Wednesday, April 8, 2009

My "Review Blog"

I was talking with Mary yesterday about the opportunities (or lack thereof, in my case) that people have to review products on their blogs. I've had a couple of requests to review things (one in this post) and would welcome the opportunity to do more. Hint hint. I think they're fun and Mary Emma LOVES the opportunity to tell anyone exactly what she thinks about something. Ahem.

Anyhoo, not too long ago, Corrine, from Turner Publishing Co. in Nashville contacted me about reviewing a new book that was coming out. It is a coffee table book entitled Historic Photos of Birmingham. It immediately caught my attention because 1. I love coffee table books of any kind, 2. I love old pictures, and 3. I live in Birmingham. Score. Score. Score. Of course I said yes and she immediately shipped the book to me.



Y'all. It's a beautiful book. The pictures are mostly from the Turn of the Century - Great Depression era, but some are also from the Civil Rights era through the late 70's. My dad, who was born in Birmingham and spent a lot of his childhood here, absolutely LOVES the book. Many of the pictures are of the coal and steel mills, which is the foundation on which Birmingham is built. There are some awesome aerial pictures, including a picture of The Spirit of St. Louis flying over Birmingham during a visit by Charles Lindbergh, himself. There are pictures of celebrities, including Bob Hope and Doris Day, during a visit to Birmingham. It's fascinating. If you live on Birmingham or are from Birmingham, you will really enjoy this book. It's sitting proudly on my coffee table even as we speak.

The second item I'd like to talk about really hits a sensitive part of my heart. It deals with our children and their knowledge of stranger safety. My biggest fear (and probably yours, too) is for someone to take one of my children. It's a scenario that I don't even want to think about, but one that I feel compelled to teach my children about. But there's the fine line where I want to make them smart and aware, but don't want to scare them. So I researched and found this DVD.



It's called The Safe Side: Stranger Safety. It was developed by John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted and the parent of an abducted child, and Julie Clark, creator of Baby Einstein. It takes a scary subject and makes it completely kid-friendly. They don't use the word "stranger" because that word generally makes kids think of a mean, scary-looking person. They categorize adults into 3 categories: 1. Safe-Side Adults, 2. Kinda Knows, and 2. Don't Knows. They teach your child what to do in a "Kinda Know" situation as well as a "Don't Know" situation. The mood is kept light-hearted and funny so the kids aren't scared. Safe Side Superchick, the main character, is ultra corny, but the kids LOVE her. My girls giggle and laugh and love watching the DVD. And when I pop-quiz them on "stranger safety," they understand what they've been taught. I cannot recommend this DVD enough. It is absolutely fantastic. If you have kids, this should be a part of your movie collection. If you don't have kids, buy it for someone who does. Consider it your acceptance of the challenge.

That's all for now. Hope to have more stuff to review in the future.

Until then, have a good one.

9 comments:

connorcolesmom said...

Wow that coffee table book looks cool!
And I am going to have to get that DVD
My cole knows not a stranger
everyone is a "friend"
Lord have mercy it scares me to death!
Love you girl
Kim

NikkiPoppins said...

That dvd is awesome!! The kids I used to Nanny had it and loved watching it...so of course I let them watch it over and over, hoping it would sink in!! The girl that puts that dvd out also has another one...can't remember what it's called but it's along the same lines.

Love you!
Nikki

Unknown said...

I love reviewing things! The UPS / USPS peeps probably get tired of coming to my house!

I wish I had known about this reviewing stuff years ago!

That books looks great. Being born and raised in Birmingham, I love some Bham history :-).

Mary said...

Love your reviews!! Bang up job.

For all Moms and Dads out there -- when it comes to your little ones, remember to follow your gut. Most children are harmed or molested by people they trust. If you, Mom or Dad, have a bad feeling about someone DON'T risk it.

I love your challenge idea!!

Jules from "The Roost" said...

Thanks for the great book tips!

sobeit said...

Thanks for the tips...love old photos and I have family in Birmingham!

sobeit89
http://sobeit89.squarespace.com

RR Mama said...

I have taught my kids about strangers but I am always looking for new ways to keep it fresh in their minds. I am accepting this challenge and will let you know how it goes. Thanks a bunch! Have a great Easter!!!

Fran said...

Very cool book on safety. But i'm not so much into the Bham book. You understand. ;)

Love ya girl,
Fran

Anonymous said...

Hi fellow mommy,

Thanks for sharing these books. I'm also a mother of a 14-month old baby and I blog regularly about baby care tips and my experiences raising him.

The link address is Raising Daniel.

Thank you.

Thea