I must admit I jumped at the chance when offered to review author Harlan Cohen’s new book, Dad’s Pregnant Too. Afterall, who have not heard of this bestselling author who is also a nationally syndicated advice columnist. No? Perhaps his other bestselling book The Naked Roommate may ring a bell. I can hear the “Ahhhhhhhhh” now *grins*.

I’ve got to admit, most pregnancy books are catered for women so, Dad’s Pregnant Too! would make a wonderful guide for any dad-to-be. Being a woman myself, I know for a fact that when I was first pregnant, I was clueless about my impending role of motherhood if not for the help and advice from friends, families and most importantly, books!

Dad’s Pregnant Too! features more than 100 tips for expectant dads with step-by-step guide, advice and pictures. I love the fact that medically reviewed pictures of baby’s development are also included in this book. Who else knows better than us that men, being the typical M-E-N rarely talk about their insecurities during the pregnancy months. Instead of being left to wonder about what the next nine months of pregnancy will mean for them, this book will help men to understand their partner and what’s really going on inside her belly.

Dad’s Pregnant Too! scores extra brownie points for:

• Teaching the expectant dads that they need to treat their partner well as a pregnant woman needs to feel as good as she feels big

• Providing expectant dads an insight into the different minds of a pregnant woman.

• Preparing them to face the truth - that the first 2-3 months after the arrival of baby might be extremely stressful and exhausting though things will be spectacular in the next few months after that.

Many a times when I read this book, I would burst out in giggles as the author is witty and hilarious while not losing sight of factual information. Dad’s Pregnant Too! is so much FUN to read and I wish we had it eight years ago when I was first pregnant. It’s definitely THE essential guide, packed with the best advice for expectant couples from the experts and parents who have been there before.

BUY IT HERE for yourself, your partner or even as a gift for a friend.

My son had so much fun playing the Bugaboo Bugs that he was really looking forward to reviewing Romaine’s New Hat with me. Romaine’s New Hat is another of Mia’s Big Adventure Collection targetted for kids of age group 6-10 years.

I have to admit that Romaine’s New Hat did not disappoint me as far as graphics is concerned. The animations are beautiful and the 3D graphics is exceptional, to say the least.

The story starts with Mia (who had secretly “borrowed” her mother’s new hat), being washed away in a sudden torrential downpour. Her mother’s hat slips away down the sewer where a rat by the name of Romaine finds it. The player’s task is to help Mia get the hat back before her mom calls her home.

Similar to The Bugaboo Bugs, Romaine’s New Hat starts with players leading Mia through the house and garden to find articles in order to complete a quest. Along the way, players need to complete challenging activities to get one step closer to their goal. There are four levels of difficulty and Romaine’s New Hat appears more challenging to my 8 years old.

I like that the educational  aspect focusing on science is seamlessly integrated into the game which makes the learning process easy and fun.  Through this game, I can also gauge my son’s level of science knowledge as it tests players on topics like The Solar System, Weather and Clouds, Electricity and Magnetism, The Human Body and more.

We are definitely giving this game a TWO THUMBS UP! Trust me, I’m not a big fan of computer games but Mia’s Adventure Collection are simply edutainment at its best.

BUY IT HERE!

The first time I set my eyes on the book, I was truly mesmerized by it. The picture above does not do it any justice. The artwork on the cover itself was so beautifully done and I was glad it came in hardcover so that when my little girl is old enough to read it, I can pass it on to her. For now, I just have to be contend to read it to her during bedtime.

The Fairy Foals is about the mystical journey of Suzanah, the main character in the book(who is also the author of the book), into the world of amazing tiny creatures called Fairy Foals. At the age of 40, Suzannah inherited her grandmother’s house which comes with a beautiful garden.  One day, while out exploring the garden, she discovered an exquisitely tiny horse with butterfly wings caught in a spider’s web. Read on and discover her extraordinary journey…..

The Fairy Foals is a gorgeous sketchbook and journal, coupled with adventure, friendship and beautiful poems. Ideal for those who enjoys magical and candid stories. I myself enjoyed the breathtaking illustrations which comes in wonderful vivid colours. If you are looking for a gift for a girl, a horse-lover or someone who loves art, this book would be the perfect choice!

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Hey mommy and daddies, here’s your chance to showcase your little kid’s talent! Company Kids is on their quest to look for models for their new print and online Spring 2009 catalogue.

For more information, click the banner below:

TO ALL COOL DADDIES OUT THERE

MOM 2 BB REVIEWS WISHES YOU

Thanks to Legacy Interactive, I had the chance to review the Tuttles Madcap Misadventures. The review came just at the right time as the school holidays just started and I was looking for family friendly games to keep my son occupied for the next two weeks.

This animated arcade-style game is being sold with a first-of-its kind national fundraising campaign benefiting children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses via the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation (www.starlight.org). Thus, some of Hollywood’s biggest names chipped in to help by lending their voices to it, such as Bob Saget who voices Barry Tuttle, Jamie Lee Curtis is mother Barbara Tuttle, William Shatnar is Vance Shepherd, Ashley Tisdale voices Jess Tuttle and Dominic Scott Kay voices young son Zach. 

The Tuttles is about a vacationing family who tries to bond while traveling to the Alamo.  By flying their mini-van through desert, jungle and even underwater, they had to avoid obstacles and collect goodies along the way. Playing the game reminded me of playing The Mario Brothers way back in my younger days. However, the animation was so much better with the Tuttles. I don’t know about others but it was not as easy as I thought. My son and I were stuck at Chapter 7 and could not get pass that stage even after several attempts. Now, he is enlisting the help of his daddy to see whether we could conquer that stage. One thing’s for sure, we’ve definitely proven that The Tuttles is a game that the whole family can play.

The downloadable PC version of the game (www.tuttlesfamilygame.com) was released late last year and has already garnered a “Kids Game of the Year” award from GameTunnel.com and a 2008 Parents’ Choice Silver Award.  Additionally, The Tuttles is available as a download for the PC and Mac, and there are also Flash, widget and Facebook applications.  Fifty percent of the retail proceeds from game sales and 75 percent of the proceeds from the downloads at www.tuttlesfamilygame.com go to www.Starlight.org.

Here’s your chance to let your family enjoy a wonderful game and at the same time make a difference. Just head over to purchase the Tuttles Madcap Misadventures here and know that you are doing it for a good cause too.

About Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For 25 years, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation(TM) has dedicated itself to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.

My first born had mild asthma when he was in the toddler stage and it really broke my heart. Even though it was nothing serious, being a first time mommy, EVERYTHING was serious! LOL.

Anyway, he grew out of it but still easily has bouts of sneezing out of the blue which we presumed is caused by airborne allergens and dust. Thus, sometime back, the hubs had decided to get one of those air filter to clean the indoor air so that it makes breathing easier for our son. Being the typical man, he did not do much research (like I would have) before he carted home an air filter. To this day, I can honestly say that little thingy he bought had no effect whatsoever to the quality of air in our home.

That was the reason why I decided to do a little research of my own on this topic. If you are looking to keep indoor air virtually pollution-free, I would recommend that you check out American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning’s AccuClean™ whole home air filtration system. AccuClean can be attached to your existing furnace or air handler, so you don’t need to renovate your home to install it. Once installed, AccuClean removes allergens from the air in every room of the house, as opposed to plug-in air cleaners that operate in only one room.

AccuClean is proven to remove up to 99.98% of allergens and more than 99% of the common flu virus. Standard 1″ throwaway filters and ionic-type room appliances can’t even begin to match that!

Now that spring is here,  it also means the return of itchy eyes, explosive sneezes and also the allergy season. As parents, we cannot help but be concerned about the quality of our indoor air to ensure that allergies are kept at bay. Therefore,  if having a cleaner and healthier home is your goal for your family, do check out AccuClean. Just click the link in this post for access to more information. Don’t worry, it’s not an affiliate link

My two kids were jumping up and down in anticipation when I told them that I had brought home The Bugaboo Bugs DVD-rom to try out. As predicted, my 8 year old boy finished his homework in record time and three of us were perched in front of my laptop before their bedtime.

This DVD-rom is developed by an award wining team and  targetted for children of age 5-9 years old. I am not an advocate of computer games for children but The Bugaboo Bugs put my worries to rest. It is not called an edutainment software for nothing. The Mia Adventure is fresh, unique and inspirational but most important of all, it integrates educational activities so seamlessly into the game. Thus, children get to improve on their literacy skills and have fun at the same time.

The Adventure

Basically, The Bugaboo Bugs centres around Mia, the mouse and  star of this adventure. Mia lives in a charming Victorian house which has recently been invaded by pests, which are called The Bugaboo Bugs, of course! Mia’s mission is to get rid of these pests with the help of a player.

We tried out all the 12 adventures at beginner’s level, though my 4 year old girl was a bit slow to pick up on most of the adventures as she could only read alphabets :) The elder boy did not have much problem as he is a fast learner and good at reading, if I may say so. He appeared totally hooked on the game and I had to practically pry my laptop mouse out of his hands when it was time for bed. Kids!

My verdict : Two thumbs up!

Mia Reading: The Bugaboo Bugs ia available on DVD_ROM for Windows and Macintosh. You can purchase it from TOY ‘R US, Apple Stores and other toys and computer stores at the retail price of $24.99.

If you are a fan of author J.H.Sweet’s Fairy Chronicles series, you will be happy to know that there is a latest addition to this series called Cinnabar & The Island Of Shadows. This book continues the tradition of the previous 7 Fairy Chronicles, which tells stories about wonderful 9 year old girls who are secretly fairies themselves

Here’s a synopsis of the book:

When seven babies are born without shadows, the fairies fear that humankind might be losing its closest companions!

Cinnabar and her friends must use elf magic to reach the mysterious and secret Island of Shadows to try and locate the lost shadows. But, as if that is not hard enough, Madam Toad fears the shadows are not just misplaced, but stolen! Fortunately, the King and Queen of the Shadowmakers — and even their Griffin — are ready to help fight whatever is responsible.

The fairies will have to work fast. Without the magical protection of shadows, all of mankind will soon be defenseless.

My 10 year old niece had the privilege to read this book and she spent the entire two days during her stay with us, glued to the book as she was eager to finish it before she had to go home. Such was the attraction of Cinnabar with her Aspen twig and her gift of enhanced abilities at night.

Like the rest of the books from The Fairy Chronicles series, I love the fact that it teaches children the importance of teamwork, respect as well as acceptance of people from a diverse society. Isn’t that what real life is all about?

I highly recommend Cinnabar & The Island Of Shadows to all children, girls as well as boys, not only as an extraordinary children’s fantasy book but a book that will help inculcate good morale and values in children. You can purchase this book and other books in the Fairy Chronicles series here.