Colored Pencils: Artist-72 Premium Art Pencils by Flat Water Products

Colored Pencils for Any Artist-72 Premium Art Pencils-Best Smoothest Pencils for Adult Coloring Books-Coloring Pencils Great Wet or Dry-Free Tools and Accessories-Unconditional Manufacturers Guarantee by Flat Water Products

When I first learned they had come out with Adult coloring books I thought it was kind of a cray idea.  I wondered how coloring could ease stress and how could an adult really enjoy it? As I saw some of the pictures that my other friends were coloring, and of course the commercials on TV,  I liked what I saw.  These weren't just easy pictures with simple colors, these were intricate designs and vibrant colors.  I loved the look and decided to try it as I am always on the lookout for new stress relieving techniques.  

Books were simple enough to find, they were everywhere and pages were available in so many places.  So my next task was to find those vibrant colors!!   The regular coloring pencils just didn't cut it.  I wanted better, brighter, and bigger selection!  I tried some different kits but it still wasn't enough.   Until I found Flat Waters colored pencil kit.  

The one color I had a hard time finding was some true reds....this had them!  Selection was a big issue, but with 72 choices to choose from this kit had it!  Storage was another thing I needed and Flat Water provided that with their pencils, they came in their own storage bag that rolls up and keeps them safe!  

For most people some see colored pencils as, well, just that ....colored pencils.  But there is a huge difference between regular colored pencils and Premium soft core colored pencils.  Let me explain:

• These colored pencils go on really smooth, it is easy to get the whole area colored with and even color compared to regular coloring pencils. 
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• These pencils intensify vibrancy with layers.  They go on light and if you want a more intense color you simply color the spot again with the another layer and repeat until you get the deep color you want.  The more layers the more intense your color will be. 
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• They don't just stop there.  You can get just the colored look when using them dry, or you can apply water to your painting and get a watercolored blended look which gives your drawing a new level to its look.  This also helps in shading and achieving that perfect shading outward look. 
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• This kit offers even more than just the pencils and storage, It includes a quality eraser, sharpener, pencil extender, and 2 Free Blending Brushes.  All you need to make you drawing look like a real work of art. 
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• The Storage bag holds all 72 pencils and your extra items.  It is easy to carry and folds down to a small enough size that you could fit it in a larger purse.  Great for taking with you wherever you may go.  

Oh, and did I mention that it really does help stress.  It was amazing just coloring my first picture has me hooked.  I loved how I could change a black and white drawing to a vibrant colored one. I loved trying to figure out the colors to use and what colors worked next to others, or if I was going to color each small area differently or not.  You get to concentrating on the small spaces and the colors you want to use that it passes the time (perfect for those long wait times) and it helps focus your energies elsewhere.  You do have to have those perfect coloring pencils to really enjoy the art, after all , this isn't your child's art anymore this is the adult section!  You will find there is much more to coloring than just keeping in the lines! 

So want to reduce your stress?  Start with the right tools and order your coloring pencils by Flat Water Products today!

Order yours HERE

HueMax Colored Pencil Set

HueMax Colored Pencil Set - With 48 Soft Core Colored Pencils - Best Quality Art Pencils for Shading, Coloring & Drawing

Adult coloring books are all the rage!!  It takes us back to our childhood and the soothing therapy that coloring used to be.  Learning to color within the lines was a great accomplishment.  Learning the primary colors and how to mix them to make the secondary colors and so forth, was rewarding. Experimenting, with shades and coloring items unnatural colors just for the fun of it.  Then as we progressed we advanced from regular colors and mixing them to the big box of colors!!
So many colors and even more creativity!!  It was color therapy in the best way!

I remember days of laying on the floor coloring.  I think the most thing I remember is having the smaller boxes of crayons and not having that peach or skin shade to color.  So I mixed pink and yellow to get a very creative (not) skin shade.  The way kids think, but it worked for me.  I was very adamant about being in the lines and getting the right colors.  As an adult I am forcing myself to be more creative with my coloring, and the adult coloring books are perfect for that.  

I love using coloring pencils, so much easier than crayons for those tight spaces, LOL.   Huemax's 48 coloring pencil set is one of the sets I have had the pleasure of enjoying.  there are so many colors!  I have found though that they are mostly cool colors.  There aren't any warm reds, which is pretty disappointing.  

For those who are wondering, cool colors are colors that have blue shades added to them and so they fit in a certain color palette, while warmer colors have more red tones to them bringing them to the opposite side.  The same concept is used in hair coloring, you have warm colors and ash colors.  Ash are the cooler colors.  So if you have burgandy red, this is a cool color, where as copper or auburn would be a warm color.  Same applies to any color out there.  

The Huemax's coloring pencils are sharp and they do stay that way for a while, so they are quite sturdy.  They come in a box that reminds me of crayon boxes, so for me, I did place mine in a carrying case so I could lay them out so they were easier access when I changed colors.  They are a good range of colors.  They start out light on the page and so you can apply in layers and get the depth that you would like of the color.  This will also help you blend the colors out as needed, if you wish. 

This is a nice set to start with and to start enjoying your own form of color therapy! 

Order yours HERE

Ramini Brands Classic Ball And Metal Jacks Game Set 

The way life goes we have so many stories that start with: "Remember when...." yet those moments are what made us who we are today. After all, do you remember when you would go out to recess and jump rope, how devastating it could be when they were all taken. Or how about those bouncy red balls we played kickball or dodgeball with. The swingsets, the playground. Here in the States we had to do the Presidents Physical Fitness test, I failed the pull-ups each time. The one game that was always affordable and fun, either by yourself or with a friend, was Jacks. The bouncy ball and the jacks, where you would bounce the ball with one hand, hurry and pick up a jack and then catch the ball, all with that same hand. It was a test of skill, quickness, and hand and eye coordination.


I think Jacks was one of my favorite games. After all, I was better at it than my sister! We would sit on the kitchen floor and play until we could pick up all the jacks at once during that ball bounce, and the more jacks the better because the longer you could play the game. Sadly I don't remember when or why I stopped playing, I just can't so it as of yet. I need to actually practice it now!


Here is a little background information on the game of Jacks from Wikipedia:


" Knucklebones, Fivestones, or Jacks, is a game of very ancient origin, usually played with five small objects, or ten in the case of jacks. Originally the "knucklebones" (actually the astragalus: a bone in the ankle, or hock[1]) were those of a sheep, which were thrown up and caught in various manners. Modern knucklebones consist of six points, or knobs, proceeding from a common base, and are usually made of metal or plastic. The winner is the first player to successfully complete a prescribed series of throws, which, though similar, differ widely in detail. The simplest throw consists in tossing up one stone, the jack, and picking up one or more from the table while it is in the air. This continues until all five stones have been picked up. Another throw consists in tossing up first one stone, then two, then three and so on, and catching them on the back of the hand. Different throws have received distinctive names, such as "riding the elephant," "peas in the pod," and "horses in the stable."

As with many children's playground games, the game is known by a wide variety of names including astragaloi, hucklebones, dibs,dibstones, jackstones, chuckstones, five-stones jackrocks, onesies, or snobs."


Who knew it had been around that long?? Not I . There are many ways to play and each way can be more challenging then the next. Never a boring time.

Ramini offers a wonderful set of Jacks that is better than the original. the original consisted of one ball and 10 jacks.. Ramini has stepped it up since they remember how balls can bounce anywhere and disappear for life and jacks can go missing, until you step on them...worse than Lego's So they have added an extra ball and two extra jacks. They also give you a little bag to keep them in, they left the bag plain so you can decorate it how you would like!

If you remember the fun of playing jacks ( and scraping your knuckles on the concrete, thus the kitchen floor concept) you can have fun again. Re-teach yourself, teach your kids or grandkids!!

Order your HERE

Fun and Games

My family and I love games.   I grew up in a family that liked to have family nights and they consisted of playing various card games, such as Blitz.  We like board games too, but it never failed that card games won over.   I was taught to play solitaire at a young age, and enjoyed playing other games such as Simon and Yahtzee.  As I grew older, our family grew apart and it took a long time for me to get back into games.  

As I and my sister have had kids, and they have grown older we started getting the families back together for game night.  During the year we will play games with our own kids, if we are up at my dads we play card games, and on New Years Eve we usually have as many people as possible and play different forms of Poker (we do use cash, at least it stays in the family, LOL).  

My boys, even though they are teens now enjoy getting together and we will play games such as Phase 10, Monopoly, Clue, Life, and many more of the classics.  It makes it a real treat to sit and see how well our sportsmanship can be.   

Every year there are new games and concepts that come out.   Classics are being updated for the electronic world and new games are invented.  Some good and some, like Doggy Doo Doo, that just make you wonder what people were thinking. 

In this section you will come across various games that I have had the opportunity to review and enjoy.  If you have any questions or games that you have enjoyed please feel free to comment. 

Brain Fitness PathWords by ThinkFun Inc. Review

My kids and I like to play board games, so when we get a chance to find fun games we would like to try we get them.  My kids, well teens as they are,  love challenging games like Monopoly and Phase Ten.  So when I was given the chance to review Brain Fitness Pathwords I was excited. 

This is more of a puzzle game, a real brain teaser at that.  It is a one player, but we teamed it up.  

The object of the game is to place the colored plastic tiles on the letters to make certain words.  The game comes with Tetris like shaped plastic pieces and it tells you which ones you are able to use for a certain puzzle.  You need to place the pieces on the letters, not leaving any blank spaces, and make words.  

It is a real challenge for me.  The instructions are written very well and the boxed set is very nice. There is a book with all the puzzles and the answers and they go from beginner to expert.  It really takes word search to the extreme.  

My 17 yrs old opened up the box and decided he was too smart, he immediately turned to the expert and decided he could do it.  Up until he needed help!  I turned it back to the beginners level and it took us some time together to do it.  He has now decided it is too hard for him (words and thinking off console!) but is thinking about challenging his teachers.   

If you like challenges and word puzzles this is for you.  Work your brain and have fun!

Order Yours HERE

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

TheO SmartBall Review and Giveaway

My granddaughters are 4 and 6, very smart and very tech savvy.  Scary thought some days, but they are also very active, especially the youngest.  MaKaylee the youngest is hyper, wild and very smart!  She is in preschool and from what I have heard, a little terror.  The school is very strict and for a child to hold still it is hard,  and to learn even harder.  My boys had the same problems in school, one had ADD and the other two had ADHD.  Put it in simple terms, they hold still they fall asleep, they move they are more alert and therefore retain information.  With that being the issue, my oldest dropped out at 16 and is now a manager/owner at a popular food chain.  My other two have been a struggle to get graduated, through falling asleep in classes and having a hard time, my youngest boy graduates this next year.   Watching my kids go through school and then seeing how my little granddaughter is behaving, I know that kids struggle with the non-movement part of school. 

That is where TheO SmartBall will change everything for these kids, and I am very excited to bring it into my little granddaughters life!  

Fun, active and physical at the same time is the best equation for learning.   Now you can get your preschoolers up to your 5th graders off the actual computer and let them learn from you smartphone and be active at the same time.  With this foam ball you can play catch and have your children answer questions, from match to abc's, at the same time.  The perfect gift for your young ones. 

TheO SmartBall has been featured in magazines such as Parenting, Good Housekeeping, PC World, and much more.  With TheO SmartBall you download apps onto your smartphone. You place your phone in the slot on the ball and start your app.   You can even use your old smartphone because you do not need cell service for them to work.  The ball is a thick foam so it will protect your phone through all the tosses and play.  There are several kids learning apps from math, reading, colors, letters, spelling and more.  The ball even comes with it's own storage/carry bag. 

The only drawback to this ball is having the space on your phone for all the apps (and keeping the dog out of the fun!)   It will take time to see how my granddaughter reacts to this fun, but knowing her I can tell this is exactly what she needs.  Physical activity, learning, and fun!  (scroll down for giveaway)

Order yours HERE

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.