Best Special Needs Childrens Toys from Gummy Lump & $50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Back-To-School

Special Education

Soon summer vacation will be over and parents will be focusing on Back-To-School shopping.  I’d like to let you know about the extensive selection of educational special needs childrens toys offered at Gummy Lump.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to review the magnificent Melissa and Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set available at Gummy Lump.

My youngest daughter is an Early Intervention Associate and currently finishing up her Masters degree in Rehabilitation and Disabilities Studies with a concentration in Pediatrics and Developmental Disabilities.

My daughter currently works for a non-profit agency, and travels throughout the state doing home visitation consulting for her young clients in the Birth-To-Three program.

I frequently find my youngest daughter  in the living room raiding my grandkids’ toy box for toys  that she thinks would facilitate development for her clients.   As  she makes clientele  home visitations, introducing new material to the children will stimulate interest in the lesson plan of the day that she has prepared.

It isn’t uncommon that in her position as a Birth-to-Three counselor, my daughter unselfishly will spend her own money to purchase toys for special needs  for the kids.  Families and school system budgets are curtailed because of the economy, and funds simply aren’t available to purchase new materials.

The kind folks at Gummy Lump have graciously offered me the opportunity to have my daughter choose a toy to share with her special needs clients.

My daughter would like to share with you her review of the Melissa and Doug Progression Puzzles, and reasons for choosing this product to work with her clients:

I work with young children who have special needs and chose the Melissa and Doug Progression Puzzles because I believed they would be a good learning tool for the children I work with.  They help introduce forward chaining to children who are low functioning and Autistic.

I thought this group of puzzles would be a good tool to teach with because they provide visual aides for the children to follow along with, while also working on fine motor skills and object imitation.

When introducing the puzzles I begin by first having the child complete the puzzle, and then numbering the pieces.  The child then places the puzzle pieces in the base using the correct order, while also counting 1-2-3-4-5-6 so they can understand the steps to making a pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and eating a banana.  When I begin working on the puzzle I fully prompt the children so they know which piece goes where without making an error, and eventually fade the prompts so the child is completing the puzzle independently.

By completing this puzzle as an assignment, the children can understand how to complete certain activities in their correct order.  They eventually learn not only how to complete a puzzle, but how to chain an activity from first to last.  The first step to making a sandwich would be to grab a plate, bread, and the peanut butter and jelly.  The pictures on the puzzle pieces provide great visuals for the children to follow as well.

I would recommend this puzzle because it comes in a group of three so the children can have three different ideas of how to chain activities.  It can be done forwards or backwards, and is also great for the child to gain fine motor skills by placing the small puzzle pieces in the base puzzle.  The three puzzles are small and easy to carry around as well so they can be transported between houses with minimal effort, and are easy to store.

The Special Needs Childrens Toys selection is extensive, and includes many well-known brands, such as Melissa and Doug, Edushape, Guidecraft and Gund, to name a few.

What’s very helpful for parents and educators is the ability to shop for toys for children with Special Needs by category:

• Autism
• Blindness
• Deafness
• English Language Learners (ELL)
• Gifted Children
• Hearing Impairment
• Intellectual Disability
• Speech and Language Impairment
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Visual Impairment

Gummy Lump also has put together and shares on it’s site a comprehensive reference list of Special Needs Articles, Books, Websites and Resources.

Free Shipping on purchases over $75

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For More Information Visit: Gummy Lump

Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a $50 Gift Certificate to Gummy Lump Toys!

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Gummy Lump and leave a comment about another fact that wasn’t mentioned in this post, and which toy you would pick if you won.

~ One Extra Entry: Become a Moomette’s Magnificents Facebook Fan and leave a comment on our wall with your thoughts on this giveaway.

~ One Extra Entry: Click the “Like” button on this post (top or bottom) and leave and leave your name in a separate comment

~ One Extra Entry: Follow and Rank Moomette’s Magnificents on Networked Blogs (right sidebar) and leave your name in a separate comment.

~ One Extra Entry: Follow my blog publicly on Google Friend Connect (sidebar)

~ One Extra Entry: Visit my 101 Random Things About Me page (under About) and leave a comment – something About Me

~One Extra Entry: Tweet this giveaway and post the link in your comment- (may do this daily) 1 extra/day (50 Followers minimum to qualify for extra entry)

copy and paste to tweet

#WIN 50 Gift Certificate to @GummyLump Toys @Moomettes #Giveaway http://clicky.me/we0

This contest will run until August 17, 2010 at 11:00 pm. EDT

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

Thanks for visiting! Comments are always appreciated!

Accessorize with Class – Invicta Watches

Timepieces at Tremendous Values

With BlogHer around the corner, I’m reading a lot of blogger concerns about what to wear to this party or that. One of the biggest worries is how to best accessorize without overdoing it. Everyone wants to make a good impression on everyone else and for some bloggers not only will they meet future friends, but there are also opportunities to connect with brands as well. Their concern about accessorizing appropriately is understandable.

Wearing an Invicta watch is the perfect way to top off an outfit. Not only are the watches eye-catching and classy, but their functionality and durability are top-notch. The watches offer superior craftsmanship and attention to detail that will be sure to spark conversation. Invicta offers 20 collections to choose from so the chance of running into another conference attendee with the same one is slim.

If you’re looking for an original, classy, and quality accessory to top off that to-die-for outfit you are saving for BlogHer, visit Invicta watches at ShopNBC. Warning: With over 20 pages of watches to choose from your decision could be difficult – but fun!

Enter Contests or Post Your Blog Giveaway Linky’s Here

Start your Holiday Shopping by Winning

Check out all the Giveaway Linky’s at Post Your Giveaway Linkys!

This newly launched site is where you’ll have access to tons of mom-blogs that offer Linkys of all sorts for exposure for your promotional Giveaways!

Feeling Lucky?  Then find some Linkys and enter contests to your heart’s desire!  A great way to star tucking away toys, home goods, food and other assorted Christmas and Hanukkah presents for family during the upcoming holidays!

Search for Linkys by type – Mr. Linky, Simply Linked; by Day of the Week or Ongoing; By WordPress or Blogspot Blogs.

We are a one-stop-shop for Giveaway Linky’s. It is the BEST (in our mind) Giveaway Linky directory online. This is the place where you can post (and update) your Giveaway Linky’s (Mister Linky, Simply Linked, etc). Also, this is the place where you can enter Giveaways too! We cover the best of both world’s here! We welcome all Giveaway Linky Hosts, Giveaway Hosts, Giveaway Directory Hosts, and Giveaway Participants!

At Great Finds and Giveaways, my newest blog venture, if you don’t have the time to enter all your contests and giveaways, I offer a Virtual Assistant service where if you don’t have time to submit your giveaway to various sites around the internet, I can do that for you!

For further information, check out Submit Your Giveaway

I also have an Ongoing Giveaway Linky at Great Finds and Giveaways and you are also welcome to add your Giveaway or your  Giveaway Linky to my List there, or here at Moomette’s Magnificents Giveaway Linky .

Want to work at home and get started with your own Product Review Blog, host Giveaways or promote your online boutique or WAHM business?

Check out this valuable resource information from a trusted online work-at-home mompreneur:

The Complete Internet Marketing Moms Start Up Guide

Old Cape Cod and Summer Winds, Wordless Wednesday

Vacation 2010

If you’re fond of sand dunes, and salty air
Quaint little villages, here and there
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view,
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath the skies of blue
Church bells chiming on a Sunday morn,
Remind you of the town where you were born

If you spend an evening, you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

If you spend an evening, you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
You’re sure to fall in love,
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod

….   Patti Page

The Cape has to be my most absolutely favorite place to be.

We’ve been going up since before the kids were born, and this year I went camping with my oldest daughter, charming son-in-law, and the two grandkiddos. (No mosquito bites this year!)

Sigh

We’ve stayed everywhere from Falmouth to Wellfleet, and each part is so unique for what it has to offer.  I must say our favorite part is what’s referred to as the Outer Cape – from the elbow at Chatham on up to Provincetown.

Have you ever been to Cape Cod?  What’s your favorite part of the Cape?

If not, hope you’ll get a chance to visit New England some time! Enjoy the salt air, and don’t forget the fried clams, lobster and chowder suppers!

Don’t forget to sign the Linky!

Motorola Droid Negative Points, Hate It and Want to Return It? Be Prepared for Verizon to Call the Police On You

Motorola Droid

Mediocre Smartphone

Verizon Wireless has been running a promotion for the Droid and as a WAHM since I spend a tremendous amount of time on the Internet I thought it would be a good time to upgrade my Smartphone.  I’m going to tell you in this review what a terrible mistake I made by signing up for the Droid, and how the Verizon Store Manager threatened to call the cops on me when I went to return it.

One of my fellow bloggers, Mama Dweeb, had written a review of her experiences with the Droid, however I still was anxious to try it out so despite her negative review, I still went out and bought one.  I should have listened to Mama and heeded her advice, as her observations were right on-the-money.

I consider myself pretty techie, so I was anxious to use the Android Apps so I could access Twitter, Facebook, my four email accounts and my favorite blogs on the Internet throughout the day.

The day before I left for a week long vacation on Cape Cod, I purchased the Droid and thought I would get used to it after reading the manual while I relaxed on the beaches at the National Seashore.

After looking at the Droid Incredible, I decided the keyboard was too sensitive, and didn’t have a pull-out keyboard, so I opted for the Droid.

The following are my personal experiences.  They are all negative experiences.  This is not a paid review. If it was, I’m sure Verizon would be extremely unhappy with me.  However, they couldn’t be as unhappy with me, as I currently am with them.

Size:

The Droid is incredibly bulky.  In fact, I think it was designed with guys in mind.  However, I can’t imagine how guys, who normally have larger fingers than gals, would be able to use the touch screen with any accuracy.

Touch Screen

Even with my tiny fingertips, no matter if I increased the size of the screen, no matter when I hit a function to enter, it would enter something else, and I would have to go back to the beginning to start all over.

Example: Enter “Login” – it would inevitably enter the wrong thing and I would end up at something like “lost password.”

My former phone was an LG, which I could use a stylus on (or a pen tip, or a golf tee) and I would fly when tapping text messages, emails, or forum posts.  Not so on the Droid.

You can’t use a stylus as the touch keyboard is finger-heat sensitive.

Answering the phone:

No such thing as one-key answer.  You have to slide your fingertip across the screen to answer, and by the time you have that figured out (never mastered)  you have a missed call.
Notification Options:

It’s either vibrate, with no sound, or miserable sounds for everything.  No in between.

I couldn’t tell when I had an email from one of my four accounts, or a text message, or a phone call. They all sounded the same – or if I had it set to silent, I had to keep checking.

Those are just a few of the negatives of this miserable phone.

However, the story gets worse.

30 Day Worry Free Guarantee – Don’t Believe It

I purchased the Droid at the Verizon Store in Connecticut, which advertises all over the store that there’s a 30-Day Return period where if I didn’t like the phone I could exchange it.

After 8 days, I went to return the phone to exchange for a different one, along with all the accessories I bought:

Droid
Car Charger
Bluetooth
Screen Protectors
USB Port for Card
Case
Total:  $346.03

When I went to return the phone on July 10, 2010 the store Manager at Verizon Wireless, indicated that the phone, which I’d only had one week, was not in the condition they sold it to me in and would not accept it for return because it had a sticky substance on it.

Duh, I’ve used that miserable phone for one week in my purse and all I had to do was wipe it.  The Manager insinuated that it had been dropped, which it had not been.

Here’s a screen shot of their “Guarantee.”

After letting the Manager know that they were misleading their customers, and that I was not going to be stuck with that awful phone which I didn’t like, and I expected them to honor their “Guarantee” policy that was on just about every wall, he indicated he was going to call the police and have me removed from the store.

Way to go, Verizon.  Way to keep customers, especially ones that have been with you for at least 10 years or more.  Especially ones where every one of my family has had Verizon phones for that long.

This particular Manager was lets say “wet behind the ears” and was obviously strutting his stuff. I would suggest that Verizon spend some time on training their Managers about customer service.  In my business classes, I was always taught that the “customer is always right.”

Fortunately Connecticut is a small state and there are several corporate Verizon stores in the area within driving distance.   I was able to locate a store where the service representative was very courteous and exchanged my phone for a LG Fathom.  I only had to pay a re-stocking fee of $35.

The LG Fathom basically allows me to do many of the functions that I wanted to do with the Droid and has a built-in stylus, which makes it easier to use.

My Observations and Recommendations:

• Don’t buy a Droid, or the Droid Incredible unless you want to spend the rest of your life trying to figure out how to operate that over-hyped phone.OK, so they offer 1-hour long educational classes. Really, it’s a flippin’ p-h-o-n-e. I didn’t even take classes to learn how to give birth.

• Be prepared to be called a liar and treated like dirt by the Management of some Verizon Wireless corporate stores.

• Seriously think about switching to AT&T

How To Get Your Family Organized and Prioritized

Focus!

This week I decided I really needed to focus and organize my life, and it became very apparent that I spend a tremendous amount of time blogging and on the internet, day and night – checking my email, and visiting all the social media sites I belong to. So I went out and upgraded my smartphone and purchased a Droid. I opted not to get the Droid Incredible, but the Droid that has the optional keyboard. One of the perks that Verizon was offering was a Netbook. I opted not to take advantage of the offer, because I’m still on the fence whether to get the equally sought-after
iPad.

It’s my way of cramming more hours into my already too short day! I do need to sleep – if only for about 3 hours!

An organized family is the best way to be because it makes life easier. This article will give you some tips that will help you become more organized as a family.

How to Get Organized by Amy Royce

Have you ever felt like you are a knotted up pile of yarn, and you just can’t seem to get untangled? That is a frustrating feeling, but in this article, I will give you some tips on how to get that “pile” into a nicely organized ball of yarn. It can be hard at first to get your business as well as your life organized, but once you are, you will wonder how you ever got along.

• A place for Everything/Everything in it’s Place

The best place to start is to get rid of the clutter. Go through all of those old papers and decide what is trash. After you determine what you no longer need, you need to decide how “sensitive” each paper is. With Identity Theft among us, you don’t want to just throw away some things. You want to shred them. This would include anything with your social security number on it, or any credit card or bank information. Anything you decide to keep should be filed in a file cabinet. This would include papers such as check stubs, bank statements, tax returns or any other important documents.

• Time Management

Everyone has a busy life. It would be nice if there were more hours in a day to get everything done, but unfortunately, we only get 24 hours, and we have to sleep. Time management is a very important part of getting organized. You need to decide what has to be done immediately, and what can wait. Once you decide that, you need to figure out how long it will take to complete that task. Try to stick with that time frame, so you are able to move on to the next item on your list.

• Daily Planner

When you have a busy life, making sure you don’t forget something is essential! Keep a daily planner with you all of the time. That way, when you make an appointment, you can write it down right away. Also, you will not forget an upcoming meeting or appointment. A daily planner will also help you plan for the next day. You can sit down, and look at what you have scheduled for the day and then plan when the best time would be to go to the store, or even when you can do something for yourself, such as a manicure.

• Delegating

Cleaning the house and taking care of things in the home should not be the responsibility of just one person. It should be shared by everyone including the children. Creating a chore list will help with the delegating process. This will also help ensure that everything is complete.

Organization can be a tough thing to get a hold of, but once you do, you will get so much more accomplished. You will be able to get things done that you never thought you could or would. If you follow these steps you will be well on your way to becoming organized. Good luck!

Amy Royce has been married since 1995 and she has two wonderful children. She is an affiliate marketer and she has a blog that you can view at http://amyswordsandthoughts.blogspot .com.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

photo credit: com2us

5 Tutorials To Make WordPress A Breeze to Learn

Enter to Learn WordPress

If you want to publish information to your site and on the internet quickly and easily, you need to be using WordPress. Even though it’s one of the best ways to publish content on the web, it may seem intimidating to the new user. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of free blog tip techniques and WordPress tutorials and resources that will help you gain the confidence to start using the power of WordPress.

I belong to several social media sites for moms who blog as well as other Ning sites and forums and am constantly see Mommy Bloggers inquiring about making the changeover from Blogger to WordPress.

Having used both, I can honestly say that I really like the flexibility that WordPress offers.  I started out on Blogger, and was hosted there for quite some time.

Maintaining 3 blogs can be overwhelming at times, and I hired Shauna Callaghan a graphic designer, from See My Designs by Shauna to consolidate my sites together as one blog  here on Moomette’s Magnificents. (By the way, Shauna is one of the Chevy Test Drive Moms in Texas – read all about her experiences on BurbMom!)

Each week I attend a Hot Seminar Series on WordPress. The most recent topic was WordPress Security. There’s 9 informative sessions, and if you want to grab a seat on Wednesday nights this summer, check out the Webinar HERE. Traci Knoppe, of Your Tech Web Team led the discussion on how to take precautions on your WordPress blog to ensure it’s secure . If you’re ever in need of a quick answers, just give Traci a Tweet @TraciKnoppe or use the hashtag #wphelp

For other informative sites and information, you may want to visit:

WordPress.tv -

• Simple video tutorial site created by the team behind WordPress
• Comprehensive videos on a variety of topics including installation, integration, publishing, themes, SEO, comments, widgets and much more

WordPress.org Support -

• Features information straight from the source
• How-to information and knowledgebase on just about every topic
• Getting started resources, FAQs and an active discussion forum

SpeckyBoy.com -

• An expansive list of WordPress tutorials, hacks, and help files
• Detailed descriptions of tricks to expand WordPress’ functionality
• Features a wide variety of common and uncommon WordPress tips

WPCandy.com -

• Comprehensive PDF help sheet with code snippets & template files
• Available in several languages

WPCandy.com Advanced Tips –

• Advanced PDF help sheet with specific code snippets and what it’ll do for your site
• Explanations are very clear and concise

These are just a few sites to get you thinking about making the move from Blogger to WordPress, or for taking your WAHM or Mom blog to the next level.

Baby Boomer Parenting An Empty Nest, But Going Along for the Ride Now

Memory Lane

While I’m on a much need vacation this week, I’m resurrecting several of my favorite parenting and family posts that I’ve done over the years, – to give you a glimpse into my life.

This post in particular is bittersweet, because while my kids are grown, I still think and envision them in my mind as … young kids, and myself as a “young mom.”

But I begin a new chapter this year, as I’m now the mother-in-law and grandmom who asked to tag along has been invited to go accompany my daughter and her family to Cape Cod(my absolute most favorite place to be) on a camping trip vacation with “the kids” and grandkids – just as my husband and I used to take my mother-in-law along on our family vacations each year to get her out of my sister-in-law’s hair because we enjoyed her company so much.

Empty Nest, Summer Camp and A Trip Down Memory Lane

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

It’s late, and I really have a few more things to do before I turn in for the night, but I wanted to get this post written while it was still fresh in my mind.

When I got out of the dreaded cubicle today, I had a few chores to run, that took me on roads that I haven’t been on in awhile, but that my car used to cruise on autopilot for years after work. Today I was driving down Memory Lane.

I started back to work full-time when my youngest daughter was two and my oldest was six.

During the summer months when they were a bit older, I always sent my daughters to day camp while my husband and I worked. Before suburban sprawl took over and McMansions popped up everywhere, I used to drive them to camp in the morning along back roads. We would pass cow pastures and duck ponds. A few cars would be on the road.

We’d have to travel up a big hill, past more cow pastures, old-fashioned New England red barns, and one time a cow got loose in the middle of the road and I had to wait for it to cross before we could continue. I once stopped the car to dig up Daylilies and ended up was a nasty case of Poison Ivy since I’m highly allergic to it.

Rumor had it that the swimming school and camp were built on an old Nike site, around the time of the cold war with Russia. You could see for miles from the top of that hill, even though it was only about 10 miles out from the city.

My girls really enjoyed those days at camp, and at the conclusion, there was always a “campfire” and “skit night.” The girls went until they were old enough to be CITs – Counselors in Training.

When I’d get out of work, I’d head to pick them up, the route from my office to camp took me past cornfields. I enjoyed the solitude. One day I had to leave work early, because looking out the office window, I could tell we were going to have a horrific storm and it really looked like Tornado weather – very similar to 1979 when the then-last tornado hit Windsor Locks, CT. I rushed to pick them up, and the camp staff had all the kids gathered for safety. I picked them up just in time, and we beat-feet down the hill – there was a brook that always flooded if we didn’t make it down in time. We had a heck of a time getting home.

So – today while I traversed that road once again, only this time on my way to go shopping at the now crowded, suburban sprawl mall that has overtaken the once tranquil, lazy back roads, I was on autopilot, once again. The car drove itself, while my mind wasn’t seeing what my eyes were seeing as I drove.

The cornfields are no longer – replaced by an industrial building. The turn to camp where the red barn and cow fields once were are now newly-built Over-55 adult-only condos.

I felt so sad driving along those roads – Memory Lane – how did my girls childhood go by so quickly? The landscape has changed, and so has my life.

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Pete Seeger

Admirer Monday, How to Find All the Best Blogs

Blogging Tip

Thanks to the winner on my Hot Seminar Series contest, Mia Ma Miah’s Diaries I was introduced to a way-cool new meme and would like to introduce you to these new blogs and get some fresh faces reading your stuff!

And her blog is going to RAWK even more, once she’s finished with the Webinar Series!

Admirer Monday is a new meme hosted by Heavenly Savings and Giveaway Blogdom and I too have teamed up to bring you Admirer Monday.

There’s so many blogs out there that are constantly looking for new readers to admirer and admirers for their blog.

#1 You must follow the first three blogs. Leave a comment letting them know and they will follow you in return!

#2 You do not have to create a blog post, but to be in the drawing for the number three spot which will be chosen by random.org each week you must have the button displayed on your blog.

#3 Please follow as many blogs as you like but more importantly please follow back the blogs that follow you by subscribing via email

#4 Enjoy meeting admirers!

Southern Magnolia Minerals Sheer Make Up, DIY Custom Kit Giveaway

Summer Beauty Tip

Brazilian Bronzer Review

Great Finds and Giveaways is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a Southern Magnolia Minerals  Cosmetics DIY Customize Your Own Mineral Cosmetics Makeup Kit – Basic Beauty, MSRP $77.65.

Southern Magnolia Minerals DO NOT use Bismuth Oxycholoride, making it the best mineral make up (the shiny itchy ingredient that can cause a reaction.)

Their site is extremely informative, and includes a FAQ section to answer all your beauty and cosmetic questions.

Contest Ends: July 27, 2010

For More Information and to Enter Visit: Great Finds and Giveaways

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