CDs for budding music fans

I've written before about our general embrace of the Kidz Bop franchise, and they've got another winner in Kidz Bop 20, their latest collection of PG-rated, kid-sung Top 40 tunes (think Now That's What I Call Music for the grade school set).

Z had been pestering me for months, asking when a new Kidz Bop album was going to come out, and she finally has it (and loves it). But before it hit stores, I was offered a review copy of another CD full of kid vocals, Star Rock for Kids. I wasn't sure Z would appreciate it given she hadn't heard any of the songs on the radio--or ever (the CD is a wacky mix of songs from the last few decades). But she proved me wrong, shutting herself up in her room and memorizing the lyrics to her new favorite songs and marveling that "this song was sung by an 8 year old...and 8 YEAR OLD!"

Here's her take on Star Rock for Kids.


She also did a video review of Kidz Bop 20, which you can view here.
And (if you are a blood relation), you might also enjoy A's presentation of her lullabies CD, inspired by her big sister's performance.

Disclosure: I received review copies of both Kidz Bop 20 and Star Rock for Kids. All opinions expressed are mine (or my child's).

About those little baggies of pre-cut apples

A, eating a bag of pre-sliced Crunch Pak apples

You heard it here first: pre-sliced apples are the new baby carrots.

As most people know by now, baby carrots are really ugly carrots cleaned and shaved down to a handy snack size.  Their popularity took carrots out of the so-called "drawer of death" and onto appetizer platters and packed lunches. Now, to maintain momentum, one of the biggest carrot sellers in America is trying to market them like junk food. You can see some of their efforts at babycarrots.com.

Now while carrots might be a popular produce item, I'm fairly confident in stating that apples are pretty much Americans' favorite fruit or vegetable (not including the french fried potato). And unlike traditional carrots, which require scrubbing/peeling and cutting for maximum enjoyment and portability, the regular old apple is pretty darn convenient. I typically rinse an apple (Honey Crisp is my favorite) under running water, wrap it in a napkin and pop it in my lunch bag.

But kids. They want a sliced apple. And they want those slices as white and crispy as the moment they were cut. The apple processing company Crunch Pak figured out how to cut, preserve and bag fresh apple slices years ago, and they've made it big selling their processed fresh produce product (how's that for a mouthful) to McDonald's and other fast food restaurants.

As a mom, I'm delighted to be able to choose apple slices instead of fresh fries, but I've held off on buying pre-sliced apples for home use. It just seemed like such a luxury. I can hear my own mother's voice saying "Just sprinkle a little lemon juice on the slices and pop them in a baggie. That's what I did and it was good enough for you."

Well you know what? I tried that and my daughter sent back the whole bag, uneaten. "It's brown and slimy," she complained.

But Crunch Pak apples? I've offered them as a snack at home, on a bike ride and in her packed lunch, and each time my 3 1/2 year old has eaten every last slice. You see, I was sent some free samples of Crunch Pak's new Disney-licensed line, and while A only showed a passing interest in the Cars 2 characters on her apple baggies, she went nuts for the Mickey Mouse-shaped snack pack with apples, cheddar cheese cubes and baby pretzels.

And the most I thought about it, the more I realized that by buying pre-sliced apples (or baby carrots, for that matter), I'm not paying a premium for fresh produce--I'm using convenience food funds that might otherwise pay for chips and crackers for something with equal kid appeal and a lot more nutritional value.

SinuCleanse Kids Mist: It beats nose-picking by a mile

I'm a proponent of the sinus-clearing neti pot, but I'm always shocked when I hear anecdotes of small children mastering the technique. As used to it as I am, pouring salt water in one nostril and out the other isn't an altogether pleasant sensation, and doing it right isn't exactly child's play.

So I was intrigued to hear that SinuCleanse was introducing a saline mist product specifically for kids. I accepted a free sample of their Kids Mist and offered it to Z as an alternative to her near-constant, furtive nose picking. I was surprised she was willing--nay, excited--to self-administer the nose spray, but I think it helped that is was designed specifically for her.

As you can see, she has no trouble managing the spray bottle, which delivers an ultra-fine mist of preservative-free saline solution (3 vials are included). I can see how this product would be great for clearing tiny baby noses as well--and without the drippy mess and large dropper size of more typical saline nose sprays.

Disclosure: I received 2 samples of SinuCleanse Kids Mist for review. My 3 year old has yet to try hers.

My 5 year old reviews Kidz Bop 18

Yes, I let my kindergarten age daughter listen to Top 40 radio. In the car. Sometimes. I also let her listen to just about everything Josh puts on. And since he's a professional music critic, he's got music playing pretty much all the time. And it's virtually never the "radio-safe" version.

No biggie, right? Except when said 5 year old starts singing about "sippin' gin and juice" and wearing "Daisy Dukes with bikinis on top," I start channeling Tipper Gore.

Enter Kidz Bop 18, a CD compilation that's basically That's What I Call Music as sung by kids. I gave to it Z to review and she typed up the following.

Personally, I kind of like Kidz Bop myself. Same catchy pop tunes with decent production values and lyrics that are more grade-school appropriate than anything Katy Perry would write.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of the CD for free.

The Little Looster: Not for small bathrooms

Market overview: Small, potty-trained children need a stool to make one. They simply can't climb onto the toilet and use it effectively without a step and some support.

Opportunity: Most step stools are small and easily kicked over.

Potential solution: The Little Looster, a lobster-claw of a booster that wraps around the base of your toilet.

The Promise: "As an extension of the toilet, the Little Looster never needs to be shuffled around the bathroom. All grown-ups can use the toilet while standing or sitting without needing to move it out of the way."

The Reality: If you've got small bathrooms like we do, no adult will be able to use the toilet with the Little Looster in place. Grown mens' shoes simply do not fit between the Looster and the wall. This makes grown men very grumpy.

Conclusion: My almost 3 year old loved the Little Looster, but Josh has demanded it's immediate removal from our house so we're going back to our highly-kickable Ikea stool. If you live nearby and want it, shoot me an email.

Disclosure: I received a free product sample of The Little Looster, which retails for $39.99.

The great slipcover experiment

Or, Hiding My Flaws (after exposing them for all the Internet to see), part two.

Here goes: Every single one of our cats (Silver and Tallulah, may you RIP) has felt compelled to scratch the outter arm of our loveseat, and it's looking mighty pitiful.

No wait, it looks even worse with the flash off.

The couch itself is solid, and while I might want to get the cushions reshaped (am I wrong to think there's a service out there somewhere that sells new foam inserts?), I'm not ready to spring for reupholstering them at this point. And honestly, I paid about $850 for both the couch and the loveseat together, which means they're probably not worth reupholstering.

So I tried something different. A machine-washable slipcover by Surefit. It's a single piece of stretchy fabric with an elasticized bottom that gives it a reasonably snug fit.

The girls were thrilled with our "new red couch" and they oohed and ahhed over how soft the fabric is.

What do you think? Should I get one for the big couch as well, or is it okay to rock the mismatched couches look?

Disclosure: I received the Surefit Stretch Royal Diamond One Piece slipcover for free.

Mom-invented products and me: as seen on WGN-TV

Welcome WGN/Channel 9 viewers! Here, as promised, is more information on the mom-invented products I shared on the morning news program. I hope you click around to some of my older, more personal posts and decide to stick around as a reader.

The NeckSaver ($12) is one of those inventions I wish I'd known about--oh, about 5 1/2 years ago. My children were forever falling asleep in their carseats and strollers and slumping over in a most pitiful-looking way. Looking just like a miniature travel neck pillow, the NeckSaver is ergonomically designed to reduce strain on the neck and stabilize a baby's head, keeping it from slumping or flopping while baby sleeps.

My kids are potty trained now, but I would have loved having My Royal Heinie Daypack ($34.99) in my backpack. This genius invention with the idiotic name is a compact diaper bag with a built-in wipes dispenser for quick and easy access. The similarly-sized bag I carted around had a wipes box tucked inside a special hidden pocket, making it remarkably inconvenient to grab a wipe when duty called.

If you've ever seen a toddler tilt his sippy cup way back, you'll understand why the Tilty cup ($5.99 for 2) makes a lot of sense. Its internal angled wall forces liquid to the spout, allowing your child to drink with minimal effort and head tilt. By encouraging "correct" drinking behavior, the Tilty cup promises to help babies transition to a regular cup more quickly. Which is a good thing if, like me, you hate seeing 4 and 5 year olds drinking from sippies. Each 7 oz cup is BPA, dye and phthalate-free. Ages 9 months and up.

My Plate-Mate ($7.95) is a handy spill guard that attaches to the rim of any standard plate. The curved wall design helps children scoop food onto their utensil, promoting self-feeding while minimizing spills and cleanup. It is made in the USA and contains no lead, phthlates, BPA, polycarbonates or PVC.

I know my babies came home from the hospital with a whole lot of paperwork. And every trip to the doctor meant more handouts to file away. BabyBriefcase ($25.95) helps new parents keep track of birth certificates, immunization records, social security forms and warranties and instruction manuals for all that baby gear .

When your kids are old enough to want to sock away their own keepsakes, they can keep them safe inside a Treasure Chest Pet ($19.99). Secret compartments hidden on and inside these cuddly stuffed animals offer the perfect hiding places for your child's favorite things. Z can't wait to fill her pig with pennies, marbles and hair accessories.

For those of you who missed it, here's the segment.

Why we gave our toddler an iPod

It takes 20 hours to travel from Chicago to Australia. 20 long hours when you're traveling with two small children. That right there is reason enough to buy an iPod Touch.

Now a couple of years ago, iPods were for music. Podcasts and audio books, maybe. But today's iPod Touch (an iPhone without the phone, really) can function as a mini wifi-enabled computer

and entertainment hub. One with impressive battery life that won't take up space in your carry-on.

We loaded up our new 32GB iPod with music for Josh, Hebrew lessons for me, a selection of photos from our iPhone album, audio books for Z (she's partial to Lemony Snicket), a few Disney animated movies and games. We bought a headphone splitter and two sets of headphones so the kids could watch Toy Story at the same time. Unfortunately we only bought one pair of kid-sized headphones, and they were far more comfortable than the adult pair.

Now about those games. On Rookie Moms' recommendation, we downloaded iWrite Words and iChalky. Sound Shaker and Sort Slider were provided free to me by TickleTapApps so that I could review them. We were gone for 2 weeks and spent a whole lot of time in the air or driving somewhere, and both games were compelling enough to stop a crying jag cold. They were also compelling enough to start a few fights over who got to play them. Both girls mastered the noncompetitive, endless games quickly, and Sort Slider, a game that rewards you for matching a shape ended up being too easy even for 2 year old A. I'm honestly surprised it's recommended for kids 3-5. Sound Shaker (recommended for kids 4+) was the bigger hit: even I found its musical balls and hatching baby birds mesmerizing. Both games are available for $1.99 at the iTunes store.

Trader Joe's wine and cookies

It's no secret that I love Trader Joe's. It's our source for all of our basic staples: milk, eggs, yogurt, chicken, cheese, juice, dried fruit and nuts, salad greens and bananas. Oh yeah, and wine. Drinkable, cheap wine.

But oh, this Chariot red wine is something special. Seriously special. As in, it tastes as good--if not better--than any of the pricey wines I've ever had.

And then there are these "double stuf" Maple Leaf cookies, which are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Trader Joe's Bedtime tea.

Both are limited edition items, so stock up now.

This post is a labor of love. No freebies or financial consideration involved.

Our first American Girl Doll

"Mommy, before I come downstairs, I need to dress my D-O-L-L."

Z was spelling for the benefit of her little sister, because both girls are completely enamored with the Klein household's very first American Girl Doll, Nicki. I found the doll at a yard sale on Saturday, and paid $23 for her. A carried her home and spent 2 hours changing her and taking her to the potty. Nicki is supposedly a 10 year old ranch girl, but apparently she had a "mas poopies."

Since American Girl Dolls are really for a older girl audience, I told Z she could keep the doll sequestered in her room and out of A's sight. Hence the spelling.

Will the next step be a trip to that commercial shrine to girlhood and pricey playthings, the American Girl Place? I'll leave that to the grandparents.

No more double stroller here

I sold our Phil and Teds Sport Buggy a few months ago, recouping $275 of the $400 I spent on the stroller. After two years, neither kid wanted to ride on the bottom. And really, who could blame them?

I thought about buying a cheap umbrella double stroller, but so far I haven't needed to as Z's become quite the little bicyclist. Since warm weather arrived, she's walked or biked the 1 mile to and from preschool each morning.

I'm a stickler for helmet use and Z's wearing a new one this year, a Bell TrueFit helmet. Bell sent it to me along with an adult TrueFit helmet, and I can't tell you how happy we are with our new headgear. It really is easy to adjust to fit just right and it's comfortable. More important to Z, it sports a cute fairy design.

As you can see here, the band in the back--in addition to sporting large reflectors--is a nice, stretchy elastic. Best of all, Bell helmets are widely available and very affordable--usually no more than $20 each.

Gap pajamas are the cat's pajamas

Yeah, I could write about this weekend's big three preschool-related Ps: playdate, picnic and party, but I'm going to tell you about at different P altogether: my favorite kid pajamas.

This is a totally unsolicited, uncompensated--no, I really did not get any free PJs--post about the Gap's amazing pajamas for babies and toddlers. Not only are the PJs I got for Z 3 years ago going strong for A, the ones I bought used, at a yard sale, for Z are still in wonderful shape. Yes, these soft-as-butter third-hand jammies that A's wearing most nights looks practically as good as new! The colors are good, the patterns are timeless, the fabrics don't pill and the elastic waistbands are in great shape.

Score one for the Gap!

Evolution of a night light

Z does not like to sleep quietly in the dark, that much is clear. She's a door open, lights on and music playing kind of kid, and for a few years she's supplemented the hall and bathroom light spillover with a low-wattage red plastic table lamp from IKEA.

There was something wild and a little spooky about checking in on your little one only to see her bathed in blood red light, but it worked. Still, Z didn't always go right to sleep and I worried that she was straining her eyes as she "read" books by crimson glow.

So I was delighted to replace the IKEA lamp with the woefully-named but wonderfully designed Sylvania PalPODzzz Portable Night Light. (Seriously, who named that thing and what were they thinking?!) This little light-sensitive rocketship now sits on Z's dresser and starts glowing as her room gets dark. Pick it up off its cradle and it's a powerful LED flashlight for looking at books and scaring away monsters after lights out.

Did I mention its rechargeable? Z, like all kids, loves flashlights, but since I don't like the cost or environmental consequences of buying batteries in bulk, I've limited their access to flashlights. But since this one is rechargable, there are no batteries to run through. Plus, since Z always puts it back in the cradle to glow, hers is the one flashlight in the house that I'll be able to find when the electricity goes out.

See what other bloggers has to say about the Sylvania PalPODzzz Night Light over at Parent Bloggers Network.

Toy review: Parents Architecture ABC Blocks

It's rare that I get to review a toy for Baby A instead of my much more swag-spoiled 4 year old, but Team Mom hooked me up with these new soft building blocks from Parents, maker/licenser of some of my favorite early childhood toys.

We've gotten nearly 4 years' worth of play from our "Baby iPod" and Parents cell phone.

Will the ABC blocks enjoy such longevity? Well, blocks are a playroom staple for a reason. Each block features a letter from the alphabet and a relief image of an animal starting with that letter. Baby A couldn't care less, at least at this point. What she does care about, aside from knocking down block towers, is their soft, mouthable texture. Typically soft plastic toys send me into a panic, but since these are phalate-free, she can chew on them to her heart's content.

Back to the block towers. It's important to mention that these blocks stack up easily, so it's not too frustrating for a 16-month-old architect to build a tower. In fact, I'd rank their ease of stackability far above traditional wooden blocks, but not quite up there with the very clingy SoftBlocks from MoMA.

Here's an important note: When you're finished building and destroying your masterpieces, do not ask your child to return the Parents ABC blocks into the zipper bag in which they came. Fitting them in requires at least a semester of geometry, so dump them into a toy box tray and save yourself the headache. And if you don't have the IKEA TROFAST toy storage system, get it.

Toy review: I Can Do That!

When I was growing up, my Dad called board games "bored" games, flatly refusing to play and leaving it to my Mom to shuffle our Rack-o and CandyLand cards and play Monopoly banker.

Had it been in existence 25 years ago, Dad definitely wouldn't have played along with Cat in the Hat - I Can Do That! since physical silliness ranked far below even losing tedious games to his young children, but Josh and I are actually enjoying this game (although not nearly as much as Z, who loves it).

Quick overview. I Can Do That! comes with three decks of cards, a selection of props from The Cat in the Hat and a mini limbo setup called the "trick-a-ma-stick." Choose a card from each deck and put them together for a physical challenge along the line of "Step over the trick-a-ma-stick with the boat inside your clothes!"


Think you can do it? Say "I can do that!" and go for it. If you're in possession of an eager 4-year-old, you may find she's willing to take on challenges you'd rather skip. Like shimmying under the trick-a-ma-stick in dry clean-only pants, for example.

Game play is a totally manageable 10 minutes or so and, while the instructions encourage you to count up the stars on the task cards you've used to determine a winner at the game's end, we prefer to keep things noncompetitive.

I received a free copy of Cat in the Hat - I Can Do That!, but marked down from $19.99 to only $7.99 at Amazon, it's the perfect last-minute holiday gift or addition to your birthday party gift closet.

I am a Boogie Superstar

My name is Alma, and I am a Boogie Superstar.

My Facebook friends know this already, but after weeks of subscribing to text alerts from Amazon, I finally scored a Wii Fit.And before it even arrived on my doorstep, I'd decided to sell it.

Why? Because a girl with the Boogie SuperStar hookup doesn't need Wii Fit to work up a sweat!

As my 4 year old says, watching me work it to "Hot 'N' Cold" and "He Said She Said," "when you're dancing on the Wii it's good to be on fire."

I don't pretend to be a video game expert. We've only had the Wii for a few months and we own a mere handful of games. But while Wii Sports and Wii Play bore me to tears and Super Mario Galaxy taxes both my abilities and my attention span, Boogie SuperStar lets me bust a move and sing along to over 35 Top 40 songs, including pop, dance and urban hits that are so recent they're still on the radio.

The game comes with a microphone, and you can sing along karaoke-style or dance holding the Wiimote. Your skills are critiqued by a snide panel inspired by reality television judges. It is easier to master than DDR, so I quickly caught on and started amassing tokens which I've been using to unlock more songs and update my wardrobe. I'm sure Boogie SuperStar would be an absolute blast to play with girlfriends or older, Wii-savvy kids, but I've managed to log hours of play all by myself.

But usually not alone. Z sometimes dances or sings along and Josh sits in the background, checking his email and snickering as I butcher the lyrics to less familiar songs.

I don't know if Boogie SuperStar is going to have much of a shelf life once the songs included on it disappear from Hot 100 since it seems you can't download new tunes to it via an Internet connection. But until I'm tired of "El-El-Ella-vator," my living room rug remains a dance floor.

This review of Boogie SuperStar with Microphone was made possible by Parent Bloggers Network, who will be posting a review roundup shortly.

The day we took a dollhouse to Hephzibah House

When Rookie Mom Whitney wrote to me asking if I'd like to accept two Mrs. Goodbee Caring Corners Dollhouses--one for my daughter and one for us to give to charity--I immediately accepted. I'd already decided to get Z a dollhouse for her fourth birthday, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

The dollhouses arrived in October and Z was thrilled. Caring Corners is a three-story plastic dollhouse with plastic dolls and furniture, but it isn't hideously tacky. And while it does "talk" and make noises, the battery-powered interactivity cheerfully encourages good manners and good habits: "If you're looking for something to eat, fruits and vegetables make a tasty treat!" chimes Mrs. Goodbee when you open the fridge.

The dollhouse folds closed for storage and opens wide to reveal 11 rooms, far more than most dollhouses I've seen. There are five to six rooms on each side, making it easy for two kids to play at once without bashing elbows and fighting over of the furniture.

And speaking of furniture, while it includes basic furnishings built into the home, you'll probably want to invest $20-$40 in additional playsets--for the furniture and the people. The dollhouse alone only comes with a girl, a baby, a dog and a chair.

But enough with the product review, on to the dollhouse giveaway. I wanted Z's first experience with charity to meaningful and memorable for her, something far more personal than the Salvation Army truck. So I called Oak Park's own Hephzibah Children's Association and made arrangements to give the dollhouse to a six year old girl who lives in their group home for neglected and abused children.

On Sunday morning Z and I drove over to Hephzibah House and met M in the front room. Z showed M all of the cool things the dollhouse can do, flushing the toilet and turning on the radio while I learned more about the organization's 120 year history from their volunteer coordinator, Maureen McGoorty.

When it was clear the girls had hit it off, we took a tour of the home, seeing their playroom, library, kitchen, dining room and living quarters. M even showed Z her very own room before we headed outside. Z marveled that their backyard was "just like a park," furnished as it was with a playground, a treehouse and a gazebo. It's an amazing place, full of caring staff and kids (the average age was 8) who seemed well-adjusted and happy. Maureen told me that, while they have to find foster care placement or another environment for their children when they turn 12, they remain involved in their lives and over 90 percent finish high school--far better than the DCFS average. I wish they could care for every ward of the state, but they have room for only 27 children at a time.

I'm grateful to Whitney and to Learning Curve, the maker of the dollhouses for inspiring me to help Z learn to be grateful for all she has and about the importance of giving back. I plan to make giving a gift to a child at Hephzibah House an annual birthday tradition.

Do I look like a football mom?

I got this in my email box this morning.

Hello Alma,

Football season is here. Your kids are excited. They have their equipment, they've been practicing and now it's game time. One problem: you're kind of fuzzy on the rules of the game. What's the difference between a punt and a kick? Who does what on the field?...

Hello, Shelby! Thanks for reaching out to me. My 14 month old is a real football nut and wow, I'd love to be able to keep up with her on the gridiron, but I have so much trouble remembering the rules of the game! There's just not room for complicated sports rules when I can barely remember how many minutes to bake the Tollhouse cookies.

Now to fair, there are a lot of competent PR folks out there who send me nice, friendly emails about products I happen to have zero interest in (a wearable sleeping bag for adults?); and there are lovely people who set me up with free stuff that my kids and I enjoy and I sing about right here on my blog (which is what they're hoping for). But what's with the lazy agency folks who haven't figured out from--oh, the photos and stories all over my blog--that I'm the mother of little girls.

So I don't want a copy of the football mom's handbook (or, G-d forbid, the hockey mom's). I'm too busy enjoying our free K'NEX Cookie Monster Building Set, Mrs. Goodbee Dollhouse and Aquadoodle (which, incidentally, has been my 1st birthday gift of choice for 3 years running).

Product Review: Vtech V-Motion Gaming System

In general, I'm skeptical of electronic toys and playthings that purport themselves to be "educational." Still, I can be convinced of a battery-operated toy's value. Parent Bloggers Network hooked me up with a Leapfrog Tag reader and books, and I was so impressed I actually purchased additional books for Z.

So when the opportunity came to check out the Vtech V-Motion Active Learning System (aka "The Wii for preschoolers"), I was all over it like a DDR board.

Set up was pretty straightforward. The system has child-friendly buttons and the controller is appropriately chunky. Z couldn't wait to play the included Action Mania cartridge (can you say "Wii Sports"?), but she had a lot of difficulty mastering the games. So much trouble, in fact, that she'd get frustrated and tearfully beg us to take over. And trust me, this is no Wii. I didn't want to take the controls! The graphics are very Super Nintendo, and while the driving game is probably the best of the bunch, even it only involves heading down a down a road (you can't crash) and aiming for extra points.

But there's educational value, right? Um, sort of. Perhaps the challenges get more challenging with higher levels, but Z's abysmal gaming skills had her stuck matching letters and colors, something she's far beyond intellectually.

I was surprised to see an electronic gaming system that didn't come with a power cord, but because my daughter showed so little interest in playing with the system, we didn't run down the batteries.

The Vtech V-Motion system retails for $69.99 and includes one wireless controller and a V.Link plugin for accessing online games and comparing your rankings with others, something we didn't try.

Find out how Pampers puts the Sensitive in Swaddlers and WIN FREE DIAPERS

Pampers' l asked me if I'd mind taking a look at their new Pampers Swaddlers Sensitive diapers. Since Swaddlers only go up to size 2 (at which point P&G figures we've quit swaddling and our babies have started cruising (or moving, anyway), I passed along my free package to my friend and on-again, off-again, on-again co-worker Hayes, who is both a new mom and new-ish mommyblogger and asked her to put Baby Will to work.

Hayes writes:

"Let it be known that I love the regular Pampers Swaddlers. However, while the "sensitive" version is deemed to be even better than the regular, I honestly can't tell much of a difference.

What is definitely noticeable is the "wetness line" on the exterior of the diaper to cue moms that baby is wet. Now, being a mom and knowing my child's diaper routine backwards and forwards, this is not something I found very helpful for me. On the other hand, I'm sure my husband may find it incredibly useful."

Get your hands on a coupon for a free package of Pampers (any size). Just leave a comment before midnight on Wednesday, October 1 saying how many packages of newborn sized diapers you went through before your baby outgrew them.