T-Mobile MyTouch

**Disclosure: I was given this device on a loan agreement in order to review for this feature. The phone has been returned and all opinions are of my own, your opinion may vary.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G is the follow up to the T-Moblie G1 - the worlds first Android Device. The phone features a touch screen with a virtual keyboard built into a very slim and smooth design. The weight of the phone was a surprise - it is heavier than I would expect it to be, but being so slim it does make up for it. I can easily fit it into my purse or even can slide it into my pocket when not carrying a purse. With this phone you can personalize it to match your style and interests. My Touch customers can take advantage of Sherpa - an application that features GENIE (Geodelic Engine for Interest Evaluation), a learning engine that automatically customizes itself to the user's preferences. The phone features full HTML web browser which I used a lot of while on the road. It was a bit slow, but if you are in an area where you have full bars it won't really seem like too long.

As a family we are on the road a lot! We love to go out and living in the remote high desert, that usually means we have to drive at least an hour when going out to an event. One thing I just fell in love with was Google Maps. Living in Los Angeles, the traffic can be horrific out here. All I would need to do is hit "my location" and it would find us on the map and give us the easiest and quickest way to our destination. Now my husbands favorite part of this was the traffic map. I thought it was pretty cool myself - but we were able to see the upcoming traffic and the flow the traffic was moving at.

All in all we loved the phone! I loved it for all the fun apps and being able to keep up with twitter & my blog, my husband loved the Google Maps and my kids all loved the fun games they could play on there!

Visit T-Mobile for more information - myTouch 3G

The Boys Store

How frustrating is it being a mother of boy's and not having many options when it comes to choosing our son's clothing. I remember when my son was younger - I would take the kids shopping and there would be tons and tons of options for my daughter, then when it was my son's turn we were stuck in a little corner in the back of the store with about two racks of clothes!! When I heard there was an online store that carried only boys clothing I could not wait to check it out!! Even better that it was online as I am a huge fan of online shopping! The Boy's Store is also very friendly and always willing to help you find what you are looking for - and just for being on their mailing list you are entered to win a $25 gift certificate!! They sent my son an outfit to wear, he loved it, said it was so comfy! He goes through his clothing pretty fast and I am always having to wash his clothing two to three times a week. We have had this outfit for a couple months now and I have to say it has upheld nicely! He is very picky - especially for being a boy, he will only wear certain styles and colors. So....if he is happy - it makes me happy!

Visit The Boy's Store at www.theboysstore.biz

The iGo Charge Anywhere

**Disclosure: iGo provided us with one device to review for this feature. No monetary compensation was received.

The iGo Charge Anywhere ($49 MSRP) is small enough to fit in your pocket and can power two low power devices (cell phone, PDA, MP3 player, GPS and gaming devices) at the same time without the use of a wall outlet. Small and lightweight, the iGo Charge Anywhere has foldable wall blades that easily store away and functions as a standard wall outlet as the battery recharges.

This device is perfect for families who like to travel a lot, who are on the go a lot, or even for those who don't always remember to charge their devices at night, the iGo Charge Anywhere allows you to pack one charger to power multiple devices, which frees up valuable luggage space. The Charge Anywhere is also perfect for camping and other outdoor trips where you would want to stay powered up, but do not have access to a wall outlet.

Our family is on the road a lot - most of our family is at the least an hour away. We love going out, to events and letting the children just explore what life has to offer. We don't always have time to charge our devices, either that or we simply are so tired when we get home we don't think about plugging our devices in before hitting bed. This was great, it was so easy to use and we never had a problem with it not charging. What I loved most about it is that it was not some large device we had to drag with us, it easily fit in my purse - where I always keep it!

Great device - thumbs up for any on the go, busy parent! For more information visit www.igo.com

BEARPAW

**Disclosure: BearPaw provided four of our family members with boots in order to write an honest review for our readers. No monetary compensation was received. The opinions below are that of my own and your opinion my vary.

One of my absolute favorite things about fall / winter is I get to bring out the boots! I love these shoes, they are so comfortable, keep your feet nice and toasty and easy to just slip on and go. I also love that they are so versatile - and can easily be pared up with just about anything. BEARPAW was founded in 2001 - can you believe they are that young? Feels like we have been wearing BEARPAW's forever! They use sheepskin to help create the most comfortable and stylish shoes. BEARPAW is not only available in the US, but in thirteen other countries too. My husband was sent the boots to the left. This is the Stowe Men's Boot. With genuine suede and water-resistant properties this is a very comfortable boot for any working man. The only drawback that my hubby found with the boot is it's weight. It was a bit heavy, but kept the feet very warm and secure. BEARPAW is a gift that will make any receiver happy - even my children loved their boots. My youngest daughter wears her's almost everyday and my youngest son wanted to sleep with his the first week he had them! My children a very rough with their shoes, like most children, keeping their shoes clean is not something they think about. The quality of the shoes is outstanding - that is one thing I love most about their shoes. I don't feel like I have to tell my daughter something every time she scrapes her shoe or her brother steps on her shoes! BEARPAW again, is a wonderful, and a must have for every winter season!

Visit BEARPAW at http://shop.bearpawshoes.com/

American Girl

**Disclosure: American Girl provided us with one doll and dinner at American Girl. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions below are of my own and your opinion may vary.

If you have not visited an American Girl Store, I suggest on planning a trip soon. We had the pleasure of visiting American Girl here in Los Angeles. We were not that familiar with American Girl, but as soon as my daughters heard it was a store all about a doll they started counting down the days! American Girl celebrates girls and all that the can and and inspire to be. American Girl helps girls grow up in a wholesome way, while encouraging them to enjoy girlhood through fun and enchanting play. There are many aspects and opportunities that American Girl offers to support girls through play.

• American Girl Magazine carries the message to girls around the globe that "You're great - just the way you are"
• Bitty Baby is their baby line all about babies that promote nurturing play among girls ages 3 and up.
  
• Just Like You Dolls that celebrate that every girl is unique in her own way.
  
• American Girl Stores that engage girls to become a part of their doll's lives.

We were sent an American Girl to help in the review of this feature. When my daughter received the doll she was ecstatic! I have to say, being a lower middle class family unfortunately this is something that would be hard to come by and not be accessible to many of the girls that would benefit from them the most. Most of the dolls start at around $100. The dolls each have their own name with their own story. I was actually surprised at the size of the doll, it was a lot larger than expected, and the quality was outstanding!

Our visit to the American Girl store in Los Angeles was amazing - an experience all of its own. The place is any girls fantasy! It is huge with two levels of dolls and fun. Each doll has their own section with their own accessories. The store is really like the dolls own little mall with everything they need all in one place. The have a photo studio where you can take pictures with your doll and even had a movie theater in the store for when the American Girl had one of their dolls star in their very own movie! It gets even better.....inside the store they even have their own restaurant! We were treated to dinner which was amazing. The staff was wonderful addressing the needs to the children and their dolls. They brought a high chair for my daughters doll, and if you forget your doll or do not have one they will provide one for you - which they did for my son. The portions of food too are very generous! As you can see below my son ordered the tic-tac-toe pizza and it was huge, he did not even finish half of it.


After dinner we went back downstairs and on the way out stopped at the salon to get my daughters doll's hair done. I was very impressed with the prices - we paid only $10.00 for them to brush and style the doll's hair. As we were waiting for dinner to start we wondered around a bit being that there was so much to see. We walked by an area that was the doll hospital admission area. If the doll needs repairing, simple drop the doll off at the "hospital" and when your doll is ready to go home they will call you. It was really so cute - it really looked like a hospital admission area and they were even dressed up as doctors with clipboard in hand.
American Girl Pros -

• Gives girls an opportunity to "just be girls"
• Shares different cultures and ways of life
• Life like features
• Store experience is amazing for any little girl
• Food portions are huge
  

American Girl Cons -

• Prices are very high for a doll and accessories - a price the "most" cannot afford

***as a note also - food choices sometimes change and do not match what is posted online, so I would advise to call ahead to see what the menu items for that day are***

For more information on American Girl visit www.americangirl.com

Oceana Adopt-A-Creature

One gift I really believe is so often forgot about is the gift of giving back, helping others, creatures and the planet we live on. This is a fun and unique gift that is perfect for not only children, but those on your list that you may not be sure what to get them. The Ocean Adopt-A-Creature Kit allows you to make a donation to Oceana and in return receive an adoption package based upon your donation. Your donation to Oceana helps to prevent overfishing, protect ocean habitat, and help to stop seafood contamination which helps all marine creatures. I think this is really a cute gift idea for any occasion and especially for someone who has everything that you are not sure what to get them!

"Your donation helps Oceana carry out important campaign work. Right now, teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates are fighting to reduce overfishing, seafood contamination and habitat destruction. Although your donation is symbolic, your adoption package can include whales, sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, polar bears, penguins, seals and octopuses."

Their adoption packages start at $35 and include a cookie cutter in the shape of the animal you choose, a personalized adoption certificate in a cardboard frame, and CakeLove sugar cookie recipe. Their adoption packages vary depending on the amount of donation and some also include a stuffed animal like the one above.

For more information about Oceana or adopting a creature visit http://na.oceana.org/

Jump Start

**Disclosure: JumpStart provided me with a year member ship for this review, in order to be able to give you honest feedback. I have not received any monetary compensation for this feature.

With the kids out of school and the crazy winter weather some of us have had, we need something to help keep the kids entertained while stuck indoors. When ever the kids have some time off from school, I always try to keep them up on their work so that when they go back to school they will be fresh and ready to go.

JumpStart helps to inspire kid's minds in the way that as they play they learn with out even knowing it! As a mother to four children, this is really something I believe in. I think that children learn best when they are having fun at something. My two youngest love JumpStart - I always have to do a coin flip to see who is going to get to go first.

"JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative and really fun, but don't let that fool you - it also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills so kids get a real jump start in life."

They have different levels for different ages - all in a virtual world where they can actually step in to a place they can call their own. My daughter loved to play the games to earn rewards - for example some of the reward you can earn are decorations for your house and music to dance to. My youngest son he just likes to play the games to test his knowledge and to see how far he can get. He will play over and over - it makes him proud when he can complete a level. Jump start has many varieties and it's really a great way for the children to spend their free time.

Visit JumpStart for more information at www.jumpstart.com