Colgate Kids
Whether your little ones like brushing their teeth regularly or not, Colgate Kids is going to get them excited about this two-three times per day chore. I am sure they had Colgate Kids when I was little, but I honestly don’t remember it. I wish I did though because the entire process is great for kids. From a variety of tantalizing flavors of toothpaste to fun character toothbrushes, including an electric Spongebob Squarepants toothbrush, Colgate Kids gets little ones into brushing so that the necessary habit isn’t such a chore. Colgate Kids is reasonably priced (on target with most brand names) and the flavors taste great. We highly recommend Colgate Kids if you have young children or if you’re just not fond of traditional toothpaste flavors and options.

Learn More about Colgate Kids

Dreambox Learning
Lil B had a tutor over the summer to prepare for his upcoming year of 1st grade. He needed some help with his numbers and with learning to read. In addition to his tutor time he got to try out Dreambox Learning. Dreambox is amazing because it works much like a game for children, but the entire time they are using it they are learning! Parents will love Dreambox because it’s as simple as signing up and making your account and that’s it. You can have your kids using it in no time. Parents can try the site and the games out so they know what to expect. Best of all, after the kids play parents will get progress reports to let them know what the kids did, what they learned, and what level they are on. If your kids don’t visit the site for a few days or you forget, Dreambox will even send you some reminders because the more your kids visit the site and play the various games, the more they will learn!

Learn More about Dreambox Learning

Lightning Bug Literacy Kit
Lil B also needed some work to help improve his reading skills. Like a lot of Kindergarten students he had the ability to read some words, but not enough to actually read at a basic level. Lightning Bug Literacy Kit was something that he could use with his dad (he loves learning with dad) and it provided an experience that was interactive enough to keep him fully immersed and interested. The Lightning Bug Literacy Kit includes a series of learning tools like DVDs, Reading Books, Workbooks, and some parent instructional materials to help your child in the event that they need some extra help. This Kit costs $100 and is worth every penny. Lil B enjoyed trying to read and being read to with the two books of stories and found the DVDs and other materials to be fun, but taught him many helpful reading tips in the process. If you have a little one with trouble reading this might just be the stepping stone they need to get them reading.

Learn More about the Lightning Bug Literacy Kit

Inspiration Software
As homeschooling parents we are always on the lookout for programs and software that can help us to develop the curriculum that we want our son to use. As he gets into the high school years, it is becoming harder to find the programs that are really beneficial to us. However, Inspiration Software offers many great options for people hoping to supplement their kids educational materials or to help develop a meatier plan for their homeschool platform, Inspiration Software can help you to do that and more. Students are able to build concept maps and other visual tools to help aid them in their learning. At $69 for a single license, we highly recommend this for parents that are teaching visual learners or that use the visual tools to help supplement the things they are teaching their kids.

Learn More about Inspiration Software

EasyLunchbox System
If you’re looking for an easy solution for an eco-friendly lunchbox, the Easy Lunchbox System is just what you need. This is a perfect system for kids lunch boxes or for anyone looking to save money by packing their lunch rather than buying it. You can choose from a selection of colors (we got a nice green bag) and inside the bag is four sectioned reusable containers for hot and cold foods. You can easily pop these in the microwave if necessary and you can wash them in the dishwasher. Of course, cleanup is a snap if you’re washing them in the sink. Like most plastic containers, it’s just a simple wash out with warm water and soap and you’re good to go. You can even put the containers in the freezer if you want to store something for later. You can purchase the Easy Lunchbox System for under $25 which includes the bag and containers. Considering the money you will save on packing lunches and on bags and other lunch items that are not reusable the cost is a price that is well worth it.

Learn More at Easy Lunchboxes!

We hope these suggestions help you and your kids have a more productive school year. More guides will be coming soon including guides for the holidays and other awesome goodies!

Technorati Tags: Back to School Items for Kids, Kids Lunch Boxes, Educational Software, Easy Lunchbox, Inspiration Software, Lightening Bug Literacy Kit, Mini-Guide, Kids, Back to School, Colgate Kids

Boogie Board Paperless Writing Tablet
The great thing about the Boogie Board Paperless Writing Tablet is that you can use it for a number of purposes and it takes up close to zero space. If you need to leave notes or reminders for yourself or your roommate the Boogie Board is a great solution and it cuts down on paper waste. The Boogie Board is inexpensive ($35 at Brookstone) and lasts for at least 50,000 deletes, which should be at least one school year if not many more. Just leave your messages or doodles and then when you’re done with them just click delete to clear your screen. This is perfect for dorm rooms, near the phone for messages, or for younger kids that like to draw and need something to occupy them.

Check out our complete review!

Learn More at Brookstone

Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones
Every college student needs a good pair of headphones. By good I mean stereo quality. Even more than that, concert quality wouldn’t be a bad thing. Beats by Dre are headphones that will give new meaning to your music. You can use these on campus with your phone (you can answer calls with them, too), at your computer or with your stereo. Basically, if you have something that plays music and it has a headphone port, then you can use Beats by Dre. The sound is the most pure sound I have found in a headphone. Other things that will appeal to the college crowd include the comfort factor (you could easily wear these on campus all day with no problem) and the fashion aspect (the design is flashy as well as functional). Meanwhile, mom’s will like the fact that the sound quality is excellent at lower levels so the kids won’t have to go deaf to enjoy their headphones. Beats by Dre headphones are expensive (generally over or around $300), but they are worth every penny.

Check out our complete review!

Learn More at Brookstone

Rolling Office Organizer
If you have a big class load with plenty of books and a laptop you know how important a good bag is going to be for college. Brookstone’s Rolling Office Organizer is not only perfect for class it’s big enough that you could use it as a carry-on bag! There is a spot for your laptop and another large spot for books, clothes, or other necessities. Beyond that there are spots for school supplies, cell phones, wallets, and other smaller items. Just hit the button and the lever extends to allow you to roll your bag if it’s heavy. Of course, you can always carry it if you wish. In any case, this bag is well made, offers tons of space and is practically a necessity for any college student taking a full class load.

Learn More at Brookstone

Video Spy Pen
When we originally decided to look at this Video Spy Pen it was because I thought it would be great for people with disabilities. Having the chance to sit a pen on your desk and capture everything that your professor says offers some major benefits. We’ve played with it a few times and while we admit, the video can be hard to master (unless you’re truly spying) the audio is spot on and works perfectly for note taking, audio reminders, notes and other things you might need to catch on audio while you’re on the go. This alone makes it worth the $100 price tag at Brookstone. However, prior to being in class the thing that really caught my eye was the pen. It’s thick, comfortable to write with and it always writes. If you’re a sucker for an executive style pen you’ll love the Video Spy Pen!

Learn More at Brookstone

Aroma Home Cow Hot Socks & Monkey Hot Hug
When we were getting ready to move into our apartment I wanted to make sure that I had all the necessities, but I also wanted to make sure I had my own personal necessities. I am a huge comfort person. I can live just about anywhere (in any safe situation) as long as I have some comfy pajamas, some good lounge pants, and other basic essentials. So, when I learned about Aroma Home I was thrilled! Aroma Home offers some cuddly stuffed animals that warm up so you can snuggle and have them double as a heat pack! We got the monkey and I love him. He’s cute and keeps me perfectly warm and if I’m dealing with any back pain he helps get rid of it. The other product that we received from them was the Hot Socks. Fashioned in cow print, these socks include warmers that you can heat up to keep your feet toasty in the winter. Aroma Home offers some great products at fair prices that will fit great in any home, apartment, or dorm room.

Learn More at Aroma Home

Beehive – Black and White Demask Lamp
I am almost ashamed to admit it, but one of the things we almost forgot to buy when moving into our new apartment was a new lamp. Luckily for me, Beehive was there to offer me a lamp for this guide. While we use our lamp in our new bedroom, I feel it’s worth noting that Beehive offers plenty of other products that would work well in dorm rooms including pillows, picture frames, wall decorations, and yes, lamps, too. Beehive products are fairly priced and stylish enough to spruce up any small space. This alone makes them worth a look. All dorm rooms and apartments need lamps and other decorative furnishings and Beehive can certainly help with that.

Learn More at Beehive

Kangaroom Bathroom Caddy/Mesh Total Tote
While we are not in a dorm room, having an apartment bathroom can be a struggle whether you’re in college or not. I have to admit, the Kangaroom Bathroom Caddy looked somewhat small on the computer when I was looking at it. Well, looks apparently are deceiving. We have three extra large bottles in there now, along with smaller bottles of body wash, razors, and other toiletries. Kangaroom also offers other essential dorm gear ranging from things like pop up hampers to hanging media organizers for your keys, cell phones, and other goodies. If you’re looking for an inexpensive solution to keep your things in order Kangaroom is definitely a good option for you.

Learn More at Kangaroom Storage

Sylvania SuperSaver Light Bulbs
I have had the chance to review Sylvania light bulbs before, so naturally I was thrilled when they offered to send us some more for this dorm guide. They were nice enough to send some standard bulbs and some of the halogen bulbs that are newer to the market. These new Sylvania light bulbs use less energy, last longer, and are better for the environment. Naturally, our son is always trying to get us to buy them. We were skeptical at first because they can be a bit more expensive, but after using them I noticed that they last a considerable amount of time longer and end up being worth the money that you spend for them. These Sylvania light bulbs come in two packs and are available just about everywhere light bulbs are sold. Whether you are choosing to go the route of the halogen or you want to pick up the standard LEDs you should definitely consider Sylvania as they are some of the best available.

Learn More at Sylvania

Motorola Talkabout MR350R Two-Way Radios
With two of us living on campus and only one cell phone between us, a great way to stay in touch is with a pair of Motorola Talkabout Two-Way Radios. When we received the Motorola radios I was thrilled to learn that they are supposed to work as far as 35 miles apart. We tested these out and ours did not take us that far apart, but when I am in our apartment and Dom is on campus, a mile or two away, we can easily communicate. I took them as far as ten miles apart and found that we could communicate without a problem. Anything further did not work for us, but that could have been due to a number of factors. If you are living in a dorm and want to keep tabs on your roommate or easily stay in touch with friends these Motorola radios will definitely get the job done. If you’re worried about your cell phone costs this will also help cut down on them, as well. You can pick these Motorola Talkabout Radios up at stores like Amazon, where these retail for around $80, or other stores where Motorola products are sold. When you purchase these you receive two radios, a charging unit and any cords that are required for charging the unit. You can also get custom face plates to spruce your radios up to match your style!

Learn More at Motorola

Joy Mangano’s Huggable Hangers
The thing I love about Huggable Hangers is that they keep your clothes neat and clean on your hangers and they don’t slip! These hangers are soft and shaped the way they should be to ensure that your clothes will not be damaged and that they will stay in better shape. We received two sizes of Huggable Hangers and the only thing wrong with them is that I didn’t have enough to replace all my hangers! That being said, these are well worth the purchase whether you’re going to be living in a dorm room or you need them in any type of living situation. You can buy these hangers online in a number of places including Amazon.com. You can also find them at your local discount stores and on the television through the home shopping channels. At $20 for 20 hangers they are a bit more expensive than your traditional hangers but they will respect your clothes and help them to last longer. They will also rid you of that annoying slip that often occurs with other hangers.

Ionic Bulb
With allergies being what they are these days and so many air pathogens causing problems for so many people, things like the Ionic Bulb can be a true life saver. Dom has horrific allergies. He takes something for them, but even with the medication he has serious issues with dust, pollen, and especially smoke. So, I was excited to try the Ionic Bulb. You see, the Ionic Bulb removes these nasty things from the air while lighting your room in a soft, comfortable light. We’ve been using the Ionic Bulb for a couple of weeks now. According to the website, these bulbs also help save on your electric bill. We haven’t received one to see the difference, so we cannot make a claim on that. We can say that Dom has had less allergy issues since using the bulb though and that makes it well worth the $20 price tag for two bulbs.

Learn More at Ionic Bulb

Cirago Bluetooth 3.0 Adapter
If you’re a college student in this day and age you’re probably gadget obsessed. That’s okay, most of us are! That also probably means that you have at least a couple Bluetooth capable devices. Cirago is great because you can hook them up to your laptops or desktop computers and connect with all of your devices without going through the hassle of dealing with the wires or having everything in the same room. We never had any issues with range and when we had our adapter hooked up we found our devices and many others in the area, so finding your gadgets shouldn’t be a problem. At under $30 the Cirago Adapter does just what it you need it to do without problems.

Learn More at Cirago

Built Laptop Porter
When it comes to school, there is one thing that I never leave home without and that’s my laptop. Of course, until recently I did not have a bag that would be suitable to carry my laptop. After watching what happened to my brother’s I was pretty sure I needed to find one for school. The Built Laptop Porter is stylish, sleek and is a perfect fit for your laptop and any required cords that you would need. My laptop is a 16 inch and it fit snugly and provided a secure space for it when I wasn’t using it. Built offers a variety of laptop sleeves and bags suitable for laptops and netbooks of various sizes. Prices range, but are fair for what you receive. The only thing I would change about the Laptop Porter is to give it more space for other school items beyond the laptop. There is minimal space available, but not too much. Still, if you’re looking for something to keep your laptop safe the Built Laptop Porter is just what you’re looking for!

Learn More at Built NY

Technorati Tags: Dorm Essentials, Back to School, Mini-Guide, Bluetooth, Cirago, Huggable Hangers, Built Laptop Porter, Ionic Bulb, Sylvania Super Savers, Beats by Dre

photo credit: stuartpilbrow

A few years back, I attended another online school. I had always dreamed of going to college, but life and responsibilities often got in the way. Eventually I decided I would go online and picked one of the first accredited schools that I found. The school, sadly, was highly overpriced and I learned little while attending there. In fact, in one class I practically taught the class myself (something I was not necessarily qualified to do). I quit that school when I took a class with another professor that had absolutely no qualifications to teach the class I was in. At that point, I had all but given up on online education.

After a few months, I decided to go back, assuming that I could find a school that was as close to a traditional school as possible. I chose APU because they were formed to make sure that people traveling in the military would still be able to get the education they deserved. This portion of the school (it’s actually the same school and classes, just a different subset) is known as AMU (American Military University). I liked the wide range of degree options that the school offered, the fair prices (a term costs around $3,000 for 12 credits), and the numerous options for classes in general.

I also enjoy the fact that many of the professors are professionals in their field. These are people that have first-hand knowledge about the subjects they are teaching. You won’t get a person that only has book knowledge (or no knowledge at all). All of the professors that I have encountered enjoy what they do, in class, and in their field.

Depending on the classes that you want to take you can choose from 8 weeks or 16 weeks. APU/AMU offers a monthly start schedule. This differs from a traditional University, which makes you start on their schedule.

Some Interesting Facts about APU:

APU is a member institution of regionally- and nationally-accredited American Public University System (APUS), recognized as a leading education provider by numerous military, federal, private and public sector employers

According to the Military Times annual industry top-50 rankings for 2010, APU’s sister institution, American Military University (AMU), is the number one education provider to the U.S. military

In 2009, APUS received the Sloan Consortium’s Ralph E. Gomory award for quality online education and is also a two-time winner of the Sloan’s Effective Practice Award

In 2008, the National Survey of Student Engagement found that 97% of seniors enrolled at APUS had an extremely favorable view of the online learning system and would overwhelmingly attend again if they could start their college career over

The greater APUS virtual community numbers more than 70,000 classmates, 12,000 alumni, and more than 1,500 faculty and staff collaborating across time zones and borders in more than 100 countries worldwide

If you want to learn more about APU and their benefits for busy moms like me you can check out the APU Moms Portal or you can visit the APU Homepage if you want to learn anything else about the programs and the way things are done while attending this online institution.

Disclosure:
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of American Public University. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Technorati Tags: American Public University, American Military University, College, Online University, School, Overview, Moms, Education

On the surface the Boogie Board is a thin, black board that looks like a typical note-taking tablet. It comes with a steel colored pseudo-pen that you can use in small form or extend to make longer. You write with this specific pen on the board and it will copy anything you write or draw. When you are done, there is a delete button at the top of the board. You just press it and the board is clear and you can start new.

I can see the value of a board like this, though I don’t know how worthy it would be for school. You couldn’t take school notes on the board, because you would end up erasing them and then you wouldn’t have your notes. It’d be nice for short term notes or doodling, but I could see most schools claiming the Boogie Board as a distraction and asking kids not to bring them to class.

However, at home these would be great. You could use them for to-do lists or to leave messages for people if they are not home. You could even leave the Boogie Board by the phone and write messages on it as they come in. People that like to draw will find the Boogie Board to be an enjoyable tool, as well, because you can draw to your hearts content. A quick flick of the delete button allows you to enjoy a clean canvas whether you messed up your drawing or you’re just ready to start a new one.

Some fun and useful options for the Boogie Board include:

Tic Tac Toe
Shopping Lists
To-Do List
Art Projects
Phone Messages

The Boogie Board is useful as a messaging tablet because it reduces the need for paper, which helps the environment. The Board comes with a battery in tact. The battery is only used when the delete button is pressed. The battery is said to last for about 50,000 deletes/erases. Even with limited use, it will take the average person quite some time to get to the 50,000 limit, thus getting their money’s worth.

I only have two minor complaints about the Boogie Board and none of them would really prohibit me from using it. The first issue I have is that it has no standing mechanism. If there were a bar in the back that propped it up it would allow for easier viewing if someone were leaving messages or things like that. The other complaint is the actual size of the Boogie Board. It’s not dreadfully small at 8.8″ x 5.6″, but I would have loved to see a bigger writing surface here.

That being said at $35 the Boogie Board is an adequate swap for the old pencil and paper because it ensures that you have no waste and it does the same job. It’s hard to complain about something like that when it does just what it claims it will do. We were sent the Boogie Board: Paperless Writing Tablet from Brookstone for review. You can pick one up on their website for just $35. While this is not the traditional back to school item, it’s great for list taking and will make a fun toy for doodlers.

Technorati Tags: Boogie Board, Paperless Writing Tablet, Back to School Review, Product Review, Brookstone, Doodling

First off, they are made by Dr. Dre. That might seem like a little thing to you, but as people that grew up listening to his music we thought it would be good to try out headphones created by someone in the music business. I mean, if a musician (who is said to be a perfectionist) cannot get a pair of headphones right then their might not be any hope. Next, they are incredibly expensive. Don’t get me wrong. We don’t review things on the basis of how much they cost. We do like to find out if expensive items are worth the money though and we like to offer you, our readers, this information, as well.

First impressions were quite impressive. Beats by Dre arrives in a hard red box with a black slip cover that announces the Beats by Dre label. When the slipcover comes off you see the white logo on the red box. The box opens and on one side there is a black case that includes the actual headphones. The other side opens up to include instructions and manuals, two soft cables with additional adapters, batteries, and a micro-fiber cloth.

The headphones come in a case where they fold up for easier and more complete transport. You can use Beats by Dre with any smart-phone, your computer or laptop, or any stereo that has headphone support. The cord of your choice just hooks in under the right earpiece and once you put in your batteries you’re ready to start listening to music.

The batteries are placed in through the right earpiece. You just turn the side and it opens up. Place in your batteries and snap it back shut. The opposite side has a small on/off switch that you will need to toggle before use (otherwise you won’t be hearing anything). The color on the on/off switch will alert you of when you need to change your batteries.

If you are using Beats by Dre with your phone you will notice that a small switch box is a part of the cord. When you get a call, just click the button and your music will pause while you take your call. When the call is over the music will resume! Also, a great feature of these headphones is the mute feature. Just press the plate on the right ear and it will mute your music (Note: this does not pause it, only mutes it). This comes in handy when someone is trying to talk to you when your music is on.

All of this having been said, one of the most important things – actually the most important thing is always going to be the sound. If the sound isn’t good on a pair of headphones then none of the other stuff really matters. The fact is that Beats by Dre offers the most incredibly sounding headphones that I’ve found, to date. I’ve reviewed headphones that I’ve loved, but these take the cake. The sound is the most authentic stereo sound that I have experienced.

One of the best things about the sound on the Beats by Dre headphones is that you do not have to turn these up loud to experience impressive audio. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. They don’t recommend turning them up too high as it can cause damage to your ear. Still, I normally have mine up (on other models) from 70-100% volume. This ensures that all sounds are blocked out and it’s just me and my music.

With Beats by Dre I had the volume no louder than 30 ever and usually kept it at a comfortable 24. When people spoke to me, I had to hit the mute button, otherwise I would not be able to hear them. Despite the low sound, the padding of the headphones keeps the sound in and allows it to sound excellent. Even at the low level the music was highly detailed. I didn’t go past the 30 mark because I found if I did that it would be too loud, but I suspect that the sound would be equally as impressive. Normally you have no choice but to turn it up, so I love that with these, you can get that amazing, fine-tuned sound at a level that doesn’t damage your ear in the process.

The bass is by far the most ear-popping element to be heard here, but all aspects of music are represented well. Each instrument and sound, no matter how seemingly small, appears as a full, distinct sound. So many headphones will represent one element of music better than the others, but Beats by Dre hits all of the right notes in every, single song.

I honestly would be shocked to find a pair of headphones with a better sound. Beats by Dre makes me want to listen to music all day long. The crisp, clear sound is so impressive that it’s hard to want to be without these for long. Music lovers need a pair of headphones like this.

The final compliment I have, and it’s a little, but important one, is that these headphones are nothing short of sexy. I don’t think of headphones in terms of sex appeal normally, but these are quite fashionable. Black, silver, and red are the main colors here with black playing the predominant role, red handling the lining, and silver playing the star of the center of the earpiece.

You can purchase Beats by Dre in a number of high-end electronic stores online and in traditional stores. Brookstone.com sells them for $299.95 and they are worth every penny. If you’re in the market for a stellar pair of headphones with mind-blowing sound then pop on over to Brookstone and pick up a pair of Beats by Dre. I couldn’t recommend these highly enough if I tried.

Technorati Tags: Headphones, Music, Beats by Dre, Monster, Dr. Dre, Stereo, Bass, High Quality, Luxury, Sexy, Fashion, Back to School Review, Product Review

Me and Papermate go through phases of love and disinterest. Like most parents I buy at least a few packs of their ballpoint pens when school is starting. The reason for this is because they go on sale for so little money. However, these thin, stick-like pens have never been my favorite. I keep them around because in most cases they are reliable. Love them or hate them, I admit in a pinch, Papermate works. So, when I was approached about their biodegradable pencils for review I definitely wanted to give them a shot.

CT wants to go green as much as possible. He knows that we can’t do it in every single way, but if we can swap out a regular item for its green counterpart then he wants us to do it. He has been using the Earth Write pencils since we received them. As he is homeschooled, he started his year earlier in the summer so these arrived at just the right time. Normally he uses mechanical pencils (Papermate also makes recycled mechanical pencils), but he agreed to use the regular pencils for this review.

I am happy to say that since he started using the Papermate Earth Write pencils he has not switched back to the mechanical pencils. In fact, after about a month, he has four left in his pack of ten. Yesterday he announced to me that I would need to buy him more pencils because he would likely be running out shortly. He still has plenty of his old mechanical pencils left, but he now prefers to use the traditional wood pencils. Permitting, of course, I buy him the Earth Write ones that he likes so much.

Meanwhile, the pens that I was sent are made from 70% recycled materials. I would be more likely to purchase them as opposed to the standard blue, classic Papermate pens, though I confess I still love the thicker, more executive-style pens more than anything. However, in a pinch I have no qualms about the quality and ease of use when using these, because these Papermate pens seem to get the job done.

You can pick up Papermate products just about anywhere that school supplies are sold. You can find them online at stores like Amazon.com or locally at Walmart, Kmart, and any office supply store that you might frequent.

Technorati Tags: Papermate. Pens, School Supplies, Back to School, Product Review, Recycled, Biodegradable, Pencils

These amazing, green sandwich bags make packing lunch for the kiddies a breeze! You just fill one side, flip it, fill it, and zip that side, too. Of course, you can use them for far more than just lunch, but we will get into all of that in a minute. The sandwich bags include a larger side which fits a sandwich and a smaller side that is perfect for a snack.

If you find that you need to have a larger space and just want to use one bag (say you’re carrying an abundance of cookies) you can easily unzip the center and you’re good to go. So, in essence, one box of EcoZip sandwich bags gives you access to three sizes of bags, which are connected for convenience’s sake.

We received the sandwich/snack bags for review and found them to be more than adequate in size for a sandwich and snack. While these are all reasons to appreciate (and want to use) EcoZip, it’s the environmental friendliness that really makes me love the EcoZip brand.

The fact that these bags are made with less plastic makes them incredibly good for the environment. I am not going to tell you to avoid using sandwich bags because using them makes sense when you’re packing a lunch. They are inexpensive and easy to deal with. However, it doesn’t make them good for the environment. EcoZip may still be made of plastic, but using less plastic makes them a better option. When you add that to the fact that they are far handier and you get more than one size bag in each box then you definitely have a winner.

Depending on the size of the bags you buy, you can do far more with them than just lunches, too. We are planning a move and I am using one of the larger bags we were sent to store any USB cords and other cords for my gadgets. This puts them all in one spot and lessens the worry that comes with not being able to find them, which would happen if they were packed away in various boxes. I did something similar with my game microphones that we have to play the music/singing games for the various consoles we own. For the kids, we use them for art supplies, snacks, and craft dividers. The possibilities are pretty endless.

EcoZip bags are available in a number of stores both online and in your local area. From a local perspective some stores that carry EcoZip include Mid-Atlantic Kroger locations, Buehlers, Shopro, Stop + Shop, A+P, and Food Emporium. On the EcoZip website you can purchase boxes of the bags at $3.99 a box (any size) or three boxes (one of each size) for $9.99.

Technorati Tags: Ecozip, Green Living, Back to School, Sandwich Bags, Less Plastic, School Lunch, Eco-friendly, Product Review

Ecosystem notebooks (no matter what kind you purchase) are special because they are made purely from post-consumer recycled paper. Using Ecosystem products allows you to help save full-grown trees, millions of gallons of water, and even lower the greenhouse gases that enter our system. Not only that, but you have the option of recycling the books when you are done to continue the process.

The Ecosystem books come in a variety of sizes and colors and you have four main types to choose from. The types include: Ecosystem Artist (blank paper), Ecosystem Advisor (planner), Ecosystem Author (lined paper), and Ecosystem Architect (graph paper).

Once you have picked the style of notebook you’d like you can choose between a hard, a flexi-cover, or a paper cover depending on the style. Other options include small, medium, and large sizes and colors of Onyx, Watermelon, Lagoon, Clementine, Kiwi, and Grape. We went with the Clementine Author book in medium size with a flex-cover.

The colors offer a bright, vibrant appeal and the various sizes give the user the ability to find a notebook that is perfect for them. These would be great for journals, artbooks, and even math class (the architect book). CT loved the Author and uses it daily for his journal.

The one thing that I find kind of silly about Ecosystem was one of the things that CT loved. You see, CT has Asperger’s Syndrome and because of that he has a tendency to be overly-literal at times. Ecosystem allows you to register your notebooks in case something happens to them. The website also includes a lost and found section where you can input a description of the book, the registration number and where you lost or found it. He waited rather impatiently for me to fill out the registration so that his book would be registered like it should be. I don’t know that if he loses it, he will find it this way, but he assured me that it had to be done!

The Ecosystem products all range in price, from around $7 to no more than $20 and can be purchased at retailers such as Barnes and Noble. While these can be a little bit more expensive than the average school supply fare, the good cause behind them makes them worth the extra money if you have it to spend.

Technorati Tags: Ecosystem, Author, Architect, Paper, Eco-friendly, Product Review, School Supplies

In any case, the need for school supplies is a common one in this house, so I look forward to our Back to School Guide and reviews every year. I chose Carolina Pad for our first review because I was pretty excited about some of their designs this year.

For those of you not familiar with Carolina Pad, it’s a great company that makes trendy notebooks and other school supplies. Every season they offer an excellent bundle that includes various size notebooks and other paper products in the $40 market. The paper is good quality, the covers are thick enough to not have to worry about ripping, and the designs are pleasing for the average girl. I point that out merely because I have not really found any masculine designs from Carolina Pad. Generally, the colors are light and airy and you see things like hearts, flowers, and peace signs being a part of their designs.

With the back to school season getting into full swing, the theme for this season includes four new designs: Carnaby Street, Peace, True Love, and Kaleidoscope. Normally a bundle will come with all of the same design, but I requested specific products be in each of the different designs because I feel that there are strengths and weakness to each design. However, when you pick out the items specifically that look the best (which you can do on the CP website) it’s a win/win for all involved.

The package I received included:
A 1-Subject Notebook (True Love)
An Ideal Book (3-Subject Professional Notebook) (Peace)
An Elastic Strap Journal (Kaleidoscope)
An 18-Month Spiral Bound Planner (True Love)
A Package of 3 Matchbook Style Mini-Notebooks (True Love)

As you can see, True Love was by far my favorite style. The one thing I didn’t like from this particular collection was the elastic strap journal. The journal is white with three columns of large, red hearts. There isn’t anything wrong with this particular design, but I am not overly fond of it. It feels too repetitive for my tastes. I do love the other designs in the series though and find the black, white and red, artistic sweeping lines to be quite pleasing. I am most fond of the 1-Subject notebook, though I liked the other sizes, as well. True Love was definitely the set I came closest to wanting in the complete sense of the set.

I was also very fond of Peace, which employs the use of tie-dye colors and peace signs in bright and vibrant colors. Again, I loved the notebooks more than the journal. In choosing, I felt that the blacks and basic colors were more suitable for me, though Peace was my second choice. With Kaleidoscope, I found myself only appreciating the striped look of the 3-Subject notebook. I was less fond of the strong colors mixed with bouncy looking balls and flowers. Finally, Carnaby Street was my least favorite. The green and pink colors didn’t do much for me and the flowers and flowing designs just didn’t excite me with this setup. Still, three out of four isn’t bad.

Carolina Pad offers some great options to spruce up your back to school supply arsenal. The products are all good quality items and they are available at a fair price. I highly recommend checking them out!

Technorati Tags: Carolina Pad, School Supplies, Back to School, Peace, Kaleidoscope, True Love, Notebooks, Product Review