New Stuff Arriving Daily

Wow, has it really been since June that I last blogged? I tell you, that Facebook place has sucked me in. I'm posting there for Lex Fam all the time.

After being out of work for a week dealing with the flu that pummeled our household, I found my chair stacked 2 feet high with boxes and envelopes full of new products. I know for most people this is the start of the fall/Halloween/apple picking season, but for us its the start of Holiday Gift Guide season.

Loads and loads of companies send us press releases and samples of stuff they'd like us to review and we love reviewing it. I'm always amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of people who create stuff for kids.

I can't share with the everything, because then what would be the point of running our Holiday Gift Guide. But I will share with you a few great things that, for one reason or another, won't make the December issue.

The first is the "Shrinky Dinks Halloween Fun" from one of my favorite companies Creativity for Kids (Faber-Castell). This kit includes everything you need to make and decorate the cutest Spooky Tree. You get 30 pre-printed ornaments that kids color and decorate then pop in the oven and watch them shrink down to size! These things are so much fun. My kids love to watch them magically shrivel up in the oven and come out looking perfect and oh so durable.

And when they say it comes with everything, they mean everything, including the colored pencils, the hole punch and a sharpener for the pencils!

The set retails for $16.99. I recommend you buy it now and keep it for that day when your kids get the flu, but they are starting to recover and they are bored and you've run out of ideas!

Remember SPUD? Here are the rules

We lived on the best street growing up. It didn't lead anywhere so it didn't get much traffic and almost every house had a handful of kids living there. That meant many, many hours of outdoor fun. One of our favorite games was SPUD, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw the new book "Let's Go Outside" by Jennifer Ward.
It's a collection of the rules to your favorite outdoor games, recipes for bubbles, instructions for things like building kites and forts, and suggestions for outdoor activities.
So here are the rules to SPUD as I remember them (assisted a bit by Jennifer Ward). First, gather a group of kids, five or more would be good. Someone is IT. IT whispers a different number to each of the other players. For example, if there are 6 kids total, IT whispers the numbers 1 through 5 to the other kids.
Then IT throws the ball up in the air as high as he can while he yells out a number. The kid who is assigned that number runs to catch the ball while everyone else runs away from the catcher. When he catches it he yells out "SPUD" and everyone else must freeze. The catcher then takes four giant steps toward the nearest player (yelling S-P-U-D) and tries to tag them with the ball. If that player is hit they get an "S".
The catcher then becomes IT and assigns numbers to the other players and it all begins again. Each time a player gets tagged with the ball they get the next letter in the word SPUD. Each player keeps track of the letters he has been "tagged" with. When he gets all four letters to spell out "SPUD" he is out of the game. Or you can forget that rule and just keep playing until the ice cream truck comes by.
"Let's Go Outside" is published by Trumpeter Books, is recommended for ages 8-12, will be available at bookstores in July and retails for $14.00. While you're checking it out, look for her previous book "I Love Dirt." I want that book just for the title, its priceless!

Cell Phones - Love 'em or leave 'em

I have a small vent about cell phones and kids. Please bear with me.

Cell phones have become an issue in our household. One my parents never had to deal with.
Cell phones have made life much easier for us, I have to admit, but they do have a down side as well, or rather several downsides.
I'm not a cell-phone-aholic. I do carry mine in my purse and keep it on all the time, but I rarely text, don't check my e-mail with it, don't have internet access on it.
My kids, on the other hand, LOVE their cell phones and this love has caused our family to reevaluate the rules in our house and the manners we teach our kids.
Rule #1 - we don't answer the phone at dinner time. Not the house phone, not anyone's cell phone and NO, we don't check out text messages while we eat!
Rule #2 - phones are turned off during homework time and at bedtime. I do not want to be hearing that little you've-got-a-text chime at 10:30 at night. Cell phones don't go with us to dinner at Granny's house.
Rule #3 - you do not have unlimited texts. I want my girls to learn limits and to have self control. I do not want them engaging in 50 word e-mail exchanges that amount to nothing more than "did so, did not."
Rule #4 - If you send an inappropriate photo of yourself to someone else you will lose your phone now and forever. The next time you get a cell phone will be when you are financially independent.
Rule #5 - If someone sends you a sexually explicite text you must show it to me immediately. If you do not tell me about it, the consequences of Rule #4 will apply.

And here is Laurie's List of Cell Phone Etiquette:
If you call a # that you are just SURE belongs to that cute boy you met last summer and the person answering it says you have the wrong number, do NOT send 10 text messages to that number. ITS A WRONG NUMBER!
Do not hit the resend button 75 times when you text doesn't go through. The person you are texting may have turned their phone off and when they turn it back on they'll have to deal with your 75 messages.
Edit your texts before you send them. Think carefully about what you say, because the recipients mother may just read that text and she may be calling your mother about the mean and nasty thing you just texted.
In our house cell phones are a privilege, not a right. I wish more kids would realize that and more parents would enforce it.
Vent over!

Keeping Busy

Things have been quiet here on my blog, mostly because I've discovered Facebook and started a Lexington Family Magazine Facebook page. So easy to update! Join us there so keep up with what's going on with Lex Fam. You don't even have to join Facebook to see our page. Just go to http://www.facebook.com/ and search for Lexington Family Magazine. If you already have an account be sure to become a fan! We'll be doing some giveaways there now and then.
While things may have been quiet on the blog, they are most definately NOT quiet here at the magazine. The May issue is out with loads of info on the best camps, dealing with aging parenting, and of course, great giveaways.
We are also just now going to print with our annual Field Trip and Activities Guide. It's geared toward teachers, homeschoolers and youth leaders, but moms and dads love it too. It will be out in about a week and you'll be able to request a copy on our website: http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/

CAMP FAIR***CAMP FAIR***CAMP FAIR

THE CAMP FAIR IS THIS SATURDAY!!!!!
You do not want to miss this event. In addition to over 60 booths full of camps, camps, camps and more camps you'll find booths representing activites, classes, dentists, pediatricians, churches, daycares, schools and learning programs.
Every booth has something fun for the kids to do while Mom and Dad are checking out the details, speaking to the camps directors, owners, school and health professionals. There will be hair painting and face painting, washable tattoos, arts and crafts, toss games and bowling, stick horse races and corn hole. And don't miss the giant slide!
Want to see your kids adorable face on the cover of Lexington Family Magazine? Then don't miss your chance to have their photographs made at the Portrait Shoppe booth for our annual Cover Model Search. We'll pick 4 kids who'll show up on our covers in the next year.
We've got live performances all day long from some of the most talented dancers, gymnastics, models and martial artists in the Bluegrass.
At 1 p.m. we'll be presenting the awards to the winners of our 5th Annual Writing Contest.
And don't miss the giveaways! We're giving something away every half hour including a bunkbed from Baby's Room & Kids, Too, the newest American Girl doll, Cranium games, Breyer horses, CDs, DVDs, books and toys. PLUS the first 25 families in the door get a 3-disc Combo Pack of "Bedtime Stories." This includes the DVD, the blu-ray disc and a digital copy for your mobile devices.
Whew! That's a lot of stuff! Don't miss this Fair!

Overwhelming Response to the Writing Contest

I'm so blown away right now. I've got One Thousand and Twenty-Four (that's 1,024) entries to our 5th Annual Writing Contest! That's over 350 more than we've ever had before.
Over 50 teachers entered their classes including all 27 classes at Garden Springs Elementary. We also had dozens of kids who entered on their own.
The biggest surprise were the entries from homeschoolers in 12 states outside of Kentucky!
Now comes the fun part - reading all the entries! You would not believe how funny some of these kids are, like the little guy who wanted to ask Abraham Lincoln how heavy his cannon balls are or the girl who things President Obama is incredible because it takes incredibility to be a President.
The contest is closed now, but rest assured we will hold the 6th annual Writing Contest next year! I am looking for suggestions for a topic for next year. If you have an idea for me, please drop me a line: events@lexingtonfamily.com or leave a comment here.

Writing Contest Goes Nationwide!!

The entries to Lexington Family Magazine's Writing Contest are starting to flow in. We're up to 93 entries now, with another 350 promised from local classrooms that I've visited. That's not counting the classes I haven't heard from. I'm thinking we'll beat our record high of 657 entries from 2007.
One thing that has surprised me is the entries from outside of Kentucky. We've had an entry from a school in Louisiana, 2 from South Carolina, and 3 from Pennsylvania. How are these people hearing about us? On-line, of course. Perhaps they read about the contest here on our blog, or maybe on our website (www.lexingtonfamily.com) or maybe they've found us on Facebook.
Wherever they found us, we welcome them to the Writing Contest.
There's still time for your kids to enter. Just find all the info here (just scroll down) or on the website. Write 100 words by March 27 and your child could win!

BEDTIME STORIES!!!!!! We've got 'em!!!!

I am so excited!!!! We just heard from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment that "Bedtime Stories" will be coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on April 5, 2009. And even more exciting - Disney is giving us 25 Three-Disc Combo Packs of "Bedtime Stories" to give away to the first 25 families at our Camp Fair on April 11!!!!!

This includes the DVD, the blu-ray disc and a digital copy to play on your mobile devices. There are all sorts of special features included too, like a behind-the-scenes look at the special effects and of course, the bloopers and deleted scenes.

The Fair open at 10 a.m. on April 11 and we'll hand these out to the first 25 folks in line (one per family, please). So get there early, these will go fast!

Lookee At My New Car!

I've got the coolest new ride! Its a sweet baby blue sedan, one-seater with the comfiest seats you ever sat on. Yes, its a little small for my "seat," but its just right for anyone under the age of 8.

It's the Sit Upon Car from Manhattan Toy, the newest in their line of giant, room-decorating, toddler-seating, imagination-inspiring, fall-asleep-while-cuddling plush toys.

We'll be giving this slick ride away at the Summer Camp & Acitivities Fair on April 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lexington Christian Academy.

Keep checking here for more details on great giveaways, children's performances and FUN. Don't forget, its all FREE!

The Entries Are Rolling In.....

Our Writing Contest entries have begun to arrive, several by e-mail, some by snail mail and two in large envelopes with a whole class worth of entries. So far we have 39 entries and I've had calls and e-mails from several other schools promising another 300! And its only the first week of March.

Entries are due on March 27 so there is still plenty of time to enter. Go to http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/ for all the details on how to enter.

I visited a kindergarten class this morning at Rosa Park Elementary this morning to talk about writing and the writing contest. What a bunch of cuties! And they had such good, thoughtful questions (and answers).

We'll be giving away American Girl dolls, Cranium games and Breyer horses to the winners to get your kids busy writing!

Find us on Facebook!

Lexington Family Magazine is now on Facebook! You can become of a fan of the magazine (we know you already are!), and get updates on our upcoming events including the Camp Fair and the Writing Contest. We've uploaded photos of some of the great prizes we'll be giving away and we'll let you know about cool things that will be happening in the future.

If you already are a Facebook member just do a search for Lexington Family Magazine. If you aren't a member, BECOME ONE! It's free, takes almost no time at all, and believe me, you will find loads of your friends are already there. It's a great way to stay connected.

ITS THE WRITING CONTEST!!!

Sharpen up those pencils and warm up the keyboards, kids! It’s time for Lexington Family Magazine’s 5th annual Writing Contest. We’ve heard from over 1,200 kids in the past. We want to hear from YOU this year!

This year’s theme is “The Person I Would Most Like to Meet Is…” We want kids in grades K-5 to tell us in 100 words or less about someone they really want to meet. It could be an athlete like LeBron James or volleyball Olympian Misty May-Treanor or an inspirational figure such as Anne Frank or Abraham Lincoln? Or how about someone from your own past such as a grandparent you never knew or an ancestor who came over on the Mayflower?

We’ve got an exciting lineup of prizes this year, too. Our talented winners will take home either Chrissa, the newest American Girl doll, a beautiful collection of Breyer Model Horses, including the new Wind Dancer line of books and horses, or a huge package of award-winning games from Cranium!

Entries will be judged in three age categories: K-1st grade, 2nd-3rd grade, and 4th-5th grade. We’ll pick one girl and one boy from each age group as winners. Stories may be hand-written, typed or narrated to a parent to type. Please include your name, gender, grade and school on your entry. You may illustrate your story, but it will not influence the judging.

To enter, kids should mail their stories to Lexington Family Magazine, 138 E. Reynolds Rd, Suite 201, Lexington, KY 405017 or e-mail it to Events@LexingtonFamily.com by Friday, March 27. Winners will be notified by phone and prizes will be awarded at our Summer Camps & Activities Fair on April 11, at 1 p.m.

Info: 223-1765 or http://www.lexingtonfamily.com/

campfaircampfaircampfair...CAMP FAIR...campfaircampfaircampfair

YES! It's time to start thinking about Lexington Family Magazine's 7th annual Summer Camps & Activities Fair.

I know, I know, you won't be thinking about summer camp for a few more weeks (months?) but here at Lex Fam its time to get the Camp Fair Machine up and running. We've got to plan the fun, book the camps, snag the prizes, schedule the performances and get plenty of sleep while we can.

The biggest change this year is that we've got a NEW LOCATION!! That's right, the Camp Fair is moving, but just across the street. You'll find us this year at Lexington Christian Academy in their two giant gymnasiums near the back of the Rose Campus on Reynolds Rd. It's just behind Fayette Mall, and across the street from Meijer. The best part about our move? THE PARKING!! LCA has several large parking lots so there will be no driving around looking for a spot this year!

I suppose it would help if I told you the date: Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Keep checking back here and I'll update you on performances we've scheduled, prizes we've snagged and camps we're expecting. And put us on your calendar right now because we will have another one of our "First 25 in the door" prizes!