Sea Animal Plush Gift Sets for Kids

Gift Review of soft toy sea animals with cute carriers

Sea-themed toys for babies and toddlers come in several varieties, each with a collection of soft plush toys which fit inside a related carrier. The carriers make it easy for tiny tots to carry them from place to place. 

If you live near the shore, or have vacationed at the beach, these sea animal gift sets make fun and appealing gifts.

Seaside Gift Sets

Four ocean animals in a large plush whale carrier. 

The package contains 4 smaller animals (starfish, dolphin, octopus and a ray) which fit inside a large whale carrier. The carrier is in the design of an Orca whale with a zipper design and measures about 17 inches long. The starfish and the octopus measure close to 4 inches in size, with the dolphin and the ray close to 5 inches in size. Cute soft snuggle buddies in an ocean theme. 

Plush Shark Toy and 5 Sea Animals Set

Another ocean-themed plush playset is this Amazon’s Choice plush shark toy carrier with 5 sea animals. The sea animal toys include a turtle, a whale, an octopus, a stingray and a crab which all fit inside this zippered shark carrier.

This sea creature plush toy set helps children explore marine life while they are enjoying a playtime of cuddly fun. An ideal gift for birthdays and holidays. 

Plush Seashell Gift Set

This cute seashell carrying bag set comes with 5 cute sea animal plushies, which include a Mermaid, a seahorse, an octopus, a crab and a sea turtle.

The shell-shaped bag has a zippered opening and a sewn-in handle to store the sea animals for easy storing and carrying.

This soft toy Mermaid and her sea animal friends toy set is a darling gift for birthdays, holidays and baby showers.

Six Piece Turtle Stuffed Animal Set 

This 6 piece sea turtle set comes with a 12 inch stuffed plush Sea Turtle mom and includes 3 Baby sea turtles and 2 Eggs. 

A green mother turtle plush has a zipper belly under the shell which holds, 3 baby plushies and 1 cute baby turtle egg, plus 1 baby turtle that broke out of its shell. 

Summary

These seaside-themed plush playsets will give your little ones hours of cuddly fun as they learn about the marine creatures that live in the ocean. Choose from a whale, a shark, a seashell or a sea turtle set. All are cute cuddle buddies for little ones. 

Related Reviews:

• Barnyard Buddies in Plush - a Cuddly Review

*Plush Gift Sets in a Sea Animal Theme review was written by Wednesday Elf

Plush toy gift sets in a seaside theme:

 

Syhood 5 Pieces Sea Stuffed Animals Plush Set Include 1 Large Whale Plush Doll with Small Starfish Dolphin Octopus Ray Stuffed Toy for Huggable Sleeping Holiday Birthday Gifts

PREXTEX Plush Toy Shark Stuffed Animal with 5 Sea Animals - Shark Plush Toy with Turtle, Whale, Octopus, Stingray, Crab - Giant Stuffed Animals for Kids Aged 3 and Up - Fun Gift for Sea Animal Lovers

BenBen Ocean Stuffed Animal, 5 Pack Small Sea Creature Plush Toys and Shell Carrying Bag Set, Cute Plushies for Baby Kids, Sea Turtle, Octopus, Mermaid, Seahorse, Crab, Baby Shower, Stocking Stuffers

Aoriher 6 Pieces Turtle Stuffed Animal Set 12 Inch Stuffed Plush Sea Turtle Mom with 3 Babies and 2 Eggs for Kids Birthday Valentine‘s Day(Classic)

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Book Review of Syndicate by Felix Francis

A Dick Francis Novel

Felix Francis returns with another intriguing mystery set in the world of horseracing, just like his father, Dick Francis did. With Felix growing up in the British racing world due to his dad once being a jockey, followed by a long career of writing horseracing mysteries, race horses and the world they inhabit, makes a natural setting for these stories. 

Synopsis of Syndicate

Syndicate (A Dick Francis Novel)

This novel’s main character, Chester Newton, is an organizer and manager of racehorse syndicates.  Being a member of a syndicate allows one to co-own a racehorse and experience the enjoyment found in the racing world without the complete expense involved in buying the horse and paying for its training. The joint enterprise of a syndicate makes owning a racehorse financially feasible for many more fans of the sport. 

Running racehorse syndicates, such as those Chester has done for the past twenty years or so, involves quite a lot of work and can be a high-stakes way of life. The successes of the horses on the racetracks can be filled with high-reward; losses can be disappointing.  But it has never been dangerous, until the evening after a fantastic win at the Epsom Derby when his daughter Amanda disappears from the family party.  

After several frantic and terror-filled hours, Amanda is found safe, but with no memory of what happened to her. Then Chester discovers that someone is trying to take over one of his syndicates by force. He begins to receive threatening calls from someone with a squeaky voice telling him how to run his horses by threats of serious harm to him and his family. Not just Amanda’s life, but also those of his son James and his wife Georgina. 

For the first time, Chester’s life is not just about horse racing or the money at stake, but the lives of his loved ones. 

Summary

As the reader learns about the world of British racehorse syndicates, author Felix Francis leads us on a thrilling race to the end to discover who is behind all the threats. 

Related Reviews of books by Dick & Felix Francis: 

• Book Review of Straight
• Reviews of the First Three Books in the Sid Halley Series
• Continuation of the Sid Halley Book Series
• Crisis by Felix Francis
• No Reserve by Felix Francis
• Iced by Felix Francis

For More Book Reviews, Check Out
ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of Syndicate written by Wednesday Elf 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Identity Unknown by Patricia Cornwell

Book Review of Book 28 of 28 in the Kay Scarpetta series.

Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, in 1990 while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. 

During that same time period, I was working for a Medical Examiner in Mid-Missouri and found the whole subject of the work of medical examiners fascinating and interesting. Thus, Postmortem appealed to me. After reading it, I immediately became a fan of author Patricia Cornwell. As a matter of fact, during that time my boss attended a medical examiner meeting on the East Coast and actually met Patricia Cornwell. 

Cornwell has written several series, but her most well-known one is that featuring Kay Scarpetta, a Medical Examiner in Virginia, as the main character. This is my review of her latest book in the series, Book #28 ~ Identity Unknown. 

Synopsis of Identity Unknown

Identity Unknown (Kay Scarpetta)

The plot begins as Dr. Kay Scarpetta is summoned to an abandoned theme park to retrieve a body. She is devastated to learn that the victim is a dear friend; well-known astrophysicist, Sal Giordano. 

The  murder scene is very strange. The body appears to be atypically red and is found lying within a crop circle of petals. Examination of his fatal injuries indicate that he was dropped from a great height from an unidentified flying craft. 

The subsequent autopsy and investigation reveals suspicions that include an otherworldly force or perhaps something Giordano himself was involved in. 

Kay Scarpetta, along with her niece and her husband (both who work for the Secret Service) search out an explanation closer to home, which is possibly far more evil. 

Summary

Outstanding storytelling, with characters who feel like family after twenty-eight books in the series, Identity Unknown is an excellent addition to the Kay Scarpetta Series. I highly recommend it to fans of the series and of author Patricia Cornwell.

Related Review:

• Autopsy by Patricia Cornwell

For more Book Reviews, Check Out

ReviewThisBooks.com

*Book Review of Identity Unknown written by Wednesday Elf

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

A while ago, I reviewed The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. It is the story of a solitary green notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship, and even love.

Clare Pooley, a British author, has a special knack of weaving together clearly flawed (as aren’t we all in one way or another), but lovable characters and allows them to prove how worthy they are. This was so true in The Authenticity Project, and is even more so in her latest novel ~ How to Age Disgracefully. 

Cast of Characters

Lydia - who takes on the  job of running the Senior Citizens’ Social Club now that her children are grown, expecting she will spend her time drinking tea and playing gentle games of cards.

Art - a failed actor who has somehow turned into a kleptomaniac, and his best friend, William.

Ruby - a banksy-style knitter who creates unusual public yarning projects.

Daphne - who just turned 70 and regrets the number of years she has hidden away from her rather checkered past. Hoping no one any longer pays attention to who she was, she now feels a need to find some friends and stop being so alone.

Ziggy - a teenage dad - and his adorable toddler daughter, Kylie.

And, last, but certainly not least as she eventually plays a large part in the story, is an orphaned geriatric dog named Margaret Thatcher (after the former British Prime Minister) who sometimes gets called simply ‘Margaret’ or “Maggie”, depending on which of the senior citizens you ask.

A Brief Synopsis of How To Age Disgracefully

How to Age Disgracefully: A Novel

When you find yourself approaching the later decades of life, you discover that age makes you invisible and secrets are easier to hide.

When this group of seniors come together at a senior citizens’ center that shares space with a daycare, hilarious results are in store.

When an accident involving a partial collapse of the  buildings’ ceiling causes the local council to threaten to close the club, the members of the Social Club join together with their tiny daycare friends next door, along with Ziggy, his toddler daughter and the geriatric dog, to save the building. 

Their unorthodox methods may actually work, as long as their pasts, and the police, don’t catch up with them first. They certainly do turn out to be a far cry from the genteel 'tea & card playing' group Lydia thought they would be! 

Summary

How to Age Disgracefully is an absolutely delightful story with a charming group of characters. Clare Pooley has outdone herself with another ensemble comedy filled with characters who prove we are limitless at any age.

Related Link:

• The Authenticity Project

For more Book Reviews, check out

ReviewThisBooks.com

*Review of 'How to Age Disgracefully' is written by Wednesday Elf

 

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Reviewing Two Similar Rummy-Style Card Games

Several years ago I learned a new card game called Three-Thirteen (3/13). It is played with a regular deck of cards. The rules are simple and the game is very enjoyable played with two or more players. 

The other rummy type card game I just began playing is called Five Crowns.

Three-Thirteen Basic Rules

Image Source: Pixabay

As each round is played, each player tries to combine all the cards in their hand into one or more sets (as either 3 or more of a kind, or as a run, or a combination of both). When a player’s hand is complete, they lay down their hand and all other players get one more turn to try and improve their own hand to reduce their score.

Play begins with a three-card hand and the number of cards increases by one for each subsequent hand from 3 to 13 (kings). Designated wild cards can be used for any card when saving runs and sets. The wild cards change with each round with the jokers always being wild and each round having as its wild card the card that equals the number of cards dealt for that round (i.e., with 3 cards, 3s are wild, with 4 cards, 4s are wild, etc.)

At the end of the final round (Kings), the winner is the player with the fewest number of points. There are several variations of Three-Thirteen, as seen here in the Wikipedia article. 

Since learning to play 3/13, I have taught it to everyone in my family. So anytime I get together with siblings, children, or grandchildren, this has been our card game of choice.

Recently, I joined a card group at my apartment complex. They get together once a month to play cards and then share a meal. My first time I planned to play whatever the group had decided on, but also hoped to eventually teach them my favorite card game ~ Three-Thirteen. When I arrived for my first visit to the group, I discovered their preferred game was Five Crowns. Turns out that the rules are basically the same as my beloved game of 3/13. What fun! I learned a new game with new friends and still get to play my favorite rummy card game!

Five Crowns Basic Rules

PlayMonster Five Crowns — The Game Isn't Over Until the Kings Go Wild! — 5 Suited Rummy-Style Card Game — For Ages 8+

Five Crowns differs from playing with simply a regular deck of cards (or two decks if you have more than 3 people) in that there are five suits (your regular hearts, spades, clubs & diamonds, plus a STAR suit. 

The game consists of two 58-card decks (116 cards in all) containing the five suits, each consisting of eleven cards from the 3s to the kings. There are also six Jokers in this game, used as wild cards in each round. 

As with the game of Three-Thirteen, Five Crowns is won by the person with the lowest score at the end of play.

Summary

Whether you play Three-Thirteen or Five Crowns, these rummy-style games are quick, easy and a great deal of fun to play. If you enjoy playing cards, you will find these two games extremely pleasurable. 

Links to Related Reviews of Playing Card Games & Playing Card Holidays:

• Card Playing Day (December 28)
• Monopoly Deal
• Cards Against Humanity
• Here to Slay Strategy Card Game

*A Review of Two Similar Rummy-Style Card Games was written by 

     ~Wednesday Elf

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Flashpoint - An FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter

Agents Savich & Sherlock return in a new novel in Coulter’s bestselling FBI Thriller series.

Synopsis of Flashpoint

Flashpoint: An FBI Thriller (An FBI Thriller, 27)

A year ago, Elizabeth Palmer was almost killed, along with hundreds more, in what police thought was an attempted terrorist bombing of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. 

Today, Elizabeth feels her life is finally getting back to normal. She’s optimistic and her painting is going well. Suddenly, her world changes in a flash with three new attempts on her life. Because of her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her ~ and why.

Meanwhile.....

At the same time, back in the U.S., twelve-year-old Autumn takes on a summer job to watch over Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy who is staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. 

While teaching Tash to hike, Autumn learns that Tash is psychically gifted just like her. They learn that Archer Navarro (Tash’s father) is suspected of embezzling from his own firm and he is being sought by both the FBI and Interpol. When Archer and his new wife disappear, Tash is scared and becomes convinced that his father needs help.  

Autumn wants to  help Tash, so she reaches out to the only person she knows who can help find them - Dillon Savich of the FBI, who also shares the psychic gift Autum and Tash have.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth, desperate for answers to who wants her dead, flies to D.C. to get help from Savich and Sherlock.  Special Agent Rome Roxe is assigned to protect her in a race for survival from deadly assailants. 

Summary

Flashpoint is an action-packed, nonstop thriller from Catherine Coulter. It is #27 of 27 in her FBI Thriller series starring Dillion Savich and his FBI partner and wife, Sherlock. More than one mystery needs to be solved before this story is done. Fast-paced and an enjoyable read. 

*Review of the book “Flashpoint” by Catherine Coulter was written by Wednesday Elf

 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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More Good Today Day - Holiday Review

Looking through a list of wacky, wild and funny holidays for December, I came across one for December 14th called "More Good Today Day".  Reading that it is a gratitude/share kindness/caring kind of day, it seemed to fit in this mid-December counting the days until Christmas time. We are all feeling 'good' as we prepare to celebrate the holidays with family/friends and it seems appropriate that we take a bit of time on December 14th to share those good feelings. 

Holidays That Celebrate Kindness, Generosity and Caring

Learning about the More Good Today Day holiday, I discovered that there are a number of holidays throughout the year which focus on the positive words and acts of kindness that belong under the umbrella of More Good Today! Check out the following dates that encourage us all to be more caring and extend acts of kindness that help make this old world of ours a better place to live.

Image: Pixabay

• January 24th is known as National Compliment Day, a day to promote positivity by brightening someone’s day.
• February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day
• June 1st is National Say Something Nice Day
• June 7 - World Caring Day 
• October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day
• On the 4th Saturday in October, we are encouraged to participate in Make a Difference Day – which is a “national day of doing good”.
• November 13 is World Kindness Day
• November 28 is GivingTuesday - A day of global generosity
• December 1st is known as World Generosity Day

Summary

So, pick a day to be extra kind, or caring or generous and discover how giving out positive vibes also makes YOU feel GOOD. That would seem to be the positive message behind this More Good Today Day! 

*More Kindness and Caring Reviews to Read and Embrace:

• Embracing the True Spirit of Christmas Through Acts of Kindness by Barbara Tremblay Cipak
• Embracing the New Year: A Journey of Kindness, Tolerance and Authenticity by Barbara Tremblay Cipak

*Holiday review of More Good Today Day written by Wednesday Elf 

Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde (2014-12-23)

Share a Little Kindess: A Children's Book about Doing Good in the World

Feeling Grateful: How to Add More Goodness to Your Gladness

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Christmas Novels Review

Holiday themes are always popular novel subjects, especially around Christmas Time. It is the perfect time of year for stories of love and romance, hope and happiness.

In addition to the classic reads, such as A Christmas Carol and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, many authors publish Christmas novels for your holiday reading enjoyment and for gift-giving.

Debbie Macomber and Christmas

Perhaps the most well known author to bring out new Christmas novels is Debbie Macomber. She has earned the title of “the official storyteller of Christmas” by virtue of her annual Christmas books. Six of these stories have been made into original Hallmark Channel movies. 

A Christmas Duet Synopsis

Debbie Macomber’s 2024 Christmas novel, A Christmas Duet, is her latest story for this holiday season.

A Christmas Duet

Hailey Morgan is an assistant high school band teacher in Portland, Oregon. Hailey’s life has always revolved around music. She once hoped to make a living composing her own songs, but the reality of life changed that.

As holiday time draws near, Hailey dreads having to again spend Christmas with her meddling family. When her close friend offers a family cabin, empty this time of year, for a solo retreat, Hailey decides it is time to do something to make herself happy.

Hailey arrives at her friend's cabin in a small Washington town, expecting a peaceful getaway. However, her plans are initially disrupted when she discovers that the cabin is unexpectedly inhabited by several wild animals.

Lucky for Hailey, the local mayor’s son - Jay - is very willing to help make the cabin livable. Jay is charming and also happens to be a former musician.

Image Source: Pixabay

It doesn’t take long before Hailey and Jay are inseparable, enjoying holiday traditions together. They chop down a tree and decorate it while sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire.  They also spend time playing music together and, with Jay’s encouragement, Hailey begins to believe she might yet succeed as a songwriter. 

Hailey is truly enjoying her snow-dusted oasis at the cabin, but her family’s holiday drama interrupts her newfound peace. Also, Jay reveals some things that present complications of their own.

With challenges and complications interrupting her Christmas paradise, Hailey has to learn to stand up for herself and find a way to embrace the holiday spirit.

Summary

Debbie Macomber’s Christmas novel “A Christmas Duet” puts us in the festive spirit. The magic of Christmas becomes a part of the plot and captures the essence of the holiday season. A delightful holiday read. 

Related Links:

• For more information about Debbie Macomber’s Christmas novels, visit her website: www.DebbieMacomber.com.
• For more Debbie Macomber book and movie reviews, click here.
• For More Book Reviews on Review This Reviews, Check Out ReviewThisBooks.com

*Christmas Novels Reviewed by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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