This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial- No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.In other words... Who's ready for a bunch of giveaways? Keep on the lookout for giveaways from Tabatchnick, Nature's Hand Granola, a $25 Shell Gas Gift Card, and a special Kids Foot Locker giveaway!
I thank you all for your patience.
Since having kids, I feel drained.. all of the time, for no good rhyme or reason. It doesn't matter the time of day, or what time I went to bed. The bottom line is that I am shot!
Last year, while researching Acai berries, I found a company called Zola that creates organic Acai drinks that are flavorful and energizing. (Read our review of Zola Acai Drinks.) Over the last year, Zola has grown and has started sprouting up on shelves of mass retailers all over the place. I happen to find Zola at Whole Foods or on Amazon
What's New to Zola?
This year, Zola has introduced their new Light Acai Berry juice ($2.99 each) and a family sized (32oz.- $6.99 each) bottle of their original juice to the market.
The Zola Light juice contains 50% less sugar, almost half the calories, but still containsthe same antioxidants, omegas and energy as Zola's Açaí Original Juice. Zola Light Açaí is naturally sweetened with Stevia and uses the same 100% organic Açaí Pulp to deliver the best tasting LIGHT superfruit juice.
The family sized Zola is not only convenient, but allows families to stock up on the superfruit juice. Zola Acai juice can be stored on the shelf and is refrigerated after opening, which is much more convenient for our busy family. I like the idea of the individual bottles however, we do seem to go through them much quicker than the larger 32 oz size. It really is a personal preferance, but either way, you are getting the same fresh taste, and same great product. 
ensive enough without having to figure in the trendiest accessories of the season. My daughter is 7, and like most girls her age, she's head over heels for Sketcher's shoes. Last year, she had to have HyDee High-Tops! She finally wore me down; after she brought home a great report card, I bought her a pair of these high dollar high tops as a reward. Of course, she did what every kid does when you buy them some expensive new duds--outgrew them in the blink of an eye. Farewell, $49.99 shoes.
while looking at these in the store--I can make these! (or something close enough to be acceptable to my daughter!) I have acrylic paints, buttons, and brushes in my craft box!! So, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a pair of $3 plain blue sneakers and went to town!
. Because of the fact that Funky Monkey is much easier to find than it was last year, we have officially named Funky Monkey Fruit Snacks one of our 4BabyAndMom MUST HAVES!
WOO! Back to school is in full force at both 4BabyAndMom households. Both sets of kids are loving their new teachers, and getting along great with their friends. We are officially the moms of a 5th grader, two second graders, and full-time pre-schooler!!
I didn't cry as much as I thought I would, but this week has still been rather emotional, and definitely an adjustment for all of us. My "baby" is in pre-K now, and loves it.. although, she's not too fond of "rest time". Other than that, she's happy and excited every day to see her friends and her teachers.
If you keep up with me on social media sites, you may have caught wind that I've transferred my son for the third time in three years, only a week and a half before school started. Yes, some of you may think I'm crazy for doing so, but I will continue to fight for the right my child has to receive and education he deserves. An education he yearns and thirsts for and was not receiving at the previous school he was attending.
Life as a mom of a gifted child is a lot tougher than "the world" could imagine. It's so hard to really put into words... With the risk of sounding arrogant, it's just as difficult as working with the special needs children I taught years ago. It has very similar obstacles and challenges, but is just as rewarding and fulfilling to see your childs needs being met to the very fullest of their capacity. It's definitely a journey and an experience that I did not sign up for, but am trying to embrace as best as I can. I am learning and growing as a parent with every bump and curve the situation throws at me. I thank you all for the support and encouragement that you've given me through all of these tough times. I can only hope and pray that this new school, new staff, new admin, and new experience gives him everything he could ever hope for and more.
Marissa is getting ready to head back to school herself- classes start on Tuesday! She's eager to have the new semester begin, and today gave me a tour of the campus, as I will be returning back to college in December. We've prepared a bunch of fun reviews and giveaways for the last ten days of the Back to School Bash, and truly hope you have been enjoying our celebration.
Be sure to check the links on our sidebar for our current giveaways and recently ended giveaways. Winners have been announced, and will be contacted this week. If you happen to see your name on the post or winners page, please feel free to contact us first!
Thank you all for participating, as none of this could be possible without you- our readers, fans and followers!
For those of you that have children that have recently started school, or will be starting school soon, we wish you all a very happy, healthy, safe and successful school year!
We've had the great pleasure of having a baby in the house again! We are in charge of a beautiful 6 month old who has definitely been keeping us on our toes. She's at the perfect age and loves to play, touch, and experience everything. On top of that, she's kind of picky. She's our kind of baby, especially since we've recently had the opportunity to review a BUNCH of baby stuff.
Thanks to Team Mom, we had an opportunity to review some fabulous products by mOmma. 'mOmma' produces an innovative line of feeding time products made specifically for little hands.
Bright colors, fun shapes, and functionality are on the top of our pro's list, as the little lady that put this cup to the test! The con's list was fairly short.. but nothing out of the norm for any mom of a baby-on-the-go. Because of the curve of the mOmma Rocking Cup, Baby loved to push the cup all over the floor! Because of the design, we did not have spills, and it didn't go hay-wire rolling and squirting all over like other sippy cups we've had in the past.
I love the idea behind the products, as little hands fit very comfortably over the handles and body of the cup. mOmma carries a variety of products specifically for little ones, including teethers, bottles, cups, plates and silverware. You don't have to stress about washing these products out, because they even have a great bottle brush made just for all of the curves inside and outside of their products.
I think the silverware are just amazing! Easy for tiny fingers to grasp, these tools can greatly decrease feeding time frustrations. They are perfect for home, day care, grandma's, or on the go. When both of my kids were babies, how I wished for a product like these! Completely genius, extremely practical, functional and fun- what more could you ask for?
The Developmental Meal Set comes with both a fork and a spoon, to grow with baby from 4 months and up. The plate is divided into two compartments to separate foods, and allow your child to learn to dip and promote taste differention. The plate is designed with a non-slip, non-tip base which helps to keep things grounded.
All of the mOmma products range from about $7.25 for an individual product, to about $22 for a whole set, making these products practical for any budget.
Look for mOmma products online, follow mOmma on Facebook or Twitter to learn about current promotions, products and special offers. In fact, right now mOmma is running a "Messiest mOments" photo contest on Facebook where the winner will receive a mOmma prize pack valued at over $100! What are you waiting for? Go check them out, let me know what you think, and be sure to tell them that you read about them here- at 4BabyAndMom!
Special thanks, again, to Team Mom and mOmma for allowing us to review this exciting line of products!
I was talking with several of my friends before school kicked off this week, and we were all amazed by how many paper products were on our back to school shopping lists. From napkins, to tissues, to requests for rolls of paper towels, it seemed as though the kids were being asked to bring in everything except toilet paper!
This week both my kids and Marissa's kids went back to school. It's been a crazy emotional week, as my 4 year old 'baby' went to school for the very first time. On top of that, I'm still recuperating from a double dose of strep throat, and I'm exhausted. I usually take pride in the fact that I have everything off of the back to school shopping lists way before the night before, but not this year! I found myself at my local mass retailer scavenging for three pronged folders. I was ecstatic that I had the paper goods off of the list all ready to go, thanks to our new friends at Marcal. (Well, except for the tissues, because I used a box of them when I was sick.)
Since both of my children will be going back to school full time this year, I am super excited about getting *myself* back on track. I have a wedding that I'm going to be in 12 days after school starts, and I am planning on taking advantage of the time alone. I can really walk, or jog, or do a video in the comfort of my own home, without anyone interrupting me for a snack, or drink, or potty problems. I'm really looking forward to that.. but I have a feeling it's going to be missed almost as much as it is welcomed. 
Visit Lady Foot Locker and tell me which pair are your favorite AND what you're planning on doing to get yourself "Back on Track" this Back to School season. 
Abbigaile is going to Pre-School this year. She will be there all day long, and for the most part I was ok with it until I bought her her book-bag earlier this week. I can't believe my baby is going to school full time. I'm nervous, and excited all at the same time. I may be blowing up Facebook and Twitter next week ridiculously with "OMG my baby is in school" posts.. please just offer me some love and encouragement. It really takes a village sometimes.
Along with all of her back to school supplies, I've purchased her several pairs of shoes, one of which has "real" laces. I must admit, I'm really frustrated that most of the kids shoes on the market right now don't have laces. I firmly believe that it is super important for children to learn how to tie their shoes. Not only to help develop their fine motor skills, but problem solving, and patience, as well.
When Alex was in preschool, he couldn't tie his shoes if I paid him. I wish I knew about Tie Buddies back then, and I am so excited that I've been introduced to them this year!
Invented by a mom, Tie Buddies are these great little squares that attach to shoe laces to encourage little fingers (and minds!) to learn to tie their shoes all by themselves.
Available in both girl and boy colors, Tie Buddies are as appealing to kids as they are parents. In fact, anything that can help with the frustrations of learning to tie shoelaces, is very appealing to parents.
I received our sample to review at the beginning of this summer, and to be honest, Abbigaile wanted nothing to do with them, or her laced shoes. With summer in full force in Florida, she began wearing slide-on's and flip flops almost constantly.. so I waited for when I thought she might be ready to try it again. One of the pairs of shoes she got for back to school has laces, so I was eager to see how she would do.
She has taken to the laced shoes much better than she did earlier this summer, but I'm still trying to encourage her to tie her shoes with her Tie Buddies. At only 4, she's insisting that I do it.. and I will, but every time I offer for her to try. I have a feeling that very soon she will want to try it on her own because I catch her playing with her laced shoes while they're on the shoe rack, attempting to tie them without anyone looking.
I think that for a child in kindergarten, or a child who really wants to learn how to tie their shoes, Tie Buddies would be a great product for them. I do like how Tie Buddies work, and the fairy and magic wand on the tabs themselves. I really think that when she's ready, that Tie Buddies will really help her out.
Our friends at Tie Buddies have offered a package of Tie Buddies to one lucky reader!
This giveaway is open to residents of the US. This giveaway will end on August 21, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. This product was provided to me at no cost by Tie Buddies to review. As always, what you have read is strictly the opinion of 4BabyAndMom. Your opinions may differ.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!
'Back to School' brings more than just the return of pencils and books, unfortunately it also marks the return of all things icky. Schools are a hub for runny noses, cough, sneezes, and germs up the wazoo. Help your child pick up only the ABC's this year and hand your child's teacher some disinfecting wipes from Seventh Generation during orientation.
From Seventh Generation:
With nearly 22 million school days lost each year due to the common cold and flu (CDC) and as many as 2.7 million bacterial found per square inch on common school surfaces (NSF International), it´s no wonder that 82 percent of parents with kids in grades K-5 fret about the germs in their children´s classrooms (according to a survey conducted by Seventh Generation).
This school year, Seventh Generation is sharing tips from best-selling author and pediatrician, Dr. Alan Greene, to help parents protect their child´s health during back-to-school season. Dr. Greene suggests taking the following precautions:
Optimize the immune system:
Reap the benefits of probiotics like those found in yogurt. A recent study showed that children who received enough probiotics daily throughout the cold and flu season had a significant reduction in the number of illnesses they had and, when they did get sick, the symptoms were both milder and didn't last as long.
Be sure your child is getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, from food, or from a supplement.
Build a strong foundation. Good food, good sleep, and good physical activity all help the immune system to flourish.
Be wise about reducing unnecessary exposure to harmful germs
Teach children the key times to clean their hands in the classroom. The most important times include after sneezing, coughing or using the restroom, upon leaving "high-risk" places (recess, naptime, play stations) and before meals or snacks.
Sixty percent of teachers surveyed said that they request that parents donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom. Seventh Generation´s disinfecting wipes kill 99.99% of germs* naturally using the active ingredient thyme, a component of thyme oil which is derived from the herb thyme.
Stress the importance of not touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Demonstrate to your children how to cover their mouth and nose for every cough and sneeze. This simple maneuver has spectacular results in decreasing the spread of viruses and bacteria floating about the room, waiting to be inhaled.
*Refer to disinfecting product labels for full details
If you've read my blog for more than a week or two, you know that I go through a lot of emotional ups and downs. I've been feeling like something's been "off" for awhile now. I've written it off as stress from my parent's divorce or the struggle with my weight.. I haven't found a doctor that's willing to help, aside from wanting to prescribe me some really expensive Rx only medication.
It's not that I don't believe in medicines to help people, but I honestly feel that there should be a natural alternative, and if those don't work, then perhaps a prescription. One night, when I was having a late night pity party, I happened to stumble upon a WEDU special called "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body
Since I've received this book in the mail, I've been researching a lot of natural supplements that encourage healthy moods that Dr. Amen recommended in his program and in the book. One of these supplements are SAM-e. When I was approached to review Nature Made SAM-e by Mom Central, it felt like a divine appointment, an answer to my prayer.
It takes about a week for you to feel the effects of SAM-e, but I can honestly say that before that week was up, my husband had already begun to notice a difference in my mood. My fuse was getting pretty short.. I was getting to the point that I would 'tweak' out about the littlest things.. and those same things were not bothering me as much. I was still aware that my son and daughter were fighting like cats and dogs, but I wasn't ranting and raving, and 'tweaking out' as much as I was earlier in the week. I was able to take a moment, breathe, and then come up with a solution, instead of barking out orders to head to time out without blinking.
The best part is I didn't feel like I was "on" anything. I tried an anti-depressant when I had post partum depression, and it made me feel spacey. I tried a mild anti-anxiety a few years ago, and that made me feel exhausted. I've tried multi-vitamins, and have never gotten the result my body longed to have. The SAM-e did not make me feel like this at all, in fact, the website claims that "Generally speaking, SAM-e supplements have been shown to be very safe, with no known side effects. One reason for the low level of side effects is that SAM-e is a naturally occurring molecule in your body, and a SAM-e supplement simply replenishes your body’s own natural supply."
Some of the reviews on the site mention that they had experienced better mobility, less joint pain, etc. and I was hoping that I would experience that as well, but as of yet, I have not. I did notice that I felt more "in control" of my environment, and even signed up to go back to college during, which I've been putting off for years. I really feel like taking the SAM-e contributed to the jump start that I needed to truly start taking care of myself again.
I did increase my dosage to two 400mg pills every day, and feel that that is definitely closer to what my body needs. I am still playing with the levels to see what I think works best for my body. Dr. Amen's book suggests that the recommended dose is 200-400mg 2-4x's per day. He also writes that taking SAM-e may be good "For craving and willpower, weight, focus and energy, sleep, ADD, and passion".
I would recommend to my friends and readers that if you have been feeling "off" with your moods or your attitude lately to try SAM-e and see how it is. Keep a journal, if you can, so you really can see the progress.
Nature Made SAM-e has teamed up with The Dream Factory to help put smiles on the faces of kids in need with the Give a Smile campaign. You can help donate $10 RIGHT now by doing the following!
For every image uploaded, Nature Made will donate $2; if you install the widget on social media outlets, they will donate $5; tweet using the hashtag #giveasmile, and they'll donate $1, and if you become a Facebook fan of Nature Made, yep, another dollar, and if you leave a comment or Like a Give a Smile update, another $1 will be donated. That's $10 in total!! I've just completed all of those steps, by publishing this post, so join me and help spread the word. (Our widget is in our sidebar!)
In the mean time, our friends at Nature Made have offered one of our lucky readers a 3 month supply of SAM-e, a journal to record your feelings, and a reusable water bottle!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!
Sponsors have started participating, and swag bags are being given away left and right, bloggers are cross promoting it, and we're hoping it will start to trend soon! Which brings me to my Back to School HomeHer10 swag bag giveaway!
From Dairy Queen's Miracle Treat Day website:
One thing's for sure, Dairy Queen loves kids and kids love DQ®. That's why $1 or more from every Blizzard® treat sale on Miracle Treat Day, August 5, 2010 will help sick and injured children in your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.* Since 1984, DQ has raised over $81 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Let's make 2010 a record-breaking year! Join DQ and help make miracles happen.
"Back to School" doesn't always mean going back to a school building. Many of our readers are home-schoolers, and I applaud those of you who are. I don't think I'd ever be able to find the discipline to stick to a routine.. and I don't think the kids listen to me or respect me enough for it to work.
Anyway, some of the moms that I've been talking with on Twitter and Facebook told me that they stock up on more than standard school supplies, they also tell me that they stock up on educational toys.
I have found a great site called Growing Tree Toys, and they really offer a great selection of toys for kids from birth through 11+. From earth science and nature and life science, to time, reasoning and logic games, Growing Tree Toys has something for every child and every level.
Be sure to visit their site and browse their large selection of educational toys now, and while you're there take advantage of the current promotion: 25% off any item, any size order. Offer ends August 8th, so have fun shopping!
* Search under the clearance tab for shoes. You must pick a pair that is $10 or more for this to work. You can’t chose the $9.99 ones. (My son’s were $10.99)
* Add the pair to your cart and head to checkout.
* Enter promo code: TEN2YOU at checkout to receive $10 off a $10 order or more.
* JCPenney is offering free shipping on all shoes through September 6, 2010. Shipping will automatically be zero when you checkout as long as you only have shoes in your cart.
Back to school brings a whole spectrum of feelings. Some moms are excited for the beginning of the school year, some cry like a toddler who's favorite blankey got stolen.. whether their kid is going into pre-k or 11th grade!!
Parents also have struggles during the Back to School season searching for their child's favorite character lunchbox, or the hottest label jeans, or whatever the trendy fad of the moment is.
If you are fans of ours on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, you may have noticed Lauren's recent rants about finding a backpack for her son. Of all of the backpacks on the market, he requested a To
m and Jerry Backpack.
She's done a ton of searching, high and low, and has had no luck finding one. A fan of 4BabyAndMom suggested a transfer, but now her search has switched over to trying to find a light colored backpack that has a large enough flat surface that would accommodate a transfer.
What backpack does your child want? What was your favorite or most memorable backpack when you were a child?
Tell us, and you could win a $20 gift code to Amazon.com!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!
About a year ago our family was introduced to JumpStart, an online educational program for children from preschool through about 6 years of age. When we first reviewed JumpStart, my son loved it. He went on for about 6 months almost daily.. and then it slowly faded. He went on every now and then, when the themes changed because of a holiday, or because he wanted to play on the computer. He loved seeing the new changes, but the educational games were not so educational for him any more. As a gifted kid, he runs into that problem often.
When summer began, on rainy days or 'boring' days Alex started visiting again, and noticed there were tons of changes. You can have a pet dragon now, (when I visited with him earlier, it was sleeping!), and there are more areas on the map. The Jumpeez (avatars, computer people, characters) can interact with their pet dragon and go through these different areas and worlds ('like Future Land and Story Land', Alex says), on learning adventures. MarineLand, FutureLand, and Uncle Milton’s Amazing Science Land are the new lands, and Alex says 'they're pretty cool', too.
I love hearing him play on JumpStart, and I love listening to him teach Abbie the new worlds. She's starting to get really good at the computer (now that her big brother has given her the ability to work on it alone) and enjoys her little Jumpeez too! The names of the Jumpeez are anonymous and fictional, and always gets a giggle from her as it pops up over her character's head, which is new to her!
Today, we got a "mission" as we signed on, and both of the kids were so excited!
They had to go and find pieces of a treasure map in order defeat an evil Sorcerer that is trying to take all of the energy from JumpStart.
They were even more upset when I told them that they could do their mission tomorrow, as it was bed time.
One of Alex's favorite places on the JumpStart map is the Stadium. At the Stadium, kids can go and play either football, volleyball or basketball (all with an educational twist!). The only thing Alex says that he doesn't like is the fact that they don't have soccer. Overall, he does enjoy all of the new upgrades they have done, and honestly has the desire to play every single day again. He's excited about it, and as a mom, that makes me excited.
I have a tendency to want to try all of the games my kids play, and before they played JumpStart for the very first time screened it completely. That said- I tried playing the volleyball game at level three today, and it was CRAZY! Even though the words are not hard it's like mind-hand-eye coordination at it's finest. Of course, if I wasn't still sick, and had a mouse for my laptop, it may have been easier.. but I digress!
I love the fact that you can link your Facebook account with your JumpStart account, so you can keep track of your kid's progress on Facebook, earn extra coins and meet up with friends (using top-secret-buddy codes to locate them). If you prefer the traditional way, you can see your child's progress right in your email, or on your account page at JumpStart.com.
The bottom line is, now that Alex is older and brighter, he's found a place that he's familiar with to fit into his world that's both educational and fun. It's fun enough to keep him coming back to it, and once again, advanced enough that he can really learn and sharpen his skills on the educational side of it. The boy is happy, and mom is happy- win, win!
Speaking of winning... Our very good friends at JumpStart have offered one lucky reader their chance to score a 6 month paid subscription to JumpStart online!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!
Who doesn't enjoy some cookies and milk? I know my kids love the individual snack packs or a couple of cookies in a baggie as a surprise in their lunchbox, and TODAY ONLY at the Nabisco Facebook Fan Page you can print a coupon for a FREE package of Nabisco Cookies (4oz-26oz) when you buy one package of Nabisco cookies and a gallon of milk! As long as you "like" their page, the coupon is accessible. 
Going back to the sticky residue.. the Rubbermaid Reveal does not come with expensive refill bottles of spray. It comes with a refillable bottle that you can mix your own cleaner, essential oils, or cleaning solution to keep your budget down, and your floors sparkling. The bottle just snaps into place quickly and easily, and you're ready to go. You will never run out of cleaner again! Need some help finding an eco-friendly cleaning solution? Choose your solution on the Rubbermaid Reveal website.
Back to school means so much more than getting the latest and greatest products for our kids. The teens want the latest electronics, and the tweens want some sort of fictional chacacter plus the hottest trends, and the younger ones just want to be cool like the big kids.
Moms.. well, we want the babies to stay babies, the young kids to stay little longer and not be so sassy, the tweens to stop talking back, and the teens to be safe and smart- in everything they do. Or at least that's what I'm told. As a mom of a 7 and 4 year old, this season "Back to School" will bring *me* back to basics..
Back to a routine, back to a schedule, back to the organized chaos which is my life. This year with both of my children in school, I am looking forward to the quiet that will greet me when I come home after dropping them off. Then, I suspect I will get all mushy because my baby is in school, but then, (I hope) I will feel exhilarated. This is my year to take care of me. To take care of my house, and organize it the way I want it. To get my bedroom feeling like the sanctuary it should be for me, and to go back to school to finish my degree. This would be the first time in about 8 years, I'm taking control of my life again. And I deserve it.
So this year, for our Back to School Bash, I decided to do things a little differently. I extended it, for one, and made it a whole month long. Then, I decided that it was going to have a lot more than reviews and giveaways. I want you to come to 4BabyAndMom to find the best Back to School Deals out there, so I started my Under $1 series. I asked some experienced moms and grandmas for their best back to school advice, and many said stuff that had to do with dinner, so I included some food themed reviews, giveaways and recipes exclusively for back to school. And lastly, we lined up many of today's latest and greatest companies to show you some fun, exciting and interesting products you should have this back to school season- around the house, at school, and on the go- for families with kids of all ages!
I really hope you like what we have in store for you. Marissa has been doing a ton of work behind the scenes, and I cannot thank her enough. We make a great team, and are having a blast doing what we do. If you have a product that you would like featured during this event or on 4BabyAndMom in September, please feel free to contact us, as we have very few spaces still available in our line up.
If you are just joining us, grab our button from this post, and make sure you leave a comment so you earn early bird entries into our Back to School Bash giveaways! (Extra entries will range from 1-5 entries per giveaway!)
Many of our giveaways will be open to residents of USA and Canada, so please be sure to read the print at the bottom of any giveaway. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send us an email at 4BabyAndMom at gmail dot com.
Keep your eyes open a little later tonight for our very first review and giveaway- something I think every home should have! (Which, if you read my blog you'll realize that's a VERY rare thing for me to say!) Happy August!!
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