Busy Mom Reviews

I received Best Buy’s Apple® iPod™ nano and Chocolate Gift Set for review (I know! Squee!). It is a 4G ipod Nano, and, some mighty fine chocolates in a cool polka dot patterned box inspired by all the iPod Nano colors.

From the press release:

This Mother's Day, surprise and delight mom with Best Buy’s exclusive iPod nano and chocolate gift set wrapped up in one, stylish package that is easy to give and a joy to receive. Whether your mom is a karaoke queen or a shower soloist, she will love taking her music everywhere. Her personal soundtrack - from old disco favorites to secret classic rock obsessions - will make the morning carpool, evening chores and everything in between more fun.

It retails for $214.99 and is available at Best Buy beginning May 6, 2007.

MyGroceryDeals.com is a free, easy to use, service that allows you to go online, do your grocery pre shopping based on advertised grocery flyer specials, look at nutritional information, create a shopping list and then head out to your selected store(s) with list in hand.

You can search by your ZIP code, and, see the stores around you.

Now, if someone would just create a site that inventories my pantry, drives to the store, bring it home, and, puts it away.

But, MyGroceryDeals.com is a good way to start!

-Etch a Sketch Picture frame from Photojojo, all about photo ideas.

-Rocketfish wireless rear speaker kit

-Smilebox (has sound) free photo and video sharing service. You can create animated scrapbooks, photobooks, slideshows, postcards, and greetings for any occasion, and email them to anyone.

For Mother's Day, Smilebox will award prizes for the three most heartfelt Smilebox creations honoring mom. The prizes include a Canon Rebel and Canon Powershot digital camera and a color printer. To enter the contest, users need to get Smilebox from www.smilebox.com and submit their Mother’s Day Smilebox per the contest instructions. The contest will begin on May 2 and winners will be announced on May 21.

-ebeanstalk - child developmental toys

-Mom Junction - a way for moms to communicate, coordinate and connect. Join or create groups to share pictures, information and events across a trusted network of parents.

- ThankYouADay - e-mail daily dose of gratitude for teachers

Picupine is a temporary photo-sharing site where you can upload photos from your computer, click submit and get a hidden link to your pics which you can email friends/family!

There's no sign-up, and, your link will stay active for a full week, and then automatically expire.

While it wouldn't be good for someone who likes to bookmark albums, and, go back to look at them later, it might be handy for a situation where you just need to send photos securely, easily, and, to be used for short periods.

The Fun Book for Moms - 102 Ways to Celebrate Family is a joyous little book full of ideas, big and small to help you make the most of family time, and, have fun..

One of my favorite ideas: "Keep pictures of your kids at a very young ages in your office or brag book, so strangers will assume that you are younger."

Wish that worked for me, I'm 42 with a 5 year old, they'd still know I'm old.

Um, anyway, The Fun Book for Moms would make a great Mother's Day gift, get your today!

Haiku Mama (because 17 syllables is all you have time to read) is a cute little bok by Kari Anne Roy.

Indeed, it is just like it sounds, haikus about mothering.

They are irreverent, and, amusing, and, oh so true.

Here's an example:

Child hugging TV
should probably not be your
Christmas card this year.

It would make a great Mother's Day gift for someone (I almost wrote, "for someone with kids", which, of course, is the entire point of Mother's Day) with young kids.

Be sure to visit her website, too: Haiku of the Day

Baby Dagny is an online baby boutique for "just cool stuff".

It's the kind of stuff you can't find anywhere else for newborns up to 24 months old.

Their products come from all over the world, and, there are several exclusive items that you can only get at Baby Dagny.

I received a Purple Frog Pacifier (featured in this year's Oscars gift bags, I might add) that was packaged in a beautiful green linen box. The pacifier is sewn into a soft stuffed animal (washable), making them easy for babies to hold, and, hug, helping to keep them off the ground.

You can get one too, if you create an online gift registry, and, mail it to 10 or more of your friends. There's free shipping on registry purchases, and, you get gift certificate rewards after your due date, 10% of your registry purchases.

There are so many more cute, and, unique items, go check them out!

Light Iris is a brand new website for new moms that launches on Mother's Day, May 13, 2007.

Be sure to check out the Celebration of Today's Mom Sweepstakes, for a chance at some fabulous prizes!

Stay tuned for more good things from Light Iris coming soon.

Because I Said So, starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo, Stephen Collins (“7th Heaven”), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) and Gabriel Macht came out on DVD May 8th, in time for Mother's Day.

Diane Keaton stars as Daphne Wilder, a mother whose love knows no bounds or boundaries. She is the proud mom of three daughters: stable psychologist Maggie (Graham), sexy and irreverent Mae (Perabo) and insecure, adorable Milly ( Moore )—who, when it comes to men, is like psychotic flypaper.

In order to prevent her youngest from making the same mistakes she did, Daphne decides to set Milly up with the perfect man. Little does Milly know, however, that her mom placed an ad in the online personals to find him.

Comic mayhem unfolds as Daphne continues to do the wrong thing for the right reasons...all in the name of love. In a hilarious battle of strong wills, the mother-daughter dynamic is tested in all its fierce, wacky complexity. The girls help Daphne finally discover the truths and impossibilities of motherly love, all while trying to answer the questions: where does it begin and where should it end?

t's rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and, partial nudity.

The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College, by Harlan Cohen is the best selling guide to college life.

It's a comprehensive guide stuffed full of tips ranging from arriving on campus, living and eating with strangers, to campus life, dating, and relationships
.
I seriously wish this had been around when I was going to college, and, that was a few years ago. The website has a lot of information, too.

The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College is an ideal book for any graduate headed to college in the fall.

I loved this book.

The Dangerous Book for Boys is a "how-to" book, that is full of essential boyhood skills for boys of all ages.

Written in the spirit of the turn of the century American Boy's Handy Book, The Dangerous Book for Boys covers the essentials for any young man such as: making a bow and arrow, cloud formations, the States of the U.S., navigation, skimming stones, five knots, fishing, baseball, rules of soccer, timers and tripwires, baseball's "Most Valuable Players", and, more.

As a matter of fact, The Preschooler Formerly Known as Busy Baby and I just made "The Greatest Paper Plane in the World", and, we're going to work on "How to Play Poker", next.

There's no reason a girl couldn't enjoy these things, too, but, to "neutralize" this fantatsic celebration of the stuff of boyhood would be a crime.

The Dangerous Book for Boys website is fun, it has a certificate, and, some completion badges you can download, and, more (hint: click on the slingshot to get in).

The Dangerous Book for Boys would make a wonderful Father's Day gift, it's for boys of all ages.

I received the Philips 9" Digital Photo frame for review.

I am forever looking for something to do with the myriad of digital photos we have.

Usually, I just get paralyzed at the thought of doing something with them, so, I ignore them.

So, the digital photo frame seemed like a way to display some of my favorites without the pressure of organizing or scrapbooking them.

The white frame is very nice looking, and, it has a lot of features.

It fits both landscape, and, vertical pictures, and, the internal memory holds about 150 photos. I'd like to see future versions hold much more than that if the purpose is to display your photos.

You can also display the photos on your camera's memory card, there are a variety of formats. We gave my dad one for Christmas, and, I leave a memory card in his, and, trade another card for it when we take new pictures.

It operates on AC battery, and, has a power cord, as well. The battery life is short, so, when you look for a place to display the frame, make sure there's an outlet, and, it's in a place where the cord won't be too prominent.

It has modes to display pictures in thumbnail view, as well as the ability to create albums and slide shows. You can also set it to automatically turn display on and off at preset times

The display is crystal clear, and, once you get it up and running, it is mesmerizing. It's hard not to stop and look at the pictures all the way through every time you pass by.

It comes with a USB cable, and, a CD user guide. However, you need to plan on taking a while to get started.

The directions and controls are just not very intuitive, and, it may take several tries to get pictures in there. Once you do get it, it's not a bad idea to write down how you did it.

I promise it's worth it in the end, though, just don't be in a hurry when you sit down to transfer pictures for the first time.

At $200, it's a bit pricey, but, the display is gorgeous, and, it would make an excellent gift for far away grandparents, or, your favorite father for Father's Day.

Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online by Anastasia Goodstein, is all about our children and their online socialization.

It starts with the premise that parents don't know much of anything about the online world of things such as blogs, MySpace and Facebook, and, that they may even be a little fearful of it, thus creating a hysteria about the evils of the Internet.

My big soapbox is that you, as a parent, MUST UNDERSTAND, and, I will go further, be ABLE TO USE anything that you allow your children to use online.

Goodstein is an expert on youth culture, and, interviews teens and tweens about their online habits and communities.
Totally Wired is your resource for understanding what it all means when your teen or teen-to-be is "online".

She covers lots of important topics, including cyber bullying, blogs and 'social-networking sites' such as MySpace. I like how it emphasizes that this teen behavior is really not new at all. In fact, it's just today's version of being on the phone constantly, a behavior which many of us recall doing ourselves back when.

There's also information on how to monitor behavior and set boundaries for online use.

Again, if you have a teen, it is imperative that you understand, and, CAN USE YOURSELF, the things that they enjoy online. It's for their protection, as well as a way to relate to them, and, you may even find things you have in common,

It's not enough to say that your child is "good", and, your sure he or she is doing nothing wrong. Indeed, most kids don't get into trouble online, but, there are things they may not understand out there, and, other people may not be as well behaved.

Totally Wired is a great book, and, a must-read for parents of this online generation.

Additionally, here are some audio clips of: Tips for Parents, and, an interview with Anastasia Goodstein ("audio" it has sound, so those of you here at work, be warned).

Be sure to check out the website and blog, TotallyWiredBook.com, and, YPulse.com, a commentary about media and marketing aimed at young people, for additional valuable information.

MySpace Guardian helps protect parents and children from potential predators on MySpace.

This free toolbar notifies MySpace members when other members add content to their MySpace pages.

By integrating the US Sexual Offender Registry with Google Maps it not only gives mapped locations of potential predators, it also offers pictures and complete profiles on each individual predator.

Users can also notify authorities directly form the toolbar if they suspect that they have been contacted by a sexual predator.

Of course, nothing replaces parental involvement, and, working knowledge (you MUST be able to use any application your kids use) about your child's computer usage, but, it's wise to check out the tools available to assist you with Internet safety.

Skin M.D.Natural is a "shielding lotion" which makes a protective, moisturizing barrier after several days of use.

I was sent some samples, and, it really is easily absorbed, and, isn't stick or greasy. It also has a light, but, pleasant smell. I've been using it on my hands, and, heels, and, it's working well.

It's reportedly been beneficial to people with eczema, and, people with latex allergies that have to use latex gloves frequently.

A 4oz.bottle is $25, but, it is a 1-2 month supply.

If you or someone you know has dry skin problems, Skin M.D. Natural has been very successful, and, your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Celestial Seasonings GoStix are the newest product to help kids get their recommended daily intake of water.

They are individual servings of powdered drink mix that are made with 100% natural ingredients, and, they contain 50% less sugar than other leading kids drinks.

They are easy to open, and, mix quickly into 8 oz of water, and, come in 4 flavors: Wild Cherry, Triple Berry, Fruit Punch, and, Orange Citrus Punch. My kids' favorite was the Orange Citrus flavor.

They are available at many grocery stores, or, online.

Try some for camp, or, sports this summer!

PediaSure NutriPals are balanced nutrition snacks for kids.

They come in snack bar, and, drink formats. The bars have 5g protein, 3g fiber, and, 21 vitamins, and, minerals. The drinks have 7g protein, less than 18 g sugar, and, 22 vitamins and minerals.

I tried the S'mores Bar, and, it was good. Crunchy, not too sweet, but, enough like a treat to make kids excited. More information here.

They are available in most grocery and drug stores, and, would make a good take along snack, or, to stock in the diaper bag.

Check them out!

Self-Hypnosis Revolution by Forbes Robbins Blair shows you how to "re-program" your mind for success in sorts of areas from cooking, sports, and your job to driving, and, sleeping.

It's a method of self-suggestion, and, positive talk for everyday life situations, rather than the "trance" you see on TV.

No, you're not going to quack like a duck. Unless, well, that's one of your goals.

If you're wondering, the self-hypnosis revolution method is broken down in to four simple steps:

* Step 1: Select an ordinary activity. Anything from brushing your teeth to taking out the garbage or putting on makeup can be the perfect platform for Blair’s method.
* Step 2: Recognize basic associations of the activity. Consider what positive metaphorical associations the activity you have selected might have. For instance, taking a shower is a way to “cleanse” and “purify.”
* Step 3: Compose and commit to memory a beneficial self-suggestion. Simply choose the area of your life you would like to improve and compose a single positive statement tailored toward improving life in that targeted area.
* Step 4: Recite the formulated suggestion as you perform the activity. Either silently or out loud, repeat your self-suggestion up to three times as you complete whatever daily task you have selected.

I've heard Forbes Robbins Blair on the radio, and, he's an great speaker.

Very interesting reading, and, his ideas are ones that you can modify for yourself, and, use everyday experiences to improve your outlook, and, your life.

You've seen Oxi-Clean products on TV, and, I got some to try!

I received Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover, like it says, you can use on most anything, Oxi-Clean Spray Away, a small spray instant stain remover to carry with you, and, Oxi-Clean Laundry Stain Remover, that...wait for it...removes laundry stains.

The Oxi-Clean Spray Away is small enough to carry in your purse or diaper bag, and, it works instantly on many types of stains.

It did a good job on a coffee stain on my shirt, I was very impressed.

The Oxi-Clean Versatile Stain Remover tackles over 101 stains on multiple surfaces like carpet, upholstery, kitchen and bath surfaces and even works outdoors on gutters, unfinished decks, and patio furniture.

And it’s color safe and 100% chlorine-free!

I used it to work on some rust stains on the vinyl liner of the pool, and, it did great. Now, I have no idea if I was supposed to do that to the liner, so, I'm not telling you to do that. I just like to live on the edge.

The Oxi-Clean Laundry Stain Remover works on common stains such as grease, grass, and, dirt. It claims to even fight set-in stains, and, in my experience, it did a great job on some old under-arm shirt stains.

I really like all of them, you should get some, too!

Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace, is a delightful book of meditations by Denise Roy, author of My Monastery is a Minivan.

In the opening lines of the book, Roy is very clear that motherhood isn't always blissful, in fact it can be "incredibly frustrating"

Roy defines momfulness as "the spiritual practice of cultivating a mindful, compassionate, mothering presence". It's not a meditation that you schedule, it's practiced in the trenches of everyday life.

She describes six themes of momfulness: developing true presence, practicing embodiment, paying attention, cultivating deep compassion, recognizing the sacred in all things and understanding the value of community. Each meditation begins with a quote, and, includes a personal narrative, and, ends with ways to put the meditation into practice.

Though I am not a meditating type of person, there is a lot of inspiration to be found here, and, specifically, the topics of being on autopilot, and, the ideal v. the real, really spoke to me.

If had had been on the ball, I'd tell you that Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace would make a great Mother's Day gift, but, I guess you could always shop early for next year.

It would also make a good birthday gift, or, a gift for a new mother.

Remember the "letter"?

No, not an e-mail. It's what we used to do with a pen, and, paper, and, then we'd drive it to the mailbox.

For the Love of Letters: A 21st-Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing is a guide by professional letter writer Samara O'Shea to refresh your memory about this lost art, and, help you compose your thoughts for occasions such as a goodbye, an apology, or, recommendation.

I've used it for the difficult situation of having to write a sympathy note, and, found it very helpful.

There's also a section about love, and, erotic letters.

Now that I have your attention, I'm telling you, you should really keep For the Love of Letters: A 21st-Century Guide to the Art of Letter Writing on hand to help you compose your thoughts for lots of occasions.

Reading with Babies, Toddlers, and Two's is a fantastic book all about reading with young children.

It's short, and, easy to read with fabulous lists of books divided into sections such as interactive, nursery rhymes, TV and video tie-in books (yes, they went there, and know what? It's really OK.), love, and, milestones and challenges.

There's even lists of favorite books of real-life kids of all ages, from 3 months to two.

Reading with Babies, Toddlers, and Two's is a terrific resource, and, would make a great baby shower gift.

Writing Motherhood: Tapping Into Your Creativity as a Mother and a Writer provides inspiration for chronicling your experience of motherhood.

Lisa Garrigues artfully addresses a variety of topics, such as reasons to write, where you can write, and, learning to listen. Each chapter ends with an "invitation" to try it out rather than an assignment or exercise.

There's a lot of information, and, I think it's meant to be read as you go, rather than all at once.

Some of it is a little cheesy to me, but, I do recognize it a being nicely written. There is some great advice if you want to begin chronicling parenthood, and, don't know how or where to begin.

Once again, I suck, and, didn't write about this before Mother's Day, but, you can always shop early for next year, or, Writing Motherhood: Tapping Into Your Creativity as a Mother and a Writer would make a good baby shower gift for a creative mother to be.