Miami Kidz» Blog – Miami Kids Activities, Attractions, Events, Parks, Fun http://www.miamikidz.com Miami Activities for Kids Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:29:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 MiamiKidz.com on Facebook! http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/miamikidz-com-on-facebook http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/miamikidz-com-on-facebook#comments Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:29:25 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1807

Check out   MiamiKidz.com on Facebook!

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/miamikidz-com-on-facebook/feed 0 Back to School: Anxious or Excited? http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/back-to-school-anxious-or-excited http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/back-to-school-anxious-or-excited#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:48:12 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1796 - The day has finally come… Tomorrow your children will be in school! I can vividly remember being nervous the night before school started. Laying in bed and thinking of hundreds of things that may or may not happen on the first day.  Any transition is  difficult, but for children this is a new experience and they are stepping into a whole new world . If your child is starting school for the first time or entering a new school you may also feel pretty nervous yourself. I have listed some tips below to help you with this new transition.

1.Emphasize the good:

  • Remind them of all of the fun they will have with friends.
  • Make school supply shopping fun for them. Have them choose a couple of extra fun items which are not on their school supply list.
  • Get them excited about uniforms. If you wore uniforms when you were a child try to find some of  the pictures to show them. This will help them relate to you when you were their age.

2. Communicate:

  • Talk to your child about the school and provide them with as much information as possible.
  • Go online: Most schools have a website. With your supervision, allow them to browse the school  website on their own. This will help them become more acquainted with the school and the environment they will be in.
  • Talk about what makes them nervous about going to school.
  • Share your school experience’s with them.
  • Include your child when coming up with a school-night routine. Let them be the one to create it and then you can modify it.
  • Remain calm and don’t let your nerves show. This will just make the situation worse.

3. Back to School Basics

  • Get enough sleep:  Children ages 6 to 9 need roughly 10 hours of sleep a night. Make it a point to ease them into night time. Let them know how much time they have until it is bedtime. Also, reading a book before bedtime is always a plus!
  • Breakfast: Ask them what they want to eat for breakfast and make sure it’s healthy. The last thing you want is a sugar rush on the first day of school. A healthy breakfast will keep their mind focused.
  • Create a quiet homework area and make sure they have all of the supplies needed to complete their homework on a daily basis.
  • Do not allow children to watch TV during homework. I suggest to turn all TV’s in the house off. If they can still hear it, their mind will be focused on the TV and not on their homework.
  • Create a schedule and stick with it! If they would rather have a snack and relax for 30 minutes then do their homework, let them do it. Make sure they know homework needs to be completed every night. There cannot be any exceptions. Sports and other events that will come up should be secondary.


CrayolaStore

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/back-to-school-anxious-or-excited/feed 0 Frecklebox: Personalized school supplies http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/frecklebox-personalized-school-supplies http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/frecklebox-personalized-school-supplies#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:51:30 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1777 - Yes, it’s that time again! I think I’m possibly more excited about school supplies than the kids are.  Personalized supplies make kids feel special and Frecklebox.com has  many  school items such as lunch boxes, folders, notebooks and stickers! I’m in love with their personalized “sight words” pad which is on the “Back to School” tab on their website.



Sassy Safari Personalized Lunch Box
From: Frecklebox.com

Flower Power Personalized Lunch Box
From: Frecklebox.com

Baseball Personalized Lunch Box
From: Frecklebox.com

Skater Gator Personalized Lunch Box
From: Frecklebox.com


Cheetah Personalized Notebook
From: Frecklebox.com

Tutu Cute Personalized Notebook
From: Frecklebox.com

Baseball Personalized Notebook
From: Frecklebox.com

Basketball Personalized Notebook
From: Frecklebox.com


Blonde Hair Fairy Tale Personalized Stickers (1 Dozen)
From: Frecklebox.com

Camping Out Personalized Stickers (1 Dozen)
From: Frecklebox.com

Spring Smiles Personalized Stickers (1 Dozen)
From: Frecklebox.com

Sea Dragon Personalized Stickers (1 Dozen)
From: Frecklebox.com



]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/frecklebox-personalized-school-supplies/feed 0 Cute Cupcake Kits http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/cute-cupcake-kits http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/cute-cupcake-kits#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:00:47 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1750 - Check out the cupcake kits at Plum Party! They offer fun themes and are an easy way to dress up your cupcakes.

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/cute-cupcake-kits/feed 0 Nickelodeon Hotel http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/nickelodeon-hotel http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/nickelodeon-hotel#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:00:30 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1726 - Our vacation didn’t end as we exited the Disney cruise. Since the cruise disembarks from Port Canaveral we decided to make a stop at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. It was about a 40 minute drive away and my daughter loves Dora & the Nickelodeon characters. We heard many mixed reviews on the hotel but wanted to give it chance and experience it for ourselves. The rooms were great! We got a 2-bedroom suite with 2 twin beds in the kids room and it was decorated with a Fairly Odd Parents wall mural.  Some of the reviews had mentioned that the hotel was very noisy and the room walls were paper thin. In my opinion, the noise level was fine and if you are going to a kids hotel, I think you would expect it to be a bit noisier than any other hotel.

As far as activities, there were many! Since we were only staying for 2 nights, we decided to stay at the hotel and not go to any parks. This worked out well because we were able to take advantage of all the hotel had to offer. My daughter got a manicure and airbrush tattoo. There was an additional charge for these services but they do offer to re-do the tattoo free of charge during the length of your stay (one touch up per day). We also spent most of the day in the pool and on the water slides. The water slides vary from small to large and the pool has a shallow area for younger kids. Life jackets were available for all guests at no charge. Overall we had a great time. I would say that they need to do maintenance in the pool area. I noticed some areas which were in need of repair.

The character breakfast and the character photo opportunities were my favorite part of visiting the Nickelodeon Hotel. It was my husband, daughter and sister-in-law’s birthday so they all received a complimentary birthday cupcake at the character breakfast. All of the characters came around to each table and took a picture with the kids (and parents if they wanted to!) The breakfast was buffet style and was quite delicious.

If anyone has been to the Nickelodeon Hotel recently I would love to hear how your experience was. You can  comment below.
www.nickhotel.com

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/nickelodeon-hotel/feed 1 E & M Creations: Cupcake Decorating Party http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/e-m-creations-cupcake-decorating-party http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/e-m-creations-cupcake-decorating-party#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:46:01 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1699 - E & M Creations makes the most delicious cakes and cupcakes and is now throwing private cupcake decorating parties. My sister-in-law loves baking and decorating so I knew this would be the perfect party to have for her.  We chose the “Ultimate Delight” package which includes; 4 cupcakes, 2 shortbread cookies to decorate, 6″ inch fondant cake, beverages, individual pictures, a group picture for the guest of honor, personalized place setting, popcorn, goodie bags, gourmet pizza and the guest of honor receives an apron to take home! We chose to substitute the popcorn and goodie bags for chocolate covered strawberries and cheesecake bites, which were delicious! We all had a great time and plan to have another party for our daughters next. Check out their website for more information. Don’t forget that they also specialize in cakes and more for any special event you are having.

E&M Creations

Cupcakes & Cookies Decorating Party!

E&M Creations Party Room is great for Birthday’s, Showers & Just Because!

Kids ages 7-12, Teens & Adults.

Call or email to book your visit.

Parties are offered Friday evenings, Saturdays & Sunday.

Call for availability & hours.

We require a minimum of 6 & max. of 8 guests.

(786)326-5458

info@eandmcreations.com

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/e-m-creations-cupcake-decorating-party/feed 0 Disney Cruise http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/disney-cruise http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/disney-cruise#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 01:10:55 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1670 - We just came back from a 5-night Bahamian cruise on the Disney Wonder ship and had an amazing time! This was our first experience on a Disney Cruise and let me say that it is a must do. There are Disney characters all over the ship and on Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Put it this way, there are so many activities to do it is impossible to do them all! There are live shows, movies, character interactions, deck parties, age specific activities, games, adult only activities and much more. Our destinations were Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay.

At Nassau we visited the Atlantis Resort and did the beach day package. If you would like to do the 1-day water park package make sure to get there early (they sold out of tickets as we were standing in the line!). They have amazing aquariums throughout their resort! It’s probably the best thing to do during your day on Nassau, unless you’re booking an excursion.

We were let off on Castaway Cay on two separate days. The beach is very clean and many of the beach chairs have umbrellas. Make sure to get there early to get the best spot! They offer snorkeling, swimming with sting rays and many other water activities at an additional charge. They also offer a kids camp on the island, which is free of charge. This is good for all ages and offers the parents some time to check out the adult area of the island. They are currently in the process of adding private cabanas and  more food pavilions on the island.

For those of you traveling with teenagers; they have “teens only” areas on the ship as well as on their island. Overall we had a great experience. They were even showing 3-D movies such as Toy Story 3, Alice in Wonderland and premiering Disney’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Check out the newest ship, Disney Dream ,which sets sail for the first time on January 26, 2011.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below!

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/disney-cruise/feed 3 Melissa & Doug !!!! http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/melissa-doug http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/melissa-doug#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 14:18:37 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1618 - I’ve always loved Melissa & Doug toys and usually I can find them at Whole Food and various children’s museums. But now they have all of their products on their website and offer great deals!  Hope you find something fun for your kids!


Melissa & Doug-Leading Designer of Education Toys

For over 20 years Melissa & Doug® have created toys, games, and more with an emphasis on value, quality, and design. From puzzles to puppets, plush toys to play food, magnetic activities, music, wooden toys, and much more, Melissa & Doug® has something for everyone.

Some of my favorite products !

Make sure to check them out here MelissaAndDoug.com – Click Here!

Bella Butterfly Picnic Set




Grocery Store/Lemonade Stand




Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cupcake Set




U.S.A. Floor Map Puzzle




Deluxe Puppet Theater




Golden Retriever




Slice and Bake Cookie Set

Melissa & Doug-Leading Designer of Education Toys

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/melissa-doug/feed 0 Dream Dinners: dinner made simple http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/dream-dinners-dinner-made-simple http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/dream-dinners-dinner-made-simple#comments Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:41:58 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1593 - Dream Dinners is dinner made simple. Yesterday was my first session and I prepared 12 meals for my family in about 1 hour. The way it works is you go online to www.DreamDinners.com and choose your meals. They offer a menu of about 20 new meal options per month. Once you have selected your meals, you choose the location, date and time to go in and prepare them. When you arrive at Dream Dinners they give you an apron and your menu cards. Then, you will find the stations which have your meals and begin to prepare. Each station has a list with all the ingredients you will need. All utensils and storage containers are all located at the station for easy preparation. Oh, and did I mention you don’t have to clean up the mess?  Once you have finished putting together a meal you will place all the ingredients in a large zip-lock bag or aluminum tray and then place in the refrigerator. Remember, the meals you are preparing here are frozen and meant to be put in the freezer when you get home and then you take them out as you need. When you are ready to cook at home you will use the instructions on the menu card. It all sounds a little confusing so make sure to go to their website and watch the video. It’s fun to get a group of friends together and all go at the same time. You can even bring your own wine while you prepare. Make sure not to drink too much and forget some ingredients! I hope you all will try this. It’s a great time saver for all of us busy moms!




]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/dream-dinners-dinner-made-simple/feed 1 It’s all about the cake! http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/its-all-about-the-cake http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/its-all-about-the-cake#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:00:21 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1579 Elegant Temptations

www.etcakes.com

10840 NW 138th St
Hialeah Gardens, FL 33018
305.556.6111

- These beautiful cakes are almost too gorgeous to eat! Your son or daughter will be amazed when they see a cake by Elegant Temptations at their next birthday party. Check out their blog, which has pictures of their cakes and information on the Master Cake Artist, Rosi Cunill.

Alice & Wonderland Cake

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/its-all-about-the-cake/feed 1 Pinecrest Garden’s Egg-Stravaganza http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pinecrest-gardens-egg-stravaganza http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pinecrest-gardens-egg-stravaganza#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:42:53 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1538 - Pinecrest Garden’s is a beautiful park and they always have great events going on. This weekend we went to their Easter Egg-stravaganza event and I  was not too impressed with the Easter egg hunt for toddler aged children. As you can see in the picture below, the egg hunt was in the Splash n’ Play area. They had placed a bunch of eggs on the floor and when they yelled ‘GO’ all of the children were supposed to get the eggs. Now this is where the problem began. The parents were grabbing all of the eggs for their children before they even said “GO!”. My daughter was only able to grab 2 eggs. We basically paid $5 for 2 eggs which had one mint in each egg. You can imagine she was not too excited about this! I can understand if the parents were helping the younger kids because there were children of all ages involved, but the Easter egg hunt was for children ages 1 through 3. It appeared to be more like an Easter Egg Hunt for adults! The parents were jumping in front of my daughter and other children and literally grabbing eggs out of their hands! Parent’s please remember that this is about the kids and you should practice what you preach; use your manners and follow the rules!

If anyone had a similar experiences I would like to hear about it. You can comment below.

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pinecrest-gardens-egg-stravaganza/feed 2 Pose Prints http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pose-prints http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pose-prints#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:24:28 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1528 -PosePrints is a site which you can customize stationary and invitations with a “poes” that looks like you! This is a very fun and playful idea for your child’s next birthday party. To go along with the theme of the invitations you can customize magnets with your child’s caricature that says ” Emma”s 3rd Birthday” to give as thank you gifts. It’s practical yet playful and you know this gift will be displayed for everyone to see! I also love their notepads as a back to school gift for the kids. You can go to PosePrints and create your own caricature now, click on the MyPose button on the toolbar. Have fun!




]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/pose-prints/feed 1 R.F. Orchids http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/r-f-orchids http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/r-f-orchids#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 18:57:25 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1484 -The weather has been so nice lately so we decided to take a drive down to R.F. Orchids in Homestead. The great thing about living in Miami is the ability to visit the farms in the Redlands and then go to dinner at a 5 star restaurant in the beach. R.F. Orchids is a beautiful orchid farm with many varieties of orchids. On the weekends they offer a free tour at 11am. Although this is not really a “kids attraction”, it is the perfect place to visit with your child who is 1 year old or younger. Babies really love to see all the bright colors of nature. My daughter is almost 3 years old  and she was more interested in the cats roaming around the orchid farm. Although, she did love her mini phalaenopsis orchid and held it on the whole car ride home (until she feel asleep). After leaving we made a quick stop at one of the local U-pick farms and had a delicious shake.

28100 Southwest 182nd Avenue
Homestead, FL 33030-1804
(305) 245-4570

www.rforchids.com

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/r-f-orchids/feed 0 Puppy Love http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/puppy-love http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/puppy-love#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:00:12 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1475 - We have a new addition to our family! Her name is Honey and she’s a Golden Retriever. My sister-in-law had 9 puppies and we just had to take one. Now, we already have two other dogs, an outside cat and two fish tanks inside. Is it obvious that we love animals? My daughter has also taken on our love for animals and is so excited when she comes home to see them all. I believe it is good for children  to grow up with animals around them. They learn to love and take care of them. As well as having fond memories of the family dog growing up. Children also learn how to be responsible by taking care of simple daily tasks like feeding and walking the pets. In our house my daughter is the official caretaker of the pets. She lets the dogs in and out of their cage and let’s them out to the backyard to play. She also enjoys taking the dogs to the dog parks around Miami. Check out some of my older posts on the dog parks and dog related ideas.

www.miamikidz.com/category/parks-water-parks/tropical-park

www.miamikidz.com/2009/blog/the-perfect-paw-ty


]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/puppy-love/feed 0 Peace of Cake http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/peace-of-cake http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/peace-of-cake#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:00:45 +0000 Kristina http://www.miamikidz.com/?p=1453 - Looking for somewhere to have your little one’s birthday? We recently went to a spa themed birthday party at Peace of Cake in South Miami. The girls had so much fun and they were busy throughout the whole party. There were games, dancing and of course they got their hair and nails done! Peace of Cake offers four rooms with different themes. What I love about these new party rental spaces is they do everything for you and it’s truly a memorable party experience  for the kids. Check out their website: www.yourpeaceofcake.com

Peace of Cake
8787 SW 132nd St – Miami, FL 33176
(305) 254-5064
info@yourpeaceofcake.com

]]> http://www.miamikidz.com/2010/blog/peace-of-cake/feed 0