We hope all of our fellow Canadians are enjoying their extra time with family and friends this long weekend. We sure are. After meal after meal after meal or turkey, ham, cabbage rolls, salads, casseroles and melt-in-your-mouth desserts, we’re in desperate need of some exercise and some sleep. Exercise we can swing. The sleep? Not so much. Got any product recommendations that make teeth come in, snotty noses clear up and babies sleep 12 hours?

Happy Thanksgiving!

(And to our American friends…have a great day at work!)

As I mentioned yesterday, we’re still on the hunt trying to help you out with your backpack issues.

For the school aged child, the Allerhand Backpack also available from Oompa is pretty much perfect. It’s also available in three colour schemes so there’s something for every taste. It features five zippered pockets and lots of pouches for all of the necessities and wanna-haves, a waterproof splash bag to keep wet things in or out, a thermal sleeve to keep drinks hot or cold, a padded back and two padded straps for comfort, and a reinforced handle for easy & secure locker or coat hook hanging.

A matching lunch bag & pencil case are also available.

Win it! If you’d like to win an Allerhand backpack in your choice of colour from Oompa Toys, leave a comment on this post before September 5/08 indicating your choice of the three available colours and another fave item from the back to school category.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

A child’s name is usually the first and most important word they learn to print. When Canadian teacher and parent Lee-Ann O’Neill had a preschooler she, as we all do, was continually dotting out her name for tracing purposes. As an early childhood teacher and a mother, I spend more time dotting than I can keep track of.

Lee-Ann developed a stamp for her daughter and shares it with the rest of us via The Little Stamp Company. Her self-inking “signature stamp” features a large ‘dotted’ font so that children can stamp their own name on paper, colouring pages, artwork etc. and then trace the letters of their name. She offers three custom options for you to indicate your child’s name, select the ink colour, choose whether you would prefer ALL CAPS or Lower Case. (ECS teacher recommendation: Lower Case Please!) The ink Lee-Ann uses is edible and made entirely with FDA approved ingredients. It’s water based, child safe, washable, eco-friendly and lasts for thousands of impressions. My son has probably broken a thousand now (not all on paper so I can attest to the washability!) and his signature stamp is still going strong.

At $24.95, it might be a little more than you’d normally spend on a stamp but in my opinion as both a teacher and a parent, it’s totally worth it. They’ll love the sense of accomplishment & independence and it will save you hours of dotting time.

Save 15% on your signature stamps with the code TOP15.
This code is also among friends in the TOP Shops, where we feature exclusive online shopping discounts just for you!

Win it! Your child could win their own stamp from The Little Stamp Company! One winner will be randomly selected from all comments left on this post before August 29/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I’ve been exhausted since I got pregnant with my first child and it hasn’t let up. More experienced parents tell me I’ll sleep well once or twice over the next 30 years, and then I’ll start staying up to worry about my grandchildren. That doesn’t sounds promising.

When I heard about NAP26™ I was excited to try it. The claim is that you will feel like you slept 3 hours after 26 minutes, and since that’s almost exactly the maximum amount of time I have each day when both my kids are sleeping (on a very good day when the planets are aligned) it sounded good to me.

The idea is that you can energize and refresh without the drowsiness that comes from sleeping too long. NASA science has shown that a 26 minute nap improves alertness in pilots. If it’s good enough for NASA, it’s certainly good enough for me.

The website says “NAP26™ uses Binaural Beat Technology to train the brain to relax and to awaken without risk of grogginess. A scientific digital modulation process inserts precise pulses and beats that the brain hears. The difference in vibration between one ear and the other stimulates either deeper relaxation or alertness. You will feel like you slept for 3 hours in 26 minutes.”

The big question, though, is does it work for chronically sleep deprived parents?

Yes!

On the rare days when I get 26 minutes to myself, I am absolutely loving the NAP26™ system. Sometimes I fall asleep, most of the time I just relax, but I always feel amazing when the 26 minutes of heaven are over.

I think we’ve found what may be the best new mom gift of all time – sleep. Just make sure you also include the half hour of babysitting that goes with it.

Win it! We’re giving away a copy of the NAP26™ CD. To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 mst on August 18/08.

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I have admitted here many times that I’m a snob. A blanket snob, a toy snob, a clothing snob…and yes, a butt cream snob. If it’s toxic, it’s sure as heck not getting rubbed on the nether regions my babies. I’ve tried many creams over the past few years (organic, natch) and they’ve all been satisfactory enough, but the Bottom Balm from Lalabee Baby Bathworks surpasses even my expectations. It clears up diaper rash in a flash (seriously, I’m talking an hour) and there’s nothing in it to irritate baby’s tender skin. Applying it feels like a strange cross between unsalted butter (but not greasy…is that possible?) and really thick olive oil. There’s no resistance and it makes my baby smile even when her little butt is at it’s most tender.

The entire Lalabee line is handcrafted in small batches using certified organic and natural ingredients in beautiful Kelowna, BC by mom Sara Johnson. There are no chemicals, preservatives or dyes in any of the Lalabee products and they use only edible ingredients purchased from local suppliers where possible.

All of the Lalabee containers are reusable or recyclable and the tins are food grade – no plastic to be found. Check out the rest of the baby line and the mama line too.

A portion of sales is donated to buy Heifer International Honeybees. Canadian, mom-run, organic, green, and helping the less fortunate? You’ve gotta love that.

Win it! We’ve got a tin of the fabulous bottom balm for one lucky reader! To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59 pm mst on August 7/08.

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Not only did I lose all of my contacts and files, but I haven’t even been able to use the 15 minutes per day that my kids are both asleep to attempt to recover them because I’m totally addicted to Jishaku.

What’s that, you ask?

Don’t worry. So did I.

Jishak, the Japanese word for magnet, is a portable strategy game like chess or checkers that can be played anywhere. Unlike any other game, though, there is an element of surprise when the magnets jump out of position without warning.

All magnets have North and South poles. Jishaku magnets do too, but they aren’t marked. As you carefully place your magnet in a hole you can feel the tug of magnets all around the board. Skilled players (apparently…I’m not there yet) learn to use magnetic force in their favor- repelling the magnets closest to them without forcing them into other magnets.

Depending on which version of the game you choose to play, I’m Out, Roundup, or Elimination, your goal will vary. The suspense that you feel as you place your stones, though, never changes. Even when you play it all by yourself as I’ve been doing.

See it in action here and then tell me you don’t want to buy this game. Trust me. You do.

Save 10% through 7/31 with the code TOP100.

Win it!We’ve got a game of Jishaku for one randomly selected winner. To enter, simply comment on this post before 11:59 MST on August 4/08.

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Against my techie’s warnings, I find myself too busy to remember to back up my laptop. Since last September. Oops.

Tonight as my son’s foot caught in the cord and it crashed to the floor, cracking the case and rendering the hard drive completely dead and unrecoverable, I instantly regretted that. Let my idiocy be a warning to the rest of you. If you use a laptop, back up your profile nightly or at least weekly to a server or another remote location.

Because we do use a server, the only thing I’ve permanently lost is my email. That means I don’t have:

-any emails you’ve sent me since September 2007
-files recording any conversations we’ve had about products sent for review, giveaways, your Ask TOP questions and more.

I’ve tried to use an archaic device they call a pencil to record what I could from memory, but I have relied so much on my laptop for so long that my memory sort of sucks.

If we’re currently working with you on a review in progress or you’re waiting to hear from one of us for any reason or you just feel great pity for the stupid among us (that would be me…), please forward all of our previous correspondence to theopinionatedparent at gmail dot com so that we can get things back on track as quickly as possible. We’d really appreciate it!

As much as we like birth to be all about the mama, it really is all about the baby. We do all of the work, but they’re cute enough to negate most of it.

Once you’re resigned to the fact that it’s baby who’s going to get most of the attention, you’ll fall in love with the adorable products at All About Baby. Founded by par.entrepreneur Nancy Wurtzel in 1994, All About Baby specializes in high-quality, distinctive keepsakes for babies and children. While we’re not huge fans of the typical keepsake around here, the four piece gift case is something we’d all love to receive. Completely devoid of the type of keepsake that collects dust for a few years before it’s tossed in a box for the next twenty, this case is not only adorable but completely functional. The funky green case is made of fiberboard and is fab for storing toys or special items at home or on the go. It contains a hooded towel for baby, a toddler-size bib in coordinating colors, a soft white cotton washcloth and a cute yellow rubber ducky. The contents are available in four bright shades of pink or blue and the towel can be personalized with up to ten letters. At just $59.95 it’s a perfect baby gift for anyone and it’s a totally cute alternative to your traditional gift basket.

Win it! We’ve got a hooded towel in the blue bubbles pattern to give away. ($29.95 value & pictured @ left.) To enter, visit the All About Baby shop and come back here to comment with your favourite item or two that are NOT mentioned in this review. Contest closes at noon MST on August 1, 2008. (Holy crap! Is it really just one week until August?)

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Back soon, people. I promise.

Hope you’re all well and happy and all that.

Want to spend money? Go here. Why would you ever pay full price?

Again with the promising…

Com back later!

Welcome to the week sans giveaways! (I know, that’s not exciting for you. For me, however, it means I don’t need to moderate 6000 comments when I have regular internet access again.)

Want to see some cute vintage cartoons from around the world? Then visit Bunny Ears!

Bunny Ears is a new Web TV station for young children aged 3+ that brings you an assortment of vintage and contemporary cartoons from all around the world.

Each cartoon is fairly short, about 5 minutes each, and are filled with simple animation and adorable stories! While there isn’t a huge selection up yet, they are planning to bring hundreds of cartoons, that are hard to find elsewhere, right to your computer screen!

Run out of Toronto, Ontario by mom Judy Blumstock, Bunny Ears is advertising free and free to watch. She founded it for her own daughter and now it’s available for everyone’s children.

While you may recognize some characters, such as Chapi and Chapo, there are many others that you and your children will quickly fall in love with!

I can’t help but to love Chapi and Chapo the most, but a close runner up is sweet little Bedtime Bear! Perfect for helping your preschooler with his or her bedtime routine!

Hop on over to Bunny Ears, cuddle up with your preschooler, and settle in for a sweet and funny story! -Gina

It seems there’s always something out there that is going to hurt the health of our babies. All the additives in foods, BPA in bottles, pesticides in our veggies, and even formula or sweet liquids will cause damage. Baby tooth decay is a common problem that can be prevented, but as a parent I understand how difficult it is to always follow “what’s best.” By that I mean that I don’t always brush my baby’s gums or my son’s teeth after eating or drinking. Why? Well, they don’t particularly like me coming at them with the tooth brush.

Tooth Tissues may very well be the best idea since sliced bread. They’re simply little disposable tissues that you can use to wipe your young one’s teeth or gums to keep them healthy! The simplicity of it makes it easy to carry in your diaper bag, in the vehicle, picnic basket, over night bag, or really anywhere! All you do is wrap the wipe around your finger and rub your baby’s gums or teeth, and if they’ve fallen asleep with a bottle or boob in their mouth it makes it way easier to soak up the left over liquid. Good luck trying to brush in babies’ mouths while they’re sleeping, but with Tooth Tissues there is hope!

Aside from the initial intention for Tooth Tissues, I’m pretty sure they’d be great for adults too! I don’t carry a toothbrush around with me so I can brush after meals while on the go, but I would carry Tooth Tissues. Just wipe and toss. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Created by a couple that are dentists as well as parents, the priorities of both the medical world and the family world were addressed with the invention of Tooth Tissues. The tissues are 99% natural (check out their website to find out why they’re not 100%) and available in stores and online for a very reasonable price. What a great find. Buy yours online for just $6.99/pack or $4.00 for a dozen single packets.

Win it! We’re giving away a package of tooth tissues and a couple of single packets to one randomly selected reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post before noon MST on June 25/08.

Additional entries available – up to four per person. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

I’ve got to be honest here – I had never heard of Locallectual until they bought one of T.O.P’s premier ad spaces over there. See it? The nice big highrise ad on the right? Yeah, that’s it. You’re going to want to click that.

How did I not know about this site? It’s such a fantastic idea!

A little bit about Locallectual from their site:

Are you a smart consumer? Think before you answer… the definition is changing! It used to be about buying the highest quality products at the lowest price, and many have mastered this skill. However, many savvy consumers now think about the social and ecological impact of their purchases; the cost of manufacturing on the environment as well as the social effects on the workers and community who produce consumer goods. These are all factors that many responsible consumers consider while making a purchase. Whether a person is buying fruit, a t-shirt, or a toy… how it was made and how it made its way to you are some things to consider. Sounds like a lot to think about, right? It is, but to make it all easier, now there is Locallectual.

The idea behind Locallectual is to offer a personalized shopping experience based on your preferences. Shop for what you want, made where you want. You can shop by category, country of origin, state of origin, or search for goods made within a designated mile radius of your zip code! This saves you, as a consumer, precious time while leaving you with the peace of mind of knowing exactly where your purchase was produced. This site also gives you information about the manner in which various products are made and by whom. Locallectual doesn’t stop there; other features allow you to:

* Contribute! Locallectual is a wiki-type site, so if you know of a producer in your area that is not listed, click on “Add Entry ” to add them to the database!

* Create a user profile allowing you to specify your purchase preferences – choose your geographic regions of interest, what items you are interested in, and receive recommendations based on what you choose.

* Network with other Locallectuals in your area or in an area you intend to visit, or network with those with similar interests and hobbies.

* Learn more about manufacturing practices as well as why its important to support your local producers.

* Learn where to buy and eat local no matter where you are with our soon-to-be-live “Local Lowdown” city pages.

* Be Green! Locate eco-friendly companies by searching within our “environmentally friendly” category.

* Benefit from the knowledge and experiences of other consumers through the ratings and reviews feature. And of course, share your knowledge and experiences in the same way.

Doesn’t that sound fabulous? The only problem I can find with Locallectual is that it doesn’t include Canada…yet. Let’s get on that!

Edited to add: Apparently I didn’t dig deeply enough. Here’s the link to search by country! (Thanks Karen!)

At TOP, we do our best to review some of the coolest and most family friendly or gadgets, toys, tools, clothing and more. We hope you like what we do, and always welcome your suggestions.

This time, we need you!

We’ve had several reader requests for a great family calendar available online and we’re hoping you can help us find one or more to review and share with our fab readers.

It sounds like you’re looking for one that…

-is large enough to have room for all of the family’s activities, perhaps freezer door sized?
-is not wipe-able but permanent, and has 13 months to record activities and appointments in advance.
-is dateless so families can start and end it as they choose throughout the year.
-can hang on the fridge with either VERY strong magnets or suction hooks.
-optional colour coding for different family members’ activities

Anything else?

Please leave suggestions and ideas in comments.

Any enterprising business person want to make one?

Summer is here and with that Vincent’s annual Summer Sale, which kicks off TODAY!

Scoot, skip or hop over to the Vincent online store and take advantage of sale prices as low as 75% OFF! Look for the red banners. The sale will run while supplies last so hurry up as it’s first come – first served!

Also check out the Vincent Closeout Cubby where they still have a few great shoes and boots left at up to 75% OFF; great deals if you are planning ahead for back to school and fall. (Please note that all Closeout Cubby item purchases are final – no returns or exchanges.)

As always, Vinvent provides free shipping on all orders of $75 and up.

Learning to eat is a messy stage for even the most perfect child. No matter how anal retentive you are about cleanliness, you’re going to have a mess much of the time. When your child is ready to try his or her hand at utensils, you’ll want to check out My Plate-Mate. It helps a toddler learn how to successfully eat with a utensil and plate (or bowl if it’s the right size – 8″-9 1/2″…) while minimizing much of the mess.

My Plate-Mate is super Easy to use and is made of food grade plastic which is lead-free, BPA-free, PVC-free, latex-free and phthalate-free. They’re also dishwasher & microwave safe. It’s essentially a c-shaped piece of plastic that slips onto the edge of your child’s plate and helps your child successfully learn to use a utensil while preventing messy spills on the table.

We’re using a My Plate-Mate with our two year old and I love that he is showing increased confidence and independence with his utensils simply because I’m more relaxed and not chasing him around with a cloth.

They’re only $7.95 each and can be purchased from the My Plate-Mate website.

Save 10% with the code MESSFREE

Win it! We’re giving away a white My Plate-Mate to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by noon MST on Jun 9, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED & WINNER EMAILED

Remember the Flipper toothbrush holder?

Remember how they offered you a 20% off code because they felt sorry for y’all who didn’t win?

Well, you’re getting lucky again! We’ve got two toothbrush holders and two razor holders to give away. Two winners will each receive one of each – just leave a comment to enter! You’ve got just 48 hours to enter – contest closes at 8 pm MST on Wednesday, May 28/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

A Giftventure is a personalized treasure hunt service where all of the materials are custom made and delivered to you! You simply choose an adventure, a character, and a hiding place for a gift that you provide. Enter the location where you have the hidden gift, some of the child’s personal interests, (such as a favorite game, or a local landmark), and you’re all set! Using the information you provide, they create and mail a series of letters and puzzles addressed to the child who must solve the puzzles and follow the clues in the letters to discover the location of your hidden gift.

Trust me when I tell you that Giftventure is as cool as it sounds, if not cooler.

There are currently seven adventures to choose from with more coming soon, and there are seven characters that guide your child along their giftventure.

Giftventure has been undergoing some changes in the past months. Now customers can purchase general Giftventures without having to personalize them first. This means you can purchase, as an example, 3 giftventures. After purchase, you get a confirmation email with an individual ID code for each of the 3 giftventures. You can choose to personalize one right then, keep one saved on your member account to use for another occasion later in the year, send the ID code to a friend or family member for them to redeem on the site and personalize their own giftventure (just like a gift card) or any combination of the three.

Three families including my own were the first crazy Canucks to try Giftventure. They’ve just launched their company in to Canada and I know that if we spread the word it’s going to be huge here. (Canadians have good taste, after all.)

I used my Giftventure for my 9 year old niece. She is all about adventure and imagination and still firmly believes in all of the mythical people and creatures that children should. She was so pumped when she received the first letter that she drove me crazy until the next one finally arrived. The entire experience was wonderful and I know she’ll never forget it!

Read on to see what TOP writers Andrea and Raechelle thought of their own Giftventures:

A child’s imagination is something pretty spectacular. Just last night my kiddos were talking about zombies as if they were actual and factual, it was quite cute. Sometimes I find it difficult to feed their creativity to the length that they desire, but when we started The Treasure Map Adventure from Giftventure I could tell that they would be at their imaginative peak for the next few days.

The ordering online was very easy, just pick a character, fill out a bit of information like the children’s names (you can name up to three), a location by your house, and something that your children enjoy doing. This allows Giftventure to totally personalize your treasure hunt! I was able to order in less than five minutes and the checkout process was super easy. It arrived in the mail about a week later.

Upon opening the package I could see that this would be something the children would enjoy. It contained three envelopes that looked like they were sent directly from “Gunther the Dragon” (the character I chose), and inside them were a story and directions on how to find the hidden present! I had purchased a small gift to use at the end of the hunt. The treasure hunt lasted over the time span of about a week, where Gunther would drop off a letter with a few more instructions each time.

My two older children, ages 5 and 7, took part in the hunt. They’re still at the age where they actually believe dragons exist and that there’s a magical place called Cloudstead up in the clouds. For that week of fun my children went to bed speaking of Gunther and the hunt, and they would wake up looking for letters from this magical dragon. It was great seeing them so excited for something that I really didn’t even have to put any effort in to. All I had to do was buy a small gift, than play along, and giftventure took care of the rest. And now we have to figure out what to do with all of the letters that the kiddos have written to Gunther! And I think I may have to order more adventures for their birthdays (and Christmas, and Easter, and maybe Halloween too)! - Andrea

When Dad leaves for business trips it is always tough on my kids. My preschooler pines for her Dad, and the special time they spend together. This time I wanted something special to distract her while he was away so we had a Giftventure delivered.

We began the adventure on the first day her Dad was gone. We went to check the mail to discover a special letter for her. Being an avid fan of mail, she was extremely excited to open it up and start her Giftventure. (You can have them all delivered to the parents in one package or have them individually delivered to the children. If you’d like to have the control, you can just stick them in your own mailbox for the kids on certain days!)

I had hidden a special gift in our hall closet and on the following days she received more clues in the mail to guide her way. She absolutely adored that a fairy was taking her on this Giftventure. The map was AWESOME and we are now drawing treasure maps on a daily basis.

Before we knew it, Daddy was home and she shared her amazing story of her Giftventure with him. I would not hesitate to have more Giftventures in the future – especially now with the great service and very reasonable shipping rates to Canada. -Raechelle

Save 10% on your Giftventure with the code TOP10CAN.
This code is the newest addition to the TOP Shops – the most fabulous collection of online shopping discounts anywhere on the web!

Win it! We’re giving away a Giftventure to one lucky T.O.P. reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post by noon MST on May 29/08. (Yes, any comment – even the lazy ones will get through this time!) ONE ADDITIONAL WINNER will be drawn from those that blog about this contest and get the word out about Giftventure!

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED – Congrats Wendy and Angela!

I’m not much of a pouch sling user myself – I’ve just never found that they work great with gigantic nursing boobs. The few that I do use I chose because they fit me perfectly, and that means they don’t fit anyone else. If your baby loves to be worn and you’re not exactly the same size as your husband, mother and babysitter you’re going to end up with a few different carriers. (Not that there’s a problem with that – I love my collection.)

If you’re a pouch person and you’d rather invest in one fab sling that will fit everyone, I suggest you make the investment in an amazingly gorgeous Baby Bee Sling™ from Honeywear, a company founded upon the nurturing of children and the environment, our two most important and precious resources.

Made from the most pure and exquisite all natural fabrics and lined with soft organic cotton, the Baby Bee Sling is truly one size fits all and offers complete adjustability for many different holds. It’s created with an innovative quick release buckle and a toggle tightening system unlike anything else on the market.

At $120, it is an investment, but one that you’ll find well worth it when you open the box and see the beauty. A Baby Bee Sling doesn’t need to match your outfit – it IS the outfit. Nobody’s going to notice what’s underneath.

Win it! We’re giving away an organic cotton sateen Baby Bee Sling in the eyes of the world pattern. (Value: $120.) To enter, leave a comment on this post telling us which of the other ten fabrics available you like best. Contest closes at noon MST on May 23, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

I am pleased to announce that approximately a week and a half ago my daughter grew some hair.

Like anything, there are positives and negatives about that. The great thing is that she can wear her fabulously fantastic Bugalug barrettes in the tuft on top of her head, but the bad news is that she’s getting closer to telling me to “Just back off and get your own accessories, Mom!” I admit it – I’ve been wearing her clips from Bugalug for weeks now. But I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on them so they must not look too bad on a grown woman.

Bugalug clips are based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and are designed with an innovative non-slip grip like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a silicone type grip – and it works! The clips stay in both my daughter’s hair and my own. The clips are also glue free and can withstand the washer and dryer and never get bumpy with glue like many do.

I was most impressed with the quality of Bugalug clips. Everyone’s next door neighbour makes clips these days, but Bugalug clips stand out from the rest as some of the finest I’ve ever seen. There are no raw ribbon edges visible and the ‘crafts-woman-ship’ is worth every penny of the…oh wait – they’re only $4!

She’s not yet old enough for headbands, though, so I don’t have to share those for a while. At their new longer length of 26″, they fit any head and are fully reversible and adjusted via plastic toggle. They’re available in tons of gorgeous ribbon selections.

Bugalug is so concerned with safety and quality that they’ve declined producing the baby clips that many of their customers are asking for (after lots of research) simply to reduce the chance of a child choking on a Bugalug clip. That’s commitment.

Save 10% at Bugalug Baby with the code TOP10.

Win it! We’ve got a gift package of 4 clips and 2 headbands to give away to a reader. To enter, visit the Bugalug Baby site and comment on this post with your favourite products. Contest closes at noon MST on May 26/08.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

My little sweetie has the most precious feet. No, seriously, they’re so cute that I could just kiss them all day! That might explain why I usually let her go barefoot and until recently have not put a pair of shoes on her sweet feet.

Well, that changed when I received a pair of Minnies baby shoes. The shoes are almost as cute as her feet! Note that I said “almost”, nothing really compares to her little piggies. That said, I did not hesitate to dress her little piggies with these beautiful pink corduroy shoes. They slipped on easy and they were kept in place by two silky smooth elastics accented with a pink butterfly!

After visiting Minnies website, I could see how much thought and effort are put in to these tiny shoes. They have four fabulous lines, including Funky Casuals, Kickin’ Sneakers, Chillin’ Boots, and Sweetalicious Mary Janes. They restock their line twice a year in the spring and in the fall, always being sure to keep on top of the “what’s new” in the baby fashion world. To top it off, the material used to make these fab little shoes is carefully tested to make sure it lives up to the strictest safety standards!

Minnies are some seriously funky and functional footwear for those sweet little feet in anyone’s life. They are available in sizes 1-4 for pre-walking baby girls and boys. Launching just this spring, Minnies will be found in specialty stores and boutiques across North America and in Europe. - Andrea

[Ed: The Minnies site is driven by flash (not good) and has auto-play sound (also not good) but the shoes? Rock.]

Win it! We’re giving away a pair of boys Kickin’ Sneakers in 6-12 months. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by noon MST on May 21, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED

We travel rather frequently because none of our family lives where we do. We travel packed from floor to roof in our mommy-van because we take our own…well, everything.

One thing I refuse to leave behind is the playpen. We use it for a bed and for a safe restraint and a used one is just…ew. Well, it was ew until I discovered the Coverplayard designed by smart-mom Allison Costa.

The aptly named Coverplayard is a slip cover liner that gender neutralizes any playpen, protects your babe from the germies on a borrowed unit or just modernizes your own playpen. It slips on and off easily and fits most any playpen – just slip it on and attach it with Velcro and pop it off and into the wash when it needs it. It’s absolutely perfect for hotels and anywhere else you take the babes, and comes in several awesome designs.

Starting at just $50, the Coverplayard is way cheaper than buying a new playpen and more convenient than dragging your own everywhere you go. Thanks Allison – now my kids have room in the van to pack “just one more toy!”

Save 10% on your Coverplayard with the code faf

I’ve always been a very happy person and can see the positive in almost any situation. I believe that happiness is a choice. You may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. I tend to find the “Negative Nellie” type of person annoying and energy draining and choose not to spend my time with them.

Since having children I find it even easier to find joy in every day things – like the dew on a blade of grass or the feel of the rain on my head as I stomp in a puddle.

Focus Friends is a mom-run company out of Colorado producing a series of children’s books and products based on characters called Focus Friends. Each of the characters created by founder and author Lisa Rey Marks is imbued with a special gift or valuable trait and the books and products provide a springboard for teaching young children to develop the positive thought patterns and emotions that will help them to live happier lives.

The debut title, Joy Is The Greatest Gift, features Joyann – a friend with the focus of creating joy. With colourful illustrations and flowing rhymes, it’s a book that captured the attention of my children and would do the same for yours. And while books are always preferred over tech toys, books with positive lessons like this are absolutely first-rate in my book.

Win it! Focus Friends is giving a copy of Joy Is The Greatest Gift away to one TOP reader. To enter, leave a comment on this post before noon MST on May 20, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED – CONGRATS CINDI!

If you have kids (which I assume you do if you’re a regular at T.O.P. – tell me if I’m wrong…) you have probably played the “uh-oh” game toys, sippy cups, cutlery and any number of other things. It may be cute at first (just may-be) but after the seven hundredth time it gets a little old.

Crafty mom Allison Conta of Ali Designs has created the Ali-Oops! Toy Clip just for you. It tethers your child’s toys, sippy cups, snack traps, and more directly to the stroller, carseat, or highchair.

Each toy clip is approximately 10 inches in length with heavy duty snaps on either end for attachment. They come in two different sizes and make a great present topper for a baby gift or first birthday gift.

Sippy cup – $4.99
Soother – $3.99
One parent saving another from the endless game of drop and retrieve – priceless.

Win it! Ali Designs is giving away two TOP readers a toy clip of their choice. To enter, leave a comment on this post stating which of these you would like if you’re one of the randomly selected winners. Contest closes at noon MST on May 21, 2008.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules.

CONTEST CLOSED – Congrats to The Chatty Housewife!

May all of you spend the day surrounded people you love and may they appreciate the sacrifices you make every day, just because you’re their Mom.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Great news – there’s been so much interest in our review of the Flipper toothbrush holder that the company is giving all of you a 20% discount!

Now no home needs to be without this great invention that keeps toothbrush germ sharing to a minimum.

Save 20% on your Flipper toothbrush holders with the code “opinionated parent”

If everyone else jumped off a bridge, we’d be right behind them.

Or something like that.

The Opinionated Parent is now on Facebook! Come join our group!

You’ll have chances for extra entries and occasionally special prizes just for group members.

See you on the flip side Facebook!

In decades past, if you gave most mothers a piece of computer equipment for Mother’s Day you would have been in the doghouse for weeks. Not anymore.

We’ve got the perfect gift for the tech-savvy yet fashionable mama.

The Cruzer Gator is a flash drive adorned with stylish mock alligator skin. It’s available in three great colours and comes in 2 GB (pink), 4 GB (red) and 8 GB (black) capacities.

But what’s style without function? The Cruzer Gator has some fantastic features. I particularly love the password protected access control. Now we can safely store our data without worrying what someone may do with it should we misplace it.

Want to show off pictures of your kids at work? Take home videos to Grandma’s house? The Cruzer Gator is a suitcase of memories that fits in your purse and is lighter than your lipstick.

It also allows you to take your files plus U3™ compatible PC programs wherever you go, with no PC installation required. Never tried U3? You will love it! With a U3 smart drive – like the Cruzer Gator – you can plug your into any PC and work, play a game, message friends, send email, edit photos and more. A U3 smart drive makes any PC your own PC. And when you unplug it, it leaves no personal data behind. For a busy mom, that’s simply awesome.

Win it! We’re giving away a 2 GB pink and a 4 GB red Cruzer Gator to two winners. To enter, leave a comment with your favourite Mother’s Day memory. Contest closes on Mother’s Day – May 11, 2008.

Get up to three additional entries into this contest!

1. NOTE THE CHANGE FOR THIS CONTEST – On your own blog, post a picture that embodies Mother’s Day for you. Include, if you wish, the story behind the photo. Link to this contest using one of the top three images found here. Leave a comment with the direct link to your post (not to your main page, and in a separate comment from your other entry) so that we can come check out your entry.

AND/OR

2.Subscribe to our RSS feed. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid email address so we can confirm your subscription.

AND/OR

3. Place our button in your sidebar or add us to your blogroll. Leave an additional comment to let us know that you did this for your extra entry. Be sure to leave a valid url so we can confirm the addition.

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.theopinionatedparent.com"><img src="http://www.theopinionatedparent.com/images/topbutton.jpg" alt="The Opinionated Parent" /></a>

Maximum four entries total per person.

CONTEST CLOSED

I dig finding new & unique shops from which to clothe my kids, and I dig even more finding shops that are eco-friendly.

Pondür is a 100% organic and 100% stylin’ shop that started with a childhood passion. Owners Shanna and Christy are dedicated to inspiring the world, one tiny thought at a time. The Pondür shop features organic tees & onesies printed with thought-provoking and inspirational quotes.

My personal favourite and the one my daughter wears regularly – Take care of me, Take care of the world.

So true, my friends. So true.

Pondür’s unique, environmentally friendly baby apparel not only inspires the little one wearing it but also everyone who sees it.

With every purchase you make from Pondür, you’re making a difference for kids.

Save 20% at Pondür with the code TOP20.

Pondür is a proud member of the TOP Shops, where they and many others are giving you great deals just for being an Opinionated Parent!

Win it! Pondür is giving away a tee to one TOP reader in your choice of size, quote and colour. Value $23.

To enter, leave a comment on this post with your choice for all three – size, quote and colour – should you be the randomly chosen winner.

Contest closes May 14 @ noon MST.

Additional entries available. See contest entry information and rules. Maximum 4 entries per person.

CONTEST CLOSED