October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month

Amidst all the pumpkin carving and the costume making and the candy collecting, it's important to remember that not every child is looking forward to celebrating Halloween -- or any kind of holiday -- with his or her friends.  Some children live their lives in misery because they are bullied at school, bullied at the playground, bullied over the web.  It's a serious issue with serious consequences for both the bullies and the bullied.   

October is Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, and many organizations, from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network to StopBullying.gov to Stomp Out Bullying, to It Gets Better, are providing resources to identify, combat and prevent bullying.  Their websites are great resources for parents and educators and young adults.  

However, I firmly believe there is no substitute for parents talking with their kids, especially younger kids and school-aged kids, and having a frank discussion about bullying -- why it's not okay, putting themselves in other kids' shoes, how they can protect themselves, what they can do if they see it happen.  I don't mean gathering them into the living room for a formal lecture!  Bullying awareness is a subject that can be woven into everyday conversations.  Here are some suggestions:

1) Ask your child how his school day went -- who he played with, what games they played, whether he had fun, etc..

2) Comment on a news story about bullying, or even terrorist activities.

3) Apologize to your child if you lose your temper and yell at him (because using your physical size or your power as a parent to intimidate your child is a lot like bullying!). 

4) Read your child a story about bullying -- GoodReads has a great list of anti-bullying books.  If your child is in middle school, try a book from the Macmillan Editor's anti-bullying list for junior high and up. 

5) There are many anti-bullying documentaries to watch, including Ellen Degeneres' Bully and 10-year old Gerry Orz's Day of Silence, but your child may not be ready for such stark ideas.  Fortunately, Sesame Street has an anti-bullying page with videos featuring Big Bird and other friends, dealing with bullying in a far gentler, but no less serious way.  

6) Encourage your child to try out some of the anti-bullying games and activities available on the web.  PBS Kids has a great bullying website that talks to kids about bullies in language they can understand, and tests their knowledge with the their Beat the Bully.  For school-aged kids, there's Awesome Upstander!, an app for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices that entertains kids which teaching them some important lessons about bullying and empowering them to take action among themselves.  What's more, 50% of proceeds from the sale of the app in October will benefit organizations like Truth Locker. I've received a copy of Awesome Upstander! for my iPad, so stay tuned for a review of the app!

Disclosure:  Awesome Upstander is reimbursing me for my purchase of the Awesome Upstander iPad app.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Are your kids up to no good?

I fell in love with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series as soon as my daughter brought home the first book. Sure, it's not exactly heavy reading, and the characters can be overly sarcastic, lazy and selfish -- but they are funny and very, very real. Kids can really relate to them! And so can parents. Rodrick and Greg Heffley have got to be the ultimate experts on getting into trouble and covering the evidence up -- at least that's what their mom, Susan, lets them think. Somehow, despite their zany parenting methods, Susan and Frank Heffley have ended up raising two pretty good kids (I'm passing judgement on Manny until he learns to toilet train), so they must be doing something right!

To celebrate the upcoming release of the DVD of Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules, and to celebrate kids and parents at every age and stage, here's a fun article about how to tell when your kids are hiding something from you, and how you can help them.

Parents Beware! Parents know their kids "hiding something" face but how often can you tell what your kids are really up to? Here are a few tips on how to tell when your kids are getting into trouble and some solutions to keep parents two steps ahead of the game every time.

WHAT ARE YOUR KIDS HIDING?

Junk Food
Junk food under the bed, dresser, closet, backpack.... the list can go on- is a common thing that kids hide. Do a quick parent sweep from time to time and make sure they're not spoiling their appetite, or teeth. Signs that your kids might be stashing junk food start with their appetite. If your kids aren't hungry at dinnertime, and their in perfectly good health, it's time to start checking their pockets for Gummy Bears. Also, finding wrappers on their bedroom floor is a major sign they're sneaking junk food. Encourage your kids to eat healthy snacks and you can play a major role by stocking your kitchen with healthier treats. Don't let them get past you!

A Bad Grade
It's understandable that kids get intimidated when it's time to tell mom and dad they got a bad grade. It's possible your kids might try to hide the bad grade by never showing it to you. A major sign your kids are hiding their grades is telling you the grades aren't ready yet, or if it seems like your kids are avoiding the question altogether. Come out on top by asking their teachers for their grading styles, ie., How many days after assignments/tests are submitted,will grades be ready? Another great tip is to encourage your kids to communicate with you,even when it's bad news, because you will be able to provide them with the best support. Mom and Dad will surely understand!


Not Doing Their Chores
From saying they did their homework to insisting they did their chores, kids will always try to find a way to get out of something. Obviously, if the dishes aren't washed, but they said they did them, then your kids aren't having to try too hard to get passed you. Be stern and consistent when implementing your rules. A nice routine to have with your kids is to look over their homework every night and take a quick sweep at chores they were supposed to do. They shouldn't be able to get by Mom or Dad!


Their Location
With pre-teen/teens in mind, you might start noticing a lot of, I'm at Sarah's house again or We're at the mall. Parents should spot this trip immediately since they pulled it at some point or another in their youth. If your kids say they were at a movie but can't tell you the name or plot at all, well, your kids weren't there! Most teens have a cellphone now a days so make sure you go over Mom and Dad's rules for keeping a cellphone. Now a days, it's convenient for parents to keep tabs on their kids via cellphone, however, the results could backfire. If you make sure cell phone rules are strongly enforced. Mom and Dad will definitely have the upper hand on this one

Breaking Something Valuable
Let's face it, when kids get bored, they are bound to get themselves into trouble. They sneakily pass you in the kitchen with a suspicious look on their face and expect you not to notice. Well,it is likely your kids probably just broke your favorite vase, ripped the leather in your car, spilled red juice on your new white couches, you name it, they probably did it! Kids are going to try and hide the incident, or at least delay your discovery as long as they can. When you notice your kids are acting strangely (stranger than usual anyway), and believe they are hiding something, confront them. Let them know that if they fess up and tell the truth, the consequences will be much less sever. Take a tip from Susan, take control, and show them who's boss!



I wasn't able to see this movie at the theatres, so I can't wait for the DVD to come out! Here's more information about the upcoming DVD:


Greg Heffley is about to discover that there is something worse than middle school: his own family!Based on the 2011 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Best Book Series, the original film cast returns in DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES, available on Blu-ray and DVD on June 21st.

For Greg and Roderick's mother, Susan (Rachael Harris, The Hangover), having a full house can take it's toll, especially with these two. This flick takes sibling rivalry to entirely new levels as big brother and little brother wrestle through growing pains. Just back from summer vacation, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon, National Treasure: Book of Secrets) and his friend Rowley (Robert Capron, The Sorcerer's Apprentice) enter the next grade as undersized weaklings in their school. A bully favorite, Greg tries not to get noticed by anyone except the pretty new girl, Holly Hills (Peyton List, 27 Dresses). And at home,Greg is still at war with his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick, Degrassi), until their mom Susan instigates a "Mom Bucks" program so Greg and Rodrick can earn play money by doing chores and "gasp!" being nice to each other. Calamity ensues when their parents return from vacation and dad Frank (Steve Zahn, A Perfect Getaway) finds evidence that Rodrick secretly threw a house party with his band, Löded Diper. As they struggle with school and compete for "Mom Bucks", the brothers discover that avoiding trouble is easier if they unite and their once-twisted partnership grows into a hilariously playful and sometimes mischievous friendship.



Stay tuned for a giveaway of a DVD copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, coming soon on Bonggamom Finds!


Disclaimer: I did not receive a sample or any other form of compensation for this post. Thanks to Fox Movies and ThinkJam for sponsoring the upcoming DVD giveaway.

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Snacktime Survival Kit Giveaway

Wow, talk about a small world! Last week I blogged about a great deal for the Snacktime Survival Kit over at The Savvy Source, and just yesterday I received an offer to give away the very same item on my blog! This toy/game/tool is just the thing for parents who are tired of the daily food battles with their picky eaters.

Here's what I wrote about the Snacktime Survival Kit:
The Snacktime Survival Kit includes 33 colorful cards featuring delicious, healthy snacks, a wooden clock board with one working clock and three "snacktime" clocks with moveable hands and corresponding snack card hooks. Each morning, mom or dad selects the snack cards for the day and sets the moveable clock hands to the desired snack times. You child chooses his snacks for the day from the available cards and hangs the cards on the hooks corresponding to snack times. Now it's up to your little one to keep an eye on the clocks and hand mom their snack cards! What was once a battle becomes a game, and what was once mindless snacking becomes a healthy choice.

With The SnackTime Survival Kit, you're not only encouraging your child to eat healthier snacks. You're also giving him the power to make his own choices, developing self-control and moderation, even teaching him to tell time! Start your little one on the path to healthy eating with The SnackTime Survival Kit



Win a Snacktime Survival Kit
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Snacktime Survival Kit.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a tip to get picky eaters to try new foods. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates (1 entry).

2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

4) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Snacktime Survival Kit giveaway! http://ow.ly/4td0l

5) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
Enter to win a Snacktime Survival Kit from @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/4td0l #giveaways

6) Vote for Bonggamom Finds in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Product Review Parents



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on April 10, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on April 11 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Thanks to KMR Communications for providing the giveaway prize. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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"E is For Ethics" Book Giveaway

This spring I had the pleasure of reviewing "E is for Ethics", a collection of twenty-six short stories about everyday situations faced by two children, Elliott and Lucy. Each story deals with a particular value such as Fairness, Honesty, Gratitude, Acceptance and so on. Author Ian James Corlett, makes each story simple and real, so any child can relate to the ethical dilemmas that Elliott and Lucy face.

Alfie and I have found this book to be an invaluable tool in teaching our children about morals and opening up discussions about ethical situation and the "right" thing to do. So I was delighted when the publishers contacted me and offered to give a copy of this book away on my blog! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of "E is for Ethics" by Ian James Corlett for their very own!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which value(s) you think is (are) most important to instill in your child. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):

I entered the E is for Ethics giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/2c3yqxa

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

6) Follow author Ian James Corlett on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win a copy of "E is for Ethics" by @IanJames007 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/2c3yqxa #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on September 20, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on September 21 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I received a product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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E is for Ethics

Organized religion doesn't play a big part in our household, even though I believe in God and was raised a Catholic in one of the most devoutly Catholic nations in the world, the Philippines. The Catholic Church's response to all the molestation scandals and their hardline stance on birth control, condoms and AIDS have left me disillusioned and alienated from Catholicism (the organized body, that is, not the people who practice it). Also, having lived among people of different beliefs and cultures for so long, I've come to believe that good values and morals are not the exclusive property of any one religion, or of religion itself.

So when our kids were born, Alfie and I decided to raise them not by following the teachings of any one religion, but by helping them form good values and ethics and morals. We try to teach by example, of course, but it's also necessary to talk about values in order to reinforce them. But these these topics are usually considered the jurisdiction of Sunday schools and other religious instruction programs. That's where books like "E is For Ethics" come in. I was given a copy of this book to review and I think it's a great way for parents to begin talking about values and morals to young children.

"E is For Ethics" is a collection of twenty-six short stories about everyday situations faced by two children, Elliott and Lucy. Each story deals with a particular value such as Fairness, Honesty, Gratitude, Acceptance and so on. I like how the author, Ian James Corlett, makes each story simple and real, so any child can relate to the ethical dilemmas that Elliott and Lucy face.

For example, in the "Honesty" story, Elliott finds five dollars at the video store and a couple of minutes later, overhears a lady looking for five dollars that she dropped. It's definitely a situation any kid might face in real life. Each chapter ends with some questions to help parents can children discuss what they've read about. What should Elliott do? What does he want to do? What would you do? How might Elliott feel if he kept the five dollars? Each story is a wonderful conversation starter for parents who want to teach their children some good, sound values! You can read one story each night, skip one or two, go back to one of the stories when your child has encountered a similar situation -- how you use this book is really up to you. It's really a great tool to reinforce good morals in your children, whether you're Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, or any religion, or no religion at all.


Free Coloring Book!
Download a free coloring book from the E is for Ethics website:

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to review. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Qlubb.com's Busy Moms 2010 Resolution Contest (and a Giveaway!)

Is one of your 2010 Resolutions as a parent: "Be more efficient with my time"? Or "Volunteer at the Kids' School More"? Or "Be more like our Super-Type-A-Mom PTA President"? My advice to you is, Don't do it alone -- get help. Even Super-Type-A-Mom PTA Presidents need help: they' get things done because they know the right tools to help them get organizeed.

Fortunately the internet has opened up a whole new array of possibilities when it comes to communication, collaboration, organizing and delegating, and that extends to managing groups like PTA's, playgroups, scouting groups, quilting clubs and other small groups that need help managing members and resources to tasks and events. One such online tool is Qlubb.com, and they're starting the new year with a bang -- a contest to help parents get organized!

The Basics
Qlubb is an online site that helps parent-led groups organize activities, events, volunteer tasks and membership. Here's how Qlubb describes themselves:

Whether it is a playgroup, classroom parent group, sports team, family, club or hobby group, Qlubb helps parents communicate and organize activities, events and volunteers. Over 36,000 members use Qlubb each day to organize and coordinate their children’s groups ranging from PTAs to scout troops to classroom parent groups to playgroups. With integrated coordination and communication tools, Qlubb gives parent-led groups a single place to coordinate and communicate events, activities and responsibilities.

I got a chance to log onto a demo Qlubb group to check out how an organization might use Qlubb day-to-day. Here's what I thought:

The Bongga
I like how Qlubb is so simple to get up and running: it only takes 2 clicks to create a Qlubb and 1 click to join an existing Qlubb. And once you log onto your Qlubb, everything of importance is right there on your group's homepage: a list of upcoming events, list of tasks that need volunteers (just click on the links to sign up, no more paper signup sheets or multiple emails!), sorted by the tasks that need to be done first. The social networking tools (posting photos, writing on a group wall) is limited, which to me is actually a good thing. If I want to socialize, I go to Facebook, and I like the fact that Qlubb gets straight to the business of getting things done.

The Blah
Simplicity is great, of course, but as I went through the Qlubb website I was disappointed not to find the following functionality:

* search function for the Members section (imagine trying to find Martha Crouch or whoever if your list is 660 members long!)
* search function for the Files section (ditto on my example above)
* ability to import photos from Flickr or Picassa or some other photo sharing service (because the last thing you need is yet another site to upload your photos to)


The Bottom Line
Qlubb acts just like a Super-Type-A-Mom PTA President, handling all the individual reminders, all the group emails, all the signup sheets, acting as the point of contact for all members, files and signup sheets. It makes group organization and communication so much easier!



Join the Busy Moms' 2010 Resolution Contest
To help busy parents get organized this new year, Qlubb is hosting the Busy Moms' 2010 Resolution Contest. Each time an individual uses Qlubb to organize their groups or shares Qlubb via social media, that person earns an entry in the drawing for the grand prize of a $200 Oriental Trading Gift Card plus a premium Qlubb service. Both new and current users are eligible to win. Ten qlubbs with next highest entries will win their choice of a premium Qlubb service. Hurry and join, the contest ends on February 28, 2010!



Win It
Qlubb.com has generously donated a $10 Oriental Trading gift card, and one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader is going to win it!

Required entry
Tweet one New Year's Resolution to @qlubb and @bonggafinds (i.e. "@qlubb @bonggafinds My New Years Resolution this year is to exercise more!") -- Make sure you include @qlubb and @bonggafinds in your tweet. Then leave a comment on this post with a link to your tweet.

Extra entries
To gain extra entries, you can do any or all of the following, (you can only do each entra entry once; please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):


1) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (leave a comment with your FB id).

2) Follow Qlubb on twitter (leave a comment with your twitter id).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a $10 Oriental Trading giftcard from @bonggafinds and @qlubb http://tinyurl.com/y9mlll2/

Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on February 3, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on February 4 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


I did not receive a sample, free services or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Vicks ComfortFlex Thermometer

We are a Vicks family. As a doctor, my dad's first line of defense against chest congestion was never medicines, but a good, thorough rubbing of Vicks Vaporub on our chest and back. My mother uses Vicks Vaporub to cure all her ailments from chest colds to mosquito bites. Even my extended family is into Vicks; all my dad's siblings love it, and when her nose is stuffy, my aunt snorts that Vicks Vapor Inhaler tube like it's crack or something.

With Vicks rubbed (like that pun?) into my childhood, it's no surprise that when I became a parent and had to buy thermometers, I went to the drugstore and grabbed the most familiar brand on the shelves: Vicks. Our Vicks thermometers have stood up to 3 kids, 8 years and countless fevers. I'd be happy to keep using it till the battery runs out, but Vicks recently sent me a sample of their latest and greatest thermometer, the Vicks ComfortFlex -- so our old Vicks thermometer has been relegated to backup thermometer and this new Vicks ComfortFlex is taking center stage.

The Basics
Vicks ComfortFlex thermometer is a digital thermometer that reads temperatures in about 8-12 seconds. It has a large, backlit color-coded display. It's also flexible and waterproof, and comes with a storage case.

Old Vicks thermometer versus New Vicks thermometer. Sorry, Old VT, you've served us well but it's time to retire.

The Bongga
I love the lightning-fast temperature reading -- no more squirming and squiggling for the kids while waiting for the thermometer to beep! And the backlit display is so easy to read -- no more squinting for the adults! The color-coded display feature (the backlight LCD is green when the temperature reading is between 97 and 98.8F, yellow between 99 and 100.9F, and red for 101F and above) is a nice bonus, especially for new parents who don't know whether to smile in relief or freak out when they read the temperature numbers (having said that, Alfie found this feature absolutely useless, since he's color blind!).

The Blah
The readings only seem to show in Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Most people in the US are used to Fahrenheit, but I'm thinking of my relatives in the Philippines and Europe, who would love to get their hands on this thermometer but would prefer to read temperature in Celsius. Hopefully Vicks has an international version of this temperature?

The Bottom Line
The Vicks ComfortFlex thermometer makes temperature reading super easy -- if only the fever were just as quick and painless!

I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Is Separating Twins Really the Answer?

Is Separating Twins Really the Answer? @ Yahoo! Video

The Silicon Valley Moms Blog is releasing a series of parenting web videos entitled A Byte Out of Life, starring the SV Moms. Take a look at today's video because I'm in it! Yup, I was one of the lucky SV Moms contributors selected to be featured in the series, which is all about moms chiming in on popular and relevant parenting topics. The series is sponsored by Yahoo! Video and produced by The Go-To Mom, Kimberley Clayton Blaine, who's an SV Mom herself.

The video I'm in is entitled "Is Separating Twins Really the Answer?", a subject I'm well versed in, since I've spent the past five years agonizing about this topic. I used to be so sure that I wanted to keep 3Po and Jammy together in kindergarten, and possibly first grade -- but that was before I realized that anytime they were in the same room, no-one would ever address them by name......

Watch me and my friends Linda and Akemi talk about what works for our twins, and let us know what you think!

I did not receive product samples or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Family Constitution Review and Giveaway

Are the kids getting out of control? Do you feel like you're struggling with the demands of parenting, work and personal life? Do you wish everyone in the family would Just. Get. Along? Maybe you need a Family Constitution!

In his book, "Your Family Constitution", author Scott Gale introduces a great parenting tool to open up family communication and improve family relations. He starts with an honest personal account of a huge family argument that opened his eyes to the need for change, and goes through the steps he and his family took to create their Family Constitution, which, like the US constitution, contains a set of guiding principles to become the kind of family they want to be.



The book contains lots of useful tips and advice, as well as a lot of funny cartoons to remind us parents that we should all look back and have a laugh now and then. Throughout the book he refers to his 3 principles -- Clarity, Consistency and Commitment -- which helped them formulate their constitution, and he shows readers how these principles can work for their family. At the back of the book you'll find the Gale Family Constitution, which I loved reading because it was a concrete example of what Scott was talking about in the rest of the book. I'm glad he shared it with everyone because it's a great starting point to come up with your own family constitution. Scott's website, http://www.yourfamilyconstitution.com/, also offers a wealth of resources.

I received a copy of "Your Family Constitution" to review, and I've been really inspired to take a step back from all the nagging and yelling and punishing that has been going on, and get our own set of goals and rules written down. I think my 5-year-olds might be a bit too young to help decide what sorts of consequences there should be for behavior (good and bad), but I've been talking with The Pea (who's 8) about it, and she has been really reasonable about it. I'm really very hopeful that she'll understand why Alfie and I do the things we do as parents, and even more important, understand that she has to do her part as well to keep the family running. We've got a long way to go, but thanks to this book, we've got some ideas going and we've the conversation started!

Win this book! Scott has generously offered to give away two copies of "Your Family Constitution" to two lucky Bonggamom Finds readers. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me one item you would like to include in your own family's constitution. Don't forget to leave your email address or some way I can contact you.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) For THREE extra entries Register for a free account at the Your Family Constitution website and get started on your own Family Constitution (leave 3 separate comments here with your user name).

2) Leave a comment on any of the blog posts on Scott's Family Constitution blog (leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).

3) Leave a comment on any of my blog posts on Finding Bonggamom (leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).

4) Join any of the other giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (leave a comment here with the name of the other giveaway you joined).

5) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a copy of "Your Family Constitution" from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/m4eyry

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on August 8, 2009.; I will draw two winners at random on August 9 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

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Introducing Mamapedia

It's 2:00 a.m. and your three month old is crying...a lot. You're a first time mother, and while you've got a ton of questions, you called your mom at 2:00 in the morning last night about that crazy looking diaper, so you'd really like to get through this one on your own. But where can you turn?

Mamapedia is a new parenting information site that takes the wisdom of thousands and thousands of moms and makes is searchable! You can head to the computer with that screaming infant in your arms and type,

"Why does my baby cry so much at night?"

And this is what you'll find - an article about a mom who asked a question titled "Sleepless Nights with a 13 week old" and the responses of forty-four moms. You can read those forty-four answers while bouncing your baby, and with a little luck by the time you are through your infant will be fast asleep and you will feel better as well.

To launch this new mom resource, the Momfluence network and Resourceful Mommy are throwing a party. Join us on Twitter this Friday, May 8th, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. eastern time along with mom experts in a variety of parenting areas: multiples, kid crafting, health and safety, potty training, home schooling and more!

During the party, details about a "What Can I Learn Today?" contest will be revealed...along with the incredible grand prize.

Join Us - RSVP!
This event brought to you by Momfluence: rocking the cradle and shaping the world.

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32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny

Mr. Done teaches 3rd grade at The Pea's school. From what I can tell, he's quite a popular teacher; not just because he's a male teacher (I personally think there would be less troubled teenage boys if schools had more male teachers as role models), but because he's a good one. He's the kind of teacher that parents whisper about before the first day of school ("Your kid got Done? Lucky you, I've heard he's great" / "We're in Done's class? Sweeeeeeet!"). The kind who really cares about his students and makes learning fun for his class.

And as it turns out, he happens to be a brilliant author as well. So if you're not lucky enough to have a child in one of his classes, head on over to Borders and grab a copy of his book, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny. He graciously gave me a copy of his book to review, and I have to say he does a great job of opening up his classrooms doors and showing readers what goes on. If you think teachers have it easy (school ends before 3PM, and you get 3 months off), look again. Try managing the expectations of your star underachiever's delusional parents during their annual teacher-parent conference. Try staying healthy in a room full of sniffling kids who wipe their noses with their hands. Try keeping a straight face when a student tells the class his parents need a new bed because he hears it squeaking and creaking every night.

Oh, yes, it's all there, down to the last Thanksgiving craft and Uranus joke. There's a fair amount of screaming involved, not to mention sighing (on the teacher's part), throwing up (kids) and crying (both). Mr. Done (sorry, I can't call him anything else) is to teachers what Erma Bombeck is to moms: the insider who gives us a glimpse of what it's like to be a teacher: sometimes crazy, often hilarious, and always very, very touching. Kind of like being a parent, come to think of it.

Fairy godmother, please let The Pea get into Mr. Done's class next year!

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Mommy's High Heel Shoes

Mommy's High Heel shoes is one of those books that get you saying, "Awwww!" or "Wow" at every page.

Awwww.... aren't these kids cute?
Awwww.... isn't it fun to look for ladybugs and cupcakes and hearts on each page?
Awwww.... aren't they a loving family?
Wow.......... I just love how the modern story and retro illustrations work together so well!
Wow...........doesn't that mom have some kickass shoes!
Wow .......... look at all those yummy cupcakes (shall we go to Sprinkles now and get some for ourselves?)!

The story is about a little girl who tries on her mommy's shoes after mommy has left for work; in the process, she thinks about all the different kinds of shoes that mommies wear. Kids will like it because it gives a fresh, funny look -- from a kids' point of view -- at what moms do at work. Since Mommy's High Heel Shoes looks at the literal and figurative shoes that moms have to put on, moms everywhere -- not just moms who work outside the home -- will find themselves breathing a silent Amen, sister! as they read the book to their kids. It's definitely a feel-good kind of book for both kids and moms -- as light and sweet as a cupcake.


Here's a sweet deal: to get 15% discount off your order off the book's official website, just type in the coupon code SVMOMS.

The icing on the cake: 50 cents from each Mommy's High Heel Shoes book purchased through their website will be donated to Kiva.org, a microlender that assists working moms and other entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Now kick off your own heels, and enjoy this treat!

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Parking Pal hits the spot

My sister's two eldest kids are two years apart. I admiring the technique she used to keep her rambunctious 2-year-old son safe while she struggled to unfold the baby stroller in parking lots. She would say, "Keep your hands on the car, kid, hands on the car". And it worked. He put his hands on the car and stayed still.

The Parking Pal magnet builds upon her tried-and-true method. It's a strong, flexible magnet that parents or grandparents or babysitters place on the side of the car. It gives kids a specific spot to "high-five" -- and stay focused on -- while the grownup in charge struggles with groceries, keys, or any of the millions of distractions that can take our attention away from small children when loading or unloading a car.

** Giveaway alert**
Now you can try the Parking Pal for free! I'm giving away 1 Parking Pal magnet on Halloween, Oct. 31. To enter, just leave a comment on this post with your email address so I can contact you. I'll draw a winner at random on October 31. For full contest rules, click here.

** Contest alert**

The folks at Parking Pal are giving away a $100 Toys-R-Us gift card to one lucky entrant. To join the contest, just purchase a Parking Pal magnet from their online store, or for a free entry, send your name and address to by 12/14/08 to: Parking Pal, 317 Nickless, Frankenmuth Mi 48734. Entries must be postmarked by 12/14/08.

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Singing the praises of Tooth Tunes

How do you get your kids to brush their teeth for the right amount of time? My kids can barely stand still for 2 seconds, let alone 2 minutes. Here are some ways we've tried:

* Use an hourglass timer. We had one but keep losing it because the kids take it out of the bathroom to play with it.

* Use an egg timer or a watch. Booooring.

* Use an electric toothbrush with a timer in it, like Philip's Sonicare. Booooring.

* Count to 120 or sing Happy Birthday 10 times. Tedious -- which means I always rush through it, making it inaccurate as well.

Enter ToothTunes, the musical toothbrush that plays fun kids' tunes for the recommended 2 minutes. What a great idea! 3Po and Jammy, my two Tooth Tunes testers (how's that for a tongue twister), really look forward to brushing their teeth and listening to the music the whole time. I don't have to time them or nag them to keep brushing, keep brushing . And I like that they make different ToothTunes brushes with different tunes so kids can choose the ones they like best. They even have ToothTunes Junior for preschoolers and Turbo ToothTunes for older kids.



The only problem is that much as the kids enjoy it, you're essentially getting just another timer for $9.99 -- and a disposable one at that. I do wish Tooth Tunes had made their toothbrush electric -- imagine a Philips Sonicare that plays music and spins its bristles and stops everything after 2 minutes. The combination of timed music and timed electric brush head would be unbeatable!

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Keeping track with the SnackerTracker

The Pea's second-grade class is currently doing a unit on nutrition. They are learning about the different foodgroups and the importance of a varied diet. I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce the SnackerTracker, a nutritional tracking system for kids and their parents.

The SnackerTracker is like a food journal for kids -- only it's a whiteboard fridge magnet that breaks down a child's daily nutritional requirements into blocks. Every time your child eats a serving of some basic foodgroup -- grains, dairy, protein, fruits, vegetables, water -- you simply cross out one of the blocks. The kit also comes with a dry-erase pen and a nutritional guide with tips on serving sizes, snack suggestions and exercise guidelines.

So far the kids have responded with enthusiasm. The Pea and Jammy are constantly fighting over who gets to fill in the blocks (actually they've gone a step further and actually draw what they've eaten instead of just checking the box off). Throughout the day they think about what they need to eat to fill up all the boxes on the chart. Do we always get there? Hell, no. But at least the SnackerTracker making me more aware of our nutritional shortcomings.

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TruKid Hero Stick

Here's a product that we could have used when we went camping a couple of weekends ago: the Trukid Hero Stick, a rub-on ointment that soothes kids' "itchies" and "boo-boos" from bug bites, minor burns and scratches. I tried it on a mosquito bite I got last night and it seems to work as well as regular cortisone creams. It's made of mild, all-natural, organic products that are safe for the skin, but I'd still keep this away from babies. The sweet honey smell of it is so wonderful they might think it's a lollipop. I'm tempted myself to bite a chunk out of it to see if it tastes as good as it smells. Yes, its nontoxic, but then I'd have to buy another stick.

The Hero Stick is just one of TruKid's line of organic kids' skincare products. I'll admit I had never come across this brand (it's only available online right now) before they sent us the Hero Stick sample, but I like their all-natural focus. And that honey smell is to die for.

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Tunza cards: Tunza uses, Tunza money saved

Now that the boys are in pre-K, we're starting to work on kindergarten readiness such as writing, phonics and simple math concepts. Their preschool is staunchly play-based (and we have no complaints because we feel it's important for them, especially as twins, to develop social skills), so any academic preparation is going to be coming from us. I'm pretty relaxed about the whole thing; it's not like I hold formal classes or anything. They occasionally work on activity books when they feel like it, and when we read books together I sometimes pick out a two or three letter word and help them read it.

We've recently added another tool to our arsenal: Tunza write-on-rub-off index cards. I've been using them to create flashcards for the kids to help the boys read simple words like "cat" and "hat", and for basic addition problems like 3+1 (The Pea also loves it when I write out more complicated math problems for her). They enjoy writing down the answers and erasing everything so I can write out new problems.

These Tunza cards are not just for flashcards -- kids can draw on them and you can write your shopping list on them and I'm sure there are (forgive the pun) Tunza other uses. And because they're reusable, they're earth friendly. Everytime the kids reach for the cards to draw instead of a sheet of paper, we're saving money and trees.

The cards work best with permanent Sharpie markers (just rub with alcohol to remove). But anal parent that I am, I feel nervous about letting my kids loose around the house with permanent markers. I've found that dry-erarse markers work perfectly well, and markings come off with a simple swipe.

Thanks to the folks at Tunza for our sample! The kids are really enjoying it.

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Sweet bundles and snuggles

I've just received my prize from Goodies For Mom's Blogging for Blood Cancer giveaway: a baby bundle fleece wrap and pacifier/toy clip from StakerSensations (who sells many other beautifully handcrafted things on her Etsy store, including some adorable tutus and chic vinyl stickers). Thank you so much to both of you!


The baby bundle wrap is such a nifty idea; I remember swaddling my kids when they were newborns. Getting a squiggly baby to stay inside the "burrito wrap" is almost impossible; within minutes you have to wrap them up again. This bundle wrap, with its velcro strap and footies, eliminates the problem. And the fleece is so soft and snuggly, your baby will never want to move! Unfortunately my kids are too old for this so I'll be passing this on to one of my lucky mom-to-be friends.

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Class Dis-Missed

I learned my letters from Sesame Street. I learned to read from The Electric Company. Is it any surprise that kids learn faster and retain that knowledge better when things are presented to them in an entertaining way? Following in their footsteps comes a cd that sets elementary school lessons to rap music. Class Dis-Missed, written and performed by Mr. Duey, a teacher and rapper, presents facts -- math (integers, graphing, fractions), language (nouns, adjectives, essay writing basics), science (cells, atoms, matter) and more -- in a way that makes kids want to listen.

Personally, when I listened to the cd I could barely understand the words (I did catch a familiar phrase here and there, such as "Least Common Denominator" or "graphing"), let alone remember them. But then I'm not a rap fan. Kids these days must be able to glean some sense from the music, otherwise numerous teachers wouldn't be praising this cd with testimonials about increases in their students' test scores and enthusiasm.

That aside, I think it's a great idea nd I just hope that Mr. Duey's style of rap music will still be popular when my kids are old enough to benefit from this cd. Or maybe I should just ask Mr. Duey to cut another learning cd in 4 or 5 years time to the beat of the latest hip music.

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Babies are boring... but this book isn't

I just got my hands on a cute little book that is truly great for all ages. "Babies are Boring" is a humorous look at all the trouble (and joy) that babies bring.

The book is touted as "the perfect relief for moms and dads who want a fresh new book to read with their newborns and young toddlers". I can see how that age group would love all the animal pictures and the catchy rhymes, but I actually think this book is even better for older kids like mine (ages 3 and up), especially kids with younger siblings. Unlike babies or toddlers , they can actually relate to the "icky" parts of having babies. Also, my kids enjoyed the illustrations as much as the verse -- because they were hilarious in ways younger kids wouldn't "get". Finally, it's a wonderful way for kids and parents to connect because it provides a natural segue to stories of "when you were a baby....".

As for grownups, well, any parent can relate to it, so it also makes a great gift for new or expecting parents. The book described perfectly my feelings about our kids' first year, especially with the twins. Their infancy was truly a nightmare of exhaustion, sleepless nights, incessant crying, mess and effort. But of course it was all worth it, and reliving the experience as I read this book actually got me quite emotional at the end. Over a little kids book! Well, a supposed kids book. I think this one's going in my bookshelf.

* June 10: Win a signed copy of Babies Are Boring! Leave a comment here and tell me which children's book you actually enjoy reading to your kids (and wouldn't mind reading without them). I'll pick a winner (sorry, US residents only) on June 20.

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