The Banana Splits, a hugely popular costumed rock band from the ’60s is back! The Banana Splits are fondly remembered by Baby Boomers for their unique combination of kid-style comedy and contemporary music!

Now share the excitement with your own children or even grandchildren!

The Classic ’60s TV and Music Icons Return With New Comedy Shorts on Cartoon Network, Music Videos, Website and Live Entertainment.

Starting September 2nd, The Banana Splits will star in a brand new comedy shorts and music videos on the Cartoon Network.  This Fab Four - Fleegle (a dog), Drooper (a lion), Bingo (a gorilla) and Snorky (an elephant) are ready to introduce their unique style of humor and catchy music to a whole new generation of young fans!

Also debuting in August is the all new Banana splits website, where kids ages 4-7 can watch comedy shorts and music videos, play games and join the Banana Splits club at http://www.bananasplits.com

Want to know 5 Cool Things About BananaSplits.com?

1)  Phone-A-Joke: Does your kid love jokes (hearing them, telling them, making them up?) Why not have them phone in their favorite joke using the toll free number listed in the “Jokes” section.  If the ‘Splits think its top notch, it’ll be incorporated into the website!

2) Great Music (seriously):  Tired of listening to sugary sweet, repetitive, less-than-incredible kids’ music?  Get your groove on with the oh-so-adult-friendly tunes available on the site.

3) Secret Codes:  What kid doesn’t love a good secret code?  On BananaSplits.com, kids can check in daily to decipher a code, then solve a word puzzle to reveal - what else - a silly, groan-inducing, ‘Splits style joke.

4) Fan Mail: Does your youngster have questions for the Furry Four?  Help them send an email in the “Fan Mail” section, and check back often to see if Fleegle, Snorky, Drooper or Bingo answers the email in a Fan Mail video.

5) The Banana Splits Club:  Much like secret codes, special clubs are kid nirvana.  Join the official Banana Splits Club to receive a downloadable membership certificate and Club Card (the best part is, no email addresses, phone numbers, or other personal info is requested - these ‘Splits are a low key bunch!).

Your kids will really be enthralled with this colorful, action-packed and entertaining web site.  This is the perfect parent/child activity to encourage early computer use for your child while stimulating their senses.

Soon the Banana Splits will also be seen in concert tours, live appearances, as well as a wide range of exclusive merchandise including toys, games, books and apparel!

Warner Bros. Consumer Products

Check it out at http://www.bananasplits.com

Baby Go Green features Natural Parenting Products,
Made Easy and Affordable!

The new luv of my life arrived on August 5, 2008.  I now have a new Grandson!

This is going to be quite an experience for me, after having 2 daughters, and one granddaughter.  Not only do I not really know how to shop for anything remotely connected to entertaining toddler boys, but I’m not great at picking out clothes for them either!

To my rescue comes Baby Go Green ~ Natural Parenting Made Easy & Affordable!

I did a Product Review for Lori, a WAHM of 3 girls earlier this summer highlighting the wonderful Fuzzy Farm Puzzle.

Now that Slugger’s on deck, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you about the 100% Organic Baby Clothes that Baby Go Green has to offer.

The UTN Union Suit HIPPO is a  cozy suit that is  great for outings or just around the house.  Made with the finest 100% Organic Egyptian Cotton, Slugger will be comfortable and cozy in this super-soft outfit that is suitable for wearing through the rest of the Summer through Fall, here in New England.  It has plenty of thin snaps for comfort and easy changing.  And do I need to mention how breathable natural cotton is?

Available in Sizes Newborn ~ 3 Months & Sizes 6 ~ 9 Months

USD $24.00

Check out Baby Go Green for Cloth Diapers, Diaper Covers, Baby Care items & More.

Have a Baby Shower coming up?  How about starting your Holiday Shopping early  ~ Lori is kind enough to offer readers of Moomettesgram’s Musings  Free Shipping! Use Code FREESHIP50

Being a Grandmother is just way too much fun! Not only did I not have to give birth to the little darlings who bring me so much joy, I also get to chuckle when listening to my oldest Darling Daughter tell me how much work it is! And she’s 10 years younger than I was when I had my two girls!

I recently had the opportunity to review Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue ~ A Lesson in Helping Others in DVD format, from Big Idea.

Big Idea, Inc., an Entertainment Rights group company, is the leading faith-based studio and producer of children’s and family programming, characters and brands.

As the storyline goes ~

Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s life on the lazy river takes a turn for adventure when they help a stranger in need. With unexpected twists around every bend, they discover that while helping others may not be the easiest thing to do, it’s always the right thing to do!

The Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo is the new Silly Song Feature, along with The Mighty Mississippi and She’s My Friend.  Dolby Digital enhanced.

‘Lil Moomette is 21 months old and has been watching educational videos since she was an infant. Unlike the educational programing that my own daughters had to endure during the 1980s and 90s, when Cable TV was in it’s infancy or VHS tapes were just introduced marketed towards children, the Veggie Tales Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue ~ A Lesson in Helping Others is an action-packed video and held ‘Lil Momette’s attention span.

Viewed on a 47-inch Hi Definition TV the characters are colorful and animated. While Moomette, at 21 months, may not yet quite appreciate the story line, she was able to identify and repeat the names of the Veggies through their colors, and animations.

The lively story and music prompted Moomette to gleefully dance around the Living Room while watching, trying to emulate the characters. It was a hoot to watch her! This video will continue to grab her attention for quite some time.  As she gets older and more cognizant of situations,  Moomette will understand the storyline in greater detail,  much as reading a book over and over.

Approx. View Time ~ 50 Minutes

USD $14.99

This week has been both exciting and tumultuous for my family. I’m coming down from the high of becoming a grandmother for the second time. It’s both exhilarating and exhausting.

In between all the excitement and responsibilities (i.e., being on red-alert for babysitting ‘Lil Moomette whilst her parents were at the hospital), I’ve had to remember to re-charge the battery on my Canon Powershot camera.

My poor cameras take such a beating. This is actually my second Canon. Last October, my first camera went swimming in the pool at a wedding. I was having my photo taken poolside, and one of the ushers tackled my sidekick, and the camera I was holding did a slow-mo into the pool. Luckily, all the photos on the memory card survived, as I removed it quickly, but the camera was toast.

It’s time to replace once again the one I’m now using. Being a Power Seller, you wouldn’t believe some of the motions I have to go through to try to capture just the right angle on some pictures for my listings. This camera took a dive off a step stool so I’ll be placing an order soon for a new one!

I’ll be needing it to capture all those priceless moments of Moomette’s upcoming second birthday!

‘Lil Moomette, who’s 21 months old, is now a proud Big Sister! I have a new grandson that was born August 5th!

Since I have 2 grown daughters of my own, a boy in the family is going to be a different experience!

My daughter always dresses Moomette in coordinating outfits and matching purses. Even at this tender age, Moomette likes to have her hair done up in “pretties,” as she calls them.  However, ‘Lil Moomette wasn’t blessed with the thick mane of hair that her mom had as a child, and still has ~ but rather, takes after her Dad. Any attempt to put a barrette, or other “pretty” in her hair ~ and we risk the chance of losing what little hair there is!

I am therefore delighted to have the opportunity to review Bugalug Barrettes and Headbands from Bugalug Baby, a Canadian company.

Bugalug offers ‘stay-put accessories for the Urban Girl.’  After receiving a set of these delightfully well-made barrettes, we can certainly attest that they do, in fact, stay in place on even the slightest whisps of baby fine hair! My daughter was amazed that these were the only barrettes and headbands that she has used that have stayed in place on Moomette!

Bugalug’s website states:

Bugalug barrettes have recently introduced their newest, most innovative and BEST clip yet! We have gone 100% magnet free and we have added a silicon gel GRIP to the inside of EVERY barrette. This grippy strip is the 1st of it’s kind. Many other barrettes are finding ways to imitate our grippy strip, but they just can’t compete with this unique design. Like always, our clips are great for any hair type and any age, from baby to adult, but they are especially great for fine hair. When nothing else will stay, try a Bugalug - you won’t be disappointed. With our simple, trendy, no frills designs, your little one will be able to wear them with tons of different outfits for years to come! And remember, we are glueless too - our clips can withstand the wash and dryer and never look bumpy or clumpy from glue.

Each set ~ USD $4.00

Grosgrain Headbands are fully adjustable and will fit any head from infant to adult. (26″)

Each ~ USD $8.00

There is also a Clip of the Month Club Membership available. Become a VIP member of Bugalug! By joining their clip of the month club, you will be the first to get new styles, popular retired styles, and exclusive styles for members only! One fabulous new clip will arrive in your mailbox every month for 12 months.

Bugalug Baby would like to offer readers of Moomettesgram’s Musings a discount of 10% expiring August 31, 2008.  Use code:  MOOM10

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost through the summer and Labor Day is right around the corner! My youngest daughter starts her Senior year of college soon, so I’m still in the parenting Back-To-School mode. My readers know that “Rosie the Riviter” decided to move back home for her Senior Year, so rather than being an Empty-Nestor for the upcoming school year, I’m still in Mama-mode.

No longer am I worrying about having to go out and buy apartment basics for Rosie, such as pots, pans, bedding and furniture. Most of it came back safely with her when she moved back in. Some of these items disappeared via roommates and probably would have returned home had they been labeled properly. That’s where Dymo label makers come in handy.

With the whiff of Autumn, New England fall foliage and and Back-To-School on my mind, I’m flashing back to the days when I used to take the obligatory first-day-of school picture, and waiving good-bye to the kiddos on the school bus. Flashback further, and I’m the one going off to school for the first time.

My first day of school would have been 51 years ago! I was a “walker,” even in Kindergarten. We only went half-days. When I was in first-grade, we were dismissed for lunch, walked home, and then back to school again. There was no such thing as a cafeteria, and I would say 99% of the moms didn’t work, and were at home to greet us with lunch! I still carried a lunch box for snacks, and we hand-wrote our names on masking tape in crayon to distinguish Betty-Lou’s from Suzie’s. That’s where the kids today are lucky, and have all the options such as color labels to mark not only their lunch boxes, but also their backpacks! We didn’t even have backpacks ~ I can remember carrying all my books in my arms, or once, in a rubberized green carrying sack!

If you’re a mom making a Back-To-School list, don’t forget to add a Dymo label maker to that list. Buying all those school supplies once certainly adds up! Having to replace them because they weren’t labeled is something none of us wants to do!

Whether you’ll be waiving goodbye to the school bus, or home school ~ don’t forget to charge the camera battery for those First-Day-of-School photos!

My daughters are grown, but as a Mom, I’m still always ‘on-call.’ That’s just the way it is, and actually, I’m thankful that I have such a good relationship with my daughters.

Starting today, and probably through next Friday, I’m going to be on ‘red-alert standby’ to take care of ‘Lil Moomette, as my daughter is due to deliver my grandson any day!

Every Grandma needs a goody bag to keep the kiddos occupied when going out to eat. (I like to go out to eat whenever I can!)

I have a Sister-In-Law who always has the most spectacular goody bags at-the ready for the grandchildren. You wouldn’t believe what was in them to keep 5 grandkiddos occupied at a golf tournament! But the irony of it all was that my Sister-In-Law was never blessed with children of her own, and rather that the little darlings are my late Brother-in-Law’s grandchildren!

Thus, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to review the Doodlebugz Crayon Pink Stripe Purse from the Doodlebugz Crayola Collection from Princess Linens!

Doodlebugz™ Crayola Crayon Purse-Pink Stripe

The Doodlebugz Crayon Purse is designed for children ages 3 and Up. The product that I received to review comes complete with a pad of paper, perfectly sized for small hands, and 10 Crayola washable crayons, and 16 outside crayon pocket-holder.

Made from a durable canvas-type fabric, this colorful handbag-style carrier is sure to be a hit with all the little Princesses! Don’t they all like to carry a purse, just like Mommy?

Every little girl likes to see her name in print, and personalization is available.

Safety information on the plastic tube container that the purse comes in, indicates that the crayons are Non-Toxic and meet all ACMI Performance Standards.

Other products offered from the Doddlebugz Crayloa collection include Crayon Aprons & Toolbelts, Chalk Talk Table Mates & Doodlebags.

The second product that I am delighted to review from Princess Linens are the My First Scrubs!

Now if these aren’t the cutest must-have’s I’ve seen lately! I’m having so much fun discovering how little ones are becoming Fashionistas at such a young age!

Although my grandson is due any day now, I can just imagine how adorable these would be when he is toddling around! My First Scrubs are perfect for the doctor or nurse-to-be, and are so authentic! Made with 100% cotton, they have faux drawstring pants for authenticity, and are perfect for the new baby or older sibling. I was thinking they’d be a great idea to use as jammies, but are not marked ‘flame resistant,’ according to U.S. Standards, and are manufactured in China. In any event, they look super-comfy for casual playgroup wear, or just relaxing around the house. Dress them up with accessories ~ and you’d have a super easy Halloween Costume!

Available in sizes up to 4T in three colors:

Lab Green, “No More Blues” Blue, and Candystriper Pink. Lab Green scrubs are available in larger sizes up to size 8! Currently larger sizes are only available in Lab Green.

Princess Linens Fine Hand~Made Baby Gifts also offers Personalized shortalls and baby boy clothing. Princess Linens also offers luxury baby clothes, big brother gifts, big sister gifts, personalized bibs and personalized burp pads. I fell in love with the shortalls and rompers from The Hamptons Collection, personalized with the name “Ethan.” ~ I think that’s what my new grandson will be named! Made of 100% cotton pique.

Princess Linens would like to offer readers of Moomettesgram’s Musings a coupon code (MOOMETTE) to receive a 15% Discount off of any purchases. Visit them at http://princesslinens.com

Wholesale orders also available.

In a previous post I mentioned how I’m an infamous list maker. I think it’s safe to assume that most women probably are. I have all kinds of lists ~ for my cubicle job, household lists, my eBay store, online boutique Shoppes site ~ even a Bucket List!

My next top priority is to make an effort to get my Virtual Assistant business off and running, so I can retire from that day job that I keep talking about.

I have yet to order business cards for my VA business, but when I do, I’m going to order from Visa Print. They always have some sort of Special Sale going on. I’ve ordered the Free Business Cards for my Shoppes site there, as well as my eBay store. I like to include a business card when shipping out items from my eBay store, thanking my customers for their purchase, and reminding them to leave Feedback for me if they are pleased with the transaction. In the past, I also had cards made up for the various Affiliate companies that I once was an independent consultant for.

What I like about Vista Print is the fact that I can order cards from either their templates, or upload my own, like I did here.

I can even get note pads, address labels and car magnets with my company’s name! I did opt for the cute little gold-finish business card holders which fit easily in my purse.

I’ve been reading on many blogs that those who attended BlogHer ‘08 were passing out business cards.

Many moms use them as “Mommy Cards” to give out to the moms of their childrens’ friends! What a cute idea!

When my own daughters were younger, I printed ‘babysitting’ business cards for them to hand out to put up on the refrigerator, and even passed out a few myself to co-workers who were in need of a sitter. Now you can have them made up for Free at Vista Print!

Check them out!

Wow!  Now here’s a good tip of the day!

Walmart has a section on their website where you can get Free Samples!

You read right!  You can get Free Samples of products ~ everything from Baby Products, Health Products, Home Goods & More!  You can get Huggies diapers, Playtex tampons, Towelettes, Fiber Supplements, Food items!

Every young family and even Baby Boomers such as myself can use a little something extra to help out with the finances!

Looks like I’ll be spending a lot of time on this site!

If you know of any others, let me know too!

“Toot Your Own Horn”

What does that mean? Well, it means every Tuesday, we get to post a Meme of an accomplishment that we have done. As Moms sometimes, we are quick in praising our kids and others about their accomplishments but we are “shy” when it comes to our achievements so … here’s our chance.