Riley: “I think this book is funny. I like my mom to read it, and I like to look at the funny pictures of babies.”

Mom: Before You Were Big, is a flap book that tells what babies are like, and how they change over their first year. It contains rhyming verses explaining how babies and big kids are different. Each page also contains a baby fact about things like soft spots and swaddling that would interest older kids.

Overall, the book is adorable, but its construction does leave a little bit to be desired. The binding is floppy, and our copy is about to fall apart. Also, the flaps are cute, but they aren’t sturdy enough to stand up to being yanked on by a curious toddler.

On a more positive note, the illustrations and story line are very nice, and were engaging for our girls. It does explain a lot about how babies are different from big kids, and it explains a little bit about how the baby will change and develop month by month. It goes a long way towards reinforcing to a jealous sibling why it’s good to be a big kid.

Riley: It was really fun playing the games and singing ABCs. I finished all the books and I want more.

Mom: The Hooked on Pre-K kit from Hooked on Phonics was fantastic for Riley. It really helped us teach her letters and numbers and it expanded on what she already knew about colors and shapes. In addition to letter and number workbooks, it includes flash cards, computer games, a bingo game, story book and audio CD, which are all designed to reinforce the kits core concepts, plus it includes a parents guide and sticker charts to help celebrate your child’s progress. Best of all, she was able to use the software and CD by herself, which gave her something great to do while I’m busy folding laundry . . .  The only negative I can see here is that there were a lot of cards and other components to keep track of.  A case or zipper bag might be a nice addition to the set.

Nutrition: 1 out of 5 stars (Come on, it’s a chocolate chip cookie!)

Yesterday, we had some friends over for dinner, and Ashley brought us a batch of her Obama Mama Cookies to sample. They are soft, yummy chocolate chip cookies, and she is selling them to raise funds for the Obama campaign. After dinner, Riley had one, and the first thing out of her mouth (thankfully after she swallowed) was “These cookies are great!”

Since this site is called Riley’s Reviews, and this particular review popped out of her mouth without us even asking, I knew we had to post about them here. The cookies go for $6 per dozen, and you can contact Ashley Kingsley to get your own.  From a mom’s point of view, the cookies are very good, but they probably aren’t doing anything for my waist line.

In case you’re wondering, Riley has no particular political affiliation, but she does know a good cookie when she tastes one!

Mom: First off - I have no idea why the oven is “cookable.” This playhouse and all of the accessories are definitely great! Both kids, aged 5 and 2, have a great time playing in it. Plus, when there is too much fighting going on, they split it in two and each girl takes their own half of the house. Of course, Riley gives herself the side with the door, which does tend to cause a little conflict . . . The oven, cradle and changing table are sturdy, and seem to be holding up well to plenty of abuse, including being sat on. Other pluses include the fact that it encourages creative play, and it doesn’t make noise, play music, light up or take batteries!

Some other reviews on the web say that the cottage itself is difficult to put together, so we were all expecting the worst when we pulled it out of the box. In the end, we were pleasantly surprised. The pegs and poles were labeled and color coded, and the instructions were well illustrated. If you get totally stuck, there is even an instruction video on the Hasbro website.