tweens Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

30 + Christmas Gifts for Tweens

Paula — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 13:18:18 +0000

Ah Tweens. That comical challenging stage between childhood and the teen years. When you can almost see what’s about to come, but still there are many days when they happily slip back into their childish pursuits. One moment moody teenager wannabe and the next minute playing with Barbies again. Kids are comical. But they are often easy to please when it comes to Christmas presents. So, this year as part of my Christmas holidays content I wanted to share all sorts of gift ideas. 30 + Christmas Gifts for Tweens Under $5 Gifts for Tweens Uno Eos Lip Balm Holographic Nail Polish Poop Emoji Keychain Under $10 Spoons Game Birthday Cake Bath Bombs Glitter Tattoo Kit Nail Pen Kit Paint Your Own Bag Kit Elmers Slime Kit Under $15 Engraved Inspirational Bracelet Bath Bomb Kit Bicycle Wheel Light Echo Dot Buttons Squishies Jewelry Making Kit Bring Out the Tween or Teen in Anyone I am stoked about a few of these gifts actually. If I were a kid I’d love this strong art kit again. Remember when that was all the rage the first time around? Love craft kits and artistic creative gifts. My girls do too. We have seen these onesies at the mall too just in case you are interested in shopping in person. This year I will be getting a couple of these. This bean bag chair for storage too is exceptionally awesome. In fact, I might get one for one of the kids even though they are teenagers. I feel like this gift is timeless plus it encourages clean up. Who needs that more that teens or tweens? Under $25 String Art Kit Ocean Waves Light Projector Mermaid Tail Blanket Tropical Terrarium Bean Bag Toy Storage Chair Cupcake Pillow Unicorn Onesie Under $50 Gifts Indoor Snowballs Plasma Ball Echo Dot Hooded Unicorn Blanket Kit 3D Drawing Pen Kindle Fire The Nightmare Before Christmas Edition: Monopoly Under $100 Splurge Christmas Gifts for Tweens LOL Surprise Bigger Surprise Fuji Instax Mini Camera We have a Fuji Instax Mini Camera and love ours. My daughter got one for Christmas one year about 5 years ago as a tween and she’s been using it ever since. They are fun, travel well, and are really great Christmas gifts for tweens. Plus occasionally they can take them on RV trips and to camp. Hatchimals Surprise Twins Canopy for a Bed Hoverboard Do you parent tweens? I know it seems like nobody has it as bad as you do when the tweens start with that moodiness and hormonal behaviour. Trust me, they are still super impressionable and they mostly like having you around. A lot of tweens are just growing and testing their independence in baby steps. Give them supervision and love and build in ways to help them find their way. They will need all your love and support when they get to the next stage. What’s on Your Tween’s Gift List? Tweens are actually pretty easy to please. Technology, clothing, gift cards and fun cameras are all hits with this group. This post contains affiliate links as a service to my readers. Purchases made via qualifying links mean that I receive a small commission.

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Gift Ideas for Tweens this Christmas

Paula — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 13:59:39 +0000

Gift ideas for tweens is the name of the game today. While a lot of other gift guides feature dozens of toys, many of them high priced gaming platforms, I’m taking a different approach. I’m going with two affordable options that make great stocking stuffers or straight up gifts. Why you say? Well, not everyone can afford to buy a Nintendo Switch or iPhone X. And more than that, sometimes it’s the little gift ideas that are really the most fun. Two Gift Ideas for Tweens that Cover All the Bases These two gems are perfect for any tween. They pretty much cover everything. One is super cute with just the right amount of grossness, and one makes for an easy, non-violent way for kids to get out there competitive angst. Everybody wins! Poo-Nicorn Emoji Pillow That’s right, Poo-Nicorn. As in poo. The Poo-Nicorn is an 18″ cuddly blue poop emoji pillow with a rainbow tuft of hair surrounding a unicorn horn. It’s awesome! The Blue Poo-Nicorn Emoji Pillow also features adorably huge eyes and a cute little smile, that make the entire pillow so incredibly cute while having just enough gross to be an absolute delight. They make the perfect gift for any tween girl, because even girls appreciate potty humor. Trust me my youngest niece gets this kind of humour even while still dressing like a princess. My girls still enjoy it too. Never gets old. HEXBUG BattleBots Rivals (Minotaur and Beta) If your kids are like mine, Hexbug is a brand that is well know and loved. So this year the addition of BattleBots to their lineup is a welcome one. I love that the kids are into it, because it promotes an interest in STEM using (robot) violence. LOL. Building these robots requires the ability to code, wire, and construct robots, which serves to get the kids interested in learning about the science behind it all. Now tweens can bring the fun of steel cage robot death matches into their living rooms with HEXBUGS BattleBots Rivals. This pack features Minotaur and Beta. Both robots have magnetized and snap-together pieces that fly off on impact for authentic battle damage. They’re an excellent toy for the kids – both boys and girls – to engage in a little friendly rivalry. The best part? Emphasis on the word “friendly”. 😉 Gift Ideas for Tweens that Won’t Have you Taking out a Second Mortgage These two gift ideas for tweens are perfect for bringing joy to the holiday season without woe to your bank account. The Poo-Nicorn is just the cutest pile of poop I’ve ever seen, and the BattleBots set is fun and exciting for both boys and girls. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to make the season bright without dipping too deeply into your bank account, these toys are the answer for you! I received product in order to facilitate this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful. I have also added native shopping ads and links to simplify buying. If you purchase, I make a small commission at no extra cost for you.

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Get Featured in Thrifty Mommas Tips Spring Gift Guide 2017 #TMMSG17

Paula — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 04:02:08 +0000

For the first year ever I am publishing a Spring gift guide. I often publish a Christmas gift guide, but this season spring is knocking my socks off. Numerous great products have already caught my eye and I want to share them here. Spring is the perfect time to get outdoors. Spring is Easter and birthday parties and eventually even longer days that lead to summer. It’s fun family gatherings and bike rides and hikes and spring gifts too. Many of the products featured here this spring, are quirky, creative and new. They make great presents for any number of occasions. BUT I like a few of these specifically as candy-free alternatives for Easter baskets. For my readers – stay tuned because there might also be some great giveaways contained here in the next few weeks. And for sure there will be some amazing chances to preview fun new items in the Spring Gift Guide -and the best part is you don’t have to go far to find out more. For marketers: Here’s what you need to know. All items must be family friendly. There will always be posts featuring tech content allowed here. We are a gadget savvy family. I have 2 teens. I will not share guns or violent video games, because I don’t allow them in my home. Please be familiar with my blog before you pitch. Thanks! My name is Paula and I appreciate brands and agencies that read my posts often. I am not really in need of rooms filled with toys BUT I enjoy sharing the newest creative and educational toys of the season. Product minimums can be seen above here – on this 2016 Holiday Gift Guide Page and costs are here as well. That’s right I’m still offering 2016 pricing or product limits to appear in the spring gift guide. I am planning to build my gift guide, and I reserve the right to refuse product always. If you send through any products without emailing first or sending information regarding the item, I may not include the item as I won’t necessarily know what you were intending when you sent the product through to me. Always best to check first by email – inkscrblr@rogers.com Get your products featured now, and reach millions of impressions weekly. Posts are shared across social platforms, which means they reach a wide audience throughout North America. And most content remains here for a minimum of one year. Happy Spring! So how do you get your product featured? Email inkscrblr@rogers.com now.

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Mad River Glen – The East Coast’s Most Authentic Ski Experience #IFWTWA

Paula — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 09:12:11 +0000

We started out twice on the morning we planned to meet up with our host at Mad River Glen. German Flats Road is slippery and winding. One of those mountain roads that you only find in ski states like Vermont, where there are signs dotting the roadway that say Moose Crossing. Clearly, we’re not in London anymore. All along the highway on the way into Vermont I marvelled at the strange winding single lane mountain roads. Our GPS threaded us through the APP Gap, and eventually we made it through to Sugarbush Resort where we stayed. For two days we skied, did lessons and explored the local restaurants and shops. American Flatbread and Mint are well worth a visit. The chance to visit Mad River Glen came up and we were thrilled to try the legendary expert terrain. Piling ski gear into the back of our van, we pause and check the weather app again. Minus 11. Perfect for skiing. We head straight down German Flats road without much difficulty and then we turn left up a narrower road that promises to lead us to Mad River Glen. The girls are both excited about trying a new mountain today. Another big family adventure. But, the van’s tires have other plans. Last night it snowed a fair bit and the roads are covered. Again, this often makes for fantastic ski conditions, but this portion of the narrow single lane road starts to climb and weave around another corner and suddenly we are stuck. We can’t get any higher. The signs for Mad River Glen are in sight. We could almost abandon the van in a stranger’s driveway and walk with our skis. Inching back down the hill slowly, we reverse into a driveway and coast back down the hill. “We’ll give it one more try,” he says. One more time Jim revs the engine and we climb the hill. This time we don’t even make it three quarters of the way up the road. I text Eric Friedman at Mad River Glen and let him know we can’t make it after all. Stuck van. Can’t climb the hill. So sorry. Yesterday, during lessons at Sugarbush Resort, someone asked what our plans were for today. I told her we were heading to Mad River Glen to ski for the day. She paused, weighed her words and advised me: “There are a lot of narrow trails there. Not many greens. You won’t find much for you.” Still, I was willing to give it a try. Looking forward to it even, but the road, the van, and the weather have other ideas. We turn back and drive to the Sugarbush Inn. I check my phone for emails and texts. Eric emails back. I’ll meet you. Then because I advise that we are already back at Sugarbush. I can come and get you and drive you. My Jeep will make it up the hill, no question, he says. Ten minutes later we load four sets of skis and gear into his Jeep and sure enough his Jeep, his tires with the metal studs, legal in only a very few states, gets us there. Inside the quaint Basebox Lodge, we suit up for a cold ride up the mountain. There’s no denying the surroundings here at Mad River Glen are unique and gorgeous. Everything is skiable. Everything is authentic. From the heavens, not the hoses. That’s the slogan. I make Eric repeat that. From the heavens not the hoses, as in the snow here is real snow. And it’s really heavy today as we jump off the chairlift and pause to read the map at the top. Deep snow banks flank both sides of the trails. The kind of snow that pulls you off course if you aren’t in control. Of all the places we have skied this one sticks with us the most this year. Weeks after we return home my husband is still checking their Facebook feed for conditions. We both are mentally filing this one at the top of the list and crossing our fingers we can return to ski it again. Next time we will be so much better at this. What is so Unique About Mad River Glen? Eric skis with us for much of the afternoon. We tour the historic coop ski destination that is only for skiers. There’s so much that is appealing about that. Sorry snowboarders, but skiers hate the giant divots you often leave on the trails. And I am not a fan of looking over my shoulder hoping a boarder won’t cut me off. Here there is none of that. Their motto is Mad River Glen, Ski it if you can. And we did. The views from the top are more than worth the effort to get there. The chairlift is brutally cold, so be warned. Dress for the weather. And don’t even think about not bringing a helmet. Helmets are not optional here. This is skiing as it should be. Peaceful, beautiful, trees boughs all heavy with layer upon layer of all the different types of snow imaginable. Mad River Glen is the only cooperatively owned ski area in North America. It originally opened in January 1949 with a unique single chair lift that is one of those things that makes this spot so authentic and quirky. The single chair lift was replaced a few years ago with a newer version of a single chair lift, which operates today and is a bit of a curiosity. Solitude on a chair lift is not a bad thing, especially when you’ve jumped on multiple chair lifts elsewhere with 4 and 5 strangers. I can’t promise that you will be picked up in person as we were… but I can assure you the views and the trails are more than worth it. The tree skiing is madness. Even on this quiet February day after a brief snowstorm there are people weaving in and out of the trees, skiing downhill with passion. Jumping waterfalls and doing backflips, is something I can’t even wrap my head around. But this is the spot to challenge yourself. After our first run down hill and my first excellent wipe out near Chipmunk Bowl, I am paired with one of the East Coast’s top ski instructors, Leigh Clark. Leigh is one of Ski Magazines Top 100 Ski Instructors. Yes, I lucked out there. Leigh Clark helps me adjust my stance and my hips and reminds me to lean down the mountain. We began skiing two years ago when we all were flown to Tremblant and given lessons for the first time ever. My kids will often say when we are leaving for a big trip like this – “But why are we doing lessons again?” Because every ski hill is different. Every resort is different and every single year you can learn something new to build on the basics. Leigh helps me to finally see that leaning down the hill makes sense physically. Other instructors have said this, but I wasn’t able to do it. Intuitively, the part of my brain that kept telling me I’ll fall if I lean down the hill, finally feels that this actually works. For the rest of the season I am able to build on that. Highly recommend doing one of the women only clinics here at Mad River Glen, or taking a lesson or two with Leigh. She also teaches me to turn with poles. Pole turns and leaning down the hill are two things I gained from a one hour lesson with her. Can’t even imagine how much better I could be if I stayed for a week or two. A Few More Facts For Skiers and Visitors: Visitors stay at one of the inns and lodges in the area. Highlights include the Hyde Away, Waitsfield Inn, The Mill Brook Inn, Weathertop Lodges and the Yellow Farm House Inn. Sugarbush Inn and Resort is not far away either and not competition to Mad River Glen. You can stay at any of the above accommodations and ski either area. Check them out at: http://www.madriverglen.com/?site=full Mad River Glen has 1,800 plus shareholders owning 2,300 shares. They make almost all of their revenue from tickets and passes. Remember it’s a ski area and not a resort. The cooperative is dedicated to maintaining the classic experience and the natural terrain of the mountain. All of the trails are named for animals. Lark, Loon and Chipmunk for instance. Don’t ski the woods after 3 p.m. The woods are not patrolled. Single Chair Lift – Length 5,610 feet, Vertical is 2,037 feet Double Chair Lift (Sunnyside) – Length 4,300 and Vertical is 1,405 There’s also a Ski School, ski shop and a nursery called The Cricket Club for kids ages 6 months to 6 years old. When our hands and feet are excruciatingly cold, balaclavas coated with ice and crusty, and two of our sets of goggles completely frozen on the inside, we stop for late lunch. One of the nicest features of this authentic ski experience is that all trails lead to the base near General Stark’s Pub. So your entire family could ski different runs if they wanted and you would still wind up here together at the base. [tweetthis]Traveler Tip: Heading to Mad River Glen, Vermont? Put snow tires on your car first. #Travel #IFWTWA[/tweetthis] General Stark’s Pub at Mad River Glen: The French onion soup, hot chocolate and cider hit the spot. Somebody ordered deep fried breaded green beans and I snuck several, which were fantastic. Ainsley had a massive burger that I’d never be able to finish in this lifetime. And the grilled cheese is rumoured to be bigger than your head. There’s a Free Cabot Cheese fondue every Thursday. Go ski your ❤️ out at Mad River Glen! I promise it will be memorable. We were guests of Sugarbush Resort and Mad River Glen when we visited this winter. My opinion is all my own and it is always truthful.

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First Shave – Building Good Hygiene Habits for Daughters #ad #moveslikenoother

Paula — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 20:07:37 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gillette Venus. All opinions are 100% mine. First shave. There are so many teen and tween developmental milestones that are tricky areas to navigate. First period, first kiss, first shave, first date. There’s really no rule book for these areas. Even though your girls will probably pretend they do not want to hear any of this information from Mom, it’s important that they learn. I mean everything Mom does or says is embarrassing at a certain point, but still you have to keep the channels of communication open. And it’s important that you help build in some basic good hygiene habits from the start. Make the First Shave a Great Experience The first shave is a MAJOR first. I’m not even joking when I say that my youngest was asking since she was 11 years old. “When should I start shaving my legs?” I repeatedly advised her she was a bit too young to start at 11, but by 12 she didn’t want to wait any longer, so it was time to discuss how to do a first shave and what tools we needed. On the weekend we were both driving to a social event – a bridal shower – together. It was an exciting day and something purely girly. Only my youngest and I were going because my older girl had a rehearsal for her play and was busy. The nice thing about these opportunities is that we have the chance to have Girl Time and one on one GIRL DAY. Yes, we even call it that. After martial arts, she and I tidied up and were preparing to dress up a bit so we had the chance to cover this topic again. Use Shave Gel Always start with a great shave gel and use a moisturizing lotion after shaving. The gel helps eliminate skin irritation, and the lotion keeps skin hydrated and healthy. Luckily the Gillette Venus Swirl has a water activated Moisture Glide Serum making the first shave and every shave thereafter, a gentle experience. That’s important for teens and tweens, and Moms too. You can find more information about the product here – www.gillettevenus.ca Use Warm Water Warm water is best for shaving because it opens the pores and helps with getting a closer shave. After shaving, give a quick spray of cold water on the legs to close all those pores back up. Don’t Buy Into the Waxing Myth Many girls, and women too, think that waxing is the only way to get smooth, hair-free and exfoliated skin. This is a MYTH. And a painful one, at that! If your daughter uses a good shave gel and a sharp razor, she’ll get skin that’s just as smooth and exfoliated without the pain of waxing. Waxing can be expensive and painful. Razors are generally more convenient and affordable. Use a Razor That’s Designed for Women In addition to menstruation and the first shave, part of becoming a woman is developing curves. For a wonderful experience with that first shave and every shave after, our daughters can’t use just any old razor. Women need something that navigates curves without causing pressure, skin irritation, and the worst of all, cuts. The Venus Swirl was made for women and designed by women. Why do I care about that? Women’s bodies are unique. We quite simply shouldn’t be shaving with razors made for men. It’s important to me to support businesses that build their products for women, with input from women. It matters to me as a parent of two girls. If your tween, or teenager, is just starting to use a razor, you don’t want them getting discouraged easily. Good products that work are vital to making sure their first tries at shaving are successful. Venus Swirl pivots nicely to manoeuvre around curves, so your daughter doesn’t have to work too hard. The moisture glide serum also means no irritation during or after shaving. My daughter has sensitive skin so I am very conscious of things that can aggravate her and cause itching or dry skin. I find, when I shave, that the knee, both behind and in front, and the ankle area are the trickiest spots. There are often fine hairs left around the knee area even after a long shave. But that wasn’t the case with the Venus Swirl. No more missed hairs? That’s something to celebrate and share. If I had a dollar for every single time I cut myself near the ankle with a rigid razor I’d have about $100 more dollars than I do today. FLEXIBALL™ technology somehow translated into no nicks or cuts. That’s the way a shave should be. The flexible nature of the Venus Swirl is ideal for your teenager. Whether you have been shaving for 30 years, or are just learning, comfort and convenience matters. The cute design doesn’t hurt either. For kicks on the weekend I tried my current razor on one leg and the Venus Swirl on the other. Then, because the one done with the old razor was still not smooth I redid it with the Venus Swirl. The difference was noticeable. The First Shave Should be Wonderful The first shave is a major rite of passage for our daughters, so it’s important to be sure it goes smoothly… I had to. Make sure she understands the importance of a good shave gel, a good lotion, and the most advanced razor out there, the Venus Swirl. With the best gel, razor, and guidance, that first shave can be a milestone our daughters never forget. One that leaves her with smooth, flawless skin! Follow Venus Swirl on Twitter and Venus Swirl on Facebook too. With so many shaving myths out there, it can be hard to know fact vs. fiction. Check out more advice at Gillette Venus

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Limeapple’s Bubble Hoodies Give Back #BecauseICan

Paula — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 12:43:14 +0000

I have two athletic, talented, smart, comical girls that are fast becoming young women, and who seem busier than ever in 2017. This year has been a flurry of activity so far – from skiing, horseback riding, basketball, martial arts, travel, play rehearsals, and more. As a Mom, I choose clothing that lasts and works hard to keep up with my active girls. Limeapple fits every time. And Now Limeapple’s Bubble Hoodies also give back. We are particular about the clothing the kids wear and how it moves when racing back and forth to horseback riding, martial arts, dance, drama rehearsals, basketball and skiing. Limeapple bubble hoodies and athletic pants and jackets are some of our favourite pieces because they are versatile, high quality and super soft. Our Limeapple bubble hoodies have travelled many kilometres this year alone on cruises, through airports and up and down dozens of chairlifts in Vermont, London, Ontario and Collingwood area. My girls love these bubble hoodies because they say there’s nothing softer or warmer. Both girls wear their bubble hoodies from Limeapple often. They are excellent for skiing and super for jackets when racing out the door to a sports activity, or to catch a plane. Limeapple is a clothing brand I love. That’s why I am happy to share that Limeapple is launching their “Because I Can” campaign today. Starting today, March 1st they are donating 10 % of their sales from BUBBLE HOODIES. Proceeds go to three causing Educating Girls, Childhood Cancers and Empowering Girls, specifically Plan International, Kids CANcer Care, Because I am a Girl and Girls on the Run. Just leave a note on the order indicating which charity you wish to support. Limeapple believes in girls and makes clothing that fits girls and encourages them to be active. That is what I love about this brand. The clothing is fun, colourful, fashionable and functional. There are several details we love in the bubble hoodies – long sleeves with thumbholes, and locking zippers that stand up to wear and tear. The polyester material will look good wash after wash. [tweetthis]Limeapple is donating 10 % of sales from BUBBLE HOODIES to charities that support girls #BecauseICan[/tweetthis] Limeapple Bubble Hoodies: In a rainbow of gorgeous colours and sizes too, these bubble hoodies now help give back to girls and healthy charities that support children. There’s no better time to buy one. Trust me this will be one piece your daughter, or granddaughter loves. We have Limeapple Bubble Hoodies in black, cobalt and dark purple. I love them all and they wash beautifully! Now they also give back. There’s no better time to buy one. This post has been sponsored by Limeapple which means I received compensation, and/ or product in order to post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Keep Tabs on Your Child’s Online Activity With These 5 Programs

Paula — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:29:41 +0000

Online activity can be a scary proposition for parents. What are your kids seeing? What are they hearing? Who or what are they interacting with? With the ability to open up browser windows that never save data or history, your child’s online activity can be a frightening thing indeed. What if you know very little about social media, or computers? Maybe you have no real clue how to check Snapchat or Instagram Stories to view what they are sharing and doing. Don’t worry, this post is intended to help. There are ways to help keep tabs on your child’s web surfing. Monitoring Online Activity for Safety There’s no end to the scariness of the internet if you have children. Between online porn sites, message boards, chat rooms, and other ways to interact with other people and less than savoury content, the internet is a minefield. That’s why it’s so important to track your child’s online activity. It’s a way to help keep them safe in a world where everyone – including predators – is technologically savvy. Web Watcher Web Watcher is a program that allows you to track your child’s activity on the PC, MAC, AND Android and Blackberry. In addition, it has a filtering app for iOS. That’s an impressive array of device monitoring. One of the best features of Web Watcher is that is allows you to monitor your child’s online activity without their knowledge. While this may feel sneaky, it’s the only true way to get a sense of what the kids are doing on their devices. Let’s face it, even the best kid is going to keep secrets, and the internet is not the place for that. uKnowKids Available for Windows, iOS, Android, and Blackberry, uKnowKids lets you monitor your child’s online activity, and it also has the ability to monitor location and text messages. I love that, because in this day and age of internet savvy online predators, the ability to monitor online activity, texts, and location is a huge deal. You never know where your child might come into contact with a sexual predator. KidsWatch KidsWatch seems to have the best of all worlds. It allows you to manage your child’s time online with custom schedules for limiting online activity. You can monitor chat sessions and receive alerts regarding inappropriate content. KidsWatch also has an interesting block feature that goes beyond blocking objectionable websites. It also blocks inappropriate banner ads and pop ups. One of the best parts of this program, in my opinion, is its sexual predator notification system. Not only does it immediately block many potential predator threats, but it also alerts you if a sexual predator moves to your area. Net Nanny Net Nanny is an excellent program, because it combines online internet activity tracking with internet filtering and even profanity masking. You can set filtering for 18 categories to either block, warn, or allow for view. Of course, you can also block pornography. It features a time management feature for limiting your child’s online activity as well as the ability to filter vulgar language out of pages that you deem otherwise okay for viewing. You can also monitor your child’s social media, receive alerts on your child’s internet activity, and create user profiles for each child. In addition to all of that, Net Nanny has a remote admin feature which allows you to do all of this from any computer with an internet connection. SniperSpy SniperSpy is one of those programs that pretty much does it all. It has all the standard filtering, activity, and monitoring features of other online activity monitoring services, but it has more, as well. It features an HTTPS secured connection – the only one in the remote software industry. In addition, it blocks task manager, registry editor, and system configuration access to prevent tampering with your system. It also features a Top Ten Graph which shows your the most visited URLs, applications, web searches, and more along with searchable logs and a user filter. Online Activity Monitoring is the Way to Go Some of these programs may seem like overkill, but in an age where porn sites are around every corner, no matter what you search for, it’s important to know what they are seeing. Online predators find new ways to contact kids daily. Online activity monitoring is vital to keep kids safe.

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Znapeez – My Favourite Teen or Tween Gift of the Year #TMMGG16

Paula — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 13:47:16 +0000

Znapeez arrived here a few days ago and we are all loving this crafty toy. This crafty toy is not like anything you have seen before. With this ingenious toy designed for tweens, children can get creative with a snap. It’s designed to be easy to use, easy to create, and hard to put away. Znapeez is easy and fun, and that’s really the ticket when it comes to a gift that keeps the kids excited and engaged. Znapeez – Fashion and Fun for Boys and Girls What I really love about the Znapeez line is its versatility. Nothing is permanent unless they want it to be. Whatever they make comes apart as easily as it went together. This fun craft toy also features two different sets for different interests – fashion and action. With the fashion set, your child can create vests, handbags, and more with ease, and the Action set is perfect for cool wrist bracers, sports balls and equipment, and the like. The kids can even use the pieces to create fun decorations for their rooms. And it doesn’t stop there. The ease of use and versatility of this toy means that kids can create almost anything their minds dream up. That includes animals and landscapes if they’ve got the notion for it. In fact, the Znapeez website has a shot of an undersea world featuring an octopus and jellyfish! My girls have always loved crafting and creativity, so I knew they’d love this. We’ve been playing with the accessory creature kit. We made jewelry and pirate gear. I can already picture Znapeez decorations adorning their doors and windows and handbags and other accessories all over the place. [tweetthis]Find out which toy made my favourite tween/teen pick of the year. #TMMGG16[/tweetthis] Znapeez – Creativity is a Znap Znapeez is the perfect gift for any creative boy or girl tween. It’s my pick of the year. I even love playing with this toy myself. The ease of use means they won’t lose interest, and the click on/click off design makes it easy to create and recreate as much as they desire. If you have a child who loves to be creative, consider the Znapeez, it’s a great gift that allows kids to create fashion items, decorations, sports and action toys, and more. It really is a toy that promotes creativity and fun, and that’s always the best kind of toy, in my opinion. We received product in order to facilitate this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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Gemmies Crystal Creations for Crafty Kids #TMMGG16

Paula — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 10:01:26 +0000

Gemmies Crystal Creations are the craft du jour for crafty kids this year. If you have a crafty tween or teen then you know the struggle. I am always hunting for things to keep them busy. Oh it sounds nutty, but my thinking is this – give them crafts and things to keep their hands busy and they will be less likely to build baking soda volcanoes in the bathroom. Laugh it up, but that’s exactly what my kids would do. Craft kits like Gemmies Crystal Creations are crucial to my sanity. In fact, craft kits are a big part of my gifting strategy this time of year. Birthdays or Christmas presents – Gemmies is a cute little idea for the craft loving kiddo you need to buy for this season. When people ask me what to give my daughters I will often tell them gift cards or craft kits. Crafty kids like to make things and their hands need to be kept busy. Gemmies Crystal Creations by Tech 4 Kids is a craft kit that lets you make jewelry, flowers, or figurines out of the gems provided in the packages. The concept is cute and fun. And the final products are really unique. The Gemmies design studio is well organized and just the right size. It comes with a divider drawer or section for each of the various coloured gems and connectors. There is a stretcher tool that helps you to build the creations in sections. There is also a light up display area of sorts, to show your Gemmies off. The ice cream cone doesn’t stand up though. Ours is shown on its side here. The light up display feature requires two Triple A batteries. Now although this product says made for ages six and up I would not recommend this for any six year old. In fact, if your six-year-old can make these then I think they qualify as a child genius. The templates are simple enough once the steps are broken down. But I can tell you that I would feel better if this was tagged for 8 and up or even 9 and up. My oldest daughter, a teen made these with me. There are a lot of small bits and this requires much fine motor control. My younger daughter doesn’t have the patience for this kind of craft. She is 12. I tell you this because this is not the kind of craft kit that every child will excel at our enjoy. Gemmies Crystal Creations are cute when complete and kind of fun to do, in the same way that making rainbow loom bracelets can be hypnotic fun too. The Gemmies Design Studio comes with numerous templates and all the gems you need to make a clownfish, puppy dog or ice cream cone. The Design Studio has 500 pieces. Gemmies Design Centre and booster packs are a great gift for girls, aged 8 or 9 and up. They are not overly expensive and you can add to them. I have seen a few complaints that the templates limit creativity. Honestly I feel like they guide the child to complete a task. The final toy is a 3 D crystal creation and it’s kind of charming. 3 D everything is hot, in fact. I can see Gemmies Crystal Creations being a fidget craft toy. As in, I could see leaving this one in the recreation room craft drawer so my kids could pull it out at their leisure and build a 3 D figurine while also watching TV. My older child does that kind of thing often. This toy is not for everyone. But it is fun and affordable and for a child who is patient and even fidgety, who likes to build and craft this could be a lot of fun. I received product for purposes of the gift guide here. My opinion is all my own. This post contains an affiliate link to help my readers buy directly if interested.

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Pom Pom Wow! – For the Tween or Teen Girl on Your List #TMMGG16

Paula — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 04:02:31 +0000

Are you shopping to please a crafty teen or tween girl this holiday? Then I have the perfect gift for you. Pom Pom Wow is a quirky, fun, craft kit with potential for hours of enjoyment. I should know – my girls have been decorating everything with Pom Pom Wow! since the kits arrived here a couple of weeks ago. Who doesn’t like Pom Poms? Pom Pom Wow! has numerous different kits and accessory bundles. We received several to try out. My daughter Ainsley, 12, got her hands on the Pom Pom Wow! Decoration Station one night after school. Now, I will warn you immediately this one can be a bit messy. The Decoration Station involves dyes and water. Your teen or tween will be able to colour the plain pom poms and make them purple, red, yellow or green. Of course there are other colour options too if you combine the shades. The Decoration Station costs about $29.99. The Decoration Station is one of my favourite pieces. When you need to put your decorating station away, you just make sure all the pieces are in the corresponding spot and fold it up into a purse-like kit. Easy peasy and nice and neat too. My youngest decorated a picture frame with Pom Pom Wow and made it a colourful addition to her room. Some of the glue dots on that frame dried out though and some pom poms fell off. Meanwhile Payton decorated sunglasses and a lamp in her room and several other things. The lamp shade looks great and it makes me happy because it is so colourful. The sunglasses were cute, but my daughter should have been a bit less enthusiastic because it’s hard to see out the lenses now. Decorate your phone case, your pencil case, your laptop and even your furniture, if you are allowed, of course. You can buy this crafty experience at Toys ‘R Us, Amazon, Walmart, Kmart, and Target. Perfect for crafty girls on your holiday list. Pom Pom Wow! is on Instagram and you can see some of the creations others have made there. They are also on Facebook and Twitter too. I received product in order to complete this post. My opinion is all my own and it is also truthful.

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