Zinio - Making Keeping Up With Magazines a Breeze (And Expanding my Reading)

I have to share about my latest obsession - Zinio! Zinio is a digital magazine provider, that readers can access from their computer, smartphone, Kindle, iPad, etc.

I've been able to find most of my favorite magazines on their service, and get them at great prices (often they have wonderful sales that single issues and subscriptions REALLY affordable.

Something REALLY fun? I've found some great new international magazines I would normally NOT be able to subscribe to or find in my area. Some of my current favorites are Super Food Ideas (from Australia), Food Heaven (From England) and Hello! magazine (similar to US Weekly, but the English version - I love following Kate Middleton, so it is a fun read).

 Here is a peek at my current reading list:

I was really skeptical at first to move some of my subscriptions over to digital, but honestly, I like it better.  Fewer magazines cluttering up my coffee table, and I can take virtually all my magazines with me on my Kindle, anywhere I go!

One I was careful with was the first craft magazine I purchased.  I wasn't sure I would be able to follow instructions from my Kindle or my computer screen, but again, I love that I don't need to keep booklets open to a specific page - I can have a TON of fun projects ready to go on my Kindle without losing them or creating a mess.

Plus, I can print as many of the pages as I want and I can open them on almost any device I've got.

What's not to like??

Check out this wonderful looking salad from the April 2013 Edition of Super Food Ideas (I can't wait to make this one, and hope it is a family hit):

This great-looking salad is Thai Beef and Rice Noodle Salad, and can be found on page 40.

Have you tried out digital magazines yet?  If so, what are some of your favorites?


*Disclosure: I am a Zinio Blog Ambassador. :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

I think it is safe to say that everyone has their own story of how they came to know the works of Dr. Seuss, and a few probably have yet to discover his stories.

For me, I can tell you I'm no expert, and my walk with Seuss has been short.  You see, I grew up WITHOUT the influence of Dr. Seuss in my life.  My family seemed to think that the books were nonsense, so it wasn't until a VERY heated discussion many years ago with my future sister-in-law and husband that I became intrigued by his books.  They brought up many examples of hidden meanings and we had a lot of fun with our discussions.

Today I am happy to announce that I am filling in our children's bookshelves with many of Dr. Seuss' books... it is with a happy heart and a smile on my face that I wish a VERY happy birthday to Dr. Seuss' memory.

Do you have a fun memory of Dr. Seuss?

Best Buy Has a Great FREE Recycling Program Available At All Their Stores

If you are anything like me, you've likely got a few old electronics sitting in the garage or in a closet because you don't quite know what to do with them.  In my case, I've got 3 really old laptops.  I never did anything with them because they had problems and were old... AND they still have personal information on them.

Best Buy has a recycling program to help us out!  They take all kinds of electronics, and it doesn't matter where you bought them.  TV's, DVD and Blu-ray players, DirectTV Rooftop Dishes, Tivo, Tuners, Home Theater Systems, Wall Mounts, Audio components, Portable Devices, All types of Computers and Laptops, Computer Accessories and SO MUCH MORE!

There is a GREAT list of items, and after looking over it, I found a few more things I'm going to be taking to our local Best Buy.

Their recycling program is available FOR FREE at EVERY Best Buy Store throughout Porto Rico and the US.

I thought this video was really great - it shows the process the recycled items go through - take a quick peak:


Technology has become one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world, and as one of the largest electronics retailers, Best Buy wants to be part of the waste solution.

They will recycle your used electronics (check the list) no matter how old it is or where you bought it.

To show how effective their program already is, every minute their stores are open, they recycle an average of 387 pounds of electronics.

Some states have restrictions on what the stores can take, so make sure you check their recycling page for state specific requirements:  Best Buy Recycling Program Details

 So far, I've recycled one laptop and it felt great!  Plus, my Best Buy offered to remove the hard drive for me and let me take it home so I could save it in case I wanted the information at a later date, or I could destroy it myself.  I loved the feeling it gave me - that they valued my privacy and security enough to reassure me that my data would be safe.

Have you had a chance to use the Recycling program at Best Buy yet?  If so, what did you think?

If you will be recycling old electronics, keep in mind the great line of Energy Star Certified products that Best Buy has that can make upgrading and saving energy easy.

*Disclosure:  As a blogger/reviewer, I am being compensated in the form of a Best Buy gift card in exchange for sharing information about their Recycling Program.

It's Been a While - Happy Holidays!!

First I must apologize! It has been TOO LONG since I've been on here. The holidays in our house are craze... from about Halloween until about now. We have my hubby's birthday, Halloween, my Dad's Birthday, Thanksgiving, Sister-In-Law's Birthday, Son's Christmas Eve Birthday, Christmas, New Year's, My Birthday, then getting ready for our youngest Son's birthday at the end of the month... So, needless to say, it is easy for me to get wrapped up in holiday festivities. On top of that, I've got two grandparents that aren't doing well, so... I'm remiss in keeping up with things. I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season! ~ Wendi

GiantMicrobes: Making it Fun and Easy to Learn About Tiny Microbes

It is so hard to teach young kids about the things they can't see: germs, viruses, micro-organisms, etc, but GIANT Microbes takes the mystery out of these hard-to-see things and makes them squeezable, fun and educational.  Well, fun to learn about.  Somehow I don't think E-Coli will be fun any other way!

The kids and I have had some fun over the past week playing with our little Bioluminescent Sea Sparkle, which in short, is the micro-organism that serves as a tiny little night-light in the ocean.  Both boys love the stuffed toy, but our almost-six year old really loved hearing about the facts, which spurred some fun ocean-themed conversations and some reminiscing about our last trip to the Seattle Aquarium.

The label the the Sea Sparkle came with is invaluable.  It gives the common name, the scientific name (in this case: Noctiluca scintillans), a real image of the cell and shows the size of the cell (in this case, a little smaller than a pin-head).  When you open the card, it explains the facts of the little guy.

The inside label reads:  FACTS: When you go to the beach or bay at night and see tiny sparkles of light coming from the water, it isn't your imagination.  It's Noctiluca! From the Latin for "night light," Noctiluca are also known as Sea Sparkle.

These tiny dinoflagellates float beneath the surface of the ocean by the millions.  When they are disturbed, they glow and produce bright flashes of light.  This glow is called "bioluminescence," and in the ocean it is usually greenish or blue, as these colors travel well through the water.

[That is just a snippet from the first two paragraphs taken from the Sea Sparkle tag]

Our Sea Sparkle comes from the Aquatics line, which is made up of eleven different microbes.  Sea Sparkle can be bought as the original plush toy that we have, or a Petri Dish that contains three small Sea Sparkles.

As a parent, I love that this is a fun and educational toy that spurred questions and conversations surrounding Ocean Life.  I can also see these little stuffed toys being great tools for teachers, doctors and educational presenters (zoo presentations, aquarium presentations, etc).  These are a great way to take the mystery out of the common cold, little tiny creatures, and some of the other little things we just can't see.

In addition to these great educational toys, GIANT Microbes also has a line of ties, mugs and ornaments.

Bioluminescent Sea Sparkle  
by GIANT Microbes 
$8.95 Find them on: Website, Facebook, Twitter

Edition Reviewed: Sea Sparkle stuffed toy - Review sample received courtesy of GIANT Microbes in coordination with a review campaign through Karma Media Team!

Dreamworks How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular is HERE in Seattle THIS WEEK (Get 25% off Tickets Thurs/Fri)

The Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular is here at the Tacoma Dome tomorrow!!!!!  Haven't got your tickets yet but still want to go?  Read on and see how you can save 25% if you go tomorrow or Friday...  But don't wait too long, the show is only here from December 6th through December 9th!

The live show was inspired by the movie How To Train Your Dragon, which is a favorite here in our house (as well as the cartoon spin-off on the Cartoon Network).  The show brings to life your favorite dragons and characters, and includes 13 dragons (some of which fly and breathe fire).  

The other day I saw an interview one of our local news shows did with the characters, and I can't wait to see the show!!

Visit the Dreamworks How To Train Your Dragon Live website special things like how the dragons were made, have a sneak peek at the show and get some behind the scenes information.



Description: (From Dreamworks)

Barely contained within the arena, the production utilizes the full venue, maximizing every dimension of performance space to transport audiences into a mythical world of fire-breathing dragons who soar overhead at great speeds. The state-of-the-art animatronic technology and large-scale cinematic projections interact seamlessly with the live actors to bring the story to life.

The show features 23 dragons, some with wingspans of up to 46 feet, Viking warriors and world-class circus artists and acrobats, to perform against a state-of-the-art, wall-to-floor immersive projection measuring more than 20,000 square feet.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation, RZO Dragon Productions and Global Creatures, the masterminds behind Walking with Dinosaurs, proudly presented by S2BN Entertainment.

Showtimes: 

Thursday Dec. 6th: 7:00 PM
Friday Dec. 7th: 7:00 PM
Saturday Dec. 8th: 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, 7:00 PM
Sunday Dec. 9th: 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM

Tickets:

Tickets start at $21.50 on Thursday Dec. 6th and go up to $269 for the "Meet The Dragons" Experience, which includes a behind the scenes tour, special meet and greet, pictures in costume with a special How To Train Your Dragon backdrop, VIP parking, a VIP gift bag and more.  Use the special discount code MOM and save 25% on your tickets Thursday and Friday - hope to see you there!

Visit Ticketmaster to get your tickets.

Disclosure: I am excited to share the Dragons experience with you. I'm posting a series of posts in exchange for tickets to the show on opening night.