BubbleBum is a portable and foldable booster seat that is perfect for daily car rides or for keeping in Grandma’s car for the occassional trip to story time. Made for children who weigh between 40 and 80lbs, are older than 3 years old, and can refrain from sitting on their knees during a long car ride, the BubbleBum Booster Seat is a unique solution to a problem that’s been around for years.. ever since booster seats were introduced. The problem you ask? The lack of portability and foldability. Booster seats aren’t typically known for being foldable but once you try the BubbleBum Booster Seat, you’ll realize that it’s something you’ll use more often than you expected.

PORTABILITY

The school year is about to start and I bet not everyone on your child’s pickup list has a booster seat in their car. My sister-in-law is on my daughter’s ‘safe pick up’ list and she doesn’t have a booster seat in her car. Why would she.. she doesn’t have kids!? What will I do if I need her to pick my daughter up from school? When I know that she will be picking my daughter up, I’ll send the BubbleBum Booster Seat to school with my daughter.  It’s light enough for her to carry and it even fits in her backpack!  Let’s just hope I remember to give my SIL a car pool number!
This booster seat is great when you travel via airplane as it will conveniently fit inside your carry-on or checked luggage. When you arrive at your destination, simply inflate the BubbleBum booster seat and install it in the taxi or rental car.

The BubbleBum booster seat is compact. Three BubbleBum Booster Seats will easily fit across the backseat of a car, suv, or van. No more excuses for Grandma and Grandpa to not take all three of your kids to the beach without you next weekend. You need a breather.. grab a few BubbleBums and send the kids off with the Grandparents!

SAFETY

It has been proven that children in booster seats have approximately half the injury risk of children without the use of a booster seat, and in seatbelts alone. While head injuries are the most commonly injured body region for all restrained children, abdominal injuries are the second most common injury for belted children as a result of “seat-belt syndrome” injuries. Children who were restrained by booster seats showed a notable absence of abdominal injuries.

Every parent wants their child to be safe. Here are some reasons why you should use a booster seat on EVERY journey with your child:

BubbleBum is a Belt Positioning Booster seat for children who meet all of the following criteria:
1. Children between 40lbs and 80lbs in weight
2. Children are over the age of 3,
3. Children can sit for the entire journey without sitting on their knees
A booster seat must ONLY be used with a 3 point seat belt, this is a seat belt which goes across the lap and diagonally across the chest.

To learn more about what make the BubbleBum Booster seat safe, click here.

BubbleBum can fit easily with any combination of cars seat as long as there are enough 3 point seat belts to restrain each and every child.

My 5 year old loves the BubbleBum Booster Seat. She thinks it’s cool because (a) it blows up (b) it’s comfy and (c) it makes her feel like a big girl.

You can purchase a BubbleBum for $39.99 from BubbleBum.com. As mentioned above, your child must meet certain criteria to use the BubbleBum. You can connect with BubbleBum on Facebook BubbleBum on Facebook, and follow @BubbleBumUSA on Twitter.

BubbleBum Inflatable Booster Seat to the Rescue! 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!

Can you imagine.. Candy Land, cupcakes, face painting, pottery painting, bead bracelet craft, and hair-do’s.. all in an hour and a half?
Oh my gosh I can’t tell you how exhausted I was around 12:30 today.  I was pooped and ready for a nap, which is very unlike me.  All for good reason though.   Thanks to Hasbro and My Blog Spark, I hosted a Candy Land party for about 18 3-5 year old’s this morning.  I was thrilled to have Desiree from BottlesToBritches.com, Stacie from TheDivineMissMommy.com, and Amanda from OhAmanda.com at the party.  Check out their blogs!  You’ll love them.

Candy Land was recently redesigned, bringing the excitement that is Candy Land back to our kitchen table.  Forget the dinner, let’s play Candy Land!  My daughter is 4 and Candy Land is the “go to” board game when she has friends over.  Don’t even try to offer another game.. Candy Land is “IT!” and that’s the way it is.

Candy Land is a classic ‘first game for children’, takes about 15 minutes to play, and because there is no need to read to play Candy Land, even 3 year olds can play it!

You too can travel down the rainbow path on a journey of discovery through enchanted lands filled with sweet surprises around every corner. Create delicious treats at the Cupcake Commons to deliver along the way, participate in a thrilling snowboard race down the Ice Cream Slopes with the Duke of Swirl, take a relaxing train ride through Gummy Hills and climb to the top of Chocolate Mountain. Be sure to make friends with Gramma Gooey, Lord Licorice, Princess Frostine and Princess Lolly of Lollypop Woods throughout your adventure, as you race to meet King Kandy at the grand entrance to the Candy Castle.

Here’s a short video of our Candy Land fun at Farmhouse in the City in Roswell, GA:

A special thanks to Hasbro who provided us with the Candy Land board games to play and give away through MyBlogSpark!

You can buy Candy Land at your local Target, Wal-Mart, or Toys R’ Us, or online from Hasbro.

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving a lucky reader a Candy Land board game!   To enter leave a comment below telling us one what your favorite memory of playing Candy Land is (with your kids or from when you were young).
Earn extra entries by sharing this giveaway with your Twitter friends (Tweet: “I entered to win Candy Land from TheMommyInsider.com!  You can enter too:  @mommyinsider”).  Be sure to follow us on Twitter and leave a separate comment below telling us that you Tweeted and what your Twitter address is.  ‘Like’ us on Facebook and tell your Facebook friends about The Mommy Insider and/or our Candy Land giveaway. You can post about our giveaway on Twitter and Facebook up to once per day – just make sure to let us know in the comments, that you did!
Entries accepeted through November 30th.

Have fun with Candy Land!

Our super sweet Candy Land party and a giveaway! 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!

Goony Goo Goo and GaGa Too

Like I’ve said in previous book related reviews, Madelyn LOVES to read.. or rather, be read to, at this age.  From what I’ve seen, most 3-5 year olds get hooked on something and it becomes part of their routine.. for a long time.  Such is the case with Goony Goo Goo and GaGa Too written by children’s book author Kia Morgan Smith.

Goony Goo Goo and GaGa Too is a tale of two sisters Selena and Celeste who are less than enthusiastic about their new baby brother.   They don’t understand why he can’t talk or walk and at the first indication that ‘Baby Boy’ understands what the girls are saying, the girls go on and on assigning him chores and such.  Mom is none to happy about the girls attitude about Baby Boy and gives them a piece of her mind by explaining to them that Baby Boy isn’t their servent boy and that the girls should appreciate their little brother for who he is and what he can do.  The book is whimsically illustrated by Brandon Fall.

Click this link to buy Goony Goo-Goo and GaGa Too on Amazon.com.

Here’s a brief video of Madelyn showing off the book and her favorite children’s book author:

Follow Kia Morgan Smith on Twitter

Follow Kia Morgan Smith on Facebook

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving two lucky readers a copy of Goony Goo Goo and GaGa Too. To enter, leave a comment (click to jump to comments) below telling us why you want to win.   Get an extra entry for following us on Facebook here and and an extra for following us on Twitter here.  Be sure to leave a comment telling us that you are following us and include your Facebook & Twitter ID’s so we can give you extra entries!  Entries accepted through November 29th.

Goony Goo-Goo and GaGa Too! Madelyn is HOOKED on this book 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!

I’m always on the lookout for cute, comfortable clothes for my kids.  Madelyn, my 4 year old is all about wearing yoga pants and comfy tees.  But a problem arose..  she wants to wear yoga pants and comfy tees to school everyday and we all know that there are only so many pairs of yoga pants and comfy tees available at clothing stores.. and they all look the same – not a great thing when she should look like she’s wearing a different outfit every day.
I see all these little girls at Madelyn’s school, dressed to the 9′s but the kids don’t always look like they’re comfortable. I want Madelyn to look cute AND be comfortable which is why I don’t have a problem with her wearing yoga pants and tees to school most days.  Given that, I was very excited when I learned about Dadoo Kids, an online store offering cute, comfortable organic clothes for babies and kids.  Now Madelyn’s school outfits can be comfortable and cute at the same time!

Dadoo Kids organic butterfly tee

With two young ones of her own, designer Christine Miller Kelly was inspired to develop a line of playful, modern, and super comfortable children’s clothing that simultaneously celebrates the joy of being a kid (no rush to look like an adult!) and the realities of day-to-day play.

Dadoo Kids lounge pants

Dadoo Kids clothing is made with organic cotton and bamboo blends, making the pieces gentle to the touch.. great for sensitive baby skin.

Dadoo Kids designs are fun, unique, and their pieces are true to size.   This means leaner, better fitting clothes for infants and toddlers.

Their lounge pants are knit and have elastic waistbands (no buttons or zippers) making them the ultimate in comfort for your little one.

Because there are no buttons or zippers to fuss with, Dadoo Kids clothing encourages independence with tees, pants, and twirly dresses that are easy for self-dressing, undressing, and going potty.

Check out Dadoo Kids adorable selection of organic cotton and bamboo blend kids clothing.

Follow Dadoo Kids on Twitter

Adorable organic play clothes for kids at Dadoo Kids 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!

If I ask Madelyn (4 yrs old) if she wants to me to play a game with her or read to her she choses to read.  I love that!

Madelyn has so many more books than Sebastian (11 yrs old) did when he was her age.. he would have rather played with toys than read.

Madelyn’s bedtime routine includes that I and/or my husband 3-5 books to her. While I try to choose relatively short books so as to not drag bedtime out, my husband reads long books.  Yay, Daddy!  I’ll be honest.. by bedtime, I’m just ready for her to go to sleep so I prefer to read shorter stories.

Madelyn has three stacks of hand-selected ‘bedtime books’.. sorted on her bookshelf in order of importance.  A few of Madelyn’s favorite bedtime books are Tuck Me In by By Dean Hacohen and Sherry Scharschmidt, A Bedtime for Bear By Bonny Becker, and Moon Dreams By Ruth Martin.

A Bedtime for Bear is about a Bear who, when impish Mouse comes to spend the night, is in for a rude—and very funny—awakening and is the companion story to the New York Times bestseller A Visitor for Bear.

In Moon Dreams Luna loves to look at the moon.  But Luna wonders where the moon goes during the day and each night, after desperately trying to stay awake, her dreams taker her on a journey as she searches for the moon far and wide.

Tuck Me In.. one of my favorites.  Who needs to be tucked in? Turn each page until all baby animals–and little readers–are cozy and ready for sleep in this bedtime ritual.  Tuck Me In is the last book we read at night because after tucking all the baby animals in, in the book, Madelyn is ready to be tucked in.  Thank goodness!

We recently acquired two more bedtime stories, Interrupting Chicken and Switching on the Moon, so stayed tuned to see which stack these books end up in on Madelyn’s bookshelf!

Enjoy,

Bedtime Stories for Preschoolers 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!

Jiftastic Instant Coma bite size treats

While mixing peanut butter with almost everything under the sun today in hopes of coming up with a snack that both of my kids would enjoy, I concocted these little treats I affectionately call Jiftastic Instant Coma Bite Size Treats (thanks Daddy).

What you’ll need:

• Jif Peanut Butter
• Graham crackers
• Banana
• Candy chocolate
• Mini chocolate chips – pour into a small bowl

How to make Jiftastic Instant Coma treats:

• Break a graham cracker into four pieces
• Slice a banana into slices about 3/4 inch thick then cut the slices in half
• Melt candy chocolate in the microwave for about 35-45 seconds
• Spread melted chocolate on 1/4 of the graham cracker (for bigger ‘treats’ break graham cracker in 1/2 instead of 1/4′s)
• Put the chocolate covered graham cracker pieces in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden the chocolate
• While those are in the freezer spread your choice of Jif peanut butter on top of your 1/2 banana slices. (Regular Jif and Jif Peanut Butter & Honey are great choices.)
• Then dip the peanut butter covered banana piece into a bowl of mini chocolate chips to cover the top of the banana slice and set aside.
• Take the chocolate covered graham crackers out of the freezer.
• Put your peanut butter and chocolate chip covered banana slice on top of the chocolate & peanut butter covered graham cracker.
• ENJOY!

How do you enjoy peanut butter?  On a pretzel, banana, apples, raisins?  Let us know in the comments below.

Jiftastic Instant Coma Bite Size Treats.. yum! 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!