As a mom, you do lots of things.

As a mom, you do lots of things RIGHT.

Don’t you wish there was some way to tell the world when you celebrate these triumphs? Have you ever found yourself saying, “I should get an award for that!”?

Thanks to The First Years, there is, and you can!

The First Years’ Facebook Page has a new Brag Badge app, a neat way to proclaim your parenting victories as well as record those precious milestones in a creative way.

Celebrate the firsts, like “First Smile,” “First Laugh,” even “First Time with Peas.” You can share these fun, and sometimes unexpected moments, with your friends and family on Facebook….a cute way of bragging, so to speak, about your little one’s progress!

Head over to The First Year’s Facebook page, “like” them, then proceed in making your very first Brag Badge for FREE.

Win it!

Courtesy of The First Years, to celebrate the release of the Brag Badge app, I am able to give away one The First Years Compass B570 Pathway Booster Car Seat!

The features of the Pathway (B570) Booster Seat include:

· As with all of the booster seats from The First Years, this has the patented one-hand fold, making storage and moving from car to car easy and stress-free.

· This booster seat is used with children 30-100 lbs. or 3-10 years old. MSRP: $99.99

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Describe to me, in a comment below, the Brag Badge you made!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close the contest on Tuesday, July 5th, 2011, at 11:59pm EST. US mailing addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #37, Hannah Gardner!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product from The First Years at no cost per my endorsement of this app and my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

There’s a new app for smart phones called iTriage that lets you search and browse hundreds of symptoms, medical procedures, and diseases, as well as provides useful descriptions of the conditions, treatments, and medical tests.  iTriage also offers support links to your insurer’s advice line.

iTriage—the first healthcare information software product introduced by Healthagen, LLC, is the brainchild of two emergency room physicians. After seeing a growing need for patients to have more actionable healthcare information in their hands, Drs. Peter Hudson and Wayne Guerra introduced iTriage to give healthcare consumers crucial information in acute care settings:

* Information on more than 300 symptoms, 1000 diseases and 350 medical procedure
* A nationwide directory of hospitals, urgent cares, retail clinics, pharmacies and physicians
* Turn-by-turn facility directions from GPS, IP address or zip code locations
* Nurse advice lines
* Detailed quality reports from HealthGrades on hospitals and physicians
* Help negotiating medical bills through an iTriage partnership with one of the most respected claims adjudication organizations
* Emergency Room wait times for hospitals in select parts of the country.

iTriage is available for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, and Palm.  It will be available for Blackberry very soon.

To learn more about iTriage and get the link to download it via iTunes, click here.

FTC info — Disclaimer: This is a compensated review via iTriage and Mom Bloggers Club. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

That’s scary stuff.

Yet I know how valid it really is. We were the parents who thought we were doing it right — that we had our children’s seats securely and correctly fastened into our SUV. We went to a car seat check and our confidence was dashed — we were doing three major things wrong! We were instantly humbled AND grateful for getting the check done. The consequences, had we had an accident, may have been terrible.

The NHTSA has labeled next week (Sept. 19-25) National Child Passenger Safety Week. Visit the headquarters website for informational and how-to videos, flyers, and links to product ratings.

AND, on Saturday, September 25th, the NHTSA is offering FREE, hands-on car seat checks! This is vital for all parents with child passengers, in my opinion. Find out where an inspection station will be near you by visiting this site searching tool.

Last but not least, join the Child Passenger Safety Twitter party on Wednesday, September 22nd at 2pm EST. NHTSA experts will be available to offer information and insight on car seats and how to travel safely with children. Follow @ChildSeatSafety and use the hashtag #CPSweek to follow along and ask your questions.

FTC info — Disclaimer: Via the Global Influence Network, I received a chance to win a gift card for posting about this event/national announcement, but I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Whenever my husband tries to talk one of the kids out of asking for a bandage, I laugh and remind him lovingly that a bandages aren’t just physical: They’re also emotional and psychological. Just putting a bandage around a pinky finger seems to shut off the faucet of tears. And our kids, no matter how big they grow, still want Mommy and Daddy to kiss their boo-boos and make them better. With Ouchies, you can do that in a hipper, cooler way!

Ouchies are designer bandages, colorful and bold. Now your child can not only make a cut or scrape disappear and heal faster, he or she can do it in style. Ouchies were created by a dad who was looking to make his children’s bandages a little more fun and funky. As he says, “Down with beige bandages, baby!”

There’s something for every kids’ style and personality:
For the boys…

For the creative artist…

For the fun-loving and nostalgic type…

Our kids adore Ouchies. It just so happened that the flu shots we all received last week warranted “cooler” bandages. Moments after returning home, Ouchies came to the rescue!

Ouchies come in metal tins, which I love because it’s so retro and old-school. Each tin contains 20 adhesive bandages. You can order Ouchies from their online retail site for $5.00 a box, or check to see where they’re sold locally at stores near you.

Win it! Thanks to the people at Ouchies, one of you will win two tins of your choice of Ouchies adhesive bandages!

Here’s how to enter:
1. MANDATORY: Become a fan of Ouchies on Facebook (by following the link here).
2. MANDATORY: Comment here with the Ouchies styles you’d pick if you won.
3. For an extra entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed and tell me you did so (or have already done so) in a separate comment.
4. For another entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook and let me know that you did in a separate comment.

I’ll close the contest next Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, commenter #25, ReggieMann!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review purposes; however, my review was honest and my opinions are my own. I only received the product itself; I received no other monetary compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

At that moment, more than at any other, I was grateful that my husband and I took a choking aid/CPR class before G was born. I believe that what I learned there helped me know what to do on that scary afternoon.

Yet what if I don’t always react so quickly? What if I panic and freeze, not knowing what to do? I don’t like to dwell on “what ifs,” but I do believe that preparation and know-how is important, should an emergency spring up.

I’m thrilled to tell you today about a first aid kit that takes most of the guesswork out of those crucial situations: Intelligent First Aid. Intelligent First Aid is the most comprehensive, all-inclusive, and smart first aid kit I’ve found. Intelligent First Aid’s Talking First Aid kit not only includes cue cards with detailed drawings and instructions to let you know what to do with every type of injury or occurrence, but it also has recorded instructions which you can play at will to talk you through the actions required.

The Intelligent First Aid Talking First Aid kit includes talking care packs (including talking cue cards and medical supply packs) for all of the following injuries/conditions:

- Breathing/CPR
- Bleeding
- Shock
- Head & Spine Injuries
- Bone Injuries
- Eye Injuries
- Burns
- Bites & Stings

Also included is a basics care packet (with basic medical supplies), a fully illustrated instruction manual, a quick-start guide (also with narration), and a positionable flashlight, all housed within a soft-sided, zip-closure case with a handle and detachable strap. It’s an easy first aid kit to tote around as you go, and excellent for travel.

Here’s my demonstration of what is included within the Talking First Aid kit, as well as a sample of the narration you’ll hear on the cue cards:

Intelligent First Aid review from Megret on Vimeo.

You can order Intelligent First Aid kits directly via their online store. There are several other kits available, including a Safe at Home kit and workplace (On the Job) kits.

***And right now, Intelligent First Aid is running a winter special: 25% off everything on their site with the promotional code WINTER25 used at checkout.***

Win it! Thanks to the generous folks at Intelligent First Aid, one of you will win a Talking First Aid kit, a $149.99 value! To enter to win, just comment below with another one of their kits you’d like to have around or give to someone…or tell me about an experience you had where rapid first aid was required…..OR tell me something you read/learned from their website. I’ll close the contest next Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, commenter #6, Melissa, who said, “I think this would be wonderful for us because we have a swimming pool. It would be nice to keep in handy in case we ever did need to do CPR! (but praying to God that we never will).”
Thanks, everyone, for participating!

Well, Mobi has come out with a terrific, above-the-rest “sequel” to the TykeLight Jr.. Let me introduce to you the newest “glow buddy” on the block: The TykeLight GloMate!

The GloMate glows in three different colors: Blue, red, or green, but it ALSO cycles through a rainbow of colors at the push of a button.

The GloMate is a winner of the iParenting Media Award. Its silky-smooth exterior and cuddle-perfect size make a perfect nighttime buddy for your little one. It’s suitable and easy to use for ages 2 and up. Our four-year-old has nicknamed him “Mr. Special” and uses him for after-bedtime book browsing and as a fun accompaniment to middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. The color modes are easily switched with the use of an easy-to-find toggle button on the base.

Here is a brief video clip of G demonstrating how to begin the “color changing mode,” complete with color commentaries:

G and the GloMate from Megret on Vimeo.

The GloMate, like its predecessor, stays lit for up to 10 hours per charge. (No more nightlight malfunctions when the power goes out!) To recharge, you or your child can simply place it gently back on its base. It’s completely safe with no attached cords once it is off its base. The lights are cool-burning LEDs which mean there’s no risk of heat-based injuries.

You can purchase the TykeLight GloMate directly from Mobi for $24.99. It’s also available from Amazon and several more online retailers

Win it! Thanks to Mobi, I can give away one TykeLight GloMate to one of you! All you need to do is head over to Mobi’s website and look around. Come back here and tell me a feature of the GloMate you especially love OR another one of Mobi’s products that you’d find useful. That’s it! I’ll close the contest next Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 11pm EST. Sorry; US entries only. Good luck!

Since then, every time we’ve purchased a car seat, it was back to the drawing board first and foremost to find out which ones suited our needs best…and which ones were safest. Crash test ratings, ease of adjustment, consumer complaints — everything was important to me. Let’s just say that I’ve gotten to know our local Safe Kids director very well over the years.

Another pervasive desire of mine was to find a seat that would let our children stay in a five-point harness for as long as possible, since it has been known to be safer at protecting kids in crashes than a booster. At four, G isn’t heavy or tall enough for a booster, and even if he was, at his age, I would still feel uncomfortable trusting him to keep his seatbelt buckled as we drove around.

Enter the True Fit Convertible car seat by the First Years (Learning Curve).

I had begun to assume that a car seat that was easy to install, simple to adjust, easy to clean, and most of all, ranking high on all national safety standards was not to be found….too good to be true. In the past, I had always had to relinquish one of these benefits when choosing a seat, making the decision difficult and bittersweet.

Yet the True Fit seat boasts all of these pluses! It even comes in a great variety of colors, which meant that for the first time ever, G could have a seat with his favorite color on it — blue! That had him sold on the spot…and my husband and I were very quick to follow with our own approval.

Here are the main fast facts on the True Fit Convertible car seat:

- 4-star rating on ease of use by the NHTSA
- Grows with your child from 5 to 65 lbs.
- Deep side wings and extra padding foam for added protection, yet fits great in the seat with another car seat

What do WE love about the True Fit Convertible Car Seat?

1. The ease of use claim was spot on. It took less than 5 minutes to get ready once out of the box. The directions were in a convenient pocket in the back of the seat itself, and the directions were simple and self-explanatory.
We took out the infant head rests and extra infant padding with no problem at all. The LATCH hooks were easy to find and adjust for length. Lastly, it took just a couple of clicks to adjust it to the right height for G.

2. The padding throughout is super easy to remove for cleaning….essential for us, since we do sometimes feed the kids snacks in the car. (And if you’re like us and have a carsick-prone child, this is especially helpful.) It’s all possible thanks to a few simple snaps and loops.

3. It’s exceedingly attractive and plush! G is super proud to be riding in this new seat, and I can feel assured that he is very well protected and comfortable.

Learning Curve/The First Years has produced a very thorough, information-rich video about the True Fit Convertible seat that’s well worth viewing. Click here to watch this video.

You can purchase the True Fit Convertible Car Seat directly from Learning Curve’s website as well as from Amazon!

Win it! Learning Curve/The First Years has graciously offered one of you a chance to win a True Fit Convertible Car Seat for your child! All you need to do is this:

Click on over and watch the demonstration video to learn more about the True Fit Convertible seat. After you’re done, come back here and tell me, in a comment, something that you learned or a particular aspect of this seat that you especially like. I’ll leave this contest open until 11pm next Wednesday, March 11th at 11pm EST. US entries only; duplicate commenters will be disqualified. Good luck!

- About 18 children ages 10 and under die annually from falls from windows.

- Another 4,700 children ages 14 and under will require treatment each year for window fall-related injuries.

(stats taken from Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York- Presbyterian)

When we began replacing the original windows in our 1970s-era home, we quickly realized that the vinyl windows available on the market were not crafted with safety in mind. Storm windows are not needed with the new, more energy-efficient window models made today. In truth, the former storm windows provided me a tad bit of security, seeing as they were an added layer/barrier to the outside.

When we shopped for new vinyl windows, all we found were ones that had easy-to-raise, non-lockable, flimsy screens. Upon questioning, we found that, in the stores within our town, none of the windows in stock had significant safety measures in place, nor were alternative models available for ordering. The only thing available on these vinyl windows was a simple flip-tab mechanism that limited the window’s opening to around 4 inches. We quickly learned that our 4-year-old had mastered the task of lifting and lowering this tab.

Finally, the salesperson referred us to window locks that would replace the original flip locks, the new locks requiring a key to open (which we could hide). Sounded like a perfect solution — until we got back home and realized that the new, slim-line vinyl windows we had were too narrow to allow the key locks to be installed. Now what!?

I admit, I began to think we’d have to install metal bars on the outside of our house to ensure no accidents happened. This seemed just as absurd, however, and so I began to take my search elsewhere and expand my product research.

That’s when I found the Window Wedge. The Window Wedge was created and patented by Randy Cresci, a retired NYPD detective who responded to many a case of window-related falls and accidents involving children. He knew there must be a better way to lessen these incidents….and the Window Wedge came about.

The design is simple yet novel: Velcro strips easily adhere to the rim of the upper window, upon which a wedge is applied at the height preferred. The Window Wedge will only hold tighter the harder a child lifts up on the lower window, ensuring no further window opening than you, the parents, decides on and sets. (For optimum safety, a maximum of 4 inches is recommended.)

Not only does this product keep children IN, it helps keep would-be intruders OUT; breaking into a home through a window becomes impossible with the Window Wedge in place. (Of course, we’d like to emphasize that children should never be left unattended, even with the Window Wedges in place. Many falls can be prevented if parental supervision is fully present.)

In case of emergency, however, the wedge can easily be removed by an adult for full window extension. No tools required for either installation or emergency removal!

My husband was supremely impressed by how easy the Window Wedge was to install on our upstairs windows. They were very low-profile and hardly noticeable, as well….which is not only a plus for cosmetic’s sake, but also so it won’t draw a child’s attention to it. Here is the Window Wedge installed onto our daughter’s window:

Not even noticeable — and are very, very affordable — yet the comfort and peace of mind it affords my husband and me is priceless. I am so thankful I found out about the Window Wedge. Don’t hesitate; order some for your home today. You can order them from a number of online and catalog retailers (complete list here).

Win it! One of you will win six packages of Window Wedges (2 Window Wedges per pack)! All you need to do is head over to the Window Wedge’s site and browse around. Come back here and tell me something you learned in one comment….a fact, a benefit, or a store/catalog where these can be found. I’ll close the contest next Friday, January 23rd, 2009 at 11pm EST. Sorry ~~ US entries only; duplicate commenters will be disqualified. Good luck!