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The Middle School Supplies List

September 5, 2018 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This post is sponsored by Amazon and all opinions are our own.

I love shopping on Amazon.com, I would say that most of our shopping is done with Amazon. We need something and then we order it. My husband always knows what the deadline to order something is to get it delivered to our house for free with Amazon Prime. It’s crazy sometimes how he knows. Well our shopping includes our Back To School needs.

We just started school this week and in middle school we don’t get a supply list until after school starts. High School is the same way, and since we need the supplies in a very quick turn around we’re going to be using Amazon Prime and the Back To School Store Front that Amazon has put together.

There you can find everything you need. Of course on Amazon you can find, Elmer’s Glue, Sharpies, Clorox wipes, Kleenex, and Snacks of all kinds. I mean if you really think of it, you can find anything the classroom or your students needs on Amazon. We have curated our list of top 5 items for your middle school student may need.

Backpack – My son seems to go through backpacks as fast as he goes through shoes. Either the zipper breaks or it somehow rips, and I guarentee it’s him not the bag. So our Backpack pick this year was the JanSport Big Student Classics Series Backpack. The JanSport Backpacks have plenty of pockets to help keep the kids organized They also have a spot in the back that is cushioned to keep their laptops safe.

Calculator – Our school days are partially at a campus and the rest of the time is at home. Their math class this year is at home with me and we are going to be doing statistics and Pre-Algebra and I’m going to try to start them graphing on a calculator. I’m quite partial to the Texas Instruments TI-84 because it’s like the one I had when I was in school. The TI-84 is preloaded with Apps and images they need for class. It is also 30% lighter and thinner than previous generations. It’s perfect to prepare them for the SAT and ACT test.

Art Supplies – My son is an artist and will be taking three different art classes this year. They go to a STEM school that offers a lot of programming and art classes. So he needs:

A Drawing Pad – for this we chose the Strathmore Series 400 Sketch Pad. He loves to draw and keeping him stocked on paper has been easy with Amazon. We actually purchased him one over the summer before we even though of school supplies. I like this one because it is spiral bound and easy for him to flip back and fourth.
Colored Pencils – Prismacolor 1774800 Premier Colored Pencils, Manga Colors. These pencils have a soft core and the colors are perfect for his comic book art class. They are high quality with lightfast pigments.
Markers – Most school supply lists ask for Crayola markers and I do find them to be excellent markers. But for my son’s art classes we need some fine point markers. I’ve picked the BIC Intensity Fineliner Marker Pen, Fine Point because they are quite vivid in intensity and won’t bleed through the paper. They are perfect for doodling, drafting, and writing.

Binders, Paper & Dividers – Picking out folders seems like such an easy thing. My kids like SMEAD Economy Two-Pocket File Folders, Five Star Loose Leaf Paper, and Avery Insertable Big Tab Plastic Dividers with Double Pockets. We also like Oxford 1-Subject Poly Notebooks and Avery Binders. This year Avery Binders are even more fun because they feature DreamWorks Trolls.

Organizational Items – my daughter loves to be organized. She needs a good calendar for her room, she needs one of those organizational notepads that includes a calendar and she likes to have a desktop organizer like the Safco Onyx Mesh Desktop Organizer with 5 Tiered Sections.

It’s crazy how different my kids are and their school supply list was so different this year. Each one is taking unique classes and I love seeing them learn and grow. I’m sure in the next few days we’ll find they still need a few things to have a successful school year so I’m glad Amazon is only a click away.

Easy Snow Cones in Seconds

August 28, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

Little Snowie 2 sent us a sample to review and my family LOVED it. We had a fantastic family night and made a quick little video of using the Little Snowie 2.

The Little Snowie 2 is so easy to use. We took it out of the box, plugged it in, put ice in it and put a bowl down to catch the ice and pushed it down and it made shaved ice in seconds. It was amazing. They also sent us so many samples of syrup the kids had a sugary blast, you can see it on Zoe’s face here.

The Little Snowie 2 produces the closest thing you’ll find to the smooth fluffy shaved ice from your neighborhood snow stand without having to fork out $1000 or more on a commercial shaver. That’s right, it’s commercial grade and portable at the same time. My cousin ended up taking it to her house after we used it in Florida. Yep, she stole my Little Snowie and took it to Texas.

There are over 50 different syrup flavors.

Nobody knows snow cones and flavored shaved ice desserts better than Snowie LLC. Having manufactured commercial ice shavers for the restaurant, outdoor event, and roadside snow stand industries for over 30 years, this small but proud USA Company has now taken their world leading expertise and developed the best home shaver on the planet.

Little Snowie 2(TM) pumps out smooth icy desserts in just seconds. Say no to hand cranking, or weak motors and blades that fill a cup with crunchy ice chips. Little Snowie 2’s™ ice has the texture of freshly fallen snow – fluffy and soft, it melts in your mouth.

We even created a few adult beverages using the Little Snowie 2™.

To USE:

simply use ice cubes from your refrigerator, or any bulk ice cubes from the store; there’s no hassle of having to pre-freeze a large custom shaped ice cylinder

The Snowie motor and power switch has passed commercial use testing by ETL at over 100,000 repetitions, that’s a lot of cups of shaved ice. It is worth the price because it pays for itself after a couple of uses!

Nintendo’s Captain Toad Treasure Tracker 3DS

August 28, 2018 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received a sample.

Miles Review: The game, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, it’s self wasn’t the best game because it was fairly easy and didn’t provide much of a challenge. Unless, on each level you are trying to complete each objective it does provide a bit of a challenge. I also thought the levels that were fairly easy and short. I only had a bit of trouble with the boss levels and even then it was still pretty easy and the enemies are pretty easy to avoid as well.

Zoe and Miles video review:

Zoe’s Review:

I thought Toad Treasure Tracker was a very fun game. I liked that when you rescue Toadette you get to play as her and have to rescue Toad. My least favorite part is that when you play the game you can not fight the bad guys you have to tap them on the bottom so it makes it hard to run away. Another thing I like is that it is different from other Mario games. I also like that you can’t jump.

Questions About Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

What is your favorite game feature?

Zoe: My favorite game feature is that you can not jump.

Miles: The fact that toad can still do all of this while carrying a backpack full of survival gear.

What is your least favorite game feature?

Zoe: My least favorite game feature is that it is very hard to battle because you can not and instead you just have to tap them on the lower 3DS screen while you get away.

Miles: The fact that you can not jump.

What is your favorite character?

Zoe: My favorite character is the pixelated Toad. The pixelated Toad is Toad except he is a pixel and if you are are picking out what level you want to do you can click on him and you will go into a level and will have to look for him and it is just like a little hide and seek game.

Miles: toadette because toad is stupid and pixelated toad hides from you

What does this game make you think of or remind you of?

Zoe: In one of the Wii Mario games it was called “Super Mario 3D World” there was a level and you played as toad and it was about the same. And then there was actually another Wii game also called “Captain Toad Treasure Tracker” and it was the same except it was on the Wii.

Miles: It makes me think of hide and seek cause you have to find the objectives.

Would you recommend this game?

Zoe: Yes I would recommend this game it was very fun.

Miles: Yes.

About Nintendo’s Captain Toad Treasure Tracker 3DS:

The Captain Toad: treasure tracker game, which originally launched for the Wii U system to critical acclaim and adoration by fans, is coming to Nintendo 3DS.
This version includes new stages based on the various kingdoms in the Super Mario Odyssey game.
Captain Toad: treasure tracker for the Nintendo 3DS family systems.
Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Suitable_for_all_users

In Love With Fingerlings Hugs

August 17, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

We received a sample from WowWee and we can’t get enough of him, meet, Fingerlings Hugs….

Fingerlings Hugs is the most adorable little monkey out there. Just watch some of the sounds he makes on this video my kids made.

I honestly can’t get over how cute this monkey is. You should get one before they are out of stock. So WowWee has come out with three new toys this month and all of them make adorable sounds. We reviewed the Ferocious Friday with WowWee’s Untamed T-Rex and the Alive Lion which we have two chances for you to win here: Two Chances to Win Alive Lion & Tiger Cubs Giveaway.

Fingerlings® HUGS™ is an adorable stuffed monkey with a lot of spunk. He has long arms and is able to hang from the chandelier as you can see on our video. Fingerlings Hugs likes to be swung by you and makes happy noises when you swing them. You can pet them, put them to sleep and give them kisses. They kiss you back. One of my favorite features of the Fingerlings Hugs is the ability to record your own words and sayings. My son started making it say, “I’m the Monkey King here to take over the world”. And then Fingerlings Hugs says it in his sweet sweet voice and it just makes you laugh out loud.

So the monkey comes in pink and blue. The pink one is named Bella and the blue one is named Boris. They fart, burp, laugh and just love to be loved. They whistle at you when you ignore them. So don’t ignore your Fingerlings Hugs. They retail for 29.99. For more information, check them out here!

“Get ready for tons of fun interactions like never before! Fingerlings HUGS will give you serious smooches and next-level love. Their toots will make you hoot and they’re always game for a tickle fight! Swing them to your heart’s content, or throw them and turn them upside down for different reactions! They’ll respond to everything you do. They’ll even try to imitate you! That’s because when you talk, HUGS talk! Discover all of the fun and wacky ways you can play and get that main squeeze Fingerlings feeling. “

Our Back To School Shopping Haul at Justice

August 16, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

This is sponsored by Justice

Zoe and I attended the Justice Pep Rally this past weekend to get excited about heading back-to-school this fall! The Pep Rally was a blast, with activities like decorating signs and pennants so Zoe could show her creative side! She even ended up putting stickers all over me and her grandmother! We did some shopping and picked up the latest styles and accessories for back-to-school.

Justice is the perfect one-stop-shop for your mini fashionista’s needs for school! Justice has new backpacks, lunch boxes, accessories, and clothes for an amazing first day outfit sure to impress.

Another reason we love shopping at Justice is because of all the ways you can save big! One way is by joining their monthly rewards program, where your daughter receives a gift on her birthday as well as monthly coupons!

Also, they have great deals like:

$50 off when you spent $150
$25 off when you spent $100
$10 off when you spent $50

During the Pep Rally, gift cards were given away for even more savings! Zoe’s grandmother and I each won one, adding more fun to back-to-school shopping options.

She lives in Justice’s clothing lines!

During checkout, we received a $25 coupon, which works like cash, to use in September for even more Justice styles! That means we’ll be back soon for more shopping fun!

Zoe created a shopping haul video if you want to see some of the fun things that are currently new in the store! To see the rest of the latest fashions, check out our photos below the video:

I love this maroon color:

In the video and some photos below, you can see this blue shirt that Zoe picked out. It’s another great color Justice has in their stores this year.

Also, don’t forget to download the Justice app on iTunes

HERE where you can shop on the go for the latest styles, make wish lists, get exclusive content, and more!

Two Chances to Win Alive Lion & Tiger Cubs Giveaway

August 14, 2018 by Momstart 16 Comments

We received the most adorable Lion Cub from WowWee so we could write this review and give one away to you guys so stay tuned for our giveaway, and we also have a second chance to win from our friend Life She Has. Her daughter also recieved the Wowwee Alive Tiger Cub (gifted to her from Wowwee) and was SO excited to start snuggling and playing!

We loved the Alive Tiger so much that we made a video of the little guy. SO check out all these fun sounds the Alive Tiger makes and according to the box this wasn’t all of them.

The Alive Lion Cub is so cute and so adorable it was hard to part with. We did share it though and gave it to one of our cousins. She quickly fell in love with it as well. She was cuddling with it a great deal.

Alive Lion & Tiger Cubs (Ages 3+; $29.99) make for the perfect childhood companion 24/7, turning all-day play into night-time cuddles. Equipped with blinking eyes, an animated mouth, and baby animal babbles that sound when you pet its head or cradle it in your arms, your cub will come to life before your eyes and create a realistic playtime experience like no other! These precious playmates are a Walmart exclusive in the U.S. and Canada

I really think this guy would be an excellent toy for kids this year for Christmas. This will for sure be in our Holiday Gift Guide. I really am impressed with WowWee as a toy brand and the toys they came out with this year. This might be a toy I would get for others because it makes just the right amount of sounds. It’s not annoying it all, it adorable!!

There are so many ways to play with these interactive plush pets! They respond to your touch with blinking eyes & a mouth that opens and closes. They make adorable baby animal sounds when you stroke their heads. They know when you are cradling them in your arms and you can rock them to sleep.

Wowwee Alive comes in both Tiger Cub and Lion Cub and is available exclusively at Walmart for $34.97. You can WIN one with me!

Enter To Win:

giveaway one ends 8/30/2018. Winner will have either the Tiger Cub or the Lion Cub sent based on availability from the sponsor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Two is our giveaway here at MomStart:

To Enter tell us which cub you hope for in the comments

Extra Entries use the rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Family Night A&W Root Beer Floats

August 6, 2018 by Momstart 1 Comment

We received samples and a gift card from A&W Root Beer to buy supplies for this blog post. All opinions are our own.

Family Night in the summer is so different in our family from family night during the year, because during the summer our extended family can get together. This week, our family has flown from Seattle to Destin Florida to enjoy the beach where my mom lives.

My Uncle Thomas brought his girlfriend and my cousins with their kids from Texas which brings our family count to 16 and it’s insane and crazy and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are all split between two rooms. 9 total adults and 7 children with two of those being babies. So yeah, we’re quite the rowdy bunch.

Today is National Root Beer Float Day and A&W has a long history of creating family memories. Last night we created some memories with vanilla ice cream and A&W’s Original Root Beer Float. I bought some A&W Root Beer and some A&W diet Root Beer with the gift card they gave me and we made brownies too.

I have to say that A&W is actually our family favorite Root Beer. The unique, creamy taste of A&W Root Beer is a simple treat that creates fun, care-free experiences for families and can help make any moment special. My uncle Thomas and his girlfriend last night told me that A&W is one of the only brands where their diet version is just as good if not better than the regular version. It was in his top three diet sodas.

A&W Root Beer helped us create the perfect timeless family night treat: an A&W Root Beer Float! I think we ended up making 8 floats total and everyone was all smiles.

Even the babies were having a good night. We talked for hours while the kids were out on the balcony watching the sunset and eating their Root Beer Floats.

My daughter she filled every glass with ice cream and then poured the A&W Root Beer over the ice cream. For some of them, I think brownie pieces were thrown in. If you need any “float how-tos” and recipe ideas please visit, www.rootbeer.com.

You can also follow A&W socially:

A&W website
A&W Instagram

Ninja Escape Room Kids Birthday Party Seattle

August 5, 2018 by Momstart 2 Comments

So a few years ago I participated in my very first escape room and I fell in love with it. I wanted to do it as a family and I couldn’t find a single one that allowed children under the age of 12. That is no longer true. Here in Seattle there are two locations, both Ninja Escape rooms that now host birthday parties for children and we tested it out. There are two Ninja Escape locations in Seattle, one in Freemont and one in Belltown.

Ninja Escape Room offers kids birthday party packages for families and kids. Our games are great for kids when the group is all around the same age, which is what makes birthday parties or group playdates the perfect way to experience our escape room challenges for little ones.

My family, me, my husband and 10 and 11 year old set out to solve the problem and escape like Ninjas. The room we were in was very challenging for people that have never been in an escape room before. I had a few inclinations of what might be a way to solve the problem from my past experiences but we weren’t even close to solving our escape. All the places I had gone to before had two rooms and once you were done with the first room we never went back into it. SO I never would have realized that we needed to go back to the other room. But like I said, we weren’t even close.

Did we have fun?

Yes overall I would say we had fun. It’s such a great way to work together and be a team. I think kids need to do projects like this because it gets them thinking outside the box. Creative thinking is so important. We were often very frustrated though, because we did find the room so challenging. In my honest opinion, for the small group we had and ages we had, I think the room was a little too hard. I suggest a group of at least 8 and they said they could have up to 14 kids in the room I think.

It would make for a very fun birthday party.

Cut Screen Time and Have Fun with Paper & Packaging: Building the Epic Fort

July 26, 2018 by Momstart 1 Comment

This is a sponsored blog post by Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds ®.

I work really hard to keep the screen time balanced over the summer but it’s hard sometimes. I have to get my own work done and well, sometimes I don’t fully pay attention.

However, recently, my son took to building something on his own and I was super excited because it was perfect for this particular blog post for Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds®. The fact that he came up with something on his own and it reduced his screen time…wow wee.

All he needed was some cardboard, scissors and tape. He also had some paper so he could decorate his fort when he was all done. As a side note, he also loves to build forts and uses cardboard to help hold up his forts in his room. Cardboard has so many uses, who knew?! You can see, my husband was also super excited to see Miles get so into this project he wanted to help so badly. But I had to pull him back, because I could see Miles was actually thinking about how to make all the pieces fit together.

What kind of roof did he want?

And how big did it need to be?

This was such a great learning experience for my son and it gave him so many problem solving opportunities. He spent hours working on this this last weekend. That was hours not on his computer!

We really enjoyed working with the Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds Campaign to come up with creative activities that cut screen time and keep boredom at bay. Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds is a national promotional campaign funded by manufacturers and importers of paper and paper-based packaging and before working with them, I had no idea how much you can truly do with paper and packaging. The projects are endless!

For more information about the Paper & Packaging – How Life Unfolds® campaign and to see all the fun that can be had, check them out on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/howlifeunfolds
Twitter: @HowLifeUnfolds [JS1]
Instagram: @HowLifeUnfolds
#HowLifeUnfolds

And if you aren’t quite up to building a fort or tiny home like Miles did, here are some more Paper and Packaging – How Life Unfolds Ideas. Have fun!

More Creative Activity Ideas.

Read a book
Make A Coloring Book
Use A Coloring Book
Press Flowers
Write Letters to a Pen Pal
Make a Calendar
Make a Count-Down to Summer Vacation Counter
Draw

Safe Headphones For Kids

July 23, 2018 by Momstart 3 Comments

We received samples.

It’s a unicorn, it’s a headband, no it’s headphones. Well in all honesty it’s all three.

Snuggly Rascals are fun, comfortable and safe headphones for kids and my daughter LOVES them. Check out her video review of the Snuggly Rascals.

Yep, she loves them. She took them on vacation to Hawaii and wore them all day on the airplane. I really need to get my son a set of them. He would love them just as much as her.

What I think of Snuggly Rascals?

I love these kids headphones. These headphones are made for kids. They keep kids from listening to music too loud, which I worry that my son does. They are completely comfortable and ok to fall asleep in. My kids complain all the time about how headphones do not fit on their ears and these do fit. They are great.

I love how they come in such cute animal designs. My son and daughter both fought over the unicorn headphones that they sent to us. They are also only 17.99 which is an excellent price point for children’s headphones. Snuggly Rascals (v2) are available in 6 fun designs: Unicorn, Owl, Penguin, Kitten, Monster and Panda.

Snuggly Rascals Features:

– Made with a high quality, super soft fleece and ultra-flat speakers, Snuggly Rascals are extra-comfortable headphones suitable for kids of all ages (3+ recommended).
– Unlike standard earphones and headphones which can be uncomfortable on or in the ears, Snuggly Rascals are lightweight (only 50g), perfect for travel and designed for comfort over short or long periods.
Specifications:
– Velcro, size adjustable headband to fit head circumference 38cm to 58cm
– Connects via standard 3.5mm audio jack connection on 1.5m cable
– Volume limited to 85 decibels
– Headband is machine washable at low temperatures (don’t forget to remove speakers, and kids!)
– 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex