Great Deals on Video Games – This Weekend Only!

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Jen Thorpe

This weekend is a great time to buy some video games for the gamer in your life. There are special deals going on that will only be around for a couple of days. I doubt it is a mere coincidence that this weekend also happens to be the one that Father’s Day falls on. Video games seem to be something that you either love to play, or that you just don’t understand the appeal of. Historically, men tend to spend more time playing video games than women do, and they also tend to play a wider variety of games. This … Continue reading →

Farmers Insurance to Appear in Zynga Games This Summer

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Jen Thorpe

If you have a Facebook account, then odds are that you have had things posted on your page by your friends who want you to play one of the many games that exist in Facebook. Lots of those are made by a company named Zynga. Last year, Farmers Insurance made an appearance in Farmville. There are bigger plans for Farmers Insurance and Zynga this year. Farmers Insurance is an actual, “real life”, insurance company. They sell auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, and insurance for businesses. This insurance company seems to think outside of the box when it comes to … Continue reading →

Disney World New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Angela Shambeda

Why is it that I can find more details on New Year’s Eve events at the Disney parks than I could for Christmas? Probably because Disney kicks off its Christmas events around a month early, so the day itself doesn’t really feature anything unique. At least I can bring you scoop on Disney’s party plans for New Year’s Eve. Obviously both parks will have roaring parties all night long complete with music, fireworks, and parades. Tickets to the Magic Kingdom’s party, however, are already sold out. But the official Disney Parks blog just posted about some of the other celebrations … Continue reading →

The stages of preschool play

Posted on October 11, 2009 by Tricia Edgar

We are blessed to live in a townhouse complex where there are many children of different ages. The children all run around in a central area where they can play outdoors together. They play all sorts of imaginary games together. This sort of outdoor pretend play forms a large part of my childhood summer memories. In the last few years, I’ve watched my daughter go from being a “baby” in these games to a participant. In the last nine months, she’s become an active contributor to group imaginary play. It’s intriguing when a preschooler starts to move into group play, … Continue reading →

How to Find Video Games for Pennies

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Mary Ann Romans

Are your “kiddos” gathering their Christmas lists? My kids are already having this discussion. I overheard them taking at our dining room table with the neighbor kids while everyone was coloring. My daughter wants “ruby shoes,” and my son is hoping for a video game. The discussion got me thinking about video games. They are so expensive. Current games can cost around $50 at the store. And the systems start in the hundreds. But if video games are on your list, there are ways to get them for less. Here are some ideas to help you get that special game … Continue reading →

Wide World of Sports Host Jim McKay Dies

Posted on June 7, 2008 by Libby Pelham

Jim McKay, long time host of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” died today at the age of 86 of natural causes. There was a period during the 70’s and 80’s when I was growing up that I never – NEVER – missed “Wide World of Sports.” I loved that show – regardless of what sport they were covering that particular day. Part of the likability of the show was due to Jim and his great sports casting. He hosted the show for 37 years. When you are a host of a popular show for that long, you have to be … Continue reading →

Take Advantage When Rules Matter

Posted on June 5, 2007 by Kori Rodley Irons

I have made no secret about the fact that my life is now filled with teenagers and teenagers are not particularly interested in following rules, regulations, or any one else’s expectations. In fact, one of the main jobs of the teenager is to rebel, question, and experiment in order to find his or her own way in the world. BUT, for younger children that is not necessarily the case. There is a wonderful window of time in the early elementary years, when many children are fascinated and consumed by rules and regulations. For parents, this can be a time to … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Family Games

Posted on February 6, 2007 by Myra Turner

I love the Idiot and Dummy series of guides. I admit when both series first hit the publishing world, I tried to stay as far away from them as possible. After all I didn’t want anyone to think I was a dummy or an idiot. Then one day I picked up one of the guides and found that they are some of the best written, easy to understand guides around. The funny title was a great marketing ploy and both series have gone on to publish guides that cover just about any topic you can imagine and some you wouldn’t … Continue reading →

World of Warcraft – Do You Know What PvP is?

Posted on September 8, 2006 by Heather Long

World of Warcraft is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game that transports the players into a gaming world where they can interact with other players, take on quests and enjoy skill crafting, problem solving and more. My nephew, now 7, loves to play this game. Initially, his father introduced him to it in order to encourage reading. My nephew loves video games and he could read, but he often resisted doing it. His father thought that the game would be a great way to get him to read because the interface requires reading skill in order to accept and understand … Continue reading →