Busy Mom Reviews

I received a copy of Norah Jones' second (oops) third album, Not Too Late.

The first thing you notice is that the cover is a little "darker" than her previous CDs. As a matter of fact, the kid said it was "kinda scary". But, be assured, the album isn't scary.

There are no covers on here, I think she wrote all of the songs. She is a talented young lady ("young lady"? When did I turn into an 80 year old man?), and, like her other albums, her songs are a sultry blend of jazz, blues, some country, and, soul. There are a couple of songs with a political slant, which is not my preference from a recording artist, but, it's not a show stopper, I liked the album, anyway.

I'm trying to avoid the cliche of describing someone's successive collections as "more mature" than the last one, but, well, I can't. It is more mature, the songs are deep, and, there's not a lot of a "pop" feel to it. Norah's music isn't the kind that makes you want to get up and dance, but, it's best enjoyed on a lazy Sunday morning with something warm to drink.

Actually, you can and should enjoy it anytime, just work with me here to set a mood, OK?

Check out "Not Too Late" (Windows Media, has sound) and "Thinking About You" (Windows Media, has sound), and, I believe you can catch her over at Rehearsals.com, too.

Serph is a search engine that allows you to search all the social media sites to see what people are saying right now about a topic.

I have no vested interest in this site, I just liked it.

when you type a query into Serph, it searches online social media sites to find out what people are currently saying about that topic.

It's a clean, bright interface that is easy to use. It has a Firefox plug-in to make Serphing even easier. It's in beta testing right now, so. you'll need to sign up to get access, but, mine came quickly.

You could use it to find out what people are saying about your company, your hobby, your favorite TV show, or, even you.

I guess the last one would be called "Self-Serphing".

Go ahead, sign up and give it a try!

Sun Kissed is Catherine Anderson's latest book.

Sun Kissed is a western romance, the story of Samantha Harrigan, a horse breeder with an abusive ex-husband, and, a problem" someone is poisoning her horses.

She meets young large animal vet, Tucker Coulter, at the fair when she is arrested trying to stop a horse from being abused. After she is cleared of the charges, she boards one of her ill horses at Tucker's place, and, the romance begins.

Some people think Samantha herself is poisoning the horses for the insurance money, and, Tucker doesn't know what to believe about the woman he loves, but, it becomes very important to find out who is really doing it.

I've not read any of Ms. Anderson's other books, but, apparently, the Coulter Family members each have their own book as far as I can tell from the family tree in the front of this one.

Though a bit predictable, I enjoyed it, and, it would be good beach read this year.

There's nothing more frustrating than a baby with nasal congestion. You want to tell them to "just blow!" already, so, they won't be so uncomfortable, and, can rest easier. However, that usually doesn't work out.

Bulb suction things (affectionately called a "snot sucker" around here) often make baby cry even harder, and, may not be worth the trauma.

Enter the Nosefrida. It's from Sweden, and, the name means "nose relief". It's a plastic tube with a filter that the parent uses with their own mouth to remove mucous from a child's nose. With the filter in place, the parent does NOT come into contact with the mucous, and, there is nor risk of any bacterial contamination.

I was sent one for review, and, had every intention of trying it out around these parts, but, what I didn't factor in was the fact that, in winter, everyone's nasal passages are like the Sahara Desert because of the drying effects of heat.

There's no snot to suck around here. But, I sure wish I'd had something like this when my kids were babies

Anyway, the Nosefirda is $15.00 US and comes in a carrying case with 4 filters. A bag of 20 extra filters is $2.50 US.

What do Eva Longoria, Jessica Alba, Haylie Duff, Susan Lucci, Katharine McPhee and Busy Mom have in common?

Oh, stop that.

We all have a Rhinestone Time Mug!

I was sent a Time Mug fore review. It is the first 100% dishwasher safe time-telling mug. It's a high quality, 16 oz., insulated travel mug with a clock built right in. I am very picky about travel mugs, and, this one is solid. It's available in either original or rhinestone and comes in 19 colors.

They are also customizable for branding for a promotional item for companies and organizations.

The original retails for $24.95 US and $29.95 for the Rhinestone edition. Get yours at TimeMug.com, Target, or, Amazon.

I received two CDs from Kiddio to review.

These audio stories are intended for kids 3-7, and, it's refreshing that all you have to do is listen, reminiscent of radio shows long ago. It's nice that kids can listen to an exciting tale, yet, it doesn't get them hyped up like some music or movies can.

We listened to Billy Brown and the Mystery Package" and Billy Brown Goes Hiking". Billy is a big, friendly talking bear, and, he and his best friend, Emma, are always having adventures. Each CD is about 45 minutes long, and, there's a full cast of voices, imagery and realistic sound effects.

Older kids might find the music corny, but, there are some older kids who found themselves into the stories, anyway, but, I won't mention any names.

A Parenting Media Award winner, Kiddio Audio Adventures are great, and, they seel for $10.99 each plus shipping and handling.

Get them now for your Spring Break or Easter road trip!

Zoey 101: Season One DVD Box Set is in stores on February 13, 2007. The DVD set features 2 discs with all 13 episodes from Season One, along with a never-before-seen original episode, “Quarantine”.

Zoey 101, featuring the classier Spears sister, is big with the tween set, and, we are big fans, here. The scenario is life at the Pacific Coast Academy, formerly all-boys boarding school, is accepting girls for the first time, and, Zoey is one of the first girls accepted, and, hilarity, and, sometimes deep thoughts ensue, as Zoey, her brother, and, her friends live their teen years.

The stories are appropriate, it's got some good music, and, it's great for the tween age group.

Check it out!

I received Poetry Speaks to Children. Featured on NPR, Poetry Speaks to Children is a book and CD collection of adult (no, not that kind of adult, ya perv) poems illustrated, and, read for kids through archival recordings and poets reading their own works,

There are 95 poems in the book, and, 50 performances on the CD by poets such as Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, and, Roald Dahl.

The poems themselves might be above a preschooler's level of understanding, but, the book is delightfully illustrated, and, I even learned a few things about classic poems I've heard of, but, never really taken the time to read.

This is one that can be enjoyed for years to come!

I received The Complete Book of Baby Names, but, let me make on thing perfectly clear before we begin: I DO NOT have need of it. But, I really do like reading these books.

OK, got it? Good.

Anyway, The Complete Book of Baby Names boasts that they have 100,001 baby names, and, though I didn't count them, it looks like it's true.

It is more than just a list, though, there are many interesting topics such as popular names by country, choosing a middle name, naming trends, and, what makes a perfect name. It also lists names by lots of different methods including: popular names of each decade, beginning letter of the alphabet as well as by connotation, such as "surfer" or "barfly", and, it even includes twin names.

The Complete Book of Baby Names is a great resource if you are naming a baby, and, it's also an interesting read. Busy Girl has been using it to inform all her friends what their names mean.

Most importantly, though, it covers what NOT to name your baby. I'll let you check that one out yourself.

I received The Checklist: What You and Your Family Need to Know to Prevent Disease and Live a Long and Healthy Life by the man about the Internet, Dr. Manny Alvarez.

You may recall there was a big media promotion about this book all over the Internets. and, Dr. Alvarez and his book were everywhere.

It's a guide to family health and illness prevention arranged by decade. I think some of the advice is pretty general, but, it makes a good overview and outline of what's important in each life phase. It's well written, and, easy to understand. There are periodic "Ask Dr. Manny" sidebars where he answers reader questions, and, he has a website by the same name.

Kudos to Dr. Manny for his stance on lung cancer screening, though some people will disagree, we don't have answers, yet, about the best way to screen people for lung cancer, but, there are people working on it.

The Checklist: will make a good edition to your home health and reference library.

We Just Got Back.com offers travel advice from families who've already been there.

Filled with information about family travel, you can search destinations by region, or, childrens' ages. They even have a Flickr Photo Pool with real photos from real people, because there's nothing like being misled by a travel brochure photo, only to find out that your destination is nothing like it looks.

Drake Bell, of Nickelodeon''s Drake and Josh fame, has a new CD out. We love Drake and Josh around here, so, Busy Girl was eager to listen to it.

It's Only Time is an 11 song collection of upbeat, pop songs. She loved it, and, you know what? It's something we can both agree on, I kind of like it.

Go ahead, give it a listen, and, Drake is touring selected cities, he may be coming to your town, soon.

It's Only Time would make a great birthday gift or Easter basket treat for the tween in your life.

Catch and Release is a new romantic comedy featuring Jennifer Garner. In the movie, her fiance dies in a tragic accident during his bachelor party, and, she tries to come to terms with the secrets he never told her.

The Catch and Release Soundtrack is in stores now (I was sent one for review) and it features songs from artists such as Foo Fighters, Gomez, Death Cab for Cutie, and, The Lemonheads.

I've not had a chance to see the movie, but, I've really enjoyed the laid back soundtrack. And, no, I am not too old for this stuff. It's been compared to the popular Garden State soundtrack, and, definitely worth checking out.

"The Starter Wife" 6 hour television event is coming to USA Network in May.

"The Starter Wife" is based on the book of the same name by Gigi Levangie Grazer, and, it stars Debra Messing as Molly Kagan, who, is divorced from a Hollywood studio head. After being blacklisted from premieres to pilates, she searches to rediscover life after divorce. A brief respite in Malibu and some oh-so-Hollywood friends prove to be the perfect cocktail for her transformation from "Starter Wife" to her new life. It also stars Judy Davis, Joe Mantegna, Miranda Otto & Anika Noni Rose.

There's even a contest to go along with the event!

Ponds and the USA Network are featuring The “40’s and Fabulous” contest encourages real women to share why they are more beautiful and confident in their 40s than they were in their 30s or 20s.

To enter, just visit the official site, and, five winners will be featured in their own USA commercial -- and win an all-expense-paid weekend to live like a celebrity in Hollywood , including a fashion/beauty makeover and tickets to The Starter Wife premiere!

You can also share your Real Starter Wife Story. If you’re one of the first 50 to submit your story, you’ll receive a “Just Because” flower delivery, a Pond’s prize pack and The Starter Wife novel! The next 100 entrants will also get a Pond’s prize pack.