Python Printables Christmas MEGA Game Pack, A Review

Christmas time is always crazy. My kids are out of school, family comes to visit, and the temptation is increased by a gazillion to the nth power to put my kids in front of the television so I can get some things done! Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that spending time with them is what counts! I was grateful to receive the Python Printable MEGA Christmas Game Pack of 70+ games to review.

It included Christmas movie trivia, Bible trivia, Christmas jokes (a little cheesy, but hey, fun for the kids!), paper dolls, which my daughter loved (even my son wanted to try!), and other games including matching, “newlywed” games, spot the difference games, office gift grab games, board games, brain teasers, a Christmas version of "Spin the Bottle", and others including games themed for Thanksgiving, and New Year’s. Our favorites were definitely the "Left-Right" story gift games, where one person reads a story and every time you hear “left” or “right” you pass the gift in your hands to the respective person next to you.

Once you purchase the game pack, they email you the link, and you have instant access, and there is no shipping time to wait.  It is green, in that there is no packaging needed, no fuel to ship, and they suggest you print on recycled paper and then, in turn, recycle when you are done.

Another alternative would be to laminate and save the games to use again.

We enjoyed the pack, and it helps to bring in the spirit of the holiday season.

The only thing we didn’t like was the time that it takes to download. You have to sit there and manually click on each game and save it to your computer in order to have unlimited access to all the games. Do that 70 times, and whew, you’re tired! It would be nice if they had a “download all” button, so you could click it and walk away and do something else while they are all downloading and then you could save them to your computer.

They suggest that you do it all in one sitting as well, which makes sense since there are so many and you don’t want to forget where you left off (you only get 5 chances to download each one before they expire).  Despite the time it takes, it’s definitely worth it when you get 70+ games for $19.99. The price is unbeatable, and you can print as much as you need.

It’s nice to have know whether I am entertaining guests, spending time with my family, or just needing to keep my kids occupied without turning on the tube, I can go to the printer and have something hands-on for us to do.

Python Printables offers a variety of printable game packs for just about any occasion, theme, or holiday.

All game packs come with a 30 day guarantee or your money back.

For a selection of FREE printables to try, click HERE.

To purchase Christmas Printable Games from Python Printables, go HERE.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Review and Giveaway of Brilliant Lenses

Have you ever tried to keep the glasses of a busy 8 year old clean?  Its hard!  Included in our daily morning routine is The Cleaning of the Glasses and its amazing how smudged her lenses can get in 24 hours.  So I was excited to try Brilliant Lenses when the package came in the mail.

The kit I received included two pen-like pump sprays of Brilliant Lenses, one optical microfiber cloth and a white drawstring pouch for storage.  We tried Brilliant Lenses first on Second Born's glasses as the instructions suggested: one spray on each side of each lens and wipe clean with the microfiber cloth.  The difference was immediate.  She exclaimed, "Its just so bright!"  I was surprised at what a difference it made.  Next we cleaned the touchscreen of my HTC Evo with the spray and microfiber cloth.  Second Born commented about my phone: "Its a mirror now!"  Seriously.  My touchscreen hasn't been this clean since I bought it.

Brilliant Lenses is alcohol and ammonia-free.  In fact, the secret ingredient of the spray is SR-8 which is a polymer additive that creates a protective layer on a surface, making it more scratch-resistant and easier to clean.  I recommend Brilliant Lenses as a product that makes it easy to keep lenses (plastic or glass), cell phones and even computer monitors clean.  It would make a great stocking stuffer or  Christmas gift!

You can buy Brilliant Lenses in a single (comes with an optical microfiber cloth) or double pack (comes with a little storage pouch and optical microfiber cloth) here.

The makers of Brilliant Lenses have provided their product to give away to one lucky Moana Saves winner.   To WIN your own Brilliant Lenses product, follow the mandatory entry requirement below and any optional ones you'd like with a separate comment for each:

To earn a mandatory entry, like the Brilliant Lenses facebook page.  Mandatory means that if you don't do this first, all of your other entries will be disqualified.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

2. Follow Brilliant Lenses on Twitter.

3. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following (leave the tweet URL in your comment):
#Win a Brilliant Lenses product from @brilliantlenses and @moanasaves http://bit.ly/h2VrY5 ends 12/13

4. Become a Google Friend Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the side bar).

5. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

6. Follow Moana Saves on Networked Blogs (in the side bar).

7. Subscribe to my feed via RSS reader and/or email updates.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends on Monday, December 13th at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.
Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Winner of Jenulence Eye Shadows Giveaway and Some Jenulence Discount Codes!

The lucky winner of 1 set of 2 gorgeous Jenulence eyeshadow colors (you pick the shades) is #20, Mickey!  Congrats, Mickey, and watch out for my email!

Also, Jenulence just added its 500th fan to the Jenulence Facebook page and Jenya graciously allowed me to post the discount code she offered to celebrate. Just use coupon '500Likes' and receive 40% off any order.  This is good only until midnight tonight.  If you miss out on this code and you're a first time Jenulence customer, you can use 'newcustomer' to get 10% off your order.  Quick, go score some fabulous, all-natural mineral make-up at some excellent prices!

SnackTAXI Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags Review

 

There are so many things to like about snackTAXIs that I'm writing this review in bullet points to organize my raves. 

But first some information from snackTAXI's website and the adorable tag that came with the reusable bags (the parenthetical comments are mine):

"Our mission here at snackTAXI is to create fun & friendly items that make it easy for everyone to move their food in sustainable style!"

Food for Thought:

• snackTAXIs are machine washable (and dry-able--I checked!)
• Our materials are free of lead and phthalates
• The US alone adds 20 million plastic baggies to landfills every single day (closes mouth hanging open in awe)
• Each reusable bag you use keeps as many as 1000 plastic bags out of the waste stream.

What I love about the snackTAXIs sent to me for review purposes:

• The colors of the bags and the contrasting lining inside are richly gorgeous! A feast for the eyes!
• Each bag is completely serged, minimizing the chance of a bag falling apart anytime soon.
• Each bag has long velcro strips so that closure is adjustable according to the size of the item(s) in the bag.
• The snack bag is oversized (much larger than plastic snack baggies) and so is the sandwich bag that can accommodate different bread sizes.
• Reusable lunch bags are not only good for the earth but also for my wallet.  I could buy a whole set of snackTAXIs for what I pay in one year for plastic baggies.  And the snackTAXIs would last longer than a year, I'm guessing.
• I love that I'm teaching my daughter about sustainability and conserving resources through example.
• They're just so dang hip! I asked my daughter if anyone noticed the snackTAXIs in her lunch at school and she just rolled her eyes at me.  I guarantee that if I'd been eating with other moms and using snackTAXIs we'd totally be swooning over how cool they are . . .

My only gripe about snackTAXIs is more of a gripe about the losing battle I'm fighting with the ants on this island.  I wish that snackTAXIs were completely seal-able so that I don't have to worry about those &*#% ants getting into them.  Using snackTAXIs just means I need to clean out my daughter's lunch bag right after school to avoid the ant brigade.  And if it comes down to losing my struggle with the ants versus losing the planet to human overconsumption, I bet you know which one I'd pick.  You can shop for snackTAXIs, food movers for a happy planet, here.

Mahalo to snackTAXI for providing me with product samples to facilitate this review.  I did not receive compensation for this post.  Any and all opinions are my own.

Winner of the the ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse

Lucky #40, Janie, wins the ErgoMotion™ Laser Mouse! Congrats, Janie!  Mahalo to everyone who stopped by, read the review and entered the giveaway!

Aloha Friday #163

from Kailani's blog:

Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link below. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

My question/statement: What are your special plans for Christmas this year?

My answer: This year we'll have a week of timeshare in coldandsnowy Idaho.  The kids are over the moon about spending the holidays in the snow.  Me, not so much.

Addendum to Windex Multi-Use Vinegar Review

You know how this is an oh-so-young (infant, really!) review blog?  On some level, as fabulous as it is to blog here, I often wonder if anyone is reading what I write. So its great when I get email indicating that folks are reading Moana Saves--specifically, the folks at S.C. Johnson read what I wrote about Windex here and contacted me.

If you watched some of the traditional TV fare over Thanksgiving weekend, you might have noticed the S.C. Johnson ads titled "Honestly."

You can find more info about the company's ongoing commitment to transparency here.  Specifically, the company's press release states that “families have the right to know what they are bringing into their homes and we want them to feel good about what’s inside our trusted brands like Windex^®, Glade^® and Pledge^® products. . . . Working hard to earn the trust and the goodwill of the people who buy our products has been at the heart of who we are as a company for five generations.”  S.C. Johnson is working to maintain a transparent relationship with consumers by disclosing the ingredients (and their purposes) in their products.  You can find this information at the dedicated site, http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/ or you can call the company's toll-free number: 1-800-558-5252.  Eventually this information will appear on the regular S.C. Johnson product site.

Bottom line: S.C. Johnson is moving towards full disclosure of ingredients so that consumers can make informed choices about the products they use in their homes.  And that's definitely something worth writing about here at Moana Saves.