A Discovery of Witches - A Book about Secrets

I am lucky enough to be a part of the BlogHer community and when given a chance to review Deborah Harkness's debut novel, A Discovery of Witches, I jumped at the it.
You can find my review, A Discovery of Witches - A Book of Secrets, of this great book over on BlogHer's Book Club page.


I hope you enjoy reading my take on the book as well as other's reviews. There is truly something for everyone.
Elizabeth

Alex and Lulu - a book review

In the fall I won 2 books from Roxanne over at Books That Heal Kids. If you have never checked out her blog - run right over and do so! (Then come back over here pretty please.) Roxanne is an elementary school counselor who believes in bibliotherapy to help kids deal with a wide variety of issues. I have used her suggestions for books in regards to some situations with Charlie. I swear she has a book for things you wouldn't have thought of;  well beyond the obvious issues like bullying, teasing, etc.

One of the books I won is a copy of Alex and Lulu Two of a Kind by Lorena Siminovich. We also won Bee-Wigged by Cece Bell but I'll write about that book later on.

Alex and Lulu are best friends. Alex begins to notice that he and Lulu like different things. He starts to worry that they can't be friends because they are just too different. I love that Alex speaks up about his fears and asks Lulu "Are we opposites?"  Lulu's response is awesome "I don't think so Alex" and she proceeds to give examples of opposites. Alex is still worried and points how they like different things. Lulu, like a good friend, points out all the things they have in common despite their differences. The book ends with Lulu showing Alex how liking different things can actually make their playtime and friendship even better!

This book is geared for ages 4 - 8. Charlie loves to read this book. He likes to talk about how it is okay for boys and girls to be friends. He is learning that you can be some one's friend even if they like different things from you. This is an important lesson and I'm glad Charlie is learning it early on. Peer pressure starts in Kindergarten to be like the other kids.

We talk about how Charlie is friends with Annabelle and Martin. We discuss how it is OK that Ethan likes Spiderman and Charlie likes Ironman. They can still play together, have fun and be friends. This book gets read three or four times a month in our bedtime routine.

I recommend it for both boys and girls. It is available at Amazon.com and I'm sure you can find it either at your public library or local bookstore.

Elizabeth

Magformers toys

My son, who is almost 6 years old, received a set of Magformers for Christmas from an uncle. Charlie opened the box and immediately started playing with it. They kept him occupied for almost an hour which is unusual for him (unless he is playing with Hot Wheels).  Charlie even got them out and played with them the next morning! I have to admit they are super cool and I played with him for a bit.

My brother-in-law bought this set at Learning Express Toys but you can also order from Amazon.

Our Mag XL 30 piece set is bright blue and yellow but it comes in other colors as well. There are 18 squares and 12 triangles in this set which is enough to build some basic shapes. There are quite a few different sets that can also be purchased to add on and expand building possibilities. There are even vehicle sets that include wheels!

 

According to the maker, Rainbow Products, the magnets used are super powerful and use intelligent magnet technology, a fancy way of saying they always connect and never reject.  In 2007 the Mag XL Magformers won an Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award. This toy is intended for ages 5 to adult.

The Good:
Charlie played with them for an hour. The magnets stick together even when picked up. The bright blue and bright yellow are fun cool colors. Other color combinations are available as well. There are quite a few different building sets available, including sets with wheels for building vehicles. The 2 different shapes allow for all sorts of creative and imaginative building play. He's played with them every day since Christmas.


The Bad:
This isn't a real bad thing but the magnets are super strong. Charlie did have some trouble separating them when they were stacked on top of each other. Heck I did too. Also since the magnets are super strong I recommend you keep them far away from some electronics or anything that can be affected by them.


The Ugly:
Nothing that I can see.

I recommend these toys as a future birthday or Christmas gift for a boy or girl you know.

Elizabeth

{Disclosure: I have not been given anything from Rainbow Products or compensated in any way. I'm just impressed with the product that my son received as a Christmas gift from his uncle.}

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your day be filled with fun, food, family and fellowship!

(artwork by my son)

Elizabeth

Cascade Dishwashing soap - product review

I loathe my dishwasher. It came with the house when we bought it 12 years ago. The dishwasher is probably about 20 years old. It worked okay when we first moved in but over the years it's cleaning capabilities have diminished to say the very least.

I admit we also have very hard water in our area. I should buy stock in CLR! 

I have been rinsing and scrubbing our dishes along with pots and pans but it didn't seem to help matters. My glasses were coming out spotted and dirty looking. The pots and pans weren't getting clean and neither were the dishes. I've used Dishwasher Magic and it helped for a little bit. I've used a variety of rinse aids including vinegar. Honestly, the plain old white vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser has helped somewhat.

I  have, over the years, tried a variety of dishwasher detergents. For the longest time I used Sunlight because it was what my mom always used. It did fine but seems to have been discontinued. At least I can't find it in stores anymore. I've tried Palmolive and Finish but they didn't do the job very well either.

Upon the recommendation of my sister and best friend I gave Cascade Complete All-in-1 Action Gel Packs a try. Actually my sister gave me 4 or 5 gel packs to try for free. I had resisted because Cascade is expensive compared to the other brands. You really do get what you pay for!

According to the official Cascade website, 

Cascade Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs™ combines the best of powder and gel in one powerful pac to conquer tough food cleaning and greasy messes. It pre-treats, fights stains, and rinses away tough food particles; all while fighting through layers of residue and leaving nothing behind but shine.

My dishes, pots, pans, and glasses are getting clean and looking clean now. My glasses no longer have a white film on them. I'm not having to practically hand wash everything before putting stuff in the dishwasher. I am officially a convert! From now on I will only be using these cute little gel packs in my dishwasher along with recommending them to everyone, especially if they have hard water issues.

Elizabeth

{Disclaimer:  I have not been compensated by Cascade for using their product. The only compensation I have received were the 4-5 gel packs my sister gave me. I'm just thrilled to find something that finally works!}