TOS Review: Lots and Lots of Fire Trucks!

Do you have a little boy (or girl) who LOVES fire trucks?  This review came at a great time for me, as my 1st grader had just started a unit on fire safety.  Also, since we have several friends and relatives who are fire fighters, any bright and shiny pictures of fire trucks are always popular with my crew!

The 128-page Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks & Firefighters book contains many color pictures of fire engines and other equipment.  It also contains fire-fighting information and trivia about fire-fighting history.  My 6-year-old enjoyed the many pictures.  I think a slightly older child might get a lot more out of the information included.

What my 6-year-old really loved was the DVD that was included:  Lots & Lots of Fire Songs & Safety Tips.  These fun jingles will keep him remembering to "stop, drop, and roll" for a long time to come!

These products are recommended for all ages.  In my house, it seemed that they were best suited for around ages 6-10.  While the songs and pictures are fun for any young children, I think the extra information in the book would especially be good for that older elementary child who wants to go beyond coloring pages and become a young expert on fire engines.  If you are teaching multiple ages about fire safety, this combination would help you to have something for everyone.

You can find all of the Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks products at Marshall Publishing, http://marshallpublishinginc.com/.  Purchase the book and DVD combo here for the current sale price of  $29.95 (regularly $49.90).  And just for taking a look at our TOS reviews on the product, you can receive another $10 off the sale price by using the coupon TOSF1 at checkout!

Marshall Publishing also has a number of other educational videos and products, including the George Washington Carver DVD, of which they also graciously sent me a copy.  This inspirational story of the man born into slavery who rose above his circumstances to become a great scientist and benefactor can be purchased at Marshall Publishing for $19.95.  A study guide is also included on the website.

To read other TOS Crew members' reviews of these products by Marshall Publishing, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of the Lots & Lots of Fire Trucks & Firefighers book, the Lots & Lots of Fire Songs & Safety Tips DVD, and the George Washington Carver DVD for the purpose of a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

Freebie at Sprouting Seeds Studio

There is a Freebie for you today over at Sprouting Seeds Studio!

Hurry over to Sprouting Seeds Studio's blog to download this sweet treat and to check out the rest of their October specials!

Pick up your free quickpage at 4shared.  PU only.

Happy Scrapping, and be safe with all of your activities today!  :)

TOS Review: Say Anything

As noted in yesterday's post, my family loved the games we received to review from NorthStar Games.  The second game we reviewed was the family edition of Say Anything.  Like Wits & Wagers, this game has brightly colored dry-erase cards.  In place of the fun meeples, it has the high-tech "Select-O-Matic 6000" for showing the reader's choice.  (It is a cardboard dial!)  Instead of numeric answers to trivia questions, in Say Anything, the reader in each round asks a question from the card about his or her own opinion.  The players then must answer the way they think the reader would answer, and the reader picks the best answer.  Sometimes you don't know people as well as you think!!

This fun game for 3-6 players is my kids' new favorite.  (You'll find that every time we get a new game, my kids have a new favorite!)  The box says it is for ages 8+, but again, my 6-year-old enjoys participating.  It is helpful if all the players know how to read, but sometimes he draws a picture of the answer on his card rather than writing a word.  I love the fact that NorthStar Games has made Family Editions of two of their popular party games!  Say Anything Family Edition game retails for $19.99 and can be purchased from places like Amazon.com, Target and other retail stores.  You can find more information at http://www.northstargames.com/.

To find out what other TOS Reviewers thought about this game, click here.

Happy Game-Playing!

Disclaimer:  I received a free Say Anything Family game for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Wits & Wagers

If you've been reading my blog for any time at all, you know we love games!  We were thrilled to get not one, but TWO games to review from NorthStar Games!  The first was the Wits & Wagers family version.  Here's what NorthStar has to say about the new family version of the popular party game:

Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!
The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.
So check out Wits & Wagers Family, the game that combines laughter and learning in a way that all ages can enjoy together!

My kids love this guessing and wagering game, with it's bright colors, fun "meeples," and easy dry-erase cards.  The box says the game is for 3-10 players, ages 8+, but my 6-year-old comes in first or second place just about every game.  Since you don't have to actually know the numeric answers to the trivia questions, and you get points for choosing the player's answer that is correct, he frequently picks the player who he thinks would know the answer, and he scores points.  For instance, he wagered on his Boy Scout brother's answer on the Cub Scout question, and depends on Mom to be right about the year certain TV shows came out.  He had everyone betting on his card, however, when the question asked about the number of characters in a Wii Mario game - his area of expertise!

Anyone who enjoys trivia games or party and family games will love the fast-paced Wits & Wagers from NorthStar Games.  You can find more information at http://www.northstargames.com.  The list price is $19.99, and the stores that carry the game are listed on the website when you enter your zip code.  You may also purchase the game online.  To find out what other TOS Crew members thought of the game, click here.  To see another offering from NorthStar Games that my kids liked even more, check back tomorrow!

Disclaimer:  I received a free Wits & Wagers Family game from NorthStar Games for the purpose of review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

TOS Review: E-Mealz

I think every mother says it at some point:  "If someone would just tell me what to fix tonight!"  Or we start to fix something and then realize we are missing one ingredient.  Frustrating!  I have been trying to fix low-carb meals for our family, but sometimes those garlic crescent rolls are SOOO tempting!  

Whether you are trying to stick to a diet, trying to find some new recipes for your dinner table, or just trying to save money on groceries, E-mealz has something for you!  Once you join this subscription menu-planning service, you can download your new menu and grocery list each week.  There are menus based on the specific sales at the following grocery stores each week: Kroger, Publix, Wal-Mart, ALDI, & Ralph's (CA).  If you do not shop at any of these stores, you may also choose the "Any Store" low-budget plan.  If your family has special needs, you may also choose a Gluten-free Plan, Low-Carb, Low-Fat, Portion Control, or Vegetarian.  And if your family is not that large or the kids have flown the nest, there are menus with meals for 1 or 2.  With this ability to personalize the menus to the special circumstances of your family, these plans have something for everyone! 

When you download your menu each week, you will also get a convenient grocery list, all on one page.  I chose the low-carb, any-store option.  My family has enjoyed the new dishes, and my kids have even made some of them.  I love the fact that grill recipes and slow cooker recipes are included, as I use those frequently.  This service is helping us to eat healthy dinners at home more often, with less fast-food when my schedule gets crazy and I just don't have much time to think about fixing dinner!

You may subscribe to this menu service at https://e-mealz.com/amember/signup.php for just $5/month!  See what other TOS Crew members had to say about the service here.

Disclaimer:  I received a free subscription to E-mealz for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.
Happy cooking!  :)

"My Boy" by Sprouting Seeds Studio

After all my hot pink, girly pages made from Sprouting Seeds Studio's kits, you may be thinking, "But what about the boys?"  Sprouting Seeds Studio has them covered, too.  Here's a page made with the "My Boy" kit:

He was so cute when he was 3 feet tall.  Now he's taller than me!  Scrap your own memories with the kit from ScrapDelicious.

Hop over to Sprouting Seeds Studio's blog to pick up the FREE add-on!

Pick up your FREE Quickpage from 4shared!  Click image below.  PU only.

Happy Scrapping!  :)

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this kit in exchange for the LOs and review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

Visual Latin Coupon!

I know, I know, you are probably mulling over my post on Visual Latin (click here if you missed it) and thinking, "Wow, that looks like such a great program; if only I had a discount code of some sort!"  Well, Dwayne Thomas does not disappoint.  He has made a coupon code available for $10 off Visual Latin products.  Use OCT$10 at checkout.

I won't keep you long tonight, since I know you are in a hurry to go use that discount code, and I have a 6-year-old who just stuck toothpaste in his eye.

Carpe diem!  Valete!