In February of 2006, 6 weeks before my son was born, I got the call that my mother had passed away. She had struggled for 18 very long months trying to beat the cancer that eventually ravaged her body. As each day goes by, I don’t miss her less, or forget to think about her. It has gotten easier but not better. My kids are a constant reminder to me of what I lost, because they themselves are missing what would have been an incredible Grandma.

I really don’t have any regrets about my relationship with my mom. We were very close. She called me a thousand times a day. We always told each other that we loved each other, and I knew know matter what she was infinitely proud of me. I don’t have questions or unresolved issues. I am grateful for that. Her death has taught me to treat every relationship I care about with the same level of respect that she had for ours.

Even though we moved to another country shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer, we did it because she encouraged us too. She didn’t want her illness to stop my family from doing what she knew was best for us. She probably wanted us to stay, but never waivered.  She was adamant that we move. Sitting in the airport on our way to our new home, I was sobbing so hard for such a long time that a woman pulled me away from my husband to see if I was safe. As I reassured her that I was simply sad to be moving, I also giggled (internally) because my mom would have done the same thing. That move was simultaneously the most difficult and best thing we have ever done.

I wish however, on this Mother’s Day that I knew my mom as a person. She was always simply my mom. Goofy, and well read, smart but not formally educated. A good cook and an avid gardener. A yogi at heart if not in body. I know tons about her, but I was just coming into my woman hood as she was leaving hers. There are questions I have about her relationships, and how she managed day to day details that I will never know.

I try to make sure that my kids have a sense of who she was. They know her special recipes, and all about the things she taught me. They understand that some of their personality traits are from her, and that she loved to dance and garden just like my daughter. My son is a lefty just like her and we call him southpaw, because that is what she would have done.

Throughout my days I also try to give my kids a sense of who I am. I attempt to explain why I might be frustrated, or that even if they didn’t mean it they need to say sorry because it hurts my feelings if they don’t. I always leave books for my kids as my mom did for me. This Mother’s Day, I will sadly remember that I can no longer send her one sarcastic card and one sappy one, but I will cherish the homemade ones I will receive.

Roll into action with Rory’s Story Cubes! Featuring 9 cubes that offer a total of 54 unique every day verbs, kids, teens and tweens are given the tools to create the most amazing, most fun stories they’ve ever told! You can play Rory’s Story Cubes Actions solo or by combining them with other sets of Rory’s Story Cubes to kick-start creativity and set imagination in motion.


Have you ever played a game with your family or friends where the rules pretty much go out the window from the start?! Rory’s Story Cubes are sort of like that! And we love it! To play, simply pick an amount of dice to throw (we recommend a minimum of 3 up the maximum 9) and start talking! The Gamewright/Rory’s teams offers up 4 variations of storytelling games, including “Past-Present-Future” and “Re-Action” (which is opposites), but you can pretty much have free-reign over the rules. The concept however is a simple one – utilize the images from the dice to tell fun, funny stories. Easy as can be!

No durability issues here. The only concern we had were losing or misplacing dice, but the magnet sealed box helps keep everything together. Add in that this game is designed for kids 8 and up and you shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping track of all of the dice.

Well…at first…Rory’s Story Cubes may be lacking some of the bells and whistles our kids have gotten used to when selecting a toy or game to play with. Sure – the chance to roll so many dice at the same time is enticing, but not necessarily enough in the ultra-competitive arena of attracting kids’ attention. But…make no mistake about it…once kids see how much fun it is to play the game, or other people laughing their heads off telling stories, they are going to want their turn. Trust us – that’s where the visual appeal comes into play!

9 dice, 6 images on each, 54 total images = totally unlimited functionality in creative play! A game that prompts a child’s imagination means super functional!

Oh yeah! It doesn’t happen often that a game of this size (small) that packs in so much fun and function (lots) gets the pricing right! With a suggested retail price of $7.99 we couldn’t be happier to give all 5 stars for cost efficiency! Too often we see card or dice games come across our desks that cross that $10 line, some even cranking pricing up to $15 with elaborate packaging or inserts. Bottom line this game consists of 9 dice – that’s it. And with proper packaging (and a good head on their shoulders) the people from Gamewright priced this fun little number perfectly!

We have seen lots of games and toys that are designed to get a child’s imaginatin going, but we’ve never seen any that are both this simple and this effective. Choose rules to follow (or make your own), roll the dice, and start telling the stories! Perfect!

Rory’s Story Cubes Actions is one of those games that we are so happy to award 5 stars overall! It is easy-to-use, fun for everyone, durable, priced perfectly and absolutely original. Rory’s Story Cubes spark the imagination, and don’t leave kids out there on their own to fill in the blanks, but rather gives them all the prompts they need to get creative and have fun doing it! Story Cubes are a great addition to classroom games and games at home. Affordable and fun, Rory’s Story Cubes is an excellent way to get the creative juices flowing through super-fun, super-imaginative play!

The Joovy 4×4 Ride-On is a top-of-the-line battery powered vehicle for children. This super-powered vehicle has TWO motors, a 12-volt battery and a top speed of 5 MPH. Each motor is designed to power a rear wheel whereas many competitors use only ONE motor to operate both wheels.

The 4×4 Ride-On has an “ON/OFF” key and a forward and reverse switch. It has 2 speeds, a low speed of 2.5 MPH and a high speed of 5 MPH. To operate the vehicle, place the key in the ignition and push down on the accelerator pedal. To slow down or stop the vehicle, release the accelerator pedal. This vehicle is installed with an automatic thermal shutdown system. When the vehicle is overloaded, the power will cut off automatically for 15 to 20 seconds and restart.

The 4×4 Ride-On includes a 12-volt battery and charger. It features an adjustable 3-position seat, front head lights that turn on when the vehicle moves forward and a storage compartment in the spare wheel case. It’s only a matter of time before the 5 year old is asking for the keys to the car in the driveway!

The 4×4 Ride-On is available in Blueberry, Black and Pink.



The only thing that isn’t easy about Joovy’s 4×4 Ride-On is telling the kids it’s time to come in for dinner! In all seriousness, Joovy knew they were designing this amazing little car for 3-5 year olds, working with a little one’s skill set perfectly. To go, all they need to do is step on the gas. To stop, all they need to do is step off the gas – no braking required. If you’ve never had your child on a ride-on for fear that they won’t be able to figure it out…we hate to be so blunt, but you’d be wrong! With a few minutes of practice time your child will be happily making hairpin turns around trees in the yard!

Unlike other brands and ride-on products, Joovy was happy to put their usual Joovy durability stamp on the 4×4. The car just feels sturdy…the tires roll well…and two engines keep this mini-monster truck operating properly. Yes, batteries need to be recharged, but hey, for some parents that may be the only way to get the kids to stop driving! No durability concerns.

A 4×4 for kids! A mini-monster truck that is too small for big kids (and, ahem, big moms and dads) to drive…sized just for your 3-5 years old. Add in three super-cool colors and short of including candy in the truck compartment (that’s an idea!) this ride-on could not look any better to the eyes of a child!

What did Joovy pack into the 4×4 you ask? Everything they could we’d answer! An ignition key, adjustable seat, spare wheel storage compartment, working headlights…there’s even a floor mat! And best of all the 4×4 drives like a dream. Really – your kids are going to be so thrilled to drive this 4×4 – and with so much function packed in they’ll love every second!

Well…like most Joovy products…the 4×4 isn’t exactly inexpensive. OK – for some – the pricing would seem downright crazy. With a retail price of $499 there is absolutely no way some families can afford this ride-on. However, for those parents lucky enough to be in a situation where money isn’t the deciding factor (rather quality is), then this is the ride-on for you. Yes, the 4×4 is priced high, very high, but for the money Joovy is giving you arguably the best ride-on in the market. If the high price is something your family can absorb, your kids will love this truck and you won’t be disappointed in the investment.

Of course there are other ride-ons for kids on the market, and some have lots of function and features. However, none that we have ever seen pack in as much original functionality and performance as the 4×4 from Joovy. From key, to working lights, to adjustable seats and floormats – this ride-on adds so many original components the only thing keeping it from 5 stars in this category is that others preceded it in the market.

If it weren’t for pricing, there is no question this would be a 5 star product. It is easy to use, durable, looks like a million bucks and will entertain your kids for hours and days. Would we like it to be less expensive? Absolutely! But if money isn’t the issue, you are looking at our favorite ride-on!

Kids don’t always remember the polite way to respond in situations. The Blunder family is no exception─they are known for their rude behavior. But Billy, Brenda, Bobby and Becky Blunder want to learn manners so they will be invited to the Mannerlys’ Annual Pool Party Extravaganza! Good manners will also help them make more friends, do better in school and develop self confidence. Follow them on their manners adventure, moving along the path, reading fun scenarios and answering important manner questions to be the first one invited to the pool party!
For 2 to 4 players or teams
Ages 5 & Up

Learn About and Practice:
• Table Manners
• Host and Guest Skills
• Confident Introductions
• Respect and Kindness
• Telephone Manners
• School Etiquette
• Honesty and Responsibility

Contents:
300 Question Cards (3 Decks), 9 Table Setting Cards, 4 Pawns (Billy, Brenda, Bobby and Becky Blunder) and Stands, 2 Dice, Game Board, Blunders’ Story/Rules Booklet

Have you been searching for an easy way to help your kids learn their manners? Well – you just may have found it! Blunders is played like any board game your children have, but instead of simply moving through the board or testing their memory, this game gives them lesson after lesson in manners as they play along. Is it difficult? Absolutely not. Game play is easy and entertaining, and a breeze to pick up. Younger children may need help reading their cards, but other than that – Blunders couldn’t be any easier!

Like most games we review, Blunders doesn’t have any real durability concerns. There are a few small peices and lots of cards, so you’ll want to make sure kids don’t lose any – but other than that – no worries.

Blunders is cute! It has bright colors, and interesting little characters . The look of the game will definitely appeal to little ones – and fit right into their visual standard of board games. Blunders will almost always lose out to Wii, Xbox or Playstation as your child’s first choice, but if you take the electronics out of the mix, Blunders has as good of a chance as being selected off of a shelf as any of your other board games.

Functionality is where we really feel that Blunders excels and the reason is simple – content. There is so much manner-based content packed into this game that everyone from grandparents on down to the youngest of players will have plenty to learn about manners. Are some of the details beyond what a 5 year old needs to know – absolutely. But that 5 year old is going to grow into a 15 year old before you know it – and some of the more advanced manners lessons will come in handy then.

With a suggested retail price of $24.95, Blunders is priced just slightly higher than our $20 threshold. When you start to play the game you’ll see extra dollars went into developing and packaging different card sets, etc., but we still prefer our games just a few dollars less.

Blunders is an absolute original from a subject manner point of view. We have seen plenty of board games in our day, and some that teach, but we have never seen a game that is focused on manners education! Original subject matter positioned in a fun game – nicely original!

So, are manners important? Absolutely! Do parents know everything they need to know to teach manners to their children? Absolutely not! That’s where Blunders comes in to play! With a little help from Blunders your children are not all of a sudden going to be manners experts. However, they are going to start to see the world around them in a slightly more civil, more organized way. For many kids, manners isn’t something they were ever even asked to think about, let alone practice on a day to day basis. As your children grow into young adults, good manners can help take them far. Blunders is easy to play and certainly durable. It is all original and super-functional. With a few rounds of Blunders your kids will be taking strides down the road towards a polite, respectful life!