Picture Your Child IN Sesame Street

I recently shared my amazement at the latest photo gift available through Shutterfly.com which is a hardcover story book where you can insert your child's photo throughout the book as if they are actually in the story.

You have the ability to choose layouts, and really make your child a part of the story.

However, it's kind of hard to imagine -- you basically have to see it for yourself. The best I can do really is to show you a sample page where it has been customized with a photo. Just imagine being able to read a story where your child's NAME and PHOTO are both integrated into the storyline.

Just imagine the smile on the face of your loved one when they see both their name and picture on the front cover and throughout the photo book.

It will be the best present that they've ever received -- and surely their favorite book for a long long time.

Send Your Kid to Sesame Street

One of my favorite photo sites is Shutterfly.com. The quality of their prints are great - even the envelope and packaging your prints & products are mailed to you in are very slick and nice. They go all the way.

One really neat photo product that Shutterfly offers which the other guys don't is to ability to great a bound hardcover story book with your child's favorite characters like Sesame Street, or Angelina the Ballerina, or Clifford the Big Red Dog and more.

And you can insert your child's name and photos all across the book -- just imagine the huge smile your kid will sport when he sees himself sitting next to Elmo...or Thomas the Tank Engine...or....

It's really quite an amazing product and something that will be treasured for a lifetime, literally.

You can create your own layouts and preview the pages & book you make on your computer, so it's worth just trying to upload a photo or 2 of your child and see how it is all done. You'll have to budget at least 20 minutes for the most most most most basic book -- but if you want to be creative and really invest some time, like an hour, you can make the perfect book for the perfect kid in your family.

Shuttefly has other book themes as well, some that are great for the tiny tots in your house as well like board books with large photos.

If you're looking for the perfect + unique photo gift for a child you know, head over to Shutterfly and explore a selection of personalized photo products you've never thought of or seen before.

VACATION TIME!

School's out and everyone in our house is thinking vacation time....

Time to dream about where to go on summer vacation, what to do so the kids can have tons of fun. The Carribean is a great place since it's really close by and accessible to the States and it has really nice resorts - some all inclusive.

There isn't a kid in the world who doesn't adore Sesame Street. How about a vacation with Elmo and friends? All week long, kids can enjoy a Beaches exclusive Family Adventure Promotion, featuring life-size walk-around characters of Cookie Monster, Grover, Zoe, Bert, Ernie, and of course Elmo all week.

Beaches Resorts (you must have heard of them before), have family-friendly resorts in Boscobel, Negril, Sandy Bay and Turks & Caicos.

They have a bunch of integrated activities all day at the beach resort like:

• Character Breakfasts
  Specially themed breakfast with Elmo and friends. The type where the characters walk around and interact with each child.
  


• Sundays at the Movies
  Sesame Street characters go around and visit with everyone before children's movies with a sundae-making kiosk and snacks, popcorn and drinks, etc.
  


• Character Parades
  Sesame Street and other dressed up characters get all the kids in the resort to participate in a parade with music, clowns and costumes.


• Stage Shows - live entertainment on stage


• Story Time With Elmo - Elmo interacts with the kids and tells stories


• Bake with Cookie Monster - Kids get into the kitchen and make fresh cookies with the staff. Cookie monster teaches the kids how to eat like a monster.


• Dance with Zoe - One of the really fun activities - ring games, line dancing, ribbon dancing are all stuff kids giggle when they do it. Zoe comes and sees everyone dance.


• Make Music with Bert and Ernie - Both dancing and music time.

You want a vacation where you don't need a vacation when you get back. Beaches Resorts is a great option since they have tons of kids programs to tire the kids out all day, they have all inclusive pacakges where you don't have to worry about anything, they have night activities for the parents, the resort itself has a lot of stuff to do where you don't need to leave to do other things if you don't want.

And with these "themed" options, it gives the kids something they are familiar with already to get them playing as soon as you hit the beach.