AppleCheeks Review

I admit that I was traumatized as a child by cloth diapers. See when my closest sister was born I was about 8 years old. My mom decided to use cloth diapers with her and even had a diaper service. But there was still a lot to traumatize me. I remember the rubber pants, the diaper pins and rinsing the diapers out in the toilet (which was my job). I remember when these super wet diapers would be taken off the baby they were these huge sopping messes which led to diaper rashes. I also remember my sister getting poked with the diaper pins and there being tears both from the poker and the pokee. But that was 25 years ago.

I had been hearing for about 8 years that cloth diapers have so much so I was stoked when I got an opportunity to review AppleCheeks. I got the Mini Test that has an envelope cover and 3 bamboo inserts. I decided to use this on my 2 year old during her nap time. Let us start with this cover. Nerdpud really gave these a good test because she had been holding it all morning (because we are potty training). Putting it on her was a snap. Literally. They have adjustable snaps on the front where I tightened up one side more that the other to give her a custom fit. But when I picked her up I wasn't sure that she had even wet it at first. Not only was there not a drop that got out but also the insert wasn't clumpy (but soaked). Then I just slipped out the insert and it was ready for another. The microfiber lining seemed perfectly dry. So if we were doing this system exclusively we could have totally put it back on her. Then the insert just got thrown into the washer and dryer.

My final verdict? Cloth diapers seem pretty awesome. They have come a long way from rubber pants and pins. The AppleCheeks system works beautifully! I would totally recommend it! I love the fact that they sell sets (Mini Tests, Starter Kits and more) so they make great baby shower gifts! It is time we all give cloth diapers another go with the AppleCheeks system!

(This is a Family Review Network review. AppleCheeks provided the product for my honest review!)

LilyMe

We are in the age of charms and personalization for said charms. I just got the cutest bracelet with an adorable "love" charm from LilyMe. Now I see why these are so popular. I also love that this bracelet is adjustable! It is that perfect bracelet to wear all the time with anything so it is the perfect design for a sentimental piece.

But this simple bracelet isn't all that LilyMe does. They have all kinds of necklaces and bracelets with pre-designed charms as well as personalized charms. So you can get a great present with someone's children, siblings or a memorable verse.

You can us the coupon code "mother" to get 10% off any product at LilyMe!

(This review is part of the Family Review Network and I was provided a product by LilyMe to review.)

Family Friendly Comic Book!

We love comic books here in the NerdFamily! NerdDad and I both read comic books but finding good ones for that are appropriate for the kids take a little looking. So when I received a review copy of Boy, I'd Hate to be Made Out of That Stuff! through FRN I was stoked!

Lunar Antics sets up this comic series where moon people invade earth to avoid the outrageous tax on the moon. It is advertised as science fiction for normal people;). This is a clean and fun comic. It has some sarcasm and a lot of wit! It is so cute! While the main characters are moon people (who are bright, a bit egotistical and very good at math) the strip is really about humanity.

I recommend this book! I think it is a fun gift for your favorite comic lover be they children or adults! Right now if you order a copy you can get it signed for free! I am a sucker for autographed books;).

Metro Mama Wrap

I have had 4 kids and didn't discover the Metro Mama wrap until my last kid. Now I am not a big baby wearer but their are times when it just makes you life so much easier. But I wasted a fair amount of time and money trying to figure out how. I did a chest pack with kid #1 and it helped with his reflux but it was a pain to put on and get him in and out. I had a sling with #2 and it just didn't seem that secure. But with #4 I used a friend's wrap and it was awesome. I could put the baby in it and pick up another child, empty a dishwasher, whatever. I didn't have to use a hand to stabilize her or anything! Here is a great how-to video on using the wrap.

Super Cute Cookie Cutters

I saw these cookie cutters are adorable! I always joke about my cookies are never perfect so this would be fitting. I also think they would be a great gag gift yet practical one for that foodie in your life!

Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked Review and Giveaway

Food Network has made a Wii game, Food Network: Cook or be Cooked!!!! Do I really need to go any farther? For those of you who aren't familiar with an of the other NerdFamily blogs (like the NerdFamily Food Blog) food, food television, and the Food Network are favorite things, I daresay even passions in the NerdFamily house. And if you are here, you obviously know that we love video games! So we were stoked to receive this game in order to review it.

First off we love the fact it is rated E for everyone because we love to play with our kids and this is truly appropriate for them all (8, 6, 4, and 2). I love the fact it is educational. The challenges take you step by step through cooking dishes so those who can't already cook (like my kids) will learn the steps, the timing and the basic procedures. For those of us who can cook it is just a fun game!

Now for the nerd analysis. The graphics are ok. They aren't cutting edge but you are see everything you need. There are 3 gaming modes: 1 player, hot potato and a competitive mode. Right off let me warn you. The hot potato mode is a cooperative mode but it is truly a hot potato. You ans whomever you play with will have to pass 1 controller back and forth. So this mode wasn't our favorite. But we did really like the other two modes! NerdDad and I really enjoyed playing against each other! (we don't spend a lot of time playing alone) The game play itself was good. There were detailed specific tasks to complete and you got points based on how well you did them. Including penalties if you did it wrong (like taking your eggs off too soon) or bonuses for perfectly pouring your oil.

The final verdict was that Food Network: Cook or be Cooked is a big hit here at the NerdFamily! We are going to spend many, many happy hours playing over here!

Win it!
How would you like to win some of your own Food Network: Cook or be Cooked?

To enter:

* Just leave a comment telling me either your favorite recipe to make or your favorite Wii game.
* A random winner will be selected and notified on December 4th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

( I was given a copy of the game to review and that was the only compensation. Thoughts and opinions are all mine!)

Rummino Review

Here at the NerdFamily House we are huge gamers. To the point that NerdDad and I spend some of our date nights playing board games;). So I was excited when we received our copy of Rummino to review. It is a rummy dominoes game. This game is great because people of all different skill can play it and it can become as easy or as hard as you can make it. So everyone in the family can play it!

The basic game play is just to put down tiles in order to get points. You can get points for a run or a group of the same number. Then the next player can add on to yours or just play off of it! With 1 tile you can change the whole game;). I really like the fact that you have an entirely new game each time you play so it doesn't just become boring strategy.

I think that Rummino would be an awesome family Christmas gift or a gift for just that fun friend. Go check it out and let me know what you think!

(This was an FRN Review)

Prima Princessa Review

Last year I was so pleased to introduce my kids to the Nutcracker ballet. All 3 of my oldest watched it with rapt attention but my oldest daughter (now 6) was mesmorized. See she desires to be a ballet dancer but those lessons are pricey;). That is why I was delighted to have the opportunity to review Prima Princessa presents the Nutcracker.

This is a delightful presentation of the Nutcracker with the addition of some ballet lessons. The San Francisco Ballet performs the delightful ballet while a Narrator explains what it going on. That is perfect for the little ones so you don't have to read the story to them before viewing. It also has young students from the School of American Ballet that actually dance in between acts and in the bonus features to teach a few ballet moves. Some of the things it teaches the kids are glisade and arm positions. On the web site they even have coloring pages to go along with the Nutcracker!

This is so delightful! This is going to be perfect for both all my kids (8-2). My kids are going to love it!!! I already do! This is Prima Princessa's second dvd. Their previous offering is Swan Lake and for just $12.99 they are great investments. So go check out the Nutcracker and enjoy the early start to the Christmas season!!!

This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Prima Princessa, who provided the DVD for review.

My Yoga 2 Go Review and Giveaway!

Life is crazy, exercise much less relaxation is near impossible to schedule. That is why My Yoga 2 Go was created. In the My Yoga 2 Go Practice System you get posture cards, sequence cards, and a plastic holder. With these, you can layout an entire yoga workout.

This is cool for so many reasons! First off, finding the time and money to go to a yoga studio is always a challenge. And frankly I like yoga but not the mediation side. So this allows me to do yoga on my terms! It has sequence cards that enable you to so a set sequence based on your level and purpose (Energize, core strength, hip opening and more). I also really like the fact that is has a full color picture of each pose with detailed instructions. It has all the benefits of having a teacher right there!

It is also very nice that it folds up and can travel with you. Traveling stresses me out greatly so it is convenient that it is light and can hang on just about anything! With the holidays coming up I think this would also be a great gift.

So does this sound as great for you as it does to me? Well, then you can go pick it up at My Yoga 2 Go. I even have a 15% off coupon for you to use! Just use the code "BLOGYOGA" between now and October 31st. Or you could win it here!

Win it!
How would you like to win some of your own My Yoga 2 Go Practice System?

To enter:

* Leave me a comment here telling me a great relaxation tip!
* A random winner will be selected and notified on October 23rd.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

(This is a FRN review)

Muvee Review and Giveaway!

I have had to come to terms with something. I don't scrapbook and probably never will. I have shoe boxes of pictures and tons of supplies but I have neither time nor talent. I have a phobia about messing with the actual pictures and hurting them. I am way to type A and at the same time cannot draw a straight line. That makes for painful and slow scrapbooking. But my dads are both out of the area and I would love to keep them up to date with pictures of the kids. So enters muvee Reveal software.

You can use muvee Reveal to make shows with pictures, videos and music. It is so very easy. You just click on everything hit play. It is also set up to help those of us who are, shall we say, photographically inhibited. It offers a variety of photo editing options. You can turn up the colors, offset red eye issues, zoom and more! So once you are done building your show you can a few easy options. You can just view it from your computer, burn it onto a disk, post it on a blog or share it!

This is so great! I think this is a great way to create mini photo "album" shows for different events (like Christmas morning) or seasons (like summer vacation). I also really like this because you can have as many copies as you would like, unlike traditional paper scrapbooks. So go check out muvee Reveal!

Win it!
How would you like to win some of your own copy of muvee Reveal?

To enter:

* Go over to the muvee site and then come back here to tell me about the feature you like the best!
* A random winner will be selected and notified on October 20th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program from muvee Reveal, who provided the program for review and giveaway.

MathStart!

I have talked to a few of my friends about reading books about math with my kids in the preschool, kindergarten and the early elementary years. I really like Stuart J Murphy'sMathStart series. They have them coded by level so you can slowly work yourself into more difficult material. You can start just working with basic number concepts and then do groupong, money, probability or more! These books are great because they are colorful and entertaining. It is just a great book that happens to teach math! Is there anything more you could ask for a book than both reading and math?

Keeping Parents and Kids Happy!

I recently received a copy of JumpStart 3D Virtual World 1st and 2nd grade to review. My kids and I love it! For those of you that aren't familiar with JumpStart, it is educational software. It has always been fun but wasn't as always something kids would choose over video games. With the incarnation of the 3D Virtual World they have found the secret to kids hearts.

The kids start out creating their own characters, or jumpees, by picking out forms and then they personalize them by choosing all the characteristics. My oldest is excited that he can be a robot and NerdPie got to pick all her girlie things;). Then they cruise through the world that the conquering and earning jewels by completing academic missions. These are are in all different areas from sentance formations, charts, logical thinking, patterns, and lots more. There is also an entire online world! But that is another review;).

Then comes the parts for parents. First off I can register up to 3 kids, I love that. JumpStart will track each one separately. Then JumpStart sends me a progress report. They tell me what areas the kids have worked on and if they have completed it or if it is in progress. It is great because I can see areas the kids have mastery in and the areas they might be struggling in.

The kids seem to love this and I like that they are learning during their computer time without just doing drills. This would make an awesome gift the kid in your life if they are very familiar with computers or even just learning because it is so intuitive. So run out and buy a copy! Then let me know what you think about it!

Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella

I recently received a copy of the brand new VeggieTales movie, Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella! We loved it! Now, we here in the NerdFamily are huge VeggieTale fans to begin with. So we all snuggled in and watched it together. It was a huge hit!

This Minnesota Cuke story was great! It hit on so many issues that speak to all my children, regardless of their ages. It hit on the issue of not paying attention, friendship, and confidence. Even the Silly Song, Sippy Cup, spoke to the issue of spilling (we still have one in a sippy cup) and the whole family thought it was hilarious!

I would highly recommend this to anyone! It would make a great gift and a fun family night. So pop over to Big Idea and get this! They are even running a special right now!

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Big Idea, who supplied the DVD for review.

Scrunch Bottle Bib

I recently received a Scrunch Bottle Bib to review and I have to say this is pretty great. As soon as I saw this product I have to admit that I was quite frustrated. It is one of those great ideas that I should have came up with! All babies dribble some while they drink from a bottle. You know how it gets in their neck crease and then smells like sour milk or worse, they get a rash? I was also plagued by the fact I had a couple spitters. So with all 4 of my kids I tucked a spit cloth or a washcloth under their chin. Then they would move and it would fall out of place.

The Scrunch Bottle Bib was created by an aunt who saw the need when she fed her nieces. It is a thick piece of gingham fabric that has velcro on it (so it fits any bottle) and attached to that you have a double layer of soft cloth that soaks up any liquid. It is really simple but brilliant.

As a mom of 4 I can say that this would be a delightful gift! They even sell multi-packs that are designed for baby showers. So go check it out and tell me what you think! I am also curious what baby inventions that you wish you had invented!

Deal Alert!!

You can get 10% off your entire order of Scrunch Bottle Bibs until August 1, 2009. Just use coupon code "BOSPR616"!

(This is a FRN Review)

Oliver's Labels Review

I have lots of kids, which means I have lots of stuff that I have to keep track of so we don't lose it all. So I was very excite to check out a sampling of labels from Oliver's Labels. These are awesome!

Now one of the things motherhood has taught me is that the kids can lose everything. Shoes because they all took them off to run through the grass, Cubby vests because they get hot at Awana, not to mention backpacks and the such. Previously my strategy has been a black permanent marker on tags and that hasn't worn so well. It doesn't take long for the writing to get blurry between washing, sweating and being dragged on the ground. That is why I love these labels! They are clear and tough, extremely tough. They are even pretty water resistant so they work for water bottles and beach towels. I really love the shoe labels because they don't slip and are clear to ready! I also love the fact you aren't force to be cutesy, you can get you labels done in all kinds of cool fashion prints.

I really like the Found It Code. This is a free feature that Oliver's Labels offers everyone. They print a code on each label and a website. If someone finds 1 of your things they just go to the website and input your code. Oliver's Labels then sends you an email. I love that for security's because walking around with a fob that has your name, address, and phone number makes me nervous.

Now I admit that I am a cheapskate. I have seen these before but never bought them. Part of the reason why is that I never saw the prices. It is not nearly as pricey I would have once thought. It would also make a great present. You can get a mixed pack for less than $30. And to sweeten the pot, Oliver's Labels has provided a coupon code for 10% off! Just use "LABELEVERYTHING" before June 31, 2009 (when it expires;).

So go, check it out and let me know what you think!

(This is a FRN Review)

Side-Yard Superhero Review

I recently received a copy of The Side-Yard Superhero (Life in Degraff: An Automythography) by Rick Niece and it was delightful. The author calls this an Automythography. It is the first time I heard that term but I think it is sweet. This is the tale of his childhood exploits as a paper boy in a small town. It was a book of innocent anecdotes about the various personalities on his route and in his life. I really enjoyed this book. This is the first of a series and I can't wait to read more. I think that my 8 year old will also be enoying this book. So if you are looking for a sweet, innocent book that leaves you feeling good this is the book for you. So go order it and give it to others!

(This is an FRN review)

Dirty Bow Wow Review and Giveaway

Have you seen a little kid dragging about their sweet, ratty stuffed animal? I have say that the only thing that can even compare on the cuteness level is watching dogs and their toys. That is why I was so excited to receive a copy of Dirty Bow Wow: a Tribute to Dogs and the Objects of Their Affection to review. This is an adorable book that pairs great pictures with sweet anecdotes about these sweet dogs and their things they love. There is also a great academic angle to this book. It tell you the breed of dog in every picture so if you are trying to learn them it is a great tool!

The authors of this sweet book (Chery and Jeffrey Katz) have a heart for all dogs and especially those that are in shelters. Because of that there is a Dirty Bow Wow Toy Drive! You just get a dog toy and take it to a participating location to drop it off!

Win it!
How would you like to win your own copy of the Dirty Bow Wow?
To enter:

* Go visit the Dirty Bow Wow's Google Map and tell me where your closest drop location is for the Toy Drive.
* A random winner will be selected and notified on May 20th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed.
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

This giveaway is open to addresses within the US. Please leave a way to contact you in case you win.

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday!

(This is a FRN review)

Cart Stopper Review and Giveaway!!!!

It has happened to all of us, parents or not. We wheel the cart up next to the car and while we start unloading it starts rolling away. Some times it is right into the main parking lot and sometimes into your ankle. Then add a baby in the cart and you can imagine how intrigued I was to review this nifty little gadget called the Cart-Stopper.

The Cart-Stopper has a suction cup that hooks onto you car. Then there is a toggle on a cord that goes on your cart. This is a really cute idea. Back when I had just 2 little ones would have been when I would have used this the most. When you get the first child at the cart you would know that the cart couldn't have possibly run away. I hate having to link my foot into the rack on the bottom or, even worse, rest the cart up against my van. I was impressed how well it suctioned to my very dirty van. It was small enough to fit in my very crowded purse and it was easy to hook on with only one hand. I think this is a great little gift for that new mom you know or the new mom of 2 would be even better!

Win it!
How would you like to win your own Cart Stopper?
To enter:

* Go visit the My Lil Monkey's Website and tell me what color you would like (just follow the order now button but you won't actually have to order;).
* A random winner will be selected and notified on May 13th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed.
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

This giveaway is open to addresses within the US. Please leave a way to contact you in case you win.

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday!

(This is a FRN review)

Joolwe Pendant Review

I recently received this pretty little silver heart pendant to review from Joolwe. This is so sweet and simple. It really seemed to dress me up and I got quite a few compliments on it. I love it! It is really pretty with both blue and clear stones that sparkle. What more does a girl need?

This is just one of many great pieces they carry. They have the simple pieces and they also have those wow pieces. So go over and check out all the neat stuff Joolwe has. Also, if you happen to like jewelry they have a great blog!

(This is a FRN Review!)

Life on Record Review- A Memorable Gift

I recently got the opportunity to review Life on Record and let me just say, this would be a very unique gift! Basically you are creating cds that are full of recording from loved ones about the recipient. It is super easy to set up. You just call in a leave a welcome message (they even provide a sample message). Then you invite people to call and leave messages of things they like and remember about the person in question. There are easy to follow instructions that you email out to people. Then you are faced with a choice. You can have them burn everything to a cd (for an added cost) or you can just manage all your recordings on iTunes. Then burn your own cds and as many of them as you want. It is that simple.

I love this because it is a truly special because it is made by all those who love you. It is almost a living scrapbook. (I see a further project coming). You don't have to worry about yellowing or any of the standard concerns with keepsakes like this because it is all cd. I could see this being a great baby shower gift with parenting and well wishes or a wedding gift. The possibilities are endless. So go check out Life on Record for that next gift you need.

(This is an FRN review)