Pretty much anything that will make cleaning easier is okay with me. I’m not a fan of cleaning all the time, but I know it needs to be done. With a baby crawling on the floor and with a toddler, you know the messes just keep coming. We use Clorox Disinfecting Wipes here. They are great for pretty much any mess because of how heavy duty they make them now, and lets not forget the wonderful fragrances they have to choose from as well.

They’ve come especially handy during potty training, with the constant dribbles on the seat (as well as the floor), heavy duty cleaning of most surfaces, quick spills of those nasty meat juices and whatever else you can possibly think of. I think it’s a great disinfectant for everyday use.

by Andrea

Perhaps it is due to the fact that we recently completed a major addition on our home, but my children are construction obsessed. My son knows the name of every piece of construction equipment on a site and has an eagle eye for cranes. Both he and my daughter love a good project.

It is only natural for my children to have loved the most recent Bob the Builder DVD. The Three Musketrucks contains five new 8 minute episodes and introduces Dodger the Milktruck as the newest member of the crew. Packer, Scrambler and all of the Bob the Builder favorites make an appearance in the newest episodes set in Sunflower Valley. The Three Musketrucks has quickly become a new favorite and will be coming on vacation with us this summer!

by Leticia

My family frequently camps during the summer and we are always looking for ways to keep the kids entertained. If you’ve walked through any campgrounds recently you may have noticed that the old washer board games are absent and in their place is Lasso Golf. I admit that the first time I saw this game I thought it was very hillbilly looking. Throwing a pair of balls attached by a rope at a bar didn’t seem to difficult or fun, but I was wrong.

We purchased our own set on Amazon after our kids begged us for weeks. My husband and I both find ourselves competing with this new game and I’m not sure if the kids or adults enjoy it more. We’ve even used it in our own backyard with neighbors. You don’t have to go camping to have this much fun!

by Melissa

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My husband however, felt differently. Being more far sighted financially than I tend to be, he came home before our last trip out with the Energizer e2 Lithium batteries, that alleged to last 7X longer than regular batteries. They were more expensive, but if they actually did last longer, then they’d end up costing us less in the long run.

So we popped them in about a month ago. I’m still using them hundreds and hundreds of pictures later. We’ve been on several family outings and haven’t even had so much as a hint of them wearing out. So if you are like me and love to snap the pictures everytime one of your little one even thinks about smiling, consider this investment well worth it.

I hate to think of all the times I missed a precious shot because suddenly my batteries were dead. Huge props to this Energizer for developing these batteries.

Written by Gidge, who is a mother of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old twin boys. A transplanted Hoosier, die-hard Colts fan and professional call center manager, she likes long walks on the beach, penguins and playing ping-pong. Her turn-ons include sleep and silence. Read all about her life here.

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The Olympus Stylus 820 is the perfect digital camera for busy households, travelers and bloggers. It is small enough to carry in your pocket, lightweight and takes great pictures. With 5X optical zoom it captures the far away shots easily and has motion stabilizers for shaky hands. The shutter is lens cap free for simplicity.

The extra large hyper crystal LCD screen is a must have for those of us that have vision issues- it makes looking through a view finder obsolete. Plus the video capabilities are user friendly and the short video footage I have taken is as nice as the bigger video cameras.

The only negative feedback I have is that the rechargeable battery life is too short. I would suggest keeping an extra fully charged battery on hand because once the battery is low there is little warning before it is lights out. At just under $300 this little gem works wonders. Thanks to the Olympus Stylus 820 I do not miss schlepping my big SLR camera with me and for a die hard SLR user that is a bold statement!

by Helene

When I first received the Nickelodeon Sleepytime Lullabies I was immediately impressed by the variety of artists that it had on it. Plus I was thrilled to see some favorites, including Blackbird and Dream a Little Dream. With thoughts of the Beatles floating in my head I popped it in and at first was disappointed to hear muzak versions. But I kept listening and after a bit I grew to appreciate the gentleness of how soothing it really was.

I guess the original versions wouldn’t really have made good lullabies anyway. The last song on the cd is “One Magic Kiss” by Brandi Carlile and I loved it. Now I’ve got Sleepytime Lullabies in the cd player in the kid’s room and I get to listen to it on the baby monitor as I go to sleep too!

by Andi

Ever heard of soap on a rope? What about soap in a sponge? Well the second one is the best invention ever. I recently came across Spongeables, which are these cute fun shaped sponges that are already filled with soap. An ordinary shower becomes a lot easier and a lot more relaxing with this invention. Plus they make ducks and other cute shapes for kids to use.

Spongeables exfoliate and moisturize all in one simple step. The seem to last for weeks without running out of bubbles, but you can easily squirt some of your own soap on them if needed. The sponges state on the package how many washes they are guarenteed to last for and they even make pedi-scrubs specifically for your feet. This is a new must have in our shower!

by Emily

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It’s not just stylish, though. It has great features too. Like password protected access control. I love that I can safely carry my report cards to and from school with little risk of breaching confidentiality. It also allows you to take your files plus U3™ compatible PC programs wherever you go. (For U3 compatible PC programs go to www.u3.com - I didn’t try this feature but plan to when I have some free time in ten years or so. No PC installation is required to run the applications.)

A 2 GB drive is only $25, which is a huge decrease from a few years ago. Even an 8 GB drive is less than $80 if you want to splurge.

by Nicole

As a ‘Techie’ mom, have you ever wanted a way to transport extra digital pictures or files easily? Have you seen the USB flash drives by SanDisk or other companies and thought to yourself, “Hmmm, I could really use that.” But then thought you were being frivolous? Welcome to the 4GB Cruzer Gator by SanDisk.

I really wasn’t sure how useful 4GB would be, but once I started copying pictures and files to it, I quickly found out how much I love this little USB flash drive. If you notice, it is even stylish. Funny thing is that I have a dark red purse and guess what color I was able to receive? Yes you guessed it, red! How awesome is that?

The 4GB Cruzer Gator is stylish and small, yet large enough to handle my pictures and quite a few files within my documents folder. What a great, inexpensive Mother’s Day gift for that ‘Techie Mom’ you love!

by Laura

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The stuffed toys contain a secret code in the collar and once you enter the code at their online site, you can “adopt” and name your pet. Then, you along with your new pet, can decorate your home and play a variety of games online. The tiny plastic pets require some good old imagination, something that is lacking in so many toys today. The kids set up a pet shop and played for hours. However, once the new pens came out of the packages, the house became unusually quiet, except for the sound of the pen. Three of their friends came over, so there were then 6 kids huddled around these ink pens to play the games on a tiny screen the size of a tube of chapstick. They all found it hysterically funny when their pets would poop. Yes, digital poop is really a crowd pleaser.

I don’t know how kids can immediately figure out how to play these games without so much as cracking the instruction booklet, but they did and they were enthralled for hours. Once the pens were put on mute, I was as happy as they were. A friend of mine who happens to work at an elementary school came by and confirmed that LPS toys were all the rage at the school.

I checked the prices on-line and they really are reasonable. There are a wide variety of pets and they would make a great gift for kids ages 5 - 12. Maybe with LPS around, my own kids will come up with a new pastime and quit their eavesdropping.

by Perri

My daughters is a big fan of Littlest Pet Shop and so am I. We bought them a few sets this past Christmas and they play with them everyday. We were thrilled for the opportunity to review some of their new products. Littlest Pet Shop has the most colorful and adorable animals around. The play sets are very interactive and helps foster imagination. Some of the products that we received are:

• VIP Butterfly Stuffed Animal: I loved the look of this adorable Butterfly. That’s why I was so surprised that my younger girl didn’t seem very interested it. I showed it to her and she walked away. I’m not sure if it’s because it wasn’t a cat (her favorite animal) or if she just wasn’t in the mood. In any case, I think she’s adorable and will probably keep her on my dresser.
• Digital Monkey Pen - I love that it’s a chunky sized pen which makes it easier for small hands to use, and the little monkey on top is a cute addition! The only downside is that it advertises games you can play on-screen but does not give instructions on how to do so. To figure it out you would need to go online, but what happens if you don’t have internet access?
• Pet Mouse with Cupcake - This set was an adorable addition to our collection. The top of the cupcake comes off which makes placing in mouse inside a little easier. Very cute!

This new line comes with secret registration codes where you can go online to register your pet by adopting it, name them and play virtual games. It was a little difficult to sign-up because a lot of the user names and pet names were already taken. After a while my daughter got frustrated and wanted to give up, so I ended up finishing the registration for her. All in all, the new online features were not very child user friendly but we’re still big Littlest Pet Shop fans!

by Kailani

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First of all, the color touch screen is very user friendly and easy to view while driving. If you prefer not to take your eyes off the road for even a second, a voice will tell you when your next turn is coming up. It will also show or tell you how long until the next one. On the bottom left corner there is a display that tells you your estimated time of arrival. This was a pretty cool feature that enables you to monitor if you are making good time or not.

Secondly, because we have never been in the area before, we had no idea where the gas stations or grocery stores were. The Garmin has a feature where you can select points of interest and it will navigate and inform you of some nearby options. Thirdly, you can also use the GPS as an entertainment tool which includes listening to your favorite MP3’s and audio books while driving. How cool is that? There’s also an expansion slot where you can use SD cards to help with language translations and currency converters.

The Garmin is compact enough to fit into your carry-on and comes with a vehicle power cable, suction cup, dashboard disc, USB cable and a Preloaded City Navigator® NT for North America or Europe. The only thing I wished was included was the carrying case and AC adapter. Overall we loved this product! I’ll definitely be taking this with me on all my layovers from now on. We purchased it for $299.99 and it was worth every penny.

Written by Kailani, a full-time Mommy, part-time Flight Attendant, and occasional wife living a chaotic life in Hawaii. You can also find her at An Island Life, An Island Review, and 5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere.

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This is a game system unlike any I have seen. The game that comes with the system is Wii Sports, which includes tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing. Trust me when I tell you there is no sitting involved. The player has to go through all the motions of playing the real sport to play the games. There have even been times when my tireless son became short-winded while playing.

It has been a lot of fun for the family and a fun way to get exercise during the cold winter months. Even my two year old can play some of the games, and it has been fun watching his brother teach him to play.

Having said that, I feel I should mention the price. The cost is close to $300, and this only includes one set of controllers. By the time I left the store with the Wii, extra controllers and two-year protection plan, I had spent closer to $350. I feel that it is worth the money, and will only provide more fun and entertainment as the boys get older.

Written by Jessica, who lives to be a mom, loves to be a wife and aspires to be an artist. You can find her blog at JustJessie and her art for sale on Etsy.

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I’m no gourmet cook. Just ask any of my family members. Recently, I found an item that helps me fake that skill though. Ever heard of flavor boosters? They are tubes created by Amore Gourmet of different flavored pastes you can use to cook with. Maybe you have a dish that needs a kick of garlic or a squeeze of hot pepper. They store in your refrigerator once open and are priced around $2.49 - $5.89 per tube, which is low enough to keep several on hand at a time.

Besides the great taste of the tubes I’ve tried, they also take up less space. Your garbage (or recycle bin) may never see a half-used can of tomato paste again, plus the tubes take up minimal storage space in your fridge. They’d be great to keep on hand to make a fancy pasta dish or just to give something a little hint of fresh seasoning.

by Emily

We purchased our first TiVo HD Digital Video Recorder in preparation for our new addition. Not only were we able to pause the TV when our son screamed in his sleep about 50 times a night, but we were also able to record our favorite shows. The first ones he loved were, The Wiggles, Signing Time! and Thomas the Train, which we also recorded.

As a new mom I hibernated for a long time, unable to leave him because of his separation anxiety and I eventually became addicted to some of my now favorite Prime Time shows. The good thing is that I can watch an hour drama in less than 40 minutes by fast forwarding through the commercials I don’t want to watch, and catch up on my favorites any time of day. This includes when I am folding laundry in my pajamas at two o’clock on a Monday afternoon. What convenience!

by Marcie

On an impulse I grabbed some Model Magic Fusion, created by Crayola, for my children while bleeding cash at Target. The plan was to toss them the three colored tubs of dough on a car trip in hopes of occupying at least fifteen minutes of their time.

The results blew me over. The children played with Model Magic Fusion for hours! No exaggeration, they made sunglasses, beards, eggs, animals and all the Scooby-Doo characters out of Model Magic Fusion.

What is most wonderful is that Model Magic Fusion does not dry out like Play-doh, nor does it crumble and stick into the carpet. The downside is that it does not smell good enough to eat. Maybe that is a good thing though?

by Bitsy

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This time I think we found a winner in the Polaroid i735.

First of all, it’s made of a durable plastic, and it’s very light and easy to carry around. It also comes with a transparent white case to help protect the body from accidental drops. The 2.5” LCD screen is big enough to view your photos in color and the 7.0 megapixels deliver high quality photos.

Secondly, one of things I like best is that it runs on 2 AA batteries. This comes in very handy when the power suddenly dies. We know how kids can get impatient at times and being able to just pop in a fresh pair of AAs can make life a little easier. I’m definitely all for that!

Third, the best endorsement for this camera is that my 5 year old loves it! It’s very kid friendly and after a brief explanation on how to use it, she was off and taking photos like a pro. She likes that it looks like my digital camera because it makes her feel like a big girl.

There are lots of other useful features so make sure you stop by their site to see if this camera is right for your family.

Written by Kailani, a full-time Mommy, part-time Flight Attendant, and occasional wife living a chaotic life in Hawaii. You can also find her at An Island Life, An Island Review, and 5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere.

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The kicker is that it plugs right in to your computer with a little USB thing that flips out of the side of it (it FLIPS! Get it?). NO cables or cords are necessary and get this — the software needed to get it into your computer and onto Youtube, MySpace etc. is built into the camcorder so no more install disks or any of that nonsense. It’s really so idiot-proof that anyone (you know, like your barely computer literate in-laws for example) could use it.

It also comes in different colors, for the style conscious, and a few different configurations for the price conscious. Additionally, Flip Ultra Video was recently touted by Oprah for it’s awesomeness and I recently heard someone on the radio talking about it, too.

I do believe this is THE HOT GIFT of the season and while I personally won’t be dropping $120-$150 on one for anyone, you can bet teens, tweens and proud new parents everywhere will be sporting one of these after the holidays.

Written by Izzy, who is a work-at-home mom of two young children. She can usually be found writing at her personal blog, IzzyMom, venting at Moms Speak Up, or designing something.

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