EasyBloom Eliminates Your Brown Thumb

When I was looking for a tall plant for the corner of my living room, I fell in love with a beautiful, lush green palm tree.  I brought it home and was so excited that it looked wonderful in my room.  I watered it once a week and tried to take care of it the best I knew how, but after a few weeks in started getting yellow leaves.  Shortly after, the palm tree was dead and I had no idea what happened.  Did I water it too much?  Was it there enough light in that corner?  Rather than buying another plant and killing it I tried the EasyBloom.  The EasyBloom is a plant sensor that plugs into your computer's USB port and downloads data about your plant's environment.

Getting started using the EasyBloom is super simple.  First, go to their website to open an account and download the free software.  Then, plug the EasyBloom into your USB port.   A dashboard will appear giving you the option to choose one of three different modes: Recommend, Monitor and Water. Recommend Mode lets you get plant recommendations for a specific location.  It monitors environmental data, such as light level, temperature, and humidity.  With a database of over 5,000 plants, it's easy to find the perfect plant for any location indoors or outdoors.  Monitor Mode is used to monitor an existing plant and help diagnose an ailing plant so you can bring it back to health.  I used this option on my snake plant I found out that it was not getting enough sunlight.  After I moved the plant to a sunnier location, it seemed to perk up.  The Water Mode gives you immediate feedback if you plant needs to be watered.  You simply set it to Water Mode and walk about your house sicking the EasyBloom in any plants soil.  If the plant needs water the unit will beep.  This takes all the guess work out of watering!

This fall I redesigned the flower beds in my backyard and I am so excited to try the EasyBloom outside.  With my EasyBloom I will be able to tell if I should purchase plants that require full sun, part shade or full shade.  I know that I will save a ton of money next spring by buying plants that will thrive in my location.  For more information or to purchase any EasyBloom, visit www.easybloom.com

Winner!

Congratulations to Prpldy, the winner of the Stamp Out Online giveaway!  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Holiday Shoes from Robeez

Part of my holiday shopping always includes outfits for my kids to wear on Christmas and for their holiday photos. I love to find cute clothes and shoes, as I usually use the photos as gifts for grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Robeez has some really adorable shoes for young kids that add the finishing touch to any holiday outfit.  Robeez Holiday styles combine craftmanship with a touch of whimsical personality that make their shoes unique.  Robeez footwear flexes and bends, promoting good balance and unrestricted growth.  They have three different styles of shoes, for newborns to four year olds.

Robeez sent my son a pair of their Robeez Boots Dog & Bones from their Tredz line to try out (above). Tredz shoes are made for children ages 6-24 months, for walking, playing and running. My 20 month old son loves dogs, so he was immediately drawn to the shoes.  The espresso colored Dog & Bones boots are really cute, and I love the red accents.  There is a dog on each of the back heels and bones across the Velcro closures.  Robeez Boots Dog & Bones have non-slip, water resistant TPR soles for outdoor wear.  The backs are also elasticized, which I think makes them easier to get on and helps them stay on. The Dog & Bones boots are very soft, with flexible soles, cushioned insoles, and podiatrist approved design.  They are perfect for holiday wear, as well as casual wear all year long.

To check out all of the Robeez styles visit www.robeez.com.  Robeez is offering free shipping on any footwear purchase through 12/9/09.

 Mudpies and Mary Janes received a free product sample to review. All opinions expressed belong to the author.

Illuminated JetBib

Feeding a baby can be a long and tiresome process.  Between trying to keep the baby's attention and get the food into his mouth, I always felt like meal time with my young kids lasted forever!  Think Geek has just introduced a really cool and helpful tool for parents, their Illuminated JetBib.  The Illuminated JetBib consists of a bib with an illuminated runway, as well as a lighted LED jet plane spoon.  The lights on the bib are motion activated, and the spoon lights have an on and off switch.  My 20 month old was totally captivated by the bib and spoon. I can see how easy it would be to keep a baby's attention with the jet plane spoon, and to sneak food into his mouth while he was watching the spoon's lights.  My son feeds himself and loved being able to use the spoon to eat. The jet plane comes with 3 spoon attachments, which are really easy to remove and reattach. The bib and plane are washable with a damp cloth, while the spoon attachments are dishwasher safe.  The Illuminated JetBib meets ASTM and CPSC safety regulations. I think that Think Geek's Illuminated JetBib would make a great Christmas gift for any young boy or girl.

The Illuminated JetBib is intended for children 12 months and older and is available at www.thinkgeek.com.

Mudpies and Mary Janes received a free product sample to review. All opinions expressed belong to the author.

Creativity for Kids - Festive Felt Stocking Kit

One of my kids' favorite parts of the holiday season is getting our house decorated for Christmas.  They love to get out all of our decorations from years past, as well as creating new things that we can put up.  Creativity for Kids sent our family a fun Christmas craft project, their Holiday Memories Festive Felt Stocking Kit.  The Festive Felt Stocking Kit includes everything that you need to personalize one large and one small felt stocking.  In addition to the stockings the kit includes glitter glue, peel and stick felt appliques and self-stick rhinestones.  Each stocking has also has a ribbon for hanging.

The kids got to work on this project as soon as it arrived, and had a great time working together to create the two stockings.  The directions for the kit are fantastic because they give you ideas for how to turn the felt shapes into different things like snowflakes, candy canes, holly and snowmen.  I love that all of the embellishments are peel and stick because it is so easy for the kids to use and doesn't create any mess.  The kids loved being able to design how the stockings would be decorated, and espeically liked the rhinestones!  Glitter glue was the perfect way to end the project, as we were able to personalize our stockings with the kids' names.  The larger stocking is a great size for hanging from the mantel, while the smaller stocking will be a terrific ornament once we get our tree.

To purchase the Festive Felt Stocking Kit and view all of the other terrific crafts and activities that Creativity for Kids has to offer visit www.creativityforkids.com.

Win It!

Creativity for Kids has generously offered one Mudpies and Mary Janes reader their choice of any of their kits.  To enter visit www.creativityforkids.com then come back and leave a comment below letting us know which kit you would choose if you won.  This giveaway will end on 11/30/09 at 10:00 am.

For more chances to win choose one of the following ways to earn an extra entry or combine all four to get four extra entries!

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4. Place our button on your blog or website and then leave an additional comment with a link to the page where you put the button

For detailed giveaway rules, please look at our giveaway page.

Mudpies and Mary Janes received a free product sample to review. All opinions expressed belong to the author.

WowWee Roborover

Last week we introduced you to WowWee, a company that creates high-tech consumer robotic and entertainment products.  Along with the Sleeping Cuties that we reviewed, WowWee's Robotics Line has some really unique and fun toys for kids.  WowWee sent my family one of their Robotics toys to try out, the Roborover.  The WowWee Roborover is a robot who has an inquisitive personality which grows more confident as children play with him.  Roborover can be controlled by a remote control and can also explore independently. Due to a homing function in the remote control Roborover can find his way back to his owner if separated.  Other features of Roborover, as found on the WowWee website, include:

• Roborover has a fun and adventurous personality that grows as you play with him!
• His remote control is simple and easy-to-use, perfect for young explorers!
• Tread-based motion allows Roborover to roll over rough terrain and up inclines* – he’s made for exploration!
• Whether it’s night time or a dark closet, light up the way with a working headlight!
• Play fun interactive games with Roborover including Tomb and Swamp
• Roborover can detect obstacles and avoid them on his own!
• Eyes and mouth light up when he talks
• In Lookout Mode Roborover will scan his environment and warn you of any intruders!
• Explore Mode allows Roborover to roam free and comment on his surroundings!
• Remote controller features a “Follow Me” homing function
• Poseable arms and tilt Waist
  

My kids have been really impressed by Roborover, and have had so much fun playing with him.  Roborover has a cute face, which looks like he is smiling at you. My almost six year old was easily able to master using the remote control and he and Roborover have gone on many adventures together.  Roborover has been able to follow my son on the different floor surfaces in our house without any problems. My son loves to use him in the dark to watch Roborover's headlights, and loves that Roborover communicates with him.  Although not old enough to control Roborover themselves, my younger kids are amazed to watch Roborover move around the house.  I think that Roborover would make a really exciting Christmas gift for any school aged boy or girl.

Roborover can be purchased at major retailers including Kmart, Toys 'R' Us, Target and Radio Shack, as well as at www.wowwee.com.

Mudpies and Mary Janes received a free product sample to review. All opinions expressed are those of the author.

The Winner Is...

The winner of the Beau-Coup giveaway posted...

Anonymous
"The Birthday Party Favor Cake Kits are so cute!"

Thank you to everyone who entered!