ROCK ON! A game for kids about geology

When Colorado mom Melissa Weisner was faced with planning a birthday party for her geology-crazed 6 year-old son, she took nothing for granite (ba DUM bum).

It all crystallized for her when she began thinking about a game. She developed one and rolled it out at her son's party to great reviews from him and his friends, and now ROCK ON! is being shipped to kids everywhere via Amazon.

My kids got a chance to play (we received a sample in exchange for writing an honest review). They had never expressed interest in rocks before (unless we're talking about a Jonas Brothers movie) but they sat and played together nicely, trying to figure out how to pronounce words like "anhydrite" and "septarium."

Melissa says,"Since the birth of ROCK ON! my children’s fascination with the earth's elements has resulted in some amazing collections and their geology knowledge is equally amazing. But maybe most important of all, some of our best times together are now spent in nature looking for treasures the earth has to offer."

I intend to take the rock love outside the next time we're out trekking. In the meantime, ROCK ON! is a recommended introduction to geology for kids, sure to cement their interest in geology.

ROCK ON! on Facebook
ROCK ON! on Amazon (great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer)
ROCK ON! Etsy store
Video clip from Channel 's Colorado's Best.

Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort's Kids Culinary program

Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort in Avon, CO is unveiling its culinary program for kids and teen offerings this winter season. Tessa and Reed got to check it out this week.

Parents traveling with teens know how hard it is to find anything that grabs their interest, other than their phones and, just maybe, The Food Network. Which is why Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa and the culinary team from 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill are launching weekly, complimentary, tween/teen focused cooking classes inspiring our kids to trade texting for chopping.

Classes will include themes such as basic knife skills, gourmet pizza making, sushi rolling, cold weather “mocktails” and lessons on how to make barista style coffees at home.

More info: Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort.

Slow cooker cookbooks for families and kids with GIVEAWAY

GoodBooks.com asked me to try out two of their slow cooker cookbooks, and I have spent the last 6 weeks dutifully slaving in the kitchen.

Or not. After all, the reason I said I would review the cookbooks is because crock pot cooking is about the only kind I do during the cold months (and in the warm months Husband works the grill most nights).

Throw in a protein, some veggies, a few more ingredients and seasonings -- and here's the hard parts -- put on the lid and turn on the switch. Walk away for several hours. Soak up the compliments from your family members when they walk in the house and assume from the aroma that you've spent all day preparing to nourish them. Serve up a delicious meal that requires minimal cleanup. Bask in your heroism.

Like I said, slow cooking is my kind of cooking.

The first reviewed book is Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook ($19), but despite its title it's not just for Christmas. This book includes 600 recipes compiled by New York Times author Phyllis Pellman Good. So far I've tried the following, with not a loser in the bunch (according to the 4 palates in my home):

• Pulled Pork BBQ (20 min prep)
• Basil Chicken (15 min prep)
• Southwestern Bean Soup wtih Cornmeal Dumplings (20 min prep)
• Pineapple Glazed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes (30 min prep)
• Turkey Breasts, Acorn Squash and Apples (35 min prep)
• Salsa Beef (15 min prep)
• Creamy Chicken Italian (15 min prep, in the crock pot as I write)

This cookbook offers more than just main dishes. Included also are recipes for appetizers (Snack Mix, for example), brunch (Boston Brown Bread), vegetables (Orange-Glazed Carrots),  beverages (Pomegranate Punch), and desserts (Pineapple Upside Down Cake). And this:

Christmas Smells

4 C water

rind of a lemon

rind of an orange

1 oz box of whole cloves

1 oz box cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1. Pour water into 2 qt slow cooker so it's half to 2/3 full.
2. Add all other ingredients. Stir well.
3. Cover. Turn cooker to High until mixture boils.
4. Remove lid. Reduce heat to Low. Let mixture simmer and fill your home with good smells. Add water as needed. (Do not leave unattended.)

This cookbook is a keeper, though I do wish it were bound in a way that it would stay open. (Update: it does come in a ring-bound edition -- woot!)

Fix-It and Forget-It Kids' Cookbook, ($20) on the other hand, is ring-bound (yay!) and has 50 easy recipes for kids to make using a slow cooker. Some that Tessa and Reed tackled with me:

• Sweet-Baked Oatmeal (10 min prep)
• Chunky Chili (15 min prep)
• Super Bowl Dip (15 min prep)
• Mac and Cheese (5 min prep)
• Gooey Chocolate Pudding Cake (15 min prep)

All were simple enough for school-age kids, who get exposure to measuring, fractions, cooking technique, project management, and lots of Velveeta.

GIVEAWAY: GoodBooks.com is giving away one of these slow cooker cookbooks to a commenter. Leave a comment below by December 22 and random.org will pick a winner. The comment must indicate which of the two books you'd most like to have, and should include your email address in case you win. You can get extra entries with a tweet, a Facebook status update, or a blog post that links to this post.

***WINNER***

Random.org spit out #12, so Alison, you win the Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook. EMail me your mailing info within a week (Lori at WriteMindOpenHeart dot com). Congrats, and don't forget to invite me over for dinner!

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Sports Illustrated for Kids presents All Access with GIVEAWAY

Two copies of Sports Illustrated for Kids All Access came in the mail. One for Reed and another for one of you.

Reed and his daddy went NUTS looking at behind-the-scenes photos and reading behind-the-scenes reports about the places, players and stories in sports. (Tessa and I peeked over their shoulders once or twice, but were not quite as gripped by seeing behind the Green Monster or how Staples Center is switched from a hockey rink to a basketball court in 4 hours).

From a press release:

(Fall, 2010), New York, NY – The editors of Sports Illustrated Kids present Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access (Sports Illustrated Kids; October 26, 2010; $19.95), your pass to behind-the-scenes photos of athletes, locker rooms and more.

Most fans experience sports from afar, but Sports Illustrated Kids gives you an All Access pass to the world of sports. In All Access, readers can unveil details by lifting up clear layers of acetate and go places they haven’t been. With over 50 photos, the 48-page hardcover book offers readers an up-close look at the coolest items, people and places in sports.

Divided into three sections, Athletes, Places and Gear, All Access gets up-close and personal with your favorite athletes, gives you an all-access tour to the best places in sports, and offers readers an inside look into the cool gear that helps athletes do their jobs.  

All Access reveals:

• High Five! How does your hand measure up to Shaquille O'Neal’s?
• From creepy crawlers to furry rascals, which sports stars have some of the most exotic pet friends?
• Food for thought. Take a look at the food inside Grant Hill’s refrigerator.
• What’s behind the doors of an NFL locker room?
• Get an insider view of the New York Mets’ first-class facilities.
• From face-off to tip-off, an inside look at the Staples Center’s speedy changeover.
• What lies within Fenway Park’s Green Monster?
• What does the inside of a baseball look like?
• And much more!

“Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access, allows sports fans of all ages to go behind-the-scenes and get an all-access insider view of the world of sports” says Bob Der, Managing Editor, Sports Illustrated Kids. “Sports fans of all ages can comb through the book together, exploring the world of sports in a vivid, hands-on and fun way that makes it come to life.”   

Packed with exciting photos from Sports Illustrated and fascinating trivia, this hands-on book is guaranteed to entertain sports fans of all ages.

***

The book is currently $13.57 at Amazon.

I've got a copy to give away and I'll ship to a US address. Please leave a comment below telling me which of these revelations appeals to you most. Entries will be taken through November 9. Make sure I have your email address in the event random.org selects your number.

Uh, go Broncos?

Juli, you win -- congratulations!

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I "Can't Wait" to enjoy this review. You "Can't Wait" to win your own.

My husband is cynical. He is a half-empty / devil's advocate kind of guy. Any product he views might be acceptable, "but it would be so much better IF ..."  It is a rare occasion when a package arrives and he loves everything about a product.

But "totally cool" happened when Gino pulled Can't Wait Cards out of the mailbox. He may be a bit of a pessimist, but Gino is also a kid-at-heart. This is why, when it comes to products for kids, his opinion matters.

Kids love birthdays.

My son knew the month, day, and year of his birthday long before he figured out that my first name wasn't "Mom." All through the year he knows precisely how many months it is until his birthday. Since his birthday is at the end of the month, he gets to celebrate his birthday aaaaalllllll month long. Every day it is a countdown. Did I mention he's FIVE?

"Five-and-three-quarters," he would correct me. And if you know any kids who are between the ages of 4 and 12, the "and-a-half" part of their age is directly connected to their identity, much like the countdown that occurs days, weeks, and sometimes months before a child's birthday.

Birthdays rock. They are awesome.

And for kids, birthdays make the rest of the year worth the trouble.

Can't Wait Cards ($7-$15) are a fresh way to let the children in your life know that they are important to you, especially those who don't live in the same area as you. And that you think about them so much more often than on their actual birthday. Each set of Can't Wait Cards comes with one card for each year of the child's life. Not only do they receive a card from you for their birthday, they get an additional card for each year of his or her life, each leading up to "the big event."

For example, for his sixth birthday, my son will get six cards (a seven year old gets seven cards. A twelve year old gets twelve cards). The cards can be sent once a week for six weeks, or once a day for six days. If you are anything like me, they will be sent in order but the days they are mailed will be completely random, based on when I remember, or when I find a stamp, or when I make it to the nearest mailbox. No matter when they are sent, they are received with excitement, joy and pure childhood exhilaration.

The cards can be supplemented by a super-fun gift pack ($3) which contains all the perfect things children love: stickers, coloring books, notepads, bookmarks, etc. Like each set of cards, gift packs are age and gender specific.

"I created the cards for my niece’s 10th birthday. She lives over 100 miles away. Francesca is my God-daughter and I wanted to do something special for her," said Kevin Reilly, creator of Can't Wait Cards. "The cards are best suited for aunts, uncles and grandparents, especially those that live a long distance away."

I gave my son's cards to his Aunt Sheri and her family, who live four hours away. They will send the cards, stuffed with gifts from the gift pack, to Dominic during the weeks before his next birthday. I "can't wait" to make daily treks to the mailbox with him, awaiting the exciting new card.

The people at Can't Wait Cards have something going for them. They think like kids. And that is why kids will love receiving these cards. And when you send them, you will be the one who gets to make that kid feel special.

GIVEAWAY!
One lucky person who comments on this post will receive 2 sets of cards, complete with 2 gift packs. In your comment, include the best way you have ever celebrated a birthday, along with the age and gender of two people to whom you would like to send Can't Wait Cards. The contest runs through October 20.

The winner will be selected via random drawing and will notified by e-mail. After the close of the contest, the winner will have 48 hours to get back to me (if I am unable to reach you); otherwise a new winner will be selected.

I "Can't Wait" to see who wins!

  ***

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Want to Make Back to School (or Work) Easier? EasyLunchBoxes do the Trick (with GIVEAWAY)

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

-- Havelock Ellis

Isn't back-to-school the perfect time for these wise words?

Like many of you, this week I send my son to his first week of school. On Back-to-School night, his teacher advised us to send with our children healthy foods that are quick and easy to eat so that the kids have plenty of time for recess. (As if I didn't have enough to worry about with school supplies, dress codes and fighting back my tears of my baby growing too fast!)

But all summer I've been sending my husband off to work. Ever since we won the Body-for-LIFE Challenge (in 2000, 2nd runner-up in the couples division), Gino has known the importance of having healthy food with him at all times. Gino eats equal portions of protein and carbohydrates, about every 3 hours.


Gino is not organized. He is the kind who will pivot on one foot for 15 seconds before realizing the thing he is looking for is upstairs. While he has a defined spot for his phone, wallet and keys, 1 out of 3 of these items is missing at any given time. ("Tami? Do you know where I put my keys?") For Gino, packing meals, especially in the morning, has to be easy, or it's not going to happen.

Enter EasyLunchBoxes.com. EasyLunchBoxes are perfectly-sized for lunches on-the-go, both for grown-ups and for kids:

• I can tuck salad in the big compartment, dressing and steak (or chicken) into the smaller compartments.
• A sandwich fits nicely in the big compartment, baby carrots and a nuts or a bite-sized snickers fit in the smaller compartments.
• Leftovers are perfect for EasyLunchBoxes. Chicken breast, including sauce, in the big compartment, a roll or rice in one small compartment, and veggies in other.

In exchange for our honest review we were given a set of four containers with different colored lids ($14), and a cooler bag ($8). The cooler bag did a good job at keeping the containers upright. This seems to be important because the lids don't seem to seal as tightly as I'd expect. I never had any accidents, and the lids seem snug. But I don't hear that familiar "snap" I hear with other plastic containers. I place a small, flat ice pack in the bag under the food so it stays cool all day.

I love that EasyLunchBoxes are dishwasher and microwave safe. Everything that wants to survive in my kitchen must also survive both of these climates or it's outta here.

Speaking of microwave, since there are three compartments, it helps if all of your food requires the same amount of heat before eating. However, since this rarely happens, I use the individually-packaged snacks that can easily be pulled out and munched on while the main course is being heated up. Sometimes I place croûtons, nuts, grapes, crackers, etc. in a small plastic bag. Since kids don't heat up their lunches, this isn't as important as it is for adults who do.

The packaging touts that "EasyLunchBoxes are made of non toxic, food safe polypropylene (PP). BPA, PVC & phthalate free." I know just enough to know that this is important, and that a few of you might gasp that I don't care more. I just say "Good to know," and give myself points for serving my family lunch in a manner that is smart, safe and healthy.

EasyLunchBoxes lives up to its claim of making it just a bit easier to enjoy healthy food while you, or your kids, are on the go. They make school lunch preparation just a bit easier for parents sending their kids off to school. And for grown-ups, it beats the heck out of the "super-sized foods from drive-thru windows" habit!

~~~

EasyLunchBoxes.com will give away a EasyLunchBox system to a randomly chosen winner. To enter, leave a comment below indicating which color cooler you would choose. To be considered, leave your comment by 11:59 pm (MDT) on September 1, 2010, and make sure we can get to your email address easily. US and Canada only, please.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
AND THE WINNER IS...
Random.org selected our winner, #4 -- Andrea Grace! Congratulations, Andrea. Your EasyLunchBox system will come directly from the company.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Games2U: Way to party!

In this post I impersonate a rodent (doesn't that sound oxymoronic?).

The hamsterization of me came as part of trying out a really cool game concept, along with 35 of my friends, young and old.

A company called Games2U, which is franchised in 26 states throughout the US, has recently established a presence in my city. Adriana, the owner of the Denver franchise, contacted me to offer a sample party.

What's the concept? A huge game van comes to your home or a nearby park and sets up a game (or 2 or 3) to entertain you and your guests. You choose from a long list of games, some done inside the van (Xbox), some done along side the van (3 screens of Wii set up in a mobile theater), and many, many done outside.

We eschewed Booger Wars and U*Bot, we decided against the Foam Machine and the Toss & Fly. Instead, we chose the Giant Hamster Ball and Laser Tag. Check out this video montage of the day, which includes a clip of my co-reviewer Tami. You can see that both kids and grownups got into the Giant Hamster Ball, and that Laser Tag was a hit, as well. At the end is a tour of the van.


To top off the day, Games2U attendants shot the Candy Cannon. Click over and listen to the squeals. Do you think my status with my kids' friends shot up as a result?

Party packages start at $199, comparable to what you might spend at Chuck E Cheese or other kiddie places. But Games2U is also good for adults -- team building, office parties and neighborhood parties, for example. Being mobile, Games2U would also be good for a school's field day or a scouting event. These were some of the ideas my guests came up with.

At the end of the allotted time (2 hours), I was sad to see the van leave my driveway. I wanted to roll around in that Giant Hamster Ball just one more time. Yeah, me and every other person at the party.

Thumbs up from me and all my guests!

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Toys that don't do the playing for your kids

He's been playing in his room an hour now. Independently, creatively, happily. Every once in awhile I'll hear a soft "zhooooooom!" or a "screeeech!" or a "Watch out over there!" Each interjection is an indication of how lost Reed is in an imaginative world he's constructed.

From a box of Androidz from Androidz Planet.


First, let me explain how an Androidz came to be in our possession. I was invited to lunch with a few other local mommybloggers by Christopher Byrne (Twitter= TheToyGuy), an editor at TimeToPlayMag.com. Besides lunch and a fun conversation about blogging and reviewing and toys, Chris supplied us each with an Androidz kit to try out.

Reed was overjoyed to help me test this product. As it turned out, I got a lot out of it, too.

First off was the bonding. Reed and I read the directions together -- me showing him the words and him matching the meaning to the accompanying drawings. It took us about 20 minutes to put this Androidz scene together. It wasn't difficult -- just intricate. Later that night, after playing and after dinner and tooth-brushing, Reed told me that the highlight his day was figuring out the assembly together. It was for me, too.

Next came his play with his 5 year-old cousin, Tami's son, Dominic. The two of them moved Androidz up and over and around and down the structure with all sorts of scenarios they developed.

The last benefit is the ongoing solo play Reed does with his Androidz kit. As evidenced by both the silence and the intermittent exclamation points that come out of his room.

The Androidz kit was missing a few pieces, as was Dominic's. But the kits both worked well enough anyway. I would say that my 7 year-old enjoyed it more than my co-reviewer's 5 year-old, but that could be a function of personality and interest rather than of age.

I would love to tell you where to get your own Androidz and how much a kit costs, but I can't find that information. Androidz were launched last month and were reported to be available at WalMart. However, I can find no trace of Androidz on that retailer's site.

In any case, Reed likes the toy, and I like Chris Byrne. I will refer to TimeToPlayMag.com and TheToyGuy.com when I need the low-down on toys.

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The Baby Stuff I Can't Live Without

As a new mama of a 7-week old little boy, I have a whole lotta stuff. There's all the stuff I THOUGHT I'd need, and then there's all the stuff I've ACTUALLY needed. While I'm still new to this whole parenthood thing, and I'm sure there's a bunch more stuff I'll end up needing later on, here's the lowdown on the 6 items I could NOT have survived without. Yes, there are a few other things that rocked my world and were useful too, but these 6? They're the ones that really REALLY mattered this last 7 weeks.

1. Pampers Swaddlers (size "N" for newborn). If you're going with disposable diapers, these diapers rock. I don't know much about diapers other than if they fit my kid, and if they keep the poo contained, but these diapers have been awesome for both purposes. They also have a very cool little yellow stripe that turns blue if the diaper's been peed in - so us newbie moms know when to actually change his butt.
2. Lansinoh Cream. While this kid has been really REALLY good to me in how he latches and feeds, and has not yet ruined my poor nipples, all that activity has done a number on them anyway. They're not cracked but they have gotten dry sometimes, and I really think my consistent use of THIS cream has been part of ensuring they're not ruined. This stuff is really easy to use, not too greasy, spreads well, and will save your newly-busy nipples.
3. Diaper Genie Elite II. If you live in a condo and have a baby, you NEED the Diaper Genie. While yea, it SEEMS like it's just a bucket to put diapers in, it's not. It's a MAGIC bucket that tucks the smelly shitty diapers away through a magic slot, so you'll never EVER have a condo that smells like smelly shitty diapers. I totally love this thing. Even if it does fill up fast...
4. Bjorn Active Baby Carrier. Born 6lbs 4oz, my boy was little, so plunking him in a great big stroller just wasn't something I wanted to do - I wanted him close to me, so I could keep an eye on him, and share my body warmth with him. And the Bjorn? It's been TOTALLY awesome for this. Not only is it super easy to put on and off, but it's easily adjustable for both your size and your child's - meaning if you want to share the carrier amongst family, it's easy to adjust on the fly. It's also easy to adjust as your kiddo grows - even WHILE he's on you / in it. We got the "active" version for the extra back support, which SO FAR at 10.5lbs now, has been great.
5. Medela Swing Pump. If you're breastfeeding exclusively, and you want the freedom to get your hair cut or go for a run, you're going to HAVE to pump. And this pump, works great. Unfortunately it makes some noises I'm not so fond of (I read most pumps do), but it's so easy to use I can have the PUMP on one boob, and my boy on the other, so any noises it does make are forgiven for keeping pumping as simple as possible.
6. And last but not least, the First Years Safe & Secure Sleeper. While co-sleeping was not really my thing, I've used this sleeper TONS over the last 7 weeks - but for other purposes. First, we used it as a place to put our boy down in the living room when he was tired - we didn't want him "put away" in his room, and he didn't like the playpen, so we opted for this because it was smaller and cozier, and he took to it IMMEDIATELY. Second, we used it as a travel piece for going to friends' houses, and a trip to Whistler. It folds in half into what could be compared to a large purse or briefcase-sized package - which made it super easy to haul around (preferrable to the unwieldy playpen, which just now, at 10.5lbs, we're having to switch to).

Anything you'd give two thumbs up to? That you couldn't have lived without as a new mom?

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I Wanna Play Inside the Cardboard Box

When it comes to having a kid, there are some things I think every parent fears. Definitely, there's all those awful things I shall not mention as I don't like my mind to even GO to those places, but there's also those PETTY things, those WEIRD things, those things you swore UP and DOWN you'd never do when YOU had a kid, yet you know you probably WILL end up doing them anyway - it's just much more fun to live in denial and pretend YOU'LL be the exception to the rule...

One of those WEIRD things *I* personally fear, is having to listen to music that makes me want to pull my hair out - music that's the equivalent of fingernails on a chalkboard. And while yes, I DO understand that there will be times when the battle's not worth fighting, and listening to some CRAP will be a whole HELL of a lot easier than fighting to NOT listen to some crap, I also understand that if I'm going to listen to some of this on REPEAT for the next FIVE years or so, it'd be a real freakin' BONUS if it was something *I* liked too.

Enter, Mr. Whit - parent-friendly kids music.

A couple weeks ago, Mark Whittaker and Nick Stephens sent me a CD, asking if on the basis of receiving a free copy of their CD, I'd review it here on All Thumbs. I agreed, but got greedy and asked for 2 extra copies to give away in the review:-).

So in the midst of the donkey shift, and this whole ADJUSTMENT period the husband and I are going through with our 2 and a half week old little boy, we gave the CD a go. And I have to say, it's pretty fun stuff! Admittedly, it isn't music I'd buy if I didn't have a kid - meaning it's not the kind of music you have on as background music while your adult friends are over for dinner or drinks - but it IS fun stuff to have on if you DO have children.

The music is happy, it's laid-back, and it's got kid-safe lyrics that you DON'T have to worry your child will repeat in front of grandma and have her jaw drop to the floor. And to make it a bit more fun for the parents? Some of the lyrics are even kinda cheeky with phrases like "I wanna play inside the cardboard box" - a song about a birthday party where all the kid wants it to play with the cardboard box... instead of all the cool gifts.

But if you're looking for something with a bit more feeling to it? The husband's and my favorite was definitely Homework Blues - a bluesy song that had the husband already looking forward to the days when Dayton wants nothing to do with his homework, and dad can commiserate with him over how much homework really DOES suck.

So if you're looking for something a little different to put on, or an idea for a great stocking stuffer, Mr. Whit gets two definite thumbs up from me. Through their website, the CD is available for $9, or single songs can be downloaded for $0.99.

Or... for 2 lucky winners, you could receive a copy free! Leave a comment between now and Sunday December 20th noting who the two songwriters are (hint: I wrote it above AND it's on their website), and using random.org I'll draw and announce 2 lucky winners!

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The Keen Grobag Egg

One of the things I think I'm most afraid of in these first few months I'm going to have an infant at home, is SIDS. And while I know this is just the first of many MANY worries I'm going to have over the next 18+ years with this kid, SIDS is the immediate worry - the worry I won't let CONSUME me, but the worry that is definitely THERE, in the back of my mind, creeping in every so often.

And so looking into things I can do that will give me some peace of mind without going over the top in paranoia, I found the Keen Distribution Grobag Egg - a cool-looking light-up thermometer that tells you if the room your baby is in is too warm (one of the risks for SIDS).

The egg itself is super easy to use in that you just take it out of the box, plug it in, and watch it light up and find the room temperature. It's also made even EASIER to use in that it glows yellow if the room is in the safe/recommended range, blue if it's too cold, orange if it's too warm, and red if it's REALLY too warm.

The problem however is no matter what you do with the egg - or at least no matter what *I* did with MY egg - the temperature reading was three to four degrees [celcius] off the ACTUAL temperature of the room. In Tiny B's room, the egg indicated it was 20 degrees while my thermometer said it was 17. In our bedroom (which we keep really cold, and was another reason we thought this egg might help, so we'd know to warm it up for the first few months while he was in our room) the egg indicated it was 19 degrees while my thermometer said it was 15.5. And in our living room, the egg rang in at 21 degrees while my thermometer read 17.

And what really REALLY sucks, is that I should have read more online reviews before buying the Grobag Egg, because while it gets a lot of good reviews from happy customers, I now can see that that those PARTICULAR customers weren't measuring its accuracy - they were measuring how cute it is, how easy it is to use, how the glow is like a nightlight. Because when you dig further into all the unhappy reviews, almost EVERY SINGLE ONE of them says the same thing I found - that it's off. Consistently off by 3-4.5 degrees.

And maybe if the egg was $20, I'd think, "meh, I'll keep it anyway" because it IS cute and the nightlight aspect IS helpful, and if I know it's 3-4 degrees off I can always just do QUICK MATH when I see it to know if we're in the safe range or not. But the egg WASN'T $20 - it was $50, and for a product that claims it's ALL ABOUT creating a "safe sleeping environment for your baby", it damn well BETTER be accurate. Particularly for $50.

So in my attempt at buying a little peace of mind - at buying what I thought was a little added safety - what I found was a real disappointment. So much so that I returned it. Two big thumbs down.

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A Croc Cornucopia

I liked Crocs even in the early days when they were, well, ooogly. I bought two pairs, a navy and an orange, and switched their straps. I then had tribute shoes to the Denver Broncos. I love 'em and still wear 'em on game day.

Since then, Crocs styles have become more numerous and stylish. My family received 5 pairs of Crocs (value $175) from the very generous @GeorgeGSmithJr to take for test drives. So here's the scoop.

Tessa tried the Gabby ($25). She loves the pink-ness (although they come in other colors) and the decorative butterfly. She finds them comfortable to wear and durable enough for riding her bike or scooter.

Reed gave the Electro ($30) and Trailbreak ($40) a whirl. He liked them both equally. I liked the rugged look of the Trailbreak. Both were terrific at keeping the boy-feet smell at bay (not that I sniffed too closely).
As for me, I am SWOONing over my new favorite shoes, the Malindi ($30) in a leopard print. They are as easy to slip on as flip-flops are, they can be both casual and dressy, and they are sooooo comfortable. I love the way they look, with peekaboo toe-cleavage.
The only non-rave in the bunch is for the Cabana ($46 -- currently BOGO). It's stylish, this black flip-flop wedge with a 3 inch heel and magenta detailing. But the thong that goes from the toe to the sides of the foot has the seam on the underside. This means chafing. Which meant, for me, blisters. I can wear these only if I'm not going to be walking around much.
Overall, a great haul.

Check out other styles for yourself. My friend, JoAnn, wore the 3-inch Cyprus ($50) to Cirque du Soleil, and was the envy of the other Mile High Mamas.

And I'm drooling over the Crema ($100), which would put me over the 6-foot mark.

See the new Fall styles and decide which ones are your favorite Crocs, and also see what's on clearance. To save even more, visit RetailMeNot.com first for Crocs coupons.

Finally, subscribe to George at the Crocs blog for current news on the world of Crocs. (And I do mean "world." Crocs is notorious for donating shoes -- like 15,000 pairs in one case --  to people around the world who need them..)

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The Wishpot Roundup

It's been awhile since we did a roundup, so I thought it was about time to PILE up a bunch of gift-giving ideas, and give you a quick little snippet on why *I* think they're great gifts. Whether you're already thinking about Christmas (ugh!), or you're still stuck on Halloween costumes, the pile's explained below. It's also neatly piled up (with a few extras NOT mentioned here) over at Wishpot where I'm now lucky enough to be featured as a Mom Expert, and will be regularly adding MORE ideas for gift-giving!

1. Plush Robes from Restoration Hardware. Yea, you'd probably think they're ridiculously priced just because they're from RH, but at $80, they're similar in price to most other robes I'd buy - but THESE robes? They're the softest robes I've ever ever EVER had the pleasure of wearing.
2. The Nike+iPod system. If you're a runner, or you KNOW a runner, you or they MUST own this device. For an appealing price of $30-50 (depending where you look), it has changed my running for the better, it's given me knowledge I didn't have about my speed and distance, and it helps me create and manage my running goals.
3. Hardy's Whiskers Blake Port. If you're into port, but NOT into spending the money port usually costs, this port's a ton of fun at an affordable price of roughly $15-20.
4. The Thudguard. If you've got a toddler, and you really really REALLY want to laugh, you MUST buy them a Thudguard. While yea, this thing is SUPPOSED to be meant for safety, and I, as a soon-to-be-parent should probably take that safety thing much more seriously, for $40, I'd buy this thing just to laugh my ass off on a regular basis.
5. Personalized Christmas Stamp. For a lot of people, Christmas means sending out a lot of cards. For SOME people, it means putting extra special CARE and ATTENTION into making their cards AND gifts, into something to BEHOLD - cuz they're so damned beautiful just wrapped up! If you've got someone like that in your life, I think they'd love their own personalized Christmas stamp. And for about $25, YOU could be the one to give it to them.

Wanna know where to purchase any, all, or even some other ideas I'd suggest? Check it out over at Wishpot.

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Practical Parenting Books

As a knocked up chick who doesn't know SHIT about babies, I figured as I'm only a few months away from HAVING a baby, I should probably learn some basics about them. You know, things like how much they eat, what to do if they're colicky (what the hell colic even IS!), when they move to solids, and all that kind of stuff that I truthfully have NO FREAKING CLUE about.

The problem though, has been finding relevant CANADIAN information (ie. noting things I could actually buy, or medicines actually found here) that's written in a format I won't grow immediately BORED of.

Because on my quest for said book, standing in many MANY bookstores, I found a whole LOTTA books. But these books? Well they all just prattle on and on and ON with advice, and the advice is one, WAY too damn long for anyone sane to maintain an interest in, and two, it's not written in layman's terms someone like me actually relates to.

And then I found THIS book - The Canadian Paediatric Society Guide to Caring For Your Child from Birth to Age Five (American version noted below). Now yes, the title IS a mouthful, but this book - well it's amazing. And even better, it's only $20. And yes, I will say you could probably find similar information on the internet, but I have this THING in my gut that says there's going to be times where I'm SO insanely frustrated already, and adding Google searches with a MILLION results to my woes just does not seem like something that'll help at that time. So I'm hoping that a handy-dandy well-focused book will be exactly what saves my day - AND my sanity.

The book first, is broken down by age. It of course starts with birth (and covers a LOT on the first 6 months), and works it's way up to 1 year olds, and 2 year olds, and further. Second, it breaks the sections down into petite little paragraphs that talk about practical things you can try to resolve issues you're having, to answer questions you have no clue about, and to just address the every day things that are going to come up like how many diapers you should expect at birth versus 6 weeks versus 1 year. Third, and one of my FAVORITE things about this book, is it does NOT default to "medicate this" or "medicate that" - they instead guide you through how to try without medicine, then with. And to address that little ringing in your brain about whether or not you should go to the doctor? Well, they have sections on the side of some pages that say "make a note for your next doctor's appointment if..." and "go immediately to the doctor if...".

Easy to read, and easy to use, this book gets a RAVING two thumbs up from me.

And for those looking for an American version of this book, I came across this - Caring for Your Baby and Child from Birth to Age Five. I can't unfortunately recommend it as I haven't read it, but it had 120 5 star reviews on Amazon which to me says, it's not shoddy.

I'd love to hear back though from those with other books they love or loved? Anything else I should be reading?

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Send your kids back to school with PakNaks

Next week, Tessa and Reed will head off to school with some new friends on their backpacks.
Reed chose Ralph the dog, Earth, the planet, and Tabby the penguin.

Tessa chose Damsel the dragonfly, Squishes, the dolphins, and Minty the pair of hearts.

(Upfront disclaimer: we received these 6 PakNaks (value $24) for porpoises of sharing our honest opinions.)

What exactly are PakNaks? From the PakNak site:

PakNaks are fun soft rubbery 3-D decorations for kids (and adults too!) to personalize all of their stuff. Backpacks, lunchbags, headbands, computer bags, household items, the list is only limited by your imagination.

Each PakNak comes with one of 40 plus designs and customized velcro® that makes them interchangeable, weather resistant and quickly and easily adhered to your surface.

The mom view:



The kid view:


Tessa says, "If I get tired of them one way, I can change them to another way. Besides, they are so cute!"

Reed says, "I like them because you can switch them all over the place! They are cool and so colorful! Whoever invented this is a really good inventor because he made a really good idea of what to do, so THANKS!"

(I swear, this is exactly what he said, and he really does speak in exclamation points!!)

The inventors are two moms in Portland, OR who run their business with a sense of social responsibility.

I give PakNaks thumbs up as well. They seem very sturdy, are amusingly whimsical, and my children have so far been unable to destroy them.

PakNaks is holding a Back-to-School special. Head over and look at the 39 designs and make your selections. At checkout, enter code PAK20 and they'll knock 20% off your order.

I only wish they'd invented PakNaks back when I was sewing all those badges onto my Girl Scout sash.

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Moms of Daughters: You Need This Book

• No Barbie dolls -- check.
• No disparaging of my own body -- check.
• Frequent reminders that what's inside matter more than what's outside -- check.
• Daughter without self-esteem issues -- out of checks.

I naively thought, when Tessa was an infant, that doing these checked items would go a long way to helping her develop healthy self-esteem. After all, she would have her own obvious inner light and beauty, as well as the benefit of my nearly 4 decades of working out my own issues wisdom to help her short-circuit the problems that can exist on a young girl's path.

Hah! Now that I'm parenting an 8 year-old, a complex being with layers and layers of known and unknown facets, I can see that raising a daughter with healthy self-esteem is going to require a lot more than I thought it would.

A new tool suited for this challenge was thrown across our paths recently. I was drawn, almost like a magnet, to a non-chocolate booth at the recent Chocolate Festival (imagine that: a room full of free chocolate and we wander off to a booth with no edibles).

We walked by a pink-and-purple themed booth where some face-painting was taking place. While Tessa got hearts and stars on her cheeks and Reed got sword-bearing snakes (don't ask), I chatted with the radiant, statuesque woman who was responsible for the booth.

She told me she had authored a book, a work she was guided to write, to help girls age 7-14 to recognize and appreciate their own inner beauty.

The woman's name is Debra Gano (with her daughter, Elle, in the photo), a Colorado-based author and mother who is a former actress/model (and strikingly beautiful, not surprisingly), someone who made a nice living on her looks. She is qualified to tell what that does to a person's inner value.

Disclosure: Debra gave me a complimentary copy of the first in the HeartLight Girls series called Beauty's Secret ($12 through Amazon and $18 on Debra's website). Beauty is a loved and loving daughter who has a brother and a good friend. Her life is full of joy and harmony, and one day she is discovered by a modeling scout, who invites Beauty and her friend to enter a pageant.

Beauty's measure of her worth thus moves from inside herself to outside herself. In lush paintings that drew Tessa in and with with a storyline that appealed to her, we learn of Beauty's departure from Innocence, to the meanness of Narcissism and the return to herSelf, wiser than before.

Debra's book has several high-profile cheerleaders: Marianne Williamson (A Return to Love), Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul), Neale Donald Walsch (Conversations with God) and Dom Testa (Denver radio personality) among them. In addition, Beauty's Secret recently won the Coalition of Visionary Resources Award for Best Childrens' Book of the Year in 2008.

But how did it play out for Tessa?

It took us a week to read Beauty's Secret at one chapter a night. The message in Beauty's story is an important one, one that if absorbed will help a pre-teen understand what true beauty is, where it is housed, and how to let it shine even amid outer judgment.

Beauty's Secret also has given Tessa and me a new vocabulary with each other for noticing when our heartlights are obscured, and a shortcut for reminding each other to shine our inner beauty. When Tessa veers toward the edge of meanness (which tends to occurs when she's not feeling self-love), I now put my hand on my heart, reminding her to go inside and find her inner light. While I don't expect the awareness of her heartlight to be a cure-all, this cue and its connection to Beauty's story has actually worked several times.

Tessa and I are eager for part 2 in the series and beyond. We give four thumbs up.

What do you think are the most important elements in raising children -- especially daughters -- with healthy self-esteem?

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