What’s in a name? {Birthday Keepsakes review & giveaway}

When it comes to birthday presents, I really love to give something that has meaning. Depending on the person, that can be super hard… Dad!! Hello- does anyone actually have a Dad that is easy to shop for, except for maybe those who like to golf or other such sports! One person who is super easy to shop for is my little peanut!! I mean after all, kids like just about anything right? Depending on the toy, that may or may not hold true!

I recently came across something I am giving my little guy for his 2nd birthday. Now that is still not for many months still, but I am SO excited!! He LOVE LOVE LOVES books. And I’m hoping by the time he turns two he will appreciate this book as much as I do! I was recently generously sent a personalized birthday book from Birthday Keepsakes! Yes!! You’re child can finally be in the story! It is such a great idea! You put in your child’s name, first, middle, and last, and birthday and there is an animal and small desciption that coincides with that letter. There are even options on which animal to choose for each letter! It is customizable for boys, girls, adopted children, any situation possible! There is also a great option to add a caption on the title page with a photo as well as who it’s from and a date too! This book is REAL Mom Recommended and did I already mention I’m excited for his next birthday!!

I think he’s going to go crazy for it! I was super impressed with how quickly it arrived, and the pictures and the story itself is super cute! If you are looking for something ‘extra’ special for your little one’s next birthday (or maybe a niece or nephew), this is the perfect thing! They also have some other really great ideas for personalizing the perfect gift! Thanks birthday keepsakes!

Today Birthday Keepsakes is generously giving away a “my

name story book” to one lucky winner!

(You will recieve a GC that will cover up to 24 characters, a picture on the title page and the cost of shipping.)

Want to win? Here’s how:

Mandatory 1st Entry- Visit Birthday Keepsakes then come back and tell us your favorite item or something you learned from their website.

Once the mandatory entries are completed you can gain additional entries from the following:

4 entries-“Like” Birthday Keepsakes on facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on facebook.

3 entries-Subscribe to RMRV emails.

3 entries-Follow Birthday Keepsakes on Twitter.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter

1 entry per day-Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#Enter to win a ”my name story book” at @agiveawaydaily

5 entries- Blog about this entry and leave us the link

3 entries- Add RMRV on Google +

You have until February 2nd @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open toUSAonly.

Audrey

Audrey has one very sweet baby boy & has been married for 5 years. She is a licensed massage therapist and enjoys being a SAHM with her little munchkin! She loves working out…especially running, cooking, shopping, makeup, reading, playing the piano, traveling, & spending time with family!
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Audrey January 20, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, children, entertainment, Gifts, giveaway link up, kids, learning tools

The World Is As Big As Your Imagination {Phaidon Press children’s books review}

I love to read! As a kid I remember some of my favorite books and looked forward to reading them over and over. I think (hopefully!) that my little munchkin may have the same love for books! He may be only 15 months, but he LOVES books! He spends loads of time everyday looking through his collection, meticulously flipping each page and looking at the pictures. It really melts my heart when he actually brings me the book and wants to crawl up into my lap so I can read it to him! We also love our story time every night before bed and have to have at least 3 or more stories before bed. (I could probably get away with only one or two but I LOVE reading to him!!) We recently had the chance to add to our library. Phaidon Press was very generous and sent us some of their new releases in their fabulous children’s collection. I have to say I am very impressed by the creativity and especially the illustrations in the books! We received some for older children as well as younger ones, so I have only been able to read the younger ones to my little guy so far. We especially loved “Bugs in the Garden,” by Beatrice Alemagna, which had illustrations using felt board characters, and also “What color is your world?”, by Bob Gill, which has very creative ideas for teaching kids about colors and what they relate to. I can’t wait for my little guy to get older so we can explore the other books we received! Thanks Phaidon Press!! A couple of the other gals had the same opportunity to try out the books as well. Here’s what they had to say.

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales” ~ Albert Einstein

I believe Albert Einstein was most definitely on to something when he said this, only I believe he could have said, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read to them.” Fairy tales, nursery rhymes, fiction, biographies, a cereal box…just read to them. Phaidon Books sent our family several of their children’s titles to read and add to our ever growing library! My children love books and the time we spend together reading them! They were overjoyed with the lot of books they received from Phaidon Books! I mean, really, they spoiled them rotten and we were all so excited! Hollis’ favorite of the bunch is What Colour is your World? By Bob Gill. It is a fun book with whimsical illustrations that is a cute read and can be used to teach colors and even color words to children! Hollis loves sitting in my lap looking at the pages and naming the colors and objects he sees! We also received the Mellops series by Tomi Ungerer including The Mellops go Diving for Treasure, The Mellops Strike Oil, and Christmas Eve at the Mellops’. Ava loves this series and has requested them many nights for her bedtime story. They keep her interested and she loves listening to the story and asking lots of questions throughout! We have had the most fun with Doodle Cook, by Herve Tullet! Ava loves sitting with me and following the instructions as I read them to her! We do a few pages at a time or until she is through! It is so cute to see what she creates on each page, and she really has created a few masterpieces! I’m sure Mr. Tullet would be proud! Phaidon has a children’s book line is full of great titles, all containing great stories and unique illustrations! We love the books we received and look forward to more time reading together!

Amanda

We love books! My kids love to read, and it has always been something (as a mom) that has been important to me for my children. The books we received from Phaidon Press were perfect for my kids! They ranged from “Nicholas” which is a great chapter book for older kids to “Bugs in the Garden” which is a sweet little book for younger children. The ones that I have read with Mia have been darling. She loved all of the pictures and thought What Color is Your World was silly. I think our very favorite book was Doodle Cook, which is an interactive book where you help create the dish according to the recipe. There are all kinds of fun directions which leads to a delightful picture on the page that your child created! April absolutely loved that book! Hailee and Austin are reading Nicholas and think Nichlas is funny and naughty, but do occasionally come to me with a question (they get confused on a few words since it is a English) All in all, we were more then thrilled with the selection of book Phaidon Press. Everyone of them was wonderful! We loved everyone of them!!

Erin

Be sure to check out the other titles in the children’s collection available through Phaidon’s website!! You won’t be disappointed! These children’s books come REAL Mom Recommended and I’m so excited to continue the adventures of reading with my little guy!

Audrey

Audrey January 18, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS books, children, entertainment, kids, learning tools

Quirky, fun finds! {Knock Knock Review}

I was quick to fall in love with Knock Knock and their quirky and fun product line when I gifted my sweet niece their This or That book for Christmas! I was so excited to give it to her and she was thrilled to receive it! It’s a simple book with cute illustrations and on each page offers a choice between two things and then asks for details about the one you choose! Cute and I think it kept her a bit busy over the holiday break, too! I stumbled upon it in a local shop, but had to check out their website. I found so many more unique items I would love to have myself and will also keep up my sleeve as gift giving ideas for friends, young and old!

Knock Knock was founded on January 1, 2002, by Jen Bilik, with the mission of creating interesting, smart, well-designed gift and stationery products, along with anything else that might strike the Knock Knock fancy.

Our sensibility is proudly distinct, in contrast to the overwhelming homogenization and conservatism that characterize committee-created corporate product. We believe that many people are intelligent enough to appreciate wit, wordplay, and conceptual thinking, so we strive not to dumb down as we create.

At Knock Knock we enjoy our work and delight in infusing our product with the fun we feel while making it. We operate out of light-filled loft studios in Venice, California, a fantasy locale if ever there was one. Our team now numbers fifteen—a lean, productive group of amazing people who do everything from creating our products and books to overseeing the all-important logistical dynamics of manufacturing, sales, and distribution.

I was so excited to receive a couple of my favorite items from Knock Knock; something for the small ones and something for myself! Yay! Knock Knock generously sent my littles their Let’s Pretend Pad; A notepad that encourages your child to use their imagination and create a pretend play idea! It is totally cute and Ava has loved thinking up fun pretend play ideas using her Let’s Pretend Pad as a guide {with my help, too, of course}! Since we received it, it has quickly become her favorite play activity; she has quite a wild imagination and I love how it shines through when she is creating these wild pretend ideas! They also included a few pages of various stickers at the back, which we all know is pretty much the key to any child’s heart! Definitely a sweet touch to an already fantastic product! I also love that I can keep these funny little play scenarios in her baby book and we can look back on them as she gets older! I was so happy to receive the Money Spent Pocket Notes; a nifty little pocket pad small enough to fit in your purse or pocket allowing you to track your money and see where the cash in your wallet is spent. I am on a mission this year to spend less and save more; really keep a close eye on my spending. It seems like cash just dissapears from my wallet these days and I am happy to have this little book to help me track it all and see exactly where it is going. I’m sure it will make me a bit more aware of my spending and help me to make better decisions with our money! Knock Knock has so many amazing products, everything from sticky notes, note pads, stationary, journals, even specialty flash cards {Slang Flashcards to be specific, that can help you learn & understand the tricky tongue of the teens! So great!}! Knock Knock offers a wonderful variety; you are sure to find a perfect gift for yourself or someone else!

You can find Knock Knock products online as well as at a few local shops!

Check out Knock Knock on Twitter and Facebook, where you can keep up with the latest product news and information straight from Knock Knock!

Knock Knock is Real Mom approved!

Amanda

Amanda is a southern gal that loves coffee shop chit chat with dear friends, daydreaming, and an obsession with with polka dots, scarves, funky jewelry, children’s books, and anything vintage. She has two of the sweetest children that fill her heart and days with happiness.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Amanda January 12, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS books, children, Gifts, kids, organization

The 39 Clues: Rapid Fire {The 39 Clues 1-10 Paperback Boxed Set Giveaway}

THE 39 CLUES: RAPID FIRE

Seven Days, Seven Stories – One Explosive Secret

About the Series: Seven days, seven stories—one explosive secret.

Celebrate the holiday season with The 39 Clues. Beginning on December 25, a different top secret eBook short story will be released daily, leading up to an explosive finale on December 31.

Codes hidden in each of the seven stories combine to unlock an exclusive card and medal on the website.

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Today, we have a 39 Clues: Paperback Boxed Set 1-10 to giveaway!

{$70 value!}

Here’s how to enter for your chance to win it:

{Mandatory entry}

Tell us who you would give these books to if you were to win?

Once the mandatory entry is complete, you can gain additional entries from the following:

5 entries-Add RMRV to Google+

3 entries-Follow RMRV by Google Friends Connect.

2 entries- “Like” 39 Clues on Facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on Facebook.

2 entries-Share this giveaway on your Facebook page.

3 entries- Subscribe to RMRV emails.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter.

2 entries- Follow Scholastic on Twitter.

1 entry per day-Tweet this giveaway (use the link below the post) and leave us your tweet url.

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the url link.

{You have until January 2nd @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

Hollie

Hollie is the owner and coordinator of Real Moms Real Views. She loves spending time with her family which consists of her handsome hubby and three kiddos ages three and under. She loves her fur baby (dog), the smell after it rains, red nail polish, chick flicks, and anything chocolate!
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Hollie December 17, 2011 PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, teens, the 39 clues

Book Picks for Boys! {$50 Visa Gift Card & 3 Books Prize Pack Giveaway}

Looking for a great Holiday Gift for the “Teen Boy” in your family or home?

Give the gift of reading. Books are a great gift and we have three that we want to showcase to you today:

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The Eleventh Plague

“The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…An excellent, taut debut novel.” – Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games

In the aftermath of a war, America’s landscape has been ravaged and two thirds of the population left dead from a vicious strain of influenza. Fifteen-year-old Stephen Quinn and his family were among the few that survived and became salvagers, roaming the country in search of material to trade for food and other items essential for survival. But when Stephen’s grandfather dies and his father falls into a coma after an accident, Stephen finds his way to Settler’s Landing, a community that seems too good to be true, where there are real houses, barbecues, a school, and even baseball games. Then Stephen meets strong, defiant, mischievous Jenny, who refuses to accept things as they are. And when they play a prank on the town bully’s family that goes horribly wrong, chaos erupts, and they find themselves in the midst of a battle that will change Settler’s Landing forever.

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Underdogs

Before The Book Thief, Markus Zusak wrote a trilogy of novels about the Wolfe brothers: The Underdogs, Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and Getting the Girl. Cameron and Ruben Wolfe are champions at getting into fights, coming up with half-baked schemes, and generally disappointing girls, their parents, and their much more motivated older siblings. They’re intensely loyal to each other, brothers at their best and at their very worst. But when Cameron falls head over heels for Ruben’s girlfriend, the strength of their bond is tested to its breaking point.

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iBoy

Before the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teen. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they’re having an extraordinary effect on his every thought. Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could. But with his new powers comes a choice: Seek revenge on the vicious gangs who rule the South London housing project where he lives, and who violated his friend Lucy? Or keep quiet and move on? Not even the search engine in his head can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy’s actions. A wifi, thriller by YA master Kevin Brooks.

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These three titles would make the perfect gift! Pick them up at your local book retailer.

Today, we have a fun Book Prize pack to giveaway to one of you!

{iBoy, The Eleventh Plague, and Under Dogs books & a $50 Visa Cash Card!}

Here’s how to enter for your chance to win it:

{Mandatory entry}

Tell us who you would give these books to if you were to win? or Tell us your all time favorite book?

Once the mandatory entry is complete, you can gain additional entries from the following:

5 entries-Add RMRV to Google+

3 entries-Follow RMRV by Google Friends Connect.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on Facebook.

2 entries-Share this giveaway on your Facebook page.

3 entries- Subscribe to RMRV emails.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter.

2 entries-For each comment you leave on a non-giveaway post on Real Moms Real Views.

1 entry per day-Tweet this giveaway (use the link below the post) and leave us your tweet url.

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the url link.

{You have until December 30th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

Hollie

Hollie December 16, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, reading, teens

A Collection of 8 Books in One! {The Family Storybook Treasury Review & Giveaway}

Family, friends, your favorite characters…bring them all together at story time! Share the book that is sure to entertain, delight, and make the whole gang laugh. The Family Storybook Treasury is a collection of your most well-loved picture books and poetry, now available in one beautiful keepsake volume with bonus audio CD!

We love reading. With a three year old and a one year old, any time I sit down with a good book, they are eager to sit on my lap and listen. My little girl loves looking at the pictures and making sounds as we read along. My little guy is learning the stories and loves to help me read his favorite books. With our new copy of The Family Storybook Treasury in our book collection the children are loving it. I love it because it features such great pictures and stories.

It features eight picture books:

Curious George and the Firefighters by Margret and H. A. Rey
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Lyle Walks the Dogs by Bernard Waber, illustrated by Paulis WaberSheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw, illustrated by Margo Apple
Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton

My son’s favorite is Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. He loves this story because at bedtime I always sing him a monkey song. My little girls favorite is Lyle Walks the Dog because she loves to see the “puppy” as she calls it. It is such a wonderful collection and I know we will enjoy it for years and years to come.

You can purchase this delightful Storybook online today for $18.99.

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Today, we have one The Family Storybook Treasury to giveaway today!

What you get: A copy of The Family Storybook Treasury & a Pair of kid-safe headphones

Here’s how to enter to win:

{Mandatory entry}

Tell us who you would share this wonderful book with if you were to win it!

Once the mandatory entry is complete, you can gain additional entries from the following:

3 entries – Follow RMRV by Google Friends Connect.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on Facebook.

3 entries- Subscribe to RMRV emails.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter.

1 entry per day- Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#WIN The Family Storybook Treasury at @agiveawaydaily

5 entries- Blog about this entry and leave us the link.

You have until December 23rd @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.

Hollie

Hollie December 8, 2011 PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, children, reading

Time Keepin’ Bookmark {mark-my-time Review & Giveaway}

Mark-My-Time™ Digital Bookmark

There’s no other product quite like it! Now you can accurately track children’s required reading times to help take the work out of daily reading homework.

Reading has always been a favorite pastime of mine. As a little girl, I was encouraged to read, and had great role models in my parents, who read books or newspapers around me often. One of my fond reading memories was when my 1st grade teacher created a “reading railroad” on our class bulletin out of milk cartons, where we would put note cards filled out with information about a book we read. Once we accumulated so many note cards we received a treat……..lunch with our teacher:)…….wait, it gets better………if you accumulated 100 book reviews you would earn a trip to the bookstore to purchase a book of your choice!! I’ll never forget Ms. Godderman or the trip to the bookstore:) Even to this day, the library or our local bookstore makes me get all giddy!

To my great pleasure, my little ladies also love to read. I think I may be keeping Scholastic in business! Well, as many of you out there with school aged kiddos may know, teachers today are requiring reading as homework. They send home reading logs with daily or weekly time criteria, which once completed by the child, must be signed off on by parents. With busy schedules it’s sometimes hard to keep track of how long your child has read. This is where mark-my-time comes in handy! I discovered this product last year, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to review it for you today. Mark-my-time is a digital bookmark that is powered by a watch battery (easy to replace!), and keeps track of time spent reading. You can either set it to let the time accumulate (up to 100 hours!!) or set the countdown function which alarms when your child has reached the required reading time. The bookmark is slim enough to fit between book pages, and is durably made of polyethylene plastic.

Mark-my-time’s newest gadget is their digital booklight bookmark! My fashion diva daughters are going to be excited to find their cheetah print booklights in their stockings this year. How perfect, the same great original mark-my-time bookmark features plus a bright LED adjustable light with an integrated clip to attach the bookmark to book pages. The light even turns off when using the countdown timer.

Although I don’t have to nag my girls to read, I could totally see the reading resistant child becoming interested in reading once they have their own timer to play with. My girls think it’s fun to set the timer themselves, and are always surprised when the alarm sounds. There is one more feature that is neat….a 60 second timer to test fluency. My girls have competitions to see how much they can read in a minute………hey, how much can you read in a minute?!

This is what our other REAL MOMS thought about the mark-my-time bookmark line:

As soon as I saw the Mark-My-Time Digital Bookmark, I was so excited! We are not in the whole world of timed reading assignments that come with elementary school, but I know we will be there before we know it! The Mark-My-Time Digital Bookmark is such a fabulous item, providing children and parents a great way to keep up with their child’s weekly reading assignments! Along with being oh-so practical, they are also too cute! Mark-My-Time sent Ava the Digital Booklight in a fantastic leopard print {How sassy and perfect for my girly girl?!} and Hollis a Digital Bookmark in blue! My favorite features, other than the obvious, digital time keeper, has to be the integrated page clip. I will be putting these up until the time comes for them to be put to good use by my children, and I can’t wait! I know they are going to add a bit of extra fun and novelty to weekly reading assignments, making them more exciting to complete! The Mark-My-Time Bookmark or Booklight would make a fantastic stocking stuffer for any school age child!

I have three avid readers in my house. My kids LOVE to read! We constantly have books laying everywhere with a playing card sticking out, a torn off piece of paper, or the old fashion dog e corner to mark their places. That is no more because my kids are in LOVE with their new bookmarks. Not only because they are super cute, but totally practical and helpful. My kids are required by their teachers to read at least 20 minutes a day. They love that their bookmark counts down while they do their daily reading, but they can also use it while they do their reading fluency (where they see how many words they can ready in 1 minute). But, their favorite part is the light! We have both the digital bookmark and the digital booklight and the booklight is the one they are always looking for. They love the fun prints, too! Thanks for helping make homework and reading a little more enjoyable!

Mark-my-time Bookmarks are REAL MOM RECOMMENDED!

Wanna save some money on Mark My Time Bookmarks? Head over to their facebook page and find a sweet code to help you save some money this holiday season. mark-my-time on Facebook.

Today we are giving away (2) mark-my-time bookmarks(retail $8.95ea) and (3) booklight/bookmarks(retail $14.95ea) to one lucky Real Moms Real Views reader!!

Want to enter to win? Here’s how!! {Mandatory entry}

Tell us which book your child would read first with their new mark-my-time bookmark

Once the mandatory entry is complete, you can gain additional entries from the following:

3 entries- “Like” mark-my-time on Facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on Facebook.

3 entries- Subscribe to RMRV emails.

3 entries- Follow Real Moms Real Views by Google Friends Connect.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter.

1 entry per day- Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#WIN a mark-my-time bookmark at the Real Moms Real Views Holiday Event @agiveawaydaily

1 entry – Comment on any non-giveaway RMRV post (you can do this up to 3 times).

1 entry – Tell us which pattern or color mark-my-time bookmark/light is your favorite.

5 entries- Blog about this entry and leave us the link.

You have until December 12th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.

Christina

Christina married her college sweetheart & best friend 12 years ago & they are proud parents to two lovely ladies, one who is an official “tween” & the other not far behind. She owns an event floral business & is very creative. She loves dressing up, crafting, and planning parties.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Christina November 28, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS booklight, bookmark, books, reading

Arts, Crafts, and Laughs! {KLUTZ Review and Giveaway}

As a mom, I get tired of the TV, the Wii, and movies going non stop. I love when my kids have some “unplugged” time and have a little ‘ol fun. But, those things don’t always seem to be what my kids want to do cuz it ‘s “boring.” Well, here is a NON BORING way to unplug and let your kid’s creative side come out. KLUTZ is a company that is all about kids! They offer so many fun things for kids to do while being creative and use their imaginations. They have all kinds of different books that are a “how to” of sorts. Not only do they tell you how to do something, they SHOW you how to do and create. The books come with just about everything you need to do the craft, activity, or project involved.

…”how-to books from Klutz come packaged with the tools of their trade (from juggling cubes to face paints to yo-yos), and are designed for doing, not just reading. “We think people learn best through their hands, nose, feet, mouth and ears. Then their eyes. So we design multi-sensory books,” Cassidy says. The appeal of this hands-on approach is borne out by sales figures; Klutz is a fixture on U.S. book and toy bestseller lists, and is available in 24 countries around the world.”

KLUTZ was so kind to let us give two of their books a whirl. The first we got was Stamp Art. This is one of the newest books in their collection. “Stamp Art makes stamping simpler — and more creative — than ever. Stick the included shapes on the see-through acrylic block to create your own one-of-a-kind stamp design. Full of inspirational artwork and instruction, this stamp-right-in-it book shows how to create animals, flowers, houses, aliens… anything you can dream up.” At first glance, I thought it was a normal stamping book, but it’s not. It is WAY more. The stamps come in a variety of shapes and sizes and you piece those shapes together to create flowers, animals, houses, fairies, anything you can dream of. Not only does the book come with stamps, but it comes with ink for stamping, pencils for coloring in and of course the block to put the stamps on. GENIOUS!

The second book is called Draw The DC Universe. This book is a great one for the little guys in your life. It isn’t girly like a lot of “art” projects seem to be, so they will love it for sure! “This book is a complete how-to-draw package, jammed with expert tips and techniques, tons of practice space, and of course, a universe of DC heroes and villains. The draw-right-in-it book comes with everything you need: a sketching pencil, a drawing marker, artist’s pencils in six colors, a big block eraser to fight crimes against the page, stencils, and translucent overlays scattered throughout for can’t-fail tracing activities.” I was worried that this book would be too hard for my 8 year old, but not only does it have tips and hints on how to draw, it has clear overlays to trace! So whether they can or can’t draw, they can with this book! Your little guy will feel like a super hero himself while he is sketching, doodling and drawing all of those heroes they love to read about and watch!

These books are not cheap little flimsy paperback books with a couple of pencils attached. They are good sized hard back books. The colors and pages are wonderful! I honestly didn’t know this company existed, but now I am so glad that I do! My girls are totally into stuff like this. I know April would love the Paper Fashions Fancy. She loves drawing dresses and the girls to put them on,this would take it to a whole new level for her. Another one I would love to see my kids try (okay, maybe I want to try it too) is the Capsters. Who doesn’t need a little bottle cap art in their life!? Any of their products would make an incredible Christmas gift for any child! REAL MOM APPROVED!!

Order online at KLUTZ.com and use the coupon code KLUTZ4U and receive 20% off your entire order!! Promo cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires 12/31/2011

Want to See Your Kid’s Face Light Up On Christmas When They Open These Books?!

Enter To Win!! There will be 2 lucky winners that will each receive the Stamp Art book AND Draw the DC Universe book.

{Mandatory entry}

Visit KLUTZ and take a look around. Come back and tell us which one of their incredible books your kids would like most.

Once the mandatory entry is complete, you can gain additional entries from the following:

2 entries- “Like” KLUTZ Genie on Facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on Facebook.

3 entries- Subscribe to RMRV emails.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter.

3 entries-Watch the YouTube video from How To Draw DC Universe.

1 entry per day- Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#WIN 2 KLUTZ Books!! @agiveawaydaily

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the link.

You have until December 7th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only.

This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.

Erin

Erin is a mommy to 4 fab kiddos! She serves as their maid, cook, and taxi driver. She has been married to the “man of her dreams” for 11 years now. They love spending every free minute together enjoying activities such as camping, swimming, playing games and having movie night.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Erin November 23, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, children, entertainment, Gifts, kids, learning tools, toys

Hidden Holiday Fun! {Can You See What I See? Toyland Express by Walter Wick Review & Giveaway}

We are already getting excited about the Holidays! I know they will be here and gone before we know it, so we are already busting out some holiday fun around the house! I love snuggling up and spending time reading holiday books to the kids, Can You See What I See? Toyland Express, by Walter Wick has quickly become a new holiday favorite for the kids and myself!

An amazing new search-and-find adventure from the creative mind of renowned photographer and author Walter Wick. Amazing photographs accompany a search-and-find story by Walter Wick, the creator of award-winning picture books, the author and photographer of the New York Times bestselling Can You See What I See? series, and the photographer of the bestselling I Spy series.YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? TOYLAND EXPRESS, the eighth title in the bestselling search-and-find series, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, only to be rescued at a yard sale and brought to life once again in a new home. As readers search for more than 250 hidden objects, they will also notice how the train takes on various transformations along its journey.

Ava loves reading her Can You See What I See? Cool Collections book at her Gran’s house and I knew she would adore her own copy of the new Can You See What I See? Toyland Express Search and Solve book! She will spend quite a long time searching for the items listed and feels so accomplished when she finds something she is searching for! We have been looking at Can You See What I See? Toyland Express every night before bed, spending bit of time on a couple pages. She looks so forward to searching and finding and she is a little collector herself, so she loves looking at the detailed pictures throughout the book! We make up different games as we search through each page…who can find the most items? Who can find the item the fastest? You will have so much fun sharing this book with your child!

Check out some behind the scenes footage from the creation of Toyland Express!

Walter Wick has opened millions of eyes to a world of treasures big and small in his award-winning, bestselling I SPY and CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? picture-puzzle books. Walter discovered his passion for building picture puzzles by accident. One day when cleaning out a drawer, he scattered odds and ends on a glass tabletop and photographed them. The photo appeared in a magazine and caught the eye of Jean Marzollo, editor of Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out. This photo inspired the first I SPY book, with riddles by Jean Marzollo, and led to their long collaboration.

You can keep up with Walter Wick and his work by checking out his website & Facebook Page!

Today, Three Winners will receive a copy of Can You See What I See? Toyland Express! by Walter Wick to add to their holiday library!

Want to enter to win? Here’s how!

Mandatory 1st Entry:

1)Visit Scholastic and take a look around! Come back and tell us another book you would love to add to your child’s library this holiday season!

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Once the mandatory entry is completed you can gain additional entries from the following:

3 entries-Subscribe to RMRV emails or RSS feed.

5 entries- Follow Real Moms Real Views by Google Friends Connect.

1 entry: “Like” RMRV on Facebook!

1 entry: “Like” Scholastic on Facebook. {you can leave them a little love, if you wish!}

1 entry: “Like” Walter Wick on Facebook! {You can leave a little love, if you wish!}

2 entries: Follow Scholastic on Twitter.

1 entry per day-Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#WIN Can You See What I See? Toyland Express from @scholastic @agiveawaydaily

2 entries: Comment on any non-giveaway post on RMRV!

5 entries- Blog about this giveaway and leave us the link.

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express is Real Mom Approved and would make a fantastic holiday gift!!!

{You have until November 29th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.}

Amanda

Amanda November 15, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, children, Gifts, kids, learning tools

Once Upon A Time… {YourNovel.com Review and Giveaway}

At Christmas time my husband and I always try to give each other something unique. I have given him a couple of photo albums and he has given me a jewelry box. I have given him a watch box and he has given me a bread maker. It is always fun to see what we can come up with to give to one another.

YourNovel.com, founded in 1992, is a husband and wife company who write books together. They have written 20 of the 28 novels available on YourNovel.com. But these are really unique and interesting novels. YOU get to be the star of these romance novels!

“Any couple can play the starring roles in these novels – as hero or heroine – how cool is that? With dozens of books and eBooks set in exotic locations around the world, there’s something for everyone (even vampire, detective, golf and historical fiction).” There is a little bit of action and a little bit of romance which makes a fun and one-of-a-kind gift or keepsake. “These books have been featured in People magazine, on “The View” and “The Today Show,” Elle magazine, Bridal Guide, Entrepreneur magazine and NPR Marketplace.”

YourNovel.com is very simple to use. First, pick out what novel you like the best. There are a few different categories so you can really pick something that reminds you of relationship….or perhaps one you think would be fun. I picked “Another Day in Paradise.” It is “set on a lush, exotic, Caribbean island. [The] couple win an all-expenses paid trip to a lavish, new resort where they are pampered as honored guests. … As they explore their paradise, they stumble onto unsavory characters and a danger that threatens to keep them apart.” Next, choose hardback, paperback, or eBook. I received a paperback. Next, pick steamy, sexy “wild,” or cuddly, flirty “mild.” I chose to go with wild…after all it is a romance novel. Next step, add a photo…if you would like. I chose to add our engagement picture, a nice close up of the two of us. Lastly, add the details. YourNovel.com asks you questions and you fill in the blanks. “Her closest airport:” “What make of car he drives:” “His pet name for her:” etc. This way your information goes in the book, personalizing it just for you and your lover. These details make the book so fun to read because it is about YOU!

I can hardly wait to give this to my hubby! You can give one to your loved on too! At checkout use this code for 20% off: REALMOMSROCK (and we do too!!)

Today, YourNovel.com is giving one lucky winner…

a paperback with or without a cover photo. An $82 value!!

Want to win? Here is how to enter:

1st entry–MANDATORY–Go to YourNovel.com and tell us what book you would pick if you won

1 entry–Would you pick “wild” or “mild”? Would you add a photo to the cover?

1 entry–Who would you make your novel about? You and your spouse? Made up people? etc

2 entries–Sign up to receive the YourNovel.com newsletter

2 entries–”Like” YourNovel.com on Facebook

2 entries–Go to YourNovel.com’s blog and tell us something you read

1 entry per day–Follow YourNovel.com and RMRV on Twitter and tweet: Enter to #WIN a personalized romance novel! $82 ARV @agiveawaydaily @yournovelcom

4 entries–Sign up to receive RMRV emails

6 entries–Make a purchase from YourNovel.com

{You have until November 29th @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open to USA only. This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.}

Crissa

Crissa graduated from Brigham Young University in 2005 with a BA in Home and Family Living….the mom degree! Shortly after she found her dream guy and was married. They are now expecting their first baby in 2012. She loves shopping, baking, getting pampered, blogging, chocolate, and traveling.
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This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure & giveaway rules here.

Crissa November 15, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS books, discount code, Personalized, romance

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