Glow Crazy Distance Doodler Review

We love summertime. But some days, it's just too hot to even think about going outside. So I have to brainstorm ways to keep my 6 year old busy, without letting him watch SpongeBob all. day. long.

Little Man loves to draw, so I knew the Distance Doodler would be a hit with him. And I was definitely right.

The Glow Crazy Distance Doodler allows kids to write and draw on glow clings, using a "magic" lightwand. The glow clings are easy to apply to your wall, and are supposed to come off easily. (I can't attest to the removal since Little Man has used it every day since I put it up.) Once the cling is up, all you need is a dark room and a little creativity.
There are two modes on the lightwand. One allows the doodler to draw using a thin line of light and the other uses a thick area of light. The thicker beam can be used to create silhouettes of other people, toys, or just about anything else you can imagine. We had fun seeing what toys and random household objects looked like as silhouettes. The images disappear rather quickly, but my son loved this since it meant he could constantly be drawing something new.

The Distance Doodler has provided my son hours of entertainment. We've practiced writing, played games, and have had contests to see who could draw different objects. (Little Man usually won, as I'm the least artistic person ever.)

We are definitely glad to have a new, fun activity to do on days when it's too warm or raining outside. Plus, I love that it encourages creativity and writing skills!

Buy It:
The Distance Doodler sells for $24.99, but is sold out on their official site until July 15, 2011. However, it's also available at Walmart and Toys R Us.

Vacation

It seems that summer is flying by already, and I feel like we've done nothing! But when I really think about it, I realize that Little Man has had the chance to do quite a few things this summer already. And we still have two months to go. (Though I can't believe it's only two more months and that baby #2 will be arriving before summer comes to an end.)

A few weeks ago, we took a little 6-hour road trip. Surprisingly, the car ride went amazingly well. Little Man only asked if we were "there yet" 42 times, hubby only got us lost 3 times, and we only narrowly missed getting hit by another car twice. The number of times my seat was kicked was too high to count though, and the fact that it was followed by a smaller kick inside my belly almost every time made my hubby giggle. I wasn't nearly as amused.

Once we were there we spent a week doing fun things. The boys went kayaking, while I enjoyed a good book and a cup of hot cocoa on the house porch. My son (thankfully) arrived back in one piece, and though covered in fishy smelling mud and shivering, he was so excited to tell me about his adventure.
We went to the beach. The first beach outing Little Man can actually remember. He had a blast collecting shells and taunting the ocean.
We visited an amazing dinosaur park, call the Dinosaur Place. Life-sized dinos, an erupting volcano, miles to walk, and a playground, easily equals every little boy's dream.
We spent another afternoon exploring a castle and it's grounds. Surprisingly, Little Man loved going through the castle and declared he needs "popcorn" lights (lights within stained glass globes) for his room too.
And we went to an aquarium. Little Man still wants to be a zoologist one day, so he was so excited to get up close and personal with a beluga whale, feed a sting ray, and pet a shark. Momma was a little freaked out when it felt like the sting ray was going to ram my hand to get his food, but I survived with a smile on my face.
Getting time away, and the chance to focus on fun for a whole week was so nice. By the end of the week, Little Man and I were both excited to sleep in our own beds again though. But by the next day he was asking when we could go back to the "vacation house" again.

The Winters in Bloom: Book Review

I'm always on the look out for new authors to fall in love with. It seems like once I find a writer I enjoy, I'll read every book they've put out.

I was recently introduced to the work Lisa Tucker, and I have definitely added her to my list of must read authors.

The Winters in Bloom, the sixth novel from Tucker, is the story of family, of love and loss, of heartache and guilt. The story follows the Winter's family, David, Kyra, and their son, Michael. David and Kyra have plenty of reasons to worry. (What parent doesn't?) But when their son disappears one morning, they both have to face their fears and their past.
I could easily see a little of myself in Kyra and David. Though they take their protectiveness to the extreme, I could relate to worrying about my little ones and wanting to know that they're safe. The story will have you thinking about why some people do go to such extremes to keep their children safe in today's world.

I read The Winters in Bloom in three days. Every chance I got, I was sneaking in a few pages. I just had to know what happened next. I can't wait to pick up another of Tucker's novels.

Buy It:
The Winters in Bloom will be released on September 13, 2011.

I received a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own.