A Note From Mom:

Although family time is crucial for reconnecting after a busy week, alone time with each child is just as important. Parents are the primary role models for their children and many lessons can be learned by how we treat our children.

Mom and Daughter time can be special no matter what you do. This is valuable time to learn more about your daughter, her likes/dislikes, her hopes and dreams. Let her pick out your activity and participate willingly, even if it's not your favorite thing to do. Your daughter will feel empowered to make her own decisions and won't feel like you're always second-guessing or dictating what she should do.

Dads can also play a huge role in showing their daughters how their future boyfriends and husbands should treat them. I had a neighbor whose husband took their daughter out for brunch once a month and it was just their day to hang out. They had time to learn about each other and the daughter could see how her dad interacted with other people and could see for herself that he was respectful, polite, and soft-spoken with her.

Not every lesson should come from school books. By paying close attention to each individual child, you can form a closer relationship and you can also foster a sense of confidence and self-esteem by treating your daughters like queens.

Last weekend my mom took me into NYC to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. This was my first Broadway show and it was awesome!

I knew the story because we have the movie at home but it's not one that I watch a lot. We sat in the balcony and had a pretty good view of the whole stage and it was awesome to actually see Mary flying out over the audience! Bert even tap danced on the ceiling UPSIDE DOWN! (I know there were strings holding him up there but it was still cool!)

There was a lot of singing and dancing, which is what I like and I was kind of sad when the show ended. But it was great fun!

A Note from Mom
This was a fun show! Of course, with all the money Disney has, it's no wonder the production was spectacular!

All the actors in the show had amazing voices and even the children, who seemed to be in nearly every scene, were incredible. I'm not spending my time humming the tunes but it was great fun to go with a child.

A friend of mine had heard that there were some scary parts of the show and that kids under 10 shouldn't see it. The only scene that was "scary" was when Mr. Banks at one point yells at his family at the top of his lungs and everyone seems afraid of him. So the inference could be made that maybe he's verbally abusive to his family.

Come to find out that HIS nanny as a child was ultra-strict, bordering on the line of abusive, but I think these concepts are well above a child's understanding. The ending is the same, where Mr. Banks realizes just how important his family is and he makes some changes so everyone lives happily ever after.

If your child mentions that particular yelling scene, it's definitely important to discuss it but that's not the focus of the show.

Now, Broadway tickets are pretty expensive but there are websites that sometimes offer discounted tickets (that's how my SIL found these tickets for $55 each). Or, if you want to take a chance, you can stand at the half-price ticket booth and see what's on the board.

Webkinz are cute stuffed animals that come with "top secret" codes that you can use to login to the online Webkinz World and make your pet come to life.

Your first stop is the Adoption Center with Ms. Birdy. This is where you decide if your pet is a boy or a girl and then you get to name your pet. Your secret code gets entered on the next page and once it's verified, your pet is alive! You can even print out a birth certificate.

After your adoption is completed you can visit your Webkinz house. This is where your pet lives and by playing games and winning Webkinz money, you will eventually be able to buy furniture, food, and other decorations for your pet's house.

Beware! On the left side of the screen you will see a picture of your Webkinz pet and 3 scales showing the pet's happiness, love, and hunger. If these numbers start to get low, find some food or play with your pet to increase these numbers. If the numbers get too low (like if you don't log in regularly) the pets can "die".

Even Webkinz accessories have secret codes which can earn you special prizes for your pet, so look for them on lip gloss, perfume, bookmarks, trading cards, and Webkinz clothes.

If your child does not yet use the computer, these are still fun animals to create a make-believe world and they are the perfect size for little hands.

Also, always check the animal for the official "W" logo somewhere on its body and for the secret code, usually on a tag around its neck. Many stores have a "no return" policy to reduce fraud from people logging in the code and then returning the animal. Each code can only be used one time.

Available at Amazon.com, Walmart, Limited Too, Libby Lu stores, gift shops, and selected Hallmark card stores.

If you haven't heard of Hannah Montana, then you either don't have kids or are living under a rock!

Hannah Montana is the teenager who lives as a regular kid during the day and lives her pop star life at night on the popular Disney television show. With a huge closet full of glittery costumes, wild shoes, and lots of accessories, she is every girls' dream girly girl.

When shopping, you will find aisles of Hannah Montana toys along with posters, perfume, costumes, clothing, jewelry, makeup, books, calendars, bedroom accessories and CDs.

Hannah Montana is popular with girls as young as 5 years old (especially if they have older sisters who watch the show) and even some middle and high schoolers have dreams of rockin' it out like Hannah!

Available at Amazon.com, Toys R Us, and Walmart.

American Girl dolls are another popular gift choice for girls ages 8-12. Some younger girls also love these beautiful and sturdy dolls but only if they understand how to take good care of them! They are expensive so it's not a good choice if the young girl in your life is irresponsible with her doll.

There are different categories of American Girl dolls. The historic dolls come dressed in period costumes with a book about their adventures during the time period in which they lived. The books are historical fiction so your young girl can learn a bit about history while reading about her favorite character.

Not every doll is historical. There are the Girl of the Year dolls, which are in limited supply for only one year, and there are Just Like Me dolls who live in present time. These dolls also come with books and each doll has plenty of accessories to add to your girl's playroom.

American Girl also has Bitty Baby for the toddler in your family. They are made just as well as the bigger American Girl dolls but they are baby dolls.

American Girl dolls are available for purchase at American Girl.com