Category Archives: gift worthy

Clothing, FRN, gift worthy, kids

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Halloween

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Yes, I know it is August! But when you have 4 kids and you theme the costumes, that can take a little work. And work takes time;). Last year we did a half homemade, half bought Wizard of Oz theme. So I knew I would have to start thinking about it soon!

I got the opportunity to pick out a costume at Costume Discounters for this year and I was overwhelmed by all the choices. They have just about any theme for adults or kids. I didn’t realize that I would have that many choices so I realized that I had to consult the Nerdlings.

As a group we decided that we are going to do Star Wars but not just Star Wars, Star Wars Clone Wars. Well, they have 124 costumes/accessories for Star Wars. NerdPie has always wanted to be Asoka so I found this adorable costume.

I was excited to receive my package from Costume Discounters but not nearly as excited as my daughter! We are so glad that delivery was so quick because I don’t think NerdPie could have waited very much longer.  It is an adorable outfit with a belt and even a super cute headpiece (sorry you can’t see it in the pic but…). The light saber is ours but what kid who wants to dress up as a Star Wars character doesn’t have a light saber? The only other thing we have to provide are shoes but you can’t see them when you are wearing the costume!

We loved our experience with Costume Discounters was delightful and we recommend them!

(This post was written for Family Review Network & Costume Discounter who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review)

gift worthy, giveaway, kids, video games

WooHoo! PE And a Giveaway!

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For those of you who have been around NerdFamily Things for a while, you know that we love Jumpstart software. So I was very stoked when we were approached to review their new Wii game, Jumpstart Get Moving Family Fitness Wii (just hit stores June 15th). I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how crazy everyone would be about this game because we just got a Wii Fit and it has been a huge hit over here. I wasn’t sure how a non-balance board physical activity game could measure up. But since it was rated E for Everybody, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. But I shouldn’t have been concerned at all! All 4 of my children loved it!

So here is the basic layout of the game. There are 15 different sports games in 11 different arenas. Brooke Burke takes you through playing different sports using the Wii remote and nunchuck. Before you start any sport she has a little instructional video that she explains how to work the controls and it does a close up on her hands actually doing it. I love that it repeats until you choose to move on to the actual game (what can I say, my kids sometimes need the repeats;).

Then they play fun games with Brooke Burke encouraging them. The games themselves are animating in fun environments. The kids get to pick out which one they want to use. They get choices like a Bug’s View, Outer Space, Volcano, and lots more. When they are done with each game they get a score and a count of how many calories they burned. Let me just say, these games can really give them a workout. My 7 year old was sweating after she did a race!

One of my favorite things is that they get exercise but they don’t have to use the balance board. When my kids get real wrapped up in sports it is hard to make sure they don’t jump on the Wii board. But with Jumpstart Get Moving Family Fitness Wii they can jump and run without hurting themselves or the equipment (and it is good for them!). Now like any video game, it takes some practice to get the hang of the controls. My 9 year old had to practice a bit to throw the football just right, etc.

My 1 real problem, you can not have someone playing this anywhere children who are supposed to be doing homework are;). They all start rooting for each other and get sucked in. But the up side is that when we are playing, the kids don’t have trouble waiting their turn!

Oh, new part of my reviews. The kids each want to have their favorite part listed;).

NerdBug (9): Likes the Football Throwing game because you get to throw and avoid defenders.
NerdPie (7):  Likes the Bug’s Life View because it makes the running race very fun.
Nerdling (5): Likes the boxing because he gets to use both the remote and nunchuck (though you can will all the games;).
NerdPud (3): Likes that she gets to run.

We are going to be using it as a guaranteed PE! It is a great “recess” activity for when they need a break from sitting so they can come back and concentrate! So we loved it, and for about $30, we think it is a great family present, especially for us homeschoolers!

Win it!
JumpStart has graciously decided to give one of my readers a copy of Jumpstart Get Moving Family Fitness Wii
To enter:
* Just leave a comment telling me what challenges you have about getting your kids enough exercise!
* A random winner will be selected and notified on August 9th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.
To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.
* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter and then Tweet about this!
* You can tweet everyday for an additional entry, just make sure to leave a comment for each time!
If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of JumpStart Get Moving: Family Fitness at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

baby stuff, FRN, gift worthy

AppleCheeks Review

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I admit that I was traumatized as a child by cloth diapers. See when my closest sister was born I was about 8 years old. My mom decided to use cloth diapers with her and even had a diaper service. But there was still a lot to traumatize me. I remember the rubber pants, the diaper pins and rinsing the diapers out in the toilet (which was my job). I remember when these super wet diapers would be taken off the baby they were these huge sopping messes which led to diaper rashes. I also remember my sister getting poked with the diaper pins and there being tears both from the poker and the pokee. But that was 25 years ago.

I had been hearing for about 8 years that cloth diapers have so much so I was stoked when I got an opportunity to review AppleCheeks. I got the Mini Test that has an envelope cover and 3 bamboo inserts. I decided to use this on my 2 year old during her nap time. Let us start with this cover. Nerdpud really gave these a good test because she had been holding it all morning (because we are potty training). Putting it on her was a snap. Literally. They have adjustable snaps on the front where I tightened up one side more that the other to give her a custom fit. But when I picked her up I wasn’t sure that she had even wet it at first. Not only was there not a drop that got out but also the insert wasn’t clumpy (but soaked). Then I just slipped out the insert and it was ready for another. The microfiber lining seemed perfectly dry. So if we were doing this system exclusively we could have totally put it back on her. Then the insert just got thrown into the washer and dryer.
My final verdict? Cloth diapers seem pretty awesome. They have come a long way from rubber pants and pins. The AppleCheeks system works beautifully! I would totally recommend it! I love the fact that they sell sets (Mini Tests, Starter Kits and more) so they make great baby shower gifts! It is time we all give cloth diapers another go with the AppleCheeks system!
(This is a Family Review Network review. AppleCheeks provided the product for my honest review!)

FRN, gift worthy

LilyMe

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We are in the age of charms and personalization for said charms. I just got the cutest bracelet with an adorable “love” charm from LilyMe. Now I see why these are so popular. I also love that this bracelet is adjustable! It is that perfect bracelet to wear all the time with anything so it is the perfect design for a sentimental piece.

But this simple bracelet isn’t all that LilyMe does. They have all kinds of necklaces and bracelets with pre-designed charms as well as personalized charms. So you can get a great present with someone’s children, siblings or a memorable verse.
You can us the coupon code “mother” to get 10% off any product at LilyMe!
(This review is part of the Family Review Network and I was provided a product by LilyMe to review.)

Books, FRN, gift worthy

Family Friendly Comic Book!

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We love comic books here in the NerdFamily! NerdDad and I both read comic books but finding good ones for that are appropriate for the kids take a little looking. So when I received a review copy of Boy, I’d Hate to be Made Out of That Stuff! through FRN I was stoked!

Lunar Antics sets up this comic series where moon people invade earth to avoid the outrageous tax on the moon. It is advertised as science fiction for normal people;). This is a clean and fun comic. It has some sarcasm and a lot of wit! It is so cute! While the main characters are moon people (who are bright, a bit egotistical and very good at math) the strip is really about humanity.
I recommend this book! I think it is a fun gift for your favorite comic lover be they children or adults! Right now if you order a copy you can get it signed for free! I am a sucker for autographed books;).

baby stuff, gift worthy, WFMW

Metro Mama Wrap

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I have had 4 kids and didn’t discover the Metro Mama wrap until my last kid. Now I am not a big baby wearer but their are times when it just makes you life so much easier. But I wasted a fair amount of time and money trying to figure out how. I did a chest pack with kid #1 and it helped with his reflux but it was a pain to put on and get him in and out. I had a sling with #2 and it just didn’t seem that secure. But with #4 I used a friend’s wrap and it was awesome. I could put the baby in it and pick up another child, empty a dishwasher, whatever. I didn’t have to use a hand to stabilize her or anything! Here is a great how-to video on using the wrap.

gift worthy, giveaway, video games

Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked Review and Giveaway

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Food Network has made a Wii game, Food Network: Cook or be Cooked!!!! Do I really need to go any farther? For those of you who aren’t familiar with an of the other NerdFamily blogs (like the NerdFamily Food Blog) food, food television, and the Food Network are favorite things, I daresay even passions in the NerdFamily house. And if you are here, you obviously know that we love video games! So we were stoked to receive this game in order to review it.

First off we love the fact it is rated E for everyone because we love to play with our kids and this is truly appropriate for them all (8, 6, 4, and 2). I love the fact it is educational. The challenges take you step by step through cooking dishes so those who can’t already cook (like my kids) will learn the steps, the timing and the basic procedures. For those of us who can cook it is just a fun game!
Now for the nerd analysis. The graphics are ok. They aren’t cutting edge but you are see everything you need. There are 3 gaming modes: 1 player, hot potato and a competitive mode. Right off let me warn you. The hot potato mode is a cooperative mode but it is truly a hot potato. You ans whomever you play with will have to pass 1 controller back and forth. So this mode wasn’t our favorite. But we did really like the other two modes! NerdDad and I really enjoyed playing against each other! (we don’t spend a lot of time playing alone) The game play itself was good. There were detailed specific tasks to complete and you got points based on how well you did them. Including penalties if you did it wrong (like taking your eggs off too soon) or bonuses for perfectly pouring your oil.
The final verdict was that Food Network: Cook or be Cooked is a big hit here at the NerdFamily! We are going to spend many, many happy hours playing over here!
Win it!
How would you like to win some of your own Food Network: Cook or be Cooked?
To enter:

* Just leave a comment telling me either your favorite recipe to make or your favorite Wii game.
* A random winner will be selected and notified on December 4th.
* The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

* Subscribe to my feed (if you already do, that counts).
* Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
* Subscribe to my Twitter
* Tweet about this!

If you want to see more giveaways pop over to Making Money Keeping Money to see more giveaways on Contesting Monday

( I was given a copy of the game to review and that was the only compensation. Thoughts and opinions are all mine!)

FRN, gift worthy

Rummino Review

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Here at the NerdFamily House we are huge gamers. To the point that NerdDad and I spend some of our date nights playing board games;). So I was excited when we received our copy of Rummino to review. It is a rummy dominoes game. This game is great because people of all different skill can play it and it can become as easy or as hard as you can make it. So everyone in the family can play it!

The basic game play is just to put down tiles in order to get points. You can get points for a run or a group of the same number. Then the next player can add on to yours or just play off of it! With 1 tile you can change the whole game;). I really like the fact that you have an entirely new game each time you play so it doesn’t just become boring strategy.
I think that Rummino would be an awesome family Christmas gift or a gift for just that fun friend. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
(This was an FRN Review)

FRN, gift worthy, kids

Prima Princessa Review

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Last year I was so pleased to introduce my kids to the Nutcracker ballet. All 3 of my oldest watched it with rapt attention but my oldest daughter (now 6) was mesmorized. See she desires to be a ballet dancer but those lessons are pricey;). That is why I was delighted to have the opportunity to review Prima Princessa presents the Nutcracker.

This is a delightful presentation of the Nutcracker with the addition of some ballet lessons. The San Francisco Ballet performs the delightful ballet while a Narrator explains what it going on. That is perfect for the little ones so you don’t have to read the story to them before viewing. It also has young students from the School of American Ballet that actually dance in between acts and in the bonus features to teach a few ballet moves. Some of the things it teaches the kids are glisade and arm positions. On the web site they even have coloring pages to go along with the Nutcracker!
This is so delightful! This is going to be perfect for both all my kids (8-2). My kids are going to love it!!! I already do! This is Prima Princessa’s second dvd. Their previous offering is Swan Lake and for just $12.99 they are great investments. So go check out the Nutcracker and enjoy the early start to the Christmas season!!!
This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Prima Princessa, who provided the DVD for review.