If you are looking for a new hobby, are searching for a unique gift, or you are simply looking for some new interesting décor to add to your home, diecast toy vehicles may be the answer you have been searching for. Die cast toys have been a hot collectible item for many years. It may seem strange to you that these toys can be popular collector’s items, but all you need to do is look at one of these awesome models to see that they are not your average plaything.

Although there are numerous reasons why people may enjoy collecting diecast toy vehicles, there are three things that these intricately designed models have in common that make them highly appealing:

1. Nostalgia – Many of these toys bring back fond memories from childhood
2. Value increases with age – As time passes, diecast toy vehicles steadily increase in value. While any item can be worth a pretty penny, usually the larger and more complete a collection and the more immaculate the models, the more valuable they will be.

This is certainly one contest worth sharing. If you have kids with lots of creative juices, you will be happy to learn that Pacific Northwest Canned Pear Service has teamed up with SmileMakers®, Inc. to encourage kids to “Play With Your Pears” in a fun and constructive way. Ok, I know what you are thinking…..No purchase is necessary to enter! The prize? Two talented kids will win a $1,000 gift certificate to spend on art or school supplies. How cool is that!

You can start with canned pears as the imaginative spark, or download a simple pear graphic (on the contest site) for the children in your family, school, or boy/girls scout (or other) group to decorate. Take a photo of the finished work and email it for posting on the Eat Canned Pears Facebook page.

The contest is open to all kids in two age categories: 5-12 and 13-18. The winner in each category will be awarded a $1,000 SmileMakers, Inc. gift certificate. The contest kicks off October 1, 2010 and closes November 30, 2010. The judges’ decision will be announced on or before December 10, 2010. For more information on this contest, head on to this page. Good luck and have fun!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? written by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle,  is meant for children ages 4-8. However,  I can testify that my daughter was totally in love with this book since age 2. It introduces young children to various animals and associates them with colors. The rhyming prose and colourful pictures are great to hold the interest of early readers who have shorter attention span.

Being a mom, I also appreciate that this hardcover book has withstood the test of time plus my daughter’s gnawing and drooling! This book is certainly invaluable and a great addition to any toddler’s library.

Obesity in adults is a condition affecting more and more people throughout the world every year. While some cases can be linked to genetic malfunctions or other medical conditions, the fact that childhood obesity is also on the rise gives credence to the belief that much of the problem could be resolved through a change in childhood eating and exercise habits.

Parents should monitor the weight of their children and check with the family paediatrician during routine visits. He’ll tell you how your child’s weight compares to his height, and to other children of the same stature. Don’t panic if your child seems a bit overweight during the first few years of life; it’s actually quite normal.

If your child shows signs of higher weight to height proportion, consult a doctor or nutritionist who can help you develop an eating plan to maintain the child’s current weight. This way, his body will level out naturally as he gets taller and more developed. If he is already leaning toward obesity, some weight loss may be necessary. However, never put young children on a weight loss diet without the advice of a doctor.

The eating plan you’ll be working with should be a well-balanced diet including all the major food groups. While you may not want to deprive our child from eating fast food like McDonalds and KFC, ensure that you do not encourage them to take such food all the time. However, don’t go over board and completely eliminate things like fat, sugar, and red meat.  All these things, just like fruits and vegetables, contain essential nutrients a child’s body needs to grow properly. Moderation in all the food groups is the key.

Finally, the importance of physical exercise cannot be emphasised enough. The human body is naturally programmed to store unneeded food calories as fat for later use. A child who is largely inactive will gain weight quickly as his body doesn’t need all the calories he takes in. Daily physical activity goes a long way in preventing obesity.

Jenga is a game which every family should have. It’s so easy to play and there is no limit to the number of players. Both children and adult can play because the rules are pretty simple. All you need to do is stack the blocks into a tower without letting it fall. The taller the tower is, the harder it is to prevent it from falling because you need to take some blocks from the bottom of the tower to make it taller! The loser is the one who topples the tower.

I like that the blocks are well constructed and durable. The canister was great for storing the blocks so that nothing gets strewn all over. Besides that, the handy canister also makes the game easy to carry around. Jenga is great as a family game for those rainy days where kids have to stay indoor. Frankly speaking, I have nothing but praises for it. If you have not bought one for your family, you can easily get it at Amazon.

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KIDZ BOP, the #1 kids’ music brand in the US, has just announced the launch of the first annual KIDZ Star USA Talent Search, a national talent competition for kids and teens ages 15 and under. The online talent search is hosted on KIDZ BOP’s leading social networking and video sharing website and gives aspiring young singers a shot at fame, right from home.

From now through end of the month, kids  can upload a :90 second performance video to KidzStarUSA.com to compete for a chance to win a recording contract, a starring role in their own music video and a special appearance in the next KIDZ BOP TV commercial. There will be a panel of celebrity judges, including Jason Castro, a semi-finalist of American Idol.  Holding the role of the mentor will be Sherry Kondor, the award-winning pop music producer and manager of artists such as Jesse McCartney.

Fans will also have the opportunity to vote online for their favorites to help determine the semi-finalists and grand prize winner. In the first weeks of competition, almost 10,000 kids have submitted video entries to KIDZ Star USA. The three KIDZ Star USA finalists will be flown to New York City where they will receive a superstar makeover and perform a song that will be professionally recorded. For more information, just head over to http://www.kidzbop.com/kidzstarusa.

Every middle-schooler wants a space to call their own. With a little imagination and paint, it’s easy to create an envy-worthy bedroom.

Wall Graphics
Create geometric or whimsical wall patterns that range from fun to sophisticated to suit any tween’s taste. It’s simple to create a feature wall or use pattern throughout a room for a more dramatic effect.

• You’ll Need: Scotch-Blue™ Painter’s Tape, roller, roller tray, paint, paint brushes, tape measure, bubble or laser level, putty knife or 5-in-1 tool.
• Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Planning
Measure the walls so you can plan your pattern and colors. You may want to make a drawing to scale. Shapes (e.g., triangles, rectangles) can completely cover the wall, overlap, or be freestanding.

2. Choose the paint colors
Selecting contrasting colors will result in a bold look. Using three or four colors from the same family in a monochromatic color scheme can soften a dramatic pattern.

3. Prep & Mask
Make sure the wall is clean and dry.
Mask painted trim and woodwork using ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape.
If your ceiling is smooth, mask it to prevent paint splashes. Do not mask textured ceilings.

4. Paint
Using the base color, paint the entire wall.
Let dry for at least 24 hours.

5. Stencil
Using a bubble level and a long straight edge, lightly pencil your pattern, like big blocks, stripes on personalize with your initials, on the wall.

6. Tape
Using ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape for Delicate Surfaces, tape around all of the shapes that you’re painting with your first color.
Press down the edges of the tape with a putty knife or 5-in-1 tool.
Note: If the wall you’re painting is not a smooth surface, be sure to seal the inside edge of the tape with the paint color you used to paint the wall. This helps ensure the sharpest paint lines.

7. Paint
Paint inside the tape with your first color. Let dry for at least 24 hours. Remove the tape and then mask the next shape you are going to paint.
Continue the process, painting from lighter to darker colors until all the walls are complete.

Article courtesy of ScotchBlueTM & YOU.

Avery Dennison will be giving away a grand prize package valued at $1,000 to one teacher through the sweepstakes. Teachers are encouraged to submit as many entries as they would like (up to one a day) between now and September 15, 2010, and also will be eligible to win additional second and third place prizes. Prize packages include an array of Avery-brand school supply products, Spa Finder gift cards and/or Starbucks gift cards. For more information, please click on the banner below.

Spending quality time together has always been a priority to our family and we try to go for outings as often as possible. However, when outdoor activities are not possible, my kids are always on the lookout for fun ways to spend time together. One of our favourite indoor activity is playing the popular card game called UNO.

UNO can be played with 2 people at a minimum and 10 people maximum. It can be played individually or by teams also. The rules of the game are simple enough for younger kids to play while the game itself is exciting enough for adults to join in the fun. As a mom, I like that UNO is inexpensive, portable and durable. The vibrant colours of the UNO cards works great to retain the attention of kids. UNO can also serve as an educational game to help kids recognize colours, numbers, as well as learn mathematical skills.

UNO isn’t just a 1 hour game….families can play this game all night and still want to play more. With that said, my family loves it and enjoys the game of UNO. So, if you don’t have a deck yet, you can get UNO from Amazon. com and spend time with your family while enjoying the game. Trust me, I’m a parent, you’ll love it.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

ISBN-10: 0340917547

ISBN-13: 978-0340917541

Since I felt that my 10 year old son’s English needed to be improved and because he loves reading adventure books, I decided to buy him some titles which I had read when I was his age. I bought a book by Enid Blyton entitled The Secret Seven. He finished the book within 3 days and is already asking for the rest of the books in the series. For those who have never read The Secret Seven before, I’m sharing my review here.

The Secret Seven is the installment before the Secret Seven’s adventure takes place. The Secret Seven is a secret society headed by, Peter. The book tackles on the mystery which is happening within their society from missing animals and people to robberies. They accomplish their mystery solving by shadowing, interviewing and by doing detective work. In this book people will get to know the members of the Secret Seven and what roles in the society they play as well as how they solve mysteries they come upon.

If you’re trying to encourage reading, The Secret Seven is an ideal book to start any tween with. The story is not too long and the English is well written, easy to understand but yet at times, one can also discover and learn new words.  This book of adventure and mystery will  make the reading experience fun, enjoyable and you’ll look forward to reading the other titles in the series too.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein.

You realize that your daughter’s birthday is coming up really soon. And you still have no idea what to get her for her birthday. You ask yourself what does she likes. You then realize she likes jewelry; you can’t give her jewelry because you don’t have the cash to buy her that really nice jewelry she likes. She also loves candy but you think that might be too cheap. You want to surprise her and nothing gives you the best feeling in the world, you just want your daughter to smile. Well, why not give her both? The Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Bead Studio is the perfect gift for your daughter.

The Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Bead Studio brings the coolest thing you can do with candy and that’s turning candy into jewelry. Your daughter can utilize her fashion sense and at the same time, have fun making edible jewelry. The Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Bead Studio kit comes with a bead tray, 4 pieces of stamps, 1 decorating icing, 2 edible ink markers, 1 pack of candy pastel beads, 1 packet of candy square beads, and 1 pack of strawberry rings, and a lot of goodies. It includes instructions for your daughter to follow to have fun with the Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Bead Studio. The Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Bead Studio is recommended for girls ages 8 and up.

I got this for my niece’s 9th birthday through Amazon and she instantly loved it. Now she can make edible jewelry for herself and for her friends. So why don’t you give your daughter this gift, it will only cost you $19. And I am sure your daughter will love it.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein

As parents we strive to provide our kids ways to learn faster while having fun at the same time.  Thus, when I was offered by the kind people of Rock N Learn to review the Life Science DVD, I jumped at the chance. Both my kids loved watching the DVD and best of all, they have been learning in the process.

Rock N Life Science DVD  tells the story about Kevin who gets introduced by Marko to a butterfly named Bailey, who happens to be an expert in Life Science. In the DVD you will see Kevin learning all about Life Science from his newly acquainted friends. From cycle of life, all about plants and animals and how to differentiate one from the other to the ecosystem and how it balanced itself in the process, Kevin learns a lot of new stuff and does well in school and makes the best of what he has learned.

The Life Science DVD will help your kids learn science in an easier and fun way.  Read my full review here and trust me when I say this DVD has helped my son get better grades in his science subject. You can get your own copy here. You’ll be glad you did, it’s all worth the money.

Disclosure : I have not received any compensation for writing this content. Review copy of DVD courtesy of www.rocknlearn.com. The opinion above are solely my own and I was not required to write a positive review.