Best “Train” Gifts from Train Moms

by Sara and Kim

One thing Kim and I both know a lot about is TRAINS.  Yes, we spend a LOT of time sitting on them, and also playing with them at home with our kids.   So in honor of the upcoming holiday season, we are celebrating the best TRAIN gifts for kids.

Thomas & Friends All Around Sodor Interactive Train Set  by Fisher-Price
I was so excited when ‘Train Moms” got mail!  A package arrived last week and we opened it up to find this amazing Thomas & Friends electric train set.  My kids’ faces lit up and there I was putting it together at 8 pm (luckily it was super easy).  Both my two-year-old son and four-year-old daughter love playing with it and haven’t stopped all week.   It was their first electric train and it is the ideal set for young kids. The Thomas train talks and makes fun noises, which is awesome, and my kids just have a blast watching the train go off on its own, changing the direction and filling up the cargo train with the plastic barrels (included).   I highly recommend this for any child on your list, ages 18 months-4 years. (Sara Pick)

TRAIN Wall Decals by Wall Jems (Etsy)  and by Grey Wolf Graphics (Etsy)
I am a huge fan of wall decals as they are here for one moment and gone the next.  So while your child is going through his/her train phase, decorate their room with these awesome train wall decals from Etsy.  The ones from Wall Jems are just adorable for a little boys bedroom, and the Grey Wolf Graphics decals would look amazing in a modern playroom. (Sara Pick)

CHOO CHOO T-shirt by lilthreadzclothing (Etsy)
I have one of these t-shirts already and just love them!  They are totally soft, personalized and have the perfect amount of “choo chooness” that kids will love. These shirts are all custom so you can get one for your child’s age, which is totally cute for a birthday shirt.  I am totally ordering one for my son’s upcoming third birthday in Feb! (Sara Pick)

Geo Trax Remote Control Timbertown Railway by Fisher-Price
Not sure if it’s just the train set itself OR the fact that this particular one comes with a remote control, but my boys could NOT get enough of this train set.  It’s painted in vibrant colors and has more of a cartoonish look to it, which probably helps too!  Geo Trax also comes in themes such as Disney-PIXAR’s Cars, & DC Super Friends! (Kim Pick)

Wooden Name Train by Personalization Mall.com OR Current Catalog.
Turn your child’s name into his/her very own personalized train.   It’s a toy and a learning gift too! I did this for both of my boys and they can’t get enough of them.  You can purchase them already made from sites such as Personalization Mall.com OR Current Catalog, or head to your local Michaels, JoAnn’s, AC Moore and make your own like I did. (Kim Pick)

 

#IHaveAPrincess book #Giveaway (CLOSED)

by Kim

Do you have a special princess in your life?  If so, we want to hear about her!

Tell us about your little princess and what makes her special — AND you could win four of the books in “The Very Fairy Princess” series written by Julie Andrews (YES that Julie Andrews, AKA Mary Poppins & Maria from the Sound of Music) and her own daughter Emma Walton Hamilton.

The books follow the many adventures of little Geraldine, who truly believes that she IS a very fairy PRINCESS!

For a chance to win simply:

• Leave a comment below about the “princess” in your life
• Tweet us @trainmoms using the hashtag #IHaveAPrincess
• OR email #IHaveAPrincess to trainmoms@gmail.com 

(*EXTENDED!  This giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, November 22nd.  The books were given to http://2momsonatrain.com by LB Kids/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.)

#IAmAWorkingMom (#GIVEAWAY) (CLOSED)

by Kim

Hey all you working moms out there, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU!

Three week’s ago, as part of our Train Mom Chat (#TMC), we featured Rosanne L. Kurstedt, mom of two teenage boys, educator, and the author of a great book that celebrates the relationship between a working mom and her child called:  “And I Thought About You“.  

You can read Rosanne’s #TMC here: http://2momsonatrain.com/category/train-mom-chats/  — BUT now we want to give you a chance to get your very own autographed copy of  “And I Thought About You”. 

To enter our #Giveaway simply:

• Leave us a comment with the words #IAmAWorkingMom
• Tweet #IAmAWorkingMom to @trainmoms
• OR email #IAmAWorkingMom to trainmoms@gmail.com

One reader will be chosen at random to receive an autographed copy of the book, which has been provided to us by Rosanne.  The giveaway will end at midnight on Friday, October 25, 2013.

More about the book can be found on Rosanne’s website: http://www.rlkurstedt.com/RLK/And_I_Thought_About_You.html

Don’t forget our BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY with @madpax ENDS today! (CLOSED)

WE WANT YOU TO “NAME” A MAD PAX!

Simply head on over to the Mad Pax website at:  https://www.madpax.com and check out their crazy selection of backpacks (see some examples in the pictures above)!

Then either:

• Leave  a comment to this post
• Tweet us @trainmoms  (and if you’re tweeting, be sure to include our amazing friends @madpax in your tweet).
• OR email us trainmoms@gmail.com

Send us your most creative and unique names for the backpacks...just like Mad Pax are themselves! 

The winning name will get their choice of Mad Pax!

This giveaway ends at midnight PST TONIGHT, Wednesday, July 31, 2013 where 1 winner will be chosen.  (Open to US residents only, sorry international fans!)   This is not a sponsored giveaway, prizes provided by our friend at Mad Pax, the Mad Scientist herself, Tina Huber.

And don’t forget to get your kids involved!!

BACK TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAY WITH @Madpax! (CLOSED)

by Kim

I recently posted about an amazing back to school event that I attended (http://2momsonatrain.com/2013/07/18/back-to-school-extravaganza-with-mom-trends-bicultural-mama/) in which I got a preview of some upcoming Fall trends.  One of my favorites was Mad Pax!  A true alternative to the “generic” kid backpack; these 3D “pax” come in unique designs such as “dinosaur spikes”, “bubble”, and even “block” patterns. They also come in a variety of sizes (Fullpack, Halfpack, & Nibbers) making them a perfect fit for even the youngest members of your family.

DO YOU THINK SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO “ROCK” A MAD PAX TO SCHOOL THIS FALL?  

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO GET THEM ONE!

WE WANT YOU TO “NAME” A MAD PAX!

Simply head on over to the Mad Pax website at:  https://www.madpax.com and check out their crazy selection of backpacks.

Then either:

• Leave  a comment to this post
• Tweet us @trainmoms  (and if you’re tweeting, be sure to include our amazing friends @madpax in your tweet).
• OR email us trainmoms@gmail.com

With your most creative and unique names for the backpacks...just like Mad Pax are themselves! 

The winning name will get their choice of Mad Pax!

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on  Wednesday, July 31, 2013 where 1 winner will be chosen.  (Open to US residents only, sorry international fans!)   This is not a sponsored giveaway, prizes provided by our friend at Mad Pax, the Mad Scientist herself, Tina Huber.

And don’t forget to get your kids involved!!

 

Are you a Sh*tty Mom (@ShttyMom)? Tell us why and you could win! (CLOSED)

by Kim

We’ve all had them, those NOT so perfect parenting moments.  You know, the days where bed time can’t come soon enough and the thought of you EVER winning “Parent of the Year” is outright laughable!   Well, if you’re like these two train moms, you truly take comfort in knowing that YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!

Our amazing friends, Alicia Ybarbo & Mary Ann Zoellner, (along with their friends Laurie Kilmartin & Karen Moline) have written a book called Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide For The Rest of Us. It’s a New York Times bestselling humor book about all those less-than-perfect parenting moments.  And with chapters such as “How to Sleep Until 9 A.M. Every Weekend” and “When Seeing an Infant Triggers a Mental Illness That Makes You Want to Have Another Baby,” Sh*tty Mom is a MUST READ for ALL moms!  (*See below for a chance to win your very own autographed copy of the book!)

Train Moms asked Alicia and Mary Ann to tell us a little bit more about Sh*tty Moms, why they wrote the book, and what they hope readers will take away from it.

Q:    Your book is called: Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide For The Rest of Us – What does that mean?  What is a Sh*tty Mom?

• ALICIA:  Sh*tty Mom is the vice for parenting.  It’s all about throwing those less-than-perfect parenting moments out the window.  None of us are perfect parents so why try to be one?  
• MARY ANN: And at its core it is a humor book telling moms to chill out everything is going to be okay.

Q:   Why did you write this book?

• ALICIA: It was a way for us to feel better about ourselves as working women, wives, and moms.  And it caught on…
• MARY ANN: We started hearing from a lot of moms who were panicked about their parenting style and the truth is we are all going to mess up but your kids are going to be just fine.

Q:    What do you hope moms with get from the book?  What’s the take away?

• ALICIA:  1. We want all moms to lose the guilt.  2.  We’re firm believers of taking time for yourself, because a happy mom makes a happy house.
• MARY ANN:  A great heart-felt belly laugh.

Q:    What’s the best part of being a mom?  What’s the worst?

• ALICIA: The best part of being a mom is living in the moment.  Nothing says LOVE like being forced to wear those ugly little necklaces that our children made for us from macaroni or clay.  The worst?  Those few days when bedtime doesn’t come fast enough.
• MARY ANN: Is having your kids cry as you walk out the door to go to work and missing out on some of their milestones. The best is seeing their faces light up when you walk through the door.

Q:    What’s the response been from your families & in particular husbands?

• ALICIA: Family and friends ‘get the book.  In fact, we dedicated this book to our moms, because they were the original Sh*tty Moms.  They knew how to take time for themselves without apologizing for it.
• MARY ANN: My family loves the book actually they bought several copies to give away as Christmas presents and Alicia and I are so blessed we have the best husbands in the world.

Q:    Share some “Sh*tty Mom” advice

• ALICIA: We are not above bribery!  Try it.
• MARY ANN: the IPAD mini is a great babysitter when you need it.

**NOW here’s your chance to win an autographed copy of the book.  Simply leave a comment OR tweet us @trainmoms (and be sure to include our friends @ShttyMom in your tweet) AND share your Sh*tty Mom moment.   This giveaway ends at midnight PST on  Monday, June 10, 2013 where 5 winners will be chosen at random.  (Open to US residents only, sorry international fans!)   This is not a sponsored giveaway, prizes provided by Alicia Ybarbo & Mary Ann Zoellner.