Play Patty’s Peek-A-Newz Challenge on Webkinz Newz!

Play the Lucky Irish Promotion on Ganz Parent Club!

Enter the Pom Pom Kitty Pet of the Month Sing Off Video Contest!

Help us countdown the days to Christmas on Ganz Parent Club!

Every day from December 1^st to 25^th we will be featuring a “Day of Play” article to help you and your little ones get ready for the holidays!

Check out the top Stories at Ganz Parent Club to see today’s post!

Take time to play, imagine and create with your kids today.  Stuck for an idea of what to do? We’re excited to offer suggestions for games, crafts and holiday activities every day!  It’s an advent calendar of fun!

We know you’re busy and working hard to provide the best for your children. We also know your time is precious but we would love to hear from you about our site!

Please take five minutes to answer our brief survey. Do you have something to say to help us make Ganz Parent Club a better place for you and your family to learn and engage?  The better we know your thoughts, the more we can continue to strive to make Ganz Parent Club an informative and engaging hub for you and yours. The survey is completely anonymous and we appreciate your providing as accurate answers as possible.

As a special thank you for completing this survey, we are offering special, exclusive Webkinz World items to send to your child’s account or keep for yourself!

Thanks in advance for your time – we really appreciate it!

Take the Survey:

This week we added nine new challenges to Webkinz World!

We’ve also made updates to the Friend Finder!

Check out the Video to learn more!

Though it can be challenging to consistently remind children to be polite in the midst of hectic holiday activities and travels, there’s no better time of year to drive home the importance of good manners. Especially with young children, it’s important to teach them to communicate with others in a way that promotes mutual respect. Here are some holiday ideas to get your kids interested in making sure that they remain on Santa’s “nice” list!

Manners Paper Chain

This is a fun way to visually reinforce good manners, family teamwork, and make a pretty holiday decoration!

1. Make your own nice list – consisting of the manners that need to be checked-twice – saying, “Please”, “Thank You”, “May I”, and “Excuse me” and include any behaviors that need extra attention: “Chew with your mouth closed ”, “Napkin in your lap”, “Ask to be excused from the table.”
2. Cut out 6 x 1 inch lengths of colored construction paper or pretty Christmas decorative paper (Consider using scrap wrapping paper for strips.). Keep a pile of strips in a convenient spot with a stapler or paste. You can even set aside special paper such as gold or silver for a particular behavior

Now, you’re ready to encourage your ever-courteous children! Every time you “catch” your children using good manners, reward them by letting them add a link to the manner chain. Siblings should be encouraged to work together with ‘positive tattling’. The chain can be used to decorate a Christmas tree or doorway. You might even write a little note about the good deed or manner on the links as they’re earned. Continue to build the manners chain, (encouraging children to see how long they can make it) until the holidays arrive, by then, the children will have surely made Santa’s good list! Now there’s a gift that everyone can appreciate!

Gingerbread Manners Tea

Host a Gingerbread Tea Party and practice your children’s best holiday table manners.

You’ll need:

• Gingerbread Boys
• Hot Chocolate
• Small table and chairs
• Napkins and small place settings

Before your tea, set a small table with enough chairs for your children and a couple of their favorite stuffed friends. Invite your children to bring a stuffed friend to a Gingerbread Manners Tea. You can create a real invitation by using a cookie cutter as a template.

When your little guests arrive, explain that this is a special Gingerbread Tea to teach their stuffed friends how to use their best table manners. Make it fun and use exaggerated silly voices and say things such as “Oh, Teddy dear, won’t you please pull out the chair for Mrs. Fluffy Stuff?” or “Mrs. Fluffy Stuff, please pass the hot chocolate,” or “Teddy, darling, your napkin would look lovely in your lap. Let me help you.” This over-the-top tea party should make everyone laugh while reinforcing good table manners.

For younger kids:

• Pack up gently used clothing to donate to your local shelter or charity thrift store
• Decorate holiday cards for service members overseas
• Bake cookies for your local fire station (slice and bake cookies work just as well!)
• Decorate re-useable grocery bags and fill with non-perishable food items and donate to a local food bank, church or synagogue

For older kids:

• Donate gently uses books, and DVDs to a local children’s hospital
• Collect towels and pet toys to donate to an animal shelter
• Host a bake sale or hot chocolate or lemonade sale and donate the proceeds to a charity of the child’s choice
• Help an elderly neighbor by raking their leaves, taking out their trash or shoveling snow

For the more ambitious:

• Start a coat drive at your school or local library
• Launch a green service project in your community to help clean up your local parks or playgrounds
• Sponsor a new toys drive to give to a local children’s charity or children’s hospital
• Adopt a manatee, or another endangered animal.  By raising money, children can “adopt” an animal and help get them off the endangered species list.

As we begin this season of giving and giving thanks, Ganz Parent Club wants to invite parents and their kids to participate in the Ganz World Give Back Challenge. We’re inviting members to launch a community service project between now and Christmas.  Members (both parents and kids) can share their good deed stories with our online community.  On our site, we will profile the top three projects and reward those members with Ganz gift baskets delivered to your doorstep.  We are looking for charitable giving or community service projects that make a difference in your immediate community or in the world. We’re asking for written submissions of 1000 characters or less, to describe you and your child’s social action project – what you’re doing and that impact you are making. We will profile winners online throughout January. Contest runs from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day 2011!

Click on the images below for more Details.

Webkinz Newz Events

Ganz Parent Club Events

First up, the Webkinz Walrus is November’s Pet of the Month, and MC Tusky is helping us celebrate by giving away some pretty cool hip hop clothing!

Look for MC Tusky on Webkinz Newz on select days to win eStore exclusive clothing items! If you haven’t already watched The Coolest Thing Is Everything, be sure to check it out! Visit on the specified days and look for MC Tusky. When you find him, click on him. Fill in the fields correctly and you’ll receive that day’s prize. Limit of one prize per Webkinz World account per day. Each day runs from 12:00am EST until 11:59pm EST.

Get the Too Cool Ball Cap on November 1, 10 and 21. Get the matching Too Cool Baggy Pants at Ganz eStore!

Get the Old School Pants on November 6, 13 and 23. Get the matching Old School Jacket at Ganz eStore!

Get the complete DJ Outfit on November 8, 17 and 29.

Are you the next Webkinz rap star? 

Want a chance to be featured in a Webkinz music video? Check out the “Coolest Thing is Everything” Webkinz Rap Contest! This video contest on YouTube gives you a chance to win 10 (physical) Webkinz pets and 10,000 KinzCash! We’ll pick 5 winners; just enter before November 21st, 2011.

Be sure to check out our MC Tusky inspired Treasure Hunt — complete the Treasure Hunt to get a Pop Groovin’ Gorilla virtual figure!

We’re also excited to welcome three new Adventure pets – the Webkinz Fox, Husky and Velvety Elephant! To celebrate, we’re bringing back the Webkinz Newz exclusive Adventure Park prizes.

From November 1 – 11, play the Adventure Park Peek-A-Newz Challenge to win one a ‘Kinz plushie or Adventure Park poster

On November 4, 7, 9, 14 and 16, look for Roberta’s floating head on Webkinz Newz to get a random piece of Webkinz Newz exclusive Adventure Park clothing! When you find Roberta, click on her! Fill in the fields correctly and a random prize will be added to your Webkinz World account. Limit of one prize per Webkinz World account per day. Each day runs from 12:00am EST until 11:59pm EST. Some prizes are more rare than others.

This November, we also want to hear what you’re grateful for! Tell us the top 10 things you’re grateful for and you could win a virtual Reindeer (December’s Pet of the Month!) in time for December. Check the Contests page for entry details.

We have even more fun things planned for this November — stay tuned to Webkinz Newz for more details.

… MUSTACHES!

Mustaches for all!  We’ve got enough to go around, and now your Webkinz virtual pet can have a mustache of its very own. Look for the following ad on Ganz Parent Club between November 1  and Nov 11, and click on it to win a moustache:

Included in the prize pool are two facial-hair dos: Louie’s Mustache and the Organic Sea Vaudeville Mask!

Louie’s Mustache is available November 1 – 6, the Organic Sea Vaudeville Mask will be available November 7 – 11.

Not sure just how cool a mustache would be on your favorite Webkinz? Just take a look at Mustache Louie’s swagger.

Limit of one prize per Webkinz World account per day. Each day runs from 12:00am EST until 11:59pm EST. Some prizes are more rare than others.

Following the release of an animated Webkinz music video titled “The Coolest Thing is Everything”, we launched a “Webkinz Rap Contest” encouraging Webkinz fans (with YouTube accounts) to write & rap their own “The Coolest Thing is Everything”  lyrics on video.

By: Jessica Boyd

Halloween is an exciting time for kids – and grownups, too! Who doesn’t love dressing up, going for a nighttime walk… and collecting free candy along the way? To get into the Halloween spirit, we’ve got three terrific book recommendations:

Scholastic Press

Zen Ghosts

Everyone loves a good ghost story, and “Zen Ghosts” by Jon J. Muth is just perfect for an older reader (grade one and up). This is a sequel to Muth’s “Zen Shorts” and stars the same delightful cast. Stillwater, the enlightened panda, accompanies Michael, Karl and Addy trick-or-treating and then takes them to hear a ghost story. The story-within-a-story is a little bit complex, so it’s not something you’d want to read with a preschooler. As a ghost story, it’s more spooky than scary, and definitely leaves the reader with some unanswered questions!

Random House Books for Young Readers

The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat

Everyone knows the Berenstain Bears – and most little ones will enjoy the simple story of “The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat”.  Brother and Sister Bear are ready for a night of candy collecting. They talk about all the important rules to keep in mind (like staying in their own neighborhood and not eating candy before Mama takes a look at it). When Brother makes a map of their trick-or-treat route, the cubs decide to avoid Miz McGrizz’s spooky old tree house – even though Mama insists looks can be deceiving and that she’s actually a nice old bear (and not a witch, as Brother and Sister think). On Halloween night, Brother and Sister end up at Miz McGrizz’s house and are shocked to receive a delicious candy apple – and to find out she’s actually a kind old lady.

HarperCollins

10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster

Finally, if you’ve got a little one who isn’t overly thrilled with the scary side of Halloween, try a book like Laura Numeroff’s “10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster”. Even though the subject matter is definitely monster-centric, the story is absolutely sweet and not at all scary. The guide covers everything from the choosing and naming to the care and feeding of a pet monster. Even the littlest kids will enjoy the colorful illustrations and humorous text.

Here are some fun activities you can do to extend the story beyond the book!

Tell a Ghostly Tale: This is especially fun for older kids. Sit in a circle and dim the lights. Turn on a flashlight and hold it under your chin. Start telling a spooky story. When you get to a cliffhanger (“She opened the door and saw…”) pass the flashlight to the next person. Keep passing the flashlight around the circle until your story ends. With so many storytellers, you never know what kind of tale you’ll end up with!

Trick or Treat Map: Like Sister and Brother, you and your child can make a trick or treat map. Just get a large piece of paper and some markers. Work together to draw the streets in your neighborhood, and make an ‘X’ on houses you’d like to visit. On Halloween night, carry your map with you!

The BEST Candy in the World: In “Zen Ghosts”, Stillwater especially enjoyed eating bamboo flavored Snookers bars. Ask your child what kind of candy they would like most of all – and have them come up with a recipe for their ultimate candy creation. If you’re feeling especially brave, try making it with them!

Make a Monster: There’s no wrong way to make a monster! Ask  your child what type of monster they would like for a pet (maybe a monster that can bake cookies? Or one that can fly them to school?) and then get out your art supplies and let their imagination take over. When the monster is ready, be sure to give it a name and introduce it to the rest of the family!

Happy Halloween!

The Halloween Challenges are only available from October 28 to November 5, so make sure to visit Webkinz World before then and get ready for some spooky fun!

Be sure to check out the Webkinz News Weekend Roundup!

Open to Webkinz World members residing in the USA and Canada (some exceptions apply).

What’s your greatest Halloween memory? Do you set up a haunted house each year? Make your own costumes? Bob for apples? There are all kinds of great Halloween memories and we want to hear yours! Tell us about your greatest Halloween memory in 1000 characters or fewer and you could win a virtual Spooky MAZIN’ Hamster (the “Prize”).

The contest opens at 12:00 am EST on October 22, 2011 and ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 28, 2011. For details on how to enter the contest and the official contest rules, click here.

Visit the Contests page on Oct 22 to enter this contest. Entries in the comments will not be considered.

What’s up?! MC Tusky here, and I’ve got some newz about a new contest!

I’m searching for Webkinz™ fans to help me out with a rappin’ stylin’ music video, and I’ve got some amazing prizes for 5 winners including:

10,000 KinzCash and 10 Webkinz pets!

That’s right… each winner will receive a serious amount of KinzCash (10,000) for shopping in Webkinz World, and 10 plush Webkinz pets via mail! The 5 winner’s videos will also be featured in a Webkinz music video!

Check it out!

By: Suelain Moy

Great collectors have always been famous throughout history. In fact, both John Lennon and Freddie Mercury collected stamps as kids, and stamps helped Amelia Earhart finance her transatlantic flights. (See Lennon’s childhood stamp album at theNational Postal Museum). In 1877, Thomas Edison made his first sound recordings on sheets of tinfoil. You can still hear the strains of the music and melodies he collected in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

Even the eccentric tycoon J. Paul Getty could not resist the allure of collecting. In 1965, he wrote of  “the romance and zest—the excitement, suspense, thrills, and triumphs—that make art collecting one of the most exhilarating and satisfying of all human endeavors.”

As an adult who has sat in rooms with enough Webkinz and stuffed animals to populate an ark , and miles of miniature trains and tracks, I have been astonished by how breathtaking and personally revealing individual collections can be. From pressed pennies to snow globes and comic books and eerily life-like dolls, no collection is too humble to start or continue.

Collecting brings out the proud hunter-gatherers in all of us. It is a primitive urge to collect objects that please us, although not every collection belongs in a museum. The Smithsonian has a helpful web site for kids with tips on how to start collecting, and details on many of the museum’s treasures.

When you collect, your mind has singled out a particular object above all others and declared it to be of special value, without compare, most rare and excellent. Collecting and trading encourage children to accumulate and amass—but also to appraise, organize, discover, and recover. Kids spend hours counting, sorting, and categorizing, all the while boosting their math and reading skills. Whether the items are virtual or not, they imbue the owner with a certain responsibility.

Anyone can start a collection, with a carefully chosen pebble or Pretty Peacock. The possibilities are as endless and as individual as the unique sensibility of the collectors themselves. One friend collects tiny mirrors, while another gathers vintage fabrics and homemade wooden picture frames, because, quite frankly, sometimes it’s more fun to collect the frames than the pictures. The blank squares and rectangles beckon to us, full of possibilities.

I am no stranger to collecting. Open my closet and you will find it bursting with blooms. There are dozens of flowery dresses in riotous patterns and hues. My nightstands and bookshelves attest that I am a bibliophile, or lover of books. You know, the kind you pull off the shelf with your hands and open and leaf through the pages to read. I have been collecting fairytales since I was a child and I count their tattered spines among my most prized possessions.

“If you get a Kindle or Nook or …” my friend starts to tell me, before noticing my death stare. “Er, you can collect even more books and carry them all with you!” she finishes in a barely audible whisper.

“They don’t call it a Nookshelf!” I hiss back.

We collect beauty, we collect joy, because of the delight we feel when we open the book, click on the screen, or artfully arrange our masterpieces. Consider your own collections. Are they for private or public viewing? Do you share your treasures or enjoy them alone? How do you display them—in binders with clear sleeves for viewing, huge plastic bins, or custom-built cabinets, shelving, and display cases?

Or do you just love to look and stare?

It’s that spooky time of year again, and you know what that means… Candy! We here at the Ganz Parent Club love candy too, but we also know the importance of a healthy balanced diet. That’s why we’re asking for a top 10 list of your favorite healthy Halloween Snacks. You could win a virtual Lava Dragon pet  (the “Prize”).

5 winners will be randomly selected from the pool of entrants who fill out all of the fields correctly.

The contest opens at 12:00 am EST on October 15, 2011 and ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 21, 2011. For details on how to enter the contest and the official contest rules, click here.

To enter, visit the Contests page on October 15th.

There’s always something exciting going on at the Adventure Park, and now we’ve made it more interesting with the introduction of some new prizes to find when doing your Daily Quick Quest digs! You’re going to love the collecting the Zodiac Earth Costume, Pyramid Wallpaper, Golden Dragon Statue and Victorian Garden Stones.

Some more great news is that now all pets will appear in the Adventure Park! There are so many types of pets in Webkinz World, and it’s awesome to see them visiting the Adventure Park.

If you don’t have an Adventure Park Series Pet, now’s a great time to get one – the Adventure Park is one awesome place to play!

The colors of the turning leaves are absolutely gorgeous this time of year and we want to see how you capture that beauty! Send us a picture of your best leaf-based craft and you could win a virtual Night Mare (the “Prize”).

For an example, see our Fall Leaf Painting Craft article.

The contest opens at 12:00 am EST on October 8, 2011 and ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 14, 2011. For details on how to enter the contest and the official contest rules, click here.

To enter, visit the Contests page on October 1st.

I’m all for cutting corners from my busy schedule when I can. Refrigerator cookie dough, bakery cupcakes or prepackaged party favors certainly come in handy. So when I saw these Halloween themed marshmallow treats at my market, I thought I’d grab them to give as Halloween party favors. Then I discovered they were $5.50 each, totaling over $100.00 for a party of 20 guests! Saving time is one thing, but wasting money on a Halloween treat that can just as easily be made with the kids is kind of silly in my book. So grab your favorite marshmallow krispy recipe and have some fun!

You’ll Need:

• Marshmallows
• Rice Krispies Cereal
• Butter
• White candy melts or almond bark (craft store)
• Orange candy melts
• Green nonpareils
• Yellow nonpareils
• Halloween cookie cutters
• Parchment or waxed paper
• Your favorite marshmallow krispy treat recipe

Directions:

1. To achieve a thick marshmallow treat like the ones you see in this photo, grease and prepare a 9×13 inch pan. You may need more than one depending on the cookie cutter size. Look at your cookie cutters before determining the depth as well (we almost couldn’t cut ours all the way through).
2. After following your recipe, press the warm marshmallow rice mixture firmly in the pan using a butter spatula.
3. Let the bars set for several hours or even over night.
4. Use your cookie cutters to cut the marshmallow treats into fun shapes.

To make the pumpkin:

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Melt the orange candy melts in a microwavable bowl, following the directions on the package. Dip the front of the pumpkin treat into the orange melts, or you can spoon the melted candy on the front. Gently shake off excess. Chill and leave to harden.
3. Repeat with a second coat of orange.
4. Before the candy hardens, sprinkle green nonpareils on the top to make the stem of the pumpkin. Leave the cookies to harden or chill to expedite the process.

To make the candy corn:

1. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper.
2. Melt the white candy melts in a microwavable bowl, following the directions on the package. Dip the front of candy corn treat or you can spoon the melted candy on the front. Set it aside on parchment paper while you complete the step with the other cookies. Chill the cookies until the white candy melt has hardened.
3. Repeat with another layer of white to achieve the smooth texture and chill to set.
4. Melt the orange candy melts. Dip the bottom of the triangle treat into the orange
5. Gently shake off excess and place it on the parchment paper.
6. Before the orange begins to harden, sprinkle yellow nonpareils on the bottom third of the treat to complete the candy corn. Leave the cookies to harden or chill to expedite the process.

Once the treats are completely set, wrap them in plastic wrap or package them in clear plastic treat bags from the craft store.

Tip: I used a little more rice cereal than my recipe called for which made the mixture thicker, firmer and easier to cut.

Kit Bennett, the Editorial Director for Ganz Parent Club is a celebration and play expert who believes that sprinkles, pom-poms, pipe cleaners and wiggle eyes make the world a brighter place. She’s the founder of AmazingMoms.com and KidsParties 1-2-3 where she makes planning a party for kids as easy as 1,2,3! Her inspiration comes from her four children, two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews whom she loves BIG, BIG, BIG! Facebook | Twitter

GanzWorld hosts its first Twitter party with Webkinz

To kick off the Webkinz online campaign “The Coolest Thing is Everything”, here at GanzWorld we’re throwing a party to celebrate with parents and Webkinz fans on Twitter!

The party will be held on Saturday, October 8th 2011, and we’ve got 60 amazing prizes to giveaway including EXCLUSIVE & RARE Webkinz beds, Webkinz EMO jeans and Webkinz furniture.

WEBKINZ PARTY PRIZES:

You’ll have a chance to win 60 prizes at the GanzWorld Party such as an amazing WEBKINZ gift basket valued at over $60!

The Webkinz pets seen in this image may represent the exact pets offered within the prize.

WHEN:

October 8th, 2011 from 2:00PM TO 4:00PM (EST)

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Follow @Ganz_World and @Webkinz on Twitter, and respond or “reply” to our questions for a chance to win one of the 60 prizes available. Both Webkinz and GanzWorld will be asking questions during the party.

Our Party hashtag is: #CTIE

Twitter users commonly use hashtags (using the # symbol leading a keyword), to mark topics in a Tweet. Our hashtag #CTIE represents the name of our party “The Coolest Thing is Everything”.

PARTY CLUES:

“Like” GanzWorld on Facebook ( http://facebook.com/GanzWorld ) to get the latest news and party clues, which will help you answer the questions on Twitter.

Please read the GanzWorld Twitter Party Contest RULES.

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Winners will be randomly selected from the pool of entrants who fill out all of the fields correctly.

To enter, visit the Contests page between October 1st and 7th and click Enter Contest!

Open to Webkinz World members residing in the USA and Canada (some exceptions apply).

We’d like to share with you something special that Ganz is doing to help support the breast cancer cause.

Nikki Yanofsky, the teen jazz-pop artist who performed the song “I Believe” at the 2010 Winter Olympics, has just recorded a version of the Webkinz World song “I Dream in Pink”, the Webkinz™ Pet of the Month song from October 2010!

This is thrilling news because Nikki Yanofsky is the first celebrity artist to have ever recorded a song from Webkinz World! The new jazzy version of “I Dream in Pink” is available for free when you help Ganz raise funds for breast cancer research by purchasing a Webkinz Pink Poodle with a special tag.

Do you live in the United States?

During the month of October when you purchase a Webkinz Pink Poodle in the United States with a special tag that says “Susan G. Komen”, Ganz will donate a minimum of $2 to help support Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Do you live in Canada?

In Canada, specially tagged Webkinz Pink Poodles are available through the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation at events hosted by the Foundation across the country.

How to get Nikki’s version of “I Dream in Pink”

When the Webkinz Pink Poodle (with the special tag) is adopted in Webkinz World, you’ll get the option to download the new version of “I Dream in Pink” by Nikki Yanofsky for free*.

Get it on iTunes

If you’re not able to purchase a Webkinz Pink Poodle, Nikki’s version of “I Dream in Pink” will be available for purchase on Apple’s iTunes through the Webkinz iTunes page.

*Free MP3 download available until December 31st, 2011.

Worried about grabbing that extra cup of Joe because it may not be good for you? While too much caffeine may prevent you from sleeping at night, a new study finds that a few cups of coffee a day may also prevent depression in women.

A recently released study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who drank caffeinated coffee were less likely to be depressed and the more they consumed the lower their risk of depression.

The research included more than 50,000 women between the ages of 30 and 55 and followed them for 10 years. Compared with women who drank little or no caffeinated coffee, those who averaged two to three cups per day were 15% less likely to develop depression, even after taking into account a wide range of factors including marital status, church or community participation, and various health measures. Drinking four cups a day was associated with a 20% lower risk of depression.

“There’s no need to start drinking coffee,” study co-author Alberto Ascherio, M.D., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston told Health.com.” The message is that coffee is safe to drink, with no adverse effects. That’s really all that can be said.”

This is not the first study to be done on caffeine and its affects on mental health. A study of men in Finland published last year linked caffeine consumption to a lower risk of depression and suicide.

Experts agree on some general guidelines:

#1 – When They Are Ready. You can’t begin an allowance until your child is mature enough to understand the value of what they are doing. A general rule is around age 8, but depending on your child it could be younger or you may have to wait until they are older and more interested.

#2 – Talk About it. You shouldn’t just rush out and hand out the cash. You need to spend some time talking about not only spending the allowance but saving it and donating some as well. This is a great opportunity to discuss philanthropy with your child and the importance of giving back. Set aside money each week that can be donated to a charity or cause that may interest or be relevant to your child.

#3 – Don’t Tie Allowance to Punishment. This is a big no-no. If your child needs to be punished choose another method to make your point. Take away a TV and computer privilege, not the allowance. Allowance money should be designed to reward specific behavior around completing designated chores or responsibilities.

#4 – Don’t Pay Them for Everything. Setting the table for dinner, doing homework, taking a shower, these are everyday activities that don’t deserve payment. You don’t want to create a monster by having to pay your kid for clearing the dishes. This is common courtesy after a meal. Be clear on your expectations with your kids – let them know what they need to be doing as contributing members of the family, which is different from what they do for their weekly allowance.

#5 – Pay them in smaller amounts. If they get a dollar for allowance, give them 4 quarters. If they get $5, give them 5 singles (or loonies and twoonies for Canadian kids). For young children seeing money broken down into smaller amounts is often more exciting and motivating.

#6 – Save and then Spend – Let your child save toward a specific item. Don’t just let them run out and spend their weekly allowance. Have a goal and work towards it. Start saving for a month or more of allowance money and then go out and make the purchase. Your child will feel like they had to work for something and had to also delay instant gratification – just like in the real, grownup world.

#7 – Open a Bank Account. Take your child to the bank and if they don’t have an account in their name, open one. Each week when they get their allowance, you can deposit their money and they can see their balance grow.

Open to Webkinz World members residing in the USA and Canada (some exceptions apply).

Summer might be on its way out, but Autumn is awesome! Share with us your top 10 favorite outdoor family activities for the Fall and you could win a virtual Sparkling Pegasus (the “Prize”).

5 winners will be randomly selected from the pool of entrants who fill out all of the fields correctly.

The contest opens at 10:00 am EST on September 14, 2011 and ends at 11:59 pm EST on September 30, 2011. For details on how to enter the contest and the official contest rules, click here

To enter, visit the Contests page during the entry period and click Enter Contest!

What can you do with the bags and bags of candy corn from the 50% off post Halloween bin? Make turkey cupcakes of course! They’re not a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but they sure are adorable and easy enough for the kids to assemble during the festivities, while everyone else is watching football!

You’ll Need:

• Your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, or box
• Yellow, orange or brown paper cupcake liners
• Chocolate frosting (homemade or store bought)
• Candy corn 8-10 pieces per cupcake
• Milk chocolate melting wafers or small mint cookies
• White chocolate chips
• Black decorator gel (black licorice was used in the photo)
• Ready to use chocolate decorator icing in a tube
• or a pastry bag with frosting
• Parchment paper (optional)

Directions:

1. Bake and frost your cupcakes.
2. Use the chocolate frosting tube to attach the white chocolate chip eyes to the bottom of the chocolate wafer or cookie and set them on a piece of parchment paper.
3. Do NOT add the black gels dots on the eyes yet.
4. Stand the chocolate wafer or the head and eyes, into the center of the cupcake.
5. Gently press it in place.
6. Add a small black gel dot on the center of the white chip.
7. Insert 6-8 candy corns pointed down, behind the head and along the back edge of the cupcake to make the feathers.
8. Add one candy corn for the beak and you are done.

Take the Candy Corn Turkey Cupcakes Quiz for the opportunity to earn KinzCash!

Kit Bennett, the Editorial Director for Ganz Parent Club is a celebration and play expert who believes that sprinkles, pom-poms, pipe cleaners and wiggle eyes make the world a brighter place. She’s the founder of AmazingMoms.com and KidsParties 1-2-3 where she makes planning a party for kids as easy as 1,2,3! Her inspiration comes from her four children, two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews whom she loves BIG, BIG, BIG!

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The baby is crying, your toddler is tugging on your skirt and pleading with you to not go to work, But if you don’t run out the door RIGHT now, you’re going to be late AGAIN. Your heart is pounding, your head is throbbing and it’s only 8 a.m. Welcome to life as a working mom.

For millions of working moms the daily struggle and stress of balancing career and family is enough to bring on premature gray hair. We thought we could do it all but we constantly feel like we’re burning it on both ends and something’s got to give. There may be no such thing as balance but we are desperate to make it work.

You are not alone. Below are 10 tips for how to stay sane, stay organized and yes, dare we say it, do it all – maybe not perfectly, but good enough.

Rule No. 1: Identity, Love Thyself

You must know who you are and why you work. Yes, most of us work for the money, but many more also work because they enjoy their careers and the stimulation they get from their jobs. Embrace this. Don’t feel you have to apologize for having a career after you have children. If it makes you feel good and also helps support your family, then feel empowered about having a career particularly one that gives you personal satisfaction. Don’t feel guilty, feel good.

Rule No. 2: It Takes a Village

To be a successful working parent you must have good infrastructure in place and be organized including the right childcare. Some children thrive in day care; others do better with in-home care. Find a solution that works for you and your family’s needs.

Rule No. 3: The Right Support

You and your spouse or partner should develop a strategy and plan for running your household. Who does the mornings, the baby feedings, breakfast, getting dressed, off to school, day care etc. Who’s in charge of homework? Who cooks dinner? Who does the grocery shopping, laundry etc.? Who makes the doctor’s appointments, signs up for classes, and makes the play dates? If the answer is always you, then it’s time to renegotiate.

Rule No. 4: Be Organized

Doing things like packing the sippy cups, bottles or lunches the night before. Buying birthday presents in bulk. Staying organized helps keep you sane.

Rule No. 5: The Ego

If you have an ego, conquer it. You cannot work 15-hour days, six days a week and give your children the time they need. At the same time, you cannot be at your kids’ school every day and at home every afternoon and give your clients and colleagues what they need from you either. If you’re going to be a working parent with a solid job performance review and with happy, well adjusted kids, you must learn to re-evaluate your ambitions – both personal and professional.

When you see it, click it and then fill in the fields correctly to win a random amount of KinzCash. Requires a valid Webkinz World account.

Limit of one prize per Webkinz World account per day.

Hey everyone! There’s something special happening on September 24^th 2011, and it’s all about encouraging YOU to get outside and play!

Webkinz is supporting Nickelodeon’s 8^th annual Worldwide Day of Play. It’s a day when children across North America turn off their TVs, gadgets and computers to get active, and get healthy.

On Saturday September 24^th from 12pm to 3pm (EST) both Webkinz World and the Nickelodeon channel will be shutting down, so you won’t miss any fun while you’re outside playing.

At 12pm (EST) a few of our well-known Kinzville citizens will be helping us turn off Webkinz World, that will be YOUR cue to begin a fun activity or game that will get your body moving.

What’s more? At 3pm (EST) when you log back on at Webkinz World, you’ll receive an awesome virtual prize.

Need some ideas on fun activities? Over the last few weeks on Webkinz Newz we’ve posted some articles about getting healthy, which you can find here.

Please let us know about your favorite physical activity in the comments.

It’s no surprise how important exercise is for kids’ good health. What is often referred to as the “obesity epidemic” is just as linked to a sedentary lifestyle (think: video games vs. playing outdoors) as it is to poor diet. Busy parents themselves are often unable to find time to workout, much less plan time for their kids to exercise. Sure, many kids have scheduled physical activities like dance, soccer, swimming, martial arts, and so on, and some of us do manage to hit the gym or the pavement on a regular basis, but most of us, young and old, could benefit from just a little bit more action throughout our days. With Phys Ed and Recess periods becoming endangered species in schools across the country, our kids are spending more and more time sitting at a desk; all the more reason to find fun and easy ways to up the motion quotient.

With that in mind, here’s a little challenge for your family. “EXTRAcises.” An EXTRAcise can be anything that briefly gets you going, anytime and anyplace, throughout your day – simple (and sometimes seemingly silly) activities that are easy to work in whenever you have a minute or five. Here’s a list of suggested EXTRAcises, but you and your kids should feel free to come up with your own ideas and continue to challenging one another. Pretty much anything physical qualifies, as long as it’s in addition to what you would normally do (or not do!). Write or print up a list of all the activities (or let the kids make the chart), followed by the names of your family members with little check boxes next to them. Make a new copy every day (or a great big one that will fit the whole week). At the end of the week, tally who has done the most EXTRAcising and reward the “winner” in some special way. Perhaps they get to pick Saturday’s dinner, a family movie, or other outing.

You can increase or decrease the number of “reps” suggested, of course, but the main idea is to keep these fast and easy to do, so you and your kids can always find the time. Research has shown that all additional movement really does add to your good health and subtract from your waistline. Plus, it’s kind of addictive; you’ll soon find yourself going out of your way to do a little something EXTRA! (Hmm, “going out of your way.” That’s EXTRAcising!)

It all started with Peanut the Elephant and Orange the Cat. They entered our house just like any plush toy. The kids (3 and 5 year old nephews) and I sat together to begin the Webkinz registration process… pet’s name, user name, password etc.

Then the fun began.

Rooms were created, pets were fed and clothed and I left the kids to play the games in the afternoon during their allotted computer time.

A while later I began watching over their shoulders while they played, realizing I could help them earn points if I played a little too. Fast-forward eighteen months and meet Pablo the Chinchilla. He is my very own Webkinz plush toy. A birthday gift from the boys and purchased with money they’d earned themselves. You should gave seen their faces when I opened it!

I’ve been served a fair dose of harassment from my sister for playing the Webkinz games,
 which is understandable, my kids are grown and I play even when the boys are not visiting.

I replied with a pretty convincing case for adults who play Webkinz games and it must have worked, because she’s playing a little as well.

Why I Play WebKinz and Other Grown-Ups Can Too

1. Sharing a common interest with the kids in your life improves communication.

2. Because I’m involved I can encourage them to earn eStore points and virtual pets for good deeds like chores, homework and acts of kindness.

3. I can watch over their online behavior.

4. The non-violent, easy to play games are fun at the end of the day. I’m terrible at the complicated grown up video games… they stress me out!

5. Decorating a virtual room is much cheaper than redecorating my living room.

6. It’s fun and I get a huge hug from two boys I love very, very much!
 I think I’d get the hug anyway, but you never know!

Take the Adults & Webkinz Poll for the opportunity to earn Kinzcash!

Kit Bennett, the Editorial Director for Ganz Parent Club is a celebration and play expert who believes that sprinkles, pom-poms, pipe cleaners and wiggle eyes make the world a brighter place. She’s the founder of AmazingMoms.com and KidsParties 1-2-3 where she makes planning a party for kids as easy as 1,2,3! Her inspiration comes from her four children, two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews whom she loves BIG, BIG, BIG! Facebook | Twitter