Who's The Boss?

A Month of Gratitude: Thirteen

My teenage godson loves video games.  He's talked about wanting to design video games when he grows up.  Which to me sounds like an oxymoron.  I bet the best video game designers are the ones that have a serious Peter Pan complex and refuse to "grow up."  He knows that I receive video games to review on this blog; he's even helped out with reviewing games before.  But he's been dying to review something that doesn't state E for Everyone. 

Enter Assassin's Creed Revelations.

Admittedly, I know nothing about this video game franchise and it's cult-like following.  All I do know is that I'm the coolest Auntie ever and am making a name for myself amongst gamer-teens in the greater Las Vegas area.  Normally, my godson wouldn't get to play a video game from start to finish in one sitting.  But that's practically what he did for me (with his mother's blessing).  For that, my brownie points are THROUGH THE ROOF! 

Late into the night last night (and by late, I mean until 10pm), my godson and I texted back and forth about the game.  I don't understand a word of what he said, but I'm writing it all down here for 1) posterity, 2) to get him to improve his writing skills, and 3) because other gamers probably know what's talking about.

In the words of a 14 year old boy...

"I think its amazing it has great texture, awesome cinematics, and an amazing story line. I have been a fan ever since the first game.  Revelations is the 5th game of the series.

The hook is a cool new feature.  You can zipline across the cities. I like the ending the most. It just threw me off (ed: sorry, no spoiler alert here).  I hope Ubisoft continues the series and makes another game. 

My only improvement is in multi-player mode.  If the multiplayer comes along when you are about to die, you can press "B" to avoid the other person. But when you press it, you always die no matter what. They should fix that in an update."

As you can see, not many words from a 14-year old boy.  But I'm sure it's way more than he's ever written about a game to an adult.  And way more than the "It was cool" that I was expecting. 

So, thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post and increasing my stock with my godson.

Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Review: Zippies, Kooli Pool Mats, & Cover Mate Bowl Covers

Zippies ID Tags

I'm always looking for ways to make sure that all of Darius's school stuff comes home.  Water bottles, book bags, lunch boxes, and jackets.  It all has to be labeled.  It all gets lost at one point or another.  That's why I love the new Zippies.  Zippies are ID tags that can clip onto anything.  One side is a cool character while the other side has space for your child's name.  Darius thinks they are totally awesome.  So awesome that he started giving them to his friends.  I thought they were so awesome that I hid the rest of the them so that he can't give anymore away.  Zippies retail from about $5 for one to $30 for the entire first series.  They can be ordered online at www.zippiesfun.com and select retailers.

Kooli Pool Mats

In the summer, we spent a ridiculous amount of time at the pool.  While I love going to the pool, I don't always want to get all the way into the pool.  Sometimes, sitting on the side with my legs dangling in is all I can muster (especially on those days when the entire neighborhood seems to be at our community pool).  But sitting on the side often means having your tooshy get burned by the hot cement.  Kooli pool mats solve that problem.  Made from wetsuit material, these mats are perfect for avoiding the butt and also save your swim suit from snagging on the rough cement.  Plus the roll up to practically nothing, making no extra bulk in that already crowded swim bag.  Kooli mats retail for about $10.  The mats can be orders online at www.kooli.com

Cover-Mate Food Covers

I often make jokes that the only way my family will eat fruit and veggies is to have them perfectly cut up at all times.  A whole apple would rot in the fridge before it was eaten.  But an apple cored and quartered won't last 30 seconds in the bowl.  When I start prepping fruits and veggies, I do so in fairly large quantities because I know it will be eaten quickly.  Most of the time, I put the snacks into regular bowls and cover with plastic wrap before I put them in the fridge. Then I found out about Cover-Mate Bowl Covers.  These plastic covers are re-usable and fit nearly every bowl size.  Whta I love most is that my family can easily pull up the cover, grab a few veggies, and then put the cover back on.  There is no wasted plastic wrap.  Plus it's easier to wash than plastic storage containers.  Cover-Mates come in a variety of sizes and can be purchased at your local grocery store. For more information visit www.covermatecovers.com

Disclosure: I received these products for free to try out and review.  The opinions above are my own.  Any product claim, statistic, quote, specs, price, or other representation about a product should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

Is it too early to talk about holiday cards?

In the Year of Cooper, I managed to not send 1) a birth announcement, 2) Holiday Cards, 3) Mother's Day Cards, 4) Any Other Holiday Cards. 

In May after my friend Carla took pictures of the boys, I did manage to send out a few Father's Day cards, but then forgot to send one to my father-in-law.  Because I'm *awesome* like that.

The Year of Cooper turned out to not be my best year for communicating. 

This year, I've already started to scope out potential Christmas card favorites.  Carla took more pictures of the boys in September, making it easy for me to get my act together and find the right card that fits. 

As if finding the right card is easy.

I love the tri-fold card.  One picture of the boys together, one of each on their own.  Why yes, I do avoid putting my own picture in the cards - people already know what Neville and I look like, right?

Ornament cards are adorable.  But I've yet to meet a person who displays their holiday cards on their Christmas tree.  And to the many non-Christian families we send our holiday card, I'm not sure they'd think it was so precious.  Then again, it is so frickin' cute and new and different.  And I like new and different.

I love the flat card too.  Especially since our Holiday Cards get displayed on our fridge.  The flat card makes the photo front and center. 

See?  This is anything but easy.  And while I do have some time to make up my mind, my recent bout of procrastination may leave me sending Happy New Year cards  instead.

Tell me, are you already planning your holiday cards? 

Disclosure: My go-to online card store is Tiny Prints.  I've used their services for birthday invitations, Christmas cards, business cards, and customized greeting cards.  While I have worked with Tiny Prints on this campaign in exchange for free holiday cards, I still plan on shelling out some of my own hard earned money to order more. 

HexBug Halloween Party

There is a well known rule in the working parents rule: Two kids are easier than one.  Having a friend over to play with your kids is almost always easier than having your kids alone.  The magic of having a "playdate" can often give us working parents the ability to keep working at home.

This week, I decided to test the limits of this rule with a HexBug party.  The makers of HexBugs in conjunction with MomSelect and MommyParties, sent me a giant box filled to the brim with HexBugs, Zombie Bugs, and their new glow in the dark Habitats.  Darius invited over 8 friends to test out all the fun toys. 

The kids happily played in the backyard for an hour.  With the exception of a few required refereeing (usually around their pretend game of HexBug Battles), I was able to get a ton of work done in the hour.  Training presentation is finally done.  A dozen email finished.  Even this blog post was partially composed during the hour.  It was magic. 

The mothers all came back to pick up their kids during the wonderful time when the kids started to get ansy but before they could get unruly.  It was perfect timing. 

In the end the kids all left with a couple of HexBugs of their own - making the afternoon a special treat for everyone. 

Disclosure: I has considered hiding away one the habitats and keeping it as a Christmas gift for Darius.  Because I'm cheap like that.  But then I had guilty bloggers syndrome and opened up everything.  I am so glad that I did.  We even raffled off a few of the goodies to his friends.  Thank you HexBugs and MomSelect for giving this frazzled working mom major popularity points amongst the new school moms and their very well behaved kids. 

Movie Review: Real Steel

Last week, I officially became the coolest mom at school.  Darius couldn't wait to tell all of his friends that he got to see Real Steel a week before the movie opened up in theaters.  When one snooty girl from his class told him "That's impossible," he couldn't wait for me to arrive to back up his story.  If he had his own robot, he probably would have programed it to do a victory dance.

When I had seen a preview for Real Steel a few weeks back, I instantly knew that my 7 year old son would love it.  But I wasn't sure if I would love it.  Most movies that are geared towards kids are not geared towards adults (exhibit a: Diary of a Wimpy Kid).  With a Rocky-esque boxing story taking place in the near future, Real Steel turned out to be a movie that I enjoyed nearly as much as my son. 

Instead of Rocky Balboa, you get Charlie and Atom.  Charlie was a pro boxer before the sport went high-tech to-the-death with robots.  His son, Max, convinces him to train Atom, the robot with a heart of steel, like he would have trained during his own boxing days.  The result is a bot like none other. 

This film is rated PG-13.  Yes, I take my 7 year old to see PG-13 movies.  While there is violence (both in the robot fights and with humans), what else would you expect in a movie about boxing.  But I think it is important to know that there is also swearing.  I don't understand why the motion picture industry feels the need in include cuss words like shit, bitch, and ass in a movie geared towards kids of any age.  Even thirteen year olds. 

About the Movie:

A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, “Real Steel” stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

Disclosure:  I received two press passes to attend an advance screening of Real Steel.  The opinions expressed above are mine and do not reflect DreamWorks Pictures.

Mechatar: Review and Giveaway

Remote-controled Battle-bots.

Need I say more?

Parents, this will be the hot holiday toy for boys ages 6-12.  Hands down.  The moment I heard about Mechatar - the latest invention by iLove Robots - I knew that my 7 year old would be in love.  The moment the box arrived for me to review it, Darius was all aflutter with excitement.  Too bad the kid had to wait a week to earn it.  That's what happens when my smart boy decides it's more fun to read at school rather than do (in his words: easy peasy) class work.

We've had our fair share of remote controlled toys.  The helicopter my brother bought at one of those kiosks in the mall?  Crashed and burned the second time out.  The ATV car that looked indestructible?  Lost two wheels when "off-roading" in my father-in-law's backyard.  I was a little hesitant to take on a new device, but so far this one has stood up to the ruthless beatings by a little boy.  Even now-walking baby Cooper wants in on the action.

 

Mechatars are a new, interactive play experience iLove Robots call “blended reality.” Brand-new and launching this fall, Mechatars combines the best of online gaming and RC robotic toys by connecting the physical world and online world through cloud computing.  Honestly, getting to play online at mechatar.com has become our new reward.  This replaced Wii Star Wars, y'all.  Three years of Wii Star Wars on the top and I never thought that we'd find something he'd love more.  Mechatars blew it out of the water.
 
Even young kids expect a high-level of tech sophistication and Mechatars meets them where they are playing. Accept missions in the physical world to traverse the terrain and then continue to battle it out online using strategic tactics to earn points to upgrade your weapons across the Eight Elements in the Mechaverse.  Parents love the affordable price point AND the significantly extended play. 

We haven't yet tried the Adventure mode - where you put your Mechatar into a real-life adventure.  But I do know that we'll be buying another Mechatar when they launch nationwide in Fall 2011 at stores like Target, Radio Shack, Amazon, Toys R’Us and iloveRobots.com (MSRP: $39.99).

But you don't have to wait for the launch.  One very lucky Who's the Boss? reader will get to win a Mechatar of their own!

How to Enter the iWant a Mechatar Giveaway:

• visit www.Mechatars.com
• Review the Mechatar lineup.  In order for you to see the Mechatar line up, you'll need to click on “play now” then “register” but no information needs to be submitted.
• Leave a comment on this post telling me which Mechatar you'd most like to win

Additional entries (each requires a separate comment):

1. Like Who's the Boss? on Facebook
2. Follow @whostheboss on Twitter
3. Tweet the giveaway: I entered to win a free Mechatar. Check it out here: http://whosthebossblog.com (via @whostheboss) #CleverRobot

NOTE: You can tweet once per day for additional entries - just remember for it to "count" you must leave a seperate comment below with the permalink.

A winner will be picked at random and will be announced on Monday, Ocotber 3, 2011. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!! Contest ends Sunday, October 2, 2011  at 11:00 PM (EDT). My standard contest rules apply.

COUPON CODE!

All Who's the Boss? readers (and their friends and family) can get 10% of the purchase of a Mechatar at iloverobots.com using the code: MECHMOM.  Coupon is valid until November 30, 2011.

Disclosure: I was selected to participate in this sponsored post series by Clever Girls Collective.

Review: Just Dance Summer Party

On my last work day of the summer (that is Friday before school started), I took the morning off to just be with Darius.  Cooper went over to my father-in-law's house so that I could have some important bonding time with my new 2nd grader.

Turns out he'd rather play with the neighborhood kids than hang out with me.

Turns out playing with neighborhood kids was just what I needed too.

We invited over our favorite neighbors and their three kids (ages 14, 12, and 9) to play Ubisoft's new Just Dance Summer Party game for the Wii.

Here's what Darius had to say about it:

Having only been exposed to the XBOX Kinect version of a Just Dance game (coming out around Christmas) at Big Toys Sweet Suite during the BlogHer convention in San Diego, I knew that this would be an excellent source of enjoyment.

Things I loved about the game:

• Like many Wii games, this one gets you up off the couch and moving.  Or, in my case, sweating.
• The game can be played with up to 8 players.  Have a BYOW (bring your own Wiimote) and then have an awesome party.
• Each song has a different background and dancer.  My favorites were the snowboarder and the astronaut.
• There is a workout mode that I can't wait to try.  I just have to work up enough courage to work out in front of the nanny or convince her to join in on the fun.

Things I like to see improve:

• Unlike the Kinect where you have to move your whole body to get points, on the Wii you really only have to move your arms.  I watched the teenager (who won nearly all of the dance-offs) and her feet stayed firmly planted while her arms did the motions.  It's not a criticism of the game as it is the technology behind the Wii.
• My son didn't want to dance to the "girl songs."  Otherwise known as the songs with the female dancer.  It would be nice to be able to customize the "dancer" to male or female.  He did, however, love the alien and punk rocker.
• Wish there was a way to set the level for each player.  My son - who's never taken a dance class - didn't stand a chance against two other girls. The Kinect allows for each player to choose their level (easy, medium, hard) and I wish the Wii had the same option.

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Just Dance Summer Party can be purchased online at Amazon, ToysRUs, or many local retailers.

Brands that got it RIGHT at BlogHer'11

I've gone to other trade shows and nothing - absolutely nothing - compares to the brand woo-ing that happens at BlogHer.  At other conventions, you end up with lots of stress balls and notebooks.  But at BlogHer, you walk away with hundreds (perhaps even thousands) of dollars worth of real, excellent products in the hopes that you'll mention those products on your blog.  And sometimes you get a sneak peak at products that aren't on the market yet. While I haven't actually yet tried most of the products that these companies manufacture (most of my swag remains unpacked), I can't speak highly enough of HOW these companies reached out to bloggers in a unique and engaging way. 

 
I swear the kids are smiling on the inside!

The Skinny Cow's Expo Booth

What does fake eyelashes have to do with low-fat ice cream?  In theory, nothing.  However, in the BlogHer Expo Hall there was always a line at The Skinny Cow booth to get a professional make-up artist apply those falsies.  It was fun. It was glamorous.  It was whimsy.  I already loved The Skinny Cow brand, but to see a company HAVE FUN and welcome everyone (there were no "Are you a Blogger?" questions at this booth) made me want to go out and buy a case of their delicious ice cream sandwiches when I was at the store yesterday. 

Hershey's S'More Lounge

I never imagined that I'd have a tasty s'more (or five) at convention center.  S'Mores are for camping or beach barbeques - not indoor blogging conventions.  So Hershey's brought the s'more to us.  Sitting in a cute little house - with visions of a beach backyard - I relaxed with friends while we toasted marshmallows.  I loved that the Hershey's Girls (those lovely ladies that kept our s'more ingredients fully stocked) encouraged everyone to EAT ANOTHER ONE. It was a good thing that BlogHer had the Hershey's lounge tucked away in a back corner - I needed the walk to help burn off all those extra calories (I wasn't joking, I ate 5 s'mores over the course of the weekend).

Dr. Scholl's Personal Fit at the Expo Hall

If you walked by the Dr. Scholl's booth at the Expo Hall, there was always a gaggle of women trying to get their hands on anything that would help their poor, tired feet.  Dr. Scholl's must have known that there would be too many of us wearing totally inappropriate shoes for the amount of walking required at any convention.  They came fully stocked with high heel cushions, ballet flats that fold up into a cute wristlet to pull out whenever needed, and foot massagers!  If you were willing to wait some extra time, you could get custom orthotics.  And props to them for offering to mail bloggers those custom orthotics when they ran out of certain sizes.  Awesome customer service!

CVS and Pfizer Were Fully Stocked at the Expo Hall

I absolutely loved walking by the CVS booth and being able to grab a treat from their CVS red baskets.  Whether is was mascara or a Peanut Butter Snickers, CVS had all sorts of things that you may have forgot to pack or needed for an afternoon pick me up.  At the Pfizer display, you could pick up Advil, heat wraps, and chapstick.  Judging by my pill-popping friends, the Advil packets came in handy.  Both booths were genius and had practical items that everyone needed. 

Playskool and Sesame Street's Puppet Mock-Session

Words can't even describe the comical genius of Abby, Elmo, and Cookie.  The mock-session was all about blogging.  What is a blaaaaaaahg?  Why are there cookies in a computer that you can't eat? The Sesame Street video I made with Grover at BlogHer'08 stands as one as my favorite BlogHer events.  But seeing my boys get kissed my Elmo?  I'm not sure anything can top that!

Product Review: Bib'expresso

Thank you to Béaba for providing me with a Bib’expresso to review free of charge. To order your own Bib'expresso or one of many Béaba products, visit www.beabausa.com, Amazon or the Pampered Tot.

I've often said that the key to a happy nursing mother is a bottle.  I know, I know, it may not make sense to those of you who haven't been a nursing mother.  But once you've turned into the human pacifier, you realize that by pumping and letting someone else feed your baby gives you a much needed break.  Plus feeding time is a perfect time to allow for others in your family (whether that's daddy or older siblings) to get some bonding time with baby.  And if you have plans on returning to work, you've absolutely got to get that darlin' baby successfully taking a bottle.

Now if you are *lucky* to get a baby like my Cooper who prefers the bottle over the breast then you'll soon be swimming up to your eye balls in bottles.  There's making the bottles, cleaning the bottles, sterilizing the bottles, and storing the bottles.  Not to mention having to measure water and formula or warming up frozen breast milk in a water bath.  Bottles have taken over our lives. 

Enter the new Bib'expresso.  Launched in France in early 2010, the Bib’expresso prepares, heats, sterilizes and stores baby bottles.  It simplifies the process of bottle preparation with a patented, unique water flow system that reduces air bubbles and eliminates hot spots when mixing powdered formula.  The product comes with a compact, removable bottle and food warmer that can be used to heat food jars and prepared bottles of breast milk and formula. And, the bottle storage compartment on the back of the unit also serves as a microwavable bottle sterilizer.  The Bib’expresso also comes with a self-cleaning steam system that ensures that the unit stays sanitized. 

What I loved about the Bib'expresso

Quick bottle preparation in about 30 seconds.

The bottle is always at the right temperature thanks to direct water control

Microwavable sterilizer/bottle storage compartment included and can hold up to three 10 ounce (300 ml) bottles. 

Removable bottle and food warmer can be used anywhere

BPA-free

What I thought could use improvement

While just one hand is required to prepare the bottle, it was a little awkward to measure the water or add the formula. 

The sterilizer didn't hold my wide-mouthed Tommy Tippee bottles all that well. 

Wish the removable warmer had a battery - couldn't use it out and about if there wasn't an outlet available.

All in all, I thought it was a nifty product.  Do you absolutely need a Bib'expresso?  I'd mark the Bib'expresso as a "nice to have" not a "must have." But having it around sure makes preparing bottles a lot more fun.

Disclosure: While Béaba provided me with a Bib'expresso to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Béaba, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Review: Recaro ProSeries Child Safety Seat

Did you know that you can't use a booster seat with a lap belt?  Booster seats have to be used with seat belts that have a shoulder belt as well. 

When Darius finally weighed 40 pounds (around age 5), we switched him to a booster seat.  The 5-point harness on our car seat was only safe to 40 pounds.  Putting our very skinny boy into the booster was scary; it couldn't possibly protect him as well as the harness.  In Neville's car, where the middle seat doesn't have a shoulder belt, we were told to just let him sit on the seat.  If you use a booster seat with a lap-only belt, you stand the chance of breaking your child's hips in a car accident. 

In two weeks Darius turns seven years old.  You know how much he weighs now?  50 pounds.  With his clothes and shoes on.  He's a skinny kid.  A healthy, smart, but skinny kid.  In California, we can legally let Darius sit in the back seat without any car seat or booster.  But legality has nothing to do with safety.   Just because I won't get a ticket doesn't mean that my child is protected in an accident.

Enter the Recaro ProSeries safety seat.  Using the same technology they use to make race car seats, Recaro is - in my opinion - transforming the world of child safety seats.  Finally, there is a 5-point harness that Darius won't outgrow before it's unsafe for him to truly sit with only a belt.  At 90 pounds, the ProSPORT has the highest weight capacity available today using a 5-Point Harness System.  With this seat, Darius will outgrow the seat before he hits the weight limits. 

We've been using the car seat for a couple of months now and absolutely love it. 

Other features of the Recaro ProSPORT that I  loved:

EasyGuide Belt Guides

Whether in Harness or Booster mode each belt guide is color coded so you can easily identify the proper belt path and positioning of either the LATCH strap or vehicle seat belt.  I've installed many a car seat in my day and this was, by far, the easiest car seat to install. 

EasyAdjust 5-point Harness

The harness adjusts with the head restraint. No re-threading is necessary to properly position the harness shoulder straps to your child.  In fact, Darius can buckle himself and adjust the harness all on his own.  Which makes things easy for us all.

Highest Weight Limit Available

As a child grows the ProSPORT converts to High Back Booster Seat. At 120 pounds, it has the highest weight capacity available when used as a Belt Positioning Booster Seat. 

If my son is anything like his father, he'll be 18 before he weighs 120 pounds. 

Disclosure: I received my Recaro ProSPORT for free from Recaro and Mom Select.  The opinions expressed above are mine and do not reflect Recaro or Mom Select. For product information on the ProSeries safety seats, please visit Recaro's website.

Movie Review: Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides

My spouse and I never go on a Date Night.  I know plenty of couples who do, but it just has never been in the cards for us. First, my spouse is probably a descendant of Ebeneezer Scrooge where dinners at restaurants or movie tickets are seen as a general waste of money.  And second, with his intense work schedule we'd rather spend the time as a family than alone. 

So when I received media passes to see an advance screening of Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides this week, I decided to surprise my hard-working partner with a Date Night.  And a perfect date night movie it was!

 

How could it not be a perfect movie with eye candy like Johnny Depp!

Having missed the second and third installments of the Pirates franchise (read point #1 above), I was excited that this story wasn't a continuation of the previous movies.  A new start with a mostly-new cast (there are still some fan favorites) on quest for the Fountain of Youth.  The story is about love and loss, forgiveness and redemption.  Plus there is plenty of Pirate debauchery and sword fighting to keep everyone happy.  We had a few hours away from the kids in a fantastical world of pirates.  It was a real adventure for us both.

Is it appropriate for kids under 13?The movie is rated PG-13, but follows the same vein as the previous movies.  If you've taken the kids to see the other Pirates of the Caribbean movies then you are safe to take them to this one.  If you haven't before, this movie does contain lots of action, some violence, a few sexual innuendos, and some humor that only adults will understand.

Disclosure: I received two free media passes to see Pirates of the Caribbean.  The opinions expressed above are mine alone and do not represent Walt Disney Pictures. Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

About the Movie: Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Rob Marshall, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” captures the fun, excitement and humor that ignited the hit franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D™. Johnny Depp returns to his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in this action-packed adventure that finds him crossing paths (and swords) with the enigmatic Angelica (Penélope Cruz). When she forces him aboard the “Queen Anne’s Revenge,” the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth. Along the way Jack must use all his wiles to deal with the barbarous Blackbeard and his crew of zombies, Angelica, the ravishing pirate with whom he shares a dubious past, and the beautiful, enchanting mermaids whose masterful cunning can lure even the most seasoned sailor to his doom. The international cast includes franchise vets Geoffrey Rush as the indestructible Captain Hector Barbossa and Kevin R. McNally as Captain Jack’s longtime comrade Joshamee Gibbs, plus Sam Claflin as a stalwart missionary and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey as a mysterious mermaid.

Review: ZhuZhu Puppies

Whether he knows it or not, Darius is one lucky duck to have a blogger for a mother.  Lots of products come our way for free.  I usually invite a friend or two over to play with Darius and then write my review based on what I observe.  But this time I decided that it's time Darius "earn" his new toys.  So we've started a new rule for children's products... in order for Darius to enjoy the fruit of his mother's spoils, he has to complete a video review of the product. 

Without further ado, here is Darius' first video review of the latest line of Zhu Zhu pets... the Zhu Zhu Puppies!

From a mother's perspective, things I loved about ZhuZhu Puppies:

• The habitats are compatible with the hamster habitats.  You can add on these new ones, or if you are on a budget can simply buy the pets themselves.
• Just like with the rest of the pets, these puppies never need to be fed and they don't poop, stink, or die.  I'm sure owning these little gems has taken some pressure off getting a real puppy.  That makes them worth their weight in gold. 

And of course, a review wouldn't be complete without a little constructive criticism...

• The new line is a bit on the girly-side.  My son didn't seem to mind getting a pink puppy (that's years of saying there is no such thing a girl color or boy color.  Color is color).  If you have a anti-girly stuff boy, this may not be the line for your kid.

Bottom line: If your kids are into ZhuZhu pets, or your kid is just. dying. for. a. puppy., then consider investing in a ZhuZhu Puppy.  The price point is fair.  The pups retail for about $10 and the habitats for about $20.

 Disclosure: We received everything you see in the video for free from MomSelect and Cepia, Inc.  The opinions above are mine (and my child's) and were not influenced by Cepia - the makers of Zhu Zhu Pets.

Movie Review: Mars Needs Moms (and so do Earthlings)

I remember as a kid thinking that I'd be better off without my mom.  Of course, those thoughts only came around when my mom was disciplining me or making me eat liver and onions (a food battle that I did win by the way).  I had the *best mom ever* when she let me spend five dollars at ToysRUs or let me spend the night at Aunt Marty's house.  But when she told me that I couldn't go to the 7th grade school dance unless my room was clean, I'm sure that I whispered under my breath how much I hated her and thought she was mean.

Take out the trash, eat your broccoli—who needs moms, anyway? 

In Mars Needs Moms, nine-year-old Milo (Seth Green) finds out just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she’s nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young.  Milo goes on a quest to save his mom -  stowing away on a spaceship, navigating an elaborate, multi-level planet and taking on the alien nation and their leader (Mindy Sterling). With the help of a tech-savvy, underground earthman named Gribble (Dan Fogler) and a rebel Martian girl called Ki (Elisabeth Harnois), Milo just might find his way back to his mom—in more ways than one. 

To say that I loved Mars Needs Moms is an understatement.  Like many animated films, there is plenty for the kids but even more for the adults.  The movie has action and adventure.  But it also has some heartbreaking scenes - including a flashback of Gribble trying to rescue his own mom - that left all the moms in the audience reaching for a tissue.  Witnessing Milo realize that his mom made him take out the trash and eat his broccoli - not because she's mean and wanted to punish him - but rather because she loves him... well, I'm pretty sure that every parent in the audience felt some validation.  In so many ways, the movie is a love letter to good mothers.  Mars doesn't want the mom who gives in, who spoils her kids, who thinks that she can buy her child's love with an ice cream cone.  Mars wants the good mom.  The mom who tows the line.  The one who understands that she isn't raising a friend; she's raising the next generation of good people.

For those of you wondering if Mars needs dads, turns out they do too.  Whether Disney was trying to make a political statement about nuclear families, I don't know.  I will say that I haven't chortled so loudly in a theater before when the leader (clearly a bitter woman) goes off about how the Martian men don't do anything except play and hug.  Not like I've had any experience with that... I guess parenting issues are truly universal.

In the end, Mars doesn't need our moms.  But Milo realizes that he does, in fact, need his mother.  Broccoli and all.

Turns out, I really needed my mom too.  I still do.

Disclosure: I received two free media passes to see Mars Needs Moms.  The opinions expressed above are mine alone and do not represent Walt Disney Pictures. I took my own son to see the movie with me which, for the record, made me the coolest mom ever.

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

Review: Body Worlds

Orginally posted in January 2008 for the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. A new Body Worlds exhibit is back at the Tech Museum.

Standing elbow to elbow with strangers looking at dead bodies in funky poses isn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon.  But my dad talked us into going to the Body Worlds exhibit at the Tech Museum in downtown San Jose.  I honestly went begrudgingly to the exhibit, assuming that the “gross-out” factor would be too much for my sensitive sensibilities.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised, totally amazed, and only a little grossed out.  Yes, you look at real dead bodies with their skin removed.  Yes, they are sliced and diced in a way that mirrors more of art than science.  But you will leave the exhibit with a great understanding of the human body, and a desire to stop bad habits (like smoking) when you see what your organs look like.

But what was the most surprising thing of all was the number of children at the exhibit.  While we did bring our 3.5 along for the ride, I didn’t expect to see so many school age children.  I figured that parents would think the exhibit to be “too scary” for kids.

My son, like most of the kids, was most drawn to the large, intact bodies that were posed, particularly the skateboarder and the Ice skaters.  My favorites were those showing the detail of the human body.  The number of nerves in your legs or the millions of tiny capillaries in your arm.  It was unbelievable.  Seeing what a knee replacement looks like or how smoking in my early 20s probably has my lungs looking more like a coal miners than a healthy 30 year old. 

As a mother, I was drawn to the exhibit on pregnancy.  I could see what an embryo and then fetus looked like from conception to birth.  I caution you, it was mildly disturbing.  Seeing the work brought back some painful personal memories for me.  My little son was fascinated; I think too young to understand that some mother had to lose each one of these babies in order for us to see them on display.  But I decided to make it a learning experience and we talked through how babies are made, and grown inside of mommies – the first talk ever of this kind for us.

Body Worlds exhibits bodies that have been donated specifically for plastination and exhibition.  In fact, they have over 6800 living people who have willed their bodies to the program.  I suppose for those that love science, appreciate human anatomy, or what to live on in some way, the donation program is the way to go. As for me, I think I’d prefer to be on this side of the glass than on the other.  I walked away from our afternoon staring a dead people with a greater appreciation for life.  And only a little bit of nausea. 

Product Review: Tassimo T20 Single Serve Coffee Maker

I was recently shipped a Tassimo T20 single serve coffee machine from the marketing company in charge of social media and blog outreach for Bosch and Tassimo.  When my old-fashioned percolator bit the dust, I thought this would be a nice transition back into the world of caffeine.

Things I loved about the Tassimo T20:            

1. It’s easy to use!  Each cup of coffee takes about a minute to brew.  The thing is ridiculously easy to use.  My nearly seven year old has turned into our family barista. It’s so easy, I’m sure my 88 year old coffee-loving grandma could figure it out.                 
2. Good Coffee:  The coffee is good.  It’s just as good as the drip coffee at Starbucks. Plus you can make specialty drinks like hot chocolate, chai, lattes and cappuccinos.
3. Fool-proof:  The Tassimo T-Discs each have a bar code that tells the machine how much water to dispense.  If you’re making a cappuccino, the T20 dispenses an espresso shot.  Then a separate T-Disc makes the milk foam.  Depending on what sort of coffee you buy, the machine gives you the right size automatically without you having to do anything extra. For those of us who don’t have a working brain until halfway through our first cup of coffee, you don’t have worry about ruining anything.       

My two biggest complaints about the T20 (and all single-serve machines really):

1. Environmentally Irresponsible:  Each T-disk is made from plastic.  And all that plastic adds up.  Every time I use a T-disk, I feel guilty. As far as I can tell, the T-disks are not recyclable.  Even if they were, there’d be some effort to get the plastic part cleaned from the grinds that most wouldn’t bother anyways.     
2. Too Expensive: The pods are way too expensive.  I found that on average, the specialty drinks cost around a dollar a cup and the standard coffee around 50 cents per cup.  That’s about double the price of their competitor, the Keurig. I’m assuming the price discrepancy is due to the bar code feature of the T-Discs.  However, it is still cheaper than a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

Overall, I've enjoyed my Tassimo T20 (and I've purchased additional T-disks after my review supply was all used up).  As a former caffeine addict, I've found that having a machine that makes only cup means that I'm only drinking one cup.  Plus if you have a serious Starbucks habit, you’d be much better served by making Tassimo coffee at home.  

Interested in getting a Tassimo T20?  Well a little birdie told me that the Silicon Valley Mamas will be giving one away next week.  Check them out on Monday for your chance to win.     

Review (and Giveaway): Dinosaurs Strike for Wii

I'm not much of a gamer.  And my older child seems to only be interested in games that involve Luke Skywalker or wii bowling, so I was in a conundrum when sent the latest game by Ubisoft.  Enter my teenage godson, Elijah.  He's a video game freak (read: a typical teenage boy).  He think it's so very cool that his Auntie Robyn gets sent video games for free and would love to get his hands on some Teen or Mature games to review.  Therefore, I invited Elijah over to test out Battle of Giants Dinosaurs Strike (rated E10+) and tell me what he thinks. Perhaps I'm starting Elijah career in video game reviews and in 10 years we can remember when we knew him before he was famous.  Or perhaps, I just kept a teenage kid busy for a couple of hours during Winter Break.

 

Dinosaurs Strike is a battle game of, you guessed it, dinosaurs. 

Things Elijah loved about Battle of Giants Dinosaurs Strike:

• Ability to customize your dinosaur.  You can use your creative juices to make the dinosaur of your dreams and of your opponent's nightmares.
• Easy to learn moves.  Unlike his old-fogey of an Aunt, Elijah didn't need to read the instruction manual.  He dived right in with easy menus and helpful hints.
• Decent graphics make it easy to keep score.  It was cool to see what moves caused what sort of damage on your opponent.

Things Elijah thought could be better:

• Playing against the computer is too hard.  While you can battle with up to four players (making the plyaing field more level for all beginners), playing against the computer was a tough match.  Elijah won the first few battles, but then got stuck with this tiny dinosaur that kept kicking his butt.  He felt like it shouldn't be so tough so soon (especially for younger players).
• Eliminate the codes to unlock features.  Spoken like a true gamer, Elijah hated that there were special codes to unlock features.  We get why companies do it (it makes you play longers), but he wanted full access from the very beginning. 

And now, since my kid heard "hard" he won't touch the game.  Honestly, I think if your kid is playing against another kid then the game would be a ton of fun.  And if I wasn't holding a newborn during most of Elijah's visit, I would have jumped in just for the chance to try to beat my teenage godson (who is officially at the age where he thinks grown up are dumb, out of touch, and easy to crush in the gaming world).  But I didn't get that chance.  My loss is your gain.

I'm giving away my review copy of Dinosaurs Strike to one very lucky Who's the Boss reader!

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post by 9am PST on Monday, January 10th. 

You can get an extra entry by following me (@whostheboss) and/or tweeting (or blogging) about the contest.  You do need to leave extra comments with your twitter handle or permalink URL for those entries to count. 

I'll be mailing the game out myself, so this contest is open to anyone where a regular first-class stamp will suffice.  Please give me three weeks to send the game - things are still crazy round these parts with an infant.

Disclosure: While Ubisoft provided me with this game to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Product Review: Sony's PlayStation Network

When we received our free PSP for the Sony Summer Family Fun program, it came pre-loaded with movies, comics, music, and video games.  I didn't have to do anything but start playing. Darius quickly fell in love with Miley Cyrus and watching The Tooth Fairy.  So much so that I think he must be the world record holder for playing each a gazillion times this summer.   Needless to say, we needed some new content.  It's either that or the PSP goes on a time-out when Darius is around.  What?  I'm not taking it away from me.  I can't survive without my nightly playing of Rockband Unplugged. 

I was hesitant about the PlayStation Network (PSN).  I had done quick survey of the site when on one of my less than productive conference calls and was completely overwhelmed.  But then I found out that you can access the Network directly from your PSP.  All I needed I was to enable my PSP to our home's wireless network and enter my user-name and password. Navigating the network via the PSP was "easy peasy lemon squeezy."

Don't tell Darius about that Monopoly video game... the kid is already obsessed with the board game. 

My favorite features of Sony's PlayStation Network

Ease of selecting games on the PlayStation Network.  All games had a description, graphic, and the rating.  It made it easy to see which games were a good match for my six year old and which ones to steer clear.

Affordability of the games.There were some free games (although most of those seemed to require a higher level of membership - I'm assuming a paid one).   We stuck to the "mini" games which take up less memory space on your PSP and are super affordable - most were in the $2-$5 range.  Even the full games were cheaper than buying an external game (which the PSP also supports) and some external games were available for download on the Network.

Ability buy or rent movies.  I couldn't believe the selection of new releases that were available for download on the PlayStation Network. Better than being able to buy a movie, I love that I can rent one for around $4.  I'm not the type of person that watches a movie over and over, so renting is perfect for me.  Renting movies will also come in handy when I'm on business trips. Instead of a ridiculously overpriced hotel room charge on pay per view, I could rent 3-4 movies for the same price. 

Adding funds is a breeze (and safe too).  I wasn't keen on entering my credit card info to be able to complete a purchase.  What if our PSP was ever lost or stolen?  Couldn't someone go on a gaming shopping spree with my info?  But the PSN has already factored in how to keep my money safe.  When you add funds via your credit card, you can select how much money will be charged (in my case, I added $10).  Your card gets charged once and only once.  This isn't a cart blanche of funding.  When your funds run out, you can make a new one-time charge to add additional funds.  Brilliant!

All in all, I was quite impressed.  Honestly now the hardest part of accessing the PlayStation Network will be limiting my purchases.  I'm trying to convince Neville to add a line in our budget for the PSN.  Here's hoping he thinks PSN stands for something else and not my new addiction to my portable device.

Product Review: Lego Harry Potter

Last week while at another blogging event, I scored a free copy of a new soccer game.  Only one problem: it was for the PS3 not the PSP.  It was my own fault.  When one of the event organizers asked me if I had a PS3, I said yes.  PSthree... PSPee.  My pregnant ears heard the same thing.  It didn't even register when one of my fellow PSPFamilyFun moms mentioned that she had hoped for a PSP version.  My bad.

When we got home, I realized my mistake thankfully before I opened the game.  Darius was all set on playing a new game (the Teen Rockband game that we received free with our PSP is just a wee bit advanced for his 6 year old fingers).  So I did what any working mother who can't afford to put her child in summer camp every week would do, I took him to the nearest toystore and let him pick out a new game.

Lego Harry Potter (Years 1-4) was the winner.  The game is rated E10+.  I'd say that as long as your child can read, they can play the game.  We are three quarters of the way through Year 1 and with the exception of needing help with really big words like "incantation" my six year old is playing completely independently on the PSP.  Which not only relieves any working mother guilt factor I had earlier, but also makes me feel like a pure genius for buying the game. 

Our favorite things about Lego Harry Potter for the PSP:

• Each level is short. It takes Darius 5-15 minutes to complete a level. That gives him lots of confidence in the game and makes it easy for me to monitor his media time.
• You have to read to play. For a mom concerned about the "summer slide," at least I know that he's reading and following directions. For a boy who is gifted at reading but hasn't developed a love of reading yet, at least there's something educational hidden in all that fun.
• Earning tokens is "easy peasy." Tokens can buy new characters, hints, and spells. I like that the game isn't stingy with tokens - so far Darius has been able to buy everything he wanted.
• Free Play Mode allows you to go back into a level and play it again - this time with the characters you want. Different features are available depending on the character you choose, so the fun never stops.

I don't know how the game is different for other gaming platforms like the XBOX, Nintendo DS, or Wii.  But for the PSP, it has turned out to be the perfect game for our summer.

Kung Who? Kung Zhu!

I don't know how we managed to dodge the bullet of the hot item of 2009 - the Zhu Zhu Pet.  Friends of mine emailed, called, and tracked down Zhu Zhu pets during the buzz of Christmas shopping.  I was so thankful that my son's class seemed completely clueless about the toy.  One last thing for this busy mom to have to worry about.  Besides, the original Zhu-Zhu's seemed, in my opinion, to be marketed more towards girls. Cutesy animals and bright pink habitats really weren't going to register with my action-hero obsessed son.

Enter Kung Zhu pets. 

In June, I hosted a small party with some of Darius' friends to celebrate the launch of the new line of Kung Zhu pets.  The boys literally didn't stop playing with the animals until their moms drug them by the hair out the door when it was time to say good-bye.  They were in love with the pets and so was I.

If you have a pet-loving child (like mine) but don't want the hassle of a pet (like me), then these toys will make you feel like you've just given them a puppy for their birthday.  They make adorable sounds, are zippy fun through the little habitats, and make your child feel like they have a real pet.

But these pets don't poop or pee on your carpet.  It won't die when your overly excited friend throws it across the room.  You never have to worry about it when you are on vacation.  And when you are done, you can simply pack it away in your toy box and forget about it until tomorrow.

The line of Kung Zhu pets is perfect for boys.  My son and his friends never tired of battling with other Kung Zhu pets.  The armor and battle tanks were a huge hit.  The boys never stopped moving their Ninja, Delta Force, or Ranger pets to keep the battle going.  But the best part was sending those Kung Zhu hamsters to loving homes at the end of the day.  To live with boys who left our house with shiny happy faces.  Good things those hamsters aren't real or they wouldn't have lived to tell about it.

Disclosure:MomSelect and Cepia, LLC sent over the complete line of Kung Zhu sets, pets, and accessories for my party animals.  Each child received a Kung Zhu hamster with an accessory (armor or battle tank).  I tried to get the parents to take a portion of the play sets, but none would take me up on my offer.  So the remaining Kung Zhu pets and a good portion of the play sets will be donated to a local Women's shelter (just as soon as I can convince my son to let them go).

Christmas in June

Darius and I are headed down to sunny Southern California for a week at the beach.  For the 8+ hour road trip, I've come prepared.  We've got snacks.  We've drinks.  We've got the portable DVD player.  And thanks to Sony, we've got a Sony PSP.  Over the next few weeks, you'll see my family try out the portable device.  I can't wait to see Darius' face when this shiny black PSP is sitting in his booster seat just begging to be played.  It's literally going to be a Christmas wish come true for the kid.

Disclosure: Sony has provided me with a free Sony PSP loaded with games, movies, and more.   I did not receive any compensation for writing this series of reviews or payment in exchange for posting.  The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the opinions or policies of  Sony Corporation.

Weekend Giveaway: $25 for LikeWear.com

Can you believe that summer is already here?  Darius' last day of school was today.  But it literally feels like three weeks ago since I kissed him good-bye on his first day of Kindergarten with two apples in his backpack for his new teachers.  Now I'm arranging for time at Camp Grandparents while the integration at work becomes Priority Numero Uno for most of the summer.

Good thing I had the chance to grab some affordable, customized "camp" gear from likewear.com. The closest I can describe Like Wear is like a Tupperware-equivalent for fun fashions.  Like Wear sells a ton of licensed or trademarked images.  You can create custom orders by working with one of their sellers. Wouldn't that be adorable for a Scout troop, Little League Team, or your kids friends who are all going to the same camp?!  Or you can order what's in stock direct from their website.  Or save yourself some cash and host a trunk show (for hosting you get store credit to do your own shopping).

Loving the retro-ness of some of the images, I literally sat Darius in front of my laptop and let him pick out what he wanted.  My budding environmentalist chose the Give Peas a Chance image for one shirt.  But his inner sportsman also picked out a Wheaties shirt.  Who knows, maybe one day his image will be on a box.  Okay, probably only if we photoshop his image onto a box.  But a mom can dream that her son will strike it rich and then buy her a McMansion, right?  Boys love their mommas, after all.

Lucky you, Like Wear is giving $25 to a Who's the Boss? reader.  All you have to do is comment on this post with your favorite camp story by Monday, June 14th. Let it be funny, touching, embarrassing, whatever.  The first time you kissed a boy, got covered in mosquito bites that all got infected, went to "horseback riding" camp only to be treated like slave labor at the ranch.  Okay, maybe those are my stories. 

UPDATE:  Everyone's a winner!  Like Wear has given all of my readers the opportunity to save 25% on their merchandise (excludes sales items).  Just enter the coupon code WHOSTHEBOSSBLOG to get your instant savings. 

Weekend Giveaway: S2H Replay fitness watch

We are a competitive family.  Family Game Night can quickly turn into a impromptu trial over who's cheating.  Bike rides turn into who can ride the fastest the longest.  Leisurely days at the pool turn into family-sized Olympic races.  It's always in fun.  But there is always competition.

When S2H contacted me about reviewing their activity wrist band, I was excited to give it a try.  I've made a personal goal to get healthier.  What better way to help me keep that goal than to wear a fitness band that lets me know when I am moving and rewards me for every 60 minutes of activity.

The S2H Replay is a fitness watch.  In addition to telling time, it monitors your physical activity and rewards you with 1 point per minute of physical activity (you get a redeemable code every 60 minutes).  Once the code appears on the band, you log in to s2h.comto upload the points into your account.  When you have enough points, you can redeem them for all sorts of cool prizes like iTunes cards, gift certificates, even a Wii.

Weekend Giveaway: How to Train Your Dragon Wii Game

Last year for Darius' 5th birthday, I bought Lego Star Wars for Wii.  It was against my better judgment and I've regretted the day I caved in.  Darius has been talking about how a boy in his class had the Wii game.  Since he wouldn't be getting any gifts for his birthday (we held a pajama drive for a local battered women's shelter instead), I guilted myself into buying exactly what he wanted.

Big Mistake. 

You see the game is clearly marked as a game for ages 10+.  Darius was only five. Since he has to earn Wii time as a reward, the kid doesn't get to play much.  And when he does play, the game is so far advanced that he needed a parent to play along.  And since his parents aren't "gamers" either, Neville literally had to google YouTube videos of gamers who videotaped themselves playing  the game.  Instead of making fun of them, I felt like I needed to send them all flowers because without those videos we'd still be stuck on Level 1 a whole year later.

When Activision approached me about reviewing a copy of their new video game, How to Train Your Dragon, I was super hesitant because it was rated 10+.  But I am a sucker for free stuff knew that Darius would want to try the game since he absolutely loved the movie.  So I caved.  Boy, am I glad that I did.

In my next life, I want to be a performer in Cirque du Soleil

My family was first introduced to the magic of Cirque when I was in highschool.  The Color Guard I was involved in (yes, I was in Color Guard, don't judge. we were actually kick-ass and 10th in the world), used music from two different Cirque du Soleil shows for our performance music.  The music was different, irreverent, and oh so melodic.  The next time Cirque traveled to San Jose, my dad bought tickets.  We've gone to every show that has toured these parts since. 

I love Cirque.  Partly because their aren't any animals in the show; you'll never miss the parade of elephants or the lion tamer.  Partly because the venue is so intimate that there really isn't a bad seat in the house.  But the reason why I love Cirque so much is that the acrobatics are so original, so jaw-dropping, and look like they are done so effortlessly.  While watching you're thinking "How in the WORLD can they DO THAT?" while also thinking "HOW in the world do they make it LOOK so EASY?"

On Thursday, I had the privilege of attending opening night of Cirque du Soleil's new show OVO, courtesy of Hadley Media.  I will say that if you have never been to a Cirque show or if you've wondered if your kids are old enough to handle it, this is a great show for you.  Some Cirque theme's in the past have been dark or even a little scary.  This one is light and airy... all about insects and love.  The show is long (2.5 hrs including a 30 min. intermission), but really you are so captivated that the time flies by. 

I won't give anything away about the show.  You have to see it for yourself to believe it.  And also, my dad reads this blog and got the whole family tickets (we go next week) and if I spoil anything for him, I won't hear the end of it.  All I'll say is that when the show ended, and we walked back to our car in the pouring rain, my step was a little lighter.  I honestly said that if reincarnation really does exist, I hope I do something excellent in this lifetime so that I can be a Cirque du Soleil performer in my next life.  I'd even be thrilled to be a silly clown.

Photo credit: Cirque du Soleil

I'm pretty sure it makes me the best Room Mom ever

I just finished hosting a sneak preview for the new Curious George movie with almost half of Darius' kindergarten class.  In fact, Neville is still vacuuming up the leftover popcorn that has somehow managed to make it from the living room to the entire rest of the house. 

12 kids + 12 juice boxes + 12 bags of popcorn + 12 bananas = 1 very tired mother

The kids had a fab time and actually sat still and watched the movie for 40 minutes (the movie is just under an hour long) so I was a very happy host.  I figured the kids would be so distracted and hyped up to see each other outside of school that it would be an act of God to get them to sit still.

ohthankyouLordJesusChristforthismiracle.

I, of course, didn't actually watch the movie.  I was too busy refilling popcorn, replacing juice boxes, and reminding kids that if they wanted to keep their food they had to keep their little bodies off my couch. 

The good, the fabulous, and the "I wish I could afford it"

I've been writing for the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog for over three years.  I will always give Jill credit for igniting a passion for writing inside of me that I never knew existed.  As one of the original writers, I will always feel like I own a little piece of the blog's success and I will always feel like I owe the blog a lot of my own success.  So color me happy when 50 Silicon Valley bloggers got together to have the ultimate swag party.  As I walked out with my arms heavy from all the swag, after what felt like three very short hours, I knew that once again Jill and her team hit it out of the park.

The party was so professional.  Each blogger was giving a card with each vendor.  As you went around to each booth, you didn't have to worry about a vendor running out of goodies or feel rushed to get through it all.  If you've ever been to a BlogHer conference, you know the adrenaline rush you get when walking into the sponsor rooms.  There's not enough swag to go around.  So people get pushy.  And rude.  And downright horrible.  It was more than refreshing to be in a forum where you are talking to people who want to show you their product without all that competitive bullshit.  It was awesome.  

Invisalign Mom Blogger Straight Talk

 

Our family dentist has already told us to get ready for braces.  Dr Shah showed the X-Rays in Darius’ last office visit and I saw it for myself.  Darius’ permanent teeth are gonna come in crooked.  Add to that his adorably adorable baby-tooth smile isn’t gap-y enough to handle adult teeth.  And yes, for the record, “gap-y” is totally a real technical dental word.  I know because in the seventh grade I said I wanted to be a dentist, so I’m an expert.*

Lucky for us, we have a few years before we have to find a great orthodontist, make any decisions on treatment or pay through the nose for our son to have a great, straight smile.  I mean, the kid hasn’t even lost his first tooth yet.  But as I cry a little watching my baby go off to Kindergarten, I know that these next few years will fly by and before I know it, I’ll be asking for a payment plan for my son’s braces.

technically, there's 1 degree of separation between me and J-lo

A couple of weeks back, I had the most extraordinary Mom's Night Out with with the designer of Yummie Tummie(there were other people there too).   For someone whose designed clothes for P-Diddy (does he still go by that name?), Jennifer Lopez, and Beyonce, Heather was the most down to earth I-work-with-celebrities person I've ever met. 

Seriously, she's my new best friend.  Or maybe just maybe you'll see me in the news after I break into her apartment and stalk her (and those awesome Yummie Tummies). 

Before the night, I had never even heard of Yummie Tummie.  In fact, even after I received the invite I didn't bother to do any research.  The opportunity to hang out with Lia and Cat was really the only reason I was putting on my false eyelashes (hello, we were in the swanky W hotel in San Francisco).  But to meet Heatherand her fabulous staff was icing on the cake.  Heather was so genuinely awesome that I pulled her assistant aside and asked her to tell me honestly if this was all a front and if Heather was really like Devil Wears Prada of bosses.  Her assistant laughed and assured me that Heather is the real deal.

And so is her product.

Giveaway: Welch's AquaJuice

Congrats to DemMom for winning the AquaJuice giveaway.  Please email me your shipping address at whosthebossblogATgmailDOTcom to receive your free bottle.

We are a juice family.  Darius is a juice kid.  He's a milk kid too.  But juice - especially apple juice - is one of his staples. 

I've always been one of those moms who waters down the juice.  I don't like to give him a full cup of the straight stuff - especially knowing that he is going to drink it all and ask for more.  So I've been stealthily adding a little extra H2O to his sippy cup for years.

When I heard that Welch's had a new juice called AquaJuice, I was determined to get my hands on bottle.  It has no high fructose corn syrup, less calories, and no artificial sweeteners.  It's "less juice" than regular juice without compromising on the flavor or quality of the juice.  Come on, we all know that when we water down the juice on our own we end up watering down the flavor too. 

CaringBridge - Connecting Families in Crisis

When Neville’s elderly uncle was in a terrible automobile accident two months ago, we feared for the worse.  Neville’s mom was on the phone to Missouri once or twice a day.  We would call, and so would N’s brothers.  It was a relay race of getting information.  Was he going to make it?  Did we need to fly out there?  What was the status of his multiple injuries?  And while it was hard on us to be so far away and not able to really do anything other than pray, I know that it was enormously hard on the immediate family in Missouri that would either be talking to doctors about what was happening or on cell phones to all the family to relay the information.  By the end of every night, his wife and adult children were beyond exhausted.  They had little time to be with him in the ICU before getting another call from someone wanting an update. 

I’m sure that when they found CaringBridge – a non-profit site that has partnered with their hospital to create a myspace-esque personal page for patients at the hospital – the family did cart wheels.  Now they regularly update the page (once a day or more) which keeps a running journal of every day of his journey to recovery. 

There are photos of his uncle, the story of the accident (he was hit head-on by an oil tanker), and a place for us to leave inspiring messages.  N’s Aunt reads him the new messages every day – a time of the day that is filled with love and joy.  And time that was once spent on the phone to all us family member is now used to spend time bedside or taking time to rest. 

Being the care-giver can be exhausting.  Having technology be put to use to relieve some of that exhausting work is exciting.  Being able to get daily "reports" of his status makes the hundreds of miles between us seems a little less distant. 

Originally posted at the Silicon Valley Mom's Blog