Harry Potter Lowers My Utilities

This weekend marked the arrival of the 7th and final book of the Harry Potter series “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. We could have gone to the stores and waited outside until midnight like many adults and children. When the first book came out they were difficult to find due to most stores selling out their limited supply in the first few minutes of opening their doors. After the publication of the second book we discovered bookstores will over stock the Potter books thus no fear we will be lacking a book come morning.

Given that plus Snow White was reliving her Rainbow twizlers from Saturday evening through the wee hours of Sunday morning (ate a whole giant pack herself), I decided to wait until Sunday. Sunday came and went and I completely forgot about the book. There was so much to catch up on house wise that went on the wayside when Snow White was sick Saturday. During lunch today I drove to the nearest book store (an hour or so drive one way) and saw they had stacks and stacks of the new book. As I stood in line I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of my children’s faces when I arrived home and presented them with their books.

They were ecstatic!! Could not believe I actually bought each of them their very own hard cover “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. They screamed Thank yous, each gave me a quick hug (nearly knocking me to the floor) then started to rush off with their books. I managed to halt them in their tracks by saying “I have more Potter treats.” Pivoting on their heels they turned to me with quizzical glances. “I bought each of you a box of Every Flavored Beans, one Chocolate Fog, and a new book mark!” There were a few more new choices in the Potter candy but I just could not make myself pick them up (Blood Pops and Gummie Slugs)Yip, it was going to be a very Harry Potter night.

Everyone seemed to go off in a different direction to find a peaceful place to read uninterrupted. I was starting to regret not getting one for myself. I wanted to know what happened too! I finally convinced Snow White how fun it would be to read it aloud. The phone rang off and on through out the night but not one of us were willing to move from our seats to answer it. The computer was turned on but no one wanted to fuss with that old thing when there is such a wonder as a Harry Potter book waiting to take them to an enchanting place full of wonderful characters that even the internet could not compete. No one wanted to eat dinner when there is such a book to be devoured. TV? Why on earth would they want to turn on a TV when they have this stupendous book to wrap their minds around?!

So, as you see, Harry Potter will help me save money on my utilities since I wont be slaving over a hot stove making a grandiose dinner, the TV will just collect dust for a few weeks and the computer…will be just for me, when I can pull myself away from reading with Snow White. You know I am so going to want to read ahead when she goes to bed.

I did find out the difference between the Hard Cover and the Hard Cover deluxe. Higher quality of paper and box sleeve. This difference was not enough for me to upgrade from the $17.99 regular hard copy to the $124.00 deluxe. Yes, people have already started auctioning off the books. I am not sure why when there are so many $17.99 available at Amazon.com, Waldon Books, Borders and other book stores.

Hope everyone else is having a GREAT READ!
Tonight Snow White will pick a winner for the Elizabeth Arden Give Away!

Simple Mommy Daughter Fun

If you have a little girl who is a tomboy or frilly princess age five to tween I highly recommend American Girl. The majority of mothers I have met only know they have expensive dolls. The doll clothing, accessories and furniture and the dolls are all exquisitely made. If you think they only do the doll thing take another look... books, games, plays, clothes, etc are equally fantastic!

I first learned about the books at a school book fair with Oldest Daughter. She has been all Tomboy since age five. She enjoyed the books and I enjoyed reading them with her. We only had a few Josephine books but they made for great reading. When Snow White was five years old we rediscovered American Girl books at the first book fair for her Kindergarten class. We are still hooked on them! The Books teach life lessons, show how each girl deals with a situation and the outcome all in a positive way.

If you know about AG Books you know about the Historical Character books (Kirsten, Molly, Kit, Samantha, Addy, etc.) These books give an American history lesson in how life was in that decade through the eyes of a young girl. (I would give the AG books a G-PG rating)

Girl of The Year is all about a young girl's life now. We currently do not have any of these books but we are working our way there.

In the Self, Spirit and More section you will find such treasures as...

Ooops! The Manners Guide for Girls - This book is great and the girls loved reading it.

Real Fitness - " Girls don’t have to be athletes to be active! This great new book contains 101 fun ideas for staying fit."

Real Spirit - "... learning about fun ways to relax, and reenergizing with easy yoga poses, girls will feel more calm, confident, and ready to cope with any adventures life brings their way."

Real Beauty - "... comes from having a positive self-image; from feeling strong, confident, and healthy; and from finding what’s beautiful in others."

The Care and Keeping of You - "This “head-to-toe” guide answers all a girl's questions about her changing body, from hair care to healthy eating, bad breath to bras, periods to pimples, and everything in between." Also The Care and Keeping of Me Journal. "This journal is a sensitive, interactive companion to The Care & Keeping of You. It includes a period tracker and mood recorder, plus tips, quizzes, and checklists to help girls keep in touch with their changing bodies."

Hair Styling Tips and Tricks for Girls - "For girls, real beauty means taking care of themselves inside and out." A companion book to this is Skin & Nails Care Tips for Girls - "...explains the basics of skin and nail care for girls, including safety and hygiene tips, advice on battling bad habits, and more.

There are many, many books in this category so I ask that you at least take a peek at what they have on their website.

If you get the chance to visit one of the American Girl Shops you and your girls are in for a real treat. If you want to eat at the restaurant or go to the theater make sure to make restorations and/or purchase your tickets at least two month beforehand. In my opinion it is worth it!

This year in school Snow White had access to educational websites with the school librarian. Now she understands the World Wide Web a bit more and wants to take a turn every now and then. We discovered the games on American Girl dot com. At first I thought they would be fairly simple graphics and not very challenging. I was wrong. As I watched Snow White play Hula Hoopla I almost wanted to join in on the fun! It sounds silly, I know but so does playing Barbies in the bushes of the back yard. Opps! I meant the Jungle in the back yard.

Check out the games, books, etc. and enjoy some wonderful times with your little girl.