Posts Tagged: "kid"

Cubcoats | Stuffed Animal Turns Into Cozy Hoodie

Princess Diana - March 6, 2019 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Remember PillowPets? A stuffed animal that can also be used as a pillow?

The new hot item for kids are Cubcoats!

What are they? Cubcoats are stuffed animals that transform into soft fleece hoodies. They’re super adorable!

One of my good friends recently bought them for her two young children and loves them so much I had to write this post.

She said when her son unzipped his Spider-Man Cubcoat, he said, “Wow!! There is so much inside this little guy! I didn’t even know all this was here!”

Fill in the Blank Thank You Notes

Princess Diana - November 1, 2018 - Thank You

If children can write, they should write handwritten thank you notes.

Gift givers like to know their gift was received and appreciated. By receiving a handwritten thank you card, they can be happy knowing it was!

A parent could write a thank you note on a child’s behalf, but it doesn’t have the same impact. Plus, parents miss out on teaching their child important life lessons in proper etiquette and in expressing gratitude and thankfulness.

My son, Aiden, recently celebrated his 6th birthday–Power Rangers style! He received all kinds of wonderful presents from family and friends.

Thank You Notes for Kids

I’ve had my son help with his thank you cards since the age of 3. Now that he is in kindergarten and can write words pretty well, I had him use Fill in the Blank Thank You Notes.

He isn’t use to writing entire sentences yet, so fill in the blanks thank you cards are perfect for his grade level and ability.

Personalized Toy Basket

Princess Diana - March 6, 2018 - $20 or Less, Kids

Toy baskets are a parent’s best friend…

Because they spend so much of their time picking up toys off the floor. Again and again and again.

Someone has to pick up those 50 Hot Wheels cars and those 150 pieces of Mega Bloks. Yes, I make my kids help me a lot of the time but sometimes it’s just faster and easier to do it myself.

Toy baskets make it easy for parents (and kids) to clean up from room to room and the pretty baskets make cute storage space.

Their open top makes it simple to take things in and out, and they’re light enough even the kids can move them around. They can be filled with anything from large wooden toys to soft stuffed animals. They are just so convenient!

Life with children is a beautiful mess and toy baskets make it cleaner and more organized.

DIY Personalized Toy Basket

A gift I like to give for baby showers and kids’ birthdays is a Personalized Toy Basket with a child’s name on it. I make them myself and you can too!

Balance Bike Helps Kids Learn to Ride Faster

Princess Diana - October 25, 2016 - Kids

Fear of falling. Scraped knees. Learning how to ride a bicycle isn’t easy.

A new type of bicycle gaining popularity in the United States makes it easier for toddlers to learn how to ride a bicycle faster.

Say hello to balance bikes!

Benefits of Balance Bikes

Balance bikes don’t have pedals. Instead, toddlers are seated so their feet can easily touch the ground which allows them to learn how to balance without the fear of tipping over and falling. Also, since balance bikes are two to three times lighter than regular bicycles, children are less likely to get hurt if they do fall over.

Kids propel themselves forward by walking or running, and they brake using their feet. Really simple.

The best part – balance bikes allow children to skip the frustration of training wheels! Once children have mastered a balance bike, they can quickly move on to traditional pedal bicycles.

A Minion Laughs | Get Well Gift

Princess Diana - September 7, 2015 - Get Well

I hate that six-letter word. Cancer.

minion-laughing-action-figure-get-well-gift

Laughter is the best medicine.

It never comes alone. It always brings its ugly friends – Fear, Anxiety, and Pain.

We can’t help but ask God, “Why??”

When someone we care about finds out they have cancer or some other major health issue, we may struggle to find the right words to say or the right thing to do that might provide comfort and hope to their situation.

I’ve found that one of the best things you can do for someone who is sick or ill is to make them laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, and it’s completely natural with no nasty side effects!

When Queen Darlene finished her radiation treatments for breast cancer, I gave her a gift to celebrate. What thoughtful gift did I get her? I gave her a kids toy. But not just any toy – a Despicable Me Minion Stuart Laughing Action Figure.

Give the Life-Changing Gift of a Summer Camp Experience

Princess Diana - March 31, 2015 - Birthday, Christmas, Experiences, Kids

Every kid who goes to summer camp always comes back with stories to tell.

At summer camp you do things you never get to do at home or at school, and it feels like one big slumber party at night! Everyone makes new friends and bonds from doing all sorts of fun activities together.

I treasure my summer camp memories of sitting around the campfire making s’mores, dressing head to toe in black to play Capture the Flag in complete darkness, and exploring the woods to see what I might discover whether it was a cave or a secret wigwam!

Going to summer camp is a life-changing experience that creates life-long memories.

I went to the traditional summer camp that provides first-hand encounters with nature but there are all sorts of summer camps that tailor to specific interests. There are sports camps, drama camps, leadership camps, band camps, church camps, academic camps, arts camps, and the list goes on!

What they all have in common is how they shape the characters and boost the self-esteem of children by exposing them to experiential education that allows them to learn by doing.

Grandparents Day for a Child Without One

Queen Darlene - March 12, 2015 - $20 or Less, Catch All, Experiences, Kids

My friend, Jody, told me her son, Austin, was crying because he no longer had any living grandparents to take to Grandparents Day at school. He lost his grandfather earlier in the year.

grandparent's-day-gift-idea-sunburst-gifts

“Grandmother” & “Grandson”

I have known Austin since the day he was born and could not stand it that he was heartbroken. I told Jody to have him call me. I would go as his grandparent. When Austin called, I asked him, “Do you want a young grandmother or an old one?”

In my mid-forties at the time, I prepared to be a young grandmother but as luck would have it, he asked for “old!”

I told him, “Old is what you want, old is what you will get!” Continue Reading

Thank You Card Using Photo of Your Child

Princess Diana - November 4, 2014 - Thank You

Do you have a photo of your son or daughter that you know will get people to say, “Awwww… so cute!”?

thank-you-card-photo-child2-thoughtful-gift-idea

Glue a cute photo of your child to the front of a blank note card for a thoughtful thank you card!

That’s exactly what you’ll need for making this thank you card using a photo of your child.

When my son turned two years old, I wrote thank you cards to everyone who gave him a gift. Even though my son isn’t old enough to make or write his own thank you cards, I still wanted his thank you cards to be representative of him and his Oklahoma City Thunder basketball-themed birthday party.

I purchased blank note cards in the Thunder’s team colors, blue and orange, and made multiple 4X4 prints of a close-up photo I took of my son at his birthday party. In the photo, he is wearing his Thunder basketball jersey.

Not only is the photo adorable, but it will remind everyone of his birthday party!

For Mommies Everywhere | Babysitting Certificates

Princess Diana - December 1, 2013 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Family, Mother's Day, Thank You

Mommies want to take bubble baths. Mommies want to go on date nights. Mommies want to go shopping. Mommies want to get more sleep. Mommies want some precious “ME” time. What makes it possible for us to do these things? Babysitters!

It had been 13 months since my son Aiden had been born and I had not been to the movies. That sucked because I looove movies.

It was just that my husband Kevin and I lead busy lives so we needed someone to watch Aiden for more important events than going to the movies.

It was an instance of not wanting to bother friends or family to watch him and not wanting to pay for a babysitter. I mean babysitters are NOT cheap these days. Teenagers have to be able to pay for gas and college. Neither of those are cheap either.