Thrifty Thursdays

One of the ways I am thrifty is trying to earn money on surveys and on line searches. I try to build my Pay Pal account up so I don't need to dip into my bank account for purchases for my kids.

Here are some of the best ones I have found:

Most of you have heard of Swagbucks. I have already earned $40.00 in Pay Pal cash!
Sign up here!

Super points
I haven't seen any reward from here yet, but have heard good things!
Here are some invites:
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5

Web Perspectives
This is a Candian survey company that gives you Pay Pal. I have earned $30 from this very quickly!
Sign up here!

Angus Reid
Another Canadian survey company. I'm up to $120 for this one!
Sign up here!

There are so many paid surveys out there, have you had success from any? Let us know in the comments, and share the thriftiness ;)

The after days of Christmas

Now that we are done with Christmas it is now time to think about the new year. How has your year been? Were there ups and downs, good and bad, excitement? How do you plan to start the new year off? Anything different?

I plan to start my new year off by starting a new hobby. Still trying to decide which one. The new baby will be here in April. Then the chaos begins.

Everyday is a new and exciting day in this home. How will yours rate?

Now before I go I just want to share pics from our Christmas.

On The Twelve Day of Christmas.....

For the final day of Christmas:
Remote Controls!!!

What little boy is not crazy for Remote Control cars?
This year my little guy will be getting the TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS FLIP THE BOUNCE BACK RACER!

I can't wait to see his face! He already wants to play with his brothers Remote Controls, and this is perfect because it is age appropriate!
"This FLIP THE BOUNCE BACK RACER remote control vehicle drives on both sides for double the speed-racing action! Drive your race car with the included controller as fast as it will go. Then, when you’re ready, flip the car to the other side. Now it’s a stunt truck and you can race it some more!"

Why they will love it:
A big kid toy that a 3 year old can handle!
Easy controls!!

Why you will love it:
Easy for a 3 year old to control, no more "Mommy help!!!"
It's Tonka, you know that means made tough enough!


Merry Christmas every one! I hope you enjoyed my 12 days of Christmas!!

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas....

Almost time!
For the eleventh day:
Lego!
Another classic we all had growing up that is still kicking, and is better than ever!
Wether it is a Lego play set like Lego heroes, Lego Star Wars or Lego games, Lego is a timeless toy guaranteed to please! Lego were originally designed in the 1940s in Denmark.

Why they will love it:
The only limit is their imagination!

Why you will love it:
Playing with the small pieces is excellent for developing your child's fine motor skills
Encourages imaginative play
Nostalgic factor! My husband has been anxiously waiting to build with the boys!

Only 1 day left!!

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

For the tenth day of Christmas:
Fisher Price Little People!
Little people have been a staple in our home for birthdays and Christmas.
Little people toys make a perfect gift for boys and girls. From cars, trucks, and the classic Little People Garage, to doll houses with sounds to bring a squeal out of that little girl in your life, Little People has it all!
I can't think of anyone who has never played with the Little People Garage as a kid. These toys are built to last anything kids can throw at them.

Why they will love them:
Play sets are designed for little hands making them easy for all ages to play with
All the sets are interchangeable

Why you will love them:
Durable
Products available for all tastes and price points

They even have a Nativity set!

On The Ninth Day of Christmas...

I know I am behind, but here it is for day nine:
ALPHIE!!
When my brother was little, he got an ALPHIE for Christmas. When I saw that Playskool released it, I had to get it for my son!

Learning and play go hand in hand, your little explorer is learning there’s so much to discover. ALPHIE introduces fun activities based on letters, numbers, shapes, colors, music and more! He’s your interactive, electronic, take-along pal!

ALPHIE provides hours of fun, and has expansion packs available for even more learning!
Why they will love it:
A talking robot
Interactive
Musical
He even makes jokes!

Why you will love it:
Educational
Interactive

ALPHIE retails for $39.99
Visit http://www.hasbro.com/playskool/en_US/alphie/

On the Eighth Day of Christmas....

Sorry I fell behind on my posting. There is a lot going on this week!!

Only five more days!

For day eight.....

Board games!!!

This is a family favourite for the ages! Who doesn't remember having a drawn out Monopoly battle around the table growing up? In all our busyness, we sometimes forget the joys of the simple things. My kids love board games. We already have a shelf full, but I try to add some new ones each year.

The beauty of board games is there really are options for all ages! We have some that start at age 3! This year Cars Monopoly will be added to our home. I can't wait to see the faces on Christmas morning!!

Why they will love it:
The joy of playing a board game is timeless

Why you will love it:
Encourages fair play, and turn taking
Doesn't need batteries (well, mostly)
Gets the kids away from the TV
Easy to find at every price point

On the Seventh Day of Christmas....

Only 6 more days!!
For day seven:

Spynet Gear!
My boys are getting to an age where it's harder to buy for them. They are growing out of the simple toys. So now what?

Perfect for the little spy in your life! From motion detectors, to lie detectors, Spynet has it all!
We bought my son the Dual Action Flash light and Periscope and the Door Alarm.

Why they will love it?
Cool factor! These toys are high tech!
Computer fun too! On the website there are missions and games for most of the toys for the little spies to complete

Why you will love it?
Sure to keep them busy for hours
Encourage imaginative play

Check out Spynet toys here

On the Sixth Day of Christmas.....

7 Days to go!! Time is flying!!

For the sixth day of Christmas:
Leap Frog Fridge Phonics®: Magnetic Alphabet Set

My son got this for Christmas a couple of years ago, and we all love it! It's a fun way to teach your child the alphabet and the phonetics for each letter. Every kid under 3 that comes to our house plays with this toy the most.

"Your fridge door is the perfect place to develop a taste for reading. Nobody goes hungry for learning with this set of 26 colorful, easy-grip magnetic letters and magnetic letter reader that attaches securely to your fridge. Each letter talks, sings and teaches letter names, letter sounds and learning songs. Put a letter into the reader to hear its name, its sound or a fun phonics song"

Why they will love it:
Musical fun
Easy to grip letters

Why you will love it:
Educational
Trusted brand. Leap Frog products have helped me teach each of my boys the alphabet
Economical: Retail price is only $21.99

Buy it

On the Fifth Day of Christmas.....

8 Days to go!!

For the fifth day of Christmas:
Baby Stella!

When I first saw Manhattan Toys's Baby Stella I was dying to have a reason to buy it, but I had all little boys. When my brother had his first baby, I was so excited to see a baby girl to spoil. Right then I decided to buy this doll for her first birthday. 2 years later, my brother welcomed twin girls to their family, and I was asked to buy each of them a Baby Stella of their own for Christmas. I am more than happy to!

Baby Stella comes in 5 different designs, with assorted hair colour, and there is even a baby boy in the line up!

Each Baby Stella comes with a magnetic pacifier, easy for little hand to attach. The face is beautifully embroidered with detail, and has a removable diaper.

Why they will love it:
Baby Stella is super soft, and makes a wonderful "lovie" to sleep with
Little ones get to be a "mommy"
Accessories are available from feeding sets, to a tiny rocking horse

Why you will love it:
Encourages imaginative play
Soft and plush. No sharp edges

Buy Baby Stella at Manhattan Toys

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

9 days to go!
On the fourth day of Christmas:
Melissa & Doug Pretty Purse Fill and Spill
This year was the first year I got to buy a girl Christmas present for my family. I have nieces, but it's not the same as shopping for your own daughter. As excited as I was, my daughter is only 9 months old, so what do I get her? She's too little for all the fun stuff I want to buy, and I have a ton of little baby toys. After looking at some web sites, I found the answer: The Pretty Purse Fill and Spill.

"Everything necessary for the little girl on the go! This soft play set includes a cell phone that chimes, a key ring with keys, a change purse with coins, and a compact with a child-safe mirror. Everything is easily removed and replaced into a charming purse with a purple handle. Constructed of high quality fabrics and plastic, this durable set will provide hours of pretend fun!"

Recommended for 18 months and up, this was the perfect gift for my little princess. As I have posted before, I love Melissa ad Doug's toys. They are built well, and last through everything kids throw at them.

Why they will love it:
Toys that are just like Mommy's and age appropriate
The toys offer different sounds and textures

Why you love it:
Priced right at $24.99
Well made
A toy that will grow with your child

I can't wait for Christmas morning!!

On the Third Day of Christmas.....

10 more days!!!
For the third day of Christmas:
Hex bugs!

You may remember my review of Hex Bugs.
Hex Bugs are little robotic bugs, what could be a better gift for that little boy in your life?
Hex Bugs are available in 8 types:
Original Hex Bug
Inchworm
Crab
Ant
Nano
Spider
Larva
Scarab

Each of these bug come in vibrant colors, and have different bug like charactistics. Some are remote controled, and some react to light and sound.
We currently own the Inchworm and the Nano Raceway Habitat Set.

Why they will love it:
Robotic Bugs! Hours of fun!

Why you will love it:
Reasonable prices. The Hex Bug Nano retails for only $9.99 Makes a great stocking stuffer!

On the second day of Christmas.....

11 more days!

For the second day of Christmas:
Imaginext Toys from Fisher Price

Imaginext Toys are designed for ages 3-6, the years when kids want to play with "big kid" toys, but need something more durable. Imaginext is perfect for this stage! All of the Imaginext figures are interchangeable, so your Batman can go ride the T-Rex, or the pilot can take a ride in the Bat-mobile! the only limit is your child's imagination!

There are currently 11 different Imaginext series:
DC Superfriends
Dinosaurs
Disney Pixar's Cars
Disney Pixar's Toy Story
Skyracers
Samurai
Space
Robot Police
Dragons
Pirates
City

So far, we have 3 sky racers, and 3 dinosaurs. My kids love these toys so much, I bought 2 more for us, and 1 for my nephew for Christmas!

Why you will love them:
Very affordable. There are Imaginext toys in every price rage, starting as low as under $10.00!!
Encourages children's imagination

Why the kids love them:
Unlike most toy figures, Imaginext figures have larger feet, making them easy to stand, realistic features, and captures kids favourite characters.

On the first day of Christmas.....

Today marks 12 days until Christmas! Wow!!
To mark the 12 days of Christmas, I will be posting 12 days of toy reviews!! I will be reviewing the best gifts out there that I have either given as past gifts, and some that are already under my tree.
Today for the first day of Christmas:
Nerf Dart Tag!!

I have 4 boys, 8, 7, 4, and 3. The oldest 2 love dart guns, so this year they are getting the NERF DART TAG 2-Player Starter Pack.
Pack includes 2 SHARP SHOT blasters, 2 sets of VISION GEAR eyewear, 2 training jerseys (one size fits most), 8 DART TAG darts and instructions.

This set is recommended for ages 8 & up. I find the age recommendations for Nerf products fairly accurate. My younger boys love playing this the dart guns, but don't have the physical dexterity to fire the darts.
Why your kids will love this:

Boys will be boys! This gives them a great way to burn off that extra energy, and chase each other around! Great for in the yard, at the park, or even in the house! In the right room ofcourse ;)
Why you will love this:

Great way to keep your kids active. Dart tag give the kids hours of active play. Encourage them to play Capture the Flag, or Hide and Seek with a twist.

I love the Nerf dart guns because there are many ways to expand each set. There are 3 additional dart guns to purchase with the Dart Tag, as well as a competition Jersey, and other accessories.
The Starter set retails at $29.99 making it an affordable gift for any boy on your Christmas list this year!
Check out the NERF DART TAG 2-Player Starter Pack

Healthy Eating for Kids E-Book Review

I am super excited to tell you about this E Book- Healthy Eating for Kids

Description:
Unique and creative recipes that kids will enjoy eating, even though they're healthy recipes.

These recipes have fun names to appeal to your child's imagination - let your kids tuck into an Edible Forest, devour a Happy Face Snack or dream of turning green when they drink a Hulk Juice.

60 fun and healthy recipes in six different categories, including:

* Snacks
* Drinks
* Lunch at Home
* Packed Lunches for School
* Evening Meals at Home
* Desserts

Each recipe is designed to include the vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients that your child needs to stay healthy, strong, focused, and energetic, and average at only $0.17 per serving!

* Healthy
* Contain nutrients that are difficult to add to a child's diet
* Fast and easy for parents to make
* Use ingredients that most households have on hand
* Encourage your child to get involved with his or her own nutrition


There are a wide variety of recipes ranging from the classic Ants on a log, to Choco-Peanut Butter Shake, and Chocolate-Stuffed Strawberries.
With 5 kids, I have a wide variety of tastes to work with, so I am always looking for variety. Today we tried the Peanut Butter and Apple Wrap for lunch. 

The kids loved it! I intend to try all of these recipes out on my kids!


Buy it:
Buy this for only $9.95
http://healthy-eating-for-kids.com/
or the Amazon Kindle version at:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UPPHA8

6 Awesome Ideas for Kid Friendly Vacations Review

6 Awesome Ideas for Kid Friendly Vacations is a short (14page) ebook with great ideas the whole family can enjoy!  The e-book covers such great vacation ideas as Beach Vacations, Theme Parks, and Family Camping. The book is written by Teresa Mills, a mother of 4 children with 20 years of kid friendly vacation experience.

Each of the ideas in this book include links to sites so you can plan your next vacation.

6 Awesome Ideas for Kid  Friendly Vacations not only gives you the locations, but also ideas of what sites to take in, and family activities. 

The best part: This is a FREE ebook! Just sign up for the newsletter at:

 http://www.kid-friendly-family-vacations.com/kid-friendly-vacations-ideas.html#axzz1fledIeYc