Reviewing What We Know About the Red Panda

Photo © Cynthia Sylvestermouse

One Pretty Baby

I really do love all of the animals at the zoo, but there is just something so sweet about the Red Panda. 

For one thing, almost any time I see one at the zoo, it is alone.  His solitary existence just seems to tug at my heart.  He is so adorable that I always want to just reach in and grab that little cutie and give it a hug. 

It breaks my heart to know that the Red Panda is endangered.

Red Pandas

Photo © Cynthia Sylvestermouse

The beautiful Red Panda lives, eats and sleeps up in a tree. When it is cold, it will wrap itself with its gorgeous furry, ringed tail to keep warm. The Red Panda sleeps mostly during the day and forages for food at night. They eat fruit, berries, acorns, eggs. mushrooms and bamboo.

Because of his lovely red hair, he has also been named a Firefox and because he resembles a domestic cat, he has been called a Bear Cat and even Red Cat. Ironically, the Red Panda is not a bear, it is not a cat and it is not a fox. It is in fact in a family of its own. It is a Ailuride, part of the Musteloidea superfamily which includes the skunk, weasel and raccoon.

This endangered animal is still illegally hunted for his fur and even for his tail, which is considered a good luck charm.

A Few Facts About the Red Panda

• Weight: 12 - 20 lbs
• Length: 20 - 26 in.
• Tail Length: 12 - 20 inches
• Average Lifespan: 8 years
• Lives in China, India, Myanmar & Nepal

 

ENDANGERED

This is an especially adorable video of two Red Pandas playing in the snow. You will be able to see for yourself their tremendous ability to climb and hang in a tree and I know you will enjoy watching their antics in the snow as much as I do. 

Where You Can See a Red Panda

Because Red Pandas are endangered, plus they are awesome at camouflaging themselves within tree branches and leaves, it is rare to see one in the wild. However, many zoos care for Red Pandas.  I highly recommend visiting a zoo sometime soon to see a Red Panda in person. I know you will simply fall in love with them!

Be sure to take your camera too!  Once you spot a Red Panda, you will want to memorialize the moment with a snapshot, or perhaps a dozen or more. I always find it difficult to step away from these little sweeties. If he is sleeping, I always want to hang around until he wakes up. If he happens to be awake and moving around, I am simply mesmerized by his ability to slowly climb head first down a tree trunk. Makes me wish I had retractable claws!

Red Panda's on Binders, Mugs & More

I love photographing beautiful animals. Sometimes I offer those photos for sale on Zazzle products. The image of the Red Panda below is offered on several different products, including ornaments, mugs, posters and the featured binder.

 Red Panda Notebook Binder Red Panda Ornament ~ Endangered Species Series Red Panda Poster Red Panda Magnet Red Panda Coffee Mug

 

Zoos That I Know Care for Red Pandas

• Memphis Zoo in Memphis, Tennessee
  This is my personal favorite simply because they have worked hard to provide fabulous habitats for all of their animals instead of cages, although, for our protection, so animals are behind glass or fence style enclosures.
• St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, Missouri
  This is another of my personal favorite zoos to visit.  The St. Louis Zoo proudly participates in the Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for red pandas.
• The Sacramento Zoo
• Philadelphia Zoo Home Page
  The Philadelphia Zoo, America’s first zoo, is a 42-acre Victorian garden that is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of them rare and endangered.
• The Birmingham Zoo - Inspiring Passion for the Natural World
  The Birmingham Zoo is Alabama's most popular not-for-profit attraction, drawing more than 450,000 visitors annually. Approximately 750 animals of 250 species call the Birmingham Zoo home, including sea lions, cheetahs and endangered species from six
• Bronx Zoo: Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
• Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago
• San Diego Zoo in California
• Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool, Lancashire in England
• Willkommen - Aachener Tierpark - Euregiozoo
  This zoo is located near the international triangle where Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium meet.
• Visit the Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia for actual Animal Encounters including the Red Panda
• Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia

How about you.  Do you know a zoo that cares for Red Pandas.  If so, please leave the name of the zoo in the guestbook below and I will add it to the list above.  Everyone prefers a zoo near them.  Plus, it is really cool to discover who helps these gorgeous creatures.

Visit AmazingWildAnimals.com 

to Read about More Beautiful and Endangered Animals!

Check Out More Animal Reviews
Here on Review This!

Reviewing What We Know About the Red Panda Written by:

           This article was originally published by me in 2009 on a site that is no longer in existence.  

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Review of Facts and Photos of the Northern Cardinal

Male Northern Cardinal

The Northern Cardinal is one of my favorite birds.  They frequently visit my backyard feeders and birdbath and I never get tired of photographing them.  I find both the male and female to be very photogenic.

Fun Facts About the Northern Cardinal

• State bird of 7 US states
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Diet consists of seeds, insects and berries
• Also known as redbird
• Featured as the name of numerous athletic teams including my favorite St. Louis Cardinal baseball team.
• Beautiful songbirds who sing year round.  Loud whistling song that has many variations including: cheer,cheer,cheer and purty,purty,purty.
• Male sings to defend nesting territory.
• Cardinals do not migrate and live their entire lives within a few miles.
• Cardinal lifespan can be up to 15 years.

Thanks goes to my granddaughter Kate for sharing some of her Cardinal facts with me.

Differences between Male and Female Cardinals

The male Cardinal is perhaps the mostly widely recognized bird in the USA.  Male is completely red except for small black mask and a black chin.  These birds have heavy bills to deal with their diets.

Although the female is duller in color, I think they are equally beautiful.  They are a tawny brown with a small amount of red on the crest, wings and tail.  I love their bright orange/red beak.

Photos of Cardinals in my Backyard

This little guy is all puffed up against the cold winter winds.

I like the look on this Cardinals face.  He seems to be saying "it's my turn here now...stay away!"

Products with Northern Cardinals

Because they are such a colorful and popular birds you can find numerous products that feature cardinals.  A search on Amazon will show you toys, household decorating items and much more.  Here are a couple that caught my eye.

I love this colorful Cardinal trivet.  What a great way to bring this colorful bird into your home.

If you are looking for some decorations with Cardinals for your deck or patio this beautiful wind chime is just for you.  I love the sound of chimes in the wind and I'm sure you will love this colorful decoration.

Cardinal Magnet from my friend Vicki's Zazzle store

Magnet Cardinals appear when angels are near..
by Vimages4you

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

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Who Loves Laundry? Let's Review a Great Way to Make that Job Easier!

No one I know loves to do Laundry!  But the fact is it needs to be done regularly, otherwise your friends may not be friends for long!  Let's Review how to make this chore more enjoyable and more organized!

It's been almost 7 months into our big change in lifestyle.  We moved from our home into an apartment and as you can imagine there are some changes that we did not foresee!

Generally we are happy with our move into a flat, one level apartment.  We are blessed with an apartment that is almost as big as our home was, so space is not an issue!  Our kids were informed and invited to our home(before the move) to select from our discards, anything that they felt personally attached to and whatever it was, found a new home with them. 

The one change that I did not foresee was being able to go and do laundry at any time.  If I had a special outfit that needed laundering or I was just tired of having a pile in the hamper, I would go down to my laundry room and get on with the job at hand.  In an apartment it's a little different. 

Each wash load and dryer load costs you on your "laundry credit card".  So the idea of doing only a few items at a time becomes an issue.  Luckily, our building and the laundry facilities are wonderful and well maintained.  There is no issue with not having enough machines to do the work.  The only issue is that they are not as adaptable as a home washing machine is.

Solutions for Laundry Struggles

These machines are industrial in size and capacity.  Small loads are not an option and I understand that completely.  So when laundry day rolls around, it's nice to have everything already sorted and ready to place into the machine. In my home, when sorting was done, one black sock would always manage to stay out of the dark cycle. Don't you hate it when that happens?

To that end, Hubby and I invested in a Laundry  Sorter Cart that is both practical and it's not too bad to look at either.  It fits nicely into a corner of our bedroom, and because of its design the laundry gets sorted into colors, whites and darks, as our day clothes are being changed into PJ's. 

Half of the laundry work is already done now!  When we were in the house, everything went into one hamper, so sorting was another part of the job, before it went into the machine.  Not anymore!


This cart allows you to sort your laundry and it has nice big wheels so that moving it from the bedroom to the laundry room is as easy as taking the garbage out to the garbage chute.  Down the hallway to the elevators, into the laundry room without having to lift big loads or cumbersome laundry baskets.  When the laundry is complete, you have the choice of folding in the laundry room or bringing it back to the apartment to do that job in the comfort of your own space.  It all fits back into the trolley and rolls with you back to your abode.  Easy, quick and it does not require any lifting or lugging!  How many times had I folded everything, put it nicely back into the Laundry baskets and had one of the handles slip out of my grip?  All my clothes are now unfolded and on the floor.  Talk about frustrating and upsetting!  Not Anymore!  

If I can suggest anything to someone who is moving into an apartment, it would be this Laundry Cart!  It has made a big difference for us and I'm sure it will for you too!  A great gift or housewarming present for every senior who is downsizing and decluttering.  Neat, tidy, and useful, these are the things I look for nowadays.  This fits that bill perfectly.  

There is just one other thing that I have purchased to help with laundry days and that is a small collapsible dryer for those things that I really don't want to go into the dryers.  My Delicates go on this and within a few hours they are dry too!  I guess my south facing balcony helps there.   


When this little wire dryer is folded flat it takes up only a few inches of space. I hide it in our Storage area until I need it again. Light and easy to unfold, it takes up room only when it's opened up. The rest of the time, it is hidden away.

When we made our move, I was worried about adjusting to the common laundry area, but I see now that my worries were unfounded.  It just took a little bit of tweeking to get everything just right!

Hope this Review of Rolling Laundry Sorting Carts makes your laundry day routines a little easier too!

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

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Pie Cookbook Reviewed

To Celebrate National Pie Day Or Any Day

Fruit Pie image courtesy of Pixabay.com

As I write this on January 23rd, I will start out with Happy Pie Day! I'm going to be telling you about a Pie cookbook a little further down the page but first let's talk about pie. 

Personally, I prefer pie over cake. One year when my birthday was approaching my grandmother asked me what kind of cake I wanted. I looked at her for a minute and said, "I would really rather have a black raspberry pie, Grandma." She laughed her wonderful laugh that made her whole body move and her eyes twinkle. We shared a birthday, my grandmother and I, which happened to be in April. That is not the time of year that one finds black raspberries. I did not get a pie that year but every year after until she went to heaven in 1990, that dear woman baked me a black raspberry pie for our birthday. 

A few years back another of our Contributors here at Review This told us a lot about National Pie Day. I won't repeat what she wrote about but instead will recommend a cookbook that you might like to own in order to make your own pies whether it is for National Pie Day or any day of the year.

Me, Myself and Pie

There are over 100 recipes in this delightful cookbook. Of course you can find traditional types of pie with both sweet and savory fillings. The author also includes more modern versions of pies like pie-pops and pie-in-a-jar. I think you will be delighted with the recipes no matter if your favorite is a fruit pie, a cream pie or a meat pie. The author, Sherry Gore, covers them all in her delightful cookbook.

Another feature of this wonderful cookbook is that the author shares personal stories of her Amish life and the culture of people. For me, that is a nice bonus!

How do you plan to spend National Pie Day? Will you bake a pie for your family or will you go to a local bakery to get a pie? I plan to bake a black raspberry pie and have happy thoughts of my wonderful grandmother. 

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

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Reviewing Easy No-Bake Bliss Balls

No-Bake Bliss Balls

Bliss balls are extremely easy-to-make and no-bake delicious snacks. They require few ingredients, can be made to suit your cravings, and are typically considered to be healthy snacks. In fact, some sources attribute Bliss Ball recipes to Keto or Paleo diets. I do not know the origination of these snacks, nor do I care. I do know that I made some and had to spread the word.

My Coconut Peanut Butter Bliss Balls

I had a craving for no-bake cookies today. After perusing the internet for a good bit of time, I had found Paleo and Keto recipes for Bliss Balls. Many of the recipes called for ingredients like protein powder or chia seeds - none of which I have on hand. However, many Bliss Ball recipes call for items that I have in my kitchen.

For an actual recipe, you'll need to follow one of the links below. But clearly, Bliss Balls do not require a recipe.  I made mine using shredded coconut, peanut butter, oats, vanilla, and cinnamon.

I used approximately:

1/2 cup coconut
1/3 cup honey peanut butter
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp. vanilla
a couple of shakes of cinnamon

I did not use a food processor (or my Nutri-Bullet) which might have made the consistency of this snack a little different. But combining it with a fork worked well.

I formed the "dough" into balls - approximately tablespoon sized. Then refrigerated.  

A few random items:

• As one recipe writer noted, do not try to roll this into balls. Rather, just squeeze them into ball shapes (They are slightly too crumbly to roll into balls)
• The longer they are refrigerated, the better they taste! The consistency changes a bit - a little more "cakey"
• Despite having a good bit of peanut butter, these were not sticky or mushy

With these Bliss Balls, I have taken care of my craving for sweets. I like the taste so much that I haven't touched (or been tempted) by the bag of candy bars I have nearby.  And, unlike the candy bars, just one small Bliss Ball satisfies me for quite awhile. With candy bars, once I start I have trouble stopping until I've finished the entire bag. There is something about the Bliss Balls that feel more filling.

Related Links: 

Quite frankly, at the beginning of my recipe search, I was looking for Susan's No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies. It turned out that I didn't have a stick of butter... so I continued my search and found the Bliss Balls. Susan Deppner, you may be gone from this earth but you are not forgotten.

After talking to some of the gals at work about their Keto diets and remembering how much better I feel with little to no carbs and sugars, I have been trying new recipes with a focus on lower carbs/sugars. This recent discussion is why the Paleo Bliss Ball recipes caught my eye. Paleo Grubs gathered a list of  21 Paleo Bliss Ball recipes. The recipes all sounded delicious and the photos made my mouth water. Unfortunately, I haven't been to the store and was missing the key ingredients for each recipe.

I continued to search and found 8 No-Bake Energy Balls on Bless This Mess. Chunky, delicious, every-day ingredients is what Melissa uses in her Bliss Balls (you have to go take a peek at the photo of her varieties). And it is from her that I decided on my coconut, peanut butter, oats, vanilla, and cinnamon mixture. And I'm so glad I did!

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

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Decorate with Purple in 2018 - Why? Because Ultra Violet is Pantone's Color of the Year

What Does Purple Represent

in Home Décor - Read Here

That's Right, Ultra Violet (Shade 18-3838) is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2018: Although not the exact shade, choose any Shade of Purple to Decorate With and You'll be Fitting In with 2018's Trend 

If you're not familiar with how Pantone's Color of the Year is selected, in summary, it's chosen as a reflection of society and it's current cultural expressions and often by it's needs.

“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” – Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute"

Individuality, unconventionality and artistic brilliance are some of the words Pantone uses to describe the reasons Ultra-Violet was chosen for 2018.

Spirituality is often associated with Purple. As an example, if you're a church goer you've seen the spiritual connection with purple during Lent when a Catholic Priest wears his purple robe. With Lent being a time of empathy for suffering and penance, purple is the chosen color for this time. It's not meant as a negative, but rather to give something of ourselves as a way of acknowledging Jesus' suffering for us.

If you're not a believer in traditional religions, purple is still referenced as an associated color for mindfulness. Whether it's for Yoga, Meditation or InspiringButterfly Lilac Bedding Duvet Set Gatherings, purple lighting, purple scents and purple art, are often used to compliment and reflect the calming intention of a group.

In home décor you'll find that purple is used to enhance a design that is bravely unique to the point that a home owner has no qualms about creating an environment that boldly stands out for all who enter. Call it, 'a little shock and awe in home decorating'.

Where the conservative decorator tends toward neutrals, purple is often for the individualists among us. It's not so much about being fearless, but more about recognizing self within our environment. Of course, if you're not a fan of purple it doesn't matter how much of an individualist you are, you simply won't decorate with the color!

In Business Marketing, purple is often used to represent trends, services or products that are higher in quality or sophistication. If your business reflects a higher level of quality, purple may be a color to include in your branding.

In short, decorate the way you want to decorate! No matter the trends, your home is your personal space and should reflect who you are and what you love. But if you happen to love Purple, you're in luck for 2018!

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

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Teddy Ruxpin: A Parent's Review

What Every Child Needs and Will Love

As a young mother, I was always thrilled when I found a toy, like Teddy Ruxpin, that teaches, entertains, and captivates one of my children. When that toy appealed to both of my children, I knew I had found a treasure.

Due to the demand, often times these toys are hard to find. With internet shopping today, it is not as hard to obtain the desired item, but 25 years ago, people actually fought crowds and long lines only to find extremely limited quantities.

That was the case with Teddy Ruxpin.

Tracking Teddy Ruxpin

My oldest child, our precious daughter, was only a year old when I made this discovery. I was intrigued when I saw the commercials on television. After looking him up in a catalog, I decided Teddy Ruxpin was a must have for my little girl. We didn't have a lot of money and we had to be very careful about our choices. It was my self-appointed job to find the best deal in town. I scoured the paper every Sunday for weeks waiting for this new toy to go on sale. I even employed my parents to be on the lookout.

Then it happened!  One Sunday morning, just before dawn, the newspaper hit the end of the driveway. I ran out immediately, opened to the store ads and there he was! 

Back in those days, my husband worked whenever he was called. It didn't matter if it was a weekend, a Sunday, a special occasion or even a holiday. This happened to be one of those Sundays when he was working. I grabbed the phone and called my oldest brother. He is 6' 4" and a phenomenal athlete. While I did not anticipate him needing to make high jumps for me, I knew he could easily run defense or offense. While my parents babysat, we ventured out at the break of dawn to take our place in line.

As we entered the store, women were running. We became part of the pack. Everyone knew what the objective was. By the time we reached the shelves, everything at my eye level was already cleared out. I wanted to cry. Then this long arm reached over my head. I saw the box as it landed right in my arms. Reality set in. My brother had reached out and grabbed Teddy Ruxpin from the top shelf and handed it to me. The bear was so high up and so far back on the shelf, I didn't even know he was there. I was beyond elation.

 Teddy Ruxpin The Original Storytelling Toy
Availability Varies - Stock Photo Image shownCheck PriceWe were laughing and moseying to the checkout with our sweet bear, when out of nowhere, this brazen, probably desperate, woman latched on to my box. I clutched Teddy to my chest as the woman continued to try to pull him from my embrace. Again, this voice from above said "I suggest you let go ma'am." Even in confrontation, my brother was polite. The woman backed off, she even apologized, but I was still a bit shaken by the assault. I don't believe I even responded.

When we got to the check out, I would not relinquish Teddy to the cashier. No, both hands remained on the box that held the treasure while she rang him up. I quickly paid and dashed to the car, fully expecting to be robbed of our new acquisition.

As we drove home, we both kept glancing behind us to make sure no one was following us home. We even drove a circuitous route, taking side streets in order to "shake" any "tail" we may have picked up when leaving the store. We did make it safely home that day. My daughter did receive her gift for Christmas and Teddy became like a family member. To this day, over 30 years later, he still graces the shelves in my daughter's bedroom.

A Forever Faithful Friend!

From the Teddy Ruxpin Lullaby Video Collection - This song is also on the Lullaby songs for the Teddy Ruxpin

Teddy, Too!

Seven years later, our son needed a Teddy Ruxpin too. Even though our daughter was more than willing to allow her little brother to play with her Teddy, I noticed that our "baby bear" was developing a habit of teething on Teddy's nose. Because Teddy was such a valuable friend to our daughter, I determined to purchase a second Teddy Ruxpin for our son. 

This time I was smarter!  I ordered a Teddy Ruxpin from the Sears Christmas Wishbook. That was so much easier and calmer that our first Teddy Ruxpin adventure. 

Teddy Ruxpin ~ A Child's Best Friend

I must give Teddy credit for encouraging my children to read. While I cannot say he is solely responsible, both children could read before they started kindergarten. I truly believe they excelled throughout their classroom years because they had such a solid reading foundation. 

Not only did Teddy read with them, he sang with them. When our daughter was really little, Teddy was difficult for her to lift and carry, but he was almost always with her. She would drag him around by his paw. When it was time for a little nap, I remember my baby girl sitting on the couch listening to Teddy Ruxpin and being lulled to sleep by his song. She would hardly part with Teddy. He even rode with her to her first day of kindergarten and patiently waited in the car for her return. 

I suppose our daughter was responsible for our son loving the bear too. When Teddy sang, they both joined in and we had our first family trio. Actually, make that quartet. Their Dad frequently sang along too. 

I will share a little secret with you, their Dad now sings the Teddy Ruxpin lullabies to the puppies. He thinks I don't know, but those little doggies tell me everything. 

Teddy Ruxpin:  Final Thoughts

Teddy Ruxpin is a sing along, read along, tag along companion. Both of our children treasure their Teddy Ruxpin bears. He is one of the few toys that is still prominently displayed in each of their rooms. 

The only negative about either Teddy Ruxpin is the motorized sound that his mouth makes when it moves.  But, like any ugly blemish on a loved ones face, we ignore that.  It really isn't hard to be oblivious to that sound when you love the bear so much.

Teddy Ruxpin - Easy to Find Online

The Teddy Ruxpin featured above is sold with one music cartridge and one illustrated companion book. The package also includes the Airship story cartridge and the Airship book so your child can read along as Teddy tells the story. There are other story cartridges and books also available separately. There is also an updated, newer version of Teddy Ruxpin available if you prefer.
 

 Teddy Ruxpin Worlds Of Wonder Talking Story BearCheck Price Teddy Ruxpin - Official Return of the Storytime and Magical Bear, 36 months aboveCheck Price

 

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Teddy Ruxpin: A Parent's Review Written by:

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Hobby Time from the Review This! Contributors

hob·by - an activity done regularly in one's leisure time for pleasure. 

January is known as National Hobby Month.   The contributing writers here on Review This! each have their favorite ways to enjoy a relaxing pursuit and have written many reviews of various how-to books, crafting supplies and DIY tutorials, gardening tips, recipes & kitchen aids for the cook, photography lessons, reading or listening to music, sports, and a host of other hobbies. 

These are but a few of the hobbies enjoyed by the Review This crew. The list of hobbies is almost endless.  If you are interested in looking for what we writers here have reviewed, type in the name of your 'hobby' either in the box in the top left-hand corner of any Review This page, or in the search box down the right-hand side. By looking at the author's name, you won't have any problem figuring out which HOBBY is each writers' favorite! For instance, mine  (Wednesday Elf) is crochet and my hobby is shared by several other contributors here, so we learn and share with each other. A more comprehensive list is shown below.

National Hobby Month

Begun by the Hobby Guild of America in 1955,  National Hobby Month was celebrated in April until 1976, then in October until 1986.  Since then, it has been celebrated during the month of January. 

January was most likely chosen for National Hobby Month as it is the beginning of a new year and a good time to start a new hobby.  Many people have never had hobbies during their working years or while raising a family and begin one in their retirement or after the children are grown.  Others try many hobbies throughout their life before finding one or two that gives them the most enjoyment. 

Hobby Examples on Review This!

Hobbies can be passive (such as crafting, reading, writing, listening to music or watching a movie) or an activity such as gardening, cooking or participating in sports. Many people have more than one hobby and often combine them, such as listening to music while crafting. 

In addition to writing reviews here on Review This!, most of the contributing writers here write for their own blogs and websites.  Writers consider writing to be more work than hobby, so time away from writing is important. That's where the activities done in our leisure time become such a pleasure. It is also interesting to note that the passion we feel for our hobbies is shown in many of the subjects we write about.

• Barbara Tremblay Cipak (Brite-Ideas) is crazy about country music and frequently writes about the artists and their music she is so passionate about.  She is also loves to experiment with color in home décor. 
• Dawn Rae does crochet and participates in a group of fellow jeep owners.  She also enjoys gardening and lately 'learning about homesteading'.
• Cynthia Sylvestermouse is a freelance writer and photographer who loves all different kinds of crafts, including crafting in the kitchen, creating fancy cakes and cupcakes. 
• Barbara (BarbRad) is an expert on books and loves to read.  She is also a nature photographer who most enjoys photographing her central California area. 
• Mary Beth Granger (MBGphoto) is a fabulous photographer who continually takes photography classes to learn more.  Photography has become her passion in her retirement, along with traveling.  Lighthouses and beaches are her favorite subjects. 
• Wednesday Elf loves crochet and needlework, watching baseball and reading. 
• Beverly Owens is busy researching her Native American Indian heritage and loves to write about spirit animals and the wisdom of her ancestors. She also enjoys crocheting. 
• Olivia Morris loves gardening and following the fashion world.
• Brenda Little (Treasures By Brenda) collects coffee mugs and researches the history of vintage cups and other vintage items which she shares in her eBay store.  She also loves reading, great movies, cooking, and pop culture. 
• Diana Wenzel (Renaissance Woman2010) enjoys an off-the-grid lifestyle where she pursues her interests in animal rescue, wonderful nature photography, and DIY projects. She also loves to read. 
• Louanne Cox (Lou16) loves reading, 80s music, zombies and dolls, among a host of other interests. 
• Heather Burns (Heather426) is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer. Her hobby is her artistic accomplishments, including the colored pencils she has created for coloring pages and coloring books. 
• Coletta Teske is a published book author and loves to sew. 
• Sam Monaco enjoys cooking and he has a passion for preserving old family recipes. These can be found on his blog Sam's Place. He also loves history.
• Jasmine Ann Marie Annie (Raintree Annie) loves gardening and nature. Her favorite hobby is photography and photographing the wildlife, animals and birds in nature.

These are just the highlights of hobbies and interests I have observed from the articles they publish and the interaction we have as a team here on the staff of Review This!.  I am sure there are other interests each of them have.  

Quick View Home Page

By clicking on the Quick View Home Page button at the top of any Review This! page, you will have weekly examples of many of the articles your hobbyists here enjoy (plus many non-hobby reviews).  

Stop by the comments section and tell us your favorite hobby or activity. The Review This! staff would love to hear about what gives you pleasure in your leisure time.

(c) Written by Wednesday Elf on 1/20/2018

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

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Kristin Hannah’s Home Front Book Review

HOME FRONT is an excellent fictional story by Kristin Hannah. I previously reviewed and loved Hannah’s The Nightingale, which sent me looking for more titles by this author.

It is a relationship story and a war story. It features a husband and wife who seem to be perfectly situated with a wonderful marriage, great careers and lovely children. However, as happens, they have drifted apart and are headed for disaster and when she is sent overseas to Iraq and the rift is almost too much for this family to bear.

This novel presents an interesting role reversal with the mother a helicopter pilot and the man trying to maintain order at home. What happens is dark and dreadful and presents a mountain for this family to surpass.

Here is the official video book trailer. In this trailer, I think the book is represented in a very light and fluffy manner especially given that divorce and military service are not easy things to deal with.

I believe that this second video, in which Hannah Kristin discusses the book, does a better job of representing the issues faced by the family in Home Front and by families in the same situation.

Hannah calls the book “the best, most emotional book she has ever written” and goes on to say that it is about “love, honor, duty, commitment, sacrifice.” I agree that it was an emotional book. It is RECOMMENDED by me and yes, you will cry. For what it is worth, I preferred the book The Nightingale.

Have you read either book? What did you think?

If you are interested, you can see all of Kristin Hannah’s books including Home Front on Amazon here.

See you
at the book store!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Buy Home Front from Amazon.
See all of Hannah's books on Amazon.

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

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IKEA Food Reviewed

And You Thought It Was A Furniture Store!

IKEA image courtesy of pixabay.com

We recently visited the new store that just opened in our area and were surprised that IKEA food was even an option. My husband and I were prepared to see interesting types of furniture in the huge store. Well, let me rephrase that. We had heard from others that we should be sure to try the meatballs while there.

To be honest, I had envisioned something like Costco or a weekend at any given grocery store where there are people offering samples of food to try. I wasn't sure why IKEA would offer samples other than a sort of hospitality type gesture. Perhaps I thought that it was a way to celebrate the Swedish culture and their style of meatballs. Was I in for a surprise? You bet ya!

It seemed like there were miles and miles of furniture. The place is huge! Let me tell you the place is a virtual maze of interesting vignettes of ideas for the home or office. I oooed and ahhhhed at every corner, but I digress. There are signs overhead to guide you to different areas and at one point I noticed that the sign showed that we were on a path that would lead us to the restaurant. I said to my husband, "These people have thought of everything! Since this place is so enormous, they know a person can get hungry from all of this walking. So, they feed you too!" I should probably mention that upon entering the store we saw an area for parents to drop their children off so that they could shop in peace. Anyway, we headed for the restaurant...

It appeared that others had entertained the same thought, the place was packed with people. We got in the cafeteria style line and quickly got waited on. I chose the meatball dinner and my husband chose the salmon dinner, both were very reasonably priced. Oh my word! The food was really good. My meatball dinner included five or six meatballs, mashed potatoes and a vegetable dish of carrots and cauliflower. The potatoes and meatballs had a gravy like sauce over them and there was this other stuff next to the meatballs that almost looked like cranberry sauce. Well, I was in heaven! 

I really liked the gravy like sauce that covered my mashed potatoes and some of the meatballs. I said to my husband that I would really like to get some of it to use at home. Turns out, I could get some right there in the store along with frozen meatballs and all sorts of other food items. Who knew, right?

IKEA Cream Sauce

For some reason I only purchased one packet that day. Silly me! I was delighted to see that there is an option to get the cream sauce online!

Oh, and that stuff that looked like cranberry sauce on my plate. First of all, it was extremely good and tasted great when I dipped a piece of meatball in it. It was not a Swedish version of cranberry sauce but instead it was Lingonberry jam. This stuff is awesome! Kind of sweet but also tart much like cranberry sauce. I enjoy it with meat but it is also good on a piece of toast in the morning.

So, here is the deal. If you find yourself close to an IKEA store, you need to go inside. Prepare to spend some time there because there is a lot to see. Treat yourself to some of their food! I'm telling you; you will not be disappointed! By the way, the salmon that my husband had was wonderful. You can buy it frozen in the store, too. 

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

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