{Wummelbox} Unique, Engaging and Fun Craft Box for Kids!

I was really excited to be offered the opportunity to try the Wummelbox -a subscription craft box for kids! With one-year old twins, it can be difficult to get out with my 3 1/2 year old son, which means I'm always looking for new things to help keep him engaged and entertained.

The kits are designed for ages 3-8 and each box comes with all the ideas, instructions and materials that you need for four activities. The directions are easy to follow, complete with pictures. They make this so easy and fool-proof. I was able to take the box out and decide to to an activity on the spot. There was no planning or gathering materials, which really fits my lifestyle.

We received the box for review and while my son is on the younger side of the age range, he was able to complete all activities. He certainly needed my help and participation, but the concepts were not too difficult. I did have to tailor some of the ideas for him; for example, he didn't grasp the concept of a time machine. He understood we were making a machine for time travel, but may have not understood what time travel was. He did, however, enjoy painting the buttons and attaching them to the wooden board. It was unlike any other craft he had done before!  For me, as a former teacher, I like that the activities work on so much - the concepts, fine motor skills, colors, following directions, sequencing...I could go on and on with all the skills that this box helps teach kids.

Our Wummelbox - I really appreciated the attention to detail & that they sent us a pair of kid-friendl scissors, just in case we didn't have any at home. Thanks, Wummelbox!

Easy to read and follow directions

More Features

• High quality, eco-friendly materials. 
• Crafts are designed to be used again once made; functional crafts
• From Berlin - designed by a team of qualified experts, refined by parents and kid-approved!
• All craft kits contain everything you need to begin working right away! 
• Each box contains 3-4 themed-based projects (Nutrition, Sound, Light, etc)
• Retail value of each box $35.95

Visit Wummelbox to learn more & order!

Is Your Baby Ready to Switch to One Nap?

Many parents are nervous when it comes time to drop a nap. A schedule that has probably worked pretty well (for both parents and baby) is hard and it can be difficult to change a baby's schedule. Bottom line, yes, changing a schedule may be kind of crazy for a bit, but in the end your baby will establish a new routine that works best for him. In all the parents I've talked to, it seems that when you drop from two naps to one - that single nap often becomes longer than either of the single naps. It can be deeper sleep and can make scheduling things around naps a lot easier.

For both my son and my twin girls, they slept for 1.5 hours 2x a day. When we dropped a nap, I gained a 2.5 hour nap in the middle of the day. Sometimes my girls will even sleep for 3 hours. So while not every baby will do this, there are some perks to dropping a nap.

So how can you tell if your baby should drop to one nap? Here are some of the things I looked for my second time around, with my twins:

• At nap time, he/she fusses or plays for a long while before falling asleep OR does not fall asleep at all.
• He/she stops falling asleep in the car. This was one of the ways I knew my twin girls were ready to drop the mid-morning nap. We'd go out and they'd stop falling asleep in the car at their morning nap time. Prior to that, they'd be out like a light if we were in the car at nap time.
• he/she does not get as fussy or cranky at one of the nap times; they keep their energy
• may nap really well during one nap but gives you trouble during the next

When I saw most of these signs, I took out the morning nap. 

How to Make the Switch

The switch to one nap can be a transition period. I found that my twin girls went back and forth. Some days they did great with the one nap and then other days reverted back to needing two. This is still going on to some degree, after about a month of making the switch. When you choose a new naptime, pick a time that is later than that morning nap. For me, my girls used to nap at 10:30am and then again at 2:30.. When switching to the one nap, I picked 12:30 as the time. I make sure I keep them really busy, engaged and with lots of 'baby exercise' all morning. Then, after lunch, it's time for a nap.

No matter what, remember that one size does NOT fit all with babies. Read your babies cues and do what works. There may be a time where you feel like naps are a mess, but eventually it will work out and your baby will have a new, successful routine! Goodluck!

Birth Announcements & Baby Shower Invitations from Tiny Prints {$50 Giveaway}

I helped to plan a baby shower a while back and we had a very specific theme. We wanted to find the perfect invitation to help set the mood for the fun shower we had planned. With so many options for invitations, we decided to make things easy and check out the Tiny Prints Baby Shower Invitations. With so many charming and stylish designs, we were able to find exactly what we wanted. 

Tiny Prints has everything you need for baby stationary with their beautiful, trend-forward collection of designs. From baby shower invitations to birth announcements, they've got you covered with the themes and designs that are as special as your baby!

Whether you are shopping Baby shower invitations or Tiny Prints Birth Announcements, you can search based on gender, number of photos, colors and even for multiples. When we had twins last year, I wanted to find the perfect birth announcement, and I was so pleased with all the options for twins that Tiny prints had.   

Tiny prints also makes it so easy to have every little detail in place with matching address labels, thank you cards and even gift tags.   

Personalizing your invite or announcement is always so simple. Simply upload your photos and customize select wording. It's so simple to preview and ensure your design is as you want. The Tiny Prints website also offers a RSVP manager for baby showers when you purchase invitations. It helps you keep track of the guest list and event details!

   Please join us at the Tiny Prints 

#TinyPrintsBaby Pinning Party™ May 30^th at 8 PM ET 

RSVP & Details: Tiny Prints Pinning Party! 

 

Giveaway

Tiny Prints has so generously offered one Mammamoiselle reader a $50 Tiny Prints Gift Code!

Please enter via the Rafflecopter Widget below!

{Product Pick} Surviving Allergy Season with Zicam Extreme Congestion Relief

Allergy season here in the northeast has been terrible - my entire family is suffering this year.  Unfortunately for me, I have to keep going, even when I feel miserable. With one year old twins and a 3 year old, I can't drop everything to give into my allergy symptoms - which, for me, are mostly nasal/sinus congestion. I was really happy to be given the opportunity to try out Zicam Extreme Congestion Relief. This soothing nasal gel has been a lifesaver for me - I sincerely mean that. It provides fast (REALLY fast) relief for nasal congestion and/or sinus pressure.

With a specially formulated No-Drip Liquid Nasal Gel, my nasal passages get cleared quickly. The no-drip gel really does work! What I have liked most is that it works but it keeps symptoms away for up to 12 hours. I'm not having to use it often, nor do I feel clogged up again a short while later. It brings relief...fast.  Something else that is important to me is that it is a non-drowsy formula (my day has no room for drowsiness!) and it's steroid free.  

You can find Zicam in mass market retailers, pharmacies, and grocery stores nationwide for around $11. Check out the Zicam website for more information and savings!

{East Coast} Summer Destination: HersheyPark #Sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

 
Last summer we did not get a vacation. Our twin girls were born and we really couldn't think about much else. This year, however, will be different. With a nearly four year old and one year old twins, we want to squeeze a lot of fun into the summer. My husband is able to have a few weeks off and it's perfect for smaller trips more local to where we are.

One place we plan to visit is Hershey, PA - which is located in central Pennsylvania. Home to HersheyPark, it's the perfect destination for us here in northern NJ at about 2.5 hours. 

I visited Hersheypark several times when I was younger and enjoyed it every time. My children have never been there and I'd love the experience of sharing it with them. Hersheypark is for everyone - with 65 rides and attractions, there are a variety of activities for both the young and old! The park  has The Boardwalk which has water features, slides and a 'sprayground' for the younger children.  In addition, you can enjoy live entertainment, the 11-acre walkthrough ZooAmerica. The park also has a selection of shops and yummy foods! My favorite from when I visited was Hershey's Chocolate World. You can take a tour to see how chocolate is made!  

Even though Hersheypark is conveniently close for my family, we're thinking of staying over to really make it a mini-vacation. I've been looking at the Hotel Hershey - built in 1933. I think I chose it because of the world-famous Chocolate Spa. Cocoa facial? Caramel sugar scrub? Yes, please! Best of all, staying at the the Hotel Hershey, along with Hershey Lodge and Hershey Highmeadow Campground, allows you to participate in the Hershey Resorts Advantage. This gets you the best prices on tickets, complimentary shuttles, and early admissions. All of the hotel options at Hershey make it a great destination whether you are close by or a bit further away. I think the trip is really worth it - and Hershey is definitely the type of place you can use a few days at!

If you're looking for entertainment, the five Hershey entertainment venues (from big to small) offer something for everyone. You can check out the event calendar which has something for everyone! Some performances that caught my eye are Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews Band and Goo Goo Dolls/Matchbox 20!

For more information, call 1-800-HERSHEY (1-800-437-7439) or visit www.HersheyPA.com.

You can also check out this video - I think it definitely captures the Hershey experience: 

 Have you ever visited Hershey? What was your experience like? 

Seasonal Coffees from Dunkin Donuts #Sponsored

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Dunkin' Donuts. I received a Dunkin' Donuts Party Kit to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I'm a coffee-lover. Most days, it's what gets me through the day with three kids, including one year old twins. When I'm not stopping for coffee on-the-go, I'm usually brewing Dunkin Donuts Original Blend at home for the hubby and I. Every now and then, it's nice to try something new, especially from Dunkin Donuts.  Dunkin Donuts' new  seasonal coffees sounded pretty interesting to me!  Strawberry Shortcake, Triple Berry and Coconut are fun, new flavors just right for the season. They are available in grocery stores across the country for a limited time.

Not only was I given the chance to try out these new flavors, but I was asked to host a party to let people try them out.  I was also provided with 'swag bags' for my guests - complete with an iced coffee tumbler, a pound of coffee in one of the new flavors, an iced-coffee recipe and a $2 off product coupon.

I decided to host my party as part of a moms club meeting I was hosting. I'm new to the executive board of the club and agreed to host the meeting. I thought it would also be the perfect opportunity to have my fellow moms try out these coffee flavors. 

I made a pot of my favorite of the three varieties, Coconut, and then had the other flavors available to try out using my single-serve (with the special pod for brewing your favorite ground coffee). It was easy for everyone to try out all three flavors this way. 

Everyone agreed that the coffee flavors were definitely new and interesting - not like anything they'd tried before. But they liked all three - with our group being split down the middle as Coconut and Strawberry Shortcake as favorites. Most of us at the gathering were also "seasonal" iced coffee drinkers - preferring iced coffee when it was warm and hot coffee in the mornings and when it was cooler out. 

We were able to accomplish a lot of the items on our checklist for our meeting/club with the help of the Dunkin Donuts coffees and some yummy snacks.

The other moms were excited that I had been able to share the new coffee flavors with them, but were even happier when I gave them their swag bags! They didn't expect it, so they were excited to be able to try out the coffee at home.

Just as I gave my guests, I'd love to share with you the iced coffee recipe from Dunkin Donuts. Before this, I never was really good at making iced-coffee. This definitely works and tastes great! 

Which flavors would you like to try most? Do you prefer your coffee hot or iced?