We love free stuff here at LiveMom! If you are a business and would like to submit an item for review by one of our staff reviewers, please email me for details on how you can submit your product. We do not guarantee that we will do any reviews, although we will promise to look your product over. We also are a group of active mamas and so if you have some tickets to a show that you’d like for us to review, that makes us happy, too! We like to get out of the house every once in a while.
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Spike Gillespie’s Craft Camp
June 2011
Reviewed by Shannon Oelrich
My daughter had the chance to attend one of Spike Gillespie’s Craft Camps last week, and she wants LiveMom readers to know that it was “crafting heaven!” Spike has all kinds of materials for the kids: fabric, glitter, glue, paperboard, beads, plates, paint, rocks, string and recycled goodies galore.
Craft Camp is for ages 7-13, although Spike generously allowed my 6.75-year-old to come. One thing I loved was that Spike offered the kids instruction, showing them different crafts daily and helping when needed, but didn’t require them to follow along if their creativity took them in another direction. One day, I had to pick up my daughter early, and it was a struggle for her to pull herself away from the craft she was immersed in. And, unlike other activities (even ones she likes), there was never a day that she said, “Do I have to go to Craft Camp today?” I call that a winner!
Spike Gillespie wrote here recently about her summer writing camps, and here is where you can find the dates and more info on her remaining camps for the summer. Craft Camp is over for the summer, but Fashion Camp and Writing Camp will keep your kids busy and happy while stretching their creativity!
(Disclosure: Spike traded two spot in her camps for advertising on the LiveMom home page, one as a giveaway to LiveMom readers and one that my daughter used. She did not, however, trade anything for this review!)
SANS Soda
April, 2011
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
SANS Soda, an Austin-based soda company, contacted me about doing a review of their new all-natural (no artificial sweeteners/ flavors/ colors) diet sodas. Let me preface this by stating that I am not generally a soda drinker. Occasionally, I will drink a Diet Coke, typically something I crave if I am eating pizza or Mexican food. I rarely buy sodas, usually only when there is a sleep over or pre-teen get together for my son. Sodas for my youngest is strictly limited to when we go out to eat only, something we do a couple of times a month. It was good timing though; the LiveMom crew was coming over to my house for our monthly editorial meeting a couple of days after they contacted me. They sent a huge box packed with a six pack of each of the five flavors: Cola, Root Beer, Orange, Lemon-Lime, and Black Cherry. There were only a couple of people missing from the meeting, so most of us had the opportunity to taste test the soda.
Looking over the product, I really like the diet part of SANS Soda. If I am going to drink something, I prefer it to be calorie-free since I like to get most of my calorie consumption from food. If I am going to drink something with calories, it’s going to be wine. And if it’s diet, I prefer that it be sweetened naturally because I hate even the thought of fake sweeteners going into my body. SANS Soda is sweetened with an all-natural sweetener called Truvia rebiana which is an extract from the stevia plant. It is calorie-free and is supposed to be the best-tasting.
Now, on to the taste testing….
I placed two cans of each flavor on the table where we were all sitting. The taste testing began, first with the Black Cherry. Our initial impression was that it wasn’t as bubbly as we would like – it somewhat flat. I don’t know about you, but I like to feel the burn when I drink a soda. I served it at room temperature because I forgot to refrigerate them so perhaps it would have been a bit more carbonated if it was colder?
The next up was the Cola flavor. This one was approved of by a couple of ladies. Now, let me also say that there are some diehard Diet Coke drinkers in the crowd. One comment was, “I think the taste could grow on me”. We moved through the three remaining flavors, all met with the same mixed reviews: some liked them, others did not. The Lemon-Lime was the biggest hit of the evening.
Just as we were wrapping up the meeting, my twelve-year old son came in from playing outside. He noticed a bunch of soda cans on the table and came over to see what that was all about. I had him sit in my chair, we poured him a little of all of the flavors to see what he thought. His reaction to all of them, “Oooh, this one’s good! Can I have more?” It was close to bedtime so I checked for caffeine stats and told him no more.
I moved the remaining cans into the fridge, and they have quickly disappeared. There are many teen and pre-teen boys hanging out at my house on a daily basis. On one such evening, I fed them (all five of them) dinner. I brought out the cans of SANS and watched their reaction. They didn’t know it was diet, and they drank it all! Now there are only two cans left in my refrigerator, which I found tucked away in the back, forgotten about. I will save those for one of those moments when I hear, “Moooooom! There’s nothing to drink in the house!”
On those occasions when I do buy soda, I will make a point to try to get SANS as it’s a healthier alternative to regular diet sodas. A six-pack sells for $5.49- 5.99. It is currently available at the Whole Foods Flagship store on Lamar here in Austin. You can also order it online. SANS provided LiveMom with the product. There was no money exchanged for this review.
Kidfresh
March, 2011
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
What do you serve for dinner when you are running low on batteries? Do you stop at a fast food restaurant? Order pizza? Whip up a box of mac ‘n cheese with frozen veggies? Or do you make it a peanut butter and jelly night?
If you are looking for something quick and easy to feed the kids, there’s a new option out there. Kidfresh is a new line of healthy, frozen kids’ meals that are made with all natural ingredients. Get this, the veggies are hidden in the sauce. Ingenious, right?
Kidfresh sent LiveMom a few samples– Pinwheel Mac and Cheese, Spaghetti Loops Bolognese, Muy Cheesy Quesadillas and Totally Twisted Pasta and Meatballs. I split them up between myself and Shannon, our Food Editor. What was our take?
Luckily, we both have kids who like to eat their veggies; finding a way to sneak them into our kids’ diets is not much of an issue in our households. Combine that with the fact that we also both enjoy cooking meals for our families, you would think that we would have no need for these meals, right? Wrong. With both of us being busy moms, there are just some nights that we don’t have it in us. There are also other nights when we make delicious dinners that the kids won’t touch. Yes, I said they like to eat their veggies, but they certainly won’t touch all of the concoctions that we cook up. These frozen meals come in handy for those occassions.
I served the two meals that I kept one night when we had a couple of friends over for dinner. I microwaved both (they come in BPA-free containers!) and split the two entrees- mac and cheese and the spaghetti loops- between the two girls. The mac and cheese was a definite success with hardly any left on either of their two plates. The spaghetti loops was left almost untouched with just a couple of bites taken. Neither of the girls complained about not liking it; I think they were just too full from the mac and cheese to eat anymore! I took a bite of both and agree with the girls: the mac and cheese was deliciously cheesy. The Spaghetti Loops Bolognese was a bit bland for my taste– it is very low in sodium and healthy. A good thing, I’m just a saltaholic.
All in all, I’d say these meals are a definite go-to option for when you want a break from cooking but not a break from feeding your kids something that’s still good for them, particularly if you have kids who do not like to eat vegetables. If you’d like to try them out, hit up Costco where you can purchase a four-pack of Kidfresh Spaghetti Loops Bolognese for $9.99.
Doodle-Track Car Courtesy of Terra Toys
December, 2010
Reviewed by Nicole Basham
My four year old son is not a huge car fan, but when we received the Doodle-Track Car to review, he was pretty excited. The Doodle-Track Car has optic sensor underneath it which follows thick black lines. When you purchase the Car, you are provided with easy to peel and stick decals to decorate your car, a washable marker, and a sample track. The box directs you to a website which has additional tracks your child can “build” and print out. You can then use the marker and your own paper to make your own racetrack.
I’ll admit it, I was skeptical when I read the claim on the Doodle-Track Car’s box. “Draw the track and this amazing Car will follow!” But, it’s amazing to watch! Being science-challenged myself, I now want to learn more about optic sensors and share what I learn with my son so we can understand more about how it works. My son soon realized that the car would follow the tile border in our kitchen and spent time designing his own track. In fact, he spent more time designing new tracks than I had expected and I found myself thinking this would be a good birthday party gift for a boy (or girl) this age.
I also brought out the car a few times when my son had friends over, and everyone was eager to draw new tracks and see what the car did. A few times the car did not quite follow the lines my son or his friends had drawn and so I tried to put in new batteries, and I think that in those cases the lines were not thick enough.
So, I definitely think this would be a good gift for a child who is interested in cars and even for a kid who is interested in drawing or tinkering. I wouldn’t say it’s my son’s favorite toy, but it’s something I am finding I can bring out every once in a while and which can continue to spark my son’s interest.
Perplexus Courtesy of Terra Toys
Reviewed by Shannon Oelrich
November, 2010
My 6-year-old liked the look of Perplexus before it was even out of the box. Perplexus is a 3-dimensional puzzle inside a clear, plastic ball. You have to twist and turn it around in your hands to get a smaller, metal ball inside to go along a tricky track.
This was one of those things that, initially, she was better at than me. She worked at it for a while, then got frustrated and gave it up for a few minutes. Ah ha! My turn! It is definitely challenging for anyone, from 6-106 as the packaging says. After I spent some time, I was able to do track 1 consistently, but could only get about halfway through track 2. Um, I haven’t even gotten to track 3 yet, but there is a shortcut, if you want to be a cheater!
That night, my child chose to play Perplexus instead of reading before bed (what!?!?). She says it is like an iPhone game but without the screen, which may say more about how much we let her play Red Ball than about Perplexus … but I can see what she means. It’s engrossing, challenging, but accessible. We didn’t solve it in one night, or in one week, and even when we do, I think we’ll still like playing it. One tip: Don’t try to play it in the car – too much variability of movement to keep the silver ball on the track.
HEXBUG Nano Courtesy of Terra Toys
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
October, 2010
See this thing here that I’m holding in my hand?
It kind of looks like a bug, doesn’t it? But not a real bug. Real bugs generally aren’t pink with cool designs on their backs. And I would never (and I repeat, never) ever hold a real bug in my hand willingly. Yes, I’m that type of girl. And so when Terra Toys handed over a HEXBUG Nano for me to review, I thought I was going to have a tough time with it. You see, we live in Texas– a place on Planet Earth that is swarming with real bugs. If you’re not from here, let me tell you about these things called “water bugs” that we have here. They kind of look like this little do-dad that I’m holding in my hand; they are about the same size, except they are way scarier and uglier. And the real things fly at you. Yeah. They fly. At you. I’ve been known to call in reinforcements when one is spotted in my house. That’s how much I dislike like them. Ok, I’ll admit that I am totally scared of them. There you have it, a 30-something woman scared of a little bug. That would be me.
But the Nano bug– he/she (I’m not sure if they are gender specific based on the colors) (we got a pink one so I’m calling it a girl) is like a robot bug that, once turned on with a tiny switch on the backside, crawls around, bumps into things, manages to get itself out of tight little spots and flipped over to the right side if she happens to be turned on her back. And, might I say, it’s much more pleasant to look at with its vibrant color range: pink, blue, orange, purple and more. Not the drab brown or black like the real thing.
When I handed Nano over to my three year old- because she’s the real product tester here- she flipped with joy. She shouted, “I’ve wanted one of these!”. Turns out that one of her friends has one, which, unbeknownst to me, was very well liked. I have to admit that the first thing that came to my mind was if the cats and dogs would try to eat this thing. And so we sat on the floor, criss-cross apple-sauce, with two of the dogs and one of our cats close by. Luckily, they didn’t eat the little pink critter but they sure did have some fun trying to figure out what it was, especially when we placed the robot bug on their fur. Good times were had by all.
My house is also what I like to call a high-traffic area. There are always lots of people, many of those people being kids, coming in and out on a daily basis. I’ve left the Nano bug out on the counter; I wanted to keep track of it and I also wanted to see the reaction of the many friends when they see the pink girl-bug on the counter. If the response isn’t them asking what it is and then liking what they see, it’s them admitting that they have been wanting one. Seems like a very entertaining toy for not only kids but also adults and the furry kind as well.
The only downside with the Nano bug is that it’s small. Meaning: Lost. I can’t tell you how many times we searched the house for it. But, on the other hand, that also gives the kids something to do with their spare time! And it’s all in one piece… not like all of the little legs come off. Now that would be a pain.
The HEXBUG Nano retails for $11.00 at Terra Toys. If you really want to go all out, they even have a whole Nano raceway. That would be kind of fun to watch the bugs bump into each other as they race around the track. If you are thinking about Christmas/ Holiday presents already, think Nanos in the stocking, race track under the tree. They also have robot crabs, ants, inchworms and the original HEXBUG that reacts to touch and sound. Happy robot bugging!
Intergalactic Nemesis
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
September, 2010
Intergalactic Nemesis had its World Premiere here in Austin on September 3rd and 4th. LiveMom was invited to go and watch the show, so my eleven year old son and I went to check it out.
First, let me state that I am in no way a fan of either comic books or graphic novels. That being said, I was a bit nervous about how much I would enjoy the show. Would I find my head bobbing in the air as I drifted off to sleep during the first act? Possibly. It was a risk I had to take for sake of date-night with my boy. But, I kept an open mind, got a little spiffied up and headed out the The Long Center for the Performing Arts for a night on the town with my kiddo.
I have never, ever been able to read a comic book appropriately. By the time I would turn to page two, I would generally already be lost. I’m an avid reader of all types of books, just not comics or graphic novels. And I don’t really care much for sci-fi either, although I did enjoy The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (that’s sci-fi, right?). Having a son who had a long time penchant for comics, I had to get over my dislike of reading them to actually read them to him. Aloud. My, how I used to dread those nights when he reached for his Batman comic to be read by me- the worst comic book reader to ever live- before bedtime.
Bu then, Intergalactic Nemesis, a live-action, radio drama, sci-fi show rolled into town. Alright, well it’s actually been in town for the past ten years. I just didn’t know about it. Written and directed by Austin’s own, Jason Neulander, with illustrations by Tim Doyle, Intergalactic Nemesis hails as an Austin original with it’s beginning taking place 10 years ago at Little City. The show was then aired on KUT on Sunday mornings as a live-action radio drama, eventually being played out at the Salvage Vanguard Theatre, moving on to a national tour a few years back, to now- two nights on stage at The Long Center for Performing Arts. I call that a success!
Intergalactic Nemesis is a comic book that is brought to life by three very talented actors- one woman, two men- who do the voices of all of the characters in the book. As the graphics were displayed onto a very large screen, the actors stood behind microphones on the stage, dressed properly for a comic that is set in 1933- in suits and a fancy silk shirt for the woman. They were amazing, especially Chris Gibson, who seemed almost to have split personalities with his head arching backwards as he morphed into the next character’s voice. I was entranced watching him.
Next to the actors sat a large crescent table with Buzz Moran, Foley artist, behind it whipping out sound effects. Moran was equally entertaining to watch as he brought out his large x-ray sheet to make thunder boom into the theatre or gently tapped a shoe on his table to lead us in the audience to believe that the characters really were walking. My attention was focused on Moran for the better part of the show to see what gadget he would use next. I felt like sneaking up onto the stage after the show to play with some of those gadgets.
To keep it in-line with the original live-action radio drama, a keyboardist/ pianist sat next to the sound effects table, playing the score for the entire performance.
There was a good amount of humor throughout the show, also a few scary parts that might make the kiddos watching it cover their eyes for a moment or two.
Did I nod off at any point in the show? Nope! And gone is my comic book phobia, thanks to Intergalactic Nemesis! The next time I am asked to read a comic book alound, I am going to gather some sound effect items, put on a nice outfit and bust out my microphone. I definitely recommend this show for moms of all ages. And kids, too. It’s a treat worth seeing. If you missed the World Premiere, you can check them out at Fantastic Fest at the end of September. You can also keep up with them on their Facebook page.
SnugZee
Reviewed by LiveMom Guest Reviewer
August 2010
Have you ever had to drive around with a screaming infant in the car? Then you know how frustrating and dangerous it can be to try to calm them and stay on the road at the same time. I have a two month old and always felt a little bad when we loaded her into her carseat- she always looked so uncomfortable and would cry without any reason, at least any reason that I could mend. When we started using the SnugZee, I was eager to see if it would make the car rides any better. After using it for a couple of weeks, we have so much less crying-for-no-reason. She just seems to be a lot more comfortable now than she was before in the car seat. The SnugZee keeps her head from flopping around and seems to make her much more comfortable!
Reason number two for liking it:
It’s washable! We had a little spit-up on it, which is not at all uncommon with newborns, unwrapped it (easily) from the car seat strap and threw it into the washer. I didn’t dry it because I was afraid it would shrink, but it is small enough and dried in no time at all.
Really, the only thing I would change would be the softness of the material. It seems a bit rough, especially since it sits right next to my daughter’s sweet face. We haven’t had any issues with rubbing against her skin, I just am all about softness now that I have a baby girl!
Little Looster
Reviewed by Katie Mastovich
July 2010
When the Little Looster was sent to LiveMom for a review, were just getting into full-on potty training mode. I already had a small, frog-shaped potty which sits on the floor, a potty seat, and a bench so she could reach the toilet by herself. I thought I was pretty well set. The potty training was going pretty well. She mostly went on the little potty but was starting to warm up to the big potty while using her potty seat. I was skeptical about liking the Little Looster because I already had a bench she could stand on to get to the potty. Could a longer U-shaped bench really improve upon my bench enough to be worth the price tag (It’s $39.99 plus shipping)? Once I put the Little Looster in the bathroom, she started going all by herself without even telling me until after she had peed and needed help wiping! I could not believe it the first time she called me to the bathroom. We had been doing pretty well, but she had never gone in on her own and gotten on the big potty by herself. The next time she called me in I found her on the toilet with no potty seat! She was so comfortable with the help of the Little Looster that she told me- yes, she told me- that she did not need the potty seat anymore; she could do it like a big girl. Hello! That was awesome. No awkward transition from little potty to toilet with potty seat to just plain toilet; with the help of the Looster we did it in a few days. The Looster is shaped to fit around the base of all toilets. If you look at the pictures on the website, you can see it is just a wide U-shaped bench. The beauty of the Looster is that it is the perfect height for little bodies. My daughter felt so comfy up there because she was no longer swaying around, desperately clinging to the potty seat handles. She could sit like a grown up perfectly balanced with her feet flat on the Looster. Another bonus, which quickly cured my original bench skepticism, is that it is amazingly stable. I would always hover around my daughter when she was standing on a bench because she would inevitably stand on one side and go tumbling to the ground. With the Looster, she can stand up after going to the bathroom and walk around on the bench over to the side to flush. It stays completely still. No more balancing acts for us!Another important feature is that the top is textured so it is not at all slippery. I am a first time mom so you can guess how overly cautious I am, but after seeing the Looster in action I don’t worry about her in the bathroom by herself any more. We will keep on using the Looster until she is tall enough for her feet to reach the floor. It makes us both more comfortable with her going on her own, has made her proud of her independence and has made the whole training process so much easier. If you are even thinking about potty training or just have a little person who has to wiggle their hiney across the seat to even sit up there, give the Looster a try. You will not be sorry.
Massage Harmony Review
Reviewed by Jennifer Ford
May 2010
Book Review: “Courageous Parents, Confident Kids”
Edited by Amy Tiemann
Reviewed by Jennifer Ford
April 2010
Ok, so Parenting is challenging, right? They don’t send us home from the hospital/birth center/inflatable pool in your living room with a handbook that tells you how to handle every situation you will come across as a parent. As a parent to two active and spirited (that’s the nice way to say totally crazy, right?) boys, I am always on the lookout for a book, blog or homeless guy standing on the corner that might have a fresh new perspective on parenting that will help me make sense of it all. I had just begun reading a book on positive discipline (“I will positively take away your Legos next time I step on one with bare feet!” That’s it, right?), when I was invited to read an advance copy of ‘Courageous Parents | Confident Kids,’ edited by Amy Tiemann, PhD. The book’s tagline promises to discuss “letting go so you both can grow.” I was immediately interested, as I’ve been struggling with how to help my sons gain independence and confidence without looking like a neglectful mother.
Helicopter parenting be damned, I started reading. ‘Courageous Parents | Confident Kids’ is broken down into several parts. Each part contains chapters written by different women, all mothers. The very first chapter discussed the importance of self-care for mothers, nay, women (because we aren’t just mothers). The author of the chapter made some pretty good points, including the need to model self-love and self-acceptance as a means of demonstrating it to your children. There were a few exercises to complete at the end of the chapter, as well as a few challenges. One that I am going to try (and it may take more than one try to get it right) is not criticizing myself for an entire week. The author also emphasized the importance of finding your tribe (helloooo, Livemom!) Having moved to Texas from California without knowing a single person outside of my husband and sons, I am learning the importance of finding your tribe/establishing a network of support firsthand. There is an excellent chapter on becoming your own parenting expert and breaking-free from feeling guilty for not following the ‘What Not to Expect…’ books by the letter. Do you remember those books? Sheesh. Talk about anxiety-inducing! I remember thinking, “how am I ever going to digest all of this information?!” Good thing I stopped trying, I think I would have been a mess before my children ever made their entrances into the world. Maya Frost, the author of the chapter entitled ‘Developing Your Own Courageous Parenting Style,’ coined a term that is a combination of the words “fear” and ego.” Ladies and germs, I give you: “Fego.” She says that pushing our kids in the direction we feel they should go is fear-based parenting. We may think we are doing our child a favor by mentoring them and showing them what we wish we had done when it was our turn, but really we are keeping them from becoming their own person and learning through life’s many successes and failures. I took lots of notes during this chapter!
Linda Criddle penned an excellent chapter about Internet safety. She discussed when it might be appropriate to allow your child to have his or her own email address and ways to educate your child on the potential dangers lurking around the Internet. My five-year old knows how to open my laptop, wait for it to connect to the internet, and find his way to PBSKids.org. And he doesn’t even know how to read yet! My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw my son look for, and locate, the “P” on the keyboard, because he knew that was the first letter in “PBS,” and he selected the correct site from the history list that popped-up. When I was five, I was outside playing war or building a tree fort. It’s definitely a different world, and our children are growing up in this technological age. We must teach them how to protect themselves in ways we never had to consider when we were their age. The last section of the book is all about becoming politically involved in your community. The authors of the section are women from www.MomsRising.org, www.TheMotherhood.com and the blog PunditMom. I found the insights of the authors to be fascinating. I have a degree in political science and at one time wanted to make politics my life. I became a bit jaded and dropped out of politics. Want to know why? I got tired of the old boys’ club that existed in my party, and the fact that women were so ugly to each other, mainly because they were trying to fit in with the club. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, co-founder of www.MomsRising.org, stated that as women, not only do we have to deal with the ever-present “glass ceiling,” but we mothers also have to deal with the “maternal wall.” It made me tingly in my feminist place to read that “women without children make about 90 cents to a man’s dollar, women with children make about 73 cents, and single moms make only about 60 cents to each dollar earned by a man.” If that’s not enough to get you politically-motivated, I don’t know what is! The book ends with several comments made by women on the aforementioned websites. I found them all to be wise, funny and encouraging. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. There is truly something that will speak to mothers of babies and children of all ages, from birth to college. ‘Courageous Parents | Confident Kids’ brought together a fascinating group of women and in effect, created something of a one-stop shop for information and encouragement on motherhood, being a woman and raising confident, independent children.
To receive your very own FREE downloaded copy of ‘Courageous Parents | Confident Kids,’ surf on over to www.MojoMom.com and sign up! There are no hoops to jump through, no trial offers to complete. Simply a free book . You must sign up by April 19, 2010 in order to receive the free download, so why not click on the link and sign up now? After April 19th, ‘Courageous Parents | Confident Kids’ will be available on Amazon. Written by Jennifer Ford
Lulla-Bear
July, 2009
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
I was contacted a couple of months ago by CrowleyJones, an Austin based company, to see if I was interested in reviewing Lulla-Bear, one of their newest products. The product sounded cool and so I agreed, especially since it’s coming from a local company! A few days later, a couple of boxes were waiting for me outside of my door when I came home from dropping off my two year old at school. I quickly opened one of them, even though I knew what was in it, as I love getting boxes in the mail. I took the Lulla-Bear out, inspected it and then laid the bear back in its box so that my daughter would have a “surprise” to open when she got home. She’s a lot like me and likes to get presents just as much as I do.
The entire ride home she questioned me about this surprise present. What was in it? Was it for her? We opened the door and she ran straight to where the box was sitting at the table. She tore open the box, took out the bear and I pushed the button to turn the music on. The first song that played is one of her favorites- “If you’re happy and you know it….” She was happy and started to sing along while carrying around the stuffed bear. I thought for sure that this would be one of her favorites, but the bear just sat for weeks, mostly un-played with.
Lulla-Bear is a cute stuffed bear that comes loaded with over 90 songs: kid songs, nature sounds and relaxing nighty-night music, as we refer to it in our household. It also has a USB cable tucked inside that plugs into your computer to upload even more songs or to personalize it with your very own voice, which is a great feature! There are so many non-kid songs that we listen to that my kids love and I really can’t wait until I can upload them to the bear. The bear has three different buttons on its left paw that allows you to choose what type of music to listen to. On the right paw sits the power button and the up or down volume. And, as an added benefit, it turns off on its own when the songs are done playing. It’s a good-sized bear, not really one that will fit into a diaper bag, but will definitely not get lost either.
The Lulla-Bear was initially created for infants, but it seems to me like it would be a perfect companion for kids all the way through pre-school. I was anxious to see how my daughter would play with it; would she throw it in the corner where most of her collection of stuffed animals lies or would this one take on a special place in her heart since she loves music (and there are buttons to push on this bear… an added bonus)? Over the past couple of months, there have been a handful of times that we’ve grabbed it, turned it on and listened to the music, but until a few days ago, she really didn’t seem to take much of an interest in it, even though she loves listening to and singing along with music. While we were sitting in her room, getting ready to dig through her dress-up container, she spotted Lulla-Bear sitting in her play shopping cart with a couple of other stuffed animals. She decided that it was time to play some music, so she asked me how to turn it on and then, once the music started, she started singing along while we played dress-up in her room. It was the first time that it cycled all the way through the songs and I realized that all of them are the classic songs that all kids love. I think the bear is starting to grow on her. I’m sure they will be inseparable before long and I’m hoping that she can take the enthusiasm that she has for her binky and put it into Lulla-Bear. Fingers crossed!
All in all, the Lulla-Bear is a pretty cool little bear. It would make a great baby shower gift- perhaps if the cost is split between two since it retails at around $50. I can certainly see infants using this bear by their crib to fall asleep and then continuing to use it as they get bigger. Getting it to turn on was a but confusing at first, but it worked fine after we read the directions and played around with it for a little bit. The only thing missing is an option for earphones as an accessory for the older toddlers and pre-schoolers who are attached to Lulla-Bear. My son always has his earphones in while listening to his MP3 player and my daughter is always wanting to take them from him so she can have earphones too. Many fights start that way, so if she had her very own MP3 player (Lulla-Bear) and earphones to listen to in the car, we’d be set!
Bess Bistro
April, 2009
Reviewed by Catherine Prystup
I’d heard of Bess Bistro from a review that I’d read on another local blog that made me decide to schedule our monthly book club meeting there. We were reading Straight Up and Dirty by local writer/ blogger Stephanie Klein. She agreed to meet us there for dinner and drinks to talk about the book.
When booking the semi-private room at Bess Bistro, the manager stated that it holds up to fourteen people. We had eleven that evening and it was incredibly awkward seating. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable it would have been if we had to squeeze three more people in! There was one large round table and another long rectangular one. So, in order for all of us to hear Stephanie speak, we had to do some rearranging of the furniture. We did the best we could by moving the round table up against the rectangular one, but it was still suboptimal seating. I faced the back of another lady the entire evening and the people down at the other end had a hard time hearing our guest speaker. Long story short, if you are planning such an occasion, keep in mind that you might also have a tough time hearing your guest of honor. Other than that, the room was very lovely, being that it was tucked in a corner of the restaurant with a nice built-in bookshelf to help set the tone for our book club meeting.
Half way through the night, I stood and looked around from our little semi-private room to view the rest of the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw: exposed brick throughout with candles placed atop the tables, a few gas lights adorned the brick walls for that extra romantic touch, giving off the perfect lighting. Rather than it being a large open space, there were pockets of tables in cozy areas with booths tucked in here and there; the perfect ambiance for a quiet evening away with a sweetheart, I thought. I instantly fell in love with the surroundings and thought it was time for another date night with my husband.
The food, that evoked a whole other emotion in me. I looked at the menu online and had an idea- well, I actually already knew- of what I would order for dinner. As soon as I saw the description of the seafood risotto, I knew that I’d have a go at it. Here’s how it was described on the menu:
White wine saffron risotto with mussels, shrimp, wild snapper, scallops and shaved fennel- $21.50
Let me also tell you that I was starving. Yes, I was so hungry that I was actually feeling kind of light-headed in the car ride down to the restaurant. I had a granola bar stashed away in my purse in case one of the kids ever needed a snack, which I considered eating to hold me over until we got there. I resisted the urge to not spoil my appetite for what I knew was coming; a plate of yummy goodness.
When my food finally arrived, I asked the waiter to refill the bread basket because my dinner plate looked like there was no way it was going to satisfy my intense hunger. No, this wasn’t a case of my eyes being bigger than my stomach. It was a very small portion, especially for something that cost $21.50. It was maybe a couple scoops of risotto with two shrimp, two mussels and a few other chunks of random seafood. I could have easily have forgiven the size of the serving if it would have been incredibly tasty. Not so much. There was crab meat in it, which wasn’t in the description at all. It would have been fine if it had been REAL crab meat as opposed to the fake stuff. The risotto was a bit too crunchy and could have been cooked a tad bit longer. I didn’t see fennel or scallops, the two ingredients that I was most looking forward to in the dish.
I did eat all of it. It wasn’t horrible. Just not something I’d ever go back for. It was something I could’ve made at home, and when I go out to eat, I generally try to get things that aren’t so easy to prepare. I thought that I might have gotten a dish that just wasn’t made properly that night, but on the ride home, I found out that another patron in our group ordered a duck plate and about eighty percent of the duck was RAW. Like purple flesh raw. Ugh…. she was crossing her fingers that she wouldn’t get food poisoning, but since she only nibbled around the raw meat and tried to stick to eating only the cooked part, she was thankfully safe, surviving the night without any intestinal issues. Most of the others who carpooled with us also had similar complaints on the ride home.
Some redeeming qualities were the creme brulee; it was perfect. The waitstaff was nice and very attentive to us. In fact, everyone we dealt with that night at the restaurant were pleasant and helpful. They have curbside valet parking so you don’t have to drive around looking for those hard-to-find downtown spots.
It’s owned by Sandra Bullock and we heard it through the grapevine that she’s been in town, frequenting her restaurant. We were hoping she would hear about our exclusive book club meeting there (kidding on that exclusive part) and pop in to say hello to us. We were also disappointed in the fact that she didn’t show up, but know that there must have been something way more important going on that night to not come to our book club. We forgive her lack of appearance, but not the quality of her restaurant’s food.
Would I return? Possibly, as a dessert only option. Maybe stop in for coffee and creme brulee after a dinner elsewhere. Perhaps it was just a bad night for the chef.
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