Baby Signs Pop Up Book & $50 Babies 'R Us Gift Card {Review & Giveaway}

It is no secret that I love reading to my children and am a bit of a book hog. Both of my boys also love reading books to themselves. I enjoy the quality time spent cuddling up with them and reading a book. But did you know I love signing with them as well? We've been huge fans of the show Signing Time and both my boys can sign. Lucian (my almost three year old) can sign a couple dozen words and recognizes so many more. Warren (my 16 month old) knows about a dozen signs like all done, milk, cracker, bird, sleep, sad, baby, go, stop. It helps reinforce what I am trying to communicate when I also sign it at the same time. They seem to appreciate another way to tell me what they are thinking or what they want. It is so exciting the first time your child signs. It opens up a whole new world of language with your child!

Naturally when I was asked to review the new book, Baby Signs I jumped at the opportunity to combine two of my favorite things, signing and books. Amazingly we didn't have a book that incorporated signs yet and I love another outlet besides videos in which to learn new signs.
This book is probably the most complex and spectacular book I've ever seen. The intricate pop ups are stunning. The detail is AMAZING!!! What more can I say? Just look at these photos to give you an idea of what I mean.
Lucian loved being able to make the action of the sign with the pull tabs and Warren loved the pop ups. The only downside I can see with this book is its fragility. My youngest loves pulling books off our bookshelf and reading them by himself. This can not be one of those books. I currently have it hidden to avoid it getting unintentionally damaged. I also have to pay attention when I'm reading it that my son doesn't try to rip the poor boy's head off. That being said, I think this book is totally worth it!

Synopsis: BABY SIGNS is based on American Sign Language and will help encourage the use of non-verbal gestures to communicate. Research has proven that babies who are taught to use signs to express their basic ideas before they can say words are happier because they can communicate with others.

Giveaway ~
Grand Prize~ Baby Signs Pop-Up Book & $50 Babies ‘R Us Gift Card!
Four (4) First Prizes~ Baby Signs Pop-Up Book (ARV $25.99)

Win it: Tell me what you love about signing or why you'd like to teach your baby to sign.

Want more entries? (Seriously? Do I even need to ask that question?) After answering my question above do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway
-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my current button to your blog
-Add my Let's Hear It for the Boys event button to your blog
-Blog about this contest and link back here (3 entries)

This contest will end on 7/23/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.

Dr. Hippo Series {Giveaway} Event - The Little Elephant with the Big Earache

The Little Elephant with the Big Earache by Charlotte Cowan, M.D. is the fifth and final book featured in my Dr. Hippos Series Giveaway Event. You can learn more about the The Hippocratic Press and the book, Katie Caught a Cold in my first review, The Moose with Loose Poops in my second review, Peeper Has a Fever in my third review and Sadie's Sore Throat in my fourth review.

Synopsis: The Little Elephant with the Big Earache tells the story of Eddie, who awakens with a terrible earache after a busy afternoon making mud pies with his cousins. His mother takes care of him during the night and Dr. Hippo reassures them both during the day. Will Eddie recover in time for his birthday?

This is one of my top picks from the Dr. Hippos Series. I'm not sure exactly why, I just really like the story. The ironic part is that my children have been fortunate enough to have never had an ear infection. Lucian asks for this one more than the others , with Peeper Has a Fever being his second most requested. He wants the "elephant book with the stars". He likes the part where Dr. Hippos examines Eddie (the little elephant) and Lucian talks about his experiences at his last doctor's appointment. I think having a book that shows how going to the doctor isn't scary helps him to stay excited about going to visit his own doctor. And as always, I really appreciate the parent's guide in the back. If I ever do suspect that one of my boys may have an ear infection I'll know what to do and what to expect!

The Little Elephant with the Big Earache (Dr. Hippo) can be purchased on Amazon (where it also gets fantastic reviews) for only $14.00 and it qualifies for super saver shipping!

The Hippocratic Press would like to give one of my readers a personalized hardcover copy of The Little Elephant with the Big Earache!

Win it: Visit the Hippocratic Press website and tell me why you'd like to win this book and who it would be for!

Want more entries? (I know you do!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

- Sign up to receive Dr. Hippos Top Ten Tips to Keep Kids Healthy
-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway
-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my current button to your blog
-Add my Let's Hear It for the Boys event button to your blog (2 entries)
-Blog about this contest and link back here (3 entries)
-Buy a book from The Hippocratic Press & come back tell me what you bought! (5 entries)

This contest will end on 7/2/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.

Dr. Hippo's Series {Giveaway Event} - Sadie's Sore Throat

Sadie's Sore Throat is the forth book featured in my Dr. Hippos Series Giveaway Event. You can learn more about the The Hippocratic Press and the book, Katie Caught a Cold in my first review, The Moose with Loose Poops in my second review, and Peeper Has a Fever in my third review.

Lucian enjoyed this book as well as all the others. I like how he has made the connection that they are all similar and immediately starts looking for Dr. Hippo when I start reading him the book. I liked that in this book they visit the Dr. Hippo so that Lucian was able to talk about his experiences at the doctor's office, including deep breathing while the doctor listens with the stethoscope. Lucian starting deep breathing right along with the main character Sadie and asked if we could go to the doctor too! I also thought it was cute how the author and illustrator tied in previous books in the Dr. Hippo Series into Sadie's Sore Throat.

The parent's guide found in the back of the book is once again, my very favorite part as a mom. It explains when to go into the doctor, when to be concerned and visit a doctor right away (not drinking, having a hard time breathing), how to keep your child comfortable, when they can go back to school/daycare and so much more! It will be awesome to have this at my fingertips the next time one of my boys develops a sore throat.

Synopsis: One day while she is beading necklaces for the School Art Fair, Sadie begins to feel sick. Her mother worries about Sadie’s sore throat and takes excellent care of her at home before they go off to their pediatrician, a friendly hippopotamus named Dr. Hippocrates. Is Sadie too sick to go to the Fair? Will her necklaces win a prize?

This book can be purchased on Amazon (where it also gets fantastic reviews) for only $14.00 and it qualifies for super saver shipping!

The Hippocratic Press would like to give one of my readers a personalized hardcover copy of Sadie's Sore Throat!

Win it: Visit the Hippocratic Press website and tell me which book would be most helpful for your household.

Want more entries? (I know you do!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

- Sign up to receive Dr. Hippos Top Ten Tips to Keep Kids Healthy
-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway
-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my current button to your blog
-Add my Let's Hear It for the Boys event button to your blog (2 entries)
-Blog about this contest and link back here (3 entries)
-Buy a book from The Hippocratic Press & come back tell me what you bought! (5 entries)

This contest will end on 6/12/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.

I will be featuring one book a week from the Dr. Hippos Series so come back next week for a chance to win another one of these fantastic books! Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Peeper Has a Fever which ends 6/5.

Dr. Hippo Series {Giveaway} Event - Peeper Has A Fever

Peeper Has a Fever is the third book featured in the Dr. Hippos Series Giveaway Event. You can learn more about the The Hippocratic Press and the first book, Katie Caught a Cold in my first review and The Moose with Loose Poops in my second review.

Lucian really enjoyed Peeper Has a Fever! He could easily follow the storyline and enjoyed pointing out all the things he recognized in the book. If you were listening in as we read it last night you would have heard "Oh! Oh, a termomenter!" and "I want some some, I want some." (in response to a popsicle) and his excitement of recognizing the recurring character in the series, "Look, look, it's Dr. Hippo! It's Dr. Hippo!" My favorite part was the author choosing to have Dad stay home from the picnic to take care of the son. It is nice to see a break from stereotypical roles, especially since in our household my son is just as likely to have his dad stay home when he is sick as he is his mom. Once again I applaud the author for including the Guide for Parents at the back of the book with all sorts of useful information about fevers such as when to call the doctor and how to keep them comfortable at home.

Synopsis: The day of the Diving Contest has arrived! Peeper hops out of bed with excitement and joins his mother for breakfast. When he doesn’t touch his pancakes, she wonders whether he might be getting sick and soon discovers his fever of 104°. Worried, she calls their pediatrician, Dr. Hippocrates, who gives her excellent advice and asks her to keep in touch by phone. His parents then take wonderful care of Peeper, but what about the Diving Contest? Is he well enough to go? Will he win this year?

This book can be purchased on Amazon (where it also gets glowing reviews) for only $13.46 and it qualifies for super saver shipping!

The Hippocratic Press would like to give one of my readers a personalized hardcover copy of Peeper Has a Fever!

Win it: Visit the Hippocratic Press website and tell me something you learned!

Want more entries? (I know you do!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

-Sign up to receive Dr. Hippos Top Ten Tips to Keep Kids Healthy
-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway
-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my current button to your blog

-Add my Let's Hear It for the Boys event button to your blog (2 entries)
-Blog about this contest and link back here (3 entries)
-Buy a book from The Hippocratic Press & come back tell me what you bought! (5 entries)

This contest will end on 6/5/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.

I will be featuring one book a week from the Dr. Hippos Series so come back next week for a chance to win another one of these fantastic books! Don't forget to enter my giveaway for The Moose with Loose Poops which ends 5/29.

Dr Hippo Series {Giveaway} Event - The Moose with Loose Poops

The Moose with Loose Poops is the second book in the Dr. Hippos Series Giveaway Event. You can learn more about the The Hippocratic Press and the first book, Katie Caught a Cold in my first review.

My 2 1/2 year old, Lucian, is a little young yet to get a case of the giggles when he hears, The Moose with Loose Poops like an older child might. It is just fun to say because of the sound of the words together. Lucian simply soaked up the story of Miles who gets sick first by throwing up and then diarrhea. He was very open to talk about what was happening. "Look, a hot dog, a hot dog!" (What Miles literally throws up.) I like that he can learn in a comfortable way what it means to get sick and what will happen to him when he does By talking about it now it might not be a scary when it happens. I love the parent's guide that is included as well!

Synopsis: Four-year-old Miles develops a tummy ache while on a family picnic in Maine. His planned camping trip with Papa (complete with canoeing and fishing) is postponed when throwing up (oops!) and diarrhea (loose poops) develop. Mama, Papa and Lucy Moose take excellent care of Miles at home. Of course, they are helped by their kindly pediatrician, Dr. Hippo, who advises that fluid is the best medicine for Miles. Will Miles recover in time to go camping with Papa under a special, star-filled sky?

This book can be purchased on Amazon (where it also gets glowing reviews) for only $12.91 and it qualifies for super saver shipping!

The Hippocratic Press would like to give one of my readers a personalized hardcover copy of The Moose with Loose Poops!

Win it: Tell me why you'd like to win the Moose with Loose Poops. Who would it be for?

Want more entries? (I know you do!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.

-Sign up to receive Dr. Hippos Top Ten Tips to Keep Kids Healthy
-Follow my blog publicly
-Subscribe to my feed in a reader or by email
-Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway -
-Fave me on Technorati
-Add my current button to your blog
-Blog about this contest and link back here (3 entries)
-Buy a book from & come back tell me what you bought! (5 entries)

This contest will end on 5/29/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org and contacted the next day. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you if it is not available in your profile. The winner will have 72 hours to respond before I draw another winner.

I will be featuring one book a week from the Dr. Hippos Series so come back next week for a chance to win another one of these fantastic books! Don't forget to enter my giveaway for Katie Has A Cold which ends 5/22.

WomenHeart's ALL HEART Family Cookbook Giveaway

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. Sara Lee Fresh Bakery knows the first step to a healthy heart is maintaining a healthy weight and getting the nutrition women need in order to live a strong life and care for their families.

Sara Lee is partnering with The Heart Truth Campaign to raise awareness of heart disease among women andencourage them to make heart healthy food choices every day. One of the best things a mom can do for her familyis to take care of herself!

To support the campaign, Sara Lee Fresh Bakery is offering heart healthy sandwich recipes in the WomenHeart’s ALL HEART Family Cookbook and will contribute one dollar for every cookbook ordered up to $35,000 to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

Two readers will win a copy of the WomenHeart’s ALL HEART Family Cookbook

Win it:
Fill out this contest form and make any comment on this post! (You must click on the contest form link and fill out your name and email address to be entered!)

This contest will end on 4/15/09. U.S residents only.