First Meals

First Meals – Fast, Healthy, and Fun Foods for Infants and Toddlers
Written by Anabel Karmel
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Give children the best start to life with the hundreds of recipes in this bestselling easy-to-use cookbook from children's food guru Annabel Karmel. From flavourful first purées and easy-to-make family meals to finger-licking picnic and party noshes, First Meals features over 200 enticing recipes for babies and toddlers.

Helpful tips from Annabel as well as nutritional information and tips on how to handle food allergies and fussy eaters complete this delicious book. Crammed with delicious recipes, practical advice and time – saving tips, this is an essential cookbook for all families with young children.

• Recipes tried and tested by a panel of babies of toddlers
• Nutritional breakdowns of recipes included

My Thoughts

When I had kids, I thought I would feed them the processed food found in stores.  After all, I was raised on such items and I turned out fine.  But after a couple of months when my oldest son joined our family, I discovered the possibility of making his purée food at home.  We got a book titled First Meals and proceeded to making out-of-the-ordinary purée for him (and eventually his siblings) with the help of our blender.   My husband was so amazed with the quality of the food made with this book that  he quickly told me to keep the book so that I can feed him good things if he ever has to eat only purée food.   Needless to say that the book is safely tucked in a box in our basement for the future – hopefully more for our grandkids than for my husband…

The new edition of the book contains over 200 tasty and healthy recipes that have been tested on babies, toddlers and young children.    These recipes will help you to assure that your child is getting all the benefits of a balanced diet from the younger stages of his/her life.     The book is packed with mouth-watering recipes that will develop the taste buds of your little one as he/she grows up.  From the creamy vegetable purée to the  sticky mango chicken you will find a huge variety of ideas that will allow you to introduce new flavors and textures in the mouth of your kids.   Since we cracked open our older edition of the book, I find new recipes that I want to try out – like that sticky mango chicken found in the 3 to 7 years old section which sounds delicious if you ask me… 

Let’s explore the table of contents together so you can see what the book covers;

• Early Nutrition
• Healthy Eating
• Food Allergies
• Kitchen Basics
• Weaning your Baby:  Starting solids, exploring tastes, first tastes recipes, new tastes and textures recipes
• 9 to 12 months: growing appetites, a varied menu recipes
• 12 to 18 months: changing needs, food for the senses recipes
• 18 months to 2 years: the active toddler, fast food for toddlers recipes, the picky eater recipes
• 2 to 3 years: early childhood, fun foods recipes
• 3 to 7 years old: preschool and beyond, healthy snacks recipes, family meals recipes
• Menu planner

Here’s my four kids in the age of purée food – they all tasted recipes found in the First Meals book we had back then (born in 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2007).

Now my kids are all grown up – respectively ages almost 13, 10, 8, and 6 – and though they are far from having kids of their own, I cherish my older version of this book (and the new one obviously) so that my grandkids have healthy options when they grow up.   Already the two oldest wants a copy of the book for their own kids (*grin)  and I told them they could share.  I also truly believe that my kids are not fussy about food and willing to try a variety of new flavors because of us being proactive in presenting numerous recipes from the older version of First Meals when they were young.

The author has also published other titles like More First Meals, Baby’s First Year, Mom and Me Cookbook and The Toddler Cookbook.   First Meals is a great idea for baby showers or new parents.  

First Meals is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

DK Canada is offering numerous books that are baby related in their April Baby Boutique.  Check them all out to see which one you think would be beneficial to you or someone in your family.

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for sending me the above mentioned title for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

The Goodnight Train

The Goodnight Train
by June Sobel
Published at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

About the book

All aboard! The Goodnight Train is full of coal and leaving town. Rhythmic prose and playful illustrations create a gentle, whizzing journey where animals and little ones fluff their pillows and settle in for a clickety-clackity, rock-and-roll ride to Dreamland.
A remarkable rhyming bedtime treat!

My Thoughts

The day I received this book to review, my daughter asked me to read it.   I proceeded to do it and we read through the book.  However, I received the board book version of it and I told her we would keep it as a gift for a friend who is expecting.    She was good with it but still wanted to look at the book and hear the story.

The illustrations throughout the book are marvelously done and bright in color.    Throughout the reading you see the train going on a journey toward the valley of dreams.  The words are simple to read and fun little sounds accompany the text so that you can make the train speak as well.  

I find it a perfect book to calm down a little one before bedtime and slowly bring him or her to slumber.

The book I received is the board book version of the original version and is solid to be held by little hands.    It is made of strong cardboard though I suspect that the corners would soften if put in a mouth.    This book would be a great gift for a baby shower, birth gift, first Christmas or for a first birthday party. 

The Goodnight Train is available for purchase at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own. 

Indestructibles: Baby Faces

Indestructibles: Baby Faces
By Amy Pixton
Published at Workman

About the book

Indestructibles are the books built for the way babies read. They are 100 percent baby-proof, chew-proof, rip-proof, and drool-proof. Printed on a unique nontoxic, paperlike material that holds up to anything babies can throw at it—gumming, spilling, dragging across the floor— Indestructibles are the little books that could. They’re indestructible. And if they get dirty, just throw them in the washing machine or dishwasher.

Baby Faces features baby’s favorite thing: pictures of other babies. It’s a book for parents and children to share together the many moods of a baby.

Who is Amy Pixton?

Amy Pixton is a mother of triplets, now toddlers, who created INDESTRUCTIBLES after her mother-in-law, the artist Kaaren Pixton, began painting murals on Tyvek construction wrap. She lives with her family in Kansas City.

My Thoughts

Baby books.   We had tons of them when my kids were little.   Unfortunately the little hands would find their ways on the page and rip them every once in a while.  I am fortunate to have learned how to repair books when I was younger.  My mom was a volunteer at the library of my school when I was in grades 3 to 6.    So I have seen her repair books and learned at the same time.    So when a book was ripped, I took out my skills and repaired them.  

But in the past ten years or so, new ways of making books for little ones have come out.  Board books have been there for quite a while but in recent years you will find books that are nearly unbreakable.   the child won’t be able to tear it apart and break it while putting it in his/her mouth.   I recently received such a book to review.

Though I have no little ones to product test this book, I decided to demonstrate to my almost eleven years old how “indestructible” this book is.   When he saw me putting the book sideways and proceeding to rip it up, he thought I was nuts!   He did say “No!” but then realized that it wasn’t ripping.   “What?  How come?”  - how can I miss a learning moment here.  I told him that books for little ones have come a long way since he was a baby and this particular book was chew proof, rip proof, non toxic and 100% washable.    He couldn’t believe it.   

The book will present different baby faces with various emotions showing on each page – happy, sad, silly and sleepy are only a few faces your child will see in this book.  The size of the book is perfect to grab and bring along when you go to an appointment with your little darling.    You can put it in your purse or the diaper bag without sensing it’s presence.    The book is quite thin.  The images are very colorful in order to grab the attention of your child. 

I’m impressed by the quality of this little book and would definitively highly recommend it for anyone having a young child in their life.    In fact, I would recommend to consider the other titles in the series which have the same concept in mind – Creep! Crawl!, Wiggle! March!, Flutter! Fly!, Jungle Rumble!, Flip-Flop Pond!, Mama and Baby!, Mary had a Little Lamb, Humpty Dumpty, Hey Diddle Diddle, Frère Jacques, Old Macdonald had a Farm, and Hickory Dickory Dock.

Indestructible: Baby Faces is available at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

A+D Diaper Rash Prevention and Treatment

Ah!  Babies.   The smells good most of the time.   But when they don’t it means you need to change their diapers…   Sometimes though you realize that their skin is red and hurt them.   Oh uh!  Let’s face it, diaper rash is part of life when you have a baby.  

I remember one of my kids in particularly.   When Dominic was teething, his #2 job was so acidic that it could burn off the first layer of skin.   Literally!   I am not kidding.   The poor little guy was bleeding from it.   And it hurt.   Believe me because he cried when I changed him.    I took the habit to change him immediately and put a generous coat (like a thick coat of white on his bum) of cream.    Diaper Rash cream is very handy.   I had a container in the room, in the living room and in the diaper bag.  

For new Canadians moms and dads out there, a new product is on the market.   Actually make that two new products.   The A+D^® line-up consists of an assortment of diaper rash products: one line for everyday prevention (A+D^® Diaper Rash Ointment) and one for the treatment of diaper rash, if it occurs (A+D^® Diaper Rash Cream). 

The A+D^® Diaper Rash Ointment, offered in 3 convenient sizes (42g, 113g and 454g), contains a special combination of active ingredients lanolin and petrolatum which help prevent diaper rash every day and is also enriched with moisturizing vitamins A and D. When used daily, the ointment creates a protective barrier between baby's skin and diaper moisture that can cause diaper irritations.

The A+D^® Diaper Rash Cream, offered in one convenient size (113g), is formulated with zinc oxide and dimethicone to provide effective relief if diaper rash does occur. Enriched with moisturizing vitamins A and D and soothing Aloe Vera, the A+D^® Diaper Rash Cream is a welcome addition to a new mother's baby care toolbox. Both A+D^® Diaper Rash Ointment and Cream are dermatologist tested.

I think these two products are wonderful.   The fact that vitamins are included in these will help the healing process if your little one does develop the diaper rash.   I do not wish any baby to go through what my Dominic went through.    Not all my kids had the same reaction to teething but he was definitively the worst one of the four.   In case you are wondering, he is fine now….   *grin*

Good news!  A FREE 2$ off Coupon is available on the website! Go to http://www.aplusd.ca/en/.

For more information on the products, please visit the new Canadian website at www.aplusd.ca.

This review was possible because I received two full two full size diaper cream products to check out from Mom Central Canada. 

PS I’ve decided to bless my neighbour with the two full size diaper cream products.   They had a baby boy earlier this year and will need it more than me.  

The Juppy Baby Walker

The Juppy Baby Walker
http://www.thejuppy.com/
I so wish I had a little one to product test this wonderful product. It seems so easy to use and relieve the stress on the back of mom or dad. But our baby days are over now and my youngest is 28 months.   I tried very hard to find someone who had a child in age of using this wonderful product but it looks like that I know only families with babies not in the stage of learning to walk yet.   *sigh*

What is The Juppy exactly? The Juppy is a training aid that will help you teach your baby how to walk without having pain. It will help your baby to walk sooner and reduce the possible problem of falling.

The Juppy is quite easy to use and fast to set up. You can bring it at the beach, in your backyard or at the park. With its little pouch you can hide it in your purse or the diaper bag for future use. It is perfect for boys or girls as it is a “one size fits all” product. The straps are adjustable and the design looks quite comfortable. The best part is that it is machine washable!

Here’s a demo of the Juppy being used.


The Juppy Baby Walker is 19.95$ and comes with a free Juppy carrying bag. You can also customize your Juppy with your baby’s name for the low price of 6.95$. Shipping and Handling is not included in the price.

To order, go directly to http://www.thejuppy.com/ and click on the order button.

Want to get one for free? The Juppy is a giveaway in May with this site-  http://baby-walker.net/.

You can find The Juppy on many social network.   Check it out at the following places…

Twitter:  @TheJuppyWalker
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=136650214882#!/pages/Las-Vegas-NV/The-Juppy-Baby-Walker/136650214882
My Space:  http://www.myspace.com/juppybabywalker

GREAT NEWS!

The Juppy has offered my readers a chance to win a Juppy! Perfect for young parents with a child in the learning stages of walking.    CANADIANS ONLY!

How To Enter
Go to  the Juppy website and tell me why you think this innovative product would help you. This first entry is mandatory and must be done before additional entries.

Additional Entries
~ Like The Juppy on facebook and tell me that you did.
~ Follow The Juppy on Twitter and let me know you are doing so.
~ Follow my blog – and let me know about it.
~ Follow Canadianladybug on Twitter and tweet this giveaway – leave your twitter ID.
~ Subscribe to my blog on right and comment.
~ Blog about this giveaway and comment with a link.
~ Like Canadianladybug Reviews! on facebook and leave a comment here.
~ Register an account on LobsterNetwork and leave your LobsterNetwork UserName in a comment.
~ Become of fan of LobsterNetwork on twitter and leave a comment here.
~ Like LobsterNetwork on facebook and leave a comment here.

This giveaway ends June 5th, 2010 at 9 pm. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail before a new name is drawn. You will have to give me your name and address so I can pass it on to The Juppy company as they will process the shipping for you.  Don’t forget to include your e-mail so I can contact you. If it’s not there and I can’t give you the good news I will have to choose someone else!   Address has to be in CANADA.