Natural as Possible Mom

Pros: They keep shoulder pain to a minimum; made of hypoallergenic silicon;they don’t slip. Cons: Expensive; could show through very sheer or thin fabric. I wear a completely weird bra size — 32DD. Small around the ribcage, not-so-small elsewhere. It is very, very difficult for me to buy a bra. I used to wear a [...]

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Pros: Simple, flavorful pasta and sauces; reasonable price; little to no cleanup; no preservatives; short ingredient list Cons: Not organic; plastics — even polypropylene (notated as recycle symbol 5) — can leach chemicals into food. Cost: $3.29 per package I got an email from Barilla’s PR woman asking if I’d like to learn more about [...]

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Pros: Delicious comes to mind! High in fiber and iron; provides 44% of the recommended daily intake of ALA Omega 3. Cons: High in calories (like most granola); has 8 grams of sugar — the top of the range that the Environmental Working Group considers to be healthy. Whenever I go to Red Mango I [...]

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Tripledge Green Wiper Blades; Price: $7.99 to $12.99. Pros: Long-lasting (I’ve had mine for more than a year); inexpensive; completely recyclable. Cons: You need to mail them back in your own packaging if you want to recycle them. (Making me wonder how many are actually being recycled.) I don’t really think about wiper blades all [...]

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How do you review a child’s book? It’s not like you can critique its dialog or plotline. No, for me the best measure of a children’s book is how hard and how long my little one laughs. Sandra Boynton knows how to make kids laugh. Her latest book, Tickle Time!, is a perfect example. Little [...]

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Pros: Gluten-free. Contains a variety of grains including flax, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. Contains omega-3s and has three grams of fiber. Tastes really yummy. Cons: Contains seven grams of sugar, which is on the high side for something marketed as a “healthier” cereal. My Big Girl is in an anti-cereal phase. She won’t eat her [...]

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Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper, $22.39 at Amazon.com Pros: Easy to use and clean. Stores easily. Makes delicious popcorn. Comes with a 25-year warranty on all mechanical parts. Manufactured (mostly) and assembled in the U.S.A. (Lid assembly pieces are made in China; Pot is manufactured here in the States as per Wabash Valley Farms customer service.) [...]

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Sodastream Soda Maker machines and kids range in cost from $79 to $249. SodaMix flavors cost $4.99, $6.99, or $9.99 depending on the variety and size. Carbonators start at $29.99 and go up to $99.99. Pros: Eliminates the need to purchase plastic bottles and cans of soda; Healthy options such as sugar-sweetened soda syrup, seltzer, [...]

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I was on Twitter last night checking in when I noticed an interesting hashtag: #WhoNu. For those who are uninformed: WhoNu cookies are being billed as “nutrition rich cookies.” They have, according to the manufacturer: as much Vitamin C as cup of blueberries as much iron as a cup of spinach as much calcium and [...]

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NOTE: Tour dates and venue prices vary. Pros: Entertaining show that captivated my 2-year-old and my 7-year-old — and made Mom and Dad smile, too; catchy, fun songs; running time was long enough to make an afternoon of it, but short enough where the kids didn’t lose interest. Cons: Seats toward the back made it [...]

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