Sunday, July 17, 2016

Osmo...great learning tool!





There are some cool new tech toys available at Best Buy geared for children.  These tech toys provide a fun and educational experience, and can influence how children will learn, build, and grow.  With these new Kids Tech products/gadgets and learning apps, keeping your kids engaged couldn’t be easier.  I had the fun opportunity to try out the Ozmo set!  My kids (ages 7-13) loved playing with this!

I love that my 11 year old was excited to try the drawing feature!  She just loved showing off her completed art work!  My 13 year old had fun with the tangrams and the art work one.  My 7 year old thought all the apps were fun!

Since we homeschool, I can see this working its way into our schooling!  The letters will help with spelling and the tangrams with puzzle and problem solving.


It's never too early to start getting Christmas ideas!!



OSMO Genius Kit Overview 

● Osmo game system changes the way children interact with their iPad by opening it up to hands ­on play.
● Allows children a fun, exciting, and creative way to explore science, words, art, numbers and more ● Designed for anyone aged 6 and up, this educational toy can be enjoyed by nearly everyone in the family
● Games are specifically designed to foster creativity, problem solving, and social intelligence skills ● Set comes with 5 games­ Words, Masterpiece, Tangram, Newton and Numbers Games
● Compatible with Apple iPad 2, 3, 4, all versions of iPad Mini and iPad Air, iPad Pro(9.7)
● Set includes mirror +​sturdy base +​game pieces +​5 game apps in the Apple App Store (free download)
● Suggested for ages six and older, Simple set­up (But I thought it could be used by a younger child with some help)


OSMO Genius Kit Apps and Games:
Tangram ­ ​Arrange wooden puzzle pieces into matching on­screen shapes. Play with your child or challenge yourself to more advanced levels with Osmo acting as your mentor by lighting up with each victory. Youtube video
Newton ­ ​Use your creativity with inventive objects such as a hand­drawn basket, grandma's glasses, dad's keys or anything around you to guide falling on­screen balls into targeted zones. Youtube.

Words ­ ​Be the first to guess and spell out the on­screen hidden word by tossing down real­life letters faster than your friends. A related picture gives the clue. Youtube. 

Masterpiece ­ ​Supercharge your drawing skills with Masterpiece. Pick any image from the camera, curated gallery or integrated web search and Masterpiece will transform it into easy­to­follow lines and help you draw it to perfection. You can then share a magical time­lapse video of your creation with your friends and family. Youtube

Numb​ers ­​With a counting, addition, concatenation and multiplication mode, there is a challenge for everybody. As kids get more confident in one mode, they can move on the the next one, allowing them to learn at their own pace. Youtube

You can buy it at best buy.  HERE


Links to Videos
 ● Osmo Commercial ­ 
Osmo YouTube Channels


I received the product for free in order to write my review, however all opinions expressed are my own.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

The Make-Ahead Kitchen

The Make Ahead Kitchen
 
About the book:
Skip the hassle of last-minute meals and leftovers and replace them with simple, healthy, delicious, and easy-to-prepare make-ahead dishes! Your family will love these comfortable meals, new favorites, cozy drinks, and tantalizing desserts—all of them prepared ahead of time so you don’t have to worry! Enjoy simple, soul-filling foods without the chaos of preparing them at the last minute.


About the author:
Annalise Thomas is a big city girl married to a small town boy. Every day is a joy and a challenge as she learns to live and love this small town life. Annalise is a foodie with a deep passion for everything edible and for sharing what she loves with others. Annalise is a wife and mom, a baker, a cook, and a blogger. She and her family live a very real life and eat as much real food as possible.

From Reidhead Randomness:
The first run of the cookbook sold out already, and the second printing is on its way.  I received a digital copy to write my review.  Although this is most definitely not my favorite way to read...especially cookbooks, this one is worth the trouble!  There are so many yummy looking recipes! In the introduction, the author talks about how we are all so busy, and stressed.  Cooking shouldn't be one of the stressful things in life!  When we feel rushed, we grab the first thing we can find, or five in to expensice ready-made foods when our family is hungry.  Then we loose the joy of savoring our food.  She introduces the make-ahead cooking lifestyle, where your prep and prepare a few minutes here and there, when you have the time.

For those on a gluten sensitive diet, she even marks the recipes with a GF symbol, so you don't have to  hunt and read to find those recipes!   The categories are:  Breakfast, Soups & Salads, Appetizers Snacks & Sides, Main Dishes, Cookies & Bars, Desserts, and Drinks.

I really liked MANY of the recipes in this book, and I can hardly wait to get a hard copy!




Just a note from the Author: the Coconut Zucchini Bread recipe is missing a VITAL first step.  Preheat the oven to 350ยบ and use two 9" loaf pans! (Still can't figure out how that big of a mistake happened!  UGH!)

Smores maker for GREAT summer fun!

We had the SUPER fun opportunity through Tryazon and Sterno to test the Smores Maker! 




We had a great time with the smores maker!  It is safe to use inside or outside....and there is a mesh cover that keeps your marshmallow protected from the drips....and keeps the little ones from getting hurt!  There is a great tray that goes around it for putting your smores supplies!  It even comes with roasting sticks!


I highly recommend this for all your summer fun!!


 This was early on at the party...we were just getting set up!  Everyone was checking it out!


You can find it on Amazon, and right now there is a $2 off coupon that you can clip on amazon!