is literally something on any topic (nature wise) that your child could be interested in.

Workman Books

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Books and more books; I love books for my children! That is also one gift that gives back because it helps my children learn the valuable skill of reading and comprehension. With having five children lots of reading occurs in our home and we have lots of books. Books are one thing that I personally think children can not have to many of. We get the kids books for Christmas every year and this is no exception! They will be getting lots of great books including some wonderful ones from Workman publishing.

A Day At Kennywood

 

We recently took the kids over to Kennywood to spend the day. It is just a short drive from our home in Ohio over to this great park in PA. This was the boys second trip to Kennywood and Sweet Pea's first and everyone seemed to have their favorite rides. I love that Kennywood is geared toward family fun. Other theme parks have just a tiny kids area with only a few things for them to ride or play on. That is not the case at all in Kennywood. We spent the whole day in the kids area and only left it when we were getting ready to leave.

Britfield & The Lost Crown

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I love finding books that I feel my older boys would enjoy reading! Recently I got a copy of Britfield & The Lost Crown for Bubba to read and review. This just seemed like a book that he would really enjoy and get into. Bubba is really getting into more of the fiction, action and adventurous books.

BigFoot Helps Kids Learn

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One thing that I am always looking for is stuff to keep the kids entertained. Whether it be at home or in the car. I hate just handing them a DS or Kindle to play games on because I want their minds to be learning and expanding with knowledge. One way I have found to do this is with activity books. Activity books are a great way to help encourage reading and learning. BigFoot activity books are especially a favorite of most parents, as they are at once educational and fun! 

Night Night Bible Stories

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I love that my children want to learn about the Lord and I am always happy to help them. They each have a Bible that is geared toward their age so they can easily understand it. I am always looking for new books that my children can easily read and help expand their knowledge. Recently I received the book "Night Night Bible Stories". I have been reading this book with Angel and Peanut since it is easier for them to understand with the pictures. 

Tiny Truths Bible

 *This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, you'll be helping to feed the little angels here at Snowbirds to Seashores.

I love that my children want to learn about the Lord and I am always happy to help them. They each a Bible that is geared toward their age so they can easily understand it. I am always looking for books that my children can easily read and help expand their knowledge. Recently I received the book "The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible". I have been reading this book with Angel and Peanut since it is easier for them to understand with the pictures.