Around here, if you aren't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day, you'll be seeing the business end of my shillelagh. Yeah, I have one and it comes out once a year, seeking out those who forget to dress properly. Now, my husband is one of those people who will try to get away with that lame, "I have a little speck of green on my underwear!" excuse-users. He gets a bonk on the head every year (will he ever learn?!)
This year, and in the future, he won't have to come up with any excuses to avoid a rap on the noggin. I received a t-shirt from KissMyShamrock.com to review and it turned out to be the perfect shirt for him:
(NOT my husband! LOL)
While we don't do the drinking thing on St. Patrick's Day (well, I do like a little Bailey's in my coffee or a nice Irish coffee with Jameson's and some whipped cream when it's available!), hubby is a stumbler. He stumbles over toys, rugs, even his own feet! So, not only does he have a nice green shirt from KissMyShamrock.com's selection of funny Irish t-shirts, he also has a pretty descriptive one, too!
So, don't get caught without your green on March 17th! Check out KissMyShamrock.com to find the perfect shirt for you. In addition to t-shirts, all of their designs come on your choice of style (hoodie, long-sleeve tee, tanks, and many more!) and you can choose from 16 shirt colors!
Disclosure: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe my readers will find interesting.
My oldest's high school allows students to carry water bottles (with water only!)to class. This keeps students hydrated, especially in the dry winter months, and keeps down student requests for hall passes to get drinks from the water fountains. My son seems to always be thirsty, so having his water bottle in class is very important to him. Unfortunately, he loses everything. It doesn't matter if it's something as insignificant as a pencil or the memory stick containing all of his homework files - he'll lose it. And, often, lost items are never seen again. I think his stuff all ends up in the same place that lost socks and mittens go. So, it has been no surprise to learn that he's lost yet another water bottle. This year, his total is already up to 12 - that's more that one bottle every 2 weeks since school has started!
I had been casually looking around online for some name labels for his bottles that he'd not be embarrassed to use. Because, let's face it, many of the more affordable labels have icons that are meant for the 3 to 9-year-old crowd. The more sophisticated labels available are usually just to darn expensive for our budget. I was so happy to have the opportunity to try out Oliver's Labels.
London Primrose Design
Oliver's Labels has a wide array of label designs and styles. Designs range from trains and butterflies children, to roses and carnations for adults, to allergy labels - they have it all. They even offer labels with your own QR Code included, if you have a business or Web page that you'd like to direct others to check out. Their styles consist the typical name labels in a variety of sizes to stick onto cups and pencils, photo labels, iron-on labels for clothing, show labels, and even wristbands. Oliver's Labels even offers easy packages of labels that include everything you need for going to camp, clothing, and preschool!
I chose the Crossbones design for my sample pack of labels for review and had my oldest's last name added. I received a variety of styles - Original Labels, Shoe Labels, Mini Labels, and Stick-eez™ Clothing Labels. I immediately put the original labels on his remaining water bottles. The mini labels were attached to his favorite mechanical pencil (he loves drawing with it!), and I put the show labels into his new track shoes. I love that they are all waterproof and don't fade! So far, they're all still in place and, no matter how hard I scrub those water bottles, how far he runs in those shoes, and how much he uses that pencil, those labels look as if I just put them on the items today. The clothing stickers are just wonderful, too. I was afraid that stickers would end up falling off in the washer, but they're steadfast! For a kid who loses stuff like my oldest, these are invaluable for getting his jackets returned and keeping his trunks and towels for swimming in his possession.
The biggest test was making sure he wouldn't be embarrassed to use the items that had these new labels attached. Because, really, what's the point of having the labels if he won't take the bottles to school? He loved them! In fact, he even had a few of his friends and even a couple of teachers ask where I got them.
It has been three weeks and he has left his water bottle on the school bus and in the lunch room. He even left one of his favorite hoodies on the city bus. So far, though, his forgetfulness hasn't resulted in yet another loss. Every time, the items have been returned. (I'm glad we live in a small enough town that the hoodie found its way back because someone knew who the name on the label belonged to!) I am considering getting a "Found-It" subscription for all of the things that my family loses (unfortunately, it's not just my oldest who has this problem!). Guess what - Oliver's Labels has an option to include the Found-It code on your labels. So, if I do end up subscribing, I'll be sure to check out Oliver's.
So, if you're in need of some good labels that look cool and can withstand the wear and tear that kids tend to put them through, go check out Oliver's Labels first. In addition to their Web site, you can also find them on their Blog and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com
Little Guy has been learning how to use the potty since the beginning of summer. He's only had a handful of accidents at home since we just let him run around without pants on all day. When he began learning to use the potty, I bought one small package of Pull-Ups (I know... guilty) to use. Those Pull-Ups ran out about a month ago and, even though it's tempting, I will not buy any more. That means that I need to be prepared for accidents while we're away from home. I have a plastic bag with a clean pair of pants, underwear, socks, and shoes in it that I lug around wherever we go. I didn't need to use it until last week's trip to the grocery store.
It seems that my husband shared raisins with Little Guy the night before. Lots of raisins. (How many of you just thought, "Oh no!"?) So, yeah... Now, I should have known something was up when he complained that his tummy hurt as we were walking to the bus stop. He only complains about "owies" when he really has them. We were almost there, so I told him that I'd rub his tummy while we waited for the bus. He seemed fine by the time the bus arrived and I forgot all about his tummy ache.
Well, the inevitable happened - halfway through shopping, I start to smell something. Little Guy was walking funny. And he was unusually quiet - not running around trying to toss everything he could get his hands on into the cart. I just knew... Our Kroger does not have public restrooms, so I had to find an employee to show us the way to the "secret" bathroom in the back. I went through THREE people who refused to let us use the restroom! I had to make my way to the customer service desk, stand in line, and ask the manager. He started to shake his head, too. I threatened to clean a poopy little boy right there at the desk if he didn't show us to the restroom. That got him moving!
We got to the bathroom just as Little Guy's plastic pants began to leak - JUST in time! I looked around for paper towels that I could wet to clean him up and there weren't any (aren't employees - especially those working around food, supposed to wash their hands?!) There was only half a roll of that one-ply, see-through toilet paper. I started to dig through my bag. Band-aids, no. Camera, no. Crayons, no. Extra hat.... um, no. Then I saw it - I swear it had a heavenly glow surrounding it!
A few days earlier, I received two sample packs of QwikShower disposable washcloths. I tossed one of them into the bag and gave the other to my oldest to try out. I had planned on checking them out when I had a little extra time. I forgot and I am so glad! After undressing my poor little one, I opened up the package. I was expecting that fake lemony smell that wet wipes tend to have, but was surprised that it smelled really good! The wipe was about 10" X 12" and was thick enough that I knew it wasn't going to bleed through as I cleaned him up. I didn't think that just one was going to do the job very well, but it did. By the time we left the bathroom, Little Guy was clean and smelling fresh! (I let hubby deal with the laundry part after we got home!)
I plan on ordering a few more (you can get 10 for only $7) to carry around with us. After that experience, I don't want that feeling of dread at not having anything to clean him up with again! Plus, the scent is one that I know will appeal to my oldest. They'll be nice for him to toss into his bag for track or to use on those rare mornings when he wakes up just in time to get dressed and catch the bus. No one wants a nickname like "Stinky Kid" in high school!
You can buy your own QwikShower wipes at their online store - they will even send you a single-wipe sample for just $1 so you can try it out to see if you like it before buying more. QwikShower also has fundraising and affiliate programs, where they partner with PTA's, athletic booster clubs, and even bloggers. The organization (or blogger) will receive 10% of all proceeds from sales. You can learn more HERE, or contact Harvey via email.
Would you like a chance to win a 6-pack of QwikShower wipes to try out for yourself? Enter in the Rafflecopter form below!
Sorry that I keep getting backed up on choosing winners. It's just been one of those weeks... just like last week... and the week before. Ugh! I sure hope things calm down around here soon!
Anyway, I have two new winners to announce! Carole is the winner of the 6-pack of Mayesa Healthy Chocolate Beverages and Amanda H. won the 30-Day Supply of Cleaning Products from Natural House.
They will both be emailed and have 48 hours to get in touch with me before I have to choose new winners.
Congratulations to both
Carole and Amanda!!!
Oh, and don't forget that today is the last chance you will have to enter to WIN your choice of a hardcover children's book:Howard B. Wigglebottom from the We Do Listen Foundation. Please show some support for this great non-profit and enter to win!
And, tomorrow, the giveaway for Algebrator Software will end. I'm telling you - if you have a child who will be learning any kind of higher mathematics in the next few years (or if you're planning on going back to school!), you're going to want to enter. This is not a subscription service - you get to keep the software forever!
Now, I want you to know that I don't just grab up any review opportunity that comes along. Before I decided to do this review, I headed over to the Smiley Cookie site to check them out. What I found was surprising to me! The first thing I do when I contemplate buying a food item - online or in store - is check the ingredients. If I can read the listed ingredients without having to remember high school chemistry terms, I already feel good about the product. Smiley Cookies have ingredients that I can say without sounding-out the word. Yay! And, while some of the ingredients may not be the kind that we eat everyday, I see absolutely no reason to keep my family from indulging from time to time. This list of ingredients (wheat flour!) is tame enough that I wouldn't consider these cookies to be "indulgent" for my group of guys.
So, I decided to do the review. I can't tell you how excited I was when the package came in the mail! I secretly opened it up to check out the cookies. I didn't want anyone to know I had them because I had plans for them! I have to tell you that the box they came in is great. It is sturdy and has little Smiley Cookies all over it (see the pic below). I am still trying to decide what to do with it - send my mom's Christmas gifts in it or use it for something around here... Anyway, after I got through admiring the box, I saw the cookies - THEY WERE HUGE! I was expecting some little cookies that would just whet my family's appetite for more. Nope!
Remember a couple of weeks ago when I posted pictures of our outing downtown to watch the parade and meet Santa? I decided that, when we got home, we'd warm up with our Christmas Cookie gift and some warm cider. I hid the box of cookies where I knew no one would find them: behind the flour (I'm the only one who cooks around here!) Before we left for the parade, I poured the cider into the crock pot, added the spices, and set it to "warm". We all got outside and I "forgot" something. I came back in, pulled the cookies from their hiding place, and set them on the kitchen table.
When we got home, we were pretty chilled. The smell of the cider was welcoming! When the kids got into the kitchen, they were so excited to see this mysterious box with lots of Smiley Cookies all over it sitting on the table. They took off their coats as fast as they could and headed into the living room (they did not like that I wanted pictures!)
They couldn't open them fast enough! As soon as the box was opened, my husband walked in, asking what was going on - as if he didn't know! LOL They all dun in. Little Guy, who loves "took-tees", couldn't sit still.I had to remind them all to save me one of each so I could taste them for this review. I can say that, without a doubt, we all loved these cookies!
I was expecting to get crunchy cookies - something I'm not too fond of. Boy, was I surprised to bite into a SOFT cookie, instead! The gingerbread were perfect. The spice was just right and the texture was amazing. There was just enough icing from the smiley face to add the perfect amount of sweetness. The Christmas trees were sugar cookies. Now, I am pretty darn picky about sugar cookies - I've been spoiled by my Granny T's recipe. These were sugar cookies that I would buy! They were really good. Soft, light, and the icing was the perfect compliment.
Apologizing to the smiling tree before he finishes him off.
The happiest guy in the world - fists full of cookies!
I am so happy I did this review. I have found a new "favorite" cookie for the kids (and hubby!) that has ingredients that I know.The next time I want to order a Gourmet Christmas Gift for someone, Smiley Cookies will be the first place I turn to!
Notice how Little Guy is keeping his eye on how many cookies are left? LOL!
If you'd like to receive 20% any of Smiley Cookies' Holiday Gifts or Baskets, head over to their Facebook page and "Like" them. You will automatically receive a coupon code!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com
I suck at math. Actually, I should say I used to. I barely got through my high school Algebra, Geometry, etc. classes with D's. It just didn't make sense to me most of the time, so I stopped trying to figure it all out. When I had to take "Problem Solving I & II" for my online degree, I knew it was going to really be just a bunch of Algebra (it was.) BUT, I found that I learned much better when I was teaching myself! There is usually more than one way to get the right answer to a math problem, but my high school teachers always only taught ONE way. By learning on my own, I was able to find an easier way to remember all of the rules and ended up getting A's in both classes (mostly while nursing a newborn at the computer!)
When my oldest started having problems in Algebra last year, I was more than happy to help him out. We worked a few times a week together on his homework. I loved seeing that light go on whenever he finally understood how to do a problem. Then came his first test. He failed. While all of his answers were correct (Oh, yeah. I checked!), his teacher had marked all of them wrong because he didn't show his work the way she taught him how to do the problems - HER way or the highway. I tried to talk to her, to the principal, to get him transferred to a different teacher - nada. He was stuck. I couldn't understand her way, so how could I explain it to my son? He ended up giving up around October and failed the class. While I was disappointed that his GPA had dropped and he was no longer a member of the Junior National Honor Society, it was OK. He was taking a high school Algebra class in 8th grade, so he could take it over again this year and there wouldn't really be a penalty.
This year's Algebra teacher has been wonderful. While she cannot teach every possible way to do every type of problem, she does allow for students to figure out the best way for them to do the problems. As long as their answers come out correct consistently and they show their work, she's cool with it. My son did great the first few weeks - they did a bunch of review work. When new stuff was introduced, though, he got lost. I think that he stopped listening just long enough to find himself completely baffled. I tried to do the homework thing with him again, but his teen "I know it all" attitude got in the way. We'd both end up angry and frustrated with one another. When I had the chance to try out the Algebrator Software Tutor Program, I jumped at it!
Here's my 13 year-old's review:
I really like this algebra program. All I have to do is put one of my homework problems on the screen and this will show me how to do each step of the problem. It seemed hard to do at first, then my mom showed me that there are demos of how to solve every kind of problem. I could use this all the way to college. I'm going to need it because I want to be a video game animator and they need to have a lot of math classes. This will really really help me.
So, there you have it. When you see a video game that my son created in 10 years or so, you can think, "Gee, I guess Algebrator really does work!" LOL The demos he referenced are really cool and he's right - there are Videos and Screenshots of how to solve nearly every kind of problem there is. And you can choose between seeing the demos animated or on slide shows. (I love this because I just cannot learn effectively while watching a video, unlike my son.)
Algebrator covers all levels of algebra, from the basics of Pre-Algebra all the way up to college-level classes. Below is a list of the types of problems that can be entered into the program. I've got to tell you, this is just amazing to me that you can enter your own problems and learn how to solve them! My son likes to check his homework with Algebrator now because, if the answer is incorrect, going step-by-step shows him where he made his mistakes.
This is a screen-shot from the Algebrator Web site. Click on the picture above to see the entire page.
I love having this available to my son and I know that it is going to come in handy for years to come. You can get your own download and optional CD-ROM RIGHT HERE. It is a special price at nearly 50% off for my readers! Algebrator has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and is used in a ton of public & private schools and colleges. *Algebrator is compatible with any PC running any version of Windows (including Windows 7) and any Intel Mac running OS X.*
Or, you can see if you can win your own download of Algebrator in the Rafflecopter form, below!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
When I heard about Natural House's non-toxic household cleaners, I have to tell you I was intrigued. First, there were the names of their products: Sinky, Flushy, and Trashy. Hmm... weird, but what's in a name, right? Next, I wondered how on earth would probiotics help with cleaning. Well, it only took a few minutes to watch this video to see and understand. The idea seems so simple to me now. Why did no one think of this before?!
Yeah, kind of a "DUH!" moment for me! LOL
So, I gave them a try. Hubby, who is in charge of cleaning the bathroom (hey, I'm the only girl in a house full of guys - ICK!), was handed the package of four Flushy probiotic packets. He doesn't do well with instructions, so I was interested to see what he'd do. Oh, come on! I have to find some form on entertainment, don't I? I don't get out much... Anyway, the bag has instructions that are so easy, even Little Guy could have figured them out - there are pictures and words! Hubby looked at the pictures. LOL! He dropped the packet into the toilet, let it foam for about 15 minutes, then used the brush to scrub the inside of the bowl. He asked me, kind of worried, if he should flush the toilet or not. Um... yeah. While we didn't notice a difference right away, other than a sparkling clean toilet bowl, we did find a NOTICEABLE difference in the morning. Our bathroom no longer had that lingering truck stop bathroom odor anymore. I knew it was the toilet giving it off, but we just couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Must have been under the rim. Those little probiotics went at it and I no longer have to hold my breath when I go in the bathroom! YAY!
I have a huge complaint about dirty dishes in this house. People (Hubby and my oldest, to be exact) have a nasty habit of leaving a bite or two of food in their bowls and on their plates when they put them into the sink. Then, they rinse the dish off (at least they do that!) Well, little bits of cereal, cookie crumbs, and veggies end up getting washed down the drain. Add grease that inevitably ends up in the pipes when I wash pans. We always have had a slow drain and it will clog at least once every week or so. I refuse to pour toxic drain cleaner down there, so I've been hitting the clogs with baking soda and vinegar and following with a boiling water chaser. It works - kinda. Well, after just two weekly uses of Sinky, my drains are fast and we haven't had a clog! Additionally, my kitchen smells better, too. You know how clogged drains have that nasty, lingering odor? Well, I must have just gotten used to it - not a good thing! The steps leading to our apartment land visitors right in the middle of my kitchen. It never occurred to me that they were getting nasty sink odors as a first impression. It didn't until someone mentioned how nice it smelled in our apartment the other day. (Can you say "embarrassed" and "relieved" at the same time?!)
Finally, there's Trashy. He's my oldest's new cleaning friend, since he's the garbage hauler around here. Now, since we try to recycle, reuse, and compost as much as possible, our trash can go many days without needing to be taken out. We've tried using a smaller trashcan, but it leads to people trying to "make baskets" and making huge messes everywhere (that they, then, pretend they didn't notice and leave for Mom to step in at 2am on her way to the bathroom!) We've tried a lid, but that just concentrates the odor until it's released in one big stink cloud all at once when the trashcan is opened. I handed over the spray bottle of Trashy to my son and instructed him to give the can two sprays before he put the bag in, then two more inside the garbage bag. I wanted those little probiotics all over my trash. It worked wonders - no more stinky garbage!I can imagine using this in diaper pails and outdoor trash cans, too. In fact, I may just try it out on the dumpster when the weather gets warm again. When we get just the right breeze in the summertime, I have to close all of the windows or risk passing out from the terrible smell of that dumpster. I'll bet, if I spray the interior of that dumpster once a week, after the garbage truck comes by, I could probably keep that smell in check - nd send lots of little probiotics to the landfill to get working!
Natural House uses all plant-based ingredients that are eco-friendly and biodegradable. I really like knowing that they are working long after I toss my cleaning rags under the sink - an entire week, in fact! How's that for the biggest house-cleaning procrastinator in the world? And, I like to think that I'm doing a little extra long after the sink has been rinsed, the toilet flushed, and the trash has been taken out. Think of the probiotics that are being sent into the sewage system in the water. And what about the ones that are on my trash bag? If you can imagine more than half the households in just the U.S. using Natural House products, those probiotics could even turn around many of our polluted areas! Just by tossing a simple little packet into the sink and toilet once a week and spraying the trash can before putting in a new bag, I know that odors are controlled and those areas of my home are safer for my family (especially that little 3 year-old who loves touching things then sticking his fingers into his mouth!)
If you'd like to try out this revolutionary new cleaning products for yourself, you can purchase them directly through Natural House's Web site or on Amazon (great deal if you've go free shipping!) You could also enter to WIN A ONE-MONTH SUPPLY OF ALL THREE PRODUCTS! Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below!
*I've had problems with the Rafflecopter form loading properly on my homepage. It was suggested that I put in a page break before the form, so that's what I'm trying here. If you don't see the form, PLEASE just click on the title of this post and it should show up for you. If not, leave a comment on this post or get in touch with me on my Contact Me form so I can fix it!
My oldest was excited to try Mayesa's Healthy Chocolate beverages the second I told him I was going to review them. Every day, until my samples arrived, he'd come home from school and ask, "Did they come yet???" He's a big chocolate & mint lover, so he was really looking forward to trying Mayesa's Mint-flavored drink. The day the samples arrived, you'd have thought he won the lottery. I explained that I had to review the drinks, so I needed him to consider everything about them for me.
He sure took his job seriously! He checked out the label of each package, mentioning things he found interesting: He actually knew what each ingredient was - no need for a great deal of food chemical knowledge! Most of the ingredients are organic. It has a lot of vitamins in it - even 50% of the RDA of Vitamin D. It's dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free. And, it's all-natural.
Then, seeing an opportunity to use my computer, he asked if there was a Web site. OK... I figured that if he wanted to do all of the homework for me, then why not, right? I found him the Mayesa product information page. Being 13, he found it intriguing that I'd let him drink something with hemp in it. (LOL!) I explained that the "hemp" he was thinking of is only one type of a whole group of plants. We managed to have a little history/social studies lesson on what hemp was and is used for, beside the obvious. He was amazed that it contains protein and Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids. Also, hemp requires little water, no pesticides, and contains no GMO's. He also learned about cacao (a.k.a. "chocolate"!) and that it's actually very good for you. Since he's well-aware of the importance of antioxidants and protein, he was really stuck on those. I has to remind him that the milk chocolate he likes is very different from "cacao" and that, if he was thinking of trying to use his new information to get me to buy more candy, he was nuts!
Time for the taste-test. He tried the Mint Flavor first. He didn't like it. Said that it had too much flavor. Well, that's kind of weird. "Did you shake it up?" No, he didn't. He had put the straw right into the Tetra Pak, to the bottom, where all of the flavors had settled. We shook it up and he tried again. Oh, yeah! He loved it! He drank about half of it down, then wondered how it would taste warm (he loves minty hot chocolate). He poured some into a cup, heated it, and that was a thumbs-up, too. You should have seen him smelling, sipping, rolling it around in his mouth, etc.! We went through the same taste-testing with the Original flavor, but didn't skip the shaking part this time. He loved that, too, but preferred the mint.
Little Guy and I got to taste the Original, too, while my oldest kept the Mint all for himself. I liked the richness in it. It was like drinking liquid chocolate! The flavor was strong and good - not bitter. In fact, this is how I've imagined the chocolate drinks that Mayans made would taste. Smooth, flavorful, slightly sweet, and filling. Little Guy was enthusiastic about helping Mommy test this new drink, too. He tried to parrot all of the chocolate drink-connoisseur stuff my oldest had done. Hilarious! He loved it, too, and had a fit when he found he'd drank it all and there wasn't anymore!
I can say that, hands down, Mayesa passed the taste test in our family and passed my Mom inspection of the nutrition and ingredients labels.
A few other things I want you to know about Mayesa:
The Tetra Pak containers that Mayesa drinks are packaged in are made of cardboard from trees grown in managed forests and are recyclable.
Mayesa supports Kiva, a non-profit organization that provides loans to people around the globe in order to help them start businesses that will keep their families from poverty.
You can find Mayesa in stores if you live in Southern California, Texas, or Massachusetts. You can also order it online from the Mayesa site. (You'll also find printable coupons at that link!)
So, would you like a chance to win a 6-pack of Mayesa to try yourself? Mayesa has offered to give one reader 3 of their Original Cacao and 3 Mint-flavored healthy chocolate beverages. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form, below, and you'll be entered!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com
I used to wait tables. I had a huge callous on the middle finger of my left hand for years. I also had some major pain in mu thumb and index finger on that hand. On busy days, the pain would be so bad that I'd ice my hand when I got home just to numb the pain away. Though I haven't taken an order in years, that phantom pain comes back, especially in the winter.
My husband has a central nervous system disorder which makes it very hard for him to write. His hand shes so badly that his writing just looks like a bunch of zigzag lines. He must put a tom of pressure on his writing instruments to keep the shaking under control. With that much pressure, just writing his name is a long and arduous task. Writing an entire sentence can leave his hand, wrist, entire arm... even his shoulder and neck in pain.
Then, there's my oldest. Now, no kid should have problem with his hands at only 13 years old, but with the amount of homework he has been getting since starting high school and constantly having to take notes in every class, he comes home complaining of the pain in his hand. It worries me. How badly will his hand hurt when he gets out of college??? Is all of this writing messing up the way the bones, tendons, and muscles are developing? Will he be at risk for early onset of arthritis?
Oh, and I don't want to forget about Little Guy. Being the kind of person he is, he wants to do everything the rest of his family can do. He sees me making lists for things we have to do or buy. He wants to make his own lists. I give him a pad of paper and a pen and let him write his "list", but he can't grip a pen very well. It ends up slipping out of his fingers. He can't even draw a circle without having to reposition the pen. He ends up frustrated and angry. I've tried giving him a crayon or marker, but he wants to be like me and only a grown-up looking pen will do.
Last week, something pretty cool came to my family! We received a package of UGLee pens. Now, these are aptly named - they're not really pretty and sleek. But they're great for all of our problems. On those days when my pain returns, I can still write. My husband still has shaky hands, but he can write for a longer period of time. My oldest's hand pain has already become a memory. And even Little Guy can "write" his lists without the frustrations he's been feeling. (In fact, I've noticed that he can actually write a few letters. I just didn't know it when he was using cumbersome fat crayons and slippery pens and pencils.)
What makes UGLee Pens so different? The have a squishy grip on them. This thing is really weird-feeling and almost seems sticky. I kept expecting to have to wash my hand after using it. But I got used to it after a few tries and began to love it! It also contains ink that flows easily and smoothly. I have always preferred gel pens because they write so nicely, but UGLee Pen's ink has them beat. Finally, the pen is lightweight. You may not think of this when writing, but just a few ounces can make a huge difference!
"UGLee" stands for Ultimate Grip; Lee is the name of the doctor who invented this pen, Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee has a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University and earned his MD from Stanford University School of Medicine. He's not just some guy who decided to invent a different kind of pen! It took him years of studying the human hand and building tons of prototypes before he came to his final version of the UGLee Pen.
***If you are viewing this post from my homepage, please click on the title to go to the post page. Rafflecopter has a glitch that mixes up all of my giveaways when they're all shown on the same page.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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I love a good story. When I was very young, I remember coming across a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales and found myself lost in another world. This was the unabridged version - with a lot of gory details and vocabulary that was beyond my scope of understanding. But what I understood held my mind captive! I could almost hear the characters' voices in my head as I read. Since then, I have always preferred the "real" story over the pared-down versions.
That's why I was excited to have the opportunity to review the Story Harbour: Vol. 1, performed by Zette Harbour. This CD contains 50 minutes of folklore about life from all over the world. The six stories are not only entertaining, they're also tales that describe basic human desires and the consequences and rewards of each.
Track 1: Anansi & Stories Track 2: Master Of All Masters Track 3: The Little Old Woman Who Lived In A Vinegar Bottle Track 4: The Crane Wife Track 5: The Sound Of The Money Track 6: The Innkeeper's Clever Daughter
I'm going to tell you something about me that I'm slightly embarrassed about: I am terrible at reading aloud. First, my eyes are much faster than my mouth and I'm slightly dyslexic - I end up scrambling up the words on the page and often need to start over. It drives the kids nuts! The other day, after my third screw-up, Little Guy closed the book and told me he's wait for Brubber to get home to read it. Yeah, it's that bad. And, even on a good day, I mess things up. I try to give the characters voices to make the stories more fun. Ha! Either I end up giving them all the same silly voice, or I get mixed up over which voice is whose and none of the characters ever has the same voice twice in a story. (Good thing there are lots of pictures so Little Guy doesn't get confused over who is talking!)
Zette Harbour isn't just good at telling stories, she's a brilliant performer who can paint a beautiful picture in your mind with only her spoken words. Her story-telling style grabs your attention from the first word and has you listening with rapt attention. She gives the perfect voices to her characters and even includes accents based on where in the world the story originated. She adds excitement to her stories by speeding up and slowing down her speech, her tones rise and fall with the emotions in the stories. I could listen to Story Harbour, Vol. 1 repeatedly through the day and not get tired of it - I'm serious!
Now, it all well and good that I like this CD, but what about the kids? They both love it as much as I do! My oldest has always been fond of folklore and was excited to hear it playing when he came home from school last week. He was being "cool" and nonchalant about it, though. Rather than dropping his bag and heading outside to "hang", he sat in the kitchen and listened until the CD was over.
And then there's Little Guy. He's just turned three and doesn't have a lot of patience for many things. The first time I played Story Harbour, I was doing it for myself for this review. He was busy playing with cars, puzzles and guys all at the same time. After the first story, Anansi & Stories, I realized that it had gotten quiet - no more cars smashing into one another, no frustrated whining about a puzzle piece not fitting right, and I hadn't been hit in the head with a flying elephant for some time. Nope - Little Guy was sitting on his little chair with his hands folded in his lap, intently listening to the stories! It was especially surprising because some of the vocabulary is beyond his understanding. I guess he was doing what I did with Grimm's - just doing his best to understand. We've been listening to one story a night before bed lately. As he's falling asleep, we talk about the story. I'm really liking this new ritual!
Would you like a chance to share this wonderful CD with a little one in your life? Heck, you don't need a child around to enjoy this CD - enter if you love a good story!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Little Guy wants so badly to help me whenever I have the scissors. I've tried many times to help him learn how to use them, but he just doesn't have the motor skills needed to use scissors yet. He ends up so frustrated and I feel badly for him. Most of our projects require some kind of cutting and, being such a self-reliant little one, it drives him nuts that he cannot do this part of his project on his own.
I found a great product that he can use, though! It is called the Slice Safety Cutter. It's basically a little plastic thingy with a tiny ceramic blade in it. You hold the cutter, blade side down, and pull it along the paper you want to cut. It easily slices through magazine pages, printer paper and newsprint. You can cut straight lines and even curves. I ran my finger over the ceramic blade numerous times and didn't get a scratch, so I knew he could use it without me breathing don his neck every second. While Little Guy still hasn't completely mastered using the Slice Safety Cutter, he is already proud of his ability to cut paper on his own. I gave him an old magazine to try it out on yesterday and he had a ball!
I swear he has more shirts!
Note to self: Wash his face first!
Slice Safety Cutter is great for couponers! I always hated having to take the entire insert apart to get to that one coupon in the middle of a page - now I don't have to. I can just use the cutter to get to it. And what about those projects where you need to cut a circle or heart out of the center of a piece of paper? I always end up either folding the paper or cutting jagged shapes. The Slice Safety cutter makes short work of this!
I was kind of worried that the cutter would get lost because it's so small. I stuck it in the jar that I keep me paper clips in so I could find it. Guess what: the next time I pulled it out, paper clips were stuck all over it. It's magnetized, so I can keep it on the fridge, out of the hands of a little one who tends to lose all of my little things in a flash.There is also a little hole in one end so you can attach it to your key chain.
Now, here's the important part: When you buy products from Slice, Inc., you are helping with Autism research. The company was created as a way to help the founder pay for his autistic son's treatments and therapy. A portion of the proceeds from every purchase is donated to help fund autism research so that we may one day find the exact cause and even a cure for autism!
You can find the Slice Safety Cutter and many more innovative cutting tools for home and office at Slice, Inc.'s Web site. You can also connect with them on Facebook.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
