Mom and baby product reviews on The Mommy Insider

My Name Is Chicken Joe (Book/CD Set)

Madelyn turned 3 this weekend and her favorite gifts were books.  She loves books.  One of her favorite books right now is My Name is Chicken Joe.   We read it every night.  The story is about a cat named Chicken Joe and other animals whose names don't quite fit.  Featuring whimsical illustrations and an easy to remember 'chorus', it's nearly impossible for me to not to start singing the story.

My Name is Chicken Joe is a book/cd set and is a fun book for beginning readers and equally as fun for toddlers being read to.  Both of my kids love the 11-song CD which I consider to be a mashup of folk, rock, and country style music. This CD will be one that we listen to on our road trips this summer.  Trout Fishing in America has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, Parents Choice Gold, American Library Awards, and others.  Trout Fishing in America have earned widespread critical praise from USA Today, Billboard and The Los Angeles Times.

You can buy the My Name is Chicken Joe book/cd set on the Trout Fishing in America website here.

Enjoy!

Leslie Patricelli - super cute books

Leslie has such a fun personal story. She may not think so, she probably thinks she has a normal life.. don't we all?  The first line of her Bio on her web site is "I  live in the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho".  There's something about me saying I live in Marietta, GA that doesn't sound quite as exciting as 'the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho'.   She goes on to tell readers that her favorite food is Spaghetti and that she's had several jobs including being a ski instructor, a nanny, and an animator.  You can tell from her Bio that she is fun, silly, and loves to write for kids.

Leslie's books are fun and simple making them a top pick for Madelyn.  She wants to read Leslie's books over and over again. What I love about her books is that they leave room for imagination.  Like when Madelyn and I read "Higher! Higher!", there aren't many words on each page which makes it fun for Madelyn and I to make up our own mini-stories for each page.  For example, in Higher! Higher!, the little girl swings in the clouds.  Madelyn and I talk about who is on the airplane in the illustration, what they're doing and other silly stuff.  We have a lot of fun with Leslie's books.

You can see Leslie Patricelli's collection of books on her website and there are fun games to play and coloring sheets on her site too.  Enjoy!

 

Minky Princess Blanket and Car Seat Cover from Dressy Dribbles

Madelyn is a blankie lover.  She always has a blanket with her.  There are a few exceptions I suppose, but she's attached.   When I took Madelyn's minky Princess Blanket out of the package, the first thing she did was rub it on her face.  That's become a regular thing now.. when we're reading she holds the minky blanket on her face.  It's adorable.  At night when she's going to sleep she rubs the satin edges between her fingers.  Dressy Dribbles blankets and car seat covers are machine washable and available in several designs and colors.

Dressy Dribbles showed me that I don't have to settle for the standard gray cover that came with Madelyn's Britax toddler car seat.  Ugh.. how boring.  Now, Madelyn has the most beautiful car seat cover from Dressy Dribbles. 

Dressy Dribbles car seat cover features:

• Machine washable
• Made from the softest minky, denim, cotton and satin fabrics
• Snap on and off, no strap threading required!
• Fit most standard convertible car seats up to 65 pounds.
• Infant and Toddler covers available
• 7 designs
• Camo, minky, and denim fabrics
• Have matching blankets (sold separately or as a gift set)
• What more can you ask for?

Click the image to the right to enlarge it and see the blanket up close.

Dressy Dribbles

Pilloroo - a pillow for kids with a surprise inside!

The Pilloroo is a gift givers (and recipients) dream! 
Pilloroo is a 14" pillow with a zippered pocket that opens to reveal a coordinating surprise.

Madelyn got a Pilloroo for Christmas and now has 3 comfort blankets and a Pilloroo.  I have to stop the growth of her comfort clan soon or it's going to get out of control!

Perfect for long car rides, the Pilloroo is an all-in-one comfort item, and toy.. and in our case, a snack carrier too!  When we are going to scouts or going to be in the car for a while, I pack a snack bag and stick it in the Pilloroo pouch for Madelyn to find.  I love the surprised look on her face when there's something new or different in the Pilloroo pocket.  Now, if I would find a million dollars in there, I would be thrilled.

Each pillow comes with a stuffed animal that lives in the pillow’s secret pouch.  Pilloroo pillows make great gifts and with about 20 designs to choose from, you'll find one for every child you love.

Book & CD review: A Duck in New York City

This is one book that I have to read to Madelyn every night lately.   We even b ring it on trips because it's such a part of her bedtime routine. 
A Duck in New York City is about a little prairie duck who follows his dream to dance on Broadway.  His prairie duck friends think he's being unrealistic but he takes off for New York anyway.  He flies and flies all the while saying "Yes, you can" to motivate himself to get to N.Y.C. 
Luckily, a truck-driver named Big Betty comes along, offers him a ride , and gives him that extra little boost he needs to fulfill his dream!  The little prairie duck takes advantage of his time at rest stops to practice and show off his dancing skills which pays off in the end.  You'll have to read the book to learn what happens!

"Yes, you can" is repeated throughout the book and is a catchy line making it easy for preschoolers to remember and recite with you while reading the book.  Madelyn has become very good at saying this line right when we get to it every time.

A Duck in New York City comes with a CD and the second part of the book includes the lyrics for the songs on the CD.  Songs include Slug Opera, Alligator Waltz, and Seed in the Ground.  My kids love listening to this CD in the car.  There is also a PDF file on the CD with the lyrics in French and English.

Learn more and buy A Duck in New York City here. .

Solaroo UV Blocking Sun Clothing from SunFriendlyProducts.com

I received two Solaroo UV blocking suits last summer and failed to write the review and now I can't find the photographs of the kids wearing the suits to post in this review.  Anyway.. I am giving you the heads up now that Solaroo's UV blocking sun clothing is a must have this coming spring and summer. 

Both of my kids loved their suits last summer.  Sebastian felt cool in his surfer style blue shirt and Madelyn looked adorable in her pretty pink one piece suit.
My kids were outside a lot last spring and summer and Sebastian wore his Solaroo shirt when playing with his friends outside and helping me in the garden.  I am paranoid about sunburn and UV damage and love knowing that the kids Solaroo UV blocking sun clothes protect them from UV rays and I never forget to cover the rest of their bodies with super spf sunscreen.  It's not worth it to skip the sunscreen or UV blocking clothes if you have them!  I just wish I had a Solaroo shirt and Extreme Performance Hat for when I'm out in the yard or playing with the kids.

Solaroo UV blocking sun clothing is lightweight, dries quickly, and keep 98% of the UV rays out.  Available in kids sizes 0 months to 8 years, womens sizes up to 18 and mens sizes up to XX-Large with varying prices.

Go to SunFriendlyProducts.com to see their huge selection of UV Blocking Sun Clothing and accessories for babies, kids, and adults.

Toy review: Balancing Coral toy from Plan Toys

Plan Toys makes some of the nicest looking and well made wooden toys I've seen.  

Made of earth-friendly and replenishable rubber wood, Balancing Coral, is a game for up to 4 players ages 3 and up. The idea is to take turns putting pieces of coral on the coral base and see who makes the coral topple by not keeping the coral balanced.  Madelyn works very hard at putting a few pieces on but manages to topple the coral within a few tries.  That is to be expected though as she is only 2. 

Balancing Coral is great game for young kids as it will help develop good cognitive and fine motor skills.  I always supervise Madelyn when playing Balancing Coral because the pieces could potentially be a chocking hazard for children 3 and under.  Madelyn stays too busy putting the coral on to try to put the pieces on her mouth.

GIVEAWAY!
We have a Plan City Fire Station to giveaway to a lucky reader!   Go to Plan Toys website and tell me in the comment box below what you think makes Plan Toys stand out and tell me what other product (1 only) you would love to have of theirs and why.  You just might get it too!

You can buy Balancing Coral at Plan Toys or at Oompa Toys, one of my favorite online toys stores, for about $35.

Check out some of our other givewaways running now (Expire Dec. 31, 2008):  invisibelt giveaway, Little Tikes Rated Green products giveaway, Fisher Price Zen Collection Swing giveaway, Precious Girls Club book and goodie bag giveaway.

Toy review: architecture abc blocks by Parents®

Madelyn loves, loves, loves Parents® abc architecture blocks.   These blocks are colorful, squishy soft and stack easily.  One of my favorite things about the abc architecture blocks is because they are soft, they don't make a loud crashing sound when they are knocked down.

Parents® abc architecture blocks can even go in the bathtub.  They float making them lots of fun.  Just be sure to sqeeze all of the water out when the kids are through playing with them.

There are 9 different shapes including squares, columns, and curvy pieces that can go on top of the column pieces to make a cool tower.  Each block has an animal and/or a letter of the alphabet molded on it. 

Parents® also makes wooden toys including a Doctor's play set that Madelyn is getting for Christmas.  I am so excited.. she'll have so much fun with it.  Something that I really appreciate about Parents® toys is that they are all practical and educational.

Recommended for ages 6+ months.

You will find Parents® ABC architecture toddler blocks at your local Target (check first) or Target.com here for about $19.

smart-e-bear: click, connect, and cuddle for ages 2-6

A super snuggly bear for kids ages 2-6, smart-e-bear is a huggable, loveable friend that plays award-winning kids music, fun games, and interactive stories right out of the box!

Madelyn's favorite activity is listening to Five Little Monkeys and Head and Shoulders which Sebastian also loves.  They both crack up and have a blast when smart-e-bear starts singing really fast.  Madelyn is learning songs and stories and Sebastian,  9 years old, is learning things like Head and Shoulds in Japanese!

He's the only bear with a computer interface, a lesson plan that you can customize, AND he's totally wired into the children's music scene - with access to thousands of songs by artist like Sara Hickman.

To set up smart-e-bear, plug him into your computer's USB port for download, and he's ready to engage and interact as your child sings and reads along, while answering questions by squeezing his paws.

smart-e-bear asks Madelyn questions such as "Do you want to play simon says?  If yes, push my hand, if no push my foot".  Then smart-e-bear says "simon says push my yellow foot" and she pushes his yellow foot.  She loves that smart-e-bear interacts with her when she pushes his hands and feet.  Madelyn finds smart-e-bear very easy to understand and follow.  smart-e-bear's interactive design lets Madelyn decide what games to play, or stories to hear, with a squeeze of his hands or feet.  When she first got smart-e-bear she had to push around on his hands and feet to find the sensor but after a couple times of playing, she knows where they are without a problem.

smart-e-bear speaks English and Spanish, and calls your child by name. I can select age-appropriate content, customizing Madelyn's learning experience with thousands of songs, stories and games.  Like iTunes, most songs and activities are .99 to download.

smart-e-bear is soft and cuddly.  Other than having a small module box stuffed way into his back, he is a regular super soft and plush bear and can be squeezed just like any plush animal.

Learn more about smart-e-bear here.  You can buy smart-e-bear at amazon.com here.  There is also a smart-e-dog or smart-e-cat.

Watch a short video of smart-e-bear singing.

Review of Joobles - the cutest little animals, from FairIndigo.com

 These are the cutest little animals!  
I recently got Bella, a huggable little bunny with lots of personality, to review and think moms are going to want to keep these to themselves.  Don't kid yourself.. you're going to be jealous of your kids if you don't buy a Jooble for yourself.  I am a huge snuggler and always have something in my arms at night.  I found my new favorite!

Joobles are made of 100% soft organic yarns and eco-friendly dyes and are about 11 inches tall making them super snuggly and perfect for little hands to hold.

Joobles are very special in that they are made fairly in Peru under fair trade conditions which is a rapidly g rowing movement dedicated to paying workers fair wages rather than minimum ones and to providing workers with a safe and healthy working environment.

Joobles are GREAT stocking stuffers!

Price: $29.99

Where to buy: FairIndigo.com

Win a Jooble of your very own!
Go to the Fair Indigo website and click on the Meet the Joobles link, choose your favorite Jooble, AND then click on the About Fair Trade link in the top right area of the site.  Then come back here and tell me which is your favorite Jooble and something you learned about Fair Trade, in the comments box below.  Or blog about this post and send me the link and you will be entered to win the Jooble of your choice.
I just learned that they are out of Icy the Penguin and Jiffy the Giraffe so be sure to choose an available Jooble.

View more photographs of the kids with their Jooble, Bella the Bunny.