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bigdrawdino3-1Ahh, Summer…the days of Popsicles, splashing in the sprinklers and wondrous chalk drawings all over your driveway and sidewalk! Yes, these are glorious times! And lucky you, Summer is on it’s way!

Lucky for me and my family it’s pretty much Summer all year long here on Maui. And one of the things that gets us outside, gets my child’s imagination going and is easily cleaned up, is drawing with chalk. We leave notes for Daddy for when he gets home and shout, through vibrant chalk, to the world, that “Daddy is THE BEST!”

The best part of working with chalk is it can be hosed down at the end of the day (or week) and a new masterpiece can be made. And let me tell you, we found a new way to create BIG masterpieces in our house with the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine!

What is the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine? A little from their site…

Draw Chalk Drawing Machine
Quite simply, Big Draw is the most innovative sidewalk art product ever made. With easy-to-follow instructions, kids can create enormous chalk drawings on sidewalks and driveways that are over 6 feet tall and look perfect every time. The secret is the Big Draw’s unique set up. Using a simple “recipe card,” children use Big Draw’s corresponding letter and number system to plot points for their drawing, then simply connect the dots and color it in! Kids can draw a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex without being gifted artists, and with many different designs, their Big Draw will be busy all summer long! Ages 7 and up. SRP: $14.99

Ohana Mama’s Take

The age for the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine says 7 and up. My son is 4. So this was something that we needed to do together. It got us all out of the house together and working together as a team to make these big cool drawings. The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine uses number and letter coordinates to create these masterpieces so while doing this fun outdoor activity, we were reinforcing and teaching my son his numbers and letters. Once my husband made the dots, we had my son create the line for the “connect-the-dots” part. This was great for his hand-eye coordination. After connecting the dots, my son as able to really let his imagination and creativity loose by coloring in the dinosaur he had created with Daddy.

Overall, I love the idea of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine. I love that it made creating BIG drawings easy for us parents and then allowed my son to take over the coloring in. And I love that my son was learning his numbers and letters as we were creating the coordinates.

It did take a few tries for my husband and I (we’re in our 30s and college educated) to get the hang of just how to do this (the pressure was on, we were sweating, as my son was saying “come on mom!”) but after a few tries, we got it down and created a cool drawing for my son. So be patient, read the instructions and all should turn out great!

The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine is sure to draw a lot of attention from the neighbors as you create giant butterflies, dinosaurs and fish on your driveways! The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine does offer BIG fun for the whole family!!

GIVEAWAY!

THREE MomDot readers will win their very own Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine! Yes we’re giving away THREE!

How to enter

Head on over to Cadaco, the makers of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine, check out their other cool products and tell us what other one has caught your eye.

Extra Entries:

  • 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Reviews banner (on the right sidebar)
    to your blog. Leave an extra comment with your blog link letting us
    know you did.
  • 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Review Blog link to your blogroll. Leave an extra comment letting us know you did.
  • UNLIMITED ENTRIES: Leave a valid comment on any MomDot Reviews post (other than contests). Leave an extra comment for every post you comment on.

Giveaway Rules:

One winner with a valid entry will be randomly selected on or shortly after Sunday, April 26th, 2009. The “Giveaway Entry” requirement must be completed before extra entries are eligible.


Categories : Reviews
Comments (115)

bigdrawdino3-1Ahh, Summer…the days of Popsicles, splashing in the sprinklers and wondrous chalk drawings all over your driveway and sidewalk! Yes, these are glorious times! And lucky you, Summer is on it’s way!

Lucky for me and my family it’s pretty much Summer all year long here on Maui. And one of the things that gets us outside, gets my child’s imagination going and is easily cleaned up, is drawing with chalk. We leave notes for Daddy for when he gets home and shout, through vibrant chalk, to the world, that “Daddy is THE BEST!”

The best part of working with chalk is it can be hosed down at the end of the day (or week) and a new masterpiece can be made. And let me tell you, we found a new way to create BIG masterpieces in our house with the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine!

What is the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine? A little from their site…

Draw Chalk Drawing Machine
Quite simply, Big Draw is the most innovative sidewalk art product ever made. With easy-to-follow instructions, kids can create enormous chalk drawings on sidewalks and driveways that are over 6 feet tall and look perfect every time. The secret is the Big Draw’s unique set up. Using a simple “recipe card,” children use Big Draw’s corresponding letter and number system to plot points for their drawing, then simply connect the dots and color it in! Kids can draw a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex without being gifted artists, and with many different designs, their Big Draw will be busy all summer long! Ages 7 and up. SRP: $14.99

Ohana Mama’s Take

The age for the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine says 7 and up. My son is 4. So this was something that we needed to do together. It got us all out of the house together and working together as a team to make these big cool drawings. The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine uses number and letter coordinates to create these masterpieces so while doing this fun outdoor activity, we were reinforcing and teaching my son his numbers and letters. Once my husband made the dots, we had my son create the line for the “connect-the-dots” part. This was great for his hand-eye coordination. After connecting the dots, my son as able to really let his imagination and creativity loose by coloring in the dinosaur he had created with Daddy.

Overall, I love the idea of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine. I love that it made creating BIG drawings easy for us parents and then allowed my son to take over the coloring in. And I love that my son was learning his numbers and letters as we were creating the coordinates.

It did take a few tries for my husband and I (we’re in our 30s and college educated) to get the hang of just how to do this (the pressure was on, we were sweating, as my son was saying “come on mom!”) but after a few tries, we got it down and created a cool drawing for my son. So be patient, read the instructions and all should turn out great!

The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine is sure to draw a lot of attention from the neighbors as you create giant butterflies, dinosaurs and fish on your driveways! The Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine does offer BIG fun for the whole family!!

GIVEAWAY!

THREE MomDot readers will win their very own Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine! Yes we’re giving away THREE!

How to enter

Head on over to Cadaco, the makers of the Big Draw Chalk Drawing Machine, check out their other cool products and tell us what other one has caught your eye.

Extra Entries:

  • 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Reviews banner (on the right sidebar)
    to your blog. Leave an extra comment with your blog link letting us
    know you did.
  • 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Review Blog link to your blogroll. Leave an extra comment letting us know you did.
  • UNLIMITED ENTRIES: Leave a valid comment on any MomDot Reviews post (other than contests). Leave an extra comment for every post you comment on.

Giveaway Rules:

One winner with a valid entry will be randomly selected on or shortly after Sunday, April 26th, 2009. The “Giveaway Entry” requirement must be completed before extra entries are eligible.


Categories : Reviews
Comments (115)

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops Review & Giveaway (Closed)

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

yummyearthlollipopslg

Easter is right around the corner and what is synonymous with Easter? CANDY! Parents, I mean, the Easter Bunny, will be filling baskets full of treats, sweets and eggs. Well, I have found a yummy treat that is actually organic, has no high fructose syrup and actually has vegetable and fruit juices included! Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops are going to be my number one treat in my son’s Easter basket this year! Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, aren’t just YUMMY they are a great alternative to other sweets that are filled with not-so natural ingredients and they are wonderful for those children with food allergies.

I was super excited to try all of the YummyEarth flavors. My favorite is the pomegranate – it’s so so good – sweet yet a bit of sour. Love it! A bit more about YummyEarth Organic Lollipops and their ingredients…

ingredients

And here is the real test…my son, a 4 year old that’s picky beyond belief…I’d say these pass the “Cameron test”…

Giveaway! – Closed The winner is…

Selinda McCumbers says:

Strawberry Smash!

Thanks!

One lucky MomDot reader will win a counter bin filled with 150 YummyEarth organic lollipops! (Lucky lucky you!)

How to win…Head on over to the YummyEarth’s site. Take a look around, read up on their ingredients and come back telling us which flavor sounds like it’ll be your favorite.

Extra Entries:

* 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Reviews banner (on the right sidebar)
to your blog. Leave an extra comment with your blog link letting us
know you did.
* 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Review Blog link to your blogroll. Leave an extra comment letting us know you did.
* UNLIMITED ENTRIES: Leave a valid comment on any MomDot Reviews post (other than contests). Leave an extra comment for every post you comment on.

Giveaway Rules:

One winner with a valid entry will be randomly selected on or shortly after Saturday, April 11th, 2009. The “Giveaway Entry” requirement must be completed before extra entries are eligible.

Categories : Reviews
Comments (93)

YummyEarth Organic Lollipops Review & Giveaway (Closed)

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

yummyearthlollipopslg

Easter is right around the corner and what is synonymous with Easter? CANDY! Parents, I mean, the Easter Bunny, will be filling baskets full of treats, sweets and eggs. Well, I have found a yummy treat that is actually organic, has no high fructose syrup and actually has vegetable and fruit juices included! Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops are going to be my number one treat in my son’s Easter basket this year! Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops, aren’t just YUMMY they are a great alternative to other sweets that are filled with not-so natural ingredients and they are wonderful for those children with food allergies.

I was super excited to try all of the YummyEarth flavors. My favorite is the pomegranate – it’s so so good – sweet yet a bit of sour. Love it! A bit more about YummyEarth Organic Lollipops and their ingredients…

ingredients

And here is the real test…my son, a 4 year old that’s picky beyond belief…I’d say these pass the “Cameron test”…

Giveaway! – Closed The winner is…

Selinda McCumbers says:

Strawberry Smash!

Thanks!

One lucky MomDot reader will win a counter bin filled with 150 YummyEarth organic lollipops! (Lucky lucky you!)

How to win…Head on over to the YummyEarth’s site. Take a look around, read up on their ingredients and come back telling us which flavor sounds like it’ll be your favorite.

Extra Entries:

* 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Reviews banner (on the right sidebar)
to your blog. Leave an extra comment with your blog link letting us
know you did.
* 1 EXTRA ENTRY: Add the MomDot Review Blog link to your blogroll. Leave an extra comment letting us know you did.
* UNLIMITED ENTRIES: Leave a valid comment on any MomDot Reviews post (other than contests). Leave an extra comment for every post you comment on.

Giveaway Rules:

One winner with a valid entry will be randomly selected on or shortly after Saturday, April 11th, 2009. The “Giveaway Entry” requirement must be completed before extra entries are eligible.

Categories : Reviews
Comments (93)

Mineral Basic Make-Up Review & Giveaway

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

ultimate-starter-kit1

I was very excited to try the Mineral Basics Ultimate Starter Kit.  After all, this meant that I’d have to take some time out for me to get beautified – sorta like a mini makeover.  Yay!  So with my son at school, my daughter napping, I went to it and tried out the starter kit.  The kit came with very easy to follow instructions on how to apply everything.  5 minutes later and I was done! I was left with great coverage, even the dark circles under my eyes were covered, and there was no heavy feeling on my skin or caked on look.  I added my fave mascara and a little lip gloss and I was done…beautified in no time! Love it!

Here’s a video with a little more on my take of Mineral Basics Make-up

A little bit about Mineral Basics Make-up…

“Mineral Makeup is simply the healthiest, most natural form of makeup available.We sell loose mineral powders that buff beautifully and easily into your skin. We offer mineral foundations, blush, multi-use minerals in shimmer and matte colors, concealers and correctors, finishing powders, etc, to meet all of your cosmetic needs. Mineral makeup contains no irritants, preservatives, fillers, etc. to aggravate your skin. It is just pure, natural mica and minerals, blended together in soft, silky harmony.”

Mineral Basics has a huge selection of things to get YOU beautified so head on over to http://mineralbasics.com/ and check it out!

momdotgiveawaylogo

Mineral Basics is offering one Starter Kit, like the one above, to one lucky MomDot reader!

Your Mineral Basics Ultimate Starter Kit includes:

Two foundation shades, Nectar Angel Kisses Finishing Powder, Silky Soft Synthetic Kabuki Brush, Powder Brush, Full Cover Concealer Brush, Complete Cover Concealer, Refillable Brush, Complete application guide, Emu Oil, and Microfiber makeup bag!

Giveaway Entry:

Read More→

Categories : Reviews
Comments (70)

Mineral Basic Make-Up Review & Giveaway

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

ultimate-starter-kit1

I was very excited to try the Mineral Basics Ultimate Starter Kit.  After all, this meant that I’d have to take some time out for me to get beautified – sorta like a mini makeover.  Yay!  So with my son at school, my daughter napping, I went to it and tried out the starter kit.  The kit came with very easy to follow instructions on how to apply everything.  5 minutes later and I was done! I was left with great coverage, even the dark circles under my eyes were covered, and there was no heavy feeling on my skin or caked on look.  I added my fave mascara and a little lip gloss and I was done…beautified in no time! Love it!

Here’s a video with a little more on my take of Mineral Basics Make-up

A little bit about Mineral Basics Make-up…

“Mineral Makeup is simply the healthiest, most natural form of makeup available.We sell loose mineral powders that buff beautifully and easily into your skin. We offer mineral foundations, blush, multi-use minerals in shimmer and matte colors, concealers and correctors, finishing powders, etc, to meet all of your cosmetic needs. Mineral makeup contains no irritants, preservatives, fillers, etc. to aggravate your skin. It is just pure, natural mica and minerals, blended together in soft, silky harmony.”

Mineral Basics has a huge selection of things to get YOU beautified so head on over to http://mineralbasics.com/ and check it out!

momdotgiveawaylogo

Mineral Basics is offering one Starter Kit, like the one above, to one lucky MomDot reader!

Your Mineral Basics Ultimate Starter Kit includes:

Two foundation shades, Nectar Angel Kisses Finishing Powder, Silky Soft Synthetic Kabuki Brush, Powder Brush, Full Cover Concealer Brush, Complete Cover Concealer, Refillable Brush, Complete application guide, Emu Oil, and Microfiber makeup bag!

Giveaway Entry:

Read More→

Categories : Reviews
Comments (70)

Take a surfing vacation with Olas Books {giveaway}

Monday, January 19th, 2009

surfer2

My son reading “My Surf Tricks”

We have these awesome books from Olas books, “My Surf Tricks” and “My Surf Lessons”. We’ve had them for years for my son and now my little wahine enjoys them as well!

Today YOU get to check them out and enter a giveaway for a great prize package from the creators, Olas Books.

What makes these books so so special? Let me count the ways…First, through these books your children can get a first glimpse at surfing and ocean fun. The ocean is such a huge part of everyone’s lives. No matter where you live, I’m sure the ocean, waves and all that lives in it fascinate you. It’s miraculous, really. This HUGE living, moving thing. And if you’ve ever seen someone ride a wave, I am sure you can attest, it’s pretty darn cool! They are riding a moving, always changing, never the same, tube of water on this small board. It’s insane!

Another thing I love is the gorgeous illustrations in the books. Bright, vivid, fun and interesting to look at, they will get and keep your kids attention. The fun beat of the words to go with the pics also gets kids engaged, listening, dare I say, maybe sitting still (albeit with a little bit of a wobble to go with the beat :) )

We have two of their books…

My Surf Tricks - a fun one that sorta introduces your kids (and maybe you) to surfing. It’s fun, light and full of action!

The next one we got was My Surf Lesson – this teaches your kids about ocean safety, looking before you leap. Hey, us parents might learn something too!

They also have a book out for new readers “Once Upon a Wave”, from Olas Books’ site…

“a new surfing story for the groms that will captivate imaginations and keep them reading. Young readers will come to know and respect the ocean and learn ocean safety through the tales told in this exciting new book.”

Here’s a little excerpt of My Surf Tricks for ya… head on over to Ohana Mama to enter the giveaway for a copy of all of their books, a coloring book, onesie and other goodies!! Ends 1/25

Click here—-> For An Excerpt of My Surf Tricks, Olas Books from Sarah Burns on Vimeo.

Categories : Reviews
Comments (1)

Get organized in the New Year with ListPlanIt!

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

listplanit-1It’s almost time to say adios to 2008 and ALOHA! to 2009 (don’t cha love how multi-lingual I am?!).  Well start the New Year off right by getting organized with ListPlanIt.com.

If you are like me, and a bit scatterbrained (between the house, kids, hubby, business, blog, who isn’t scattered?!) then you’ve got to check out ListPlanIt.com! It’s a wonderful site that has already-made lists for almost every facet of your life.
Through a three-month or 12 month subscription, you have access to over 300 printable list and planning pages. I love that I can fill them out on my computer and then print them out right there or keep adding to my list throughout the day. For example today I went and got the Blog Planning Page. I’ve kept it up and as my emails with people to be featured came back I simply filled out my planner. Then at the end of the day I can either save it to my computer or print it out to be put on my bulletin board.

ListPlanIt.com has a ton of lists and planners, far too many for me to list but some of my favorite are (from their site):

“GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS — Ever feel like you’re tires are spinning but you’re not getting anywhere? Write down just what you want to push yourself to do during a week and then be sure to record your accomplishments.”

“A MONTH OF BLOG TOPICS — Plot out a month’s worth of blog topics on one page. Coordinate posts with holidays, current events, and vacations.”

“BABYSITTER QUICK LIST — Need a sitter tonight? Can’t remember names or phone numbers or even where you wrote them down?”

“MONTHLY BILL/EXPENSES SCHEDULE — List everything that must be paid during the Month here. Include the Due Date or the Date of Automatic Withdrawal.”

“GROCERY LIST (WITH MENU) — Sometimes it is not easy to remember why you wrote something on the list. If you have written your menu for the next week or two here, then you might not be surprised when you see Feta Cheese on the list.”

This is a fantastic site! This mom inventor even helps you organize your list with a how-to step-by-step section on her site. From business planning, home life, birthdays, meals, pregnancy journals, travel planning, you name it, ListPlanIt.com has it.

The service is $9.95 for three months and $29.95 for a year. That’s a whole lot cheaper than a nice organizer – and those come blank! Go check them out and get organized in 2009 with ListPlanIt.com!
Be sure to sign up for their L.I.S.T. newsletter while you are there to get a FREE Website Favorites List and more planning pages delivered weekly!
Sarah is the Mama behind Ohana Mama blog. Sarah calls Maui home with her high school sweetheart hubby and their two wonderful kids. She’s always on the lookout for cool finds for your ohana (house, family) and especially loves to find new things invented by resourceful moms. When not writing or working, Sarah love to hang at the beach or go for hikes with her family.
Categories : Reviews
Comments (0)

The (oopdoo) hug, because not all booboos bleed!

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

_oopdoo_hug-ache2As a mom, when your child is sick or gets hurt you want to do all that you can to help them feel better. It’s a bit easier when they scrape their knee or have a fever to offer instant relief with some medicine or a band-aid. But what do you do when they just aren’t feeling well or have a bellyache or something else where medicine or a band-aid isn’t needed?

You wrap them up in an (oopdoo)!

This last month has been sick city in my house. My son, daughter and I all caught the bug. Fun times. One day when my son was really not feeling well, a package arrived in the mail just in time. It was from (oopdoo), the bandage for booboos that don’t bleed. It came wrapped in beautiful purple toole with a cute booklet to tell the (oopdoo) story. My son instantly grabbed his (oopdoo), which resembles a large bandage, and rested on the couch holding it tightly. He was happy, content and feeling a bit better! I was in love and so thankful to the awesome mom that created this get well blanket for my son.

One of the best features is that it also has a pocket for either an ice pack, hot water bottle or even to hold his lovey, bear. When my little one hits his head or arm and needs some ice, he screams. It seems the coldness of the ice hurts even worse than his owie. Well with the (oopdoo) it takes just enough of the coldness away to not hurt my son, yet still helps his booboo.

The (oopdoo) is made of soft fleece, is machine washable and is made in theU.S.A. It comes in really cute prints, beautiful, soothing colors and even in textures. www.oopdoohug.com

Sarah is the Mama behind Ohana Mama blog. Sarah calls Maui home with her high school sweetheart hubby and their two wonderful kids. She’s always on the lookout for cool finds for your ohana (house, family) and especially loves to find new things invented by resourceful moms. When not writing or working, Sarah love to hang at the beach or go for hikes with her family.

Categories : Reviews
Comments (1)