It's the Season of baking, shopping, organizing, wrapping, partying, traveling, and.... stressing.

With the Holidays in full bloom, Mommas can feel really overwhelmed. I know when I feel like it's all too much, I tend to be really grouchy. Sometimes, the "Go-Go-Go" makes me "Snap-Snap-Snap"! Sometimes, it EVEN makes me wish the Holidays would simply be over.

Last year, I urged Parents to take time to relax with your children, snuggle, and enjoy family togetherness. My toddler and I did just that, by enjoying quality time cuddling in front of the TV with a Baby Einstein DVD. This year, however, we have a new favorite, So Smart! Baby's First-Word Stories - House.



About the DVD:

In this DVD, So Smart! friends Edward, Iggy, Larry and Dee Dee will first introduce your little one to simple words about objects in the home, and then build sentences and stories around them. A deliberately gentle pace, engaging imagery, and soothing music make So Smart! a winner for both parents and young children 1 to 3 years old, who are just beginning to explore the rich world of language. Features 5 vocabulary adventures with your So Smart! Friends: Bathtime!, Who's Hiding in the House?, Sounds in My House, Where is Edward's House?, and Clean-up Time. BONUS: Printable Activities for each Adventure Included—10 Total! (PC and Mac Compatible)

My toddler and I were asked to review this new line of DVDs designed for 1-3 year-olds. He's two so I knew it would be a hit in our home! I love introducing him to movies that will help him engage with he world around him, giving him more understanding of the new vocabulary he learns every day.

What We Liked:

• Storyline: The events in the storyline are activities your child sees and experiences every day such as: playing outside in the mud, hearing the telephone ring, and seeing Momma vacuum the floor.

• Pictures and Quality: There is no over stimulation with graphics. The pictures are simple, gently paced, yet engaging with bright colors.

• Animals: So Smart! uses easy recognizable characters. Our favorite happens to be Iggy the Piggy. My toddler was laughing hysterically when I asked, "What's the Piggy's Name?" He says, "Iggy the Piggy" out loud and THAT's when he recognized the rhyming sound. Of course, it had me laughing just to see his discovery.

• Short Segments: With short clips, my toddler isn't easily bored or sidetracked by the sounds in OUR house. It keeps him engaged and interested with the next story. The DVD is 30 minutes long, however, it's divided into 5 different segments - Bathtime, Who's Hiding in the House, Sounds in My House, Where is Edward's House?, Clean-up Time.



• Printable Activities: What better way to continue the activity and practice your vocabulary than to COLOR! There are 11 printable activities for your child that are both PC and MAC compatible.

• Continued Series: There are additional DVDs in the Baby's First-Word Series with the same lovable characters. We reviewed the House DVD, but your child can discover - Pets, Outside, Get Dressed, We-Go, and Nighttime.

Momma Improvements & Suggestions

• Price: We loved this DVD so much and want to create a WHOLE library of Baby's First Word Stories, however, with the Holidays comes Budget Crunch time. We are a family of five and I'm a Stay-At-Home Mom. Being a One-Income family, it's a little difficult to spend $15.99 on one DVD my older children wouldn't watch. My suggested price range for DVDs my children pick out are usually $9.99, unless it's over an hour long, newly-released full length movie, or neutral for the entire family.

Simply typing the price, makes it sound like it's not worth it, but it's actually the exact opposite. We're trying to be more creative with our budget to allow our toddler more movies just for him and with the Holidays it makes a perfect Christmas present for Babies and Toddlers.

Buy It

To purchase any DVD out of the So Smart! Baby's First-Word Stories line head over to SoSmart.com. Suggested retail price is $15.99.

Become a Fan of So Smart! on Facebook. You'll find other like minded parents, hear breaking news, and learn about their new products!

Win IT!

Thanks to our friends at So Smart! Productions, three lucky readers will win one copy of Baby's First Word Stories - House

How to Enter:

Required Entry:

Tell me what you do when the Holidays have you frazzled? Do you take the time to cuddle and do activities with your children? If so, what engaging activities do you do?

Extra Entry Options:

- 3 Extra Entries Add the Momma Findings 2009 Holiday Gift Guide button (on your left, complete with html copy/paste code) to your blog sidebar. Leave three separate comments stating you have, along with your blog url.

- Sign up to be an email subscriber right there on the right side

- Follow Momma Findings on Facebook Networked Blogs.

- Follow Momma Findings and My Sippy Cup Runneth Over (my personal blog) on Google Friends.

- Follow me on Twitter (@Sarann) and send out a Tweet linking to both this contest and replying to @Sarann. Leave a comment with the URL link to your Tweet.

- Tell me your thoughts about my 2009 Holiday Gift Guide by leaving a comment on that post. Once you do, come back here post a separate comment stating you did.


Contest starts today November 19th - November 29th Midnight Central Time and open to US residents only. Leave each entry in separate comments. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but please leave a valid email address for contact purposes.

This post made possible by So Smart! Productions, who sent us a copy of Baby's First Word Stories - House. Opinions here are solely my own and have not been wavered by the products I received or compensated in any other way.

***Contest Now Closed*** Winners are: Jamie, Araceli, and Sherrie. Please check your inbox on how to claim your prize.