Craft Beer Club – The Perfect Gift For Dad

December 8, 2014 by 6 Comments

One of the best gifts you can get someone is one that keeps on giving.  So the “Of the month” kind of gifts are often well received.  There are fruit of the month clubs, wine of the month clubs, and of course The Craft Beer of the month club  (which Daddy is thoroughly enjoying).

craft beer

The Craft Beer Club sends out 12 beers a month to enjoy, as well as a free bottle opener when you order 3 months of delivery and a free set of tasting glasses when you order 6 months.  The beers are all craft beers, which means they come from small breweries which take special care to make unique beers.  This months features where Saint Arnold Brewing Company and DL Geary Brewing Company, each which 2 varieties of beer- Geary’s Pale Ale and Geary’s Hampshire Special Ale from DL Geary, and Fancy Lawnmower and Santo from Saint Arnold.  Dl is from Portland Maine and Saint Arnold is from Houston Texas.  Each brewery is descried in detail on a News Sheet which also included facts about the brewery(s), the beers, and even some fun facts and recipes either to be made with the beers or to complement the flavors of the beer.
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Stocking Stuffers for Dad

December 7, 2014 by 1 Comment

Looking for a few little “somethings” to stuff in dad’s stocking this year?  Check out these fun books that are sure to make him laugh- and be fun (and even useful) as well.

World Bottled Beers: 50 Classic Brews to Sip and Savour

book about beer

This is actually what the book looks like- a bottle of beer 🙂

“A delightful gift for any discerning beer drinker, this shaped book features 50 of the world’s best brews from Adams Broadside in the UK to US classics such as Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot and the unmissable German lagers and wheat beers that include Ayinger Celebrator and Schneider Weisse. For each beer, a shaped bottle image is accompanied by detailed tasting notes and a list of other similar beers to try. Beers range from best bitters and IPAs to stouts and porters, Trappist ales and oak-aged brown ales to lagers and wheat beers. The author, Adrian Tierney-Jones, is an award-winning beer writer.”  The book is available for $10.72 at Barnes and Nobel.com.
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Chomp and Stomp Grimlock

December 1, 2014 by 2 Comments

Disclosure- We have received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest. For more info, see “I Disclose”.
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Transformers have been around for a while, actually they celebrated their 30th birthday in 2014. Originally, they were  released in 1984 as a toy line. In this time period, the “robots in disguise” have changed quite a bit.   Starting out as vehicles, mostly cars, then expanding into dinosaurs and animals that transform. The newest generation includes a simple transforming set of figures which go from robot to dinosaur/vehicle in one step. The biggest, literately, of these is Transformers: Age of Extinction Chomp and Stomp Grimlock who with a simple push or pull is able to swap forms. Grimlock also sports lights, sounds, and weapons that pop out. Grimlock is actually big enough where a Power Battler figure can ride on Grimlock and unlock a different set of lights and sounds, depending on weather the figure is one of the evil Decepticons or an Autobot. Included with Grimlock is an Optimus Prime figure- although he doesn’t transform, he is still fun to ride around on Grimlock with.
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Cricket Magazine – Ask (Just for Kids!)

November 28, 2014 by 4 Comments

Disclosure- I am a Cricket Media Ambassador, and received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest.  For more information, see “I Disclose”.

ask magazine

My son with this month’s magazine

Over the next few months, we will be featuring a line of Cricket Media magazines. For our second feature we will be featuring Cricket’s science and arts magazine Ask. This month’s feature is Ask, geared toward 7-10 year olds.

The key feature of Ask revolves around arts and science to keep curious minds interested. With either answering good questions about the environment and creatures around them of explaining some difficult concepts in terms kids can understand Ask tackles some fun topics like what do to if you see a bear and even has some experiments such as making a field journal and comic strips too.

easy reader magazineSome of Ask’s recurring sections include Marvin and Friends, which follow a case of characters who comment on the articles in the margins, Contests and Letters which is a section with contributions by readers, Scoops, Ask Jimmy and the Bug and many more.
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Toys From Burlington and a Giveaway

November 27, 2014 by 54 Comments

gift guideIt’s about that time of year- you know.  Shopping time. “The Holiday Season”.  Time to make the lists, check it twice, and make sure you deliver your child’s wish list in time for the big day.  One good place to check out is Burlington.  While you might think it’s just the best place to go to for coats and jackets for the whole family, they actually offer a lot more.

pic1Burlington offers style for everyone at up to 65% off department store prices every day. With three times as many gifts in store than in years past, there are plenty of great toys at the right price this holiday season for the children in your life, ranging from Frozen-themed toys to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figures and more.
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Mario Kart 7

November 24, 2014 by 2 Comments

And now, for a timely Mario Kart 7 review. Sure this review is taking place after Mario Kart 8, but something to keep in mind is that this is the 3DS’s Mario Kart, not the Wii U. So instead of huge races with tons of characters red shelling each other, you have tight turns and blood thirsty Princesses on your morning train ride.

20140919_171459Nintendo have made a new Mario Kart for every console and one of their most recent is Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS. This game sports more tracks, easy multiplayer over the internet, and a bunch of characters to zip around tracks with. As an avid Mario Kart fan, but not a very good racer, I thoroughly enjoy Mario Kart with every iteration. The fun, light hearted racing can go from item using fun at break neck speeds to nail biting close finishes in a matter of moments. Never in any series of games have I cursed so many times at so many cute characters.
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Want to Get Your Game on? Add These To Your Holiday List

November 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

I received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please see “Disclose” tab for more info.

mario kart wii u bundleFor many kids (and tweens, and teens…and let’s face it- parents too) gaming is a part of life.  A way to unwind, relax, and have some fun. Here in my house, it is the source of some major father-son bonding time. As you write your list for Santa this year, you might want to add a few of these as well.

Do you own a Wii U yet?  If not, you might want to check out the Wii U Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Set bundle.  It includes a copy of the Mario Kart game, Nintendoland game, the deluxe 32GB Wii U console, a MK8 steering wheel, and Mario themed red Wii Remote (or Wii-mote, as my husband likes to say).  The bundle is a good deal if you don’t have the system yet.  It come with everything you need to get started, as well as the super-fun-for-everyone and family friendly Mario Kart 8.

pic5The Wii U is the sleek, recent console made by Nintendo. The system itself has next generation graphics, comparable to the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. Textures are sharp, sound is clear and the characters in the games look like they will hop right out of the screen at you. Speaking of screens, the innovative game changer with the Wii U is its touch screen controller. The controller has two analog sticks, the mandatory 4 buttons to the right and a few important buttons as well, home, start, select, etc. The middle of the controller is a touch screen which not only displays game play/video/etc but also acts as an input source itself. Some examples of this are an in-game map, flinging ninja stars, a different perspective of the environment. The possibilities are only limited by the designers’ imaginations. The Wii U Mario Kart 8 Bundle is available for $299.99 on http://happyholidays.nintendo.com
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Pillow Pets New Mystical Styles

November 18, 2014 by 2 Comments

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Disclosure- I received the below  in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and honest. Please see “Disclose” tab for more info.

Who doesn’t love Pillow Pets? They have so much more to their line now then the original pillow pets, like new slippers, sweatshirts, blankets, and more. Hey, ANYTHING that will make sleep seem like fun is groovy with me. Need something to keep your little ones in their own bed? Do you need a travel buddy for the car, plane, and hotel? Try Pillow Pets, they make sleep time fun and encourage little ones to get to bed.

new pillow petsHere is what Pillow Pets has to say;

“Since 2003, My Pillow Pets have been bringing smiles to faces of all ages. The concept for the snuggly companions was the brainchild of a San Diego-based mother of two, who had grown tired of picking up stuffed animals strewn about her children’s rooms. What began with the simple goal of transforming a traditional stuffed animal into a functional item for children has grown into an amazing jungle of popular products.
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