Monthly Archives: February 2012
Legoland – Affordable Educational Fun for Your Child
One of the many wonderful LEGO animals in LEGOland
I’ve driven past LEGOland countless times not knowing the treasure that was behind those doors until last week. LEGOland Discovery Center is an indoor attraction that is truly your passport to a LEGO world of color, creativity and fun. I went with my 6 month old and my sister. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at how stimulating, educational and fun LEGOland was from the minute you walk through the discovery doors. The best part? It was super affordable! An entire year pass is only $40.00 or a one-time visit as little as $9.00 when you book online. You can’t get into any amusement park or museum for those kind of savings!
From the start LEGOland is an adventure. Enter LEGOland and you are treated to:
- The most amazing skyline view of Chicago complete with a working LEGO El Train!
- The LEGO jungle complete with a path that takes you though moving LEGO animals. True to LEGO’s educational style, the path has fun facts and questions about the animals.
- A 4D cinema where you can reach out and touch the stars
- A behind the scenes making of a LEGO
- A roller coaster ride on your very own dragon through the Medieval LEGO castle
- A giant LEGO room where you can make your own LEGO creations (they have a special section for the little kids with Duplo blocks)
- And much, much more.
Baby K’s favorite part was the giant foam Lego blocks only found at LEGOland. She didn’t want to leave!
Baby K LOVED the giant LEGOS
There are many places you can bring your family, but few are as fun, affordable and perfect for the whole family as LEGOland is. We are going back with our friends for Toddler Tuesdays where there are special activities only for Toddlers. LEGOland really thinks of everything, but don’t take our word for it, come see for yourself!
Save Money on Sealy Crib Mattresses During Walmart’s Baby Days Sale
Walmart Baby Days Bring Savings on Sealy Crib Mattresses
There are few things a parent craves more than sleep and if your baby sleeps, you sleep. Kolcraft proudly manufactures Sealy crib mattresses here in the USA that have given generations of babies a good night’s sleep. We are very excited that you can save money on these Sealy crib mattress during Baby Days at Walmart!
Check out the incredible deals on Sealy crib mattresses and save even more on the new Sealy Nature Couture crib mattress and maternity pillow bundle! Don’t wait, the time to save money so you can sleep is now! 
Hurry over to Walmart while supplies last!
Easy Rainbow Crafts and Recipes for Kids
It may be cold and gloomy out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have rainbows and fun indoors! We had a lot of fun with our Kolcraft Kids as we had an indoor rainbow day complete with rainbow crafts, food and fun!
Rainbow Crafts
Indoor Rainbow Rice Sandbox
Rice after it has had food coloring added
What you need:
- Rice
- Vinegar
- Food coloring
- Aluminum foil
- Containers
- Cookie sheet
What to do:
- Put 1.5 cups of rice in each container
- Add 1 – 2 tbsp of vinegar to each container
- Add a few drops of food coloring
- Shake, shake & shake the containers some more to fully coat the rice in food coloring
- Put aluminum foil on the cookie sheet
- Place rice on cookie sheet & put in oven at 150º for 10- 15 minutes
- Take out, place in large, wide container that isn’t too deep & let your kids have fun in their indoor “sandbox”!
Rainbow rice ready to dry in the oven
You can also put black, white & red beans in a container and have “bean sand”.
Other fun rainbow crafts, recipes and ideas that we did with our Kolcraft Kids ranging from 6 months to 7 years old!
- Rainbow finger painting – put hands in non-toxic finger paint, and place hand prints in semi-circle forming a rainbow. Alternate colors to make a rainbow. We love this as a keepsake of our child’s hand-prints.
- Rainbow crayons – this easy craft, recycles old crayons into rainbow crayons!
- Rainbow fruit cake – this yummy treat is a tasty way to teach your child about the rainbow.
- Rainbow outfits – let your child pick out his/her clothes for the day. We can guarantee it will be a rainbow sensation outfit.
Enjoy your rainbow filled day!
Happy Valentine’s Day
Wishing you and your families a very happy Valentine’s day! We will be spending Valentine’s day with our children making some treats and fun crafts.
How will you be spending Valentine’s Day?
A Mother’s Love
Valentine’s day is tomorrow and while most people think of flowers, chocolate and romantic dinners, we think of the love a mother has for her children and children have for their mom.
We felt this mom quote captured the spirit of Valentine’s day because it talks about true, unconditional love. This sort of love starts way before baby is born, but on the day baby is born it blossoms on a whole new level.
Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.
- George Eliot, English novelist
What is your favorite mom quote?
The Crib Mattress 3C’s: the Core, the Cushioning, and the Cover
Get the right crib mattress for your baby by comparing the 3 C’s of a crib mattress: the CORE, the CUSHIONING, and the COVER.
Crib mattress cores can be made from foam or steel coils.
Look for high density foam or a higher number of coils for a firmer foundation.
The cushioning should be firm yet comfortable for babies and durable enough to last through the toddler years.
Look for waterproof covers and binding so that the entire surface wipes clean. Laminate or wet-proof fabric covers won’t soak up leaky messes!
Look for more details at sealybaby.com
3 Easy Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids
Valentine’s day is a day of love and cuddles. We like these easy DIY valentine’s day crafts you can do with your children.
Valentine Photo Hearts
What you need:
- Red, white or pink foam
- Foam glue
- Photo of your baby
- Sharpie
- Scissors – adult use only
- String
What to do:
- Cut foam in shape of heart & cut out middle. We used a scrapbook die cut for the fancy edges.
- Cut photo in heart shape and glue to the foam for the frame.
- Write message to your child’s Valentine on the part you cut out of the frame heart.
- Glue to the photo frame.
- Put string through top to hang.
- Make someone smile when you give it to them.
Tissue Paper Valentine
What you need:
- Red & pink tissue
- White foam
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Non-toxic Glue
- Photo
- Pencil
What to do:
- Cut foam in a heart shape.
- Write message on heart.
- Glue photo of your child on the foam (we embellished with scrapbook hearts).
- Cut tissue into squares.
- Put tissue square on end of pencil & dip into glue.
- Outline heart with tissue paper.
- Make someone’s day when you give them this cute Valentine.
New Spin on the Love Frame
What you need:
- Frame
- Background paper
- Window markers
What to do:
- Put background paper in frame with message “I love you because”
- Every day have all family members write in why they love a certain member of the family.
- Switch days for each member of the family to receive frame love.
Thanks to Happily Domestic for the Frame Love idea.
What are your favorite Valentine’s Day crafts?
Exciting News About Contours Baby Brand
The look of the Contours name and logo just got an exciting new makeover! It’s still the same trusted baby gear you’ve grown to love, along with a few new exciting editions throughout 2012.
The fresh look of the C with the open O inside represents the tender embrace of a parent and child. As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of embracing the everyday moments with your child. Whether you are exploring the world with your child using our stroller’s reversible seat or your newborn baby is nestled near you in our bassinet’s removable Moses Basket, Contours is there for your special moments.
At Contours, we are committed to providing parents and grandparents with innovative designs that fit your family’s ever changing needs. The options our strollers and bassinets provide you easily fit into your lifestyle and allow you to give your baby everything. Don’t be surprised if the next time you’re strolling down the street you hear someone say “That baby’s got it all.”
Contours. This baby’s got it all.
For more on this exciting brand and products visit our Contours Baby Facebook page.
Kolcraft and Sealy Crib Mattress – Simply the Best Choice for Your Sleeping Baby
Kolcraft is proud to be the #1 crib mattress manufacturer in the USA since 1946. From our engineers in Chicago to our workers in North Carolina, we have proudly manufactured crib mattresses for generations of families. We are always seeking ways to give baby a safer, more peaceful night of sleep. Our latest exciting news is that our entire family of crib mattress brands is now GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certified, helping consumers minimize their chemical exposure and create healthier indoor environments for their children.
What does that mean for your sleeping baby and your peace of mind? It means that all Kolcraft, Sealy, Stearns & Foster and Contours brand crib mattresses have demonstrated compliance with the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute’s stringent chemical emissions standards following rigorous scientific testing. The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, part of the UL Global Network, is a not-for-profit, third-party organization dedicated to protecting human health and improving indoor air quality by certifying products for low chemical emissions.
Our president was beaming with pride over this accomplishment.
“We are proud of our history of producing superior-quality crib mattresses for families. Ensuring that each and every mattress is GREENGUARD Certified signifies that we are committed to ensuring a healthier indoor environment for children,” said Tom Koltun, President of Kolcraft. “It will also help provide peace of mind for parents who can feel confident that their children are sleeping on a laboratory tested, healthier, high-quality crib mattress.”
Parents are inundated with safety information about children’s products today, and since infants spend so much of their early life sleeping on a crib mattress, GREENGUARD Certification is one way parents can be sure that they are making the right choice.
”We applaud Kolcraft for going above and beyond marketplace requirements and demonstrating not only leadership, but also a true commitment to reducing chemical exposure in the home,” says Henning Bloech, GREENGUARD’s executive director. “GREENGUARD Certification is a rigorous, third-party process, so by choosing GREENGUARD Certified crib mattresses, parents can be confident that they’re making a better purchasing decision for their children.”
We are just a wee bit excited over this great news. It is one more reason why Kolcraft is simply the best choice for your sleeping baby or toddler.
3 Fun Super Bowl Activities for Kids
Your children don’t have to be bored during your Super Bowl party. These three games can make sure they have fun so you can enjoy the Super Bowl without the constant chorus of “I’m BORED” going on in the background.
- Pin the football – Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, each child has a football. They try to ‘pin the football through the uprights or get it in the receivers hands.
- Team hats – Have some construction paper or foam, non-toxic glue and a few other art supplies so they can a hat supporting their favorite team.
- Festive pom poms -Make your own pom-poms using whichever team’s colors you are cheering for by gluing streamers or tissue paper to a large popsicle stick which you can buy at a craft store.
What fun Super Bowl crafts or activities do you have for kids?
