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Teaching Kids to Follow their Dreams with VTech Flipsies + Win a Flipsies Clementine Birthday Party and Bakery Set
This review is sponsored. Product was exchanged for an honest review VTech Flipsies.

If you could be anything, what would you be? What are your dreams? Are you living them? The new Flipsies line from VTech helps inspire our kids to dream whatever they want, and go after it. Dream of being a baker, teacher, astronaut, or parent – the Flipsies dolls teach kids that dreams are good to have, and even achievable! I’ve talked about my dreams before, but now it’s time to talk about the kids.

Meet Clementine. She dreams of becoming a baker. With her Birthday Party and Bakery playset, Clementine can live out her dreams baking goodies and serving them up to her friends at birthday parties. I’m pretty impressed with how well made the playset is, for having parts that detach for expanded play. Everything is sturdy, and allows plenty of room for all 4 of the kids hang out and dream together.

Look how fun this is! With bright colors, and attention to all the details, my kids have been playing with these on a daily basis, and with little to no fighting! Along with Clementine we got Sandy and her surfboard. Sandy dreams of becoming a Marine Biologist, but in our house enjoys taking breaks from surfing with her dolphins to grab a treat and chat at Clemetine’s Bakery.

Cute story time! I had Clementine hiding in my room for an opportune time to share with the kids. Little Prince comes in early one morning and finds it. I tell him to go show the girls, knowing it will being squeals of delight. I lay in bed patiently waiting to hear their reaction, and am not disappointed. Here’s how it went –
Little Prince walks in, and turns their light on then in a sing song voice calls out “Happppyyyyy Birthdaayyyy”
Knowing it’s none of their birthdays, the girls angrily tell him to turn off the light, it’s not time to get up yet. But then! There’s a pause. “Wait! WHAT?! What is that?!! MOOOMMMMMM, is this for us? Can we play with it?!”

Ah the joys of knowing you completely surprised your children for once, and put a huge smile on their face is priceless. I’ll always have that sing song voice in my head though, because Little Prince wanted to play with his sisters and knew it would make them happy too.

Later while playing with their new Flipsies Doll and Playset, I pulled the girls aside to ask them about their dreams.
- What do you like to pretend to be when you play?
- Who is your favorite Flipsie doll, and why? (great for Christmas present ideas!)
- If you could transform like a Flipsie, what would you turn into?
These are great questions to get conversation started and learn more about your kids dreams of the future. Something I think is important to always be aware of as a parent.

Curious how my kids answered? Me too! Venice, my oldest would transform into “Sleepyhead” because she loves to sleep. Truth you all, if she doesn’t sleep enough her emotions are more like a teen then a 9 year old. If she could get a job sleeping when she’s older, she’d be living her dream – and in her dreams, lol. Her favorite flipsies are Jazz and Styla because she too likes to make things and play music.

Chloe loves to pretend she’s Elsa, but loves the Flipsie Lexi who dreams of becoming a teacher like herself. Why a teacher? According to Chloe, teachers are important. Something I’m so glad she realizes this early on in her life.

Rosalina, my baby girl loves Sandy because hello – she has a surfboard! Her dreams are to become a surfer girl just like Sandy. Which may mean we need to move closer to the ocean…

Share your Dreams with VTech Flipsies on Facebook or Twitter

Want to win Clementines Birthday Party and Bakery? Enter below! Giveaway open to US readers 18+. Ends 12/7/15

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December 1, 2015
I have a Dream..

Famous words that began to change a nation. A nation, that regardless your political affiliation, now has a black President. A dream fulfilled for many that only ever believed it to be a dream.

These 4 simple words are now in the popular – and one of my favorite – movies Disney’s Tangled. As Rapunzel turns a crowd of ruffians and thugs into a singing and dancing group that only ever had a dream.

Often I believe we look at the past and think, gosh they really did something wonderful, but then we look at our future and don’t believe we have the same capabilities. That our dreams can not be realized.

I disagree.

I believe we can have dreams, big dreams! As long as we always strive toward them, and try our best, our dreams can become reality. And as Flynn says, then we can find a new dream to pursue. Let me share some of my dreams with you.

I have a dream, that my children will see the good in everyone around them. That they will look past faults and mistakes, to see the inner child of God.

I have a dream, that one day the media will stop pushing unhealthy body images – and that our young women will respect their bodies no matter the size and shape.

I have a dream, that one day we will own the perfect home for our family. Where our children will have room to grow, but not too much that it overwhelms us all.

I have a dream, that one day our political differences will unite us instead of separate us. It’s our different points of view and abilities to see both sides that will make us a strong nation.

I have a dream, to travel the world with my husband.

What’s your Dream?

January 20, 2014
Dreaming of Laundry Rooms

I was catching up on laundry the other day, thinking and dreaming of what it would be like to have a room dedicated to cleaning our clothes. If you have/are living in an apartment, you’ll understand how hard it is to get laundry done when it’s in your kitchen, or in a hall closet, or even in your bathroom. Most older homes also are not set up with a nice place for laundry.
Before our last move, we were actually turning some wasted space in our basement into a laundry room. We even had it piped for the washing machine before we had to leave. That was going to be an amazing space, let me tell you.

There’s nothing I can do about that now, except wish, and work to make my current laundry room more user friendly. With a quick stroke of brilliance I reused an old Ikea shelf that was on it’s way to the trash and some twist ties to add an extra shelf above my dryer. Check it out!

I’m still feeling pretty brilliant with that quick fix. Mark I do believe is laughing at my twist ties, but I made sure there were plenty on and spaced out enough to really hold and distribute the weight evenly. I wish I could tell you what shelf this is at Ikea, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Sorry.

So then I got thinking, what would my perfect laundry room look like? How can I make my current hallway laundry room work more efficiently. I of course came up with this fun little board of things I want, and could use now, and in future rooms.

*The following are affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Home Maid Simple.*

A. Lime Laundry Drying Rack from One Kings Lane. I just wish it came in blue. Many clothing items you want to hang up, but have no good place to hang them, so you toss them in the dryer and cross your fingers…or maybe I’m the only one. Too many clothes have been ruined this way.

B. Blomus Intro Pushboy Trash Can from Wayfair. Every laundry room needs a small trash can. I use it mostly for emptying the dryer lint.

C. Lost and Found Sign from Zulily. This is the cutest sign! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t find random items while doing laundry. Having a place to quickly toss them lets you continue sorting, washing, drying and folding.

D. 3 Sprouts Deer Laundry Hamper from Layla and Grace. Don’t like the deer, they have other cute animal print hampers as well. Or find something else to fit your tastes, but a hamper, even small is essential to any laundry room.

I love pinterest for all things home design and tips. These are just a couple of pins from my laundry room board.

I love this DIY Drying Rack from Centsational Girl

Brilliant!!

Source

My dream laundry room would have a sink like this to take care of any handwashing I need to do.

This is just brilliant! A quilted ironing mat for your dryer. Definitely friendly for small spaces. I want one.

This laundry room from 11 Magnolia Lane is so chic. The chandelier would make me feel I was relaxing instead of doing a chore. Don’t you think?

Just from browsing pinterest, I’ve decided to make a laundry room feel less like a chore, it needs some bright colors. Too bad I can’t paint here. One day. One day. Maybe I’ll see if I can make over my mom’s laundry room.

January 8, 2014
Dream It and Win

“What about you? What’s your dream?”

I was really excited when Marci Nault, author of The LakeHouse and owner behind 101 Dreams Come True website, contacted me about her newest promotion 101 Dreams Come True Contest.

Marci is asking you to commit to accomplishing one of your dreams this next year. When you sign up you’ll be joining women all over with different dreams and promising to help encourage them along the way.

Of course what’s a contest without a little prize? Dominie Luxury Handbags has joined Marci for this promotion and is offering one person who commits to reaching their dream this beautiful handbag full of 21 signed books from some inspirational authors!

There is more though! One Grand Prize winner will receive a dream trip to a private party at Castello Di Amorosa Castle in Napa, CA. a Sue Wong designer Dress, Designer Shoes, and Designer Necklace made just for you! Can you say wow?!

My dream this coming year is two fold. I want to take my family back east to where I grew up. I want them to see where I came from, to share my childhood memories in a more personal way than just through stories. It’s a long shot, because a trip for 6 back to NH can be expensive, but I’m going to do all I can to make it come true.

The second part of my dream, is to do more in our own home here to create memories for my kids, that is not so cluttered with stuff that they won’t remember. Really creating this house into a home.

Join the Contest on the 101 Dreams Come True Facebook Page.

I want to know. What are your dreams and what are you doing to accomplish them?

November 5, 2013