Rave and Review

The Baby Show - October 3rd and 4th NYC Event

Calling all Rave and Review readers in the NY area! 

Got plans this weekend?  The Baby Show NYC is this Saturday and Sunday, Oct 3 & 4 at Metropolitan Pavilion in NYC.  An event geared towards parents and expectant parents, The Baby Show NYC looks to be a downright good time for the entire family.
 

Exhibitors range from activity and cultural services such as Metropolitan Moms, Citibabes, and Children’s Museum of the Arts to eco-friendly products and clothing such as Weil Baby, Beginning by Maclaren, and Tane Organics.
 
Other exhibitors include Babies “R” Us, Butterfly Pics, Little Esop, Destination Maternity, Babbaco, Dan Dan, Little Busy Bodies, Inc., Mabel’s Labels, Euraupair, Nutrabella, Milkdot, MetLife, Viacord, Room to Grow, Jade’s Toybox, Mam USA, Half Pint Citizens, Maternal Massage and More,  The Bump, NY Metro Parents, Inhabitots.com and more!
 
If that’s not enough to lure you in, then I present to you the deal cincher:  Babies R Us will be showcasing a unique stroller “test drive track” at the show to give parents (and their little ones) a test drive in a real world “living” park experience with sidewalks and trees, grass and steps.  Designed to simulate city and suburb strolling and show you the best strollers for whatever terrain you call home, this is likely where you would find my hubby closing the place down each day.  Strollers on-hand include Bugaboo, MaClaren, Gracco, Stokke, and Baby Jogger. 

For a complete list visit of exhibitors and events, visit their website at www.thebabyshownyc.com

Photo credits: super sweet model photo courtesy of Dan Dan, logo courtesy of The Baby Show NYC

emagineGreen® Cleaning Products Review and Giveaway

Before I was pregnant and definitely before I was a mom, I never thought twice about the ingredients in my cleaning supplies.  I had seen “green” cleaners before and quite honestly was skeptical.  Not only did I not buy those “green” cleaners, I specifically chose in favor of the traditional chemical-laden cleansers thinking that you needed to have the most toxic ingredients possible to really clean and disinfect. 

After I was pregnant and had a hard time even being in the same room as something that had been cleaned with any of the cleaners I thought I loved, I began to look for options that allowed me to breathe safely but still offered the cleaning properties I demanded in a cleanser.  I found some “green” cleaners to be disappointing at best, leaving traces of their natural soybean oils all over the object I was trying to clean in a filmy and streaky mess.  To me that didn’t really scream confidence in cleanliness, so I went back to my old cleaners.  I just made sure I fumigated the room I had disinfected and had my family safely in another part of the house, or better yet, on a different floor altogether.

When emagine Green contacted me and asked that I review their line of green cleaning supplies, I thought sure, why not?  I definitely wasn’t happy with my current cleansers and any company that would request a review had to be pretty confident with their product, right?  Besides, it gave me a reason to let my regular cleaning go while I waited for the products to arrive.  You see, I wouldn’t know if the product was really working until I saw it handle days worth of buildup and gunk. 

When they first arrived and I opened the box, I was a bit surprised by the packing peanuts, which I had thought were the nemesis of the “green” movement.  While digging for my treasure (three small disk shaped bamboo towelettes) in the sea of packing peanuts, I noticed that the peanuts seemed odd in texture and a little bit sticky and I thought maybe these were the peanuts that I had read about that dissolved in water.  Of course they were, and I had a great time dissolving the box full into a very satisfactory gooey mess that easily flushed away.  Not sure if that’s the disposal emagine Green had in mind, but that’s what happens when I’m left without instructions and have a big tub full of goo to get rid of. 

After all my fun I prepared myself to try the cleaner out, which meant I actually had to clean the week and a half worth of buildup that I had let go.  Or I should say I oversaw the use of the product as hubby diligently scrubbed the kitchen counters with the All-Purpose Spray and a 1/3 of one of the Bamboo Towelettes.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten to tell him that you’re supposed to shake the cleaner before use to re-mix the water and essential oils.  Being the careful reviewer that he is, hubby realized it himself while cleaning and actually set out to re-clean the countertops.  If it was me I’m not sure I would have bothered since the non-shaken solution had appeared to clean just fine, but I guess that’s why hubby had gotten the job in the first place.

When he was finished, I was thrilled for a number of reasons: 1) my counters were finally clean again 2) my super sweet hubby had just cleaned them for me and 3) the emagine Green All-Purpose Cleaner performed like my traditional cleaners but with a grapefruit scent and without the toxic chemicals.  In other words, I went “green” on you, but in the most painless and easy way possible and without having to give anything up.

emagine Green also has a line of reusable totes and grocery bags that are extremely lightweight and durable while still remaining compact enough to keep them in your glovebox or diaper bag.  They hold over twice the amount of groceries a typical disposable bag does and can be carried over your shoulder securely and safely for those that walk to the store or commute by mass transit.  Check out their website for their full line of cleaning products and more.

Why emagine Green?

• They disclose all of their ingredients on the label, not just the active ingredients so that customers will know exactly what their products contain.  Their cleaning solutions only contain 3 to 4 ingredients each, which makes it easy to discern what is in each one.
• All their products have no VOC’s, ammonia, formaldehyde, chlorine, pesticides, petrochemicals, alcohol, phthalates, phosphates or synthetic fragrances and they are never tested on animals.
• emagine Green products have been used for over 50 years in many commercial applications and are proven to work.
• None of their products will introduce toxic chemicals into the water supply or your home, making them safe for the planet as well as your family.
• With recyclable packaging their standard and concentrated refill bottles available, they offer many options to reduce your waste.

Prices: $6.25 for their 32oz All-Purpose Cleaner and $22 for the concentrate to make 4 refill bottles and reduce your waste.  10 pack of Bamboo Towelettes is $7.  Planet Pouches are sold in sets of 3 for $25.

All of the emagine Green products can be purchased at an in home party, on-line and at select retail locations (only local, no chains).  For more information, visit www.emaginegreen.com

And now for the Giveaway...

emagine Green was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a green cleaning set for their very own! To enter, just visit the emagine Green website and let me know something cool about the company, the products or something you would love to own.  One lucky reader will win a cleaning set that includes a 32oz All-Purpose Cleaner, 3 Bamboo Towelettes and a Planet Pouch!

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 15th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to emagine Green for sponsoring this review and giveaway

 

Earthmate PN-40 GPS by DeLorme - Geocaching, anyone?

Most people hear GPS and the first thing they think of is dash-mounted vehicle units to help guide you in the car.  I’m here to talk with you about GPS when your method of travel is by bike, foot and car.  The DeLorme Earthmate series handheld GPS are perfect for hiking, biking, boating and more, but what I’m really raving about is the world of possibilities a rugged and handheld GPS unit opens up for a family on the go.

By far the coolest thing about the PN-40 was that it introduced us to geocaching, and now has become our newest obsession.  For those of you who are not familiar with geocaching, it is my pleasure to acquaint you with the coolest pastime ever.  Geocachers all over the world hide little treasures and notes in just about any place there’s human access and then leave the GPS coordinates of their cache on sites like http://www.geocaching.com.  Unlike most hobbies that require large amounts of your disposable income, geocaching is free and the only equipment necessary is a handheld GPS unit like the DeLorme PN-40.

As well as being fairly inexpensive once you make the initial GPS investment, geocaching is quite addictive and has led us to do some crazy things.  Like hunting for treasure in the middle of the night with only flashlights to guide us, hence our geocaching alias, the Night Cachers.  My favorite caches are those with clues or hints that make you feel like a super sleuth when you finally find your treasure and makes the reward that much sweeter.  It’s a great activity for kids of all ages and adding to the fun of finding buried treasure is that a lot of caches are designed for you to swap items or add to the original cache, so your toy or knickknack is added to the booty for the next cachers to find.  It’s a great way to insist your little ones purge their collection of tiny toys that were so cool – but then only played with for a few minutes.   

What makes the PN-40 so great for geocaching are the maps that DeLorme makes available to you.  For $29 a year you have unlimited access to their database of maps in formats other GPS makers can’t even dream of, including NOAA marine charts, satellite imagery, high resolution aerial photos in black and white or color, and scanned USGS topo maps in 1:24,000 scale.  And best of all, you can layer the different types over one another just by clicking a box in the menu screen.  So if you are having trouble finding a particularly well hidden cache, you can just open up the aerial imagery you previously downloaded to your PN-40 and see a birds eye view of where you are, which is much easier than deciphering topo lines or the streets and blank spaces of typical GPS units. 

This feature can also help you learn how to read traditional maps better by combining a satellite image with a topographic map you can really see how the lines follow the contours of the land and get a much more full view of every hill and valley, and then in the future have a much clearer image of how maps translate to reality.  This makes it the perfect way to get kids interested and to help them learn to navigate on their own.  The new PN-40 also features a barometric altimeter and a built in compass that does not require you to hold the unit completely flat for it to work correctly.  These, in conjunction with the maps, make it virtually impossible to get lost.  Even when you’re trying to.

If you feel you don’t need all the extra maps, fear not, the PN-40 comes with DeLorme’s own Topo USA map software including streets, trails, and points of interest for all 50 states.  The software is a little technical but with some practice will let you do amazing things and allow you to fully utilize your GPS.  Let’s say you want to go hiking; you can plan your trip all the way down to which roads you want to take and what kind of elevation changes you will be going through.  Then when you return you can see where you went and even show it off by tagging your pictures to specific coordinates to share with others online. 

The actual PN-40 is extremely durable, which has been tested more than once in our many travels with it and children.  In fact, baby pretty much thinks the Earthmate GPS is just about the coolest toy she’s ever seen and finds it very convenient that it hangs right where she rides in the front pack.  In the months we have been traveling with the PN-40, the unit shows little sign of wear and tear and still performs as good as new.

The unit is similar in size to a remote control and has large, rubberized buttons that are easy to navigate and press while gloved or while cycling.  The battery compartment is water tight and secure, designed for extreme conditions and tough travels, which means that it is kid safe – or mama safe, as the case may be.  The battery life was slightly disappointing in the rare instance when the satellites were having a hard time getting their fix and the PN-40 was searching for our location for long periods of time, but the battery life seemed fine under normal circumstances.

The screen itself is a little smaller than some other GPS units out there, but produces a very clear and sharp image, which combined with the rich map content more than makes up for it. In direct sunlight, or in the middle of the night it was always easily readable.  In addition, the super-fast processor means that as you move around, the PN-40 has no problem keeping the map up with you even while traveling by bike or car.

Speaking of bike rides, after our first bike ride with the PN-40, it’s hard to imagine going without it.  With the use of its proprietary mount it easily attaches to your handle bars in minutes, and from then on snaps in and out in seconds.  The tracking features really come in handy as you can at a glance see your current, average and max speed, your total trip time as well as time moving and stopped and total distance traveled.  Then you can switch to the map screen and see exactly where you’ve gone or where you need to go.  These features while great for hiking, proved awesome for biking as it made us really push ourselves, and also kept the kids interested in the ride much longer as they questioned our latest stats.  And they especially liked being able to search for the nearest frozen yogurt shop in the middle of the ride. 

Ways to make it even more Ravetastic: 1) My husband’s sick of me saying this, but the lanyard really should attach to the bottom of the GPS unit.  Sure, that means it hangs upside down on your neck, but who cares?  Then, when you go to pick it up or check the maps quickly the unit would be right side up.  Makes sense, right? ...right?   2) While it’s a powerful workhorse off road, navigating by PN-40 in the car is a little trickier in that there are no voice prompts.  Instead of a voice saying “turn right here”, the unit merely chimes.  Some people might prefer this, but some might do better to have a passenger seat navigator with the Earthmate PN-40 controls. 

Key Features of the DeLorme PN-40 Include:

• 32-channel STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset
• 3-axis electronic compass
• 500 MB of available onboard Flash memory
• Support for high-capacity SD cards (SDHC) up to 32 GB
• Dual-core processor for blazing-fast performance
• Barometric altimeter
• Fast USB 2.0 data transfers to in-device SD card – no external card reader required
• More detailed onboard base map data for the U.S., now with secondary and connector roads, along with major highways and thoroughfares for the entire world (still providing detailed U.S. street and backroad detail via the included Topo USA software).

http://www.delorme.com/

Price: $270 - $399, with many sites offering free shipping and also available as a geocaching bundle.  Bicycle mount mentioned in review runs $25 at most sites.

Overall:  A lightweight but rugged handheld GPS with beautiful maps and serious tools for casual and seasoned outdoorsman alike. 

Stay tuned for our complete run-down of geocaching with the kiddos with the Earthmate PN-40.  We will be geocaching throughtout NYC and Seattle, as well as taking to the mountain and trailside to show you the abundance of geocaching options that are right outside your door.

I Have Your ticket to Family Game Night: Out Of The Box Games Giveaway

I have a confession: our family has an obscene amount of board games.  They require a space that is bigger than baby’s bed and they are all arranged by size in a closet specifically designed just for them.  Some might say that’s over the top, but our family and friends know that coming over for Game Night at our house is always a good time. 

When Out Of The Box Publishing contacted me and asked me to review a few of their new board games, I was surprised to find that we actually already owned 4 of their game titles and were already huge fans of Out Of The Box Games.  Their most recognizable title is Apples to Apples, but I think even a casual game fan would recognize a few of their other titles. 

If you’ve never thought of yourself as a board game fan, you should definitely reconsider.  With so many families having a hard time making ends meet in light of the bleak economy, it makes good financial sense to consider Family Game Night in place of going out.  Out Of The Box Games sell for roughly the price of 2 ½ movie tickets, which means it’s a cheaper entertainment option for any family with more than 2 ½ people, and lasts years instead of just an hour or two.  What’s even better than that is that most games offer at least some educational value and every single game offers a family a great bonding experience that makes those nights spent at home memorable and full of laughter.  What parent doesn’t want their kid’s childhood full of great family memories and lots of giggles? 

We were sent Backseat Drawing and Letter Flip to spice up our Game Night and we were thrilled to add them to our collection.  We enlisted a large group of extended family and friends to help us test them and each and every one gave them a ringing endorsement.  As board game connoisseurs, we are always thrilled when we find a game that we can add into the favorite game rotation and bring out at any event, and Out Of The Box has a full list of game titles that fall in that category.

Both the games we tested are good for a huge age range of players as well as being able to handle a large amount of participants without hindering the game.  In my opinion, nothing kills Game Night faster than having too many people that want to play and not enough player spots available.  I hate having to take turns or leave someone out that is really wanting to play, so it’s great to have a multi-player flexible game that can handle just about any number of players.  It’s games like this that we find ourselves going back to party after party because you just never know how many people will want to play. 

The first game we tried was Backseat Drawing and we were lucky enough to have this right before our extended family Summer vacation, which meant that we got to play it on multiple nights and each time we played we had a few more players than the time before.  Also great was that adults and kids could play together, which the kiddos were thrilled about.  The game was simple to learn, fun to play, and could be tailored to fit any age range group with only minor adjustments.

The game is pretty simple, really.  It comes with a set of game cards, four dry erase pens and two white board drawing pads, which really should come with every drawing game – it saves paper and it allows you to erase parts of your drawing quickly and easily on the fly.  And you will be doing a lot of erasing on Backseat Drawing, considering you have absolutely no idea what you’re drawing.  Yes, that’s right – the two people drawing have no idea what they are doodling and, in a twist on every drawing game I have ever seen, are actually helping guess what the object is as well as drawing the picture for the others to guess off of.  But, wait a minute, how can they draw an object if they have no idea what it is?  Well, that’s what the instructor is for, who is giving directions on how to draw the item without giving any clues as to what the object is.

The results are hilarious, and giggles are sure to ensue after each round when the two people drawing realize what the object is they’ve been sketching.  We found that the game can easily handle more than the 10 players max that the instructions suggest, just by utilizing creative seating so everyone can see both boards.  The age suggestion we feel is also just a suggestion as 12 and up seems a bit high.  The game is absolutely clean and family friendly, and can be tailored to include anyone who can draw, really.  We played it with kids as young as 9 and they were easily able to handle 95% of the words they drew on the “easy” side of the deck  We found that by making sure an adult and child were instructing or drawing together, that it was easy to involve kids in the game as well.  Which is good, because there is no way they would have stood for watching us all laughing hysterically but not be able to join in. 

The second game we reviewed was the new Letter Roll word game that is the stuff that us wordies dream of.  I pretty much love any word game (except Scrabble, too much chance for me), so this was the perfect game for me and my sisters.  The game instructions start out like many word games with a rolling of a multi-sided set of dice with letters on them, and asks that players use those letters to form as many words as possible in a short period of time. 

But then Letter Roll gets as crazy as a word game ever gets and shakes things up a bit.  Instead of requiring players to use the letters rolled in a specific order or in a specific spot in the word, the only requirement is that the players use all the letters anywhere in a word, in any order on a word with any amount of letters.  This makes the number of answers virtually limitless and means that the game is easy enough for those who don’t love word games to play.  The one final twist is that players can only collect points for their words by being the only player with that unique word.  That means that no one will want to play with my older sister, who rocks just about any and every word game she’s ever played (including Scrabble, which is probably why I can’t stand it). 

Another favorite Out Of The Box Game title is Squint, which is a great picture game that requires a large amount of creativity but zero drawing.  Instead of using pen and paper to get your team to guess an object, you use a collection of cards with basic shapes on them to layer and stack to create pictures.  We have both the Junior version and adult version of the game and I think they are both a ton of fun for players of all ages. 

If you are interested in putting together a Game Night for the memory books, or entertaining a large group on short notice, you would do well choosing any of the 5 titles mentioned.  If you are specifically entertaining young kids, you will be happy to note that Junior versions are available on a good number of Out Of The Box Games’ titles. 

http://www.outoftheboxgames.com/

Price: $24.99

Looks: Easy to understand and play in minutes

Overall: Fun for all ages

And now for the Giveaway...

Out Of The Box Games was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their choice of Backseat Drawing or Letter Flip!  To enter, just visit the Out Of The Box Games site and let me know which of the two games would be a hit for Game Night at your house. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway using @raveandreview so I can see it (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 20th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Out Of The Box for sponsoring this review and giveaway

 

Lauren Nicole Gifts Review and Giveaway

Personalized necklaces have become really popular in the past few years, and it’s easy to see why.  There is really no better way to show off your kiddos, your significant other, your pets, or to commemorate a life-changing event like motherhood or marriage.  Anyone who knows me personally already understands my deep love of all things shiny and wearable and all of those people have already heard more than they care to about my Wax Seal Necklace from Lauren Nicole. 

And how could you not show off something as cool as a Silver Wax Seal Necklace?  Heaven help anyone who just happens to innocently mention that my necklace is cool and then gets sucked into a monologue about how much I love this piece.  And, as it turns out, there have been numerous unsuspecting complimenters in the two weeks straight that I have rocked this necklace.  Since the moment I received the adorable tin with my own personalized Wax Seal Necklace in the mail, it hasn’t left my neck at all.  For anyone that’s counting, that would be 14 showers, more than 8,000 baby tugs and at least a couple hours of sleep (approximately).

The piece doesn't show any signs of wear at all and is extremely comfortable for all day wear.  In fact, I hardly even notice that I am wearing it anymore because it feels so natural against my skin.  There are no scratchy clasps, no chains that pinch or dig in, and it doesn't turn your skin green or cause you to break out.  Trust me, this is a big deal.  A few months ago I developed severe metal allergies to some of my low-quality and cheap jewelry just out of the blue.  Now the costume jewelry I had worn just about every day leaves itchy and scratchy red bumps all around my neck that sting for days and means that I now have to pay close attention to the metal jewelry I flaunt.  Sadly, this has meant I had to cease wearing three of my favorite pieces and had to search for a replacement Mother’s necklace that I could wear daily.  I was happy to note that Lauren Nicole Gifts’ Wax Seal Necklace was not a chintzy jewelry piece and is designed to be worn daily, which means that you can be lazy like me and just wear it continuously or you could actually take good care of your jewelry and take it off before sleeping, showering and scenting. 

Not only is the Wax Seal Necklace holding up perfectly to all I have subjected it to, I really fall more in love with it everyday.  It's so great being able to wear my baby's initial close to me at all times and it's even cooler that I now have a really great conversation piece that is heirloom quality and gorgeous.  If you are looking for a good, quality piece of jewelry at really affordable prices, you will be as thrilled as I am with their really great selection of wearable art.

Lauren Nicole makes so much more than just Wax Seal Necklaces and offers a whole line of personalized jewelry and gifts for anyone or any occasion.  They have charms, pendants, necklaces and more for just about anyone on your list.  You can personalize your piece just about any way you can think of, adding names, dates, birthdays, anniversaries and birthstones to really make your piece stand out.  I love that they offer numerous sized pendants and charms so you can add them to bracelets or add more than one to a chain artfully.  They also offer hand stamped jewelry, personalized baby blankets and monogrammed accessories, as well as items for men that range from cool to cute and back again.  I could literally do 75% of my Christmas shoppingin their online boutique and create thoughtful and personal gifts for everyone on my list.  The best part is that no one would even know they were all from the same site!

http://www.laurennicolegifts.com/

And now for the Giveaway...
Want to win a beautiful Lauren Nicole piece of your own?  Lauren Nicole Gifts was kind enough to offer one Rave and Review reader their own Wax Seal Necklace!

How To Enter: Go to Lauren Nicole's Website and then tell me one other product that you would love to give or to receive and then comment below and tell me what you would choose and for whom.  If you're really thinking, you will also email this post to anyone who might have you on their Christmas list... it never hurts to hint! 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway with links to this post and www.raveandreview.com (2 extra entries)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote) (1 extra entry)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 18th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Lauren Nicole for sponsoring this review and giveaway

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Play-Doh Burger Builder Review and Giveaway!

I have a new holiday I would like everyone to mark on their calendars.  No, this is not a stuffy stare-at-your-second-cousin-twice-removed-and-make-small-talk holiday.  This is a holiday I think we can all get behind - National Play-Doh Day!  Celebrated each year on September 16th, National Play-Doh Day is all about passing along the long standing tradition of Play-Doh’s colorful and fun modeling clay to our families.

 

We’re celebrating National Play-Doh Day in a big way at our house, and it is shaping up to be one of my favorite holidays now that our Play-Doh Burger Builder Set has arrived.   I’ve mentioned before how much I used to love making fake meals out of Play-Doh, spending hours upon hours at my preschool desk concocting elaborate and Technicolor meals for all my friends.  Now that I think of it, I think the massive Play-Doh collection and my love of non-edible foods was pretty much the only reason I loved preschool.  Well, that and singing about random daily tasks without anyone telling you that you were off key.

So, when Hasbro offered their Burger Builder Set for my family to review, I couldn’t even contain myself with excitement.  This is the kind of Play-Doh Set that I only dreamed of as a child and something that I was absolutely positive would be a hit in our house.  What I didn’t expect was how much fun a group of admitted grown ups would enjoy playing with this set and creating fake Play-Doh foods.  I brought it out one evening while we were entertaining our friends from 31 Down Radio Theatre Group and we got to work creating what has to be the most delicious fake burger anyone has ever seen. 

The set includes 5 cans of Play-Doh in realistic food colors, plastic hand tools and then a press that creates the burger, bun and condiments, including ketchup, mustard and French fries as well as burger toppings.  Also included is a TWIST-A-CHIP plastic crank that produces uniform pretend chips for a side and allows you to create a whole fake meal for your entire Play-Doh Party.

Celebrating National Play-Doh Day a few days early, we created beautiful clay masterpieces until all hours of the night.  Once we were assured that the set was as fun as we had hoped it would be, we begrudgingly opened up the set for the kiddos to play with.  I didn’t even object when the lettuce was yellow and the tomatoes blue.

Lucky for me, the chip maker is still a little too advanced for the young’ens, which means they actually have to let Mama play.  I am seriously dreading the day I’m not invited to the Play-Doh Party and am grateful for toys like the Burger Builder Set that allow us all to play together and celebrate the holidays… especially when the holiday is as cool as this!

Price: $15.99

And now for the Giveaway...

Hasbro and Play-Doh were so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their own Burger Builder Set! To enter, just visit the Hasbro Play-Doh website and let me know what set you would love to celebrate National Play-Doh Day with. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

8) While you are at the Play-Doh site, you should check out their $5,000 Playroom Makeover Contest.  Simply inspire your child to create a make-believe version of their favorite food using the rainbow of PLAY-DOH colors, then upload a picture of your child's PLAY-DOH creation for the opportunity to win the $10,000 Grand Prize, consisting of a $5,000 Playroom Makeover and a $5,000 School Doh-nation.  What better day to do this than on National Play-Doh Day? (TWO Extra Entries)

On October 15th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Hasbro for sponsoring this review and giveaway

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New Eating Right Kids Line

Every parent wants their children to eat healthy, but sometimes that’s harder than it sounds.  We all know that vegetables and fruit are good and I think most of us can recite the food pyramid, but the problem usually lies in the foods that seem healthy but are loaded with extra fat and calories kids don’t need.  I’m all about finding alternatives to fast food and junk while still offering up tasty options that won’t end up on the floor, which is why my whole family loves the Eating Right Kids™ line from Safeway.

Recently we were sent some products to review from the new Eating Right Kids line courtesy of Team Mom.  Eating Right Kids is a spin-off of Safeway’s Eating Right™ brand entrees and snacks and is formulated just for kids, hence the name.  The line offers over 60 items across 18 categories ranging from breakfast to produce to snack foods and is available at more than 1,700 Safeway Storelocations throughout U.S. and Canada.   

If the sampling of the line that was sent to us in any indication, the Eating Right Kidsofferings will be a big hit with both kids and parents alike.  Each of the items tested were delicious and very much enjoyed by all of us.  As soon as the samples arrived, baby was all of a sudden very interested in what I was doing.  In seconds she was at my feet and frantically doing her baby sign language begging for “treats” and when I offered a bite of the Eating Right Kids Chewy Bar, her sign for “more” got even more frenzied.  Moments later she was holding the empty wrapper as she asked for another sample.  She gobbled up the fruit cup and then came back for even more. clearly loving the snacks. 

Those of you who personally know my sweet baby are calling foul – what a minute, doesn’t that kid like everything??  Yes, you are correct; baby will literally eat anything, even things that aren’t actually food.  But, her father and I won’t, and even we loved the line.  And, how could you not?  It’s nutritious, it’s fun, and it’s fast.  Add that to the fact that our family will eat it and you’ve got a winning combo. 

As if you needed more to love…

Each Eating Right Kids™ package features the color-coded Spot Your Needs System™ on the front—so you can find important nutritional information in seconds and without having to take each item off the shelf.

Along with great taste and great nutrition, Eating Right Kids™ packaging is fun and appeals to children of all ages.  In addition to partnering with Safeway for Eating Right Kids, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has taken the awesome extra step of developing a “better for you” standard of products that feature the Looney Tunes characters, going as far as clearing the shelves of items that did not meet this standard and replacing them with healthier options.  We all know that kids will literally eat anything that has their favorite characters and cartoons on it, so I for one am very excited about this move and hope that they start a trend with this movement!

Available at Safeway.com or at your local Safeway Store

 

Stride Rite SRT Shoes Giveaway

 

Now that baby will walk for hours and hours with only minor assistance, I know that it’s really only days until she hits that ultimate milestone.  Her first steps; the point in which that baby really isn’t so babyish anymore, but rather becomes a toddler (sniff, sniff).  Although I am so excited to see her take off independent of me, I can’t help but feel a little sad and immensely scared at the prospect. 

Everyone who has seen how ready she is for walking has independently let me in on their little secret, a special shoe store for kids that specializes in the most up-to-date shoe technology for toddlers.  That special store?  Stride Rite, which is apparently everyone’s “secret”.  Sure, it’s a bit pricier than soft sole shoes, but you are paying for their decades of technology, and besides, the first walking shoes are special. 

Their new Sensory Response Technology™ (SRT) is designed to provide little walkers the specific support and comfort that they need as well as all the cuteness you’ve come to expect from Stride Rite.  The SRT line offers features such as lightweight, ultra-flexible and eco-friendly materials, self molding footbeds with heel cradle, and sensory pods that provide the ultimate feedback system in assisting baby in learning to walk and helping tem become better walkers.  Also seriously cool is their removable Check Fit system that helps you determine when to get baby new shoes.  

http://www.striderite.com/

And now for the Giveaway...

This contest is brought to you by Rave and Review, Stride Rite and the Momfluence Network and is a bit different than my previous giveaways.  5 winners will be chosen to receive one pair of SRT shoes, available in sizes 3 to 8 infant/toddler (including medium and wide).  In order to enter, you must fill out the following form.  http://bit.ly/zb2Qb  (this link is case sensitive)

Contest is open to legal U.S. residents 18 years or older. The giveaway begins at 12:00 a.m. ET September 14th and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET September 28th.  Five winners will be chosen to receive a pair of SRT shoes – toddler size only ($50 RV per pair).

Enter Giveaway Here

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Shred Sled Review and Giveaway

“You’ll twist your ankle.”  That’s the response of everyone over skateboarding age when they see the Shred Sled for the first time.  But you know what?  This little skateboard-esque good time is not created for anyone with rheumatoid arthritis concerns or bad ankles.  No, the Shred Sled is for those who still play like kids, whether they are 8, 28, or 58.  And you would be surprised by the large age range of participants we had joining into the Shred Sled fun.  All without any twisted ankles, broken bones or injuries of any kind. 

The Shred Sled is an in-line, four-wheeled, dual-sided skate deck that is attached by a bendable connector that can be flexed and torqued so both sides move independently of the other side.   Hubby and I had to try it first, because there’s no way we’re sending our family barreling down the street on a contraption we haven’t tested first.  Well, that and we were just dying to try it so when it finally arrived we couldn’t contain ourselves any longer.

The first Shred Sled ride took a bit to get used to, especially for me.  The fact that the wheels of the Shred Sled were inline and the deck had two pieces frightened me a bit and it just didn’t seem possible at all that I would ever be able to ride it.  Requiring balance and a good deal of trust that the first time you step on it won’t land you flat on your face, the Shred Sled seemed intimidating at first to merely stand on, even for hubby.  I should preface this by saying that hubby was a skateboarder in all his high school glory… me, not so much.  So, when hubby turned out to be a natural on the Shred Sled after just a few tries, no one was really surprised.  The shocker was that not only was I able to stay on a four wheeled board for longer than a few seconds, I was actually able to get up some speed and agility. 

After a few tries, we opened up the Shred Sled for riders and showed them the ropes.  We all started out holding onto hubby’s van and pushing off as we learned how to balance on the board and then graduated to trying to twist our hips to pick up momentum.  For the first few tries none of us could go uphill at all, as it required too much coordination to twist in the scissor-like motion required for speed.  However, we had a blast going down the graduated slope of our street over and over by carrying the Shred Sled back up the slope each time. 

Once you get moving, the motion of the Shred Sled is unlike anything you’ve ever ridden.  With all four wheels in a straight line it feels like you are riding on a single blade, able to carve turns with fluid precision far superior to a broad wheeled skateboard.  Add to that the fact that all four wheels actually rotate independently and it gets even crazier.  We found that while in a sweeping turn if you push a little harder out with your rear foot on the rear deck you can add rotation into the turn, a feeling much closer to snowboarding or surfing, and make your turns even sharper but still smooth.   

Hubby was the first to get going uphill and was slow at first but then really got going.  Once he figured it out, it was easy for everyone else to get the technique down for themselves.  I haven’t totally mastered the uphill, but I’ve got the downhill down fast and only a little wobbly.  It was surprising to me how much more in control I felt the faster I rode, which sounds completely backwards but it’s not. 

In fact, I really wasn’t scared at all on the Shred Sled, even as I wiggled down the hill the first time.  This is partly due to how easy it is to stop on the Shred Sled and it makes me so much less nervous, especially when the kiddos are riding it.  Since the board cannot roll on its own and requires your movement to move, you just have to step off the board to stop it, or you can tip either of the Sled sides to the ground where the “brake” is located on the side of the board.  

Speaking of kiddos, I guess I should concede that the Shred Sled is easier to pick up the younger you’re introduced to it.  Kids that had never ridden a Shred Sled before hopped on the deck and (gasp) pushed off, getting a running start at tearing up the streets as if they’d been Shredding it their whole lives.  At least they didn’t laugh at us adults holding onto the van for support or the ones that required a stable buddy to lean on while they learned.  The key point is that eventually we did learn and now are Shred Sledding it up with the kiddos, proving once again that you’re only as old as you play.

http://www.theshredsled.com/

Price: $119.99

Looks: Like a whole lotta fun

Overall: Prepare to be the hit of the neighborhood, or maybe just the parent of the year.

And now for the Giveaway...

Shred Sled was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their own Shred Sled! To enter, just visit the Shred Sled website and let me know something cool about the company, the Shred Sled or a move you would love to perfect. 

And, as always, there are extra entries available!

1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count)

2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here)

3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry)

4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link)

5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us.  You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote)

6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry)

7) Email love.  Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients)

On October 13th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email

Thank you to Shred Sled for sponsoring this review and giveaway

 

Click here to see the entire Blog Hop List....

Lovable Labels Back to School Mega Pack Review and Discount Code

In just months of parenting, we have lost approximately 300 sippy cups, two left shoes, three baby blankets, half a closet full of clothing and I’m sure a small fortune worth of kid’s toys that I haven’t even realized went missing yet.  In addition, we have loaned out hundreds in baby gear to all sorts of friends and family and know that most of it will never make its way back to us again.  So when Lovable Labels asked me to review their Back to School MEGA Label Pack for labeling all our belongings, I jumped at the chance. 

Lovable Labels is a Canadian label company that has over 400 independent sales agents who host parties (both in-home and online) as well as are available for individual sales.  Their ordering process was simple and had numerous options to customize the label pack, including your choice of colors, logos and text printed.  Instead of having the labels printed in baby’s name, I opted to have the stickers done up with our last name so we wouldn’t have to explain to our kids someday why we liked one more than the other.  I figured that way we could claim all the sippy cups, bowls and toys with one family label instead of having to decide or deal with the consequences of “that’s mine” later or having to remove the sticker.

Less than two weeks later my Back to School MEGA Pack arrived and I made my way around the nursery and kitchen placing labels on all baby’s various gear and gadgets pretty much giddy with excitement.  When I had finished with the baby and kid items, I began brainstorming other uses for the labels around the house.  Anything that could possibly find its way into someone else’s house, knapsack or diaper bag was fair game in my label-crazy rampage. 

When I was finished, nearly our entire Tupperware and plastic container drawer was labeled, our big serving dishes were now easily identifiable, our lunch containers were marked and our Pyrex collection would never be pilfered from us again thanks to the dishwasher and microwave safe Lovable Labels.  The Perma-Grip backing is super strong and sticks to every single surface I tried, even curved containers and slick surfaces that other stickers peel right off of.  

Once the kitchen was done, I moved on to tote bags, baby shoes, and backpacks.  Then coats, sweatshirts and toys that are so easy to set down and forget now that we always have so much gear with us at all times.  Since the Press N Stick Clothing Dots are washer and dryer safe, just about any fabric can be labeled with these cute little dots… all without ironing, which is great because I have absolutely no idea where my iron is. 

Lovable Labels’ “Back to School Mega Pack” includes:

 •     15 sticker labels

 •     60 slimline labels

 •     48 Press N’ Stick clothing dots

 •     16 shoe labels

 •     2 Mini-Metal tags

 •     5 Book/Binder stickers

To order your own customized pack, just follow this link to review the package options:

Choice of color (red, blue, black or mixed berry)
Name to appear on the labels (this can be your family name or a child’s name)
Icon number (choose any or no icon)

 

Lovable Labels also offers pre-printed kitchen labels for common household pantry items and safety bracelets and allergy stickers to keep little ones safe.  Pictured above are just a few Lovable Label packages and uses that are profiled on their website.

http://www.lovablelabels.ca/

Price: The Back to School Mega Pack retails for $44.95 CND/USD but Rave and Review readers can get a 10% discount by using the discount code "raveandreview" until September 30th

Looks: Cute and colorful or sophisticated and simple, whichever you choose!

Overall: If you’re sick of constantly losing your plethora of gear, you will adore Lovable Labels like we do.

A big thank you to Lovable Labels for keeping our gear safe and for offering this discount code to readers