The other day, DH posted a message on Facebook that really made me feel old. He mentioned "Back to the Future" (released in 1985) and how they went ALL THE WAY BACK to 1955. I remember how it seemed like the olden days because 1955 was 15 years before I was born and to a teenager, that's a really long time.

Well, the reason that DH's comment made me feel old was because after he talked about "Back to the Future" he mentioned a new movie coming out called Hot Tub Time Machine. They travel all...the...way...back...to.........1986! I watched the trailer and laughed. That is, until I recognized the hair, the clothes and the music. When a movie way-back machine lands the characters smack in the middle of my high school years, I think I have a right to feel old.

And if I kept all my stuff from then, apparently I would be in style.

Seriously.

For sure.

As part of a campaign for BuzzParadise, I was asked to share information about Usher's “DADDY’S HOME” with CARRERA. In the video, Usher is sporting a pair of Endurance sunglasses by Carrera - glasses that were inspired by the 1980's. I watched... and recognized the glasses... and felt an instant flashback to my younger days.

Check it out:

Usher - Hey Daddy [Official Brand New Video]

Regardless of our age, we want to look good - in whatever style we call our own. If your style is the current retro, be sure to check out the vintage collection at Carrera.com!

As for me... I'm going to start digging through boxes in the basement until I find my collection of high school keepsakes. I'll totally be in style... totally tubular.

Thanks to BuzzParadise for inviting me to participate in this campaign. As a thank you for posting, I will receive non-product compensation from BuzzParadise. These are still honest and sincere comments. If you're interested in becoming a BuzzParadise VIP, drop me a comment with your email and I'll send you an invite!

2 comments

Reviews of Princess Potty and Pirate Potty by Samantha Berger and Amy Cartwright

I became a mother of four overnight, via the foster care system. So my acquisition of Mom skills and techniques was a madly fast combination of trial-error, parent-modeling of my 26-year-old nanny, and dashing off desperate questions to friends via Facebook.

Occasionally I question my qualifications as a "real" mother, but then I look around and notice my kids are happy, well-behaved, fed, and clean, so I must not be doing too badly.

From that perspective I offer the following five-word review of the sticker-based, potty training stories, "Princess Potty" and "Pirate Potty."

Stickers good. Gender stereotyping bad.

Explanation 1: Instant reward gets the best result. The instant gratification of a sticker reward has worked wonders in the bathroom with my 22-month old. (Note: She asked to start going potty because of watching her older siblings. She wants to do everything they do.) My daughter has understood completely that if something comes out in the toilet, she gets a sticker! When she gets 10 stickers, she got a piece of candy! She loves the feeling of pride and all the praise! And she LOVES pulling up her own underwear, flushing the toilet herself, washing her hands. Simple, straightforward, and cheap. Meanwhile, I am still trying to figure out how to put together the punch-out tiara for her to wear. Oh bother... here. Just play with this block!

Explanation 2: Being a princess, in real life, isn't that great. And neither is being a pirate. These two books are sweet stories of a little girl princess and a little boy pirate learning how to potty. OK, call me a humbug of the imagination, but I know that the ideas we teach our little ones from early on give them a sense of what they are capable of. The princess concept of fairy tales is false, and pirates are rogues.

What does a movie princess do for a living? Oh, yes, that's right. She lays around in a slumber (or waits around) for a prince to come and make everything happily every after. Gag me with a spoon. Oh, yes, and pirates are people who steal things, often violently.

Come on, Moms... do you really want to promote that kind of identification with your kids?

Explanation 3: Boys are pirates, and girls are princesses? Barf. My 4-year-old twins are obsessed with princesses. Why? Because in their previous homelife, their other Mom bought them every Disney fairy-princess themed item ever built. And my 5-year-old son was mainlined into the Lightening McQueen/Spiderman items.

Gender stereotyping can and will limit the way your children think about themselves. We want to give our kids boundaries, but do we want to tell our daughters that the stereotypical view of a "passive" female is the role model of choice? Do we want to instill in our sons that they are expected to be aggressive and violent?

According to Angela Gooden, who has study in the impact of gender stereotyping in children's books: "As they develop, children look for structure in their lives and are driven by an internal need to fit into this structure.” When kids are repeatedly given stereotypical messages, their choices of what they want to become or accomplish is limited by these gender stereotypes.

The mere fact that these potty training authors felt they needed to write two different books -- one pirate, one princess -- indicates their willingness to give in to the cultural drive that put limits on who our children believe they can be, and what they can achieve.

I expect that my daughters would have liked dolls anyway -- they are naturally nurturing -- but so is my wildly active son, who loves to play with his sisters' dollhouse and with the dress up clothes that Granny gave them. The girls chase around the backyard with their own makeshift guns, shouting "bang bang bang!" and they want to climb every tree my son does. They all love Astroboy, and see themselves as him. At this age, they are absorbing all the possibilities of life: why limit them to only the "femaley" ones? Or to what boys "should" be?

The princess label isn't big enough for for my daughters, and my sweet, wildly sensitive son would never make a good pirate, despite his desire to swing from ropes.

Conclusion: In terms of potty training, less is more. These books, though pretty and offering lots of distractions, aren't necessary. And when paired with the one-dimensional images of girls and boys in the media, could actually harm your child on a deeper, more meaningful level.

Stickers, however, are good.

Disclosure: Elizabeth received Princess Potty and Pirate Potty at no charge for the purpose of preparing a review for SAHM Reviews. These are her honest views and opinions.

2 comments

Did I win, did I win? Exederm Skin Care? $50 Walmart Gift Card? The suspense is killing me!

Well, if your name is "Judy" or "Fun times with the Larsen's" then maybe.

Random.org was shining on Judy, Comment #24, in the Exederm Skin Care giveaway. And for the $50 Walmart Gift Card, Comment #129 "Fun times with the Larsen's" was the winner. If they decide not to claim their prizes, I'll move on to the alternate... but seriously, why WOULDN'T they claim their prizes.
It's always cool to be able to work with wonderful companies and networks. Thanks to Exederm and Family Review Network for providing the products for review and giveaway in the Exederm post. Thanks also to Walmart and Mom Central for providing gift cards for the Super Bowl review and giveaway!

If random.org didn't pull your number this time, there are always more opportunities! Check out Mel's review of "A Black Tie Affair" where we're giving away a copy of the book to five SahmReviews.com readers.

...And there's always more to come!

Update March 1, 2010: Wow. Couldn't believe the Walmart winner didn't claim their prize. Per the rules, I moved to the alternate comment... which didn't meet the requirements of a valid entry. So I headed back to Random.org for another winner. #226 came up as the new winner. So congrats to coriwestphal!

6 comments

When Miss M was just a baby, I tried to find educational opportunities wherever possible. For example, if I needed to use the microwave, I would get the food or drink ready, place it in the microwave then go find Miss M before starting it. I would hold her tiny little fingers in mine and help her press the buttons. "Okay, we need 30 seconds so three, zero, start." She didn't have a clue what I was talking about at the time but I continued the task anyhow.

As she got older, we recognized that numbers are a strength for her. Granted, DH and I are both numbers people, but I think the emphasis on learning numbers and time when she was so young certainly didn't hurt.

A few years ago for Christmas, we purchased digital watches for Miss M off of Amazon. Miss K was much too young and small for them. When they arrived, we were disappointed to see that there was no way Miss M would be able to use them because the bands were too big and they weren't adjustable. She tried to use them but it was pretty much a waste. They were inexpensive (like 5 for $6 or something) so she mostly just used them as dress-up around the house.

So I swore off watches for the kids until they're much older.

At least that's what I thought... They're both very interested in watches and learning to tell time. Miss K (Kindergarten) is reading digital clocks very well while Miss M (1st grade) has analog completely figured out - including how many minutes left in the hour. When my contact with The Children's Place sent out some promotional materials that included pictures of watches to accessorize their adorable outfits, I inquired. My daughters are small and I didn't want to request to review an item that might not fit them. She said they size down pretty small so I thought we could take the chance. After all, they are so cute!

When the watches arrived, the girls independently selected which one they preferred and it was great that their favorite wasn't the same. Both of them loved their fancy new watches and couldn't wait to try them on.

But, of course, they were too big. DH took on the responsibility of resizing them down to their smallest size. The bands are a solid link-style band with a flap-over latch, as opposed to the belt-notch type band. He made the process look pretty easy but we were left with a small problem. The watches were still too big for both of the girls. Miss K didn't care though. She slid the watch up her arm until she found a location that it fit comfortably. She pulled out her glass-is-half-full attitude and said "That's okay. I'll wear it up here and I can see it better." She's right, it is closer to her eyes but it's winter so wearing it outside her long sleeves might be her best solution right now.

Miss M gladly wore her new watch also and I was amazed at how much she took an interest in finding opportunities to read it. When she was taking turns with turns with Miss K on something, she said "Okay, you have TWO minutes left." It heightens the control-freak in her, but at least she's learning to accurately tell time!

Miss K, on the other hand, sees it as a fashion statement. An accessory regardless of its primary purpose of being a way to tell time. Regardless of the way she uses it now, it will be readily available when she begins to find an interest in figuring out what time it is. Or more likely, making sure her sister doesn't gyp her out of anything when her sister gives the two minute warning.

Relating to the style - Over the years, I have become accustomed to this type of band and love it. If for some reason it comes unlatched, it has to slide past your hand before you lose it. On more than one occasion, mine has landed in my hand before hitting the ground When I look at how active my kids are, this limits the likelihood the watch will be lost while playing. However, that same benefit is the biggest detriment for these watches for our family. My girls are 1st grade and kindergarten and are both very small for their ages. As you can see from the picture of the yellow watch, when at its smallest setting, the clasp overhangs the wrist. Even at the smallest setting, I can wear these watches, albeit a little tight.

Honestly, these are adorable watches with a variety of styles for both boys and girls. They're just not for petite children. Actually, on a recent trip through a major department store, I saw an entire section dedicated to clothing for plus-sized kids so maybe my kids are just the exception.

Would I buy one of these watches for my daughters? Not right now because obviously they wouldn't fit. Would I consider buying one or recommending one for an older child or a child who has larger wrists? Absolutely. They're totally cute. However, I would recommend that if you plan to do so, you stop in at one of The Children's Place brick and mortar locations to make sure that it's actually going to fit.

If you are not familiar with The Children's Place, I encourage you to check out their website. While I enjoy their casual clothing lines, I love seeing all the beautiful dresses they have around major holidays. (Psst. Easter dress anyone?) If you are familiar, did you realize they have watches?!

You can also stop by The Children's Place Facebook Fan Page where they're giving away The Children's Place gift cards and Johnson's products in their Spring Giveaway.

Although these watches didn't fit right now, watches aren't something you outgrow. I have watches that I've had since I was in high school. Since they're built well, I know they can wear them for years to come.

Disclosure: A representative for The Children's Place sent me the two watches pictured above in order for me to prepare this review. The opinions and comments that I provided are my own and were not impacted by how I received the items. No additional compensation was received.

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Miss M and Miss K got up and dressed this past weekend. Picked out their own clothes and were ready to start the day.

...until I saw them...

Their pants were so short, they looked like capri pants. I absolutely couldn't believe it. Fine, kids grow, but I've been sorting and removing clothes out of their drawers for about a month and these recently fit. I swear! Did they have a growth spurt overnight?!

Yeah, kids grow. And they grow fast. Everyone told me when they were born "Enjoy them because they'll be getting married before you know it." I laughed but they're right. The other day, DH even said "Do you realize that (Miss M) is over halfway to being a teenager?"

Sigh.

It's cool to see them developing a sense of individuality. Not only in their clothes, but other things they do. Toys, sports, friends and even food. I've mentioned before that my kids have graduated to Suave bath products. The products work great and provide a nice stepping stone between baby and adult products. Thanks to a variety of scents, my girls have choices in what their hair and skin smell like, too. It's funny to see how their personalities come out just from the fragrance they select. Suave's new campaign "Wash them Grow" sums it up well.

MomSelect (BSM Media) launched a campaign to spread the word about Suave products and their "Wash Them Grow" Sweepstakes. Well, today's the last day to enter the sweepstakes. Be sure to stop over and get in your entry! I know, I know. It's last minute but even lottery tickets purchased right before the drawing have a chance of winning.


So what are you waiting for? Go enter!

Disclosure: For participating in the campaign to spread the word about Suave, I received a few Suave products for the kids to use. No monetary compensation was received. The blogger who forwards the most people to the contest would win prizes, but I didn't post early enough to participate in any of those!

2 comments

Book Review: A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

One of my favorite things to do when visiting Chicago is making a stop at the Museum of Science and Industry. Most recently when I was there they had a new display of technology, with the creators of each item and how they came up with the idea. My favorite item was a dress (shown below). Wouldn't you love trying to find somewhere to wear this dress?

That's why when the opportunity came up to read Sherrill Bodine's book "A Black Tie Affair", I jumped on the chance. I love romance books that aren’t typical and this one is based on an actual incident in which Tim Long, costume curator at the Chicago History Museum was poisoned by a Dior dress in 2006. Sounds too good to be true right? I found an article/interview with Tim Long over at Laura Barnett Designs. Plus, this author is somewhat local to me, being as she is based in Chicago, where her story is located. The story is amazing, Sherrill has taken quite a lot of her story from actual places, people and events. After reading her story, it was interesting to me that the fallout shelter in the story does exist somewhere in an Illinois cornfield. Plus, I’m always traveling to Chicago, I am definitely making a stop at the Chicago History Museum the next time I’m there to see the amazing Costume collection.

Athena, the focal character, is a fashion curator. She is working on building a costume collection with different dresses from various time periods. The only problem is trying to get a few dresses from the Claysworth. At the beginning of the book she is driven to the family vault by the aunt of the Claysworth family. Driving from downtown Chicago, they head out into the farmland and, looking around, Athena is not sure where they are. She is told by Bridget, the aunt, that the fallout shelter holding the dresses was designed so not to be seen from the air. This is how they end up in a soybean field, where the roof is soybeans. Pretty neat idea I thought for covering up where it’s located.

Once inside, Athena gets to work with looking over the dresses. This is another place it gets interesting; she puts on gloves and crawls under the dress. Did you know that fashion curators have to look on the inside of the dress to figure out how the dress is made, and what undergarments are appropriate to be worn with them? I learned while reading this book, as well as the article about Tim Long, that curators will have those undergarments made so that when the dress is put on display it is shown in the correct way with all the support necessary for it to look great. Anyway, when Athena is examining the dress, she is poisoned, and thus starts a chain of events that you have to read to believe.

I highly recommend this book with a 5/5 rating. It has some adventure, romance and fiction based on factual incidents and places. For more about Sherrill Bodine, check out her website. She also has a book out called Talk of the Town, hope you check it out! And if you're interested, it's also available in electronic format!

Not only did I give it a 5/5 rating, but I also have FIVE copies to give away to FIVE lucky winners (one copy each, of course). Want to know how?

Participants -

...must provide a US or Canadian shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on March 4, 2010, five winners will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winners have 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the next random selection.

How to enter:

11 comments

First, I want to thank everyone who entered the giveaway for the Dremel Multi-Max. It's a very cool tool and I was extremely excited to share it with my readers. It was a lot of fun hearing about all the projects people are working on. Unfortunately, there could only be one winner and according to Random.org, that person is Kristy.

Kristy has 72 hours to respond or I move on to the alternate. But since she's an email subscriber, a Facebook fan and a follower, I don't see that as being a problem.

For everyone else, there's still time to enter my giveaway for Exederm Skin Care as well as a $50 Walmart Gift Card. And if you have kids, stop by the Suave Kids Wash Them Grow website for a chance to win weekly prizes or the grand prize of a trip for four to Orlando!

I have several contributing authors who have been hard at work on various projects. There are a lot of great reviews and giveaways still to come so stay tuned!

2 comments

Do you have a trivial memory from your childhood that sticks? Sometimes I wonder why silly things are so ingrained in my brain - memories of everyday stuff that really didn't have much importance. Whenever I comb my daughters' hair, I have this little flashback to my mom combing mine and me pitching a fit if she didn't use the "No more tangles" stuff. To make it even more ridiculous, I have faded memories of the commercials for it, too.

Well, my kids are currently 5 and 7 so we've mostly graduated out of baby products and utilize Suave body wash and shampoo. However, there are some "baby" products, like wipes, washes and detanglers that aren't just for babies. Even Johnson's sweepstakes at Locks in 10 dispels the myth that baby oil is only for babies stating that "Johnson's Baby Oil is for anyone who wants the trusted gentleness and great looking baby soft skin that only Johnson's can provide."

We use Johnson's Baby Oil to remove stubborn temporary tattoos and Johnson's head-to-toe baby wash is one of our go-to products for the girls' face and more sensitive areas. Even though they are titled baby products, we use them. Why? Because they fill a need for us. The body wash is a quality product that doesn't bother the kids' eyes... and removing the potential for their eyes to burn makes bathing them less stressful. And in case you're wondering - yes, I use Johnson's Buddies detangler when their hair is a total mess.
About a month ago, Mom Central launched a campaign for Johnson's baby products. They asked for bloggers who would be participating in a baby shower. Me? No babies here. Even though we use Johnson's products, I wasn't comfortable with laying claim to the mother load of Johnson's products that would be included in this blog tour. However, just a few days before Mom Central sent out their tour announcement, the woman across the street gave birth to her second baby. Since I'm a true believer in Johnson's baby products, I submitted my name for consideration making specific note that any samples I received would be packaged up and given to my neighbor.

I was pleased to be selected for the tour and was delighted to see the package arrive. I proudly packaged up the items into a cute gift bag and pranced them across the street to the neighbor. Whether it's for a shower or just a gift, the nice thing about a gift like this is that you know it will be utilized. New moms and experienced moms only need a certain number of receiving blankets and picture frames. Disposable items like diapers and bath products will definitely be put to good use. When I delivered them, she looked into the bag and said "Oh, we'll use these!" Even as a seasoned mom, I have to be honest and say that I didn't realize that Desitin was a Johnson's product! We didn't use rash cream very often so I don't even remember what brand I used. With total confidence, I can say that I used all the other products that were in the package from Mom Central were ones that I used on my girls when they were babies.

What I like about Johnson's products are that they have stood the test of time. Like I said, I remember my mom using Johnson's No More Tangles on me when I was young (so yeah, about 35 years ago). But I know that they don't just sit around with the same product. I've participated in a few product tests for Johnson's products (sshhhh, I'm not allowed to talk about it) so I know they ask for feedback from typical families like us. Even from the time that my kids were babies (not long ago), they've launched new products or at least new formulas like Johnson's Baby Bubble Bath.

If you have some time, also check out the Soak in the Secret Sweepstakes. You can also stop by The Children's Place Facebook Fan Page where they're giving away Johnson's products in their Spring Giveaway.

Johnson's products are tried and true. They're great products and make awesome shower gifts. Stop by Johnson's website to see all the products they offer now! Thanks to Mom Central for allowing me to participate in this blog tour!

Disclosure: Mom Central sent me the above pictured Johnson's baby products as compensation for participating in this blog tour. As mentioned, the package was given to a neighbor but the comments expressed were mine as a result of prior use of Johnson's products. No other compensation was received for this review.

3 comments

The following review was brought to you by Elizabeth. Before settling in to her current home, Elizabeth lived and traveled overseas. She was a great candidate for this review!
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My kids are constantly trying to get my attention when I am happily engaged reading status updates on my iPhone's Facebook app. Tati even likes to yell: "MOM MOM MOM!" then grab the phone and smack me on the nose if I don't answer her... Oh yes, I forget you were sitting there, darling. Sorry.

I guess the solution is to come up with a way to engage the kids with my beloved technology... and one great way to do that is with educational iPhone apps, just for them.

I tested Lola's Flag Adventures this week, a memory and trivia game for kids 4 and up. It's gives kids the chance to learn flags of the world while honing their memory and fine motor skills. The Memory portion is simple "card turn" game that my 4-year-old twins loved. The Trivia game was also a memory game, but this time it was a multiple choice Q&A. Requires reading skills, or at least Mom and Dad there to read the questions to them.

I wasn't super keen on the sliding-answer tool on the Trivia side-- it was a bit sticky at times. Not a great feature for impatient kids. However, I think this game is a great tool for occupying little hands and minds, for $1.99. Certainly it teaches them more than Bejeweled ever will. I know when I played it, within minutes I learned 10 or so flags that I hadn't known before.

I look forward to more fun games added to it-- perhaps a way to drag your finger over a globe and see the maps interact with the locations of the countries! Probably geography info will be more relevant than just knowledge of the design of the flags.

Overall, worth the 2 bucks, especially if you like to share you iPhone with the kiddos.

For more information on Lola's Flag Adventure, check it out at the App Store or log on to the BeiZ website for this and other educational apps for your iPhone or iTouch.

Disclosure: Elizabeth received a promotional code to download Lola's Adventure. No additional compensation was received.

2 comments

Back in the early 90's, DH and I collaborated with my oldest brother and started a fantasy football league for our friends. It was back when common folks like us accessed the internet via CompuServe, AOL and Prodigy. We even utilized a paid service for statistics and software because at the time, free stats weren't available anywhere.

I'm not sure what prompted us to start the league in the first place, but I have great memories of it. I recall how everyone met in the conference room at our office and we conference called the few friends who were out of town. We sifted through players and put together teams consisting of people from various teams. Until that point, I had pretty much been a Bears fan because they are the closest team to us. But with the advent of fantasy football, DH and I found that every game in the NFL had potential. We would spend each Sunday watching game after game, flipping channels and cheering for a variety of players. We wanted our quarterback to pass, but not to that player because he was on our FFB opponent's team.

What I found myself doing is watching and talking about every game. I was able to hold my own in a conversation about any football game... at a time when women didn't typically show any interest in the game except for one specific team. And men were always shocked when I would throw out stats about how many how many yards someone ran, how long the field goal was or how many sacks or fumbles transpired. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a walking statistical dictionary of all the games... just the games involving my fantasy league team - and my opponent's. I found the whole thing exhilarating.

Since my girls are at an age where we don't want to spend every Sunday in front of the television, we aren't currently participating in a league. However, we do keep up on football and still enjoy rooting for our former players (and the Bears, of course). As for the Super Bowl... well, what football fan would want to miss that? Doubt we'll be able to watch the entire game, but that's okay. It's all about the Super Bowl experience anyhow.

And that experience means something different to everyone. For some, it means hitting the local sports bar to enjoy the game in good (and opposing) company. For others, it means hunkering down on the couch with family and friends. Then there's the group that puts together the full snack spread and invites friends over. If you're one of those people who plans to make it an big event then I hope your shopping is already done. If you're up late planning and doing a morning run for groceries and supplies, then pop over to Walmart's Game Time website. There, you'll find recipes, snack ideas and even printable shopping lists for entertaining from as few as two to as many as 100. And heaven forbid that you haven't picked up the new TV for the game, Walmart has deals on those, too...right on the game time website. Walmart also boasts "Game Time Snacks for Eight for as low as $44".

Live football not enough for you? Counting down the days until the release of Madden NFL 11 so you can get your NFL fix during the off season? Doritos and Madden NFL 11 have teamed up to offer a $20 Walmart eGift Card when you preorder your copy at Walmart.com.

No matter how you look at it, Walmart is a great place to stretch your dollar whether it be for the big game, a holiday or just everyday shopping.

As a frequent shopper of Walmart, I'm excited to be able to spread the word about the great deals that they offer. As part of this promotion, brought to you by Mom Central and Walmart, I have a gift card to give to one of my lucky readers. Want to hear more? Keep reading...

The Prize: $50 Walmart Gift Card

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on February 17, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the next random selection.

How to enter:

(1) Get your game face ready at Walmart.com.
(2) Leave a comment on this post at SahmReviews.com with which Walmart appetizer, snack or, uh-hmmm, beverage is an absolute must-have at your Super Bowl event. (Edit 2/8: Since the Game-Day website is no longer available, please stop by the Valentine's section and comment on something interesting you found there.)

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -
-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)
<center><a href="http://www.sahmreviews.com" target="_blank"><img alt="SAHM Reviews" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ia2ca/Sahm/SahmReviews125.jpg"/></a></center>
-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest by February 10th and link back to it.
-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest by clicking here or copying the following text:
"Giveaway for a $50 Walmart Gift Card http://tinyurl.com/ydyhtue @SahmReviews Please RT #giveaway". Comment with a link to your tweet.
-- One Entry: Become a fan of SAHM Reviews on Facebook. Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.
-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.
-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews here at SahmReviews.com and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Disclosure: Thank you to Mom Central and Walmart for providing the prize for this giveaway. As a thank you for participating in this blog tour and sharing Walmart's Game Time website and deals, I received a Walmart gift card as well. No other compensation was received.

286 comments

I have to say that I've been fortunate when it comes to the health of my kids. Once we got past what seemed like never-ending examinations and tests when Miss M was a baby, it's pretty much been smooth sailing. They're beautiful little girls.

But I've always been cautious of products that I use on them. Bath soaps, lotions and even diapers when they were babies. If it caused a rash, it was banned from the grocery list. My friend, Trish, hasn't been so lucky. Her daughter, now in high school, has been forever plagued with health issues such as asthma and eczema.

So when the Family Review Network sent out word that they needed reviewers for Exederm, I thought "I don't have babies in the target range, let alone babies with skin sensitivities." I originally passed on the idea of reviewing the product so that others could test it out. But then Trish told me that she's been spending an arm and a leg to purchase special lotions, bath soaps and shampoos for not only her daughter but also for her kindergarten son. She was a little more vocal about it than normal because she had recently realized her first grade son was also showing symptoms of eczema. She was quite upset about it. It was hard enough having two children with skin issues but now having a third was overwhelming. It meant special care and caution from everything to normal bathing to standard hand washing.

I gave it a lot of thought then asked if she would be interested in trying and reviewing a few products for SAHM Reviews. Trish was skeptical because her options are slim on which products don't cause more issues. While she was at my house, we read about Exederm and how it's safe for babies. "Baby" lotion and "Baby" shampoo aren't just for babies - it just means that it's safe for babies. Trish agreed that it couldn't hurt to try. The worst that could happen is she crossed another brand off the list. The best... that she had a new line of products to add to the approved list for not only her high school daughter but also both her elementary school sons.

And so the challenge began. I provided samples to Trish and she put them to the test. Here's what Trish had to say about the following Exederm products:
Intensive Baby Moisturizer - It was soothing and creamy. It lasted and was non-irritating. Would buy in the future for her children.
Cleansing Baby Bath - It had a good lather, was non-irritating and did not leave a film. Would buy in the future for her children.
Soothing Baby Oil - It was a thin oil and didn't cake onto the skin. Would buy in the future for her children.
Non Irritating Baby Shampoo - Provided a small lather, Non-irritating and left no residue on the hair. Would buy in the future for her children.
Flare Control Cream - This was Trish's favorite product stating that it worked the best out of all the items. Obviously, she would buy it again for her children. She said it lasted about four hours and required very little to rub in and have the soothing start working.
Hydrating Baby Lotion - It was soothing and non-irritating, but flaky. This was the only product that she didn't feel worked well for her children and would not purchase this for her children.

As you can see from the photos, which were taken immediately after using Exederm, it toned down the eczema into just being red splotches instead of flaky. When Trish and I spoke about the various products and her opinions, she said she was overall very happy with the results.

After listening to Trish talk about the many health woes her children experience, I feel even more grateful to be blessed with healthy children. Thanks to Family Review Network for allowing me the opportunity to introduce Trish and her family to Exederm! I'm also excited to be able to introduce my readers to Exederm. One reader will win their choice of a product from the Exederm line. Keep reading to learn how.

The Prize: One Exederm product from baby line

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on February 16, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the next random selection.

How to enter:
(1) Check out the various products at Exederm.com.
(2) Leave a comment on this post at SahmReviews.com with which product would work best for your family.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -
-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)
<center><a href="http://www.sahmreviews.com" target="_blank"><img alt="SAHM Reviews" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v737/ia2ca/Sahm/SahmReviews125.jpg"/></a></center>
-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest by February 11th and link back to it.
-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest by clicking here or copying the following text:
"Giveaway for Exederm skin care http://tinyurl.com/y9w5wyp @SahmReviews Please RT #giveaway". Comment with a link to your tweet.
-- One Entry: Become a fan of SAHM Reviews on Facebook. Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.
-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.
-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews here at SahmReviews.com and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thanks to Exederm and Family Review Network for providing the prize for this giveaway!

Disclosure: In order to provide a review of Exederm products, Family Review Network and Exederm provided the above pictured/mentioned products. Those were given to Trish to utilize as directed on the packaging. No additional compensation was received. Exederm provided an additional product to be sent directly to the winner of the giveaway.

31 comments

Some of my earliest memories involve my dad wearing a tool belt. A carpenter by trade, a contractor by profession, it has always been his life. When we were kids, he had a shop in the basement with a work bench, vise and wall full of hand tools. I remember how he had outlined the spot where each tool went. If anything was missing, it was plain as day what it was.

And now that he's retired, well, he can't seem to NOT work. He has finally started tackling projects for himself - built a garage for his truck and included a new workshop area, too. He volunteers on committees at the church and when we know he has a few spare minutes, my mom, sister-in-law and I add things to his Honey-Do list.

This past September, we finally started converting part of the basement into a play area for the kids. My dad came over and helped DH with as much as they could. As we neared the end, a PR firm representing Dremel offered for me to test out the new Multi-Max. It is targeted at making small projects easier for DIY'ers so this was perfect timing for us. It arrived when we at the painting stage so there wasn't much we could do with it right away. All other family projects were on hold until the play room was done!

Anyway, after we finished painting, DH explained to my dad that I have this new Dremel I'm trying to review. My dad said that the trim would be a good (yet simple) opportunity to see what it does. They applied the trim everywhere but needed to cut away a few sections near the sump pump.

DH grabbed the Multi-Max while my dad looked on. When DH was done, my dad's response... "That's slick." I was amazed at how quick and easy it was. But honestly, it was just cutting off a piece of trim, how hard could it be the way my dad would normally do it. So I asked him. He rifled through his tool box and pulled out a hand tool. He said "This is what I would have used." He went on to explain that the Dremel was 3-4 times quicker, but more important, much cleaner. He said for someone not skilled at using the traditional tool, it made it less likely that the wall would be damaged.

While I was excited about the Dremel Multi-Max and how easy it was, I was even more thrilled that my dad thought it was cool!

Think I'll go draw an outline of it on his new workshop wall.

So what do you think? Do you have a Honey DIY list that's itching for attention? Maybe if you added a Dremel Multi-Max to the toolkit, the project list might get shorter. (Or... it might get longer as you figure out all the things this baby can do!) You can check out their "30 Minute Miracles" brochure for some great information and ideas. Here's your chance to win one!

The Prize: Dremel Multi-Max

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on February 15, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the next random selection.

How to enter:

250 comments

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I absolutely love receiving products in the mail to review, but every once in a while something arrives that isn't exactly suited to my girls. They'll play with almost anything I give them so it's usually not that big of a deal. But when a package arrived from Team Mom before Christmas and included a K'Nex playset, I knew there were better options. DH immediately recommended our friend, Andrea, who has two children firmly placed in the targeted age range.

When I had some free time, I made a stop at Andrea's house to deliver the package and see if she would be able to provide me with some age-appropriate commentary on the Kid K'Nex Neighborhood Police Station set. As Andrea and I spoke about it, her son, Jack, waited patiently for his mom to tell him about the package sitting on the kitchen counter. Andrea later said:

"My kids were so excited, of course, to see that a new toy was here for them to play with. While Jack being 5 years old was skeptical about the Sesame Street theme of the new blocks, it didn’t stop him one bit from tearing into the box to start building. Abby, my three year old, was just as excited to see some new blocks had arrived as she is very into building too. Even Emma’s attention at age one was sparked by the adorable little Elmo and Ernie figures. They liked having instructions for building something specific, but also enjoyed how they could build whatever their imaginations led them to as well. I loved the fact that the blocks easily fit onto all of the Duplo blocks we already had. No matter which way you put them, they all coordinated with one another. So, it wasn’t a huge crisis when they got mixed into the bin with all of the other blocks we already own. It is nice that the colors are slightly lighter, so the kids could easily pick them back out when they wanted to. Overall, a big hit with the kids. You know you have a good product when a 5, 3, and 1 year old all can get enjoyment out of one toy!"

When I spoke with Andrea and her husband after they had a chance to try it out, they said the kids loved it. Originally, they had concerns about whether the blocks could be mixed with other sets but when they realized they could all be combined, they were delighted. It's hard enough to keep things organized but when you have similar products that don't, well, play nicely together it makes it even harder. Kudos to K'Nex for making these blocks versatile enough to work on their own or be incorporated into a larger design limited only by the child's imagination.

A variety of styles and themes of Kid K'Nex sets are available from Amazon or your local retailer. For more information about K'Nex products, stop by their website, become a fan on Facebook or check them out on YouTube. Thanks to Team Mom for sending this for us to play with and for Andrea (and family) for assisting with this review.
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Disclosure: The K'Nex set featured in this review was provided to SAHM Reviews at no charge by Child's Play Communications. The set was given to Andrea and family for the purpose of providing commentary for this review. No other compensation was received.

3 comments