{Remember how I said that I’d be reviewing 10 things in July? And how I only did four so far? And that I’d have some giveaways and promos at the end of all of the reviews? I’m full of shit. Here’s what you missed out on because I was too busy reading the latest chick lit.}
Let’s get to the free, first, shall we?
- to win my copy of Nic Sheff’s Tweak, leave me a comment about why drugs are bad, mmkay?
- to win my copy of David’sSheff’s Beautiful Boy, leave me a comment about that time your parents almost caught you high or drunk or something else not-so-parent-favored.
- to win a month’s subscription to JumpStart’s new 3-D Adventure world educational game for your kids, tell me who your least favourite cartoon character is or what’s your least favoured kids’ show.
- two winners will each receive a set of Kids’ Moody Magnets if they leave me a comment finishing this lyric “If you’re moody and you know it, _________________”
- to win a month’s subscription from Panty by Post (which I reviewed here), tell me what you call your underoos. Or what you call your wife’s.
- Want to win jewelery? One winner will receive a Tungsten Ring of their choice (up to $120 value) by leaving me a comment about their favourite piece of jewelery.
- How about pay 30% less for a new toy, of the adult variety? Three winners of a Twitter contest will will 30% off of their orders. Just tweet to @Zoeyjane or @drewg78 “_______ gets me in the mood” with the hashtag #efismoody within the tweet.
- Want an example? @Zoeyjane Cold vodka and a mopped floor gets me in the mood. #efismoody
This gigundo contest runs from the moment I publish this post until 11:59PM (that’s PST, eh?) on Sunday, August 16th. Oh, and you can enter as often as you like.
Now, wanna save some cashola?
- Use code CRVAN-ATRTER when ordering from Spud, to receive $25 off of your first four deliveries. They deliver organic, low-carbon footprint, local foods within Calgary, Vancouver Island, in many major west coast cities such as Vancouver, LA, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco.
- Use code KISS09 for 15% off at Eden Fantasys, if you’re boycotting the Twitter giveaway of 30% off.
The finale – the remaining reviews!
Jump Start
When the people at Jump Start contacted me to review their newest interactive education software, I got super excited and said (completely professionally) fuckyesiwill!
And then I figured out that’d mean I’d have to let Isobel touch my precious second baby, my laptop. Hell to the no. Instead, we picked up Jump Start’s preschool game for her to try out on the desktop (because that P.O.S. could burst into flames and all I’d care about was cleaning up the mess).
Within a few days of her testing it out, playing the various levels of matching games that focused on colours, shapes, letters, numbers and sounds, this kid who didn’t know a B from a 7 was recognizing numbers and letters. What little she’d not done well at for shape recognition had been made up for, and even better, she got super excited to play her learning game.
Yes, she calls it that. Yes, it’s radically cute.
I’d recommend this game to any parent who finds themselves struggling with my-kid-doesn’t know-_______-and-that-means-I-suck-itis. Cured my case of it, fast.
Moody Magnets
The Mood Swinger must have been googling around for someone exactly like me, with a kid exactly like Isobel. I’m sure my SEO plug in didn’t hinder them. They send me a package of their girls’ moody magnets to check out and yeah, just what I needed – Isobel to be able to put a name to the rage. </facetious>
Honestly, she’s loved having them on our fridge, and even though she doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing, she’s spend entire chunks of time finding synonyms. See, these 32 magnets came in the mail and instantaneously, she needed to put names to faces. Some of the magnets have been given quirky nicknames like Zuzule and apparently, Zuzule is an angry person.
Then? She got into explaining why Zuzule was angry. It was cute. Now? She always has to tell me how she’s feeling and sometimes, the magnets do the talking for her. (Save me. She’s so emo.)
While frivolous-seeming and not something I’d have picked up in the store, these magnets have been a great addition to Isobel’s communication and understanding skills. She’s picked up on a lot more body language than she used to and the whole story-telling thing is pretty awesome. (Now someone tell me wtf she came up with Zuzule, as a name.)
The Creative Individual
When Raspberry Kids gave me the chance to take home a bug and flower set of wall stick-ons from Vancouver-based The Creative Individual, I swear I huzzah-ed. Because we can’t paint, and because our tiny apartment is made up of all kinds of boring, white-walled schlock, I have frequent fantasies about wall decals. And Isobel digs them, too.
See?
We already’d had a tiny set that I’d given her at Christmas, these pastelly-pink princess ones that kind of make my throat close up a little at the cute- and girly-ness.
These ones are gloriously bright, have not one single princess or castle, and best of all, it’s colour scheme steps away from the Pepto Bismol inspired palette. Seems like they were awesome.
Except, they kind of smelled a little like paint. And did for the next few days. Also, after about three weeks, the edges of each decal started peeling off of the wall – but, I dunno, does that mean I have dirty walls or a humid apartment?
Personally, I would keep searching for a higher quality decal set for the price these usually go for ($50); or a lower-quality, but cheaper alternative. Like seriously, have you checked out what they’ve got at the dollar store? I just got a new set of butterflies and flowers for two fricken bucks.
Agoo
Raspberry Kids also hooked me up with an Agoo sundress for Isobel to try out. Though – story of our lives – the size two was too big for her, we’ve still gotten plenty of wear out of it because, hello?, it has grafitti on it. And I’m all for dressing my kid in cool, urbanesque wear and driving her far, far away from the frilly princess-encrusted dark side.
She digs the dress. It’s comfy, lightweight,she can get dirty in it and it washes just fine. There’s an added benefit: Agoo’s clothing provides a strong UVA/UVB protective finish on the outside. So, it’s like sunscreen, in a dress.
I was sceptical. Until she came home with a farmer’s tan.
If you’re willing to drop the cash on a clothing that your child can really play around in, this is a label I’d suggest. Their active wear lines are so cute, with everything from baby dresses, to ruffled bum yoga pants, and shirts and jackets. Definitely geared toward children (and parents) who are active, this clothing line isn’t just another yoga brand.
Ian’s Natural Foods
What do you do when you’re so effing tired of cooking, you’re craving something a little more convenient and your kid is allergic to both dairy and wheat? Desperately hit Whole Foods, thinking they might have something. Soon, if you’re me, you’ll find yourself tossing everything back into the shelves after reading their ingredients, and as a last-ditch effort, you’ll head to the freezer section.
That’s where I found boxes of Ian’s Chicken and Fish Nuggets. For nearly $10 a box, I have to admit that I winced a little, until I considered how much I’d spend on another sushi dinner out. She loves them. The chicken is preferred to the fish sticks, but she still likes both of them. They took 20 minutes – enough time to make myself a big salad and also make some yam fries for us to share.
Me? Did I like them? Not really. But hey, I had a fucking awesome salad instead.
My complaints are the following: the extra packaging is unnessessary – they come in a plastic tray, surrounded by plastic and then stored in a box. The price – oof. The quality- for $10, I want like, 113 nuggets, not the 13 I got in each package.
But you know, it was totally worth it, not having to cook-cook or drop twice the price on Japanese (we’re already there like, twice a week, now).
The Sheff Books
Depending on whose you read and your own history, you’ll either end up nodding, nauseous and/or feeling like you should consider an AA meeting, just in case.
Nic Sheff’s Tweak was my initial attractor. It’s an honest, gritty and completely tangible account of his experience with heroin and mostly crystal meth. I recommend it to anyone who has dealt with addiction on a personal, familial or relationship basis, for an in-depth front seat.
Ironically, David Sheff’s Beautiful Boy, a memoir of his son’s times using and in recovery didn’t sit as well as Nic’s other side did. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been in the parental situation. David is apparently an accomplished writer, but I felt as though Nic was more authentic. It was good, quality writing in both books, just David’s didn’t capture me.
What I loved was being able to plug the holes Nic had in his own memoir via reading David’s. I definitely recommend reading Tweak, and if you read Tweak, check out Beautiful Boy.
