Nanny to Mommy

My hope each and every summer is that my children avoid the summer slide which is not forgetting everything they learned the previous school year. STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. I love to have educational toys on hand during the summer in hopes of beating summer slide.

We are all ready for summer in our house thanks to ZURU Toys! My kids were sent Bunch O Balloons Marvel Avengers, Bunch O Balloons Slingshot, X-Shot Hurricane Hydro, and Gazillion Bubble Pong from ZURU Toys. They have given a definite splash to our summer so far! I will have more pictures and video for sure to come so make sure to follow us on Instagram for more!

A post shared by Diana Chastain (@mrsdchastain) on May 11, 2018 at 8:12pm PDT

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Happy Wednesday!

This is a guest post.

As children grow, there are several necessary steps they take from their childhood to the date they finally leave the house. Kids tend to accumulate toys in the earlier ages of their lives that most times cover most of their space. In the early stage of a kid’s life, they get so attached to toys and you also support this behavior. It is because these items are all they believe they own in this world.

Having matured kids who still base their emotions on toys wouldn’t speak well of your parenting ability. Most matured kids that are attached to toys tend to have less confidence that is expected from them. In the long run, the separation is necessary; your whole family will have a lot to benefit from the separation. It will also help your child pay more attention to their growth and other life challenges.

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

If you have seen our Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Kids post yet (I highly suggest checking it out), then you may have seen some super cute gifts ideas from ZURU toys. And one adorable item that has been brought back are the ultra-cute, plush Shnooks.

ZURU is bringing the Shnooks back from Shnook Brook for a whole new generation of young girls! A previous top seller, Shnooks are an ultra-cute feature plush that combines hair-play with a unique shnubble-bubble pack, which means Shnooks magically grow 8x their size when opened. There are 6 new characters to collect, all with their own unique way of shnooking after you.

I received complimentary products to share this post. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

My daughter loves to craft. She has also started wanting to learn how to cook and bake in the kitchen. I think it's because it's a very creative process. I was recently introduced to a craft by Alex Brands that captures the current decorating food trends into a fun and addicting craft. So for an early birthday present, I decided to introduce her to the world of Sweetlings.

There are so many Sweetlings characters to choose from to create. The top part is made of squeezable, whipped clay and you can customize each with stickers and other accessories. Once the moldable clay becomes dry, the characters are fun toys! Each set comes with everything you need to make one of the ten different characters which names include:

Since the weather is turning colder and we are staying indoors more, I have decided to share a great rainy day activity - DIY Farm Life Sensory Bin. Sensory play enhances learning through hands-on activities that stimulate the child's senses. This is a great way for children to explore the world they live in. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine/gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction.

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Schleich. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.

Here is what you'll need to make a DIY Farm Life Sensory Bin:

I partnered with The Hopping Bloggers for this sponsored Holiday Gift Guide.

It's that time of year again! We have so many little ones in our lives that I have decided to not just create a list of items my children would like, but also my nieces and even their friends. So this year's gift guide for kids is for just about everyone! I have joined up with The Hopping Bloggers to bring you some of this year's hot items that kids are sure to enjoy!

It is getting that time of year! Holiday Gift Guide season. Today I'm bringing you a brand that I have  worked with me in the past and absolutely love!

Lottie, Finn and Friends are inspired by real kids. Arklu believes that childhood should be an inclusive place where every child belongs regardless of gender, ethnicity, or ability and aim to reflect that in their collection.

To, date - six of the Lottie products to date have been inspired by ideas from real children!

Still looking for the perfect gift for your toddler or preschooler? Look no further because we have the perfect idea for you - the Joovy Bicycoo Balance Bike! Amber at Viva Veltoro recently had the opportunity to review a Bicycoo for her daughter and she absolutely loves it. We've teamed up with some of our favorite bloggers to give one of YOU a Joovy Bicycoo for that special kiddo in your life!

Here is some information about the Bicycoo Balance Bike from Joovy's site:

My son is obsessed with trains. When we are driving in the car and he spots tracks, he says "choo choo" and "look train" over and over again. I love to play with trains too, so I'm very excited he is starting to get into them. But he doesn't really have a nice train set. My in-laws plan on giving him a Thomas set, but I want to expand his collection with a high quality set too.

The Whittle Shortline Railroad is a family owned, 20 year old, wooden toy train company. They hand craft realistic toy trains that are compatible with Thomas, Brio, and Chuggington. Their toy trains are modeled after real trains you would see in your neighborhood. As a part of their 20th anniversary, they released over 20 new trains for August 2016. In December 2016, they will begin a program of releasing a new train each month and expanding their offering to trains around the world! Visit their website right now to watch video's and learn more. Seriously my son LOVES the video below.

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.

This post contains affiliate links.

If you are looking for something absolutely adorable to give the budding jewelry maker in your life, ALEX Toys has done it again! My five year old daughter loves jewelry and I think this
Lil’ Lockitz Memory Studio by ALEX Toys not only lets you express yourself as never before to create something truly personal, but it makes a great gift!





Lil’ Lockitz supplies you with gems, backgrounds and charms of your favorite things to float in a wearable collage that tells a story. Memory Studio is your super deluxe design studio for creating Lockitz.

If your children love pretend play and building, the Just Like Home Big Builders Pro Workshop is the perfect toy for them! Amber from Viva Veltoro just reviewed this new Toys "R" Us exclusive workshop from Step2 and her daughter has been having a blast with all of the cool features. Be sure to check out her review to see it in action!

I know SO MANY people having babies. It has definitely been baby shower season it seems. Although I do have some traditional gift ideas that I love giving, I also love giving unique children's gifts for not only baby shower gifts, but birthdays and more.

It’s sometimes hard to find something that feels special that isn’t super expensive, so I was excited to discover cuddle + kind. Not only are their dolls and prints super cute, but this small company has an amazing backstory.

I received complimentary products to provide this review. All opinions are my own.

I have mentioned once or twice that I know quite a few people who are expecting. I am always looking for unique shower gifts that are also very useful. So when I was contacted to check out Incredibundles, I was very excited. I have heard of them for a while now, but haven't had the chance to try them. They have so many awesome bundles to choose from; Book Bundle, Year of Toys, Year of Diapers, Sleep Bundles, and more. They also have an option for you to create your own bundle, which is what I decided to do.

 

I chose to get items that I felt were classic and must haves. Here's what I chose to get:

I received complimentary products to provide this post. All opinions are my own.

IncrediBundles.com, the home of extraordinary baby gifts, features a line of foolproof baby gifts that allow gift-givers to give the nursery essentials every new parent wants and needs. They take the best award-winning products for babies and bundle them together in a trademark reusable storage container so that you can give a gift that is innovative, practical, and chic. I have known of them for a little while now and was excited when they reached out about this opportunity.
Full review will be coming soon!