From Her Cup Overfloweth to Muffin Tin Mom

Over the next few days and weeks, I will slowly be making my way over to "dot com" status. I have not yet decided if I will continue to be hosted at Blogger or be self hosted through Wordpress. There are lots of pros and cons to both....

Things to look out for:

• I will be holding a giveaway soon (woo-hoo), when it comes time to actually make the switch. Entries will be given to those that change over their links to the new URL, those that subscribe to the changes over feed, those that link up, etc. More info to come on that soon.
• If you link to my blog, starting today (not a post, but the home url), please use www.muffintinmom.com and go ahead and change the link in your bookmarks now.
• I will soon have a nav bar at the top of my blog as well as topical index tabs in my sidebar to find all the "good stuff" easier.
• I will be moving from 2 columns to 3
• I will be doing more vlogs, 'cuz, well, they're fun.

Whatever I decide to do, the content will not change. It will still be the same me, with fun activities, tips, and ideas for kids and families overflowing from my muffin tin to yours. :) And all of my past posts will stay with me!

Your thoughts? Are their topics/content you would like to see more or less of?

Wordless Wednesday

A Happy Lunch = A Happy Kid

HP C3680 vs. Kodak ESP 7 (Part 1)

The following is a vlog I did about my likes and dislikes about each printer after I set them both up.

Set-up was pretty simple and straight forward. I did not have any issues with either printer and they both have wireless capabilities. :) Love that. :)

In the next few posts I will be comparing photos and documents printed from each. Hope you'll join me as I explore these printers side by side.

*This is a sponsored side-by-side comparison by HP.

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Fall Harvest/Halloween

Welcome to another edition of Muffin Tin Monday! If you are new around here, I am the Muffin Tin Mom in charge of Muffin Tin Monday, a weekly blog gathering where each week participants share via blog posts or an uploaded photo to (preferably) Flickr.com, the muffin tin meal we made for our kids over the previous week. You can link up your muffin tin meal in the form below. What is a "Muffin Tin Meal"? It's simply a meal in a muffin tin! You can make it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and even for snacks and dessert. The possibilities are truly endless. To read more about MTM, you can check out the FAQ and previous MTM posts.

This week's theme: Fall Harvest/Halloween.

I must confess I am not as sweet on Halloween as some. I just have never been that into it. I know there may be audible gasps from some of you, but that's just me. Kind of mellow around this time of year.


I was debating what to for this week's MTM. Was I going to create something out of food or with food? I didn't know. One of the kidlet's favorite things to have in a muffin tin is the Pretzel and Frosting Snack Tin from earlier this year. So...We made frosting "mummies"! It's our family's sugar laden ode to Halloween.


Start with a smattering of sprinkles...




How to make a mummy: You take a pretzel stick, dip it in the white frosting and then in the sugar and sprinkles.

I may or may not have gone a little overboard when I created the orange-haired little guy below. My husband didn't think he looked like a mummy at all. :) We had fun though, and that's what matters. There was frosting and sprinkles all over the place!

Oh, and the sugar high that came afterward was not pretty.

Alright, show me those tins! I want to see all the Fall Harvest/Halloween goodness out there!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

It's the late morning edition of my weekly links post. :)

Pigs Do Fly: This mom has a wee bit of an obsession with making Bento Style lunches. And I definitely don't mind if she'll post about it and share photos of her bento tools, etc. If you are a lover of Muffin Tin Monday, you will definitely want to check this post out!

Chica and Jo is one of my all time favorite sites. Crafting projects with kids, without kids, and for kids, this site has it all! And every friday, they feature a project from around the blogosphere. This past Friday they featured a wonderful Halloween canning jar luminaries project that is just adorable from Crafts By Amanda. Check out Amanda's site for the full tutorial.

Little Hands, Big Work has a simple post about "What's out" in her children's playroom. She did a playroom redo. I encourage anyone/everyone who is or wants to promote an atmosphere of learning by play in their home to read this post. It's not about what the room looks like, but more about how she is purposeful about the space. And you don't have to have a playroom in your home to make it happen. It just takes a little planning.

That's it for this week, three gems worth a read.

Oh, and don't forget tomorrow's MTM theme is Fall Harvet/Halloween!

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Scripture For Sunday

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

²⁴Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Friday Afternoon Video

They don't even finish the song... :)

20 Ideas And Activities For An Indoor Play Day

Inclement weather is either upon us, or it's coming and why not be prepared with a few activities that your children are sure to love!

1. Make an indoor roadway with painter's tape and a sharpie. Perfect compliment to matchbox cars.

2. Construct an indoor obstacle course with pillows, hampers, and a broom
3. Scavenger hunt – no need to get too detailed with this one. Hide some similar objects around the house and go hunting for them. Create simple clues-verbal or written.
4. Movie Madness Party – Allow Your kids to choose 2 or more movies and do it up movie style, complete with tickets and popcorn. Make it a “drive-in” by decorating a cardboard box like a car!
5. Board Game Bonanza! Gather several board games and hold a tournament series (best 2 out of 3) .
6. Little Artist: spread butcher paper on the kitchen floor, add some crayons and let them go to town. Hang the masterpiece up to admire all day long!
7. Dramatic play: kitchen, store, post office, restaurant, beauty shop…the possibilities are endless.

8. Have the ultimate book reading session! No limit. Just. Pure. Books.
9. Make a snow/rainy day fun box (fill it with crafty stuff for an impromptu collage).
10. Play hide and seek with stuffed animals.

hideaway photo via garden nymph

11. Make an indoor fort or hideaway in a secret space.
12. If it’s raining, make a rain catcher and set it out! At the end of the day, record your findings.
13. Hold a dance party.
14. Make a family video time capsule to watch on the next indoor play day
15. Act out a favorite children's book together.
16. Have a storytelling session. Let each child contribute to the storyline. Ask “What comes next?”
17. Hold an indoor picnic for mealtime.
18. Have a "Fashion Show".
19. Indoor “Fire Drills” Set the timer to go off and run around the house 5 times. Just like the ones you do outside the car. It’s just about being silly together in a confined space!
20. Write letters/draw a picture for far away relatives/pen pals.

Ways Young Children Can Decorate A Pumpkin Without Carving

Do you have little ones too small to carve a pumkin this Halloween? That doesn't mean they can't join in on the fun in their own special way. I have collected a few ideas to help you make the most of this widely loved holiday tradition.

1. Cut out eyes, mouth and nose from magazines, contruction paper or even foam! This idea works for all sizes of pumpkins. Below is our take on this clever idea.

2. Mr. Potato Head Pirate Pumpkin Decorating Kit The makers of the Mr. Potato Head have come out with adorable kits that you can purchase for your little ones. Your child can easily help you decorate the pumpkin with the included pieces in the kit. They have themes such as a pirate, princess, and clown! What a sweet way to celebrate.

3. Use collage materials (pom poms, chenille pipe cleaners, etc.) and other odds and ends to create a unique and ecclectic "masterpiece". I would experiment with different kinds of adhesives (maybe tacky craft glue or "glu dots"?). I know this idea will appeal to my sweet daughter who enjoys the process of creating just as much as the product. She takes after her mother that way...

4. Let you child loose with a sharpie and a pumpkin. Draw a face or let them just doodle, it's up to you. (Just be prepared for the sharpie to get on to places other than the pumpkin. I would lay down newspaper as if you were carving.

5. Use food items like cloves, orange rinds, etc. It's best advised to do this the day off your festivities as certain food items may rot. Have your child help you hunt around the kitchen for appropriate items!

For more inspiration check out the following links:

~eHow: How to decorate a pumpkin without using a knife
~Better Homes an Gardens: Video- Using sewing notions to decorate a pumpkin

Muffin Tin Monday

Happy Monday everyone! You should know by now, that around here, Monday means it's time for Muffin Tin Monday. It's the weekly blog carnival where we all get together and share photos of the Muffin Tin Meals we make for our kidlets. Why? Because it's darn fun! To find out more, you can check out the MTM FAQ and previous MTM posts.

Over the last few weeks, Muffin Tin Monday has been featured on some wonderful sites: The Crafty Crow, Rocks In My Dryer, and Goody Blog (Powered by Parents Magazine). Go check 'em out! Thank you ladies!

Now, on to the madness! There is no theme today/this week. So that means bring whatever you want to the "table".

*Disclaimer: Photo was chosen by Coach. He say the others were too dark. I think this one's too bright. Oh well.

This is my kidlet's muffin tin meal before it was doused with chlorine water, poolside. They were eating and playing, stretching out their time with Grandma and Grandpa to the. very. last. minute. It was precious to behold and totally worth the soggy carrots.

They had their meal served in muffin tin liners this week: Hawaiian roll, carrot sticks, shaved turkey, cantaloupe, watermelon, purple grapes.

What did you make for Muffin Tin Monday? Share it with us!

No Need For The Sunday Paper

This week's links are:

Allie at Everything Mom. She wrote an incredibly touching post about a former teacher. This post inspires me.

Mommy's Wise Little Bookworms: She made a Halloween-themed Sensory Tub using black beans, orange colored rice and those itty-bitty jack-o-lantern candy holders. This will be perfect for my kids, who love sensory tubs!

Getting ready for Christmas yet? Thinking about gift buying? Two moms have had posts in the last week that have caught my attention. The Activity Mom put together a list of her family's favorite toys. I thought it was such a great list. There are some great finds in there. And My Billingual Boys did a post recently on toys her kids actually play with. It has me thinking about what I will be giving this year. That it's not just about what the kids want, but what has value, and what they will actually play with.

ABC/123: a Learning Cooperative has a post (and accompanying giveaway) about Families with Purpose. I could get behind what Families With Purpose is about. Go check it out.

*free gratuitous photo of my son and his cousins watching a 3D movie.

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Scripture For Sunday

1 John 4:7

Love one another. For love comes from God.

Photo Friday: My Little Computer Man

he was playing on jumpstart.com

Melt Broken Used Crayons In A Muffin Tin

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here...

I followed No Time For Flashcards’ Tutorial to make my own crayons using old, broken crayons. I should have listened to a bit of advice she gave and not used washable crayons. The washable portion separated (as evidenced from the photo above, it’s a tad lighter). It makes it more difficult for the kids to color with. However, it was very simple to do and the kidlets didn’t seem to mind. You can also use silicone/ice cube trays (photo below), but don’t plan on reusing them after this project. And don’t melt the crayons directly into the ice cube trays. I would follow No Time For Flashcards’ crayon melting tutorial using candy molds, if you were going to try the ice cube tray method.

*Photos shown are property of this blog.

Have fun melting!

HP C6380 vs. Kodak ESP 7

Look at what fabulousness came in the mail! I have been given an opportunity to participate in a focus group that will compare the HP C6380 All-in-One Printer and the Kodak ESP7 All-in-One Printer. For six weeks, I will be comparing them, side-by-side on a variety of levels. Installation and set up will be first on the list.



I already have a few things I want to point out.

~They are both wireless. (woo-hoo!) That means, no USB cable. Less cords= less clutter.
~ Kodak makes an interesting claim in their commercials and right on the box. "Save 'on average' $110 per year on ink." I will be interested to see how this claim plays out during the duration of my participation in the focus group.




~The HP C3680 is Energy Star compliant, which is nice. I know I'll be saving money and energy if I print with it.
~Right on the box, the Kodak ESP7 says whether or not it is Mac compatible. I was assuming it would be, but I imagine if I owned a Mac, it would be nice to know I can find out by just looking on the box.

As I said before, over the next six weeks, I'll be taking you along on the focus group journey. Every week, you'll get to hear about the positives and the negatives of each. I'll be doing a series of projects to test out the different features of each and in the end, you will be able to decide for yourself which one measures up.

Pumpkin Sun Catcher

It’s Fall. So, my kids are starting to spend more time indoors. That doesn’t mean you can’t let a little sunlight in. You can create this simple Pumpkin Sun Catcher craft with just a few supplies. Sun Catchers are a great way to let kids decorate windows and still let the light of day stream in!

Supplies you’ll need:

~Construction Paper (we chose black)

~Pumpkin “Template”- you can freehand or trace it

~ Tissue Paper (in what ever color you desire)

~ Contact Paper

~Pencil, Scissors, Tape

Cut or tear your tissue paper into pieces. Sort them by color, if you wish (this is a great impromptu learning activity for them!) I like using muffin tins (of course) to hold the kids craft supplies as they are working. I six-cup tin is the perfect size for each child to have their own “set” of supplies!

(It’s advisable to do the next few steps BEFORE you enlist your child to do this craft. Otherwise, they will be impatiently waiting around for you to be done. And you might hear the words “Can we do the craft now?” a few too many times. Trust me. I know from experience.

Next, freehand draw or print out a “template” onto black construction paper. (Mine is a free pumpkin coloring page, I enlarged to 150%).

Using scissors, cut out the inside of your pumpkin. Helpful tip: Loosely fold your paper in half, making sure NOT to crease the page. Make a little snip with the scissors on the inside of the traced template to start the cutting. This prevents you from having to cut into the “frame” or outer part of the paper.

It should look like this:

Next, cut out squares of contact paper, slightly smaller than your pumpkin frame.

You’ve now done all the prep. Your little ones can now help you do the tissue paper portion of the craft! Peel off the paper backing from the contact paper. Lay it flat on the table, sticky side up. Let your children create a tissue paper masterpiece.

Peel off the paper on another square of contact paper and carefully lay it over the first piece. Thereby, sandwiching the tissue paper between the two pieces of contact paper.

Adhere the tissue paper creation to the contraction paper frame and then adhere that (I used scotch tape) to the window.

There you have it! An adorable Pumpkin Sun Catcher!

Muffin Tin Monday - Theme: Kebabs

Muffin Tin Monday is a weekly blog carnival where each week we share the muffin tin meals we make for our kids! A muffin tin meal is, to put it simply, a meal in a muffin tin. It's a great way to bring some fun into the daily lunchtime routine. The muffin cups are small in size and make for a great way to serve a variety of foods in small portion sizes. Sometimes there are themes (always check my sidebar for those) and sometimes there aren't. For more info, be sure to check out the Muffin Tin Monday FAQ. On to the MTM fun!

I cannot tell you how much fun we had this week with the theme. I have a certain affection for little picks, skewers and the like. It just makes food kind of fun, right? Here's what we had on "kebabs":

"Tortilla Toast Roll Up", cut into pieces; Carrot pieces; Mozarella and Cheddar Cheese Squares, Banana Slices, Hot Dog pieces, Green Peppers

This week I decided to add the Green Peppers in at the last minute. I keep re-introducing them, hoping that the kids will one day eat them. One day... The kids, of course, enjoyed their lunch (When do they not enjoy a muffin tin meal?). You wouldn't think it was very much food to look at it, but it turned out to be quite a lot!

Did you make a muffin tin meal for your kids this week? Did you blog about it or snap a photo? Enter the URL of the blog post or photo in the form below.

No Need For The Sunday Paper

This weeks super fabulous links:

Glue Sky: This super is fabulous Ikea hack! Cut the legs off a kid-size table to make it more toddler friendly.

The Pleated Poppy: Having family rules posted in your home doesn't mean you have to go out and purchase white posterboard- the PP shows you how she made her family rules look like art - art on canvas. (found via Rocks In My Dryer)

Pink and Green Mama: DIY Preschool Peg Board. I'm all about learning activities that I can do at home with my little ones. Aparently these are all over the web, this was the first tutorial I had seen. She does a great job!

Turnitup Mom: Got a picky eater? She has some great tips on how to work with your child.

(photo via the pleated poppy)

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Scripture For Sunday

Jeremiah 18:1-6

¹ This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." ³ So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Friday Find: Crocheted Bouncy Ball Cozy

Not sure if this is really a "find", but my son came home from preschool with a bouncy ball tucked inside this adorable little "cozy" or miniature crocheted bag. One of the other children's grandmothers had made them for all the kids.

So cute, right?

I went hunting around the web for a tutorial in case you wanted to make one for your child. Alas, I couldn't find a tute for this one. Anyone know of a tutorial that could be shared?

Tweet With Me on Twitter

Want to know what I'm up to, when I'm not blogging here? You can tweet with me on Twitter:

@muffintinmom

You might even get inside info on upcoming posts, reviews, and giveaways....

Fun With Food: Creamy Spinach and Herb Dip Served In Bamboo Cups

Aren't these bamboo cups so stinkin' cute? They are from Pick On Us. I decided to serve myself and the kids a refreshing little snack with them: Creamy Spinach and Herb Dip served with Green Peppers. (**Carrots not shown because they were inhaled by the kidlets before I could take a photo.) I prepared some dip (sour cream and tastefully simple's spinach and herb mix), sliced up some green bell peppers and carrots and threw it together. Yummy! Bamboo is an eco-friendly renewable resource and makes for some pretty sweet servingware. These particular cups retail through Pick On Us for about $10 per pack of ten. For next week's Muffin Tin Monday Theme: Kebabs I will feature a bunch of their picks and skewers-did I mention they are so stinkin' cute?

Pick On Us, an online distributor of bamboo picks, skewers and servingware. They are also a local company in San Diego,CA. Their clients include several upscale restaurants in the San Diego area as well as Hilton Hotels. I was not paid in montetary form or with free product to post about thier products. I just like them, and wanted to share it with you.

DIY File Folder Book: All About Me

Making an "All About Me" book can be a great way for children to enhance their self esteem, confidence and increase overall self awareness. The process of compiling our books was as much fun as pouring over the finished project. YOu can use almost anything to create an All About Me book. For ours, we used file folders.

I two in half so there were 3-4 "pages". I interviewed the kids about their likes and dislikes and they helped me choose photos for their book.

I broke it down into 3 sections: Who am I?/Me and my family, My Favorites, Meaning of my name/special note from mom.

I covered each seperate page with contact paper, making sure o press out any wrinkles. I hole punched the ends and threaded ribbon through the holes to create the binding.

Tips and Ideas:

~Create an ongoing "journal" book, where kids can add to it as often as they like.

~Make one every year, so you can see how your child's personality, favorites and self perception change over time.

~Children are fickle, so remember that they might like Barbie today, but tomorrow they migh like something completely different!

~ I did most of the mounting of the photos, etc. But thinking about it now, I wish I would have had them add more decoration like stickers, etc.

Muffin Tin Monday - All About Me! Theme

This week brings a realization for me. I was trying to do it all. Trying to have a relaxing weekend. Trying to find the right day to make a muffin tin meal. Trying to meet the needs of my husband. Trying not to worry about my sons headaches. Sunday morning marked the 3rd headache in 10 days. He's had them off an on ever since he went to the hospital almost a year ago. I'm confident God is in control, but remain cautiously concerned...and try not to worry. I need to remember to stop "trying" and doing" and remember to just be. That life is in the being, not the doing.

In the midst of all that, we did manage to spend time sharing a Muffin Tin Meal. This week's theme is "All About Me". As with all the themes, it's so much fun to see what everyone does! If your curious about what Muffin Tin Monday is all about be sure to see my sidebar. So, here's what we did!

Favorite fruit for both kids: cantaloupe on skewers, Favorite food for Luke: pizza (pizza bagel bites), Hair: Yellow-shredded cheese, Show we love to watch: sponge bob fruit snacks, Age: in pretzels sticks dipped in frosting.

We picked up some super fun picks from an online/local company, Pick On Us Aren't they cute? Painted tulips! I'll have more of their products to share with you next week when we do the kebabs theme. All of their picks and skewers are made with bamboo, an eco-friendly renewable resource.

We also made an "All About Me" file folder book. At the time of this photo, I wasn't yet finished. Check back tomorrow for a full post on the finished product. The kids were super excited about this as well and want to bring it to school this week for "show and tell". So sweet!


So, friends. Did you make a Muffin Tin Meal this week? Won;t you share it with us? Be sure to leave the direct URL link to your Muffin Tin Monday post and not just your blog.

No Need For The Sunday Paper

photo via www.makeandtakes.com

This week's link fest....

Did you know it's just around 12 weeks until Christmas? I am excited and so not prepared. Tsh at Simple Mom is starting another 12 week series on how to have a more peaceful Christmas. First up on her list: solidifying the Christmas budget.

Three Pumpkins Little: Her fabulous idea for DIY Vinyl Lettering has my creative sensibilities all aflutter. To top it off she expanded her clever idea into another post using the same concept to make window stickers with her kids! Ack! So fun!

Make and Takes: Perfect for the Fall season, this itty-bitty yarn pumpkin is so sweet! she also made an apple version -see this post for the tutorial.

Hope you have a delightful Sunday! Tomorrow's Muffin Tin Monday theme is "All About Me". Hope you'll join us this week!

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Scripture For Sunday

Isaiah 44:22

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me, for I have redeemed you."

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definition of redeemed:

To recover ownership of by paying a specified sum.

To pay off (a promissory note, for example).

To turn in (coupons, for example) and receive something in exchange.

To fulfill (a pledge, for example).

To convert into cash: redeem stocks.

To set free; rescue or ransom.

To save from a state of sinfulness and its consequences. See Synonyms at save.

To make up for: The low price of the clothes dryer redeems its lack of special features.

To restore the honor, worth, or reputation of: You botched the last job but can redeem yourself on this one.

Shameless Plug: Review of Jumpstart Pet Rescue For the Nintendo Wii

Jumpstart is the brand behind some the most wonderfully fun and educational games via CD-ROM and more recently online at jumpstart.com. I have written about them before and how much our family loves the Jumpstart educational and super fun kid's online virtual world. Well, knowledge Adventure and Jumpstart have done it again with the Jumpstart Pet Rescue for the Nintendo Wii.

It's the first of it's kind-being the first educational gaming software for the Wii in the 3-6 year age range. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) gave the game a rating of "Early Childhood". I was so pleased to hear this. It's nice to know that the game is not above them developmentally. I was also pleased to hear that Jumpstart had come out with a game designed for the Wii. My kids love to play games on their Wii. So, I was thrilled when Jumpstart sent us Pet Rescue for review.

From Jumpstart:

JumpStart Pet Rescue contains 5 Discovery worlds where Preschoolers navigate through 5 stories in a search for lost pets.

Each Discovery world contains a guided story told by one of the JumpStart friends, leading children on a learning adventure through more than 70 learning lessons and activities that teach kids over 75 essential skills they need to succeed. As kids progress through the adventures, they improve their pre-reading skills, memory, creativity, motor skills, listening,
and much more!

As before, my "shameless plug" will give you the low down on three aspects: Ease of Use, Fun Factor, and Educational Content.

Ease of Use

Navigating the Jumpstart Pet Rescue is similar to the online virtual world. There are 5 worlds and each includes it's own set of games, activities and special features. Each child creates their own player, and as with online, can change their hair, facial features, and clothes. I will say that my kids had a distinct advantage having played online. They knew how to navigate from land to land with ease. If you didn't already know, it might take a few minutes to get a "lay of the land" as it were. It's not difficult, but sometimes my kids don't understand that the remote on the Wii needs to face the TV (really the sensor). We practice this a lot and I am always reminding them. Young kids can get a little impatient when it comes to learning a new game as well. I think it's important to take the time at the very beginning, sit with them and walk them through it. This will cut down on the frustrations later on.

Fun Factor

What's not to love about pets, right? I think Jumpstart was very smart in the concept design of this game. There are very few young children that don't love animals and the thought of rescuing any animal excited my daughter especially. Of particular interest to my daughter was the "pet adoption" center where she could choose a from a variety of pets, name it, and then it comes along with you on all your adventures! You can also "play with them" (as shown below) and "feed them". Also with 5 worlds, it seemed there was always a game or activity that hadn't been discovered yet.

Educational Content:

As with thier online virtual world, the educational content in Jumpstart Pet Rescue is woven into the games and activities. The kids have fun while they learn! What parnet doesn't love that? Of particular interest to me was the magic tent where the bunny has three magic hats and you can choose which numbers you want to work on (ahem, play...). When you choose a particular card, the games focus on that concept. It was educational and easy to navigate for my daughter. She loved it. Learning in the early years should never feel like "work". Their attention spans are so limited, that you need to keep it active and infuse a little fun into it. Jumpstart Pet Rescue does not disappoint in this area. What's more, they are rewarded with storybooks for completing activities. These stories are then read aloud to them. So cool.

Some additional thoughts:

At $39.99, the price point on this game seemed a little steep to me. I would think twice before purchasing this game if it were the only game I was purchasing. I would much rather see it at $29.99 or even $24.99. That being said, I don't know how they come up with their pricing so I may be way undervaluing this product.

UPDATE: Just got word that Jumpstart/Knowledge Adventure lowered the price to $29.99

If you would like to purchase the Jumpstart Pet Rescue for the Nintendo Wii, head to the Pet Rescue page to find a reatiler near you. It's available in stores and online. You can also head there to view a trailer and find out more about this great game.

Preschool File Folder Activity: Numbers 1-10

File Folder Activities are a convenient way to help toddler and preschool age children learn concepts. File folders are portable, store easily in a filing box, and provide a compact learning space. You can make several different kinds of file folder activities and simply pull them out when you are ready to use them.

For this particular activity, I focused on Numbers 1-10. I used the same shape for my design (circles), but varied size and color. I wanted to give the activity a little bit of interest, but not too much, as it might overwhelm early learners.

Materials I used:

~1 Manila file folder

~Scrapbook/construction paper

~Circle cutter ( punch or scissors work great too)

~Black sharpie

~Adhesive/Glue

~Clear ”Con-tact” paper (often used as shelf liner to line kitchen cabinets)

**Everything I used for this particular activity I already had on hand-so for me-it was free!

Steps to get you there:

1. Cut out two set of shapes. Label them, individually with the numbers 1 through 10.

2. Mount one set of shapes to the inside of the file folder. Set others aside.

3. Title the front (if so desired).

4. Cover both sides with contact paper (this provides durability). Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles.

5. Use the remaining set of shapes to match up the ones in the file folder.

**See my DIY File Folder Alphabet Match-Up for more tips and tricks on file folders.

My kids loved it! And you can make all sorts of varieties of activities: Numbers, Shapes, Alphabet, Photos, and much more!