Some Things Are Worth Paying For...

Over this past year we have download, installed and uninstalled countless Apps for our IOS Devices for our little man. Some were hot, some were not! So I set out on a mission in the last couple weeks of 2013 to actually spend some time researching ratings of educational apps for our soon to be "toddler"! The apps that I chose and that he has immediately fallen in love with are very well put together and have learning capabilities that I felt he should be able to grasp, yet not get bored with them two weeks later. I thought I would share my finding....

Night & Day Studios
Peekaboo Barn $1.99 Farmyard animals are always a hit with out guy! In two days he has learnt 3 new animal names in this app!

Peekaboo Fridge $1.99 Great for learning all about food!

Peekaboo Forest$1.99 Every time Jax sees the deer he associates it with John Deere - therefore we always have a laugh when he calls the deer "John's"!

Peekaboo Wild $1.99 Some big names to learn in this app! Jax loves a challenge!

Peekaboo Sesame Street $2.99 One of Jax's favourite due to the characters! Guess the branding is worth the extra $1!!!

Kindermusik $1.99 A Great selection of tunes that he recognizes from class and loves to get down to!

A great feature is that you can actually record your own voice in these apps - so your little one will recognize mommy or daddy or even themselves as they start speaking! The only disappointment I have with this company is that you have to pay twice to have these apps on your IPHONE and IPAD. Kinda sad, seeing that I already gave you my money once. Overall, the screenshots, music and voices are very pleasant to look at and listen too, and the value of $1.99 per app was worth the price.


Duck Duck Moose
Peek-A-Zoo $1.99 Great app with dancing, hiding, eating, wagging tails, sleeping and so much more! At first Jax was a little standoffish of this app - but he now gravitates to it when he wants a little challenge! A little advanced for him right now at 20 months but he will definitely grow into it. Also liked the voices and background music in this one - not annoying if left on for long periods of time! Very important!!!

Tree Betty Design
Peek-a-Zoo (The Original)$2.99 A great way to learn recognizable zoo animal names and sounds!

Peek-a-Zoo Underwater $2.99 Magnificent creatures from the ocean - still trying to peak his interest in this one!

Peek-a-Zoo Train $2.99 Favorite of Jax's - probably due to the CHOO CHOO!!! All aboard!

Peek-a-Zoo Moo $2.99 Jax's love for farm animals grows in this app every day!

First off, I think this is my favourite set of apps visually! Age wise, they are recommended from 9 months to 3 years. They are artistically and tastefully picked pictures that my son adores! Very easily recognizable animals! Secondly, I loved the fact that I could purchase the entire group of apps for $8.99, as they are the most expensive apps that I am reviewing today, at $2.99 a pop - but most definitely worth it! Great work Tree Betty!

THUP Games
Lunchbox Preschool Monkey $1.99

Although this app can be a little loud for my liking, this is Jaxon's FAVORITE games on the entire planet right now!!!! This app has 6 different games that teach kids about colours, letters, counting, shapes, differences and matching. Not bragging here, but my kiddo is DA BOMB at this app!!! We video him 5 times a day, growing smarter and smarter on it!!! Fist bump THUP Games - keep em coming!!!

~MWAH~
Bootybella

Don't Look Now, But It's The Tickle Monster...

I picked this up at Indigo/Chapters months before Jaxon arrived - anticipating that this was going to bring us hours of fun someday!
Well, we are already reading it, and it is an absolute hoot! The kit come in tote with the "Monster Mittens", the book and this wonderful magnetic box to keep it all safe in! Author Josie Bissett (yessssss...Melrose Place Fans - the same Josie Bissett!)created a book of fun and laughter, sure to bring a barrel of giggles to any little face!
Love, love, love it - Mamacita Bootybella gives is 4 big stars!!!

Temperature Check....

I received this awesome little invention as a gift and my hubby & I have come to love, love, love it! With our little one sleeping on a separate floor from us, we are constantly concerned about the "perfect sleeping temperature" to keep him comfortable. And because he can't tell us...the GroEgg can!!! The GroEgg digital room thermometer is the latest innovative product in the grobag safe sleep range. The glowing bro egg changes colour to let you know at a glance whether the temperature of a room is too low, too high, or just right - and it even doubles as a comforting night light! The correct room temperature is vital for creating a safe sleeping environment for a baby. Health professionals recommend that the room your baby sleeps in should be maintained at 16–20°C to help reduce the risk of crib death. The gro egg™, the only colour changing digital room thermometer, is another clever innovation to help promote safer sleep for babies. The patented gro egg™ glows yellow if the room temperature is within recommended guidelines |16–20°C|. If the room temperature is outside this range, take action to cool or heat the room or to adjust the baby’s bedding or clothing. Key features: Simple to use room thermometer that changes colour. Digital room thermometer with permanent ‘back-light’. LCD readout: Provides a soft ‘nightlight’ glow. Instructions and safe sleep guide enclosed. Please note that gro egg™ is designed to glow in darker conditions. In light rooms, please use the digital display. “Babies who get too hot are at an increased risk of crib death… getting a room thermometer will help you create a safer sleeping environment for your baby.” - Joyce Epstein, (Director of FSID) To order yours today - head over to their website! Mamacita Bootybella gives this product FIVE STARS!!!

So What's In Your Playmat....

So I have spent the last few weeks researching these lovely interlocking foam mats on the market...looking for the safest one at my disposal for my little man. The problem being that many play mats are made of EVA - which has been the go to safer substitute for PVC. However, in order to make these soft foam puzzle mats for children to play on, test results have been showing that FORMAMIDE (a reproductive & developmental toxicant)is a byproduct in producing these mats. I don't know about you but I don't really want my child coming in contact with high levels of this stuff, after being made aware. But I still long for the safety in my child being able to topple over and not being hurt. So what's a mama to do???? There is ONE company only that seems to stand behind their products, publicly stating the following: "All Skip Hop products, including the Playspot, meet or exceed regulatory safety standards in the USA and Europe, without exception. We do not add Formamide to Playspot, although it can be a byproduct of the EVA foam manufacturing process (which includes such items as flip flops and many bath toys). That said, due to these concerns, we have tested Playspot using ISO 16000 methods. We are pleased that our Playspots received the lowest possible score, <2ug/m3 (less than 2 millionths of a gram per cubic meter) for Formamide emissions, the lowest measurable result with this testing method. These tests show that – within the limits of the test – its presence is essentially not detectable. Therefore, the Playspot is a safe EVA floor mat option for children and you should feel confident that we have specifically tested for this issue." So here is what I purchased.... Now, we did splurge a little, but in the end it was completely worth it for the following reasons: This mat does not seem to attract hair & dust like other mats do - ugh!!! Nasty!! We got the green/brown theme with cream coloured interlocking connectors. Now isn't this much easier on the eyes that those nasty bright coloured ones, or overly branded Disney mats??? We think so! The Oversized 14x14 inch tiles create an extra large play space, however it also allows you to customize the size - use 4 tiles or all 20! On their website there is a pdf to download to help you create many different designs, as well you can also switch the inner circles. The finished size is 70x56 inches and is a fantastic addition to any playroom in MY opinion!!!