Around the World for Christmas - Mix Educational Learning with Fun and Game Excitement - Review

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Fun Games For Global Education

Curious
about getting better connected to people of the world? Now you can!
Around the World is a company that travels around the world and develops
interactive products that bring the global experience to you. Their
mission is to offer resources that get people of all ages better
connected to the world around them. Their products meet the needs of many a
diversified market, including classrooms, diversity and literacy
programs, cafes, universities, museums, as well as businesses looking
for other ways of understanding cultural diversity among their global
markets.

Their fun games are about spreading global education and connecting people in this diverse world. The award-winning Around the World Board Game
takes players on a travel adventure while

educating them about people,
places, language, culture, customs, world wonders, and world geography. The Trivia Collector Card Packs are designed to be
played along with our board game or on their own. The card packs include
over 200 fun, trivia questions on every region of the world!



My children and I all love to play all kinds of games. We have an entire upstairs closet that has nothing but family board, card games and puzzles.  So, being offered the chance to review a family game is one that is perfect for us.



I love to find games that the whole family can play, so although my youngest is too young for nearly all the questions in this game, we still include her by having her help move the game pieces, hand the cards to other players and help give answers and hints so she can be included too.

As a Stay At Home Mom of Three busy and active kiddos in 3 different grades/learning stages, it is always great to find games that mix fun with education so that they can learn as they play. The Around the World board game helps make learning about geography, international cultures, language and the people and places in this world full of fun.  My
kids do enjoy playing this game, but soon get frustrated with the difficulty of some of the questions. My 12 year old son seems to know quite a bit more about geography and cultures, whereas my 9 year old is still learning - and of course my 5 year old doesn't know a whole lot yet, but is eager to play along anyway.









Around the World is a game with 200 educational trivia cards based on the themes of People
and Places, Geography and Language, and Culture and Customs that helps the players "travel" all over the world to learn

new and exciting things about different countries and cultures that they otherwise would not have a chance to visit.



Most of the questions are even too hard for this Mom, but the hints many times make guessing fun and easier.  And of course many times I add a few extra hints for when the kids area struggling to figure it out.  Overall the game is fun and educational and we all seem to remember different questions and answers from the game days later.



Around the World Games would make a great Christmas Gift for a family with children who are eager to learn while having fun playing too!

And, there are additional country and continent packs that can be purchased in addition to the main game set - check it out at http://www.aroundtheworldgames.com/

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

The Great PJ Elf Chase - Review on Mom Loves 2 Read

There’s a Christmas Eve tradition in the
Taylor household. While the boys take baths, Santa’s elves drop new pajamas
outside their bathroom door. The PJ elves are sly and quick, but this year
they’re in for a surprise—Ben and Jack are on a mission to catch one of them!
The traps the brothers set sure look promising, but the unexpected can happen
when you least expect it! 

The authors are sisters and former
teachers who wrote this rhyming children’s picture book to bring one of their very
own

family traditions to life. This book was just published about a month ago.
“The Great PJ Elf Chase” will have children, ages 3 to 10, laughing out loud
and looking in nooks and crannies for Santa’s Elves.  

My Review:

This is an absolutely adorable book about two precocious little boys who decide to try to catch one of Santa's Elves when they stop at their home to bring their gift of new pajamas.  These sneaky Elves usually visit each year while the boys are bathing to drop off new PJ's right outside the bathroom door - this year, they have a plan to catch one of those tricky Elves in action.  But as with all good plans made my mischievous little boys - something goes a bit haywire.



This book has adorable illustrations and a cute and funny story that has little boys running through the snow in only a towel to try to catch a Christmas Elf.  The characters are fun and little ones like my kiddos will enjoy the fun way these boys try to set up to catch themselves an Elf for Christmas -



In my home we do give new pajamas for Christmas most years but they are in with all the other gifts under the tree and do not have a special day or significance.  As I have read about other family's traditions, I am thinking that ones like this one could be fun to start next year with my own kiddos!  I know they will enjoy the fun - they may even decide to try to catch their own Elf!



So, check out the Great PJ Elf Chase and maybe you also will choose to pick up one of these books to read to your kids - so they can make their own Elf-Catching Plans!



You
can read more about the book on the website, www.TheGreatPJElfChase.com.  



And check out the fun Coloring and Activity book that goes with the story!

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Yoplait invites you to make the weekly snack swap!

I did it too and it works!

Yoplait invites you to make the weekly snack swap!

For most kids, having an after school snack while talking about their day at school is part of their daily routine, but why not opt for a smarter choice rather than cookies or chips?  Yoplait  challenged us to swap out 1 not so nutritious snack and replace that snack with a yogurt. The challenge for 1 snack per week, for one month. We have done it.    To be honest, we don't buy a lot of junk food. I try really hard not to have the stuff in my house. I also haven't ever really kept yogurt on hand for myself, or the kids. Normally, I do have some plain stuff floating in the fridge for baking and cooking needs.  My report? Everyone LOVES yogurt. Since I have a little bit left to loose...Read More

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Swap a snack a week for a healthier alternative ~ Yoplait yogurts ~ #SwapOne

I was offered the chance to join a challenge along with other bloggers, parents and kids.  The challenge was to swap out one of my kiddos' snacks each week for 4 weeks with yoplait yogurts instead and see what their reaction was.



My oldest fought it at first, but when I purchased some of his favorite flavors he was more than happy to swap more than one snack a week for yoplait - he loves the boston cream pie, key lime pie and strawberry shortcake Yoplait Light flavors best.  He had no problem adding those to his approved snacks each week.



My girls both like yogurt, my 9 year old likes it better than my 5 year old though.  My 9 Year old would eat Yoplait yogurt every day if I would let her but I like to give her a selection of healthy snack choices and encourage variety - week 2 she had yogurt 3 out of 5 snack days!  She loves the strawberry, blueberry, strawberry shortcake and key lime pie flavors best.



Overall I'd say this was a very successful challenge for my kids!

Looking for a healthier choice for after school snacks or to add to their lunchbox meals?  Try swapping out yoplait yogurts and see what reaction you get!

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

How to Make a Zillion Cookies in One Oven With...

not sure it is a zillion but sure is a lot

How to Make a Zillion Cookies in One Oven With...

Every week, baking expert  Alice Medrich  will be going rogue on Food52 -- with shortcuts, hacks, and game-changing recipes. Today: The best way to make a lot of cookies, really fast -- without ever having to wait for baking sheets to cool.  You volunteered to make hundreds of cookies although you have a small kitchen and minimal equipment?  Parchment paper and several begged or borrowed cooling racks are the key to mass-producing cookies with a...Read More

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Over 100 Uses for Coconut Oil

I'll be reviewing some coconut oil soon - gives me great ideas

Over 100 Uses for Coconut Oil

Did you know that coconut oil can be used for more than just cooking? Yeah, I know!! Not to long ago I shared a post about the benefits of coconut oil and how my mama used it all the time. Yes, she even used it on my bald head when I was an infant because she was convinced that it stimulated hair growth. After re-introducing this wonderful oil into my home, I wanted to know the many other uses, so naturally I went on a hunt. Here are just a few ways that I found you can use this little ‘ miracle ‘ oil. Ready? Let’s go.. Over 100 Uses for Coconut Oil Use for stretch marks or to prevent them during pregnancy. Use for cooking. Coconut oil has a high smoke point so it wonderful for stir-frying. ...Read More

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Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D Bricker

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker. -- the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year.



In "Once Upon a Jingle Bell," A Bah! Humbug cruise to the Mexican Riviera is Joss Snow’s answer to this year’s quest to avoid the holidays completely; at least until she’s rebooked on a different kind of cruise altogether. Candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and ornaments seem to be stalking her on the 12 Days of Christmas holiday cruise extravaganza. An escape back to land is her only goal . . . until she

meets a kindred spirit in rugged Irishman Patrick Brenneman, and then the game is on! Avoid Christmas festivities at all costs . . . except maybe for that one stop under the mistletoe.



In "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer," Reese’s guilt over abandoning best friend Joss on their holiday tradition of avoiding all things Christmas is trumped by the joy of her recent engagement. Meeting Damian’s family for the first time on idyllic Sugarloaf Mountain is about as far from that Bah! Humbug cruise as she can get, and Reese can hardly wait to get there. But from the moment they hit that deer in the road just two miles from the cabin, everything seems to go wrong. There are no drummers drumming or pipers piping this particular year! And once she sets her future in-laws’ family cabin ablaze, she’s pretty sure there won’t be even ONE golden ring in her future.




If you would like to read the first chapter of Merry Humbug Christmas, go HERE.





My Review:

What a fun and fantastic Christmas Read.  I love novellas and the quick fun read they provide - especially when centered around some of my favorites ~ holidays, cowboys, mystery and/or romance.  These to cater to most of my favorites in two exciting and fanciful Holiday Stories.

The characters are full of mischief and spice, and not always so nice.  Both stories have funny parts that had me giggling, and frustrating parts that had me wishing I could just shake one character in particular.  Fun quick reads that kept my interest from start to finish and made me wish for more.  What more could an avid book devouring Mom want this holiday season?





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For
more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While
honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she
worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime
television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she
walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country
to take on a new role: Caregiver.



The author says that
it was her 8th novel that opened the door to finding her way as a
writer. "I'm a Christian woman, first and foremost," she says. "So it
was a bit of a dream-come-true when Summerside Press chose me as one of
two authors to launch the Love Finds You line."




Sandie's real-life role as cancer survivor has
parlayed into her steadfast commitment to raising awareness and funds
for ovarian cancer research. Spearheading a series of devotionals for
Summerside Press (such as the popular His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not), the author has stipulated that a portion of each contributor's proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.






"Being allowed to combine my faith and my
humor with raising funds for my pet projects ... and still pursue my
writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as
far as I'm concerned!"




And one of the author's pet projects is animal rescue,
evidenced by the special bond she has created with one particular
formerly-abandoned puppy -- a red-haired collie with "killer brown eyes
and the heart of the class clown."

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Darling Diva Style at affordable prices with O' What A Bow Hairbows for every occasion! Review & Giveaway

I'd like to introduce you to my friend Kim over at O' What A Bow.  She is a stay at home mom to 2 adorable kiddos and started making hair bows for her daughter's collection.  Then she realized that she
really enjoyed making them. You can find her hair bow designs on her Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/Owhatabow   And on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OWhatABow



She is frequently adding new and amazing looking bows to her
inventory.  She accepts special orders and ships 6 days a week. All her bows
come with the option of an alligator clip or barrette.



Kim was kind enough to send me some of her fabulous bows for review and has even

offered a Giveaway just for the wonderful followers here on Mom Loves 2 Read!

I must confess that I had a very hard time trying to choose which ones I would want.  She has so many different designs and styles that I got a bit overwhelmed, so I had to start making a list of all the ones I liked.  When that didn't work - as the list was still very very long, I just decided to go with mostly Holiday bows for  my girls to wear for their Christmas Programs and for Church, School and Outings this Holiday Season, with a couple non-Holiday bows as well so I could show a nice variety here for this review.

With Christmas less than 2 weeks away, and on my mind of course, I chose to start with bows that would coordinate with both of my girls' Christmas outfits.  Reds, Greens and fun for both girls to wear for the whole season.  One with Adorable Reindeer (with a cute little red nose) - and one that says "I <3 p="" santa="">

Then, I could not find a bow that I thought would match my older daughter's dress for her Christmas Program - so I sent Kim a photo asking if she could help me figure out which bow would match best - instead of showing me what she had in her current selection - she made this perfect custom bow to match . . .

My daughter was absolutely Thrilled - she could not believe how perfect the bow looks with her Christmas Dress!  What do you think?



Then, since we love having pretties in our hair - I had to choose some that did not have a Christmas Theme for the girls to wear all year long . . I fell in love with these adorable purple owls - and my youngest has a shirt that matches perfectly!  She just had to wear it to school to show off to her friends!

And finally - what Deer loving family would be complete without a cammo bow for those wanna-be hunters to wear?  My darling divas both wanted to wear this one at the same time - had to make sure that they know how to take turns choosing - at least until I can purchase some more from Kim!

So now my girls are more than ready to rock their outfits this holiday season!  What do you think of their Hair Pretties from O' What a Bow?

And what more fun could I possibly share with you?  How about a chance to win 4 bows of your own from O' What A Bow?

Enter below for a chance to win a set of 4 bows of choice from O' What a Bow's current selection!  Open to US residents 18 and older.  Giveaway runs from 12/16 through 12/31!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

An Academic Planner to keep you organized with school, activities, homeschool, work and more

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

 

It’s Easy. Assignments, due dates and after-school activities can be seen at a glance.

It’s Functional. Homework and studying are easily scheduled during “available” times.

It Puts the Student in Control. Students can plan time for schoolwork around after-school activities OR without leaving things until the last minute.

My Review:

My 12 year old son used to have a hard time keeping track of his homework assignments.  For the past couple years, he has used an Academic Planner to keep his assignments organized so he knows what books and papers to bring home each day.  I liked the idea so much that I started using a planner for my blog reviews as well, but the one I have been using didn't really meet my needs.





The
Academic Planner from Order out of Cahos has helped me turned things around! Unlike other planners, the
Academic Planner has space at the bottom of every page for listing
after-school activities, blog deadlines, family activities, weekend commitments or just for extra notes to keep organized.



Now I can easily keep my blog organized and still add in my kids' activity times so I don't get caught online at a time when the kids need to be somewhere important.  I can keep my review deadlines in order, and add special  notes as to which are high priority, which are reviews, reviews with giveaways, social media promotions and so much more.  I've even started scheduling in exercise time and time for reading those all-important books!  I'm pretty impressed with this new Academic Planner and plan to continue using it through all of next year!



This Planner would also make a good Home school Teacher or Student Planner to help keep track of daily time slots, class times, activities and more.



More about the Planner from the Website:

ACADEMIC PLANNER SPECIAL FEATURES

An
index page at the beginning enables students to record their class
subjects once. The actual weekly planner pages then line up on a
subject-by-subject basis. This system maintains continuity and creates an easy, natural method for students to look at each week and quickly see assignments and due dates they have for each of their classes.

The planner allocates space for after-school activities and weekend commitments. Coupled with the grid system for entering information, the recording of this information is essential for providing accurate visual cues of available time in order to complete assignments and prepare for tests.
Each open page quickly reveals blocks of time when the student has
scheduled activities and when they are free. This facilitates weekly
time management and planning strategies.

Seeing open blocks of time helps students break down multi-step and long-term projects into manageable parts. It also enables students to plan their weekly workload and to feel more in control of their schedule and their time.

Ample, larger format pages
to allow for more room to write assignments and appointments! The
overall size of the planner is 8 1/2 x 11" and the interior pages are an
ample 7 x 11".

Flexible plastic coil binding and more durably constructed covers

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.