Melissa's Idea Garden

A couple of days ago, I wrote a review of Myst. I was pretty unhappy with the game and as I went in search of assistance, I discovered that others were having difficulties with the Nintendo DS format. I was frustrated because the audio was poor and with some parts of the game, that really matters.

Well, I am happy to report that I have a bit better opinion of the game today. First of all, here is a great walk through that I found. It is for the PC game, but it works pretty well with the DS version.

I have two suggestions for you, well, maybe three...Get a good pair of headsets. When I first started playing, I was relying just on the DS speakers. DH suggested I try headsets, and let me tell you they made a world of difference! Really! Secondly, when you go to the Selentic Age where you have to play the keyboard notes, try counting if you have a hard time getting the exact notes... in other words, if it is the first C and the first C is 8 notes up the keyboard, then count 8 notes up on the other contraption. That worked really, really well for me.

And thirdly, the walk through was great, but do try it on your own first. Once I started using the walkthrough, I didn't want to quit. It is a tough game, but persistence will get you through.

Good luck!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I tried a new game for my DS this month. I got MYST. I have been toying with it the last couple of months, but let me tell you, I wish I had read some of the reviews out there before getting it. I had the game for PC years ago and never made much headway with it. I was intrigued by it, but had much more success with 7th Guest and 11th Hour.

Since it is on DS, I thought I would give it a whirl. Hey, maybe I am smarter now...maybe becasue the platform is now the DS, it has gotten easier...wrong on both counts.

If anything, the game has gotten harder. I am stuck in the first world I went to visit because even though I have my sounds lined up in proper order, the game refuses to recognize that! I even went online to a cheat site (which I try very hard not to do)...I put the game up last night, feeling more than a little bit disgusted with the whole thing. I will give it a couple of days and try again, but all of the reviews I read, said the same thing...the audio on the game is hard to understand and that is an important component of the game.

Moral of the story...LOOK FOR ONLINE REVIEWS BEFORE purchasing...you can often save yourself a lot of grief and money too:) Also, be sure to share your two cents about games, books, movies, etc. It helps people make better decisions.

I have written a second review of this game after playing around with it some more. Be sure to check it out before you make a decision.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jack and Katrina have become Indiana Jones fans in recent weeks. And Jack saw this game by Best Buy at Hasbro and has been asking me about it for the last month. So yesterday I got it and today the three of us played it. The game took us about 2 hours. Like Scene It, it is fun seeing the movie clips from the show.

The game is designed for 2-4 players. There are traps, secret passageways, and chances for battle as well as the opportunity to discover all three relics from the first three movies. There are Fortune and Glory Cards, boulders you can put in the paths of your opponents, gold coins and medallions. You build the temple of relics as you play. It is a combination board game and DVD game.

I was pretty frustrated with it. It required memory skills I didn't have and speed with the DVD remote that I didn't have. I didn't succeed in obtaining any of the relics though I tried numerous times. The children became frustrated as well. Getting the Ark was particularly difficult. But when it was all over, they wanted to play again. I wanted to run away....

Unlike a game like Monopoly, this game to me, seems to have a short life span. The basics don't change. The order you obtain the relics changes, the way you build the temple changes. The cards you get change. But the challenges don't change. Play it enough times and it should become second hat. I am not opposed to the kids having some frustration in their lives. After all, in a world where it seems so much comes so easily, it is good fro them to have to overcome frustration, even better if they can learn to do it with a smile.

I give the game a 2.5 out of 5 possible stars. It is fun and the kids are overall enjoying it. But, for the price and the amount of life I see this game having in our house, it wasn't worth the 24.95 we paid for it. If you can get it on eBay or borrow it from a friend, that would be my suggestion.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of months ago, I signed up saying I would love to try the new Swiffer Duster and in return I would be happy to do a review of it on my blog.

Wouldn't you know that my Swiffer package arrived two days before we left for Illinois and literally a day after I had finished cleaning the house so it would be clean when I returned home....

Continue reading "Review: Swiffer Duster" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

My husband snores...and I don't mean the gentle snore of a young child or of a sleeping pet. I mean, he snores so loud that it rattles the windows, shakes the doors and has been heard from 20 feet away in our home. His snoring is directly related to his weight. When he gains, his snoring volume goes up exponentially. When he loses weight, he becomes quiet as a church mouse. But as we all know, losing weight isn't as easy as we would like it to be. When he is snoring like that, I find myself having to sleep on the other end of the house. Otherwise, I simply cannot sleep. I have tried ear plugs but they don't work.

So I was very excited when I was approached to try a new product called the Anti Snor Therapeutic Ring. This ring makes use of accupuncture principles to help stop people from snoring. We read amazing testimonies and awaited the ring's arrrival most anixiously.

The very first night Daniel tried it on, we noticed a difference in the volume level of his snoring. We could no longer hear him snoring in the next room. It was incredible. He was still snoring, but it wasn't the rattle the windows and shake the doors kind of snoring. The next night that he wore it, it didn't seem to have the same effect, not quite as quiet. We plan to try the ring out when he is home again (he travels during the week and is only home every other weekend). i'll let you know if it works out better. But in the meantime, I thought you would like to do some research into this item in case you are living with a snorer too!

(Of course, he claims I snore too...but I never hear it!)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to Bloggy Giveways! This week, hundreds of people will be posting giveaways over at Shannon's Giveaway blog and hundreds upon hundreds, dare I say thousands will visit! Have fun!

Do you struggle with dry skin? I do. During the winter time it is the worst. I have a couple of knuckles on my right hand that stay dry and 'scaly' no matter what I do and I have had my fingers crack open because of the dryness. That is very painful. So when I was given the chance to try a revolutionary shielding lotion called Skin MD, I was delighted.

Skin MD isn't just a moisturizing lotion, it is a shielding lotion. What does that mean, you ask? Well, it means that when you put Skin MD on, it is protecting your skin like a glove that keeps away the things that dry out your skin (water, chemicals, cold). It is also keeping in the natural moisturizers that your skin is producing. Skin MD research shows that when you use regular moisturizers that they actually trick your body into thinking your skin is moist and your body stops producing natural moisturizers. Then if you stop using the moisturizers, you can end up with drier skin than before. I have seen this happen a bunch of times myself.

The directions on Skin MD are to apply it every 2- 8 hours in the beginning and after a couple of days, Once every 12-24 hours. This is exactly how it worked for me. I put it on three or four times the first days, and I have been putting it on twice a day since. The dry spots on my knuckles are gone and that is a major thing because no other lotion has been able to get rid of them.

Continue reading "Skin MD - Review and 3 Giveaways!" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (184)

I love mustard! And I am not just talking about the yellow mustard that one will find in fast food restaurants or in most people's refrigerator. I enjoy the tangy taste of mustard and and I am always looking out to try new mustard combinations. Some of my favorites have been spicy brown mustard, honey mustard, and vidalia onion mustard. A good mustard can really perk up a sandwich (or in my case, I also enjoy mustard on my French Fries, Chicken Nuggets, and occasionally, I even enjoy a mustard and onion sandwich.

So I was tickled pink when I was given the opportunity to try two new Grey Poupon mustards and share with you my honest opinion about these products.

I am also a long time fan of horseradish, so spicy brown mustard is what I gravitate towards for my sandwiches, pretzels, and to dip pieces of turkey and ham in during the long holiday season! So when I received the new Grey Poupon Hearty Spicy Brown mustard, I couldn't wait to get the top off and give it a whirl. This mustard takes the nose opening Grey Poupon recipe and adds in bits of yellow onion. It is so yummy, you can eat it with a spoon (or lick it from the tip of your finger) and make your tastebuds tingle. So far, I have also enjoyed it on my french fries, chicken nuggets and for dipping my pretzels into! If you like a mustard that lets you know it is there, then you should give the Grey Poupon Hearty Spicy Brown mustard a try.

Grey Poupon is also introducing the Harvest Coarse Ground flavor. This flavor is even more sinus opening than the other. And I love the texture of the mustard seeds. This mustard is chock full of mustard seeds that burst in your mouth with tangy goodness giving you a delightful flavor sensation. Of these two mustards, this one is the stronger tasting one. If you prefer a milder dijon mustard, I would stick with the Hearty Spicy Brown, but if you want a real taste sensation, then stick your finger or spoon or pretzel into a jar of Harvest Coarse Ground and make your tongue smile with happiness. When you go to the Grey Poupon website, it recommends foods that the different mustards are especially meant to complement. One food for the Harvest Coarse Ground flavor is deviled eggs! I think that would be awesome and I am sensing some in my very near future!

Did I mention that I really like mustard????

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The makers of Dawn Direct Foam were kind enough to send me a full size sample of this new product. I received it a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't get a sponge until today. To use Dawn Direct Foam, you need to use a sponge. I am a dishcloth user. I have never taken to sponges for my dishes. Don't ask me why, it's just my preference. So today, I finally remembered to get a sponge so I could try out this new product.

The directions with this product are to dampen a sponge, squeezing out the excess water and start washing. You are to use the water for rinsing only. And you don't want to get the sponge too wet, you should only dampen it a bit to get more bubbles out of it. First off, this is so totally alien to me...I have been putting some soap in my sink, running it full of water and washing dishes for over 25 years. But I was game to give it a try.

Continue reading "Product Review: Dawn Direct Foam" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was sent a small sample of this product to try. Personally, it didn't do a whole lot for me. I could tell it was moisturizing, by the way the skin under my eye and on my hand felt after applying it. But I didn't see much difference. Perhaps I don't need that much 'firming' up yet. I was a bit confused as to whether the wrinkles were supposed to become less noticeable or the skin was supposed to become 'firm' looking, but either way, I didn't see these results.

It was easy to remember to apply it. I put it on twice a day when I brushed my teeth! This product may work for you and it is much more reasonably priced than other products that promise similar benefits. But if it doesn't help, don't blame me. If you want to read other reviews, check out Vocalpoint.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In November, I won a $150 dollar shopping spree to In the Pink Designs from Classy Mommy. A lot of the neat gifts I have won the last few months have been turned into gifts for loved ones because we were low on funds and that enabled me to give a little something to those I love. But this particular gift, I am keeping just for me. I sent Hethre Smith some photos of my children when they were babies (1996 and 2000). They worked with those pictures and made me the beautiful bracelet you see below. I will treasure this always!

If you are looking for a very special gift for yourself or for a grandparent, I highly recommend checking out the products that In the Pink Designs offers. They have wonderful customer service and create beautiful jewelry that you will treasure forever.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Amanda who said "I love the Candy Wrapper Necklace and the Go Go Convertible necklace/belt.
Thanks!!" won this contest! Jack pulled her name out of the hat! Congrats, Amanda! I am sorry I didn't have a ring for everyone who signed up!

Elizabeth and Tina at Twisted Silver know that my readers love jewelry and love a great contest! So they were kind enough to send one if their newest pieces to me so I could share it with you!

Introducing...the Tattoo Ring!

This delicate butterfly tattoo pattern is artfully crafted, ultra light, with the hard edge look of brass that seems to just mold to your finger. ONE SIZE FITS ALL (wear it on your thumb or any finger!)

Isn't it lovely? Would it look fantastic on your hand? Well, keep reading because this lovely piece can be yours!

Just an aside...you know to keep you waiting on the contest details...I personally am crazy about the earrings at Twisted Silver. I already own a pair of the Diva earrings and I have my eye on the Hepburn earrings...Honey, are you reading this? You were wondering what to get me for Christmas!!!! Hint, Hint, Hint!

Continue reading "A Twisted Silver Contest" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to try Microsoft Student With Encarta Premium 2008. I didn't Microsoft had such a product out there, but let me tell you, we have been enjoying it tremendously now that we have it! I loaded it onto my son's computer, and now I want to load it on my own! I also have been having a hard time getting Jack and Katrina to stop fiddling with it and do something else! Jack, 10, in particular has been enjoying it tremendously.

Let me start at the beginning and tell you a bit about Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008. This is a productivity suite of homework tools designed to help students excel. This version includes the following:

• Encarta Preumium 2008 - The #1 best-selling encyclopedia brand with content you can trust
• Learning Essentials - Complete with preformatted templates and tutorials designed for Microsoft Office (sold separately)
• Microsoft Math - which provides step-by-step help with math homework.

I installed this program easily (for me that is always a plus. I only had to click a few buttons (mostly next and okay) to get the program up and running.

Continue reading "Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2008" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, I was one of the lucky ones who was sent a free copy of Michael W. Smith's newest CD. We love Christmas music in our house and own over 20 Christmas CDs. My favorite radio station started playing Christmas music 24/7 last week and will do so until the day after Christmas. I couldn't wait to received a new sampling of Christmas music to add to our collection.

Tonight, as I wrapped up some gifts, I listened to the CD. It is beautiful! One of the things I really like about it is the variety. All of the songs are different. I know, you are saying, of course they are different...wouldn't be much of a CD with 11 of the same songs on it... Well, that's not what I mean. I mean, there are different types of songs an different types of instruments. There is pretty much something for everyone on this Christmas disc.

What I enjoyed about the CD was that I slowed down. Since it was a new CD, I took my time wrapping presents and slowed down and thought what Christmas means to me. The things about Christmas that are important and the things that are not. I put aside my worries for awhile and was swept away by the various songs. Christmas music is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. Singing and listening to old favorites and learning new favorites brings great joy to my family.

During the holidays its never easy to find gifts for people. Being able to get Christmas baskets online is a convenience. When you can get unique gift baskets such as chocolate gift baskets its easy to getting that gift at christmas for a special someone.

Continue reading "Christmas CD - Michael W. Smith: It's a Wonderful Christmas" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UPDATE: Kristen is the winner of this wonderful program! Sorry, I forgot to do the drawing yesterday! It was one of those days!

My children have been enjoying JumpStart programs for 7 years. They have learned math skills, geography skills, computer skills, reading skills and memory skills by playing Jump Start games since they were about 3 years old! And the best part is that they had fun while they did it! I always felt like Jump Start games were well created. The games were engaging as well as educational, the kids didn't complete them in one sitting and the cost was reasonable.

I was thrilled when I was offered the opportunity to check out the JumpStart World 1st Grade educational software. JumpStart has gone to a whole new level with this game! It is an interactive game and what you initially get are 2 adventure packs. This includes over 80 learning games and missions. Once your child has mastered these two adventure packs, then you can subscribe to the online site and get a new adventure pack every month. This means that as your child progresses, the challenges will increase and at a very reasonable rate! (either 7.99 a month or the remaining 10 packs at once for 64.99.) But, you may just want to play the two games included on the disk and if you do, that is also more than fine. However, I have a feeling that once we get through these two adventure packs, we are going to want to enjoy more experiences in JumpStart World.

Continue reading "Product Review: Jump Start World 1st Grade New for 2008! AND GIVEAWAY!!!" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I recently had the opportunity to receive and review three educational toys from Learning Resources. I was pleased to get this opportunity as we have purchased items from the before and we have always been pleased with the quality of the toys, the pricing and the fact that the toys engage our children's imagination. With Christmas coming up, and people scrambling for gift ideas, I want to share information about each of these toys it may help you with your Christmas shopping.

If your child has never played with Gears! Gears! Gears!, they are in for a treat! My kids have a small set of Gears! Gears! Gears! and they have used it to make puppies that walk, cool looking aliens and other concoctions. That's why I was excited to get the chance to add to their Gears! Gears! Gears! set with the 121 piece Lights and Action set from Learning Resources! This set comes with a motor and has parts that spin, sparkle and glow in the dark! I can't wait to see what cool creations they make with it!

Gears! Gears! Gears! Motorized Lights and Action Building set contains 121 pieces with easy-to-assemble interlocking gears, bases, connectors, and lights that offer high action fun in daylight or you can watch them glow in the dark! The easy-to-use motor lets children control all the action!

This particular building set encourages children to figure out how gears work together. Because if you don't line them up correctly, they don't turn and your creation doesn't go. This is a basic engineering principal that they are learning while they play! Get your child something new and different this holiday season! My kids guarantee they will love it!

Continue reading "Learning Resources: A Great Resource For Quality Educational Toys" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I was priviledged to be allowed to test a revolutionary microwave bacon cooker. When you think of making bacon in your microwave, do you think about the bacon practically laying in its own grease? Do you think about the splatters that you are going to have to clean out of your microwave? Do you think about how you won't be able to get the bacon crispy like you like it?

Well, if you have given up on microwaving bacon or if you never even tried because you just thought it wouldn't work, I want to let you know that it can be done in a painless fashion! All you need is the CrispyClean® Bacon Broiler! This is the only totally enclosed unit on the market and it is easy to use! And it is cute.

Let me tell you something about the way it works.

Continue reading "CrispyClean® Bacon Broiler - Microwave Bacon In a Totally Enclosed Unit!" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have recently received some Jergen's lotion samples from Walmart recently and I have been trying them out. I thought I would share my impressions with you in case it would help you choose a lotion that would be good for you.

Jergens Shea Butter: This has a very strong scent. In fact, I personally didn't care of it, but it did disappate after a while. When I first put it on, my arms felt 'tacky', but after about 30 minutes, I noticed that they didn't feel that way anymore. I guess the moisture had sunk into my skin. This is supposed to be a 24 hour lotion and at the end of 24 hours, my skin was still feeling soft. It is a combination of shea, mango and cocoa and it is designed to soften and heal skin. There was a weird time when about 6 hours after I had put it on, my skin felt tight, but then that passed. While this lotion is okay, it probably wouldn't be on my shopping list.

Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion: This has a light and pleasant scent. It is designed to moisturize into deeply hydrated skin. It did this. After 24 hours, my skin was still feeling wonderful. This lotion is along the lines of what I am looking for. Something that lasts (because I am forgetful) and I only have to apply once a day and it doesn't overpower my perfume.

Jergens Skin Smoothing Lotion: This lotion has a nice scent, It soaks in quickly. It exfoliates and softens at the same time. It makes my crusty feet and elbows feel wonderful!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I got a free sample from Wal-mart of Sunsilk Anti-Flat Shampoo, Conditioner and a styling product. These products are designed to increase volume. My hair is very thick, but its very thickness tends to weigh it down and make it look flat. So I wanted to see what Anti-Flat Shampoo would do for it.

I used all three products on the same day as indicated by the directions. The products had a nice scent and my hair didn't feel weighed down or overly slick when I was done. However, the directions did say to style as normal. Most of the time, I just let my hair dry by itself, so that's what I did as that seemed to me to be a true tst of the product. Unfortunately, I think it probably would have worked better if I had used a blow dryer. My hair was actually flatter than normal. Perhaps, I will get another sample some day and try it with the blow dryer, though just using the blow dryer does give my hair oomph.

So, it is not a wash out, it just isn't right for me.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)