Animal Themed Reads from Random House Children's Books - Review

Disclosure - free sample provided.

Do you have a child that loves to read?  Do they love animals?  Random House Children's Books has a great selection of new titles that are all about animals.  My daughter loved these books.  It is always fun to read about animals in stories.  These great animal stories make reading fun for children.  

Puppy Pirates

There are 2 books in this chapter book series.  These are early chapter books.  My daughter really enjoyed these.  These are written by Erin Soderberg.  She has done a great job writing these at a level that is perfect for children that are just starting to read chapter books.  The books are about puppies that are pirates.  The characters are fun, and my daughter fell in love with them.  The puppies are always finding something to get into.  I love how the author incorporates humor into these books.  Stowaway is the first book int he Puppy Pirates series.  It is about Wally the pup.  He has a nose for adventure.  The second book in the series is X Marks the Spot.  This is about digging for buried treasure.  My daughter and I really enjoyed reading these together.  She really enjoyed that there are some fun pictures throughout the book that make the story come to life.  

Playful Pigs from A to Z is a great book by Anita Lobel.  Anita Lobel is a Caldecott honor Winner.  This book is a picture book that would be great for pre-school aged children.  It is about 26 playful pigs.  The book features all the letters in the alphabet.  This is a fun way to teach pre-school aged children the alphabet too.  The book features a different pig for every letter.  The book is colorful and nicely illustrated.  

Apes A-Go-Go is another great animal themed book by Roman Milisic.  This is a fun picture book story about apes.  The illustrations are done by A. Richard Allen.  I love the colorful illustrations on all the pages.  The story takes place in a very tidy town.  There is a problem though.  There is a little flower that is out of place.  The apes try to help, but there are more problems on the way.

Welcome Home, Bear is a picture book about animal habitats.  I love the neat illustrations throughout the pages of this book too.  The illustrator did an amazing job with the scenery in this beautiful book.  The book is about Bear.  He think he needs to look for a new home that isn't in the same green forest.  Bear travels to a number of different habitats to see if any of them are for him.  

One of my favorites that we received was There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.  We truly enjoyed reading this as a bedtime story.  This is a silly story written by Penny Parker Klostermann and illustrated by Ben Mantle.  This is a picture book about a dragon that swallows a variety of things.  He eats everything!

You can learn more about all of these fun animal books by visiting Random House Children's Books

You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.  

Disclosure - I received a free sample to facilitate my review.  No monetary compensation was provided.  All opinions are completely my own.  My participation is voluntary.   I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery Blu-ray Giveaway 8/2 CLOSED

Scooby-Doo has always been one of my favorite cartoons to watch.  I still love it.  I enjoy watching Scooby-Doo with my 8 and 10 year old.  Are you a big Scooby-Doo fan?  Scooby has gotten more exciting to watch over the years!  Did you know that there is now a Scooby-Doo! and KISS:  Rock and Roll Mystery movie?  I was so excited to hear about this!  This looks like a fun movie to enjoy as a family.

Get ready to Rock! Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang team up with the one and only KISS in this all-new, out-of-this-world adventure! We join the Gang at Kiss World – the all-things-Kiss theme park, as they investigate a series of strange hauntings. With help from Kiss, they discover that the Crimson Witch has returned to summon The Destroyer from the alternate dimension of Kissteria! The evil duos ghastly plan, to destroy the earth! Can the Gang's cunning and Kiss's power of rock save the day?! Tune in to this Rock and Roll Mystery for some thunderous, heavy FUN!

You can check out the app below and check out some great Scooby-Doo clips!  I have also included some fun craft downloads below.  I hope you enjoy!  

Giveaway - Enter to win a copy of Scooby-Doo! and KISS:  Rock and Roll Mystery on Blu-ray.

Open to US residents 18 years of age and older.  The giveaway will end on 8/2/15 at 8:59 PM PST.  The winner will be chosen randomly.  The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to contact me back to claim their prize.  No PO Boxes for prize fulfillment.  Mommie of 2 is not responsible for lost prizes or prizes not received.

Each household is only eligible to win One (1) Scooby Doo and KISS Rock & Roll Mystery Blu-ray Combo Pack via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

I am not being compensated for this post.  Opinions are completely my own.

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Beso Del Sol Red Sangria Review

Disclosure - free sample provided.

I love to try wines that I have never tasted before.  I was recently introduced to Beso Del Sol.  This is a Red Sangria from Spain.  It is a Tempranillo red wine.  Beso Del Sol has combined this red with delicious fruit to create an excellent red sangria.  The wine is perfect for the warm months when you want to enjoy a glass of something refreshing at the end of the day.  

Beso Del Sol Red Sangria is 100% natural.  It is made by combining red wine with natural citrus and fruit juices.  It has a nice fruity flavor, but it isn't overly sweet.  You can even add your own fresh fruit to this wine to add more fruit flavor.  Beso Del Sol is great because it comes in a convenient box that is easy to keep in your fridge.  It is also a great beverage to serve while entertaining.  This would be great at any Summer barbecue.  

Beso Del Sol pairs well with so many food items.  It is wonderful with grilled meats.  I also love it with a fruit and cheese plate.  How would you pair Beso Del Sol Red Sangria?

You can learn more about Beso Del Sol by connecting with them on Facebook.

Disclosure - I received a free sample to facilitate my review.  No monetary compensation was provided.  All opinions are completely my own.  My participation is voluntary.   I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

Aerobie's Superdisc #Giveaway 8/15 CLOSED

Disclosure - free sample provided.

My kids love to play outside.  I love when we find toys that make the outdoors more fun.  Aerobie's Superdisc is a fun outdoor toy that is perfect for Summer!  This is "The World's Best Flying Disc."  It is also a Popular Science Magazine award winner!  This is more than just your typical flying disc.  My kids love playing with it at the park.  This disc is even easy enough for my 8 and 10 year old to throw.  The disc flies far.  It has a cushioned edge.  The cushioned edge is really nice because it makes it comfortable to hold.  The Superdisc also flies nice and straight.  

The Aerobie Superdisc is even made right here in the USA.  I love products made in the US!  The disc has an advanced design.  It makes it easier for children to throw, but it is also tons of fun for adults.  This disc is reasonably priced too.  It retails for about $10.  The Superdisc is available at Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, and more.  

You can learn more about Aerobie's Superdisc by visiting their website.  You can also connect with them on Facebook.

Giveaway - Enter to win an Aerobie Superdisc!

Open to US residents 18 years of age and older.  The giveaway will end on 8/15 at 8:59 PM PST.  The winner will be chosen randomly.  The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to contact me back to claim their prize.  Mommie of 2 is not responsible for lost prizes or prizes that are not received.  Bloggers that have reviewed for this company are not eligible to win.  You are not eligible to win if you have won a giveaway for this product on any blog.  One winner per household.

Disclosure - I received a free sample to facilitate my review.  No monetary compensation was provided.  All opinions are completely my own.  My participation is voluntary.   I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

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SpellingYouSee Review and #Giveaway 8/15 CLOSED

Disclosure - free sample provided.

I recently learned about SpellingYouSee.  I knew this was something that I wanted to try with my children.  We have been working with our daughter on her reading and spelling this Summer.  SpellingYouSee is a great way to help your child with their spelling.  It is great material if you homeschool, but it is also really great to use to help your child in the Summer.  

SpellingYouSee is designed to help your child succeed with spelling no matter what level they are at.  They offer their materials in seven different levels.  The SpellingYouSee website helps you decide which level is right for your child.  I followed the instructions that were given on the website for picking the right level for my child.  I ended up finding that the Level F SpellingYouSee material was a good fit.  

The Level F SpellingYouSee is called Ancient Achievements.  This level is designed to help your child move from the skill development stage of spelling to the word extension stage.  The material features non-fiction stories that are used to help your child with their spelling skills.  I like that my child learns about things like Marco Polo, Vikings, and more while doing the lessons.  How does SpellingYouSee work?  The Level F SpellingYouSee helps your child work on chunking, copywork, and dictation.  I also like that the chunking helps your child with spelling, but I have found this to be a good tool for my daughter to use while she is reading too.  

I found that my daughter was successful with the SpellingYouSee material because it provides her with repetition.  The lessons are done and repeated more than once.  This really helps my daughter remember what she is doing.  The lesson consists of reading a passage out loud.  Your child is then asked to mark on the reading the vowel chunks.  This was helpful because then your child can see them clearly.  The next step is then to have your child copy and chunk the passage.  Your child will write it below the printed copy to help them learn.

We truly are enjoying the SpellingYouSee material.  I think it is a great way to teach your child spelling, and do it in a manner that is not frustrating.

You can learn more about SpellingYouSee by visiting their website.  You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Enter to win SpellingYouSee in your level of choice!  

Open to US residents 18 years of age and older.  The giveaway will end on 8/15/15 at 8:59 PM PST.  The winner will be chosen randomly.  The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to contact me back to claim their prize.  Bloggers that have reviewed for this company are not eligible to win.  You are not eligible to win if you have won a giveaway from this company on any blog.  Mommie of 2 is not responsible for lost prizes or prizes that are not received.

Disclosure - I received a free sample to facilitate my review.  No monetary compensation was provided.  All opinions are completely my own.  My participation is voluntary.   I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

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Ozeri Ultra 42 inch Wind Fan Review

Disclosure - free sample provided.

It is so hot in Vegas in the Summers.  We run our air conditioning almost all day, but it still gets warm and stuffy in the house.  We even had our air conditioning go out a few weeks back, and were completely miserable for 24 hours.  Ozeri offers a wonderful fan that can help make your house even more comfortable in the heat.  It is great whether you have air conditioning or you don't.  I definitely could have used this high quality fan when our air conditioning went out.

Ozeri's Ultra 42 inch Wind Fan is not just your typical fan.  It has a tower like design.  The tower even has an option and you can make is oscilate.  I like that this is a slim fan and it really does not take up a ton of room.  This fan has so many options.  You can adjust how hard you want the fan to blow.  The fan also has a regular setting, but also a sleep setting, and a nature setting.  The sleep setting is not super loud for when you are trying to sleep.  The fan is really impressive because it even tells you on the display what the temperature is in the room.  The features on this fan get even better.  The fan has a remote.  I love to keep the remote next to me when I am sitting on the couch.  You do not even need to get up to adjust the settings!  This is really awesome!  

Ozeri's Ultra 42 inch Wind Fan was really easy to set up.  I am not super handy, but I was impressed with how easy the fan was to put together on my own.  The fan has a base that you put together.  You can add an extra piece that they provide to raise it up higher if you want.  The fan really seems like it is great quality.  I know we will be using this throughout the rest of the hot Summer months here in Vegas.

You can learn more about Ozeri's Ultra 42 inch Wind Fan by checking it out on Amazon.  The fan is currently $85.99, and has free shipping.   

Disclosure - I received a free sample to facilitate my review.  No monetary compensation was provided.  All opinions are completely my own.  My participation is voluntary.   I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  

The Twinkies Cookbook Review

Disclosure - free sample provided.

I was so excited when I received this cookbook.  Hostess and Twinkies are something that puts a smile on my face!  Hostess and Twinkies remind me of being a kid.  My kids love Twinkies too, so they were even flipping through this book and looking at the recipes.  This is a the 85th Anniversary Edition of the Twinkies cookbook.  This book includes sweet and savory recipes that all have Twinkies as an ingredient.  

This book is beautifully put together.  I absolutely love the cover.  This book is a cookbook, but it also includes some interesting information on Twinkies.  This really is neat if you are a huge Twinkies fan!  This book even features some of the older style boxes that you used to see.  The book talks about Twinkies over an 85 year span.  I love seeing how Twinkies used to be packaged, and learning about how they are made.  

I started thumbing through all the recipes in this book.  I was so excited by how creative these recipes are.  Some of the recipes include Twinkie Carrot Cake Cookies, Twinkie Strawberry Shortcake, Twinkie Tunnel Bundt Cake, Twinkie Cherry Pie, Twinkie Sushi, Twinkie Burritos, and more.  I really like that these are very easy recipes.  They are something that I can do with my kids, and they can even help.  

You can learn more about this fun Twinkies Cookbook here.  

You can learn more about the author here.  

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.