Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits, for the Nintendo DS {Review}

Thanks to the fabulous folks at Mom Central, our family has recently been able to review Activision’s new Guitar Hero On Tour:  Modern Hits game for the Nintendo DS.

My video review highlights:

• how the heck you play Guitar Hero on a Nintendo DS anyway (a question I was asked an awful lot when I mentioned this review!)
• artists who appear in the On Tour:  Modern Hits edition of the game
• features of regular play
• unique wireless capabilities of the game (hint:  you get to shred with a friend!)
• what our family thought of this game

Check it out!

done

12 Inches to Locks of Love

My 10yo daughter (11 on Monday!) has been growing out her hair for the past two years in order to donate to Locks of Love.  She’s had a few friends who have done it, and she participated in a Relay for Life with me where they had a booth set up to collect hair donations on site.  My daughter has the most gorgeous honey/wheat colored hair, mostly straight with a bit of natural wave, strong and very thick; we’ve always been positive that whoever receives her hair will be very grateful.

Here are some pictures and a video of my very courageous girl and her big day.

BEFORE

done

that's 12 inches of hair!

The new 'do!

Bravo, my girl!

Wordless Wednesday: Baby No More

People say he looks older now with his hair cut:

What do you think?

UPrinting.com Blog Sponsorship Program {Spotlight}

It’s been a few months now since I became part of the UPrinting.com Blog Sponsorship family of blogs.  The program allows me to promote interesting giveaways to my readers, collect free samples for myself to review, and generate a modest bit of income for my blog.  Aside from all the material benefits of the program, though, what has meant the most to me is the quality of their products, the professionalism of their customer service, and their understanding and support of bloggers everywhere.  Those things aren’t just a “given” for every company that approaches me for possible coverage on my blog.  UPrinting.com is among a unique group of my contacts who are as good a partner to me as they are a professional company to their customers.  They absolutely fit with my priorities of honesty, quality, and integrity.

Now, a few words from UPrinting.com themselves….

Why UPrinting.com isn’t your average printing company:

Blog Sponsorships:
If you are looking to find a sponsor for your blog, UPrinting.com is definitely interested. We offer giveaways, advertising and more for qualified bloggers.

Non-Profit Sponsorships:
The U-Community Program sponsors hundreds of non-profits and education to improve our local communities.

Social Justice Projects:
The UPrinting Kiva account promotes small business growth in developing countries.

Green Printing:
UPrinting supports a sustainable future by recycling, using non-toxic inks, and offering eco-friendly recycled paper stocks for business cards and postcard printing.

I’m happy to take this chance to spotlight UPrinting.com, and encourage you – if you are a blogger and are interested in learning more – to check out more about their Blog Sponsorship program!

With Bated Breath

I remember the first time I heard the phrase “with bated breath.”  It was the high school production of H.M.S. Pinafore and I was in the choir.  We had to sing a line, very staccato-like, where we sang, “This.ver.y.night.with.ba.ted.breath”…etc.  I had to look up what the heck “bated breath” meant.  I’ll save you the trouble:  it means to wait expectantly for something to happen.  And I bring it up now, because I’M SURE you’re all waiting with great expectation to hear how my workouts at the YMCA are going!

Aside from last week’s tour of Pergatory (otherwise known as my volunteer service at Cub Scout Day Camp), during which I simply could not muster the energy to get into the Y, things have been going very well!

I got back in the saddle – or, on the treadmill actually- this week and have been in three times already!  And I’ll be back there tomorrow morning.  It’s even more fun now because my 15yo and 12yo daughters have been through the necessary orientation, and now they can come in and work out with me.  Today I dropped off my 22mo son at the Child Watch, the 8yo and 10yo at the Kids’ Zone, then my oldest two and I worked out for about 45 minutes.  It was so fun!

I have been very, very good with my eating, too.  Fruits, leafy greens, tons of fiber, and water, water, water!  I’m still learning what will keep me satisfied for longer periods of time, and what I actually like when it comes to “healthy” foods.

For specifics on my actual workout routine:  I’ve been sticking mainly to the recumbant bike and treadmill.  15 or 20 minutes of each, with stretching before and after the 30-40 minutes (I found out that the stretch chair I lovelovelove so much is the Precor C240i StretchTrainer).  Though I haven’t been increasing my time much, I have been increasing the intensity of the workouts through resistance or incline and have been steadily bringing my heart rate up.  My daughters got me on an elliptical machine yesterday, and I looked like a total JOKE.  Still, I think I’ll try it again – this next week is going to be about me stepping it up with longer workouts and a wider variety of machines.  In two weeks we’ll add strength training with weights to all the cardio.

I don’t know that I’ve lost any significant weight, which is odd, since my clothes are fitting differently for sure.  The biggest thing is that I’m feeling SO GREAT, and it’s been a relief to have someplace to go away from the house and out of the heat.

I bought myself a little $20 mp3 player – an RCA Pearl, our two older girls have one each and we’ve had great luck with them – and am starting to fill it with good workout songs.  Here now is the list I’m starting with, though I’m sure it will change and grow as time goes by.  It’s an odd little mix – some alternative, some pop, even a touch of country.  If you have any suggestions, I’m happy to take them.

• All American Rejects:  Dirty Little Secret, Move Along
• KT Tunstall:  Black Horse & the Cherry Tree, Suddenly I See
• Bowling for Soup:  Ohio (Come Back to Texas)
• The Academy Is…:  About a Girl
• Corinne Bailey Rae:  Put Your Records On
• Paramore:  That’s What You Get
• John Mayer:  Bigger Than My Body
• Shakira:  Objection (Tango), Whenever, Wherever, Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Asi), Hips Don’t Lie
• Anna Nalick:  In My Head
• Jason Mraz:  Curbside Prophet, Too Much Food
• Taylor Swift:  Our Song
• Counting Crows:  Accidentally in Love
• Train:  All American Girl
• The Village People:  YMCA
• Good Charlotte:  I Don’t Want to Be in Love
• Black Eyed Peas:  Pump It
• Duffy:  Mercy
• Jimmy Eat World:  The Middle
• Joss Stone:  Tell Me ‘Bout It
• Rihanna:  SOS, Pon de Replay
• Evanesence:  Going Under, Bring Me To Life
• Gavin DeGraw:  I Don’t Want to Be
• Green Day:  Holiday
• Eve 6:  Inside Out
• 3 Doors Down:  Kryptonite

Overcoming Summertime Boredom and “Brain Drain” {Spotlight}

I was just talking with a good friend today about how our summertime woes have already set in.  With the kids out for three weeks now, and some of the initial busy-ness and transition time coming to an end, we’re left with incredibly hot weather and incredibly full houses to contend with.

Some time ago I was contacted by the people at Primrose Schools with ideas for beating the summertime gloom, and today was the day for me to sit down with the kids and put some of these ideas into action.  It was either that, or the threat of a serious mental meltdown, so I was happy to choose the wiser route.

Primrose Schools’ Vice President of Education, Dr. Mary Zurn, has just launched a blog called Dr. Z and Me, where she includes 10 fabulous tips for overcoming summertime boredom.  Some of the tips include:

1. A “Banishing the Boredom” Jar
2. Stories Alive
3. Art Treasure Chest
4. Family Performances

…and more.  To see the entire list of 10 ideas – and to find something that will fit your family’s needs and personalities best – read Dr. Z’s blog post.

Primrose Schools actually sent me and my family the materials to make our own “Banishing the Boredom” jar.  There are no set rules for this activity – just do whatever suits your family.  The main idea is to brainstorm activities that you enjoy doing together as a family, write those ideas on index cards or slips of paper, and then collect the suggestions in one main jar.  When the mood – or boredom, specifically – strikes, take out a suggestion from the jar and get your family into gear!

I told my kids to dream big or small, no matter.  I asked them to just think of whatever they would love to do as a family, and though I couldn’t make any promises, I would do my very best to make those things happen for our family this summer.  What we decided to do with the cards is to draw three cards each Sunday night, then choose one of the three to try to make happen during the upcoming week.  If we could make two or all three of the things happen, then great!  But – because of potential cost or time requirements – we would only absolutely commit to one.

The kids came up with some great ideas:  have a family bake sale, go to the zoo, go to the new Harry Potter movie, make puppets, etc.  They decorated the index cards and the jar, and now we have it in a central place in the kitchen for all of us to look at and look forward to.

For some of us, either we toy with “crazy” all summer long, or we try to pull ourselves up and get creative with how we spend this time together.  I really encourage you to visit Dr. Z and Me and see which of her suggestions for overcoming summertime boredom and brain drain spark some interest and fun with your family.