Product reviews for trendy Moms & Dads, their children & pregnant moms
I remember loving random factoids when I was a kid. I can see Nate pouring over a book like The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2012.
Full of fun facts from 2012, this book would make a great gift for anyone else to appreciates facts. Get it for $7.99 on Amazon.
Today’s Holiday Gift Guide is all about… Books, books, and more books!
I See Me! Personalized Books $29.95 (Variable titles – all can be personalized!)
The Dangerous Book for Boys $16
1,000 Places to See Before You Die $12
Merry Christmas Curious George – $5.38 Hardcover Price!
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that makes me actually think. I know that sounds horribly tragic, especially seeing as I was once quite the book worm. But these days my book of choice is usually some teen fantasy book that involves vampires and teenage angst.
But the latest I picked up was a borrow from a friend – the Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George. Margaret George writes historical fiction that’s based on fact. I had heard of her because of her Mary Queen of Scots book. She’s also written a novel about Helen of Troy and an Autobiography of Henry VIII.
I’m only partway in (warning: it’s long) but I’m engrossed. While I know that the conversation and back and forth stories are fiction, it’s all based on fact and I’m learning all sorts of amazing facts I never knew.
Like did you know Cleopatra had no actual Egyptian blood in her? She was of Greek descent and since her family believed in sibling marriages they hadn’t yet mixed with the natives!
And also of interest to me being in Philadelphia, the word “Philadelphia” comes from a Greek word that means sibling love (hence the above statement about all the in-breeding) Kind of gives a whole new meaning of the “City of Brotherly Love” 
Get The Memoirs of Cleopatra on Amazon for $13.03 with free shipping when you purchase $25 or more worth of eligible products
My oldest child, Ben, started reading this year. As a teacher (on childcare leave), I’ve always tried to inspire his love of reading and have read to him nightly since he was 3 months old. As the summer days go by, I want to keep Ben, his little sister, and the baby (who just turned 1) interested in books. When I was offered a chance to try out the Children’s Book of The Month Club, I jumped at it. I had asked the company to pick books for me and we were delighted at their selection. They chose Shel Silverstein’s Runny Babbit (I LOVE Shel Silverstein), a Judy Moody Chapter Book (which was cute), How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale by Cressida Cowell (very cute longer chapter book), The Secret Garden (such a classic), and First Words (which the baby loves). And our new favorite book, which is Philadelphia Chickens (with a CD) by Sandra Boynton. My kids devoured every book they sent! This makes a great gift for kids (I hope Grammy’s listening!). [Read more...]
This one’s near and dear to me: my good blogging friends Colleen Padilla and Audrey McClelland are publishing a book! The Digital Mom Handbook (Amazon, presale price $10.10) is available starting July 26th (which also happens to be my birthday and clearly a sign that it’s an awesome book everyone must purchase).
So often, my line of work comes up in everyday conversation. People who aren’t in social media are so curious. How do you make your money? How did you get started? What does it take to run a blog for business? Some people ask out of curiousity but others want to know because they are considering doing it themselves.
The Digital Mom Handbook answers all of these questions. Colleen and Audrey have managed to achieve what most women dream of: a successful career while they can still be home taking care of their children.
As I read the book over the weekend, I found myself nodding along to much of it. I’ve been in this space for many years myself and I know these ladies well. They are honest and forthright in their recommendations on how you can get started and how you can succeed in the space.
This is a fabulous book if you are even thinking about starting a blog. They put you on the direct path to get started easily. And if you’re already a seasoned blogger? It’s still a worthwhile read! Audrey and Colleen offer lots of quotes and success stories from other bloggers in the space and it was neat to read their stories! And it’s always great to freshen up and get a different bloggers perspective on how they do things.
Preorder the Digital Mom Handbook on Amazon for $10.10. I’m honored to be quoted in the book so if you order it and read it, look for my quote!
Giveaway: In the meantime, I also have a giveaway of 3 copies of the book to 3 lucky Mommies with Style readers! To enter, comment below by end of day July 25th. The three winners will be selected and notified on the day the book releases, July 26th.
It will be no surprise if my 7-year-old turns out to be a marine biologist someday. I know that phases pass but my own dear husband has always been obsessed with marine life and Nate is following in his footsteps these days.
He can’t get enough of watching NatGeoWild and Animal Planet and especially loves anything having to do with the ocean and sharks. We’ve gathered quite the collection of shark products over the past year and for those of you out there with boys who live and breath for learning about sharks, I thought I’d put together a little shark-related product list. If you know of another great program, book or product, don’t be shy – leave me a comment!
For Preschoolers: I’m a Shark book by Bob Shea. We first heard this one this summer at a storytime at the beach. A completely adorable story about a great white shark who is scared of spiders. Wonderful illustrations and fun for preschool storytime. $11.55 with free shipping on Amazon.
For Early Readers: National Geographic’s Sharks! Level Two Reading. Educational and factual about different kinds of sharks. $3.99 with free shipping on Amazon.
For preschool & elementary school aged kids: Animal Planet Shark Attack Playset. Santa brought this one for my 4-year-old, seeing as he loves anything his big brother loves. I thought this playset was a great price for what it comes with and it’s seen many hours of play in our house. $11.99 at Toys R Us or $11.55 with free shipping on Amazon.
For the older child: Discovery Channel’s DVD “Shark Week: the Great Bites Collection”. We let Nate (7) watch Shark Week. It can be graphic so use digression when showing this to your child. But each year the Discovery Channel hosts Shark Week where they have various shows that are shark-themed.
We look forward to it each year and watch reruns all throughout the year. It’s educational but graphic for sure. Get the DVD collection on the Discovery Store website for $19.99.
I ended up going home with several shark-themed tees, much to the happiness of both of my boys. Check out your local 77kids or view their collection of shark clothes online.
One of my biggest fears for my oldest this summer is that the 12-weeks of summer vacation will undo everything he learned in first grade this past year. This past year was the year that he basically really learned to read and I’m afraid the weeks away from school will have him forgetting much of what he learned.
Enter PBSKids and iVillage’s Summer Reading Challenge. My ears perked up for this one given my fears. Sign up for this free program to receive six weeks of emails and daily prizes. Best of all, the emails will include tips on getting your children to read more and giving you good book suggestions.
To kick off the summer, I hosted a local Summer Reading Challenge Party with a couple of my good friends including Julie from Just Precious and Melissa from Girlymama.
Here I am reading Diary of a Spider to the kids
We read books, played games & activities and got the kids excited about reading over the summer. Which is what it’s all about, right? Get your kids reading too this summer! PBS has some great tips here on their Raise a Reader website.
You can use coupon code BLOG20 to receive 20% off your order at ScholasticStore.com
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this event. However, I was given books to give out to the guests at the party to encourage and jump start their summer reading program. I do feel strongly that keeping up with some sort of reading program during the summer vacation is imperative to our children’s continuing education.
There are so many pregnancy and baby books out there that when you are expecting it can be a bit overwhelming. As an expectant mom, I want to know as much as possible, but I don’t have a lot of time and need to get the best, most concise info I can.
I discovered a great book for any mom-to-be, called One Year to an Organized Life with Baby by Regina Leeds (professional organizer) and Meagan Francis (parenting expert). I really enjoyed this book. It gives you a week-to-week guide to get ready for your baby and helpful suggestions on how to keep your family organized (keeping you sane in the process!)
As it should be, this book is extremely organized and is laid out in a very easy-to-read format. It’s also very digestible, broken up into month segments and then by week, so you can focus on what you need to do each week in a logical and organized manner. The book has two parts, one is “getting ready” and the other is “baby’s here!” Both sections help you with practical suggestions, timelines, checklists, and tips.
As a mom with two other children, I didn’t know how useful this book would be to me. However, I did find a lot of great tips and reminders on what I should be doing and when to get ready for my baby. For first-time moms, this book is priceless. If you are an organized person who likes to plan ahead, you will absolutely love this book. And if you are not that type of person, you will still love this book because it will help you get organized (something you will need to be once baby comes!)
This book will help you get your home, health, work, and life ready for your new baby. Some of the topics the book covers include creating your nursery, determining what baby gear you need and what you can skip, preparing for maternity leave and going back to work, packing your diaper bag, creating effective household routines, organizing baby photos and documents, childproofing your home, and much more.
If you are pregnant or know someone who is, One Year to an Organized Life with Baby is a great addition to your pre-baby/baby library. Definitely don’t skip this book!
Want to win a copy for yourself? Comment below on what you feel you need to organize before your baby comes (or now that your baby is here) and you’ll be entered to win a free copy!
My husband’s on the road a lot. I’m most definitely a part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Husbands. And while it’s hard on me, I know it’s even harder on the kids at times.
So while nothing can replace having a parent there in person, that modern technology allows us to do to ease the pain of feeling that absence of the parent. Beyond just email, phone calls and video chat, there are products like Record-A-Story. Adults can record their voices within these stories for future playback. Children can then open their favorite childhood tale and rather than having it read in-person, it can be read via the speaker and the pre-recorded message that’s been taped.
Love this for a military family, grandparent or anyone who has a parent who is on the road. So far, Record A Story offers the following stories: Dora the Explorer, Guess How Much I Miss You, Twas the Night Before Christmas and Sesame Street. Get it on Amazon for $13.95-$17.95, depending on which story you chose, with free shipping.
Let your child be the star with Shutterfly’s CenterStage book series that features your child in a full-color, 35-50 page book where your kid gets to star with characters like Big Bird, Diego, Dora or SpongeBob. Each of the book choices includes an engaging storyline, your child’s face on nearly every page of the book, and other fun facts like their birthday and hometown.
Each CenterStage book is a snap to make – just upload a picture of your child, type in the needed details to personalize the story, add a dedication and order! There are books geared for younger kids (1-3 year olds) up to 8-year-olds. At $39.99 the books aren’t cheap, but remember that each book is 35-50 pages long and features your child throughout the story. My son was enthralled to see himself going on adventures and solving problems alongside Diego. I know we’ll be rereading this book again and again.
There’s still time to order a CenterStage book before the holidays. Order now at Shutterfly.com. Use coupon code SHIP50 for free shipping on orders over $50.
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Disclaimer: Shutterfly allowed me to make a CenterStage book for this review.
It’s pretty much a madhouse around these parts between 3:30-5:30 pm on any given weekday. Big Brother gets off the bus and has homework to deal with, little brother’s cranky and running around and wanting attention while I help with homework. Snacks are in demand, kids are thirsty, the cat’s wailing in the background for me to give him some treats.
And there’s dinner. Which I should be making but am usually not, only to look at the clock at 5:30 and wonder what the heck we’re going to eat.
So when I got the pitch to review some Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbooks, I thought to myself, this could work. Easy make-ahead recipes, what’s not to love?
I received the Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook, which is full of over 600 crock pot recipes. Now I have to say, I fail to really see how this cookbook is for Christmas as there are tons of great year-round recipes.
So I flipped through and decided to make an Italian Chicken Chili. I had some prep to do for the chili, which involved about 30 minutes of my time around 11 am.
So while it was a weekend, I loved not having to rush around in the afternoon and figure out dinner. And the chili was a hit! It was easy and good. I’m definitely planning on trying more recipes from the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook line, simply for the fact that it makes meal planning so much easier.
I also received the Fix-It and Forget-It Kids Cookbook, which is currently $13.59 on Amazon. I’m planning on checking out the kids Mac & Cheese in here next.
And check out the Fix-It and Forget-It website too – they have featured recipes (am thinking I may have to try that Mulled Apple Cider soon!) and info on upcoming book releases.
Every fall as the leaves change and the days grow cooler, I feel like reading again. Maybe it’s the back to school thing. Maybe because I like to snuggle up in bed with a good read? Whatever the reason I find fall is definitely my reading season and the time I am most inspired to start or participate in a book club. I feel like cozying up with a good book and friends and a mug of tea or a glass of wine and just talking…
Hill Harper’s book about relationships is a perfect kick off for a fall book club! The book is called “The Conversation” because it’s really about communication. How can we be more honest with ourselves? How can we take that first step towards getting what we most want/need out of our relationships: true, authentic connections.
It’s a great read, sure to provoke some heated discussion. Hill Harper (who stars on CSI and was a classmate of Obama’s) has fascinating insight into the unique problems facing single African Americans as they seek their soul mates. But the advice and issues he addresses are universal. We all face myths and stereotypes and engage in self sabotaging behavior. Even those of us that are already married! This book seems to be a well spring of good, common sense advice. It’s definitely a conversation starter!
While I’m only on my Kindle these days, I couldn’t help but notice the sale prices on some of these great titles at BarnesandNoble.com:
Love the One You’re With, by Emily Giffin – I’ve read all but Emily’s most recent title and loved them all. Great beach reads. Get the hardback on BarnesandNoble.com for $4.99 (80% off! Retail is $29.95)
When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris - same deal, 80% the retail price for $4.99.
Graceling, by Kristin Cashore – I read this book awhile back when it popped up on a recommended reading list for me having liked the Twilight Series. It’s a fantasy book for young adults but I thought it was great. $3.99 (down from $17.00) for the hardcover.
They have kids books too, like the hardcover version of the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle for $3.99!
Getting my 4 1/2 year old son to eat is a major battle, so when I saw the super kid-friendly recipes in Weight Watchers Eat! Move! Play!: A Parent’s Guide for Raising Healthy, Happy Kids ($13) , I was excited. The book offers info on how to develop and maintain habits for keeping the whole family happy and healthy. Weight Watchers Eat! Move! Play! explains what a healthy weight is for a child, offers tips, ideas and checklists to help parents encourage their child to eat healthier and move more.
The activity tips were great, but we really loved the 75 + kid-friendly recipes. The Hummus Faces are now a popular way to kick off dinner in my home. Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand. Click “More” to see the recipe, posted on the Amazon.com page for this book.
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Always on the hunt for workbooks and fun educational items to help teach both of my boys, I was happy to hear from Kumon Publishing. Kumon publishes a series of workbooks to help teach early reading and math skills.
For my 6-year-old, I got him My First Book of Sentences and My Book of Money: Dollar & Cents. The latter one has been especially great as he loves math and loves to count. He’s gone through most of the book by now and has learned all of his coins and loves to just play with adding up change. For my 3-year-old, I got Numbers 1-30, which both of my boys have loved. (Dot-to-Dot tracing and counting)
These workbooks are educational and fun. Both of my kids have been treating these books as a cool activity rather than a learning one (when in fact, they are both.)
Check out all the workbooks available from Kumon on Amazon. These are fabulous products for early education and homeshooling of preschool and elementary age children.
Many thanks to Kumon for sending workbooks for both of my boys to test out for this review.
As many of you know, Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day. On that day, PBS will be airing the WordGirl episode “Earth Day Girl.” The language loving superhero saves the planet in this episode.
We have three prize packs to giveaway to 3 Mommies with Style readers as we spread the word about the episode – the prize includes the “Earth Day Girl” DVD from Paramount (which includes the episode plus 7 others) and a new WordGirl reader book of the same name from Scholastic Press. Check out http://pbskids.org/wordgirl/ to play cool WordGirl games with your kids.
To enter, leave a comment about what your family does to help the environment or keep green.
For extra entries, tweet about this giveaway (one extra entry per day – only one please). Follow and @mommieswstyle so we know you have tweeted it out.
This contest ends on Thursday, April 22nd. 3 winners will be selected and notified after that time. Please be sure to include your email address in your entry!
