According to a national survey, granite countertops are the number one way to make your home feel luxurious, but cleaning them with everyday products may be doing more harm than good. Particularly if you’re like me and clean with vinegar. If you have stone in your home, I highly suggest you get yourself some DuPont™ Stone Care products to protect, clean and enhance the beautiful handiwork that you put a significant investment in to.

“Although they seem like extremely hard surfaces, granite, marble, travertine, slate and other types of natural stone commonly used in homes are extremely porous,” said Steve Wolf, general manager – DuPont™ Stone Care. “A stone’s polished shine doesn’t mean it is sealed, allowing substances like juice, wine, ink and perfume to seep in, causing irreparable damage. Homeowners are shocked when they see how quickly 10 cents worth of olive oil can destroy their $10,000 countertop. Properly sealing and cleaning natural stone surfaces is like an insurance policy against stains and spills, protecting its value, beauty and style.”

DuPont™ Stone Care products address the needs of budget-conscious homeowners today with cost-effective, correctly formulated, protecting, enhancing and cleaning products designed for everyday use. “Many homeowners don’t ask for advice until after the damage has been done and expensive restoration is necessary,” said Wolf. “With just a few simple steps and regular cleaning using the correct products, countertops and floors will look new for a lifetime.”

The DuPont stone care system I received to review consists of three products, and I think DuPont can explain their purposes better than I can:

PROTECT: Stones have different porosity because of their mineral composition and geological formation, but all natural stone is porous. Within seconds, a renegade splash of anything from ketchup to cosmetics can sink deep into stone, often penetrating all the way through to the other side, forever leaving an unsightly spot behind. The best way to prevent stains on natural stone and grout lines is to treat its surface with a sealer to offer protection and keep it looking new. While many stones are pre-sealed or sealed during installation, these sealers often wear away from everyday use and certain all-purpose cleaners. Depending on the amount of use, a countertop or floor can become susceptible to stain penetration within one year, with most sealers fading away after five years. DuPont™ Stone Care sealers protect natural stone and include DuPont™ Granite & Marble Countertop Sealer, DuPont™ Premium Stone Sealer and DuPont™ Grout Sealer.

CLEAN: No matter how careful consumers are, spills happen. The same survey found that up to 85 percent of homeowners are using general all-purpose cleaners, disinfecting wipes or glass cleaners on their natural stone, which degrade the stone’s sealer and dull and erode the surface. Instead, specially formulated cleaners are necessary to remove residue from cooking oils, food spills, hairspray and other offenders. If a spill does occur, experts recommend removing as much of the material as possible without allowing it to spread by using a non-abrasive sponge, then simply spray the area with a cleaner such as DuPont™ Granite & Marble Countertop Cleaner + Protector, DuPont™ Tile & Grout Cleaner or DuPont™ Heavy Duty Tile & Grout Cleaner.

ENHANCE: Whether daily use has dulled the stone, or a shinier “wet” look is desired, the use of an enhancer can restore the luster to polished stone and tile, or bring out the surface’s color, depth and beauty. DuPont™ Stone Care has many specially formulated enhancing products to treat most natural stone and tile surfaces, with or without shine, including DuPont™ Granite & Marble Countertop Polish and DuPont™ Stone Sealer & Enhancer.

I have a granite countertop in my new home and was very VERY pleased with the results of all three of them. I’ll gladly be purchasing more of the same products when they’re used it, and I’m so glad to know that these lovely counters will look great for years to come.

DuPont stone care products are available in a variety of sizes & packages and your local home improvement store. ~by Andi

Win it! Comment on this post before noon mst on September 13, 2010 to enter to win a DuPont stone care kit. Don’t forget to get your extra entries too!

I just finished reading the newly released book based on blog: My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young, all about the ups and downs of aging out of young.

Honestly, when I read the first few pages I wondered if I’d like it. I assumed it would be something written by your stereotypical real housewives type who is still way hotter than I was even at 21 and I’d just find her annoying. I’m glad to admit I was wrong! (Don’t tell my husband I said that.) It’s inspiring and humorous, and each chapter gave me some insight into either my own life or the lives & heads of my friends. It’s a lighthearted & easy read, and yet is a profoundly revealing at where I’ve been (I had no idea I was formerly anything other than formerly childless!) and am going along with millions of other women around the world whose boobs are beginning to sag and whose crows feet are getting deeper every year.

Buy it at our affiliate, Amazon for less than 15 bucks. I vote for one or two of your circle of friends to buy it, share it around and then have a ladies night with plenty of wine to talk about how wonderfully freeing it is to be a ‘formerly’ who knows what she wants and how blessed she is to be alive.

Check out Stephanie’s YouTube channel – she’s hilarious!

Win it! Enter to win a copy of My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young by commenting on this post before noon mst on September 1, 2010.

Children who have never experienced missing one or both of their parents are few & far between these days. Parents work, travel for fun without their children, get deployed, get sick…there are so many things that take parents from their children, and Cuddletunes aims to make those times a little easier on everyone. Cuddletunes began when five year old Olivia missed her daddy. Olivia’s parents, Cuddletunes cofounders David and Cherie, were tucking their daughter in for bed the day before David left on a business trip to New York.

“I’m going to miss you so much honey. You know how much I love you right?” David kissed his daughter on the forehead and she nodded.

“I wish you could tell me that when you’re gone and I’m going to sleep at night. I wish I had a daddy doll so I could hear your voice when I miss you.” This gave Cherie and David the idea that eventually led to Cuddletunes. They talked to their friends Denise and Mike, also parents, who came on board as cofounders. Four years later, in 2007, Olivia’s idea has been transformed and they’re selling bears, but their focus is the same: helping families stay close.

When it comes to comforting a child, there is nothing quite like a good old-fashioned teddy bear. The Cuddletunes Social Networking Bear is a hybrid: she is just as cuddly and sweet as the teddy bear you loved as a child, but is also equipped with a built-in MP3 player. Parents, grandparents, and loved ones can record a story, song, or message from anywhere and upload it to the Cuddletunes site and it is in turn downloaded onto the MP3 player inside the bear via a USB connection. She’s called a social networking bear because in conjunction with their website she’s helping families stay connected more than ever before. Each bear also includes five lullabies sung by professional singers and customized with the child’s name.

My daughter received a Cuddletunes bear and it’s utterly awesome. You can’t feel the mp3 player at all – the bear really is as soft as any other good quality teddy bear – and the quality of the recordings are fabulous. Setting it up online for her was ridiculously easy – her name was available in the professionally pre-recorded songs so I simply had to type in her name, and then I recorded myself reading her a personalized story using the built in mic on my camera (fully guided by Cuddletunes – I’m not that creative!) The Cuddle Tunes Bear with pre-loaded player retails for $59.95.

Win it! Enter to win your own Cuddletunes bear with a comment (or up to five comments!) on this post before noon mst on August 14, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED (Congrats Betty!)

Parents in the know are all aware that iPhones are a lifesaver when it comes to preventing meltdowns in public. Hand the kid a phone with a great app and you’re golden for another 15 minutes of shopping!

The My Living Stories digital storybook apps combine beautiful artwork, narration and interactive features in an easy to use platform that is perfect for preschoolers to read along all on their own, without any help. My Living Stories are a great solution for entertaining on-the-go or as an aid for teaching children to read at home. The apps allow for your child to read along with English or French narration or read the stories themselves. Interactive sounds and animation bring stories to life. Another great feature is the ability to record your own voice to go along with the story (this feature requires an iPhone or iPod Touch with microphone capabilities). My Living Story classic stories include Princess & the Pea, King Midas, The Tortoise & the Hare, Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears – fairy tales you’d want your children to know anyway.

Story apps are some of my faves, because I don’t feel like I’m contributing to my kids’ future video game addictions but rather to their literacy & tech-savvy…ness. Unfortunately because our server was in the (flooded) basement and that’s where my iTunes folder is, I haven’t been able to play with My Living Stories yet, but they’re there waiting for me whenever my *^$!ing basement is done!

Win it! Canadians only: Enter to win a $25 iTunes card! Just leave a comment on this post before Friday August 6 at midnight mst telling me which My Living Stories story you would like the most.

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about the contest @opinionated with the hashtag #MyLivingStories and leave an extra comment when you do so.
2. Blog about the contest and leave an extra comment when you do so.

…and all of the usual extra entries apply too!

Contest is unfortunately, only open to Canadians. You may enter this contest on multiple blogs, but are only eligible to win one iTunes gift card as part of the My Living Stories contest.

Disclosure – I am participating in the My Living Stories program by Mom Central on behalf of Decode Entertainment. I received 3 free apps and a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

A few little girls were granted the chance to review the beautiful new hardcover book from Prima Princessa, Prima Princessa’s Ballet for Beginners: Featuring the School of American Ballet [Hardcover]. Here’s what they had to say:

Kamryn (7) says: “I really like this book. It is easy to understand because there are really nice pictures, and I can read lots of the words too. I like to copy the pictures in front of the mirror in my bedroom. I like the hard cover too, so my sister probably won’t wreck it.”

Emelia (3) says, with the help of her mom: “I love my ballet class and I love everything pink. This book is great for any girl who loves ballet, from toddlers right on up to pre-teens. It’s an easy read for mom, too, so I can help her learn more which makes her class easier for her.”

Ashley (10) says: “Even though I’m kind of over pink, I still love ballet and this book is a great review for anyone who’s taken a few years of classes already. It has some definitions in it that I didn’t know before so that was neat. I think every beginning dancer should get a book like this before they start ballet!

Maren (4) says: “I love love love my new ballet book! I have both of the Prima Princessa DVD’s and have loved them forever, so I was really excited to get this book. The pictures are really nice and easy to copy, even if you can’t read the text without help.”

Buy it for under $11 at Amazon.

Win it! Comment on this post before noon mst on August 4, 2010 to win a copy of your own.

Scoop food. Lift food. Dump 90% of food on lap. Lick spoon. Repeat.

If you’ve watched a toddler learn to feed themselves with utensils, you know it’s almost laughably ridiculous. Laughable if you aren’t the one that has to remove the stains from their clothing.

Thanks to a cool new toddler eating utensil, Mount St. Laundry just got a little bit less difficult to conquer. Little Grips for Little Hands were designed with your toddler in mind.

It has a no–choke safety handle that fits easily in the palm of your child’s hands and allows them to use their arms and wrists for better control. Other utensils require finer finger controls that are still undeveloped, creating a frustrating experience for your child. And you. The ergonomic design that takes advantage of a toddler’s stronger grasping and overall hand–movement skills, while still allowing them to learn proper feeding motions.

Kid feels better. Laundry gets easier. It’s a win-win!

Little Grips sell for $11 at the Little Grips for Little Hands website.

Win it! Comment on this post before noon mst on August 3, 2010 to be entered to win a set of Little Grips for Little Hands. Don’t forget you can get up to 5 entries in every TOP giveaway!

I love to read, and always have at least 3 books on the go. Something fiction, something non-fiction, and something parenting. I also always have a stack of at least 30 (and sadly, I’m not exaggerating) books in my “waiting their turn” pile. The Green Guide for Families: The Complete Reference for Eco-Friendly Parents from National Geographic Books sat in that pile for a long time because it just kept getting buried. The poor thing. There were just so many series that came up in the meantime that I just had to finish. (Millennium trilogy, anyone? Begin with ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ and see if you get any parenting books read before you finish all three!)

Now that I’ve finally read it cover to cover, I’m recommending it to everyone I know with a family. It’s extremely well organized and is filled with practical advice and great ideas. It addresses all of the key environmental issues faced by parents of young children today, and takes a straightforward approach to things like lead-painted toys; vaccinations, antibiotics, vitamins, plastics, managing food allergies, avoiding fat and sugar filled snacks and SO much more. It’s just an awesome book that is sure to become dog eared as you reference it for years to come.

The author, trained scientist, seasoned writer, and mother of two small children Catherine Zandonella combines both knowledge and experience as she helps parents guide their children through a society that doesn’t always make green lifestyle choices easy and offers advice on raising children to “think green” from the start.

Win it! We’re giving away THREE copies of “The Green Guide for Families” to three randomly selected readers. To enter, comment on this post before noon mst on July 31, 2010.

There are many joys, big and small, for a mama with a little girl. One of the small joys that I adore is choosing new hair bows & clips to match every outfit. I have no time for crafts, so luckily there are a ton of shops online selling fabulous products at reasonable prices, like fromalicebows.com

The variety is great – check out their signature collection – and the prices range from a very reasonable & demure $4 to a gorgeous, layered & fancy $15.

Win it! We’re giving away a selection of 5 “pretties” valued at $40. Visit From, Alice and comment on this post with one of your faves before noon mst on July 31, 2010 to be entered to win!

Am I the only one who has those moments?

Sometimes I feel like a Kindermusik superstar. At other times I sing the ABC’s and the days of the week and tuck them in.

To avoid those “drawing a blank” moments, I highly recommend The Goodnight Book for Moms and Little Ones from Welcome Books. (It’s great for dads too, but isn’t named for them…yet.)

The Goodnight Book for Moms and Little Ones includes:
Literary Excerpts: Ten excerpts relating to sleep, stars, and dreams from beloved children’s classics. In Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte sings Wilbur to sleep; in Mary Poppins, Mary glues stars to the sky; and in James and the Giant Peach, James falls asleep in the web hammock under the soft light of a glowworm.
Tales & Legends: Fourteen stories from Sleeping Beauty and Rip Van Winkle to creation tales of the moon and stars from different cultures.
Songs: Ten songs and lullabies, including “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “Goodnight” by Lennon and McCartney, and “Hush, Little Baby.”
Poetry: Fourteen poems, including “The Land of Nod” by Robert Louis Stevenson, “Is the Moon Tired?” by Christina Rossetti, and “Afraid of the Dark” by Shel Silverstein.
Activities: Twenty activities to make bedtime easier (sleep-inducing sachets, clothespin guardian angels, relaxation exercises) and enjoyable (glow-in-the-dark sleep shirt, galactic mobile, hibernating beanbag bear).
Recipes: Twelve recipes combining soothing ingredients for dinners and before bedtime snacks as well as dreamy sweets like Full Moon Cookies, Overnight Surprise Cookies, and Soothing Smoothies.
Prayers: Ten bedtime prayers from various cultures and faiths.

What a wonderful baby gift this book would be for a new mama!

The book hits the shelves this September.

Win it! Welcome Enterprises is giving a copy to one lucky TOP reader. To enter to win, simply comment on this post before noon mst on July 31, 2010.

What better way to encourage literacy amongst the population than welcoming babies into the world and women into motherhood with books.

THE LITTLE BIG BOOK FOR MOMS is a magic wand for new mothers. It instantly provides in one silver gilt-edge book a treasury of fairy tales, nursery rhymes, songs, games, and activities for new moms to do and read with their children. I recalls when my oldest child was a baby asking readers of my personal blog what I could sing to him other than the alphabet. I could have really used this book! I now keep one on a table close to where we read bedtime stories every night and it’s an awesome resource – the perfect book for every mom who doesn’t want her little ones to miss out on the classic tale of Princess and the Pea, or wants to be reminded of the words to Rub-a-Dub-Dub, play I’m a Little Teapot and Itsy, Bitsy Spider, learn how to create shadow puppets and who wants to make recipes that are especially yummy like Frozen Chocolate Bananas. In other words, this is a book for moms who want to be special moms and who want to bring memorable activities to their little ones. And, when everyone has finally gone to sleep at night, there are essays just for Mom by Anne Lamott, Susan Cheever, and Amy Herrick.

THE ULTIMATE ORGANIZER FOR MOMS is a one-stop, indispensable resource to encourage communication between parent and child. It goes from pregnancy through year five, and is a perfect gift for every new mom and mother-to-be. It will make her life easier with great organizational tools & places to record things like her child’s medical records, birthday parties, playmates, teachers, favorite toys, baby sitters, and those all-so-important “firsts” but it will also give her bragging rights to say “Yes! I’ve kept a baby book for my child.” The Ultimate Organizer for Moms comes with a front and a back pocket and is held snugly together by an elastic band.

What a charming gift the combination of these books would make for an expectant or new mother!

Win it! We’re giving away both! To enter, comment before noon mst on May 21, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Music for Little People recently sent us a couple of discs to check out, and they made the cut for sharing here with you.

Pickin’ & Grinnin’: Great Folk Songs for Kids is full of spirited performances of some of the greatest American folk singers singing their favorite tunes especially for children.

Love & Peace is full of music that parents and children can enjoy together. It includes some of the most magical musical moments from Music for Little People’s rich musical history with unique performances such as Brian Johnson (AC/DC) performing “If I had a Hammer” with award winning kids singers, Faith Hill singing a heartfelt ballad to her daughter and Willie Nelson joining a bunch of friends to cover Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”. It begins with a classic from my own childhood, “Baby Beluga” by Raffi, followed by one of my personal faves “On The Good Ship Lollipop” by Maria Muldaur. “The diversity and spirit in this historical tribute to the wonderful world of children’s music contribute to a musical experience that your family won’t want to miss!”

These are the first two of a selection of CD’s that will be released throughout 2010 to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They’re awesome, but you know what else is awesome? They’re only nine bucks right now!

Win them! Enter to win a copy of each of these fab CD’s with a comment on this post before noon mst on Friday, May 7, 2010.

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Funky Mama‘s new album, “Sing!” We reviewed her Moo Juice album (glowingly) a year and a half ago-ish, and this one is just as fantastic. Check out the title track on YouTube. I’ll wait.

See? Awesome, no?

Krista always gets my kids rockin’ – even when they’re strapped in to 5 point harnesses, which is saying something.

Take a little sneak listen to more of the CD here.

Win it! Enter to win a copy of Sing! by commenting on this post before noon mst on Friday, May 7, 2010.

This CD, Flute Sweet & Tickletoon in Green Golly & Her Golden Flute is truly like nothing I’ve shared with you before. It’s intended for ages 4-10, and is 57 minutes of awesome.

Flute Sweet & Tickletoon introduces kids to the wonder of classical music using an embellishment of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel called “Green Golly & Her Golden Flute.” It’s in two parts – the first a narrative graced with flute and flute-guitar renditions of several classical selections, and the second flute recital by Barbara Siesel accompanied by pianist Jessica Krash which allows children to enjoy in greater depth the selections performed during the narration.

This CD will be release on May 11, but you can win it sooner!

Win it! Comment by noon on Friday, May 7, 2010 to enter.

Another newcomer to the fabulous Putumayo Kids Playground series, Jazz Playground is a collection of international jazz songs for children. “From bebop and swing to Latin and African jazz, this multicultural CD celebrates the vibrant diversity and global influence of jazz and will get the whole family grooving!”

I am a big jazz lover (with absolutely no knowledge…just a simple love of listening) so I was thrilled to share this with my own children and more thrilled to see how much they loved it. Check out a couple of videos with your kids…and then buy it!

or…Win it! Comment here before noon on Friday, May 7, 2010 to be entered to win a copy.

NYC-based singer/songwriter Joanie Leeds’ new CD, I’m a Rock Star, was released just a month ago and it’s already entered “van rotation.” Joanie has a voice that is very appealing to adults.

According to her publicist, “Joanie’s soulful, “rock solid” voice – plus a remarkable ability to connect with kids through her songwriting – won her a 2008 Parents’ Choice Award for her debut children’s album, City Kid. Parents’ Choice reviewer Lynne Heffley praised Joanie’s “vivacious soprano and gentle rock ‘n roll approach.” Joanie’s music dances across a constellation of musical genres, ranging from indie & classic rock to hip-hop, from folk to jazz, from R & B to cartoon.”

“I’m a Rock Star” has catchy lyrics and songs that are short enough to keep even my 2 year old interested until the end. Joanie’s voice is awesome – not what many people expect from a children’s performer.

Win it! Comment here before noon on Friday, May 7, 2010 to be entered to win a copy.

Gray Matter Matters. Trust me on that one.

Parents’ Choice® Gold winning kids’ musician Roger Day’s “brainy” new CD, Why Does Gray Matter? … And Other Brainy Songs for Kids! is one of the newest albums in what we lovingly refer to as “van rotation” right now. If a CD leaves the kids’ rooms and makes it to the van, it’s good. It’s about the wonders and mysteries of the human brain, and is geared to kids ages 5 – 11.

As I’ve mentioned many times, I am not a music reviewer and don’t consider myself necessarily very good at it, but I am certainly opinionated, as are my children. I feel qualified to tell you that this is a great CD that my kids love. The music PR people in my virtual life are much better at actually writing about the tunes. So let’s let them do it, right?

In the spirit of Schoolhouse Rock and Bill Nye, the Science Guy, Why Does Gray Matter? includes “Brain Food – Eat it Up!” which uses omega 3, lypocene and green tea in a B-52s inspired rocker about the best foods for brain health. The “Left Brain/Right Brain” song illustrates the different functions of each side of the brain: the left brain is a Bach-inspired baroque string quartet and the right brain – naturally – is a bad British punk rock band. Roger Day co-wrote “The Brain Train” with Dr. John Paul Bouffard, Chief Neuropathologist at Overlook Hospital in New Jersey; the song takes a peek inside Ringo Starr’s brain during that nanosecond from Ringo’s first thought about playing the drums to showtime at Shea Stadium. Roger says, “I’m confident this is the first – and probably last — children’s song that uses words like ‘corpus callosum’ and ‘deep basal ganglia’ in the lyrics.”

There wasn’t a song on this CD that I didn’t like. My son has actually learned a lot about the brain by listening to it and it’s spurred some awesome discussions & teachable moments. My daughter just boogies along as we chat because the music is as good as the content. It’s good stuff – particularly if you’re a science buff.

Win it! Comment here before noon on Friday, May 7, 2010 to be entered to win a copy.

Rockabye Baby is a record label that has released a line of CDs which turn popular rock bands into lullaby music for babies and parents. They have lullaby renditions of 25 artists including The Beatles, Nirvana and a new release of Lullaby Renditions of Aerosmith which features liner notes by Steven Tyler. Most recently they’re launched a Journey album, which is just as awesome as every Journey album is, but totally safe for the nursery. They also have a new download card available which is a super cool baby gift for someone whose musical tastes you’re unsure of.

You can hear clips, find more info and purchase at Rockabye Baby

Save 20% until 5/9/10 with the code MOMDAY2010

Win it! Want to win a download card? Comment on this post before noon mst on April 26, 2010.

The Day That is a company out of the United Kingdom that has just launched here in North America. They offer a very unique gifting opportunity – their photographers rise at dawn each day and capture an image of the dawn skies over the Chesapeakes, and the image is crafted into a work of authenticated art; mounted framed and hand-inscribed as a permanent reminder of a memorable day. A birth, christening, wedding…the list of possibilities is endless.

Being that we’re opinionated “parents” specifically, I am loving this as a baby gift. Their images go back to 2005 so it would also make an awesome birthday gift for the child who has everything (and who is five or under). The mat is inscribed with a personal message from the photographer saying whatever you like. “Juliette’s first day ~ May 1, 2010″

The images are beautiful and the gift captures all the emotions and significance of a truly special day. Being a practical mama, I was especially impressed with the beautiful, archival quality frame and the packaging/shipping. It arrived in just a few days, and was packed so securely that it would have taken a bomb to damage it.

Win it!The Day That is giving a T.O.P. reader one of their wonderful & unique framed images. To enter, simply comment on this post before noon mst on April 21, 2010.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

You may recall when I reviewed the Positive Parenting Solutions online breakthrough course back in October.

In a nutshell, it was freaking awesome. Still is, actually. I use what I learned from it every day.

It was so great that we’re sponsoring a free webinar for parents world wide to share one of the most requested topics…

Correcting misbehaviour without nagging, reminding or yelling.

Yep, that means it applies to EVERY parent I’ve ever met! And it’s FREE! For you!

Register at:http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/the-opinionated-parent

Amy McCready, Founder of Positive Parenting Solutions will present a strategy-packed, interactive, live online webinar designed to teach you…

* the real reasons behind why your child misbehaves
* how your personality can encourage and even escalate misbehaviors
* why you need to know the difference between punishment and consequences
* the proven formula for holding kids accountable for behavior without YOU being the bad guy
* how to structure effective consequences that you can use immediately

You’ll also discover new resources to reduce parenting stress as you correct misbehaviors and communication and get everyone on the same page.

And, you will be able to join in on the discussion via text chat.

Access: All you need is a computer with a speaker to hear the presentation. We’ll send you the log in instructions.

How It Works: Just take a minute to register here
and you’ll receive an email confirmation with the link to access the webinar. When you “enter” the webinar, you’ll see the session slides on your screen as well as a video box to see the presenter – but we won’t be able to see you! You can use the chat box to type questions or make comments. Print the note taking guide from the registration page so you can follow along and get the most out of the webinar.

Cost: FREE!

If you’re ready to eliminate the misbehaviors that have you feeling tired, frazzled and stressed, sign up today.

Date: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Time: 9:30 PM Eastern/8:30 PM Central/7:30 PM Mountain/6:30 PM Pacific

Register at: http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/the-opinionated-parent

Hope to talk to you then!

Blankets make great gifts for all ages, from newborns to grandparents, but there’s a definite quality discrepancy out there. If you or your child has ever been the recipient of a high end blanket that didn’t come from a big box store, you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, you should. There’s nothing like it.

Fill in the Blankie (by Sonya Bebeblankee) blankets are uber-personalized blankets that are perfect for giving as baby, christening, birthday or just because gifts. Fill in the Blankie blankets are the kind you keep forever; not the kind that goes in your garage sale bin.

Fill In The Blankie recently sent a blanket for a school-aged child we know who’s in and out of the hospital right now. The “As Good As It Gets” blanket consists of two panels of 400 thread count Italian Frette sheeting (Frette produces some of the finest linens in the world) sewn together and wrapped with a 2″ wide satin binding. The result is one of the softest, most understated, yet elegant blankets I’ve ever seen. The 32×32 size ($123) would be perfect for a baby but is a little small to cover this child in her hospital bed. The 36×54 ($165) would have been better for this situation, but for a newborn or toddler gift the mid-size is just peachy.

The Fill In The Blankie company was launched in 2004 and is unique in many ways. While many shops, online and brick & mortar, offer personalization, it’s usually just a monogram or 20ish characters and takes at least a few weeks to reach the recipient. Fill In The Blankie blankets offer up to 200 characters per blankie and a 3-7 day turn-around. The FITB website is also brutally honest about what you’re getting when you choose a blanket with ratings on a scale of 1-10 for the cuddle factor and the quality of material and construction and lists the blanket weight (light, medium, heavy) and size. There are no shocks when you work with a company like Fill in the Blankie – except the shocked look on the recipient’s face when they realize the amount of thought you put in to finding the perfect gift.

Order your Fill in the Blankie here – select your favourite style, choose a blanket color and click on “personalize & check out.” They’ll run you anywhere from $39 – $123 for baby/toddler sizes and every penny will be well spent. Prices include complete ultra-personalization.

Win it! Email theopinionatedparent at gmail dot come with FITB in the subject line and your fave blankie in the body before noon mst on March 26, 2010 for a chance to win it!

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

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.

COMMENTS CLOSED & WINNERS EMAILED

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.

COMMENTS CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

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.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

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.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

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

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

Enter your Email

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