Four great books from Candlewick press for toddlers!

It is never too early to start reading to your child, they absorb a lot even before they begin speaking and reading. Candlewick Press recently sent me four great books to check out that are perfect for reading to your infant/toddler or with them as they begin to read. Two of them are perfect for when they are learning new sight words and the alphabet, and the other two are just fun to read with them.

100 First Words By Edward Underwood (Retail $9.99)

This book has an assortment of easy to learn words, most are words used on an everyday basis such as spoon, fork, bowl, etc however they also include items found on farms, at the store and more. To help make the book more entertaining and help keep your toddlers attention you'll find several fun flaps to explore within the book. The thick board pages are sure to withstand your toddler putting it through quite a bit.

Alphabet Street By Johnathan Emmett (Retail $17.99)

Candlewick Press offers a ton of neat books that offer unique ways of reading and I think this is one of the coolest books I've reviewed with them. The Alphabet Street book helps your child learn their alphabet while seeming almost like a game. The book not only has interactive flaps through out the book, but it also unfolds like an accordion with illustrations and information on both sides of the pages. Instead of each page having a single letter and an image or two of words that go with that letter, the book is set up so that each page has an entire scene with multiple words to go with each letter.  Each page is full of color and creativity, I wish I had this book for my kids when they were younger and first practicing their alphabet.

Guess How Much I Love You By Sam McBratney (Retail $24.99)

This book is a classic and it is celebrating it's 25th Anniversary with a gift set that includes a hard covered copy of the book, a thick case and a beautiful print of the cover art that can be framed and hung up. I enjoy reading this adorable book and reading about how much the baby and mama rabbit love each other as it reminds me of my own mother and of my children as well. We enjoy playing a similar game with our children, one of us will ask "Guess How Much I Love You?" and then after that person asks how much we will give them an answer such as "I love you a billon times every grain of sand in the world". This book is a great addition to any collection.

The Little Snowplow Wishes For Snow By Lora Koehler (Retail $16.99)

This story follows along with a cute little snowplow who loves plowing snow. It can't snow all of the time so during the spring and the summer when there is no snow he keeps busy happily helping out the other work equipment around town as he enjoys being helpful. Although he enjoys helping out everyone he really wishes it would snow, because he loves when it snows. The weather starts to chill but there still isn't snow, so instead the little snowplow concentrates on having a good time with his friends for his birthday. It finally snows on his birthday! So he rushes off to go plow the snow and then head back to enjoy his party. We all thought this book was cute, and enjoying to read.

Along with these four wonderful books, Candlewick Press also offers dozens of great books for kids of all ages.

♡ Which of the four books do you like the best? Do you recall any books that were a favorite of yours when you were a child?

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by Candlewick Press for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Farewell to Parragon Books.

**This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by PaRragon for the review free of charge.**

This will sadly be my last post for the book buddies program with the company PaRragon books. I recently received a farewell email letting the reviewers who have worked with them know that PaRragon will be closing it's doors in the U.S which means the book buddies program will be ending as well. However they do still have locations in Europe, Asia, Australia and India if you live in those locations you will still be able to purchase books through them.

Knowing the company is closing in the U.S is a bit heart breaking for me, I've always been a big book worm. I remember reading often as a child and loved going to the book store with my grandma when I was young, I've always made sure that my kids enjoy reading as well. PaRragon has a great selection of books suited for every age so it is a bit sad to see them go. Any how let's get onto the goodies that were in the last box.

The last box I received was given a space theme and encouraged you to reach for the stars and follow your dreams. The first two books in the box are from their new Stem Stars Series by Discovery and the titles are as follows;

Women Who Rocked Space (Retail Value $4.99) - This book tells you about nineteen wonderful women who all contributed to astronomy in one way or another. Each women has a two page layout that tells the reader a bit about each women along with what they contributed and it features their photo. This is a great book not only for little girls but for young boys as well, my daughter is a curious learner and she knows a lot of the big male names when it comes to astronomy and the space program but doesn't know any of the women (neither did I to be honest) so this is a nice book to have.

Women Who Rocked Medicine (Retail Value $4.99) - Just like the Women who rocked space this book is all about many of the women who made an impact in the medical field. This book features another nineteen women who made various contributions to medicine such as Florence Nightingale and  Virginia Apgar. Each lovely lady has two pages with her story, a photo if one was available and what they did for the medical field.

Dream You'll Be (Retail Value $9.99) - This is a rather cute bedtime rhyme book which goes over a variety of things your child might dream about becoming from a superhero or a pirate to a vet or school teacher but at the end it let's them know what no matter what they dream of being that they are already the most important thing to you the parent reading the book. I think all of the illustration in this book are fun, eye catching and charming they are quite colorful and drawn in a soft manner so everything flows well.

The Learnalots Preschool Thinking Skills (Retail Value $3.99) - My son is starting kindergarten this year and although he already knows everything this book covers this will be a good book to do a bit of work in daily to give him a re-fresh course to make sure he is ready for school and it will give us some one on one time while my daughter is doing her homework. It includes two pages of stickers as well to be used as rewards!

Bountiful Bowls (Retail Value $12.99) - While this book isn't related to space it is technically related towards goals of being healthier since it features dozens of recipes for different food bowls that use fresh ingredients like avocado, grapes, cabbage, lettuce and more. All of the recipes give you a list of ingredients for the bowl and any dressings you may need plus step by step instructions on how to make the bowl and a photo of each completed bowl. There are a lot of great bowls in this book, I look forward to trying some of them out.

PaRragon August Book Buddy Box!

**This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by PaRragon for the review free of charge.**

It has been about two months since I've been able to share a book buddy box with all of you so I am excited they sent out a new box to review and share with all of my lovely readers. This months box is themed "Back To School" and features a number of educational books to help prepare your toddler for Kindergarten and beyond. All of the books are from a line called The Learnalots and they are a lot of fun.



The Learnalots Let's Learn Preschool, Kindergarten, & Second Grade: I was a little surprised they didn't include first grade and put second grade instead but I think that is because they sent a little 500 questions first grade book in place of the bigger book. Each of the Learnalots books has 256 page along with two pages of rewards stickers (50 stickers per page). Each book goes over different subjects that they would be going over for that grade level, for example the Preschool book goes over ABC's, 123's, Shapes colors and more. My four year old is great with his colors, shapes, etc so the preschool book is a breeze for him and helps keep his mind sharp and the others will help with the things he doesn't know or just needs more practice on like reading and writing.

I like how bright, crisp and clear each page in this book is all the characters and colors help hold his attention and they don't put in anything overly complicated for the age range that the book targets. Along with practicing their skills each book also has a number of fun games that feature the different subjects they are learning about. I like how big each book is, it is the perfect size to put up on the counter and work on together with my son.



                

Get Ready for Preschool & Kindergarten Learning Packs: Both packs come with five 32 page paper back books and each one has a page of stickers as well. Each book goes over the same subjects that are in the bigger learning books but these are easy to bring with on car rides, to doctor appointments,etc and they can all be put back into the handy carrying case when you are done with them. All of the characters in these books are well designed and are pretty darn cute, my kids have a blast looking at all of them.



Learnalots 500 first grade questions & Coding and computers book: The 500 questions book is specifically designed to help both the parents and child have fun together while learning. It covers a number of subjects and comes with an array of cute pictures and bright colors to help your child stay focused and get their attention. Some of the questions are silly and fun such as "Is a slumber party a sleepover with friends, or a party where people cut trees?" and "Does PB&J stand for peanut butter and jelly or pickles, bacon and juice?" and it also has more serious questions such as "What animal helps to pollinate flowers: a bear or bees" and " Which is larger 1/4 or 1/6". The only thing I don't like about this book is the size/shape it is hard to keep it to stay open you really have to bend the spine back in order to get it to stay otherwise it wants to close the entire time you are reading it. While flipping through this trying to look at the pages a small section of the pages actually fell right out of the book which was a bit disappointing.

The coding book is a lot of fun for older kids, it helps teach kids about computers and the coding that helps keep everything running smoothly. It has 48 pages of information and comes with over 300 fun stickers to make learning coding fun!

Wee Gallery Review

****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by Wee Gallery for the review free of charge.****

My son is turning one in eight days, Every day he is learning more and talking more he learns a lot from his older sister. When his sister was younger we had quite a few sets of flash cards which were ruined over time so when I received the chance to review a set of Jungle art cards for baby by Wee Gallery I was extremely excited. The Jungle set includes a bear, lion, monkey, parrot, snake and zebra each card is printed on recycled board and measures 5"x7" the cards are a nice thickness as well.



My package arrived within four days from the other side of the United States & was well packaged. These cards are simply adorable even the box they come in is something you will want to hold onto not just to keep the cards in but because of the artwork. All the cards are thick which will allow your child to play with these cards without them getting ruined, the corners are round to prevent any poked eyes or jabbed cheeks. One side of the card is white with the animal drawn in black and the other side is black with the animal drawn in white along with the animals name. My son loves these cards he started giggling as soon as they were pulled out, He loves playing with and looking at these cards the contrast is wonderful and we all love the way the animals are drawn. Wee Gallery also offers a Sea Life set that includes a sea animals, sea horse, fish, turtle, jellyfish, stingray and octopus.



Wee Gallery also sells temporary tattoos, tea cups, toys & rubber stamps. Want to know how Wee Gallery came about? Here is some information from their "About Us" section, "Wee Gallery was conceived by Surya, a graphic designer, and Dave, a teacher. To prepare for the birth of their first child, Surya painted a mural on the baby’s nursery wall. Remembering that newborns responded to black and white best, she decided to paint zebras so that the baby could focus on the black and white stripes at first, and as he grew older, would be able to recognize the form of the animal .Well, their son Siddu loved his zebra wall, and so did all the moms and dads who came to visit! So they decided to create more animals using the same idea, and the first set of Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby was born. Seven years later Wee Gallery products are sold in baby boutiques and design shops all over the world." Head over to their etsy shop to see everything they have to offer I personally love their designs and will keep this on my "Baby Shower" gifting list for when I am invited to a baby shower again.

Wonder Forge Review!

My daughter is at an age where she can now understand & enjoy board games the only down side is our board game selection is limited so when I was offered a chance to work with a fantastic company called Wonder Forge I couldn't refuse.

I was recently sent The Enchanted Cupcake Party Game & The Dazzling Princess Game which are perfect for the age range of 3-5 years old. The Dazzling Princess Game gives your little girl the chance to celebrate her favorite princesses and collect sparkling jewels to decorate the bracelet, ring,and tiara included. This is a fun fantasy-filled dress-up game which all little girls will love to play. There is enough in this game for four girls to play at one time & offers half an hour to two hours of game play depending on how concentrated they are when they play. I personally think this game is adorable,but I do have to mention that is has some smaller pieces so I would make sure the girls play in a clean area where the pieces will be easy to pick up. The Dazzling Princess Game retails for $19.99. The next game we played was The Enchanted Cupcake Party Game "You’re invited to a cupcake party with all your favorite princesses! Work together to make as many cupcakes as you can before it’s time for the party. Follow the recipe cards to pick the perfect fancy liner, frosting, and topper. Each cupcake creation is fit for a princess in this sweet game of matching and sharing." I think this is a fun and interactive game to play with your little girl each time you pick a card you build your cupcake(s) based on the color or item on the card,By the end of the game you can have some pretty funny looking creations. The cupcake game is perfect for two players or more if you choose,My daughter loves playing this game, This game retails for $16.99. My daughter & I have enjoyed playing the games we received from Wonder Forge and have played/purchased some of their games in the past my local Target carries them so we always have them close for when were looking for a new game.****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by Wonder Forge for the Review  free of charge****

Magic Whiteboard Review

I am excited that I found a great new product for my daughters room & play area,I recently found a product called Magic Whiteboard. I was recently sent a roll of Magic Whiteboard Sheets,What is a Magic Whiteboard sheet? The Magic Whiteboard is a Whiteboard on a Roll, and it is perfect for home, school and the office, from the playroom to the classroom to the boardroom. It is completely erasable and sticks to any hard, flat surface using electrostatic technology, so no adhesive is needed. You can reuse each sheet more than 20 times and recycle it when you’re ready to throw it away. Any ink from dry erase markers will rub off easily even if left on for days, but note that dry erase ink can rub off when sheets are folded or rolled.



To give it a test run I placed it onto the closet door in my bedroom,Why? Some days I leave before my Husband & others he leaves before me while the other still sleeps so I thought it would be nice to leave friendly daily reminders,notes,ect. It unrolls easily though I did tear it slightly trying to separate it off of the roll,Other wise it went right onto the closet door perfectly. It is easy to write on & the marker wipes off very smoothly without leaving any color or marks behind. I plan to keep the rest of the rolls in the package for now until we moved into our new home at the beginning of the year,then I plan to make a small learning area for my children which will include these hanging on the wall. It will help with ABC's,123's & spelling if needed they can be cut to any shape or size you would like so you can add them in other places of your home such as next to the fridge or on the fridge,next to the computer desk & more. I have enjoyed using this product & would like to use some of their other products as well,If you home school this is something you should definitely look into. Feel free to head over & "Like" them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to keep updated with their new products. ****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by Magic Whiteboard for the Review free of charge****

My Tot Clock GIVEAWAY & Review

Ready for some more fun Giveaway action? Finding toys that are both fun & educational for my daughter is high on my priorities list so I was happy to work with a company called My Tot Clock on both a Review & a Giveaway.

For my Review I received a My Tot Clock for my daughter,I think the clocks are very adorable they have an interchangeable story card so that your clock will play new stories,Not only does the My Tot clock tell stories at bed time,It sings,It rings & has different lights for the various settings It also has timers & alarms,If your child needs 'Time out' you can place the red light on & set the timer,The blue light means bed time,Yellow means wake up & green is Encouragement time.Some other fun features this clock has is the face plate is interchangeable & it has both a manual & digital clock on it.My daughter has enjoyed the time she had with this clock unfortunately it fell off of our Kitchen counter onto the floor & stopped working though my daughter does still play with it because she uses the buttons to name colors & we have her point to the numbers & say what they are.This clock is very helpful & educational for Toddlers & young children this clock can help them fall asleep at night & know when its okay to get up in the morning that way they are not getting up at 5am & waking mommy/daddy up.****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by My Tot Clock for the Review & Giveaway****

PRIZE ALERT:
One lucky winner will get their own Tot Clock

US RESIDENTS ONLY PLEASE

GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED WINNER IS - #198 Tj and Amy

My Lil Lamb GIVEAWAY & Review

I am excited to share todays giveaway with you it is one of my personal favorite stores I have had the honor of reviewing & hosting a giveaway for,Also don't forget I have a TON of fun giveaways going on right now you can click HERE to see the list of Current giveaways going on at the moment.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a company called My Lil Lamb which is a Baby Clothing & Gift Boutique which sells a number of fantastic items for babies & toddlers.For my Review I received a Plush Monster Bowling Game & Plush Funny Monster Slippers[Pictured above].The Monster slippers are so much cuter in person the picture on the My Lil Lamb website does not do these slippers justice,They are a very bright green with blues,orange,white & black in different areas of the monsters.The slippers are a little big for my daughters feet but stay on just fine,I am glad they are a little big for her because it means she will be wearing them for a longer amount of time.The Plush Monster Bowling Game is another great item from My Lil Lamb it comes with six bowling pins shaped like monsters each one has its own look & personality,It also comes with one monster bowling ball.My daughter doesn't quite get the idea of bowling yet[she is almost two] but enjoys playing with this game anyways she likes throwing the ball & playing dolls with the bowling pins.I like the monster bowling game because all the pieces are soft making it so that the child playing with them won't be able to hurt his/her self or anyone around them.I have enjoyed working with My Lil Lamb they have many cute items on their site that I would love to have for my daughter including adorable clothing sets.****This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by My Lil Lamb for the Review & Giveaway****

PRIZE ALERT:
One lucky winner will win a Noah's Ark Shape Sorter Toy [Camels and kangaroos, monkeys and alligators are among the charming chunky animal pieces to sort into this wooden ark. The two-story ark features flip-open doors, twenty-six animal blocks, plus Noah and his wife!] Retail Price: $37.50

GIVEAWAY IS NOW OVER WINNER IS - #554 Tylerpants

Baby Prodigy Review

It is important to all parents to provide their children with fun toys & DVD's that will help their children learn along the way but how do you decide if something is helpful & worth the money? There are a number of ways from talking to friends who have used the same DVD or reading reviews on the products which you can find good & bad reviews on virtually every product out there.One of the number one products out there today is Learning DVD's for Babies/Toddlers/Children but not every video is the best for learning use,I am like most parents I want my Daughter to be able to watch something fun while learning while watching it but I am very weary about spending $20 on a DVD if I do not know weather it is worth the money or not.

I recently received a chance to work with a Company called Baby Prodigy who is slowly but surely becoming a commonly heard name,Each of their DVD covers are cute & baby friendly with bright colored shapes,animals & babies.For my Review I received two DVD's 30 Minutes to a quiet baby & Baby's first words. To me the videos felt like they were for new borns - 12 months so my daughter wasn't very entertained by them so I gave them to my friend who had a little boy four months ago we watched them while at her house & her son seemed very happy sitting in his bumbo while watching the video,each video is very bright,friendly & happy.The Babies first words is very nice because they show the picture of the object the word on the screen & they say the word for the child to hear.Baby Prodigy not only sells DVD's but they sell CD's,& Toys for each stage of development.I do think this is a good video for younger babies.The videos aren't short & they aren't super long either it is a decent length DVD **This was not a paid post and my honest opinion was used. The opinions are solely my own and may vary from others.Products were Provided by Baby Prodigy for the Review**