Reviews by Katrena

Katrena says "Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong Tissues Great Product for Picky Buyer" about Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong Tissue

Katrena — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:40:19 GMT

Puffs Ultra Soft & Strong Tissue is actually quite soft and strong. I bought some of these when the generic kind that I usually buy were out. Frankly, I usually go for the cheapest tissues I can find. It's not like they can be re-used or that they will increase in value with age or anything!

What I like about these Puffs:

They are very soft--my kids especially like them when I have to go running after them with the tissues. They aren't as likely to make their noses as sore.
They are strong--Well, I wouldn't try to carry a watermelon on one or anything, but they do tend to hold up well.

What I don't like about these Puffs:

The price--I'm going to go with the best value I can find for the lowest price. Give me tissues in a white box. Don't make me pay for a name brand or cute pictures. I can cover up a boring box with a cover that I have in my bathroom. My nose doesn't really care about a brand.

My Viewpoint:

I guess I go for function over form. I'm not very picky about tissues (yes, a bit...

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Katrena says "Jolly Old Santa Claus Has Beautiful Illustrations" about Jolly Old Santa Claus

Katrena — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:07:02 GMT

Jolly Old Santa Claus [2000, Candy Cane Press, ISBN 0-8249-4182-9], by Patricia A. Pingry with paintings by George Hinke is a 14 page board book featuring Santa. The Jolly Old Elf is preparing for a ride with the help of his many elves. He also has a cat that appears on nearly every page. Although Santa surprises the boys and girls with his many gifts, he has a surprise of his own waiting when he gets back to the North Pole.

What I Like About This Book:

Illustrations are amazingly detailed with lots of color
Short and engaging story
Thick pages

My only suggestion for this book would have been to have put the cat on each page. There are a few pages where the cat is missing (with good reason!), but it was fun to search for the kitty.

My Viewpoint:

Jolly Old Santa Claus catches my 2-year-old's eye every time she looks through the board books at the library. We've read this book over and over, and she wants to check it out almost every time she sees it. I think the illustrations are particularly...

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Katrena says "Plackers Flossers Are OK But Not Very Environmentally Friendly" about Plackers Dental Flossers Mint 75 Ea, 2 Packs

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:38:34 GMT

Plackers Dental Flossers come in packs of 50, are mint flavored, and are advertised that people can clean all of their teeth with just one flosser.

What I Like About Plackers Dental Flossers:

They are convenient.
My kids are better about flossing than with traditional dental floss.
They were $1 at Dollar Tree.
They are packaged in a resealable pouch.

What I Don't Like About Plackers Dental Flossers:

They don't list whether or not they are gluten free on the package.
They are not very environmentally friendly.
They work well for my kids' teeth, but I'm not sure that they would do well if teeth were really tight.
They are made in China--I prefer to buy products made in America, if possible and affordable.

My Viewpoint:

Plackers Dental Flossers are convenient, a good price compared to many other brands, and have encouraged my kids to floss. They could also be helpful to people who have a hard time holding dental floss. My biggest issue with them is that they are disposable. I think it would...

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Katrena says "Disney Magic Towels are Cute Idea But Need More Quality Control" about Disney Magic Towel

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:21:31 GMT

Disney Magic Towels are washclothes that are packaged very tightly with plastic around them. After removing the outer plastic covering, just place the washcloth in water and watch it slowly open into a washcloth with a beautiful design.

We actually bought several of these for $1/each at the Dollar Tree. I thought they might be a good reward for good behavior, and my girls really enjoy pretty pictures on washcloths. I purchased:

High School Musical for the 7-year-old, who was not particularly impressed because the package had a picture with lots of kids but the washcloth did not.
Cinderella for the 5-year-old, who was disappointed because hers had two cut places in it.
Winnie the Pooh for the 23-month-old, who was thrilled and wanted to carry it everywhere for quite a while.

My Viewpoint:

I think these Disney Magic Towels are a cute idea and have pretty designs, but two out of three daughters were disappointed with them. My kids enjoyed watching their washcloths unfold in the water. Actually,...

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Katrena says "Waiting for Wings is Vivid, Colorful, and Fun" about Waiting for Wings

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:13:39 GMT

Waiting for Wings [2001, Harcourt, Inc., ISBN: 0-15-202608-8], by Lois Ehlert, is a 36-page children's picture book about butterflies.

The story:

The book begins with eggs and continues through the life cycle until butterflies emerge amidst the beautiful flowers until they have eggs to lay. The story rhymes and the pages are interesting in that part of the pages are only partial pages and several portions of illustrations are used for multiple pages.

The end of the book shows four different butterflies and how to identify the caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly, and food for that type. The four butterflies identified are:

buckeye
painted lady
monarch
tiger swallowtail

It also shows the basic parts of a butterfly, a summary of the butterfly life cycle, how butterflies eat, and a guide to identify flowers on which butterflies like to feed.

This book is a little larger than a regular sized book and would work well for small groups if you wanted to read it to several children at once. Its short...

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Katrena says "Just My Style Messenger Bag Is a Fun Craft and Unique Handbag" about Just My Style Messenger Bag

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:10:47 GMT

Just My Style Messenger Bag is a handbag that has a large fold-over flap with a design that can be colored and decorated. My 8-year-old got this for her birthday, and I think it's one of the cutest and most original ideas for a gift I've seen. My sister, CyndiA, is really good at picking out cool gifts. It is advertised for ages 6 and older.

Because this was a gift, I'm not sure on the price for this product.

What I like about Just My Style Messenger Bag:

It is a fun craft that can be used as an accessory.
It comes with 5 bright permanent markers and 20 peel & stick sparkling stones.
It allows for my child to express herself and create something all her own.
It seems to be made well and looks like it will last.

What I don't like about Just My Style Messenger Bag:

Babies and permanent markers don't mix very well.

My Viewpoint:

Just My Style Messenger Bag is a great gift idea for a child who love to color. It can provide a unique accessory that seems to be durable. I recommend that if you...

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Katrena says "Woolite Foam Carpet Cleaner Gets a Lot of Mileage at My House" about Woolite One Step Foam Carpet Cleaner

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:00:29 GMT

Woolite One Step Foam Carpet Cleaner gets a lot of use at our house. I have three children. They all have holes in their chins. Food and drink goes in and comes right out the hole. Then there's the artist in the family. Markers show up quite nicely on carpet. You don't even need to try that out...just take my word for it.

Here's what I like about Woolite Carpet Cleaner:

It's easy--just shake the can, point the nozzle and squirt. The can says to let it dry and then vacuum. We just use an old towel and scrub because foam is a great play thing around my house.
It works well on new stains and water soluble markers. I feel your pain if you have old stains or permanent marker artwork on your carpet.
It works quickly.
The bottle says it does not contain CFCs, which deplete the ozone layer.
It has an odor eliminator but doesn't have a strong scent.
Quite a few stores in my area carry it.

What I don't like about Woolite Carpet Cleaner:

It's not cheap but not the most expensive carpet cleaner out...

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Katrena says "I'm Quite Impressed with Dolgencorp Trowel from Dollar General" about Dolgencorp Trowel

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:58:41 GMT

People who have flower beds usually have a trowel. It looks like a little shovel with a blade about as long as one's hand. It's very hard to find a good trowel at any price. The ones with a handle that is attached to the blade tend to come apart and bend when putting much pressure on them. I happened to see this Dolgencorp Trowel at Dollar General and it only cost $1. I've bought numerous other trowels for more money that weren't nearly the quality that this one is.

What I like about Dolgencorp Trowel:

It's made in one piece so it won't come apart.
It feels quite sturdy and I've put it to the test quite a few times.
It's lightweight--my two-year-old loves this thing and I often have to make a deal with her in order to use it (she isn't impressed with my older one that looks different).
It was a great price at Dollar General.
It is not green. When you leave a green item in a garden that has lots of green foliage, it's not easy to find. This one is primarily black with a little bit of blue....

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Katrena says "Krinkles Truck & People are Fun and Entertaining to Kids" about Krinkles Truck Blocks & 4 People

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:32:58 GMT

Krinkles Truck Blocks & 4 People comes as a set of 40 interlocking blocks and 4 figures (man, woman, boy, girl) with a krinkle pad on the bottom. These are interesting blocks because they can be stuck together fairly easily and pulled apart to redesign over and over.

What I like about Krinkles truck blocks/people:

Easy to use
Colorful
My kids loved having people to go with it
Cute to have tire-type blocks

What I didn't like about Krinkles truck blocks/people:

My kids like to put people in items and the people would stand on the vehicle but you couldn't have them to sit down
They seem sturdy but they are only recommended for children over 3. If a baby tried to chew on these blocks, the small pegs would probably come loose.
Tires didn't turn

My Viewpoint:

We actually checked this toy out with a toy kit at our Smart Start office. The kids were all drawn right to this particular box and loved to play with it. The 8-year-old and 5-year-old seemed to be able to fit the pieces together pretty...

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Katrena says "I Feel LIke I Got Hosed at Lowe's With 12 Hour Green Snap Light" about Snap Light 12 Hour Green Glow Stick

Katrena — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:14:36 GMT

I purchased this Snap Light 12 Hour Green Glow Stick at Lowe's just before Halloween for $2. It is a green colored glow stick that is packaged separately. Take it out of the package and snap it like you would try to break a stick. This allows the chemicals to mix and produce a green glow. We thought glowing magic wands would work really well with our Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather costumes. In case you haven't heard, they are the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty.

What I like about Snap Light Glow Stick:

It's convenient.
It produces a pretty cool green glow.
It does last for a pretty long while.
It was easy to attach to the wands with a rubber band.
The package says it is safe, non-toxic & non-flammable, but we didn't decide to drink it or place it over a flame to test those claims.
My kids had a blast with them!

What I don't like about Snap Light Glow Stick:

I feel like I got hosed at Lowe's. This thing cost $2. It only lasts for 12 hours. Wal-Mart had another brand in packs of 10 for $4,...

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Katrena says "The Hungry Hummingbird Gives Interesing Information About Hummer" about The Hungry Hummingbird

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:02:10 GMT

The Hungry Hummingbird [2001, Millbrook Press, ISBN: 0-7613-1951-4], by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Gay W. Holland, is a 32-page children's book about hummingbirds.

The Story:

A hummingbird decides to find some food on a bright and sunny August morning, but he's not having much luck at first. He tries several plants:

daisies (bees like this pollen)
butterfly (colorful but not food for hummingbird)
trumpet vine & red honeysuckle (likes this food)
red lights on back of car (no way)
red hat (nope)
red head on sapsucker (no, but the sap was good in the hole he left in the tree, but hummingbirds cannot drill holes)
yellow jewelweed (good even if it was not red)
insects (tasty--I didn't know that hummingbirds ate these!)
store-bought feeder (good also)

This book also has information about "The Truth Behind the Story" with interesting facts such as bats and bears visiting feeders and "Attracting Hummingbirds" with information about how to make food and care for feeders with several...

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Katrena says "Pirates Don't Change Diapers is Funny Look at Babysitting" about Pirates Don't Change Diapers

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:44 GMT

Pirates Don't Change Diapers [2007, Harcourt, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-15-205353-6], by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon, is a 40-page children's book about babysitting.

The Story:

Mom has to go to the store to buy some milk and Jeremy Jacob has strict orders to try not to bother his napping father and to keep his little sister happy if she wakes up from her nap. Jeremy was trying to figure out what to buy for his Mom's birthday with his meager funds, but then needed to turn his attention to his little sister. Amazingly, the baby awakens immediately after Mom leaves, and that's just when the group of pirates arrive.

If the pirates are planning to stay to look for treasure in the backyard, they are going to have to help babysit. They agree, but only after they realize that they aren't expected to sit on the wee one. Speaking of wee, her diaper needs to be changed, and the pirates seem to have used up all the diapers in practice as everything from hands to pets to heads are sporting...

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Katrena says "Colorful Peacocks is Informative and Has Interesting Pictures" about Colorful Peacocks

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:57:48 GMT

Colorful Peacocks [2007, Lerner Publications Company, ISBN - 13: 978-0-8225-5930-6], by Deborah Underwood, is a 32-page children's book about peacocks. This book is quite small, about 6" X 6" with a hard cover and paper pages.

The Story:

Colorful Peacocks is actually about peafowl (peacocks--males, peahens--females, and peachicks--babies) and includes quite a few pictures of these beautiful birds. I would have never thought of a peacock blending in with a tree, but a picture shows how the tail feathers actually do blend in.

This book has quite a few interesting facts that I didn't know. I thought it was interesting that peafowl might eat a snake and that peacocks don't get their train (long tail) feathers until they are three years old.

The back of the book has a map of Asia and asks where peacocks live, but the book doesn't seem to answer that question. Hmmm.... It also identifies the various parts of a peacock's body and also includes a glossary and websites.

My girls and I particularly...

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Katrena says "Minty is an Engaging Story of Harriet Tubman as 8-year-old" about Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:52:35 GMT

Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman [1996, Dial Books for Young Readers, ISBN: 0-8037-1888-8], by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, is a 40-page children's fictional account of Harriet Tubman when she was 8 years old that is based on some factual information.

The Story:

Harriet Tubman is particularly fond of being a slave on the Brodas plantation, and the owner of the plantation seems to sense that. After Minty (from her "cradle" name of Araminta) spills cider on the table, she is punished by having to watch her beloved doll burn to ashes. She is then sent to be a field slave, and her parents warn Minty that she needs to "pat the lion" a before she "gets her head bit off" and sent down South.

Minty seems to enjoy the outdoors more, but the work is hard in the fields. When she is sent to tend some muskrat traps, she decides to set them free, only to discover that she is being watched so she tries to run and eventually is beaten badly. Her determination to run away only...

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Katrena says "Journey to the Haunted Planet Has Really Cool Holograms" about Journey to the Haunted Planet

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:45:13 GMT

Journey to the Haunted Planet: An Interstellar Adventure with 12 Cosmic Holograms [1995, HarperFestival, ISBN: 0-694-00812-5], by A.J. Wood and illustrated by Wayne Anderson, is a 20-page children's book.

The Story:

Professor Sponge decides to try out his homemade rocket, but a dog named Soap tends to cause all sorts of problems when he sneaks on board before lifting off. Although the professor claims there is no sign of life, some can't help but feel as if someone or something is watching them, so they decide that this strange planet is haunted. When Soap falls into a cavernous pit to find his bone, what will happen as the group discovers that there really is life on this planet?

My Viewpoint:

The best part of Journey to the Haunted Planet for me was the holograms. My kids were absolutely fascinated with these strange creatures that kept changing colors or directions or actions throughout the book. The story was a bit mediocre for me, but I was really impressed with the holograms. The...

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Katrena says "Spiders Book Has Awesome Spider Pictures!" about Spiders

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:41:44 GMT

Spiders [2003, Harper-Collins, ISBN: 0-06-028391-2], by Seymour Simon, is a quite informative book about spiders. Teachers or people who are interested in learning about spiders will be interested in this children's book that is easy to read and gives readers a unique and up-close look at a wide variety of spiders.

Here are a few interesting facts from Spiders:

There are about 35,000 different types of spiders.
One type of spider resembles bird droppings.
Spiders are related to ticks and mites.
It tells how to tell the difference between a spider and an insect (spider--8 legs & 2 body parts, insect--6 legs, 3 body parts, antennae)
Pedipalps are beside spider's jaws and are used as feelers and can hold prey.
All spiders can produce silk, which can be "three times stronger than a steel wire of the same thickness."
Jumping spiders may jump as far as 40 times the length of its own body.
"A black widow's bite is about 15 times more poisonous than that of a rattlesnake."
Some spiders spend a...

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Katrena says "Best Halloween Book Was Just Average For Me & My Kids" about Best Halloween Book

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:41:07 GMT

Best Halloween Book [1985, Troll Associates, ISBN: 0-8167-0373-6], by Pat Whitehead and illustrated by Stephanie Britt, is a 32-page Halloween-themed children's book.

The Story:

Best Halloween Book is actually an ABC book that follows a little girl named Annie on her Halloween adventure as she decides what she wants to wear for Halloween and then procedes to the pumpkin patch where she meets several scary surprises.

I think it's pretty challenging to write a story that flows well if you are going to flow with the letters of the alphabet. This one did a pretty good job of that, but there seemed to be a lot of focus on being scared in the middle until nearly the end of the book. The pictures aren't all that scary, but the book mentions that some of the characters are not only scared and frightened but terrified.

This book does incorporate several words that children may not know, like ogre and quivers. I always think it's fun to see what authors are going to do with letters like X and Z in...

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Katrena says "The Witch Casts a Spell--Story to Tune of The Farmer in the Dell" about The Witch Casts a Spell

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:30:37 GMT

The Witch Casts a Spell [2002, Dial Books for Young Readers--Penguin Putnam, ISBN: 0-8037-2646-5], by Suzanne Williams and illustrated by Barbara Olsen, is a 32-page children's book with a Halloween-themed song. All of the lyrics and the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell" are on the last page.

The Story

The witch casts a spell and all the other characters begin to come alive and play their part in this children's book. Each phrase is repeated a total of three times with "such sights are seen on Halloween" repeated on each stanza between the second and third phrase. The various characters include:

scarecrow (looks a bit different with a blue face, but cute)
goblins (look like kids with missing teeth)
mummy (always easy to pick out a mummy in the crowd--my daughter kept wanting to call this one the mommy though!)
vampire (was he serving blood or cherry drinks?)
goblins (the ghost with the ballcap is too cute)
band (my daughter was fascinated by the piano player with no head)
spooks (try to...

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Katrena says "Grandma and Me Has Pictures that My 2-year-old Loves" about Grandma and Me

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:27:17 GMT

Grandma and Me [1988, Little Simon, ISBN: 0-689-81270-1], by Neil Ricklen, is a 22-page children's board book with pictures of grandmothers and their grandchildren that look to be about 18 months to 2 years old. Each page or set of pages has a single word on it:

cooking (with a toy stove)
crying (but Grandma is comforting)
counting (Grandma is holding up 2 fingers and they have a ball and a cute crocheted turtle with them)
tying (shoes, of course!)
hugging (Grandma is hugging her grandchild but the little girl is hugging her baby doll too)
brushing (pearly whites)
rocking (in a bentwood rocker)
dancing (with a tape player in the background)
listening (they both have on headphones and funny expressions)
coloring (it looks like they are coloring on the floor, but I think they have paper on the floor--might want to mention that before the little one decides to try that out)
playing (with a toy)
reaching (towards each other)
clapping (both are)
tumbling (the little one looks like he's in the...

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Katrena says "High School Musical Twister Moves is Very Challenging" about Milton Bradley Disney High School Musical Twister Moves

Katrena — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:15:58 GMT

Milton Bradley Disney High School Musical Twister Moves is not your Twister game from years ago. My daughter received this as a birthday gift when she turned 8 and I was thinking spinner and big mat with colors. Wow--Twister has changed a lot.

How to play:

This game has two small mats, so it is designed for no more than two players at a time. A CD comes with it and a man and a woman call out various colors. It's important to notice who is calling what because you are supposed to step with one foot when the guy speaks and the other foot when the lady speaks. They also add a few other movements with hands and hops.

The CD has a short practice session at the beginning and then it moves quickly through lots of combination moves. It has four songs from the movie on it as well.

My Viewpoint:

Milton Bradley Disney High School Musical Twister Moves was VERY challenging for my 8-year-old and 5-year-old. They would have done much better with a spinner and a slower speed. If the CD had been a DVD...

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