Monthly Archives: February 2008

Breakfast Breaks 3 in 1 breakfast in a box

February 12, 2008Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Food and DrinkAlicia

Breakfastbreaks1 Sebastian, my eight year old son, ripped through our sample Breakfast Break packages like there was no tomorrow.

Inside Breakfast Breaks boxes, parents will find the same cereal, fruit bar, and juice that can be purchased off the grocery store shelf (a box of cereal or pack of juice boxes for example) but at the cost of a higher price tag. Is the higher price worth it? That is a good question. I think it is worth it for a family whose children eat breakfast at school or on their own at home before school, but for those of us who stay at home with our children, there is no need to buy Breakfast Breaks packages. Breakfast Breaks do provide a well balanced meal which is imperative for good brain function especially in younger children. If I wasn’t able to give Sebastian or Madelyn a healthy breakfast in the morning, I would definitely consider buying Breakfast Breaks for them.

While Breakfast Breaks as a whole provide children with 25% or more of several key nutritional ingredients, there are a few set backs that I hope they will consider improving on for the next go around including completely omitting the saturated fats which is at a low average of 1g, but still there, and the high fructose corn syrup. I know the products in Breakfast Breaks have been around for years and are loved by millions but it would be nice if East Side Entree’s would strive to provide children with products that don’t have these un-necessary ingredients.

I am really torn on this product. It has its benefits which include providing kids with a complete meal but I am a believer in buying in bulk and I love Zip Lock bags in which I can portion out cereal, etc.. for Sebastian to take to school if needed.

Overall, I would recommend Breakfast Breaks for children who eat breakfast at school and for younger children whose parents might not provide them with a complete nutritional breakfast meal.

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Yoplait Kids

February 12, 2008Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Food and DrinkAlicia

Madelyn’s love for yogurt was about as great as her love of going to bed at night.. non existent. That changed when we received the new Yoplait Kids to try. I think the character branded packaging sparked her interest because she actually picked up the bottle and drank from it. She drank several sips the first time she picked up the bottle and I thought surely she was going to decorate the table with the yogurt she had just drank, but instead she swallowed it! That was something for the baby book.

Ever since introducing juice (seriously diluted but still a big mistake) to Madelyn’s ‘diet’, she hasn’t been drinking enough milk and may not been getting the calcium she needs. Now that she eats Yoplait Kids I feel confident that she is getting the calcium she needs. The nutritional benefits don’t stop there. Here is a brief run down of the benefits of Yoplait Kids:

naturally-sourced DHA – supports healthy brain growth
a good source of vitamins A & D
live and active cultures – help break down
lactose making yogurt a great way for kids who are lactose intolerant to enjoy
dairy
no artificial sweeteners or flavors – what a novel idea!

The natural sugar content makes for a yummy flavor and the consistency of the cupped yogurt (not the drink) is perfect for new eaters as the yogurt won’t slip off the spoon easily. I really appreciate the smaller than average bottle and cup size so all of the yogurt can eaten leaving none to waste.

Most toddlers don’t enjoy yogurt with chunks of fruit in it so this is a great alternative to the chunky yogurts that older children might enjoy. However, I do hope that Yoplait Kids will soon add a ‘chunky’ yogurt cup for the older kids to enjoy and maybe they will consider adding an organic version to the Yoplait Kids line.

Want to try Yoplait Kids, free? Visit to receive your coupon for a FREE sample! Coupons
are not available for residents of the following states: California,
Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Zuma highchair review

February 11, 2008Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Feeding - baby & kidsAlicia

Believe it or not some parents don’t want a highchair with teddy bears, plaid or ruffly padding. But.. they do want their child to be comfortable in a chair that works with their decor. So many times I’ve heard moms say ‘just because I have children shouldn’t mean I have to give up my sense of style whether it be in my closet or kitchen’. The new Mhome Zuma highchair from Inglesina solves this issue.. at least in the kitchen.

The Zuma’s 8 position adjustable height from 54-80cm is easy to use and allows baby to sit high or low. Madelyn can sit right up to the table in this highchair or very high so she can watch me cook while strapped in her highchair. The 5 point harness is easy to clip and take off to run through the wash. I can’t stand it when I can’t get the darn straps through the holes so I can wash them. They get so messy! The seat has three reclining positions; fully upright sitting, slightly reclined for smaller babies, and the seat will recline to a very comfortable position for sleeping babies.

The Zuma’s clean lines and solid colors give the Zuma a sleek, modern look that will match most any decor. Available in four colors I’m sure you will find one that matches your kitchen decor. The GR5 graphite Zuma looks great in our kitchen with stainless steel appliances and black granite counter tops.

Icon_website2 Click here to learn more about or buy the Zuma highchair.

Magnetic Activity Play Garden

February 9, 2008Age 1-3, Age 3-5, ToysAlicia

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Had we purchased this toy, it would have been one of the best investments we’ve made for Madelyn. She is 20 months old now and has an absolute blast with this magnetic garden as do our older testers. This magnetic garden toy has provided Madelyn with hours of fun and creative play. I’m not just saying that.. it is very true.

Other moms that were around during the testing of this product were just as pleased with Kushies as I was when we discovered that the flower garden doubles as a carrying case for storing the 11 magnetic garden accessories. What a great concept and very useful. Just that feature alone has made the Magnetic Activity Play Garden a favorite to take on road trips, and to Grandmother’s house.

Madelyn spends a lot of time watering her garden with the watering can which has shiny strings ‘flowing’ of the spout to simulate a real watering can. How neat is that? She even has her own watering sound effects.

Kooskies_magnetgarden1 The bottom of the reusable carrying case is the garden (grassy area) . There is a magnetic pad in the bottom of the case so when you turn it over, your child can place the magnetic garden accessories anywhere on the bottom
of the case. Magnetic creatures
stick to the garden and the magnetic plant pieces stack and build! When your child is done playing, simply gather all of the garden accessories, put them in the case and zip it up!

Madelyn also enjoys putting the magnetic accessories on the side of the refrigerator, and on other metal surfaces around the house. I needed to keep Madelyn in her stroller during Sebastian’s baseball tryouts, so I took these hoping that she would occupy herself by putting the magnets on the metal parts of her stroller and sure enough, it worked! She was great!!

The garden is light enough for Madelyn to carry by herself and has a handle on either side for an easy grasp. Garden accessories include a few flowers, and some really interested creatures. All of the pieces are brightly colored and have some sort of texture which is great for tactile development.

I will be reviewing several other Kushies toys and other Kushies items soon. Join our mailing list using the ‘subscribe’ box in the right column to be notified of new reviews.

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Click here to learn more about or buy the Magnetic Activity Play Garden on the Kushies website.

Robeez Tredz + Giveaway!

February 6, 2008Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Baby & Kids Clothing, Shoesrobeez, tredz. shoesAlicia

Madelyn is 20 months now and like most toddlers, she is all over the place. Robeeztredz1
Climbing, jumping, dancing, running. For the first year of her life she wore soft-soled baby shoes but now that she spends a lot of time playing outside her feet need the protection of a thicker soled shoe while still having the flexibility of the soft soled shoes. Robeez’s new outdoor toddler shoe line, Tredz, offers just what she needs.. a thick soled super flexible shoe. Beyond that, Tredz are lightweight, water-resistant and grippy so Madelyn’s little feet have a good grip on smooth and wet surfaces. A lot of toddler shoes are either practical or cute/. Rarely are toddler shoes both cute and have what a little toddler foot needs; flexibility and protection. Robeez has done a great job with their new Tredz line, combining the best of both.

Not lacking in selection, the Tredz line includes over one dozen designs featuring soothing and ‘earthy’ colored shoes decorated with cute flower, truck, and duck embellishments.

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Tredz have a
adjustable fasteners and elastic ankles to keep them on active toddlers and the cushioned insoles provide all day comfort for little one’s on the go.

I found that Tredz run a little large. Madelyn is an average size 20 month old and the 20-24 month size is a little big on her. You might want to try a size smaller than what you think your toddler would wear.

I am going to try to get a photograph of Madelyn in her Tredz but because they are a little big I don’t know if they will stay on long enough.

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We received two pairs of Tredz from our great friends at Robeez and because we are so nice we are going to give away one pair. It pains me to do so, but it is the right of all parents to have the opportunity to experience the super cuteness of Tredz just like Madelyn and I have. Simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you think of Robeez baby shoes and/or the looks of the new Tredz line and I will choose a winner at random to receive a pair of Robeez. They are all girl styles so please keep that in mind when entering. CONTEST RUNS UNTIL February 15th, 08.