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30 Best STEM Toy Gifts

December 1, 2019December 1, 2019Learning, My favorite things. Reviews1 Comment

This post contains affiliate links. The toys are my family’s favorites and the companies did not ask us to share them. We just love a good STEM toy and wanted to share with you. Thank you so much for always supporting us!

Those of you that have been following us for a while, know that we love to try and learn something with everything we do. Even with toys, and there are so many options our there for kids of all ages! We always try to do our research and get a cool STEM toy for special occasions.

If you’re looking for fun, educational toys to give as gifts this holiday season, then you need to check out these 30 Best Holiday STEM Toy Gifts available on Amazon. Kids will love playing with these engaging and interactive toys. It’s never too early, or too late to introduce your kids to STEM-based learning toys. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math. They’ll be learning while they play and not even know it! With so many to choose from, I’ve done the hard part for you and rounded up 30 of the best STEM toys out there this holiday season.

My Favorite STEM Toy Gifts

1. Design & Drill Activity Center

Construction meets creativity with this Design and Drill Activity Center. Includes 120 big bolts in 5 colors, 3 bits (Phillips, socket, flathead) and 20 colorful pattern cards to follow.

Grow ‘N Glow Terrarium Science Kit

Combine the wonder of science and the fun of arts and crafts with this miniature garden in a simulated natural environment. Kids can create their very own miniature eco-system with this easy setup, just assemble, decorate, water and watch it grow!

3. Interactive Globe for Kids

Explore the world with 400+ wonders and 1000+ cool facts across 6 categories – cultures, cuisines, monuments, inventions, animals and maps.

4. GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope

With this amazing Talking Microscope, preschoolers will discover amazing animals, plants, and household items. There are 20 total prepared slides for little ones to explore and learn about.

5. Gravity Maze Marble Run

This gravity-powered marble maze comes with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty, from beginner to expert and will improve logical reasoning, spatial reasoning, and planning skills.

6. Rocks & Fossils Kit

This is the ultimate rock, mineral and fossil kit. Kids can Use the included magnifying glass and identification sheet to help identify every rock, gemstone, mineral, and fossil in the kit.

7. Lego Chain Reactions Science & Building Kit

Build Ten awesome machines that spin, swing, pivot, roll, lift, and drop and can be combined to make dozens of different chain reactions.

8. Disgusting n’ Gross Science Activity & Experiment Set

This hands-on science set will inspire kids to have fun while learning. This kit includes 34+ tools, ingredients and parts for hours of exciting experiments.

9. 12-in-1 Education Solar Robot Toy

This 12-in-1 solar robot kit can be made into 12 different style robots which can move on land or water.

10. 3Doodler Start Essentials 3D Pen Set

Kids can finally bring all of their wonderful and imaginative ideas to life with this kid-safe 3D printing pen.

11. Creative Construction Engineering

Kids will love these creative learning building toys that enhance fine motor skills and improve hand-eye coordination, logic and problem-solving abilities.

12. Osmo Genius Starter Kit for iPad

Osmo brings learning to life, using hand-held pieces with an iPad. These fun games focus on, shapes, problem-solving, creative drawing skills, counting, letters, spelling & vocabulary.

13. Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit

Comes with over 30 pieces to create 101 different electronic projects. Pieces snap together easily on the included plastic grid–no soldering required.

14. LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox

With this 5 In 1 model, LEGO creations come to life. Kids can use a free app on a tablet to code behaviors into whatever they build.

15. Robot Building Block Set

This robot building set can be transformed into 24 different models and is compatible with LEGO brand bricks.

16. Beaker Creatures Liquid Reactor Super Lab

Two-piece working lab set comes with the equipment and instructions needed to perform amazing real-world science experiments inspired by the creatures and their home planets.

17. Coaster Challenge

Buckle up and get ready to twist and turn your mind as you attempt to solve 40 exhilarating roller coaster challenges.

18. Shifu Plugo Tunes Piano Learning Kit

Develop musical skills, hand-eye coordination, memory skills & cognitive intelligence with this fun Piano Learning Kit.

19. Snap Circuits BRIC: Structures

Kids can wire up their brick builds and learn how to build the circuit that makes the lights in a skyscraper illuminate or that makes the gears on a drawbridge move! There’s no limit to what kids can create.

20. 10-Minute Science Experiments Book

More than 50 fun and engaging experiments designed to teach kids about the basics of physics, science and chemistry. Even though this is not a toy, I love how you can take it on trips and connect with friends and family by doing some fun science.

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21. Coding Critters

These playful puppy pets bring early STEM concepts to preschool learning through 100% screen-free coding. The Coding critters also double as cute interactive pets that you can feed, pet, and take care of.

22. ThinkFun Math Dice Junior Game

The perfect dice game to introduce or reinforce early math skills in children. Roll the 12-sided Target Die to get your target number, then roll the five 6-sided Scoring Dice. Add, subtract, or add and subtract – use whatever equation you need to hit your target number.

23. V8 Combustion Engine Model Building Kit

Kids can put over 500 pieces together using the easy to follow instruction guide as they learn about how a real-life engine is built.

24. Sphero Specdrums – STEAM Educational Music Toy for Kids

All skill levels, from curious-minded kids to seasoned musicians, can create their own masterpieces with hundreds of instruments, loops, and sounds.

25.My First Mind blowing Science kit

26. 4WD Electronic Building Toy Car

Foster children’s interest in technology through exploration with this 4WD electric toy that features 3 different chassis angle settings that will entertain for hours.

27. Artie 3000 The Coding Robot

Learn to code and get drawing with STEAM-style robotics to create visual masterpieces, if you can code it Artie 3000 can draw it!

28. DIY Chemistry Experiment Lab

Convert your kitchen into a science lab with this fun and educational science kit. Create a working volcano, generate electricity with a lemon, launch a vinegar-powered rocket and much more.

29. Squishy Human Body

Kids explore the complex inner workings of the human body and literally see how it all works. Includes: 12” clear plastic human body model & stand, 9 squishy organs, 12 plastic bones & muscles, forceps, tweezers, body part organizer mat, instruction sheet, and 24-page illustrated anatomy book.

30. Kano Computer Kit

Kids can build their own computer with this fun computer kit. Make lights flash, discover how computers works and learn to code with 100+ step-by-step creative challenges.

That’s it for now! If you loved this collection, make sure to follow our Instagram where we are always sharing our latest favorite STEM toy picks. And if you have suggestions to add to our list, send them over also!

If you love the idea of having lists of gifts to chose from, check out my other gift guide for kids who travel often!

Best Travel Gifts for Kids

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019Travel with kidsLeave a comment

This post contains affiliate links. I truly love al of these products and know that they will make the best travel gifts for kids. They will love them so much! As always, I am so thankful for your continued support to our family.

Do you know kids whose families love to travel or love the nomadic lifestyle? Or the military families that have to do a long trek every PCS season, And then back to visit family for the holidays?

Traveling sure sounds fun, but it can be challenging, especially for families who have little ones with them. Parents need to make sure that the kids are comfortable and entertained on long journeys and gifting their kids something to help with that could really make their holiday season.

I know from our own experience that being prepared can make trips just so much easier and fun, instead of being stressed and trying to come up with ideas last minute.

If you’re struggling to find the best travel gifts for kids, don’t worry! I created this great list to take the pressure off. Check out my handy guide below and find a gift that makes kids more excited to travel!

The best travel gifts for kids-

CozyPhones HeadPhones

Headphones are a must for anyone who travels, but the usual headphones are pretty boring and not designed to suit young children. These CozyPhones are a great alternative for kids. They are cute, and come in a range of designs that you can choose from. Plus, the soft fabric is super comfortable, and most kids can comfortably fall asleep with them on as well.

Travel Scavenger Hunt Card

An easy and fun gift they can bring anywhere they travel. This Travel Scavenger Hunt Card game will make any road trip much more fun for kids. Banish road trip boredom with a fun game that the whole family can join in with.

Kids Travel Tray

This travel tray is a great way to keep all of your kids things organized and provide them with a stable area to draw, color or just generally play with their toys. No more fumbling around to find what they want. They can store their crayons, books, toys, snacks, and watch their favorite shows. Perfect for long road trips as well as plane travel and train rides!

Kids Travel Pillow

Any little frequent flyer can find it hard to stay comfortable on long haul flights. This travel pillow will give the comfort kids need. It is very soft and will help them to sleep longer so they can wake up well-rested and have the energy they need. The kids getting enough sleep can make or break a long day of travel, as you already know. This if a gift that will keep giving.

The Ultimate Travel Journal

A personal souvenir for the kids! This Ultimate Travel Journal helps kids keep a record of their travel memories. They can jot down fun discoveries and any highlights they want to share with the whole family. It also has some games and other fun activities that can keep them entertained.

The Travel Book

The famous Lonely Planet travel guides are not only for adults but also for kids. This specific book has thousands of amazing facts on wildlife, people’s lifestyles, sports, mouth watering food, festivals and other quirky travel insights. Plus, kids can enjoy the beautiful photos and illustrations.

BusyBags

These BusyBags are filled with reusable, hands-on activities for kids to keep them entertained on any long journey. A great way to quickly gift a traveling kid enough to keep them entertained without having to buy everything separately yourself. Parents can just keep the bag packed and ready to go. As a mom who has traveled a lot with littles, I can tell you that this is a life saver! And you get so many compliments on how the kids are quiet and busy! Parents will love you for this one!

Ride-On Suitcase and Carry-On Luggage

Who says kids have to use a boring suitcase? This Trunki suitcase and carry-on luggage is a great travel companion for any little one. It has a fun design, and it’s a ride-on suitcase that will save their little legs from all the walking between airport terminals. Its multi-functional strap is very convenient for parents to carry as well.

Kids Camera

This gift is perfect for parents who worry about their expensive DSLR cameras. Not only is this is an ideal gift for parents, but of course, it is perfect for the kids! This is a great way to help kids capture those special travel memories and get them thinking creatively and practicing their photography skills. I dare say this one is my favorite! My heart melts when I see my mini me boys capturing amazing photos that will make the trips truly unforgettable.

Smart Watch

A functional gift for kids. This SmartWatch has Wifi, GPS, and LBS Location that can help kids send SOS emergency calls when they don’t feel safe, or are lost. It has two-way calling so they can give updates and parents can call them. It is an added safety measure for any travel family that kids will also love. The boys love to have a watch that matches mommy so there is also that.

Travel Tumblers

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These colorful stainless steel tumblers are so fun and useful. They are the perfect size for little hands, and they keep their drink warm or cold for hours! My boys love theirs. I Know your kids will too.

I hope this round up of was helpful to you. In a world when kids usually have all they want and then some, it’s so amazing to gift things that will help their experiences more comfortable and fun!

Do you have more ideas? I would love to hear them. We travel so much too and I’m always on the lookout for the best travel gifts for my boys.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Until next time.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

November 21, 2019February 1, 2020FoodLeave a comment

Temperatures are finally dropping a little on this beautiful island! I wanted to live up the fall feels completely by wearing a hoody and making some warm comfort food! Yesterday felt like the perfect day for this Roasted Vegetable soup.

Our Travels have taught us many things. One curious thing about being in Japan is that we can’t just go to the market at any time to buy any fruit and vegetables that we would like. They are all seasonal. So we literally have to eat around the calendar with whatever is in season.

Yesterday I felt like making soup. So I went to the market to find ingredients and the first thing I saw were these beautiful Murasaki Sweet Potatoes.

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The Murasaki Sweet Potatoes are a purple skinned Japanese sweet potato with a white or cream colored inside. It has a delicious nutty flavor that makes it perfect for many meals, and I decided it would be the perfect base for my yummy roasted vegetable soup.

This is not to be confused with the Okinawan purple sweet potato. That is another delicious potato that I will share later, when the right season comes.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

With my sweet potatoes in hand, all I had to do next was to pick up an assortment of available, fresh vegetables and head home to make our soup. It’s so easy to put together and the combination of flavors is just amazing!

All you have to do is to wash all your produce, peel and chop your sweet potatoes, and put them on a lined cookie sheet. Then you add all the vegetables chopped up and a few garlic cloves with the skin still on.

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After that you season and roast them. The reason why I love roasting them is because it gives the soup an amazing smoky flavor that just completes the soup.

My husband commented on the rich flavor of the roasted vegetables which made my heart happy. And the kids loved every spoonful of the soup without even wondering if it had any “weird vegetables”. So I am considering it a huge win!

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To finish the soup, you will have to simmer all the vegetables in your favorite broth. If you want to keep it free of animal products, you can use a vegetable broth.

After that I put all of it in the blender and then returned to my soup pan to add some delicious cheese and season to taste.

That’s it friends! In only 30 minutes and some very simple ingredients, you have some delicious comfort food for the entire family, in the form of roasted vegetable soup!

Scroll down to get the full recipe and my favorite combination of spices for it. Feel free to print it out if that makes things easier for you!

Just in case you are in a comfort food kick like me, here is another easy and delicious dinner to make: Crock pot Shepherd’s Pie.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Don’t forget to tag me on your beautiful soup pictures on Instagram so that I can share.

Enjoyed this recipe? I have some other amazing recipes from my friends bloggers to bring you a variety of new soups to try with your family. Check out:

Creamy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Vegan Butternut Squash Ginger Soup

Celebrating our hero on veterans day

November 4, 2019November 5, 2019Life, My favorite things. ReviewsLeave a comment

This post has been sponsored by Kingsford. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In 1918, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the armistice was signed to end WWI. Later, this day became a day to honor all who have served: Veterans Day.

For us, it’s so much more than a day off. We have our very own veteran; he is our husband, daddy, and our hero. We pray for his safety when he’s gone; we jump with joy when he returns home. We’ve been all around the world just to be with him, and we will keep going!

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As a military family, we love to see businesses support our veterans and active duty military. That is why I am so excited to share with you about Kingsford Charcoal®, who has an amazing new packaging this fall to honor our heroes! This fall, this special military bag, “grill for your hero,” can be exclusively found at Dollar General.

In addition to the support for our troops and veterans, for many years, Kingsford® Original Charcoal has been the gold standard of grilling.

Made in the USA with 100% natural ingredients, including North American wood, Kingsford gives BBQ lovers that delicious smoky wood-fired flavor, which makes it perfect for any grilling occasion.

This year, we have been thinking about how, with every new duty station, our family keeps growing with the new friends we make. Veterans Day for us will be a day spent as a family, with our new and old friends. A day to honor and remember those who serve and have served. To be thankful for the little things that we so often take for granted. To feel proud of my husband’s selfless love for his country and for freedom.

Veterans day BBQ

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We decided to make the best use of our Kingsford Charcoal and have a fun cookout with some of our friends from the base. You can find everything needed at Dollar General! One quick trip and we were ready for our day.

We wanted to keep it simple and chose to have a “hot dog bar.” We picked up different kinds of hot dogs and sausages, and then went around the store grabbing all of our favorite hot dog toppings and sauces.

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Some possible hot dog toppings:

Chopped onions.
Grilled pineapple.
Sliced Jalapeños.
No bean chili.
Crushed potato chips.
Shredded cheese.
Bacon bits.

The possibilities are endless! And it’s so much fun to see what combinations people come up with! Makes for awesome conversation starters.

How will you celebrate this year? If you love the idea of a simple but perfectly fun BBQ with family and friends, don’t forget to stop by Dollar General and grab everything you need for it—from the decorations to the Kingsford charcoal.

Finally, one more way to celebrate our Veterans with Dollar General, when you purchase the exclusive Kingsford bag at your local Dollar General, you are eligible for a free greeting card valued up to $1! The greeting card coupon will appear on your receipt of the Kingsford purchase.

Make sure to tag us in your yummy recipes on Instagram and remember to thank a Veteran for all that they do for us!

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Easy weekday dinners for busy moms

September 5, 2019September 5, 2019Food, LifeLeave a comment

This post is sponsored by McCormick® but, as always, the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This last week has been totally crazy! I decided to sign the boys up for VBS at church and also signed myself up to volunteer as a helper parent. I thought it would be great for meeting other moms.

I know, right?! VBS was all morning, I had to run my regular errands, login into work, attend a few photoshoots, and after all that, still complete the household chores! I found myself stressing out about dinner.

By the time I was done, I barely had time to make a good meal for the family. I started to think of possible solutions and I found an awesome one! I’m talking about the new McCormick® ONE Dish Seasoning Mixes now available to add to your shopping cart at Walmart.com.

The idea of having one small packet full of amazing flavor that also provides specific instructions – this sounded heavenly!

I picked up a few varieties, choosing McCormick® Farmer’s Market Chicken & Vegetables One Sheet Pan Seasoning Mix as my first try.

Even with all the craziness of the week, we still managed to make it to the market, so I already had our favorite vegetables on hand. I love that I was done prepping dinner in less than 10 minutes. That was it! All in one pan – a wholesome meal for all of us!

Let me share the details!

Weekday dinner: McCormick® Farmer’s Market Chicken & Vegetables

I started with a collection of our favorite seasonal veggies, cut up into small pieces, enough chicken for all of us, and the wonderful McCormick® Farmer’s Market Chicken & Vegetables One Sheet Pan Seasoning Mix.

Making the dinner is the easiest! We had 3 steps to follow. That’s it!

First, I mixed the seasoning with oil in a big bowl, and preheated the oven to 400°F.

Second, I added the veggies and chicken to the bowl with the seasoning and tossed it until it was well coated. Once everything is coated, I transferred to a shallow baking dish lined with foil (and sprayed with no stick cooking spray), and put it into the oven.

Third, cook for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. This is the step that makes my house smell like I just slaved in the kitchen for hours!

How easy is that?! So if you’re like me and like to eat family meals at home, but always feel too busy, you want to add a few different flavors of the new McCormick® ONE Dish Seasoning Mixes to your Walmart.com shopping cart.

Let me know which flavor becomes a family favorite!
This one is definitely a favorite for us. We are going to incorporate two of these meals into our dinner rotation every week. I can’t wait to see your delicious weekday dinners.

As always, please follow me on Instagram and tag me when you prepare your delicious meals with McCormick®.

Goodbye summer, hello new adventures

August 7, 2019August 7, 2019Food, My favorite things. ReviewsLeave a comment

This post has been sponsored by Capri Sun and Kraft Singles. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The summer has kind of flown by. We find ourselves planning our new school year already! During this summer, we’ve enjoyed long lazy days, a lot of books with friends, and as many exploration trips as we could possibly have. The boys don’t want it to end.

To get them so excited about the next year, we decided to plan a fun family BBQ party to close up our summer.

It wasn’t a complicated party with a lot of planning, but an idea of the moment that we just went with because summer is about that!

The boys were tasked with getting dressed in clothes that they can get wet while I ran to the local Giant Eagle to grab some of their favorite treats and some extra goodies for grilling. Since it’s Grilling Season with Giant Eagle, I knew I would be able to grab everything I needed in one stop! If you are planning a a BBQ party, you can Raise your Barb-IQ at GiantEagle.com/Grilling

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When I got back, Jo Jo was ready in his swim trunks and would not let me carry the bag in! He wanted to start our party right away!

Simple end of summer party

You don’t need anything fancy to have the best day ever with your family! Here is how we enjoyed saying goodbye summer!

-Favorite food: Let the kids chose what they want to eat. Our kids chose to have yummy grilled cheese sandwiches with their beloved Kraft singles cheese slices. I was happy with the choice, too, because Kraft single cheese slices are always made with real milk! And of course, I love that they always give the best melty grilled cheese sandwiches!

I will share our favorite one below!

-Water play: I picked up some water balloons and brought out the sprinkler attachment for our hose. Really, that is all! No complicated games this time! No need for prep or crazy cleanup. We just wanted to have a fun, relaxed time. No pressure to do some sort of Pinterest perfect party. Though we love those, too! But for this time, we wanted to just enjoy the simplicity of a summer day. And it was simply amazing!

-Surprise treat: When thinking about a surprise treat for them, I was quickly drawn to aisle 6!

I knew that a box of Capri Sun Juice Drinks would be the perfect surprise treat for them! They love the refreshing taste of the fruit punch flavored one! And I love that they are free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives; made with all natural ingredients; and don’t have any high fructose corn syrup. It’s a win for everyone!

Our family’s favorite grilled cheese sandwich-

It is very simple! We call it, apple bacon grilled cheese.

To make it, you butter up the two pieces of bread and then layer Kraft single cheese slices, apple slices, and a few pieces of cooked bacon. Top with another cheese slice and the bread.

Now you are ready to set it on the grill. It only takes a few minutes before the cheese is ready and perfectly melty. Make sure to flip it and cook both sides.

And you will have a perfect melty sandwich!

I hope you give them a try, and I hope you end up having a little planned, but unplanned, party with your family! Making memories is about having fun together, and it doesn’t matter if you are traveling the world or right at home! What matters is that you are surrounded by the ones you love the most and having a blast. And since it’s Grilling Season with Giant Eagle, make sure to shop Giant Eagle for all of your grilling needs!

I would love for you to share your awesome end-of-summer parties with me! Give us a tag on Instagram so I can share!