Tag: "Reviews"

I have a happy traveler, which makes me a happy driver

Because he is on the tiny side and because he doesn’t always understand what’s right and what’s wrong, CJ is still in a car seat at the age of nine. It isn’t as odd as it sounds to some, he only weights 50 pounds. Because he is a boy he isn’t always the neatest child. Because he’s a child he likes to keep busy. The center of the back seat has a cup holder, so he can out a drink there, but that doesn’t solve the problem of giving him something to do that won’t go all over the place. We had to take a couple of little trips this past month and had something new to try, the Snack & Play Travel Tray from Star Kids.

From the website: “Star Kids Products is proud to introduce Snack & Play Travel Tray (Patent Pending), a unique and innovative product for families on the go. Snack & Play Travel Tray was created out of necessity for today’s children. Snack & Play Travel Tray enhances the driving experience by providing a flat, safe area for children to eat and play.”

The Snack & Play Travel Tray is designed for children to use to have a snack on or play on while traveling. The tray is made of bright and colorful nylon, making it easy to clean. Being made of nylon also means it’s soft and easy to move, making it safer for children. I was pleased to read that the tray collapses upon impact. The tray has pockets on both sides to hold things including toys and snacks. The sides of the tray are about two inches high so that items on the tray stay on the tray. The tray attaches by belting around either the child or the car seat. We opted to belt to the car seat. The tray can be attached to booster seats and strollers as well as car seats using clips such as you see on a car seat. The Snack & Play Travel Tray was invented by Alyson Starr Probst, who was looking for a safe and practical surface for her child to use when in his car seat or stroller.

Never before has CJ been able to color in the car. On past trips he’s always had to hold his things in his lap, which inevitably got stuck under the car seat, and place them on the seat next to him, where they promptly slide away. I was pleased to find that the Snack & Play Travel Tray was indeed a firm enough surface that he could color. It didn’t move all over the place and all of his crayons stayed in one pocket and his snacks in another. We arrived at our destination with a child who was happy because he’d been able to keep busy and with no mess on the floor. Gone are the days of watching him be bored and fighting falling asleep. Not once did I have to use my six foot long Mom arm during the trip. (That’s my right arm, which stretches beyond what’s possible under normal circumstances to reach the object on the back seat floor that my child dropped or accidentally lost.)

We’re very pleased with the Snack & Play. Anyone who wants to help make their child’s trip more enjoyable will want to take a look at this. The Snack & PlayTravel Tray retails for about $18-$25 and can be purchased in select stores across the country and in many online stores.

PS - Those are pics from the Snack & Play site. Mine came out terribly.

Oct 02, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post

Children’s book review - William Is Going Green

It seems almost daily we learn of new reasons why we should “go green”, another way of saying environmentally friendly. I consider it part of my job as a mother to educate my children on the ways we can help protect our environment. Thanks to the Parent Reviewers I received the opportunity to review the book William Is Going Green by James Martin II.

William Is Going Green is a hardcover book targeting children ages 3-8. It tells the story of a garbage truck named William that learns he must change who he is in order to survive. He begins the story as a smoky white garbage truck working in a city. William found he was no longer desirable after the people of the city complained about the dirty smoke he made. When traveling through another city, Jamestown, he discovers that he will only be desirable again if he gets a new hybrid engine that burns less gas and creates less pollution. Unfortunately, he cannot afford a new engine. After doing a good deed for a stranger by rescuing Gage the cat he is rewarded by the City of Jamestown with the new engine he needs. William is transformed into a green hybrid recycling truck and is once again useful.

James Martin II wrote this book drawing from personal experience in the hopes that it would help educate parents and children alike on how to make this earth a safer and cleaner place for us to live. The main character William was written as a garbage truck because of James Martin III’ s love of garbage trucks as a young boy.

We enjoyed the book. The story is written in words that would be easy for young children to understand. I read this story to my youngest and we had fun. The book contains lots of well drawn, colorful images that grabbed CJ’s attention. Making sound effects to go with the sound words like VROOM and BANG was fun. I recommend this book to anyone whose child is starting to enjoy reading independently or anyone who reads to children. It provides reinforcement to a message that we as parents and educators need to teach today’s children.

You can learn more about William Is Going Green by visiting www.williamthegarbagetruck.com. The book is available to purchase directly on the website for $14.95 and is also available from other popular online booksellers. William Is Going Green is the first book of a series featuring William and other characters in the crew.

Sep 27, 2008 | 1 comment | View Post

Check out my new Chopper!

While I have a recipe blog, I have never called myself or considered myself to be a food blogger. At best I could be called a foodie, but even that’s not a great fit. A foodie is somebody who enjoys cooking, eating, and/or shopping for good food. I like to eat good food, but good is such a relative word. If I had to label myself with one food related adjective, it’d almost certainly be hungry.

I can cook but I’m no gourmet. That’s evident from some of the things that are and aren’t in my kitchen. I’ve had the same set of knives that I got on clearance at Caldor for $15 when it was going out of business so many years ago. Their wooden handles are dry and splitting and yucky to hold, and some of them have never seemed to be able to cut anything. I don’t know what all of the different knives on the market are for, all I know is there’s serrated and not serrated. One of the knives in the set is what I call the box knife, because I don’t know what it’s called or what it’s for and because I open boxes with it. I hate having to cut things because I’m not very good with knives. It can take me a half of an hour to cut a bag of potatoes and you don’t even want to know what happens when I try to carve meat.

I’m always in awe of people that can cut things quickly just by turning the knife this way and that. I’ve always wondered their secret and this week I learned what it was. The secret of cutting is having a good knife, something that I can honestly say I’ve never had until now. I say until now because this week I fortunate enough to get a chance to review a knife from New West Knife Works called The Chopper in Fusionwood. Fortunate doesn’t even cover it really. Unbelievably and amazingly lucky is more like it.

From the website: “But for the slicing and chopping needs of your kitchen, this knife is a dream. The winner of the “New West Salsa Test”. The perfect knife for those who find a large chef knife unwieldy.”

The Chopper is made of Swedish high carbon steel and has a lifetime guarantee. I did some reading and found out that Swedish steel is a big deal because of the purity of the ore, which is what gives New West Knife Works knives their hardness and causes them to retain their sharp edge. The blades are all cut and ground in Seki, Japan and each one is hand finished. The handles are produced and assembled here in the US in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where they are also hand finished. The handle of the knife that I reviewed was made of Fusionwood, which is creating by blending specific hardwoods and adding dies and resins.

Imagine making a product so good and that you pride yourself so much on that each one isn’t finished until it passes through human hands. That’s why every knife that New West Knife Works makes is considered a limited production item. That’s also why you won’t find their knives just anywhere – they’re only available for purchase through their website and at fine art and craft shows. New West Knife Works also makes Phoenix knives, as well as the Fusionwood knives. While browsing their website I even found a mini tutorial that helped me understand what each of their knives are for.

The Chopper is absolutely amazing. The handle is beautiful. That’s not something I’d usually say about a knife but it definitely applies here. The handle feels very smooth and the appealing, vivid colorful pattern is available in ten colors, each one more beautiful than the next. I was shocked to find that this knife feels natural for me to hold. It has a 5 ½ blade and is 10 inches long. It came in a thick, sturdy leather case. The knife isn’t heavy at all and yet it feels really sturdy. The handle is nice to hold, it’s really smooth. Much better than my yucky old knives. And it didn’t feel like it was too long for lil’ old me to handle.

The day I got the knife we made a beef roast. RB took a turn at cutting the roast and was delighted that it took no effort at all. He was smiling when he said “this is a REALLY good knife!”. I tried it and couldn’t believe how easy it was to cut the meat. There was no sawing, no tugging, no hacking. no kidding, The Chopper cut the roast like a butter knife in semisoft butter. This knife is so good that I was actually willing to cook potatoes without waiting for RB to get home to peel and cut them. We love our new Chopper from New West Knife Works! This is definitely a knife that every kitchen should have!

Sep 26, 2008 | 4 comments | View Post

Is your club on Qlubb?

Do you have a child on a sports team? Are you a member of a PTA? Maybe you or a member of your family is involved in some sort of club or group? If any of these apply, you’re all too familiar with the difficulties in trying to get one group of people together all at the same time. It’s almost impossible.

Mom Central let me know about a terrific resource called Qlubb. Qlubb is a web based service that allows members of a group to connect with each other and get things done without actually meeting in person. The convenience of it is that it’s free to use and members can access their group site from any computer with internet access. Some of the available features include a public web page, private group pages, calendars, to do lists, rosters, reminders, rsvp, photo sharing and email. You probably wouldn’t find this level of organization within a group even if everyone could get together at the same time. While no registration is required to use Qlubb, only members of the group are allowed access. Qlubb is easy to navigate and simple to use, it only requires one click to join a club or two to create one.

Qlubb would be an ideal resource for classroom moms, team coaches or moms, PTAs, scout troops and clubs of all sorts. It would even work for families spread out over different locations. Basically, it would work for any group of people with a common interest. If you’re in a group that would like to share information, save time, be more efficient, have more participation and decrease the number of meetings without full attendance, Qlubb is something you ought to take a look at.

Sep 12, 2008 | 2 comments | View Post

Note To Self Review

I read another book this week, this one is called Note To Self: On Keeping A Journal And Other Dangerous Pursuits by Samara O’Shea. Note To Self is a book all about journaling. A video by the author intrigued me so much that I had to check it out. I’ve included the video here at the bottom of this post, for anyone interested.

Ms. O’Shea kept a journal for many years. Her book highlights a number of entries and it is clear she’s enjoyed journaling and has a talent for writing. She also includes entries from other writers’ diaries that she found particularly interesting, timely or inspirational. She freely exposes some of her most personal thoughts in the book, with an entire chapter about sex. A warning in the lines of parental ratings, the excerpts from her journal are original and uncensored, some containing detailed references to sex and drugs. She’s even got a chapter on blogging, which she considers a slightly different animal.

I kept a diary for a short period of time when I was young. At the time I considered a diary a place to keep personal thoughts and memories and stopped keeping one because I didn’t want it found and read since I considered it to be private. I felt I couldn’t be totally honest because I didn’t want people to know what was on my mind. When I think back now, I wish I’d just kept at it. Things have faded with age.

Note to Self reminders readers that there is no right and wrong way to write a journal, no schedule that must be kept, no one method or style of writing and no topic that is off limits. A journal is a place where a writer should be honest with themselves and write anything to themselves that might cross their mind. As Ms. O’Shea mentions in the beginning of her book, “a journal is one of the only places where no one can judge you, and it should also be a place where you are not judging yourself”.

Suggestions on how to journal are throughout the book. The suggestions I found most useful are writing letters that will not be sent and writing in a stream of consciousness. Ms. O’Shea encourages people to ask themselves questions, and to answer them. In one chapter her present self speaks to her past self, something I probably ought to take the time to do. After I get my answers to my own questions it would probably be a good time for me to write to myself.

Samara O’Shea’s blogs on her own site Letter Lover and at the Huffington Post.

Note to Self is available for purchase online from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Booksense, Borders and Powell’s. I think the book would be a good read for anyone interested in journaling or writing in general, as well as anyone interested in learning more about themselves.

A special thanks to Felicia Sullivan, for sharing the video and the book with me.

Now, here’s the video I mentioned.

WPvideo 1.10

Sep 03, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Raising The Bar

There have been times in the past that I read about new tv shows, movies and books and wished that I could get a sneak peek at something before everyone else. Thanks to Role Mommy I finally got my wish when I got a sneak peek at Raising The Bar, a new tv series set to premiere this week .

Raising The Bar is the latest series from producer Steven Bochco. Bochco also produced one of RB’s and my favorites, NYPD Blue, as well as other well known shows such as Hill Street Blues, LA Law and Doogie Howser MD (yes I know that wasn’t a legal drama). The show is written by David Feige, an experienced public defender and Professor of Law who is well known for his lectures on trial skills. Raising The Bar is a legal drama focusing on the battles between lawyers inside and outside of the courtroom. The cast is full of familiar faces.

The Public Defender’s Office is represented by Jerry Kellerman (played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar from NYPD Blue), Bobbi Gilardi (played by Natalia Cigliuti from All My Children) and Richard Patrick Woolsley (played by Teddy Sears from Ugly Betty). Their boss is Roz Whitman (played by Gloria Reuben from ER).

The District Attorney’s Office is represented by Michelle Ernhardt (played by Melissa Sagemiller from Sleeper Cell) and Marcus McGrath (played by J. August Richards from Conviction). Their boss is District Attorney Nick Balco (played by Currie Graham from Boston Legal).

No legal drama would be complete without a courtroom, where we find Judge Trudy Kessler (played by Jane Kaczmarek from Malcom In The Middle) and her law clerk Charlie Sagansky (played by Jonathan Scarfe from Into The West).

Jerry is the primary male character. He’s a young lawyer who feels very passionate about his clients and takes his job very seriously. He doesn’t really care if he steps on a few toes in order to help his client, not even when those toes belong to the politcally aspiring, tyrannical, “my way, no highway option” Judge Trudy Kessler. Charlie has a somewhat calming effect on the Judge, as well as at least one secret that neither the Judge or his friends are aware of.

Teddy comes from money but chose to work in the Public Defender’s Office so that he could make a difference, and make a difference he does when he pulls some strings to help a friend. Bobbi has just started working in the Public Defender’s Office and seems eager to get right to work.

Nick wants his Assistant District Attorneys to win and seems like an ass. It was great to see Michelle hold her own with him when sexual suggestion manifested itself in the workplace. Marcus has strong beliefs and views on justice.

RB and I watched three episodes and enjoyed what we saw. Raising The Bar had drama, sex, humor and secrets. Part of what made the shows enjoyable was the character interaction in and out of the coutroom. It was great to watch a legal show where the character’s personal lives were considtently part of the storyline. We found ourselves both trying to guess what was going to happen and who was going to do what. We both think Jerry needs a haircut and that it will be part of a future episode. We also both think that Michelle’s jealousy will be displayed publicly. I wondered if Nick really is a lech. I wondered if Richard’s money is his own or if it’s actually his fathers. I wondered if Marcus’ comment about “it being work” pertained to something personal in his past. RB’s prediction for the first season is that Jerry will sleep with Bobbi.

So. Want a peek? Here you go.

Raising The Bar is scheduled to premiere on Labor Day, Monday 09/01/08 on TNT at 10pm/9pm central. I hate to start watching a show after it’s started because I always feel like I don’t know everything I should. (As a result of this quirk I have passed up entire series.) If you’re a fan of legal drama television, or if you’re just looking for something new to check out, ensure that you don’t find yourself wondering what happened when and how and to who by making sure you’re watching (or recording) the premiere on Labor Day.

Aug 31, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Cabbage Patch Kids 25th Anniversary

I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since the Cabbage Patch Kids were introduced. When I realized this I felt a bit old. I remember when they came out in 1983 I was a freshman in college, living in my own room on campus. I had just turned 16 and had never been away from home alone for more than a day or two. While I was thrilled to be growing up and “living alone” rather than with my parents, I was still a child. Not really wanting to grow up, I begged my Mom to get me a Cabbage Patch Kid when they were introduced.

Just like the hottest toys today, the original Cabbage Patch Kids were almost impossible to get because the demand was far greater than the supply. My Mom knew someone who knew someone who told her when to be at the store to get one. She went and apparently only a few hundred other people had also been lucky enough to have a friend of a friend on the inside. There were more people than dolls. Women were actually fighting over the dolls, and one woman near my Mom tried to take the doll out of my Mom’s cart so my Mom “accidentally” bumped her with the cart to move her away. The woman tried to hit my Mom with her purse. Mom managed to hang onto the doll and brought her home for me.

My Cabbage Patch Kid had reddish brown long hair. I brought her with me to the dorm and felt a little better. I brought her home at the end of that semester when I transferred to a different college and was once again living at home. She slept on my bed with me and one of the cats. When I eventually moved out I left her at my parents. My Mom isn’t sure where she is anymore or if she’s still there. (Their attic is unbelievable. If she wasn’t donated away with other toys she’s probably with my missing trophies.)

I got a really cool surprise from Team Mom recently. The doorbell rang and it was one of the delivery guys. I opened the box and was thrilled to find my very own 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch waiting for me inside it. Delia Angelita is the newest member of our family. Delia was born on February 21. I’d always hoped to have a daughter, and my kids are boys so I had no qualms taking her out of the box, claiming her for myself and setting her up in the living room. As you can see, I once again have a young one in the house that isn’t sleeping when they should be. Some things never change!

Since their introduction over 115 million Cabbage Patch Kids have been sold, making it the best selling doll of all time. Just like people, the appearance of the Cabbage Patch Kid has changed with time. I’ve thought in more recent years that the newer edition dolls just didn’t look as cute as the original ones. For several years I’ve thought that it seemed like things were made better back then, even though many things were simpler. The 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid looks just like the doll did when it was first released a quarter of a century ago. Nothing has changed, because it is an exact reproduction made using the original molds, sculpts and materials.

The Limited Edition 25th Anniversary Cabbage Patch Kid will only be available to purchase for a short time and they will sell for $29.99. They’re for children ages 3 and up. If you think your child, grandchild, niece or godchild would like this be sure to get it while you can. The dolls will come with a silver anniversary baby spoon and a commemorative silver stamped 25th anniversary birth certificate and adoption papers bearing the signature of creator Xavier Roberts.

Did you have an original Cabbage Patch Kid? Did you have any of the Cabbage Patch kids that came after that? Do you still have your Kid? The world will be invited to share their stories on a special 25th anniversary website, www.cabbagepatchkids25.com, beginning September 1.

Thanks to Team Mom for the surprise and for bringing back some memories!

Aug 30, 2008 | 5 comments | View Post

Green Works Dishwashing Liquid review

Recently more and more attention has been given to the importance of being eco friendly. Every day I hear or read about more people trying to go green and use as many natural products as possible. Clorox has introduced the line of Green Works products in order to help families be more environmentally responsible and to have a positive impact on our environment. The EPA has recognized Green Works dishwashing liquid for using environmentally preferred chemistry and has authorized use of their logo on the bottle. The Sierra Club, the largest environmental organization in the US, is supporting this product and allowing the use of its logo on the bottle as well. Green Works packaging is recyclable and products are not tested on animals.

Many of us are familiar with Clorox products, whether it be bleach, wipes or one of their other cleansers. I’ve always found Clorox products to be tough on dirt and grease, and Green Works dishwashing liquid was no different. Where Green Works is different is that it is made from plant based ingredients and essential oils instead of chemicals. Thanks to MomCentral I received a bottle of original Green Works dishwashing liquid to try. I have been using it for a little over a week now. The majority of our dishes are washed in the dishwasher, except for pots and pans and really greasy, dirty dishes which I wash by hand. I was surprised, and pleased, to find that it worked just as well or better than not-green big brands that I have used in the past. The soap didn’t lose it bubbles and go flat and stop cleaning like I’ve had a couple of soaps do in the past. The smell is very pleasant.

Clorox Green Works dishwashing liquid is available in five scents – original, water lily, tangerine, simply lemon and free & clear. It is safe to use on many cooking and eating surfaces including plastic, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, glass and porcelain. It’s available for purchase in grocery stores and discount department stores such as Target and Walmart, or anywhere else Clorox products are sold. The regular retail price should be between $2.99 and $3.29.

Aug 24, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Country Bob’s - A review, a giveaway and a thank you

Earlier this week I received a surprise delivery. It was a copy of The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook, sent to me by the folks at Country Bob’s. Regular readers may recall reading my review of Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce earlier this month. If you don’t recall or if you’re a newer reader, let me tell you it is FAAAAAAAAAANtastic! Very yummy stuff.

The Original Country Bob’s Cookbook is a hard cover book that is 96 pages long. It contains at least 90 recipes, broken down into the four categories of appetizers/soups/snacks, grilling, main dishes and desserts. I’ve only had enough time to make two recipes since receiving the cookbook and both of them tasted delicious. Which ones did I make? The Bacon and Cheese Mashed Potatoes and the Thirty Minute Chili Mac. Tomorrow night I’m going to make Country Bob’s Chip Dip, to snack on during the race.

Hubby and I both liked that the recipes were easy to understand and easy to make. We were happy to see that the recipes call for regular ingredients that you might have at home anyway and can use in other recipes. I try to avoid making meals that call for an ingredient that I have no other uses for. Most of the recipes use at least one of the Country Bob’s line of products - all purpose sauce, spicy all purpose sauce, barbecue sauce and seasoning salt. Thanks Country Bob’s, for sharing this terrific cookbook with us.

The original Country Bob’s Cookbook is available for sale online from the Country Bob’s website and sells for $22. If you’re interested in buying one I’d suggest getting the gift pack for $32 because it has one of each of the Country Bob’s products and then you’ll be ready to make all of the recipes as well as some creations of your own. And, Country Bob’s ships within the US for free. How cool is that!

Not sure you need a cookbook that primarily showcases one product you haven’t tried? I can fix that. Country Bob’s has been generous enough to offer to send two bottles of Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce to the winner of this giveaway. To enter, just visit the Country Bob’s website (it will open in another tab/window) and check out all of the recipes. Then, leave a comment on this post telling me one recipe from their site that you’d like to try. Comments that do not include the specified information will not be eligible. The contest ends on Saturday 08/30/08 at 11:59 pm est. US addresses only please.

Good luck to all who enter!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER.

Aug 22, 2008 | 30 comments | View Post

Book review - Power Of Pussy

FROM THE AUTHOR

This mind-boggling journal-of-sorts was borne out of love. True love that had not yet existed for a 60-year old, still hot, simmering woman. I already had a full stressful life with a demanding & money-making career, a millionaire boyfriend, two beautiful daughters and grandchildren that I all loved well.

Enter Peter Straat. Our lust-driven relationship that has made my life the most sex-filled time is recorded for you to read by incredible open lovemaking to verbal warfare.

Here’s the key to our relationship, just understand one thing: HE MUST BE THE LION KING.

That’s how I started and am still continuing this journey with Peter Straat. I worshiped his dick. We had sex anywhere anytime he wanted. We are both so passionate, it also came out in bad ways including the biggie: jealousy. If you can relate and want to know more, read my book. – Sandy Patsy

I love to read and have started reading more again lately. I’d seen the book Power Of Pussy by Sandy Patsy mentioned on someone else’s blog and was thrilled to receive a copy of the book to review myself. When some people take a quick glance at the cover and/or hear the title they might think this book is erotic fiction. It isn’t. It’s a journal of a woman’s insights into relationships and thoughts on the different views of man and woman, with some of her personal experiences of love, lust and sex mixed in.

Power Of Pussy is written unlike any other book I’ve ever read. The content of the book comes from documentation of free flowing thoughts, emails, memories of actual events and first person writing. Oh, and Ms. Patsy’s conversations with herself. We’ve all had them, some people just choose not to admit to it publicly. In this book Ms. Patsy holds nothing back, sharing her thoughts, feelings, confusion, pain and excitement with readers. There were times I found myself laughing and other times where I found myself nodding in agreement. The book is written in real words, often colorful. There is absolutely no beating around the bush, pun intended. My most favorite part is the”outline of a woman’s life” located right in the front of the book.

You can learn more about the book and the author on the book website and the author’s blog. I think that adult women, and men who really want to know some of the things that go in inside a woman’s head, would find this an interesting read. The book Power Of Pussy by Sandy Patsy is available for sale online at the Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Borders and Xlibris websites.

Aug 20, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Review and giveaway - The Beach House by Jane Green

The Beach House by Jane Green
ISBN: 0670018856
352 pages

The Beach House is set on Nantucket Island. The main character in the story is Nan, a 65 year old widow who most residents in the area think is crazy because she skinny dips in their pools and picks their flowers. When Nan finds herself out of money she decides to rent out rooms in her beach house rather than sell it. The house, Windermere, is worth millions and is the last thing she has left from her husband Everett who had committed suicide years before.

The residents all had separate lives before meeting at the beach house, and had not met prior to moving in. Daniel is the first to move in. He’s newly separated from his wife Bee and their two daughters, and is learning to live life for himself after hiding something from his wife. Daff is newly separated from her husband because he had an affair. Her troubled daughter Jess does also move into the beach house later in the story. Michael is Nan’s son. He moves back home to avoid the situation created by having an affair with his boss’ wife Jordana, who has a secret of her own. I was pleasantly surprised how well the author spun the threads of the different storylines into one big one. I was totally unprepared for the giant twist Ms. Green threw in towards the end. At the conclusion of the book the residents of the beach house have all become extended family.

In a recent conference call Ms. Green called this a character driven novel rather than a plot driven novel. I understand what she meant but must say the storylines she wrote made me want to turn the page and read more, so in that respect I’d say that I thought the book was plot driven as well. I told my Mom that I thought this book was about people discovering who they are and finding true happiness and peace in their lives. I found myself pleasantly surprised in that I’d enjoyed The Beach House more than I thought I would. I recommend it as a light read and am looking forward to reading some more of Ms. Green’s books.

I’ve fortunate enough to have been offered to share this book with one of my readers, along with a custom beach towel and a beach bag. To enter just leave me a comment telling me if you’ve read any of Ms. Green’s books, and if so the title and if you recommend it. Feel free to take a look at Ms. Green’s website to learn more about her and the books she’s written, or to read her blog. This giveaway ends Saturday 08/16/08 at 11:59 pm est. US addresses only please. The winner will be selected using random.org. Good luck to all that enter!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.

Aug 09, 2008 | 27 comments | View Post

Get Snacktivated

We all snack a little in my house. Oh, who am I kidding? We snack a lot in my house. Growing up my brothers used to come to my house because “Mommy has nothing good to eat”. (Actually, that one hasn’t changed.) I’ve been trying to buy less junk and more good foods. Always up for some new ideas, I was glad when Mom Central emailed me asking me to check out the new Kellogg’s Snacktivate website.

Snacktivate is about forming healthier, more nutritional snacking habits. Think snack, active and motivate. Deb Geigis Berry, a leading family activity planner, and Rachel Brandeis, a nutrition counselor, are the two experts behind this food philosophy. The four principals of the philosophy are plan it, pick it, make it and move it. Plan it means that snacks should be scheduled as part of an every day routine. Pick it means that parents should be mindful of the foods they pick when grocery shopping. Make it means that parents and children should make snack time a quality, fun, family time activity whenever possible and that everyone should be involved. Move it means that everyone should be physically active.

The Snacktivate website has helpful tips and suggestions as well as recipes, brochures, tips and all the nutritional information you could ever want. There’s even suggestions on getting your children involved in cooking. The site is easy to navigate and everything on it is written so that it’s easy to understand. Snacktivate recipes are broken down by season, and each one has a picture showing the final outcome. Wait until you see the Teddy Bear Pancakes, the Butterfly Quesadillas and the Sassy Sunpops!

The nice folks at Kelloggs were gracious enough to send us two boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats, the Sassy Sunpops recipe and a Cereal To Go Cup. This is the neatest cup! The top part of the cup has a lid and operates as a bowl. The bottom part of the cup has nontoxic freezer gel inside it to keep milk cold. And there’s a spoon in the lid. (Since I’m not giving you mine, you can buy the cup from the Kelloggs website store.) Until I received this bowl here’s how I took my breakfast to work. Cereal was put in a baggie. Milk was put in an empty water bottle. At work cereal was poured into a paper coffee cup and then milk onto the cereal. I’d have to do this twice. Usually by the time I was ready for the second half of my cereal my milk was getting warm. This cup makes it so much easier to bring breakfast to work and keep it tasting fresh. Thanks Kelloggs!

The idea for Snacktivate is a good one. We all do need to eat healthier. And quality family time is always good. So take some time to learn about Snacktivate and cook up some fun with the kids.

Jul 23, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Have you thought about what life will be like after people?

I was offered a chance to review the dvd Life After People from the History Channel. When I told hubby over the weekend that I was going to watch a dvd I’d just received he didn’t look thrilled but agreed to watch it anyway.

The idea behind Life After People is that all of the human life on Earth is gone. The reason why all of the people are gone isn’t supplied, you’re left to use your own imagination for that. Beginning with day one, Life After People addresses what could become of the world as we know it after we’re gone.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to pets and wildlife without human care or interference? What animals or breeds do you think would be able to adapt to living without humans the best? Think about the climate and ecology of the earth. Wouldn’t you think that what we have now is what would be there in one hundred years? Now consider highways and roads. How long do you think they’d last? Without people driving on them some people might think they’d last forever. This movie forced me to think about how things like roads and civilization effect animals, something I’d never thought of before. What about houses and buildings? I never really gave it serious consideration because in the back of my mind I thought buildings would just stay there empty, like they do now when people relocate or pass away. What landmarks do you think might last the longest? Life After People offers extensive interviews with experts in the fields of engineering and archeology to help explain the answers to all of these questions.

The movie also makes the viewer realize that our environment is very reliant on mankind. Without the intervention of man many things will cease working, such as electric. Do you know why the Hoover Dam might be the last functioning power source in the US? Everything in the movie was based on scientific research and actual events. Much time has been spent studying the areas near Chernobyl. It’s quite eerie to see what’s happened there in only twenty years. Abandoned towns on an island off the coast of Maine were also studied.

I liked this dvd and recommend it. The video is of great quality and has some really terrific visual effects. The graphics used to show what will happen are terrific. My hubby and I found it interesting. The movie got us both thinking about things we hadn’t considered previously, and provided us with several opportunities for some really good conversation. Life After People can be purchased online from many stores including the A&E store.

Jul 22, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

A NewBaby is born

Moms, there’s a new site created especially with you in mind. It took more than two years to bring NewBaby.com to life. NewBaby is a social media network where mothers can interact with each other through the use of videos and photos. The site is free to join and offers vlogs, blogs and a family photo gallery among it’s many other features. The site is home to a number of parenting experts and offers an Advice and Answers area. One of the areas I liked is the product area which contains review videos. There’s even an entire section for new mothers to be. There’s a lot to see on NewBaby, too much to mention here. So take a moment and check out the NewBaby!

Jul 08, 2008 | 0 comments | View Post

Tripflix review

We have a small travel trailer. We go camping in upstate New York every year. The reason we don’t camp more is because the trailer is so small we have no room to move and cannot enjoy ourselves. Lately we’ve been doing some heavy consideration of getting a bigger trailer, so we can enjoy some family time. Camping can be much less expensive than flying and staying in hotels. Some people don’t like the driving aspect of camping, but they probably haven’t seen the award winning TripFLIX dvd.

TripFLIX is a travel/educational/entertainment dvd that contains over two hours family friendly content. The dvd would probably work best before going on vacation, when you’re in the planning and idea stage. Kids could also watch it while traveling just for the entertainment. TripFLIX was created by Llana and David Bittner. While traveling through Maryland the couple received a pamphlet designed to make a trip more fun for children.

When you start the TripFLIX dvd you’ll be presented with a map of the US, divided into six regions. Each region features descriptions of several places to go or see within that region. A couple of the stops are well known, such as Sea World, California, but for the most part the stops are places offering something fun and educational and won’t cost your family an arm and a leg. I’d never ever heard of some of the places, but found them interesting.

There are two ways to watch TripFLIX. You can watch it in entirety, which takes about two hours. Or you can tell it you’re taking a trip. When taking a trip you choose what region you’re beginning your trip in and what region you’re ending your trip in. TripFLIX will then show you all of the stops it has between your starting and ending point. There are a total of 25 stops in all on the dvd.

The TripFLIX dvd is hosted by two teens Alex and Emily. These two kids have just the right amount of corniness to make younger kids really enjoy watching. They’re energetic and fun to watch. The kids incorporate a little of everything in each segment including history and fun facts. One of the chapters I enjoyed the most was The Adventures of Afraidiana Jones segment with the garden gnomes.

In between some of the chapters you’ll find a quiz that you can answer with the remote. It isn’t as easy as one might think. I learned two things from the quiz - Arkansas is the state that is home to the only diamond mine in the U.S. and hamburgers were invented in Connecticut in 1865. The TripFLIX dvd also includes a bloopers segment and a TripFLIX ChaChaCha with the dance moves taught by Alex and Emily.

This dvd is a great idea. Not all states have stops within them sadly, I found this to be the one downside of the dvd. I think it would be great if this was available with at least one stop in each state. Ideally I think small states would have one stop and bigger states would have more. With this approach the dvd could be reused in the vacation planning stages. They could even include fun facts like the state capital. Maybe trivia on what the state bird/flower/plant, etc is and why it was chosen.

TripFLIX is available to buy on the TripFLIX site and on amazon.com with a suggested retail price of $19.99. Thanks to Team Mom for giving me this review opportunity.