Imaginative Play with LEGO® DUPLO® Building Blocks

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and DUPLO®

LEGO®, the makers of DUPLO® building blocks for younger children, asked what I do to stimulate my kids' curiosity and development.

I have provided lots of open-ended toys for my children to play with. I encourage them to play with their toys in ways other than originally intended.

For instance, my two-year-old loves trains. Although we have a train table with fixed tracks, we also have a separate set of tracks. On his toy shelf are tubs of wooden and plastic building blocks, cars, and trains. I pull out all the tubs for him, removing the lids. I once showed him how to make tunnels over the tracks using wooden and plastic blocks. Now as he plays he utilizes all of the different mediums to creatively play with his trains.

I also allow all toys to be played with by both my girl and boy. My daughter is the eldest and we purchased all kinds of gender-neutral toys for her including a tool bench, cars and trucks. For our son's first Christmas family members kept asking what toys he needed. I replied again and again that he had all his sister's hand-me-downs. I got the inevitable response, "But doesn't he need boy toys?"

The good thing about not pigeon-holing toys as for just the girl or just the boy is that they have begun playing together. Their latest obsession is building blocks. We have several DUPLO® sets that were gifts last Christmas. The two of them love playing with them. And the great thing about DUPLO® building blocks is that they are safe for the younger one while allowing enough room for imaginative play by my older child.

DUPLO® are the building blocks from LEGO® for younger children aged 2 to 5. LEGO® sent my family the DUPLO® Fire House set (retail $59.99) to play with.


(From LEGO® Duplo® website:) Save the day with the Fire Station! There’s a fire in LEGO® Ville! Quick, slide down from the roof to the fire truck, attach the trailer full of gear, and activate the working siren and lights as you rush to the rescue. With a helicopter, a control tower and more, this Fire Station has it all! DUPLO® pieces are colorful, safe and sturdy for younger hands. Includes fire station, fire truck, fire helicopter, 3 firefighter figures and a dog! The siren and light of the fire truck really works!

And talk about imaginative play and creativity! My kids have taken apart and rebuilt the fire station so many times creating any number of different vehicles and rescue scenarios. My daughter even took the gray support columns, square blocks, and the "fire" to create candlelight for our dinner one evening. She said that she might be able to make a torch if she decides to be the Statue of Liberty for Halloween.

I love that DUPLO® building blocks are one more creative zone for my children that allows them to role play, think outside the box, and play with one another.

Check out what other BlogHer reviewers have to say and have seven additional chances to win your own LEGO® Gift Card by visiting the BlogHer.com special offers page. You can ask the Mom Experts a question and also enter the BlogHer.com sweepstakes.

Visit the DUPLO® official site for more information about DUPO® blocks.

GIVEAWAY PRIZE:

A $20 LEGO® gift card

TO ENTER:

Leave me a comment below and share how you get creative and stimulate development in your kids.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving the link in the comments.

You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving the link in the comments.

RULES:
• The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PST) October 26, 2009 and will end 8:59 a.m. (PST) November 2, 2009.
• Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official rules

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General Mills Table Talk Event: See the Story

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Here are a few photos from my trip to the Betty Crocker Kitchens at General Mills.

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I'm Getting Ready for Some Table Talk

General Mills has invited me to the upcoming Table Talk Blogger Event.

Originally I was to go to the Eat & Greet, but as I looked at the family's calendar I realized that it was smack dab in the middle of my daughter's first week of kindergarten. It was important for me to be there for her. Not only to oversee the early days of her diabetes care done by someone else. But also to pick her up from school each day and listen first hand to the ups and downs of a new school, new friends, and new routines.

General Mills was very understanding and instead invited me to the Table Talk event which takes place on a Sunday and Monday, after she's already had a full week.

So what is the Table Talk event? The people at General Mills will be guiding a group of bloggers through some dinnertime solutions.

When you think about it, the General Mills name permeates our shopping lists. Look at the long list of brands and I defy you to say that you do not buy at least some of their products.

Cheerios are a baby's first finger foods. Cascadian Farm organic blueberries are a good addition to yogurt in winter when fresh are not available.

I have a tattered copy of the Betty Crocker Cookbook and can't wait to see the actual Betty Crocker Kitchens!

What do I hope to gain from this experience?

I hope to learn some ways to efficiently get a nutritious meal on the table for my family. I have told them that I don't eat meat (except a little fish and seafood), so I hope that they will not only accommodate me, but also give some great tips on making dinner without meat.

I also hope to voice my concerns about what I would like to see more (or less) of from their brands:

1. Elimination of high fructose corn syrup and reduction of sugar, particularly in products marketed toward children. (An example is Yoplait yogurt which contains HFCS.)
2. A move toward more whole grains, particularly in pastas and bread products.
3. Elimination of MSG in all products.

If you could talk with General Mills, what questions or concerns would you voice? Please leave a comment below, even if it echos my laundry list.

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Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Launch Event

(This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Launch Event.)

A few weeks ago I told you about Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. I've been using it religiously for almost two months now with great results. My face and neck have so much more moisture and I think some of the fine lines on my forehead are less noticeable.

Estée Lauder brought 10 bloggers to the Advanced Night Repair Event at Macy's. We were each given a makeover at the counter.

I was a little adventurous and let the very outgoing salesperson give me a smokey eye for evening. I'm usually very subtle about my makeup, but I had a few parties to go to that night. I have to say that I really loved the glammed up look and I think I can even recreate it based on the diagram she gave me to take home.

Did you know that anyone can go to the Estée Lauder counter and have a custom makeup application? For free! I did just that right before my wedding and the salesperson coached me on makeup application and just the right colors for my daytime garden wedding. This personalized service is what sets Estée Lauder apart and why I always turn to them when I need fresh makeup.

Read about the rest of the BlogHer Reviewer's experiences at the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Event at Macy's!

Visit me at Multi-Minding Mom, where I write about family, food, foraging, frivolity and more, and at The Full Mommy, where I write about great products for the family.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

(This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair.)

I'm thirty-ahem-something and my skin isn't as young and fresh as it used to be. I've been looking for something to liven it up. But I also don't have the time or energy for a fussy beauty routine.

I've long purchased Estée Lauder cosmetics (when I wear makeup, which is not every day). So when I was asked if I would like to try out a skin care product, I jumped at the chance.

I began using the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair almost a month ago. At bedtime, I wash my face, apply a few drops of the Advanced Night Repair, and follow with my normal moisturizer.

After using it for almost a week, I happened to look in the mirror and I saw a change. I went to my husband and asked if my forehead looked like I'd had Botox. He chuckled.

No, my forehead wasn't frozen and I wasn't without expression. But it was definitely smoother and I had very few lines. Maybe I was imagining it, but I really think I saw a difference.

The company says to "use it every day to help continuously repair the appearance of past damage, prevent future damage and deliver high levels of hydration." My face and neck look and feel more hydrated. I am sure this is from the combination of washing, using the Advanced Night Repair, and moisturizing religiously each night.

I have what I consider sensitive skin, so I am always a little leery when trying new products. The Advanced Night Repair is dermatologist-tested, ophthalmologist-tested, fragrance-free, and non-acnegenic. The first couple of nights I felt a little tingling (one of my friends teases that's how you know a product is working!), but I haven't felt it since.

I also have very mild rosacea. Normally my face and neck feel like they are on fire when I come out of the shower in the morning. I realized that I haven't had that problem in weeks.

Estée Lauder says that the Advanced Night Repair:

• Repairs the appearance of past damage.
• Addresses damaging effects before they become permanent.
• You'll see a visible improvement in the signs of aging-specifically lines, uneven skintone and immediate hydration.

You may look at the one-ounce bottle and think that it won't last long. But I have to say that there is less than one-quarter of the liquid gone and I've been using it nightly for almost 4 weeks. I think the bottle will easily last three to four months.

I'm a convert. I love how moist my skin is and that some of my fine lines seem a little less noticeable. Next I'd love to try the Advance Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex.

Estée Lauder invites you to AMERICA'S NIGHT TO REPAIR. On Thursday, July 23, 5-9 PM, visit any Estée Lauder Counter and get a free 10-day supply of New Advanced Night Repair, no purchase necessary (while supplies last).

The one-ounce bottle retails for $47.50.

Read about the rest of the BlogHer Reviewer's experiences with the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair.

I am keeping Advanced Night Repair as part of my daily beauty routine. What do you do to keep your skin looking young? Have you tried any of the Estée Lauder products, either makeup or skincare?

Visit me at Multi-Minding Mom, where I write about family, food, foraging, frivolity and more, and at The Full Mommy, where I write about great products for the family.

Ford BlogHer Button

Are you attending the Ford BlogHer Event? Please grab the button below and include it in your posts or in your sidebar. It's by no means an "official" badge, but we needed a little bling.

See you there!



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