Book Review: 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny

A few weeks ago, I got an email from an author named Phil Done. When I checked out his website, I learned that we have several things in common. We are both musicians, and former public school teachers- and we both had to catch up on piano skills we missed as kids! We did not have in common the presitgious awards he has won, and the fact that he has written a book! (It seems so daunting!)

Phillip Done was born in San Jose, California, and grew up in Sunnyvale. Phil earned his Bachelors of Music and Masters in Education from San Jose State University. He has taught elementary school for twenty years, mostly in California public schools. Phil received the Schwab Foundation Distinguished Teacher Award and was nominated for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award. When he is not teaching, Phil enjoys studying languages, going to garage sales, collecting old movie posters, and learning how to play the piano (He never practiced when he was a kid).



His book, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching, is refreshing, funny, and touching from a parent's perspective as well as a teacher's. Phil says:

I am a teacher... -I take slivers out of fingers and bad sports out of steal the bacon. -I know the magic word. -I plan lessons while shaving, showering, driving, eating and sleeping. -I pray for snow days. -I hope April Fools Day is on Saturday. -I hate glitter...

Phil's tone in this book highlights the joys and challenges of teaching with humor and love. This is the kind of teacher you long for your child to have, and it gives a parent faith that teachers really are after the best for your "little Johnny" (the pet name of teachers for the hypothetical child)

In a chapter called "The Looks" Phil describes the five "looks" every teacher must master. Here are a few.

• The Raised Eyebrow: Raise both eyebrows as high as you can. Do not speak. Keep your head perfectly still. Stare at the child for five to ten seconds.
  
• The Chin Down: Tilt your head down till it touches your chest. Your lips will automatically pucker up a bit as you lower your chin. Raise your eyebrows, and cock your head slightly to the left.
  

I see you practicing! I've given every one of those looks when I was a teacher. This book would be wonderful as a teacher gift, and I guarantee it will end up being passed around the teachers' lounge accompanied by raucous laughter!

I'm giving it 4 presents for Teacher Gift Extraordinaire

Clorox 2 Stain Fighter/ Color Booster Giveaway!

There are two things that are certain in life: Laundry and Dishes.

Well, what did you think I was going to say? Laundry is one of those things that keeps piling up no matter how much you do; it's just a fact of life! And anytime you can get some extra help, it's a good thing!

Honestly, I've never used a stain-fighter on colors before. I love using Clorox Bleach on whites, and I just took for granted that we couldn't use it on colors. So when my three-year-old daughter did THIS, it was the perfect opportunity to test out Clorox 2 for Colors!


Usually, this shirt would never be the same. If it did come out, it would take at least three trips through the wash to do it! So, I threw the offending shirt into the wash with a little bit of Clorox 2, and the result was brilliant! My husband was very surprise since he usually does the laundry (yes, I don't know whether to feel blessed or ashamed!), but I cheerfully explaimed, "I'm testing Clorox 2!"


All clean! And the first time, too. I would definitely recommend using Clorox 2 for stains on colors. They say that Clorox 2 also brightens colors, and you should use it with every wash. That is very important when you have three girls who invariably pass on clothes to one another! However, since I'm such a cheapskate, I'll probably save it for stains and special clothes that we really want to keep new-looking.

You can visit www.daretobecolorful.com for tips and information, to send in your dirtiest pictures, and ask for advice on using Clorox 2. You'll also get slightly annoying flash intros, and a cheesy narrator. Oh- and a money back guarantee, in case you're not happy with the product.

Are you a cheapskate too? I have 4 coupons for a FREE bottle of Clorox 2 to share with you! So leave a comment if you'd like one, and I'll randomly pick 4 winners on Friday December 5!

Ultimate Party Meatballs Recipe

I got a great recipe from Mom Central, featuring Heinz, Ocean Spray, and Meatballs! Sounds good, right? Well, here is my video introduction and demonstration for the Ultimate Party Meatballs. This was so easy to prepare while we were at my moms for Thanksgiving.



Now for the review! The meatballs were SO good! I think my brother ate half of them, but there were plenty for everyone. It's a good sign when you bring home an empty dish, right? Gotta go to a party, but don't have much time to prepare? This recipe is a winner!

Visit www.ultimatepartymeatballs.com to find this recipe as well as lots more great recipes, like Ultimate Baked Brie, Sweet BBQ Chicken Dip, and more!

Ultimate Party Meatballs

• 2 lbs frozen meatballs
• 1 can Ocean Spray jellied cranberries
• 1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Makes 30 appetizer servings.

Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

What's your favorite Holiday Party food?

Norton PC Tune-Up Review & GIVEAWAY

CONTEST CLOSED: winners: Mrs. Mommy, Katie (my SIL!), and Katie (my mom!)

The Norton PC Tune-Up Blog Tour, courtesy of Mom Central, came at just the right time! My computer has been starting extremely slowly, and when it was overloaded (very easily, I might add) it would just freeze. This forced me to pull out the forbidden move of pushing the button... and holding it down... until the thing turned off! I know, I know- you should never do that! Or so they say. It had started to worry me.

I had hired a local guy to come out to my house about 2 years ago, for $100, and tune up the PC, and I saw great results for a while, and the ol' girl clearly needed some attention. So I was thrilled to be able to call the Norton guy and have him walk through some steps to optimize my computer's performance. When I got the recorded message that a technician would be with me shortly(yeah right), I settled in with Shepard Smith on Fox News. But he couldn't even get a paragraph out before Vincent popped on the line.

Now there are clear differences between the Norton Tune-up, and the local guy tune-up:

• The local guy sat in a room in my house with my computer, and I was not in there the whole time. (of course I spied on him, due to a news story about repair men putting cameras in women's houses!) But I did not see what he did to my computer.
• The Norton Tune-Up Guy, Vincent, connected to my PC remotely, which means he couldn't see my messy house! I also watched everything he did right in front of me while we were on the phone.

• Local Guy didn't really show me how to maintain my computer after he worked. While it ran great after he left, I didn't know how to keep up the function.
• Vincent talked me through everything he did, and gave me tips for keeping the PC running smoothly. I did take notes, so I could remember, but there is also a file I can go back to at any time and see a review of the session.

You may need a PC Tune-Up if your computer takes a long time to start up, or runs slowly when you use multiple programs. Norton Tune Up, in my opinion, is a great service! On another note, local guy advised me to switch to Windows One Care for computer maintenence, but I really haven't been very happy with it. Norton 360 was so much more user friendly when I had it, and as a result of my conversation with Victor, I'm going to switch back.

Now that MY computer runs smoothly again, I have three more Tune-Ups ($69.99 Value!) to give away! If you'd like to get your computer running like Carl Lewis, leave a comment and let me know! As always, if you're a Real Life Review Subscriber, you get an extra entry! Leave a separate comment!

This contest will end Sunday, November 30th

Why Just Shop When You Can Shop.com?

I've just recently found www.shop.com, through Mom Central, and it is really amazing! Usually when I shop online, I'll go to individual online stores that I know and search for the items I need. If I can't find it at one, I'll move to the next, and search through several to find the best price or special deals. Of course this takes a long time, and recently starting a business and developing a TV show, I don't have much of that right now!

Shop.com does all that leg work for you! You can shop by category, or special sections, like 50 gifts under $50, Thanksgiving Trimming, Accessories for your phone, etc.

But the best way to use Shop.com, in my opinion, is to decide what items you want to find, and search in the search box. For example, I searched Aquadoodle in the box at the top.

Then, Shop.com brings up listings and prices from all over the web, from Ebay to Target, with the price comparisons. Amazing!


If you're looking for the best value on the net, Shop.com is a great place to start! I will be doing a considerable amount of Christmas shopping online this year, how about you?

Children's Books by The Secret Mountain GIVEAWAY

*CONTEST CLOSED* Winner: Julie!

Are you looking for awesome children's books with cute stories, adorable art, and even a spin-off CD to listen to in the kids' rooms or the car?

Look no further! My Team Mom review this month included three books from The Secret Mountain publishing group.

Dream Songs, Night Songs features lullabies from around the world in a very multicultural collection of bedtime stories.

I liked the story pretty well; it was very abstract and ethereal, as you would expect a book about a dream to be. The art is an interesting representation of the words from different cultures, and I love that the words are written in English Spanish and French.

The music CD accompanying this book blew me away! Of course, with my background as a music teacher, I am bound to love authentic music from other countries, sung in the original language, with traditional instruments. This CD is top notch! It even comes with PDF files of illustrations, lyrics and translations. I honestly don't want to turn this CD off to review the other ones!


Down at the Sea Hotel is another bedtime story, where it's "lights-out time down at the Sea Hotel."

The story is an illustration of a song by Greg Brown, and it couldn't be cuter! The vivid colors, interesting characters, and whimsical tone make this book a real treat for eyes young and old.

The song CD is wonderful as well, with songs written by Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Wailin’ Jennys / Neil Young, Nanci Griffith, Billy Joel, Carole King and more! The perfect bedtime companion for this adorable book.

A Duck in New York City tells the story of a little prairie duck with a big idea – making it on Broadway.


Of course as a musical theater lover, and performer, this book hits me in the heart! It's a classic story encouraging kids to follow their dreams and relish the adventure! With the help of his friends, including a truck driver named Betty, the little duck makes it all the way! The whimsical, mixed media art is a treat for the eyes, as well.

The A Duck in New York City music CD has whimsical, silly songs that perfectly match the tone of the book. My kids had fun dancing around the kitchen to the upbeat tunes as I washed the dishes, then we settled down and read the book before bed.

In my opinion, these Secret Mountain Books are a win-win for parents and kids, and are sure to be favorites for a long time in your family. The artistic and musical quality is top notch, and I am definitely a hard critic to please in these areas. You can sample the music selections at the website. Click Here.

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Since I received three of these books, I want to share the love, and give one away to a reader. Give it to your kids for Christmas, or donate it to your school! I'll be giving away Dream Songs, Night Songs Book and CD

Here's how to enter:

• Leave a comment telling us your kids' (or your) favorite book to read.
• If you are a RL Review Subscriber, you get an extra entry. Leave a separate comment.

The contest will run through Friday, November 21. The winner will be announce on Saturday. Only addresses in the US are eligible, and you must leave an email address or link to your blog, so I can contact you.

Great Ideas for Teacher Gifts!

OK, it's time for a reality check! Your child's teacher has enough Christmas mugs and apple-shaped notepad holders! My husband is a teacher, and I'm a former teacher, so I thought I'd start a post dedicated to great teacher gift ideas. So here they are: If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

• Hands of Hope Charity Cards
• Cake-In-a-Cup for Inexpensive Christmas Gifts (just make sure you get a cute, non-Christmas themed mug!
• Easy Sourdough Bread
• Friendship Soup Mix, an Inexpensive Christmas Gift Idea
• Winter Warm-up Gift Basket
• Ghirardelli LUXE MILK
• 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny
  
• Books!

More coming as I review them!

Want to see what NOT to give?