Caring for a sick child is never easy. They moan, groan, cry, squeal, kick, and sometimes they even ignore you when you ask them where it hurts. Like my Little Miss A does. I am always thinking the worst when she cries over not feeling well. It’s the hypochondriac in me. To go or not to go to the doctor. She’s always fine in the end, but in between, its sleepless nights and then I wind up moaning and groaning. And sometimes I feel like walking the plank.

On a day like today, the day after a sleepless night (and deciding not to walk the plank), and when the weather is perfect for play, you wish your child wasn’t sick. The hot summer days are drifting away, and the perfect temperature fall days are inviting you out. But we can’t play because we don’t feel good. Or can we?

Is it me, or do children sometimes exaggerate when they are sick? Do they try to milk it for all they can or are they really that sick? Is there an old trick in the book that a rookie mom like me doesn’t know about? Can I, a 34 year old mom, play that game and get as much attention? My intuition tells me that Little Miss A definitely has a cold. But those fake whines! Don’t get me wrong. I love my daughter and hate to see her suffer and I do my best to nurse her back to health with every tired bone in my body………..but those groans! Are they enough to mean no playtime?

No. Olivia’s 2-in-1 Transforming Playset came knocking at our door and gangway everyone! Play time was in full throttle! Me, was sunken by surprise when all of a sudden, Little Miss A didn’t show any signs of suffering. Well, at least for the moment. She smartly wanted me to open the packages. Oh, I forgot to say that Little Miss A got the Olivia Plush doll too! My little lass seized some real booty!!!

The Olivia 2-in-1 Transforming Playset is a house that transforms into a pirate ship. If you ever watch Olivia on Nick Jr., you know that Olivia uses her creative imagination and becomes a circus ring leader, a ballerina, an opera singer, or a restaurant owner or whatever else she can think up. She’s a smart young sassy lady, just like my little Miss A. The house has four rooms: Olivia’s bedroom, kitchen, living room, and play room (or what could be one of Olivia’s brothers’ rooms). You could use your imagination here too. Miss A had so much fun placing all of the furniture in its appropriate places and rearranging it in different rooms. The cool thing about this toy is that most of the furniture could be incorporated into the pirate ship. At least this is what Miss A did. Who knew a vanity mirror would go sweetly at the prow of the ship? She also had such delight to see the playset came with a sticker sheet; her favorite. She knew exactly where to stick “Perry” the dog and “Edwin” the cat.

One of the positive things about the pirate ship is that it doesn’t come with accessories like cannons or weapons. The assortment is non-offensive; like no scary skull or crossbones flags. A 3-year old can convert the playset from house to pirate ship or vice versa very easily. But the latches are very flimsy. Good luck securing the latches on this toy! When Miss A carried the house with all the contents inside of it, the playset opened up and all the tiny accessories fell out. This happened a few times. Also, there are no other hands on deck, besides the little cute parrot. Olivia has no friends to share in her pirate adventures or to play in the house. There are permanent pictures of her family members in the windows of the house though. Miss A asked at one point, “Where is Ian?” Or even Julian would’ve been nice to play with since it is her best friend.

Overall this toy is perfect because it is 2 in 1. It allows your child to use their imaginations with the pirate ship and also allows them to imitate what they see in their households.

The Olivia Plush doll is very sweet. She comes with a dress that is removable. If you take Olivia’s dress off, Olivia is wearing pajamas. It’s the perfect size to carry along and stick it in your purse when you go to the doctor, like I did. It’s the perfect companion for bed as well or if you want to prop her somewhere to sit. She won’t tip over. The plush doll could have come with a book or change of outfit. Maybe her lucky tights? In the show, Olivia’s mom reads to her every night. And in the show, Olivia uses her imagination and becomes someone else; wearing something else. It would have been a nice touch to the doll so you don’t have to buy accessories separately.

The Olivia in the playset is tiny and the plush doll is quite bigger. Miss A played with both as mommy Olivia and baby Olivia. She even tried to stick the plush doll into the play house. It reminded me of the Olivia episode where Olivia doesn’t want her little brother Ian to grow taller than her and Olivia grows like a giant.

One last thought. You might have to learn pirate lingo in order to play with the 2 in 1 playset with your child because you know that you will wind up playing too. Your three or four year old may not be able to pronounce words like “rullock,” “salmagundi,” “binnacle,” or “drivelswigger.” She may not know where the orlop, poop deck, bilge, or forcastle is. And if you don’t know what these terms are, well, shiver me timbers!!!!

My friend Olivia helped me get through a day like today. When sometimes I feel like a sailor in the high seas on her first voyage, nothing anchors me down like watching Little Miss A play with something she enjoys. I love watching and listening to Miss A use her imagination and then I think to myself, I am a good captain.

By the way, I did wind up calling the doctor and made an appointment for the young sprog.

Olivia products, such as the 2-in-1 playset are available from Amazon.

Disclosure:  The Olivia toys in this review were provided by Team Mom for the purpose of preparing this review.  No additional compensation was received.  All opinions, photos and thoughts are my own.

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Soy beans are a major crop here in Iowa but I've just not come to love it. When I think of soy, I think of un-burgered hamburgers, un-milked milk and, well, tofu. It isn't that I hate it, I just don't prefer it. In Iowa, there is no shortage of cows for milk or high-quality beef for making burgers. I've tried tofu but it wasn't prepared well so I didn't care for it. I've been told that it's very good when prepared correctly so I'm waiting for a friend of mine to make it for us for dinner so I can change my attitude about it.

It's funny though because despite growing up in the middle of farmland, until a few days ago, I didn't know much about the soybean crop - other than it's rotated with corn. The church where I work a few days each month actually butts up against a field which happens to be filled with soybeans this year. Two coworkers hail from farm-families and were happy to share information with me  the other day when I inquired. 

Whether you are a soy fan or not, do you know what it looks like?  It's green all summer then as fall hits, it begins to dry out.  The dried field is the one next to the church while the one that is still slightly green is a few blocks away.  Apparently soybeans are picked when they reach a certain degree of dryness... both women said their husbands sample them by chewing on them to make sure they're just right for harvesting.  That's some old-school technology right there.

To give me an up close look at it, they opened a few up  then set them out so I could get a picture. 

So if I'm not a fan of soy, what's my fascination with soy beans these days?  Well, Mom Central offered a campaign for SOYJOY bars to promote their Second Chances contest on Facebook. Why would I be interested in that?

Well... a while back, I had the opportunity to sample one.  I don't recall if it was an in-store sample, a full-value coupon or one that was sent to me in the mail.  I honestly don't recall.  Normally, I would say "Oh joy, it's soy" and anyone that knows me would totally hear the animosity in my voice.  But this was different.  Whether it was my love of all types of "breakfast" bars or my sense of frugality (read: free), I decided that despite its name, I would try it.

So when the campaign asked for participants, I gladly submitting my name for consideration.  And obviously, since I'm posting this, I was selected.  Why do I like them?  Because they taste good.  They're dense and filling which is something that I need when I'm in a hurry or just on a craving cave-in.  To me, it's like a fruity candy bar... but healthier.  I tried the banana, the strawberry and the blueberry and found all three to be sweet, tasty and satisfying!

Anyway, now that I've told you about soy and SOYJOY, I guess I should tell you a little about the contest!  From now until October 3rd, you can submit by video or written entry, a brief explanation about a time when the first impression you made wasn't good... but "Oh joy" for second chances.  You can get complete details on SOYJOY's Facebook page.

You know, you don't have to eat SOYJOY to enter the contest but if you do (or if you want to try them), stop by their website for a coupon.

Yes, it is soy... but it's good.   My Iowa farmer friends should be totally proud.

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When DH first moved to California, we decided he would go alone.  My reasons for staying behind were twofold - (1) to start to wrap things up and (2) to make sure that the job was going to work out before we packed everything up and moved.

We loaded up our car with things that he would  need to get by for a few months before I got there.  Clothes and essentials along with some side things like our small dorm-sized microwave.  He was going to live in a hotel for a little while until he found an apartment. Then when we were ready, we hopped in the car and started the trek west.

But I only was only going as far as Vegas.  We spent a few days there before he continued his journey and I caught a one-way flight back to Iowa.  While we were there, we played bingo... and I won.  I won a shot in Binion's money booth and caught a whopping $450.

Any wonder I like bingo.  Haven't won since but it was enough to bring me back for more.

When we received Bingo Link from Gamewright, I figured with a title like "Bingo" I was certainly going to enjoy it!  Despite the colorful appearance and "I Spy" pictures, it isn't just for kids.  It's one of those games that can be played differently depending on the age group that is participating.

There isn't a set pattern to follow.  Basically, each person takes a turn a calls out an item.  Then everyone covers it up.  The goal is to be the first person to connect both sides.  Whether it's a straight line or a zig-zag doesn't matter.  Connect the red with the red, the blue with the blue or the yellow with the yellow. The space where to colors meet  Pretty cut and dry.

So if it's so simplistic, why do I say it's for varying age groups?  Because you're able to see what the other people need in order to get closer to a win.  If you only have a few things left to cover in order to get a "Bingo Link" then you aren't going to call out an item that will give someone the win before get it. 

It's strategic for the older kids.  Or in our case, until Miss K got the hang of it, DH was calling out the things that SHE needed.

Thankfully, it's a very easy learning curve.  It only took a few practice rounds before we all had it figured out.  The main problem we had is that Miss K thought she needed to straight across the page and didn't realize that she could connect ones that other people called if it worked to her benefit.  As a result, she was having trouble winning because she was only calling the center pictures.

With that said, one of the problem that we had involved the number of markers provided.  We ran out of pieces during one of our games.  Albeit, we were only about 2 short per person, it was still a little frustrating.  But other than that, we didn't have any issues and found it to be a lot of fun.  One of the best things about it was the fact it was a fast-paced game.

Although I didn't win any big money on the game, at least it's a fun way to get a bingo-fix with your kids! Whether you like Bingo or not, this game makes for great family fun and Gamewright provided an extra for one lucky SahmReviews.com reader!

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 September 23, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random 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) Subscribe to the SAHM Reviews feed via RSS or email

(2) Check out the variety of games at Gamewright.

(3) Leave a comment on this post at SahmReviews.com telling which Gamewright game will jazz up family game time.

-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow SahmReviews on Twitter and Tweet this contest by clicking here or copying the following text:

"I need my number called to win Bingo Link @SahmReviews! Are you playing? http://bit.ly/aDgqtz @Gamewright" Comment with a link to your tweet.

-- One Entry: "Like" SAHM Reviews on Facebook.

-- One Entry each: "Like" Gamewright on Facebook, Follow on Twitter or subscribe on YouTube. Please tell them SahmReviews.com sent you!.

-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Each): Be the first to post about this giveaway on an active (current) giveaway link-up or carnival. Leave a link to where I can find it. Mr. Linky-style submissions should read "SAHM Reviews - Bingo Link game (Ends 9/23)"
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any non-giveaway review 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.

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It isn't nice to say something negative about your own child, but I'm going out there and doing it. My oldest daughter is bright but prone to rejecting things unless she knows she'll be successful.

No matter what it is - food, game, toy, activity - she'll usually turn it down before giving it a chance. I guess everyone does that to some extent, but we have watched her turn down things that we KNOW she will love or enjoy simply because she isn't familiar with it.

As an example, it was like pulling teeth when we told her to try fudge at the buffet.  Once she finally caved and tasted it, she realized how good it was.

In some cases, she tries things but just prefers something else.  We're okay with that (for the most part) because at least she made an attempt.  Like riding a bicycle - it isn't her cup of tea.  She would much rather be zipping around on the Fuzion four-wheel scooter she got for Christmas or even trying to master the skateboard she received on her last birthday.

So imagine my surprise when she didn't want to try the new Shox Scooter by Shred Sled.  She loves to scooter around but she didn't want to even try it.  "It's too hard."  "There are only two wheels."  Well, of course it isn't going to be easy if you don't ever TRY it.  Give it a shot and if you don't like it then fine.  But you have to at least try it.  You would think I'm forcing her to eat liver and onions.  Sheesh.

"Fine.  I'll try it."

Sheesh.  Sooo not looking forward to the teenage years.

Guess what happened.  Once she tried it, she realized that she really liked it.  Yes, it's only two wheels but it isn't like a bicycle where the difference between two wheels and four wheels means scraped knees.  Sure you might tip over but your feet are pretty close to the ground with very little in between to keep you from landing, well, on your feet.

What's so different about the Shox Scooter?  The base of it, the part that you stand on, isn't just a flat board like a modified skateboard.  It has a built in spring-y thing-y.  Yeah, it's probably a shock absorber hence the name "Shox" Scooter.  But I have no intention of getting all technical like that on my blog.  At least not today.  When I look at it, I think of those clicker toys that we played with growing up that you.  Am I dating myself age-wise or do kids still play with those? Nevermind.  Basically, it's bouncy.  When you watch kids doing tricks with their skateboards and scooters, they tend to 'hop' them to be able to do various tricks.  The Shox Scooter has the spring built in to make doing tricks even easier.

Bah.  My skills in explanation are just not doing this product justice!  Let me just show you a video.

The Shox Scooter was a piece of cake for Miss M - and even for Miss K.  We found that they were able to maneuver it better than the 4-wheel alternative that Miss M had been using.  Miss K still prefers to stick with her safe (and pretty) princess scooter for now but was very happy to have the option to upgrade if she wanted to.  As they continue to see kids their age flying around the block on two-wheels - whether bicycle or scooter - I imagine they'll be fighting over who gets to take the Shox Scooter out for a spin.

As for storing it.  It folds nicely to make it easy to transport or store.  Heck, I think it would even fit in their locker at school!

For more information, stop by the Shred Sled company website, catch up with them on Facebook or Twitter or subscribe to their YouTube channel!

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It should happen any day now. One of us will probably get sick. DH and I have an ongoing joke about how two weeks from the start of school, one of us has something.

We can only do our best to ward off germs by cleaning, washing well and get a flu shot when the season approaches.

No matter what we do to prepare, the kids always bring home some bug or virus that our bodies just aren't prepared for. It happens every... single... year. Sure, we are required to send anti-bacterial gel and sanitizing wipes to school with the kids along with the usual crayons, markers, glue and other traditional school supplies. But there's only so much that a teacher can do within the four walls of their room. Germs are there and they are bound to spread.

Thanks to a promotion through MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation, I received a few additional tips about how we can avoid what we've determined was inevitable... colds and the flu.

According to Dr. Alan Greene, families can take additional precautions at home that help prepare their immune systems for the upcoming battle. Some suggestions are - getting plenty of vitamin D, eating the proper foods such as those containing probiotics as well as plenty of sleep and staying physically active.

In addition, it's important to teach kids to wash their hands after they cough, sneeze, use the restroom and before they eat.

I'm glad to say that MyBlogSpark on behalf of Seventh Generation sent along a "Back-to-School" package for us that included Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes, disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissues and paper towels so we can kill some of the germs that find their way into our home.

So we'll work on warding off colds using common sense, health tips and cleaning advice. How about you? Will you put Dr. Greene's tips to use and disinfect with Seventh Generation? Hopefully it doesn't take a contest to nudge you in that direction but just in case it does, here you go...

The Prize: Seventh Generation "Back-to-School" kit (includes Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child’s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels.)

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 September 19, 2010, a winner will be chosen at random 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) Subscribe to the SAHM Reviews feed via RSS or email

(2) Check out the Seventh Generation website.

(3) Leave a comment on this post at SahmReviews.com with which one Seventh Generation product would best help you ward of colds this season.

-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow SahmReviews on Twitter and Tweet this contest by clicking here or copying the following text:

"Go away cold. I'm preparing for you! http://bit.ly/b6WXIN @SahmReviews @SeventhGen" #MyBlogSpark. Comment with a link to your tweet.

-- One Entry: "Like" SAHM Reviews on Facebook.

-- One Entry each: "Like" Seventh Generation on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, subscribe on YouTube or friend on MySpace. Please tell them SahmReviews.com sent you!.

-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Each): Be the first to post about this giveaway on an active (current) giveaway link-up or carnival. Leave a link to where I can find it. Mr. Linky-style submissions should read "SAHM Reviews - Seventh Generation Kit (Ends 9/19)"
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any non-giveaway review 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 MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation for providing us with the tools to stay healthy during back-to-school time. For more information and coupons on Seventh Generation, stop by their blog, check out their website, join their community or visit their various social media outlets as noted in the giveaway above!

81 comments