mommypalooza™ ~ a daily dose of mommy mayhem.

{guest post}: Disney Infinity Virtual Toy Box Coming Soon

Guest post via UltraPortableTech.com

{video}: Our first day of Spring finds at Build-a-Bear Workshop!

 

{giveaway}: Pledge 20 Minutes of Reading a Day with LeapFrog

Growing up, reading was always stressed as such an important subject in school.  I'm happy to say that now, as a mom, I am carrying on that philosophy with my own kids.  One of the things that I love about my kids' school is that they stress early reading habits from the moment kids set foot as students there.  My 3rd grader has a book log that he is required to fill out each day for his weekly reading.  20 minutes a day is all it takes.  It has been a great way for my hubs and I to stay on top of his reading and hold him accountable for it each day.

Disney's Phineas and Ferb: Agent P vs. The Puzzle-Inator app on iTunes

My kids are big time Phineas and Ferb fans.  Over the holidays they received a few App Store gift cards for Christmas and I'm sure will be adding this new Phineas and Ferb & The Puzzle-Inator game app to their iPods and our iPad.  For $1.99 it seems like quite the value in fun.

12 fun ways to celebrate 12-12-12 with your kids!

It's something that will happen this Wednesday and then won't again in our lifetime.  12-12-12 {a.k.a., Day of the Dozen}, or December 12, 2012 will be here this week and because I'm a mom who thinks any occasion is a great occasion to have treats and celebrate with the kids, this date will be no different.

I am sure there are countless great ideas out there and I'd love to have yours!  How do you plan on commemorating this once-a-century date with your kids?  Here are a few ideas I came up with:

1. Fill-a-dozen Surprise - Take an egg carton and fill each compartment with a fun treat, note, or surprise!  Kids love little treats like this and think "inexpensive".  Something as simple as a mint or sticker will suffice.  The joy is in discovering what awaits them!
2. Make your own 12-topping pizza - Make it a homemade pizza night and offer up 12 different toppings for kids to choose from.  Include different kinds of cheeses, veggies, sauces, etc.  The possibilities are endless!
3. I love you by the dozens - Write your kiddo a poem or note listing 12 reasons you think they rock!  They'll love the praise and you'll love making them feel special commemorating this special day!
4. A dozen faces - Make a collage {either in print or digital} of 12 fun faces of your kids.  If you have a 12 year-old, what a fun thing to include a pic from each year!
5. Snacks by the dozen - Create a fun snack mix for your kids by taking a small baggie and including 12 different snacky items.  I did something similar to this to celebrate 100 days of school last year.  For example, 12 Cheerios, 12 Chex mix squares, 12 marshmallows, 12 raisins... you get the idea!  Super fun to make AND eat!
6. Books by the dozen - Pick out and make a stack of 12 fun books that you plan to read throughout the day with your kids.  Have fun reading throughout the day and keeping track of each one by number!
7. Bake-a-dozen - Bake a dozen cookies!! This is a no-brainer!  And at this time of year, what's not to love about baking?  You could even bake 2 dozen - keep 12 and give 12 away to a friend or neighbor.
8. Dozens of math facts - Try one of these fun learning activities to celebrate Dozen Day!  Thanks, LaSota's Little Learners!
9. Build by the dozen - Use 12 blocks, LEGOs, or other objects to build a tower or something creative.
10. A dozen moves - Have some indoor excercise or dancing fun by doing 12 somersaults, 12 jumping jacks, or 12 push-ups, etc.  This is a great way to work on gross motor and counting skills with your kids.
11. Insta-dozen - Take 12 photos throughout the day.  And then, of course, share them on Instagram.  'Nuff said!
12. Paint by 12 - Paint, draw, or color a picture with 12 objects.  For example, 12 stars in the sky, 12 fish in the sea, 12 apples on a tree, etc.  You get the idea.

So, what fun ideas do YOU have to celebrate this special day and make it fun?

{review + giveaway}: Hasbro Marvel toys to the rescue this holiday season! #HasbroHoliday

With three boys in the house, we see our fair share of superheroes.  So, you can imagine how bonkers they all went when we recently received The Avengers Iron Man role play mask and tri-power repulsor (a.k.a. "blaster").

It was as if my 6 year-old was getting to have Christmas early as he tore the box of goodies open and took to wearing this fun Iron Man gear around the house.

Now, I don't know about you but at our house we have an entire SECTION dedicated to all of the role play and "dress up" clothes & costumes we've collected over the years.  My boys are famous for slipping into a costume of their choice on any given day and running around the house as their favorite character or superhero.  That's what I love about the entire Hasbro Marvel role play toy collection.  They're toys that kids will use over and over again, and each time in a new way - reinventing characters they know using their imaginations.  They offer parents a great way to capture the excitement of their kids’ favorite movies and characters. 

The role play toys available on the Hasbro website range from masks, chest lights, gloves, helmets and more.  The Hasbro line of Marvel toys are based on popular Super Heroes like IRON MAN, HULK, THOR or CAPTAIN AMERICA from MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS or SPIDER-MAN and THE LIZARD from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.   They're all ideal holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for all the little superhero fans in your life!

And thanks to Hasbro, I'm excited to offer one of you the opportunity to WIN the exact same Hasbro Iron Man role play toys that are pictured above in this post!  Yay!  Your little superhero is going to LOVE unwrapping this under the tree this holiday season!  Just see below for all the details on how to enter.  Good luck and happy holidays to you all!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Disclosure: This is part of a product review campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and Hasbro; complimentary products were provided.  However, all opinions expressed are my own.}

{review}: Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two PS3 video game

Disney's Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two arrived on our doorstep just a week or so ago and the world as I know it has NOT been the same!  With three boys in the house {four, if you count the hubs}, the excitement level has climbed the equivalent height of Expedition Everest!

Right out of the gate what my kids were excited about was quite frankly, to see their old pal Mickey on the screen.

What I love about this game is that we can play in co-op mode which is great for siblings, mom & son, dad & son, etc.  Not many games that are family-friendly are this fun to play together!

Yep, that's me and my 3 year-old, Jacob, sitting down for a game.  I just LOVE the sweet look he's got on his face - so proud that he can play video games like his big brothers, too. Now, I'm not a super gamer or anything, but even I know a fun and wholesome game when I see one. 

And my 6 year-old, William, can even enjoy the game playing with his younger brother.  I should also mention that my 9 year-old, Nathan {not pictured here}, has been pretty stoked about playing Epic Mickey, too.  In fact, when I asked him how he'd describe the game's most interesting feature, he told me that he likes the "different worlds" that Mickey and Oswald get to explore together. William, on the other hand, loves that the there are different "tools" - like lightning - that Mickey can use throughout the game to make things happen. 

Epic Mickey 2 brings together the worlds of imaginative play and strategy in a way that provides for a fun and non-violent gaming experience that the whole family can enjoy.  I can think of a few boys and girls who'd love to receive it under the tree this holiday season!  Wouldn't yours?

{Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Disney’s Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two the video game. All opinions expressed are my own.  No one is the boss of me!}

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LEGO Brickation in select cities this summer! {giveaway}

photo credit: Branson Landing

If you have a LEGO loving kid on your hands and are near Branson, Missouri, you're invited to come build in Branson!  There's never been a better time for families in Kansas City to make the short drive to visit Branson, MO.  For a limited time, Branson Landing, a shopping center located in Branson, MO, will feature The Lego Summer Brickation, offering different activities for building, games and challenges, and photo opportunities with life-size Lego models.

This fun experience will offer visitors and families a fun and new way to engage with the LEGO brand first-hand.  The Brickation will be located near the Landing’s Town Square area from July 25-Sept. 9.

This Branson location is only one of four sites in the United States.  Other locations include Myrtle Beach, S.C., Lake Tahoe, California, and Traverse City, Michigan.

To celebrate this fun event, I've got a fun LEGO prize pack {pictured below} available to give away to one of you!  One winner will receive a package with a fun LEGO pirate hat, LEGO Club Magazine, and a package of LEGO building bricks!

To enter to win, simply comment on this blog with your favorite summertime travel tip, and "Like" the Mommypalooza Facebook page!  One winner will be selected from all valid entries on August 2, 2012.

For more information on the exhibit, call Branson Landing at 417-239-3002 or visit www.bransonlandingshops.com

{Disclosure: I received compensation as well as prize pack for giveaway in exchange for blogging about this event.  All opinions expressed are my own. No one is the boss of me!}

Uno game card holder

During a recent game of Uno, the kids and I came up with an invention to make our game-playing much easier.  You see, in the game of Uno each player receives 7 cards each.  Well, as an adult even I sometimes have trouble fanning my cards out so that I can see them all the same time, so of course my 7 and 5 year-old struggle to hold all of their cards out, too.

It was decided we would come up with a remedy for this very serious problem!  Because what you need to know is that we are a family who LOVES to play board and card games together to pass some of our lazy summer afternoons. 

Hmm....perhaps we should add it to our summer to-do list.

At any rate, I'm sure Hasbro will be calling any minute because this cute little card holder makes playing Uno soooo much more fun (especially with little kids)!

First off, we cut 4 box flaps from a large cardboard box. 

Then took a sheet of brown construction paper and a ruler to mark off strips that were about a ruler's width. 

This allowed for about 4 strips to be made per piece of construction paper.

Then we taped two strips of the paper together so that it spanned the entire width of the cardboard piece we'd cut earlier.  This strip would be where the cards would be tucked into.  You'll see how this works later.

After measuring the width of the cardboard, the excess from the strip of paper is cut off.

Then, we side of the strip to the edges of the cardboard piece.  We used just regular Scotch tape on our first card holder, however, we found the clear packing tape worked best for subsequent holders.  Duct tape would probably work just as well!

Next, we took packing tape to seal off the bottom edge of the strip of paper to the bottom edge of the cardboard flap.

Finally, VOILA!  We've got a card holder!

. . . And, two very happy Uno players!

Don't you just love the ideas kids come up with these days?  We ended up making 4 of these card holdersand have used them a few times for playing Uno.  I imagine they will work for other games where cards are needed, too.  Sure beats me having to fan out the cards for my kids every  5 seconds during game play!