how fun is this?

i don't usually blog about other people's giveaways (it always seems counter-intuitive...why lessen your own chance to win?), but this one seems extra special (plus i get three extra entries for telling you about it!). if you win, i definitely think you should share one of the headbands with me since i have a baby girl who looks like a boy and since you wouldn't have one without me telling you about it!

just click here and take a look at the awesomeness...

seventh generation (review and giveaway)

as we get ready to get ready to get the kids back to school (hey! we are still three weeks out so we are only thinking about getting ready!), i have to remind myself that we aren't just getting the kids out of the house (bwah, ha, ha!), we are getting ready to welcome all kinds of bugs and germs into our homes (yech!). 

this year i know that lilianna is particularly vulnerable to what the other kids will bring home from school.  with this in mind, we are going to be more careful than ever to make sure the kids wash their hands when they get home from school.  but i have been wondering, what else can we do to keep illnesses to a minimum?

seventh generation, through myblogspark, recently sent me some ways to help the kids stay healthy this school year:

optimize the immune system

• reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. a recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.
• be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin d from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.
• build a strong foundation. good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.

be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs

• teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. the most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.
• sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. 
• stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
• demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. this simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled. 

with all the concern about being "green" and not exposing our kids to harmful chemicals, i was excited to learn that seventh generation now has disinfecting wipes.  seventh generation's disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme (*refer to disinfecting product labels for full details).

since it is healthier to use tissues than a washable handkerchief, i was excited to learn about seventh generation's tissues as well.  now my kids can throw away their germs and still be eco-friendly.

 we will also be disinfecting other surfaces with the seventh generation multi-purpose cleaner and seventh generation paper towels.  i am starting to feel much more prepared for the kids to go back to school.  of course, i might also need to make sure they have a few other supplies like notebooks, pencils and even clothes!

if you need a little help feeling more ready for school, my blogspark and seventh generation have a gift pack available for one of you.  simply leave a comment below telling me what you plan to do this school year to keep your child or your home germ free.  i will choose a winner using random.org on august 31.

i received a package including seventh generation disinfecting wipes (2 canisters), paper towels, tissues, multi-purpose cleaner and a backpack from my blogspark and seventh generation.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

arm and hammer spinbrush myway! review

zoe and tessa love to do crafts.  i love to be able to provide them with crafts, but then i wonder what to do with all the things we end up collecting when we are done.  if only we could do a craft that is also useful...

enter, the arm and hammer spinbrush myway!  a customizable battery toothbrush ($6.99).  i gave the girls their toothbrushes at the beginning of their rest time one day.  i think it was the quietest they have ever been during rest time.    

each toothbrush comes with over 140 water-safe stickers that include letters to spell out their names, animals, phrases, rainbows, flowers, hearts, etc. as well as princess and rock star themes to choose from.  batteries are included.  dentists recommend changing toothbrushes every three months, so by the time the batteries die, we will probably be ready for new ones anyway.  right now, you can find a coupon for $2 off on the website.

i really enjoyed seeing how each girl made the toothbrush her own.  by the time they finished, each girl's toothbrush matched her personality to such a degree that i never had trouble remembering whose was whose.

while these toothbrushes are marketed to girls, tate was so thrilled with his astronaut shaped spinbrush for kids that he didn't even notice that his didn't have stickers.

as for teeth brushing, i don't think the kids have ever been so excited to brush their teeth.  in fact, we finally had to limit teethbrushing to just a few times a day, instead of all day long!  i was pleased how willing the kids were to brush their own teeth.  with the spinbrush, even if they aren't as thorough as i might be, i feel confident that they are brushing even more effectively with the extra spinning going on.

unfortunately, a few weeks into our tooth-brushing, the kids started to complain about sores on their gums.  i think the brushing was a little too vigorous with the spinning.  we have since put aside the spinbrushes until they are old enough to regulate a little better how hard they are brushing with the spinbrushes.

i received two arm and hammer spinbrush myway! toothbrushes (and a regular spinbrush for tate) for the purpose of this review.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

percy jackson and the olympians (review and giveaway)

in college, i was advised by a friend to take a little-known class on classical mythology.  this may have been one of the most beneficial classes i took.  who knew how many references and allusions there could be to the gods and the myths that accompany them.

i was excited, therefore, to learn that a book series was out that would make this sort of information accessible to young people.  i started reading the series percy jackson and the olympians to try and figure out when zoe could start reading the series.  since i was reading and enjoying the book, i was even more excited to learn that a movie based on the book was also coming out. 

while i never got to see the movie in the theater (we still need to figure out how to work out babysitting here in chicago), i have been anxiously awaiting its arrival on dvd and blu-ray.  now that i have seen it, i think it is safe to recommend this movie to you as well.


percy jackson and the olympians: the lightening thief is marketed as a family film.  i think it is still too intense for my kids (ages 8, 5, 3 and 5 months), but it is definitely one we will enjoy together when they are a little older.  because it was marketed as a family film, i was expecting the plot to be something geared more for young people than adults. 

instead, i was pleasantly surprised to discover that the movie was one bill and i both thoroughly enjoyed and will enjoy watching again.  there is plenty of action, drama, romance and comedy to satisfy all our desires.  if you are in love with the book, you may be disappointed that a lot has been changed to the plot.  i think, however, that the plot of the movie holds together well and seems to be consistent throughout.  i will be anxious to see if other movies come out based on the other books in the series.

if you think this is something you are also interested in watching, i have two copies available to giveaway.  just leave a comment below telling me which god or goddess you would most like to have for a parent and why.  for a second entry, you can subscribe to the feed for this blog.  simply leave me another comment telling me you have done so.  i will choose two winners on august 31.

i received a copy of this dvd for the purpose of this review from 20th century fox home entertainment and bender/helper impact.  regardless, the opinions expressed here are purely my own.

igo review

we're getting ready to leave for another trip to the beach. normally, when i pack, i have an entire bag just of cords, plugins and chargers for phones, cameras and ipods. lately, however, i have been able to whittle my collection down to one camera charger and one other charger for all other devices...

meet the igo ($49.99):

this little gadget really has changed our lives.  now i can charge my phone and my ipod at the same time AND (get this), i don't even have to be near a wall outlet.  that's right, the igo holds enough charge that i can plug in both devices and charge them in my purse or wherever else i like.

if you know that you are going to be away from outlets for the day, you can just stash this in your purse (the dimensions are 2.28 x 2.52 x 1.46 in) ready to charge whenever you need, wherever you are.  when you buy the igo, just make sure to get the tip that works for your phone, bluetooth, mp3, digital camera or any other device that you need to charge.

i received an igo and tip for my phone for the purpose of this review.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are purely my own.

ecostoreusa baby lotion and rash ointment

poor lilianna has suffered with terrible eczema since she was about a month old.  literally, from head to toe she was a mess of itchy, oozy rashes and sores.  at many times, it has been painful to look at her.  i have tried just about every kind of lotion and cream i could get my hands on to help her feel more comfortable.

in my search, i have been looking to use something on her skin that is plant-based and healthy.  ecostore usa has a variety of options that are made naturally from plants and minerals.  i figure she can use all the help she can get without adding "nasty chemicals" and other additives that her baby skin just doesn't need to be exposure to.

when i received our sample of baby lotion and "nappy balm," i was surprised by the consistency of the lotion ($10).  it was runnier than i was expecting.  it doesn't have the thicker texture and consistency that i usually experience with lotion.  while i think it would be a good moisturizer for babies with healthy skin, i actually found the nappy balm ($10), which has a thicker consistency, worked better for moisturizing lilianna's skin, from head to toe.  while i can't say the baby lotion and diaper rash ointment have cured lilianna's problem (we had to rely on a prescription cream for that), i have been glad to have a moisturizer to use in addition to her prescription cream to keep her comfortable and itch-free.

ecostore usa also has household cleaners, pet products, and adult bath and body products, all made with natural ingredients and free from the chemicals that we like to avoid putting on our skin and into our homes.  they say that they are cost-effective because their concentrated products require you to use less than of other products.  i'm not sure that this is true of the lotion--i felt like i had to use more to make up for the thin consistency, but this has definitely proved true with the nappy balm.

our family is slowly, slowly making changes to use healthier cleaning supplies and bath and body products. i am relatively impressed with the offerings of ecostore usa. i am glad to have choices like this available, particularly for lilianna's sensitive skin. 

i received a free sample of ecostore usa lotion and nappy balm for the purpose of this mamabuzz review.  the opinions expressed here are purely my own.

box tops for education (with giveaway)

if there is one errand my kids are always excited about doing with me, it is going to sam's club. they just can't seem to get over the fact that people will just hand them food as we walk up and down the aisles.

of course when we go to sam's we have to buy the super large box of cheerios. with 3 kids (and bill!) having heaping big bowls of cereal every morning, it is hard to stay stocked up on cheerios.

to make me feel a little better about the cost, i always make sure to clip the "box tops" off the box of cheerios. with schools all over chicago facing serious budget cuts, i am happy to do what i can to support the schools the kids attend. what better way to help than to take something we are already purchasing and add to the funds their schools get?

for a short time, sam's club is helping us help our schools even more. from now through august 13, as long as supplies last, if you upgrade your sam's club membership to a "plus" membership, you can receive a gift certificate for 150 box tops for the school of your choice.

in addition, now through august 31, general mills is offering a bonus of 6 box tops on selected items. obviously, this is a great time to stock up on necessary items in a way that can benefit education in your area.

as if that weren't enough, one reader can receive a $25 gift card to sam's club. just leave me a comment here telling me your absolute must-have sam's club item. i will choose a winner using random.org on august 15.

i received an upgrade to a "plus" membership at sam's club, a $25 sam's club gift card and a gift card to giveaway from general mills and my blog spark for the purpose of this review.  regardless, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.