Kids. Whether they’re on the autism spectrum, have a sensory processing disorder or are just kids easily annoyed by seams, they and everyone around them will be grateful for our find of SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks. They’re the first I’ve seen that are 100% truly seamless and they’re also form-fitting ensuring that there are no wrinkles or bunches. A form-fitting design hugs little feet and makes SmartKnitKIDS perfect for infant & toddler socks. No matter how wiggly the child, the socks don’t come off. SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks do not have a heel so they can easily and confidently be slipped on and allows them to worn until they’re worn out rather than outgrown. They’re made of smart fabric that’s both antimicrobial and moisture wicking for comfortable and less-stinky little feet.

SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks are available from TheraWear for about $6/pair.

Win it! We’re giving away three pairs of gender neutral SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks. To enter, simply comment on this post before noon mst on March 22, 2010.

My kids are of the rare type who have never tried ranch dressing, as dip or otherwise. I’ve not yet attempted to make my own, and I don’t feed my family chemicals in a bottle so they’ve just never had it. We use hummus and a variety of other bean dips when we feel the need for dip. Honestly, I could eat a good hummus with a spoon so I wasn’t hard to convince when I was contacted to do a review for Tribe Hummus.

Tribe Hummus has no artificial preservatives, is free of saturated fats, free of trans fats, free of hydrogenated oils & free of cholesterol, is non-dairy, vegan friendly, and certified kosher.

But does it taste good?

Heck yes!

The classic and the garlic roasted are pretty plain, which is great for some but not to my personal taste, but the roasted red pepper is fabulously sweet and my daughter’s favourite and the 40 spices is mildly spicy & flavourful & absolutely delicious.

The Tribe Hummus rep sent along three recipe ideas for cooking with kids that I’d love to share with you.

Hummus and Veggie Pizza: Give each child a tortilla on a plate. Place Tribe Garlic Roasted Hummus, low fat mozzarella cheese and precut vegetables in bowls in the middle of the table. Let the kids spread the hummus on the tortilla with the back of a spoon and top with cheese and arrange vegetables into faces or fun shapes. Adults can place hummus pizza in a 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and edges are golden brown. After pizza cools kids can enjoy their personal pizzas!

Kangaroo Pouches: Whole wheat pita bread halves pose as empty kangaroo pouches that need filling. Set out a variety of ingredients and ask the kids to fill their kangaroo’s pouch for a tasty snack or lunch. Try Roasted Red Pepper Tribe Hummus, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and cheese, or cream cheese, peanut butter and sliced bananas. Let the kids help prepare the ingredients too. (As a non-hummus aside, my children LOVE natural peanut butter and sliced fresh strawberries in a pouch.)

Foods From Many Lands: Find out what country or region is your child studying in school and browse through cookbooks, websites, and magazines with your child to find recipes from that area to make for the family. Create a theme night around a specific country such as Israel to learn more about their rich history with hummus. It’s a tasty and fun way to reinforce what’s being learned at school!

No matter how you use hummus in your household, it’s a super healthy addition to your diet and an awesome and fast snack/spread/dip for your whole family.

Tribe has just released four flavours of certified organic hummus that I can’t wait to try!

Win it! One randomly selected winner will receive two VIP coupons for free Tribe Hummus. Comment on this post before noon mst on March 5 to enter.

Ordering eyeglasses on the internet is something I never thought I’d do. I figured it was just too risky.

Then I got an email from Glasses USA requesting a review and jumped on the chance to let them prove me wrong. We had recently gotten new prescriptions, so got my very poorly sighted husband some titanium (read: hopefully child resistant) specs in the Air Black style. He has been wearing prescription glasses since he was a small boy, and was very impressed by not only the range of styles available but also the fabulous prices. The style he chose was only $80 including the lenses, and he’s never had a pair under $350 in the past. When the glasses arrived, I immediately opened them even though the rightful owner wasn’t home because I am a curious cat. They looked great, and look equally great on my husband. The only complaint is that what were supposed to be super thin lenses are actually rather thick and thicker than any he’s ever had which makes them slightly less clear than they should be. He won’t drive in them because of that, but if I’m driving or if we’re hanging out at home he wears them regularly.

My other concern about ordering eyeglass frames online was that I wouldn’t like them or they wouldn’t fit and then I’d be stuck with them. Glasses USA offers a satisfaction guarantee. If, even after you check the very specific measurements that they provide, they don’t fit or even if you just don’t like the style you can just send them back for your choice of a refund or a replacement. There’s really nothing to lose! Though there was the lens thickness concern with our review pair, we didn’t return them because, well, they were free. And they work. And they look great!

Win it! A free pair of glasses with single vision lenses is up for grabs! Simply comment below before noon mst on February 28 to enter. Become a Glasses USA fan on Facebook or follow them on Twitter for additional entries (comment separately for each entry, please.) These are in addition to the 5 entries you can get in every TOP giveaway.

Remember Sade?

I barely did. Soldier of Love is only the sixth studio album the band Sade have released during their 25 year career, and the first since Lovers Rock in 2000. For Sade herself, as the lynchpin of the group’s songwriting effort, it’s a simple matter of integrity and authenticity. “I only make records when I feel I have something to say. I’m not interested in releasing music just for the sake of selling something. Sade is not a brand.”

Soldier of Love was released last week, just in time for Valentine’s Day. It contains ten tracks that all flow together seamlessly. It’s beautiful music through and though, carrying the theme that love can and does conquer all. You can listen to a couple of tracks that are streaming at inmusic.ca.

Buy it in the USA or Canada
from Amazon.

Win it! We’re giving away two copies of Sade’s Soldier of Love. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on February 22, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

Victoria Dixon, of the Orkney Islands, North Scotland is an incredibly talented artist who was able to put her talents to good use with the creation of her work-from-home business Enhance Me. She provides restoration and enhancement services for your photographs.

TOP contributor Michelle reviewed Enhance Me in 2007 and now we’ve brought her back with her new Valentine’s Gallery. Brew a love potion, take a ride in the love boat or become the cutest little Cupid – Victoria can turn your child in to pretty much anything. The image you see above is my two favourite people. The original image I sent her was not so great – kids just out of the bath in their jammies with wet hair…nothing I’d have edited for printing, that’s for sure, but they had great smiles. Victoria said she’d work with it, and you can see what she came up with. Magical.

Victoria’s talent impresses even the Photoshop savvy of us, because it’s not easy to digitally cut out individual curls of hair. At least, it’s not for me. She can take your child of any age and plunk them seamlessly into any setting. Princess castle, Spiderman, the North Pole, the Wild West…the possibilities are endless.

Enhance Me art makes a great grandparent gift and an awesome personalized children’s gift that doesn’t collect dust for any occasion.

Save 10% on your order with the code OPBG10.
This code is the newest addition to our TOP Shops, where you can find exclusive and permanent discount codes just for TOP readers from some of the great companies we’ve featured.

Win it! Victoria is giving away one custom enhancement to a T.O.P. reader. To enter, visit her site and comment with your fave(s). Due to technical issues, we’ve extended this contest to close at noon mst on FEB 24, 2010.

SnapHaven is guaranteeing the storage for life. They go on to explain in their FAQ section that they have a deal with the company that owns the servers in order to make such promises. I have had a scare, where my laptop died suddenly I was completely freaking out. Thankfully everything was restored to its former glory. Can you imagine not having your baby’s birth pictures, the first time they walked, or any of the many moments we capture in digital format?!?! I now have all my pictures backed up on an external hard drive as well as on disk. However having additional storage is so not a bad thing.

As for SnapHaven’s format, it is smooth and appealing. Their uploading client is nice, a tad slow and I could not find any desktop software to speed up the process. The uploader stretched out my browser window to the max width, which was dreadfully annoying. An iPhoto plugin would totally rock and would make it even easier to upload photos.

SnapHaven has a very easy print option, however the company that does the printing does not ship to Canada, as far as I could tell when I looked around. The prices are reasonable if you are in the US, at 19 cents for a 4×6. There is also the option to create photo gifts, which are always popular with family.

The ability to share your photos with friends and family is a plus with SnapHaven. You can send them an individual picture or a link to an album. You can also set the settings so that they can download the pictures, then print them themselves if they chose, or to make the pictures not downloadable.

SnapHaven has a new program where specialists at SnapHaven do the hard work, they will scan, sort, and upload your photos, wherever you keep them, even grab them from other photo sites if you keep your pics there. Making it easier for you, especially if you are storing your photos in more than one photo sharing site.

Privacy, one-time fees, an attractive interface, guaranteed for life and they will even do the work for you, make SnapHaven a must for photo storage. -by Chelle

Win it! SnapHaven is giving away a package of credits for 10,000 photos valued at $129.99 to one T.O.P. reader. To enter, simply comment on this post. Due to technical issues, we’ve extended this contest to close at noon mst on FEB 24, 2010.

Not me, that’s for sure. And I even have a few shops of my own, so that’s rather sad.

My favourite new items are their customized ornaments. Yes, I do realize it’s nearly Valentine’s Day, but that means you’re finally getting around to editing your Christmas photos, right? And now you’re ready to order (or win!) your special ornament to hang on the tree next year, right?

I thought so!

Actually, there’s Hannukah and even many ornaments that are generic enough to hang all year. You can also choose a full-bleed style with only a photo.

What I love about it is it’s simplicity. Choose your ornament, upload your photo, edit your text, click to order. That’s it. And being CafePress, you know it’s going to be delivered quickly and for very little money.

For fifteen bucks, this is a great ornament for your hard earned coin.

Win it! CafePress is giving one T.O.P. reader an ornament of their very own free-like-a-bird. To enter, check them out and choose yours. Comment below to enter. Due to technical issues, we’ve extended this contest to close at noon mst on FEB 24, 2010.

I’ve mentioned I Can Do That Games in the past and we recently received two more games from them that have quickly become family favourites.

Richard Scarry’s BusyTown Eye found it! Game is my son’s new favourite game. He’s about 3 1/2 and it’s just the perfect age for him, but I could see it working wonderfully in my classroom full of 6 & 7 year olds as well. The game consists of a giant 6-foot long game board in three sections that connect like a puzzle, 4 mover pieces and bases to stand them up, a spinner, a cardboard ferry tile, 6 food tiles, 10 magnifying glass tokens, 30 Goldbug cards and a sand timer.

Players race through Busytown, teaming up every time someone spins a “Goldbug” to search for whatever item is on the card that they flip over. (Wow, that was an awkward sentence.) They’re racing toward the ferry that will take them to Picnic Island where there are two pigs slowly devouring the food. Together they need to get to the island before the food is all gone.

There are so many things that I love about this game. Each player strives to move as far on the game board as they can, but because the ultimate goal is to get everyone to the island there’s a wonderful component of teamwork that’s absent from most board games. Because the game is so large and you’re pretty much forced to play it on the floor, it allows children to move around as they play and doesn’t attempt to force them into a chair for an extended period of time. Like a search & find book, it promotes attention to detail and builds confidence as children search for an find the items on the Goldbug cards that they flip over when the spinner lands on that icon.

The BusyTown game is available from Amazon and absolutely makes my list of top ten preschooler gifts. Rated 10/10 by my two little peeps – it’s fabulous.

The other game we received was Dr. Seuss’ Super Stretchy ABC Game. Think a preschooler sized version of Twister with a more educational focus. The game includes an oversized mat, a game board with a Thing 1 and Thing 2 Tornado Tube, 34 Letter tiles, 4 Toy boxes and 15 Word cards.

This game encourages letter and picture recognition, develops early word-building skills, uses both fine and gross motor skills and gets players twisting, turning and stretching while they play. “Can you put your hand on the letter E—while placing your foot on the letter K—AND still put your ear on the letter Q? You’ve got to be super-stretchy to meet the challenge!” In this silly game of physical challenges and alphabet fun, kids spin the Thing 1 and Thing 2 Tornado Tube to deal out letter-to-body-part challenges. Then it’s time to for the players to get down on the colorful, oversized Dr. Seuss alphabet mat (one child on the mat at a time – those developers have met preschoolers!) and stretch, turn and twist to put their body and brain to the test! My children gave this game a 8/10 – not as loved as the Busytown one, but certainly a great game that they enjoy.

Super Stretch ABC is also available from Amazon.

Win it! I Can Do That Games is giving away these two fab games to one T.O.P. reader. To enter, comment below before noon mst on Feburary 15, 2010. You can get up to 5 entries in every T.O.P. contest- just check the rules!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

At times in the Canadian prairies it’s tough to find those great natural & open ended toys that many of us believe in (toys that allow children to play…and learn…without getting overstimulated or ingesting nasty chemicals) without paying insane shipping charges and customs fees. We recently discovered a northern Albertan company, Play and Learn Toys, that solves that problem for parents all over Canada. Owner Narissa Singh, a UNB Business graduate, has lived in northern Alberta for nearly ten years and struggled to find Canadian sources for quality toys for her own children. She has chosen to offer a super array of products from some great manufacturers known for their quality & safety, and runs her business out of her home since her tiny town doesn’t have retail space for a store.

Play & Learn Toys carries many products that I’ve seen on European sites and been curious about, so I was thrilled to see that they’re available in Canada now – and being from a mom-run business makes it even better!

My children are absolutely loving their new Stepped Pyramid ($54.99) from Grimms. It consists of a square wooden base filled with blocks in a variety of colours, sizes and versatile shapes. With an open ended toy like this, the possibilities for learning are endless. We now use them daily for imaginative building play and they’ve been castles, rocketships, dragons, post offices, houses and so much more. That’s the thing with great toys – they don’t do the imagining or noisemaking for you, so they can be anything at any time. Grimms’ products are made in Germany of wood and non-toxic colourings.

Another super product the Play & Learn Toys carries is Contina by Bamboo ($29.99). This is not just another sets of blocks. Contina includes a rainbow of colors, black and natural finishes on 100 bamboo sticks which are small and lightweight for children 3 years and up. Combine colors, create a rainbow, stack lengthwise like dominos or pile them high for tons of creative fun. The possibilities are endless with Contina. It’s no wonder that Contina won the Best Toy award from Child’s Magazine.

Join Play & Learn Toys on Facebook.

Save 10% on your order with the code TOP10.

Win it! You can win a set of Contina by Bamboo from Play and Learn Toys. To enter, visit the Play & Learn Toys shop and comment here with another yet un-mentioned toy or item from the shop that you kinda dig. Contest closes at noon mst on February 9, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

NYC-based singer/songwriter Bari Koral’s new CD, Rock and Roll Garden gets top ratings from my children. It’s taken top spot in our musical rotation since it’s arrival and the kids have even been taking it to their dayhome for their dance parties.

My husband and I have been heard calling to each other with “Hey duckies!” and replying “Hey, What?”

Get the CD and you’ll start too – you won’t be able to help it.

Dubbed the “Sheryl Crow for kids” by the NY Post, Bari Koral is just the perfect mix of kiddie & folksy that makes everyone want to sing along. For days and days after they last hear the CD.

This CD’s getting played so much here that I’m going to rip it to my iTunes before it gets wrecked – if that happens there will be two very unhappy campers.

Win it! Comment here before noon mst on Feb. 8/10 to enter to win a copy of this super CD!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

You may have heard of Perricone MD and the Dr. Perricone Products – when I received their pitch I knew the name sounded familiar but wasn’t sure where from. Turns out it was probably Oprah. Founder Dr. Nicholas Perricone is a board certified clinical and research dermatologist, and his line of “cosmeceuticals” are big with the big wigs.

I received some Advanced Eye Area Therapy to review.

Some information on the product and it’s ingredients, according to the Perricone MD website:
Advanced Eye Area Therapy is formulated with DMAE and Alpha Lipoic Acid to help prevent and correct the early signs of aging that appear around the delicate eye area, making us look older than we really are. It minimizes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and puffiness, while diminishing dark circles and discoloration with Vitamin C Ester. Paraben-free.

Alpha Lipoic Acid – Patented
- The ultimate antioxidant protects the cell
- Diminishes fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration
- Refines skin texture
- Reduces pore size, puffiness, imperfections and uneven skin tone

DMAE – Patented
- Provides ultimate contouring benefits to skin beginning to lose elasticity
- Delivers lifted, tightened and toned appearance to the skin
- Diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

Vitamin C Ester – Patented
- A powerful antioxidant that improves firmness and elasticity
- Diminishes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and discoloration
- Imparts a radiant, smooth and luminous appearance

INGREDIENTS: Aqua (Water), Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate (Vitamin C Ester), Aminobutyric Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phosphatidylcholine, Thioctic Acid (Alpha-Lipoic Acid), Caffeine, Niacinamide, Ceteareth-20, Borago Officinalis (Borage) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Oil, Squalane, Folic Acid, Tocophersolan, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethyl MEA (DMAE), Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Oil, Phytonadione, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbyl Palmitate (Vitamin C Ester), Tocotrienols, Hexylene Glycol, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Astaxanthin.

My first thoughts pre-application? Dr. Perricone appears to have hired an overzealous Photoshop artist. Why do people insist on plastering their face on things they want people to buy? A fancy logo would have been a better choice, in my ever so humble opinion. Not that that has anything to do with the actual product. It’s just what popped into my head. Also, a hundred buckaroos for a teensy little eye cream that lasts 6 weeks? Yeesh. No wonder Oprah likes it. That’s pocket change to a celeb, but would feed my children for a week. See that bottle over there? Yep, you read that right. Half an ounce. Half of a shot glass. Mmm hmmm.

However, I must say that while my “fine lines” aren’t even close to being gone and don’t look much different when I’m critiquing my face while an inch from the mirror, I felt that there was a definite difference in the way the skin around my eyes looked after a month of using Advanced Eye Area Therapy morning and night. A little…tighter maybe? Or less puffy? I am chronically sleep deprived (aren’t we all?) and I’m pretty sure this stuff reduced my dark circles so that deprivation wasn’t quite so evident. I can’t really decide what it did, but it did do something that my regular cream doesn’t do. For the first few days there was a little bit of stinging after application (reminiscent of the retin-A of my teenage years) but it wasn’t bad – not even bad enough to be annoying, but just…there – and didn’t persist after those first days.

While it’s not something I’d ever have the luxury of purchasing, it certainly is something I’d consider should I ever win the lottery. After surgery, of course. (But with this link you can get a half-size (0.25 oz) and a small size of another facial product for $30. If you want to try it, that’s the route I’d suggest if you’re not rolling in cash but want to see how celeb faces live.)

Check out the Perricone MD blog for lots of information and customer reviews. There are definitely lots of honest ones there.

Win it! Enter to win some advanced eye area therapy just by commenting below before noon mst on February 2, 2010. Why do you want it? Any bad experiences with products in the past? Winner, as always, will be randomly drawn from all comments – whether you answer those questions or not.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I’m one of those mom’s who sends thank you cards for everything – the children help me choose the image and we make them in Photoshop since they’re too young to print, but they get the gist of it and the meaning behind it. This year, though, my 3 year old son scribbled his thanks to a few people in his new Bugaboo Notes. Personalized with his name and adorned with a cute little alien dude, they’re just cute enough to be special to him without being over the top barfy. As somewhat of a self-proclaimed an early literacy specialist (I teach it daily, but have no specific specialty on my degrees) I am very big on children writing daily & with a purpose. With these notes and many other products from Bugaboo Announcements writing is much more fun than it is in a scribbler. After all, what child doesn’t love anything with their name on it? Even better if their special name is hanging on someone else’s fridge.

Save 10% on your Bugaboo Announcements order until Feb 28, 2010 with the code opinionated.

Win it! Bugaboo Announcements is giving away a 12 pack of personalized note cards to one lucky T.O.P. reader. To enter, comment below with your choice of notecard before noon mst on January 25, 2009. The winner will be contacted for specifics via email.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

We live in the land of toboganning, snow angels and daily snowman creation, and not much ends a snow-play afternoon quicker than frozen fingers, snow in the sleeves or mittens buried in a snow pile. With our recent discovery of Smittens, from Canadian company January Baby, we no longer have that problem with our two year old. Smittens are no-escape mitten for children between 6 months and 2.5 years that they can’t take off. They come in 4 sizes and 7 different colour combinations. They’re made with soft, warm, Canadian-milled Blizzard brand polar fleece and are made in Canada for Canadian winters. Well, for any cold kid, really, but if they’re good in Canada they’re good anywhere, right?

So how do they work? You place your child’s hand into one pocket, wrap the Smitten around the child’s back and place the other hand in the other pocket. Then put on the child’s jacket or snowsuit, and that’s it! The pockets will come up to the child’s elbows so there is no way the child can pull them off, but an adult can easily pull one off and get it back on for snacking and nose-picking emergencies. Smittens are loved by parents all over North America, and are available online ($15) and in select baby boutiques.

Win it! We’ve got a selection of Smittens to give away to T.O.P. readers. To enter, comment with your choice before noon mst on January 19, 2009. Your choices are (1)size large primary, (2)size medium blue or (3) size small two-tone green.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

Not THE common cold. Not the one that involves lots of snot and ears that feel like they’ve been stuffed with cotton.

The Nuddle cures cold – like the thermometer dipping kind of cold. The Canadian kind of cold, even.

The Nuddle Blanket (nap + cuddle = nuddle) is a truly luxurious blanket. Whether you have the adult version ($68), the kids version ($48) or the baby version ($38), you’ll be amazed when you feel the fabric. Just pure ultra-plush heaven. It has holes for your arms, a foot pocket and an outer hand pouch like a muff. The arm openings are just the perfect size – not large enough to let a bunch of cold air in but large enough to fit pretty much anyone’s arm.

The Nuddle Kids blanket (which my two fight over constantly – “It’s MINE!” “No, it’s MINE!”- comes in three delicious colours: cherry, fudge, & blueberry, and is the perfect size for children from about 2-12 after which they’d likely be ready for an adult Nuddle. (Though it says 4 and above, my daughter who will be 2 in a week or so would fight you on that and she’d win. She always does. I have no idea where she gets that from. Heh.)

The Nuddle Baby (available in neutral oatmeal, bubblegum pink & cloud blue) is the newest Nuddle product and it’s intended for use in the stroller. It measures 24″ x 32″ and has the classic Nuddle foot pocket and holes for the five-point safety harness on your stroller. While I no longer have a baby who rides in a stroller (sniff) I asked a local new mama to test the Nuddle Baby for us and her words follow: “Wow, this is an amazing stroller blanket! It’s impossible to get it to fall off, even in our crazy winds, and it’s SO soft! The foot pocket is fantastic and keeps my little guy snuggly no matter how long our walks are. What a great product!”

Sure, they’re not as cheap as a Snuggie, but have you felt a Snuggie? They’re only worth the $10-$20 you’ll pay for them and not a penny more. It’s like comparing a Lamborghini to a Kia, so don’t bother. (If you’re desperate for sleeves, which you needn’t be, then shun the Snuggie and get a Slanket. Trust me.) < /ramble > If you want a quality blanket that washes well over and over again, that keeps you & your babies warm & cozy and may prevent you from leaving the house because you’re just to darn cozy, then you need a Nuddle.

Win it! We’ve got a Nuddle Kids in fudge and a Nuddle Baby in oatmeal to give away to one very lucky T.O.P. reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on January 15, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED!

We’re asked to review food items on the reg, and most of those requests are denied due to the presence of ingredients that we won’t feed our family. We were overjoyed, however, to accept a request from the folks at Veggie Patch. A large box recently arrived on my doorstep. It was lined with styrofoam in the form of a makeshift cooler and at least twenty solid ice packs surrounded our samples of veggie and cheese bites. I was impressed by the effort they took to get them to us in the great white North safely. We were sent the spinach, broccoli, corn and portabella bites.

We had a selection of the Veggie Patch “nuggets” for lunch immediately after they arrived. (Patience is not my strong suit.) Having only tried the spinach ones in the past, I was excited to sample the other flavours. The spinach ones are good, but in my opinion Costco chose the wrong one to stock. The other three are GREAT! My children will eat a few spinach nuggets, but they each ate at least ten when we offered the whole variety. My personal fave was the broccoli, but they’re all delicious. Veggie Patch veggie & cheese bites are all natural (not organic) and are good sources of fiber, protein, and vitamins (which vitamins depends on which one you’re eating, but mainly vitamins A, C & calcium). They contain no MSG, no trans-fats and are 100% vegetarian. My own children have never seen a chicken nugget and eat a boat load of vegetables so these are just a special treat for us, but if you’re in the habit of letting your children eat processed foods then these products would be particularly beneficial toward getting vegetables into their little bodies.

We’ve had the Spinach Nuggets in the past from our local Costco and they’re good but not as good as the spinach veggie & cheese bites – I think it’s the fact that there’s more cheese and less spinach in these ones since they’re geared toward children. We’ve also had the Veggie Patch falafel balls from Costco, and they’re absolutely awesome – particularly dipped in hummus!

Win it! Two winners will each receive their choice of two packages of veggie & cheese bites from Veggie Patch. Which two would you like? Comment with your choices before noon mst on January 11, 2009 to be entered to win.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

When I had my first baby five years ago, I was at a loss for music choices. Somehow the hard rock I was accustomed to listening to seemed a little hard for baby and me.

Since then we have experimented with many different combinations to the classics like the Beetles, to new artists that cater to the young. The Good Ms. Padgett by Anna Padgett is totally a CD a would have loved to have five years ago. The songs are cute and fun to sing along to with a baby. My 5 year old wasn’t really into it, but the CD is not intented for her age group. Whereas my toddler gladly bopped along to the silly, fun songs.

Part of the turn off for my 5 year old was the song about cats. She is a huge cat lover and was turned off that the baby would mistreat the cat, that the cat would not like the baby and that someone would sing about it. She did not catch the humour in it. Since we have had animals with children all along I have to agree with her, that babies are to be taught that cat’s do not like certain things and to be gentle.

Granted the song about poop was a hit with all my kids.

The tunes on the album, The Good Ms. Padgett by Anna Padgett are sweet, soothing, sound great and for a mom are fun to sing along with. You can check out The Good Ms. Padgett on MySpace at www.myspace.com/thegoodmspadgett - by Chelle

Win it! Three T.O.P. readers will be randomly selected from comments left before noon mst on January 2, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway is a new memoir of a boy who is diagnosed with autism (asd) at the age of three. Wills is incredibly high functioning but is bothered by certain textures and loud noises. Stopping at nothing to help their child succeed and convinced that the unconditional love of a pet would help him, they finally found Cowboy, a female golden pup, for Christmas when he was in kindergarten.

This honest memoir will make your heart ache. At once you’ll cry for her as a fellow mother and want to choke her for being such a twit. It’s an easy read that will make you laugh, make you cry and leave you full of hope.

Win it! We’re giving away a signed copy of Cowboy & Wills to one reader who comments before noon mst on December 31, 2009. Happy New Year reading!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Picture It Picture Books is a super great Canadian company that I’m thrilled to share with you.

Alicia and Leanne, a teacher and a lawyer respectively, have written three books (so far) which, as a mother and a teacher, I think are brilliant. They’re designed to aid in the development of imagination and hone the skill of visualization in all children. These smart ladies have written the stories, but the pages in the books are blank canvases waiting to be filled with your child’s illustrations.

You know when you read a great book and then the movie is disappointing because your imagination was so much better than what anyone else could create? With Picture It Picture Books children draw whatever they imagine as they read the story and are never disappointed to find out that their imagination wasn’t “right.”

If there’s one thing that embodies childhood, it’s imagination. Any product that fosters that for people of any age is tops in my book.

The pages are made from 30% post-consumer recycled paper, and the books make a treasured keepsake. It’s a new way to engage in story time with your child (which I sincerely hope you’re doing daily in whatever way you’re doing it) and your child will be so proud to share these books with their friends, classmates and grandparents once they’re completed.

Win it! We’ve got a package of Picture It Picture Books to give away to one reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on December 29, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

The Hipwaders new Christmas album, A Kindie Christmas, is a treat like no other. With ten all original songs, none of which are what I expected, it’s a family friendly calorie-free dish for the holidays!

You can get some free downloads here. Add them to your iTunes and get those kids dancin’!

Win it! FIVE winners will get a signed copy! Comment here before noon mst on December 30, 2009 to be entered, and don’t forget to get yourself some extra entries too.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

I’m a bonafide latte addict and I can’t live without espresso. However, the third one in a day gives me a nasty case of the jitters. I’ve recently discovered that I can replace every hot drink after the first with the new to North America red espresso®, a premium Rooibos tea espresso product. It originated in Cape Town, South Africa (created by Western Cape farmer and former coffee addict, Carl Pretorius when he was seeking a healthy alternative to caffeine) and is made from 100% premium Rooibos tea refined under a patented process to an espresso grind similar to coffee.

It’s extra cool in it’s fusion of two fast-growing global trends: café culture and good health – and so it’s being embraced by tea and coffee lovers alike. It offers a sophisticated, delicious way to drink tea and a naturally caffeine-free alternative to coffee by allowing people to enjoy a rich-flavoured cappuccino or latte – with health benefits. Naturally caffeine-free, a shot of red espresso® has five times more antioxidants than a cup of green tea (per ORAC measurements) and ten times more than regular Rooibos tea and is known to be a potent immune system booster.

Easy to prepare at home or in a café, red espresso® is best prepared using an espresso machine and stovetop espresso maker but can also be prepared using a French Press and coffee maker. My own espresso maker didn’t love red espresso – I only got a few drops (but even that had a nice crema) and it became rather gummy inside, but I tried it in my french press and my regular coffee maker and both of those worked great. Red espresso is delicious – it takes uniquely like Rooibos and a red latte makes a nice change to my usual vice and doesn’t give me the jitters at all.

Win it! We’ve got a couple of packages to hand out to our dedicated T.O.P. fans – just comment here telling us why you want one before noon mst on December 29, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

I just finished reading an advance reader copy of Alienated, the first novel by acclaimed screenwriter and director David O. Russell who has teamed up with Andrew Auseon to deliver a hilarious, surprising alien adventure book designated for ages 8 – 12. It’s perfect for reluctant readers – particularly boys – but I am a woman in my mid-thirties and I loved it. Granted, I teach, and have always enjoyed teen fiction, but it’s a darn good book regardless.

In the book, best friends Gene and Vince come across freaky aliens like Arachnid boy, Mold Man, and Crumble Bun all the time as reporters for their homemade weekly tabloid, the Globe, a newsletter featuring stories on the aliens living quietly among humans in Santa Rosa, California. Their classmates, along with almost everyone else, think the stories are just that – stories. And who can blame them, really? A girl who turn everything she touches to crumbs? Right. Determined to find a way to end his geeky outsider status for good, Gene steps on some toes, his traitorous behaviour places he and Vince at the center of an intergalactic conflict, one that could be the death of the their friendship, or even themselves.

If you’ve got a young reluctant reader on your giving list, I’d highly recommend this book.

Win it! We’ve got five (advance reader) copies of Alienated to give away. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on December 28, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

My daughter, until two weeks ago, had never had her nails painted. There just wasn’t a safe enough option for those porous little nails. Sure, there’s toluene & formaldehyde free polishes everywhere now, but the other ingredients are enough to send you screaming & running in the other direction.

We recently discovered Piggy Paint and are now thrilled to be able to paint her nails any time she’s feeling the need for a little extra pink.

It’s got no harsh, nasty chemicals in it – it’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, Bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone. Check out the difference between Piggy Paint and other children’s nail polish on a styrofoam plate. It’s rather astounding. Piggy Paint is non-toxic, low odour, water based, hypoallergenic, and the fun colours all dry to a hard & durable finish. My daughter absolutely loves having pink nails to match her pink clothing, pink boots, pink coat, pink toys…you get my drift.

We also have some Piggy Paint remover but actually haven’t used it yet because the Piggy Paint wore off fairly quickly. It looked great for about 3-4 days and then came off over the next day or three. Perfect for a little girl who would hate for me to use remover on her. We didn’t cure it with a blow dryer as they recommend, and just put on two coats. I honestly wouldn’t want polish on my child that lasted for much longer, so she and I absolutely loved it. It’s going to make it much easier to change colours regularly as well. When we do need to use the remover, I’ll use it without reservation because it also is made from natural ingredients, is low odour, acetone-free, hypoallergenic & biodegradable.

Piggy Paint was founded by mom of two Melanie Hurley and is made in the USA. Natural & safe products for kids that are still sparkly & fun? Piggy Paint is just the kind of product and company that Opinionated Parents love to recommend and support with our own hard-earned cash.

Save 15% on your Piggy Paint (including sale items) with the code OPINIONATED15L until January 31, 2010.

Win it! Comment below before noon mst on December 24/09 with your favourite Piggy Paint shade to win a $15 gift certificate!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

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

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CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Chipoupine recently sent my daughter the new teddy sweater, pictured above. Inspired by the colourful macaroon candies in France that you see bottom right in the above collage, the sweater is 100% cotton microfibre and is ultra-soft and super warm, but lets skin breathe. In Canada, this sweater is perfect for so many reasons. In the summer it’s great for a post-swim warm up or an evening outside. In the spring and fall it’s an all day addition to any outfit, and in the winter it’s such a cozy top to put on your daughter when she comes in from toboganning or making snow angels. When I say ultra-soft, I really do mean ULTRA soft. The pile on the fleece is so thick that it just feels like a big hug. It’s lined in only the right places with a light cotton. There are many areas where the soft fleece is right on your child’s skin, and there are no scratchy seams like you feel on many lower quality fleece items.

Designed in Paris by an independent Dutch designer, Ghislaine, the Teddy sweater sells for 35 Euros but is available in North America sans probleme as Chipoupine has a North American office (and they’re searching for Canadian stores now – email your suggestions!)

The Teddy Sweater comes in red, blue and green, as pictured above, and the sizes range from 1 year to 7 years as below.

Size 1 = 81 cm / 32 inches (1 to 2 years)
Size 2 = 97 cm / 38 inches (2 to 3 years)
Size 3 = 107 cm / 42 inches (3 to 4 years)
Size 4 = 116 cm / 45 1/2 inches (6 to 7 years)

Get a free Chipoupine shirt (valued at 18 Euros) along with some fabric markers to decorate it when you purchase a Teddy Sweater before January 15, 2010. You can email Ghislaine directly to let her know the size you’d like your freebie in, and mention T.O.P. in the email.

Win it! The teddy sweater in your choice of colour & size is up for grabs. Just comment on this post before noon mst on December 21, 2009. Tell us what colour/flavour of macaroon you think is Ghislaine’s favourite. (No matter what your guess, you’ll be entered in the random draw…but her fave is visible in the photo and is on one of the shirts!)

You can become a Chipoupine fan on Facebook for an extra entry – comment separately.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

This weekend I’m planning to brave the mall so my kids can see Santa. Actually, the only reason I’m considering it is because I got some adorable frames for the annual Santa pics last year and I have a mental block to leaving the old pictures in them. Poor kids. A nicer mother would keep them as far away from the mall as possible and just go straight to SantaSpeaking.com.

Founded by Anne Gaskell (aka Elf Annie), a mom of three, Santa Speaking is absolutely top notch. There are a lot of sites out there that we’re asked to check out & recommend to you, and the one we’re consistently impressed by and the only one we’ve tried that we think is good enough to recommend at this point is Santa Speaking. Elf Annie is well aware that the mall Santa may not quite meet your expectations, so she developed this service to “offer personalized Santa Claus experiences that are modeled after the ideal Santa Claus figure.” The calls range from 3-5 minutes (single call) to 8-10 minutes (extended call). I highly recommend the extended call if you have more than one child or one that either really likes to talk, like mine, or one that may take a few minutes to warm up. My children are 3 1/2 and nearly two and their call from Santa Speaking was the absolute highlight of their year. This year, just like the last two, it was nothing short of amazing to watch them light up and tell Santa their Christmas wishes. They could hardly wait to call Grandma to tell her all about the phone call from the big guy, and were just bouncing off the walls with excitement all day! Whether your child talks for 10 minutes non-stop or just sits & listens, the well trained (and fully background checked) Santa will fill the empty space with questions and comments about your child’s life that only Santa could know. Even the skeptics will have their hearts opened by a call from Santa Speaking. You can get an MP3 of your child’s call via email and/or a mini-CD ornament to both listen to and hang on your tree year after year. We just listened to last year’s call and were amazed by the change in the sound of their little voices. Precious.

The set up of the call is as simple as can be, and they’ve thought of everything in terms of ensuring that Santa knows a ton of information about your child. He knew the names of my children’s best friends, their activities and hobbies and so much more – all of which I was able to effortlessly enter prior to the call.

SantaSpeaking.com is tracking Santa’s progress this Christmas Eve so be sure to check in. You can even have him call you five times throughout the day to update you on his progress. Santa also has a blog! At SantaSpeaking.com, you can read the North Pole Gossiper, dance to Santa’s Groovy Hits, get the recipe to make Santa’s fave hot chocolate and so much more. Whether you’re purchasing a call or not, it’s a great site to visit. However, once you experience a call from Santa Speaking you’ll likely be ordering a call every year. From $20 – $50, there’s one that’s affordable for most families.

Win it! We’ve got a $60 SantaSpeaking.com gift code for one lucky T.O.P. reader! That will cover the whole she-bang – an extended call and a mini CD ornament/MP3. We’ve only got a couple of weeks until Christmas eve, so leave your comment by noon MST on Monday 12/14/09, and the winner will be notified that afternoon./blockquote>

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

My children both love crafts. It’s all crafts, all the time around here. From simple colouring & playdough smushing to glueing random things on to other random things, they love it all. With going back to work, the craft projects I plan & do with my children aren’t as intricate or as often as they used to be, so I was thrilled to find the awesome kits from Creativity for Kids.

My son and I delved into the new festive felt stocking kit ($21.99) last week, and at just 3 1/2 years old he was able to do everything independently. It looks just like a 3 1/2 year old made it, and it’s pure perfection simply because he loves it. It’s marked ages 5-95 but was absolutely no trouble for him at all. I don’t know that I’d want to spend twenty bucks on a kit for a 3 year old, but for an older child it would make a valuable keepsake. (For us, it made a bunch of random stickers and glitter glue smudges on a stocking. While we got some great pictures of the process and the product, I don’t know that we’ll keep the actual product forever.) That’s actually a large part of the charm of these kits. The activities are open ended so no two children will create the same product and everyone can be proud of their creative process.

The kits come equipped with everything your child needs to personalize a whimsical light blue felt stocking – peel and stick felt stickers in a variety of shapes and colours, jewel stickers and a tube of silver glitter glue. It comes with a teensy mini stocking, too, that just fits a little bone for Fido. The large stocking measures 10 1/2″ x 13″ and both stockings include a ribbon hanging loop.

Win it! One reader will win the kit of their choice from Creativity for Kids. To enter, comment on this post with your selection before noon mst on Monday, December 14, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

The Wii rocks for so many reasons. Though we still don’t have much time to play it, we thoroughly enjoy the moments that we do, and it’s a great way to entertain the entire family when the weather’s crappy. We don’t have many games, but that may change since my recent discovery of Wiiware, a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii console from the Wiishop channel. Without going to the store. Can I get an Amen?

UK based game developer Zoonami kindly gave us some Wii points to spend on their new Wiiware game, Bonsai Barber. It’s for 1-4 players and is rated E for Everyone-Comic Mischief. For some reason, the name of the game didn’t click for me until we actually played it. And yes, we were actually giving haircuts to foliage. You choose from a selection of tools of the trade – scissors, clippers, paint for fun, water to regrow foliage and more, and cut the “hair” (twigs and leaves) of one of the twelve Bonsai salon customers, which include a shallot, a strawberry, a cactus, a carrot, a banana and more, each with their own interesting personality. If you play daily, you’ll get a new 5 customers each day to test your stylistic skills. Sometimes the customer requests a certain style, or you can choose from over thirty available styles. If you don’t play daily and miss an appointment, you’ll hear about it (on your Wii message board, but if you perform well you may get a gift or a postcard from an exotic destination from a customer who has traveled afar to show off their new do. I’d never let my kids Wii every day and there are no worries about the game being annoying if you don’t.

While my husband and I enjoyed the game for a few minutes, it’s definitely a kids game and our three year old absolutely loved it. It was really fun for us to play as a family, but is not a game you’d sit and play with your adult friends for long. It’s el cheapo – amounts to about ten bucks – and is great fun for all ages so if you have children or grandchildren of the under 10 set, I’d highly recommend it!

Buy your 2000 Wii points card online in Canada or the USA and get shopping!

Win it! You could win one of THREE 2000 Wii points cards or a Wii console courtesy of Zoonami! To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on December 7, 2009. The first number drawn will win the Wii (along with a Wii points card so you can order Bonsai Barber! Those Zoonami folks are so thoughtful…) and the next three will win the points cards. Good luck! (Remember, you can always get extra entries at T.O.P.!)

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Remember friendship bracelets?

Turns out they never went away.

I just got old.

Who knew?

The infamous Klutz, a company from whom I have purchased approximately a gazillion gifts that I had to force myself not to keep & play with, has recently released Fancy Friendship Bracelets ($19.95) for ages 8 & up. It’s the sequel to the original ‘Friendship Bracelets’ book. This one comes with a bunch of way cool all-new bracelet designs that any girlfriend would be glad to receive. There are four bright reams (is that what they’re called?) of cord & one black one, as well as more than 200 sparkling beads and some super heard & flower charms.

They range from simple to slightly more complicated designs and there’s something for everyone’s taste. The toughest thing about this kit is actually giving the cute stuff you make to someone else and not keeping it all for yourself. Or is that just me?

Win it! TWO winners will each win TWO copies of this new book. One to keep…and one to share! To enter, just comment here before noon mst on Monday, November 23, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

I love Christmas.

I love Christmas cards.

I love sending them and I love receiving them.

Growing up with a military Daddy, I have friends from all over the world and receive some pretty spectacular cards. I’ve always thought my cards were pretty nice too, until I got my order from Blue Whale Invitations this year. They’re in a completely different league than anything I’ve ever bought, made for myself or reviewed in the past.

Owner & artist Melissa Aird leaves no stone left unturned when she’s working with you to custom design your card. She has a great selection of pre-designed Christmas greetings on her site ranging from $2.25 – $2.75 per card, but if you don’t see exactly what you want she will literally do anything to ensure you get what’s perfect for you at no extra cost. The process begins with Melissa asking some simple questions about your style & preferences. From there, she designs several cards and mails you a completed sample of each one complete with envelopes and a price for each one should you choose to order some. You make your choice(s), let her know of any editing you’d like and WHAM. Gorgeous, custom-designed and hand made cards appear in your mailbox.

Pictured at right are one of the two sets she designed for our family – a gorgeous double figure skate with our picture attached. They feature shining silver grommets and quality satin ribbon, and look truly stunning . We also got some of the negative film strip cards that are listed on her website, and just had her change the text and font for us and include our pictures.

The single figure skate on the Blue Whale Invitations website sells for $3.75, and our custom designed double ones sell for close to $8 each. Steep? Yes. I don’t recommend you order 100 of those, but they’re just perfect for the extra special people in your life. That dude you haven’t seen since high school can have the one you had printed at Costco.

Blue Whale Invitations isn’t just Christmas cards. In fact, that’s the least of what Melissa does. If you need a mailed greeting, she can make it. And make it well. I’d highly recommend her for any occasion, but you’ve still got time to order your Christmas cards!

Win it! Blue Whale Invitations is giving away a set of 20 mailed greetings – custom or not – it’s up to you! To enter, simply comment on this post with your favourite item from her site or email theopinionatedparent at gmail dot com with BLUE WHALE in the subject line & put your fave in the body of the email before noon mst on Monday, November 23, 2009.

I have breastfed all three of my children. In fact, I am still breastfeeding my youngest who is 3 months old. I have been fortunate that I have never had to supplement with anything else and my kids thrive on the breast milk I produce. I do not find it a burden, nor do I feel tied down by nursing. However, I know those are genuine concerns for some breastfeeding moms.

Pumping milk with a breast pump is a solution to those feelings. Pumping also allows mothers who have to return to work to still provide the perfect food for their babies and/or toddlers. Pumping breast milk is not easy for many mothers, though. It can be uncomfortable, unsuccessful and frustrating. Anything that can help is always welcome.

Pumpin’ Pal products have been designed to take some of that discomfort and frustration away, making pumping a little easier for mothers.

I tried out a few of Pumpin’ Pal products with my mini electric Medela breast pump. First off Pumpin’ Pal Super Shields, let me say WOW! I have never used a breast shield (honestly I didn’t get what they did) however adding this attachment to my breast pump made a HUGE difference. Not only was pumping way more comfortable, because the pulling/pumping sensation was dispersed over a larger area of the breast, I was able to pump more breast milk, faster. Pumpin’ Pal Super Shields, are designed so you do not have to lean forward when pumping, and for comfort not necessarily to pump more, but I was able to pump 4.5 oz in less than 10 minutes.

The Pumpin’ Pals Hands-Free Strap is a cool contraption. Simple yet sure to be effective for double breast pumps. Who wouldn’t want to pump, read and comment on The Opinionated Parent at the same time? I only have a single pump, so I was unable to try it out for myself but I loved the simplicity of it.

Included in this amazing All-In-One package, Pumpin’ Pals sent a Pocket Guide to Breastfeeding and an Air-Dry Accessory bag. I read through the guide, which would totally be handy for a new mom. The accessory bag is great to keep it all together and easy to find when I need to pump.

Breast feeding and pumping breast milk is a demanding, yet rewarding feat, Pumpin’ Pal products are definitely a great addition to making it easier for moms. – By Chelle

Win it! Pumpin’ Pal is giving away an all-in-one kit to one T.O.P. reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Monday, November 16th.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming!

While it’s cute and all, and we decorate and dress up and have a bunch of fun, Halloween in my house is just a signal to get the Christmas bins out because the tree’s going up November 1st!

The Christmas Almanac from Welcome Books is a great gift for the Christmas lovers among us. It’s lavishly illustrated with 300 vintage images on 240 gilt-edged pages, and includes pretty much everything imaginable. If it’s Christmas, it’s in there. It’s part reference, part anthology, part cookbook, part history book, part songbook, part shopping guide, part crafts, and part trivia book. Inside the cover are eight chapters which include classic stories and poems, recipes, history & traditions, carols & games, gift & card ideas and shopping tips, Christmas facts & trivia, entertainment, crafts, Christmas ornaments, information on volunteering and tips on everything from how to have a “green” Christmas and more.

All that sells for under $20 at Amazon. But really…having this on your family’s bookshelf is priceless.

Win it! We’ve got two copies to give away – just comment before noon mst on October 23, 2009 to enter.

You can get FIVE entries in this and every contest – click here to discover how!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED – (mailing today – 10/28 – sorry for the delay!)

Every so often, a book comes along that I have to write about as soon as I finish it. It’s not often, because book reviews are honestly not my favourite things to write, but Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby hooked me from page one (to the annoyance of my husband who had to listen to me in bed every night going on about my plans for this book in my classroom and at home.)

Secrets of a Christmas Box is a fantasy novel like no other that invites the reader into the enchanting nighttime world of the decorations on a family’s Christmas tree. Each year when they’re brought out from the Christmas box, they greet their friends from past years (in the dark, of course, after their human family has gone to bed and the army lights illuminate the tree) and meet any newcomers. Sadly, there are always one or two that don’t make it back to the tree each year and as Larry the snowman discovers by the end of this book, the reason for their disappearance is not what they had always thought.

And that’s all I’m going to say about the plot line. If you have children, are a teacher or just love the spirit of Christmas, you need to read it. For us it will surely become a family tradition to read it daily each December and I can hardly wait to read it to my students in a couple of months. It’s recommended for ages 9-12 but as soon as my kids are in school I’m going to be reading this every year. And what’s with that twelve? I’m 33 and I’m totally not too old for it.

Win it! We’ve got two signed copies of Secrets of a Christmas Box in beautiful red sacks up for grabs. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on October 9, 2009. If you win, you’ll have it in lots time to start at the beginning of December, and if you don’t you’ve got time to place your order!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

I recently received a copy of the new Milkshake CD, Great Day. I have loved everything I’ve ever listened to from Milkshake in the past, so was excited to listen to this one.

Here’s what the band has to say about this fabulous disc:

In keeping with the Milkshake belief that one never stops evolving/growing, we present Great Day.

This is the first Milkshake album that is actually Milkshake the Band. It’s not just Lisa and Mikel and a bunch of studio musicians. Play! featured the guys singing, but we still used outside musicians, and we all played our parts at different times. On Great Day, it’s the band playing in one big room at the same time, except for vocal and guitar overdubs. And we have a few special guests — our friends Grammy-Award winners Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Rodney Henry of the Glenmont Popes.

We tracked Great Day in six twelve-hour days, and it was a lot of fun. Lots of different musical styles here, as on past albums, but the subjects are a little deeper, the guys are singing a little sweeter and everyone was trying new things, thanks in part to Tor Hyams’ intense, encouraging production style, and in part to everyone really being…well…a band, which is a lot like a family. Enjoy…and have a great day!

Here’s what my kids have to say about it:

“Let’s put Milkshake in again, Mommy!”

Play that one again, Mommy! Let’s Shake It Up!”

Don’t forget to bring Milkshake in the van!”

And because, in the usual Milkshake style, it’s actually really good music that’s easily enjoyed by kids and parents alike, I always oblige.

Win it! One commenter will win a copy of Great Day. To enter, comment before noon mst on September 28th.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I was recently sent a sample of an exercise program, Shapely Secrets, that claims to provide a full body workout without any running, jumping or harmful impact. “Simply standing still and following the program sculpts the entire body with Motionless Exercise™. The seven minute exercise can be done nearly anywhere, including at work while at your desk, with zero impact. The complete Shapely Secrets program provides visible results in two weeks.”

Sounds like something that would be pretty appealing to any busy mom, so I decided to give it a test run for you. Background: I am a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor who runs for fun, and it sounds kind of bogus to me. My first thoughts before trying it? Anything’s better than nothing, so if this is someone’s draw into the world of exercise then that’s great, and perhaps it would be great for someone who’s on bedrest or wheelchair bound. The founder, “world-renowned fitness expert Greer Childers” (of whom I have never heard even though I’m in the field) is, quite frankly, slightly plastic looking. She’s orange too, which is a little scary. However, given that it has the potential to be a success for bedrest mamas and the older and differently-abled population, I’ll certainly give it a try.

Thought I’d better get that typed out before I try the system. Back in two weeks!

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I’m back. Did you miss me?

So, Shapely Secrets uses Diametric Resistance™ techniques to work muscle against muscle. “This means the simple act of tightening and releasing the muscles in your arms, legs, buns and thighs (either while standing up, sitting or lying down) actually gives you a full body workout and, combined with a healthy diet, helps shed inches—without using weights or cumbersome gym equipment.”

This is true – it’s actually known as isometric or static muscle contraction. Imagine trying to lift something really heavy that you can’t budge. Your muscles contract and you’re pulling, but no movement is happening. That’s the type of “exercise” that this system is based on. I say “exercise” in quotes because I don’t want you to think that this is all you need. Isometric contractions do, actually, work to increase strength without bulk but do not burn enough calories to encourage weight loss on their own and do nothing to increase your cardiovascular fitness.

I tried the workout several times so as to be able to give you a (hopefully) objective review. Admittedly, I’m negatively biased against anything that lures people into thinking losing weight is easy, but I’ll do my best to be fair.

The workout is, indeed, seven minutes long. I don’t care who you are – you have seven minutes to dedicate to yourself. For that alone, this program may be great for some busy parent who would otherwise do no exercise at all. Combine it with a fast walk with your children or alone and you’ve got an easy & decent workout.

The program comes with Greer’s “7 Secrets to Being Thin and Shapely” pamphlet as well as a DVD of the program and a cheap little case to keep it all together. The case itself makes me angry. It’s cheap piece of made-in-China crap that they’re selling separately for twenty bucks. You could find a similar one at any dollar store, so don’t fall for it. Take it if you get it free with the program, but don’t pay for it.

The workout is easy, and would be great for someone who has no home equipment or is housebound. New mom, perhaps? However, it’s not something I can recommend you go and buy right now. It’s just a little too “infomercial” for my liking, and we all know how those things tend to work out. (Except the PedEgg – that rocks!) I’m not saying it wouldn’t work for you. I’m just saying it’s not “the” answer. “The” answer isn’t actually a secret. Eat less and exercise more. The program itself is certainly decent if you’re looking for something simple, quick & easy. It’s the fact that they promote a pamphlet and a cheap bag as being something special that ticks me off.

Shapely Secrets is available online for $43. If you want to give it a try, there’s a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. So if it sounds like something you want to try, you’ve really go nothing to lose!

Win it! Shapely Secrets is giving FIVE winners a chance to try out the system. To enter to win, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, September 25, 2009.

Wow, I am seriously slow. But CONTEST CLOSED AND WINNERS FINALLY EMAILED!

Ditch it – it’s a Cinch!

The Cinch by Anew is a much more beautiful and more cleverly designed tummy wrap like the docs used in the good old days. It comes in two sizes, 26-34” or 33-42”. It uses dual front panels and double side wings for all around cinching, yet is comfortable enough to be work all day or night long. The panels are adjustable so it shrinks as you shrink, and your shrinkage (heh) is easy to see with the inner measuring tape. It looks at first like it would be a little claustrophobic & sweaty but it’s not at all – it’s got a moisture absorbent and breathable inner lining with Anion to promote better circulation.

The Cinch features a front inner pocket feature to fit a warm/cold pack insert, and a side zipper allows for ease of wear. There are some ugly tummy wraps on the market, but that’s not something that’s even on the radar for the Cinch. It’s absolutely gorgeous! Starting at the packaging, no detail was excluded. It comes on a hanger as pictured at right, which is draped in a stylish silver satin bag. When you get it all unwrapped and opened, the Cinch itself is very pretty. It comes in two greys – a light and a dark – and pink and sells for $86 at the Cinch site.

Though I haven’t seen them first hand, Anew appears to have some potentially great clothing too. A shirt that sucks in my stomach for me? I’ll give that a shot!

Win it! A cinch in your choice of size & colour is up for grabs. To enter, choose your specs here and comment before noon mst on September 26, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED – Congrats Michelle!

Let’s just say that we’re HUGE music fans around here. Whether that means me trying to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” on the piano with four little hands banging on the keys, or whether it means listening to a new CD…whatever it is, if it’s music we’ll most likely love it! Our most recent find is the Dreyer Family Band CD. The story behind this CD is great – twin brothers with their wives and kids having a dream and coming up with a fabulous kid-friendly and family friendly set of songs. All the songs are original and are composed by the family themselves. And of course they are all sung and accompanied by the moms, dads, or kids. Family time is so important so what a great way smack together two of the most important things – family and music! Although the style of music wasn’t exactly my favorite…my kids still loved it though! However, I loved all the lyrics and the fact that the songs were so fun and so family oriented. That outweighs the style of music for me by far. And there’s no doubt about it that the Dreyer Family Band knows how to have fun (just check out the photos on their website).The Dreyer Family Band’s first CD – Family Photograph is great for a road trip or for listening to at home. Check it out here. – by Andrea

Win it! We’re giving away a copy to one randomly selected reader. Just comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, September 11, 2009 and you’re entered.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

The folks from Welcome Books recently sent us advance reading copies of their four new books; THE BIG BOOK FOR TODDLERS, THE LITTLE BIG BOOK FOR GRANDMOTHERS, THE BOOK OF ME, and THE LITTLE BIG BOOK FOR DADS.

THE BIG BOOK FOR TODDLERS ($25) is a book for all the little tykes in the world. It celebrates the wonder of youth and is filled with material guaranteed to occupy, fascinate, and delight little ones of all backgrounds and interests and parents will be reminded of the songs they sang and games they played with their own parents many years ago. There are activities (like Hand Puppets, Bubbles, Paper Dolls, and Finger Games), fairy tales (like The Three Little Pigs and The Ugly Duckling), nursery rhymes (like One, Two, Buckle My Shoe and Old Mother Hubbard), songs, games, and jokes. The Big Book for Toddlers is destined to become a well-thumbed classic in no time at all. This is one sample we won’t be donating because my kids and I use it literally every day.

THE LITTLE BIG BOOK FOR GRANDMOTHERS ($25) is a book devoted to grandmothers and all that they mean to a grandchild’s life. It’s packed with enchanting vintage artwork that illuminates a broad selection of grandmother stories, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, poems, songs, old-fashioned games, activities, and recipes. This book would make an awesome gift from the grandkids for any occasion – including “Hey, you’re going to be a Grandma!” day.

THE BOOK OF ME ($19) is a classic baby book that’s taken a little bit further. There’s a spot for each adorable smile and an inspiring quote for each memorable moment; the perfect place to record all the essentials about Baby’s arrival, family tree, milestones, and accomplishments. Unlike many other baby books on the market, this one extends itself further to capture the simple, everyday moments as well. Record the silly things that make Baby giggle in “That’s Funny” with pictures of wide-open smiles. Capture the dreams and thoughts Dad or Mom has as he or she stares in wonder at peacefully sleeping Baby in “Sweet Dreams.” And don’t forget that not all memorable moments are sweet ones, so whatever gets Baby really going can be remembered in “I’m Mad!” Since we all know you won’t have time to scrapbook, I’d suggest this as a more feasible option.

THE LITTLE BIG BOOK FOR DADS ($22) is a great piece full of stories, fairy tales, poetry, activities, recipes, and songs – all selected with the dad in mind. Featuring text by authors such as Bill Cosby, Shel Silverstein, Ogden Nash, and Dr. Seuss, The Little Big Book for Dads makes for a special reading experience to be shared between dad and a little one. It’s filled with activities to while away the hours together, including making sandcastles and identification games; jokes, riddles, and great tongue twisters to laugh over; and even some fun (albeit junky) stuff to try in the kitchen with the kids. All in all, it’s a book any daddy would love to receive – especially if it was received as a gift from their child.

Win it! We’re giving away ALL FOUR of these books to TWO readers. Every baby needs a baby book; and we hope that each one has a dad and at least one grandma and each child eventually turns into a toddler, so why not make it all or nothing? To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, September 4, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

If you are a mom, you have stories. Big stories, little stories…but you are most definitely full of stories. The very, very first story emits from the first time you see the two pink lines on the pregnancy test (or hear your physician say, “You’re pregnant.”). See? Every mom has a story!

I have stories and memories resounding and reverberating in my head all day long. Instances are brought to mind several times each day, springing up to consciousness in the midst of my daily duties. The problem is this: How to stream all of these memories, stories, scenarios? How to channel them into cohesiveness and get it down on paper for posterity? Therein lies the problem.

Whether you don’t have time or you aren’t sure how, recording your motherhood-based stories may seem impossible and impractical. For you and me, though, there’s help….thanks to Cori Howard and her Momoir Project.

The Momoir Project is the brainchild of Howard, an award-winning journalist whose passion for writing goes beyond her past profession. She formerly published Between Interruptions: Thirty Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood, an anthology of stories by moms and about all-things-motherhood. The Momoir Project is an extension of that effort….a way to help all moms out there figure out how to write down their lives, how to record their experiences (from the mundane to the extraordinary).

Howard offers actual writing classes for moms, as well as online seminars. Brand new, however, is a condensed e-book, The Momoir Workbook, that can be purchased and printed out. It allows you to learn and work independently at your “momoir,” setting your own pace and exploring at your own leisure the writing yet to bloom from your experiences.

The workbook teaches the importance of carrying around a notebook at all times, how to realize what your own unique story really is, and reminds you to remember who your audience is. It goes back to the basics and teaches you how to brainstorm anecdotes, write leads, composes theses, formulate the body, and close your story neatly in a bound ending.

Every chapter in the e-book offers a writing prompt that will set your creativity and memory bank ablaze. There’s also a call to record in writing the random conversations (or Q&As) you have with your children. I found this especially endearing, since I am consistently trying to write down (or email, or text, or Twitter) my children’s quizzical ponderings or hilarious realizations that they frequently vocalize.

Last but not least, great tips for actually finding time for writing and keeping up with it once you’ve begun wrap up this instructional, inspiration e-book.

You can purchase The Memoir Workbook (in PDF format) directly from The Momoir Project’s website. The cost is $32.95 in US dollars and $34.95 in Canadian Dollars. This book is certainly an investment in the things that matter most — penning and remembering these precious days with our little ones, the angst, trials, and decision-making along the way, and as moms, recording our hopes and dreams for the future (both ours and theirs).

Win it! We’re giving away a copy to one reader who comments before noon mst on September 4, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Our first child never has taken a trip to the emergency room. The middle child is a whole other story! Just over two years old and we have had to take that fateful trip to the emergency room twice already! Both children are great kids, just one is much more adventurous and daring than the other more cautious child. No matter the temperament of your child, there are times when all parents panic unsure what to do next.

Making the decision whether or not to take your child to the emergency room is not always an easy one. Dr Lara Zibners, an American ER doctor having witnessed many different cases, has written a helpful book for parents called, “If Your Kids Eats this Book, Everything will be Okay: How to Know if Your Child’s Injury or Illness is Really an Emergency“.

What is nice about this book, besides being an excellent resource, is that the author takes a light, do not panic approach to parenting decisions. The chapters are easy to navigate, so when in a potentially serious situation it is easy to find what you need. The information is to the point, yet fun to read, with valuable advice for parents.

I headed to chapter 8, the body, arms and legs to read about nursemaid’s elbow (something we recently took our son to the emergency room for) out of curiosity. The author has a great tip, recommending seeing the doctor before having x-rays as the doctor (or nurse in our case) can pop the elbow back in quite easily, avoiding the x-ray completely.

“If Your Kids Eats this Book, Everything will be Okay“, is an awesome resource for parents that will be within hands reach for us for years to come. – by Chelle

Win it! We’re giving away a copy to one reader who comments before noon mst on September 4, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

It is all the rage these days, living green. It is not surprising considering the impact our previous lifestyles have had on the planet. There is so much information out there it is sometimes hard to know where and how to begin.

We, as busy mothers have it even harder. Our time is limited, but our concern for our children’s safety and health is huge. Jennifer Taggart, an environmental lawyer and mother, wrote an awesome green guide book to help moms called “Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure“.

The book is full of amazing information for parents to help them make the right green decisions for their family. The chapters each focus on a different area of the house from the bathroom to the nursery, giving practical tips to help reduce your child’s exposure to toxic chemicals. What I enjoyed the most in “Smart Mama’s Green Guide“, was the way in which Jennifer Taggart defines and explains chemicals like BPA in plain language that anyone can understand.

Taggart also includes some great homemade cleaner recipes, as well as some great tips on insect repellents, sunscreen and antibacterial products. There is a lot of information packed into this book. It is definitely a book to reread and use as a reference when making purchasing decisions for the family. – by Chelle

Win it! We’re giving away a copy to one reader who comments before noon mst on September 4, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I am the type of person that has to be organized. If I do not set things up in advance and organize myself to some degree I get really cranky and anxious. With three kids mealtimes definitely need that element of organization.

Traditionally, I always stored the bibs either in a basket or in a drawer in the kitchen. This meant after washing them, I would have fold the bibs and put them away. Now, thanks to the Baby Bib Holder, I can eliminate some steps, free up some space and be organized in advance!

The Baby Bib Holder comes as a cute retro pink or blue elephant that attaches to the back of the highchair with velcro! Hidden away yet extremely handy, now there is one less thing I will forget at dinner time!

In addition to being really handy the Baby Bib Holders, are non-toxic and hand-made! They can hold up to ten bibs and are so cute! Order yours for just fifteen bucks – a great addition to a baby gift!- by Chelle

Win it! To enter to win a bib holder, choose your colour and leave a comment here before noon mst on September 3, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

This summer, Hallmark is focused on helping people spread encouragement to both moms and to children. I don’t know about you, but there are many days when receiving one of these cards from a friend would have the ability to change my day. Maybe even week.

As mothers, we experience many moments that can only be fully appreciated by other moms. To help encourage moms through the day-to-day challenges of motherhood – and give a few laughs along the way – Hallmark has introduced a new line of humor cards called “Edge of Motherhood.” These new, edgy humor cards can help moms share a laugh, connect with one another and celebrate motherhood — and they start at just 99 cents. Some styles of the “Edge of Motherhood” cards are available online at hallmark.com, but the full collection is only in stores.

For kids, Hallmark’s new collection of encouragement cards are designed to help parents provide an extra boost of confidence for kids as they experience “everyday” moments – whether it’s the first day of school, trying out for a team or even just because they’re loved. They’re cute & funny and include heartfelt messages to help adults show support and pride, and give a special child a boost of confidence. Some of the cards include originally recorded sound clips too, which play when a child opens the card. These cards also start at 99 cents, and the ones with sound are $2.99.

Both collections of cards are available at select Hallmark Gold Crown stores and other retailers where Hallmark cards are sold.

Win it! FIVE winners will receive five of the Edge of Motherhood cards and five of the kid encouragement cards (with sound). To enter, just leave a comment on this post before noon mst on September 1, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Confession: I’ve never been able to wear a pouch sling. They just don’t fit me right. Something about there not being enough room for both a baby and my boobs. I love me a ring sling, though, and have found another great one to share with you.

Baby Bean is a mom-run business out of Hong Kong that makes some super cool jewelery that we can’t get it we’re not in Hong Kong and the Bean Pod sling that’s available worldwide. I was sent the the orange and brown dots for review and love it. Not only is it super cute, but it’s SO light & airy. 100% cotton is the way to go if you’re carrying a child in the heat. It’s 30+ degrees here right now and there’s no sweating. Well, no extra carrier-induced sweating, anyway.

They’re padded on the shoulder to cushion the weight of the baby and reduce the strain on the carrier’s shoulder, and even with my 25 lb kids it’s pretty darn comfortable. One side of the sling is sewn in green thread to make it easy to know which side to pull/release in order to adjust the tension of the sling. It comes in a pouch which is equipped with a clip that can be easily hooked on the rings or the eye inside the shoulder pad for easy access of keys, wallets, or soothers. Quite brilliant, I’d say! The rings are no-weld constructed solid aluminum and are tested to hold up to 250 pounds. If you’re carrying someone that heavy, you’ve got bigger problems than your carrier holding.

Win it! Choose your sling and leave a comment before noon mst on Aug 31, 2009 to enter.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Just in time for back to school, the 30+ degree weather has finally hit. It’s time to put away the rain hats and pull out the oh-so-cute summer bonnet from Alberta based Chic Peek.

Echo Wells, a Medicine Hat mama, designer & entrepreneur, designed these hats with both function and fashion in mind. They cover the child’s entire head and many have a large extended bonnet-style peak that provides shade for their delicate face. The sample bonnet we received (pictured) makes my daughter look like a little pioneer girl! (We’ll be donating it, as we do with 90% of our samples, to a deserving child at our local shelter or another charity.)

There are currently twenty-four styles available and they vary in pattern and style. There are some awesome boy patterns, which are often hard to find, and some decidedly non-pioneer styles for the girls too.They’re sized from newborn to four years, and retail for $28.99.

Chic Peek makes functional, fashionable.

Mention T.O.P. for a 10% refund on any order from Chic Peek.
Beautiful tutus, chic nursing covers, clips, hats, headbands, chic legwarmers, carseat covers, the best Buggie Hugs ever (for two kids!) and so much more.

This code is just one of many in our infamous TOP Shops, where you’ll find exclusive discount codes for some pretty darn awesome online shops.

Win it! Chic Peek is giving one T.O.P. reader their choice of summer bonnet. To enter, just take your pick and leave a comment before noon mst on August 31, 2009.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

TOP fave EcoBaby Canada isn’t just for eco-babies. Canadian mama of four, Andrea, carries a large selection of products for the green-leaning mom as well. Andrea is running for the Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year and I happen to think she totally deserves it!

I’ve been checking out the LunaPads intro kit (Canadian made too!) It’s an introductory kit that allows you to try both pads (for light and average flow) and pantyliners (for daily needs or very light flow). It contains 1 Maxi Pad, 1 Maxi Liner, 1 Maxi Wing Liner, 1 Mini Pad, 1 Mini Liner, 1 Mini Wing Liner, 1 Mini Pantyliner and 1 Teeny Pantyliner in assorted colours. It sells for $57.99 and can save both you and the earth in the long run. Just think of the money you spend on feminine hygiene products between the teen years and menopause, and how much of it ends up in our landfills and sewers. If we get our young women started with eco-friendly products like those available from EcoBaby Canada, so much of that could be prevented.

I’ll admit I was a little leery of using these (and I’m still terrified of the Diva Cup!) but actually they’re pretty darn awesome! They can just go in with the regular laundry (not your cloth diapers – Andera says the flannel can make them pill) and come out just as good as new. If the thought grosses you out, be flexible – a little goes a long way when it comes to being green. Use a LunaPads liner with a regular tampon or Diva Cup, or even just use them on light flow days. Every little bit helps!

We’re giving a Luna Pads intro kit away to one reader (worldwide) courtesy of Eco Baby Canada. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon mst on August 31, 2009.

CANADIAN residents, get TWO extra entries! Please go VOTE for Andrea in the Savvy Mom Entrepreneur of the Year contest – leave your email address (the one you voted with) in the form with your second comment and you’re entered two more times.

Additional entries are always available in T.O.P. contests. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

We love paint programs. From the time my children could grasp a mouse (or their daddy’s PDA stylus), they’ve been asking to “draw pictures on the computer.” I realize that drawing on a computer screen is significantly different than drawing with pencil and paper. Different motor skills are necessary, and there is a different type of steadiness and patience required. But video games can be a great learning tool when you find the right one.

What happens when an easy-to-maneuver paint program becomes integrated with a problem-solving, creative challenge on top of an early reading practice tool? ItzaBitza happens, that’s what!

We were asked to review ItzaBitza by Sabi and jumped at the chance. Just one glance through at their website had me convinced. What I wasn’t expecting was how jovial and fun the music is, how utterly loveable the girl and boy characters (“Sketchies”) are, and how interactive (and smart) the game is!

The first time my son tested out ItzaBitza was right before bedtime (in lieu of a story one night). He caught on to the game rules immediately — and was amazed at how incredibly FUN it was! He giggled over little things (like how he could click on the mailbox to make letters come flying out). It was nearly impossible to convince him to put it away until the next morning, then settle down and go to sleep. Long after I left his room, I could hear himself talking to himself and laughing about what he’d seen in the game. I smiled. I really, really like ItzaBitza. And believe me, so does he.

With “living ink” technology, the simple shapes your child draws on the “paper” screen fill in and become “alive.” When asked to draw a house, your child draws a square and a triangle, then the Sketchy comes over to ask where are the windows and doors. Brilliant! It teaches simple following of directions while allowing for the flexibility of creativity and whimsy.

(And if your child draws something that doesn’t quite fit into place or isn’t quite was asked for, the line(s) simply cut up into pieces and fall away.)

The words that the Sketchies say to your child show up in speech bubbles. When your child mouses over the words, the Sketchy says them aloud. Early reading skills are thus sharpened in an unoffensive, gentle way.

Each time your child completes a task, a star appears. Click on the star to receive more challenges, which increases problem solving skills and divergent thinking abilities.

ItzaBitza is available for download onto your Windows XP or Vista computer. At only $19.99, it’s an absolute steal. For the price (and even a higher one), in my opinion, there aren’t many finer educational (all the while fun) games out there for preschoolers and early elementary-aged children.

ItzaBitza gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from our family! - By Meg

Win it! We’re giving Itza Bitza to one lucky family. Comment here before Friday 8/21/09 noon to enter!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Another newcomer to the fabulous Putumayo Kids Playground series, European Playground is a collection of 15 songs that takes the listener on a musical tour through Europe. With the rich cultural variety of this expansive continent, (almost 50 countries, each with its own unique culture, history, traditions, food and music), the range of music on this CD is not-surprisingly pretty awesome. The songs are multi-genre and multilingual songs, easy to sing and dance along to, and just a whole lot of fun.

From Putumayo: “The song themes speak to children’s interests and spark their imaginations. The Swiss tune by Roland Zoss is about a magical land where teddy bears come to life. Sås & Kopp sing in Swedish about jumping on a trampoline with friends in the backyard, and German favorite Alex Schmeisser celebrates the friendship between a big cow and a little mouse. Alain Le Lait highlights the French love of good food while London-based Herbie Treehead explores a universal theme in a fresh new way with his “Change Song,” noting, “We all have to change sometimes!””

Nothing less than what I’ve come to expect from Putumayo & Putumayo Kids.

Win it! Want it? Leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, August 14, 2009. All giveaways held during this “TOP Music Week” will end on Friday at noon.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

We love every CD from Putumayo that we’ve ever heard, whether for kids or not, but the kids Playground series is extra super awesome for children.

Picnic Playground “provides a veritable feast of international songs about food, cooking and healthy eating in a global gumbo of musical styles and languages.” The first track, “Eat Like a Rainbow” introduces the same idea we reinforce at our house – eat every colour and a variey of flavours every day – and it’s followed by a selection of fun & upbeat & utterly danceable songs from Cuba, Denmark, Oz, France, Germany, Trinidad and even Canada! “The artists sing so joyously about delicious food that you can almost taste it.” Whether you’re craving a “Bowl of Cherries,” “Ice Cream” , or cookies (“Let’s Bake Cookies”), there’s something on this album for every palate. (quotes all from Putumayo)

Win it! Want it? Leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, August 14, 2009. All giveaways held during this “TOP Music Week” will end on Friday at noon.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

When the CD Robot Dance from Mr. Leebot showed up in my mailbox to review, all I could think of was Styx for weeks every time I walked by the CD sitting in my entryway awaiting it’s turn in the stereo. (Seriously, if you were a child of the 80’s, you must click.)

Anyhoo…once Mr. Leebot’s ROBOT DANCE (currently out of stock at Amazon) but available from CD Baby) finally made it into a player, I forgot all about that awesome decade and…started dancing like a robot. Yes, you read that right. I looked like an idiot, but I couldn’t stop. Soon both of my kids were doing makeshift robotics alongside me and we were all cracking up. It’s just as you’d imagine it would be – electro-pop with an undeniable 80’s flair. It’s completely different than anything else we own. Perhaps the missing genre of kids music?

So thank you very much (English translation of “domo arigato”), Mr. Leebot, for a very enjoyable CD!

Win it! Want it? Leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, August 14, 2009. All giveaways held during this “TOP Music Week” will end on Friday at noon.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

That’s how Hullabaloo describes themselves, and it’s perfect. I’d just add the word “Cowboy” in there somewhere. Their new CD, High Roller, is one of my kids’ new favourites. It’s a brand new release and doesn’t seem to be available for purchase quite yet, but you can get a listen here at watch for it at CD Baby or Amazon if you like what you hear. It’s so new that I couldn’t even track down a picture. For shame!

The music on High Roller is definitely folky, which I love, but a little too twangy country for my taste…however, my kids love it and all of my country loving friends love it too and convinced me to share it with you. They drew inspiration from Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash, but don’t let that turn you off. Even my country music hating self was dancing right along with the kids by the third track. With classics like “Oh, Susanna!” and “This Land is Your Land” as well as some awesome originals like the title track “High Roller,” if you’re a country music fan this CD is one that you’ll find yourself pulling out of the case and actually suggesting to your kids. Unlike the Wiggles one.

Win it! Want it? Leave a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, August 14, 2009. All giveaways held during this “TOP Music Week” will end on Friday at noon.