What's A Little Competition Between Friends?

At least once a week, Lauri, Clarissa and I get together for weekly girl time. We eat, have coffee, laugh, yell, and chat about whatever is on our radar at that moment.

It is one day that I truly look forward to each week. There is nothing better than hanging out with your girlfriends, especially when they feel like family and you can totally be yourself. Put your feet up, go into the cabinets and refrigerator, turn on the TV or computer as if you live there. For me, that is a sign of true friends. Love it!

Last week my girlfriend and I got together for our weekly chat.

Location: My house
Time: Between the hours of 9:15 and 11:45 (the hours that Goddess is in school)
Menu: Heated up coffee and flaky biscuits
Soundtrack: The songs on my MP3 Player
Weather: Cold but beautiful
Agenda: Review Rummino as part of a Family Review Network Campaign
Participants: We were down one Clarissa so it was only Lauri and me.


We took out the game, read and re-read the instructions.

The game is easy to learn. It seemed complicated to us at first but after playing we thought, "and why did we find this so complicated?"

Basically it is rummy with tiles!

If you are like me, you love board games. It is a great way to talk, laugh, challenge and finally someone comes through victorious in the end. Unless you are like Lauri and I who screwed up the scoring so we both got the same score because we gave each other 1 point for each tile. Duh!

Fun, easy to learn, and I am dying to play again! That basically sums up a good game to me.

The only problem I had was that you really need a tile holder. You have to keep your tiles a secret from the enemy other player. It is nearly impossible to keep the tiles from falling over and letting your enemy friend see your tiles.

Now for the balance of the review; I present Lauri's (my game partner) review of Rummino:

I thought the instructions for the points were a little confusing in the beginning.  There is really a lot there to remember.  The other aspects of the game were enjoyable though.  

I liked that it wasn't another board game, and the game play itself was pretty easy to follow once I got the hang of it.  The tiles are easy to handle and they are large enough for even a blind bat like me to read.  I also liked that it was not the type of game that went on forever but it was still challenging enough to hold my attention. 

Overall I think that even though kids probably would get a little confused with the calculations, that it would be a great family game so the adults could help them out with the scoring and definitely a great game for adults.  

I personally had a great time playing it with you and we had some really good laughs.

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. Sweet dreams are made of these

2. Coffee starts my morning especially for me who hasn't had a full night sleep in over 6 years.

3. Silliness keeps you young.

4. My kids are so excited about their costumes, this Halloween.

5. Outstanding or not I will continue to blog

6. Some alone time with the MAN is what I want right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Ghost Whisper tomorrow my plans include some alone time with the MAN and Sunday, I want to spend some time outdoors.

Autumn's Burst of Color

Female Singer/Songwriter Fans Check Out Brandi Carlile

I love to sing. This is no something many people know about me. I sing like a bird when I am alone. I belong to a few of the Karaoke sites and try to keep a low profile so that no one knows about it. Female singers have always inspired me. I love Stevie Nicks, Melissa Etheridge, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Taylor Swift, Fiona Apple, Pat Benatar, Cassidy, Ani DeFranco, just to name a few.

When One2One Network gave me the opportunity to check out a female artist I had never heard of who was inspired by the Indigo Girls I was interested. Check out Brandi Carlile.

Her last album, The Story, debuted on Billboard's Top 200, peaking at #2 on iTunes and was named one of VH1's "You Oughta Know" artists in addition to having many of her songs featured on various episodes of "Grey's Anatomy".

If you like KT Tunstall, Indigo Girls, Missy Higgins and Rachael Yamagata then you will LOVE Brandi Carlile.  

Brandi is far from an obscure, she has toured with the likes of  Dave Mathews Band and Sheryl Crow, who raved about Brandi's live performances, "She has the most amazing voice I may have ever heard. Soulful. Country. Perfect in every way and propelled by taste."

Brandi Carlile's song Dreams was inspired by a sex dream. She is my kind of girl. I thought her sound was different and very much what I want to listen to on a rainy day when I am hanging around my house alone reading or just zoning out.

The Familia

Sepia at the Cemetery

Reaching Up To The Heavens

My very first Outdoor Wednesday.

This is a monument, grave marker from a cemetery photo shoot. I had the most awesome time walking through and talking through with Laurie. We stopped and looked at dates, read markers and chatted about whatever. The weather was glorious and the sky amazing. We are talking about going back on a cloudy day for another shoot before it gets to cold.

The Biggest Light Bright In New Jersey

For some reason I had a problem coming up with an "L" photo for ABC Wednesday this week. I was going to post a bunch of Laurie photos but the ones I have, she has already told me she hates them.

Here is Goddess playing with the biggest lightbright I have ever seen at the Children's Museum.

Ruby Tuesday - The Girlie Jewelry Box Moment

My Goddess loves "pretty things". This is what she says every day. She loves sitting with her jewelry box and riffling through it, putting on various pieces of baby girl bling! Who doesn't love to sparkle once in a while? The red and black bracelet is a Street Angel creation made especially for Goddess with love.

FTC Goes After Bloggers

As of December 1st Bloggers Beware!

The FTC is looking at a new criminal who may be wearing a big t-shirt, have a coffee cup super glued to her hand, a baby on their breast and a toddler in front of Sesame Street. Or she may look something like this...

Yes...the FTC is looking at you fellow bloggers. Most of us are very aware of the new ruling and have added disclaimers to our sites regarding the companies who provide or products and sponsor our giveaways.

However, if you are not in compliance, you will be sanction. Big scary words for a mommy blogger who simply uses a product and talks about it. I am not really certain how they will police this. Some of my reviews are from companies some are from products I have purchased on my own and want to talk about.

Most bloggers are just voicing their opinion on a particular product as if they were at work, in a school yard, emailing a friend, at a mommy group or whatever medium you can think of.

Most bloggers will NOT say something just because a company asks them to.

Most bloggers DO NOT get paid to blog about an item.

Most bloggers are NOT trying to drive the market in a particular direction.

Most bloggers LOVE getting products and are willing to honestly discuss what they felt about it.

Most bloggers LOVE sharing a product with their readers in the form of a giveaway.

Most bloggers HAVE NEVER lied about a product for a sponsor. 

Most bloggers are NOT receiving laptops, toys or trips to Disney!!

Most bloggers want to follow the rules and are not trying to hurt anyone. We don't have big lawyers working for us (as many companies do), telling us the proper buzz words to make sure that our butts are protected from being sued over our opinion.

Most bloggers work HARD and spend MANY hours to provide "fair & balanced" reviews on items that we receive for "free" and could have been purchased for under $25.00.


BTW...is a product really free if I have to spend 15-60 minutes writing, researching, linking, and posting it??? If it is a giveaway? Writing, researching, linking, posting, adverstising, picking a winner through random, contacting the winner, providing an address to the sponsor and then forever keeping communication openin case the sponsor doesn't follow through. The amount of follow up alone is worth at the very least $10.00 an hour!!!

I would think there were more important things wrong with the world than a couple of bloggers who were lucky enough to receive trips to Disney and latops. BTW...Sony, Acer, Dell, if you are listening I could totally use a new one.

PEACE OUT!

Source

Snow White Diamond Edition Dropped Today

As part of a One2One Network campaign I was lucky enough to be part of a magical, review for a Disney classic.
 

I watched this with my Goddess yesterday while her brother was in school. She loves "beautiful things" and any Disney princess is beautiful to Goddess. For me, personally, I grew up loving Snow White. I loved it!  It was my favorite movie and I remember having the album (vinyl) and would listen to "Some Day My Prince Will Come" which was my mom's favorite song to sing. Sad now that I think about it, but as a child it was just funny because she couldn't hold a tune to save her life.

Goddess loved it! I loved it! I appreciate all the additional features too!

This movie was the first DVD that made me think I NEED a Blu-ray player, thankfully this DVD features both DVD and Blu-ray or I would have had to watch at a friends house.

What is Disney Blu-Ray? The revolutionary new Diamond Edition provides the highest-level viewing experience, immersive interactivity, unprecedented value, quality, and versatility with the exceptional picture and sound of Blu-ray and the extended utility of DVD.  Upgrading to Blu-ray offers you technology on more scratch resistant and kid-proof discs and Blu-ray players play both Blu-ray discs and your favorite DVDs.

Side Note: Maybe this is a reason to purchase a Sony Playstation! We love games in this household.

Head over to Disney's official Snow White site for a sneak peak at this beautiful Disney classic.

Want to see a trailer of the movie? Here it is in all its enhanced color.

Be Still My Mommy Heart

It's not the best picture but that kid getting off the bus!

He's mine.

That is Handsome in all his big boy glory.

Since the first day of school I was adamindt that I was going to drive my kids. I wanted to be "that mom". Always there, involved, doing homework, baking cookies, leaving surprises on their car seats for them to find, notes in the lunchbox, pancakes made into letter, blah blah blah.

Here we are at the 5 week mark and over the past couple of week Handsome has asked if he was taking the bus. He is the ONLY kindergartner in town out of over 70 that is picked up and dropped off. I always said if he really wanted to take the bus, I wouldn't hold him back.  Everyday, all the other kids get on the bus and Handsome, Goddess and I walk to my car with a chorus of "Bye, Handsome, bye, bye, Handsome...." behind us. Cuuuutteee!

This morning I spoke to him about the bus again and he said, yes, then he said no.

After I put him on line this morning I walked over and asked the only bus driver I know (by face and association only, "Ava's Mom") if she was the bus for my route. She is! Awesome. So I headed over to him and said, "That is Ava's Mom who drives your bus." He said, "yeah".

This afternoon I didn't sign him out and when he walked out of school I said, "do you want to take the bus?"

He said, "no".

I said, "Ava's mommy drives your bus, do you want to take it?

He said, "no, I don't want to.

(one last time) "Ok, you don't want to take it?"

He said, "Yes, I do. Can you come with me?"

I said, "No but look all your friends are going on. Do you want to take the bus? I will follow you."

He said, "yes" and walked on.

The driver and I exchanged nods and thumbs up.

She gave me the universal sign for hold on, I did.

I saw his friend Leo getting on the bus, and I said, "Leo, Handsome's on the bus."

Goddess and I walked to the car, my mind racing and Goddess whining that she really, really, really wanted to go on the bus.

I got behind the bus and followed until they veered off a side street for drop offs while I took the direct route home.

Most days we are home by 3:40. The bus came at 4:08 and we were home by 4:11. A little less time home but if this is something he wants, this is the best year to do it. There are only Kindergartners on this bus and he and Leo are the last stop. Handsome gets off and Leo two streets later.

He came off the bus like a big boy and I told the bus driver it would only be in the return trip and that I would still drive in the morning. We would have to be at the bus stop too early. School is long enough!

I will continue to show up at the school for the next two weeks and see if he wants to ride. It is in his hands. After the two weeks I will drop off and let him take the bus if this is something he wants to do.

Oh my aching heart but I know this is something I have to do. It is only a bus ride. He is not heading off to college and I can let him grow, spread his wings and spend some time with his friends before coming back into the safe nest of his home.

Spread your wings my son but don't try to fly too far from the nest, you have plenty of time and Mommy just might clip them.

Teaching Children To Read

Handsome has been reading for about a year now. He gets stuck once in a while but he can read most 1st reader books on his own.

Since he started Kindergarten we have done a lot of reading. He has always loved books, most of his favorite baby items were books. He would study them even at the age of 6 months. Just staring and slowly turning the page. I was always amazed to see my little guy quietly sitting with his books.

Even on long car trips, just bring books and he was fine. However, he didn't love sitting through a story. He wanted to look at them alone or have me ask him where things were in picture books but he never wanted to sit and listen to me read. As I read I would notice that he would lose focus and start fiddling with something or picking at his finger nails. My daughter however has always been able to sit through as many books as I will read to her. Her reading comprehension is off the charts and I constantly have to stop her from answering my son's homework, book questions.

We have to read every night for school. Then he has to draw a picture or write some words based on the story that was read to him. Because he loses focus while listening I have been keeping his attention by leaving various words out while I read so that he has to finish the sentence for me.