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Learning to Read with LeapFrog TAG

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LeapFrog makes learning products that blend innovative technology with time-tested teaching techniques for fun and educational results.

We are big fans of our LeapFrog TAG and LeapFrog just sent us a new way to enjoy it: two sets of early reader books that teach short and long vowel sounds.

My daughter knows her letters and the sounds they make and she is just about ready to make the jump from pre-literacy skills to literacy. Every day she grabs her TAG pen and reads through several of the new TAG “Learn to Read” books.

Pip, Pip and Green-You-Go

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“Waste not, want not,” mom always said. So, mom entrepreneur Christina started Citizen Pip and created a complete, “muck-free”, reusable lunch system.

This stylish Soup to Nuts Kit includes everything you need to pack a meal, from the non-squishable sandwich-sized container, to the insulated soup jar. You’ll also find utensils, cloth napkins, snack-sized containers, and a water bottle. And it is all certified to be lead-free, phthalate-free and BPA-free by a CPSIA-accredited lab.

Blink and You’ll Love It

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Not content to just innovate in producing safe, convenient car seats, Britax is turning its engineering genius towards making strollers.

Since I’m a dedicated babywearer, a stroller has to be something special to get me excited about it and I really enjoy the Britax Blink Stroller.

A priority for a compact stroller is its size. At 16 lbs, the Blink is not the lightest weight stroller on the market but it is light enough to carry in the included shoulder bag and offers some design innovations you will not find in other strollers in its price range…

Back-to-School with Amelia Bedelia

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One of the charming things about young children is their literal-mindedness.

So, just imagine our often confused but always well-meaning friend, Amelia Bedelia, as a kindergartner. In Amelia Bedelia’s First Day of School, the classic character enthusiastically, and literally, jumps right into class. She takes each instruction very seriously and the results are hilarious.

And the Most Wonderful Thing About Tigger Movies…?

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Tigger has always been my favorite denizen of 100 Acre Woods. My best friend in college and I used to bounce up and down the streets singing his song. So, it is no surprise that I enjoyed The Tigger Movie–although my daughter’s DVD time is usually “mommy’s work time,” I could not resist watching with her–but how did it look from a three year-old’s perspective?

Play Smart – Three Clever Puzzles from PlanToys

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A kid’s work is play. And toddlers and preschoolers learn primarily through exploring the world around them. A few high quality toys, like the gorgeous sustainable, fair-trade toys available from Plan Toys, are enough to spark their imaginations. The tactile feel of real wood, the non-toxic, bright colors, and the open-ended nature of these toys make them perfect for flexible, young minds.

Plan Toys sent us three items from their catalog of Developmental Toys for Preschoolers and they have quickly become favorites in our house: Animal Domino Memory Game, 30-Piece Construction Set, and Stacking Tree.

Leap Ahead in Summer Reading

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As LeapFrog Summer Reading Ambassadors, we’ve been showing off the LeapFrog TAG and TAG Junior systems at schools, libraries, and playgroups in our area.

When I reviewed the LeapFrog TAG last year, I was impressed. As an educational consultant, I believe the TAG system is a great example of technology that genuinely engages kids in learning. Download classic stories onto the reading pen and children can listen to the whole story, hear individual words, and play games. Using the TAG helps build reading comprehension and fluency.

The Sling Babies Ask For By Name: UpMama

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Whenever I wear my baby, curious parents ask me about my carrier. Having tried out dozens of carriers, I have a different favorite at each age for each different situation. If I have to choose just one carrier, however, I default to a ring sling. Lightweight and compact enough to fit in my diaper bag, adjustable for different positions, and perfect for breastfeeding, ring slings are my go-to baby carrier. Lots of parents worry, though, that baby is not secure enough in a ring sling.

The UpMama hybrid pouch-sling offers the adjustable flexibility and wide shoulder of a ring sling with the “bucket seat” and structure of a pouch.

The opinions expressed on Mamanista.com are based on a single consumer user testing, and are solely those of the author. Any factual claims, including but not limited to safety testing, are based on information from the manufacturer. Mamanista.com receives sample products for testing. Paid placements, such as announcements of sales or sponsored contests are clearly marked. See our disclosure policy.