Nanny to Mommy

My daughter has LOVED My Little Pony for a few years now and she still does! She has almost everything so it is getting more difficult to find great gifts for her. I thought I would share some ideas that can help you think outside the box of the MLP world. No matter what age, there is something here for the My Little Pony fan in your life!

Today is Cyber Monday and you can get 50% off select Hasbro toys on Amazon! I was sent some very fun toys to feature in my gift guide and I thought there's no better time to share them with you.

My daughter LOVES My Little Pony. Yes I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam, but she has been enjoying all things MLP on the awesome streaming service long before I was a member. I know I have mentioned more than once of her MLP passion. We recently had the opportunity to review "My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders" coming to DVD 2/24 and although she had seen all of these episodes (and loved them), it is so nice to have a copy on DVD in case we are ever without internet.


Make sure to click the image below to download a free coloring sheet!

Last year I received a LeapFrog LeapPad Ultra to review and gave it to my daughter for Christmas. She loved it and I am so glad I had the opportunity to give it to her. We used it at countless doctor's appointments, on our trip to Florida this summer, and I even let her play when I'm cooking. She received a few games last year as gifts and this year we decided to add to her collection.

 

Not only that, but we decided to accessorize her LeapPad Ultra. We did buy some head phones last year a few days before Christmas from Amazon so she would have some. Stock was limited, so I didn't get ones that I really wanted.

This past weekend we made our annual trip up to Atlanta to go to the amazing Sci-Fi & Fantasy Convention known as Dragon*Con! This was my 9th Dragon*Con and I always look forward to it each year.

 

This was our first year actually seeing the Parade. Sweet Pea's first Dragon*Con, we tried to see the parade but arrived too late and it was too crowded. I was smart this year and carrier Peanut in my lillebaby carrier because I knew from that experience that a stroller just doesn't work in the crowd.

 

I dressed Peanut up as Goofy. Found this gem at Babies-R-Us for only $5. SweetPea wanted to wear her Ariel dress that she received as a gift for Christmas. (Disney Princess Ariel Doll and Toddler Dress Gift Set* ) She is loving The Little Mermaid these days.

Birthday cakes are the life of the party, which is exactly why you need to make sure you select a unique and delicious cake for your child. Here are some ideas!

Tell us, what’s your fondest memory of your childhood? If you could jot down a couple, would a memory from your earliest birthdays be included? If the answer is yes, then you already know the significance of celebrating your kid’s birthday in style.

We can’t deny that these yearly celebrations are fundamental to raising children with strong self-esteem, and simply bringing them more joy. And, my dear, a birthday cake is the soul of your child’s birthday!

Before we enlighten you with some of the popular cake designs of 2022 for you to get birthday cake ideas for your little one, let’s talk more about their history!

How do you handle tough topics with your children? My kids are still small enough that sometimes a conversation can be hard for them to understand. My daughter just "graduated" pre-school, but she was having some trouble with the little girls in her class. There is always "the leader" and she tells her little followers how to act or treat another person. One day they would want to play with my daughter, the next they wouldn't. It was very frustrating for me as a parent because I had no control about what happens at school. Of course I talked to my daughter's teachers and of course I talked to my daughter. But I felt that wasn't enough.

I had a hard time with this one for multiple reasons. My son is our last "planned" baby. Right now at least, we don't have any plans for another. My husband and I don't know if that will change, but we are content with not having another baby right now. So my son turning four was hard. He officially isn't a baby or toddler anymore.

Another reason this was a hard birthday was because the planning. PJ Masks is a popular theme. There wasn't very much décor out there that fit within our budget. I agreed to do this them before I knew this, but thanks to Pinterest, I found a ton of DIY décor ideas. I don't know about other people BUT when I make things myself instead of buying it, that means more stress. My mother-in-law did help me by making his homemade PJ Masks shirt.

Do your little ones know what they are going to be for Halloween this year? My son is still kind of young to actually tell me what he wants to be while my daughter keeps going back and forth. I think we have settled on Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story and Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony. These Halloween costumes and many, many more were easily found at Oriental Trading.

I love using Oriental Trading for all of my seasonal decorating and party needs. They have everything you are looking for and fantastic prices. They have helped me plan multiple birthday parties and I have used them to get my kiddos their Halloween costumes for a few years now. They even have fun crafts for all occasions as well.

Since my family has broken up with cable/satellite, we are always on the search for apps that have kid-friendly entertainment and if it is FREE then that is better. I removed YouTube Kids from my kids' tablets back in February and I do not regret my decision at all. But it was a free platform. In my search for new apps for my children, I found Kabillion.

With all the many options available today, Kabillion stands out as a reliable and safe destination for quality children’s entertainment – a place where parents can feel good about their children spending time. In fact, this outstanding platform is the only independently-owned VOD network to be ranked among the Top 10 Kids Free On Demand networks in the U.S.!

This little man turned three and a half last week. I have been trying to enjoy all the little moments with him because he is our last baby. But don't call him that. He is a "big boy" and ready for a full time job and a house of his own. Half birthdays may not be something that everyone celebrates, but it was a fun distraction to keep our minds off of Hurricane Irma for sure.

We had a lot of fun celebrating this sweet Peanut's half birthday. And to him, it's a big deal. He is no longer a "baby" anymore, he isn't just three anymore, he is three AND a half! Netflix helped us celebrate this little man's half birthday in a fun, new way. Not only were we sent cool items to make this fun Red Velvet Cake, but just released today they have 15 on-demand videos that celebrate birthdays and make your kids' day special.

 

 

During this time of year what better to do than curl up on the couch with a festive movie? And with Netflix you don't have to leave your house to enjoy these classics. You can just stream from up to any FOUR devices! Also make sure to keep an eye out on the blog for a Netflix sponsored giveaway coming very soon. So snuggle up with a few holiday favorites...

Thank you Finders Keepers™ for sponsoring this post. Finders Keepers™ are milk chocolate candy eggs that come with a surprise toy in every box. You can try to collect them all!


My family hosts a family Easter egg hunt every year. Everyone in the family is invited on mine and my husband's sides. It is an awesome celebration that brings our entire family together. I started this tradition the year my son was born. I had been wanting to make sure this was an annual tradition that combined our family and my son was only a few weeks old on his first Easter so everyone decided to come to my house so we didn't have to travel far.

The fun thing about this year is that we will have even more kids. And since all of the children are in different age groups, I have some tips to share to throw the perfect egg hunt gathering.

I am one of those parents that thinks watching television is good thing for your family. I actually think it can be educational and a unique teaching tool. We have even used shows to help my daughter deal with bullying. And we love our family movie nights. But I do like to know what my daughter is watching because I don't want her to watch something that she is too young to understand or something that will give her nightmares. So I have created my tips for kid safe streaming.

I know in some places school hasn't started yet and you are trying to soak up every minute of summer. For us, we are actually in our second week! So if you are still preparing this back to school shopping lists, I have an idea for you that will want to check out.

I was recently contact about TVStoreOnline.com and showcasing some of their cool hoodies or shirts. From Costumes, Beanies, Accessories (and so much more), TVStoreOnline goes above and beyond to find merchandise featuring characters, logos, or catchphrases from your favorite TV shows, Movies, and cartoons. As the demand for rare pop culture merchandise has exponentially grown around the globe, so has TVStoreOnline. The founding members of TV Store Online still strive to generate the best selection of T-shirts, Costumes, and Accessories everyday.

I was recently invited to be a part of the Netflix Stream Team, which I'm very excited about! Netflix is a service that allows you to stream movies and television shows for a low monthly subscription fee. You can stream on your wireless device, smart TV, and some Blu-ray and DVD players, as well as game consoles, like Wii and XBOX. Each month I'll write about a different selected "theme" and include recipes and crafts for fun with the entire family.

This is my first month and this month's theme is "Mini Milestones".

These products are featured in our 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

Have you seen those commercials? It's a Pillow, It's a Pet, It's Pillow Pets! Pillow Pets plush folding stuffed animals add true function to that warm and wonderful feeling by combining the security of a stuffed animal with the functionality of a pillow. Made of high quality, super soft chenille, Pillow Pets plush folding stuffed animals make the most precious snuggle pal for you or your loved one.


I received the Pillow Pets My Little Pony Rainbow Dash to feature in my Holiday Gift Guide. My daughter is going to LOVE it. There is also a Twilight Sparkle. But I am loving all of their new designs: