Stocking Stuffer Alert! Winning Wonderland Event: Thermal-Aid Zoo Animals & The Nutcracker Music Game

 

Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Blog It Forward, Taking Time For Mommy, And The Little Ones Too, Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, and My Mommy's World. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 15th at 11:59 pm EST. Good Luck and have a winning holiday season!

A note from Tina @ Classic Children's Books (CCB):

Thanks for visiting us! I have 2 giveaway packages available - 1 here on CCB and GivingNSharing has a 2 items to giveaway away (click here) - Keep reading....

 

Thermal-Aid & The Nutcracker Music Game are sponsoring CCB's Winning Wonderland Giveaway this month. 1 lucky family will WIN a Thermal-Aid Zoo Animal of their choice & also a copy of The Nutcracker Music Game for their kids (age 4-10'ish) - Value: $40 appr., another 4 people will each WIN a Zoo Animal of their choice (value $19.95 each)!

CLICK HERE to read my review and you can also visit Thermal-Aid's website to learn more or you can order if you don't want to wait for the giveaway and need a Monkey or two on YOUR back!

WIN IT: This giveaway will start @ Midnight 12/1 and end 12/15 @ 11:59 pm. There will be 5 winners total & your choice of Zoo Animal must be stated with your address/contact information or I will draw another winner. This avoids a long delay while I try to contact the winner - and the giveaway can be closed in a timely fashion.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Note re - Address Requirement: All entrants MUST provide their complete address so when I draw the winner I can forward it to the company and they can fulfill the winner's prize immediately. If you do not wish to leave your full contact information please do not enter this giveaway. I am the only one that sees your information unless you are the winner & then it's forwarded to my contact for shipping purposes only. This enables me to complete the giveaway right away and not have to wait for someone to respond to their email - and I don't have to keep drawing names until someone responds.


What? You want MORE Giveaways? Check these out:

Disclaimer: Please understand that Blog It Forward, along with the "Winner Wonderland Event" bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. However, we are responsible for contacting our sponsors regarding the winner's prize at the close of the giveaway. We expect that our sponsors will fulfill their prize agreement and ship them to the winners in a timely manner.

Thermal-Aid Zoo Animals ~ Review & Giveaway Announcement

Stocking Stuffer Alert!

Thermal-Aid Zoo Animals & Bears are designed for kids of all ages (not just the little ones - but big ones too). I have JoJo the Monkey and he's adorable. The kids love him in the morning when it is so cold - we take him in the car to keep them warm and they also love to cuddle up with him while watching their morning video. He's very comforting and cute!

The Zoo Animals (and the bears too) are ideal for kids to use when they aren't feeling that great - you can heat him up in the microwave or pop him in the freezer to help bring down fevers or relieve twisted ankles or various "owies". We haven't had any major "owies" in my daycare - so the kids have been using him to warm themselves up in the morning. I have 2 girls who come before 7 am and the little one especially seems to think it's "freezing" out there. She loves JoJo and hates it when big sister tries to claim him.

Real quick here is a little break down about Thermal-Aid. Thermal-Aid products are specially engineered to eliminate pain and swelling from arthritis, sports injuries, and more. These products range in size and can be used as hot or cold therapy packs. Holds heat longer and it's clinically proven to relieve: fever, sunburn, earaches, back and neck pain, flu symptoms, sprains, bee stings, headaches, sore muscles, growing pains, insomnia and much more! Read my review of the Medium Sectional here.

Best of All - the Zoo Animals, Bears and even the sectionals (larger heating/cooling packs in various sizes) are washable, reduces fever and pain naturally.

Buy Thermal-Aid Zoo Animals (and Bears too):
You can find Thermal-Aid Zoo Animals and Bears in your community at retailers like Walgreens, CVS, Amazon and Costco or you can purchase them online at http://thermal-aid.com/store/zoo-animals/ for $19.95. They are really soft & squeezable (sorta like a Beany Baby) and sized just right for little hands (JoJo is about 12" tall) and little ones as young as 9 to 12 months will want to drag him along in the car (he's perfect for cold mornings). He's all natural and made up of Natural cotton and a heating and cooling element composed of a specially engineered corn.

Disclaimer: I was given a Thermal-Aid Zoo Monkey to use and review on CCB. I was not required to write a positive review and no money exchanged hands.

The Nutcracker Music Game

The Nutcracker Computer Game
Games, Puzzles & Much More
by Art & Music Games
Awards: Parent's Choice Gold Award, NAPPA Gold Awad, Parenting Seal of Approval & others

A magical adventure that celebrates music by challenging kids through interactive participation and exciting game play.

My Thoughts:
Recently I installed The Nutcracker Music Game which is a computer game that challenges kids through interactive puzzles, musical tones and the use of music that our kids are familiar with. The interactive games are accessed through a variety of "rooms and each room must be completed in order to earn one of several keys used to complete the game. 

I run a daycare and one of my 7 year old's in particular was interested in this game. In fact, I can't get her to play other computer games for as long as she'll sit and play with this one. I don't think she has been exposed to the classics much yet. Hailey must use both visual and auditory clues in each different segment and while she doesn't really know many of the instruments nor the sounds they make I could see her gaining confidence and understanding. (It doesn't help that she is a little off key either.) 

I played it a bit after Hailey went home and although I grew up playing several instruments (cello, bass and piano) and was exposed to a strong musical program at school & church I didn't do to badly. I did have some issues with some of the tones (I have a very old computer and the sound is a bit off) but managed to get a couple of the keys fairly fast. I loved the instrument matching game where you match the sound an instrument makes and the shape of the instrument. As you correctly match them up the instrument and the artist appear on the stage and play their portion of The Nutcracker. The trivia game was another of my favorites. I managed to get quite a lot of those correct. The only one I didn't care for was the distortion room which was similar to the "funny" mirror in the circus only this time it's portions of songs that are distorted and you have to figure out which song it matches.

All in all - I loved this game and I would of loved playing it as a kid. They have several other games available and I'd love to invest in them for the daycare (yeah right). I'd particularly love to see these: Mozart's Magic Flute Music Game and Discover Bach! 

You can purchase The Nutcracker Game online for $19.95 (click here). It's a great overview of the different instruments in the Orchestra, children learn about different composers and the music they created and also how different parts make whole within the score. I give it several thumbs up!

There are different packages you might be interested in for stocking stuffers:

• Misha's Nutcracker  book by Roman Yakub    $15.95
• Misha's Nutcracker  book + FREE Nutcracker Music Game $22.95
• Misha's Nutcracker  book + Nutcracker Music Game + FREE London Symphony's Nutcracker Ballet Music CD $29.95

WIN IT:
Enter the giveaway for The Nutcracker Music Game starting 12/1/12 right here on CCB! 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of The Nutcracker Music Game to use on my computer. I was not required to have a positive review and no money exchanged hands. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Turkey Hunt Blog Hop & Giveaway Hop ~ School Zone

Today I and several other bloggers have joined together for a Holiday Turkey Hunt Giveaway Hop! What does that mean? It means that all of us will have Giveaways and as you hop around you also have the chance to WIN the Grand Prize of an Amazon Gift Card valued at over $100 (at this time) - it just might go up who knows?

I have 2 giveaways coming up - 1 right here on CCB and GivingNSharing has a Giveaway Package that will help with your Kitchen Chores and Household Budgeting. You can click on this link to go to GivingNSharing's giveaway post.

The giveaway here on CCB is sponsored by School Zone and Sierra wanted to include a copy of Scissor Skills for your little one to enjoy just like she did so that will come packaged separately from us along with a handy package of scissors and a few other goodies from Sierra & I to round out your preschool fun package.  You will receive:

   

Enter Here:

Want MORE giveaways? Check these out:


Address Request - All entrants MUST provide their complete address so when I draw the winner I can forward it to the company and they can fulfill the winner's prize immediately. If you do not wish to leave your full contact information please do not enter this giveaway. I am the only one that sees your information unless you are the winner & then it's forwarded to my contact for shipping purposes only. This enables me to complete the giveaway right away and not have to wait for someone to respond to their email - and I don't have to keep drawing names until someone responds.

Disclosure: The WiC Project and the Holiday Turkey Hunt Blog Hop bloggers are not responsible for prize distribution or for sponsors who do not fulfill their prizes unless it is noted that they are self-sponsoring the prize(s).

Kidzone - Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Recently I found a company called School Zone Publishing at Walgreens in the children's book section. They had a workbook called Scissor Skills which I thought would be a great addition to the preschool curriculum I had invested in & that Sierra just didn't seem to be ready for. It was heavy on the Pre-Reading and Math Activities along with Crafts - she loved the crafts but didn't want anything to do with the letter & number tracing and she doesn't have the small motor skills for the tracing yet anyway (she is SUPERB at making short lines and circles though) . Sierra LOVES cutting and pasting. Turns out the book also included some  Pre-Reading Skills, colors, numbers and other activities and for Sierra it was just the right amount of "Preschool Stuff" for her.

I contacted Kidzone to see if they would like to sponsor a giveaway on the Turkey Hunt Blog Hop this week and they sent me 2 different sets of flashcards - which Sierra LOVES by the way - and I think we are set for a Preschool Curriculum company at this point in time.

Three Letter Words - 

             Write On Learning

Part of their NEW Interactive Flashcards line this set would be ideal for kids 4+ who have some control in small motor skills. At the bottom of each laminated card is a section where kids can trace the word and includes an area for them to practice writing it on their own as well. Each set includes 2 wipe off pens and the ink wipes off beautifully with a paper towel.

Other cards in this category are Bedtime Alphabet which includes a flashlight which you shine through the cards onto the ceiling at bedtime (this is uber cool!) and the Peek A Boo Learning Cards where you peek through a clever cut-out and the use the catchy rhymes to answer questions - the other side of the cards can be use to review shapes, colors & numbers. 

These cards are not your everyday flashcards which promote memory work and use pictures to trigger a memory or give clues - they promote reading readiness, word recognition, thinking skills & vocabulary usage.

Purchase it: You can purchase the NEW Interactive cards at Costco and Sam's Club while quantities last - they are a limited edition and would make for great birthday party gifts , stocking stuffers, car games and just because.

You can also purchase them online as a set THIS WEEKEND - $32.00 or $12.99 each


The Sight Words Combo Pack is for a little older child and includes 55 sight word flashcards, a skill pad and a pencil. The skill pad is designed to extend what they are learning visually to practice the skills they just did with the flashcards cognitively by reading, writing and tracing the word. This set is ideal for kids starting to read, needing extra practice with sight words and word recognition. $6.99. 

The 32 page Skill Pad helps:
* kids strengthen their focus  
* build comparison and recognition skills
* Increase reading fluency
* Rhyming words and completing sentences reinforces & 
   expands vocabulary
* Your child will master over 100 common sight words
* Following Directions, tracing, word recognition, writing, 
   printing and fine motor skills 

Other combo packs available are: Addition and Multiplication

Purchase it: $6.99 each - includes an access code for Golden Scholar which is an online gift. 

Answer this question for an entry in the Turkey Hunt Giveaway Hop (click here) in the comment section (please leave your username & the date you posted on the PromoSimple Gadget on the giveaway)

(Pls lv your username & date commented on the entry gadget here)

You may need to add it in the comments area under the post

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the 3 letter words flash card set and the sight words combo pack to review on CCB. I was not required to post a positive review and no money exchanged hands. 

Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop - Thomas Nelson Gift Package, 11/29

Welcome to the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop hosted by Mom to Bed by 8 and Life With Two Boys!

The holidays will be before you know it so to make things a little easier on you and your wallet we decided to give you an opportunity to WIN your gifts this year! Several awesome blogs have to come together to bring you some amazing prizes that will look great sitting under your tree Christmas morning. After you enter our giveaway make sure you hop around to the rest of the participating blogs for more chances to win!

Along with all of the individual prizes we also have TONS of awesome Grand Prizes for everyone on your list including Baby, Kids (boys and girls), Teens, and Adults. The Grand Prizes include a Babyhome Emotion Stroller, Little Tikes Classic Castle, Pillow Pets Dream Lites, Pillow Racers, Furby, $50 The Children's Place Gift Card, Nokia Lumia 900, and a Keurig Elite Brewing System!

Enter the Grand Prizes here!

A Note From Tina:

Hi! Thanks for joining in the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop with CCB! I have a phenomenal giveaway on BOTH of my blogs for this event - be sure to enter here and then visit GivingNSharing for a Giveaway for the grown ups (Click Here - heck grown ups have stocking too!! Santa can make anything fit in 'em!)

  

On CCB, you have the opportunity to WIN a beautiful Bible, a set of 3 Children's DVD's and the wonderful NEW Classic One Wintry Night ~ Read my review here

Thomas Nelson is sponsoring this awesome giveaway during the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop! I have 1 big giveaway of all 3 items for your family. They will make great stocking stuffers & I know your kids are going to love them as much mine do.

Mandatory Entries: (This is extremely important)

***To enter this giveaway you need to do ALL 3 mandatory entries. After that you have the choice of doing the extra entries. The first mandatory entry you will Read & Agree to the rules of the giveaway as well as leave me your contact information (I am the only one that sees this unless you win) - If I draw your name as the winning entry - I will forward your address & phone number directly to Thomas Nelson so your prize can be shipped out. If you did not add this information I will automatically draw another winner.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was offered all these items to review on CCB by www.thomasnelson.com  I was not required to have a positive review and no money exchanged hands. Please note that the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop hosts and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prize. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation that they will fulfill their prize in a timely manner. While we are not responsible, we will make every effort to assist the winner in obtaining their prize. Please read the terms & conditions on the rafflecopter for further details

WHAT? You want MORE Giveaways? Check these out:

Visit the other blogs participating in the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop ~ here is a handy linky so you can work your way down. =D

Thomas Nelson has GREAT Stocking Stuffer Ideas!

Do you have trouble coming up with FUN ideas for stocking stuffers? Well, Thomas Nelson is coming to the rescue this year on Classic Children's Books. I received a package of several items and thought I'd share them with you....

Princess Bible 
ISBN: 9781400320639
$24.99

My Thoughts: 
The Princess Bible is perfect for any little girl who loves all things Princessy, glittery and has pretty jewels on it. It's hardback for sturdiness, contains a flap that holds it closed which helps keep the pages neat and hopefully helps them not get bent up as easily. It contains the full-text of the International Children's Bible as well as a 24-page, four-color insert which includes maps, timelines, and other Bible knowledge. My only concern about this bible is the tiny print which might make it difficult for beginning readers to read - but other than that it will definitely be a hit! More details here.

One Wintry Night
by Ruth Bell Graham
ISBN: 9781400321162
$14.99 (hardcover)

My thoughts:
One Wintery Night is a classic story about a boy who is hiking up in the mountains and ends up staying to long and needs to find refuge for the night. He ends up stumbling on the house where his grandfather lived at one time and stays with the woman who lives there. The story the lady tells him is the Christmas Story beginning with the world God created, the original fall and the reason Jesus was born and died for us. Beautifully told, this book will have a place on my shelves for a long time. 

I've been reading this story to my 5 year old in the car while we wait for my 7 year old to get out of school. I'm thinking he's not quite ready for the message the book has to share - but he is enjoying the descriptive text that paints a picture of the world and the gift Jesus gave us. More details here.

The Jesus Series Read & Share Bible DVD's: $9.99 each

The Jesus Series is a series of 3 movies that teach children about the birth, life and death of Jesus. The first movie is the Story of Christmas, animated straight from the popular Read & Share Bible for children, the 2nd movie is about the life and miracles of Jesus and the final DVD covers The Easter Story. Each video is an uninterrupted half-hour presentation of Jesus' life which is animated in an enchanting art style, warm narration, and gentle musical underscore to help children will experience the Christmas story in a powerful way. (More information)

This series is also available as 1 long movie on The Jesus Movie ($12.99) which is 80 minutes long. 

Sierra & Connor are only 3 and 5 and I didn't feel they were ready for the 80 minute movie yet so we watched the smaller movies and the kids loved them. The animation held their interest and I've been hearing them make little comments as they play about Jesus loving them which is really cute. I couldn't ask for a better way to introduce the Life of Jesus to my kids.

Note:

Since this post is so long I haven't included the descriptions of each item - you can click on the links in each area and read the full description if you'd like. =D You can also order each item from Thomas Nelson. They are very prompt about shipping your order out and everything came in perfect condition.

You can purchase each of these books & videos, along with bibles, young adult & middle grade fiction & non-fiction, devotionals, baby books and lots more on http://www.thomasnelson.com. They have so many things I really had a hard time picking just a few to review on CCB. I'm planning on giving the bible to my almost 6 year old niece Jenna - I know she's going to love it. The videos are already a hit in my daycare.

WIN IT:
You also have the option of entering a giveaway during the Happy Holidays Giveaway Hop which starts this Thursday. One lucky person will WIN all of the above for their family to enjoy!

Enter the giveaway here: Click

Enter the giveaway for an Imprint Mat on GivingNSharing here: Click


Disclaimer: I received a package of goodies from Thomas Nelson Publishing and was not required to write a positive review and no money exchanged hands.