LilSugar

Website lil Loves: Pee on a Stick

LilSugar — Sun, 17 May 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Any woman who has gone to the store in search of a home pregnancy test - even if it came from the dollar store - has encountered an aisle filled with different brands claiming to provide the earliest, most accurate results. If you've ever wondered which tests truly were the most sensitive and how the sticks differ, be sure to check out Pee on a Stick, a comprehensive look at the sensitivity and accuracy of virtually every home pregnancy test on the market.

Using anecdotal evidence from women around the world, the site offers advice on everything from when to take each test to what odd looking results could actually mean. While the site is in no way an alternative to a doctor-ordered blood test, it may help potential mamas-to-be understand why the plus or minus sign doesn't look like it does on the package.

Website lil Loves: Speakaboos

LilSugar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:30:03 -0700

The benefits of reading with children are beyond debate. It helps teach them letter and word recognition, engages them in conversation, and introduces them to new concepts. Transferring those benefits to the online world is not easy, but Speakaboos tries to do just that. The site offers online storytelling of classic fables and fairy tales - as well as stories involving newer popular characters - by big name celebrities such as Kevin Bacon, Clay Aiken, Kelly Ripa, and John Krasinski. As the stories are told, and the words appear on the screen, the books come to life with beautiful animation.

There are worksheets, games, and e-cards accompanying the various tales and eventually, visitors will have the ability to create their own stories online, including doing their own voice-overs. Watching the tales is free, but there is also an option to download them for $1, and purchase albums with multiple stories for $9 each with 15 percent of the revenue donated to the National Education Association and The Creative Coalition.

Website lil Loves: Schoohoo

LilSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:00:09 -0700

Email trumps school fliers and phone trees these days, but it's not always the fastest way to make contact. Some parents only check their personal email a few times a day or week, or don't sit at the computer. Schoohoo offers the technology for schools to send free messages and alerts to parents, students and faculty via free text messages and email, so the community stays in-the-know whether they sit behind a desk or at a phone.

The alerts are ideal for letting parents know about early dismissals, school closings, emergencies or even PTA meetings. The system is free of charge for schools and supported local and national sponsors. Think it would work for your child's school? Talk to the administration!

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Website lil Loves: Little Jet Set

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:00:00 -0700

With the Easter and Passover holidays less than a month away, many mamas are eyeing their calendars in anticipation of Spring breaks. Whether you are excited at the prospect of a break from your daily routine for one that involves beaches and Disney or if you are dreading the idea of hours of travel to your destination of choice, Little Jet Set will prepare you for the plane, train or car ride ahead with a selection of toys and games to make the trip a little easier.

The site, started by two former lawyers, categorizes products by age or toy type and features everything from Automoblox and lacing cards to magnetic puzzles and snugly animal blankets your lil one can cozy up to for a mid-trip nap. They even offer a selection of family-oriented games that will keep everyone in the car awake and in good spirits as you continue your marathon drive.

Website lil Loves: One Laptop Per Child

LilSugar — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:00:00 -0700

My five-year-old daughter thinks typing on my BlackBerry while in line at the store is a treat. She is no different than the other children of the world that delight in learning new things or testing out electronics - except for the fact that she has access to them on a daily basis. One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is an organization that puts educational tools into the hands of youngsters that need them from little girls in Afghanistan to poverty stricken elementary school students in Alabama. The Massachusetts nonprofit is committed to distributing durable, $199 solar-powered "XO laptops" to financially disadvantaged children. Check out their site for ways to contribute to this timely cause.

Website lil Loves: Where Do Kids Eat Free Today?

LilSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:44 -0800

The economy has made life particularly hard for parents. Finding entertaining and fulfilling family and budget-friendly activities is a daily challenge, which is why I was instantly intrigued by this Where Do Kids Eat Free Today? site.

The search tool is ideal for anyone trying to save on meals out, offering a list of restaurants in your area (or within the zip code you suggest) where kids eat for free or at a discounted price. I tested it for my area and found about about five restaurants - not counting chains - that offer cheap or free vittles for tots.

Bon appetite!

Website lil Loves: BabyNameWizard

LilSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:00:14 -0800

If you've ever spent hours pouring over baby name books, get ready to clear your calendar for the next few days. BabyNameWizard.com, the online sibling of the best-selling Baby Name Wizard book, provides visitors with access to three of the author's computer models to help find the perfect name for your lil one. Through Namipedia, you can discover a favorite name's meaning, popularity and origins. The NameVoyager allows you to determine the popularity of names beginning with specific letters over the past 120 years, while the NameMapper tracks the popularity of a specific name in each state over the past 60 years. I've found myself plugging in every name I know, just to see what pops up. Don't say we didn't warn you, this site is addictive!

Website lil Loves: YoJoMama

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:00:05 -0800

The people that brought the world MizPee, the mobile restroom tracker that helps you find a clean place when you just gotta go, launched a parent-friendly site called Yojo Mama today.

Described as a "concierge for your cell," the site helps moms and dads find child-friendly restaurants, toy stores, kids clothing stores, diaper-changing stations (can I get an amen!) and playgrounds from your computer or web enabled cell phone.

The results are based on the user's current location, neighborhood or city. I tested the site for diaper changing locations in one of my favorite San Francisco neighborhoods and received directions to a nearby public library, mall and a handful of low key restaurants. The service only works in New York and San Francisco right now, but Los Angeles, Chicago and other areas are coming soon. I suspect it will be a hit with mobile parents living in metropolitan areas and geek does too!

Website lil Loves: HealthyToys

LilSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:58 -0800

Don't toy with your child's health. The site HealthyToys.org has tested more than 1,500 toys and children’s products for lead, cadmium, arsenic, PVC, and other harmful chemicals and posted the results. While lilsugar reader's voted the new lead testing laws for 2009 to be too extreme, the site found that one in three toys tested were found to contain "medium" or "high" levels of chemicals of concern. To see where your tot's toys fall, you can search items individually or just check out the site's best and worst toys for a more general list.

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Website lil Loves: Nannies4Hire.com

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Moms wishing there were more hours in the day often look to a nanny for help, but finding a person suitable to care for your lil ones takes time.

Instead of trying to poach your friend's nanny who makes Mary Poppins look bad, turn to Nannies4Hire.com. Whether you are looking for full-time, part-time, temporary, summer, live-in or live-out nannies there are a variety of experience levels available. Check out the database free of charge, but it's going to cost you $130 (for 30 day membership) to gain access to contact information. While it seems costly, in the end that's a small price to pay for finding your child's perfect match. Super mom Kate Gosselin even used the site in her search for someone to watch her brood on our favorite show Jon and Kate Plus 8.