Emergen-C Kidz Complete Multi-Vitamin

I was recently asked to be apart of a market research study on Emergen-C's new Kidz complete multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement program. Our oldest son doesn't like the chewable vitamins, nor the gummy kind, so we are always trying to find ways to work more vitamins and nutrients into his diet. When I was asked to be apart of the campaign I was super excited to give it a try.

Emergen-C Kidz's Complete Multi-Vitamin is specially designed to help kids from head to toe. Emergen-C uses antioxidents and nutrients such as Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Vitamin E, Zinc, and Iron. To help build strong bones they use Vitamin D, Calcium, and Phopherous. And to top it all off it uses Choline to support healthy brain function. It comes in three fun and fizzy flavors, Cherry Yumberry, Pineapple Orange Explosion, and Strawnana Blast.

As stated above our 2, almost 3 year old is a very picky eater/drinker. He refuses to eat or chew a vitamin and we have tried all different kinds, even the gummies and he just won't eat any of them. When we got the Emergen-C in the mail yesterday I was super excited to try it out. So this morning we decided to try the Pineapple Orange explosion and I followed the directions of using half a pack with 2 to 4 oz of water. I decided to try 3 oz since it was in the middle of the suggested amount. I used cold filtered water from the refrigerator and poured it into the cup. I think because it was cold water it didn't dissolve completely so I used the spoon to press the bubbles of powder to help them dissolve better. Once all the powder was mixed I gave it to my son, and he tried and said Yummy! And a few minutes later he had downed the whole cup. So I think as long as you make sure all the powder is mixed appropriately it is an awesome way for the kiddos to get their vitamins!

We give Emergen-C Kidz two thumbs up!

Coming Soon: New VTech V-Motion Games


With only 8 games to choose from, VTech has announced they are releasing a dozen new games for the V-Motion gaming platform. The titles include several kid favorites like Cars, Handy Manny, and Little Einsteins. The newest feature that will be included in some of the games listed below is head-to-head or multi-player gaming. The release date is currently unknown, but check back often for updates!
  • Little Einsteins
  • Ni Hao Kai Lan
  • Handy Manny
  • Monsters vs. Aliens
  • Winnie the Pooh
  • Soccer Challenge
  • Snow Park Challenge
  • Wild Waves
  • Nascar
  • Up!
  • Disney Fairies Tinker Bell
  • Cars

The 411 on Potty Training

I wanted to share our experience and recommendations for potty training. By no means am I a professional, nor did I do everything the "right" way, but in less then a weekend we had our son potty trained.

We started about a year ago trying to train our oldest boy who was about 20 months at the time. He grasped the concept pretty fast for peeing in the potty, but with back to back vacations, and my pregnancy, things kind of got put on the back burner. Once our second son came it was even more on the back burner because we just didn't have our full attention to focus right then to our oldest's potty training. So about a month ago I decided, enough is enough, that I knew he could do it, and that I just had to be consistent and take the time to do it. I was kind of lost on where to start again because the pulls up just seemed to confuse him, when I would say we don't pee pee and poo poo in our underpants. Well I googled around to get some tips on how to go all in on potty training. I came across an e-book called "Potty Training Made Simple, Fast, & Easy". It was on "sale" for a huge discount from the current price, and so I thought what the heck, it was super inexpensive and all of information seemed thorough and good.

So upon downloading it, I read through it and realized what common sense most of the information was, and how simple it was to follow. That was on a Thursday morning, and by Sunday he was fully potty trained day and night for peeing. He literally had two accidents Thursday and kept his underwear dry from that point on.

Some of the key highlights from the book are things such as to include the child in the process, like when you get them real underwear, let them tag a long and pick it out so they feel included. Also Johanne Cesar, the author, talks about how pull ups confuse the child, which is so true and such common sense, because if it feels like a diaper, looks like a diaper, its a diaper. So since they have been wearing diapers since the day they were born, why wouldn't they think it is ok to pee pee and poo poo in them. Pull ups are just about training them to pull the pants up and down versus on how to keep the child dry. Also she talks about consistency, which is the key.

I would definitely recommend the book, if it is on sale for a significant discount like the one I received. I bought my copy, with the FAQ addition, and a bonus coloring book for $7.00. I definitely think it was worth the read to give the complete process that can help you potty train your child in a very short time.

I would start on a Thursday or Friday and work the whole weekend, and I think you will notice huge progress if not be completely day trained by the end of the weekend. What you will need is your copy of the book handy, a timer, and a trip to the store for the real underwear.

With her steps I am proud to say that our little guy is fully day and night trained. Yours can be too!

LeapFrog Announces Text & Learn, a "Baby BlackBerry"


Today at the UK Toy Fair, LeapFrog announced the Text & Learn, a BlackBerry-esque device for your toddler. Designed for preschooler's, aged 3 and up, it features games that teach spelling, basic computing, shape identification, web browsing with a pretend browser mode, and the basic QWERTY keypad layout. Now kids can follow the examples set forth by their parents and send text messages, check email, and check their schedules at all hours of the day!

The Text & Learn is supposed to be announced in the US next week, and will be available in August 2009 for about $25-$30. An no, there aren't any wireless capabilities....yet!

Coming Soon: Gazillion Bubble Rocket


3, 2, 1 BUBBLE BLAST OFF!!! Made by Funrise Toys, watch a gazillion bubbles soar into the air with this amazing Gazillion Bubble Rocket! Simply pour Gazillion Bubble solution into the tray of the launch pad, place the rocket on the launcher, and with YOUR STOMPING power launch the bubble rocket for a bubble trail of sky high fun! Comes with a cool rocket, launcher, stomp pad and 6oz of Gazillion solution for continuous rocket fueled action! No batteries required.

No release date from Funrise yet, however it looks like it might be available in Target stores for $14.99 (but not yet online).

Cool Toy of the Month: BONZ from Curious Toys


The BONZ series of 13 construction toys focuses on building fun, whimsical characters. All 13 BONZ construction toys feature a special connector that pivots a full 180 degrees to make your characters posable and to interact with all other sets. Best of all, kids can build their own anatomically incorrect supernatural creatures using their infinite imiaginations. The 13 series include Sea Bonz, Exo Bonz, Bug Bonz, Sky Bonz, Dragon Bonz, Band Bonz, and more.

Although these toys have been around for a few years, unfortunately, they cannot yet be found in a toy store, but they can be purchased directly from Curious Toys.

Cookbook: The Sneaky Chef


This kids based cookbook, The Sneaky Chef, contains spectacular recipes to fool your children into eating healthy. Unfortunately, by naming some of the ingredients i'm not going to be able to do the book justice (the first reaction might be something along the lines of "Wheat Germ and white bean puree in my chocolate chip cookies?!?!?!"). However, the resulting recipes taste VERY much like the real things...the closest thing I can compare them to is the Splenda craze. Remember the first time you used Splenda instead of sugar and thought: hmmmm, this tastes just like the real thing (no, i'm not talking about the next 4 times you used it and each time tasted more and more of the Splenda until you went back to using sugar)! Some examples include Guerilla Grilled Cheese, Masterful Mac n Cheese, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Quick Fixes for SpaghettiOs, and Crunchy Chicken Tenders.

by Rhonda: I made the Ultimate Chocolate Chip cookies which is the recipe that is referred to above (wheat germ and white beans, etc) and our son loves them, they are made bite size so he can have two or three and it is still less sugar than a regular cookie and he thinks he is getting "more". I gave them out at playgroup this past Wednesday and didn't tell anyone that they were "healthy" just that it was a new recipe. All the children gobbled them up, and the moms seem to like them too. It is a definitely awesome book to have to help add some added nutrients not only to our sons diets but to ours as well. Once you make the first round of make ahead recipes it is a breeze because you already have the items made. A definite must have for any mom or dad with picky eaters!


This isn't so much a product review as it is a major complaint. Very early in the holiday season, as a Christmas present, we bought the bounce back racer for our 2 1/2 year old son. At the time we thought it was going to be a very popular toy that would be hard to find as it got closer to Christmas so we went ahead and picked one up. It was one of 2 or 3 presents that we thought he would really love. Unfortunately, we have yet to get a chance to find that out! Both the racer that we bought back in October and the one we just recently got to replace that one have failed to move an inch. After putting new batteries in both the racer and its remote nothing happens. We replaced the batteries 2-3 times in each racer just to be 200% sure it wasn't the batteries and both racers have failed to move. Needless to say, both have been returned and we've finally given in to purchasing a different toy.

One more complaint about the racer: the need to stack 2 of the 3 AA batteries in the car is a PAIN if you forget to put the small, thin piece of fabric under the bottom battery!

Product Review: Tadpole by ifrogz


A lightweight, kid-friendly cover that turns any classic or video iPod into a portable entertainment center. The Tadpole, made by ifrogz, is perfect for little hands and comes with a clear plastic protector that helps to prevent spills, sticky fingers, and the like from getting to the iPod. It's got two open slots at the top for headphones and the lock/unlock button and comes in five different colors: orange, purple, pink, green, and red.

The only drawback is there's no slot at the bottom for the charger or other attachments, so the case needs to be removed in order to charge the iPod. On the negative side, a child can only use the iPod while it's not charging, however, spills and mysterious objects cannot get into that slot which would essentially require the purchase of a replacement iPod. It would be great if there was a "plug" that was attached to the case that could be removed for charging and other attachments.

ifrogz website: http://ifrogz.com/

Recipe of the Month - January 2009


Steak with Parmesan Butter, Balsamic Glaze, & Arugula

This recipe comes from the October 2008 issue of bon appetit magazine. From start to finish it only takes 20-25 minutes and it can be served as a salad or, with a generous amount of rib-eye, a main course. I'd suggest serving it with a nice loaf of french bread, grilled and lathered with some garlic butter.

Ingredients
2 tblsp grated parmesan cheese plus parmesan cheese shavings
1 1/2 tblsp butter, room temperature
1 12 oz rib-eye steak
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
4 cups (lightly packed) arugula
2 large lemon wedges

Preparation
Mix grated cheese and butter in small bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside. Sprinkle steak generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plate. Add vinegar, shallots, and brown sugar to skillet; boil until reduced to glaze, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Divide arugula and parmesan shavings between 2 plates. Squeeze lemon over. Slice steak; place atop arugula. Top steak with parmesan butter. Drizzle lightly with glaze.

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About

We're Doug and Rhonda Honikel: a 30-something working dad, and 20-something stay-at-home mom, and parents of 2 young boys. We blog on items, web sites, technologies, and experiences that cross paths with every day parenthood.

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