Now that it’s the school holidays here, my son is looking forward to one of his favourite activity, computer games! I’m one mommy who is very firm about the type of games he plays as I do not want him to be addictive to the ones that do not promote learning. Furthermore, our virtual world is not as safe as it used to be.

Thus, when I stumbled upon Woogi World, a virtual world catered for elementary age children, I was happy to try it out. If you opt for the basic membership, it is FREE whereas for Woogi Honors, it cost $6.95 per month. The sign up process requires a parent to verify and at the same time, parents also have control over the child’s option to chat. These steps definitely gets the thumbs up from me.

Here are some of the benefits of using Woogi World:

1. Founded by Scott Dow, Woogi World focuses on teaching children how to interact properly online, and prepares them to become global goodwill ambassadors.

2. It motivates them (through points and prizes), to apply their learning through offline experiences.

3. Woogi World games, activities and adventures teach and promote positive behavior and character development.

4. Woogi World has also partnered with several national corporations like Studies Weekly and Walden, they will feature a Woogi Music Club, Math Club, Science Club, Writer’s Club, Reading Club – offering a book of the month program with special access codes and so much more for academics.

In a nutshell, Woogi World offers a very safe environment for kids to get connected, socialize, and even keep up to date on the world around them. So, why not come see for yourself what the buzz is all about!

EZ School Supplies carries top brand name stationeries only and gives shoppers further assurance with a guarantee policy where customers can request for a refund if they are not satisfied with their purchase. Besides that, they have a program where schools can register and create their own list of supplies required. This will help ease the purchasing process for parents of students, who can simply follow the list and not miss out any supplies or buy the wrong ones. Schools who register will in turn get a 10% of the net sales. Isn’t that a Win-Win situation for everyone?

Why wait till the last minute? Check out EZ School Supplies for your back to school supplies and get 10% off purchases by using Promo Code “EZMB003“.

When your kids are old enough to understand and use the computers, you might like to occupy their time in a positive way where they can learn and have fun. At the same time, it will give you some free time to do whatever you need to. Here’s some FREE useful resource sites that I find entertaining as well as educational:

1. Fairy Chronicles - with features such as free illustrated e-cards, joining Madam Toad’s Fairy Circle, environmental activities, even upload the kids’ own drawings! 

2. Kids Games - Games like jigsaw puzzles to car racing, for pre-schoolers and up.

3. Free Kids Craftts and Activities Library - Free  childrens craft activities and science projects that kids and adults can do together.

4. Cool Match 4 Kids - A math site specially designed for what kids like and how they learn! 

5. National Geographic Kids - A great learning resource site that my son enjoys tremendously.

I enjoy shopping online tremendously, mainly because that’s the only kind of shopping I can afford to do, with two hyperactive kids who will probably wreck havoc if I brought them to shopping centres. Thus, I often surf the net to find sites that I can feel comfortable with and have products that appeal to me.

I recently stumbled upon Announcements Galore which offers a great selection of photo cards, announcements and invitations. All of the products are custom designed and of great quality. I had spent some time browsing the site as I was looking for a gift for a new mommy and was truly in love with their lovely range of photo birth announcements. I think it is totally cool that they incorporate your favorite photos into a high-quality keepsake that will be treasured for years. I

For those who are interested, Announcements Galore also offers:

• Graduation Announcements and Invitations;
• Engagement Announcements and Save the Date cards;
• Wedding Announcements;
• Photo Invitations;
• Holiday and Seasonal Photo Cards;
• Keepsake Collages;

Being a small business, I find that besides competitive pricing, they also pride themselves of providing exceptional customer service. If you are looking for customizable announcements or personalized keepsake, hop over to Announcements Galore and have a look yourself. Sample is also available on request. Now, how cool is that!

Mydish is the ultimate online cookbook. This website allows you to store and share homemade family recipes as well as publish your very own recipe book with all your favourite recipes. When you run out of food ideas, you can browse the recipes that are shared on the site and try them out. There is even a feature called “Recipe Generator”, an advanced search function that caters to recipe with specific criterias of ingredients, cooking time, special requirements and so forth.

Mydish sounds awesome, doesn’t it? Well, it is, in my opinion and best of all, it is free to join. So all you mommies and daddies out there, hop over to Mydish and check it out when you have the time.

If you need a little help in planning your Halloween, The Dancing Pumpkin and Aunt Jennie can help you. The Dancing Pumpkin is one great resource site that I stumbled upon and would like to share with you all.

At TheDancingPumpkin.com, you’ll find:

· free cookie invitation templates

· instructions for a Dancing Pumpkin Pop Centerpiece and Pumpkin Candleholders

· materials for games like the Thunderbelly Hopscotch

· deliciously spooky food and dessert ideas like Helgi’s Hand Punch, Ogre’s Evil Eyes and the Three Witches Salsa & Chips.

So, why not head over to The Dancing Pumpkin to experience more spooktacular arts, craft and recipe ideas for yourself. Before you rush off, check out the video clip that I got from their website. Enjoy!