Built-in camera

Color Collector (or Colour Collector for my fellow Canucks) is a really neat concept for a game that appeals to a wide range of ages.

This is another game offered by the fine folks at Tickle Tap Apps, is available from the iTunes App Store for a budget-conscious $1.99.  It’s rated 4+, (and now I’m starting to understand that “4+” actually translates to “everyone” — most people don’t trust their phone with a 3-year-old though!)

The basic premise for this game is to send your children on a scavenger hunt collecting each of the six colours represented in the colour wheel.  You do this by finding objects of the appropriate colour and snapping a picture of them (by tapping the screen).

Snapping a picture

It’s ridiculously easy to use, and pretty darn accurate.  Occasionally, it will get the colour wrong (my testing showed most problems with Orange and Purple — it doesn’t do well identifying dark versions of those colours), but I’d say that it gets it right at least 85% of the time.

When you tap the screen, it will instantly identify the colour for you, and play a short animation.  A star will then appear in the upper-left corner representing each of the colours you’ve collected.  Every 2 pictures, a short animation will play (nice touch, but gets a little pointless and repetitive after the first couple of times).

My only real gripe is that once you’ve collected all 6 colours, the game just resets.  There’s no “final animation” or some indicator to show that you’ve collected them all.  That’s one of my complaints though, my kids have never commented on it. -by Jon

The amazing Jonathan Lane is the founder of Industry Interactive and Discover Gulf Islands. He blogs at Flying Troll and tweets here. He has worked with my brilliant & incredibly hot husband and according to him, Jon is one of the nicest and smartest guys you’d ever care to meet. My husband is a damn good judge of character, so there you go.

Win it! Tickle Tap Apps is giving away a $20 iTunes gift card to one randomly selected T.O.P. reader who’d like to try Tickle Tap Apps. Just comment below to be entered. Due to technical issues, we’ve extended this contest to close at noon mst on FEB 24, 2010.

Counting by 2s

This game taught me a very important lesson: my 5-year-old son is more patient than I am.  But first, the details!

Count Caddy from Tickle Tap Apps is a great interactive game that teaches you counting skills.  You start off counting by 1s, then move on to counting by 2s & 3s.  Count Caddy will set you back $1.99 and is available from (where else?) the iTunes App Store.  It’s rated 4+, which in my experience is right on; my 3-year-old lost interest pretty quickly, but my 5-year-old (who has Good Will Hunting-like math abilities), got a kick out of it.  He really put the game through it’s paces, and ended up showing me that it progresses in difficulty (I got bored after counting by 2s).

Inter-level animation

The game progresses through a series of levels; on level one you count by 1s three times, on level 2, you count by 2s and so on.  As you pass each level, you’re treated to a short animation.

Count Caddy has proven to be highly re-playable; in fact my son is constantly asking me if he can play it whenever we’re out.  It’s simple, bright and lots of fun.  Everything that a children’s game should be. -by Jon




The amazing Jonathan Lane is the founder of Industry Interactive and Discover Gulf Islands. He blogs at Flying Troll and tweets here. He has worked with my brilliant & incredibly hot husband and according to him, Jon is one of the nicest and smartest guys you’d ever care to meet. My husband is a damn good judge of character, so there you go.

Another Tickle Tap App will be reviewed tomorrow, and we’ll be including an iTunes gift card giveaway so y’all come back now!

Illustration from The Queen Bee

In my last review I looked at an app by PicPocket Books: Sea Creatures.  This review is for a similar app; Storychimes – another sort of “enhanced storybook”.  The Queen Bee is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.  It’s available from the iTunes app store, and will set you back $0.99.  It’s officially rated 4+ in the App Store, but truthfully, my 3 year old and his friends enjoyed the story way more than my restless 5 year old.
I’ve got a confession to make: I love this genre of app.  I live on an island and have to catch a ferry to go to “the big city”.  As a result, I frequently end up with time to kill with the kids in tow.  I’m your typical dad, so I’m never actually prepared with books or toys or games to keep the boys entertained, but I seem to always have my phone (go figure).  Short, simple apps that can grab the attention of the kids for a few minutes are lifesavers.

Simpleton searches for pearls

The Queen Bee is similar in a lot of ways to a regular storybook: there are great illustrations, and you swipe your finger across the screen to turn pages.  They provide a number of handy options like turning the background music on and off, and either showing the text of the story or hiding it and displaying illustrations full-screen.  There’s an option to Autoplay the book, so you don’t have to flip the pages.

I love that the audio is synched up with the story, so if you get interrupted you can just flip back to where you left off, and the story will start from that point (a bookmarking feature would be even better, but it’s not like we’re talking a 300 page book here!)

My 5-year-old has learned that I have games on my phone, so it’s hard to get him to sit through a story now, but my 3-year-old and one of his friends were completely entranced throughout the entire story, and then had great fun flipping the pages back and forth.

The production quality is great, and the story is a good one.  In my opinion, well worth the dollar. -by Jon
-
The amazing Jonathan Lane is the founder of Industry Interactive and Discover Gulf Islands. He blogs at Flying Troll and tweets here. He has worked with my brilliant & incredibly hot husband and according to him, Jon is one of the nicest and smartest guys you’d ever care to meet. My husband is a damn good judge of character, so there you go.

Win it! We’ve got TEN Storychimes codes to give away. To enter, visit the Storychimes site and comment with which book(s) you think the little people in your life would enjoy or make a suggestion for a Storychime you’d like to see added. Due to technical issues, we’ve extended this contest to close at noon mst on FEB 22, 2010.

Buttoned Up is a company whose products we’ve recommended in the past. Several times. It’s great company founded by four women to create great organizational products to help you get & stay “buttoned up.” I can’t think of a better group to make organizational products than mothers, and I can’t think of a group more deserving of great organizational products than mothers.

Since the last time we checked out Buttoned Up they’ve released several new items.

Ho Ho Ho!

They’re giving them to one of you!

You could win:

Greetings.stash ($6.95)
Fitness.doc ($4.95)
(2) BU Coupons ($4.50)
Collision.kit ($19.95 – one of my faves!)
Tax.filer ($19.95)

To enter, simply comment on this post before noon mst on December 23, 2009

Want to get TOP updates in your email inbox?
Don’t miss another contest…

Enter your Email

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Sadly, I don’t have an iPhone. I know. So sad.

We get a lot of pitches from people wanting us to review apps for kids & parents, and we’ve always felt a little bad about ignoring them but there wasn’t much we could do about it. In light of that, I’d like to welcome T.O.P.’s newest team member & techie extraordinaire, Jon, with his first review. Welcome Jon, and thanks for helping out!

Just as the name suggests, this application is a short book about Sea Creatures, available from the Apple iTunes App Store.  It’ll run you $0.99, and is rated 4+ (so pretty much anyone will be fine viewing the contents) PicPocket lists the age range as 2 to 6, and I’d agree with that.  The easiest way to explain this app is to call it an illustrated audio book.  I clocked the total play time at 90 seconds.

Sometimes it’s hard for a parent to really get a feel for whether something will be interesting for their kids, or not.  I loaded up PicPocket Books: Sea Creatures onto my iPhone and thought to myself “I just don’t see this holding their attention”.  Maybe I am more mature than a 5-year-old afterall.

The first test was my three year old.  We live on the west coast, and are pretty familiar with ocean life, so Sea Creatures was actually neat for him and something he could relate to.  The illustrations in the book are really vibrant and the words are read back at a good pace.  He sat through the entire reading and then asked me to put it on again (always a good sign).  The second time through, he started tapping on the screen which brings up a set of on-screen controls for pausing and skipping ahead in the book.  It interrupted the flow, and sort of confused him, but I was able to help him out and get back on track.

Next up was my five year old.  Like his brother, he sat through an entire reading and asked me a number of questions.  He wanted to know why we see jellyfish where we live, but not all of the other animals illustrated in the book.  A great question that led us to talk about differences in water temperature and habitats, and I reminded him that we saw a number of similar fish at the Vancouver Aquarium on our last visit.

Overall, this proved to be a great app for killing a short amount of time.  There really isn’t any interactivity to speak of, and personally I get bored of the same 90 second story over and over again: but I’m really not the target audience on this one.

PicPocket Books offer a number of other stories in the App Store if your kids aren’t into the ocean.  In fact, I’d buy “Big Rigs” right now, but then I would probably have trouble getting my phone back from the boys.
–
The amazing Jonathan Lane is the founder of Industry Interactive and Discover Gulf Islands, . He blogs at Flying Troll and tweets here. He has worked with my brilliant & incredibly hot husband and according to him, Jon is one of the nicest and smartest guys you’d ever care to meet. My husband is a damn good judge of character, so there you go.

Win it! PicPocket Books is giving one T.O.P. reader their choice of book. To enter, choose your fave and comment here before noon mst on December 11, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Since we got our Wii & Wii Fit, we haven’t played them nearly as much as we thought we would. In fact, it just might have an embarrassing layer of dust on it. I blame it on having small children who aren’t allowed to touch expensive electronics. However, we recently received a few cool items to go along with our Wii that have brought it back in to our repertoire.

The NERF Sports Pack ($19.99) includes add-ons for Baseball, Golf, and Tennis that are coated in that great & well loved NERF material that protects both your head and your big screen tv. I love that these games actually came with our Wii so we could play with them right away without buying anything else. All of these games are way more fun when you have the right equipment instead of just a Wii-mote. Who knew? The NERF Racing Wheel (only $9.99) makes driving super fun and much safer. It actually inspired me to let the three year old drive, which means we no longer have to wait until after bedtime to break out the games! I would never have played or bought Mario Kart if I didn’t have to try out this wheel, and now it’s my fave!

Energizer Power & Play Wii 4X Charger ($39.99) offers Wii users the ability to charge up to 4 Wii-motes with or without the wrist-strap via conduction technology. If you have more than two remotes, you MUST get one of these! It’s pretty awesome to know you’ll all be able to play together with fully charged remotes any time. It comes with 4 rechargeable battery packs, 4 battery covers and a power cord. If you’ve only got two remotes, check out the very cool Energizer Power & Play Wii Induction Charger ($49.99). It charges 2 Wii-motes at once without removing the silicone jacket or your Wii Motion Plus attachment and comes with 2 rechargeable battery packs, 2 battery covers and a power cord.

Performance Designed Products (PDP) is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing products for all major video game platforms including the Sony PS2, PS3, PSP, Nintendo Wii, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Microsoft XBOX and XBOX 360. The company has been supplying video game accessories to the U.S. market for more than a decade. PDP sells products under a variety of brands, with sales in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and throughout Europe. For more information on PDP and its products, visit www.pdp.com.

Win it! We’re giving away all FOUR of these great products for the Wii to one T.O.P. reader! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on August (holy crap! August?) 19, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

As a mom of two young kids, I am well aware of the struggles parents face when out and about. When my kids reluctantly get in our double stroller, I struggle with places to put anything we purchase or need to pack along with us once the tiny basket is full. My new solution is the Mighty Buggy Hook from Think King which attaches easily and sturdily with strong velcro and features a strong and lightweight aluminum hook that won’t break, even when you hang as many heavy bags as you can fit on there and then your three year old hangs from them. Trust me on that one. It fits more bags than you’d think because the hook is a deep U shape, and because there’s no clip like the standard carabiner, they’re easy to get off with one hand when you need them. They’re nice and short so the bags are close to stroller and would have to be awfully long before they’d drag or get in the way.

Even more than on my stroller, I love my buggy hooks for grocery shopping. I have two kids that need to be contained, so they take up both the seat and the basket of the cart. There are only so many things you can tuck around them before they start to complain, so we were all thrilled when we discovered that my Buggy Hooks were a perfect fit for the sides of the cart and each easily hold a couple of large full bags of groceries. Thank you, King, for saving me an hour of listening to two children whining from under the vegetables each week.

Buggy Hooks come 2 in a pack and sell for $14.99 from the Think King site.

(We reviewed the other product from Think King, the amazing Buggy Cup here.)

Win it! We’re giving away a two pack of Buggy Hooks to one reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on July 22, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Over the last few years, I’ve invested in a cupboard full of glass containers for freezing & storing food and ditched 90% of the plastic that we used to use. It’s costly, but totally worth it for the health of my family. I consider it an investment. They’re endlessly reusable which means I save money, the earth, and the bodies of the people I love most.

My husband and I often take leftovers for lunch in glass, but I’m not about to send glass with my three year old. Even if he didn’t smash it on purpose, he’d surely do it accidentally by the end of the first week. Since he mostly eats dry snackies, fresh produce & cheese all day long, I was thrilled to discover LunchBots. Made from the highest quality 18/8 stainless steel, LunchBots won’t leach chemicals into foods like plastic does.

The LunchBots uno (blue lid) is perfect for sandwiches or a larger quantity of the same snack. My kids love it for trail mix or cookies. The LunchBots duo (orange lid) is the same container but with a divider welded in to hold two portions of snacks. The divider is not water tight so LunchBots are not intended for wet foods, but if you pack fresh like we do then you’ll be very happy with these. For extras like dips & yogurts, you’ll need to supplement with another type of container. We love the duo for cheese & crackers, raisins & cucumbers, fresh fruit salad & veggies sticks and so much more. Both measure 6.5″x4.5″ and fit easily in lunch bags, diaper bags & most purses. I recommend buying both because no matter which one you choose, you’ll wish you had the other one as soon as you start packing lunches! They’re both great, and used daily in our home.

US readers can purchase directly from LunchBots ($14.99). Canadian readers can purchase from Parenting by Nature ($22.98).

Win it! We’ve got a LunchBots uno AND a LunchBots duo to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on May 12, 2009. Feel free to share your great “dry lunch” ideas!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

It seems we’ve always got at least one “issue” at our house, whether it’s the current random ear-piercing screams (with a smile, enticing his sister to scream back. Also with a smile. Argh.), closing the door at potty time or remembering to stay at the table at meal time. The Goalkeeper behavior chart from Behavior Buddies® has been on our fridge for just over a week and has already worked wonders toward reducing the screaming.

The Goalkeeper couldn’t be easier to use, and gets both parents and children involved changing the kids’ behavior for the better. It is structured enough to provide consistency and predictability for children – a necessity for any behaviour modification plan – but also flexible and simple enough to become part of a busy family’s daily routine.

It sells for $30 and includes the 8 x 10 Goalkeeper dry-erase fully magnetic chart, 24 illustrated positive behavior magnets and 4 customizable dry-erase magnets, 30 star magnets, a dry erase marker and a parent handbook.

The pre-made magnets include many of the goals you’re sure to have for your child:

~ stay at the table during meals
~ stay in my own bed
~ finish my homework
~ answer the phone nicely
~ close the bathroom door
~ brush my teeth
~ ask permission first
~ do my chores
~ use an inside voice
~ explain my feelings
~ greet others nicely
~ keep my hands to myself
~ wait for my turn
~ play nicely
~ wash my hands after using the bathroom
~ use a tissue
~ take turns
~ tell the truth
~ pick up my things
~ use my manners
~ use nice words
~ use the potty
~ respect others space
~ listen the first time

See what a beauty it is?

The set-up you see is for an older child, with four goals being worked on at a time. For a younger child, you’d want to choose just a goal or two and make the number of stars achievable.

As you can see, the entire product (except the pen) is completely magnetic. Slap it on the fridge and you’re good to go. It can easily be used with a young & non-reading child because the pictures are self-explanatory.

The Goalkeeper was designed by behavior consultant, co-founder, and mother of two, Amy Boland. Amy has masters degrees in developmental psychology and school psychology, and specializes in working with families with children with developmental disabilities such as Autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and speech delays. The thought that went into the development of this product is obvious. As far as I can see, it’s not missing anything. And if it gets my kids to stop screaming, I’m sold.

Save 20% when you buy via this link.

Win it! We’ve got THREE Goalkeepers to give away! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on March 18, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

On their website, the creators of Little Stars Bedtime Cards share a quote from Barbara Coloroso’s A Pocket Guide to Kids are Worth It. “Bedtime is a special time, a time of transition. It is an opportunity for closure to one day and a preparation for the next. It is a small turning point in the natural rhythm that gives structure and meaning to life. With care and patience and awareness of our children’s needs, each bedtime can be its own celebration of love and life.”

As parents, we all wish for bedtime to be a positive time, but all too often it’s filled with whining, demands & less than stellar patience levels on the part of both parent and child. Canadian moms Shannon McQuillan & Linda Komori created Little Stars Bedtime Cards to help parents make bedtime the affirming and positive experience that it has the potential to be. They’re not designed to teach new concepts, but to ‘affirm positive qualities that already exist in your child.’

The Little Stars, Sparky, Blaxe & Shiner help parents ask “big questions for little people.” There are some great reasons for using questions as opposed to statements. According to the site, “when we have a specific lesson or message that we need to communicate, teaching or telling our child is very effective. However, when the goal is to connect and deepen our understanding of our child, questions about thoughts and feelings can be incredibly effective for the following kinds of reasons:

~It becomes a two way conversation
~It feels good when someone takes and interest you (even if you don’t have a lot to say)! The very nature of asking questions is an expression of the desire to learn about the other person
~There are no right or wrong answers when you are talking about thoughts and feelings
~Your child will feel loved knowing that you care enough to ask the question and to listen to their response (again even if they don’t have a lot to say)
~You see the world through your child’s lens and may end up talking about things you wouldn’t otherwise (you may be surprised to learn just how opinionated and observant your three year old really is!)
~It keeps your attention focused on your child and children love to have a parents undivided attention even for just a short while
~Children are naturally curious and while they love to answer questions, they may start to ask questions themselves which is lots of fun too.”

Any one of those reasons would have been enough for me to try these cards. I’ve seen them in action with my own little guy and I think they’re every but as awesome as they sound. The cards sell for $15 and ship for just $3. They’d make a great gift for your child who is transitioning to a big kid bed, don’t you think?

Win it! We’ve got a set of Bedtime Cards to give away to a randomly selected reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on February 27, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

We love to travel with our kids and whether it be a 20 minute drive or a 20 hour drive there are times when we would have given our right arms to have our Exersaucer in the van so we could put our baby down without the fear of her (a) crawling away or (b) touching or, heaven forbid, eating something really gross when we just weren’t able to wear her any longer. Thanks to the amazing PopATot we’re now free to rock and roll with the kids anywhere the wind carries us. Folding into an impressively small carry bag (picture a folding camping chair) it’s the most portable piece of completely necessary baby equipment we’ve yet to find. Except, you know – the baby.

Created by mom Stacy Ellsworth, it’s simply a portable baby activity center that packs away in its own carrying case. Just take it out of the bag, pull it open, secure two clips, plop the kid inside, and she can safely play with whatever goodies you clip to the five toy hooks on top. Each order comes with a free set of Sassy Lively Links to get you started – not that you don’t already have eleventy bazillion things lying around the house that you could attach, but the ones that come with the PopATot aren’t previously chewed; a nice bonus for a second child for sure. The PopATot features two cupholders and a built in canvas floor to protect the babe from sand & grass. It’s light enough to easily tote around – particularly if you’re used to toting camp chairs – but sturdy enough to stand up to my big boy and his buddies climbing in and all over it.

For a limited time you get a $10 rebate making the PopATot just $50 with free shipping. For international orders (that’s us Canadians, though we certainly don’t feel international) you’ll need to contact Stacy directly as her site doesn’t accommodate international orders at this time.

Win it! We’ve got a PopATot to give away. To enter, check out the PopATot site and then come back and leave a comment on this post before noon mst on February 23, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Have you ever found yourself putting groceries in your car only to turn around and find the cart rolling away? It’s happened to me more times than I care to remember! I seem to find that one spot that has just the slightest incline and my cart won’t stay put. Oh and forget about the windy season…I lived in an area with really high winds that would blow the cart across the parking lot…it isn’t fun when you have your kid in the cart and you’re trying to chase it down when the wind is blowing! I got in the habit of hooking my foot around a wheel just to hold it in place.

Leave it to a mom to come up with a solution to the “run away cart” problem! Dyanne Houlihan put her son in a grocery cart and turned around to get her other son out of his car seat when someone yelled to her that her cart was rolling away. The cart hit a car that was waiting for a parking spot; thankfully her son was ok, but the cart could have flipped over or been hit by a car. That day she went home to find a solution and ended up developing the Cart-Stopper.

The Cart-Stopper is like having an extra pair of hands. It is very simple to use – it attaches easily with a suction to the side of your vehicle and the other end hooks through the cart. It’s small and light enough to store in your purse, diaper bag, or just keep in the trunk of your vehicle. At just under $10 it is definitely affordable and gives you that peace of mind. It’s nice to not worry about your cart rolling away with your child in it! -by Michelle

Win it! We’re giving away a Cart Stopper to one reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on February 3, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

If you’ve had a baby, you’ve experienced the post-birth look my friend likes to call the Grimace. It feels gross and it looks gross. Of course, it’s all worth it, but it never hurts to try a little something – anything, really – that is purported to make you both feel and look better. Belly wrapping has been around for centuries, practiced by many cultures around the world. Belly Bandit™ has put a modern spin to it by creating a soft, seamless and tagless wrap that helps new mamas by shrinking the uterus, reduce bloating caused by water retention and providing the back support and confidence you need to walk upright like the human you used to feel like.

I had my baby a couple of weeks before my Belly Bandit arrived in the mail but have been wearing it since I got it and it certainly seems to be helping. Not only does it make me feel better and more secure with walking post-cesarean but my tummy seems a little tighter each day than it did at the same time with my previous births. It also helps me feel more confident and to remember to sit upright when I’m nursing or rocking my little one.

The compression wrap can be used a day after delivery to help reduce swelling of the uterus and bloating from water retention. The stretchy Velcro bound wrap is available in three different styles, Original ($40), Couture ($50), and Bamboo ($60) and can be worn for six to eight weeks post-birth. Buy it online. – by Shannon

Win it! We’re giving away a Belly Bandit! To enter, go choose your favourite Belly Bandit style and leave a comment here letting us know which one you’d like to have. Once the draw is complete, you’ll be able to send an exact measurement to ensure it fits. Contest closes at noon mst on January 29, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Most kids, at some point or another, have issues at the table. Whether it be manners, the picky disease, an inability to sit or a diet of one or two items for weeks on end. When you need a little extra something to make meal time appealing, check out the Trebimbi Puppet Club Table Set available from Goores for ~$45. (More product selection available from Amazon – lucky Americans!)

Each Puppet Club Table Set includes a child-sized spoon, fork and knife, eggcup, bowl and mug that are incredible visually appealing to little eaters. Made in Italy, each cutlery piece has a stainless steel body and a colored polypropylene handle. Each piece has a cute smiling face and the pieces can be locked together like a string of paper dolls for easy storage or mealtime fun! All items are dishwasher safe & recommended for kids aged two to six.

The Party Set sells for the same price at Goores and includes a funky plate, cup, knife, fork and spoon. In this set all items are also dishwasher safe & recommended for kids aged two to six.

Save 10% on any Trebimbi order from Goores with the code top10tre.

Win it! We’ve got a Trebimbi Puppet Club Table Set valued at $44.99 in orange with blue to give away. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on January 15, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

My children, it seems, were fortunate to inherit my husband’s long, lean figure. It’s wonderful…until their pants fall down. My son, in particular, loses his drawers with astounding frequency.

That is, he did. Until I found Dapper Snappers. The adjustable waist on all his pants don’t adjust enough to fit him well because of the size he needs to accommodate his height. Invented by a mom of two skinny toddlers, Dapper Snappers attach to the belt loops on the back of a child’s pants and cinch them tighter without the dreaded belt. The last thing potty training or gotta-go-right-now youngsters need is a belt to fiddle with.

If you’ve got a slimline kiddo in your midst, I highly recommend the Dapper Snappers rather than a belt – you won’t be sorry when you’re not undoing & redoing a belt multiple times a day. They’re just the right size for a stocking stuffer, too. They’re available online from ToddlerTech USA for only 9 bucks or buy big in a three pack for $24 or a six pack for $40. For girls, the cutesie Snapcessory collection is stepped up a notch for $13. Totally worth it for something as necessary as keeping your pants on. (Unfortunately, I don’t have that problem. I just can’t get them on in the first place.)

Win it! We’re giving away two original Dapper Snappers to two separate winners. To enter, visit the shop to choose your favourite colour. Contest closes at noon mst on December 16, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

One thing around my house that almost can NEVER be found is my keys! No matter how hard I try, they always seem to be MIA when I need them. Most often, after turning the house upside-down and blaming my toddler, I end up finding them in the abyss I call my purse! Does this sound familiar to anyone else? Well, I have to say that I think a lot of my problem is that I don’t really have a distinguishable keychain.  Just a ring of keys…But not for long!

WholesaleKeychain.com offers SO many awesome choices when it comes to adding some “Bling” to your keys! From \Digital Photo Keychains to Sports Keychains, to Automotive keychains in every imaginable brand, WholesaleKeychain.com has got you covered! They even have Flashlight keychains….Think safety, ladies! And how nifty would a USB keychain be?

Many of the keychains can even be personalized with anything you’d like!

Bottom line, when it comes to keychains, WholesaleKeychain.com ROCKS! - by Sara

Win it! Want to win a keychain of your own? The generous folks at WholesaleKeychain.com have given us nine to give away!

That’s 3 Digital Photo Keychains, 3 LED Flashlight n keychains , and 3 Carabiner Keychains!!! Wow, right? To enter, just go to WholesaleKeychain.com and tell us what your favorite keychain of these three is and what colour you’d choose…You never know, you might just win it!

Contest closes at 9 pm mst on December 8, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

Toy cars have always been a hit gift for both kids and adults and I’m quite sure they always will be. From simple toy cars to high-tech remote control models, a car is a man’s best friend. Second to the family dog, of course. Oh, and our wives. Parents and kids now have a brand new high tech way to take their favorite car out for a spin. Road Mice, a brand new line of optical wireless computer mice, let’s car lovers cruise the Web in style.

Road Mice are exact replicas of some favorite automobiles (even the headlights work) that are compatible with both Apple and PC desktops and laptops. There are nine models, including a 2008 Corvette which I tried out. There’s also a Chevy Camaro, a Dodge Charger SRT8, a Ford Mustang GT, and several souped up police vehicles. The price point isn’t too high for such a cool gift and the mouse works as well as any other good quality wireless optical mouse. It’s not something I’d buy for myself but does make a wicked gift for the grease monkey on your list.

Each car mouse retails for $45 and for an additional $20 you can pick up Road Mice Insurance. “The Road Mice™ Replacement Plan provides comprehensive coverage from day one. This plan covers all of its Optical Wireless Road Mice products with no deductibles or other hidden charges. Its comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper coverage that protects against all types of damage, including: mechanical breakdown, crashes, theft, fire, acts of god, parental repossession, beverage or water damage, earthquake, floods, drops, falling rocks, animal consumption, jealous friends or family members stepping on it, and anything else that typical insurance companies will exclude from coverage. The plan offers a one time product replacement per customer and does not include shipping.” - by Kenton

Win it! We’re giving away a car mouse from Road Mice to one lucky T.O.P. reader. To enter, visit the Road Mice site and choose your model and colour. Come back and leave a comment with your choice. Pick carefully because that’s what you’ll get if you’re the winner. Contest closes at noon mst on December 5, 2008.

CONTEST CLOSED AND WINNER EMAILED

Some of our long time readers may remember my review of the Wrap N Mat from February 2007. With the shift toward green living becoming larger (yay!) every day, it’s time to revisit this great invention which is now available from the new-ish Vancouver-based Canadian boutique Lavish and Lime.

Lavish and Lime carries only the Wrap-N-Mats with the phthalate-free LDPE lining (the same material as plastic sandwich bags but a thicker grade to ensure re-usability) and carries a selection of the nicest available fabrics. I’m especially digging the dots fabric (pictured at right) for it’s decidedly not bright and ugly style. These fabulously green reusable sandwich wraps are not only great for sandwiches but also for muffins, crackers and other snacks. When opened they provide a clean place to eat that can be brought home, washed in warm water and re-used for an entire school year. At a price of $7.50, you’ll not only be doing your part to save the earth but you may even be saving money if you’re not buying as many costly ziploc bags.

Save 10% at Lavish and Lime with the code TOP

Save 10% at Gifts Define with the code em>GDOPINI10 only until until June 13/08.

Now that my son is solely feeding himself “real” food, we have far less dropped food and a lot more launched food accompanied by the declaration that he’s “Sharing the puppies!” I don’t know that anything but time and patience will solve that issue, but I do know I would have LOVED to have a Wupzey high chair food catcher a year ago. I asked a friend with a newly self-feeding almost-toddler to check one out and let us know what she thought.

Jen says:

Available in ten colours, the Wupzey attaches quickly and easily to my standard high chair. It’s made of 100% Rip-stop Nylon and retails for under $20. I’m here to tell you that’s a small price to pay for the drastic reduction in cheerios that I now clean up! I used to sweep five to eight times a day and that’s been reduced to one good sweep before bed thanks to the Wupzey. This product belongs in the category “things you didn’t know you needed but love” along with many other of my favourite items. Thanks, Johanna, for a great product that reduces my daily workload!

Save 20% on any order from the site with the code TOP

Win it! We’re giving away a Wupzey in your choice of colour. To enter, leave a comment on this post stating which of the ten colours you’d choose if you win. Contest closes at noon MST on June 3, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

When I bought (okay, my mother in law bought…) my first stroller, I was very concerned about the cup holders. Little did I know that no matter how many and how deep they were, they’d still spill their contents everywhere when we hit bumps and would fall off and even break when they were stuck in the back of my vehicle. I suppose it’s akin to buying a car for the great mirrors and lipstick holder. You do it once and learn your lesson.

Now that my stroller is adorned with the fabulous (reader recommended – thanks Katja!) Think King Soft Buggy Cup designed by King-Yee Man, I’ll never worry about cup holders again. It’s made of squishable but sturdy mesh and nylon and is large enough to hold both a drink and your keys/wallet/cell phone but small enough to be totally unobtrusive. It’s flat bottom and drawstring top keep the contents level and secure. I stick my necessities at the bottom and my drink on top and I’m ready to rock and roll.

The Think King Soft Buggy Cup is truly the first cup holder I’ve found that really works and is multi-purpose. It attaches easily with Velcro to almost anything (strollers, car seats, scooters, bikes…), is easy to clean and pulls of in seconds if you want to move it to another stroller or location.

Get 15% off on your purchase of 2 or more with the code buggycup-top for the next two weeks only! (Ends May 16/08.)

Trust me when I tell you that you’ll want to keep both for yourself. I’m ordering even more – one for each child to keep on the stroller, one for my regular dose of caffeine and necessities, two for hanging in the van so I can ditch those blasted carseat cup holders, four to live on our bikes…

Hmmm, get yours fast before I put them out of stock!

I’m a labeling freak. There are labels everywhere in my house – even the bin that holds the labels is labeled!

Lovable Labels is a Canadian mom-run company that carries a large selection of customized labels as well as some cool stuff to help a mom around the house. Goodness knows I need all the help I can get.

My kids especially love their unique fun stickies that are shaped like butterflies and dinosaurs and are available in lots more cool shapes (pictured at right). Believe it or not, they’re less likely to leave their things lying around the park when they have their own special label on them. And for those days when they do, I’ve got a better chance of getting them back eventually!

Have a child with allergies or medical issues? Check out these cool vital ID wristbands. The kids I know would be much more comfortable wearing those than a metal bracelet. And while you’re looking for things that make your kids ecstatically happy? Personalized notecards and way cool books would be fantastic gifts. Is it too early to shop for stocking stuffers? I think not.

Mention that you heard about Lovable Labels through the The Opinionated Parent during the checkout process and receive 15 FREE Red Regular Sticker Bonus Labels with your purchase. One per family. Expires May 30, 2008.

Now that I’ve got two children with tentative plans for more (did I just say that?) I have had to find ways to make this baby a lot more portable. While I’m a devoted baby wearer, it’s not always comfortable or convenient and sometimes my two year old just wants to have his mama all to himself. For those times, I am in love with the baby zabu™ from wagamama baby.

Whassa wagamama? (That’s exactly what my husband and my son both asked. Genetics much?) It means “spoiled rotten” in Japanese.

My own spoiled rotten baby now gets to enjoy the great outdoors and the living room floor alike in the zabu, a luxuriously soft mat with tie-up soft bumper walls that’s a playpen alternative for babies of the non-mobile variety and a playpen insert for when you need a little more security with added padding and cleanliness. Leave it untied for a great playmat too.

When you’re done, the baby zabu™ rolls up like a way cushy yoga mat and comes with a coordinating shoulder strap for travel or storage.

The baby zabu™ is currently available in two sizes and nine styles which include two eco-friendly bamboo options and range from $88 – $135.

Save 15% with the code TOP15 until 5/31/08.

Merry Christmas Eve! Between waiting for a baby to arrive and entertaining both side of my family (with a lot of help) I’m hoping to be able to continue to pump out a few reviews and contests over the holidays so be sure to check your RSS readers or pop in each day to see what great things we’ve got to share with you!

Merry Christmas, from all of us to all of you. Enjoy the most precious people in your life this holidays season!

Silikids is a company run by two moms that specializes in cool silicone products for kids. So far there are four products in their line up, each of which are equally cool.

Whether you put breastmilk or a substitute in to a bottle, you’ve got to be concerned about all of the chemicals from plastic that we now know without a doubt leach into the liquid and are linked to all kids of horrible illnesses. We know that glass bottles are the best if you choose to use a bottle but, though they’re thick and safer in many ways than plastics, it’s still a little scary to put glass in the hands of a child. Especially once they learn to throw.

Siliskins, pictures at right, come in 4oz. & 8 oz. sizes and are translucent silicone ‘bottle condoms,’ for lack of a better term, that are microwave safe, hypo-allergenic and dishwasher friendly. They allow you to easily see how much is in the bottle, make it easy & safe to hold and also protect it if it should fall. As a test, we dropped one from a height of 5 feet onto both a carpeted and a linoleum floor and there was absolutely no damage to the bottle or the skin.

Some bottle covers can only be used with a proprietary bottle but Siliskins are designed to fit the Evenflo glass nurser which is easy to find across the continent. The 8 oz. retails for $12 and the 4 oz. for $10, and both include one bottle.

If you’ve got a little crawler, check out these awesome Silipads – silicone knee pads. If you’ve tried it with your kids, you are well aware that crawling can hurt! Silipads are super cute and available in four hip & bright colour combos (seen at left), easy to get on and off and machine washable. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Last but not least in the Silikids lineup is the Silibib – a food grade silicone bib that lies completely flat against the chest and didn’t even stain when we used it at a spaghetti dinner. Miraculous? I’d say. It wipes clean easily with a wet cloth or you can just toss it in with the dishes for a thorough cleaning.

I think I’m in love with silicone and, therefore, with Silikids.

We’ve got one 4 oz. and one 8 oz. bottle in Siliskins to give to one lucky reader. To enter the random draw, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with Silikids in the subject line by midnight MST on 12/31/07 and tell us one good reason to use silicone (from the website, please). Congratulations Lucinda!

Please include your full name and mailing address with your entry, and a blog link if applicable so we can link you up if you win. Entries without a mailing address are invalid. (Please note that these are deleted after the draws and are never sold or given to anyone.)

If you have a toddler and you haven’t got a KABOOST, you don’t know what you’re missing.

At about 17 months my son began to occasionally refuse his booster because, quite frankly, he got my control freak streak and hates to be strapped in if he’s “in one of those moods” and/or not absolutely famished. We’ve tried letting him sit right at the table without his tray many times but his booster seat didn’t allow him to be pulled close enough and he was eye level with the table without it.

With KABOOST, we’ve found our answer.

It’s a lightweight chair booster that fits under the legs of any 4 legged seat and lifts the whole thing closer to the table. There are two different heights (4.5” and 3.75”) adjusted simply by flipping it over. The height adjustment feature is great for growing kids and also for different table styles. My son could probably use the higher seat height right now at 19.5 months but his legs would be crushed by the edge of the table and the shorter one is certainly good enough to make him happy and comfortable at the table.

The KABOOST folds up small for portability and each of the four legs is tightly spring loaded to grip the legs of your chair safely, whether they’re round or square, fat or skinny. Since it increases the base measurement of the chair, it actually increases the stability slightly. A nice touch for a monkey like my son!

The KABOOST retails for $40 and is available in three colours.

If only they made these for short moms.

(Wait. They hold up to 300 pounds! What do you think the wait staff would say if I brought my own KABOOST for my bar stool?)

Save 20% on your KABOOST order until January 31, 2008
with the code kaboostday

One randomly selected lucky T.O.P. reader will win a KABOOST in their choice of colour. To enter, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with KABOOST in the subject line and list the three available colour choices before midnight MST on 12/19/07. Please include your complete mailing address and blog link if you’d like us to link you up if you win. Congratulations Betty!

I was excited to hear about Lily On The Fly because, though I consider myself a good cook, I rarely remember to plan meals in advance and am often throwing something together at the last minute or eating appetizers for supper.

When the starter kit arrived in the mail it was even better than I thought it would be. It’s not just recipe cards – it really is a complete family meal planning kit that includes a deck of 36 meal cards and a 7 slot magnetic organizer so your whole week of meals is easily accessible on your fridge. The cards are colour coded into main dishes, side dishes and treats for easy planning, and each card has easy to follow instructions for day-before/morning prep as well as the last minute toss-together instructions. Turn the magnetic holder over and the back of each card becomes your shopping list for the week.

Brilliant, isn’t it? It really is the total package.

There are recipes that take a little bit of prep and recipes that take hardly any so you can plan your weekly according to your schedule and always have something yummy to eat. My favourite recipe so far? Cheesy potato soup. Perfect for a cold Canadian winter! There are currently two 36 card expansion packs available for $10.95 each in addition to the starter kit which sells for $15.95.

This would make an awesome gift for anyone, but especially a family with a new baby looking to do something that I find very challenging for the first several months of newborn life. Eating warm food at least once a day. Is that just me?

Use the discount code OP to save 10% until 1/15/08!

Lily on the Fly is giving a Complete Hearty Meals Collection to one T.O.P. reader. To enter the random draw, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com before midnight MST on 12/10/07 with Lily on the Fly in the subject line and tell us the three ‘on the fly’ steps to creating great hearty meals! Congratulations Katalin!

My first child never once drank from a bottle. To be honest, it never concerned me at all because I nursed until he self-weaned onto a cup and I was never away from him for more than a couple of hours anyway. I was just going for a back up plan should anything have happened to me so that my child wouldn’t starve. I really didn’t want him to eat out of anything plastic anyway.

However…for the next one soon to arrive, I’m hoping for slightly more success on that front to allow me to spend some 1-1 time with my oldest that doesn’t revolve around the hourly nursing sessions that are bound to happen. However, being the *ahem* …persnickety…mother that I am I will not be putting my ‘liquid gold’ into a plastic bottle that leaches carcinogens. I’ve looked for glass bottle and they’re rather hard to come by in Hickville, Canada. When I have found them they were not very attractive (granted, not the most important factor) and didn’t look all that safe to me past the point of feeding a baby that literally doesn’t move in your arms.

And that’s why I was giddy to find the newest bottle on the scene from BabyLife – the Wee Go bottle. It’s your typical (recyclable) glass bottle with a non-toxic, non-plastic silicone sleeve that not only helps babies and parents keep a solid grip but also protects the bottle from breakage in all but fairly extreme drops. The bottle, sleeve and new French nipple can both be boiled or can go through the dishwasher together or alone. (If you have an old sample like the one we’re giving away below, the non-toxic silicone nipple needs to be hand-washed.) The ring, plug and cap are plastic, but are food grade, polycarbonate-free and also recyclable. At $18 for each bottle they’re not for everyone (or not several days worth anyway, but one or two might be do-able) but they’re certainly the best option I’ve seen for older bottle-lovers and out-of-the-house bottle feedings. And persnickety moms like me.

WeeGo bottles will be available in early November.

We’re giving one away in “sky” along with a white 3-6 month onesie from BabyLife. To enter, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with WeeGo in the subject line before midnight tonight and tell us the name of one other sleeve colour that’s available. Congratulations Shaila!

My newest summer love…

We’re popsicle folks around here (with +37 C temps for a month, you would be too…) but we’re constantly doing laundry and resorting to ludicrous stain removal techniques to remove the remains of the icy treat from the kids’ clothing.

We used to, that is.

From now on we’ll be serving popsicles in the Dripstik.

It’s an ingenious little piece of plastic that holds a popsicle (or any other treat on a stick) in one end and an ice cream cone in the other and catches all of the drips in a little cup surrounding the icy treat. Our product testers all reported that the Dripstik really did catch ALL of the drips! Another feature that was very well received is the thick handle which was easy to hold even for the teeniest of toddlers.

At only $4.99 each, they make the perfect party favour for a summer party. (And only $4.05 shipping no matter where you live for any amount except a case of 24. Gotta love it!)

Get 10% off your orders with the code 0707. Go on – you know you want to!

You can find the Dripstik in our TOP Shops where we post permanent and exclusive online shopping discounts just for T.O.P. readers!

Price Products LLC. is giving away a Dripstik gift set valued at $19.99 USD (pictured at left) to one lucky T.O.P. reader. The gift set includes 4 Dripstiks, 1 plastic ice cream scoop, and a recipe book in a gift box. To be entered in the random draw, email theopinionatedparent@gmail.com with DRIPSTIK in the subject line and tell us the name of the couple behind Price Products and the Dripstik. Contest closes Friday night, 7/27/07, at midnight MST. Congratulations Jenny B!