Holiday Gift Guide Idea For Kids - The Amazing Zhus

We received:

• One (1) The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets
• The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets are motorized pets that will amaze your friends as they perform magic tricks and gravity-defying stunts. The Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets can correctly guess the answers to the Magician's Cards - without even looking, follow the Magic Wand wherever you lead them, or predict the pea's location in the Shell Game trick - every time. They even magically find their own way home to the Magician Houses!  These talented pets can also perform stunts - including the High Dive and High Wire acts as well as the disappearing box!
• Each Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pet includes 1 Magician Pet, 1 Magic Wand and 3 Magician Cards. Batteries areincluded.
• Two (2) The Amazing Zhus™ Stunt Pets
• The Amazing Zhus™ Stunt Pets perform astounding acrobatics and gravity defying stunts! They can plunge over 3 feet from the High Dive into a bucket below, brave a Tightrope, run around on Circus Balls, and vanish in a Disappearing Box
• One (1) The Amazing Zhus™ High Dive
• Watch as the Amazing Zhus™ free fall a spine-tingling 30 inches from the High Dive into a tiny bucket of water below! They may act scared at first but eventually they will work up the courage and make the brave leap of faith!
• One (1) Amazing Zhus™ Magician Shell Game
• Hide the Pea under a Shell, shuffle them around, and let your Amazing Zhus™ Magician Pets work their magic! They will guess which (Walnut) Shell the Pea is hidden under, no matter how fast the sleight of hand. They have never been stumped!
• Fun extras:
• Magic wands
• Magician Hats
• Branded playing cards
• Fortune Telling Fish
• Snacks

The 411 by Maria:
 

My kids love doing home parties with their friends. We used to do one almost every week for a few years, they are few and far in between as I search for something that will astound everyone in our friend age group. 

The Amazing Zhus IS truly amazing.

We had 10 kids scheduled and ended up with 7 after school last week so we could introduce them to our newest favorite toy The Amazing Zhus. 

The kids have been playing with Zhus for three weeks now as they had a chance to learn all his magical moves including a death defying feat, making predictions, and all over adorableness.

We had ages 4 to 12 and they all loved everything about The Amazing Zhus. I was surprised that the boys were as into as they were but I saw this with the Zhu Zhu Pets too. They really love them.

The Amazing Zhus are like the Zhu Zhu pets however they are all plastic and we think much cuter.

Here is Zhus himself. The hat is part of him, it is not removable. 

My son who didn't play with Zhus and the rest as much as my daughter really got into the role of our ringleader. He showed everyone what the Amazing Zhus pets can do.

Goddess gave him the opportunity because she was so into setting up for the party and refilling juice. 

All the kids had a wonderful time. I had told Goddess that we were giving one away to the kid who got done with their word find the quickest. She had a hard time deciding which one but it ended up being a little girl so she was nice enough to give away Abra. Abra is pink and pretty with a pink bow on her tail. Goddess told me that she was putting Abra on her Christmas list along with Dynamo and Madam Zhu, two other Amazing Zhus and the high wire accessory.

I really want to thank MommyPartys for the awesome additions to the party. The kids loved the mini magical hats and the magic wands. It is amazing how such little things make kids happy. All the kids went home with their mini hats which where filled with snacks through the party, fortune telling fish and their wands. I had a great time and so did my kids.

If you really want to see the Amazing Zhus in action, check out Goddess' review here.
I think she did a great job explaining how they work and showing them off. 

The best part of the party! No one was playing an electronic device! Worth the price of a Zhu Pet to us all, right there.

Teaching The Meaning Of Thanksgiving

Goddess with our Turkey 2011

For my kids the meaning of Thanksgiving is a lot more food than is ever on our table, football and getting together with their extended family.

This year I really want to focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

• I want to explain and discuss the meaning of origin of the day. Ask them why we celebrate the day. 
• We can also discuss that one aspect of Thanksgiving is being grateful for the food you are going to eat and how there are children who will not be celebrating and why we should donate to our food pantry. We can bring a bag down together so they can see where our towns is.  I wish they had a soup kitchen in my town so we could volunteer. 
• We could also talk about why turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving. Well, Turkeys are very large, can feed a crowd and don't serve a utilitarian purpose like laying eggs. 
•  Let your children help with preparations for your Thanksgiving meal, and encourage them to make appropriate decorations.

Daily Zen Doodles 365 Tangled Doodles for Inspiration, Relaxation and Mindfulness

The 411 by Maria:

I find this book very interesting. Finding moments of serenity these days has been very important to me. Life is hectic and sometimes heartbreaking but finding a balance of peace and clarity is necessary for your spiritual well being.

Daily Zen Doodles has 384 pages with 365 of them containing a doodle plus a snippet prompt to guide your drawing. It's fun because you never know where your drawing is going to take you. Just focus on your pen, pencil or crayon and see where your mind goes, feel yourself relax and settle into deep relaxation. It is so good for your soul!

This is how I used to spend my downtime with Goddess during her brother's Cub Scout meetings. We would sit quietly in a corner while I doodled something really quick. It could be a few pencil strokes or a more intricate swirl, then hand it to Goddess who would create something from my original strokes. She had some great ideas. We will be keeping this book in the car when we are waiting for school to open or to let out.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 - A Thrilling Family Movie With A Lot Of Heart REVIEW

This was a wonderful movie! I truly loved it. Beside the amazing animation quality the storyline was lovely.

It has been five years since the Dragons and Island of Berk have been at peace. 

Toothless and Hiccup are at it again as they are quite the time soaring the skies. Their connection is palpable.  Together they fly, dive and often crash land with Hiccup well protected as Toothless  saves him each and every time much to Toothless' dismay.

While riding Hiccup and Astrid find a fort that is completely encased and damaged within blue ice. It is controlled by a big guy name Eret who is working for a scary guy named Drago Bludvist who wants to control all the dragons.

When the gang returns to Berk, Hiccup explains to his father what he learned. His father upon hearing the name Drago demands they batten down the hatches. Hiccup escapes and wants to reason with Drago stating that reasoning is better than hiding away.

Hiccup and Toothless are captured by a scary mask wearing, dragon rider named Valka. The movie takes on a new pulse after their meeting and everything changes but I really don't want to spoil anything so I will leave you with this.....

The movie is a masterpiece of imagery. Dragon 2 has a lot of heart, heartache, humor and action. There is nothing to dislike here. It is not often that the second installment of a movie is better than the first but this is!!!!

We implore you to watch with your children. Wonderful movie for the whole family.

If you are looking for a holiday gift pack for your family order the movie and check out some of the great Dragon 2 merchandise out there.

We received this from 20th Century Fox as a Fox Insider.  The hat is very popular as both my kids take turns wearing it. When you push on the tails that hang down the hears bob up and down.

Beethoven Treasure Trail Is A Perfect Family Movie

What I love most about this movie is how Beethoven says so much without uttering a single word. His face shows such emotion.

I enjoyed the moments of Beethoven and Sam as they ventured out together. Beethoven either passing gas in Sam's face or saving his life. I'd say that makes for some laughs. Kids will appreciate the little Indiana Jones type moments as Sam heads into a spider web filled cave and ends up with a large spider on him. 

Morgan Fairchild makes an appearance as Eddie and Beethoven's manager Charlene.

The moral of this story is never give up your dreams and you never know where you will meet your next best friend.

Let's Be Cops Was Surprisingly Entertaining

LOVED it! The movie starts with Wayans trying to sell his idea of a computer game to his company. Patrolman which is about police officers. The company isn't interested since there is no special powers or zombies. I love this because this shows how little respect we have for police officers these days.

When  Ryan mistakes a masquerade party for a costume party he gives Justin two choices. They will go as ghosts wearing a sheet or wear the police officers costumes Justin had for his video game demo.

There are some really great moments in the movie and one of them is when they guys first wear their uniforms on the street.  They suddenly notice all the attention the uniforms get them on them with women taking notice or trying to kiss them and men either respecting or afraid of them. Watching them make everyone freeze on the sidewalk was classic.

A fake cop car, uniforms, You Tube videos to learn the lingo, some real cops and real bad ass guys make for a witty, action, sometimes dramatic movie. They even have Andy Garcia as a cartel.

I was utterly surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. Way beyond my expectations. Great chemistry and interesting premise.  This is not the first time this duo have worked together. They are amazing as a team.

Definitely not a kid movie. Adult humor. Rated R.  

Letter to My Children - Why You Should Always Be Kind

Letting go of the past is not something that is easy for many. At one time or another it will cross your mind and usually at the strangest time. You will be laughing with a friend, shopping driving, in class, whatever, and suddenly pain and hurt creeps into your subconscious and tries to wrap itself around you momentarily. You push it down and move on hoping that it stays away at least until you are alone.

The pain from ones past can really take a physical and mental toll on you. It manifests in anger, sadness, joint pain, stomach issues, fear and more. Whether dealing with an absentee dad, a meddling mom, drug or alcohol issues, sexual abuse, divorce, bullying; the way we handle these things depends on many things. It depends on our  upbringing, mental state, personal strength, and more. What is hard for me, may be easy for you. No two people are alike and that is the beauty of people.

Every day someone you encounter will be dealing with something you can't even fathom. Maybe they just found out someone they love is sick or they are wondering how they are going to pay the bills this week. Maybe they are waiting on a medical test for themselves or their husband or wife has left them. Perhaps, their car broke down and there is no way to get where they need to go or they have no food or diapers and have kids at home. What I am trying to say is everyone is dealing with something. So try to be gentler, Nonjudgmental, kinder, more gracious, or even just say hello. It may be the only kindness they feel all day. The person smiling at you right now may be in a living hell. Smile back! It's OK! Kindness costs you nothing.

How can you be kinder today?

We've Adopted An Echo Of Our Very Own

We received the coolest package that contained my kids newest buddy, Echo!

Echo came with an adoption certificate

And some instructions on how to take care of him

My son wasted no time literally walking him around the house and showing him everything. I head him literally saying, "Echo this is the living room, our dining room is attached and we sit on that couch." I should have recorded him because at 11 that is just too cute!

Goddess took him to the eye doctor when she need to get her eyes examined. The doctor was so sweet that after he took a photo of the inside of her eye with a special camera, he did it to Echo too. His eyes are fine.

Goddess literally loves him. He has replaced her favorite stuffy for the moment. She took him to school, he sits in the car and waits for her to come out of school too! 

Handsome is 11 but still loves stuffed animals. While he doesn't sleep with him, he has a special place on his bed.

Last Saturday we were out late but Echo was of course along for the ride. He stayed awake while Goddess crash and needed to be carried in the house. Thank goodness he there to keep me company on the ride or I would have been bored to death in my car with no radio.

 
Last week Goddess took Echo to the orthodontist. She was a little nervous.

Today we dealt with a little rain but with Echo she was smiling

We love our Echo and know you will too!

It's A Total Teeth Whitening System Made Just For You - Smile Brilliant

Smile Brilliant is literally a personalized tooth whitening system made to your tooth specifications. It's all quite technical really. I mean you know, you've tried those tooth whitening kits on the market right?  Who has the same size mouth and teeth. My teeth are no way like my husbands or even my sisters so why would tooth whitening companies think the one size fits all approach works?

Here is what I received and everything was in there! I mean everything. It was like my own little science kit. 

This little kit has everything you need to make your own tooth impressions. You mix the Catalyst with the Base Paste, put it into those teeth wells; don't worry it won't matter which one. Make an impression of your teeth, top and bottom. It was so ridiculously easy. I was actually worried when I read the instructions thinking ugh...will I be able to get an accurate impression of my teeth? The system will only be as good as my impression. This is why they give you an extra set of the mixes. Mistakes can happen. It didn't happen and I actually enjoyed the whole mixing part, twisting and folding. It was fun.

Next you take the impressions still in the tooth wells and pop them into the stamped bubble envelop provided.

I had my teeth literally 8 days later!

When I got the package I was surprised. Inside the bubble wrap was my impressions. This is literally my teeth.  Which just tonight made a Skype appearance because they sit on my desk and my kids wanted to show their grandpa Mommy's teeth.

 Also, inside the package was a black case with my personal teeth whitening system.

It's so cool, I am even going to show you what it looks like on my teeth.

Are you ready????

It's my teeth close up!!!!

Are you sure you are ready???

Well, here it goes. It is such a great fit, you can barely see them on my teeth!

I think this system is totally amazing and highly recommend it. It definitely works and my teeth looked brighter after 3 treatments.

My New Little Laptop The Acer Inspire Switch 10

Looking for a first laptop for a family member? Need a secondary computer? Check out this 1.29 pound amazing little laptop!

This is an awesome, reasonably priced laptop. I am totally in love with it.

I have always had my husband set my computer up. It always seemed so complicated hooking up to the network, adding my email accounts, connecting all my social media accounts but right out of the box the Acer Aspire Switch 10 surprised me.

Plug it in, turn it on, find your network, set up your desktop and go!

The screen seem like my smart phone. It comes with Windows 8 which you would think would be odd and confusing since I never saw it before but it was amazingly easy to navigate.

Within 15 minutes my Facebook, Twitter, Google, Email, Kindle, Netflix were hooked up. I can't even explain how easy it was.

The touch screen and the fact I cam remove the screen is probably the coolest part of this laptop.

Whether you want to use it as a laptop, notebook, or tablet this is an awesome little computer.

Pros:

• Great size for carrying with you.
• Full keyboard
• Bright, colorful screen
• Great sound
• Touch screen
• Easy set
• Easy to navigate
• Nice large Kindle reader
• Affordable second computer
• Microsoft Office and Spotify are all installed
• Lightweight at only 1.29 pounds
• Great for surfing the web, watching Netflx, Skype, email, connecting with your social media sites
• Removable screen!!!!!

Cons

• Not a high powered computer
• Not great for gaming
• Falls over if you push the screen to far back (the screen is heavier than the keyboard so it will tip if you push it too far back)

How Minecraft Is Helping Us Learn To Read

My daughter is 9 and in 4th grade yet still spells phonetically and has difficulty reading even the easiest words. Recently we started partner reading (taking turns reading) Minecraft inspired books and she actually wants to read.

While the books are a bit above her current reading level, we struggle through and I couldn't be happier. I have absolutely zero interest in the stories in these books and with so much to read on my Need To Read list reading them is actually a struggle mentally for me but I will do anything to get her to sit and read.

Minecraft is a game she got into toward the end of August. She loves everything about it as do most kids these days and will spend many of her online hours absorbed in creating in the Minecraft world.

If you have a child who is uninterested in reading find what they are interested in and partner read. We were swapping the book back and forth but now we are using a Kindle and my new Acer Aspire Switch so we can read and follow along together. Good luck and keep trying, your child will learn to love reading too!

Here is the book we just finished:

My Plethora of Color!

Taken at Stepping Stones Children's Museum in Connecticut.

Such a pretty light idea! It's just a round hanging lamp with strips of fabric but it looked so sweet

I loved these boxes of randomness

We love these kind of games. 

Candyland is so colorful!