Hottest toys this holiday season!

Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of November, which means that kids are soon to start filling their Christmas lists with all the latest toys. The holiday season is an important time for retail companies as consumers flock to stores and stock up on gifts for friends and family.   It's a major benchmark for stores like TripleClicks, Best Buy, Amazon and Target, but it's just as important for the companies making the products.   
With that in mind, here's a look at the toys, games and gadgets that are expected to drive big business in the next couple of months.  Ever After High dolls: After the success of its Monster High dolls, Mattel decided to expand into the realm of fairy tales with Ever After High. Featuring characters like Apple White, Hunter Huntsman and Madeline Hatter, the line features the children of popular fairy tale characters and casts them in a high school setting. The dolls are divided into Royals, who are destined to lived happily ever after, and Rebels, who want to change their destinies. Ever After High dolls can be pre-ordered for about $20.  Minion Dave talking action figure: DreamWorks' Despicable Me 2 was one of the biggest box-office hits of the year, pulling in more than $350 million this summer. So it's no surprise that the movie has spawned a line of popular toys. There are a variety of Despicable Me toys out there — everything from small figures to Despicable Me Monopoly — but the big-ticket item for this Christmas are the collector's edition toys. The minions, in particular are expected to sell fast, like the Minion Dave Talking Action Figure. It's pricey for an action figure, retailing for as much as $70, but it has plenty of features to justify that expense. The figure comes with talking-sound effects, changeable expressions, fart sounds and — the real selling point — "super fart sounds."   Disney's Infinity game: Video games do big business in the fourth quarter, and Disney is looking to double up on the spike in video game and toy sales with its Disney Infinity game. Infinity, released earlier this year, is a video game that uses toys with near-field communication technology. The toys show up in the game, which means if you want to play as, say, Buzz Lightyear, you have to buy the Buzz Lightyear toy first. It's a great method for extortion profit-making, first pioneered by Activision's Skylanders series of video games. Speaking of which, the latest Skylanders game...  Skylanders: SWAP Force: Was set to release on Oct. 13, and should be another Christmas hit. Disney Infinity retails for around $60, and SWAP Force will release at $75; both include starter toys, and are available across multiple platforms.   PlayStation 4 and XBox: One Most eyes in the video game industry will be on Microsoft and Sony after they release their next-gen consoles, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. The new consoles are upgrades of systems that have been around for more than six years, which means gamers are eager for new specs, better graphics and (hopefully) improved game play. Both consoles are boasting wide catalogs of launch titles, including entries from Activision, Electronic Arts and others,  The PlayStation 4 released Friday for about $400, while the Xbox One launch today Nov. 22 for around $500.   Imaginext Batcave Superheros: Never go out of style, and Mattel is looking to capitalize on that with the next Imaginext Batcave through its Fisher-Price brand. The Batcave spans multiple levels (with an elevator for convenient travel) and includes Batman and Robin figures. Kids (or Batman-obsessed adults) can monitor the Joker on the Batcomputer, fly around in the Batwing glider and even drive Batman around on the Batcycle. The Batcave retails for about $40 and does not come with superpowers.  
Good luck! and remember "All kids are Precious!" Happy holiday savings!  Fill out the form to the right to be considered for "Mother of the Week!" Thanks!

When a toy or game is out of stock

You have to figure out what they want for the holidays, and then buy the items at the best price you can possibly get, without over-spending of course. Especially when you are shopping for clothes. You have to make sure you get the right size(s) and make sure that the clothes and accessories meets their approval as well. I actually enjoy the feeling of shopping for children during the holidays. Just the look on their faces when they open the gifts it's all worth it.

But what about when a toy or game is out of stock?

I personally go researching all over the net and compare prices and hope that someone actually has it in stock. Leave a comment below sharing what you do when the game or toy your child wants is out of stock.


Until next time... All kids are precious!
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Ensure this holiday season you don't break the bank

The holiday season is filled with wonderful times, good friends and the excitement of your children running to see what those beautifully wrapped presents might contain. However, for some parents the holidays is a stressful time, especially if money is tight and your kids' wish list is a mile long.  Instead of dipping into your savings or maxing out credit cards, plan ahead and look for some great deals to ensure this holiday season you don't break the bank.   Step 1) Create a realistic budget, and stick to it.  Sit down and consider how much money you have to spend on the kids. Avoid opening a new credit card or securing a small loan to provide your kids with an extravagant selection of gifts. Instead, outline a sensible budget that allows you to provide your kids with a memorable holiday season without putting you into enormous debt.  Step 2) Create a list of your children's must-have items, if they haven't already for you.  Look up each item on the list and write down the average price they retail for through the major department stores, including Walmart, Target and on Amazon. Set this as a top price you're willing to spend on the item.  Step 3) Look through the circulars and check on line throughout the weeks before the holidays.  If an item on any of your children's “must-have” list is on sale, consider purchasing it now instead of waiting for the best price possible. The item might be cheaper at another store next week, but it might not be available.  Step 4) Watch for “Black Friday” sale ads.  Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when many major retailers offer steep discounts on several holiday items, including toys that might be on your child's holiday wish list. If you are planning to shop on Black Friday, check the store's return policy, when their sales begin and be prepared to shop early to score the hottest items. But you may be able to Shop Amazon - Black Friday Deals Week - Big Savings, No Waiting    Step 5) Shop online for the best prices.  Many top online retailers offer discounts on popular items as the holiday season draws to a close. Many retailers offer to ship the items directly to a nearby store at no fee, while others offer free shipping as an incentive. Pay attention to calculate the cost of shipping into the final price to ensure it's not cheaper to purchase the item from a nearby retailer.   Step 6) Purchase quality items that your child will enjoy for several years.  For instance, try to avoid the latest fad toy that won't interest your child in two to three months. Instead, invest your money in a quality item, such as electronics or a book series, that will hold your child's interest, or can be passed down once the recipient outgrows it.  I hope this helps with your shopping for your children this holiday season! All kids are precious! "Mother of the week!" fill out the form to the right to be considered!

Independent Toddler

The toddler’s main activity is to learn by playing with games and toys. The toddler is not able to read. It is up to the teacher to allow the toddler to explore his environment with the use of learning games and playing with toys.  Because, there is no reading comprehension involved with teaching toddler, the ability to work with others is exemplified. It is important that the teacher of toddler allow the child to learn at an early age the importance of getting along with other classmates.  The games that teacher introduces should be about working in teams to obtain a result. The games can be as simple as one team being of one color and the other team being another color. The object of the game could be for all of the red team to walk upon a white line. The team with the most players able to perform this task would win the game. That means that the toddler needs to know to do the best job possible for the benefit of the team.  Being a team player can be taught to toddlers when reading and understanding words had not yet been introduced. Teaching toddlers is a chore and is not for those who lack energy. The toddler needs to be taught how to remain in one place as not to disrupt the class. There are a myriad of rules involved in teaching toddlers how to behave themselves versus reading and understanding words in a book. Reading would not have been introduced to the toddler, therefore learning how to behave is very important during the child development years.  Not only does teaching toddlers involve learning teamwork and proper behavior, there also should be lessons in being independent. The toddler who is able to get the restroom before an accident or is able to participate in team work should also have a sense of independence. A sense of independence teaches the child to be self-reliant which promote self-confidence. An independent child is able to build self-confidence which helps when team work is required.   To be considered for "Mother of the week" please fill out the form to the right, thanks!

Building blocks to learning

When looking at developmentally appropriate activities for children it is important to remember there are building blocks to learning.  A child can not jump to writing and reading without first understanding these concepts even exist.  I recommend going to www.naeyc.org (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and reading some articles and books on appropriate activities for toddlers. Toddlers need to learn how to palm and then pincer grip in order to hold and eventually control a crayon or pencil for writing. Encouraging free drawing (even if its scribbles) helps with this gross motor to fine motor transition.  Toddlers are in a sensory developing stage. Introduce audio, visual, tactile, smell and taste activities. scented playdoh, sand, water, goop, sandpaper, water and finger painting, sound games etc are wonderful for developing these sensory processing parts of the brain. Reading Reading Reading - very important.  Label everything in your house with a picture and one word. Door, Bed, Kitchen, Backyard, Dog, Cat, Stairs, etc. Gives toddlers the understanding that what we say is also written. Gives them the word to the visual picture.  Teach everything has a place - encourage and help them to put things away to learn structure and appropriate behavior. Organize objects by color, shape, type, size. Give your toddler a large bucket of objects and help them sort. Then leave the bucket out so they can manipulate it when they feel like it. Girls do this more then boys but be open. You never know what will spark in a child when given an intentional environment.   All kids are Precious! To be considered for "Mother Of The Week" please fill out the form to the right. Thanks!

Toddlers are super curious and interested in everything around them.

They do also think they are the center of it all. They learn by experiencing their world and through play.  They should be allowed to interact in a safe way with their surroundings.  For example, when they are outside they should be free to explore but not among dangerous plants or terrain. At a playground, they should be limited to the structures for their age range. Inside, their play areas should be safe, and any objects left for them to play with should not be breakable or toxic.  Toddlers love to touch and can learn by feeling all different textures. This works well with items around the house such as fabrics, woods, metals, foods, etc.  Toddlers also learn through imitation. It is very important to speak to them often using the correct words for all of the things that they see and do. Reading aloud to toddlers also is very important in the development of their speech and will help them become good readers and writers in the future. They love to see different facial expressions and to play peek-a-boo.  Toddlers should also spend time with other toddlers. These ‘play dates’ should be highly supervised. Although the toddlers may just be doing side-by-side play, they are learning to use their imagination and develop appropriate social skills.  Most importantly, toddlers learn love by spending quality time with their families. Practicing manners and family traditions and routines lays an important foundation for developing a well adjusted child.  All kids are Precious!  To be considered for mother of the week fill out the form to the right. Thanks!

I cannot stress this enough...

Teaching toddlers takes A Lot of patience.  I think that their brains are moving way too fast to slow down and take in what you are trying to teach them! It is not impossible to teach them new things, but again, it takes patience. I remember just watching my kids play at ages 2 or 3, and the imagination that they had at such a young ages really surprised me. Sometimes a child will just decide that they are ready for something, and you are not even aware that they are going to do that something new until they do it on their own.  One day they could be afraid to be in their room alone, and the next day their they are, in that room digging everything out of a toy box, and sitting in the box pretending to be driving a car!  You just never know what a small child will or won't do, and that is the fun of it...the unexpected! I guess the easiest way to teach a toddler whatever it is that you want them to know is just to get their attention, and do whatever it is that you want to learn.  Children often "mimic" what other people do. It may or may not work the first time they are shown, but keep repeating it and one day they will do whatever it is on their own, and you will be able to move on to something new!  Don't forget a two or three year old brain is just like your kitchen sponge. It is soaking up all that information you are showing, books, and the T.V. and all the other people that are everywhere you take them.  Good Luck and remember All kids are Precious!
To be considered for mother of the week please fill out the form to the right! thanks!