Modern Mamma Marvels

I’ve had a chance to review Kellogg’s site, ChildhoodisCalling.com. I have some fond memories of making Rice Krispies treats with my paternal grandmother when I was a young child and, as such, Rice Krispies will always hold a special place in my heart.

That’s why this particular website is so cool. First of all, I love this new recipe for the Rice Krispies with Real Strawberries to make similar but yummier treats. Now, logic says, “Uh, duh, you could still make treats with the new cereal,” but I’m not all that awesome in the kitchen on my own. I just don’t know if I would have thought to make treats with the new cereal!

By far, I think the most useful thing on the entire site happens to be the “Cooking with Kids” tips. The best part of THAT page? It breaks it down into age ranges for what kids can handle with a recipe. For example, since BigBrother is in the 2-3 age range, he should be able to wash and scrub fruits and vegetables, count and name foods and break bread into pieces. I say should because even though BigBrother likes to help in the kitchen, his version of helping involves talking in CAPSLOCK while jumping and saying, “I HELP MOMMY!” You take what you can get!

And, of course, I just embrace the entire idea of the site. Our kids grow up fast. Too fast. Uber-quickly. Right before our eyes. Childhood is Calling is calling parents to recognize that fact and thus embrace the moments that we have with them here and now… and create a few extra memories that we otherwise might have let slip by.

What are YOU doing with YOUR kids TODAY to create those memories? Whether you’re cooking, painting, going on a hike or just rolling around in a fit of laughter on your kitchen floor, make the most of these young moments together. They fly by so quickly.

Visit Childhood is Calling for some great ideas.

When the Parent Bloggers Network asked if I wanted to review Kinzin, a photo sharing site, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’ve been an avid flickr user since 2004. However, due to the icky, yucky people of the world, all of our photos except for select ones in a Project365 set have gone private. I’m selective about what I share and where for various reasons. I know I’m not the only one.

But truth be told? Some of my family members aren’t awesome at the internetz. No, really. Trust me on this one. Sometimes they forget to login and, as such, they can’t view the pictures. Then they call me to complain. It’s been an on-going drama for years now. Enter Kinzin.

It’s an easy, private photo sharing site that even my most technologically-dumb family members can navigate. I was easily able to share our account with them and they were easily able to register and view the pictures that we uploaded. Of course, it’s up to them to remember their login information. I don’t know why they expect me to remember passwords that they have forgotten. (Does anyone else have family like me? I mean, honestly?)

But, by far, the best part of the Kinzin site is their print and ship option. While the photo sharing service (meaning, the site in general) is free, the print and ship option does require a payment, but oh, it’s cheap! And cheap is good! For my US readers, you can have 10 prints (of your choosing or automatically selected) printed and shipped to one address for $2.99 a month. If you pick two addresses, you can actually get a third free! (For a limited time so jump on this one.) I cannot tell you how awesome this is for our family. Because despite being technologically impaired, my family tends to complain about the lack of pictures they receive (or, ya know, don’t receive) because, oh, well, I work from home full-time, have two children underfoot, one of whom is potty training and the other of whom is breastfed on demand, and you know, a never ending pile of laundry. I mean, shouldn’t I have all the time in the world to get professional portraits taken and shipped to said family members? Pfft. This has alleviated that problem. I take nice enough pictures that these can double as professional. Okay? Good.

Anyway, while I love it, I did find one problem with the printing service. I had accidentally, not understanding what it meant, selected “Include Title On Prints” option. In fact, at the time of my review, this option was rather hidden. I do NOT like the title on the prints. I mean, who wants words on their chin (see left). When I complained about said words on chin, I found out that they’re now working to make this option more visible along with a link to show you what the option actually entails and, of course, you are able to deselect it. Fabulous. My experience is now perfect.

The prints themselves are of a high quality, not unlike you get from any of your normal printing services.

I am pleased with my experience with Kinzin. I am also pleased that for an entire year, my mother and mother-in-law can get off my back about not receiving pictures even though they have full access to the full-sized pictures on flickr and could thus print them out themselves but, oh, technology. Thanks for saving my sanity, Kinzin! In fact, thanks for saving my Husband’s sanity as well as he always gets an earful when either party kvetches about the lack of pictures.

So, go create your free account and if you have family like mine, take advantage of the print and ship option!

I was sent The Baby Bonding Book for Dads: Building a Closer Connection with Your Baby to review. And boy, did I enjoy this quick, insightful and funny read. While it may be 93 pages in length, it won’t take much longer than one sitting to devour the book. Well, unless you already have a toddler in your house and need to keep stopping to keep him from drawing on the infant with markers. You know, the normal stuff of life.

The book features different chapters for the basic things of parenting that new dads may not know or may be fearful to try on their own. It covers everything from diapering to sleep to taking the baby out on his own and just about everything in between. The best part of each chapter is that the laughs abound. The humor is, no doubt, meant to keep dads engaged in the book but moms will get a good laugh as well.

Some of my favorite parts? First of all, the author suggests dads consider babywearing. Any man that suggests any form of babywearing to another man is okay in my book. Kudos, kudos! Furthermore, breastfeeding is not discussed as an annoying possibility but is talked about as the norm for feeding infants. His tips to help the new mom during breastfeeding (bring water and snacks without being asked) made me smile. Furthermore, the author didn’t go against the current recommendations of holding off on solids and even went so far as to point out that it is normal for some kids to drink nothing but milk for a full year. I wanted to jump for joy. The lactivist in me wants to send this guy a thank you card.

Other favorites include the reminder to read to your child and to make sure to snap photographs not only of special times but everyday life. (Though I did have to laugh when he suggested that dads aren’t in the pictures because they are the ones manning the camera. Not so in this FireHouse. There are lots of pictures of FireDad with the boys but very few of me with the kids because I’m the photographer in the family.)

The book ends, before the epilogue, with an idea for dads to write to their babies.  I got all weepy with the idea and the letter that he included. Of course, I get weepy at the drop of a hat so I’m not sure that should be a true judgment of weep-inducement but, alas, it made me weepy.

Another added bonus to this book is the glorious photography. BigBrother routinely stole the book from me (when he wasn’t trying to draw on LittleBrother with markers) to look at the pictures of dads and babies. If BigBrother approves, they must be good shots. He’s my little Photo Bug.

All in all, I would absolutely recommend this as a gift for a brand new dad or a dad-to-be. My Husband, a dad twice over now, found that some of the stuff was old hat to him but also enjoyed the humor and some of the tips that he hadn’t thought of on his own (like the mention of writing letters). The book’s deomographic is really summarized in the preface with the author’s own words.

 Most men are like I was before my first child, having never even held a baby in our lives and with little or no experience taking care of kids.

If you know a Dad that falls into that category, consider purchasing him the book now or, you know, for Father’s Day which is just over a month away!

More at the book’s blog.

I don’t like normal energy drinks. Mainly because I don’t like sugary sweet drinks. (Or snacks. Or desserts, even!) But when I was offered a chance to review Ocean Spay Cranergy Energy Juice Drink, I said okay. Why? I love me some cranberry juice. Always have, always will. It’s one of the few juices that I actually like. Why? Unlike some others, it’s not sickeningly sweet. I like the tart taste of cranberries!

At only 50 calories in a 12 oz bottle, I didn’t feel like I was adding any unnecessary calories to my daily intake just because I had some juice or an energy drink. This pleased me. Also, as a nursing mother, I did like the fact that it’s a natural way to get a pick me up without the worry of making LittleBrother spazz out on too much caffeine.

The taste was good. I’m not one for artificial sweeteners but the Splenda doesn’t have a totally intolerable taste like some of the other options. It still had my normal tart taste and so, I was happy! (Of note: don’t drink it right after you brush your teeth. Oh, I’m smart.)

Did I notice a whole lot of extra energy afterwards? I can’t say for sure. What I DID notice was that I didn’t have a sugar-induced crash like I have had happen after other energy drinks. THAT is reason enough to consider this as your midday pick-me-up. Healthier, yummier and smarter. You can’t go wrong!

We have two computers. And FireDad uses more than one computer at work. Anyone who uses multiple computers knows that taking things from computer to computer has changed over the years. Remember floppy disks? Even better, do you remember those uber-huge actual floppy disks? Oh my, how technology has changed and advanced.

And now, technology even looks good!

We were sent a black SanDisk Cruzer Gator to review. It is 4GB in size which is a fabulous size. (Note: They also offer 8GB (!) and 2GB.) That size can hold quite a few large pictures, music to transfer from one computer to another or just a whole ton of files. And, as you can see in the picture to the left, it’s a small little thing, smaller than Lightning McQueen and Chick Hicks, but snazzy looking at the same time. We opened it here at home and slipped it into the laptop’s USB port to give it the initial whirl.

The software that comes installed on the Cruzer Gator makes it easy to understand, even if you’ve never used a flashdrive before or, maybe if you’re just new to technology in general. There were prompts that asked you if you wanted help or if you wanted to go your own way if you knew what to do.

Here are two ideas we have for your Cruzer Gator.

1. The flashdrive offers downloadable software (internet connection required) like our browser of choice, Mozilla Firefox. Install that on your flashdrive, pop it in your computer at work and you have your own browser instead of the lame MIE that is usually offered. Furthermore, your personal data goes home with you at the end of the day. Bonus. Browsers available on the U3 Program Wizard are Firefox and Opera. It also offers Thunderbird for your e-mail needs. Very awesome.

2. Carry your photos with you wherever you go. 4GB of space is quite a lot for your photo needs! If you’re working outside of the home, you can take your photos with you to your work computer, pop in your flashdrive and view your kids whenever you so desire. This is also a great way to take pictures to Grandma’s house without using your own ink and printing at her house. (What? You’ve never done that? You should try it!) While I do suggest backing up all photos on disk, this is another quick way to backup as a temporary option.

FireDad really enjoyed the ease of use. He installed Firefox from the Wizard and had no problem heading to the “Download Central” to find a free game to add to the Cruzer. He did note that it loads a bit differently on Windows Vista than it does on Windows XP but not so much that it made a difference in ease of use.

Quite honestly, I couldn’t like the little piece of technology any more if I tried. It’s even attractive, cased in a faux “alligator” shell. We’re sporting the black one but there are two other colors, pink and red, available to the public. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either. If you have multiple computers, at home or at work, this is the way to go.

And! I’m hosting a Mother’s Day contest over at Stop, Drop and Blog! You could win the red (4GB) or the pink (2GB). Be sure to visit the post and enter the contest! Go! (Contest ends May 6 at 12:00pm EDT.)

Trains are big in our house. More specifically, Thomas the Train is HUGE in our house. So, I jumped at the chance when Parent Bloggers Network asked if we wanted to review a new Thomas DVD. Just like BigBrother jumped around the house when I opened the package to reveal the shiny trains on the outside of the DVD. (Note to readers: Don’t open packages just before naptime. Sigh.)

Anyway, we’re totally fans of  Thomas and Friends: Engines and Escapades.

Let me say though: this one doesn’t “feature” Thomas in all of the episodes. This one “stars” the Narrow Gauge Engines. Now, if your kiddo is new to the Thomas and Friends scene, you’re going to be scratching your head and saying, “Who?” Your kid is going to say, “Where is Thomas?” But for those fans among us, this DVD was a real treat. It’s not often we get to hear or see stories specifically about engines like Sir Handel and Skarloey, two of BigBrother’s favorite diecast trains. While Thomas does make some appearances, this DVD is more like to feature the two mentioned trains along with characters like Madge, Duncan, Rusty and Rheneas.

BigBrother? Loved it. Any time I turned it on for him, he would run and get the aforementioned trains and sit in front of the television while chanting, “CHOO-CHOO,” and “PEEP PEEP!” Again, as Sir Handel is one of his favorites, he was really excited to tell me over, and over… and over and over again that “HANDEL ON TV!!” Yes, Buddy, he is. Good catch.

Like the other Thomas and Friends DVDs, it ends with the Thomas song. If you don’t know the Thomas song, you’re sure to be humming it at random times after your child has fallen in love with the show. While some find the show boring, I really find that Thomas helps bring out my son’s imagination as he plays with trains day and night. This has transpired into a love of real trains as well which makes for an easy and cheap (FREE!) field trip down to the train tracks to explore.

If you’ve got a child, boy or girl, with an imagination and a love of things that go, this DVD is for you!

To see what others are saying, hit up the Parent Bloggers Network launch post!

I was sent Naptime Is the New Happy Hour and Other Ways Toddlers Turn Your Life Upside Down by Stephanie Wilder-Taylor to review. I laughed when I saw the title of this book. While I don’t imbibe while my toddler is napping, mainly because most types of alcohol (except the uber-expensive ones) gives me hives, toddlers sure do turn your world upside down. There’s no two ways around it. Everything you thought you knew about parenting in the first year is suddenly erase when your child hits the independent toddler years. If you were a smug, know-it-all Mommy (like I was) at your child’s first birthday party, you are soon to be smacked square in the face with reality. Trust me.

And that’s what this book is about.

It’s not a parenting “how-to” book. There are enough of those collecting dust on our shelves already. (What? Don’t lie.)  Instead, this book was written to make you laugh and to simultaneously let you know that you’re not the only mother on the planet wondering if your child is eating enough leafy green stuff or being bored to tears during playdate “chatter” with other moms you are forced to be friends with because of the month and year your children were born.

I did appreciate the chapter about preschool as well. I’ve been sitting in silent panic about the fact that BigBrother isn’t on any list yet. As, really, I didn’t expect that he’d be potty-trained before his twelfth birthday, I didn’t figure it was an option for us. The author hit on every last one of the thoughts I’ve had and she assured me that they’re all bunk. Well, most of them. The kid will learn to read. He’ll go to a fine preschool. And someday he’ll get into college whether or not he goes to the best, most expensive preschool on the planet. Well, he might. There are no guarantees, of course.

Some of my favorite parts included a run down of children’s television shows (though we do watch Thomas up in here because, hey, British accents can be sexy and did you know that Pierce Brosnan is doing the voice in the upcoming feature length film? YEAH!), the New Mommy Math to help you decipher how much television your Mommy Friend’s kids are really watching, and stories about how hard it is to make and keep Mommy friends. We deal with television issues in this household. You know. Turn off the television and all heck breaks loose? But it’s not like I can send the kid outside into a blizzard and, really, I can only do SO MANY CRAFTS, OKAY? This Mom-Author let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I’m not alone. I also enjoyed the digs the author made on Moms that seem to have it all together. Because, dang, I don’t have anything together and it made me feel human to know that I’m not the only one. (If you have it all together and you’re reading this, I am sticking my tongue out at you.)

And while I thoroughly enjoyed this book to the point that I choked on my own spit while laughing, I do feel I need to offer up a warning to the readers of my blog. The language is not all exactly clean. Yes, the book is meant for adults and not your child. But some of the language choices made me, a grown adult who has been known to throw down a cuss word or twelve, squirm in my seat. I can deal with variations of darn and poop but the author took it too far for my personal liking a few times. I wouldn’t feel right suggesting that my Mother or Grandmother read this book nor would I offer it to any of my friends from church. Then again, from her dig at born-again Christians, I don’t suppose the author included all of us in the demographic for this book but, here I am, reading it. As I’ve been firm about my blog being family-friendly, I wouldn’t feel right not letting my readers know about the language. Perhaps that makes me an uncool Mama. But hey, I’ve never been cool. Trust me. Do you want to see my freshman high school yearbook picture? Ouch.

Aside from the language issues, I needed to laugh like this. I needed to be reminded that I’m not alone in these toddler wars. We’re currently in the middle of potty training woes and the chapter offered some hope on the horizon as well as some perspective. Perspective is a good thing as is laughter. If you want a laugh, consider picking up the book. If you need to know you’re not alone, this is for you. It’s a quick read at 208 funny pages.

Let me know if you read it!

I was sent two boxes of Whole Grain Pop Tarts for review. I have to be honest and up front: I didn’t eat the one flavor. We were sent Strawberry and Cinnamon. And, well, I’m allergic to cinnamon. Tongue swells, throat closes. Not a pretty picture. And so, FireDad took those to work and reviewed them for me. The Strawberry ones stayed with me in the FireHouse and, well, I’ve got nothing bad to say about them!

I don’t like overly sweet things. I always pick salty over sweet. But these Pop Tarts, unlike their non-whole-grain counterparts, aren’t smeared with a top full of icky sugar frosting. It’s just a gentle swirl. This, of course, was a negative point in FireDad’s review. He does like sugary things. However, he did like the taste and said that while he knew that they were whole grain, they didn’t have that “overly healthy” taste to them that made him not want to finish. If FireDad approves of something healthy, well, that’s a good thing.

BigBrother had a few bites but wasn’t really sure about the jam-texture inside. (He has food texture issues.) So, I resigned myself to eating the whole box for review. (Not the whole thing at once, of course!) And I found something surprisingly wonderful. When combined with my other high-fiber breakfast foods (fiber enriched yogurt and, uhm, coffee! ha!), the whole grain Pop Tarts did a great job of, uhm, well, let’s just say that things were comfortably regular in our house. Fiber is good!

I liked the flavor. I liked the health factor. I think BigBrother will actually like these once he gets past his jam indifference. I liked the lack of much-o sugar on top. I liked the fiber! And, to be truthful, when I went grocery shopping last Thursday, I picked up another box. Not of the cinnamon, of course. I haven’t bought Pop Tarts since college when I didn’t care what I was ingesting. I do care nowadays. And I bought them. With my own money. And I’ll do it again. And again. And now I want a Pop Tart even though it’s my “everything” bagel morning. Mmm.

For those interested, here’s the info on the strawberry and the cinnamon.

I’m not really great at cleaning. It’s not that I don’t like a clean house. I do! But with two children age two and under, my priorities aren’t necessarily focused on the bathroom sink. Clean diapers, yes. A presentable mirror, well, no. However, I accepted the challenge offered to me to review Clorox Green Works natural cleaning products. I figured it would force me to clean my bathroom. Because, uh, otherwise? Well, let’s just say it wouldn’t have been on the top of my to-do list this Saturday morning!

Maybe I wanted to do this because I now have a two year old who is using the bathroom. Not consistently. Not on his own. But he’s in there. And he’s touching things. And I want those things to be clean. And while I want them clean, I don’t want the added worry of, “What if he licks the sink? Will he pick up some bleach residue and turn into an Ewok?” Yes, I think these things. Because? Two year old kids lick sinks. And they stick their hands in their mouth before and after washing their hands. And just a myriad of other ick-factors that make you not only doubt your cleaning regimen, as in how often, but what you’re using to clean with. Oh, scary.

And so, when I got the Green Works cleaning agents in the mail, I read the ingredients. I expected a long list of words I couldn’t pronounce. Nope. Take the All-Purpose Cleaner for example:

coconut-based cleaning agent (nonionic surfactant), corn-based ethanol, , filtered water and
biodegradable preservative, fragrance with essential lemon oil, contains no phosphorous or bleach.

Coconut, eh? I can get behind some coconuts. And so, without a scary list of ingredients, my next question is, of course, your question as well.

So, uh, does it work?

I put them to test in my, uh, not-so-clean bathroom. I don’t have a long amount of time for cleaning. I need things to work quickly so I can get back to important things like reading books, over and over, to BigBrother. And rushing him to the bathroom when he announces, “BIG PEE!” And changing Poo-Splosions made by LittleBrother. And feeding him at the tap every fifth second. You know, real life things. I don’t have patience for cleaning products that don’t work quickly or require too much eblow grease. And, man, my sink was DIRTY. Ew.

Much to my delight and, honestly, total surprise, the All-Purpose cleaner did its job on the sink with no problem. Or exertion on my part. Spray. Wipe. It’s clean. I was still wary when I picked up the Glass & Surface cleaner and sprayed it on my mirror. (Which was also, uh, not-too-clean.) I honestly expected streaks. No streaks! Clean mirror! Quickly! Hurrah!

So, all right, they clean efficiently. My next question is always the deal-breaker.

What’s it smell like? You see. I don’t like perfume-y smells. I have a sensitive nose. I don’t like flowery stuff. I don’t like over-bearing clean-y smells. And these products are none of those things. I fresh, lemon-y smell that doesn’t make you gag or overwhelm you by the time you’ve wiped down your entire bathroom. Even FireDad agreed that they smell all right.

Truth be told, I love this line. Will I still use bleach on some things that BigBrother can’t yet reach? Yeah, I’m sure. But am I going to grab the All Natural Toilet Bowl cleaner the next time I’m at the store? You bet your biscuits.

I’m sure you all remember the hullabaloo about Baby Einstein making your kids dumb. I’m here to say, “Stupid is as stupid does.” (Thanks, Forrest Gump!) Truth is, if you use the television as a babysitter, sure, your kid isn’t going to learn as quickly as the mothers and fathers who are actively doing things with their children. That’s why I’m digging the new Baby Einstein initiative to get parents involved with their children.

I received Baby Einstein: Baby’s First Moves for review. We have the whole box set of the other Baby Einstein DVDs so I was excited to have a new one in house. I really can’t say enough about this particular DVD. While LittleBrother, only three months, merely sat on my lap and occasionally looked at the screen as I chattered along about what was going on, BigBrother surprised the heck out of me.

You see, two-plus-years is really out of the “Baby” Einstein demographic. But holy frijoles did BigBrother enjoy watching this video. The three of us sat on the floor in front of our television. I had told BigBrother that we were going to watch something “special” for LittleBrother. Well, that was enough to make him interested. Use of the word special always has that kid on board! From the moment that a baby came on the screen, BigBrother was delighted. As the narrator talked about what the babies were doing (walking, clapping, standing up), he joined in, looking to me for my approval and continued narration. He explained to me what the puppets were doing and laughed any time a puppet or a child played peek-a-boo.

Color me surprised. This kid is all about actions. Cars that go fast. Sirens that wail. So when he took such an interest in a “baby movie,” I was just simply shocked. But I used it to my benefit. We talked about each scene. We talked about the sounds that the animals made. We talked about hair and hands and eyes and noses. I did all of this with him when he was little and in the age demographic for the movies and plan on doing the same with LittleBrother as he becomes more interested. I suppose this is why BigBrother can’t watch anything on television without discussing what is going on with whomever is watching with him. Makes it hard to watch the news, I tell you.

The best feature of the new DVD is the “Baby Moves” section. A pilates instructor gives you a few easy exercises to do with your baby throughout your daily routine. Any Mama looking to lose a few pounds would benefit from the lunges and lifts and your baby will enjoy the time spent together. Of course, don’t feed your baby immediately before lifting him directly over your head. Yeah. Ick.

All in all, I’m pleased with this particular DVD. Quite frankly, if I hadn’t been sent to review it, I wouldn’t have known that BigBrother could still benefit from watching these with us as a family. We still won’t be watching them on a daily basis or throwing the baby in front of them on repeat (I never, ever choose repeat mode) but I think we’ll make it part of our weekly learning adventures.

Interested in picking up the new DVD? Get it on Amazon! (And PS? The new website is fabulous.)