Category Archives: Books

Mo Smells Red – a scentsational journey

September 23, 2008Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Bedtime, BooksAlicia

Did you ever think you could smell color with your nose? I didn’t but I’ve been given a new appreciation for smells since reading Mo Smells Red. Mo Smells Red is a cute story about a dog, Mo, who goes on a scentsational journey and takes readers with him. Throughout the book Mo enjoys the smell of red roses, juicy red strawberries, chocolate, and fire. Readers can actually smell what Mo
smells through the Press-2-Smell technology. Embedded within the pages of the book are
scent-dispensing packets good for thousands of “sniffs” containing
safe, non-toxic scents that truly mimic real life smells.

Both you and your child will enjoy the story about Mo, an adorable little dog, and the real life smells are sure to leave you craving a juicy red strawberry, a walk through a rose garden, a piece of chocolate.. or maybe all three. The book is short and sweet making it perfect for kids two years and older. My daughter is two years old and wants to read Mo Smells Red every time she sees it. The concept is fascinating. I thought surely after reading the book a few times, the smell of the roses would combine with the smell of the strawberries and so on, but that’s not the case. Each smell stays true to what it is and will for thousands of sniffs.

The embedded scent pouches contain natural essential oils and the pages
are printed on 10% post-consumer paper stock and printed with soy-based
inks. A portion of the proceeds will go to Best Friends Animal Society
(www.BestFriends.org) and support their initiatives to work with humane
groups across the country — to bring about a time when there are no
more homeless pets.

You will also find baby tee’s, tote bags, stickers, notebooks and more in the Mo’s Nose store. Mo Smells Red will make a gift for a child ages 2+. Even tweens enjoy Mo Smells Red because cute story and fun scents. Mo Smells Red is the first installment in the Mo’s Nose series of books created by long time friends Margaret Hyde and Amanda Giacomini. I can’t wait to see what the next installment is!

Price: $17.95

Available at: Mo’s Nose

Giveaway alert! We have two Mo Smells Red books and tee’s to give away. Join our newsletter to learn how and when you can enter to win.

The Busy Body Book personal family grid organizer

August 6, 2008Books, OrganizationAlicia

It took me about six years to realize that I needed to have one calendar where Tim and I could see each other’s schedule for the month. I had to ask Tim if he could take Sebastian to Cub Scouts or baseball and was disappointed when he said ‘no’ because he had to work. Between Cub Scouts, doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, visits to Grandmother’s house, and Tim’s work schedule, we never knew who was able to attend what event, or appointment. Then I was introduced to the Busy Body Book which has helped me tremendously. With the Busy Body Book, Tim and I can see what everyone has planned, who is able to take the kids where, and where our schedules overlap, and plan accordingly.

I started using BBB about two years ago and won’t going back to using ‘traditional’ calendar. The Busy Body Book is a grid organizer that allows up to five different family members to have their own column in which their schedule can be writen. In my case, I have a column for my personal appointments, one for work, one for Tim’s work schedule, one for Sebastian, one for Madelyn, and one for family events and appointments. Each page covers one week from Monday to Sunday.

Adjacent to each weekly grid page is a To Doodles page. Half of the page is blank and the other half is a checklist area. There are two pockets, one in the inner front and one in the inner back of the organizer. There are twenty one perforated To Do lists that are perfect for grocery lists and for listing questions you want to ask the pediatrician during your next visit. You don’t have to worry about something happening to your Busy Body Book when it is in your handbag or diaper bag because it has a plastic cover which helps keep the pages from tearing and getting wet, both of which are likely to happen to anything in your bag not covered in plastic.

I am so glad I have a Busy Body Book. I hated having to ask Tim what his schedule for the week was and what appointments he could go to. He gets a full month schedule at a time so I am able to fill in my Busy Body Book once a month and plan appointments accordingly which relieves a lot of stress. If you have more than one school age child, I know you will love the Busy Body Book. It will definitely help keep you organized.

Website: Busy Body Book

Healthy Child Healthy World: a book review

May 22, 2008Books, Green, Health, SafetyAlicia

Healthychildhealthyworldbook I got this book in early April and wanted to hold off on reviewing it here until all the Earth Day hype simmered down. Why? We shouldn’t just hear about all the products and services that will help us lead ‘greener’ lives on and around Earth Day! We need to adjust our lives to put forth the effort to lead safer, healthier lives everyday!

Healthy Child Healthy World is honestly one of the best books of this type that I’ve read in a very long time. It is not just a book to read once and put on the bookshelf. I refer to it regularly as a reference book when I have a question about a cleaning product, formula, toy, etc.

As parents, we want to do anything and everything to make my children’s lives safer and healthier. But up until recently consumers weren’t given easy access to the information and tools necessary to implement changes that will make a difference in our lives and those of our family. Now with Healthy Child Healthy World, parents can have this much needed information within reach 24/7.

Healthy Child Healthy World teaches us how to move away from cleaning products containing harsh chemicals, ammonia, and bleach and instead use items you may already have such as hydrogen peroxide, borax, and tea tree oil. These three things are great to use for getting rid of mold.

Two of my favorite of th 10 chapters in this book are "A Clean Plate: Choose and Eating and Storing Healthier Food" and "Child’s Play: Safer Toys, Gear and Clothing". These chapters provide a wealth of information.

Endorsed by celebrities including Harvey Karp (The Happiest Baby on the Block – one of my favorite reads when Madelyn was an infant) Tobey Maguire, Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Williams, and Tom Hanks.

I highly recommend that all parents buy this book for themselves and for their parents and friends. This book can make a huge impact on your life like it has already done for mine.

You can purchase Healthy Child Healthy World at a currently discounted rate here.

The First Adventures of Incredible You: personalized book

January 31, 2008Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Books, PersonalizedAlicia

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a personalized book about the most memorable experiences of early childhood, those that we want to hold on to forever. An iParenting media award-winning book, The First Adventures of Incredible You, is the perfect gift for the special child in your life.

Rhyming verses and rich, colorful illustrations will keep the attention of your younger child while the people and places mentioned in the story will delight your older child to no end. Because faces are not shown in this book, it is perfect for any child no matter what their race, gender or family lifestyle is.

The book begins with a dedication page for which you can request a special dedication from mom and dad. The dedication in Madelyn’s book is "This book was custom made for Madelyn Rose Hagan who arrived on May 9th 2006. We Love You! Mommy, Daddy and Sebastian – 2008.

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a story about the first adventures
of your child’s life. What child doesn’t love a story about them self? Your child is the main character in the story but the personalization doesn’t stop there. The story
includes the people and places that are most important to your child,
including your local zoo, park, and sports team, as well as her favorite food and the street where you live no doubt bringing the story to life every time she hears or reads it even as she gets older.

If you want to buy The First Adventures of Incredible You for a friend or family member’s child and don’t know the name of their local park, zoo, or favorite friend that’s not a problem. You can order a book gift certificate so the parent can fill out the form and complete the order.

Custom Made for Kids personalized chidren’s book

The Mommy Insider readers get 15% off with code insider15

Cookie Magazine – February 2008 issue: $3.50

January 20, 2008Announcements & Stationary, Books, Fun stuff for parentsAlicia

Cookie showcases all the best for your family, featuring fashion,
home, travel, entertainment and health for parents and their children. Cookie believes that being
a good parent and maintaining your sense of style are not mutually exclusive.

Throughout February’s issue you will find fashionable cold-weather clothing ideas for everyone in your family. For Dad (a very handsome Dad), a cashmere sweater does the trick while Moms are reminded that just about anytime, anywhere, we can wear the tried and true basic three piece outfit which includes your favorite pair of jeans, a 3/4 length coat and pair of not so ordinary shoes.

The most interesting article in February’s issue is ‘the pink dress’ which is about a four year old boy who wants to wear a dress to school, forcing his parents to make a decision: protect him from ridicule or cultivate his self-expression? I can’t imagine how I would react to a situation like this even though I consider myself to be very open-minded. My fear of classmates teasing my son would break my heart, but I 100% believe in self-expression.

This month’s cover features Liya Kebede, a model, actor, activist, and goodwill ambassador and her 2 year old daughter wearing a piece from Liya’s clothing line ‘Lemlem’. Wow! Liya has a perfect life! I was quickly proven wrong when I learned that she works very hard and faces the same daily trials that you and I face as parents. Liya tells us that ‘there is no typical day’.. sounds familiar, her daughter crawls into her bed at 2a.m… sounds familiar, and her daughter is often under her feet when she is working from home which makes it hard to get things done… that sounds so familiar.

Other features in February’s issue are Tips for a nontoxic life, Paid Maternity Leave?, and Storage Solutions for kid clutter.

Cookie Subscription – $24/2 years (savings of $60!)

WEBSITE: Cookie Mag website