MumsTheWurdUnique finds for hip parents and cool kids

We now bring you the first in our new series of posts geared toward the Dads, brought to you by the spouses of The Mums.  Here’s one by The Father of the Year!

I have, for the most part, loathed shaving ever since I felt required to do it.  It just always seemed like a thankless & repetitive job.  There was nothing there that I could rally behind.  Add razor-burn to that, and I have looked like an unshaven slacker for my entire adult life. 

I have shaved every day for the last week.  I have looked forward to it.  I have even enjoyed it.  What?

Enter the Retro Razor and the world of wet shaving with a double-edged razor.  This is, most likely, how your grandfather shaved.  It is cheaper.  It is more earth-friendly.  It obliterates razor burn.  Interested?  I certainly was. 

Chadd Bennett, proprietor of Retro Razor, was kind enough to send me a starter kit to review, as well as answer a lot of questions:

• Will I cut myself to pieces? 
• Is it hard to find this stuff?
• How long does one blade last?
• Do I need special soap or shaving cream?
• Will this really help with razor-burn?

After a week of shaving with the Retro, I have some answers:

• The first few times I got a few nicks - nothing more than usual.  By the end of the week, I was only getting 1 nick at the most.  The trick is to not press down very much with the razor.  The blade is sharp - let it do it’s thing.
• It is easy to find stuff on the internet - check out the Retro Razor Store for razors and accoutrements.
• One blade seems to last for 3 shaves - you can get a 5 pack of blades for around $2.  Do the math - this is MUCH cheaper than buying those insanely expensive cartridge blades at the grocery store. 
• You can use regular shaving cream, but why not try something new?  There are a lot of soaps and creams out there that are a lot better for your face.  Why not have a little fun with this?
• The coup de grace?  No razor-burn.  Period. 

Added bonus - these blades are 100% recyclable, as opposed to cartridge blades.  Even the razor is recyclable, as it is only metal - no batteries, lights, plastic, etc. 

Check out this starter kit, with everything you need to get going. 

No sexism here - women use them too!  

I’d like to thank my mom for guest posting!  She’s the recepient of this awesome, magnificant messenger bag.  I told her she was getting it before I got it in the mail.  When I saw it, I had an eeny, weeney ounce of regret, because this bag looks AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!  I’m going to ask her to take a picture of it, but I don’t think a picture will do it justice.  My mom is NOT a purse carrier, so I knew this would be great for her, and it’s been a HUGE hit, with her & her pals!  Snaptotes offers a classic collection, leather collection, and a mens collection.  If you feel like it, give a shoutout to Noel & Lennon’s grandmum (also known as Neena) in the comments!  

If you mention a child (or a grandchild) a pet or a vacation, people always ask, “Do you have any pictures?”  Show ‘em your Snaptote!

My handy messenger bag has a cushioning case for a laptop, pockets for pens and business cards, and a large flap that displays your favorite pictures.

Best of all, the reproduction quality of the photographs is beyond expectation.  The messenger bag I have is a higher end purchase, but they have so many choices on their website of more moderately-priced items – everything from wallets and dopp kits (so men can carry their treasured photos, too) to purses and pouches.   

My friends at work want one for themselves or friends.  They are so impressed with the quality of the pictures and the features of the bag as a practical carryall.   

Take a look for yourself.  Snaptotes have lots of choices that are sure to please even the pickiest person!

GET A 10 % DISCOUNT ON SNAPTOTES or at PICSTREET WITH THE COUPON CODE “mums08″!!!

This review has been brought to you by our resident Stay At Home Dad & Father of the Year, Elliott…Read more by Elliott at Father of the Year Award, on Tumblr, and see what he’s got going on at his eBay store, Umbrella Shoppe Collectibles.  He also Twitter’s here.

I was immediately interested in the Bill Harley: Yes to Running DVD, the day it arrived in our mailbox.  (A side note: our mailbox is usually very hot, as it is perpetually 300 degrees in Texas.)  Bill Harley, when he’s not being  a regular commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered,writing books or winning Grammy awards, tours the country telling funny stores and singing funny songs to kids and their parents.  He has a natural wit that is the backbone of his songs and stories.  He also has that gift for being instantly appealing to children and their parents.  This is not The Wiggles. 

Yes To Running! is Harley’s first live DVD.  This should not be his last, if there is any justice in the world.  It appeals on different levels.  My son, who is 2, loved the guitar playing and the music.  He didn’t have a clue when it came to the stories, but older kids will get the stories and jokes.  Parents will enjoy the pop culture references and nostalgia about music from their era.  They will also appreciate the fact that Harley does not dumb down his language for the kids.  He gives them the benefit of the doubt, and it just comes off with warmth and sincerity.

The set includes:

I Like to Sing
Grownups are Strange
Mom and the Radio
The Great Sled Race
Mrs. Ammons and the Boys’ Room
Is Not Is Too
The Ballad of Dirty Joe
The Teachers’ Lounge
You’re in Trouble
Echo

WIN IT!

We have TWO of these DVDs to give away to TWO LUCKY WINNERS!

Email us to enter: mumsthewurd[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject line: Bill Harley & tell us your favorite children’s singer/storyteller.  Contest ends Sunday, September 14, 2008 at 10 PM CST. Winner will be chosen randomly and notified via email. Good Luck!!

We mums sometimes like to focus on those that made it possible to be “Mums”…the Dads! I’ll admit, E$ and I are not all that into technology as far as gadgets go. We heart our iPods and our 3 Tivos, but when it comes to phones and doing anything aside from talking on one occasionally, be it “land line” (we actually have a rotary dial phone!) or cell, we’re sort of in the stone ages. However, when I got the Motorola Q, I must say, I was pretty stricken by the technology bug. I did REALLY important things with the Q, like checking gmail, making videos of my kids, and Twittering. There are probably lots of dads out there that really love these devices (in other words, someone that might actually use the phone for an actual purpose. ) You can check your email, listen to some tunes, watch YouTube videos, get business calls, and take pictures of your little ones. What more do you need in a phone?! If you’re in the market for a last minute Father’s Day gift, consider the Q for that gadget loving Dad!

VedaPure and it’s lines, VedaBaby, VedaMama, and VedaDude are the creation of Natalie Geary, MD, who’s goal is to bring you the most safe and effective skincare for your whole family!

VedaPure offers products for your little one that will freshen, soothe, cool, calm, heal and more. Noel received the Soothe, Cool, and Butt Plus. The Soothe is so silky! I couldn’t believe how soft his skin felt afterward! The VedaCool was nice after a hot afternoon at the park, and the Butt Plus is, without a doubt, the best diaper cream I have used to date.

VedaMama has products to make you purified, nurtured, and even scrumptious! This mama received the Supple, which will hopefully save my tummy from stretch marks during this pregnancy. I was also invited to try Purify, which smells amazing and feels so refreshing.

The best thing about VedaPure is that you need not worry about using something on yourself or your child that has anything but all natural-ingredients. I would be in heaven if I could afford to exclusively buy VedaPure!

Last year, when my little one was still a newborn, I decided it was very important for me to “show off” my mommy-hood. I’m not the fancy-schmancy jewelry-type, so when I found mommytags, I was tickled pink! I placed my order right away and within a week or so, my mommy tag necklace arrived.

Mommy tags are made from silver that is recycled from film. The coolest thing about these tags are that they are made, one by one, by work-at-home moms. You go, ladies!

Hey, Mother’s Day is just around the corner…these accessories make GREAT gifts. They even have tags for the Dads. If you’d rather not pick the jewelry out yourself, give her a mommy tags gift certificate.

Another plus is if there are more children in my future, I can always add another personalized tag to my necklace. We’re not leaving anyone behind around here!