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Kids Apps from Cupcake Digital Education

Posted by html404 on October 10, 2013
in Downloads, Education, Kids Stuff, Reviews, School, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

We are living in the day of apps. Our children LOVE going on my iPhone. Over half of the apps on my phone are kids educational apps. We use my iPhone as a part of our homeschool curriculum. If we are working with one child, another child can be using my phone, as it keeps them occupied.

We were gifted three new kids apps for review. They are Fraggle Rock Game Day – Cupcake Digital, Wubbzy’s 123 Learn & Play – Cupcake Digital and Strawberry Shortcake Berry Best Friends – Cupcake Digital. Our children are really enjoying them.

Review of Kids Apps from Cupcake Digital Education

Fraggle Rock Game Day – Cupcake Digital

Counting, tracing and games.

My five year old liked this one and Wubbzy’s 123 Learn & Play the best.

The whack a raddish game is hilarious! I even want to play that one!

Wubbzy’s 123 Learn & Play – Cupcake Digital

Wubbzy’s 123 was good for my five year old. I am not sure how much my three year old understood it but he tries. It’s a bit too young for my seven year old but she still had fun doing it.

I thought counting meatballs was fun!

Tracing

Coloring/Paint

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Best Friends – Cupcake Digital

Book, coloring and games.

Our seven year old daughter liked this app the best. She said because it’s nice. She’s a girly girl and loves to do the hair and nails game the most because I keep finding photos stored on my phone! She saved me the trouble for the sake of this review – in house help!

Our older daughter even enjoyed playing around with this app.

These kids apps are definitely keepers and you can find them on iTunes or follow the links in this review.

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LeapReader “Ready, Set, Read & Write!”

Posted by 278Wife on October 1, 2013
in Books, Downloads, Education, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, School, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Travel, Uncategorized

I received free LeapFrog products in order to host the LeapFrog sponsored MommyParty. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I am thrilled that I was able to be a host for the LeapReader “Ready, Set, Read & Write” Party, sponsored by Leapfrog! LeapReader is the complete learn-to-read-and-write solution. It combines reading, writing, and listening into one easy and fun system. LeapReader uses books, flash cards, workbooks, audio book apps, music apps, and even trivia apps to enhance the learning experience. If you’ve never tried a LeapReader, you must. It is lifechanging! My son and I call it a magic pencil, since it knows everything.

The activity book that came with the LeapReader was great. It really taught us how versatile the LeapReader was. For example, we turned to the page featuring “Cars” and the LeapReader read it to us. It also had a game to play, and it would sound out the words for you if you touched the words with the LeapReader.

When we turned the page to the “Leap and the Lost Dinosaur,” my son loved pointing the LeapReader on the different pictures and learning fun facts about them. He was engaged the entire time, and was learning. It is the best of both worlds! Another page he loved was a game you played with the “Muscular System” page. The LeapReader would give you a clue and you had to point to the answer. For example, touch the muscle you smile with. We played that for a good ten minutes.

The LeapReader flash cards were a hit, too. You are able to mix and match letters to build words. It has rhyming, spelling, and singing games as well. My son’s favorite were the singing games. If you touch one of the pictures with the LeapReader it sings a song, spelling and sounding out the picture. It actually made him start to remember how to spell the words, it was very catchy! My favorite feature was the included sight words list. Just touch the word with the LeapReader and it would say it.

We attempted the Writing books, but my son was more interested in hearing the stories than writing. Some of my friends’ kids came over and tried them, and they had a ball! The LeapReader really tells you step by step how to write Upper and Lowercase letters, while saying letter sounds. I found it amazing that the writing magically appears on the special paper.

Each of the writing activity sets includes a workbook filled with fun activities as well as extra writing paper so you can practice. The activity books are so interactive that the kids are constantly engaged.

The Get Ready for Kindergarten book is a must for all preschool aged children. It teaches letters, vowels, beginning sounds, blends, patterns, numbers, skip counting, math, months, seasons, community places, and more. This was my son’s favorite book. He plays with it almost daily. There is so much to do on each page, that he rarely does the same thing twice.

My son really enjoyed reading the Monsters University LeapReader Interactive Book, too. You can either touch on the book picture and it will read it for you, or you can touch word by word to read and follow along. For now my son likes to listen to it, but I’m sure in no time he will be wanting to touch word by word. This will then teach him how to read.

I am absolutely in love with the LeapReader “Ready, Set, Read & Write” system. In additon to all of the workbooks, flash cards, and books you can buy for your LeapReader, you can also download apps to put on the LeapReader. Mine was conveniently loaded with two audio books, learning music, and a trivia app. Let me just tell you how amazing this is for travel. My son brings this in the car, plugs in his headphones, and enjoys listening to the stories and music. With a touch of a button you can switch between apps. The LeapReader is lightweight so I carry it in my purse or diaper bag when we are out and about so he is always entertained and more importantly, learning. The best part is that no batteries are required. Simply charge it with the included USB cord and you are good to go!

I can honestly say that this LeapReader is life changing. I will be telling all of my mom friends about how great of a learning tool this is. It is great for reading, writing, and listening skills. My son has yet to become bored with it, and continues to ask me to buy more books or apps for him. I love that he asks me to buy him books rather than toys. The LeapReader is definitely going to create lifelong learners for all children who use it!

www.LeapFrog.com

I received free LeapFrog products in order to host the LeapFrog sponsored MommyParty. The opinions expressed here are my own.

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Back-to-School with Kmart #KmartBackToSchool

Posted by html404 on August 26, 2013
in Deals, Kids Stuff, Parenting, SALES, Saving Money, School, Shopping, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post. I am a Kmart blogger, though all opinions are my own.

Doesn’t it seem like every year your kids get busier and busier? As the years go by, activities get piled on and so do the expenses. Soccer, ballet & music classes aren’t free. Unfortunately, neither are school supplies. With so much going on, your budget can get pulled in a lot of different directions. Fortunately, Kmart has savings on back to school so you can breathe easier. Pick up everything on their back to school shopping list from backpacks to gym shoes and the latest fall styles for less. The only question left is what will YOU do with the savings? I vote picking up something for yourself because it is a new year after all.

Watch for the Back-to-School with Kmart savings on Twitter using hashtag #KmartBackToSchool and follow the conversation too!

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He’s All Boy Alpha Cards

Posted by 278Wife on August 26, 2013
in Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, School, Uncategorized

As a mother, I am always on the lookout for fun, innovative ways to teach my kids important lessons and skills. Learning your ABC’s is especially important since it is the basis of reading. I started early teaching my son his letters, always looking for fun ways to teach him without him knowing he was “learning.” He’s All Boy has made this an easy task!

He’s All Boy Alpha Cards are not your ordinary flashcards. “A” is no longer for “Apples” and “B” is no longer for “Ball.” “A” is featured as an “alien” having an “accident” and “B” shows a “bear” picking his “booger.” These silly cards are gross and funny, a perfect mix for any boy and even girls.

I have found that when I relate things to my son, he is more likely to remember what I taught him. What better way than teaching him that “F” is for “fart” rather than “feather.” What will your child more likely remember? My son is really into the Ninja Turtles right now so his favorite card was “N” for “Naked Ninja.”

Every card he laughed out loud at, and when we went through the entire deck he wanted to do them again. These Alpha Cards are an absolute GREAT learning tool to get kids excited about their letters.

These cards are also nice because they are larger than most making them very kid-friendly. They are also thicker and have a shine to them so they would be easy to clean. He’s All Boy also sells a Matching Game and Vinyl Placemat which would be great for reinforcement! Overall, I highly recommend the He’s All Boy Alpha Cards to any mom. They are definitely fun for everyone playing. I’m not sure who laughed harder, my son or I!

www.he-is-all-boy.com

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The Ultimate Back to School Bash #bts2013

Posted by html404 on August 17, 2013
in Contests, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, School, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Welcome to the Ultimate Back to School Bash #bts2013!

I don’t know about you but I still have school supplies to buy…oy! I so want to get back to the store before the sales are over! Since it is back to school season, I thought it would be fun to join the Ultimate Back to School Bash and let you all have some fun trying to win some awesome back to school products!

3BoysandaDog has teamed up with A+ Interactive Math and some fabulous other brands to bring you this giveaway.

Prizes:

A+ Interactive Math – 1 year FREE Online Full Curriculum – A+ Interactive Math – 1 winner (choice of: grades K – Algebra I) Value $124.99 . A+ Interactive Math is dedicated to making math enjoyable and learnable for all ages. A+ Interactive is perfect for homeschooling parents or parents that just want to give the child some extra math help. A + Interactive Math offers full curriculum books, workbooks, online education and interactive math CD’s. You can purchase A+ Interactive Math or view their catalog here.

Door Prize for all participants:

Multiplication for Elementary & Middle School – download (value $21.99)

link: http://aplustutorsoft.com/SpecialOffers.do

Code: enter 3DOGSMATH upon checkout

$100 Visa Card – This fabulous gift card is being brought to you by www.learntobloghangouts.com! This is the perfect way to get a great jump start on your back to school shopping! You can use this $100 Visa gift card at any location that accepts Visa.

Back to School Survival Guide – This back to school guide is brought to you by The Confident Mom. In this Back to School Survival Guide you will find everything you need to help you ensure the school year runs seamlessly. This guide is an 80 page printable that will help you keep your child safe while using the internet, help with homework, making packing school lunches easier, become a savvy back to school shopper and much more! You can read more about the Back to School Survival Guide or purchase one here.

Office Depot Sackpack of School Supplies -Office Depot is committed to providing affordable school supplies! You will find $25 worth of school supplies in this sack pack. The Office Depot Foundation donates over 30,000 backpacks to school children each and every year!

BYOU Magazine Subscription

Go Picnic Ready to Eat Meals – Go Picnic makes packing lunches and snacks a breeze. They offer gluten-free, kosher, all-natural and a variety of other snacks that are perfect for back to school lunches and snacks. You can view the large variety of products they offer here.

Tummy Calm – Have a little one with an upset stomach? Tummy Calm is a safe option to helping your child feel better. Tummy Calm is made with all-natural FDA regulated ingredients. You can read more about Tummy Calm and place an order here.

BIC School Supplies – BIC offers a wide range of back to school items from pens, pencils, markers, highlighters and much more! BIC is your one stop shop for your back to school supplies.

Teach My Preschooler – Teach My is your one stop solution for giving babies, toddlers and preschoolers a jump start on education. You will find interactive learning products that promote learning in a fun manner. You can order a Teach My learning program here.

Texas Instruments – Texas Instruments should be your go to supplies when it comes to tools for math and science calculators. One lucky winner will be receiving this http://education.ti.com/en/us/nspire-family/cx-handhelds. This is a colorful and engaging way for to learn math and science!

Wild Planet Foods – Wild Planet Foods has tuna like you have never tasted before. This tuna is the perfect ingredient for a healthy and delicious school lunch. Wild Planet offers tuna that has 6 times the Omega 3 and 1/2 the mercury other brands have. Order up your own supply of Wild Planet Foods here.

GHCretors – GHCretors offers all-natural, non-GMO and gluten-free popcorn in a variety of flavors! You will love that a healthy snack can taste so good. This might just be the best popcorn you have ever tasted. Get your order placed here.

ListPlanIt – Are you ready to get your life organized? If so then ListPlanIt is the place to visit! Any kind of list you can imagine you will find on ListPlanIt. The winner is going to receive 2 ePlanners (Student ePlanner and Home Education ePlanner, value $10) + a coupon code for a 3-month trial to ListPlanIt! This is a fantastic prize to get the school year started off. You can also sign up for ListPlanIt here.

Go to The Ultimate Back to School Bash (<<—-click there) post to enter for your chance to win this HUGE giveaway worth well over $350 dollars!

Awesome line up of prizes, eh? Have fun and I hope you win!

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PowerMyLearning

Posted by html404 on August 13, 2013
in Animals, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, Saving Money, School, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post.

We love getting educational products, digital or otherwise, to review. It’s fun for the children and changes up our routine a bit trying something new.

PowerMyLearning.org Review

PowerMyLearning is a free, educational website for teachers, parents and children. This site covers all the core subjects of education: Math, Language Arts, Music & Art, Social Studies, Science, Technology, World Languages and My Life (or what we old-timers would consider “Health”). There is a lot of interactive activities and my children enjoy visiting this website. The site does require creating a free account but it’s painless. Just like any other site registration.

My children really loved Biology – they love anything to do with animals – imagine that considering we live on a farm! They also loved the Who Am I section in Language Arts.

Here’s what my children had to say about the site:

“O” (13) – Picked up on misinformation. She said, “They got stuff like the gods and goddesses wrong in the solar system. They said the goddess of Agriculture was Aphrodite when everyone knows that is Demeter. Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty. They said the same thing about Mars, he is the God of War.” Can you tell she’s studied Greek mythology? Thanks to Percy Jackson.

“JAG”(9) – “It’s fun. I didn’t like the millions of years. I liked the stuff about rocks and stuff like that. I like the science things. Actually, I like a lot of it.”

“Blondie” (7) – “It was cool. I didn’t like the fact that there was no “playground” (another site we have used has a “playground” for recess etc., which was actually PBS kids TV programming and computer games) I like their games. My favorite game was the car racing game.”

“Nook” (5) – First he said he didn’t really like it then he changed his mind and said he likes it. Rather fickle little boy, eh?

Overall, I would have to say the children thought it was fun and I thought it was informative and a good site to use as a supplement to their homeschooling material.

PowerMyLearning is revamping their site with a launch date of September 3! We are excited as we thought the site was not very user friendly for mom or children. So this was great news to hear!

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Ultimate Back to School Bash

Posted by html404 on August 10, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Contests, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Giveaways, School, Uncategorized

Still shopping for back to school supplies? Have you thought of entering giveaways to see if you could win some cool back to school products? We are participating in the Ultimate Back to School Bash! The giveaway will run from August 18th at 12:01 am and run through August 31st at 11:59 pm.

Currently, the giveaway prizes include the following list, valued at $202, but growing fast:

$100 Visa Gift Card from 3 Boys and a Dog
Back to School Survival Guide from The Confident Mom (value $10)
GoPicnic Set of 6 Meals (value $28.49)
Teach My Winners Choice (value up to $39.99)
One subscription to BYOU ‘Be Your Own You!’ Magazine (value $23.70)
Office Depot Foundation Sackpack of Supplies (non-profit)
Texas Instruments The TI-Nspire CX handheld (value $150)

**More prizes being added daily!

Bloggers, you are welcome to sign up as well as This is a free event! Each blogger will get 1 free link, either Facebook or Twitter. Please say I referred you. Sorry for the short notice but Today is the last day to sign up!

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Back to School with Old Navy #myONstyle @OldNavy

Posted by html404 on August 8, 2013
in Children's Clothing, Family Stuff, Fashion, Girl Stuff, Kids Stuff, Saving Money, School, Shopping, Uncategorized

Back to school season is here already, can you believe it? I still have shop to for school supplies but I did take one of our children, our third oldest daughter shopping at Old Navy as a treat and she needed more immediate things than the rest. Old Navy has their back to school promotion going on right now in all U.S. stores – $10 and under – from 8/3 thru 8/14. Old Navy is also inviting parents to come into stores to take a picture of their kids rocking their favorite Old Navy back to school looks in front of the store’s Step and Repeat!

Back to School with Old Navy

Old Navy Gift Card – Accepted via my iPhone since our printer is not working!

I have to admit we headed for the clearance section first. Not only did the bright colors attract my daughter but we wanted to make the most of our limited budget. It would have been easy to spend it all on one or two items, but instead we came out with eight things! Not too shabby, eh?

My daughter is still growing, as a matter of fact she’s taller than me by a couple inches, not saying much since I am only 5’3. I say that because we now have to shop in the ladies or women’s section just so we can get the height part to fit her. We did sneak a peek at the girls section to get a feel for what was available for my youngest daughter. The girls section was tucked all the way back in the left hand corner of the store, but very easy to find.

She loved these shorts, but wished they were longer or pants!

O with her clothes selection – 2 dresses, 5 pairs of socks, including horse socks and a pair of black leggings.

Don’t forget Old Navy’s Back to School promotion – $10 and under – and consider getting your kids to show of their back to school fashion style in front of the store’s Step and Repeat! After you upload your photo, enter to the Multiply Your Sweet Style here: www.nick.com/OldNavy! It includes an Old Navy $1000 shopping spree, $500 cash to play in L.A and a shopping experience with Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande from Nickelodeon’s Sam and Cat!

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Bookboard Review and Free Trial!

Posted by Brande on August 7, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Deals, Downloads, Ebooks, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, Saving Money, School, Shopping, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

Mechanimals, Me and My Dragon, The Lucky Day Picnic, Doors in the Air are only a few of the wonderful books available through Bookboard.com. This app has over 400 books available to unlock with up to 4 children’s accounts (up to the age of 12). Once the books are downloaded, they can be read offline. Currently, Bookboard is available for iPads with iOS 5.x or higher. Bookboard recommends using and iPad2 or later version. However, they do work on an original iPad they are just slower. Bookboard says on their website that are adding other devices and platforms in the future.

Bookboard sets goals for your children and parents can check their progress through the app as well. Once a goal is reached, your child is rewarded with more books unlocked to continue their reading.

Bookboard Review and Free Trial

Head to Bookboard’s website for a FREE TRIAL! If you and your children enjoy it you can purchase a subscription for only $8.99 if you pay per month or if you choose the 6 month subscription its $29.94 or $4.99 a month! In the aspect of things if you purchase one book will cost $4.99. Here you have unlimited reading at your fingertips!

Here are a few on the many subjects that can be found on Bookboard: Smithsonian Series, Berenstain Bears and The Boxcar Children!!

My daughter is just learning to read and just loves the iPad. For us this is a great learning tool and we really enjoyed our books. You can join today to get your FREE TRIAL too!!