It Gets Easier! ...And other lies we tell new mothers

I had the opportunity to review this funny and informative book by Claudine Wolk. It Gets Easier! And Other Lies We Tell New Mothers is packed with really good information that I REALLY could have used after having Ava!

The book addresses common issues women face while pregnant, during labor, and those oh-so-stressful months after the baby has arrived. I have to be honest, it was tough, and I am very guilty of saying those three words~ "It gets easier". I mean, it does, because you (hopefully) will sleep again, and if I have sleep, I can handle anything, but as a mom of a feisty two-year-old, I cannot say it's gotten easy. Ha!

I am the type of mom who likes to prepare. I research. I read blogs. I talk with other moms. But I never really quite felt ready.  I have to think that if I had gotten my hands on this little ditty, I might have had half a clue!

Wolk tells it like it is, without being crass and condescending. She writes with experience and humor- something that is invaluable to a new mom.

I love the layout of the book, it's easy-to-navigate and easy-to-follow.  There are tips offered in the side bar, and Wolk includes a summary at the end of each chapter.

Both sides of the breast-feeding debate are addressed, birth plans (and how much of a waste of time they are) are discussed, and there's a whole chapter dedicated to the often-debated idea of schedules.  Wolk includes a resource section in the back, including websites, books, blogs, and my favorite, a New Mom Glossary--LOVE IT!

I think I have found my new baby shower go-to gift, as it truly addresses all important topics for new moms!

We were provided with a sample of this book to help facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

Aqua Doodle!!!

Aqua Doodle by Spin Master

Daddy checks out Aqua Bear!

Having a toddler in the home, we are in the artsy-crafty stage. Painting, coloring, markers, pipe cleaners, you name it. The messier the better. I am totally cool with mess and never mind letting Ava go crazy with finger paints (at the table of course), but there are times when mess just is not an option, like at Granny’s house, on vacation, or in the car.

We have discovered two toys that satisfy the greatest of artists, and please the tidiest of moms~ Aqua Doodle Bear and Aqua Doodle Mat!  These toys each come with their own marker (which can be used interchangeably) and both can be drawn on, even the bear!  

By the end of the week we were writing abc's and drawing all the

little pictures around the mat for Ava!

I have not even gotten into the best part yet--- the markers will work once they are filled with water, and! They only work on Aqua Doodle Products!!!!  Write with them on your skin, just water. Write on a chair, just water. Write on the dog, just water. Pretty dang sweet, huh?

These toys occupied my two-year-old, my husband and I, my mother-in-law (who is an artist!) and my step-father-in-law. We played with them in the car, in the cabin and on the dock.

After a few minutes, your drawing will begin to evaporate so there is no need to clean, no need to put them in the washing machine, easy-peasy. Ava was completely mesmerized by the fact that her handprints, foot tracings, and drawings would disappear after a bit. “Where are my toes?” was a common expression around the house!

Thank you to Spin Master who provided samples of these products to help facilitate this review, unknowingly to them---just in time for vacation!!! All opinions are our own.

Chuggington Playset: Wash and Fuel Set

Chuggington Playset: Wash and Fuel Set

I may have a daughter but that does not mean she is not into trains.  Give the girl a car or train set and she can play for hours. Imagine her delight when I introduced the Chuggington Wash and Fuel Playset (say that ten times fast!) by Learning Curve Brands!  This set is so up her alley- she loves doing the things that mommy and daddy do- cleaning and getting gas included!

The play set is designed for ages 3+ but as a 2+ year old, she was able to get a lot out of it with adult supervision.

She loved zooming the two cars around the track, but was also very impressed when I showed her how to control the crank which allows the trains to race around the track on their own!!!  The coolest feature by far is the fact that the trains communicate with each other! They have tons of phrases which is very impressive.

As a mom and a teacher, I am thrilled to see just how much this encouraged Ava’s social-emotional skills, her imaginative play skills are exploding these days, thanks to awesome toys like this.

Thank you to Learning Curve Brands for providing such a fun toy for us to play with this summer, it sure is getting it’s use over here! All opinions are our own.

Growums!

Remember our Growums giveaway in May? On Mother's Day, Ava and I planted our Growums seeds and have been patiently waiting for them to grow into herbs we can use while cooking.

I am happy to report, ours are still thriving! They are just about ready to be put into little pots! Ava and I are so excited to check on our plants, and to water them daily. We have been keeping them outside during the day, and inside at night, but a few times we left them out during insane storms by accident. Guess what? Our little babies are still growing!



I tend to have a very-non-green thumb, and I am so impressed! We have been following tips and our progress on-line and really appreciate the reminder emails we receive telling us what we should be doing!

The Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game

We are just loving all the awesome Dinosaur Train goodies we have been reviewing! The latest and greatest from this Jim Henson creation is a board game for kids aged 4+. I tested this out with my students who are 3-5 years old.  They all LOVED it!

The directions are simple and easy-to-follow. The pieces are bright and colorful, and let's be honest, there are dinosaurs and there are trains, what more could you ask for?

From Dinosaur Train, "In this game, players will choose a character – Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, Don, Cory, Tank or Mr. Conductor – and try to move the fastest along the tracks.  Speed through the three dinosaur eras: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous along the beautiful scenery.  Special Stopwatch spaces will help you get closer to the nest, while Dinosaur Crossing spaces will send you back.  The first player to reach the nest area in the center of the board wins. (For 2 to 6 players ages 4+; SRP $12.00)."


We loved it! Thanks for the opportunity to review this game! All opinions are our own.

Let's Party! with Pocoyo Dvd

If you have a young child at home, you know Nick Jr. and PBS very well. We recently discovered Pocoyo and have been loving watching it together!

This spring, Pocoyo is teaming up with his pals to help you celebrate “Best Friends Day” on June 8 and celebrate the longest day of the year, “Summer Solstice” on June 21^st with a backyard camping party!  And don’t forget Father’s Day on June 19^th! There are a lot of reasons to have a party!

You can head over to  entertainmentthateducates.com, to download all kinds of fun (and free!) printable party materials, including party coasters, party invitations and party hats!

When you're finished printing party supplies, make sure you head over to Facebook to check out Pocoyo's fanpage!  Your children will love visiting and registering at Pocoyo World - there's lots more fun to be had!  I know Ava and I LOVED Pocoyizing ourselves, too!  I am still trying to make twitter fit into my busy-busy life, but if you're active on it, you should definitely check out their twitter, too.

Ava and I loved checking out Pocoyo's new DVD,  Let's Party.  This 90-minute DVD is broken into several episodes which was really great for Ava's attention-span. We could watch it in chunks.  We were completely entertained as we followed Pocoyo and friends as they were at a birthday party, tea party, and a welcome home party!

The episodes include:

Who's on the Phone

Whale's Birthday

Pocoyo's Puppet Show

Party Pooper

Everybody's Present

Pocoyo's Present

The Great Race

Elly's Tea Party

Pato Underwater

Baby Bird Bother

A Present for Elly

Farewell Friends

To learn even more about Pocoyo, follow Three.Sixty Marketing + Communications on Twitter! 

Ava and I received a sample of this DVD to help facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.

Gomu Erasers

My daughter Katie (5 years old) and I just received these adorable Gomu erasers. Katie
immediately wanted them out of the package and figured out that the came apart
right away!

She loved the little heart and lunch box looking one. After a few minutes
of playing with the removable pieces , Katie wanted to try to use them as erasers. I
was so excited to see how durable they are…even after lots of rubbing!

We then discovered that you can go online to Gomu Eraserland and earn points for your erasers and see
which erasers are worth the most points. Since Katie is new at using the computer,
I loved this idea and it gave us the opportunity to talk about numbers! This a great ,
affordable, educational and functional toy all wrapped in one! ! These will make
great party favors and stocking stuffers , the removable parts can be traded with
friends! How fun!

We can’t wait to buy more!

Thank you to our contributor Tish and her daughter Katie for testing these cool little erasers out!


We were provided with samples of this product to help facilitate this review. All opinions are our own.