Petz Fantasy - Moonlight Magic Review

This post is part of a sponsored series from Ubisoft, celebrating "12 Days of Giveaways." See below for how you can enter up to 12 times to win fun and family-friendly video games.

I have a love hate relationship with the Nintendo DS. I love playing with it and hate it when the kids play. It's not that I'm loath to share my toy, it's more that neither child can read so I constantly have to stop what I'm doing to read what it says on the screen.

Since we opened Petz Fantasy, I'm changing my tune. 

First of all, this game is cute. Seriously adorable. The little magic pet makes cute little noises and has a sweet little face. 

Second, this game is manageable for my 5yo. She still needs me to  read some of the messages, but she can sit and play without needing my help every three seconds. Even better, she's actually having fun! She loves taking care of her little beast and is even tackling the more challenging magical realm games with glee. 

As a mom I'm quite impressed with the different skills she's mastering. Even though her hand/eye coordination is quite good, since she's learning to write, extra practice is never a bad thing. To feed her little pet she has to color in his food being sure to stay within the lines (Harder than it sounds!), to console him she has to burst his tears before they explode. And that's just the start. Each level offers up a new challenge and I, like my daughter, can't wait to see what's next!

To Purchase Petz Fantasy:
Visit Toys R Us where you can find it for $29.99.
Visit Amazon.com where you can also find it for $29.99

Want to win your own copy of this game? 
Easy enough!

Leave a comment below telling my why this game sounds perfect for your child.
Get an extra entry by tweeting or promoting this giveaway on Facebook. Please make sure to come back and leave a comment with a link to your tweet or FB post. 


Winner will be drawn at 10:00pm Friday, December 3rd and will be announced Saturday, December 4th. 

This giveaway is now closed! Thank you to everyone who entered and tweeted it out! 
Congratulations to Rhoneygtn, #35, winner of the Petz Fantasy Moonlight Magic game! 

Want more ways to win great games for the whole family? Visit each of these blogs during our 12 Days of Giveaways from now through December 3!

I was selected to participate in this sponsored series by Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective. I received a video game and compensation for my participation in this program. We believe in Blog With Integrity.

Please visit these participating bloggers for more chances to win games, including Just Dance 2 (Wii), Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike (Wii), Petz Fantasy (DS) and Petz Nursery (DS)!
Rookie Moms
motherbumper
DaDa Rocks
Crash Test Mommy
Scraps of My Geek Life
Mommies With Style
The Fairly Odd Mother
All Things Fadra
Mom to the Screaming Masses
Beccarama
Romy Raves

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Disney Mickey Mote Review

Kid shows are very inventive when it comes to trying to get children to interact with the action. There are varying degrees of questions and comments directed at the child. Some shows carefully build in "wait time" to give the child a chance to react and answer before the show moves on. But until now, there were few if any shows that put an interactive tool directly in the child's hand.

I was really excited to receive and test the new Disney Mickey "Mote." I loved the concept from the get go. Anything that can turn a predominantly passive activity into an active thinking one can't be bad.

First things first though. Before being able to test out the Mickey Mote I had to set it up, which meant I had to find the DVD remote. I located it in the last place I thought to check (The empty packaging for the new TV that was heading to the trash. Thank you Mickey Mote! I would never have searched for it if it weren't for you!) and started the set up.

I set the two remotes head to head on the floor and followed the instructions carefully, pushing the buttons in order. Clearly I've been working too hard because it took me a good three times to get the set-up right. Had I read the instructions exactly as they were written I would have gotten it right the first time. It really wasn't that hard. 

With the remote set up the girls were ready to play. The timing was perfect, Little L was ready to be set up for her nebulizer treatment. I usually sit with her on the couch to read to her as the medicine does it's thing, tonight I sat her in front of the TV and handed her her Mickey Mote.

We're big fans of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so they were delighted to see the familiar opening credits, not to say a new episode they'd never seen.

A few things to note:
The Mickey Mote doesn't come into play during the usual episode. You have to select the bonus material to have access to the interactive portion of the DVD. For a child who's been handed a fun red remote, it can be a bit hard to be patient until playtime starts. Even if you go straight to the interactive section, there's still a bit of wait time before the questions start.

The first level of play was perfect for my 3-year-old. She was able to easily answer the questions, but they made her think. The second level of play was a bit easy for the 5-year-old, though she did enjoy the interactivity.

All in all I'm a fan of the Mickey Mote. I like the fact that it teaches the children to be active observant viewers. I wish the integration of the interactive parts was a bit less choppy and a bit more seamless. But all in all, this is a nice little product that will entertain preschoolers and help them feel like they're part of the action.

I received a copy of the Disney Mickey Mote and an extra DVD for review. I received no other form of compensation. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Eddie Bauer Yukon Classic Down Jacket - Review

I live in California. Let me start with that. So when my new BFF at Eddie Bauer reached out to me to ask me to review a down jacket, I balked. I usually get by with wearing various sweaters and fleece jackets except for the couple days we spend in Lake Tahoe every Thanksgiving and the week we spend out East with my sister and her family when Christmas rolls around. 

But my new friend convinced me that the Yukon Classic Down Jacket, while being rated for temps all the way down to 0F, wasn't too warm for more chilly California nights. 

I bit and ordered it in red.

Back in college I bought myself a bright pink very puffy down jacket. I loved everything about that jacket except for the fact that my school friends promptly nicknamed me The Raspberry. When I put it on I felt cozy, warm, and just plain comforted. 

My Eddie Bauer Yukon Classic Down Jacket brought back that exact same feeling... without the unpleasant nickname. The fleece lined collar and cuffs are extra soft and the down is warm without being unflatteringly puffy.

It's the middle of October and I've already worn my jacket twice. And no, I haven't been out East or up to Tahoe. It's a light enough jacket to work for the cooler CA temps, but I'll also definitely be packing it when we head to the snow. Like all of my other Eddie Bauer duds (pretty much my entire closet...) I love that it's classy, fashionable, but utterly comfortable and functional. Plus, you know, should I ever be caught out in almost sub-zero degree weather, I'll be warm and toasty. Though I better not, I do live in California for a reason after all, namely because I enjoy not being cold. 

The Yukon Classic retails for $129-139, but right now Eddie Bauer is having their 70th Annual Down Sale and the jacket is $40 off until 11/7. It's an unbeatable deal for a jacket you'll have for years.

Just so you know, I was sent a jacket for review purposes, but I was not compensated in any other way to write this post. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. I adore Eddie Bauer and will happily model for you whatever I'm wearing when we meet. 99% guaranteed it'll be from there.  

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Vtech Mobigo Review

I have always been skeptical of gaming consoles for kids. They're either too complicated (which leads to crying) or too simplistic (which leads to boredom). I have seen kids (and adults) addicted to the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP as well as other gaming systems which are great fun, but really fail when it comes to education. Frankly, I thought no one could get the right mix of playability and education into one box. And then we tried the MobiGo by Vtech.

Let me begin by voicing loudly my biggest complaint. We were only provided one MobiGo to review and now my kids (5 and almost 3) fight constantly to play with it. In the last three days the MobiGo has had to go in time out a good five times while they figure out how to take turns.

At first glance the MobiGo seems like all other portable electronic gaming systems. It's got a 4-directional button on the left, a screen in the middle, and a big button on the right. It's got a cartridge on the top. Seen it. Done it. Yawn.

Ok, fine. So I plug in the "Touch & Learn" cartridge and turn on the thing. It wants you to put in your name.  Seen that before too, right? Oh wait the whole screen flips up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard! (Those who play with a Sidekick or other flip phones know what I'm talking about). OK that's pretty cool, but come on my kids are 5 and 2. Seemed a little excessive for me at first. But I'll get back to that later.

So then I get to select different games to play from the Touch & Learn cartridge. I can immediately tell there are letter games, number games, and other games to try out (actually 6 games in all). I tried to select one with the directional button but it didn't work. I have an iPod Touch, so my instinct was to touch the screen. It worked! The entire screen is touch sensitive! It turns out that (duh) the Touch & Learn cartridge relies heavily on the touch screen.

So the technology is there, but I was still skeptical about playability and educational value. I tried out what I call the "Squirrel game" first. In this game you simply use the touch screen to help a squirrel get nuts. The game directs you to basically connect the dots to move the squirrel. Pretty simple, but very intuitive especially for a 2 or 3 year old. The graphics are fantastic and the squirrel makes a cute noise every time he reaches a nut.

I moved on to the letter game. The goal of this game is to shoot rubber ducks with a water gun. Each duck has a letter on it and you shoot by finding the letter on the QWERTY keyboard. This is great! After about 10 minutes my 5 year old had a pretty good grasp of the location of many of the letters on the QWERTY keyboard. This game was actually both fun and educational. My 5 year old was reviewing her letters and was learning about the QWERTY keyboard all while being sucked into the fun graphics.

I like music so I had to try the music game. I was shocked to realize that this was Rock Band/Guitar Hero for little kids (except instead of Megadeath, you play Oh, Susanna). The guitar (or more aptly ukulele) has only four strings and a little note falls down each string for you to "pluck" it at the right moment. Brilliant! As I played more, the sophistication of the system revealed itself and you can also play piano and drums.

OK the technology is great, the games are fun and educational, but my last concern was would it hold the kids' attention for more than a day. Each game has an "easy" or "difficult" mode. The "Easy" level was easy for my 5 year old on some games (the squirrel game) and adequate on others (like the letter and number games).  If you do well on the easy level, then you're invited to play the difficult level. Frankly, the games are so much fun that both kids are still having a great time and my 5 year old is really learning her keyboard. She's even making distinct progress with her numbers, something we only recently realized she needed to work on.

The system is marked as being good for kids to 3-8-year-olds. The "Touch & Learn" cartridge supplied with the console won't keep the attention of the older kids for long, but VTech is releasing a large array of affordable games ($20 or so)  to go with the console.We only played with the original cartridge which didn't use any of the directional buttons on the console, but we're beyond impressed with the technology and functionality of the system and we can't wait to test out some of the other games.

So, in short, great game console with amazing potential. I love the fact that some of the mini-games are harder than others so that the kids have something easy to fall back on when they get frustrated with the more challenging tasks. The fact that they've still gone back to try the more challenging tasks after speaks volumes. The fact that they haven't stopped playing for the last three days and have made noticeable progress with numbers, letters, and problem solving speaks even higher to the quality of the educational content of this game system.

Pre-purchase the MobiGo at Amazon for $59.99. (Release date is supposed to be June 7th, though the date there says July 1st.)

Or Purchase the MobiGo at ToysRUs now for $59.99 and games for around $20.

Please note, I did receive a MobiGo console from VTech for review (and we get to keep it thank goodness or there would be a mutiny) however the opinions contained in this post are mine and mine alone, except for the parts written by my husband who was so taken with the device that he felt the need to write this review. His opinions are his and his alone too.

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Clorox Helps You Fight the Flu

Anyone who reads my regular blog knows that I have been particularly scared of the flu this winter. I struggled to get my daughters vaccinated against the H1N1 flu and I've been beyond anal about avoiding germ infested places. (Public library anyone?)

Beyond not taking my kids to places that might be harboring more than their fair share of germs, I've also been making a conscious effort to keep our home as sanitized as possible. I routinely disinfect door knobs, phone handsets, remote controls, and anything else that strikes me as potentially germy.

Lucky for me and anyone else who's on the "no germ, no virus" bandwagon this winter, Clorox has decided to make our lives a little easier. They've packaged the best of their disinfecting products with a handy guide that tells you, step by step, how to keep your house flu free this winter.

Best of all? If you buy the Clorox Home Flu Kit you'll actually be saving money - buying all the components separately costs more and you don't get the handy dandy cheat sheet!

Now personally I was already a big fan of Clorox even if I am a hair scared of bleach and what it can do to jeans and cute clothes. And I may be a hair obsessed with Clorox wipes. So it wasn't a stretch for me to fall in love with the Flu Kit. (It's for killing the FLU! I love killing the flu!) Add the fact that the kit includes Clorox's hospital strength hand sanitizer (my other obsession this winter), and I'm sold. You can't buy that stuff in stores and if rumors are true, sooner rather than later this winter it's going to start getting hard to find Purell on store shelves...

The Clorox Home Flu Kit isn't yet available in stores. Right now you can only buy it online. For $24.99 +shipping you get:

• 2 canisters of Clorox^® Disinfecting Wipes, one Fresh Scent and one Lemon Scent  (35 wipes in each)
• 1 bottle of Clorox^® Bleach (24 oz)
• 2 on-the-go packets of Clorox^® Disinfecting Wipes (9 wipes in each)
• 1 bottle of Clorox^® Clean-Up^® Cleaner with Bleach (32 oz)
• 1 bottle of Clorox Commercial Solutions^® Clorox^® Hand Sanitizing Spray. (16.9 oz)
• 2 on-the-go bottles of Commercial Solutions^® Clorox^® Hand Sanitizing Spray (2 oz each)
• A 4-color guide and laminated wallet-size card describing the most effective ways to use these products at home and on-the-go.

So? What are you waiting for? Let's teach those germs who's boss!

Please Note: I am in no way affiliated with Clorox. I was sent a Clorox Home Flu Kit to test out at home for review purposes and was in no other way compensated for this review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café - Review

I was such a Strawberry Shortcake kind of kid that I even dressed up as Strawberry herself one Halloween. It was the cheapest, most plastic-y costume you could possibly imagine, but I cherished that thing. But aside from what I remember about that sheet of plastic costume, what I loved best about Strawberry Shortcake was her intoxicating smell. They say it was Strawberry, but I'm not sure it wasn't crack.

Since I was such a Strawberry Shortcake fan as a kid, I was thrilled to see her make a massive come back this year. I'm getting a kick out of watching Little L and C play with my little fruity friends.

I have two girls so it almost goes without saying that they go ballistic whenever I present them with a toy that has lots of tiny components. Anything cute, pink, and tiny is an instant hit in our home. My husband goes ballistic also, but for completely different reasons. The tiny bits drive him up the wall.

The Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café is exactly the kind of toy my girls love. It's adorable, comes with a doll, and lots of teeny tiny pieces for lots of fun pretend play. Little L likes that Strawberry can sit on a bird and go for a spin. C likes to set up the café and have Strawberry be the perfect little hostess. I like watching them take a trip to my childhood. And M? Well, he's not a fan of the little pieces, but he does like it when the girls play on their own.

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café Pros:

- Fun retro toy with an up to date twist. Lots of fun details, like a blender for iced coffee drinks and a cute little oven to bake the tiny baked goods. Strawberry Shortcake even has a bed in case she needs to take a nap after a particularly crazy morning!

- Not a bad price point for such a large toy - $28.42 today on Amazon.

- Great potential for imaginative play. Since Strawberry Shortcake is the only doll supplied with this set she might have to get to know some of your kid's other dolls!

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café Cons:

- I don't know if my kids are singular in this or not, but they don't tend towards mixing and matching their toys. So there's a big chance that in our home Strawberry won't be making any friends until her creators start selling more of her fruity palls.

- The windows and doors on the café don't seal shut so the tiny little pieces can't be stored in it for safekeeping. A ziplock bag takes care of that issue, but it would have been nice to have the set be self-sufficient.

- My treasured childhood smell isn't here for the ride. (It is on some of the Strawbery Shortcake coloring books that we have found.) But the girls don't mind. I'm the only one who noticed!

All in all this is a lovely toy and will make many little girls grin with glee this holiday season!

Please Note: I am in no way affiliated with Hasbro. I was given a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cafe for review purposes and was in no other way compensated for this review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Top Thirteen Uses for a Microfiber Cloth

I first encountered microfiber cloths in the Solutions Catalog. I'd get the promo emails and I'd drool, then I'd delete the email and go about my day. They were cloths. We had cloths. I didn't need any more.

Oh, if only I'd known.

I can't remember what pushed me to finally order a set from Amazon. (I'm pretty sure it was the Active Ion demonstration.) My 36 Zipes Microfiber Cloths arrived and our lives changed.

OK. Maybe that's a bit extreme. But still! Do you know how awesome these things are? Even M is a convert and he didn't even complain too much when I bought another set of 36 from Costco. (What? They were bigger. And on sale. And. And. I needed more. Plus, I've been giving them as gifts. So there.)

Don't believe me? Well, maybe this list of top thirteen things you can do with microfiber cloths will convince you! (It started as a top ten list, but I couldn't stop...)

1. Best dust cloths ever. They trap dust like nobody's business.
2. Best window washing cloths ever. They don't leave any little lint streaks behind. Seriously.
3. Replacement for Swiffer wet AND dry cloths. Save the environment and never run out! Squeee!
4. Best dishcloths ever. One swipe of a microfiber cloth over a plate and it's instantly dry. Even better, one microfiber cloth will dry a mountain of dishes!
5. Best hand towel ever. Dry your hands and they're instantly dry. Say goodbye to that clammy not quite dry feeling you get from dishcloths.
6. Burp cloths! Do you have a baby who seems to spit up more than he drinks? Large microfiber cloths will be your saving grace. Super soft and super absorbent. Need I say more?
7. Cloth diaper liner. I'm not a cloth diaperer, but I know a mom who swears by these. It makes sense, they absorb a ton of liquid and they're super soft.
8. Sop up spills. Kids spill something on a rug, bed, or carpet? Use a microfiber cloth to mop up the spill. You'll get more out of that carpet than you would with a regular towel or dishcloth. (Even works on toddler pee! Don't ask me how I know.)
9. Car multipurpose cloth. Use it to dust the dash, mop up spills, clean messy kids, whatever comes up. And you know it does.
10. Screen cleaner. A tiny bit of moisture and some gentle elbowgrease and all those fingerprints, smudges, and whatever else is clouding up your computer screen, TV screen, or phone screen will be history.
11. Jewelry and silver polish. Gentle enough for all your most valuable valuables, tough enough for the grime covering them.
12. Baby and kid wipes. A damp microfiber cloth will wipe a chocolatey face clean faster than any paper towel. And if you're trying to be a greener parent you could do worse than use a stack of these instead of disposable wipes. A little spray bottle of water and you're set to handle the most foul of diapers!
13. CD/DVD cleaner. In a house filled with children there are few CDs that aren't covered in fingerprints and unidentifiable sticky substances. These cloths can make them shine like new again.

Have I convinced you yet? Buy a set, if you're not an instant convert you can send them to me. I bet I can find a thing or ten to do with them.

Play-Doh Burger Builder

If I ask you to name one Play-doh set you used to play with as a child I bet you're only going to hesitate for a moment before you answer. (Mine was that nifty set where the people grew hair.) For my kids that memorable set is going to be the Play-doh Burger Builder. Without a doubt.

As soon as I pulled out the box their eyes lit up and their smiles broadened. I mean, they love Play-doh, but this promised extra fun.

Little L contemplating the possibilities.

We broke out the kit and got to work making burgers. Within moments even I was transported to childhood as we made patties and buns, lettuce, and tomatoes, and even perfect little pickles. But the most fun was had when we tried the potato chip maker. Seriously, get this kit just for the fun you'll get from this little hand cranked tool. It spits out potato chips and sends them flying everywhere. Way too much fun.

C's masterpiece.
If you squint you can see the cheese she included.

We built a ton of burgers and made miles of fries before the girls got sidetracked and the Play-Doh session ended the way they all do, with them making mountains of spaghetti and mommy picking up tiny pieces off the floor. It was a real hit.

Play-doh Burger Builder Pros:
- Great variety of options. Aside from all the usual spaghetti shapes that you can press out, you can also press out burger, bun, and condiment shapes, and of course there's the fabulous potato chip maker.
- Affordable. For around $20 you can have one great kit that will net hours of play and five small tubs of Play-doh.
- Easy to manipulate even for little hands. Little L (2yo) was able to press out some burgers with a bit of help.

Play-doh Burger Builder Cons:
- If you happen to be a bit anal about your Play-doh colors not mixing or your burgers being the right color, this might not be the set for you. At first our burgers were picture perfect (see first picture), by the end they looked more like questionable veggie burgers than prime Angus beef burgers. The girls didn't mind. A more anal person might have noticed cared.
- The colors needed for making traditional looking burgers and condiments aren't part of the small packs of refills. You'd have to get the big pack or find the colors individually.

Major thumbs up for this little gem of a Play-doh kit!

***
Has your child created a Play-doh food masterpiece? Enter it in the big "Ready Go Play-doh" contest and you could win $10000! Contest ends Sept 30, 09, so hurry!

Hyde Organics Yoga Clothing

I am that person who has always scorned fancy workout clothing. I mean, you sweat in the stuff. You feel gross in the stuff. You're not going to like what you see in the mirror anyway, so why spend buckets on things that you're going to wear for all of an hour?

You're hearing it here first. I was wrong. I was so, so, so very wrong.

If the clothes make the man well, the workout clothes make the workout.

I was approached by Hyde Organic to see if I'd be willing to review their line of yoga wear and I said, sure, why not. I love yoga. Granted, I usually wear my grubbiest of 'yoga' pants bought from Costco three years ago when I do yoga, but I'm willing to look the part once in a while.

When I got the clothes I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. I'm rather well endowed and it's not exactly easy for me to find form fitting workout type tops that fit my ample bosom, let alone form fitting workout type tops with built-in shelf bras. But Hyde Organic came through for me. Tops that not only fit, but are comfortable and look great.

And the pants? Well, I don't even know if I can do the pants justice. Let's just say that when people say that they work from home so they can work in yoga pants? These are the pants they are talking about. And yes, I have done more than just sit around on my couch wearing these, I have also exercised in them and they do not ride up, slip down, bunch up, shift around, or do any of the other million things that some less well designed clothes tend to do when put under stress. Instead they feel just as great as they make me look - not an easy task when I'm running up a hill looking like a sweaty beat red tomato.

Hyde Organic Yoga Clothes Pros:

- All the clothes are made from predominantly organic fibers and are made in a sweat-shop free environment.
- Exceptional comfort and fit. (I'm no super model and I've worn this outfit to a coffee shop and to take my kids to school. And people complimented me!)
- Nice range of options from capris to ankle length pants and various top options. Click here to see the full line.
- Resistant. Despite the warnings to wash in cold water and line dry, I might have maybe washed in warm water and dryer dried, but the pants are still as stretchy, soft, and comfortable as ever.

Hyde Organic Yoga Clothes Cons:

- No matter what side of the fence you come down on $68 for a pair of yoga pants is a lot of money. Now when you consider the fact that I spent almost as much on a pair of jeans that I now wear less often than these pants... well that puts it into perspective.
- They might not be in your local neighborhood yogawear store quite yet (click here for a list of distributors), but the website is comprehensive and they do have a good return policy. Of course you could always just tell your yogawear store about Hyde Organic and have them start to carry them...


Disclaimer: I received two tops and a pair of yoga pants from Hyde Organic for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Jolly Llama Sorbet Review

It's summer time. It's hot. And what's the thing you crave most when it's hot? Well, duh. Ice cream!

Or if you're me, sorbet. Yummy, fruity, light sorbet. Only sorbet hasn't always been the easiest thing to serve up to a crowd, to kids, or even on the go.

You know, until now!

Jolly Llama made my summer when they contacted me and asked me if I wanted to test their brand new sorbets. In instantly said "Yes, please!" and sent them my address. Little did I know they were going to send the package right away and that I was going to get a frantic call from M while I was in Chicago.

"There's a big box here and it's marked perishable. Should I open it?"

He opened it and found lots of sorbet. I instructed that he was to find a way, any way, to fit each and every ounce of it in our freezer. He did. I don't want to know what had to be sacrificed. It doesn't matter, it was all worth it.

I tore into my first Jolly Llama sorbet when I got home and I was delighted to discover that they more than lived up to my expectations. Tasty, healthy, fun to eat, and best of all, utterly practical.

The four flavors (Strawberry, blueberry, acai berry, and mango) are all-natural, made without corn syrup, no juices or concentrates, and as a bonus happen to be a good source of fiber!

Even better, the girls, my delightfully picky eaters, love them! As for me, I keep being torn between wanting to hand them out to each and every one of my friends so they can taste the goodness for themselves and wanting to hoard my stash for myself.

Jolly Llama Sorbet Pros:

- Each sorbet is a great source of fiber - 10% RDI or better depending on the flavor.
- Each sorbet is a fantastic source of Vitamins A&C. 50%!
- All the sorbets are low-fat or no-fat, gluten free, contain no allergens, and average about 85 calories per tube. (Each sorbet ranges from 22-25g of carbs.)
- The blueberry and acai berry are also loaded with antioxidants!
- Jolly Llama fruit is allowed to ripen on the vine and is pureed and frozen immediately. No fruit cooking here and you can really taste the difference!
- The tubes are easy to handle, even for little 2 year old hands. I can hand her one and send her outside and she doesn't need me to help her with her treat.
- Suggested retail price of each tube is $1.49

Jolly Llama Sorbet Cons:

- There's only one con, and you're going to be sad to hear it. Since Jolly Llama sorbets are brand new they're only available in select stores... on the West Coast. OK. In Northern California. I'm sorry. You'll just have to come visit me and I'll share mine with you. If you're nice.
East Coast expansion is planned and coming soon.

Jolly Llama treats are currently available in:
Whole Foods Northern California
Nugget Markets(Sacramento area)
New Leaf (Santa Cruz County)
Berkeley Bowls (Berkeley)
Oliver’s (Sonoma County)

In conclusion, run, don't walk to your local store and grab a Jolly Llama sorbet or ten. You'll be glad for the new healthy treat or desert option!

Disclaimer: I received a few boxes of Jolly Llama sorbets for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Eager Mind Letter Magnets - Review & Giveaway

"Mommy? What does M T L say?"

The question is the same she has uttered a million times already, the combination of letters always different. Once in a while she inadvertently spells a real word (or its homonym) and her delight is palpable.

C knows her letters, all the capitals and most of the lower case ones. She knows that they come together to create words. She just doesn't quite yet know how to string them together to get to those words, but she can't wait to learn.

Here to help her in her endeavors are the adorable letter magnets created by Eager Mind. These cool little rectangular magnets feature a letter and a picture with a word that starts with the letter. What sets them out from the magnetic letter pack is that each contains images that represent both the short and the long vowel sounds - A is for anchor and A is for alien. To make the sets even more entertaining, no images are repeated, so kids learn that there are lots of different ways each letter can be used.

The instant we tore into the lowercase and the uppercase packages both girls had a blast sticking the letters on our refrigerator and stainless steel oven. They assembled plenty of nonsense words and tolerated my attempts at getting them to read simple two or three letter words. Weeks later we're still playing with the letters regularly.

Eager Mind Magnetic Letter Pros:

- The quality of these letters is quite impressive. The ones that have found their way into Little L's mouth have survived nicely. They're thick enough for little fingers to grasp.
- Each set comes with the regular 26 letters plus an extra four consonants and the 5 long vowel sounds. Combine the lower case set with the upper case set and you have plenty of letters to create many fun words.
- The pictures are cute and funny, but easily identifiable.
- Very affordable! Each set retails for $8.95. At that price if your child feels limited by the number of letters you could easily expand each set.

Eager Mind Magnetic Letter Cons:

- For most kids there's a gap between knowing letters and being able to combine them into words. This set doesn't really address that gap meaning that once the child has mastered letter recognition he might lose interest in the letters until he becomes interested in stringing words together.

Eager Mind Magnetic Letter Giveaway:

I have not one, not two, but THREE sets of letters to giveaway to you my faithful readers!

To enter:
1) Leave a comment telling me which child in your life would most enjoy these letters.
2) Visit the Eager Mind website's cool letter writing practice worksheet page and let me know if you download any.
3) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
4) Subscribe to my other blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
5) Tweet, email, blog about this giveaway.

That's a grand total of 7 ways you can enter! Please remember to leave me a way to contact you. And please, please, please, leave a separate comment for each of your entries. I can't credit you for each of them if you don't.

Giveaway ends Friday, July 3, 2009 at 10pm PST.

I received an set of Eager Mind magnetic letters for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Graco Blossom Highchair Review

Your baby's highchair needs are going to change radically over the years. Your infant needs to recline and your bigger baby needs to be strapped in tight and well supported. Your toddler is going to want to sit in a booster, not a highchair, and your preschooler, well, let's not even go there.

What if I told you that Graco had designed a single highchair system that fulfills every single one of those roles? Nope, no kidding, they have. The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System is hands down the most versatile highchair I have ever seen or had the luxury of trying out.

The infant insert turns the impressively reclinable chair into a cushy haven for even the tiniest baby. Set up the chair long before your baby will even try his first solids so that he can enjoy sitting at the table with the family.

When your little one is ready to try finger feeding herself, put the seat in it's upright position and put the really large and easy to clean tray to work. The five point harness and padded sides will help even wobbly sitters sit up properly.

Toddler tired of the tray and wants to join the family at the table? No problem, remove the tray and pull up the chair. The six height adjustment options mean that you'll be sure to find the perfect position for your baby to eat comfortably with everyone else.

Ready to graduate to a simple booster? Need an extra chair for a visiting toddler? No problem. The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System comes with a booster. Yes, a second seat. Meaning that it's the only chair on the market that can be used by two children at once. Trust me, until you have a second child and are faced with needing to buy a second highchair you won't quite grasp the awesomeness of this feature.

Preschooler shunning all things highchair or booster related, but can't quite reach the table? The Blossom turns into a youth chair that your child can use comfortably until he's really ready to graduate to a grown-up chair.

The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System is an amazing product that was easy to assemble and easy to clean. We're obsessed with it and we're telling all our friends to put it on their baby registries.

Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System Seating System Pros:

- Easy to assemble.
- Insanely versatile - useful from infancy through childhood.
- Comes in 3 classy patterns.
- Safe, sturdy, and great looking.

Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System Cons:

- The footrest was a bit tricky to install, something that I'm confident was just a fluke with out model because I haven't heard of any other users complaining from that issue.
- The section of the tray that goes between the child's legs is a bit big and if the child is slouching when you put them in it can compress their crotch area a bit uncomfortably. Making sure the child sits up properly resolves this issue. Great for posture! Not so great for sensitive children.

If you're looking for a highchair/feeding system you really can't go wrong with this product. It's made by Graco so you know it will stand up to the test of time and you will be able to really appreciate all its versatile options.

I was in no way compensated for this review and I am only affiliated with Graco as a Brand Ambassador which is a non paying position.

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EarCheck - Review & Giveaway

It's the middle of the night and your baby is clutching her ear and screaming. It could be her teeth, or it could be yet another ear infection. There's no way to know.

Or is there?

In the past you would have had to wait until morning to call the doctor and bring your child in so they could get a quick look at your child's ears. Now all you have to do is grab your very own EarCheck and you'll instantly know if you really do need to go in and risk exposing your child to all the other germs lurking in the waiting room.

Modeled on a tool used by pediatricians all over the country, EarCheck simply, quickly, painlessly, and effectively monitors the amount of fluid located behind your child's ear drum. If it detects fluid - indication that there might be an infection - EarCheck will tell you to contact your doctor.

Now, I know that winter is clearing out and hopefully taking with it it's pesky germs and viruses. But it will be back and if your kids are anything like mine, the arrival of summer means the arrival of summer germs and viruses. So don't wait until the fall to get your hands on one of these. You won't regret having it in your medicine cabinet!

EarCheck Pros:

- I've tested this out on my own ears. It's quick and painless, really.
- Small and portable. This is no bigger than an ear thermometer, and a ton more accurate!
- Last time I took my child in to have her ears checked for signs of an infection they used the same monitor. 'Nuf said.
- Affordable! The EarCheck retails for $49.95 (see below for a discount code!) and will save you hundreds in co-pays or doctor's bills.
- Has magical properties. Ever since we got this in the mail both children have been ear infection free. OK. Might not really be magical, but I'll take what I can get.

EarCheck Cons:

- I'm sorry, but I can't find any. And you all know how hard I usually try. This little tool will save you money, give you peace of mind, and help you care for your children more effectively. I can't think of anything bad about it!

EarCheck Discount Code:

Can't wait? Use the discount code TWEET20 for a 20% discount if you buy your EarCheck on the EarCheck site.

Win your very own EarCheck!

To enter:
1) Leave a comment telling me about a time you weren't sure if your child had an ear infection.
2)Tell me about a time you took what turned out to be a healthy child to the pediatrician's and came home with a sick kid.
3) Visit the EarCheck website and tell us about something you learned about ear infections.
4) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
5) Subscribe to my other blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
6) Tweet, email, blog about this giveaway.

That's a grand total of 8 ways you can enter! Please remember to leave me a way to contact you. And please, please, please, leave a separate comment for each of your entries. I can't credit you for each of them if you don't.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 10pm PST. Contest only open to US residents. Sorry!
This giveaway is now closed, but please check out other giveaways currently running.

I received an EarCheck monitor for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Chic Tots Travel Blanket/Bag Review

If you hadn't noticed yet, babies come with stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. You can never just pick up your child and jet. No, instead you have to gather boatloads of supplies before you leave. Just to go to the park you have to remember the blanket, diapers, wipes, toys, snacks, drinks, hats, sunscreen, and even maybe a lovey. It's a pain. Literally.

No, what if instead of having to carry a bag and a blanket you could carry a bag that was a blanket? Brilliant, right? The people at Chic Tots thought so! They designed a nifty little bag that doubles as a small blanket.

While the bag wouldn't probably ever double as your regular diaper bag - it doesn't have the kinds of pockets you would probably want to stash all your usual baby paraphernalia and it doesn't close all the way - it's the perfect sidekick for a trip to the park or the beach.

Throw your diapers, toys, and snacks onto the blanket, grab the straps and pull the bag closed. When you arrive at your destination, place the bag on the ground and open it up to reveal a soft fuzzy blanket for your baby. Brilliant.

Go the extra mile and invest in the matching diaper Wristlet, which can hold a couple diapers and some wipes, and you're set for a ton of fun outings!

Chic Tots Travel Blanket/Bag Pros:

- Snazy patterns that you won't mind carrying around.
- Practical combination of blanket and bag, leaving you free to carry one less item on your outings.
- Super soft fake fur lining that will keep your baby cozy and warm.
- Can be used as a back pack, shoulder bag, tote, or stroller bag.
- Fully machine washable.

Chic Tots Travel Blanket/Bag Cons:

- The blanket is not very big, just 29x38 inches. So it's big enough for a baby to sit and play on, but not big enough for any other member of the family to share.
-The straps a bit tight, so it's not all that easy to transform the blanket into a bag. I would think that it would get easier as the bag loosens up with use.
- This isn't a one handed transformation product. You need both hands to convert the blanket into a bag or vice versa. By the same token transforming the bag into a shoulder bag or a back pack requires the use of both hands.
- The bag doesn't close completely, making it impractical as a day to day diaper bag.

As the weather warms up and the trips to the park multiply you'd do well to invest in this handy little bag. I guarantee you'll get a lot of use out of it! Chic Tots products are just about to hit the shelves at some major retailers, but in the meantime check out all their other fabulous products here.

Disclaimer: I received both the Chic Tots blanket bag and wristlet for review, but I was in no other way compensated for this post. The opinions listed here are all my own.

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For My Mother - Reflection Journal - Review

The best gift you can ever give your mom is memories. Pictures of favorite moments, beautiful Mother's Days, or, even better, a journal compiling stories, thoughts, and reflections on your relationship.

Now, not all moms are into sentimental stuff. My mother for one might possibly roll her eyes if I ever sent her something as touchy-feely as a journal filled with reflections on our relationship. But I know quite a few moms who would cry over this adorable book created by Lil' Angels Gifts.

Each page of the For My Mother journal features a writing prompt like "I'm proud to have you as my mother because..." or "A hard lesson you've taught me, but I'm thankful for..." and plenty of space, three whole pages of space in fact, for you to write in the answer. It won't take you just five minutes to fill out this journal, but when you're done you'll have a lovely book compiling all the positive aspects of what might be one of the most complex relationships in your life.

For My Mother journal pros:

- The book is made with lovely quality paper - smooth and thick.
- The writing prompts are basic, but cover everything you'd ever want your mom to know, but probably never get a chance to say.
- The table of contents located at the front and the numbered pages make it easy to quickly skip to the section of your choice.

For My Mother journal cons:

- I wish that the book weren't just spiral bound. Even though it's a thick substantial spiral, I feel that a journal like this would benefit from having a real book binding.
- This really is a very sentimental look at the mother-child relationship, some funny prompts might have made it a bit more palatable for moms like mine who get a bit uncomfortable when stuff gets too touchy-feely.

Where you can find the For My Mother journal:
This journal is sold on the Lil' Angels Gifts site for $23.99.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Lil' Angels Gifts and I was not paid for this review though I did receive the product for free. I won't be sending it to my mother. She'd roll her eyes. But I might be sending it to my mother-in-law. She won't roll her eyes, instead she might cry. They're different like that.

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Bella Sara Expands Their Line - Review

I first reviewed Bella Sara in December and now I'm taking a
look at two of their brand new products. March is a big month for our horsey friends!

Bella Sara Miniatures

First the interactive game company has just managed to make their game even more tangible, collectible, and irresistible, by coming out with a line of Miniature Collectibles. These teeny tiny velvety soft figurines are sold in individual packets ($1.99 - 5yo+) and come with a code that unlocks fun items and extra horseshoes on the Bella Sara site.

Bella Sara Miniature Pros:
- The figurines are irresistible to kids. My own two have been fighting to play with them ever since I opened the packets.
- The designs are neat and quite detailed.
- It's fun to have a tangible version of the figurines you see on the site.

Bella Sara Miniature Cons:
- The chemical smell assails you as soon as you open the packet. If you are sensitive to strong smells or you are worried about exposing your child to chemicals you might want to steer clear of these. (That said, the smell does dissipate after a while.)
- These really are just collectibles, not toys.

Bella Sara Treasures

Bella Sara Treasures are the eighth series of Bella Sara cards. Instead of each card portraying a different pony or horse, instead the Treasures card unlock, well, treasures! To make the packet ($2.99) even more fun it comes with a sheet of tattoos and a sheet of stickers.

Bella Sara Treasures Pro:
- These packs expand the fun on the site by giving you access to printable activities and fun new objects that you can enjoy on the Bella Sara site.
- From now through April 30th Bella Sara is giving fans a chance to win an exciting Treasure Hunt party of their own! Click through for details.

Bella Sara Treasures Con:
- Kids who were hoping to add to their herd will be disappointed to see that this series doesn't allow them to do that.

So two new fun additions to the Bella Sara line. Remember, click here to see my original review of the Bella Sara site.

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Parents Look-at-Me Camera Review

It's no secret that I'm a bit obsessed with my camera. OK. Fine, cameras. I have the big one for good shots, the little one I keep in my bag, the one on my phone, and the Flip Mino that also lives in my bag. My girls constantly clamor to see the pictures on the computer, and C has now taken to running into the room to get me whenever Little L is doing something cute, naughty, or downright disgusting screaming "Mommy! Get your camera! Quick! Quick!" so I can be sure to capture the moment on film.

So, I'm sure you're not surprised to learn that both my girls are fascinated with cameras, especially Little L who knows that she is absolutely, under no circumstance, allowed to touch any of the cameras. (Except maybe the Flip, because there's very little she can do to that one.) But I found the perfect toy for her! The Parents Look-At-Me Camera.

Parents is well known for creating toys that uphold their "When the toy does less, the child does more." philosophy. The Look-At-Me Camera is no exception. It's utter simplicity, big shiny "lens," chunky body perfectly sized for little hands, and three buttons pushes the child to create the play instead of reacting to the toy.

Look-At-Me Camera Pros:
Little L loves pretending to take pictures like mommy. C loves hamming it up and seeing herself reflected in the lens, and the button that plays a funky little disco soundtrack gets them both dancing!
The fun little quips make the girls laugh and I love seeing their delight with the realistic sounds.

Look-At-Me Camera Con:
This is a cute and fun toy, but it's obviously just a toy so it's not doing anything to keep my kids from lusting after the real thing!

In conclusion:
For $15 the Look-At-Me Camera is a great little toddler toy that should be a part of every aspiring photographer's arsenal!

Bella Sara Review

When I was a kid we collected cards. They all came in little shiny packets with a stick of extremely stale gum. Remember that gum? It always crumbled and tasted terrible, but we always ate it, or at least I did, I'm not one to pass up candy of any kind.

Today kids collect cards that come with Internet codes; infinitely cooler than stale gum (and not as bad for your teeth) especially when the cards are Bella Sara cards and the code gives you access to brand new ponies and horses. No, not real horses, virtual horses, the kind you can brush, feed, clean up after, and play games with all from the safety and warmth of your home. I know! How crazy!

Bella Sara Pros:
- The Bella Sara horses come in all shapes and sizes from foals (babies) to flying magical beauties. The Bella Sara site is very nicely constructed and could bring many a little girl endless hours of pleasure. Girls are responsible for caring for their horses and can play games to win them extra "stuff." New games are introduced on a regular basis, so the playing never gets stale. (Unlike that gum that I can't stop thinking of.)
- Very fun engaging interactive site, with awards, and games, and glitter! Such fun for young girls!
- The site is 100% secure and does not offer a way for online interaction with other site users.
- The site has a parent section where you can check in and see how your child has been playing.
- Bella Sara cards (available for $2 or so per pack at most big box stores) open up more aspects of the site and grant you extra horses to care for, but children can start playing even before getting cards.
- Inspirational quotes! Need I say more?

Bella Sara Cons:
- At times the site runs a bit slow, but I was able to play a number of the games with no issues.

All in all this is a lovely game that I can see young girls enjoying online and in the schoolyard for a long time to come!

Buy Bella Sara cards here and play Bella Sara here. Have fun!