I was ecstatic when I was asked to review some shoes for Ryka. Tennis shoes and I have had a difficult run of things here lately. I had been searching for the perfect workout shoe for some time now without any success. My favorite qualities? A wide shoe (wide feet here that easily get pinched in narrow tennis shoes), lightweight (practically weightless if possible), and of course a nice appearance. The Ryka fit the bill on each and every personal requirement.

I’m an avid spinner- so I spend at least 3 to 4 days a week in the gym in cycle class. The MC2 was light and comfortable enough to easily allow me to continue in my current workout passion. I also found the shoes very supportive for walking and other daily activities. And the above picture really doesn’t do justice to the color of the shoes, white with a highlight of vibrant green and silver accents.

One of the nicest things about Ryka is their innovative customer service. They aren’t just concerned with having you purchase their product, they also focus on helping you to find the very best shoe to fit your personal athletic needs. These shoes were designed specifically for a woman’s foot with our fitness concerns in mind.

If you’d like to own your own pair of Ryka’s be sure to enter their shoe giveaway they are giving away 50 pairs of a shoes a day continuing until October 25.

I most definitely recommend Ryka’s shoes for a fit body and healthy soles!

For more Ryka reviews visit the Parent Bloggers Network Ryka Shoes Here’s What they are Saying

As an infant we instantly noticed the soothing effect classical music had on EBoy. We would watch or listen to his Baby Einstein DVDs and even played the music during naptime for more restful and peaceful sleep. Disney’s Little Einsteins were a natural progression from the Baby Einstein series. Our family has enjoyed both for some time and Rocket’s Firebird Rescue is certainly a new favorite to add to the list.

Little Einsteins has a diverse cast of characters who go on a wide variety of adventures together. These adventures aren’t simply to expore places though- they include composers, classical music, and art within each story to teach children while experiencing a riveting fun time.

I was very impressed by the inclusion of proper terminology for musical terms and phrasing. As a piano and flute player since childhood I can see the benefit of such early exposure to the full scope of music and art. This episode provides examples of phrases such as loud and soft - along with a myriad of other vocabulary which will enhance your toddler’s language skills. I personally love classical music so I find the background music to the show soothing and light.

ETot refers to the show as ROCKET! And requests to see Rocket again and again. EBoy enjoyed the show as well, even requesting to watch with his brother. We definitely recommend Little Einstein’s for a fun filled educational video for your family.

For samples to see if your little one might be interested in The Phoenix Episode follow these links:

Clip 1: Ballet

Clip 2: Try to Stop Rocket

Clip 3: Instruments

Activites:

http://disney.go.com/littleeinsteins/swf/main.html

School Zone has a wide variety of very creative and fun learning tools for all ages. We’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing several of these products

School Zone Magnetic Tin

The bright and colorful packaging of the School Zone Magnetic Tin instantly peaked EBoy’s interest (I’m not going to lie it peaked mine as well-so interesting and vibrant). The colorful puffy magnets were not only great for learning but provided a sensory experience to assist with doing activities. EBoy did not have much interest in working with the tiny letter magnets yet but I know as the school year progresses we’ll get lots of usage from these as we work on phonics and spelling.

The tin came with a few sheets with different learning activities for your child to work with the magnets, but the topics were so varied I would have liked to have seen more emphasis on each specific subject area. I also would have liked more direction for different activities for these magnets. Plus you definitely have to be careful with these if you have little ones around, the really small alphabet magnets are very easy for a little one to swallow. Overall I would still recommend the magnetic tin because it can definitely grow with your child- from being used at a very basic level like a puzzle (ETot loves matching the magnet animals and seeing them stick) to more advanced skills encouraging reading, spelling, sorting, and counting.

Start to Read Kit Level 1

Audio books are definitely a wonderful tool for learning and the School Zone Start To Read Kit provides the book, activity workbook, and a cd with the audio version of the book along with music to help encourage vocabulary and retention. I Want a Pet was by far EBoy’s favorite book of the 2. He asked daily to listen to the cd while reading the book. Each story is told in an entertaining fashion with bouncy background music which makes it interesting for the child to follow, and clear audio cues let them know when to turn the page of the book. The workbook and activity book were also very easy for him to work with and will be even more utilized as he’s reading more. He was not fond of many of the songs on the cds (his “favorite” song was the book being read) but ETot and I had fun dancing to the rest of the music. You can listen to samples on the interactive School Zone website.

Both of these products are reasonably priced and overall I was very impressed with the quality of the materials. If you are looking for a way to add new interest to learning in your house without emptying your pocketbook definitely give School Zone a try.

For more School Zone products reviews visit the Parent Bloggers Network School Zone Campaign Launch

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With a peppy zippy intro that’s an ode to the Jetson’s you can expect a very warm welcome to the 3d space age of the Zula Patrol. My little scientist EBoy absolutely loved this show. The alien Zula crew demonstrate and clearly explain a multitude of scientific concepts and facts. EBoy loved the rock concert which allowed him to learn all about sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. The storyline seamlessly integrates a fun energetic tale with music and thorough scientific exploration. The show carefully reexamines and questions the key points at the end of the tale, teaching both problem solving and language skills. A mini documentary is also included to showcase real world examples of the concepts presented in the show.

The crisp vibrant graphics in this show not only make for enjoyable viewing but also provide concise memorable illustrations of the material presented. Even children who may not have a deep interest in science will definitely be drawn in by the bubbly characters and well thought out plot lines. Be sure to check out the interactive website for even more opportunities for learning and reenforcement of the information presented on the show.

This series is very intelligently put together and incorporates not just the cartoon but plans for a Planetarium Show which your children can attend at planetariums across the nation, museum exhibits, and a comprehensive reading program. A team of scientists including astronauts, astronomers, rocket scientists, and education specialists have worked hard to create a meaningful experience to make science entertaining and accessible for all children.

If you are looking for a way to make science exciting- it’s fun to learn with the Zula Patrol. Your little science seeker will definitely be captivated by this far out outerspace science trip.

For more Zula Patrol reviews visit the Parent Bloggers Network Zula Campaign Launch

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There are many things to learn especially when you are young. Learning things like how do draw or other things like learning to play poker is good for learning online.