{Jake and the Never Land Pirates-themed TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY Party}

In celebration of Jake and the Never Land Pirates Yo Ho Mateys Away on DVD for the first time I was lucky enough to be selected for a Jake and the Never Land Pirates-themed TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY Party! Talking like a pirate is so much fun that you cannot help but smile. I will admit that I have never participated in Talk Like a Pirate Day but knew that my kids would enjoy this. We invited a few fellow matey friends over for some food, fun, games and of course pirate talk.

The kids were very excited to get their party bags loaded with pirate themed stampers, beads, tattoos, pirate hats,bandanas and more. I decorated with a pirate banner and matching balloons. Each one of the kids also got a Jake and the Never Land Pirates Yo Ho Mateys Away DVD to take home. We served some awesome pirate food including drumsticks as peg legs and pirate punch. The kids had a blast doing Jake puzzles and everyone loved the treasure hunt. We even had a everyone wins talk in your best pirate voice contest. The kids loved that!

If your kids love Jake as much as mine do you can find the recipe for this cake and so much more Disney Family Fun 

Jake and the Never Land Pirates Yo Ho Mateys Away DVD

My kids have always loved the Disney Channel and they each have their favorite show. My son however loves Jake and the Never Land Pirates! The show is full of adventures while Jake and his friends solve pirate problems. My son really gets into this show and his favorite character is Skully the Parrot. I even enjoy watching the show with him. On September 27 Jake and the Never Land Pirates will be released on DVD. It has 7 of their episodes as well as a second music CD and a pirate eye patch for your favorite matey! Read more


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{Back to School Shopping with T.J.Maxx and Marshalls}

This is the year that my oldest girl is going into 6th grade. It is really an important time in her life and she totally feels like she has to have her own style and most importantly be able to pick out her own clothes that we buy for back to school. At best I thought it would be a total headache to find just what she wanted but on my budget. While I often worry about the price, my daughter is totally at the age where style matters most. While she thought we were heading out to the mall I had a better plan. We were going to go to our local T.J.Maxx and see what we could find.

{Jake and the Never Land Pirates on DVD September 27}

My kids have always loved the Disney Channel and they each have their favorite show. My son loves Jake and the Never Land Pirates! The show is full of adventures while Jake and his friends solve pirate problems. My son really gets into this show and his favorite character is Skully the Parrot. I even enjoy watching the show with him. On September 27 Jake and the Never Land Pirates will be released on DVD. It has 7 of their episodes as well as a second music CD and a pirate eye patch for your favorite matey!

{Crazy for Bargains-Fun Sleepwear for the Whole Family}

Last year one of my most favorite companies in our Holiday Gift Guide was Crazy for Bargains. Their fun and really affordable selection of sleepwear was a real hit for my family and we loved having them as a part of our Guide. If you are not familiar with them, they offer durable, affordable, pajamas and accessories for women, men, children, toddlers, and infants. One thing that really stands out for me about them is their selection. I can pick something up for the entire family and love browsing everything they have.

{Fooz kids}

Thank you to Fooz Kids for providing me with an All-In-One pack to review. The opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint.

As the parents of three kids my husband and I have had the conversation about whether or not our kids should be on the internet, and if so how much? We clearly have both agreed that we feel it is ok to allow them on the internet to play games, activities and more. I have always been concerned about them on the internet and the content they might come across. Another concern we have had is limiting their access to just an hour or two per week. For the last week or so we have been using Fooz Kids.

{Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Creamer Giveaway}

With so many things going on in the mornings one thing I enjoy for just me is my coffee. I have always loved coffee and try to enjoy it as much as possible. But a bad cup of coffee to me means no creamer.I can not drink my coffee without creamer and have always loved Coffee-mate creamers. My favorite has always been the French Vanilla. It makes my coffee taste so yummy! I was very excited to learn that Coffee-mate is adding some new ones to their collection. The Coffee-mate Natural Bliss Creamers are all natural and made with no artificial ingredients. They are made with milk, cream, sugar and natural flavors. I never really gave much thought to what was in my creamer, but the idea of all natural sounds great and is a great reason to switch. Right now there are three flavors available. Sweet Cream, Vanilla and Caramel.

{Aurora Softy Soakers Giveaway}

If you have read our blog then you may have read some of our reviews on Aurora toys. We have always loved their products and all my kids do. My kids love their YooHoo and Friends and Milly the Pinkest Kitten. And right now they are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year, and are releasing a plush collection. These however are not regular plush toys. They actually grow when placed in water. The first in the collection is the Fanta-Sea assortment. This collection will include Dolphin, Seahorse, Turtle, Hammerhead Shark, Octopus and alligator.

{Back to School Book Review The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses children’s series}

My oldest daughter loves to read. She can always be found with a book in her hand. So for this post I thought I would share her thoughts on the books from The Adventures of Everyday Geniuses children’s series. She has the four of them and could not wait to read them.

If You're So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi?

I liked this book because she is a very curious girl. She seems to like finding out facts. I thought it was funny that her smart dad couldn't spell Mississippi. She was very surprised. I really enjoyed reading this book!

Stacey Coolidge's Fancy Smancy Cursive Writing

I thought the book was very interesting. I have had that feeling of being left out. In the end she learns some lessons and finds a way to be more confident. It is a great book on things that most kids have been through.

Last to Finish

I liked this book because I remember when my 3rd grade teacher made us do 30 multiplication problems in 60 seconds. I was always good in math and terrible when timed. I was totally last to finish! That is the same situation that Max is in. It's funny how you can struggle with different things that you can also be good at. Another really good book.

Mrs. Gorski , I think I have the Wiggle Fidgets

I really like this because I can totally relate to it. I have been distracted many times by things in school. I also think the reminder cards are a great idea .



For more information on any of the four books in the series, Last to Finish: A Story about the Smartest Boy in Math Class, Mrs. Gorski, I Think I Have the Wiggle Fidgets, If You’re So Smart, How Come You Can’t Spell Mississippi?, or Stacey Coolidge’s Fancy-Smancy Cursive Handwriting, please visit their website, www.mainstreamconnections.org.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Never miss a post-Subscribe by Reader or Email!Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclosure

{Funrise Toys Gazillion Bubble Hurricane Giveaway}

One thing that I know my kids will always enjoy is bubbles! My kids can literally blow and play with bubbles for hours. Bubbles are something I always have on hand for the kids to play with. And they have so much fun when we love to use them for Birthdays, play-dates and more. But did you know your kids could be enjoying bubbles in the most extreme way? With the Gazillion Bubble Hurricane from Funrise Toys they totally could be. My kids have had so much fun with it. They dance and play in the bubbles and have a total blast! They now can effortlessly make tons of bubbles. The Gazillion Bubble Hurricane uses motorized rotating bubble wands, it is battery operated and comes with an 8oz bottle of bubble solution. It is easily refillable and is a durable toy! They have even more bubble machines and products that my kids would love to have! Visit Funrise Toys now and see all the fun toys they have.

{Lovemode $25 Gift Certificate Giveaway}

I totally love shopping! I mean who doesn't? I cannot think of a better way to spend some alone mommy time then shopping. As a super busy mom of three it is rare that I get to shop for myself or the kids alone. Often I am doing it online.Which really works out cause I just found a great affordable place to shop for cute and trendy juniors clothes. It is Lovemode! They rock it with their affordable prices on some of the latest trends and fashion. I totally loved their selection and the fact that I can also get something for my oldest daughter there is awesome!

{Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Ballet Adventures on DVD}

My oldest daughter always loved Dora, she would sing and dance and mimic everything Dora did! But now she is 11 and my 3 and 5 year love Dora even more then she did. They will often be found in front of the tv watching her episodes over and over again. Even as a mom I can appreciate a good Dora episode. She always has a good message and I love that my kids love her! One of their newest favorite Dora DVDs is  Dora’s Ballet Adventures. This is such a fun DVD that your kids will love, mine sure do! They love this DVD that has some of Doras dancing episodes. All the episodes are really fun and sure to please any Dora fan!

{UPrinting set of 250 Flyers} Giveaway

UPrinting has always been my go to place for my printing needs. I have always loved the quality of their products and am super happy to work with them again! I have used them for business cards, thank you cards and more. My husband swears by them for his business card needs. Our orders always arrive quickly and they always look amazing! Right now UPrinting is going to give one STM reader 250 of their flyers. Their Flyers can be used for so many things, like Party Flyers, Business needs and more. You can have them Print Flyers  for anything you need and I am sure you will be happy!  They come in thick, 14 pt. glossy card stock and you can choose between 2 sizes: 4.25" x 5.5" and 4" x 6" front print only!

{Paper Jamz Pro Mic, Drum and Guitar}

My kids have not had more fun with an item as they do with their Paper Jamz. Their kid friendly fun products make it so easy for your kid to be a rock star. We were able to review the drums, pro mic as well as the guitar. All are made really great and durable and make for hours of fun. My kids really had fun with the mic. It comes with 2 bulit in songs as well as settings for Chorus, Perfect Pitch and more. My kids were not born with a singers voice but with the Pro Mic they are singing and having more fun then ever before. They can also add songs to it with the Paper Jamz Pro app.

{Hey Arnold!: Season One on DVD}

My kids all love cartoons and they enjoy just about everything. When I learned that Hey Arnold would be releasing their season one on DVD I knew my kids would love it! My kids were not around when Hey Arnold original aired so they were excited to watch something new that they have never heard of. My older kids really enjoyed watching it and so did my husband! 

{VeggieTales® Princess and the Pop Star on DVD}

My kids have always loved the VeggieTales®. They have so much fun with each and every movie. I really love them because of how family friendly each movie is. They have many funny and heart warming stories that are perfect for even the youngest of kids. The newest VeggieTales® Movie to hit the shelves will be VeggieTales®: Princess and the Pop Star, available on DVD at Christian retailers August 13th and everywhere August 16th. My kids really loved this movie but my girls did especially! They had so much fun listening to the music and watching the movie. Princess Poppyseed secretly switches lives with her favorite pop singer Vanna Banana. Eventually both girls discover they were unique and special just the way they were. It definitely sends a great message to girls of all ages!

{The Fox and the Hound & The Fox and the Hound 2 on DVD August 9th}

My kids have loved Disney movies since they were able to watch TV. Most of our movie nights are spent watching a Disney movie and is always something we have really enjoyed. While my kids love newer Disney movies it never surprises me how much they love some of the older Disney movies. I love waiting to find out which ones they will release. I was so excited to learn that the The Fox and the Hound & The Fox and the Hound 2 were going to be released on DVD! The first one originally came out when I was very little but I do remember loving it then. I knew my three kids would love Tod, Copper and the other charecters just as I did. They are the two best friends in the movie. We were able to fit both movies in on our last movie night and I was right my kids loved it! They were all glued to the TV and then could not wait for the 2nd one. I loved seeing the amazing picture quality of the DVDS and am so happy they enjoyed them. It is yet again another Disney movie that will sure be brought out during our movie nights! It is available on August 9th and is available with THE FOX AND THE HOUND & THE FOX AND THE HOUND 2 as a 2-Movie Collection on Blu-ray Hi-Def & DVD Combo Pack in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the original film. Also there are activity sheets for the kids. Just click the image to get them!

{Babycakes Cake Pop Maker }

One thing I love to do with my kids is bake. Often in our free time you will find us in the kitchen whipping something up. My kids really love the sweets and have tons of fun helping mom. This last weekend we were able to create cake pops with our new Babycakes Cake Pop Maker. I had never made anything like this before so we were very excited to try it out. It did not take us long to make our first batch of cake pops. They turned out wonderful, soft, moist and delicious. The maker was really easy to use and the best part is that it cooks them in 4-5 minutes. After they are made then the real fun begins. The toppings were the most fun for my kids. They were able to make them how they wanted. With frosting, glazes and sprinkles they each had the flavors they wanted. My whole family loved the results and had fun trying all the different kinds we made. This is a really fun addition to our kitchen and we will be using it often. The maker comes with recipes a cake pop stand, cake pop sticks. You will also love how easy it is to clean. You can find it on the Babycakes website.

{Emjoi® Micro-Pedi}

Every year I get so excited for summer. Flip-flop weather is something I excitedly wait for every year. But every year my feet get so dry from the non stop wearing of flip-flops. It can really make summer not that much fun for me. I have tried many products including buffers, lotions, you name it I have tried it. I have spent lots of money on products that claim to work. Some products seem to smooth but generally I will end up with dry scratchy feet only days later. My husband also has really dry feet and gets really annoyed by it and often looks to me to find what works and what doesn't.

{Paper Jamz Pro Microphone Giveaway}

My kids love anything that has to do with music. My girls will often put on little singing and dance shows for me and we have a blast. They also love instruments but they are a little younger and spending big money just isn't a good idea right now. But did you know that you do not have to spend big money for your kids to let their musical talents shine through. Because Paper Jamz has you covered. Their products can make your kids feel like real rockstars and are really affordable. They have everything your aspiring musician will need to put on a great show while having tons of fun. They have guitars, drums and more. One of their newest products is the Pro Series Microphone. You can read about some of the features below. And be on the look out for our review of their drums, microphone and guitar. You can find Paper Jamz on Facebook and Twitter!

{CONAN THE ADVENTURER: Season One on DVD Giveaway}

It has been a while since my brother was running around the house like he was Conan. That was a long time ago and I was just a kid but I remember how much the boys in family loved Conan. Conan The Adventurer originally aired in Saturday morning syndication beginning in 1992 transitioning to a daily airing throughout 1993 in the second season.When I learned that they were releasing it to DVD I knew my son would also love it. When we got it my son wasted no time in watching it. He loved it and totally laughs when I tell him that show was one when I was a kid. Best yet my husband turned into a 10 year old boy glued to the DVD with my son. Really cute watching them together. I love how they bring back old school cartoons and characters for my kids to see. And you can have the DVD to. It will be released July 26,2011 and is jam packed with 13 episodes.You can read more about the DVD and enter to win your own copy!