Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Monday, April 25, 2011

Product Review - Aerobie Sprint Flying Ring

Old Aerobie Pro Ring Package
The History of the Aerobie® Brand
During the 70′s and early 80′s while working as a consulting engineer and teaching part time at Stanford University, Alan Adler invented toys in his spare time and licensed his ideas to toy companies. Alan was also an avid sailor who taught himself aerodynamics in order to be able to design sailboats. His love of inventing toys and his new found knowledge of aerodynamics led him into the pursuit of better flying toys. 

Old Orbiter Boomerang PackageHe began his interest in flying toys by studying ways to improve conventional flying discs that are descendents of the old Frisbee pie tins. His analysis and experimental work led him to the discovery that flying rings rather than discs have an advantage when it comes to balancing aerodynamic lift over a wide range of speeds. (See Alan’s paper for a more detailed explanation.) His work led him to a series of flying ring inventions. The first was the Skyro ring that he licensed to Parker Brothers.

Alan designed and built the first prototype of the Aerobie ring with its spoiler rim that balances lift over a wide range of throwing speeds in early 1984. The first throw of the Aerobie ring on Roble Field at Stanford showed Alan he had something special. The ring flew straight and true for an incredible distance, "as if sliding on an invisible sheet of ice." Onlookers were amazed. 

The Founding of Aerobie, Inc.
Alan knew the Aerobie ring could be a hit. He also knew the flying performance of the Aerobie ring was going to be dependent on maintaining aerospace quality standards in the manufacturing processes. He therefore founded Superflight, Inc (now Aerobie, Inc.). in 1984 to manufacture and sell his high performance sport toy inventions beginning with the Aerobie flying ring. For its first 20 years of existence, Aerobie Inc. was officially named Superflight, Inc. However, in recognition of the fact that all of the products were named Aerobie and everybody knew the company as Aerobie, as of 2005, our company’s name is officially Aerobie, Inc.

Aerobie, Inc. Today
Aerobie, Inc. is still owned by Alan and he still works on inventing new, exciting sport toys. They now manufacture thirteen Aerobie brand products and sell them through retailers of all types throughout the United States and to distributors in over thirty countries. All Aerobie brand sport toys are known for their extraordinary performance and quality. Their warehousing, packing, and shipping are all done in San Carlos, California.




The Future of Aerobie, Inc.
The company is always looking for new and exciting products. Since their first two golf discs, released in the Summer of 2003, have been quite popular, they expect to continue to develop their presence as a golf disc manufacturer. 

They make the spectacular Aerobie Sprint flying rings that can turn an hour of exercise into an hour of fun for any group of kids or grown-ups. That hour of fun can spread into a family activity that gets everybody together and moving in a fantastic game of catch. Sprint rings are great for kids 7 and up!


My Take on the Product
My family loves to get outside and have fun together. This disc is so much fun! I call it a disc because it is so much more than a frisbee. This disc flew so far, I was completely amazed and I kept challenging the disc, pushing myself and the disc o go further. I even took the disc to a local football field to try it out and the disc performed, I mean it really performed. I was able to get it thrown from almost one end to the other. Never before have I seen a disc that can fly as far or as well as this disc. Be careful in high wind areas as the wind can really carry this disc far, even when you don't want it to. As a parent, I loved this disc as it truly encouraged my kids to have fun outside, and though it only seemed like minutes outside, we actually were outside for over an hour!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
   
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Sunday, April 10, 2011

Book Review - Adoption Nation

About the BookFor generations, Americans have adopted more than 130,000 children annually from within the United States and from abroad. That means more than 100 million people in our country today have adoption in their immediate families – and nearly everyone is connected to this extraordinary, misunderstood, controversial, life-altering institution in some way.

Adoption Nation: How the Adoption Revolution is Transforming Our Families – and America (The Harvard Common Press, April 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-716-0, $16.95 paperback) takes on the challenge of explaining the historic changes enveloping us all – and does so with a unique combination of engaging prose, gripping stories, insightful perspective and exceptional research.
Its author, Adam Pertman, is one of the most influential experts in his field and Adoption Nation has been called “the most important book ever written on the subject.”
Inspired by his Pulitzer-nominated series while a reporter with the Boston Globe, the first edition of Adoption Nation (2000) captured an important piece of U.S. history and was a game-changer for child welfare professionals, policy-makers, and members of what Pertman calls “the extended family of adoption” (adopted individuals, birth and adoptive relatives).
The new, fully revised edition updates the “adoption revolution” with all of its joys and disappointments, its personal and policy issues, its complexities and controversies.
“There’s no exaggerating how much has occurred over the last decade – from the adoptive mother who recently ‘returned’ her son to Russia, to the children orphaned by the earthquake in Haiti; from the ongoing debate over transracial adoptions, to the still-unregulated Wild West of adoption on the Internet; from the decline in secrecy and shame in adoption, to the explosion of reunions between adopted people and their birth families; and from the precipitous drop in international adoptions to the soaring rise in adoptions of boys and girls from foster care, including by growing numbers of gay and lesbian parents,” said Pertman. “When I looked at the landscape, I felt compelled to do a thorough rewrite of the stories, of the research and of the phenomenon itself.”
More comprehensive, more up-to-date, more moving – and more useful – than any other book on the subject, the new edition of Adoption Nation is an invaluable resource for prospective and current parents and their children. And it is a passionate call-to-arms for equality and social justice, as well as a unique tool for educators, policymakers and professionals.
About the Author
ADAM PERTMAN is the Executive Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, the pre-eminent research, policy and education organization in its field. A highly sought-after speaker, Pertman has delivered hundreds of keynotes, trainings and other presentations internationally, and is the recipient of many awards for his work. He is the Associate Editor of Adoption Quarterly and has contributed to numerous publications on family issues. Pertman is widely quoted by journalists and has appeared as a guest on “Oprah,” “Today,” “The View,” “Nightline,” among other national programs. Before embarking on his current career, Pertman was a senior journalist with The Boston Globe for over two decades. He is a member of the Council on Contemporary Families, the editorial advisory board of Adoptive Families magazine, the National Adoption Advisory Committee of the Child Welfare League of America and the Advisory Board of Orphans International, among others. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife and their two children. Learn more at www.adampertman.com.   

My Take on the Book
I can see how this book would be a great book for anyone considering adoption to expand their own family. The book itself is filled with great resources and ideas and is so easy to read and follow. Though I am not an adoptive parent, I know a number of people that are and know all of the hoops and the bureaucracy they had to deal with in the process of becoming a family.  You always hear of all of the children that are out there that need families, but I always have found it sad to hear how hard it is for would-be parents to actually become parents. 

What I liked about this book was that was full of amazing honesty and passion. The author brings to the page excellent writing as well personal experiences with adoption that make the reader simply want to read more and learn more about all of the things that surround issues regarding adoption and the steps that they will be going through as they go through the adoption process. 


All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
 
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

uDraw Tablet - Pictionary Game

About the Game

Product Description

Play Pictionary™ like never before with the all new uDraw GameTablet™.  Exciting new draw modes such as Shape It Up and Rotation Frustration turn the classic board game on its head.

With more than 3,000 clues and up to four teams that can play, Pictionary becomes the ultimate party game for all ages.  Artistic ability is not required to play, only a little imagination.  Using Pictionary  with the uDraw GameTablet will bring a whole new meaning to “quick sketches and crazy guesses!”

 

Key Features

·         More than 3,000 Clues – Choose from traditional Adult Clues like Object, Action and Difficult or Junior Clues like “At the Zoo” and “Animal Houses.”

·         Three Modes Of Play
o     Pictionary Play game show-style on a 3D game board.  A variety of draw tools, colors and brushes provide the freedom to sketching victory!

o     Pictionary Mania – With seven new draw modes and a custom game board, Pictionary Mania  New game modes include: Get It Straight, Shape It Up, Rotation Frustration, One Line, Ink Limit, No Peeking and Off Hand. adds a whole new twist.

o     Free Draw – Utilize the drawing tools to create colorful masterpieces.

Product Specifications

Publisher:      THQ
Developer:     Page 44 Studios
Category:      Puzzle & Board Game
Release:        Holiday 2010
Platforms:      Wii™ with uDraw GameTablet
ESRB:           E for Everyone
                  
My Take on the Game
We love games! We try and have a family game week one evening each week. While we have not played a lot of board" games on the WII before, we were excited to try out Pictionary as we have played it before and we had a ton of fun with the regular game. The GameTablet was so easy to set up and use that we were up and running in about the same amount of time it takes to set up any game on the WII. The instructions in the game were easy to follow and I loved the fact that there were so many different Pistionary games to choose from.

My girls liked "Pictionary Mania," the best (thus far) as it was quite addicting. We liked the old Pictionary Game, but this game was so much MORE engaging and interactive, and seeing your drawings up on the BIG screen was just awesome! 

This is definitely a keeper and one that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys board games, drawing or simply having fun with the family!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions. 
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Book Review - When You Say "Thank You," Mean It...

About the Book
Gratitude, self-respect, integrity, compassion - all values we hope to successfully pass on to our children as they get older. But how do we know we're teaching our children in a way that's actually getting through to them? In When You Say Thank You, Mean It...And 11 Other Lessons for Instilling Lifelong Values in Your Children (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media; October), you'll learn how Mary O'Donohue, a proud mother of two, developed a practical program that allows parents to impart timeless values in their children over the course of one year.  

Focusing on one key value each month, O'Donohue has devised an effective and creative way to engage the whole family through weekly exercises and activities, and shares with us what she learned from applying this program to her own life.  

By inspiring common values such as lifelong learning, a sense of joy, and respect for others, this unique guide offers purposeful advice for raising joyful, thoughtful children who will make their world a better place.

About the Author

It's every parent's nightmare: their child opens a gift from a well-meaning relative, and instead of, "thank you so much, Aunt Susie!" they say nothing. Then, when prompted by mom's "Hey, what do you say?" they give a sigh, an eye roll, then a long and forced: "thaaank youuuu."


This is exactly the type of situation that jolted author and proud mother of two, Mary O'Donohue to the sudden realization: prompting children to "say thank you" is merely training them to "act" grateful. It doesn't teach them to be grateful people. The same thing goes for other values. Telling kids to "say you're sorry" or "say please" doesn't teach them to be remorseful or respectful either. These words ultimately just scratch the surface of the values parents want their children to learn. Values like gratitude, respect for others, integrity and compassion are all qualities we hope to successfully pass on to our children as they get older. But how do we know we're teaching them in a way that's actually getting through? That question led Mary to develop a fun and practical program to effectively teach values to children in a way that has meaning and will stay with them as they grow into adulthood.


Mary and her husband Jim have been married for fifteen years and have two children. She balances being a mom with a long career in television production. Mary has worked for ABC, CBS, and NBC network stations, on shows such as "Today" and "Meet The Press," as well as on numerous music and entertainment programs including "MTV Unplugged," "Mariah Carey at St. John the Divine Cathedral," and "An Opryland Christmas;" and on many talk shows including "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She's an avid traveler, having spent time in Ireland, England, Wales, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and China. She loves to read and has a passion for photography. Mary plans to donate at least 10 percent of her author's net profits to charities benefitting families and education.

My Take on the Book 
As a father I am always looking for ways to be able to teach my daughtes the meaning of the words that they say and to make sure that when they say something that they mean it. In this book, the author does a great job at getting people to consider the values that you are instilling within your own kids. One of the great things within this book are the exercises that it contains as well as the guidelines that it sets before the readers. I have found these exercises to be invaluable and ones that I know that I will continue to practice with them in the future. If you have children, this book is a must have, and the exercises and resources that it contains are amazing!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Alice in Wonderland on blu-ray & DVD

 
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
60th Anniversary Special Edition

Premiering on Blu-ray Hi-Def And As A Movie Download on February 1, 2011


With interest in all things ALICE IN WONDERLAND at an all-time high following the record-breaking theatrical performance of Disney’s epic live-action fantasy adventure, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE) proudly unveils aone-of-a-kind 60th Anniversary Special Edition of Walt Disney’s original animated version of the whimsical classic tale ALICE IN WONDERLAND on Blu-ray -- on February 1st, 2011.  Released just in time for Valentine’s Day, the 60th Anniversary Special Edition will be available across the country as a Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) for the suggested retail price of $39.99 in the US and $44.99 in Canada, a Standard Definition Movie Download for $29.99 in the US and $35.99 in Canada and High-Definition Movie Download for $39.99 in the US and $44.99 in Canada.

The new ALICE IN WONDERLAND 60th Anniversary Special Edition takes viewers on magical adventure like never before with a fantastically odd and fun-filled world of colorful characters in brilliant high-definition and crystal clearsound. Additionally, the disc comes specially-packed with never-before-seen footage hosted by Kathryn Beaumont, an all-new interactive game and more.

In the film, viewers can look forward to following Alice’s adventures as she chases the White Rabbit on a magical journey into the fantastical world of Wonderland. It’s a topsy-turvy place that gets “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice’s madcap adventures introduce her to some truly unforgettable characters – the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more. It’s a great animated story that has pleased the eyes and ears of old and new generations alike.

The animated version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND still remains an all-time American-favorite to this day. Produced by Walt Disney himself and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass, the film was made complete with help from filmmakers Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske (Cinderella, Peter Pan) and the voices of Kathryn Beaumont as Alice (also the voice of Wendy Darling in Peter Pan), Ed Wynn (Mary Poppin; Cinderella) as the Mad Hatter, J. Pat O’Malley (One Hundred and One Dalmatians; The Jungle Book) as Tweedledee and Tweeledum, Verna Felton (Cinderella; Sleeping Beauty; The Jungle Book) as Queen of Hearts, Sterling Holloway (The Jungle Book; Sleeping Bueaty; The Aristocats) as the Cheshire Cat , Richard Haydn (The Sound of Music; Young Frankenstein) as Caterpillar and Bill Thompson (Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan; Sleeping Beauty) as the White Rabbit.

Walt Disney first created the idea of creating Lewis Carroll’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND book into a full-length animated movie back in 1923 when he was just a young twenty-one year filmmaker trying to make a name for himself. After more than 30-years in the making, and after four successful animated releases under his belt (i.e., Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi), Walt finally released his true vision for the animated film Alice in Wonderland.

This 60th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of ALICE IN WONDERLAND celebrates many of Walt’s accomplishments with this film showcasing its amazing artwork,spectacular songs and dazzling animation. And be sure to dive deeper into the rabbit hole and check-out all of its unique bonus features.

Film Synopsis:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND is a story about a young girl who grows bored listening to her older sister read aloud from a history book about William I of England. While dozing off, she dreams about falling down a rabbit hole (“Wonderland”) that is populated by a peculiar series of misadventures. The always sensible Alice whirls through a world of contradictions, imagination and surprises where she encounters amazing creatures - including a pocket watch-toting White Rabbit, the imperious Queen of Hearts and her army of playing cards, a Cheshire Cat with a lingering smile in an unforgettable fantasy, and the off-kilter Madhatter – and tests her sensibility and courage. In the end it’s all a dream, she is awakened by her sister’s voice, and as the two of them return home for teatime where she realizes that perhaps logic and reason exist for purpose. And in return, her sister realizes affectionatelythat Alice is still young, but will grow-up in time.

Blu-ray Disc Bonus Features:
Brand-New Blu-ray Features:
§  Disney View - Watch the movie in this expanded viewing experience with new Disney art in the wings of the screen.
§  Painting the Roses Red Game - Help paint the roses red in the Queen's garden.  Careful, or someone could lose their head.
§  Walt Disney Color TV Introduction (1959) - A never-before-seen color TV intro by Walt.
§  Reference Footage: Alice and the Doorknob - Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Alice, provides an introduction to this newly discovered reference footage of Alice talking to the doorknob.
§  Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks - Kathryn Beaumont introduces a newly discovered pencil test of Alice shrinking.

Plus, Classic Features:
§  Thru the Mirror Mickey Mouse Animated Short (Now in Hi-Def)
§  Art Gallery (with new design and new images)
§  Reflections on Alice
§  Operation Wonderland (Now in Hi-Def)
§  One Hour in Wonderland
§  An Alice Comedy: Alice's Wonderland
§  Original Theatrical Trailers (1951 & 1974)
§  Walt Disney TV Introduction (1954 & 1964)
§  The Fred Waring Show (Excerpt)
§  Deleted Materials:
Ø  Deleted Scene: Pig and Pepper
Ø  From Wonderland to Neverland: The Evolution of a Song - An entertaining look at how a song originally written for Alice in Wonderland, finally found its home in another Disney favorite, Peter Pan.
Ø  Deleted Storyboard Concept: Alice Daydreams in the Park - Deleted storyboard sequence set to music.
Ø  Original Song Demos: "Beware The Jabberwock"; "Everything Has A Useness"; "So They Say"; "Beautiful Soup"; "Dream Caravan"; "If You'll Believe In Me"

Movie Download Bonus Features (SD & HD):
§  Pencil Test: Alice Shrinks
§  Thru The Mirror Mickey Mouse Animated Short
§  Reflections on Alice

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:
Street Date:                             February 1 2011
Direct Prebook:                                    December 7, 2010
Distributor Prebook:                  December 21, 2010
Suggested Retail Price:           Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) $39.99 U.S./ $44.99 Canada
Standard Definition Movie Download $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada
High-Definition Movie Download $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada
Feature Run Time:                  Approximately 75 minutes
Rated:                                      G
Aspect Ratio:                           1:33:1; Adjusted to fit 16x9 Television
Sound:                                     5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, DisneyEnhanced Home Theater Mix, Original Theatrical Sound Track
Languages:                              English, French & Spanish
Subtitles:                                 French & Spanish

My Take on the DVD"Alice in Wonderland" is a great movie. I liked it when I was a child, and I continue to like it today. Seeing the movie in blu-ray simply clinches it as it truly makes the movie come to life! This movie, while not one of the most well known of Disney films, deserves a lot more that it has gotten in the past. The characters are memorable and the animation in the film takes the viewer into a dreamland of possibilities. This is the type of movie that you need to watch form a child's point of view, don't over-analyze! I also have to commend all of the special features on this combo pack...simply amazing!

All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.  
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