Win a Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush and flossers

What's more fun than a toothbrush that looks like a Crayola crayon? How about a toothbrush that also lights up?

The GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush helps kids brush for a full minute by flashing a light that signals to them when to stop. Kids push a button in the bottom of the toothbrush to start the light flashing, and they start brushing their teeth. When the light stops flashing, kids know they have brushed for a full minute -- and they can stop brushing.

It's fun!

GUM sent my family a Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush to review, and my preschooler couldn't wait to try it out. Mostly, he wanted to play with the flashing light, but eventually he settled down to brushing his teeth. See that nice glow around his mouth from the toothbrush?



Yeah. And when he was done brushing, the "toothbrush light" was still fun.



GUM also sent me a package of 40 Crayola-colorful kids' flossers, which have a nifty handle that helps kids hold onto the floss while they are cleaning their teeth.

Visit gumbrand.com and receive 30% off any order of $10 of more, using the promo code CR30. This code expires July 15.

If you'd like to win a GUM Crayola Timer Light Toothbrush and a package of flossers for your family, please leave a comment about your child's dental habits. GUM sent me five of each to give away, so there will be five winners! I'll pick a winner next Tuesday.

Helpful guidelines for kids’ oral care can be found on the GUM Crayola YouTube Channel and in this tip sheet (PDF).

Caterpillar bracelet

Look at my new bracelet! It's from Shabby Apple, and it's called the Caterpillar Bracelet. (Please ignore the wrinkles and veins in my hand.)

About two months ago, I got the chance to give away a beautiful Shabby Apple dress. Freckle Face Girl won, and she posted about how she wore the Shabby Apple dress for Easter. She looks great in it (and her kids are so nicely dressed too)!

Well, Shabby Apple offered to send me their bracelet because I placed their button here as an affiliate. I like that they have a variety of dresses -- both casual and dressy -- and they are always coming out with new designs. Their newest collection, Set Sail, has a nautical look. I like this Land Ho! Skirt.

Most of the time during the summer, I live in shorts and tank tops (South Florida summers are hot and humid!), but if I had to be somewhere, I'd be happy to wear something fun from Shabby Apple.

What do you like to wear in the summer?

Enchantment: Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions ... in your family

This past weekend, I was lucky to go to SheCon New Media Expo in Miami Beach (hi, new friends!), where the keynote speaker was Guy Kawasaki. At the conference, he dived into details that highlighted what's in his latest book, Enchantment: Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions. After his talk, I got to meet Guy Kawasaki in person! He signed the cover of my book (provided free at the conference). He seems like such a genuinely smart, funny and nice guy. Uh, Guy.

I know Enchantment was written for achieving success in business, but as Guy Kawasaki was talking, I couldn't help but think his tips also apply to family life. I don't think that's such a stretch, because he mentioned his family to illustrate some of his points.

For example....

1. Achieve likability. Guy Kawasaki said, "Start with a smile. You want crow's feet." I do believe in the old adage that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. When it comes to family, if you want your child to do something or encourage him to grow in a certain direction, I think you will be more successful if you are sweet -- or likable.

2. Achieve trustworthiness. Guy said to trust others and ask, "How can I help the other person?" Kids need to know whom they can trust. And I believe, innately, they do. If they don't trust their parents, they will find someone else to trust. In the worst-case scenario, it could be a drug dealer, gang leader or a pedophile. So, a parent needs to be there for the kids so they will be trustworthy.

3. Prepare. Guy talked about coming up with a "premortem" -- what you might do if your plan fails. I think most in-tune parents have a Plan B for their kids. (OK, if I put the baby in the crib and he wakes up crying, this is what I'm going to try next to get him to sleep in his own bed....)

4. Prepare to Launch. Guy said, "Plant many seeds." He was talking about spreading your business' story far and wide because it's the "unknown" people who tell others about your product or service that can make it successful. The takeaway for family life, I think, is to plant many seeds within your children. Kids are still developing and becoming the person they are going to be. They need seeds. They need for parents to plant those important messages about life, many times.

5. Overcome Resistance. If anyone knows about (or dreams about) overcoming resistance, it's parents. One of Guy's tips was to find a way to agree -- to harmonize objections. He said to find a bright spot -- instead of overcoming an obstacle, go where things are flowing well. I think these ideas definitely apply to getting along with children in your family. I don't think of this as giving in to a child's demand to, say, eat a cookie in bed after you have tucked her in for the fourth time in one night. But there is wisdom in giving kids options so they feel in control of (at least part of) their lives and making it seem to your child that you are both on the same wavelength, as detailed in Transforming the Difficult Child: The Nurtured Heart Approach and other books about parenting spirited or downright defiant kids.

6. Endure. Like businesses, parents need endurance. The nature of parenting demands it! Guy said to build an ecosystem -- a supportive community -- to make enchantment endure. I'm fortunate to be part of a couple mom groups where we share ideas and tips on raising kids or even just commiserate with one another on how hard it can be to be a mom. And we have fun together. Having fun with your kids and others goes a long way toward being able to endure, I think. Another big point here that Guy made was to invoke reciprocation. He said when people thank you, say, "You would do the same for me," in addition to "You're welcome." In other words, enable people to pay you back. I think this would work great with teenaged kids, and also teach them the value of reciprocity.

Guy talked about using push and pull technology, and then how to enchant your employees and your boss. I think the chapter about enchanting your employees would be a great read from a parenting angle. One of his tips is to provide a MAP (mastery, autonomy, purpose), and as parents, this is our goal for our kids: people who are independent and filled with a sense of purpose for their lives. Another, sometimes humbling, key from Guy is to suck it up and show you are willing to do what it takes -- that you would never ask someone else to do something you wouldn't do yourself. I love this tip because I hate it when I see parents using their children as gophers in unpleasant tasks. (One time, my stepmother made me take an overdue rent check to our landlord because she didn't want to face him. I felt awkward, and when the landlord complained about how late the rent check was and told me to give my parents the message, I felt ashamed even though it wasn't my fault. I'd never want to put my kids in that position.)

Guy Kawasaki's presentation at SheCon was full of good advice for bloggers and business owners -- and parents -- who want to be so enchanting that resisting them is futile (as he wrote on the cover of everyone's books).

If you'd like to win my extra copy of Enchantment, please leave a comment about family life, the book, Guy Kawasaki or another related topic. I'll randomly select a winner next week. Good luck!

Thomas & Friends Adventures on Misty Island MEGA Bloks train set

Look what I won at a Twitter party recently: a Thomas & Friends Adventures on Misty Island MEGA Bloks set. My preschooler was so happy when I surprised him with it! (Whoever thinks Twitter is a waste of time doesn't know how you can form friendships and connections with people -- and sometimes win something cool!)

I just happened to see the Thomas & Friends Twitter party going on one night and joined in because my sons are completely indoctrinated in the cult of Thomas. We have several bins full of the Thomas Wooden Railway, Trackmaster and the Take Along lines of toy trains. And now, the boys can play with their new Thomas MEGA Bloks track.

My son wanted to play with the set immediately, and I took everything out of the box. I was a little intimidated setting it up because I'm just not used to putting together 101 pieces of anything while following directions in a booklet. I think it took me 20 minutes to put the set together.



I did a fine job, no?

My preschooler excitedly played with it (he had the set to himself because his little brother was taking a nap), but after about 40 minutes, he had dismantled most of it and wanted me to help him put it all back together again. I told him he should try to do it himself, and he found new ways of putting the set together. He got frustrated, but he did it.

So while a train set with lots of little blocks may be intimidating at first, the great thing is the MEGA Bloks set can be put together several ways. In fact, the layout shown on the outside of the box it came in is different from the way the booklet shows how to put it together. The downside is the little blocks come apart with play, but the upside is unlike some other train sets, kids can build and rebuild the track however they want.

It's a new world of trains -- and creative play -- for my preschooler.

Sand and water play table

My sons love their new Sandy Lagoon Water Park sand and water play table.

My preschooler loves to play in the tables at school that are filled with grains of rice to scoop, pour and run your fingers through. I thought it would be great to find a rice table he could have at home.

When Toys R Us recently had a sale on sand and water tables, we went shopping.

My son had already been given a sandbox (which looks like a frog), but I never liked that he could sit right in the sand. Sand would be stuck to him all over. And then he'd bring it inside. Ugh. (And I don't want to mention how many times as a toddler he would try to eat the sand.)



A sand table, however, means that he would mostly avoid getting sand down his shorts! And because I plan to fill the table with rice anyway, I hope nothing will be stuck to him.

The table is divided into two sections so kids can play with the sand (rice) or the water. I have a feeling sand and water end up in both sides, though.... And little characters come with the Sandy Lagoon Water Park so I kids can pretend they are at Typhoon Lagoon in Disney World.



The table was so easy to put together, even I was able to do it.

Now I've just got to get rid of that frog sandbox!

Port Orleans resort in Disney World: French Quarter vs. Riverside

Disney World has so many great resorts to stay at, and I am making it a goal to stay at each one, eventually. My family stayed at Port Orleans in December and again last weekend, which gave us the chance to see both the Riverside portion of the resort and the French Quarter side.

Actually, Port Orleans is almost like three resorts in one. There are separate entrances for Riverside and French Quarter, with walking paths that connect them so guests can visit either end. However, within Riverside, the resort is further divided into the Magnolia and Alligator Bayou themes. The Magnolia buildings look like antebellum mansions, with their large columns and other grand touches. Alligator Bayou offers the homespun side -- the "backwater," more country-feeling part of the resort.

Port Orleans is one of three Disney Moderate resorts -- it's not a Deluxe resort, but it's not the most basic Value resorts, either. (The other two Moderate resorts are Coronado, which has a Spanish/Latin theme to it, and the Caribbean.)

I had been wanting to stay at the French Quarter for a long time just because it sounded romantic. And it is! I loved the architecture with its pretty French touches here and there.



The grounds are designed to look as though you're staying in the heart of New Orleans.



You'll even find "streets" among the buildings where the rooms are located, with street lamps and signs that have fun or punny names.



The pool area is gorgeous, and the centerpiece is a water slide that looks like a sea serpent with King Triton sitting on top.



It was even great to hear Dixieland music playing while you walk around the resort.

Inside our room, the beds and amenities were pretty standard and well maintained, with a definite New Orleans feel to it.

Contrast that to Riverside, where my family stayed in the Alligator Bayou part of the resort, whose rooms have comforters with a quilt design printed on them (look for the Mickey Mouse ears!) and the beds have the appearance of being made out of logs. I have gone camping and stayed in cabins before, but for a hotel, this was a bit too country for me.



However, I loved the grounds at Alligator Bayou because the landscaping was natural and not the manicured lawns of French Quarter or Magnolia.



This is what the real Florida looks like to me -- thick stands of trees and even swamps. I half expected to see a deer peek out of the wooded areas we walked through (but we saw only squirrels).

My preschooler loved seeing the big wheel of the "mill" near the restaurant, Boatwright's.



What is nice about both French Quarter and Riverside is you can take a boat ride on the Sassagoula River past the Saratoga Springs and Old Key West resorts to Downtown Disney and back. My family did that one evening, just for the experience. We thought it was fun, but we didn't like waiting 40 minutes at the end of a long line of other people who wanted to do the same thing. The boats are popular! If you get a fun captain, the ride can be even more entertaining.



Also, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride at either French Quarter or Riverside.



At Riverside, you can rent a variety of boats, bicycles and surreys (which are canopied carriages that you pedal like a bicycle). You can even go fishing! The French Quarter showed Toy Story 3 on a huge outdoor screen one night.

I didn't see anything spectacular about the pool area we visited at Riverside, but I guess that's in keeping with the theme. There are several pools throughout Riverside.

There are also several theme park bus stops at Riverside -- which my husband and I felt was one of the downsides to staying at Port Orleans. When we stayed at French Quarter, one of the buses picked us up first, and then we had to stop at all of the bus stops at Riverside before even leaving the parking lot. Port Orleans is pretty spread out.

Like other Disney resorts, both the French Quarter and Riverside have quick-service restaurants, playgrounds and arcades. They both have lounges that seemed to be hopping every night.

My husband and I liked staying at Riverside. We can't say it's our favorite resort overall, but I would say the French Quarter and Caribbean are a tie for me for first place in the Moderate resorts. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Never forget your sunscreen again: Body wash and sunscreen in one

When I heard there's a soap that could keep my skin from aging ... I thought, Wow! Anti-aging soap? Really?

Turns out the body wash and hand soap have sunscreen in them that stays on your skin.

Genius!

Solise makes the body wash and hand soap with SPF 15, so no one ever has any excuses about not putting on sunscreen. Or forgetting to. All you have to do is wash up!

This is great for my family and me, because we like to spend time outside, and and we live in southern Florida. We need sunscreen every day! Solise has protection against UVA and UVB -- rays that can damage skin.

I like that Solise's products are paraben free, too. They have a mild scent that isn't perfume-y, so my husband will want to use the soap as well. He needs it -- he gets more sunburns than anyone else in the family.

Solise provided a sample of the body wash for me to review. Thanks!

"Tangled" long hair gets great treatment from Pantene's Restore Beautiful Lengths

Yesterday, I took my boys to a prescreening of Tangled, the new animated movie from Disney about Rapunzel.

Yes, I took my boys to a "princess movie."

And you know what? We sat through the whole movie. I credit all the action scenes. It was amazing in 3D! Even my baby kept his 3D glasses on for the first 40 minutes or so. It was fun to see how Disney breathed new life into an old fairy tale. Tangled opens on Wednesday, Nov. 24, and it's going to be a great holiday movie for the whole family.

Even boys.

The prescreening was sponsored by Pantene, which has a great new line of products out especially for long hair called Restore Beautiful Lengths. In addition to sponsoring the prescreening, Pantene provided me with its full line of Restore Beautiful Lengths products to review! This is great for me, because my hair has reached the middle of my back. Not the same as Rapunzel's 70 feet of hair, but then, you know, I don't live in a tall tower where I have lots of time to brush all that magic hair.

So far, I've tried the replenishing mask (like a super-creamy conditioner that really cuts down on frizz!) and the smoothing balm (another great frizz fighter that made my hair look great!). The line also includes Pantene Pro-V Restoring Beautiful Lengths shampoo and conditioner in Breakage Defense, Shine Enhance and Frizz Control formulas. (I kind of need all three of those together!) There is also the Anti-Humidity Hairspray to try.

It's good to know there is a whole line of hair products just to help hair prevent breakage and stay healthy while it grows long.

Operation Beautiful

Could a little anonymous Post-It note change the way you see yourself?

Yes! It can -- and it has.

Only a little more than a year ago, a blogger named Caitlin Boyle started a site called Operation Beautiful, encouraging women to leave notes out in public so the next woman who comes along would be inspired by their positive messages: "You are beautiful just the way you are!" "Don't be a copy -- be yourself!" or "Embrace your imperfections and love yourself." Caitlyn sparked quite a trend -- actually, forget that, it was a bona-fide movement -- for women to build one another up rather than be competitive and tear one another down. Now her site has become a book!

Just about the time I received this book to review it, a friend of mine found an Operation Beautiful note in the restroom at Barnes & Noble -- and posted a picture of it on her Facebook. She hadn't heard of Operation Beautiful. But she thought the notes were "neat." More than that, I can tell you those kind, fortuitously placed notes couldn't have come at a better time for my friend -- she is pregnant with her first child, and apparently her family isn't very supportive.

That's the power of a little, encouraging note!

Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-it Note at a Time not only shares the experiences of women who have posted or found such notes, it provides even more positive encouragement about weight and fitness, relationships and faith. The book offers positive, healthy tips for repairing a poor self-image and building a better one, and for celebrating life -- the perfect book to give to any kind of girlfriend as a gift!

(Now why couldn't I have thought of this idea? Way to go, Caitlyn!)

Disney Sing It: Family Hits

Does your family love to sing? Or love Disney? You can have your own karaoke experience in your home with Disney's Sing It: Family Hits for Wii and Playstation!

Disney Sing It: Family Hits features songs and videos for the whole family from popular films like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, The Princess and the Frog, Cars and more. Sing a solo, or compete in teams while viewing full-screen videos directly from the movie! Altogether, there are 30 songs and videos. You can play with up to eight players. You can even play back your performance -- or that horrible rendition of your brother's, if you want to torment him!

Princess Tiana herself (Anika Noni Rose) offers vocal tips as a bonus feature!

Disney Sing It: Family Hits is rated E for everyone and retails for $49.99 (with microphone) or $39.99 (without).

Back-to-school snack tips and recipes, plus a giveaway!

It almost seems summer started only last week, and yet you read and hear "It's back to school," everywhere. In my case, my son starts preschool again in a little more than two weeks, so I need to think about starting school again -- and start preparing! My friends are already buying school supplies and shopping for school uniforms, and one has even asked about ideas for the lunchbox.

Whether in the lunchbox, part of a school snack time or after school, meals and snacks are a big part of going back to school to keep kids fueled through their day. Frito-Lay has some tips on how to prepare healthier snacks and pack a nutritional punch with your kids -- and they want to give away reusable food containers and an eco-friendly lunch bag (like the one below) along with some tasty SunChips and Tostitos!

Tip #1: Sneak In The Whole Grains

We all know whole grains are important, but how do you get kids to eat them when they’re used to white breads and pastas? It’s easy: Add it to their snacks! Frito-Lay has two great options your kids are bound to enjoy.

- SunChips multigrain snacks pack a whole grain punch with 18 grams of whole grains per serving. Portion out a serving into a reusable container for your kids’ lunch boxes or throw in a one-ounce bag for easy on-the-go snacking!

- Tostitos Scoops! tortilla chips are another great option. Made with just three simple ingredients -– corn, vegetable oil and salt -– they pack 8 grams of whole grains into each serving. Another great surprise about Tostitos Scoops!: A one-ounce serving contains less sodium than a slice of white bread!

Tip #2: Jazz Up Your Fruit

Fruit is always a go-to snack, but it’s not always the first choice for kids. Jazz up your fruit by making fun shapes!

- Cut apples into French-fry-style strips.

- Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes out of cantaloupe.

- Take a peach and scoop out little balls your kids can pop in their mouths.

- Peel some grapes and call them “slimy eyes” to add some appeal.

Tip #3: Dip It!

Oh, yeah! Boost the nutrition of snacks by pairing some of your kids’ favorite munchies with nutrient-packed dips.

- Make fruit even more appealing by pairing it with flavored non-fat Greek yogurt. Not only will your kids love dipping the fun shape of fruit, they’ll be getting calcium and protein in the snack as well.

- For chips, take the nutrient factor up a notch with healthier dipping choices such as Sabra hummus or fresh salsa. Just check out these recipes from registered dietitian and mom Deanna Segrave-Daly:

Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
½ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste

Instructions
Mix corn, chopped peppers and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Baked Bean Dip

Ingredients
1 slice bacon (how about even turkey bacon?)
1 (15-ounce) can baked beans
1 tablespoon grape jelly

Instructions
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside. Drain bacon grease, but do not wipe out pan. Add can of baked beans (including sauce). Bring to a boil. Stir in grape jelly and reduce heat. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half (about 5 minutes.) Mash beans with a fork or potato masher and allow liquid to be absorbed.

If you'd like a chance to win a reusable lunch bag and food containers from Frito-Lay, leave a comment to mention your favorite Frito-Lay product or your tips/ideas for school snacks and lunches. I'll randomly choose a winner Aug. 19.

Glog about your garden at Your Garden Show

There's blogging and vlogging and flogging -- whoops, OK, not flogging! -- and now glogging. Yes, I created a glog, at Your Garden Show.

You may have seen my yard, which I profiled and overdosed on photos in a post about 7 things you need in your yard to encourage kids to play outside. Since then, I recently found out about Your Garden Show, which helps you not only show off your garden with a glog but record updates to your garden (like new plantings) and get inspiration from other gardeners.

Lots of moms are using Your Garden Show for guidance, as an educational tool with the kids, as well as finding solutions and entertainment, dreaming about gardens, tagging plants and gardens you and your family like, choosing your favorite gardens, or even creating your own Garden Show (glog) -- even if it’s just a tomato seedling in your window. I can see this would be a great tool for elementary-school-aged kids on up.

I think Your Garden Show is also a great resource because there are more than 11,000 plants in the database, developed with Cornell University.

If you have a garden or want to grow one, definitely check it out! You might even start a glog.

Toy Story 3 mania!

Toy Story 3 comes out on Friday, and I have more than a few friends who can't wait to see it and are lining up playdates -- and the kids can come too.

Some of my favorite Toy Story 3 things so far are a free Toy Story 3 iPhone app and the chance to win a Toy Story 3 room makeover. On a recent trip to our nearby Disney Store, my preschooler spotted the Lego Toy Story 3 Great Train Chase set and wanted to take it home immediately. (However, we are practicing delayed gratification in our household. Yeah, that's a good thing to call it....)

There is also a fun Toy Story 3 video game that came out today that lets you play with Andy's toys your way. I love games that let kids use their imagination. The game is available for Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Play Station 3, Nintendo DS or computer (PC or Mac) and costs $30-$50, depending on the format. I have a game to give to a top commenter at Tropic of Mom, courtesy of Disney Interactive Studios!

A PitiCure gives your underarms the spa treatment with Dove Ultimate

This weekend, I was mistaken for a Dove model.



And I didn't even have to strip down to my skivvies.



Yes, that's me, bad hair and all, at Kaffee's Garden Spa in West Palm Beach, courtesy of Dove. (Does anyone else think that when you are relaxed, then your hair tends to relax as well? Anyone?) Not only did Dove treat me and my peeps to pedicures, but we got fabulous PitiCures as well -- Pit as in armpit. Underarms don't get near enough attention, but they are part of our skin, after all, so they should.

Dove has developed the PitiCure to help women take care of the skin under their arms -- and you don't even have to go to a spa for it. You can give yourself the PitiCure spa treatment at home -- check out the video below!

So apparently, shaving reduces the top layer of skin by 20% and leads to irritation and dryness? (This is the part where I handily don't detail the time in high school when I shaved before a dance and had ugly red spots under my arms that were visible when I boogeyed in my sleeveless dress.) Also, as a result of shaving, underarm skin loses 50% more water, which can cause dryness and inflammation. (See above high school dance reference.)

Dove Deodorant partnered with Beverly Hills dermatologist Dr. Debra Luftman (co-author of The Beauty Prescription) when to it comes to the science of taking care of underarm skin. First, identify your underarm skin type with this quiz to find out which Dove Ultimate Beauty Care Antiperspirant/Deodorant fits you. (I'm a sensitive gal -- no surprise.)

Then, check out this video to see how to do an at-home PitiCure.



I love it!

Dove Ultimate Beauty Care antiperspirant/deodorant has three different kinds of moisturizers for the special challenges of underarm skin:

1. a humectant (works like a magnet to hold in moisture under the skin’s surface, keeping delicate underarm skin conditioned)
   
   
2. an occlusive layer (forms a layer on the surface of the skin to prevent moisture loss, which can cause dryness)
   
   
3. and a nourishing moisturizer (contains natural sunflower oil, which is known for boosting the skin's natural moisture barrier to soothe shaving irritation and help deliver soft, smooth underarm skin)

I got to try the Dove Ultimate Sheer Silk and thought it felt nice on my skin, smelled light and fresh -- and it kept odor away. For a product that costs around four or five dollars, it delivers a lot.

My friends and I were so impressed with our PitiCures. Let me tell you, we floated out of Kaffee's spa. The ladies at Kaffee's treated us so nicely that we thought we were queens for a day (or at least a couple hours). Especially after one of the Kaffee's ladies asked if we were Dove models.


Kaffee's Garden Spa

My friends and I were pretty much speechless.

But I think my gal pals are so beautiful that they really could be models:


Yanet of 3 Sun Kissed Boys totally blissed out







Don't you think so?

Dove provided me and six friends with PitiCures and pedicures at Kaffee's Garden Spa and also Dove Ultimate Beauty Care Antiperspirant/Deodorant.

iPod apps my kids love

Some awesome friends gave me an iPod Touch a year and a half ago for helping to take care of their son, and since then my love affair with my iPod has been going strong. I love to check my e-mail and use Twitter and Facebook in the palm of my hand. Once I found out there were iPhone apps for kids, well, I definitely fell even harder for my iPod Touch.

I've downloaded several apps for my preschooler (my baby is intrigued, but more interested in chewing on my iPod) -- some free, some fee -- but these are the ones he enjoys the most:

Itsy Bitsy Spider. This app tells the story of the spider in the famous nursery ryhme/song, but with a twist here and there -- and kids have to touch elements on the screen (like the spider) to advance the story. Cute and fun.

Preschool Music. There are four games here, with birds, sheep, sea creatures and other animals to entertain little ones with rhythm and tunes.

Preschool Adventure. This app is made by the same company as Preschool Music, so the graphics are in the same style. There are six games here for kids to teach colors, numbers, shapes, matching and farm animal sounds, and a game where kids put a monkey's body parts in the right places.

Cat Piano Jr. I admit, this was the first app I downloaded -- for myself! It's only a piano keyboard, but in addition to hearing a piano, you can choose a variety of kitty voices to "sing" the notes. The results can be hysterical.

I love my iPod Touch, but there's room in my heart for the new iPad. It would be great to win one, and I’m participating in a contest at Best Kids Apps, a blog about iPhone apps for kids, for a chance to win an iPad. Which would totally make me an uber cool mom! Or at least feel like one...