He and his barnyard pals never fail to bring smiles around our house!

This spring, Shaun the Sheep has appeared on a brand new DVD, Shear Madness: Sheep & Pigs & Aliens, Oh My!

The series, dreamed up by the Oscar-Winning creator of Wallace & Gromit, follows the adventures (and misadventures) of stop-animated sheep, farmyard animals, and the farmer who watches over them.

Here’s some info about this new DVD release:

Join the playful sheep and his farmyard friends in seven all-new adventures; thwarting his pesky swine neighbors, experiencing his first crush, embracing curiosity and having a blast.  Through it all, Shaun will always have your baaaa-ck!

Five minute shorts of the series currently air in the U.S. on the Disney Channel and the series ranks in the top five animated shorts on the network!

DVD SYNOPSIS

Sheep and Pigs and Aliens, oh my! It’s madness in the meadow with Shaun the Sheep and his flock of mischievous merrymakers!  Shaun expertly stops the pigs from running amuck and turning the farm into a porky paradise. He amuses his friends when he falls head over hoof for a beautiful stranger and demonstrates what happens when curiosity gets the sheep after a hot air balloon lands and causes mayhem in the meadow… From the farm, to outer space and everywhere in between, Shaun and his barnyard buddies know how to have a woolly good time!

Episodes include:

“Pig Trouble”

“Sheepless Nights”

“Party Animals”

“Cat’s Got Your Brain”

“Two’s Company?”

“What’s Up, Dog?”

“Draw the Line”

DVD BONUS FEATURES

Sing-along with Shaun

Timmy Time™ Sneak Peek -Timmy’s Tune #2

You can purchase Shear Madness from Amazon.com and other select retailers online and near you!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

The first step is to create a free account at the Burst website. After that, download it to your device of choice. Burst is free to download. It sits on your phone’s desktop until you’re ready to record some memories.

Your photos and videos are stored within Burst’s “cloud” until you or a family member or friend is ready to pull it down and view it!

What I love:

- It integrates with your calendar, so if you’re taking photos or videos at a certain event at that certain time, you can connect the two and label your media.

- You can create groups, letting you customize exactly who you want to share your memories with. (Those viewing don’t have to have an account to view your media….a big plus….they’ll just receive an email.)

- You can log into Burst’s website and put your media onto your home desktop or laptop, if you wish.

- Burst maintains a strict privacy policy.

Again, Burst’s app is available via both the iTunes and the Android store….and sign up for the free Burst account at their website.

Win it!

Courtesy of Burst, one of you will win a free lifetime cloud storage membership/plan, valued at $60!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, a feature of Burst you’re excited about!

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 this contest at 11:59pm EST on Sunday, May 20th, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a free lifetime storage plan from Burst via MomSelect in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

Tsukihoshi shoes for children are not only comfortable, but trendy, bright and colorful. I was super amazed at the brightly colored line for spring and summer 2012!

Take a look at a few of their styles (most of these are available in several different color combos):

Baby Flame (shown here in silver/orange)

Youth Poseidon (shown here in navy/red)

Child Marina (shown here in fuschia/pink)

Gorgeous colors!

We were able to review the Child 34 “Arisa” style in silver/fuschia as well as the Youth “Tornado” in royal/red:

The folks behind Tsukihoshi believe that children’s feet are entirely different from adult feet, not just miniature versions of them.

Here’s some of the engineering explanation from their website:

“Children’s feet may tend to over-pronate (land on the arch side) when walking. As a result, children need more stability in their shoes. Our solid half sock board and a solid heel counter help to provide this stability in the heel area.

“Like many parts of a child’s foot, the arch of a child’s foot is not yet fully formed. Our ”Molded Cup Insole” is designed for children’s arches while helping to neutralize foot odor.

“Children’s feet can not bend and kick forward well because they are not yet fully developed. Our latest innovation, a “Flex-Joint Outsole” helps to allow children’s feet to bend along the line from the joint of the big toe to that of the little toe.

“Excessive inward tilting towards the arches when walking and running is very common among children. Our ”Comfortable Shoe Last” provides space in the toe area to help keep the child’s toe in an unrestricted position, allowing them to splay on contact with the ground.”

The kids’ opinion:

- They’re super comfy!

- They come in trendy and fun colors.

- They’re “cool.”

This mom’s perspective?

- Antibacterial insole help them smell better longer!

- Completely machine washable. Just toss in and let ‘em go. Love this!

- Velcro fasteners make getting them on and off quickly an absolute breeze.

Check out their super-handy store locator to know where you can buy Tsukihoshi shoes near you!

(Check out Tsukihoshi’s Facebook and Twitter pages!)

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products at no cost from Tsukihoshi in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

Learning Resources’ Real World Folding Geometric Shapes makes it so easy!

Like all other Learning Resources products we’ve tried in our homeschooling classroom, the Real World Folding Geometric Shapes are high quality, durable, and realistic.

Included in this set/kit are eight common 3-D geometric shape solids, each made of clear plastic:

- cube

- cylinder

- hexagonal prism

- rectangular prism

- triangular prism

- square pyramid

- triangular pyramid

- cone

Also included are 24, glossy, full-color cardstock inserts which can be folded and placed inside the shapes, secured with a clear plastic side (“door”) to hold each in place.

The rectangular prism can be a tent…then a piece of chocolate cake. The cone can be a party hat…and minutes later a Christmas tree. The switching out is easy and the real-world application is self-explanatory for little minds.

The Real World Folding Geometric Shapes set has been a nice hands-on activity/manipulative for our math studies. I’d recommend it for any homeschooling or school classroom — or for any home where there are kids who adore math!

You can order the Real World Folding Geometric Shapes directly from Learning Resources’ online store for $36.99 — or look for the set wherever Learning Resources are found near you! (Here’s a handy store finder.)

(Be sure to stay up-to-date with new products and info by visiting Learning Resources on Facebook!)

Win it!

Courtesy of Learning Resources, one of you will win the Real World Folding Geometric Shapes set!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, another Learning Resources product your kids would enjoy.

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 this contest at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products at no cost from Learning Resources in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

This journal would be a fantastic Mother’s Day gift — or a gift for her anytime — for her birthday or “just because.”

Mom, I’ve Always Wanted to Tell You… is a beautiful journal with writing prompts on each page to help you convey your feelings, thoughts and memories, all directed towards the one you call “Mom.”

Here’s a preview of what it prompts you to share with Mom:

- “Without you, I wouldn’t have a birthday to celebrate! These are some of my happiest birthday memories…”
- “Certain scents always remind me of your kitchen. I absolutely must get these recipes from you:”
- “Laughter truly is the best medicine, and you could always crack me up by doing this or saying these things:”

The book has a retro, shabby feel, reminiscent of fabric scraps and paper collaged scrapbooks. It’s a hardbound volume that’s as lovely to look at as it is delightful to write within.

Once filled out, Mom, I’ve Always Wanted to Tell You… is a timeless keepsake, one that she’ll treasure for sure.

You can order Mom, I’ve Always Wanted to Tell You… directly from Chronicle Books, or look for it at Amazon.com and local bookstores near you.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Chronicle Books in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

You may or may not realize that just as many “health” products for children, including vitamins and other supplements, include unwanted sugars and artificial ingredients.

Enter: alternaVites kids!

AlternaVites kids offer high-quality vitamins and minerals without unnecessary ingredients.

alternaVites is:

• - The most versatile vitamin on the market based on its flexibility to be used in a way that is specific to each family and their lifestyle… alternaVites Kids can be poured directly on the tongue (think pixie stick!), mixed into yogurts, puddings or smoothies, licked off a spoon, or even sprinkled on top of fruit. alternaVites Kids allows you and your kids to get creative!
• - Is truly delicious!  Available in two awesome flavors:  strawberry bubble gum and raspberry cotton candy.
• - Contains 0 grams of sugar & is free of aspartame and high fructose corn syrup
• - No artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, or preservatives
• - Contains no egg, milk, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish or shellfish and no animal products or by-products
• - Certified kosher pareve
• - Just one packet per day

We were sent a month’s supply of alternaVites kids to try out.

Our kids liked that:

- The vitamins were dissolvable on the tongue — no chalky tablets to chew up!

- The flavors were not “ordinary” — no regular cherry or grape here — try Strawberry Bubble Gum and Raspberry Cotton Candy!

- Only one packet per day needed….no morning and night doses to worry over.

This is the Company’s second offering:  Rich Vitamins LLC originally created alternaVites®, an adult formula no-pill supplement, for the estimated 100 million Americans who have difficulty swallowing vitamins.

“While I had always wanted to develop a children’s version, we fast-tracked the process due to the overwhelming requests we’ve received from moms asking us for one”, says Hallie Rich, founder of Rich Vitamins LLC. “The product attributes, along with the unique delivery system, make it a great product that kids will find cool to take while their parents will like what’s in the product as well as what isn’t. I can’t wait for alternaVites Kids to hit the market so we can become the lifecycle brand I always envisioned.”

alternaVites Kids will be available at www.alternaVites.com for $15.95 (one month’s supply/30 daily dose packets). Consistent with the company’s goals of helping to improve the health and well-being of consumers, Rich Vitamins LLC donates a portion of the proceeds from each sale of alternaVites to support cancer research and treatment.

AND! Enter the code moms20 at checkout for 20% off of your alternaVites purchase!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from alternaVites via Global Influence/Resourceful Mommy Media in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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 newly published storybook just for bedtime featuring that famous little, prickly critter and his spunky little sister.

Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter’s Bedtime Storybook is the perfect bedtime companion for little ones. This hardbound book contains four clever little tales that are certain to entertain.

It’s time to go to bed! But Little Critter’s little sister isn’t sleepy. This could be a big problem, considering the two siblings share a bedroom.

So Little Critter decides to help her get drowsy by telling her fun stories. Little does she know but Little Sister is one of the main characters!

Children who hear homemade stories with themselves inside them will love and appreciate this book.

You can order Little Critter’s Bedtime Storybook from Amazon.com and via other major retailers online and near you!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Sterling Publishing in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

Ultimately, it was by your page-turning choices that determined what happened to your character in the story. I was hooked. And so many of my friends were, too!

Chronicle Books has published a similar set of volumes in the Worst-Case Scenario: An Ultimate Adventure Novel series!

I’m excited to be taking part in the blog hop to celebrate the newest title in the series: The Worst-Case Scenario: Amazon (An Ultimate Adventure Novel) by Hena Kahn and David Borgenicht!

This book is an awesome pick for “reluctant readers.” Though our son (age 7-1/2) isn’t exactly reluctant, he does have a hard time finding things that interest him. He’s all boy — and although he’s not a sports fanatic — he does love books about adventure and mystery.

The Worst-Case Scenario: Amazon is just perfect for any adventure-loving kid! There are twenty-two possible endings — the one you reach all depends on the choices that you make.

What I love most about these books is that they are factual! As your child navigates his/her way through this story, he/she will learn real facts about the Amazon jungles and the animals and plants that reside within it, thanks to Amazon consultant Ed Stafford.

Worst Case Scenario Amazon

Page after page the reader is faced with decisions involving dangerous (and creepy!) thing: Tarantulas, rushing rivers with sharp rocks, snakes, monkeys, mosquitoes, and even questionable drinking water.

Comic illustrations are strewn throughout for those more visually-oriented.

All in all, this is one adventuresome book! I love walking into our son’s room and seeing it sitting by his bed every morning — the bookmark in a different spot each day! It gets five stars at our house!

You can order it from Chronicle Books (along with the others in the series) or snatch it up on Amazon.com!

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Chronicle Books in exchange for a review. I received no other monetary compensation for this honest 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.

Especially a good SOUTHERN cookbook.

Add to that a good, Southern cookbook chock full of recipes that use fresh farmer’s market fare, and I’m totally head-over-heels!

Farm Fresh Southern Cooking by Tammy Algood is exactly this….and I can easily see how it will become my best friend this summer!

This beautiful, colorful, rich photo-filled softcover cookbook takes the best of farm-fresh produce found in the South and turns these ingredients into mouth-watering recipes to grace any table.

Also included are “Spotlights” which introduce you to local purveyors of various farm fare, many of which have online or mail-order ordering options. I love supporting local labor and small businesses, so I thought that this was a super cool thing to include!

This recipe book has fare that is suitable for a weeknight supper as well as dishes for entertaining and special occasions. I love that there are so many bread recipes! You can’t go wrong with a hot pan of cornbread.

This book makes me want to seek out local goat cheese and strawberries and whip up a masterpiece. (Better yet, zucchini and tomatoes from my own growing garden!)

You can order Farm Fresh Southern Cooking from Amazon.com — or look for it at various retailers near you.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Thomas Nelson via their Booksneeze program in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.

Parents of little Dinosaur Train fans, you’ll want to take notice!

Since April 18th, Dinosaur Train’s Facebook and Twitter pages have been hosting an alphabetical countdown to a new Dinosaur Train television special.

Here’s more info on this interactive event:

A-B-C-Dinosaur! The EMMY®-nominated children’s series DINOSAUR TRAIN® will encourage its tiny viewers to practice the alphabet while learning about the diversity of dinosaurs with a “Dinosaurs A to Z” one-hour special premiering May 14th on PBS KIDS!

~ Dinosaur Train collectable gifts
~ Grand prizes of one-of-a-kind Dinosaur cartoon art created especially for your little one by Craig Bartlett, the artist and creator behind Dinosaur Train!

So head on over to Facebook and Twitter for a chance at these nifty prizes….and don’t forget to tune in on Monday, May 14th and Friday, May 18th to see the new episode!

Disclosure: I received a Dinosaur Train storybook in exchange for an announcement/review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for this honest 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.