Monthly Archives: July 2012

TIME For Kids That's Incredible!: The World's Most Unbelievable Facts and Records!

  By admin | July 31, 2012 - 6:47 pm |
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TIME For Kids That’s Incredible!: The World’s Most Unbelievable Facts and Records!

by Editors of Time for Kids Magazine

We really got our money’s worth on this book. My 8 year-old has been reading this book every day for days. She’s constantly coming up to us and telling us about something she’s heard, never mentioning she got it out of That’s Incredible!

This book is not filled with the grossest, most disgusting images or outlandish feats like eating nails. On the contrary. It includes some facts well-known to adults, like the terra cotta soldier figures in China and the “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast about aliens invading earth. Other entries include the longest animal migrations and a few newly discovered species. As I peruse the book, I found myself commenting to my husband and showing him photos. It is filled with photos — page after page, beautifully done and very educational. I can see why my daughter enjoys this book.

Sunbeam/Oster 1500 Watt Wall Mounted Hair Dryer

  By Ani Fardreamer | July 31, 2012 - 6:41 pm | ,
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Sunbeam/Oster 1500 Watt Wall Mounted Hair Dryer

I use this Sunbeam/Oster Hair Dryer every time I stay at an Embassy Suites hotel. They mount to the wall, so there’s always one available when needed and they stay out of the way. The cord is coiled, which means no tangles but it’s long enough for my needs. There’s a high and low setting but I always use high.

The only improvements I’d suggest are locating the on/off button on the hair dryer and not on the wall mount, and it would be nice if the hair dryer had a little more power. I’d buy one of my own, if they could do that. Otherwise, it does the job.

 

Walkers Premium Shortbread Gift Tin

  By admin | July 31, 2012 - 4:27 pm | ,
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Walkers Premium Shortbread Selection 4 Varieties Gift Tin Net Wt 4.6 lb (2.1 Kg)

This Walkers Premium Shortbread Gift Tin is a huge tin of shortbread cookies. Luckily, they are wrapped in many packages, so they can stay fresh longer. If one is absolutely in love with shortbread cookies, I suppose this would be a good gift. Personally, I thought it was too much shortbread cookies. There are four different ones, but they all taste the same to me. I served them up to a bunch of kids and they didn’t like them. I thought they were okay, but I wasn’t in heaven over them and certainly don’t have a craving for them. They are very buttery, but I find them bland and flavorless. I guess maybe that’s what shortbread cookies are all about. These were a gift to my husband. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to buy them. I’m not too embarrassed to serve them to guests, so that’s how we’ll get rid of them. Not bad, but not great.

 

Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Chocolate Cereal

  By Ani Fardreamer | July 30, 2012 - 10:43 am | ,
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Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Chocolate Cereal

My children’s favorite cereal is the Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites Chocolate Cereal. Frosted on one side and a crunch of chocolate in the center. It even makes a good snack straight out of the box. Despite the frosting and the chocolate, it doesn’t taste overly sweet. I like it, and so do my kids. We always seem to have a box of it around the house.

Hangman: The Classic Word Guessing Game

  By Ani Fardreamer | July 29, 2012 - 9:23 am | ,
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Hangman: The Classic Word Guessing Game

For some odd reason, it’s more fun to play a game when it’s made of molded plastic than with paper and pencil. This Hangman game comes with two carry cases filled with plastic letter tiles. It’s played exactly like classic Hangman, except the letters should be placed in reversed order on top of the wall, so that the opponent will be able to read it (in the video, I have the word “and” spelled backwards). There is a wheel that one turns each time our opponent gets the letter wrong. The first player to get the word correctly wins. Or shall I say, the first person to get hanged loses?

There is a maximum of eight letters per word. The game can be played between two players with each one making up his own word. If you want to play with more players, one person can grab a case and make up the word. Everyone else can work as a team or against each other trying to guess the letters and word.

It’s a fun game. We always bring it to group events like scout camp or parties or sometimes to daycare. I like the cases, because they keep all the tiles nice and neat. The kids like the game, because it comes with cool cases. Really they must, because I never see them playing Hangman any other way.

Star Wars the New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way

  By admin | July 29, 2012 - 9:14 am | , ,
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Star Wars the New Jedi Order: Destiny’s Way

Walter Jon Williams

In Destiny’s Way, I feel the beginning of the end. The New Republic develops a weapon that could annihilate the Yuuzhan Vong once and for all. Luke sanctions the use of the Jedi in the war. An old leader returns with sage advice. Vergere reveals her true colors. More deaths ensue. An essential part of the series, this is.

Some elements that have been developed until now that are missing:

* “The Trickster” seems to have lost her edge as a trickster. She is a leader like the other leaders, and the Yuuzhan Vong have appear to have lost sight of her as a threat, hunting her only because she is a twin Jedi needed for sacrifice. She is still a “goddess,” but everyone forgets that she is.

* The “New Rebellion” plays no role.

* The “Great River” is only a mention. Do we ever get to see it in action?

All that aside, I am especially impressed with Admiral Ackbar. He has always been portrayed as military genius, and Walter Jon Williams does not disappoint us here. Ackbar’s tactics lay the foundation that could win the war.

I expected anything to be a step down after Traitor, but Destiny is a fine entry into the New Jedi Order and worth a read.

Karcher Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac

  By Ani Fardreamer | July 28, 2012 - 9:43 pm | ,
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Karcher 9.558-112.0 Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac, 12-Pack

I bought this Karcher Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac for my Dirt Devil Pressure Washer and Wet/Dry Vacuum System. The packets dissolve in water like the type we use in the dishwasher. I just dissolved one in each tank and washed, then dried with towels. The windows had streaks from the towel drying, but the car was otherwise clean and free of marks — a satisfactory result. It takes less than one tank to clean my car, which makes this an economical choice for my car washing needs.

Karcher Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac

  By admin | July 28, 2012 - 9:43 pm | ,
2 Comments

Karcher 9.558-112.0 Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac, 12-Pack

I bought this Karcher Pressure Washer Vehicle Wash and Wax SoapPac for my Dirt Devil Pressure Washer and Wet/Dry Vacuum System. The packets dissolve in water like the type we use in the dishwasher. I just dissolved one in each tank and washed, then dried with towels. The windows had streaks from the towel drying, but the car was otherwise clean and free of marks — a satisfactory result. It takes less than one tank to clean my car, which makes this an economical choice for my car washing needs.

Star Wars: The Jedi Academy: Champions of the Force: Book 3

  By admin | July 28, 2012 - 9:14 pm | , ,
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Star Wars: The Jedi Academy: Champions of the Force: Book 3

by Kevin Anderson

When Kevin Anderson is on the ball, his books can be very good. I enjoyed Jedi Search but Champions of the Force didn’t quite measure up. I wanted to like it much more than I did, but there were just too many problems with the story.

What little two year-old Jacen did with a lightsaber and Uncle Luke’s spirit’s help was . . . . You won’t believe it.

What the Council did with the person who murdered billions of lives was . . . well he was surrounded by security, and next thing you know . . . . You won’t believe it.

Now Luke always believes in the good in people. If he can see the good in Vader, he can see the good in anyone. Leia, she’s a little more sophisticated. But on the word of her brother, she was willing to convince the Council to let the murderer . . . . You won’t believe it.

And with the Deathstar prototype blasting a moon to bits, Lando is worried not about fate of the galaxy (remember, Lando, why you destroyed the second Deathstar?). No, he’s worried about protecting his investment in the spice mines! Right decision, wrong motivation.

Tol Sivron and his comrades are a parody of corporate management, but parodies don’t belong in Star Wars. It’s completely out of place. It yanks me right back out into reality whenever he needs to consult the manuals or calls a meeting in the middle of a battle. I don’t care if he’s never led a battle before. I never have, either, but I wouldn’t have done it like that! Umm, yeah, I know it was supposed to be funny.

I do actually like it when authors reference the movies or past books, but Anderson went a little too far this time when he parallels the old movies so closely, like the old cave scene with Luke and Yoda. Yes, Luke would have tried to replicate some of Yoda’s teachings. That is all he knows, but to nearly duplicate the scene and the dialogue? It happens too often here.

The one thing I did find believable was the interaction between Lando and Mara. Lando is in character all the way and Mara is portrayed just as Timothy Zahn would have made her. He’s suave, trying to impress her. She’s tough as nails.

I’m a little disappointed, because Jedi Search was good and I was expecting so much more from the end of the trilogy. I do like Kevin Anderson’s style, but the story needed a little more work.

Dirt Devil Pressure Washer and Wet/Dry Vacuum System

  By Ani Fardreamer | July 27, 2012 - 9:54 pm |
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Dirt Devil ND40100 Pressure Flex 2-In-1 12-Amp 1,800 PSI Pressure Washer and 2-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum System, 1-1/2-GPM

This Dirt Devil Pressure Washer and Wet/Dry Vacuum System really is two units in one. An instruction manual was included, but I found it disorganized and difficult to follow, with instructions and diagrams in separate sections. For example, on page 12, I am referred to figure 8, which sits on page 18.

I like the pressure washer but I wouldn’t use the vacuum unless I had no other option. Here’s why:

WET/DRY VACUUM

The vacuum is a canister that’s perched on top of the pressure washer, reminding me of R2-D2 mounted in the X-Wing. It’s not attached, so it can be removed easily and brought closer to the job. In fact, it would be difficult to use without removing it. Why? The hose is very short — 4 feet of shortness. There is no extension wand, just three different heads. So, the vacuum must be carried around like the canister vac that it is.

In addition to the short hose, the vacuum suffers from a short power cord. 9 1/2 feet is simply not long enough to do much of a cleaning without an extension cord.

The vacuum comes with three accessories: a crevice tool, a brush head, and a standard head. I want to say the standard head is wide, but it’s only two inches wide.

As for using it as a blower, it would have been nice to blow dry my car after washing; but for all the reasons I wouldn’t want to use it as a vacuum (short hose + short power cord + no extension wand + must be carried), I don’t think it’s feasible.

Aside from its cuteness, the vacuum/blower has limited utility.

PRESSURE WASHER

Unlike the vacuum, the pressure washer has a nice, long power cord and a nice, long pressure hose. Keeping the unit close to the front of the Honda Odyssey, I was able to reach from the front all the way to the back without needing to roll the unit much more than a foot or two. Basically, the unit can remain in one spot while I wash.

The pressure washer has two detergent tanks, but I didn’t use more than part of one tank to wash the Odyssey. I like the rotary brush that it comes with. The system is easy to use. I like the quick detach feature for the hose. The wand and rotary brush are also easy to attach and remove.

Does it clean? Yes! The pressure from the washer was sufficient to make my car clean. I love it. With the price of car washes nowadays, I’ll be using this pressure washer often.

This product was provided for review by the Amazon Vine program.