Book Review: Predators and Child Molesters

Yes, it's a far cry from DVDs and shampoo, but when I was asked to review Robin Sax's new book, Predators and Child Molesters: What Every Parent Needs to Know to Keep Kids SAFE, I thought it was important to do it. Just a day or so earlier, I'd had an awkward conversation with my children about why it's not a good idea to take off your underwear outside (!).

I received the book, and didn't read it for a few weeks. Because really, who wants to read a book about sexual molestation and abuse? I certainly didn't; but now that I have, I'm glad I did. I'm not going to say it didn't freak me out. It did. There is so much to worry about; so much that could go wrong. It's part of the territory of having children, of course.

But having more information is one of the only ways to relieve fears and to keep them from consuming us. Being proactive is far better than keeping my head in the sand. And with her calm, matter-of-fact tone, Robin Sax supplies lots of important details without being overly alarmist.

A second subtitle of the book is "A Sex Crimes DA Answers 100 of the Most Commonly Asked Questions." Perhaps that's why this book feels more like two books--one on prevention and one on what happens when a crime is committed. Since (and here I thank my lucky stars and every other star in the sky) only the first part applies to me, I wished there were more of it, and less of the rest. On the other hand, if I suspected abuse or if my child actually reported it, the second part of this book would be extremely valuable. It oulines very specifically what happens after a crime is committed, how it is investigated and prosecuted, and so on.

In terms of how to protect our kids, Sax is blunt about risks but also offers concrete advice about reducing them. The book contains an excellent chart listing important teaching points ("your body is your own," "trust your instincts") and how to discuss them with children of different ages. There is of course plenty of information on keeping kids safe online too.

The six sections of the book are:

• Recognizing the predators
• Talking to kids about risks and recognizing potential problems
• Recognizing abuse
• Reporting sexual abuse
• Going to court
• Healing and moving on

This book isn't easy to read. But sometimes, being a parent isn't easy.

WIN IT
Giveaway Title: ROBIN SAX
Prize: Predators and Child Molesters by Robin Sax; paperback (one copy is autographed)
Number of Winners: 2
Entry Question: In what city does Robin Sax work as a district attorney?
Enter By: July 10
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail.
Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

Reviewer Mayberry Mom's daughter recently asked when she could have a computer and a TV in her bedroom. The answer was "Never."

Knock Knock Mood Alert Notepad Giveaway

Keeping up with my new theme of decluttering, I'm giving away a notepad I received for review months ago and have {buries head in shame} recently uncovered: a Mood Alert Notepad from the witty folks at Knock Knock.

Those Knock Knock peeps are funny, yet practical. Check it out, they even have a category of what to buy annoying people.

After the stressful year we've had, you'd think a hormonal gal like me would be giving her husband daily mood updates to keep things running smoothly. In fact, each sheet notes the pad offers "better living through fair warning."

For example, with a Mood Alert sheet, I could let my guy know that my day was "exhausting" and I feel like "rethinking life" and that if he knew what was good for him he'd "make dinner." (Though please know they Mood Alert pad allows for happy moods, too.)

Whether the Blue Bird of Happiness or your youngest child just pooped all over your clean car or you're floating Cloud Nine, you'll have fun with this pad.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: KNOCK KNOCK
Prize: Knock Knock Mood Alert Notepad
Number of Winners: 1
Entry Question: How do you turn your frown upside down after a hard day?
Enter By: 11 PM CST on July 3, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail.
Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

Kim Moldofsky blogs at Hormone-colored Days and shares tips on marketing to mombloggers at Positive Impact, Inc.

Show Your Patriotism with Build-A-Bear

Build-A-Bear has a cute idea to commemorate the 4th of July. Introducing: The Patriotic Pup.

This cute little guy (or girl depending on the accessories and clothing) retails for $16. You can find it at the Build-A-Bear stores and at their online store.

I knew that kids were really into the Build-A-Bear phenonmenon. But it wasn't until my daughter and I went into one of their shops that I saw how fun it is to make your own bear, or pup, or dinosaur (we were at a dinosaur exhibit at a museum). My daughter had a great time picking out the perfect outfit and helping make her triceratops, compete with hair bows!

Want to create a special stuffed animal with your child? We are happy to have a gift card to give away to one lucky reader.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: JULY BEAR
Prize: $25 Gift Certificate to Build-A-Bear
Number of Winners: One
Entry Question: How will you spend the 4th?
Enter By: July 4, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

Smucker's Ice Cream Toppings

The Fourth of July is approaching and what's more American than apple pie?

How about cooling off on a hot summer day with a big bowl of ice cream. Make it All-American with Smucker's Limited Edition Apple Cinnamon ice cream topping. It really does taste like apple pie, minus the crust (which I don't like in the first place).

Are you a fan of hot fudge? I like dark chocolate so I was happy to give the Special Recipe Dark Chocolate a taste test. True to a lot of dark chocolates, it's a bit bitter. And it is good both hot or cold. I thought it was very thick and fudgy.

If you are looking to add variety to your ice cream this summer, give these Smucker's flavors a try.

The only negative (other than the fact that I really shouldn't be eating huge bowls of ice cream), is that both are made with high fructose corn syrup, something our family usually tries to avoid.

Here are three suggestions from Smucker's on ways to eat these toppings:

1. Treat yourself to the flavor of apple pie à la mode by spooning Smucker’s Apple Cinnamon topping, made with delicious chunks of apples and aromatic cinnamon, over a bowl of vanilla ice cream.
   
2. Smucker’s Magic Shell Vanilla Cupcake flavor topping tastes like a vanilla cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. Serve over chocolate ice cream with bananas, peanut butter and whipped cream for a unique take on a banana split.
   
3. Drizzle Smucker’s Special Recipe Dark Chocolate topping over a slice of cheesecake and top with strawberries for a decadent treat.
   

Visit Your Vanilla is Showing for more flavors and ideas.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more! She just can't go a week without a frozen treat.

In the Tub: Fairy Tales Hair Care

On about the 6th or 7th day of kindergarten, we got the dreaded notice: "Your child has been exposed to head lice ... " Naturally, I freaked. Then I got on the phone to complain to my mother. She told me that at her hair salon, the stylists swore by Rosemary Repel shampoo from Fairy Tales Hair Care. You better believe I got online in a New York minute and ordered some.

We've been using it ever since (almost two years now) and we've had nary a louse in our house. Coincidence? Who knows. You can't prove a negative. But my kids are in school or group care every day, so I'm not willing to take the risk and give this stuff up. Besides, it smells amazing. It is pricey, so we don't use it every day. Maybe once a week or so, or more often if we get one of those scary Lice Notices. I also subscribe to the Fairy Tales e-newsletter, and it always comes with discount codes.

Fairy Tales products use organic ingredients, and are not tested on animals. Plus, did I mention about the smell? You will want to sniff your children's heads for hours at a time.

Mayberry Mom swears her head was not itching as she wrote this. She also once had a great babysitter named Rosemary.

In the Tub: Get Squeaky Clean With Sparklehearts Natural Beauty

I am something of a product junkie. I LOVE new stuff, which makes perfect sense since I write about all kinds of new, interesting things here.

So I jumped at the chance to test out Sparklehearts's Bubbling Blooms body wash. Sparklehearts's target market is young girls. I have such a girl in my home; she will be 6 years old soon (a fact she reminds me of almost daily).

From the Sparklehearts press release: Most girls would wince in disgust if you told them their favorite body wash contained a chemical that is produced by boiling bugs (called carmine.) And, most parents would wince in disgust if you told them their daughter’s body lotion contained sulfates, phthalates and dozens of toxins and chemicals. Enter Sparklehearts, a line of natural, safe and fun beauty products that are girl- and parent-approved.

As you can tell from the illustration, the packaging (100% recycled plastic, by the way) is very cute and uber-girlie. My daughter was very excited, "Ooooo, Mommy, it's so pretty! I want to take a bath right now!" So she did, never mind it was 3:00 in the afternoon.

You wouldn't think that a body wash made without any petroleum products would lather. Well, think again, because the Bubbling Blooms body wash makes a ton of bubbles. I used it as a bubble bath (a couple of squirts under running water was all I needed). The sweet, natural fragrance is not perfumey or overpowering, like other body washes. And it nicely lingered on my daughter's skin after she was dried and jammied.

By the way, my 8-year-old son liked the body wash as well and really liked the fact that Sparklehearts's products are good to the environment. He liked that the body wash "smelled like flowers but doesn't make ME smell like a flower. I am a boy, not a flower."

Sparklehearts products are made from 99.6% natural ingredients that are completely “skinemy”-free, that means no harmful toxins or unpleasant ingredients. Instead, they use essential oils, violet extract, coconut, Shea butter, and green tea extract in their products. So, they not only feel and smell great, but because they’re all-natural they’re actually better for the body.

The kind folk at Sparklehearts are offering a 20% discount on any order to The Full Mommy readers. Just use the code Blog20. AND one lucky winner will get to choose any product from the full Sparklehearts line which not only includes the body wash but shampoo, conditioner, detangler and lotion as well (lucky duck). Oh, and if you do place an order for 3 or more items, you get free shipping.

You better believe I'll be placing my order right now.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: SPARKLEHEARTS
Prize: 1 Free Item of Your Choice from Sparklehearts
Number of Winners: 1
Entry Question: Name another product from Sparklehearts
Enter By: July 2, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

This was written by Missy who can be read at Misc & Co. where she writes about family, books, music, sewing and whatever else strikes her fancy.

In the Tub: JASON Kids Only!

Recently, I was at Toys 'R Us and came across the Jason Kids Only! line of personal care products. I was about to do a little research about the products and company, when as luck would have it, I was asked if I wanted to give a few of the products a try.

The product lineup includes Daily Detangling Shampoo and Conditioner, Extra Gentle Shampoo and Conditioner, Berry Burst and Tropical Twist Bath Gels, Berry Burst and Tropical Twist Foaming Soaps, and Strawberry and Orange Toothpaste.

My kids have sensitive skin so I am always looking for non-toxic personal care products that won't irritate them. My daughter LOVED the foaming soap and reached for it every time she needed to wash her hands. The foam was very thick and didn't slip off her hands too quickly as she rubbed them together.

I have two confessions to make. First, I put the Bath Gel in our swim bag and used it myself when I showered after swimming. Second, I love the smell of the Berry Burst Foaming Soap and kept washing my hands with it. I usually go for unscented products (I have very sensitive sinuses), but I loved the Berry Burst scent. It almost had a citrus note in it. We were all very sad when the bottle ran out! (Note to self: add it to the shopping list.)

The Jason Kids Only! products are (from the company):

• Paraben and Sulfate Free
• Wheat and Gluten Free
• Tear and Phthalate Free
• Fluoride and Glycol Free
• Mineral Oil, Lanolin and Petrolatum Free

In addition to the kids line, Jason makes products for the grown-ups in the family. They also make the Sunbrella line of sunblock, which is PABA-free, alcohol-free and water resistant.

Look for the Kids Only! line at their website, on Amazon.com, and at retailers such as Toys 'R Us. Prices range from $5.49 to $8.99.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

Our New Beauty Regime

Two of The Full Mommy contributors had the opportunity to try out a new skin care product and they are both in love.

To read what they had to say, read their reviews at Btowne Reviews and Multi-Minding Mom Reviews.

You can also find out how you can get this product for free.

Alice.com: Or, finally I can get my beloved detergent shipped to me at a good price

Who is Alice, you ask. She's my personal shopper.

That's right, I was so stoked when I learned that Alice.com carries my beloved Seventh Generation Free & Clear laundry detergent at a great price.

Here's my problem. I love this detergent, but I can't always find it when I run out. Target sells it for $14.99 for the 100-ounce bottle, but the shelf is almost always empty. The local natural food stores always have it in stock...at $22 a bottle! Pure craziness.

Alice has it for $7.99 for a 50-ounce bottle. That's 50 whole loads of laundry in my HE washer.

Alice offers free shipping on your first purchase and after that there's free shipping if you purchase just 6 items, any six items.

And they carry more than laundry detergent. They have everything from toilet paper to toothpaste to pantry food items. And even diapers!

You can even sign up to have items shipped to you on a schedule.

They offer automatic coupons, which is good for me since if I actually clip a coupon, I usually forget to bring it to the store.

Use this link and you will get a $10 credit once you spend $50 on your account.

Catch ya later, I'm off to buy some laundry detergent.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more! She is very picky about the detergent she buys.

(I have not used this service yet, just thought it was something you might like to hear about.)

In the Tub: Lil Rinser Splash Guard

Do your children put up a fight when it's time to rinse the shampoo from their hair? I know my daughter does!

Lil Rinser sent me one of their splash guards to try out on my children.

My two-year-old doesn't mind getting water dumped over his head and he's way too wiggly to try to use Lil Rinser to rinse his head. I didn't attempt to use the product on him more than a few times because he doesn't really need it.

My daughter fusses about getting her hair rinsed. Maybe because she is five and set in her ways, but she didn't care for the Lil Rinser. She would much rather hold a washcloth over her eyes. I think the product is a good concept and would be very helpful once a child is used to using it. I like that you hold it to their head with the handle, leaving the other hand free for rinsing. And if your child hates getting water in her eyes, it's worth a try.

(From the company:)

• Lil Rinser creates a watertight seal, whose soft rim contours gently to fit a child’s head.
  
• Adults merely need to press it gently against the child’s forehead and above the ears to create the water tight seal and then pour an unlimited amount of water onto the child’s head while holding the Lil Rinser gently against the child’s forehead.
  
• The soft rim channels the water away from the face and over the head and hair.
  
• A convenient and comfortable soft grip handle allows parents to hold the Lil Rinser in place.
• Lil Rinser was created by two dads.

Lil Rinser retails for $15. Check out their website for more information and watch the YouTube video to see it in action. You can even purchase Lil Rinser Splashguard on Amazon where parents have rated it highly.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: LIL RINSER
Prize: Lil Rinser Splash Guard
Number of Winners: One
Entry Question: In how many color combinations does the Lil Rinser come? (Hint: look at the picture on the "how" page.)
Enter By: June 30, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.




This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

In the Tub: California Baby Super Sensitive Bubble Bath

Who doesn't love a good bubble bath? I can tell you that I have a sensitive skin daughter who prefers baths with bubbles two to one.

But I am so leery of the bubbles that we had as kids. You know, the ones in the pink bottle. Scary stuff. And remember how they warned for years about little girls taking bubble baths?

Well we have found a few kinds of bubble bath that don't totally freak me out.

The California Baby Super Sensitive Bubble Bath is fragrance free (good for me as the bath giver since I am sensitive to fragrances). It is a no tears and non-toxic formula and is made with decyl polyglucose, aloe vera, and vitamin e. It does not contain nut oils, gluten, soy, oat, or dairy and has no parabens, sodium benzoate, benzoic acid, benzyl alcohol, or phenoxyethanol.

Even if you are an adult with sensitive skin and want an indulgence, you could give this a try.

California Baby makes other formulations of bubble bath if you aren't looking for fragrance-free.

The verdict: It really is a great bubble bath for those with sensitive skin or who don't like scented products.

I thought the bubble wand was a bit of a gimmick and the design of the cap made it difficult to measure.

If you don't need a scent-free product, also consider Burt's Bees Baby Bee Bubble Bath. The bubbles last a little bit longer than the California Baby and is slightly less expensive.

$14 from California Baby. I have also found it at Target alongside other baby bath products.

JCPenney Father's Day Slob to Suave Giveaway

Do you know a dad who's wardrobe needs a little updating? Maybe it's your own dad, your brother, or even the father of your children. While women tend to keep up with the trends, some men can get a little stuck in a rut.

JCPenney has great summer fashions for your guy from brands like American Living, St. John's Bay, Stafford, and J. Ferrar.

JCPenney let me pick out a few things for my husband. Don't get me wrong, he's a dapper fellow. But he tends to wear the same polo-type shirts and shorts when he's not at work. I wanted to get him some clothes that were just a little but more hip and a bit younger (he recently hit the big 4-0).

BEFORE

I selected the St. John's Bay Exploration Cargo Shorts, those pockets are great for holding the Flip Camera at the zoo or park. I also like these St. John's Bay flat front shorts, because let's face it, pleating is not flattering on anyone.

AFTER

My husband likes collared shirts, so I picked out a St. John's Bay Short Sleeves Poplin Shirt with a subtle print.

I think this will be a great outfit for barbecues with friends because it is a bit more refined than shorts and a tee, yet will be comfortable on hot summer days.

When we went to the store, they were having such great sales that we actually purchased two pairs of the cargo shorts, two button down shirts, and two polos. Our receipt showed that we saved over 50% off our total purchase.

Do you want to turn your guy from slob to suave? We've got your chance to win a $100 gift card from JCPenney. Just head on over and pick out the perfect updated outfit for your favorite dad. Then leave a comment here telling us what you would buy. There are even chances for extra entries.

WIN IT!
Prize: $100 JCPenney Gift Card
Number of Winners: one
Entry Question: Head over to www.jcp.com and then leave a comment here on any outfit that would make your favorite dad look suave (Be specific). (Make sure your e-mail is public in your profile or leave it in the comment or you will not be eligible to win.)
Enter By: June 25, 2009
Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.

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This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

Books, Books and More Picture Books!

Are you looking for some new picture books to read to your child? Here are a few that just might interest you.

Far Far Away!: This is a retelling of the classic issue where a child gets fed up, runs away, and realizes that life is better back home. (Though who's idea is it to plant the seed that running away is even an option for kids?) This little pig feels wronged when he can't get what he wants at the grocer. Deciding to run away, far away, he and his mom begin making a list of all the things he will need on his trip. When the list becomes long (and his mom finishes baking a cake), he decides maybe he should just stay home. Home, where he has everything he needs already.


Bridget Fidget and The Most Perfect Pet: My daughter's favorite "animal" is the unicorn, so you better believe she would love a book in which the main character wants a real one of her own. When a rather LARGE box appears one day, she goes to great lengths to see what's inside: (excess packing material!) and a little box. After irritating her parents with mess and noise, she finally sees what kind of pet the pet store surely must have sent her. A little disappointed, she finds a tiny little surprise that is just as good as a pet unicorn.

Pete & Pickles: This book is a little dark. It opens with Pete at the gravesite of his wife (though younger kids might not get this unless you point it out or explain). Then he begins dreaming of drowning. He is awoken during a storm to find Pickles, an elephant, in his home. Pete helps Pickles evade the circus keepers and they become the unlikeliest of friends. That is until Pete snaps at Pickles and demands she leave. In the end, the Pete realizes that he cannot live without her friendship. Like I said, this story is a bit on the dark side and may not be appropriate for younger children, especially if you haven't talked about death and mourning to them.

Me With You: This is a sweet book that might be good to purchase for a father or grandfather from your child for Father's Day. I know I had special things that I did only with my grandfather and we even had our own inside jokes. Me With You is the story of a father (or grandfather's) unconditional love for the child and shows how the father-figure is there for the little one whenever she needs him.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom. Her family has more books than the public library!

123 Chicago Board Book

Here's a twist on the traditional count-to-ten board book: 123 Chicago.

Maybe you are from Chicago or will be taking a trip there soon. This book features all of the things you think of when you think Chicago. From the Sear's Tower, el-train, deep dish pizza, and hot dogs, to Navy Pier, turn the pages as you show your young child the sights of the city.

What's neat about this book is that the final pages include full descriptions of each icon or place, in English and Spanish.

In addition to 123 Chicago Duopress also offers 123 California, 123 Texas, 123 New York, and 123 USA (perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday).

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

I Double Dare You!

One of my friends was having their third child. The first two were boys and this third was to be a girl. I figured with the third child they already had most of the necessities, so I decided to purchase a book I had heard of for their baby shower gift.

I got them The Daring Book for Girls. I figured that the first-time-dad-to-a-girl might learn a few things about the culture that is little girlhood and the mom would get a refresher course.

With my own daughter I find myself trying to remember the little chants and games I did as a girl.

Both The Daring Book for Girls and the recently released sequel The Double-Daring Book for Girls, not only teach us things that are great for girls to know, but also a lot of general knowledge that is great for any child (or adult) to know.

I personally want my daughter to learn to throw a good spiral!

Many of the activities in the book are a little old for my five-year-old.

Read our review of the original Daring Book for Girls or purchase the sequel the The Double-Daring Book for Girls on Amazon or wherever books are sold. You can read more at the Daring Book For Girls website.

Here's a video showing a few of the activities the book has to show you:



This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

KidCards

My daughter is always making cards. She likes to make invitations and thank you's. I usually just take a piece of printer paper and fold it in half for her to draw and write on. But here's the problem: I don't have envelopes that fit.

Problem solved: KidCards are sets of cards that allow children the creativity of either coloring in a pre-printed design or creating their own pictures within themed frames. And the best part? Matching envelopes!

KidCards sent me the Volume 2: Freehand Drawing Frames. These cards have a themed frame on the cover and children can draw whatever picture they like inside the frame. The set includes birthday, thank you, get well, congrats and friendship designs.

I think it's important for children to learn to express gratitude and these cards are a great tool for helping children express themselves to the ones they care about. Now when my daughter wants to send someone a card, she can use one of her KidCards to get her message across. I can pop it in the envelope and off it goes.

Each set includes 20 Cards per book and sells for $14.99. They also have holiday sets and sets for teachers.

DISCOUNT: Go to www.kidcards.org, click on Buy Online, then enter the Penny Promotion Code "Blogger Bonus" in the box when purchasing 2 or more books, you will get the crayon set AND watercolor paint set for 1 Penny.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: KIDCARDS
Prize: One set of KidCards (choice of volume 1, volume 2, or Christmas)
Number of Winners: one (US addresses only)
Entry Question: Visit the KidCards website and tell us the theme of one of the teacher volumes (hint, there are three different themes, two of which are holidays).
Enter By: June 17, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail. Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.



This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more! She has a daughter how is always making cards for people.

Payless, Not More, for Zoe & Zac Eco-Friendly Shoes

I know, I know. Sometimes you have to choose between economical and eco-friendly. But not when it comes to shoes.

Payless Shoe Stores has introduced a line of eco-friendly shoes and accessories for women and girls. And guess what...they are all priced at under $30! That's right, Zoe & Zac shoes from Payless are under 30 bucks. Good for the environment and your wallet.

The line of shoes includes wedges, sandals, oxfords, and flats. What makes them eco-friendly? Zoe & Zac shoes are made with: (from their website)

• Organic cotton grown without chemicals and pesticides
• Hemp grown with little or no polluting pesticides
• Jute, which is a glossy and strong plant fiber grown with little or no pesticides and fertilizers
• Recycled rubber
• Glues that are water-based and non-toxic
• Nicke-free hardware is used on eyelets for laces and buckles
• Faux leather and faux suede manufactured with reduced heavy metals
• Elastic from recycled plastic bottles
• Tagua nuts are "vegetable ivory" from the tagua palm tree

Payless sent my daughter and I each a pair from the new line in time to wear for Mother's Day. And I about died at how cute they were! We both had our own pair of matching ballet flats. The Snapdragon Ballet Flats feature little flowers and a bow and are my favorite color: lavender. They are under $20 on sale for women and $17 for girls.

Most ballet flats offer little support, so I can't compare them to, say, my Birkenstocks. But as ballet flats go, these are high in cuteness and I really appreciate the effort Payless is making with their Zoe & Zac line. I'll have to try on a pair of their eco-friendly tennies next time I'm in the store.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

momAgenda Keeps You Sane Despite Crazy Schedules

My oldest son has band practice on Wednesday and Friday mornings, except when there's a concert, and then it's every morning. My youngest son has choir practice on Sundays, but sometimes also Thursdays. Hubs has a meeting the first Wednesday evening of every month. I've got class on Thursday nights, Saturdays are soccer and birthday parties....

You know the drill. When you're a mom, you've got a lot to keep track of. And though I'm pretty good with tracking dates in my head, I can't keep it all straight if it's not written down. Yes, written. I like having a paper-based organizer, one that I can carry with me and is harder to misplace than a cell phone or an iPod (both of which disappear routinely).

So I was thrilled with the chance to try out a momAgenda Day Planner. They sent me a momAgenda Desktop in fuchsia (to match my blog, natch).

My Day Planner has a durable, stain-resistant cover (how did they know I needed this?) and can be customized. Inside, in addition to calendar functions, there are lists of mom-oriented websites, travel resources and holidays through 2011.

The calendar itself runs from August 2009 to December 2010. There are two calendar sections- monthly and weekly. The weekly section is what makes momAgenda so unique and mom-friendly.

As each week is broken out, there's a section for Mom's daily activities and then four separate spaces for other family members. I love how this is laid out. I can tell at a glance who has what activity on which day. It also includes a small space at the bottom for dinner, so maybe this will prompt me to do the meal-planning I've been talking about doing for years. Oh, and it's got a pretty ribbon for bookmarking, which means I won't need to tear off the corners to find the right week as I do with my current planner.

There are two additional sections. The first one helps track everything from favorite wines to entertaining resources. The second section, "Mom Essentials" tracks more practical information like medical information, phone numbers (for when you lose your cell phone) and favorite websites. The Essentials section can be removed and placed in next year's planner.

When it comes to organization and planning my time, I need all the help I can get. I'm looking forward to using Desktop Agenda.

Written by Kim Moldofsky, who writes at Hormone-colored Days and Positive Impact, Inc.

New Children's Book Encourages Environmental Awareness

Teaching children environmental awareness has recently become the focal point for many TV shows, websites, films and children's books. The Legend of Honey Hollow by Jeanne McNaney is intended to teach children about different endangered bears of the world and the importance of community, sharing and trust.

McNaney's debut introduces readers to Grendel, a polar bear who, along with the other bears of Honey Hollow (a Panda, a Spectacled Bear, an Appalachian Black Bear, and Brown Bears), illustrates how significant it is for children to grow up in a healthy world. The story takes place in Honey Hollow, an enchanted forest safe-haven for bears from around the world. When developers cut down the trees, the bears and the children of the loggers join forces to save the sanctuary for future generations.

I really, really, really wanted to like this book. And for the most part, I did.

My children, more importantly, enjoyed the story and illustrations more than I. "I like that it's about the environment," was my 8-year-old son's response after we read it the first time. We've since read it many times. I'm in agreement with him, though the message is a little too heavy-handed for me. I appreciate subtlety, which The Legend of Honey Hollow lacks. The illustrations by French artist David Cochard are lively and entertaining, but his rather prominent signature on each and every plate is distracting. My children noticed them and asked, "What's that?"

My kids immediately liked the characters, but the author's choices of names pulled me out of the story. Chiefly, "Grendel" the polar bear. I'm an English teacher and the first thought that came to my mind was the villain in the epic poem Beowulf. Surely, the editor might have suggested a less harsh-sounding name (without the cultural implications) for a grandmother Polar Bear?

I nit-pick. And the seemingly small items that bothered me about this story were completely lost on my kids. The author did not write the book for adults. It does its job: charms younger readers and engages them in the ongoing dialogue of "saving our planet." The books helps children appreciate wildlife and the environment, discover how one person can make a difference, and learn the importance of community.

Overall, The Legend of Honey Hollow is a sweet and charming tale. Just don't expect it to become a classic.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: Honey Hollow Book
Prize: a hard-back copy of The Legend of Honey Hollow
Number of Winners: 3
Entry Question: What's your favorite kind of bear?
Enter By: June 12, 2009
Entry Form: Click here
Winners will be notified by e-mail.
Please read the official rules for entering our giveaways.


This was written by Missy who can be read at Misc & Co. where she writes about family, books, music, sewing and whatever else strikes her fancy.

Filter for Good with Brita and Nalgene

I was recently on Twitter having a discussion with Josh Dorfman, the Lazy Environmentalist, about being eco-friendly and the Filter for Good campaign was brought up.

I clicked over to their website and saw just how much of a difference we can make by filtering our own water and using a refillable bottle, rather than buying bottled water. (Did you know that the bottled water you buy may be tap water? Why bother!)

If you think about it, the first of the three R's in reduce, reuse, recycle is "reduce." That means that the best thing we can do is reduce the quantity of stuff we produce and consume in the first place. So it's not enough that you are recycling that plastic water bottle because so many resources were used to make it.

With Filter for Good, you are encouraged rather to filter your own water and carry a reusable bottle. Did you know that (from their site):

• One Brita pitcher filter can effectively replace as much as 300 standard 16.9-ounce bottles. So you can get great-tasting water without so much waste. Talk about refreshing.
• The average Brita pitcher filters 240 gallons of water a year for about 19 cents a day.7 Put in perspective, to get the same amount of water from bottled water would require 1,818 16.9-ounce water bottles a year.8
• For about $10 each, you can purchase a 16-ounce or 32-ounce Nalgene bottle, saving you hundreds of dollars a year on bottled water.
• Hydration at its best — carry the water you need and reduce your impact on the environment — one Nalgene bottle can last for decades, making it easy to stop buying single-serve bottled water to fulfill your everyday hydration needs.

So not only will you be going green, you'll be saving some green!

Go to Filter for Good and take the pledge. You will even be e-mailed a coupon. You can also get tips from Josh, read their blog, and see how your organization can do a fundraiser. And of course you can purchase Brita and Nalgene products.



Filter for Good sent me a few things to get me started so that I could spread the word. With the Brita Deluxe Water Pitcher you can have icy cold water in your fridge already filtered and ready to drink. I know that when I have cold water available I'm more likely to drink it.

We put the Brita On Tap Filtration System right on our faucet. When you need cold water for cooking or drinking, simply switch it over to the filter. My husband and I personally love having the filter right on our faucet because space in our fridge is at a premium.

And to take my water with me? I've been dutifully carrying my NALGENE Tritan 1-Quart Wide Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle with me. I used to use Nalgene bottles all the time. But when BPA became a hot topic, I threw them all in the recycling bin. Nalgene bottles are no longer made with BPA, so I was happy to be reunited with my old friend. What I love about Nalgene bottles is the wide mouth which makes it easy to stuff full of ice cubes. I also like to use the strap that connects the lid as a carrying handle.

Since the weather's been warmer, I've been making iced tea right in my Nalgene bottle and taking it to work. This is saving me $1.50 per day that I was paying for my to-go tea, not to mention those horrible styrofoam cups!

Visit the Filter for Good website, follow them on Twitter, and even become a fan on Facebook. Read Josh Dorfman's book The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget for green money saving tips; it's in my bookbag right now!

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more!

TOSHIBA SATELLITE LAPTOP U400 Series

Alright, I'm going to assume that if you are reading this, you are on a computer or if you enter our fabulous Full Mommy giveaways, you are using a computer. So don't you agree it's about time the Full Mommy brought you a review of a COMPUTER?! Maybe you don't need a computer but know of a Dad or a Grad who does?

I've been on the lookout for a laptop for quite a while. I know my way around a megabyte, but I am not extremely technical so I didn't need a top of the line model. I needed something in a laptop, mid-sized, light-weight (serious techies may laugh but I'm serious about the light-weight part. I lug around a LOT of stuff people) easy to use and less than one million dollars. I kid- I was actually aiming for the $500-1,000 range.

When I told the good folks at Toshiba that we have a solid readership made of parents, many of whom are bloggers, they agreed to send me one of their new models to review. I now am the proud owner of a Toshiba Satellite Notebook.

I will admit, I've never purchased a laptop before, only a PC and I have never tried a Toshiba computer product. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turns out Toshiba's been making laptops since 1985 and the Toshiba I have performs in every way.

Ease of use: I literally took the notebook out of the box, plugged in the power cord, turned it on and it worked. It was that easy. The desktop had an instruction manual loaded that I could read online to navigate my way around and learn about the many features including bluetooth technology, a built in microphone and webcam, a sleep and charge combo port and DVD. The laptop also came with a trial of Microsoft Office and Norton security so I could start using it right away with no concerns.

Size: Perfect. It has a 13.3” Diagonal TruBrite® Widescreen Display with sharp graphics and color. It's large enough to do spreadsheet work and write, yet small enough and light enough at 4.5 pounds to be easily portable. (Do not smirk! This is important! See above!)

Technical stuff: The U400 series comes with 4GBs of memory and 250GB HDD on the Hard drive. Could you use 4GB's of memory pretty easily? Probably, but the Toshiba Satellite comes with easy to read instructions about how to add more if you choose to do so. The Satellite comes with 5400 RPMs if you are into knowing that kind of thing. I am not, and if you are like me, you just need to know it's fast. Battery life is good for four plus hours solid and longer in sleep mode.

Non Technical stuff: It's pretty. It's sleek and modern and silver and it has white ambient lighting and cool graphics for when you are trying to connect to wi-fi. Also, the Satellite is very little-hand proof. You can create a log-in for you as the primary user and create alternates for anyone else who will use your computer. You can set it to lock when you are away or close the lid and here is the best testimonial I can offer: My near one-year-old knocked it over off the arm of the couch where I left it. It took a bout a three foot fall and didn't even blink- not a scratch, not a dent, not a problem at all.

Complaints? None from me. If I were to offer any constructive feedback to Toshiba I would say the touch pad is a teensy bit too sensitive for me. I'm getting used to it, but for the first few days my cursor was all over the place. I have one suggestion as well. I tend to use my laptop in the evening when the kids go to bed while I'm in my living room, where it's usually dark. The keys are high gloss and it's hard to make out the keypad in the dimmer-lighting. Something to brighten those babies is so not a deal breaker but would he helpful.

I'll stop now because this is getting long and I could go on for many more paragraphs. For more information and options for Toshiba Satellite's go to the Toshiba website here. They have lots of other models available including the recently announced Toshiba mini NB205, marking the company’s first entry into the U.S. mini notebook market – perfect for moms on-the-go. The mini NB205 is ideal for digitally active consumers that want a lightweight companion PC to easily stay connected, productive and informed on the go. The design is comfort-driven with a full-sized keyboard and touch pad, nine hours of battery life and a highly-stylized textured finish offered in a choice of colors. (See the picture in upper right corner, fun!)

This was written by Amy Jo who can be read at Binkytowne.com.

Wow Wow Wubbzy, Wubbzy's Big Movie

Do you like movies for pre-schoolers? Do you like ice cream cones? Read on!

In the newly released DVD, Wubbzy’s Big Movie!, Wubbzy loses his memory and his friends help him to recall who he is by reminding him of all the good times they have had together. If your pre-schooler is a fan of the series, they will no doubt like this DVD just as much. In fact, this DVD flashes back to some of the episodes of season two, which my own preschooler remembers like it was yesterday.

Just like the last Wubbzy DVD, extras on the new release include: Bonus Season Two Music Video, DVD-Rom Game, Coloring Pages & Printable Activities.

Here's something really cool (ha- get it?) The release of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! Wubbzy’s Big Movie! will be supported by a major cross-promotion with Joy Cone Company ice cream cones via a special mail in gift with purchase. From May through December consumers will be able to receive a free Wubbzy Ty Beanie Baby with any purchase of Joy Cone 18 count Color Cups and a Wubbzy DVD or 60 count Kids Cones package and a Wubbzy DVD.

A Bug's Life on Blu-ray

I think everybody agrees Pixar filmes are awesome. Pixar in HD? Rocks. Does it get better? Hold on to your popcorn because Pixar has gone one more step with A Bug's Life now available on Blu-ray.

I received a copy of this for review and I think the artwork in the movie is absolutely amazing. The pictures are so clear and high quality it's like going to the movies in the comfort of your own home.

Of course, the story of an ant trying to save Ant Island with his warrior bugs is a tale about believing in yourself, so you get entertainment and a valuable message all wrapped up in one.

My four year old couldn't take his eyes off of it. Neither could I. To see more, check out the clip below: