Wild Animal Crunch

When I was little, my parents would take my sister and I to the local soft-serve ice cream stores, the kind you walk up to and order through a tiny, greasy window. My sister and I would get the chocolate cone with chocolate jimmies, my mom would get an ice cream sandwich, and my dad would get a large, daddy-sized vanilla cone. I always thought it was so weird that my parents wouldn’t get a giant chocolate cone. They were, after all, the adults and could get any size or flavor of cone they wanted. But my dad, when questioned, would always just say, "but I like vanilla." As I got older, I began to associate vanilla with old. It’s not quite up there with Butter Pecan, but it’s getting pretty darn close. Flash forward twenty some years later. I often find myself ordering just vanilla, but always, deep down, I am a chocolate girl.

This vanilla-chocolate love must go beyond my little world. Kellogg’s has launched a new cereal, Wild Animal Crunch. This whole-grain cereal has the best of both worlds…vanilla AND chocolate. It is shaped in cute little animals which made them a hit with my son. And while they are adorable to look at, they are delicious to eat. All three of us have been eating them, and I know when this complimentary review box is gone, everyone will be begging for more. I’m not a huge fan of sweet cereals, but Wild Animal Crunch has just enough sweet, but not too much. I love it dry to munch on while I commute to work, my son loves it dry or with a ton of milk. Either way, it’s a crunchy, yummy cereal.

Not only does this serve boast whole-grains and a great taste, the packaging is equally enticing. With a cuddly-looking panda bear on the front of the box, how can you pass this box by? On the back are some cool Animal Planet facts and games. You can check out more info on Wild Animal Crunch. For the taste, nutrition, and great packaging, I give this a

Posted by TKDDaughter on April 16, 2008 in Food and Drink | Leave a Comment

April 12, 2008

Lice MD

Last summer, while playing outside with my three year old son, I heard some screaming and crying from the neighbor children. Kids are normally loud creatures, but this particular scream variety suggested something was amiss. Because their mother was with them, I continued to play with my son while watching the events next store. After the screaming, I noticed some ape-like behavior. The mother sat with her daughter between her legs, picking something out of her hair. An hour later, the girls were slathered in some gooey, stinky liquid that clearly could kill some animal breeds. You know where I am going with this, don’t ya?

Evidently, the girls next door had lice. And they kindly play with my son regularly. And they continued to play with my son that day. All I have to say is, "EW!" We have all been faced with a breakout of lice, but I had never faced this as a parent. I never had it as a child, although friends had. I spent the next few weeks searching my son’s head for unwanted inhabitants, reading every normal each as a bite from the little critters. Thankfully, no one set up shop on my son’s had.

I recently found out about a new product, Lice MD, that is used to treat lice and their lovely eggs. You bet I will be buying this in the event of a lice outbreak in our house. As parents, we are always terrified what we put in and on our kids…not to worry with Lice MD. Lice MD is pesticide free, non-toxic, and odorless. No dyes or perfumes! Pediatricians have tested this and it has been proven effective. It boasts a one-step application for even long and thick hair. Sounds great to me!

So, if you find yourself ravaged by those unfriendly little head vermins, head over to www.LiceMD.com. They have put together a great website with a ton of useful information to ease the freaked out moms faced with lice. And bonus, there’s a coupon!! Then had to your pharmacy for your own package and stop your outbreak quickly, effetively and without worry. I have a feeling with the school years coming upon us quickly, Lice MD just might be a staple in our house!

Posted by TKDDaughter on April 12, 2008 in Household | Leave a Comment

April 7, 2008

Turtle Press Winners

This is a bit delayed but still exciting! Sorry for the delay! Drum roll please. . .

The winners of the Turtle Press book giveaway are:

John of Martial Views and Steve!

The winners of the Turtle Press DVD giveaway are:

Dougis and Eric-San!

Congratulations to all! Since Mr. BBM was busy finishing up tiling our kitchen, I numbered and wrote down every name. Then Mr. BBM yelled out random numbers from the kitchen to supply our winners. Not quite as exciting as a webcam live giveaway, but when you’ve been up all night tiling, trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to see BBM today.

Please get in touch with me asap with your mailing address so I can pass them along to Turtle Press!

Posted by Black Belt Mama on April 7, 2008 in Freebies | Leave a Comment

April 7, 2008

Only Child

Raw. Poignant. Emotional. Humorous. Honest. As readers, we all bring our own baggage with us to every book we read. Like art, our reading experience is just that-an experience. When asked to review Only Child: Writers on the Singular Joys and Solitary Sorrows of Growing Up Solo, I brought my own baggage with me. I’m not an avid non-fiction reader, not because I don’t enjoy it, but instead, as an English teacher, when I am not reading for my classes, I want to escape into a book-not have to think. However, Only Child was a book I wanted and needed to read, and every night I allowed myself 20 minutes no matter how late it was to fall into this honest look at only child-dom put together by editors Deborah Siegel and Daphne Uviller.

You see, I never expected to raise an only child. I am one of two children who always had dreams of a loud, raucous, large family reminiscent of the Cheaper by the Dozen crew. My husband is one of seven and certainly wanted to recreate that. When we were first dating, we’d have the "How many kids do you want to have" talk-he said five, I said, "We’ll see after the first one." Looking back, I feel like I cursed us. It was extremely difficult to have our son, and now, almost four years later, we are faced with an almost certain finished family. Infertility has robbed us of the family we wanted not just for us, but also for our son. He grows up alone, no partners in crime, no built in friend. Only Child explores these issues, from the parent point-of-view, from the only child, and from the only child as parent point-of-view.

What struck me the most as I read this was how raw and emotional it was. Each essay delved into a different aspect of what it was like to be an only child. Each writer was more honest than I imagine most people can be. At times, without even realizing it, I found myself sobbing. It’s not that the plight of the only child is a bad one, because many of these essays showed just how great it can be, but all of the essays did demonstrate some similar themes, the biggest one being, "What happens when I am all that is left?" This haunts me as a mother of an only child. What will my son do when we are gone? Who will be there to support him? Will he be lonely? Who will be there to help him tell the stories of our family? I read this book to find those answers and find comfort in a life I didn’t choose. Sometimes, Only Child provided that for me, other times, it hurt to read the words of the "lonely child."

What strengthened me after reading this was that, for the most part, only children feel incredibly loved. Most of them talked about this bond they have with their parents. John Hodgman, in his essay "A Letter to My Second Child," discussed the family of three as "stable as a triangle, unlikely to collapse, each point strengthening and relying on the other" (158). I like this concept, this idea of stability that I hopefully will provide for my son. Together, we will take on the world. Hopefully, along the way, I will teach him how to play well with others so that he might find some stability in other relationships. The idea of him being all alone tears me up inside, but I have to trust that what these only children tell me is the truth: that they are very well loved, very stable, and while sometimes envious of sibling relationships, they always are grateful for the life they have been given.

For the depth of honesty shown in the book, for giving a voice to this mysterious group called "onlies," for giving comfort to a mother desperately seeking happiness for her only child, I give this a:

Posted by TKDDaughter on April 7, 2008 in Books | 3 Comments

April 2, 2008

Japan’s War – In Colour

Japan’s War – In Colour is a documentary created in 2005, narrated by Brian Cox. This video offers a realistic glimpse into the mind and spirit of the Japanese people approaching, during, and after World War II.

WWII is an extraordinarily gruesome yet fascinating time in human history. Each culture involved had such a passionate determination to fight and iron will to succeed. A video such as this one, which offers insight into the Japanese side of things, could only be possible now, after time has healed certain global wounds. Even still, this is a subject that must be handled with the utmost care and balance.

The first thing that stood out to me about this documentary is the rare footage the creator’s obtained. Throughout the 90+ minute run time, astounding and uncensored footage of battles can be witnessed. Pearl Harbor, Midway, Okinawa, Hiroshima, etc. are all represented by short bits of film gathered meticulously by the film crew; and, as the title indicates, everything is in color.

A lot of the footage shown in Japan’s War has never before been aired, and some of it was thought not to exist. Since no color footage of Japan prior to 1945 had been seen, the short snippets from these battlefield cameras is a rare thing indeed.

One important note about this film is that it is not for the weak of heart. There is no censorship when it comes to shootings, bombings, or injuries. The view of WWII presented here is untampered…which brings me to my next important point – the presentation of political and philosophical beliefs is very well handled. This is a film that could have easily swayed toward showing Japan as a hapless victim of western tyranny, or on the other hand, pandered itself out as pro-American propaganda. Japan’s War manages to escape both of these traps and offers frank discussion of the Emperor’s ambitions, the militaristic nature of Japan, and the role American troops played as they entered the war.

One of my favorite things about this documentary, besides the footage, is the insight into the Japanese psyche presented by way of journals. Diaries and thoughts from Japanese soldiers, sergeants, and civilians are read throughout the film and give us a chance to put our finger on the pulse of Japan as the war was occurring.

If you are a person who studies martial arts and history seriously, especially that of the Japanese Islands, this documentary is certainly worth your consideration.

Ikigai108 gives Japan’s War – In Colour…

Posted by Ikigai 108 on April 2, 2008 in DVD, Film, Martial Arts | Leave a Comment

« Previous Page — Next Page »