I’m currently trying to reorganize my closets so I can fit more stuff in them. Right now, there’s not much method to the madness, as I’ve just got a bunch of jam-packed cardboard moving boxes in all of them. I need to get rid of the boxes and get something a little more conducive to organization, such as stackable bins or containers. Heck, even rattan storage baskets would look better and be easier to comb through when I need something!
With two dogs in the house, I’m always looking for good pet products to try out. I’ve recently switched to organic dog food and elevated dog feeders to help make mealtimes more pleasant, and I’ve also been buying Bully Sticks as a healthier alternative to rawhide chews.
Now I’m turning my attention to pet beds in an effort to make my dogs’ time out in the yard a bit more comfortable. I found these special outdoor pet cots over at Jeffers Pet, and think they look great! They’re durable, weather resistant, and most importantly, they’re washable so I can keep them (and my dogs) clean. That’s exactly what my pets need so they don’t have to lie down on the hard concrete patio or sit out on the lawn in the blazing sun.
These particular beds are very reasonably priced, so I’m probably going to order a couple before summer comes. I can’t wait for my pooches to try them out!
My five-year-old son is a big fan of the entire Mario franchise, and loves playing Nintendo games featuring that character and his friends. From New Super Mario Bros. to Mario Party DS and Mario Kart DS, they are by far his favorites. So when we heard that Mario Kart Wii was coming out at the end of last month, you better believe we made arrangements to buy it right away. After playing the new title every day for a couple of weeks, I’m finally ready to give a review.
Overview: Mario Kart Wii is an updated version of the beloved Mario Kart franchise. As with previous titles, you race karts as Mario or one of his friends around cool tracks while hammering each other with various weapons. In Grand Prix mode, there are 8 different cups to compete for, with each cup consisting of four 3-lap races at different circuits. That’s a total of 32 unique tracks (64 if you include “mirror mode”, which allows you to race the same tracks in the opposite direction), so that’s quite a variety. There are also Balloon Battle and Coin Runner modes, minigames that provide a nice change to all the racing, along with WiFi mode that allows you to compete against players from around the world.
Characters and Karts: From what I’ve read, there are 25 characters available in this game, with more than half of them being “unlockables” that you have to win by achieving various milestones. You start out with 12, and work your way up from there. In addition to the usual crowd, we get the baby versions of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy, plus the ability to play as Miis.
There are a wide variety of karts to choose from and unlock as well. I think I read that each character can have up to 12 karts and bikes (that’s right, you can even ride motorcycles in this version!), but we’re nowhere near that number yet.
Controls: Mario Kart Wii comes packaged with a Wii wheel that houses the regular Wiimote. With the Wiimote placed in the wheel, you actually “drive” around the tracks, which is hard to do at first, but players quickly get the hang of it. I had to help my 5-year-old turn for a couple of days, but now he’s playing with the Wii wheel all by himself. The game can also be played with a Wiimote and nunchuk setup, a classic controller, or a GameCube controller. We haven’t tried any of those, though, so I can’t say how they work.
Gameplay: There are a couple of notable differences in gameplay in Mario Kart Wii compared to past versions. For one thing, it’s much, much harder to gain a turbo boost by drifting. I was very good at drifting in Mario Kart DS, where it’s relatively easy, but here, I can hardly ever do it, so I just use Automatic drift mode whenever I play.
Also included in this version is the ability to do midair tricks and stunts that end up giving your character a turbo boost when you hit the ground again. To accommodate for these tricks, almost every track now has ramps and halfpipes scattered throughout the landscape. This is actually a very fun addition, and now when I play the DS version, it seems kind of boring without tricks.
Finally, there are a few changes to the items you get from the item boxes. Now included is a mega mushroom that grows your character and vehicle to giant size and flattens anyone you hit; a POW box that sends everyone in front of you into a spin; and a thunder cloud that will zap you with electricity and shrink you unless you pass it off to someone else by bumping into them. The mega mushroom is fun, but the other two are kind of annoying while playing — especially since they seem to appear A LOT.
Online Play: The WiFi mode is fun and seamless. There’s a points system that automatically places you with players of like skill level instead of having to manually choose beginner or expert, so that makes things much more even. Plus, since it’s nearly impossible for people to “snake” their way around the track with mini turbo boosts, WiFi gaming in Mario Kart Wii is a lot more fun than in DS.
Verdict: Mario Kart Wii is an exceptional game that will lead to hours upon hours of fun for the whole family. Players of all ages and skill levels can quickly get up to speed on how to handle the karts and bikes to start racing, and everyone can win at some point. This game was a great purchase for our family and is highly recommended!
Every once in a while, I like to read self-help books, particularly ones that have generated lots of buzz. For example, I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad after seeing it stay on top of the bestseller list for so long, and What Color Is Your Parachute? after everyone insisted it was the key to finding my true calling in life. I actually got some good information out of those titles (well, at least out of one of them!) and am glad to have read them.
Now I’m getting that self-help urge again, so I’ve been trying to figure out which ones I’m going to tackle next. I think it’s high time that I finally take a look at The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, a hugely successful book about the Law of Attraction, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, which is supposed to be one of the best self-help books around.
I know this is not exactly beach reading, but I like to change things up from my usual fiction titles from time to time!
I’ve never paid much attention to cutlery before, but a few friends of mine are on a mission to convert me to Cutco knives. Apparently, this is one of the top brands out there (though I’ve never heard of them), and lots of people swear by the products.
I went to the Cutco website to check out the offerings, and have to say that I was impressed by the range of cutlery sets they have available. Unfortunately, however, I couldn’t find any pricing information since the knives aren’t actually sold through the website. You have to enter your zip code to find an independent dealer, but that page wasn’t loading properly for me.
So I went to Google Product Search instead and discovered that the “Ultimate Entertainer Set” (pictured above) costs a mind-boggling $3,849.95!! Um, wow, I think I’ll pass on these!
I joined a gym back at the beginning of February, and have surprised myself by going three times a week since then. I thought for sure I’d have lost interest by now, but that hasn’t happened yet. And while I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for in the weight loss department, there has definitely been a bit of muscle growth, so my workouts haven’t been a total waste of time.
Now that the weather is warming up, I’ve got to purchase some new fitness gear. I’ve been using long-sleeved t-shirts and sweatpants, but I’m now getting uncomfortably hot when I work out in that stuff. So I plan on buying a bunch of shorts and short-sleeved tees within the next few days.
I don’t need brand-name stuff like Nike or Adidas. Wal-Mart will be just fine for me!
So my husband and I spent the better part of the evening talking about how we’re going to spend the extra $600 that we just got from the IRS. We think that this amount is actually a bit difficult to work with. On the one hand, it’s not quite enough to allow us to look into any North Padre Island rentals or take any kind of extended vacation. On the other hand, it is enough to buy a couple of decent tech toys, such as new MP3 players, video game systems, or cell phones.
I just wish that a single want or need would rise above the rest so our decision would be clear-cut and easy. But it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. There are just so many different things that we’d love to spend this money on that it’s proving very hard to decide here!
With my braces due to come off in a month or two, I’ve been on a major oral health kick recently. In addition to buying my first WaterPik, I also purchased a Butler Gum Stimulator to use on a daily basis. I want my teeth and gums to be in tiptop shape when my braces are removed, so I’m taking action now. Yes, it’s a bit late in the game to be doing this stuff, but it’s still better than nothing.
The Butler Gum Stimulator is shaped like a typical dental instrument, except that it has a pointed rubber tip on the end instead of a scaler or a mirror. You’re supposed to place the tip at the base of your gums between your teeth, and then “apply light pressure in a circular motion”. Apparently, this type of “gingival massage” gets the blood flowing through your gums and helps firm them up.
I do this for about 5-10 minutes per day, just when I’m watching TV or whatever. This kind of light pressure actually feels good, so I don’t mind using this tool. Will it really result in firmer gums and improved oral health? I have no idea, but it doesn’t hurt to try!