Little Bird Reviews

Social Skill Builder: software that teaches life skills

2009-04-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Social skills are a tough concept for folks on the Autistic spectrum. It is not something that comes naturally as it does to many of us. Every day we read people through what they say, through body language and through facial expressions. My daughter spends her day relying only on what people say as she finds the other 2/3 of communication to be tiresome and cryptic.

My Community by Social Skill Builder is geared towards kids ages 5-15 and features over 350 videos with varying ability levels. Parent Blogger Network sent the software my way to check out with my daughter, who is turning 7 this month.

Mira found level 1 to be a bit under stimulating, she liked when we moved on to level 2 with the multiple choice questions. Level 3 and 4 started to fuel frustration and I had to sit with her and make her stay on task. Both 3 & 4 involve reading visual cues, which is something she's rather avoid all together. Level 5 is fill in the blank, we didn't get very involved in level 5, as 3 and 4 made her so agitated.

Overall, I like this software. The scenarios are helpful and applicable to every day life. At Mira's age, I think one of the school geared titles offered by Social Skill Builder might be more appropriate as school makes up 75% of her life right now.

OOOOO, Pretty!

2009-03-24T18:47:00.000-07:00

So there is this giveaway going on over at Chocolate and Steel and YOU are not allowed to enter because that gorgeous ring is MINE, all mine MUHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA... or at least I hope it's mine because I've been drooling over it all day today.

I'm not a big jewelry wearer. I have to absolutely love a piece to pant over it and this ring, well it 100% has me panting. I have even been stalking the Chocolate and Steel Etsy store, just in case I don't win.

So STAY AWAY, FAR AWAY. It's MINE! (I hope).. ok, click over and enter too, you just have to promise to send it to me if you win

Bunnytown, a hopping good time

2009-03-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Bunnytown is a fun colorful singing and dancing adventure. I had it pegged as perfect for my 2 year old, but what I didn’t realize is that all my kiddos from 9 months to almost 7 would be mesmerized.

We’ve watched Bunny town several times now and the pirate song is one we find ourselves singing around the house because who doesn’t love pirates? Especially when they are pirate bunnies.

This Easter, if you are looking to super hero mom and save your kids some holiday cavities (and be able to hoard all the candy for yourself), you should consider stuffing their Easter basket with a Bunnytown DVD

Strawberry Shortcake!

2009-02-13T05:28:00.000-08:00

Looking for classic princess tales with a sweet twist? Then Strawberry Shortcake: Happily Ever After is just what you need.

Parent Bloggers Network sent a copy on over for my girls to check out. It arrive on a cold and stormy day, perfect for curling up on the couch. We ended up watching it 5 times that day- yes 5. My girls loved the story lines and my 2 year old son developed a wicked crush on Strawberry Shortcake (he's been sleeping with the case every night).

Parent Bloggers Network , also feeling the love, has so kindly offered to send a copy of Strawberry Shortcake: Happily Ever After to one of my berry sweet readers. Click on over and enter today!

Recall: Prental vitamins and iron suppliments

2009-02-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

A voluntary nationwide recall has been issues for prenatal vitamins and iron supplements:

Prescription Iron Supplement Products:

Chromagen® Caplet
Chromagen® FA Caplet
Chromagen® Forte Caplet
Encora® Capsule
Niferex® Gold Tablet
Niferex® 150 Forte Capsule
Repliva 21/7® Tablet

Prescription Prenatal Vitamin Products:

PreCare® Chewable Tablet
PreCare® Conceive Tablet
PreCare Premier® Tablet
PremesisRx® Tablet
PrimaCare® Capsule/Tablet
PrimaCare® Advantage™ Capsule/Tablet
PrimaCare® ONE Capsule

Please see the FDA recall site for more specific information

Recall: Fisher Price Rainforest portable play yard

2009-01-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Name of Product: Rainforest™ Portable Play Yards manufactured by Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc.

Units: About 200,000

Manufacturer: Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc., of Reading, Pa.

Hazard: One or more rails can collapse unexpectedly, posing a fall or entrapment hazard to young children.

Incidents/Injuries: Due to Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. being unresponsive to consumers via their Hotline and Web site, a significant number of complaints were recently reported. There have been at least 1,350 reports of one or more rails collapsing. There were numerous reports of children receiving bumps and bruises when the side rail collapsed. There were five reports of injuries which included a broken nose, a broken wrist, a mild concussion, a cut to the hand which required stitches, and a chipped tooth.

this line has been wildly popular so I'm sure this is affecting many homes with young children.

More information is available on the government recalls website

Are you holiloaded?

2008-12-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

Holiloaded is my oh so clever little term for holiday overload. With Christmas less then a week away I can feel the noose of expectations tightening and my sanity waning.

While the feeling of impending doom is never awesome, I have to say it's nice that it is only just now beginning. In years past, I have made candy and cookies like a crazy woman, over committed to holiday parties, volunteered to babysit friends children, made schedules impossible to keep under the guise of holiday fun- in short I've pushed things too far and been half crazed by December 5th.

This year though, I decided to take a breather. I've started saying "no thanks" to invitations that work out to be more work then fun, I told everyone on my goodies list that I'm taking a baking breather this year, and I even decided to forgo sending holiday cards.

To some, this may sound like I've totally shirked off the holidays but it's quite the opposite. I've embraced my family- you know the one that lives with me and I used to yell at to hurry up and get stuff done because OMG grandma Bettie is expecting us to bring over 8 dozen cookies and a newly knitted sweater!! Yea, that one. The one with my kids who need a little more calm and magic in their Christmas holiday and now I actually have free time to devote to doing that.

How about you? What are you doing to relax the holidays? Parent Blogger Network and Families for Depression Awareness want to know.

Recall: Arizona® Newborn and Infant Denim Pants

2008-12-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

Arizona® Newborn and Infant Denim Pants sold at JCPenney's have been recalled. The metal snap at the waist can detach posing a choking hazard to infants. Find out more and see pictures of the pants included in this recall on the CPSC website.

Littlest Pet

2008-11-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas my girls went bananas for the Littlest Pet Shop. Santa so kindly left 10 or so of the little buggers under our tree and the girls lives were filled with tiny bobble-headed glee. Over the course of the last year, they have infiltrated the doll house, taken to driving Barbie's corvette, and kicked the little people out of their own carnival. I think it is safe to say that my girls are fans. So, when the Parent Blogger Network asked if I was interested in checking out the Littlest Pet Shop
game by Electronic Arts on our DS, I jumped at the opportunity.

Personally, I did not have high expectations. The few girl oriented games we've tried so far have been pretty boring. The Littlest Pet Shop: Garden though, has surprised me.

Offering an array of mini games, the ability to dress up the pets and the ability to do virtual pet upkeep without the required devotion of some virtual pets, Littlest Pet Shop: Garden offers a lot to do.

My girls love the matching game and the coloring game (though we wish there were more designs to color). My 4 year old has some trouble playing independently as parts of the game require reading but my new reader (6 going on 7) has rarely need me to help her figure out what she needs to do.

I have to admit to sneaking into the girls room and swiping their DS when everyone is sleeping. The graphics are so cute, I can't resist the opportunity to dress these little critters up!

The game comes in three versions: Littlest Pet Shop: Winter , Littlest Pet Shop: Garden , and Littlest Pet Shop: Jungle and in my opinion makes a great gift.

Recall: Lean Cuisine

2008-11-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Lean Cuisine recall:

Nestlé Prepared Foods Company, a Springville, Utah, establishment, is recalling approximately 879,565 pounds of frozen chicken meals that may contain foreign materials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced today.

LEAN CUISINE PESTO CHICKEN WITH BOW TIE PASTA, LEAN CUISINE CHICKEN MEDITERRANEAN, & LEAN CUISINE CHICKEN TUSCAN

for full Lean Cuisine recall info click here

Recall: Mylicon infant gas drops

2008-11-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

Mylicon recall issued 11/10/08

Johnson & Johnson • Merck Consumer Pharmaceuticals Company (JJMCP) is voluntarily recalling approximately 12,000 units of Infants’ MYLICON® GAS RELIEF DYE FREE drops (simethicone-antigas) non-staining sold in 1 oz. plastic bottles that were distributed after October 5, 2008 nationwide..... the company is implementing this recall to the consumer level as a precaution after determining that some bottles could include metal fragments that were generated during the manufacturing process.

please check your medicine cabinet if you have an infant.

For more information on the exact lots recalled see the Mylicon website

Talking turkey, the best part of the holidays

2008-11-07T05:08:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for turkey, sweet potatoes, buttermilk cornbread dressing, pie, apple crisps, cheese cake, handmade candy and 43 hours in the kitchen. In the Little Bird household we go all out for our festive feasts. I can't help myself, it's ingrained.

Starting around the age of eight, I can clearly remember the all day cookie bake-a-thons. There were also the day before Thanksgiving piefests, the turkey roast-a-thon. For hours we'd hover over open cook books, measuring, mixing, laughing and sharing.

At the ripe old age of 29, it's a rare to remember what gifts I got but I can clearly remember who sat at our table, broke bread with us and in many cases had their hands in the dough too, kneading away the stress and jabbering on with my mother and I, like a bunch of hens.

Last year, we couldn't make it home for the holidays and though I baked, sauted, and roasted just like every year, it just wasn't the same. I missed talking turkey with my mom, my sister and our hodgepodge of friends.

“This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Butterball.”

Baby loves Skwish

2008-11-02T19:05:00.001-08:00

Meet the Manhattan Toys Skwish Classic. At first blush, it doesn't look like much. Nothing lights up, no synthesized classical music ekes forth, and there are no space aged chewing surfaces. A tech savvy parent might be inclined to overlook this little gem for something more overtly educational but don't do it!

The Skwish is just what baby needs. It's easy for tiny hands to clutch, maneuver and shake. The wood beads sliding along the wooden dowels makes a soft sound much like a rain stick. The Skwish is designed to take a beating, bouncing back to it's original shape after being flattened. And, with a bright happy paint job, it's eye catching for little ones.

My son, Boden, finds the Manhattan Toys Skwish to be exciting, infinitely mouth explorable (it's fantastic for teethers), and counts it among his favorite toy picks. Bo is my 4th child to love this simple yet fully engaging toy.

At under $15, this is an impressive and economical baby gift for a baby shower, birth or Christmas.

Take the Chicco Trevi Twin Stroller for a Spin

2008-10-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

Back in July, I did a quick little post to promote a giveaway by Lala Girl. Up for grabs was the Chicco Trevi Twin stroller and I won!!!

Now that I've had this puppy out for a few road tests, I thought I would bring you the skinny. The short of it? just one word: awesome. No, really. I consider myself a double stroller connoisseur. From my days as a nanny through my mothering of girls 18 months apart and now my boys who are 15 months apart, I've pushed my fair share of double duty kid containment units and the Chicco Trevi Twin has been my favorite by far.

The Chicco Trevi twin is light weight, compact folding and easy to handle. It's taken a bit for me to get used to the fold and unfolding procedure. I'm more adept at the spin handle mechanism but I must admit that the Trevi's folding procedure is actually easier once you remember how to do it. No more wrestling with a rotating handle that just won't rotate. I've never had to try and shove the unfolded Trevi into my vehicle because I couldn't get it folded and everyone was melting down- unlike some other double strollers I've dealt with.

When folded, this double stroller rules all. I can easily dump it into my trunk and load grocery down on top of it. My other double stroller takes up the entire trunk and if I want the hatch to shut I have to hurl the entire weight of my body down onto the door to coax it into latching.

In the past I have avoided purchasing a side by side stroller. I vividly remember my days as a 'tween shoving my brother and sister's ~~plow~~ stroller, grumbling about the sidewalks/doorways/hallways being too narrow. The Chicco Trevi Twin is nothing like the kid plow of the past. It's nimble on it's wheels, can smoothly skirt through a doorway, and prance down my neighborhood sidewalk. This stroller is such a pleasure to use, I've started walking my daughter the 2 mile round trip to preschool.

The only downside I've discovered with this stroller is that my kids are right next to each other. This gives my nearly 2 year old open access to harassing the baby. I've found though, that this happens much less then I anticipated. I had visions of every outing ending in a hair pulling, leg pinching, nose grabbing battle. Over the past few months we've only had a problem 2 times- not bad considering how often I've got them riding around.

If you are in the market for a double stroller, take the Chicco Trevi Twin for a test spin and don't be surprised if you fall in love. Priced around $219, it's a good quality double stroller with the potential to bring you much glee as it will make your life as a mom to two little ones much easier.

Sleep Beautifully

2008-10-03T22:36:00.000-07:00

This is my youngest wee little angel, Boden, curled up in dream land. No doubt, dreaming happy little thoughts. Maybe Boden is dreaming about catching up with big brother Levi and moving into his very own big boy bed, something along the lines of the Summer Breeze bedroom set?

Hey, maybe it won't have to just be a dream after all! 5 minutes for mom is giving away a bedroom set and this is our entry. Click on over and you can enter to win too. maybe your little angel will soon be sleeping in style thanks to 5 minutes for mom !

A Yoplait A Day

2008-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

For the last two years I have had to trick, prod and cajole my children into consuming a daily dose of omega 3s. They aren't into oily fish so instead they were getting these grossly overpriced little berry flavored bubbles filled with the stuff. Despite their yucktatude, I was adamant that the children get them every day. My oldest is on the autistic spectrum, I have asthma and we all have crazy allergies, omega 3s can improve all these conditions. Omega 3s are also well known for their brain boosting abilities.

Recently, I started seeing Yoplait yogurt with Nickelodeon characters in the dairy case but what I didn't notice was that these Yoplait kids yogurts HAVE omega 3s right in them! Then I found out they have 25% LESS sugar then other kids' yogurts and to sweeten the deal, there is even a printable coupon for $1.50 off!! Color me impressed.

How does it taste? YUMMY! I no longer have to bargain with or pin my kids down to make them eat their daily omega 3s and I feel better knowing that their snack is lower in sugar.

Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for hooking me up with some tasty samples and pointing us all to that fantastic Yoplait kids yogurt coupon!

Win! the Micralite Fastfold

2008-08-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Click on over to Chic Shopper Chick for your shot at winner an uber cool Micralite Fastfold stroller

You can enter until August 29th.

Pier 1 win

2008-08-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

I had too much fun doing this!

Double the restraints... uh I mean seatbelts!

2008-07-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Click on over for a chance to win!

Win a baby wearing wardrobe!

2008-06-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed it's been mighty quiet around here lately. I went on maternity leave! Yes, even bloggers can go on maternity leave! I'm proud to welcome my newest little bird Boden

and now I'm hoping to win a baby wearing stash from along for the ride ! But, hey, if I can't win maybe YOU can so click on over and check it out.

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Skill Building Buddies

2008-04-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

When Parent Bloggers Network asked me to check out Kibble's Rockin' Clubhouse, they also suggested we give Skill Building Buddies a look since my daughter is on the edges of each DVD's target age.

Skill Building Buddies is a lively mix of animated hosts and live action snippets. The skits are short, to the point, and cover accepting daily change- a big problem for many kids on the autistic spectrum. Music and topic repetition are effective in communicating the point.

My daughter just turned 6 though and only recently has expressed interest in watching real people verses cartoons, because of this she struggled to stay interested in the DVD. I had her take the DVD to school to share with her older classmates, all who have ASD, and it was well received among the slightly older 7-9 crowd. The teachers and therapists have also started utilizing some of the songs with the kids during those tougher moments of the day.

There is a section that includes parental instructions and like some other reviews, I feel 'meh' about what they had to say. I understand that you can't let your ASD kid playing video games 24/7 but I also would not discourage my ASD kid from coloring for an extended period of time. It brings her joy and offers her a break from the constant pushing she gets all day long in school and therapy.

At $19.95 Skill Building Buddies is well worth the price.

Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse

2008-04-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

I love opening my email and finding messages from The Parent Bloggers Network. I always get a wide variety of fun, funky, and practical products offered to me and this product is no different. Actually, allow me to correct myself, it's very different.

You may have noticed me occasionally yammering on about my kids over at Finding Yourself Despite Yourself and might just recall that my oldest (now 6!) is on the autistic spectrum. Mira is officially diagnosed as PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified). What this means is that across the board she is affected by autism- speech, motor skills, social skills. I'm always on the prowl for affordable therapeutic items that can help her along the way so when The Parent Blogger Network asked me to check out some new autism DVDs I jumped right on board.

Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse, Expressing Yourself by NoteAbilities is a 40 minute trip into the world of Handy Sam and friends- including Kibble the dog. The show is full of songs from learning how to say hello to learning how to use your mouth to ask for what you need. Each lesson covered is something that ASD kids typically struggle with and while some of it seems SO SIMPLISTIC you have to remind yourself that what comes so easily to you is an enigma to these children. A straight forward and fun delivery allowed my daughter to easily absorb the meat of the matter and have fun acting it out with me.

I also noticed the DVDs are quite popular with my other two children and that they too were benefiting from the show. Sometimes I forget that having a sibling on the spectrum deprives them of regular interaction, that their relationship is based on a different sort of understanding and that it occasionally can cause confusion when dealing with other neurotypical kids. I've noticed this most with my 4 year old. She is a bad habit of rarely offering eye contact, something she's never needed to do with her sister. Kibbles made it fun for her to practice making eye contact and after a few weeks of watching it, her preschool teacher even commented that Tessa had been doing better with eye contact.

Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse impresses me, so much so that all of my friends with ASD kids have been hearing about it and my daughter's autism classroom will soon have their very own copy to enjoy.

Lice MD

2008-04-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

*Warning, facts that may make your skin crawl up ahead*

80% of schools have at least one lice outbreak a year- yes I said that EIGHTY *jaw drops* and there are between 6 and 12 million cases of head lice each year!! *gags and scratches at head*

Now that 2 of my kids are in school, lice is a REAL threat in our home. About a year ago I started seeking out alternatives to treating it should we be unfortunately enough to come down with an outbreak. I had been hearing that they were becoming resistant to those harsh scalp burning, nose hair singing chemical shampoos that were most commonly used to treat and outbreak and my heart sunk. How the heck do we get rid of them if they won't die? I half heartedly book marked a bunch of homeopathic remedies and have basically just prayed ever since that we would be fortunate enough to avoid it.

This week my daughters school sent home a paper about an outbreak but ironically last week I was contacted about Lice MD. I liked what I saw on the website so I agreed to receive some sample product to hold on to *just in case* Turns out we may end up needing it - I'm still hoping NOT but at least if we do I won't have to worry about toxicity or chemical resistant. LiceMD is pesticide free, odorless and there is no pesticide resistance on the part of the lice. Their website is also very helpful showing the life cycle of lice and tips on preventing the spread of lice.

Your Child's Strengths, Helping Them Achieve

2008-03-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

The other day I found myself throwing her things out- old bottle caps, broken sea shells, bits of colored tape and tiny mismatched beads that all were swimming in the rancid juice of a moldy deflated orange from our backyard tree. Later, when I had a few moments, I sat down and resumed reading Your Child's Strengths by Jenifer Fox sent to me courtesy of the Parent Bloggers Network. There on page 76 was my light bulb moment "Amelia's strength is noticing and collecting things that others may discard as useless"

My mind did not immediately jump to my daughter, no instead it jumped to me.I did that! I still do that on occasion when I just can't stop myself. Hey wait I use those things in my art projects!! It's not all useless, it's a strength. Tessa does this too! The very thing about her that drives me completely batty is a trait that she and I share and not only is it something that we share, it's something that I have turned into a useful skill. My child's strengths are right there before my eyes and yet, despite my successfully utilizing the same skills, I have been discouraging her from doing the same. *smacks self in the forehead* With that revelation, I pushed on, determined to uncover the secrets to helping her and my other children live up to their potentials.

The book outlines a plan for discovering and nurturing your child's strengths. It starts with simple observation and encouraging self introspection. The next goal is to stimulate their imaginations by encouraging play but not hovering or over-directing their play. Creating positive memories though tradition and rituals and documenting them through written accounts and photographs also plays an important part. One of the biggest elements, and the one I need to work most on, is modeling a positive outlook and approach to life- find and nurture your strengths and in turn inspire them to do the same.

The book is sensible, thorough, and do able. What really makes me nuts is that I was already following this type of approach with my autistic daughter, anticipating that school would be hard for her, but was neglecting doing the very same thing for my other children and even myself! I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book. When you use it as a tool to help shape your child's future, you will have a totally different perspective on their habits and hobbies that sometimes may just make you nuts.

Bob The Builder- Yes You Will!

2008-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Recently, The Parent Blogger Network passed along an advance copy of Bob the Builder: On-Site - Roads and Bridges. While my son is a bit young yet, I knew that this would interested my 4 year old fix-it daughter. What I failed to realize until I popped this DVD in was how much cool live action there is going on.

Bob takes you right into the middle of all that action you see happening but can't ever stop and get a good look at. Kids are take on a tour of big machines doing big jobs. Thinking exercises are added in and really get the kids going. After watching Bob and real kids work on bridge designs Tessa had me drag out the blocks so we could work on creating our own bridge designs. Even my almost 6 yr old, who considers herself "too old" for Bob, got caught up in the road and bridge building action and my son who is still on the young side for tv viewing (1 yr) toddled over and started making truck noises.

The DVD couldn't have come at a better time as the county recently started a large road expansion project near my home. Now my kids have a better understanding of what's happening and Tess has wanted to stop and ask if Bob works there too. This gets a thumbs up and comes highly recommended for all the boys and girls in your life who are facinated with big machines and construction projects.

Positively Pingu

2008-01-31T05:05:00.001-08:00

I'm excited to return from an extended holiday break with such a fun product- Pingu On Thin Ice dvd! About a year or so ago we stumbled on to Pingu at our local movie rental store, little did I know it was just starting to become a phenomenon on cable tv (we are a rabbit ear family). When the Parent Bloggers Network asked me to check out the newest dvd my kids went bananas "please mom, can we? PUHLLEEEAASSSEE??" How could I say no?

I will warn all you parents out there that Pingu's opening music could us a bit of work. It borders on obnoxious but if you just sit through it, the cutest claymation you've seen in a long while will capture you and your children's imagination.

Pingu is mischievous and a little bit naughty- just like any preschooler. He hides his dinner, annoys his baby sister and sometimes even disobeys. Pingu and his family speak in a noises language all their own so even when his parents correct him there is not speech to endure, just some grunts, giggles and a bunch of very clear gestures.

We found Pingu On Thin Ice to be 100% hilarious and actually enjoyable for The Hubster and I to watch with the kiddos but there is potty and toot humor so if you are a little more discriminating or high brown then us simple folks, you may need to have your skip button poised for those scenes.

Pingu was just released this week so if you hurry you kids may be first on the block to own this little gem and in the mean time you can check out the official Pingu website for fun and games (even cute ecards!).

5 Minutes, You Can Win

2007-12-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

5 Minutes For Mom is giving away an Insignia Shelf System

Load up your iPod or MP3 player with Christmas music and start rocking around the Christmas tree!
Insignia® has an affordable shelf system complete with iPod dock, USB port, CD/DVD player, digital AM/FM, HD radio and more

Of course, if you can't wait you can always pick it up at Best Buy on sale.

Spark Talking Telescope

2007-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

I've got a riddle for you. What's blue, talks, and keeps my kids busy for an hour at a time?

The Spark Talking Telescope!

The Parent Bloggers Network sent this little gem my way and I will admit, my first thought was "Oh gads, not ANOTHER talking thing!" but the educational aspect prodded me into opening it up and giving it a go.

the Spark Talking Telescope requires 4 AA batteries which are not included. Once those are installed you are ready to go. The slides are held in a tray that slides in and out of the main body of the telescope. I like it when you can easily keep all the pieces together! Learning to put the slide in properly can take a few tries for little hands, so at first you will want to be right there to help out. Place the slide in the slot, punch in the code located on the slide and bing bang boom- the telescope starts teaching facts about that image be it a comet (one of the personal favorites of my 5 year old) or the Milky Way. You can also opt to put the telescope in quiz mode and test your knowledge.

The slides themselves are beautiful- very colorful and clear. They actually feature Nasa images. The telescope is light weight and the talking is not too loud or obnoxious (like other learning toys I've had to lose to retain my own sanity).

The question remains, is this a great gift? YES! My children have played with it everyday since it's arrival and are now telling every adult they know facts about the universe. I'm so impressed that I'm going to purchase the Spark Talking Microscope as a birthday present for my oldest when she turns 6.

HP Printer and Photo Books

2007-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I am printer challenged. Really. I can operate the computer, navigate the internet, and after 2 years Ive finally figured out how to switch lines without hanging up on anyone when I get a second call on my cell phone but I can not typically operate a printer. You know that scene in the movie Office Space where they are out in the field beating the useless hunk of machinery with a baseball bat?? I've done that to a printer before.

It's not that I like being printer ignorant. No, not at all. I envy people and their printing abilities, especially ones who can print out photos at home. Despite my printer to person compatability issues I eagerly leapt at the opportunity to try out the HP Photosmart A626 Compact Photo Printer and photo books, ever hopeful that I could become one of those cool people.

When the printer arrive courtesy of The Parent Bloggers Network I was ready to rumble. When I unpacked the box, i realized the USB cord was not included. I was momentarily bummed but quickly realized that I didn't need no stinkin' USB cord, just the memory card from my camera! I plugged in the printer and turned it on. That was it. That was all I needed to do. I put in my card and Bam! My images were right there ready to be edited.

The screen is a super cool pop up with touch screen abilities. Navigation is pretty simplistic and there are all sorts of fun editing features. Fixing up the red eye issue present in any photo I take with the flash on was easy peasy and surprisingly effective. I also enjoyed the slimming function which took 2 kids worth of fat off my hips (if only it twas so easy in real life). The printer includes a stylus which you can use to write captions directly on your photos. I briefly thought about adding some cute commentary on my kids photos but quickly settled on adding devil horns to a photo of my husband. I will be mailing this out to his aunt this week (muhahahahahahahah)

Now something you may never have considered when shopping for a photo printer. It is better then a game of twister. Yes, our Christmas gathering this year will be hopping but it won't be due to a rousing round of charades or ending up with my head dangerously close to my nephew's under-wiped butt cheeks after another unfortunate right hand red incident. Instead I will be packing the HP Photosmart A626 Compact Photo Printer. We can sit around printing out our favorite photos from the year and make a scrapbook together. HP offers easy to use photo books which when combined with the editing features of the printer make digital scrapbook layouts a breeze. Simply print and shimmy into the protective sleeves in the HP Photo Books.

HP has single handedly turned my problematic printing phobia into a home printing triumph. If you are interested in HP helping you to be one of those cool kids that prints photos at home, check your weekend sales circulars. Tons of local retailers have been running specials. And, if the idea of easy photo books floats your boat make sure to click over here and order the HP photo books for 20% off.

The Daring Book for Girls

2007-11-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, when I first cracked open my copy of The Daring Book for Girls I scrunched my nose up and sighed heavily. The book was born out of much clamoring over The Dangerous Book for Boys (oh I clamored too "The Dangerous Book for Boys is a five star find for boys AND girls..."), but it seemed in those first few pages that this book was trying too hard to like like it's predecessor. I was really put off by it opening with the game of basketball.

Is basketball something that should be covered? Yes, but I feel like the books authors cow towed to pressure to make this book about girls but not start out too "girly". I think I was prepared for girly with the glittering cover. I'm happy to report, though, as I read on it quickly recovered in my eyes.

Instructions of weaving friendship bracelets, chick pirates, woman inventors/scientists, slumber party games (bloody Mary!), women spies, and cootie catchers all sucked me deep into the book. My girls gathered around, interested to have me read passages and eager to try out projects.

My girls are 4 and 5, their favorite thus far has been the hand clapping games. I had vague memories but really was unable to recall any solid lyrics to hand clap by. the Daring Book for Girls has fixed us right up and we are now merrily double back clapping.

You can check out what other bloggers have to say about The Daring Book for Girls over on The Parent Blogger Network.

RECALL: Boppy pillow covers

2007-11-26T06:18:00.000-08:00

The ubiquitous Boppy and it's fashionable slipcovers is the latest company and product discovered to be chocked full of lead and as a doubly whammy, it's also a choking hazard!

Find out the exact models of Boppy slipcovers involved in the recall by clicking HERE

Day Runner Family Matters

2007-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

To say I am unorganized is like cookie monster informing you that he likes cookies- huge understatement. The odd thing about my disorganization is how deeply I crave order but can never seem to keep a toehold on it. When The Parent Bloggers Network offered to send me Day Runner Family Matters color coded family organization system I, ever hopeful, jumped at the opportunity.

For me, getting into the system was a bit like waking naked uphill backwards in the snow. All this order was overwhelming. Everyone was assigned a color, coordinating folder, and storage case. This immediately helped to control my piling instinct. Everyone's papers ended up in the proper case, albeit a little messy, but together with their companion papers. Forcing myself to use the system even lead to me paying the water bill on time- in 3 years I can count the number of times it's been paid by it's due date on one hand, and it's not because we didn't have the money but simply because with it's wonky due date, it's always lost in the shuffle.

I will admit to having a hard time keeping up with the erasable calender. I function much better when I don't have to remember to erase and relabel a calender every month. Also, anything erasable is typically immediately erased and used to write ABCs and 123s by my 4 and 5 year olds.

One thing I did manage to keep from their grubby mits is the door hanger reminders

These things are awesome! My usual mode of reminder notes is taping the across them door and or microwave. While effective at being seen, they seem to have little impact once my husband has ripped them off. The door hanger catches him at the last second. He reaches for the door knob and it brushes his hand. He grabs it and reads my note "Take out the garbage sucka!" or "Please my loving wonderful husband, before you leave mop up the dog's barf," and it leaves him no time to forget.

I can say with confidence if your organizing gene is not completely dysfunctional like mine, theDay Runner Family Matters system would work pretty well for you. It's not doing half bad for me .

That Baby DVD and That Baby CD

2007-11-12T05:28:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if at least half of your cd/dvd collection has been decimated by your small children. Raise your hand if you've bought a DVD or CD to replace one that your child, um let's say LOVED to death? Now raise your hand if you've ever encountered a company willing to replace your scratched DVD or CD free of charge. Stop laughing, there is a company out that understands the dynamics of having kids and who actually will replace your scratched up discs for free. Who? Who would do such a thing? The groovy people who make That Baby DVD and That Baby CD.

That Baby DVD and That Baby CD are comprised of kid friendly acoustic remakes of our music. No skipping to anyone's loo and forget about the farm. Instead you and your kids can rock out to versions of Bruce Springsteen, The Pretenders, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, The Beatles and a ton more.

That Baby DVD offers simple but engaging visuals. Kids playing, dancing, and singing encourage your kids to sing along. Friendly animation and puppets coax out smiles and bright eyes. We've been watching THAT Baby DVD as a chill out movie. Well paced but not overly stimulating means my 9 month old loves it as well as my 4 and 5 year olds. Whenever things get a bit heated between my older kiddos I can put this on and instantly diffuses the situation.

The That Baby CD, which is a companion to the That Baby DVD, has become a fixture in my car's CD player. My children's favorite song (and I must admit mine too) is Garden Song (Inch by Inch) with Anything is Possible coming in a close second.

The thing I find most appealing about the That Baby CD and DVD is the clarity with which the words are sung. My 5 year old has speech issues and if a singer is not perfectly clear with what they say she will mumble along just like them. That Baby DVD and CD is precises and very clear. Every word can be heard and because of this, I am considering buying the set for my daughter's teacher as an end of the year gift to share with her future students.

Personally I have nothing but positive things to say about the That Baby DVD and the That Baby CD. On top of being just simply awesome That Baby DVDs and That baby CDs are MADE IN THE US using recyclable materials. With such an uncertain climate in the kids gift market, That Baby DVD and That Baby CD both are a safe domestic choice.

If you are interested in purchasing That Baby DVD, That Baby CD, or both use the shopping code PBN for 20% off! Also, all domestically shipped orders over $25 include free shipping!

Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for sending me the set and arranging for you to get a discount.

Sequoia Survival

2007-11-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

Living in Florida is always an adventure. Sometimes I wish we could skip the adventure, like the summer of 2003 when three hurricanes rolled over my home boom boom boom, but I guess there is always a price to pay when you enjoy mild winters, the beach, and lots of sun.

Any wise Floridian knows that disaster preparedness is imperative. Hurricanes, tornadoes, localized flooding, pretty much anything short of a snow storm and Godzilla can happen here. Heck, today the city trimmed trees around the power lines and knocked out both my electric and phone service. I only had 1 bar of power on my cellphone for a few hours there and started to feel a bit panicky until I remembered a certain special something tucked away- a Sequoia Vehicle Survival kit, which the Parent Bloggers Network had sent my way.

Granted a few hours without power does not necessitate breaking open the MREs or water packs included in the kit but the kit also includes a crank radio/light and cell phone charger. I felt a lot more relaxed knowing that I had a way to charge up my phone and keep connected even if the power stayed out.

Looking through the kit which includes:

* 32 oz water
* Meals ready to eat (MRE) for 2 people for 1 day
* 151 piece first aid kit from 3M
* Two thermal emergency blankets
* Two rain ponchos
* Two 6-hour hand warmers
* Two 12-hour light sticks
* Windproof and waterproof matches
* Crank radio/light and cell phone charger*
* Gerber multi-function hardware tool
* Leather work gloves
* Duct tape
* Rope
* Cleansing wipes
* Toilet paper
* Notebook
* Pen
* Playing cards

I realized that many of the included items are things we have needed in the wake of disaster. I was impressed with what they thought to include. Leather gloves is something often overlooked but after any sort of wind disaster you need them to safely move debris. I have always kept glow sticks in my car, not for an impromptu rave but rather for night time car break downs. At my husbands insistence Ive been driving around with a multi tool jammed in my glove box eating up valuable tampon space. Now it's included in my Sequoia kit.

My only complaint is that it's packed in there pretty tightly so there really isn't room for anything extra . I'd love to be able to add some extra food, a diaper or two and maybe some kid friendly stuff but still have it all in one place.

The Sequoia Survival Vehicle kit is thorough, well assembled, and useful. The price is less then you would spend assembling a comparable kit (trust me, I've priced it) and I would not hesitate to purchase one of their large survival kits based on the quality of the vehicle kit. I may even order one for next hurricane season.

Vincent Shoes

2007-10-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

When The Parent Bloggers Network contacted me about trying out some baby shoes I squealed. No really, I did. I LOVE wittle shoes, LOVE THEM.

Despite my love of little shoes I typically have pretty low expectations for fit and quality. Two of my three kiddos had freakishly fat feet as infants making most shoes uncomfortable (the third had long long long skinny green bean feet which nary a shoe would remain on). The few baby shoes I've found that accommodate the ample top-of-the-foot fat have been pretty poorly made with pokey seams or rough rubby spots (yes, here at Little Bird Reviews our product testing jargon is highly complex). I'm glad to say the Vincent prewalker shoes that arrived at my door came without pokey or rubby spots and still easily slid onto Levi's pudgie foot.

The Mini James is a dressy looking soft leather shoe with adorable detailing. It's a perfect choice when the situation demands a little more polish like a wedding, a night on the town, or even church. The Mini James does come with long laces and I was a bit confused as to what to do with them. My husband more knowledgeable in man shoes took over and did something. Whatever he did the laces are now short, knotted on the inside, and a non-issue.

Next we took the sporty Mini for a spin

Super easy to slip on and velcro into place, the Mini is my personal favorite. I like it's fun sporty look and the dotted soles provide a bit of traction which Levi found particularly helpful while working on his crawling skills.

Levi found Vincents shoes to be so comfortable that he left them on even though he took his diaper off! Overall both the Mini and the Mini James are well constructed sturdy prewalker shoes. Both adorable and practical I declare Vincent shoes to be winning products.

Speaking of winning Vincent's giving away (2) $50 gift certificates. Just stop by HERE and leave a comment about your favorite Vincent shoes style (any shoe from their entire line from baby to kid sizes). The winner will be picked on 11/1.

If you can't wait till then to get some Vincent shoes you can use the code "OCT-20-OFF" for 20% anything in the shop through 11/11/07 (first time purchase only).

Mamanista and Rockin' Baby Slings

2007-10-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

If you love baby wearing and want to look good while doing it click on over to Mamanista, she's giving away a Rockin' Baby Sling. Make sure to enter by November 13th!

Vocal Point

2007-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

Are you a mom? Do you have opinions? Do you like it when companies listen and take your thoughts and opinions seriously? Do you like free stuff? If you've said yes to any of these, you should sign up with Vocal Point.

Vocal Point is a gathering place brought to you by Procter and Gamble. There are message boards where moms can connect, surveys where you thoughts can be heard and free samples that you can earn by just being a member.

Click HERE to get started. I started a few week ago and Ive already received a coupon for a free box of Kashi crackers and some great coupons.

RECALL: Alpine Design Aluminum Water Bottles

2007-10-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

I know many of your parents out there have turned to alternative containers for liquids on the go due to the recent worries over plastic and the possibility of it leeching toxins, making this recall is also quite important to many Little Bird readers. Sport Authority is recalling 11,200 aluminum water bottles for excessive lead levels in the paint used to decorate the bottles

Description: This recall involves the Alpine Design aluminum water bottles sold at Sports Authority. The water bottles are sold in different colors and measure between six and 10 ½ inches tall. The water bottles are silver, blue, red, blue with pink flowers, red with the depiction of a mouse, or blue with the depiction of a zebra. “Alpine Design” is painted on the water bottle.

Sold at: Sports Authority stores nationwide from April 2006 through September 2007 for between $5 and $8.

More HERE

RECALL: Baby doll stroller sold through Pottery Barn Kids

2007-10-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

21,000 Mini Zooper doll strollers produced by Lan Enterprises are being recalled due to entrapment hazard and the possibility of severing a finger!

Sold exclusively in Pottery Barn Kids retail stores nationwide, catalog and Web site from October 2005 through June 2007 for about $50

more info HERE

RECALL: Scout Badges and KB Toys

2007-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not even the Boy Scouts are immune to shoddy made in China products. Plastic totem badges reading "Progress Toward Ranks," which is typically given to kids around the age of 7, is being recalled for high lead levels. Click HERE for more.

KB toys is also recalling several toys for high lead levels. Affected toys can be viewed HERE and shockingly these recalled toys are WOODEN. It's not just the janky cheap metal and plastic crap. This issues is pervasive and far reaching. The recall includes wooden toy wagon with blocks, 10n1 wooden activity cart and a flip alphabet.

Win from 5 minutes for mom and Western Digital

2007-10-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

5 Minutes for Mom and Western Digital have paired up for a great giveaway. Click over before Friday October 5th to win a Western Digital Passport External Hard Drive in one of three new delicious colors.

Why do you need an external hard drive? Well, if you take as many pictures as I do, you are living on the edge of losing your precious memories without one!

RECALL: Target Children's gardening tools and chairs

2007-09-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Lead paint is again forcing the recall of children's items. Approximately 350,000 Happy Giddy Gardening Tools and Children’s Sunny Patch Chairs sold at Target stores across the nation from August 2006 to August 2007 are being recalled due to excessive levels of lead in the surface paint of the toys. Yes, these were manufactured in China. The recalled items should immediately be removed from use and returned to your local Target store for a full refund.

Included in the recall are:

Gardening tools: caterpillar trowel with an orange and multi-colored handle; kitty cat broom with pink flowers and green handle; pink and green cultivator with a solid green tool portion and pink flowers on the handle; orange and green wood handle hoe and rake with orange flowers; pink and green shovel and trowel with pink flowers; green, orange and light blue snail push broom; multi-colored trowel, hoe, rake with orange on the tool body; multi-colored shovel with solid red on the shovel and eyes on the top of the handle; red and blue owl shaped broom with bristles painted blue, with yellow and black large eyes on the face.

Children’s Chairs: multi-colored children’s Sunny Patch chairs with a giraffe, monkey, and elephant on the back. The cloth seat and back are striped in orange, yellow, green and blue. The chameleon, butterfly and lady bug chair are not included in the recall.

CLICK HERE to see more images of recalled items and to read the entire release.

Recall: One Million Cribs

2007-09-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

From the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website:

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing today a voluntary recall with Simplicity Inc., of Reading, Pa., of about 1 million cribs. The drop-side can detach from the crib, which can create a dangerous gap and lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants. CPSC is aware of two deaths in Simplicity manufactured cribs with older style hardware, including a 9-month-old child and a 6-month-old child, where the drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is also aware of seven infant entrapments and 55 incidents in these cribs.

CPSC is also investigating the death of a 1-year-old child in a Simplicity crib with newer style hardware, in which the drop-side was installed upside down. CPSC is warning parents and caregivers to check all Simplicity cribs to make sure the drop-side is installed right side up.

The drop-side failures result from both the hardware and crib design, which allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop-side upside down. This, in turn, can weaken the hardware and cause the drop-side to detach from the crib. When the drop-side detaches, it creates a gap in which infants can become entrapped.

CPSC is also aware of two incidents that occurred when the drop-side was correctly installed with older style hardware, though the upside down installation greatly increases the risk of failure.

The recalled Simplicity crib models include: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also involves the following Simplicity cribs that used the Graco logo: Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio.

The recalled cribs have one of the following model numbers, which can be found on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the headboard: 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996.

The cribs, which were made in China, were sold in department stores, children’s stores and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 1998 through May 2007 for between $100 and $300.

The Little Black Book of Style

2007-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have never been very stylish. The few times someone has commented on my tastes in clothing, it usually includes statements like

"Do you own anything other then tank tops?"

"Wow you look so nice dressed up, who picked your outfit?"

"You do know that plaids and florals only match on a couch, right?"

I can recount tales of my old man golf pants phase, neon, spandex... not pretty and never classic. I need help so when The Parent Blogger Network sent me a copy of The Little Black Book of Style I got down on my knees and thanked Jesus for the opportunity to hone my non existent fashion skills without having to peel open the perfumed pages of 700 fashion mags.

I found The Little Black Book of Style to be chocked full of classic sound wardrobe advice. The basic anatomy of a good fashionable enduring closet is laid out. In it are some things I will probably never own, like a button down shirt. Ive yet to find one (high or low end) that buttons over my breasts and don't make me look like I'm wearing a tent. Another discordant note I struck with the book is the price of the recommended fashions. I hyperventilate with fear any time I spend more then $20 on an item to clad my body. However, the book does have me rethinking that strategy a bit. It does make sense to invest in pieces that last rather then my current method of purchasing 6 shirts for $50 and having them ragged out a few months later due to poor construction and cheap fabric.

Over all, the is a lovely book. The pictures are beautiful and the advice is sound (once I get past my internal cheapskate). It's something my girls will be glad is on our bookshelf as they get older, especially considering how fashion stunted their mother is. I may even take it shopping with me, I'll need the moral support.

Win Baby Stuff

2007-09-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

Beans and Sprouts is holding a fantastic contest for September. The winner may choose 1 item from the Beans and Sprouts Etsy store. I'm super excited to enter this one. I just recently received a custom order from Beans and Sprouts and it was the talk of the baby shower. Click HERE to find out how you can enter and good luck!

Recall: Dole bagged salad

2007-09-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

A bag of Dole's Hearts Delight tested positive for E. coli, triggering a recall in at least nine states. The tainted bag was sold in Canada but the recall encompasses both Canada and the US. The suspect batches have a "best if used by" date of September 19, 2007, and a production code of A24924A or A24924B.

The latest recall affects packages sold in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces in Canada and in Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee starting around Sept. 8, said Marty Ordman, a Dole spokesman.

Vocal Point

2007-09-16T19:33:00.001-07:00

Procter and Gamble is looking for moms to influence the next generation of products. Vocal Point is a new sounding board where we moms can do just that. Signing up at Vocal Point gets you free samples and the ability to be heard. Joining is free and easy, so is opting out if you decide it's not for you. Click Here to get started.

Zutano clad babies

2007-09-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

Zutano and Mums The Wurd are giving away

$150 worth of the cutest clothes on the planet

It's true. My little man has several Zutano pieces and I would LOVE to be able to add a few more to his drawer. You'll love their stuff too. Check em out and enter the contest!

Mum on Lead

2007-09-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here at Little Bird Reviews we do our best to keep readers current with recalls, particularly of children's items. It seems nearly every day that something else is deemed unsafe. Recently, the biggest issue has been lead paint contaminated toys.

Like you, I found myself combing through my kids' beloved toys, completely worried that I had been inadvertently poisoning them for months. At one point, I removed any toy that wasn't wooden or organic. I felt such relief knowing that we had those toys in our home, that my children could play and I need not worry. I need less worry and with my middle child's birthday quickly approaching, I will be turning to places like Natural Pod.

Our government needs to step up now and say NO MORE! Our children's health is not worth saving a few pennies on the dollar. Tough standards need to be enacted and most importantly ENFORCED.

Thanks to Mums the Wurd for directing me to Natural Pod. Visit Mum for a chance to win a gift cert to Natural Pod.

Rescue Me Ryka

2007-09-07T06:43:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, The Parent Bloggers Network contacted me about trying out some new Ryka shoes. Yes, SHOES! After I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't suffering from a sleep deprivation induced hallucination, I quickly agreed to give them a go.

I do not have a typical foot. As much as I passionately adore shoes, most do not fit me with any measure of comfort. Athletic shoes are a particularly sticky situation. I have a wide toe box, narrow heel and falling arches. My falling arches contribute to my bad knees and if a shoe does not provide me proper support, I end up swollen and in pain. The fact that I adore walking as my main form of exercise does not help the situation. Doctor after doctor has begged me to take up the recumbent bike,particularly since my knee surgery 6 years ago. It's lovely and all but I just don't see the same results as I do with walking, so I walk.

The Ryka's came right to my door which had me a little nervous. I've never sucessfully purchased shoes through the mail. My feet are at a 10.5. Most athletic shoes I order an 11 but Ryka shoes are true to fit sizing so I ordered 10s to avoid swimming in my shoes. It was a good choice. While a little snug, I was easily able to stretch them for comfort. Initially they were also tight on my toe box but with some lacing adjustments and a few shorter walks for stretching purposes, they settled into fitting just fine.

Fine, however, is not the word I would use to describe the shoe stabilization. Heavenly, perfect, supportive are more apropo when speaking of their foot stabilizing abilities. My 1st long spin around the block was actually about 2 miles down the trail. Even in my old shoes which were adequate but certainly not perfect, the mile mark is where my foot/ arch fatigue begins and by the end of 2 miles my left knee is screaming, if not also slightly swollen.

I'm very pleased to report that it took the full 2 miles before I felt any foot fatigue what so ever (and that probably had more to do with my recent inactivity then the shoes) and my knees? Nary a complaint from them after walking in the Ryka shoes!

In the visual appeal department, these Ryka's are very low key. I like that. I can step out to the store in them and not feel like I am radiating a 'poser gym rat' vibe. They go with all my workout and casual clothing and I don't have to obsessively worry about color coordinating my sports bra to the hot pink stripes like did with my last pair of workout shoes.

If my ringing endorsement is not enough to make you trash your old pair and grab a pair of Ryka's maybe their contest will help nudge you into converting. Through October, Ryka is giving away 50 pairs of shoes and 50 shirts a day. Click on over HERE and try your luck.

Girlology

2007-08-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

If your wonder years experience was anything like mine, you spent a great deal of time trying to sort out sex, body issues, and relationships based on teenage rumors and hearsay. Misinformation abounds. Enter Girlology courtesy of The Parent Bloggers Network.

Girlology answers all those burning preteen and teen questions with frank honesty, humor and age appropriate text. Covering both the technical AND emotional aspects, I found Girlology to be thoroughly informative and easy to read. Friendship troubles, erection education (no he doesn't have to finish if he gets one), birth control options and more. Sprinkled through out the book are myth busts, doc talk, think it through flow charts (I love these), and real life dilemmas which teach by example.

While momentarily embarrassing, I would have welcomed coming home to find a copy of this on my bed during those crazy mixed up years. My niece is fast approaching teendom and even though she'll roll her eyes at me, I'm going to pass on my copy to her. Hopefully she'll actually read it because it seems like a great resources for learning about life.

Mod*Mom, Dyson, and Breasts

2007-08-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Mod*mom and Dyson have teamed up to battle breast cancer by raising awareness. Click over to Mod*Mom and enter to win a Dyson dc07 pink.

Word World

2007-08-21T05:20:00.001-07:00

Starting September 3rd, your local PBS station will be broadcasting a new show called Word World. The animated show is aimed at 3 to 5 year olds and offers a simplistic yet powerful tool for pre reading skills. Everything in Word World is a word! All the objects and characters are comprised of letters Word World thrilled both my 3 and 5 year old. My five year old was pleased to recognize many of the letters and seeing them put together in the show encouraged her to test out writing a few words. My three year old is just starting to work on her letter recognition skills and is pleased to flaunt her new found letter knowledge around her big sister.

The episodes are not only educational, they are FUNNY. Shy silly Sheep and trouble attracting Pig are among my household's favorites. The build a word song is very catchy and the visual of the word being built is great. You see the letters pop up to spell out the word and then they morph into the object they spell out! Could spelling get any clearer? I have to wonder why someone didn't think of this concept sooner. It's simple, it's effective and Word World makes it fun. This will be a welcome addition to our PBS viewing line up. Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for giving us a chance to preview the show.

Kinesys Sun Protection

2007-08-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

As a native Floridian, protecting my family from the sun is often at the forefront of my mind. I worry most about my husband who works outdoors six days a week. Over the last three years he has come home with numerous sunburns. The Hubster is very vigilant about applying his sunscreen in the morning but when it comes to reapplication throughout the day he can be a bit stubborn. I can't blame him, really. He doesn't have access to bathroom where he can wash up so smearing on a reapplication of sunscreen usually means an uncomfortable midday exfoliation with whatever sand, dirt and grime has attached it's self to his body. I understand why he is more then slightly hesitant to grind all that goodness in while rubbing sunscreen on. Enter Kinesys courtesy of the Parent Bloggers Network.

Kinesys offers a nice even sunscreen application that you spray on. It dries in 2 to 3 minutes, no rubbing required! Other spray ons we have tried have dribbled out and produced blotchy coverage which requires you to rub it in. My husband has not had to rub Kinesys in at all- ever- not even on his face. The product itself, is oil and alcohol free; you can really FEEL a difference when you have it on. Often sun protection products will leave you feeling slick and greasy but the Kinesys is extremely light and not all all gooey.

We are a family with extremely sensitive skin and my husband did notice that on application he would sometimes feel a little burning near the crinkles of his eyes. This happens with pretty much any sunscreen we try. He did note that this stinging was much less then he has experienced with other sun products and was entirely minor compared to the benefits of the product. I was further soothed down when I found out that Kinesys is the top rated spay on sunscreen for safety according to my favorite cosmetics database which rates toe safety of skin and beauty produces. I place much trust into the Skin Deep data base and Kinesys excellent rating from them really impresses me.

Overall, my family has been very happy with the Kinesys sun protection. My husband has been burn free since he started using the product and he's even had his coworkers asking him about where to buy it.

Beans and Sprouts August Giveaway

2007-08-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Last month I had the privilege of trying out Beans and Sprouts lovely products and this month she is giving away one of those products. Click on over to the blog and enter to win one of her fantastic baby bibs. I still can't get over the pearl button snap - no more ripping off a dirty bib mid din din time!

Mod*Mom Meets Toro

2007-08-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mod*Mom and Sparkability are teaming up to celebrate the debut of the new toro stroller by giving one away! Click on over to Mod*Mom and find out how YOU can enter!

ImagiTales

2007-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am busy every day raising little narcissists. At their ages (5 and 3) I don't see it as a bad thing. Actually, I find it pretty amusing when I catch them gazing deeply into a spoon and contemplating their fun house looking reflection or when they accidentally stumble into a garbage can at the mall because they are too busy staring at themselves in the store window. My girls are also infatuated with seeing their names in print. This is a rare occurrence since I have purposefully chosen names that do not fall in the top 100 of most popular names in America. I have yet to come across bike plates or pencils with their names and while I'm quite satisfied with that, they can get flat out distraught. When The Parent Bloggers Network asked if I was interested in reviewing personalized books, I figured it would be a good way to earn brownie points with my kiddos- boy was I right!

ImagiTales allows you to build personalized books online using your child's name and photo which you can purchase as an extremely affordable E-Book or have printed and sent to you, also at a very easy on the wallet price. First you choose a story. I was able to choose three for this review. I picked one about shapes, one about going to the doctor and one about helping around the house. the biggest part of the process is next, you have to find a picture dead on of your child's face and anyone else you may be inserting into the story. It was hard trying to find a picture straight on that did not involve a weird face with a tongue hanging out and eyes crossed; it was almost as hard to find ones of my children that did not involve such things. Eventually I settled on two very cute pictures and was able to cut out their head shape using the tools provided on the website. I was worried it was going to be a huge pain but discovered it was actually pleasant and fun. One of my stories required a "grown ups" picture but since we had that aforementioned tongue problem I choose to insert my older daughter as the adult- MAGIC!!

The books arrived quickly and my kids went absolutely ape for them. The biggest hit was the shape book when I used Mira as the adult and Tessa as the main child character, at the end of the book they hug! I have read 'If I were a shape' 999 times at least. We have also read the other two books an awful lot but nothing beats the shape book for sharing.

I have often found either of my girls at any given time crouched in some secret place (next to the couch under the side table) marveling at the books and completely thrilled to be gazing at their likeness in print form. When their aunt and uncle stopped by one day they were both quite proud to display books where they were the main character and begged their aunt and uncle to read all three books before bed (you know they did it too because that's what a good auntie and uncle do).

The only hiccup I had in this whole process was my Flash player. Something was totally hinky with it and I need to uninstall and reinstall to be able to use the Imagitales site (to be totally fair I had encountered this issue before with other sites but had been too lazy to correct it, so maybe I should be thanking Imagitales for forcing me to take care of it). Over all it has been an easy and pleasant experience. I know when my baby gets a wee bit older I will be ordering a few with his likeness.

Free Crafting Ideas

2007-08-09T21:09:00.000-07:00

Craftbits.com Free Craft Projects and Patterns 1000's of free step by step projects and crafting patterns.

In just a few short months we'll all be decking the halls and baking up a storm. I like to deck my halls and trees and walls with homemade items but Christmas always seems to sneak up on me and I never get my Christmas Crafting completed till new years. NO MORE! I will start on my crafting early this year and to get me started I'm using free crafting ideas for Christmas and the Holidays.

Baby Diva

2007-08-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

When my son was born, he had a slight murmur in his heart. He was over a month early and had the doctors quite concerned. At three days old they performed an echo cardiogram and noted that the hole was thankfully closing on it's own and we should have no reason to worry. We followed up with our pediatrician who declared him murmur free after another week. We were lucky.

Baby Diva was not among the babies who's murmur corrects its self and at the tender age of three months old, she underwent surgery. Thankfully she is a strong and healthy girl today. Her family is trying to raise awareness and money for the American Heart Association and Mamanista is helping out with a contest.

Beans and Sprouts, a review

2007-08-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Nearly a month ago I was contacted by the proprietor of Beans and Sprouts to check out her products. As a self representing artist I have a deep appreciation for arts and crafters trying to eke out a living doing what they love, and because of this I quickly agreed to check out her wares.

Almost immediately my package arrived. I was actually blown away by how quickly it found it's way to my door step. The contents had be even more delighted though. Lisa had sent one of her bibs and a toddler tote for us to test out.

I probably shouldn't admit this, as it probably makes me sound like an uber dork, but I was so excited that her bibs have a snap closure that I ran over to my husband and stuck the bib under his nose, demanding that he ooo and ahh over this feature. He had zero appreciation for it until a few days later when Levi ripped off one of his bibs during a feeding. Buttons are good. The bib has held up well to multiple washings. Thus far every stain we have thrown at it (prunes, green beans, carrots) have all come out with no special treatment. The stitching also has held up well to the repeat washings. All of that and he looks darn cute wearing it too

The toddler tote has also been a big hit. It is just the right size to stash her favorite stuffed animal and some treasures in. I have not had occasion to wash it yet, but thus far it has held up to the punishing love that Tessa doles out. Tessa is a notorious destroyer, if there is one flaw she will find it and unravel the whole darn thing. So far, things are just smurfy though. Actually we do have one problem, Mira is insanely jealous of Tessa's tote.

##################

I highly recommend you check out Beans and Sprouts. Lisa has a great selection of products (including an elephant blankee that I am seriously coveting on Levi's behalf) and she is even running a contest where you can win a toddler tote
.

RECALL: Mattel Toys

2007-08-01T20:14:00.000-07:00

If you have purchased certain Sesame Street, Dora, Deigo, Blues Clues or Sponge Bob toys since May 1, 2007 your child may be exposed to unacceptable levels of lead.

Fisher-Price, in cooperation with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is voluntarily recalling a limited number of Nickelodeon and Sesame Street painted toys produced by one specific contract manufacturer during a narrow timeframe. The recalled products were sold in retail stores nationwide since May 1, 2007. Paint on some of these products COULD contain lead in excess of permissible levels.

To see a detailed list, please click HERE

RECALL: Sara Lee, several wheat bread brands affected

2007-07-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sara Lee is recalling several brands of wheat breads. There is a possibility the breads may contain metal pieces due to damage of the whole wheat flower sifter. Affected brands include:

Colonial Wheat Sandwich 20 oz.

5040023502

Schnucks Wheat Sandwich 24 oz.

2412601044

Earthgrains Honey Wheat Berry

5040072709

Flavorite Wheat Sand. 20 oz.

4113002364

Foodland Wheat Bread 20 oz.

4130320964

Golden Bake Wheat Bread 20 oz.

5040008505

Grissom's Wheat Bread 20 oz.

5193370220

Grissoms 24oz. Wheat Sand.

5193370300

IGA 20oz. Wheat

4127003695

Great Value Split Top Bread 20 oz.

7874206274

Great Value 24 oz. Wheat Sand

7874228543

Piggly Wiggly Wheat Bread 20 oz.

5040000118

Publix Honey Wheat

4141539095

Publix 100% Stoneground

4141539190

Publix Wheat 20 oz.

4141539290

Publix Stone Ground Wheat 20 oz.

4141539390

Shurfresh Split Top Wheat 20 oz.

1116144835

EarthGrains 100% Natural Wheat Berry

5040072748

EarthGrains 100% Natural 7-Grain

5040072747

EarthGrains 100% Natural Whole Wheat

5040072746

Sara Lee Delightful Wheat

7294571706

Sara Lee Delightful 100% Whole Wheat

7294571589

Sara Lee Delightful 100% Multi-Grain

7294571588

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100% Whole Wheat with Honey

7294560152

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100% Whole Wheat

7294560157

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100% Multi-Grain

7294560158

Sara Lee Deli Style 100% Whole Wheat

7294561001

to find out more, click here

Win a Brush The Blue Away Prize Pack

2007-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

click over to my main blog Finding Yourself Despite Yourself and enter for a chance to win!

Noah's Pals

2007-07-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had some new animal friends delivered. The folks over at Caboodle! toys in conjunction with the Parent Blogger Network sent them for my kids to try out. The animals are from the Noah's Pals collection.

Immediately I noticed how substantial the Noah's Pals animals feel. We have a LOT of animals hanging around Casa de Fidget and most have no real weight or mass to them. This makes it difficult to convince them to remain in standing positions, frustrating my kids (and me too because I am then stuck with the task of forcing them to stand). Noah's pals readily complied with the obligatory animal parade with no mom help. We have all be impressed with the detail work on the various animals. The sculpting and hand painting are eye catching, especially when one of Noah's Pals is placed next to one of our hum drum dollar store animal friends.

One thing that stood out to me is the dynamic website for the collection. You can track your collection there and you can also read about the various animals. Each informational page offers an educational blurb plus quick to find classification of endanger, vulnerable or common and where they are commonly found in the world.

The makers don't lie when they say that Noah's Pals is geared towards children 5 and up. There are some very tiny animals in the collection as it is all true to the 1:24 scale. The large animals, however, seem sturdy and worry free enough to be enjoyed by my three year old (who on occasion STILL puts things in her mouth).

We have been having great fun and some giggles
with our Pals. If you are looking for a home run children's gift, Noah's Pals is one to consider. I know it is only July, but my girls are already planning on asking Santa to slip a few Noah's Pals in their stockings.

Win A Mod Wad Of Coolness

2007-07-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Click on over to Mod*Mom for your chance to win a toybox or area rug from Not Neutral. The contest closes on July 31 and just takes a few minutes to enter. Good luck!

Online Shopping, Got A Code?

2007-07-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Let's face it, online shipping is convenient. You click to add things to your basket, check out and simply wait for it to show up on your doorstep. Viola! While I still enjoy browsing the store in person there are certain things that I just don't want to go buy, like back to school supplies. There are tons of great deals to be had but do I really want to fight the teaming hysterical masses who are grabbing at number 2 pencils like their are the Holy Grail? Yeah, I'm thinking not so much. Time to power up the computer. Let's make this even more enjoyable and economical by using Office Depot online coupon codes. Click click click and I am done. The best news? There are over 1,000 retailers with online shopping coupons too.

this post has been brought to you by payperpost.com

Beans and Sprouts

2007-07-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Click on over to Beans and Sprouts for a change to win an adorable toddler tote! All you have to do is drop her a comment. You can earn additional entries when you purchase one of her cute creations through her Etsy shop. Good luck!

Cash is King!

2007-07-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Over at Ashwin’s blog, you will find one crazy blog owner!! You can win $2500!! To enter just copy this text and paste it in your blog!! But hurry, this competition will not last long! So get posting!

Ending date is August 20th!

RECALL: Gerber Organic Baby Food

2007-07-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

Gerber® Announces Nationwide Voluntary Recall of Gerber ORGANIC Rice™ and Gerber ORGANIC
Oatmeal™ 8 Ounce Cereals Due to a Potential Choking Hazard
For Immediate Release, Florham Park, NJ July 13, 2007, Gerber Products Company, a division of Novartis
Consumer Health, is voluntarily recalling all packages of Gerber ORGANIC Rice and ORGANIC Oatmeal Cereals
due to a potential choking risk. A limited quantity of product may contain lumps of cereal, which do not dissolve in
water or milk and pose a potential choking hazard. Gerber has received choking complaints, but no reports of
injury. The FDA is aware of this recall. No other Gerber Products are affected by this recall.
The product has been distributed in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. If a consumer has Gerber
ORGANIC Rice or Gerber ORGANIC Oatmeal Cereal, they should not use the product and call the Gerber
Parents Resource Center 1-800-443-7237 or 1-231-928-3000 to return the product and receive a full refund.
Gerber ORGANIC Rice and ORGANIC Oatmeal Cereals are sold in 8 ounce boxes and all codes are being
recalled. Gerber ORGANIC Rice UPC Code is 15000 12504. Gerber ORGANIC Oatmeal UPC Code is 15000
12502. These numbers can be found on the bottom right side of the box.

Help A Gal Out,

2007-07-15T19:51:00.001-07:00

I have been pining to go to BlogHer this year but financially I just can't make it happen. I can't make it happen but YOU can! Check out my scrapblog below. I get an entry into their contest for every person who views my whole scrapblog. I've added two new pages since I ~~begged~~ brought this up last time.

Are you going to BlogHer? Want to meet Levi and squish on his fatty fat fat cutie thighs? Oh come on, you know you want to! Click through his scrapblog and help a fatty fat fat baby (and mama) out.

Pay Per Post Pays Out!

2007-07-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

It's ok, you can pause to wipe the spittle from your screen after repeating that preponderance of P's profusely placed in the title of this post, I'll wait.

Done? Whew. I am just excited to share this bit of news with you. A while back I signed up with Pay Per Post, which is a service that utilizes blog marketing and pays the blog owner for spreading the gospel of their clients. I have made over $70 to date and, get this, have actually been PAID! I get to pick and choose what assignments I like and some are even super fun to do (I had a blast playing with the sandcastle summer post cards). Once my kids are off to school in the fall, I can easily see myself becoming a full fledged pay per post junkie.

Wii Want One, Do You?

2007-07-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Enter to win a Wii from Markdown Monkey.

2007-07-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

The 24 Hour Pharmacist

Where to begin with this book? My husband says I need to tell you right away, that any book advocating breast massage and breast jiggling should be at the top of the best sellers list. No only can this equal fun audience participation time for him, but breast health is always high up on our personal list.

If you ask me I am apt to talk of the mention of adrenal issues. I unknowingly suffered from adrenal fatigue for nearly two years. I saw numerous doctors and eventually ended up in the care of a psychiatrist- all to disastrous ends. Why? It certainly wasn't from lack of trying, it was from lack of education. Most doctors don't look for adrenal fatigue and most books never make mention. I have several home remedy / holistic books in my possession and nary a one mentioned this phenomenon. In the 24 Hour Pharmacist, not only is it mention but supplements are suggested!

I also found the section of the book called Drug Muggers to be especially helpful. It lists drugs and what nutrients they can rob from your body while i use. I take aspirin daily to combat blood clots, apparently aspirin robs you of folic acid. Low levels of folic acid have been associated with cancer, depression, and birth defects among other things.

I highly recommend this one to keep on hand. I will be rereading it and making a list of supplements and life changes I need to implement for my best well being. Thanks PBN for sending me this gem to review.

Body, Soul, and Baby

2007-07-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

When parting the pages of this book, my expectations were not high. We have all be spoon fed books that give perfunctory lists of what the mother is feeling, only to then ramble on about the baby's development and what could possibly go wrong. These books left me bewildered and bawling on my bed. Every month I'd have something new to worry about thanks to my handy guide and yet no real answers about how I was feeling or what I should be doing.

My first pleasant surprise came just a few pages in when the author, Tracy W. Gaudet, M.D., says "This is not a book filled with reductionistic lists of symptoms matched up mechanically with ready-made "cures." I want to teach you a whole new approach to your pregnancy, an approach based on holistic understanding of the interrelatedness of your body, your soul, and your baby." It sounded like what I had searched for through three pregnancies and I eagerly dove into the book.

The book gives you tools to take a self inventory, teaching you how to listen and respond according. It approach scary topics with gentleness. Miscarriage is addressed over several pages instead of being relegated to a curt bulleted list of medical facts. Having suffered through this multiple times, I was buoyed to see it discussed instead of buried.

Common fears are addressed and juxtaposed them with facts. Relationships and the changes they undergo are discussed. Medical terms and procedures are laid out in simplistic detail, leaving you feeling reassured rather then scared or baffled.

The postpartum section of the book is it's own chapter, rather then an after thought. It delves into birth stories and their importance. Mental health is addressed in detail. Last but not least the book covers your return to sensuality as you recover from the pregnancy and birthing process.

Overall, this book is packed with exercises that will raise your conciseness of your pregnancy. It shows you how to connect with your body despite the medical and distant way that child birth tends to be treated these days. In short, I have never read a pregnancy book so devoted to the mother. It is a welcome thing indeed.

Wear Your Baby With Flair

2007-07-06T09:02:00.000-07:00

and comfort! Adventures in baby wearing is giving away All Natural Mommies original and practical new baby wearing accoutrement, the Podonbutai. This versital carrier combines the best of three baby wearing styles: the Korean Podegai, the Japanese Onbuhimo, and the Asian Mei Tai. I can't wait to get my hands on one! Click on over to Adventures in baby wearing and enter to win!

5 minutes for mom

2007-06-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

I just entered the Five Minutes for Mom giveaway spectacular. Baby wearing devotee that I am, I am hoping hard to win This Prize

One Is The Loneliest Number

2007-06-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

Online friendships and dating use to carry a big stigma but as our world has become more of a global community, attitudes have changed. For a brief period, prior to meeting my husband, I used online dating tools. I found the experience overall to be positive and much more relaxed then combing the bar scene for potential mates. If it wasn't for my chance meeting with my now darling husband, I'm sure I would have happily continued using online services for dating.

One of the residual perks I've had from online dating is lasting friendships. It's been nearly eight years since my last online date and I still can count two of those dates among my close friends. One of these friends ended up marrying a girl he met online and they are now expecting their first child!

I'm sure you are wondering how to get started. There are so many options these days, the choices can be dizzying. I recommend you give FriendFinder a look. The site is easy to navigate, there are thousands of members, a chat area, groups to find people with similar interests and even (my favorite tool) blogs! Membership is free and FriendFinder is even offered in several languages (anyone looking for an Italian stallion?).

RECALL: Veggie Booty

2007-06-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

All ye pirates and those with lil pirates please pay attention. Veggie Booty is being voluntarily recalled after 51 cases of salmonella poisoning in 17 different states have been associated with the product.

Nearly all who have fallen prey are children under ten. The bulk of victims falling into the toddler category, developed bloody diarrhea.

Robert's American Gourmet, based in Sea Cliff, New York, is voluntarily recalling all lots and sizes of Veggie Booty.

It is sold in supermarkets, health food stores, vending machines and online.

People who purchased Veggie Booty and still have it should discard the contents and contact the company at 1-800-626-7557 to get information on reimbursement.

Van's Frozen Flopples

2007-06-27T22:34:00.001-07:00

My days of frozen waffle fondling are behind me. My largest hope of gluten free and fuss free waffles has been dashes like so many Hollywood dreams. Foolishly I believed the rumors. I quit my job, ran away from home and moved to LA dreaming of hitting the big time.. er I mean I stopped sobbing over the Eggos and moved over 2 feet to Van's Gluten Free waffle's display.

Once home with my kill, I clawed the package open and tossed two of them into my special uncontaminated gluten free toaster (oddly I find the "Poptart" setting on this toaster to be most efficient for my rice bread as well as gluten free waffles.. Irony? Well, let's not have that argument b/c you know it's like rain on your wedding day and yada yada).

I drowned those freshly warmed toaster delights in the finest grade A maple syrup and let out some gleeful (ok more mad scientist sounding ) giggles. GAH! EEEWWWW!! Utter disappointment. I have read over and over how wonderful these are and yet my freshly toasted Van's gluten free waffles were not just unsatisfying, they were like eating gloppy sand- my waffles were flopples!! Oh how I mourned for that 1/3 c of grade A maple syrup wasted... Once the memory of that doomed meal faded I started having visions of brownies dancing in my head. Instead of risking another Flopple Gate I set about the task of making my own.

Freedom contest

2007-06-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

LoveShak, Baby is giving away (2) $100 gift certificates to Chittypulga. I've got my fingers crossed for this one folks. I know a certain lil cutie who could use this, this, this, and oo! one of these double OO! let us not forget this!

Garage Sale America, Get Your Kitsch On

2007-06-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

"Is this Bakelite?"

"I don't know, rub it. Does it smell like burning hair?"

"Wha? Rub it and what?"

I thought she was kidding, really and truly. I had filed the incident away in the "My Best Friend Is NUTS" folder until I came across this tip in Bruce Littlefield's book Garage Sale America. Upon finding the helpful hints for identifying Bakelite, I had to pick up the phone and let her know she wasn't so crazy after all.

When The Parent Bloggers Network asked if I was interested in reviewing Garage Sale America, my heart skipped a beat. A FREE book about bargains? YES! SCORE! *insert victory dance here* I'm no stranger to the hunt and the high of finding just want you need at an insanely outstanding price (I paid $3 for my son's take along swing, thank you very much).

The book is chocked full of pictures, pictures of items I yearn for (like littlefield's china, I LOVE LOVE LOVE his pattern). It takes you through Littlefield's home, his adventures garage-saling and the people he meets along the way. There are helpful tips and hints sprinkled through out the book, along with spotlights on garage salers, artists, and collectors. I enjoyed not only seeing what Littlefield scored at the worlds largest garage sale, but also how he blended the items into his home decor.

Reading this book, for me, was like sitting down in a small town diner with a huge slice of pie and endless cup of coffee, comfortable. I savored the stories and worked on memorizing the hints for separating out the real treasure from the fakes. I've never had a garage sale of my own. I tend to hoard stuff and then in a fit of panic donate everything. Garage Sale America has inspired me to have a sale of my own, one where I might just let go of that strange German poster art, the one with the 300 drunk lewd pigs, for a song.

E-card Excitement

2007-06-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

For the last week I have been driving around with a box in my car that I need to send to Canada. I'm also fretting because I have to remember to send a post card to Idaho as well as a thank you card to my mom. I'm REALLY bad about sending snail mail. The stamps are expensive, I have to leave my home to mail it and once I have left my home to mail it I have to actually battle the post office crowd- not fun. for these reasons and many more I am a proponent of E-cards.

My favorite kinds of E-cards are the ones where they let you tinker with the design. The newest one I've been playing with is perfectly themed for summer: Sandcastles. Using a simple drag and drop layout, you can build a sandcastle. Each piece has it's own set of controls so you can easily move the pieces, color them and even change the scale. It's fun, it's free, and even my kids are loving it. Click on over and unleash your inner sandcastle architect. Once you save your design, it's put in the gallery where people the whole world over can view your masterpiece.

Childhood Vaccines

2007-06-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Months of daily fevers, severe reflux, strange rashes and colic plagued my oldest child during her babyhood. We found the root cause for most of it to be her vaccinations. The very thing that was meant to protect her, was making her ill. We stopped her shots immediately and since sleuthing out the cause, has received no more. When my subsequent children were born, we were faced with a decision- do we risk it?

Most of my acquaintances are shocked to learn that Mira's vaccination snafu did not put a permanent kibosh on shots in my household, just on shots for Mira. We took a cautionary approach, holding off till after one year old for Tessa then slowly, one shot at a time, made our way through the vaccines. We were always on the look out for any sort of negative reactions, but lucky none presented.

When pressed for answers I invariably bring up my mother's midwife. Janice was disfigured from a childhood bout of polio. Her feet were crippled at the age of 8 and never grew any larger. That visual confirmation of the horror that vaccines prevent looms large in my mind. Most people don't have this sort of reference to draw from. They have never lived in an age of a pandemic, never experienced in anyway the true horrors that vaccines prevent.

Vaccinated, by Paul Offit, offers a peek into the disease plagued past. The book mainly chronicles Maurice Hillman, the man behind so many of the vaccines that now protect us. From Hillman scraping his own mumps ridden daughter's throat to developing leukemia vaccines for chickens, this book extensively covers the history and development of vaccinations.

Parts of the book made my stomach churn. The causal mention of viruses being reproduced in minced mouse brains left my appetite limp but is still oddly fascinating. the book isn't too lingo heavy, us commoners can easily understand what is happening without having to Google every other term.

This book would be particularly helpful for anyone fence sitting on the issue of shots. Reading the Where Why and How will demystify the vaccines and help table the discussion of drug companies pushing them purely for profit. While it did not change my personal stance on shots, I still believe that we give to many shots too early, it did remind me that I can relatively safely delay my childrens' inoculations because many of us are vaccinated due to the hard work and dedication of Maurice Hillman.

Thanks to The Parent Bloggers Network for hooking me up with this book and reminding me why I allow someone to jab my children with needles.

Burn Notice

2007-06-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

Most people, when considering survival, ponder the shipwrecked Gilligan's Island angle but in this day and age one should consider survival in an urban enviornment. USA Network's Burn Notice has inspired me to ponder the urban survival scenario.

It's entirely possible to be stranded in a big city with seemingly zero resources. Let us assume that someone has clubbed you over the head, robbed you of all your worldly possessions (money, cellphone, ID, etc) and stuffed you into the trunk of a car. Some time later you come to and have been dumped in a dirty ally in a town wholly unfamiliar to you- what do you do?

maybe I'm nuts but my first thought would be to find the local library, from there I would have internet access and a solid address to Mapquest how far from home I am. Next I'd start emailing any family members or bloggers I know in the area. The cool thing about blogging is that no matter where i might go in the country, I'll always have friends nearby!

Let's say my nearest blogging friend who was willing to take a chance and come rescue me was still 2 days worth of driving away, I'd still have an immediate need for food and shelter. I'd Google the local soup kitchen and homeless shelter locations and start making my way there. If there were full my next stop would be a local ER to tend to the wounds I sustained when those freaks conked me on the head and tossed me in the trunk. Surely I could weedle a meal from the hospital while they cleaned me up.

Urban Survival could be a snap so long as you keep your head on straight and don't panic, you can also watch USA Network's Burn Notice for more survival ideas.

Earth Friendly Tooth Brushes

2007-06-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Preserve brand tooth brushes not only offer a mouth friendly design and brushing comfort, they are also made out of recycled material. It is available at Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, and Trader Joe's. more recently Amazon.com, Target and even Walmart have began to carry the brand. Just one more way you can help the earth by leaving less of an impact on the enviornment.

Drug Rehab

2007-06-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Since drug addiction has touched so many lives, I feel it is important to continue to spread the word about drug rehab programs that are available.

One of the most effect types of treatment involves an inpatient stay at a drug treatment center. There, addicts will learn coping skills and strategies which will help them make good drug free choices in their daily lives.

A drug treatment center that incorporates ex addicts as councilors, can be particularly important to the treatment of someone who has failed to stay clean.

Drug addiction is a serious problem and if you or someone you know is struggling, get help.

This post has been brought to you by the fine folks at Pay Per Post

Recall

2007-06-13T20:04:00.001-07:00

RECALLED: Thomas and Friends Toys. For more information CLICK HERE

I Stink!

2007-06-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

Yes I am a delicate dainty flower of a woman but if you judged me solely on the state of my pits, you might mistake me for

I have tried many deodorants and antiperspirants to no avail so here is where I turn to you dear internet. What pit paint should I try? What works for you? I'm tired of smelling like a wildebeest in heat people, help me!

A Family Matter

2007-06-13T18:32:00.000-07:00

Back in high school, my best friend's brother got into drugs. He was lucky. His family knew exactly where and how to get him help because his mother was a social worker. A lot of other kids I knew dropped out of school and into the gutter. Their families had no idea where to turn for help so they tried tough love. Kicking them to the curb never solved the problem, it just drove them further into it. My high school class started out with around 700 students, less then half of that number graduated with us. Many of the ones who didn't graduate, were using or in jail for using.

I strive every day to avoid that with my children. I do know, however, that you can be an awesome parent but some choices are still entirely up to your child. When your kid makes the wrong choice and you have to step in, there are place you can turn. There are drug treatment programs out there to fit almost any situation, you can help save your child.

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Sling It

2007-06-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Through three kiddos we have been dedicated babywearers. Five years ago when I first started wearing Mira it was rare to see anyone else doing so. We drew lots of gawkers and questions. These days babywearing still seems to draw stares but it's much more prevalent. Adventures In Babywearing is hosting a contest in conjunction with MamaKanga for a $75 gift certificate. I'm crossing my fingers to win this one because I'd love to pick out one of these. You can enter to win also by click over to Adventures In Babywearing

The Hunt

2007-06-09T07:18:00.001-07:00

After dark last night, one of my children and one of my dogs escaped into the backyard. I stood at the door hollering like a fool to no avail. I dangled cookies for the kid and bacon for the dog, neither took the bait. I thought about calling my uncle to borrow his night vision gear.

I knew they were out there. The girl was giggling, but I just couldn't see them. I could have stormed the back yard to try and flush them out of hiding but with them sheer amount of stuff scattered about, it was more dangerous and foolhardy.

The lighting outside was minimal so perhaps night vision could use a little boost, something along the lines of thermal heat imaging. Not only would I snag that giggling girl but I could hunt down the suspiciously quiet dog, who was probably eating his way through the garden.

With three kids and two dogs, I get the feeling I better gear up if I plan on winning this war and bagging my backyard bounty.

Recalls

2007-06-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

Fisher Price Rainforest open top take along swing recalled for entrapment hazard, more info HERE

Oeuf Infant Bouncer recalled for structurally unsound frame, more info can be found HERE

Graco Baby Einstein Soft Block Tower Toy recalled due to choking hazard, more info can be found HERE

Evenflo Embrace Infant Carseat / Carrier recalled due to handle failure, more info can be found HERE

Gratuitous Baby Marketing

2007-06-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Three Of My Favorite Things

2007-05-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Free Gifts, Sweepstakes, and Cash Prizes - it's enough to make this gal flush with excitement. Bid4Prizes promises all that and more! It's got the action of an auction without bruising your wallet. Unlike a typical auction the LOWEST unique bid wins, yes LOWEST, and here is where it gets wacky. Say you bid 81 cents for a brand new HDTV TV and no one else bid 81 cents, you win, but even better you still keep the 81 cents- the prize is FREE!

Bid4prizes is easy to get in on, offering two ways to play - online or via text message. You get up to 20 bids per day and earn points for bidding. Later you can cash in those points for other prizes. Even if you don't win "the big one" you still win! Bid4prizes has sucked me in.. I'm bidding on a BMW at the moment. Good luck and Happy Bidding!

Boppy Lounger

2007-05-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

When our new son was just a few days old I unwrapped a gift chosen from my registry, a Boppy Newborn Lounger. It was something I chose on a whim, it just looked too comfortable to resist. Nearly 4 months later I am so glad that we have this in our home.

Levi was born a bit early - during the 35th week! The Boppy Newborn Loungerpillow right away provided him a comfortable place to lay when I needed to step away to use the restroom or answer the ever ringing phone. He would often drift off to sleep once snuggled down in the lounger. At first I was worried because the pillow is clearly labeled NOT FOR SLEEPING PURPOSES and I will say IT IS NOT FOR SLEEPING PURPOSES, but I will also say that Levi has been sleeping, quite contentedly, on it since 2 weeks old.

The pillow is designed with a center divot which drops baby's bottom lower then his head. When they are tiny their body can curl up, allowing baby to feel snuggled and secure. As they grow bigger it turns more into the lounge position. These days he likes to chill in his Boppy Newborn Lounger and play with his Octopus, which he just recently has figured out how to grab.

The only complaint I have about the Boppy lounger is the cover- It's not removable. Spot clean only is a terrible phrase when you have 3 kids, 2 dogs, and allergies! I'm hoping in the future Boppy will come out with a version that sports a removable cover. When that happens I think the lounger will move from 4 1/2 stars to five. If we trash it too badly this time, it will be on my must have list when we start thinking about another baby.

Mac My Day

2007-05-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have been drooling over Macs, drooling I say. The one thing that has keep me chained to a PC is my web addiction. There are so many things I do, that just aren't Mac interface friendly. Slowly but surely the interweb is becoming a friendlier place for mac users. Websites are now offering Mac downloads and some are even being created specifically for Mac users.

One of my graphic design buddies, who is practically married to his Mac's design programs, recently kicked his PC to the curb. His love of poker was the only thing keeping him on a standard desktop. Enter Mac Poker Online. Tasty tidbits about who works best with Mac and where you can trust to play. Mac Poker Online also has a blog about online gambling, keeping subscribers up to date with the latest news, regulations, and tournaments.

I Have Seen The Light

2007-05-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Light Iris that is. Parent Bloggers heard that I was having some cranky pants baby issues and thought I could use some help. I had my fingers crossed that they'd send me a nanny but the Light Iris link they sent me, while not as good as a Nanny at burping the baby, is pretty good at helping me help the baby.

The concept? You take Google, remove all the crap you don't want, and deliver search hits pertaining to parenting that are ACTUALLY about, of all crazy things, parenting! It's like getting the meaty part of the crab without having to crack the shell and all that other nasty messiness. MMMM crab.

I will not lie when asked what my favorite part of Light Iris is. You all know I'm a contest Junky so when I found out they are holding a contest giving away $3000 in gift cards, Light Iris had forever endeared it's self to me. Parent Bloggers upped the ante when they told me on June 8th they will be hosting a Blog Blast in honor of light Iris. One lucky blog blaster will win free 2 days passes to BlogHer 07 !!

Baby Loves Disco, How About You?

2007-05-20T20:26:00.001-07:00

Baby Loves Disco has officially landed in Down Town Otown.

The Place: Club Firestone

The Music: Kid friendly Disco and Dance Beats spun by DJ Sandy

What you see here is pure unadulterated kid bliss. Bubbles, fog, hula hoops, shakers, and scarves make the dance floor irresistible to the tiny tike set. From the moment we entered my kids eyes rounded out to silver dollar size. There was so much to see and do. My girls had a hard time choosing where to start. The FREE face painting by Posh Parenting won.

While the girls were getting gussied up, The Hubster snuck over and signed us up for complimentary chair massage by A-Team Massage.

Next up DANCING! We shook, we spun, we jumped, we laid down the boogie. Levi was safely tucked into my sling, he too was wide eyed as a ring tailed lemur. At some point or another every single person in the joint was dancing with the kids. It was awesome to see grown ups shed their inhibitions. The whole club blew up when Play That Funky Music White Boy came on. It's one of those songs that everyone knows the words to and can't help but sing along.

Raging thirst bowled us over and we headed towards the complimentary food spread. Fruit, Veggies, Pretzles, Chips, Dips, Salsa, Gold Fish, and Cookies were ripe for noshing while Juicy Juice boxes tamed tot's thirst. Parents could opt to buy refreshing adult beverages from the bar too. I think my kids ate their ticket prices in cantaloupe alone. I took this pit stop to nurse Levi (woot! public nursing without so much as one STINK EYE cast in my direction. This may be a first for me, people).

The Hubster and I took turns on kid patrol while we each got our massages done. Heaven, just heaven. I was entirely embarrassed when I peeled my face back from the paper to discover I had drooled everywhere during my blissful 10 minutes. Kasha, I was putty in your hands. I'm sure you will be hearing from me very VERY soon.

Next we hit the upstairs chillout room. Holy toy explosion batman! Timmy's Toy Chest pulled out all the stops. TeePees, Train table, Thomas the tank engine, big wheels, dress up clothes, tents, stuffed animals, books, pillows, and infant toys as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect place to spent a little after eating down time. Timmy's Toy Chest was even holding a raffle for a $40 gift certificate (got my fingers crossed to win this one).

Soon after arriving upstairs, Levi let me know that we'd have to try out the diaper changing station. Wee Willy Winks had changing pads lined with super soft fleece blankets, tushie wipes and hand sanitizer all laid out. Once Levi was cleaned up I had to pry the fleece blankie from his iron grasp.

Ignore The Hubster and his "You better not be taking pictures for your blog" face, instead focus on the cute baby who is memorized by the bubbles and lights (on an aside, he is wearing a size 12 months onesie in this picture 12 months! This was a win from Resa Design ).

When the time came to head home, my children begged to go back next Sunday. They are aghast at the idea of waiting an entire month for the next party, though the balloons and Baby Legs swag helped dry up their tears.

If you live even remotely close to a city that has Baby Loves Disco, GO. If your city doesn't have baby Loves Disco yet, why not help get it started.

Fruitabu Organic Smooshed Fruit

2007-05-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Keeping your child's lunch box healthy and hip can be a challenge. While their peers are munching away at red lake 30 or other food dyes, your child is probably bummed about the carrots in their lunch (even if they like them). Fruitabu offers healthy organic goodness in a kid friendly presentation.

Smooshed Fruit looks like a most other fruit snack minus the electric blue color. The texture and taste both are pleasing to pint sized pallets (grown-ups dig it too). This is one snack I don't mind doling out on a regular basis. My kids adore it so much I've started buying it in bulk.

Nursing Comfortably

2007-05-18T08:20:00.001-07:00

Breastfeeding is the best nutrition option you can offer your baby, though getting the hang of it can sometimes be tough. One of the hardest aspects for me was positioning myself so that the baby was comfortable and I was comfortable.

In the early days, I find I need both hands free. One to position the baby's head and the other to hold my breast. With my girls, I struggled to get everyone settled. I used a Boppy nursing pillow which helped some but it also caused problems. Nursing makes you very sleepy at first and god forbid I should doze off while nursing with Boppy. I awoke with a start more then once to catch my tiny baby rolling off me towards the floor! Additionally, Boppy is designed to hug you but it's embrace isn't very comfortable in those first postpartum weeks when your belly is still a swollen quivering mass, in fact it is woefully inadequate for encircling me at that stage.

I did find that Boppy was useful for something though. It makes an incredibly comfortable butt cushion. The open center design let me sit as pain-free as possible after my first child required a double episiotomy.

With my third child, I was still searching for a comfortable and effective nursing pillow. Enter The Baby Buddy. Crawling around the interweb while pregnant I stumbled across another blogger RAVING about this pillow. I decided to take a gamble and order The Original Baby Buddy nursing pillow. I chose a flannel pillow case for my cover and picked up a cotton one for free as part of a promotion. Ordering was much easier then I expected, even though they are located in Canada and I am in the US. I emailed to make sure of the money conversion rate and their friendly staff took care of the rest.

I have used this pillow every single day since I started nursing my son. It elevates baby to just the right height and is wide enough that baby won't easily roll off. This pillow made it possible for me to breastfeed my son comfortably and safely while he was in the special care nursery receiving antibiotics and breathing treatments. His last night in the the special care nursery was spent sleeping at my breast on my Baby Buddy pillow. He nursed on and off all night long and gained enough weight to be released the next day.

Since then it has become a fixture in my home. It lives on my couch, ready whenever I need it. I keep a short list of things I think every new mother needs, The Baby Buddy Original Nursing Pillow is right up at the top of that list.