When I heard about the Dammit Doll, I admit, I was very intrigued. A doll that you can whack around and take out your frustrations on? It seemed too perfect to be true. But luckily for me, and for you, it is true. Here’s what Dammit Doll is all about: The Dammit Doll Mantra (printed on your doll, in case you forget what it’s for): “Whenever things don’t go so well, and you want to hit the wall and yell, here’s a little Dammit Doll that you can’t do without. Just grasp it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it. And as you whack the stuffing out, yell “Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” It sounds like the perfect doll for me. Recently…
Have you ever wondered just how much difference the proper styling tools can make for your hair? Recently I found out that my nearly five year old hairdryer really wasn’t doing everything it should be to make my locks just the way I want them to be. Enter the Infiniti Pro by Conair 1875-Watt Salon Performance AC Motor Styling Tool. Preferred by hairstyling professionals, it’s AC motor is longer lasting and more durable and dries your hair 50% faster than DC models. Over two days I tested the claim that my hair would dry faster with the AC model Conair Infiniti versus my own DC model. I couldn’t dispute that my hair dried faster and had less frizz than my old hairdryer. With 3 heat/2…
In America, we value education. In fact, we make strides everyday to improve education and make sure our children reach their potential. Or do we? This is one of the items discussed in Mission Possible, an eye opening book about several charter schools in New York called Success Academies, that are by all means breaking the boundaries of education and showing us what we should be striving for in our public schools. Eva Moskowitz (the founder and CEO of the Success Charter Network in Harlem) and Arin Lavinia offer practical, classroom-tested ideas for dramatically improving teaching and learning. Moskowitz and Lavinia reveal how a charter school in the middle of Harlem, enrolling neighborhood children selected at random, emerged as one of the top schools…
Recently the kids and I had a chance to review several items from Zing Toys whose mission is to get kids up off the couch and outside to start playing. I’d been staring at the packages longingly for over a week waiting for the opportune (aka non-rainy) day to go try them out. Because we live in the wilds of the Seattle suburbs, that took awhile. But last week the day arrived, not only was it sunny but it was warm, and it was the perfect day to go try out Air Storm Pop Rocketz, Air Storm Z-X Cross Bow and the Air Storm Zip-Bak Bow. The Z-X Cross Bow was the hardest to use because of the amount of pressure required to…
If you grew up in the 80′s and 90′s like I did, you’ll no doubt know who Vanessa Williams is. All you have to do is think back to her chart topping song, Save The Best For Last. I remember that song very well, and I remember watching Ms. Williams being crowned Miss America. This month the BlogHer Book Club is reviewing You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other). The Book was written by Vanessa Williams along with her mother Helen Williams. There are always two sides to every story, and this book gives us the two versions that shed some light on the mother-daughter relationship. In other words,…
When I got the email with the description of the book up for review, I hesitated. It’s a thriller with a romantic twist, and ever since becoming a mom, I’ve really had trouble reading thrillers. I have too active an imagination, and I can too easily ‘imagine’ all sorts of bad things. I decided the book sounded far too appealing to pass up. Twisted by best-selling author Laura Griffin is the latest book in her Tracers series, and it fits in so seamlessly to today’s modern social media world. Motive, opportunity, and no alibi—it seems close to a slam-dunk. But while rookie detective Allison Doyle’s department has ID’d a suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she is uneasy. Then legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe…
The House of the Wind by Titanie Hardie combines two stories in one place. One story is about Maddie, a present day young human-rights lawyer in San Francisco dealing with a tragic loss and the other is about Mia, a young woman living in 1347 in a Tuscan villa. The novel hopes to combine the two stories by connecting them to the mysterious woman who enters Mia’s life and becomes a part of the legend of the villa hundreds of years later. The true test of this book is the alternating views of thestory, between modern day San Francisco and Tuscany, Italy in the 1300’s.There are two stories in this book, and I thought only one was done well. While the historical part of…
Roam by Alan Lazar is a heartwarming book about a dog finding himself wandering away from his beloved home and losing himself in the world. Told from the perspective of Nelson, a beagle/poodle mutt, we see what it feels like to be a dog from moments after birth until well into a dog’s adult life. When Nelson’s cherished home begins to unravel, he finds himself wandering away and becoming lost in the outside world. We view the world from Nelson’s perspective, the sights, the sounds and the smells, as he eventually finds his way back to his owner after eight long years. As the reader journeys with Nelson, you’ll be rooting for him as he meets other animals and humans, and we learn just…
While I am currently a parent to two children, I am certainly no expert on childcare. If I have a question about caring for my child’s fever, building proper nutrition, dealing with my son’s love of video games or figuring out the best plan for a non-sleeping child, I know I can consult Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care handbook. Their is a new edition out celebrating it’s 65th Anniversary and has all the latest up-to-date information on modern issues facing parents today. I know that if Sprinkles starts acting out when her new sibling arrives, I can find help in Dr. Spock’s book. If Vanilla stages a pizza-only sit-in, I know I’ll find helpful advice too. The best part is that the book…
If you’ve known me a for a few months you’ll know I’ve got a new puppy. Meet Mocha Bean, an eight month old Mini-Daschund, that weighs in at a whopping 8.9 pounds. She seems innocent enough right? Well, we’re about to find out. I recently got an email asking if I’d like to review some dog toys from Hartz Pets. Free toys for the pup? Absolutely. What made it even more fun was that they were Angry Birds toys. Yes, even Angry Birds has gone to the dogs. Here’s the collection that I was sent: A big stuffed Red Bird, a small stuffed Yellow Bird, a rubber Pig, and an angry birds Red Bird/Green Pig frisbee, plus a bag to keep it all in. We…
