Rasied By Wolves, Or Just A Very Busy Mom

When I heard the premise of the new book, Were You Raised by Wolves?: Clues to the Mysteries of Adulthood, I knew it was something I had to read. Basically, author Christie Mellor gives practical advice on surviving young adulthood that some of us may not have received (or at least didn't pay attention to) when we were younger.

What modern mysteries am I talking about? Much of it is basic advice - things like how to make your bed, wash dishes by hand, and set up a budget. Simple, everyday living tips that we probably all should be following, but most of us aren't.

But a surprising portion of the book digs far deeper into topics we should have been educated about: how to act in social situations even if you're bored, how to properly throw a party, how to be a good worker at your first job, etc. In other words, basic etiquette.

As Mellor writes, "By making the people around you comfortable, and therefore forgetting about yourself for a few minutes, you are actually helping society run more smoothly and in a much more enjoyable manner." I wish I could force a large chunk of society to read these sections, as I slowly see basic etiquette slipping away more and more each day. I love her rant about turning off your cell phones once in a while - do we all really need to be that connected? Her guidance on how to be a good listener is also priceless information that even I need to be reminded of now and again.

OK, at this point I have to make a confession: I learned a surprising amount of information even from the basics mentioned in this book. I consider myself a domestic zero. My mom was a single mom, so she didn't have time to teach me all of her wisdom when I was younger. My house is a disaster, I'm a lousy cook, and until reading this book, I didn't know that a martini was made with gin. I could have sworn it was only made with vodka. While the intended audience are young adults on their own for the first time, I realized that at 31 I still needed this advice and knowledge.

Mellor also proves to have a little bit of Martha in her (sorry, Christie, if Martha offends you!) when it comes to ingenious uses for everyday products. Who knew baking soda kills fleas, relieves itchy skin, and can unclog a kitchen sink? And I never would have guessed that mayonnaise could bring back the shine in hardwood furniture.

Near the end of the book is a series of quotes under the title If only I had known: Things I wish I'd understood before I hit thirty. I enjoyed reading all of these, nodding my head with them and wishing I had understood some of them before I was 30. I especially liked the first one: "Sunscreen and cocktails: one I should have used more, the other less." So true.

This book is a quick read, and Mellor's sometimes chaotic writing style - jumping from one topic to the next, rapid-fire - is actually easy to follow and resembles having a conversation with a wise friend. Even if you think you've mastered adulthood, this book could prove you still have a few things to learn.

I'd like to thank Parent Bloggers for giving me the chance to check out Were You Raised By Wolves? You can read more reviews by visiting the PBN campaign launch page.

Win A SanDisk Cruzer Gator Flash Drive!

Every time I visit with my mother, she asks me if I have any new pictures of the girls for her. And me being the forgetful person I am, has to answer no because I didn't take the time to print any of them off. My mom is OK with computers, but not so good with the internet, so telling her about my Flickr account doesn't help much.

But I was recently contacted by SanDisk about their new Cruzer Gator flash drives, and I immediately thought: I'll keep all my photos on a flash drive, and then I can upload them to my mom's computer each time I stop by. Brilliant! The flash drive also serves as an additional backup for my pics, in case my laptop's hard drive should ever decide to spontaneously erase itself.

How does this apply to you, you may ask? Well, you can have one too! SanDisk has given me five of these little beauties to pass along to you. The black and red ones hold 4GB of data, while the pink one is the 2GB model.

How to enter: Leave a comment on this post, telling me what was the best/worst Mother's Day gift that you've received or given. Was it an inappropriate piece of lingerie from your mother-in-law that made you cringe? Or maybe a breakfast of soggy cereal prepared by an eager-to-please five year old that melted your heart?

The contest will close Friday, May 2 at 11:59PM Eastern. Five winners will then be selected (using Random.org) - please make sure you leave your e-mail address with your comment so I can contact you.

Good luck!

Working Through Transitions With Skill-Building Buddies

In my previous post, I reviewed a DVD intended for kids on the autism spectrum. It covered topics such as greetings, recognizing feelings, using words to express feelings, and dealing with transitions.

But when Parent Bloggers sent me that DVD, they also sent me another with a similar purpose. Skill-Building Buddies is a DVD that teaches children on the spectrum about the right ways to deal with transitions and change, using a mix of animated characters and real-life examples with kids in familiar settings.

The first thing I noticed about this DVD is that I recognized the animation style and the voices. I quickly realized that it was made by the same people who made Go Potty Go, a favorite in this house.

The animated characters set up each live action clip, discussing how change can be hard in different situations, and then after the clip they discuss what the child did right. Each situation followed the same formula: look, listen, and stay calm. Included with the DVD are flash cards of each of these three concepts, so that the parent can use them with their own child.

I liked that each situation showed a very common transition problem that kids will deal with on a weekly, if not daily, basis. One showed a teacher asking a girl to put away her clay because it was time to move on to a different activity. Another showed a boy upset because he wanted an apple for snack time, but there were no apples left. In another clip, a girl was sad because her friends wanted to play a game she didn't know.

In each case, the children showed that they were sad, but then modeled the appropriate behavior. The animated characters always validated the feelings of each child, letting the audience know that it's OK to feel sad or mad, but that you need to listen to your parents and teachers and handle the situation in a calm manner.

Cordy likes this DVD, although just like the Kibbles DVD she never asks for it, yet watches quietly when it's on. At first, I didn't think she was getting the message, but then I saw her playing with her little sister one day, and I overheard her saying, "...use your ears to listen, and stay calm," while she modeled the hand motions. Apparently she understood more than I thought she did.

This is a short DVD, about 15 or 20 minutes in length, and it packs a lot of information into that time. Each situation is quick and to the point, followed by a description of what the child did correctly, and then on to the next clip. My only complaint is that there is just one song in the program. It's a good song about change, but it is played at the beginning and then again after every two situation clips. I got tired of that song before the end of the first viewing.

I think this DVD is a good tool to help children on the spectrum learn to cope with transitions and change. Seeing children model the appropriate response to situations helps them think about the right way to approach a situation. In a sense, it provides them with a script to follow, and scripts can be comforting to children with autism.

Skill-Building Buddies is made by Mazzarella Media and can be purchased directly from their website. Parent Bloggers will also be giving away a copy by leaving a comment on their post about these DVDs.

Rockin' With Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse

Many of you know that my oldest daughter was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum last fall. Officially, it's PDD-NOS (pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified), which means that she has autism-related delays in speech, motor skills, and social skills. In many ways, this has been a relief, because we now have a strategy to help her overcome her difficulties so that she can move through this social world in an easier manner. Right now, she attends a special needs preschool every weekday for three hours. She has speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy once a week for an hour each.

While these are great, I often feel like it's not enough. An hour once a week doesn't feel like enough for me, and no matter how many times I've asked, I can't get her therapists to send home exercises and activities to do at home. We're on the list for further services from the county, but we're still waiting to hear back. With money for these services always running short, we could be waiting a long time for additional help.

A few months ago, the Parent Bloggers Network asked if I would be interested in checking out a couple of DVDs that are intended for kids on the spectrum. These programs help teach basic social skills that are often hard for kids on the spectrum to learn: greeting someone, understanding emotions, keeping your cool, using your words, etc. Of course I wanted to give these a try.

The first one we tried was Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse vol. 1: Expressing Yourself. This DVD combines music and simple language to create a master class for autistic children on the topics of greetings and expressing emotions. The very first song is about how to say hello to someone, which includes waving or shaking hands, making eye contact, and saying "hi". I was impressed that they stressed eye contact - Cordy had a lot of trouble with that skill, and we constantly have to remind her to look at our eyes when she talks to us.

Verbal and non-verbal communication are addressed with each topic. When discussing feelings, all of the characters practice showing what someone looks like when feeling each emotion. It's hard for many autistic kids to "read" emotions on the faces of others, just like it's hard for them to express their own feelings. Cordy loved watching them practice each emotion, laughing at the silly faces, and trying to pick out the right emotion each time. (For the record, she still can't recognize angry, frustrated or sad faces.)

I really liked their use of an activity schedule to guide kids through the DVD. The activity schedule is a picture schedule showing what activity will come after each one is completed. Cordy responded well to the schedule - after a couple of viewings, she recognized the pictures and knew what was coming next. In the parent section of the DVD, the speech therapist said that kids on the spectrum often can't transition well between activities because they prefer the predictable and the routine, but as we all know, the world is a very unpredictable place. Moving from one activity to the next can be scary, so having a picture chart to refer to at all times can help provide some structure and prepare them for each transition. I'm thinking about setting up an activity schedule for our daily routine now.

The true test is: did Cordy like the DVD? Honestly, she wasn't that thrilled to watch it, and never requested it. But when I played it, she was drawn to the TV and would quietly watch and internalize the message. While she never asked for it, she still enjoyed watching it. She soaks up anything she watches on TV, and when she is tired or having a rough time, she often falls back on her "scripts," retreating inwards as she repeats entire conversations said on TV over and over again. (Thank goodness we don't let her watch anything other than preschool TV, right?) Now she's repeating some of Kibbles lessons also. And she's added "howdy" to her list of greetings.

The extras on this DVD are just as valuable as the actual program. The speech therapist and the two music therapists who helped design Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse talk about the theory behind the therapy and give parent strategies for incorporating music and speech therapies all day long. They explained that studies have shown that kids on the spectrum process pitch better in their brains better than the average person, meaning that music is a natural strength for them. This makes sense to me, because I know Cordy learns better when it is set to music.

They also discussed how their music is comforting to kids with autism, and how they used very structured music, with lots of repetition and minimal extra language to reinforce the lessons being taught. This was very effective for Cordy - she's only three, and a lot of extra words often confuses her and throws off her concentration. The speech therapist explained how they used video modeling to reinforce non-verbal cues and teach new scripts to kids who might not have a script in their heads for basic social interactions.

Overall, I was very impressed with Kibbles Rockin' Clubhouse, and I recommend it for children with any kind of social developmental delays. Cordy is three years old and followed the 40 minute DVD fairly well, with only a few moments of wandering off. This probably wouldn't be as effective on kids who are younger than three, but I could see this as a useful tool for older kids. The DVD is made by NoteAbilites and can be found at Amazon. It also includes a sing-a-long CD for the car. Parent Bloggers will also be giving away a copy of both DVDs for this campaign - to enter, just click here and leave a comment on their blog post.

Check back Friday when I'll be reviewing another DVD for kids on the spectrum.

Mamma Mia! Contest from Ponds

This summer, Mamma Mia! is moving from Broadway to movie theaters everywhere. If the movie is anything like the show, it's going to be a lot of fun. (And c'mon, with Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth staring in it, the eye candy alone is worth seeing this film.)

Ponds is offering to send three women to the London premiere to spend the night living the life of Donna & the Dynamos. The only rules are you have to be 40+ and willing to show the world how fabulous you and two of your friends are.

To enter, just make a video of the three of you singing one of the songs from Mamma Mia!, then submit your video to this site by April 30. Be bold, give it your all, and have fun! Five videos will be selected and posted on the Ponds website on May 23, and then popular vote will determine the winners.

And if you want to see my singing performance, you'll have to find me at the theater July 18 as I groove out to Abba songs and drool over Colin Firth.

All The Gory Details From Camp Baby

Seems like nearly everyone has written their recap about the Johnson & Johnson Camp Baby event from last week. I could sound all writerly and say I needed time to digest the event for a proper write-up, but the truth is I've just been so busy catching up from being gone three days and working on school assignments. And it is incredibly hard to condense three days worth of information into one post, so I was a little intimidated, too.

Wednesday

Conquering my fear of flying was a little difficult when I took my seat on a plane where the cabin was only slightly wider than my SUV, with about as much head room. But we made it there safely, and I quickly found the Camp Baby representative, who ushered me into a Suburban. I learned that all of our ground transportation for the event was being sponsored by GM. I've seen GM at other blog events (like BlogHer 06) and I've always been impressed with their outreach.

At the hotel I checked in and was told that I could get something to eat in the hospitality suite. Since I traveled during lunchtime, I was hungry, so I quickly dumped my luggage in my room (stopping to notice the gift bag of Neutrogena products) and set off to find the hospitality suite. When I got there, I immediately ran into Belinda and Carmen, who were already chatting while Belinda twittered. The food was a bit of a let-down at first: some fruit, nuts, and soda. I was expecting something a little more substantial. Tracey arrived shortly after that, and asked if we could get some food with a little protein, like hummus. Poof - hummus and pita triangles arrived! Later, we tried this same trick with "something sweet" and poof - cookies arrived. Yum.

That evening everyone gathered for the wine tasting with Ted Allen. Confession - aside from him being male, I couldn't have picked him out of the crowd if asked. I've never really watched any of the shows he's been on. He was very patient through all of our chatting (C'mon, many of us haven't seen each other since July! We want to catch up!) as he guided us through food and wine pairings. I've always preferred white wine to red, but I got to try a few reds that might change my mind.

We were all feeling warm and happy, thanks to the wine, and then Lori got up and reminded us that Thursday's activities would begin at 7:30am. (Ack!) Still, it wasn't enough to convince us to go to bed - many congregated in the bar afterwards, and Kristen did her podcast live from just outside the bar.

Thursday

All of the morning activities were in one (very nice) room. They clearly were thinking of us when choosing this hotel. Each row had a desk with outlets to plug in laptops. Genius! The programming for the day began with a talk about teaching your children to sleep by Dr. Jodi Mindell. Most of us could identify with our children having at least one issue with going to bed or staying asleep, and we all learned we don't get enough sleep. (Wait - we knew that.) We were all given a copy of her book as well.

Other morning programs included a talk with "Dr. Germ" who told us that there are germs on everything (and then I watched the poor germaphobes in the room squirm in their seats), and a nutritionist who I didn't care for at all. I mean, she had some good points, but she also insisted that there was no problem giving artificial sweetener to kids, and organic milk was a waste of money, because there's nothing wrong with antibiotics and artificial growth hormones in milk. I might mention that even Wal-Mart, who I trust with my health about as much as I trust George W. Bush with searching for alternatives to oil, recently decided to remove growth hormones from all of it's private label milk.

We also got to see a J&J employee answer questions about the safety of their products. She had clearly anticipated that we would have questions about parabens and phthalates, and proceeded to tell us that there are good and bad versions of these chemicals, and they use only the "good" ones. I don't think she convinced anyone in the room - many of us have read the research and know the dangers. But she was honest about not knowing just how much animal testing they do with their products - I appreciate that she didn't try to talk around that question.

We then heard Tina Sharkey from Babycenter talk about how the internet has affected the way moms connect and interact, and while she was a great speaker, she said little that the mom bloggers in the room didn't already know. Those stats she gave? We're the ones making those stats.

The best session in the morning had to be Dr. Scott Jens talking about the InfantSEE program, which works to provide babies under a year old with free eye exams. I'll be blogging more about this in another post.

After lunch, we were split into three groups so we could rotate through three different sessions. One was a feedback session, some of which I talked about here. I felt a little like we were beating our heads against a wall. There were so many of us trying to get across that we are VERY concerned about the chemicals in our children's bath & body products. Several challenged J&J to make one product - just one - free of parabens, phthalates, artificial fragrance, etc. and let us prove to them that there is a strong market for it. I hope our suggestions will be given serious consideration.

The next session was "What's Happening Down There?" where the greatest amount of twittering took place. This session discussed the issue of uterine prolapse and other gynecological issues that can affect women who have had children. Honestly, I think it was too much for this crowd to handle. I'm in nursing school, and just finished my unit on reproductive health, so it didn't bother me, but many women were (justifiably) horrified at the topic. But I felt bad for the speakers, too. How would you like to be giving a lecture and look up to see this:

The laptop brigade can be intimidating.
(photo by Glennia - found here)

By the time I got to the final session (hairbraiding), I was burned out, along with everyone else. Silliness ensued:

Dana (Mamalogues)

Catherine (Her Bad Mother) (photo by Glennia again - found here)

Dinner was held at The Frog and the Peach restaurant, and while the dinner was simply amazing, that wasn't the story for the evening. GM sponsored all of the cars that took us to the restaurant, but I have no idea who they hired as drivers. As a group of us were being driven to the restaurant, it quickly became clear that the driver had no idea where he was going. We drove from one end of New Brunswick to the other, still not arriving at dinner. Even worse, the driver was listening to ultra-conservative talk radio, and we were all stunned into silence at what we were hearing.

If it wasn't for Sarah and her GPS, we might have never made it to the restaurant - two blocks away from the hotel. It took 20 minutes to get there.

Sarah saves the day.

Nintendo had several Wii systems set up at the restaurant, including one that featured the new Wii Fit. I can simply say that I will be lined up to purchase the Wii Fit when it is available in May. (Karianna has now pointed out they are available for pre-order on Amazon now.) They also surprised all of us with a DS Lite and a copy of the game Brain Age 2. Being a geek, I already have a DS Lite, but the game was a welcome distraction in the airport on the way home.

Friday

Again, we had to be in the lobby way too early for my liking (7:00am). We checked out of our rooms, stowed our luggage with the hotel, and went to the J&J headquarters for breakfast. We had a great presentation about the history of the company and some information about the blogs they write. We gave a little more feedback, again asking for more product information on their website, and they seemed genuinely interested in our thoughts.

After breakfast, we returned to the hotel to visit the product expo, where we went table to table with our pretty bags, trick-or-treat style, collecting full size samples of many of the products Johnson & Johnson makes. Another genius moment - the event coordinators anticipated that we wouldn't be able to take all of our loot on the planes, so they provided boxes and FedEx labels to ship it all back to us. (Side note: It's been over a week now. I'm still waiting for my box. Where's my box?) From there, we all waited in the lobby for our moment to be whisked away to the airport to return home.

Other random thoughts about the event:

• Lori and the entire event staff did a kick-ass job making sure everything went smoothly. Honestly, I don't think I've seen an event run so well, often going above and beyond to make sure we were getting what we needed (and a lot of what we wanted).
  
  
• I fully expected to have a lot of product information pushed at us. I realized this was a business trip. But I wish they would have put together a morning of product information and then have sessions that weren't necessarily related to a product. It became a game after a while to identify the pitch. Dr. Germ = Purell. The nutritionist = Splenda. Hairbraiding = J&J hair care products. Even the "down there" session = lube, pads, and the surgical materials used to fix a prolapse.
  
  
• Twitter is the greatest invention ever. If it wasn't for Twitter, I might have been bored through some of the presentations. But knowing that half of the room was on Twitter discussing how good looking the eye doctor was, or throwing out links to research that countered things being said. It was like a second discussion going on without having to bother the person talking. And having those who couldn't be there following along with us made it a party.
  
  
• I think J&J learned a lot from us, and we learned from them, too. I didn't realize that some of the products I use are made by J&J, and I didn't know about some of the community outreach projects they participate in. I hope they learned from us that many mom bloggers are smart, highly educated women who really do want to know more about the products we use, and have a serious concern about the safety of what we're using for our families. We want full disclosure - you might think we're not interested in chemistry and research, but we are.
  
  
• Did you know J&J has a blog? More than one, actually.
  

While there were some problems with the initial invitation process, the event was interesting and entertaining. I appreciate that J&J wanted to meet with us and listen to us, and I'd like to see more blogger outreach. (And I'm not talking about sending us press releases and expecting us to post them.) If you really want to know what moms think, go to the mom bloggers. We're some of the most opinionated women out there, and we're often happy to tell you exactly what we think. Even if you don't want to hear it.

So thanks for a fun event, J&J, and I hope we didn't tell you too much that you didn't want to hear.

Because Trains Are Like Toddler Crack

If you saw my Christmas post, then you know that Cordy likes trains. The hit of the year was her Thomas the Tank Engine Trackmaster train set. It's still set up on our table, although the train is more likely to be found traveling across the living room carpet or trying to move his load of logs through the wall without success.

While she owns several Thomas trains, Cordy has never seen any of the Thomas videos or the TV show. So I was excited when I was asked by PBN to review the newest DVD, Thomas & Friends - Engines & Escapades.

This DVD has several episodes featuring the smaller engines of the Sodor gang. Each episode features a fairly standard script, where one engine finds himself in in a situation that seems promising at first, but then a problem develops. This leads to a solution that involves teaching a lesson about seeing a job through, conquering your fears, helping others, etc.

I am impressed that some of the more complex social issues are tackled - this isn't just about being nice to your friends and sharing. One episode is all about an engine (sorry, I can't keep their names straight) who is left in charge of the others for the first time, and lets the power go to his head. He quickly learns that there is more to being a leader than just telling others what to do. Another episode features an engine who is scared of storms, but learns to be brave and get the job done. Who knew train engines could teach so much about life?

Cordy was very interested in watching the trains, but I found her attention quickly drifted away after only one episode. The pacing of this series feels very different from other children's TV shows. It's slower, with the story unfolding with a lot more narration and a lot less action than your typical children's show. She's used to faster-paced shows, so I think that's why she had a short attention span. As long as we watched the DVD one episode at a time, followed by another activity, she was happy.

And I must admit, I was happy to only watch one at a time, too. The stories all have a good message, but the narration made me want to curl up on the couch for a nap. Plus, hearing "Look, mommy, the train is going in a tunnel! And now up a hill!" does get old after a bit.

Mira, on the other hand, could sit and watch trains with faces roll by on the TV all day long. She squealed and clapped and tried to touch the engines on the screen. With the low amount of action, yet bright colors and interesting faces on the engines, this was the perfect DVD for her.

If your child likes trains, or more specifically Thomas, then Thomas & Friends - Engines & Escapades is a good DVD to pick up. It teaches valuable lessons about doing your best and getting the job done (middle-class work ethic, anyone?), which can be useful to revisit in everyday situations - like asking your child to clean up his or her toys.

Naptime Is the New Happy Hour

I just had the chance to review a copy of the new book Naptime Is the New Happy Hour by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor thanks to the Mother Talk book tour. Some of you may know Stefanie's blog, and others may know her first book, Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay.

I read her first book, and was looking forward to this book. While the first dealt with the crazy changes that occur in your life immediately after becoming a mom, this book goes beyond the cozy, cuddly infant years and into the chaotic, tantrum-filled toddler years.

This is not a parenting how-to guide - more like a here's what its really like guide. Filled with lots of humor and honesty, Stefanie shares her experiences with raising her toddler daughter while wondering how anyone can survive this period without some form of chemical dependency.

What I like best is Stefanie's way of relieving all of the guilt that society heaps upon us. You know what I'm talking about - letting your kid watch TV, feeding her anything other than all-natural, organic, no-added-sugar foods, never letting your child throw a tantrum in public, etc. One part of the book discusses New Mommy Math, which helps you distinguish what the truth is when hearing another mom brag about some amazing feat of parenting. The truth is, none of us are perfect, and it's time to stop stressing about if our kid is getting the precise amount of stimulating play each day or if they happened to sneak an extra handful of M&Ms.

I also appreciated that Stefanie admits up front that she's not a perfect parent. It's nice to read about someone else admitting that she doesn't like her kid sometimes. Reading about her failures as well as her successes is refreshing. And her ability to come up with creative parent hacks rivals any parenting book on the market. Her ideas about taking your toddler to Target instead of an overpriced museum are brilliant. Her list of which TV shows to watch, and which are too painful to be worth it, are useful and amusing. And reading her opinion of the alterna-parent movement is absolutely hilarious. (It also reminds me not to expose my kids to too much of my music, lest they turn into sixth grade social outcasts!)

Naptime Is the New Happy Hour is a quick, light read - I'm a slow reader and still finished it within two days. While the material is presented in a humorous manner, don't think it might be light on substance. I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders as I see in print another reaffirmation that I'm doing the best I can and shouldn't be stressed if I can't live up to the expectations of the competi-mommies out there. I will warn you that there is some strong language in this book, but if that doesn't bother you, you'll enjoy this take on surviving life with a toddler. I recommend this book for anyone currently in the trenches with a toddler or new moms who will get there eventually and need to know what's coming.

Let's Talk Poop and Goop

It's a mom blog, so I have to talk about poop, right? Well, this isn't exactly about poop - more like the after-effects of poop.

Both of my daughters are stealth poopers. They will either do it when they are across the room and then avoid me, or they will hold off until bedtime, waiting until the middle of the night to let it all out. As you can imagine, keeping that against their sensitive, fair-skinned bottoms for so long can lead to diaper rash.

So when the Parent Bloggers Network asked me to try out Diaper Goop for their diaper rashes, I was intrigued. The name was, well, a little odd. But I hated the pungent smelling diaper creams we were already using, with only so-so results, so I was ready to try anything, even if it had a strange name.

When our supply of Diaper Goop arrived, I was impressed that it was in a tub and not a tube. There's nothing worse than trying to squeeze the right amount of cream out of a tiny tube while wrestling down an unwilling preschooler with a sore butt who is yelling "No cream! No cream!" With Diaper Goop, I can unscrew the lid and have it ready to scoop out when I need it.

Unlike the thick white paste we've used before, this is a slightly sticky, clear yellowish, uh...goop. Goop really is the best way to describe it. It's a lanolin based product - when I opened it for the first time, my mind was immediately taken back to those early breastfeeding days of cracked nipples. It's very similar, right down to the smell, which I find more pleasant than the white paste.

Does it work? Yes! Mira provided a chance for us to use it within 24 hours of it arriving at our door. I dabbed some of the sticky goop onto her red bottom before bed, and by the next morning, the redness was gone. Other experiences have yielded the same response: the rash is generally gone within 12-24 hours.

The really impressive part is that it helps Cordy with her rashes, too. She has a number of food allergies, and the reaction usually appears as the food is on the way out. If she's eaten something that bothers her, as soon as the poop touches her skin it causes a rash, and sometimes blisters if it is there too long. These are very painful rashes for her, and as a result she hates to have anything applied to them. While she still fights me to put anything on her rash, the Diaper Goop does seem to clear up her allergy-related diaper rashes better than the white cream did. It must be more soothing, too: I haven't noticed her doing her I'm-in-pain, wide-legged cowboy walk lately.

I've also discovered that Diaper Goop can be used on more than just red bottoms. Got a cut? Add some goop to help it heal faster. Dry, cracked cuticles? A little goop moisturizes and heals. And although I'm done with breastfeeding, I'm sure it works as a perfect nipple cream, too. Don't let the name fool you - this stuff can be used for any incident of dry skin or minor wounds.

The folks at Diaper Goop were kind enough to send us a few containers of their product, and I know I'll be giving them to friends who are currently pregnant. Well, I'll give at least one away - I might want to keep the others for myself.

Win your own! Parent Bloggers are giving away two containers of Diaper Goop. Leave a comment on their post to enter the contest.

Finding a Caregiver You Can Trust

When I was a kid, my babysitter was an older woman that my mom found in the newspaper. She had no idea if this woman was trustworthy or not, but she needed a babysitter quickly, and didn't have a lot of money to spend. Thankfully, my babysitter turned out to be a woman who was so special to me that I called her "grandma".

Now, though, the thought of trying to find a non-family member to babysit my daughters sends me into a panic attack. How can I trust a stranger? How will I know they're safe? And beyond that, how would I even go about finding a babysitter? Our neighborhood is short on cheery teens who want to spend their evenings playing games with a preschooler in exchange for $5 an hour.

I recently was introduced to Care.com, though, and I think I've found the answer to those questions. Care.com provides listings for babysitters in your area, allowing you to select and contact those who fit your criteria.

The site has a filter that lets you pick specific criteria when searching for a provider. You can search for someone based on the number of years experience, or someone who can handle pets, or someone who has experience with a certain age group. You can also specify if you're looking for part time or full time care, and how much you're willing to pay. I'm really impressed with how well the filter works to eliminate those who aren't a good match, giving you only the best choices for your needs.

As for safety, when you view a profile, you can learn more about the person, and if you think they are a good match, you can view references and even request to see the background check for that provider. You can also rate a provider on the site, giving one more way to see if a provider is a recommended caregiver or not. Being able to see an official background check goes a long way to settle my nerves over contacting a compete stranger.

But Care.com doesn't just have babysitters. You can also find pet sitters, tutors, senior care, and even housekeepers. Each offers the same filter process to select the best provider, and many profiles will show more than one service offered. (Such as housekeeping and childcare.)

If you need to find a babysitter for those oh-so-rare date nights, take a look at the providers available in your area via Care.com. The basic service is free to sign up for, with premium services available for a subscription fee. The security of references, ratings, and background checks will help you feel you're getting the best babysitter for your children. And they'll probably be more reliable than the neighborhood teen.

Vamos a Jugar con Whistlefritz

In our area, there's no denying that Spanish has claimed the #2 spot for most spoken language. And if you travel just four blocks from our neighborhood, Spanish is easily heard more than English.

My knowledge of Spanish is limited. I had three years of it in high school, and one semester in college. So I can still remember basic words and phrases, but unless someone speaks to me in Spanish like they would to a two year old, I'm lost. I wish I would have learned a second language earlier, but languages were not offered any earlier than high school in my town.

Knowing that a second language should be introduced as soon as possible, I was excited to try the new Whistlefritz Spanish DVDs offered by the Parent Bloggers Network. Cordy knows some Spanish from Dora and Diego and other DVD series, but the words taught on these shows are very limited and surrounded by English. How can she learn more when Dora rarely speaks in complete sentences in Spanish and is limited to the same words used over and over?

The Whistlefritz series fills this gap. Like so many innovative products, Whistlefritz was started by a mom who was unhappy with the Spanish educational programming available, so she made her own. She knew from her own experience that full immersion Spanish teaching is the best - just like the way we learn our first language. And she also knew it is important to start when children are young - so this DVD series is aimed at 2-5 year olds.

We received two DVDs: Vamos a Jugar and Los Animales. These DVDs are a mix of bright, fun animation, puppets, and lots of kids, all led by one adult teacher. There are songs, learning games, and cute skits, all designed to teach new Spanish words in a fun environment. Not one word of English is spoken on the entire DVD. At first, I thought, how will Cordy know what in the world they're talking about without any instruction in English? And even with my knowledge of the language, the first time we played one, I felt a little lost at first.

But even though I didn't know what they were saying word for word, I soon began to understand what was being taught. The DVDs do a great job of using visual and audio cues to clue you in as to what's being said. For example, when they're doing a song like Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes in Spanish, it's hard to not know what they're talking about.

On just the second time through, Cordy was beginning to repeat back some of the animal names, along with telling me what they were in English, too. She may not know everything being said, but she's picking up more each time she watches it. While she's not speaking in full Spanish sentences yet (and I didn't think she would be), she is expanding her Spanish vocabulary far beyond what Dora and Diego can teach her.

And while these DVDs aren't intended for Mira's age, she is absolutely enamored with the animation, puppets and songs. I'm sure once she starts talking she'll be learning Spanish right along with English thanks to the Whistefritz series.

If you're serious about wanting your child to know a second language, the Whistlefritz Spanish DVD series is one you should strongly consider. The full immersion method is effective, and the colorful animation, songs and games make learning Spanish anything but passive. Kids are encouraged to join in, repeat back words, sing along with songs, and take an active role in their learning.

Win the series! Sign up for the Parent Bloggers Network mailing list in March and be entered to win your own set of the Whistlefritz series.

A Magazine For The Preschool Set

Did you get any magazines as a kid? I'm not talking about your grandmother's National Geographic that she gave you each month to "expand your mind", I mean magazines meant for kids. Growing up, there were two that were my staples throughout elementary school: Ranger Rick, and Highlights.

I loved Highlights magazine (now in its 60th year!). It helped improve my reading skills, it taught me fun craft ideas (my mom may never forgive me for emptying the milk into the sink to use the carton for a bird feeder), and it was entertaining. When it arrived in my mailbox each month, I'd immediately turn to the Hidden Pictures section and not move on until I found every single object. And who can forget Goofus and Gallant? (OK, I admit it - every now and then I was rooting for Goofus.)

My grandmother, in her enthusiastic effort to get Cordy reading as soon as possible, subscribed to Highlights for us. But Highlights is for elementary school kids, not preschoolers, and Cordy wasn't interested. We did a little internet checking, and soon found that Highlights now makes a magazine for the preschool (2-5) set: High Five. One quick call, and the subscription was switched to a more age appropriate choice.

Parent Bloggers asked me if I wanted to receive High Five to review, and I explained that I already received it, but would still be happy to join in for a review.

We love this magazine. It's full of stories, bright, colorful artwork, and games that keep Cordy entertained and nurture her natural curiosity. It doesn't assume that the child can already read, yet the text is simple and in a large font to encourage the beginning reader. The picture to word ratio is much higher than in Highlights, too, which helps a preschooler "read" the story without needing to know the words.

Some of the features I like best in Highlights are also present in High Five. They still have the Hidden Pictures, although these are far easier for little eyes to find. Crafts and cooking projects are still included, too - one of Cordy's favorites is building a paper chain caterpillar. Nature stories teach children about the world around them, and short poems and action rhymes introduce the ideas of rhyme and rhythm.

My favorite part of High Five are the English and Spanish stories. These stories are mostly in English, with Spanish phrases spoken by some of the characters. Thankfully, there is a guide for each phrase, instructing parents how to pronounce the words and giving a translation.

Each section of High Five is short (1-5 pages), so you can read a quick story with your child when you only have a moment (or if your kid has a short attention span, like mine), or snuggle into the couch and explore several stories and rhymes together if you have more time.

And unlike a book, a new issue of High Five is in our mailbox each month. I don't know about your preschoolers, but I can tell you mine loves to get mail. Like, jumps up and down and runs around the house clutching it to her chest and saying "I got a magiiiizzzinne!" kind of love. Seeing her face light up when I tell her she has mail, and then handing her a magazine filled with fun pictures, stories and crafts, is probably the best part of it. Now she has her own magazine to read, and won't need to steal my magazines to pretend she has mail.

I highly recommend High Five magazine. It provides new and interesting stories to read to your child each month, and encourages creativity through crafts and activities. And everyone loves getting mail, right?

Win a subscription! The Parent Bloggers network will be hosting a Blog Blast on March 7 and giving away a free subscription to either High Five or Highlights. Check their blog in early March for details!

Pingu Skates Into Our Hearts

Maybe I was the last one out there to have heard of Pingu? Apparently this little claymation penguin was taking the preschool world by storm on PBS Sprout while I was watching Noggin.

But when Parent Bloggers asked me to review the first DVD, Pingu: On Thin Ice, I jumped at the chance without even knowing the story. It was about penguins, and Cordy likes penguins, so that was enough motivation for me.

Pingu is a little penguin who gets into all kinds of trouble, but finds a way out every time. All of the characters talk in a made-up language that kind of sounds like English if you had a mouthful of rocks while talking. It took me a little getting used to, but Cordy picked up on it right away. The gestures and tone of voice of each character make it easy to follow along. Cordy would look at me and say, "What'd they say, mommy?" but then quickly follow up with her own (accurate) translation of what was going on. Apparently she was just testing me to see if I could follow along.

Pingu faces many situations that your average kid does. He has a little sister that annoys him at times, but at other times he annoys her, too. He tries to hide his stinky fish soup when his mom won't let him leave the table until he eats it. He is sent to get milk for his little sister and naturally takes the long way home, resulting in him nearly losing the milk in a snow cave. He gets into snowball fights with his friends.

She. loves. this. DVD. Cordy is now obsessed with Pingu. There are eight short episodes on this DVD, and at the end of the first one, she looked at me and said "Again? Play it again mommy?" I told her another episode was coming up, and at the end of that one, she asked me the same question again. Actually, she asked that after every single episode, and demanded I replay the DVD again and again. The first day we watched Pingu, we didn't watch anything else all afternoon. Since then, she's calmed down a little, but still asks for it daily. Mira also likes watching it, since there is always a lot of action.

I really like that Pingu isn't a scrubbed clean, everyone-behaves-perfectly show for kids. Pingu has his faults, as do others around him. In one episode, he and his sister are camping in the yard, and he makes spooky faces to scare her. He makes fun of her sometimes, too. In another episode, he jumps into the bath with his baby sister, who then starts "making bubbles" in the tub, grossing him out quickly. His friends laugh at him when he falls down on his snowboard. The characters are well-rounded compared to other shows designed for this age group, and I think it's good to see them behave badly sometimes.

We give Pingu: On Thin Ice two big thumbs up. Cordy loves the characters, and I find the animation to be really cute and the stories are short and funny. I don't know how we missed out on this before now, but I have a feeling we'll be watching this DVD for a long time to come. (And check out the website - it has some fun games, too!)

Take A Ride On The Bus

When I received The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade DVD for review, courtesy of the Parent Bloggers Network, I wasn't sure what to expect. Seeing that one of the characters was voiced by Roger Daltrey intrigued me, but seeing a mix of computer animation, puppets and real people made me wonder if this would be too chaotic.

I couldn't be more wrong, however. This DVD was surprisingly entertaining, while also providing a lot of educational value. The Wheels on the Bus series is designed to teach kids basic socialization skills through music and song. In this particular DVD, concepts such as taking turns and getting along with others are covered. More than one pair have trouble sharing toys, requiring a discussion about how to take turns so both can enjoy the toy.

Beyond socialization skills, the video explores nature, counting, dance, and even a little Spanish. Cordy loved the Jungle Bug Adventure, thrilled with seeing several types of insects up close. As they named each bug, she repeated the name and studied the image carefully. She also loved counting the chicks on the bus, too.

The music is catchy and upbeat. Of course, The Wheels on the Bus is repeated over and over, but it's not the only song. I particularly liked the song about how procrastination makes you late, making sure Cordy was listening at that point. Oh how we could use that lesson!

I don't know if the social skills education sunk in for Cordy, even after several viewings, but she loved the music and the kids. By the second viewing she could already sing The Wheels on the Bus, and wanted to dance along with the kids.

What surprised me the most was that Mira was entranced by this DVD. My seven month old, who has yet to show any serious interest in TV, did not fuss once during the entire 33 minutes. She smiled at the puppets, bounced up and down to the music, and enjoyed seeing the other kids.

This? This is cool.

All in all, I'd recommend The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade. It doesn't have the ultra-high production values of many TV shows, but in many ways I'm glad it doesn't. Instead, it is charming in it's simple yet colorful sets, choreographed dance sequences performed by children who aren't perfect dancers, and real families enjoying their time together while singing and teaching others.

Win a copy! You can win your own copy of this DVD by leaving a comment on the post at Parent Bloggers. You have until 1/21/08 to enter!

PS - Congrats to Sunnyday - according to Random.org, you were the winner of The Ultimate Tea Diet book!

Tea Time For My Diet

While I may have started drinking coffee to survive nursing school, I've always been a tea girl. My childhood memories are filled with tall glasses of iced tea on hot afternoons. I drank tea more than anything else as a child since my mother always kept a pitcher of it in the fridge.

In college, I met friends who had tea stashes that I had never dreamed of - I was strictly a Lipton girl, but was then introduced to the wide variety of teas out there. Now I have my own tea stash, filled with all sorts of black, green and herbal teas, to be picked through and savored based on my mood.

The Parent Bloggers Network asked me about a month ago to review a new book: The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra. My first thought was "What? A tea diet? Is this some fad like the grapefruit diet?" However, I don't need an excuse to drink tea, so I gladly agreed to review it.

I'll start with this: the book does not advocate drinking only tea to lose weight. Instead, it advocates a sensible diet with the simple addition of drinking tea. Mark Ukra gives a brief history of tea, then discusses the chemical compounds present in tea that can aid in burning more calories and suppressing your appetite each day. He also covers how to choose the right teas for you, and how to prepare it to produce the best taste.

The diet is simple and straightforward. Drink all the tea you can drink each day, and eat a sensible diet. The more tea you consume, the more it will help you, and so Dr. Tea includes several healthy, tasty recipes that include tea in the ingredients.

I tried a few of the recipes. The tea-infused oatmeal was good - it tasted pretty much like my regular oatmeal, with a slight hint of tea. The best recipes, for me, were the Frosteas - imagine a fruity tea slushy - yummmm.

I haven't followed the diet, but decided to kick my coffee and soda habits in favor of only tea for over a week now. I've noticed my evening food cravings aren't as strong when I'm drinking lots of tea. If I'm craving something sweet, a nice cup of chai is a good substitute. And some of the different tea recipes suggested can help with any craving you might have. (Just try Dr. Tea's Candy Bar Black Tea.) Worried about caffeine? Decaf still delivers a lot of the healthy benefits, too.

The Ultimate Tea Diet is worth a read if you're trying to lose weight or have found yourself stuck in your efforts to lose weight. While tea isn't going to magically make you thinner, it may serve as a helper to any dieting efforts you undertake. And we'll take every advantage we can get, right?

Win a copy! I received a preview copy of the book as well as the final product, so I'd like to share my extra copy with one of my readers. If you'd like to win this book, leave a comment on this post, and I'll choose a winner one week from today. (January 16)

Lighting Up The Night

We have several friends who live about two hours away from us. Because they're all clustered in one area, we're often the ones driving to go visit all of them. We've done the drive so many times now, I think we could do it in our sleep. We often drive back at night, which leaves the passenger in the boring position of staring at the cars. Reading is difficult to do without distracting the driver or creating too much glare on the windshield. Our SUV has map lights in the ceiling, but those are too bright to the driver to use for any longer than a few minutes.

The Parent Bloggers Network sent me the Autolite Spotglo as an alternative to those dark, boring drives. It's a reading light that clips onto your seatbelt so that the light is only focused on your lap.

I like how small it is. The Spotglo stores easily in the glove compartment - even an overcrowded one like ours. It clips easily over the seatbelt and doesn't add a huge weight to the shoulder belt.

The light has two settings: low and high. Low was sufficient for me, but I used the high anyway to prevent any chance of eye strain. It's a bright, white light - I was impressed with the light strength.

The only problem I had with it was that it was hard to get the right angle on the light. While it works great for men and kids, it doesn't angle so well for women with anything over a B-cup. I had to hold it in the right position several times or lean forward slightly to get the best light. If they ever redesign it, I'd suggest having the light on a hinge so that it could move out and away from the main unit (even just an inch or two) for better positioning.

The warnings in the package say that this isn't to be used by the front-seat passenger, but since our back seat was filled with sleeping children, I wasn't able to use it any other way. It didn't distract my husband, though, so I would continue to use it in the front seat.

Cordy was a little too young and sleepy to try this out, but when she's older this will be perfect for her to read her books in the car on long drives. At that time I will probably be thankful this product can save me from countless refrains of, "Are we there yet?"

If you do a lot of driving at night, or long-distance driving, the Autolite Spotglo is a good product to have with you for your passenger, or your kids in the backseat. I think we'll be getting a lot of use from this on our long weekend drives.

Organizing My Attempts To Organize

I try so hard to be organized, but always fail in some way. I found a great online system to keep the entire family organized, even when we're not together, but can't get my husband to keep it updated. I have a nice personal calendar, but still can't remember to put my bills in one place or find my daughter's school papers.

So when the Parent Bloggers Network asked me to review the Family Matters organization system by Day Runner, I said sure, why not? After all, it's an entire organization system, which has to be better than just an organizer, right?

When I opened the box, I was impressed with how much was packed inside. I pulled it all out, examined everything to see how it all worked together, and then made a pact with myself to put it all to use.

Included was a paper monthly calendar, an undated dry-erase monthly calendar, a planner, storage boxes, activity folders, and door hangers. All are color coded so that each family member can have their own assigned color. The goal is that each family member's schedule can be merged into one system, to prevent those arguments of, "Wait, what do you mean you have an exam to take? I have rehearsals tonight!" (Not that we ever have those arguments. Ahem. Anyway...)

The paper monthly calendar is a great replacement for my current monthly calendar. It's larger and has a lot more space for writing, plus it has color coded areas for each person. Mine starts with January 2008, but I've already started writing appointments and my school schedule on it. Until then, we're using the dry-erase calendar. I have a feeling we'll use the paper calendar more, since Cordy has shown us the one down-side of dry-erase is that small children can easily wipe it off.

What I love most are the storage boxes and activity folders. These are so useful to keep track of bills that need to be paid, papers Cordy needs for school, paperwork I need for Mira's next doctor's visit, and lots of other stuff. I plan to buy some more folders so that each person's storage box can have multiple folders in it for different activities.


The only products that didn't get any use were the door hangers. Cordy saw these and immediately snatched them up to play with. (They do look like little people, after all.) I don't think they would have a chance at staying on a doorknob with little hands around.


Overall, I like the Family Matters system that Day Planner has designed, and I think this could be a very useful tool for keeping busy families organized. I'm looking forward to getting the infocenter when it's available, and I hope that this system will help me stay a little more organized in the new year.

Blasting Off To Fun

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. My goal was to be the first female commander of the space shuttle. I even went to Space Camp in seventh grade. Turns out, though, I'm scared of flying, which kind of put a damper on my astronaut dreams. But that love for space and exploring the unknown never left, and I still enjoy watching every shuttle lift-off and landing.

It seems my love of space has been passed on to Cordy. Some of her favorite toys are space-themed, including rockets and aliens. So when the Parent Bloggers Network asked for volunteers to try out the Discovery Store Ready Set Learn! Paz's Lift Off Rocket, I practically begged. OK, I did beg.

When this rocket arrived, it stayed in the box for all of 1.6 seconds. Cordy took one look and demanded we release it from the packaging right away. She played with it for the remainder of the afternoon, lining up the astronauts, exploring the crew quarters inside the rocket, and driving the moon buggy around the living room.

The rocket has a button on the side which produces lights and sound. When it's pointed in a lift-off position, pushing the button results in a voice counting down to lift-off, along with the boosters lighting up red. When the rocket is sideways and the button is pushed, only sounds of the engines are heard, as if it is flying through space. A handle on the side makes it easy for small hands to fly their rocket up, down, and all around.

There are three compartments inside the rocket. A cockpit holds two of the astronauts, and the crew quarters has a pull-down bed for them to sleep on. Below that, the cargo hold stores the moon buggy and the door becomes a ramp to drive the buggy down. Four astronauts are included - all are characters from the Discovery Kids Ready Set Learn! series, including Paz, Dog, Pig, and Rabbit.

Cordy is familiar with Paz, and she knew all of them by name right away. I was happy to see her so interested in the rocket, but expected that her interest would wane, like it does with so many toys. But she still loves this rocket. The first night, she insisted the rocket come to bed with her. And while she doesn't want it every night now, it's still not uncommon to see it in her bed, like last night:


The size of the rocket makes it useful for other toys to "take a ride" on the rocket, too. Her Little People sometimes hitch a ride in the cargo hold, and her Mickey Mouse figure has been known to pilot the rocket on a few missions, while Donald Duck takes a nap on the bed and Minny Mouse mixes up Cosmopolitans in the kitchen. (OK, I was the one playing Minny.)

This is a well-made toy, holding up to some pretty rough play and a few tosses down the stairs. Best of all, the rocket has helped Cordy practice imaginative play. One aspect of her autism is that she has a lot of trouble with imaginative play - she'd rather line things up or stack blocks than put together play scenarios with her toys. But when she plays with rocket, she'll put an astronaut on the bed and saying, "Astronaut Pig is taking a nap!" or drive them around in their moon buggy.

It's awesome to see her making such progress, partially thanks to this toy. Give her a doll house, and she wouldn't know what to do with it - apparently all she needed was a toy that was geared to her interests, and this rocket fits perfectly. When she does engage in imaginative play, the rocket is involved 75% of the time.

Obviously, I highly recommend Paz's Lift-Off Rocket. The price is appropriate for the quality of this toy, and the design encourages repeat play. It is recommended for ages three and up, but I think two year olds would appreciate it, too - the pieces are all big enough to not be dangerous to a toddler.

For us, I have a feeling this rocket will have a place of honor in Cordy's toybox (and her bed) for a long time.

Rockin' The Day Away With That Baby DVD

Cordy has been obsessed with a certain famous Mouse DVD lately, and well, I'm sick of it. We needed to find something a little more...relaxed. A little less corny. A little more parent friendly.

In my effort to find something we could both watch, I pulled out That Baby DVD (provided by the Parent Bloggers Network), hoping it would distract her away from her current obsession. The DVD has eleven music videos on it, all of which are acoustic covers of songs we parents are familiar with from our rock radio stations, like "These Are The Days" by 10,000 Maniacs, and "Sunday Sun" by Neil Diamond.

Before anything was on the screen, Cordy didn't want to watch and protested. I told her it was time to try something new, and she might like it. She was an unwilling participant in this review at first. But as the first song came on ("Happiness Runs" - one of my new favorite songs), her protests drifted away and she sat down in her chair quietly to watch.

The songs, performed by Stephanie Schneiderman and others, are a little more mellow than their famous counterpart versions, and the music videos are filled with kids dancing and lip syncing, gentle animation, and even puppets. In-between some of the songs are brief lessons in the alphabet and counting. The numbers only went to 10, which I think Cordy was a little disappointed with. I think she wanted to count higher. But Cordy liked repeating the alphabet with the voice on the screen, and it went at a nice, slow pace.

She loved the rest of the DVD, too. While the music was a little too mellow for her to want to get up and dance, she did enjoy watching the children on the screen. (Side note: I'd love to see this company put out a dance DVD!) And I enjoyed the time to sit back and relax to some good music.

After it was over, she immediately asked to watch it again, and has since asked to watch it each day. While she's still asking for the Mouse DVD, too, we have equal requests for both. You can guess which one I'm more willing to give in to - That Baby DVD is by far more pleasing to my ears and eyes. You can view a clip of it here to see what I mean.

I also appreciate the fact that the company uses US recycled materials for their products. Plus, if you (or, more likely, your kids) ever scratch or break the disc, they'll replace it free! What other company would do that?

We also received a copy of That Baby CD, which contains the same songs as That Baby DVD, plus three bonus tracks. The CD is great in the car for longer trips. It helps Cordy relax when she's having a hard day, and again, the music is pleasant for me to listen to, also. It's earned a well-deserved permanent place in our car.

Right now That Baby DVD is offering 20% off to readers! Just use the coupon code PBN when ordering. Don't forget that Christmas and Hanukkah are next month - these would make great gifts!

MotherTalk Review: The Daring Book for Girls

The game I remember most from my childhood was four-square at recess. It was so popular the school had three four-square games painted on the blacktop, with one game of two-square, too. Kids would line up for a chance to get in on the games, with one of the painted box games always reserved for the top players. I was pretty good at the game, but not one of the top players.

Eventually, I found even more exciting things to do with my recess time, including climbing trees, befriending squirrels, and pretending to be a great detective. I never joined in on the games of house that many girls played. Too boring for me - I needed excitement, not drama!

Now that I'm the mother of two girls, I find myself thinking of so many things I want to teach them from my childhood. I used to jot down notes here and there, reminding myself about games I played and places I visited that I want them to know about, too.

I can throw out some of those notes, because now there is a book that contains many of these secrets. The Daring Book for Girls, written by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz, is a summary of some of the best information a young girl needs for having a fun childhood and growing into a strong woman.

I knew I was going to like this book when I read the very first page. Among the items the authors list as Essential Gear for a girl are duct tape and a Swiss Army knife. Right there I knew this wasn't going to be a book about tea parties and make-up tips. (Thank goodness!)

Instead, the authors cover a wide variety of topics, with more "girly" stuff right next to stuff that might have given a girl from my youth the label of "tomboy". Seeing how I lived up to that tomboy label as a child, I really enjoyed reading through such topics as building a campfire, making a lemon-powered clock, and knot tying. To be honest, I never knew how to tie good knots - had I known that information as a girl, my makeshift tent for my backyard camping expedition might have remained up all night, instead of nearly smothering me in the middle of the night.

Not only can you learn the best sleepover games and how to make friendship bracelets (see? I said there was some "girly" stuff there, too!), the book also covers topics that will stay with a girl her entire life. Topics we should all know, like how to negotiate a salary, basic first aid, and how to change a tire.

Plus, along with all of the awesome how-to's are several pages detailing famous women from history, including scientists, leaders, and even pirates. There are also lessons on language, giving you a taste of French and Spanish, along with looking for the Greek or Latin root of many English words.

Writing a quick summary of what this book is about is hard to do, because it contains so much. Some pages are filled with fun and frivolous information, others serious and very important, but the transitions between them are effortless and create a well-blended book.

The Daring Book for Girls is the perfect book for any free-spirited girl who would just as soon climb a tree as play with dolls. While my two girls are too young for this book at the moment, I will be sharing this with them as they grow older. I know I'll be reading them stories of famous women, and then in later years pointing them to the book to find an activity whenever the words "I'm bored!" escape their lips.

Maybe they'll decide they want to make sit-upons, just like their mother made at Girl Scout camp. Or maybe they'll want to play four-square, in which case I'll gladly join them for a game. Thanks to MotherTalk for giving me the chance to review a book that will get so much use in our home.