Hot Wheels Nitro Speeder s Review and Giveaway

When I received the email asking if we would be interested in reviewing the new Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders I thought what a fun Hot Wheels car for Nathan.

You can never go wrong with Mattel Hot Wheels.  This amazingly small car comes with its own charging station that doubles as the controller and a carrying case.  The case/ controller takes AA batteries that did not come with the toy. Once charged up the Nitro Speeder takes off. We were all amazed at how fast the little car goes, spinning in circles and moving so quickly it can easily disappear and reappear. Nathan was excited by the idea of a fast micro RC car, however the quick circles were a little much for him. He really likes to control the RC cars more. He does like playing with this Hot Wheel in the shop where Daddy works on cars.
This Mom loves the compact toy for those trips where they boys need something small to play with and the fact that it doesn't take a wall charger is great.. The whole toy is smaller than a book and can fit in a backpack.  The car itself is pretty small so this toy is really recommended for ages 4+.

I tried taking video of the little racer but my poor camera couldn't keep up with it, it really is that fast.

One lucky reader will win a Hot Wheels Nitro Speeder toy in the giveaway below. Giveaway ends 9/13/11 and winner will be notified by noon PST on 9/14/2011


**we received a Hot Wheels Nitro Speeder from MomSelect in exchange for our honest opinion of the toy, no other monetary compensation was received and all opinions are ours.***

Civilize This , Civilize What??? a Review

When I received this fun card game I wasn't sure if they boys (6 and 8) were going to be able to play. I was happy to find that the questions have 2 levels and the game is fairly adaptable.

The questions cover Ancient Civilizations, Medieval Civilizations, and Modern Civilizations in to age categories. The questions in the easier category are worth 3 points while the harder questions are worth 7 points.  There is also a set of Wize Alec cards that cover a variety of fun task style activities to earn points.

When we played with Cameron some of the easy questions were too hard for him so I gave him multiple choice answers. I will definitely kept this game as we move back into Ancient history next year and refresh our memories.

Civilize This from Griddly Games Inc. is available at a variety of retailers as well as online retailers like Amazon. With a $14.99 price tag this is a great game for road trips, family game time, as well as homeschool groups.  The case that holds the die and the cards is sturdy and has a magnetic closure keeping the cards in their place nicely. The box itself is small enough to keep in a backpack for road trips and such.

I also enjoyed the fact that the questions covered a variety of civilizations and cultures without a bias toward one. Both boys were very successful in the Medieval category as we had several unit over the past year that fell into this category.  This card pack can also be added the Wise Alec Family trivia game as an expansion set or be used as a stand alone game for added value. Since we are on a tight budget like some many families I love the added value factor of the game.




I receive a copy of the above game as part of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew in exchange for our honest review of the game. All opinions within this review are ours along, no additional monetary compensation was received.

Obediance: 21 Days of Prayer for Sons

Romans 16:19

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁹For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

Obediance is such a struggle for so many children. I know my boys have a hard time following the "rules" and even worse struggle with the idea that Mom and Dad have rules but then God has rules too... So much for them to take in . 

Today's focus on obedience goes beyond just our boys. We are to teach them, but are we obeying God's rules ourselves; or are we falling into the "Don't do as I do, but do as I say" mentality?  I know I struggle with this myself. As I pray over my boys the verses for today I am reminded myself to obey. We are to teach our children the way that they shall go. Teach by example even older children learn by watching their parents and grandparents. Be honest with them even when we mess up.


Tonight's verses are:
Jeremiah 42:6
Ephesians 6:1
Hebrews 12:17
Acts 5:29
Deuteronomy 30:2
Deuteronomy 13:4
Jeremiah 26:13
John 15:10 
John 14:15
Romans 16:19


I use Biblegateway.com to look up verses online. I also recommend picking a color to highlight verses in your Bible , and make a note in the back cover to remind yourself what the colored markings were for. (ex. 21Days4Sons fall 2011, written in the color you picked )

If you haven't gotten a copy of Warrior Prayers yet, I highly recommend it.  You can print it off and make notes and work through the study questions each day as you journey through this time. I will continue to list the verses as a reference as we pray for sons. 

I have included a link to purchase the book on Amazon , this link is an affiliate link and purchases from this link result in a small commission paid to me from Amazon. 

Keeping up with an active 8 year old.

Cameron and I participated in a social insight study on Collective Bias this past weekend.
Just wanted to share the final project with everyone.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions within the slide show are our own

21 days of Prayer for Sons: Heart Change at Unvl HS

Tonight I want to encourage you to select a time to pray for your sons, grandsons, or sons you are lifting to the Lord.  In the book Warrior Prayers Brooke lists 10 verses for day 1.  Pondering those verses, I was convicted to change my own heart. Through these verses I am finding that I am sometimes as hardhearted as I see my boys.

There was a note in the leader's guide for Moms whose sons are grown or Grandmothers, aunts, etc.  Write a note once a day and send it to the son you are praying for, let them know you are praying for them. That inspired me, I am going to save these posts and print them for my boys as a reminder later in their lives.



On a unrelated note , I just have to thank my wonderful husband... The picture to the left is my Warrior Prayer Leader's Guide and book in a old Franklin Covey binder I had... Mike helped me drill holes using the drill press as I don't have a hole punch. We created a template so I can reuse a couple other binders I have in storage. God has blessed me with a man who is like minded in creating and re-purposing things.

Please continue to share your thoughts and comments each day as we journey together. Was there a particular verse that stood out to you today?


 I am so thankful for this group of women.  Brooke blessed me with each one of you. I hope we can grow in grace as we lift our sons to him.

Welcome to 21 Days of Prayer for sons at Unvl HS

I'm so grateful that you have joined my group on this wonderful journey. As we pray for sons I pray that we are parents will also grow in grace and love.
If you are new to 21 days of Prayer for Sons   Brooke McGlothin has written a wonderful book Warrior Prayers: Praying the Word for Boys in the Areas They Need it Most that takes you as a parent on a journey to praying the Word for our sons.   Together over the next 3 weeks I will share personal experiences as well as prayers for not only my 2 sons but, 3 sons of a dear friend who is battling brain cancer (I will share his story in another post), and the young grandson of a homeschool friend of ours who was recently diagnosed with Leukemia (he is only 5 weeks old.)

I know the power of prayer is an amazing thing. While I don't pray out loud or in public often I know that the power of a praying mother is sometimes the strongest prayers.  I often think of Mary and the prayers she must have prayed for her son even in his final hours on earth. What an amazing position we are in as mothers, to bring our boys closer to the throne of God through our prayers.

Tonight I pray for my sons as well as the others I mentioned but I also pray for you as a Mom of boys that you may grow on this journey.

Please feel free to leave a message below and follow the blog so we can journey together.

Cariann 


“The fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:17.

Flea Circus, crazy for cats and dogs

Just as school was beginning for us the boys received a fun surprise in the mail. Flea Circus from R & R Games.  At first I wasn't sure how they would play as competition games sometimes get ugly around here.  It was a hit as soon as we started. We played it one on one with the boys, where I would play opposite one boy a couple times, then we brought both boys together to play and and they loved it. We even played it one evening with  some friends.
What is Flea Circus? It is a fast paced card game where each player lays down a  carefully selected card and collects spectators (cats or dogs). When the game is over the player with the most spectators wins. Sounds simple but it actually can get pretty crazy. My boys really started to plan out their plays a little using some strategy as well as observation skills.
The box is small and can actually fit into out school bag for outings.

Since Cameron tends to be a hands on visual learner this game was perfect for him. We practiced math skills as well as observation, logic, and strategy skills while we played. I love when a game is teaching and they are having fun but don't realize they are learning while doing it.
Nathan has been working on his skip counting by 2 facts so we practiced those as we counted out points up (Dog spectators are worth 2 points each).
This game is neither Christian or Secular in focus, as a Christian family with non-Christian friends that play with the boys I was happy to have a non-violence focused game that even the non-Christian kids could play and have fun with.
The game is rated "not recommended for children under 3 due to choking hazards". I think a child that has a basic understanding of numbers 1-4 could have fun playing. This is an awesome family friendly game. Even my husband enjoyed playing with us.

The game is priced at $15.95 and is available from R&R Games  where you will find other great looking family friendly games.  I'm already making a wish list of possible Christmas gifts for the boys as well as cousins.

I received 1 Flea Circus game as a member of the The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for our opinion of the game. No monetary compensation was given and all opinions are ours alone.