Holy Mackerel

Going to Disney? Just thinking about it? The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation 2009 is the definite "go to" book for you. And at only $15.95, it's more than worth its weight in gold. Written by Steven M. Barrett, author of Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets , this book is chock-full of everything you need to know (and then some) to plan your vacation to the world's favourite fun spot. Well, maybe not the whole world's, but certainly this family's. We've been three times. Three. Times. Yeah, I know. And one of those times was without the children! In fact, that one time was even more fun than I thought it could be, because everywhere I looked, there were whiny and unruly children, and they weren't mine ! This is one of the best books on planning your WDW vacation that I've ever laid eyes on. Just when you thought your vacation was going to be anything but relaxing, Barrett comes to the rescue. His bo...

I don't think I've ever heard someone say they "love" doing Sudokus -- you know, that number game that is similar to a crossword puzzle, except with numbers. Well, I'm here to announce to you that I love doing Sudokus. No, I am not lying. I'm not even exaggerating. I find them exhilirating, thought-provoking, sometimes brain-numbing, but always fun. Except, that is, when I find I've put in the wrong number, but I don't quite know where, so I have to erase the entire puzzle and start from scratch. Then I just get very upset and put it away for a few days. I recently had the opportunity from Mom Fuse to review a very cool game: an electronic Sudoku, by Nikoli. The Nikoli Handheld Sudoku, by Franklin , is small enough to take along on a car trip, when the thought of listening to the kiddies squabbling in the backseat for three hours is more than you can bear. It runs on batteries, which are included. The Sudoku Handheld fits nicely into the palm of you...

You know, when the Powers That Be decided we no longer needed LPs, I decided to become a hermit. Of course, I didn't become a hermit, because that would entail moving to an isolated cave somewhere in a wheatfield, and having to kill my own buffalo and sheep, and till my own soil, and I might break a nail or, worse yet, break out into a sweat. Not only that, but it would also mean not being able to visit Starbucks or watch endless episodes of True Beauty because I'd have no cable, let alone an electrical outlet, so that just wasn't going to happen. So, when I got this little package of goodness in the mail, thanks to Mom Fuse , I jumped for joy. No longer was I going to have to be sad that all my favourite music, most on LPs, would never be listened to again. No longer would I be a total slave to the music gods who deemed LPs the devil, while they introduced CDs, MP3s and all other things digital, leaving the analog to die a quick and sudden death of shame. Never again wo...

So, we family members were sitting around the other day, ignoring one another as we often do, when I had the bright idea to involve the entire family in a game -- you know, something where we could actually be involved, communicate with one another, and enjoy each other's company. What a concept. I happened to get a new game through MomFuse and was asked to review it. What better time? I said to myself as I excitedly opened the game up and put it in front of my children and husband. LoYo ! is a card game for players ages seven and up, for two to six players, and takes less than half an hour to play. Perfect. Just what a mother needs for those days when the kids are basically throttling each other's necks! What day isn't like that? The game is easy enough to learn quickly as well, which makes it that much more fun because you can start playing pretty much right away. Object of LoYo!: have the lowest point score after six rounds. There are surprises around every corner, wh...

For people who know me, it's no surprise when I say that I need all the help I can get in organizing my life . Maybe the gods were looking down from the heavens, because I was recently given the opportunity to review a relatively new social networking site called Qlubb , thanks to MomFuse . My life will never be the same. Initially, I had no idea what this site was about. So, I finally decided to check it out the other day. And I was very pleasantly surprised. And so will everyone else around me since I will no longer forget my son's pizza days at school, or my daughter's waterpolo practices, or my numerous doctor's appointments. I'll also be able to keep track of school council meetings and countless other events that seem to occupy my life more and more these days. Not only that, but I will now have one place to keep all my group activities intact, and one email from which I can email anyone else in my different groups, be it "family", "book club...

I recently found a website I wish I had gone to months ago when my sister-in-law gave birth to little "Oscar". Better yet, I wish I had this site at my fingertips when I was pregnant with my children, or when all my friends were having theirs. I want to tell everyone about it because I think I've found my new home! I have decided that ShopWiki is the place to go online for any and all your shopping needs. I surfed the site for a long time because there is just so much to look at. At the time I went on initially, there were 223,963,832 items in total on their site, for everything from collectible comic books and lampshades, to computers and bedding. ShopWiki surfs the web constantly, and finds anything and everything for sale online, unlike most sites, where stores and companies actually pay to have a spot. After looking at Canon digital cameras since I so want one, and then at snowpants so that I can walk the dog in this godforsaken country, where the temperature in Ja...

I am such a lucky girl. I got the opportunity to try on and review the Teez-Her Skinny Tank , thanks to Mom Fuse ! What makes me so lucky is that I got this tank top before the holidays, so it was just in time to pig out to my heart's content and still look svelte and model-like! Very important, since I was the official taste-tester for all things high in calorie over the holidays. I appointed myself to this lofty title, of course. The Skinny Tank is amazing. I was sent the classic metallic gold version, which was perfect for the holidays! I could wear it on its own (when I was really hot, usually from all the effort I had to put into eating the many bonbons that kept appearing before me) or under a blouse, and I did both. I found the tank top did the job, which is to keep me looking as slim as a pencil, as sleek as a seal. I don't have a big belly, but I do have one. I have two children, remember. What has remained is not pretty. Sagging skin, rolls of unwanted fatty depos...

I recently had the opportunity to review a wonderful product for my oh-so-ignored and worn feet, and I will be forever indebted to Akhassa and Mom Fuse for this! Akhassa is a company that creates amazingly delicious (I swear you'll want to eat them for dessert) spa-quality products for use in the privacy of your home. They have a variety of products devoted to transforming your every moment into a personal spa experience. Only natural ingredients are used, with pure essential oils and extracts distilled from exotic Asian plants, flowers, fruits and herbs, inspiring their holistic philosophy. There are no animal-based ingredients, artificial dyes or fragrances in any of their products, and all are cruelty-free. There are three distinct lines in the Akhassa home spa collection, each featuring a unique balance of aromas and natural ingredients. The "Nurture" line was created to fortify the body and mind. Products include Ylang Ylang Body Lotion, Jasmine Body Scrub, and Ylan...