Zippies® – Pals that Hang Around

I’ve got five people in my family.  And, just typing that out makes me want to break into song.  So, we interrupt this review post for a brief word from our Sesame Street friends . . .

OK, now back to  the regularly scheduled post. . .

Several weeks ago, I got a neat little package in the mail from Zippies®.  I had not heard of Zippies® before receiving the opportunity to review them.  Have you heard of them?  If not, let me share a little about Zippies®. 

Zippies® are neat little identifier tags.  Similar to those beloved Sesame Street characters, Zippies® are colorful and fun-looking.  They are neat because they have lots of fun uses.  You can hang them from the neck of a water bottle, attach them to your jacket, backpack, or other carrying bag.  You can even attach them to a child’s belt loop or jewelry. 

Why might you need Zippies®?  Again, there are lots of reasons.  If you have a young child, a shy child, or a non-verbal child, Zippies® are a great way to identify your child in case of loss or injury (God forbid!)  On the back of each Zippie® is a place to write your child’s name and an emergency contact number. Zippies® also work great on bags for “if lost, please return to” information. 

My family received 5 different Zippies® to use and review.  The fun part was picking who wanted which Zippie®.  The kids each picked their favorite. 

Gracie (11) picked Flops.

Ashley (17) picked Faina.

Ian (5) picked Chip.

We were vacationing in Florida, and thought these would make great identifiers for our things.   So, Gracie and Ian attached theirs to their pin-trading bags, while Ashley hooked hers to her camera bag. 

There we 2 Zippies® left and rather than let them be lonely in the hotel room, I gave Tazmo to my hubby and scarfed up Kayla for myself.  We attached one to Brian’s belt bag (which he’s only allowed to use in Disney!) and I put mine on my camera bag. 

I felt secure knowing that my children and our things were well-identified.  I’m sorry to report that, while vacationing at Disney, someone stole our stroller and made off with my camera bag and accessories, so the Kayla Zippie® is gone. :( 

We’ll continue to make good use of our 4 remaining Zippies® though.  I like the peace of mind of knowing that my children and/or our things are easily identified.

Zippies® make a great alternative to plain nametags and labels, and are fun for kids.  They are bright and easy to see.  They are easy to use – over and over again. 

Zippies® are available in lots of different “characters”.  You can purchase a 5 pack (like the one that we received) for $19.99. Purchase the whole first series set (10 in all) for $29.99!  You can learn more about Zippies® by visiting their website, following them on Twitter, or liking them on Facebook.

NOTE: I received a free sample of Zippies® as part of a blog tour for Parent Reviewers.  I was not compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Personalized Necklaces

I feel bad for my daughter, Gracie.  Every time we go into a store where they have personalized items, they never have her name on anything – we’ve looked for jewelry, mugs, keychains, basically everything.  Our oldest daughter’s name is Ashley, so her name is pretty much on everything (when we can’t find Ashley, it’s because that name is sold out).

So, I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to review a personalized name necklace. Right away, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get something with Gracie’s name on it. I didn’t tell her, so she was very surprised when the necklace arrived in the mail. 

When selecting the necklace I wanted to review, I chose this print style. Gracie makes her capital G’s like that (thanks to Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting!)  Needless to say, Gracie was just thrilled with it when she saw it!

Doesn’t that look cute?  (Gracie requested that I not show her face – she’s so shy!)  We are just thrilled with this necklace!  Not only does it have Gracie’s name on it and look precious on her, but it’s also very well made. I’ve had cheap necklaces that the clasps break on them right away – this necklace it not like that. The chain is very nice – hasn’t gotten any kinks in it, despite many days of wear (and one night that we forgot to take it off!) – and the clasp seems like one that will hold off to many uses.

Here is what the Wow Imports website has to say about this particular style:  This personalized silver name pendant is .7mm thick and approximately 5/8" tall from the top of the first letter and the width is according to name. The .925 sterling silver box chain is included with this funky sterling silver nameplate necklace.

We are really pleased with this necklace and would definitely consider buying more necklaces from this company. They are affordable and would make lovely gifts.

NOTE: I received this necklace for free from the manufacturer, as part of a blog tour for Parent Reviewers. I was not compensated in any other way and the thoughts shared here are entirely my own.

Wright on Time books by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley

I am always looking for new books to keep my 9-year-old daughter Gracie busy.  I love series, because she’s such an avid reader and they keep her busy longer!  Some of the series that she’s especially enjoyed over the years have been the Magic Tree House books and the Carole Marsh Mysteries. 

When I heard about a new series of books by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley, I was excited.  This series is based on the United States – one book per state – which means there will eventually be 50 books in the series!  The books are written by a homeschool mom – and they’re about a homeschool family!  That appeals to us as homeschoolers. 

From the website: “The Wright on Time series of children’s chapter books are about an RV-living family who travels the USA. Each book is set in a different state with a different fun and educational theme. It’s like taking your child on a wonderous road trip across the USA powered by the imagination! You can pick up any book in the series and enjoy it fully without having read others in the series. Of course, if you want to know the complete story of the Wright family’s adventures, you are going to want to read the other books!”

The two books in the series that we received to review were Wright in Time: Arizona and Wright in Time: Utah.  Here’s a bit about each book ---

Explore a desert cave with the Wright family as they begin their 50 state RV roadschool tour of the USA. What will Aidan & Nadia discover? Bats? Minerals? A mysterious device? This is where the fun begins!

ISBN: 0-9824829-0-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-9824829-0-2
LCCN: 2009928001
100 pages, 5.25" x 8", paperback
Children's Chapter Book, Ages 5-12+

Price: $12.99

Join Nadia and Aidan as they continue their adventures in Wright on Time: UTAH, Book 2. The Wrights have joined a dinosaur dig searching for allosaurus bones. Will they find any and what will they learn about that mysterious device?

ISBN: 0-9824829-1-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-9824829-1-9
LCCN: 2009939034
102 pages, 5.25" x 8", paperback
Children's Chapter Book, Ages 5-12+

Price: $12.99

About the author: Lisa M. Cottrell-Bentley has been writing since she was a child, winning her first writing contest at age 9. Lisa and her daughters spent many hours searching for children’s books about homeschoolers, but found very few. So, they decided to create their own. As they discussed their dream storylines, the Wright on Time series took shape. Beginning in their native southwest, the Wright family intends to take readers on a fun road trip that explores the entire USA!

I love the Wright in Time website!  I enjoyed reading the FAQ section, and was thrilled to see that you can get lapbooks to go along with the books.  This is something that I’m sure other homeschool moms will appreciate as well!  If you have visual learners, or you plan on reading these books aloud to your child(ren), then the Flat Kids would be a nice addition. Kids will enjoy the Games page (which includes online puzzles and printable crosswords and word searches).

I received these books as part of a blog tour for
Parent Reviewers.

Trebellina

I used to be very leary of anything that promised it could teach your baby or toddler to do something. I remember when my youngest brother was in college - around the same time we were waiting for Gracie - he would tell us how we needed to play classical music all the time and label everything in our house. Just by doing these things, she'd not only be a genius (from the music) but she'd learn how to read before she was a year old! Seriously!

I do know, though, that children have brains much like sponges - they just absorb EVERYTHING. I remember buying the Baby Einstein Sign Language DVD for Ian and, within a few short days, he was able to communicate with us via sign (long before he could verbalize anything). He talked earlier than both of the girls, and I believe that signing background may have helped with that.

So, when the opportunity to review a dvd that promised to "teach your baby to read music" (for ages 1-4) presented itself, I thought "why not?!" Ian LOVES music - he sings all the time (he was singing before he was talking too), so I thought he might really enjoy this program.

Trebellina introduces little ones to various instruments, as well as teaching pitch and notes. The website says:
Music is a language. Like all languages, the earlier it is introduced, the better. Just as you begin to teach your baby to speak your native language starting at birth, you can teach your baby music!

And I have to agree! Much in the same manner that Ian learned sign, he has been picking up on the information being taught on this dvd as well. The combination of familiar music, fun toys, and small children are enough to hold any child's interest. While the rest of us viewed this dvd as boring and redundant, Ian was (and is) mesmerized by it. He calls it the "plano moomie" (translation: piano movie) and asks for it over and over again.

Sure, your child isn't going to watch this movie once and go play a classical piece on the piano from memory. But, a nice music introduction in there and one that will serve as a great starting point for further musical instruction.



You can read more about Trebellina here. While visiting the website, be sure to click on Fun Stuff. I love freebies and these coloring pages, posters, and dot-to-dot (or, should I say "note-to-note") pages will be a hit with your little ones!