Reviews – Page 11

Baby Blast – Flavored Binky Spray {Review}

Having three little ones, I have learned it isn’t always easy to calm down a fussy baby. Sometimes a pacifier can do the trick, and other times they just spit it out and keep fussing. I have had this happen countless times with each of my sons, including just today with my 5 month old. I couldn’t get him to calm down and every time I would offer him the pacifier, he would spit it out a few seconds later. He wasn’t even happy with his thumb (yup, he’s a part-time thumb-sucker). I am pretty sure he is starting to cut teeth, so we’ve been having some rough moments throughout the day. I knew it was time to pull out the Baby Blast.

I have friends who use small amounts of maple syrup on pacifiers and bottle nipples to calm their baby or take a bottle. The great thing about Baby Blast is that it is an all natural vanilla spray created just for that. It contains just three ingredients: Vegetable Glycerine, water and natural flavors. Glycerine is a carbohydrate that is sweet but it does not increase blood sugar so much better than some syrup. The spray is also not sticky, which is a big plus. Not only is it easy to use, it is small enough to throw in a diaper bag or purse to always have on hand.

When my son continuously refused the pacifier today, a little spritz of the spray helped out tremendously. He finally calmed down and was able to take his nap, peacefully. He normally is a great sleeper, but he just needed that little something to calm him down, and today, that little something happened to be Baby Blast.

Baby Blast is not only for pacifiers, but can be used on a number of other things. If you are breastfeeding and your little one is having a difficult time latching on, the spray is safe to use to help them latch on. It can also be used on teething rings, sippy cups, medicine dispensers and bottle nipples.

I am anxious to use the spray when I introduce bottles and baby formula to my son. Weaning isn’t always an easy process and I hope, if there are any difficulties, Baby Blast will be my hero!

To learn more make sure you follow Baby Blast on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

BUY IT: You can purchase Baby Blast on their website for just $8.95. They also have a gift set, tote set and diaper cake.

WIN IT: Visit my Baby Blast Gift Set giveaway and enter to win!

Read more reviews from fellow Karma Media Members:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics Review & Giveaway

My (almost) 3 year old loves playing learning games on his tablet. He has gotten very good at a lot of them, but at the same time, he gets bored with them quickly. I heard about Looney Tunes ClickN READ Phonics from Karma Media and was enthused to learn more and let Little E. try something new.

Looney Tunes Phonics is an online reading program for children as young as 3 years old to about 3rd grade. It uses Looney Tunes clips in between each section during the lessons to engage your child and hold their attention while they are learning. Each lesson has different zones to help them learn:

The Letter Sound Zone: Learn Phonics Letter Sounds
The Listening Zone: Learn Phonics Word Blending
The Reading Zone: Learn Word and Sentence Reading Skills
The Speed Zone: Practice Phonics Skills Learned

Setting up our account was quick and easy and very customizable. You get to pick a Looney Tunes character and what lesson level to starts at (I started him at 1 since he will just turn 3 next month). Then I got to pick how long each zone will last, how much praise/motivation and cartoons are included, etc. With the customizations, each lesson can range from 20 to 50 minutes long. The ‘instructor’ for the lessons is a robot and I have to say, I think that is my son’s favorite part. He loves the robot so much that he begs for the robot and runs to the computer.

One of my favorite parts about the lessons is in the Listening Zone. During this zone, the robot says a letter sound and my son has to find the key on the keyboard (or click it on the on-screen keyboard). I love this because all of his toy computers and laptops have the keys in alphabetical order instead of a qwerty keyboard. When he plays on those and has to find the letters, he isn’t learning where the keys are on a keyboard. He is learning where they are, but still searches all over the keyboard first.

At the end of each lesson, a progress report card is displayed. This allows you to see how your child performed and if they should complete the lesson again. I really like that they suggest repeating, because sometimes when I thought he did decent, they said to repeat the lesson. He doesn’t mind doing it again th0ugh. He really loves his letters and alphabet right now so this is an amazing learning tool for him. The Looney Tunes cartoon segments in the middle help as well. When he starts getting distracted, it always seems to grab his attention right back. I was shocked that my son is starting to recognize words during the last reading zone we completed.

I can’t wait to continue using the program for my oldest, as well as my other sons when they get older.

To learn more or complete a sample lesson, visit the Looney Tunes Phonics website. Also follow them of Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

BUY IT: Looney Tunes Phonics can only be purchased online through their online store. There are three different subscription options: Monthly – single user $9.95, additional user $7.95: 6 month – single user $49.95, additional user $29.95; Annual – single user $99.95, additional user $59.95; Lifetime/Family – $249.95 for 3 users.

WIN IT: Looney Tunes Phonics is giving away 14 LIFETIME subscriptions! That’s right – 14 winners! Entering is easy using the rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends June 13th 11:59p EST and is open to the US only. The winners will be selected on Rafflecopter via Random.org, contacted via email and have 48 hours to reply to confirm. Failure to do so will result in a new winner to be selected

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER**
—VIEW WINNERS LIST HERE—

Read more reviews (including some video reviews) from fellow Karma Media Members:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Custard ‘n Jelly Guardian Angels – Guest Review

*This is a guest review written by Lena from Uncreative Mommy

I am thrilled to be guest posting here today on Nifty Mom, because I get to tell you all about Custard ‘n Jelly Guardian Angels. These guardian angels are the creation of a young girl named Ally, who believes that her grandfather is her guardian angel. She wanted others to be able to feel the strength and comfort that she gets from her grandfather, so she created Custard ‘n Jelly angels with her parents.

Each angel is created from a drawing that she did when she was 8 years old and she gave each of them special powers (talking animals and painting rainbows just to name a few). Ally also believes in helping others and so she wanted a portion of each purchase to be donated to 1 of 3 children’s charities. And the best part is, when you buy an angel and you register her, YOU (or your child of course) can choose which charity they want their portion to go to. I love the idea of letting kids choose to help for themselves.

There are 7 different angels to choose from, all with different skills, training and wing status and each doll comes with a card that explains it all. The doll I received is Cami and I couldn’t be happier. Cami is Indian which is a culture that I have ALWAYS been intrigued with, and her special skill is replacing nightmares with sweet dreams. That is a big deal in my house as myself and my kids have always suffered bad dreams, and Cami’s presence in our house has made a difference with my kids. Cami’s training is in making friends and she earned her wings by teaching that life is most precious when we share it with friends. This is important to us as well as we don’t just have friends, we have sisters and brothers and cousins that although we are not blood or legally related, we are FAMILY. That is what friendship means to us, its family!

Wanna have some fun? On the Custard ‘n Jelly website, there is a “fun” tab where you can design an angel’s outfit, now it’s all virtual but so much fun! My kids had a blast creating different looks.

If you want to learn more about Ally and the Angels, I recommend reading the About and Ally’s Blog. You can also purchase the Angels in the Shop. Also become a fan on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Be sure to visit Maryland Momma ‘s Rambles and Reviews for her review of the Guardian Angel Doll Roxy.

I received this product through Karma Media in exchange for my honest review.

Creative Steps Magazine – Review & Discount Code

I’m a magazine kinda gal. I know everything is going digital and you can find anything online, but I still love magazines. My favorite ones include activities I can do with my kids and they even love flipping though the pages. When I receive the opportunity to receive two Creative Steps Magazines to review, I couldn’t be happier to accept.

Creative Steps is published four times a year, each issue filled with season-appropriate activities, crafts, recipes and more. There are activities for children from ages 0-11 years old, even sectioning off activities for specific age groups (0-5, 5-7, 7-11) and for individuals or groups. This magazine is great for parents, grandparents, babysitters, teachers and anyone who spends time with children.

When I received both my magazines, the first thing I noticed was the size. They are larger than the typical magazines and the pages are thicker. It is high quality and will last awhile. This is great with smaller children. I let my toddlers page through them (my oldest picking activities he wanted to do and demanding we do them that second) and they both were still in one piece after they were done. That doesn’t normally happen. There are lots of great activities to choice from. A lot of the crafts are using items you may already have at your house. I like this for days I am looking for something new to do with the kids. I can just pull the magazine out and find something new to do right away. All projects have corresponding images to go with the directions.

Another great thing about the magazine is that in the back you also get templates to accompany the activities when needed. After you use those templates or if you choose not to cut up the pages, you can download the templates online. This is a great feature for doing the projects with multiple children.

Creative Steps is available by subscription only in print and online. I did use the online version as well, and it is extreme easy to navigate. I have a Special Readers Discount of 25% OFF just for you!

For annual subscription of online version –
With discount applied cost would be £13.50 (GBP) or $22.50 (USD)
Use the discount code KARDIG25 and email – info@creativesteps.co.uk
For annual subscription of printed version –
With discount applied cost would be £22.35 (GBP) for UK customers or $63.75 (USD)for US customers (including postage)
Use the discount code KARMA25 and this link https://creativesteps.subscribeonline.co.uk/all-titles/creative-steps?offer=KARMA25

For more information and learn more about Creative Steps, visit the Creative Steps Website, become a fan of Creative Steps on Facebook, and follow Creative Steps on Twitter.

**Make sure you stop back by on May 26th for your chance to win a 1-year Subscription**

Here are more Creative Steps reviews from fellow Karma Media Members:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Boundless Nutrition – Gluten Free Nutrition Bars & Protein Cookies Review

I always say there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done on my ‘To-Do’ list. And even worse, when I am trying to get the things done and I am hungry, I tend to just grab something quick and easy to eat (which is normally junk food). I try to eat healthy, but I don’t always do a good job of it when I need something to snack on. I have been wanting to find something different to try and through Karma Media, I got the opportunity to try gluten free nutrition bars and protein cookies from Boundless Nutrition.

If you don’t know Boundless Nutrition, they are a family owned and operated business out of Austin, Texas. Founder Trevor Ross was trying to created the best diet and exercise program for himself. Aside from regular exercise, he discovered what worked in his diet was lots of small meals with high quality proteins, healthy fats and antioxidants. Making these small meals easier, he created his Oatmega 3 nutrition bars. When that worked for him, it grew into a business that now are being sold in Texas stores and online.

Boundless Nutrition has three Perfect FIT Protein cookies: Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut. Each one has 150 calories, 10g protein, 4g fiber and 3 cups of green tea. They all fit many different diets and/or food restrictions because they contain no soy, wheat or egg, are gluten free, low in sodium, and include hormone-free milk protein. My favorite cookie of all time is White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and this one passed my test. The flavor was enjoyable. The Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter ones also had a good taste and all three were chewy.

There are four different Oatmega 3 Wellness Bars: Blueberry Pomegranate Crunch, Mocha, Dark Chocolate Peanut and Dark Chocolate Mint. The mint, mocha and peanut bars each have 300mg DHA & EPA Omega 3, 14g Time Released Protein and 3 cups of green tea. They are each chewy and packed with flavor. The crunchy Blueberry bar has 200mg DHA & EPA Omega 3, 10g Time Released Protein and 2 cups of green tea. My favorite bar was Dark Chocolate Mint. I was disappointed I only got one. Not only did I enjoy having the cookies and bars on hand to get a healthy snack throughout the day, but they also kept my energy up.

Learn more about Boundless Nutrition on their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

BUY IT: You can purchase their products right on their website or at select retailers such as Texas HEB, Whole Foods, GNC and more. Get a complete list of stores here. You can also find some products on Amazon.com.

Visit the following Karma Media members’ sites for other great reviews of Boundless Nutrition:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Dropps Fabric Softener Review & Giveaway

There are two household chores I am guaranteed to do everyday rather I like it or not: dishes and laundry. Laundry seems to breed in my house and I love products that help make it easier. When I got the opportunity to try Dropps new fabric softener I was thrilled!

If you have never heard of Dropps, they first created laundry detergent in an effort to keep clothes looking better longer. In order to make the product smaller than traditional detergent jugs (and more convenient), they put just the right amount of detergent in small dissolvable pacs. These pacs just ‘drop’ into the washer. They have recently created fabric softeners with the same convenient dissolvable pacs.

Dropps fabric softeners are offered in three scents: Orange Blossom, Lavender, and Wild Orchid. I selected the Wild Orchid scent. The scent was delightful. The first thing I washed was a throw we keep in the family room. When I pulled it out of the dryer it was extremely soft and the scent put a smile on my face. For days the scent lightly lingered in the whole room. It was always a pleasant surprise to smell the freshness each time I entered the room. After a week, as I was putting it in the washer again, the throw was still just as soft and still carried the Wild Orchid scent! And trust me, this did not just sit there all week, it gets used often.

I also received a sample of Dropps Baby detergent (to use with the softener) that is scent, dye, and enzyme-free; perfect for my little guys sensitive skin. I have three sons under the age of three (includes a newborn) and I am very cautious to what I wash their clothes in and always try to use fabric softener. My problem is 95% of the time, I miss the rinse cycle to add the liquid fabric softener. I am never near the laundry room and I have too much going on to remember to check on it. That means re-rinsing (with fabric softener) and wasting more water, energy, and time. With Dropps softener, the pac gets added at the same time the detergent does when you put the laundry in. That is a HUGE hit with me! That alone makes me feel a more ‘green’. Dropps is a very green and friendly product.

To learn more about Dropps, you can visit Dropps.com, fan them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

BUY IT: Purchase Dropps at their online store, find a retailer near you, or on Amazon.com.

WIN IT: Two winners will win (1) 16ct Fabric Softener and (1) 20ct Detergent. The giveaway is open to US residents 18+ and will end on May 2, 2012, at 11:59 pm EST. The winners will be selected through Rafflecopter via random.org and contacted by email. The winners has 48 hours to reply to confirm their winnings or a new winner will be picked. If you have any issues entering or have any questions, please email me at contact (at) niftymom(dot)com.

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS

Check out these other blogs from Karma Media that review Dropps:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

Rock N Learn “Sight Words” DVD – Review & Giveaway (9 Winners)

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to review the DVD “Letter Sounds” from Rock ‘N Learn. It was an instant hit with my toddlers and they still ask to watch it almost everyday. When I was contacted to review another best selling Rock ‘N Learn DVD, I couldn’t pass it up.

Rock ‘N Learn has produced over 50 educational videos and music for all age groups of children. They create a fun educational learning experience for your child. You can find DVDs and CDs for Phonics, Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, French, and more. Some of their best selling titles include “Letter Sounds”, “Phonics”, “Colors, Shapes and Counting”, “Getting Ready for Kindergarten”, “Spanish”, “Sight Words”, and “States and Capitals Rap”.

I was sent their new “Sight Words” DVD which is targeted for children Pre-K and up. “Sight Words” is designed to teach the most frequently used words in the English language. Within the last few weeks, my 2.5 year old’s vocabulary has exploded and everyday he is trying to say more and more words. I couldn’t wait for him to watch this one!

Sight Words Covered:

up • down • come • go • in • out
of • the • a
where • is • it • here • there
one • two • three • red • yellow • blue • little • big
look • see • find
run • jump • play • away • and
you • I • we • can • make • funny • face • get
to • for • me • my • give • from • came • as • are
no • not • now • said • help • will
he • she • his • her • they • that • was • with • on

When the DVD arrived and I showed the box to my son, he grabbed it and started jumping up and down. He really likes the main character as he was pointing to him as he ran to the DVD player. Of course we just HAD to watch it right away (unless I wanted to deal with a tantrum of course).

Again, I was extremely impressed with the whole DVD. My son was very responsive to it and was saying the words as they came up on the screen. The words are repeated in a way isn’t boring and just repetitious. For example, when they cover ‘up’ and ‘down’, you actually watch one of the characters fly up and down with the words on screen. Throughout the whole DVD there are catchy background beats to keep the kids engaged. My son even made sure I was giving it 100% of my attention because if I looked away and he noticed, he would yell ‘Mom’ repeatedly pointing to the TV until I showed complete interest. Not only did my 2.5 year old enjoy it, my 19 month old did as well. The more we watch the two we have, the more I realized I better pick out some new ones! I really want them all though!

Follow Rock N Learn on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Buy It – You can buy Rock N Learn products on their website. Use promo code JQ7711 for 25% off!

Win It – Enter to win any DVD or CD of your choice! There will be 9 winners! This giveaway ends on April 14, 2012, at 11:59 pm EST and is open to residents of the US only, age 18+. Once the winners are drawn randomly via Rafflecopter, we will contact them through email. They will then have 48 hours to respond. If there is no response, we will draw a new winner.

Good luck!

Check out these other blogs from Karma Media that reviewed Sight Words:

I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine. This review is brought to you by Karma Media.

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