Toronto Teacher Mom: For Toddlers

It's a Fisher-Price #FPMommyMoments Twitter Party!

Fisher-Price

Thursday, June 04, 2015
11 Comments

Go! Go! Smartwheels Ultimate Amazement Park Playset by VTech

For Toddlers

Saturday, November 22, 2014
24 Comments

Get a Better Night Sleep With Cloud B Dreamz To Go Octo

Cloud B

Who's afraid of the dark?

Not I.

At least, not anymore.

Not really.

I have mostly overcome that fear now that I am thirty-~~six~~ -something. But if I am home alone with the kids at night, the dark can be a very scary thing. I seem to harbour some deeply embedded fear that 'bad guys' will break into my home at night with malicious intent. I distinctly recall memories from my childhood of laying perfectly still under the covers at night, peering into the darkness and listening for possible intruders in the middle of the night. I would lay awake for what seemed liked hours just waiting to have the bejeezus scared out of me. And if it wasn't the fear of some stranger lurking in the darkness, then it was that one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people-eater that was surely hiding under my bed ready to pounce as soon as I nodded off.

It's amazing, though, how much more ~~stupid~~ confident I feel when the lights are turned on and I discover that there really isn't anything to worry about. It's all thanks to something we take for granted every day - light. If light can offer a sense of security to me, a fearless warrior mom, imagine how much reassurance it could give to a baby or young child, especially when sleeping in a new place. With the new Dreamz To Go Octo, both parent and child can enjoy a better night sleep thanks to its soothing light.

From the makers of Nighty Night Owl Smart Sensor, Dream To Go Octo is based on the original Twilight Turtle by Cloud B. It is part of the dreamy lites collection and offers a compact solution for soothing sleep. My favourite part? It runs on 3 AAA batteries (included) which means you can take it with you virtually anywhere you travel. It is lightweight and small so it doesn't take up a lot of space. Octo also has a built-in projector which sprinkles the walls and ceiling with bright stars and friendly little fish blowing bubbles. There are two buttons on the back; one to change the colour between blue, red or green, and another to turn it on, off or to rotate between all three colours. After 45 minutes, it automatically shuts off on its own.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014
24 Comments

Ride in Style with the SmarTrike Chic 4-in-1 Tricycle

Baby Gear

Sunday, July 13, 2014
12 Comments

The Disney Junior LEGO DUPLO Magic of Play Tour

Disney Junior Canada

Monday, March 10, 2014
7 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffer Ideas from Hasbro

For Kids

Wednesday, December 18, 2013
4 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide: The New LeapFrog LeapReader

Educational

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name LeapFrog? The words that instantly pop into my head are: reading, educational, interactive, and fun. It is no wonder that LeapFrog is an educational entertainment leader; they have spent the last 18 years developing learn-to-read solutions. One of my personal favourites, in addition to LeapFrog's Le Bus des Animaux, was their Tag reading system. I had bought a Tag reader for my daughter several years ago along with a number of Tag books and loved it so much, I purchased Tag readers and books as gifts for family and friends. I even bought a Tag Junior for my son once he turned two. Now that he is five years old, he has taken a keen interest in reading and I would love nothing more than to watch him continue to pursue this interest. Reading was never my forté as a child so I often worry that my kids will dislike reading as much as I once did. Thankfully, my son will have the benefit of using the new LeapReader, the complete learn to read AND write solution for kids.

The LeapReader, recently featured on The Social, is the next generation of learning. It is designed to help kids sound out words and read sentences, learn to write letters with interactive guidance, and listen to audio books, music and more on-the-go. And since reading and writing are part of the same learning journey, LeapFrog understands that they must be practiced concurrently, along with supporting skills like listening comprehension. They have therefore built an extensive LeapReader library of over 150 books, learn to-write sets, audio books, music, maps, flash cards and more to provide engaging experiences that together reinforce children’s literacy skills. The LeapReader system provides three experiences:

Learn to Read: Sounds out words, reads sentences, and lets kids play games and puzzles.
Learn to Write: LeapReader helps kids learn the sequence of strokes and practice writing letters and numbers with special LeapFrog Learning Paper.
Learn through Listening: Audio books, learning songs and trivia challenges build comprehension skills and vocabulary.

What I love most about the new LeapReader, in comparison with the Tag reader, is that it can

hold a lot more. I'm talking audio for up to 40 books or 175 songs at a time! Another huge selling feature is that it includes a USB rechargeable battery. Good-bye alkaline!

Friday, December 13, 2013
9 Comments

Sending Some Disney Junior Love

Disney Junior Canada

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
0 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide: 3 Sprouts Organic Storage Bin

3 Sprouts

Monday, December 19, 2011
27 Comments

BornFree BPA-Free Twist'nPop Straw Cup (and a Giveaway)

Canadian

When my son was first born, I remember there had just been a massive recall of baby bottles because they were discovered to contain BPA, or bisphenol-A. It was pretty scary to know that I had been using those bottles with my first-born.

In October 2008 the Canadian federal government declared BPA a hazardous substance and placed it on the list of toxic substances.

I immediately replaced them all with BPA-free baby bottles and the only ones I could find at the time were by a company called BornFree. I even went so far as to buy glass baby bottles, which weren't very fond of the floor. Anyway, I was so happy to have discovered BornFree. Since 2006, BornFree has been dedicated to providing safe baby feeding products that are free from the potentially dangerous effects of BPA-infused plastics.

A growing body of scientific research suggests that the chemical may leach out of polycarbonate feeding bottles and containers, especially when the contents are acidic, high in fat, or heated. Research also suggests that BPA may act as an endocrine disruptor, a substance which mimics natural human hormones and could cause developmental and neurological problems in children such as early puberty, and attention disorder syndromes. Further studies have shown an association between BPA and heart disease, diabetes and high levels of liver enzymes, while the U.S. National Institutes of Health in September 2008 determined there was some concern about BPA`s effects on fetal and infant brain development. (NewBornFree.com)

Now that my son is three years old, he obviously doesn't use baby bottles anymore. He does, however, love using water bottles. The one he has used the most has a sports bottle top which he has a hard time lifting open. Then he got to try the Twist'nPop Straw Cup which is ergonomically designed for a child to grip and hold. He was so excited! It's all he asks for these days.

The BornFree Twist'nPop is not only BPA-free but it's also free from phthalates and PVC. It holds 14 fl oz and is easy to take apart and clean. There are five parts in total: a straw with a silicone tube, a cap, a ring and the bottle itself.

After you have disassembled all the parts and washed them in hot soapy water, you should read the instructions on how to reassemble. I didn't. Instead of replacing the cap first, I stuck the straw in first, which makes cap replacement a little trickier later on. So put the cap on the ring FIRST by putting the ledge in its niche and pressing the cap into the ring firmly until it's connected to the ring.

Twist the cap to position its opening above the ring hole and push the silicone tube into the ring hole, pulling it until it's in place and then push the straw fully into the rear of the silicone tube. Pretend the cap is on in the pictures below.

Twist the cap clockwise to close it and counter clockwise to open it and expose the straw. The Twist'nPop has proven to be leak resistance, which is a must in our home. It's important to note that your child should not bite or chew on the straw and that you check to make sure the straw is in tact before giving the bottle to your child.

BornFree also makes Eco Friendly Baby Bottles which not only feature the BornFree Anti-Colic Venting System, but they are also recyclable too! And one of my readers will have a chance to win a twin pack of their recyclable baby bottles or a Twist'nPop Straw Cup.

BornFree products are now widely available at stores such as Babies R Us, London Drugs, Loblaws, Shoppers Drugmart, Whole Foods, and the Bay.

This giveaway is now closed. Scroll down to find out who won.

For this giveaway, I have decided to try the new Rafflecopter. This means you will only need to leave one comment on this post as the mandatory entry. You do not need to leave any comments for bonus entries as you will be indicating that on the form. Please let me know via Twitter, Facebook or email if you have any questions or comments about Rafflecopter. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disclosure: I was sent a Twist'nPop Straw Cup from BornFree to facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.