Did you know that Nancy Drew debuted in 1930? I practically grew up with Nancy Drew stories in my teen but NOOOOO, I am NOT THAT OLD.  Today, Nancy Drew is still going strong from the popular book series to interactive gaming.  I was excited when Her Interactive offered me the chance to review Nancy Drew : Trail of The Twister game.

Nancy Drew goes undercover when a team of storm-chasing researchers is mysteriously plagued by a number of equipment failures. Since this Oklahoma research team is competing for a $100 million prize to discover a formula to predict tornado touchdowns, it has raised suspicions amongst them that this was not just pure bad luck. Was someone trying to sabotage them? Nancy Drew’s role was to get to the bottom of it.

The game starts with an option to choose either “Junior” or “Senior” Detective which sets the level of difficulty. Nancy arrives at the farm research base to find out that she has just missed the team. However, she is presented with a list of mundane tasks like file papers and folders, take a quiz about tornado, fix an LCD display in a car, shop for stuff at a corner store, etc. And that’s just the start! Arguably, these tasks are given to her because she is supposedly a replacement intern but I would have loved to see her spending less time doing these simple chores.

As we move along, we get to meet Scott Varnell, the head of the research team and his members, Debbie, Chase and Frosty. Another important character in this game is Pa, the owner of the general store. Each character has some kind of secret which makes them a possible suspect. But who is the real culprit? That’s what you need to find out yourself.

I haven’t reviewed other Nancy Drew games but I have to say Trail of The Twister focuses a lot on puzzles to help solve the mystery. Don’t get me wrong, I love these puzzles. They actually made the game more challenging and fun. What I hated was the driving part in the game. The loose controls made it pretty hard to drive….soooo difficult that I actually crashed six times!!!  Oh and did I mention the part about catching mice over and over and over again *rolls eyes*. So, other than these frustrating parts, I have no complains *grins*. If you’re one of those people who do not like to start all over again after making a “fatal” mistake, you’ll be happy to know that Trail of The Twister automatically returns you to the point before that mistake. 

Overall, I thought that the voice quality was superb and the character animation as well as the background looked great. I think one has to understand that  Trail of The Twister is meant for those age 10 to adult, thus, explains the reason for its simple storyline. Trail of the Twister comes in two discs and is also the first Nancy Drew game to support the Mac OS.If you are a Nancy Drew fan, this is definitely one game worth investigating (pardon the pun).

 Disclosure of material connection : http://cmp.ly/2

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Kidz Bop 18 is the newest release in the Kidz Bop franchise (which has been around since 2001). Kidz Bop are compilation albums of popular songs, covered by children singing rather than the original artist. They are edited to remove the blatantly “questionable” things so that kids who want to listen to what’s hot on the radio can without constantly hearing the “bad” stuff the songs may discuss.

For instance; on Kidz Bop 18 there are two Lady Gaga songs performed – Alejandro and Telephone – both having some major lyrics changes (I only really caught them because I am a HUGE Gaga fan and have heard both originals many, many times).

Another edit I caught is on the “Billionaire” song – original lyrics are “I wanna be a billionaire so fricking bad.” Kidz Bop changes the “fricking” to “very” which is more appropriate.

Then on the song “Hey Soul Sister” I caught “like a pop star you’re Madonna” instead of “like a virgin you’re Madonna.”

It’s actually fun for me to catch the rewrites – don’t judge me, lol.

Songs on Kidz Bop 18 include:

• Baby (Justin Bieber)
• Telephone (Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé)
• California Gurls (Katy Perry)
• Hey Soul Sister (Train)
• Do You Remember (Jay Sean ft. Sean Paul & Lil Jon)
• Naturally (Selena Gomez & the Scene)
• Whataya Want From Me (Adam Lambert)
• Nothin On You (B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars)
• Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz)
• All The Right Moves (One Republic)
• Two Is Better Than One (Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift)
• Evacuate The Dancefloor (Cascada)
• Billionaire (Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars)
• Alejandro (Lady Gaga)
• Breakeven (The Script)
• Single Ladies (Beyoncé)

Now – my son (who’s 5 years old) and his friend (who’s 6 years old) both were jamming along to this cd – and I could get into it a little also since I listen to a lot of the songs on the cd anyway. But – this is really for parents who want to censor their kids music a little. I personally don’t care what music my son gets to hear for the most part. The company says that the Kidz Bop cd’s are geared towards ages 5 to 12 but I would think age 8 would be more appropriate since by 12 they’ve certainly heard the real lyrics and may question why they are listening to a bunch of kids since edited versions.

Buy It: You can find Kidz Bop 18 both at “local” stores like Target or Wal-Mart or at online retailers including Amazon and even the Kidz Bop website.

Win It: We’re giving away THREE copies of Kidz Bop 18! If you would like to enter for a chance to win this CD, here’s what you need to do:

• One mandatory entry – Visit the  website Kidz Bop and name another of their album (besides Kidz Bop 18).
• Two additional entry – Follow us on twitter and tweet this giveaway “Win this awesome Kidz Bop 18 CD“  with a link back to this post. Please leave an additional comment including your twitter id and your tweet url. You can do this daily until the giveaway closes.
• Two Additional Entries- Post this on FB and share this piece of good news with your friends!!!! Let us know if you’re a fan too!
• Giveaway is open to US  shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway ends  August 2nd (11:59pm) and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

My boys (aged 5 and 8 ) were estatic when we received the Wii Jumpstart – Get Moving Family Fitness (Sports Edition), for a review. They love playing the Wii, but unfortunately, don’t get to play much because, well, of this Mama here. I don’t want them to be Wii addicts, so I had earlier imposed a schedule when they can play. This time, because of this review, there were exceptions. Exceptions ,that my boys were happy to abide with.

About Wii JumpStart – Get Moving Family Fitness (Sports Edition)

Brooke Burke, a mum of 4 and fitness expert has teamed up with JumpStart’s Get Moving Family Fitness, motivating players into getting active, and having fun! There are 15 sports challenges, including basketball and speed skating, in 11 exotic arenas, such as the moon, a dinosaur jungle or a volcano. Players can design their own characters to race and play, keep track of personal best calories burned, engage in routines for an extra challenge and compete head-to-head or play solo. The game can be played utilizing the Wii Balance Board™ or simply with the Wii Remote™ and nunchuk.

My boys loved creating their own lil avatars, as they got to choose different hair color, eyes, skin color, and trust me, they chose the wildest combinations ever. I think they just love creating alternate versions of themselves, which makes it more fun for them.

With a bit of direction from Brooke, the boys were off with all the various challenges. Favourites included tire runs (football), shooting hoops (basketball) and flying. While it didn’t seem like they needed to keep track of the number of calories burned…guess what? This mama here took up the Wii Remote and nunchuk..and did some exercisin’ herself. I have to say, IT WAS HARD WORK! I tried dodge ball, running and of course, shooting hoops (had a little competition with the hubby ~ who incidentally found himself perspiring, as well). I definitely loved the the fact I knew just how much I was burning off, although I secretly thought it should be more, seeing that I was sweating buckets by the end of the hour long session.

Buy It! : The Wii Jumpstart – Get Moving Family Fitness was recently released on 15th June 2010, and is available at most retail stores (Walmart, Target, GameStop), or on Amazon.com at $29.99. It is definitely a keeper in the family, especially during those wet and rainy days and my boys always have a blast competing against each other.

Win It! : This is so exciting! One reader has a chance of winning the Wii Jumpstart – Get Moving Family Fitness (Sports Edition) game, and all you have to do is :

• One mandatory entry – Visit the Jumpstart website and tell us, what other products do they offer.
• Two additional entry – Follow us on twitter and tweet this giveaway “Win a Wii Jumpstart – Get Moving Family Fitness“  with a link back to this post. Please leave an additional comment including your twitter id and your tweet url. You can do this daily until the giveaway closes.
• Two Additional Entries- Are you a subscriber? You get 2 extra entries just for that! If not, best you subscribe right now!
• Two Additional Entries- Post this on FB and share this piece of good news with your friends!!!! Let us know if you’re a fan too!
• Giveaway open to all international shipping addresses.
• Giveaway ends 26th July 2010 (11:59pm) and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.
• Please do note that only the game is the prize and the Wii, Wii remote, nunchuk and balance board are not included. Only compatible with US Region or unlocked Wii consoles.

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of JumpStart® Get Moving™ Family Fitness at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

We were truly overwhelmed by the number of applications received during our recent recruitment drive. It was such a delight to see that bloggers from all over the world were interested to join our Review Team. We are thankful to each and everyone of you for your support and interest.  Every single blogger we reviewed should congratulate themselves for creating and maintaining such wonderful blogs.

Nevertheless, as much as we would like to include everyone, we could not. We had to make THAT decision.

So, here’s the list of new reviewers on our team:

http://adventuresinallthingsfood.blogspot.com

http://ahensnest.blogspot.com

http://blesstheirheartsmom.blogspot.com

http://cailinyates.blogspot.com

http://carissa8402.blogspot.com

http://confessionsofanover-workedmom.blogspot.com

http://giddytigers.com

http://heavenlysavings.blogspot.com

http://homeschoolparent.blogspot.com/

http://jamericanspice.blogspot.com

http://lizhasalife.com

http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot.com/

http://mamanbloggeuse.blogspot.com/

http://mamato3blessings.blogspot.com/

http://mommys-minute.blogspot.com

http://mom-of-all-trades.com

http://myweeview.com

http://nugglemamashandful.blogspot.com

http://www.1princeand3princesses.com

http://www.3boysandadog.com

http://www.actingbalanced.com

http://www.fabfindfoodie.com

http://www.faithfullyfrugal-and-free.com

http://www.mommypr.com

http://www.funsavingmoney.net/

http://www.homegrownfamilies.blogspot.com

http://www.mamasmoneysavers.com

http://www.mistyeiz.com

http://cutiepie.mistyeiz.com

http://www.mommylivingthelifeofriley.com

http://www.mummy-diaries.com

http://www.gossipavenueblog.com

http://www.travelshackblog.com

http://www.gamefreakzweb.com

http://www.novembersunflower.com

http://www.raveandreview.com

http://www.shawnann.org

http://www.thanksmailcarrier.com

http://www.thecraftycharlestonian.com

http://www.timandangi.com/blog/

http://www.tobethode.com

http://www.frugalcatholicmommy.com

http://www.jumpin-beans.blogspot.com

Successful reviewers should have received emails from us by now. If you see your blog listed here and have not received our mail, please check your  spam folder.

and   

Congratulations to the following winners of Thanks Dad – June’s Email Subscriber Draw:

1. Alesha Oliver
2. Dr. Louis Hart
3. Jennifer Bullock
4. Vicki Krukowski
5. Pending for winner to revert back
6. Pending for winner to revert back

 This July, we are giving away 6 copies for Chicken Soup For The Soul’s latest title “RUNNERS“. Here’s a peek at what this book is all about:

101 Inspirational Stories of Energy, Endurance, and Endorphins

When runners aren’t running, they are talking about running, planning their next run, shopping for running. This book contains 101 stories from runners, telling their stories to other runners about. running — how it has changed their lives, their bodies, and their spirits. Runners will love these inspirational stories of fellow runners challenging themselves, recovering from injuries, and staying motivated. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners also includes amazing stories of marathons, camaraderie, and the natural high that comes from this popular sport. It holds plenty of stories for triathletes too, covering swimming and cycling. 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

ISBN-13: 9780061346637

ISBN: 0061346632

When the good people of AJG first contacted me for a review, I had my interest piqued just seeing the title of this book You’re Not The Boss of Me : Brat Proofing Your 4- To 12-Year-Old Child. I have a 5 year old and  a 10 year old who are a constant challenge to me, so this book was certainly right down my alley. I was all pumped up to see what I could learn from well-known parent educator and author, Betsy Brown Braun.

I skipped the first few pages of  testimonials provided in the book as I didn’t want my judgement to be clouded by these positive reviews. I like that the author recommended the book NOT to be read in one sitting but instead, to begin with the first chapter “Did You Hear Me?  : How to talk to your kids”. I wondered which mom had the luxury of time to finish a book in one session anyway. As suggested, it was certainly more practical to flip to the chapters which matters most to each individual reader.

For me, it was Chapter 4.  “Where’s My Jacket?” sounded like it was written for me to address the issue with my absent minded son. You see….each day, after school, he goes straight to his tuition centre for lunch, a bath and then tuition. He stashes his dirty uniform and socks in a bag to bring home but lately, he has been coming home either without his socks OR with only ONE sock OR with one side that does not belong to him! It has become such an irritating habit that I find myself constantly nagging at him for not being responsible.

In Chapter 4, Betsy Brown Braun highlighted that a parent can be the saboteur to their very own child’s development of responsibility. Very often, out of impatience or due to lack of time, I had helped my daughter or son to do the tasks that they were supposed to do themselves.  Guilty as charged   This was something I have to work at. It was a small but essential step to guiding my children to become more responsible. Betsy Brown Braun was not only able to demonstrate that she understood my plight but she also gave concrete advice about how to deal with it.

I must also compliment Betsy on the fact that she never talks down to you. With some other books that I had finished reading, they seemed to convince  me that I’m a bad mother that needs to change. I never got that idea from this book.  Instead, Betsy explained things as they really are. Sometimes children play up but there are things you can do to fix this.  I expect that I’ll be dipping in and out of this book in the future as I enjoyed how how easy it was to use this book as a reference. You will also find tips and examples in each section of the book, telling you how to effectively implement the strategies that was taught.

BUY IT : I would happily recommend You’re Not The Boss Of Me : Brat-Proofing Your 4- To 12-Year-Old Child to any parent. You’ll not be disappointed.

WIN IT : We’re giving away a copy of You’re Not The Boss Of Me : Brat-Proofing Your 4- To 12-Year-Old Child to one lucky reader. If you’re looking for a parenting resource that really works, this is one book you must not miss. To enter for a chance to win, just follow the requirements below:

• One Mandatory Entry- visit  Betsy Brown Braun’s website and tell us one fact about the author.
• One Additional Entry- For every tweet (once a day) that says “WIN YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME HERE” and link back to this post. Pls leave your twitter ID and tweet URL.
• Two Additional Entries- Are you a facebook fan? Share this on FB and  you’ll get TWO extra entries in!
• Giveaway is open to ALL!!
• Giveaway ends 19th July 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Kodak recently sent me one of their Sports Single Use Camera, and I honestly have to say this, it felt so old school. It’s been awhile since I held one of these disposable cameras, it was wayyy before I had babies. *chuckles*

Anyway, these cameras are pretty handy to have when you have kids, because they can now take the pictures for you. It’s very durable, with it’s rubber shell casing, so that’s why I don’t worry if they ever drop the camera. Also, because it’s waterproof, there’s nothing wrong with them, taking it to the waters whenever they liked. I have to say, the boys had a lot of fun with it, taking all 25 photos, leaving none for me.

Although most people would associate such cameras to be used only under water, I have to say, you can use it for ANY outdoor occasion, where there is a lot of action. It may be summertime in US, but it’s winter right where I am! So, we recently had the opportunity to go up to the mountains for some fun snow play! The camera was so light, it wasn’t as bothersome to carry, as oh! say, a DSLR! The fact that it dropped onto the snow so many times, and still managed to capture great memories, was fantastic! Proved it’s durability over and over again!

Buy It! : Kodak’s Sports Single Use Camera is available only at US$11.99 at most retailers near you. You can also get it online here. It is waterproofed up to 50 feet, great for the enthusiastic snorkelers. Also, highly resistant to sunscreen smudges and scratches from sand and snow! Just remember this camera needs lots of sunshine, so your photos will be as vibrant as you will remember it to be.

Win it! : US Readers are real lucky, as Kodak is offering 1 Sports Single Use Camera as a giveaway! This will be a great way of capturing your summer vacation! Or rather, for your kids to do the work, for once. Here’s how :

• One mandatory entry – Visit the Kodak website and tell us, what other products do they offer.
• Two additional entry – Follow us on twitter and tweet this giveaway “Win a Kodak Sports Single Use Camera“  with a link back to this post. Please leave an additional comment including your twitter id and your tweet url. You can do this daily until the giveaway closes.
• Two Additional Entries- Are you a subscriber? You get 2 extra entries just for that! If not, best you subscribe right now!
• Two Additional Entries- Post this on FB and share this piece of good news with your friends!!!! Let us know if you’re a fan too!
• Giveaway open to US shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway ends 12th July 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2