Dad of Divas' Reviews: reviews

Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts

Friday, October 21, 2011

SwimZip Offers Style and Great Sun Protection for Young Kids

About the Swimsuit
SwimZip is an easy-on, easy-off UV 50+ protective swim shirt for children. The full front zipper and sewn in protective collar make changing little ones a breeze. The no-pinch zipper flap, tagless neck, and flat seams makes wearing the swimwear comfy! SwimZip's material is chlorine resistant too! Our swimwear protects young children from harmful UV rays.

I asked the owner where this idea came from and she shared the following:

Why did you start SwimZip?
I was diagnosed with skin cancer at the age of 26. Growing up in Kansas I spent countless hours swimming at the lake, running around at soccer tournaments in the dead of summer, and sunbathing until I burned. Doctors are finding 90% of all cancerous sun exposure happens before a person turns 18 years old. I wish I would have listened to my Mom back then and lathered up with sunscreen; if I could go back in time, I would. Since being diagnosed with skin cancer I have made it a priority to educate children and parents about the dangers of UV rays. SwimZip perfectly blends my loves of fashion, function, health, and kids. From someone who knows firsthand the dangers of too much sun exposure: "Please keep your children protected from the sun!"

My #1 goal is to keep children safe from the sun by getting a SwimZip into every child's household around the world!

SwimZip Founder,
Betsy Johnson

My Take on the Swimsuit
I decided to share with you my thoughts on this in a video, hope that you enjoy!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

New Site Captures Mom's Wisdom

I was recently asked to take a peek at a new site that is geared for mothers of children of all ages. The site itself states that:

Mamapedia™ is...

For mothers with kids of all ages
Questions by moms, answered by moms who’ve been there
Over a million answers on everything from Acne to Zoos
Easily searchable and browsable
Updated daily
100% free

The site focusses on things from keeping your kids healthy through cold and flu season, to Halloween preparation tips, mamapedia.com has all your answers. This great new website allows you tap into the wisdom of other parents to get inside scoop! Mamapedia.com is a unique website that gives parents access to answers from other moms and dads. You can type a question/topic into the search engine and find similar questions posted by other parents to get help you get the answer you are looking for. All the answer are provided by other parents themselves, so your getting great info from people who have experience it first hand! The site is completely free and very user friendly. You can even look up questions asked in your own area!

Mamapedia gives moms everywhere the power to ask any question and get 'the real scoop' from millions of other mothers. From common parenting problems such as potty training and sibling rivalry to personal mom issues like weight loss and breastfeeding, Mamapedia offers wisdom and advice without judgment.

The site also tracks live top searches (what's hot on the minds of moms right now?) and makes it easy for any mom to find the answers she's looking for - no registration required.

Founder and father of two, Artie Wu says "There is enormous pressure on moms to be constantly on top of everything and to "do everything right" -- to be "SuperMom", all the time. Mamapedia supports moms in a way that no other resource can -- the honest advice and wisdom of millions of other moms, on your specific issue or question, without any judgment and no strings attached."

On Mamapedia, each question posed by a mom is given a box highlight of how many answers have been provided by other mothers. Then, mom can read through all the feedback for the answer that makes the most sense for her and her family.

Current topics cover talking to kids about sex, issues with step families, saving for college and other economy issues, and even city specific things-to-do.

My Take on This

This site does tackle some hard topics and allows moms (in general) to get the help they need by asking questions of other moms and learn from "resident experts" who are moms like themselves. The only drawback for me (as a Dad) is that it would be great to have differing viewpoints form fathers and mothers. I know that this may not fit into the overall scheme of the site, but I think it would be great to have diversity in this respect.

The one piece that makes this site stand out is that the site is focused on the opinions of mothers and the questions and content comes from the members. Instead of having staff who are writing answers, readers are relying on the expertise of other moms like themselves. Fresh and refreshing approach!

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Product Review - MedSafe

I recently became aware of a new product that is a great idea for any parents out there. Michael Rebando, a Long Island locksmith of two decades, experienced a near-tragic incident in which his four-year-old niece was rushed to the hospital after unknowingly consuming over-the-counter medication accidentally left on the kitchen counter.

From this almost tragedy, Mr. Rebando did hiw own research and began development of a safe that can be used to safeguard our kids from the medicines that we may have in our homes.

The product fits easily into most medicine cabinets and holds up to 15 bottles of prescription medicine. This product features 19,500 changeable combinations and is a great tool in keeping potentially harmful meds out of the hands of children. The MedSafe also can be easily affixed to the inside of any medicine cabinet with four self-tapping screws included with each unit, and can also be stored in a dresser drawer, kitchen cabinet or closet shelf.

I was impressed to find that a portion of each unit sold will support teen prescription drug abuse awareness programs through non-profits such as D.A.R.E. The product is presently available at http://www.helpsaveourkids.com/ for $49.95, and will soon be available in retail outlets nationwide.

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Book Review - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

I was lucky enough to be asked to review a copy of Donald Miller's new book. Not being familiar with Mr. Miller in the past, I did not have any clue what to expect in regards to this particular book.

In reviewing this book, I have to say that I was very impressed. The author brings you on a journey of discovery, that the author himself is on, but that you too soon find yourself on as you work your way through the experiences and life challenges that Donald finds himself being challenged with.

I was particularly intrigued at the idea of going into my own life and editing it to better the "story" that my own life is unveiling daily. This concept is one that Donald discovers for himself, and by doing so, it opens his life to the many wonders and opportunities that lay in the background previously.

I also was intrigued by the individuals that as a reader you are introduced to within the story. One such individual was Bob Goff. Bob is an amazing individual and one that I hope to learn more about and from in the future. At the end of reading this book, I searched for more information on Bob and his company and I found that Bob is on Facebook. Finding this, I became his Facebook friend and began an email correspondence with him that I hope will continue into the future. Bob's life is one that I can only hope for with my own family.

I was glad that the book itself did come to some type of conclusion at the end, as I came to want to see Donald succeed. So much so that I now am following Donald's blog to keep up with what he is up to with his life and to see how his continued story unfurls.

I would completely recommend this book to anyone looking to edit their own life. If you want to read a few chapters to see what this book has in store take a look at the following.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Book Review - The Well-Behaved Child

I will admit it, we have a challenging 5 year old. We have read many books, and tried many things, but we still have problems with her behavior. J-Mom and I work hard to remain consistent, but overall, consistency with Diva-J does not always seem to work. When I was asked to review this book, I was definitely excited and hopeful for a chance to find some new answers, tactics and techniques that may allow J-Mom and I to be a bit less frustrated and allow the whole family to be having fun together at all times!

In reading this book, I was not disappointed. The author lays out his methodology first (even though you want to skip to the meat of the book), which was good, as it truly debunks many of the parenting skills that we think we should do to go back to some of the skills that we more in place back in the 1950's. Further into the book is where the authors lays out his system. Through practical and real life examples he allows parents to see how easy it can be to take control of their parenting as well as allowing the child to take control of their behavior.

Some of the sections in this book include:

* Essential Discipline Principles
* Essential Discipline Tools
* Perplexing Problems and Simple Solutions
* Not Your Everyday Problems
* General Questions and Answers

Does this work, I am not totally for certain, but I will admit that I look forward to trying to skills learned in this "workshop in a book."

I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong willed child, whether 3 or 11. You will not be disappointed! You can find this on both Amazon and at the Thomas Nelson site.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Book Review - Eli Gold: From Peanuts to the Pressbox

Being a person that enjoys sports but is not a fanatic I did not know what to expect when I read this book. I will say that before I received this book, I can say that I had heard of the announcer/author of this book but really knew nothing of his back story.

This book is a great tribute to the hard work and dedication that one person has to achieve his goals. It is an inspirational tale about what one person can do to overcome obstacles and achieve all that one hopes to achieve.

With over 25 years of experience in the sports industry, one can only imagine the experiences and life that he has had througout his career. I truly enjoyed Gold's stories of other announcers and sports stars and what it was like to work with them. This book is a great read for the sports and non-sport enthusiast. The books flows well and is an easy read for all people.

I found that this book could have easily been expanded to add much more depth into the backstory, but I am not complaining at all, as the story was very enjoyable and one that I would definitely recommend to others!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Book Review - Fearless

Max Lucado is knows for his books of down to earth practical advice of living your life based on a spiritual journey and this book follows a similar path. Fearless allows the reader to envision a life lived without fear of anything. As Lucado explains clearly, it is giving yourself up to the will of God and knowing that through him all your fears are taken away.

This is not always an easy thing to accept, and Lucado freely writes about this struggle that all humans have. Whether it be our own job, our family, our health or the health of others, we tend to be a fear driven people, so this book takes a fresh approach to moving down another path that we do not always take, the road toward fearless living.

I enjoyed this book and with its continuous link to scripture, there is no reason why even the most casual reader of the Bible could not find meaning in the references, not only to the past, but more over their own day-to-day life.

I enjoyed the fact that Lucado (as is usually his case) places himself into the story using examples form his own life to draw the reader into the story. This made the book a very easy read and one that went very quickly.

The chapters within the book cover a litany of fears that many of us hold including:

* Fear of not mattering
* Fear of disappointing God
* Fear of being in need
* Fear of issues around our children
* Fear of overwhelming challenges
* Fear of the worst-case scenarios
* Fear of violence
* Fear of money issues
* Fear of death
* Fear of tomorrow
* Fear of religious doubt
* Fear of global calamity
* Fear of really trusting God with your life

I think Lucado says it best as he states:

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

I can only hope that one day I will be able to live my own life in such a fashion and I believe that through the words that Lucado shares this is possible.

I encourage this book to anyone who lives with fear within their life, it is a quick read and is made to be easy to understand and practical. If you have an interest to read more, check out a few pages of the book for yourself!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Book Review - She Still Calls Me Daddy

As a father of two girls I definitely do not want to rush anything! My girls are still quite young and I have a lot of time until I have to deal with the issues that are brought up in Robert Wolgemuth's book She Still Calls Me Daddy.

Though this is true I will cherish the concepts in this book and know that down the road I will definitely come back and review it (it is not a one time read for me). The book covers seven main areas: Protection, Conversation, Affection, Discipline, Laughter, Faith, and Conduct, and takes a building up approach to raising and letting go of your daughters.

I enjoyed the way that the author intertwined his own experience with advice to other fathers as it made the read not only enjoyable but also fast. Some of the tips that he gives on dating are ones that I know that I will have to revisit in the years to come (though I am not thinking about that just yet - I'm in denial). I also enjoyed the builders checklist at the end of each chapter as it made the chapters tangible and provided me with some great hands on ideas for helping my girls as they get to be a bit older. Most dads will also enjoy the analogy that the author uses in relation to home renovation, it makes the topics relevant to any type of dad out there!

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is either getting ready to let his daughters go, or will someday have to give his daughters away. It also can be a great gift for a father of daughters as well. It is a book worth reading!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Book Review: The Jesus Book

This week I received a new book entitled: The Jesus Book . I was not for certain what to expect when I got the book, but as I started to go through it, I was very surprised at both the breadth and depth that is covered within the book itself. The book is a great read for ages 4-8 and gives your ones a closer understanding to the who, what, when, where, why and how of Jesus' life.

The answers that are contained in each short passage are not watered down, but are written in a way for children to understand. The illustrations within the book itself are vibrant and truly pull the reader into the text and the story and the truth that is being shared.

The book also comes with an hour long CD of great music that my girls just loved. They are now asking me to play the songs over and over (just like we get with each year's VBS songs). I have no doubt that these songs and this CD will become a new favorite very soon. One thing that I found interesting about the songs themselves was that they tied the songs to the readings, so you could read a passage in the book or in the bible and the song was tied to this as well. It was a very nice parallel.

I encourage you to check out a few pages of the book to get a better glimpse of what the book has in store for you, your child, or a special little one you might share this great book with!

I would recommend this as a gift for your own child or for another as it shares and answers many of the questions that I have heard from my own daughter at a young age in a clear, concise and easy to understand way.

* I have reviewed this book as a member of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger Program *

Friday, July 10, 2009

"Kooky" USB: A fun way to brighten your day!

I was asked recently to try out a new product from EMTEC, called a "Kooky" and are based off the popular character pens known as "Kooky Klickers". As the company states: This product is a

They are the fashionable alternative to standard USB drives and are perfect for teens to use to save their important documents. The colorful handheld devices have fun faces and crazy hair that make them easy to find in the depths of kid’s backpacks. The drives are available in 2GB capacities for $14.99.

Upon receiving the USB, I immediately noticed the similarity of the Kooky Klicker as Diva-J had been given one of these in the past and she loved it (mostly because it was pink and had crazy hair). The USB that they sent me coincidentally also was pink and had crazy hair on the top. I could see immediately that the company was right in saying that this USB would not easily get lost.

EMTEC states that:

Each Kooky Klicker collectible pen is uniquely named and numbered, and collections are released in limited edition “Krews.” With millions of Kooky Klickers sold since they hit the market in 2002, the Kooky Klickers were recently recognized as one of the “Ten Hottest Toys at Retail” by industry trade publication Toy Book. Kooky USB Drives, which share the unique personalities that has made this brand so popular, are an ideal storage solution for stylish technology users. Kooky USB Drives are currently available at over 1,200 Office Depot retail locations throughout the United States.

In trying out the Kooky, I found it very easy to use and though Diva-J (my eldest) is not yet old enough to have a need for one of these, I showed it to her none-the-less and as before, she thought it was funny as well as cool. She also asked if she could keep it. I explained to her that we would save it for her for a little while until she was a bit older and needed such an item. Knowing the Diva that she is, the company did a good job in sending the Kooky that they did.

I will also put in a plug here for the fun nature of the product. I think these USB's are just the thing that one needs on a bad day to turn the frown upside down (as we sometimes say to the Divas). The zaney, wacky nature of the characters, bring a smile to one's face whenever you see it.

I would completely recommend the kooky for all of you out there who have school age kids who are starting to need to save pictures, documents or the like. With the 2 GB capacity on the Kooky it will not get filled up too quickly and should not get lost in the milieu of materials that pile up in their backpacks as well, as this thing truly stands out.

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