Reviews by maryellenp

maryellenp says "The Golden Compass...Love Your Soul...." about The Golden Compass

maryellenp — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 10:26:23 GMT

I recently saw the movie The Golden Compass. I took my three children and my husband with me. Now, my husband and my kids had not read the book, and I had. My youngest child had started the book and not stayed with it. I loved the book. The book was amazing.

From my perspective, the book is way better than the movie and the movie was not in sequence with the book. That being said, the movie was still good. My kids loved it and now they want to read the book!

This is a story of imagination, a parrallel universe with witches and magical polar bears. The aletheometer that only one child can read, and magical animals that are attached to us to love. It is a story of snow, and ice and wintertime magic. It suggests to the viewed that there are MANY parrallell worlds to ours with living beings.

I am not big on the cowboy Sam Elliot, he kind of takes away the magic for me. To suddenly have the southern accent show up in the middle of all of the proper british accents...

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maryellenp says "Mr. Coffee...you have failed me! I just cannot trust you." about Mr. Coffee FTX251 12-Cup Coffee Maker

maryellenp — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:45:54 GMT

Coffee in the morning is just a basic life necessity.

When I first saw this modern looking coffee maker I truly believed it would give my kitchen a whole new look. I also liked the warming function.I needed to be able to pour myself coffee during the brew cycle, and this feature was also noted on this machine. The charcoal filter to filter the water was not really important to me since I have a water filter anyway, but it was nice. I noticed that I could put this coffee maker into cleaning mode, and I could even decide on the strength of the coffee by pressing a button. I purchased this coffee maker for 39.99. I brought it home and began using it. The first time I brewed with it, was a breeze. Then came the second time...

I set it up that night and used the timer feature. I was excited to wake up to coffee all made in the morning. I was not prepared for the mess I found. I was surprised to find coffee spilling all over my counter and down the sides. I very unhappy when I discovered...

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maryellenp says "My dream came true...as she played for me..." about Story and Clark Upright Piano

maryellenp — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:38:59 GMT

My daughter is an amazing musician. She has a voice that is angelic. I have been told that she sings like a nightingale.

For Christmas our family surprised her with a new (old) piano. We had an old bang upon piano that was given to us years ago, and my children have all banged on it and learned to play a tune or two. My daughter however, has stuck to her piano lessons and learned to play and recently has started accompanying herself when she sings. So we decided to trade our old piano for a newer and better one.

We found a Story and Clark piano, built in Boston in the 1950s in pristine condition. We had it delivered on Christmas Eve. It has an oak case. I had my daughter out shopping while it was being delivered and set up. When we returned she did not go into the music room to notice the change in pianos. I was trying to keep her from the music room. When I was not looking she wandered into sit at the...

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maryellenp says "Oster Digital Blender, A solid machine!" about Oster Blender

maryellenp — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:22:31 GMT

The Oster digital blender is a great kitchen tool! I received an Oster Blender for a wedding gift ( 19 years ago) and it is still going strong. For Christmas I was giving a new Oster Digital Blender. This one has a timer on it so I can set it and walk away. While my old blender is still going strong, I am going to move it to my camp. The new one has taken over on the counter.

The new one is a black base, with a power button and it has a timer button, and a crushed ice button a pulse button. The speed button is a nice feature. When you click this button the blender begins to work and you can speed it up by pressing the arrow keys next to the digital number one.

Now, we have been making a lot of smoothies this week. My family loves healthy smoothies. I make them with fruit and with yogurt and sometimes I make them with vanilla ice cream. This past week I made a few egg nog smoothies for my family and they simply loved them. This blender quickly mixes...

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maryellenp says "STIGA USA TABLE TOP HOCKEY...Fun for the whole family!" about Stiga Stiga USA Table Top Hockey

maryellenp — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:05:26 GMT

The Stiga USA Table Top Hockey game is a lot of fun! It looks just like a real hockey arena. It comes complete with stickers that you can put on to represent your own teams. This is a toy for grown ups as well as kids.

I purchased this item for my husband! He loves it. Each of the team members are on rods that you need to pull and twist and move in order to hit the puck into the other net. There are shields around the ice rink and the players are solid and attach to the rods. My husband has three teams and he can take one team off and put on another. More teams are available to purchase if I look for them online.

Currently this item is selling at Amazon.com for 94.00 on sale. It is good fun for my whole family. We all love to play this table top game. It sets up on a card table. We are careful with this table top game when we play. It is as fun to look at as it is to play. It is quite nostalgic to my husband because he always had a rod hockey...

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maryellenp says "Rescue Pets Epets may not practice online safety for children..." about MGA Rescue Pets

maryellenp — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:01:27 GMT

My son loves his Webkinz and he was excited to try out some of the new Rescue Pets from MGA because he thought it would be fun to have a new website to play with online. Unfortunately, this toy is meant for a lot younger crowd and if your child likes Webkinz, he or she will be bored with Rescue Pets very quickly.

These stuffed animals come in a clear plastic container. They are recommended for children ages 4 and up . The animals are cute to look at. The one we have is a brown dog.

When you purchase an epet you will want to make sure that you have the following requirements at home:

A CPU 800mhz or higher computer with windows 2000, me or XP. If you have a mac system you will need a MAC OS 10.3 or higher operating system. Your monitor needs to be 800x600 resolution. 512 MB ram and 100 MB of free disc space. You will also need an internet connection.

The little stuffed dog has large embroidered eyes. It appears to be quite well made. It comes with a little heart shaped necklace and in...

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maryellenp says "Wellness Fish and Sweet Potato Formula is my choice for my pets" about Wellness Fish & Sweet Potato Formula Ultra Premium Dog Food

maryellenp — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:31:27 GMT

My dogs are pampered in our home. We have two little pomeranians. Teddy is a black pom and he is about 10 pounds. Annabelle weighs in at 7 pounds. She is a red sable. Both of our dogs are pampered and loved by the entire family. They are lap dogs by day and by night they sleep on our pillows in our beds! When someone comes to our door they bark like mad. They bark because they are so happy to see people. When people leave, they bark again, because they hate to see people go away!

We used to have a third dog. His name was Arlie and Arlie was a little poodle with allergies. Because of Arlie's allergies we learned to look for the healthiest food for him. Our veterinarian recommended WELLNESS to us and we found the sweet potato and fish mixture for him and all of our dogs eat it. (In fact, sometimes even the cat likes to eat it).

Now Annabelle and Teddy have continued to eat Wellness Fish and Sweet Potato formula. The size of the kibble is perfect for...

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maryellenp says "Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is a Classic Child's Toy!" about Little Tikes Cozy Coupe

maryellenp — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:31:29 GMT

The Cozy Coupe car is a classic. I have three children and they have all outgrown this car now, but it is one toy that we have had and still have available for little visitors out in the back yard!

This is an orange and yellow plastic kid powered, lid covered favorite. My children have had three of them. We purchased the first one for our first child when we were young and new parents. For our second child we had one given to us from friends who had outgrown theirs. Our third child we had two of our own for him and yet, we got a third one given to us! These can be found in thrift stores and in basements and at yardsales and sometimes people are throwing them away! New parents...look around before you spend 50.00 on a brand now one! These are so durable and wonderful that they will last through many many children!

Concerns I have with this toy, they can tip over if children try to climb or sit on top. My active and imaginative sons tipped theirs over! My older...

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maryellenp says "Swiffer Duster is a Swift way to Clean up after a pomeranian!" about Swiffer Duster®

maryellenp — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:05:49 GMT

Swiffer is a great name for a cleaning product that really is a swift cleaner! I love my swiffer duster. I put the pad on the bottom and tuck it into the holes on the top of the swiffer and away I go. I quickly dust my hardwood floors and my kitchen floor and even my bathroom floor. I can also use this item up in the corners of the wall where little cobwebs tend to be. It is quick and easy to do. My pomeranians leave hair all over my house, and my swiffer duster quickly cleans it right up!

The Swiffer unit can be purchased fairly inexpensively. I have seen it on sale for 7.99 and it comes with 5 pads. Extra pads must be purchased separately. In my house, with my two pomeranians we purchase a box of 12 pads every three weeks for my house. I will tell you a secret though. I have also taken my baby wipes (usually huggies are the thickest and largest) and washed them and when they were dry I was able to reuse them as swiffer cloths! (I used wet baby wipes...

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maryellenp says "Edible Incredible! Edible Arrangements...YUMMY" about Edible Arrangements

maryellenp — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:55:09 GMT

Edible Arrangements are incredible. There are so many to choose from and I am pleased to find their stores in so many areas.

I was able to send my employees a bouquet of dipped apples this Christmas. Apples were perfect because I do not know of anyone with an allergy to apples! And fruit is good because fruit is healthy for everyone. I did not need to worry about diabetes or peanut allergies by ordering from Edible Arrangements.

Although these arrangements are perishable, the customer service is great because they tell me how many the arrangement is made for, and it is just enough so there is no waste! I truly appreciate that.

Edible Arrangements delivered to me, from a friend, the first time I saw these. I received one of these arrangements when my mother passed away. It was great. I had fresh fruit on the table for people who were coming to visit and I could offer it to everyone. It was a perfect item for me to have available. It was a beautiful centerpiece...

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maryellenp says "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is an American Classic" about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

maryellenp — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:22:40 GMT

I recently received a first edition of A Tree Grows In Brookly from 1943. When I compare this to the new classic edition, there are some differences. I notice that some of the sexual scenes are not as descriptive in the first edition as they are in the newer editions.

Reading this book gave me the opportunity to once again began to read my favorite story, in the pages of this old book. Francie Nolan, the little girl who comes of age in this story, suffers from hunger and poverty in the slums of Williamsburg Brooklyn. She and her brother Neely survive on the pennies they make as they collect junk, and work with their mother. Francie is what we would call today a gifted child, she loves to read and school is so important to her. Her mother encourages this gift by reading each night from the Bible and Shakespear, one page every night. ( In the new edition, the children had read the bible and Shakespear many times, while in the first edition, they were only in the first part of the book,...

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maryellenp says "Wholesome Family Entertainment. THE WALTONS! " about Waltons - The Complete Fourth Season

maryellenp — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 20:06:42 GMT

I highly recommend the Waltons Season four. This season has 24 episodes and the family value of this DVD set is priceless.

In this season the Walton Family are continueing to live through the depression. There are 11 people in the family from Grandpa down to little Elizabeth. Grampa is played by Will Geer. He is a wonderful grandfather. The kind most of us only dream about having. The Grandmother is Ellen Corby. She is a crotchedy old grandmother but she loves her family and works for them and holds them together with her sense of tradition and family values.

The Momma and the Daddy played by Ralph Waite and Michael Learned are amazing parents. All parents can learn a lesson or two from these two.

There are seven children in the Walton Family. John Boy, Jason, Mary Ellen, Ben, Erin, JimBob and Elizabeth. This family struggles to make ends meet and they love each other and support each other throughout all of their trials and tribulations. Just...

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