I just learned a new Japanese word today - Jishaku (pronounced Jee-Shah-Koo), which means magnet. Ok, I’m not exactly polishing up my Japanese but rather having fun with this new game called Jishaku, which was created by Florida based Steve Velte.

So, what exactly is the Jishaku game? An excerpt from their website explains it best:

Jishaku^TM is a patent-pending, portable strategy game like chess or checkers that can be played anywhere – the kitchen or the beach. But unlike chess, there is an element of surprise when the magnets jump out of position, without warning. Surprise, then laughs, follow as two or more players try to beat force fields with strategic thinking plus careful and precise handling of the game’s magnetic stones. The unpredictability of Jishaku turns any get-together into a party!

How is it played? Each game comes with 18 polished magnetic stones, a storage  pouch and a novel foam insert. There are several variations of the game but the most popular is “I’m Out”. The goal of the game is to place magnets onto the game base - without letting any magnets connect. Because all magnets have North and South poles, you need to study the effects of the magnets on the stones around it. Some will attract while others will repel. Thus, it not only matters where you place your stones, how you place each one is equally important. The first person to run out of magnets will be declared as the winner. You can also check out the rules of the game here.

BUY IT : The Jishaku Game is intended for 2 players or more and ideal for children of age 8 and above. It is also perfect as a family game when you are going on road trips or to be played inflight as it does not take up a lot of space and it’s highly portable. Parent Reviewers readers can get 10% off from now until 30th September 2008 using Promo Code QIOHXO when you purchase Jishaku at www.playjishaku.com

Our Parent Reviewers had as much fun playing The Jishaku as their kids. Check out the rave reviews here:

Cass Knits - You know, it’s just as fun with 4 players as with 2. Except we were a little bit mean. We just told them the object of the game was to get rid of your stones. We didn’t tell them what to expect. And so we won, nyuck, nyuck, nyuck. I can foresee the whole family having fun with this game, but not until I go back to NMB and get some more stones. Like most games, there just aren’t enough pieces for all the folks who want to play. That’s ok. The stones are pretty cheap.

Accidental Mommies - This is a fun game that you can play virtually anywhere and it doesn’t take a lot of time so it is very versatile. You can play with a wide age range and it can even be played on your lap, so you don’t need a lot of room. We see this game being played at our family gatherings for many years to come because everyone will say “just one more time!”.

Laura Williams’ Musings - The game though was a hit with our 8 year old and 9 year old sons.  They thought it was fun to watch their magnets catch the others then try to get rid of them all again. So I’m sure they’ll want to play it again some more.

The Pond - The first thing I think of when I hear the word strategy, is that the game is going to be hard. This game is not hard and in fact is geared towards everyone beginning at age 8. The game has small parts so you really need to keep it out of the hands and mouths of babes.

Be sure you aren’t drinking any beverages while playing this game. You will surely spew your mouthful of drink the first time the stones start jumping. It is crazy to see how the magnetic pull effects each other’s stones.

Book Room Reviews - We loved this new game! I was screaming each time my magnets clicked together. There is a fun video I posted below that shows you exactly what I’m talking about. This game is for ages 8 and up, and can be purchased here for $19.95. Check it out, you will be glad you did! Great family fun!

Val’s Views - Our family really enjoyed Jishaku. I recommend the game highly. It’s not electronic, so you won’t constantly need to put batteries in it. It’s not violent, so parents won’t hesitate to let their children play it. It’s small and portable, so it doesn’t require a lot of room to play and would travel nicely.

Freaky Frugalite - It’s a very fun game, and it gets the kids interacting. I don’t know about you, but playing video games together is NOT kids interacting. So I love this game.

I recommend this game. It’s educational, teaches motor skills (and patience), teaches the concept of magnetism and the laws of attraction and repulsion, and encourages interactivity with the other players. It’s also very easy and simple enough for young kids to play with older kids and adults. And when the kids are not playing the actual game, they like to fool around with the magnets, too.

Ang’s Chicken Coop - Oh my did we laugh! And we discovered that the magnetic stones make great earrings and hair ties, too. Oh, and the kids did play the game the rest of the weekend. They loved it, too! They had so much fun trying to get rid of their stones first. Its great to find a game that is so enjoyable and can be played by all of us.

Kristen McLane -  Jishaku proved to be the ultimate distraction for keeping my kids entertained while I tended to last minute packing details. This simple looking game has the ability to drive you bonkers - in a good way.

On a final note, since a picture speaks a thousand words, check out the video of her kids enjoying the Jishaku, posted by our Parent Reviewer From Dates To Diapers And Beyond.

YAY! We got featured on MomDot.

Be a sport, pay a visit and drop a comment or two in the post.

If you don’t know about Mom Dot yet, you should really hop over there and visit the awesome ladies who manage it. In conjunction with the launching of Mom Dot, they are organizing a HUGE giveaway and I do really MEAN HUGE. The prizes are endless and it’s so easy to participate. While you are there, don’t forget to get your site(s) listed for free and say Hi to everyone for me

I have a weakness for personalized gifts and it was during my search for the ideal birthday gift for my son that I discovered Frecklebox. Frecklebox has some of the most lovely personalized products that every children will adore. From personalized children books to colouring books, placemats, journal books, baby colt books to posters, you will want to own each and every one of their products. At least, I know I do!

I had The Mother Nature book personalized with the hard cover option for my 4 year old daughter. In the hands of a young child or toddler, hard covers are definitely more durable. This book starts with the personalized cover which read  “My Name is Nicole”. This is followed by a lovely dedication page (pictured on the left). As I flipped through pages after pages of stunning pictures of nature, my daughter was also able to enjoy the story which had been personalized to include her name. Each time she saw her name in the storyline, she squeled in delight as it made her feel pretty special

For my son’s birthday, I got him the personalized colouring book and the racecar picture placemat. Ryan’s name appeared on each page of the colouring book starting from the cover to each picture page. I was pleasantly surprised that the book arrived with some crayons even though it was not mentioned in the product page. The racecar placemat was a huge hit with Ryan as he is a big fan of cars. Since he received the gift, he will look forward to each meal time as he gets to use his favourite placemat. No more  hollering my lungs out to come eat dinner! LOL. How I wish I had discovered Frecklebox earlier.  Besides, the placemat also makes cleaning up so much easier for this mommy So, I’m definitely giving it my seal of approval.

BUY IT : Check out Frecklebox for gifts that are truly unique. As for me, I’ve bookmarked this site since I know I will be returning often whenever I need to shop for that one-of-a-kind gifts for kids.

I have a confession, I used to hate letting my kids play Play-Doh at home because of the mess they’ll make. How I dread picking up after those little balls of dried gunk!!! *Head bowed very low* I know, BAAAAD MOMMA.

Before you start throwing rotten tomatoes at me, notice the words “used to“? That’s because my kids are now forever busy testing their creativity and having a blast with their Play-Doh since I found the Piggy Plater Placemat & Craftmat! What a lifemess saver!!!

Made in US of A, this fabulous invention by the founders of Smarty Parents was inspired by a bowl of deliciously sticky oatmeal that their two-year-old son was spreading into every nook and cranny of their wood dining room table.

The Piggy Plater Placemat is awesome because it keeps the mess my kids make with their Play-Doh to a minimum. Here’s how it works: Unlike other regular craft mat that easily slides across the table, The Piggy Plater Placemat has a rubber gasket underneath to keep the Platter in place. No duct tape necessary here! The gutter on the front and raised edge also aids the use by keeping accessories and Play-Doh from rolling off the table. All I needed to do after play time was to take the platter to the sink and rinse it clean. How cool is that!

Now, here’s the best part - it’s recyclable, and can last for years! Double Woot! Also, don’t forget to check out other various uses of the Piggy Plater here.

BUY IT : Get your Piggy Plater Starter Set here. This gift pack consist of:

• One Piggy Platter (your choice of color)
• Your choice of Platter Pix
• The Perry & Penny’s board book It’s Neat to Eat, a great first book on dinner table etiquette.

Smarty Parents donates 10% of their direct proceeds to Feed The Children. Make Meal Time Easier, Play Time Less Messier And Shop At Smarty Parents To Make The World Happier

WIN IT : What’s that? You want one too? We hear ya and we’re giving our readers who resides in US a chance to win this cool gift pack worth $34.95. Here’s how:

• One entry - Head over to www.smartyparents.com and let us know your Piggy Plater’s choice of colour and your preferred design for the Platter Pix.
• Additional two entries if you Follow us on Twitter/Subscribe to our Feeds/Blog About This Giveaway with a link back to this post
• One winner will be chosen using the Random.Org. Contest closes on 31st August 2008 and winner will be announced on 1st September 2008.

Congratulations to the following winners:

HUNDREDS OF HEADS BOOK GIVEAWAY

Alyce  who said….I would choose “How to Love Your Retirement” for my parents

AND

WIPES CASE & TOTES COMBO GIVEAWAY

Juddy Brittle whose favourite was….

the Linette with the polka dots

At the same time, we wanted to let you know that MarieLynn Boutique is currently having a 30% off on naptime mats, hair accessories and tutus. And if you use our Parent Reviewers promo code PWS*10, you get an additional 10%. That’s a total of 40% discount!!!!

Emails will be sent out to winners and we will be expecting a reply latest by 21st August 2008. Should there be no reply by the deadline, we will be doing a second random draw.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated.

Please remember to subscribe to Parent Reviewers or check back for our ongoing Blog Giveaway. There are lots of attractive prizes lined up to for you to win!

Like any other new parents, one of the most challenging task was night feeding. So, to ensure that each of us got a couple of hours sleep, we took turns feeding Ryan, our baby at that time. I remembered we had this little notepad that we used to jot down how much milk Ryan had consumed and at what time he was fed. This made it easier for the person doing the next feeding so that we did not have to wake each other to check on this information.

This little notepad continued to be used as a record book when we sent Ryan to my mother in law for babysitting. At the end of the day, when we picked Ryan up from her place,  it was an easy way for us to have a feel of his milk consumption level or occasionally when needed, the time he last took his medication.

Now, with the availability of Baby Insights, Babble Soft’s baby software, tech savvy parents and caregivers can easily track everything from sleep periods, breastfeeding times, bottle feeding times and amounts, pumping times and amounts, medicine doses to diaper changes and more! Parents just need to log on and input all the necessary information about their baby and they will be readily available and easily accessible from anywhere around the world via the laptop, the portable PDA or even the smart phone.

Imagine being able to share access with your paediatrician and view daily graphs and reports that can help you make well informed decisions. Without a doubt,  Baby Insights will make a great tool for every new parent looking to ease the first few months of learning about child care. Take a tour of Baby Insights and find out how amazingly useful it is!

Besides Baby Insights, Babble Soft also provides Baby Say Cheese, which allows parents to create and share an online baby album. Parents are able to incorporate their new born baby’s photos, provide captions on their milestones as well as include a family tree. This way, family and friends can easily go online to experience your baby’s memorable events.

BUY IT : You can sign up for Babble Soft’s 15 days’ FREE TRIAL HERE!. Babble Soft’s Mobile Software promises to make transition into parenthood a little easier and will make a great gift idea for new parents. Why not Purchase the subscription here as a gift for your friends or loved ones? Trust me, they’ll still thank you for it many years down the line

Check out the experience of our Parent Reviewers who had reviewed a trial version of Babble Soft’s Parenting Software:

Mott’s Island - I tried the 15 day trial myself, as I had been having problems with breastfeeding. With my mastities and tendency to get blocked ducts, I had to ensure that I fed from each breast and emptied them. I sometimes, forget which side I fed last from because of tiredness/lack of sleep. A quick check with Babblesoft’s™ “Baby Insights”, helped me get the feeding on track, and now, my boobs have so far been ‘free-flowing’.

A big thumbs up for this site, and if you are a new parent and for whatever reason, seem to be finding it hard to keep track of your baby’s feeding/sleeping, this is a great baby software in making sure all the information is at your fingertips!

Cheeks To Cheeks - Has your baby’s Pediatrician asked you this question before, “How much does (baby’s name) consume each day?” I’m sure 10 out of 10 parents have been asked and most likely some of us guessed out the answer. With this baby software, you can track the amount your baby is consuming and the amount you pump each day. By the time your baby is up for her next check up, you have a report on hand to show the doctor.

I would highly recommend it to first time parents only if the parents are 1) Stay at home Mom/Dad 2) Work from home Mom/Dad 3) Who has a caretaker who is savvy with computer.

The Pond - BabbleSoft is an ingenious software program that allows you some sanity. The Baby Insights section allows you to make notations like diaper changes and when your baby sleeps. You would not believe how much simpler your day can be when you keep track of feedings and other natural occurrences. It is a life saver if your baby develops a rash. By logging in to your caregiver account, you can see what your baby had to eat, and make adjustments to keep the rash from happening again. A simple glance at your Baby Insights caregiver account tells your baby’s story. The software is also helpful to moms who are breastfeeding and want a record of times etc.

Quiverfull Family - All trackable items include ample space for comments, and a handy graph to view the last week for each item.  I’ve never seen such comprehensive reports and tracking features for baby care before!

While this software is definitely useful for sorting through the confusion of the first months with a new baby, it will be particularly helpful for those whose babies experience health challenges such as reflux, prematurity and any other issues where careful attention must be paid to feeding schedules, pumping and medication.  It will truly shine, and be a life-saver in these circumstances for new parents.

Rockin Mama - When I was first introduced to the company I was so impressed with the philosophy behind it.  Do you know how many nights I scribbled something down only to wake up wondering what in the world I had written?  

Baby Insights helps parents and caregivers communicate about their newborns care and patterns.  Once inputted, parents can review the information and make crucial decisions about sleep, breastfeeding support and feeding. The software allows tracking of sleep periods, breast and/or bottlefeeding times and amounts, diaper changes, pumping, medications, and immunization schedules.

Julian & Morin’s Photoblog - Recently I tried out Babble Soft online software which parents track among many, sleep periods, breastfeeding times, bottle feeding times and amounts, immunizations, medicine doses as well as diaper changes. At the moment, I keep track of my kids in a spreadsheet but this baby software helps me keep them online and I can access them from anywhere, whether at home or at work. With a spreadsheet, unless you keep them in a thumb drive, you tend to forget where you keep the file. I personally think it is a great parenting software especially for parent like me who likes to keep track of such information.

Cass Knits - Babblesoft has created Baby Insights, a program that allows you to track feeds, pumps, meds AND sleep schedules for your infant. Sleep schedules? That was about the only thing I didn’t track, LOL! And then when you need to talk to the doctor or midwife, all the info is right there at your fingertips.

Sassy Frazz - Babble Soft is a great new site that allows me to keep track of everything with this new baby! I will be able to track both my schedule and my newborns schedule with Baby Insights. I can type in when I breastfed, pumped, or if I took medicine. Baby Insights keeps track of Daily Summaries, as well as a weekly summary. I can also keep track of my baby’s feeding schedule, diaper changes, medicines taken, and if my baby has a bottle, I can track how many ounces. I love this baby software to help me keep track of everything with my new baby. It is a great way that my husband and I can look at anytime, or we can share this site with our care provider, so they know what our baby has been up to.

Montessorimum - There’s this special column for mum as well as for baby. Under the mum’s session, you get to key in your breastfed schedule and pumping schedule as well as what time and when to feed your baby’s medicine. It’s great especially for working mum who breastfeed , when these mums need to express breastmilk during office hour for their babies. With this software, it’s easy to keep track how many times to pump as well as how many time each pumping session can yield.

Being a community with a big heart *cough cough*, we always share the best of our findings with our readers. Of course, this would not be possible without the support from See Me Read. So, to all our wonderful readers, See Me Read has partnered with Parent Reviewers to give away one set of See Me Read Kit - Complete worth $79.99 to one VERY lucky reader. The kit comprises of the following items:

• See Me Read Labels
• See Me Read Flash Cards
• See Me Read Level 1 Book
• See Me Read Level 2 Book
• See Me Read Writing Pad
• Parent’s Guide

 How to WIN IT:

1. Stumble Upon This Post.
2. Tell us how your child or children can benefit from See Me Read’s Early Childhood Literacy Program.
3. Get two additional entries by adding a review to the Stumble Upon post.
4. Contest closes on 31st August 2008 and a winner will be picked using the Random.Org Number Generator. Result will be announced on 1st September 2008.

I remembered back in our childhood days, my siblings and I did not have the luxury of computer games or even computers for that matter. Thus, we spent many fun filled hours playing games like Hop Scotch, I Spy and the Memory Game. Those games taught us social skills like taking turns, respecting others as well as the importance of being competitive.

Inspired by these childhood games which were played by generations of children, Briarpatch, a leading manufacturer of children’s games have combined the classic I Spy game AND the Memory Game to create an all round family game called I SPY MEMORY GAME,  which currently happens to be one of the best selling game in the specialty market.

About Briarpatch:

Briarpatch has been an innovator in the development of games and puzzles for children of all ages since its inception in 1992. Its founders, a husband and wife team, John Donofrio and Martine Redman, created their first game prototype with a pair of scissors, some glue and passion for creating quality products based on classic literature. Today, Briarpatch maintains and inspiring, fun and educational product line and is a highly respected leader in the toy industry.

Briarpatch has received more than 275 awards for product excellence, including: Dr.Toy , Oppenheim Platinum and Gold Seal awards, Parents’ Choice Foundation, National Association of Parenting Publications, and Parents Magazine’s Best Toy awards, among others.

Our Reviewers were given the opportunity to try the I Spy Memory Game 15th Anniversary Edition. Find out what they had to say:

Freaky Frugalite - This is a terrific game for improving cognitive skills and memory, especially in young children. The game of memory was favorite game of mine as a kid, and I still love playing it. Back then, we had the old plainly marked cards- now, kids get these vivid colorful cards! We’ve always loved the I Spy books, and the cards are absolutely gorgeous! They are very thick cardboard, and durable, and thus kid-friendly.

Bookroom Reviews - The game is for one to six players ages four to adult and no reading is required!  Good thing because we have a four year old to play it with and he loved it!  What is so great about this game is you can tailor it to the age of your children by starting out with fewer cards to choose from.  It has basically the same rules as other memory games but what else is cool are the cards are so unique.  The two cards that match have the same item but each card is just a bit different, so you can talk to your child about what the differences are which in turn helps them with their critical thinking.

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy - It’s hard to find a game where we can all as a family play together and have fun at the same time, but I Spy seems to be a game fitting right in with our family. Not only is the I Spy Memory game fun, but it also helps your children develop visual, spatial, fine motor, and critical thinking skills. It also helps with social skills of taking turns, respecting others, and sharing.

From Dates To Diapers - With 8 different ways to play, I SPY is a fun game for the big kids and little ones alike. The littlest ones can play for hours, matching the cards and finding special items throughout the pictures, while the older ones and I enjoy solving the riddles by finding the clues hidden in each card. Just the other day, while Noah was napping, I played with all five kiddos until all the riddles were solved… Fun!

Pajamamom - We received Briarpatch I Spy Memory Game to test and it’s been a lifesaver… all three kids enjoy the game in different ways. The first and easiest game is Memory. Everybody loves it, simple, easy to understand game that does not require reading.  I also love it because the images on the card are of real objects, not obnoxious characters! Girl2006 can name most of the cards so it’s nice to build vocabulary, of course she has little to no ability to remember where the matches are but she tries! Girl2004 and Boy2001 play with ease and it’s great for them to play amongst themselves.

Mommy Mandy - My five year old Samantha is having such a blast with the I SPY Memory Game from briarpatch. She has played memory games before but really loves this one from Briarpatch. “I spy a ring, a blue number two, memory riddles are fun to do!”

Kristen McLane - What I like most about the I Spy Memory Game are the pictures. There are no cartoony cards covered in generic clip art - only colorful and creative pictures as seen in the I Spy books. And no two cards are exactly the same. The idea is to find cards with main objects that match. I like that this adds a little extra challenge for the brain. I have a feeling this game will be around as a favorite in our family for a long time.

Renaissance Culinaire (reviewed the regular I Spy Memory Game)  - It seemed a bit overwhelming for my 5 yr old at first, she was really excited to just get to the playing of the game, but once she found her first match she really took to the game. In fact she got the most matches between me and my husband combined.

We all enjoyed this time as a family, and our youngest toddler even got into the spirit of things by holding onto my “matches” pile.

Lisa Reviews - I would highly recommend the I Spy Memory Game! We had a lot of fun with it, and I can see it being a game that your children will enjoy playing as they grow older.

Cute personalized baby and toddler wear is what makes Sew Cute stand out from its competitors. When it comes to customers, Mompreneur Lucie strongly believes the quality of her products cannot be compromised. As such, special attention is paid to every little detail to ensure the highest quality of clothing and embroidery are delivered to her customers.

Sew Cute is a socially conscious store that uses only sweatshop-free clothing and accessories made from premium, 100% combed cotton that is wonderfully soft and extremely comfortable on baby’s delicate skin.  Every article of clothing is specially embroidered for each baby or toddler with his/her name. At the end of the day, apart from being unique, when the baby or toddler outgrow their apparel, parents find them appropriate as the perfect keepsake. Best of all, I discovered that the Tee personalized for my daughter is also machine washable. Practicality ranks number 1 in my household, so yes, Sew Cute Tees which are made in good ol’ US of A, definitely gets the Thumbs Up from me!

BUY IT :  By practicing fair wages, child labour free and utilizing organic cotton for their most popoular items, Sew Cute ensures being dressed in the best doesn’t require some­one (or something) else to pay the price. Visit Sew Cute and choose from Personalized Baby Shirts, Bibs, Tees, Long Sleeve Shirts, Hooded Bath Towels, Hoodies, Bodysuits, Monogrammed Hats and Pants.

WIN IT : Thanks to our partnership with Sew-Cute, Parent Reviewers will be rewarding one of you with a $25 Gift Certificate.

To enter, here are the rules:

• One entry - Visit www.sew-cute.ca and tell us in our comment here what is or are your favourite items.
• Two additional entries - Blog about our Giveaway with a link back to this post OR subscribe to Parent Reviewers. Please let us know in our comment if you have done either one.
• Giveaway is open to US and Canada addresses only. Contest closes on 31st August 2008 and a random winner will be picked on 1st September 2008.

Everyone’s a GUARANTEED WINNER on this Contest!!!  All Parent Reviewers readers who register on Sew Cute’s website can receive a FREE $5 GIFT CERTIFICATE. Be sure to enter “PRBT” in the Referral field, then check your email for the $5 Gift Certificate. (If you do not see your Gift Certificate in your inbox within 48 hours, please check your SPAM folder and/or send an email to gift@sew-cute.ca). 

Congratulations to the following Lucky Readers:

Trendy Tadpole Tees Giveaway

Elizabeth of Mom Reviews who said

I wrote my post and almost forgot to come back and leave the link! I like the “Oh, Snap” shirt and the “Daddy” tattoo tee!

AND

Kathy Conley who said…..

I love the born lucky t!

Personalized Pacifier Clips Giveaway

 Kristinia who said….

These are really cute , I like the Cherries Jubilee pacifier clip!

 AND

Gina Stratos who commented…

Great fabrics to choose from. I like Cherries Jubilee.

Emails will be sent out to winners and we will be expecting a reply latest by 7th August 2008. Should there be no reply by the deadline, we will be doing a second random draw.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated.

Please remember to subscribe to Parent Reviewers or check back for our ongoing Blog Giveaway. There are lots of attractive prizes lined up to for you to win