C is for Celebration Logs

When I think of the letter C, I think of celebrations. It could be a December holiday, patriotic event, or just a simple family celebration that you want to emphasize. Your children will love making these yummy logs in the colors that represent your theme. They're simple to make, great for a treat, or even a take-home favor. Here's how to make them.

Celebration Logs (edible treat)

Celebrate your event with pretzel logs adorned with sprinkles in colors of the season, holiday or your child's choice.

You will need:

·      Pretzel logs

·      Chips (either chocolate or white chocolate)

·      Colored baking sprinkles

·      Waxed paper

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave inside a glass bowl.  Dunk the pretzels halfway into the chocolate;  then roll them in a dish of sprinkles.  Dry the decorated logs on waxed paper.

Display them in a large glass to set on the table or enclose them into cellophane bags to be given as favors. Enjoy!

Taking kids in the kitchen is a great bonding experience between parent and child. Enjoy your holiday time together.

Happy Parenting,
Tania :) 

This activity was used in one of my A to Z Challenge years. Photo by Tania Cowling, all rights reserved.

Calling All Parents: Do You Shop Online?

I'm sharing an article that is very important to me as I was hacked and a victim of identity theft and fraud. Check out the "9 things you should know to avoid online fraud while shopping." Prevention is key to keeping your identity and credit safe.

Happy Parenting,
Tania

9 Tips from NordVPNs’ Security Expert on How to Stay Safe

 As holiday shopping begins, be wary of online shopping and stay safe with these tips.

“More and more parents and teachers are shopping online. It’s understandable, as online shopping is less stressful and likely cheaper. These days it is absolutely possible to get all you need for school without ever leaving your home,” says Daniel Markuson, NordVPN Digital Privacy Expert. “But there’s bad news as well - online shopping frauds and identity theft are on the rise.”

While scammers, hackers, and other shady individuals are polishing new techniques, many online shoppers are still unaware of the basic online privacy rules. According to NordVPN’s Daniel Markuson, there are some simple steps that help avoid online fraud.

9 things you should know to avoid online fraud while shopping

1. Look into the online store

You should ideally stick to websites you trust or have bought from before, as there are some online stores created by scammers who just want to get your credit card information. Otherwise, do the research: Do they interact on social media? Are there any customer reviews? Are there any spam complaints? Check their email, phone number or address - if you can’t find any of those, it might be a fake company.

2. Too good to be true? Scam!

Criminals use two main techniques to scam you during the back to school sales season: rock-bottom prices and email scams. If the deal seems too good to be true - it probably is. Extremely low rates, when compared to similar stores, may mean that the website exists only to get your personal information. Similarly, scammy email deals promise a too-good-to-be-true prices or freebies, but clicking on them could infect your computer or smartphone with viruses and malware.

3. URL should start with ‘https’

When making an online payment or entering any personal information, the first thing you should check is whether the webpage URL starts with ‘https’ rather than ‘http’. The tiny ‘s’ means that the connection is made through a secure protocol and your data is encrypted properly.

4. Don’t give too much personal data

Pay attention whenever a website requests for more information or permissions than is necessary. If you are asked to provide very personal details that seem unrelated or excessive, it usually signals a scam. You should always think twice before providing your personal or financial information anywhere on the Internet.

5. Stay away from public WiFi

It’s never a good idea to shop online while you are connected to a public WiFi network at a cafe, hotel, city park or any other public place. Public WiFi networks are common hunting grounds for hackers and data snoopers, who try to access your personal and financial information, such as credit card details.

6. Use a VPN to encrypt your traffic

Can’t resist doing your shopping while on public WiFi? Then you need a VPN (Virtual Private Network). VPN encrypts your Internet traffic and is the best security mechanism you can employ to make sure your browsing data remains safe from spying eyes. From the moment a user turns on a VPN, like NordVPN, their Internet data is encrypted. It becomes invisible to third-party snoopers or hackers and even NordVPN itself.

7. Always use strong passwords

The most popular password is… ‘password.’ People are so overwhelmed with how many accounts and passwords they need that they go the easy way. Don’t do that. You need to change your passwords regularly and use a combination of capital letters, numerals, letters, and punctuation. For example, if you live on Flower Road, you can use ‘fL0w3rR04d!’ for a password. Additionally, share some tips with your family members on how to create strong passwords.

8. Mind the details

Stay organized: keep all the receipts, order confirmation numbers and other documentation you got after an online purchase. Also, don’t forget to check your credit card statements regularly, at least once a week. If you see some unexpected activities - recall whether you really authorized the charge. Your bank or other credit card provider can help you solve the problem.

9. Catch the bad guys!

And finally, if you fell into the trap laid for you by some shady cyber criminal - be a good citizen and report the incident. It might not help you, but it will make the Internet a safer place for us all. First of all, notify your credit card company or bank and then - file a complaint to the state authorities."

Article Courtesy of NordVPN:

NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider that is more security oriented than most VPN services. It offers double VPN encryption, ad blocking & Onion Over VPN. The product is very user friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 4,500 servers worldwide and is P2P friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is zero log policy. For more information: www.nordvpn.com.

Putting Fun into a Healthy Breakfast

Whether it's school, distance learning, or a day adventure, getting up in the morning is a scene every parent dreads. The alarm goes off; the kids pull up their covers and refuse to get up. As the kids finally rise and decide what to wear, it's time to head to the breakfast table. Whether breakfast is eaten at home or in the car, it is important for your child's performance. Breakfast jump-starts the brain and keeps adults and children alert throughout the morning. After eight to ten hours without food, the body is essentially a cold furnace waiting to be fueled. A good breakfast should include.

-A serving of protein-rich food, such as low-fat milk or yogurt, cheese, or peanut butter.

-A food rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain cereal, bread, or muffins.

-A food rich in vitamin C such as an orange, grapefruit, or strawberries.

-A small amount of fat.

Special containers make mealtime a special treat for the young child. Use clean egg cartons and fill each section with a finger food. Or fill an ice cream cone with snacks other than ice cream. Try foods such as cubed cheese, peeled apple slices, or cereal. Your youngster may find this on-the-go breakfast fun while carpooling your older children. The almighty juice boxes and bags can help to wean your toddler from his bottle. Start by filling his bottle only with water and later, let him drink juice with a straw from the box or bag. This is a pleasant diversion for your child and a convenience for you because these containers can be carried easily in the stroller or car.

Instead of serving your child plain hot cereal, set out a few small bowls of toppings from which she can choose. For instance, try yogurt, applesauce, apple butter, fruit spreads, chopped nuts, dates, raisins, fresh fruit, or granola. Your child many want to add just one topping or she might choose to mix several of them on top of her cereal to experience some new and different tastes. Some of these toppings can also be used to add creative interest to cold cereals with nutrition along the way.

Keeping in mind that creativity often means doing something in a new way, you can give your child's breakfast toast a "new look" by using a cookie cutter to make them heart shaped. This also boosts self-esteem by sending her a "you are special" message. Another way to do some creative personalizing is to form your child's initials with batter when you are cooking pancakes. Or use ketchup to squeeze an "I love you", a heart shape or her initials onto cooked hash browns. Having fun in the kitchen now should bring a love of cooking later.

Hope these tips are helpful.

Happy Parenting,

Tania

Photos courtesy of pixabay.com -- CC0 Creative Commons

Gift Guide: Toys That Entertain and Educate

How do you find toys that children will play with long after the wrappings have been recycled? Think about what kind of play your children are involved and the toys that match. Do they need an active toy, something that can be played alone, or a game that requires a group? Here are a few favorites from Playmates and VTech toys.

Kuroba Training Pack by Playmates Toys

The Kuroba toy line is an all-new collectible line of cube-shaped creatures that puts a twist on the classic game of “rock-paper-scissors.” Each player selects rock, paper, or scissors, then folds up a Kuroba creature and locks it into game mode. They then slide two Kuroba toward each other, and the winning Kuroba literally captures the other!

Collect all 16 Kuroba, mix and match their panels to create unique Kuroba, and battle against friends to become a master Kuroba Keeper!

Read about Playmates Toys new Kuroba on their website. Watch Kuroba webisodes and other fun videos on the Kuroba World YouTube Channel or visit KurobaWorld.com. 

Photographed is the training pack with 1 transforming creature, 1 practice cube and 1 creature gem. The kids can practice their Kuroba battle skills and later increase their creatures for a world of fun.

This starter pack is recommended for kids ages 6 and up. It’s currently available at Target, Amazon, and Walmart with a MSRP of $8.99 each.

New Products by VTech Toys – check this website for all products!

Kidi Star Music Magic Microphone™

Set out on the path to stardom with the Kidi Star Music Magic Microphone™. Be the lead singer with this interactive microphone that features Music Magic mode, which reduces the main vocal track of your favorite songs so your own voice is center stage! Easily connect your MP3 player or mobile device and sing along to favorite tunes from your collection. The microphone is packed with exciting features like four games, four original songs, a voice changer with four effects and an applause button. Record yourself for up to two minutes and enjoy your performance again and again! Age 5 Years+, $29.99

Kidi Star also has a Karaoke Machine, which also includes a disco light and audience sounds like applause, cheering and laughter. Your child will feel like he/she is on a concert stage. This toy records the performance up to five minutes. It is recommended for ages 5 years and up, retailing at $49.99.

MickeyMouse has turned 90 years old, and in his honor, the VTech toy company has produced a variety of playthings.

Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Mickey Ramps Fun House

Ramp up the fun with Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Mickey Ramps Fun House. Take Mickey Mouse on an adventure with tracks that can mix and match to form three different play routes, two launch zones and includes two SmartPoint® locations. Watch Mickey Mouse and his Convertible ride around the track and off the ramp to see how far he can go! Spin the flower or the flag to promote motor skills or activate the SmartPoint® locations to listen to Mickey Mouse say fun phrases and encouraging words. Let’s jump to it! Ages 1-5 Years, $19.99.

And we can’t forget about Mickey’s girlfriend Minnie!

Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Minnie Ice Cream Parlor

Little sweeties will have a delightful time creating, exploring and playing with the Go! Go! Smart Wheels® Minnie Ice Cream Parlor. Take a ride with Minnie Mouse and her Ice Cream Truck down the tracks and through the gate, activating three SmartPoint® locations as you go. Drop ice cream shapes into the shape sorter and into Minnie Mouse’s Ice Cream Truck, raise the elevator, spin the gears and move the gate to promote motor skills. Listen to Minnie Mouse’s voice say fun phrases and encourage pretend play.  So brush off that sweet tooth and bite into this adventure! Perfect for ages 1-5 years, $29.99.

For more Disney adventure toys check out this website. 

Play is the very foundation of a child’s emotional, social, physical, cognitive and linguistic growth. Children learn through play – plain and simple. Including some of these toys will quench the toy wish and promote learning as well not only during the holidays but all year long.

Photos by Tania Cowling, all rights reserved
Package photo courtesy of pixabay.com

I would like to thank these companies for providing me samples of their products for my review. There was no payment for my blog post.

Make Extra Income Cleaning Your Closets

It doesn't matter the season, it's closet cleaning time any time of the year! But, with the stay-at-home days of COVID-19, I found it was the right time to start sorting the family's closets.

I decided it was time to clean my closets -- maybe the Marie Kondo way. If I don't love something, why am I keeping it? If I haven't worn something in over a year, do I really love it? Well, it's time to trash, donate, AND maybe sell it!!!!

Many towns have really good consignment shops, but for me, I wanted something easy and online. Well, I found Poshmark. It is so easy -- you upload pictures of your item, set a price and wait for a buyer. When your item sells, Poshmark sends you the mailing label. You just attach it to the package and mail. Now, how easy is this? And, the USPS will even send you free priority mail boxes just for asking. Check it out HERE.

Oh, did I tell you -- Poshmark accepts women's, men's, and even children's clothing. Yes, it's time to clean out your kiddo's closet.

Go to Poshmark's website and set up your account. It's free!  In the FAQ they will explain the procedure and how much they take from your sale to cover shipping label help and other efforts to help you. It isn't very much. When I sold a $12 item, they took like $3-$4 from my earnings. I feel like these are clothes I cannot use or do not like. If I make a few dollars -- this is a good thing!

And, if you join please use my referral -- you don't have to, but I would appreciate the love!  @TKC6

Happy Parenting,
Tania  :)

I am not affiliated with the Poshmark company in any way. I'm just a client and voicing my opinion.

Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com