Snacky snack on some Cheerios

We're always on the lookout for a light, yummy, crunchy snack. So when offered a chance to try Cheerios Snack mix, I was happy to oblige. In a nutshell? The Cheerios Snack mix didn't disappoint.

The mix includes those good ole' Cheerios, plus pretzels, crackers, pieces of Chex cereal and some seasoning. Plus? Eight grams of whole grain per serving.

The mix lasted less than 48 hours at our house. (And each package contains about 7 servings.) Being our household consists of two adults and one very picky five-year-old, I'd say the snack mix was a definite winner.

The snack mix is now available nationwide. Suggested retail price is $2.59.

Frantic? Mary Jo has got you covered!

Mary Jo Rulnick? I am simply amazed. This book? The Frantic Woman's Guide to Feeding Family and Friends? Wow.

But I guess I should elaborate, yes? The Frantic Woman's Guide to Feeding Family and Friends is chock full of recipes, tips, tricks and lists. In short? If you're someone who loves with food, (like me!) this is a great book for you.

But it is not just about food. She's even got quick tips on making clean up easier and more efficient as well as party preparation ideas, yummy cocktail recipes and even fun activities for family nights.

Whether you are looking for a light, tasty dish for a summer meal or a some hearty, "comfort foods" for winter -- Mary Jo's got ideas. Plenty of ideas. That's why I kept saying "Wow" as I was reading this book. There's alot of great information and ideas crammed inside these pages! (In my brain, she is now dubbed "The idea lady until the end of time!")

You can find The Frantic Woman's Guide to Feeding Family and Friends on Amazon for about $10. How about if I save you a step, click HERE to order.

A fun start with JumpStart

If you've got a child who's constantly clamoring to play on your computer? Knowledge Adventure has a product that your child is going to love. But caution: Your child may love this game so much you'll have to fight them for computer time!

JumpStart World is an interactive computer game that challenges your child to strengthen his or her reading, mathematical and critical thinking skills -- without him even knowing it! Sneaky, huh? But cool!

Since "the boy" is in Kindergarten, we were given the Kindergarten level software. The games are wildly creative and fun to play. Where else can you help a monkey wearing a pointed hat bounce up and down on a trampoline to pop balloons. (This game, by the way, incited ALOT of giggles from my son. It was definitely his favorite game.)

You can even customize the game with your child's artwork and photos. And now that Christmas is here? The main screen reflects that. When Seth plays now? His chosen character trudges through a holiday wonderland (complete with snow and sound effects of someone walking through snow!) in order to talk to various characters.

Since children must master a specific skill before completing all missions, the level of difficulty gradually increases. This is a good thing for us as my son's mantra, when it comes to all things academic is, "But I don't LIKE to do stuff that's hard."

Upon introduction, Seth quickly got "sucked" into the missions. The early tasks were great for building his confidence and cultivating his interest. There's been so many missions to accomplish that we're still trying to get through all of the games to college jewels and badges.

And this may sound crazy, but... I'm starting to see a change in him. Normally, if he's unsure of the answer, my little guy will "play it safe" when asked a math or reading question. Instead of trying to figure out the answer, he'll just say, "I don't know." But now I've noticed he's sounding out words! He feels confident enough to take a chance when it comes to solving his math and reader questions. That's a HUGE step for him.

But kids aren't the only ones getting something out of this program. Parents can also get great ideas from JumpStart's experts on how to turn daily events into learning activities and as well as how to reinforce the lessons your child is currently learning. Plus? Progress reports are e-mailed to you keeping you in the loop. The software retails at $19.95.

All in all, if I had to compose a list of the top 3 products I didn't know I needed, until becoming a reviewer for Parent Bloggers Network? The JumpStart World Kindergarten program would be on that list.

This review was written on behalf of Parent Bloggers Network. For reviews on this product as well as a plethora of others, click here!