McNeill Game Review and Giveaway

I recently received a full set of games from McNeill Designs for Brighter Minds for free. Included in the set was the game "Twisted Fish," You've Been Sentenced," and five add on decks for "You've Been Sentenced."

We started our fun with "Twisted Fish" because that was the most age appropriate game for our kids. They are almost 4 and almost 7. The age recommended for this game on the box is ages 6 and up. Also it is for 3 to 6 players and it plays for about 30 to 40 mins.

This game is a lot like your basic Go Fish game. You match each fish character in the five different colors. Instead of asking for just the name of the fish such as "Do you have a clown fish?" You must instead say "Do you have a red (or other color) clown fish?" Also there are Zinger cards that allow you to "break" the rules.

Other info on Twisted Fish....

• Twisted Fish’s game play takes the traditional game of Go Fish and adds new, essential twists. The familiarity of the rules allow for quick learning.
• Unique Zinger cards ensure that the game is always exciting and fresh.
• Developed by toy and game veteran Martin Uniacke and Hollywood special-effects artist Jody Fedele.
• Humorous, original illustrations created by Jody Fedele keep players laughing at the fishy antics of an aquarium full of comical characters.
• Suitable for ages 8 and up. The whole family will love Twisted Fish for its hilarious game play and outrageous characters.
• Cultivates memory skills as players track cards that “swim” around the table from player to player.
• Both Skill and Luck are needed, making it fun for all ages and skill levels. (taken from the McNeill Website here )
  

So what did we think of it? Both of my kids give it two thumbs up! They laughed and talked about how silly the fish looked on the cards. Of course my almost 4 year old needed a little help figuring out the game but he still loved it. As for me I loved the time I got to spend with my kids and play a new cooler version of Go Fish! Twisted Fish is so fun and I am sure your kids will enjoy it as much as mine.




Tonight we finished up by playing "You've Been Sentenced." You make up sentences using from 2 to 10 of the cards that you draw. The sentences must be grammatically correct and make some sort of sense. This is a very hard game to play with little kids. We thought our almost 7 year old would be able to do it but she got frustrated with trying to read the words. I would definitely stick with the age recommendation on this one for ages 8 and up. You can have from 3 to 10 players in this game.

The quick play of this game is....

1. Everyone draws 10 cards face down.
2. When everyone is ready, turn your cards over and spread them out on the table in front of you. .
3. Using the words on the cards, build the best sentence you can that is both grammatically correct and makes some sort of sense. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE ALL 10 CARDS!
4. The first person done starts the timer. Once you start the timer, you can’t touch your cards. Everyone else can until the timer runs out.
5. When time is up, if you started the timer, read your sentence to the other players.
6. If no one objects to the grammar or sensibility, you get the points for the words used in your sentence.
7. If someone Objects, explain and defend your sentence. Everyone other than the objector and defender then votes. Majority thumbs-up, you get the points. Thumbs-down… Zero points. Ties go to you, and you get the points.
8. Next person clockwise takes their turn. When everyone has read and voted on the sentences, everyone discards their hand, draws 10 new cards, and starts a new round.
9. First person with the highest score over 200 at the end of a round, WINS! (taken from the McNeill Website here.)

So what do I think about this game? It is super fun for adults and would probably be fun for kids who were older. I know this is a game we will be playing when we get together for an adult game night. It is so fun to come up with silly sentences. Just check out mine...

You may need to click to read it

I laughed at my sentence and you can imagine how this would go if you had a lot of adults playing together. They would have so much fun! The only complaint came from my husband. It is not what you think he wanted me to tell you that the cards don't go back in the box so good because the cards are so compressed when they are first in the box wrapped up. Also he says don't stick the bottom on the box in the top because it is so well fitted together it doesn't leave any room to get your fingers in there to pull the bottom from the top lid. LOL you gotta love that advice right?


So what do these games cost and where can you find them? "Twisted Fish" and "You've Been Sentenced" can be bought directly on the McNeill Webiste here. "Twisted Fish" for $10.00 and "You've Been Sentenced" for $24.95. Oh and don't forget the add ons for "You Been Sentenced" for $7.95 here. You can also search the website here for local stores that sell these games.

To top off this awesome review I get to give one of my lucky followers a whole set of these games! That includes the "Twisted Fish", "You've Been Sentenced" and the add on sets!

So here is the way to win....

Leave a comment 1 entry
Follow me on Twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)
Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)
Become a facebook fan of Mom's Point of View 1 entry (if you are a new fan)
Add my button to your blog 2 entries (if you are just adding my button)
Tweet about this contest and leave me a message that you tweeted 1entry per daily tweet.
Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link 5 entries.

The giveaway will end on Friday April 2nd at midnight. I will post a winner the following day. *Please leave your email in the comment area so I can contact you if you are the winner.

*If you do any of these please leave what you did in the comment below.

*I did receive these products for free for review purposes and I did not get paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the products above.

KidMed

I am pretty sure you guys hate to take your kids to the doctor over the weekend like I do. No one is ever open and you usually have to take them to the ER or another Urgent Care place that knows nothing about children. It is never a fun thing to take sick children to the doctor.

Well that has all changed. It is fun to take your sick kids to the doctor! I am sure you are thinking "Are you nuts!" Maybe I am but for kids it has become fun in our area. Some doctors from our local hospital decided to open up a place called KidMed.

It is open later during the week from 3pm to 11 pm and on the weekends from 12 noon to 10pm. So why do I say it is fun? Well when you first get in there they have a tv in the waiting area and a silly mirror. The mirror makes you look funny. My daughter loved it. Also on top of the nice waiting area the staff is awesome and sugary sweet. After you get into the room to wait for the doctor there is a tv in the room. The nurse even asked my daughter what she wanted to watch! Why haven't doctors around here thought of this a long time ago? Kids get so bored waiting for the doctor.

The nurse and the doctor both spoke to my daughter first. Asking her questions on how she is feeling. Then they asked me a few questions. I hate when the doctor asks me all the questions because I turn right to my daughter to just ask her. She is old enough to tell you how she feels herself.

So after they decide to run a test on her to find out what is wrong. The nurse asked her if she wanted a popsicle. She even told my daughter to pick out the color. My daughter was super excited to get a popsicle. After the appointment she got a sticker which is all she normally gets after her normal doctor visits.

So am I the last person around who knew nothing about this? Do you guys have one in your area?

The winner of "The Flowering Cross" is...

Marina@EBMR! Please send me your address or post your email so I can get your address.

BTW sorry for the delay on this my daughter is sick with strep and this is the first time I got on the computer.

Freebies for kids on their birthday!

Today is my baby boy Brandon's birthday! He is 1 year old today so I wanted to compile a list of places that we enjoy that offer freebies for kids birthdays.

Baskin Robbins - get a free 2.5 oz scoop on your birthday by signing up here.

Captain D's - get a free kids meal on your birthday by signing up here.

Cold Stone Creamery-get one free creation on your birthday by signing up here.

Dairy Queen - get a free blizzard on your birthday by signing up here.

Shoney's - get a free kids meal on your birthday by signing up here.

Sonic - get a free kids meal on your birthday by signing up here.

Ok I am sure there are more out there so if you know any please add them in a comment below :)

Leather CPR Cleaner & Conditioner

You may remember my post a few days back about Carpet CPR Spot & Stain Remover. Well I also had the opportunity to review a free sample of Leather CPR Cleaner & Conditioner. Again I gave this product a "run for it's money." I used it on a pair of my husband's beat up leather shoes.

My husband will wear his shoes until they are beat up an falling apart. He has gotten another pair of leather shoes but we still had his old pair. So of course I wanted to test this product on his old shoes to see how good it would work. Remember I like a challenge.

"Leather CPR Cleaner & Conditioner cleans and conditions in one easy step with no greasy residue. Simply wipe it on, and Leather CPR safely melts away dirt and grime in seconds. Unlike other products, Leather CPR is safe to use on glove soft and exotic leathers. Use on furniture, car seats, clothes, purses, shoes and much more. Leather CPR is dermatologist tested, so it will not irritate your skin. If you are tired of using products that don't work, then give ours a try. We guarantee our products are the best, or your money back...period!" (taken from their website)

So I followed the instructions of applying the product liberally and using a clean, soft sponge. I let the product set for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the dirt and condition the leather. Then continued to rub the shoe with the sponge and wiped off excess product and dirt with a clean, soft cloth. I did repeat the process a second time as it says you can do. So what were the results?

See for yourself....

Right side of the shoe no cleaner used



Left side of the shoe cleaner used



Then a side by side so you can see the difference



I was very impressed with the results of the Leather CPR Cleaner and Conditioner. You know how some people say they have to see it to believe it. Well I saw it and I believe this product works! I would recommend this product to those of you looking for a leather cleaner and conditioner. It works great.

Leather CPR Cleaner & Conditioner is sold for $6.95 for a 4 oz tube, $9.95 for an 8 oz tube, $12.95 for a 12 oz tube and $24.95 for a 32 oz refill bottle. You can buy this product online at Bed Bath & Beyond or at the Leather CPR website. You can also find this product in your local Ace Hardware, Do-it-Best, Smart& Final, True Value Hardware, and Walgreen stores.

To receive a free sample go here. The quantities are limited so hurry up and sign up! Also as my blog readers you are eligible to compete for one of five CPR Cleaning Prize Packs worth $50.

Here is how:

1. Invite unlimited friends, family members, Twitter followers, blog readers and Facebook friends to receive their own free product sample by visiting here

2. CPR Cleaning Products will keep track of the number of referrals each participant solicits through the submission form in the sample page.

3. The five people who refer the most friends/family/to sign up for a free sample by March 31, 2010 will be rewarded with a CPR Cleaning Products prize pack.

*Once again I received this product for review purposes only and I did not get paid for my opinion of the product.

Free GeoTrax DVD

My kids love playing with GeoTraxs! My 3 year old always has his sister who is 6 put together the tracks for him so they can play. I am excited that we all have a chance to sign up and get a free DVD. Even the shipping is free! The DVD is only available to US residents and it will take 12 to 14 weeks for delivery.

Go here and then go to the select a country and click continue. Fill out the form and get the DVD for free!

The Flowering Cross Review and Giveaway

I recently had a chance to review a complimentary children's book from Thomas Nelson Company called "The Flowering Cross" written by Beth Ryan, illustrated by Renee Graef. This is a very sweet story of a little girl named Katie who tries to befriend her neighbor "Mean old Jack." This book is a great book for young children who love being read to or who love to read.

In the book, Katie wakes up and remembers that is it a special day. It is Easter day and she is excited because she gets to pick out flowers from "Mean old Jack's" garden for the flowering of the cross at church. Katie, her brother and mother have always shown kindness to their neighbor Jack but will their kindness soften and old man's hard heart?

I loved that this book helps children learn that they should always show kindness to people. Not only does this book include a wonderful message and beautiful illustrations, it includes faith imprints to help children learn scriptures about Jesus and instructions on how to make your own Flowering Cross. If you have young children I know they will love this book like mine did.


I will be giving away my copy of the book for one of my followers to have. I am going to request that to win you answer a question that I will post below. I love giving you a little challenge instead of the old "just enter me please."

What is your favorite thing about Easter Day?

Mine is getting all dressed up and going to my in-laws ward (aka church building) to be with them and remembering the things that Jesus has done for all of us. Then after, having lunch with my parents and dinner with the in-laws.

Other chances to win along with the answer to the above question are to

Follow me on twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Become a facebook fan of Mom's Point of View 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Add my button to your blog 2 entries (if you just add it)

Tweet about this giveaway 1 entry per daily tweet

Blog about this giveaway and leave a link 5 entries


*If you do any of these please leave it in a comment below. I will not accept a comment without answering the above question. The contest will end Friday the 26th at midnight.

*I received this book for free from Book Sneeze for review purposes only. I did not get paid for my opinion. This is also my honest opinion of the above book.

Carpet CPR Spot & Stain Remover Review

I received a free sample of Carpet CPR Spot & Stain Remover in the mail this past week. I was excited to give it a try. One of the places that needed attention the most was the carpet in my van. When I test products I like to give them a run for their money. (Ok so I got this for free but you all know the saying.)

My van carpet had mud and melted crayon on the floor. So that is where I was going to test the carpet cleaner. I mean melted crayon is the ultimate test for a carpet cleaner right? Besides it does say "Carpet CPR Spot & Stain Remover melts away your toughest carpet stains & eliminates odors in one easy step. Carpet CPR deep cleans and repels dirt from your carpet. It is great for red wine, pet stains, food stains, fruit juice, dirt, grease, coffee/tea, lipstick, ink, and much more. Carpet CPR has been awarded the Seal of Approval from the Carpet and Rug Institute. If you are tired of using products that don't work, then give ours a try. We guarantee our products are the best, or your money back...period!" (taken directly from the website here)

So here are my before pictures.....

Muddy carpet

Crayon

So I followed the directions of making sure the carpet was vacuumed, I sprayed the product and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes, and I blotted it with a clean colorfast cloth. So what were the results? Take a look below....

Muddy carpet after

Crayon after

So let me explain the pictures. We have the muddy carpet after picture. Yes I know the mud is not all gone and some is still there. I will tell you that after a few minutes of spraying the carpet the mud started to dissolve away. I was amazed at how quick it was working. Why is isn't gone? Because it is mud and it was really caked into the carpet and it smeared across the carpet. If I cleaned it more than once do I believe it would be gone? Yes I do. I had no extra time to clean because my 1 year old was screaming for my attention. So of course mommy stopped what she was doing.

But noticed the crayon after picture! One spray and one time cleaning it. Notice it only has a few little specks of color left. Boy oh boy am I impressed! Yipee for carpet cleaner! Can you tell I am a little excited. So if this product can eat away crayon. No doubt it can clean mud if you have the time to go over it more than one time. This cleaner also gives the carpet a nice fresh smell after cleaning. Which was also needed in my van because of all the fun stuff the kids have dropped on the floor.

Carpet CPR Spot & Stain Remover can be found here on their website and is $9.95 for a 24 oz bottle. I may actually buy some more when I run out.

To receive a free sample go here. The quantities are limited so hurry up and sign up! Also as my blog readers you are eligible to compete for one of five CPR Cleaning Prize Packs worth $50.

Here is how:

1. Invite unlimited friends, family members, Twitter followers, blog readers and Facebook friends to receive their own free product sample by visiting here

2. CPR Cleaning Products will keep track of the number of referrals each participant solicits through the submission form in the sample page.

3. The five people who refer the most friends/family/to sign up for a free sample by March 31, 2010 will be rewarded with a CPR Cleaning Products prize pack.

*Once again I received this product for review purposes only and I did not get paid for my opinion of the product.

Where or where have I been?

Sorry for slacking this week. My baby boy is turning a year old this month on the 26th. I have planned his party for this weekend and I have been very busy getting things ready. Yeah I know he is only turning 1 but I make a big deal out of all of my kids birthdays. I love throwing birthday parties at my house.

So stay tuned I have a lot of giveaways to come. Including two books, a set of games and also a link for some samples of cleaning products....

Aveeno Hair Care Free Sample

I have known about this free sample for a while and I signed up to receive my own sample but I don't really like to post about products unless I try them first. I have always loved the Aveeno lotions so I wanted to give their hair care products a try without having to spend the money on something I didn't know if I would actually like or not. I just recieved my sample of shampoo and conditioner a few days ago and decided to give it a try.

What do I think? I am very impressed with how soft my hair is! I knew Aveeno was great for your skin and making your skin soft but I was surprised that it did the same for my hair. I am very happy that it did because Aveeno is one of my favorite brands out there.

So to get your free sample go here

And the winner of Hayseed's First Race is

Kelli! Send me your address and I will mail it out to you.

12 Free issues of Parenting Early Years

If you have little ones a great thing to do it get tips and ideas from other moms through magazines. I have always loved getting Parenting magazines in the past but I honestly got tired of having so many magazines that I would read once and then throw in the recycle bin.

Parenting Magazine is offering 12 digital issues for free. So happy that there is no physical magazine to clutter my house. Moms that have kids from newborn to 5 years of age will enjoy advice about parenting and every other part of their lives. Go and check it out here.

Hayseed's First Race Review and Giveaway

I had the opportunity to review a complimentary children’s book from Caballo Press called “Hayseed’s First Race” written and illustrated by Sally Schrock. She has written this book to get the message out to always love yourself and never let anyone tell you that you don’t belong. Sally has not let hearing loss stand in the way of creating a wonderful children's book. “Hayseed's different, like me. I'm deaf, that means that I can't hear. I talk with my hands. One of the ways I use them to talk is to write and draw stories about Hayseed.” (Quoted from, Sally Schrock on the Caballo Press website.)

Hayseed may be different like Sally but that doesn’t mean he can’t do what others do. Hayseed is getting ready for his first big race against other racing horses including Prince Perfect. No one thinks that Hayseed can win the race. Even Prince Perfect makes fun of Hayseed telling him that he doesn’t belong. Hayseed remembers what his mother has told him and that helps him to do his best in the race. Will Hayseed win the race? It comes down to a photo finish but I am not going to spoil the end for you. I will tell you that your children will cheer on Hayseed as he runs the race. I had to read the book over as soon as I finished the last word of the book. My almost 4 year old son yelled out “Go Hayseed!” while we read it again and still does each time we read it.

This book is very meaningful to our family because we personally know a little boy who is different. He is like Hayseed and his mother has taught him the same thing as Hayseed’s mother. It doesn’t matter if you are different you can do anything that others can do. This book brings that message loud and clear to children. Not only do children need to know that it is ok to be different but they need to know that it is ok for other people to be different as well. We have taught our children that from the beginning of their lives. This book is perfect for helping teach that to children of all ages. While it is a book written mostly for a younger audience we can all take a message away from it.

I am excited to be able to giveaway a copy of Hayseed’s First Race to a lucky blog follower before it hits the shelves in stores. All you have to do is enter below for a chance to win. For those of you who would like to preorder a book go here. Also go to Hayseed’s website and have your kids join Hayseed’s Posse and do fun activities with them.

So this time I am going to change it up a little for this giveaway. I want you to include in your comment the answer to this question....

What do you do to help your kids know that it is ok to be different?

Other chances to win along with the answer to the above question are to

Follow me on twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Become a facebook fan of Mom's Point of View 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Become a facebook fan of Caballo Press 1 entry (if you are a new follower)

Add my button to your blog 2 entries (if you just add it)

Tweet about this giveaway 1 entry per daily tweet

Blog about this giveaway and leave a link 5 entries

*If you do any of these please leave it in a comment below. I will not accept a comment without answering the above question. The contest will end Wednesday the 10th at midnight.

*I received this book for free for review purposes only. I did not get paid for this review and this is my honest opinion about the book.

The winner of the snackTAXI giveaway....

is texasholly! Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. Also sorry it took so long to get this posted I was at church. Be sure to check back for upcoming giveaways.

snackTAXI review and giveaway...

I am so excited that I got the chance to review products by “snackTAXI.” What is snackTAXI? It is an alternative to plastic Ziploc bags used when packing snacks and sandwiches for lunches. snackTAXIs (formerly happy-sacks) were invented by a mother of 3. snackTAXIs have 100% cotton exterior and are lined with nylon that has a polyurethane coating on the underside. (the side that doesn’t touch the food inside the sack). Both fabrics are free of lead and phthalates.

I got the chance to review snackTAXI’s sandwich sack, snack sack, napkin, and produce bag. I am sure I am like most moms; I hate to use those plastic Ziploc bags for lunches and know that they are being thrown away at the end of one use. Not only that but I know that they are bad for the environment. I have been looking for an alternative for a while now and received an email from Business 2 Blogger for a chance to review these products for free.

What do I think of these products? I love them! What an excellent way to help the environment and they are super cute! They are easy to use and easy to clean. They can be machine washed and dried, or simply rinsed with water and air dried. My little girl who is in the 1st grade loved them. She loved the one with the dots the most. I think it makes lunch time more fun to have such cute sacks in her lunch. As for the napkins they do a great job of cleaning up spills. Especially the fun ones made by my almost 4 year old. I normally don’t pack a napkin in my little girl’s lunch but she has insisted that I do so now.

I have yet to try to produce sack because I have not been on a store run as of yet but I am looking forward to giving it a try also. So if you want to try this product go to snackTAXI.com. Not only will you be saving the environment but you will also save money by buying these because they are reusable. No more throwing your money away buying Ziploc bags.

So I asked snackTAXI if they could send me something to giveaway because I am so excited about their products. They did and now one of my lucky followers has a chance to receive a snack sack and a sandwich sack pictured below...

So what do you do to win?

Leave a comment 1 entry
Follow me on Twitter 1 entry (if you are a new follower)
Follow my blog 1 entry (if you are a new follower)
Become a facebook fan of Mom's Point of View 1 entry (if you are a new fan)
Become a facebook fan of snackTAXI 2 entries
Add my button to your blog 2 entries (if you are just adding my button)
Tweet about this contest and leave me a message that you tweeted 1entry per daily tweet.
Blog about the giveaway and leave me a link 5 entries.

The giveaway will end on Saturday the 6th at midnight. I will post a winner the following day. Please leave your email in the comment area so I can contact you if you are the winner.

*If you do any of these please leave what you did in the comment below.

*I did receive these products for free for review purposes and I did not get paid for my review. This is my honest opinion of the products above.

Domino Brownulated Light Brown Sugar

Oh me oh my what yummy cookies I made tonight. Instead of using packed brown sugar like I usually do I decided to use this. We have had it for a while in our cabinet but I wanted to use up my other brown sugar. Well my other sugar was hard. I know of a trick I could do to make it soft again but I was lazy and didn't want to take the time to do it. Plus I already had all the other ingredients in the bowl.

So I grabbed Domino's Brownulated Light Brown Sugar. You just use the same amount as what you would with the packed brown sugar. I wasn't sure if it would work the same or not but the package said you can use it instead of packed brown sugar.

Boy oh boy was I happy that I used it. My cookies were awesome! My kids and husband raved about how much yummier these cookies were. I didn't change a thing other than the brown sugar. I know from now on this is going to be my choice of brown sugar!

You can go here and download a free 2010 calendar. Look in the bottom right corner of the webpage. It has yummy recipes for each month!

Winnie The Pooh Free Downloads

Go and get your free MP3 lullaby House at Pooh Corner by Kenny Loggins and original story of Winnie the Pooh with digital book. Go here and enter code: "NAPTIME".