Gifts for Kids: VTech Cyber Pocket

Are you on the fence about what kind of game console or portable game console to get your kids? Well I hope this post will assist you in your last minute purchases.

Our family recently received a VTech Cyber Pocket to review with the Zayzoo: An Earth Adventure smart-tridge for endless play. As a parent I worry about too much stimulation with video games, computers, etc. Although we are more of a technological society, I firmly believe children learn from good old fashioned hands on learning and computers enhance the learning.

So before I released the game on Big G to take a stab at, I went ahead and frustrated the poor boy by playing with the game. I thought it was fun and requires a lot of patience, brain power, critical thinking skills. Now we all know I am a skeptic so I compared the VTech Cyber Pocket to the Nintendo DS that Grant has and really these is no comparison. The DS is your typical personal, portable game console and the good majority of the games are and padon me for saying so, mind numbing entertainment. You have to look for the educational games where again the majority are entertainment, not educational. The VTech Cyber Pocket is entertainment for your brain by all means with math, reading, spelling, and as I said critical thinking. Plus if you cost compare the VTech to the Nintendo DS, the cost savings is tremendous for he wonderful skills and brain power your child flexes and uses.

Zayzoo has a spelling adventure and I tell you even as an adult I had to think about the words to be spelled as the letters are provided in an odd entry such as the middle letter or letters are provided and you fill in the blanks. Grant had a great time and enjoyed playing. He did say the pen was a bit of trouble for him when deciding on a level to play but he found he could use the console controls instead.

He enjoyed the VTech Cyber Pocket immensely. Grant was really into the games with the learning and I had no problems with him playing a game console like this as he was flexing his brain and not just numbing it.

So if you are on the fence for what kind of console to get your child be sure to look at what you are providing. Also be sure that you are providing your child with an age appropriate console. While the VTech Cyber Pocket suggests 4-7 years of age, I would think that the age range could be a bit higher because of the spelling and critical thinking, however, as I said, the VTech Cyber Pocket will really flex your child's brain.

Gifts for Kids: CenterStage by Shutterfly

The holidays are such an ordeal.

As parents and even some grandparents search for the perfect gift they often feel overwhelmed.

What is THE gift for your child?

Well look no further because this gift is truly ONE of a kind and unique to your child.

CenterStage products by Shutterfly put the spotlight on your child where they truly are center stage. You can showcase your child and their favorite photos in their very own personalized gift. They can go on adventures with their favorite characters such as Dora or Sponge Bob in an action/adventure book, they can be showcased with their favorite stars in a poster, or be featured in their very own puzzle with their favorite characters or stars as well.

Our family ordered and received a complimentary CenterStage product where we ordered a puzzle. Grant loves puzzles and we thought, what a perfect gift idea but to make HIM the gift. He would be the center of attention and given the opportunity of a truly unique gift all his own. His face was priceless, if only I had more sense to take a picture of his face as opposed to the puzzle you could have seen how ecstatic he was! We chose the Autobots and Optimus Prime as his background and the result is awesome!

Seriously.....how cool is that for a six year old boy?!

The puzzle creation was a simple process and is a 125 piece interactive gift. Choose a head shot, upload to Shutterfly using the CenterStage product option, choose the background from the cast of G.I. Joe, High School Musical, Transformers, (NEW) Star Wars and Star Wars the Clone Wars and Hannah Montana and voila! Just order and within a week your product is shipped and in your hot hands to share with your loved one.

 Prices start at $19.99 for the posters and up to $39.99 for the personalized books. An overall great personalized, unique, THE gift to give your child for under $50. But if you are a big spender Shutterfly is offering for a limited time free shipping on all orders of $50 or more. That's right, order $50 or more and receive free domestic US shipping, but you have to act soon as the offer will be expiring, be sure to use the code SHIP50 when completing your order at checkout.

Gifts for Kids: Belles Bowtique

Blessed be are little girls. Any mother who says "I am happy with all boys" have not experienced the joy, rapture, love, and excitement that is all girl. I used to be an all boy fan, only because hey....no temper tantrums, fits, boyfriends, bows, dress-up, make-up. Do you know how boring life would be without all the aforementioned?

My Little Bitty is just awesome, not only because she is my daughter but she is a truly magical creature and very much a girlie girl. She loves everything pink (I promise! She wears my pink peep toe Dior pumps), bows, hats, and of course, her new tutu.

What is a little girl's wardrobe without a tutu?!

For Christmas why not give your little girl, daughter, grand-daughter or niece the gift of her very own tutu. I was so pleased when we were granted the special opportunity to receive our very own handmade tutu from Belles Bowtique. A stunning, hand crafted "hot pink" (fuschia) and pale pink tutu for my little girl to prance around, spin, dance, and to feel just like a princess. Sara even received a baby soft crocheted beanie with a "Daddy's Little Girl" bow.

She loves her hat....if only she could wear it long enough for me to take a picture. I was lucky enough to catch her with the tutu and take a golden photo of her posing. Every princess needs a tutu and what fun she and I had playing around with her tutu. Her beanie comes in handy too because the weather has been chilly lately in Arizona and with what little baby fine hair she has the hat keeps her sweet little head warm.

But Belle's Bowtique has goodies like tutus, beanies, girl's clothing, personalized tooth fairy pillows, jewelry for girls and moms! So for a one stop shop for your little princess (and even the queen) spend some love at Belle's Bowtique.

Gifts for Mom & Baby: Gaga for Mama Babywear ::CLOSED

Gifts can be so universal and interchangeable, who says "rules" have to be set for gifts, the way they are given and the way they are received. I personally enjoy gifts that can be given to multiple people which is why I want to share with you Gaga for Mama Babywear for babes and their mothers.

“Thank you, Mom.”

Have you ever wished that your baby could tell you just how much he or she appreciates everything that you do? Your wish has just come true with Gaga for Mama babywear!

“Thank you” is such a simple, yet powerful phrase. And, I bet you would agree with me when I say that as mothers we sure don’t hear it as often as we would like. Well, now you can! Gaga for Mama baby-wear features high quality bodysuits, printed with inspiring sayings, that will make you feel appreciated and loved every day. They also offer coordinating pants, bibs, and sun hats to make a complete outfit for your baby.

The Gaga for Mama baby-wear line is sold at http://www.DoubleUpBooks.com. Double Up Books is the only bookstore that specializes in books for and about twins, triplets, and multiples for parents and children. Double Up Books will be giving away 2 Gaga for Mama bodysuits to 1 lucky winner. [DoubleUpBooks.com, 2009] *The Five Fish did not receive any products in conjunction with this giveaway.

MANDATORY ENTRY:
Visit the babywear store within Double Up Books by going to http://bit.ly/3aXL7 and tell me which 2 bodysuits you would like if you were the winner (please include size and color info).

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Follow Double Up Books on Twitter and tell me you do
• Sign up for the mailing list for awesome money saving deals, new arrivals and MORE!
• Follow my blog, or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter, or tell me you already do
• Tweet this giveaway (daily RT's available)-  I'm going Gaga for Mama with @DoubleUpBooks & @KariewithaK http://tiny.cc/RFnJz
  
• Fan The Fish on Facebook, (widget to the right)

CONTEST ENDS  DECEMBER 10TH 

@ 11:59 ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Gifts for Kids: Mattel Toys of the Season

Earlier this year Big G and I hosted a rocking party courtesy of House Party where we got a sneak peek into the hottest cartoon show on Cartoon Network this year! Created by Mattel and their HotWheels division a great cartoon and line of toys called Battle Force 5 was a big winner in my home and the toys were an even hotter commodity. Big G nearly lost his silly mind with the 1:24 scale toys of his favorite Battle Force 5 characters like Sark and Saber, do I know the drivers...I am a mom...a true girl. My boy could tell you. I just act like I know for him. I know one is green and one is red and he is enamored with Battle Force 5.

Mattel really topped themselves with these toys this year and the Battle Force 5 line of Hot Wheels cartoons and toys. Big G was able to play with the Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Battle Pack  and the Battle Force 5 1:64 scale assortment from Mattel. The boy and his friend that he invited over to share in the battle, well they played for HOURS!

They boys can launch their cars at one another in a racing battle. Each picking a side and then they would swap from one being the bad guy and the other being the good guy. Needless to say this simple and great toy kept them well entertained. Plus Hot Wheels...BEAT THAT! What boy doesn't love to play with Hot Wheels. The cars are a 1:64 scaling so not too big but too small for the smaller boys with the small parts that could be a choking hazard. But Grant really enjoys playing with the Battle Force 5 Battle Pack and

Now girls are not left out either in their top toys section. I have found Sara to be quite a connundrum for toy shopping as she is quite the toy boy like her mommy and quite the girly girl...like her mommy. I was able to satisfy both her personality sides by reviewing The Princess and The Frog Magic Kiss. She enjoys frogs and she enjoys stuffed animals and when I saw these with Mattel I knew I had to ask for these to review and she loves them. They kiss with magnetic lips and make a smooching sound which makes her squee in delight. Plus she and her twin can fight for hours over these two on who will get the princess. Plus the movie is a huge hit with the kids. A new Disney favorite like all of Disney's other animated classics. I have to say though that The Princess and The Frog Magic Kiss is a great toy for toddlers without the small and loose parts which can result in a choking hazard or worse.

Thank you Mattel for continuing to bring quality, fun toys into children's lives.

I was not compensated for this review, I received these products on behalf of Mattel and their subsidiaries and provided my honest opinion of these toys based on how my children interacted with each toy.

Gifts for Everyone: Knit Rite Inc Smart Knit Kids

Stocking stuffers are always fun for kids and what better stocking stuffer than socks! However, these socks by Smart Knit Kids are no ordinary socks these socks are completely seamless.

Seamless socks you ask? How? How can you have seamless socks. Everyone has those socks with the annoying seam in the toy that rubs. In fact I wear my socks inside out because the seams rub and bother my toes. If I do this can you imagine how my kids feel or react? How about children who have sensory issues? Multiply that factor by a hundred or a thousand where the socks binding and rubbing on kids feet and legs will cause an uncomfortable feeling for kids (and adults) or even pain if the sensory issues are severe enough, not to mention the bunching in shoes, I know I hate that, you have to constantly pull on your socks to make them fit. A little background about Knit Rite and Smart Knit Kids:

Knit Rite Inc. was founded in 1923 and markets, designs, and manufactures quality textiles for medical and consumer purposes. Knit Rite Inc is continually researching, developing new product lines to promote healthy benefits for a higher quality of life.

Now I am a skeptic about everything. I am a complete realist so when I heard "seamless socks" I was all over it and my other side was saying "Pound sand...no way." Until I received the Smart Knit Kids socks and pulled them out of the boxes and felt the material. Fantastic. The socks felt super soft and were not the standard rough knit cotton socks you buy in the store. The fabric is tightly woven, but stretches and conforms, and the fabric is breatheable where some fabrics are not which cause sweating and of course the funk. Yes, funky feet!

Imagine my surprise when I read more on the socks and put them to the test with Grant to fins that the socks are made with moisture wicking material and are anti-microbial. Grant has some serious barking dogs after playing all day on the playground, in the Arizona "heat," and adding all that sand to his shoes, he is the type of kid who sweats, A LOT! So imagine the funk coming from his feet at the end of the day. Needless to say these socks help to curb all of that. I am not saying he is totally stink free, but I will tell you that the stank is kept to a minimum and he really enjoys the way the socks feel. He also likes that they feel like he is not wearing socks because they are so soft. As you can see, lots of color offerings and sizes from crew to ankle cut socks.

But the Knit Rite product line is not limited to just kids, moms and dads can get in on the products as well! Knit Rite has an entire line of products for everyone, plus they have a new line of compression stockings just for pregnant women. Compression stockings you ask? If you have had circulation issues or lower extremity pain, then you are all too familiar with compression stockings. I know I had to wear compression stockings during my pregnancy with my twins and they were a life saver! So you should check out these cute compression stockings, they are not the ugly ones your grandma wore. The site is called RUPreggers.com and is a wealth of information about compression stockings and they have a great product offering that is very stylish.

Enjoy each of these products and be sure to share with family and friends

with kids who have sensory issues or just want a really great pair of socks or stockings.

Gifts for Kids: Pediped

A few weeks ago I had a post about a great shoe company on a great mission for a great cause

with a great non-profit. You recall?

NO?! Where have you been hiding! Well here is that post again so you can refresh your memory.

That company was Pediped and I was unsure on how to react to their shoes. I mean kids shoes are kids shoes right? Why all the technology. Well I will tell you why all the technology, the specifications, the tweaks and modifications to standard shoes. Our kids need great shoes for healthy feet and an overall healthy stance.

I bought Big G new shoes at the beginning of the school year and he picked them out because they were "cool." He grew out of those shoes like PRONTO and I was wondering why he A) ran funny and B) why he was walking funny. I figured out it was the shoes. All this unnecessary garbage in the construction of the shoe and flat out he outgrew the shoe. So while hunting down shoes I also came across Pediped for the Gift Guide and I was so happy they let me have a pair of shoes to review for Grant.

Pediped has this fabulous innovation of soft rubbery shoes that reduce the shock in children's feet. Pediped also allows for an adjustment insert for growing feet so that the shoes last longer and the uppers are a sturdy leather to ensure even longer wear.

We know how kids blow through shoes in school, so the sturdy leather construction with the flexible rubber sole, not a hard rubber sole, allow kids to get full use out of their shoes and they last well past the time they were "assumed" to expire per normal shoe standards. Did I also mention how his gait is completely different in these shoes?

Grant has a tendency to walk on the balls of his feet and in these shoes he uses his entire foot which is healthy for posture and for your feet. Needless to say the Pediped Flex Fit shoes that we received to review are a big winner in our home and a must buy again since they have the flex fit system with the added insole to extend the life and wear of the shoes. Nowadays shoes are not cheap and the ones that are cheap, in my opinion, are not working for my kids for everyday walking, running, and being a kid.

I know Grant loves his shoes. He truly enjoys them and the style is fashionable, they are not the standard white, blend in shoes like everyone else, they have style, pizzaz, and go with just about everything the boy wears. He personally chose the Kyle in Navy and Orange and we like them because he can put them on everyday without a ton of hassle with the laces. He was really struggling and he likes that they are personal to him since he picked them out.




Pediped is a great choice for parents who are concerned with the development of their children's feet and is approved by the American Pediatric Medical Association for healthy foot development. [Pediped, 2009]

So if you are looking for shoes this year for your tot, toddler, or small school aged child, checkout Pediped.

Gifts for Him: High Sierra Sport Company Travel Duffel ::CLOSED

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!  

Now for the third and final installment of our High Sierra Sport Company Trifecta!

I saw in the previous entries how LOTS and I do mean A LOT of you wonderful folks still love duffel bags. Honestly I was quite surprised. I even found that the hubs loves duffels for the ease of use when hurrying through airports or even for overnight trips where he drives. Duffels are those great bags you toss and run with no matter your location.

Plus a duffel is a great carry-on that if you are traveling for pleasure and you do not need to keep your clothes pressed this is fabulous for those quick trips. Just toss all your clothes in and go!

I present to you the AT-GO 22" Sport Travel Duffel. The AT509 has these fabulous specifications:

FEATURES:

• Side-load end compartment holds wet items, shoes or accessories
• Molded feet protect bottom from abrasion
• Strap on back panel allows bag to slip over the extended handle of a wheeled bag. 
• Large main compartment with U-shaped zippered opening for easy access. 
• Special built-in, high-density foam structure helps maintain the bag’s shape while minimizing weight. 
• SRP $150 ARV $69.99
  
• [Source: HSSC, 2009]

The features The Five Fish enjoy? The amount of packing space in this bag. Truly this duffel packs a punch with all the space, the extra compartments and ease of use. I like to know that I have this bag when in a hurry to pack the hubs for a quick trip or for a quick myself with the kids. Imagine running through the airport, quick and easy with a duffel over your shoulder for sure. Again, what else can you expect from a company that sponsors and supplies the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team!

Now you can run through airports with this duffel or better, maybe you will be packpacking through Europe with this wonderful piece, so here are your entry details:

MANDATORY ENTRY: What is that one thing you forget to pack that drives you bat crazy! (This is fun folks...be sure to leave your email address or make your blogger profile public)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Fan High Sierra on Facebook....you get to enter weekly with them to enter to win luggage! Yes, weekly!
• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter
• Tweet this giveaway....and this one is all yours have fun with it! Just be sure to mention @KariewithaK and @HighSierraSport
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Enter any of my other giveaways
• Grab my holiday button and add to your blog/site

Now go on!

Enter!

Your last chance at the High Sierra Trifecta here on The Five Fish

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your

Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 27TH 

@ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (PST)

Best of luck!

Gifts for Everyone: JumpStart Learn N' Play :: CLOSED

Can you see my kids theme yet? I know....more learning. But hey, learning is fun! Here is where learning is really fun and total play time for kids. All within moderation of course. I talked with the folks at JumpStart thanks to my fabulous friend Carissa Rogers (have you met her too? No...go check out her GoodN'Crazy Blog!) and they provided me with access to their online site. If you don't know JumpStart...YOU SHOULD! Here is a little bit of background:

JumpStart is about 3D interactive, adventure, learning games that stimulate the mind through critical thinking skills, math and reading, this allows your child to "get a real jumpstart in life (JumpStart, 2009)." 


Since 1991, Knowledge Adventure® has set the standard in kids’ software by creating the finest educational products for use in the home and the classroom. Today, Knowledge Adventure’s JumpStart® and MathBlaster® products invite kids to learn through endless gaming adventures in 3D virtual worlds. By blending learning and entertainment, Knowledge Adventure’s adventure-based learning inspires kids’ minds through immersed play. A subsidiary of Knowledge Holdings, Inc., the company is privately-held and based in Torrance, California. For more information, go to www.knowledgeadventure.com and www.jumpstart.com. (Jumpstart.com, 2009)

Now we were already a big JumpStart family as we bought Grant JumpStart software for the PC last year to help boost his kindergarten and first grade learning skills. The games are fabulous as they are created to be very age appropriate and allow your child to grow by leaps and bounds.

The online games are just as interactive and literally HOURS of fun. Grant asks each day to play his JumpStart game which is so good to hear from a mom's perspective as I would rather he play his JumpStart game than the Wii. Nothing against the Wii, but his current Wii games do not push his brain, they basically allow him to veg out. When he first logged in he was required to create his own "Jumpee" where the character looks like him. From there he moves into the play area and he can choose the different areas to explore. Right now

Right now he is in the underwater adventure in Adventureland and loving it! Adventureland is aimed at kindergarten to second grade. He told me the other day, "Mom, Dad, I really like playing JumpStart. I love playing it over Lego StarWars."

*GASP

   My Son?

Loves to learn over Lego Star Wars?

Mark the calendar!

So each day that he has good days at school he is able to spend 30 minutes playing the JumpStart games online. We can already see the difference in his learning with the advanced reading, his critical thinking and he is overall excited about learning and keeping his mind engaged. Pretty soon he will be able to move up to Futureland which is designed for third to fifth graders. Have no fear, younger kids can get in on the fun too with Storyland for the preschool kiddos.

But the games are not limited to just online and the PC software that we have purchased in the past. JumpStart also offers two Wii games, Escape from Adventure Island and Pet Rescue for an even greater learning experience for children. Overall the games offered with JumpStart are focused on 3-10 year olds which, in my opinion, is the prime learning age to really spark imagination and push the learning envelope. JumpStart isn't only for kids, parents can join in on the adventure fun as well, plus JumpStart offers a parents forum.

JumpStart offers the one year membership for $79.99 for unlimited playtime for the full year and here is the best deal you will hear all year JumpStart offers a LIFETIME membership of $149.99. Did you see that...A LIFETIME which is a steal of a deal considering the annual membership is $79.99.

But you my wonderful readers and learners extraordinaire have the opportunity to win a 3-month subscription to test drive and love the LearnN'Play as much as we have. Here are the details to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me how your kids would jump into adventure with learning.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Follow my blog and tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter, tell me you do, tweet this giveaway with @KariewithaK (daily tweet entry, ONLY after the mandatory entry has been met)
• Follow JumpStart on Twitter
• Fan JumpStart on Facebook
  
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Follow my blog on Networked blogs (to the right)
• Enter one of my other giveaways (for each giveaway entry come back and leave me a comment, 3 giveaways, 3 comments)
  

 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH 

@ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME.

Best of luck!

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!   

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog

 HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

Gifts for Kids: Bendaroos :: CLOSED

  *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Educational toys are becoming hotter and hotter for kids and parents. The educational toys are not the standard toys we have stereotyped in the past, these toys allow for serious imagination on behalf of kids and parents.


This year Grant was begging for Bendaroos for his birthday and while he begged and then stopped begging and then started begging again for G.I. Joe's. He got G.I. Joe's for the birthday and we did the Bendaroos 200pc. Ocean Creatures for the gift guide review, because Big G LOVES the ocean and any sort of underwater sea life.

We like the Bendaroos because they are non-toxic, reusuable, do not make a huge mess (unless you leave them in the sun to melt) and you can make all sorts of shapes and creations.Now if you kids are low on ideas for creations, don't worry Bendaroos has theme packs loaded with templates and fun ideas for endless hours of imaginative play.

Bendaroos are made out of wax and a yarn material [Source: Bendaroos FAQ, 2009] allowing them to bed and flex and mold without the mess and they can be used virtually anywhere. No need to have a designated play area for creations like with Play-Doh, Moon Sand or any other material that leaves messes and requires a special play area.

The Bendaroos play packs come in a variety of options such as the 200pc Ocean Creatures there are also:

100 pc.

• Animals
• Crawling Critters
• Flowers and Butterflies
• Fun Food

200pc.

• Ocean Creatures
• Zoo Animals

And of course the 500pc MEGA set which includes 250 rainbow pieces and 250 neon-colored pieces, plus templates and the mess and stain free play that Bendaroos offers!

The great thing about Bendaroos too is that they are super affordable with prices starting as low as $5.99 and up to $19.99 for the 500pc. play set. But what if you don't want to wait to buy these....well.....here are your deets for entering to win a 200pc or 100pc Bendaroos theme pack!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Bendaroos and tell me what you like most and which activity play set your child would love for Christmas!

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway (once daily) including @KariewithaK in it so I see it
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Blog about this giveaway
• Enter one of my other giveaways
• Follow my blog on Networked Blogs

CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 25TH @ 

MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (PST)

Best of luck!

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog
HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

Gifts for Kids: BluePixo Twig

The saying of "boys will be boys" could not be more true in my home. The bane of my female mommy existence is Legos, Jedi's, sword fighting, cars, more building, mud, you name it my boys play with it, destroy it, bring the stuff in, truly, boys will be boys in my home.

While I enjoy that Seth and Grant both play with Lego's they are non-conducive to my cleaning habits and rituals and really they are scary choking hazards. I began to seek out other imaginative building play toys. Toys the boys could build with, expand their creative juices and grow brain power.  I landed smack dab onto Blue Pixo Entertainment site. I searched their online interactive games and was completely impressed with the learning programs and of course the hands on toys of the Twig. Blue Pixo also carries the Dado which are interlocking learning blocks and K'Nex which are also advanced learning and building sets.

What the boys love about the Twig toys is that they can build and combine all different sizes and color options. This is intricate I believe for learning, kids love bright colors, hence why cartoons are bright colors for the likability.

All the different depths of the blocks allow for fun combination's or building, learning, shapes, and puzzle like creations.

In addition to all the learning and creative play generated by the Twig...I do not have to worry about choking hazards or little pieces vying to be absorbed by my Kenmore vacuum. These pieces are rough and durable and hours of play for my boys.

This toy retails for $35.99 and for every purchase made 25% of the profit will be donated to World Vision to feed, cloth and provide shelter to kids around the world.

So be sure to shop online for the one and only Twig with Blue Pixo.

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

Gifts for Everyone: Child to Cherish

The holiday season is not always about gifts but the meaning of the season, the thought really does count, and of course the keepsakes to look back at wonderful memories and times.

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!  

Child to Cherish will accomplish all of these by presenting an affordable gift that gives new meaning to the season, are semi-handmade, and of course are meaningful keepsakes that will last a lifetime!

Last year for Christmas the kids and I made a stepping stone for DH. He was beside himself. The kids had fun with it and now their tiny hands are imprinted for a lifetime in concrete. So we love that Child to Cherish offers the non-toxic plaster molds for hand-prints that also double as ornaments. We chose to review the Handprint Ornament Holly Box Red for both my little gnomes, provided on behalf of Child to Cherish PR department.

We enjoyed these because we will never see their hands this small ever again and the plaster is like a snapshot in time that can never be retrieved. DH and I can look back and relive many special memories, we can even gift these to family for them to enjoy of our precious little sweets.

The wonderful gift boxes will store your precious keepsakes for a lifetime and are great for gifting. Prices are $8.99 each which makes these a great and affordable gift. A stocking stuffer, sentiment for grandma or grandpa or even for mom or dad!

Here is some great info about Child to Cherish and the extent of their product offerings:

Designer Patrice Lowe’s Child to Cherish collection provides the finest offering of unique, yet functional children’s keepsakes and gifts.  Each item in the collection is developed to capture those precious moments in time to preserve the innocence of a child.  Visit www.childtocherish.com to see the complete collection including the company’s holiday gift collection.

The next generation of the company’s popular keepsake suitcase offerings, the new “Little Baker” collection is offered in a Grandma (with grandma mouse and bear designs and Child to Cherish signature wording “Ready or Not Grandma…Here I Come!) or Little Baker series.  The 11.25 x 8 x 3.5-inch tin suitcases feature whimsical animal designs with bears, mice and bunnies.  Inside the suitcase is everything any little baker needs-apron, wooden rolling pin and spoon, cookie cutters and 5 scrumptious cookie recipes (Sugar, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Gingerbread and Snickerdoodle cookies).  This new collection is certain to delight children age 2 to 8 and makes a wonderful keepsake box or even lunch box for the kindergarten year.

Available in either Little Baker Series with three designs (boy, girl, Christmas) or Grandma Little Baker Series with three designs (boy, girl, Christmas)

Recommended Retail: $40
Available at retail: November 2009 [Source: Abbot Communications & Child to Cherish 2009]

Hey I won't leave you without sharing in on the wonders of the season! If you shop at Child to Cherish be sure to use your clout provided by The Five Fish. Use the code ffish10 to receive a 10% discount (savings) off your purchase with Child to Cherish. PLUS! Sign up with Bill Me Later for even more perks with purchase!

DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

Gifts for Kids: Kushies

 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE! 

Sometimes infant and toddler items just seem to be a never ending sea of brands. However, some do stand out from the rest. While on my quest to find excellent kids gifts I came upon Kushies. I found them when doing a search for organic clothing. As you know The Five Fish strive to leave a smaller carbon footprint to preserve this wonderful world we live for generations to come.

What else I found about Kushies is not only their organic offering but their rich history as an innovative and ecological cloth diaper manufacturer. Through the years Kushies has evolved into a high quality manufacturer of childrens toys, clothing, and accesories. They even have their very own site to display the knockoffs, how everyone wants a piece of Kushies.

Although my kids are in diapers (and slowly trying to get them out of them) I decided I would ask to review the clothing line. The organics were not available in my kids' size because hey, my kids are beasts, but I did find a really great outfit for my Seth to try out. I was thoroughly impressed with the simple and eco-friendly packaging plus I was even more impressed with the feel of the outfit from Kushies.

Seth and I reviewed the Kushies Long Johns from the Everyday Layette Line and let me tell you. FABULOUS. I am not a big clothes fan, they are not made right for babies, infants, children. The sizes are either too big, too small, too tight, and I mean I am breeding an offensive line here, my boys are big, tall, strapping boys. Not some scrawny kid. The long johns fit Seth perfect. He loves them. When he got them he rubbed them on his face because the fabric is so child friendly. Kushies has even taken comfort to the next level with your little one with the tag-free design. My kids all have problems with tags so the tag-free design is a huge plus when buying clothes for them.

Quality is also a huge factor. Will the fabric shrink? Will the fabric fade? Pill? Does the elastic bunch or turn?

In all of these instances NO, in my experience, and my boy loves his clothes from Kushies, especially with the cooler evenings and days he could just lounge in this outfit all day.

But Kushies offers so much more than just clothes. They offer their flagship of the diapering, bedding, bibs, blankets, travel, accesories, toys (seen below L to R Cha Cha Barbells, Ha Ha Ringo, and Fuzzi Nubbinz ), travel and bags, and now their organic line!

What to know where to shop? Just visit Kushies Online to shop for all your infant, baby, and toddler needs. To boot The Five Fish can offer you some major savings on Kushies by entering ffish10 at checkout for a 10% discount on your order! How great is that. Now get some of that shopping done.Visit Kushies Online.

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

Gifts for Him: System Mechanic :: CLOSED

*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE! 

Do you have a PC or IT geek in your life? Mine is my husband. Complete. Geek. He starts to talk PC or anything beyond simple OS (operating system) and something unrelated to HTML, blogging, finance, etc....he might as well be speaking a dead or foreign language.

I could not have been happier when I got his feedback for gift ideas and I was provided a copy of iolo technologies System Mechanic to install on our computers for review. I was happy to not know what it was until the geek told me. Seriously. Had no idea what this program does. Okay, supposedly it cleans off mumbo jumbo. I can do that. Highlight. Delete. Empty Recycle.

Not so much!

Geek Said: This program is great for boosting all your performance on your computer. Rather than freezing up the entire system like Windows is known to do it does it for you.

She Said: Okay great....why do I need an extra program?

Geek Said: Just download the program. Super easy, takes less than a minute.

(Downloaded in 90 seconds or less)

She Said: Really it was more than a minute. Now what? I don't need any more garbage on my computer.

Geek Said: It is not garbage...very small installation file. Look, see your installation files and registry?

(If it isn't bridal, baby, I have never seen a registry on my computer...won't touch it....I'm dumb like that)

Geek Said: Just run the system.

To your left is a picture of the start-up screen to scan your computer. It is fabulous! Now that I know what it does.

Geek Said: See, I found over a gig of system clutter, 254 registry problems, 14 unneeded startup processes, and easily backed up my registry.

She Said: (*crickets)

Geek Said: Just run the program.

She Said: Fine

So I ran the program and guess what. 

I actually also found as much clutter and crap and sludge to slow the performance of my computer as the geek did! Basically the System Mechanic acts like a lubricant would for a car or even just general maintenance, it smooths and speeds processes by keeping all your parts and components clean. (Yeah, I know more about cars than I do PC's...go figure) Here is what else my geek said:

There is nothing I hate more than not having the right tool for the job that needs to be done. Trying to half ass a clamp with a pair of channel locks is just as annoying as trying to clean up or fix a PC without the right software. System Mechanic has been a favorite of mine for years and the new version 9 is just as awesome as ever.

I think he liked it? What do you think?

Here is what System Mechanic will do for you:

• Cleans, defrags, and repairs registry
• Accelerates PC startup 19 ways
• Defrags & recovers orphaned RAM
• Boosts internet speed
• Complete low-level drive defrag
• Turns off unused background programs [Source: System Mechanic Site, 2009]
  

Perfect for bloggers, gamers (Yes you WoWHeads out there), and general PC users alike who want to maximize performance. Even better, the customer service is PHENOMENAL! My geek was having an issue with the registry, sent the info to our contact Michael (who is super nice), and guess what.....the problem is a BIG DEAL! Jinkies! So the awesome folks at iolo technologies are working on this issue that my geek found. Pretty dang cool....we are just hoping he is not that nerd like at the Cubs game that tried to catch the in-play-foul-ball deal, yeah we do not need geek hate for that foul. (Just kidding)

So if you are not the savviest, or maybe you are and you need to improve the performance of your computer...this is the way to go. Really no major install or directions required. In fact, you can win a ONE year copy of System Mechanic good for THREE PC's. Here's the skinny

MANDATORY ENTRY: Go visit the System Mechanic site and tell me what other products iolo offers and how they can help your PC.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

• Tell me too what else makes your computer slow or a pain for you
  
• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
• Tweet this giveaway "Get the Mechanic for your PC for ONE year from @KariewithaK http://tiny.cc/kIJk7"
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Enter one of my other giveaways
• Blog this giveaway with a track back to System Mechanic and my blog (worth 3 entries)

Don't forget to DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE and all the fabulous participants, savings, and giveaways!

 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 18TH @ 11:59 AZ TIME

Best of luck!

 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Gifts for Kids: Pedoodles :: CLOSED

Parents, grandparents, and the like always look at shoes as an item to buy for back to school or because a need exists. While my poor Seth (and his gigantic growing feet) needed shoes, they also make a great gift for the holidays. My kids are definitely MY kids when the topic of shoes is breached. Shoes means we are going somewhere....like Costco. Exciting for a toddler, really.

I have bought my kids shoes in the past from your standard places, Target, Wal-Mart, Payless Shoes, and each of these places has shoes with HARD rubber (or worse) soles. So your children really look like midgets trying to maneuver snow shoes on dry land. You know the walk right? Lifting and walking as if they have weights wrapped upon their feet. I found the wonderful company of Pedoodles and just had to see what they are all about. I also found them based on their Eco-Friendly compliant shoes. You know we at The Five Fish try to reduce our carbon footprint.

I perused the site, just adoring all the cute baby shoes, toddler shoes, leather, sandals, moccasin type shoes. I finally found the perfect pair, the Bumper Cars. I contacted them and they were so gracious to allow Seth-en-stein to test out a sample of their shoes and would you believe it that my 20 month old BOY, LOVES his shoes. I mean he really likes shoes period, but if you set all his shoes in front of him he truly picks his Pedoodles.

THE REASON WHY
The shoes move with his feet. He is not constricted or restrained by the chunky, unable to flex and move, hard construction of a standard shoe. I mean you might as well have put children in wooden shoes the way they walk in the hard, immobile soles and construction. He also has toe box room for his wide feet. Baby feet are not narrow and pretty, they are Hobbit feet, they have to be able to support their frames and give them balance, and the shoes have to allow for the support and the movement of the child. The shoes are super soft! Truly super soft! The leather is movable and pliable like leather clothing and not "shoes."

I mentioned the Eco-Friendly shoes right?! Well these shoes are Constructed from "Eco-Friendly" premium leather remnants which are safety tested for children (Free of Lead, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Mercury, Selenium and harmful Amines.) [Pedoodles.com, 2009] Oh and those soles on the shoes? Fabulous as well, they look like little tire treads and you want to know why? The Soles are made with recycled materials to help reduce global waste. They're also safety tested (Passes British Safety Standard BS 5665-3 and European Standard EN71-3). [Pedoodles.com, 2009]

But hey....do not just take my word for it. Enter to win a pair! That is right! Your crawler, walker, runner will be up and moving in a new pair or Pedoodles! Your first entry.....go head over to Pedoodles and come tell me how many pairs of Eco-Friendly shoes they offer! Be sure to leave your email addy or make your Blogger account available to see your email.

EXTRA ENTRIES

• Follow my Blog (tell me you do or did)
• Subscribe to my feed (at the top)
  
• Follow me on Twitter (tell me you do or did)
• Follow Pedoodles on Twitter
  
• Tweet this giveaway "If babies were born w/shoes @Pedoodles would be it! Enter to win @KariewithaK (enter link here)"
• Enter one of my other giveaways (worth as many entries as the giveaways you enter! i.e. if I have 3 giveaways, 3 entries! You see...)
• Blog about this giveaway in 50-100 words with a track back to me and to Pedoodles.com (worth 3 entries)
• Fan The Fish on Facebook
• Technorati fave my blog (I have a new listing since I changed the URL)
• Stumble Pedoodles.com

DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE  to see what other great products will be featured with awesome money savings for the holidays and of course giveaways! 

CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 13TH @ MIDNIGHT

BEST OF LUCK! 
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE!

Holiday Gift Guide

You have now entered the twilight zone.....seriously for the next few weeks....be prepared to lose your silly little shopping minds in preparation for the holiday and Christmas season as we....well I, who happens to have a mouse in her pocket, deliver to you the BEST in holiday gift ideas. From the everyday to the not so everyday to the unique to the extraordinary!

Moms, Dads, Kids, everyone in between and gift ideas for the whole family! Enjoy all the great reviews, discounts, and oh did I mention the BOAT LOAD of great giveaways for you to enter! If you want a sneak peek into who will be showcased, click HERE, download your VERY OWN catalog of all the great participants of the gift guide, where to find them and where to buy them!


DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE


Big thanks to all of those who participated in The Five Fish Holiday Gift Guide, seriously, you folks ROCK and I love you for your UBER coolness and thanks to you, my faithful readers who will have some really cool ideas to take with you for gift ideas. Enjoy everyone! Thanks again!

Karie, aka Mrs. Fish