"Mom on the Rise"
the Traveling Homeschooler
by Kristina Brooke
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Posts Tagged ‘parent reviewers’

November 6th, 2009

Product Review: Exergen TemporalScanner

One of the hardest things about having a sick toddler is having to take her temperature. Having to make her more uncomfortable in order to gauge just how sick she is, often seems sadistic.

That is why I was so excited about the opportunity to try the Exergen TemporalScanner infrared thermometer. It reads temperature in just two seconds just by running it across the forehead. The TemporalScanner measures arterial temperature (the core body temperature) which is the same as blood flowing from the heart. It is relatively close to the temperature taken rectally. The core body temperature is the operating temperature of your bodies organs as opposed to surface temperature.

What I loved about the thermometer is that it takes temperature in two seconds- no more waiting and hoping that your child will stay still. I have to admit that I tried this product while my daughter was perfectly healthy so taking her temperature was easier than ever before. Nonetheless, I didn’t have to worry about changes to the temperature due to drinking, positioning,talking, or moving. An important thing to note is that if your patient is sweating, the temperature should not be taken across the forehead but rather the on the neck behind the ear lobe.

And here is another plus. The TemporalScanner is manufactured in the United States and does not require the use of probe covers like the ear thermometers. There are no hard to find batteries to replace (uses a simple 9 volt) and no scary mercury of bulb thermometers.

You can find the Exergen TemporalScanner at Wal-Mart, Walgreen, Costco, Babies R Us, Toys R Us and Sam’s Club. It costs less than $50 and makes a great addition to you medicine cabinet.

This is part of the Parent Reviewers Exergen TemporalScanner Blog Tour. While the product was given to me to try, the content is authentic and based on my personal experience with the product.

archived under: Reviews
tagged:Living Healthily, parent reviewers, product review, temporal thermometer review, toddlers and fevers

2 comments

May 15th, 2009

Product Review: Music Lessons from Trebellina

Trebellina is a wonderful CD that introduces and teaches children ages 1-4 music. Unlike many CD’s it is not simply singing and bright colors- it has purpose and focus. From the start, my daughter was mesmerized. She sang along with the notes and she danced as hard as she could. Thanks to the “continuous play” option on the DVD menu, I was able to put it on multiple times to soothe her “more music” cries.

Trebellina and her friends Rock Bassey, Rest, Rhythmo and the Notes teach musical theory and concepts in a way that keeps children engaged and interested. The animation is filled with bright colors and is not too elaborate that it takes away from what is being said.

My daughter has always liked music, a preference that she inherits from me. I play piano by ear and while I also read music, I have always believed that learning the notes is the most difficult part of learning the piano. However, Trebellina tries to teach the notes of the treble cliff as well as attempting to teach pitch. Each note sings its name and my daughter sings in reply. for her, Trebellina is a fun way to sing and make noise .

In addition, the instrumental interludes includes the use of different instruments which are all introduced to the viewer. From maracas to bongos, Trebellina is packed with a nice range of instruments, sounds, and rhythms.

Here is my daughter dancing along to the music and playing her imaginary instruments that Trebellina introduced to her.

archived under: Reviews
tagged:Education, music lessons, parent reviewers

1 comment

November 22nd, 2008

Parent Reviewers Blog Tours: Toddler Tote

A Simple Yet Addictive Toy

I would be lying if I said that I understood my daughter’s fascination with seemingly simple toys. Her love of cardboard boxes and FedEx envelopes baffles me to no end, and yet, I was skeptical of the “Toddler Tote” by Lauri Toys when I received it in the mail. It consisted of nothing more than different geometric shapes and animals made out of rubber and 7 plastic pegs in a cardboard carrying case. And while the vivid colors were eye-catching, I had no clue that these items would be the answer to my WAH mommy prayers.

You see, I was hired to do some design work for a MAJOR event and it has required me to work around the clock for almost two weeks now. And because I work from home, this has proven to be a battle of wills between my two year old and my job. But the Toddler Tote rescued me from what would have probably ended with me screaming and crying in a heap on the floor as my daughter ran through the house naked and jumping on the furniture.

My daughter has been playing with this non-Made-in-China toy for hours on end. She names all of the shapes, colors, and animals. She pretends to fly a plane or swim with fish and has even counted all of the pieces. Her favorite activity and the one that makes her concentrate the most is trying to put the puzzle pieces back together. It has been amazing to watch.

From a Mommy perspective, The Toddler Tote is perfect for imaginative play, which is a skill that children, thanks to technology, don’t get to develop any more. And I love the simplicity of it as it is very easy to take it in the car or to the doctor’s office. I do wish, however, that it came in a better case. The cardboard cannot stand up to the roughness of my Toddler and I have had to put the pieces in a Zip-loc bag for storage.

All-in-all this is a great product and it gets the seal of approval from both all of us in my house.

archived under: Reviews
tagged:made-in-china, not-made-in-china, old-fashioned toys, parent reviewers, toddler tote, toddler toys

1 comment

{reflect.rethink.redo.}