Looking for a way to spend family time unplugged? Check out Unplug and Play by Brad Berger. The book is filled with 50 games that don’t require electricity. We have reached the age of modern technology, and we spend most of our free time on the Internet playing games, texting, or on social media. It is true, we are loosing our connection to family and friends unless it’s on an electrical device.
I was asked to review this book and jumped at the opportunity. I still play board and card games with my grandchildren, but I thought it would be nice to have access to games other than Candy Land, Trouble, Old Maid etc. I must admit, I don’t usually play games when I’m hanging out with friends and family. So I truly thought the book could be beneficial.
I’ll start with an overview first. The book is filled with 50 games that can be played with various age groups for a variety of events. The book includes games in the matching, memory, puzzles, strategy, bluff, and who can respond the quickest category, which can be played during family time, parties or other social gatherings.
When I first browsed the book, I found it rather confusing. Since I was in the comfort of my home I was able to return to it easily and give it a second chance. I found the content overwhelming. I didn’t know where to start in deciding why I would purchase the book except for the fact that you didn’t have to be on a computer to play it. The cover showed various age groups playing together, but the book isn’t broken down by age group. I had to basically review the entire book to determine which of the 50 games I could use. I wouldn’t have time for that while shopping. It would have gone back on the shelf. I’m just not one to spend my money unless I’m certain of the purchase no matter how big or small.
I returned to the book a few days later and decided that I would look for games that I could play on Girl’s Night and games that I could play with my grandchildren. I found 2 games out of 50 that intrigued me.
Who Am I – Each person lists 20 famous people and you place the names in a hat or bowl, whatever you have handy. Each person takes turns drawing a name and than gives a one – three word hint on who the person is. For example, Vivian Leigh. The hint would be Scarlett. If a person gets the correct answer they earn 30 points. If not, another hint would be Miss Scarlett. They would earn 20 points. Three hints 10 points.
Movie Match – In this game you make two columns, Movies and the second column the Actor/Actress. You match the movie with the actor/actress. The first person or team who matches all 20 wins.
My grandchildren are 6 and 2, so playing these games with them was out unless I really manipulated them. I decided to play both of the games when I hosted Girl’s Night and we had a ball playing them. Besides the fact that you only need a pen and pencil to play the games, I really can’t find many pros for this book. I would recommend browsing it if you come across it in a store you may have a different opinion and may have family members that a older and can play the games; however, for me only finding 2 out of 50 games useful, I would not purchase it. I will play Who Am I and Movie Match again. I loved them.
Note: I was provided a copy of this book for review; however, the opinions are my own.
Unplug and Play Book Review
Kids Parties: Ladybug Themed Ideas
Planning a Ladybug Party? Try these adorable ideas that we used for Miss Muffin’s first birthday. The kids will love them, and you will be the best party planner ever. We made chicken salad the night before and the yummy ladybug crackers about an hour before the party. There’s plenty of chicken salad left over from my recipe below to make regular sandwiches for the adults and for you to make sandwich later after an exhausting day. Here’s what you will need:
- Ritz crackers
- Grape tomatoes
- small black olives
- chicken salad or cream cheese
Spread cream cheese or chicken salad on each Ritz cracker. Place 2 slices of the cherry tomatoes face down to form the wings. Place a tooth pick through the olive and stick through the chicken salad to form the head.
The bug mobile was a bug hit. No, the last bug is not a a typo. It was truly buggy. We transformed the yellow school bus with ladybug wings from a Halloween costume and eye lashes that were made for Volkswagen. As you can see, the kids couldn’t wait to take a ride.
We had this adorable cake made, and it was a perfect center piece for the food table. We added ladybug balloons, red and black table clothes and red and black paper products from the dollar store. Use your imagination, the possibilities are endless.
You may also like my chicken salad recipe for the crackers: Creamy Chicken Salad
Cancer Patients Can Fly Free
Cancer patients can fly free to cancer treatment centers around the country free regardless of age. Corporate Angel Network works directly with patients, family members and corporations to coordinate travel needs for cancer patients. Corporate Angel Network is the only charitable organization in the USA who arranges travel for cancer patients to treatment centers, using the empty seats on corporate aircraft flying on routine business. Patients can fly free aboard corporate jets that have empty seats as well.
My father passed away from cancer years ago, but it still seems like yesterday. Fortunately, we live a few hours away from two of the best medical centers in the country, John Hopkins University and the University of Virginia. We utilized John Hopkins during his surgery and treatment. My the grace of God, we were able to cover the medical expense that was not covered by his insurance.
I know that everyone is not as fortune, so I think it’s important to share information so those who need assistance can have a resource and can seek help. During my father’s journey, I met so many incredible people from around the world who had traveled to John Hopkins for various reasons. Many would be in debt after their struggle, but they were willing risk everything for their loved one.
Photo courtesy of stockvault.net
You Are Not The Father
You are not the father! You are not the father! I lost count of the number of times that I heard this statement while watching daytime TV today. I know that it was more times than I heard You are the father. I know I should have been spending my time more productively, but I just didn’t feel like it. Do you ever have those days that you just want to do nothing? I’ve been having quite a few lately.
I digressed back to the show. One lady had been on the show 14 times for a DNA test, 14 times. Now I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be all innocent. I’m not, and I have problems with people who can’t be real and be truthful about who they. I’ve had a good time throughout the years, but I do wonder how a woman would not know who her baby’s daddy is.
I watched these young ladies state they are 150% sure they know who the father is, but the DNA test proved otherwise. Not only were they told the young man who stood accused was not the father, they endured being called out of their name by the young men. There were young ladies who slept with brothers, fathers and sons, and some who didn’t know who they slept with because they were in a drunken stupor. Now the party is over, and reality is hitting them hard. Rather this show is real or not, incidents like this occur everyday.
I decided to switch channels and found myself in a court room watching a judge determine if the men standing before them were the fathers of children being displayed on a screen. There were more DNA tests, but there were slight differences from the other show. Some of the people in the court room were married couples and the wife strayed. There were men and women some who had hooked up years ago, but never married and the child was now seeking the truth about paternity.
Between the two shows, I started thinking about all that these young ladies would have to endure as a single mother and all that they would endure through their parenting journey. I started thinking about the young people who had gone through a part of their life not knowing the truth about who their father really was because of their mother’s poor judgement. I also started thinking about how important DNA tests had become in today’s society to determine paternity. Have we made a wrong turn in society to the point that we need a test to determine who our children’s fathers are?
Are we not teaching our children about birth control or waiting until they are married? I understand women have found a new awakening, and they don’t have a problem getting their freak on. This includes young ladies who aren’t really responsible enough to take on such a huge responsibility. I can relate to being a single parent and all the struggles as a young mother. For this reason, I stressed the importance of protecting herself and not becoming a single parent to my daughter. As mothers, we want support emotionally, financially, and physically, but if a man is not your husband they can’t be depended on to help provide those things for us.
One thing that I noticed was although the young ladies had sex with these young men, nobody was calling the young men out of their names. Some things never change, it’s the women who are looked down on. I also understand why young men want DNA tests, it seems that young ladies give themselves so freely and they do so without thinking of the repercussions. There’s enough blame to go around. As a parent, I didn’t preach absenteeism to my daughter. The chances of your child remaining a virgin until marriage are slim to none. If you’re successful in achieving that goal, my hat is off to you. I did preach about the struggle of being a single parent and the importance of protecting herself from disease and an unplanned pregnancy. I stressed the importance of educating herself, traveling and achieving her goals before she took on the responsibility of parenting. Having these conversations with you child is so important. You can’t just have them in passing, it must be a constant so it can take hold in your child’s mind.
Are you discussing sex with your child? How are you approaching it or how do you plan to approach it?
Note: Photo courtesy of stockvault.net.
Oral B’s Disney Timer App Review
I was contacted to review the new Oral B Disney Timer App. If you’re unfamiliar with the App it was designed by Oral B, Disney and Crest to help children brush for 2 minutes, which is the recommended time frame by most dentists. With a 2 and 5 year old I jumped at the chance. I thought this App could make brushing interesting. They may spend more time brushing rather than playing in the water. As parents I know you can relate.
The App features Disney and Marvel characters, which is perfect. Zarriah loves all things Disney and Xavier loves the Marvel characters. Another feature of the App was that it rewarded the children for brushing for 2 minutes with stars and stickers.
Our Oral B and crest products arrived, and they were adorable. I received age appropriate toothbrushes from Oral B (Winnie the Pooh and Cars) and Crest toothpaste featuring Disney Princesses in Bubble Gum and Cars in Fruit Burst. We’re off to a good start.
It’s time to download the App and get this party started. The App is available on Google Play and the App Store. I checked out the directions at the Oral B Disney Timer site and decided to download the App on both the ipad and my Android phone. The App is quite large and takes quite a bit of storage, so it is recommended that it be downloaded using Wi-Fi only.
I was unsuccessful downloading the App to my phone. It looked like it was installing, but it never downloaded. First time for this issue. We moved to the ipad and downloaded the App successfully. We were able to scan the products as instructed, however the App freezes before the timer starts. We have yet to use it successfully. The concept is great, but it needs some work. Thankfully the kids love the new toothbrushes and toothpaste, so it wasn’t a total disappointment.
I’m a big fan of Oral B, Crest and Disney, so I’m hoping they will work out the bugs and promote this App again. It could a vital tool for parents in getting their kids to brush appropriately. I think the idea is one of the best since sliced bread. They came up a little short on this endeavor. It’s like having an empty sandwich.
10 Tips On How To Choose and Wear Flip Flops
Summer’s around the corner lady. We will be storing our hose, socks, and boots, yeah baby. I like winter simply because I love boot season, but I love summer for the cute dresses, flip flops and sandals too.
As I was thinking of warmer weather on the horizon, I also thought about some of the ladies last summer who could have used a few tips on purchasing sandals and flip flops. Lets not leave out the pedicure.
If you’re going to wear flip flops and sandals this summer, please purchase ones that fit. Although flip flops are cute and go nicely with casual wear, they lack support. Here are a few tips you need when you pick a pair or two this summer and ensure you will remain injury free:
1. Purchase shoes where your toes don’t hang over the edge.
2. If they’re thongs, ensure the piece between the toes won’t give you blisters.
3. Purchase as high quality as you can afford since they lack support.
4. Make sure they bend at the ball (upper part of the flip flop).
5. Purchase leather instead of plastic or rubber.
6. Do not wear flip flops if you plan to go on long walks. You will need more support than they will provide.
7. Do not perform yard work in flip flops.
8. Check your flip flops from last season. If they are worn, replace them. Because they lack support and are thin, they should only be worn 1 season according to The American Podiatric Medical Association.
9. Be sure to wear flips flops in pool areas to avoid infections and Athletes Foot.
10. Please get a pedicure and lotion your feet. (This should probably be the first step that you take before purchasing or putting on a pair).
There’s nothing worst than seeing ladies with jagged toe nails that could slice bricks, chipped polish and calloused, crusty feet. If you can’t afford to get a professional pedicure, give yourself a home pedi. Please, do it for me. Thank you.
What do you like about summer? Do you have a favorite pair of flip flops or sandals, and what do you usually wear them with?
Personalized Pacifiers As Seen On Kendra Wilkerson Show
Looking for a great baby shower gift or a gift for your little one? Try these adorable personalized pacifiers. They come in an array of colors and styles and can be found at, My Pacifier. Kendra Wilkerson and Kourtney Kardashian have used these personalized pacifiers for their sons, Hank and Mason. They have also been featured on Today.
Not only are they adorable, endorsed by celebrities and their babies, but they are reasonably priced. The Designer pacifiers, shown below, are only $5.00 and the Personalized pacifiers, above, start at 3 for $15.00. Really not a bad price for a unique gift. I wish I had found this site when my Xavier was small. He actually used his pacifier for 2 years, so I would have definitely gotten my money’s worth for the price. Zarriah never used a pacifier, she was content with her fingers.
The site offers Orthodontic pacifiers. You can actually see what the personalized pacifier with your child’s name will look like on the site. They have a variety of colors and symbols to choose from. You can choose the same color or mix it up for a little variety for the personalized pacifiers. This site is worth a visit, the pacifiers will make a great baby gift.
5 Benefits of Teleworking/Telecommuting Jobs
I work outside the home, and I am a telecommuting/telework mom. Allowing employees to telework was implemented into my agency several ago. By trade, I am an IT Specialist Supervisor. The ability to work from home is not an option for all employees, especially those who do phone work, but for techies that can log into systems remotely and perform their duties from home it is heaven sent. Most employees are required to report to the office at least 3 days per week for staff meetings and to sign paper work; however, we make exceptions if we need to. We offer toll free numbers for them to call into meetings.
I allow my staff to work from home on days that the kids are sick, deliveries are being made, medical appointments are on the agenda or they just need peace and quiet to complete a project. I take advantage of these liberties as well.
I have several requirements for my employees: 1) No kids interrupting calls, 2) No dogs barking while we’re on the call and 3) they must be signed on to their computer and get their assigned hours in for the day. It’s a great way to be able to work in sweats and PJs in Corporate America. There are other benefits for employers and employees who implement this concept. Here a few:
1) Cuts down on employee’s absences.
2) Allows employers to cut down on the expense of having a cubicle for each employee. They can share space according to their schedules.
3) Cuts down on gas and parking expense for employees.
4) Boosts employee morale.
5) Reduces employee stress.
For those who are interested in returning to the workforce and still being at home several days a week, this could be the perfect option for you. Search for companies who offer this option. You can bring home the bacon and still be a work at home mom, at least part time.
Turning Wedding Gowns Into Angel Gowns: NICU Helping Hands
I wanted to share a story with you that touched my heart in so many ways. These beautiful gowns that you see on the left were made for babies who never make it home from the hospital. They are made from donated wedding gowns, so the mothers can use them to send their precious babies home to be with the Lord.
As many of you know, my Zarriah was a preemie. She entered the world at 31 weeks weighing 2lbs. 10ozs, and fought for her life for 3 months in the NICU at Sentara Princess Anne Hospital in Norfolk, VA. I’m proud to say that she is still fighting and gets time out quite often, lol. I must also say those were 3 of the most heart wrenching months of my life. I will always be grateful for the nurses in the NICU for their skills and the love they show the babies and parents. I am most grateful that my Zarriah survived, but my heart still bleeds for those precious babies who do not.
A lady by the name of Lisa Grubbs, founder of Angel Gowns at NICU Helping Hands, came up with the idea of turning wedding gowns into Angel Gowns to help grieving mothers in 2013. Her husband is a specialist for premature babies. The gowns are provided free of charge to families and hospitals across the country. The tears are flowing as I write this post, because I can’t imagine any loss greater than the loss of a child. I understand the fight, and I cry for those who loss their precious baby. I also cry for those who fought the fight and won. I understand the confusion, the despair, the desperation, sleepless nights and the many prayers.
I also know that a mother and father would be grateful to have a picture of their angel in one of these beautiful gowns as a memory, and to be able to send them on to their Heavenly Father in one will certainly help ease the pain if only for a moment.
I’m always amazed at other’s creativity and their thoughtfulness of others. I’m hoping that my daughter will donate her wedding gown, as she too understands the fight. The organization is able to make approximately 12 “Angel Gowns” from one wedding dress, and all work is done by volunteers. They are shipped across the country to hospitals for families who request them.
I will continue to pray for families who are fighting the fight. May each and every one be blessed in their despair or victory.
Note: Photo courtesy of NICU Helping Hands.