Ghost Buddy Series Books 1 and 2

September 27, 2012 By Anne

My son is not a good reader. Not that he can’t read, he doesn’t want to read. I bribed him over the summer. I told him I would pay him $3 for every book he read. How many did he read? None!! He did read some, but never finished the book.

Then I got an email to review Henry Winkler, the Fonz and Lin Oliver’s new book series Ghost Buddy, books 1 and 2. I accepted and hoped Hunter would like these. These look like a great kid book and they looked like an easy read.

He started out on his own with Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero and said it wasn”t interesting. So I decided to either read it to him or have him read it out loud to me. We did this every night until he finished. And you know what? He liked it! (and he got $3)

Ghost Buddy, book 1, is about a young boy, Billy Broccoli and the ghost that lives in his room. Billy and his blended family move into their new home and Billy finds out that Hoover, the ghost, used to live there too, a hundred years ago! Billy has some trouble with the neighbor boy, Rod, who is a bully. But Hoover helps Billy get Rod back and gain some more confidence.

We have not started the second book, Ghost Buddy #2 Mind if I Read Your Mind?. School started and book reports have already begun! He is using Ghost Buddy for his first report!! These are fun books books that anyone would enjoy. I can’t wait to hear what new adventures Billy and Hoover come up with next!

Here’s a little snippet about the book:

It’s time for Moorepark Middle School’s annual Speak Out Challenge, and Billy Broccoli thinks he’s got it made. With his best friend Hoover Porterhouse—the ghost with the most—by his side, Billy’s got the competition in the bag. Who wouldn’t vote for a demonstration on mind reading?

But when Billy lands a spot on the sixth-grade team, he starts spending more time with his new teammates than he does with Hoover. And the Hoove plays second fiddle to no one! If Billy’s not careful, his secret weapon might just vanish into thin air, leaving Billy to pick up the pieces of a demonstration-day disaster!”

We received copies of the above books to review. Opinions are our own.

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Extreme Halloween Shirts!!

September 26, 2012 By Anne

Halloween is only a month away!! I can’t believe all the holidays will be here before we know it!

I’m usually not one to buy holiday shirts for the kids, but I couldn’t resist a cute Halloween shirt for Savannah. So when the opportunity to review Halloween party apparel for adults, I decided to get Hunter a shirt too.

Foul Mouth Shirts have some pretty foul shirts, lol. They are pretty extreme. The one we received fro my son is pretty tame compared to the others. But if you like to wear funny shirts, please check them out. They have a great selection.

Hunter shirts says, ” I poisoned the candy”. The shirt itself is a great quality. Nice and thick, not one of those flimsy t-shirts. It’s been washed and worn and I would recommend them to anyone who wants an original shirt.

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Hunter wants to wear this to school. What do you think? I so no….

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Anne

Faux Real Shirts

September 19, 2012 By Anne

You know those shirts that have the women in bikinis on them? And usually grandmas are wearing them? LOL

Faux Real Photorealistic Apparel has them and much more! Creative Apparel Concepts, based in Minneapolis, MN,was founded by three brothers. They make apparel for men, women and children.

I was allowed to pick out a shirt for review. I can’t see my self wearing this…

So I picked out something for my son. Well, he picked it out. I think he picked a good one!! He’s going to wear it for picture day at school!!

And of course he had to do some funny shots because that’s who he is!! And Savannah didn’t want to be left out.

The shirt is very comfy and sooo soft! This would be great as jammie shirt! It’s 100% polyester and completely machine washable – but on gentle.

Faux Real Shirts would be an awesome gift for that right person!!

Check them out on Facebook and Twitter too!!

I received a shirt to facili

Anne

WindTunnel Air Vacuum Review

August 16, 2012 By Anne

I was so excited to review the new WindTunnel Air Vacuum from Hoover!

It was easy to put together out of the box. Here is Savannah helping.

The vacuum we had never seemed to get the carpets cleaned and always spit dirt out the back when vacuuming out tile. The WindTunnel does a wonderful job on our carpets. I can’t believe how dirty my floors were. The WindTunnel states it has “minimize blowback or scatter” and I found this to be true! I loved using it on my tile floors as no dirt flew out the back at my feet! Good for that kitty litter in the laundry room!

Look at all the dirt!

The WindTunnel Air comes with a 30 foot cord which is great. No need to replug in every room. The HEPA filter is easy to remove and empty. Being bagless means I can see all the dirt. Makes me feel like I really cleaned! The handle does adjust for height which is perfect for my husband, as he is 6’2″. I did notice there was no carpet height adjuster, but none seemed to be needed. My favorite thing about the WindTunnel is it only weighs 12 pounds! Very lightweight yet powerful! Plus it has a two year warranty.

I just figured out that the handle comes off to make an extension!

The long hose was great on the stairs, but I did need to bring the vacuum with me as the hose did not reach to the top. Oh and the vacuum can go right under the furniture!
See how it goes under the furniture?

Overall I love the Wind Tunnel Air Vacuum. I would recommend to anyone!

I received a sample of this product to facilitate my review, but my opinions are entirely my own.

Anne

K5 Learning Review

July 13, 2012 By Anne

I’ve kept Savannah home from preschool since February, but I still wanted her to learn while she was home. We did “activities” for the first few months after being home. I bought books and crafts and looked into some online lessons. One online program that stood out was K5 Learning.

K5 Learning offers sample lessons that you can try immediately. Savannah really enjoyed the penguins! You can also sign up for a 14 day free trial membership. I signed Savannah up for the 6 week blogger review program. She really enjoyed doing the lessons.

What’s unique about K5 Learning is they assess your child and give him or her activities based on their skills not their age. If you feel your child is having difficulty, you just email them and they will correct it. There is nothing to download or install, it’s all online. There are no ads or external links. The children can work independently and then mom or dad will get a progress report. You each have separate logins.

I sat with Savannah while she did her lessons. She’s only 4. I really liked the program and wished I could sign her up, but it’s not something I can do at the moment. I liked how the reading lessons went. The program would read out loud a page and ask questions. The child could easily have the page re-read. After 2 chances the correct answer is given. The math was fun too! They made pizzas and counted the different toppings. The Hippo Hotel was fun too! It costs $25 a month for the unlimited access.

If you are looking to boost your child’s summer learning or looking for something in the fall at least check out K5’s online reading and math program. I may re-consider once Savannah start’s pre-kindergarten in the fall. She will be home 2 days a week and we may need the extra learning.

Check out K5’s blog and they are on Facebook and Twitter too!

I received a six week subscription in order to facilitate this review. Opinions are my own.