educational — Family Review Network

My Teenage Werewolf

August 24, 2010 By Kailani

My Teenage Werewolf will find a captive audience in mothers of daughters and daughters of mothers. It is the craftily-written story of Lauren Kessler’s quest to understand her mercurial daughter Lizzie as she comes up on her thirteenth birthday. At first Lauren sits down with all the best Amazon.com-ranked parenting books but soon finds that reading is not enough. She needs empirical evidence. She needs to experience Lizzie’s life. She needs to follow her—everywhere.

With Lizzie’s approval—which is often as shocking as what follows—Lauren sits in on her daughter’s classes, observes her in gym, watches her practice with the school band, attends track practice, even participates in a wrestling match, and ventures online into the world of teen chat rooms. What the experiment produces is not only an intimate scrutiny of a pre-teen but an open, honest process of introspection.

FRN had the opportunity to review this book for themselves and here’s what they had to say:

Ciara’s Ramblings and Whatnot: As a mom to a tween and a teen girl, it’s often a daily challenge with them. They’ve pushed my buttons, told me they hate me, say I’m embarrassing, talk back, and refuse to do what they’re told when it comes to doing things around the house. I start to think to myself, “Am I the only one who is having a tough time trying to understand their daughter(s)?” In the book, My Teenage Were-Wolf, author Lauren Kessler, shows me that I am not alone.

Maria’s Space: I want to run out and buy this book for all my girlfriend’s with daughters. It is not preachy. Is filled with humor and I loved reading Lizzie’s comments to her mom. Through their headbutting you can see a deep, deep love between mother and daughter and that was my favorite part of the book. As the mom of an already spirited 5 year old, I already know that I have to love her for the spirit in her and that I will undoubtedly have many, many moments where I feel like Lauren. However, the one thing I have that Lauren didn’t have is her book to help me tread through the waters of preteen angst. God help me!

Mom of 2 Dancers: Kessler writes in a very light and witty style while tackling a serious subject matter. If you have a daughter, this is a must read book. It made me feel that I wasn’t alone. I will be honest, things have been super tough with my 12 year old. This book really helped me a lot. The tween and teenage years are so hard on everyone, any help is much appreciated to all involved! Being a daughter myself, I also enjoyed the book from that end. Honestly, I think most women will enjoy this book regardless of if you have your own daughter. It is just a great read that really makes you look inside yourself.

Sweepstakes & Contest List Directory: After just reading the first chapter I knew that I had found someone who completely understood what I was going through as a parent with a teenage daughter. A few times I reached for a tissue because I felt the same hurt Lauren had. I think the book helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel if I learned to listen and accepted more from what my daughter was feeling during her awkward moments. I recommend this book for any mother with a teenage daughter; it’ll help from the first page just knowing that you’re not alone.

You may purchase your copy of My Teenage Werewolf at Amazon.com for $17.13.

Filed Under: books, educational, kids, reviews

Ghost in the Graveyard

August 22, 2010 By Kailani

Did you know?

Since 1980, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for children ages 2 – 5 and more than tripled for children ages 6 – 11.
Between 1981 and 1997, free playtime among 6 to 8 year olds dropped 25% and homework more than doubled.
Since 2005, the amount of time children and teens ages 8 -18 spend watching TV, playing video games, or surfing the internet increased from 1 hour, 15 minutes per day to more than 7 and a half hours per day. (That’s more than 53 hours a week and more than most adults spend on their full-time job!)
An increased focus on standardized testing has resulted in the reduction or elimination of recess in about 40% of American elementary schools, and in some districts, schools are being built without playgrounds.

What’s a parent, health professional, or child to do?

Marlene Byrne, an award-winning children’s author and advocate of unstructured playtime, has come to the rescue with PROJECT PLAY—a movement to get kids away from their televisions and into the backyard for exercise, creativity and old-fashioned fun.
With more than 20 years of experience as an advertising agency owner, spokesperson, and writer, Byrne is using her creative talent to inspire today’s overscheduled, electronic-focused, and dangerously overweight generation of children to get active. Through children’s books, community activities, and school curriculum, Byrne is bringing back the nostalgic memories of her youth and teaching children backyard games like pick up baseball, kick the can, and ghost in the graveyard.

As the founder and author of Project Play, Byrne is not the first to call for more unstructured playtime among children. But while there are countless initiatives to increase children’s activity levels, few of them aim directly at the children.

Some of our FRN members had the opportunity to review Ghost in the Graveyard ($9.99). Here’s what they had to say:

Mama’s Money Savers: After reading this book, I want to go out and play Ghost in the Graveyard! It is such a cute book with tons of great colorful pictures. Since it is a chapter book it is geared towards kids around 9 years old, but I can see reading this to my boys in a few years. The chapters are short and the font is big so it really is a quick read, even though it is 55 pages. I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for inspiration for your kids to get out and play and read a book! I am sure the other books in the series are just as fun and creative as this one!

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: I gave this book to my daughter to read and she flew through it. She really enjoyed the story and wants to play the game included in the book. She also wants to read the previous stories especially Treasure Hunt!

Simply Stacie: The kids and I immediately settled in to read the latest edition in the Project Play book series. My young children sat captivated as I read about Sam and his friends “spook-tacular” adventures on Halloween night. My children immediately wanted to start playing and it was so easy to explain how to play as the rules are included in the book. My husband and I and even the family dog joined the kids in our own version of “Ghost in the Graveyard”. I have to admit it was a blast and the kids have asked to play again and again.

Sweeps4Bloggers: The book includes very clear instructions for playing the game. It can be played with 3 or more players and can work well for a large group. Depending on the safety of your neighborhood and the ages of the participants, you can set up easy boundaries (a backyard or playground) or it can be a larger area. It can be played during the day, but nighttime gives it some added spooky fun. Or it can be modified a bit and played indoors.

Stop by Project Play for more information about this and other great books!

Filed Under: books, educational, kids, reviews

Monkey Monkey Music

August 20, 2010 By Kailani

NYC-based singer/songwriter Meredith LeVande could truly be termed a “Renaissance woman of children’s music.” Meredith not only holds undergraduate degrees in Women’s Studies and English, she also has a master’s degree in music and a law degree! Drawing from all these disciplines for her multi-faceted work with children, Meredith heads up a project with the marvelously mischievous moniker Monkey Monkey Music, with a focus on “putting the child back into children’s music.”

Five years ago Meredith’s debut album, Monkey Monkey Music with Meredith LeVande, became an instant hit with families nationwide, was a Parenting magazine “Pick,” and was in rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio, earning a grassroots reputation as a classic children’s recording. Meredith LeVande has, since 2005, devoted herself to performing for children in intimate settings, becoming a favorite among NYC area families and creating a repertoire that has grown organically due to her one-on-one interactions with children of virtually every culture imaginable.

With the new Monkey Monkey Music CD, What Are the Odds?, Meredith has created something remarkable, finding the middle road between baby songs and pop band songs where kids’ lyrics are simply added to music that would otherwise be played for adults. Meredith’s music is not only child-friendly, it’s truly child appropriate, developed with the healthy growth of the young child in mind.

What Are the Odds? will be released on August 31, however, some very lucky FRN members had the opportunity to review an advance copy of this CD. Here’s what they had to say:

ArmyMom’s Place: It was a refreshing change of pace listening to these songs. Some of which were good ol’ classics, done up in a new way! I can promise that you have NEVER heard any version of “Wheels on the Bus” with this much energy! “Wheels” will have you wanting to listen over and over!

Meandering Matt: My son loves listening to CDs at bedtime, so I thought this would be a great opportunity. As soon as it arrived, I offered to let him listen to it. The next night, I mentioned needing it back in order to review it. He threw a fit. He didn’t want me to take it away. This told me right away that it was a catchy album.

Mommy’s Free Time: I must say that this is a really cute CD. I didn’t really pick up the pop songs that were used but I still liked the words to each tune. And the kids loved it! It’s our new car CD! This is a fun CD that would be perfect for daycares, homeschooling or just for fun at home with your kids! It’s family friendly and I would recommend it to any of my friends with young kids!

My Real Review: There is a depth to LeVande’s music that makes it stand out from other children’s albums. She naturally incorporates complex musical structures (that go far beyond my musical background) and academic concepts that explore the interrelationship between mathematics, philosophy, and music. Monkey Monkey Music is child-friendly and reflects LeVande’s passion for nurturing healthy childhood development.

Not Just Baby Brain: This CD is in constant rotation at our house now and it’s not annoying at all! My daughter dances around the house to it and it’s great for the car because it’s kid-friendly but still sounds like something we’d listen to on the radio. My husband even commented yesterday that if you weren’t paying attention to the words, you’d never know it was children’s music we were listening to, which is high praise from him!

Simply Cathi: Monkey Monkey Music is fun and educational with a beat that gets everyone up singing and dancing. Children love music and it didn’t take long for my grand daughter to sing along with Meredith.
It doesn’t matter if you’re young in years or just in your heart, Monkey Monkey Music brings out the monkey in all of us.

This Mama Loves Her Bargains: Meredith LeVande is a New York City resident who, in my opinion, is going places. I love her sound. I love her music. My kids love her music. Not only does she sound good, but her songs are educational. One of the first things Busy B said to me when I was getting ready to put songs on her mp3 player was to ask me to include the new Monkey CD with the tree on it!!

Two Monkey’s and a Washtub: What Are The Odds, her 2nd CD release, definitely has songs that are not only fun, but include lyrics that teach kids with every song! Okay, so what do I mean by that? Take the title song, What are the Odds?, this song teaches odd numbers, days of the week, the planets, and objects within a single song. The music is very upbeat and kept my kids dancing and engaged throughout the entire CD.

Pre-order your copy of Monkey Monkey Music for only $14.99.

Filed Under: educational, entertainment, kids, reviews

How To Choose The Best Preschool

August 11, 2010 By Kailani

I never imagined how difficult it would be to get my child into the right preschool. I always thought they were all the same and couldn’t understand why people started signing their kids up at birth. However, after seeing how Kacie blossomed and learned during her preschool years, I am convinced that going to the right school makes a big difference in her overall education.

But how do you know which preschool is the right one for your child? Well, some of the FRN members had the opportunity to find out by reviewing the book How To Choose The Best Preschool by Jenifer Wana. Here’s what they had to say:

Busy Working Mama: It is easy to read and well-organized. I feel more prepared for what is to come. I really liked the “Real Parents Talk” quotes and insights included in the book, too. I will be sharing this book with my friends who have children Lily’s age.

Bzzing Mom: This book is great, and full of valuable information! In a couple of years, I”ll be looking for a preschool for Audrey (yes, I plan very far-ahead!), and I will be reading this book over, and over again! Not only does this book have all kind of great lists, and very helpful tips. But it also has great advice on things, like how to get your child into that great school you’ve been looking at, and how to afford it!

Mommy’s Free Time: I love this book. It’s like my new bible. I’m slowly trudging through the book, taking notes, and marking pages. There is so much awesome information! I love the way the book takes you from the start of your journey, “preschool primer”, to “what to look for”, to ” how to pay” and finally my favorite, “countdown to the first day”! This is a book you’ll read and pass on to your friends. I’m happy that my kiddos are back to back so I can read it only once!

The Crafty Charlestonian: This book provided us with an easy-to-read, step-by-step guide for all things preschool-related. I know that this will become a book that I refer back to again and again.

Two Monkeys & a Washtub: What I liked best about this book is that it will really work whether you are in a small town or a large metropolitan area. I think if you are in a smaller town/city you are less likely to find long application forms, admissions interviews, and competitive programs that are discussed in the book but there is still plenty to assist you in understanding the preschool programs.

Purchase your copy of How To Choose The Best Preschool at Amazon.com for $10.19.

All posts were written for Family Review Network & Sourcebooks who provided the complimentary books in exchange for an honest review.

Filed Under: books, educational, reviews

National Geographic Kids: Weird But True

April 18, 2010 By Caryn

Children are very inquisitive. And as a parent, I’m constantly looking for innovative ways to foster my own children’s learning, creativity, and curiosity. National Geographic, one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world, offers an entire kid’s site and section featuring books and activities designed to inspire and educate children. Several of our reviewers had an opportunity to check out Weird But True. Here is a bit more information about the book from the site:

Weird But True is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of National Geographic Kids magazine turn to first. All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers, Chills and Thrills, Eat or Be Eaten, Mini and Mega, Wild and Crazy, and much, much more. Wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art combine in this easy-to-browse, casual reference book that is sure to give young readers hours of fun.

So what did our reviewers think?

All Because Two People Fell In Love: All of the facts in this handy book just totally amaze my kids and they can’t wait to share these facts with friends and family! I appreciate the adjacent pages for each fact that presents a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so. I also like how these wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art are combined into an easy-to-browse, reference book for my little ones.

An Island Life: The best part is that this book shared the information with just a basic phrase. If my kids wanted to know more about the subject, they had to look it up themselves in the encyclopedia or internet. And believe me, their curiosity just had to know more. All in all, we found this book to be interesting, educational and fun!

Army Mom’s Place: I love how this book has been able to get my kiddos thinking! It’s a book that they all enjoy. Finding a book that is able to meet the interests of a wide age range is always great!

A Nut in a Nutshell: I’m all about quirky. And this book is full of it! You won’t be able to stop turning the pages to see what’s next!

Maria’s Space: The book is small enough for little hands. The pictures are full color. The information is fun, educational, interesting and some of it is just plain weird. (Pun on the Title!). There are 300 facts in this 206 page book and at the end you are wishing and praying for book 2 to come out soon.

Mommy Reviewed: An amazing, amazing and FUN book for all ages! So far me, my husband, and my father-in-law have been through it and we all loved it. It’s made for fascinating dinner table conversation. I can’t wait to read this thought-provocative book with my kids when they’re a little older and better able to understand it.

Moody Mama Says: This is such a fun book! My boys have requested that I read it to them over and over. Some of the facts are just plain funny!

Rockin’ Mama: I think it is a fun, creative way to get children excited and interested in the subject matter. It opens the door for discussion and expansion on topics brought up in the book. The pictures are colorful and kid-friendly.

The Angel Forever: Both of the boys are fascinated with the photos within Weird But True. Yes, even my 2 year old will sit with the book for an extended time looking at all of the photos. JSL will chat away and call out all of the items that he recognizes. NHL, in first grade, will read the facts to me and then talk with me about what it says. Our conversations actually made me think about ways to use this book in the classroom. (I am always a teacher, even when on hiatus.) I could see the fun facts in this book being used as a prompt for classroom discussion and/or a writing exercise. In addition to this, the facts could easily create interest in a subject for kids to do more research on.

The Clan McLeod: Some of the facts presented in National Geographic Kids: Weird But True, left me saying, “No way!” I got my hands on it before the girls and after seeing and hearing my reactions, they couldn’t wait to read it for themselves. Weird But True is a small, softcover book with 208 pages of wacky facts that will get your kids giggling and gasping and having fun. It’s brightly colored pages and fantastic graphics really add to the value of the book.

The Mommy-Files: I really enjoyed this little book and loved the fun facts presented in it. I also loved the pictures throughout it, as did my kids. There are so many fun facts in here. I think I may have enjoyed it more than my kids!

Weird But True retails for $6.95 and is available at the National Geographic Store.

Our reviewers received no compensation, other than a copy of the book to facilitate the above reviews.

Filed Under: books, educational, kids, reviews

Overcoming School Anxiety

October 15, 2009 By Natalie

overcoming-school-anxiety Being a parent is hard sometimes. One of those times is when your child is anxious about something. More than anything you want to be able to help them, but sometimes you just don’t know what to do. Fortunately psychotherapist Diane Peters Mayer has done the research and has created a book called Overcoming School Anxiety to help parents out when it comes to such anxiety.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Diane Peters Mayer developed the Overcoming School Anxiety Program through her years as a psychotherapist working with school-anxious children and their parents and has successfully treated hundreds of elementary school students suffering from this common disorder. As she observes in OVERCOMING SCHOOL ANXIETY: How to Help Your Child Deal With Separation, Tests, Homework, Bullies, Math Phobia, and Other Worries (AMACOM; 2008) “the real beginnings of this program come out of my own painful experiences with school anxiety. Although not formally diagnosed with a learning disability, as an adult I finally put a name to the struggles I had with math that could make school a living hell.” She shows parents how to deal with a wide variety of problems, from test and homework anxiety, to bullying, school violence, and fear of speaking up in class. Mayer also offers easy-to-learn techniques for children, including breathing and relaxation exercises, focusing techniques, and tips on proper diet and exercise that help relieve stress. Parents will learn to cope with the needs of children with every kind of anxiety, including:

• The inability to stop worrying
• Panic attacks
• The fear of people, places, and things
• Test anxiety
• Perfectionism
• Low self-esteem
• Parental and family problems

Filled with real-life examples as well as proven advice for working with teachers, principals, and counselors, this is the only comprehensive guide that will enable every parent to help a child cope, build confidence, and succeed in school.

BOOK REVIEWS

Recently a number of our reviewers had the opportunity to read and review this helpful book on their blogs. Here’s what they had to say:

Chocolate Fingerprints: One unexpected thing happened to me when I read this book. I uncovered an almost forgotten severe anxiety I had as a child. When I was seven, my mother remarried and we moved to a different town. I don’t know exactly what happened to cause it, but for several years after that, I had a very extreme reaction whenever I had to sleep away from my mother. I never had a problem with going to school, but after reading Overcoming School Anxiety, I recognize many of the signs of separation anxiety disorder in my former self. I wish my mother had had this book back then, so maybe I could have gotten over my problems much sooner!

Tara’s View of the World: I’ve mentioned before that my oldest son Aiden (age 7) has high-functioning Autism and ADHD. Aiden has struggled with anxiety and so I was happy to review this book. It is incredibly straight forward with a ton of practical advice. I found the book easy to read and understand. I especially appreciated chapter 13 which has specific advice for helping a child with special needs.

My Organized Chaos: This book is well-laid out and very simple to understand. It starts with a chapter called ‘What is School Anxiety?’. To me, recognizing the presence of Anxiety is key, and Diane has succeeded in explaining the symptoms, signs causes and the long-term effects of anxiety. The chapters which organize this book make it so simple to search for specific information.

The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: Just in time for school I read Diane Peters Mayer’s book Overcoming School Anxiety. The book addresses being different in school and how to handle it. Regan is the only physically disabled child in her whole school district, so she tends to stand out no matter what. Most of the time she handles it all with grace and poise, but when she is nervous or angry then everything goes right out the window. She and I practiced some of the stress management skills talked about in the book, and we had a discussion about her limitations and her strengths that helped her face the first days with confidence.

A Couch with a View: Given the opportunity to reference a great book, Overcoming School Anxiety, has helped me to help my child to make the back to school transition so much easier. The fact that she may have anxiety gave me anxiety, and having a guide to go through to help myself help her, made a world of difference even with my own nervousness!

Go Graham Go!: Diane offers several tips depending on the situation your child happens to be in. Maybe they won’t go to school, have test or homework anxiety, or are being bullied. There can be so many different levels and situations when you are talking about school anxiety. Diane is a psychotherapist that has been treating children and adults with anxiety disorder for 17 years in Pennsylvania. There are easy to learn techniques as well as guides on how to eat, exercise, and breathe to relieve stress and deal with stressful situations.

She Scribes: I was very surprised that the author put a lot of emphasis on nutrition and getting enough sleep. I knew there would be a lot of behavior modification suggestions but I never expected that nutrition and sleep would be such a huge part of dealing with the anxieties children face in school. WOW! I wish I knew about this years ago. Maybe it could have helped us have less stressing years of elementary school.

A Simple Kinda Life: This book is clearly written, easy to understand, and incredibly helpful. It teaches you about anxiety, not just how to deal with it! Also included are examples of symptoms, as well as includes TONS of helpful tips! Not only have I used it for my daughter, but also for my son, for if/when he has problems with those kids in school (like we did at the end of the year last year!) It’s great for parents and teachers alike and I would recommend it to any parent of a special needs child and to any teacher!

1stopmom Giveaways: Each topic has corresponding exercises that can help parents to help their children deal with the cause of their anxiety. I think this book is going to be an invaluable tool that I am glad to have in my home. As a parent you never know what you may come across in the future. I do know that if this ever becomes an issue, I will have something to refer to.

All Because Two People Fell In Love: As a teacher and mother anxiety is something that I have seen first hand. This book does an excellent job describing the problems that children face as well as how to approach these issues. I appreciate the creative and practical approaches that the author offers to deal with these issues. It is written in a well organized manner that makes it very user/reader friendly.
This book is invaluable resource that should be on the shelves of all parents, teachers, and counselors!

Filed Under: books, educational, reviews

Tie Buddies ~ Giveaway

April 23, 2009 By Cathi

The majority of kindergarten age children do not know how to tie their shoes. I know this is true because I spent 10 years at a local elementary school working with little ones. Between velcro and slip on shoes, it seems tying shoe laces in perfect little bows has become a lost art.

Product Description: Tie Buddies™ was born in January 2007 by inventor and mother of two, Wendy Welling. As she lay next to her younger daughter, she kept thinking that there simply had to be a better way to help her children learn to tie their own shoes! Inspired by both her daughter’s excitement – and their increased feelings of independence as they quickly learned to tie their own shoes – Wendy spent months fiddling with prototypes and ideas until finally perfecting Tie Buddies™. The key was to create cool characters and interactive stories that help the child learn and retain the process and as well as eliminating the frustrating ‘bunny ears or loops’ that just confuse children as they learn.

I believe anything that helps a child’s self esteem and gives them a bit of independence is a good thing. I know from experience (three children and three grandchildren) how frustrating it can be to try and teach a child to tie their shoes. Frustrating for both the teacher and the child. Tie Buddies makes it fun and more importantly, easy. Basically Tie Buddies narrows the task down to two simple steps. I like easy and simple is my best friend!

Win it!

Tie Buddies and the Family Review Network have made it possible for one of our lucky readers to win a set of Tie Buddies.

To enter this giveaway:

~Go to the Tie Buddies website and take a look around.

~Leave a comment here telling us if you want to win the pink or blue set.

~This giveaway will close at midnight on April 30th.

Earn extra entries:

~Subscribe to our feed.

~Place our button in your sidebar.

~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

What we think:

The Mom Buzz: Right now, my little man is getting the hang of it. He is on the younger side of the recommended age. But from watching him, I definitely can see how this is making it easier to tie shoes. And I have to tell you, it’s even helping me make tighter knots on his shoes!

Brain Foggles: I asked our friend Emily to give Tie Buddies a try. She had never been taught this skill and had never tried on her own. Her Mom, Darlene put the two sets on her shoelaces and began to read the directions. She showed Emily one time while reading and Emily began to get the hang of it already! Darlene couldn’t believe it. She worked with her a little more then left her to her own, only helping her when she asked for help. By the end of one day, Emily mastered tying her shoes.

Rockin Mama: Children can learn to tie their shoes as young as three, but it’s a skill that isn’t often learned until they go to school. Tie Buddies helps children learn at a younger age, in a shorter amount of time. Any time a child masters a skill, they feel accomplished and independent. Tie Buddies helps eliminate the frustration that is often associated with this process and makes it a positive experience for both the parent and the child.

Lisa Reviews: She starts kindergarten in the fall, and I figure shoestring tying is something she’ll probably need to know. That’s where Tie Buddies come into play. Now, their site explains how they work way better than I could ever. However, they basically remove the loops you normally have when tying your shoes. It makes it about 100 times easier to teach them to tie.

The Angel Forever: NHL was shy and would not allow me to take his photos while working with this. He really seemed to like the fact that the Tie Buddies made things so much easier with the “bunny ear” formation. He did not have to do too many steps and can follow along. With more practice, he will likely be able to add this to his milestones. It will probably be a little time before we will be able to take the Tie Buddies off, since they honestly do assist him so much.

An Island Review: The idea behind Tie Buddies is simple yet genius. First, you place your shoe laces through these cute little plastic decorative squares. This helped Girlie Girl’s tiny hands hold the laces together in “bunny ear” fashion. Then all she needed to do was make an X with the laces and pull under and through. That was it! She was able to tie the bow on the first try! Boy, was she proud!

Red Sox Mommy: My 3 year old hasn’t perfected her shoe tying yet, but it won’t be much longer. Tie Buddies are so easy to use, no more confusing loops, bunny ears, etc. necessary. When I got the Tie Buddies in the mail I realized, my daughter didn’t have any shoes with shoelaces. I think I was subconsciously steering away from them at the store. So, we got her a little pair of sneakers that she’s over the moon about and can’t wait to be able to tie them herself.

Fiesty Frugal and Fabulous: My 4 year old is not a lace tying master just yet, as we have just received this product a few days ago, but he is well on his way to mastering yet another skill and I am a happy mama with far less frustration in teaching him how to do it.

The Mud Bug: Tie Buddies are the most ingenious shoe tying aid I have ever seen. My daughter was able to use the Tie Buddies right away. It only took one time to show her how to use the them and she was hooked. I wish I had these for my two oldest kids. I think the most difficult part is putting them on and getting the right spot where the Tie Buddies should be placed (and that wasn’t hard at all).

Happy Healthy Families: My 4 year old got the very cool race car tie buddies, and we couldn’t wait to get started trying them out. But first we actually had to go shopping and buy a pair of new shoes with laces–yep, he had none! But it was worth the shopping trip. My little man is so happy and proud that he can now tie his shoes– and I am delighted.

Pink Family Reviews: We received some of these for my four-year old daughter to try out. I love the fact that the website has easy to follow instructions. The cute designs made her eager to try them out and I had to open them right away. It took her a few tries, but she was quickly tying her shoes all by herself. It was great to see her so excited about her independence. I will definitely use these again for my 2 year old when she is ready and recommend them to others teaching their kids how to tie their shoes.

Filed Under: educational, kids, reviews

The Legend of Honey Hollow

April 10, 2009 By Caryn

As we near Earth Day, many of us are looking for ways to educate our children and raise awareness about important environmental issues such as global warming, conservation, and eco-preservation. Parents value the importance of books, particularly in helping children understand complex topics. Some of our reviewers had an opportunity to review The Legend of Honey Hollow, perfectly timed for Earth Day which is coming up in a few weeks. Here is a little more information about the book from the site:

The Legend of Honey Hollow is intended to teach children about the different endangered bears of the world and the importance of community, sharing and trust. Author Jeanne McNaney introduces readers to Grendel, a polar bear who, along with the other bears of Honey Hollow, illustrates how significant it is for our children to grow up in a healthy world. The Legend of Honey Hollow helps children: appreciate wildlife and the environment, discover how one person can make a big difference, learn the importance of community and find a fun way to learn about going green.

honey2 honey4

Some of our reviewers had an opportunity to preview this book and here is what they had to say:

An Island Review: Baby Bug loved the deep, rich illustrations that almost seem to jump off the page. It really helped to hold her attention to the story. We found this book to be very educational. It taught my girls that we cannot take our planet for granted and if we continue to destroy it the way we are, there will be nothing left for future generations. However, what I really liked about The Legend of Honey Hollow is that they broke it down into manageable pieces which really helped Girlie Girl understand the different effects that environmental destruction has around the world. The characters were lovable and sympathetic and you’ll find yourself feeling so sorry for everything they’ve been through.

Chocolate Fingerprints: The book does an excellent job of teaching kids about different kinds of bears around the world, where they come from, and how humans’ actions affect every living thing around them. Yes, it’s a pretty heavy subject, but McNaney handles it well, emphasizing also the effect that good acts like cooperation, caring and conservation can have. The story shows that it’s not to late to turn things around when it comes to the environment, that the future is in our hands.

Mama Sparkles: I enjoyed reading this book. It’s simple to understand and while it is sad at times, it provides great hope for the future. I learned a great deal about different species of bears, and how their homes are being threatened as a result of the global search for energy in the form of oil, gas and coal. Educating our children on these important environmental issues will be necessary for the survival of many animals, including bears.

The Mom Buzz: The message is clear. People have to take responsibility for their environment, because pollution and deforestation affects everyone. The illustrations are bright. The animals clearly display their emotions. And my sons love the bears on every page. The back of the book talks more specifically about the types of bears found in the book.

The Mud Bug: I was very impressed with this book. It is not often that I will take to a children’s book but this one was one that really touched my heart. It sends a very clear message that we are also responsible for our environment. My girls loved the pictures (and the bears). They were warm, inviting and vibrant colors. My 5yo likes the back were there are most specific descriptions of the bears that are in the book. I have been doing alot these days in the green area of things (such as recycling, etc) and my girls have been very eager about learning more. The Legend of Honey Hollow has given me the opportunity to teach them more regarding other areas that need our attention.

My Organized Chaos: I find that this book illustrates very well to children, the effects that Mankind has on the environment (and the animals who live in it). It takes a pretty tough subject for kids to comprehend, and enables them to understand. After the first time I read the book to Isabelle, I asked her to tell me what the book was about. She said, “The bears and birds have no where to live because people cut down their trees and they get sad and scared”. The book also does a good job explaining that some of the effects can be reversed with some care and cooperation, for example – by planting trees.

Rockin’ Mama: The book is beautifully illustrated and portrays an accurate depiction of real-life events, such as oil drilling and cut-down trees. The pictures add a rich dimension to the story and initially portray a somewhat somber tone, emphasizing the seriousness of the subject. Fortunately, the story concludes with a hopeful tone. I appreciate the fact that the author provides children with information on the steps we can take to help preserve the environment. Community, sharing and trust are important unifying messages and the book is best summed up by this quote: “At Honey Hollow, we help each other. Though their parents have damaged our habitat, children are the planet’s future.”

The Way I See It Too: It’s an excellent book that teaches children (and adults!) many of the environmental issues our planet is presently facing. The story is intriguing from the get go, which keeps the attention of little ones as well as adults. The Illustrations are colorful, detailed and simply gorgeous. The Legend of Honey Hollow is a book that will be read for generations to come. It’s also the first book in a new series which gives us all something to look forward too.

The Legend of Honey Hollow is available at retailers nationwide for the purchase price of $16.95.

Filed Under: books, educational, going green, kids, reviews

WaveSense Jazz

April 7, 2009 By Caryn

The incidence of Diabetes is rapidly rising in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, 23.6 million Americans suffer from the disease. The disease affects anyone from childhood to adulthood, including pregnant women. If you’ve known anyone to suffer from the disease, you know that testing their blood sugar is a way of life. As a nurse, I’ve worked with countless patients who’ve had to check their blood sugar before and after every meal. Checking one’s blood sugar is critical to managing this disease. A machine that provides quick, accurate results is vital. A very select handful of our reviewers and their family members had the privilege of testing out the brand-new WaveSense Jazz Blood Glucose Monitoring System. Here is a little more information about the meter from the site:

Diabetic Care Services and Diabetic Express, leading mail order companies that provide diabetic supplies and prescriptions, are the first to offer WaveSense Jazz in the United States. The new product is a no-code meter from AgaMatrix, Inc. In addition to featuring one of the largest backlit digits for easy reading, WaveSense Jazz is one of the first meters to provide a score for a user’s glycemic variability.

WaveSense Jazz has numerous features designed to help users gain tighter control including:

• Automatic mealtime tagging: Smart before and after meal tagging (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and nighttime) allows the patient to change the tag based on their personal schedule to provide more useful information when analyzing glucose readings.
• Positive feedback feature: Alerts the user if their blood glucose result is within their pre- and post- meal target range to encourage tighter control. The ranges can be easily changed by the user or his/her health care professional.
• Compliance tracker feature: Displays the average number of tests/day
• Extensive memory: 1,865 memories for an average of 5 times/day for one year

Here is what our reviewers and their family members had to say about WaveSense Jazz:

Go Graham Go!: Her favorite part of the WaveSense Jazz is the No-Code feature. She told me that with her other meters she would sometimes forget to code them and things would be off. She also mentioned that some of her other monitors in the past did not come with a place to store the strips. The WaveSense Jazz comes with a nice case that even allows space for the strips.

Loving Heart Mommy: What I love about WaveSense Jazz: Very detailed instruction manual, no code needed, so if you forget you’re still “ok”!, and easy to read with large numbers. In my family diabetes is traced to my Father’s side of the family, with both of my Grandparents having Diabetes its great to be able to review a product that helps me to become more aware of not only what they are going through but what I’m already having to deal with myself. I never knew how easy it was to monitor your own blood sugar, but with the WaveSense Jazz, it makes the readings extremely easy and accurate.

Mom Fuse: I’m always looking for a glucose meter that is more accurate and less painful. Before the WaveSense Jazz™ came along, this was hard to find. I love the fact that I can see graphs that show my blood levels for a month and the fact that the needles are carefully protected and the pen is small and portable allowing me to take this anywhere I go (I do quite a bit of traveling to other workplaces every day). My experience with the WaveSense Jazz™ was great. The WaveSense Jazz™ is accurate and not painful in any way. I would recommend this to anyone who has diabetes.

Red Sox Mommy: Nobody really likes pricking their fingers with needles and drawing blood, but for diabetics, it provides a lifeline for health. I have diabetes, and am always looking for a glucometer that is more accurate, less painful and more informative. I got that with the WaveSense Jazz™, a great blood glucose monitoring system. I am especially pleased because it provides mealtime averages, which helps me track my readings throughout the day and provides averages and graphs that help me track my numbers. I’m a numbers keeper–almost to the point of annoyance–but that’s one of the appeals for WaveSense Jazz™. The booklet that accompanies the system is also detailed, something I appreciate. I also get graphs that show how my blood levels for a month, and that’s a plus. This glucometer lets me use a tiny bit of blood from either my fingers, forearms or palm, near my thumb. I have read finger testing is the most accurate, but it’s nice to know there are options. I will occasionally prick my finger and cause pain for several days. My favorite part of the system may be the pen. The lancets (needles) are carefully protected and the pen is small and portable.

The Way I See It Too: It truly doesn’t get any easier than the Jazz! My mother-in-law doesn’t have to test herself anymore because she resides in a lovely assisted living apartment. If necessary, however, she could test herself with the Jazz because it is incredibly easy to use. After the initial programing, (ie. date, time, and personal information), the Jazz quickly gives an accurate reading, even taking into consideration environmental conditions. It’s amazing! The display is brightly lit and, as shown, the large numbers make the Jazz easy to read. My favorite feature is the “happy face” that appears when the results are within a good range. It doesn’t get any easier than a happy face for a child or my mother-in-law to assure glucose levels are within a safe range. The features on the Jazz seem endless and include mealtime tagging, pre/post mealtime averages, daily digest, 7 user-settable alarms and a 1,865 test memory!

3 P’s In a Pod: My father in law has been using two types of insulin for several years and tests his sugar level 5 times a day – before breakfast, before lunch, mid afternoon, before dinner, and at bedtime. So he gave the WaveSense Jazz a try. he said, “The Jazz system was easy to use. The system I normally use and the Jazz system were in close agreement on the blood glucose numbers since I used both systems simultaneously for the tests I ran over a 2 day period. There was a spread of less than 10 mg/dl in the readings. All readings were taken from the fingers.” “The Owner’s Guide was well written and easy to understand. The three control tests that I ran, yielded numbers with a spread of 5, that were within the control range indicating that the system was functioning properly. I found setting the date and time to be easy. The instructions for the various Tag’s were easy to understand. Since I have been testing my blood for several years I did not feel it necessary to set the various tag’s since I am well aware of what my numbers mean and how much insulin I should take based on the readings. However for a person just starting out I feel that the Jazz system warnings and alarms would definitely be helpful in getting started on a meaningful testing program.”

WaveSense Jazz is available exclusively at Diabetic Care Services for patients with insurance and at Diabetic Express for patients without insurance and is free with the purchase of 100 test strips or more.

Filed Under: educational, electronics, reviews

A Healthy Heart is a Beautiful Heart!!

March 3, 2009 By Cathi

I was recently told I have a higher than desirable cholesterol number. I didn’t give it much thought until I also learned that cardiovascular diseases are America’s No. 1 killers. Okay, so now my cholesterol number has my attention and I obviously need to make some life style changes.

WomenHeart and Metamucil have joined together to create Beautify Your Heart, the perfect program for taking control of heart health.

Because of that looming cholesterol number of mine, I decided to visit the website and see what it was all about. I spent over an hour reading and setting realistic goals and honestly having a jolly good time learning about simple healthy living.

Interestingly, my husband and I had recently decided that setting goals is the first step to actually making changes in our lives. The Beautify Your Heart goal setting program is so incredibly easy to use, it’s actually fun to do!

A few of my “Heart-Healthy” goals are to increase my water intake, walk half an hour everyday, de-stress by letting go of the little things and I’m taking Metamucil daily.

Metamucil is the only leading fiber supplement clinically proven to help lower cholesterol as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. My goal, after all, is to lower my cholesterol and by doing so my total health is improving also. I challenge everyone to Take the Pledge to live Heart Smart.

Just by doing so you’re entered into the Beautify Your Heart Sweepstakes.

Who couldn’t use use a deluxe Spa Getaway?

These are a few of our members who took the Pledge:

A Nut in a Nutshell: I’ve heard about heart health for most of my life but I always thought that was for other people. I didn’t listen. Last year, my friend’s husband had a heart attack. I still didn’t listen. Two weeks ago, a friend had a heart attack. She’s just 3 years older than I am. Now, I’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol. I’m listening. The good news is that it’s not too late, and I found help in the form of Metamucil’s Beautify Your Heart website, where I took a pledge to get a cholesterol screening and live a heart healthy life.

A Couch with a View: This subject is very near and dear to me, as I just lost a friend not too long ago to a heart health issue. I urge you, please take care of your heart. At a loss of where to get started? Metamucil has created a free, online lifestyle program to help. Just select heart healthy goals to complete each day and use Metamucil.

She Scribes: When you are an adult, especially someone around my age, you may have already developed a lot of health issues because of poor eating habits and lack of exercise over the years. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes… a lot of these ailments are more prevalent when you get older. Metamucil, the makers of fiber products, has created a new program called “Beautify Your Heart“. Metamucil wants women across the country to make a pledge to get their cholesterol checked and to start making lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy. After all, you owe it to YOURSELF to be healthy. The last time I checked over 50,000+ women have already taken the pledge.

The Power of a Housewife WOM: When I make changes in my lifestyle, it models to my girls what I expect of them. I want my girls growing up knowing the importance of proper nutrition and exercise, and how fortunate that they have their great grandparents around them today…..because their heart problems have been addressed and are being worked on. Prevention is of course the best medicine, and I applaud Metamucil for helping lead the way.

SAHM Reviews: Companies like DirectLabs provide low-cost lab tests where you can request the labs on your own then either receive the results yourself or have them sent direct to your physician. For most people, getting a cholesterol screening requires just putting in a request to your physician. For those of us without insurance, it means calculating whether it’s a necessary expense. Since February is Heart Health Month, DirectLabs is running a special on their CardioPlus panelwhich includes all the things that WomenHeart recommends that you have tested – for $35. That’s less than dinner and a movie.

Mom Fuse: Most women take the time to beautify their hair, their nails, their wardrobe, etc. but now is the time to go a step further and beautify your heart. Yes! Your heart! Did you know that heart disease is the number one killer in women across America? That’s the bad news, but the good news is that is that you can help change that. By being aware of the risks and how to avoid them you are already working your way towards a healthier, more beautiful heart.

Mom Start: Metamucil is another sponsor for the Beautify Your Heart. They have formed an on-line community where people can seek support and more information about how to take care of your heart. They are also offering free samples for you to try of their new flavors.

Rockin’ Mama: Ladies, we spend a lot of time making our outside look beautiful. Please don’t neglect what’s most important. Getting your cholesterol checked is quick (just a simple blood test) and easy. If it’s elevated, you can begin to work on lowering it by following some of the tips on the site and setting heart-health goals. I like the fact that the site is personalized specifically for you and your goals (once you sign up, which is free by the way). Some of the resources that you should be aware of include a body mass index calculator, a cholesterol screening

, a food journal, and an online community for support.