Family * Travel * Food

Futuristic Construction Games for Kids

Kids love building things and there are many futuristic construction games they can play and some can be found on Mini&Maximus. They are very enjoyable and parents can play with them too. These games are also very realistic and 3D. If your child wants to go into construction in the future, then here are some popular ones, all of which involve driving round in a wide range of different vehicles.

Construction Stimulator Pro 2017

Construction Stimulator Pro is a building game and you can handle a wide number of vehicles including bulldozers and cranes. This game is one of the best out there and it gives you a massive opportunity to build a name for yourself in the construction industry.


SimCity BuildIt

In SimCity, you can build your very own dream city. In this game, you can become the mayor which will leave you responsible for countless tasks for building the city. It allows you to solve real-life situations too. You can also connect and compete with other players.

Megapolis

Megapolis is an extremely similar and enjoyable game to SimCity BuildIt. You can build and design things from houses to airports. Build yourself a functional and modern city you can enjoy. Megapolis is a variant of the word megalopolis, this means a large city or urban area.

Skyscraper Construction Sim 3D

Skyscraper Construction is a construction game particularly aimed at skyscraper fans.
You can build your own skyscrapers and drive around in a large variety of vehicles. You can manually hand-design buildings by scripting with corresponding coordination for every object.

Big Machines Stimulator 3D

Big Machines Stimulator is an excellent choice of game if you are into heavy machinery. This game allows you to drive around in a large variety of different vehicles, including cranes and earthmovers.

Bridge Construction Stimulator

The aim of this game is to build safe and strong bridges. These bridges need to be built strong enough for heavy vehicles such as trucks and school buses to drive over. It is fun to play and good if you want to go into building bridges.

City Builder 17 Federal Prison

In this game, you need to build a high-security federal prison. You begin with simple tasks and move up to more complicated ones. As the game player, you are responsible for the different features of the construction process.

All of these games are very fun for kids and will lead them into the construction industry if they are used sharply.
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5 Great Activities To Do Indoors When It's Raining

In good weather, when it is dry outside, there is nothing better than the great outdoors to keep us all entertained. A picnic on the beach, a ballgame in the park or a stroll by the river, it’s easy to fill the days with fun and enjoyment. But what if it’s raining and wet? What do we do then?

Parents with young children on school holidays are especially challenged on rainy days. Without giving them free reign to watch TV all day, playing electronic games or worse, being endlessly on their smartphone, it does need some creative thinking to keep them busy and happy indoors without spending a small fortune. Here then are some suggestions.

5 Great Activities to do Indoors when it’s Raining: 

1. Cooking / Baking 

Christmas is near and it’s time to think about making or baking some festive food to eat at home over the holiday season and as gifts for friends and family. Enlist the help of your kids to make sumptuous chocolate truffles and wrap them prettily in bags with ribbons. Make a panforte as an extra to the traditional Christmas cake or get down to some pickling and preserving of the season's produce. In pretty packages or decorated jam jars, these gifts are usually much appreciated but they do take time and effort, so a rainy day indoors is perfect for getting down to it.
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2. Learning a New Skill Together

We come back to the festive season theme of making gifts instead of buying them. Perhaps this is the year when you and the family learn jewelry making, wood carving, screen painting, pottery, embroidery, etc. If YouTube doesn’t give you enough instructions, there may be workshops locally that would interest. For example, the Artsy Hive in Miami have walk-in pottery painting sessions. Anhinga Clay Studio in Miami offer winter camp days for children who want to be creative with their hands.


3. Dancing

There is no better way to break a sweat and it costs next to nothing. All you need is music. If you’ve never learned to salsa, now is the time. It’s raining outside so shift the furniture round and clear some floor space. Again YouTube can come in useful. Salsa, cha-cha-cha, foxtrot, get the kids to show you some hip-hop, teach them to jive!

4. Yoga

We’re sticking to exercise here. It’s slower than dancing but equally challenging, good fun and will burn up some energy. Plus, this will make you and the family feel so good afterwards! There are lots of beginners to advanced yoga classes accessible online these days, so if you don’t want to take a trip to your nearest yoga studio try a class together at home.

5. Museums

When you’ve had enough of staying at home, there are always museums to go to on a rainy day. Yes, this can be an expensive trip especially if there are a few of you but there are still museums that will offer free admissions.
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Some examples in Miami are the:

Institute of Contemporary Art - admission is always free with guided tours at 2.00pm.
HistoryMiami Museum - free all day every 2nd Saturday of the month.
Miami Children’s Museum - free admission on the 3rd Friday of the month.
Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum - admission is always free.

Don't let the rain put a damper on things. Enjoy the day indoors!

About the Author

Emily Dick is a mom of one, a young girl named Daisy. She is the inspiration behind Emily’s new venture into the world of writing – parenting website whooopsAdaisy. Here, she writes about a range of topics and reviews some of the best toys, games and gifts for children of all ages, from babies to school-aged children.
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5 Places to Meet New Mom Friends in New York City

New York City is one of the most popular places on earth. The hustle and bustle of the Big Apple never stops. Traffic rages, pedestrians travel, and the city lights burn right through the night. Raising a baby in New York City is no easy feat, doing it requires a support group.
Photo by Ralph Chang from Pexels 
Many new people that have relocated to New York City fond it challenging to meet new friends, so finding your new mom squad may be tough. However, if you know your way around and where to go, then there are plenty of places you can visit that will present you with the opportunity to make new mom friends. Here are five ways you can meet new friends in the world’s most famous city.

#1 Parks and Playgrounds
Bridge Park Pier 6 in Brooklyn, Union Square Playground, Bleecker Playground in Manhattan, and Hudson River Park Pier 25 are great places to meet new moms. Remember to keep your eyes on your child at all times but when they are digging in the sandbox or playing on a swing set, take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with a mom nearby. Some of the most fabulous friendships are made in the playground.

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#2 Online Mom Chatrooms
Social media has connected us in a way that gives us instant access to social groups at the click of a mouse. Join up with some local New York City mom’s groups. Astoria parents, UES Mommas, and Madison Square Park Moms are all fantastic Facebook groups filled with hundreds of friendly moms that are always willing to help out. As you get to know people, you will discover moms that live nearby, and you can arrange to meet for coffee and discuss a playdate for your kids.

#3 New Mom Support Groups
There are many pre-birth classes available across the city. Signing up for a course will expose you to new moms that are thrilled to be experiencing the miracle of childbirth as much as you are. You will all have something in common already, and if you make a friend your kids could end up growing up together as best buddies. Check out your local listings online or visit the nearest YMCA for a class schedule.

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#4 Get Social at Playgroups
Getting your kids into playgroups as early as possible will have tremendous benefit for their social development. Children love to watch and learn, so if you get involved at the playgroup chatting with other parents, you are laying the foundation for your child’s personality to be open and friendly.

#5 Make Friends at the Pediatrician’s office
If you’re waiting at the pediatrician’s office for your child’s latest checkup, start a conversation with the moms sitting around you. Before you open your conversation, ensure you read the body language and facial expressions of the parents sitting around you. This brief assessment will give you a good idea of their emotional state; not everyone is at the pediatrician's office with good news.

The Final Tip
It’s important to get out with your child, so if you are struggling to meet your household obligations and spend quality time with your kid, consider hiring a cleaning service to assist you with the housework. Cleaning services are experts at cleaning good for health purposes, giving you more free time to spend with your kids.
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5 Creative Ways to Use Cardboard Packaging Boxes

If you’ve just moved or bought tons of discount appliances during the Black Friday sale, you know how much of a struggle it can be dealing with all those boxes left behind. Chances are you have a lot of different boxes you don’t want to throw away but have no need for any more. Relax, so do thousands of other Americans. But what if you could use the boxes for creative purposes instead of having them gathering dust?

Cardboard boxes come in many styles and sizes, and all of them can be extremely useful if you know how to put them to use. If you want to repurpose those boxes instead of recycling them, in this article, we’ll give you a couple of creative ideas how you can use them.

Great Storage Alternative 
Obviously, the best way to use old boxes is for storage. You could use boxes to store things like old magazines, personal files, clothes you can’t fit into or don’t need this season, dishes you only take out for special occasions, old toys or Halloween costumes and other items you don’t use every day.

Of course, you wouldn’t want old, dull-colored boxes to ruin the look of your home. That’s why you should decorate them a bit before repurposing them for storage. Use paint or decorative paper to breathe new life into those old boxes.

Old-Fashioned Toys 
It’s hard to believe that children used to play with anything else other than smartphones once upon a time. Why not show them how kids used to play when times were simpler. Cardboard boxes make for excellent dollhouses, forts, playhouses or make-believe trains. You can also use them to build an obstacle course for a laser-tag game.

Boxes can also be used for a killer Halloween robot costume. All you need is a little bit of glue, spray color and a couple of markers. You could even go one step further and add led lights. The only limit is your imaginations.

Pets Love Boxes
Everyone knows cats and dogs both love boxes, and enjoy playing with them and taking a cozy nap there. They can be used to make great pet houses, but your cat will appreciate if you just leave it out like it is. The cardboard can also be used to create a cheap scratching post for your cat.

Christmas Gifts
Another fairly obvious choice is repurposing old cardboard boxes to create Christmas presents like those you see in commercials or on the Internet. A great part of the Christmas gift is getting to unwrap it, so why not do more than just wrap it in paper or put it in a fancy bag. Everyone, especially kids, will appreciate getting to unwrap a classic, bulky Christmas present.

Use them to Mail Items 
The main purpose of any box is to protect the item that came with it, so why not use them as originally intended. If you mail a lot of stuff all through the year, you can use the cardboard to protect the items you’re sending. You can also use cut-out cardboard to protect photographs or documents you’re mailing.
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Keeping Your Kids Healthy With Sports

What better way to bring up well-rounded young individuals than with sports? Engaging your kids in sports gives them the opportunity to try out their skills and talents and discover new things about themselves. These days, with all the competition parents face when ensuring the health and well being of their little ones, it’s essential to find a fun-filled activity for our kids to let them enjoy the perks of being fit not only when they're young.

No matter what activity your children are involved in, they’re bound to experience tons of benefits that will ensure they grow up to be happy, healthy, and well-rounded individuals.

Physical Activity

Sports provide children with necessary physical activity to stay fit. With combinations like video games and fast food, our kids are on the highway to poor health and might suffer the consequences later on. Engaging them early in sports gives them the upper hand they need to fight off the unhealthy lifestyle which is caused by most food and recreational choices today.

Socialization

It’s important to teach our kids early the value of making friends and teamwork. This gives them a much better idea as to how to act around other people, also enhancing their ability to interact with those who are different and to embrace and accept diversity as a common thing in today’s society.

Self-esteem

Kids learn more about themselves with sports, which helps build self-esteem. Being an essential part of a team – whether they’re out on the field scoring points, or on the benches supporting his or her teammates all the way, children learn their worth as a member of a team and thus learn the value of being themselves.

Coupon Convenience – Saving Up On Spending With Coupons

Some parents may worry that sports are bound to come with a lot of expensive classes, gear and accessories you might simply not be able to afford. Sometimes you can just wait for the season-ender sales to come rolling around the corner, but it’s not always practical, and purchasing things at full price may not be the choice you want to make. One of the best ways to save money these days even when the season’s just beginning is with coupons. There are lots of neat places to find budget-saving clippings – in magazines, newspapers and, most conveniently, on the Internet.

Visit such websites as Discountrue.com and keep an eye out for Kohl's coupons that will help you buy everything you need at a budget price. And by using coupons you can save up not only on sports equipment but also countless other products - from home and kitchen ware and supplies, to food and beverages to stock up your fridge. You can even save up on your gas spending as well, if you find the right discount codes at the right places. Remember, living in trying times like these calls for smart decisions to keep a household up and running. Keep an eye out for coupons that are specifically aimed at any products you might like to buy for your family and keep that savings account alive by cutting out a few cash outs here and there.

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7 Fun things you can do with your kids

Spending quality time with your kids is so important, it can’t be stressed enough. They grow like nobody’s business, so if you don’t spend quality time with them now, you’ll soon regret it. These 7 things are all lots of fun, and you’ll enjoy doing most of them with your kids. Take a look and see what you think:


Go Walking

Taking walks with the kids will not only make you a fit family, you’ll enjoy lots of beautiful scenery too. You have many opportunities when out walking. You could stop for a picnic, take some beautiful pictures, and even play treasure hunts where you need to tick certain items off a list once you’ve found them. Make sure the walks are suitable for their age before embarking on one that’s too long or hard. 

Collect Things

Whether you want to collect dolls, stamps, or fairground models, this is something that you can both enjoy. Building a collection is extremely satisfying, and it may just peak your child’s interest in something special. Perhaps a particular era in time, for example. 

Swim

Taking your kids swimming at least once a week is a fabulous way to keep them healthy and teach them a valuable life skill. Many kids do these in school, but having extra swimming lessons can only be beneficial to them. The younger you take them, the better! Most kids love the water too, and become very strong swimmers. Learning about water safety will be very helpful to them. 

Cook

Whenever you cook, consider letting your kids help you. This will teach them all about the best way to handle food, food safety, and how to use kitchen appliances safely. They love cooking cakes and cookies best, as they get to eat the sweet treats afterwards. To ensure they aren’t eating too many bad ingredients, look up healthier recipes online. They won’t know the difference! 

Make Things

Making things, such as dolls, furniture, or pretty pictures could be a great hobby for them. They could make absolutely anything that tickles their fancy, and it’ll be a lot of fun with you helping them. Maybe you could both make a pretty picture to display in the living room? You’ll need to be brave, but try not to control them too much. They might surprise you! 

Play Games

Playing games is a great way to laugh and have fun without exerting too much energy. By choosing a game they can understand, they’ll benefit a lot more than having their face glued to the television. 

Read Stories

Reading books with each other is so much fun, and will educate them in all kinds of ways. Not only will they improve their listening and speaking skills, they’ll develop more of an imagination too! You can be confident in your parenting skills if you take the time to read to your child. 

These 7 things will ensure you and your kids are having the most fun ever. Spend quality time with your little ones now, before you blink and miss your chance!

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Backyard Adventures with Fruit Shoot #stunthunt #ad

Thank you to Fruit Shoot for sponsoring today’s post, but my love for their juice and endorsing children’s imaginations is all my own!

Fruit Shoot is looking to families across the U.S. to share videos of your kids doing amazingly active stunts. Here's the trick: Your submission has to feature a Fruit Shoot bottle and a ball of your choice. The best of your videos will get the Hollywood treatment with special effects added to bring your kids' imagination to life! You'll instantly receive a coupon for a free bottle of Fruit Shoot just for registering! Need a cool ball to shoot your video with? Any time you buy 6 bottles of Fruit Shoot in-store, you can send away for a FREE Waboba ball, the ball that bounces on water!

The video can simply be done on your smartphone and uploaded straight to the Fruit Shoot site. Share your video with friends and family and encourage them to vote for your video. 

Check out my little guy's video below...

Some great things about Fruit Shoot-- It has a new no-spill cap, perfect for children of all ages, and contains no fructose corn syrup, making it a much better option than other flavored drinks.

This fun hydration drink is perfect for energetic, independent kids who desire fun on the go. It contains real fruit juice, natural flavors, no high-fructose corn syrup, and no added sugar.

Fruit Shoot lets moms balance the hydration their kids need with the taste that they love, making hydration fun for kids and easy for moms.

Fruit Shoot also features an innovative no-spill cap (no more juice stains in the car!) making it easy for kids to be independent while on the go. These vibrant fun colored bottles come in tasty flavors of Orange, Apple, Berry Burst and Strawberry/Raspberry. All of the flavors are available in both the regular and low sugar varieties.
William loves Fruit Shoot!

Be sure to check out the Fruit Shoot Stunt Hunt site for full details. 
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Costumes and it's not even Halloween?

I know I can't be the only parent with a little one who loves to dress up in Halloween costumes even in the off-season. William has a fascination for all things Power Rangers and Superheroes. As a matter of fact, he has worn his Halloween costumes over the last few years well after the fact and to the point that they were too small. The fun part about wearing a costume for a kid is how well they use their imagination. I love seeing William pretend to fight off the bad guys or even put on a voice to play the part of a Superhero.

It got me to wondering, where can you find costumes during the off-season for your kids? I did some research online and came across MrCostumes.com.
I was really impressed by the variety they offer. I was able to find certain characters that I didn’t realize there was a costume for. William loves the Spider-man movies and especially loved the scene from, “The Amazing Spider-man” when Spider-man went to battle with the Lizard. He would go nuts with this costume!

Since we don’t own a video game system (and don’t believe in them) we encourage imaginative play. If I could convince my husband to get a costume, he and William could act out some of the movie scenes! Since they do that anyway, it shouldn't be a problem! The great thing about fun costumes is that they can always be passed down once your child (or husband) outgrows it. Our neighbors have a younger son and he has gotten a costume from William each year. I’ll say you can really get your money’s worth that way.

Do your kids like to dress up in costumes when it’s not Halloween? Have you ever thought about buying a costume during the off-season?

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TIME for Kids Dinosaurs 3D book review

If you have been reading my blog for a while now, you would know how much my son loves dinosaurs. He knows most dinosaurs by their name and even if they are a carnivore, herbivore or omnivorous. William even calls himself a dinosaur explorer. When we received the book from Time for Kids entitled "Dinosaurs 3D", he was beyond excited. It was neat to get to wear 3D glasses to read a book. 
William wasn't sure what he was in for since he had never looked in a 3D book before. He was in for a treat. 

He was in amazement when he saw his favorite dinosaurs looking like they were about to jump right off of the page! He kept saying, "Wow! This is amazing!" He recognized almost all of the dino's and wanted us to read the facts to him. I took a look through the book and felt as if I was right there with them. It was very cool!
The neat part about this book was the extra pair of glasses that was included to have a friend (or parent) share the book with you. My husband and son were in awe of all the cool pictures and learning some interesting facts about the dinosaurs.


This has become William's favorite new book and he has already requested to take it for show and tell at school. I am sure his friends will love it too! Although the book is recommended for ages 8 and up, my dino-loving 5 year old is getting so much out of it and is always asking to learn more. You can purchase this book on Amazon. It makes a great birthday, holiday or 'just because' gift!
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Anytime is #ThomasTime Facebook App and King of the Railway Prize pack Giveaway #spon

CLOSED- Winner is Vanessa Toscano. Congratulations! 
HIT Entertainment has asked me to help promote the “Anytime is Thomas Time” sweepstakes. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of HIT Entertainment.

I can recall the days of William being 2 years old and his love for Thomas and Friends. He loved watching the DVDs we received as a gift when he was a baby. I think it was then that William became a big fan of all things that go! I will never forget when he was getting his first haircut by his dad. He wore his vintage Thomas t-shirt. Isn't this the cutest thing ever?! I still have that shirt tucked away in a box of keepsakes. 
As he got older, he got into the toys and books. To this day, he still enjoys his "Right on track" board book that has a magnet board on top. It is designed for drawing on according to each page of the book. William likes to take it in the car when we travel. 

He owns a couple of the toy trains and loves to make them roll fast across the kitchen and dining room floor. Our next door neighbor purchased the big Thomas and Friends train table and William loves to go over and play. It's fun, even for older kids! 
Right now, you can go to the new "Anytime is #ThomasTime" app on Facebook. Parents are encouraged to upload photos of their children during “Thomas Time” moments on the Thomas & Friends Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Thomasandfriends). There will be daily prizes as well as one grand prize. For generations children have grown with Thomas & Friends, experiencing moments with Thomas in many ways, including:

Bedtime/Nap time (Thomas pillows, blankets)
Playtime (can encompass toys, trains, etc.)
Meal time (Thomas cups, plates, etc.)
TV Time/Movie Time
Learning Time (Thomas books, puzzles, etc.)
Summertime (Thomas beach towels, bathing suits, etc.)
Party Time (Thomas birthday parties)
Story Time (Thomas books, E-books, apps)
Family Time (Day Out With Thomas)

Giveaway: One Mom Files reader will win a "King of the Railway" prize pack including:
Thomas & Friends King of the Railway DVD
Thomas & Friends King of the Railway Book
TrackMaster Set
Thomas & Friends Backpack

Enter below...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Giveaway ends on September 13, 2013 and one winner will be selected at random and contacted via email to claim prize. Be sure to follow contest rules stated in Rafflecopter widget. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am receiving a prize pack to thank me for helping to promote the Anytime is Thomas Time app. 
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Getting ready for kindergarten

The time has come. It was 5 years in the making. Kindergarten registration is here. Today kicked off the start of Expanded Choice applications in our School District. If you want your child in either a Magnet program or to attend a school you are not zoned for, you must complete an online application. Although we live so close the the elementary school that I would like William to attend, we are not zoned for it. I had to fill out Choice applications back when the girls were Will's age. We want him to go to the same school his sisters went to. Me and my husband laugh at how we are starting all over again!
William is so excited and seems ready for school. I know he will do well socially but I still have my mom worries. With William being the last baby, he has been very babied and I take full responsibility for that. I can't help wanting to do everything for him. He's my baby! I know that I have learn to let go. I have to let him become more independent. I think about things like; will he be able to wipe his nose properly if he sneezes? Will he be able to clean his bottom properly if he goes to the bathroom? Will he eat his lunch? I have so many things going through my head! I have vowed to work diligently with him to get him well prepared for kindergarten. I guess all I can do is know that it will all work out. I was frantic when the girls were starting school too. It sure will be strange when he is gone all day and I will be home with just the dog. I know myself though, I will do what I did with the girls. I will volunteer every single day a few times a week. I am looking forward to all the fun things involved in kindergarten :)
Shelly, Mom Files


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William's preschool updates

We are in the thick of things around here. Getting William prepared for school takes a great part of the day and sometimes I am ready to give up. He has become obsessed with the idea of going to kindergarten and asks me fifty million times a day if it is time to start yet. It gets tiring, but I guess it's good that he has such an interest in school, having a teacher and making friends. Speaking of friends, I remember about 2 years ago William was very anti-social when it came to being around other children. I was so afraid that he would never like kids his age!
Times have changed and he has become very social. Most people consider home schooled children to be less social but that is not the case here. William is very friendly and loves to be around other children. We went to Monkey Joe's the other day and there was a little boy around his age that was playing alone. William went up to him and introduced himself by saying "Hello, my name is William" and he gave the boy a handshake! The little boy was very shy but eventually warmed up and played with William. His mother was so grateful that William made her son feel comfortable in the environment. She was also very amazed when she found out that William was only four. She said that he was mature beyond his years. I do get that a lot from people. William is very mature and disciplined for his age (and gender). We are so proud of how well he is developing in all areas and can't wait for school to start next year. I think he will do just fine!
Shelly, Mom Files
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Wordless Wednesday

Half-price Tuesday's are back at Monkey Joe's! We are taking advantage of it :)

Shelly, Mom Files
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Four year old boys and shopping

Today I took all 3 kids out to do some back-to-school shopping. We had the stores all mapped out and set time goals. One thing I always do before we leave the house is make sure William is well fed and goes to the bathroom. Everything was set. We headed out. The first few stops were simple because we were literally in and out within minutes. The last stop required us to be in the store for over an hour. Belk had a HUGE clearance sale with tons of merchandise to browse through, so naturally it would take some time. Along the way, the girls would try on a few items and add them to the growing stack. William behaved pretty well and kept picking up random strands of thread from the floor. I usually don't encourage picking things up from the floor but made an exception this time. It was just thread after all.

You can tell that he was getting tired of being in the store so I took him to the boy's department. He then tells me how the store was starting to make him sad. He said he wanted to feel happy again, very dramatically at that. So after the long time spent in the store and the even longer time at the check-out, we finally headed for the exit. Of course all you heard was the loud BEEP BEEP BEEP. We went back to the check-out counter to find out why we were beeping. It turned out from the piles of clothes we bought, there was one ink tag that was not removed. We headed  back to the exit and were successful. We made it out of there! William begged to go home and I gave him his wish. After we were home for about 30 minutes I looked down on the couch and saw this. It was a collection of all the thread my boy picked up throughout the store.
All I could do was laugh. Of course, once he falls asleep tonight, I will turn into the mean mom and throw it away. He might have dislike being in a boring old department store but surely found a way to keep himself occupied!

The last two photos are from a recent visit we had at Monkey Joe's. It is hard to get decent photos when your kid is running wild! It is our new once-a-week spot to go to, especially with how hot it has been. You can't beat all the bouncing, jumping, climbing, sliding and screaming fun! I look forward to when school starts back so we can go on 'Half-price Tuesdays'.


Shelly, Mom Files
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Wordless Wednesday

One perk of being a review blogger... lots of empty boxes to play in!


Shelly, Mom Files
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Moon Dough Review

We received the Moon Dough Breakfast Kit for ages 3 and up to check out. I have heard of Moon Dough before but this was my first time getting to play around with it hands on. The kit came with 2 colors of Moon Dough (pink and yellow). Moon Dough is a "magical modeling dough" that never dries out, is hypo-allergenic and wheat-free. It has such a cool texture and is really quite addicting to play with! The kit included some push & pop tools that you can use to mold your Moon Dough in breakfast shaped items like waffles, pancakes and bread. Seriously, I am thinking about keeping the pink Moon Dough next to my computer to play with when I need some stress relief!
William really had fun with this! He enjoyed pressing the Moon Dough out as well as breaking it up in smaller pieces.
We thought the play mat that was attached to the packaging was a neat thing. William made a cute little breakfast!
Moon Dough has improved their modeling dough making it less crumbly... meaning less mess! That is a big plus for me! I will however suggest that you keep a close eye on younger children while playing with it. Don't ask :)  Learn more about  Moon Dough products on the web and stay connected on Facebook & Twitter.

I received a product sample for review purposes and received no compensation. All opinions are 100% mine as always.

Shelly, Mom Files
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Boys like fast cars!

We received this very cool Ferrari 458 Italia remote control car in red (Will's favorite color) from a great toy store called TrendTimes.com. The minute I put the batteries in and handed it over to my husband and son they were completely sucked in. It was amazing how fast that tiny car (7 inches) could go! Although William is a bit young for a remote control car, it did not stop him from enjoying himself. Even our dog got in on the action!


I was happy that the car came with the batteries in the box. This makes it a great gift idea since it would be ready to go! I also discovered that this car is very durable to be so small. Let's just say that it can withstand a 3 year old and I will leave it at that!! It also comes in a bigger size.

The bad part? I get nagged all day by the kiddo to "play race car"! I know William will get many hours of fun from his new car. I won't even get started on how much fun the husband had ;-)

Shelly, Mom Files
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