Wunderkind Reads - The Ru-Lan Series

Ru-Lan Volume 1 - The Prince is Born {Ages 4 - 6; 48 pages; $10.95; Heritage Builders Publishing} 

Shortly after his miraculous birth, made possible with help from the phoenix, prince Ru-lan is captured by Su-ling, the evil enchantress, who plans to raise Ru-lan and use him to take over the kingdom. Several years later, the phoenix reminds the little boy of his real identity, and he escapes from Su-ling’s cottage with the help of his animal friends. Once their son is firmly ensconced in the palace, the emperor and empress undertake a daring plot to forever rid the kingdom of the threat of the evil enchantress.

The first book in the Ru-lan series depicts Ru-lan’s origin. Thrown into one adventure after another, Ru-lan demonstrates the values of compassion, empathy, loyalty and friendship even when faced with dangerous enemies intent on destroying all he holds dear. Children not only learn valuable life lessons but also are also introduced to interesting aspects of Chinese culture creating an extended learning experience. Basia Tov illustrates this first volume in the series with a beautiful touch, the images of animals and the young prince have a naive child-like feeling that is at once familiar and exotic, sure to appeal to parents and kids alike.

Ru-lan Volume 2 - Attack of The Stink Bugs {Ages 4-6; 48 pages; $10.95; Heritage Builders Publishing}

The evil enchantress Su-ling had a sister, Ya-Mei, the good enchantress. For 200 years, Su-ling had kept Ya-Mei imprisoned in the body of a caged rabbit. Ya-Mei was freed when the Emperor destroyed her evil sister, and she is very grateful. Many years before her death, Su-ling had placed a curse on the kingdom, that upon her demise, would trigger the unleashing of a swarm of highly destructive, magically enhanced stink bugs on their crops, threatening their food supply and very survival. Once this happens, Ya-Mei, seeing the desperate situation, grants Ru-lan power over insects. This power helps the young prince save the kingdom from starvation. In victory, Ru-lan shows compassion for his enemies, teaching everyone a lesson. He also meets the young, talented, precocious Cai Hua, his future wife. The illustrations by Basia Tov continue to bring the story to life with a magical sense of realism that takes its inspiration from authentic early Chinese painting.

The Ru-lan series is entertaining and a great way to expose your young ones to new and different cultures. Until next time...

What Colleges Really Want… in Essays, Apps and Interviews By Susan Ford Collins

I began my career as a researcher at the National Institutes of Health. After a year, an idea began waking me at night. What more could we learn if we started studying healthy, successful people as well as ill and dysfunctional ones? Are they using skills the rest of us are missing or misusing? Finally, after numerous restless nights, I stood up and presented my idea at one of our prestigious weekly conferences. But, instead of becoming excited, my colleagues all laughed!

6 Easy Steps for Trying to Conceive

Me while 8 months pregnant with Kenzie :)

Raising children is one of the most difficult yet rewarding jobs a person can ever undertake - and for some, the process of trying to conceive is a difficult task as well. While getting pregnant was a fairly easy thing for me {I happened to get pregnant by accident, I mean, not on purpose, on 3 different occasions}, I do know there are a few things you can do to help the process a bit.

Wunderkind Reads: Green Is Good (Liv on Life Series)

Meet the extraordinary mother-daughter team of Elizabeth Gorcey and her amazing daughter Olivia (age 8) and their highly anticipated new children's book Green Is Good where Liv and her boxer dog 'Bowie' invite us all to eat healthy and green. Green is Good is the second book in the popular Liv on Life Series, and tells the story of Liv and Bowie's first visit to a farm where she discovers that the best way to grow her favorite veggies is organically. This book is not only fun read for the kids, it also opens up a dialogue between young children and their parents on modern living, farming, healthy eating and organic food. {Book provided for review/feature consideration}

Meet the Daddy Caddy - Hands Free Diaper Action For the Modern Man

Daddy Caddy - Black Leather

No man should have to lug around his wife’s pink with lime green flowers diaper bag that has cutesy little designs. Fathers are seem to be over looked when it comes to the diaper bag - there is an unspoken assumption that diaper bags are only for mothers. With the new Daddy Caddy from Go Mama Go Designs, dads can be stylish and prepared. {Product provided for feature/review consideration}

Infographic: Playground Safety Guide for Parents

With summer in full swing and fall right around the corner, are you getting ready to add an exciting playground to your backyard for the kiddos? If you're wondering how to design the perfect play area for your little ones, it is essential to keep safety a top focus. Luckily, PishPosh Baby has your back, as they teamed up with Rubbermulch.com to bring you the ultimate "Playground Safety Guide for Parents" infographic!

Start the School Year Off Right with Annie B’s Nautical Caramel Story Gift Set

Ahoy matey! Looking for a genuine treasure to show your child's new teacher that you appreciate all the work and time that she will be putting towards your children this school year? Annie B's Nautical Caramel Tale gift set is a gorgeously packaged gift and a unique way to present 160 of their deliciously handcrafted caramels.

New from CeraVe Baby!

The arrival of a baby leaves parents rejoicing proudly as they share this special moment with family and friends. And now they can pamper baby with two NEW additions to the trusted CeraVe® Baby line! Developed with pediatric dermatologists, NEW! CeraVe® Baby Moisturizing Cream and NEW! CeraVe® Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45 are designed to help protect and maintain baby’s delicate skin barrier. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

See Chalk in a Whole New Way with Chalk Ink!

Chalk Ink is the ORIGINAL Chalk marker and definitely is far superior from other chalk markers and especially ordinary chalk like we used to use back in the day. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Save Back To School Sanity for Busy Families with Fodeez!

As we move on into the school year, many family's schedules are going to get even busier with events, games and practices, parties, etc.  So I want to share Fodeez® Family Schedulers! These are an amazing way to stay organized and on top of all of life's busy events and update as things pop up. Fodeez Frames allow you to display your amazing memories all year long. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Fight Summer Boredom with The Snipe Hunt Game!

Every parent has those days now and then when their kids are simply driving them insane. They're bored, they're hungry, there is nothing on TV, their toys are no fun ­ the complaints are never ending and trying to get anything done is impossible. Instead of losing patience, parents can now send their kids on a hunt to find a mythical creature hiding in their home. The Snipe Hunt game turns a classic camping story into a real life game. Simply turn on theSnipe, find a good hiding spot for it and send your kids out on the search! As time passes, the Snipe will begin to make noise and its eyes will light up to help clue kids in to where it is hiding. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

PLANNING to Conceive? Astroglide TTC Can Help!

Astroglide TTC™ sponsored this blog post. The opinions and text are all mine

My oldest and I were trying to share a picture that would show a lip color on two different complexions - my two youngest refused to be left out of the photo sesh. This is the perfect depiction of what life is like with my beautiful babies!

I have 3 beautiful daughters - the oldest just turned 15 - so while I won't claim to be an expert on conception, I can say I have some experience. The thing is, as we have watched couples around us plan {and even struggle} to get pregnant, my hubby and I have at times felt a tad bit guilty. You see, planning to get pregnant was never really a factor for us. Getting pregnant was something that just happened to us - and for that we are eternally grateful. That doesn't mean that I'm not sensitive to the difficulty that some may have with conceiving. And to a certain extent, I may be a little jealous of my friends that had the foresight to plan for their children's conception. 

Parker Time All Natural Pediatric Massage Potions are Love in a Bottle—For Sleep, Play & Everyday

You may have heard massage for babies and children is a good thing, but did you also know massage creates an important bond between parent and child while also improving long-range emotional, physical, and cognitive development? According to Founder & CEO Kelly Johnson, Parker Time Potions' mission is to focus their all-natural, quality pediatric massage oils to nurture the bond between parent and child. Johnson developed the massage oils for her son Parker (whom the brand was named after) as a way to connect with and focus on him. Parker Time Potions give parents peace of mind, knowing they are using all-natural massage oils and allowing them to slow down and savor those precious bonding moments with their child.

Help Your Kid's Stay Cool and Hydrated this Summer with NEW Juicy Juice Splashers!

Meet Juicy Juice’s newest product - Juicy Juice Splashers. The first juice pouch to be introduced by the beloved Juicy Juice brand, Splashers are now available on store shelves at Publix, and will be the perfect addition to any backyard BBQ or as a summer beach snack.

Having A Baby? Join the Club – The Publix Baby Club!

This post is brought to you by the Publix Baby Club. All opinions are my own.

I am a loyal Publix shopper and have been for over a decade. I could say that it’s because the produce and meat are always fresh, the store is always bright and clean, the customer service is always superb, or because they always have great deals for my family – and while those are real and accurate reasons, they’re not the true reason why I return there week after week.

Make Summer Travel Easy with Kidz Gear Headphones with Boom Microphone

The Kidz Gear Headphones with Boom Mic provide an exceptional interactive audio experience for kids, ideal for foreign language studies and audio/verbal test-taking at school and home. Building on the success of the original award-winning KidzControl Volume Limit Headphones, the new headphones feature a flexible boom microphone that clearly picks up omnidirectional sound; ergonomically designed soft padded child-sized ear-cups; high-quality audio components; and the proprietary KidzControl Volume Limit Technology, which limits the volume to approximately 80% of the maximum volume output. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

SoCozy - Summer Hair Saviors for Your Little Ones!

I've been using {and featuring} So Cozy hair products for a few years now, so I'm happy to share these tips from founder Cozy Friedman with y'all! Cozy Friedman of SoCozy Children’s Haircare has three time saving summer hair tips to give Mommies everywhere even more me-time!  {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Meet MyBuckleMate, Making Seatbelt Buckling A Snap

How many times have your kids struggled with their seatbelt buckle only to get frustrated with a hidden or flopped over seatbelt? MyBuckleMate is the answer! Mom-invented MyBuckleMate makes buckling up a snap for all ages. It’s perfect for carpooling and fitting three kids in the backseat. No more buckles falling between seats or getting wedged under booster seats! MyBuckleMate makes it easy to buckle up every time, every ride. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Help Your Child Deal with Loss with My Yellow Balloon

There has been a lot of sadness in the news recently, from devastating natural disasters to violent protests and much more. It’s no secret that our children are directly or indirectly exposed to and aware of life’s most difficult occurrences, and in their true curious nature, they may have questions. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}

Join hello's Rush to Brush Contest!

Want to win a year’s supply of hello Kid’s Toothpaste AND a $100 gift card to Target just for brushing your teeth? Now you can in two fun and simple steps with hello Products “Rush To Brush” contest! {Product sent for review/feature consideration}