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For Better or For Worse: Santa Has High Standards

Last year, our son Jake (who is now almost 6) wanted to ask Santa for a toy cleaning cart that he saw in a catalog. My husband thought that the gift from Santa should have more of an "Ooooooo Aaaaaaaaaah" factor, so he talked my son into asking for a train set, which Santa did end up bringing for Jake and topped it off with a train table.

This year, I asked Jake what he wanted to write to Santa for and he told me that he wanted a cleaning cart. So I figured that since, a whole year later, Jake was still thinking about that cleaning cart which he never received, that we should ask Santa to bring him one this year. After all, he must really want one if he is still thinking about it.

Well, my husband's feelings had not changed about the Oooooooing and the Aaaaaaaaahing. He really did not want a cleaning cart to be the big gift from Santa, while I thought that there is no harm in Santa's bringing a less-than-elaborate gift if that is what will make Jake happy. So we had to compromise. We ended up buying the cleaning cart for him and putting it aside as a toy that Jake will have to earn. Now everybody is happy.





Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Review: Big Kid's SleepSack Wearable Blanket by Halo

As infants grow into toddlers, the concern about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) decreases quite a bit. Many parents of toddlers still wish that they could continue to have the convenience of a SleepSack to eliminate the trouble of having to check on their child throughout the night to make sure they have not kicked off their blankets. This is normally not practical for toddlers who have begun or have mastered standing and walking, but Halo has come up with a solution.

This respected company offers an Early Walker SleepSack and a Big Kids SleepSack which has openings for your child's feet. Our nearly 3yr old twins and our kindergartner all kick their covers off in the middle of the night, so I was pleased to find that these wearable blankets for big kids come in sizes 2T/3T and 4T/5T.



What I thought about these Big Kid's Halo SleepSacks:

1) These wearable blankets are very roomy. Both twins have plenty of room to grow. I was concerned about the 4T/5T not fitting our nearly 6yr old son, but his SleepSack fits just fine.

2) The micro-fleece is soft, warm, and cuddly inside and out.



3) I was concerned about whether the twins would have problems climbing in and out of their beds while wearing their SleepSacks, but they did not. We did not allow our kindergartner to sleep in his because he sleeps in the top of a bunkbed and we were afraid he would not be able to climb up and down the ladder very easily.

4) The wide knit cuffs do a great job of keeping the SleepSack from sliding over the child's feet.




5) These wearable blankets are excellent to use for reading or watching a movie during the colder months.

6) These micro-fleece SleepSacks washed very well. I did not see any signs of pilling, which sometimes occurs on fleece of lesser quality.

7) I should also point out that these SleepSacks are flame-resistant. I cannot say the same about the blankets with which my children normally sleep.



8) These Halo wearable blankets did take some getting use to. Mainly the part we struggled with was getting the twins to wear socks while they slept.

9) Although this is not a problem for us yet, depending on their age, I imagine that these blankets would make children who are in the late stages of potty training a little less independent. I do think that a preschooler should be able to unzip the SleepSack on their own quickly enough to make it to the potty on time.


Ultimately, using these Big Kid's SleepSacks eliminated the need for our twins to call out for us in the middle of the night to fix their blankets. It also gave us the peace of mind not having to poke our heads in to check on them. This is a big help since we have very high maintenance nighttime toddlers who will find any excuse to call for Mommy and Daddy to come to them.

To view the full line of Halo products available for newborns and up, visit HaloSleep.com . You can purchase this product through the Halo website or from other retailers of quality infant products.

Thank you to Halo for providing us with review products free of charge.



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Ben & Jerry's Certified Fair Trade Ice Cream

As October comes to an end, so does Fair Trade Month. However, this is just the beginning for Ben & Jerry's, who currently has four certified Fair Trade ice cream flavors available for purchase in pints. These flavors include Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (YUM!), and their new Chocolate Macadamia.







What qualifies a product to be classified as a "fair trade" item?

1) Paying farmers a fair price for their goods so that they can afford to support their families and improve upon their businesses.

2) In return, farmers are required to run their farms and businesses in the most environmentally-friendly ways possible.

3) Farmers also must use some of their profits to help develop their community.

4) Farmers must offer safe working conditions and cannot utilize child labor.

5) Fair Trade products can only be purchased directly from the farmers so that they have control over their own businesses, eliminating the middleman.

6) Farmers allow their workers to have input about the business and where to invest the money in the community.




Stop by TransFairUSA.org to learn more about Fair Trade. Visit Ndali.net to find out about the vanilla that goes into the various vanilla-based Ben & Jerry's ice creams. Now if we can just get Cherry Garcia on that certified Fair Trade list, I would be better able to justify how many pints I consume on a weekly basis.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Review: TinkerBell And The Lost Treasure

Since my family loves almost anything and everything Disney, I predicted that they would enjoy the newly released TinkerBell And The Lost Treasure, which is now available in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. With Mae Whitman returning as the voice of Tinkerbell plus an all-star cast, which includes Jesse McCartney, Anjelica Huston, Lucy Liu, and more, this movie sounded promising.

The premise of this film is based on TinkerBell's having been given the all-important responsibility of creating a new Fall Sceptre, which will replenish the supply of pixie dust for the community of Pixie Hollow. Without this magical dust, the pixies will be unable to fly. Of course, things do not proceed as smoothly as TinkerBell would have hoped.


Terence (Tink's best friend) & TinkerBell


The entire film is centered around the theme of friendship. TinkerBell is so focused on her goal that she does not appreciate the efforts her friends (both old and new) are making to help her achieve her goal. During her adventure, TinkerBell learns that true friendship is a rare treasure and that she should have treated her friends with kindness and patience, rather than viewing them as a nuisance and blaming them when things went wrong.


TinkerBell & Blaze


I invite you to watch this clip of the two trolls (played by Jeff Bennett and Rob Paulsen) who mind the troll bridge. These two have been friends for many hundreds of years. They show both TinkerBell and the audience that it is possible to argue and disagree and still maintain a true friendship.




Overall, I think this film is worth viewing. It was able to hold the attention of all three of my children during the entire 80 minutes. That is no easy feat. Even my husband, who was skeptical about a film based on fairies, admitted that he did enjoy the movie very much. I also want to add that including a series of bloopers in the bonus features was brilliant.

Currently you can buy this 2-disc combo set of TinkerBell And The Lost Treasure at the Disney Store or at other local and online retailers of Disney movies.


Thank you to Click-Communications for providing us with a review product free of charge.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

The Visual MD . . . A New Site for the Modern Day Parent

During my first pregnancy, I carefully selected a pregnancy and parenting book to read and to use as a reference throughout my pregnancy and during the first 12 months of my son's life. I did make it through half the book, but as soon as my son was born, I realized that I didn't have time to take a shower, let alone read an entire book. It would have been much easier to have an online reference like thevisualMD.com's Infant Nutrition Center.

I have to admit that I was so focused on the benefits of breast milk and the type of formula we selected that I lost focus on the importance of my selection of solid foods. It would have been extremely helpful to have a quick and easy-to-use resource like the Key Nutrients guide on page 5 of the Infant Nutrition section on thevisualMD. This guide includes an easy-to-read chart, a summary of all the essential vitamins and minerals, plus short videos which explain the importance of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals, and carbs.


If you are constantly multi-tasking like I have been since my first child was born nearly 6 years ago, then you may want to check out thevisualMD.com . This site's topics are not limited to infant nutrition, but also include a wide variety of health topics for both women and men.


I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mead Johnson. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Giveaway & Review: Melissa & Doug Stir Fry Slicing Set ($30 GC) [CLOSED]

Since my husband and I cook almost everything in our French skillet, our children were especially excited to add this wooden Stir Fry Slicing Set by Melissa & Doug to their play kitchen. I knew this toy would be a hit with all three children because rarely does a day go by without their pretending to cook up something fun.

This sought after cooking set retails for just $19.99 on ecoTimeToys.com . Its 17 pieces include a double-handled wok, a knife, a spoon, a pair of chopsticks, 3 shrimp, 3 mushrooms, 3 snow peas, bok-choi, a red pepper, and cubed steak.



Photobucket



What my children and I thought about this pretend play wok set:

1) Our kindergartner was extremely excited about this toy. He had watched my husband and I cook over the years and knew exactly what to do as far as chopping, stirring the food, and even using the chopsticks.


2) Our twin toddlers learned by watching their big brother. They did not have such an easy time cutting the veggies and the meat at first. Although the Velcro was very strong, they started to master chopping and cutting after some practice.


3) One thing I was not expecting was how adamant my kindergartner was about following the stir fry instructions that were on the back of the box. He insisted that it was a recipe and that it must be followed to the letter.


4) So far, this set has been very durable. There has been lots of tossing the food into the wok. There has not been any injuries or casualties to any of the pieces, even when a piece of bok-choi goes flying several feet because the kids are cutting a little too enthusiastically.



5) Although my kindergartner does not know it yet, this Melissa & Doug toy is going to help me introduce the concept of fractions to him during the week of winter vacation. The bok-choi, red pepper, and cubed steak are all divided into thirds. I wish there was one item that was divided into quarters to help me with this lesson.




6) I also have to point out that it was very clever of Melissa & Doug to add Velcro to the ends of the chopsticks. The only problem is that Velcro causes the two chopsticks to stick together even if that is not the user's intention. I think a pair of training chopsticks (ones that are hinged together at the top) might be a better choice. Having to stop to pull the two chopsticks apart repeatedly became frustrating after awhile. My son ended up turning the chopsticks around and used the bare ends for picking up the food instead.


I definitely think this is a unique toy that would make a fun affordable gift for a birthday or for the holidays. This set comes in a box ready-to-wrap. To find more green toys like this one by Melissa & Doug and other respected brands, visit ecoTimeToys.com .


Thank you to ecoTimeToys.com for providing us with both a review product and a contest prize free of charge.



What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a $30 GC to ecoTimeToys.com .


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.




How to Gain Entries:
Browse the vast selection of toys on ecoTimeToys.com . Then leave a comment telling me what gift you would pick up with the $30 GC if you won this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND ecoTimeToys.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.


4) Follow ecoTimeToys on Twitter OR Fan ecoTimeToys on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with either the link to your Twitter profile or to your Facebook profile. You may do both for one extra entry each.


5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook, making sure to show a thumbnail of a product photo or the sponsor's logo. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.


6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.


7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.




(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.


Good luck in the drawing!



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Giveaway: Box of Unilever Beauty Products [CLOSED]

Unilever is currently in its second month of their "Beauty Tip of the Day" campaign. You can find the daily tips widget on this site's homepage.

Today, I thought I would share some of my favorite beauty tips introduced by Unilever thus far. Some of the tips are extremely innovative. Some of them are so simple that I wonder why I never thought of them myself.




Favorite Beauty Tip #1:

Use all-cotton Q-Tips in place of make-up applicators. Sometimes the foam tips of my eye shadow applicators only last through a few applications before they tear or fall off. Silly me . . . I just keep using them and sigh every time the tip falls off while I am applying the eye shadow. I should be using Q-Tips instead. If I break a cotton swab in half, it would fit right in the eye shadow tray. Then after a few uses, I could change it for a new one. This would also be much more sanitary than using the same applicator over a long period of time.



Favorite Beauty Tip #2:

Use Dove Curl & Sculpt Defining Mousse to create loose curls in your hair. It always seems like everyone who has curly hair wants straight hair and everyone who has straight hair wants curly hair. I have not gotten a perm in my straight hair for at least 9 years, but I often miss the fun of having the extra bounce and body. Unilever suggests that you can achieve loose curls by applying Dove Curl & Sculpt Defining Mousse to wet or damp hair. Then braid the hair in sections. Undo the braids when your hair is dry, comb through your hair with your fingers a few times, and you should have loose curls. I think the mousse is key in achieving the desired results. I use to do something similar, but without any product, and my hair always came out frizzy.



Favorite Beauty Tip #3:

Condition your eyelashes with Vaseline Petroleum Jelly daily. I have been complaining lately that my eyelashes aren't looking quite as full as they use to. Well, this method is said to make the tips of your eyelashes look darker, while giving your lashes a healthy shine.

Favorite Beauty Tip #4:

Always keep Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelettes handy. I already use this product. It is extremely handy for me to use when I've stayed up too late and want to go right to bed. Rather than forgo washing my face, I just clean my face with a Pond's Wet Cleansing Towelette. I keep a pack in my room for such an occasion. Other times when these towelettes would be handy is after working out at the gym or after a late night out.


Thank you to Rocket XL for providing us with sample products and a contest prize free of charge.




What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a box of assorted Unilever products from Pond's, Dove, Q-Tips, and Vaseline.



Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.




How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what beauty product you use daily aside from make-up (i.e. skincare, hair products, etc . . . ). You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND UnileverUSA.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook, making sure to show a thumbnail of a product photo or the sponsor's logo. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.


7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.




(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.


Good luck in the drawing!



Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Review: Playskool Dino-Roars Monty Rex

The latest member of our menagerie is just as noisy and playful as the rest, except he never makes a mess and does not cost a fortune to feed. Of course we all know that dinosaurs are extinct, but this Dino-Roars Monty Rex by Playskool is the next best thing. He stands about 15" high and is programmed to interact with your child in several different ways.

The Monty Rex roars, eats, burps, sniffs, wags his tail, purrs, snorts, stomps, and even swings his tail to his own music. The majority of Monty's tricks only happen as an appropriate reaction to something your child does.



Take a minute to watch this video of our kindergartner Jake interacting with Monty Rex . . .



What my family and I thought about this interactive toy dinosaur:

1) Our nearly six year old son Jake was drawn to Monty Rex instantly. My husband and I also gave him a pretty high coolness rating. Our 2-1/2 yr old son was indifferent towards this toy and his twin sister was slightly afraid of Monty's roar and large teeth.



2) I like how the interactions have different levels. For example, if you feed Monty Rex, he chomps and makes ravenous sounds. If you feed him many times consecutively, he will burp.


3) The dinosaur's head, jaw, arms, legs, and tail all move. Although he must seem extremely realistic to a child, if his eyes moved also, it would have made him that much more realistic.





4) My kindergartner says his favorite thing about Monty is that he stomps. This toy actually walks while making stomping sounds. I think what actually appeals to my son is that the dinosaur moves without a remote control like his other R/C toys.



5) Some of Monty's actions were easier to trigger than others. For example, he roars every time someone roars at him. Also, the buttons along his back were consistent and triggered him to roar, wag his tail, and walk fairly easily. The trigger for eating inside Monty's mouth, the one for purring under his chin, and the one for snorting/sniffing on his nose were not as easy to push at times.

6) I think it would have been a nice touch to include a plastic bone rather than one made of cardboad, which does not hold up very well when played with repeatedly.



7) Even as an adult, I thing that this toy has a lot of personality. I find him to be endearing, even when he is trying to be ferocious.




I think a child who is not skiddish would love to find this toy under the tree Christmas morning. You can find Monty Rex and more animals from the Playskool Kota & Pals line on HasbroToyShop.com .


Thank you to Hasbro Playskool for providing us with a review product free of charge.


Most 3G2S posts contain commission-yielding affiliate links. When you make a purchase after clicking a link, our family earns a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting our blog.

Giveaway Winners: Custom Printed Stickers, Custom Printed Postcards

We have two contests to determine the winners for today. Both prizes are sponsored by UPrinting.com .

Out of 114 entries, the winner of the 250 Custom Printed Stickers contest is #30

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Out of 108 entries, the winner of the 100 Custom Printed Color Postcards contest is #5

Congratulations to both our winners! I will be sending each of you an official email notification. Please respond within 48 hours to claim your prize. Look for more exciting contests for fun holiday gifts in November and December!