Here are this week’s family friendly movies out on DVD now! Plan ahead for family movie night Friday!

Join Lucky, Cookie, Niblet, Strudel and Squirt — the Pound Puppies — as they continue their quest to find a pup for every person and a person for every pup! That’s the motto for this team of loyal canines and they won’t rest until they’ve succeeded. But is it too hard a mission to accomplish? Not for the Pound Puppies! So sit back and have fun as your favorite pets launch Mission: Adoption!

On May 21, 2013, Shout! Factory Kids, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios, will release Pound Puppies- Mission: Adoption on DVD. The DVD set features five exciting Pound Puppies adventures and also contains all-new bonus features, including a printable adoption certificate.

If you are looking for a non-threatening way to introduce safety to your little ones then look no further than Lil’ Iguana!

The Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation is a non-profit children’s safety foundation that uses prevention programs to save children from abduction, sexual abuse, child predators, and serious accidental injuries with award-winning, proactive, music-based programs that are designed specifically for children ages 2 through 8 so they will retain crucial safety messages.

Lil’ Iguana uses educational and proactive teaching mechanisms to ensure children stay safe throughout their childhoods.  It has been proven that children learn from interactive, music-based programs; this is why Lil’  Iguana is so effective.  Lil’ Iguana’s music driven programs keep children engaged so they can learn countless safety lessons they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Safety messages taught by Lil’ Iguana include:

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I am SO excited for Summer! We had the longest Winter ever here and we really haven’t seen nice weather yet. Our snow finally melted and now it’s been raining everyday since then. That hasn’t put a damper on my excitement though and last night I went shopping for gardening supplies and seeds. I bought a bunch of bulbs to plant around the house and a bunch of vegetable seeds that I am going to start in the house and move outside in a month. It’s so much fun to go to the store and pick out everything I am going to grow! Last year we did a small garden as a test and it went great. I learned how to can my veggies and loved having fresh veggies that we grew ourselves! I went to Lowe’s last night and my hubby had the kids so I could really relish my time there which is rare! I spotted this beautiful deck box on my way to the garden section. I’ve been looking for outdoor storage boxes for outside my breezeway door so that my packages can be left there when it’s raining and I’m not home. I wanted one that looked great with our house and would protect my packages from the weather while I’m gone. I LOVE this one! I told my hubby this is the one I want and I’m hoping he will surprise me with it!

After my detour to outdoor storage I got back on track and headed to the garden department. It was so much fun picking out seeds! I got carrots, beans, peas, onions, herbs, zucchini, cucumbers and pickling cucumbers! I will buy plants from the greenhouse for my upside down planters too once it’s mid-June which is when our frost danger has passed.

I would love to have a garden shed. Now that my garden is over doubling in size I will have a lot of work to do and it’s so nice to have everything right there rather than treking back to the garage for supplies. We talked about putting a garden shed near the garden last year and didn’t end up doing it because we didn’t like the look of the shed we had available. I found the one below which is one of many plastic sheds I looked at. I liked this one because it has plenty of storage and even has an outdoor access closet. This would be perfect for my needs! I love that it looks nice too.

Today I’ll be starting my seeds indoors (and I wish I had started them sooner!). I can’t wait to see the process of growing them and then my favorite part, picking the goodies and eating them! Do you plant a garden? What do you grow?

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UPDATE: New Date! Wednesday, May 29, at 1pm ET/12 pm CST (the party will last one hour)

UPDATE: Due to the tragic events going on in Oklahoma the twitter party has been postponed. I will update you with details when it is re-scheduled.

I hope you will join me tomorrow for the emBARK on Pet Health Twitter Party! Read on for details!

emBARK on Pet Health #SergeantsPet Twitter party details

What:  Learn best ways to take care of your pet, keep them in good health, & find out how easy it is to donate to AHA pet shelters across the U.S.!

Whether you’re a new or seasoned pet owner, join this party and share tips on fleas, ticks, dental problems, obesity and much more!

Leading pet care product company Sergeant’s teamed up with actress and animal advocate Tiffani Thiessen (@TAThiessen) to share easy ways that everyone can emBARK on Pet Health!

Since February, Sergeant’s has asked pet lovers to take an online pledge committing to care for their pets. For every pledge, Sergeant’s sends a pet health kit (retailing up to $50 in value) to participating shelters with the help of the American Humane Association (AHA). These kits go home with newly adopted pets from AHA shelters nationwide to ensure their health care regimen is off to a great start. Sergeant’s has yet to reach their total pledge goal – and needs our help to spread the word to family and friends to show everyone how to help shelter animals.

Each person who takes the pledge will receive a coupon for $3.00 off their next Sergeant’s or Sentry purchase to help keep their own pet care plan on track.

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #SergeantsPet hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/sergeantspet2

Hashtag: #SergeantsPet

Prizes: We’ll award five prizes throughout the party to random participants who have answered a trivia question correctly.

Each prize includes free flea & tick product for the winner’s pet, the pet health kit (as seen on the emBARK website), an emBARK on Pet Health t-shirt, a head shot of campaign spokesperson Tiffani Thiessen, and a DVD copy of White Collar (Tiffani’s hit show on USA Network).

TweetGrid for the party: http://bit.ly/11HUMNH

Hope to see you there! Follow me on Twitter @musthavemom!

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Our snow finally meted and it warmed up a little, and then it started raining! Since we’ve been stuck inside the last few rainy days I decided it was time to break out some fun art projects. My kids LOVE doing art projects. Say the word “project” and they will all come running. We decided that since Summer is coming soon we would make windsocks to hang and watch blow  in the breeze (once the rain quits of course!).

Supplies you need:

• Construction paper or cardstock
• Crepe Paper
• Scissors
• Elmer’s Naturals Glue Sticks or School Glue
• Stapler or hole punch
• String
• Markers
• Stickers or sequins

We used cardstock for our windsocks since it’s a bit stiffer than construction paper and holds up better. First I let the kids color and decorate their pieces of paper. I cut the paper to 6” tall by 12” wide. They each got 2 pieces of 6”x 12” paper.

Once they were done decorating their papers we flipped them over and glued the two pieces together end to end using the Elmer’s Naturals Glue Sticks.

I love glue sticks because they give my kids the ability to glue by themselves without the mess. If you are an eco-conscious mom then you will want to check out the new Naturals line from Elmer’s. Elmer’s Naturals is the FIRST and ONLY school glue made with naturally occurring ingredients and available in recycled packaging. Elmer’s School Glue Naturals is just as strong, safe, non-toxic and washable as Elmer’s
traditional School Glue, but it’s made from corn and soybeans. Elmer’s School Glue Naturals can be used on any project for which one would normally use Elmer’s traditional School Glue and is just as easily applied so it was perfect for our windsock project.

After gluing the two pieces of paper together we then turned the paper over and glued the crepe paper to the paper.

Once we were finished gluing the crepe paper to the paper we glued the ends together to complete our circle.

We then stapled ribbon to each side to hang our windsocks with. I would suggest using a hole punch and tying your ribbon through the hole for added strength.

We hung them up indoors for now and once this rain quits we can hang up our beautiful windsocks outside and watch them blow in the breeze!

You can check out the Elmer’s School Glue Naturals that we used in our project, available nationwide in JoAnn Fabric stores and Michaels stores!

Like this post? Pin it, share it, tweet it

You can also enter Elmer’s Pin to Win Contest below!

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It is Sunday again! Link up all of your family friendly giveaways on my Sunday Sweeps giveaway linky below. Please leave them in the following format:

Blog Name-Prize-End Date

he link MUST go to your giveaway page and not your home page. No spamming or affiliate links! Don’t forget to check out my giveaways while you are here and grab my blog button!

The post Sunday Sweeps Giveaway Linky! 5/19/13 Edition! appeared first on Must Have Mom.

Carson, my one year old, has been a fan of aden + anais since he was a baby. He chose their swaddles as his official “blankie” that he must not leave home without. I was thrilled that aden + anais was what he attached to because they are definitely my favorite too.  Carson can’t sleep without his aden + anais swaddle and drags it all over the house. He is 20 months old now and officially moved into a big boy bed just yesterday. It’s crazy! I knew that the transition wouldn’t be easy and the aden + anais Dream Blanket would be the perfect blanket to cover him with and help ease the transition. He would have the familiar feel of his favorite blankie in a heavier weight to keep him warm in his big boy bed.

The Jungle Jam Giraffe Dream Blanket is soooooo cute! I love the little giraffes and if you have a boy or girl this blanket would work for both.

The Dream Blanket is made of 100% cotton muslin material. The soft and breathable muslin cotton provides plenty of warmth without overheating. This plush blanket is generously-sized (47” x 47”) and uses four layers of fabric, making it ideal for snuggling. Carson couldn’t wait to snuggle up with his new Dream Blanket. The thing I love about aden + anais blankets is that the more you wash them, the softer they get. They actually get better with time! When was the last time you had a blanket that got better each time you washed it? That’s one of my favorite things about them!

The Dream Blanket definitely made Carson’s transition to a big boy bed much easier. It was something familiar to him when he was doing something very unfamiliar, sleeping outside of his crib! He was able to snuggle up in his big boy bed comforted by his swaddle blankie and kept warm by his Dream Blanket.

The aden + anais Dream Blanket comes in a variety of prints with everything from pink to blue and in between! I love all of the fun print choices. You can buy it on the aden + anais site for $49.95. It’s worth every single penny! I love it! It will be perfect all Summer long not only for use in his bed, but on chilly boat rides and in the stroller.

Does your child have a blankie?

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Love. It’s the most powerful thing on the planet. It makes us move mountains and scale buildings. It leaves us willing and eager to sacrifice all of our own needs in favor of another human being. It inspires us. It moves us. It unites us. It’s the stitching that weaves the fabric of life together and bonds us all as one human race. It’s irreplaceable and irrefutable.

I am a mother to 3 small children. Having three children ages 1, 3 and 5 is challenging, tiresome and most of all joyous. My heart is overflowing with love and the small joys that children bring day in and day out. I would give anything for my children. I would walk to the ends of the earth for them. I would move heaven and earth. The love you feel the moment your child takes their first breath is indescribable. I’ve never known a great love for another human being. It’s selfless and undeniably pure. You love them unconditionally and without hesitation.

My children are my light. My joy. My motivation. Do I get tired? You bet I do! Do I get frustrated? Absolutely. All of that exhaustion and frustration that comes with parenting children is par for the course. It’s not supposed to be easy, but because we have this mountainous love, we can do all things.

Johnson & Johnson has launched a campaign centered around love. The very thing that holds us all together. Watch this short video that is so touching and truly shows real love.

As part of this campaign, recognizing their commitment to the health and well-being of moms and kids worldwide, J&J donated $25K this past Mother’s Day to Save the Children®.

In celebration of Mother’s Day this year, JOHNSON’S® Baby has established JOHNSON’S® Baby CARES Care Cards, a digital e-card platform encouraging moms to share positive messages of encouragement with other moms across the country, while simultaneously supporting Save the Children®.  You can help, too!  Simply pick and share a card filled with messages of reassurance for a Mom in your life on Facebook at http://www.johnsonsbabycares.com. For every card sent, shared or liked, JOHNSON’S®  Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children® (up to $150,000) to benefit early childhood education programs that foster education and reassurance for new moms. These cards will not only spread encouragement to Moms throughout the country but will also provide Moms in need with the skills and knowledge to successfully support their child’s growth.

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“WordGirl®” is the critically acclaimed and award winning animated series from Scholastic Media, a division of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, that follows the life and super hero adventures of WordGirl as she fights crime and enriches vocabulary usage. In this new DVD, which includes three fun-filled learning adventures, WordGirl and her sidekick Captain Huggy Face fight the good fight against dastardly villains and bad vocabulary!

These three episodes of “WordGirl” introduce new vocabulary words and reinforce their meanings in a variety of fun and interesting contexts. “WordGirl” enriches vocabulary skills, fosters better reading comprehension and instills a love of language in all children. “WORDGIRL VS. THE ENERGY MONSTER” will be available on DVD May 14, 2013. The run time of the program is 50 minutes and the DVD SRP is $9.99. DVD special features include interactive games, video shorts and coloring pages. Details about the episodes features on this DVD are below.

My husband and sister in law love The Fraggles and I never watched them as a kid. Now I get to see what all the Fraggle fuss is about because they’ve returned on DVD!

Dance your cares away as you return to the magic of Fraggle Rock in this 30^th Anniversary Colletors Set!  Inventor Doc and his dog Sprocket spend their days in a workshop..and a hole in the baseboard of that workshop leads to the underground universe populated by the upbeat Fraggles, the industrious Doozers and the giant Gorgs.  Get ready for music, magic and mayhem from the iconic Jim Henson in this beloved series that continues to capture the imaginations of adults and children alike. The Fraggle Rock: 30^th Anniversary Collection DVD, including all four seasons of the celebrated series, a collectible Red plush keychain, and an all new exclusive Fraggle Rock graphic novel featuring a parent-friendly activity guide, will be available for the suggested retail price of $129.99.   Introduce Jim Henson’s world-renowned series to a new generation of fans with Fraggle Rock: Meet The Fraggles, featuring the pilot, as well as five acclaimed episodes highlighting each of the beloved main characters, available for the suggested retail price of $14.93.

Join Milli, Geo and Bot on four fantastic animal missions in Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes. Help Team Umizoomi get Purple Monkey to his new Monkey Jungle home at the zoo, rescue Buster the dog at a construction site, fix the Cuckoo Bears’ clock, and find all of Farmer Dan’s missing animals!  Preschoolers will learn many math skills, including counting, patterns, measurement, and more!  For a limited time only, find free Team Umizoomi Activities inside the DVD for on-the-go math problem solving! Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes will be released on DVD on May 14, 2013 for the suggested retail price of $14.99.

All of these new movie releases are available on DVD at stores nationwide NOW! Spice up your family movie night with a fun new release!

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Even though its been pretty cool here in Minnesota still, I’m ready for spring and summer! Its been a very long and snowy winter here, so I can’t wait to pull out my capris and short-sleeved tops! I’m not much of a shorts kind of girl, but I love a cute pair of capris, especially when I’m pregnant. I don’t care to show off my legs when I’m carrying around 20+ extra pounds! Everly Grey Maternity sent me a couple of really great pieces to try, and I can’t wait until it warms up so I can wear them!

The Kendall top is made of super soft stretchy material that sort of drapes over your bump. It has ruching on the side and the sleeves, which I really love! There’s also plenty room to grow. I still have 9 weeks left of my pregnancy so I’m sure this will fit me right up until the end. The Carrie pants are a stretch cotton/spandex material, so they’re really comfortable and easily move with you. The waist is a below-the-belly style with an elastic back, which is my favorite type of maternity pants.

I can’t wait to wear this outfit on our family vacation at the beginning of June! It’s super comfortable, but a little dressy, so I could easily wear it out to dinner or even just shopping! Everly Grey Maternity also has some beautiful spring styles, including some gorgeous sundresses I’m dying for! Everly Grey Maternity clothes are available on their website or a store near you!

Win! One reader will win an Everly Grey Kendall Top! Enter my Rafflecopter giveaway below for your chance to win! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Site Disclosure: Products providing by company or representing PR firm for review purposes only. No compensation was received in exchange for this post. My opinions are my own and reflect my personal experience with the product.

Contributing Writer at Minnesota Mama’s Must Haves

Kristy is a wife and mom to three kids ages six, two, and one. She enjoys cooking, baking, being outdoors, and spending time with her kids and husband. She is an Accountant currently staying home with her three kids and lives in Minnesota.

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I have been an ambassador for SwimWays for a number of years now and I’m thrilled to share with you that National Learn To Swim Day is coming up on May 18th! Swimways started National Learn to Swim Day in 2012 with the goal of educating families about the importance and benefits of learning to swim before Memorial Day Weekend and the start of summer.

On Saturday, May 18^th, Swimways encourages families around the country to participate in National Learn to Swim Day by signing children up for swimming lessons, hosting a National Learn to Swim Day event or committing to learning to swim this summer.

All summer long, Swimways will be working with Mario Vittone, former Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer and instructor and water safety expert, to bring expert water safety tips to Swim Steps’ dedicated website TeachMeToSwim.com. In addition to these tips, families can download free materials and resources on the site, including a swimming certificate, National Learn to Swim Day party invitation, coloring sheets and more.

While we are nowhere near swimming weather yet here in Minnesota I am looking forward to coloring the free coloring sheets and talking about swim safety with my kids! How will you be celebrating National Learn To Swim Day this year?

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