Ricky Zoom and His Friends Make Chores FUN!

This post was sponsored by eOne but all opinions, as always, are my own.

Just in time for National Clean Your Room Day, on May 10th, which also happens to be Mother’s Day, get your kids to start helping out around the house with a smile on their face thanks to Ricky Zoom’s chore chart!

If you haven’t heard of Ricky Zoom, then you can thank me after your kids fall in love with the show and start learning about teamwork, responsibility, friendship, community and helping others – all the core elements of Ricky Zoom! You can watch Ricky Zoom on Nick Jr - http://www.nickjr.com/ricky-zoom/ and catch all-new episodes May 18 to May 29th, from Monday to Friday at 5pm.

The Ricky Zoom chore chart is much different than the ones we’ve seen in the past. For starters, you can print it out at home and customize it or you can use one of their pre-colored ones. Because they’re easy to print and double as an arts & crafts activity, we printed a few and put them all over our home. In the basement, for example, we put up a Ricky Zoom chore chart that included: Put away your cars, turn off your iPad and wash your hands. In Zane’s room we have: make your bed, brush your teeth and put away your books.

Click here to download the Ricky Zoom chore chart!

The Ricky Zoom chore chart comes with some chore recommendations but also comes with blank tags so you can write in your own. We’re trying to teach our older son, Zane, to share with his younger brother so although “sharing” isn’t really a chore, we put it on the chart to remind him that it’s important and to encourage him to do it. My son is 3 years old and extremely motivated by reward, so we’ve found that having this chore chart has really made him enjoy helping out! He loves feeling grown up, he loves the praise that we give him when he’s completed a chore and he loves sticking the lightening bolts on the chart when he’s completed a chore!

For kids that are a little older, you can use the blank tags as a way to encourage them to make the decision about what chores they’ll do every week. And because it’s a printable, you can switch up the chores too every once and a while to keep things exciting!

I love Ricky Zoom for my kids because the show teaches him such important life lessons and values and with my son being out of school until at least September, I want to make sure he doesn’t forget all the valuable lessons that he’s learned at school about playing and sharing with others. Because of Ricky Zoom’s chore chart, my son feels like one of his bike buddies every time he finishes a chore and so it’s helped make the average boring chore (such a putting away his sippy cup) super exciting! Ricky Zoom offers so many amazing fun activities for your kids on their site such as toys, apps and free printables! Head to Rickyzoom.com to check them all out. 

PAW Patrol to the Rescue this Easter!

This post was sponsored by PAW Patrol as part of an Integrated Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

With Easter approaching, I knew I had to find a super special toy to keep a smile on my son’s face. I love setting up a hunt for eggs that the Easter bunny left behind and the trail always leads to a big surprise at the end!

Like every child his age, my son’s world revolves around PAW Patrol and the Mighty Meteor Track Set was the perfect big surprise I was looking for (and the best part is you can order it online from Target or Amazon and have it delivered before Easter). PAW Patrol also has 2 other awesome toys that I think would make great Easter basket gifts as well: the Mighty Pups Charged Up Chase Transforming Vehicle and Charged Up Deluxe Vehicles.

For the ultimate Easter egg surprise hunt, I started by filling up a bunch of plastic eggs with chocolate and candy! These treat-filled eggs will lead my son right to his PAW Patrol surprise! I also used rabbit foot prints to lead the way and make it that much more exciting.

Now let's talk about this PAW Patrol Mighty Meteor Track Set. I’ll start out by saying that it is just insanely fun. The story behind the toy is that Harold Humdinger has taken the mighty meteor with his robot and it’s up to you to launch Chase in his charged up vehicle to save the day! It’s a SUPER interactive toy which my son loves and keeps him busy for hours! To help Chase save the day, you load him and his vehicle on the Team Jet Launcher, you push down on the back of the aircraft and Mighty Chase propels in the air and flies around the Lookout Tower! He pushes the meteor out of the robot’s hand before safely landing on the ground and saving the day. It’s such a blast and I guarantee your kids will freak out when they figure out that Chase flies!

My son was thrilled when he first saw his gift, but when I showed him how it worked, he squealed in delight. I haven't seen him this excited about a toy in long time. It also comes with a Mighty Chase car and a detachable Team Jet Launcher that he can play with separately as he pretends Chase is flying through our home!

Order your PAW Patrol products now so that they arrive in time for Easter! They're available at Target and Amazon.  Click here to shop!

If you're looking for other PAW Patrol gifts to put in your Easter basket, the Mighty Pups Charged Up Chase Transforming Vehicle is just as fun! It transforms from a car to a hovercraft so your kids can have hours of fun being heroes and keeping Adventure Bay safe! The Transforming Vehicle has lights and sounds and a projectile launcher for even more fun! Your kids will be running around and laughing while they help Chase glide through the air in this awesome and fun toy! It’s great for kids ages 3 and up and the lights and sounds will make them feel as though they’re on a real mission!

The Charged Up Deluxe Vehicles are great Easter Basket Stuffers as well! With lights and sounds and a removable Chase figurine, the smiles and laughs will be endless. And don’t worry! They have Rubble, Skye, Marshall, Zuma and Rocky too so make sure to get them all so that the whole PAW Patrol gang can save Adventure Bay together because, as Ryder says: no job is to big and no pup is too small! 

The Baby Food Maker That Can Do It All!

Finding baby items that simplify a mama’s life are like finding gold and I always have my eyes open for them. I was so excited to try the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete, available at Elfe Juvenile Products. They’re having a site-wide sale until April 17th and you can get the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete for 15% off! the It’s everything you need to make baby food in minutes! But it doesn’t stop there. You can make soups, smoothies (for the kids or yourself) and even steam veggies! It’s so practical and so easy to use! You can steam, blend or do both! There’s an easy to use digital display and my favorite part, is that it’s not complicated to clean.

I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to use, so I started off simple: Applesauce. You cube 2 medium apples, add them to the Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete, select the steam/blend setting, set the timer for 15 minutes and then wait!

Is it possible that this magical machine has made baby food making fun? Unlike the other baby food makers I’ve tried, you don’t need to measure out how much water you add to the machine because of the timer. You also don’t have a ton of parts. The other machines I’ve tried have blades, steamer baskets, lids, tongs and the list goes on. By the time you’ve made the food, you have a sink full of dirty items. The Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete has a detachable blade, a lid and the main container. That’s it! 3 parts to clean.

It also comes with 3 reusable feeding and storage pouches and 3 funnels to help get the baby food in the pouches! This is another thing that the competitors don’t offer. The funnels are game changers! The reusable food pouches are so practical when you’re on the go but if you have a smaller baby who eats less, you can also store the food in ice cube trays and then defrost only what you need to feed them that meal!

The Baby Brezza Food Maker Complete is such a game changer for moms, and with 15% off until April 17th at Elfe Juvenile Products, there has never been a better time to buy one! I’ve included a few of my favourite recipes from the Baby Brezza Website! Let me know if you’ve tried any of them or if you have another one that I should make!

Cherry Banana Quinoa

Ingredients:

½ cup of cooked quinoa

½ banana

1 cup of cherries, washed with pits removed and cut in half

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your baby food maker. Blend until smooth and serve.

Minty Pea Puree

Ingredients:

2 cups of sweet peas (fresh or frozen)

1 sprig of mint

Veggie broth, breast milk, or formula – if needed

Directions:

Combine the peas and mint into the bowl of your baby food maker. Set to steam & blend for 20 minutes, then let the machine automatically blend it into a super smooth puree.

If the texture is too thick, you can add broth, breast milk, or formula to achieve a thinner consistency.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb carrots, sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger (start with 1tbsp and increase to taste)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk or light cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent.

3. Add carrots and ginger to the pan and stir.

4. Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add the remaining 1 cup of broth, and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Then, remove cover and bring to a boil.

6. Remove from heat and blend with One Step Baby Food Maker.

7. Before serving, add milk and stir, then add parsley.

Very Veggie: Baby Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup green beans, steamed

1 cup cooked brown rice

½ cup of water, formula, or milk

¼ tsp dried sage

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in One Step Baby Food Maker, food processor bowl, or blender.

2. Puree and serve.

Recipe Note: For babies just transitioning to solid foods, be sure to strain out any stringy green bean remnants.

The Baby Proofing Must Have Product

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt... and it's every parent's nightmare that their little munchkin will injure themselves while exploring. The littlest thing can become such a danger to curious little hands and the more your minis move... the more they'll explore and the more trouble they'll get in! I recently got to try out the Bily Contoured Top Metal Superyard (available at Babies R Us) and I'm now adding it to my list of Must Have Baby Items. This 3-in-1 Superyard can easily transform from a playard to a gate enclosure and can even be used a barrier between rooms! It has a swinging door that can be opened with one hand, it swings shut on it's own and it has a built-in stay open feature. You can even purchase extensions separately if you need it to be larger.

We have a really oddly shaped stair case with a flat piece of metal on one side and holes between our steps so baby proofing our stairs seemed like mission impossible, until we tried out the Bily Contoured Top Metal Superyard. I love that it matches with my decor (so many of the gates are white), I love that it's super sturdy and metal, and I LOVE that is was simple to install. If you're looking for a gate for an oddly shaped stair case, a sturdy playard, or a barrier to block off certain rooms in your home that won't be an eye sore, I have to recommend the Bily Contoured Top Metal Superyard! You can't always baby proof every room... and you won't have to with this product! Just install the Superyard and you can literally block off any door way to any room in your home! You can find more information about this product on the Babies R Us website by clicking here.

Zane wasn't too happy that he couldn't play on the steps anymore, but I am thrilled to have peace of mind that he is safe. Now on to baby-proofing the rest of my home!

Easily opening door with an automatic swing shut system and a built-in stay open mechanism that can be activated.

Remembering How Little Your Children Once Were With Birth Memory

Every time I see a newborn, I think to myself: OMG was Zane ever that little? I don't remember him being that small! And lately I've been finding myself reminiscing through his newborn pictures, wishing that I could remember how little he was because the time just flies by too fast.

Birth Memory helps by making life size posters of your newborn! All you do it go onto their site, input all your baby's information at birth (weight, height etc.) and they send you this life size, to-scale poster right to your door! You can even customize the design, colour and body orientation. I think this is such a cool gift idea for new parents and such a unique piece of artwork to hang on your nursery wall! Can you believe how small Zane was? I'm almost in tears looking at how much he's grown! Click here to visit the Birth Memory website and make your own poster!

Baby & Toddler Holiday Gift Guide

This year I've gotten to try some pretty great products so I'm sharing my faves for babies and toddlers! Stay tuned for my gift guide for the rest of the family :)

1. Zany Zoo: We discovered this gem while at a friend's house a few weeks ago. Zane was mesmerized and sat quietly playing for longer than I had ever seen before. Zany Zoo is made from wood, painted with bright and wild colours, and makes NO noise. No loud melodies, no bright lights, just Zane's imagination doing all the work... and I love that. Click here for more info on the Zany Zoo.

2. Olili Baby Mitten Clips- No more losing mittens and gloves this winter thanks to these adorable clips! They come in 6 gorgeous patterns, so you're sure to find one that will match perfectly with your mini's outdoor wear. They make a great gift and stocking stuffer! Click here to visit Olili Baby and order yours now!

3. The Dough Parlour: Perfect for 2 years and over, this freshly made-to-order play dough is water & food-based (with NO chemicals) and comes in the most delicious scents (such as bubble gum, chocolate mint and cotton candy)! Let your little one's imagination run wild, and sit back and relax knowing they're playing with something that is made from 100% natural ingredients... also, their packaging is just the CUTEST. Click here to visit the Dough Parlour.

4. Pom Beanie from Belle and Beautique: This boutique, run by 2 mamas, is your one stop shop for baby accessories. My fave this season is their Pom Beanie for kids (which comes in a lot of other colors)! They also have a collection for adults in case you want to twin with your mini (obviously I picked up an adult version)! Click here to visit their website and check out the entire collection.

5. HEARMUFFS: These sound protection ear muffs by Lucid Audio for infants, will ensure that your little ones are able to sleep through all the loud holiday partying and noises, sports events, concerts, and loud outings. They even have models that play melodies and calming sounds! Click here to check them out. 

6. Chewbeads Mercer Rattle: This light weight teether and rattle will please even the crankiest little munchkin! It's light weight, made with non-toxic silicone, and has calmed down even the fussiest babies. It was given to Zane by his Auntie M and it's been his fave toy ever since. This is a must have in every home. Click here to buy yours!

What products are on your wishlist this year? Tell me in the comments below!