Book Reviews and Money Saving Tips

I end up being a bit tongue tied on jewelry reviews.  This is very bright pink and from my eye it is a true pink, not a fuchsia or other shade.  It has a very nice look to it.   It looks way more expensive than the price of $28.00 warrants.  The gift box is nice and the whole overall ambiance is very attractive.  If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Christmas Greetings 2016

This is a very thoughtful and well designed product.   The inventor found traditional car seats unwieldy.  In addition the author as many of us can testify found there were times were he needed a car seat and did not have one with him.  This seat truly is small enough to go in a backpack.  For me the convenience is to put it in the seat back pocket of my car.   There are times when I have been asked to pick up a grandchild due to my kids having a scheduling conflict.   This often entails a drive home or a drive to their home to get a car seat.   This unit allows you to avoid that inconvenience.   The seat installs easily.  You just drop it on the seat and then run the lap belt through the attached wings on the booster seat.  I found the shoulder harness fastener a bit more trouble.  I advise that you shorten that strap prior to putting a squirmy kid on the booster.  The clip/holder was surprisingly difficult to adjust.  It seems like it should adjust more easily but i

A simple, bright flashlight.  No gimmicks, no flashing just a nice bright light at a price for four that was just a smidge over the price of one that was only one LED. BYB Super Bright 9 LED mini aluminum flashlight is the perfect companion for everyday use. Compact, Durable, and Versatile. Use in a wide variety of situations and circumstances Aluminum body, good illumination, no blinding, run times, can use for calamity search & rescue Simple on/off push button operation and 3x AAA Battery required but not included 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE AND NO HASSLE 90-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

This is an interesting toy.  The skull projects "ghosts and critters" on the wall and ceiling.  The player is to shoot them with the included ray gun.  The skull makes "ghostly" noises and twists and swivels so it is hard to tell where the next target will be projected.  It projected surprisingly bright and detailed ghosts and bats even in a low light situation.  In a no light situation the projections were visible.  The accuracy of your shot doesn't seem to matter as much as getting to the next projection  before it disappears.  Dare I suggest that Dad and Mom might have fun with this after the kids go to bed with a little competitive shooting.   It is silly and fun.  Buy your batteries in bulk as the skull takes 4-AA and the gun takes 3AAA.   I suspect that the fun aspect will burn through batteries rather quickly. ·                         Shoot quick or you may miss them! hear the Spooky sounds! ·                         Your blaster will

These are pigs that are inspired by a TV show.   It is reminiscent of Tickle Me Elmo in you press the tummy to get phrases, giggles and roll overs.   The animation part may decrease in interest after extensive use but the timeless aspect of plush animals should add to its interest life span.   The pigs are cute and the voice is less annoying than Elmo's voice.    Peppa comes with demo batteries (think short life) and George needs batteries.   Each figure takes 3 AA batteries.   I think that this will be an appealing toy even if your child is not a fan of the show. Press Peppa's tummy to hear giggles, oinks, and phrases like "I'm Peppa Pig" and "You're my best friend". Press George's tummy to hear giggles, oinks, and phrases like "Wiggle Wiggle!" and "Dinosaur!". If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

This says 8+, I would pay attention to the plus sign.   Although the instructions are very good, I would say it would take a pretty talented eight year old to assemble this.   It is a perfect father son project though.  It is not mentioned on the box or in the book but Nerf brand darts will work and these darts do work in Nerf brand toys.  Don't believe me, there is a surprising amount of research referenced on line about compatibility.  Who knew that much passion could be engendered about a type of toy. For kids who enjoy the blaster type fun, this should be a hit.  Lots and lots of parts though, 288 pieces which doesn't sound like a lot but...I guess I'm not eight years old.   I predict this will be a well received gift. Later: I neglected to mention  this is a very cool looking toy and has the ability to be customized appearance wise as it is compatible with all the other K'NEX products. 1 NEW Motorized Rapid Fire Blaster Chamber 10-Dart

This is a very cool toy.   The ability of Elmo to talk to the child by name is going to be a huge hit.  There are games and chores that can be referred to by Elmo.  Out of the box, Elmo is cute and does things by clapping his hands, putting his hands on his belly or squeezing his nose.   My suggestion would be to free Elmo from his box prior to giving it to a child.  It took brute strength, scissors  and wire cutters to get Elmo out.   Plus you have to get him out to get batteries in him.   That is not obvious and the instructions don't say insert batteries in his derriere but that is where you put them.  Once Elmo is powered up you can then download the application from Google Playstore.  The app is Love2learn Elmo.  Again the instructions tell you to go to Hasbro's website but even there you have to do some searching to get to the point where you are told to go to the playstore to download the app.  Once the application is on your phone you can customize the Elmo. T

This is too darn cute.  The singing voice is clear and the tunes are catchy.   The sounds and lights are going to be captivating for the little ones.  The slightly older kids are going to love the remote control.   This will be a great gift for any little Thomas fan and a great introduction for any child that is not already a Thomas fan.  Includes battery-powered motorized Thomas toy train and remote control Guitar-shaped remote control features 4 buttons: activate music, activate sound effects, move forward, reverse & spin Includes 6 original upbeat songs inspired by different musical genres Thomas delivers cool sounds and unique phrases related to a musical performance Steam clouds on the side of Thomas light up brightly in a rainbow of colors that flash in time to the music If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

3Doodler Start Super Mega Pen Set   by   3Doodler Great Gift Idea!                                                                                           Ok, I admit I am a sucker for tech gadgets.  This is a take off of the 3D printer which I have raved about in past reviews.  This allows you to draw, mold and experiment in a non-toxic plastic.  It certainly doesn't have the precision of a 3D printer but at $99.00 it doesn't have the price tag either.   This set comes with a full complement of different color Eco-Plastic rods that are made entirely from food grade materials, so it’s completely biodegradable, non-toxic and BPA-free.   This is going to be a major hit with kids and grandkids. From the creators: How did you come up with the idea for this product? Our 3D printer had almost completed a 14-hour print when it missed a line, leaving an unplanned gap in the print. A small error had ruined hours of work, and we were going to have to star

·   This is a nice set. It doesn't say it is part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) series but it certainly could be.   Good concepts and very clear instructions.   Of course once it is built and played with the whole set will be folded in with the rest of the K'NEX for even more play.   This is a Pennsylvania company that is very innovative and produces a quality product.   Much like the ubiquitous more well known brand of building toy, you can never have too many K'NEX.   As an aside, the set comes with three rubber bands that seem like they were an afterthought as they were just loose in the box and frankly they look like they were used.   Kind of surprised to see that in this normally high quality set. From the vendor: Go back in time with the Infinite Journey Roller Coaster Building Set, from K'NEX. The slingshot launcher sends the coaster car up the hill and spiraling through the track! This set comes with 353 parts, pr

Piracy isn't just grabbing hostages off the coast of Africa or the plot for a Disney movie.  Piracy is also literary theft. This morning I got another Google alert that informed me that once again another site is ripping off my books.   They are offering free downloads of  my books and many, many others without getting author permission.   Several of my books are on the site and I have not given them permission to give them away.   Somehow related is Melekpdf . online which is also coming up as giving away my books.   It is one thing for me to offer my books to my readers for free and it is an entirely different thing to find some website charging a fee for unlimited book, game and movie downloads and "giving" away my books.  This is theft, plain and simple.   Every dime I earn goes into producing more books.   My hope is my books help someone in some way.   These thieves are depriving me of income that could produce another book.    Please DO NOT patron

This is pretty nifty.  It is a simplistic globe that turns and shows the continents.  Each continent has an interactive button.   Pushing the buttons elicits different responses dependent on which of the three learning stages you have selected.  This toy should keep a toddler entertained for hours.  It is sturdy and should provide both fun and learning.   The cheery little voice may drive Mom and Dad crazy with it's engaging upbeat manner which makes it an  ideal gift from grandparents.  From the vendor: Interactive globe helps teach global greetings, animals, colors, modes of transportation, music and continents Includes Smart Stages technology-with 3 levels of play, learning content changes as toddlers grow "Ni-hao!" Press the 7 animal buttons to learn about animals, music and greetings from around the world Flip the book pages to learn how Pup & Sis get around when they travel the world Spin the globe for

  See a guest post by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. at Azure Dwarf today.

Once again proving "you get what you pay for", this product failed miserably in ease of use.  Logmeonce seemed like a good solution for the necessary password protection problem.  Seems and does are two different things.  The software initially seemed to provide the necessary protection and robust ability ratings of my passwords.  Then  about a week ago, I tried to log in and it said I had an incorrect login.   I had changed nothing but I shrugged and created a new password.   Problem solved!  WRONG!!  On the successive following days, each morning I was told the login password was incorrect and I had to create a new password.  Today was the last day I put up with their software malfunction.   I was going to go to support but there is none.  I was going to go to their community forum and it "is coming soon."   How this software ever became a tech magazine choice is beyond comprehension.   Oh to punish you for leaving,  you have to manually export your cha

This is a cute scooter and the pink and purple will be a hit with the grand daughter.   I particularly like the adjustable handle bar.   You have three adjustments that allow you to start at a very low 20" and go up to a 26". The brake seems effective.   The wheels and body are soft enough that this could be used in the house by little ones.    Self righting seems a bit of a stretch but it does seem responsive.    This should make a very nice gift. ·                         Designed For Ages 3 to 5 Years Old ·                         Fun 3 Wheeled Scooter With Pivot Steering & Patented Self Righting Technology ·                         Removable Handle Bar ·                         Three Stage Height Adjustable Bar: Low 20" Mid 23" Max 26" ·                         Max Weight: 66LBS ·                         Smooth Polyurethane Wheels with Quick Stop Rear Brake ·                         4" Strong Plastic Non Slip Deck If rev

I wasn't sure what non-woven meant and I still am not.  This feels durable and will certainly hold a lot of wrapping paper, see photo.   It seems like it should hold up and was reasonably priced at $13.99. ·                          Non woven ·                         Imported ·                         Non-Woven Storage Bin is 41 x 14 x 4.5" with zip lid, dividers for materials and clear pockets for supplies on the inside ·                         Gift wrap storage box holds up to 8 rolls of wrapping paper and has ample room to store tape, sissors, ribbion, and more for wrapping the perfect gift ·                         Easy clean up-shake briskly to clean or use a damp sponge to clean soiled areas ·                         Wrapping Paper storage is available in two colors: Holiday Stripe & Snowflake ·                         To view more of our products visit our brand page at amazon.com/dii or search for DII Storage If reviewing a pro

I don't hate the dark, I just hate stumbling around in it.  These are LED which means you can use them with out feeling guilty over power usage.   They also have a built in light sensor which turns them off when the sun rises or you turn on another light source.  They seem sturdy and the light is enough to illuminate for safety without blazing or glaring.  The price is certainly good too, under $10.00 at Amazon. I wrote this review in July when I got the lights.  Since then one died after 3 months of use. It was on a surge suppressor and nothing else is damaged on the same strip so I have to assume a defective light. One out of four is a 25% failure rate which seems rather high so I had to question the quality.  Built-in light sensor turns nightlight on and off automatically Built-in LED bulb Polarized 2-Blade Plug If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Ok scary serious stuff, if you have Comcast Xfinity and use their router most likely the Default password is active. I made the erroneous assumption when the Comcast tech set it up that he changed the Default password. Oops, my bad! ALWAYS change the default password on any of your devices. Here is the link that explains how to do it. https://howchoo.com/g/mwiyywixmgz/how-to-log-in-to-a-comcast-xfinity-router Hyperlink for address above. If you want to read the story as to why I am hyper sensitive to default passwords read on. Once upon a time a client of ours had their phone system hacked late one Friday.   There were over 800 calls made to Yemen over that weekend.  The FBI got involved and we discovered that the client had not changed the DEFAULT password on their phone system.   A disgruntled employee at the phone system factory sold the default password and a client list on the web.   The bad guys just called each client and tried the DEFAULT password.

Progresso makes some good soup, many of the flavors in a light variety.  What is interesting is that they often run promotions that allow the $2.29 (where I shop) price to go on sale for $1.00!  That is less than half!  What a great promotion!  BUT none of the light varieties are ever, EVER included in the promotions. (That I have seen.) What is one to conclude?  People who are weight and fitness conscious will pay the extra money or buy the Campbell 's light which is usually as tasty and always cheaper. (Again at my store.)  Now it is widely recognized that financial wherewithal has a bearing on obesity.  Not that those with less income want to be unhealthy but they frequently can not afford the higher prices on the "healthier" foods.  Does Progresso take that into consideration?  NO!   I challenge you Progresso , provide incentives equally across your soups, both the healthier and the higher calorie varieties.  Fat Soup

This is a funny thing to review.  Either it works or it doesn't.  I tested it and it works.  The color is perfect for outdoors as it is easily seen.  It is surprisingly flexible for as heavy duty as indicated by the 14/3 wire.   Frankly it is the only 50 footer I have that doesn't have a splice somewhere on the line.  I feel much more comfortable with a good, heavily insulated line running across a damp lawn.  Bottom of Form 50-Foot extension cord Heavy duty General outdoor use Gauge: AWG 14/3 SPT Can be used indoors as well If reviewing a product, it may have been received free of charge. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

I am not a rice cooker.  Call me plebian but I am not all that fond of rice.  So I can not comment on the rice cooker aspect.   Slow cooker and soup, I have tested and they work great.  You do have to stop and start if you want to add time, at least I did.   The slow cooker part allows me to dump stuff in and go play golf and come home to sweet aromas!  The soup, I started with the slow cooker feature and ended with the soup feature.   I googled some recipes as the ones that came with the cooker seemed overly complicated to me.   Check out the photos of my split pea soup.   Flat out delicious!  Plus it was easy to clean which gives it high marks in my book.  I received this item free of charge for an honest review. From the vendor. 10 pre-set programs include: rice, risotto, reheat, oatmeal, slow cook, steam/soup, yogurt, baking, browning, and automatic keep warm Fuzzy Logic technology adjusts cooking as needed for perfect results Push-button digital control panel A

This an art set for the little ones.  It has interesting shaped crayons that should be easier to hold.  There are a wealth of pieces for the child to make their projects.  I should note this is probably the kind of thing grandparents cheerfully buy knowing they won't have to clean up and of the small pieces.   Art work for toddlers is not for the faint of heart but the joy in their achievements is well worth the trouble.   The folio is heavy enough paper that it should stand up to use by a toddler.   The projects appear to be age appropriate.   This should be a good gift for your favorite toddler. ·                         12 individually packaged art projects and an art portfolio ·                         Make 3 collages by shape, 3 sticker activities, 4 sticky collage boards and 2 crayon activities ·                         Hang up your finished art or store it in the portfolio ·                         Includes portfolio, crayons, doilies, buttons, fringe paper,

I just got this today, it is a very cool kit.   I have a grandchild who is quite creative and this will resonate very well with a kid who always wears two different color socks just because he can.   The ability to customize his sneakers will be a treat.   Anything that encourages creativity is great in my book. ·                         PERFECT FOR STEM: (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Integrates concepts usually taught as separate subjects and emphasizes the application of knowledge to real-life situations ·                         EXPLORE IT: Research new shoe trends to gather ideas. Learn the difference between form and function in fashion, and think of ways to incorporate both in your design. Watch your ideas come to life! ·                         SKETCH IT: Use the Spark!lab invention guide to draw out your designs. This helps inventors visualize what they are about to create. Problem solving and creativity in a fun open-ended way! ·