The post Teen Boy Gift Guide appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Even though the title specifies that this list is for boys, I feel that most of the items would make great gifts for any kid in this age range. I am also a huge fan of experience gifts for kids because most kiddos already have so much stuff. Things like instrument lessons, passes to a museum or amusement park or a trip somewhere are things that kids will remember much longer than most items. However, living in a pandemic makes experience gifts a little tricky this year because so many things are closed.

The post Gift Guide for Tween Boys appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Even though the bark looks like you spent a lot of time in the kitchen, it comes together in a flash. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can melt all the chocolate in the microwave. Just make sure to stir every 20-30 seconds, so you don’t burn the chocolate.

5.0 from 4 reviews

Spooky Halloween Bark

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 12-oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 12-oz bag white chocolate chips
• 1 bag candy corn
• 1 package candy eyes
• Sprinkles
• Any other candy you would like to include

Instructions

1. Prepare a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.
2. Over a double boiler, or in the microwave melt the semi sweet chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth.
3. Pour the melted chocolate onto the prepared cookie sheet and spread into an even layer. Let cool until solid. You can also place in into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to speed up the process.
4. Over a double boiler, or in the microwave melt the white chocolate chips, stirring constantly until smooth.
5. Pour the melted while chocolate over the semi sweet chocolate layer and spread into an even layer. Save about two tablespoons of the melted white chocolate for drizzling.
6. Using a spatula, blend the white chocolate with the semi sweet layer in some areas to get a grayish brown color.
7. Drizzle the reserved white chocolate over the bark and top with candy toppings.
8. Let set before breaking bark into chunks.

3.5.3208

I think the candy eyes really give the Halloween bark a sweet and spooky look. It is sure to be a crowdpleaser at every Halloween party!

The post Spooky Halloween Bark appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I cannot believe that I am the mother of an almost 4th grader! Even though we are soaking up the last days of summer, I am in mom planning mode in my head, making lists of all the things we need to get done to be ready for school. While shopping for new school supplies and clothes are on most people’s lists, parent of lunch bringers also have to think about lunch ideas for the 180 lunches that will get packed this school year. Since I’ve been packing lunches for over four years, I consider myself a bit of lunch packing veteran and I’m sharing some tips to make packing school lunches easy. 

KEEP IT SIMPLE
When I started packing lunches for Alex, I tried to be creative. I would spend lots of time packing lunches that were Pinterest-worthy, but found that lots of the things I was packing would come back home untouched. Since the goal is to keep my child fed and ready to learn, I quickly learned what to pack to make sure that lunch is eaten. I follow a formula of entree, fruit, crunch, treat and drink. For the entree, we do a sandwich or leftovers from the previous nights’ dinner in a thermos. For fruit, Alex loves berries, apples and grapes. For crunch, I try to include veggies like carrots or cucumbers, but Alex prefers veggie straws or crackers. For his treat, Alex loves Danimals Smoothies and Squeezables! He loves the taste and I love that they are a good source of calcium and vitamin D, and that they are more nutritious than some of the other foods my kids usually go for.  

PREP LUNCH AHEAD OF TIME
Mornings are hectic enough without having to worry about packing lunches. Instead, I make the entrees and pack the snacks into containers for a few days at a time. I keep our Danimals Squeezables in the freezer so that they keep the rest of the lunch cold and thaw right in time for lunch. In the morning, all that has to be done is transferring everything to the lunchbox and out the door.

GET HELP
Alex is at the age where he can take on more responsibilities and be more independent. That is why it is his job to make sure his lunchbox is packed, his water bottle is full and that his backpack had everything he needs. By pre-packing things for his lunch, he is able to easily pack his lunchbox and feel like he is making his own decisions about what he is bringing for lunch. I make sure to keep the fridge stocked with Danimals Smoothies and Squeezers, so that he can choose which Danimals to pack in his lunch that day. 

I hope these tips help make your school year run more smoothly! 

What are your go to lunchbox items?

The post Packing School Lunches Made Easy appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

One//Two//Three//Four

Five//Six//Seven//Eight

In this age of kids glued to their screens, I love to give gifts that make kids think, get them moving and get their hands dirty. These stocking stuffers are just that and they’re all under $20!

1. IQ Twist. This is a challenging puzzle game that’s not just for kids. It comes with a booklet for endless game combinations and really makes you think!
2. Fingerlings Untamed. Last Christmas, those little monkeys were all the rage. This year, the dinos are taking over. They respond to sound, motion, and touch and will ever roar at you.
3. Mojimotos. These come in a ton of different emoji characters and repeat what you say in their own funny voice and lip-sync to music. Alex loves telling knock-knock jokes using his little taco Mojimoto.
4. Break Away Ballz. These foam puzzle balls can be smashed to reveal the smaller ball inside. They reassemble easily and can be smashed and resmashed. I don’t always understand the fun behind it but boys love this!
5. Ryan’s World Mystery Putty/Squishy. If you don’t know you Ryan is, I bet your kids do! A YouTuber famous for opening blind bags and mystery items, Ryan has come out with his own line of putty, slime and squishies. If your kids like all things slimy these are for them!
6. Mad Mattr. Mad Mattr is an addictive, super-soft modeling compound that shapes easily. This set come with molds to shape the Mattr into bricks that came be used to build actual structures. Bonus: it doesn’t dry out if you leave it out like other play doughs.
7. Big Nate Series. Books are always a great gift. The Big Nate series graphic novels are great for kiddos with a sense of humor. Nate’s antics will have your little one giggling while they read!
8. Bean Boozled. If your child likes to be grossed out, this one is a winner. Bean Boozled is a jellybean challenge game in which you don’t know if you’re getting a regular jellybean or a gross one like dirty dishwater, grass clippings or vomit. Not for the faint of heart!

Hope these ideas help with holiday shopping for the boys in your life!

The post Stocking Stuffers for School-Aged Boys appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

You guys, where did this summer go?! The first day of school is just around the corner and we are slowly getting ready to go back to school. This year is a little more stressful than usual because Alex is starting a new school. He spent the summer going to camp and making friends in our new town, but being the “new kid” at school is always a little nerve wracking (especially for mamas). To make the task back to school shopping (and getting every item on that list checked off)a little easier, I am here to share some back to school essentials!

Zenni Optical

Kids these days spend a lot of time in front of a screen. Even if screen time is limited at home, many times schools incorporate laptops and tablets into the school day. While I love that Alex’s new school has a laptop for each child and they spend time learning to do independent research, I also know that all the blue light from devices can be damaging for his eyes. I was so excited to receive these UV+ Blue Blockers from Zenni Optical. Not only are they super stylish, they protect his eyes from blue light that can cause eye strain, blurred vision and cause damage to the retinal cells. Even if your child doesn’t need a prescription, they can benefit from a pair of these kids glasses.

OshKosh B’Gosh

Back to school shopping always means new school clothes.  This is the first year since preschool that Alex isn’t going to be wearing a uniform and honestly I was dreading it a little bit because for the last few years I would pick up his uniform clothes call it a day. OshKosh has been one of my favorite brands since Alex was a baby because they have endless options with tons of different styles. I fell in love with these distressed kid jeans and Alex loves all the different graphic tees (especially the gamer ones!).

Get 20% off your OshKosh purchase of $40+ (in store code: 038222 or online code OKBG3549) Valid through September 30, 2018.

Snip-Its

Hair styles are a big deal and not just for girls! I love the Snip-Its kid styling products because they they do a great job holding Alex’s hair into whatever “spiky” style he decides on, but they also contain special ingredients that help protect hair and scalp from the damaging rays of the sun. The Wacky Wax leaves his hair soft, but with an all day, not sticky hold. And it smells great too!

BLOT Supplies

If there is one thing that Alex inherited from me, it is my love of school supplies. When we opened our box to find tons of fun and colorful BLOT school supplies he was so excited. He is most excited to bring the mini highlighters to school and I love their Signature Retractable Ballpoint pens. Even though they are bright and colorful, they all have black ink which makes them school approved! Check out the other fun BLOT school supplies below:

Ombre Pastel Gel Pens

Mini Gel Pens

Signature Retractable Ballpoint Pens: bright colors

BLOT Mini Highlighters

Signature Mechanical Pencils with Lead Refill and Eraser

Westcott Scissors

These scissors have been a backpack staple in our house for years and for good reason. They are the World’s Favorite Scissors because of the technology applied to the blade coatings and handles and each scissor comes with a Manufacturers Lifetime Warranty. Their 5 inch blunt tip scissors are the perfect addition to every child’s pencil case, making homework and art projects a breeze!

Sprout Organic Curlz

Alex is not a school lunch eater, so I am always looks for better snacks to include in his lunchbox. I love the Sprout Curlz because they are a plant-powered protein snack made from organic chickpeas and lentils and he loves them because they’re cheesy and delicious. All Sprout products are made only with real, honest, and pure ingredients that are USDA certified organic and non-GMO, so you can feel good about giving them to your child. The Curlz come in the perfect single packet portion to make packing lunch a breeze!

When do your children do back to school? What are some of your back to school essentials? Let me know in the comments!

The post Back to School Essentials with Babbleboxx appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I smoked my first cigarette at age 12. I was on a field trip and some older girls were going behind the building to smoke. I wanted to be cool too, so I followed. Growing up, both my parents smoked, as did many other adult family members. In my head, smoking made me seem more grown up, so why not try it? I took maybe two drags of the cigarette before I almost coughed my lungs up, and even though it didn’t taste or feel good, this was the first of many cigarettes I smoked throughout my life.  Now, you might think that your 12 year old would never reach for a cigarette, but did you know that the average age of a new smoker in New York is just 13?

I smoked though much of my teens and early 20s and finally quit when I found out I was pregnant with Alex. Luckily, I never picked up the habit again. Since Alex was old enough to ask what a cigarette was, I have talked to him about the dangers of smoking and how even though some of his favorite family members smoke, it is not a good habit to pick up. He is known to go off into a mini rant explaining to family members why they should quit smoking, which I bet they really enjoy.

Keeping an open dialogue with your children about the dangers of smoking is essential. Tobacco companies are working hard to entice kids into smoking. These companies spend billions of dollars to put their products in front of our kids in stores, and the more kids see tobacco, the more likely they are to start smoking.  If you live in NYC, you can’t walk into your bodega or corner store without having a huge section of multicolored cigarette packs staring you in the face. If you feel that your children have seen enough tobacco, sign the Tobacco Free NYC petition to have tobacco advertising removed from store.  So how do you start the conversation?

1. Start young. Even young children may ask about cigarettes if they see someone smoking. Take this as an opportunity to start the conversation. Explain that some people chose to start smoking, but then have a really hard time stopping. Tell them how bad it is for them and how it can make them sick. Make the conversation age appropriate, but never pass up a teaching moments for fear that a child is too young.
2. Health effects. For older kids, you can talk about the negative health effects that smoking can cause. Smoking harms nearly every organ in the human body and kills almost 500,000 people a year in the US. Smoking can lead to cancer, emphysema, hearth disease and stroke, just to name a few. You can also look for pictures online that show what a smoker’s lungs look like. Warning: it’s not pretty.
3. Addiction. Picking up smoking is easy, but quitting is not. Let your kids know that even if they start smoking socially, they may end up addicted and have a hard time quitting. That is why it is not worth starting.
4. Cost. Sometimes health effects will not faze children because they can’t imagine that they won’t be young and healthy forever. However, for kids with a limited allowance or for teens who are working, the price tag of cigarettes may be a good deterrent. I know that I do not want to spend $15 of my hard earned money on cigarettes.
5. Peer Pressure. Peer pressure is real. (Hey, it even worked one me!) Talk to your children about how to say no when their friends are pressuring them to start smoking. Come up with and practice responses that kids can give when pressured and explain that smoking doesn’t make you more grown up or cool. Let them know that even thought it may seem like the end of the world now if other kids are making fun of them, but in the grand scheme of things, smoking is never worth it.

Don’t forget to sign the Tobacco Free NYS petition to get tobacco advertising removed from stores. For more tips and resources visit Tobacco Free NYS at:

• Tobacco Free New York State Site: http://www.tobaccofreenys.org/  
• Tobacco Free New York State Facebook:  http://lwww.facebook.com/tobaccofreenys  
• Tobacco Free New York State Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/tobaccofreenys  
• Tobacco Free New York State Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/tobaccofreenys  

The post Talking to Your Kids About Smoking: How and When appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Getting kids to help out with cleaning isn’t always the easiest feat, but I am a firm believer in “if you live in this house, you need to help keep in clean.” Even with help, we still struggle to keep our house clean (understatement of the year), but we have found ways to make chores more enjoyable and more importantly, get done quicker. Since lots of people have Spring cleaning on their minds, I thought it would be fun to share some strategies that have worked for us in the ever uphill battle of keeping our house clean. A special thanks to Bona for helping us love all of the floors in our home with their new Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner.

• Don’t make cleaning up optional. If given the option, I know that I definitely would not clean the house. If I could wait for someone else to come along and clean, I wouldn’t lift a finger. Set tasks that belong to your child and keep them accountable. If chores aren’t done, set consequences.
• Turn chores into a challenge. Set a timer and give your child 15 minutes to get something done. Ask them to organize everything by color or in alphabetical order. They will get it done much faster than they would otherwise and it will make it much more exciting for them!
• Make chores age appropriate. You can’t expect a 4 year old to do laundry, but even young children can have tasks that are their responsibility. Toddlers are capable of cleaning up their toys after playing or putting their clothing in the hamper at bed time. You know your child best. You know what kinds of chores they will be capable of completing now, and what kinds of things may take a few more years.
• Praise, praise, praise. When your child completes their chores, tell them you are proud of them for their hard work or for getting everything done so quickly. If you feel like you need to correct them on something they did, make sure you praise them first and give them suggestions on how to make it better next time second. Hearing criticism when you tried your hardest can be discouraging. 
• Give them a choice. The choice isn’t to clean or not to clean, but what they would like to do first, that day, etc. When given a choice, 9 times out of 10, Alex will choose to mop the floors (which conveniently is one of my least favorite tasks!). Ever since we received our Bona Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner mop, I have all been dreading cleaning the floors less. The Bona system is super easy to use -you just spray the premixed solution and mop! The quick-drying solution leaves no sticky residue, meaning that there won’t be tons of footprints all over your freshly mopped floors! Bona used to be available only for hardwood floors, but their new Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner is designed specifically to be safe for use on hard surfaces including stone, tile, laminate and luxury vinyl. It makes cleaning floors a breeze and its specially designed degreasing formulation effectively removes dust, dirt and grime leaving your floors clean and beautiful.  It is also Greenguard Gold certified which means its safe for the whole family, even your four legged friends.

  

  I hope that our tips helped make your Spring (and everyday) cleaning a little easier and more fun! To pick up some Bona Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner for yourself, head to their website and show your floors some love!

The post 5 Ways To Get the Kids To Do Their Chores appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

A week off from school in the middle of winter can be difficult. It’s cold, the days are short and you have to entertain the kids all day long. I find that new activities work best to keep us entertained, so this year Alex and I tried our hands at stop-motion video and created our own #GoldfishTales with our favorite Goldfish crackers.

If your family is like ours, you always have Goldfish in the pantry waiting for little (and not to little hands) to reach in and enjoy them. Goldfish have been a staple in our home since Alex was old enough for finger foods, and still make appearances in his lunch box at least a few times a week. I love Goldfish because they’re always baked with real cheddar cheese, have no artificial flavors or preservatives, and only use colors sourced from plants. When I told Alex that we could use our favorite snack to make our own movie, he was ecstatic.

While brainstorming movie ideas, Alex decided that he wanted to send the Goldfish camping (I see that I am not the only one dreaming about summer!). We gathered supplies to make our characters and got to work. We used modeling clay, colored pencils, construction paper and plenty of Goldfish crackers, for posing and snacking. I also found that a tripod makes the actual filming part much easier because your camera stays in the same position while you move your characters.

We made our first movie using backgrounds indoors, but Alex decided that to make the movie feel authentic, we should really take our Goldfish crackers camping. So we bundled up and braved the weather to give our Goldfish crackers a taste of the great outdoors. 

Even though it wasn’t easy posing our cheesy little characters in the cold, we had a blast making our feature presentation. Without further ado, we present Goldfish Go Camping.

To see more awesome stop-motion videos featuring your favorite snack made by other Goldfish enthusiasts, head over to GoldfishSmiles.com. The website also has great behind the scenes footage and tips and tricks on how to create your own stop-motion video. Start brainstorming video ideas and get to work creating your own Goldfish stop-motion video with your family! Be sure to leave a link to your creations in the comments!

The post Boredom Buster: Stop-Motion Video with Goldfish appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Alex had an absolute blast during the snowfall and the following day. It was hard to get him back into the house to warm up, but luckily I was able to bribe him with fresh s’mores and hot cocoa by the fireplace. The more time we spend in Connecticut, the more I feel that we are going to love living here full time. We are counting down the days until the renovations are finished and we can move in!

If you like Alex’s snow day outfit, check out the links below!

hat | coat | scarf | snow pants | boots  | sled

The post First Snow appeared first on Frolic Through Life.