I started this blog with one daughter, kept it up with the other, to spend time together doing something we enjoyed.
However, things change and people evolve. My daughters are older, busier, and not as interested in writing.
From now on this blog will be mostly mom with occasional contributions from my daughters and maybe even my husband.
Nothing else will change. We'll still focus on sharing fun places to go, fun things to do, and more, and we would  still love to hear your views too

Friday, February 28, 2014

Funny Friday - It's Mine!

Me -

Aurella to our Aunt Maggie showing Aunt Maggie her doll: Baby.

Aunt Maggie: What's baby's name?

Aurella: Mine!

 Mom -

When Aurella was still in a crib, one day Daddy was talking about when Melia used to sleep in Aurella's crib. Upon hearing this, Aurella very possessively said "Mine!"

 We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Fun in the Snow

Me - Fun in the snow, wow! People sometimes say that I am fun in the snow. This is because I make up fun games to play in the snow. I usually play out there with my little sister, Aurella. I like to build snowman. I like to make up some of my own games. This year me and my sister built a really good snowman. Her name was Phoebe. She was named after Phoebe Buffay from Friends, the best show ever. We were going to build a whole snow family. We were going to build her husband, Pheebo. We were going to build their children; Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, and Chandler. We were even going to build their pet, Smelly Cat. However, there wasn't enough snow, and the snow quickly melt. Phoebe melted quickly too. She was the only successful snowman I was ever able to build. I would try when I was little but either I just couldn't do it, I gave up, or there was too much ice and not enough snow. My Mom said she never built a snowman as nice as Phoebe. My sister once built a snowman with my brother when I was sick. I wouldn't to go out with them, but my Mom wouldn't let me because I had stayed home from school sick. I also like to have snowball fights. The problem with having snowball fights with my sister is every time I hit her she gets upset and quits. I like to make snow angels. The only problem is I don't have any snowpants so the minute I get up my pants are soaked. However, my sister asks me to do them so I do. Then, I don't like to get up. I just like to fall back into the soft pilllowy snow. I love playing in the snow.

Mom - Although now, I don't even like to be in the snow, when I was young, I used to like to play in the snow. I like to build snowmen. I was never really good at it though. I never built a really good snowman. A friend of mine and I once tried to make snow dogs. The were very small. We brought them in the house and we tried to paint them with finger paint. It didn't go to well. We ended up with a mess of melted snow and paint. I also liked to go sledding. We had a really good steep hill on the side of our house where we  lived until I was 11. The only bad part about was that at the bottom of the hill was the street. After we moved, I don't remember going sledding much. Now, my Mom has a really great hill in the back of her house. The only problem about taking the kids sledding there is hauling ourselves over there in the snow and having to take the sled with us too. Personally, I don't like to drive in the snow at all. That is definitely not fun. When I was a kid, I also liked to make snow angels. However, that is something you can only do for so long without getting bored. I never really liked to have snow fights. I don't like being hit with snowballs.  I might have liked to build a snow fort, but I never really did that either. Nowadays, I leave the playing in the snow to my kids while I prefer to stay in the nice warm house.

And that's our view. What do you like to do in the snow?

Tune in tomorrow for

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Davenport Theater

What: The Davenport Theater

Where: 354 West 45th Street
            New York, New York

Who: Ages vary depending on the show

Our view: If you live in or around the New York area or if you plan to visit the New York area, and you are a theater fan or want to become one, you are in luck. There is a new theater in town, Davenport Theater.  The Davenport Theater is actually two theaters in one. There is a larger main stage theater and a smaller black box theater. Neither one is a very large theater. However, the great thing about them is that they provide some place for you to go and experience theater of all types even if you cannot afford current average tickets prices. Tickets at the Davenport Theater range from $35.00 for student group tickets in the balcony to $99.00 for premium seats with most tickets at $79.00 at least for their current show.  We do not know if tickets will vary for different productions.The first production at the Davenport Theater will be the latest version of Forbidden Broadway, a spoof of different Broadway show many different versions of which has appeared Off Broadway over the years. Performances were scheduled to begin this past Saturday on February 22. For more information about the theater and or find out more about this production of Forbidden Broadway or about the Davenport Theater go to  http://www.davenporttheatre.com/ to order tickets for Forbidden Broadway go to  http://www.forbiddenbroadway.com/ticket.html 
for an insiders perspective of Broadway and everything to do with the theater go to The Producers Perspective at http://www.theproducersperspective.com/ to read and or subscribe to producer and owner of the Davenport Theater, Ken Davenport's blog. We will try to post more information about the Davenport Theater and its future productions as we receive it.

And that's our view Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Web-Sites: Fish Bowl Racer and Userworks

Me - Today I am recommending Fish Bowl Racer. It is a fun game. You press the left side to jump in the bowl. You press the right side to jump out of the bowl. The object of the game is gain as many points as possible. You gain points by collecting fish food. You have to jump up to get the fish food. It is a good game. I like it and would recommend it.

Mom - Today I am recommending Userworks. While Userworks surveys usually require participants who have a specific background and/or are familiar with a particular area, they will not bombard your inbox with surveys that you will not qualify for either. It is worth it to enroll in their database because if you do qualify for a survey, they do pay well.They also conduct studies in their lab in Silver Springs, Maryland. I do not live in that area and have never participated in an in-person study with Userworks, however, in general, in-person studies usually pay even better than remote studies. To find out more about Userworks and/or to sign up for their studies go to http://userworks.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Endless Games

Me - Endless Games, wow! Endless games has fun games with varying topics. Oddly Obvious is one of them. It's fun. You have to guess a word on a card from clues. Encore is a singing game. However, you do not need to be good at singing you just have to know songs. Kornered is a game that seems that it would be the easiest thing but it is not. It requires skill and good thinking strategies. You have to match colors but it is way harder than it sounds. Can You Name Five? is one of my favorite games from endless games. You have to name five of whatever category you have. Can You Name Five is my favorite of the games by Endless games which I have played so far. I like Encore the least because it is hard to think of songs for each word. The hardest of these games is Kornered, The easiest is Oddly Obvious at least for me. Different people might have different opinions of these games. They might think a different one is the most fun or the least fun or the hardest or the easiest or whatever. However, all Endless games I have played so far are fun, and I would want to play more of their games in the future.

Me - Endless Games makes a lot of great games, and we have recently had the privilege to be able to try a few of them. Oddly Obvious is a wacky game of definitions. You are given a card with a bunch of words and phrases. Then, you are given a word and you have to choose the word or phrases that fits the word you were given. It is harder than it sounds though because at the same time you are trying to find  the right word or phrase other people are trying to find it too and beat you to it. Kornered is a great game for puzzle enthusiasts. You are given a card with four different colored corners and a board with different colors. You have to match  your card to the board by making sure every color on your card is touching the same color on the board. It is a lot hard than it sounds.  Encore is a music game. You are given a word or category and you have to think of song that has that word in it or fits that category and sing it. You do not  have to be a good singer. You do not have to know all the words to the song. Nor do you have  to sing the whole song. Of course, there is a little more to the game than that, but that is the gist of it. If your family is like ours and you always have songs running through your heads and you are always bursting out into song, this is the perfect game for you. Can You Name Five ? is a fast thinking game. You are given a category and you have to think of five things that fit the category. It is harder than it seems because you are given a time limit and a lot of times you will come up with one, two, or even three things that fit the category and then suddenly go blank under the pressure of time. One nice thing about all of these games is that they can all be adapted to play in different ways.  For example, you can just take turns finding the right definitions in Oddly Obvious. You can play Kornered as if it really is a puzzle. You can play encore by just picking cards and singing songs. You can play name five by choosing categories and just naming five things without the time limit and/or without playing against each other. These are just a few examples of different ways you can play these games. I'm sure there are probably many others. The important thing that remains the same no matter how you play these games is that they are all hours of fun.

And that's our view. Which Endless Game sounds the most fun to you?

Disclosure: We were given the above mentioned Endless Games for free except Encore. The opinions expressed here are own based on our experiences playing the games.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Funny Friday - Just My Size

Me -

When I was little, I noticed my mom was wearing a hat so I wanted one too. My mom gave me a hat that was kind of big on me. I put it on backwards, and it covered my whole face. "Pretty, pretty." I said.


Mom-

I was putting away Melia's clothes. Aurella started putting on one of Melia's shirts. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Trying on Melia's clothes for her." replied Aurella.

"Are you the same size as her?" I asked.

"Yes." she replied even though the shirt  she had put on was much too big for. "This fits." she said. She took it off and put on another much too big shirt. "This fits." She took that off and put on another too big shirt "This fits." etc.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Once

Me - Once, wow! Once is a good show. It was definitely different than I expected. I wasn't very fond of the ending. I liked most of it though. The ending was okay actually. It was just a little sadder than I expected. I liked the girl who was one of the main characters. I liked her accent, but it was kind of funny. I liked her daughter in the show. Her name was Ivanka. She was cute. She didn't do much, but she was cute. She is only in the show for about ten minutes total, and she doesn't say anything or sing. She is cute though. The music in the show was really good though. I don't really have a favorite song though. The woman who plays the mother in the How I met Your Mother was the original star of the show. Her name is  Christina Millioti. The woman I saw in it was good, but I wish I had seen Christina. It really was a good show. I really enjoyed seeing it.

Mom - Once is a great show. It is beautiful love story. It is based on the movie of the same name which I personally have never seen but would like to now. One of the best parts of the show was the preshow jam. It was so fun being able to go up and watch it from the stage and be a part of it. It was worth it to buy two $5.00 waters, one for myself and one for Melia, just for that. I had been up on a Broadway stage once before in my life. My friend was in the show An Inspector Calls. After the show, she took us to see her dressing room. We had to walk across the stage to get to the dressing rooms. Ironically, I didn't realize it at first because the theater name had changed but it turned out this was the same theater. Also, ironically, at that time, Les Miserables was playing across the street so, of course, now Les Miserables is about to open across the street again. I was  a little disappointed that we didn't get to see Christina Millioti in the show. We love her on How I Met Your Mother. However, Joanna Christie, who currently plays the part of the girl, is a wonderful actress as well. All of the cast was great and they are all really warm and friendly people too as we and a few other bloggers had a chance to have a private talkback with them after the show. Melia and I even got  a chance to talk with the youngest member of the cast,  six year old, Madeleine Pace, who alternates in the role of Ivanka. She and her father were warm and lovely people as well, and as long as she continues in show business we will be following her career fondly and remembering our talk with her.  All in all, it was great show and a great experience.

And that's our view. What movie would you like to see made into a Broadway show?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Once

What: Once

Where: Bernard B. Jacobs Theater
            242 West 45th Street
            New York, New York

Who: 10 and up

Our view: Once is not your typical musical. It is not as light as shows like Mamma Mia and Hairspray, but it is not as heavy as shows like Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. The music does not completely come out of the plot but does enhance the plot. The songs are beautiful especially Falling Slowly although you won't necessarily come out of the theater humming them. Unlike in other shows, there is real just one basic plot in Once and not a lot of secondary plots. That is kind of nice because there are no distractions from the main story which is a  beautiful  love story. It is the story of a guy and a girl, they are not given any other names than that.  It is the age old story of boy meets girl, and they fall in love, however, there is so much more to it than that. The show is one not to miss because the story is good and all the roles in the show are well performed. The music is good too and every person in the cast (except the young actress playing the role of Ivanka) plays his or her own instrument. The preshow music jam is one of the highlights of the show. Even if not for the great acting and music, the show would be worth seeing for the great set which is an actual working bar, where you can go and buy drinks before the show and/or at intermission. It is not a full bar, however. There are only 3 different kinds of drinks available, one of which is water in case you do not want or are too young to drink an alcholic beverage. Just note that you do have to pay for the drinks and they are overpriced. It is worth it though just for the chance to go on stage and be part of the preshow jam. In any case, Once as the title suggests is something to be experienced at least once. I would not recommend it for young children under 10 because there is some cursing  in the show and there is the whole bar aspect. However, they would probably be bored with the show anyway. I would recommend it for everyone else especially anyone who loves the theater and/or loves a beautiful love story. For more information and/or to order tickets go to http://www.oncemusical.com/.

And that's our view. Tune in for tomorrow's Talking Topics post for more about Once.

Disclosure: We were given tickets to Once for free. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience seeing the show.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Tips for Tuesday - Misc.: Tastykakes Cupcakes and Sleep Number Air Fit Adjustable Contour Pillow

Me - Today I am recommending Tastykakes Cupcakes. They are delicious. My favorites are the chocolates without the cream in the middle. The cream in the middle is okay. I just don't like it as much. I also like the butterscotch ones without the cream in the middle. If they make vanilla ones, I have never had them. I am a big cupcake fan in general and these are some of my favorites.

Mom - Today I am recommending Sleep Number Air Fit Adjustable Contour Pillow.  At $150.00 plus even on sale these pillows can be a bit pricey. However, if you can manage it, they are well worth it. These pillows do not look like they would be so comfortable but they actually are. I have never had a pillow that is neither too hard nor too soft but adjusts perfectly to the shape of my head. It is literally the most comfortable pillow I have ever had. As a result of using this pillow, I definitely think I am sleeping better than I ever have in my life.   I would highly recommend it.*

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

* I was given a Sleep Number Air Fit Adjustable Contour Pillow for free. The opinions expressed here are my own based on my experience using the pillow.

Monday, February 17, 2014

E-Books vs. Regular Books

Me - E-books vs. regular books, wow! I like e-books because you can have a bunch of different books all at the same time in the same place. I like regular books because I like being able to actually hold the book and turn the pages. I also like to be able to fill up my bookshelves with books. E-books are easier to carry around because they are all in one place. I like that you can get a lot of books for free with e-books and you can get them right away. It is easier to find regular books because there are bookstores and libraries. It is also easier to decide if you want a regular book because you can actual look at the book. It is easier to find your place in a regular book because you can always go back. I guess there are good things about e-books and regular books.

Mom - Now, that I have started reading e-books as well as regular books, I am reading at least twice as much as before. I am always reading at least one e-book and at least one regular book at all times. I like e-books because you can get them instantly. I like regular books because you don't have to worry about accidentally deleting them. I like e-books because you don't have to worry about losing your place because your bookmark fell out. I like regular books because it is easier to flip around and go back to something if you don't remember exactly where it is and you didn't bookmark it. I like e-books because they let you know exactly what percentage of a book you have finished. I like regular books because they have regular page numbers. I like e-books because you can carry around so many of them at once and no matter how many you have your e-reader nevers gets heavier. I like regular books because I love to read the description on the back of the book and every time I read a regular book, I read it both before I start the book and after I finish book. I like e-books because they are so new. I like regular books because they have been around longer than I have. Anyway, all in all, whether it is an e-book or a regular book, I just love love love books!

And that's our view. Do you prefer e-books or regular books?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Funny Friday - Reading Time

Me -

When I was little, my Dad was trying to nap and I knew he was trying to nap, but I went up to him and said "Daddy, read me book."

He said "Where's Mommy?"

I said "She's doing something."

He said "What about Daddy?"

I said "Daddy reading book."


Mom -

Aurella had to have magazine to thumb through when she was sitting on her potty seat.


We weclome you to share your funny stores with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.


Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Chocolate Show

Me- The Chocolate Show, wow! We recently went to see The Chocolate Show in New York Off Broadway. It was really funny and really good. They give you chocolate when you go in, but it's a tease because it is really small, and it doesn't taste good. There are places in the show where members of the audience are selected to go up  on stage and participate. There is the pretend story of how chocolate was born. There are musical numbers. There is a competition for a show called The Chocolate Show. There are three categories to compete in, style, intelligence and talent. Those are the parts where the audience participates. The show is hosted by The Queen of the Coca Bean. Her name is Cookie Conwell. Her reign is over, and the audience members are competing for the crown. This is a very funny show with great music and you should definitely see it if you like having fun and eating chocolate.

Mom - They had me at Chocolate. The minute I heard there was a show called The Chocolate Show, I knew it was something I had to see. It turned out to be so much more than just free chocolate. In fact, the free chocolate turned to be one of the most underwhelming parts of the whole experience. We had a great time at the show. It was a very fun experience which was only enhanced by both of my daughters being chosen to participate in segments of the show. Melia was chosen to be part of the intelligence portion where she was asked really important questions like: What do you get when you mix chocolate and milk? Aurella participated in the style portion of the show where she was asked to walk across the stage. The entire experience was highlighted by Aurella's being chosen to be the new Queen of the Coca Bean. It was all very amusing to us because Aurella is actually rather shy and we didn't even think she would actually get up on the stage once let alone twice. Even though when she went on stage the second time to receive her paper crown adorned with jewels and a Mr. Goodbar, she made a face as though she would rather be anywhere but there, since we went to the show, Aurella has only taken off her crown to sleep, go to school or take a bath. In any case, we all had a great time at The Chocolate Show, and we would highly recommend it.

And that's our view. What would you be willing to do for chocolate or your favorite treat?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Chocolate Show Musical

What: The Chocolate Show

Where: 47 Street Theatre
           304 W. 47th St.
           New York, New York

Who: 8 and up

Our view: As a huge chocoholics, we probably would have gone to see a reading of the phone book for the promise of free chocolate. However, if you are in it only for the chocolate, you should probably skip the chocolate show. They do give out chocolate as you enter the theater, but it is rather small and not very tasty. However, if you pass up the opportunity to see this show because of that, you'll be missing out on a really funny really entertaining show. The chocolate show is like three shows in one. There is the not quite historically accurate but very funny history of chocolate. There are cute songs about chocolate. Also, There is the very funny Chocolate Show itself where Cookie Conwell, Queen of the Coca Bean, is ending her year long reign and picking a successor to her title. All three parts of the show are very entertaining. All of the show is funny including the songs which are based around such chocolate staples as hot chocolate, cupcakes and fancy designer chocolate. However, the best part of the show is the part involving Cookie Conwell's search for the new Queen of the Coca Bean. Her search involves audience participation as she chooses a member of the audience to be her successor. Plus there is even more free chocolate as members of the audience who are chosen to participate on stage are given chocolate as prizes. Some of the prizes are the same type of chocolate as the chocolate given out at the entrance to the theater, but some of it is different. However, as we've said there is much more to this show than just free chocolate and whether you are a chocolate fan or a musical theater fan or both, you won't want to miss this show. Just keep in mind a couple of things. There is some bad language in the show and the show is not appropriate for very young children. They would probably be bored with it anyway. For more information or to order tickets go to thechocolateshowmusical.

And that's our view. Tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topic post where we will be discussing more about The Chocolate Show.

Disclaimer: We were give tickets to The Chocolate Show. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience attending a performance of the show.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: Too Cute

Me - Today, I am recommending Too Cute. It is about really cute animals. I like the kitten episodes best. However, there are episodes about all different kinds of animals. I like the way they do different families of animals in the same episode. I like the way they give the names of some of the animals so they are not just saying this kitten did that and that puppy went there and stuff like that. I would highly recommend you watch this really cute show.

Mom - Today I am also recommending Too Cute. Too Cute appears on Animal Planet. If you love adorable little animals of all kinds, this is the show for you. The show generally covers puppies and kittens. However, there have been episodes featuring pigs, bunnies, goats and various other animals too even a monkey. Each episode follows  several months in the life of three different litters. One or two of the animals in the litter is prominently featured and referred to by name. At the end it tells what has happened to the animals featured on the program since the episode was filmed. Rarely has there been a show so aptly named as this one.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, February 10, 2014

M&M World

Me - M&M World, wow! Recently, when I went to New York, my Mom and I were walking around waiting to go to a show when we saw the M&M store. I said "Why don't we go in there?" So we did. It was three stories tall. I couldn't believe there was so much M&M stuff. They had stuffed animals, shirts, key chains, magnets, candy and more. It was bigger than the Hershey store that had all Hershey chocolate. They had escalators going up and down, and they had elevators too. It thought it was funny that at one point when we were there they had a special guest on the third floor "Mellow Yellow." Mellow Yellow is one of their M&M characters.  I also thought it was funny the way they had an aisle for each M&M where it said "Red", "Orange", "Yellow", "Green", "Blue", and "Ms. Brown." I don't eat orange M&Ms because I hate orange. I love M&Ms in general, however. I like them even  more now because I can't have Tootsie Rolls and most candy bars are too hard for me because of my braces. One thing I like about M&Ms is they are easy to eat. They fill you up without making you too full. Also, since they are small you can eat a lot of them without getting too full. M&Ms are great, and M&M World is a really cool place, and if you haven't visited it already you should.

Mom - A couple times recently when we were in New York, we went to M&M World. I could not believe that there actually is store with nothing but M&M's and M&M related products. I would think it would be a tiny little store, but it was huge. It was three stores high. They had every kind of M&M imaginable and M&M products that you would never even think of like an M&M alarm clock, an M&M slot machine candy dispenser, and an M&M placemat. They had these rows of shelves on the ground floor with a section for products of each  of the basic colors of M&Ms. On one of the upper floors there were huge bins of M&Ms of every color. Any kind of color or flavor of M&M you could ever want you can find it at M&M World. I can't even believe that there are so many different kinds of M&Ms now. When I was a kid, there was only plain and peanut. The only colors were red, orange, green, and two different colors of  brown. I don't even think they made blue. For a while, they stopped making red too. It was something about the dye, but they started making them again eventually with a different dye. I always thought it was funny they they had the slogan "M&M's melt in your mouth and not in your hands". That is true, but they are still messy because if you keep them in your hands long enough especially on a hot day, the dye will come off all over your figures. I guess most people don't keep them in their hands long enough though because one of the fun things about M&Ms is that you can eat a lot of them quickly. In fact, that is one of the not fun things about them too that they are too quick to eat. That is one reason why I don't like them as much as some other candies. Anyway, M& M World is not really a place that you can spend a lot of time unless you are particularly into M&Ms. However, it is definitely some place fun to see at least once.

And that's our view. What is your favorite color M&M?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Saturday Special - June Average Giveaway

Product Details 
 Anybody who's ever been a teen (or tween) and wanted to be more than what they are can relate to June and her story. For more about this book go to  http://saysmesaysmom.blogspot.com/2014/02/june-average-by-kate-wash.html. To win one of 3 available copies of this book fill out the rafflecopter below.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Funny Friday - I Take What I Want

Me -

Our kitten, Pippi grabbed my sister's beanbag chair with her mouth and started trying to run upstairs with it.

Mom -

When Melia was little, we went to her friend's house and she was playing with his Rock and Roll Elmo toy. When we were ready to leave, she tucked it under her arm and started walking out the door with it.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. T

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

June Average by Kate Wash

Me - June Average, eh. June Average is a book about an average girl named June. She is not extra pretty, she is not extra smart, she is not extra talented. She is just average. I can relate to her because I am just like everyone else too, and I wish I could be different in a good way. June is 13. She goes to Middle School with her best friend, Froggy. At one point, they were in a band, but the leader was too bossy and they quit. I like that I could relate to June. I don't like the end of the book. June is the same in the end as she was at the beginning. She hasn't changed at all.

Mom - June Average is the story of a girl named June McCarthy. She is a girl like many other other girls. She is not especially pretty. She is not especially smart. She is not especially talented. She is not especially anything. She is very relatable. She has many of the same thoughts feelings, hopes and dreams as many other girls. She would like to be smarter, prettier and/or more talented. She would like to be something more than she is. Whether you are a preteen or a teenager (like June herself)  you probably know what that feels like. Even if your teenage days are long since past, you can probably remember how it was to feel that way. The book is not so much a story with a linear plot. It is more of a diary. We do not experience the events and people of June's life with her as they happen. We hear about them as she reflects on them. While the character of June is relatable,  I would have liked to know more about her. I would have liked to experience things with her and not only see them through her eyes. I would have liked to know more about her life and not only this brief slice of it we are shown through the book.

And that's our view. What is or was high school like for you?

To win a copy of June Average see this Saturday's Saturday Special post.

Disclaimer: We were given a copy of June Average for free for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our reading of the book.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Where-To-Go Wednesday - M&Ms World

What: M&Ms World
        
Where:  Times Square
              1600 Broadway
             New York, New York
             (and various other locations)

Who: All ages

Our view: If you like M&Ms, this is the place for you. Not only can you find every kind of M&M imaginable here, there is so much more. There is M&M clothing, such as, hats, shirts and socks. There is M&M souvenirs, such as, candy dispensers, key chains, and figurines. There is M&M merchandise for every room in your house, such as, alarm clocks for the bedroom, towels for the bathroom, and baking sets for the kitchen. You can shop by character, you can shop by color, you can shop by flavor. There is even a customized printer that allows you to print your own specialized M&Ms right there in the store. Images available to print on your M&Ms include I Love NY, The Statute of Liberty, and New York sports teams logos. Special events at M&Ms World include appearances by M&M characters: Ms. Brown, Blue, Red, Green, Yellow and/or Orange. The store in Times Square is open Monday to Sunday 9:00 to midnight. However,  at times it can be pretty crowded even fairly late at night. Also, even though the M&M store is a fun place to go, it is not a place where you can spend a lot of time unless you are totally M&M obsessed, therefore, I wouldn't make a special trip there unless you are going to be in the vicinity anyway. There are also currently locations in Orlando, Florida; London, England; and Henderson and Las Vegas, Nevada. Hours of operation and product availability varies by location. M&Ms including personalized M&Ms, as well as M&M related merchandise can also be purchased on-line. For more information and/or to purchase M&Ms and/or M&M merchandise go to http://www.mmsworld.com.  We will also be discussing more about M&M's World, Times Square, New York location in a future Talking Topics post.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Tips for Tuesday - Apps and Web-Sites: Penguin Airborne and Blarry House Research

Me - Today I am recommending Penguin Airborne. It's about a Penguin who is in the military. You have to race against 4 other penguin. You have to tap when the light is blinking. The last one to land loses. The point of the game is to get upgraded.

Mom - Today I am recommending Blarry House Research. They don't inundate your inbox with surveys you are not going to qualify for. They pay for every survey completed. They pay a  decent amount usually somewhere between $5 to $7 in Amazon codes. If you live in the vicinity of their facilities which are located in San Francisco, Calforinia, they also have focus groups which pay $40.00 to $100.00. For more information go to blarry.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Mary Poppins

Me - Mary Poppins, wow! I love Mary Poppins. I love the movie, the show, and the books. I have the whole series. I haven't seen the movie Mary Poppins in a long time. Whenever I try to remember what the kids in the movie look like I get them confused with the kids in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang especially because Dick Van Dyke was in both of them. I don't remember much about seeing the show. I just remember that my cousin came with us and her and her parents ate dinner with us. I was 3 or 4. My favorite character is the character of Mary Poppins. I always seem to like the magical characters. Like I like Mary Poppins, and I like Nanny McPhee at least when she is pretty. Nanny McPhee would be a good Halloween costume so would Mary Poppins. I love the way Mary Poppins can just point at stuff and make it clean itself up. I also love the way she slides up and down the bannister. I love the song A Song Spoonful of Sugar. I really love Mary Poppins.

Mom - One of the most beloved characters from my childhood is Mary Poppins. I loved all the books although there seems to be more of them now than I remembered. I love the original movie with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. There are so many classic scenes in that movie. There is the scene when they jump into the picture and ride the horses off the carousel and Bert dances with the penguins. There is the scene when they party on the ceiling with Uncle Albert. There is the scene when they clean the nursery up using magic. Those are just a few of the  great scenes in the movie. There are so many great songs too: A Spoonful of Sugar, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, and Feed the Birds to name just a few. Besides, I just love Julie Andrews who also starred in my favorite movie of all time,  The Sound of Music. I also love Dick Van Dyke who aside from Mary Poppins starred in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bye Bye Birdies to name just a few other great movies. I also saw the Broadway show Mary Poppins. It was good too. However, I don't remember that much about it because I only saw it once and that was years ago. I do remember that it was somewhat darker than the movie musical. I think that I liked the movie a little bit better. However, overall, I just like Mary Poppins in general.

And that's our view. What magical character do you like best?

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Sunday Special - Upcoming - The Chocolate Show and a Free Kindle Book


What: The Chocolate Show

Where: 47th Street Theatre
             New York, New York

When: Currently in previews; opening February 14.

The scoop: A new Off-Broadway musical for chocolate lovers everywhere featuring songs, comedy sketches, audience participation, and actual chocolate! For more about this show go to thechocolateshowmusical.com.

We will also be featuring review and discussion posts regarding this show on our blog soon.
_____________________________________________________________________________

What: In Woolen Bikinis by Catherine Dougherty

Where: Amazon.com

When: Monday February 3 - Wednesday February 5.

The Scoop: The second book in the In Polyester Pajamas Trilogy will be available for free for 3 days. For more about the first book in the trilogy see our review post here:In Polyester Pajamas by Catherine Dougherty.  The third book will be published shortly.

We will be featuring a review of In Woolen Bikinis in a future post.

Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Saturday Special- New Expansion Packs Available for Reverse Charades

Reverse Charades catalog photo 


Two new expansion packs have been released for Reverse Charades.  Just in time for the Superbowl and the Olympics try the new sports edition.  Have fun acting out famous athletes as well as sports words and phrases. Just in time for awards season try the new Hollywood edition. Have fun acting out famous entertainers  as well as entertainment words and phrases. Each expansion pack includes 220  new words to act out  and is available at numerous stores on or off line including Barnes and Noble and  Hallmark.  Each expansion pack fits neatly  in the original Reverse Charades or Reverse Charades Junior box. Previously released expansion packs Girls Night In Edition and Holiday Edition are also still available for purchase. For more information about Reverse Charades or to find out more about where to purchase the original Reverse Charades or Reverse Charades Junior  and/or any of the expansion packs. go to our previous review of Reverse Charades http://saysmesaysmom.blogspot.com/2013/01/saturday-special-review-and.html  and/or visit http://reversecharades.com/about-us/.

Tune in tomorrow for a Sunday Special. We will be talking more about Reverse Charades in future posts.

Disclosure: We were given copies of each of the two new expansion editions  of Reverse Charades for review any opinions expressed herein are our own based on our experiences.