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.

I am sure all moms will agree that getting our toddlers or young children to stay clean is no easy feat. Though it is essential that they understand the importance of cleanliness and hygiene, making the young ones stick to their healthy habits is another daunting task.

Thanks to Huggies, my 4 year old daughter has learned that cleaning can be fun. Huggies® Cleanteam® delivers fun cleaning products in an interactive, entertaining, and easy way through their cute cartoon characters like Daphne Dolphin, Sammy Snake, Henry Hippo, Freddy Flamingo, Billy Bison, Wally Whale and Carley Crab. You can read all about them via the widget below.

At the same time, I have embedded Clean Team’s Bath Time music video here in case your toddler is sitting on your lap with you reading this post. I’m sure he or she will enjoy the toons as much as my girl did.

Now, that’s not all as mommies should not be left out of the fun too. If you are keen to win some great Huggies products, please hop over to this contest page and try your luck.

I remember back in my school days, head lice was a common problem and everyone of us would shun those who have it. Even now, it is not uncommon for school going children to come back with a head full of lice. Now, I noticed not much is written about the lice on parenting websites, so I am posting some facts here for those interested:

 What Are Head Lice?

• Head lice are small parasitic insects, about the size of a sesame seed and live on the human scalp. They are brownish, tan or gray in color and move by crawling.

• Lice do not jump or fly, and do not transmit diseases. They feed on human blood and without it they can’t survive.

• Lice are not known to cause disease.

• Lice infestations are not due to poor hygiene.

• Lice live on people’s scalps, not on animals.

• Lice do not travel great distances on their own and can only survive away from a human host for 48 hours. They crawl from one person to another and are spread by direct hair-to-hair contact. Other means of spreading is from the sharing of combs, hats, helmets, scarves, headphones, pillows or other personal items.

 Detection and Prevention

• Examine the head under bright natural light.

• Part the hair and closely examine the scalp, especially the nape of the neck and behind the ears. Lice will quickly move away from the light.

• To find the eggs and nits, look for small white or yellowish-brown specks that are about the size of a poppy seed. Eggs are found on the hair shaft close to the scalp. Newly laid eggs are almost transparent, so it is helpful to examine the hair from different angles of light.

• To tell the difference between eggs and dandruff, try to dislodge them from the hair shaft. If they are not easily removed, they are probably eggs.

• Check everyone in the family for lice or nits.

• Do not share combs or personal items worn on the head or neck.

• Wash all clothing, bedding and towels used by infested persons in hot water (above 130ºF). Dry items at highest heat for at least 20 minutes. Dry clean items that can’t be washed.

• Disinfect hair products such as combs, brushes, and hair accessories by soaking in hot (above 130º F) soapy water for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Place stuffed toys in plastic bags and seal for 2 weeks.

• Vacuum rugs, carpets, mattresses and car seats thoroughly. Dispose of vacuum cleaner bags immediately after use.

Treatment

Most important of all is the treatment. LiceMD®is a a product favoured by school nurses and health care providers because it is pesticide-free, pediatrician tested and clinically proven treatment for effectively, safely and simply eliminating head lice. The lubricating formula not only eliminates head lice, it allows the patented comb to glide effortlessly through the hair so parents can concentrate on removing lice, eggs, and nits — not on combing through tangled hair. It is SAFE as the primary ingredient, Dimethicone, is used as a conditioning agent in many top selling shampoos and has a well-known safety profile.

Eliminating head lice involves a simple 3 step process as follows:

1. Apply LiceMD® to dry hair, then wait 10-minutes
2. With LiceMD® still in the hair, section and comb hair to remove lice, eggs and nits
3. Shampoo hair thoroughly with regular shampoo and warm water

LiceMD® is sold over-the-counter at food, drug and mass retail outlets and wherever lice treatments are sold.

Being a full time mom does not mean we can watch over our children all the time. Very often, we have house chores to do and the truth is we also need some ME time for ourselves. 

When your kids are old enough to understand and use the computers, you might like to occupy their time in a positive way where they can learn and have fun. At the same time, it will give you some free time to do whatever you need to. Here’s some FREE useful resource sites that I find entertaining as well as educational:

1. Fairy Chronicles - with features such as free illustrated e-cards, joining Madam Toad’s Fairy Circle, environmental activities, even upload the kids’ own drawings! 

2. Kids Games - Games like jigsaw puzzles to car racing, for pre-schoolers and up.

3. Free Kids Craftts and Activities Library - Free  childrens craft activities and science projects that kids and adults can do together.

4. Cool Match 4 Kids - A math site specially designed for what kids like and how they learn! 

5. National Geographic Kids - A great learning resource site that my son enjoys tremendously.

If you have a daughter who is as vain as mine, you will have an idea of how much I spend on clothes and hair accessories for her Frankly speaking, I do enjoy dolling her up before she grows out of it and refuses to listen to my fashion sense (Isn’t she already?!!!)  LOL.

Here’s a site where I just found the sweetest hair accessories to buy. The site is called Cherry Blossom’s Hair Accessories and they have the most beautiful hand made hair accessories for infants, toddlers, & children.  I love their  unique designs where you just can’t find on other sites.

Prices starts from $3.75 and above. Custom made orders are also available and all you need to do is visit the site and contact them on your requirements. Happy Shopping to all moms!

Do you believe in baby signing? I am a firm believer and these days, millions of parents are signing with their babies.  Research has also proven that signing allows baby to communicate before they can even speak. This can be as early as when they are only 9 months old. The communication and bonding built between parents and baby also results in less tantrums and frustration.

Here’s a chance for you to start communicating with your baby - through Baby Signing Time Volume 1 which  sets your baby’s day to music as you learn signs and songs for everyday events in baby’s life—eating, family, pets and more. This DVD combines songs, animation, and signing babies age 2 and under to make signing easy and fun.  Ideal for signing beginners as it teaches the following basic signs:

Eat, Drink, Cracker, Water, Cereal, Milk, Banana, Juice, Finished, Mom, Grandma, Dad, Grandpa, Diaper, Potty, More, Bird, Fish, Cat, Dog, Horse, Frog, Hurt, Where, Baby

You can purchase this DVD at a discounted price of $19.99 from Signing Time . While you are there, you might like to check out their Baby Signing Time DVD Gift Set as well.

I enjoy shopping online tremendously, mainly because that’s the only kind of shopping I can afford to do, with two hyperactive kids who will probably wreck havoc if I brought them to shopping centres. Thus, I often surf the net to find sites that I can feel comfortable with and have products that appeal to me.

I recently stumbled upon Announcements Galore which offers a great selection of photo cards, announcements and invitations. All of the products are custom designed and of great quality. I had spent some time browsing the site as I was looking for a gift for a new mommy and was truly in love with their lovely range of photo birth announcements. I think it is totally cool that they incorporate your favorite photos into a high-quality keepsake that will be treasured for years. I

For those who are interested, Announcements Galore also offers:

• Graduation Announcements and Invitations;
• Engagement Announcements and Save the Date cards;
• Wedding Announcements;
• Photo Invitations;
• Holiday and Seasonal Photo Cards;
• Keepsake Collages;

Being a small business, I find that besides competitive pricing, they also pride themselves of providing exceptional customer service. If you are looking for customizable announcements or personalized keepsake, hop over to Announcements Galore and have a look yourself. Sample is also available on request. Now, how cool is that!

I had the priviledge to review author JoAnn Dawson’s latest series of books, thanks to the wonderful people of Sourcebooks, Inc. The award winning author’s Lucky Foot Stable Series tells the tales of two girl friends, Mary and Jody. It has nothing to do with shopping, sex or snobby school cliques but it centres around their talented ponies, Lady and Gypsy as well as their action packed adventures and secret missions to faraway places.

A delightful and engaging series, Lucky Foot Stable comprise of 3 books:

Lady’s Big Surprise

The first in The Lucky Foot Stable series follows best friends Mary and Jody on an amazing adventure, one that will take them to a cow funeral, to the mysterious Secret Place and, most incredibly, to their first horse show with their favorite ponies, Lady and Gypsy.

Star of Wonder

Nothing could have been a better Christmas present than the birth of Lady’s foal, Star of Wonder. But with a scary sleepover, the discovery of someone’s secret past, a daring escape (and rescue) and the terrible news of where Star of Wonder has disappeared to, the adventure is just beginning for best friends Mary and Jody in the second book.

A Star Discovered

Life at the Lucky Foot Stables has been going smoothly for epic friends Mary and Jody. They are working hard to get Lady’s foal, Star of Wonder ready for his yearling classes and his first horse show. All of this suddenly changes when a mysterious man shows up and says that he is going to take Star away. And the worst part is: he might have the right to do it!

Complete with beautiful line-drawn illustrations throughout, each installment of The Lucky Foot Stable takes readers on an exciting adventure with best friends Mary and Jody and their talented ponies Lady and Gypsy. Reflecting on teamwork that sends a positive message, The Lucky Foot Stable also encourages a healthy, active lifestyle and offers ideas for good clean fun.

Though this series focuses on girls, my son had a wonderful time reading the books and learning the various horse related glossary. Ideal for age 8 and above (especially for horse lovers), The Lucky Foot Stable series is available for purchase via Sourcebooks.com.

In The Motherhood is definitely one of the funniest online series that I’ve ever watched. If you are a mom and have not watched it’s first season, you can now catch the show’s second season with it’s star-studded cast such as Jenny McCarthy, Leah Remini and Chelsea Handler. Afterall, every mom deserves some ME time and what better way to spend it then watching the humorous adventures of motherhood.

I’ve included a trailer for those keen on a sneek peek. Enjoy! At the same time, don’t forget to check out www.inthemotherhood.com where you can also submit stories, vote for your favourites and watch as the winning submissions are turned into new episodes starring Jenny, Leah and Chelsea!