Ralph Lauren Youth Active Wear lets boys traverse the transition between early childhood and adolescence with style, with the quality fabrics, cuts and fashions that are emblematic of Ralph Lauren’s lifestyle brand. For 40 years, Lauren has been successfully spreading his vision of classic American designs through fashion with an upscale look, offered at highly affordable prices.

All the shirts, jackets, hoodies, pants and shorts of Lauren’s sports wear line bear his characteristic attention to detail and style. The Oxford shirts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, rugby shirts, pullover hoodies and signature polo shirts are constructed with both style and function in mind, with durable fabrics and timeless colors.

Ralph Lauren’s line for kids has a year-round style as well. While the line does include holiday sweaters, the bulk of the line can be worn at any time. Lauren’s classic, largely primary color palette adapts to any season. Whether it’s a jacket or hoodie pulled on during a summer storm, or a pair of shorts worn for indoor exercise during the winter, kids will be sure to enjoy the clothing all through the year.

Ralph Lauren’s Active Fleece Zip Hoodie takes a fresh look at zip hoodies, with thoughtful details like long raglan sleeves and ribbed cuffs and hem for ease of movement and a secure fit. Constructed with in machine-washable stretch fleece, the fabric is smooth on the outside and soft on the inside. Available in the classic Ralph Lauren colors Injection Red, Black mask and Sapphire Star, the hoodie features a large center stripe, side pockets and the line’s signature polo player screen-printed below the collar in back.

The line’s Active Short features a relaxed shape, an elasticized waist, drawstring, side pockets and exposed seaming. Made with machine-washable mesh microfiber, the shorts are soft and silky, yet light and breathable. Available in Injection Red or Norfolk grey, the shorts bear the brand’s polo player trademark emblem.

Ralph Lauren’s fashions capture the life style of those who see sports and physical activity as an essential component of a quality, pleasurable life, with designs that effortlessly combine style and functionality. Lauren brings the same focus and attention to his youth active wear line as he does to any of his numerous lines of clothing and household products that are enjoyed all over the world, all the year round.

Connect with Ralph Lauren:

• Ralph Lauren website
• Ralph Lauren on Facebook

Disclosure: I was provided with Ralph Lauren Active Wear samples for review purposes. All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Ralph Lauren Youth Active Wear, Not Just for Summer is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Here’s a scenario that used to happen every weekday until recently when I changed a few things:

My 12-year-old son gets off the bus, drags himself, his backpack and his trumpet inside, then he practically runs to the kitchen, opens the cabinet door and refrigerator doors almost simultaneously and pulls out the filtered water (I’m lucky he loves water, I know!) and a Kashi cereal bar and grabs a handful of grapes. Then he collapses into a chair and starts eating like he hasn’t eaten in days.  Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  He’s starving by the time he gets home from school!

Since many kids are eating their lunch at school quite early, it’s no wonder they come home hungry.  My 5-year-old eats lunch at 10:56 in the morning so I don’t blame her for coming home from school hungry.   But you don’t want them eating too much which may ruin their appetite for dinner, especially if your normal dinner time is within just an hour or so of them coming home from school. Consider your child’s own schedule and adjust accordingly. Remember, just because another parent sets snack time at 3:30 doesn’t mean you have to as well. Talk to your child and watch their behavior to find a time that is right for them.

Have your snacks ready and cut up for your kids to grab when they come in from school.  When my 5-year-old gets home from school and wants a snack, she’s often too tired child to want to cut up or fix her snack- she just wants to grab what she can quickly, have a seat at her little table and chow down.

Tip: Have the snacks visible in the fridge or on the table for easy access. Make sure your child knows what he or she is permitted to eat as a snack, so they don’t try to sneak in something that is bad for them. Offer a few alternatives so they feel they have a say in the matter, as well.

Choose healthy snacks that aren’t too filling, but will stave off the after-school munchies until a proper dinner can be served.  My 5-year-old is pretty good about choosing a healthy snack but my 12-year-old; not so much.  That’s why the first tip is an important for me.

Tip: Cut up carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower can be arranged with some low-fat dip. Apples, oranges, bananas and other fresh fruit can be set out, or cut up a fresh bowl of fruit salad for your kids to grab. Trail mix, assorted nuts, whole-grain pretzels and cereals, peanut butter and sugar-free jelly sandwiches, and a variety of crackers and cheeses are also excellent choices. And remember, stick to healthy drink options, such as low-fat milk or water. Kids do not need sugary sodas and juices to drink, especially on a daily basis. For a fun change, offer sparkling flavored water in a variety of flavors that your kids will enjoy.

Finally, talk to your kids about what they enjoy as a snack, and offer them different ideas for snack foods. When kids feel involved in their choices, they are more likely to pick what is best for them. A healthy snack makes for healthy kids, so take the time to find out what they like!

Oh, and one more tip.  Always have your kids wash their hands before eating their afterschool snack!

Here’s to yummy, stress-free, afterschool snacks!

Here are a few great snack ideas that you can prepare while your kids are in school and have ready for them when they get home:

• Orange Cranberry Muffins  (recipe source: parenting.com)
• 25 after school snacks from Snack Girl (source: snack-girl.com)
• Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (recipe source: mealmakeovermoms.com)

Choosing and Preparing Healthy After-School Snacks is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

This contest is closed.  Congratulations Beth S.!

My son, like most boys, loves motorized vehicles.  There’s something fascinating about them.  He recently got a DEFIANTS Maximum Mayhem playset which includes 7 feet of track for the ultimate in extreme action plus one 4×4 vehicle.  He and his sister have had a BLAST playing with this set!  They take the 4x4s outside on the sidewalk in the yard, in the car, and sometimes they even play with them on the track they came with!  Imagine that!   Defiants 4x4s are Mighty, Mini and Motorized – With no remote control needed (just AAA batteries), you just pick your gear and set them loose.  They have two speed settings; my son loves the high setting while my daughter likes the low setting.

Starting October 12th, you can go to GetDefiants.com and play the Defiants Danger Rally Game. Once a day, they are giving away a Limited Production Defiants 4×4. The code that can be entered on the website for a chance to win is “4×4” (also visible on the video).

My husband appreciates that DEFIANTS are simple in design.  They go up and they go down and when the 4×4′s hit the ramp at the end of the track the 4×4′s jump, twist, and sometimes even push boxes across the room.. as happened in my son’s case.  He thought that was the funniest thing. DEFIANT 4×4′s have headlights making them fun to play with in the dark.  The vehicles are quiet and stick to the track well.

The DEFIANTS 4×4 Maximum Mayhem Playset will provide your kids, boys and girls, with hours of racing fun and what’s better than buying your kids toys that will entertain them for hours?  Defiants 4x4s individual trucks and flex tracks are available at Target for $5.99, down from $7.99, from October 9 through November 5.  Stock up for the holidays!

Here is a short video of my son playing with his DEFIANTS 4x4s:

GIVEAWAY! - This contest is closed.   Congratulations Beth S.!

We are giving away a Defiants Maximum Mayhem Playset with 4×4 Vehicle plus two additional trucks.  To enter, leave a comment below telling us why you want to win.

• Entries accepted through 11:59pm November 11th.
• Open to U.S. residents. No P.O. Boxes.

Earn extra entries by following us on Twitter and Facebook (1 extra entry each), follow DEFIANTS on Twitter and Facebook (1 extra entry each), blog about this giveaway on your own blog (in your own words), Tweet about this giveaway once up to every 8 hours (include the text #Giveaway, @mommyinsider, and @Defiants4x4sin your Tweet) – (3 extra entries each), then tell us what you did in the comments below.

More DEFIANTS:

DEFIANTS Website

DEFIANTS Twitter

DEFIANTS Facebook

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Defiants 4x4s via One2One Network. All opinions are my own.

Review: #DEFIANTS 4×4 Maximum Mayhem Playset – {Contest Closed} is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

RSVP - http://bit.ly/p7w7bs

What is Chasing Fireflies?

Chasing Fireflies - Queen of Hearts Costume

I had this grand plan of sitting down with my five year old at a quiet time and place to present her with the Chasing Fireflies catalog from which I would allow her to pick her Halloween Costume for this year.  Well, that didn’t happen.  While I was on the phone with a client, she found the catalog, picked it up and ran outside to the front porch to flip through the pages.  She was in heaven.  She wanted this costume, that costume, that tiara with that costume, those sparkly shoes with the other costume and she really wanted them all right then!
She said “mama, go check the mailbox, maybe they are in there”.
“No, baby.. we have to order a costume and then it will take some time to arrive” I said.

It took her about 30 minutes to narrow her selection down to one costume and since the moment I ordered the costume, she’s asked “is it here yet” about three hundred times.

The costume should arrive tomorrow and I will post photographs of my daughter wearing the costume then!

My daughter wearing her new Chasing Fireflies' Queen of Hearts costume

UPDATE: My daughter’s Queen of Hearts costume arrived today from Chasing Fireflies.   When she saw the bag with the costume inside it, she ran to the couch, laid down, and started kicked her feet and banging her hands into the couch while shaking her head back and forth screaming “I’m so excited, I’m so excited”!  I haven’t seen her that excited in.. forever.  Seriously, she’s NEVER done that before.   So we took the costume out of the garment bag and her little face turned bright red as she held her breath in anticipation.  (She’s really into dress up clothes!)  She put the costume on and hasn’t taken it off since.. it’s been about 2 hours now.  When she saw the neighbors walking their dog a little while ago, she asked me if she could go outside and show the little girl her new costume.  She’s so proud!

Visit Chasing-Fireflies.com and check out their selection of beautiful costumes.  The costumers are a bit on the costly side BUT if your daughter is anything like mine and puts on a dress up outfit right when she gets home from school most days, then you will see your return on investment very quickly, I assure you!

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. I received product in order to facilitate this product review. Thoughts are my own and were not influenced in any way.

Chasing Fireflies Twitter Party – Wednesday 9/21 9-10pm EST #WishCraft is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

What you get:

• FLY Fusion™ Pentop Computer
• FLY Fusion™ Notebook
• 13 FLY Fusion Games
• MP3 Player
• Memory Expansion Slot
• FLY Fusion Installation CD
• FLY World™ Application
• Rechargeable Battery
• USB Cable
• Quick Start Guide
• Reference Card

Get the Fly Fusion digital pen computer for $9.99 here.

Today only! Leap Frog FLY Fusion digital pen computer $9.99 down from $79.99! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

My 10 year old loves yo-yo’s. I do to. The yo-yo is a classic toy that I had when I was a kid and it actually require some skill, unlike some toys and games kids have these days. I sound so old.. but I’m not, really!
Not only the best light-up yo-yo on the market, but the Pulse™ is a high-quality, perfectly balanced, ball-bearing yo-yo that is actually unique, and affordable. New lighting technology offers increased color changing lights and patterns with each second of increased spin time. It turns a standard 2-handed performance into a fantastic show of light and color!

You can learn more about Duncan, The Original Worlds #1, and see their complete line of yo-yos here.

How much is it? About $10
Where can I buy it? Here

Sept. 24 Must-Have: Duncan Pulse YoYo is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!