I’m not normally the type to do birth announcements, moving announcements or anything of that sort. Main reason? Lazy procrastinator. But when Hudson was due I thought it would be a nice touch this time so I began to look around to see what was out there.

That’s when I found out about tiny*prints.

Not only is there website easy to navigate, it’s eye catching with a simple design that doesn’t take away from the real art - the cards, invitations and announcements. Immediately I was drawn into the designs of the cards and felt the urge to see more. Once I viewed the birth announcements I knew I HAD to buy some.

But I procrastinated - again.

Thankfully this time, it worked in my favour because Parent Bloggers Network was looking for people to review tiny*prints and I jumped at the chance as fast as I could. How could that have been timed any better!?!

I spent so many hours perusing all the designs: it was nearly impossible to choose since they are all so well designed, colourful and bright. With almost 150 design choices - just for boys! - there is something for everyone. Many are very modern and chic designs with great colours and wonderful patterns, all very complimentary. I truly wish I could have bought a card in each different design.

Eventually I settled on a design (since my deadline for ordering in time for my review was fast approaching, otherwise I’d still be deciding).

Honestly, once I began ordering, I was expecting something like the photo cards from large chain stores - you know just the photo paper, flimsy and kinda dare I say it - tacky, but when these cards arrived I was really shocked to see that they’re a firm bristol board type material (cardstock) and very well printed.

Once I reviewed the site again I noticed that they even have a page describing all the papers they use - including their weights and thicknesses. I was elated to see that they give the consumer all the information needed (or wanted) to make an educated purchasing decision. How many companies can you think of that actually take the time to ensure that the consumer has a complete understanding of the items they are about to buy?

Ordering was very simple with their easily navigated drop down menus and straightforward additional information about each and every card. Their site made me feel more confident while making decisions regarding photos and picking my favourite design.

Then, once I placed my order, an associate from tiny*prints called me almost immediately because I had left out some information on the card accidentally (Come on, gimme a break. There was a crying infant and a screaming toddler in the background!). Imagine how heartbroken I would have been to see my cards arrived with missing information? They totally help avoid situations just like that with their diligence, which was MORE then greatly appreciated.

The scan really doesn’t do the card justice. They are absolutely stunning and such great quality. So wonderful in fact, I think I may become a regular user of their cards and announcements.

I’ve always been a little skeptical of parenting books. I mean since the self righteous What to Expect When Your Expecting, I’ve worried that all most parenting books will shove their holier then thou attitudes down my throat and make me second guess every parental move I make. Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Houseful of Successful Children is anything but that.

To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in what was written when I agreed to review. I was interested because am a fan of Chris Rock as well as the television show Everybody Hates Chris -that’s what got me interested in Mama Rock’s Rules. And though there is mention of Chris in the book, it covers ALL of Rose and Julius’ children and foster children who have been raised in the Rock household. She’s made it quite evident how loved each and everyone of them are - regardless of fame or status.

Mama Rock’s book reads like a group of friends chatting over a coffee (or a glass of wine), it’s a pleasant and TRUTHFUL read about what, we as parents, can do to develop our children into caring, kindhearted and successful individuals. Individuals we are proud to take out to dinner or the grocery store - where we don’t have to fear what escapades will make us wish we never left the house.

Written with Valerie Graham, Rose Rock had me right from the statement “Being a parent is not about being right, it’s about doing right.”. Her caring, smart and witty don’t-mess-with-mama attitude as portrayed on Everybody Hates Chris comes through in this book and grips you so fast it’s difficult to put down. She made me smile, laugh, and most of all - made me wanna be a better parent!

Right from knowing who’s boss to talking to our children about sex, I found that a lot was common sense advice having me nod my head agreeably to other tidbits which made me go “Hmmmm”.

Mama Rock seems to have a handle on just what children want and need to live a prosperous life filled with love and devotion. The kind of life that all children should have, and though my son is only 2.5 we’ve already begun to instill some of the ideas Mama Rock has covered (Go us!) and there are still many that will be covered once Carter reaches the appropriate age. I don’t know that he’s quite ready for the sex talk as of yet, but I will DEFINITELY be referring to Mama Rock when the time comes.

Her candid, yet very knowledgeable approaches don’t come off as overbearing or pretentious. It’s quite refreshing to read and actually makes me wanna listen to her!

I have a confession.

It’s not that bad. Well, depending on who you are, I guess.

Parent Bloggers may be a little upset. Even Jessica Seinfeld  might come looking for me.

*sigh*

Here it goes.

I didn’t cook a damn thing out of this book.  I know! I know! How am I supposed to write a successful review on a product that I didn’t even try?

But to my defense, I’ve been living off bread, peanut butter and apples for the past month and a half since morning sickness has struck me. I’ve had no appetite and if I do, I feel like throwing up the minute the hunger hits. I’m at the point I want to eat my own hand rather then wait for something to cook.

I even taped the Oprah episode with Jessica Seinfeld and her book Deceptively Delicious with full intentions of incorporating it into my review. But I fell asleep after dinner last night. And slept all the way through to this morning.

What I can tell you? I’ve read the entire book and earmarked the recipes which caught my eye. Everything looks so fabulous, simple and incredibly tasty.

The hardcover book sports a retro design which is fun, colourful and eye catching. I love the fact that it’s personalized with messages from Jessica, her children and Jerry himself, which brings a more familiar family feel to the book rather then the stark, drab and snobbish effect that most receipt books give off.

When I started making homemade baby food, I was really intimidated by the directions for making purees. Rinsing, blanching, peeling, roasting, etc.  I wish I had this book then. Simply laid out, there’s Prep., Cook, Puree instructions for each fruit and vegetable used in this book.  Right there. It’s all so straightforward and helpful. LOVE!!

The recipes themselves are easy to follow and very well laid out. The directions are simple and to the point with all the preparation times and serving visible in the same location every time! Because seriously? Hunting around each page for the prep. time and serving size gets frustrating. Jessica’s totally taken “Where’s Waldo?” out of the equation.

The images of the foods are real. There is no garnishing or over-presentation which take away from the foods themselves,  they haven’t been made up, which to me, usually make the item seem too intimidating for a regular person to create.

Jessica is a real mom. She speaks to me. She knows what meal time is really like and she doesn’t pussy foot around the fact that Hey!, sometimes most times meal time is the biggest challenge of the day! Getting a child (or even some adults) to eat their vegetables needs a little creativity and deception. I know there’s some vegetables I’d rather not eat, this book could help me too. Like beets, lima beans, olives. Yeah, okay, maybe not olives. Definitely not olives.

Why not make something that the kids really enjoy and add a little something to make it even better? Like Brownies! Hello! They’d never know you added Carrot and Spinach unless you told them. It’s a win-win for all!

You want this book. You need this book!

I think this product was introduced as early as the mid-1990’s with an infomercial with Billy Mays showing us how we could clean just about Anything! with a little help from OxiClean! Remember him?

Enthusiastic Billy Mays had me sitting at the edge of my seat, intently watching as he dipped yellowed lace curtains in a simulated washer. Oh! No! Not the Red Wine!! I couldn’t believe the results. I think this was the first ever infomercial that I bought into and begged my mom to buy some of this magical cleaner.

Honestly. I didn’t achieve the results that Billy was so enthusiastic about. I was a little disheartened and saddened that I had been led astray.  But that was THEN.

Because of those past experiences, I was a little leery about doing a review; but, how could I turn down Parent Bloggers when they offered up a chance to try the New! OxiClean!?

The product arrived promptly, packaged with a little note describing the new formula that not only fights stains, but also protects clothing from colour fading. Sweet!

The website is easy and user-friendly with tons of information. Click to see which method works best for different stains, pretreating tips, and other uses - like Hello! Cleaning patio furniture! Dude there’s even a Baby Safe Cleaner!

Mike completed the ultimate test. Washing his dirty smells grimy oil/grease/gas/dirt stained work clothes. This is no small feat. I, personally, do not wash these clothes since they are so freakin’ gross. He quickly grabbed up the OxiClean canister and headed to the basement with me following intently behind asking him what he thought of it.

Smells good.

It’s powder.

Nice scoop.

(Never fails to articulate his true feelings that man.)

Once washing was complete, he intently examined the articles and noted that a large portion of the stains had been removed, and he didn’t notice any change in color or fading (Men.) Nor did he care to try again to let the clothes soak in an attempt to completely remove the stains. Afterall, their work clothes and he just didn’t give a damn if all the stains were gone.

So, next test. Toddler daycare clothes.

Paint, food, markers, slobber, snot and drool make for one crusty and filthy shirt at the end of the day. With a full load of wash, warm water, my regular detergent and one small scoop of OxiClean the shirts came out clean and stain-free!  Success! And a Happy Mom to boot!

To be honest, most of our clothes have been washed numerous times already, so it was difficult to judge the anti-fading power of the product.  I initially had a huge test outlined of how I would test the anti fading with dollar store wash clothes… but I went and got knocked up and it all went out the window as this evil morning sickness bedded down for an unwelcome stay.

Overall? Very happy. Even though I have yet to try it on my outdoor furniture, which I full intend on doing (and will happen sooner then later with these recent threats of this summer-like weather leaving us before long) and maybe even clean that couch when it has a break from it’s long term resident (aka my husband’s butt).

Try it! You won’t be disappointed with the New and Improved! OxiClean. So many options for different stain treatments, you can’t go wrong!

A Fashion Director at Elle magazine, Nina García knows trends –– from the return of oversized sunglasses, to the rise of cropped jackets, to the advent of all things pink –– she has seen it all. While some fashion trends are constantly changing, some just stay the same––the little black dress? Timeless. A pair of skinny jeans? Absolutely necessary. Those adorable sling back heels? Essential to any woman’s closet. Balancing the classics with the trends is what style is all about.

This chic little book has a bit about everything. Draped in a black cover with metallic and pink writing it’s certainly alluring. Images drawn by Ruben Toledo are eye catching and inspiring to say the least. But what this book has to offer is far beyond the beautiful packaging.

I was certainly a little apprehensive once the book arrived from Parent Bloggers (and Harper Collins) and I read the first chapter. I set it down for a while but then took it on vacation knowing I had to read it. I mean, Elle Fashion Director? She knows her stuff, right? My first impression was slightly skewed as I couldn’t help envisioning a pretentious Hollywood type telling me everything I was doing wrong.

I was quick to judge a book by its cover.

I am far from a fashionista. I am probably one to be labeled by Nina Garcia as a “Fashion Don’t” with my multiple Old Navy t-shirts in different colours, my ill fitting jeans which accentuate my muffin top, and don’t forget my lack of shoes. Let alone style in shoes.

Me? I personally found it hard to relate to on many fronts. Skinny jeans and sling back heels being a necessity for any woman’s closet? Please. Larger women (like 150lbs +) , like myself, really doesn’t want to torture themselves like that. And the general public would LOVE to avoid seeing that as well.

I am a Fashion Nightmare.

I know it.

I work it.

But this book taught me a little about what I should look for and what I should avoid; and though it mostly references high end designers and high end items that I would never even consider to have in my wardrobe (fur *gag*) and items I am no where able to afford - like a knock off Louis Vuitton let alone the real thing; I will just have to work my mojo on the items at the Winners (or Dress for Less) to find the perfect accessories or that little black dress.

Nina gives style ideas which can be used at just about any income level, all you need is a little creativity, ambition and heart.

With tips for how and wear the perfect outfit is acceptable to what patterns you can mix and accentuate with accessories, it’s practically every woman’s dream to have notes like these at their fingertips which makes Nina Garcia’s Little Black Book of Style a worthy read for these kinds of excellent tidbits.

My favourite part? It not only helps fashion victims (like myself) it also offers a little lesson in self esteem boosting, which anyone can use.

Nearly erased, as I hastily went through my email account deleting spam, this one caught my eye. An offer to send Carter a Name Your Tune CD - personalized with his very own name. Skeptically VERY interested, I replied immediately to the email, thinking I may be on the verge of a spam bombardment, I was prepared to let my email do it’s job. Sure enough, it was legit. *phew*

Candace from Name Your Tune, seems as jovial and chipper as I am (after my 5th cup of coffee). She’s a delight and sent the CD so fast. I swear, there was an email this morning that she’d sent it, including a tracking number, and by the time I got home from work, it was here!

Carter and I turned the CD on right away. He was a little perturbed at first because his schedule usually results in sitting in front of the TV for an episode of Dora while I try and peel off the ickiness of my work day. Today? Name Your Tune day!
As soon as the delightful, and well known, songs started, he was interested; once he heard his name? He was hooked. A smile formed every time his name was said.

Awarded by iParenting Media, for a 2006 Outstanding product, this CD not only incorporates children’s names to make them feel special (because who doesn’t like hearing their name in a song? I still love hearing Garth Brooks say my name in Callin’ Baton Rouge.) BUT! they also donate a portion of each CD sale to Hear Here.

What is Hear Here?
Hear Here is a non-profit charitable organization that purchases hearing aids for children. Hear Here is administered through The Hospital For Sick Children in Toronto. Hear Here was founded in 2000 by Eric Alper and his audiologists Chris Kyroglou and Nick Veronico of Union Hearing Aid Center in Toronto.

(For more information about Hear Here visit: Union Hearing Aid Center).

And! The packaging is very simple; colours are gorgeous, vibrant and bright and it’s on recycled paper, what more could you ask for!?

Honestly, I am sold. I was looking for a name CD since a friend recommended it about a year ago and wasn’t having any luck with the name Carter… and here one falls in my lap!

If you’re interested check out their website and get one for yourself little one! You won’t be disappointed!

Okay, so welcome. Here we are at my review site Glamorous Geek. This is not my design, but one that I found and settled for fell in love with for the time being.

I really wanted to get this thing off the ground, but let’s face it: with a full time job, toddler, design site, personal blog and other bloggy commitments, I just have to put my personal design on the back burner for the time being.

So, without further ado, I will begin reviews.

Just after I return from my family BBQ, get Carter off to bed and start my next load of laundry.

*sigh*

I need a drink.

So, since as of late, I’ve been contacted to complete some reviews for different products and services. After completing a couple for fun and something different, I opted to submit my services to The Parent Bloggers Network, where bloggers, like myself, are sent items to try out with our families and provide our honest opinions about said items.

To avoid bogging down my personal site, I wanted to have a place dedicated to my reviews with it’s own fresh and new personality; and so, The Glamorous Geek was born.

When reviews are completed, they will be posted here, with a link from Temporarily Me to navigate my readers to this site should they be interested.

So there it is.

Enjoy!