High Maintenance Mom

The Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder is the easiest camcorder I've ever used and perfect for catching those adorable kid moments. It comes with two AA batteries so all you have to do is plug them in and you're ready to start recording. There are easy to recognize buttons for turning it on, recording, zooming, and deleting. There is also a USB plug that flips out to connect to your laptop. Once connected, the software loads (on a Mac you have to click on the Flip drive) and you are ready to download movies, edit them, burn them to DVD, or send them to friends and family - and uTube. It's the size of a phone and doesn't weigh very much so it fits into a purse with everything else. Like digital cameras, you can record your kids and then show them the movie - it's really that easy. For $130 from Amazon, the Flip 60 minute digital camcorder is a great Mother's Day gift. I also recommend rechargeable batteries.

I was recently introduced to a wonderful new online stationary store just in time for my 2nd baby's birth announcements to be created. Link to the site via the Scoop & Skinny logo we posted on the left side of our home page for a special offer for highmaintenancemom.com readers. Scoop & Skinny is a greeting card and stationery company specializing in everyday and special occasion greeting cards, premium stationery and exclusive invitations and announcements.

After finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass), I was looking for another fun young adult novel to read. Lily Dale: Awakening, filled the void with the story of Calla, a typical teen whose world is turned upside down when her mother dies and she takes off to spend the summer in Lily Dale with her psychic grandmother...

I had been using my humidifier to soothe my baby when a friend showed me their white noise machine (Marpac White Noise Machine Sleep Mate Sound Screen 980 Dual Speed Sound Conditioner) which can be purchased via amazon.com.

Change is Strange, the book series that helps little kids make big changes, has a new book due out this May. Previous books have tackled subjects such as giving up a pacifier, having a new baby, first day of school, and mommy and daddy are going on a trip. The newest book in the series brings the same funky illustrations to another common change for kids, moving...

Looking for a great book for toddlers? High Maintenance Mom and SoftPlay want to give two lucky High Maintenance Mom members fabulous toddler books in the Spring giveaway. A set of SoftPlay Lift and Look books could be yours at the end of April...

Once again, J has pulled out the Astroboy game and we have played it, more than any of his other games during the past few months. Today, as we were playing, I jotted down some of his comments and asked for his review when we had finished...

The CD and DVD giveaways this month (see November 05 giveaway) include a selection of well known favorites and should-be well known favorites from Rounder Records Group. We've all heard of Raffi and you might even own a CD or two but like me, you may not have appreciated him very much until you saw how much your kids love him. For older kids, "Scat Like That" is a big hit. And "Beethoven's Wig" is fun for everyone...

If one of your favorite activities as a child had anything to do with building forts or playing in make-believe houses, then Tee Pee for Me has a product for you. Handcrafted tee pees available in several different fabrics and two sizes provide hours of quality entertainment...

Between B who still misses the toilet and Baby Entropy who makes messes in an unpredictable way, I have a hard time keeping the bathroom clean. My latest "trick" is using Method cleaning products. After any type of mess, I spray a little Method, wipe, and move on. I'm sure I could do the same thing with other cleaning products but Method was made to be good for the environment so I don't have to worry about using it around the kids, it smells good, and it's affordable modern design...