11
Discovery Kids MP3 Boombox: Review and First Give-Away!
Discovery Kids™ Digital MP3 Boombox
As a token of my appreciation for all my new blog readers and subscribers, I am offering my very first give-away! (Details below)
I am giving away a brand new Discovery Kids™ Digital MP3 Boombox! Retail Value is $39.99.
The Boombox has been a BIG hit with the Monkey. It is the perfect gift for any young child that loves music. The Boombox comes pre-loaded with 20 kid-friendly songs ranging from more traditional tunes (like “This Old Man”) to more mature originals (such as the catchy “Bit by Bit” and clever “If You Lived in the White House”).
If you want to add your own music collection to the Boombox, you can connect it to your computer via USB. (We loaded into the Monkey’s Boombox some Medeski Martin & Wood, Jack Johnson, Hot Buttered Rum*, and other great kids’ tunes that I discussed in this post.)
I really like the fun look of the Boombox and appreciate that it’s very easy for a child to use and carry (big buttons and integrated handle), while being very hard for a child to break (the kid-tough rubber case has protected the player from more than a few of the Monkey’s toy-throwing tantrums!).
Great product. Great gift. And a GREAT GIVE-AWAY!
To enroll in this give-away contest:
- Please leave a comment below between now and Saturday, October 17, 2009.
- I will pick one winner at random from the comments section by using a numerical system (comment #1, comment, #2, etc…).I will use random.org’s Random Integer Generator to pick the number of the winner
- I will announce the contest winner via blog post on Monday, October 19, 2009 . (So subscribe to the comments or blog so that you’ll know when a winner’s been announced!) The winner will have one week to e-mail their mailing address.
- I will ship you a new and unopened MP3 Boombox at my expense. (My international readers need not worry; I will also ship internationally.)
Good luck everyone!
* Hot Buttered Rum disclaimer: I’m a big fan of their progressive Americana style of music. You really ought to check them out live and listen to their new album. They’re one of those rare bands that both kids and parents can enjoy and appreciate.
*Disclosure Updated 12.12.09: In anticpiation of the FTC ruling for bloggers, I am including a disclosure update for this review and give-away. I did not receive any form of compensation from Discovery Kids for this review and give-away item.
08
Sippy Cups are for Seltzer Water
My latest shipment of the goods.
Some mamas need a glass of wine or a vodka drink to unwind. Not me.
I want water…but not just any water.
I need seltzer water.
You see, I have an addiction to seltzer water. It’s what I call my crack in a can.
The problem started like any other addiction. A seltzer here. A seltzer there. A seltzer in the morning. A seltzer at night. Now I’m up to a 6-pack a day and I can’t quit. The Dude is also addicted. In fact, he’s the one that got me hooked. He even has this stuff delivered to his office. The worst part of all is that we’re now passing on the problem to the Monkey.
Just like his parents, the Monkey really wasn’t into the filtered water from the fridge. He would never drink water, even if I added some apple juice. He only wanted his milk, which he only takes in a bottle. A few weeks ago, the Dude and I cracked open our usual seltzer cans with dinner and the Monkey started eyeing them. He wanted to try it. At first sip, he was startled by the bubbles and took a step back. But just like any future addict, he came back for more. The next sip startled him again, but this time he giggled. Then he took another sip. And another. Now, seltzer water is all he wants. Mind you, he can’t actually say “seltzer water” but he does yell “WA-WA!!!” while gesturing frantically whenever we crack open a seltzer can.
We’ve created a seltzer-soaked monster. The good news though is that he’s actually drinking water and he drinks it in a sippy cup. He wasn’t doing either of those things a few weeks ago.
So now we all live in a seltzer-crack house and our dealer is the local Safeway/Vons store. I don’t know what it is about their seltzer water, but it’s the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had ‘em all by now. As you can see by the picture, this isn’t a joke. That’s my most recent shipment, which lasts maybe two months. My seltzer shipments are so big that I actually have to phone the orders in rather than order them online. Now I’m known as the seltzer lady every time I call. You know you have a true seltzer addiction when you call your dealer for a delivery (in this case a major grocery store chain) and they know who you are by the sound of your voice.
P.S. Yes, we recycle.
01
Hush Little Baby…Please Go to Sleep!
No one truly appreciates the value of sleep until they have children.
Shush!
As I fondly look back at my pre-kid years of blissful slumber, I wonder how I’ve been managing to get through my parenting days with roughly 6 hours of sleep a night. Mind you, that is not always 6 consecutive hours of sleep. That would be manageable. No, my sleep stages are sometimes peppered with little interruptions from the Monkey. There are nights when he will sleep peacefully through the night. But then, as most parents experience, there are nights when it is a battle to get to the Delta zone.
We all hear from parents who claim that their children have slept through the night since they were 2 months old. Unless you CIO, Ferberize, or do some other form of sleep-training that involves crying-it-out, infants that sleep through the night are not typical. I had heard about CIO and Dr. Ferber way before I had a kid. I had been educated and trained in behavior modification, so this was nothing new to me. However, I had never actually attempted to personally modify the sleep behavior of an infant, especially my own infant. To say it was much more difficult than I anticipated would be a huge understatement. (continues…)
30
What About Monkey?
Playing, according to Monkey
The Monkey, like his parents, has a few OCD tendencies. Just like Mama, the Monkey needs everything to be clean and organized. Examples? The Monkey enjoys lining up all his toys and will throw a fit if you move his things. He will also pull coasters out for drinks, including his milk bottle. Mama doesn’t even use coasters. Another example? Here we are at today’s playgroup. You will not see other children in the picture because they are playing. The Monkey apparently felt it was more important to sweep.
Almost there...
The Monkey, like the Dude, also enjoys cool gadgets. He especially loves pushing buttons that tend to be noisy. He will become fixated on them until Mama wants to scream. The doorbell has become his biggest source of joy. I’m concerned that his obsession will one day lead into a much bigger problem, like a ding-dong-ditching addiction. I foresee a future filled with many angry neighbors.
OK, OK, I guess these “obsessions” are actually quite common in toddlers. However, if he ever watches “What About Bob” and tells me that he can relate…I’ll blame his dad.
26
Your new baby is here. No accessories included.
Aden and Anais wraps
We all know that babies don’t need much, other than lots of love, nourishment, and nurturing. But, for those of us that care for babies, we do need stuff. Lots of it.
I’ve been asked by friends about the products I use or what I think is necessary to have for first-time parents. I know there are already lots of lists of *baby essentials* out there, but this one is my own version of necessities. And, by necessities, I mean that I don’t function very well as a parent without this stuff. This does not mean that I think you need all this stuff, too.
Note: I have not received any promotional items or paid sponsorship for any of the below-mentioned items. Everything listed is something I’ve been using for the past 2 years already. Just putting that out there.
Without further ado…
Sleep:
- Binkies – because I like sleeping and peaceful shopping trips as much as you do. My kid prefers Avent. Not sure why.
- Muslin wraps – I love these Aden and Anais muslin wraps. Good for swaddling newborns or keeping your toddler warm during a walk – I don’t leave the home without one. They are also my go-to gifts for new parents.
- Babysense Infant Movement Monitor – if you’re like me, you’re an anxious mom who will watch her kid breathe at night. I would not have been able to sleep at night without this movement monitor. I used it every night for the first year until my kid started rolling off of it. (continues…)