The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 3, mid to advanced fun brick projects to do and view

Excuse me as I get into my grumpy middle aged man voice. When I was growing up there were no LEGO sets. It was only bricks; very few of them curved and they were only red, white and blue. Now you can create all manner of branded ships, characters, houses and fortresses. But what about the free range builders? Occasionally I’ll look at bulk LEGO collections on eBay. This is the free range, creative building that I do in my imagination and is on full display in The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 3.

The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 3, mid to advanced fun brick projects

Continue reading The LEGO Adventure Book, Vol. 3, mid to advanced fun brick projects to do and view

Home by Tim Kubert is a picture perfect (kindie) treat

The brilliance of the Muppets was that despite the fact that it was packaged and written for children it entertained adults as much, if not more. That is what really great children’s entertainment does.  Phineas & Ferb does it that way too. Home by Tim Kubert is the kindie equivalent to them.  It’s packed with great (kindie) music that can legitimately entertain kids and adults without dumbing down the content or demoing it up unnecessarily.

Home by Tim Kubert is a picture perfect (kindie) treat

Continue reading Home by Tim Kubert is a picture perfect (kindie) treat

Love & Mercy, a complex, engaging film about Brian Wilson

Love & Mercy is the story from Brian Wilson’s perspective about his life-specifically the time in the mid 60’s. They were ruling the pop charts with surf songs, but Wilson wanted and needed to do more creatively. The film also takes place in the mid 80’s, when Wilson was somewhat of a broken soul who hears voices and is under the strict control of a very domineering doctor Landry.

Love & Mercy, a complex, engaging film about Brian Wilson

Continue reading Love & Mercy, a complex, engaging film about Brian Wilson

Our top 9 second tier children’s television shows on Netflix #StreamTeam

Hey there, we’re part of the StreamTeam for Netflix and received product for this post. All thoughts are our own and these shows really do rock. Our children are 4 and 6. Sometimes they watch television for relaxation and sometimes it’s done because I need them to sit and be quiet for a predetermined amount of time while I make dinner, finish a phone call or simply need a buffer for a moment. These are 9 of the children’s television shows on Netflix that we use as our go-to when we need that moment of zen.

These don’t include the obvious choices like The Clone Wars, Mighty Machines, Phineas and Ferb and Curious George. We’ll also try not to include television shows that we’ve previously highlighted, because variety is the spice of life, isn’t it?

Our top 9 second tier children’s television shows on Netflix Continue reading Our top 9 second tier children’s television shows on Netflix #StreamTeam

What’s Your Favorite Animal? is charming-not mandatory Eric Carle

Any parent knows the work of Eric Carle. The Very Hungry Caterpillar has sold 30 million copies since its release in 1969 and his other books attract young readers like a moth to a flame. His distinctive artwork with its multi-layered appearance, simple lessons and vivid colors make things easy for parents. He is one of the 500 pound gorillas in children’s book publishing. In that respect it makes sense that What’s Your Favorite Animal, by Eric Carle and Friends exists. What’s Your Favorite Animal showcases many of the other giants in children’s publishing giving them two pages each to showcase their distinctive artwork, style of humor and writing.

What’s Your Favorite Animal is charming-not mandatory Eric Carle

Continue reading What’s Your Favorite Animal? is charming-not mandatory Eric Carle

This is our go-to Homegating grub, creature comforts from HH Gregg

The game. It could be the game for the college that you never graduated from, your adopted school, alma matter or you live in an area that is rampant with Saturday or Sunday afternoon anthropomorphic neighbors on the way to the stadium. Maybe it’s an ice rink or a dusty track in the country where horses with clever names do their best Jeff Gordon impression.  Homegating can solve your woes. It’s about staying at home, entertaining with great food and the best tech that can put you right into the game. HH Gregg is giving away $5,000 to make your fan cave complete, so that you can homegate with the best of them.

This is our go-to #Homegating grub, creature comforts from HH Gregg

Continue reading This is our go-to Homegating grub, creature comforts from HH Gregg

Zero tolerance and bullies are in league with the ignorant

One thing about the internet, it brings awareness to small incidents that become big things. Sometimes an unintended consequence is the root cause of the awareness and the rage that people feel when the small incident happens. Then the cycle repeats itself. When I went to sleep last night the story was relatively feel-good. A bully was picking on a blind student at Huntington Beach High School. Said bully got his comeuppance when an equally sized youth came up from behind him and smacked him to the ground.

I wake up and the school has suspended the youth who defended the blind student and kicked him off of the football team.

The police arrested the bully and released him back to his parents.

As an adult, there are so many things wrong with this story.


Continue reading Zero tolerance and bullies are in league with the ignorant

Super Genius First Words is sight word reading fun

We have a sight reader in the house now. We know that he can read certain words, but he needs to gain the confidence to say the sight words that he knows aloud.  He has had some sight word cards in the house for years and is just starting to see why they’re important. Blue Orange provided us with a set of Super Genius First Words so that we could let our young reader at them.

Super Genius First Words is sight word reading fun

Continue reading Super Genius First Words is sight word reading fun

Copy Protected by Chetan's WP-Copyprotect.