Wild Creations: EcoAquarium Review & Giveaway!!

My kids love frogs, toads, salamanders, and other similar creatures. They love finding them outside in the summertime, capturing them, playing with them a few days...until I make them let them go. However, I have never heard of frogs being shipped in the mail to your home, setting up and aquarium, and keeping them! Wild Creations is a great resource for purchasing some pet frogs! We got an EcoAquarium to review from Wild Creations...and it was WILD!! I am still amazed that the frogs traveled via FedEx, were happy and alive upon arrival! I set the bag of dwarf frogs in a bowl of room temperature water so they could adjust to the water temperature before putting them in their new home (the Classic EcoAquarium).

While the frogs were adjusting to the water, I set up the EcoAquarium. Everything that I needed for my new aquarium came in the shipment from Wild Creations, except the Spring water which only costs me .80 at Walmart. I put on my glove, and first rinsed out the aquarium with Spring water. I opened the bag of brown living gravel and poured that over the bottom of the tank. The "Living Gravel"acts as the natural filtration system for the aquarium, it does not need to be cleaned. That is so amazing to me, and I like how easy that makes this pet home!
I opened the bag of blue decorative gravel, rinsed it with Spring water, and poured that over the living gravel. I think the aquatic plant is neat! The plant needed good rinsing and I put it in the corner of the tank. The plant needed to be put in the gravel to the bottom of the tank. Then, I filled up the tank with Spring water until it was about an inch from the top.
I got the bag opened for the frogs, and used the included net to get them out. The first frog got in the water, but the second one leaped out of the net. I quickly picked him up with my gloved hand and put him in the tank. After the two dwarf frogs were put in their new home, they appeared very happy and active. The top of the tank has one small hole in it for the deposit of food.
These dwarf frogs eat only two pellets of food each, and only eat two times a week. So, these little pets are very easy to care for, and the food lasts a year! The EcoAquarium is very easy to care for. The cleaning only has to be done every five or six months, and you use Spring water. I like that the EcoAquarium doesn't use or need any chemicals, filters or aeration. It is a great pet for kids, easy to assemble, easy to care for and not expensive. My kids love watching the little frogs and we have had lots of giggles over the comical frogs. I think this is a great educational project, too. If you are a home schooling family, this is a great pet to check out and learn about. The Wild Creations website also offers educational materials you can use with your kits. Great ideas!
I think it is great that Wild Creations sell the EcoAquariums and ship live frogs. The shipping is two days, and you must be home to sign for your new pets. My kids were so excited to meet the new little frogs. I give this company two thumbs up, and highly recommend them!

***ENTER TO WIN***
You can enter to win the Classic EcoAquarium Starter kit (the one I reviewed). This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. This contest will end on June 2, 2010. For a entry in the giveaway, go to the Wild Creations website and find out the name of one of the new products that Wild Creations is introducing later in 2010 (over 40 products). You can find the products in the online PDF catalog. Comment here about what you found. For extra entry opportunities, become a fan of Wild Creations on Facebook (a great place to ask questions and get quick & personalized answers if you have any issues or questions about the frogs). You can also subscribe to their YouTube feed -catch videos of their new exciting products as they are introduced this year. Plus, you can subscribe to Wild Creations frog blog.
I received a special discount code to offer you, so you can buy your own EcoAquarium from Wild Creations, it expires July 31. Just order the Jewel Starter Kit style (retail price $39.99) and enter "BLOGGER" (case sensitive, must be all caps!) at checkout to receive $10 off!

**For more extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about Wild Creations and their awesome products! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I was contacted by Wild Creations to do a product review of their Classic EcoAquarium. They sent me free product in return for a review and promotion. I was also able to host a giveaway for my readers, sponsored from Wild Creation. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

New 2009 Zoobies!

One of the most parent-happy, kid-loved, travel/play friendly product out there are the Zoobie Pets! Zoobies are fun animals that are a 3-in-1 lovable pet! Not only will your child have an adorable pet to play with, your child also has a pillow, AND a blanket! Open the zipper, and you will find a very soft blanket tucked inside. The Zoobie pets make travelling times so much more enjoyable for children~ and parents!
My kids love their Zoobie pets! Caleb has Kojo the Croc, Madelyn has a baby Zoobie~ Hada the Hippo, and Nathaniel has Mashaka the Monkey!

All three of these Zoobies are from the Safari collection. There are 12 different pets in the Safari collection. Zoobie also has a Zoo collection, and Hada and Kojo belong in that collection as well...with a total of 13 pets. Someday I would like to get Khimba the Koala for Madelyn. That one has a little baby with it, and I think Madelyn would love to have a momma with her baby to care for.
Zoobies have just launched their 2009 line, and I can attest to how cute they are! Cole got the adorable Black Bear Bubba. Cole loves to snuggle with him, and lay on his back.
I love the new line!! There is the Wildlife collection: Bubba the Black Bear, Boone the Buffalo, Mudd the Moose and Tubbs Teddy Bear. There is also a Turkey named Turley, and the Bugs Collection: Bing the Bumblebee, Calyx the Caterpillar, Lily Ladybug and Saba the snail. I personally think the Black Bear is the cutest~ just because I love black bears!
Zoobie Pets have won numerous awards including: the Toy Man Seal Award, Babies and Mom's Radio's "Squeal of Approval," Baby Planners Seal, New Parent's Seal of Approval, iParenting Media Award, Dr. Toy Winner, JPMA Innovations Award, and more! I do say they are one of my favorite toys for my children, and I highly recommend every child adopting a Zoobie Pet to love! It is very hard to pick out a favorite, though, because they are all so adorable! Plus, they each have their own special character! Since launching at the 2007 Toy Fair Zoobie Pets have quickly grown to over 1400 US stores (higher end boutiques and toy stores), plus they are distributing in over 40 countries! The Zoobie Pets keep growing and adding to their family! Zoobie pets were originally created by two brothers who wanted to create a functional and fun product for kids. They knew what they were after, coming from a family of 9 kids total! I think they have fully succeeded, what do you think? Keep an eye on the Zoobie website for the 2009 pets coming soon! The new 2009 Zoobies we released at New York Toy Fair. However, Lily the ladybug is due to release Fall of 2009.

Jeep for pets!

Most all dogs love to play, and they need toys. I have bought at least 3 or 4 good toys for our little dog, Lena (1/2 Pug, 1/2 Japanese Chin) over the 3 1/2 years that we have had her. I have had to perform "surgery" on her main toy~ Lady bug~ a few times, because Lena LOVES to chew, fetch, and play with her lady bug. She knows her lady bug well, and will go find it when we ask her, "Where is Lady?" When we got the Jeep Ruff and Tough Toys, (one that looks like a man and one that is a ball) Lena was a bit shy to try them out. I think she is timid of change.
Once I got her going though, she enjoys her new toys immensely! The kids and I have a lot of fun throwing her new toys for her with the built in strap. The Jeep Rough and Tough toys are made so well, that I am almost positive they won't have to have surgery. The Jeep Rough and Tough toys are manufactured with a resilient, durable ballistic nylon fabric, and the toys are available in other shapes like a bone and flying disc, besides the ball and a man. SRP $9.99-12.99 We like to take Lena on trips with us, and one thing we are not fond of with her traveling is the hair. Dog hair gets "glued" to the seat when dogs sit there. I like that Jeep makes a quilted, water resistant car seat cover! The cover has a non-skid padded foam rubber backing so the cover won't slide off the seat! I love that feature! Not only is the Jeep Car Seat Cover great for keeping the dog hair off the seats, it protects the seats from dust, sun fading, and dirt. I have four kids, and I am sure the Jeep Car Seat Cover will help keep the stains in the van minimal, too. One big bonus for the Jeep car seat cover, is it is washable in the wash machine! Makes my life easier! The seat cover fits most popular cars and SUV models. Available in hot pink camo and army green camo. SRP $36.99-39.99 I know we will get full use out of the car seat cover!

Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair Review & Giveaway

It is fun having pets, but one thing that I absolutely hate is getting hair on my clothes when I sit on the furniture! I have used rollers that have masking tape on it, and they work OK for removing pet hair. It is so wasteful to use all those strips of masking tape, though, and it loses it's stickiness.
However, I got the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair to review and I can say this product is super! I used the Fabric Sweeper on my recliner and couch, and it picked hair up so easy! I need to use this out in the van, because our dog has left hair on our seats.
From the site:
How it works: Simply slide it side to side in short strokes. Rollers rotate back and forth to lift and trap unsightly pet hair. One Pledge Fabric Sweeper picks up as much pet hair as 145 sticky roller sheets.
Great for:
Upholstered couches and chairs—so you can sit back and relax.
Pillows and cushions—Pledge Fabric Sweeper is great for removing pet hair from throw pillows, couch cushions, and bed pillows.
Car interiors—great for cleaning pet hair off upholstered car seats so you can roll down the window, without stirring up pet hair.
Directions for use:
Slide side-to-side on upholstered furniture using moderate pressure. Use short strokes of about 8-12 inches in each direction (as indicated by the arrows on the sweeper).
Fabric Sweeper is self-cleaning! As you go in one direction, one roller picks up the pet hair from the surface. When you go in the other direction, the second roller cleans off the first and pushes the pet hair inside. If pet hair builds up on the rollers, repeat the side-to-side motion a few times on a clean area of the upholstery.
I can say that I am impressed with the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet hair and this will be a product that we will be using in our home! Thank you Family Review Network for letting me review this great product!
Would you like to win the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet hair? This contest is open to all readers living in the Continental United States. To get your first entry, tell me what pet you have that this product will help clean up after. If you are trying to win this for someone else, what pet do they have? If you do not do the first required entry, you will be disqualified. You may come back each day and enter (again) after you do the first rule, just tweet about this giveaway and leave the url in your comment OR Click here to see how you can earn even more extra credits to win!! Click here to see guidelines and the official rules. Contest will end on February 11, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST. GOOD LUCK! We want you to have your copy for Valentine's Day!