Temperature Taking Made Easy

My kids don't get fevers that often.   They actually don't get sick that often.  It's not anything I do, I'm sure.  I mean, I try to feed them healthy and give them vitamins.  I try to make them wash their hands and all those good germ-watching things we do.   But so do most moms that I know.  So, I think it's got to be inherited good immune systems or just pure luck. 

When they do get sick, the first thing I want to do is take their temperature to see if they are running a fever.  Since it is the first question a nurse will ask me, I want to be prepared, right?   Plus, I know if there is fever then they are fighting some infection, whether or not to keep them home from school and if I should dispense medicine.

It sounds like an easy enough task.  IF you have an actual thermometer that works, that is!  I had 3 of those digital ones and they all three give me different readings - if I get an accurate reading at all.   So, taking my kids temp was actually pretty frustrating and my response to the nurse usually would go something like this, "Well, it seems to be between 99.5 and 104."    Yeah, that's a big difference. 

The last time we went to the doctor, they used the coolest touch thermometer.  They simply touched my daughter's head and almost instantly had her temperature.   That's what I needed!   Alas, the one the doctors have are pretty expensive and not something I was willing to spend money on. 

Then I received a box of goodies from MomSelect right before Christmas and one of the things I was most excited to see was the Mini TempleTouchThemometer.

I seriously love this thing!  It takes an accurate temperature in about 6 seconds!  Without any complaining of something stuck in my children's mouth or underarm.  I only wish I had this with the kids when they were babies.  Because taking temps with a baby is even worse.

Here is what the website says about it,

The Mini is economical, reliable, accurate and non-invasive. Another breakthrough in thermometers, its unique design & technical capabilities enables parents to receive quick and accurate temperature measurement by just touching the infant’s forehead. The temple area is a comfortable and easy measurement site, accessible when child or patient is awake or asleep.

I did receive mine without cost through MomSelect to review if I desired.   I really could not help but tell you about it just to make your life as a mom a little easier.   You can find one at Wal-Mart for under $10 with the brand name name ReliOn.   I'd say it's worth it!   

Advent Calendar

I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Ours was full of family and food - good times all around.

Last night was the night that we had to get the Christmas decorations out because the advent calendar is in there.  The one that starts today! 

This year, though, we have a new advent calendar which is proving to be a lot of fun and cause for great anticipation for my kids.

The Playmobil Advent Calendar "Knight's Duel".

Each day we get to open a little box with a little Playmobil toy in it.  Once we open all of the boxes, we will have a complete knight scene.   It's like a puzzle that my kids get to play with as they go along.

We've never actually had anything Playmobil, so I was pretty excited when MomSelect sent it to me to review. Yes, they sent it to me, my kids are playing with it and I am talking about it here on my blog.  That might happen a few times during the holidays.  They generously sent me a box full of goodies to review.  Thank you! 

Anyway, it did take me 40 minutes to put together last night. That is the only downside.   I would say it is very worth it, though.  The toys are really well-made.  I can tell my kids will enjoy them.


The only other downside is the fact that I have 2 kids so they have to take turns with a box each day.  Thank goodness, I have another advent calendar that the other child gets to do his or her off days.   It is one the kids actually made a couple years ago that says Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!  I love that one. 

They also have a girls set and a couple other winter scene sets and a Nativity Set.

I am not an Amazon Affiliate.  North Carolina does not participate in that program anymore.  I'm just directing you to Amazon because it's the easiest and cheapest I found online.   You can get some of these sets at Target and Toys R Us, too.  

So, do you do an advent calendar? 

Frigidaire and Save The Children

Commit to do an activity with your child for an hour.   Easy, right?!?!!?  I thought so.  They are some of my favorite people to hang out with.

You can pledge to spend one hour with your kids and be entered into a drawing for a Frigidaire Professional Wall Oven! Oh yes, you can!

AND for every pledge made, Frigidaire and actress Jennifer Garner will donate $1 to Save The Children U.S. Programs. Save the Children has been helping children survive and thrive by focusing on early childhood education, literacy and physical activity and nutrition programs for more than 75 years. 

Okay, so go now, pledge your time, help a good cause and enter to win a new Frigidaire Wall Oven!

Thanks to MomSelect and Frigidaire for this opportunity!

A Color Affair

My sweet new sister in law is a fabulous artist. She has a business in the Atlanta area that I wanted to share with you in case you are there. She does murals and business windows.

She just finished painting some buildings and snack carts at Zoo Atlanta! Actually, my brother and her built the carts AND painted them.

Check her out at A Color Affair.

Win some Shoes and Shine On at Chic Critique

You should hop on over to Chic Critique today.

Megan wrote a great post on Summer shoes and you can try to win some from Lands End! Yay - free stuff! You've got to check out all the Espadrilles! I love me some cute espadrilles. I pretty much live in flip flops all summer, though and need to add some cuteness to my summer shoe collection for sure.

In other news on Chic Critique, I am posting about shine mists for your hair. It probably won't be the last time I post about a shine mist. As I grow older, I find the sparkle in my dark hair going bye bye. It's typical but I am not going down easily.

Shine On is my theory. Read about them HERE.

Bella Sara's Newest Additions

I have posted for Team Mom once before about Bella Sara. For those of you that don't know, Bella Sara is a successful trading card product developed for girls, featuring horse-themed fantasy cards that offer positive, inspirational messages.

As a matter of fact, my 8 year old daughter loved her freebies from Team Mom so much that she started collecting the cards and got a huge tin of them from Santa for Christmas.

The problem was that something happened while she was logging in and out and she could not get into her account. The password didn't work for some reason and we tried to change it. I am not sure what happened but we could not get into Bella Sara for 2 entire months and my emails to customer service went unanswered.

So, when Team Mom contacted me to review them again, I was not sure. I told them why and Bella Sara fixed the problem within the hour. My daughter and her best friend were ecstatic! They played on the site for almost an hour. The site really is so beautiful. The color and graphics are awesome. My daughter loves taking care of her horses there.

And now for their newest additions:

The newest addition to the Bella Sara collection is the Miniatures Series. The Miniatures series is the first time fans get a chance to collect actual figurines of the Bella Sara horses.

This series retails for $1.99 and can be found at WalMart, Target and toy stores.

My daughter loved this feature! There are 20 velvety figurines to collect and she is looking forward to finding them all. She can also look forward to a random bonus code that reveals an animated horse statue online and a full color checklist to keep track of which ones she has.

Also this month, fans will get a chance to see what inspirational treasures are to be revealed with Bella Sara Treasures.

Treasures brings a new element to BellaSara.com with more printable activities including bonus codes, coloring pages, wallpapers, a poster and jigsaw puzzles.
This series features rare jewels, amazing natural wonders, historical artifacts and fantastic magical items to explore and cherish.

These cards retail for $2.99 a package and can be found at WalMart, Target and toy stores.

• Starting February 27th through April 30th, the website, www.bellasara.com is offering kids a chance to win an exciting Treasure Hunt Party of their very own!

Well, that sounds fun! We will have to be on the look out for that.

I hate to give any negative review but I do feel like I need to be honest about my customer service experience. I think they could greatly improve in that area. Otherwise, I love them and more importantly, so does B.

In good faith to Bella Sara I am giving away a package of the Treasures and the figurine!
Just leave me a comment and tell me what you think of the site.

Qlubb Review

When Team Mom first sent me this website to review, I really wasn't sure it was something I could use. I have a blog to stay in contact with my friends and family and a blog to stay in contact with the small group leaders I coach at church. My friend set up a website for our book club.

Hmmmm. Well, then it occurred to me exactly where I could use Qlubb. Right here at home!

My husband and I cannot seem to coordinate our schedules. We are forever scrambling as we discover that we are double booked or forgot an important date.

I love this site because unlike my blogs and website, each person involved in the "club" or the family can add important dates to the calendar. You can post chores for the kids and pictures of the kids sports and family vacations.

Now we can both access Qlubb to add our dates and then be in sync with each other.

You can even make it extend past your immediate family to the entire extended family. How cool would it be for each family member to know when a big game is happening for a niece or nephew or to see photos from the latest dance recital that you could not attend?

You can also link up your blogs,websites, myspace, Facebook or any other favorite sites to this.

Maybe you don't have time to set up a website for each group or club that you are in. This is a perfect way to set up a calendar, post pictures of past events, upcoming events and link to events for any club or group that you are in.

With Qlubb you can:

• Eliminate back and forth emails
• Avoid reminding (nagging?) everyone about events and responsibilities
• Easily delegate tasks to group members
• Create a secure website for your group

Qlubb is the easiest way to get your real-life groups organized and on the same page. Between our children's classrooms, scout troops, religious groups, social groups, book/wine clubs and families, we are constantly running around trying to plan and coordinate our group activities. Too often, organizing is just simply a source of headaches and undue stress.

With easy user sign-on, group calendaring, shared sign-up sheets, online rsvp, and much more, Qlubb automates many of the tasks and significantly reduces the time it takes to organize group events, activities and members, giving you more time to enjoy your groups, families and friends

Find out more about Qlubb.com by clicking Here and start a 30-day trial of getting organized!

Look-At-Me!

I have been a long time fan of these Parents Toys. I think they are perfect for little fat baby hands and the colors are so bright, but soft. I bought them for my kids as toddlers a lot...

Read more about the Parents Look-At-Me Camera Here on my review site.

Takin' care of Business

This morning has been one filled with taking of all kinds of things that have piled up. Several reviews and bloggy business. I apologize for all of that and have tried to post the reviews on my other blog and spread them out between today and tomorrow.

Along with that, finishing up Christmas cards, packing gifts for shipping and cleaning out a basket of miscellaneous papers that have seriously piled up - I have practically not moved from my home office since taking B to the bus stop and making Bubby lunch.

It is such a good day for it anyway - it's raining and the temperatures are dropping. I hate being out in the rain and cold.

One last thing I want to mention is about this Savvy Source/Leap Frog quiz on my sidebar. It's been there for a couple months now and I have not even shared what it is. And it is something pretty cool!

The Savvy Source is a website powered by parents for parents full of information parents want to know about child development, holiday gift guides and even preschool ratings.

They along with Leap Frog (love Leap Frog!) have developed this and other quizzes to help you gauge your child's development. The Savvy Source will even give you a list of toys appropriate for your child's development and gifts after you complete the various quizzes on their website.

Just start the quiz that is listed in my sidebar to begin.

On a side note, we got Bubby a Leapster 2 for Christmas. He said he wanted a DS, but I just think he is too young for it, so the Leapster 2 seemed to be the perfect answer to that little issue.

They had a special package at Target with the Clone Wars game and he LOVES the Clone Wars. So, score one for mom, I mean Santa!

Delgo

Have you heard about this new movie coming out?

Delgo

I got to watch a sneak peak trailer of this movie and I have to say that it seems pretty cool.
Normally, I am not much of a fantasy type of movie goer...

To read more of this review click here to take you to my review blog.

I See The Future

The future of the next week or so.

Well, it's only 8 am here and I just finished putting Batman "tattoos" all over Bubby's arms. He seems pretty inspired to get to school now and show his friends his new ink. It's really such a simple thing but makes him very happy.

Speaking of simple, let us talk about something not so simple. Mr. Linky and FeedFlare. For me anyway.

For some of you, this may be simple. I am just technically challenged and learn best by trial and error, so I have been playing around a bit with them. Of course, this all happens in between putting tats on my kids and feeding them. Basically, I cannot read or understand all this computer code stuff in my templates and am terrified I will mess it all up somehow.

I do have some fun new things to introduce this next week, though (if I can figure out Mr. Linky). Jo-Lynne made me some new buttons so I can host some carnivals! Oh, they are soooooo completely cute.

So, I'm excited about that aaannnnddd, she just might be (okay she is) decorating my blog for Christmas. Yay! So, I am kind of already decorating for Christmas - just not my actual house. I can't bring myself to do that until Thanksgiving is over. Even if it is late this year.

I've got a couple reviews coming up also on some great kids books: a series for the younger ones and one for older girsls/tweens that B just finished.

Speaking of B, she is turning 8 on Monday.

Her birthday list is just a little huge including both a Nintendo DS, an iPod and new bike. No, she is absolutely not getting all of those things.

But we are not having a big party this year. $100 can buy a party or go toward the DS. Doing both is not really a good choice right now. Especially with Christmas right around the corner. You should see her Christmas list and no she is not getting everything on that either.

Anyway, this is the first in her young 8 years of life that we are not having an actual birthday party. We will still have a family celebration this weekend, though!


Oh, have you donated to the 50,000 shoes in 50 days, yet? Just $5 will buy TWO people shoes. People without even one pair of shoes for what you probably forgot is stuffed in the pocket of your jeans. Anyway, it's a great cause and easy to do. I plan on donating each week. Go here to join me! And yes, I will be talking about this until the goal is reached. :)

Bella Sara is Having a Baby

I was first introduced to Bella Sara trading cards because of my older nieces. They like to collect these very cool horse cards and then activate them in this amazing website full of magical rooms, treasures and horses. Now my own 8 year old daughter is loving them!

Bella Sara taps into young girls' love of horses and offers them the
ability to nurture their virtual horses in their online stables, read stories
and play games featuring horses. Bella, the icon of the brand, is a
legendary horse in North of North and also appears as a teacher nurturing the
young foals.

Now this beautiful white horse, Bella is about ready to have a baby! An entire new line of trading cards featuring all brand-new babies will be introduced. I got a sneak peak and they are pretty cool!

And a celebration is about to begin on the website to welcome Bella's new foal.

Beginning November 6 on BellaSara ,kids can qualify for daily prizes, print of babies birth certificates, read stories, get access to special codes and more! Also, there will be chances to win Bella Birthday packages!

Bella Sara is full of meaningful messages for young girls. Listed right on the cards are messages with each horse like these:

Tell your friends your favorite wish. Then listen to theirs.

Share your thoughts and feelings in writing.

You have the power to control the way you act.

A noble spirit grows from a kind and honest heart

When your child receives the cards, she would then take each card, log into Bella Sara and register her new horses. Take care of them each day much like you would in that other world with virtual pets. Except these are just little cards - that you can keep in a neat little pile or book.

Okay, so go ahead and check it out. Bellasara.com and don't forget to get there for the big celebration on November 6!

Packages of cards, retail for $2. 99, with 7 cards in each package and are available at Target, Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, book and hobby stores. They make great stocking stuffers!

Oh, and here are some more products from the Bella Sara line. Games, DS games and crafts.

I can tell you that around here, we cannot wait to see the new foal and get some more Baby Bella cards!

Grocery Finds and Coupons!

I am loving this new bread from Arnold.

No High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Yay - finally someone got smart in the bread world and created a SOFT bread without that stuff.

Here is a link for coupons for a few states but not NC. Check to see if yours is in there.

Or this site is talking about ordering coupons in case you are interested.

Although, a many stores you can get it on sale right now because it is new.

Oh, and since I feel so healthy eating my sandwich with that bread,

I went ahead and picked up this. Okay. This. Is. So. Good.

I know a certain sis in law that would enjoy! ;)

So, here is a coupon - go getcha some!

Go Aquatic Review

Oh, we get some kind of dirty in this house! I encourage lots of playtime outside and that means dirt. While my kids love to play in the bath sometimes it is hard to get them to actually come inside to do that. But, bathtime was never so much fun as it is with the Bath Blizzard. This toy creates many bubbles for tubtime...

Read more here

We also love to draw. The kids have a smaller AquaDoodle pad, but this bigger one was so much fun to...

Go here for more!

K'NEX and Sesame Street Review

I remember when Sesame Street first appeared on television. I loved it so much because my Kindergarten teacher would wheel in a big TV and let us watch it once a week. I can still go to YouTube and scroll through vintage Sesame Street just to experience some old time nostalgia.

Click on this - It will take you back!

One character we did not have when I was younger was Elmo. I am not sure when he first appeared on Sesame Street but I feel sure I was not really watching it much then.

I just love Elmo. I was so excited to have children just so we could watch him! We had a Tickle Me Elmo, Elmo bath toys, Elmo beach toys. What a cutie that little red furry guy is.

It was pretty cool when a couple weeks ago we received a big box with the Sesame Street K'NEX in them. I ripped open the brown shipping box to see Elmo's smiling face on the K'NEX box. My son ran upstairs to get his other KID K'NEX that he received for Christmas last year and we had a fun morning just building all kinds of structures.

KID K'NEX Playground Pals

He loves the way he can make things turn and different "aliens", as he calls them, with all the cool eyes and ears in this new Sesame Street set.

The coolest thing about these new Sesame Street K'NEX is that they have chunky blocks with them, too. We were able to make Elmo into some really cool figures - even a fish!

And, of course, they come in a really handy storage box with at lid that you can use to play with also. Smart smart toy.

K'NEX building sets are perfect for engaging kids imagination and creativity and I strongly recommend them for any child. I love these Sesame Street ones for ages 2-5. My son is 4 and still really enjoyed them even though he doesn't watch much Sesame Street anymore.

The best thing is that you can pick one of these sets up beginning at only $11!

That is a great Christmas or birthday present. I think you get a lot of bang for your buck with these.

We played with Elmo's World and it is a $22 set but it is packed with 46 pieces!

Oh, and don't forget about the K'NEXpert 2009 Search contest - free college money is at stake here!

Happy Creating and thank you TEAM MOM!

Noel Elsa - Finally

I want you to meet someone.

Noel Elsa was born in the Cabbage Patch on July 26 and delivered and left on my doorstep in early August for us to adopt and love on.



When I was 13 years old, the Cabbage Patch Kids made their debut.


I desperately wanted one.


Any. One.






At the time production was limited and to get one you literally had to sell your car or your first born or something.


I did not get one of those first dolls, though. And not from lack of trying. Not even from lack of money which I am sure we had very little of. My mom usually went in to debt each Christmas to make sure we had exactly what was on our list to Santa. She was good like that. But this particular year, she could have hocked her wedding ring and not gotten me this doll.


They were simply gone.
No where to be found.
No eBay to buy one that someone bought up and then inflated the price.
All gone.


So, Christmas came and went with no Cabbage Patch Kid. Luckily, at this point, I did not find too much stock in the big guy with the white beard anyway, so I was just disappointed in my parents. Oh, God bless 'em.

Along the years, Cabbage Patch Kids were released in Preemies and even twins and I received several as gifts.


Amos was my preemie - given to me by a guy friend that I was "dating". Just look at that hair. His green eyes match my own hazel ones. I LOVED this doll. More than the guy. I kept the doll. The guy - not so much.




Then there were the twins (and I cannot remember their names) who were given to my by my very sweet little brothers. Look really close and you can see the one's front tooth!
My kids really love these guys.




As you can see, I still have them all and here they are to welcome Noel into the playroom.


My kids have had so much fun playing with all my CPK dolls and love Noel. She's been in the treehouse and even went to school for show and tell.

The best thing about Noel - she SMELLS like baby powder!!!


We got a new Cabbage Patch Kid a couple years ago and she was precious. Unfortunately, she was misplaced by my then 4 year old daughter.

It. Was. A. Sad. Day.


Anyway, I remember opening her and loving her but she did not smell like the original and she did not have the sweet round face of the original. She was a jazzed up, millennium version of the old.


These new 25th anniversary Cabbage Patch Kids are made from the same mold and materials as the originals when I was 13 years old. Just released at the beginning of this month, you too can have the one you never had then. Or to go with the one you did get.


They retail for around $30, you get a "silver anniversary" baby spoon with them, commemorative silver-stamped 25th Anniversary Birth Certificate and Adoption Papers.



Thank you Team Mom and Play Along! We love Noel and will take very good care of her.


Okay, so tell me your own Cabbage Patch Kid story and be sure to check out others and post there too. http://www.cabbagepatchkids25.com/ I am going there to post mine now!

Win $10,000 with K'NEX!

Oh, this is pretty cool! Just play with these very cool toys, build something awesome and pay for college! My kids love these things!

Read the full details below:

Hatfield, PA – K’NEX Brands, one of the world’s leading construction toy
companies, is inviting kids across the country to put on their thinking caps and
enter the K’NEXpert Search – an annual contest that invites kids to design an
ultra-creative, original model made entirely from K’NEX parts. Three
imaginative young builders will each win a $10,000 savings bond for college.

Last year’s Grand Prize Winner, Ian Culhane, designed an amazing
6,500-Piece Dragon-Themed Roller Coaster, “Belly of the Beast.”

This year, K’NEX is expanding the contest to include three Grand Prize winners from three age groups: 5 to 6-year-olds; 7 to 8-year-olds; and, 9 to
12-year-olds.

Seven additional winners across all age groups will
each receive $1,000 savings bonds. Also, all ten winners will receive $500 worth
of free K’NEX Building Sets, a trip for three to New York City for the K’NEXpert
Award Ceremony, and their very own photo gallery page at http://www.knex.com/.

All semi-finalists and finalists will receive discounts on online purchases for a year, K’NEX gear, a K’NEX birthday gift, , and an invitation to visit the K’NEX headquarters and discover, through company designers, how K’NEX is made.

The 2009 K’NEXpert Search will run from now through September 30, 2008 with winners announced on or about October 28, 2008.

Children enter by printing out the entry form from the
K’NEX web site (http://www.knex.com/) beginning July 8, 2008 and mailing it in to K’NEX. Submissions must include a photo of the creation and a one-minute video or one-page summary describing how the childcame up with the idea, how long the design took to build and how many K’NEX pieces were used.

Young builders between the ages of 5-12 must
submit an entry within one of four building categories:

Ultimate K’NEX Model –
built with K’NEX Bricks,

Classic K’NEX and

Micro K’NEX; Futuristic; Vehicles;

and Amusement Park Thrill Rides.

Kids are encouraged to let their imaginations run wild – models are judged on creativity, uniqueness and detail.

A panel of judges comprised of K’NEX employees will select
semi-finalists; an online vote will determine ten winners and Joel Glickman,
inventor of K’NEX, will choose the three Grand Prize Winners.

For more information on K’NEX, the Search and previous winners, visit http://www.knex.com/.

About K’NEX Brands
Founded in 1992, K’NEX Brands, the world’s most innovative
construction toy company, was established to make and sell what has become
one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children. Winner
of over 200 international awards and recognitions, K’NEX seeks to build young
minds with its exciting product line and critically acclaimed K’NEX Education
program. For more information, please visit http://www.knex.com/.

The Banana Splits

I reviewed The Banana Splits over here! Check it out!

Finally Friday Randomness

The big ole' bad mammogram that I was scared to go and get.



NO BIG DEAL!



Seriously, y'all, if you are afraid of this test - hear my words - Do. Not. Be.



It is not something I want to do every Wednesday morning, but plucking my eyebrows hurts worse.

I am reading The Shack right now. My oh my, it is good. I am not finished, yet. Have any of you already read it? Don't give anything away - just if you have read it.

Schools Out, Scream and Shout!

Today. is. the. last. day. of. school. FIIINNNAAALLLLLY!

Hello summer, we love you.

Two days until I go to the beach.

Blessed wonderful awesomeness of the beach.

I hope to be blogging from there. But may not be if the internet connection is not good.

I have scheduled some posts and am working on some fun guest bloggers, so you won't be lonely while I am gone!

My to do list before I leave is huge! Huge. There is just so much to pack for a beach trip, but so worth it.

I am reviewing an interactive video called TripFlix over here today. Go check that out. I think you will enjoy knowing about this DVD.

TripFlix lets you pick your route and create your own adventures packed with
exciting locations, fun, trivia, interactive activities and even a few dance
lessons.

Okay, back to the huge to do list now. Happy Friday! Have a great weekend everyone.

Review - Mama Mirabella

I have started to do some reviews, but will try to do them on a different blog so that you can just check them out if you want to. I am still working on my review blog, but it is at least up and running.

So, this is my first review which is about a new kids television show on PBS, Mama Mirabella's Home Movies. It is a good show!

Check out my review here if you are interested in knowing more.

How many times can I say "review?" Too many in this post, I think.