kids Archives - Page 11 of 15 - My Life: A Work in Progress

Review: Typecrush, “a puzzling game of words”

15 August, 2013 13 Comments

As a member of the Mosaic Reviews team, I received the Typecrush word game to review.

About:

Based on letter frequency analysis, Typecrush is entertaining and educational. Players aged seven and up can modify the game to be as simple or challenging as they like. The first person to solve the word gets to choose the next word; otherwise, there are no rules, unless you develop your own. The creators of Typecrush recommend playing with themes like celebrity names, U.S. states, and so on.

Our Experiences:

I played Typecrush with my sister-in-law while the boys were napping, and the “one rule” didn’t make sense in our situation. I’m assuming the rule works if you only have one word to guess but three or more players. Emily and I were the only players, and we each made a word for the other to guess.

We tried the celebrity name theme and that was too difficult for us. Apparently we have completely different people in mind when it comes to movie stars, singers, etc.! Next, we played the U.S. states themes. I’m a little embarrassed at how long it took me to guess some of the state names! It definitely highlighted to me that I need to brush up on my geography. I think Typecrush is a fantastic educational tool for either a traditional classroom or homeschooling setting. This game would work well for a family game night too. Why not have fun and learn at the same time?

Typecrush could be used in any subject to quiz on terms. An English teacher could have the word “metaphor” hidden for students to guess. Then as clues, the teacher could list different examples of metaphors on the board. Students could quiz one another…there are a lot of possibilities.

I also like that Typecrush is eco-friendly and American made. Each game is handcrafted from 100 percent recycled materials. Currently, Typecrush costs $25 (including shipping), which may seem expensive for a game, but I think where and how the games are crafted affect the costs. You pay more for quality.

If you’d like to learn more about Typecrush, visit their website and follow them on Twitter for more game theme ideas.

Mosaic Reviews Disclosure

Review

Review: “Rhythm Bears” children’s music CD

14 August, 2013 5 Comments

Groove Kid Nation sent me their “Rhythm Bears” CD to review.

About:

Rodney Lee, founder of Groove Kid Nation, believes music is important for early childhood development. Lee has created award-winning CDs that expand “a kid’s musical journey with fresh age-appropriate concepts.”

“Rhythm Bears,” Lee’s third Groove Kid Nation album, features 11 tracks with instruments like the harmonica, fiddle, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, clarinet, kalimba, ukulele, and didgeridoo.

Ten percent of the wholesale price of “Rhythm Bears” will be donated to Care.org to aid in the fight against global poverty.

Our Experiences:

As a cellist, I can appreciate Rodney Lee’s desire to expose children to “real” music as opposed to the manufactured, imitation sounds that toys produce. I suppose I’m a snob where music is concerned. For example, I have no idea what the “popular” songs are these days, because I only play classical music or traditional hymns (sung by children) when I’m driving with Baby J. Yes, I’m THAT mom.

I enjoy the music on this CD and always find myself tapping my foot along with the beat. It’s pleasant to listen to, and the musicians on this CD really are talented and proficient on their instruments. For more on the musicians, click HERE.

The CD uses call and response to teach kids rhythm. The artist claps and then the listener is supposed to echo the clapping. Baby J quite happily claps along with the music (big grin on his face). I wish I could say he gets the rhythm right, but, well, he is only 15 months. He does actually clap on the beat occasionally, and I convince myself it’s on purpose. =D

I appreciate the extensive list of child-appropriate musical instruments that Lee has posted on his site. Besides the booklet included with the CD, the website and Lee’s YouTube page contain additional resources to complement the disk.

Want to know more? Visit Groove Kid Nation on the web.

Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review

Review: Sweetly Citron natural, DEET-free insect repellent spray

12 August, 2013 20 Comments

*Updated August 15, 2013*

I was sent a complimentary bottle of Sweetly Citron to review.

About:

Sweetly Citron is a natural, DEET-free insect repellent made with Lavender Oil, Lemon Essential Oil, Vanilla Extract, Citronella Oil, and Water. Sweetly Citron can be applied directly to skin and clothes every three to four hours to repel mosquitos, ticks, flies, and fleas. The lavender oil and vanilla extract have calming effects to help reduce your anxiety, and the repellent smells great too!

My Experiences:

When the bottle of Sweetly Citron arrived in the mail, I was surprised at how large it was. The bottle’s also attractive- not necessary, I know, but I always appreciate aesthetically pleasing products. It also smells really, really yummy. The citronella smell is strong, but I can also smell the lavender quite well. It sprays on misty and dries quickly, without leaving behind a sticky residue.

The area of southern Virginia where we live is considered to be full of mosquitos in the summer, but I actually don’t think it’s that bad. I grew up in Northwestern Ontario, north of Minnesota. THAT was bad. One time a mosquito landed on the airfield, and they had 20 gallons of jet fuel in it before they realized it wasn’t a plane (bad joke, sorry). Moving on…we’ve been using this spray for about a week and a half here in Southern Virginia. I’ve been spraying myself and Baby J before we go to the park, and we haven’t had any bug bites. I’ve been purposely visiting different parks at different times of day, both shaded, sunny, near water, etc., just to do this review justice. We were at some friends’ house this past Friday night when I was bit by a mosquito soon after arriving. I sprayed Baby J and I down, and neither of us got any more bites for the rest of the night. My conclusion is the Sweetly Citron spray is effective at repelling insects in our area. I’d love to hear from some readers that have tried Sweetly Citron in other states. (See update below.)

One of the main ingredients of Sweetly Citron is citronella. This oil and other essential oils have been found to prevent mosquito and tick bites, but with less effectiveness than DEET, and it needs to be applied more often. The federal government still considers DEET to be the most effective mosquito/tick repellent and safe when used as directed, but controversy has surrounded DEET for decades. For more information, read this report on DEET-related “Health Effects in Humans,” written by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states there’s no age restriction for using DEET on children. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using DEET on children under two months of age and never use a repellent with more than 30 percent DEET on children of any age.

I can’t say this spray will completely repel every single mosquito and tick for every single person in every single area of the U.S. or Canada…but I can say it works for us, here in the urban Hampton Roads area. If you’re looking for a natural insect repellent, the Sweetly Citron spray smells good; it’s natural; it’s effective (for us, anyway!); and it’s affordable. I think it’s worth trying, especially since Supreme Specialties, the company behind Sweetly Citron, offers a 60-day money back guarantee.

Update: I’m thrilled to say a friend and reader tried Sweetly Citron, and here’s what she told me tonight:

“We were in the garage and I started getting bit so I sprayed all of us. It’s rainy today so the mosquitoes are bad. We all then went for a walk… Nothing! Even my husband who gets eaten alive didn’t get any bites!”

You can find Sweetly Citron for purchase on Amazon. Save 25 percent by using discount code: IEEFJBFV. (Affiliate link below)

GIVEAWAY: Click HERE to win a bottle!

Sources:

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Health effects in humans.” http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/consultations/deet/health-effects.html
Healthychildren.org, American Academy of Pediatrics. Safety and Prevention. “Insect repellents.” http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/pages/Insect-Repellents.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token
National Pesticide Information Center. “Oil of citronella general fact sheet.” http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/citronellagen.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Pesticides: Topical & chemical fact sheets. “The insect repellent DEET.” http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm

Note: I received a free bottle of Sweetly Citron insect repellent spray to review. The opinions expressed above are my own and may differ from yours. Post contains affiliate link.