Tag: review

Learn, Create and Share with Leapfrog

I recently had the privelege of being selected as one of a few mom bloggers to host an in-home Learn, Create and Share party with Leapfrog. Ever since my firstborn was a baby we have had a house full of Leapfrog educational toys. Some of my favorites of the past were the Phonics Bus and the Farm Animal Fridge Magnets, awesome for toddlers. Since I enjoyed even the baby toys so much, we continued to seek out Leapfrog toys as the kids grew. A couple years ago we got Nathan a Leapster handheld game and last year we ended up buying a Leapster2 handheld for Alex since they both loved them so much and we had so many of the games. We also got the Tag Reader and Tag Junior Reader systems with several books for each of the kids.

The party I hosted was so much fun and such a good chance for my friends and I to try out the newest LeapFrog products, namely the LeapPad Explorer and the Tag Reader with the Interactive World Map. The LeapPad is AMAZING, let me tell you. Between the gaggle of kids at the party there was a constant desire to get their turn playing with it. The most fun thing they discovered was the ability to make their own movies with the built in video camera. That thing is the coolest! I also totally loved the World Map with the Tag Reader because I’m a serious geography buff.

LeapFrog provided me with recipes for various fun froggy foods, like these adorable cupcakes.

They also sent me some cool educational activity pages for the kids to do when they weren’t playing with the products. 
I have a million more great photos. But here is my video contest entry that kind of tells the story too! 
Note: I keep trying to post the video but my PC is flipping out on me. I’ll try adding it here tomorrow! 
So I do want to say that I highly recommend the LeapPad as a great gift this holiday season. 
Disclosure: I was provided with a whole bunch of cool products by LeapFrog to facilitate this party and review, but all opinions and content are mine. 

Mat Kearney’s Young Love…Album of the Year? {Review}


I promise you I am not exaggerating when I predict a Grammy in Mat Kearney’s near future. This new album, Young Love, now available for only $4.99 on Amazon, is nothing short of fantastic. I think it has mass appeal to a wide audience. Fans of pop, alternative, rock, country, R&B and even gospel will all find music to love on this album.

Mat Kearney is a storyteller and a poet of the most gifted variety. The lyrics of Young Love paint vivid images of characters totally relateable to nearly everyone. Who hasn’t experienced the crazy passion, struggles, earnest dreams and naivety of youth?

But unlike many other brilliant lyricists, Mat also has a gorgeous voice and serious rhythm. The album is well produced, for sure, but unlike many pop albums it is far from shallow.

To this critical music lover, this is gourmet music disguised as mainstream pop.

The success of the first single, Hey Mama, is well deserved. It’s highly singable and fun and just makes you want to dance. But where the album starts with such a fun pop track, it dives equally into deep hard ballads like Rochester and Seventeen. They are as raw an challenging as they are hopeful.

Every track on this album is one I can listen to over and over. That’s a great LP. So I hope my ringing endorsement is crystal clear.

Now check out this great video for Hey Mama. I DARE you not to smile, tap your toe, sing along or even get up and dance around your office/kitchen/living room.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Young Love for review curtosy of One2One Network, but all opinions and words are mine, ALL mine. Some links are affiliates, which means if you click through it to buy this amazing album I get a few pennies. But trust me, it’s worth every cent. I’d buy it again if I lost it.