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Chinese New Year(CNY), which begins on Monday, January 23rd and runs through February 7th this year, ushers in the Year of the Dragon.  We will not be celebrating traditionally this year but my girls will likely get a red envelope while we are at Disneyland.  If you would like to learn more about CNY, you can read my post about the Year of the Rat.
Meanwhile, all of us here at 3PsinaPod wish you a Joyous and Prosperous New Year!
Gōng Xǐ Fā …

There can be friction in the air when your children try to finish their homework when they would rather turn on the television or fire up their DSi. Delivering parents’ views on the matter to the stressed child can lead to a meltdown. Here are some tips to help you avoid those issues.
Complete the homework in a quiet, well-lit area. Avoid distractions to maintain a quiet calm. Teach your children to make sure they have all the materials they need to do the homework. Any child will jump at the …

Look Ma – No Migraines!!  I am almost all healed from my surgery and have been working at building my stamina.  Good thing too because…..
We are T-1 Day until we leave for California.
THAT MEANS DISNEYLAND, FOLKS!!!!
Yep, 5 days of Disney fun.  We are celebrating my parent’s 50th anniversary (Dad, too bad you couldn’t stick around for the fun!).  We will also be seeing some family and visiting Sea World San Diego.  Should all be tons of fun and I should return with lots to share.
While I am gone, go an …

Pain.
Ongoing, throbbing, pounding, never ending agonizing pain.
In my case, for 3 years. Yep, 36 months. 6 days out of 7.  3 weeks out of four
Preventative medicines like Topamax didn’t help.
Acute treatment meds like Imitrex didn’t work.
Neural blocks didn’t help from a pain specialist.
Periodic Botox injections didn’t work.
Blessings and Prayers didn’t work.
Pain medicines did but then all I did was sleep.
And have ongoing, throbbing, pounding, never ending agonizing pain.
Well NO MORE.

Early in 2011, my Mom and I went to a seminar at Ascendant Neuro in Dallas, TX.  It was very educational …

I wanted to stop for a minute and say THANK YOU for all your support over this quickly passing year. From my awesome readers who have stuck by me through thick and thin as well as any new friends I have gained over the past couple of months and to all of the PR firms and Companies that have given me the opportunity to work with them and get to know them, thank you from the bottom of my heart! You all make blogging fun and worthwhile.
I truly hope you …

Before the days of men, there were elves. In a time they were great and powerful, the first dwellers, the brightest ray of dawn upon the earth. They brought light and music to the world and every breeze that stirs and wave that crashes still echoes with the wonder of the fair folk. But a foulness is brewing in the east, where men deal in sorcery. They summon dire forces, unleashing a terrible power into the world. And the elves, once immortal, now fade from the earth. But knowing that …

Sexy, stylish and successful, Nell always prided herself on her common sense. So why is she suddenly crazy for David, her married best friend of twenty years? With a single kiss, Nell’s perfect Californian life turns upside down. All the safety of her well-adjusted marriage to a respected plastic surgeon and her growing fashion business pale in comparison to the passion experienced in that kiss. Can she go on as before, or will she make the biggest change of her life? Will she face disaster and tragedy, or perhaps adventure …

Take Ordinary to Extraordinary™.  Meet the Epson LabelWorks LW-400, a powerful new label maker that turns organizing into an art. Featuring a backlit display, it helps you make labels anywhere, anytime. Choose from a huge range of symbols, frames, fonts, barcodes and tapes in a variety of styles, sizes and colors. The LW-400 is both easy to use and efficient (dramatically smaller margins mean up to 60% less label waste). The LW-400 is an office powerhouse. With amazing versatility and a large, built-in memory, it stores up to 50 …

Looking for a different kind of fun and educational after-school activity for you and your family? Start a hunt for treasure with Krause Publications’ new Kid’s Coin Collecting series! This series includes an easy-to read book and four hands-on folders that will help stimulate children’s interest in learning about money, history and math—starting with the coins in your couch! 
 
So start your own coin collection. It’s fun. Search for coins to complete your own special coin puzzle. It’s affordable. Spend as little as 1 cent to start a hobby that …

How many times have we heard this and thought how true this is! The joy I get from giving someone a heartfelt gift, time, or a shoulder to cry on is so much more rewarding and brings so much more joy than any materialistic gift. This is never more true than at Christmas time. There are so many people in need and with the holiday season upon us, it is so important to remember those who are often forgotten throughout the year.
There are many organizations that gear up at this …

Over half a million people each year travel to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum to journey through the history of rock and roll music and its on-going impact on our world, from the early influences to the artists of today. The Museum explores the significance of rock and roll from the its roots in jazz, blues, R&B, country and folk through the impact of heavy metal, indie rock and hip-hop and more. Now, consumers can dig deep into the history of rock and roll at home …

Beautiful Inside Out is a children’s book written by LaStarr McCollough.  It is designed for young girls, teens, and young and mature women. The goal is to allow the reader to see their inner and outward beauty through their own eyes. Often times we are our own worst critic. All that matters is how we fell about ourselves. Another person can’t  help you be vibrant, confident, or feel valuable. Until you see it for yourself, it’s nonexistent.
58 pages long and an easy read,  Beautiful Inside Out is available for …

The lights, sounds and hands-on action of Hasbro’s new Simon Flash will have players on the edge of their seat as they slide, swap, shuffle and touch hand-held game pieces in a fresh and frenzied take on this classic 80s game. The iconic Simon game is transformed from its traditional round, console design into four sleek, freestanding electronic game tiles. Players will be mesmerized as they frantically try to follow the growing sequence of flashing colored lights in an attempt to keep up in this challenge of memory and logic.  …

New Colgate® Sensitive Pro-Relief™ gets to the nerve and builds a protective shield for freedom from sensitivity.
Did You Know?

 Up to 57% of adults suffer tooth sensitivity1

Sensitivity doesn’t just impact older consumers…people 25 – 44 are just as likely to claim they suffer from sensitivity as those over 452
75% of people currently using sensitive toothpaste say that they still experience painful flare-ups3

If you suffer from teeth sensitivity, you know all too well that sharp, painful flare-ups can come out of nowhere. Many people have learned to adapt their lifestyle to avoid …

The new Softsoap® brand bar soap line combines deep cleansing and hydration with three Invigorating Fragrances. Specially created to excite your senses, the Softsoap® bar soap line is enriched with natural extracts and a variety of delicious fragrances. The product is available in three fragrances – Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions, Coconut Scrub and Sweet Honeysuckle & Orange Peel.
Softsoap® Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions
Invigorate your body and mind with Softsoap® Juicy Pomegranate & Mango Infusions moisturizing bar soap. Enriched with natural extracts of pomegranate and mango, this bar soap …

Well, our corporate name is Omnicor Inc. but we are far better known simply as…the Wikki Stix Company.
We are a small, friendly and playful company with the wonderful task of producing a unique and amazing product to delight, inspire and entertain children, while bringing peace, quiet and joy to parents and grandparents!
And, we have been doing this, now, for over twenty years! Wikki Stix One-of-a-Kind Creatables are the award winning original waxed yarn creativity toy — made in the USA!
We are proud of the fact that Wikki Stix have won …

BuckleyBoo is a growing collection of award-winning developmental stuffed toys co-created by a child psychologist and grandma that encourage cognitive development and sequential learning through matching, buckling and unbuckling. Plus BuckleyBoos are adorable and cuddly and are sure to become your little one’s new favorite friend (0:
From the age of 18 months to four-years-old, children will embark on a developmental journey with BuckleyBoo where each mastered task serves as a springboard for the next level of learning:

Stage 1: Matching - Children first learn to visually scan and match the brightly patterned ribbons …

Joseph Peter Simini, a 90 yr old retired Distinguished Professor of Accounting from the University of San Francisco,  has devoted his retirement to remind others to Keep Christ in Christmas.  He has made a CD that was started in response to the orders of two “big-box” retailers to their clerks not to say Merry Christmas to their customers but to say Happy Holidays.  These changes bothered him and many other families like mine came to America and brought with them traditions of the Christmas season – the celebration …

These songs bring The Little Green Dragon to life!
This is Jennifer Russell’s musical companion to Mari Privett Ulmer’s book “The Adventures of the Little Green Dragon”.
Young children become aware of their sense of self-worth and bolster their self-esteem as they follow the Little Green Dragon’s attempts to understand himself and to do the right thing.

You are So Special
I Am The Dragon
Do You Ever Want To Be Somebody Else?
Skippity, Skip
Something New
This Is Peace!
Adventure
I Feel Mean
What’s The World Like At Night?
Today I Want To Be A Hero

The Music: Songs sung by the …

A Unique Gift That Won’t Be Forgotten! A VoiceQuilt™ is a uniquely personal gift – filled with voice message toasts, tributes and favorite memories. A family story, your child’s laughter, a best friend’s quirky expressions… These are sounds that nurture the spirit. Whether you include one voice or many, your gift will be cherished for years to come.
The sound of someone’s voice – their accent, tone and laughter – conveys much more than a photo, letter or a store-bought gift. VoiceQuilt™ is a wonderfully creative gift solution for groups, families …

Bringrr is a Bluetooth-enabled device which plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and pairs to your phone. Bringrr senses when you start your car, and when you do, Bringrr springs into action. If you have your phone with you, Bringrr emits a quick reassuring tone and its light turns blue. If you forgot your phone, however, Bringrr sounds an alarm and the light turns red. It’s that simple!
What’s more, Bringrr is also a phone charger and comes with two USB-charging cables. With a list price that’s just a tad …

Until now, in the quest for better sound you have had only one option; Buy more hardware–and you can spend big $$ buying new headphones and accessory speakers.
Digital Power Station technology changes the game.
Now, with a simple download of the DPS Plug-In, you can attack the audio signal at the source and remix it on the fly for optimized playback on your existing hardware. It’s like having your own personal recording engineer living inside your computer. And if you use high-end accessories, they will sound even better.
DPS is not a …

When the wise-cracking whiz kid Puggie Liddell’s modified Gameboy activates a time portal, he lands in the 1890s with his sibling rival, annoyingly prissy teen sister, Gigi, who thinks history is like-totally-gross.

The kids must learn to work together to find a time portal back to the present before the eccentric scientist, Nikola Tesla*, or his arch nemesis, inventor Thomas Edison*, can steal the Gameboy and use it to complete a death ray machine, an invention powerful enough to disturb the very fabric of space-time and create an instantaneous world …

PrivacyStar, a smartphone app for Android and BlackBerry with 13 features, which provides parents with a tool that ensures their children can get a hold of them at any time.
PrivacyStar’s Do Not Disturb feature provides a way to reach out about why you are unable to answer your phone. For example, if children call when you are unavailable – in a meeting, doctor’s appointment, etc. – this feature will send them a personalized message that you create. Ex: In a meeting until 4, call 555-555-5555 only if it’s an emergency.
PrivacyStar …

Celebrate Advent – 25 Legends is a unique collection of Advent stories from around the world that proclaim the coming of the Christ Child. Each story is accompanied by colorful illustrations, and matching ornaments, reflecting God’s use of ordinary people, plants, birds, and animals to herald the birth of Christ.
The ageless tales reflect the celebrations in many countries, including England, Russia, Syria, Mexico and Poland, among others.
This storybook answers questions such as:
• Why does the robin have a red breast?
• Why are rosemary flowers blue?
• Why does the cat stay …

by Olivia Lennox
As a parent, being positive helps to maintain your child’s enthusiasm. A way to show this for real is to do what your children do. If they read a book, settle down to read at the same time. If you balance your checking account when they are doing their math homework, they will be able to see why math is important.
You shouldn’t give your child answers, but help them find the answer to any problems they can’t initially solve. Guiding them to an answer will prove more useful …

Women who want to uplift as well as delight others will enjoy the new Gratulari (‘to wish joy’) line of Compliments Gifts from mompreneur, speaker and author of The Compliment Quotient, Monica Strobel.
Unique, fun and inspiring Compliments Charm Necklaces feature a compliment message on one side of the silver-plated charm (you are Beautiful, you are Amazing) and an eye-catching design on the other side. Conveys how much you appreciate them when they open the gift and gives an uplifted shot of self-esteem whenever they wear it. Perfect for sisters, daughters, …

What parent wouldn’t want the opportunity to take their children on an around the world adventure – exploring new countries, new cultures, and new people. But how many parents are fortunate to be able to do this? Hartlyn Kids wants to offer a solution to that predicament – one book at a time.
Readers can start their travels with the Philippines with the first book in the collection, THE BAMBOO DANCE  written by Cress Sia and illustrated by Lisa Butler. In this book you will meet Paco and Diego, two Filipino …

Lucky Puppy is Nothing but Cute!  A line of adorable onesies, hoodies, tees, etc for infants and toddlers, there is sure to be something adorable for everyone.
When long time friends Sandi Hochman and Jonathan Cathey joined forces to create products for fellow dog enthusiasts, an innovative lifestyle brand with a focus on children’s fashion was founded. Sandi’s adoration for all things dog related merged with Jonathan’s creativity is the basis behind Lucky Puppy. Admittedly so adorable, the only tagline deemed appropriate was “Nothing But Cute”.
While Lucky Puppy is cute and …

Conscious consumers are everywhere. There are now a growing number of conscious companies as well. SLOWCOLOR is one.
Our mission is simple: to clothe the world in beauty, health and responsibility.
Our hope is to inspire people to change how they think about clothing and realize that our choices have a real impact on the lives of people around the world.  We believe we’re not alone in our commitment to become more conscious consumers — that’s why we created SLOWCOLOR.  Our  beautiful, fair-trade clothing is environmentally sustainable and created by hand loom weavers of India who …

Home For Christmas by Jan Brett tells the story of a wild little troll that runs away from home because he doesn’t want to do his chores. Rollo tries living with various woodland animals, but he finds out that there is no place like home, and returns to his family just in time for “the best Christmas ever.”
Among the animals who take him in are an owl family, a mother bear and two rambunctious cubs, some playful river otters, a hungry lynx and a friendly moose family.
Jan Brett creates an …

Penguin Foot Print
This craft is a super cute craft that is fun for kids to make and makes a great gift for grandparents or someone special in your child’s life. I took the print and placed a mat and frame around it to give as gifts to grandparents and I know they will be thrilled when they unwrap this treasure!
Items you will need:

White paper or cardstock
Black acrylic paint
Orange acrylic paint or orange crayon
Sponge or paintbrush
Googly eyes

Directions:

Simply paint your child’s foot using the black acrylic paint, leaving the inside area of …

The holidays are upon us, and we all know what that means—a month of indulgent eating and drinking.  So why not give yourself and your loved ones the gift of health this season by incorporating a little Mediterranean flair into your holiday soirées.  There are an abundance of studies indicating the significant benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and even last week The Los Angeles Times featured the healthful style of eating citing support from Harvard University’s, Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos who called the Mediterranean diet “possibly the best ever!”
Not sure how …

The Mystery of the Silver Statue, written by Middle School teacher Ray Perkins, takes place in a present day village in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Two 8th grade students, Jimmy and B.T., stumble upon a long-lost treasure map written by a member of Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian War. The hunt for the famous Silver Statue, stolen from the Abenaki Indians during a raid by Rogers’ Rangers in Odanak, takes the young detectives on exciting adventures, run-ins with criminals, and daring escapes as they try to break …

A new “pet” is quickly becoming the “it” toy of the year. The adorable plush baby animals that kids bring to life, create personalities, and name, Wuggle Pets combine the excitement of several of today’s hottest toy categories. Wuggle Pets are creative activity toys that adorn backpacks, creating a vibrant new collectable toy for ages four and up.
Unlike ordinary stuffed animals, Wuggle Pets are a collectable assortment of baby pets that are waiting to be brought to life by a child. The 12-piece Starter Kit comes complete with a Wuggle …

Does your daughter do pirouettes and vogue in front of the mirror?  Is she creative and into color and fabric galore?  Does she dream of being a true fashionista? Well look no further for a terrific gift that comes in just the right style and size – Imagine® Fashion Designer for Nintendo 3DS!
Create whatever you dream in the latest game from Imagine®, the original Games for Girls brand, that offers the most realistic and customizable fashion design game yet for the Nintendo 3DS system. Chart your own path to becoming …

Are you done shopping? I am mostly done (is that like almost pregnant?). I have to finish the stockings and get one thing for my brother and I should be good. Hopefully tomorrow will be the day. Or rather maybe not hopefully because I feel like I will have a WHOLE LOT OF COMPANY.
According to the National Retail Federation 2011 Holiday Consumer Survey, as of the second week in December, the average person has completed only 46.5 percent of their shopping.
Well, Walmart is certainly prepped and ready for …

Franky Fox Academy is an educational computer game for your Windows PC. It includes a variety of topics ranging from math, geography, history, and the Bible. In addition to the topics that come with the game, more are available for download from our growing topic catalog. Better yet, you can even create your own topics!
Topics

Franky Fox Academy comes with the following selection of topics for players to learn:

Bible: 12 Apostles
Bible: New Testament
Countries in North America
Countries in South America
Math: Fractions that equal 1/3
Math: Multiples of 7
Math(+): Things that equal 8
U.S. Presidents
U.S. …

While starting on a weight loss regimen in December is pretty much self defeating behavior, starting in January is quite common and it will be here before any of us know it.  I don’t know about you, but I do not like tracking my weight as much as my RESULTS.  I find it much more encouraging to track what I have lost than all that I have ahead of me to lose.  Well, let me introduce you to The Zero Scale.
The original and unique scale designed to help you achieve …

In Sarah Jio’s acclaimed debut novel, THE VIOLETS OF MARCH—hailed by Redbook as “engrossing”–Bainbridge Island was no mere setting but rather a central character in a story populated by people searching for second chances from the past and present.  In her second novel, THE BUNGALOW (A Plume Original, on sale December 27, 2011), Jio once again imagines mystical events that occur on a beautiful, but haunting island during WWII.
In THE BUNGALOW, Sarah Jio spins a timeless tale that will transport readers to an exotic island where hibiscus flowers grow …

Start off the new year right with a juicy new book by #1 bestselling author Janet Evanovich and award-winning author Dorien Kelly about love, espionage, small-town drama! Love in a Nutshell will be released in print and as an audiobook on 1/3/12.

Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a …

Based on the hit website, Awkward Photos.com, comes a celebration of the gloriously odd side of family and your new favorite party game!  Awkward Family Photos includes over 124 hilarious family photos featuring uncomfortable moments, vacations, weddings holidays along with read-aloud open ended questions for a memorable game night full of laughter and creative discussion. Your hilarious answers guarantee a night of awkward fun…and if you know your fellow players well enough and can impress them with your answers, you’ll have the last laugh.
For 4-6 players, ages teen to adult, …

PÜR Gum is the #1 selling aspartame-free better tasting, long-lasting gum. Now there’s a great tasting gum made especially for people who are looking for a healthy alternative to aspartame-free chewing gum.
Most gums on the market are made with the ingredient Aspartame- a man-made synthetic sweetener that’s been linked to many diseases. The FDA has listed 92 acknowledged symptoms of aspartame poisoning (we’re not making this stuff up).
PÜR Gum is sweetened with Xylitol, a naturally-occurring sugar alcohol found in corn cobs and stalks which a healthy alternative to sugar and …

Our Family Christmas Tree
2011
 I love our Christmas Tree.  Every year it looks different.  Brett does the lights and I help unwrap the ornaments while the girls decorate it.  This is the first year that we haven’t had to put all of the breakable and fragile ornaments up at the top.  Little hands you know. lol
When I was little, my Mom began giving me ornaments so that I would have them for my own tree when I got older.  I have kept up that tradition for both our family …

CONGRATULATIONS to Becky from Diary of a Mad Crazy Mom Type!
Thanks to all who participated!
I remember one special year as a child where we were spending Christmas at my grandparent’s home in the San Bernadino Mountains.  It was always a great adventure to have Christmas at Grandma’s because the whole family came – Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and all.  There was almost always snow but on this one occasion, I remember waking up during the night and looking out the window and seeing it snowing.  What a Christmas surprise!  I went …

The Secret Pocket Pillow combines a decorative pillow, stuffed animal and treasure box into one sensational toy. For ages three to eight, the Secret Pocket Pillow is made of cozy fleece with an adorable appliqué design on front and two hidden pockets. The large zippered pocket on back holds all types of toys, books and goodies, while the small pocket on front is hidden within the design and is a perfect “tooth fairy” pocket.  They are available in four designs: Florence Flower, Bella Butterfly, Cody Car and Rocco Rocket. Plush …

The Backside is a slim, fashionable, high-quality vinyl pocket that attaches easily with an adhesive strip to the back of most phones and phone cases and is ideally suited for iPhones, Droids and most Blackberrys. The Backside is designed to carry two standard credit cards. And because it is shorter than a credit card, the Backside won’t cover up the camera on most phones. It’s the perfect place to store your student id, gym card, credit card, work id, hotel room key, or even money. Keep it with your phone …

Mary’s Son: A Tale of Christmas (Cross Dove Publishing), winner of three Mom’s Choice Awards, is a modern-day story in which a mysterious old man named Nicholas shares the true meaning of Christmas with two young people. Sarah Stone is an 11-year-old rich girl who lives “on the hill” amid butlers, nannies, housekeepers, and a father who is too busy for her. Jared Roberts is a 13-year-old tough kid from the “sink” on the other side of town where he and his gang barely survive broken families.

Both Jared and Sarah …

Squinkies 2™: Adventure Mall Surprize! for Nintendo DS™ is now available. Released in late October, Squinkies fans will adore the fun and easy-to-learn gameplay set in fantastic, all-new environments, and of course, those cute, squishy, squashy Squinkies!
In Squinkies 2: Adventure Mall Surprize! players have a very important job to do: invite the Squinkies scattered throughout the newly opened Adventure Mall to the Squinkies party! To find them, players will explore the game’s four colorful locations: the Aquarium, Food Court, Wedding Castle, and Amusement Park. Along the way, kids will meet …

With about 2 weeks left until Christmas, many people are busily holiday shopping online. In 2010, more than $36 billion dollars was spent in online shopping over the holiday season and this year, it’s expected billions will be spent again in online shopping when all is said and done. However, before you log online and start making like Santa, there are 7 simple and easy tips for you and your entire family this shopping season thanks to the team at SafetyWeb.com.
1. Use a credit card – with common sense. Never give …