Moon Dough

My kids and I love playing with play-dough, and I have quite a few home-made recipes that are great, from edible to not edible to easy to to clean.

I LOVE play-dough.

So, when I saw Moon Dough at the stores advertised as "never dries out!!", I was instantly intrigued and had to try it out.

And try it out we did. We have used it for weeks now, and the kids have enjoyed it about as much as they enjoy play-dough.

And it hasn't dried out.

But you know what I have discovered that means? It means is is a PAIN IN THE BUTT to clean up. Because even sweeping it on my laminate floors squishes it into the broom and leaves streaks on the floor of moon dough moist dust.

It also appears that, since the Moon Dough never dries out, the makers felt there was no need to also have a container to PUT and STORE the Moon Dough in. So for now, it is in a baggie from my kitchen. Because, trust me, you DON'T want this stuff getting onto your furniture. Unlike play-dough, which will harden and become easy to clean up, this stuff STAYS moist and mailable-making it IMPOSSIBLE to get out of fabric. My couch was the sad guinea pig to that.


Also, I found that the molding toy (we got the farm one) is not very sturdy in a 4 year old's hands, even though the toy is for 2-4. The lever for making the forms kept popping off, which meant I was there every 2 seconds having to fix it, and then just finally doing the molding myself while they watched.

Since we play with all the play-dough molds ALL the time,and the kids are quite great (even the 2 year olds) at maneuvering them, I was surprised this one couldn't stay together.

So, while it is a cool idea that it never dries out, I feel this product would be better if it came with a container for the dough, instead of just the bags you cut open to get to the dough, and if the molding toy was all one piece, without the lever being able to just pop off. I also feel it is best as an outside, on the deck type activity, since it is a pain to sweep up.

The cost? For me, I hate this stuff and enjoy play-dough SO much better, so no price would be good for me. Honestly, unless they changed the items I mentioned above, I won't ever be getting any more of the Moon Dough. Don't waste your time, stick with good ol' play-dough.

You can check out Moon Dough for yourself at www.moondough.com. It is hypo-allergenic and wheat-free and can be found at Walmart, Target, Kamart, Amazon.com, Toys R Us, eToys, Michaels and A.C. Moore.

Shred Sled Shox Scooter

My kids were recently able to try out the Shox Scooter by Shred Sled-and all I can say is that it is a HUGE it.

The sled is EXTREMELY well made, durable, and though it is made for getting bigger jumps and tricks out of it, when I messed with it it seemed to be VERY sturdy and easy to balance-which would explain why my son was suddenly able to do some small jumps with it, after having never even been on a scooter of any kind before.

And even though, as a parent I was a wee bit nervous about letting him try out a "tick" sled, I have to say the traction and wheels were fantastic for keeping a good grip on our driveway (which is paved but rather old and bumpy in spots).

The Shox Scooter is built with a new, innovative spring shock deck to absorb impact when landing jumps and stunts, and to also spring back to increase the rider's power. The deck's rough grip surface provides excellent foot control and traction while performing tricks and the scooter's sturdy back brake further enhances control and safety while riding. The handles also adjust to various heights to accommodate children of all sizes.

While the price is a bit steep, at $59.99, I think it is a PERFECT Christmas or birthday worthy gift. My son is in love with it and has been enjoying riding it up to the park, and I enjoy feeling that he is on a well made, sturdy scooter with strong brakes.

Of course, your kids should always wear helmets and safety gear while using the scooter. I'm that mom that makes my son wear elbow, knee, and head gear while on it, as well as pants so there is little chance of him scrapping up his legs if he falls. Yea, I know, I'm a bit overboard. But really, you should see the fun/crazy things he can do with this scooter....

Anyways, you can check out more about the Shred Sled Shox Scooter at www.shredsled.com, and you can buy it nationwide a retailers, as well as at www.shredsled.com. We love it, I highly recommend it as a great, strong and well made item for you child, should you be looking at a scooter that can grow with them from preschool on up to middle school sized tricks.

Like Wear Clothes

I feel very blessed that I get to work from home. My job allows me the flexibility to hang out with my kids, save money on day care, and earn extra money at the same time. It is just wonderful, and I wish that all moms that wanted to stay home, but needed to work, could find something similar.

Like Wear® is just that company-it gives moms and dads the opportunity to run an at home business selling character themed clothing items that, well, your kids will LIKE to WEAR!

I was contacted to try out Like Wear® to try their clothes out on my boys-and I can guarantee you they LOVED wearing them. There isn't as big of a selection for boys as for girls-but that is always my clothing complaint. Little Dude picked out a Lke Wear® "Wheaties Champion" shirt that I have to now sneak out of his room to wash-otherwise he will wear it every day. He wore it yesterday and is yes, wearing it again today. At least he as clean shorts and socks (and undies) right?


Like Wear® sells children's clothing featuring modern day and vintage package art, and exclusive designs and unique twists on popular culture. They have created more than 100 images featuring family friendly brands like Wheaties, Trix, Tootsie Roll, Dots, Honda PowerSports and many others-some that are sure to bring back childhood memories of your own!

What I am most impressed with about Like Wear®? They make it possible for a parent to earn extra money from home-which is quite the gift! Like Wear® is the first and only company to focus on selling licensed apparel and accessories via the Direct Selling channel, and features a modern day fusion of a fun, boutique children’s clothing line and more traditional party plan direct sales companies, similar to Mary Kay or The Pampered Chef. Like Wear® provides a flexible and financially rewarding way to earn money or have a career selling a unique line of children’s clothing and accessories that feature products, brands and other stuff moms and their kids really like. Learn how you can start your own business selling Like Wear®


As a side note, I wanted to share as well that even though my son has worn his Wheaties shirt for almost 3 weeks straight, it still looks fantastic, the colors have stayed bright and dirt stains have come out with every wash, so I am very impressed with the quality of clothing.

Yes, my son and I LOVE Like Wear®. You can also learn more at the Like Wear® blogs, from Lisa and KenGold

**I was given a shopping coupon to buy two shirts from the main Like Wear® distributor for the purpose of giving a review, valuing around 30 dollars and immediately feel in love with their direct sales opportunity for stay at home parents.****

Life And Science Museum of Durham, NC

We went to yet another museum this week-this time we made the trip to Durham to visit the Life and Science Museum-IT IS AWESOME. Well worth the drive and everyone with kids of ANY age should take them.

There was a super cool train ride-much better than the one at Pullen Park, if you have ever been there, and an amazing dinosaur walk that had all the little boys going crazy. Little Dude, Linus, and JR were SO excited about the dinosaurs. The best part was the fossil digging at the end of the trail-I could see spending many hours there.

The museum was so huge we didn't even get to see everything-they have a mini zoo there with native animals and a barn yard-that was a HUGE hit. The butterfly house was 100 times bigger than the one at the Science Museum in Raleigh-and we didn't even get to see all of it because the outdoor air one was closed for the cold weather. Emily LOVED that; the boys loved chasing each other.

They even had a butterfly gift shop-ohhhh, I could see spending too much money there!

So, needless to say, it was AWESOME. They have a whole indoor part too, with weather, space, BUGS-ewww!-and a music room. I can't even tell you everything that was there.

We will be back for sure-and the great thing is that kids under 3 are free and parking is free, SO the 12.50 for me and 9.50 for Little Dude to get in and wander around for a few hours was well WELL worth it. Also, the museum is DEAD in the afternoons, so it was just us and my wonderful bloggy friend Abby, her son, and a handful of other people.

My suggestion though, if you don't live in Durham, make sure you head home by 4, because traffic SUCKS getting back to Raleigh from there. We left around 4:30, and I ended up SITTING for a good 20 minutes around Miami/Page Road, which made our almost hour drive home even longer-ugh. So, lesson learned here; I will have to be more diligent about leaving early.

Overall, I liked this one better than Marbles; however, it is a long drive from my part of town, so I would probably go to Marbles more often. Marbles is awesome for little kids, but for preschool and school age ones, I would choose the Durham museum as the best. Everyone should go check it out at least once.

*This is my opinion, I was not compensated to give this review or share my thoughts, I just wanted to let everyone know how cool it was *

Wash Them Grow

Not long ago I participated in my first "Twitter Party", and I must say, it was a little weird. I almost couldn't keep up with all the conversations going on, and I didn't know any of the people I was talking with except the MomSelect folks (who invited me to the party, by the way) so I didn't really say much myself (sorta how I am in real life at parties-I have to warm up to everyone first). Next time around I vow to jump in more.

Anyways, what exactly was the "Wash Them Grow" party about? Why, bathtime! I got to participate in a product testing for Suave kids, and felt very honored they wanted my opinion on the new kid's body washes.

Can I tell you I loved them? They smell oh so yummy, with scents like Berry, Strawberry, and they were gentle for eyes and skin with the Shea Butter and Aloe and the "Free and Gentle" one-which has no dyes, scents, or anything that might irritate your child's skin. Which if anyone has read my recent adventures with JR, you'll know he has some allergies, so the Free and Clear is a huge hit in my house now.

Both of my kids love bathtime any way, but they LOVED all the bubbles Suave kids body wash created and I loved seeing what the retail price was going to be. There is nothing tighter than our budget right now (OK, maybe my pants are tight, too, that's a post for another day) but seeing that I can get tons of bubbles, tear free and dye free gentleness AND great smells in a product created for kids (who become dramatically smellier once they leave the baby stage)for a super low price made me jump for joy!

And if you would like to win a some Suave products for your family, visit washthemgrow.com to enter.

You can check out the party at Twitter #WashThemGrow.

Some people "crashed" our Twitter party by sending and resending messages about how Suave isn't all natural and has chemicals in it-and yes, it does. As does many things. In fact, I am drinking a diet soda right now and I'm pretty sure the sweetener in it has is linked to cancer in lab rats-who ate pounds of the stuff. But the small amount in the occasional soda I drink? Not concerned. I should probably be more concerned about the amount of caffeine in the coffee I drink all day-and that is all natural.

Might I also say it makes my skin-and now my kid's skin-smell oh so good. And that is super nice with two very active, usually muddy, and very smelly, little boys in the house.

While I don't think Suave is offering anything extraordinary or out of the box new-after all, Johnson's baby washes have long been known as "tear free"-Suave IS offering another GREAT option for moms who want tear free body washes for our no-longer-babies-babies, great smell, dye free options that are gentle for skin yet CLEAN the MUCK off- and all without spending half the grocery money for it.

Thank you, Suave, for the great products and the budget saving prices!

**I was given Suave Kids body washes to test out for my honest opinion.**

Chicks-N-Chickens

Happy Babywearing Week!!

As part of the fun, I thought I would share with you all one of my favorite things to do while babywearing.

Exercising.

Yes, you read correctly. I like to exercise while wearing JR. I got the Lullaby Exercises from Chicks-N-Chickens, a wonderful mom run company that promotes items to make life easier for us moms and dads. Part of making life easier? Finding alone time while a colicky baby screams.

That is where Lullaby Exercises steps in. It is a great workout, which you can customize yourself to push a little harder and stretch further, or you can make it easy and simple-all depending on what you and your doctor agree you can do. The best part? You can do it all while holding your baby, or wearing your baby in a sling/carrier. The Lullaby Exercises is set to beautiful music that is sure to calm your baby and probably even get them to sleep as your body movements gently rock them to sleep.

I found it GREAT to use with JR over the past few days, since I am parenting alone right now. Bill is still in AL, so since we came back from AL, I have been flying solo with the kids, which means I get VERY little "me" time. And even when I do-and it might only be a few moments to get some work done- I feel guilty. Sound familiar? And on top of it it has rained the last few days, giving me some hyper active boys.

The solution? Lullaby Exercises.

My oldest son did the exercises/danced around with his Thomas Train while I did the exercises with JR in my ring sling. Super fun, JR feel asleep pretty quick, and Little Dude got some energy out while I got a great workout.

Oh thank goodness for babywearing!

If you would like to get your own Lullaby Exercises (and I think it would be a GREAT baby shower gift for a mom-to-be or new mom)check out Chicks-N-Chickens at www.checks-n-chickens.com, follow them on Facebook: chicks-n-chickens or on twitter: @chicksnchickens or you can also find Lullaby Exercises at your local Barnes & Noble.

**Note I did receive Lullaby Exercises for the purpose of reviewing from Chicks-N-Chickens and fell in love with their company. ***

Reviews!

I have a few reviews up on my Miche Reviews page that I'd love to share. You can learn all about the great developmental toys ebeanstalk offers for all ages, and you can win books about running, starting, marketing and managing your own home business. You can also hear what I thought of the Rock Of Ages Musical soundtrack. Have fun checking them out!

Tomorrow we are going to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo, which involves use leaving our apt by 7:30am so we can get to the zoo by 9am for opening. The zoo right now has baby tigers, and supposedly the mornings are the best times to see them, so that is my goal. I'll let you know if I get us out the door on time.

Save the Last Dance For Me

I have a little dancer:


We went to The Shed Barbecue and Blues Joint in Ocean Springs, Mississippi a few weekends ago and it was so fun. I loved the live band and a REALLY loved watching JR groove to the music. He danced the whole time we were there!

Little Dude was content the whole time with his food and playing in the dirt ( I never realized just how dirty little boys can be) and it was fun to listen to his imaginative play.

The Shed was pretty awesome-amazing food-and everything there looked like it had been pulled from the garbage. Seriously, there were chairs with desk tops that looked like they had come out of a school, and there were roles of paper towels to use for clean up. It was the perfect place to take two little boys to eat!

If you happen to be down this way, I would suggest going to The Shed for dinner, but be sure to go later in the day when it is cool so you can sit outside and enjoy the band.

New Reviews At Miche Reviews

I have some new reviews to share on my review blog, Miche Reviews! You can see what new online kid-safe virtual world has captured my toddler's heart, giving him a "Jump Start" on learning.

You can see what preschool system has captured my heart because of their great Balanced Learning approach to preschool activities and check out all the amazing resources they have to offer your munchkin.

And for my little JR? Nothing could be better than an organic lovey that is made right here in the USA out of all natural materials. So when he is sucking on Waverly's leg, I don't have to worry what dyes he might be ingesting! And Little Dude loved learning about Waverly's friends, too!

Remember how I got to talk to Suze Orman? Well if you love makeup, I have a great giveaway from Avon and Suze for you, so be sure to check it out!

I was lucky enough to try out the new Diane Birch CD, which hit stores June 2-trust me, if you love Tori and Ani, you will really enjoy Diane's Bible Belt!

To enter giveaways either leave a comment here or on the giveaway post telling me you want to be entered! Take care and have a great weekend!

Corneille: The Birth Of Cornelius

I have great giveaway going on for all you music lovers out there. And this CD doesn't have "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star" either. Get your headphones, put the kids down for a nap, and enjoy some relaxing "you" time with The Birth of Cornelius. Check out the Miche Reviews page to get the scoop and win yourself an autographed copy!

Not Upon This Potty

Little Dude is doing great peeing in the potty! Whoo hoo! After a few times of him taking his diaper off and showing he didn't like to be wet, we decided to go ahead and train him with big boy under ware. Though we are still having some trouble with his poop, we have gotten him to go every other day now, and he is doing his poop in the potty too! WHOO HOO!

But, remember that potty I bought? Well it stinks. I bought this "Summer Infant Potty":



It is from Babies R Us, and it is just not working. The seat "hole" is way too small, and Little Dude has to sit way back on the seat to keep his pee from going everywhere. But then he can't poop and get it in the "hole", so he has to sit way forward. The little boy "shield" came off after the first few times of using it because instead of being a solid piece, it is a flimsy, thing that is supposed to "slide" into place, but after a few times of getting knocked off by Little Dude, it now is bent out of shape and wont stay on the potty.

I thought the toilet paper thing would be cute, but it is a horrible idea too: All he wants to do is unroll the toilet paper. I had put some disposable wipes in the wipe case so he could do that himself, but those too end up getting grabbed in handfuls and thrown in his seat. And the last thing I feel like adding to the whole potty training routine is a fight over leaving the TP alone. Potty Training should be as fun and stress free as possible, right? Overall, much better if I just keep the wipes and TP next to me, and hand it to him as he needs it.

Also, it is advertised as being a step stool as well, but I have not figured that out yet-the lid is way too flimsy to stand on, and if you take the lid off there is no place to stand...so I don't know.

In any case, we are going out today to pick out a very simple, no whistles potty with a large seat and "hole" area. And then we will get a step stool too.

And this potty? I don't really know what to do with it-maybe donate it to church or give it to my neighbor here.

It might work for others, but it didn't work for me. Check out Kristen over at We Are That Family for other great Works for me (or in this case doesn't) Wednesdays!

He's Just NOT That Into You

Well, with the sniffles, fort building, and work I've been doing this week, I just haven't had time to come up with an awesome post for today. So instead, I am sharing the He's Just Not That Into You Widget with you guys.

As part of the One2One Network, I've had the great chance to preview movies and CDs, and let me just tell you THIS soundtrack is one of my favorites EVER. I love every song on it and sing along to it when driving around with the kids.

And this movie trailer? It had me laughing out loud during nap time. These guys are so hilarious, and you can see how the cast of He's Just Not That Into You clicked so well with a spark of magic that always occurs in GREAT films.

So, check out the widget that had me laughing so loud I almost woke the children from their naps, and let me know what you think! The movie comes out today in Theaters nationwide and truly is the perfect date movie for girls AND guys!

Nature's Source

Go to my review and giveaway page to see how to score yourself some FREE, eco-friendly, family friendly AND budget friendly products. I will be giving away some Nature's Source cleaning products to a lucky reader, good luck!

Parents® Critter Conga

My son is in love with the new Parents® drum and so am I! I made a couple of videos for you to enjoy:




and you can read the rest of my review here:

Enjoy!

Queen of the Road: Book Review

I have a book review up on my Miche Reviews page for Queen Of The Road-a humorous book that had me laughing so hard I cried. Oh yea, you are going to want to read it. And, even better, you can get it now at a discount and with FREE shipping (see Amazon for details)!

The Secret Mountain Publishing Group

Do you guys have any reading routines with your children? I LOVE reading to my kids before bed, and we have recently added some new books to our reading list. I have a children's book review for The Secret Mountain Publishing Group up on my Miche Reviews page today.

Seal My SOUL

If you love Seal and some fantastic body grooving SOUL music, take a peek at my review of Seal's new ablum, SOUL, out in stores now. Read my Miche Review to see how you can win some great gear and the new SOUL CD for yourself!

One Step Ahead

Oh my goodness, I am in love with a new toy! Part of the fun of being a parent is getting to revisit childhood fun with your kids! And oh yes, I roll up my sleeves and jump right in.

One of the greatest toys I have enjoyed playing with (my kids think it is great too) is the What's Inside Box by One Step Ahead. Check out my Miche Reviews page to watch my video review AND to win one for the apple of your eye!

Linda Eder Giveaway: The Other Side Of Me

Love Music? Then you will want to check out my Reviews and Giveaways page, Miche Reviews, to read and hear what I think of Linda Eder and her new CD, The Other Side Of Me

There is a Great Giveaway at the end too....

Bella Sara Review!

For anyone with little girls, you will be excited about my new review on my Miche Reviews page!