Evolving Mommy Reviews

Timex Camper Watch Review {and Giveaway!}

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:43:00 +0000

I love knowing what time it is. The world seems like a much friendlier place if I have quick access to the time. The thing about a watch is that you can be as subdued and classic or bright and funky as you like. A watch can complete your look, and show off your personality all while being able to supply you with the time. What's better than that.

I have owned several Timex watches in my time. Generally they are all silver with a stretchy metal band. But a recent encounter with a new style has me thinking of spreading my wings a bit and trying some new styles.

This cute white Camper watch from Timex is what has opened my eyes to the possibility of new styles.

This Camper watch from Timex is water resistant to 30 meters, and features luminescent hands, a light weight fabric strap with buckle clasp and a resin case. The white Camper watch retails for $35.00 with other colors and varieties retailing for between $35.00 and $42.00.

I've been trying out this watch for the last couple of weeks. My mom and sister tried it out while they were visiting the other day too. I took advantage of their "try out" session and asked them what they thought of my Camper watch.

My mom liked that the watch was lightweight and not too heavy on her very petite wrist. She also noted that the strap could be adjusted to actually fit her wrist instead of flapping around twisting out of place.
My sister, one of the most fashionable people I know, liked the size of the face and the clean simple design of the watch. She was a little worried that the strap might get dirty because of it's light color but she thought the white was a good way to make a simple statement on your wrist.

I agree with them both. The strap is lightweight and because of the buckle can be adjusted to fit a wide range of wrists. I like the simple sleek look of the watch and it is kind of refreshing to see a watch that isn't metal or plastic for a change. A quick look on Timex's site shows that the Camper comes in other colors as well as other styles for both men and women. The white is my favorite, but there are some other Camper styles and colors that appeal to me too.

I do worry about the watch getting dirty or showing wear faster because of the white but wearing white really does feel luxurious to me as a mom. Almost like throwing caution to the wind in favor of cute. It makes me feel cute and stylish and a little dangerous. Okay, not really dangerous but you get what I mean. White and kids don't unusually mix well but I don't have to worry about dirty little hand prints on my watch like I do on say a pair of white pants or a nice white sweater.

How to get the Collegiate Look from Timex Style on Vimeo

I love the potential preppy look of this watch as shown in video above. The Camper watch is a versatile watch that anyone could wear at a very affordable price.

Timex has several other videos with style suggestions on how to get looks such as the Retro Look, the Rocker Chic Look and the American Work Look.

Timex is generously giving away a Camper Watch in white to one Lucky Evolving Mommy Reviews reader!

To enter:

Leave a comment telling me how you would wear this watch or where you would wear it to if you win. Would you wear it preppy or laid back? Maybe you have a certain outfit you would wear this watch with or maybe you would wear it everyday.

Bonus Entries:

In a comment share which Timex look is your favorite, Retro, Rocker, American Work or Collegiate?

Follow Evolving Mommy on Twitter and leave a comment with your user name.

Like Evolving Mommy on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you did.

Contest ends Thursday January 2o, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Your email must be in your comment or visible in your profile to win. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, if no response is received within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

*All opinions and statements are the authors and not necessarily the views of Timex. The author received the product free of charge as a part of this review. No compensation was received for this post.

Cinch! Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 05:28:00 +0000

I'm generally skeptical of diets. It makes no sense to take your eating to an extreme that you can't maintain, thus making in impossible to actually maintain weight-loss.

It was with that usual skepticism that I approached reading Cinch!

Cinch! is written by Cynthia Sass, the coauthor of Flat Belly Diet. Sass is a registered Dietitian, with a monthly weight-loss column in Shape magazine and the nutrition consultant for the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cinch! starts out with a little introduction to the plan. The Cinch! plan is a 30 day diet plan made up of 3 meals a day and a snack. The introduction is followed up by the layout of the 5-day 5-food fast forward, which is exactly what it sounds like. For five days a dieter follows a strict meal plan for 3 meals and a snack. all of the meals are made up of 5 foods, spinach, almonds, raspberries, eggs and yogurt. The 5-day 5-food fast forward is meant to jump start weight-loss and start off the 30 day program. Sass even says that it is possible to lose up to 7 pounds during the 5-day fast forward period.

Although the 5 foods making up the fast forward are very nutritious and excellent examples of foods a person should eat regularly I question any diet that encourages a person to potentially lose up to 7 pounds in 5 days. Especially since the accepted knowledge is that 1-2 pound a week weight-loss is healthy.

Some people may thrive on strict diets but as I said above I'm not a believer. Luckily the 5-day 5-food fast forward is optional and Sass states that followers can also begin the program by simply beginning the Cinch! Core portion of the program and eating any of 100-plus recipes as outlined in the book. The Cinch! core is the remaining 25 days, or the full 30 if you choose not to follow the 5-day 5-food fast forward.

The recipes Sass shares in the book seem healthy balanced and even pretty tastey. I love that she encourages followers of the plan to each organic, local and all natural foods. I also love that she includes some on the go store-bought options for days when planning and preparing homemade meals is not an option. The Cinch! plan even includes a daily does of chocolate which is something most diets forbid. Sass even includes recipes for making your own truffles at home.

The portions of the book that address emotional eating and potential questions you might have about the plan or healthy eating are a good read. I know I have a tendency to eat when certain emotions hit and I definitely finished the emotional eating chapter with a few ideas to get me started down the road to kicking the habit.

I would recommend this book if you are someone that thrives on a plan. The foods in this plan are healthy and maybe following this plan can help you start down the path to making healthy choices in the grocery store and while making your meals. Do I plan on following this plan? No, I don't. I did pick up some good tips and some simple recipe and cooking ideas such as cooking with green tea, but I am not trying to lose weight and I am very happy with my food selections in general.

If you would like more information about the book you can visit Cynthia Sass's Cinch! website.

*This is an honest review. All thoughts and statements are the authors and are not necessarily the views of One2One Network, Cynthia Sass or HarperOne. Product provided. No compensation was received for review of this product. This review was in no way influenced by One2One Network, or any other party.

iCaughtSanta.com Review {and Giveaway: 5 Winners!}

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 06:03:00 +0000

This Christmas Maddy is 3 years old. Which means she is really excited about the holiday and all the magic that surrounds it.

Today for instance we stood in line in the freezing cold to see the best Santa in town for over an hour. Even with the long wait, the cold and her runny nose she didn't lose interest in the reason for being there. She was going to see Santa. She was going to tell him what she wants for Christmas. And she did.

Apparently my child wants binoculars. Who knew? Not me. Especially since she has spent the weeks leading up to Christmas asking for a big girl bike and a kitchen and other random things.

Needless to say she will not be getting binoculars. But she will be getting a surprise on Christmas morning other than all the awesome-presents-that-aren't-binoculars under the tree.

Luke took a picture of our Christmas tree in our living room. Then using the Catch a Character website Luke added Santa into our picture. On Christmas morning we'll have proof that Santa was there in our house. Maddy is going to love it. Love it.

There were 20 different Santa poses to choose from. Anything from coming down the chimney to placing presents under the tree. We were thrilled with the choices and the results and I can't wait to show Maddy our picture on Christmas morning. What an awesome and easy way to add even more magic to your holiday.

Buy it: Want some proof of your own? Visit iCaughtSanta.com where you can personalize your own picture for only $9.99. In addition to Santa Catch a Character also has the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Cupid. Be sure to use the discount code Evolving-Mommy to save 25% off!

Win it: iCaughtSanta is generously giving away a personalized photo from Catch a Character to 5 Evolving Mommy Reviews readers!

Mandatory Entry:

Leave a comment telling me who you would catch a character for? You daughter? Your Grandson? Or nieces?

Bonus Entries:

Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment letting me know you did. Please include @EvolvingMommy in your tweet.

Follow @catchacharacter on twitter and leave your username in a comment.

Follow Evolving Mommy on Twitter and leave a comment with your username.

Contest ends Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 11:59 EST. Winners will be chosen randomly. The winners will be contacted Tuesday December 21, 2010. and will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. Please be sure your email is in your comment or profile or I will not be able to contact you and another winner will be chosen.

*All opinions and statements are the authors and not necessarily the views of Catch a Character or iCaughtSanta.com. the author received the product free of charge as a part of this review. No compensation was received for this post.

5 Great Reasons To Buy Mom (or Dad!) a Smartphone for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:10:00 +0000

I have another great gift idea to add to the list for you. A gift that makes life easier for Mom (or Dad). A gift that is sure to please.

A smartphone.

(Email subscribers click through to Evolving Mommy Reviews to view video)

This post is an entry into Cozi.com's $250 contest. Cozi offers a online calendar with numerous features and phone applications for iPhone and Android. All opinions and statements made in this post are the authors alone and were not influenced in any way by any outside party. No compensation was received for this video and post.

Holiday Gift Guide Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:14:00 +0000

11 shopping days until Christmas. Have you made all of your purchases? If so, congratulations you deserve a pat on the back and a cookie for your timely work. If you are like the rest of us and still have some shopping to cross off your list I'm here with some reminders of the fun items on the Evolving Mommy Holiday Gift Guide.

Below you'll find links to posts covering over 20 different gift suggestions for kids, teens and adults as well as men and women.

Now remember I was not compensated for sharing any of these products with you. I just like them enough to think you should at least know about them, or put them under the Christmas tree for friends and family.

Now get out there and finish up that shopping!

Food Face Plates
Super Magformers
Remington Ceramic Styling Wand
Perplexus
E.L.F. Cosmetics
Do Fun Stuff
Eton Microlink FR160 Self-Powered Radio
Matchominoes and Animal Counting Puzzle
Colorful Souffle Dishes
Kids Art Supplies: Melissa and Doug, Crayola, Oriental Trading Post
Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day
Powermat
Curious Chef

Giving back with Giveback.org

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 04:47:00 +0000

While doing last year's Christmas shopping I searched and searched the web looking for gifts my friends and family would love that also would help me give to charity. All I wanted was to stumble upon a website that sold things I would want to give as gifts while also donating a portion of the sale to a good cause.

Of course I found websites that donated portions of the sales on the site to charitable causes, but most of the things being sold just didn't fit anyone on my list. Not everyone wants or needs postcards with pictures of animals, Christmas ornaments or necklaces made with colorful crystal pendants.

Enter Giveback.org. Giveback.org is a site allowing you to create your own charitable foundation. You can add funds to your foundation directly from your personal bank accounts or by shopping through the GiveBack Shopping Mall with retailers giving you back a percentage of your purchase by adding it to your foundation. Then you get to decide what causes and organizations you want to give your foundation's money to.

It gives you control over your giving. It gives you the option to buy the things you want while still giving back. GiveBack.org allows you to easily keep track of your charitable giving in one place. It is pretty much a one stop shop for charitable giving.

I recently set up my own Giveback foundation. Thanks to Serena Williams, Steve Nash and Mission Skin Care's support of GiveBack I already have $5.00 in my foundation. After setting up my foundation I looked through the GiveBack Shopping Mall. I was instantly impressed. Stores like Target, Endless.com, Gap and Canon all participate by depositing a percentage of your purchases into your foundation. Just by shopping at retailers I would normally shop at I can raise money for my foundation.

By shopping at stores you love you can earn anywhere from between 2 to 15% of your purchase back. Individual retailers do have their own specifications on what is allowed. Each retailer shares that information on its page in the shopping section of the GiveBack site.

My next step while looking around was to check out the charities I could give too. GiveBack says that you can give money from your foundation to any charity registered with the IRS. So to test out this promise I searched for small local charities in my area. They all came up and I was instantly given the opportunity to donate to them from my foundation.

There are a few points, in my opinion, that are really key to making GiveBack.org a site everyone should use. Some of them I have already mentioned, but I'll mention them again to make sure it really sinks in.

All of your charitable giving is in one place. Easily managed, recorded and expanded on.
You can earn money for your own personal foundation just by shopping through the GiveBack Shopping Mall at online retailers you would normally shop at. The list of retailers is very impressive.
GiveBack.org sends you a single tax form recording all of your charitable giving for the year. Which means you don't have to keep track of every single donation you make on your own.
100% of the money you donate to charities through your personal foundation goes to the charities you choose. No overhead going to GiveBack or anyone else.
You can donate to charities near and far. Whatever is near to your heart. A cause in your city or a cause across the country and beyond.

I'm finishing up some of my Christmas shopping this year through GiveBack.org. I'm thrilled to have found a site that allows me to feel good about giving gifts that my friends and family will love without sacrificing my desire to donate to causes near to my heart.

I encourage you to watch the video below to learn more about GiveBack.org. I'm looking forward to simplifying my charitable giving, while opening up the possibility to give even more to organizations doing amazing work and I hope you will too.

*This is an honest review. All thoughts and statements are the authors and are not necessarily the views of One2One Network or GiveBack.org. The author is a member of One2One Network. By sharing honest thoughts and opinions the author is entered to win a prize through One2One Network. This review was in no way influenced by One2One Network, or any other party.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Thirteen: Curious Chef

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:55:00 +0000

If you start teaching kids how to cook early on does it mean they'll be making meals for the family by the time they are reaching junior high? That is my sincere hope for Madeline. I also hope that involving Maddy kitchen activities from baking to making dinner will get her interested in food and more open new foods and tastes.

Today's gift guide is full of gift ideas to help get kids of all ages in the kitchen and cooking up a storm.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Twelve: Powermat

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:18:00 +0000

You know what drives me crazy? Cords all over the place. It seems like everything that I own needs to be charged and has it's own separate cord to do it. You know what I love? Ditching all those cords in favor of one simple charging system.

I can charge my Blackberry, iPod, Flip Camera, and Bluetooth all in one place. This one place is called the Powermat and it is the perfect gift for the techie in your life. Or even just someone like me who has a lot of gadgets but not a lot of patience for all the cords that come with those gadgets. There are so many features to share with you this it took 5 minutes to cover it all, but this gift suggestion is a great one. One of my favorites from this year's gift guide at that.

Product provided. All opinions and statements are the reviewers and not necessarily the views of the manufacturer or retailers. No Compensation was received for this review.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Eleven: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 04:23:00 +0000

Everyone wishes they could make homemade bread in their kitchens. Either they wish they knew how or they wish they had time. This little book is the answer to both dilemmas. Happy shopping, now you have a great gift idea for the baker, the wannabe baker, or anyone else really.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Ten: Art Supplies for Your Young Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:06:00 +0000

I love gifts that let kids be creative and have fun. Today's gift guide is overflowing with great art and craft gift ideas for kids of all ages.

Album Review: ...Featuring by Norah Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Have you ever listened to Norah Jones' music? I would wager a guess that you are familiar with Don't Know Why, the song that thrust her into the spotlight.

Norah Jones has a timeless voice that can carry over just about any genre. It's smooth and soulful and unique enough to stand out in a sea of women's voices. Jones' latest album, ...Featuring is full of example after example of how her voice can transition though genres.

...Featuring is filled with collaborations between Jones and an impressive list of artists from across musical styles over the past decade. Even before listening to the album I was impressed with the album. Just a glance at the back of the CD case and I was seeing names like The Foo Fighters, Outkast, Dolly Parton, Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. That is quite a variety of big name artists.

After listening to through the album a dozen times there are a handful of songs that really stand out to me. Life is Better by Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones, Virginia Moon by The Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones and Bull Rider by Norah Jones and Sash Dobson and Blue Bayou by Norah Jones Featuring M. Ward are my very favorites on the album. I find myself playing these songs over and over.

I can appreciate all of the songs on the album because Norah Jones has a great voice and all of the musical collaborators are highly respected artists. With that said not all of the songs on the album appeal to my musical tastes. I am not a country music fan so I tend to skip over many of the more country music sounding songs. I have always been a fan of hip-hop and alternative sounds so my favorite songs on the album tend to fit more closely with those genres.

There is something for everyone on this album. Because of the diversity of sounds and voices on this album ...Featuring would be a great album to play at a party as background music. Keep it in mind when planning those upcoming holiday parties.

*This is an honest product review. All thoughts and statements are the authors and are not necessarily the views of One2One Network, Norah Jones, or Blue Note Records. This product was provided for review by One2One Network. By posting this review the author is entered to win a gift card through One2One Network.This review was in no way influenced by One2One Network, or any other party.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Nine: Colorful Souffle Dishes

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:37:00 +0000

Bring a little color in the the life of your favorite baker, cook or host/hostess with these adorable souffle baking dishes. Their colorful, adorable, versatile and affordable.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Eight: Games for Younger Children

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 06:37:00 +0000

Fun and educational games rock. I love watching Maddy grasp a game and then run with it. The games featured today in our gift guide are fun, educational, affordable and perfect for younger children. Maybe Santa would be interested in leaving these under your tree for your younger kiddos?

Holiday Gift Guide Day Seven: Etón FR160 Microlink Self-Powered Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:05:00 +0000

You know who I always have trouble shopping for? Guys. The guys in my family tend to like expensive things. They also tend to just buy the things they want when they want them.

I've finally found something that most of the guys in my life would like. The Microlink F160 Multipurpose Radio. This radio has a hand crank, solar panel and a rechargeable battery so even if the battery dies you can still listen to the radio. Heck even if the batteries die and it's a cloudy day you can listen to this radio.
It's an AM/FM/NOAA radio, LED flashlight, and can even work as a cell phone charger with a separate USB cord. It comes in several different colors, including red, blue, green and black. With a retail price of about $30 dollars from many different retailers it is a great affordable gift idea for any guy on your shopping list. A quick look online and I found the Microlink FR160 Multipurpose radio at National Geographic, REI, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

*The opinions and statements expressed above are the authors alone. The Author was compensated for this post. The Manufacturer and retailers of this product have had no contact with the author.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Six: Do Fun Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 06:24:00 +0000

Kids music that adults can groove to is hard to find. Really hard to find. Ryan Marshall of Pacing the Panic Room fame has come to my rescue with an album full of songs Maddy can dance to and sing along with while I also dance to and sing along with. Best of all the all of the proceeds from sales of the album goes to Prisms, an organization dedicated to supporting research into Smith-Magenis Syndrome as well as proving information to families of persons with Smith-Magenis Syndrome. The awesome bands and artists on this album have donated their time and talent to this album to help the cause.

What could be better than getting a great gift for that frazzled parent, music loving child or even you, while helping to support a great cause?

The album is for sale on iTunes. At only $9.99 this album could also make a great stocking stuffer.

Maddy's favorite tunes from Do Fun Stuff are Hooray It's My Birthday by Rabbit, and Potty Time by Cracker Jackson, and Morton the Caterpillar by Davey Rocker. Mommy loves favorites are Nothing by Steve Foxbury, Morton the Caterpillar by Davey Rocker and Ladybug by Rabbit.

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*All opinions and statements are the authors and not necessarily the views of Ryan Marshall, Prisms, or the album artists. The author was not compensated for this post.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Five: E.L.F. Cosmetics

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 03:30:00 +0000

Have you recovered from your turkey and pie hangover yet? Have you napped to make up for waking up early to hit all those black Friday sales? We'll I'm still feeling my turkey hangover and lack of sleep. The good news is with Thanksgiving out of the way we are inching closer to Christmas.

We are in full on holiday preparation mode so let's get down to business. Today's gift suggestion is Eyes Lips Face cosmetics. E.L.F. offers numerous affordable possibilities to help with all your Christmas shopping.

All opinions and statements are the reviewers and not necessarily the views of E.L.F. The reviewer was not compensated for this review.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Four: Perplexus

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 02:42:00 +0000

Day three of our holiday gift guide is sure to be a hit for the whole family. Perplexus is a 3-D maze that your whole family will enjoy.

All thoughts and statements regarding Perplexus are the authors and are not necessarily the views of Plasmart. Product provided free of charge. This review was in no way influenced by Plasmart or any other party.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Three: Remington Ceramic Styling Wand

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Today's suggestion is for the ladies. A styling wand. A styling what? Well, even if you haven't heard of it before I think your going to like it.

In the past I have used curling irons, straightening irons, hot rollers, those pink sponge rollers, blow dryers and round brushes and a host of styling gels, goop, and mousses in attempts to rein in my hair. I have finally found a tool that is versatile enough to replace half the tools I have used in the past.

All thoughts and statements regarding the T Studio Pearl Ceramic Professional Styling Wand are the authors and are not necessarily the views of Remington . Product provided free of charge. This review was in no way influenced by Remington or any other party.

Holiday Gift Guide Day Two: Super Magformers

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:10:00 +0000

We received a box from Steve Spangler Science a couple of weeks back and we just couldn't wait to open it up and check out the goodies inside.

I studied elementary education in college. I think that has partially played into my love of educational toys. My favorite toys Maddy has gotten over the years require thoughtful play, foster learning and have an open ended quality allowing Maddy to use her imagination.

All those toys that just light up and talk, play music and do back flips on their own, while entertaining are nothing more than mindless entertainment. Of course when Steve Spangler Science contacted me to review a product from their store I jumped at the chance.

Super Magformers come in a rainbow of colors. The Super Magformers set includes 18 squares and 12 triangles and retails for about 69.95. The squares measure about 5 inches and the triangles are about 4 and 3/4 inches. Other Magformers sets come in different sizes and shapes as well as colorful tiles with several retail price points for any budget.

When we pulled the colorful squares and triangles out of the box I did a quick demonstration showing the girls that the colorful shapes could "stick" together. They we're thrilled and curious. Then I let the beans spill that there are magnets around the edges of the shapes. That's when we had our first proud mommy moment. Maddy asked for one of the triangles and walked over the the refrigerator to make sure there were really magnets in those Magformers.

I of course was thrilled to see her testing things out using her previous knowledge. She already knew magnets stay on the refrigerator without having to hold them on so if there were magnets in the Magformers they should stick to the refrigerator too.

After her test we moved on to building the example Magformer trick cube from the box. Both the cube trick and the rocket ship trick are lots of fun and neat to see come together with the magnets doing most of the work.

Maddy and Boo took over from there building houses, geometric shapes, and a variety of other random fun things.

That first afternoon we spent over 2 and a half hours playing on the kitchen floor with the Magformers. For those of you who may not understand the significance of this let me explain. 3-year-olds generally have an attention span of about 6-10 minutes. The Super Magformers set kept Maddy and her best buddy Boo actively engaged, taking turns building things and experimenting with shapes, sizes and layouts for about 15 times as long as most things usually keep them occupied.

I was amazed.

Over the following days the Magformers have become the go-to play item in our house. I watched the girls go from making simple pyramids to making cubes to towers with multiple levels and beyond.

Their imaginations are always involved when playing with these. The other day the squares and triangles came together to make several different versions of cages to hold toy insects they were "catching" throughout the house.

At one point the shapes and their imagination teamed up to make a rocket ship for their stuffed dogs. Luke and Maddy have kept themselves entertained while I make dinner most nights by dreaming up and building an assortment of boats, airplanes and space ships.

Magformers have given the girls a great way to work on their spatial awareness, hand eye coordination, teamwork, and patience not to mention all the shapes they are becoming familiar with. I can see how these will be an awesome geometry teaching aid as Maddy grows. The only down side we have encountered so far is when the girls are furiously building they would love even more pieces to build with.

A month ago I had never heard of Magformers. Now they are one of my top ten favorite toys. I definitely recommend Super Magformers for kids preschool aged and up. Because of the success of Super Magformers in my house I'm also thinking of adding Magna-Tiles and as well as other Magformer sets to our collection.

Steve Spangler Science has a great holiday gift guide full of fun and educational toys, and experiments for children of all ages. I highly recommend checking out the website, it's a wealth of fun and educational science toys and experiments.

Yesterdays featured gift suggestion: Food Face Plates

Coming up tomorrow: A perfect gift for a woman of any age...

All thoughts and statements regarding Super Magformers and Steve Spangler Science are the authors and are not necessarily the views of Steve Spangler Science or Rainbow Products. The author received one set of Super Magformers for for the purposes of this review. This post was in no way influenced by Steve Spangler Science or any other party.

Holiday Gift Guide Day One: Food Face Plate

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Day one of Evolving Mommy's Holiday Gift Guide brings you Food Face Plate and Ms. Food Face Plate. Affordable. Unique. Most of all fun.

Evolving Mommy Reviews Holiday Gift Guide - 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Holiday gift giving can be daunting.

It takes time and creativity. Thoughtfulness and patience. Lots and lots of patience. Patience for the search. The crowds. The standing in line. It all takes patience.

Who has the time to find fun, affordable, and unique gifts for all their friends and family members? I don't, but I still fin myself spending countless hours each holiday season looking for the perfect gift for everyone on my list.

Since I believe in moms helping each other out, this year I'm sharing some of my favorite gift ideas with you. Hopefully checking out my daily gift suggestions will help make your holiday shopping a breeze this year. I have suggestions for kids and adults. Men and women. As well as gift ideas for families.

Join me in the coming weeks as see my suggestions for great holiday gift giving.

If you know of something awesome that other Evolving Mommy Reviews and Evolving Mommy readers should know about feel free to email me.

International Argyle Day Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 03:34:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who participated in the International Argyle Day giveaway from Agoo.

The winner of the 3 pack of Agoo leggings was chosen using Random.org.

The winner is:

3 Timestamp: 2010-11-20 03:44:15 UTC

mogrill said...

Signed up and left a comment.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
Thanks again for participating and remember the discount code for 40% off a 3-pack of argyle leggings including Sunshine, Racer, and Candy styles is good through the end of November. Enter argyle40off at checkout to receive your argyle 3 pack for just $18.

Celebrating International Argyle Day with a Giveaway and a Discount

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:11:00 +0000

Did you know International Argyle Day is coming up?

It seems like there is a day for everything these days, but Argyle Day is something I can get behind. Especially when it includes adorable argyle leggings from Agoo.

We all know I have a bit of a legging obsession. Maddy has more pairs of leggings then I would like to admit. I love them. Most of all I love Agoo's leggings. The quality is great. They are so soft and they have adorable designs for both boys and girls.

In honor of International Argyle Day Agoo is celebrating by offering you a great deal on a 3-pack of argyle leggings. By using the discount code argyle40off at check out you'll get 40% off a 3-pack of argyle leggings including Sunshine, Racer, and Candy styles.

That's $12 off the regular price! These leggings would be perfect for stocking stuffers, a great way to keep legs warm in cooler weather or to celebrate International Argyle Day in your house!

Agoo is also generously giving one Evolving Mommy Reviews reader their very own Argyle 3-pack! To enter simply visit the Agoo Facebook page and leave a comment for them, then come back here and let me know you did in my comments section.

For an additional entry comment on one previous Evolving Mommy reviews non-giveaway posts and then let me know which post you commented on in a comment on this post.

The contest ends November 18, 2010 at 11:59pm. A winner will be chosen using a random number generator and will be announced on International Argyle Day, November 19, 2010! 40% off discount code is good through the end of November!

Good Luck and happy shopping!

*All thoughts and statements regarding Agoo products in this post are the authors and are not necessarily the views of Agoo. The Author received no compensation for hosting this giveaway.

My Latest Fashion Obsession and Where to Find Them

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 16:07:00 +0000

I went to BlogHer in August and had the chance to attend Getting Gorgeous, an awesome party put on by Vera Sweeney and Audrey McClelland. I had so much fun and walked away with some life-changing swag. I say life-changing because for a couple of reasons but the scarves from Lands End and Kmart Design helped catapult by relationship with scarves from like to LOVE.

I'm talking obsession folks. And the obsession is growing.

What fashion accessories are you wearing over and over again?

Tiger Suit by KT Tunstall - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Evolving Mommy Catherine) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:24:00 +0000

Years ago when KT Tunstall's first album, Eye to the Telescope, was newly available in the United States I saw her preform "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" on the Today Show. That same day I went out and bought the album. I was intrigued by her strong voice and her one woman show approach to music. I can't play the guitar. Which means I can't record parts of the background to play on a continuous loop while simultaneously playing the guitar and singing a song. Her performance that morning amazed me.

When One2One Network gave me the opportunity to review KT's latest album, Tiger Suit, I jumped at the chance. I like new music. I like music with strong female voices and I already knew I liked KT Tunstall.

KT has dubbed the sound of this album "nature techno." Nature techno is an interesting made up name for the type of music on this album, yet very accurate. It is interesting to see how acoustic sounds have been mixed with electronic dance sounds.

I have to be honest. Techno and dance songs are generally reserved for the gym and nights out on the town for me. Since I am a mom and a hermit there aren't a lot of nights out on the town for me. Which is one way of saying there isn't a lot of time in my life for every song on this album.

The more techno heavy songs on this album, while good, are not my favorite. The driving forceful feel of techno beats I feel like Tunstall's voice gets lost in the shuffle instead of being front and center where it clearly belongs.

There are some great songs on this album that seem a little more in line with the music from Tunstall's first album, which I love. More mellow and introspective songs are my speed. Melodic and less harsh songs are more my speed. Songs like "Still a Weirdo" and "Fade Like a Shadow" are right up my alley.

In my opinion "Come On, Get In" is to Tiger Suit what "Suddenly I See" is to Eye to the Telescope. Listening to "Come On, Get In" makes me want to get up and dance around my living room instead of sit here and type. Up beat, up tempo, not a lot of techno sound to be found and a great instrumental sound.

All in all I have enjoyed this album. While some songs I tend to want to skip over I definitely plan to add some songs to my hang out/mellow playlist and some songs to my workout/running playlists.

*This is an honest product review. All thoughts and statements are the authors and are not necessarily the views of One2One Network, KT Tunstall, or Virgin Records. This product was provided for review by One2One Network. This review was in no way influenced by One2One Network, or any other party.