Reviews by Friends of alicat8

Katrena says "Museum Shapes Intruduces Kids to Art While Teaching Shapes" about Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.) - Museum Shapes

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:48:21 GMT

Museum Shapes [2005, Little Brown and Company, ISBN: 0-316-05698-7] incorporates various paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in order to teach kids about various shapes. The book has several pictures of paintings and asks if the child can find the matching shape in the picture.

The shapes covered in this book are:

square
circle
rectangle
triangle
oval
arch--this one was a little bit hard for the kids to figure out
crescent
diamond
heart--my kids particularly liked the heart-shaped book on one page
star

The back of the book shows the pictures and gives details like the name of the painting, the artist, medium used for the artwork, if it was dedicated to someone, etc.

My Viewpoint:

All of my kids (ages 8, 5, and 2) found Museum Shapes to be interesting. They were all looking for the various shapes and would ask for me to go back so they could look longer at the pictures. This book is interesting because it shows famous paintings and gives background information at the end of the...

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Katrena says "The Three Bears Christmas Combines Christmas with 3 Bears" about The Three Bears Christmas

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:33:49 GMT

The Three Bears Christmas [2005, Holiday House, ISBN: 0-8234-1871-5] by Kathy Duval and illustrated by Paul Meisel is a 32-page children's picture book about a new visitor to the Three Bears' house.

The Story:

The Three Bears decide to go for a walk to let the food cool, but Goldilocks is not the mystery visitor this time. It is cold outside and as they walk, Baby Bear hears and sees things that are suspicious, but Mama and Papa just think those strange things are actually normal wintery phenomenon.

When they get back to the house, they are surprised to see that someone has nibbled at their food, sat in their chairs, and rumbled the beds. The mystery visitor left several red clothing items along the way, and Baby Bear notices each one. Finally, they see someone outside that is up in the air--minus a few clothes! The bears don't stay upset for long...after all, the mystery visitor did leave presents.

My Viewpoint:

The Three Bears Christmas is a fun Christmas book that combines parts of...

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Katrena says "Eagle Eyes is Children's Book about ADHD" about Eagle Eyes: A Child's Guide to Paying Attention

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:20:29 GMT

Eagle Eyes: A Child's Guide to Paying Attention [1991, Verbal Images Press, ISBN: 0-9625136-4-4] by Jeanne Gehret with illustrations by Susan Covert is a 32-page children's book about ADHD. The pictures are black and white.

The Story:

Ben and his family are going for a walk on a trail, but Ben keeps irritating his sister with his constant talking and inability to focus. The parents decide to take Ben to the doctor and he is diagnosed with ADHD. Ben and his family learn new ways to help Ben to focus and interact, and Ben starts taking medication. Some things begin to improve, and the dad goes on another hike on the trail with the two kids. This time Dad falls and hurts his ankle. Will Ben be able to help?

My Viewpoint:

My kids really liked Eagle Eyes: A Child's Guide to Paying Attention. My 5-year-old asked me to read it quite a few times. She is a bit energetic and finds it difficult to focus at times. This could be a good book especially for a child that had ADD or ADHD or finds focusing...

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Katrena says "Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? Gives Details on Many Symbols" about Teresa Bateman - Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who?: The Stories Behind Some of America's Patriotic Symbols

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:01:20 GMT

Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who? The Stories Behind Some of America's Patriotic Symbols [2001, Holiday House, ISBN: 0-8234-1285-7] by Teresa Bateman with illustrations by John O'Brien gives details about quite a few American symbols, including:

Flag
Eagle
Great Seal
Liberty Bell
Mt. Rushmore
White House
Star-Spangled Banner
Pledge of Allegiance
Capitol
National Mall
Washington Monument
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Thomas Jefferson Memorial

I found the section on the flag particularly interesting as it described words such as canton, field, halyard, and hoist. I didn't realize that when John Adams first occupied the White House that servants had to carry water from a spring that was about a mile and a half away. Each section gives quite a bit of information along with dates. The memorial sections give quotes from the actual monuments.

The illustrations are very nice, but I think pictures of the actual symbols might have been more helpful in some places.

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Katrena says "Our National Symbols Gives Lots of Information with Pictures" about Our National Symbols

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:43:06 GMT

Our National Symbols [1992, The Millbrook Press, ISBN: 1-56294-108-9] by Linda Carlson Johnson is a 48-page children's book about America's symbols.

This book includes information about several symbols including:

Liberty Bell--I found it interesting that this bell rode on a train called the Liberty Bell Special.
Bald Eagle--I didn't realize that Benjamin Franklin and several others preferred that the turkey be chosen as our national bird.
Great Seal--I knew very little about this one and thought it was interesting to know that the words "e pluribus vnum" mean "from many, one."
Uncle Sam--This section also covered lots of interesting information.
Bison--The role of Native Americans in our history is also touched upon here.
Statue of Liberty--This section gives interesting information such as the number of steps (335) and that there is an elevator for those who wish to bypass some of those steps

My Viewpoint:

Our National Symbols is nicely organized and gives lots of interesting information...

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Katrena says "Reindeer Book Informative but Maybe Too Informative for My Kids" about Reindeer

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:29:55 GMT

Reindeer [1994, Holiday House, ISBN: 0-8234-1097-8] by Emery Bernhard and illustrated by Durga Bernhard is a 32-page children's picture book about reindeer. This book tells all sorts of interesting facts about reindeer, which are also called caribou in some parts. Here are some of the interesting facts from the book:

Male and female deer grow antlers each year.
Reindeer may travel as much as 1600 miles to migrate.
Reindeer can swim well.
They have hollow hair.
Some are trained to pull heavy loads and may pull them as far as 50 miles in a day (but not flying through the air!)

This book incorporates quite a few new vocabulary words for children, such as tundra, mukluk, lichen, and dewclaw. It has a glossary and describes many of these terms in separate sections throughout the book.

My Viewpoint:

Reindeer is quite informative with nice illustrations, but after I read the book, my 8-year-old discovered the truth about a certain man in red. She was excited and not sad about figuring out this...

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Katrena says "How Seeds Travel: Popguns & Parachutes Uses Fun Examples" about How Seeds Travel: Popguns & Parachutes

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:08:45 GMT

How Seeds Travel: Popguns & Parachutes [1990, Childrens Press, ISBN: 0-89565-569-1] by Jane Belk Moncure and illustrated by Helen Endres is a 32-page children's book about the way plants disperse seeds.

This book talks about various plants and how their seeds are moved from one place to another including "flyers, floaters, riders, and poppers." Here are a few examples:

Cherry tree that has seeds moved by birds
Oak tree in which squirrels move the seeds
Coconut tree and water lily with seeds moved by water
Witch hazel that shoots seeds like a popgun
Cockleburs that hitchhike on a dog's hair
Dandelion (one of my daughters' favorite "flowers") and tumbleweed with seeds moved by the wind
Maple tree that has helicopter seeds

The illustrations compliment the story nicely, and the story encourages children to think and answer questions. It has an index at the back for easy reference.

My Viewpoint:

How Seeds Travel: Popguns & Parachutes is a simple children's book about how plants get their seeds...

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Katrena says "You Can't Buy a Dinosaur With a Dime Teaches Kids About Money" about Fred Ehrlich - You Can't Buy a Dinosaur With a Dime

Katrena — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:54:18 GMT

You Can't Buy a Dinosaur With a Dime [2003, Blue Apple Books, ISBN: 1-929766-81-5] by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Amanda Haley is a 28-page children's picture book that teaches kids math concepts related to money.

The Story:

A young boy named Pete has saved up some money and decides to buy something with it. As the story progresses, Pete counts his money, and the bills are shown with their corresponding monetary value. Kids reading the book are encouraged to count along in the book and to count their own money as well. Will Pete have enough money to buy what he wants?

The back of the book contains quite a bit of interesting money-related information such as:

how to do money rubbings
ways for kids to earn money
information about buying something and later regretting it
giving to charity
money facts such as mint marks and interesting coins such as 20 cent, 1/2 cent, 2 cent, and 3 cent pieces
different words people might use for money
expressions related to money

My Viewpoint:

You...

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Bryan-Carey says "Palo Alto Battlefield: The Beginning of the Mexican War" about Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park

Bryan-Carey — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:45:25 GMT

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PattyTherre says "Good soap but doesn't last long. The others are better values." about Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

PattyTherre — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:33:01 GMT

Quick View: Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap is great smelling soap that effectively cleanses hands. I find, though, that the foam type seems to run out very quickly compared to the deep cleansing and moisturizing varieties in the same scents. I like this soap but prefer the longer lasting non foaming soaps better.

My Take on Bath and Body Works Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

This liquid hand soap comes in 8.75 ounce plastic pump bottles in many signature scents and newer fragrances that Bath and Body Works carries. You can choose from unisex scents to very girly ones to clean, fresh types. The pump soap is fragrant and it is, indeed, a frothy foam. It's very lightweight and doesn't dry my skin. However, I find that I have to pump it several times to get enough to feel as though my hands are really clean. My husband and son also seem to use much more than they would if it were regular hand soap as compared to the foam.

When I rinse my hands, they do feel cleansed and smell great....

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njchicaa says "Trader Joe's Spanakopita has yummy filling but mushy filo dough." about Trader Joe's Spanakopita

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:28:04 GMT

I'm not usually one for pre-made appetizers or meals, but when I saw Trader Joe's Spanakopita sitting prettily there in the freezer last month, I remembered how good the Barefoot Contessa's version looked when I saw it on Food Network and tossed 2 boxes into my cart. I didn't get around to actually trying them until today...

To prepare Trader Joe's Spanakopita, you simply open up the box, remove the plastic wrapping, and bake the pieces (straight out of the freezer) in their foil pan at 375 degrees F for 20-22 minutes. After they are cooked, you are supposed to let them cool for 10 minutes before serving. I followed the directions while preparing the Spanakopita and was somewhat disappointed. Yes, after 22 minutes the filling of the little pockets was warm, but the phyllo/filo dough was still very soft and doughy. I tried to cook one of the trays for an extra 10 minutes or so, but that just resulted in the phyllo dough cracking, splitting, and otherwise self-destructing rather...

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njchicaa says "I'm very happy with this Depo-Provera generic birth control." about Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (Depo-Provera generic)

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:42:29 GMT

At 32, I'm pretty sure that I don't want children. I already take a fair amount of medication daily for my asthma, so I didn't want to use birth control pills. I had used Depo-Provera injections successfully in the past, so that was what I chose to go with again on my last visit with the OB/GYN.

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate is the generic version of Depo-Provera and what the pharmacy has been giving me for the past year. It is basically a derivative of progesterone, that prevents ovulation and thickens cervical mucus. It is 99.7% effective which means it provides more pregnancy protection than pills and condoms. It is worth noting, however, that Medroxyprogesterone Acetate Injections do not provide any protection from STDs, including HIV and HPV.

You receive these birth control injections intramuscularly every 11-13 weeks. The needle is rather large but, I promise you, you won't feel it if you can stand to drop your pants a bit and have the injection in your upper butt. ...

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njchicaa says "It isn't Christmas in my house without WickIt Good's Noel Candle" about WickIt Good Noel Candle

njchicaa — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:08:15 GMT

I really enjoy candles and am always looking for new brands and exciting fragrances. One of the lines that I keep returning to is WickIt Good Candles, a local candle company that has 3 New Jersey shops and an online store. Each Christmas I buy several of their Noel Candles and enjoy every minute of the fragrance that they spread throughout the house.

WickIt Good's Noel Candle is opaque white in color and has a fragrance described as a "true tanenbaum". I'm not sure what "tanenbaum" is supposed to smell like, but I can say that this Noel scent is simply Christmas. It seems to be a blend of evergreen, mint, and a hint of sweet berries. WickIt Good Candles contain 10% fragrance oil as opposed to the competition's 4-5%, so these are very strongly-scented candles that don't contain fillers, hardeners, or stabilizing chemicals. Basically, they are wax and fragrance.

I bought WickIt Good Noel in the 18 Ounce Double Wick Jar Candle for $22.50. It is a bit more expensive per ounce...

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LauraBelle says "Like Having a Mixed Drink" about Coca-Cola - Diet Coke with Lime

LauraBelle — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:05:48 GMT

I like my citrus, but not so much orange or lemon. I like lime. I much prefer that taste in my cooking, and I'll add lime added to steak is amazing. I have to have a lime in my preferred drink, Rum and Diet Coke. This makes it just that much easier to achieve it.

I can drink a plain Diet Coke, but if I have rum in it, I really want a lime taste to it. Of course a fresh-squeezed lime is preferred, but that's not always doable. Lime-flavored rum works well, with Bacardi Limon being my preferred favorite. Yet sometimes I want a little different taste than just lime. I like coconut rums as well, and I can add Diet Coke with Lime to a coconut rum to make it a different combined taste.

But one of the best reasons I've found to have the Diet Coke With Lime is tha it makes me feel like I'm having a mixed drink without even having to add any alcohol. I can pour myself a glass over ice, and I feel like I'm having a mixed drink. It tastes really similar. It's great for a Saturday night when I'm staying...

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vivasuzi says "Not bad, but a bit more talking than I expected." about 2012

vivasuzi — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:26:28 GMT

2012 is a story about the end of the world. Apparently the Mayan's predicted the world would end in 2012, and guess what, it looks like they were right! According to this movie at least. The movie actually begins in 2009 as scientists discover some anomalies happening at the Earth's core. This news spreads up to the president of the United States and from there makes it to all the important people of the world. But the regular person, like Jackson Curtis and family, have no idea what is about to happen to them.

The film follows the president, the scientists, and his daughter on one side of the spectrum. These are the people in the know and trying to figure out what to do while keeping things underwraps. Then the film also follows Jackson Curtis, his ex-wife and kids as they try to piece together things they hear and save themselves before it is too late. Who will survive? You'll have to watch and see!

John Cusack plays Jackson Curtis, a writer who wrote a book that...

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LauraBelle says "Not Listerine-y Enough" about Reach Total Care Floss With Listerine, Mint

LauraBelle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:08:56 GMT

I lost my favorite dental floss this past year. It just disappeared from the shelves very slowly, and I'm assuming they're no longer making it. This has me on the hunt for a new floss. What I liked about my other faithful brand was that it said it was like brushing in between my teeth, and it delivered on that promise. It also had a great mint taste to it that complimented well the flavors of my toothbrushing.

Seeing Reach Total Care Floss With Listerine, Mint, in the store, I figured this was finally the replacement I was looking for. It says it slides as easily as Glide floss and that it removes up to 2x more plaque because of its micro-grooves technology. I never would hav thought that there'd be a technology to dentall floss, but this one has supposedly been well-engineered.

The design of the micro-grooves are so micro you can't see them and feel them and just have to trust that they are there and working diligently on your teeth and gums. The weird thing about the floss is that it's...

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TheBard says "Delve deeper, if you dare, into the world of the supernatural" about Living Dead in Dallas

TheBard — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:43:02 GMT

By the end of the HBO series True Bloods' first season I had become intensely interested in reading the series of books upon which the show is based, and so I bought the boxed set of (7) books, the second of which is Living Dead in Dallas.

Synopsis

Living Dead in Dallas picks up where Dead Until Dark left off. The book revolves around the life of a waitress, 26-year-old Sookie Stackhouse, who makes her home in the Northern Louisiana town of Bon Temps.

Living Dead in Dallas opens as Sookie finds the dead body of Lafayette, the openly Gay short order cook at Merlotte's the bar in which she works. Sookie soon learns that Lafayette had been frequenting local sex parties and she believes members of the group might know something about her associate's murder so she uses her "disability" to start tuning into people's thoughts as they come into the bar.

About this time Bill informs her that they have been summoned to Shreveport to appear before Eric Northman at his bar named Fangtasia. ...

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AnnaBanana says "Mashed potatoes which are convenient but delicious!" about Ore-Ida Steam N Mash Russet Potatoes

AnnaBanana — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:22:38 GMT

I can hardly believe that there was a time, decades ago, when nearly everybody who cooked ended up peeling and boiling potatoes at least two or three times a week. Those were the days ... when it just seemed a routine thing to do ... and the end results were almost always delicious. Nowadays, with busy two-income families or casual cooks like me, there are a lot of mashed-potato lovers who yearn for the homemade item but have neither the time nor inclination to make them. For those people, help has arrived -- Ore-Ida Steam n' Mash Potatoes.

Ore-Ida is the gold standard for potato convenience and quality and this product is no exception. You don't even have to puncture the microwave-safe bag to vent -- just stick the darned thing in there with the seam side up and microwave on high for ten minutes (meanwhile, there is one less boiling pot to take up a burner on your regular stove -- a fact which can mean a lot during the preparation of a big dinner). For safety's sake, wait a while...

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Fardreamer says "Senator Palpatine is a nice but not great Episode I figure" about Hasbro Star Wars - Episode I: Senator Palpatine

Fardreamer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:30:24 GMT

A political and tactical mastermind, Senator Palpatine represents the people of Naboo in the Galactic Senate and engineers his own election as Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. - From the package blurb

Star Wars fans -- especially those who have read the novelizations of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi -- have known that the evil Emperor was once Senator Palpatine, an ambitious politician who cleverly maneuvered his way up the ranks of the Galactic Senate and into the Republic's highest elected office.

In the Prequel Trilogy writer-director George Lucas showed audiences how Palpatine worms his way into power, by cleverly manipulating the democratic process, pushing Queen Amidala to call for a vote of "no confidence" against his one-time friend Valorum, and (in his true Sith form of "Darth Sidious") fomenting a crisis involving the greedy Trade Federation and his own backwater home world of Naboo.

Hasbro's Star Wars Episode I: Senator Palpatine 3.75-inch scale action figure depicts...

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LauraBelle says "The Best Part Is That It's True!" about "THE BLIND SIDE"

LauraBelle — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:06:56 GMT

Sandra Bullock spends much of this movie explaining football to us. I didn't need the explanations. We're a football family. I'm well-versed on everything about football. We watch our beloved Chicago Bears religiously, my husband coaches youth football, my son is on the high school varsity football team, and my daughter cheerleads for youth football. I didn't need the explanation. Nor did I need her explanation of why her character was helping a kid in need. I understood.

The story centers around Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), a disadvantaged teenaged boy. His mom is a crack addict, leaving him to his own means. He crashes on the couch sometimes at his friend's house. The friend's dad gets him admitted to an exclusive parochial school and works a deal for Michael, nicknamed Big Mike, to be part of the school as well. Basically, they don't want him for his academics, as he he's been passed through to high school, but struggles with many basic things, including reading. They want him for...

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