Yes, it’s that time of year for Top 10 lists of all kinds.  So, in the spirit of New Year’s Top 10 lists, here are the Top 10 Stories of 2009 on Five Hens.  Read the rest of the story...

1. Happier Trails: Hiking with Kids: If you want to take your kids hiking you might have to make some changes and it can be tricky trying to figure out what works in your situation. Here’s a handful of useful tips and tricks from the Painted Hen to make things easier.  Happy trails!
   
2. ADHD: Maybe not. It could be Sensory Processing Disorder: A touching and informative account of a mother’s search for a diagnosis of her son’s problem. It was Sensory Processing Disorder. She found therapies for her son and he is now doing well. Check out this amazing guest post from Cat Lichtenbelt.
   
3. A Parents Guide to Where the Wild Things Are: Our somewhat controversial parents-eye review of the classic Maurice Sendak story-gone-motion picture.
4. Cardboard Halloween Costumes: Some of the coolest Halloween costumes made from recycled cardboard boxes. Your kids will love them.
5. Wild Encounters at Your Local Zoo: You can have great adventures at your local zoo. Here’s our breakdown and review of the Top 10 zoos in the United States.  Did your local zoo make the list?
6. Family Field Trip: Denver Museum of Natural and Science: If your family is ever in Denver and you are looking for a fun and educational way to spend the day, then head over to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.  Check out this in-depth review of the museum.
7. 20 Family Friendly Games for the Wii: The Wii is probably the number one choice for “family” gamers.  But how do you choose a game that is friendly for everyone in the family from your toddler to grandma and grandpa? Here are our picks for the Top 20 family friendly games for the Wii.
8. Cake Wrecks: The Book: Little Red Hen’s review of the hilarious book “Cake Wrecks” from blogger and author Jen Yates.
9. Disney Expands Refunds on Baby Einstein Videos: Disney is offering cash refunds on any DVDs bought from June 5, 2004 to September 4, 2009 in response to challenges about the legitimacy of its educational claims.  You can still claim a refund until March 4 2010.  We provide you with all of the details and the refund form in this post.
10. What is Sensory Processing Disorder?: After Cat Lichtenbelt shared her personal story and battle with Sensory Processing Disorder, we thought it would be good to provide a guide for understanding and identifying the many symptoms of SPD. We also included some resources for families potentially dealing with SPD.

Thank you to everyone who has voted for us so far in the 2009 Homies Awards.  Thanks to all of our great readers, after the preliminary round of voting, Five Hens currently sits in third place in the “Kids at Home” category for best Home Blog of 2009.  The top five blogs in our category are separated by a mere 16 votes!  That means we’ll really need all of your support as we move into the final round of voting from December 30th until January 6 at 5 pm EST.

So, if you’ve enjoyed our posts, product/game reviews, or our great giveaways this year, please head over to the Homies and let everyone know about it by voting for the Five Hens.  Thanks again and Happy New Year to everyone.  Read the rest of the story...

One of readers has graciously nominated Five Hens for the 2009 Homies in the “Kids at Home” category.  What are the Homies you ask? There are awards for all sorts of blogs, but no one ever pays enough attention to the shelter blogs.  Enter “The Homies”, a way of surveying the blogosphere each year for the best new home design blogs. It’s not so much a competition as a celebration of the richness and awesomeness of shelter bloggers around the world. So, if you really enjoy all of the posts, reviews, and giveaways we’ve put out there in 2009, please help us out with a vote in the 2009 Homies.  To vote for Five Hens, just head over to the Homies site BEFORE December 29 and vote for us in the Kids at Home category right here.  Thanks for all of your support in 2009.

Win a Copy of Spore Hero

Do you have what it takes to be the next Spore Hero?  You’ll need to hurl through space on a meteor, crash land on a alien planet and “evolve” yourself to defeat the evil red meteor creatures and save the world! If you think you have what it takes to be a Spore Hero, then enter for a chance to win one of two copies of Spore Hero for the Wii from Electronic Arts.  Read on to find out to enter.

Entry Requirements

REQUIRED ENTRY
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