You Wanna Know What I Think?...

Review & Giveaway: Funky Monkey Snacks

2012-01-27T19:49:00.002-05:00

I have to be honest and say that my son's diet and food habits are seriously lacking. I mean he gets the 5 food groups every day (in a round about way) but when it comes to actually eating healthy, that is non-existent in both of our lives.

When I heard about the Funky Monkey snacks and read that it was the FRUIT THAT CRUNCHES, I thought it would be a great way to introduce something a little healthier to our diets. They have 7 different flavors and all of them are:

100% Real Fruit
100% Fat Free
No Sugar Added
Gluten Free
3 Servings of Fruit in each pouch

Their flavors aren't boring either. They have mash ups of the freeze-dried fruit like:

Carnaval Mix
Pink Pineapple - Pineapple with Guava
Jivealime - Pineapple with Lime
Purple Funk - Banana with Acai
MangOJ - Mango with Orange Juice
Bananamon - Banana with Cinnamon
Applemon - Apple with Cinnamon

I told Jordan that it was fruit, and an argument ensued for the next 5 minutes. I was telling him it was fruit, and he was telling me it was a cracker. LOL. But I finally got him to eat one by all three of us trying one together.

My favorite was the Carnaval Mix. Corey's favorite was the Pink Pineapple. And Jordan wouldn't try another one after taking a bite of the Bananamon. So it looks like we still have our work cut out for us, when it comes to trying to change his taste buds, but we're working on it and with new products coming out all the time from companies like Funky Monkey Snacks, I'm sure to find something that will eventually work.

Would you like to try these snacks for your kids, or maybe for the Funky Monkey inside of you? Enter the giveaway for your chance to win a pack of all 7 flavors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

6 Ways To Save Money on Groceries

2012-01-27T19:19:00.000-05:00

My friend Vicky just posted an article about how 6 Ways to Save Money on Groceries. I've found that these tips have helped The Ballard Family when grocery shopping. So check it out, follow her and leave some Comment Luv!

Review & Giveaway: Pambra's The Original Bra Liner

2012-01-27T17:41:00.000-05:00

Originally I thought that this product was for the big breasted woman, like me, but the more I read about it and once I tried it out for myself, I found out that this product actually solves problems that every woman deals with on a daily basis.

My personal problems that were fixed with Pambra's:

Sweating under and in between the breasts
Discoloration of bras
Bras wearing out due to frequent washing
Skin indention marks from underwire and bras that are too tight

Watch this instructional video to see how it works:

Super easy, right?! That's what I thought. =)
I've been using these Original Bra Liners almost every day since I received them. They are super easy to put in and comfortable enough to wear them all day.
I'll share a secret with you: If you're like me, then you want a little relief and release when you go to bed, right? I don't want to be bound up in a bra, because then I don't rest well. But if I have company staying overnight, I can't just walk around with no support. Well the Pambra has also fixed that for me.I can wear a bra to bed when I need to and still get the rest that I need.
Do you have any of these problems? You don't have to tell me but you can enter my giveaway to help solve them! =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

App Review: And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street

2012-01-27T16:52:00.001-05:00

About:
Dr. Seuss's first children's book, “And to Think That I Saw it on MULBERRY STREET,” instantly captivated parents and children when it arrived in bookstores in 1937. Now 75 years later you can enjoy this pivotal story as an interactive omBook!
Marco walks to school along Mulberry Street keeping his eyes peeled for interesting sites to share with his dad. But today all he sees is a boring old horse and wagon.“That's nothing to tell of, that won't do, of course”. . . so Marco envisions much more exciting events, each more elaborate than the last. The horse and wagon turn into a zebra and charioteer, then to an elephant with a sleigh as Marco's imagination goes on a wild ride down Mulberry Street.

“But now I don't know . . .
It still doesn't seem right.
An elephant pulling a thing that's so light
Would whip it around in the air like a kite.
But he'd look simply grand
With a great big brass band!”

New features only available in this omBook include professional narration, background audio and enlarged artwork for each scene. To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched. By combining the original text and artwork of Dr. Seuss with features that entertain and promote reading, this omBook appeals to readers of all ages.

What I Thought:

Oceanhouse Media is quickly becoming my favorite place to get apps from for Jordan's iPod Touch. I downloaded another one today called And To Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street and he's been on it since it finished downloading.

I have always loved the Dr. Seuss books and now the kids of this generation can enjoy them as well.
I really like how the words highlight when being read so that Jordan can follow along. I can already tell that these apps are helping him learn to read, which is awesome, because he'll definitely be prepared for Preschool this Fall.

Little Angels Printable Activity Sheeets

2012-01-27T16:06:00.001-05:00

Pre-school twins Alex and Zoe are blessed to have eight Little Angels watching over them - literally! These Little Angels "live" on the ceiling of their bedroom, painted there so they are the first things the kids see when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they see before they fall asleep at night. The angels come to life when the children need them most, helping guide them through the challenges of their young lives.

Your kids will love these cute printable activity sheets. I showed my son Jordan and he started saying, "I want to play, Mommy!" Too bad I don't have any ink in my printer right now. But as soon as I get some, I'll be printing these for us to do and hang on the refrigerator.

Coloring Page & Word Search

Little Angels is coming to DVD on Feb. 14th!

Nuclear Cowboyz Countdown

2012-01-27T12:23:00.000-05:00

Jordan is getting excited about Nuclear Cowboyz tomorrow. Wish we were going tonight instead. Just because we don't want to wait. =)

It's not too late to see the show! Check below for Special Offers in a city near you

09/16/11 - All Events - VIP Fallout Zone Tickets

01/27/12 - Cincinnati - Kids Tickets On Sale Now for Just $15

01/27/12 - Cincinnati - Save $20 on a Family 4 Pack

02/24/12 - Tampa - Buy a Ticket before the First Week in January and Get into the Final Dress Rehearsal

03/24/12 - Portland - Kids Tickets Just $15

03/24/12 - Portland - Save $5 Per Ticket on Groups of 10 or More

Did you already see the show? If so, what city and what did you think?

I Entered This Giveaway

2012-01-25T14:23:00.003-05:00

Pretty awesome giveaway going on now!

The Penny Hoarder is hosting a giveaway right now for a 8 GB iPod Touch!

You know I love these devices so I entered.

You can too!

Rafflecopter Entry Form

ENDS 2/8

My son is a Freakin' Genius

2012-01-25T14:05:00.002-05:00

I have to share this story:
As most of you know we got Jordan a iPod Touch for Christmas. He's only 3 years old so we made sure all the settings were set to where we had to put in a password for him be able to download any apps or access the internet in any way.

Well we set his password as Jordan08 and up until today he has been bringing us the 'phone' as he calls it, when he wants something downloaded. Then today he shows me the phone where he was sending a iMessage to Daddy and guess what he had typed...?
Jordan08!!!!

I guess he watched us put that in over and over and now he knows it. Now I have change his password because if not who knows what kind of apps he'll buy and how much he'll pay for them.

He surprises me every day!

Duped by Skechers

2012-01-24T00:43:00.000-05:00

So I've heard the saying that even bad publicity is good publicity and even keeping that in mind, I have to share how Skechers duped me and a lot of other people over the weekend.

I saw a deal posted by one of my favorite bloggers Angela from Mommy PR for Skechers boots on sale for only $3!!! I showed my husband and he was really excited about them. So I sat down to order them only to have trouble getting the order to go through for the next 2 hours. You would think that would send up a huge red flag, right? Wrong. I kept trying and finally in the middle of the night last night, I got a confirmation email saying that my order was received and I would be receiving them soon.

Great, I thought. They must have just been having trouble with their server or something, I thought.... Wrong again. Today I saw a post from the same Angela, how she had received a cancellation email from them and how she felt bad for posting a deal that turned out to be fake. (Totally not her fault by the way) but when I received my cancellation email a couple of hours later, I couldn't help but feel the same way.

I feel like I should I have looked into it a little harder, or even taken the fact that it wouldn't go through right away into account and stopped trying..

So I apologize for sharing incorrect information with any of you that saw my Facebook and/or Twitter posts about the sale and I can say that I personally will never even try to order something from Skechers again. They are too pricey in my opinion anyways.

Finding Nemo 3D - In Theaters this September

2012-01-23T20:04:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, I wasn't allowed to watch television as a child and it's only recently that I've been catching up on all the movies and television shows from the last 15-20 years.

I do remember getting excited when I had to go to the doctor's office because I knew I would get to watch kid's movies while waiting to be called back to be seen. I remember there was a whole week where I was at the doctor's office almost every day and they were playing Finding Nemo. It took me the whole week to see spinets of the movie and put it all together in my mind, but I finally saw the whole thing.

Now years later, it's coming back out in theaters but this time in 3D and I'm excited to take my son Jordan to see it the way it was meant to be seen.

I'm excited. Ellen is my favorite talk show host and her famous "Let's Keep Swimming" line in the movie is something I find myself saying constantly. LOL.
September 14th can't get here fast enough. =)

Gotta have a plan

2012-01-23T17:11:00.001-05:00

My mom is just like this!

And I'm just like the confused guy. =)

Storms A-Comin'

2012-01-22T14:29:00.004-05:00

Our local News channel has been telling us for days that we are expecting some pretty strong storms tonight. I'm a little scared cause we don't have basement or anything to take cover in. The best we can do is go to a room that does not have outside walls, which is the closet in our master bedroom. It's very tiny and is full of shoes but we're going to take the next few hours and prep the house in case of emergency.

I'm getting out all the candles and flashlights, first aid kit, and everything out in preparation. So blogging will resume tomorrow, if I'm still here that is.. =)

Keep us and the other states involved in these storms in your thoughts and prayers!

WIN A KINDLE FIRE

2012-01-21T02:15:00.000-05:00

DailyScoup's Blazing Hot Giveaway - WIN a Kindle Fire!!!

Daily Scoup
is hosting an exciting contest just for us, for one of
the hottest items on the market- the Kindle Fire! Their DailyScoup's Blazing Hot Giveaway - WIN a Kindle Fire Contest is designed to help you monetize your blog and give you a chance to enter for two amazing prizes!

Daily Scoup
is a brand new site for daily and local deals! They offer services to
merchants for FREE so they always have the better deals than
competitors, and best of all- they have an affiliate program that pays
50% on a 60 day cookie! There is huge income potential there!!

Here is how it works!

ONE Kindle Fire will be awarded to the person with the most REFERRALS

$100 CASH (via Paypal) winner will be drawn at random from the Rafflecopter form below!

Best of All

You can earn a TON of extra entries for promoting the contest!!! For every blogger that signs up and names YOU as a referral, you get 5 extra entries on the Rafflecopter!

To enter- join the DailyScoup.com affiliate program

Then fill out the Rafflecopter form HERE!

Ready Set GO!!! And make sure you say You Wanna Know What I Think?... sent you!!

NUCLEAR COWBOYZ Special Offers

2012-01-20T12:14:00.002-05:00

So the Giveaway is over and maybe you didn't get a chance to enter or you weren't picked as a winner.

Don't fret! I still have some special offers for you to save some money if you're planning on going to see this awesome show!

09/16/11 - All Events - VIP Fallout Zone Tickets

01/21/12 - Kansas City - Save $20 on a Family 4-Pack

01/27/12 - Cincinnati - Kids Tickets On Sale Now for Just $15

01/27/12 - Cincinnati - Save $20 on a Family 4 Pack

03/24/12 - Portland - Kids Tickets Just $15

03/24/12 - Portland - Save $5 Per Ticket on Groups of 10 or More

Don't Miss Out! The whole family can enjoy this show.

Awesome Video

2012-01-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

This video made me start sobbing like a 4 year old girl. It's in Korean but there are subtitles.

Please watch and let me know what you think...

Baby Time?

2012-01-19T17:53:00.001-05:00

OK Peeps...

I have a dilemma that I need some advice on.
I am getting 'Baby Fever' and can't decide if I want to go ahead and have another little rascal or not. =) For years, my husband and I have said that Jordan was going to be our one and only child but now I'm rethinking it.

I'm afraid it might be too late though. Jordan will be turning 4 years old in May and part of me thinks that is too much of an age difference and the kids won't want to play or do anything together and all I'll have to deal with is constant fighting and not getting along. But on the other hand I think that the age difference might help them to be nicer to each other and Jordan can help me teach the new one things.

I've heard that second babies are easier to raise and I've heard that all hell breaks loose and it's a lot harder, so if there's any mommies of 2 or more children, please share your story and opinion with me. I'm open to all suggestions. I just can't decide how I feel about it and I don't want to make a rash decision because there's obviously no going back once it's done. LOL.

Today's Show on Dr. Phil

2012-01-19T17:06:00.002-05:00

I don't watch Live TV very much. I set the DVR to record and I'm usually trying to get caught up on all of those shows, that I don't even look at what's on normally. But today when I sat down for lunch, Dr. Phil was on and the two stories he was sharing about caught my attention.

I started watching when the show was already half way through so finished it out and then rewound it to the beginning.

The two stories he was talking about were The Pretend Pregnancy and The Teen Mom Who Shot An Intruder.

Here's my thoughts are these two subjects:

The Pretend Pregnancy -

I agree with some of the guests today, about it being a good experiment, but I mostly agree with the young girl who asked, "What did the experiment really prove?" Gaby kept saying that she was trying to prove that you could still live your dreams even being a teen mom, but yet she didn't have to deal with the actual baby. It's one thing to be pregnant and still do what you want to do, but it's a WHOLE other thing to raise a baby and still accomplish what you want in life.

I'm not saying it's not doable, because it totally is, but you have to be strong, independent, and ready to face the world on your own. Don't expect anyone to be there for you. Learn to count on yourself and you can do anything. The realistic side of me knows that MOST teen moms don't do this, but there are a few that have overcome impossibilities.

Regardless I'm excited to watch the Lifetime movie of her experience on January 28th.

The Teen Mom Who Shot an Intruder -

"There is no theory under which he is not there to do you harm."

I totally agree with Dr. Phil on this one. He gave her his 'speech' that he says he gives to his sons and I agree 100%. If I was in the same situation I would have done exactly the same thing. I also live in the country and I can't tell you how many times that I've gotten scared and had my gun close by for protection.
Dr. Phil explains that he and Robin raised their boys in a God-centered home, and says, “I have counseled them to do exactly what you did if they are in that circumstance. You owe it to your infant child to stand in the gap and protect him from the forces of this world that seek to do him harm. That is your duty, that is your calling for that gift from God, and you stood up, and you did it,” he says.

Amen!

COMING SOON: $50 PayPal Frenzy Giveaway

2012-01-19T14:21:00.004-05:00

I love Giveaways. I love hosting them, I love sharing them, and I DEFINITELY love entering them. But I have to admit my favorite kind of giveaway is the ones I've seen a lot of lately...

$$$CASH!$$$

My family and I are trying to get out of debt right now so any cash received is a help.

So instead of being selfish all the time and just entering these giveaways, I'm going to help host one in the month of February!

Rafflecopter entry form will be posted on Feb. 1st so be sure to check back and enter for your chance to win!

Are you interested in participating in the PayPal Frenzy Giveaway starting Feb. 1st through Feb. 29th?

Find out all the information here.

Make Some Money with Your Blog

2012-01-18T20:21:00.002-05:00

I have been given permission to share:

One Income Dollar will pay for you to post guest posts on your blog.

Sites with a PageRank of 2 or 3 are guaranteed $10 per post and sites with a PageRank of 4+ are offered a little bit more money.

Just send an email to oneincomedollar@yahoo.ca and mention that Krista from You Wanna Know What I Think?... referred you to them.

Be A Star on Broadway

2012-01-18T18:30:00.001-05:00

LAND O’FROST OFFERS CONSUMERS THE CHANCE TO “BE A STAR ON BROADWAY”

America’s Largest Family-Owned Lunchmeat Company Partners with Camp Broadway® in Video Promotion

Land O'Frost, the nation's largest family-owned packaged lunch meat company, wants homes across America to be "alive with the sound of music" by offering young performers a chance be discovered by top Broadway professionals. Beginning January 23, singers and dancers can submit a video to the Land O’Frost “Be a Star on Broadway” campaign for an opportunity to win the trip of a lifetime to New York City to attend Camp Broadway®, Broadway’s leading producer of musical theater programs for theater-loving kids of all ages.

Hosted in partnership with Camp Broadway, Land O’Frost’s “Be a Star on Broadway” enables the entire family to get in the act by showcasing their singing, dancing and acting talents in a short musical-theater-inspired video performing one of five iconic Broadway songs:

Give My Regards to Broadway (Little Johnny Jones),
Oklahoma (Oklahoma!),
Do-Re-Mi (The Sound of Music),
All Shook Up (All Shook Up),
Steal Your Rock ‘n’ Roll (Memphis, the 2010 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical).

From January 23 through March 4, videos will be published on Land O’Frost’s interactive community website, LandOMoms.com, and will be voted on by the public from March 5 through March 25.

Two winners will be selected from the video entries: one by popular vote and the other by Camp Broadway’s panel of Broadway professionals. Videos will be judged on originality and creativity, quality of vocal performance and entertainment value.

“We are excited to turn the Broadway spotlight on our consumers and their families, giving them a chance to shine,” said Keith Hill, brand manager of Land O’Frost. “We are proud to make high quality lunch meats and to bring a taste of Broadway to our consumers. Camp Broadway is a great partner to get families involved in the arts through a hands-on Broadway experience.”

Camp Broadway®, a New York-based company that works at the intersection of entertainment and education, has hosted more than 20,000 children at its original summer program and has enabled more than 300,000 children to attend a Broadway show through its educational workshops and special events including regular performances in Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops.

“Camp Broadway is thrilled to partner with Land O’Frost to help their customers pursue their interests,” says Camp Broadway Founder Susan Lee. “’Be A Star on Broadway’ is more than a talent contest—it’s an invitation for families across the country to unplug from technology and make time to sing, dance and play together. This promotion is an opportunity for everyone of any age who has ever loved a show tune to get a taste of Broadway. We are excited to see how families around the country express their creativity and look forward to treating two talented families like stars as they enjoy an authentic Broadway experience in New York that they will remember for a lifetime.”

Grand prize includes round-trip airfare to New York City, accommodations, tickets to see the 2010 Tony® Award-winning Best Musical, Memphis, dinner at Sardi’s, The Sound of MusicBlu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and a Camp Broadway’s VIP Family Experience. The experience includes four hours of private, customized coaching in singing, dancing, acting and presentation taught by Broadway professionals to help (regardless of skill) participants perform like a star in their own classroom, office or community.

For all details and rules visit www.LandOMoms.com.

Great Tips on Saving Money on Heating Costs in Winter Months

2012-01-18T17:25:00.000-05:00

Read these great tips for reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency to help reduce your heating costs in cold winter months.

How to Save Money During the Winter Months

A change in seasons can be a breath of fresh air when compared to summer's scorching heat. But when cool weather turns to cold, heating your home can get expensive—fast. With energy costs soaring higher than ever, heating your home can take a toll on your household budget. We've compiled a list of basic tips and ideas to help you reduce your heating costs during the winter months.

Get an Energy Audit
Many energy companies will send a professional to evaluate heating and energy efficiency in your home for a nominal fee. You can also inspect for leaks and drafts yourself, but paying a professional a small fee can often save you big money in the long run.

Keep the cold out and the heat in
Heating a drafty house or an apartment is an energy consumption nightmare. Installation of storm windows, weather-strips and caulking can be helpful in reducing heating costs. The U.S. Department of Energy says to "Seal the air leaks around utility cut-throughs for pipes, gaps around chimneys and recessed lights in insulated ceilings, and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets."[1] Closing drapes and blinds at night, coupled with the use of draft stoppers, can prevent drafts as well. When the fireplace is not in use, close the dampers to limit your use of ventilation fans.

Dress warmly
Instead of turning up the thermostat, add an extra layer. Just wearing a sweater and socks can make all the difference. Put an extra blanket or two on beds for keeping warm at night. And don't rule out a Snuggie®. Just try not to wear it in the outside world.

Close off rooms, closets and any other little-used space
Unused rooms should always be closed off during the winter months, or heated with energy efficient and safe space heaters when needed. And remember to always shut closet doors.

Turn the thermostat down
Keep your thermostat at 60 degrees when no one is home and at 65 degrees when you return. Make things easy by installing a programmable thermostat that automatically lowers and raises the temperature. You can also use a humidifier to make things more comfortable. Additionally, lower the thermostat on your water heater—preferably to 120°F. [2]

Make sure heating equipment works properly
If you own your home, always make sure your furnace, heat pump, and all other forms of heating equipment are in good working condition. Simply replacing dirty air filters can increase energy efficiency. If you rent, ask your property manager to inspect the heating equipment. If you have difficulty paying your bill this winter, contact your local energy provider to discuss payment options. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a program available to help with these costs. Call 1-866-674-6327, the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) if you need help, or visit their website for more information.

About The Author: Check ‘n Go
Check 'n Go is the 4th biggest consumer financial service company offering check cashing and payday loans online in the US. As an initial member of the Consumer Financial Services Association (CFSA), Check 'n Go has been committed to responsible lending and works with legislators to improve the credibility of the installment loan, cash advance industry. Check 'n Go has payday loan and check cashing locations in 28 states, with online locations in an additional 3.

*References*
* [1] "Stay Warm, Save Money: No-Cost and Low-Cost Tips to Save Energy This Winter." EERE: Energy Savers Home Page. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. .

*[2]"Stay Warm and Save Money This Winter with Tips from the Energy Department | Department of Energy." Energy.gov | Department of Energy. 19 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Dec. 2011. .

One of Jordan's Christmas Presents

2012-01-18T16:01:00.003-05:00

My son was very spoiled this Christmas. He got a iPod touch as one of his presents. Yes, I know you're probably thinking it's a little ridiculous for a 3 year old to get such a delicate and expensive gift, and I agree 100%. But I got it for him anyways.

About a month before Christmas I got my first iPhone for my birthday and for the whole month of December, I was barely able to use it because of Jordan. He would steal it away when I wasn't looking and play the apps and games on it constantly. That's what initially gave me the idea to get his own. Plus, he was actually learning from it too.

Well he's had it since about 3 days before Christmas and has played with it everyday! I've had to actually take it away from him on several occasions because he wasn't playing with his other toys and I didn't think that was very healthy.

Now, he is into browsing the App Store and bringing me the device when he finds a game that he would like to download. (I have the settings set to where he himself cannot download anything or get on the internet without me typing in a password.) It's so cute, because usually I will only download the free apps, so if he shows me one that isn't free he says, "Aww... It's 99 money!" Which means, "Oh, crap. It costs 99 cents." LOL.

Sometimes, I'll give in and purchase the apps for him, but only if they look really cool or he asks really sweetly. =) Just today I went on the iTunes store and downloaded 3 apps for him to try out.

As soon as they were downloaded he took off in the other room to try them out.

Read my full review on each of these apps:

Ellison The Elephant

Five Little Monkeys Bake A Birthday Cake

Dr. Seuss Band

Needless to say, the iPod touch was a very good investment on my part. Does anybody else's young children have any electronic devices or am I the only crazy parent? =)

App Review: Ellison the Elephant

2012-01-18T16:00:00.001-05:00

About:
Little Ellison just wants to sound like everyone else. He trys to make a big trumpet sound like his friends and his sister, but all he gets is a little toot! With encouragement from Mom and provocation from his imaginary friend, Weasel, Ellison discovers his very own voice — a jazzy sound that charms and entertains all within earshot. Ellison's proud mom reminds us all that it's ok to be unusual. In fact, "All the greatest elephants in history were unusual — that's what made them great!"

New features only available in this omBook include professional narration, background audio and enlarged artwork for each scene.

To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read. By combining the original text and artwork of the book with features that entertain and promote reading, this omBook appeals to readers of all ages.

What I Thought:
Today I downloaded the new Ellison The Elephant app from Oceanhouse Media for my son's iPod touch. He has shown interest in the books and games from this company and nothing pleases me more because they are centered around Apps that Uplift, Education, and Inspire.

The oath I took when I started reviewing things on You Wanna Know What I Think?... was to always be honest and tell what I TRULY thought. That being said, I have to say that this app is definitely something you would want to show and read along with your children at nighttime when you are trying to get them to calm down.

The colors are a bit bland and the story itself didn't capture Jordan's attention. As a parent, I think the moral of the story is great! I have always taught Jordan from the minute he started understanding things, that it is ok to be different and actually even a little better then being the same as everyone else, but maybe he's still a little too young to fully get what Ellison the Elephant was trying to teach him.

* I recevied a promo code to download this app and provide my honest opinion.*

App Review: Five Little Monkeys Bake A Birthday Cake

2012-01-18T15:40:00.001-05:00

About:
The five little monkeys wake up early to bake a surprise birthday cake for Mama. One little monkey reads off the recipe while the others scatter about the kitchen collecting baking dishes and ingredients. . . "Sh-h-h! Don't wake up Mama!," they remind each other.
Once the cake is in the oven, they start on Mama's birthday present. Hilarity ensues as the five little monkeys' rambunctious activities end up drawing some unexpected (but welcomed) visitors to the house.

Children and parents alike will adore this story of five clumsy but well-intentioned little monkeys that don't always get things exactly right, but always have a good time doing it!

New features in this omBook include professional narration, background audio and high resolution artwork for each scene. To promote reading in young children, individual words are highlighted as the story is read and words zoom up when pictures are touched. By combining the original text and artwork with features that entertain and promote reading, this omBook appeals to readers of all ages.

What I Thought:
I have been feeling bad as a mother for not reading books to my son as much as I should. You see in movies all the time how the 'good mother' is the one who puts their kids to bed with a nighttime storybook reading... Well, that hasn't happened very much in this house. Not that I don't want to! I do! Just Jordan's sleeping schedule and the places he falls asleep sometimes are crazy and a lot of times I end up carrying him to his bed.

One of my New Year's resolutions though was to be more like the definition of a 'good mother'. So in addition to playing more with Jordan and taking him to do fun things, I have been trying to read him a book or two every day. Whether it be in the daytime or at bedtime, I know that I am expanding his love of books and knowledge by sitting down and reading with him.

I've said before how he is always playing with his iPod Touch and when I realized that you could get kids books as apps (I'm a little slow...) I was really excited.

I downloaded Five Little Monkeys Bake A Birthday Cake for him today from Oceanhouse Media for two reasons...

1. Because obviously I wanted to try out these Book Apps
and
2. Because for some weird reason, Jordan has been saying he's scared of monkeys for the last 3 months.

I have no idea why he would be scared of monkeys but when I saw this app, I thought it might be a good way to show him that monkeys are nice and funny. It worked! When the book was being read to him on Auto-Play he was cracking up! So we'll see but hopefully if he says he's scared of monkeys again, I can remind him about the Five Little Monkeys that Baked a Birthday Cake and it should alleviate his fears. =)

* I received a promo code to download this app and provide my honest opinion.*

App Review: Dr. Seuss Band

2012-01-18T15:02:00.001-05:00

THE DR. SEUSS MUSICAL INSTRUMENT GAME!

Experience the excitement as Dr. Seuss Band transforms your device into a vibrant, energetic musical instrument that all ages will enjoy! Jam along with playful Seussian melodies or create your own whimsical masterpiece. As you play, you'll unlock new instruments, silly effects and catchy songs. Contains over 120 combinations of sounds, so you'll always have something new to discover!

Features:

2 Ways to Play - Go for high scores in the Music Game or use Free Play to compose your own tunes.
10 Original Songs - Play along with the soundtrack from The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Dr. Seuss's ABC, Hop on Pop and more!
5 Unique Horn Instruments - Play Seussian versions of the Trumpet, French Horn, Clarinet, Trombone and Flute.
10 Crazy Horn Effects - Customize the sound of your horn by adding fun effects like a Fish Bowl, Train Whistle, Reverb and more!
Mix and Match Horns - Swap parts of the horn while playing to create over 120 Horn Combinations!
3 Difficulty Levels - Choose Easy for beginners, Medium for experienced players and Hard for experts.
26 Unlockables - Achieve high scores to unlock Songs, Horns and Effects.
Gamecenter Leaderboards - Compare your high scores with the competition.

WHAT I THOUGHT:
I'm always looking for new apps for my son to play on his iPod touch and nothing makes me feel better then knowing that he's learning something while playing with an electronic device. He's only 3 years old so I don't let him really get into all the violence of superheroes right now. Oceanhouse Media has some great apps available that are right in the category that I look for. Apps that Uplift, Educate, and Inspire is their motto so of course that caught my attention.

Just today, I downloaded some apps from them and Jordan and I sat down to check them out together. As soon as I clicked on the Dr. Seuss Band app, he started saying, "Let me play!!!"

Of course, I was wanting to play too, but I had to be the bigger person I guess... LOL. I sat and watched him play and was even able to grab a screenshot of one of the games.

It reminded me of Guitar Hero but for kids and with a trumpet. All he had to do was follow the colors and he was making music and playing a song. He LOVED that of course and 10 minutes later when I checked on him he was still following along and tooting on the trumpet. =) This app was definitely worth the $0.99.

* I received a promo code to download this app and to give my honest opinion.*