Pediped Shoes to Grow With Your Child

I like to purchase quality shoes for my children that will make it through a season without falling apart and that will give them the support and flexibility that small feet need.

What I don't like are shoes that are outgrown so quickly that they look like they have never been worn. I feel like I've wasted my money.

Pediped asked if they could outfit one of my children in a pair of shoes for fall. I printed out their shoe sizing guide and told them what size I thought my son would wear.

When I received the Jake Flex shoes I feared they would be too big. But we put the included extra footbed inserts into the shoes, which snugged them right up. When the shoes start getting tight with the extra insert, I can take them out and get a few more months out of them.

My son's new pediped's have taken him to the zoo, to the pumpkin patch, to school and all over town. I love the smart styling (they don't look babyish). They are also easy to get on and off with their stretchy "shoestrings" and hook and loop closure.

My son's new shoes are hip, but you should see the girls' shoes. I'm a sucker for a cute red shoe!

Pediped is currently running a celebrity auction with proceeds to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

(From pediped:)
More than 50 well-known entertainers and athletes will participate in Stars for a Wish, an online auction of autographed pediped® baby shoes to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The auction will run Oct. 25-Nov. 5 on Charity Buzz. Celebrities who signed pediped® baby shoes for the auction include: Jennie Garth and Heidi Klum and celebs from movies, television, and sports. Bidding will start at $250 for the signed shoes. Recipients will receive the shoes attractively displayed in a cherry-finished shadow box or clear acrylic box complete with an engraved plaque.

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 thing for shoes.

Disclosure: Pediped sent me a pair of shoes for my son to wear.

Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo

I guess you can judge a book by it's cover.

When my five-year-old took a look at the front of our new book, she said, "Oh. She's doesn't look very good."

With all the colds and flu circulating right now, Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo is a very timely book. It seems like half of my child's class has been out sick with one thing or the other and this book helps explains how germs can be spread.

We follow Felicity as she goes to the zoo, wipes green gook into her hand, and then touches every single animal in sight. Needless to say, every animal marked with her green hand print catches what she's got!

My five-year-old enjoyed the book's illustrations and text (and was even able to read some of it). My two-year-old was equally interested in the animals at the zoo and making there noises as we turned each page.

From the author: E. S. Redmond was inspired to write this, her first book, after a trip with her children to a petting zoo. She says, "I remember watching all these smiling, wobbling toddlers surrounding the animals. Every little nose was running, and the sheep resembled very large mounds of tissue. It struck me as altogether funny and ironic that the hand soap was mounted on the fence at the exit. Nice for us, not so great for the sheep." E. S. Redmond lives in Massachusetts.

Felicity Floo Visits the Zoo is a good introduction to preschool and younger school age kids on how germs spread and how this widespread illness could have been avoided had she just used a tissue and washed her hands.

Oh, and maybe stayed home when she was sick!

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

Disclosure: Candlewick Press sent this book for me to read with my children.

Halloween Safety Tips from Safe Kids USA and FedEx

Halloween is my family's favorite holiday. We attend several parties and of course go Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. As a parent you want to make sure your little ghouls and goblins are safe as they haunt the neighborhood after dark. One thing we always do is clip our flashing bicycle light to our daughter's costume.

Moira Donahue is a child pedestrian expert. She is working with FedEx and Safe Kids USA to help make kids safe this Halloween. Here are her tips for both pedestrians and drivers for All Hallow's Eve:

For kids:

• Always trick-or-treat with an adult until age 10
• Only trick-or-treat in familiar areas that are well lit
• Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks
• Look left, right and left again when crossing; always walk, don’t run, when crossing streets
• Make eye contact with drivers and watch for cars that are turning or backing up
• Walk on sidewalks or paths; if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible
• Never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars
• Wear light-colored, flame-retardant, costumes decorated with retro-reflective tape or stickers
• Wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes to prevent trips and falls
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick to increase visibility to drivers
• Wear face paint and makeup; a mask can restrict a child’s vision

Drivers need to do their part to keep trick-or-treaters safe from harm. FedEx reminds motorists to be extra careful this Halloween and recommends that drivers:

• Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods
• Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road
• Be sure to drive with your full headlights on so you can spot children from greater distances
• Take extra time to actively look for kids at intersections, on medians and on curbs
• Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility and they may not be able to see your vehicle
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly and carefully
• Remember that children are excited on this night and may move in unpredictable ways
• Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are during the typical rush-hour period, between 5:30-9:30 p.m.
• Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road and pedestrians

To help make your family safe this year, we are giving away three Trick-or-Treat bags filled with safety goodies. Have fun on Halloween!

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: SAFETY
Prize: Trick-or-Treat Bag filled with safety goodies
Number of Winners: Three
Enter By: October 27
Entry Form:

Because this is a time sensitive prize, we are asking for your shipping info on the entry form. This info will not be used for any other purpose other than to quickly ship the prize to winners in time for Halloween. 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!


Disclosure: These tips are provided by FedEx and Safe Kids USA. I was provided with Trick-or-Treat bags for my children.

1-800-Flowers

We travel each year to a relative's house for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each time I whip up a fantastic gourmet dish to share with the guests and each year it goes uneaten. I am sure it's because my in-laws are used to their normal family fare, but it always hurts my feelings a little to see that no one will even try what I brought. I have to say that I gave up and I have a new M.O. to show my appreciation for the invitation and hospitality: flowers.

And what better way to give flowers than to send them ahead of time. Have you been to the 1-800-Flowers website lately? Of course they offer the most beautiful floral arrangements including those designed by Martha Stewart herself. But they also offer a wide selection of plants and gift baskets great for any occasion.

I know you've heard of 1-800-Flowers, but did you know they have a new service called 1-800-Baskets? They even offer 40 gifts under $40.

Did you completely forget to get a gift for someone important in your life? (Yes, I know this happens, and it's okay. We are all overwhelmed.) Don't worry because 1-800-Flowers and 1-800-Baskets have many items with same day delivery.

And when you give a 1-800-Flowers gift card, the recipient can select a gift from 1-800-Flowers, Plow & Hearth, or Fannie May (I LOVE their Pixies!).

Become a fan of 1-800-Flowers on Facebook and you may even get a discount code.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: FLOWERS
Prize: $25 1-800-Flowers Gift Card
Number of Winners: FIVE
Entry Question: Name one of the "occasions" for which 1-800-Flowers offers gift ideas.
Enter By: October 26, 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!

Disclosure: I held a charitable party and 1-800-Flowers provided a gift certificate for me and each of my guests.

Skil Isio 2-in-1 Gardening Tool

I'm an avid gardener with large planted beds full of perennials. The problem is not growing the plants, it's cutting them back at the end of the growing season.

Since it would take me three weekends just to cut back my daylilies, I began using the hack-it-all-down method a few seasons back. There is no way I could individually cut each stem of each of my hundreds of plants. So I began using my husband's hedge trimmers on all but my irises (and I would use them on those too, but it doesn't work for them).

The problems with my husband's hedge trimmers are that they are heavy and they are electric. So while they make short(er) work of preparing my garden for winter, it's still a pain.

Not anymore. I have found my savior: Skil Isio 2-in-1 Gardening Tool.

These lightweight trimmers are cordless and rechargable. They really do cut through my daylilies like butter making quick work of trimming all my plants.

Several times I have been in the backyard with the kids and have been able to grab Isio from the shed and start trimming away. Even ten minutes allowed me to clear an entire bed. (And I left all the detritus for my husband to bag, because that's how I roll sometimes.) I would never have been able to do this with the electric trimmers because it would have taken that long to find the cord and plug it in. Not to mention that I don't use those hedge trimmers around my kids. But I felt confident in the Isio Gardening Tool.

The Isio 2-in-1 Gardening Tool might make a great holiday present for the gardeners on your list. Especially the women who would appreciate a lighter tool that is quick to use.

Isio 2-in-1 Gardening Tool

• Compact, Powerful and Lightweight
• Laser-cut diamond-ground blades for a clean, healthy cut
• Tool-less blade change-Easily convert lawn shears to a shrub trimmer
• Lithium-Ion Power Battery holds charge up to 18 months
• Powered by an ENERGY STAR qualified battery charger (for a better environment)
• Shrub Trimmer Blade and Cover
• Grass Shear Blade and Cover
• Wall-Mountable Charger

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

Skil sent me a Isio 2-in-1 Gardening Tool to try out in my garden.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters

If you reached into my bag of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters, I bet you would get a slap on the wrist. Seriously. I'm not sharing.

General Mills and MyBlogSpark sent me the four varieties of the new Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters to sample. And like I said, they are all for me.

What I like about them is that they satisfy my snack cravings for sweet, salty, and crunchy. They have no high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is always a plus in my book. And the clusters are much easier to eat than loose granola. The resealable pouch helps to keep it fresh--if you don't eat the whole bag at once!

I think my favorite was the Nut Lovers variety. But quite frankly, they were all very good.

(From the company:)
Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey - a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day. If you love nuts, you´ll enjoy this flavorful little snack featuring the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavors paired with a crunchy texture that you can see and taste. And with the first unique cluster-shaped granola packaged in a handy re-sealable pouch, it´s perfect for sharing on the trails or in your living room! New Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters come in four easy-to-crave flavors: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut.

Okay, maybe I'll share a little. Enter our giveaway and you may have the opportunity to hoard your own stash of Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: NATURE VALLEY
Prize: Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters "Snack Pack" prize pack that includes all four (4) varieties of the Granola Nut Clusters along with a sling backpack, stainless steel water bottle, flashlight and binoculars!
Number of Winners: One
Entry Question: What other Nature Valley Granola product would you like to try or already love? (Other than the ones mentioned here.)
Enter By: October 20, 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!

General Mills sent product samples for me to taste test as part of the MyBlogSpark review program.

Caribou Coffee for a Cure

In my town, many of the local grocery stores have a Caribou Coffee stand. I don't usually buy a cup of coffee when I shop, but the new grocer that's within walking distance to campus has a nice little cafe--perfect for sitting down to read or write blogs!

In honor of October's Breast Cancer Awareness month, Caribou Coffee sent me some of the Amy's Blend coffee and tea to taste test. I wish this was smell-o-vision, because you would not believe the aroma of the beans. Do you like hot tea? Then you have got to try the Amy's Blend tea which has cardamom and cinnamon. I'm drinking a cup of it right now as I try to warm on this wet, chilly day. The cardamom in the tea reminds me of the rice dessert I get at a local Indian restaurant...minus the calories!

With every purchase of Amy's Blend, Caribou Coffee will donate to help find a cure.

(From the company:) During the month of October, Caribou Coffee will donate 10 percent of all sales of Amy’s Blend coffee, tea and merchandise to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Amy’s Blend is named in honor of Caribou Coffee roastmaster Amy Erickson, who lost her courageous battle with breast cancer in 1995 at the age of just 33. To keep her spirit and dedication to coffee perfection alive, the company developed Amy’s Blend coffee in both regular and decaf blends. New this year, Caribou Coffee is offering Amy’s Blend Spiced tea. Since adding Amy’s Blend coffee and merchandise to its offerings, Caribou Coffee has raised more than half a million dollars to support the quest for finding a cure for breast cancer.

They also offer a variety of Amy's Blend merchandise including mugs, water bottles, notebooks, totes, and pens.

I was impressed to learn that their regular coffee is Rainforest Alliance Certified meaning that it is produced according to guidelines that are good for the environment, wildlife, workers and the local communities.

Purchase Amy's Blend coffee, tea, and gift items at all of their locations or from the Caribou Coffee website.

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

Caribou Coffee sent a variety of coffee and tea for me to taste test for this post.

Harry Connick, Jr. Your Songs CD Will Sweep You Away

I think I first heard Harry Connick, Jr. sing while watching the movie When Harry Met Sally. Who didn't fall in love with him and rush out to buy the soundtrack?

I can't tell you how many of his CD's my husband and I own or which is my favorite.

Connick's latest offering is called Your Songs.

When you listen to Harry Connick, Jr. you just want to grab your partner and glide across the dance floor.

On this new CD, Harry takes songs that we all know and love and makes them his own. (Did I just sound like Randy Jackson, dog?) If you like Harry Connick, Jr. you will surely enjoy his versions of these classics.

Take a look at the playlist:

Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):
All The Way (Frank Sinatra)
Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)
Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)
And I Love Her (The Beatles)
(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)
Besame Mucho
The Way You Look Tonight
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
Your Song (Elton John)
Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)
Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)
Smile (Charlie Chaplin)
Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)

Want to learn more about Connick? Visit his website and become a fan on Facebook.

WIN IT!
Giveaway Title: HARRY
Prize: Harry Connick, Jr. Your Songs CD
Number of Winners: one
Entry Question: What's your favorite song performed by Harry Connick, Jr.? (Not including the ones listed in this post.)
Enter By: October 16, 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!

The One2One Network provided me with the CD for review.

Band-Aid Blister Block Stick

So I got these hot new shoes to wear to BlogHer this year. I normally wear flat shoes like Birkenstocks or New Balance running shoes, but I just had to have these Dansko wedges.

But I was afraid, very afraid, that I would have crippling pain from walking more "upright" or from new-shoe blisters.

As I packed my bag for BlogHer, I made sure to throw in Band-Aid Blister Block Stick.

Over the course of the weekend, I applied Blister Block to my heels each time I put on my Dansko wedges. And I am happy to say that not once did I rub a blister on my heel.

(From the company:)
BAND-AID Friction Block Stick has a lubricating formula that glides on smoothly to instantly reduce rubbing on skin. It forms an invisible barrier, making it ideal for open shoes, and provides an easy, non-messy application.

Band-Aid Blister Block Stick would also be great to throw in with your hiking and camping gear for long hikes or new boots. And of course use it when you wear sassy shoes!

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

Disclosure: Johnson's sent me a stick of Blister Block to use at BlogHer with my new shoes.

Stop Poison Ivy in it's Tracks with Ivarest

This year our family started camping with our two kids. Once a month or more we headed to a state park for the weekend to take in a little fresh air.

While we love the park we normally go to, there is poison ivy everywhere. On the edge of each of the campsites and along every trail there is poison ivy. I taught my older child "leaves of three, let them be" and show her each time what it looks like. But it's difficult to tell a two-year-old what specifically to avoid.

The CDC offers the following information to help identify poisonous plants and prevent contact:

• Poison Ivy – Found across the entire United States. This plant often grows as low plants, shrubs and vines and is typically seen as three shiny green tapered leaves growing out from one node on the stem. Poison ivy may also have yellow or green flowers and white to green-yellow or amber berries. Just keep in mind “leaves of three, let them be!”
• Poison Oak – Found along the entire West Coast and from the Mid-Atlantic states down through Florida. This plant generally has three oak-shaped leaves per stem similar to poison ivy. Poison oak may have yellow or green flowers and clusters of green-yellow or white berries.
• Poison Sumac – Found east of the Mississippi from Canada to central Florida. This plant can have seven to 13 leaves on a stem that are arranged in pairs. Poison sumac may also have light yellow or cream-colored berries.

I have a lot of experience identifying these poisonous plants because my job used to take me deep in the forests. At lunchtime and at the end of the day, my coworkers and I often used Ivarest Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam to get off any oils from poisonous plants that we may have been in contact with. Not to mention washing all clothing that may have come in contact with the plants.

When we began camping with the kids, I was sure to include Ivarest in our staple camping supplies. Thankfully no one was exposed to it this summer and we didn't have to reach for the Ivarest Double Relief Treatment Cream. But we were prepared and I think that makes all the difference.

(From the company:)
Ivarest Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam is a new poisonous plant cleanser that’s uniquely effective whether used immediately after exposure or once a rash has begun. For those who know they’ve been in contact with a poisonous plant, treatment can begin immediately to prevent an outbreak. If used soon after exposure, Ivarest Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam’s special combination of cleansers lifts oily plant allergens from the skin surface to be easily washed away, minimizing any reaction and stopping the rash from spreading.

Another unique aspect of Ivarest Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam is its proprietary dispensing system. The foam offers a gentle application that eliminates the need for hard rubbing that can further irritate affected skin. Since additional water is unnecessary to generate lather, the foam also reduces the potential to spread the toxins to other areas of the body while washing. To use, rub the affected area with the foam and rinse the skin with running water. It also lends itself to easy application over large areas of the body, which is especially helpful when the exact area of exposure is unknown.

For more information about Ivarest Double Relief Treatment Cream and Ivarest Poison Ivy Cleansing Foam (including precautions for use), visit their website.

This was written by Leighann who can be read at Multi-Minding Mom where she dishes about family, food, foraging, frivolity, and more! She's getting itchy just thinking about poison ivy!

(Disclaimer: as with any product, read labels and use accordingly. The company provided me with samples, though I have long been a customer.)

Former Karate Mama Reviews the Ninja Master Blender

My Ninja Mast Prep Blender and Chopper has been out of the box for about 5 hours as of this writing. The first thing I did after washing the blades, the 2-cup mixing bowl (think mini-Cuisinart-type container, not an actual bowl), and the 48-ounce pitcher, was to chop ice as I saw the Food Network's Robin Miller do at a recent NYC demo. It did a nice job, though I should have given a warning to everyone else in the kitchen who jumped at the loud cacophonous sound of ice being crushed. Next, I threw together a few items to create a homemade iced mocha coffee drink with Starbucks VIA. Guess what? My concoction did not taste like chicken!

I quickly and easily rinsed the clear plastic 2-cup bowl and put it aside for the night.

Or so I thought, because it turns out my tween boys had plans for this new appliance. Within a few minutes, my 11-year-old had gathered the goods for guacamole and we mixed up a batch of that. With what seemed like minimal pulsing, just a handful of one-touch pushes to activate the double set of blades, our avocado and tomatoes were finely chopped and well blended.

And minutes after the guacamole was on the table, I found myself whipping up mashed potatoes with the Ninja. Again, just a few pulses and I was done. The potatoes required a bit more clean-up. I washed the unit by hand, but the blades, bowl and pitcher are dishwasher safe. In addition, the bowl and pitcher are said to be free of PBA.

Both the bowl and the pitcher come with lids, so it's easy to store them in the fridge right in those containers. Take that, immersion blender!

I'm a big fan of my immersion blender (also called hand or stick blenders). The Ninja will likely replace it for many of my blending and chopping needs, though. Safety is one of the reasons.

My immersion blender has an exposed blade on the business end. I don't trust my boys with it. The Ninja Blender, however, has its power in the bladeless "master pod" or motor head. The Master pod fits onto a safety cover that drives the blades. See the Ninja in action here.

This means that as the long as my kids don't touch the blades when they place food into the mixing cup/blender or when they take it out, the Ninja has minimal risks. It seems very safe for children to operate the one-touch pulse, though I'd still recommend adult supervision.

The covered mixing cup also means they won't be splashing bits of smoothie all over the kitchen as they (okay, I) have been known to do on occasion.

The Ninja dices, it chops, it blends, it cleans your kitchen floor! No wait, those are the other Euro-pro products I'll be writing about. Still, the Ninja is a multifunctional product that may well live up to its infomercial hype.

The Ninja Master Prep retails for under $50 and is available at a range of retailers.

Photo courtesy of @NinjaKitchen

Last month I was invited to join the folks from Euro-Pro (Shark and Ninja lines) in New York City to learn about the company's newest products. At the conclusion of the event, I was offered the chance to receive those products for review; the Ninja Master Blender arrived last week.

This was written by Kim, who's creating a buzz with her latest article on working with mombloggers and occasionally writes about food at Scrambled CAKE.

Scream Street Books: Just in Time for Halloween

Imagine living in a neighborhood full of “scary” Halloween creatures like a family of vampires or a kid who turns into a werewolf when he gets angry or a freakishly fat and mean landlord whose nephew is a shape shifter or large troll fairy or a group of zombies who tunnel underground. Then turn them down a few notches on the scary level and you get Scream Street.

This new series by Tommy Donbavand is a scream! They are hilarious books and perfect for kids. The three main characters, Luke, the werewolf, Resus, the so-called vampire and Cleo, the mummy, are all ten years old. They have to find six relics for Luke’s family to leave Scream Street because his mom and dad are normal and they hate living on Scream Street. In each book they find one relic.

I can’t wait for the next two books to come out!
The first one, Fang of the Vampire, has 129 pages and the second one, Blood of the Witch, has 128 pages.

Check the Scream Street website for more fun.


This was written by avid reader, nine-year-old "Pikachu" Moldofsky.

Edited to add: The author @TommyDonbavand found me on Twitter after this review was written, but before it was posted. He and my son exchanged a few tweets and my son was over the moon. When he told Tommy we were donating the review books to a library Tommy, put some signed copies in the mail to my boy. I think I have a lifelong fan in my house!