This Full House Reviews

Linky Love Bytes: Holiday Blogging Break and Open House

I will be taking a Holiday Blogging Break to be with family and finish, you know, cleaning the house, from December 24th until January 5th.

But, not before I beg for someone else's food, this week:

Well, I asked my friends at Stop & Shop if they would like to help sponsor This Full House with a call out for donations in support of Blogging Out Hunger and they seemed to feel that it's, you know, a pretty good idea.

I mean, my kids don't even listen to me!

I'm soliciting comments (on my personal blog) for charity and -- though, I know I'm no Dooce -- I ask that you consider helping reach my goal of 300 comments.

Why, because nice matters and hunger sucks!

In the meantime, I think that this would be a great time to partake in some MORE linky love -- mi blog y su blog -- please, feel free to share.

Like, what?

Well, a fundraiser, giveaway, book tour, contest, whatever you've got going on during the holidays.

Have an excellent holiday and come back in the New Year for some more good stuff from some of my favorite people, like AT&T, Disney , Stop and Shop, Xbox and Parentprenuers from all across the web....

© 2008 This Full House and This Full House Reviews - All Rights Reserved.

Expert Gift List Suggestions: Guest Post - The Present Professor

There's only 2 more shopping days until Christmas (you're welcome!) and if you're like me (living la vida better late, than never) you need to get some serious last minute holiday shopping done, or enlist the aid of a personal gift-giving guru, right about now, yes?

EXCELLENT!

You'll be pleased to know that The Present Professor is in the house and has been kind enough to offer up some of her best gift giving advice, just for us!

[breaths a sigh of relief]

Now, here with her guest post, it is with extreme pleasure that I introduce you to Carli Entin (a.k.a. The Present Professor)

CurrentCodes.com: Ways to Save on Last Minute Holiday Shopping

If you're like me -- a parent who is looking to wring every last cent out of shopping -- you'll be excited to learn about a new and easy way to save.

Want to know how?

Celine Dion Taking Chances World Tour '09

If you're a fan of Celine Dion or just love great live entertainment, check out Celine’s Taking Chances World Tour.  Her North American tour dates have been extended into February ’09  so take a look and see if she’s coming to your town.  Celine’s concert tickets may just be the perfect gift for a friend, family member or yourself.  See what the show is like here.

FIND IT HERE:  http://www.ticketmaster.com/celine

[Celine Dion Widget Campaign made possible by One2OneNetwork]

© 2008 This Full House and This Full House Reviews - All Rights Reserved.

Build-A-Bear Workshop: Buildabearville.com - Bear Bills Giveaway That Lets You Give Back!

[This giveaway has ended: Thank you for visiting with us - WE HAVE OUR WINNERS - Congratulations, Carla and Jill W.!!!]

We've had the pleasure of reviewing with Build-A-Bear Workshop, before (Hello Tropical Kitty!) and I really can't think of a better way of closing out our first year of great giveaways, than hosting yet another giveaway.

Except, this time, Build-A-Bear Workshop is giving you the chance to, you know, give back!

Quick & Easy Shopping Guide: 7 Strategies for Buying Safe Food

With the holidays just around the corner (literally, my kids have already started peeking through the boxes in my closet...darn it!) folks all over the globe will be feasting their eyes on some amazingly set dinner tables.

Mine, not so much.

My almost 13-year-old is scheduled for surgery today and will be recovering for the next couple of weeks, so we're having breakfast for Christmas dinner!

Still, food shopping is NOT one of my favorite things.  I know, that you know, feeding a family can get really expensive, but did you know that an estimated 5,000 people in the U.S. die each year from food-borne illnesses?

Me either.

So, is there anything you can do to minimize your family’s risk?

The January 2009 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, has 7 strategies to cut your risk of a potentially deadly food-borne illness:

Parents Toys For the Holidays: Look-at-Me Camera

I received my first copy of Parents Magazine in 2003 as a gift for my first baby's shower and -- though, my youngest is now 7 -- I am more than happy to introduce you to one of the newest products in the Parents toy line-up.

Why?

Because, well, it's from Parents Magazine and they seem to be committed to creating quality toys that are fun and safe - since all Parents toys are 100% phthalate free!

Review and Giveaway: Avon's ANEW ULTIMATE Treatment Collection - What's old is ANEW, again!

[This giveaway has ended: Thank you SO MUCH for visiting with us -  but, feel free to stay and visit with Patrick Dempsey, all you want - congratulations to our winner, Dawnlizabeth!!!]

Earlier this year, I learned (via Babble.com) that Patrick Dempsey signed on to be the new face of Avon and I remember thinking to myself...WOW!...I wonder what he looks like, with his shirt off...NO, WAIT!

[taking it back down to a G-rating]

I mean...WOW!...this is so NOT the Avon I grew up with and I remember going over to my Aunt Marie's house (my mom's Avon Lady) hoping she had a couple of extra samples of Sweet Honesty at home, downstairs in the rec-room, where she kept all of her Avon inventory.

Avon has grown up and so have I, dammit, and I have the adult acne and fine lines to prove it to you, sort of!

Game Review: Ultimate Last Minute Gift Suggestions for Gamers

It's my last game review before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, unless it has been released, recently, and will run on one of the three major gaming systems, like Nintendo DS and the Wii!

Gosh, my family loves Nintendo (okay, me too) we've been lucky enough to check out quite a few video games over the last few weeks and here are a few of our MOST favorite things, this Christmas.

Recently released video games for Nintendo DS:

Personal Trainer - Cooking:  It features DS Chef (he's cute, sort of) who becomes your own personal cooking instructor and talks you through 245+ recipes from more than 30 countries worldwide.  Kind of like an interactive cookbook and live cooking demo, or wrapped up in one, that easily fits in the palm of your hand.  Speaking of which, hands covered in schmutz?  Not a problem.

Good Stuff:  Keep your DS clean using voice commands to continue to the next page, repeat a step, go back and more.  AWESOME!

[Retail Price:  $27.00]

FIND IT HERE:  Amazon.com

Sally's Salon:  The #1 online casual game of 2007 (over 9mm downloads, baby!) is now available on Nintendo DS.  Beautify everyone from little old ladies (and by old, they actually mean seasoned...of course!) to punk rockers in 10 unique salon locations.  Wash, dye, cut, style and more in 50 levels of frantic, but fashionable fun. 

Good Stuff:  Optimized for dual no scrolling screen and great touch screen mini-games!

[Retail Price:  $29.99]

FIND IT HERE: Amazon.com

Tropix - Your Island Getaway:  Another hit online game (over 5 mm downloads) is now available on Nintendo DS.  Overall meta-game with 11 game islands to explore, one for each mini-game, including Solitaire, Puffer, Popper, Coco Bowl, Water Words, Cascade, Jungle Jump, Sodoku and Majong.  Play games to win sand dollars and shop for fun things to put on your island. 

Good Stuff:  More games than Pogo Island and multi-player mode for up to 2 players.

[Retail Price:  $29.99]

FIND IT HERE: Amazon.com

Recently released video games for the Nintendo Wii:

Mortimer Beckett and the Secrets of Spooky Manor:  Yep, you guessed it, the online game (see, we gamers know what we like) players hunt the halls of Spooky Manor for hidden objects, return the items to their rightful places and solve a series of brain-bending puzzles to get to the bottom of an eerie mystery. 

Good Stuff:  Ghoulish graphics, co-op and competitive modes, like Scavenger Hunt (see who can find items faster) and Timed Challenge (race against the clock and my favorite, Collector....nice and, you know, slow.  Oh, and there's cool gesture-based controls like shaking to get rid of pesky ghosts and strategic zooming.

[Retail Price:  $29.99]

FIND IT HERE: Amazon.com

 

Animal Crossing - City Folk:  We've played Animal Crossing on our GameCube (our "family" Christmas gift from two years ago) and the kids were totally excited to try their hand(s) and City Folk.  Okay, me too.  I mean, the game never ends.  You can play for months and even years, there is no end, seriously!  Go fishing, collect shells, decorate your house for the holidays (my favorite) and, depending on the seaon, you can even catch fireflies, or hunt for eggs on Bunny Day. 

Good Stuff:  Up to four family members can create their own communites on one game disk.  Did I mention, I have four kids?  AWESOME!

[Retail Price:  $49.99]

FIND IT HERE:  Amazon.com

Wii Music:  Okay, the kids absolutely love this video game (yeah, you guessed it, me too) featuring more than 60 instruments (be honest, didn't think there were that many, did you?) and offers virtually endless ways to make music.  You choose the song and instruments and decide whether you want a little rock and roll, or of the classical ilk (like me) or do a rock version of classical piece, or visa versa.

Good Stuff:  Join the band and jam with up to four friends (see previous review:  AWESOME!) and anyone (like me) can play the huge selection of instruments with simple motions, like strumming and drumming.

[Retail Price:  $46.99]

FIND IT HERE:  Amazon.com

Looking for more great video game suggestions?  EXCELLENT!  Click here to check out some of our other video game reviews.

Happy Holidays and Happy Gaming!

© 2008 This Full House and This Full House Reviews - All Rights Reserved.

Review and Giveaway: Target Seasonal Collection - Good values for the home and family!

[This giveaway has ended: Thank you SO MUCH for visiting with us - WE HAVE OUR WINNER - Congratulations, Kristy 12/11/08!!!]

With only 15 shopping days left until Christmas and Hanukkah is only 13 days away (you're welcome!) I'm dreaming of clean laundry and perhaps a couple of days on a beach, somewhere (okay...anywhere) would be nice, too.

Did I mention, the holidays are almost here and I've got a slew of family coming over for dinner, oh and four kids to feed?

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus and I also have it on good authority that he probably shops at Target, too!

Review Bloggers Carnival - 32nd Edition

Welcome to the December 8, 2008 Edition of the Review Bloggers Carnival!

It's no secret. I like getting stuff. I like writing about the stuff that we like and perhaps make my family's life a little easier. Especially, if it works!

Or, I haven't managed to break it...YET!

Do you have a review blog - or, perhaps found a product (or, service) that you really, really like and you're aching to share with the rest of the blogosphere - then, you may be interested to learn that the Review Bloggers Carnival has come to This Full House!

Clean off a chair and come on in - mi casa, y su casa - as we canvas the Internets and share together in the ultimate consumer experience....window shopping!

Review and Giveaway: Neopets Puzzle Adventure for Nintendo DS - Don't worry, being puzzled about video games can be a good thing!

[This giveaway has ended:   Thank you SO MUCH for visiting with us - WE HAVE A WINNER - Congratulations, Karen!!!]

Oh look, something else parents can worry about:

"According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, more than 40 percent of homes in the United States have at least one video game console. Together those consoles use as much electricity in a year as every home in San Diego combined."

Source:  ABCNews.com

Riiiight.

Apparently, green gaming takes issue with other gaming families (like mine) who just simply forget to turn off their consoles.

Just so you know, the Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation have power-saving auto-shutdown modes but it’s up to gamers to enable the mode to save energy and money:

Sony Playstation Power Down Settings
Natural Resources Defense Council (lists instructions for both Playstation and Xbox)

So far, I'm loving the ease and travelability (yes, it's a word!) of hand held video games (like, Nintendo DS)  especially games that help kids learn, or teach them to "think out of the box," without them even knowing about it.

It's called "stealth parenting" and, Neopets Puzzle Adventure is just such a game - come on in, clean off a chair, turn off the phone and check it out!

Game Review: Boogie SuperStar for Wii

It's no secret -- I am raising a family of gamers, big time -- we love our Wii and, if you don't already have one, I highly recommend it.  In fact, I know a few bloggers who are just itching to give one away:

Magpie Musings:  http://www.magpiemusing.com/2008/12/working-on-your-new-years-resolutions.html

Traded My BMW for a Minivan:  http://tradedmybmwforaminivan.blogspot.com/2008/12/win-nintendo-wii-and-wii-fit.html

Los Angelista's Guide to the Pursuit of Happiness:  http://www.losangelista.com/2008/12/los-angelista-giveaway-wii-fit.html

Okay, now what?

Well, finding a game for your Wii shouldn't be very difficult -- visit Wii at Nintendo and see what's new -- almost too many to choose from, I know.  So, I joined in on the Parent Bloggers Network campaign for Electronic Arts and, I have to tell you, our family has a couple karaoke-type games, already and I was a little, you know, skeptical.

Boogie SuperStar, Woogie WiggleWorld (not real brand, I just made that up) what's the diff?

Review and Giveaway: Il Divo - The Promise CD/DVD and Christmas Collection

[This giveaway has ended:   Thank you SO MUCH for visiting with us - WE HAVE A WINNER - Congratulations, Ilissa!!!]

A few years ago -- way before product reviewers and SEO's surfed the Internets -- I wrote a blog post about a terrific new man group I was listening to at the time and, well, I'd link to it, if I could.  But, soon after, I changed blogging platforms and lost about 2 years worth of blog posts.

Because, I roll like that.

After taking a one year hiatus -- I mean, who couldn't use a little time off? -- they're baaaack and Il Divo is sounding and...ahem...looking better than EVUH!

This Full House Reviews: Littlest Pet Shop for Wii - Beware of Cute Overload!

Got pets?

Okay, so maybe your kids want one and you're thinking about it (sort of) but, perhaps you're NOT quite ready to share your house with something that sheds, poops pellets, or requires more attention than you, or your kids do.

Am I right?

Or, if you're like me, you've already got 2 cats, a sock-eating doofus-dog and there are just way too many kids animals running around in your house, already.

Got a Wii?

Compliments of the Parent Bloggers Network (no, really, thanks you guys) our family received a copy of the Littlest Pet Shop video game for the Wii and, you better watch out, I'm about to go all cute on your hard drive!