Leslie Patricelli's Books: A Review

I remember when I would be shopping for books when the girls' were not quite old enough to pick out their own. Bright colors, easy reading and simple illustrations was what I would look for. It probably is not a coincidence that the girls prefer books similar to this now that they choose their own.

Recently, I received two books to review. Leslie Patricelli is both the author and illustrator of the books...Baby Happy Baby Sad and Higher! Higher!. Both books are loved by Zoa. She is four and although Macie (7) is a bit old for them, she loves to read them to Zoa.

Baby Happy Baby Sad is exactly what you would think it would be...it tells the story of different ways a baby could be happy or sad. The colors are attention grabbing for their eyes and it great to read to your own baby or toddler. The hard pages make it very durable for their little hands.

Higher! Higher! is a fun book that focuses more on pictures. It's character uses their imagination to explore what she could be swinging toward...a rocket ship, space...etc.

Both of these books tell the story mainly through pictures. I think it would be a great way to interact with your child by asking questions about the pictures.

Gotta have it? Higher! Higher! retails for $15.99 and Baby Happy Baby Sad retails for $6.99. (Both of these qualify for free shipping at Amazon!)

And the winner...

The winner of the autographed copy of Cornielle's new CD is The Buki Family who said,

"I follow your blog now!".

Congratulations...you should receive an email from me.

The Birth of Corneille CD: A Review and Giveaway!

*****This giveaway is now closed.*****

When someone mentions Motown, who do you think of? Famous names such as John Legend? Marvin Gay? Tracy Chapman?

Motown Records has brought us a new artist by the name of Corneille. Recently, I had the opportunity to review his album titled, The Birth of Corneille , and let me tell you...it is calm, refreshing and something I can picture listening to while having a relaxing night in with a glass of wine. It even has some touches of R & B thrown into it.

Corneille has a very interesting background. Born in Germany, he always felt as if he were an outsider. He moved to Rwanda when he was seven but the feeling stayed. After most of his family passed away during the genocide, he started to consider moving to America. He felt as though it was his home before he even stepped foot into the country. He knew music from America - Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Price and Michael Jackson - and felt like it was something he could do. Before his father passed away, he encouraged Corneille to pursue his dream. And as they say, the rest was history.

I think the The Birth of Corneille is something different, but in a good way. So much music today is just plain crazy, and this is what I think of when I just want some easy listening.

Gotta have it? You can get The Birth of Corneille at amazon.com.

Want to win one? I have an autographed copy of The Birth of Corneille to give away! Just leave a simple comment here. Make sure you leave an email address so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner. For more ways to win and to read the fine print, click here. A winner will be randomly chosen on April 4, 2009.

Good Luck!

Bella Sara: A Review

A while back, I did a review on Bella Sara, a new trading card product for girls. I have to be honest though...even though Bella Sara is extremely successful and has sold more thank 55 million cards so far, my girls just were not that into it. I noticed the online site was a little hard to navigate but we gave it a second shot once this new package arrived.

New to the product line is "Miniatures". They include 20 velvety horses that are from the land of North of North. These are treated just like the trading cards in that you collect and trade them as well. I think they bring a new sense to the trading cards. As all mothers of girls know, little girls like to actually play with something, as opposed to see it on a card.

Another product to add to Bella Sara is something called "Treasures". It brings something new to Bella Sara in that they have more activities and bonus codes, just to name a couple. Plus, if you visit Bella Sara between now and April 30th, they are offering children a chance to will a Treasure Hunt Party.

I do think Bella Sara is a great online game and activity for children. It is wholesome and positive, but my girls just have not had their interest sparked by it. Who knows?! That may change as we all know how they can change their mind very quickly! If you think your child might be interested in Bella Sara, you can find more information here or here.

Gotta Have It?
The Bella Sara Miniature Collection is available at most major retailers, including BellaSara.com, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, KMart, Target and Wal-Mart, along with many other chains and shops. It retails for $1.99 and is recommended for ages 5 and older.

The Bella Sara Treasure Collection is sold at the same stores and retails for $2.99 and is recommended for ages 5 and older.

The entire Bella Sara Collection can be found and purchased online at Amazon.

Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway (Updated...You pick what you want!!) *CLOSED*

Great news! Remember when I told you about Lisa Leonard Designs and how I ordered one of her fantastic necklaces? Lisa has offered to give away her featured design for February to one of my readers! a $50 gift certificate to her online store!!

These necklaces are great. It is the one necklace I could wear with any outfit in my closet because they are so versatile. I wear my necklace five times a week, minimum, and it has still held up and looks brand new.

Enough about mine, let's get on to the giveaway so you can have a chance at your own! In order to enter, just go check out Lisa's website, Lisa Leonard Designs, and come back here and comment telling me which piece of her handmade jewelry you would love to own. That's it!

Please read the fine print and ways to earn additional entries. Leave your email address in each comment so I have a way of contacting you. This contest will end on Friday, February 27 at 12:00 p.m. A winner will be chosen randomly at this time. Good Luck!!

Qlubb: A Review

As much as I love being a busy mom of two and a wife to an all over the place guy, it does get a little hectic. I have used calendars for some time now to schedule everything and keep an eye out for what each day holds.

When I was asked to review a new site, Qlubb, I was so excited. It is an online planner that all members of your family can log in to add what they need to, while at the same time, see what else is going on. Not only that, but it is great for groups as well.

"Qlubb is a web-based group utility that enables real-world groups to easily connect, share and get stuff done. Qlubb brings all aspects of group interaction to one simple and intuitive place. With event calendaring, sign-up sheets, photo sharing, member rosters, file sharing, task reminder service, and bulletin boards, Qlubb provides all the functions needed to easily and actively participate within a group."

Qlubb would be great for any clubs, groups, teams, committees you may be on and just general family appointments. Best of all, it is free and cuts out so much of the stress of trying to communicte with everyone. Just point members of the "Qlubb" to the website, and they are able to see everything that is happeneing within the group, plus add anything they may need to.

Overall, I would be more likely to use this tool if Jeremy could be counted to add what he may need to. I could see him not even looking on the site. But, for any family or group whn all members would use it, this site would be a huge help!

Gotta Have It? Visit Qlubb to get started!

Build-A-Bear Winner!

The winner of the $10 Build-A-Bear gift card is:

Shelia said...

My daughter has been wanting to go to build -a- bear for so long ! I told her there was no way, with her dad losing his job before Christmas and I've been out for 2 years from an auto accident, but maybe there is a way thanks to this contest!

Sheila - please email me. You can find the email in my left sidebar. Hopefully you will come back here because I do not have a way of contacting you.

Fine print for giveaways...

For any and all giveaways here, the following is the fine print:
1. I ship to the US only, unless otherwise stated.
2. If the winner has not replied within three days, a new winner will be chosen.
3. You may earn up to five additional entries to my giveaways by doing any of the following..
- Blog about this giveaway. Fill out a separate comment for the entry with your post URL
- Tweet about this giveaway. Fill out a separate comment for the entry with your Tweet URL. (if you don't know how to find your tweet url, look at this.) My Twitter ID is 3ladiesandadad.
-Subscribe to my blog. Fill out a separate comment telling me you have done so.
- Become a follower.
- Grab and post my main blog's button on your website. The code is located in the left sidebar of my blog.

If you already are a subscriber or follower, that counts too. Just let me know in an additional comment.

So, there you have it....good luck!!

Hal Moose: A review and a giveaway!

Oh my. Can I just tell you how cute this Hal Moose from Build-A-Bear is? When I received this is the mail on Wednesday, I fell in love! It is so festive with the Christmas lights on his little antlers and I knew the girls would love it.

We also received the Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure storybook. This set will definitely become a part of our holiday traditions. It is a "chapter book", as MJ calls it, so it could be read over the course of a few nights.

Gotta Have It? Hal is only $12 and the storybook is $15.99. But when you buy Holly and Hal for just $26, you get the book for free! If you order before December 23, you can still get it in time for Christmas. (Check prices here.) All of this and more is available on Build-A-Bear's website.

Want to win one? Build-A-Bear gave me $10.00 gift card to giveaway to one of you! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Simple as that. If you want extra entries, you can:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
2. Twitter about this giveaway. My twitter ID is 3ladiesandadad. Just follow me and Tweet it.
3. Subscribe to my blog.
For each extra entry, leave another comment telling me you did it.

A winner will be chosen randomly on January 5, 2009. Please leave your e-mail so I have a way of contacting you. (Added: Sorry, I forgot to put US addresses only. )

Good luck!

Parents Architecture ABCs: A Review

I know everyone has heard and read about the toys made by Parents. They never fail to make great quality toys at a reasonable price. They are also super safe and 100% phthalate free!

I recently have had the opportunity to review the Architecture ABCs blocks made by Parents. My girls are bit too old for blocks, but they had a great time building arches with all the pieces. The difference between these blocks and the traditional wooden blocks are that these are squishy, soft, and flexible. (Think chewable for babies!) They are easily squeezable and I wouldn't think they would cause any bumps or bruises. (Something our family knows all about!) When squeezed, they also let put a squeak that will entertain your baby. On each block is a letter and an animal that corresponds to the letter - "C" has a cow on it, "L" has a lobster, and "F" has a fly on it. All 26 pieces can be grasped easily by little hands and fingers.

As soon as I opened and reviewed this product, I knew exactly who would love it. After shopping at Target, it is now under the tree for our nephew. It is something that can grow with him with the different shapes, animals and letters. I have no doubt he will love it.

Gotta Have It? Parents Architecture ABCs are recommended for children 6+ months and are available at Target for $19.99.

Delgo: A Review

Hitting theaters tomorrow, Delgo is a movie that involves many aspects of a movie. Fantasy, love, action, family, and about any other emotion you could imagine. I have not seen the movie itself, but the trailer looks like a great movie for Jeremy to take the girls too.

Delgo is a young man who loves in Jhamora, which is consisted of two divided cultures, where one part is ruler of the skys, and the other is ruler of the land. Delgo, who is part of the rulers of the land, and Klya, who is a ruler of the sky, form a friendship that is not in any way approved of. They ultimately work together toward the same goal - to calm the hostilities between the two cultures.

Delgo and Kyla are played by Freddie Prince, Jr. and Jennifer Love-Hewwitt. There are many actors and actresses that are well-known that play a part in the movie. Kelly Ripa, Val Kilmer and Burt Reynolds, just to name a few. It is getting great reviews; CNN is saying it is, "perfect timing". Animation Magazine said "...doing the impossible".

Like I mentioned above, this is a fantasy movie. Jeremy loves movies like this and I think it would be a great movie that he would enjoy with the girls. I am not too keen on fantasy movies, but this one looks like it is a bit more than that alone, which when all is said and done, I might end up seeing with them.

Delgo, produced by Fathom Studios, has a running time of 90 minutes and is rated PG. To see if it is playing near you, please visit Fandango.

Precious Girls Club: A Giveaway!

I know you have heard me talk about the Precious Girls' Club. I still believe it is a great series and an online virtual world for little girls. Macie loves it!

I received a package in the mail containing some of the items from the online store owned by Precious Memories, the creator of the Precious Girls' Club. I was shocked at what all I found in it:

A Package a Three Friendship Bracelets - Remember when you were a little girl and had friendship bracelets? It is a great feeling re-creating that with my daughter.

Charm Bracelet - This is so cute! It seems as though it would be very durable for kids. It comes with a rainbow for your beginner charm. You may add more charms as you please that are available in their online store.

Patches - If you are familiar with PCG, you know who Patches is! He is Katie's pet dog and this plush version of him has not left the girls' arms since we got him!

Faith Musical Waterbowl - Katie's dad gave this musical waterbowl to Katie to remind her to embrace the gifts God gave her. This is your classic waterbowl and plays You Are My Sunshine. (I'm winking at you Ashley!) If you look at the picture, you could use this is a little boy's room as well since it does have a blue base.

So, what's in it for you? I am giving away two of these items: The Charm Bracelet and The Faith Musical Waterbowl! There will be a total of two winners.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment! If you would like to earn additional entries, you may do so by doing the following:
1. Subscribe to my blog.
2. Twitter about this giveaway (Let me know your Twitter ID)
3. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to this contest.

If you do the additional entries, please post a comment letting me know what you did. For each additional entry, post an extra comment. It is very important you add a comment for each entry.

Please make sure I have a way of contacting you, either by e-mail or blog.

Now, for the fine print:
This contest will close on December 12 at 12:00 p.m.CST. The winner will have 48 hours to reply to me. If you fail to reply, a new winner will be chosen. For shipping reasons, this contest is only open to US residents.

Good luck!

The Secret Mountain Book Collection: A Review

Books are officially a hit in our house. Zoa loves to pretend to read, Macie just plain loves to read now and I...well, I only have time for magazines. However, when I received not one but three books from The Secret Mountain I was excited. Why? Because they have CD's to accompany them! If you have children, you know that kid songs are a huge help on car rides.

I reviewed three books:
Down at the Sea Hotel - A book with a good poetic story. The CD is a great for bedtime because it is very soothing and comforting. It will be played at bedtime from now on!

Dream Songs, Night Songs- This multi-language book explains to children that no matter where you are when you fall asleep, you can go anywhere in your dreams. It serves as a great explanation of the songs on the CD.

A Duck in New York City - Oh my goodness. I could sing every one of these songs to you right now if I had to. 'Laundry Bag' is Zoa's favorite and 'Seed in the Ground' is Macie's favorite. My sister and I was seriously laughing out loud to 'Belly Button'. (I guarantee she is laughing now reading this.) The title tells the story; it is about a duck who dreams of going to The Big Apple, aka New York City. He finally gets the chance to make his dream come true.

All in all, this was a fantastic set that won my girls over. The books are short and sweet and therefore you, as the reader, do not lose their attention. They are beautifully illustrated and have vibrant colors and bold lines. The CD's are great because they are a mix of fun and relaxing. This means they have a new CD for the car, bedtime and just anytime. The singers are very 'kid-friendly' as well.

To purchase any of these books and view the rest of The Secret Mountain's collection, just check out their website.

Secret Keeper Girl Series: A Review

I recently had the opportunity to review book series for Tweens - Secret Keeper Girl. The Christian author, Dannah Gresh, focuses on issues that girls may face in their late childhood - early teenage years. She puts a great deal of emphasis on relationships between mother and daughter. The are four books that I reviewed were:

Just Call Me Kate - This book deals with 'boy crushes'.
Yuzi's False Alarm - This books deals with moving with your family and false accusations
"T" is for Antonia - This book is about believing in yourself and being happy with who you are.
Danika's Totally Terrible Toss - This book deals with popularity among girls.

Her philosophy's on what a Secret Keeper Girl should be is one that...
"values modesty, she surrounds herself with wise friends and she embraces Godly beauty. But, the most important thing for you to know is that a Secret Keeper Girl is a masterpiece created by God.”

Sounds about right to me!

One thing I found different in these books is that the back of each book has a small section called Girl Gab that you can look over. It ask questions on how you can relate the story in the book to your personal life. It is a great way to build a relationship with your daughter and ultimately, strengthen your relationship with God.

After looking at the books, I found them to be a bit too old for Macie to read. After all, she is only (almost) 7. But I will definitely save them for her! I love how it is still fun for girls to read, not too boring for them and teaches the same thing I teach my daughter. Hopefully, hearing the resolutions found in the books will have an impact on Macie when she meets the challenges that are associated with that age.

There are many other books related to this series I discovered while researching this book. I am going to get a few of them for Macie for her birthday so I recommend you check out all of their work!

The recommended age for readers to be is between 8 and 12 years old. The Secret Keeper Girls books are available from Amazon for $7.99.

A Review: Aquadoodle Draw 'N Doodle

How great would it be to have a toy that entertains your kids for hours and uses no batteries and no electricity? The Draw 'N Doodle from Aquadoodle is just that. It uses only water! You simply fill a special pen with water and your children will be fascinated by it!

You may think that once they draw, you have to wait a while until it dries so they can keep drawing. Actually, it does dry rather quickly. Macie and Zoa had enough room to draw their own artwork and within minutes, it was starting to dry so they could continue.

My only recommendation is to make sure your children's hands are washed and clean before beginning. The Draw 'N Doodle is not machine washable, but you make clean it by hand if it needs it.

Once you are done doodling, you simply roll it up and put it away. It is a great portable toy to take on vacations because there is just one mat and one pen to keep track of.

Aquadoodle offers many great toys, but this is something that I would love to buy for someone else.

Want It?
The Aquadoodle Draw 'N Doodle is available from many online retailers and possibly a store near you. It retails for $24.99 and is recommended for ages 3 and older.

A Review: Kid Kleen Bath Blizzard

What person does not love bubble baths? In order to get the 'picture perfect' bubbles, you need to use a lot of bubble bath too. The Bath Blizzard from Kid Kleen is just the thing for kids and adults alike!

The Bath Blizzard has a small handle that attached over your bathtub faucet. Once you turn it on, bubbles flow out of the contraption. And more bubbles!

This would be a great idea for any parent with a child who hates baths. Luckily, both of my girls have always loved bath time, but it may be the thing that makes your little one want to take a bath.

Kid Kleen offers only products that are safe and non-toxic. They are always wheat free, tear free, and hypoallergenic. You can have a peace of mind about any skin problems flaring up from Kid Kleen products.

Something else I liked was you do not have to use any particular type of bubble bath to fill your machine. Quite a few companies will try to get you to keep purchasing their brand of refills. This one does not and I find that very convenient for the consumer.

Want It?
The Bath Blizzard from Kid Kleen retails for $19.99 and is recommended for children 3 years and older.

Sesame Street and K'Nex Building Sets: A Review and Giveaway

Remember Sesame Street? With Bert and Ernie, along with Elmo and the Cookie Monster, (just to name a few) how could we forget? Sesame Street has now teamed up with K'Nex to give us character building sets.

K'Nex is something I have just recently heard of. They specialize in building construction sets for children, which is great for challenging their little minds. Having girls, I thought they would not enjoy it as much as the traditional baby dolls. Boy was I wrong!

I have had the opportunity to review the Bert & Ernie Building Set. Both of my girls loved it! They are not tiny pieces so I know if I had a two year old, I would not worry about them choking on it. One thing I found neat was it includes three activity cards that have tiny bits of information to spark their curiosity. The recommended ages are from two-five year olds but Macie will be seven and she enjoyed it thoroughly.

Building is not just for boys anymore. Macie and Zoa had a blast assembling Bert and Ernie. I felt better knowing they were not watching television, but instead challenging their minds to create something or someone.

After reviewing the product, I bought one from Amazon for a birthday party. We were unable to make the party, but I am positive the birthday boy will enjoy it.

Want One?
You can purchase Sesame Street and K'Nex Building Sets on Amazon for $10.99-$31.99.

Win One!!
Sesame Street & K'Nex is giving one lucky reader a Bert & Ernie Building Set. To enter, just fill out this simple form. Be sure and make two separate entries if you blogged about this giveaway. Your information you submit will only be viewed by me for this contest. After the contest is over, it will be deleted.

The contest will end on October 10, 2008 at 5:00 pm. Due to shipping costs, this contest is only available to United States residents.

See...everyone is a winner here!

After scouring my house and trunk, I found an extra copy of the Precious Girls' Club book for the giveaway. I felt bad knowing their would be only one person that would not get a book. Since there were six people that entered and I have six copies now, everyone is a winner. I am also going to include something extra for your little one.

Bridget, April, Seesawstar, Ashley, GritsGirl, and Leah...you should have received either a comment or e-mail from me. Please e-mail me your addresses and they will be in the mail. My e-mail is over there on the right.

Congratulations and stay tuned for more giveaways!

Precious Girls Club Giveaway!

Isn't it great when you are able to give your child a book to read and not worry about what exactly it is that they are reading? The Precious Girls' Club is a new book and online community for girls. They "encourage character-based virtues: loving, caring, kindness, responsibility and helpfulness".

As described by the website,
Here, your daughter can learn and play in a safe, wholesome environment based on the values embraced by Precious Moments. On our website, Precious Girls Club (PGC) members create their own characters (or "avatars"), decorate their rooms, explore our town, socialize, play games and even shop "virtually" using the points they earn on the site. PGC games reinforce such virtues as helpfulness, kindness, responsibility, loving and caring. In addition to points, many activities award "virtual" virtue charms. And, it's all fun!

Macie has started reading hers and loves it! I am excited to be giving her a book that I know will not only help her practice reading, but teaches her values that we believe in. This is great for any girl between the ages of four and ten.

I have five copies of the first Precious Girls Club book titled, 'A Little Bit of Faith' to give away. In order to be qualified, leave a comment on this post telling me who this book would go to if you were to win it. Make sure I have a way of contacting you. Comments will be open until Monday, September 22 at 7:00 pm (CST).

If you would like a second entry, write about this giveaway on your own site, then leave a separate comment with a link to your post.

If you would like a third entry, subscribe to my blog. Please leave a separate comment telling me you have done so.

It is important to leave the separate comments as that will count as your extra entry. Only United States residents are eligible for this contest.

Good Luck!