Friday, July 27, 2012

Mountain Mama

We are heading to the Blue Ridge Mountains tomorrow for our family vacation.

This will be the morning view I will have for the next week.


Of course, ideally THIS would be my morning view, but it's okay.  (I love this picture of Julianna standing in her jammies by the ocean.  I love to stand and stare at it's beauty myself...just not in my jammies.)


Have a great week!

Sunday, July 22, 2012

TOS Review - Jeepers Peepers

"Jeepers Creepers where'd you get those peepers? Jeepers Creepers where'd you get those eyes?" Sorry, the name of this game takes me back to elementary school (forever ago) when we sang this song for a class performance. I can also break out in "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" if the situation arises. I digress... 

I was first introduced to the Super Duper Publications company when I was in college -Let's Goooo Mountaineers! 41 days until the 2012 football season kicks off! 

Again, I digress. I am having issues focusing today. My apologies. 

As I was saying, I discovered the Super Duper Publications company in college. In the field of Special Needs education, they are a premiere resource for learning materials. However, you don't have to be working with a kiddo with special needs to use their learning products. They have something for everyone! I just love, love, love educational materials! (Bonus points if you can name the literary character that would have said that previous line...well, the "love, love, love" part.)
We had the pleasure of reviewing the game "Jeepers Peepers, The Ask and Answer Question Game". 
 The game works on the following educational skills:  questioning, describing, categorizing and problem solving, as well as, turn taking and social skills.

The object is for a player to choose a photo card (and not look at it - which caused a couple extra drawings from the photo card pile by a certain smallish player who shall remain nameless), put the card into the wacky plastic glasses (which you are wearing, of course) and then ask yes/no questions of the other players to guess what the photo card is.  The game comes with six pair of glasses, 101 photo cards (in five categories:  animals, food, transportation, people, and things), a spinner, bingo chips, cue cards and instructions.  
My musings:
We really enjoyed playing this game.  There is a similar game on the mainstream market that we also have, but this one is of much nicer quality (Which I totally expected from Super Duper.  Their products really are top notch.) and has added features (spinner to tell you the number of chips you've won, cue cards to give direction for questions to ask, etc.) to the game which are nice. I especially love that the pictures are real photos and not cartoon drawings.  Sometimes you can't even tell what those drawings  are!
Check out Super Duper's website.  Tons of great stuff there.  :-)
Details:
Jeepers Peepers can be ordered from the Super Duper site.  They are offering YOU, my friend, a 30% discount on the game if you order before August 31, 2012.  Use the coupon code: 
BLGJP30
Age:  Grade K and up
Price:  $29.95
Extra glasses and an add on photo card set are also available.

You can read what other Crew members thought of this game and a couple other Super Duper products by clicking here.

*Disclaimer:  As a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew, I received a copy of the Jeepers Peepers game in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was given. *

Sunday, July 1, 2012

An American Girl Weekend Extravaganza, Part 2 - Birthday!

Julianna's birthday fell on a Monday this year, so Dad made it a long weekend and we took her to American Girl Place near DC.  (Maybe this birthday pilgrimage will become an annual tradition.  I'm thinking Boston or Chicago or Los Angeles (read: BEACH) next year.  Here are some pictures of our adventure.

The seven year old

Here we are!
Julianna and Samantha ready to shop.
Trying cheese fondue for the first time.  She liked it.
 Stuffed after lunch.
McKenna (2012 Doll of the Year) is the next doll she wants.  I want  She wants her loft bed.

Annual family picture at American Girl Place.

All her treasures. She had saved $91 (which she told everyone about) to buy some of the stuff in the picture.
A good day.