Egg Carton Ladybugs and Crabs!

There's a cute project on FamilyCorner.com using cardboard egg cups, some black pom-poms and acrylic paint. One of our readers, Kaya Tran, wrote to us to share this adorable photo of their version using our directions. So cute, love the crab (lobster?)! Above is Kaya's photo, thanks for sending that in!

You can find the instructions for the original craft here --> Egg Carton Ladybugs

We Have a Winner! - Halo Bars Giveaway

Congratulations to lfhpueblo with her post of "I'd like to win because I need more Omega 3's in my diet."

She is the winner of her very own box of Halo Bars! 

Please check your inbox for an email from FamilyCorner.com: The Blog!

In addition to this awesome giveaway,  PROBAR is offering a one time, 40% discount for all of our FamilyCorner: The Blog readers! Simply visit www.theprobar.com/shop , place your order and enter BLOGGER upon checkout.

Summer Organizing with Post-It!

Stop procrastinating and start organizing with these great new products from Post-It!

Post-it® Pockets

Post-it® Pockets -Go Vertical!
Peel, Stick and Organize!

Use them inside cabinets, near
the calendar, on the door or file
cabinet to keep important
documents neat and easy to
find.

Organize receipts, coupons,
bills and more

Suggested Retail Prices: $5.99 to $10.00

Post-it® Super Sticky
Personal Calendar

Highlight important dates and events

Available in Pink Stripe, Orange Chevron
and Green Brocade

Price Range: $6.00 -$7.00

Post-it® Flag+ Combination
Highlighter and Pen

Mark. Write. Flag. Find!

Chisel tip for medium and thick highlighting

Modern design with ergonomic comfort grip

Conveniently fits in backpacks, purses and
shirt pockets for messaging on the go

Pen available in black ink

Highlighter available in blue, yellow, pink,
green and orange with matching colored
flags

Price Range: 2-pack for $5.99 and 3-pack
for $6.99

Post-it® Durable Tabs

Make it simple to index & file – easy to organize,
store and retrieve documents

Tough, long-lasting and stands up to repeated
use

Easy to write on with plenty of space for labeling

Repositionable and easy to apply

Price: $4.99

GAME REVIEW: EXACT CHANGE

Teach children to count money with a fun game the entire family can enjoy! 

Exact Change combines an excellent teaching lesson with fun, fast paced action that the entire family will love. The goal is to play all of your cards first. You can discard cards by matching the color of the last card played, by matching the currency value (play a penny on a penny), or by making EXACT CHANGE. Making exact change allows you to discard multiple cards that add up to the value of the last card played. If the last card played shows a quarter, you can make exact change by playing two dimes and a nickel…allowing you to discard three cards in one play!

FC's Reviewer, Tami, says: "Counting change is one of the skills that I insist both of my kids learn. I find it sad that many older teenagers and adults can't count back change from a dollar. I've been playing this game with my 8 yr. old and it makes learning how to count money really fun. My 13 yr. old even got in on the fun. This changes that "chore" of learning how to count change into a fun game!" 

If you're looking for games about money! Look no further! Exact Change is the best game on the market that teaches children to count money! Exact Change is a favorite of teachers!

Ages: 6+
Players: 2-6
Suggested Retail: $9.99

Enter to Win A Box of Halo Bars!

HALO, the delicious between meals treat that’s designed to do better for your body.

HALO is:

    * Sinfully Healthy Snack
    * Certified Organic
    * Only 150 Calories
    * Low in Sugar
    * Vegan and Dairy Free
    * All Natural
    * Good Source of Omega 3 & 6

HALO Bars are certified organic, a good source of Omega 3 & 6, low-in-sugar and dairy-free/Vegan, but break new ground with four decadent dessert-themed flavors:

S’mores
Nutty Marshmallow
Rocky Road
Honey Graham.

In addition to this awesome giveaway,  PROBAR is offering a one time, 40% discount for all of our FamilyCorner: The Blog readers! Simply visit www.theprobar.com/shop , place your order and enter BLOGGER upon checkout.


*Giveaway open to US & Canada members only*

To Enter this giveaway:

1. Your first entry should be to tell us why you would like to win a box a HALO bars.

For Extra Entries, you can:

2. "Like" FamilyCorner.com Magazine on Facebook or if you already do, let us know

3. Follow FamilyCorner: The Blog on Google Friends or if you already do, let us know.

The deadline to sign up is Friday, July 22, 2011

The winner will be announced, Saturday, July 23, 2011, by email. Please make sure that we have your contact information. The winner will have 48 hrs. to respond.


***WE HAVE A WINNER! ***

CONGRATULATIONS: lfhpueblo with her post of  "I'd like to win because I need more Omega 3's in my diet."

Please check your inbox for an email from me, Tami .

OUT OF AFRICA: Natural, Organic Shea Butter Soap

Let’s face it – kids are dirt magnets! They like to play outside, roll around in the dirt and then come into your nice, clean house and spread the “love!”

Rather than letting your kids drive you crazy with their dirty hands and faces, teach them how to clean themselves up at an early age. And what better way then with an all-natural, paraben-free, antioxidant-rich bar soap?

 
OUT OF AFRICA makes a gentle, creamy, and most importantly super moisturizing Organic Shea Butter Bar soap. While most bar soaps dry out kids’ skin, the Organic Shea Butter Soap thoroughly cleans the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. Enriched with 20% pure and unrefined shea butter (most others contain 1 or 2%), the soap comes in a variety of kid-friendly flavors, like vanilla and milk. Also available in unscented, it’s ideal for dry, sensitive and irritated skin.

Suggested Retail Price: $3.50
**A portion of your purchase will be donated to educate children in West Africa.

~*~* Tami says: "This soap is wonderfully rich and creamy and it smells great, too! Works wonderfully to clean up dirty grubby hands, yet it's gentle enough to clean faces, too."

FishEyes Rod & Reel with Underwater Video Camera

Nextsport has come up with a cool way to take the guesswork out of fishing. Picture this. You and your keep head out to the pier and drop your line in the water. Hours go by with no nibbles. The kids are whining, no one is catching anything, and the sun is beginning to beat down on you. You leave with an empty fish bucket and a headache. Sound familiar?

Enter FishEyes. At first I thought this was a fishing pole, but what it really is is an ingenious way to determine if the fish are around or not. if the fish aren't there, you can move to another spot and avoid a wasted morning with disappointed kids. Just drop the FishEyes line into the water. There's a camera on the end of the line and a viewing screen on the rod. You'll see a crystal clear picture of what swims below!

FishEyes is meant mostly for pier and boat fishing. You drop it in and the bait basket will attract the fish, letting you see what's swimming around. This tool works best when used in lakes, as rushing rivers will keep the camera moving around too much for a clear visual. FishEyes is not meant to be cast out, the camera is too heavy and will not allow for much distance.

This tool is also great fun around the swimming pool. Drop the camera in and watch your kids swim! Take it to the beach, lower the camera in the water and search for treasures such as shells and starfish.

FishEyes Features:

• Underwater video camera transmits live footage to your LCD screen
• Full-color, full motion LCD screen with removable sun shade
• Allows you to catch the fish you see
• Included bait basket attracts fish to the viewing area
• Video camera with built in LED light for all underwater conditions

Technical Details:

• Requires 4 AA batteries- not included or users ages 8 & up
• Adult assembly required
• Hooks and lures not included

Testimonials:

"FishEyes rod and reel was great for keeping our kids entertained on our last fishing trip, it really is like a fishing video game"


"My kids spent hours playing with the FishEyes on our last camping trip to the lake; they were convinced they'd find the Lochness monster and hidden treasure underwater"


"My husband loved the FishEyes because it finally kept the kids occupied while he fished!"


"I cast it out until it was facing down river and monitored the LCD screen while my friends were casting their lines in front of it. We watched to see which lure colors were attracting the fish better. Worked great!"

Watch the video of this cool gadget:



Find out more information and how to purchase FishEyes on their website

Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps: Teach this Easy Method in Just 5 minutes!

All kids want to recall their multiplication facts automatically. But if they can’t, Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps® is for them. If they can count, they can multiply - and get the right answer every time!

Touch ~ See ~ Understand

Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps® is perfect when you want to teach someone . . . quickly and easily, so they feel confident and proud.

If you’re like most people, when you read about something new, you become a skeptic. “Yeah, right . . . What’s the catch?” may enter your mind. But with Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps® there is no catch. The concept is so utterly simple it will be hard to believe there hasn’t been a book written on this method until now.

The Sticks and Steps® method eliminates frustration. No more multiplication charts! No more embarrassing tallies that get lost on the page! Here’s an inconspicuous way to get the answer fast. This hands-on multi-sensory approach helps information stick better, which leads the way to better understanding of math concepts.

Best of all, the Sticks and Steps® method is easy to learn, easy to teach, and so logical, it’s easy to remember. It requires no aids or expense, other than this reasonably priced instruction book.

If you’re a parent or teacher, you will be amazed at how quickly your child will catch on to the Sticks and Steps® concept. With your help, they will experience the joy of learning.

Suggested Retail Price: $14.95

Ages: 8+

~*~*Tami says: "My daughter is heading into 3rd grade next year so to give her a heads up on multiplying and dividing, we are using this book. The book is laid out in a simple way that's easy for children to understand. I would definitely recommend this book for parents or teachers who are teaching these areas of math."

Puppet Play

Have fun and go green with Diana Schoenbrun's Puppet Play: 20 Puppet Projects Made with Recycled Mittens, Towels, Socks, and More. A puppet builder, an illustrator, and an author, Schoenbrun presents 20 puppet projects made with recycled materials easily found around the house.
A lonely sock becomes a wizard puppet. A glove without a mate turns into five little pig puppets. And that tired dishtowel transforms into a lively banjo player puppet—all at very little cost. Diana Schoenbrun's easy-to-follow directions are accompanied by how-to illustrations. Also included are full-color photographs of puppets, as well as a chapter that guides children through creating and presenting their own puppet show. So, the next time the dryer eats a single sock, get crafty, go green, and go play with Puppet Play.


~*~*~ Tami says: "This is a great book to direct your kids' energy toward working on fun projects instead of being "plugged in" all summer in front of the TV or video games. Put on a puppet show, host a puppet birthday party, have fun at a sleepover...so many ways to use this book!"

Suggested Retail Price: $14.99 US, $16.00 Canada