auto-b-good, in the land of odds, dvd review

if you are like me and sometimes question the content and values expressed by the cartoons on tv, then you will like the auto-b-good, in the land of odds, dvd, put out by rising star studios.

this dvd ($7.99) has three episodes that each focus on an important moral or life lesson.  in the first one, johnny equates being dependable with being boring.  the "land of odds" quickly convinces him that dependability can be a good characteristic for everyone.

in another episode, cali gets a job so she can have more money for her true love--shopping.  the problem is, she shifts the responsibility onto her friends with disastrous results.  as a result, she learns the value of following through responsibly on a commitment.

in the last episode, the cars learn the value of goodwill as they see if "one small thought" can hold together their friendships. 

this dvd also includes two bonus episodes that highlight the values of "consideration" for others and "obedience" to the rules.

the girls loved watching this dvd.  zoe (age 7) has even asked to watch it again.  i thought my two-year-old would sit enraptured, given his love for the movie cars.  somehow, his interest didn't last for long.  i would probably just show him one episode at a time in the future--even though the total dvd running time is about 50 minutes, he would probably enjoy a shorter viewing time better. it makes sense that the recommended age for this dvd series is ages 3-7.

for me, while i didn't find the plot lines and character development completely gripping for myself, it was nice to know that i was letting the kids watch something that had good values.  in fact, later in the day, after they watched the video i was able to refer to the episode on "goodwill" as we talked about assuming the best about others, instead of immediately believing the worst about their intentions and actions.

if you want to take a look for yourself, check out the video on youtube.  if your kids like what they see, they can have more fun on the auto-b-good website, where they can join the "car club" among other activities.

this is a mama buzz review.  i received a complimentary copy of the dvd from rising star studios for the purpose of doing this review.  the opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

thinking about money...

sometimes it seems like all i do is think about money.  it seems like almost everything we can do for fun as a family costs at least a little money.  we have been blessed to do as much as we have been able to do on our limited income, but it is still something that occupies my mind.

kodak and juiceboxjungle (from the ad over on your right) sponsored me to write a post about what I'd do with a surprise extra $100 if someone handed it to me next month.  i'm pretty sure that i could spend it all too quickly.


i would love to say that i would be altruistic and donate it to some charity, particularly for the people of haiti.  definitely, it would be great to give a portion of it to something like that.


i've also thought about some fun post-delivery clothes.  i'm definitely tired of maternity clothes but i know it is going to be awhile before i can fit into anything else after the baby comes.  i had lost almost all of my previous baby weight before i got pregnant (it might just be true that you can lose weight from "chasing" after kids all day).  i got rid of almost all my clothes that had gotten too big.  i might just have to keep wearing the rubber band to hold my pants together for awhile longer...


of course, i could just blow the whole wad on diapers.  i'm pretty sure that is going to be our biggest expense for awhile.  we've gotten used to changing tate's diapers just a couple times a day.  i'm sure we are in for a little diaper shock when this baby comes.


if someone truly were to give me $100 for anything i want, i know exactly what i would do.  i would get a better haircut (don't even get me started on how bad my latest one was) that would make me feel like a cool, hip mama (if that is possible) and, if there was any left, a manicure.  i just have been having a desire to make the parts of me beautiful that i actually can have some control over!


kodak has some information in the ad about how you can save money on printer ink.  if this is something you haven't given some thought to before, you might just want to check out what they have to say...

nescafe winner!

well, i gave it an extra week to see if anyone else wanted a chance to try some delicious instant coffee packets. everyone must want to rush right out and buy their own instead of waiting for them to come in the mail!

our winner is...

 

congratulations cheryl f. from laughing ladybug!  i hope you enjoy your samples!

words that rhyme with orange cd review

we are a music-crazy family. we often have to deal with battles over what to listen to in the car and what to listen to at night and naptime. since we received this cd, however, our battles have decidedly lessened. everyone in the family (even mom and dad) can agree on listening to this cd.

peppy music, clever (i mean, very clever) lyrics all make this cd a family favorite.  the kids' favorite song, as best as i can tell, seems to be "happy to be me."  when i sampled the cd here, i had played the song for all of two seconds before tessa started dancing and asking me to turn it up.  i figured that was a good sign.  since we received it in the mail, "juicebox" and "lionmonkeybacondonkey" have joined the list of favorites.

my personal favorite (i've declared it our family theme song) is "the sound of whining" in which we are reminded that "no one likes to hear the sound of whining / whining makes you want to plug your ears and run away / everything sounds better when you're smiling / so no more whining today."  i also love, love, love the song "more," a love song to a child, which i would love to learn well enough to sing to the baby when it comes.  i have to admit that the song, "don't do it" makes me a little sick to my stomach, but i do appreciate the message, particularly as this has been a problem in the past (you'll just have to get the cd to know what i'm talking about!).

i feel like i say this every time, but this is honestly a cd that i am happy to listen to over and over again (unlike this one).  even bill commented (out of the blue) the other day that he really appreciates the clever lyrics of the songs on this cd.  this is definitely a cd that falls in the category of "family favorite."

how do you get it for yourself?  since this is an independent and self-produced cd, you can't find it in stores.  you can, however, find it (and a sample) on ross king's website, as well as on i-tunes and through amazon
. 

the cd is $12.00 from ross king direct, but the download is $9.99 from i-tunes and only $7.99 from amazon. i can honestly say that, though the recommended ages are 2-12, your whole family will be glad to have this cd in their collection.

our family received a copy of this cd from ross king for the purpose of this mama buzz review. regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own. also, if you use my link to amazon to purchase this cd, they have promised me a token of commission.

good news for parents from general mills...

if your new year's resolution has been to reduce the amount of sugar that you and your kids take in, general mills has some good news for you:  they have made a commitment to reduce the amount of sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving.  they are also increasing key nutrients, like calcium, vitamin D and more whole grain.

cereal is a top source of nutrients in children's diets already, so reducing the amount of sugar in the cereal can make you feel even better about your choice.  i did not know that ready-to-eat cereal is the number one source of whole grains in a child's diet today, and that more frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower body mass index measures.

we all know that eating breakfast is an important start to the day, for us and for our children.  what good news to find out that we have even healthier options available to us. 

i have started using some sweetened cereal as a part of our snack time, to add in extra nutrients and whole grains that chips, pretzels and crackers do not have, while still making snack time special.  tate loves to have cheerios and kix mixed in with his dried cranberries and raisins.

if you would like a coupon to help you with your shopping bill, you can find one here.  give the new general mills reduced sugar cereals a try.

i received this information and coupons for 4 free boxes of general mills cereal from general mills and my blog spark.  i felt like this information was worth passing on to those of you who share my concern as a parent for healthier kids.  

disney on ice is here again...

...happy days are here again!

i can't think of an event we as a family have enjoyed more than our last experience of disney on ice (tessa has already started poring over the program from the last time).  the show is very well done, lasts just the right amount of time, and doesn't fail to wow and astound.

the kids are still talking about the last show we went to, and now we are excited to learn that disney on ice is back in town.  this time, we will have an opportunity to enjoy a winter wonderland with mickey and minnie, a halloween haunt with the disney villains (i'm wondering how tate will handle this part), a royal ball with the disney princesses (sure to be the highlight of the show for the girls) and even an introductino to princess tiana from the princess and the frog.  in all there will be over 50 different characters from 16 different disney stories.

the show will be at the united center from january 20-31 and at the allstate arena in rosemont from february 2-7.  if you are in the chicago area, and are interested in going, once again there is a discount available to you.  for the weekday shows (monday through thursday, and the friday matinee) and $4 off the weekend shows (friday night through sunday).  just use the code "mom" in the promotion box on the website.

i know our family does not want to miss this fabulous event.  hopefully, we will see you there!

our family will receive free tickets to this show from feld entertainment but we have in no other way been compensated for this post.  the opinions expressed here are purely our own. 

trying a little nescafe... (and giveaway)

if your new year's resolutions included saving money this year, i have a treat to tell you about.  you may believe you are addicted to a certain coffee chain's expensive coffee (maybe even their instant variety) but now you can take advantage of an affordable new option: nescafe taster's choice now offers single-serve packets. 

these packets are available in 5 delectable options:   decaf, original roast, 100% colombian, vanilla and hazelnut.  while i have given these samples a try and enjoyed the ease and availability of the instant single-serve packet, i was most curious what bill's response to the coffee would be.  he is the true coffee connoisseur.  i'm can't tell much difference in any of the coffees i drink.  bill has never been interested in instant coffee, and knows exactly which kind of roast and blend he prefers.

he is actually really enjoying the instant option.  he likes the taste, although he cautions that you need to stick to the recommended 8 ounces of water or it tastes too watered down. 

i think these packets are great to have for on-the-go (assuming you are going somewhere with hot water available of course!), and they are a much more affordable option, especially than the chain-store instant brand.

if you think this is something you would like to try, you can get a free sample here.  or, you are welcome to leave a comment here.  i am giving away a set of sample packs along with a nescafe mug to enjoy them in.  leave a comment here telling me your favorite hot drink, and i will draw a winner next monday.  this is for united state residents only (sorry beloved canadians!).  please make sure i have your email address so i can get your address if you win.

i received some sample packets of nescafe single-serve variety to try out for this review.  regardless, the opinions expressed here are purely my own and bill's.  we would seriously tell you if we didn't like it; but we do, so we can recommend them to you with honesty and integrity.