Sarah Reviews Stuff Here

Sarah Dares to Tries New Makeup

2011-12-08T16:34:00.001-05:00

Thanks to L'Oreal for sponsoring my post about my favorite beauty looks, tips and tricks! Check out Makeup.com for beauty advice from the experts.

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After I agreed to write a post about beauty tips I remembered something important - I don't know jack crap about makeup. Well, that isn't exactly true. I know things about makeup I am just really bad at applying it.

When I was in 8th grade I took a modeling class (shut up) and one of the section was on makeup application. I learned a lot and I can knock a nice late '80s look out of the park, but since it is 2011 and the Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam thing doesn't really play well at PTA meetings I try to mix it up a bit.

Originally I thought I was going to try something new and show you. I heard that they now offer mascara and lipstick that have collagen in them to plump up your lips and lashes.

I found the lipstick right away.

Then I went to find the mascara.

Holy cow!

That is just the L'Oreal mascara selection. I was a little overwhelmed but I eventually decided on the Voluminous Extra-Collagen for two reasons. 1) the package says 12x more impact instantly. I really wanted to see if that was true and 2) the bottom says EXTREME VOLUME and that reminds me of EXTREME RICE and EXTREME RICE makes me laugh.

You know, I think that might be my husband's cousin.

But back to the mascara - these are just your options for black.

I choose Black Noir which sounds French but I believe is just redundant.

I was going to show you how awesome it made my eyelashes, but I think I broke Photo Booth and also nearly poked out my eye trying to use the monitor as a mirror. Maybe someday when I acquire more RAM I can humiliate myself in front of all of you. Sadly today will not be that day.

Oh wait. Yes, today will be the day.

Actually after I did look in the mirror and fixed what I had done the mascara actually looked pretty great. Please ignore my lipstick. That was the first video. It wasn't pretty. This is why they never ask me to be on Momversation.

I do have one trick, and by an absolute coincidence L'Oreal is actually responsible for my trick. Don't tell anybody, but I actually use the little chart on the back of the eyeshadow thing.

True story.

And it looks good.

So, I told you mine. Now you tell me your makeup secrets.

Clearly I need the knowledge.

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I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. Click here to learn more about Makeup.com or become a Facebook fan by clicking here.

Sarah Reviews Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip

2011-11-27T09:20:00.009-05:00

Mmmm. Dip.

I love chips and dip. I love vegetables in dip. To be honest, I would probably eat friend onion dip with a spoon, but that is disgusting so let's just pretend I didn't say that.

Anyway, when my friends at the Clever Girls Collective asked if I would be interested in reviewing the Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie dip I jumped at the chance. I mean, having to review veggie dip for work pretty much rules.

It is okay if you are jealous.

The deal was that I would get a coupon for free dip and I would go get some at the store and eat it and write about it and then I would get paid for the review. What actually happened was a great deal more complicated than that.

I take full responsibility.

First I went grocery shopping and like a responsible little blogger I remembered I needed Marzetti Veggie Dip. Unfortunately, I get no cell signal in Wegmans and I forgot to buy the Otria Greek Yogurt kind. I also forgot to present my coupon at check out.

I just bought the regular Marzetti French Onion veggie dip. It was delicious. It was good on carrots and potato chips even though chips are not the intended use. I don't care. It was awesome.

But I felt stupid.

So I went and bought the Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt. I bought the Spinach Artichoke variety.

This time I forgot to even bring the coupon.

That night my son and husband went camping with the cub scouts and my daughter and I were invited to a girls party next door. At the last minute I realized I was supposed to bring something and I grabbed the dip and a bag of baby carrots. After an hour my daughter threw a fit and we had to leave the party early.

I never even got to taste that dip.

The third time is a charm and not only did I buy the correct dip, but I remembered to bring my coupon. With the planets aligned so well I splurged and bought precut celery and tried the dip as soon as I got home. It was the Garden Herb Ranch and it was very tasty. It was light, but it still had flavor. I was also proud of myself for eating vegetables and dip for lunch instead of my usual bagel sandwich or box of crackers.

There is no method to my madness.

But about the dip...

(best segue ever)

The cool thing about the Otria Greek Yogurt Dips is that they are only 60 calories per serving. Sixty. That is the same as one Tootsie Pop.

Please don't ask how I know that.

Normally when I eat veggie dip I cancel out the vegetable goodness with the dip badness but in this case the dip is low calorie and made with greek yogurt, so is isn't even bad for you. It just tastes like it is.

Again, mmmmm dip.

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I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip review. They provided me with product to test and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

The West Wing Complete Series is on Sale

2011-11-22T11:48:00.003-05:00

Amazon has my very favorite television drama of all time on super sale this week. You can get the complete run of "The West Wing" on DVD for only $111.99.

The West Wing: The Complete Series

And it isn't even Black Friday yet.

This show has the best pilot episode ever. I would watch it once a week if it didn't make me a creepy weirdo.

It is a Thanksgiving miracle!

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Nobody paid me to say this or asked me to write about it, but that is an affiliate link so I will make money if you click that link and buy something - anything really from Amazon.

Sarah Makes Her Own Word Searches

2011-11-16T18:06:00.009-05:00

I don't mean to go all Martha Stewart mom on you, but I found something really cool. You can make your own word search on the internet.

This morning my son asked me if I would make him a word search for his elective homework assignment.

I said yes.

Back in the day (and by back in the day, I mean back when I lived at my parents house before college and actually had leisure time) I used to make word searches for fun. Yes, I am a geek. I also think writing crostics would be awesome. Let's just accept that and move on.

What I forgot was that it was time consuming and back then I didn't have to do laundry for four people or cook dinner for anybody. I also didn't have any jobs, deadlines, pets or debilitating twitter addictions.

So I did what anyone would do. I searched for a way to make my own word search.

And lo and behold. Discovery Education totally had my back.

This may be one of the easiest things I have ever done.

Then I added all of their spelling words from school.

And there it was!

It took me more time to search for "make my own word search" than it did to make the thing.

And I impressed the children, which isn't easy to do.

My kids are still at the table working on their fancy new word search.

I bookmarked the page. We're doing this one again.

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Nobody paid me anything or asked me to write about this. I just thought it was cool and a very useful tool. Hey! I'm a poet and didn't know it.

Sarah Reviews Swagbucks

2011-11-14T08:24:00.003-05:00

You know how you end up googling things 40 times a day? Do you ever wish you got credit for all of that searching?

Swagbucks is kind of like that.

You can win "swagbucks" for searching, then you can redeem your swag bucks for actual stuff. Remember Blingo? It is sort of like Blingo except with less free iPods and more of a lot of things.

There are prizes - you can get concert tickets, electronics, games and things like that. You can spend your swag bucks in sweepstakes to try to win things or you can trade them in for money.

I almost always spend my swagbucks on Amazon gift certificates, since I spend so much money over there anyway.

I'm addicted. I've been doing it for years.

Check it out. It is free. If you don't like it you never have to do it again.

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Nobody asked me to write this or paid me anything for this, but if you sign up through my link I get some sort of credit for referring you.

Why Would I Do This?

2011-11-04T15:59:00.003-04:00

Why would ANYONE allow this?

It can post tweets, update my profile and follow new people!!!

Shame on you Unified and Windows Phone for asking.

The Pork Loin Post (With a Contest!)

2011-10-22T18:07:00.020-04:00

In honor of National Pork Month, Costco and The Motherhood asked me to share a recipe with you.

I love eating and I love pork so I readily agreed. Then I remembered I am not much of a cook. I mean, I get by, but when I was faced with an eight pound pork tenderloin I panicked.

Then I calmed down because I immediately remembered that I married very wisely and my husband is an outstanding chef. I also remembered that we recently purchased an enormous smoker.

Do you know what is better than smoked pork?

Me neither.

So Gabe took the pork loin and last night he put in in a brine.

Brine Recipe

water (enough to cover your pork)
salt
celery
lemon
peppercorns
white vinegar

Bring everything to a boil. After it boils, let it cool and then submerge the pork in your brine over night.

It looks kind of gross, but this is an important step.

Then, this morning around 9:00 am he lit the fire. Yes, 9:00 am. We take our barbecuing very seriously in this house.

We take our barbecuing so seriously that we (and by we I mean Gabe) built a home for our smoker so it wouldn't get rusted out like our last one. We call it "The Shanty". I think my neighbors hate it but I secretly love it. It would be right at home in Kingston.

He got the fire to about 225 degreees and then it cooked.

And cooked.

For about seven hours.

The goal was an internal temperature of 180 degrees.

Note: In May, the USDA reduced the temperature guideline for pork loins, chops and roasts from 160 to 145 degrees F, with a three-minute rest.

Other Note: Gabe says that the 180 degrees isn't about safety (pork is safe at 145 degrees F) it is about the temperature when the connective tissue breaks down when you are slow cooking any animal. Same with beef ribs.

Now at this point Gabe says I need to tell you that he water smoked the pork loin.

I had no idea what that meant and so I asked him He says that water smoking is when you put a pan of water in the bottom of the smoker so that the water evaporates and circulates and convects moisture so that you are wet smoking the meat instead of dry smoking it.

In this case it made for a very moist, very delicious, pork loin.

Gabe served our pork loin with a mango relish. (At first he was going to do a chutney which sounded fancier, but probably wouldn't have been as good.)

Gabe's Mango Relish

mango
onion
red wine vinegar
chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

He usually makes this relish with some spice - generally jalapeños or serranos

but since the kids were eating with us he took out all of the heat. I was worried that it would be bland, but it was absolutely delicious.

We paired it with a bottle of 2008 Ledson Legend. The Legend is a Merlot blend and it paired perfectly.

To be honest, we just got lucky with the pairing. We only had four choices and it seemed like our best bet.

I'd tell you about the chocolate flourless waffle he made for dessert, but it would just make you jealous. Also, I'm too full to talk about it.

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So! You probability want to know about this contest.

Costco is giving one of my readers a $25 Costco Cash Card and a digital thermometer along with more information about pork.

To enter, please leave me a comment telling me about your favorite pork dish. The contest is open to U.S. residents only and will end on Friday, October 28, 2011 at 10:00 pm ET. Please make sure you leave me an e-mail address where I can get in touch with you. I will draw a random winner by October 30th. One entry per comment, 5 comment maximum.

For more information you can also visit:

Costco Pork Page

Pork Facebook Page
Pork on Twitter
Pork Be Inspired

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I am being compensated by The Motherhood and Costco for my participation in this promotion and they are also providing the prize for the contest. All opinions and words are my own. All of the recipes are from my husband.

Be Inspired By Pork

2011-10-17T10:08:00.010-04:00

If you are a vegetarian or keep kosher you should probably look away right now.

If you are like me, you should probably get your butt over to Costco because they are having a huge pork sale.

October is National Pork Month. To that I say mmmmmm pork.

Even if you ignore the fact that my very favorite food in the entire world is bacon there are still so many kinds of delicious pork products: sausage, pork shoulder, pork loin, ribs, pork chops, ham, pork butt, pork belly, bratwurst - I could keep going but I'm making myself hungry.

Costco wants to help us celebrate pork month by giving us a $2 off coupon (if you hurry) and a few recipe ideas.

Need more pork inspiration? Check this out.

If you are confused by the new temperature guidelines you can go here or just memorize this new mantra:

I will be back later this week with my own recipe for pork tenderloin. Ah, who am I kidding? I'll be back later this week with my husband's recipe for pork tenderloin. In the meantime have good pork.

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This post is sponsored by Costco and The Motherhood. I have been compensated, but these words and opinions are my own.

Sarah Has Another New Blog!

2011-08-22T16:28:00.000-04:00

The kind folks over at Babble have seen fit to let me have my very own blog over on Babble Voices. I call it That's Right. You Heard Me.

Go check it out. They let me say whatever I want.

Suckers.

Why I Am Trying to be Healthy

2011-08-12T15:40:00.000-04:00

Why am I trying to be healthy? That is a loaded question. There are so many reasons - vanity, longevity, I don't feel like buying new clothes, I feel better when I am healthy.

But the most important reason is easy. I try to be healthy to set a better example for my children.

I am not the biggest fan of exercise - or I wasn't until I realized that on the days I spent even 20 minutes on the elliptical I slept better, I cried less and my back didn't hurt.

I also seemed a lot less hypocritical when I made my kids exercise.

The same is true for eating. If I eat an apple or banana every day with lunch not only do my children see that I practice what I preach, they also see that it is normal. And maybe we don't all need dessert for every single meal.

I went to a panel this year at BlogHer 11 about owning your own beauty. The panelists talked a lot about how we can make our daughters see that they are beautiful by leading by example. It isn't about being thin, it is about being healthy.

I recently hired a personal trainer and I was so careful not to tell my daughter (who at age 7 has no body fat whatsoever and is 75% legs) that I was working out not to lose weight, but to get into better shape, to be stronger, to be healthier.

And I am. After three months I am stronger. I feel better. I am setting a better example of how grown ups can fit exercise into their lives ever day.

Well, maybe not every day, but at least four times a week.

Marie Callender's is trying to help it make easier for us to be healthy in a hurry.

Today I tried the Cheesy Chicken and Rice meal. It was only 380 calories and very, very filling.

The Cheesy Chicken & Rice is one of the nine one-dish entrees that Marie Cellender's offers for under 500 calories. Not bad, huh?

I try to be healthy for my kids and for my sanity. And you?

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Marie Callender's and The Motherhood sponsored this post, but these are my words and my opinions.

Sarah Struggles With Portion Control

2011-08-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

Portion control is not my strong suit.

When the folks at The Motherhood and Marie Callender's suggested I write about portion control this week I chuckled. Besides beer, portion control is probably my biggest struggle when it comes to weight loss.

You know how when you buy a bag of Doritos you eat some and then put a chip clip on the bag and walk away? Yeah. I eat the entire bag. I am a like a dog - I will eat until my stomach explodes.

(When I first typed that sentence I typed "I am like a god" which is also true if you find eating a whole bag of Doritos a super human skill.)

So portion control is a problem for me.

When I went to pick out my three Marie Callender's meals I got a Chicken Teriyaki first. I know that teriyaki is great in low calorie meals and rice is good in frozen meals. For my second week I went out on a limb. I got the Smoky Cheddar Mac & Uncured Bacon.

I admit it. I was skeptical. Cheese, pasta and bacon for 380 calories? I figured it would either have like three noodles in it or taste like artificial sweetener, but the truth was not only was it good, there was plenty of food.

AND IT WAS ONLY 380 CALORIES.

And it was only $ 3.19.

Had I made a box of my regular mac and cheese it would have been 400 calories a serving, and you know I'm not measuring a serving.

I think today was a win. I'll definitely buy it again. This is a great choice for something to keep in the freezer for a super busy work day.

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Marie Callender's and The Motherhood sponsored this post, but these are my words and my opinions.

Sarah Eats on The Go

2011-07-28T12:49:00.000-04:00

The theme I was given this week was eating on the go. The thing is, I work from home, and while yes, I am terribly busy, I am also rarely on the go. I am usually sitting right here on my butt at this computer.

That doesn't mean I have time to shop, eat, or plan meals wisely.

To be truthful, most of the time I am pretty good about dinners. My mom was a dietician and so I have a lot of ingrained ideas about family dinners and well balanced meals. I try really hard to make sure we at least have a protein, a vegetable and a starch for every dinner.

Now lunch - that is a different story altogether.

Response: That is a different story.

My typical weekday lunch is less than satisfactory. I would say twice a week my midday meal consists of Triscuits or Wheat Thins and whatever random cheese I have in the fridge. Sometimes it is even worse, if I am out on appointments or running the kids around in the summer I'll run through a drive thru and eat Value Meal #1.

With a coke.

This (and beer, sweet sweet beer) is probably the reason I ended up hiring a personal trainer.

I've been eating like crap lately.

Enter my friends at Marie Callender's.

Marie Callender's have out a whole (I keep wanting to use the word series) of frozen meals that are under 500 calories. I went for broke and tried The Chicken Teriyaki - it only has 280 calories.

It cooked in under four minutes and it was actually pretty cool. It came in a basket in a bowl. You put it all in the microwave and the sauce underneath steam the rice, chicken and vegetables and then you dump the food part into the sauce part and stir it up.

It was actually quite good. I was pleasantly surprised. I know Marie Callender's is usually high quality frozen foods, but my expectations were low since it was a frozen one dish lunch that was under 300 calories. It tasted good and I wasn't hungry afterward. What more could I have asked for?

And at $ 3.19 it is still cheaper than a value meal.

There are 34 different meals under 500 calories, but I'll be reviewing three of them. Stay tuned.

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Marie Callender's and The Motherhood sponsored this post, but these are my words and my opinions.

Sarah Helps Kleenex Save the Field Trip

2011-07-26T13:15:00.000-04:00

Do you guys remember being in elementary or middle school and going on those big field trips? I remember back when I still lived in Ohio going to The Museum of Science and Industry and thinking how cool it was.

Last Thursday my kids (The Goon Squad) and I went to the Natural History Museum for one of those super cool field trips.

I would like to point out that I am well aware of how lucky I am to live just outside of Washington D.C. and within 20 minutes of some of the best museums in the world. I recommend ALL of the Smithsonian museums. Those places are amazing.

It was so cool. The kids got to go into a forensic anthropolgy lab and a discovery room that had a ton of hands on activities for kids.

I forced them to pose with this skull. They think I am crazy.

We also met the curator of the insect exhibit, hung out in the butterfly pavilion and saw an IMAX movie about water conservation.

It was a great day. Thanks to Kleenex for trying to Save the Field Trip. You can go to their facebook page and try to win a $5,000 field trip scholarship for your local school.

All you have to do to register your child’s school for the chance to win $5,000 in support of field trips is “like” the Kleenex Facebook page and click the pink “support your school” button on the Facebook page, then follow the instructions. Easy peasy.

They are giving out 100 of these scholarships, so don't be shy. Sign up!

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#KleenexFieldTrips is a campaign coordinated by The Motherhood. Kleenex sponsored admission to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is free but our tickets to The Butterfly Pavilion and IMAX, as well as vouchers for lunch, were provided. I am receiving compensation for my involvement in the campaign but all opinions are my own.

Further disclaimer: I copy and pasted that last disclaimer directly from Tech Savvy Mama's website.

Sarah Goes on and on About Her E-Mail

2011-07-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

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This is my second post about about how an e-mail has affected my life and I am having a heck of a time picking just one thing. I easily get 100 e-mails every single day. How has e-mail not changed my life? I now work from home. I could never do what I do for a living if it weren't for e-mail. I suppose I could still do some freelance writing but I could never sell swag. My artists live in Boulder. It would take weeks to get anything accomplished.

But how do you pick one?

I can think of a handful of e-mails that I got that made me geek out that were actually twitter notifications (a response from Warren Sapp, being followed back by Yoko Ono, being randomly followed by Eric B. from Eric B. and Rakim) but twitter notifications don't really count.

I can think of e-mail that were comment notifications (one time Nancy Lieberman commented on a post I wrote about her on BlogHer) or friend requests on Facebook or myspace (two long lost friends from high school on myspace alone) but those don't really count.

I was going to write about the time Erin asked me if I could go with her to see Duran Duran, but then I remembered that it wasn't an e-mail, it was an IM. I thought about lying and saying it was an e-mail, but if I have been honest here since 2005 it seems wasteful to start lying to you about that.

I could write about the first picture I saw of friend's babies. I could write about job offers or really cool sponsorships. I could write about being invited to have one of my pieces published in Mothers of Intention.

How do I choose just one e-mail?

I can't.

I mean, I already wrote about the e-mail from John Flansburgh. (Am I getting creepy about that? I'm getting weird, aren't I?)

I can't imagine living without e-mail. I spend probably too much time thinking about how different life would be if we had the technology we have now in high school. I love technology. I am an obsessive e-mail checker and I am okay with that. I have had e-mails that made me cry, e-mails that made me jump up and down like a little girl and hundreds of e-mail that made me laugh, and those are the ones I am the most grateful for.

Sarah Reviews Net Nanny

2011-07-12T18:34:00.000-04:00

I had heard of Net Nanny. I even had a lap top for the kids once where it came pre-installed, but as so often happens when you are me, I didn't really know how to use it so I forgot all about it.

Yes, I am over here being ashamed.

But good news! I figured it out! And just in time, really.

As my children become more literate and more computer savvy, and also because they have computer lab at school as well as friends who unsupervised will watch hours of the Annoying Orange on youtube I think that it is time for something like this.

Now, I don't want you to think that I generally let my seven year olds go online completely unsupervised, but I tend to get engrossed in writing posts or tied up on work phone calls and there is always a possibility that my kids will stumble upon something unintended.

Say for example (and this has happened to a friend of mine) my kids wanted to do a google search for their favorite sporting goods store - Dicks.

Exactly!

And we all know that a SpongeBob video on you tube is one click a way from a related video that might not be what Nickelodeon originally intended.

I am pretty liberal and I don't mind explaining distasteful things to my children. What I really worry about is 1) online predators, 2) them spending my money by downloading stupid stuff, 3) them downloading viruses or 4) them accidentally seeing something that scares the crap out of them.

I only checked a few boxes, but you really have a lot of options with Net Nanny.

I hope that is big enough for you to read, but if not you can block things like sex, religion, violence, auctions, social networking, racism, pay to surf, lingerie, chat, shopping, hacking, alcohol etc.

I love that you can personalize it.

I am fine with it if children choose to read about religion or racism as I am happy to talk about it with them later, but if they want to learn about hacking they are going to have to ask their uncle. I don't need two seven year old hackers living this close to the pentagon.

If your child (or you, if you forget to turn it off) stumbles upon a restricted site, they will get a very clear message and a redirect.

Easy peasy.

The other cool thing is that you can go back and see what your child was doing online.

My kids are pretty predictable, then again, they are seven and haven't yet really learned how to surf the internet.

Here is what it looks like when I am on.

Exactly.

Net Nanny is $39.99, but you can check out a free trial here for mac or here for a PC.

I am also giving away a few subscriptions, so leave a comment here and tell me why you want it and I will randomly choose the winners who I will then e-mail a code so please don't forget to leave me your e-mail address.

* * *

Disclaimer: I received a free subscription and compensation for this review, but these words and opinions are my own.

Sarah Reviews Karizmac Luminous

2011-07-11T13:32:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Karizmac Luminous for sponsoring this review. For more information about Karizmac Luminous please visit http://www.karizmac.com/luminous.html.

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Karizmac Luminos.

I know, when the Clever Girls first asked me to review it I thought I would be interviewing a psychic or escapologist (I did not make up that word. I found it on Harry Houdini's wikipedia entry.) The name also kind of sounds like a spell you would learn at Hogwarts, but it is neither human nor something from Harry Potter. It is an app and it turns out Karizmac is the maker and Luminos is the name of the app.

That clears up the first part.

So you are wondering what kind if app this is. This is from the website?

Still confused? Watch this video.

My experience was pretty much like the video.

It was all

and I was all

and it was all

Then it was all

and I was all

and it was - You are like Miss Piggy.

Then I was all "I am NOT like MIss Piggy. I think this thing just called me fat."

But I'm sure it didn't mean I was a pig. I mean, really, Miss Piggy isn't even fat. She is kind of glamorous in a really irritating way. When it comes down to Muppets I've always identified more with Janice - or Animal.

Seriously, you could at least pretend to be surprised.

Whatever - then Luminous said I was like Princess Leia Organa so I forgave it, because I AM like Princess Leia, especially if that means I am not wearing a bra and I want to make out with Harrison Ford.

Again, I've said too much.

Would you like to see my personal Charisma Map?

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what it means, but it would appear that I am much more accepting than I am reasonable and that sounds about right.

Anyway, you can find out which famous women you are like too. They have a free app and a paid app. The paid app is only $ 1.99 - cheap - and you can get it for your iPhone or iPad at the app store.

Did I mention I just got an iPad? Feel free to believe the hype. It is as awesome as you have heard.

Check it out. I played it like six times and I got compared to Dorothy Hammil, Anna Kournakova, Ayla from Clan of the Cave Bear, Judy Blume, Brooke Sheilds, Susan Boyle, Mary J Blige, Dana Torres, Angelina Jolie and Edith Bunker.

Who are you like?

* * *

While Karizmac Luminous provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Karizmac Luminous, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Sarah Loves Her E-Mail

2011-07-06T15:32:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Yahoo! Mail for sponsoring this post about staying connected. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

* * *

I was in a pissy mood. It was hot. It was loud. Twitter was down. My husband was late.

I hate back to school night. I like it when my kids go to school, but the idea of every single student bringing both parents (or both sets of parents in some cases) to the elementary school for the same two hours is painful. Our elementary school is huge. I think there are eight different kindergarten classes. There must have been 1100 people in the gym/auditorium, half of them were 12 or younger and everything was echoing.

Also I think I was getting a migraine.

I kept checking my e-mail on my phone to see where my husband was. It was 6:00 pm and D.C. traffic is brutal. I was really hoping he wouldn't miss the entire presentation.

I stared at the latest e-mail.

It was from John Flansburgh.

Clearly I was seeing spots. John Flansburgh? Could there be two of them? Could They Might Be Giants be e-mailing me?

Blogging has allowed me some brushes with fame. Nancy Lieberman commented on a post I wrote about her on BlogHer.com. Warren Sapp atted (I don't know, how would YOU spell it?) me on twitter once, but an e-mail from John Flansburgh? That was new. His PR people, sure, but him personally?

I showed my phone to my neighbor.

"Isn't John Flansburgh the guy from They Might Be Giants?" I asked her.

She looked at me like I was crazy.

I don't think she ever even heard of the band. Then again, she actually likes Katy Perry, so I'm not sure what I was expecting.

I got brave and looked at the e-mail.

It was absolutely from that John. They Might Be Giants were putting on a free show in DC that week. It was for kids and they were hoping some of the local parent bloggers would spread the word.

The e-mail itself wasn't terribly glamorous, but I had received an e-mail from one of my musical idols and it made the rest of the night bearable. Even the PTA skit.

I use e-mail every day. A lot. I could not work or keep up with my family or talk to my friends without it. I can't imagine how we communicated before this. Phone calls? Yikes. I don't miss that. Sure, I've had more pressing e-mails and I've had more meaningful e-mails but I've only received one e-mail from a bona fide rock star. I'm glad Yahoo! gave me an opportunity to tell the story.

* * *

alue="http://www.youtube.com/v/h9PNoJuP-mk?version=3&hl=en_US">

Sarah Reviews Cube Dog

2011-06-10T12:42:00.000-04:00

Thank you to Cube Dog for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes.

* * *

When the Clever Girls asked me to review an app for my iPhone I was psyched. I love my iPhone and I love apps. I probably have 60 or 70 of them on my phone. Sure, I mostly use the Kindle, Monopoly, weather and solitaire apps, but I love the others anyway.

But for today we will just be discussing Cube Dog. What is Cube Dog? Cube Dog is this:

Adorable, right?

So I went on to iTunes and downloaded the free Cube Dog app.

First I made a medium gray dog with floppy ears. He was adorable. I named him Flash. I wasn't sure what to do with Flash, so I took a picture of him with my kids.

Then with my computer.

Then with my cat.

Sid was not amused.

Then I wasn't really sure what to do.

So I made a small reddish dog and named him Danzig.

What? Danzig is named after a fish I used to have.*

I wasn't really sure what to do with him either.

Then I turned on the sound.

Cube Dog is FAR more interesting when you turn on the sound. I made Danzig play with a ball and take a nap. He called me on his iPhone.

He's so cute. My real pets don't even have cellular devices.

The gist of Cube Dog is that you can create your own 3D virtual pet that looks however you want him or her to look and you can play with them.

I thought the thing was passively cute, but when I was putting together this post my son saw the video and begged me to let him make his own Cube Dog.

He named his Cubey.

My seven year old son made it play with a ball and fetch things and Cubey's eyes turned in to hearts. He played with his Cube Dog for 40 minutes. It probably would have kept him entertained for even longer but I had to make a phone call.

This is a great way to kips kids entertained in waiting rooms or at restaurants. (Yes, I am that mom.)

There is also a store where you can buy more things for your Cube Dog, but I didn't really check it out.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for the Cube Dog facebook contest between June 13 - 17th!

* * *

While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

* * *

* The fish was named after Glen Danzig.

Safe Kids U.S.A.

2011-04-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing that pretty much every parent can agree on (I can't speak for Evel Knievil) it is that we want our children to be safe at all times.

It seems easy, right? Well, it seems easy until you become a parent. Then, holy crap! Everything is dangerous. The road! Riding bikes! Poisonous cleaners! Expired food! Poorly installed car seats! Was my crib just recalled?

Don't even get me started on bisphenol A in plastics.

Then your kids get older and there sports and skateboards and boyfriends and driving, and yeah, safety is complicated.

Luckily, there is help. Safe Kids U.S.A. is an amazing resource for parents.

Safe Kids USA is a nationwide network of organizations working to prevent unintentional childhood injury, the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1 to 14. [They] educate families, provide safety devices to families in need and advocate for better laws to help keep children safe, healthy and out of the emergency room.

Safe Kids USA members:

Teach families about child injury risks and prevention

Encourage and conduct research on leading injury risks

Evaluate solutions for injury risks

Work to pass and improve child safety laws and regulations

Provide lifesaving devices such as child safety seats, helmets and smoke alarms to families who need them

Promote corporate leadership in child safety through effective and sustainable partnerships

The organization is wonderful. The website has safety tips by region, age or risk area. There are sections for parents, educators, media and safety professionals.

This is some good stuff, people. This group is very serious about injury prevention.

Ben Franklin knew what he was he was talking about when he said "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

As a sports writer and a parent of two t-ball players, I am a huge stickler for sports safety. I have written about far too many concussions to be lax about sports safety. I know a lot of parents just freak out and won't let their child near a football field or a hockey rink, but we know tricks that can help children be safe - yes, even playing football.

Hydration - this is no joke, especially in warmer months. Proper hydration keeps a lot of other body functions working properly.

Preparation / Concussion Awareness - as with anything being knowledgeable and ready for a situation gives a person a distinct advantage if an emergency arises. Teach the children what to look out for and they will be ready.

Acute and Overuse Injury Prevention - Tennis elbow, tendinitis, shin splints - we know these things exist. Now how do we stop them from happening? We have ways.

If you want to know more, please join Safe Kids U.S.A for a livestreaming webcast on their facebook page May 2, at 12 PM EST. The chat will be hosted by some really smart doctors and Steve Young. Yes, that Steve Young.

STEVE YOUNG!

Oh yeah, former Bucs in all caps here.

What, you want to know about the doctors too?

Mr. Young will be joined by Dr. Angela Mickalide, CHES, Director of Research and Programs, Safe Kids Worldwide, Dr. Douglas Casa, Director of Athletic Training Education, University of Connecticut and Dr. Gerard Gioia, Chief, Division of Pediatric Neuropsychology and Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery & Education (SCORE) Program at Children's National Medical Center.

Not too shabby.

Again, May 2, noon EST, Steve Young, Safe Kids U.S.A. Facebook Page.

Any questions?

* * *

This post was written as part of a compensated partnership with Safe Kids U.S.A.

Sarah Loves Mark Romanek Videos

2011-04-04T08:22:00.001-04:00

I'm not a director or even a film student, but I know what I like and I like music videos that are directed by Mark Romanek.

This post has nothing to do with anything, but please enjoy.

Hurt - Johnny Cash

The Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails

99 Problems - Jay-Z

Novocaine for the Soul - The Eels

Sarah Tries Something New

2011-03-09T09:58:00.000-05:00

Thank you to P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? program and Kroger for sponsoring my writing about trying new things and breaking out of my everyday routine. Click here to find great savings on high-performing P&G products at a Kroger store near you. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

* * *

Growing up I was an extremely picky eater.

Oh hell, who am I kidding? I was an extremely picky eater well into my 30s. I am the person who goes through the McDonald's drive thru (their spelling, not mine) and orders a plain cheeseburger and then has to pull up and wait. I mean, mustard and those little onions are gross, right?

I didn't really eat fish (except some shellfish), the only pork I ate was bacon and sausage and I was terrified of Indian food.

The problem, of course, is that as I grew up I fell in love with fancy food and wine. Of course, I wanted fancy food that only included ingredients that I already liked.

This got tricky.

I mean, how many times can a person eat beef bourguignon?

Then one time my husband and I went out with some friends to a very nice restaurant. After a few drinks we decided to just do the tasting menu with wine pairings.

Are you familiar with tasting menus? I wasn't, but tasting menus are where the chef picks what you eat and you usually have somewhere between 5 and 9 small plates.

This particular occasion was the first time I ever tried rare lamb. It was also the first time I ate black truffles.

Both were outstanding.

I made myself a promise. If I are at a chef driven restaurant I would try anything at least once.

This is a promise I have yet to regret. I am not saying that I have loved everything I have eaten, but I have tried some food that made my eyes roll back in my head.

In a good way.

If I hadn't let it go and tried new and different foods (IN MY 30s!) I would be a lesser person today. My entire world has opened up to new cuisines and now my whole family has more options.

Deconstructed Guacamole from Minibar - Photo By Me

Have I mentioned what a good example this sets for my children?

Trying something new can change your life. It isn't just food either. Did you read about when I experimented with making my bed for an entire month? I'm still doing that too.

What have you tried that has improved your life?

Five Fabulous Bloggers

2011-01-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers.

This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!

* * *

When I was asked to write a post about five fabulous bloggers I said "No problem!" I thought, easy peasy, I can name five bloggers that I think are fabulous while patting my head, rubbing my belly and chewing gum.

I mean, I could do this all day. I could probably name thirty blogs that I read daily. I could name a dozen blog post that have changed the way I do something or the way I feel about a topic. I could tell you about 15 people with whom I have had a playdate or attended a sporting event. I could name seven bloggers who I could call if my car broke down.

Here is the problem. I can only name five.

So, first I limited it to women. No reason. I had to make arbitrary rules and so I did. You can't stop me. Then I thought about who I would be actively sad if they stopped blogging.

Then I still had a really long list, so I just picked five. You were probably #6 or #7 so don't feel bad, but DO read these ladies. You will not be sorry.

Angela from Fluid Pudding - Angela has been a fabulous blogger since I was just figuring out what blogs were. At least that is true in my mind, her archives only go back to 2008. But no! I am certain that I was reading her back in 2005. Actually I know it for sure because I remember being convinced that one of her children was a model for a book that my kids had when they were babies but that was back in the day when I didn't realize you could just e-mail something like that to Angela and she would probably think it was awesome.

One time she posted a video of herself shoving a dozen marshmallows in her mouth in honor of her 38th birthday.

THAT is when I fell in love with Angela.

And when I e-mailed Angela to ask if I could post this video on my site she e-mailed me back in 10 minutes and said of course! That is what I call a fabulous blogger.

Danielle from Knotty Yarn - Danielle is the only blogger I know that has a blog post that is on a college syllabus. Beat that! Go ahead. Of course, if you go around writing posts like this it is bound to happen sooner or later. That isn't even my favorite one of Danielle's posts. Did I mention she is tall and pretty and an amazing photographer?

Deb from Deb on the Rocks - Deb might actually be the smartest woman I know. That is a huge compliment because I know a lot of brilliant ladies. Deb is astoundingly witty and also the reason I know what the word sigil means. She is like Sesame Street for grown people. Fabulous!

Jean from Stimeyland - Jean is truly as funny in real life as she is on her site. She also curses as much as I do and it makes me feel normal. Jean somehow manages to write about autism, parenting, pets and addictions to crossword apps all with equal hilarity. If I had a bucket list one of the things on it would be to go just hang out at her house and watch what happens. Jean is absolutely fabulous.

Laurie from Laurie Writes - Laurie is my favorite writer. She is also my best friend. I think the two are somehow related but it is difficult to wrap my head around. I can take her to a baseball game or a hair metal festival and we have a blast and act like morons but then she writes things like Stones proving that just because a person yells at strangers on a Pittsburgh Street because they are wearing a Sidney Crosby jersey doesn't automatically mean that they aren't brilliant. Did I mention that she is also an outstanding editor? She is. I could tell you how fabulous Laurie is all day long but it would just make her uncomfortable so I will stop now.

Tell me who your five fabulous bloggers are.

* * *

Photo of Sarah and Jean via Mommy Needs a Cocktail - also fabulous.

* * *

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

The Best Gift I Ever Gave

2010-12-20T13:59:00.002-05:00

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.

For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

* * *

The best gift I ever gave was mostly stolen.

Well, it was sort of stolen. I did steal the box of old photographs from my mom's house. I did, but I bought the photo albums.

My parents would never have even noticed the box was missing. When I got married in 1999 and my mom developed pictures from my wedding shower there were photographs on that same roll of film from my brother's prom in 1994.

This was back before digital cameras were reasonably priced.

What I did for evenings over the next five weeks was sort through 30 years of photographs. I picked out the best ones and put them in chronological order. Then I took forty or so pictures from my own collection and I added them at the end.

The box of pictures was just this thing that sat up overflowing on a shelf. I was the only one that ever really looked at it.

But that Christmas I gave my mom two and a half photo albums filled with memories starting from her childhood and ending with her first grandchild.

The whole family spent hours together looking at the pictures.

It was magical.

And now my parents can keep them out and look at them anytime.

They could also throw away that old box.

It was the best present I have ever given anybody - I mean, not including the time I gave four people twin grandbabies all at the same time. They seemed to really like that too.

I'm sure if you asked my mother she would tell you that she liked the twins better, but (and don't tell her this) I made them for me. The photo albums, I made those for my parents.

* * *

Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.

Sarah Reviews BATTLE OF GIANTS: DINOSAURS - Plus a Giveaway!

2010-11-23T14:42:00.001-05:00

As a member of the Clever Girls Collective, I get to do some pretty fun stuff. This week I threw a Battle of the Giants: Dinosaurs Wii party for my kids and some of their friends.

The kids all loved it.

Of course the kids that came over ranged from ages 4 - 9 and most of them were boys, so really, what was there not to love? Fighting? Dinosaurs? Head to head battles? This game has everything!

When I asked my friend Tyler what his favorite part of the game was I believe his exact words were "DINOSAUR FIGHTING IS AWESOME!!! RAWR!!!!"

And I have to admit, it did look pretty awesome.

The coolness is as follows:

1) You get to pick what kind of dinosaur you want to be and as you go along you can earn the rights to choose from even more really cool looking dinosaurs.

2) Head to head battles. Even little kids know that video games are about 100 times more fun when you get to trash talk your friends.

3) This game tricked the children into cardio - especially Jacob, who thought you had to kick.

4) Once again, I look super cool in front of the neighborhood children. Now I will know all of the second grade gossip.

Also, my friend Eric who is in 4th grade and wasn't even at my party, but he heard about it from other kids, told me that he has the Battle of Giants: Dragons game and it is so awesome that I wouldn't even believe it.

Then he asked me if I had a copy of Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs I could give him for his DS.

Well, I don't, but I do have a copy of Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs to give you. Or really Ubisoft and The Clever Girls Collective have a copy of Battle of Giants: Dinosaurs for Wii to give you.

All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what your favorite kind of dinosaur is.

I'm not telling you mine because I am ineligible to win and my answer is embarrassing anyway.

Leave a comment! Tell me your favorite dinosaur! Win a free game! Be awesome!

I will choose a random winner by the end of the year. Make sure you leave an e-mail address where I can notify you if you win.

Ubisoft provided me with a copy of Battle of Giants and sponsored my BOG party. The opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Sarah Should Just Stop Watching Woody Allen Movies

2010-11-04T09:55:00.001-04:00

You know what I hated about the movie "Manhattan" - you know besides the statutory rape and Woody Allen?

Wait. No, Woody Allen and statutory rape are exactly what I hated about "Manhattan".

Why is this man not in prison again?

Sarah Should Just Stop Watching Woody Allen Movies

2010-11-04T09:39:00.001-04:00

You know what I hated about the movie "Manhattan
" - you know besides the statutory rape and Woody Allen?

Wait. No, Woody Allen and statutory rape are exactly what I hated about "Manhattan
".

Why is this man not in prison again?

Sarah Reviews Wendy's Pick 2 Value Menu

2010-10-25T11:55:00.001-04:00

Wendy's has this new Value menu where you get to pick two things for $4.99

You can get one of four salads and a side (water, a frosty, a soft drink, a baked potato, chili, a jr. bacon cheeseburger or a chicken to go wrap) for $4.99.

Wendy's (through The Motherhood) was kind enough to host a lunch for some local bloggers and they let us try the Pick 2 Value Menu.

There a four salads: a BLT Cobb Salad, an Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, a Baja Salad and a Spicky Chicken Caesar Salad.

I chose a Baja Salad and a baked potato for my side.

To be fair and honest, I only picked the baked potato because 1) fries were not an option and 2) I didn't realize I could have chosen a drink.

According to Wendy's website the Baja Salad has "rich and meaty chili with fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, tortilla strips and creamy Red Jalapeño dressing."

Now, I did not use the dressing because honestly a salad with chili on top does not require extra moisture. It didn't need it. I also didn't eat the guacamole because I don't like guacamole. Other than that it was pretty tasty. As far as fast food salad's go, this one was quite good and I would eat one again.

Overall, I would say that it is a pretty good deal. The other salads looked good too.

And it is always nice to have lunch with friends.

Photos via Vicky and Kristen.

Sarah's Ultimate Family Vacation

2010-10-07T08:15:00.000-04:00

Sponsored By

Cheerios® is giving you the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, your ultimate family vacation. As part of a paid promotion for their “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, Cheerios® is sponsoring my post today about what my ultimate family vacation would be. Read mine, Enter the Sweepstakes for a chance to actually win your own fantasy family trip or one of a bunch of other great prizes.

My Ultimate Family Vacation

What is my dream family vacation? There are so many ways I could go with this - last year my husband and spent an amazing week in California's wine country and I would do that again in a second, but that isn't really a family vacation. I dream of seeing an opera at La Scala in Milan but I'm not so sure my kids would think that is as awesome as I do. My husband wants us to all go skiing in Colorado, and that sounds great even though I've never downhill skied in my life, but is that my dream vacation? No.

My dream family vacation involves a beach - a nice sandy beach that leads to an ocean. This ocean has water that is about 88 degrees and is aquamarine. This beach resort is not crowded, but is has more than one restaurant (at least one fine dining option and one place where he kids can get burgers and chicken nuggets), multiple bars and a place where the kids can go play when the adults go to the fancy restaurant and/or bar.

I'd like a cabana that has air conditioning and two bedrooms.

I'd like wireless internet on the beach.

I am envisioning an infinity pool.

I am envisioning a pina colada.

I'd like a pillow top mattress on an over sized king. I'd like a view of the ocean from my big bed. I'd like to sleep until 10:00 am and then I'd like to roll out of bed to eat brunch on my deck.

I'd like to start this vacation tomorrow.

Don't forget to enter the “Do What You Love” Sweepstakes, for a chance to win your own ultimate family vacation. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Make a Difference Day: October 23, 2010

2010-10-01T17:07:00.000-04:00

Do you want to make a difference?

I think a lot of us would do a lot more community service if we knew where to start.

Well, I can tell you where to start. Or at least when.

October 23.

October 23, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of community service. Held annually the fourth Saturday of October, Make A Difference Day is sponsored by USA WEEKEND and HandsOn Network, a business unit of Points of Light Institute.

HandsOn Network invites you to Get HandsOn for Make A Difference Day. This site will equip you with templates and toolkits to launch your own project or volunteer for an existing project in your area.

Earlier this year I participated in a "Do Good" day. It was one of those experiences where it only takes a few hours of time but the good feelings last for much, much longer. The Hands On Network can help you get started.

Right here in Washington D.C.:

The generationOn launch event will take place on Saturday, October 23, 2010 (9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.), Make A Difference Day, at the Extra Mile Point of Light Volunteer Pathway in the heart of Washington, D.C. Steps outside of the White House, the Extra Mile Point of Light Volunteer Pathway is the only national monument dedicated to honoring service leaders and the spirit of service in America. Hundreds of kids from across the nation will participate in a Service Walk on the Extra Mile followed by service projects where kids will be able to make their mark on their world to impact social issues. Kids of all ages will find ideas, tools, and hands-on opportunities to help them get involved and understand the issues in their communities—and to become part of the solution.

This is going to be an amazing event. If we can get our kids involved in volunteerism early we can ensure that this is a part of their life that can carry through to adulthood.

You can register here for the GenerationOn Launch and the first 250 kids that register are eligible to win an iPod shuffle!

We can change the world with service.

So can our children.

* * *
This post was sponsored by The Points of Light Institute.

Me and Ubisoft, Ubisoft and Me

2010-09-09T15:09:00.000-04:00

I totally forgot to tell you guys about my new friends at Ubisoft.

That is me and a Raving Rabbid.

My new friends make video games (probably why we are so close). I finally got a chance to meet them at BlogHer in New York.

We spent the entire time playing a video game where magical creatures frolic and can earn accessories.

I made the mistake of telling my daughter about this video game. She wanted me to run out and buy her one right away. Of course 1) it hasn't been released yet and 2) I can't remember the name, but I assure you (and Claudia) that it was awesome and she is going to love it.

These are the same people that make Just Dance 2 (you know, the one that hosted the MamaPop v. Cool Mom Picks dance off at BlogHer '10?).

Ubisoft makes a ton of awesome games including "Press Your Luck" (Big Money, no Whammies!) a crazy Dragon game for the Nintendo DS that my son stole from me and several games for Wii and PlayStation 3 that my husband ran off with.

He didn't really run off. He just put them somewhere in our house that I don't know about.

This was one of them.

This was another one.

Anyway, I'll be back with more on these games and more about Ubisoft once one of my family members decided to let me play.

* * *

I was selected by Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective to be part of the Ubisoft Champions social media program. I am compensated for my participation in this program, but my reviews are solely my own and represent my honest opinions. Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective promote Blog With Integrity.

Do Witches Make Fishes?

2010-09-03T08:22:00.000-04:00

Do Witches Make Fishes?

My friend Jason Mayo, who is a really great person wrote a lovely children's book called Do Witches Make Fishes? Not only does this make a perfect Halloween gift, but all proceeds from the sale of this book go to The Garden Of Dreams Foundation.

Please consider helping out a worthy cause and getting a wonderful book at the same time.

BUY THE BOOK

What Makes Me Happy Now

2010-08-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

The DivaCup has a Happiness Blog Project and they wanted to know how my view of happiness has evolved over time.

What makes me happy now that I am older?

It is sort of a loaded question isn't it? It reminds me that I am, in fact, older.

I'm not old. I'm only 37. But I'm not 16 anymore. I'm not 21 anymore. I'll never be 30 again. Sometimes I get random back pains and my eyesight is going to hell in a handbasket. I don't heal as quickly as I used to. I cannot subsist on 5 hours of sleep a night and gravity has started doing what it does to my body.

That being said, there are some really wonderful things that go along with being a grown up.

I don't have a curfew anymore.

I can afford good beer, the mid-priced olive oil and the soft toiler paper.

I never have to go to middle school again.

What makes me happy now that I am older? Some of the things are the same. Chocolate ice cream still makes me happy. I continue to love football games. Even though I am a parent, I will inevitably be deeply amused by a little kid saying a curse word. I have never stopped loving to sing - opera, folk, choral music, karaoke, whatever. It all brings me joy. I have always loved reading a good book on the beach. My friends and family still make me happy. I have never stopped liking commission checks. I savor the moment when the airplane wheels first leave the ground. I love finding the perfect pair of jeans - the ones that fit just right.

The most shocking thing of all is that I still enjoy going to loud ass heavy metal concerts all these years later. I thought I would grow out of that, but no, they still make me happy.

There are new things too. I love going out to dinner at a nice restaurant and eating whatever is on the chef's menu. Years ago this would have freaked me out. I used to be such a picky eater. Now I will try anything once.

Except snake.

I love the feeling I get when I just took a really great picture.

Since my twins were born I have learned to love silence. I don't get to experience it very often, but I can now get great pleasure out of my moments of peace.

The last thing, the thing that snuck up on me is writing. Writing used to be something I did to pass classes. I wrote because I had to. I have always loved words, and I was giddy the first time I opened up a thesaurus. Now I write for pleasure, as an exercise, for release and because I think that with my words I can make other people happy.

I guess I am a pretty easy target. Many things make me happy.

You want to know what makes me happy now? All of these things and the word "Zamboni".

Part of bringing happiness to your life is simplifying things so you can enjoy it to

the fullest. What makes you happy? How has your view of happiness evolved

over time? The DivaCup offers a simple, worry free, eco-solution to women

worldwide every month. Not a tampon, not a pad, finally a better way!

www.divacup.com. The DivaCup is donating $100 to Choralis

in the honor of "Sarah and the Goon Squad".

Nintendo Enthused

2010-08-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

When I signed up to be a Nintendo Enthusiast I had no idea it would be so cool.

Last week I got a package from Fed Ex. I had no idea what it was.

It was this.

I had no idea what it was.

A huge copy of "Pride and Prejudice"?

Oh, it was huge. See it here next to a regulation length pencil.

I love the novel, but... weird. But wait! This was no book. It was a clever packaging. This was awesome in a box.

With slightly larger than average cat.

With two slightly larger than average cats.

My cats love this for some reason.

Anyway. The DS was awesome, but it was so much more than that. Here is what I was expecting:

I was so happy about this. I've been reading e-books for years. I probably started reading books on my Palm Pilot in 2000, maybe even 1999. From there I eventually moved on to e-reader on my iPhone, to kindle on my iPhone, to an actual Kindle.

When I found out Nintendo was releasing the "game" "100 Classic Books" I thought it would be a fantastic way to finally get around to reading all of those classics that I haven't read yet.

This is no joke. I've been on a quest to read classic literature. Since The Goon Squad was born I've read "Moby Dick", "Pride and Prejudice", "Anna Karenina", "Wuthering Heights", "A Tale of Two Cities", "Emma", "Crime and Punishment", "The Metamorphosis", "Dune", "Lolita", "A Light in August", "Ulysses" and "Heart of Darkness". This allows me to do that and make it fun.

The thing is that I thought they were going to send me the game and I would have to fight my children to use their DSs.

But Nintendo and Brand About Town had my back.

I had no need to worry. They send me a special DS. This is no DS Lite - oh no. This is a DSiXL.

Plus this one is red. Or purple. Whatever. I love it.

But that isn't the coolest part. Check this out:

Cool huh?

I am going to start with "War and Peace".

Now you see why I am enthused.

Sarah Reviews Wolf Trap's Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods

2010-07-27T12:41:00.000-04:00

This morning I took The Goon Squad to Wolf Trap to see the Maryland Youth Ballet do a performance of "Caroline Goes to the Zoo".

Outdoor theatre is a fantastic way to introduce your kids to the arts, and my kids really enjoyed watching other kids performing. We especially enjoyed the question answer period at the end when the children got to ask the dancers questions and it came out that the Maryland Youth Ballet had a "Men's Program". My son was very excited that there were men in ballet and male ballet teachers.

I've been telling him for years that ballet isn't just for girls and now he finally believes me.

It was a cool venue.

I was fairly disappointed in the other parents. People were coming in during the entire performance and talking. At least five people showed up so late that the show was already over, but the dancers were good and it was a cute show.

Some people stayed for a puppet show, but as much as we would have enjoyed it, there were 45 minutes between shows and it was just too much time for my kids to sit still in the heat, with the bugs, with no food or drink.

We'll go back, but next time I will come prepared. They say no food or drink, but 80% of the other parents had snacks in their bags and their kids were doing really well. Check it out, but wait for a day where it is under 90 degrees.

Photography is not allowed (not that it stopped the other mothers) so pictures courtesy of Wolf Trap.

‘DC Cupcakes’ Sister Blog Contest

2010-07-23T08:14:00.000-04:00

Do you like cupcakes? Do you have a sister? Would you like $500?

TLC has the contest for you.

It is easy - TLC would love to hear about strong sister relationships.

If you have a great memory of you and your sister together, write a blog post about it, follow @TLC and tweet a link to the post with the hashtags #DCcupcakes and #TLCsisters by July 23, 2010, and you’ll be entered into our sister blog contest. The best entry... will receive a $500 VISA gift card — great for a present for (or maybe even a visit to) that wonderful sister!

So go! Enter! Win money! Tell them I sent you.

Okay, you don't have to tell them I sent you, but if you win the $500 you should at least buy me a drink. Or a DC cupcake.

[photo: TLC]

Look What I Can Do!

2010-07-10T17:56:00.000-04:00

In my life long quest to make everything I like to do all part of the same thing, look what I made for my friend Kim for BlogHer.

Cool, huh?

If you find her at BlogHer she will probably grace you with one - assuming you use your manners.

It was my very first order in my new line of business. I am very proud.

Of course, my second order was me stepping up one level.

SARAH AND THE GOON SQUAD CORKSCREWS!

I know. Now I can drink wine when I travel too!

Fear not. I still have plenty of beer openers left over if you are in need. I will have those too.

I can also sell not beverage related items, I just haven't had a reason to do so yet.

Wait until you see what I got for Draft Day Suit.

Snuggie Choice Film Awards

2010-07-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

No I am not making this up.

BE PART OF THE SNUGGIE PHENOMENON: SUBMIT YOUR VIDEO FOR THE

FIRST-EVER SNUGGIE CHOICE FILM AWARDS

...As evidenced by the thousands of fan-generated videos on the internet, Snuggie, America’s favorite blanket with sleeves, has never been camera shy. That’s why Snuggie brand maker Allstar Products Group issued a call for the Snuggie Choice Film Awards, a contest to find the best Snuggie movie shorts. Entrants have the chance to win $5,000 and the opportunity to produce one of the next Snuggie brand commercials.

Aspiring film makers can visit www.SnuggieFanClub.com for complete entry details. Videos must be no longer than three minutes and can cover a range of genres, such as comedy, drama, action or documentary - wherever your cinematic genius may take you! All entries must be received by midnight EST on September 1, 2010.

Submissions will be narrowed down to six finalists, and America will determine the winners in a public voting period in September. All six finalists will be flown to the Snuggie Choice Film Awards premiere in New York City in October. Also, all finalists will win the entire 2010 Snuggie blanket collection...

For more information on how to submit and the official rules, visit www.SnuggieFanClub.com.

Step 1: Go get your Snuggie.

Step 2: Make a clever video.

Step 3: Profit

Step 4: Buy me something nice.

How simple is that?

Wii Have a Winner!

2010-05-04T07:50:00.000-04:00

The winner of the Wii Fit and the Wii Fit Plus is Erica Vorhees!

Congratulations Erica!

I know I said I would draw the name out of a hat, but that was before I realized I was going to get well over 100 entries. Erica you can thank the random number generator. I think it likes you.

Sarah Gives Away a Wii™ and a Wii Fit™ Plus

2010-03-25T17:44:00.000-04:00

This is super awesome. You can win a Wii™ system and a Wii Fit™ Plus game! Right here, on my review site!

^{That's right. You heard me. I have been selected as a Nintendo Enthusiast and received this Wii console and Wii Fit Plus game (including balance board) from Nintendo to give away.

Simply leave a comment in the comment section on this post that answers the question “How would you fit some fit in with Wii Fit Plus from Nintendo”? (Also acceptable How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?)}

Entries will be accepted until April 29, 2010 at 11.59pm.

Legal Disclaimers: You cannot win if you are in my immediate family. This means you, Mom.

You must be over 18 and be a resident of the United States. Sorry Canada. Sorry everyone else. You cannot win if you are a Nintendo employee.

There will be no disputing the drawing. It will be honest. The winner is final.

FTC Disclaimer: I did not buy the Wii console or the Wii Fit Plus game, in fact they will be sent to you directly via Brand About Town if you win. I did however get a Wii Fit Plus game, a Wii Fit Plus Party and a jacket for free. I also got a DSi, but don't tell my children.

Nintendo is providing the Wii system and the Wii Fit Plus game and the prizes will be sent directly to the winner. I’m just hosting the giveaway on my site.

I will have The Goon Squad draw a name out of a hat on April 30, 2010. The winner will be notified by email and the prize will be sent in 2 - 4 weeks.

***

TRADEMARKS

· Nintendo

· Wii™

· Wii Fit ^TM Plus

PRIZING

· One Wii™ system and one copy of the Wii Fit™ Plus game for the Wii™ system

And the Winner Is

2010-02-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

BEYOND. Congratulations. You won the See's Candy.

Please e-mail me your address at goonsquadsarah (at) gmail (dot) com.

Sweet as Chocolate - A See's Candy Giveaway!

2010-01-31T09:42:00.000-05:00

See's Candy has asked me to share my sweetest love story with you for a pre-Valentine's Day giveaway.

At first I wasn't sure what I would share with you. My husband and I aren't very romantic people. When we were first dating I told him that he shouldn't buy me flowers, they cost a lot of money and my cat would eat them and then they would die. I would rather him buy me a six pack of beer.

He has remembered that and he must love me very much because he buys beer a lot.

We do go to dinners that happen to be romantic, but really as much as we enjoy each others company we're mostly there for the food.

One time my neighbor pointed out to me that we are the only couple that she knows that call each other "dude".

Of course that doesn't mean we aren't sweet to each other.

In 2004 I was very, very pregnant with The Goon Squad. I went into labor at 28 weeks. It was scary. If they were born when I first started having contractions they would have been three months early. On April 5th I was admitted to the hospital where I was put on bed rest indefinitely.

Five weeks later I was still there. You cannot even imagine how terrifying it is to spend weeks and weeks and weeks knowing that any minute now you could have two premature babies who may or may not make it. Most of the time was a complete blur of doctors and nurses and shots and extraordinary boredom mixed with fear, but I remember this Sunday very clearly. It was May 9th. It was Mother's Day.

My poor husband was still working 50 - 60 hours a week. He spent as much time in the hospital with me as he could but he still had to do things like laundry, grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, and taking care of our pets. He was stretched pretty thin. I don't know how he took care of everything and still spent four nights a week with me in my hospital room. I really don't know how he found the time to buy me a Mother's Day present.

On Sunday morning he handed me a little red box. Inside the box was a pair of emerald earrings. One from each baby. The earrings were their birthstone.

Three days later the babies were born. My husband gave me an emerald necklace to match the earrings. This one was from him. It was for having his babies.

If that isn't sweet I don't know what is.

Happy early Valentine's Day to all three of my Valentines - or Valentimes if you are one of the children.

Now for the giveaway part!

Just leave a comment telling me YOUR sweetest love story or leaving a link to one you posted on your own site.

Extra Ways to Enter:

Do you really, really want to win? Here are some opportunities for extra entries, in addition to your comment with your Sweetest Love Story:

1) Visit the See's homepage (link: http://www.sees.com/) and sign up for the newsletter.

2) Tweet about this contest using the #seescandy tag (you can Tweet daily and post the link in the comments below!)

3) Blog about why you want to win the Share Your Sweetest Love Story with links back to this post, as well as to the See's homepage (link:
http://www.sees.com/) and post the link it in the comments below.

Enter Now!
Deadline for entries is midnight, PST, Friday, February 5th and we
will notify you by email.

Legal Disclaimer:

I am being compensated to run this giveaway by See's Candy via The Clever Girl Collective. They are giving me a gift card and candy. Mmmmm. Chocolate.

Sarah Reviews Woodburners Two

2010-01-09T09:44:00.001-05:00

Four years ago I bought two gas fireplaces from Woodburners Two in Falls Church, Virginia.

I love my fireplaces, but from day one I have had nothing but trouble from the people who work there.

The word clusterfuck comes to mind.

After months of trying to get my gas inserts installed I vowed that I would never deal with this company again.

But oh, I am a glutton for punishment so when my pilot light went out in my downstairs fireplace the other day I called Woodburners Two.

They told me to relight my pilot light. That there were directions online.

They said if I couldn't figure it out they could come service it in 11 days.

11 days! It is winter!

I went on their website and after 20 minutes of searching (I work online. I am on the internet at least six hours a day, I know how to navigate a website) I finally found the "instructions".

My husband, who has an engineering degree and builds buildings for a living couldn't make sense out of their directions.

I called Woodburners Two back and left a message that I would like to make an appointment for service.

Nobody called me back. It has been three days. THREE BUSINESS DAYS.

This morning I called again. A woman answered the phone like this (I am not making this up):

"Is this Woodburners Two?"

I said "Oh, I am trying to call Woodburners Two."

She said "Oh, we're not open yet."

I said "Okay."

Then she said "Fine. What do you want?"

I said "I'd like to make an appointment for service."

She said "Service isn't open today."

Yes people, Woodburners Two doesn't have Saturday service. They don't even take calls for service on the weekend.

I said "Well, I left a message on Wednesday and nobody has gotten back to me."

The woman said "Well, yeah. She is busy and she is getting back to people in the order they called."

I said "Oohhhhhkayyyyy".

And then she didn't say anything!

I said "I am very disappointed in your customer service."

She said "We're very busy."

I said "I'll call another place that can service my fireplace."

And then I did.

***
Woodburners Two has given me no compensation for this review. In fact, they have given me nothing but grief for four years.

Sarah Reviews the Nikon D90

2010-01-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

A couple of months ago (okay, a lot of months ago, like six) Nikon let me borrow a D90 to take on the Mom Road Trip.

I was excited. I had wanted a DSLR forever and just months before my husband went out and bought a D60 which we loved.

But the D90 took video.

The very first picture I took was out of the window on 495 (The Beltway to anyone not from around here). Devra was driving easily 65 mph and my picture came out crystal clear.

I couldn't believe it. I honestly took the camera out of the box, removed the lens cap, turned it on and pushed the button. That is all.

The D60 is an amazing camera. The D90 is an entirely different animal.

A way better animal.

A faster, cooler, more evolved animal.

The D90 is Marsha to the D60's Jan.

I could rant and rave and tell you how I call the camera "My Precious" or how when I have to return Precious to her rightful owner I will have to take to my bed and draw the curtains for a fortnight. I could get technical and tell you all of the Nikon D90's qualifications.

Instead, I want to show you some of the pictures I have taken with the Nikon D90 since July.

Devra in Giant.

Laurie Smithwick took this of Laurie White and me with the D90 at BlogHer.

Claudia before her swimming lesson.

Chicago

My husband took this one.

He took this one too. Also out of a moving car window.

My son

and again

At MiniBar

Philadelphia sunset

The Golden Gate Bridge

Beer Represented

My Cat Through the Window

The Beastie Boys Pose

Sid and Klaus

The Ravens (I was way up in a lower level box here)

Pre-Sledding Injury

Stella (my husband took this one too)

Tomatilloes

See?

Nikon was actually pretty smart to let me borrow the D90. I mean, assuming they can pry it out of my hands, I'll probably end up buying one of my own.

* * *
Full Disclosure: Nikon let me borrow the D90 and a lens. They did not give me anything to keep nor did they give me any money. These are my words, my photographs and my opinions. Every picture posted here was taken with a Nikon D90.

Sarah Rants About Kmart

2009-12-12T13:47:00.000-05:00

Why? Why? Why do I go to Kmart?

I hate Kmart. Every time I go there I leave angry. It must be a job requirement to be stupid or just really, really high to work there.

This time I bought the following things: a four pack of wrapping paper, some tape, some mittens and a pack of stickers.

It took two people seven minutes to check me out.

And neither one of them gave me my bags.

THEY JUST STOOD THERE!

I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to get it myself or if they weren't done with me yet.

And then I couldn't leave because two other guys were standing in my way. They were between the cash register and the door. One was an employee and one was a shopper. They weren't talking to each other, they weren't looking at each other they were both just standing around completely on their own near each other. Not close enough to be touching, but close enough to completely block my path and since I couldn't move the lady behind me in line (who was coughing as if she had H1N1) couldn't move forward so that she could hang out for seven to ten minutes while the two cashiers tried to figure out how to sell he a pack of gum.

I know why I go there. I go there because it is across the street from a really great library and Target isn't really quite as close.

But every time I go to Kmart, that one or any one anywhere I leave angry.

Every. Stinking. Time.

So I am through. Kmart is dead to me. DEAD TO ME!

Whoo.

I feel much better.

Thanks.

Sarah Reviews Charmin Ultra

2009-12-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

I was asked if I would like to review Charmin Ultra for my review blog.

Before I really thought about it I said "Yes! Of course!" because, duh, free toilet paper. I get a lot of pitches, but toilet paper is something I use every singe day without exception.

Then the toilet paper showed up and I was pleased because somebody who shall remain nameless bought us cheap toilet paper and I for one think that if you are going to skimp maybe the stuff that touches your privates isn't the best place to save money.

So I put a roll in my bathroom. That is when it hit me.

Oh my God, I am going to have to write about wiping my ass.

I think it is pretty safe to assume that you want to read about it even less than I want to write about it so suffice it to say that the Charmin Ultra was far superior to the cheap Angel Soft that I had been using right before that.

I can also say with complete honesty that the next time I bought toilet paper I bought the Charmin Ultra.

Because when it comes to wiping your junk you really want something soft.

I should work in advertising.

I Left My iPhone in Philadelphia*

2009-10-06T12:48:00.000-04:00

I found myself standing in the rain in front of Union Station thinking to myself

What kind of moron leaves her iPhone on the seat of the van?

Of course the answer is THIS kind of moron. I remembered my backpack. I remembered the Nikon D90 that I am borrowing. I remembered my purse. I remembered to bring my laptop bag. And I forgot my iPhone. My security blanket. I don’t leave home without it. I don’t go to the mailbox without it. It is my phone, my watch, my address book, my memo pad, my book, my iPod. It is the non-human love of my life.

More importantly, why was I in Philadelphia?

I went up with a few other parenting bloggers. We were invited by GlaxoSmithKline** to tour their vaccine packaging facility. I know that sounds strange, and I guess it sort of is. The thing is that big pharmaceutical companies tend to have reputations for being money grubbing soulless conglomerates just out to make a buck off of the misfortunes of others. I think that they wanted us to know that at least when it comes to vaccines it is more often about saving lives or stopping pandemics.

I don't think I've ever told you where I stand on vaccinating my children.

(screws off the lid on brand new extra large can of worms)

I give my kids whatever the pediatrician tells me to except for the flu shot.

This is the part where karma turns around and runs to my house with H1N1. I am certain of it.

I will tell you why. I think immunizations save lives. I have very close friends who believe that their children have autism because of vaccinations, but I am convinced that it is a risk worth taking. People died from Polio. People died from Rubella. My children won't.

I will also tell you why I don't like the flu shot. I talk to people who get the flu shot and then they get sick. It seems like a no-brainer. Plus one of my neighbors had very, very, very, very, very, very bad reaction to a flu shot. I understand that he was the .1% but it still scared the bejesus out of me.

I went not having any idea what to expect.

There were some presentations. Dr. Len Friedland talked about the vaccines that he had worked on and Isabelle Claxton (the head of public policy & advocacy for the GlaxoSmithKline Vaccine Division) gave a presentation about public policy and advocacy. That part was interesting. These people are really smart and passionate about what they do.

Next we toured the actual facility. We had to wear safety goggles and hair covers and shoe covers and everything. They wouldn't let us take our cameras in or believe you me right now you would be looking at something more interesting than this picture that we took outside.

The tour was fine. The machinery was impressive and the whole place was shockingly clean (I guess it has to be, but I've never seen such immaculate garbage bins in my life.) but one part moved me.

We were watching the line and hundreds of vaccines were being put into hundreds of boxes. Really, just like any automated packaging line (but cleaner) and Dr. Friedland got really close to the glass to see what exactly was being packaged. He stepped back with a strange look on his face and a tear in his eye and said "That is my vaccine".

Dr. Friedland was one of the doctors that developed the product we were looking at and it was going to save lives. They couldn't say too much but I was under the impression that it was something that they had worked very hard on recently. They needed to get it pushed out faster.

For the pandemic.

This isn't like me turning in an article ahead of deadline or writing a particularly good Top Chef recap. This was bigger than that. These people were doing something important for humanity.

The trip was cool. I feel like I got to meet some really fascinating people, I got to get to know some new blogging friends and I got to see some of my older blogging friends. I really just wish I was smart enough to check to make sure my cell phone was in my pocket before I got out of the van.

I am still not going to run out and get the flu shot, but I certainly have a kinder, gentler, more human impression of large drug companies.

But I think I am going to go get my tetanus shot booster. Some of the slides they showed us had pictures.

(shudders)

___

* To be sung to the tune of “I Left My Wallet in El Segundo”

** Our train tickets, hotel rooms and meals were paid for by GSK. We received no other compensation. We were also under no obligation whatsoever to write about the trip.

Hooked on Phonics Worked for Me!

2009-08-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

It sounds so cheesy. It sounds like a lie, but Hooked on Phonics worked for me. Well, I already knew how to read, but Hooked on Phonics worked for my kids.

I was an early reader. I could read before I went to kindergarten and so could my brother. My husband read even earlier than I did. My mother has a masters degree in library science and used to be the adult literacy coordinator for an entire county. My father can speed read. My mother-in-law reads more than anyone else I have ever met. I love to read. Everyone I am related to loves to read. My husband can read and watch TV at the same time and process both the book and the show.

So I was feeling sort of like a failure when I was about to send my kids to school and they could read exactly three words: Ian, Claudia and cat.

My Dad taught them how to spell cat when they were three.

My kids are five. They know all of their letters and which sound each letter makes. They just weren't able to put all this knowledge together and, you know, read.

When the Parent Bloggers Network asked who wanted to review Hooked on Phonics I jumped at the chance. I've been looking at this product for a long time, but it isn't cheap.

They sent me a copy and we put in the introductory DVD. It was fine.

We did the first unit. It seemed to go well.

The next day we did the second unit and it was even better. Same with the third.

At the end of the third unit there was a little book to read. My kids were able to read it. Of course, it was called "Cat" and it was only eight pages long, but it boosted their confidence.

A lot.

They got really into the whole project and wanted to do "lessons" twice a day.

My kids can read now. I'm not kidding. I mean, they aren't reading James Joyce yet, they aren't even reading Stephenie Meyer yet, but they can read words. They can sound words out. Neither of them could do that three weeks ago.

I'm not sure exactly what it is about the Hooked on Phonics system works, but it does. It isn't even anything they didn't already know, but somehow it made reading click for my children.

I am beyond thrilled. I should have bought the "Learn to Read" box two years ago.

____

I received this product for free from the Parent Bloggers Network. These are my own personal words and opinions.

Sarah Reviews The Other Boleyn Girl

2009-08-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

About a two years ago I read the novel "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory. I loved it. I couldn't put it down. I went out and read four more Gregory books.

About six months later I heard they were making a movie out of the novel. I was concerned about the casting of Eric Bana as Henry Tudor, but I was still excited to see it.

Then the movie was released and everyone said the movie was terrible.

I figured that they meant the acting was bad. I figured wrong.

The acting was fine. I even think Natalie Portman did a pretty good job. Bana was flat, as usual, but I nearly bought him as King Henry VIII.

What sucked was either the screenplay or the editing. I know my English history, I read the book, I watch The Tudors AND I STILL HAD TROUBLE FOLLOWING THE PLOT.

Really, they should have gone back to watch it just to make sure the film made sense. I'm pretty sure there were scenes left on the cutting room floor explaining what happened to Mary's first husband. Actually, I think a lot of the scenes were left out and instead they just left in a lot of wide shots of people walking down halls because the sets and costumes were far superior to any dialogue.

I give it two stars, but only because I liked the book.

ps - Scarlett Johansson sure is wearing a lot of makeup in the movie poster. I noticed specifically that they weren't wearing much makeup during the movie. I thought it was a good choice considering the era.

Sarah Has Predictions About "The Blind Side" Movie

2009-08-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

I absolutely adored the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis.

It was a non-fiction account of offensive lineman Michael Oher. He has an amazing story. He was poor, neglected and illiterate. Through an amazing twist of fate he was taken in by a wealthy Memphis family who discovered he was a football prodigy.

The book was well written and delved a lot into the philosophy of the game of football while telling the story of how Michael Oher ended up at Ole Miss.

So this morning I saw that they were making a movie out of the book.

With Sandra Bullock.

So, you want to know what I think, right?

I want to know how this story became about the Mom.

That being said, when I watched the trailer I cried like a baby. I don't know that this film will be representative of the spirit of the book, but it still looks pretty good.

It is an amazing story.

Sarah Reviews: Rage Against the Meshugenah by Danny Evans

2009-08-03T15:46:00.001-04:00

It starts like this:

My first therapist's name was Neil Diamond, but he didn't wear sequins, didn't bring me flowers, and most certainly did not turn on my heartlight...

I read a lot and not many books have me laughing out loud during the freaking prologue.*

The book is called Rage Against the Meshugenah: Why it Takes Balls to Go Nuts and it was written by one of my favorite writers, Danny Evans.

Yes, THAT Danny Evans. Dad Gone Mad, people. Another one of us bloggers has gone legit.

And Danny makes us look good.

The truth is that I have been a huge fan of his for a couple of years now and I would probably say nice things about his book even if it sucked, but I don't have to.

I was a little concerned that a book about clinical depression would be a real downer. There are certain topics that hit close to home and "Rage" hit on a couple of these for me. For example, besides just being sports fans and bloggers Danny and I have something else in common, we both lost any faith we had (and by faith I mean a belief system, like me in the corner, me in the spotlight kind of faith) after a miscarriage.

We also have this in common:

I don't like waking up. I like being awake, obviously, because that is when all the good sports are on TV. But the actual transition from sleep to alertness kind of bums me out.

See? I didn't have to worry about anything written by Danny being a drag, even if it was a memoir about depression.

There was one thing I should have been concerned about. I should have been worried about reading "Rage Against the Meshugenah" in public. You see, I read the end of the book on the train home from New York. Not to ruin the book for you, but the part where his daughter is born made me cry. Not just a few tears, but the kind of crying where your nose runs and all the people on the train look at you funny and your husband is embarrassed because it probably looks like he did something to make you cry like that.

I assure you (and my fellow train passengers) that it was not Gabe, but Mr. Evans that was making me cry like that and then four minutes later making me laugh just as hard as I had previously cried so that I looked like either an asshole or like I was having the worlds worst mood swings ever.

I am not going to tell you what made me laugh like that because I want you to read the book. I want you to buy the book. I ended up with two copies** of it and I am considering buying another one just because I feel like I should be doing more to contribute to Danny success.

He certainly deserves it.

Rage Against the Meshugenah goes on sale tomorrow (August 4th) and you should all read it because if you like what I write, you will love what Danny writes.

* And I don't mean LOL either. I mean really laughing out loud.

** Yes, I was given a free copy of the book to review. I somehow got two. I am keeping them both so I can force all my friends to read it. But my point is that for full disclosure Danny asked me to review this for him and I agreed - with bells on.

Cross Posted on Sarah and the Goon Squad

Sarah Reviews Romeo + Juliet

2009-05-29T22:50:00.000-04:00

The first time I saw the Baz Luhrmann version of Romeo + Juliet (1996) I thought it was brilliant.

It seemed interesting and innovative and modern.

Of course that was probably 12 years ago.

Because I just watched it again and it made me twitchy. I was yelling at my tv - "Take it easy with the MTV edits!"

Either this movie got old quickly or I did.

Because it Makes Me Happy

2009-05-13T16:20:00.000-04:00

I completely forgot about this video, but it makes me smile every time I watch it.

By Scapegoat Wax - Aisle 10 (Hello Allison)

Sarah Reviews Totally Random Things in Rapid Sequence

2009-04-29T16:38:00.000-04:00

Pace Salsa Verde - surprisingly tasty for a mass produced jarred salsa.

K-Mart - They never have anything I am looking for. How are they still in business?

Best Buy Customer Service - One giant fail. I went there to buy an iMac and I couldn't get the attention of a sales person. I called the store (from inside the store on my cell phone) and nobody answered even though I could see the staff hanging out with each other talking about personal things. I finally stopped someone as they were walking by, she went and got a girl (whom I had been making eye contact with and who had completely been ignoring me).

I walked out, right after I explained to a manager why I would be spending my $1,700 (I needed accessories too) elsewhere.

I bought it at Micro Center. Those guys were really nice.

The Kite Runner

2009-04-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

Sometime in late 2003 we were visiting my husband's parents.

My father-in-law handed me the copy of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini that he just finished and said it was excellent and I should read it.

I brought it home and put it on my bedside table.

It has pretty much lived on my bedside table for five and a half years.

Between then and now I would say no less than 20 other people have recommended The Kite Runner to me. They even made a movie out of it. I kept thinking, I'll read it next, I'll read it next.

This week I read it.

It was a heart wrenching tale. You've probably already, but if not it is a story about the trials of an Afghani boy who becomes a man in very difficult times. It is a story about deception and redemption.

I don't want to give the plot away - I can't stand that type of book review, but I will say this - all those people who told me what a wonderful book it was were telling the truth. Once I got through the first couple of chapters, Hosseini sucked me in and kept me reading.

I should have read it six years ago.

Charity Can Be Fun

2009-04-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

See? Charity work doesn't have to be all work and no play.

Devra, Chef Spike and I joined the Quaker Go program yesterday and we went to the Capital Area Food Bank to do some volunteer work.

Along with Quaker, we helped the food bank organize the food to go out to Washington D.C. area pantries to help feed the hungry.

For once I was working too hard to take pictures, but if I get some better ones from Quaker I will let you know. In the mean time, behold the glow of my reflective zipper.

Death Metal for Kids

2009-03-10T09:09:00.000-04:00

Fine, I admit it. I listened to Death Metal. Occasionally I still do.

As my husband is fond of saying - "You can take the girl out of Tampa...".

A while back I asked a good friend of mine to make me a mixed cd of songs for kids. ( I have a point here, I swear) and I was not at all surprised when my son decided he loved this song.

The Thunderlords bill themselves as The First Metal Band for kids. They might be right.

And nobody asked me to write this or gave me anything for free (except Erin, but that is different and it was also several years ago) but I have suddenly become popular with the under 5 car pool crowd and I thought I'd throw the rest of you a bone.

Because I rock.

*flashes you all the devil horns*

Searching and Winning

2009-03-06T19:33:00.000-05:00

If you read my regular blog you may be aware that I am hopelessly addicted to search engines where you can win stuff just by searching.

I use blingo and winzy and several others, but I just came across a new one called swagbucks.

Here is what I like about swagbucks:

1) It is actually a pretty good search engine. It gets its results from Google and Ask.com. Sure, Google is still better, but you can't win any prizes or money searching on Google.

2) I win relatively frequently. I rarely won anything on Blingo or Winzy but I usually win at least one or two Swagbucks each day. Then you can buy things with your swagbucks.

Cool, huh?

This Is SO GOOD!

2009-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:00

If you like Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA (and I do) you may also really, really like:

Sierra Nevada Extra IPA - they call it The Torpedo.

And no - Sierra Nevada neither paid me to say this nor gave me free beer, but they should strongly consider it in the future.

Get Game Smart

2009-01-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

I love my XBOX 360, but sometimes I worry that I let my kids have too much "screen time". Fortunately the people selling us the video games are worried about it too.

Do you want to learn more about parental controls? Do you want to win some prizes while you are at it?

Check it out.

Is This Thing On?

2009-01-12T08:46:00.000-05:00

It is national delurking day. That pretty much means that I am asking you to come out of the woodwork and leave a comment just so that I know I am not talking to myself.

Or am I?

Win Super Bowl Tickets

2009-01-11T08:58:00.000-05:00

If you want a shot at winning tickets to Super Bowl XLIV (for those of you not fluent in Roman Numerals that is next year's game, not the one in a few weeks) check out the Prilosec website.

Then if you win the tickets you can take me to the game. Deal?

Sarah Reviews: Garden State

2009-01-07T14:11:00.001-05:00

I realize that the movie "Garden State" was actually released in 2004, but I just saw it for the first time yesterday.

Sure, people had told me that I should see it - that I would love it but I was reluctant to watch it.

Why?

Because I have issues with Zach Braff.

It isn't personal and it isn't really his fault.

I just loathe "Scrubs". I don't know why people think that show is funny. It is pandering. It is humor for stupid people.

This being the only place I had ever seen Braff I was not in a huge hurry to watch "Garden State".

You know what? Shame on me. It was an excellent movie. Zach Braff wrote and directed it and I think he did a fantastic job.

If you like dark humor and/or independent films you've probably already seen this anyway, but if you haven't I recommend it.

Can't Review Things - Playing Games

2008-12-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

I am sorry if it seems like I am ignoring you. I'm really not.

I just got Rock Band 2 and we (as an entire family) cannot tear ourselves away.

PS - Rock Band Parent Hack : If your small children insist on playing along, let then stay involved, but unplug their instrument. Even better - give him your guitar from Guitar Hero. If the kid is young enough he or she will never notice the difference.

The Mystery of Landmark Mall

2008-11-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

Do they ever wipe down any of the tables in the food court at Landmark Mall in Alexandria?

Honestly, I've only been there a handful of times and there are never more than five other people in the entire food court, but you would think that would make it easier to clean.

How can ALL of the tables be dirty every single time I go there?

Discuss.

Checking My Flickr Stats

2008-10-16T15:45:00.001-04:00

This is a new free widget to track you flickr stats. I couldn't put it in my sidebar because it is huge.

I'll let you know how I like it.

The Cascade/Electrosol (Now Finish) Comparison

2008-10-16T15:43:00.001-04:00

A couple of months ago I was sent two kind of dishwasher liquid to try out.

I was sent a bottle of Electrasol (which I believe is called Finish now) and a bottle of Cascade.

I really hope that the PR company that sent this to me was representing Cascade because the honest truth is that the Cascade worked about twice as well as the Finish.

Dishwasher detergent is one of those things you don't think about much until you get a hold of some that doesn't work, and I thought about it a lot when I was using the Electrasol. I hate having to run the dishwasher twice.

To be completely honest, I have been using Cascade for years and after doing this experiment I plan on continuing to use it.

When did it become 1984?

2008-09-30T16:10:00.000-04:00

Oh crap.

After all of that Rosemary business now Ian wants a Cabbage Patch Kid too.

A boy.

I have called ten stores so far and I am on hold with my 11th.

Help me!

Rosemary

2008-09-12T15:53:00.000-04:00

Meet my newest grandchild. Her birth certificate says her name is Rosemarie Anette but Claudia calls her Rosemary.

Well, okay, to be honest Claudia calls her Wosemawy but I know what she means.

Rosemary is a 25th Anniversary Edition Cabbage Patch Kid. It doesn't seem like 25 years since I got Fayette Nellie. She was a preemie. I guess she still is because Claudia drags her out every time we go to my mom and dad's house. Now I see her as foreshadowing. Maybe if she had been twins I would have been more prepared.

Yes, I know I was a little bit on the old end to have a Cabbage Patch Kid, but didn't everybody want one?

Sarah Reviews (sort of) Susan Rook Photography

2008-06-26T15:51:00.001-04:00

Sarah b&w
Originally uploaded by Sarah606

I went to this party last night and I met this wonderful photographer named Susan Rook.

She was kind enough to share the pictures she took of me.

You can see more of Susan's work here.

Sarah Reviews Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn

2008-06-17T16:42:00.001-04:00

Want an easy* was to make this boy happy?

Ian Loves Popcorn
Originally uploaded by Sarah606

Give him a big ol' bowl of popcorn.

In this case Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter type.

Ian loved it.

I liked it too. It's popcorn. Popcorn tastes good.

(Deep thoughts brought to you by Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah)

_____
* I usually just make popcorn in a pan - old school style. It isn't hard, but sometimes I forget how convenient microwave popcorn can be.

Outback Special for Father's Day

2008-06-14T09:39:00.000-04:00

I haven't been to Outback in a long time. Gabe and I used to go at least once a month, but that was before we had kids.

I kind of miss it. I was close, it was easy and we could get a really huge mug of Fosters on tap.

This Father's Day, Outback is offering kickbacks! Check it out -

______
Outback would like to help satisfy what all dad’s are craving this Father’s Day – food! If you bring dad to Outback on June 15, he’ll receive a $10 certificate valid on your next visit. Dad will need to need to activate the certificate online at where he’ll also automatically be entered in an online sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card when they enter the promo code found on the bottom of the $10 certificate.

The certificate can be used at any Outback location from June 18th– July 20th with the minimum purchase of $25. You can learn more about this promotion and some of Outback’s new menu items by visiting: http://outback.com/.

Sarah Reviews: Rockabye

2008-06-05T14:49:00.000-04:00

When Rebecca Woolf's book "Rockabye:From Wild to Child" came out I made a note to get it. I've been a fan of her blog for a while and her column on Babble.com. I also had the pleasure of meeting her at BlogHer last year and I was amazed that she is ten times more beautiful in real life.

I'm not sure why, but when I saw the "Mother Talkers" offer to review her book I didn't take them up on it. I felt like it might be weird to review the autobiography of someone I (kind of) knew. Plus, sometimes great blogging doesn't necessarily translate into "really good at keeping my attention for 288 pages".

In addition, I've been reading Girl's Gone Child ever since someone pointed out that Rebecca and I both wrote posts about raisins in poop on the same day. I felt like I was already pretty familiar with her whole story - cool L.A. party girl, unplanned pregnancy, young mother, happy ending.

But after reading 30 of my favorite bloggers rave reviews of "Rockabye" I went out and bought it. And sure I knew the outline of the story, but I didn't know the whole thing.

I couldn't put the book down. It was riveting. I felt her pain, her fear, her frustration.

I finished the book about two hours ago and I immediately sent Rebecca an e-mail. I pretty much gushed. I think it would even qualify as fan mail.

It was a great story and even better - it was a really well told story. I found comfort in it as a mother who doesn't always parent the way the books say I should, as a mother who doesn't always fit in with the other moms, and as a woman with a body and a life that will never be the same as it was before my kids were born.

Sarah Reviews Circle of Friends Bath Products for Children

2008-05-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

A couple (fine, probably six) months ago the lovely people at Circle of Friends sent me some bath products to try out on the Goon Squad.

Each product has a child on it (a cartoon child) and information about the country where the kid came from and little facts about the region where he or she lives.

My children and I love the bath products. My kids really identify it as something that belongs to them.

"Where is my Ana Banana shampoo?"

The products work well and my kids love to use them which is good because it means they are cleaner.

My only concerns are 1) My husband thinks that the Safari Detangler is racist. I disagree but I can see where he is coming from and 2) I am afraid to use the duck sponge because it looks like a sandwich from a gas station. Fortunately, they aren't all brown and I doubt you could confuse the other ones for stale wheat bread.

Over all I have a very favorable impression of the Circle of Friends products. They are as gentle as any of the other baby washes we use on a regular basis.

The Nintendo DS Potty Trained My Children

2008-05-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

I'm not trying to be crude here, I swear, but let me tell you a little story about how my Nintendo DS (Lite) helped to potty train my kids.

Back in April I went to Johnson and Johnson's Camp Baby one of the things I left with was a Nintendo DS Lite. I was very excited. I figured I would give it to my husband and he would forgive me for abandoning him for three days to go hang out in New Jersey for three days with a bunch of other lady bloggers.

I was right.

In fact, he bought Super Mario Brothers for the thing before I even got home.

What I didn't count on was the fact that my children would also be obsessed with it.

I figured that this was something I could use to my advantage.

Look, I know that nobody (well, not nobody, but most people) wants to sit around and discuss their bathroom habits, but how many people can honestly say that they don't read in their own bathroom?

Well, my kids can't read yet and they would get really bored sitting on the toilet trying to poop.

Enter the DS.

The kids are allowed to use the DS if they are on the potty and trying to poop.

I don't know if that is healthy or not, but I do know this - they've been doing a much better job of pooping in the toilet instead of in their pants.

I'd like to also believe that it helps their eye-hand coordination.

Maybe problem solving skills? (Is that pushing it?)

Either way, thank you Nintendo. It never would have occurred to me to go out and buy a DS as a toilet training tool but it really seems to be working for us.

Now I just wish I had two.

Heads Up - Palm Technical Support

2008-05-06T14:11:00.000-04:00

Those of you who read my other blog may know that I read a lot of books on my Palm Pilot. I used to be a huge Palm supporter.

No longer.

I got my 4th Palm Pilot in December. It is my third in three years. I don't blame Palm for the death of the first of those three. Ian spilled water on that one.

The second Palm ~~shit the bed~~ died in six months and one day after I bought it. How can I be so sure of the time frame? It had a six month warranty. I called two days after my warranty expired.

The third one (my fourth Palm, but the third in three years) has been having problems since the third month I had it.

Did I mention that you have to PAY for technical support over the phone if you call Palm more than 90 days after the purchase of your device.

Screw that.

Who do they think they are? The thing cost less than $200 and I have to pay them $20 for a phone call?

I chose to chat with representatives online (free) which in the last six days has sucked up at least seven hours of my time. If I charged them $20/hr I could almost buy a new one.

But I won't be buying a product from the Palm Corporation again.

Who knows of a good way for me to read books electronically? (I would love to get an Amazon Kindle but I don't have a spare $400 right now.)

Me and Ted Allen at Camp Baby

2008-04-03T11:13:00.001-04:00

Sarah and Ted are on the same wavelength
Originally uploaded by ninjapoodles

Ted and I enjoy looking goofy together.

He was really great - even though he refused to give us any inside scoop on "Top Chef". (Did I mention this hotel doesn't get Bravo. What the hell?)

I'm having a fantastic time at Johnson and Johnson's Camp Baby, Bravo or no. I wish I had met the sleep specialist (Jodi A. Mindell, PHD) two years ago. She could have changed my life. Of course the kids sleep now. Mostly.

More later. Or sooner if I get organized.

Thanks to Belinda for this picture.

Forgive Me Readers

2008-03-19T10:18:00.000-04:00

Forgive me readers for I have slacked.

I'll be back soon with a review for Circle of Friends children's bath products and a book about emotionally healthy twins.

I just have to finish the book.

I also have some unsolicited reviews I would like to offer. Some good, some bad - so nobody piss me off (I'm looking at you Spirit Airlines*).

* Have I mentioned that Spirit Airlines ripped me off?

Valley of the Dolls

2008-01-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

Ugh. I just watched "Valley of the Dolls".

I really wish I could have my two hours back.

Best Shirt Ever

2008-01-08T14:37:00.000-05:00

I just got this shirt yesterday and I LOVE it. I love it so much I am going to go order some more.

That site is under construction until Jan 10th, if you need one right now go here to get one.

And yes, those are my boobs. Well, to be fair, that is my Wonderbra. (Hey! Two reviews for the price of one! You guys are so lucky.) I didn't put on makeup today so this is what you get.

Seriously, these shirts are great. You can get ones that say "Mommy needs a Cocktail", "Baby Brewing", "I'm blogging this" and I even think there is one that says "Mommy Needs a Glass of Wine". Just make sure to order yours one size larger than you think you need. They run kind of small. (Hence the boob shot.)

Sun Country Rules

2008-01-08T14:32:00.000-05:00

I have been known to trash an airline or two (or three) here on Sarah and the Goon Squad.

This time it is different. Last week I flew on Sun Country airlines. I know they aren't all over the place. They pretty much fly in and out of Minneapolis, but luckily for me that is where I was going. Apparently customer service is not dead in that industry. They were really great. I'm not kidding, the people on the phone were nice and so were the people that checked me in and the people at the gate and even the flight attendants! I was very impressed. They still pre-board if you are flying with young children and just to make me want to kiss them more, they even had a play area in their terminal at the Minneapolis airport.

Okay, I am done gushing for just a second. I have to tell you another story about my flight home.

I sat by Ian. Ian loves to read (well, really, make me read) the aircraft safety cards.

So I noticed something odd that I otherwise wouldn't have seen.

Notice anything funny?

If I were doing my Bossy impersonation, this is the part where I would have circled the ballerina in crash position and written something like "Who dresses like that to fly to Minneapolis anyway?" But alas. I still don't know how to use photoshop.

Can you spot what made me take a picture causing people to stare at me here?

Is it clearer here?

I was thinking maybe I had accidentally smoked some crack at the airport. What was going on here? Who designed this airline safety card? Jerry Garcia?

Then as we were getting ready to take off the nice flight attendant came over and said to Ian "If you can find the ballerina and the magician on the card you get a pair of wings!"

And then I felt like a jerk.

Well, sort of. The boy knew exactly where they were. His crazy mother had just been taking pictures of them for 15 minutes.

Really though, Sun Country was the best flying experience I've had in a couple of years. I thought it would only be fair to praise them for their work (and it also gives me another opportunity to tell U.S. Air, American Airlines and Spirit to suck it).

Cross posted on Sarah and the Goon Squad.

Sarah Reviews Harry Potter and the Deatlhy Hallows

2007-11-29T07:59:00.000-05:00

***SPOILER ALERT - SPOILERS LIKE CRAZY****

I liked the book, but that isn't what I am here to talk about.

I'd like to discuss the conspiracy that involves telling everybody that is reading Harry Potter Book 7 that Harry dies.

I was pissed. Sure, I took six months to read it, but did everybody have to tell me that Harry dies?

So then I get to the end, and he LIVES?

I mean, deep down I didn't want Harry to have to die, but I had prepared myself for the inevitable. I was almost disappointed when it had a happy ending.

Now what should I read?

Picture found on 2atoms.com.

Sarah Reviews 4 Random Movies

2007-10-26T14:19:00.000-04:00

Transformers

Shit Sandwich.

Seriously, the CG was good and the rest blew. The End.

Sense and Sensibility

I watched the Ang Lee version of Sense and Sensibility and I thought it was wonderful. Jane Austen writes great stories and the acting was excellent. I love Emma Thomson and Alan Rickman and this time I didn't even hate Hugh Grant. I even cried.

When did I turn in to such a girl?

The Song Remains the Same

Yawn.

Don't get me wrong, I like Led Zeppelin, but holy shit, my ex wasn't just being bitter. Jimmy Page really was/is a sloppy guitar player. The live stuff was mediocre and the non-live stuff was just stupid.

Being There

I liked this movie. I thought Peter Sellers was excellent. I thought it was well acted and well directed. I don't think I understood the end. He can walk on water?

Nick Jr. Saves the Day

2007-10-12T11:52:00.000-04:00

Dear Nickelodeon/Nick Jr.,

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you from the bottom of my exhausted heart.

My kids have been absolute nightmares all day long. It took me two hours to get Claudia dressed this morning. Then the doorbell rang and it was DHL bringing me this:

Your timing could not have been more perfect. My children saw this and were falling all over themselves to be well behaved. Suddenly "NO! AAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" became "Mommy, may we please watch Dora and the Mermaid? Dora is my favorite. Oh, I love Spongebob. Why, sure I'll put some pants on. Which pants would you like me to wear today?".

Thank you.

Your #1 Fan,

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah

_____

Cross posted on Sarah and the Goon Squad.

Sarah Reviews Dawn Simple Pleasures

2007-10-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

About a week ago I got a big box in the mail. There was something small wrapped up in it and it had a really strong scent. I was kind of nervous, but it turned out to be a sample of the new Dawn Simple Pleasures dishwashing liquid and air freshener.

The scent I got was lemon and tangerine. I was pleased because these are two of my favorite smells. (I guess if it smelled like bacon it would be kind of gross.)

Full disclosure: They didn't know this, but I always try to buy Dawn dish soap. I think it works better than the other ones.

I really like this dish soap. It works really well. I don't think the air freshener part is necessary, but I guess they needed a new twist. I would buy it again if it were reasonably priced.

____

You can always find my regular stuff over at Sarah and the Goon Squad.

Sarah Reviews DevDad

2007-08-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

DevDad is giving away a free camera for a review. I figured this would be a great way to break in the new site.

What can I say about DevDad? He is a stay-at-home Dad in Tampa. If you ever read my blog at all, you know I'm from Tampa too. Now, I have only recently discovered DevDad, and he seems to have a Boston hat on in a picture I saw of him, but if he is a Bucs fan then we have at least two things in common.

Well, three things. We also both have blogs and are stay at home parents.

His name is Mike and he seems to have some sort of career that "specializes in web design and search engine marketing". I'm not sure what that means, but if it drives more traffic, it must be a good thing.

He also has a wife named Sarah. My name is Sarah. I have a brother named Mike.

It would seem that DevDad and I actually have quite a bit in common.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go e-mail Mike and pester him about Tampa. Oh, and also win a camera.

So go visit DevDad. Do it now.

This is Where I am Going to Review Stuff

2007-08-14T16:47:00.000-04:00

Hi. I'm Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah.

This is where I will be reviewing all the stuff that people send me.