Maven says: Discover this

This is the first time I've ever written a review where I had to fight for time to actually look over the object d'review. My kids are fascinated with the Discovery Store Spark Talking Microscope. The recommendation on this microscope is ages 5+ but I can tell you my newly 4 year old loves it. In fact, at her preschool they use it as part of the science curriculum and her teacher says it is a sad day when it is not a part of the lesson plan.

Since it arrived at our house it has been constantly in use. When other kids come to play they gravitate towards it. The microscope comes with slides that your child can slide into the microscope and look at under 5x magnification. Then the microscope tells them all about it. When they are done, there is a quiz mode. Learning and fun all wrapped up into one!

When I asked what their favorite things about the microscope were my 6 y.o. immediately said, "It's really cool because it tells you neat stuff about what you are looking at." My 4 y.o. said "I don't know, why are you asking me that." You win some, you lose some. I do believe that Discovery has a winner here, I am sure it will be on lots of lists this holiday season.

Check out what others have to say about the Spark Microscope as well as the Telescope at

Parent Bloggers in the mid-campaign round-up. Be on the look-out soon for the final say. Younger kids? Check out what's available for kids 3+.

Maven Says: Jump Start Learning with Jump Start World

My girls love the computer. I am hesitant to let them play online when I can't be right there beside them--I think the sites are safe but who knows what is lurking out there in the great Internet world. So when Parent Bloggers gave me the opportunity to review a computer game that didn't require the kids to be online I jumped at the opportunity to take a look at Jump Start World 1st Grade for PDQ.

I found the initial installation to be a bit slow and frustrating but I don't often install software so I have no idea how it compares to other programs. Of course having a little person asking if it is done yet every thirty seconds probably made it seem a LOT longer than it really was! Once it was loaded up we were ready to go.

I started by visiting the parents center and entering the girls' birth dates and the holidays we celebrate for personalization in the game. You can also enter messages for your child(ren) through the parents center that then show up as banners in the game. I love the fact that the game can be personalized for my children. I think that having their name and information right there engages them right off the bat.

Next I sat with PDQ to pick out her character--girly, girl for her. Soon I was being shooed away and it was obvious that she would do much better at figuring out the intricacies of the game without my help. Boobah is only a preschooler but she is itching to get her hand on the game as well--oh the fights that will ensue. I will definitely take a look at the Kindergarten version to help her get a Jump Start on the skills she'll need for Kindergarten (a place we hope she'll be next year despite her missing the cutoff by 2 days).

There are opportunities to buy additional adventure packs for the game online through the Jump Start World website. It allows you to keep your child engaged in the game over time. I would recommend the game as a holiday present, assuming the other versions are as engaging at the 1st grade one I would recommend it for kids pre-K through 2nd grade. I will definitely be looking into it for one of the kids in the family gift exchange.

Check out what others have to say about it in the mid-campaign round-up at Parent Bloggers. Other bloggers have added it to the holiday must have list. At $19.95 the hours of engagement for your child and the fun learning are well worth the investment.

Maven Dares You

Any book where the back cover says "For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble..." is a must read at my house. If there are two words that sum up my girls they would be independent and trouble. The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz was inspired by The Dangerous Book for boys by Conn & Hal
Iggulden (which you can check out reviews for here). I wasn't sure quite what to expect but enjoyed the combination of trip down memory lane, reference source for information on interesting women and provider of new ideas to try with my own girls.

I found the book broke down into four kinds of information--things I did as a kid, things I wish I did as a kid, interesting facts on stuff (gotta love a good list) and stuff that needs to wait until my girls are a bit older (they are 4 & 6).

Things I did as a kid and want to remember to do with my girls:

• The sit-upon is a fond Brownie memory. Mine was red Naugahyde bound together with twine and a string long enough to wear it around my waist. I have a vague memory of using it on a Brownie camping trip where we slept in platforms tents and "foraged" for breakfast by getting our little boxes of cereals off trees where they had been suspended by string.


• The God's eye was a Vacation Bible School and summer church camp staple with its brightly colored yarn and variations from popsicle sticks to tree branches depending on the venue.


• Campfire songs, although I can't carry a tune in the bucket I have been blessed with a memory for all of the words and a voice that carries.

I found that many activities in the book like this reminded me of good stories to tell my girls--like the Brownie camping saga for my little cookie seller. Sometimes it is hard to pull those memories from the recesses of the aging mind but the book was a good memory jogger.

Things I wish I did as a kid...

• Read a lot of "classic" books. I fancy myself a relatively well read person but when I looked at the list of Books that Will Change Your Life I hadn't read many of them. I did finish the entire Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden series though and wondered if that started my love of serial fiction.


• Building a tree house or fort. In my house the closest we got to this was draping blankets over chairs.

Seeing those things that I might have "missed out" on is a good reminder of more things that I want to experience with my girls or encourage them to experience for themselves.

Interesting Stuff...

• A table with the states, their capitals, flower and tree


• Women spies from WWII


• Greek & Latin roots of words


• Fourteen games of tag


• Instructions for Sun Salutation


• French terms of endearment


• Spanish phrases
  

Its nice that a book that I would have considered things to do also covers a wide range of things to talk about. Although I am sure I could find most of this stuff on the internet, finding it in print on my shelf holds a different weight for me. I like seeing the words on the page rather than the screen.

Things that can wait until later....

• How to change a tire


• Robert's Rules of Order (although I am not sure we're ever old enough for this!)


• The basics of finance


• How to negotiate a salary

I found The Daring Book for Girls to be a surprisingly wide ranging reference for all kinds of things to do with girls and to talk to them about. It spurred my own memories as well as giving me good ideas of things to do with my girls now and as they grow. I am sure I'll tuck it away on the shelf and refer to it on those rainy days when I am short on patience and good ideas.

You can check out what others have to say at the mid-campaign wrap up over at Parent Bloggers.

Maven & PDQ Say: Personalized books are cool!

PDQ is really happy that Parent Bloggers Network gave her Mommy the chance to review a Printakid personalized book for kids. Printakid offers 6 different titles at two different levels--preschool and elementary school. Although we didn't receive one to review Printakid also offers personalized CDs to go along with the books.

I ordered the Laughing All the Way to School book for Abby at the elementary level. The preschool level books are aimed at kids 3-6 and the elementary books for kids 7-10. PDQ is 6 and entering the first grade and I wanted her to grow into reading the book so I went for the elementary level. She is able to read all but a few words in the book.

PDQ loves the fact that the girl in the book looks like her--there is an opportunity to pick eye, hair and skin color when ordering the book. It also asks for the names of Mom & Dad and three friends. There is room for a personalized message on the opening page of the book, on the page facing the first page of the book has the child's name, birth date and the date the book was printed. At this point PDQ believes the world revolves around her so having a book that includes her and all of her friends is perfect for her. When we received it she immediately opened it up and began trying to read. Any book that encourages her to read is good with me. The story is a little silly but it engaged PDQ and although Boobah was quite disappointed she isn't included in the book she enjoyed listening to it as well.

I think the book or book and CD set is the perfect gift for a birthday or other holiday. Kids like things that are about them. As a gift giver or parent the opportunity to offer a personalized message to an important child is nice. The book is high quality from cover to page, not easily destroyed by frequent reading. Compared to other personalized books I've seen, this one is heads and shoulders above the rest. I know that I'll need at least one more book from Printakid--Boobah is quite jealous and wants a book about her!

Maven and Gman Say: A Good Read on Parenting

As part of Parent Bloggers Network I read Fathering Your School Age Child: A Dad's Guide to the Wonder Years 3 to 9 by Armin Brott because I was curious about what they tell dads that they don't tell moms. I also asked Gman to take a read--he doesn't read much of anything but he is the parent of 4, boys 18 & 13 and our girls 6 & 4.

Here are Gman's thoughts:
Not having read any kind of parenting book before I really have nothing to base it against, but I found "Fathering Your School-Age Child ... A Dad's Guide to the Wonder Years: 3 to 9" interesting. Having 4 kids boys and girls I felt like I should be able to speak with some authority on the subject. Overall I liked and agreed with what he had to say. He uses modern and personal stories to illustrate points, and gives out specific details, from which toys meet his criteria, to website links that have more or supporting information. The overall theme of the book is for each age there are physical and developmental things going on with your child, what to expect and suggestions on how to deal with them, and promotes the notion of being an involved father by citing examples of how to, or general behaviors that will lead to more involvement. One thing that I took exception to was it seemed that he would throw in random scenarios, like talking about step parenting during age 6 but not age 4.

Another thing I found interesting was the sociological point of view he takes throughout, citing how sometimes being an involved father is an uphill battle against the forces of society. I would certainly recommend this book to new fathers and existing fathers alike. Even after 4 kids I read a couple of things that were enlightening.

I'll post more on my thoughts later...being overtaken by life!

Okay, sorry for the interruption, now back to my previous topic...

I enjoyed the whole tone of the book which didn't, like many Mommy-focused books, use fear or guilt. In fact, in the chapter on 9 year olds he provides an e-mail about how we were raised (with lead paint and no car seats) and the fact we are still here. It echoes the message in Anne Dunnwold's Even June Cleaver would Forget the Juice Box--you don't have to be perfect, just good enough. The book and the information on what children are going through at an age and how to father them through it was fact based and relied on research--which appeals to my process oriented, project manager side. I particularly enjoyed the wit of Brott's writing style. An example is (are?) his chapter titles that do a great job of summing up what that year is about like 4-Let's Talk about Meee! and 9-Just Like a Real Person, Only Shorter.

Each chapter starts out with a description of what your child is experiencing physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. That is followed up by what is going on with you. Then it goes on to talk about the relationship between you and your child adding in topical information for that age. Of particular interest to me was the chart on page 175 that listed common texting abbreviations--here I thought I was so up-to-date on the technical, I guess not really so much. Who knew, IPN--I'm posting naked? Gee, I'll have to keep Gman from using that one, talk about TMI!

Overall I enjoyed the book and looking at parenting from a different angle. I think that it will be a good catalyst for discussion between Gman and I as we continue through our parenting journey.

Maven Says: Check out Noah and His Pals

The Lord said to Noah, there's gonna be a floody, floody
The Lord said to Noan, there's gonna be a floody, floody
Get those children, out of the muddy, muddy...

I teach Sunday School on occasion and that song and the story of Noah's Ark are one of the few things that I can go to at a moments notice so when I was asked by Parent Bloggers Network if I'd be interested in taking a look at Noah's Pals I jumped at the chance to add another dimension to my Noah story. Shortly after they arrived I had the perfect opportunity to put them to use--I was responsible for our summer one room schoolhouse and the director hadn't gotten me the books to teach from. A few minutes finding a easy to tell story online and a coloring page or two and I was set.

I grabbed Noah's Pals along with the ark, animals and people from our Little People ark (they all played quite nicely together). The kids ranging in age from 2-6 loved the animals. A parent remarked how detailed they were and wanted to know more about them. One little girl in particular loved the cards that came with the animals and wanted to know where she could get some (the answer, only with your Noah's Pals animal sets at Amazon.com). The cards include detailed information about the animals as well as geographic information and codes that allow you to keep track of your collection on the Noah's Pals website. I did hold back the doves that came with Noah, they were on the tiny side and I was concerned about them ending up in someone's mouth or lost. Each pair of animals comes with a designation of common, vulnerable or endangered. Only 10,000 of the endangered and 20,000 of the vulnerable animals will be made. If you collect the entire set you'll be awarded with a Caboodle secret prize pack. Since bringing them home from the classroom they've joined our herd of other play animals so they would be just as suitable for non-religious folks.

If you are interested in hearing more about Noah's Animals, check out Parent Bloggers Network for other reviews (the mid-campaign round up was July 18). Noah's Pals are available only through Amazon.com where you can get the entire set for $269, that's $30 off the normal $299 price.

Maven Says: Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box

Whenever I have an issue, my first thought is to go read all about it--the bookstore, library or the Internet. With one exception, my dirty little secret I typically avoid parenting books. Pretty early on in the parenting gig I figured out that a lot of the books I read made me feel bad about what ever I was doing even when my gut was telling me that it was right. Battling through PDQ the sleepless and trying all those other ideas, I finally decided that the combination of my gut and Gman's many years of experience we'd be okay. That theory has worked pretty well but in my avoidance of reading of the parenting genre I have totally missed Mommy reading. If there were nothing else of value in Ann Dunnewold's book Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting) the reading list I accumulated as I read would be so worth it. The reading list is just the tip of the iceberg though, the real life, common sense tone of this book alternately made me see the silliness of some of my SuperMommy thinking and made me feel better about the majority of my parenting choices, a very fine line when you think about it. Kind of like telling me to go to hades and me wanting to go there!

Right after I agreed to review the book I had the taking time for yourself discussion with a couple of friends and wrote about it here. When the book arrived I immediately carried it up to my room to begin reading. I saw myself in the first pages of the first chapter doing things like staying up all night making the perfect cookies for a preschool party to assuage my Mommy Guilt for working. There have been many occasions where I have not been able to be present at an event and to make myself feel better I have WAY overdone it on the cookies/goodie bag or whatever other thing I've taken on. I always knew it my gut that it was silly but reading it in print made me cringe just a bit and maintain the ability to laugh at myself. The concept of the "perfectly good mom" was introduced and I was hooked. Perfection is impossible, being "clearly good" or "as good as is necessary" are doable and who doesn't want to feel successful as a parent? Life overcame my reading time and I wasn't able to pick the book up for over a week but in that time I must have had half a dozen discussions with other women (and a guy or two) about the concept of not trying to be perfect but perfectly good. It provoked many insightful conversations, particularly with the older, wiser, been-there-done-that women that I am lucky to have in my life. As I finished the book I found that I had worked ahead, the last chapter was about building a strong support network and spreading the word and actively speaking out and standing up for yourself in the insane competition for Mommy of the Century.

Dunnewold explores the messages we are inundated with that encourage us to be perfect. She lays out the traps of overperfecting, over protecting, and overproducing. As I read about these I could certainly see a little of myself and nearly every other Mom I know. Some of us more than others and each with our unique quirky take on the madness. The mantras like, "there are no perfect mothers" and "parenting is not a contest" seem like common sense but for me, and I am sure many others they are easy to forget everyday in the trenches. I appreciated that Dunnewold left room for each of our own idiosyncrasies, we can each have one or two things that we obsess over and if we can just chill out about everything else, that is fine. Its that tone that makes this book a real winner for me, no judgement just showing the reader that what they think is right probably is and its good to follow your mind and heart. In that vein she encourages you to look at your values, know them and follow them.

I would recommend Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box to anyone who feels the pressure of the Mommy Olympics. There is no us vs. them in this book, I could see the SAHM struggles more clearly and I felt that it represented the issues of the working mom as well. Instead of pitting us against each other Dunnewold calls for us to work together for our health and to raise healthy kids in today's world. I'll offer up just a bit of my own insanity in my posts about staying up until midnight to get into Summer Camp or spending months picking out the "right" preschool and the huge allergic reaction that I wasn't there for. This book reaffirmed for me that I need to chill out, know what I believe in and follow my gut. Interested? Want to hear what someone else has to say? Check out Parent Bloggers Network for 24 other reviews!

Maven Says: Land's End Hydro Trekker Big Disappointment

Last summer I ordered the last model of these shoes and they were perfect for the kids. For school and camp there is a no open toe rule and these fit the bill of being cool and comfy while keeping the tootsies nice and covered. The kids loved them, I loved them and they didn't start to smell bad until the end of the summer. They were reasonably priced too so one full summer of wear was totally worth it--not something that could be passed down after day in, day out wear and I was okay with that.

So this year I ordered the new version as soon as the weather started to warm up. Unfortunately not nearly as useful as last summer's design. The heel strap unbuckles from the shoe. You see where I am going here? The last thing I want my 3 & 6 year old to have is the ability to lose part of their shoes. Its already been a battle with my 6 year old who likes to make them into clogs. I am also getting fights about wearing them, they aren't very comfortable she has declared.

I guess that just goes to prove that continuous improvment is sometimes just change and not actually improvement. This years version is shown below, cute but sadly, not nearly so functional. Do I give in and order a pair of last year's overstocks? Hmmm, why didn't I think of that in the first place?!

Maven Says: Let's Get Ready for First Grade!

I’ll admit it, sometimes I struggle not to be Competimommy when it comes to school, not that I brag to others, its just that I want PDQ to do well at school and sometimes am overly focused on how well. Living in a very educationally focused area I have had moments of did I do the right thing only doing part-time preschool and should we have done more to get her ready for school? I worry at times about her being in one of the few remaining schools in the area with only half-day Kindergarten (they will all be full day next year). It is definitely a struggle around here some days to focus on the important stuff and not get caught up in the production of the perfect kid. When she told me a few weeks ago that she hates reading my heart almost stopped. I love to read, I don’t know what I’d do without books to lose myself in or find out more about whatever it is that suddenly I need to know more about. All year I’ve struggled with letting it come to her in her own time and not pushing her, trying to find fun ways to help her progress. So with that backdrop, I set out to take a look at Let's Get Ready for First Grade!

My anxiety was eased a bit when she came to me in the shower the other day wanting to know how to do a sheet in a workbook of course only I could answer it, wet and naked, because she didn’t want to bother Daddy. She has also been carrying around Let’s Get Ready for First Grade! by Linda Desimowich and Stacey Kannenberg from Cedar Valley Publishing. Along with it she’s armed with her trusty dry erase marker. The book reviews all of the concepts that are needed for first grade. As I went through the book by myself I was a little surprised with how much kids need to know for first grade but confident in knowing that when I have been in the classroom or seen papers that come home almost all of the concepts in the book have been covered. The three exceptions may be the solar system, branches of government and some of the internal organs—between Gman and I we’ve got a pretty good grip on those things.

The book has a friendly looking teacher character, Mrs. Best, who along with Yodie the coyote and six of her students guide you through the book. The reminder at the beginning of the book that each child is unique and progresses at his or her own pace was a good one for me as well. PDQ loves the write on, wipe off part of the book. She really does like to experience a book not just with reading but with writing and making it hers. Click here to take a look inside. Spending time with my daughter and the Let’s Get Ready for First Grade! book has made me calm down a bit about her readiness—obviously she soaks up a lot of information during the day and can tell me all about it, especially when presented in a fun format that doesn’t feel like “work.”

Let’s Get Ready for First Grade! won the Teacher’s Choice Award from Learning Magazine in 2007 and I have to agree that it’s a great addition to our book collection. I liked it so much I will definitely find the Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten book as my younger daughter gets ready to make that step. The material is presented in a fun way, there is interaction and it’s a good way for parents to check in with what their kids already know and where they might need some help. I can also see it being a great resource for talking your child’s teacher.

So, if you think one of the Let’s Get Ready books might be what you are looking for, head over to The Parent Bloggers Network site and leave a comment, you will be entered into a drawing to win the set of books. Best of luck to you!

Maven Says (with help from Abby): BrainQuest Gets a Big Thumbs Up!

As soon as the Brain Quest DVD game arrived at our house my daughter was begging to play. In the box were the DVD and a small deck of quiz cards. We popped the DVD in the player and it started right up with questions. I was a bit surprised expecting a bit of an introduction or some instructions, Abby on the other hand LOVED the fact that there were no previews or other "useless stuff."

Abby turned 6 at the beginning of the month and is in Kindergarten so we were on the entry level for this game targeted at 6-8 year olds in first to third grade. Being on the young end of the age range I expected her to find the majority of the questions difficult. I was pleased that although she didn't know the answer to many of the questions right off the bat, she could figure out the answers to many of them. The biggest barrier to her playing the game independently was her reading level. Although the questions and answers are read aloud, she often needed a second go through to get the answer. For me, this was a bonus as it introduced her to new words and gave her fun opportunities to sound out new words.

I think the Brain Quest game will be great for breaking up the monotony on long car rides--you can only watch so many DVDs. Abby loved selecting the right answers with the remote control so I'm sure the car remote will be a hot new commodity! With 500 randomly selected questions we will be able to play the game for a long time to come.

I enjoyed playing the game along with her, I must admit that there were a few questions about grammar that had me digging deep into the recesses of my memory. As I said before, the DVD starts right up with questions, the control freak in me would have liked a little more instruction before starting up but it didn't bother Abby at all. The other concern was the huge amount of packing material for the contents, having grown up in a house where recycling was king this seemed like a bit of a waste.

We will definitely continue to play the game and it will go on my list of potential party gifts. It is great for boys or girls, has a relatively wide age range, isn't season specific and you don't have to worry about which character is "in" this week exactly the kind of thing I am looking for when a party invitation arrives for a child I don't know well.

Check out the Brighter Minds Media website for more information on the Brain Quest DVD game for 6-8 year olds as well as an edition for older kids, 8-10. I was happy to see something that we could grow into.

Maven Says: Blink...and its done!

When I got my box of Blink products I had a master plan. I'd take a picture of my Mommy-mobile and then I'd spiff it up using my nifty new box of cleaning and organizing stuff and give you before and after shots. Then my mother came to visit and I left her in the Mommy-mobile with the kids for 10 minutes after skating lessons to run into the grocery store for milk and bread. When I came out my carefully preserved mess wasn't such a mess any more and my plan had to be revised. I am a working Mom, with 3 & 6 year old girls and 12 & 18 year old stepsons. We spend a lot of time in the Mommy-Mobile, running to the boys' other house (and they sit in the back where no one looks into the seat back pockets for far, far too long), running the girls to school, skating, church, and daycare, just to name a few. We eat, sort mail, watch DVD's, drink coffee, sneeze, and more or less live in the van so there is no shortage of mess

We didn't have any flying lattes, major roadtrips, or mini-disasters, usually a good thing, a bit of a disappointment though when you've got new stuff to try out. Then, I remembered, the big red stain! Not too long ago we moved oldest daughter's booster seat to the back of the van to accomodate an adult in the middle seats. When we moved the booster we found a red mark on the seat and all over the back of the booster. My lame attempts thus far yielded no results.

BEFORE PICTURES

I decided that the Mess Lifters, stain removers were the best ammunition for this particular job. I pulled out the booster and gave it a shot. The stain on the car seat came right off (I will admit they were stain treated 3 years ago when we bought the van). I was surprised, I thought it would take at least a little muscle or leave a bit of a stain but nope, all gone! Then I tackled the booster seat. It took a little more muscle, mainly because there was a LOT more stain. My best guess is red marker that had soaked into the fabric cover. It took two wipes but it got most, if not all of the stain. Certainly enough to keep it from turning my car seat red again!

AFTER PICTURES

Most of the packages come with neat, clips that let you easily store them in the map pocket on the back of your seat. I wasn't too keen on leaving the stain removers or smudge cleaner where little hands were likely to find them but it was perfect for putting the Trash Tossers where I'd use them most. I love the concept of small, garbage bags with a draw string to clean up the debris of a day in the car with the kids. Where were these things when I had kids in diapers?I giggled a little when I read that there was Smudge Cleaners, fingerprint remover. Really, removing finger prints or smudges were the least of my problems, icky sticky week old latte is much more my speed. I did toss the smudge cleaner into the under seat storage area in my van though, its the perfect thing to clean off the dash board or front windshield when I'm sitting in the parking lot at school or waiting in a long drive-up line and with it stashed under the front seat-I can get to it easily.

The Tidy Totes are lime green mesh bags that spoke to me when I pulled them out of the box---oh, a way to organize the stuff in the van pockets. Alas, we haven't been on any trips so I haven't used them other than to put the headphones and remote for the DVD together, in one place, hoping that we could avoid stepping on them, yet again. My one concern is they do seem a bit thin so I'm not sure how they'll deal with being stuffed full of girly toys on long car trips. They should be fine for markers and coloring books though.

I can pretty safely say I wouldn't have picked up the whole suite of products on my first trip out to the store but the Trash Tossers and Stain Lifters are definitely here to stay. The verdict is still out on the other products but I am itching to use them on our trip back from visiting my parents at Easter, I'll update you and know what icky, sticky messes we manage to confront! The products themselves and the packaging are well thought out. They store conveniently--either hanging off the map pocket or in my van neatly tucked away in the under seat drawer. Its a HUGE improvement over my drawer full of recycled grocery bags and towels for unexpected spills. Although targeted at the Mom crowd, I can definitely see them crossing over, my father would love the Smudge Cleaners, he is a bit of a car perfectionist, obviously NOT a trait I inherited!

Although, it may not be what they had in mind for tiding up the car, I love the fact that my underseat drawer went from this...............................To this:

If you have a particularly messy vehicle (and a really cute kid or two won't hurt), don't miss out on your chance to enter the MessMaker contest sponsored by Blink...and its done. The contest runs through April 15!

First Review: Good Kids, Bad Habits

Check out my first review over at my main site, Mama Maven. I'll give you the dirt on Good Kids, Bad Habits. After this I'll keep all the reviews over here at Maven Says.