General

With 2011 coming to a close, it is time to get ready to get real in 2012 starting with your real New Year Resolutions. I know I have several myself!

One of my New Years Resolutions will be to lose weight. Not only do I have my brother in laws wedding in September, but I want to do it for me. Through some networking I’ve done in 2011, I had an opportunity I couldn’t turn down happen to help make this goal happen for me (I know, not a lot of information there, but there will definitely be some blog posts in the future describing exactly what this all means!). I am setting myself up for success this year!

Another resolution we have as a family is to save money. I swear everything broke down in 2011. I had to replace the tires on both our vehicles and my van had several costly repairs. We still don’t have the air working yet in there either. The house also probably needs a new central air unit too. (That money will be coming out of our tax return). We are hoping that all the big expenses are out of the way and we can start saving more. In the fall, we’ll have 2 kids in Catholic school, so we need every cent!

Another resolution will be to travel more! Bill and I are in the process of planning a trip to New York (and yes, we are driving 12 – 14 hours with two kids. Please, remind me why this is a good idea!!!).

Read More »Trop50 True Resolutions – $25 Giveaway!

As many of you know, we love to play games here! I am always on the lookout for great family games and I have definitely found another one that you have to try out!

Word On The Street Junior is for kids 8 and up. To play, a category card is read out loud and then you start the timer. Each team then brainstorms different words that will fit the category, and then has to then agree on a word. They then move each corresponding letter tile towards their side of the street. Now, when the other team goes if they use the same letter, they get to pull the letter tile towards their side. (This is the part of the game when a lot of booing goes on from the first team. LOL) Also, if you use a letter twice, you get to move it two places over. When you move a letter completely off the game board, you get to capture it (which is why you want to use the letter as many times as you can in the word). The first team to capture eight letter tiles wins Word on the Street Junior!

The first reason I love this game is that it is for 2-8 players. For me, that means it makes a great family night game, but it also makes a great party game too. You can play with large teams, small teams, and just against your brother or sister. It is also the perfect length (20-30 minutes of game play), so that the kids don’t get bored with it. I love that in reinforces so many skills: critical thinking, creativity, spelling, teamwork, language comprehension, vocabulary development, etc. Best of all, the kids don’t even know that this is an educational game — they are way too busy having fun! I’m not the only one who thinks this game is awesome either. It has one quite a few awards: Nickelodeon Best of Best New Games, Parents Choice Silver, Top Gifts under $25- Real Simple Magazine, Best Family Game- KSL TV Utah, Top Honors- San Francisco Chronicle.

Since my family and I enjoyed playing this so much (we did girls vs. boys here), I have arranged for one lucky reader to win a copy! Here’s what you need to do:

Read More »Word On The Street Junior Giveaway!

Did your kids want a dog for Christmas and didn’t get one? I’ve got the next best thing! Wappy Dog brings forth the next generation of interactive toys, connecting a physical pet toy with the virtual world. Gamers care for and raise their very own interactive puppy to adulthood through… Read More »Wappy Dog