by mayberry on June 9, 2008
Recently my husband quizzed Jo about most tradeable lunchbox items. We were surprised to learn that the hierarchy went something like:
Ice cream [unclear how this is a packable lunchbox item, but whatev] –> trumped by Chee-tos –> trumped by Fruit Roll-Ups.
To find out what we thought–and win your own carton–head on over to
The Full Mommy (where there are other giveaways underway, too).
*
The wonder-Grandma is here and as befits a woman of her stature, we’re making her help with home improvement projects, yardwork, and kid-wrangling. See you in a day or two.
by mayberry on May 19, 2008
I always thought it would be very cool to have a carnivorous plant. I mean, how excellent is that? It’s a plant, it’s entertainment, it keeps down the insect population in your home. Triple winnah. But apparently, the Venus fly trap requires more care than your average houseplant. For starters, you have to know to “Never, never, never feed your fly trap hamburger.”
Seeing as how I have never managed to keep a single plant alive ever (I’m not kidding. Thumb=pitch black), it really wouldn’t be a good idea for me to take on a plant that’s temperamental and might bite off my finger if I made it mad.
That’s why the pretend Venus Fly Trap from the Discovery Channel Store is a good idea, and why I reviewed it today on behalf of Parent Bloggers Network. Come find out more about what we thought at The Full Mommy.
Also, pls note that speaking of bugs, am heroine and stereotype-buster. Last week a kid brought a spider into my daughter’s classroom after school and the teacher and other mommies were freaking out. I helped him corral it into a small, clear container with a magnifying lens on top so he could observe it for awhile and then dump it outside. Oh yeah. My kid is totally going to be at the top of her class now.
by mayberry on May 7, 2008
Over at The Full Mommy today I’m reviewing Were You Raised by Wolves? by Christie Mellor, author of The Three-Martini Playdate. I had trouble deciding whether it should be shelved under “humor” or “how-to” but really, it shouldn’t matter (unless you’re actually running a book store or library). It’s a funny, witty book that also gives step-by-step instructions for making a bed, washing dishes, and boiling an egg.
Go, see what I mean. Thanks to Parent Bloggers Network.
by mayberry on April 17, 2008
You have to agree that there is almost nothing cuter than a kid in a pair of spunky rainboots. There’s something about encasing those sweet little feet in some brightly colored rubber that just makes grown-ups swoon. Maybe it’s the cheeriness they bring to an otherwise crummy day, or the fact that to kids, rainy days mean puddles! and how fun is that?
All this to say that when I had the opportunity, via Parent Bloggers Network, to try out some Vincent Shoes for my kids, I went for the boots. Check out the full review (plus a discount code!) at The Full Mommy.
by mayberry on March 25, 2008
I cannot believe that it is March 25 already. I feel like I have missed the entire month and do you know why? Because it is still winter. Equinox, schmequinox–we still have icy patches on our driveway, hulking piles of old snow littering our yard, and fresh flakes falling daily.
If only the Zula Patrol could whoosh in and save us. In one of four episodes we recently reviewed, one of the Patrollers uses a Weather-Matic machine to change the weather at the twist of a dial. Sigh… a girl can dream.
And a girl can learn a lot about weather, actually, from this collection of episodes of the PBS kids’ science show. Get the full review at The Full Mommy.
by mayberry on January 31, 2008
Call me a freak, but I do not like coffee. Never have and at this point, don’t think I ever will. And for the longest time, I had no interest in tea either. This was very disturbing to most people I encountered in my college and post-college days.
THEM: “What do you mean you don’t drink coffee? Or tea?”
ME: “Well. I don’t drink coffee … or tea.”
This was difficult for them to grasp. Occasionally I would say that I drank hot cocoa just to get them off my back.
Eventually I did start drinking tea. It was either the trip to Ireland or the first Starbucks chai latte that did it, or possibly a really sore throat. I’ve since moved beyond the milk and sugar, and can and do drink tea straight up.
In fact, I usually drink 4 to 6 cups a day. So a book called The Ultimate Tea Diet? Was right up my alley, even though I am not dieting, have never dieted, and generally do not believe in diets.
Get the full review at The Full Mommy!
by mayberry on November 12, 2007
When The Dangerous Book for Boys came out earlier this year, I was unmoved by the “but what about the girls?” outrage. Maybe because the kid population in my household is evenly split between the pink team and the blue team, so I have my own little stereotype experiment under my nose every day; but I don’t have a problem with a book declaring itself “for boys.”
Still, it seemed like an awesome resource, so I was pleased to review The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz. Much like the boy book, it’s really less about danger and daring than about those tidbits of information, instruction, and inspiration that your girl might not pick up in school or at the playground — but that are really cool for her to know.
For the full review, visit the Full Mommy!
by mayberry on June 12, 2007
When I was pregnant with Opie, after I got past the 18ish weeks of wanting to hurl everytime food or drink crossed my lips (or didn’t, which really sucked), I luuurrrrvvvved juice. My favorite breakfast was an Egg McMuffin with a tall glass of iced cranberry juice. (I had a whole rationalization worked out, whereby the healthful benefits of cranberry and protein cancelled out the grease and the … whatever else is in an Egg McMuffin that I really, really don’t want to know about.)
But oh, fruity fruit juice, I loved it so. And McMuffins notwithstanding, I did still want to make a weak attempt at at least try to eat healthfully, despite the obvious ingratitude of mini-Opie. So I spent a lot of time reading labels at the supermarket and hyperventilating over sugar content and phrases like “10% juice.” Seriously, juice, why you gotta be that way?
Too bad I didn’t know about
TrueBlue juices back in the day. This stuff tastes good, it’s got a ton of antioxidants (surely enough to do battle with the occasional McMuffin) and it comes in all kinds of fun flavors (blueberry pomegranate, anyone? Doesn’t that just scream “
cocktail“?). We like it on the rocks, in our freezer popsicles, and swirled into plain yogurt. While it does have some added sugar, it’s real stuff from the cane, not from corn. I’m working to reduce our family’s consumption of processed foods (this excellent
summary from Magpie explains why and how) and products like this can help. I mean, I guess it would help the most if I grew my own blueberries in the backyard (organically, of course) and then crushed them into juice with my own two hands. But I do have my limits.
