Great Game Guide from Defective Yeti

I read this guy's blog regularly and thought I would link to his game suggestions. He has some great ideas and has reviewed some of our favorites as well as some I'd like to check out.

THE DEFECTIVE YETI'S GOOD GATEWAY GAMES GUIDE

Let's Make a Deal.... (Or at least GET one!)

While games are a good investment as far as I am concerned, some of them can be rather expensive. While we have a closet and a bookshelf crammed full of games, allow me to say that we RARELY pay full price for them. There are a lot of options for finding them inexpensively, even if you are after some of the more "specialty" games that typically have to be purchased at game stores. Below I will share some of my favorite places to find games.

YARD SALES/CONSIGNMENT SALES/THRIFT STORES

First and foremost my favorite place to find games (especially family and kid games) is at yard sales. From anywhere around 25cents to a couple of bucks you can find TONS of games. All it takes is a little treasure hunting and some investigating.  Last weekend I got Cranium (which is a $25 game) for $2. It doesn't appear to have ever been played.  I also picked up Pictureka for $1.00. Most of Coleman's games have been second hand finds.  I have found our all time favorite party game, Apples to Apples (which is a $25.00 game) on three seperate occasions for $2, once it was still sealed! 

Another favorite place for secondhand games is the Thrift Store. We have several in our area, and I love to go browse through there and see what they have. A lot of people will just donate their stuff to get the tax write off and avoid the hassle of a yard sale, so you can find a lot of good stuff. The games there might be taped shut, but if you ask an employee if you can check the contents they usually don't mind if you open them. 

Consignment sales have lots of good kid and family games, and those ususally have all their bits included because that is just a rule of consignment. I usually check the games area of our local consignment sales first so I don't miss something I have been wanting for a while.

The key to buying games at sales? Checking carefully to be sure all the vital parts are there. If you are getting a set of Uno cards, one or two missing from the deck is really no big deal. However, a missing alphabet dice from Scattergories is a deal breaker. Just look on the back of the box or the instructions to see what should be included. Remember that a lot of peices from one game you already own might be able to be used to replace missing bits in one you find cheap. Things such as pawns, regular numbered dice, play money can probably be borrowed from something you already have. I actually have a little ziplock bag of these things that are extra, so a missing part is usually no big deal. Sometimes I have been known to manufacture (using my computer and scanner) a missing cardboard tile or two as well. Also, most games instructions are available online, so if the instruction sheet is missing, it is no big deal at all. Go to the manufacturer's website or Boardgamegeek  for the rules.

 Most of the games you will run across at sales will be the type you will find at Wal-Mart, Target, ToysRUs.

THE INTERNET

There's lots of great retailers for specialty games on the internet. We particularly like to shop at Time Well Spent because they are Christians and have great customer service. They also have pretty competitive pricing, which is the most important factor in my book.  Another great site is Funagain Games. It is also possible to find more of the specialty games (as well as pretty much all of the traditional games) at sites like Amazon.com and Target.com.

If you want to find games cheaper than retail, eBay is a great option, and so is Board Game Geek. The BGG Bazaar always has games listed for sale, trade or auction. You can browse by game name, or search for a game you are looking for.

SANTA CLAUS,  EASTER BUNNY & THE BIRTHDAY FAIRY

These guys all bring games to our house. Why not put a few on your list and let them bring them your way too? As for us, we are getting a few games for Christmas. Coleman is getting Connect 4x4 and Pictureka (both of which I got as great deals), and I am asking for Banangrams and maybe something else as well.

DEALS FOR BUYING AT REGULAR RETAIL OUTLETS

So, you are giving a game as a gift and think it would be most appropriate if it were new? Well, then you are obviously not giving it to me, cause I would rather get 2 gently used games than one brand spanking new one, BUT I do realize some people do consider it in bad taste to give gifts that have been pre-owned.  I don't have as many tips for saving money at your regular retailer, but here's a few. These tips apply to items other than games as well.

1. It is not commonly known (or practiced by the average consumer) that Target and Walmart will both match any advertised price of a competitor. Simply bring in the sale ad with the cheaper price and they will match it at the register. You must bring in the actual ad, and bring the whole thing so they can verify it is the real deal if necessary.

2. Check online for coupons before heading to the store. Simply google "Connect 4 coupon", click a few times and THIS might appear magically on your screen. Print them out and take them to your retailer. You can combine #1 with #2 for the best deals. Many retailers are more hesitant to accept internet coupons, but I know for a fact that Target, WalMart and Toys R Us will all accept them, especially if they have a bar code on the coupon. Most of these coupons can only be printed 2 times, so hang on to them and be sure to pay attention to the expiration date.

3. Target has coupons online and in their holiday toy book. Many people do not know that Target will accept 1 manufacturer's coupon AND their own store coupon, allowing you to use BOTH coupons on the same item.  For example, Connect 4x4 (which is new for this Christmas season) is on sale this week for $16.99. Use the Hasbro coupon from #2 and the Target coupon HERE to bring your price down to $6.99.

4. Combine Price match from #1 (WalMart has Connect 4 for $15 this week), manufacturer's coupon from #2 and Target coupon from #3 and your total becomes $5. Granted, this may or may not work for you depending on the cashier and manager at your local store, but it does work more often than not and it never hurts to ask. If the cashier says no, take your receipt up to customer service and ask to speak to a manager and see if they are willing to do it. Always be nice! That old saying about flies, honey and vinegar? Totally true. 

Hope I have helped someone find a few deals this holiday season, and through the next years as well!

Games to Play with Your (Younger) Kids that WON'T Make You Pull Your Hair Out!

Many of us have been there before. You know, you've just played Candyland for the 20th time and are thinking that Princess Frostine and Lolly might have an unfortunate accident if you have to play for the 21st time. How to avoid the untimely death sugared up cartoon characters? Have lots of fun game options that your kids will love, and most importantly, you will too!

This group of games will include some that you will only play with your kids and some that you might actually pull out to play for a quick, fun game with another adult. None of these require any real reading to speak of, so most are appropriate for even kids as young as 4 years old. Some might require you to team your younger kid up with an older player, at least at first. Click on the name of the game to open another window and be directed to boardgamegeek.com where you can see more photos of the games, as well as detailed ratings and directions etc.

Games You Will Probably Only Play With Your Kids


Guess Who Extra

This is a new take on the original deductive reasoning game for two players. The basic premise of the game is that players ask each other yes/no questions to try and guess "who" their opponent is. The difference between this version and others is that this one has 6 different cards to choose from, so you can play many different variations. It also folds up into a nice neat hard laptop looking holder.  This game might be best played with an adult or older child on a younger child's team since the reasoning involved can be difficult at first.

PROS: teaches deductive reasoning, very fun for kids and not too bad for adults. Compact storage, well made, lots of options, available at mass retailers (WalMart, Target, ToysRUs)

CONS: lights and sounds are annoying (just don't turn them on), can be expensive.

I am going to try and make a superhero card to fit in the frame of this one. We will see how that works out!

Rat A Tat Cat

 Despite the fact it had been on my wishlist for a couple of years, this is a recent addition to our collection of kid's games. I am glad we waited on it (found it for $2 at a sale) because Coleman only had to play on someone's "team" one hand and from then on he had it down pat. This is great for 2-6 players and plays pretty well with all group sizes. Each player is dealt 4 cards which are placed face down in front of them. They are allowed to peek one time at the two on the outside, but the ones in the middle are a mystery. Through drawing and discarding the goal is to swap out your high cards (rats) for lower ones (cats). When a player feels they have the fewest points in front of them they knock on the table and say "Rat a tat cat!" and everyone shows their cards. It is nice because this is a game that moves quickly and you can set the number you will play to ahead of time- such as 3 rounds, or we will play until someone gets to 100 points.  

PROS: easy to learn the rules, cards are cute, good for memory skills, moves pretty quickly. Since the goal is to have lower numbers, younger kids can benefit from adding up their own score.

CONS: younger children might need to play on a team with an older player, at least for the first few hands.  It can be difficult to remember not to peek at your cards other than the first allowed time. Harder to find than some games (try Target or online)


If you did not read my post from 2007 about other great kid's games, click HERE for more great recommendations.

Games You Might Pull Out to Play Without Your Kids


Uno Attack 

This is one of a couple of variations of the traditional UNO game. There are a few new specialized cards, but since we picked up our version at a yard sale, I am pretty sure all the cards were not there. This was one of the occasions where that did not particularly matter since I just added the cards in with the uno cards we already had floating around our house.  Instead of drawing a card when you are unable to play, we simply hit the button and take whatever is given to us. The game is still simple enough for very young gamers and the kids LOVE to hit that button and see the cards fly out.

PROS: promotes matching skills, no real reading required, available at mass retailers, simple rules, everyone likes uno, can play with just about any number of players- just add another deck if needed. Kids love to push the button and see the cards fly out. Can be found at most retailers.

CONS: the card shooter can be tempermental, replacement cards (attack specific) would have to be ordered from the company, needs batteries, takes up more space than traditional Uno. Kids love to push the button and see the cards fly out :)

Sorry Sliders 

THIS is a fun little game. For serious gamers who can't stand the thought of spending an arm and a leg on a crokinole board there is FINALLY a reasonable alternative. The rules are simple but the game design allows for some variations to keep it from getting boring. 2-4 players sit around the table and roll their pieces (basically pawns with ball bearings in them) toward the center, either trying to hit or avoid certain spots on the board. Knocking your opponents pawns off the board adds to the competition. There are 4 different center board variations that change things up a bit. Lots of fun and very fast.

PROS: no reading required, great for all ages, plays fast, good for various skill levels, moderately priced, available at most retailers, lots of variety, easy rules

CONS:  none I can think of.

Blokus  

While Blokus is not really marketed to kids, we have found it to be a fun addition to our family game collection. It has a number of varities available,so if you find it to your liking you can really get a few different ones to keep the fun going.  Basically this is a game of spatial awareness (sort of like Tetris, but not really) that moves pretty fast and is simple to learn. For 2-4 players (or teams too I guess). Each person has a set of geometric pieces that they must place on the board during their turn. The goal is to fit all them on the board, but the twist is that each of your pieces must touch only at the corner. No reading or math is required.

PROS: no reading or math required to play, moves quickly, fun for all ages, very simple to learn, available at most retailers
CONS: expensive, rules for 2 or 3 people require that each player play pieces of additional colors which can be confusing.

There ya go. Hope I have helped save someone's sanity as well as helped them find a few new treasures to share with their family. Stay tuned for the next post which will discuss WHERE to find the best deals on games.

Games Games Games! Back by (semi) Popular Demand!

A couple of years when I was updating this blog fairly regularly, I did a series of posts about games we loved. Apparently someone actually read that post, and I got a note today requesting I do some more posts regarding games. Seems she took some of our suggestions, bought them and really enjoyed the games! Since the fat man in the red suit is making his list right about now, I figured it was a great time to blow the dust off the site and comply with her wish. As you can see from the photos, we have one or two games that might work for just about anyone.

We have been game players for years. Our friends Bert and Meg are partly to blame for our addiction, but since my degree was in Therapeutic Recreation, I guess playing games for a living also set me up for a lifetime of gaming with friends.

There has never been a better time to get started playing games if you have not in the past! With the economy being the way it is now, for the price of movie tickets and dinner for a family of 3 or 4, you can invest in some really great games that will provide you YEARS of family fun for all members of your family. A night playing games with friends and family around the table is far more personal than sitting in the dark in a theater- and think of all the money you will save in the long run! Studies have shown that families that eat together, pray together and play together tend to stay together- so a small monetary investment in some board games now may lead to a much bigger pay-off further down the road.


This year I will focus on a variety of games, including a few that are internet based, great games for homeschoolers, fun games (that won't make you tear your hair out) with kids, as well as some that are geared more toward teens/adults. There will also be a post about finding great deals on games and how to get a collection started without breaking the bank, as well as a special post about games that you can find at most any store. I might even have a special guest or two to provide their input from time to time.

Also, go to the sidebar and click on the link for my previous posts about games. That will be a good refresher about what remains some of our favorite games, as well as a great website to buy the harder to find games- www.timewellspent.org.

So, feel free to pass this link along to anyone you might think will be interested! I will post something every day or two for the next couple of weeks.

Jesus Loves Me- Jennifer Knapp

This was posted on the Facebook notes by super-talented Beki Hemingway. If you are not familiar with her, be sure to stop by myspace page and listen. After you are done rockin to her stuff, play this little game...... Hilarity will ensue, as well as potential embarassment due to your musical collection.

(Any music posted below should not affect your desire to check out Beki's music- we just have 20436 MP3s (not including several new cds that need to be ripped), many of them from WAY BACK in the time of cheesy CCM. I went with our entire database, not my favorites.)

Bored? This will kill at least 5 minutes:

1.Put your iTunes/Ruckus/Napster/etc on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got it

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Create in me a Clean Heart o God- acappella (If you have to say that afterward, my guess is that would be a no.)

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
The Economy of Mercy- switchfoot (this is too true- mercy is not high on my list of personality traits.)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I will Celebrate- maranatha (it's important he be jovial)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Made of Gold- Jonatha Brooke and the story (heavy, shiny, cold- that pretty much covers it.)
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
The bridal chorus (apparently Shane should be worrying about right now. he must not be celebrating enough.)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Remember the mountain bend- billy bragg and wilco (sorta like my personal alamo- that mountain bend!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
medicine man- marc cohn (at least it's not "the witchdoctor")

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
like the mighty joe louis- brad layher (rarely did it come to fisticuffs.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
already home- marc coh (not often enough.)

WHAT IS 2+2?
hot hot hot- buster poindexter (that's just kinky.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
what's your name- adam again (hmmm... and you would be?)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
camptown races (I got nothin I can type here...)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
everyday anew- echelon (accurate, unless you are having a bill murray moment.)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Live from Matt Malloy's pub- the chieftans (beats being dead in Matt Malloy's Pub)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
thorns- the thorns (foreshadowing?)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
do you feel their pain- steve camp (probably not, I'll be dead. i guess I didn't get out of that pub afterall)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
valley of the jig- string cheese incident (ah, the jig. me favorite dance. explains the pub anyway.)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
all- clash of symbols (everything. now I have to kill you.)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
did i ever become- the khrusty brothers (you're all krusty.)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
dark as a dungeon- chieftans with vince gill (being trapped in a dark dungeon with vince gill would rank up there in the top 10 as the worst things...)

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
man after your own heart- gary chapman (great, now I have to worry about jack the ripper AND gary chapman)

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
sweet seasons- carole king (I guess those sour seasons were better.)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
blindfold- delerious (I am delerious....)

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
crumbs from your table- u2 (only crumbs? really? hope they were brownies)

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
another time another place- u2 (um... it was both.)

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
notes- phantom of the opera soundtrack (some of the notes from the phantom of the opera were a little frightening.)

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
college hornpipe- yoyo ma, edgar mayer, mark o'connor (not if this is playing- but I like it.)

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
give a man a fish- arrested development (i'd definitely teach him to fish.)

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
you were in his hand- veggietales (apparently he doesn't know his own strength.)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Jesus Loves Me- Jennifer Knapp (thankfully. amen.)

The Big Read

For my first post in a LONG time, I didn't even bother to come up with any original material. I totally stole it from my friend Chris who stole it from someone else's blog. But, since I vowed to read 100 books this year- it was a fitting post and an interesting exercise!



"The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six."

Here’s what you are supposed to do:
*Look at the list and + or bold those you have read.
*# or Italicize those you intend to read.
*Star the books we LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien**
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling** (I read this twice through. LOVE IT! Even convinced Shane to read them and he also liked them.)
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (we have an autographed copy)
6. The Bible** (We have an autographed copy. Okay, so we don't- sounds good though!)
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller #(this book nearly did me in this spring- I never got past the first 1/4 of it.)14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien**
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger** (A MUST READ. This is in my Top 10 books for the year!)
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell **
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams #
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame #
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis **
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis **
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini **
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving ** (read this years ago because Rich Mullins said it was so good.it is a good read with a VERY odd story. The movie "Simon Burch" was loosely based on this book.)
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding #
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon** (this was pretty good)
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez # (I tried to read this one recently as well. not my cup of tea)
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck (I will love him and hug him and call him George.)
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy (And I wasn't even required to read this one! Liked it well enough.)
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson** (Bryson is one of my favorite authors. He writes mostly non-fiction and they are usually travel diaries of sorts. THis one is particularly good.)
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell # (I had this one on my shelf for a while until it had to go back to the library. Maybe I will get to it!)
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker #
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad # (I've started this one many times)
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

So, that's my results- 33 of 100. Not bad and certainly far from "average". Tell me what your results were (in the comments).

Also, the quest to read 100 books this year? I'm already on numbers 91 and 92. About 10 of those are considered "Juvenile Fiction" as I have discovered a great series called "Dear America" but I think the fact I will probably hit closer to 120 books read by Jan 1, 2009 will more than make up for it.

What's $124.24 cents look like?

Near the top of the list of THINGS I LOVE is the twice yearly
KidsTown Consignment Sale at the Agricenter in Memphis. They have everything from Pregnancy books to Juniors Clothing- and I do mean EVERYTHING. Potty seats, playhouses, pajamas, pictures, socks,swimsuits, DVDs,dolls, dance gear, books, bedding, bikes,the list goes on forever.

I usually volunteer to work so I get to shop a little ahead of the public. This year I had the wonderful opportunity to be among the first 20 people to shop! The main benefit to that is that you have access to the big items that usually go so fast, as well as the best prices. This year I did not need any big items (like playhouses, powerwheels, bikes, etc) but it was great to get first crack at all the clothes!

The photo above contains the following items- all purchased for $124.

16 pairs of shorts:
3 Arizona
2 Old Navy
2 Gap
2 Sonoma
3 Gymboree
1 Circo
2 misc. brands
1 Levi's

14 Tee Shirts:
1 Arizona (monster truck)
1 Old Navy
3 Gap
4 Gymboree
1 John Deer- new with tags!
1 Hot Wheels
1 Class Club (monster truck)
1 Nike (soccer)
1 Carter's (soccer)

7 Polo Shirts:
2 Gap
1 Carter's
1 misc. brand
1 Gymboree-new with tags!
1 Duckhead
1 Talbot's Kids

2 Button-Up Shirts
1 Gymboree
1 Gap

3 Pairs of Shoes
1 pair brown suede converse-looking hightops with baby blue trim (for winter)
1 pair black Airwalk (crocs knockoffs)
1 pair black athletic sandals for playtime

5 Pairs of Pajamas
1 pair Carter's (soccer)
1 pair Osh Kosh (submarines)
1 pair Gymboree (sharks)
1 pair misc (space shuttle)
1 pair Star Wars with Darth Vader cape!

1 FireMan's Rain Hat- to match his raincoat.

3 Games
Hi Ho Cherrio
Clue Jr.
Buckaroo

Wooden Xylophone

10 Books
6 books about values- self-control, acceptance, manners etc.
2 science books about God creating weather/ocean
1 Usborne book of science experiments
1 Kindergarten book of Bible Lessons

About 5 of the shirts are strictly for playing in, as well as 4 pairs of the shorts- but the rest are all in excellent shape and suitable to wear to town, parties, church or wherever.

Tonight is my night to volunteer for 5 hours, and I am sure I will be EXHAUSTED by the time it is over, but it was totally worth it to get Coleman's wardrobe on the cheap and all over with at once!

And the REAL STEAL of the night? I found it for my friend Dena. A Leapster (retail on Ebay $45) and 6 cartridges (store retail 19.99 EACH) for a grand total of $20. Yes, that's right- $20. After just buying the same stuff for Coleman's birthday for FAR more than that I could have kicked myself, but I am glad she got a great deal.

"May those who love us, love us. And may those that don't love us, Lord- turn their hearts. And if you can't turn their hearts, Lord- then at least turn their ankles so we will know them by their limping." -- Irish Prayer

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We started the day off in the Blake household with plenty of green food coloring. Coleman had raisin toast shamrocks with green butter, while I had french toast with green shamrocks.


Hmmm, green dye.... this should be interesting later.

Mid-morning we read some books about St. Patricks Day and listened to some Irish Music. Then we watched a little bit of the New York St. Pat's day parade on tv. Coleman was unimpressed, so he changed it back to some robot cartoon. I guess I should be glad he prefers robots to green beer at this age.

For school work we did a holiday theme, with maze, craft, sequencing work and practicing the letters L (for leprechaun) and S (for shamrock). I think Coleman grasps the basics of the holiday (st. Patrick went to Ireland, built churches and told people about God, supposedly drove snakes out of the country) as well as the fictional stuff with leprechauns and rainbows.

This afternoon I wanted to do something fun with him, so we did a leprechaun hunt. Basically I walked around the house and took photos of 9 places to hide a leprechaun or pot of gold. I printed out bits of paper that had a leprechaun on one side and the photo of a location on the reverse. I colored a paper bag and folded it to look like a pot and filled it with hershey's kisses with almonds (in gold wrappers). After hiding 8 leprechauns and the "pot of gold" I handed him the first leprechaun and he followed the trail from one to the next until he found the gold. It was a lot of fun and he immediately took the candy outside to share with his friends. Below is the video of the hunt- the house is a shambles and the video quality stinks, so don't look too closely.

Winter Wonderland

This is the snow Friday evening, in the middle of our precipitation. We did not get a photo of the house Saturday morning with it was the deepest.

We ended up with 4 3/4 inches of snow, which is just the right amount for fun! We got up earlier than usual for a Saturday morning and had homemade cinnamon rolls (recipe) with sausage. The rolls were really good, I just should have let them rise a little more after coming out of the fridge overnight, so they were a little flat and tougher than they should have been. I will definitely make them again though. (Maybe when I can pop them right in the oven after the last rise.) After breakfast we got all bundled up and headed outdoors because the snow was melting FAST. It was amazing how much run-off was going through the streets already, so we knew it would not last the afternoon, despite the fact the high was only going to be 37 degrees.

The snow was great for snowballs, but for some reason would not stick well enough to roll for snowmen. Coleman had a great time having "snowfights" with Mom and Dad, and after a while we went across the street to play with a friend. He was glad to have a new target for his snowballs. She is wearing a scarf I made her for Christmas and Coleman is wearing a hat and gloves she gave him for his birthday.
After he had gotten thoroughly soaking wet playing in the melting snow and water in the street, tossed a million snowballs at his friend's dad (who was right in there with it), and found out it was Soccer sign up day- we headed back toward our house. To play in our yard and try to make a snowman.
We made a family of snow angels in the front yard and another friend came outside to play. She was not too happy with the cold and wet, but did tough it out for a little while. She and Coleman built a small snowman on his picnic table, and we used a wilted carrot for his nose, grapes for his eyes and a green onion for his mouth. His arms are part of a coat hanger.

After the photo op with the snowman, Coleman destroyed him with a plastic rake, so it is a good thing we snapped these photos. Coleman had a great time petting my hat and saying "Oh, sweet kitty." I guess it is time to invest in a more traditional snow hat! This one was a Christmas gift from Shane's mom the winter I went to Scotland and it sure is warm- but probably a little formal for wearing out in the yard!
It was a good thing we spent the 2 1/2 hours outside in the early morning (we were in the house and dry by 11) because at noon all the snow was melting very quickly. We ran a couple of errands and by the time we were home at 2pm the snow was pretty much gone! It was short-lived but we are glad we got it. Now- on with Spring!

Bent Objects....

Irony in Pill Form

Prepare for hilarity! Terry over at Bent Objects is incredibly talented with a little wire and a whole lot of everyday objects. Pay close attention to any words on the products, as they are usually key to "getting" the joke.

Every few days he posts a picture of a common household object seen from a different perspective. Right now he is doing a whole series of "Tragedies at the Circus" using those little candy circus peanuts as the stars. You have to see these!

Be ye warned, some of his sculptures can be a bit off color, but the majority of them are family friendly.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Today has been a big day at the Blake household.

1) Our brand spankin' new WALMART opened about 1/2 mile from our house.

and

2) It is SNOWING! So far we have about 3 inches, with up to 6 expected. The way it is blowing around out there, I thing we will hit close to 6 easily. It is a really nice wet snow too, so it should be perfect for snowballs and snowmen in the morning. Coleman is VERY excited. He has been out to play in it a few times as the afternoon has gone on, and I think he will really enjoy himself tomorrow.

Since it was colder than heck today and I had a lot of stuff to do around the house, I made cinnamon rolls from scratch, and they are waiting in the fridge to go in the oven first thing in the morning. The recipe was really interesting, (it has vanilla pudding in the yeast dough) and if they are as good as they look I will post it tomorrow. They are a little time consuming, but were fun to make.

So, on the agenda tomorrow: breakfast of warm cinnamony goodness, playing in the snow and lots of family fun. Watch for more photos!

Killing me slowly (or what has happened to my brain?)

(Order the above print "brainrot")

So, I have always considered myself above average when it comes to my choices for reading material- more literary than the average bear if you must. In high school, I was the one reading Jude the Obscure and enjoying it, not because it was on the reading list, but because it had the word "obscure" in the title and looked interesting. Same with "The Picture of Dorian Gray", "Wuthering Heights" and many other classics that were never required reading. Sure I read Steven King novels in there too, but I enjoyed the great works of fiction just as much if not more.

Off to college- the same pattern continued, but with less Steven King and more fantasy/science fiction material since by then Shane had already influenced my reading preferences. Still lots of classics that I thoroughly enjoyed. After college I went into the workforce and didnt have much time to read, but did enjoy reading some biographies of presidents and other somewhat educational books aloud to my residents.

Then I discovered mysteries. And forensic crime novels. And travel memoirs. And memoirs in general. Out with the classics, in with the junk (in many cases.)

This year I am on track to read 100 books- I am at 27 at this point. However, some of the books I have tried to read that have been deemed "Classics" have done NOTHING for me. Very rarely in my life have I started a book and not finished it. Something about the principal of the thing and refusing to be beaten. "Wise Blood" by Flannery O Connor- I couldn't get past the 5th chapter. Shane read it and assured me it was just like a Cohen Brothers movie without the funny, but I was not getting it. "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, while not yet a classic, I hated it as of chapter 4. Now I am doing my best to avoid "Catch-22" despite the fact I am on page 50 something and have been assured by numerous book reviews that it is one of the funniest books in the history of the world. My friend Kristen (who also recommended "Wise Blood") thoroughly enjoyed "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" which is also doing me in. That lovely volume is 900 pages- I am on 75 and dreading the next 800 plus.

I am not sure if my brain has re-wired itself to prefer the junk fiction of the day, or if I prefer to read things that travel at a quick clip so I can be on to the next book, but it has been a rude awakening for me.

So, there will be much rejoicing if I can finish the two most recent attempts. Just to break the monotony I am also reading "I Am America {and You Can Too!)" by Steven Correll. A blatant little humor may be the spoonful of sugar to make the medecine go down.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Today I watched Coleman's best friend Amelia for a couple of hours while her mom went to the dentist. In honor of what would have been Theodore Geisel's 104th birthday, we read "The Cat in the Hat" and "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back". Then the kids made their very own "Cat in the Hat" bowties and hats and had Goldfish crackers. It was a lot of fun!

What's for dinner? Maybe some green eggs and ham.

New Soul by Yael Naim

If you've seen the commercial for the new Mac laptop "Air" you have heard the beginning of this catchy little ditty. I thought it was fun and quirky, so I googled the commercial and found the artist and the video. She reminds me a little of Victoria Williams, which to me is a good thing, not so much to most others.

Enjoy!

Food and Family

Kraft Foods has a great website where you can type in a few ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipe suggestions. It has been a real help for dinner a number of nights. It also has a ton of great free recipes, how to videos and even coupons for their products. Best of all, you can sign up on their mailing list and you will get a weekly email with recipes, kitchen tips, and more coupons. You can also sign up to get a quarterly magazine sent to your home that has even more wonderful, easy recipes and photos of each of them. It actually is one of my favorite cooking magazines, and I subscribe to a number of the most popular ones.

Tonight we made molten chocolate surprises. In my case the surprise was that they were not molten... but they were good nonetheless.

Go to their site and sign up- you'll thank me for it.