Tuesday, December 13, 2011

A Review- "My Grocery List" A Fun Learning Game!


I am always looking for new games to purchase.  We enjoy family game nights at home and I use all of our games at work.  When I was offered the chance to review this fun game, called "My Grocery List" by Marina Games I was excited. The Mommy and The Speech Therapist in me saw the potential this game could have for both fun at home and fun at work.  The product did not disappoint. 


The Game Materials are high quality and are much better than materials used by most of the big industry leaders.  Marina Games has built this game to last!  The game arrives in a sturdy and colorful cardboard box.  Inside you will find 5 Shopping List Cards, 5 Shopping Basket Cards and 30 Grocery Item Cards.  Each Player chooses a basket and list.  The 30 cards are shuffled and spread face down on the table to create a hide and seek game.  Players take turns to see if they can find an item on their list to add to their basket.  The first player to collect all 6 items on their list is the winner.  That is the easy way to play.

Other Ideas:
  • Place the baskets out on the table and work as a team to sort the groceries into categories.  (Meat Veggies , Fruit, Treats Etc.)
  • Use The Grocery Item cards to play a description game.  Each player selects a card and describes the item to other players.  The first person to "Name That Food" adds the item to their basket.  The person who gets the most wins.

Other Ways I Used The Game

  •  If you work with head injured or stroke patients this game is a must have!  It is study.  The game has just enough amount of print on the cards.  The grocery lists are great for targeting recall, attention, and naming skills.  It is not too juvenile in appearance to turn adults off.  I have found that playing this game and using the game kit materials aids in recall, memory and it stirs up great conversation. 
I give this game 5/5 stars!  Marina Games offers many new games that are fun across the lifespan.  Thank you Marina Games for sending me "My Grocery List" to review and keep.  It will be put to good use!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!






I have high hopes that I will get compensated for this post with a promotional gift credit from Melissa and Doug. No other compensation has been provided. (Happy Holidays FCC!)

Shutterfly Fun!

This weekend I am hosting a Shutterfly House Party. Today's post will be all about that and all about sharing family photos without breaking the bank!

Some Ideas on Taking The Perfect Family Photo Yourself:
* Think about the backdrop. You will never be able to take "the perfect" family photo with "uncle Jim" dancing in the background (same goes for the rented port-a-let or the pork cooker at the family reunion). Think of natural and neutral. Trees, Tall Grass, or carefully chosen buildings make great backdrops for perfect pictures.
* Think about coordinating outfits. I'm not advocating for everyone to wear their favorite luau wear from this years Hawaii vacation, but everyone in the same color palate screams "We tried to look our best".

Here are my favorite Shutterfly Easy Links For The Season:

Christmas Cards

Holiday Cards

Photo Gifts

Photo Books

Shutterdly has an excellent resource that will help you take the best family photos possible this year.  CLICK HERE to visit the Shutterfly Family Photo Days website.  You will find lots of  information about the Family Photo Day initiative. 

I am hosting a Shutterfly HouseParty this weekend.  If you would like to learn how you can earn 10-15 FREE 5x7 Greeting Cards please comment below and I will make sure to send you the links!  I can email the offers out directly to you.  If you prefer to email me your request feel free to drop me a line Carriescoupons@aol.com

Hot Offers From Tiny Prints!

Tiny Prints is giving me another chance to share a great deal with you and to give one lucky reader 50 holiday or Christmas cards of their choice.  Tiny Prints makes breathtaking cards and are sure to be the talk of your social circle! 

Tiny Prints has a beautiful Holiday collection this year.  PLEASE take a look at the collection here then come back and leave a comment telling us which design is your favorite.  Please use the survey monkey to tell me about your pick of the collection and contact information.  I'm going to pick a winner 8am on Thursday 11/10/11. 

Tiny Prints has a hot offer for Parents and Children right now.  It expires tomorrow 11/9/11.
Tiny Prints is running a one day only promotion on 11/9/11 where you can receive a FREE card to your kids from Santa! Visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page to find out how to personalize one of the following greeting cards FREE: Checking It Twice or Santa’s Scroll. Hurry! Offer ends 11/9/11 at 11:59 pm (PT).

I love the special touch Tiny Prints adds to my holiday card giving!  Thank you Tiny Prints for another great offer and giveaway to share with my readers! And Thank you for the Labels (my compensation for this post).


Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Introducing Xia-Xia

Meet my personal favorite Xia-Xia.  What is a Xia-Xia? The most perfect answer to the never ending query "Mom can I have a pet?".  Xia-Xia are Hermit Crabs.  They were created by Cepia, LLC (the master mind behind ZhuZhu Pets® and DaGeDar™) and I think they are destined to be at the top of many holiday wish lists.

A Little Bit More About Xia-Xia:
From a far away land where the Carnivale runs all day, Xia-Xia are crazy crustaceans, who love to dance and play. Costumed in wild and wacky shell fashions, Xia-Xia love to change their shells for their festivities. Press their claw and the parade begins; Xia-Xia have a wacky Xia-Xia shuffle that is tons of fun to watch.


These new colorful, collectible creatures combine the loveable charm of a real hermit crab but add a twist of imagination. Each Xia-Xia comes with a candy colored shell in which kids can fi­nd a little friend hidden inside. Additional shells can be purchased so children can style their Xia-Xia in their favorite fashions. For an added bonus, each additional shell contains two little friends. Xia-Xia have colorful playsets, bringing alive a world of color, magic, and imagination for kids to enjoy!

What Did The Kids Think?
  • They all loved the packaging! 
  • Emma played with one for three hours Friday night and brought Crabbie to bed with her.  She played for two hours on Saturday Morning and partied with her friends for almost 3 hours.  She took her crab and the playscapes with to share on another playdate. 
  • Her crab has survived! And she keeps telling me how beautiful Crabbie is. 
  • All of the kids were easily entertained for hours at our Xia-Xia playdate.  No one pouted, tattled, or had a melt down.  Everyone was tired and slept well (most with their new Xia-Xia pal!)
What Did The Moms Think About Xia-Xia?
  • We all loved the fact that we could relax, chit-chat, and enjoy the play date.  The toys did the entertaining! Three Cheers for Xia-Xia!!
  • We all loved the boutique/handbag packaging!  Very cool!
  • They are just adorable and we all agree just looking at them made us smile.
  • Our only complaint is that a few of them needed minor surgery (large front claw popped off of two of them a time or two).  They did snap back together fairly easily and all of them continue to tolerate lots of play time.
  • The Play Sets have been very durable and they are easy to assemble.  
  • Baby Claire was entertained watching the big kids play with their crabs, extra shells and tiny creatures! 


I have a lot more to share about Xia-Xia, but for tonight I will end with a contest!  One lucky reader will win one Xia-Xia and one Accessory Pack (extra shell with two creatures).  I will select a random winner Monday October 24th at noon!  Good Luck!!


Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Tiny Prints- A Good Option for Holiday Cards- A Review

Birth Announcements, Graduation Announcements, Fathers Day Cards, Baby Shower Invitations, & More from Tiny Prints


I love Tiny Prints and have ordered several times from them in the past.  Their new line of holiday cards was recently unveiled and I am having a hard time narrowing down the choices.  CLICK HERE to explore the latest selections in the Tiny Prints 2011 Holiday collection. Right now they are offering a 15% discount until 10/18 with use of special offer code : 15fall

How Will You Display Your Holiday Cards?
  I am going to try something new this year.  I am attaching strings of beaded garland (looks like Christmas tree lights) to the door of my coat closet.  I plan on attaching cards to the garland with festive mini clothes pins that I found in the $1 bins at Michael's.  I have hope that it will turn out well and that the cards will stay where I put them.  If not I am not afraid to break out the duct tape.  Do you think it will work? Any tips to making this project a success from the get go?

I love unique photo cards on nice paper.  Tiny Prints makes this easy for me to achieve.  I love their rounded edge and accordion cards!

 Candy Cane Square Christmas Cards
International Color Christmas Cards














Tiny Prints will be providing me a coupon for 50 FREE Holiday Cards.  As always my opinions are my own.  I have not been provided with any other compensation for this post.  What will I do with this voucher?  Share it with a lucky Reader.  I will choose the winner 10/25/11 at noon.  Good luck!!



Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

MySavings: Free Samples, Free Stuff, Freebies and Coupons

Freeflys

freeflys

Amazon.com

Search This Blog