We're Rocking Back to School With This Week's Giveaway

My girls have never been big fans of playing games on tablets. I've tried a lot of different games and apps, but not many keep their attention. Then I noticed one of their friends rocking out to KIDZ BOP on her tablet and had a flash back to the commercials year and years ago. It actually didn't seem like that many years ago.... and then I realized they're on KIDZ BOP 32 and suddenly I felt super old. 

I downloaded KIDZ BOP for the girls and they loved it. We've since downloaded 2 more and they listen to the music any chance they can get. Sometimes they even get their little brother in on the dance party action. I don't know if it's due to this new love of KIDZ BOP or a Taylor Swift biography we've been reading this summer, but Alex recently informed me she'd like to be a "real pop star" when she grows up. She's also my mini fashionista, so when she told me she'd like some "pop star" clothes for kindergarten, I knew she would have a blast checking out some of the fun styles Crazy 8 has this season. 

Alex recruited her back up dancer Maggie and we all sat down to put together an outfit at Crazy8.com It was so much fun. Maggie liked how they suggested items once you picked something out, while Alex preferred putting together her "own style". The clothes arrived and they spent time together mixing and matching what we got and lining up their school outfits. The accessories were their favorite part. I love that Alex likes to put a bracelet in place on the outfit when she lays it out for the next day. 

I also informed the girls that Crazy 8 and KIDZ BOP have teamed up to host a pretty awesome talent search. Needless to say they haven't stopped rehearsing yet. Each time I say i'll record their video to enter they tell me "we are not done practicing". Hopefully we get an entry done in time! 

Here are the details of the contest:  Crazy 8 + KIDZ BOP Talent Search! Does your kid want to star in a KIDZ BOP music video? Crazy 8 is joining The KIDZ BOP Kids on their “Life Of The Party” concert tour as an official sponsor and is kicking off the partnership with a Talent Search.  One lucky kid will win the opportunity to fly to Los Angeles to star in a KIDZ BOP music video and receive a $250 Crazy 8 shopping spree.

How to Enter:  Parents can visit KIDZBOP.com/talentsearch to see rules and enter their child. Today through August 31, 2016, parents or legal guardians of children ages 14 and under can enter their child in the KIDZ BOP + Crazy 8 Talent Search online, or visit one of the live audition stops at malls throughout the country.  For online entries, parents upload a 60-second video of their child’s talent to YouTube.com and then visit KIDZBOP.com/talentsearch to submit their URL.  Live auditions will be held on the following dates at the below shopping locations, from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.: August 13: Brea Mall, Brea, CA and August 20: Ingram Park Mall, San Antonio, TX

Be sure to check out all the cool Back to School styles at Crazy8.com! What are some of your favorite styles?  If your #Crazy8kid has yo-yo tricks, sweet dance moves, awesome skateboard tricks or any other talent, Crazy 8 wants to see it. So enter soon! Now for the giveaway:  This week, one lucky reader will receive a KIDZBOP 32 CD and an $88 Crazy 8 gift card! It's super easy to enter this week.  1. Visit our Facebook page and find the Crazy 8 + KIDZ BOP giveaway post or click here to go right to it.  2. Then "like" the post and comment with your favorite Crazy 8 item.  3. For an extra entry you can tag (just once please) a friend that might like to enter.  4. Still want even more entries? Share the post!  Important: You must be a Facebook fan of Crazy 8 and The Chirping Moms to be eligible to win. Good luck and let's ROCK this school year! 

Disclosure: We were not compensated for this post. We did receive items for the purpose of review. As always, all opinions are my own. 

Back to School with Boden & A Chance to Win a $750 Gift Card

I can't believe the summer is coming to an end. I'm not too happy to have to get back on a schedule and swap days at the pool and beach for days of carpool and homework. But, watching the kids kick off another year filled with new things to learn is a pretty exciting part of parenting. Maggie learned so much last year in Kindergarten and now her little sister Alex is ready to follow suit. This year is Maggie's first year of full day school, so 1st grade will mean another big year of learning for her. 

One of the fun parts of end of summer/ Back to School season is picking out first day of school outfits and school clothes. My favorite clothes to buy for the kids are school clothes. I wore a school uniform from kindergarten until I got to college, and always envied the kids who picked out a full wardrobe of fun fall clothes, while I was stuck in a plaid jumper and white shirt. In high school I even had uniform shoes. Maggie and Alex like picking out their own clothes each day for school, but still let me have a bit of a say in what we buy. 

For the 3rd year in a row, the majority of our school clothes are Mini Boden. I like shopping the Mini Boden line for my kids because I know they are high quality clothes that will hold up to lots of playing outdoors, washing and even passing on to younger siblings. Even the shoes always last until they outgrow them. Maggie and Alex love Boden clothes because: they are comfortable and have animals on them (Maggie) have beautiful dresses (Alex). 

This year, Boden has a new size range for kidswear, which means so many more styles to choose from. Baby now goes up to 4, Mini Boden goes up to size 12 and the Johnnie B. line starts at 5-6y. 

When we were picking out school clothes, we couldn't leave out the little brothers when I saw these "smart" cardigans with trucks on them! 

Along with awesome school clothes, Boden has great Back to School essentials and accessories like back packs, lunch bags, pencil cases, socks, underwear and more. 

Some of our favorites for girls:

Twirly Dress: This dress was Maggie's pick for the first day of school. She (of course) picked the squirrel pattern. It's bright, fun and super twirly. It's light weight and short sleeves for the warm first months of school and they looks adorable layered with a sweater when it gets cold. 

Tights: The Boden tights are made to last! There are adorable designs with animals on the knees this season. The cable tights are the warmest tights i've found for kids. They are thicker than leggings and if you have a little girl that refuses pants (even when it's below freezing) these are the perfect compromise.

Corduroy Skirts: We've had quite a few corduroy skirts from Boden over the past few school years and they hold up so well to washing. This year they have a few different styles and patterns. Our favorite is the "hedgehog" print! Julie got this cute corduroy jumper for Abby for preschool:

Sweaters: The Mini Boden sweaters for girls are our favorite sweaters by far. They are well made, very warm and come in so many great colors. Also, how pretty are the details on this sweater? 

Boots: This is our third fall/winter with Boden boots. They are comfortable, easy to get on/off and last all season. 

Mary Janes: Mary Janes are adorable for school and Boden's are comfy and come in great colors and patterns. There are traditional leather Mary Janes that come in navy or red. There's also a Mary Jane that comes in a fun leopard or glitter print too! 

Some of our favorites for boys:

Tops & Tees:  The Boden tees are perfect for boys.  The tees are comfortable and durable, perfect for boys' rough and tough everyday play!  I love that their tees are made to last.  Even after many washings, Boden tees still look as good as new.  I love the classic looks of their tees, including the classic striped t-shirt and the sports stripe tee.

Sweatshirts:  Fall arrives quickly after school starts, so one of our back to essential for the boys are some new hoodies and sweatshirts.  We love sweatshirts and hoodies because the boys aren't huge coat fans wants, so the longer we can stay in hoodies and sweatshirts then the happier that they will be.  I love to find sweatshirts that are classic and neutral, allowing them to mix and match with a lot of different outfits.  The Essential Sweatshirt is perfect for everyday wear because it is super comfortable & casual.  I also love the Herringbone Zip-Through Sweatshirt, which is perfect for cool fall mornings because you can just quickly zip it on over your clothes before you head out to catch the bus.

Sweatpants and Joggers:  The boys are a lot like their mom & don't love the feel of stiff and uncomfortable jeans!  Most days, you will find the boys in a pair of sweatpants, a back to school essential if you have boys at home.  Boden has great selection on cute, but comfortable, sweatpants and joggers.  Two of our favorite finds for the back to school season are the All Action Sweatpants and the Everyday Joggers.  

Accessories:  Boden has a fun selection of boys' accessories for back to school this year.  You will find hats, scarves, backpacks, and more.  One of our favorites are the sock boxes, especially the fun shark pattern socks for my favorite shark fan!

Sneakers:  Every boy needs sneakers & why not add a little fun into their daily life with these brightly colored suede sneakers.  They are super stylish and the boys love the glow in the dark laces that come with them!

We hope you take some time to browse the awesome Back to School collection from Boden.  For our readers, we are excited to share a coupon code: 7P6R that will give you 15% off.  Plus, we are super excited to kick off a HUGE giveaway from Boden where one lucky winner will receive a $750 Boden gift credit!  All you have to do is enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post.  We're excited to host this giveaway with 7 other awesome blogs! Be sure to visit their sites to see the great Mini Boden Back to School outfits they put together for their children. By visiting all of the blogs, you'll have a chance to see over 20 ways to style the adorable clothes Boden has this season.

Back to School With Boden Blogs: The Chirping Moms, Fancy Ashley, Southern Mama Guide, Seven Graces, Your Modern Family, I Love You More Than Carrots, Toddler Approved and The Girl in the Red Shoes. 

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#BodenBacktoSchool

Back to School With Keen {Plus a Big Giveaway!}

We've had KEEN shoes for the kids for summertime for a while now. They're a summer go-to for many moms. I find that whenever a mom in one of my "Mom Facebook groups" asks "what are good summer shoes for kids?" there are instantly tons of comments below suggesting KEENs. They are durable, comfortable and kids love them. This season, KEEN is taking a giant step out of the summer and into fall for Back to School. Their new line is awesome and made to last just like the summer shoes we've been loving for years. 

The Encanto Collection from KEEN Kids was actually launched this past Spring. It was designed to  combine style, comfort, convenience, and function for kids and parents. For Back to School, they added the Encanto Wesley and Scout sneakers and Encanto Madison boot. These shoes are fun and fashionable for Back to School but also made with the durability to last the whole school year. 

My 3 have the KEEN Encanto Scout High Tops and really like them. The girls think they are "so cool" and Tommy thinks he's pretty cool too having the same shoes as his big sisters. I like how easy they are to get on Tommy's feet (chubby toddler feet + high tops are not always easy). I also like how easy they are for the girls to get on their own feet.  They both wanted high tops for school this year and I was hesitant because we've had some that are difficult to get on. These Scout high tops are perfect. 

Julie's has the Scout High Top for Abby and the Wesley High Top for Andrew. I think the Wesley is a really neat style for boys for school. 

One thing I learned about the KEEN Kids Encanto line is that all of the styles have a Cleansport NXT™ for natural odor control and an EVA footbed to provide the ultimate comfort. These are both key for school shoes that are going to last. When your little ones have to keep a pair of shoes on their feet all day long, you want them to be comfy! 

Here are 10 features of the KEEN Kids Encanto Wesley and Scout Sneakers that make them great for Back to School: 1. Cleansport NXT™ for natural odor control 2. Durable rubber overlays on toe and heel 3. EVA footbed 4. Mesh lining 5. Non-marking rubber outsole 6. Padded collar & tongue  7. Synthetic and textile upper 8. Leather upper (toddler sizes only)  9. Adjustable hook and loop closure (toddler and little kid sizes only) 

10. They are fun styles and cool colors!

I think school shoes are important because the kids wear them for so many hours each day. I want to make sure my kids are comfortable and wearing shoes that will last the school year. Our KEEN Kids shoes have always stood up to the many summer adventures we've worn them on, and I'm excited that we now have KEEN Kids shoes to wear to school.

Now for the giveaway! Usually I say "one lucky winner" BUT this week there will be 10 lucky winners! That's right, 10 people will win a pair of KEEN shoes for school. Here's how to enter:

You can enter using the Rafflecopter below. There will be 5 winners picked from Rafflecopter. Then, there will be 5 more winners over on Instagram. Head to the giveaway photo to enter on Instagram. You can enter BOTH places, so you have 10 chances to win. Good luck everyone!  Blog Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Instagram Giveaway: Click here

This is sponsored post. As always, all opinions are our own. 

A Summer Dress Giveaway with Seesaw Society {Plus an Excellent Coupon Code}

For the 4th summer in a row, the girls have fun summer shift dresses from Seeasaw Society. We love trying new brands, but there are some we go back to year after year. I can count on Seesaw Society for classic summer prints that look nice but are also really comfortable. The girls always love wearing these dresses and we look forward to seeing the new patterns each year. I was recently going through the kids clothes and found a teeny little Seesaw Society popsicles shift. I can't believe Alex wore it just 2 summers ago. It was her favorite dress. This summer she was beyond thrilled to see that her new summer dress came in a Paris print. My girls have it in their heads that everything in Paris is super fancy. If you ask Alex where she's like to go on vacation, her top choice is Paris. Needless to say, this dress is getting a lot of wear lately. 

Maggie was also excited to see the new prints: watermelon is her favorite food. In past years, I have gotten the girls matching dresses from Seesaw Society, but this year went with two different prints. While the prints are totally different, the colors still look great together for photos. 

This week only, Seesaw Society is offering our readers 25% off with code CHIRP. The code is good today through Sunday at midnight (8/7).  In addition to these cute shift dresses, Seesaw Society has other adorable dress styles and boys clothes too. 

Now for the giveaway:  We love the classic shift dress style for summer. We're excited to team up with Seesaw Society to give away one of their dresses! One lucky winner will receive a Seesaw Society shift dress. The winner can choose one of the two patterns shown in this post (watermelon or Paris).  You can enter on Facebook. Click here for the giveaway post & directions.
You can enter on Instagram. Click here for the photo to enter. 
But... the best way is to enter BOTH places! Good luck everyone. 

7 Cool Baby Products and A Chance to Win Them All

I always shocked how many cool new baby products there are to try. Miles (my youngest) and Maggie (my oldest) are only 6 years apart. I can't believe how far baby products have come in just 6 years and how many neat new things there are to try with Miles. From design to functionality - there are always new products I see and want to try. Today we're sharing 8 cool baby products and a chance to win them. For this week's giveaway, one luck winner will receive all 7  prizes. 

1. Tiny Love  Spin ‘n’ Kick Discovery Arch This toy is awesome! It's perfect for summer travel and outdoor stroller rides. The Spin ‘n’ Kick Discovery Arch is the only stroller arch on the market with stimulating activities for both hands and feet. There's a 7-page crinkly book, mirror, multiple detachable clip-toys and reversible rattling paddles. Miles goes crazy for this thing! 
2. Tiny Love Gymini "My Musical Friends"  My kids have all loved play mats like the Gymini. Tiny Love's newest mat is the most interactive I've seen! The Gymini My Musical Friends is musical-themed activity mat. It features all musical instrument-themed toys including a mirrored turtle that can act as a hanging tambourine or floor drum with rattling feet, a parrot wind chime, monkey cymbals, hippo castanets, giraffe maracas, a baby-activated elephant xylophone and a musical note teether. Tons of fun and lots of musical sounds! 
3. MAM Feed and Soothe Set  We've been using MAM pacifiers since Maggie was a baby. All 4 babies have loved them. With Tommy we started using MAM bottles as well. This time around I wanted to stock up on some MAM essentials and discovered the MAM Feed and Soothe set. It has the perfect amount of pacifiers, small and large bottles to get you started. This would be great for baby registries. 
4. b.box Diaper Caddy I tend to keep diapers and wipes all over the house. With two in diapers and four kids spread around the house, I am never in the same place to change diapers. While I like having supplies on hand, I also like trying to stay organized. We recently got a b.box diaper caddy and really like it. It's the perfect size, keeps things organized and it's easy to move around the house. 

5. Covered Goods  Nursing Cover  Until finding Covered Goods, I had never found a nursing cover I really liked using. So after nursing 4 babies, I finally have a cover I like! I have the navy pinstripes which makes the cover go with my personal style, along with being functional. 

6. ErgoPouch All of my have slept in swaddles and then sleep sacks. Tommy, who is 20 months, is still in a sleep sack. We've tried a number of brands and I really like the ErgoPouch. They have a cool feature where you can have the baby in it with arms tucked in/swaddled and then you simply unsnap at the arms when they are ready to sleep with their arms out. The colors and patterns are neat and the fabric is skin friendly and all natural fibers. 
7. NurturMe NurturMe is line of certified organic, gluten free, non-GMO, kosher foods. It includes dried organic baby food and healthy toddler & kids snacks. The winner will receive a prize pack of $55 worth of NurturMe food to try.
Now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive ALL 7 prizes mentioned above (colors/sizes based on availability). Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Slide into Summer with this Fun Giveaway!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mom it Forward. 

The opinions and text are all mine. #backyardsummerfun

We officially kicked off summer in our house this past week and we couldn't be happier!

Our two little ones just finished preschool.  The summer pool opened for the season.  And the weather was absolutely gorgeous.  It was the perfect time to say good-bye to the most rainiest spring we have had in a long time & hello to long, sweet summer days.  This weekend, we decided to kick off summer by creating our 2016 Summer Bucket List and an afternoon filled with good ole' summer backyard fun.  

This included a baseball game between the boys vs. their daddy.  It also included the kids playing pirates & princesses on their swingset.  But their favorite thing that they did that afternoon was a classic summer hit, a backyard water slide!

The kids had a blast slipping & sliding down their way down the water slide.  We got a new triple water slide this year from H2OGO! so all the kids can go at one time.  They had a blast!  This was an upgrade from our previous single water slide.  First of all, the slide had an awesome launch pad at the front that cushions the blow when they first jump on the slide.  No more belly flops!  At the end of the water slide, the kids create a big splash when they slide into the big drench pool!

The H2OGO! 18 foot water slide is perfect for summertime fun.  It's super easy to set up.  Just inflate the launch pad, connect a hose, & it's all set to go. H2OGO! was the first line of water slides to feature a patent-pending SpeedRamp, a tough, inflatable launch pad that creates a smooth landing.  The H2OGO! water slides are available in single, double, or triple slides and is recommended for kids, ages 5 to 12.  Kids can slide together or one at a time when on the double or triple models.  My kids had a lot of fun sliding together over and over again.  

We are excited to help your family splash into summer because we will be giving one lucky reader their very own H2OGO! water slide.   All you have to do is enter below for a chance to win!

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