2010 March

Monday Moments: Yes, I Admit I Watch Reality TV

March 22, 2010 By Robin 6 Comments

One of the things I like to do, when I have some alone time to relax, is watch trashy reality TV. Last night after my daughter went to bed, I watched a competitive dating show, called Frank the Entertainer: A Basement Affair. This one is pretty calm as far as this genre goes, probably, because it is being filmed in the guy’s parents house. There are still some moments though.

I think it is kind of amusing, that I usually have one show like this, on the very short list of programs, I actually look forward to watching each week. I find them a guilty pleasure, that really helps me relax.

To kick off their new Frappucinno Light line, Starbucks has asked participating bloggers to post images dedicated to the time in the past week, that they were able to sneak away from their hectic life for a bit of relaxation – even if only for 5 minutes. Follow this link for a $1 off coupon, to try the new Frappucinno http://www.frappuccino.com/

Disclosure: I will be receiving a sample of the new Frappucinno Light.

Filed Under: Misc.

Hey, Rabbit! Book Review: A Great Easter Gift

March 20, 2010 By Robin

My daughter and I received a copy of the Hey, Rabbit! book, by Sergio Ruzzier, about a week ago. She is 34 months old, and although she has some developmental delays, she loves books. She always has a current favorite book, which tends to get dragged around the house with her. Right now that book is Hey, Rabbit!, supplanting a Yo Gabba Gabba board book (Sorry, Brobee).

The main character of the story, as you would expect, is a rabbit. This cute little fellow drags around a suitcase, that is almost as big as he is, and presents it to each of his animal friends. Each friend exclaims “Hey, Rabbit!”, and asks if there is anything in the box for them. Each request results in a large two page illustration, depicting the happy animal receiving just the thing they would love to have. Is there anything in the box for rabbit himself?

Sergio Ruzzier’s illustrations for this book are unique and interesting, yet not overwhelming. They entice your child to take a closer look. My daughter particularly liked the large illustrations of the friends, each getting their wishes, and I found the expressions on the characters faces, to be priceless.

The storyline is done in a repetitive question and answer format, which is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Each new friend is clearly announced with the exclamation “Hey, Rabbit!”. It is easy for the parent reading it, to build anticipation for the two page “wish granted ” illustrations. If your child gets stuck on a particular page (as my daughter sometimes does), no worries, the illustrations are ripe with opportunities for discussion.

Check out this video about the book:

Hey, Rabbit is a wonderful book for toddlers and preschoolers, at any time of year. Since the main character is a cute rabbit, it is an especially good choice for Easter. The book is now available both online and in stores. I saw it at Borders last week, but it is also in many smaller local stores. Check for the book in your area, and support a local business,take a look at Sergio’s other titles, as well.

Media copy provided.

Filed Under: Books, Children, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: reviews

Soft Clothing: Review & Giveaway

March 17, 2010 By Robin

Kids in general can’t stand uncomfortable clothes, but for children with sensory integration/processing disorder it can be unbearable. Many children with autism also have sensory issues, and find tags, seams and certain fabrics, extremely distracting and annoying. Finding acceptable clothing for these kids, which has style and color options has been problematic for many parents.

The Soft Clothing Company produces casual, yet stylish clothes for children with sensitivity issues. Created by a mom entrepreneur, the line is tagless, flat seamed, and constructed from soft brushed and bio-washed cotton. The collars are wider for added comfort and the dyes and prints used are natural and water based to avoid allergy issues. The line includes both long and short sleeved T-shirts, slacks, dresses and cardigans, all in an array of colors.

My daughter has been recently diagnosed with autism herself. While her sensory issues don’t prohibit her from wearing a lot of items, she does seem to get annoyed with tags.

I received a T-shirt from Soft Clothing to try out with her, and found the fabric to be super soft. She is only 3, but tall for her age, so although the line is meant for kids from 4-12, the T-shirt was only slightly big on her. We usually wash in cold and tumble dry at our house, and the shirt has held up very well.

I found the prices for this sensory friendly line of clothing to be very reasonable, ranging from 10-25 dollars per item. If you like the gold color, of the T-shirt my daughter is wearing, take note that all items that color are 10% off this week with the discount code: RAINBOW. Soft clothing picks a different color each week to run a discount on. I chose this color myself, since it seemed great with spring and summer approaching.

Verdict: These comfortable, durable and easy to mix & match clothes are great for all kids, not just those with sensory issues. I especially, think these are great choices for school uniforms. Comfort is conducive to learning.

Disclaimer: While I received a sample T-shirt to try, the views presented here are my own honest opinion and no monetary compensation was given.

Giveaway

Soft Clothing has kindly offered to send the winner of this drawing, a short sleeved Tee, in their choice of color.

Mandatory Entry: Visit Soft Clothing, and tell me what clothing item & what color you like best.

For additional entries:

Follow this blog via email or RSS
Follow me through Google Friend Connect
Follow @SoftClothing on Twitter
Follow @TwiMommi on Twitter
Tweet about this giveaway up to one time per day.
For 2 entries! Grab my button and post it on your blog. Leave a link where it can be found, in your comment. (remember to leave 2 separate comments)
For 2 entries! Fan Soft Clothing on Facebook . (remember to leave 2 separate comments)
For 2 entries! Fan Blommi on Facebook. (remember to leave 2 separate comments)

One winner will be selected from all valid entries, using random.org, and will have 48 hours to respond to their prize winner email notification. If winner fails to respond, within that time period, a new winner will be drawn. Contest ends Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST. Open to US residents , age 18+.

Congrats to onestopmom, the confirmed winner.

Filed Under: Autism, Children, Clothing, Girl's Clothing, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: autism, clothing, reviews

Monday Moments: The Garden Awakens

March 15, 2010 By Robin 8 Comments

While perusing a garden that will require a lot of work over the next few weeks, might not be some people’s idea of relaxation, it is for me. These are some pics of my garden, in it’s post winter state. The rain we have been having finally let up, while my daughter was napping. I was happy to have a few minutes to investigate, without any distractions.

Disclosure: I will be receiving a sample of the new Frappucinno Light.

Filed Under: Garden Tagged With: gardening

Great Early Math Toys for Toddlers from LeapFrog

March 14, 2010 By Robin 10 Comments

In honor of National Math Day, I had the opportunity to try two great LeapFrog educational toys, the Learn & Groove Counting Maracas and the Chat & Count Cell Phone . My 33 month old daughter was the tester.

Learn & Groove Counting Maracas

The Learn & Groove Counting Maracas come as a pair, but one is electronic and the other is a traditional maraca. This is a good thing, since it avoids two conficting songs playing at once, which would be a nightmare for parents, not to mention uncondusive to learning. The electronic maraca has 3 settings: counting, colors or music only. It also can be used in English or Spanish mode. When your child shakes it, the maraca lights up, plays music, and either counts or announces the color of the light, . Suggested age 6-36 months.

This learning toy went over well with my daughter. She is at the older end of the age range, but has some motor control issues, so this toy was a nice match for her. Although she enjoys the song, and making the maraca count, her favorite is color mode. We have used it in a dimly lit room a few times now, and she gets an extra kick out of the colored lights in that atmosphere. I tried video taping it, but all it ended out showing was a dark screen with a few flashes and giggles.

Verdict: A fun way for children to learn colors and counting. It is also great for improving motor skills.

Chat & Count Cell Phone

The Chat & Count Cell phone from LeapFrog features “Scout”. You may be familiar with him from the My Pal Scout learning friend, which was a very popular gift in the Christmas season. Here the adorable character sings, counts and converses with your child. The suggested age for this toy is 18+ months.

My daughter has several play cell phones already, so this didn’t catch her attention quite as well as the Marcas did, but she enjoyed the songs and looking at the Scout character’s antics on the display screen. I liked that the numbers displayed on the screen, are very clear and large compared with similar toys we have. I also found the size shape and weight of this toy phone, more convenient to bring along with us than her others.

Verdict: One of the better choices available, as far as, cell phone toys go. If your child already loves Scout, they will really go for this phone.

*Disclaimer: While I did receive samples of these toys for review, the views presented here are my own honest opinion, and no monetary compenstion was given.

While you are here, be sure to check out my review of LeapFrog’s Math Adventure to the Moon DVD, as well.

Filed Under: Children, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: reviews, toddler, toys

LeapFrog: Math Adventure to the Moon

March 10, 2010 By Robin 12 Comments

I was lucky enough, to have the opportunity, to review the recently released Math Adventure to the Moon DVD, from LeapFrog. The DVD is intended for children from 3-6 years of age. My daughter is a couple months shy of 3 years and has developmental delays, associated with autism, yet she enjoyed the show immensely. I feel she was engrossed enough in the program, that she absorbed at least some of the material. While this DVD is produced for normally developing children, I think it is an excellent choice for many children on the autism spectrum. It certainly is for my little girl.

Math Adventure to the Moon

LeapFrog’s popular characters Tad & Lily need to find the perfect collection of items for their math assignment at school. They decide to collect moon rocks, and with the help of there friend Edison (a firefly), they rocket to the moon to gather some.

Math “lessons” are blended into the story in fun ways. During the adventure Tad & Lily learn to use counting, sorting, skip counting and pattern recognition, to progress in their journey.

The DVD also has some special bonus features. There is a sorting game, where kids help the characters sort crystals into groups and four sing-along songs are included, as well as, the Alphabet Song from LeapFrog’s Let’s Go to School.

This great DVD for preschoolers is available right through the LeapFrog website ,as a DVD or digital download, and retails for $14.98

LeapFrog was also kind enough to send along their early math toys: Learn & Groove Counting Maracas, and Chat & Count Cell Phone (review). Keep in mind Martch 14th is National Math Day . It is never too early to start introducing your children to math concepts.

Verdict: A very entertaining way, for children to become aquainted with early math concepts.

*Disclosure: While I did receive a copy of the DVD for review, no monetary compensation was given, and the views presented here are my own honest opinion.

Filed Under: Children, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: giveaway, reviews

Does Resveratrol Really Work?

March 9, 2010 By Robin 7 Comments

Like many people I saw the story about Resveratrol on 60 minutes last spring. It is a phytoalexin extracted from red wine, as well as Japanese knotweed, and has been shown to have a pretty amazing at effect on aging and general health. I wondered, if Resveratrol really works, and I am about to find out.

ResVitale recently provided me with two of their anti-aging products, Resveratrol and Collagen Enhance. My husband and I are both in our early fourties, and started taking the products a little less than a week ago, so it is too soon to assess their effectiveness. We are each taking one capsule of each product. This equates to a regular dose of Resveratrol (sugg. 1-2/day) and a half dose of Collagen Enhance ( dose=2/day). Since the top two ingredients in each of the products are the same, I felt the dosage was appropriate. I will fill everyone in, on the results of our 30 day experiment, in early April.

If you missed the 60 minutes story, and would like to see it for yourself, I have embedded video below.

60 minutes story (part1)

Part 2

The results are in! Read the review update: ResVitale Resveratrol Products Review Update

Filed Under: Reviews /Giveaways, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: resveratrol, reviews

Win a $20 Grocery Card and Yoplait Greek Yogurt

March 4, 2010 By Robin

Thanks to Stop & Shop and MyBlogSpark, I just tried Yoplait’s new Greek yogurt. This fat free yogurt has approximately twice the protein of regular yogurts, and only 130 calories. It is available in four flavors: Blueberry, Strawberry, Honey Vanilla and Plain.

For a fat free yogurt, it was surprisingly rich, creamy and filling. I was also pleased to see that High Fructose Corn Syrup was not on the ingredients list. My husband and I are trying to cut back on saturated fat, and boost protein intake, so this is a great fit for us, and is something we can share with our toddler, as well.

If you would like to try the new Greek Yogurt with 2x the protein, from Yoplait, visit yoplaitgreek.com for a 30 cent off a single cup coupon.

*Disclaimer: While I did receive a sample kit, from Stop & Shop and MyBlogSpark, similar to the one in the giveaway featured here, the views presented in this review are my own honest opinion.

Giveaway: Congratulations to Kelly Ann T., the confirmed winner.

Filed Under: Food & Beverage, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: giveaway

Custom T-Shirts from Fibers.com: Review & Giveaway

March 3, 2010 By Robin

I recently had the opportunity to try out the products and service from Fibers.com, a purveyor of custom T-shirts and other clothing, for the whole family. Not only does Fibers.com offer hundreds of their own designs, but you can also create your own, using their fun and easy online software. With limitless design options and over 40 different products to customize, you can really express yourself with clothing from Fibers.com.

I was given some store credit and free reign to play around. It was suggested I check out the I “heart” _____ , styles. There were many different styles of hearts, but the one that really sparked an idea for me, was the one that was crossed out. Like most toddlers my daughter absolutely hates hearing the word “no”, so I created an “I don’t heart/like the word no!.” T-shirt special for her. I tried a few colors for the letters, and went with a dark pink, that I liked against the light pink of the shirt I had selected.

I also decided to create a St. Patrick’s Day shirt for her. Fibers had several styles available for the holiday. My husband is part Irish, so this is something special for the two of them. I thought it was neat that not only could the size of the shamrock (or any of their other icons) could be easily changed. It was also quite simple to duplicate the shamrock. I almost went with a bunch of tiny shamrocks, but opted to go with just one, in the end. Another thing I liked about the design software was the ability to curve or resize the text with just a click. The degree and direction of curvature could be changed with an adjustment bar. The original design had a slightly smaller shamrock, the bottom text was not curved and was black.

I thought the pricing from Fibers was very reasonable. The white toddler T-shirt was $11.99, and the colored one was $15.99. These prices included all customizations. Adult Tees are only a few dollars more. My order was shipped very promptly, and the quality of the shirts and the printing on them was good. These toddler shirts were summer weight and seemed quite breathable.

Verdict: I feel that for the level of customization available, quality of the shirts I received and speed of service, this is a good value. I would order from Fibers again, in the future.

Disclosure: While I received a store credit to try out the products and service from this company, the views presented here are my own honest opinion and no monetary compensation was given.

Giveaway: Congratulations to Marianna the confirmed winner.

Filed Under: Clothing, Reviews & Giveaways Tagged With: giveaway, reviews