Family Review Network

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for your participation.
The winner is comment #57: Rosanne M.
Congratulations!

Ever feel like life is trying to get the best of you? Well, you’re not alone. And like they say, laughter is the best medicine, right? Psycho Super Mom, Lauren Mayer, has come up with a way to take all the stress, anxiety, and every day situations and present them in a way that makes them a little more bearable, a lot more fun!

From the site: “Lauren Mayer is a singer, songwriter, music teacher, comic, and sleep-deprived mom. She is a five-time recipient of the San Francisco Cabaret Gold Award, a Peninsula Arts Grant recipient, and a phi beta kappa graduate of Yale University. Her songs have been heard on A&E’s Good Time Cafe, the Dr. Demento Show, and more, she is the author of several musicals published by Contemporary Drama Service, and she is the co-founder and songwriter for Curriculum Rocks, a company producing entertainingly educational music for kids. Visit the Curriculum Rocks Website. She is the mother of 2 boys who introduce her to really cool music, who sing backup on her kids’ CDs, and who inspire her wackier comedy songs.”

The members of Family Review Network had the opportunity to review this hilarious CD set and this is what they had to say:

All Because Two People Fell in Love: My favorite song is “I Hate to Exercise Blues!” Could be because I can unfortunately relate VERY easily to these blues! The whole family was able to appreciate and enjoy this hilarious CD!! I can’t wait to take this CD to our next BUNKO party because I am certain that my BUNKO Buddies will LOVE it as much as I do!!

An Island Review: Let me say, this is one funny lady! She takes everyday ordinary situations and really makes you laugh. My favorite song is “Have Aliens Replaced My Kids?” because I think we all wonder about this once in a while, right? Right? Or am I the only one? Even my girls liked listening to some of the more age-appropriate songs.

Chocolate Fingerprints: Listen up Mamas…If you’re having a stressful or difficult day, pop Return of Psycho Super Mom into your cd player and laugh with Lauren Mayer. I really do believe that laughter is the best medicine. Last week, when I was having some trouble with mommy guilt,  this cd helped me feel better. I spend so much time worrying and agonizing over my everyday life; it was so nice to laugh about motherhood for a change!

From Melissa’s Desk: Lauren Mayer’s newest CD Return of Psycho Super Mom is not the kind of music I would normally pick to listen to. However, I don’t think its meant for everyday listening. It’s true comedy that is unique and very funny. I can relate to these songs all about mom issues. This might be a good CD to play at a mom’s party.

Here’s What I Think: This CD is so perfect for mom’s. With songs like “Grown Ups Get to Have Fun Too” and “Too Pooped to Party”, I think every mom can relate. I definitely got a chuckle out of most of the songs. This would be a perfect gift for any mom that spends a lot of time in the car, running errands and carpooling kids around.

Mom of 2 Dancers: The CD is very funny! My favorite song is Food Network. I was laughing my head off at that song. Another favorite is Environmental Envy. I know I felt that way when my girls were younger!

Our Seven Qtpies: Lauren writes fun songs about the frustrating things we go through as women and moms. It is fun to see the humor in our situations, and to know we are not alone in our psycho worlds. (to find that I am not the only one that thinks of myself as psycho was a relief!) The tunes are catchy, I’ll warn you.

Tara’s View of the World: The CD is “an autobiographical, comedic look at life, motherhood, and sleep deprivation”. I thought the CD was very witty and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the songs “I Hate To Exercise Blues” and “Grownups Get To Have Fun Too”. Any mother will be able to relate to the pictures Lauren paints with her songs and have a good laugh at the funnier side of being a mom!

The Dirty Shirt: The song Defining Gravity cracked me up and I just loved Too Pooped To Party (my new theme song lol) And Mama’s Gonna Be Okay was funny. Lauren has an all around great sense of humor and she portrays that straight into her music touching on all the topics that we moms go through on a daily basis. I really enjoyed this album and my toddler danced to the whole thing so she liked it too!

Val’s Views: While a CD of comedic songs isn’t something I’d typically get for myself, I did enjoy listening to this one. Only another woman can relate to my feelings on a day to day battle with gravity, and Lauren captures it perfectly in “Defining Gravity”. And every mother can relate to “Tell Me Another One”, one of my favorites on the album.

Stop by Lauren’s site for the perfect stocking stuffers for your girlfriends!

Win it!

How would you like to win a copy of Psycho Super Mom, Return of Psycho Super Mom, & First Grade Rocks? To enter:

• Stop by Lauren Mayer’s site before midnight, Dec 4th and listen to some of her music clips.
• Then come back and mention in comments which song is your favorite. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified on Dec 5th.
• The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to our feed.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Lauren Mayer.
• Place our button in your sidebar.

This giveaway is open to everyone world-wide. Good luck!

Tired of the cutesy designs you usually see in the shopping malls? Well, you’re going to love the cool baby clothes at Uncommonly Cute.

From the site: “Uncommonly Cute’s t-shirts and onesies not only afford babies a sense of individual style-be they a Diva, a Rock Star or a Fashionista-but comfort as well. Each garment is made of 100% combed cotton and is super, super soft. Sure to delight the babies’ no-fuss, socially conscious moms, the clothes are all machine washable, safe, durable and made in sweatshop-free American studios.”

The cool thing about this site is that it allows you to design the perfect shirt/onesie for your child. First you pick the design, then the color, size, and type of shirt/sleeve length. This ensures that you get just want you want - no compromising. And for those with twins, you can even find matching sets!

Some of our lucky members received these cool baby clothes to review. Here’s what they had to say:

Chocolate Fingerprints: I love so many of their shirts! I could go on and on about my favorites! The shirts are very soft and fit well, and the sayings on them range from timely to timeless.

Tara’s View of the World: I was recently sent THE cutest “cool chick” t-shirt for Olivia from the super cool webstore- Uncommonly Cute. I LOVE it! I just think it looks adorable on Olivia and she loves the baby chick. She keeps pointing to it and giggling.

Cutie Booty Reviews: The t-shirt is made of 100% cotton and is clearly quality material. It has a nice weight to the fabric and did not shrink in the wash. The one thing that I would suggest when purchasing is to go up a size because the clothes seem to run a bit small.

Our Seven Qtpies: I adore his shirt, and so does Sam. It is so soft and fits him so well. Sam usually likes to be out of his clothes, but he even slept in this shirt. I know it is comfortable if he is willing to sleep in anything, because normally he won’t sleep until his clothes are off.

Just a Mom’s Take on Things: Uncommonly Cute has some of the most descriptive shirts for babies and kids that I’ve ever seen. I was cracking up at so many of the sayings, like “Famous on Facebook”, “I’m kind of a big deal”, ‘”Peace, love & cookies”, and “Word to Big Bird”.  These are so very different from the generic butterflies, flowers, trucks or sports designs that you find everywhere else on kids’ clothes – it’s so refreshing and fun to see some other great options.

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy: I was able to grab the cutest Lil Democrat tee for my youngest. Now her views may change as she grows older, because let’s face it, her views right now are our views as her parents, but I just loved that she could be a little supporter for change. Their sizes range from newborn up to a size 6, which is great because I can do all my shopping for both girls and find them some hip new shirts all in one spot!

An Island Review: We found the tee to be made from a very soft cotton which was great since Baby Bug has this thing about wearing clothes. Her preference is to spend the day in just a diaper so I knew that if the shirt wasn’t ultra-comfortable, she wouldn’t wear it long enough to even get a photo of her in it. Well, judging by that smile on her face it’s safe to say that she loves it! And if she loves it then I do, too!

Well, it looks like the Family Review Network is ready for Halloween thanks to the Halloween Party Store. They were generous enough to send all of us some really cool costumes for our families to try out and they looked great!

Here’s what the reviewers had to say:

Mommy Blog Reviews: What I like best about this costume is that it is put together really well. It’s going to last beyond Halloween night and become something she can wear and have fun in when she plays dress-up at home. When I can get multiple uses out of a specialty item it makes me feel better about spending that much on a costume in the first place.

My Trendy Tykes: My son is a big Naruto fan so when I stumbled upon the Kakashi costume (His favorite character) I just KNEW I had to order it. Not only was the costume a huge hit but it arrived in record time (3 days!) Of course, he couldn’t wait until Halloween so he proudly wears it day and night. I have to beg him to take it off. I can honestly tell you that the costumes are made with the excellent quality materials. (Uh, if it can withstand my lil man then you know it is made pretty darn awesome!)

Just a Mom’s Take on Things . . . : The costume came within just a day or two of ordering it – I was extremely impressed! And it was exactly as described on the site. The costume fits her absolutely perfectly.

Rockin’ Mama -  When I opened the package, my son kept saying “Bob, Bob!”  The Bob the Builder costume is authentic and made from a soft, comfy polyester fabric.  Many of the costumes on the market are cheaply crafted with itchy, uncomfortable fabrics.  Not so with this costume.

The Way I See It: I will admit I am a hard critic but I truly am delighted with the quality of the costume. It’s well made and the muscles crack me up. I ordered size 4-6 and it fits Bear perfectly.

So if you’re still looking for that perfect costume for your whole family (including the dog), stop by the Halloween Party Store. Shipping is super fast so it’s not too late to order online. They even have free shipping to anywhere in the US for purchases over $75.

Stop by and check them out today!

Hey everyone, Halloween is just around the corner! If you’re looking for the perfect costume for everyone in your family, look no further than the Halloween Party Store. They have an amazing selection of costumes and prices that can’t be beat.

From the site: ““For us, Halloween has always been our favorite time of year. That’s because there’s something exciting for everyone on this magical holiday.  Whether trick-or-treating, throwing wild costume parties, or handing out candy to neighborhood kids, you simply can’t go wrong. Unless, of course, you head out in a shoddy costume that you threw together at the last minute.

That’s why we started Halloween Party Store: to make sure that EVERYONE has a great time on Halloween by dressing up in some of the best costumes available.  We’re committed to offering the best selection, lowest prices and highest level of customer service possible.

Go ahead, buy a costume from us, and we DARE you to have a bad time this Halloween.”

Stop by and you’ll find costumes for all ages - infants, toddlers, teens, men, and women - as well as a wide variety to choose from. In addition, their costumes are made with high quality materials and shipping is super quick! Order your costume today from the Halloween Party Store!

From Melissa’s Desk: [Sir Peter Knight of Wolfsbane Narnia] is the perfect costume, not just for Halloween, but also for everyday pretending. It has made [my son's] knight experience much more real. Watch out trees! Sir Peter is on the loose!

Brain Foggles: I was pleased with the quality of the costume and it reminds me of those sold at the stores at Disney and the Disney Store. And those are very expensive! This is something that she can use for our trips to Disney, for dress up and something I can give to a friend to use again.

The Dirty Shirt: I picked out the most adorable Perfect Princess Costume for my toddler and I have to say I am very impressed with the quality of the dress. I loved the color and the fabrics used to make the princess dress and my daughter loved it too.

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy’s Blog: I was always a little scared of seeing what the costume looked like in person, would it be a cheap costume that was going to rip the first chance she put it on? NOPE! The costume was in great durable condition and each piece packed up on its own. Great quality and it fit perfect.

What’s That Smell?: [The Hotwheels Racer] costume is made by “Disguise” and is made of 100% polyester. We got size 7-8 and it is a bit big on Jake but the size 4-6 would have been too small on him. The fabric is somewhat stretchy and definitely seems durable. The helmet is plastic and although it would likely not withstand being stepped on without cracking, it appears to be fairly durable under normal use.

Blessings Abound: Thanks to the Halloween Party Store and the Family Review Network, Liberty was able to try out their one of their cute offerings, the Little Bo Peep costume. She has been so thrilled to receive this costume and wears it daily! Wouldn’t this be so cute paired with a sibling in a lamb or sheep costume? The costume even comes with a lamb hand puppet which made the whole ensemble even more fun for her.

Simple Things: The prices at HalloweenPartyStore.com are very reasonable, and the costume arrived in the mail in good shape, less than a week after I ordered it, and my little girl had to try it on immediately of course! She loves the costume, and was so excited that she wouldn’t quite stand still to have her picture taken.

Mamalicious Finds: We had the opportunity to review the Toddler Penguin costume. The penguin is a full body costume that slips right over your child’s head and yes they can wear an outfit underneath and still have room to move/walk comfortably. The feet attach around the shoes with no problem. There’s a hole in the wings for the hands, you have make sure you can carry that trick or treat bag right? You’ll definitely get a lot of “oh how CUTE!” when your child makes their way around the block in one of these costumes.

An Island Review: To my surprise, we received the costume within a few days and it was just as the picture showed. The smallest size they had in this particular costume was a 3T/4T so I was a little concerned that it would be too big for her. However, either the costume size runs small or Baby Bug is just big for her age because it ended up fitting perfectly. And the quality was great!

Stay tuned for more reviews on the Halloween Party Store!

Princess Linen is one of those sites that you just love to take your time and look around. They have the most adorable and unique items for babies and children and almost everything can be personalized with your child’s name.

From the site: “We offer personalized baby gifts, monogrammed baby clothes, john johns, rompers, jumpers and dresses, baby shower gifts, new baby gifts, sibling gifts and toys. We also specialize in personalized toddler gifts and sibling gifts, baby scrubs, infant scrubs, toddler scrubs, Doodlebugz Crayola crayon keepers, doodlebags, crayon aprons, and crayon toolbelts, chef apron and hat set and chalkboard placemats.”

You’ve probably already seen some of Princess Linen’s items without even knowing it. Some of her products have been featured in Wonder Time, Parents, Parenting.com, People, OK!, and US Magazine. Even Suri Cruise has been seen sporting a Garden Princess Dress from Princess Linen. How cool is that?

They carry the most amazing and unique selection of personalized items for those special children in your life: My First Scrubs, Crayon Aprons and Toolbelts, Clothing, Chef Aprons and Hats, Bibs & Burp Cloths, and many more!

Just a Mom’s Take on Things: “Courtesy of Princess Linens, we received two items to try out and review – a crayon purse and a crayon apron, both in pink. My daughters were completely impressed from the get-go! They were begging me to let them start coloring as soon as we received the box. And who am I to deny my kids the opportunity to be creative, so we opened the crayons, loaded up the purse and apron, and they set to work.”

Cowgirl Critiques: “If you have a kiddo that loves to color or draw, you should check out this adorable little Doodlebugz Crayola duffel bag for crayons!  OMG, it’s just so cute and handier than heck!  Now my little guy is not even two yet but he had no trouble figuring out how to place the crayons in the slots and how to unzip the bag to place his papers in.”

The Clan McLeod: “The Crayon Keeper is an adorable way to store all of those stray crayons! It comes in a variety of colors and styles and holds up to 64 crayons (2 in each pocket). It has a handy Velcro strap for keeping it rolled up and also a nice little loop to carry it by, making it easily transportable. Well made and durable, it is completely machine washable and can be tossed in the dryer for a quick cleaning. Just don’t forget to remove the crayons first!”

Summer’s Nook: “It’s been fun for the boys to use [the Doodlebugz Crayola Crayon Toolbelt]. They actually think it’s fun to put the crayons back in each little pocket, which means less crayon clutter on the table. It’s cute, functional, seems well made and could make a great gift for the little artist in your life.”

Maria’s Space: “I don’t know about anyone else, but when we are out to dinner, doctor office, waiting in the car for someone (this happens more times than I would like), or just out and about, my kids are constantly asking for something to draw with. I search the bottom of my bag for crayons, which I carry for this very reason. Now, I will never have to search. The [Crayola Crayon Keeper] is small enough to fit in my bag and it’s adorable too. No more crayon marks in my bag, no more crushed or broken crayons for us.”

An Island Review: “Girlie Girl recently had the opportunity to review the new Doodlebugz Chef Apron & Hat in pink. She was thrilled since she really enjoys helping me in the kitchen and let me tell you, the quality of these items were excellent. Especially the hat, it looks and feels like the real thing! I can tell that they will last for a very long time.”