Sporty Giveaway

You have/had the AG Yoga Outfit on your wishlist, but it is always on back order. Here is an awesome alternative!

Amaya at 

has partnered with 

to Giveaway this great sporty outfit.

So head over to Fun with AG Fan for details and to enter.

Actually go prepared...head over to DreamWorld Collections first and pick out your favorite outfit.

My favorites are the Siege Jacket Outfit

and the School Girl Outfit

Best wishes to all who enter!

  

Road Trip: Ocean City NJ

Note: This is a long post.

6 AM

Kaya! Grab your gear. We’re going on a road trip.

Huh? Where?

Ocean City, New Jersey to visit friends from Illinois.

Cool! Just me?

Yep. The others have tests at school, but your classes are clear. Bring your homework though.

Can I bring Tatlo?

Sure!

7 AM

Bye Melody. Bye, Lanie. Bye, Kirsten! We’ll bring you presents!

Car is packed. Do you have your tea? We’ll stop at Dunkin Donuts for breakfast.

Cool!

Driving Down the Shore

We did stop at Dunkin donuts and then hit the PA Turnpike. All the while listening to WMMR 93.3 and the Preston and Steve show. Xyra said she was thankful the topics were G & PG rated today. For half an hour they talked about the inventor and invention of Softsoap…”OW!” That was funny. It took around 3 hours for us to reach our destination. Then it really got exciting! Xyra locked her keys and me in the car. (We were both wishing I really could unlock the door.) She was able to call AAA Atlantic County. The AAA guy arrived less than an hour later. (He did a double take when he saw me…haha.)

Out of the Car and Upstairs

Even though Tatlo was there to keep me company I was glad when the doors were unlocked. We went inside and upstairs to the second floor of the house. This house was split into upper and lower rental spaces. The view from the balcony was neat.

It was a bit chilly and overcast. So the first thing we did was get to know J & T the youngest in the family. They are 4 years old and really liked me, my outfits, and Tatlo.

We made a couple of princesses. Here I am making mine.

Finished.

This is J & T's princess gallery. 

Aren’t they great?

Then we read a couple of books before their parents arrived and they went off to the zoo.

Lunch was a BLT with chips. 

The tomatoes were home grown and sooo yummy! The whole lunch was great.

It was still drizzling on and off after lunch so Xyra and Lady Dartia (dar-sha) put on their jackets and rode off on bikes. I stayed behind with Master Anders so I didn’t get wet. First, I did a word search then my homework.

Asbury Street

Where did we go without Kaya? Asbury Street…there is a great doll store there. Kay Jay’s Doll Shoppe to be exact. 

They had great stuff! As you can see from the pictures of the store front.

Then we went to B&B, the 5 and 10, the bookstore and Hallmark store before riding over to the boardwalk where Anders met us.

The Beach

Ocean City has a really wide beach, very insistent gulls, and a great boardwalk. 

We stopped at Shriver's for salt water taffy. They had so many flavors to choose from! Fudge Kitchen – the pumpkin pie fudge is outstanding as were the other flavors we chose: black forest, double chocolate, chocolate marshmallow, chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate (see a theme here). Then we shared crabfries from Chickie’s and Pete’s. Crabfries are crinkle cut potatoes fried and tossed in old bay seasoning and served with a cheese sauce. YUM!

End of the Day

It started getting cooler so I changed. Isn’t this tee shirt a great souvenir from a great day?

We had fun watching the sun set off the balcony. 

What do you think of my new shoes. Xyra got them at Kay Jay’s. I believe they are Sophia’s.

Here you can see how the lighting is without the camera flash.

We helped clean up the pretty shells, 

then headed inside to say good bye.

Good byes aren’t fun.

On the way home Xyra switched the radio station to 95.7 BEN FM. They were playing some really fun music. Tatlo even sang along with Hungry Like the Wolf (Xyra says the band’s name is Duran Duran and the song was really popular in the 1980s).

Home Again

Xyra called Lady Dartia to let her know we got home safely. Then we gave out presents!

Everyone got a bracelet. Lanie, Kirsten and I have beaded ones with our names on them. 

Melody has these two*.

Now each of us has a toothbrush and mug. Mine is green. 

See our new pet hermit crab?

A deck of cards.

And two great bags!

It was a fun day, but I’m looking forward to bed and even school. Love these new shoes.

Have a great day!

*WARNING! Do NOT leave this robber band style of bracelet on your doll for any length of time. They left shiny marks on Melody’s wrist and I don’t know if that can be fixed.

#Downtheshore
#Oceancitynewjersey
#Kayjaysdollshoppe
#Shriverssaltwatertaffy
#Thefudgekitchen
#Chickie'sandpete'scrabfries

Library Book Review #3

Library Book Review: Howliday Inn by John Howe

We have a new policy for our book reviews, whoever picked the book gets to talk about it first.

Kirsten

I chose this book because the cover looked interesting and the blurb on the back exciting. The condition of the book too…it would not pass for good…made it seem like a must. To look like that a LOT of people had to read and like it.

Chester is a fidgety cat. But our cats like to stay home too, so his reaction to being sent to a boarding house was okay. He’s funny…likes a mystery but jumps to a lot of conclusions.

Harold is really nice. He worries about those around him. Together he and Chester look at the strange things happening at Hotel Bow-Wow. 

I didn’t like the human guy at all. He gave me a funny feeling. The girl, Jill, was really nice.

It was a fun read. Kind of dark because it rained a lot. But overall, I want to read more in this series. Oh, it had some great pictures in it too!

Kaya

Tatlo would have sniffed out the bad guy right away. That being said, I did like this book. The animal characters were interesting even when they were being weird. The humans…well, the family and Jill and the doctor were okay.

Lanie

I kept trying to picture what the “bungalows” looked like and just couldn’t come up with anything that sounded like I’d want to have a pet there. Jill was a really good caretaker even when the other guy made her less sure about herself.

This was a fun read. Taxi and the crazy cat were my favorite characters…besides Chester and Harold of course.

Melody

I liked the mystery here. The way the animals kept acting had me wondering if they really were responsible for Louise. The rain added and air of intrigue. The dachshunds were the best! I could really picture them walking together around the “courtyard” with their little heads bobbing up and down. I couldn't believe the other animals didn't realize that Heather was pregnant…she had to be more round than Howard. Would read this again.

Xyra

Howliday Inn (Bunnicula #2) by James Howe

Howliday Inn by James Howe

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A long time ago I read Bunnicula and thought it was a stand alone book. The first story is, but the series continues with the characters in new situations. This installment focuses on Chester and Harold and their experience being boarded while the family goes on vacation.

Mr. Howe gives a 10 new characters for this story. They don't gain much depth, but are not completely flat either. Taxi ends up getting the most development by sharing his back story near the end.

Neither Chester nor Harold are thrilled about spending time at the kennel, Chateau Bow-Wow, while their family is away for the week. What strikes me as odd is that the stay is for 7 days, but we only seem to get three days and three nights. I believe after the main action we skip ahead to the family's return.

During their stay, unusual things start happening. As Chester was quick to believe Bunnicula was a vampire, he now believes two of the other boarders are werewolves. A rather amusing picture...two little wire-haired dachshunds turning into werewolves overnight or shifting at will. After the first night one of the other boarders disappears and Chester jumps on the case to find out what happened. The sleuthing is a bit haphazard as Chester jumps to a lot of conclusions without evidence.

Harold is not much of a detective. He tries, but has a hard time focusing (not as bad as Taxi, but pretty close). Reminds me of the dog from Up..."Squirrel!"

This mystery was cute. There was not much depth to the overall story and characters, but it did instill an interest in reading the rest of the series. I do think it is great for young readers just starting out in a love of mysteries.

I hope you enjoy our reviews.

Happy reading and have a great day!

#Howlidayinn
#Bunniculabookseries

Costco & Earl Grey

Costco and American Girl

So you've heard it before. If there is a Costco near you and you're a member always check the toy and book sections for American Girl finds.

The last time I was there two American Girl items were there.

The Bitty Baby Plush

The plush kits were $18.99 each. All three were represented (bear, bunny, and elephant).

The Pet Travel Carrier Set

There were four to choose from (Pepper, Honey, Chocolate Chip, and Meatloaf) and if you have any of these pets on your wish lists, this is the way to go. The set costs $22.49 (or there abouts) and includes the pet, a bed, placemat, two feeding bowls, and a book.
Stay tuned for more about this selection.

Earl Grey...Again

As you know our favorite blend of black tea is Earl Grey. In fact we even enjoy Earl Grey Green Tea too. A while ago we wrote a bit on who Earl Grey was and sited a few tea blogs. The Tea Maestro has added his thoughts to the arena. I think you'll enjoy this article. 

Now, it is too beautiful of a day to stay inside at the computer. Heading out for now. More posts later. Have a happy first day of fall!