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Tiny Tech Toys: Hexbug Nano Review

Parents of boys, I’m talking to you. Your homes are already overflowing with all manner of Lego and sports gear and action figures and baku-poke-digi-whatever-mon. What else is there to make a special impact this holiday?

Two words: Robot. Bugs.

The first time I saw a couple Hexbug Nanos ricocheting around a little box in a kids bedroom, I thought they were cute. Then I got bored. Colum, on the other hand, was enthralled. Too bad for him, we weren’t staying, so that was that.

Until now.

The Hexbug people sent me a generous selection of Nano bugs and their various habitats to try out. We are little Hex crazy around here. Colum can spend a solid hour watching these robotic critters jitter around, making their way through paths, up and down ramps and over bridges. He loves opening and closing gates and rescuing them when they stray. They’re fun!

I also like that they’re an example of technology that doesn’t involve sitting in front of a lit screen. Anything that’s real-world interactive will beat out a video game any day in my books. They’re little robots that kids can pick up and learn how they work. And the habitats! They bounce around in hexagons that connect to one another in a myriad of ways, with so many different possibilities to explore. (Colum is still a bit young for reconfiguring the habitats himself, but I love that he’ll be able to grow into the toy too.)

Starting at $25 for the basic Habitat Set with two Hexbugs (guys, it also comes in glow in the dark), it won’t even break the bank. Of course, the more bugs you buy and the more add-ons to your habitat the better (bridges and ramps, oh my!), so proceed with caution. They also take special batteries, so you’ll want make sure they get turned off before your kid wanders off.

Of course, just because I think boys will go gaga over these nanobots, doesn’t mean girls won’t also like them. Check out the Hexbug website for the full catalog; you can order from there, too. And, don’t tell Colum, but I even tucked a few bugs away for stocking stuffers.

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School Shoes Blues: Skechers Review and Giveaway

Note: We have our winner!

School these days, guys.  School these days. Are you with me?

It feels like nary a day goes by when I’m not on Twitter all, how does a book fair work? Or, why won’t the school bus pick up my kid? Or, why can’t I send cupcakes for my kid’s birthday but I can donate them to the bake sale? And, really, what is with the Photoshopped backgrounds in those school pics? Pathetic.

So clearly I was all over the social media complaining about this new-to-me policy requiring indoor and outdoor shoes. I mean, of course I will send my kid to school in boots and have him change into dry shoes during the winter. But in September a pair of special indoor shoes he can wear to gym class and another pair to wear outside means two pairs of running shoes. I would have to buy another pair of the same kind of shoes in the exact same size just because … why? … because we’re all too precious to have outdoor germs mixing with our indoor germs? I must admit, I don’t get it. But, according to everybody on Facebook and Twitter, this is the new way of doing things.

I was pretty thrilled, then, when Skechers sent me a pair of sneakers from their Hot Lights line to try out. (Not because I was complaining, silly! I don’t have that kind of sway. This was pure luck.) I’ve always liked Skechers: they are comfortable, supportive and durable. (In fact, Colum already had a pair.) These would be sensible shoes for wearing in and around the classroom. Perfect.

Uh, did I mention that they light up? And not in some rinky-dink, stupid blinking lights kind of way either. The shoes shoot out a glowing white light from the clenched waterhog teeth emblazoned on either side of the toes with every step. Colum LOVES them like no boy has ever loved a pair of shoes. He is prone to fits of jumping around in front of people with a goofy grin on his face trying to show off his new flashy kicks. Even I have to admit they look pretty cool.

So take a super cool light feature and add flexible rubber soles, a shock absorbing midsole, a cushioned insole and easy-to-do-up zigzag velcro straps and you have a pair of runners I totally recommend. Colum’s been wearing these for a couple weeks now and the shine still hasn’t worn off.

Wanna win a pair? Drop me a comment about your biggest school-related peeve and I’ll draw a winner next Friday night, November 25th. The winner will be sent a gift certificate so you can shop for your own size and style. (They also have SPARKLES for the girls.) One entry per person and Canadian residents only.

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Seventh Generation Green Cleaning Products Giveaway and Review

I recently got the chance to try out Seventh Generation eco-friendly cleaning products, diapers and wipes. (ie. Full disclosure: I was sent coupons for the products and did not have to pay for them.) Did someone say non-toxic cleaning and baby products? You’d better believe you can count the crazed nesting, pregnant woman in!

As it says on the company’s website, “Seventh Generation is the nation’s leading brand of household and personal care products that help protect human health and the environment.” You can also find a mission statement and a full breakdown of ingredients for all products on the website.  I, for one, love that their non-scented products really smell like nothing. Artificial fragrances never smell clean to me, they just smell like chemicals. (Blame my mother, the original eco nut.) But for those of you who like a little something fragrance-wise, there are options with essential oils and botanical extracts to keep you happy.

My main concern with eco-friendly products, however, is that they won’t work. It’s all fine and dandy to shell out extra money for gentler products, but at the end of the day I just want my clothes and dishes to come out clean. Sorry mother nature, but I’ve got a lot of laundry and dishes to do — and boy is it dirty.

Well, this stuff works. The Dishwasher Gel worked just as well as the big-name stuff I had been using, if not better. (We are not all equals when it comes to properly scraping plates and loading the dishwasher, know what I mean?) The All Purpose Cleaner made quick and easy work of my mud room/laundry room — because of course all surfaces need to shine before the baby gets here. And the unscented Liquid Laundry Detergent got a big load of our laundry (including my husband’s socks) super duper clean. You can tell because it doesn’t smell like anything at all!

I don’t have newborn poop to contend with just yet, but the Chlorine Free Baby Wipes did a fine job on the peanut butter and jam caked to my two-year old’s face. I like that the Baby Diapers are chlorine and fragrance free. (Can I tell you how much that over-powering baby powder scent in some diapers makes me gag?) Whether or not they’ll contain a serious blowout, though, has yet to be determined.

I’ve seen Seventh Generation products at Loblaws and Metro as well as my local natural food store, The Sweet Potato. Before you run out to buy some, however, join the 7th Gen Nation for coupons, special offers and more. But first, enter my giveaway here for a chance to win a 100% organic cotton Seventh Gen Eco lunch bag as well as coupons for a FREE package of Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers, Free & Clear Baby Wipes and dish washing products.

Here’s how it works:

  • Leave me an environmentally-friendly cleaning tip in the comments section. (Don’t forget to fill in your email address so I can contact you!)
  • Open to Canadian residents only — sorry!
  • Contest closes Sept. 16.
  • I will draw a winner using Random.org

Disclosure – I am participating in the Seventh Generation program by Mom Central Canada.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

True Random Number Generator 1 9 3 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
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Playtex Infant First L’il Gripper Review

A couple months ago the good people at Playtex sent me their new Infant First L’il Gripper sippy cup to try out.  I then promptly spent the next several weeks collapsing on the couch at the end of the day in a fit of exhaustion. I’m finally well into my 2nd trimester now, though, and my hypothyroidism has been properly medicated. So let’s see about that sippy cup.

It’s a squeezable (BPA-free) plastic cup with two handles and a straw, designed to be used from age four months and up. Now four months is pretty firmly still in nipple (breast or bottle) territory, if you ask me. And even at six or seven months, when I did start introducing my kids to a sippy cup, the idea was to get them swallowing from a cup, not using a straw. That can come later.

I do, however, love a cup with a soft, bendable straw that tucks away when we’re on the go. And that’s what this cup is perfect for. Long summer walks with the stroller coming up? This cup would do the trick nicely for any babe aged 6 to 18 months. It’s spill and leak-proof and at a suggested retail price of $5.49, it’s not going to break the bank when baby tosses it overboard either. My two year old is actually a little bit in love with it too, right now. Something about a straw that you can play peek-a-boo with,  I guess.

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Toronto’s Kids-Fest on Family Day Weekend

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Saturday, February 19; Sunday, February 20; and Monday, February 21 from 10am – 5pm at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga (enter Hall 3). Read to the bottom for your chance to Win it!

Toronto Kids-Fest will be happening all Family Day weekend long and features a giant indoor inflatable playground and a variety of other shows and activities for children 12 and under. Free admission includes a chance to play the latest Pokémon Nintendo games, colouring, face painting, Jungle Cat World wildlife presentations, Universal Studios Canada character meet-and-greets and a bike course by Educational Kids Play.

Wristbands for the inflatable playground go for $25 each (available Sat/Sun only ) and there’s also pony rides, carnival games, battery-operated bike rides and a preschool play area available for an extra charge. (Note that parents of children young enough to need supervision on the inflatables will also need a wristband or tickets.)

Win it! I have a Family Pack of 4 passes to be exchanged for wristbands upon arrival (good for either Sat. or Sun., but not Mon.) to give away to one lucky reader. Drop me a comment and I’ll do a draw (using random.org) on Tuesday, February 15 at 9pm to choose the winner. Greater Toronto Area only.

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Scotch-Brite Review and Giveaway (Canada Only)

The good people at Scotch Brite sent me a package of cleaning tools to test out, which meant I actually had to do some cleaning. It’s funny how much of a difference new gear can make, though. I was excited.

Traditionally, I use dish cloths for dishes, counters, and appliance surfaces and supplement with a scouring pad or SOS pad when needed. Of course, with my new stainless steel stove I had to be careful to avoid scratches. Enter the Scotch Brite scratch-proof sponges, scouring pads and soap pads.

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All Natural, Vegan and Delicious

When I got home from the Blogher Conference I dumped all my swag onto the dining room table and there it stayed for a long time. Too long. I picked through it every now and then, using what I could, putting away others. And every time, there was this packet of two “totally natural,” vegan Ginger Snapper cookies that got pushed off to the side. Eventually, I got peckish enough to try the cookies.

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Laundry Still Sucks, But It Doesn’t Have To Smell

My review sample of a Neatfreak  Everfresh Single Fashion Laundry Tote arrived the week before we took possession of our new house. That’s the house that had been marinating in cigarette smoke and cat pee for years; the house that had multiple layers of vinyl tile covering perfectly good hardwood on the second floor and the grossest kitchen ever to be ripped out of a will-be-someday bedroom and a brand new one installed on the main floor, just in case you’re new here. So, how exactly does one review a laundry bag? I had an idea.

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Snug As A Bug in a Brown Corduroy Jumper!

I have a new favourite outfit of all time for little girls. (Thank you, Mom.)

Irene got this ensemble as a gift for her baptism last weekend and it is exactly what I’ve been wanting. A corduroy jumper that she can pair with pretty shirts to look cute and girly without being overly dressy. She can romp around in this with best of them and it should stand up to a great deal of wear. And brown and pink? With a polk-a-dot belt? C’mon, too cute.

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Byron Barton’s “The Three Bears” Best Toddler Book Ever

There are a lot of books being marketed to young children out there. Many are based on popular kids shows — forget about these. Many are classic stories we remember from our own childhood — these are often nice. And then there are the fairy tales — be careful with these. Too often a publisher will put out a shoddy rendition of a fairy tale figuring that the story will sell itself. The abridged story will be poorly constructed and the illustrations barely passable. There is no joy in these stories.