The Slime Book

The Slime Book – more than 30 amazing recipes
Published at DK

About the book

Includes more than 30 borax-free, simple, safe, homemade slime recipes-from basic slime to edible, textured, glow-in-the-dark, and color-changing slime.

Kids will be mesmerized and "slimerized" by the book's gloopy, gooey, colorful slime recipes. The easy-to-follow recipes all use inexpensive, accessible, and safe everyday products.

Create monster slime with googly eyes, prepare for an eruption with volcanic slime, or tuck in to yummy edible chocolate slime. All the projects are shown with clear step-by-step images and a vibrant picture of the final slimy stuff. The science behind each slime creation is explained through fact boxes.

Recipes include cornstarch-and-water slime, fluffy slime made of shaving cream, gloopy slime created from shampoo and toothpaste, stretchy slime containing PVA glue, edible slime made with marshmallows, glitter slime, sand slime, magnetic slime... and more.

Making slime is currently one of the most popular trends for children, with some homemade slime videos reaching 30 million views.
+ With 30 recipes, it includes more variations than any slime book available.
+ All recipes use safe, readily available ingredients.
+ Science information boxes keep an educational element to the book without detracting from the fun.
+ Ideal for children ages 5-9 who are new to the slime trend or who are already obsessed with slime and looking for new, funky recipes.
+ Parents looking for a slime or activity book will like the safe, easily accessible ingredients and knowing that their child can play safely.

My Thoughts

Let take a trip back in time for a second or two.  Remember the 1970s?  That is when I was a child and I remember the time when I got the new toy from Mattel called Slime.   It was gooey and disgustingly green.  It will ooze between your fingers and you could make a blob out of it.  And they came out with a purple one as well as some with trinkets in it.   Ahhhh! My mom totally disliked it but I loved it.   Not sure how much it cost back then but it must have been as pricey as the other stuff that is a rage nowadays.   Anyhow, I remember the Slime vividly and when I saw this book I knew it would be a great one to review just for my daughter.   

This book contains over  30 recipes of slime to do based on either clear craft glue or PVA glue mixed with other ingredients like food coloring, glitter glue, beads, and so on.   There are two main sections in this book – Nonedible Slime and Edible Slime.  Wait! What?  Yes there is such a thing as edible slime believe it or not.  And us parents that keep saying to our kids – do not play with your food!  LOL  Oh well… I guess sometimes it is ok to play with the food.

In the nonedible slime section, you will find the basic recipe to make slime but you will also get recipes to make stretchy slime, fluffy slime, see-through slime, serious putty, starry slime, party slime, crunchy slime, smelly slime, glitter slime, popping slime, slime in all sort of colors, gold slime, unicorn slime, metallic slime, sand slime, monster slime, snow slime, fake snot, pompom slime, alphabet slime, winter wonderland slime, dinosaurs in amber, bubbling swamp slime, bubble slime, glow-in-the-dark slime.  The edible slime section will have recipes like the chocolate goo, the bear necessities made out of gummy bears, the striped slime made out of Starburst chewy candies and the “sticky,icky, tasty” slime made out of marshmallow.

Some of these recipes look more fun to do that other ones.  But each are special in their own way.  I would personally stay away from the fake snot recipe but my daughter is having a Christmas theme at camp this summer and I think the Winter Wonderland Slime would be perfect for it!  I just need to find some snowflake confetti somehow….  

The book would be perfect for this summer to allow you child to have fun in a different kind of way.  And who know…. maybe your child is a budding entrepreneur and will find a way to make this new passion of making slime into a small business.

The Slime Book is available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote their books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Mason Jar Science

Mason Jar Science – 40, Slimy, Squishy, Super-Cool Experiments
By Jonathan Adolph
Published at Storey Publishing

Summer has arrived and with it school’s out which means your kids are at home.   What can you do to keep them busy and learning at the same time (without them figuring that out…)?   Simple do some cool science experiments when they are bored or the weather is not allowing them to go outdoors.  Today I am presenting you an awesome book which will allow you to do some fun things using the good old Mason jars that are hiding in your cupboards.

The book starts by presenting the scientific method which is followed to solve mysteries and then is separated into five sections.  Through the pages of this book you will be able to do 9 experiments based on Chemistry, 10 experiments based on Earth Science, 8 experiments based on Botany, 8 experiments based on Biology, and 8 experiments based on Physics.

Each experiment lists the materials and the instructions needed to complete it.   It will also guide your “student” for what to watch for and explain what is happening.   Like it or not, this book will help them to visualize some concepts seen at school or concepts that will be presented in the upcoming school year.   Personally, I think it is a great book to help them experiment fun things in science when they desire to learn more about something.  However, I would strongly suggest that they ask an adult before making these experiments and that the child do clean up afterwards.  Nothing is more frustrating for a parent that to clean up after a child has decided to do some science but left the mess behind. 

However, this book is fun to explore whether you desire to cover all the experiments in one specific section or if you prefer to go randomly.   There is something fun to learn for each of the experiments.   As a plus side, the child can explain back to the parents and siblings what he/she has learned while doing the experiment during supper time. 

This book is definitively great to keep your kids busy this summer and to explore fun activities that involve science.

Mason Jar Science is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore as well as Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Swimsways Dive Toys

Back in the spring, I was looking at some things while waiting for a prescription to be filled at my local pharmacy.  And suddenly I saw something that I knew my kids would love.  Diving characters to play in the pool – princesses and Avengers.    I communicated with Swimways to see if I could review some and the response was positive.  However, my contact had trouble to find the Avengers set as it was sold out in all their warehouses.   Would I mind if I get the Star Wars Lightsabers instead?   I was delighted to get something linked to Star Wars as well.    When I got them we decided to wait until we could go to the RV and the kids be able to play with them in the pool.   However, it took some time before the pool was warm enough to be visited.  You see we had a cooler month of May.  But in June, while we were there a week during my husband’s vacation, we were finally able to go to the pool.  That’s when I took out the divers for the kids which they had just seen the day before at a local store.  I know I am sneaky…..

Disney Princesses Dive Toys

These three princesses are looking to have a blast with your own princess while playing in the pool.   The pack contains three dive toys – Belle, Ariel, and Cinderella.   The design is made out of plastic which is soft and flexible.    It will make the swim of your daughter even more magical when she practices her diving skills and her swimming as well.

Star Wars Lightsaber Dive Sticks

May the Force be with you - in the pool!  Your kids will enjoy diving and searching for the Star Wars Lightsaber Dive Sticks in the pool    These special ones light-up when under the water.    The water activate the light-up action.   Each lightsaber is about 6” tall and will bring a lot of pleasure while playing in and out of the pool.    Each pack contains two lightsabers – green for Yoda and blue for Luke Skywalker.   A non-replaceable button cell battery is included in each lightsaber.

Our Thoughts

The dive toys from Swimways were a hit.  The kids had lots of fun in the pool while playing with them.  The toys are sturdy and I can see hours of playtime with them.  The kids even shared them with other kids that were in the pool that day.  My only disappointment would be the fact that you can’t change the battery on the lightsabers.  But I guess this would make the dive stick a bit more difficult to make if you would have to find a way to allow the parent to change the battery.  So when the battery is dead…. no more lightning.   Which I am okay with.

These fun diving toys are available at your local store.  I have seen them at Wal-Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart.   You can also try to find other ones available by Swimways like , Disney Frozen Glitter Dive Wands, Marvel Spider Man Dive and Glide, and Marvel Dive Characters Avengers.

Some of them are available on amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Swimways for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Cool your Summer with Hasbro Nerf Products

Every year, when summer time pops in and the days gets warmer, the kids wants to stay cool.  One way they do that is by competing against each other and soak themselves using the Nerf Soakers.   This time of the year, you might see new models on the shelves of your favourite stores.  I am here to present you two of the newest models on the market.

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NERF Rebelle Dolphina Bow Blaster

This new bow blaster has been specifically designed for girls.   It somewhat makes me think of Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games because of the shape of the blaster.    Your girld will step up with strength and style and bow-blasting soakage with the Dolphina Bow Blaster.  This stylish soaker will allow you to fill it with  up to 25 ounces of water.   All the child has to do is to pull the handle back and push it forward to fire a blast of water at your target.   Practice on target or shoot at your siblinngs, you can show off your skill and soak your mark with the Dolphina Bow blaster.   I love the design of the bow and the fact that there is something out there for girls now.   The blue and pink colors make it very attractive.  

However, my only disappointment with it would be the storage capacity of this blaster.   Only 25 ounces of water can be poured in.   Which means that the refilling would happen more often than the regular size soakers.    It would be nice to have a storage capacity a bit bigger than 25 ounces of water.  What is 25 ounces of water? About this much.

So you can easily imagine that this quantity of water will be drained quite rapidly from the NERF Rebelle Dolphina Bow Blaster.  But I have to highlight the fact that I think this is the first time ever that there is a water blaster specifically designed for girls.   And I hope that many more will make their way on the shelves in store in the future (yes even with a bigger storage capacity!).

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NERF Super Soaker Barrage Soaker

Presenting the new huge-capacity Barrage soaker! This big drencher can hold up to 84 ounces of water, and it's easy to pump and fire at your opponents.   Turn the nozzle to 1 of 3 soaking modes so you can choose just how to soak your target including a huge stream in Flood mode or the ability to hit multiple targets in Scatter mode.    But if you need to hit targets up to 38 feet away, you will want to use the Distance mode!   Nobody will be able to stand against you when you come armed with the Barrage soaker.

Now with this big soaker you can be certain to drench your opponents no matter where they are hiding.   This soaker is also very versatile as you can use three different soaking modes on it.    Simply switch the nozzle to select the one you prefer.

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The NERF Rebelle Dolphina Bow Blaster and the NERF Super Soaker Barrage Soaker are available for purchase at your favourite store.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Exploring Life Under the Sea at the National Aquarium

As I was planning our trip in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, I discovered that a marvelous aquarium was located in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore.   Our family loves all kind of animals but visiting an aquarium would definitively be something different.  So on the day of my son’s 13th birthday we drove to Baltimore in order to visit the National Aquarium.    The National Aquarium opened in August 1981.  It holds more than 8,300,000 liters of water and has over 17,000 specimens from 750 species.  

In reality the aquarium consists of three buildings with different exhibits that you could visit.   The time spent at the National Aquarium will all depends of your own pace – we took about 3 hours to visit the aquarium and learned quite a bit while there.

Pier 3 Pavilion will guide you through five levels of life under the sea.

Level 1: Blacktip Reef – This habitat replicated the Indo-Pacific reef landscape with floor-to-ceiling pop-out window.   It contains living corals as well as 65-70 species of animals.   There you might encounter Calypso, a 500-pound green sea turtle that was rescued off the shore of Long Island in 2000.  Her left front flipper had become infected and required amputation in order to save her life.  Calypso made a huge impression on the kids when they were able to see her swimming from an upper level.

Level 2: Maryland:  Mountains to the Sea – This level will feature animals from Maryland.  Four exhibits create the illusion of traveling down a Maryland stream from its source in the Allegheny Mountains, to a tidal marsh, to a coastal beach, and finally ending in the Atlantic shelf.    While exploring this level we thought it was well created as you had really the feeling of entering in the specific habitat presented.

Level 3: Surviving Through Adaptation – This level will allow  you to discover the species that possess adaptation reflexes in order to survive in their environments.   We encountered the electric eel, the chambered nautilus (my favourite!) and the giant Pacific octopus.

Level 4: Sea cliffs, Kelp Forest, Pacific Coral Reef, Amazon River Forest – This level will introduce you to several aquatic habitats – the sea cliffs  houses several species of seabirds, the Pacific coral reef exhibit, the kelp forest exhibit, the Amazon River exhibit.   We encountered the Atlantic puffin which came swimming close to us while exploring this level.  This personal encounter was definitively a treat for everyone in the family.

Level 5: Upland Tropical Rain Forest, Hidden Life – Finally, the last level of the Pier 3 Pavilion simulated the Amazon rainforest and includes two platforms for bird-watching and a cave of displays of reptiles, amphibians and terrestrial arthropods.   While in the Amazon rainforest, we met some Golden lion tamarins, the Scarlet ibis and spied the Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth up in a tree.  We even saw cocoa pods growing at the top of a tree.

The Atlantic Coral Reef which exhibits a replicated Atlantic coral reed with over 500 exotic species as well as the Shark Alley which will make you walk downward in order to observe various sizes and species of sharks complete this pavilion.

Pier 4 Pavilion which is the smaller building is the home of the marine mammal exhibit which hosts Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and  a beautiful exhibit of assorted jellyfish called “Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance”.

Finally, the glass pavilion will bring you in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit from Australia.   Here you will discover the laughing kookaburra, the rainbow lorikeet, the snake-necked turtle, the pig-nose-turtle and many more animals living in Australia.  We even observe a kind of fish that will spit out water in order to get a bug to eat.  This demonstration was really out of the ordinary for us who don’t visit aquariums often.

In conclusion, the National Aquarium is a fabulous place to visit with your family if you want to learn more about life under the sea.   Not only will you get close and personal with some of the species exhibited here but you will have a great time exploring the seas.  We are grateful for the time spent at the National Aquarium and will remember our visit for many years to come.

Disclaimer: Thanks to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for giving us free tickets for our family so we can explore life under the sea in exchange of a blog post . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Blast Into Summer with Nerf!

So how do you keep your kids busy during the summer – apart from camp that is.    Stay-at-home parents have to be creative sometimes to “entertain” the kids.   I don’t believe in video games and television and encourage my kids to go play in the backyard.  However with the temperature like we are experiencing these days, what else can you do?    Sometimes it’s just too hot for anyone to be outdoors.

Hasbro has two new Nerf blasters that might catch the interest of your kids.   While one will allow your child to launch elite darts, the other one will guarantee pleasure during a hot summer day by soaking the opponent.  Let me present you the two new Nerf Blasters that I have received.

Nerf N-Strike Elite Rough Cut 2x4 Blaster

Slam into battle with the double-barreled domination of the ROUGH CUT 2X4 blaster!     This sleek blaster lets you launch 2 Elite Darts at once at targets up to 75 feet away, and the pump-action design lets you pump repeatedly to unleash a steady double stream of darts! Launch up to 8 Elite Darts without reloading!      As with most N-STRIKE blasters, the Tactical Rail lets you add most N-STRIKE Tactical Rail accessories (sold separately) for more battle capability.    Power up the multishot madness of the ROUGH CUT 2X4 blaster and get ready to dominate with both barrels!   The blaster comes with 8 Elite Darts and instructions.

Nerf Super Soaker Switch Shot Blaster

Choose your spray pattern and soak your competition 4 different ways with the SWITCH SHOT water blaster!    What will be you choice of attack?  Send a 3 streams of water at them from up to 25 feet away?  Launch an atomized mist attack? Or just massively soak them? To decide you only have to twist the knob on this versatile blaster to choose Scattershot, Triple Shot, Atomizer or Jetstream mode and then pump to soak away!   The SWITCH SHOT blaster holds up to 20 fluid ounces of water in the Banana Clip; you can attach extra Banana Clips (extra clips sold separately) to your pants or belt so you never run out of ammo.   Enhance your blasting accuracy with the detachable stock.    Choose your attack and launch the extreme soakage with the SWITCH SHOT blaster!  The blaster comes with detachable stock and Banana Clip.

Whether you are going camping with your family or enjoying the summer time in your own backyard, these two amazing blasters will bring tons of laughter and fun time for your kids.   What stops you to join them in the fun?  

As for us, I am planning to bring the Super Soakers we have at a family reunion we will attend in early August.   Being at the lake with over 150 people to play games and reconnect will be interesting.  The Super Soakers will add to the fun when my kids jump in the lake.     I can already hear the laughter and the yells of all the kids playing in the water.  It’s going to be a week-end to remember I think.    In the meantime, enjoy the summer (warm weather and all) and get some of these Nerf blasters to entertain your kids.   You won’t regret it!

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Boy and Girl Books of Adventures

Boy’s Book of Adventure & Girl’s Book of Adventure
Published at Barron’s Educational Series

About the books

Boy’s Book of Adventure – the little guidebook for smart and resourceful boys

Here’s an exciting book packed with facts about nature, ideas for outdoor activities, and fun-to-do crafts projects that will keep boys interested and busy all year around. It’s filled with color illustrations and diagrams that teach kids—

• How to recognize different kinds of insects and observe their activities
• How to identify different kinds of rocks
• How to read a topographic map
• How to construct a camper’s backpack
• How to tie sailors’ knots
• How to build a periscope . . . and much more

Camping advice and instruction includes ways to protect against the weather, first-aid for injuries, advice on using a compass, tips for studying the night sky, identifying birds, and much more. The book’s wide array of topics and sturdy construction makes it an ideal outdoor companion for hiking and camping excursions. An elastic band bound into the back cover can be stretched over pages and used as a place marker. Color illustrations on every page.

Girl’s Book of Adventure – The Little Guidebook for smart and resourceful girls

Girls who take pleasure in crafts activities, and who enjoy the outdoors and nature will love this activity book. It’s packed with color illustrations, things to make and do, and ideas for outdoor activities. Instructions, tips, and information on some of the book’s many topics include—

• How to identify seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs
• How to take professional-looking photos and create good-looking photo albums
• How to make paper jewelry
• How to make herbal teas and delicious fruit desserts
• How to dress and pack for hiking and camping activities
• How to construct imaginative musical instruments
• How to weave containers and baskets

Here too are instructions for outdoor games, ideas for hiking trips and nature watching, first-aid instruction, and more—a total of 60 themes that are of special interest to girls. This book’s sturdy construction makes it ideal for taking along on outdoor activities. An elastic band bound into the back cover can be stretched over book pages for use as a place marker. Color illustrations on every page.

My Thoughts

As the final school days are approaching I know that some parents will wonder how they can entertain their kids during the summer months.   For us, I think we will do a bit of science intertwined with camp/VBS/family reunion and so on.   But I recently received two marvelous books that could help many parents out there to entertain their kids during the months of June/July/August.   These two books are packed with fun activities and cool facts from cover to cover.   The books are The Boy’s Book of Adventure and The Girl’s Book of Adventure.

First let’s take a look at the one dedicated for boys.   In this little gem of a book, your child will be able to discover plenty of adventurous ideas for outdoors as well as fun-to-do crafts projects.   Essentially, this is an outdoor activities book.  With all the publicity emphasis the fact that kids are not spending enough time outside, it’s nice to discover a book that encourages the kids to explore the outdoors.  Here’s what you will find in the table of contents:  little insects in the grass, bike safety, secret codes, make your own wallet, morse code, awalé, protect yourself from the sun, wild geometry, trail signs, don’t lose north, rescue techniques, shells, cool drinks, outdoor traveler’s toolbox, most beautiful rocks, adventurer’s shelter, poisonous snakes, make a periscope, music of the sea, first aid, taking care of plants without wasting water, reading a map, karate sudoku, native American way, pond in your backyard, make a water mill, music of the world, snail race, what will the weather be like tomorrow, your head in the stars, races on the water, make an herbarium, mystery of cherries, adventurer’s pouch, how to catch a fish, bird-watching, sailors’ knots, animal tracks, garden, send news, martian, and removing salt from seawater.   *deep breath*  

As you can see, there is a ton of interesting subjects to explore during the summer time.   Some of them remind me of things I have done while being in the girl guides.   Each subject has colorful illustrations and fun facts.  I am very impressed with the project of hunting for bugs during the night!

Now let’s explore the book that is specifically for girls.   This one is packed with activities and fun-to-do projects.  A little bit different that the boy one, this book will encourage your girl to explore things that she never did before.  Here’s what you will find in the table of contents: cooking with honey, make a swing, sailor’s knots, beauty tips, discover Yoté, paper jewelry, photos like the pros, careful: poison, well-protected fruits, hiker’s toolbox, flowers on your plate, precious photos, birthday piñata, herbal and wellness teas, predicting the weather, discover Furoshiki, candles all year long, organic calendar, Japanese-style breakfast, when the winds blows, homemade potpourri, woven pot, secret messages, games you can make, summer sarong, recycle yogurt containers, seasonal drinks, crazy game: Monkey Quarters, real magician, identifying wild flowers, celebrating music, fairy headpiece, hedgehog superstars, flower for decoration, beach comets, party projects, scent of times past, your jewelry bowl, dream catcher, my notes – my sketches.

Plenty of things to do with your girl don’t you think?   Again, this book is well designed and contains fabulous illustrations.   I am very impressed with some of the activities and I will make a flower for decorations for my daughter’s hair.   I am certain that she will ask me to make one for her special doll, Léonie as well. 

 

Did I mentioned that both books contains more than 50 stickers?   No?  Well here you go.  More fun for your child because stickers are included.  But seriously, I think the books can be used by siblings to encourage working together.   My sweet daughter is a bit young to do it herself so I am thinking of asking her big brothers to do some of the activities with her.   And when the boys explore something I don’t see why their sister can’t join them.   Both books contains things I have done while in the girl guides…  and it is interesting that they don’t repeat themselves on the activities.  In a way they kind of complete themselves… though some activities in the girl book wouldn’t be fun for a boy and vice versa when it comes for the boy book for a girl.  But I can see my daughter having fun catching bugs in the night and the boys enjoying a swing in a tree (if only we had a big enough tree that is… and then again there might be argument on whose turn it is to swing – make it would be better to have four?).

Both books are sturdy and can be carried for a trip or camp.   I really think that the kids – boys or girls – will enjoy discovering the activities included in these books.  They would make a great surprise book to give at the end of the school year and could help your kids to discover new fun things to do.

The Boy’s Book of Adventure and The Girl’s Book of Adventure are both available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   

   

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book for review purposes from Barron’s. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Block Party in June featuring the Cowguys!

Visit the site of the CowGuys by clicking on the image below.