“My Grocery List” Game Review

I love that my son is finally getting to the age that he can play games with my daughter, husband, and I. He is discovering so many new things each and every day and so excited about what he is learning. This is not to say that playing games always goes smoothly. He does grab many game pieces and he does wreck the board sometimes. We just try and be patient with him – he is only 20 months!

My Grocery List is a new game by Marina Games that my family recently reviewed. My Grocery List is a matching game where you are given a grocery list with pictures of food items. You then take turns in turning over small square game pieces to attempt to find a food item on your list. It is similar to memory/concentration. If you find a match, you place it in your grocery basket, which is another card with the picture of a grocery basket.

Although my son is a little young for this game, he did enjoy looking at the game pieces and was extremely proud of himself for being able to say the words for the foods listed on his card. My daughter had a great time with this game and took such pride in beating me swiftly! The suggested age range of the game is 3 – 7, although I can see that my son will probably be able to play this game more easily next year when he is two.


I was impressed with the game box – it is a thick, quality cardboard box. The same can be said of the game pieces. They are made of quality cardboard and I liked that the pieces are so colorful and bright. I encourage everyone to check it out. Overall, I think it is an adorable game!

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free product for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

JustAddressPlaques.com - Affordable Address Plaques For Your Home

We have a very plain mailbox by our driveway. It’s your typical black metal mailbox with stickers placed on it to identify our house number and street. Our mailbox is attached to a very nice granite post, which makes me feel like there should be a nicer mailbox attached to it. I have seen that other people have residential address plaques outside and I think they look very classy.

JustAddressPlaques.com sells personalized address plaques for residential and commercial properties. There is a vast variety of styles of plaques from which to choose, including wall, lawn, and hanging plaques. The plaques are made from rust-free recycled aluminum, so your address plaque is sure to withstand the weather and “test of time”.

JustAddressPlaques.com has a wide variety of prices that will accommodate everyone’s budget for custom address plaques. Why travel from store to store searching for the right address plaque when you have one site that has a wide selection laid out for you?

*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.  However, the opinions expressed here are my own and are not influenced by sponsorship.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Book Review & Giveaway – An Invisible Thread

An Invisible Thread, written by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski, is the true story of how a chance meeting between an 11-year-old panhandler and a business executive changes the lives of both individuals for the rest of their lives. Laura Schroff, a New York advertising executive, passes Maurice on the street as he is asking for money. She decides to turn around and she asks to take the boy to McDonald’s for lunch. This lunch then leads to weekly lunches and ultimately a lifelong friendship. Maurice is a young boy who comes from a drug-addicted family and is essentially taking care of himself. This book tells their story and how two people from completely different worlds are able to build a strong relationship and learn from each other.

An excerpt from the book:

“Excuse me lady, do you have any spare change? I am hungry.”

When I heard him, I didn’t really hear him. His words were part of the clatter, like a car horn or someone yelling for a cab. They were, you could say, just noise—the kind of nuisance New Yorkers learn to tune out. So I walked right by him, as if he wasn’t there.

But then, just a few yards past him, I stopped.

And then—and I’m still not sure why I did this—I came back.”

My thoughts on the book:

I have included this book in my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide because it is hands down one of the best books I have read this year. I was glued to the book. My heart tore for Maurice’s living conditions and the manner in which he needed to care for himself. I was in awe of Laura Schroff’s caring and nurturing heart and the fact that she integrated Maurice into her family. This book reminded me very much of the movie “The Blind Side”. It is simply an amazing story and I am strongly encouraging people to read it. I know you will love it as much as I do.

More about the authors:

Laura Schroff is a former advertising executive who has worked with several major media companies, including Time Inc. and Conde Nast. Born and raised on Long Island, Laura was part of the advertising team that made USA Today a successful national newspaper. Before helping launch three of the most successful start-ups in Time Inc. history—InStyle, Teen People, and People StyleWatch—she was also the New York Division Manager at People magazine. Laura has also been the New York Ad Manager at Ms. magazine and Associate Publisher at Brides. Laura loves spending time at her condo on Long Island and visiting with her family in New York and Florida. She lives in New York City with her feisty poodle Coco.

Alex Tresniowski is a writer living and working in New York City. He has been a senior writer for People Magazine since 1998, writing numerous cover stories and focusing on human interest, crime, and sports. He is also the author of six books, including 2005’s The Vendetta, a true crime story that was purchased by Universal Pictures and used as a basis for the 2009 Johnny Depp movie Public Enemies.

I am so pleased to announce that I have one copy of An Invisible Thread to give away to one Tidbits From A Mom reader! Please complete the Rafflecopter form below to enter!

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Piczzle Review & Giveaway!

Sponsored by Tomoson.com
I recently commented in a post about my family’s love of puzzles. It is a great activity to do by yourself as well as together as a family. I have seem photo puzzles advertised on certain websites; however, I have never ordered one or been given one as a gift. I was recently introduced to Piczzle, which is a company that allows you to upload your own photo to create a photo puzzle. The puzzles are fully customizable – you can choose the size, the shape, as well as how many pieces you would like.





“Our success is based on adding value for our customers. We offer you an easy, convenient and fun way to:
- preserve your memories for family, friends as well as yourselves;
- share your sentiments with friends and family through a thoughtful, personal and fun photo-based experience;
- achieve joyful self-expression through creativity and the telling of your stories with a combination of photos and words.”

My family and I were given the opportunity to review a Piczzle personalized jigsaw puzzle recently. I chose the photo of my children that is on our holiday photo card. I think it is my favorite photo for the year! I was able to easily upload the photo to Piczzle’s website and choose my preferences for puzzle size, shape, and how many pieces we would like. I liked the fact that a message could be included with the puzzle image. I chose, “We Love You Daddy!” because my kids will be giving the puzzle to my husband. I received my puzzle in mail the following week.

I loved that the puzzle came in a quality cardboard box with my kids’ photo on the top. When I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the puzzle pieces were of a quality, thick cardboard and we within a zipped bag for storage. My kids and I had a great time completing the puzzle and my kids got a real kick out of seeing their own faces smiling back at them!

I have written numerous times about my love of personalized products and gifts. Piczzle puzzles are certainly a unique product that could be created for anyone on your list. 

Follow Piczzle on Facebook!

Piczzle has kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway for one Tidbits From A Mom reader to receive a free puzzle!  Please complete the Rafflecopter entry form below to enter.

Children's Book Review: What Are You Thinking?

Our minds are extremely powerful. Our thoughts control our emotions, which then drive our actions. This is sometimes a hard concept for people to grasp. So much of what occurs in counseling involves helping people think differently about their situations and/or problems. If this is difficult for adults, it is certainly difficult for children to understand.

What Are You Thinking?, written by Valerie Ackley, is a children's book that teaches children about the power of their thoughts. This book teaches children that their thoughts, both negative and positive, will influence the feelings they have, and ultimately affect the decisions they make. Creative and fun illustrations are used to help children in understanding that they can completely alter their thought processes and change what occurs during their day.

I was instantly drawn to this book because I have not seen any children's book like it. I spend so much time of my work day discussing this very concept with children. I repeat "You can change your day around" over and over. I currently have students whose depressing or anxious thoughts completely drive their day. They have extreme difficultly with changing their thoughts. I love the fact that What Are You Thinking? has such amazing, fun, and creative illustrations to help teach the concepts. The illustrator, Lori Nawyn, provides fabulous pictures that capture children's attention. They make the context more meaningful, which ultimately will help children retain the information. I look forward to reading this book with my students!

More about the author:
Valerie Ackley lives in a beautiful valley at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. She is married to Jeff Ackley and together they are raising five sons.

She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Business Management and worked eight years in the telecommunications industry before becoming a full-time homemaker.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free book for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Lazoo Children's Products: Review & Giveaway

I really enjoy finding unique clothing and books for my children that cannot be found in any local shop or the mall.  Lazoo is a company that sells unique products, including clothing and accessories for boys and girls and activity books.  Apps will be available soon as well.  Lazoo places an emphasis on the child's imagination - "In this world, kids are encouraged to think independently; "coloring outside the lines" is celebrated and all types of creative self–expression are honored".



My daughter was sent two Lazoo books to review recently.  They are two new titles - "Holes" and "Squiggles"!  Both books are such unique and fun activity books that truly foster a child's imagination that I definitely needed to include them in my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide!  My daughter loves art and spends a great deal of time coloring the images from her mind. 



Both "Holes" and "Squiggles" are like no other coloring book I have ever seen.  In "Holes", children are encouraged to color within the holes of a page and when the page is turned, the color that was inside the hole has become a detail for the picture on the next page.  Very cool!  In "Squiggles", children are asked to draw squiggles, which ultimately become other objects or details for the picture, such as the details of a dress, a decoration for a cake, or clouds.  Both of these coloring books instantly bring a child's imagination to life. 




I am very happy to announce that Lazoo has kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway for one Tidbits From A Mom reader to win copies of both "Holes" and "Squiggles"!  Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. 

Hartstrings Review

My husband and I have often referred to our daughter as a “little Punky Brewster”, in that she has a style all her own. She loves to make a statement and stand out in the crowd. Her style typically incorporates bright colors and items that do not always match. I have to admit that when she was a little younger, I wanted to control what she wore. I quickly learned to appreciate her style and her individuality and refrained from controlling her clothing choices (within reason!).

Regardless of her wild style, my daughter can certainly appreciate a beautiful outfit. She loves dressing up for special events, holidays, and when we are having company. The outfits she chooses for these occasions are much more subdued and traditional.

Hartstrings is a company that has beautiful clothing for babies, girls, and boys. Whether you are searching for outfits for school or a special event, you will find numerous choices that are simply adorable. My daughter was given the opportunity to review the Multi-Stripe Sweater Dress from Hartstrings recently. While unwrapping the sweater dress from its packaging, my daughter and I whispered “Wow!” at the same time! I was amazed at the quality of the dress - it is made with a thick, soft yarn. Modeling the dress for me, my daughter instantly fell in love with this dress and declared it her “Christmas Eve outfit”.




In perusing their website, I was “oohing” and “aahing” over so many of the outfits, particularly the holiday outfits. I also felt that many of the prices were reasonable and comparable to some of my local stores. There are several items for both my daughter and my son that caught my eye. Here are some of items in which I was most interested!



Thank you very much to Hartstrings for allowing us the opportunity to review one of your products!
*Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I received a free product for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.