Blog Awesomeness Is A Click Away {Review}

Do-It-Yourself Blog Critique 
A 43-point Guide To Take Your Blog To Awesomeness
By Melissa Culbertson

Have you ever taken a look at your blog and wondered what other people see?

Have you been bold enough to ask others what they think only to hear back that it's great and lovely and everything is coming up roses?

It's hard to grow that way, isn't it?

I thought so, which is why in late July just before BlogHer '11 I had Melissa give my blog a good look over and provide me with feedback on the good, the mediocre and the please-fix-it-now parts of my blog.

You can read her critique of Have Stroller Will Travel over at MomComm.

I learned a lot from that critique, but in a single blog post there is only so much that she could address. That said I couldn't wait to get my hand on her new eBook. When she first mentioned that she was working on it, I just knew it would be great. (and it is!)

But, WOW she really outdid herself in the 43-point, 58 page eBook on how to bring your blog from the D-List to A-List. Or from the A-List to the A+++List.

So let's get to it shall we?

The part of this book that I think you'll like the best is the laid-back, easy-going style. There isn't any brow-beating or my-way-or-the-highway here and as Melissa clearly states this isn't 43 days to blog awesomeness, it's 43-points. You can take this book as fast or slow as you like. Personally I think it's structured very similarly to the Dummies series of books that I so love. You can start at the beginning and work your way through one point at a time or jump around addressing the areas that you feel your blog could use the most TLC in first.

The book is broken down into FOUR large categories: Prepwork, Design, Navigation & Functionality and Content. Each of these large areas is then broken down into smaller more manageable chunks. For me the CONTENT area was the most useful. This section addressed things like the appropriate kinds of material for an "About Me" and "Contact Page". It laid out solid advice for creating content that flows and keeps your readership engaged and involved. Rest assured, that although this was my favorite area I found nuggets of wisdom in each and every sub-topic.

I'd recommend reading this book in three stages, once from beginning to end with the handy-dandy checklist that Melissa provides. I'd grab a couple of highlighters and make brief marks about those areas that I want to address now, those I need to address later, and things that can wait while you make jelly sandwiches and operate your mom-caravan. Paying special attention to bookmark those links of the 105 that she provides to external resources that really speak to you. These links are present throughout the book and in the puffy clouds at the bottom of each page as well as in the appendix at the back of the book.

As someone who is thinking about starting a new blog, rebranding, whatever you want to call it I also thought this book provided me with a great framework for analyzing and critiquing other blogs to figure out what exactly it is that I want to do next. Since I am not a designer and know there are other folks out there who will be using a designer as well--I think using this book allows you to speak with a designer in a knowledgeable way about what you do and do not want incorporated into your design. 

I also love that Melissa never talks down to the reader in this book. In each step she provides quick tips and tools to go deeper into each of the four areas.

This eBook is an incredible resource for any blogger no matter their niche. I think it would absolutely "up the awesomeness" of a wide variety of blogs from photography to parenting, tech to frugal living and beyond.

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary copy of this eBook to review. However, all opinions are completely my own. *Links above are affiliate links.*

Review (Animal Towers/Mastermind)

My son can. not. get. enough!! of Animal Towers Mastermind. The game is for ages 6+, but we play some version of it no less than 3 times a day. He call it "the monkey game!" and asks for it relentlessly. I can't wait to play it with him for many years to come, adding more of the rules as he gets older.

To play the game, each player has a tower that they can slide 4-6 tiles with animals into. Then each player gets a stack of cardboard tiles that show their opponents animals and through questions each player tries to guess the order of their opponents animal tiles. Questions like "Is your monkey above the giraffe?"or  "Is your giraffe under the hippo?" help you to decode your opponents tower. It's a great game and one I haven't tired of yet.

For the older set is Mastermind, a more advanced game of strategy and skill for ages 8 and up. And, one that my husband fondly remembers from his youth. I though hadn't played the game before I saw it presented at the Pressman Toy booth at BlogHer'10 but it's a load of fun. Each player takes turns being both the codemaker and the codebreaker in this game. First, you choose how many rounds you'll play and one person selects to be the codemaker and assembles a series of colored pegs in a particular order and then the codebreaker attempts to crack the code in as few tries as possible. With each attempt the codemaker gives them hints by placing a red peg off to the side of the row if both the color and position of the peg are right, a white peg if it's the correct color but incorrect position, and no peg if the color is incorrect. It's a fun game and packs up compact, so it's perfect for game night or traveling--especially good for us since we are on the go from October to December.

Want to win these games? Enter below.

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To Enter: (Please note bundling comments will only give you one entry to win. Please leave four separate comments to increase your chances of winning.) Please be sure to include your e-mail address in the following format (jane at gmail dot com) with your comments. Winners will be notified by e-mail. I will no longer be posting a separate "Winner" post.

1) What were some of your favorite games as a child?

2) Copy and paste the following in Twitter or Facebook: "It's a full day of Trick-or-Treating on www.havestrollerwilltravel.com. Check it out!" And then, leave a note here letting me know that you have done so.

3) "Like" Have Stroller Will Travel on Facebook and leave a note here letting me know that you have done so. It's easy, you can do it right from this page if you scroll down on the right hand side. Already "like" the page? Just let me know that as well!

4) Suggest 5 or more friends "like" Have Stroller Will Travel on Facebook and then leave a message here letting me know that you have done so.

Winner will be selected at random on November 4, 2010 at 11:59pm. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. If not claimed a new winner will be selected. Tell your friends, tell your family—spread the word. Good Luck!


[Disclosure: Pressman Toy provided me a copy of both Animal Towers Mastermind & Mastermind for test/review purposes and agreed to provide a set to one lucky reader as well. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone and were in no way influenced by Pressman Toy.]

Review (Idiot's Guide to Raising Boys)

"This book delivers the readers to a respectful, gender-aware world where our sons are treasured along with their equally wonderful sisters." --Laurie & Barron Helgoe

The Idiot's Guide to Raising Boys by Laurie and Barron Helgoe is really like an encyclopedia  for parents of boys. This book covers everything from circumcision and bed wetting to dating and college.

The authors suggest reading the book once from start to finish and then checking back in on specific chapters as your son grows and changes. I loved the references early in the book likening boys to Billy from The Family Circus cartoons who took the longest possible way from here to there so he could experience a little bit of everything . That is completely my son now. Who knows where all the exploring will take him in life?

I also loved the dating section of this book and how it talks about how we as parents are from the "Mars v. Venus" generation. Now, no child wants to be handed the book, but they make great points about showing your son how women communicate differently by using ourselves (mothers) as examples. Ex. "Mom doesn't feel so well. And yes I could do "x, y, z", but often as a woman I just want you to hear me out."

I think this is a great resource to have on hand and will make a handy reference guide for each transition we experience as parents to an amazingly curious son.

Check out Jan's perspective on the "Greening Season" of little boys here.

A copy of this great resource could be yours, enter below.

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To Enter: (Please note bundling comments will only give you one entry to win. Please leave four separate comments to increase your chances of winning.) Please be sure to include your e-mail address in the following format (jane at gmail dot com) with your comments. Winners will be notified by e-mail. I will no longer be posting a separate "Winner" post.

1) What do you think would be/is the most rewarding/challenging part of raising boys?

2) What was a moment in life that you think your parents got "just right"?

3) "Like" Have Stroller Will Travel on Facebook and leave a note here letting me know that you have done so. It's easy, you can do it right from this page if you scroll down on the right hand side. Already "like" the page? Just let me know that as well!

4) Subscribe to this blog by entering your e-mail in the box on the upper right hand side of this blog. And, leave me a comment letting me know you have done so. Already subscribe, let me know that too.

Open to residents in the U.S. with a "street" mailing address. (No PO Boxes.)

Winner will be selected at random on November 4, 2010 at 11:59pm. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. If not claimed a new winner will be selected. Tell your friends, tell your family—spread the word. Good Luck!


[Disclosure: Alpha Books provided me a copy of Raising Boys for test/review purposes and agreed to provide a book to one lucky reader as well. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone and were in no way influenced by Alpha Books..]

Review (Idiot's Guide to Baby Sign language)

The Idiot's Guide to Baby Sign Language, Second Edition by Diane Ryan addresses all the issues that a parent making the choice to sign to their baby would want to know. Everything from how this will enhance your child's speaking skills not detract from their ability to use spoken English. She also addresses the importance of repetition and to encouraging all family members to learn some basic signs to facilitate the most dynamic communication environment for your little signer. I did find her tone to be a bit over the top, so much so that I felt that she was talking down to the reader throughout the first part of this book. However the information presented was/is solid.

My favorite parts of the book are in the later half where there is a sign dictionary that shows parents over 150 ASL signs and "home-made" gestures in a clear easy to read format. I love that she clearly delineates those signs that are true American Sign Language and those that she has felt it important to modify for easier clarification. As a sign language interpreter myself, I would personally recommend using the ASL sign when possible.

In the very back of the book are several appendices, my favorite of which is Appendix E. In this portion of the book you will see a Baby Sign Language Journal where you will see the most commonly used "baby signs" both pictorially represented and with a brief description. Below the description and next to each sign is also a place for you to jot down the date you introduced the sign, when your child mastered it and any additional notes--perhaps any variant of the sign that your child tends to use when communication that word or concept. I think this will serve as a great reminder to you of the progress your child made and will be fun to look at and reflect upon years down the road. But, more than that you can cut out or make copies of these pages to give to any caregiver, so that they can decipher and incorporate these signs when caring for your child.

All in all, it's a beneficial book and one that I'd recommend you have on hand for reference when looking to broaden the ways to effectively communicate with your new bundle of joy.

Want to win a copy for yourself? Enter below.

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To Enter: (Please note bundling comments will only give you one entry to win. Please leave four separate comments to increase your chances of winning.) Please be sure to include your e-mail address in the following format (jane at gmail dot com) with your comments. Winners will be notified by e-mail. I will no longer be posting a separate "Winner" post.

1) What would be 5 signs that would help you to communicate better with your children?

2) Is there another "Idiot's Guide" book that you'd like to see done as a review/giveaway?

3) Copy and paste the following to Twitter or Facebook: "It's a full day of  Trick-or-Treating on www.havestrollerwilltravel.com. Check it out!" And, then leave a note here letting me know that you have done so.

4) Subscribe to this blog by entering your e-mail in the box on the upper right hand side of this blog. And, leave me a comment letting me know you have done so. Already subscribe, let me know that too.

Open to residents in the U.S. with a "street" mailing address. (No PO Boxes.)

Winner will be selected at random on November 4, 2010 at 11:59pm. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. If not claimed a new winner will be selected. Tell your friends, tell your family—spread the word. Good Luck!


[Disclosure: Alpha Books provided me a copy of The Idiot's Guide to Baby Sign Language for test/review purposes and agreed to provide a book to one lucky reader as well. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone and were in no way influenced by Alpha Books..]

Review (Mabel's Labels)

Momma always told me, "If it looks to good to be true, it probably is." However, there is ALWAYS an exception to the rule...and that my friends is Mabel's Labels.

If you happen to have paged through a parent focused magazine in the last few years, then I'm almost certain that you've seen an advertisement for Mabel's Labels. And, if you're like me you've thought exactly what I opened with, "They are super cute, look really wonderful--but, "dishwasher safe?" Surely, not!, "laundry safe?" I wasn't born yesterday."

I an THRILLED to report that after numerous washings of cups, containers, and other "Little Dude" accouterments these labels are still firmly attached and in great condition.


I received the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo and the wristbands to review. In the Combo pack were Tag Mates, Shoe Labels, Sticky Labels & Bag Tags. Among the most impressive to me are the shoe labels. I put some in Liam's favorite "kid shoes" as he calls them and then not 24 hours later we got a rain storm so severe here on the East Coast that the public schools closed early and several colleges closed all together due to flash flooding.

Forgetting that I had just put these snazzy new labels in his shoes, I whizzed by school, picked him up and then promptly took him "puddle hunting" in puddles nearly large enough to swallow him up whole. For an hour we galloped and splashed in knee-deep puddles. When we got home, we took off our sopping wet shoes and clothes and that's when I saw it. That label wasn't showing even a moment of hesitation, it was holding on for dear life. That my friends is when I began singing the glorious praises of Mabel's Labels.

My second favorite are the sticky labels as we go LOTS of places. I'm all about finding a program at the library, discovering new playgrounds and we are fair and festival addicts. So, I love that I can put his name (and when I order some more, our phone number) on all his items. It makes for an easy double check that we are indeed taking "his" stuff home. When visiting a lost and found, the labels ensure that we get our item back with minimal hassel. I also love these because while there are a plethora of cups and other choices for little girls there are often only 2 or 3 styles of cups to choose from for little boys. So, it's nice to know that of the 3 identical "automotive" cups at a playdate, I'm bringing the right one home.

Not included in the Combo Pack, but something I was sooo excited to try out were the "My 411 Wristbands". Little Dude and I talk about safety and preparedness a lot since we go to some sort of festival, fair or event often. Sometimes even multiple times in a given week. I was impressed when my sister came down for a baseball game that he pointed to the blue emergency call box on the wall in the parking garage and told her, "If you ever need help, you just push that button." I think she was shocked, for me it was one of the proudest moments I've had as a mother. All that to say, I love that he now has wristbands that have both my husband and I's phone number on them that he can show to a security person or police officer should we get separated. Because pointing to a wristband is something he can do even if he's too upset to speak.

I am very very impressed with Mabel's Labels and think that you shouldn't just get them for you kid, but for you as well. I know that life would be a lot easier, if a few of my things were labeled too.

I love them and now you can too. Enter to win a set of Sticky Labels below.
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To Enter: (Please note bundling comments will only give you one entry to win. Please leave four separate comments to increase your chances of winning.) Please be sure to include your e-mail address in the following format (jane at gmail dot com) with your comments. Winners will be notified by e-mail. I will no longer be posting a separate "Winner" post.

1) What kinds of things do you lose the most?

2) What would be the first thing you would label if you won?

3) "Like" Have Stroller Will Travel on Facebook and leave a note here letting me know that you have done so. It's easy, you can do it right from this page if you scroll down on the right hand side. Already "like" the page? Just let me know that as well!

4) Follow @havestroller on Twitter and leave me your Twitter name. Already follow me? Just leave your Twitter name as a comment.

Open to residents in both the US & Canada.

Winner will be selected at random on October 24, 2010 at 11:59pm. Winners have 48 hours to claim their prize. If not claimed a new winner will be selected. Tell your friends, tell your family—spread the word. Good Luck!

[Disclosure: Mabel's Labels  provided me with  the Ultimate Back-to-School Combo and My  411 Wristbands for test/review purposes and agreed to provide a set of Sticky Labels to one lucky reader. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone and were in no way influenced by Mabel's Labels..]

WINNER!

WINNER!

Credit: Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

Congrats to "jwohltmann" for winning the "Curious Baby My First Nursery Songs" book. Please send your name and mailing address to:

havestrollerwilltravel [at] gmail [dot] com.

CONGRATS!

Book Review: Curious Baby My First Nursery Songs

Credit: Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

"Curious Baby My First Nursery Songs" with Musical Art by H.A. Ray will take parents on a fond trip down memory lane as the book features 5 classic tunes from the childhoods of parents and grandparents alike. One of my favorite features of this book/CD are the classic depictions of Curious George and the nursery rhyme characters. In addition to providing the lyrics to each nursery rhyme, this book also includes clever musical notation, such as eggs instead of regular notes for Humpty Dumpty and Spiders for Little Miss Muffet.

Accompanying this book is a CD that showcases each nursery rhyme in three different ways: Music & Lyrics (Tracks 1-5), Music Only (Tracks 6-10) and a capella (Tracks 11-15). We enjoyed listening to the folk style renditions of these classic nursery rhymes and found the CD to be enjoyable for both casual listening around the house and lengthy car trips.

My only wish here was that there was a code for a download of the music instead of a CD—if it weren’t for an old laptop we wouldn’t have had any place to play it except in the car. We did give it a listen there, but it’s just so much more fun to follow along with the book.


If you would like to WIN A COPY of this book (I’ll even pay the shipping.) leave a comment below with your favorite nursery rhyme. Please be sure to leave your first and last name in your comment. Each person may leave up to two comments. Additional entries will not be counted when selecting a winner. A winner will be chosen at random on August 4, 2010 at 11:59pm. Tell your friends, tell your family--spread the word. Good Luck!

Win A Free Book!

Credit: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

If you'd like to win a copy of this book (I'll even pay the shipping), simply click here to check out the review and follow the directions at the end of the post to enter.

Good Luck!

Book Review: Let's Sign, Baby!

You Could Win This Book!!

Credit: Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

As this blog states, I am "A mommy by day. An interpreter by night. And, a little frazzled in between." As a mom/interpreter I really looked forward to the opportunity to review "Let's Sign, Baby!" by Kelly Ault with illustrations by Leo Landry.

"Let's Sign, Baby!" is a board book aimed at teaching babies/toddlers basic American sign Language (ASL). As a sign language interpreter the very first thing I did was check the signing and I was thrilled to see that it was accurate. You might be surprised to learn that many "baby sign books" are actually made-up gestures and not based on ASL. All of the signs illustrations and descriptions are accurate and easy-to-follow. This book is the real deal!!

The nice part of this book is that it's not "just" signs. The signs are placed within the context of a toddler girl, Violet, and the things she might want to communicate during her day. Her story is always posted on the left pages, with the signs illustrations/descriptions on the right--making it a breeze to read.

After several bouts of trial and error we found that this book was best read by facing our son Liam and putting the book on our lap. He really enjoys learning the signs in the book. His absolute favorite is baby Diego, which might be mostly because he's naked getting ready for a bath. The minute we flip to the Diego page, Liam is signing "bath" like nobody's business. :)

We liked this book because it led to an interactive story time and because of the great illustrations. We usually select books with bright colors and even though this one has a pastel color base--it's creeping right to the top of his favorites.

Want to win this book? Simply enter your e-mail address in the "subscribe via e-mail" link in the right-hand navigation. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted. A winner will be chosen randomly at 11:59 p.m. on June 8. Tell your friends, tell your family--spread the word. Good Luck!