Have You Heard?

A Savvy Baby Loves KidZui!

KidZui is the Internet for KIDS!

You can download for FREE on your computer and your kids can surf the internet and kid related sites to browse and have fun on!

Here is a little more & the story behind KidZui...So you too can feel comfortable allowing your kids to surf the net!

Cliff, Vidar and Tom build businesses. They sold their last one, Infogate, in 2003. Then they set off on a quest to find the next cool thing to build. They spent a lot of time searching the Internet for ideas. At one point, Vidar noticed his kids were spending a lot of time on the Internet too, but mostly, this made him quite nervous, as the Internet is no place to let kids roam unsupervised. Vidar’s realization of how difficult it was to empower his three boys to navigate the Internet safely on their own was the inspiration for KidZui.

While the trio identified that kids were being excluded from the power and promise of the Internet, they saw how others were trying to solve this by offering kids narrow, limited Internet experiences. There were products out there that constricted the Internet down to a handful of sites, often purely commercial, but there was nothing with any breadth.

The KidZui browser was designed to offer kids the same expansive experience adults have on the web. KidZui brought together a team of over 200 teachers and/or parents to scour the web in search of the best content for kids. The founders engaged their kids, nieces and nephews to assess the initial product; they were later joined by over 5,000 other curious young beta-testers and their parents.

Rather than filter the Internet, KidZui’s founders built an entirely new one – customized for kids. Instead of reducing, KidZui expands. There are already over 600,000 websites, pictures and videos in KidZui, all painstakingly reviewed by caring teachers and parents just like you. And the process continues 24/7 with new kid-friendly content added daily.

Download KidZui Now...www.kidzui.com

Lilly Bean Designs

Birth Announcements, Birthday Party Invitations, and Kids Art Work Oh My

A Savvy Baby has stumbled upon this oh so fabulous Etsy Shop!

Lillybean Designs

Owner Shawna Peterson is so talented and we are just in love with her Baby Announcements and Birthday Invitations.

Her design products range from trendy and playful to classic to sophisticated. All products are professionally printed and beautifully packaged. 

You can visit their online store at www.lillybeandesigns.etsy.com

She is offering all A Savvy Baby readers 10% off if you mention you saw her on A Savvy Baby!

For all you Alaska readers Lillybean Designs is at Pitter Patter Children's Boutique in Palmer, Alaska!

Enjoy...

Back to School Giveaway

We introduced you to EmTanner Designs a week ago! Now, just in time for back to school, we are announcing a wonderful giveaway! EmTanner Designs is giving away a lunch box of your choice!! All you have to do is visit their website and leave us a comment telling us which lunchbox you would choose! A winner will be chosen on Friday the 25th!!

Be sure to check out their blog too!

Bow Flops Winner

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

16 

Timestamp: 2008-07-18 21:48:00 UTC

With the help of www.random.org the winner picked at random was: Melissa #16

Congratulations, please email us your contact information and flip flop choice so we can pass that on to Brittany at Heaven Sent Boutique!! 

Thank you to all of you who entered the drawing! Stayed tuned for Monday's giveaway...you won't want to miss it!

Buddy Backpacks

I have to admit, I never thought I would be one of those parents! I have seen them before and I am sure you have too, in malls, airports, and parks. What am I talking about you ask? The parents that have their children in a harness!

After having my third child and having a toddler that refuses to ride in a stroller, I have changed my mind completely about this! Gold Bug has made my decision so easy with their adorable Buddy Backpacks! Not only are they adorable, my little one wants to wear it because she thinks it is a backpack! So, not only is she happy wearing her backpack and being able to have the freedom of walking, I am happy because she is safe and I know she won't wonder off! 

(photo courtesy of Gold Bug)

Be sure to check out Gold Bug today! These adorable buddy backpacks are available at Target and Wal-Mart!

Staying Organized

Do you ever wonder what to do with all of those baby clothes you receive and/or buy? We came across a great way to organize them! Caroline, from Armelle Jewelry, came up with the great idea of size dividers! All you need is a couple of supplies and a pair of scissors and you are set! Just think of how creative you can get making these, you can organize by size or even the season!

Supplies:

(photos courtesy of Armelle Jewelry)

1 Package of Foam Door Hangers

1 Sheet of Number Stickers

1 Pair of Scissors

Finished Product:

Be sure and check out Armelle Jewelry! She has many other tutorials you can try your hand at!

Lunch Buffet

We recently came across this idea here. We thought it was such a great idea we wanted to share it with you! I can really appreciate the creativity behind this because I have a picky eater! I can't wait to come up with my own 12 Course Lunch! What a fun and creative way to serve up lunch for your little ones.

(photo courtesy of On That Note)

12 course lunch: {cheddar cheese,

bananas, cheerios,raspberries, granola,

ham, teddy grahams, turkey, gelbwurst,

string cheese, carrots

and goldfish}

If you try this, be sure to email us your pictures of your 12 course lunch so we can post them on here!

Summer Sandal Giveaway!!

If you are anything like me and little ones, we live in our flip flops during the summer!! I don't know what I would do without them! So, when I discovered Heaven Sent Boutique, I was in Heaven!!

Brittany & Betsey from, Heaven Sent Boutique, are the creator's behind the adorable Bow Flops! These sandals can be customized for you and your little ones! Not only can you choose the color of your sandals but you can choose your bow too! Some of their most popular combos are black flip flops with zebra print ribbon and brown flip flops with pink and brown polka dot ribbon.

Their sizes for girls range from 8/9 - 5/6 and women sizes range from 6-10. And price, forget those boutique prices of $40+! Heaven Sent Boutique sells their Bow Flops for $20.00 plus s/h! 

Be sure to head over to her blog now and check out these adorable flip flops and grab a pair while you can!! And remember, everything is customized so you chose what size, color, and ribbon you would like!!

After checking out her site, come on back and leave us a comment by the 17th!! Tell us which combo you would chose and one lucky winner will be picked at random on Friday the 18th!!

EM Tanner Designs

If you have watched Jon & Kate + 8 you have seen the wonderful creations by EM Tanner Designs. She is the creator behind the cute t-shirts the kids wear and that Kate has been seen in.

(photo courtesy of emtannerdesigns.com)

Not only does she have t-shirts for the whole family, she has also created wonderful dry erase products, plates, and adorable lunch boxes!!

Another plus to these wonderful creations, is that they are all custom made, you can chose what you would like written, the color of the shirt, and the font style!!

So, the next time you are looking for a unique baby shower gift, birthday present, or just a treat for yourself or little one, be sure to check out EmTanner Designs!!

Click HERE to see their blog!

Multiple Blessings

For those of you who are "die hard" fans of Jon & Kate we wanted to let you in on a secret!

In November, they have a book coming out, Multiple Blessings. You can pre-order your copy HERE. 

From the Back Cover:

Just three years after giving birth to twin daughters,

Kate and Jon Gosselin learned they were pregnant

again—with sextuplets. In Multiple Blessings, Kate

chronicles the emotional and exhausting journey she

and Jon made from the time the babies were conceived

through the first two years of their lives.

After struggling to carry and deliver all six babies,

then coping with months of neonatal intensive care,

Jon and Kate thought they’d made it through the hardest

part of the journey. Not even close. Stress-filled

days and sleepless nights became their world as she

and Jon managed to feed, bathe, clothe, and monitor

the health of their fragile infants without losing sight

of their love for each other and the twins.

This is an honest and uplifting story of faith. It’s

the story of a young couple who trusted in the ever

present hand of a faithful God to provide the strength

and courage they needed to face seemingly impossible

challenges one day at a time.

Monkey Munch

This recipe was featured on the show! It is a great snack or dessert and there is a lot of it!

Monkey Munch

9 cups chex cereal

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

-place chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in microwaveable bowl.

-melt in microwave for 1 minute and then stir. continue microwaving for 30 second intervals until melted.

-add vanilla and stir.

-pour melted mixture over cereal while stirring.

-put mixture in zip lock bag.

-add powdered sugar and shake until mixture is coated.

• 
  

Tips for a smooth household

By Kate Gosselin

(courtesy of TLC.com)

Tip #1 Organize

As a mother of sextuplets and twins, one of the best methods for keeping a family organized is lists! No one has the memory of an elephant! Keep a constant running list of "To Dos" and then cross things off as they are completed! My to-do lists consists of meals for the week, which loads of laundry need to be done, and which parts of the house needs attention. Lists will keep you and your family organized.

Tip #2 Shop on a Budget

Shopping for a family of 10 means planning ahead and staying on a budget. The good news is that you can have healthy, home cooked delicious (even organic!) meals for a large family. Look for sales! Watch the sale papers and take advantage of store promotions, coupons and rainchecks. Keep a constant running list of things that are on sale and that you need at the store from week to week. This will avoid buying things that you don't need. It's also good to stock up on items that you use a lot of and that are on sale!

Tip #3 Prepare for Outings

Plan ahead! If outings are well thought out in advance, it will allow for a better time for all! Always take plenty of drinks, snacks, clothing and supplies. Make a mental plan of how the day will unfold and then adjust it as necessary!

Tip #4 Count Your Blessings

On days that your role as mom seems mundane and pointless and repetitive(we all have those), remember to count your blessings! Take a moment, see all that is positive in your life and the life of your children and it will give you that boost that you need!

Tip #5 Promote Safety

Talk about different scenarios and what is safe and acceptable and what is not safe and what they should not do in different situations! Remind them to come to YOU as a parent if they hear something that they don't understand, think that is bad or don't know what it means. You want to position yourself as their resource person to keep conversation lines open. This needs to start at a very young age.

Tip #6 Provide Order

A schedule will help everyone in the family. It removes the guesswork and a lot of frustration. It allows the things that need to get done to get done because life becomes somewhat predictable.

Tip #7 Reward Your Children

Reward them for their helpfulness and kindness—if only with your words, this will mean a lot to them. They want your approval!

Tip #8 Make Housework a Family Affair

Especially in a large family, involving all of the kids in the housework, chores, cooking, cleaning etc. This helps to provide family unity, and a sense of belonging. It also teaches kids to develop a strong work ethic. And encourage Dad to get involved—n our situation,much of what a successful mom is able to accomplish, is due to a very present and helpful dad!

We hope some of these tips helped! Leave us a comment and tell us what things you do to keep your household running smooth.

Jon & Kate + 8

We just love this t.v. show and family! We thought we would dedicate a week to them!! If you haven't seen this show yet, it is a must see, so be sure to tune into TLC on Monday's at 9 p.m.

Stay tuned this week for tips from Kate, recipes, and some of their favorite things!!

Amy Tice Design

Hello all you wonderful “Savvy Baby” readers!  It is such an honor that I was asked to be a featured guest on here!

 First of all, my name is Amy and I am a mother of 4 beautiful children, ranging from the ages of 4 months to 5 years.  Yes, I have my hands full!  But, I am enjoying every minute of it!   

To add to the chaos, I have my own graphic

 design business,

 which I started back in 2005.  Over the past few years I basically just

 started playing around on the computer and discovered that it was

 something that I was actually good at….and

 enjoyed doing!  When I was pregnant with my second child, I expanded my knowledge and went back to school.  It was all online which was great. You can imagine the craziness with already having one child and another one on the way.  I finished the program successfully and then decided it was worth a shot to open my own business.  I guess it was a good idea because people actually hired me and my business was doing great.  It has continued to be successful even in the midst of adding two more babies to our family.

 

I hope you’ll to take a look at my website. I also have a brand new Blog.  I’ve done everything from logos to baby announcements and continue to stay plenty busy.  Sometimes it’s hard to manage babies and business but we make it work. Naptime is wonderful and something I look forward to everyday!!

 

Thank you for this opportunity to share with all you wonderful momma’s!  If you, or someone you know, is in need of a graphic designer…….call Amy Tice Design!

**Check out Amy Tice Design or her Blog! One lucky reader will receive a $25 gift certificate good towards any Amy Tice Design Service!! Just leave us a comment telling us what you would use the gift certificate towards!**