Straight Edge, Inc. is an educational supply company who’s mission is to encourage kids to read through innovative products. The Opinionated Parents have been reviewing several of their products over the past weeks and have been very impressed. We’ve had team members as well as friends who are parents, preschool teachers, early elementary teachers, [...]

I admit I was a fan of this new technology even before I tried it, because I love pictures. I struggle with how to display them all in frames in places everyone can see them. What good are they if I can’t share them? Welcome to that answer – The Kodak 8.0” Digital Picture Frame.
To [...]

I love to bake. And my love of baking has been passed on to my daughter. At 14, she’s just learning how to bake and still feels comfortable using mixes for things other than her specialty, oatmeal raisin cookies (YUMMMM). Because we’re trying to be healthier and not eat refined and processed foodstuffs, I started [...]

Whenever a recipe calls for greasing a pan, I always use cooking spray. I also use it to spray the insides of plastic storage containers before filling them with any tomato-based sauces or leftovers. One thing I have always hated, however, is the cap on cans of cooking spray. Looks like I’m not the only [...]

One of the coolest new things I received for Christmas this year was a Yankee Candle Reed Diffuser. At first I was unsure exactly what to do with it, but after giving it a try it’s become a new favorite. You may have seen these aromatherapy oil bottles in various stores. I haven’t tried any [...]

The Dora Game House arrived at our home this Christmas and I’m not ashamed to say we just got around to opening it. Well, we unwrapped it at Christmas. But given the vast number of things we HAD to open - and all of the little twist ties and damned restraining devices that [...]

Though she grew up through the great depression, my grandmother always made sure she and her children had quality footwear. My own mother is the same way. They often say “You only have two feet and you use them all day long. Cheap shoes are not worth the price you pay in foot health and [...]

Last year, GreenDaddy’s parents considered retiring early and becoming entrepreneurs: they wanted to manufacture an invention – they hadn’t decided on it yet – in their native India, and then sell in the states. Around this time GreenDaddy and I discovered that there was no such thing as a sippy cup made out of [...]

I am a sucker for a free sample of anything. So when Dove plastered ads all over every web site I visit for the past month for their new Cream Oil Body Wash, I went to their site and schmucked about enough that I ended up signing up to receive a free sample. [...]

It’s easier said than done. At least it is when you’re pregnant. I spent no less than 5 of my 10 pregnant months hiking my pants up and twisting my skirts back to centre. Now that I’ve had a baby, I have three choices. Clothes that are too small, clothes that are too big or [...]

Our son received his first pair of real winter boots from his paternal Grandma in early December. I had never seen a pair of boots like this before. They were Stonz, made by Canadian mom-trepreneurs Tracey Von Dehn and Lisa Will.When we opened the package, I was immediately struck by:
(a) How totally freaking adorable they [...]

Robeez aren’t news, are they? Everyone has heard of Robeez’ shoes, or so it seems. But did you know that Robeez is a Canadian company? It all started in 1994 when mom Sandra Wilson was downsized right out of a job. We all love a mom-trepreneur success story, right? Sandra’s [...]

For Hanukkah this year my kids got a game called Chairs. It’s a very simple game with no real directions and no real game strategy other than a steady hand and a strong heart. The object of the game is to stack 24 colorful plastic chairs, one atop the other, into a big structural tower [...]

I received a complimentary Phillips Norelco Bodygroom shaver to review but judging by hairless hotties on the box, it’s clearly intended for the man of the household so I passed it off to the huz and let him take it for a spin.
Since I had reminded him beforehand not to go crazy because stubble can [...]

The Product Ho strikes again! This time it’s not coffee or yogurt or anything edible. No, it’s this adorable little 2.4 oz. MP3/Video player from Insignia that arrived in my mailbox a few days ago. But it’s SO cute that I almost do want to eat it.
Now, I’m pretty much a whiz on the computer, [...]