Disclosure:  I participated in a Blog Blast program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kidoodle.TV. I received a promotional item and a free trial as a thank you for participating.

My kids love watching TV on their iPads. Most of the time they are with me in the same room so I can monitor what’s being watched. Sometimes, though, the iPads are on when I’m not able to directly supervise the kids. While I’d like to think that my kids are completely honest and trustworthy, I’m also realistic. It’s so very easy for children to stumble upon something inappropriate, potentially dangerous even, online.   My daughter asked a few days ago if she could watch Breaking Bad, because she saw it on the “Recently Viewed” titles after my husband watched it.  Many 9 year olds wouldn’t even ask first; this made me realize how much I need to be guiding her choices when it comes to online entertainment.  When I heard about Kidoodle.TV I was quite interested to know what it was about.

The first thing I noticed was that the Kidoodle.TV trial is completely risk-free. I never entered a credit card number. [Read more…]

Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links; I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are, of course, 100% mine.

Welcome to the Best of 2013 giveaway hop!  At Savings in Seconds, we’re always interested in saving you a bit of time and money.  One way I try to do this is by sharing my thoughts on newly released books and DVDs for the family.  Hopefully it helps you at least a little bit, so you can save your hard-earned dollars when something isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be.  This hop is great because each blogger has selected the book they consider to be one of the year’s best.  The event is hosted by Bookhounds and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

We are sharing the book Dear Mr. Knightleywith you today! [Read more…]

We spent much of the week cleaning out the toy boxes to donate to the Toy Swap going on at my son’s school.  We also shopped for our Christmas angel.  It’s been a tough week for a 4 year old.  Giving up your own toys and then shopping for others just isn’t fun yet for him.  Yesterday our family was running errands and went to Target. Before we walked into the store, my husband dug a $25 gift card out of his wallet and gave it to our son with a smile. We strapped him into one of those walk behind strollers with seats so we could get the other things on our list first. My little guy chattered the whole time about what he might get with the gift card. When it was time to release the Kracken, he bounded down the toy aisles until he found just what he wanted. As a faithful Ninja Turtle fan, he chose this Donatello gear (which is several dollars cheaper on Amazon than it was at Target, by the way).  He played with this staff and mask all day, defeating the bad guys and protecting the universe.

Alas, by today the buyer’s remorse has set in.   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

So you know the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes by the end of Christmas Day?   With each story in Christmas In Apple Ridge, my heart grew bigger and bigger, too.

This book is stuffed to the brim with Amish romance and sprinkled with a good dose of humor, suspense, and Christmas spirit.  Author Cindy Woodsmall has a way with words.  She expertly diverted the story just in time when it seemed to get a little too serious.  Because this book contains three complete stories that share common characters, this was almost like reading a mini-series.  Getting Christmas In Apple Ridge for only $7.99 (the Kindle Edition) is a bargain!   [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received this book to review; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

With its intriguing cover and mysterious title, An Elegant Solution seems like a rather deep read.  The spiral staircase that draws the eye seems to be the stuff of my nightmares, if I’m honest.  This isn’t a hot cup of tea to help you settle in for a nap.  Instead, An Elegant Solution is a book that kept my brain reeling until the end.  I had a difficult time finishing this book since it required a bit more time to read. Part of my challenge was overcoming the names used throughout the book.  It was hard to keep all the names and roles straight.  The presentation of the chapters was quite choppy.  I counted 25 transitions in one chapter alone.  While the story was fairly interesting, what with the drama of a theology versus math and all, it’s just not the type of book I would normally read.    [Read more…]

Disclosure: I received product samples. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Before this year my 9 year old daughter was never really interested in exchanging gifts with any of her friends.  Her class usually adopts a “Christmas angel” and we focus our gift-giving on purchasing toys or items for that child.  This year, however, she asked if she could give some of her friends a gift.  The problem was that she couldn’t really decide what to give them.  I suggested that she make bracelets for them using her loom kit.  She said they already have looms of their own.  What about a pretty lip balm or holiday lotion?  No, she decided, they might not want to use those.  In the end, these are the items she’ll be giving her friends.  She’s very excited about giving these gifts.  I”m glad that she was able to find something that she’ll be proud to give. [Read more…]

Disclosure: We received samples to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

My kids’ newest favorite DVD to watch in the car is Sid the Science Kid Pet Project from NCircle Entertainment.  If you haven’t seen Sid the Science Kid on PBS yet, check it out soon.  This is a really high-quality show that stirs up the imagination.  Sid is an intensely curious preschooler.   He uses questioning skills, surveys, and observation to learn about his environment.  His scientific inquiry often helps my kids lead to a hypothesis before the show ends.  I also love the other characters in the show.  Sid’s parents, grandparents, and teacher Susie are active listeners.  The episodes frequently engage Sid’s family in his activities.  When Miss Susie addresses her students she calls them “scientists.”  All of these factors reinforce the idea of positive role models and help children to develop self-esteem.  In one of the episodes on this DVD, children learn why sleep is important.  Sid’s teacher demonstrates how to relax for bedtime.  While my son watched the show, he visibly relaxed.  He practiced the exhale exercise and settled down.  Whenever we can find meaningful and creative shows like this, I try to stock up.  In fact, I’ve ordered my kids several Sid the Science Kid DVDs for my kids’ Christmas gifts.  The DVDs are priced right, with most between $5 and $8.  Even the new Pet Project DVD is still under $11.  For 4 episodes my kids want to watch daily, that’s a great price!   [Read more…]

My kids and I returned from a trip on Saturday. I hated having our family separated on Thanksgiving; one thing that smoothed it over was getting to enjoy the lovely leftovers that were in the fridge. My sister made a delicious potato casserole that was still waiting for me. Look at the glory of this plate.

There’s probably some kind of blogger rule about taking a picture of food on a paper plate.  It can’t be helped…..You just can’t put on airs and dress up this casserole.  Which, might I add, is one of the finer points of this cuisine. [Read more…]

Maybe it’s my age. It could also be my exhaustion level. Whatever the reason, I basically want coverups for everything.  I’m not talking about swimsuit coverups, although there’s a time and place for that in my life, too.  I mean that the imperfections in my home and on my body are not getting any better, so I’d like to just toss a sheet over them and move on.  For example, there is a spot in the dining room from the time my son decided to smear his Nutella-encrusted hands on the wall. I cleaned the worst of it off but until we repaint the room, it’s going to look like a big poo stain. Gross. So I covered it up with a Christmas banner. Don’t tell anybody. That’s the way things get done (or not) around here these days. [Read more…]