I am participating with these lovely moms linked below who are lighting a candle for Shellie Ross in remembrance of her precious son Bryson, who went to heaven way too early.  If you’d like to join, light a candle and link up.  Please remember them in your prayers.

Taylor Lautner appeared on SNL last night and the best skit is the Team Jacob one I have posted below.   In his monologue, which focused mainly on his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, and her experiences with Kanye West at the MTV VMAs was a bit stale and played out at this point, I’ll say this about Lautner: he really committed 100% to whatever they asked him to do. He was enthusiastic and willing to look silly, and though he could have just sat there and clipped his toenails and 50% of the viewing audience would have squealed happily, he was willing to mock his own shirtless werewolf image and make people laugh:

The REMBRANDT^® Collection

This is a look at a huge selection of newly released or re-released board games and other family games that families and kids might enjoy this holiday season.

HASBRO GAMES

Hasbro is one of the most recognized names in childrens games and board games.  Here is a look at some of their top games for this season:

Children Can Have Fun While Learning Important Skills with Educational Games from CARSON-DELLOSA PUBLISHING

All of the games listed below can be purchased on the Web at www.carsondellosa.com and at most leading specialty toy and teacher supply stores.

All-New CenterSOLUTIONS™ 2 Big Games – Designed to make learning fun, these new board games will help children ages four and up learn important basic skills such as visual discrimination and strategic thinking.

COLORS & SHAPES ROBOT RACE 2 Big Games — Learn colors and shapes with robot friends!

COUNTING Quest 2 Big Games — High seas adventures make counting fun!

Children are in for big learning fun with Carson-Dellosa’s new CenterSOLUTIONS™ 2 Big Games. Featuring a time-saving, ready-to-go format and directions printed directly on the game boards, 2 Big Games will quickly engage players with educationally sound, correlated instruction in exciting, easy-to-follow games that encourage kids to learn while they are having fun.

Developed with ease of use and quick clean-up in mind, CenterSOLUTIONS™ 2 Big Games open big and fold down quickly for easy storage. Measuring a giant 39” x 27”, the two-sided game mats are laminated for durability and can be used indoors or outdoors. Each game offers two different levels of game play for 2-4 players and includes 45 game cards, one spinner, and four playing pieces. $24.99 MSRP

New Games for Ages 6+

TIME TO RHYME

A fun twist on classic lotto and memory matching games that sharpens visual discrimination, vocabulary, phonics and classification skills, Time to Rhyme offers four separate game boards and 36 game cards, allowing for up to four players. $14.99 MSRP

New Games for Ages 7+

ZOOM AROUND TOWN

It’s a bumper-to-bumper game of passenger pickups. Travel around town on a journey to collect the most passengers in each of their vehicles as you work on math skills and make choices that help to sharpen strategic thinking. The game set includes one game board, one die, one number cube, four taxis, four limousines, four buses and 40 passenger cards. Zoom Around Town includes English, French and Spanish-language instructions. $14.99 MSRP

Award-Winning Favorites – Games

WHERE DO I LIVE? – Ages 4+

—–2009 Parents’ Choice Award and Creative Child Preferred Choice Award—–

Everyone has a home and it’s the players’ job to get them there in this colorful memory-matching game. Designed for young children, Where Do I Live? features large, chunky pieces for little hands. Twelve homes complement 12 animals to strengthen visual distinction, classification, and recollection skills. No reading is required to play the games, making them perfect for ESL (English as a Second Language) and ELL (English Language Learner) children. 2 to 4 players. $14.99 MSRP

PIRATES’ GOLD – Ages 7+

—–2009 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award—–

Search out buried treasure in this swashbuckling, high seas adventure. Travel from island to island battling other players and collecting the most gold coins to win. Pirates’ Gold is designed to strengthen strategic thinking, basic counting, skip counting, and addition skills. Featuring a unique 3-dimensional game board that pieces together like a puzzle, the game is filled with swashbuckling pirates and a bounty of shiny gold. Pirates’ Gold includes 1 game board, 5 ships, 3 dice and 40 playing cards. 2 to 4 players. $14.99 MSRP

EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS GAMES

Educational Insights offers a great collection of educational and fun toys for kids!

Blurt! (A NAPPA Honoree!)

• Fun, whole family game
• Roll the die and read the corresponding clue – all the players blurt their guesses. The first player to blurt the correct word moves ahead on the board.
• 3-12 players
• Ages 7 and up
• Retails for $29.99
• Available at www.amazon.com

Foamfetti

• Totally innovative new way to create fabulous 3-D artwork
• Available in 10 vibrant colors
• Take it out of the container and work it in your hands – squish it!
• Then sculpt it into your own creations (you can even make a ball that really bounces!), stick it to unfinished wood, like picture frames, or stick it to cardboard or paper to make a mosaic
• Dries hard to make permanent art
• Great creative outlet for kids
• Ages 5 and up
• Retails for $9.99 (3 1-ounce packs in 3 different colors)
• Available at the following online retailers: Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, DiscoverThis.com, Toysrus.com

Ticks Tacks Toes (A NAPPA Award Winner!)

• A clever twist on an old classic!
• Players take turns placing 3D ticks, tacks, and toes on the board
• Try to get tic tac toe strings of three in a row to win tokens
• Other players can score off your moves
• 2-4 player game
• Ages 6 and up
• Retails for $24.99

LEARNING RESOURCES GAMES

Learning resources provides educational and fun toys and games for children of all ages.

A BEE C Buzz Word Building Game

Designed for ages 6-9 and with a list price of $26.99, this game is a cool way for your child to learn letters, words, and spelling.  The inflatable bee hive is filled with letters and you can play a variety of games to help your child have fun learning to spell!

Count and Seek Pet House Game

A perfect way to teach your child responsibility and math at the same time, this game is designed for ages 4-6. Whether They Have Fins, Feathers Or Fur, These Pets Are ‘Counting’ On Kids For Care. Invites Players To Choose Their Favorite Pet, Then Count, Add And Subtract Their Way Around The House, Gathering All The Items Their Pet Needs.

MY VIRTUAL TUTOR NINTENDO DS GAME

My Virtual Tutor is a new interactive educational game for Pre-K through second graders ( 3 separate versions). Available exclusively for the Nintendo DS, My Virtual Tutor – Reading makes learning to read fun, affordable and portable.

My Virtual Tutor – Reading provides parents with the perfect learning tool for their kids on a platform they already love. The child holds their DS vertically like a book, interacting with the game through the easy to use touchpad screen. The game’s interactive modes are lead by an animated tutor. She reads books and encourages the child to complete fun exercises and quizzes to improve reading skills.

Developed as part of a university study at the University of Colorado, the program gives kids an opportunity to reinforce what they are learning in school and have fun while they practice.

Available for under $150, the TI-Nspire graphing calculator is the perfect gift for parents to give their tech hungry teen this holiday season!

An educational device cloaked in the body of the hottest in modern technology gadgets and sure to fool your teen, the TI-Nspire has loads of features that tech-hungry teens love (www.ti-nspire.com), and you can customize it with online printable decals, free apps and downloadable games. Plus, it’s allowed on exams like the SAT and ACT, which certainly helps students get better grades in math… and what could be cooler than that?

PARENTS’ DREAM GIFT

TI-Nspire is the ultimate value buy, lasting from algebra through college-level math (that’s up to 10 years!) Unlike the sweater, parents won’t have to replace it with something trendier next year… and it helps their kid do better in school.  The TI-Nspire really is the perfect tech gadget gift for your teen who is nearing the end of high school and ready to venture off to college.  Texas Instruments is a trusted leader in electronics and calculators and their brand is the #1 recommended by teachers.  The TI-Nspire has a TI-84 Plus Keypad and is a perfect fit for text-happy teens who need a cool looking educational tool.

Some unique features of TI-Nspire technology let you:

• View multiple representations of a problem on a single screen

• Grab a graphed function and move it to see the effect

• “Link” representations: Manipulate the properties of one and observe instant updates to others without switching screens

• Create, save and review work in electronic documents, like a computer

• Activate the handheld’s Press-to-Test feature to block access to certain geometry features not allowed on state exams

• Experience identical functions on the handheld and TI-Nspire Computer Software (Windows© or Mac©). Your students can use the software independently or in tandem with the handheld for work in and out of class

• Project a full interactive handheld alongside a large handheld screen to demonstrate concepts to your class usingTI-Nspire Computer Software – Teacher Edition 

 TI supports the passion that educators possess for teaching with technology designed to help students succeed in math and science. TI’s research-based* technology for instruction and assessment, curricular materials and professional development combine to provide essential elements for greater student achievement.

TI-Nspire Giveaway

This is easily one of the coolest giveaways I’ve ever had the chance to offer my readers, as I have a chance to give one lucky a winner a chance for your very own TI-Nspire graphing calculator.

TO ENTER: LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US WHY YOU WOULD LIKE TO WIN THE TI-Nspire.

ANOTHER ENTRY: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND TWEET THIS CONTEST AND LEAVE THE LINK IN A SEPARATE ENTRY

ANOTHER ENTRY: SUBSCRIBE TO BOOKROOM REVIEWS AND LEAVE COMMENT IN SEPARATE ENTRY

THIS CONTEST WILL END DECEMBER 22ND AND WE WILL E-MAIL THE WINNER WHO WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND. THANKS FOR ENTERING AND GOOD LUCK!  U.S. only please.

With all the holiday hustle and bustle, it probably feels like you’re always catching up … Frito-Lay wants to help ensure you never miss a beat during the holidays. With some shortcuts and quick “better for you” recipes coupled with a little flair and presentation, you’ll have your guests asking “how does she do it?” So, we bring you the “Holiday Party in a Pinch:” A few tips to prepare both the home and the pantry so you’re always ready to be the holiday hostess:”

• Ambiance is everything – Keep a playlist of festive music easily accessible or stock the stereo with CDs so it’s ready at the push of a button…literally. Add a few scented candles and presto…instant ambiance!

• Let guests add their touch – Keep a box of ornaments on hand and ask your guests to add one to the tree.

• No clean-up necessary – Stock-up on a supply of holiday-colored paper plates, napkins and utensils to lessen post-party clean-up. And if the house is tidy before you head out for the day, there’s no scrambling once they arrive!

• Stock the pantry – Have some “better for you” Frito-Lay products on hand to lessen the stress of “what to fix?” and allow for more time to visit with your guests. Frito-Lay’s Tostitos Scoops or Baked! Scoops — with a delicious dip — are true crowd-pleasers. Serve on a festive platter or dish and presto! …festive snacks ready to share!

• Entertain with ease – Always have several fun board games accessible to keep guests entertained. And a few kid-friendly movies or simple crafts will keep the little ones busy while the adults socialize.

Below are some fabulous recipes you could try for your holiday party.

Better for You Dip

By: myservicetoyou.blogspot.com

1 can fat free refried beans
1 small jar of salsa
1 pkg shredded cheese (usually a cheese blend or 2% mild cheddar)
1 lb lean ground turkey1 bag Baked! Doritos

Brown the ground turkey. Drain grease and add all other ingredients. Cook until ground turkey is heated throughout and cheese is melted. Enjoy with Baked! Tostitos.

Awesome Chipotle GoodnCrazy Chip Dip

By: goodandcrazypeople.blogspot.com

1 can of chipotle peppers (Who knew it’s so easy to get?)

1 cup low fat sour cream

3 peppers, blended to add to sour cream

Add 1-2 Tbsp of the sauce the peppers came in

A few shakes of onion powder

A few shakes of garlic powder

A squeeze of lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a serving bowl and enjoy!  GoodandCrazyPeople tells us: “I ended up adding mild salsa to my portion of the dip… but WHO CARES! It was awesome! We LOVED this with Tostitos Whole Grain Chips AND Veggies!”

Football Field Dip

By: alittletipsy.blogspot.com

3 avocados
Onion powder
Garlic salt
1 can refried beans (I used Taco Bell Fat Free)
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1 small tub sour cream (I used Kroger reduced fat)

Spread the beans in the bottom of a small rectangular pyrex dish (mine was 2.75 qt — about 7 in x 9 in). Then, take a scoop of sour cream and put it in a Ziploc bag – saving for later. Mix the remaining sour cream with 1/2 packet of taco seasoning (or, to taste). Spread this mixture over the beans.  Next peel the avocados and smash in a bowl with 2 or 3 dashes of garlic salt and 2 or 3 dashes of onion powder (you can use garlic powder and onion salt if you prefer). Spread the avocado mixture over the sour cream layer, covering completely. This is your football field.  Now, take the sour cream you set aside (in Ziploc) and snip a little hole in the corner of the bag. Grab like a frosting bag and draw stripes over the avocado layer to line the field. Scoop with your favorite Tostitos and ENJOY!

GIVEAWAY

FRITO LAY would like to help you prepare for your next “better-for-you” holiday party in a pinch by offering a gift basket assortment of Frito-Lay products, decorative serving bowl and a guide to entertaining guests during the holidays (valued at approximately $40)  (pictured at top) YUMMY!

TO ENTER: LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US YOUR FAVORITE FRITO LAY FOOD ITEM.

ANOTHER ENTRY: FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND TWEET THIS CONTEST AND LEAVE THE LINK IN A SEPARATE ENTRY

ANOTHER ENTRY: SUBSCRIBE TO BOOKROOM REVIEWS AND LEAVE COMMENT IN SEPARATE ENTRY

THIS CONTEST WILL END DECEMBER 22ND AND WE WILL E-MAIL THE WINNER WHO WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND. THANKS FOR ENTERING AND GOOD LUCK!  U.S. only please.

Here are some more cool childrens toys that you might consider for your kids as Christmas draws near!

Crayola Town Activity Set

Crayola and Wild Planet have teamed to offer one of the coolest multi-purpose (education and fun) toys for children this holiday season. The Crayola Town activity sets combine coloring, construction and creative play.

Your child can color different scenes and pop-up structures, then turn worn or broken crayons into animals, trees, street signs and other props in your 3-D town. Designed for kids ages 3 and up, Crayon Town sets are new for this holiday season in Neighborhood, Airport and Horse Ranch themes for $9.99 – $14.99 and larger Zoo and Construction Site themes for $19.99 – $26.99. Free coloring mat refills are available online at http://www.crayon-town.com, further extending the value of each set.

My five year old really loves the Crayola Town.  He enjoys playing with the animals more than the coloring, which emphasizes why, for the money, this is a good value.  To each his own.  One challenge we have is that our child gets frustrated with broken crayons and he has accidentally snapped some in the crayola animal pieces.  This is supposed to be part of the process of using the town, but it could present a challenge.  Still, Crayola Town is a great holiday toy.

• Crayon Town play demo here: http://tiny.cc/CrayonTown38
• Instructional video here: http://tiny.cc/CrayonTown

Crayola Digital Camcorder

While your child plays with the Crayola Town activity set, they might want to capture some of the memories with the Crayola Digital Camcorder with a 1.5″ color preview screen.  Easy to use with cool sound effect buttons, the digital camcorder can take digital photos and includes Video Genie video editing software for hours of fun and learning.  You can add music, credit and special effects to the videos your child comes up with.

The Crayola Digital Camcorder is designed for ages 5 and up!

Marvel Super Hero Squad Mini Racer

Pint sized and packed with power, Super Hero Squad Mini I/R Controlled Racers will dominate the road. Available in four different classic Marvel Minis: Spiderman, The Hulk, Wolverine and Iron Man, these mini cars come equipped with a cell phone size infrared remote delivering precise turns at all speeds and working headlights. They retail for $16.99 each.

Captain America, Wolverine and Iron Man Marvel Universe Remote Control Whip-it Racers are full function R/C vehicles equipped with working lights and a swivel chassis that allows sharp turns at super high speeds. They retail for $39.99 each.

Check them out at: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3537327&moduleName=Brand+Name+Secondary

Eye Can Art Printmaking Kit

Eye Can Art is an award-winning line of art kits.  Currently, there are four kits in the Eye Can Art line: Printmaking, Sumi-e Painting, Wax Drawing (encaustic), and Book in a Box. Each kit introduces an authentic art technique, with beautiful, unique results.

Eye Can Art is a small company based in Seattle. Eye Can Art’s founders are art educators and mothers.  In response to a call for high-quality, at-home art activities, combined with empathy for everyone’s busy schedule, they designed Eye Can Art: All-inclusive, repeat-use art kits that spark creative play.

Everything needed is included in each kit, right down to scissors and glue. And the kits always include enough materials to enjoy the projects multiple times, so they can be done several times by the same child, or the experience can be shared with a friend, parent, or sibling. At $24, Eye Can Art makes them a great value!

Here is a two minute video showing a boy demonstrating the Printmaking Kit, which we sampled and also enjoyed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0DlT5lt5FQ

All of the Eye Can Art kits are ideal for ages 5 to 12 (though adults enjoy them too), and retail for about $24. They can be found in specialty stores and museum shops around the country, and also online.

I mentioned that Eye Can Art is an award-winning company.  The Printmaking and Sumi-e kits won Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal awards, 2009, and the Book in a Box Kit won Creative Child Magazine’s Toy of the Year Award for 2009! These are on top of the Parents’ Choice awards our kits won last year.

Bachmann Trains

Established 176 years ago, Bachmann Trains is the leading provider of electric train sets. Two of their best sellers that you can get for under $100 this holiday season on Amazon include:

· The Yuletide Special by Bachmann Trains ($96 on Amazon.com) is perfect for under-the-tree fun and features Bachmann’s E-Z Track snap-fit track and roadbed system plus a steam locomotive and tender with an operating headlight, gondola, box car, old-time combine, body-mounted E-Z Mate couplers and snap-fit E-Z Track with 12 pieces curved track, straight track, and plug-in terminal retailer, power pack and speed controller, and illustrated instruction manual

· The Sante Fe Flyer by Bachmann Trains ($54 on Amazon.com) is a great train to haul freight across the deserts, mountains, and cities of the American landscape. Powered by a mighty Sante Fe FT Diesel locomotive with its distinctive “war bonnet” pain scheme, this sleek and powerful train deftly handles the every-changing terrain of the Southwest U.S. The Sante Fe Flyer ready-to-run train set includes diesel locomotive with operating headlight, open quad hopper, gondola, off-center caboose, body mounted E-Z Mate couples, snap-fit EZ Track including 11 pieces of curved track and one curved plug-in terminal retailer, power pack and speed controller, and illustrated instruction manual

We had a chance to try out the Santa Fe Flyer, which really is an awesome value train set for the money.  This is a perfect toy for an older child who is starting to express interest in toys with a bit more capability than figures and non-mobile toys.

Moon Sand Castle Starter set

Moon sand activity tables continue to be one of the most popular recreational activities in childcare centers nationwide.  Now, you can bring the fun home with this Moon Sand Castle Starter Kit from Glammatoys.com, a leading provider of quality toys in a variety of product categories.

Made by Delta of Sweden, the Moon Sand Starter Kit includes an mat, which inflates in less than a minute, a large bag of starter moon sand, and several cool toys that your child can use to shape sand castles and figures.

A neat secondary benefit of Moon Sand is that it offers a nice sensory toy for children with autism who requires extra sensory stimulation.

Spin Master Toys

Spin Master Ltd., the 3rd largest toy maker in the US. Here are some of their most popular and talked about toys for this holiday season!

Bakugan – This Fall, the most incredible Bakugan yet is introduced. The 7n1 Maxus Dragonoid. It combines 6 Bakugan Trap and 1 Dragonoid Bakugan to create the ultimate monster! Package includes 1 Gate Card and 1 Ability Card.

Air Hogs has two great new products:

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser – the all surface r/c car that can drive on any flat surface including the floor, up walls, even upside down on the ceiling. The Laser Zero Gravity has an innovative new type of control too – a laser. Just point and shoot the laser and the Zero Gravity Micro will follow it wherever it goes.

The Air Hogs Switchblade is a 2n1 flyer that takes off like a hovering UFO and can be transformed in-flight into a high powered jet.

Glodoodle – the new drawing toy that allows you to make incredible pictures with light! Simply turn on the Glodoodle and use either your finger or the simple drawing tool and watch your pictures come to life. Has three different colours.

Flick Trix is a new fingerbike line by Spin Master that gives BMX enthusiasts real authentic licensed replica BMX fingerbikes to ride and show off as collectables. It’s like Tech Deck for BMX.

Paperoni – the all new arts and crafts activity that uses simple rolls of paper to make incredibly creative works of art!

PixOs Ultimate Design Station – Create a huge variety of cool PixOs 2D designs and 3D creations and add on new moving parts like wheels and hinges for even more fun! Built with a fan and suction tool, the PixOs Deluxe Designer comes with everything you need for a total PixOs experience.

Magic Reveal – the new line of magical kitchen toys that provides hours of safe, make-believe cooking and baking fun using only water! Simply wet the sponge, place the Magic Reveal food item on the surface and it magically cooks just like in a real kitchen.

ChixOs Design-A-Luxury Loft – Introducing the latest addition to the PixOs family – ChixOs – a new line of dolls and play sets that let you create, accessorize and play with alongside your favorite PixOs creations. The ChixOs Design-A-Luxury Loft is the ultimate party palace with four rooms to explore and three dolls to make, there’s so much to decorate and create. Use the glitterator shower to magically cover your dolls with glitter for a fun night on the town.

The loft house is my son’s favorite of the Spin Master toys.  He has been using it to recreate scenes from one of his favorite movies of the moment – Up!

Organic Bug My Best Blocks-Advanced Builder set

Organic Bug is a self described company that offers “Sustainable Products Promoting Healthy Lifestyles”.  They truly do make great products and we have had the pleasure of trying several of them.

This holiday season you can give your child the gift of building blocks while supporting an organic, ecologically and environmentally sound company.

The 78 piece (lots of variety for creativity) MY Best Blocks Advanced Builder set has pieces made from rock maple that are sanded smooth (no splinters) with no finish.  The set was a 2005 winner of the Top Toy of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine.

We had a chance to try Ronzoni’s new pasta thanks to mom central. It looks and tastes like regular white pasta, but Ronzoni Smart Taste contains added calcium and fiber, helping kids get their daily recommended value of both nutrients while still enjoying a favorite food. Other benefits for the whole family include lower calories and fat than traditional white pasta, and no sodium, preservatives or cholesterol.  The kids couldn’t tell the difference from other white pasta we have used in the past and I thought the taste was just as good. I love to find products that help me and my family eat healthy. Visit www.RonzoniSmartTaste.com to find out more information.

Ronzoni knows our frustration as Moms and the lengths we will go to feed our kids healthier foods. A new survey they conducted shows that that more than half of Moms of kids aged 3-12 find it challenging to feed healthy foods to their kids. So in addition to their line of pasta, they created a funny, spoof video featuring the Smart Taste Supermom:

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni Pasta and received a sample of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.”

I am so blessed.  I had to share.

Playskool is a leading and respected provider of classic and innovative children’s toys.  I wanted to let you know about a couple new introductions that would make a perfect fit under the tree for little ones.

WHEEL PALS CLASSIC Assortment

Available this fall, the Wheel Pals Classic Assortment is designed for ages 12 and up with a very affordable suggested retail price of $3.99.

Soft and squeezable, tots will love to move these colorful roll-along friends across the floor.  The cute little WHEEL PALS CLASSIC critters are sized specially for inquisitive toddler hands.  Little ones can choose from an assortment of 12 different characters, each sold separately.  Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

CLASSIC THEMED MR. POTATO HEAD Assortment

The classic themed Mr. Potato Head Assortment is another Playskool classic for ages two years and older.  Also available this fall, the retail price is just $9.99.

The newest members of the MR. POTATO HEAD family offer tons of imaginative fun for playful toddlers. The FRYER FIGHTER tater is ready to squelch flames with his handy fire extinguisher.  Swashbuckling spud CAPTAIN POTATO CHIPS figurine has a peg leg, eye patch, and hooked hand and is eager for action-packed expeditions.  Each figure sold separately.  Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com.

What’s great about a reintroduction of the classic Mr. Potato Head is that its wonderful legacy continues.  Our five year old had so much fun with this set that it inspired him to want some similar types of build and block toys.