Most Popular Articles in Category: Reviews



Safe YouTube for Kids? We Found Good Apps

January 14, 2012 by Caryn Talty Comments2 Comments »

YouTube for kids safety can be hazardous, few will argue that

Video searching can be a dangerous expedition under the watchful eyes of your child if you don’t have proper safeguards in place on YouTube. If you are using the YouTube App or accessing it from a browser on your home computer you know exactly what I’m talking about. And since the death of free user based online aggregating with TOTLOL in 2009, there is little option for parents seeking their kids’ safety except a paid service or app. I once searched a topic as innocent as “Piano Songs” and stumbled upon a disturbing video image of a crying child holding a gun to his head. It appeared conspicuously along the YouTube gallery side bar and was packaged within an innocent 7 minute long video that played classical music. Nice. …continue reading »

Will Zoodles Android app Solve Kindle Fire Parental Controls Issue?

December 2, 2011 by Caryn Talty Comments7 Comments »

View of Kid-Safe Mode on the Kindle Fire

This week I downloaded the Zoodles children’s browser to my Kindle Fire in hopes that it would solve the lack of parental controls issue for Amazon Prime members.

Zoodles is cross platform downloadable browser application for kids with a customizable parental controls feature. It also comes with a pricey premium. The company website claims it works on all kinds of devices: android mobile phones, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, as well as on your favorite PC or Mac. Users can manage their account on unlimited devices, too. This makes it handy for large families and for those that to travel to grandma’s quite a bit. Their team scours the internet for appropriate online educational games and videos for kids between 3-8 years old. It creates a customized browser experience for each child in your house based on their age and abilities. In addition, premium parents can choose what kinds of games they would like to see more of, and what games they would like to block …continue reading »

Corn Free Candy Canes by Caring Candies available this Christmas

November 29, 2011 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

The sugar free candy company is also Feingold diet approved

Caring Candies are Made from Isomalt.

All natural corn free candy canes that are also sugar free are hard to find. Caring Candies is a South African company that makes sugar free hard candy using a sugar alcohol called isomalt.

In business since 2002, this family owned company won best product in 2004 in Milan, Italy. If you have corn allergies and you are looking for corn free candy canes this Christmas season you are in luck! Often times isomalt is derived from corn. Not in this case!

I am happy to report that Caring Candies sugar and corn free candy canes are derived from beet sugar. Their candy is also safe for the Feingold diet because it has no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives in it either. The company uses all natural herbs and plants to source their flavors and colors in their candies. They are even vegan.

You are probably asking yourself, “What is Isomalt?” Here’s a little background on this healthy sweetener. Isomalt is a sugar alcohol that is considered ‘low glycemic.’ This makes it perfect for …continue reading »

New Kindle Fire Lacks Parental Control Features

November 17, 2011 by Caryn Talty Comments14 Comments »
The Kindle Fire may not be for kids yet.

The Kindle Fire lacks parental safeguard options.

The long awaited release of the Kindle Fire has finally arrived. I anxiously opened up the packaging to play with my new tablet toy priced less than half of what it would cost for an iPad.

We are an Apple family with a history of PC use. We have our iPhones and our MacBook, and we are completely satisfied with them. But this year for Christmas there isn’t money in the budget for an iPad for each kid, and let’s face it, no one wants to share their one and only Christmas gift. So after reading up on the device, and because we are already members of Amazon’s Prime service anyway, we decided to try out the Kindle Fire and take advantage of their free Cloud service.

I could write a review on the technical specs but I am hardly qualified. I imagine that are plenty of parents, however, who are considering getting a Kindle Fire in lieu of an iPad, Nook Color, or even a hand held gaming device like a Nintendo D.S. …continue reading »

Celiac Book is Great for Kids who are on a Gluten Free Diet

November 14, 2011 by Theresa Roman CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Are you looking for a kid’s celiac book that would be a great teaching tool about the celiac diagnosis?

Cilie Yack is Under AttackThis holiday consider getting a funny children’s celiac book that teaches about being a good friend, a good sport on the football field, and a lot about celiac disease, too.

The main character in this celiac book for kids, appropriately named Cilie Yack, learns about common celiac disease symptoms and gluten free eating.  Cilie Yack is Under Attack is a fun, fast-paced celiac book just for kids. It packs a lot of  juvenile humor in its 16 small chapters. The novel is about a boy who lives on a farm and loves sports, particularly football. But it is also about learning to be on a special gluten free diet. If you have a reluctant reader, he or she will be delighted with the 60 cartoon-like illustrations. There is also plenty of silly humor in this fast-paced celiac book to make the most reluctant child reader turn the page. Cilie Yack’s story is the perfect addition to your teacher’s set of classroom books, too.

Taking place in rural Ireland, this story is a labor of love for all kids who are food allergic, and would make a great addition to any library collection of food allergy and celiac books. …continue reading »

Pros and cons of the Pneumococcal Vaccine for Seniors

February 26, 2011 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Know Your Risk Factors for the Disease as Well as the Vaccine

Image of a syringe and vial

photo taken by Brian Hoskins

Worried about the pneumococcal vaccine side effects? You are not alone. It has become a common practice for general practitioners to recommend the pneumococcal vaccine to seniors over age 65 as an added safeguard against pneumonia. This disease is caused by strep infections 25% of the time.  But is the pneumonia vaccine, as most people call it, always a good idea? Are there instances when the elderly patient would be better off without it? I investigated this adult vaccine to find out.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, seniors are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop pneumonia, which is most common among nursing home patients with co-morbid conditions (patients otherwise sick with other illnesses as well). In these environments the use of antibiotics is more regular and sometimes ineffective. This is because virulent strains, other infectious and dangerous diseases like Pneumonia, MRSA, and Influenza can be life threatening to folks already weak and fragile. Experts believe that an adult vaccine for pneumonia, although not foolproof, can possibly protect these at-risk patients from deadly infections. …continue reading »

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Martha Speaks animated PBS show for kids to promote fine arts next week

February 16, 2011 by Caryn Talty CommentsBe the first to comment on this article! »

Martha the maestro

PBS will air 5 brand new children’s cartoon episodes of Martha Speaks during President’s Day week February 21-25. If you haven’t yet tuned in to see the talking dog on PBS, this would be a great week to give your pet loving kids a peek at the show’s clever canine.

Our youngest guy is a dog lover, and absolutely adores our little Beagle, Daisy. He’s only in preschool, so teaching him how to play appropriately with his doggie has always been a challenge. About six months ago he and I happened to catch an episode of Martha Speaks by chance, and since then we’ve both been hooked. Martha taught my little guy the right way to play with his dog in the very first episode we ever watched. Because Martha talks, she’s able to teach kids from a canine perspective things that they might not otherwise learn …continue reading »

Comparing High End Air Mattresses, a product review of two companies: Select Comfort® versus Natural Form® beds

October 29, 2010 by Caryn Talty Comments14 Comments »

Natural Form Bed

I was recently asked to provide a review of the Natural Form® bed system. I am a longtime owner of a Select Comfort® bed, so I felt that I was more than qualified to review an air mattress, after all I have owned one for several years. As a matter of fact, my husband and I have many family members who own them. If you are currently shopping for an air mattress you may find my experiences with both of these mattress brands valuable to you in your decision making process. …continue reading »