1. Jane Jetson (The Jetsons)

Don’t Jane and Rosie look like they’re having the best spa day ever?

What’s not to love about Jane? Aside from having to put up with her husband’s antics, Jane was also faced with having to raise a sassy teenage girl and a genius son. Thank goodness she had Rosie on her side! Those two were the ultimate gal pals. On another note, Jane’s obsession with purple is perfectly fine with us.

2. Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch)

The Queen of the Brady Clan

No list of top TV moms would be complete without this blonde beauty. It’s obviously not easy to take on stepchildren, but three rowdy boys?? Carol Brady is basically a saint. Plus, we seem to remember everyone wanting to emulate her hairstyle, making Mrs. Brady one of the first TV style-maven mothers. Carol also gave us the most important house rule of all time: “Never play ball in the house.”

3. Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis (Full House)

We all shed a tear of happiness at the Katsopolis wedding.

When Rebecca Donaldson married Uncle Jessie Katsopolis on Full House, it was a monumental introduction of a mother figure to a male-dominated home. Rebecca did it all. She hosted a TV show with Danny Tanner, raised boisterous twin boys, and was the female voice-of-reason for her nieces. She was definitely a mom worth celebrating!

4. Harriet Winslow (Family Matters)

Who else could keep Carl in line?

Harriet Winslow was a strong and positive role model for her children.  She was a full time mom, a wonderful wife to Carl, and could also withstand their annoying neighbor Steve Urkel. She played a huge role in raising both her daughters and son and made sure they would make the best life decisions.

5. Vivian Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Everyone had a favorite Vivian. Which was yours?

Vivian was an amazing mother; she raised two sons, two daughters, and even took in her nephew from Philly. She could do everything, she could sing, she could dance, she could teach, and she also gave some of the best guidance to her kids and nephew. Vivian was so great that we didn’t even notice when the actress playing her was re-cast.

What other TV moms have we left off that you’d like to celebrate this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful mothers out there!

While we often hear sad stories about soldiers losing their lives, nothing warms our heart like seeing videos and pictures of these troops coming home and returning to their families.

So bust out the tissues, because it might get a little dusty in here.  These  are some of our favorite homecoming videos.

There’s so much joy surrounding the time when troops come home, and these reunions can lead to some unbelievably amazing moments.  As this dad returns home, he’s greeted by his family, including his young son with cerebral palsy, who’s never walked before, until this moment as he starts walking toward his dad who has just returned home from being deployed.

This young boy took his first steps over when he saw his dad was home!

We also love this one, with a family of South Carolina Gamecocks fans on the field hearing a message from their dad that is supposedly overseas.  After seeing a short video of him onscreen, they’re surprised to learn that he’s actually in the stadium! Watch how fast the mom runs toward her husband as he enters the field!

This family just found out their dad is about to run through the tunnel and onto the field. Watch them sprint toward him!

Here’s a high school freshman and a high school sophomore being interviewed in the school office, and surprised by their dad.  I wonder if they were nervous being called to the office like that?  You get the sense when the girls see their dad they had a feeling he would be there somewhere, but it doesn’t make it any less nice to see.

This dad surprised his daughters in the office of their high school.

Dogs can’t help but be uncontrollably excited as well, as this pooch happily greets, licks and jumps all over his returning owner.  Even pets can miss their family!

This dog shows that pets can get just as excited when their owner returns home!

In one of the strangest ones we’ve seen, this dad dresses up as Darth Vader to surprise his son at a Star Wars party.  After a prolonged duel, it is eventually revealed to the young boy that Darth really is his father!

How about a Stars Wars themed reunion? That’s not Darth Vader, that’s my dad!

There are quite a few great videos of troops surprising their relatives.  Here’s a soldier surprising his sister who’s on stage during a raffle in front of the rest of the school.  This one is set to Bruno Mars’ ”Just the Way You Are.” We love these types of videos and could watch them all day!

Did you tear up at all like we did?  Do you or your friends have a cool reunion video or story to share?  Tell us all about it, we’d love to share it with the rest of our Zui.com family!

And thanks as always to the troops and their families for the sacrifices they make!

Family Tech expert Johner Riehl is co-author of the Modern Parent’s Guidebook series, a producer and host for Parent Savers Online Radio, and the founder and editorial director of FamilyFriendlyVideoGames.com, a site dedicated to offering families easy-to-understand information about family-friendly games and Apps.  He’s also a freelance consultant and writer, living in San Diego with his wife Christina and three sons. TWITTER: @FamilyTechDad @FmlyFrndlyVdGms

If you have Legends of Chima fans in your house, they’ll love these books!

With summer right around the corner, you might be wondering how to get your children to explore reading while they’re outside of the classroom for three months!

The KidZui team was recently introduced to two new LEGO® Legends of CHIMA™ books that have taken a fun approach to engaging your young readers by combining play with reading.

The rich history of Chima

Here’s the backstory: For a thousand years, animal tribes have ruled the land of CHIMA. Lions, crocodiles, eagles, wolves, gorillas, ravens, rhinos and bears lived in peace. They played and worked together, cooperated and prospered – until the outbreak of the CHIMA conflicts.

And now you get to decide who will battle for the highly sought-after CHI to help restore the natural balance of CHIMA, from Crocodile Price Cragger to the Lions who guard the Ancient Pool.

In the all-new LEGO® Brickmaster, your reader will assist Lennox the Lion in defeating Crawley the Crocodile as they fight over recently uncovered CHI. The book comes with two exclusive minifigures and step-by-step instructions to create 17 models that are featured in the story! And with the Ultimate Sticker Collection, which features over 1,000 reusable stickers, your child can create their own CHIMA battles and scenes, and tote them wherever they go!

Every Legends of Chima fan needs the Ultimate Sticker Collection

These books are definitely something your little LEGO fan won’t want to miss.

Happy reading!

The KidZui Team

This blog post is sponsored by the awesome people at DK Publishing because they know how badly all of our fans want to combine LEGO bricks with their books.

LEGO, the LEGO logo, LEGENDS OF CHIMA, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2013 The LEGO Group.

Produced by DK Publishing under license from the LEGO Group.

The Starfall Magic games are a great way to introduce phonics to your little readers

Starfall Magic

In this section of the site, your child can make a magician, label a magician, do a magic hat trick, or do a magic shell trick. Each of these activities coaches your child through all of the reading word by word, while still keeping up the fun. The magician becomes a fun companion to guide your magic-loving reader through the activities.

A KidZui parent might even learn something new in the Art Gallery section of Starfall

Starfall Art Gallery

In the Art Gallery, Starfall makes an effort to combine art history into its phonics games. Your child can learn about Vincent van Gogh and combo words at the same time! This is yet another example of how Starfall games for kids can tie into and be beneficial to other aspects of your child’s development.

Allow classical music to help with your child’s reading

Starfall Music

In another example of how Starfall games for kids integrate other types of learning with reading, Starfall Music teaches your reader about some of the classics. The Ludwig von Beethoven section guides a learner through Beethoven facts and music. Eventually, this prompts a lesson on number words like “first, second, third, etc.”

Starfall also provides lesson plans if you’d like to try a structured approach to learning how to read. If your little reader hasn’t tried the Starfall site yet, give it a shot. Starfall games for kids is the perfect example of making learning phonics fun!

Have you tried Starfall in your KidZui browser yet? What are your thoughts on the site? Let us know in the comments below!

The Giving Tree - written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein

RyanZui’s favorite is a classic in many homes

“Shel  Silverstein’s The Giving Tree was a regular at bedtime when I was a youngster.  My brother and I loved the story of friendship, the simple and fun pictures, and seeing the young boy grow up.  It was also a long book so it meant we could push off going to sleep longer than with nearly any other book on the bookshelf. :)” – RyanZui

A Fish Out of Water - written by Helen Palmer, illustrated by P.D. Eastman

This story is based on a short story written by Helen Palmer’s husband, Dr. Seuss

“In the story, a little boy feeds his new pet fish “Otto” too much food and the fish just keeps on growing and growing to the point where it ends up in his bath tub and beyond…well, you get the picture.  Here’s a video I found about the book. I’m not sure why I loved it so much.  I think it was because my older brother had this really big fresh water fish tank in his room. I would sneak in and feed his fish tons of food hoping the same thing would happen.  But, no such luck.  All it did was make his fish tank dirty. He would then make me clean his fish tank by using my mouth as a suction to get the dirty water up and out into the sink. Water from the tank would get in my mouth, and he got a big kick out of seeing me get grossed out. Big brothers are just AWESOME!” - BarbieZui

It’s Halloween – written by Jack Prelutsky, illustrated by Marylin Hafner

A great read all year-round

“For me, Jack Prelutsky’s It’s Halloween is my all time favorite anytime of year.  Filled with Marylin Hafner’s amazingly rendered spooks, monsters and trick-or-treaters, It’s Halloween is the ultimate Halloween adventure.” – DannyZui

The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree – written and illustrated by Stan & Jan Berenstain

For NealZui, this book was spooky even after countless reads!

“I remember this book being really scary, but suspenseful enough that you had to just be brave and keep going. Even on the millionth reading, I felt that way when they climbed over that gigantic bear towards the end. And they all got the shivers and had to bolt out of the tree.” – NealZui

Sideways Stories from Wayside School – written by Louis Sachar

We all probably wished we were enrolled at Wayside School

“It was one of the first chapter books I learned to read & the author came to my school in 2nd grade. I liked the wacky stories and the funny descriptions. ” – AdrienneZui

I Just Forgot – written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer

Why doesn’t this excuse work as an adult in real life?

“All of the Little Critter books spent the most time out of the bookcase at my house. I remember even having a few animated versions of some of the stories on VHS. I Just Forgot was always a favorite because it made me feel better about picking up after myself without being told. That’s right, I was a perfect angel for my parents. But, looking back at this story as an adult, I can’t deny the truth in the very first sentence: ‘Sometimes I remember, and sometimes I just forget.’ I think we can all relate to this simple sentiment.” – VanessaZui

The Tale of Peter Rabbit  – written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter

The classic book that taught JohnZui how to read

“The Tale of Peter Rabbit was my favorite because my mom was always a big Beatrix Potter fan. This was the series of books that taught us how to read to the point when we could read them to my little sister.” – JohnZui

Falling Up and Where the Sidewalk Ends – written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein

“The poems and artwork were so simple, yet captivating, funny and weird!  I used to love reading the poems because they were always funny, and they were related to kid themes.  I remember the different poems dealt with gross things, dreams/imagination, seeing the world through a kid’s eyes, not wanting to eat your vegetables, loving ice cream, etc.” – JessicaZui

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

An exciting sci-fi novel for older kids

“When I was 13, I loved Ender’s Game. It’s just awesome! I’m also excited for the upcoming movie.” – VincentZui

Where the Wild Things Are – written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Imagination goes a long way!

“I remember reading this book everyday to my brother who was in kindergarten. I think the reason it was my favorite book was because it showed how amazing kids’ imaginations are and how much fun kids can have. My mom still has the book in my memory box too.” – NancyZui

Frog and Toad Are Friends – written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel

Who knew a frog and a toad could be best friends?

“I love Frog and Toad.” – WillZui

And there you have it! What were your favorite books as a child? Do your children like reading any of the books we’ve listed above? Let us know in the comments below. Happy Children’s Book Day!

The KidZui Team

To research this post, I had the pleasure of browsing Pinterest for ideas. It wasn’t long before I decided to ditch the arts and crafts entirely and hop all over the tasty treats themed for our favorite day to wear green. These three yummies are what I’ve decided to be the cat’s pajamas — the items most worth your time to recreate at home and most worth my undying envy.

Shamrock Snacks

Photo Credit: Rachel, Sun Scholars

Rachel, the blogger at Sun Scholars, posted step-by-step instructions to make Shamrock Snacks. Truth be told, I was once unhealthily dependent on yogurt-covered pretzels. I’m pretty sure they fueled my bachelor’s degree. But white chocolate pretzels?! C’mon. The finished product here is one that is super cute to display and even more of a pleasure to eat.

Shamrock Shake

Photo credit: McCormick

I enjoy McDonald’s far more than I’d like to admit. Every March, when I hear the Shamrock Shake has made its annual appearance, I usually lose my cool, drop everything I’m doing, and look for the beacons that are the golden arches. Apparently, everyone who loves me decided not to remind me that I can make a mint shake at home any time of the year. SheKnows.com shared McCormick’s “emerald mint milkshake.” Stop with the games, McCormick, we know what this really is.

Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies

Photo credit: Averie, Averie Cooks

The name is a mouthful, but I don’t care. I want these. If Averie of Averie Cooks lived anywhere near me, you can bet that I’d be the neighbor that “just wanted to drop by to say hello.” If these brownies are any indication of what goes down in her house on a daily basis, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t be “that guy.” Let’s break down the drool-inspiring title:

Triple – So we know there’s three of something. This could go either way, though. I could end up with three times something I hate or three times something I love. TEMPTATION LEVEL: Undecided

Layer – Okay, now we’re starting to paint a picture. There are three layers to this concoction which means that I should expect transitioning flavors. But, again, this is a toss up! Will the layers work well together to satisfy my demanding (albeit unrefined) palate? TEMPTATION LEVEL: Intrigued

Fudgy – I’m three words into a six word title, and the word is “fudgy” which implies that some non-fudge product is enhanced by the fudge. This just got crazy. TEMPTATION LEVEL: Enticed

Mint – This is where it gets interesting. I consider mint to be a novelty flavor in desserts, even when I know it’s coming with my check at Olive Garden in the form of Andes Chocolate Mints. Now that I know the mint element to the dessert is what’s fudgy, we are in full “OMG” mode. TEMPTATION LEVEL: Hooked

Oreo – Shut up, and take my money. TEMPTATION LEVEL: SOLD!

Brownies – WEEE! With the final word, we reveal the dessert’s form. Up until this point, this could’ve been a triple layer fudgy mint oreo sundae/cake/cookie, which all sound too melty, messy or unsatisfying. The fact that these are brownies means I can have multiple bite-sized servings and not feel terrible about myself. And if I walk all the way back to the kitchen for every bite, my calorie count breaks even, right? TEMPTATION LEVEL: Must Have

And there you have it! My wish list for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day. All sweets, no nutrition and endless happiness.

Pom-pom love bugs are a great Valentine’s Day craft for kids

What you need:

• Wool
• Pipe Cleaners (1 per love bug)
• Pom-pom maker (or alternatively 2 cardboard donuts)
• Scrap piece of colored card stock
• Googly eyes
• Craft glue
• Scissors

How to make:

Step 1:

Wind the wool around the pom-pom maker (or cardboard donut) until there are a few layers of wool.  Keep in mind that the more wool you wind around the thicker your pom-pom will be.

Follow our step-by-step guide to making pom-poms

Using scissors cut the wool around the outside of the circle.  Tie a piece of wool around the center and pull tight before removing the pom-pom maker or cardboard donut.

Pom-poms are fun to make for all ages.

Step 2:

Following the line of the wool you used to tie your pom-pom together, wrap a pipe cleaner around the center of the pom-pom too, twisting the two ends together when they meet up.  Wind the pipe cleaners into curly feelers and shape them so they make a heart.

Step 3:

Cut a large heart out of card stock and attach to the bottom of the pom-pom with glue to make the love bugs feet.

Glue googly eyes to the center of the pom-pom.

Pom-pom love bugs make a fun classroom craft, or gift for friends.

Do you have any fun Valentine’s Day crafts planned for your kids? I’d love to hear more about them.  I’m always looking for ideas.

Tonya
Zui Mom

Tonya Staab is a freelance writer, and the creative mind behind Create-Celebrate-Explore where she shares craft tutorials, recipes, party planning, decorating, and travel tips.  She has three kids (twin 1^st graders and a teen) and can often be found covered in flour and glitter.

Everyone’s favorite honey fiend!

On this day, alllllll the way back in 1882, A.A. Milne was born. An avid writer, Milne went on to create a story in 1926 called Winnie the Pooh, based on his son Christopher’s stuffed animal friends. This lovable cast of characters lives together in a place familiar to millions: The Hundred Acre Wood. The Wood is actually a real place, with a slightly different name. Located in England, Ashdown Forest is said to be nearly identical to Pooh’s fictional world because Milne lived on the border of the forest and used to walk there with his son.

Don’t forget to celebrate for Tigger, too!

Today is a day to celebrate the wonderful memories that come to mind when you hear the names Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Pooh, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga, and Roo. The shiver you feel when someone mentions Heffalumps and Woozels. And the smile you inevitably wear when you have a rumbly in your tumbly. Today is about friendship and love, honeypots and carrot fields, courage and whimsy. So grab your friends and family and celebrate the legacy that A.A. Milne has left for us share!

Heffalumps and Woozles

87 years later, children and adults alike still smile at the doughy bear with honey in his tummy. Tigger is still bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN! Eeyore is still down in the dumps and Christopher Robin still enjoys playing with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Some things just withstand the test of time, and today’s unofficial holiday proves that Winnie the Pooh is here to stay for many more years to come.

The whole gang!

Well that just about does it for me. I’m gonna go watch a classic Pooh cartoon and get lost in childhood memories. I hope you all do the same!

TTFN – Ta ta for now!

ChrisZui is a content editor and talent coordinator at Zui.com. He enjoys roller coasters, Toy Story, and traveling the world. He lives every week like it’s Shark Week.

Luckily, we’ve scoped out some of the best kid-friendly apps out there and found the 5 that you can enjoy with your little ones. Enjoy!

Raise your own little monsters!

Monster Life

The monsters need to save their world! Raise and train 20 different monsters to compete in mini-battles to regain control of Numa. Kids will love the cute monsters and the challenge of back-and-forth fighting. Review site Gamezebo even went as far as to say that “if this game doesn’t charm you, you very well might be lacking a soul.” Rather high praise, and we definitely think it’s warranted! Available for free on Android and Apple iOS powered phones/tablets.

Less mess than crayons

Let’s Color

This is one of our new favorites. You and your kids can draw your own custom creations and watch them come to life! This free iPad app will stretch your kids’ imaginations and let them become amateur animators from the comfort of the living room.

For the Disney princess fan in all of our houses

Disney Pixar Brave Explorer Game Cartidge

One of the best things about LeapFrog’s LeapPad2 is that it is both tablet and traditional gaming device. This particular game is still pretty new, so it is currently $24.99, but young Merida fans will love the mini games that take them on this fairytale adventure. Plus, the games teach kids about important science topics including physics, geology, and biology. Game also works with LeapPad1, Leapster Explorer, and LeapsterGS.

Now there’s a mobile Rayman experience

Rayman Jungle Run

Ask any kid about Rayman. They’ll know what you’re talking about. And now, Rayman is back for a new adventure on iPad, iPhone, and Android devices. For $2.99, you can run jump, and collect your way through the Rayman universe. Unlock the new levels, download device wallpapers, and rack up the high scores against your friends in this awesome platformer.

Teaching kids to care for pets without all of the shedding on your couch!

Tap Pet Hotel

This game is almost too cute for words. In Tap Pet Hotel, users can collect hundreds of adorable pets and start their very own pet hotel. But that’s not all; they can even raise and breed their very own pet families to keep the hotel running and happy. You can even cross breed and create zany new creatures never before seen in this world. Best of all? It’s free on Android and iOS platforms.

That’s it for today. Enjoy your tablets, and happy gaming!

ChrisZui is a content editor and talent coordinator at Zui.com. He enjoys roller coasters, Toy Story, and traveling the world. He lives every week like it’s Shark Week.

Make yummy reindeer cookie treats with the kids this holiday season

What you need:

• Oreo cookies (we used the red crème Winter Oreo’s)
• M&M’s (red)
• Candy eyes
• Pretzels
• Chocolate chips

Reindeer cookies are simple and fun to make.

Very carefully break the pretzels – I tried using a sharp knife for this but found it cracked the side of the pretzel I wanted intact, so breaking small pieces off them by hand was much easier.

Next, melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl (check the package for directions on how to do this).

Dip one side of the pretzel into the chocolate and place on a sheet of wax paper.  Place into the freezer for about 10 minutes.

Pretzels dipped in chocolate are a yummy treat on their own, made even more delicious when attached to an Oreo cookie.

While the chocolate dipped pretzels are in the freezer, use small amounts of the melted chocolate to attach the red M&M nose and the candy eyes to the front of the Oreo to make the reindeer face.

Remove the pretzels from the freezer and dip the bottom into the chocolate.  Place it very carefully into the top of the Oreo cookie.  Repeat with the other pretzel antler.  Stand the cookie up in a narrow dish (you could use a mini muffin tin, egg cup, or dish) until the pretzel antlers are set.

Holiday Reindeer cookies are easy enough for kids to make.

Do you have any fun treats planned for your kids this holiday season?  Are you going to be decorating cookies?

Tonya
Zui Mom

Tonya Staab is a freelance writer, and the creative mind behind Create-Celebrate-Explore where she shares craft tutorials, recipes, party planning, decorating, and travel tips.  She has three kids (twin 1^st graders and a teen) and can often be found covered in flour and glitter.