Posts tagged ‘Melissa & Doug’
Meet Our Very First Blog Ambassadors!
We are thrilled to announce our first ever Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassadors! We would like to congratulate these exceptional bloggers and welcome them to the Melissa & Doug family! We could not be more proud or excited to introduce to you, two incredible bloggers, Amy Mascott and Valerie Deneen! Please meet them…
MEET AMY:
Amy Mascott is a Reading Specialist, 
freelance writer, former high school English teacher, and mom to an 8, 6, and 4-year-old, Amy’s work has been featured on dozens of online and print publications. She is a contributor for Scholastic’s Parents Online, PBS Parents, and Mom’s Homeroom, and more. Amy is currently a parenting editor and contributor for The DC Moms. Amy has worked as a literacy consultant for DC-area charter schools, and she has shared many tools with educators and parents in both local and national speaking engagements. She has just completed work with MSDE creating English 12 online curriculum, and she’s currently working on her first book. On Twitter, she’s @teachmama, tweeting about education, literacy, play, books, dog-walking, and everything in between.
ABOUT AMY’s BLOG:
Amy is the creator of teachmama.com, where her focus is to share the tools and resources parents need to be the best teachers for their children. She’s not a full-fledged homeschooling mom; rather, she capitalizes on learning opportunities in the every day and uses games and play to get her own children prepared for school and excited about the world around them. Amy is paving the way for a more modern ‘lifestyle of learning’, empowering all parents to take a stronger role in supporting their children’s education. In February 2010, Amy created ‘we teach’ as a forum for parents and teachers to connect, share ideas, and grow into better educators—no matter the classroom. ‘we teach’ has grown quickly into one of the most successful and highly-trafficked educational forums on the web, recently partnering with the incredible educational toy company, Melissa & Doug.
MEET VALERIE:
Valerie Deneen is the author of Inner Child Fun (formerly called the Frugal Family Fun Blog), where she hopes to inspire parents to spend more quality time with their children and less money doing it. She lives with her husband Mark, and two daughters (ages 7 and 3). Valerie’s blog features over 1,000 inexpensive kid-friendly art projects, crafts, and activities – perfect for at-home or in the classroom. She is a frequent guest on various television talk shows to demo easy and frugal crafts to do with the kids. For more information, or to contact Valerie, visit her blog at www.InnerChildFun.com or say hi to her on Twitter @InnerChildFun
ABOUT VALERIE’s BLOG:
Inner Child Fun (formerly called Frugal Family Fun Blog) is frequently updated with kid-friendly crafts and activities that won’t break the bank — many of which are made using items most households already have on-hand. The blog’s mission is to encourage readers to discover the joy that comes from simple pleasures, and to provide budget-friendly ways to foster creative play in kids. Over one million people from around the world have visited Inner Child Fun (formerly Frugal Family Fun Blog), and several projects have been featured on television, in magazines, or other websites!
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At Melissa & Doug we strive to produce the highest quality educational toys for children. From puzzles to puppets, plush to play food, magnetic activities, music and more, Melissa & Doug is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of educational toys and children’s products. Started in 1988 in their garage, Melissa & Doug has something for everyone, with over 1000 unique and exciting products for children of all ages.
If you are interested in becoming a Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador please write us at Bloggers@MelissaAndDoug.com
Inner Child Fun (formerly called the Frugal Family Fun Blog)
Everyone Wins When We Reach 100,000 Facebook Fans
Help Us Reach 100,000 Facebook Fans! At 100,000 Facebook Fans Every Facebook Fan Will Receive a Special Offer from MelissaAndDoug.com to Start the New Year Off Right!
At 100,000 Fans Our Celebration Will Include:
1 Winner of the Deluxe Play Kitchen
2 Winners of the Multi-Activity Train Table
3 Winners of the Deluxe Art Easel
5 Winners of the Giraffe Giant Stuffed Animal
Just LIKE Melissa & Doug on facebook today and share the excitement with a friend!
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Over 1,000 Unique and Exciting Educational Toys for Children of All Ages!
8 Ways to Keep the Happy in Your Holidays by Melissa
8 Ways to Keep the Happy in Your Holidays
by Melissa for grandparents.com
No one can deny that the meaning of the holidays can easily get lost during this frenetic time of year. All year, it feels as if we are moving ever faster to keep pace with technology and the daily changes in the world around us. Yet that pace only becomes magnified at the holidays. Parents are increasingly worried about “delivering the goods” by bringing home that must-have toy and not disappointing their children. Black Friday sales begin ever earlier (10 pm on the once-sacred Thanksgiving Day), with many deals leaked to generate mass consumerism.
I have to ask, “Isn’t there something missing?”
Thankfully, children’s joy emanates from the simplest pleasures, which is the antithesis of the commercial aspects of the season. The holidays are meant to be full of miracles, hope, and tradition. Those were the principles on which they began, and are the basis of the stories told generation after generation. Yet in the minds of many, the season has become more synonymous with traffic jams, endless searches for parking, and hordes of pushing and shoving shoppers. Saddest of all, parents are not feeling joy, but tremendous stress at the thought of disappointing children on that special day. This makes what should be a magical time into a competitive, aggravating experience. And that is NOT what the holidays are supposed to be about!
| More from Melissa: The best thing you can do for your grandkids |
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For the children’s sake, it is imperative that we parents and grandparents set a good example and instill in them the meaning of the season. Done correctly, this WILL bring cheer to all! And the best news is that implementing these traditions costs little, and is a cinch to execute. All it takes is targeting the basics, and focusing on the simple aspects of celebrations that are most meaningful.Here are a few of my favorite holiday activities to do with children:
- Play holiday-themed music in the car and at home. Print out lyrics and get EVERYONE to sing along! This always puts us in the holiday spirit.
- Fill the house with homemade decorations. All children love to do arts and crafts, and what better theme than the holidays? Paper snowflakes, seasonal cutouts, and paper chains are a few of our favorites and make the house look festive and special.
- Make holiday-themed food. Kids LOVE baking, and devouring their concoctions. And sugar cookies have no religious denomination! They can be cut in any shape and size, and decorated in various colors to be enjoyed by all.
- Make homemade gifts. Request that everyone in the family give one gift that is handmade and truly from the heart. This can include a drawing, a photo in a hand-decorated frame, a poem or story, a scrapbook, or any other homemade creation or inspiration.
- Make holiday cards. Share suggestions as a group, and create a special family message, poem, joke, or quote for the season. Then decorate each card with personal flair. Cards are the perfect way to spread joy to family and friends — especially those who live far away!
- Create an evening focused on your family’s culture. Eat traditional holiday foods, read holiday stories, and play traditional games. This will become something children look forward to year after year.
- Turn off the lights, and enjoy the glow of candles or tree lights. Go around the group and ask everyone to detail what they like most about the holiday, and to state their wish for the season.
- Give the gift of giving! Have the children go through their entire toy inventory and designate a pile to give away to those in need. Plus: Ask each child to choose one NEW gift to give to a less-fortunate family. Go with the children yourself to help drop off their gifts, and then volunteer with them, wrapping gifts or serving at a soup kitchen. The more children give to others, the less focused they will be on what they receive.
The holiday memories children will carry with them longest will be those of family togetherness, tradition, and giving to others. The holidays should be a reminder to us all that family matters and that we care about each other — with that group extending to all of humanity and those who are less fortunate. That human connection is much more powerful than material gifts, and will endure well past the season.
3 Great Holiday Offers Including a Special Puzzle Promotion
3 Great Holiday Offers to Choose from Including 25% off Puzzles!
Use *promo code NPUZZLES25 for 25% off all Melissa & Doug Puzzles thru midnight 12/6/11
OR
Use *promo code NSAVE15 for 15% off your entire MelissaAndDoug.com purchase.
OR
Use *promo code FREESHIPZERO for Free Shipping with no minimum purchase necessary.
GIVEAWAY:
Enter to Win 1 of 5 Train Table & Wooden Railway Set Prize Packs! Sponsored by Melissa & Doug and Raining Hot Coupons! 1 entry allowed between 12/5/11 and midnight EST 12/9/11.
*Promo codes good thru midnight 12/6/11 only at MelissaAndDoug.com. Free Shipping offer applies to orders shipping via ground shipping to the 50 United States excluding AK, HI, PR and other non-contiguous US locations. Only 1 promo code can be used per transaction.
Cyber Monday Special Deals!
Cyber Monday is Giveaway Monday on Melissa & Doug’s Facebook Fan Page!
“LIKE” us on Facebook to be eligible to win! Answer the active giveaway’s question, to enter that giveaway. At least one random entrant will be chosen to win each giveaway.
JOIN US BEGINNING at 8am EST for the FIRST GIVEAWAY…OUR TRAIN TABLE! We’ll be giving away terrific educational toys from 8am EST, right up until midnight!
Check out Melissa & Doug’s Terrific Twenty Holiday Toys to see some of the great prizes we’ll be giving away!
CYBER MONDAY SPECIAL OFFERS
- 15% Off Your MelissaAndDoug.com purchase through 11/29/11
with *promo code NSAVE15 - OR
- FREE SHIPPING No Minimum Purchase
with *promo code FREESHIPZERO
*Promo codes good only at MelissaAndDoug.com through 11/29/11. Only 1 promo code can be used per purchase. Free Shipping offer valid only for ground shipping . Excludes AK, HI and other non-contiguous US locations.
Giveaway event ends midnight EST 11/28/11.
Cyber Monday is Giveaway Monday on Our Facebook Fan Page!
Cyber Monday, November 28, 2011, is Giveaway Monday on Our Facebook fan page!
“LIKE” us on Facebook to be eligible to win! Answer the active giveaway’s question, to enter that giveaway. At least one random entrant will be chosen to win each giveaway.
JOIN US BEGINNING at 8am EST for the FIRST GIVEAWAY….OUR TRAIN TABLE!
Every hour we’ll be giving away another terrific educational toy, right up until midnight!
Check out our Terrific Twenty to see some of the Holiday Toys we’ll be giving away!
Event ends midnight EST 11/28/11.
Our Gift to You: Save 15% On Your Entire Purchase
Happy Holiday Shopping! Our Gift to You…Save 15% on Your Entire Purchase at MelissaAndDoug.com! Use *promo code NSAVE15 during checkout. Expires midnight ET 11/29/11.
* Valid for use at MelissaAndDoug.com only. Not redeemable with any other promo code.
Save 25% on Our Toys & Get Multiple Chances to Win Your Favorite!
THIS EVENT CLOSED
at midnight 11/20/11
Vote in the Melissa & Doug North “Poll” Holiday Savings Event and We’ll Give You:
- A Coupon* for 25% off your holiday purchase at MelissaAndDoug.com. Coupons will be emailed the week of 11/20/11.
- Automatic entry into our giveaways to win your “fave” toy. Every time 1,000 people vote we choose 2 winners! One vote per person.
VOTE HERE
Tell your friends!
Voting closes midnight 11/20/11
NOW CLOSED: Blogging Opportunity: 2011 Holiday Savings Event – The North “Poll”
Continue Reading November 10, 2011 at 6:05 pm Leave a comment
