Jenn.nu

Little Looster

Jenn — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:32:30 +0000

Anyone who has ever potty-trained a young child or spent any amount of time in the bathroom with a young child will tell you that one of the “challenges” is making sure that little kids are comfortable and secure on the toilet. Alyssa was two months shy of three when she was potty-trained, and one of the things she complained about was not feeling safe on the toilet. She was anxious about falling off — or worse yet, falling in. We did have one of those potty rings, but it tended to slip around, and on one occasion it managed to pinch her thigh, so after that she pretty much used her hands to “grip” the sides of the toilet, and when we were out in public I would actually hold her on the toilet so she felt secure.
Ryan was three and a half when he graduated from diapers to the toilet, and while he was nearly a year older than Alyssa was and thus a little bigger, he too had issues climbing up on the toilet and staying in place.

Parents and caregivers find different solutions to helping kids use full-sized toilets, including stools. Stools are nice because they give kids a boost — literally — which allows them to use their legs to brace themselves and remain stable while doing their business. But stools aren’t usually compatible with the round shape of toilets, and so them shifting or sliding away can often make kids feel even more unstable.

Enter the Little Looster, a half-circle shaped step stool that is designed specifically to be used in conjunction with toilets. The Little Looster fits directly against standard toilets, and its strong design and textured surface provide stability for little kids. For adults, its flush design means no awkward stepping or sitting, or the inconvenience of having to move and then replace the stool.

I recently received a Little Looster to try out, and I’m definitely impressed with the quality of the design and attention to detail. Alyssa has gotten a little leggy over the last few months, so she didn’t really have a need for it, but Ryan definitely liked it. He climbs right up now and is able to go to the bathroom hands-free, without dangling legs that can sometimes lead to that irritating pins-and-needles sensation.

The Little Looster is available for $39.99 at littlelooster.com.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Zibits are awesome

Jenn — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:09:07 +0000

Zibits are bite-sized robots that light up and make robotic chirping noises, move back and forth and even spin 360°. I was recently given the opportunity to review two of the little robots, and of course I said yes. Alyssa and Ryan are getting more interested in “older”, more interactive toys, and when the Zibits arrived, they couldn’t wait to tear into them.

Zibits are perfect toys for kids young and old. Alyssa and Ryan are just as excited about their little robots as my teenage brothers are! I’d definitely recommend these as toys for kids and stocking stuffers for older kids and technology-oriented adults. And at just $9.99 apiece and 12+ styles to choose from, your wallet and sense of style will be able to handle them!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Participate in DevineToys' Sexual Health Survey

Jenn — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:53:46 +0000

DevineToys is the manufacturer of these gorgeous toy storage boxes:

Left & right: Devine Playchest | Middle: Devine Toy Box

What better way to improve the products they make than by requesting the anonymous feedback of others? Give your $0.02 on your sex life, sexual satisfaction and preferences on oral sex, grooming, personal products and more here: Sexual Health Survey

Psst… there is an option to provide your personal info if you’re interested in product reviews, so you should definitely participate in the survey!

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Win a Droid X!

Jenn — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:14:57 +0000

MyEZDeal.com, a popular website that offers all sorts of deals and discounts for stores, restaurants, spas, local events + much more, is giving away a Verizon Droid X Android-running smartphone!

How to enter:
Head over to myezdeal.com/sweepstakes and submit your name, email address, and city. That’s it!

Make sure to hurry — the giveaway ends on September 5th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST!

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The 30 Day Meme: Day 12

Jenn — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:22:30 +0000

The 30 Day Meme: Day 12 – A photograph of the town you live in.

I live in the boonies.

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There's sand in my purse

Jenn — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:48:21 +0000

Last Friday Jason, the kids and myself headed down to Ocean City, MD, for the day. It was a perfect beach day — a late August Friday, shining sun, temperatures in the high 70s. The water was so warm. The sand was, too. It wasn’t blisteringly hot like it usually is when we go down in May. Like I said, it was perfect. Alyssa lost one of her Hello Kitty earrings in the ocean, I got smacked underwater by more than one wave (ocean water is disgusting), and whenever Ryan got overstimulated by the environment he headed up the beach a bit to check out/pull on/beat on signs (he has a fascination with street signs), but it was still a fantastic day.

My heart always flip-flopped when she disappeared in/beneath the waves. Ack!

Alyssa has no fear of the water. This is good, but also bad. Very bad. At one point she was out past where the waves would crest and crash against the beach, but in front of where the waves would first crest and raise up (if that makes sense), and she was stuck. She didn’t realize it, but I could see it. I was total Overprotective Mom and went right in after her and dragged her closer to the beach, and instructed her to Not Dare Go Out Any Further and to Stay Right In Front Of The Life Guard Tower, So Help You God. Needless to say, she listened.

Jason snapped this shot of me dragging my fearless child back to shore.

Ryan played a lot more in the water this year, and when it got to low tide, he was more willing to go in with his surfboard, as opposed to sitting at the edge of the water and waiting for the waves to come to him.

I have no idea what he’s doing here. Crab walking?

After we tired of the beach we hit up the boardwalk for a quick ride on the ferris wheel, a super yummy dinner at a smorgasboard, a stroll past some shops and a few games, and then it was time to head home. And crash. I don’t know about Jason, but I was exhausted (so exhausted that I slept for probably half of the three hour car ride home), and I know the kids were!

Taken from the ferris wheel.

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School days

Jenn — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:38:47 +0000

Ryan started his autism support preschool today. It’s the same one he attended last year, with the same teacher, though this year he goes at a different time, rides a different bus (a 15-passenger van, actually), and has new classmates and new goals and tasks. But still, the first day of school is the first day of school, and it’s definitely something worth getting excited about. ♥

Speaking of school, the weekday schedule is just nuts. It looks like this:
Monday – Alyssa: 8:30am – 12:30pm; Ryan: 9:15am – 11:45am
Tuesday – Alyssa: 8:30am – 12:30pm; Ryan: 11:30am – 3:10pm
Wednesday – Alyssa: 8:30am – 12:30pm; Ryan: 9:15am – 11:45am
Thursday – Alyssa: 8:30am – 12:30pm; Ryan: 11:30am – 3:10pm
Friday – Alyssa: 8:30am – 12:30pm; Ryan: 9:15am – 11:45am

Alyssa’s times denote when she needs to be walked down to the bus stop, and then picked up. Ryan’s times on Monday, Wednesday and Friday denote when he has to be dropped off at [regular] preschool and then picked up. Ryan’s times on Tuesday and Thursday denote when he has to be outside of the house for the van to pick him up. Yes, I have this schedule written down, along with specific pick-up/drop-off times and bus numbers. There’s no way I can recall all of this off the top of my head.

In other news, I’ve been running around like a nut lately. Evaluations and progress meetings for Ryan (one down, three to go), a physical for Alyssa, an eye exam for Alyssa, and most recently, dentist appointments for both of them. I have those weird kids that love then dentist. Oh well, that’s fine by me. Better happy kids than screaming ones!

I’m tired, so I’m probably going to go to bed early tonight. As I type this, I’m in the bedroom, in my underwear (you’re welcome for the mental image), with the lights out. Dan is asleep, and I swear I’m going to join him soon. Tomorrow is September 1st, which means it’s the start of the Month From Hell. I have a lot to do this month, and I am doing something that involves out-of-town driving (and in the case of one weekend, out-of-town flying!!!) and running around like a maniac Every. Single. Weekend. Add in my typical 50ish hour work weeks in between the crazy weekends and various appointments for the kids… and oh dear god, I’m going to be dead come October 1st. And then it’ll be the birthday/holiday rush, which means I’ll have to be revived by New Year’s. But hey, I won’t have time to get bored! (All of you people that have the time to get bored? I hate you.)

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