Howrse.com!

  If you are a teen or young adult that loves horses and virtual worlds, http://www.howrse.com/ is the website for you. Howrse is a game where you can start your career as a virtual horse breeder, and work your way to success.  You will start with one horse or pony of almost any breed or color, and gradually get more as you breed your horses.  Each breed of horse/pony has special traits, and you can train them to compete in competitions against other players' horses.  Once you reach 20 days of seniority, you can open your own equestrian center and earn equus (game currency) with each boarder.  As you can see, there is much to do on this amazing website!

  I started playing on Howrse last month, and cannot stop!  It is so entertaining, and I give it a 10/10 rating.  My user name is Lollipop!99, and you can send me any questions you have about the game once I start.  I will try to answer them to the best of my abilities.  When creating your account, it will ask you the player who told you about Howrse (sponsor).  Please type in my user name for that, and when you tell your friends about Howrse, tell them to type in your user name.  If they do, you will get advantages as they make progress.

  I hope you will enjoy this website as much as I do, and have much success as a horse breeder!

Saltwater Taffy by Eric Delabarre

Do you get a thrill when hearing about hidden treasures being found by everyday people?  Do you wish that your age didn't keep you from making history?  Then you can relate to Scooter, Gary, Jaq, Jimmy, and Zippy, a group of kids that are happy with who they are, and don't really want to be part of the popular crowd.  Their hometown, Port Townsend, Washington, was founded by the grandson of the great pirate, Jean Laffite.  Every year during pirate week, a new cipher is released in the paper, giving a new clue to finding the hidden Laffite treasure.  As the five friends get caught up in the treasure hunt, they face unexpected complications, life threatening situations, and just plain old hardships of being a thirteen year-old!

  I would definitely consider this a must read for most reluctant readers.  It might open up the world of reading to them in a way they didn't think possible.  This book has some good philosophy on living life as a teen and gives good advice about things such as believing in yourself and never giving up.  This book is what I consider a 5 star book, and I highly recommend it.  Eric Delabarre has a way of pointing out new ideas and looking at things in a way in which they have never been looked at before.  His way of showcasing thoughts and inner emotions will leave you looking at the world in a whole new way!  Read this saweet read today!

  I would recommend this book for readers 10+
 Check out http://www.whatagreatbook.com/ and become a Taffy Head today.
 Saltwater Taffy is available in print and for Kindle at Amazon.com

*A promotional copy of Saltwater Taffy was provided for review at no cost.  No compensation was received for this post.  The review and opinions expressed are funsmart's honest opinion.

"Wii Play" Game for Nintendo Wii!

 
  If you have a Nintendo Wii and are looking for a new game that is fun for the whole family, try Wii Play.  This game includes classic past times such as Table Tennis and Billiards as well as new favorites such as "Find Mii" and "Laser Air Hockey".  This variety makes Wii Play a game that is good for the whole family; every one is sure to find a game they will enjoy.

  When you first start playing the game, you have to play each game once in order to unlock it.  After that, you can play any of the games, any time you want to.  One fun thing about the game is that you can play alone and try to get a gold medal in your favorite games, or grab a friend and battle it out to see who can win the most games.  This is the perfect game for a family game night or a simple summer afternoon at home.

After you start playing, I'd love to hear your high scores!  Here are some of mine:

Find Mii ~ 63 levels


 Pose Mii ~ 549 points


Shooting Range ~ 490 points

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

 
  Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore is an exciting and funny movie about a rejected police dog that finds himself on a mission with a spy agency made up of all dogs.  When Kitty Galore, a cat seeking revenge on dogs and humans, cooks up a plan that will put all dogs in kennels, dogs and cats have to work together to foul her plan.  Cats and Dogs have never worked together, so this mission is deffinitely a first for them.  As cats and dogs grow closer together you will discover that they really can get along!


   I saw this movie in 2D, but in the blu-ray3D/blu-ray/dvd/digital copy combo pack you can choose which way you want to see it ( you can only watch the movie in 3D if you have a 3D capable TV and Blu-Ray player).  On a scale of one to five I would rate this movie a four.  This is a great family movie for boys and girls of all ages!

Note: It is rated PG for mild language.

Wordless Wednesday ~ In the Butterfly Room at Ripley's Aquarium

Wii Fit Plus!

                                  

    Did you know that a child should get in sixty minutes of excercise each day, (and an adult should get around thirty minutes) five or six days a week?  Do you want to exercise routinely but aren't sure what to do or where to go to get a good, enjoyable work-out?  Well, with the Wii Fit Plus, you can excercise with fun games in the comfort of your own home!  You can start off with a daily "Body Test", which will give you a good idea of your weight, BMI (body mass index), and center of balance.  If you continue the test, you can find out what shape your body is in with some bodly and mind tests chosen just for you.  After your body test, be sure to warm up with some strengh training excercises.  Two very nice excercises are the Lunge excercise (which helps you warm up and strenghen your legs) and the Tri-cep excercise, (which helps you warm up and tone your upper arms).  After you finish warming up, try out some, balance or arobic games, whichever are more benefitial to you ( the wii fit balance board might suggest some games after your body test ).  There are also Training Plus games, which aren't featured in the original Wii Fit game.  These games include Snowbal Fight, Balance Bubble Plus, Obstacle Course, and more.

  After you finish your work-out, you can cool down and start to relax with some yoga poses.  They will help improve your posture if you use them every day.  Remember, cooling down is just as important as warming up!

  I hope that this review has been helpful and will lead you to better health and wellness with the wii fit plus!  Be sure to purchase both the wii fit board and game through my Amazon link.  Have a great day!

My First Wordless Wednesday ~To Cool you off

The Baby-Sitters Club Book 2: Claudia And The Phantom Phone Calls

That's right! Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacy are back and just as the are getting used to managing the BCS (Baby-Sitters Club ), a shocking story appears in the newspaper; a burglar has appeared in a town near Stoneybridge! The thief is notorious for calling innocent people and not saying a word, only calling to see if they are home. When the home owners leave, he breaks in and steals their valuable jewelry. The criminal has been nicknamed "The Phantom Caller". Through the eyes of Claudia Kishi, see how the Baby-Sitters deal with this new issue, which they hadn't ever thought about before: What if a burglar strikes when one of them is baby-sitting?! If you enjoyed Book 1: Kristy's Great Idea, you'll surely enjoy this sequel.

This book is suspenseful, but also has a touch of humor, just the way I like it! I was already a big BSC fan after reading the first book, but the second book really had me wanting more! Although book two could pretty much stand by itself, if you're interested in learning how the Baby-Sitters Club was started, be sure to pick up a copy of Kristy's Great Idea using the Amazon widget on my post from two days ago.

As always, have a wonderful day and be sure to give me some feedback by leaving a quick comment. Feel free to leave a request if you want advice on the perfect books, snacks, or movies for you. I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.

Carnation Instant Breakfast

Are you looking for a delicious and healthy drink that will go with almost any meal? Do you need more vitamins and minerals to get you through the day? Have you always enjoyed flavored milk? If the answer to these questions are yes, then read on to find out what Carnation Instant Breakfast can do for you!

You've probably tried a cold glass of milk with Nestle's Nesquick chocolate or strawberry drink mix, but have you tried Nestle's Carnation Instant Breakfast? It's just like the mix that kids have enjoyed for generations, but with a twist. This delectable drink mix is loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential to your health. Coming in a variety of flavors ( including Rich Milk Chocolate, which is my favorite ), this mix can be purchased in a variety pack, perfect for customers that are trying to find the right flavor for them, or in a pack with one flavor.

I hope that my first blog post about food will spread the word that I will review just about anything, and I hope it inspires you to try some thing new; a product that with sure make your taste buds and body feel great!

The Baby-Sitters Club Book 1: Kristy's Great Idea

Are you looking for a good book to read this summer? Why don't you try picking up Book 1 of the exciting Baby-Sitters Club series, Kristy's Great Idea. Join Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacy as they start a cool and convenient club that gives busy parents a quick and easy way to find a group of reliable Baby-Sitters in only one phone call. This club is a great idea, but soon this team discovers that starting a business isn't easy. Follow these smart sitters as they figure out how to deal with the hardest of problems, and strengthen their friendships along the way.

I was hardly able to put down this book after I started reading it. After finishing, I was sure to ask my parents for the next book in the series. Now I want to start baby-sitting!

The only problem with this book is that it is about 7th graders but it is on around a 4th grade reading level, so the content is perfect for me but the reading level is too easy. But on the other hand, if you want a quick read, this might just be the book for you. Maybe it will even teach you a few new baby-sitting skills!

I hope this review has been helpful to you! Be sure to leave a comment if you have time. I always love to hear my readers' thoughts. If you ever need advice on good books, movies, games, or even snacks, just leave a comment and I'll try to meet your request. Stay tuned for more fun and smart reviews!

Happy 4th of July!

Kingdom Tales Book One: Tales of the Kingdom

If you love Christian books that the whole family will enjoy, be sure to read The Kingdom Tales series, by David and Karen Mains. These are very interesting books that take you into a new kingdom, which is the place for people hunting for something. This kingdom is home to a king who loves his people, and gave up his wealth for them. This Narnia-style series uses events in the kingdom to teach lessons and get across important points from the bible.

So, if this book interests you, start with book one: Tales the Kingdom this is a story of trust, introducing 2 runaway orphans. The older one soon learns to see the King, which requires believing. To learn the many other lessons of the kingdom read Book 1: Tales of the Kingdom, Book 2: Tales of the Resistance, and Book 3: Tales of the Restoration. These books might be a little hard to find because they are out of print, but there are several copies of each book on Amazon, some new and some used.

Be sure to read these magical books that are perfect for family story time or independent reading for all ages. By the end of the first book, you'll be yelling, " To the King! To the Kingdom! To the Restoration!"

*Disclosure this review was done on a product that I own. This post was my honest review of a book I wanted to let my readers know about.

Memorial Day 2011

Pinkalicious: It's Party Time! For DS

From Victoria Kann, the creator of the wonderfully colorful book series, Pinkalicious, the new Nintendo DS game, Pinkalicious: It's Party Time, is sure to keep your little girl intertained for hours! In this game, you will plan parties for various occasions by making yummy treats, goody bags, beautiful decorations, and invitations. You will choose which neighborhood kids you want to invite and intertain them at the short and fun party. I'd recommend this game for girls 4+. At first your little one might need a little help with reading the instructions but after the first few parties they will catch on. After they complete all of the parties, they can still continue playing, although there won't be any more new themes. There are mini games so that if you don't want to plan a complete party, you can still bake, design invitations, etc. You can also dress your character up in different clothes in different colors under the dress-up section.

The game comes in a pack with a thick Pinkalicious stylus and DS screan cleaner. The stylus is easy to grip, and harder to lose due to it's size and color. The only down side to the size is that in can't be stored in the hole on the side of the console. The screen cleaner makes the screen shiny and smooth. It is a very effective way to clean your screen.

I really recommend this entertaining game that will give your girl the experience of planning a fun party without the cost or mess. You won't be able to get enough of this great game and I hope that there will be another one soon.

Cuddly Classics EarthRite Sock Animals

EarthRite is an eco-friendly company that turns plastic bottles into polyester fiber filling for sock monkeys, dogs, and more! This program is called "Save Our Earth Now". EarthRite is helping our earth by keeping it clean and we should all appreciate that. The toys are very soft and I highly recommend them to kids of all ages!

Despicable Me DVD/Blu-Ray/Digital Copy

Despicable Me is a wonderful family movie about a super-villian named Gru. Another villain named Vector comes along and Gru decides to steal the moon to show that he is the most evil villain in the world. In the middle of all this, he meets girls who he originally uses to steal a tool from Vector, but will these girls change his heart? The voice-cast of Dispicable Me includes Steve Carrell, Miranda Cosgrove, and many more. I highly reccomend this hilarious movie that the whole family will surely love!

The Game Plan

I recently watched the disney movie,"The Game Plan", on TV. It is a family movie about a pro football player that finds out that he has a daughter after about 8 years. He learns how to juggle being a father and being a football player. I really enjoyed this interesting comedy and highly recommend it for your family!

Dear America Series

One of my favorite book series is the Dear America series. It is about girls from different time periods and the circumstances they had to live under. The girls are usually around the ages of 11-14. It's really fun to read the inspiring fictional diaries of girls my age. I highly recommend these books because they have to do with interesting time periods and you never want to put them down. Here are some of my favorite books in the series:

• Survival in the Storm by Katelan Janke
• Dreams in the Golden Country by Kathryn Lasky
• I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly by Joyce Hanson

I highly recommend these books! They are very educational and entertaining!

Slither Scooter by Pulse

For the last few days it has been sunny and warmer than usual. This nice weather has alowed me to get outside and ride my Slither drift scooter by Pulse. It is called the Slither because the back of it spins out when you turn and it makes a slithering movement. It is so exciting to ride and I enjoy discovering new tricks and with every time I ride it I get better and more experienced. I think I agree with the recommended ages on the scooter: Ages 7+. I highly recommend the Slither and hope that there will be plenty more nice days to ride it!

P.S. Remember to always be safe and wear pads and a helmet when riding bikes and scooters!

Disclosure: This post was done about an item I own and wanted to share with others. I was not asked or compensated to post my honest opinion.