Leapfrog Pre K-K Early Learning Kit Review

The kids and I have been extremely excited to let you guys in on a little secret. The time has come for us to share that little secret.. well it isn’t a secret- per say but it’s something really awesome. We’ve all used the Leapfrog battery operated toys (LeapPad/LeapPad2) and stuffed animals (Violet/Skip), but we didn’t know that they also had learning products made of paper as well.

Leapfrog has teamed up with Mega Brands, and they have created some really affordable learning paper products. Most of these products are under $5 and can be found in the art/stationary aisle instead of with the toys.

They certainly got a thumbs up from the kids. As soon as they seen what it was, they immediately wanted to sit down and try it out. My daughter is going into preschool and my son is coming out of Kindergarten—so we got the Pre K-Kindergarten Learning Pack.

They are all paper based, no batteries required and most of what we got could be erased and re-written (it comes with dry-erase crayons) which I’d also never seen before. I love that they had a variety of stuff to learn. ABC’s, numbers, shapes, colors, and even teaches them how to write the color words.

I love that most of it was dry-erase. I could let the kids practice their little hearts out and then erase it later that night. Then we could start on it again the next morning or day. They say that practice makes perfect.. and it’s true. My daughter has definitely learned how to write A-F as of right now.

This kept the kids quite busy. They were having so much fun. I was having fun just seeing them learn WHILE have fun. There was such a wide variety of activities, so even my son could do some of them. He had problems last year learning the color words, so that’s what he was practicing most.

I love that each book contained a variety. Most only cover 1 or 2 (ex. colors or shapes). These have letters, numbers, drawing lines, drawing shapes, color words, and so on. Megabrand and Leapfrog put it all together and made it fun.

They also sent Alphabet cards with some really cute characters to show the letter. They ARE in color and have separate cards for uppercase letters and lowercase letters. we had tons of fun making up card games with the flash cards.

I am aware they are supposed to be used to SHOW the kids what the letters are, but my kids have a very vivid imagination. We ended up playing Go-fish with alphabet cards.. “DO you have a B?” LOL

They also sent the success charts, which I <the mommy> think is cool. We can use these all year to reward the kids for learning! There are tons of them in the pack!!

LeapFrog products by MEGA Brands are available for purchase (MSRP $0.99 – $24.99 for children ages 3 and up) at major retailers including Toys R Us, Michaels, Joann’s, Target, Walmart, Officemax, and Costco.

 

 

     Jessica Renee

 

Make Naptime Feel Like Home With MyUbby Blanket: Review

My daughter is starting preschool in just a few short weeks. She is excited about the “thought” of school. Being with other kids, toys, and playing on the playground. I’m worried that when the excitement wears off, she is going to freak out.

She’s never been to daycare, never had a babysitter, and never been away from me during the day. The same thing happened to my son. He started school, and soon became homesick. I’m glad that I learned about the MyUbby Blanket.

The MyUbby Blanket started when 2 parents created a one-of-a-kind handmade blanket for their son and he named it “Ubby”. Soon they had a daughter, who got one as well. They soon realized that Ubby meant “friend.”

I’m pretty sure the MyUbby blanket will calm her if she does end up getting homesick. When we got the blanket, I talked to her about it. I said “When your teacher makes you lay down for a nap, and you start to miss mommy- hug your blankie, ok?” She looked at me and said “OK, mommy!” with a huge smile.

What makes the MyUbby Blanket different from the rest is that you get to build the blanket from scratch. You start with your size choice—> I chose the 50x60. It’s bigger than I thought and she can use this blanket for a VERY long time!

Then you get to choose how many sides (1 or 2) you want the blanket to be. I chose 2 because the fabric options are just too adorable. I couldn’t resist choosing two.

I chose the bubble fabric for side one. Then they give you the color choices, and mine was hot pink. My daughter loves hot pink, it’s her favorite color!!

It even shows you what it will look like, which I thought was awesome!

For the second fabric I chose Smoothy and chose the Zebra pattern.

Adisyn absolutely adores Zebras (and horses). I love the way it offsets the hot pink. It looks gorgeous!

Then, the next to last is the edging. Of course, I chose black. It’s a silk/satin feeling which is awesome. It just brings the entire blanket together so well!

Last Step is Text or Monorgram (Initials). It is optional to add text or a message. I think it’s what makes these blankets have the amazing “personal” touch! I wanted my daughters blanket to be for her, something we could put in her memory box after she grows out of it.

I chose Inscription, so that it could say her entire name! You can choose not only the text font, but they have a huge variety of colors you can use as well. I chose black to offset the hot pink,

It shows you which side the text goes on, so you can choose wisely. I love that it shows you what it looks like as you’re building it. That way you can tell whether or not you’re colors are matching, what your font looks like, and how it all comes together at the end!

There are 8 different font choices when using the message option. I chose the Kindergarten font, so that it represents this time in her life.

The blanket arrived even quicker than I thought it would. AS soon as you order it, they send you a message letting you know that your order is complete. Then when it ships, you get another email. THEY are amazingly fast and ON IT! I’m pretty sure they might have stolen some of Santa’s Elves and have them working for them.

I got the blanket within ONE week of ordering.. and they make the entire blanket. How cool is that? It was even more beautiful in person. Adisyn seen it and fell in love. I can’t blame her, I did too.

Even though it’s a bigger blanket, it folds up really small. It fits perfectly inside her backpack. I store Adisyn’s blanket in her backpack during the day, but she always asks to get it out before bedtime.

It truly just melts my heart to see her love a blanket so much, She cuddles it and immediately falls into dreamland. I love that she has something so dear to her heart that I got to choose, to take with her when she starts her journey to preschool.

This is naptime at home. Look how sweet she looks. She loves her blanket! Both sides of the blanket are SUPER soft. The zebra part feels like true sleek zebra fur. It is so warm and feels amazing on the skin. The pink side is the warmest part, it feels like bubble fabric if you’ve ever felt it. It’s just so fuzzy and warm.

I am “the emotional” mom, so I know that I’ll cry when she does start school. I did when my son started school. It’s something that I can’t be there to hold their hand through, and it just saddens me. You can’t make sure they know where they need to be, if they are making friends, if they are comprehending what they are supposed to be learning.

Now my house won’t be filled with the sounds of footsteps. There won’t be toys scattered all over the living room for me to pick up. I won’t have any kids to make lunch for, or to take with me to the grocery store. As a mom, all I can hope for is that I have her the skills she needs to make friends and enjoy her day!

The MyUbby Blanket, I’m sure will help her with her fears of sleeping somewhere else. I will definitely not be AS worried that she is going to cry for me. I’m just glad that we do have the MyUbby to help her through naptime, should she get lonely and start thinking about me.

They don’t just have big naptime blankets! They have baby and toddler blankets as well. The baby blankets would make awesome coming home gifts or baby shower presents. The toddler blankets will make amazing birthday or Christmas gifts.

These aren’t just blankets- they are home, security, comfort, and love all wrapped into one.

Get Yours Now: MyUbby Customized Blanket

Connect with MyUbby Online: Facebook and Twitter

 

Jessica Renee

Book Review: Psych101= Psych 101: Psychology Facts, Basics, Statistics, Tests, and More! by Paul Kleinman; Adams Media

Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy theories, principles, and experiments of psychology into tedious discourse that even Freud would want to repress. Psych 101 cuts out the boring details and statistics, and instead, gives you a lesson in psychology that keeps you engaged - and your synapses firing.

From personality quizzes and the Rorschach Blot Test to B.F. Skinner and the stages of development, this primer for human behavior is packed with hundreds of entertaining psychology basics and quizzes you can't get anywhere else.

So whether you're looking to unravel the intricacies of the mind, or just want to find out what makes your friends tick, Psych 101 has all the answers - even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.

Psychology has always been something I devoured! When I was in high school, I have always been intrigued by the brain, behavior, and how it all plays out. I don’t mind reading the textbook versions of psychology, but it would help if they made it more interesting for the students/readers.

That’s what Psych101: A Crash Course in the Science of the Mind does. It breaks down all the Psychologists that have made the theories and/or tests that have proven and made Psychology what it is today.

Although Sigmund Freud is probably the most well known psychologist to date, there are tons more. Without these people we wouldn’t know about dreams, reactions, or mental illnesses. I have written extensive notes on all of these psychologists- yet never comprehended as much as I did just reading this book.

As humans, we tend to learn more when it’s in the form of entertainment or lightly written. Textbooks have very small letters, which make it hard to concentrate and read more than a few chapters at a time. They are hard to curl up with and get cozy. This book is very small, fits in my hands and is an amazing read.

It’s more an interesting “here’s this and this is how and why it came along.” He gets straight to the point. I think for most people the reason textbook writing is so hard to comprehend is because they beat around the bush. They make the chapters with less detail, yet more “factual” which is harder to understand for normal readers.

It doesn’t start from the discovery and Psychology and go from there. It jumps around without any significant reason, but that’s what makes it interesting and so fun to read. It doesn’t overwhelm you with just the facts.

It feels like talking to a friend in a way. It’s put in a “perspective” that if someone were telling you firsthand about the tests, psychologists, and hypothesis of behavior. If you’re interested in why people do the things they do, you’ll love this book!

Excerpt from the book: Oral Stage (birth-18 months) "In this stage, a child focuses on oral pleasure like sucking because they create a sense of comfort and trust. If there is too little or too much gratification in this stage, the child will develop an oral personality or oral fixation and become preoccupied with oral behaviors. According to Freud, people with this type of personality are more likely to bite their nails, smoke, drink, or overeat, and will be gullible, depend on other people, and will always be followers”

Facts like this interest me, so naturally I love the entire book. There is cool facts like this throughout the entire book. There is a wide range of topics, and I’m sure that even someone who wouldn’t otherwise be interested—would love this book.
Here are some random topics that the book covers:

• Dreams
• Hypnosis
• Leadership theories
• Theories of Intelligence
• Memory
• Bystander effect
• Conformity
• Left and Right Brained

The book is completely thorough on it’s biographies of the Psychologists. I love learning about the history of people and what drove them into their chosen careers. This book would be awesome for someone taking a psychology class, or just anybody willing and loves to learn.
It breaks down all the tests, why they were given, who they were given to, and how it helped us look into the human behavior, mind, and emotions.

Author Biography

Paul Kleinman grew up in White Plains, New York, and currently resides in New York City. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2009 with degrees in Art and Communication Arts: Radio, Television and Film. Out of fear that his author bio is painfully boring, he began making things up. He is an astronaut. He trains cobras. He is very tall and in no way sickly pale. He is also a humor writer. That one is true. Maybe.
Buy it: Psych101: A Crash Course in the Science of the Mind
Connect with Adams Media Online: Facebook and Twitter as well as the Adams Media Website

Flat Iron Experts- Avanti Wet/Dry Flat Iron Review. Make Getting Out the Door In The Morning Easier

Flat Iron Experts has the best prices (HANDS down) on everything you need to get your hair the way you want it! Flat Irons, Curling Irons, hair dryers, hot rollers, and hair/nail care! I received the Avanti Wet-Dry Nano-Titanium Ceramic Silver Digital Flat Iron.

For many years, flat irons have smoothed out our ever frizzy humidity inspired locks, curly cues, or non-manageable hair! Most can even tame the most curly, coarse hair and make it look presentable and beautiful!

This flat iron combines Nano-Titanium, Nano-Ceramic, and Nano-Silver. This means that it will heat up in a VERY short amount of time, and distributes the heat evenly throughout the two plates. THIS is a good thing because those that DON’T will make “heat spots” in your hair and can eventually cause extreme damage and breakage.

The Nano-silver keeps bacteria from growing within or on the flat iron plates. This is ideal for those who frequently share hair tools or a hairdresser that uses their flat-iron on many people. Believe it or not, using someone else’s hair tools could give you an infection or bacteria that will grow on your scalp. This flat iron prevents that from happening. It’s like sterilizing scissors or combs/brushes after someone else uses it!

This is a very advanced technology flat iron. It’s like switching from a regular T.V. to a flat screen, a regular laptop to a touch-screen laptop. It’s that much different, and you can immediately tell with the first use.

You can use this on damp or semi-damp hair to finish the drying process. The unique "Wet to Dry" feature allows you to flatten your hair while Wet to save time. Avanti AVCROC’s Infrared Heat technology dries hair from the inside out, so it will crackle and stem. It will make it sound and look like your head might just catch on fire. IT will not however, actually catch fire.

ALWAYS make sure that you’re using a heat protectant spray before you use ANY hair tool with heat (blow dryers, curling wands, flat irons) but especially wet/dry flat irons. Even though this has advanced technology, which will cause LESS damage than using a regular flat iron—ANY heated styling tool will cause damage overtime.

Flat Iron Experts sent me the KQC Thermal Shine. I love how it makes my hair look soft and shiny without looking oily or greasy, It doesn’t leave behind any residue and works amazingly well! It defends the hair follicles from the heated styling tools you use. You can use it before straightening, curling, or even blow-drying.

I love that this is digital. I can see what temperature the flat iron is at. I don’t have to guess what it’s at, like the ones that have the spinning dial. As you can see, it has up/down buttons, so you can adjust the temperature so that it’s right for your hair.

Thicker/coarser hair needs a higher temperature to straighten their hair. I don’t have thick or coarse hair, so I love that I can just turn it down 100*, so that it doesn’t overheat my normal hair. It heats up in no time at all. I don’t have to plug it in and then complete something else while waiting for the flat iron to heat.

I love the way that they placed the finger grippers right below the flat iron paddles. This makes it easier for me to get a good grip on the flat iron. It helps with successfully getting the hair straightened on the first go-around.

It is SO easy to use! There is also a really long cord, which I also like. I hate being confined to a small space. If you have a vanity in your bedroom and the cord is short, yet the plugin isn’t close—you’ll have some issues without a long cord!

See how much better my hair looks without all the creases and bumps? It takes me less than 10 minutes to straighten my entire hair and then I’m out the door and on my way!

Buy it: Avanti Wet-Dry Nano-Titanium Ceramic Silver Digital Flat Iron Originally $259 on sale for only $159.95

Flat Iron Experts is on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube.

 

 

Jessica Renee