Car seats are a crucial item for any parent that must travel in a car. There’s a myriad of car seat options on the market but Britax has been the pinnacle of comfort and safety in child car seats for years now, making their products top choice for many. When we were contacted by Britax to try out their newest car seat the Britax Boulevard CS we jumped at the opportunity to try out their latest innovation.

First of all the Britax Boulevard is very well constructed. I love the way you can literally see the interior padding wrap around your child for an absolute snug and comfy fit. ETot might have found the seat a little too comfortable considering that he fell asleep immediately the first two times we placed him in it. The seat is made to be adjustable without forcing you to completely uninstall the seat to change it’s fit. The headrest is easily maneuvered up and down just with the click of a knob- but the knob is placed far enough back so that while parents can easily reach it busy little toddler hands can not.

The tangle free harness is made for the utmost of safety while making it easier to get your child in and out of the car. For those with little Hodinis that like to unlatch their own harness, most likely your child is going to have a difficult time getting out of the 5 point latch system. The harness height is also easily changed with the same knob used to adjust the headrest, and a good fit of the harness is crucial for the emergency performance of carseats of any type. The side impact protection built into this carseat is an innovation that every parent can appreciate- elevating the protection of your child in the event of a side collision accident.

While the style and comfort of the Britax Boulevard were highly appreciated- what’s most important is having a seat that can withstand even the most difficult safety issues. For style and safety the Britax Boulevard CS is a definite winner taking your child from infancy all the way through childhood (up to 65 pounds) with ease and reliability.

V-Tech games on the V-Smile system were the very first video games my sons were ever exposed to. Both EBoy and ETot have been thrilled to learn a variety of math, reading, and learning skills all while playing and having a great time. V-Motion has taken the fun and mind building to a whole new level.

Instead of typical sit and move a joystick play, the V-Motion has finally added physical movement to the mental strength building their products have provided for years. The system comes with the Action-Mania smartridge which is packed full of learning adventures. The wireless joystick has multiple modes so that if your child is not quite ready to incorporate motion you can let them get adjusted to working in the standard joystick mode. Both of my boys enjoyed the moving portion of the game.

My favorite part of this system is that it is truly a multi sensory academic experience. Not all children learn by simply sitting and reading things. This systems requires using their fine motor skills to move the joystick while navigating motion with gross motor skills, impacting different areas of the brain at once. In any classroom with young children you are apt to find a child who learns better while moving around or tapping a foot. Motion can truly reinforce learning for some children, helping them focus more than most could ever conceptualize. This system utilizes this important concept in a unique way.

The game system is also expandable in that as your child completes different tasks you can take the included USB V-Link and connect online for bonus game packs and updates. The V-Link will also track your child’s progress online, so you can find ways to encourage and strengthen their academic performance. My boys were also very excited to learn that the V-Motion is backwards compatible and works with all of the smartridges from their old V-Smile system. The motion capability only works with the newest smartridges of course, but it is nice to know that the investment in their previous games is not wasted and can now be enjoyed wirelessly.

V-Tech has hit yet another home run. The action packed learning adventures of the V-Motion will keep your 3-7 year old excited about expanding their minds. Gaming, movement, and mind enrichment have never been quite so entertaining- V-Motion is an excellent idea for a gift which will be healthy for their bodies and their minds.

Review courtesy of the Parent Bloggers Network.

Both of my children have unique tastes when it comes to food. My oldest would take a huge salad over a hamburger anyday, the youngest eats fresh fruit like its candy (we have to literally do a limited fruit bowl each day or he’d eat through every piece of fruit in our house), and for most of their little lives neither had any interest whatsoever in drinking milk of any kind. Since my oldest has never cared for cheese or much else dairy yogurt has been our one dependable source of dairy in their diets.

Yoplait kids provides healthy kid friendly yogurts with a great variety of flavors. Their products use real sugar instead of the horrible high fructose corn syrup which we try to avoid in our diet as much as possible. I also love the use of natural coloring ingredients like turmeric and beet juice instead of the questionable high octane colors used in other products.

The Yoplait Kids website is currently offering a great coupon for $1.50 off their products. Check my main website for a giveaway from Yoplait Kids. Review and giveaway courtesy of the Parent Bloggers network.

Ready for the Day from Freespirit Books

Most parents of small children can agree that the ages of 2 and 3 years old can be a bit trying at times. Part of your child’s development is forming their own opinions and their own voice in all facets of their lives.  There are many schools of parenting education and disciplining techniques and Freespirit books offers some wonderful options to helping your child adjust as they evolve emotionally and mentally.

Ready for Bed and Ready for the Day are two books which follow the conversation between a young child and one of their parents as they go through their daily routine. Each book provides specific examples of how the parents validate feelings, offer choices, and provide encouraging words to assist their child in getting focused and ready to accomplish their daily tasks.

The appendix of the book then gives detailed explanation of these tenants of positive disciplining and ways of integrating them into your daily life as well as how important they are to your child’s development. Each book is beautifully illustrated and held the attention of my 3 year old quite nicely. These books would be very helpful for new parents as well as those in throws of two year old development.

I’ll never forget when I finally figured out the importance of offering choices. My then 2 year old oldest son didn’t believe in naps at all but being pregnant with my youngest at the time made them a much required necessity. I finally asked him one day “Would you like to take your nap in mommy and daddy’s room? Or in your own room?” He carefully thought it over and chose mommy and daddy’s room. My non-napping son calmly went to lay down and took his first willing 2 hour nap that I’d ever experienced. I then praised him for his great choices and was able to rest at a time when my body needed to more than ever.

Language is so important in interacting with your children and Ready for the Day and Ready for the Bed provide guidance on exact discussion for encouraging your child’s emotional health and intelligence. At the same time the tips, which are all very straightforward and well explained, will expand your parenting skills to hopefully reduce the tantrums and meltdowns which can frustrate even the calmest moments of life. If you would like a cultural diverse parenting tool to positively impact your child’s learning and your own parenting skills definitely give these books a try.

Thanks to the Parent Bloggers Network for the opportunity to review these very helpful books.