Book Reccomendations

I love to read, and there are tons of great books out there. Today I would like to share with you some of my favorite books/series. Along with the titles, I have written the age range that www.barnesandnoble.com recommends.

- All of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby, Age 8; Ramona Forever; etc.) 

Age 9-11

- The Geronimo Stilton Series by Geronimo Stilton Age 7-10

- The Box Car Children Series by Gertrude Chandler Warner No age recommendation from Barnes and Noble, I recommend age 7-10

- All of Andrew Clements' school stories ( Extra Credit, Lost and Found, No Talking, Lunch Money, A School Story, The Report Card, Frindle, etc.) Age 8-12

- Nancy Drew Girl Detective Series by Carolyn Keene Age 9-12

- The 39 Clues Series & The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers (Series # 2) by Various Authors Age 9-12

- All of Rick Riordan's books Age 9-11

- Gordon Korman's Swindle Series (Swindle, Zoobreak, Framed, Showoff) Age 9-12

My Kinect Review!

             Here is the review of Kinect I promised. The truth about Kinect is that it's... AWESOME! Kinect is entertaining for all age groups, as well as a good work out. My favorite game right now is Kinect Sports. I  also played a demo of Kinect Joy Ride. Kinect Joy Ride immediately impressed me when it asked me to hold an object up that was the color I wanted my race car painted. I held my pink retainer case in front of the camera. My race car on the game changed to the same shade of pink!
             Kinect has very impressive technology. I can search for movies, music, and even turn off the console with just the sound of my voice. Kinect also has face-recognition technology. Once you let a person go through the Kinect ID session, the camera will recognize them  ever time they play.

I have no complaints about Kinect or the Xbox. Overall, I give the gaming system 5 out of 5 stars!

Kinect Sports

Xbox Kinect

Okay....sorry I haven't posted anything lately, nothing new has happened. However, I am saving my money to buy the hottest thing in the video game world right now: Microsoft's Xbox Kinect. Kinect is an accessory to the Xbox console that allows you to play video games with just your body. That's right: Kinect doesn't require a controller. It has a motion sensor, as well as voice recognition. Once I get the Kinect I'll post a review for those who are interested. Until then, here's some information about Xbox Kinect.

- Games: Kinect has games for the entire family. Whether you want to challenge your friends to a dance competition (Just Dance 3), play sports with your older brother (Kinect Sports; Kinect Sports Season 2), or pet an adorable tiger cub (Kinectimals), Kinect has it all.
- You can watch Netflix, Hulu, and more on Kinect and control the TV using only your voice. No TV remote required when you want to stop, play, or rewind.
- Cost: Kinect by itself costs $149.99, A 4GB Xbox console with Kinect costs $299.99. A 250GB Xbox console with Kinect costs $399.99, and the Special Edition 4GB Xbox console with Kinect (Family Bundle) costs $299.99.

For more information on Xbox Kinect, please visit: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Kinect?xr=shellnav

Friendship Quotes

Here's some friendship quotes that I really like:

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.  ~Oprah Winfrey


A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.  ~Arnold H. Glasgow

There comes a point in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did, and who always will.

- Unknown

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them, I'd be at the bottom to catch them

- Unknown

A true friend sees the first tear... catches the second... and stops the third

- Angelique

I found  these quotes on these websites:

http://www.boardofwisdom.com/default.asp?start=11&topic=1005&listname=friendship

http://www.quotegarden.com/best-friends.html

A Mother's Day Suprise

I'm not a mom (I'm a kid) but I saw this article on the internet and thought that it was really sweet. It made me think of my neighbor, who has a 6-year old son. Her husband died 2 years ago, and I'm sure that her son has a hard time making her Mother's Day special, just like the person in this article. Please read this, it will make you smile!

This article came from the following link: http://www.cozi.com/community/make-another-mothers-day

For plenty of moms, especially if they are single, Mother's Day can be kind of a bummer. But imagine if you gave that mom a "secret Santa" type gift and left it anonymously on her doorstep…

The Secret Gift That Started it All…

Sitting at basketball practice last May, I overheard another mom explaining that she didn't have any Mothers Day plans. She's a single mother, and her son is too young to do much for Mother's Day.

I felt for her. Her son, who probably would have loved to make his mom feel good on Mother's Day, didn't really have a way to plan for it.

That's how I got the idea to give her a Mother's Day present, and leave it anonymously. Sort of like a Secret Santa, but for Mother's Day.

Deciding what to include in her Mother's Day gift bag turned out to be really fun. I ended up giving flowers, a gift certificate to a restaurant I knew they both liked, two movie tickets, and some movie candy.

On Mother's Day morning, I drove over to their place and attached the bag to their door handle. But JUST as I was leaving, they pulled up! I ducked low behind the steering wheel and just barely got away unseen.

At the next week's practice, when people asked each other about Mother's Day, she delightedly explained that a fairy godmother had left them a wonderful present, and that she and her son had a great day. Everyone was intrigued, asking questions about the gift and who might have left it. The mom said she'd been trying to figure it out, but hadn't.

I love that she never figured out that her "fairy godmother" was me. And I love that I was able to give her such a special day. She really deserved it, and it was a lot of fun for me, too. This might sound weird, but it was actually the best Mother's Day I've ever had.

I saw this article on a website that my mom really likes. It's called "Cozi" and its a great tool that helps busy moms stay organized. To learn more about Cozi, please visit: www.cozi.com

Drawing Cartoons!

Hi guys! I love to practice my drawing skills and I found this AWESOME website that teaches how to draw tons of different things in "Cartoon form". Check it out!
Here's the link: http://www.how-to-draw-funny-cartoons.com/
(The tutorials are on the left side of the page)

CAKE IN A MUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is a DELICIOUS RECIPE for how to make a cake in a mug! You simply mix the ingredients in a mug and cook it in a microwave! In about 2 minutes, you will have a yummy, chocolaty dessert! TRY IT! 

Photo: Instant Chocolate Cake Recipe
I found this photo at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/instant-chocolate-cake-recipe/index.html

Here's the Recipe:

Directions

Whisk 1/4 cup flour, 5 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons milk, 3 tablespoons vegetable oiland a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth. Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes.

Copyright (c)2011 Food Network Magazine, LLC. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved. Photograph courtesy of Antonis Achilleos.