Educational Toy: VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station
My kids have had a blast playing with the VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station Playset they got to review.
I was originally thinking it would be a good activity for my 2-year-old while the older two kids were homeschooling. (See more 2-year-old activities here!)
But they all wanted to play with it, and it ended up being educational for all of them – just in different ways.
For instance, my 2-year-old was fascinated with the buttons he could push to learn the different colors and phrases.
The older kids worked on their coordination and thinking skills as they used the hand-crank to pull the train up the bridge and thought through different configurations for putting the track together.
I also think it's really fun that the pieces fit together with other Go Go Smart Wheels playsets. We don't currently own any other sets, but I know my kids would love adding more pieces!
Watch the video below to see all the features of the Train Station playset.
Be sure to follow VTech on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with other fun and educational toys!
Psst… I just might have an impromptu Facebook party planned for tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday, Oct. 30) where one of you just might win a Go! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station playset for yourself! I suggest following me on Facebook and showing up around 3 pm to find out!
Disclosure: I received a free product to review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.
8 Reasons I Hate Ebooks
1. Ebooks are way too short
Traditional publishers usually require the author to add a certain amount of “filler” material in order to make the book a certain length. An ebook author has the freedom to write exactly what they want to get across and nothing more. I love wasting my time reading extra fluff! For a busy homemaker, an ebook is definitely not a smart choice.
2. Ebooks are not as high quality as print books
Because ebooks don't require printing costs, the price is usually considerably cheaper than a print book. But since money is no object in this household, (Remember? I waste money on purpose.) I'll go for the more expensive option since it's bound to be better quality.
3. Ebooks support undeserving women
I'd rather make sure the coffers of a large publishing house are filled instead of allowing my money to go directly to some undeserving housewife trying to share her heart and offer encouragement to other women. I mean, after all, she should probably get a real job instead of trying to earn money by blessing others.
4. Ebooks are a pain to transfer to my Kindle.
When I buy through the Kindle store, I have to wait a whole 2 seconds while the book goes onto my Kindle. And when I buy those PDF ebooks I actually have to take 10 times that (20 seconds if you're not good at math) to plug in my Kindle via USB and drag and drop the folders into it. Such a pain.
5. Ebooks make me feel poor
When I have 100 print books, they take up an entire bookshelf in my house. Although a lot of space gets used up, I can admire all the beautiful books I own every time I walk past the shelf. With ebooks, they're all stored so neatly out of sight on my Kindle or computer that I don't have the opportunity to do that.
6. Ebooks make decision-making too easy
When I'm on the go, I don't get the opportunity to showcase my decision-making abilities by choosing just one book to take with me. When I take my Kindle along, my entire library goes with me, and it steals the opportunity for me to exercise my brain making that decision.
7. Ebooks are detrimental to self-discipline
If I order a print book, I get to strengthen my self-discipline by exercising patience while I wait for it to arrive. If I purchase an ebook, I get instant gratification, which I'm not sure is healthy for me.
8. Ebooks are so unprofessional
Print books are only authored by the select few who manage to find their way into the door of an editor. Ebooks can be written by anyone about any topic – even homemakers just like me who write about the exact things I face every day! Wouldn't you rather read advice from a pro instead of a “regular” person?
If you couldn't tell, this post was meant to be sarcastic. I love ebooks, and I think they're absolutely perfect. They're concise, cheaper than print books, support the author directly, are easy to transfer to my ereader, take up much less room, can easily be transported, can be read instantly after purchase, and contain relevant content written by women just like me.
And I'm just a tiny bit excited about the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle that's going on sale next week (November 4 – 9).
You'll have the opportunity to add 86 ebooks about healthy living to your library along with $158 worth of bonus products and free mentorship from some of the authors.
As I've mentioned before, just the value of the bonus products is far greater than the cost of the entire bundle, so it's pretty much a no-brainer. Click on the banner to see all the details about the ebooks, mentorship, and bonuses! It's all pretty amazing!
And if 86 ebooks seems overwhelming, just remember that this is an entire library. You don't feel the need to sit down and read every book on your bookshelf all at once, do you? This is the same situation. You'll have reference books on every health topic written by women who've “been there, done that“.
Be ready next Monday morning to get your bundle! The Bundle is ready for purchase! Get it here!
So tell me. Ebooks — love 'em or hate 'em?
Subscriber Freebie: Printable Thanksgiving Art
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!
One of my favorite ways to decorate for the different seasons is to use printable wall art. It doesn't cost much of anything in terms of money or time, yet it adds an instant seasonal update.
I especially like using Scripture verses to keep God's Word as the main focus in our home.
I purposely created this printable with a white border around it. There were 2 reasons for that:
#1. It looks classy, but I didn't have a frame with a mat, so I just created the mat right on the printable.
#2. My printer doesn't print all the way to the edge of the paper, so it works better when my printables are white at the edges.
Hopefully you'll find that to be helpful to you too!
Get the entire wall trio free when you subscribe to email updates! Just enter your email in the form below.
[wp_eStore_free_download_squeeze_form id=2]
10 Healthy Snacks for Toddlers
This list of 10 Healthy Snacks for Toddlers was created for anyone looking for ideas of what to feed their toddler that is not a choking hazard and won't create a huge mess!
These snacks are truly healthy and nutrient dense (no Cheerios or Toddler Puffs here!), but still very quick and easy for mom to fix for the little ones.
I know my little guy likes to be independent, but I don't like the mess that he makes when he eats by himself! Here are some (relatively) mess-free foods that toddlers can eat by themselves. I also tried to make sure everything on this list is not a choking hazard. (Obviously, you still need to watch your children carefully when they eat!)
1. Cheese slices
2. Banana
5. Strawberry slices
6. Soaked Banana Pumpkin Biscuits
7. Apples – peeled and diced
8. Rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter
9. Hard boiled eggs
Did you see my little guy in his Combi high chair up in the top picture?
This is a fantastic high chair! Here are just a few of the features it has:
- 5-position height adjustment – make sure your child is at a comfortable level in proportion to your chair
- 3-position reclining adjustment – this is helpful for younger babies who may not do so well sitting all the way up at first
- 5-point harness – all my other kids were amazingly skilled at getting out of their buckles, but with a 5-point harness, I don't think that will be possible!
- the tray has a removable insert that can be snapped off and put into the dishwasher – quick cleanup!
- compact folding for storage – perfect for our little bitty house!
I also loved the color we received (bronze) as it matched our kitchen perfectly. If you need a high chair for your busy toddler this is one I recommend! Click here to see it on Amazon.
What other healthy snacks for toddlers would you add to this list?
How to Organize Your Laundry Room
How to organize your laundry room is one thing every homemaker must learn to keep a smoothly running home.
Organizing your laundry room can be a challenge. Between sorting clothes, setting up drying racks and ironing boards and organizing laundry detergent, you may find yourself pressed for space. There are great ways to organize your laundry room so that you get the most use out of your space.
Install Shelves
Installing shelves in your laundry room will give you added space above your washer and dryer. You can use this space to store bottles of detergents, irons and laundry baskets. You can find easy to install wire shelving at most home improvement stores.
Use Cabinets
If you have space in the corners of the room, you can install cabinets that will be handy for storing all of your laundry supplies. Laundry cabinets can free up floor space and give you room for folding and drying.
Use Space Saving Hampers
Using multiple hampers for your dirty clothing can take up space. Use a laundry organizer to sort your lights, darks and delicates. These sorters can be especially helpful if you have tiny children's socks that easily get lost in the wash. You can find stylish 3-bag laundry sorters for all of your clothing storage needs.
Install Ceiling Bars
You can stretch a tension rod across your laundry room and use it to hang wet clothing and other effects. These rods require no installation and are inexpensive. You can find them at your local home improvement store.
Keeping your laundry room organized doesn't have to be a chore. Find the best organization supplies today.
Why I Purposely Waste Money
I'm a pretty frugal person.
Just come over and check out my beat up furniture, old car, and closets full of yard sale clothes and you'll see I'm telling the truth.
So why in the world would I purposely waste money?
Let me give you some real life examples.
1. Every time I sweep the floor I come across about 13 tiny black ponytail holders that belong to my daughter. I could be frugal and pick them all up and put them away, or I could finish sweeping the floor after being interrupted by 16 other minor emergencies and not give myself cause for one more interruption. Decisions, decisions…ponytail holders in trash or one more gray hair? Trash.
2. When the kids finish a session of coloring, there are usually about 8 or 10 crayons on the floor. About half of those end up broken when the kids get up from the table and start walking around without picking them up. I suppose I could be frugal and save the broken ones to make one of the million craft ideas on Pinterest. Or I could just throw them away and get it out of my already too-cluttered house. Clean house or cute crafts that I'll most likely never get around to anyway? Trash.
3. 2-year-old destructo-man decides to rip a page out of a book. I could tape it back up, but it's highly possible that it will sit on the desk for a while, adding to a really annoying pile of other junk. Or I could waste money and just throw it away. I think I will. Ahhh! No more annoying junk sitting around!
4. Suppertime has arrived, but the lunch dishes are still not done. It's just been a fast-track day with no time to breathe. I could save money and set the table properly or I could waste money and use paper plates that will go straight into the trash, leaving me more time to enjoy playing with my kids after dinner. What sounds like a better life – playing with cute kids or washing dishes while I get annoyed that everybody else is in the other room enjoying family time without me? Paper plates, please. My money-wasting bills are tallying up, but I'm enjoying life and eliminating stress!
5. Most of our grocery shopping is done at local farms and the farmer's market, and we fill in all the gaps at one particular grocery store. I could wait and buy dish soap and tissues at Walmart for probably a good couple dollars cheaper than I could at the grocery store. Or I could spend a couple extra dollars not to have to unbuckle 3 kids, walk to the back of Walmart while wrangling said children to stay with me, check out while keeping children from annoying the cashier by touching the weight sensor on the self check-out, maneuver our way safely back across the parking lot, and successfully buckle all three children back into car seats. I'll waste the money, thank you.
Shall I continue with my examples, or do you get the idea?
While we ought to be good stewards of our finances, we should also remember that time is money. I've never heard the expression “lack of stress is money”, but I know it's worth money to me!
While I will do all that I can to practice being frugal in ways that will not cost a lot of extra time and headache, I will not worry so much over pinching every penny that I drive myself insane in the process!
Do you have any areas where you purposely “waste” money?
Can you think of frugal things you've been doing that you need to give yourself permission to let go?