At a recent Monster Jams, show I was slack jawed at the way the drivers drove those enormous trucks over massive mounds of dirt, around precariously placed barricades, and on top of dirt structures the size of small homes. The show was noisy and fun.

The show had me wondering about the offerings in the Remote Control or RC market. Why are most RC vehicles so flimsy. We have a veritable pile of RC cars in our garage. One car had unfortunate collision and lost half a bumper. Another car was manhandled so vigorously that the antenna is bent. And of course the antenna is needed so that the remote control can “talk” to the car. Both cars sit in a tangle of wires and cords looking for all the world like they have been abandoned on a junk heap.

You know what kids need? A super sturdy, practically unbreakable remote control vehicle. Enter the XT Ricochet Tricksters RC from Tonka. This vehicle sits low, very low to the ground. With the remote control, your child can zip, zoom, and zag around the floor. Perfect for playing with outside. The sturdy wheels will withstand lots of play from kids. I suspect my husband will want a turn when he comes home from work and sees my son creating a ruckus with the Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters.

Recommended for ages 6 and up. Retails for $24.99. The remote control requires 5 “AA” batteries, while the remote control uses a 3.6V rechargeable batter. Parents and caregivers will love that each time you charge the vehicle you will get 20 minutes of rip-roaring action.

I have a Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC set for one lucky reader!

Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the mandatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Comment — Leave a comment.

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Optional Comment — Leave a comment.

• Follow @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.
• Like Musings from Me on Facebook.
• Like Jill MusingsfromMe on Facebook.
• Subscribe to my blog’s feed.
• Stumble one of my posts that is not a giveaway.  Use your Stumble toolbar or use the Share button that is placed to the left of the post.
• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
• Tweet this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet: @MusingsfromMe is giving away a Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC! Enter http://bit.ly/rH55Wd. Ends 12/27.

I was provided with Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters RC for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Tuesday, December 27 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Music calms the savage beast…uh…I mean baby. If you have every sat in a car with a squalling crying baby for a long trip you will feel my pain. As the navigator-not-the-driver-on-family-trips, I am the designated hitter with any crises to do with the kids. As the kids moved from the babies and toddlers stage to preschooler and elementary school phases, our family trips improved immeasurably. Thank goodness!

New from Lego…for toddlers…and moms and dads…

The Duplo Jams app just launched. What is Duplo Jams? Duplo Jams is free music available on iTunes. Each month a new song is launched. Recommended for kids aged 2 to 5. The app is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3^rd and 4th generations), and iPad (requires iOS 4.0 or later at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lego-duplo-jams/id477095318?mt=8 .  A version for Android is in development and will launch soon.

The Duplo Jams app provides an interactive, musical world for toddlers or preschoolers to discover the joy of creative Duplo building. Set to an original score of upbeat playroom songs that even parents will enjoy, the app helps children build their imaginations by clicking bricks to explore colorful worlds as they sing along to catchy tunes.

How can you get these cool Duplo Jams?

Download Duplo Jams through iTunes.

Got older kids? Gotta get these cool Lego apps!

• Lego Creationary
• Lego Halloween Creationary
• Lego Ninjago Spinjitzu Scavenger Hunt

I did not receive these apps nor was I compensated for writing this post. I posted about them because I love all things Lego. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Ingegrity.

When my son was born, my oldest was finishing up 1st grade while my youngest was finishing up her last year of preschool. As the school year began for both girls the following August, my son and I were left in a strangely quiet house. From 8:10 until 3:30 p.m. it was as quiet as a church. Well, as quiet as a little baby in a church.

Soon, my son and I found our rhythm. He was awake most days to see his sisters off to school. Took two short naps, which became one slightly longer nap. Our day revolved around meals, the arrival and departure of the school bus, and vehicles. Over his 5 years at home, he and I played cars, read about cars, visited train museums, toured the fire engines at the local VFD, and sought out construction sites. He could never have enough vehicles.

Large or small…it didn’t matter to my son. He was mesmerized by earth movers, cherry pickers (still not entirely sure what this machine does), steam rollers, and diggers of all kinds. Our local library became the site of the new community center construction project. We spent many a morning hanging our heads out of the van window watching paint…uh…tar dry. He loved it. I loved watching him. Any question he asked that I didn’t have the answer to…see above question about “cherry pickers”…was answered by a quick walk to the library.

My son was a happy kid as he boarded the school bus that first day. I kinda of miss the sounds of kids playing as I toil away in my basement office. One sad part of having three kids in full-day school is that we have to cram a whole lotta stuff in to the evenings. Sports practices, occasionally games, music practice, homework, and even play dates with friends can only occur between 3:30 p.m. and bedtime, and of course weekends, but we’re still busy.

Many nights my son must occupy himself while his sisters finish up homework as they have more homework than he does. A key source of entertainment for him is construction toys. From building with bricks to erector sets, he wants to do them all. A recent kit that arrived in our home had him jumping up and down with great excitement. What was the toy you ask? Mega Bloks’ new construction set from the Blok Squad line.

Unlike me he was not daunted by the “395 pieces.” Quite the contrary he dove in to the box and started constructing the Blok Squad Construction Site one vehicle at a time. By the looks of his finished products, the Blok Squad Construction Site includes a Workers’ Truck with Optional Trailer, a Track Loader, a Road Roller, and a bunch of construction workers with shovels, wheel barrows, cones, and guard rails.

Want to learn more about Mega Bloks Blok Squad Construction Site?

• Item #2462
• 395 pieces
• Recommended for 5+
• Price: $19.99
• Where can you buy it? A link on the Mega Bloks site says that this product is not available yet at offline retailers. You can leave your email to be notified when it is available. But, I found it at Walmart.com…though it was out of stock. Other Blok Squad sets were available at Walmart.com. Until then you can buy it through my amazon affiliate link.

Get connected with Mega Brands.

• Like Mega Bloks on Facebook.
• Like @MegaBloks on Twitter.
• Join the Mega Bloks Family Club.

Other finds from Mega Brands.

• I saw a very cool 3D puzzle at Time To Play.
• You’ve seen the Board Dudes dry erase boards, I’m sure? This mom needs a Board Dudes board in every room of her home. Got to get more organized for 2012! Note: If you saw my kitchen wall with its bulletin boards and calendars, you’d think I was highly organized. You would be partially right. I can always put a dry erase calendar board to good use!
• Moshi Monsters in your house? Build these Moshis.
• And don’t forget RoseArt — Color Blanks, Fun Dough, Smart Easel, and more.

I was given a Mega Bloks Blok Squad Construction Site to facilitate my review by Mega Brands and ChildsPlay PR. I was not compensated for this review.  I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Lego Duplo My First Fire Station

There are certain toys that your children need. I say “need” because from experience kids are more likely to find ways to entertain themselves with certain toys. And yes, I know that kids’ needs can be many and varied, but let’s look at toys.

If a child is playing with a toy, mom or dad will have time to make a phone call, tidy up a room, write a blogpost, etc. You feel good seeing your child’s developing independent play skills. Your child will be engaged in playing with a new toy. It’s a win. As a mom of three who has worked from home for two-thirds of the last 16 years and volunteered at school and church for the other third, I can vouch that while kids love playing with mom and dad, kids love playing independently, too.

My kids knew that throughout the day I would read to them, do crafts, play with puzzles, and play with toys or games. If one of the children received a new toy, I would first engage my toddler and preschooler’s interest as we played with the toy together. Over time, my children learned to play independently with the following open-ended play toys:

• toy kitchen or BBQ grill just like mom or dad
• cash register, play food, and pretend money
• box of dress up clothes…sparkly, glittery or just like mom stuff for girls…superhero, rescue hero or just like dad stuff for boys (Many dress up items can be enjoyed by boys and girls.)
• puppets
• cars, animals, and action figures
• construction toys

Our playroom was fairly well stocked with all of the above by the time our oldest was not even 2. Two sets of grandparents, a nearby aunt and uncle, and a doting mom and dad who liked playing with toys as much as their toddler meant our daughter’s playroom was a treasure trove of stuff.

As our daughter’s second Christmas and second birthday approached, I began to scan the shelves for construction type toys. Many were too old for her. She was not a child to be easily frustrated, but I didn’t want to overtax her developing hand eye skills. Time and again I picked up Lego Duplo toys. These toys were bright and colorful. The bricks were molded for little hands. The set I bought her contained a Winnie the Pooh figure, a couple of flowers, a honey pot, and about 5 or so Lego Duplo bricks. Just enough bricks and stuff that she could build her very own Winnie the Pooh world, but not too many bricks that an instruction sheet and help from mom or dad was needed.

My daughter and I, and then my next two children had hours of fun with Lego Duplos. By playing with the larger Lego Duplo bricks and figures, all three kids were able at 4 or 5 to make the transition to some of the larger Lego sets. I’m about to post a giveaway for a Pirates of the Caribbean set. Until then, would you like to win a Lego Duplo set?? I thought so!

I have a Lego Duplo My First Fire Station Set for one lucky reader. Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the manadatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment. so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory Comment — Leave a comment.

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

Optional Comment — Leave a comment.

• Follow @MusingsfromMe on Twitter.
• Like Musings from Me on Facebook.
• Like Jill MusingsfromMe on Facebook.
• Subscribe to my blog’s feed.
• Stumble one of my posts that is not a giveaway.  Use your Stumble toolbar or use the Share button that is placed to the left of the post.
• Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.

I was provided with Lego Duplo My First Fire Station for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account.  I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

My summer baby started Kindergarten when the cutoff was December 31. I recall that I didn’t give a huge amount of thought to whether I should  send her or not. If I was sending her to Kindergarten now, I would explore the concept of “redshirting.”

School award ceremonies are even more fun with music.

I thought about redshirting. Back in 2003, the whole redshirting thing wasn’t on my radar. Plus, most of the preschools in my community (it’s semirural) do not have a PreK program. Most preschools near me only have programs for 4s. These programs are not as rigorous as traditional PreK programs and tend to meet only 3 mornings or afternoons a week. The benefit of redshirting your child is that your child is one of the older and more mature Kindergarteners after the extra year of preschool.

The options for schools with PreKs were over a 30-minute drive from my home. I had an infant at the time and it was awfully tempting to have my K and 2nd grader hop on the same bus to school. My kid was in morning K so I felt that she had time to decompress in the afternoons as well as do at-home learning, library storytimes, play dates, and nature center outings. She loved Kindergarten. She found the joy of reading. Became adept at counting, sorting, and patterns. Loved riding the school bus.

Did you redshirt your child? Why? Why not?

Before I forget I have winners!

• Congrats to Sara, Heidi, Stephanie, Debi and Michelle on winning the Super Diaper Diary prize pack from Scholastic. Happy reading!

More winners to be announced soon for the following giveaways. Don’t forget to enter:

• Keep your PC safe with antivirus software from Chicalogic – ends 10/14/2011.
• Real Steel prize pack — ends 10/17/2011.
• Kneebouncers Who Says Moo? storybook app — ends 10/28/2011.
• McDonalds New Happy Meal coupons – ends 10/31/2011

And I have one more giveaway for my local readers. If you live near to Rockville or in Montgomery County, I have a giveaway for a gift card to the Bean Bag Deli in Rockville, MD.

A few years ago my friend told me about a game her toddler son played all the time. The game was a “simple tap of the keys and watch what happens” type of game. A simple concept to adults, but the game allowed kids to make choices and decisions about how the game would be played. Kids — even kids as young as 1 — crave power over their surroundings. The game was on a site called Kneebouncers.

Ever tried to put a sock on a 1-year-old? Only to have him push the sock off his foot. Mom and dad are thinking why is he pushing his sock off? We have to go out for a walk. Why is he doing this? He needs to wear socks. Your one-year-old is not concerned with your agenda at all. He wants to wiggle his toes. Suck on his toes. Rub his toes against the carpet. He’s asserting his will to be in control of his environment. Little ones like making decisions for themselves.

Who Says Moo?

My friend told me that her husband created Kneebouncers for little ones everywhere to enjoy. Kneebouncers has grown from one single game to a site with numerous games for the baby, toddler, and preschooler set…including Vroom, Bed Jump, Sight Words, and Run Puppy Run. My son loved tapping on these games. He was eager to start using the computer far earlier than when his sisters were his age. He wanted to do what they were doing…Kneebouncers games allowed him to have fun too!

Here’s how it works…

• Each week Kneebouncers offers about free games and stories to try out. This week your child can read “Who Says Moo? — a read long or read-to-me story?
• If your little one is anything like my little one, you will want to go and activate all the Kneebouncers games. My oldest loved playing the same computer game over and over again. I still know the words to ALL the songs even years later! So for only $2.95 per month, your little one can play all the games on the Kneebouncers site. If you are not sure, that you and your little one will like Kneebouncers activate the free trial…one week of free access to all the fabulous Kneebouncers games.
• And the yearly access pass, is a steal. The yearly fee for Kneebouncers of $19.95 is now only $11.97. This works out to only $1 a month for tons of fun for your little one. Offer good through end of October 2011. Great gift idea for the grandparents to buy for your child!

And for on-the-go access…

• Get the new Who Says Moo? story on itunes for $2.99 and Who Says Moo? the Android Market also for $2.99. You can even record yourself telling the story! Wouldn’t it be fun to record your child’s grandmother or grandfather reading the story? I know my children loved hearing a familiar voice reading a story when they were little.
• Also available on Kneebouncers first set of games on itunes for iphone, itouch, and ipad for only $1.99.
• On an Android phone? You can purchase Kneebouncers first set of games on Android for $1.99.

Kneebouncers first set of games includes:

• Choo Choo: A train, a car, a tractor and LOTS of fun!
• Big Top: KneeBouncers perform in a three-ring circus.
• Pop-a-Lot: You’re little one will love what pops up next!
• It’s Colorific: Bright balloons and amusing characters help make this intro to colors a whole lotta fun
• The Alphabet Game: Is it a letter-learning tool or just plain tot entertainment?

Want to win a Who Says Moo? app by Kneebouncers? Entering is easy peasy! To be eligible to win, you must do the mandatory entry.

Mandatory Entry

Go to the Kneebouncers site and tell me what game looks fun. Don’t forget to leave your email so that I can contact you.

Optional Entries

Subscribe to the Kneebouncers blog, Kneeblogger. Come back and leave a comment.

Like Kneebouncers on Facebook.

Follow Kneebouncers on Twitter.

Friend me on Facebook.

Like my blog on Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow my #onlinesafety account on Twitter.

Subscribe to my blog’s feed.

I was not compensated for this post. I happen to love the games. Giveaway ends October 28, 2011, 11:59 p.m. Giveaway is open to all readers. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

So, here’s the deal. I have wanted to write a book since I was about 9. I filled composition books, notepads, scraps of paper, and even those thin as onion skin sheets of typing paper. I can still feel the pinch on my fingers as I jabbed too hard at the typewriter keys. Ahem…the typewriter was a manual one. And no I am not 80. But I did live in England back in the late 70s where the small appliance had not yet reached our corner of the world. I had never heard of microwaves, coffee makers, electric alarm clocks, or automatic typewriters back then.

My grandmother, with whom we lived, did have an electric washing machine, but in order to run the washer you had to attach a hose to the kitchen fawcet. That thing was loud and moved around the kitchen for the length of the cycle. My grandmother would have to hold on to the machine so that the hose didn’t disconnect and spill water all over the kitchen floor. Can you imagine how arduous wash day was? But back to writing a book.

My mother’s old manual typewriter was all I had. I used that typewriter to write a story of two kids who traveled the world and had adventures. One of the kids…the boy in the story…was me. The kids’ lives in my “book” mirrored my life. I was born in the UK, moved to the US at age 4, returned to the UK briefly when I was 7, returned to the US until I was in 4th grade, before it was back to the UK for the rest of 4th grade and all of 5th grade, and then back to the US for 6th grade. But, not all of 6th grade as I returned to England to finish out the school year. Nutty parenting decision?! My family also lived in Italy later on when I was in high school, but at least then only my dad lived in Italy while we visited on school vacations and long weekends. Can you say nomadic?

Anyway, so my hopes of writing a book are still alive although I am doing nothing to further my dreams. I write and write on this blog. In fact I post all over the place it seems. I post over at the new The DC Moms site about raising kids in DC. I write on Oysters Locals Blog about Lego, cupcakes, and food trucks. I write about all things Baltimore when it comes to parenting and…surviving parenting tweens. Writing about tweens works as I have a former tween, a present tween, and a up-and-coming tween, so you can catch me over at TypeAParent, too. As a blogger/writer living about the same distance from DC as Baltimore, I stick to my close-to-home, hyperlocal roots at Ellicott City’s Patch site.

But, no book is on the horizon…no book from me that is. I am in a book. The next best thing, right?! The book in question is an ebook from my favorite site for busy moms and dads who love to give back to their children’s schools through volunteering. VolunteerSpot provides an online hub site for coordinating sign ups for volunteering in the classroom, class parties, and of course schoolwide events. Last year I would not have kept track of when I was supposed to volunteer if not for VolunteerSpot.

I was asked to give my opinion on class parties for a very helpful, packed with tips and resources ebook from VolunteerSpot. I didn’t have to be asked twice. As a mom who has had a kid in a school since 1999 I know I can speak about class parties. Interestingly enough I have never been a room mom or had anything to do with planning a class party. I’m the go-to person to provide juice bags, snacks, or volunteer on the day of the party. But, I leave the planning to the uber-creative types.

Want to learn more about VolunteerSpot? Features and Benefits?

Check out the superb selection of ebooks here.

Like VolunteerSpot on Facebook. Follow VolunteerSpot on Twitter.

I’m not sure how it happened, but it did. The person who likes, but doesn’t jewels and jewelry has two daughters who adore anything shiny. How did I give birth to two daughters who are all about bling?

From the earliest days of their toddlerhood, each of the girls was enamored of necklaces, rings, tiaras, bracelets, feather boas, and anything else shiny and sparkly. At 12 and 15, my daughters love going through racks of jewelry at various mall stores. You know the stores I mean. I, on the other hand, stand in these stores clockwatching. The minutes tick by slowly in those stores I can tell you!

Recently, my daughters looked through the contents of a package sent to me for review. The package held a selection of charms and charm bracelets from MOGO.  My tween carefully fingered the bracelets. She reported that the fabric bands were shiny to the touch. Each bracelet had a number of silver circular disks on the outside of the band. She showed me the charm bands. Very quickly she opened the circular containers of charms. Within seconds she had decorated a charm bracelet with charms. Just a quick click and the magnetized charms attached to the bracelets.

So, how does it all work?

• The MOGO Charm Bracelets are available in about 14 vibrant colors. Priced at about $14.
• The MOGO Charm Bracelets can be used as a bracelet or joined together to form a headband or belt. Priced at about $12 for sets; $5 per Birthstone/Bling; and $4 each alphabet letter
• We liked the versatility of the charms and bracelets.
• The MOGO Charms are available in more than 50 themed sets of three MOGO Charms.
• Examples of MOGO Charms sets include:  birthstones, peace symbols, team spirit, and alphabet letters.

How do you buy MOGO Charms and Bracelets?

• The MOGO products are  available in more than 2,600 independent retail outlets, as well as in Nordstrom stores. For instance in Maryland, the following stores carry MOGO, Precious Gifts on Main Street in Ellicott City;  Retro Metro in Frederick and possibly Retro Metro’s Mount Airy location; and Synchronicity Boutique in Baltimore.
• Find a store near you. by entering your zip code.
• Or, buy online from the fine outlets listed here.
• You can buy directly from MOGO by going to MOGOCharm.com.

Fun for kids and tweens and even teens…try the Mood Matcher. Or create your own Charm Bracelets.

Oh, and there is one more item…MOGO Click Flops. The Click Flops come with 2 MOGO charms. You can add up to 7 charms to each flip flop to create your own personalized look.

I was sent a selection of MOGO Charm Bracelets and Charms to facilitate my review. The views expressed in this post are mine alone. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Games and blocks. What could be more fun, right?

We’re a second generation building block family. I remember building for hours and hours in my room, in the living room, and really anywhere in my childhood home. We moved many times. This toy was a constant due to its small size and the ease in which we could pack it away for our moves. My children have inherited my love for building blocks.

My youngest is a lover of board games. He could play games from morning to night when not playing with building blocks, of course. Recently, I was sent a game for review. The game combined building blocks and a favorite childhood game: Dominos. As you can imagine, Mega Bloks Domino Build Game was a hit with my youngest.

One of my hopes as a mom is that we will seize family time in whatever way we can. With children ranging from early elementary to high school, we have found a few games that all of us can play, but for the most part a game that is beloved by my youngest is proclaimed dull by my 15-year-old. It was cute watching my son teach his Grandad the rules of the game. He’s a stickler for rule following. His Grandad was considering amending the rules of the game, but thought better of it as my son gave him a look.

The Mega Bloks Domino Build Game is designed for the preschooler in your family. The game teaches basic skills necessary for boys and girls ages 3 to 6. At this age, kids love to show you what they know about colors and numbers. My son is no exception. In this game, little kids play dominoes by matching colors and animals. When a match is made, the child wins a block to assemble an animal. Win four blocks and you can make your animal. I observed that my son was having fun playing dominoes.

Connect with Mega Bloks:

• Join the Family Club at Mega Bloks and save.
• Like Mega Bloks on Facebook.
• Follow Mega Brands on Twitter.

I was sent Mega Bloks Domino Build game to facilitate my review by Team Mom. The views expressed in this post are my own. I blog following the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Last year I was contacted by the PR for a hip young singer of kid songs.  I was at first skeptical since my experience with kid singers and their songs was of the treacly, saccharine variety. My avoidance of singers of kiddie songs led me to expose my children exclusively to the CDs from our Kindermusik classes. One listen to Joanie Leeds’ City Kid or I’m a Rock Star and I was hooked.

City Kid is a fun, rousing burst of excitement — a music critic I am not, but I do know good music when I hear it. Joanie Leeds was the designated music-Mommy-can-tolerate-listening-to-in-the-car. I’m a Rock Star became a staple in our music activities when my son home from school.

Joanie Leeds is a prolific artist with a new album coming out today! It’s called What a Zoo! is by Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights.You can buy it as an MP3 download here…using my amazon link.

Are you like me and do you love a kid CD with tongue-in-cheek references that keep mom and dad amused? I never found anything remotely endearing to the ditties sung by Barney & Co., the Wiggles, and Yo Gabba Gabba. I would leave the room when the shows/CDs were playing…not so with Joanie Leeds. “The Nightlights” is too funny of a name for her group!

O.K. so here’s the scoop…Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights have tour dates inApril and May are FILLED with amazing concerts all across the country…

What A Zoo! is available for purchase here.

Tour Dates for Joanie Leeds & The Nightlights What a Zoo! Tour
4/16 – Brooklyn Children’s Museum – Brooklyn, NY
4/19 – Children’s Museum of Manhattan – New York, NY
4/23 – Off Broadway – St. Louis, MO
5/07 – Kennedy Center – Washington DC
5/14 – Wold Cafe Live at the Queen – Wilmington, DE
5/15 – 92Y Tribeca – New York, NY
6/04 – Madison Sq Park – New York, NY

Want to learn more about Joanie Leeds and her music? Follow on Facebook and Twitter.

I was not compensated for this post. I received the City Kid and I’m a Rock Star! CDs for a review and giveaway last year. The views expressed are my own. I support the tenets of Blog with Integrity.