Thursday, October 18, 2012

MommyPatch to the Rescue!

My daughter has extremely sensitive skin that seems to be prone to all kinds of insect bites. The worst part is that the bites get really red and huge due to her allergies. Unfortunately, most people in our family (including my little girl) are also sensitive to strong smells so Citronella wasn't our answer.

Or so I thought. Enter MommyPatch Anti Mosquito patches, an effective mosquito repellent crafted through Citronella oil. Although a tad pricier than its counterparts, it's subtle scent more than makes up for the added cost - saving both our irritable noses and my daughter's skin! No more mosquito bites and oddly enough, we noticed that the ants, bed bugs, roaches, and whatever else had been triggering her allergies have been successfully kept at bay as well. The patches are effective for 12 hours and because it uses 3M adhesive, we're able to reuse them throughout the day before one last application on my tot's pajamas at night.

You can find the patches at SESOU Nature Source in Alabang, Glorietta, Trinoma, or Market! Market! or at any of the MommyPatch local and international distributors listed on its website.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Look before you Leap

Do NOT buy Leadpad 2 or any related product without asking the sales representative for full disclosure on how to install, set up, and download content for the system. My husband and I have spent a sleepless night trying to install their App Center (which failed on 2 out of 3 computers) only to discover that Asia is not included in the list of countries in the App Center. If you are from "other countries" (e.g., Asia), you will not have access to download the quality, branded apps that feature Disney and Nickelodeon characters. And this after waiting nearly a month for the release of the Leappad 2, which is sold at near double the price here in the Philippines (to say nothing of the additional charge to buy the rechargeable batteries). Now I will have to face a disappointed little girl on the morning of her birthday who was expecting a Leappad with a Dora or Disney Princess app. This is not at all what I expected from a renowned developer of children's toys and educational applications. I will do my best to resolve within the next two days - if I don't, I must say the company should not have bothered to sell their products internationally.

******UPDATE******

Below is the response from Leappad Support, which basically just says that "App Center content may vary by country" and that I can purchase cartridges instead. Unfortunately, the cartridges here in the Philippines are limited and a lot of the ebooks and applications on the App Center are not available in cartridge format. Also, the downloadable content doesn't just "vary." It's extremely limited and does not allow "other countries" to download ANY content related to Disney or Nickelodeon characters. This lackluster response does not resolve the issue and substantially brings down the product's value for money in Asian countries. Kudos to Rustan's Makati for processing our return without much fuss after we explained the situation and for allowing us to exchange for another toy of similar value.

"We apologize for the inconvenience.
There are 3 ways you can purchase items from the App Center:

1. Redeem an App Center or Leaplet Download Card or Code to fund your account balance

2. Redeem a bonus code

3. Use a credit card (credit cards may not be accepted in all countries) 

Important: All App Center sales are final. Your account is charged when you click the Place Order button. App Center Download Cards are valid only for purchases in the LeapFrog App Center for the country in which the card was purchased. **App Center content may vary by country."

You can purchase the cartridge games for the device. You can contact your local distributor."

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Seeking Board Games for Preschoolers? (No, It's Not Hi Ho Cherry-O)

My husband and I love board games! Naturally, we thought it would be a good family bonding activity with our little girl also and started to look into games that she could play.

We started with the typical Snakes and Ladders. It's easy and has a lot of variations (Mickey Mouse, Princess, etc.) at the toy store so it's easy to find a set that your child will appreciate. The game teaches kids the basics of counting, taking turns, and winning/losing graciously.

The next step was a bit harder. We wanted something more challenging, but still apt for our preschooler's level. I chanced upon Monopoly Junior Party at the toy store and this proved to be the answer for us (at least, for now). Instead of properties, players buy parties that cost 1-5 money. The denomination of the money is all 1's. With uber-simplified game rules, cupcake tokens, and a party box in place of railroads - this game is just right for preschoolers. It taught my daughter to count faster and further ingrained the concepts of taking turns. The chance cards encouraged her to read and already she's starting to show interest in the original version of the Monopoly game.

Dominoes was another sure hit with our little girl. We got it when she just turned 3. At the time, she was more interested in building houses with it. We tried again now that she's about to turn four. She finally understands the concept of the game and it's become one of our favorite (and fun!) family activities. There are a lot of versions available, we bought the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse one that features the faces of the characters (instead of just the dots). There is a Do-It-Yourself Dora version available online at the NickJr website.

Top (and free!) 5 iPad Apps for My Preschooler

Wow...it's been a little over two months since my last post - a testament that the life of a SAHM and/or WAHM can get very hectic! Let's see if I can make up for lost time... ;-)

My husband and I got an iPad for our anniversary and despite our noble intentions to try to limit the time our curious little girl spends with it (we still believe in active play, or at least, that's what we try to tell ourselves as we attempt to pry her little fingers from it so we can collect coins at the Snoopy Fair!), we can't help but give in to her at least a couple of hours a day. If nothing else, it's a sure-fire way to get her up in time for her morning classes!

As much as I'd like to stick to the educational apps, I have to admit that they're not very appealing - especially if they're free. Despite being on numerous "Top 10" lists out there, a lot these are repetitive, with bad graphics, and let's face it - downright boring for our kids. Here are a few gems I've discovered that I find to be appropriate edutainment for my tot's age (and best of all, you don't need to pay a cent!):

(1) Colormixer - this is one of the first ones we got and we love it! Kids are only given buckets of primary colors to work with that they have to mix to get new colors (e.g., red and blue make purple) for the app's coloring page. It's a great way for preschoolers to learn about color combinations.

(2) Mickey Mouse Road Rally - this free app from Disney features the full-length film in interactive format. Your tot will help Mickey Mouse and his friends solve puzzles to reach the finish line - a must have for any die-hard Mickey Mouse Clubhouse fan! If your child is leaning more towards Jake and the Neverland Pirates, there's a free educational app featuring this show's characters too!

(3) My Little Pony by Ruckus Reader - this app comes with a free eBook featuring the adorable Twilight Sparkle and all her friends from the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic generation. The app reads out the words to your emerging reader and includes a "sticker page" at the end for free play.

(4) Barbie I Can Be - does your little girl want to be a baker, veterinarian, or pizza maker? This simple app will give her a dose of what it's like to be all three!

(5) Barbie Fashionista - if your daughter loves dress up games, there are numerous Hello Kitty and Princess Dress Up games out there, but Barbie Fashionista by far surpasses all. Skip the part about needing a ring/accessory - you don't need it to use the basic dress up app, which gives you a choice of more than a dozen barbie dolls and hundreds of combinations for clothes, shoes, hair, and accessories. I was planning to buy my girl the actual Barbie doll with the closet, but with this app, I may no longer need to. This is just the thing for all little girls who want to play dress up - and for moms who still wish they had their Barbie collection!