One of the scary-nerve-wracking parts of being a parent is knowing that accidents happen. Despite what precautions we might take keeping medicine out of reach, despite making sure she wears a helmet while on her bike, or making sure he doesn’t eat the peanuts he’s allergic to, things happen. The even scary part is that we as parents are supposed to know what to do when things happen. I mean, I don’t know about you but if I know something major has happened, I tend to freak out a little bit!  Thankfully, we have not had anything serious happen that needed the attention of 911 or a trip to the ER, but I did have to call Poison Control twice.  Like I said, things happen, but the important thing is to know what to do.

Enter this amazing know-it-all book: “If Your Kid Eats This Book, Everything Will Still Be Okay” by Lara Zibners, MD. Dr. Zibners is an emergency room pediatrician that has taken her experience in the field and put it in a usable book format.  She realized that 50% of ER trips were not needed, so she wrote this book to help parents know when medical service is needed and when we can do something about it at home. I love this book.  It covers everything you can think of from baby vomit and poops to broken bones and even when they shove things up their nose, and it’s all written in a humorous way. Each chapter is divided by body parts and situations like “The Plumbing,” “The Noggin and Nervous System,” or “Allergies, Bites, and Stings” and there is a content page that makes specific issues easy to find in a hurry.   Dr. Zibner addresses each issue  with descriptive details, measures that can be done at home, when to call the doctor, and reminders, of course, to remain calm.

I love that she also includes little knowledgeable tidbits throughout the book like “Is it sprained or broken?” and even has a chapter on prevention.  She obviously has the knowledge and experience, but breaks the material down in such a way that even a mom under stress can understand what action to take and even can cause a chuckle or two with her choice of words. It’s fun book to read even if you aren’t experiencing a possible emergency.

Absolutely, this is definitely a must have book for any parent, parent-to-be, or even a babysitter!

P.S. If you head over to Amazon you can get an inside look at the contents and check out Dr. Zibners’ website for more information.

So, if yall didn’t hear yet…I found out I am pregnant again a few weeks ago!  Which, is why this most recent review (and giveaway for you!) had perfect timing. While I am not due until December, I absolutely will be breastfeeding this baby as well.  My breastfeeding relationship with Savannah was a much treasured time, so much so that I was sad to see it end at 10 months and I just could not make anymore.  See, I started going back to college when Savannah was 6 months old, but in doing so it was hard to maintain my supply. Let me just say, pumping in bath rooms between classes was not fun (but I will be doing it again, I’m sure!) and it often left me forgetting I had my pump in my backpack and it quickly got moldy (I NEVER fed her the milk, don’t worry. It was “pump and dump” to keep my supply going and keep me from busting). Obviously, once our breastfeeding relationship was over I could not keep that pump. I knew it would not be safe for future baby feeding use, so I tossed it.

I knew I would have to buy another one for this baby, and I’m so glad Mom Central provided this opportunity to review the new Evenflo Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump. While I obviously can’t try it out just yet, I can tell you how excited I am about this product and my initial impression. Firstly, I was impressed with how compact and light the bag is. I don’t know about you, but when I think about dual electric pumps I think big bulky bags that I’ve seen busy Mom’s carrying around. This? Is about the same size as my purse, and definitely lighter than my purse The dual bag has two openings, one side is insulated to store your breast milk (it even comes with ice packs!) and the other holds all the pumping supplies you need.

Even though I can’t use it yet, I did open my box up to test how easy it is to put together. I’ve never used an electric pump before so I was not quite sure how that would differ from my manual one, but it wasn’t much different. And, even if you don’t have experience with pumps it is still easy!  The directions are very clearly explained and it is not too many parts to put together. The only issue I had was my own fault; I looked over a step about putting the horn piece to the pump unit, and I got it stuck! So, just make sure you read everything carefully (and boil before your first official use, of course) and it’ll be simple.

The pump itself has many features that I love as well. Such as, it comes with a nipple adapter to make it smaller and fit properly if needed, it has several speeds to assure comfort, and you can either plug it in or use batteries. I also love that this is a dual pump. From my experience, it is MUCH easier to have a successful pump from both sides if you pump at the same time because the “let down” happens at the same time.  I’m so excited to have two now!  And an added health bonus?  All the plastic pieces, including the bottles, are BPA free. Which means, a healthier baby and ease of mind for mommy.

You can win it!

I will be giving away a Comfort Select Performance Dual Auto-Cycling Breast Pump (sealed and unopened) as well as two boxs of Disposable Nursing Pads (one with Lanolin).

The Rules

1. You must be pregnant or breastfeeding currently.

2. Sorry, but this is only open to entries in the USA.

3. Simply leave a comment on this post telling me why you need this product ie. you are pregnant, or nursing, and will be going back to work, just need a pump to store milk for babysitters or Daddies to use, whatever! And/or tell me why you love breastfeeding  or why you plan to breastfeed.

4. Comments will close Thursday, April 30th and the winner will be announced Friday, May 1st!

5. For extra bonus tickets: twitter, blog, facebook, myspace, whatever, about this giveaway and comment with the link(s).

Also! There is more than one place to win this item! One place I know of is over at Mom Central where they have three to giveaway, and go double (triple, quadruple) your chances and look out for other blogs participating in this blog tour.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I am a huge list maker.  The good ol’ paper and pen is still one of my list places right now, but I am on the computer so often between school and personal use that  like to keep a master list on the computer at eye’s view. Ya know, so when I’m on the computer wasting time I can see that to-do list and remember to get back on track!  When Mom Central told me about Cozi, I already knew about this awesome website and I jumped on board to spread the news.

I’ve tried a few websites, but this one by far is my favorite. Why? Because it has so many options and tools to help a busy person out.  And, I think that it’s just pleasant to look at with all the fun colors! Cozi offers not just list making tools (and more than one type of list at that), but also journaling tools, meal planning, calendars you can sync with Outlook or access through your phone. That means you can keep track of groceries, to-do list, chores, projects or homework that are due, appointments, whatever! Not just on your computer, but everywhere you go. You can even import your child’s school schedule to automatically appear on your calendar.  Need to print your list or calendar out? Easy to do!

My only complaint is that when I view the calendar for my family, the font color is so extremely light orange it is very hard see where to place my appointments or events.  I’ve tried looking around the settings, but I don’t see a way to change it.  Other than that though, I love this website.

Who couldn’t use a little more organization in this new year?  I know I do and I will certainly be using Cozi to help acheive it!

Who’s a chronic list maker? *raises hand* Like many busy Moms, I survive off of lists. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get anything done, let alone remember what all there is to do.  Now typically, I use the good ol’ fashioned paper and pen for my lists, but when I was offered the opportunity to try the SmartShopper I was eager to test it out.

The SmartShopper is an electronic grocery and errand organizer. And get this, you don’t write a thing. You speak into it!  I have mine hung on our fridge and when I notice we are in need of an item, I just walk by, press “Record,” and speak the name. Usually, it’s in the pre-programed list of a over 2,500 items and it understands my commands easily, however, say you need a specific item like “Fruity Pebbles” and it isn’t in the list? It can be added manually. You can also make several lists at once, say one for groceries and one for errands. When you’re ready to head out the door, you simply hit print on the list you need and it prints out the items like a receipt in categories like “Fresh Produce,” “Snacks,” “Coffee/Tea,” “Errands,” etc. so it makes your shopping easier.

It also has other neat features like a kitchen timer, and once Mark got it to show the temperature but we can’t figure out how to get back to to it!  The magnet is SUPER on this machine as well. We have a stainless steel fridge that won’t even keep regular magnets on it, but these magnets are super strong so that this will not hardly budge. Which is good because it’s not exactly light weight either.

The cons? It is technology that can be confusing to work at first. It’s easy to get started by simply speaking into the machine, but it can be confusing to learn the menus to add new items, add coupons, etc. And like I said, I can’t figure out how to view the temperature again. However, once you read through the manual and play around with it’s features, it not too bad. I would think this would be difficult for an older or technology challenged person though! My MIL refuses to touch it. Also? It’s good to record things when the room is quiet.  It has a sensitive microphone so if you have the TV on or a screaming kid around? It won’t get things right.

As a holiday special SmartShopper has lowered it’s price by $20 until December 31st (it was originally $100)! And, they have given me a code to get an additional $5 off to share with you guys (DH52569), AND all orders between now and December 31st will include FREE shipping!  However, you do have to order by Thursday December 18th to make sure it arrives by Christmas if it is a gift. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

But, it gets sweeter!  I have a SmartShopper to giveaway as well!  Want to win it? Just leave a comment on this post (if you have posted on the other giveaway post due to my technical difficulties, I will accept those as well) telling me the importance of making lists in your life. Since the holidays are quickly approaching, comments will close on December 18th at midnight. One winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday the 19th. I will then get it shipped to you ASAP in time for the holidays!

Remember this giveaway is only open for 4 days so enter while you can. Good luck and happy shopping!

Apparently during my website updates, WordPress decided to “eat” my latest post reviewing the SmartShopper.

So, this post is to hold it’s place until I get the chance to write it up again.

A quick run down for giveaway purposes:

1) Visit SmartShopper’s website to learn full details, but basically, it’s an electronic grocery and errand organizer that you speak into.

3) Has 2,500 pre-programed items, but also can add specific items or errands manually.

4) When ready to shop, hit print and it divides list into categories to make shopping easier.

5) Magnet is super strong to place on fridge. Or, it can be wall mounted.

6) Can be confusing to work at first figuring out the menus and features, so would be difficult for older or technology challenged people.

7) Record in a quiet room so that it works correctly.

Also, the price of the SmartShopper has gone down $20  (orignally $100) AND is offering free shipping until December 31st. And, with the code DH52569 receive $5 off.

Plus, comment on this post if you would like to win the Smart Shopper telling me why lists are so important in your life.  Comments close Thursday, December 18th and one will be announced Friday December 19th.

Guess what?  I have three $15 gift cards for lucky winners to do some online shopping to personalize their electronic look.  I chose my cell phone to redesign, but there are many other options from lap tops to game consoles.

Interested? All you have to do is browse around Unique Skins and tell me what device you would most like to redesign. You get extra points if you share a link back to this giveaway. Comments will close on Tuesday September 16th at midnight and three winners will be picked randomly on Wednesday September 17th.

I do want to make some suggestions though to optimize the quality of the skin you design.  A few things I learned:

1) Don’t use thin text or designs (like part of the swirl on my cell phone above), it gets printed pixely.  Make sure fonts or graphics are big and thick for it to look the best.

2) Use high quality photos. The best looking part of my design were those flowers above. Pictures really do make the best design and how much more personal can you get than with your own photos? Show them off!

3) Keep it simple. Too much “stuff” on it looks cluttered.

Good luck! Enjoy browsing the website and dreaming of your options

When The Family Review Network offered me the opportunity to review a product from Unique Skins, I was pretty excited. See, I’ve never been one to ‘deck out’ my cell phone but this gave me an easy and cool way to finally do it! My phone was getting kind of old and ratty looking anyway, so it came at the perfect time.

What is Unique Skins, you ask? Well, it’s skins that are unique. Just kidding (but not really). It’s a website that you get to design a vinyl sticker to place on top of an electronic device you already own. From cell phones, to lap tops, to Xbox 360′s they have many options you might be looking for. It’s a cheap and easy way to personalize your products with even your own photos. Have a cute kid? Stick him or her on your phone for the ultimate mommy bragging! Sounds like a great idea, right? It is. I decided to use my favorite tulip photo I took last Mother’s Day, along with some other graphics that expresses who I am.

The first step was to find my phone in their lists of products, which was super easy to do since they have it divided up into many categories and brands. Then, the fun of designing began! Over all, the design program on their website was easy to use. There were a ton of “help bubbles” that directed you to the various features you can use, or hide them if you don’t need them. They also have a great FAQ and tutorial section for the non-technology inclined. It was very quick and easy to upload pictures, however I do suggest that if you have a HUGE picture or graphic you want to use, resize it first in an outside program for it to upload correctly.

Though it was easy to use, I did have a lot of technical issues using the program. The first time I tried to go into the designing part it did not fully open and froze. Freezing was a reoccurring issue for me, which was quite frustrating. There is a “save for later” button, but I found that it did not always save it correctly or completely. At least once I had to start all over, despite saving it. I also some times had a problem with resizing, as it would only grow and grow rather than shrinking when I told it. Another small frustration I had was that there are very limited font options.

Finally, after a few hours working on the design, I ordered it. The website says they print and ship within 24-48 hours, but apparently they had issues with mine because I used some digi-scrapbooking supplies that had a transparent background. A week and a half later and the skins finally arrived!

However, after opening my little package, I was a little disappointed. I was expecting a higher quality photo than what was printed and it came out somewhat “pixely.” There are also random white spots in my design that I know I did not put in there, probably from the printing process. One piece I did not even put on my phone because you couldn’t read the writing I had put.

But, I can say the application is easy. The skins come on several sticker sheets that you peel off and place on your phone. It does fit exactly as it should for my model of phone, and if I messed up or got a bubble under the skin, it was very easy to correct. And, it still does spruce up my phone, even if it is a tiny bit pixely in places. Also, I can say that it is true that when you take it off, it does not leave any stick residue or harm the device in any way (I took off the inside cover).

Honestly, I’d say that I love the idea of this website and the unique products they offer, but I think both the website and physical results need a bit more work to make it even better. The process turned out more frustrating than a fun purchase for me, but I really do hope this company keeps at it to maximize their potential. It really is a great concept!

See what other Moms are saying about Unique Skins over at The Family Review Network and see their beautiful creatations!

Need a pick-me-up? Head over to In The Motherhood, where 3 moms take true life stories/scenarios and turn them into “webisodes”. They star Leah Remini, Chelsea Handler and now Jenny McCarthy, which equates to a very funny portrayal of a mom’s life.

I’ve only watched a few but I love these little shows, they’re guaranteed to make you laugh. I think there is something for every mom in these clips. My favorite one so far is probably “Mother’s Day Gone Wrong.” Let’s just say I will be careful with chapstick from now on and I won’t let my daughter around display toilets. What’s great is that a lot of these stories are taken from real life mom experiences, they hold contests to see who has the greatest and then it gets turned into a show! Plus, they have online games, recipes and you can read funny mom stories or share your own.

And as a bonus for me, I love that Leah Remini is taking part in this because King of Queens was my favorite show and it’s nice to have her humor back to lift my spirits.

It’s nice to know my life isn’t so bad, people obviously go through worse!

I love half.com. It’s my new best friend, seriously.

Mark and I had 11 text books to sell from last semester and I decided to go with this little brother of ebay to go about business. I don’t know if you guys have any experience with the original ebay.com, but trying to get something online for people to buy can appear tricky. What shipping to offer customers? How much should I charge? How can I catch the customer’s eye and accurately describe the product? (okay, that doesn’t sound bad, but trust me, it can be a confusing task with many options to chose from for a newbie). And, they get you with the little fees. And, you can only have an item up for about a week and either it sells in that time, or it doesn’t.

Well, what I like about half.com is that it takes all that guess work out. It’s made for just media type things (books, CD’s, movies, video games, etc.) to sell/buy at reduced prices. It’s really great for buying textbooks (that’s all we’ve bought/sold so far, haven’t tried the other categories of products) at lower prices, because university stores are ridiculous. With 11 books, it took me hardly any time to get our items listed. I was able to tell them the exact product (what edition/cover/author/everything!) with just entering the ISBN number (therefore, saving time), entered the quality of the book, described the book (like, if it had markings), and listed the price. Click. Done.

What I really liked? Instead of the guessing of what I should list it for, it gave me a recommended price based on what other people had/are listing it for so that I could list it competitively, but fairly. It was usually spot on, too. And, what I really like? No bidding. I like that I can buy a book at ebay prices without sitting at the computer for an hour fighting over an item. And what I really, really like? It doesn’t have a time limit. It stays up until it sells, or until I take it down. And, no listing fees. It just takes a very small percentage out after a sale is made (like, two dollars).

Within just a few hours? I’ve already sold 2 books. Score.

Of course, the extra cash will go right back into buying new text books. School starts for Mark on Wednesday, and myself on Thursday. Ugh. I’m not ready for vacation to be over.