June « 2008 « The Parent Bloggers Network

Blog Blast Winners - KRAFT BAGEL-FULS and BOCA!

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Thanks again to everyone who participated in our last two Blog Blasts! Lots of hilarious posts, so read through them if you haven’t already.

Our winners for the KRAFT BAGEL-FULS Blog Blast (chosen at random) are Meredith Christmas and Mom Reviews - they each won a “morning saver” prize, featuring coupons for free BAGEL-FULS, a BAGEL-FULS branded wide slot toaster, a Tassimo hot beverage system, commuter coffee cups and more!

Our winners for the BOCA Blog Blast (also chosen at random) are Halushki, Mother Bumper, and The Diaper Diaries - they each won a $150 VISA gift card!

Congratulations ladies! Email us at parentbloggers@gmail.com to claim your prizes.

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Babybug and Ladybug Magazine - The final wrap-up

Monday, June 23rd, 2008

Young children love surprises - especially ones that come through the mail. And if you’re a caregiver who wants to nurture a love of the written word? Look no further to fulfill both wishes than the magazines, Babybug and Ladybug.

Babybug is a square-shaped, thick-paged zine specifically for the 0-3 set. This publication is “filled with colorful illustrations (that are multi-culturally sensitive, I might add), rhyming text, and simple stories.” Many are stories “about subjects (my son) can relate to.”

Big sister magazine, Ladybug, (for boys and girls ages three to six.) has wonderful pictures on high-quality paper, and plenty of classical literature sprinkled throughout. According to one reviewer, “there’s always a song to learn, and reoccurring characters from issue to issue. It has craft suggestions for the kids, and nearly always includes a pull-out craft that we can make into a book or mobile.”

One of the points our bloggers continually brought up throughout this campaign was the fact that the creative forces behind both magazines definitely understand their audiences.

A blogger notes that within Babybug, “the longest story is 6 pages, and there isn’t a lot of text on a single page, so this is perfect for the short-attention span set. Sometimes we’ll sit and read the entire issue. Other times I’ll read a page or two and then she’s off to do something else. She also will pull Babybug off the table and page through it herself at least once a day.”

They not only understand a child’s interest but some children’s desire to physically test a book’s limit. The previous blogger quoted ventures on to add, “It takes a lot of effort to tear out an entire page, and even more effort to rip a page in two. Even my determined ripper has yet to pull out a page, although she continues to try. I can see each issue adding to our library, right next to her board books. With how well they hold up, it’s like getting a new book each issue.

To make Babybug and Ladybug (as well as all the other Cricket publications) even better? There are no ads!

But the publications aren’t just helpful in fostering a literary love (or indulging in some snuggle time): “I’ve picked up subtle hints for making daily chores a bit more fun by reading this magazine. I was always very good at child-centered activities, but still struggle with adult-centered activities made fun for toddlers. Perhaps because those often turn to chaos at our house. But, simple things like letting the toddler push the laundry basket as if it’s a “laundry express” are stacked in each issue,” mentions one reviewer. She continues, “So, it’s a book, a monthly mailing and an activities guide all in one. Not bad for $34 a year for nine issues.”

Many of our parent bloggers reported an overwhelmingly positive response amongst their little “testers”. But not all kids were completely won over. One reviewer states, “Although my daughter loves to read books, she isn’t interested in Babybug. I’m not sure if it’s her age or her stage, but I’ve tried to pull them out on several occasions and she always pushes them away and opts for another book. Perhaps she’ll like them more in the future…for now, she just likes pulling them out of the mailbox.

But aside the potenial pros like extra snuggle time and a growing love for the written word, one blogger feels that the magazine offers an educational experience for caregivers as well. “All young moms should automatically get this as a shower gift,” Why? Because each issue of the magazine “is wrapped in a cover that offers interesting ways to interact with your child while reading and not reading that month’s issue.” She goes on to add, “I can’t rave anymore about these little magazines. If you can’t think of a present to give, a subscription would be perfect.”

*Thanks to Dana of Dana Reviews for the use of this photo.

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Posted in Baby, Kids, Toddler | No Comments »

BOCA: Blog Blast - Bikini Blues

Friday, June 20th, 2008

It’s that time of year again. You breeze into the swimsuit department, feeling good and looking fine - until you squeeze into a suit and inspect yourself in that terribly lit dressing room in front of that awful three-way mirror. Never mind that no one at the beach will look twice at your dimpled thighs; if you’re like most women, you are your own harshest critic.

Do you love swimsuit shopping? Dread it? Even after having children, are you a bikini devotee? Or have you moved on to “mom suits”? Tell us about the evolution of your swimsuit wearing and how you prepare for the “big reveal” - and feel free to bravely go where few women have gone before, and share pictures!

We’re teaming up with BOCA to promote their new “Balanced Living” group - all about eating better and living better, whether you rock the bikini or not.

Here’s how to participate:

Write a post about what you wear to take a dip. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22.

Make sure to link http://balancedliving.gather.com and http://blog.parentbloggers.com somewhere in your post. Also, please include the following blurb:

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

Then email us the link to your post at parentbloggers@gmail.com.

We’ll be linking them up on our blog all weekend long, so be creative with your title!

What can you win?

We’ve got three $150 VISA gift cards up for grabs to spend on beach gear - be it a bikini, a mom suit, or a big terry cloth cover-up. Three lucky winners will be drawn at random.

See all the official legalese here.

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40 Weeks

A Bit of a Bikini Rant

A Day at the Beach

Anatomy of a Swimsuit

Beach Blanket No-Go

Betty Page in Miniature

Biki…What? Do They Make Spanx for That?

Bikini Blues: How About Bathing Suit Phobia?

Bikini, Tankini, Martini?

Blindsided

Do You Bikini?

For the First Time in Eighteen Years

Gravity Hates Swimsuits

I Really Don’t Like Summer

Just Suck It Up and Go to the Pool

Me in a Leopard Bikini

Never Wore a Bikini in Biloxi, but I’ve Still Got the Blues

No More Swim Dresses

Not So Glam Anymore

Ode to the Bikini

Of Ungulates and Swimsuits

Oh My GAWD Becky, Look at Her Butt. It is SO Big.

Oldie but Goodie

OMG, Look at That Girl’s Knees and Feet

The Perfect Bathing Suit

Ready or Not, Swimsuit Season is Here

She Wore an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny

Summer Is Here and By the Way, Your Boob Thing Is Messed Up

Tennis Player or Whale?

They Tried to Make Me Wear a Bikini, and I said No, No, No

Why Bikinis Are Evil

Yellow Polka Dot Best Shot

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Posted in Blog Blasts | 2 Comments »

Sesame Place: Fill Up Your Summer With Magical Fun

Thursday, June 19th, 2008

With school officially out, there’s nothing like an amusement park that says “SUMMER!” And while many parks offer a few things for the younger kids, many of them are geared to the older set.

That is except Sesame Place, a fun-packed park filled with both wet and dry activities, parades, and all your favorite Sesame Street friends live and in person. Located in Langhorne, PA and convenient to Baltimore, Washingon DC, and most of the tri-state area, Sesame Place offers a wide variety of day-trip activities as well as wonderful opportunities for season passes (many of the locals use it as their “pool” thanks to the reasonable cost). Clearly not your typical amusement park, this mecca in the Philly burbs offers something for everyone — which is not something you can say about every summer activity.

Five of our local bloggers with kids of varying ages had the opportunity to spend the day at Sesame Place, spending an entire Sunday enjoying all the of the parks amenities.

Our North Jersey blogger made the trek with her family of 6 and even her older kids had a fantastic time. In fact, since there were so many fun things for the older kids, they decided it was best to divide and conquer. “Oh, but there is still plenty of other things to see and a lot of fun ways of keeping cool - especially, for the big kids - so, my husband and I decided it would be better to split up and tag-teamed the rest of the park.”

The park itself is made up of a series of dry and wet rides, although most of the bloggers noted “IT’S A WATER PARK! PREPARE TO GET WET!” Favorite water rides included the following: Big Bird’s Rambling River, Slippey Slope and Sesame Streak.

The bloggers also enjoyed the over a dozen dry rides as well, particularly the little ones who bounced around in Big Bird’s Court (great for kids under 5) as well as the carousel.

One mom and her family enjoyed the shade of the live show. “The kids wanted to go see the live show as well, and since this would at least provide some shade, we thought it would be a good end of day option.” Although on such a hot day, she felt empathy for the characters wearing the hot costumes. “I get very testy when I’m too hot, so props to Zoe, Rosita, Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby and Elmo for shaking hands and giving pats instead of kicking and shoving.”

Of course, it’s not an amusement park without food, and our bloggers had the opportunity to experience the special character lunch. Some bloggers noted that while maybe on the pricey side, this was a great mid-day diversion and a wonderful way to avoid the lines!

As far as the amenities were concerned, the bloggers noted a room for Nursing Mothers that was clearly marked. “Sure, it was a little like a cinder-block bathroom, sans twa-let. But in this case, it really, really IS the thought that counts and I was VERY impressed with these facilities. You know. That they HAD them.” One mom who didn’t use the nursing room did breastfeed in public at the park with no problems. “I openly breastfed my non-infant in the open, and no one blinked an eye. Of course, I was looking dangerous at that point, so your mileage may vary depending on how well you have honed your own “stink eye”.”

The bloggers did note that the park gets super crowded on the weekends, so definitely make sure to come on a weekday if possible. As one mom noted “I think the bottom line is to make sure you choose a day that isn’t connected to some big promotion to avoid the lines and plan to arrive extra early, just in case, so that you spend more time inside the park than out.”

Additionally one frugal mama pointed out the ticket pricing, but added that the 2-ticket deal was reasonable. “I think it is ridiculous that Sesame Place charges the same for an adult and a 2 year old since most of the activities are for the older crowd. However, my friends’ who went and enjoyed their day argued that buying the 2-day pass, which is the same amount, is a good option since that second day pass doesn’t have to be used consecutively. In other words, you could return later in the same summer. So, that’s a good tip for those of you whose children actually watch Sesame Street and know all of the characters.” Also, the summer passport is a great deal compared to any pool membership. That’s also something for local families to consider!

Clearly, our bloggers’ experiences ran the gamut, with one blogger admitting that these types of parks in general aren’t really for her or her family. However, her friend attended with her family on the day after and had a fabulous time. Lesson learned — know what you like and what you don’t — if this isn’t something you’d like in general, it might not be the park but rather your own personal preferences.

Liz, from This Full House, had this to say: “Not being a big fan of theme parks - having to pay ALL that money to listen to other people’s loud (and obnoxious) kids is NOT our idea of a good time - my husband and I both agreed (for once) and found Sesame Place to be a VERY family-friendly experience and enough to keep all 4 of our kids happy, too!”

And finally, as parents we often suffer through these activities for the sake of our kids, only able to see the sweat pouring down our own faces and not the smiles on our own kids. One mom offered an extremely lengthy and critical review (a really awesome account of every single thing about the park if you are so inclined), but ended on a beautiful note of nostalgia after seeing Bob at the Parade (and hearing her kids comment on how much they loved their time).

I don’t know. Maybe there were more of these Wonderful moments throughout the day that I just wasn’t open to. I don’t want to think too long and hard about it. I’m not trying to justify the exorbitant cost to get to and get into an amusement park, as if memories can only be made or summoned at great expense and with photographic documentation of The Good Time You Had and only with bright, shiny marketing, blah, blah, blah, consumerism, blah, blah, blah, pre-packaged Happy Childhood, yadda, yadda, yadda…

I’ve just written a generally cantankerous and critical review of a day filled with moments that mostly tested my patience and generally left me with a sour taste in my mouth. And I didn’t even drink the pool water.

But, true to all journeys of discovery that are fraught with tests and trials and large furry monsters…

True to the opening quote…The uncomfortable does pass, and the loveliness is revealed. And then the lovely passes too. That is the most important thing I was reminded of after this journey: The lovely passes too.

If you live in the tri-state area and have water-park happy, Sesame Street loving kids, then from what we can tell, when timed right, Sesame Place can be a fantastic place to take the family.

Check here for ticket prices! And note that if you are an active duty military member, you and up to three dependents are eligible for a free day-pass courtesy of Budweiser’s “Here’s to the Heroes” program.

[pictures via This Full House, Halushki, and The New Girl]

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Posted in Baby, Elementary School, Kids, Out and About, Pre-school, Pre-teen, Toddler | No Comments »

BOCA Blog Blast Announcement: Bikini Blues

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

It’s that time of year again. You breeze into the swimsuit department, feeling good and looking fine - until you squeeze into a suit and inspect yourself in that terribly lit dressing room in front of that awful three-way mirror. Never mind that no one at the beach will look twice at your dimpled thighs; if you’re like most women, you are your own harshest critic.

Do you love swimsuit shopping? Dread it? Even after having children, are you a bikini devotee? Or have you moved on to “mom suits”? Tell us about the evolution of your swimsuit wearing and how you prepare for the “big reveal” - and feel free to bravely go where few women have gone before, and share pictures!

We’re teaming up with BOCA to promote their new “Balanced Living” group - all about eating better and living better, whether you rock the bikini or not.

Here’s how to participate:

Write a post about what you wear to take a dip. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 22.

Make sure to link http://balancedliving.gather.com and http://blog.parentbloggers.com somewhere in your post. Also, please include the following blurb:

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

Then email us the link to your post at parentbloggers@gmail.com.

We’ll be linking them up on our blog all weekend long, so be creative with your title!

What can you win?

We’ve got three $150 VISA gift cards up for grabs to spend on beach gear - be it a bikini, a mom suit, or a big terry cloth cover-up. Three lucky winners will be drawn at random.

IN ORDER TO ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES, YOU NEED TO WRITE A POST ON YOUR OWN BLOG. PLEASE READ THROUGH THE DIRECTIONS TO BE SURE YOU HAVE ENTERED CORRECTLY. COMMENTS ON THIS POST DO NOT MAKE YOU ELIGIBLE. THANKS!

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Posted in Blog Blasts | 31 Comments »

My Fruit Roll-Ups: Final Campaign Round-Up

Monday, June 16th, 2008

Thirty-one of our bloggers had the opportunity to design personalized My Fruit Roll-Ups, plus they each gave away a free box to one of their readers. Not surprisingly, the concept of merging the popular snack with the excitement of personalization was a big hit.

Many of the reviewers have fond memories of Fruit Roll-Ups from their childhood: “Fruit Roll-Ups are definitely one of those lunch bag snacks I loved as a kid and now our boys love them too.” says one. “My brother and I were always ecstatic to have ‘real fruit and fun wrapped up in one’ in our lunchboxes for school.” remembers another, “Today’s fruit rollup creations have more exciting designs than ever before.”

One reviewer recalled the actual sensation of this snack “I loved how one side was rough, and the side against the plastic was so smooth. That smooth side was always the side you placed against your tongue - I’m sure it had more flavor.”

One blogger actually made fruit leather once, but is pleased there is an easier way: “Now, I simply reach for that little box in the store, and let Fruit Rollups take care of harvesting and hulling the fruit.”

Fruit-Roll Ups are definitely a popular snack. Explains one reviewer, “Recently my husband quizzed my daughter about most tradeable lunchbox items. We were surprised to learn that the hierarchy went something like: Ice cream [unclear how this is a packable lunchbox item, but whatev] –> trumped by Chee-tos –> trumped by Fruit Roll-Ups.”

While several reviewers mentioned that Roll-Ups are typically special treats, what made the My Fruit Roll-Ups even more of a treat is the personalization. One blogger summed it up nicely: “a new twist on an old, favorite snack” Indeed, another blogger concurs: “When I was younger, Fruit Roll-Ups came in different colors and flavors but other than that were pretty generic. That’s why I was surprised to see that you can now personalize them with an image and message to fit any occasion! How cool is that?”

The design process was easy. “Customizing and ordering our box of Fruit Roll-Ups was a snap. From start to finish, the process took about 8 minutes. Choose one of 419 adorable pictures, add a personalized greeting (24 character maximum) and place the order. That’s it. Easy as fruit pie.”

Most of the bloggers had their kids do the designs. One remarked, “If an almost 6-year-old can navigate through the design process, that says alot for ease of use, yes?” Another’s two year old picked the design: “Despite being only two she has quite definite opinions on things. She loved the funny noises the little fruit roll up creatures made as they set out to design her snack. She quickly picked a ladybug picture and the words, ‘Gimme 5!’”

“Quick, easy, painless. Did I mention it was quick? Seriously, I have never ordered anything that quickly.” enthuses one reviewer. “No technological know-how (except for just connecting to the internet, which you’ve obviously already mastered)” states another.

And the process is flexible: “The website is very responsive so if you want to adjust or change a detail on your work-in-progress, you can quickly do so. There’s even a place where you can save your designs to tinker with later on. And ordering is quick and easy.”

The notion of personalization is popular: “I have to say how much I like the idea of personalized anything. Especially when you have a child who’s going through a bit of a ‘mine, mine, mine’ stage.” says one blogger. Another reviewer lamented how in her childhood it was tough to find personalized items with her name: “When I was young, every very time we went into a drugstore, I’d scan the personalized-item area.” she explains.

Fortunately, My Fruit Roll-Ups are definitely customizable.

The only hard part was choosing which design to order from the many options (a “gazillion bajillion pictures” says one reviewer:) “At first it was a toss up between ordering birthday-themed ones or ordering ones to announce the upcoming birth of our 4th baby (I thought it would be fun for the kids to hand them out at school after their new sister is born)”

One blogger had a fabulous idea: “Get them personalized to tell your kids you love them every day, or to remind your husband to pick up his socks.” Other bloggers had similar ideas, minus the husband-nagging: “It would be great as a little extra ‘I love you’ note kind of thing as a surprise to hide in their lunchboxes.” says one, and “What about putting a special message to your kids to have each day in their lunch box? There are so many things you can do with these to really brighten up the day of a special kid.” suggests another. One blogger wrote that her mother used to write love notes on napkins. “When I heard about the new personalized Fruit Roll-Ups, those elementary school days immediately sprung back to mind. How great would it have been for my mom to combine our delicious fruit snack with her note of love?”

Amongst the many designs and uses for the My Fruit Roll Ups our bloggers chose include: science-themed, Brewers baseball (but then another blogger selected “GO CUBS!”,) Fourth of July, “It’s A Boy!”, farm party, promoting her blog, a butterfly, a ladybug, and a dragonfly, a baseball with flames shooting up from it, an image of a baby and a message that shall remain a secret, for the kids at camp a fish and ladybug design, “H&H Wrecking” and “We Can Destroy It!”, as a solution to the goodie bag dilemma, Father’s Day with a loud rooster image, beach theme and first birthday party.

The website is fun on its own. Many bloggers had similar stories as this one: “The kids had fun designing (but not ordering) more designs. There is a button so you can print out the designs you make.” Indeed, my house has a stack of potential fruit-designs printouts.

The website has sound effects. One blogger liked them: “while you’re at the site, little Fruit Roll-Up mascots are making little happy meep-meep noises - which I found amusing, but if you’re at work you may want to turn off the sound.” while another did not: “The boinging sound effect was okay at first, but got a bit annoying after a time. The boys loved the sound effects, though, and they are more the target audience.”

A few of our bloggers mentioned that while there are many design options, they would have wanted flexibility on color. One requested the ability to customize drawings in addition to text: “The design and ordering process is incredibly simple. And that was actually my son’s only complaint. He was hoping there would be a drawing pad option where he could click and draw a design of his own creation. He thought the designs on the site were OK, but there weren’t as many to choose from as he would have liked. He also was hoping to ‘print’ the designs on a fruit roll up color other than red, but unless we did it incorrectly, that is the only color available.”

Another wished for more space on her message, as well as the design flexibility: “I have ‘three wishes’ to share with the My Fruit Roll-Up Powers-That-Be: 1. I would appreciate just a little more space for my ‘message.’ 2. I’d love to upload my own logo/design/image. 3. Anything you can do to make fruit roll-ups healthier would be fantastic. Pump in more fruit and take out all the sugar and ‘bad stuff.’”

A third blogger noted both the health issue and color-issue: “It appears that the flavor of Fruit-Roll Up is the same for all orders. I would have loved to change the color. Back in my schoolyard days, there was a flavor that was [not artificial,] perhaps pear? or pineapple? It would be great to have that one available, and then with an “ink” choice that was similarly not artificial.”

One blogger hit a problem: her designed roll-ups turned up blank. But the company caught the error and phoned her. She explains “I was pleased that she called me rather than just shipping out 30 blank fruit roll ups…There are two pieces of good news here. The first is that you are unlikely to experience the same problem that I faced. None of the other reviewers had this issue, and the person who helped me said that she had never encountered this problem before. More importantly, if something does go wrong, their customer service is fabulous. And no, I didn’t get special service because I was reviewing the product. The person helping me did not know that I was a reviewer until the call was almost over.”

Aside from those concerns, the praise was high.

The most enthusiastic supporters of My Fruit Roll-Ups were the kids. While many of our reviewers had their children design the roll-ups, some ordered them as a surprise. One such reviewer received an overwhelmingly positive response: “‘HOW DID YOU DO THIS???’ ‘AWESOME!’ were some of the comments as they hesitated to eat something so cool. Now of course I can’t get them to STOP eating something so cool.” Another reviewer’s son gave similar props to his mom: “HOW DID YOU DO THAT MOM??!? THAT’S SOOOOO COOL!!!!

Cool, indeed! Check out My Fruit Roll Ups to see for yourself.

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Posted in Food | No Comments »

Blog Blast - Morning Mayhem, Morning Magic with KRAFT BAGEL-FULS

Friday, June 13th, 2008

If your house is anything like ours, morning is the most chaotic time of the day. Getting everyone out of the house on time - washed, dressed, and packed for school or work - is a real trick. This week, we want to hear about your mornings. Are they filled with mayhem, or do you have some magic tricks to share that help keep the chaos to a minimum?

We’re teaming up with KRAFT BAGEL-FULS - the first bagel and PHILADELPHIA cream cheese all in one - to introduce this delicious new way to enjoy a warm and wholesome breakfast on even the busiest mornings. Available in five varieties, KRAFT BAGEL-FULS make a great start to the day for the entire family.

How can you participate?

1. Write a post on your blog telling us about your morning mayhem or morning magic. Post anytime this weekend - today through Sunday, June 15 and include links to http://www.bagelfuls.com and http://blog.parentbloggers.com.

2. Also, please include the following:
“This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a contest sponsored by KRAFT BAGEL-FULS.”

3. Give your post a creative title, and make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here all weekend long!

What can you win?

We’ve got two “morning saver” prizes, each featuring coupons for free BAGEL-FULS, a BAGEL-FULS branded wide slot toaster, a Tassimo hot beverage system, commuter coffee cups and more. We’ll draw two lucky bloggers at random - one of them could be you! (Prizes can’t be shipped to Canada, sorry!).

——————————

Give Me Some Coffee and Get Away from Me!

How MomReviews Manages Morning Mayhem

Just Another Manic Morning

Manic Mondays

Mom, I’m So Hungry, You NEVER Feed Us!

Morning Delight

Morning Has Broken, but It Can be Fixed!

Morning Magic Routines

This is Why We’re Always Late

Top O’ the Mornin’ to Ya!

Typical Morning

What Are You Reaching for at 4am?

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Who Needs an Alarm Clock?

Who Said Summer Was for Sleeping In?

Yum Yum…Juice!

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Posted in Blog Blasts | 1 Comment »

Ladybug and Babybug Magazines - What they’re saying so far

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

Snuggling up on the sofa to share a beloved story or poem with a child is one of the most rewarding aspects of caregiving. The bloggers who’ve reviewed Ladybug and Babybug magazine are parents who know the power of the written word and strive to nurture their children’s love for reading. So far, our bloggers have expressed great delight over both publications by the Cricket Magazine Group.

Ladybug is written for children ages three to six and “delivers a wonderful combination of short stories, brilliantly illustrated pictures and clever poems. Each story in these magazines is engaging and captivating.” Another blogger explains the publication as “part beginning textbook, part children’s book, part chapter book, part comic book. It’s colorful and has a large font. And no ads.”

Babybug is written for children three years of age and younger. The ad-free magazine not only contains simpler stories, rhymes and brightly colored pictures but pages that “are like those plastic/wax books from back in the day, and basically impossible to rip,” says one blogger. She also adds that her son “was able to chew on them without ingesting extra, uhm, fiber. Also of note: if you spill something on them, like say, oh, your coffee? Well, it just wipes right off.”

Our reviewers noticed that the staff behind Ladybug and Babybug have “taken great care in packing into each issue many different components that will appeal to child with varying interests.” One blogger also observed that the magazines contain an aspect often overlooked by children’s publications. She writes, “Can I tell you how much I love the diversity depicted on these little pages? That’s important to our family as we fall into a unique category. It’s hard to find books and magazines which depict a wide array of children and families instead of all one color or formation of a family.”

While kids rarely notice details like high-quality, glossy pages, or a tailored publication size. They do appreciate the “georgous illustrations“.

The daughters of one blogger have “really enjoyed looking thru the Ladybug issues.” The reviewer adds that, “It has the same level of short stories Sammie checks out at the library. And it has the same level of activities she might encounter with her schoolwork. As for Emersyn, anything in an issue of Ladybug that has to do with animals, that’s what she wants me to read to her.” Another reviewer relates her story: “To put it to the test, I snuggled into my armchair and asked Dawson to read with me,” mentions one blogger. “It’s safe to say that Ladybug has passed inspection by a very picky child.”

A year’s subscription to Babybug or Ladybug (9 issues) is $33.95.

There are a few more bloggers that have yet to weigh in on the magazines. Find out what they have to say on these dates:

Thurs 6/12 - Growing a Life and Mid-Campaign Post on PBN
Fri 6/13 - Metropolitan Mama
Mon 6/16 - Creature Bug
Tues 6/17 - The Chunky Purse
Wed 6/18 - Mommy’s Must Haves
Mon 6/23 - Round-Up Review on PBN

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Posted in Baby, Kids, Pre-school, Toddler | No Comments »

America’s Worst Cook - Blog Blast Winners!

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

Thanks to everyone who participated in last weekend’s Blog Blast by sharing their stories of kitchen calamities. Our two winners drawn at random are Chefdruck with her post Disastrous First Date and Chilihead with her post Watch Out for That…Spatula?

Congratulations, ladies! Please email us with your mailing addresses so that we can get your prizes out to you!

Another Blog Blast is coming up this weekend with two more fabulous prizes at stake - be sure to check it out!

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Posted in Blog Blasts | No Comments »

Discovery Channel Store: Alternative Energies Toys - Environmentally and Kid Friendly

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

We parents hear a great deal about the environment, and many of us make personal lifestyle changes inspired by conservation. Naturally, our children share our interest - “My girls, like many other children today, are very interested in saving energy and keeping the earth clean” - and that common fascination is what makes the Discovery Channel Store Hydro Greenhouse and Solar Science Lab such great parent-child activities.

Given the current media focus on energy (what’s the price of a barrel of oil today?), the Solar Science Lab is a timely introduction to alternative sources. “The kit is very low-tech, with several of the components made out of cardboard and requiring some simple construction. But this is what I actually liked most about it - the fact that it was a toy that was a throwback to things I had when I was growing up, that were simple and required some hands-on participation,” reported one blogger. Another noted how the accompanying literature “discusses different sources of energy - renewable and non-renewable. Within the context of solar energy, they differentiate between direct solar energy, such as what will be used for experiments in this lab, and indirect solar energy, which uses energy collected in plants through photosynthesis.”

While some of the experiments themselves didn’t turn out as expected - “we plugged the solar cell into the motor and attached the small plastic propeller to the front of the motor…[but] we could never get the motor to run” - others were a smashing success: “The Weather in a Casserole Dish activity was great in helping them understand how the circulation between hot and cold areas cause storms and tornadoes. We have had a lot of severe weather lately which has prompted a lot of questions from them about tornadoes.”

And of course, the kids were all fascinated with the incendiary power of the sun: “We couldn’t find a feather so they settled on a dead leaf which burned quickly. A whiff of the smoke brought out my six year old son’s inner pyromania. He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to burn any object he could get his hands on.”

A couple bloggers commented that the price of the Solar Science Lab ($24.95) “seems a little steep for this modest toy,” given that “some of the paper and cardboard pieces aren’t as sturdy as I would like for long-term use.”

But they all recognized the potential for learning inherent in this toy. One used it with her “homeschooling coop of kids ages 4-11 [who] really enjoyed the activities,” and another commented: “I could see this being very useful as a tool to teach my kids ways to responsibly utilize our earth’s resources.”

The Hydro Greenhouse arrived just in time to spark kids’ interest in planting spring gardens. One boy was so excited to get started, he neglected to read the directions:

He pulled out the box and and dumped all the chalky white “growing medium” and everything he could find in the box into the plastic basin. He yelled at me when he finished this. I walked in to find “growing medium” all over my oriental rug, on his clothes and in his hair, as though he’d decided to roll himself in breadcrumbs to get ready to be deep-fried.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

“I’m starting my garden,” he said proudly. “Only, I don’t know where the seeds are.”

I sat down and started scooping up growing medium off the floor and putting it into the terrarium basin. I picked up the instruction booklet and looked it over, and read “Seeds not included.”

“We have to buy seeds. Did you read the instructions?”

“No. Too many words. I just figured it out myself,” he replied sheepishly.

In this case, some adult supervision made the process go more smoothly. Another blogger - whose kids were equally excited - reported: “We did the basic set up in less than five minutes - the instructions were clear and easily followed. I appreciate that, especially now that my kids are old enough to want to do it all themselves. After spending a good 10 minutes happily raking the growing medium into zen garden-like patterns with the miniature green rake and then patting it smooth with the miniature green shovel, we headed out to the local garden center to buy seeds for the kit.”

How did these gardens grow? The results ran the gamut from so-so to spectacular to surprise!

One mother had great success at first, but then “I think we must have done something incorrectly. Or maybe I looked at it too long and my black thumb curse took over. The plants have all shriveled away now. It was going so productively and they were looking really good, then very suddenly it all went in reverse really fast.“ She went on to enthuse: “We’ve had a lot of fun even though we weren’t 100% successful.”

Another blogger reported: “Six weeks later, the basil was a veritable bush, with eight or nine leaves…There is now enough basil to make Rigatoni with Sweet Sicilian Sausage, [my son's] favorite dish.”

But it was the third mother’s mystery story that I found most entertaining. At five weeks, her notes read: “The plastic greenhouse top has been knocked asunder and the sides and swiped a bunch of the little plants out of the growing medium. We replant them as best as we can, and move the greenhouse up higher. My five-year-old disavows any knowledge of the plant mayhem.”

A week later, the mystery was solved: “Catastrophe. Literally. Our little garden lay on its side, with my cat crouching over it, looking drunk. It seems that we planted catnip, instead of the oregano seeds I had help the kids select. Um, whoops!”

So her five-year-old was innocent after all.

In spite of the mix-up with the seeds, she concluded: “The Hydro Greenhouse was a fun, easy project for the kids - as an all-around black-thumbed gardener, I appreciated the easy set-up, and the continuously fed watering system. The growing medium was really pretty cool, and the seedlings seemed to thrive in their little plastic house.”

If you’ve got kids who dig science - or even if they don’t, but they have a tendency to complain of boredom during summer vacation - check out the Solar Science Lab and the Hydro Greenhouse from the Discovery Channel Store. Just banish the cat outside and keep a fire extinguisher handy.

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Archive for June, 2008

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Blog Blast - Morning Mayhem, Morning Magic with KRAFT BAGEL-FULS

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