They Are Making a List and Have Checked it Twice...Mom Central, that is!

You probably know that I am lucky enough to work with those wonderful folks over at Mom Central from time to time on Reviews and such. Since I began working with them, I have made a point of reading their newsletter and visiting their blog every month to see all of the wonderful things they have in store. Stacy and gang over there really do care about women and moms especially. I know they took a poll to see how many of us were having financial concerns regarding spending during this Holiday season and a whopping 91% of the moms who replied say yes! Well, Mom Central to the rescue!

If you have not yet visited Mom Central, especially their Holiday Giveaways, then you are in for a real treat! Just like their press release says...

"“Making a list and checking it twice” serves as the mantra of the Mom Central team as
they alleviate the burden on Moms to research gift ideas by introducing their First Annual
Holiday Gift guide. The staff at Mom Central has done the homework for Moms,
evaluating hundreds of products in the following categories: for him, for her, for
baby/toddler, for tweens, for teens, and even for pets. The Mom Central team assesses the
quality, availability, the claims each advertises and, of course, if it will put a twinkle in
the eye of the receiver.
Since Mom Central receives some of these products before anyone else, providing Moms
exclusive access to new and innovative gifts. Products include affordable gift ideas from
Sony, Philips, Nautilus, Casio, Playskool, Baby Einstein, Netflix, Hasbro, Razor, A&E,
and more.
Mom Central will also give away thousands of dollars worth of products in multiple daily
drawings. Each provides the chance to win an entire gift package that includes gifts worth
hundreds of dollars – a great way to combat financial stress this holiday season."

Now the giveaways may have started December 1st but you have f-a-r from missed out! Take a look at what they still have planned!

Day 7, December 9th: Toys for Toddlers Gift Package
Day 8, December 10th: Little Book Lovers Giveaway
Day 9, December 11th: Being a Kid - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 10, December 12th: Furry Friends Gift Package
Day 11, December 13th: For Tweens - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 12, December 14th: Teenage Fun Gift Package
Day 13, December 15th: Health and Wellbeing Gift Package
Day 14, December 16th: For Him Gift Package
Day 15, December 17th: For Her Gift Package
Day 16, December 18th: Family Night Gift Package

WOW!!
So hurry on over and visit
Mom Central's First Annual Holiday Gift Guide,
visit http://www.momcentral.com/gift-guide/

On an additional note, I am often asked how to get started doing Reviews and Giveaways. The answer I give is to start reviewing what you have at home already and blogging about it. That gives you experience and might just get you noticed. Secondly, keep your eyes open for opportunities to join in testing and reviewing communities like the one HERE at Mom Central because you just never know where that might lead.

Good luck and Merry Christmas! See ya over at Mom Central!




Mom+Central

This Mama's Got the Magic of Clorox 2 - Review & GIVEAWAY

I don't know about the rest of you Moms but I have been totally astonished at just how much laundry my little family of 5 can produce. And it is Never Ending! Sheesh! Of course, looking on the bright side, that means I get all kinds of opportunities to try out new method for providing my family with a beautiful, clean wash.

Mom Central has let me be part of the Clorox 2 blog tour to try out one of those very new methods. Give your clothes a boost. Clorox 2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster is specially formulated to lift stains and contains brighteners to give colors a boost. It is designed to be safe for all loads – add it to every load with your detergent for cleaner and brighter clothes.

In short, Clorox describes it and it's benefit's as...

• Effective formula removes dirt and many stains
• Brightens colors and whitens whites
• Can be used in both standard and HE (front loading) machine
• New concentrated formula is better for the environment

Of course, my own personal favorite thing about it is this... I can use it in my cool front-loader washing machine...something not all products can say!

Of course, what really counts is how does it do on the clothes, right? Well, I really feel like it is making a difference in the whiteness and brightness of my laundry. I have been using it for the last couple of weeks and feel like I can comfortably say that I happily recommend Clorox2 for whitening and brightening your laundry!

The fine folks at Clorox believe in their product so much that they will even give you your money back if you are not satisfied. Now you cannot beat that...or can you?

You Bet! Want to Win Some FREE Clorox 2?

~ GIVEAWAY ~

Enter to win a coupon good for one FREE 44oz liquid or 49.2oz dry of CLOROX 2 Stain Fighter and Color Booster (4 WINNERS!)

Entries for this Giveaway Have Now Closed. Watch for the Winners to be announced shortly.

How to enter:
Go visit Dare to Be Colorful and look around.

Come back here and leave a comment telling me what you saw/learned/liked.

Want to earn extra entries?

• Subscribe to our updates - 1 extra entry
• Tell me about your greatest stain success story. - 1 extra entry
• Blog about this giveaway with links back here AND to The Game Factory (all links must be clickable) - 5 extra entries.

• Twitter, Digg, or Stumblethis Giveaway - 5 extra per method used (up to 15 extra entries!!)

Please be sure to leave separate comments for EACH additional entry.

Giveaway ends on Friday, December 12th at 12 Noon central time and is open to the US.

Thanks to Mom Central for this terrific opportunity!



This is the FINAL WEEK to enter the GIVEAWAYS both here and on 3 P's in a Pod for Because It's Christmas! Don't Miss out!

Clorox2+Laundry

Is Shopping Making Your Season Sour?

So, you have everything bought, wrapped and mailed, right? Nooo? Well, let me tell you about someplace I just learned about, thanks to Mom Central - SHOP.COM.

SHOP.COM is a comparison shopping site specifically designed for women that allows you to shop from over 2,000 merchants all in one place. Purchases can be conveniently made using one universal "shopping cart" to buy everything at one time or by clicking over to participating merchants' sites.

Now we all know that every Mom is a busy Mom and SHOP.COM gives busy Moms an opportunity to ease the stress of holiday shopping with tools to help us figure out what to buy, find recommendations, and pinpoint which stores really have the best price. With a combined total of over 20 million products, we can stop running from store to store to find the best deal or the perfect gift for the impossible-to-shop-for relative. Additionally, SHOP.COM provides expert advice, shopping tips, and articles, while giving easy ways to save money via price comparison tools, coupons, and rebates.


Thanks to Mom Central, I was introduced to Shop.Com. This site will be the answer to so many shoppers prayers, especially those that don't like to deal with the crowds of the holidays.

Here is how they describe themselves:

SHOP.COM is a new kind of shopping comparison site that offers the most comprehensive shopping experience on the web.

Compare.

Search for the products you love from the best stores on the web and see them side by side. Decide which price, shipping method, and delivery schedule options work best for you.

Learn.

But we don't stop there. Unlike other shopping comparison sites, we offer you a variety of tools and expert advice to help you make informed buying decisions and to find the best product to suit your needs.

Share.

You don't have to take our word for it. Share your opinions through tools like product reviews and My Shop, a place to keep track of your favorites.

Shop!

And when you're ready to buy, we give you options. You can use your secure SHOP.COM account to make purchases across over 800 OneCart® Trusted Merchant Stores, all backed by SHOP.COM's 100% satisfaction guarantee, or you can make your purchase directly from the web sites of one of hundreds of our Partner Stores.

At Shop.com you can find everything from a hard to find Nintendo Wii set to that exquisite pair of Stuart Weisman Patent Leather Pumps and from that adorable little Asian Marie Osmond doll, to exactly-what-he-asked-for iPod Nano.

Since I am a huge bargain shopper I was mesmerized by their Sale section and how could you not just love their Christmas Shop! It includes areas such as Toys for Kids, Gifts for Her, Bestselling Gifts, Gifts for Him, Electronics, Gifts for Teens and my personal favorite ~ 50 Gifts Under $50.00, and let's face it, who doesn't need to save money this year?

The best part of Shop.com is that their stores span everywhere from the biggest chains, like Best Buy, to unique smaller retailers you’ve never heard of. Need a Nintendo Wii a few days before Christmas? Shop.com is a good place to check without spending all night scouring the web.Here is a short list of just SOME of the retailers involved:

eToys, PETCO.com, Fossil, Lucky Brand Jeans, MaxStudio.com, Lamps Plus, CHEFS Catalog, Cooking.com, Brookstone, Frontgate, Harry and David, SmartBargains.com, Smith & Hawken, Hammacher Schlemmer, CompUSA, Sur La Table, Sharper Image, Sierra Trading Post, and One Hanes Place.

So if you are not into fighting the crowd or just can't find that perfect gift, drop in at Shop.com. I can almost guarantee you will find exactly what you are looking for - I sure have!

How DOES one Build a Bear? (Wii Game Review & GIVEAWAY)

Okay all you Moms out there - would you please call your kiddos to the screen for a minute? You can go do your nails or have a bon bon while I chat with them for a minute, okay?:) Thanks!

Hey gang -

Do you have a Wii or games for a Wii on your list for Santa? Well, let me tell you about something else you might want to add - a new game for the Wii from The Game Factory called Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons.

Here is a description from The Game Factory about it~

Your furry friend is invited to a great party on Palace Island by Bearemy and Pawlette. In order to cross the sea and reach the party, Bearemy and Pawlette offer you the FriendShip. Explore new islands on the way and take time to meet and interact with the furry friends that live there. They love playing games too, so on each island you get to play mini games, help them out, and find the puzzle pieces needed to recreate the map that will lead you to the next island. Finally you reach Palace Island where a big party awaits you! A Friend Fur All Seasons is a highly interactive and trans-generational adventure and party game in the true Build-A-Bear spirit! Let your imagination guide you as you board the FriendShip and set out to have fun with your new virtual furry friends…

Sound good? Great! You go add it now while I talk to Mom again. Thanks!

Your little friends there are probably adding a fun new game for the Wii called Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons.

Designed for ages 3 and up, it is rated 'E' for everyone with a dash of comical mischief thrown in for good measure.

The game is currently available, and has been for a few weeks. You can rush right over and buy one on Amazon.com, at Walmart, Target, Gamespot and most other game retailers for around $39.99, just to make Santa look good.

Of course, what your kiddos do not know is that I have the ability, thanks to Family Review Network , The Game Factory , to give one of these away! That would help ol' Santa out, now wouldn't it?

Well, before I move on to the giveaway, The Game Factory, Build-A-Bear Workshop and Wii have teamed up to help raise money for someting really cool. The Game Factory is auctioning off celebrity Build-A-Bear Workshop creations to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. What a great idea! The Ronald McDonald House Charities have been providing comfort and care to children in need of medical care, and their families, for more than 30 years. Between Nov. 23rd and Dec. 5th, you can do some shopping for a wonderful gift by bidding on one-of-a-kind bears designed by Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas, James Gandolfini, Melissa Joan Hart, Tori Spelling and more! Along with the celebrity-designed bear, each auction comes with a copy of the new Build-A-Bear Wii game!

To win a copy of the Build-A-Bear Workshop® A Friend Fur All Seasons for the Nintendo Wii

This Giveaway is now closed and we are no longer accepting entries. Watch for the winner to be drawn shortly!

How to enter:
Go visit The Game Factory and check out all of their other games.

Come back here and leave a comment telling us another game they have that you or a family member might like.

Want to earn extra entries?

Subscribe to our updates - 1 extra entry
Visit the eBay celebrity auctions & tell me which of the adorable bears you like the best - 1 extra entry
Blog about this giveaway with links back here AND to The Game Factory (all links must be clickable) - 5 extra entries

Please be sure to leave separate comments for EACH additional entry.

Giveaway ends on Sunday, December 7th at 7pm central time and is open to the US and Canada.

Build-a-Bear+Wii

Time to Deck The Halls With Boughs of Evergreens! Review & GIVEAWAY

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone and the Christmas season is now officially in full swing. To kick things off last night we watched Christmas Vacation, one of my all-time favorite funny movies. We needed to get into the HoHo spirit because today and tomorrow we are making like Santa's Elves by decorating both our house and my Mom's.

Brett has the lights up outside already and I had to start by putting up my beautiful new wreath, direct from Grandma D's Tree & Wreath Farm. That alone would put you in the Holiday mood because not only is it beautiful but it smells SO good! See, it is freshly cut evergreens and since I have it hung up inside, I can smell it each time I walk by! And you can tell just how fresh they really are when you run your hand along the boughs and the needles don't fall off!

Grandma D's is a family-owned business and you can tell that they take pride in work. They lovingly make these beautiful, fresh, evergreen wreaths but they also make beautiful cane wreaths, 20" evergreen centerpieces complete with candles, candy cane wreaths, and something I have never seen before - noble fir crosses. Grandma D's Tree and Wreath Farm, headquartered in Silverton, Oregan, is run by 5th generation family owners They do their best to provide superior customer service and to provide YOU with the finest greenery available!

Along with their direct retail sales, they do discounts for large wholesale orders. You can even arrange a terrific fund raiser through them, like for groups and schools. I am going to let me PTA ladies know about them for next year because their program even discourages door to door sales, something any Mom would approve. Groups can earn $5 for every product sold via fund raising and if your group sales are over $10,000, you receive an extra 3% bonus! They even have special incentive for your group to be among the top 5 overall sellers for the Season by giving prizes like a Wii!

You can have one on your door by visiting the Grandma D's Tree and Wreath Farm website, or by calling them at888-449-9485. I know I love mine and really, you won't be disappointed! You know, these wreaths would also make a wonderful gift, especially for mom's and grandma's far away. They are quite reasonable too as a wreath like this one would be only $29.95. And since the folks at Grandma D's are so cool AND they know what amazing readers I have, you can get free shipping in the USA when you enter the code W0834! So check out their store and get ready to feel festive!

ENTER TO WIN A FRESH AND BEAUTIFUL WREATH FROM GRANDMA D'S

Now best of all, the wonderful folks at Grandma D's Tree and Wreath Farm were kind enough to provide a wreath just like mine for me to give to one of YOU!!! They will ship it to the location of your choosing within the US and get it too you in plenty of time to enjoy it before Christmas!

This Giveaway has now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!

To enter to win a fresh, beautiful wreath:

• Visit the Grandma D's Tree and Wreath Farm Shop and check out what they have to offer.
• Come back here and leave a comment telling us what you liked the best.

YOU MAY ENTER AS MANY TIMES AS YOU'D LIKE, JUST NOT TWO TIMES IN A ROW!

Plus to earn extra entries:

• Post my 3 P's Mama Says.. button on your site (you can find the code for it on my right sidebar) - 5 EXTRA ENTRIES
• Blog about this giveaway and link back here and to Grandma D's Tree and Wreath Farm. (the links must be active/clickable) - 5 EXTRA ENTIRES
• Subscribe to my updates. - 1 EXTRA ENTRY
• Twitter, Stumble, or Digg about my giveaway and come back here and tell me what you did. - 5 EXTRA ENTRY PER PLACE(up to 15 pts possible!!)
  

Please leave separate comments for each additional entry, ie: if you blog about this, leave 5 separate comments.

Giveaway will run through Dec. 5th at noon central time and is open to the USA.

Several of my bloggy friends are writing about their wreaths so stop by and show them some Holiday luv!

11/27/08- Blessings Abound

11/27/08- All Because Two People Fell in Love

11/28/08- The Dirty Shirt

11/28/08- An Island Review

11/28/08- MommyDaddyBlog

11/29/08- What’s That Smell?

11/30/08-MoomettesGramsMusings

11/30/08- A Cowboy’s Wife

12/2/08- Rockin’ Mama

12/4/08- Brain Foggles

12/5/08- Life is Like Champagne

12/5/08-Wrestling Addicted Mommy

This is the FINAL WEEK to enter the GIVEAWAYS both here and on 3 P's in a Pod for Because It's Christmas! Don't Miss out!

GrandmaD's+Wreaths

Can You Keep a Secret? The Secret Keeper Girls Series book review

I just learned a very terrifying fact - as of September, I will be mom to a Tween! That's right gang, girls ages 8 to 12 are now classified as Tweens and the way things have been going with P1, we will be in for one rocky ride. And there is so much to teach her, to help her stay safe, make good choices and be happy with seemingly so little time to do it.

Thankfully, there are wonderful people like Dannah Gresh who take their experiences with their daughters and build on them. Dannah is the creator of the Secret Keeper line of products, a line designed to help us teach our girls about purity, modesty and divine worth. This purpose really caught my attention because it goes hand in hand with the tenets of our Church and the things taught in Activity Days and Young Women's.

From her website:
Dannah has sold over half a million copies of her books—including And the Bride Wore White and Lies Young Women Believe (co-authored with Nancy Leigh DeMoss)—, making her one of the most successful Christian authors targeting teens and tweens. She is the author of all of the Secret Keeper Girl products and creator of the tour, which will be in sixty cities in 2009. Dannah lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two teenage daughters, Lexi and Autumn. She is shamelessly in love with her labradoodle, Stormie.

One of the books Dannah has written is Danika's Totally Terrible Toss, one of a series of four. The series, meant to teach family values and biblical truth through hilarious fiction, is all about four middle school girls. The girls met during school detention and formed a club -- the Secret Keeper Girls. In each book you get to read about the life of one of the four girls and how they support each other through the trials and tribulations of tween life.

Danika's Totally Terrible Toss follows Danika, who is struggling with mean girls. Sadly, I have already seen this be an issue in my daughter's circle of so-called friends. This little girl says rude and hurtful things for seemingly no reason at all. This book was the perfect opening for talking about her 'friend' and how to deal with her poor behaviour.

We enjoyed the story and made good use of the interactive on-line fun. Girls are able to connect even more with the Secret Keeper characters by simply clicking on secretkeepergirl.com. I loved how each book features a Girl Gab Q&A section, helping to jumpstart conversations between moms and daughters They cover things like making the right decisions about important issues like mean girls, make-up, modesty, boys, and more!

What Do I Say?
The book was a short, easy read and it kept P1's attention with no problem and that is at age 7. I really liked the activities linked to it, the influence for good regarding appropriate life choices, and I LOVED the way it helped moms get started in these meaningful conversations. If you are put off by books with a significant moral code, then these may not be for you. If you are a Christian Mom, however, looking to help counter the messages our girls are pounded with every day, then you are in for a real treat. Run, don't walk to pick up a copy for your Tween today!

The books can be purchased for around $7.99 at PureFreedom.org, Amazon.com or your local Christian bookstore.

This is the FINAL WEEK to enter the GIVEAWAYS both here and on 3 P's in a Pod for Because It's Christmas! Don't Miss out!

Tween+Book

Pzizz...zzzzzzzzzzzz

As you can tell, I have a few sleep 'issues' . Never used to. Used to sleep like a rock. Then I had kids.:)

No seriously, I do struggle with some insomnia from time to time so when the great folks over at Pzizz asked if I would like to try their program, well, I was ALL over it!

So first off, just what is Pzizz?

Well, from Pzizz:

In as little as 10 minutes, Pzizz can clear your brain, improve focus, lower stress and let you get on with your day by helping you take a short performance break. How does it work? The Pzizz software is downloaded to your PC/Mac/mobile device in two forms: an Energizer Module (which helps users take power naps during the day) and a Sleep Module (which helps users get a good night’s sleep).
Now, the nighttime/Insomnia part was not likely to fly at my house, considering my hubby is a very sensitive sleeper but the nap part? Oh I was more than happy to oblige!

Here are some handy tips Pzizz gave me to make the most of my naplet.

Top 5 tips on how to squeeze in a power nap while your kids take their naps.

1. Make sure you understand how much you deserve this
'time out'.
2. Use Pzizz as often as possible so that your
subconscious becomes accustomed to it and you are able to nap quickly
and effectively!
3. Make yourself nice and comfortable so that relaxation
is easy
4. Enjoy your 'time out'. Make the most of your own time
and let go of all the stresses of the day
5. Make sure others understand what you are doing and
how important it is for you, ESPECIALLY your children!

Pzizz in Energizer Mode

The first time I tried the pzizz energizer module, I used it for about 20 minutes and did not find it terribly effective. I was much too focused on reviewing the product and not enough on relaxing and disengaging. When I tried it a second time though, I had myself one happy little nap!

Apparently Pzizz startst working better the more you use it. I work up feeling refreshed and ready to continue my day. I really felt refreshed and like I had my second wind for the day, which is always a good thing.

My Mom has always had the ability to 'power nap'. Give her 15 minutes on the floor or couch and she is good to go for many more hours. I always envied that a little because I am really only refreshed after a nap if the nap is like a 2 hour deal and even then it was not a guarentee because I am just as apt to wake up with a Migraine or other headache and feel worse off than when I started!

Now I see that I too can 'power nap' and feel really good aftward, thanks to Pzizz. As a Mom, this is a huge gift! Now I can capitalize on those times when P3 is napping without feeling like I am loosing w-a-y too much time out of my day and wake up feeling calmer and more alert.

So give it a try Moms - I think you will like it!

Pzizz in available for both Mac and PC. You can have either the Energizer or Sleep module for $29.95 or both for $49.95. Read more or download the trial or a demo soundtrack for either module at Pzizz.com.

This is the FINAL WEEK to enter the GIVEAWAYS both here and on 3 P's in a Pod for Because It's Christmas! Don't Miss out!

Pzizz+Sleep

A Little Canasta Anyone? Review

Canasta anyone? You know, I have always heard of Canasta but never played it until just recently while Brett and I went away for the weekend. See, we love games and when the Family Review Network gave me the chance to try Canasta Hand & Foot card game by Marina Games, well, I could not pass up the chance.

The game is intended for four players working in teams of two. Since there were only two of us, it required a little ingenuity on our parts but it worked out just fine. We both read over the directions several times, to make sure we both fully understood the game. Thankfully, the instructions were very detailed and quite clear. We thought it was kind of an 'UNO-meets-Poker' kind of game and eventually decided we were ready to start.

The game came with 4 decks of cards, which should give you a clue right off that this is no ordinary and simple game. Hand and Foot Canasta is called "Hand and Foot" because each player is dealt two sets of cards. One is the "hand", which is played first, and the other is the "foot", which is played when the hand has been used up. The game is designed for four rounds. When you are done with each round you tally up the scores and start the next round. The cards are marked with their point value so adding up the scores was not all that taxing. After the four rounds are completed, the team with the most points then wins.

Now, remember how I said it required a little ingenuity for the two of us to play a game designed for 4 players divided into two teams? Well, meet our imaginary teammates, George and Julie. (They had to have names or we would have gone crazy talking to ourselves!) The game went on so long that we only played the four rounds and then called it quits. The first round was hysterical. We were still trying to figure out the game and who did what when so we had to keep stopping and rereading the directions. Eventually we figured it out and Brett and 'George' won the first round.

The second round was much smoother and lots of fun. We began to develop a little skill and made better choices as to what we laid down when. That round went to the girls - ha!

The third round was a little slow and somewhat tedious. It was then that we discovered just how long one little game of Canasta could go on! Eventually though, Julie and I won.

We decided to go ahead and play the forth and final round to to finish out the game - that and Brett did not want to be the loser! :) This round was probably the most fun of all since we were getting tired and were both getting silly. While Brett and George one the round, we opted not to add up the points because we were happy just having played the game together and isn't that the point of games after all (Please say yes because that is what we are trying to pound into our eldest daughter's head!).

We will most certainly play Canasta Hand & Foot game by Marina Games again - maybe during our annual New Year's Games. We did agree that this is much too complex a game to introduce to our daughter at ages almost 5 and 7. Guess that's why the recommended ages are for people 8 and up, huh?:)

So What Do I Say?
The cards come in a nice sturdy box which fits all four decks of cards perfectly as well as the instructions. It is small enough that it is perfect for trips like ours where luggage space is minimal. Just make sure you have plenty of room and lots of time.:)

I would absolutely tell card game lovers to consider buying Marina Games' Hand and Foot Canasta. As I said before, it is not a game to immediately jump right into and start playing - directions and rules are required. Once you do have it figured out thought, it is plenty of fun. You can practice math skills with it so it is ideal for older kids too, just l;eave the small ones under 8 out of it.

Canasta Hand & Foot is available for purchase via Marina Games or direct from Amazon for about $9.99.

Thanks to Family Review Network and Marina Games for making this review possible!

Because It's Christmas began Nov. 10th on my blog, 3 P's in a Pod and you won't want to miss a minute!

Marina+Games

Trivial Pursuits: The Complete Idiots Guide to Fun FAQ's Review

I love to play games, and so does the rest of my family so we have a wide variety of them. We have plenty of games that we can play with young children plus a few left over from our Newlywed years including Trivial Pursuit. Brett and I are fairly evenly matched on trivia...it's the subject matter that makes the difference.

He doesn't know it but I now have a leg-up on him for the next time we get to play! hehehe See, as a part of the The Complete Idiot’s Guide books I am reading and reviewing for you, I’ve been boning up on my trivia thanks to The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fun FAQs by Sandy Wood and Kara Kovalchik.

For instance, I now know that the original terminus points for the Orient Express were Paris, France and Istanbul, Turkey. Take that Benbridge scholars! :)

But what about you? How about the answers to:

• What is the only Lucky Charms marshmallow that has not changed since the cereal's introduction?
• What is the real first name of golf phenom Tiger Woods?
• What do TV characters Ernie Douglass(My Three Sons), Bamm-Bamm Rubble (The Flintstones), and Webster Long (Webster) have in common?
• What word for a socially inept person was coined by Dr. Suess in his book If I Ran the Zoo?

And if you know the answers to all of those, you ARE good! Those answers and more can be found right there in the book.

What DO I Say?
Seriously, it was a lot to fun to read. Because it is simply a listing of facts, it is a fast read as well. The scope of the trivia was quite broad - from Sports to Babies to History to TV to Food and more. I cannot imagine anyone not being entertained by The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fun FAQs and you learn a lot in the process. A great gift again, for the hard to buy for crowd.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fun FAQs was released in May of 2008 and retails for about $12.95. Pick up a copy at either Penguin Books online or a book retailer near you.

Win your very own copy HERE as part of the Book Giveaway Carnival!

This review was made possible in part thanks to the Family Review Network.



Because It's Christmas begins Nov. 10th on my blog, 3 P's in a Pod and you won't want to miss a minute!

Fun+FAQ's

Get Down to Brass Tack with The Complete Idiots Guide to Weird Word Origins - Review

Ever wondered what a Kit and Caboodle really is? How about Gobbledygook? And why on earth would anyone really 'Eat Crow'?

These fun colloquialisms and more are all lined out for you in The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Weird Word Origins by language expert Paul McFedries. This book provides answers to questions we have often wondered about but never have known who to ask.

For instance, have you ever thought about the fact that "Having your work cut out for you" is in reality, backwards? I mean having it 'cut out' for you would actually make your work easier, not harder, right? Well, I had never really thought about it until I read this book. Just think, in no time you will be the life of the party and a prime candidate for Jeopardy!

Paul McFedries is the president of Logophilia Limited (Latin for “the love of words”), and has written more than three dozen books that have sold over two million copies worldwide. He also runs the Word Spy mailing list and website (wordspy.com), which are devoted to the study of new words and phrases and have been featured in major publications such as Wired and The Wall Street Journal.

What Do I Say?
This is indeed a fun book to read. Filled from the first page to the last, he has selected words, ideas and phrases that will enlighten even the most studious of readers. While I myself would be just as likely (if not moreso) to look some of these words up on the computer, certainly reading it will make you just that much more well rounded and knowledgeable about the world in which we live. This would be a great gift for hard to shop for men, students, and business people alike.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Weird Word Origins was just release in August of 2008 and retails for around $14.95. It may be purchased at Penguin Books or many booksellers near you.

Win your very own copy HERE as part of the Book Giveaway Carnival!

This review was made possible in part thanks to the Family Review Network.



Because It's Christmas begins Nov. 10th on my blog, 3 P's in a Pod and you won't want to miss a minute!

Word+Origins