Two Question Thursday #2

I just loved Wonder Woman when I was a child...that magic lasso of hers just rocked my wee little world~!!

If I could choose to be any Super Hero...this is who I would choose~!!  And beware of my Lasso of Truth...heh heh~!!

Truth and Freedom are pretty groovy traits to stand behind and fight for justice for...

My questions to you all are...

1.  If you could be any Super Hero...who would you be??

2.  What is one special power you wish you had??

The Real State of America Atlas by Cynthia Enloe and Joni Seager

SYNOPSIS:Packed with fascinating facts and illustrated throughout with clear, easy-to-read, four-color graphics, The Real State of America Atlas draws back the curtain on our complex nation to reveal the myriad realities of the American experience-from our changing demographics to patterns of home ownership to the kinds of food we eat. Cowritten by two esteemed scholars, this comprehensive and enlightening work upends many long-held myths and shows us who we are today. It is the perfect read for anyone who wants to better understand our ever- changing nation.

 

Article first published as Book Review: The Real State of America Atlas by Cynthia Enloe and Joni Seager on Blogcritics.

 ** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Disney Junior Canada: Bananas For Birthdays~!!

Disney Junior Canada is giving your child the chance to celebrate his/her birthday on the Disney Junior Channel AND on their website at disneyjunior.ca.  

Every month, 20 children will be selected to be features and they will receive their VERY own pack of custom Mabel's Labels!

 Read my Mabel's Labels review HERE~!!

So give Disney something to shout about!!  Enter your little ones for a chance to shine on Disney Junior~!!

If your child's birthday is in October...send a photo on over to Disney Junior Bananas For Birthday Page so that they can show it off all month long!!  

HURRY tho'...you need to send it in by AUGUST 31st~!!

Where Are They #12??

Have YOU seen Amber Guiboche??

Amber Rose Marie Guiboche

Date of Birth:  November 5th, 1990

Eye Colour:  Hazel

Hair Colour:  Light Brown

Missing Since:  November 10th, 2010

Missing From:  Winnipeg, Manitoba

Last Known Information:

Last seen wearing a Black windbreaker with 3 white stripes on the arms, black vest with fur collar overtop. Blue skinny jeans, white 'New York' skater style runners.

She was last seen getting into a RED TRUCK after leaving a friend's house near William Avenue and Isabel Street in Winnipeg, around 11:45 p.m.  Her best friend, Roxy Bruyere, stated she was drunk and was going to hail a cab and head over to her boyfriend's house on College Avenue.

Amber has a tattoo on her leg with the name of her good friend and late cousin, Fonassa Bruyere, who also went missing in August, 2007 after being seen entering a green two-door truck on Aikens Street.  Fonassa's body was found three weeks later near Ritchie Street and Mollard Road in Northwest Winnipeg.  Her murderers are still at large!

Amber is 5' 5" tall and weighs approximately 105 pounds.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN AMBER ROSE MARIE GUIBOCHE OR KNOW OF HER WHEREABOUTS, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL:

1-800-661-6160 or 1-403-291-0705

tips@mcsc.ca

Survival Series: Minimus.biz Traveler Essential Kits

With today's trend of unpredictable weather and human strife, one never knows when disaster will strike!  I believe that everyone should be prepared for ALL emergencies, big or small and I found a perfect company that would be extraordinary in providing you with affordable essential needs for all your emergency as well as, non-emergency situations!!

Minimus began when the Shrater family were on a vacation to a cottage in New Hampshire. When they realized that they would need to throw away several bottles of condiments at the end of their trip, they thought, "wouldn't it be great if there was one place you could go for the small packets of condiments -- better yet, a place to get all of your travel accessories and travel size item needs?" Sure you can go to your local grocery store or pharmacy for some of the items, but they don't always have the best selection. What if you've always used Colgate, and all they have is Crest? Would you really want to drive all over town to cobble together items for your trip? Thus, Minimus.biz was born...

Since that initial idea, they've grown to include a variety of categories of travel size and trial size items. Many of the items are not available for retail sale anywhere else.

Vist the Minimus.biz Blog!!

Each product has its own shelf life, and each shipment they have in their warehouse can have a different shelf life depending on when it was manufactured. General guidelines:

Salad dressing packets - at least 3 months (un-opened)
Exception: Newman's Own may be slightly less as it is an all-natural product
Condiments - approximately 1 year (un-opened)
Snacks - generally have the expiration or "best by" dates printed on each package 

Included in the Traveler Med Kit (ARV:  $24.48):

2 Splinter Out

2 Bayer Aspirin

2 Advil

4 Tylenol PM Extra Strength

2 Benadryl

2 Dramarnine - Chewable Formula

1 Imodium

2 Neosporin Ointment

2 Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment

2 Kendall Alcohol Prep

1 Icy Hot Patch

3 After Bit Insect Sting Relief wipes

2 Banana Boat Sport Sunblock SPF30 (packet)

2 Natrapel Insect Repellent

1 Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid 8 pack

1 Masune Single Use Cold Pack

4 Tempa-Dot Single Use Thermometer

Included in the Air Travel Essentials Kit (ARV:  $21.04)

1 Hands 2 Go Instant Hand Sanitizer Spray
2 Shout Wipes Stain Treater Towelette
1 Charmin To Go Toilet Seat Covers
1 Charmin To Go Bathroom Tissue
1 Sewing Kit
1 Kleenex Tissues Pocket Pack
1 Gearaid Mini Rolls Duct Tape (2 rolls)
1 Clorox Disinfecting Wipes To Go Pack (Fresh Scent)
1 Febreze To go Fabric Refreshner
1 Generic Poncho
1 Generic Small Flashlight

Truthfully, I cannot begin to tell you how GROOVY these products are!!  I feel like EVERYONE should carry a kit around with them!!  They are easy to stow and handy to have when the need arises!!  As well as carrying survival items, they also carry bathroom essentials, college kids, condiment packages, toys & games and so much more!!  All of the kits are easily affordable and truly beneficial to have!!

If you travel a LOT, have children, someone going away to college, need a stocking stuffer for Christmas and more...the list can go on and on about the uses a person could determine for owning these kits!!!

I'm thinking that if disaster strikes, I don't want to have to run around grabbing this and that!!  I want it to be compact, easy to grab and it may save my life or someone elses!!  I know that several of the things found in these kits have already helped with my children stubbed toes, my husband's headache, my daughters nausea and the flashlight was PERFECT when "Hurricane Irene" hit and knocked our power out for a while!!!

Trust me when I say you NEED to visit the groovy folks at Minimus.biz ...they will have ALL your basic needs, packaged conveniently and affordable to boot!!

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales!

Get your tickets BEFORE they go on sale to the public!!

Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they bring the timeless fairytale adventures of Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to life. With breathtaking costumes, dynamic storytelling and your favourite fairy tale characters, Disney Live! presents Three Classic Fairy Tales! will have your entire family spellbound!

Visit Disney Junior Canada and see if they are going to be appearing in a city near you~!!

Strawberry Shortcake New Product Alert~!!

Strawberry Shortcake is going to be hitting the beaches next summer with her new line of Beachware following a new licensing agreement with Morgan Home Fashions.

Morgan will be unveiling their new line during the New York Home Fasions Market Week next month and the new products will be hitting the shelves in time for the 2012 beach season.

Products include indoor/outdoor activity mats, pop-up tents, collapsible beach chairs and lounge/beach chair covers~!!

If you have a little lady in your home who loves the sweet smelling Strawberry Shortcake then they shall be stylin' next summer~!!

Top Baby Names of 2011

What's in a name??

Top 5 girls names:

1.  Alexis

2.  Isabella

3.  Madison

4.  Emma

5.  Makayla

Top 5 boys names:

1.  Aiden

2.  Logan

3.  Zachary

4.  Ryan

5.  Mason

Top 5 colour names:

1.  White

2.  Sapphire

3.  Blanca

4.  Indigo

5.  Ivory

Top 5 Animal names:

1.  Buck

2.  Bull

3.  Bunny

4. Eagle

 5.  Crow

Top 5 Time names:

1.  April

2.  March

3.  Aries

4.  May 

5.  Autumn

Top 5 Disney names:

1.  Jasmine

2.  Jonas

3.  Lago

4.  Lilo

5.  Abu

Top 5 TV names:

1.  Murphy

2.  Buffy

3.  MacGyver

4.  Conan

5.  Rosanne

The Waltons Labour Day Marathon

The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain!

The series pilot was a television movie entitled The Homecoming: A Christmas Story, broadcast in 1971. The show originally aired on CBS from 1972 to 1981. After the series left the air, three television movie sequels were broadcast in 1982, with three more following in the 1990s.The Waltons was produced by Lorimar Productions and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution in syndication!!

 I absolutely adored The Waltons when I was a child and plan on checking this out...

The Waltons Fan Favourite Marathon!!

Grandpa and Granny Esther were my favourites and Mary Ellen always irritated me...LOL

I remember it was on Sunday nights and it always meant it was time to settle down and focus for school for the upcoming week...

I remember doing the whole spiel with my family when it was time for bed!!  

Goodnight John Boy...

Do you have any fond memories of favourite shows when you were a child??

Two Question Thursday #1

This is my first time participating and so I feel like I am in the dark...let it be known, however, that I am not afraid of the dark...that's because I am always prepared and have brought myself a flashlight to help my journey...hehe

Usually to overcome fear I breathe in through my nose and out through my  mouth to a count of five while visualizing myself as a mighty Oak Tree with my roots tethered DEEP in the earth!  I also pray to God for guidance!!

So my first two questions shall be about the dark and fear...

1.  Are you afraid of the dark??

2.  How do you overcome fear??

Spotlight - Lure Of The Vampire by Bertena Varney

Vampires and Recreation

Hi I noticed that your page is centered on every day items and children. I was really shocked but also honored to be asked to stop by your blog and guest host. As a single mother, a former homeschool teacher, and a public school teacher I find your website a perfect place to discuss two sections in my book that many people over look- Vampires and Children and Vampires and Recreation.

Lure of the Vampire is a nonfiction pop culture reference book that supplies the readers with links, lists, and essays dealing with the vampire in all parts of everyone’s life. While researching for the book I decided that even children are exposed to vampires via pop culture.

So, I thought back to when I was a child and remembered eating Count Chocula, watched Count von Count and read Bunnicula. Yes, vampires are for kids too. 

So, what products do I discuss in my book that I would suggest to parents to share with their children?

Well in the literature section I suggest easy reader books such as Bunnicula, Dick and Jane and Vampires, and Baby Vampire Gulp! Each of these books shares life lessons that children will identify with such as divorce, friendship and school.

The shows that I would recommend are Sesame Street, Scooby Doo, Count Duckula and The Little Vampire.  Some are educational in nature while others are just for fun. 

But, even though these are recommended I highly suggest that parents read these books and view these shows with their children. Each child I different in what is appropriate for them at each stage of childhood, so please use this as quality time with your children.

In Lure of the Vampire there are lists and websites that you and your children can visit and learn more about each of these books, shows, and games. There is also essays and a huge bibliography for the mom that loves her grown up “vampire” as well.

So what is your favorite memory of the vampire from your childhood? If you didn’t meet the vampire until later in life when was the first time that you met him?

Do you and your children share this love for the vampire? If so please tell us about it.

Thanks for having me here today and I look forward to your comments below.

Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists, Websites and Very Personal Essays 

By Bertena Varney, M.A.

Paperback: 176 pages

Also available as an ebook

Publisher: Search for the Lure

Published: June 22, 2011

ISBN-10: 0615501567

ISBN-13: 978-0615501567

Lure of the Vampire is a pop culture reference book that begins with history and mythology and ends with modern living vampires. The author has provided "fun" lists like the Powers of Dracula, Real Live Vampire Murders, Television Shows and African Americans who have Played Vampires. There are also websites in each section that show the most popular vampire books and even children's shows and books. But, there is a personal twist when it comes to Lure of the Vampire. The author has provided personal essays from national and international vampire authors as well as her own. They range from a personal look at vampires in mythology to the romantic lust filled vampire. There are also interviews with various groups and individuals involved in the vampire community. Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Refence Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It is concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.

Lure of the Vampire contains essays from authors: Denise Verrico - David MacDowell Blue - Charles E. Butler - C.J. Ellisson – BittenTwice – Elizabeth Loraine

Interviews with: Vampiric Council of New England, Vlad the Gothic Vampire Magician , Audrey Koogler, Vampire Priestess , and Hugo Pecos, creator of The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency 

Lure of the Vampire is great for any writer who would like to find fun facts to give their vampires in their story. For example, what powers have vampires in mythology possessed or the first literary vampires? There’s a section for that.  

What if you are a vampire fan who is looking for new YA or adult authors-  there is a section with titles, authors and their websites. 

What about vampire games? There’s a section for that too.

Sections include: Mythology, History, Literature, Movies, Television, Recreation, Children’s Vampires, On the Web, Education, and Real Life Vampires. There are lists, websites, essays, and interviews included in throughout the book. 

Lure of the Vampire: A Pop Culture Reference Book of Lists, Websites, and "Very Telling" Personal Essays is a perfect quick to grab reference book for the vampire fan or author. It's concise enough to assist you in finding links to what you are looking for without our being too cumbersome and confusing.

You can buy Lure of the Vampire at Amazon.com in print here- http://amzn.to/nwifDw.

Ebooks will be coming to Kindle, Nook and Smashwords soon.

Lacey's Day by Jack Eadon

SYNOPSIS:
Life for both Ted Hewitt and Lacey Chen is starved of simple love when a wedding doesn’t materialize and a genuine love is replaced by obligation. That empty pot is filled with love and care by Ted’s reaction to Lacey and her reaction to him. At first the match is challenging but gets more and more intense as feelings of love are replaced by need, hen sheer erotic lust. At the end the most intense drama occurs when the lovers plan a reunion. Will they meet? Will they be as intensely attracted to one another as they originally think? Will the lust they inspire in each other lead to love that can glue. In this generation of email and Internet, come explore the lust as born and developed on the Internet through emails between Ted and Lacey.

Read my FULL review at:

One Day At A Time

 

 ** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Crown Of Vengeance by Stephen Zimmer

SYNOPSIS:
Strange mists engulf Janus Roland, Erika Laesig, Mershad Shahab, and several others going about their lives in a quiet midwestern town. When the mist dissipates, they all find themselves looking up into the bright skies of a new, incredible world.

Without explanation of why it has happened, or any notion of where they are, they embark upon a grand adventure within the fantastical world of Ave. Some find themselves in the lands of the Saxan Kingdom, while others have emerged within the lands of the Onan, one of the tribes in the Five Realms confederation.

Storms of war loom over both Saxany and the Five Realms, as invasion forces mass under the inspiration of The Unifier, a mysterious, captivating figure whose influence has swept across the surface of Ave ever since His rise to power in the Gallean duchy of Avanor. It is a war that will be fought in the skies, upon the seas, on land, and even in places non-physical in nature.

A majestic, epic fantasy that begins many adventures and journeys across a diverse and enthralling world, filled with races and creatures both familiar and new.

Crown of Vengeance lights the flame of the Fires in Eden series, bringing to life a bold, far-ranging, and grand new venture within the realms of fantasy literature, and appeals strongly to readers of George R.R. Martin, Steven Erikson, and Robert Jordan.

Read my FULL review at:

One Day At A Time

 

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Heart On A Chain by Cindy C. Bennett

SYNOPSIS:
17-year-old Kate has lived her whole life in abject poverty, with an alcoholic father and drug-addicted mother, who severely abuses Kate. At school, her second-hand clothing marks her as a target. Her refusal to stand up for herself makes her the recipient of her classmates taunts and bullying. That is, until Henry returns. Henry Jamison moved away six years earlier, just as he and Kate had begun to develop feelings for one another. He returns to find the bright, funny, outgoing girl he had known now timidly hiding in corners, barely speaking to anyone around her, suspicious of even him. Kate can't figure out what game Henry is playing with her - for surely it is a game. What else would the gorgeous, popular boy from her past want with her? Kate finally decides to trust Henry's intentions, opening her heart to him. Just when it seems he might be genuine in his friendship, tragedy strikes, threatening everything Kate has worked so hard to gain. Can Henry help her to overcome this new devastation, or will it tear them apart forever?

Read my FULL review at:

One Day At A Time

 

** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **

Win A Jungle Cruise Contest with John Lasseter

Win a trip for 4 to the opening of Cars Land
and a private Jungle Cruise tour
skippered by John Lasseter!

From late 1977 through spring 1978, John Lasseter, before becoming chief creative officer at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering, worked at Disneyland, and was a skipper on the Jungle Cruise attraction. Recently, a search for a photo of John skippering the Jungle Cruise came up empty.

Surely there must be a photo of Skipper John somewhere?

To find one, we have created a contest: the first person to submit a verifiable photo of John as the skipper of the Jungle Cruise from 1977 will win a trip for 4 to the grand opening of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure in summer 2012, and a ride on the Jungle Cruise skippered by none other than John himself!

What better way to turn a Disney memory of old into a Disney memory of today?

For details on how to submit, visit Johnofthejungle.com or the official Disney•Pixar

Facebook page: http://www.Facebook.com/disneypixar

Check out John of the Jungle: The Search for John Lasseter video below.

Back To School With Tiny Prints

What is memorable or momentous about this particular back-to-school season?

This year my 6 y/o son, 7 y/o daughter and 6 y/o grand-daughter will be attending the SAME school
AND
My 14 y/o is beginning his high school daze...I don't think he's looking forward to it...LOL

School Year 2010

My son AND granddaughter are going to be in the same class~!!

My 7 y/o old is looking not looking forward to having math again...

Poor sweetie face~!

My granddaughter is looking forward to riding the school bus...

 

My 6 y/o son is looking forward to his friends...he hasn't seem them in years (his words, not mine..hehe)

 My oldest boy isn't looking forward to getting up THAT early...he is SUCH a sleepyhead!!

 I'm looking forward to them having a GREAT year and okay, I'll admit it...I'm looking forward to the quiet and the me time~!!

I don't mind the Back-To-School shopping frenzy...I love how the kids glow with their new BTS gear...and one place to check out for BTS shopping is...

TINY PRINTS

They have some very groovy labels, stationary, planners, classroom art, activity cards and SO much more to choose from~!!