2009 April | Product Reviews by The Experimental Mommy

Review: ikookie

April 4, 2009 By admin 1 Comment

When shopping for Aubrie’s clothes, I always look for something that is baby soft, comfortable and free of potential irritants. That is what I found in the short sleeve lap bodysuit from ikookie! This environmentally friendly company sells a line of baby clothing including bodysuits, t-shirts, yoga pants, blankets and more made with 100% organic cotton. What is the benefit of organic cotton? ikookie explains:

“Organic Cotton is grown and harvested without the use of agrichemicals. Strict testing ensures the absence of contaminants like nickel, lead, heavy metals and pesticides. By choosing organic cotton you decrease the number of toxic chemicals to you, your infant and the environment. Our babies benefit from the softness and quality that organic cotton provides.“

Aubrie received the short sleeve lap bodysuit to review. The quality of the bodysuit was great! It has a nice weight to the fabric which is ultra soft. I washed the bodysuit several times and it has held up wonderfully to the wear and tear of a one year old! I am considering purchasing some yoga pants!

Head on over to ikookie and see what they have to offer!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: ikookie, organic clothes

WINNERS!

April 4, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

I just loooooove announcing winners! Giving away stuff if F-U-N!

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Kidmondo gift card: Sandy

Coconut Groove CD: Brooke

Exergen Temporal Scanner: Katie

You have all been emailed! Please claim your prize within 72 hours of this post. CONGRATS!

Filed Under: Giveaway Winners Tagged With: Coconut Groove, exergen, Giveaway Winners, Kidmondo

Review and Giveaway: Action Toys, Inc.

April 4, 2009 By admin

Because I am a full time working Mom, I definitely cherish the time I have with my girls on the weekend. When I search for activities for my kids, I am partial to the ones that require them to be creative, use their imaginations and get outside!Action Toys, Inc. has a great selection of toys that fit the bill for just about any age. From woodkits to space voyagers, biology fun to curiosity kits there really is something to interest every child. Action Toys makes educational toys fun!

Lily received the Tie Dye Strings Curiosity Kit and the Design your own Pocket Zoo kit to review. We had a blast doing both kits together, but her favorite wascreating her own Tie Dyed shirt! Watch the fun in our homemade video:

The Tie Dye String Kit sells for $6.99 and includes the following features:

• Lots of colorful string to dye the fabric of your choice (Shirt not included)
• Results in minutes
• 5 different colors, each string 28” long= enough for two great tie dye shirts!

Lily really enjoyed this activity. I liked the fact that the dye was in the strings! This project was not as messy as I thought it would be, but the gloves that come with the kit are very big and flimsy. I would recommend having your own kitchen gloves on hand. The kit took us about 30 minutes to complete and Lily is very proud when she wears the shirt she created!

Need some creative activities for your kids? Action Toys has generously donated BOTH the Design your own Pocket Zoo and Tie Dye Strings Kits to THREE lucky readers!

How to win:

1. Visit Action Toys, Inc. and tell me which toy you think your child would love!

Additional entries (leave each entry as a separate comment):

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog.

2. Subscribe to my feed.

3. Favorite me in Technorati.

4. Follow me on Twitter (@BridgetteLA) or tweet this giveaway.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on April 10th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Action Toys Inc., Design your own Pocket Zoo, Tie Dye Strings

Review and Giveaway: MediBag

April 3, 2009 By admin

As a Mom, you wish you could protect your child from every danger. Unfortunately, bumps, scrapes, illnesses, cuts and bruises are all an inevitable part of growing up. The best we can do is pick up our kids, clean (and kiss) the boo-boos and send them back to play.

Me4Kidz (which stands for Medical Emergencies for Kids) is a family owned and operated company dedicated to providing quality, user-friendly first aid kits for those little bumps in life. The original MediBag 4 Kids is a handy comprehensive kit including many products for “on the spot” treatment of common injuries. The kit includes items such as: antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, kid-friendly bandages, a one time use thermometer, instant cold pack, burn gel and much more. It also has cute smiley face stickers to bring a smile to your little patient! The company now offers other products such as the Medibuddy, a smaller version of the MediBag which is great to store in your car and the Diaper Bag Buddy, a travel baby kit including all natural and organic products.

You can feel good about a purchase from Me4Kidz! This company is environmentally friendly. They guarantee that the plastics used in their kits are 100% recycled and certified lead free. Me4Kidz also donates 10% sales to the disabled community.

Me4Kidz was nice enough to send a MediBag for my review. Living in South Lousiana, my first thought was, “This kit will be GREAT for Hurricane evacuations!” Anything that can make my life easier when trying to pack for the unexpected is a plus in my book! After opening the kit, I found a ton of great items! I tested out one of the crayon-shaped bandages and it did stay put. I also really like the pull out First-Aid manual which gives easy to follow instructions. Another great thing is that refills for your first aid kit can be purchased without having to buy the entire kit again! I highly recommend the MediBag for vacations, camping, or just your everyday trip to the park!

Want to win one? Me4Kidz will generously award one Not-So-Blog reader with the MediBuddy!

How to win:

1. Visit Me4Kidz and tell me which product you would love to own.

Additional entries (please leave each entry as a separate comment):

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog.

2. Place my button on your sidebar.

3. Subscribe to my feed.

4. Favorite me in Technorati.

5. Follow me on Twitter (@BridgetteLA) or tweet this giveaway.

Contest ends at 11:59CST on April 9th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Me4Kidz, MediBag, MediBuddy

Review and Giveaway: PinkTooth

April 2, 2009 By admin 37 Comments

Have you ever been cut off on the road by someone chatting away on their cell phone, or worse yet….texting?!? Several states including California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Washington and Washington D.C. have banned the use of handheld cell phones while driving. Additional states have banned novice drivers from using their cell phones as well. If you must go “hands-free”, why not do it in style?!?

ChicBuds, the makers of Swarovski adorned iPod earphones, are introducing the Pink Tooth, a chic version of a wireless headset! Each Pink Tooth covered in either white or pink crystals provides a crystal clear sound. The comfortable inner earbuds and light weight makes for a pleasurable hands-free experience.

The Specs:

Adorned with Swarovski Crystals.

Talk time: up to 6 hours.

Standby time: up to 200 hours.

2 color LED.

Rechargeable Li-Polymer Battery.

I was lucky enough to try out my very own Pink Tooth! Louisiana does not have a ban on cell phones for adult drivers, but I definitely agree that using a hands-free device will make driving and talking much safer. When it arrived, it was packaged in the cutest candy tin which would make a great birthday or Mother’s Day gift! I immediately took it out and placed it in my ear. Honestly, I have never worn a BlueTooth device and wasn’t sure how much it would bother me, but the Pink Tooth is so lightweight that I barely felt it at all!

Setup was a snap! I was up and running in under 3 minutes. I tested out the clarity of my Pink Tooth with a friend and she could hear me just fine and the sound from my headset was perfect. I think it will take a little practice to get used to not grabbing for my actual cell phone, but this device certainly made driving and talking MUCH easier….and I look cute, too, don’t ya think!??!

Because you read The Not-So-Blog, and because you read this review, you are now eligible to enter in the ‘Blog Reader’s chicBud Giveaway’! All you have to do is go to www.chicblvd.com and click on “Get ChicMail”. When it asks you how you heard about it, simply type http://www.thenotsoblog.com. Everyone who signs up from reading a review on a blog will be entered into a drawing that will be picked on April 30th!! If your name is drawn you will win a chicBud ($50.00 retail value)!! The winners will be announced on Twitter and will also be contacted directly! It’s that easy! And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better; if you purchase our items online, just type in the code chicBuds5 and you will get $5.00 off your purchase!

DO NOT COMMENT IN THIS POST TO WIN! YOU MUST ENTER AT ChicBlvd.!!

Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: Chicbuds, Pink Tooth

Giveaway: Rosie Bear Handmade Baby Journal

April 1, 2009 By admin

Having a baby (especially your first) can really throw your once normal life into utter chaos! The first few days of having a newborn at home were amazing, scary, wonderful and sleepless all rolled into one. I felt like I needed to gain some sort of control over the disarray and I started making lists for EVERYTHING! I had a feeding list, a wet diaper list, a poopy list, a sleep schedule list all on separate pieces of paper so when I went for our first Pediatrican visit, I would be prepared to answer all the new Mom questions. Even though my methods were a little disorganized in itself, having everything jotted down made me feel like I was in control (even if I really wasn’t!).

Looking back, it would have been great to have a baby journal with printed pages for all the lists I was keeping all neatly bound in an adorable book. Rosie Bear has developed an “Aunt LaLa’s Log” handmade baby journal which includes page designs to keep all your important baby happenings in one place.

Each log includes 90 days of daily logs to get your through that newborn stage. The pages help you keep track of feedings, diapers, sleep patterns and medical records. There is even a place to chart growth as well as “runny noses and ouchies.” Rosie Bear has patterns for boys, girls, twins and gender neutral which makes this handmade baby journal a great baby shower gift!