IKEA Soft Toys for Education

November 29, 2011 By

I have a confession to make… I have never stepped foot inside of an IKEA. I want to! I really do. It’s just that we don’t have one local to us.

I LOVE the IKEA catalog. I get just as excited to receive that catalog in the mail as I did when I was a child and the Sears Wish Book would show up in our mailbox. The IKEA catalog is my grown up “wish book”. LOL!

IKEA is the world’s largest home furnishings company with over 320 stores globally including 38 stores in the USA. Sadly none local to me.

IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad. The vision of the company is to create a better everyday life for the many people. The business idea is to offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishings at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.

I was shocked to learn that IKEA stores have an average of 626 million visitors during a year. WOW! That is a lot of visitors.

I didn’t know that IKEA was very involved in charities. I think that is wonderful. Knowing that inspires me to find a way to make it to an IKEA some day. I like to support businesses that support charities.

The IKEA Foundation, the philanthropic entity at IKEA, works in partnership with UNICEF and Save the Children to make a difference for millions of children in need around the world by reducing malnutrition and infant disease, and by dramatically improving literacy. The Soft Toys Campaign for Education (a UNICEF and Save the Children program) aims to improve the education of the most disadvantaged children while recognizing that education is one of the best investments for them.

The IKEA Foundation also aims to improve the opportunities for children and youth by funding holistic, long-term programs that can create substantial, lasting change, and enable them to take charge of their own future. IKEA works with strong strategic partners applying innovative approaches to achieve large-scale results in four fundamental areas of a child’s life. Currently funded programs benefit an estimated 100 million children.

If you would like to learn more about the IKEA Foundations please visit www.IKEAFoundation.org.

This year IKEA is running a campaign called IKEA Soft Toys for Education. From November 1, 2011 – December 24, 2011. For every soft plush toy that is purchased, IKEA will donate one Euro (approximately $1.35 in US Dollars) to the IKEA Soft Toys for Education campaign.  

IKEA Soft Toys, which includes stuffed animals, finger puppets and books, range in price from $.49 – $19.99 and are available in all IKEA stores and online. You can see the full collection here, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=soft+toy.

These incredibly affordable and cuddly creatures will certainly put a smile in the hearts of children, while supporting millions of others in need of a quality education.

IKEA Soft Toys for Education is actually an annual event. Since 2003 this campaign has donated 35.2 million euros ($47.5 Million US) to UNICEF and Save the Children. This contribution has enabled approximately 8 million children in nearly 40 countries the great opportunity of having access to a quality education. That is amazing!

We have a couple of soft plush toys from IKEA. My kids each have a Vegetable plush. My daughter has a plush carrot and my son has a plush broccoli. They are not only super soft and huggable but also incredibly cute.

We also have an adorable clown dog called Klappar Cirkus on the IKEA site (my kids call him Clown Dog).

All of the plush animals and dolls available at IKEA are not only adorable but super affordable too. Currently our veggie plush are on sale for $3.99 (normally $7.99) each and the Clown Dog is on sale for $2.49 (normally $4.99). These are NOT small plush toys either. The vegetables are HUGE (almost 2′ tall!) and the Clown Dog  is big too (not as big as the veggies but still a big size). Even at their non-sale prices they are a great deal. Where else will you find a nearly 2′ tall plush for $7.99?

Even though these plush are very affordably priced, their quality did not “suffer” at all. When you purchase inexpensive plush animals, like those at low-end department stores or the dollar stores, they tend to fall apart easily, have lose threads or rip easily. The IKEA plush, although priced incredible low, are NOT low quality. If you told me they came from a high end department store and cost $$$$ I would believe it. They are made exceptionally well.

When it comes to giving the gift of IKEA plush this holiday season it’s a win-win-win situation. You can save money purchasing these adorable, quality plush, someone gets an fun gift and you are helping IKEA send money to great charities.

To find an IKEA location near you visit www.IKEA.com.

Kimberly

*I received free product samples to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  

 

 

 

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Fun FREE Thanksgiving activity book for kids, parents and families

November 21, 2011 By

I love it when I can share cool things with my readers. :-)

I learned that Education.com is offering families a FREE Thanksgiving activity book. When I heard about it I just had to check it out for myself.

The activity book is 36 pages long. You can view it online, save it or print it out. Whatever is most convenient for you.

If you are viewing it online you’ll have to play around with size (+/-) to adjust it to fit your screen.

Check out everything you’ll find inside the book.

For Grown Ups

Thanksgiving Myths Debunked!

The Thanksgiving Cheat Sheet

Making Time for Thanksgiving

For Kids

Holiday Word Search: Thanksgiving

Draw Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Turkey Coloring Page

Pilgrim Paper Doll

Thanksgiving Banner

Play the Thanksgiving Dinner Table Challenge

Thanksgiving Place Cards

For Families

Make Thanksgiving Finger Puppets!

Make a “Handy” Thanksgiving Wreath

Make a Paper Plate Turkey Photo Frame

Make an Apple Turkey!

Turkey Cupcakes

Make a Thanksgiving Table Runner

You have to check out the Apple Turkey. It’s really cute and a great use for Marshmallows. :-)

To check out this fun FREE activity book visit http://bit.ly/vz9MT2.

Have fun and enjoy!

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit and enjoyment of my site readers.

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“Must have” gifts for kids this holiday season

November 17, 2011 By

By now most kids have probably handed over their holiday wish list. My daughter’s list is a mile long where as trying to find out what my son wants is impossible. He really doesn’t want anything more then a huge blizzards and for the government to say school is pointless and shut schools down. Ha Ha.

As Black Friday and the holiday season approaches, Apple appears to be the consumer electronics brand to beat. A recent Nielsen survey shows kids’ holiday gaming and electronics appetites are whet by a number of top-selling Apple devices – with the iPad leading the pack.

Consistent with U.S. kids’ 2010 wish lists, the Apple iPad is the most desired consumer electronic among kids ages 6-12 for holiday 2011. In fact, the iPad increases its stronghold, with nearly half (44%) of kids expressing interest in the product, up from 31 percent in 2010. Two other popular Apple devices – iPod Touch (30%) and iPhone (27%) – round out kids’ top three, with computers and other tablet brands each appealing to a quarter of younger consumers.

Many kids will also ask for gaming devices this year, with two products that offer unique gaming technologies – Nintendo 3DS (25%) and Kinect for Xbox 360 (23%) – leading the way. Given the 3DS’ spring 2011 release date and the surge in Kinect interest versus last year (up from 14%), parents can expect both devices to be frequently requested this holiday season. Beyond these, older Nintendo DS models continue to resonate with young gamers (22%), while the PlayStation 3 (17%) and Xbox 360 (16%) edge out the Nintendo Wii (11%) as the most desired gaming consoles.

Here is a breakdown, by age groups, as to what kids want. You can click on each photo for a larger view.

 

I hope this helps make your holiday shopping a little easier, although not less expensive. All of the items on these lists tend to be very pricey.

Have fun shopping!

Kimberly

*I was not compensated to post this information. I posted it for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.

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Jake and the Never Land Pirates on Disney Junior

November 14, 2011 By

When I first heard about Jake and the Never Land Pirates I was a bit sceptical. It’s a cartoon spin off of the Disney classic Peter Pan. It’s not a TRUE spin off, but it does have a lot to do with the characters in the beloved movie. I am one of those people who feel that sometimes its best to leave the classics alone.

A few months ago I stumbled upon an episode of the series on Disney Junior. Out of curiosity I watched the episode. To my surprise I really enjoyed it. Even though the characters are pirates, they talk about Peter Pan and Captain Hook is in almost all of the episodes (at least all I’ve seen), it’s nothing like the actual Peter Pan movie.

If you have never watched Jake and the Never Land Pirates before, here is a brief description.  

A music-filled interactive treasure hunt, Jake and the Never Land Pirates introduces a crew of kid pirates – leader Jake and pals Izzy and Cubby – and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney’s classic “Peter Pan.” Along the way, they model teamwork, problem-solving and physical activity, earning gold doubloons as they conquer a variety of tasks. The series features original “pirate rock” music performed by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band.

Did you know that Jake and the Never Land Pirates is cable’s #1 series for Boys 2-5 since its launch and on track to be Disney Channel’s #1 preschool series ever. Not only do young boy enjoy the series but it’s also among one of the most co-viewed preschool series, with 45% of moms watching with their preschooler. I find that very interesting. Plus I’m thrilled that many moms are watching the shows with their children, and hopefully developing a meaningful conversation from it.

I think the show is really cute. I know that pirates are a favorite with young boys. I can’t think of any pirate show that would be appropriate for the preschool level. Jake and the Never Land Pirates is the only show I can think of that would be age-appropriate.

The characters are all very likable including Jake, and dare I say Captain Hook. Captain Hook was the character your loved to hate Peter Pan. In Jake and the Never Land Pirates, Captain Hook is not a bad guy. In fact he’s kind of cute too. :-)

The show is very colorful and the animation is well done. I love all the little critters. There are even female characters in the series which should appeal to little girls too. One is Izzy, who is part of Jake’s crew. The other is Marina, the mermaid.

I can see why the series is very popular. It’s enjoyable and entertaining to watch. Some “kiddie” shows can be rather boring (or in some cases annoying) for adults. I did not see that being the case for Jake and the Never Land Pirates. I think even older siblings could enjoy the series just as much as their younger brother and sisters.

There is even a Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD available, which was released back in September of this year. Also available is a music CD inspired by the series.

 

Jake and the Never Land Pirates is such a huge success that they even created a holiday episode called It’s a Winter in Never Land! / Hook on Ice. It’s Christmas time and Peter Pan has left some gifts for Jake and his crew. Even Captain Hook is in the holiday spirit inviting Jake and his crew to g on a Winter treasure hunt. Your child will even get to see Jake and his friends riding a sled on the sand. :-)

It’s a Winter Never Land / Hook on Ice will air on Friday, December 2, 2011 at 8:30 PM (ET/PT) on the Disney Channel.

Check out a clip from the holiday special (below).

I love how even the Christmas tree is decorated with sea shells and other things you would find along the sandy beach. Very cute!

In Hook On Ice, Jake and his crew wake up to find that Peter Pan left them some presents and a Christmas tree to help them celebrate the holiday. In the other holiday epsisode Jake and his crew join Captain Hook as he goes on a Winter treasure hunt. 

In January Jake and the Never Land Pirates will debut the first ever 45 minute series special before the second season begins.

Other exciting news is that Disney Junior will launch it’s on 24 hour channel early in 2012. Currently Disney Junior can be seen on the Disney Channel weekdays from 4:00 AM – 2:00 PM (ET/PT) and on the weekends 4:00 AM – 9:00 AM (ET/PT). In early 2012 you’ll be able to catch all your favorite Disney Junior programming 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Disney Junior offers a delightful array of programs that not only entertain but also include learning components such as math, language, healthy eating, lifestyles and social and emotional development. Another words the programs you find on Disney Junior are not “fluff” but rather meaningful programs that are educational too.

If you would like to learn more about Disney Junior please visit www.DisneyJunior.com. You can also find out more information about Jake and the Never Land Pirates at the Disney Junior link too. You can also follow the channel and programs on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/DisneyJunior.

You can also follow the conversation on Twitter with the hash tag JakePirates.

 

Kimberly

*I received free branded samples and a free DVD from Child’s Play Communications and Team Mom in order to do this review. There was no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

 

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Box Tops for Education Marketplace – Your one stop shop for all your holiday needs

November 7, 2011 By

The holiday season is just about in full swing. Most people are making their lists for what they need to get for the holidays, from gifts to holiday decor.

Personally I try and avoid stores, and most especially the mall, this time of year. I will go to the mall to stroll around and look at the decorations but I won’t do any shopping. The idea of standing on never ending lines does not appeal to me. I know I’m missing out on some great sales but I have yet to want or need something THAT BAD where I had to stand on line at 2:00 AM to get it for a good price.

I prefer to do most of my holiday shopping from the comfort of my own home. I much rather sit at my computer in my fuzzy bunny slippers (yes, I do have a pair), sipping coffee or hot cocoa, and surfing the ‘net to find what I am looking for. Many online shops offer free shipping and great deals so I don’t feel like I’m missing out not shopping at the mall.

Wouldn’t it be nice to not only do most of your holiday shopping online, but also help your local school earn money at the same time? Talk about a win-win situation.

In the past I have written about the importance of collecting Box Tops for Education. I am sure most people have seen them on products that they have purchased. Box Tops are found on a variety of products from Cheerios to Ziploc and from Green Giant to Betty Crocker. Take a moment and look through your pantry or fridge. I’m sure you will come across some Box Tops.

For a more detailed description of the Box Tops for Education program you can check out a post I did about it by clicking on this link, http://www.shescribes.com/2011/04/box-tops-for-education-its-more-then-just-a-piece-of-paper-giveaway.html. PLEASE NOTE that the giveaway appearing in this post is over.

Most people are familiar with clipping the Box Tops for Education labels off products and sending them into school with their child, but did you know you can earn Box Tops simply by shopping online?

Box Tops for Education has an online marketplace where your purchases are translated into Box Tops for your school. Shopping at the market place is easy and you don’t have to do anything more then simply shop. There is nothing to cut out, no forms to submit, simply shop like you normally do.

You will first need to have an account with Box Tops for Education. Signing up is free and you won’t get spammed but unwanted correspondence. You need to have an account so Box Tops for Education knows what school will benefit from your online shopping.

Once you have your account set up you can start shopping. You will need to visit the Box Tops for Education website first. Once you are there you will click on the “Earn” tab on the top task bar. Scroll to where is says “Shop Marketplace” and click. On the Marketplace page you can find all participating websites, websites that have special double Box Tops offers and more.

 

Some people might be under the impression that the stores featured in the Box Tops for Education Marketplace are places most people wouldn’t normally shop at. That is not the case at all. The Box Tops for Education Marketplace feature popular online destinations including…

- Walmart

- Victoria’s Secret

- JCPenney

- Ugg

- Children’s Place

- Walgreens

- Target

- Sephora

- Sears

- PetSmart

- Old Navy

- Kmart

- iTunes

- Avon

And many, many more. You will also find some lesser known online shops who carry some amazing products including I See Me, Game Fly, Fragrance.net, Cherry Moon Farms and the Giant Party Store.

In order to have your purchases count towards the Box Tops you will need to enter the websites through the Box Tops for Education Marketplace page. When you are on the Marketplace page you simply click on the retailer you wish to shop at and Box Tops for Education will forward you to their website. It’s THAT easy!

The Box Tops credits you earn range from .5 (half of a Box Top) to 25 Box Tops (or you can say “virtual Box Tops”) for every $10.00 you purchase. Take for example the Popcorn Factory. You earn 5 Box Tops for every $10 you spend online in their store (does not include tax or shipping). If you spend $30.00 your school will earn 15 Box Tops (5 Box Tops for every $10 spent). If you shop at Sears (2 Box Tops per $10 spent) and spend $100.00 your school will earn 20 Box Tops.

Each Box Top is worth .10 cents. That might not sound like a lot but if you do your regular online shopping through the Box Tops for Education Marketplace, and continue to clip the Box Tops off products you buy, they will really add up. If most of the families from your school did the same thing your school could earn hundreds, if not thousands of dollars each year through the program.

I have already started my holiday shopping using the Box Tops for Education Marketplace. I’ve purchased many things ranging from music to gifts.

One Marketplace store I shopped at was Current. They carry a lot of wonderful stationary products. They also offer gifts and decor too.

From Current I purchased a Snoopy Holiday Clock and an adorable “Welcome” mat. I bought these for friend’s of ours who just got married and moved into a new house. They don’t have many holiday decorations yet and I thought these would make a great gift. The clock plays one of twelve different holiday tunes at the top of every hour.

From the Current website I also purchased a beautiful fleece throw blanket as a gift for a family member. I wish the picture was better. It’s beautiful.

I also picked up some things for my home including snowflake window clings (they were buy one get one free on the Current site) and a fun Christmas Tree magnet set for our fridge. It’s cute. I’m tempted to put it on my fridge now.

I was thinking about picking up some holiday cards too but I’m still not sure if I want to go with traditional cards or photos cards.

I had fun shopping for holiday decoration at the Giant Party Shop, also a Box Tops for Eduction Marketplace retailer. I have never heard of the store before. They have some really fun and very inexpensive decorations for all occasions.

Here are a few of the goodies I picked up. I’m sorry I don’t have the actual photos. My order has not arrived yet.

 

The items pictured above are cardboard cut outs, I am going to hang the snowflakes from the door frames. The tree is for my kid’s room. They want a Christmas Tree (I’m figuring they need a 4′ – 5′ tree) but Christmas Trees are too expensive. I thought a giant Christmas Tree cut out on the wall would be a nice alternative.

I am going to put the life size Santa cut out in the sliding glass window to make it look like Santa is waving to everyone outside. The Santa sled is going in the bathroom. We just redid the bathroom and the walls are currently empty. I thought this large cut out decoration would look nice in there.

Also from the Giant Party Shop I picked up these huge fake windows (plastic) to put in the kid’s room. These are 5 feet long! Wow!

 

My son loves snow and the Winter. I thought for the holiday season I could put the Christmas one over the TV to make it look like they are looking out a window. After Christmas I’ll swap it for the Winter scene.

Of course the holidays would not be complete without some holiday music. From Drugstore.com I purchased two 4-disc Christmas music sets. They have not arrived yet so I have to use a stock photo.

I also did some shopping Oriental Trading, also a Marketplace member. I know a lot of teacher’s who shop at Oriental Trading for classroom accessories, prizes for the students, stationary and more. It seems only fitting that a teacher shop online at Oriental Trading through the Box Tops for Education Marketplace so they could help their school too.

I actually found two gifts for my son on the Oriental Trading website. He LOVES weather. He wants to put on his own weather forecast show. I found a weather related bulletin board set from Oriental Trading that will be perfect for him. I’ll buy him a cork board too so he can put today’s weather (or this week’s weather) on the board.

I also found a weather map with reusable/repositionable weather stickers that he might enjoy.

For something fun for my kids I picked up pre-cut paper strips so they can make the Christmas countdown paper chain. Each day the kids pull a link off the chain so they can visually see how long until Christmas. My kids used to love to do this when they were younger. Now that they are older they don’t necessarily get as excited about the chain but it has become a tradition so they like to make one each year. Instead of cutting out the strips of paper I thought buying pre-made strips would be easier.

I’m still not done shopping through the Marketplace. I have my eye on some yummy holiday cookies on the Walgreen’s website and I’d like to get some holiday outfits for our Build-a-Bears off the Build-a-Bear website through the Marketplace. I am also thinking about checking out Sears, Kohls or Macy’s for a holiday outfit for myself.

So far I have earned a total of 47 Box Tops for my son’s school. That translates into $4.70 for his school. Think about how much money could be raised if every family shopped through the Marketplace. If 10 people could earn a similar amount of virtual Box Tops, $47.00 would be raised for the school. Imagine how many virtual Box Tops could be earned if 100 people could shop through the Marketplace and earn a similar amount of Box Tops.  Most schools have hundreds of students so earning Box Tops, both virtually through the Marketplace and by clipping them off package, should be easy.

With so many stores found in the Box Tops for Education Market place I can get all my holiday shopping done, from gifts to decor and from yummy treats to entertainment. Knowing that my son’s school is going to benefit from my shopping it only makes perfect sense to do all my online shopping through the Marketplace. The Marketplace is available year round too, including the summer when school is not in session.

Be sure to check out double Box Top offers too. Sometimes Marketplace retailers will double your Box Tops earnings. You can also find special sales and discounts on the Marketplace page too.  

To learn more about Box Tops for Education or their Marketplace please visit www.BoxTops4Education.com. You can also “like” them on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/BoxTopsForEducation.com and on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/BTFE.

 

Kimberly

*I received gifts cards to shop at the Marketplace in order to do this review. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Feeding America BackPack Program

November 4, 2011 By

 

In a few weeks it will be Thanksgiving. That means family, friends, football and FOOD… lots and lots of delicious food. I don’t know about you but usually the day before Thanksgiving I don’t eat much because I want to leave plenty of room for the turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing, apple pie and all the mouth-watering foods that are a part of our Thanksgiving feast.

Kids look forward to Thanksgiving too, often for the same reasons, but also because they know they get a few days off from school.

In most schools across the country the only meals some school children get are from school meal programs. According to the USDA 16 MILLION children in the United States live in “food insecure” households? Food insecure means homes where often there is not any food to eat. That is a staggering 22% of the children in the United States live in poverty and are lacking in proper nutrition due to lack of food.

In 2009 it was found that the states with the highest number of children in “food insecure” households were Washington DC, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas and Texas. Wow! I am really shocked to hear that. States with the lowest food insecure households (meaning the household has a regular supply of food) are North Dakota, New Hampshire, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusettes.

 

Thankfully for free or low cost school meal programs, these children are able to get a decent meal. But what happens when school is not in session? What happens to these children on Thanksgiving when schools are closed? While you and I are enjoying a bounty of delicious foods, the children whose only meal might come from the school meal programs are at home looking forward to when the kids go back to school so that they can eat too. If that doesn’t make you feel guilty and horrible, I don’t know what will. Suddenly the idea of an apple pie, green bean casserole and mouth watering turkey doesn’t sound as good.

Thankfully there are programs in place to help provide children with food while school is not in session.

Feeding America has a program called BackPack. BackPack helps to provide children with healthy and nutritious foods to get them through until school is back in session.

A typical backpack could contiain some of the following products (as an example).

- Cereal

- Breakfast Bars

- Milk

- Pudding

- Beef Stew

- Apple, Grape or Orange Juice

- Sunflower Seeds

- Diced Apple Food Cups

- Mixed Fruit Cups

- Vienna Sausage

- Apple Sauce

These are only a few examples of the foods found inside the special backpacks provided by Feeding America and it’s network of 200 food banks.

In some cases there might be extra food for younger siblings.

The BackPack program serves more then 230,000 children each year. There are approximately 5,000 sites set up at schools and 150 more BackPack sites set up Feeding American partners and distribution centers.

As you know not getting enough to eat can have a huge impact on a child’s life. Children whose nutritional needs are not met often has physical problems. They can also have mental and behavioral issues. Hunger also affects a child’s development and can have a huge implication on their readiness for school and academic achievements.

As a parent my heart not only goes out to these children, but also their parents too. I can’t imagine hearing my child cry that they are starving and knowing there is nothing I can do about it. I’m actually getting a sick feeling in my stomach just thinking about it.

There IS something you and I can do. We could donate funds to Feeding America so that they can purchase foods to put inside the backpacks. We can also donate our time by volunteering at a local food bank. 

You can also like and share videos found on the Feeding America website with family, friends, co-workers and others that you network with to help bring attention to the Feeding America programs.  

Speaking of videos, here is a video about the BackPack program. If you have a moment could you please watch it?

For more Feeding America videos you could also check out their YouTube page, http://www.YouTube.com/user/FeedingAmerica.

You can also help by starting a food bank in your area or creating a special campaign to help bring in food and monetary donations for a local food bank.

I think Feeding American’s BackPack program is a fantastic idea. It’s nice to know that they are doing what they can to help ensure that children don’t go hungry.

To learn more about Feeding America please visit www.FeedingAmerica.org. You can also follow them on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/FeedingAmerica and on Twitter, www.Twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

Kimberly

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this information for the benefit of my site readers and to help shed light on a great charity. No child should go hungry – ever!

 

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