My Review of SwingAlong™ Castle

Originally submitted at LIttle Tikes

Made in the USA, telescope made in China

Even the littlest knights and princesses can reign in the backyard!

• Play telescope swivels all the way arou...

SwingAlong™ Castle

It's ok

By Florida Lady from Bradenton, FL on 10/6/2008

 

1out of 5

Pros: Easy Assembly, Fun

Cons: Flimsy, Unstable, too small

Best Uses: Young Children

Describe Yourself: Novice

The product was easy to assemble but took longer than the advertised 20 min. My daughter is 23 months and is already almost too big for it (and she's small for her size), so I'm not sure why they advertise 1-4 years. I think by the time she's 2 1/2 she'll have outgrown it. It's ok for now, not worth the $$ for the amount of use. I really wish I had gone with something bigger. It's too late to return to the store, because we already threw out the box:(

(legalese)

Why ALL Women should vote

Ok, So this was just sent to me in an email and I HAD to post it on here! We truly do forget how great our right to vote is! Let's not waste it on the wrong candidate... ( just because we are woman and have the right to vote, doesn't mean we have to vote for a woman-especially one who is against woman's rights!)

THIS IS MOVING. HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET, IF WE EVER KNEW,

WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE.

This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.

Remember, it was not until 1920

that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.

The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed
nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking
for the vote.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.
Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing
went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of
'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'


(Lucy Burns)
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above
her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping
for air.

(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her
head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate,
Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging,
beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917,
when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his
guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because
they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right
to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their
food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks
until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory. loc.gov/ammem/ collections/ suffrage/ nwp/prisoners. pdf

So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because-
-why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work?
Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new
movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle
these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling
booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the
actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote.
Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege.
Sometimes it was inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history,
saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk
about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought
kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said.
'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use,
my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just
younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The
right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history,
social studies and government teachers would include the movie in
their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere
else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing,
but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think
a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the wome n you know.

We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so
hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.

History is being made.

Some much deserved R & R

As a busy, busy, busy mom I need (just like all other moms and women alike) some me time to relax and unwind. With a toddler, that time is hard to find. But I urge you all to take some time for a little rest and relaxation in the near future with Masada Mineral Herb Spa.

Here's what you need to create such a spa:

Draw a warm to hot (depending on your liking) tub with water
100% Natural Dead Sea Mineral Salts with Herbs and Aromas by Masada
An hour (give or take as much time as you like) with peace and quiet - after your child is in bed, perhaps...

This I guarantee will relax you from head to toe. It's very soothing and these are whole organic salts that do more than just relax you. For more information on the salts go to www.masada-spa.com.

I have copied and pasted a bit of info from their website as well for easier viewing:

Masada Dead Sea Mineral Salts- like a bandage for what ails you. Exclusive Masada Dead Sea Mineral Salts are 100% natural, imported in unprocessed form from the southernmost part of the Dead Sea, where mineral concentration is richest. The combination of these essential minerals- Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium- does amazing things for both mind and body.

Physiological
• Helps detoxify the body and ward off viruses
• Stimulates natural circulation for improved health
• Helps relieve athlete's foot, corns, calluses
• Acts as a natural anti-bacterial

Musculo-skeletal
• Relaxes tense, aching muscles and joints
• Helps relieve arthritis and rheumatism
• Helps relieve chronic lower back pain

Skin benefits
• Draws out impurities in skin
• Soothes skin irritations such as psoriasis and eczema
• Soothes itching, burning and bites
• Smoothes and softens skin
• Encourages skin to renew itself
• Helps scars to heal
• Restores moisture balance to the skin

Psycho-physical
• Provides deep relaxation
• Helps relieve stress and tension
• Promotes restfulness

Occupational
• Relieves tired, aching feet and leg muscles
• Eases tension in hands and wrists
• Helps relieve sports injuries

But not all bath salts are created equal.

Bath salts abound in all sizes and scents and make many claims. But the majority of bath salts on the market are regular sea salts that cannot offer the benefits of Dead Sea Mineral Salts.

Regular Ocean (sea) salts = 97% Sodium Chloride 3.5% Minerals

Genuine Dead Sea Mineral Salts are an entirely different classification of bath treatment. These always contain a higher concentration of beneficial minerals and a much lower concentration of sodium chloride. But even among Dead Sea Mineral Salts there is significant variation in composition that will effect therapeutic results. Only genuine Southern Dead Sea Mineral Salts are unchallenged as the optimal therapeutic bath salts. These have the highest concentration of minerals. This is the concentration of minerals in all Masada Dead Sea Mineral Salts: Magnesium Chloride (MC12) 34.0% Potassium Chloride (KC1) 23.0%

You can find these salts at any store that carries natural or organic products. And remember if possible, try to shop locally.

I Love You Through and Through

Okay, so I've been slacking a bit on the blog duties. Sorry, Florida is really nice and I've been busy. Ok, so this is a very adorable book. It's called I Love You Through and Through, by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak and Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church. This is one of my daughter's favorite books. It tells her just how much I love her and she also learns her body parts and learns that I love all of her, even when she's mad. The illustrations are of a cute, little boy and his teddy bear throughout the book. Highly recommended by both parent and child. If you haven't picked up this book already, you should do so today. You can find it at your local book store. If you live in the Tampa Bay area check this website out to help you locate a locally owned bookstore: www.localshops1.com.

Arthritis Foundation

On a recent shopping trip (yes, I was shopping at locally owned stores:)), I stopped in a store called "Browse". From the first glance this looked a like second-hand furniture store and what luck was that, because after moving I need to fill my much larger house with furniture:) As I walked around the store, I couldn't believe all the low prices for such nice pieces of furniture. I spoke with the gentleman in the back and he told me that this was a completely non-profit store. The store was donated to them, and the people working in the store were volunteers from the Arthritis Foundation. Everything in the store was donated and all proceeds go to the Arthritis foundation. I thought this was great! They also have dishes and lots of stuffed animals as well. We bought this adorable little bear for my daughter (she had to have it) for a steal. It's a brand new bear with the tags still on it. She hugged it the whole way home! So please, before you go out shopping for stuffed animals or furniture (and many other miscellaneous items including books), stop by "Browse" located at 410 12th Street W, Bradenton, FL 34205 or go to www.arthritis.org and see if there is a similar store in your area. You can save money, save the planet (by recycling) and help a good cause all at the same time!

Thanks, Gramma!

If you are fortunate enough like I am to have a grandmother (or mother) who is crafty and talented, then you may already have something similar to this. My grandmother made this blanket back in the 80's for my first child. When each one of her grandchildren were born, she made a blanket for our first born child. She did this so that we would have something from her, even if she wasn't around to see it. Luckily for me, she was still around when I had my daughter and is still around today in fact. And I get to have this adorable pink blanket as well! I am not using it as you would traditionally use a blanket however. I decided to display this great work of art as a wall hanging in my daughter's bedroom. She loves it because it's pink and has animals on it. I love it because it's handmade from the heart and it looks adorable hanging on her wall. Each square is hand embroidered with an animal for a children's story. Take a closer look...

Dog's Noisy Day

Dog's Noisy Day, A Story to Read Aloud. By Emma Dodd. This book has so many great qualities such as whimsical drawings, cute little farm animals and the sounds they make. Your child (and you) will enjoy reading this book and will learn about farm animals and their sounds. The story is great and even has some (many) humorous lines. One of my favorites is "This is a friendly farm, thinks dog." Another is "Hello, dirty Dog"

I bought this book at a yard sale (recycling books= green), but you could probably find it at your local bookstore. And remember to shop locally- it's good for the economy, it's good for the community and it's good for you!