Friday, April 16, 2010

Ultimate Blog Party 2010~ Better Late than Never!

I me oh my! I almost missed out on this one~ (It's been a bit of a crazy hectic week, but then, what week isn't... no excuse really~)

Anyway, there is this one event that happens every year that is a lot of fun~

Ultimate Blog Party 2010

This is a great way to find some new blogs, new products, and be entered to win one of almost 200 great prizes. All it takes is a little bit of time, and possibly a post on your blog. Sorry that I am catching up to this on the LAST day to post, tho'. :p If you want to join in, do it quick!

Here are the prizes I would love to win in order~
  • USC 17 –  CmomGo is offering up a $200 Apple Gift certificate. (Because we could spend so much $ at the Apple store, if only we had the $)
  • US80 – A collection of inspirational pewter Treasures charms (Would be FUN for my soon-to-be 13 year old!)
  • US75 – $100 Gift Certificate to SummitCampingGear.com (Our family has recently begun an annual camping trip... this would be helpful, I'm sure!)
  • US101 – One lucky winner will get this $450 Human Touch Foot and Calf Massager  (oh... just because! :) )
  • US8 – Buds to Bloom Photo Tile Necklace (This is really Pretty~ I like!)  
  • US112 – $50 Amazon Gift card (or any other Amazon Gift Card, because these are the economic times we're in... )
  • USC 35 - $50.00 CASH ~ Paypal Transfer (Or any othercash/Visa Gift Card~ Same as above~ Every little bit helps!)
  • USC 3 – A $50.00 Target Gift Card.(or any other Target Gift Card.... same reasons as previous 2)
  • US20 – $50.00 in jewelry from Cookie Lee   (one of my favorite bracelets is Cookie Lee) 
  • US71 – A $50 Bear Bucks Card to Build A Bear Workshop.(because I have 3 BAB fans!)
  • USC 25 -$25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card (Because we're all bookworms over here!)
  •  INTL 14 – Complete custom blog makeover for Blogger.com(ummm... can you tell from my blog design that I need help? :) )
  • US113 – $25 Walmart Gift Certificate (I'd take this as well! Diapers aren't cheap!)
Failing any of these.... well, I have an almost teen girl~ jewelry would be fun, a 9 year old boy, and an almost 3 year old boy, so anything that would be applicable would be wonderful. :)

Thank you, Susan and Janice for sponsoring this again! :) And Thank you, Pamela for all the work you're putting in as well!

Hey, it's not too late for YOU to go check it out as well... you still have 10 + hours... ;)
Happy Friday!
Lis

Friday, April 9, 2010

Review~ Adventures in Odyssey CDs~ Take it From the Top

My kids were very excited to receive the Adventures in Odyssey "Take it From the Top" CD set from the Tyndale Blog Network to listen to for review purposes. The set includes 4 CDs with over 5 hours of audio, and 12 stories on Serving God and more....
Cover: Take it from the Top

The stories on these CD's include humorous looks at characters that my kids can identify with.
The stories and lessons with a few "notes" from me:
  • The Inspiration Station~ "Inspiration"
  • Clutter~ "Storing up treasures in heaven" (My kids could identify with this family a little too much, perhaps...)
  • Game for a Mystery~ "Procrastination"(Hmmm.. not sure RJP and JDP1 got the point the first time listening, but I'm hoping it will sink in.. :) )
  • Target of the Week~ "The folly of revenge"
  • For the Birds~ "Responsibility"
  • When You're Right, You're Right~ "Pride"
  • Grandma's Visit~ "The importance of family"
  • Finish What You.....~ "Responsibility"(And time-management)
  • The Jubilee Singers~ "Perseverance" (This one may be a little too intense for the younger kids. My 9 yo thought it was a little scary. My 12 yo thought that it was really good tho', so perhaps that gives you a little insight~)
We had some Adventures in Odyssey stories from YEARS ago that I wasn't overly thrilled with, due to the usage of words (like "boring") and "name-calling" that were not promoted, but seemed somewhat gratuitous(ie, didn't have anything to do with the story line). I was interested to see how things have progressed, and I think there is a combination of fewer unwarranted "attitudes" on the CD, and maturity on the part of my kids~ They've "grown into" Adventures in Odyssey. ;)

This set gets a thumbs up, 5 star rating with a note from mom that it is probably most appropriate for ages 6-12, with the Jubilee Singers possibly requiring a "preview" to see how it fits with your family. (My children are admittedly a little more "sensitive" than some, so that is the "lens" I am looking through.)

Take it from the Top (Adventures in Odyssey) CD's retail for $24.99, but can be purchased from Amazon for $16.49, and may be available for less at sites like CBD....:)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."