The New Parents Guide Blog

It’s not too early to be thinking about Halloween costumes for the kids–or for yourself!  Do you dress up for Halloween?  It’s a fun idea, especially if the whole family dresses according to a theme, such as characters from the same movie.  My kids are cooking up their own Halloween plans, which currently involve dressing as characters from commercials, like the Geico Gecko and Flo from Progressive Insurance.

Flo’s going to be an easy costume to put together.  The Gecko, not so much.  You can be sure that I’ll be checking out the costume selection at our Halloween section, which is growing by the week.  The Super Shoppers who work in the background of our website are finding the cutest, funniest and scariest costumes and accessories out there, and putting them in one place so you can find them easily and quickly.

Here are the best reasons for shopping early:  you’re sure to find what you want in the size you need, and your kids won’t be able to change their minds every 3 hours about what they’ll be wearing for Halloween.  The choice will be made and they’ll be sticking with it.  Finally, you won’t be going crazy two days before Halloween trying to scare up that hard-to-find costume.  The hardest part will be keeping the kids from wearing the costume–and wearing it out–before Halloween even gets here!

BASKET OF BARGAINS

15% off My Brest Friend Nursing Pillows at Babies R Us
Discounts will appear on item pages.
Valid through: August 27, 2010
See other Babies R Us coupons!

$10 off with every $50 you spend at Little Tikes
For every $50 you spend, get $10 off your next order.
Valid online only. For every $50 spent, you will receive a coupon code good for $10 off your next order. Your next order must be placed between August 17, 2010 and August 30, 2010, 11:59pm PT. Maximum coupon amount you can earn is $200. Coupon code will be provided after order is placed. Full discount must be used on single purchase. Currently, due to littletikes.com’s secure site, we cannot confirm this deal. In the past, however, this deal has worked for us.
Valid through: August 16, 2010
See other Little Tikes coupon codes!

Summer’s not over by a long shot, and around here the weather is hot, hot, hot!  If you’re looking for a way for your kids to beat the heat without risking major sun damage to their skin, the Little Tikes Wade Lagoon is the perfect solution.  The shade tree in the middle is also a misting sprayer–just hook it up to your garden hose for a nice cool mist.  There’s a mini-water slide, a step-down in the side wall for easy access (great for toddlers!) and a corner seat.  You’ll even find handy cup holders.

This backyard water park is inflatable, using an included blower that inflates the pool within minutes.  The Little Tikes Wade Lagoon measures just under 10 X 9 feet so there’s plenty of room for fun.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

33% off Photo Cards at Walgreens.com
Use coupon code 33cards at checkout in the Photo Center.
Valid for up to 5 uses per account. Does not apply to custom framing, gift cards, taxes, or shipping charges.
Valid through: September 30, 2010
See other Walgreens coupons!

$15 off $150 in Home items at Kmart.com
Valid online only. Cannot be combined with other coupons.
Enter coupon code AUGUSTHOME.
Valid through: August 28, 2010
See other Kmart coupon codes!

What kid doesn’t like music?  I know that my kids have always been big fans–as evidenced by the collection of musical instruments around my house right now.  Besides the organ, electronic keyboard and my own guitar, my older son has accumulated two guitars (one acoustic, one electric), an electric bass, a mandolin, two harmonicas, and a homemade didgeridoo, as well as appropriating my banjo.  I’ll never get that one back, I just know it.

But I was always happy to indulge my kids’ interest in music, especially when it involved kids’ music that didn’t fall into the Annoying Kids’ Music category.  “Silly Songs with Larry” is fun music meant for kids that adults won’t mind listening to.  Taken from the popular Veggie Tales video series, these songs are just plain silly.  You can tell just by looking at a list of the tracks, which include songs like:

• His Cheeseburger
• The Hairbrush Song
• The Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps
• The Dance of the Cucumber
• Do the Moo Shoo

These songs are easy to sing along with, and the tunes are very catchy.  Best of all, they’re lots of fun for the whole family.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

20% off Lassig Diaper Bags at Babies R Us
Discounts will appear on item pages.
Valid through: July 25, 2010
See other Babies R Us coupons!

12% off New Customer orders at SmartBargains
Plus free shipping on orders of $100 or more!
Use this link to activate the coupon. Discount will appear in your shopping cart.
New customers only. This coupon may only be redeemed once during the promotion period. Not valid on prior purchases, pending orders or with any other discounts, certificates or promotions. Offer applies to merchandise purchases only. Does not apply towards the purchase of a SMARTShoppers Club membership.
Valid through: August 10, 2010
See other SmartBargains coupon codes!

My husband has this dream of putting the whole family into an RV (we don’t own one) and driving all around the country to visit the many beautiful national parks and famous places.

One of the don’t-miss items on the itinerary for his dream vacation is Yellowstone National Park.  At Yellowstone, you’ll not only see Old Faithful (pictured here) but a whole collection of geysers and hot springs.  There’s even the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and lots of wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk.

The National Park Service’s website has a special page about Yellowstone for kids.   It includes printable coloring pages, an online coloring book, “match the antlers” game and other activities to help kids learn about their destination before their trip.  There’s also a Junior Rangers program as well as a self-guided Young Scientist program, both for kids over 5.  Your kids can even become rangers online using the Web Ranger program–great for families planning their trip in advance.

You can find out about all the National Parks across the nation at the National Park Service website.  And don’t miss our article on Children’s Programs at Family Resorts–a must-read for families planning their summer vacations.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

Free shipping on orders containing any Disney Parks item at DisneyStore.com
Enter promotion code PARKSFREE in your shopping bag and click “Submit”.
Valid for Standard Delivery to a single address within the continental US. Qualifying purchase based on pre-tax, post-discount amount and excludes Shipping & Handling charges, gift cards, gift wrap and gift boxes. Additional handling applies for oversized items. If any single order is sent to more than one address, Shipping & Handling charges will be applied to each shipment address. Offer valid only on orders placed online at DisneyShopping.com, DisneyStore.com, and DisneyOutlet.com. Not valid on phone orders or purchases from Disney Store outlet or retail locations.
Valid through: July 13, 2010
See other Disney Store coupons!

20% off Sale and Clearance items at Lord & Taylor
Some exclusions apply. See site for details.
Enter coupon code SAVE.
Valid through: July 13, 2010
See other Lord & Taylor coupon codes!

As schools spend more and more time emphasizing computer and foreign-language instruction for even the littlest children, there is less time spent on what people my age and older would have learned in school.

We sang lots of songs–not curriculum-driven songs, although “The author writes the book” is a wonderful way to teach children about the roles played in the publication of their favorite stories.  In kindergarten, we’d sing “Yankee Doodle” and “There’s a Hole in the Bucket” and “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea” and “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.”  None of my children learned these songs, or the others I learned during my primary-school years, during their time at school.

The same is true for nursery rhymes and tried-and-true stories.  The old favorites (fairy tales and such) are abandoned in favor of what’s new and shiny.  But as the kids grow older, literature they may read will include references to these classic stories, poems and rhymes–and the kids will have no frame of reference for that.

That’s why the Core Knowledge Series is such an excellent choice, especially on the preschool level.  What Your Preschooler Needs to Know is full of the lyrics, fingerplays, stories and art and science activities you’d love your child to learn.  Better yet, they’re in a format so that parents and children can enjoy all of these together.  And this is fun learning–not boring homework.

Have fun this weekend, celebrating our nation’s independence!  I’ll return on Monday with a fresh Basket of Bargains.

Is there a budding Picasso or Jackson Pollack at your house?

One of the most-used toys we got for our daughter when she was a toddler was a child’s easel.  She would happily draw and paint for hours.

It was even useful after her preschool years.  She’d use it to play “school” with her little brother, who was a toddler by then, and pretty much would play just about any game his big sister suggested–because big sisters rock!

Our neighbors had a child’s easel as well.  Like us, they kept theirs on the back porch.  But one day when they had a very large picnic, that easel left the porch and was moved into the middle of the yard.  One of their friends then used it to write a parody of the party menu, featuring things like “bat dogs” and other delicacies.

Your child will get years of use out of the KidKraft Deluxe Wood Easel.  It features two patented anti-spill paint cups–that alone would sell me on an easel!  It also has a blackboard and whiteboard, as well as an easily-refillable paper dispenser.  Storage trays for markers, chalk or paintbrushes are useful additions as well.

BASKET OF BARGAINS

15% off your order at Kohls.com
Enter promo code during checkout.
Online only. Offer not valid to purchase gift cards or for payment on a Kohl’s Charge account. Offer also not valid on purchases of Kohl’s Cares for Kids merchandise or other charitable items. Offer cannot be combined with other percent-off discounts. Excludes sales tax.
Enter coupon code LOWEST4U.
Valid through: July 5, 2010
See other Kohl’s coupons!

Up to 27% off Evenflo Baby Gear at Drugstore.com
Discounts will appear on item pages.
Valid through: July 31, 2010
See other drugstore.com coupon codes!