Reviews From The Dad Side

OMG Pancakes!

2011-09-29T18:42:00.000-04:00

I was recently offered the opportunity to review OMG Pancakes! by Jim Belosic (available October 4, 2011). From the book's website:

When Jim Belosic started making pancakes in unusual designs, he was just trying to earn some cool cred with his daughter, Allie. Little did he know how happy he'd make her-and the millions of fans who eagerly await his latest creations on the Internet.

Pancake unicorns, beehives, and even bridges, Ferris wheels, and construction cranes have all risen to life through Jim's artful use of squeeze bottles, tasty and nutritious coloring and flavor techniques, and fearless creativity. OMG Pancakes also includes holiday-themed creations like Ghost and Pumpkin for Halloween, Turkey for Thanksgiving, a Christmas Tree, and much more.

Now-with a little help from Jim-everyone can turn breakfast into art. Filled with four-color photos, and step-by- step instructions, OMG Pancakes! will be devoured by families and crafty foodies alike.

I'm not the resident pancake expert in the house, so I relied on my wife's opinions for some of this review.

The introduction was excellent, with tips and tricks as well as recipes. We really liked that he gave us recommendations for natural colouring of the batter instead of just relying on food colouring all the time.

The book had plenty of detailed full colour photos that we found quite helpful, and the shapes were very impressive and diverse: there were seasonal themes, sports, animals, etc.

We really liked the fact that it was split into chapters, and that the titles were nice and large which made finding what we were looking for that much easier.

Overall, while the pancakes will take more effort than "normal" ones, your family will appreciate them that much more. Check out Jim in action below:

Game Time: Tackling The Past

2011-08-27T21:45:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to preview a Family Movie Night movie called Game Time: Tackling The Past that will be shown Saturday, September 3 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. From the movie's website:

Pro football star Jake Walker is living the dream… or so he thinks. The veteran tight end is a fan favorite and on pace to set the all-time receiving yards record that will guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame. While working out at training camp, Jake receives an unexpected call from his brother Dean – their father Frank has suffered a major heart attack. Jake immediately leaves practice and returns to Riverton, North Carolina, the small hometown he’s avoided for nearly 15 years. Memories of glory and regret flood his mind as he returns to the family and friends he abandoned in pursuit of his career. Jake dutifully visits with Frank and Dean, but hurt and misunderstanding from the past begins to resurface, leaving him counting the days until he can return to his team.

A second unexpected call, this time from his agent, delivers Jake another crushing blow. His contract is not being renewed amid concerns about his surgically repaired knee. Suddenly, the life Jake knows is over. To avoid the media circus around this news, Jake reluctantly decides to extend his stay in Riverton. Attempting to make the best of the situation, he begins reconnecting with the community that once revered him. Jake is reintroduced to Sarah, his high school sweetheart, and helps Dean take over their father’s high school coaching job.

Surprisingly impacted by the people around him, the real Jake begins to emerge from behind his armor to see that life is much more than the accumulation of personal stats. But when Jake’s offered a lucrative new contract to play for another team, he is forced to decide whether to go back to the career he thought he loved, or stay in Riverton and embrace the people who always believed in him.

To be honest, this movie was kind of a ringer for this reviewer, given that I'm a huge fan of both football and the NBC series Chuck (the main character in the film - Jake Walker - is played by Ryan McPartlin, who also stars as Captain Awesome/Devon in that series). Fortunately, it was a great movie as well.

The story was completely plausible, moreso than other football movies I've seen recently, and the characters were believable and well developed, especially for the length of the feature. As a viewer, you really get a sense for how the characters are feeling, which only enhances the story itself.

The general message in the film - the importance of family and teamwork as opposed to individual glory - is well defined and demonstrated without being overly preachy. I would not hesitate to show this to my children, ages six and nearly three (assuming they could stay up that late).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and highly recommend it to any fans of football, or people with children, or pretty much anyone.

You can view the trailer below. Also, please take a moment to visit the Family Movie Night Facebook page where you can learn more about the Family Movie Night program.

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I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Family Movie Night: Who Is Simon Miller?

2011-08-01T21:51:00.000-04:00

Tonight I was able to preview a Family Movie Night movie called Who Is Simon Miller? that will be shown Saturday, August 6 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. From the movie's website:

Like most families, the Millers have their challenges. Simon’s (Loren Dean) frequent business trips have created some distance between him and the rest of the family, leaving Meredith (Robyn Lively) stretched and struggling to keep things together. Daughter Sarah, an 18-year-old honor student, has recently gotten herself into trouble at school while son Kevin, 15, struggles to engage with anything outside of a video game…

But these issues all prove to be trivial when Simon goes missing. Sensing something is not right, the family frantically searches Simon’s office for information. Discovery of a stash of passports, all with Simon’s picture but each with a different alias, reveals that their father has been keeping more than a few secrets. In a frantic phone call, Simon urges the family not to tell anyone of his disappearance, not even the authorities, right before the line goes dead. Who is Simon Miller? And what exactly has he gotten himself – and now his family – into?

Shocked, scared and unsure if they can even trust the dad they thought they knew, the three embark on their own international mission to get him back. With Meredith’s sharp instincts, Sarah’s foreign language skills and Kevin’s natural techgenius, they try to unravel the mystery behind his disappearance. It’s a heartpounding family thriller that tests the limits to which families will fight for each other.

Realistically, this is a made-for-tv movie, and it is geared for kids, so expecting it to be Tom Clancy meets Jason Bourne meets 007 isn't fair. It is with that mindset that this review will be given.

As a whole, the movie delivers what it sets out to: it is filled with intrigue and suspicion and excitement, just like any good spy film would be. It also tries to be funny, but often misses the mark and while I'm sure the intent was to lighten up the situations with some humour the jokes come across as injected moments rather than part of the story.

On the matter of violence, my wife (and viewing partner for the preview) and I were of different minds. While we both felt that the content was wholly inappropriate for our family (children aged six and almost three), she believed that it was better suited for teenagers whereas I felt kids as young as eight or nine could handle it with parental guidance.

Overall I would say this was a good, but not great movie. It tries to be too much: part spy thriller, part engaging family tale, but ultimately doesn't do a great job at either.

You can view the trailer below. Also, please take a moment to visit the Family Movie Night Facebook page where you can learn more about the Family Movie Night program.

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I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Kenmore Grill Giveaway

2011-06-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for an opportunity to win something awesome for Father's Day (or yourself, if you're feeling selfish), Brad’s Deals is giving away a brand new Kenmore grill, steak, and accessories, an over $500 value. You can enter at http://www.bradsdeals.com/blog/2011/06/06/fathers-day-grill-giveaway/.

The prize package includes:

Kenmore 4-Burner LP Mocha Gas Grill with Searing Burner
Grill cover and grill accessories set
4 (8 oz.) Filet Mignon with Bacon
4 (10 oz.) Kansas City Strips

You can enter once per day until the contest closes on June 15, 2011 at 11.59pm CST.

Disclosure: I am being compensated for posting about this giveaway.

Family Movie Night: Field of Vision

2011-06-04T21:56:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend, I had a chance to preview a Family Movie Night film called Field of Vision. The promotional summary of the movie says:

Through mysterious footage captured on an old malfunctioning video camera, Sinclair High School's star quarterback, Tyler McFarland, learns that some of his teammates have been bullying Cory Walker, a troubled new transfer student. Aware that sharing this information with the coach might get his friends kicked off the team and ultimately cost the school the state championship, Tyler must choose what's more important: winning or doing what's right.

Without giving away too much more of the plot, the movie centers around Tyler and Cory, and their interactions with Tyler's mother (not-so-coincidentally the school guidance counsellor) and younger sister, and the events surrounding the bullying of Cory, Tyler's decision, and the resulting fallout. (There is no discussion of Tyler's Bieber hair, which I found mildly disturbing; but maybe that's just me.)

The plot is somewhat simple, but that is to be expected with a film that targets the whole family. Its message - that bullying is unacceptable in any form - is clear and a positive one at that. The antagonists (they are nowhere near deserving of the title "villain") are clearly in the wrong without being painted as overly frightening or scary (which is a product of the film's target demographic, I believe); families with young children, I would say even as young as seven or eight years old, can watch this together without fear.

There were a couple of elements of the film that, even in light of the "mysterious" camera, hindered the suspension of disbelief (specifically the relationship between Cory - a 17 year old boy - and Tyler's younger sister Lucy, who is roughly 12 years old; I found it odd that no one in the film found it odd). Those minor aspects aside, it was a good film with a very strong positive message, and one that I wouldn't hesitate to share with my six year old daughter (if, you know, she could stay up until 10.00pm to watch a movie and not be a complete grump the following morning).

The premiere of Field of Vision is on Saturday, June 11 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT. In the meantime, you can read more about the movie at the Family Movie Night website, and on Family Movie Night Facebook page. Finally, here's a preview of the movie:

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Who Is The Greatest TV Dad?

2011-05-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, I remember wishing my dad would be more like Cliff Huxtable (from The Cosby Show) or Steven Keaton (from Family Ties) instead of the emotionally distant, I'm a provider and not much else approach he adopted (possibly from Ward Cleaver of Leave it to Beaver, or his own father; who knows). Back then, there was a seemingly endless supply of good fathers on tv.

Today, however, for every Richard Castle (Castle) or Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights) there are dozens of men like Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) or Jim (the man with no last name from According to Jim) or Ray Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond): lovable, entertaining, well-meaning buffoons without an ounce of parenting skill among them. For every father who is interested in his child's life, who succeeds in some form or another of enriching his children's lives we get tons of idiots who need to be "saved" by their wives, or who are outsmarted by everyone including the family pets (to be clear: Homer and Jim and Ray aren't "bad" fathers in the sense that they aren't trying; they just fail miserably at the task most of the time).

In an effort to identify some of the better ones, and ultimately crown the best one, Man of the House has created the World's Greatest TV Dad Bracket for readers to fill out and compare 32 tv dads as a means of determining the best of all time. The fathers were selected among all tv dads based on the following criteria:

Shared Household Responsibilities
Relationship with Children
Personal Health/Style/Appearance
Work/Family Balance

(I'm not going to get into my thoughts about #3 and how it relates to being a good father, except to say that I may never wear anything beyond t-shirts and jeans, but I don't think I'm a bad father for it.)

In the opening round, one of the closer races is Danny Tanner (Full House) vs. Red Forman (That 70s Show) - really people? "can of whoop ass" is good parenting? - while one of the walkaways is Tim Taylor (Home Improvement) vs. George Lopez (of his own show); Tim got lucky in the opening round, if you ask me. My final four, based on the brackets, would be: Eric Taylor, Richard Castle, Hayden Fox (of Coach; and a travesty at the six seed, and Cliff Huxtable.

Who do you think is the best tv dad of all time? Vote now, vote often, and check back each week to vote for the next round!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received promotional items to thank me for taking the time to participate.

The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun

2011-05-06T19:58:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was provided with a review copy of The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun by Ken Denmead. I was excited about the opportunity to see Ken's second effort (I previously reviewed his first book and enjoyed it a lot).

The first thing the author tells you is that this book isn't designed to be followed step by step (although there are clear directions for those who favour that approach), but to act as a guide or a launching pad for ideas and projects that parents (although geared to dads, moms are completely capable of doing these projects too) can do with their children. I liked that he felt that was important enough to mention.

Like the original, each project has an overview that allows you to quickly assess critical factors like cost, time, and difficulty, (not to mention required items) so you don't end up deciding on a task only to discover you don't have enough time to do it. When you get into the details, the instructions are clear and written with a sense of humour.

Since my children are on the young side for the target demographic for this book (mine are six and two and a half; I'd say most projects are suited for eight to twelve, or even older), I didn't get a chance to try out many of the projects, but they did give me ideas for later on. One thing that did bother me - but this is a personal thing - was the number of projects that involved weapons.

There were, however, some very interesting ideas, among them:

sewing a cape - he even made it sound plausible that I could do this
web-based scavenger hunt - a very unique twist on a traditional game
designing Lego minifigs - this one actually got me excited
homemade root beer - something we will try when they're a little older

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried to sell it, however, I could not get behind "pun wars".

In addition to the projects, there was an essay written by David Hewlett (known to most from the Stargate franchise, but will forever be etched in my mind as the quirky guy from Traders) which was entertaining and insightful.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, and thought it was a good follow-up to the first. I look forward to seeing his next collection of ideas for stuff I can do with my kids (not to mention a time when they can actually do the stuff).

Green Lantern

2011-05-04T08:43:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to host a Green Lantern Party sponsored by Mattel and MomSelect. I was provided with some toys that are being released in conjunction with the Green Lantern movie (incidentally, there's an abridged version of the preview that ran at WonderCon on the site that is pretty cool).

(Disclosure: due to technical difficulties, I was unable to retrieve the photos I took at the actual party. The photos used in this post are recreations.)

For each child who attended the party, I had Green Lantern rings:

they light up, and were well liked, even if they were a little big for kid hands (although they fit nicely on an adult sized pinky, or so I'm told)
I also had a Green Lantern Battle Shifter (a Green Lantern figure and a buzzsaw/rocket launcher) for each child:

in its buzzsaw form

and its rocket launcher form
The figures were well-received, as were the Battle Shifters. Amazingly, we didn't lose any of the rockets (the launcher has a rocket that you can shoot). Some kids had trouble converting back to the buzzsaw (it's spring loaded to pop into the launcher, but collapsing down to the saw required some dexterity and patience). We also had a hard time getting the figure to hold on to the object in buzzsaw form. I would have liked to see more points of articulation (the figures had no joints other than hips - to move the legs - and shoulders - for the arms - such as elbows and knees, and ideally wrists and ankles). My wife was disappointed that it didn't really look like Ryan Reynolds:

an "artistic" shot
In addition to the rings and the figures, we also had a couple of Colossal Canons to play with. Since my wife is extremely wary of weapon-based toys, especially those with projectiles, we called them "money spitters" because the canon launches transparent green discs.

the canon was lightweight and easy to manipulate, even for my two and a half year old
We tried the canons out with some target practice. Something amazing happened:

yes, we used Dora; and yes, this is my lame attempt at recreating the Green Lantern aura
No, that's not what was amazing. This is what was amazing:

That? That was my wife - my wife who hates guns, let alone as toys - playing around with the Colossal Canon when we opened the stuff up. That is my wife saying, "Yeah!" as the discs fired out, and saying that she thought the toy was cool.

Seriously, Mattel has no idea how huge an accomplishment that is.

* * *
In addition to the stuff above, we also had copies of the Green Lantern Secret Origins graphic novel, but since the origin story involved a young Hal Jordan witnessing his father's death - in a fiery plane crash no less - we opted to give these to the dads instead. Ignoring the movie tie-in that had Ryan Reynolds write the introduction (wherein he acknowledges to knowing almost nothing about the Green Lantern, making him, in my mind, the least qualified person to write an introduction to a Green Lantern graphic novel), the novel was well done. Reading a hardcover comic was a new experience for me, but the decision to maintain the same page size made the transition seamless.

Overall, we really enjoyed the toys and the kids (even my six year old daughter) still love playing with them. (In truth, the boy likes both the figure and the canon, but my daughter is only interested in the canon.) My kids are too young to see the film, but I will definitely be going (and maybe I can convince my wife with the Ryan Reynolds plus the canon angle!)

Compensation: I was provided with the rings, figures, canons, comic books, and a DVD (that was rated PG-13 and was not shown) at no cost to me in exchange for hosting the party and writing this post. Some of the figures, rings, and comics were distributed to others at no cost to them.

From Memphis to Hollywood: Bootleg Volume 2 - Winner

2011-03-01T08:04:00.000-05:00

The winner of the CDs, via random number generator, is Daniel Morrell.

Thanks to everyone who entered.

From Memphis to Hollywood: Bootleg Volume 2

2011-02-22T06:15:00.017-05:00

Recently, I was provided with a copy of From Memphis to Hollywood: Bootleg Volume 2, a new collection of Johnny Cash recordings from his first 15 years at Sun and Columbia Records to review.

The first disc of the two CD set includes a live radio broadcast (complete with annoucers and commercials, which lends a nice touch), some pre-Sun demo recordings, and some outtakes from his time at Sun. The second disc spans The Man In Black's first 11 years at Columbia records with non-album singles, outtakes and B-sides.

The set stands in stark contrast to Personal File: Bootleg Volume 1, which was made up of private recordings Cash made with just him and his guitar, included a number of anecdotes (told by Cash) and was dominated by religious themed songs. When comparing the two, I have to admit I preferred volume 2 over volume 1.

The radio broadcast was fascinating from a historical perspective, and given the time it was recorded (1955) the quality is pretty good. The early demos were probably my favoutite of the set; they included early versions of "Walk the Line" (probably one of his most enduring titles) and "Country Boy" (a personal fave) and some surprises, like "You're My Baby", which was eventually recorded by Roy Orbison (call me ignorant, but I never realized Cash wrote songs for other artists).

The remaining tracks were studio recordings of less famous songs of his, which were better quality (from an audio perspective, not necessarily an artistic one), which I enjoyed as well.

Overall, I would highly recommend getting a copy of this collection to any Johnny Cash afficianado. It's a great trip through the history of his music. I wouldn't say it's a great introduction to the man's music, but then again that isn't its intended audience.

From Memphis to Hollywood: Bootleg Volume 2 is available starting today (February 22, 2011) at both physical and digital retail outlets.

I also have a copy of the CD to give away. If you are interested, simply fill out the form below. Entries will only be accepted via the form; a comment will not count as an entry. A winner will be chosen by random number generator. Entries will be accepted until Monday, February 28, 2011 at 5.00pm EST. I will post the winner's name the following day, and email them directly.

Lego Hospital Set

2011-02-08T07:12:00.000-05:00

When I selected the Lego Hospital Set (set number LG-9226 for those Lego afficianados) for review, I expected it to be part of the Lego City series and was going to add it to my almost six year old daughter's existing set. Unfortunately, when it arrived I realized it was a Lego-Duplo set, and therefore incompatible with the other Lego City stuff we have. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have done a little research on the set number; but I'd also like to suggest the site relabel the set as Lego-Duplo, as they have with similar sets.

Regardless of my expectations, the set is impressive:

It just won't go to my daughter, and instead will go to my son (age two and a half) when he's a bit older.

The set contains two ambulances, a garage, a two-storey hospital, several figures, and a number of accents. There are many pieces with details printed on them (such as medical equipment) that will encourage elaborate imaginative play, as well as nice touches like windows that open and even a parking garage bar to stop traffic from getting in. With only 97 pieces, assembly should be pretty straightforward, although I would recommend that kids under the age of three be supervised while playing with it due to choking concerns.

What I Liked

came in a huge bin - perfect for storing not just this set but more
detailed accents
Lego brand quality I've come to know and expect
large number of figures to allow for expanded play

What I Did Not Like

description didn't indicate it was Duplo
garage could have had more details (maybe a gas station hose?)

Overall I was pleased with the set and would definitely recommend it to people with younger children. Lego sets are great for guided projects (like this where you assemble based on instructions or an image) as well as creative play (when you just take the bricks and go to town).

Livingroom Furniture

2011-01-19T09:14:00.000-05:00

When my wife and I bought our livingroom furniture, we went the practical (read: stain-resistant, kid-resistant) route, which is fine when you've got young children, but ultimately (once the kids have passed the "let's destroy everything" stage) I'd like to get some more modern furniture into our house.

One thing I'd love is a lounge chair, something that feels like a recliner but doesn't look like the one my parents had in 1982, like this:

I've always been partial to black leather and square angles, so maybe a set like this is in my future:

Our current room won't support it, but if/when we move into a larger home, I'd love a sectional like this one:

In the end, I realize that I'd need to get my wife's approval for any of this. What do you think my chances are of getting her to approve this for my son's room?

I mean, seriously, how cool is that?!?

Photolab.ca Photobooks

2010-12-08T21:46:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was contacted by a representative of PhotoLab.ca and offered an opportunity to review some of their products. I chose to create a photobook.

The process was fairly straightforward. I had to create an account (mainly because I was going to need to work on the 20 page book over multiple sessions on different machines; I believe you can make and order a book without the account) first, and then uploaded my photos. They have several options for uploading, including a javascript based drag and drop one that worked especially well.

Once the photos were uploaded, I chose a basic theme and from there was presented with their editor. The editor allowed me to add and remove photos and captions, as well as choose from a set of six page layouts. Once I had placed the images, I could do some basic modifications such as zooming in or out (the application warned me if I zoomed in too far and ended up with too low a resolution, which was nice) or switching the image to grayscale, or flipping/rotating it. The book creation process was fairly painless. My only complaints were that I couldn't mess with the fixed page layouts (all of them had a lot of whitespace) and I didn't have the option to change my font (style or size). Also, on higher resolution displays, the preview size was too small to proofread the captions.

The remainder of the process was typical for online ordering, except that instead of a delivery address, I had to choose a location of one of the Loblaws chain of stores (Real Canadian Superstore, Loblaws, Zehrs, etc) to pick it up at. In exchange for this, there was no additional shipping charge, which was convenient, since who doesn't hit the grocery store regularly?

When I got the book, it was exactly as I had seen it online in the preview. The binding was nice (I went with soft cover, but they have hard cover options as well) and when the kids open their photobooks on Christmas morning, I'm sure they will be pleased.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the photobooks (in fact, I already told a coworker about them and she's making one for each of her grandchildren). They make a great personal gift.

West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology

2010-11-29T16:02:00.000-05:00

Recently, I was provided with a copy of West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology, a five disc (four CD, one DVD) collector's edition box set as well as Jimi Hendrix's Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year for review.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year is a CD single with three tracks, two of which are reminiscent of an open jam or improvisation session that was holiday themed (Little Drummer Boy/Silent Night/Auld Lang Syne) and the third is what I would loosely call a holiday song (Three Little Bears). Over all, it was an interesting take on some classics, and probably the only chance anyone will have to hear Jimi Hendrix play Christmas carols. That being said, the packaging wasn't at all inspiring, and I would recommend the songs be picked up as digital downloads from your favourite digital audio provider.

West Coast Seattle Boy is a four CD collection of nearly 60 tracks of unique perspectives on Hendrix's career. Three of the discs cover his solo career and include live and alternate recordings of his most famous songs such as Purple Haze, Fire, and Foxey Lady as well as lesser known (but no less great) tracks from his career. The fourth (technically it's disc one) is the one I was most fascinated by, and, in my opinion, makes this box set stand apart from a lot of the others out there. Instead of more "rare, never before heard" tracks, they put together a compilation of his session work from before he became famous, playing rhythm guitar for the likes of Little Richard and the Isley Brothers, among others.

If I had to nit-pick, my one complaint with the anthology is the noticeable exclusion of his cover of All Along The Watchtower. (Yes, I realize that it's a cover of a Bob Dylan song, but the collection did include Tears of Rage by Dylan, as well as other material written by different artists, so I don't understand why what many consider to be a staple of Hendrix's work wasn't included.)

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology and think it is a must-have for any Jimi Hendrix fan. Also, this is one I would definitely recommend be purchased as a box set. The liner notes and DVD are well worth the extra cost.

Compensation: the box set and CD single were provided at no cost to me, and I get to retain them

Yesterday... just yesterday

2010-09-08T09:14:00.000-04:00

One time when we went home to visit my parents, my mother had placed an envelope on the bed in the room we stay in. In that envelope were a few letters and cards I'd written for her and my father when I was a child. It was interesting to see my printing and handwriting from a different age; I wished she had kept more of it.

Recently, I was contacted by Blueberry Island Publishing and offered a copy of one of their books, Yesterday... just yesterday for review. The book is intended to be a keepsake for parents and children. From their site:

Yesterday... just yesterday is a keepsake autograph book designed to capture the autographs of children from preschool through high school. A perfect gift for baby showers, parents of a new baby, and for a baby's baptism, beginning or graduation from pre-school or kindergarten. Each year, parents will have their child write their "autograph" on a designated page. That signature becomes a keepsake moment as the years go by...beginning with a 2 year old scribble, those first attempts at writing their name, the changes in their penmanship through the years, and finally the developed grown up signature of a high schooler! It is so nice to have those sweet signatures captured in one perfect place! 9.8" x 7.8" sturdy soft cover, spiral bound keepsake book.

What I Liked

The book isn't done in the traditional baby or children's style of pastels or bright primary colours, but rather has a very vintage appearance with old photos and classic script fonts. The ribbon accent also lends a nice touch to the overall appearance of the book.
There are lots of large spaces to write in, and there are no lines, so if the child wishes to draw instead of (or in addition to) writing, they can.
The spiral binding allows for the book to lie flat on a surface, which makes it a lot easier for children to write or draw in it.

What I Didn't Like

The pages could be a little thicker, especially when you've got a destructive almost two year old boy.
There is a slight gloss to the pages which we found made using them with washable markers somewhat of a challenge. Crayon and pencil, however, worked well.

Overall, I would recommend Yesterday... just yesterday as a gift for new or expecting parents. It offers the opportunity to capture some of the fleeting moments of childhood before they are lost to time.

Compensation: I received two copies of the book (one for each of my children) for this review

Le Creuset Square Skillet Grill

2010-08-08T20:13:00.002-04:00

Recently, I was offered a chance to review another product from CSN Stores. Last time, I let my wife convince me to get a waffle iron. You can read the linked post to see how well that turned out.

This time, I was determined to choose something that we already knew how to use. I love cooking on my cast iron skillet. It's a number of years old, and has been seasoned so it makes perfect steaks. Lately, though, we had been wanting one with a grill bottom to help cut down our fat content, so I chose the Le Creuset Square Skillet Grill (in cobalt blue - my wife's favourite colour - because honestly I don't care what my pans look like so long as they cook right). We already own a dutch oven by Le Creuset and love it, so we figured this was a sure thing.

It was.

The skillet grill worked perfectly. For anyone who doesn't know, cast iron is the best material for cooking, especially meats (or at least that's what this carnivore thinks). It works at low temperatures, evenly distributes the heat, and gives a non-stick surface that isn't chemical based and full of carcinogens.

sorry; this is the only image you get because 20 photos of meat cooking on a pan is pretty boring when there's no hijinks
We cooked sausage on it, and got a grilled taste on a rainy day. We cooked bacon on it and used fewer paper towels to soak up the grease from the meat thanks to the grill shaped bottom. Burgers were amazing on it as well.

As with any cast iron cookware, cleanup was a breeze: a little warm soapy water, some minor wiping, and it was ready to go. The only thing to remember with cast iron is it is best to hand dry it right after rinsing (instead of air drying) to prevent oxidation/rust.

This was an excellent product that will find a lot of use in our home. I highly recommend it (in any colour, not just blue) for anyone who cooks, even a little.

Compensation: the skillet was provided free of charge, and we got to keep it

Another Upcoming Review

2010-07-06T20:57:00.002-04:00

I have another review to tease, and no it's not a new dining room set (although CSN Stores and their 200+ sites have some nice options). We're actually quite happy with our dining room as it is right now: functional and versatile (I'm typing this post at the table right now), although I'm sure if you asked my wife she'd tell me we could always use a new dining room set!

In an upcoming post, I will be reviewing a product from another CSN Store that features cookware, small appliances, and cooking gadgets (and this time I made the choice, so it will be something we already know how to use and will not end up like the waffle iron).

In meantime, please take a moment to check out some of their sites. You never know what you'll find.

Cuisinart Waffle Iron

2010-06-24T06:17:00.003-04:00

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to review a product from one of the many CSN Stores. I chose a waffle iron from their cookware site after consulting with my wife.

We love Cuisinart products. We have a coffee maker from them as well as a blender and a food processor. We figured we'd love their waffle iron too, and when it arrived, we were impressed. It seemed solid and well-built, and looked great. We were really excited to try and use it.

Here's the thing: neither of us had ever made waffles before. Sure, we'd eaten them, but made? Never.

First, we got everything set up. We made the batter exactly how they recommended in the little booklet that came with it.

What? Don't you put mustard on waffles?
As I was looking at the waffle iron, I remarked, "Huh. No drip guards." (That, my friends, is called foreshadowing.)

Then, we carefully measured out exactly two cups of the batter, just like the booklet said, and poured it in from the center.

Then we closed the lid.

Remember the drip comment? Yeah.

Fortunately, they actually came out looking like waffles.

Unfortunately, this is what the iron looked like when we were finished.

Ultimately, we learned through trial and error (and halving the amount of batter - seriously), and the last few batches actually stayed inside the iron. I think a more experienced user (or even someone who has read this review) would have less trouble than we did.

Regardless of the mess, the waffles themselves tasted excellent.

The only complaint I have is that the base of the unit isn't solid; there's actually a small groove where spilling batter can (and did) seep into. (You can see some in the left side of the unit in the last image.) We've cleaned it to the best of our ability, and it's still got dried gunk in it. (No, I don't have a "cleaned" image; the above is what it looked like before thorough cleaning.) Over time, this may become an issue.

That being said, it was awesome to have homemade waffles, and I'd recommend the iron to anyone who's willing to take the chance and experiment a little.

Compensation: the waffle iron was provided free of charge, and we get to keep it

1-800-FLOWERS.COM $40 Gift Card Winner

2010-06-18T17:59:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to nicolegreen, winner of the $40 gift card by random number generation. Thanks to everyone who entered.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM Father's Day Collection

2010-06-14T19:37:00.001-04:00

1-800-FLOWERS.COM contacted me again, asking me to review one of items in their Father's Day Collection. Having already received flowers from them for Valentine's Day, I opted for one of their gift baskets this time.

The basket came beautifully wrapped, and filled with treats, including cookies, candies, and chocolate. They were all of very high quality (some were too high quality for my tastes, but then again I'm not the most refined individual) and were well received (the shortbread cookies didn't even see 24 hours in our house).

The one complaint I had was with the delivery: our basket included fresh cheddar cheese, but was left on our porch (in the hot sun, no less) after ringing the bell. I contacted the company, and they assured me that this was not their normal practice, and that such baskets are typically transported in refrigerated vehicles and marked for a signature to ensure items like cheese don't go bad.

Over all, I was pleased with the products I received, and would consider ordering again.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM is also offering a $40 gift card for use on their site. To enter, you may choose any or all of the following methods (each method is worth ONE entry, no matter how many times you do it):

comment on this post
blog about this contest (leave a comment here with a link to your post)
tweet about this contest (leave a comment here with a link to your tweet)
follow me on twitter (leave a comment here with your twitter name after you follow me)

One winner will be chosen at random from all entries. Contest closes this Friday, June 18, 2010 at 5.00pm EST. I will contact the winner via email shortly thereafter with instructions on how to claim their prize. If I do not receive a reply from that winner within 48 hours I will choose another person at random.

Disclosure: in exchange for this review, I received one gift basket for product review purposes.

Victoriknox Dual Pro X

2010-06-02T09:55:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

A Swiss Army knife: something every boy covets and many eventually have.

I got my first one from my uncle when I was maybe ten. It was one of the small, key chain style ones that had a blade, a file/slot head screwdriver, a toothpick and tweezers. I lost it one day when I forgot it on my key chain as I tried to pass through airport security. My choices were to miss my flight (for business) or abandon the knife. It wasn't really a choice.

As small as it was, and, as few implements as it had when compared to its larger brethren, that knife was indispensable to me. I cannot count the number of times I used it to repair my glasses, or how often I used it to remove the wires from some piece of electronics that wasn't functioning (I'm an electrical engineer by trade, so this is pretty often), or used it to cut something: tie wraps, wires, packaging, or whatever. Despite their image as an outdoors-man's tool, the Swiss Army Knife has many indoor applications as well.

Recently, I was provided with a new Victorinox Dual Pro X (at no cost to myself) for review. The overall look was different from the solid red coloured ones I was used to, having black accents and a better grip, but the feature that stood out to me were the one-hand blades. For those who are familiar with pocket knives, most come with blades you have to open with two hands (and one of them better have a little bit of fingernail on the thumb if you want to avoid pain); the Dual Pro X has large loops that one can stick their thumb into (even the ham-handed of us) and open the knife one-handed. This feature is especially useful on the seat belt cutter, because realistically, if you're in a situation where you need to cut a seat belt, you don't want to have to hope you've got two hands free.

The Victorinox Dual Pro X has the following implements:

One-Hand Locking Blade
One-Hand Serrated Locking Seat Belt Cutter
Phillips Screwdriver
Can Opener with small Screwdriver
Bottle Opener with large Screwdriver and Wire Stripper
Reamer
Key ring

I have to say, the Philips head screwdriver was a welcome sight. (Let's not talk about the number of times I was forced to use my slot head in a Philips screw, shall we?) I also liked the wire stripper, which is a useful touch for someone in my line of work.

I had to test out this wire stripper, and since I wasn't at work my choices for wire were limited. I did this with speaker wire. First, I used the blade to cut the wire:

Then, I split it in half for stripping:

Then I scored and stripped it:

I was impressed. It (obviously) wasn't as effective as a standard wire stripper, but it was also (obviously) a lot easier to fit in my bag.

Then I started going around the house. First stop: the Ikea cabinet whose doors weren't aligned properly:

Next stop, the light switch in the kitchen with a loose screw (some might say that's not the only thing in my house with a screw loose):

Then my wife told me to stop before I broke something.

Overall, I really liked the Dual Pro X, and will definitely add it to my work bag, where I am sure it will come in handy at innumerable times in the future that I can't anticipate now.

Victoriknox is also sponsoring a Share the Adventure contest where you can compete for a chance to compete for a $25,000 Ultimate Adventure! Visit their Facebook fan page and become a fan for more information.

La Serious Griller Contest

2010-05-26T07:06:00.002-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of henderson bas. All opinions are 100% mine.

The warm weather has finally arrived, and the grill is no longer covered in snow. We love to grill as much as possible (and not just because it prevents the house from heating up too much), throwing everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to chicken (occasionally) and ribs, but our favourite is definitely a nicely grilled steak. Sometimes we get a nice cut and just use some dry rubs, while others we get a marinating cut and let it sit overnight to season and tenderize; but in the end they all go on to the grill and then into our mouths!

What are your secrets for grilling the perfect steak? Club House is hosting La Serious Griller Contest to see what tips people have to share.

As for my "tips"? While I'm no expert, I can offer these:

cut - you don't have to get a tenderloin (although they are tasty); most people will enjoy a ribeye as much if it's not over done
seasoning - it can be tempting to over do it sometimes with too many flavours; keep it simple with a salt based rub
tongs - don't pierce your steaks when you turn them if you don't want tire rubber
post heat cooking - remember that a steak will cook for several minutes (often longer) after you take it off the grill if you keep it covered (for warmth), so that pink middle may become grey by the time you serve it on the table

Flip Mino HD Contest Winner

2010-05-20T20:31:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Flip Mino HD Giveaway. With nearly 300 entries it was the most entered contest I've ever done here at Reviews From The Dad Side.

The winner, by random number generation, is Laural. Congratulations. I will be contacting you via email shortly to collect your info.

Upcoming Review

2010-05-19T19:17:00.000-04:00

When we bought our first house almost seven years ago (has it really been that long?) we didn't even look at sectional sofas because they were out of our new homeowner (and just gotten married) budget. However, if we knew about CSN Stores and their 200+ sites (with incredible discounts and often free shipping), I think we might have ended up with different furniture than the stuff ~~our children abuse~~ we have today.

In an upcoming post, I will be reviewing a product from another CSN Store that features small appliances, cookware, and cooking gadgets (among many other things).

In meantime, please take a moment to check out some of their sites. You never know what you'll find.

Flip Mino HD

2010-05-07T17:27:00.002-04:00

Recently I was offered an opportunity to review the Flip Mino HD; a very small and portable high definition hard drive camcorder. The Mino HD is smaller than most cell phones, yet can store up to one hour of HD video on its internal hard drive.

I had the chance to test out the Mino HD with what most will agree with a demanding subject: a 19 month old. The video was smooth (bearing in mind that many computers older than one or two years may not have the video hardware capable of full HD playback, this may be an issue if you plan to view on your PC or Mac) and the audio was very clear. Embedded below is a one minute sample I took. If you cannot view the embedded clip, you can view it directly on youtube. (Note that to view it in full HD, you must view it on the youtube site.)

I'll summarize the rest of my opinions.

What I Liked

small, compact
easy to use (my five year old even took a video)
easy to retrieve videos (built-in USB connector, camera can act as a hard drive
clean playback from device via RCA cable (I played videos on my SD tv without issue)

What I Didn't Like

charging must be done via computer USB port or Flip charger that is not included (I tried using my iPod charger and it drained the battery and required a full hardware reset to fix the issue)
no optical zoom (an unfortunate side effect of the small/compact nature)
only one video quality (for someone like me without an HD tv, it would have been nice to be able to get more video time at reduced quality)

Overall, I liked the Mino HD for what it was intended to be: a compact and portable camcorder suitable for quick clips. If you're looking for something to record dance recitals or school concerts from the back row, this isn't for you. But, if your subjects are close by (like say your kids at the beach), then the Mino HD is a great choice. If you're looking for a gift for Mother's Day, the Mino HD can also be customized with your own image or design, making it an attractive gift idea.

I also have a Flip Mino HD to give away. To enter, you may choose any or all of the following methods (each method is worth ONE entry, no matter how many times you do it, and only one entry per comment):

comment on this post
blog about this contest (leave a separate comment here with a link to your post)
tweet about this contest (leave a separate comment here with a link to your tweet)
follow me on twitter - @_SciFiDad_ (leave a separate comment here with your twitter name after you follow me)

Contest is open to residents of Canada and the US only. One winner will be chosen at random from all entries. Contest closes Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 5.00pm EDT. I will contact the winner via email shortly thereafter with instructions on how to claim their prize. If I do not receive a reply from that winner within 48 hours I will choose another person at random.

Compensation: one Flip Mino HD for review purposes that I got to keep