My now 6 year old has been a little mini scientist since he was probably 18 months old. He likes to mix this with that in different varieties and see who he can get to try it, he likes to build volcanoes from scratch, he loves exploring, learning about the solar system, animals and the list goes on and on. When I picked him up from school just yesterday and asked him what he did that day, his reply was “Oh you know, science stuff”. It is absolutely his favorite subject this year.

Now, while KNOW magazine is right up my son’s alley, I know this is a magazine that will please any young child. If they aren’t already into the science scene, than this magazine may encourage just that. It is geared towards children ages 6-9, jam packed with fun experiments, dinosaurs, planets, inventions and so much more. What I find really important, especially for such young readers, is that this magazine is free from outside advertising.

KNOW magazine was launched by the worlds leading enrichment provider, Mad Science. If you have a child in an older age range there is also a magazine suitable for them. They provide books, t-shirts and more for our worlds young scientists. Ryan and I have enjoyed visiting their website for a little after school time, they have experiments and more listed right there. Whether we want to admit or not, the holidays are right around the corner and a subscription to KNOW magazine would really be a gift that would keep on giving at a very reasonable price.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate.”

So you have a baby shower to plan? As fun as they are they can be a lot of work. I’m going to share a few tips to make plans run a little smoother and ensure happy guests and happy new mommy. Please remember that these are all optional!

1.Get a guest list together. I think this is important to start at the very beginning of the planning process as you tend to think of others as time goes on. Get a list from the new mom and dad along with addresses and decide if this will be a couples, family or women only shower so you know who to address the invites.

2. Be sure you know the gender of the baby or whether or not they are finding out. You’re going to want to create a color scheme and this should depend upon the new nursery colors, etc. Maybe they’re not finding out? (We didn’t!) There are plenty of neutral colors to choose from.

3. Timing is surely everything when it comes to a Baby Shower. You want to schedule it early enough in case the mom is not comfortable in the very end, but of course quite into the pregnancy so she has a nice size baby bump. I find that month 7 is usually good timing.

4. Okay, now you should have most of your information compiled, the last part of the compiling is the place. Where are you going to hold the baby shower? Is it a small enough group to hold in someones’ home, or do you need a hall of some sort?

5. After you’ve decided upon your colors, have a concrete guest list, place and date it is a good time to choose and order the invitations. My absolute favorite place to purchase Birthday or Shower Invitations, Greeting Cards, etc. is Tiny Prints.You will find unique design, excellent quality and color.

6. When you’re mailing the Invites it’s a good idea to include a separate tag naming where the new parents are registered. Something else I have done in the past is add another tag stating if they bring a package of diapers they will be included in a door prize drawing.

7. The invitations are on their way, or will be shortly, so now you can decide on your menu. Will it be a full on lunch, or more snacky food? What beverages will you offer? Where will you order the cake from? There are so many fun ideas out there.

8. Now that you’ve gotten most of the decision making out of the way it is time for the fun stuff! Decide what games and how many of them you will be playing. This will probably depend on what type of shower you decided to throw (ie-couples, women?).

9.  You know where you’re having it, so you know what you have to work with decorating-wise. Head to your nearest decorating supply store to stock up on the streamers, gift bags and more. While you’re there you may be able to find prizes for the games as well. You can add a twist and make the prize bags unique by adding tags welcoming the new baby with his or her name.

10. Last but not least and hopefully the most simple, just have fun! If you enjoy what you’re doing then everyone else will certainly have an excellent time.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tiny Prints blogging program, making me eligible to get a Tiny Prints gift code worth $50, plust 25 FREE Tiny Prints greeting cards-a total gift value of $149.75! For more information on how you can participate, click here.