We love Big Fish Games!

I'm a bit of a game junkie. Puzzle games, card games, hidden picture games, games that let me blow the bejeepers out of zombies ... I spend FAR too much time on Facebook playing them. Imagine my delight, then, when I found out that one of my favorite game companies had started to release Android-compatible games! Crazy addicting games on my phone?!? Score! Big Fish Games is now on Android!

I've played their games on the computer a lot and have done test runs of some on my iPad (you can download a sample of pretty much every game on every platform to see it you like it first) ... and now the addiction can go wherever I go since I've always got my phone! There are even games that are suitable for John which makes him a big Big Fish Games fan, too.

But back to my phone. I decided that I wanted one of the hidden picture puzzle games since those have been my favorite type of puzzle since I was knee high to a grasshopper. SOOOO many to choose from but I finally decided on Adventure Chronicles: The Search for Lost Treasure. It's like a cross between hidden pictures with National Treasure and a little bit of Carmen San Diego tossed in for good measure.

A screen shot from the first puzzle.

I had assumed that I would be flying through each picture since, well, I'm pretty good at this sort of thing. Oooooh no. Not only are there a lot of things to find (including the Geo Cache that you pretty much just have to stumble upon), but puzzles using the things you've found that need to be solved before you can move on! At first I was a little frustrated that the pictures were so small ... you know, it being a phone and all ... but then I realized that I could do the whole pinch drag and zoom and it got so much easier! This is going to be keeping me busy for quite a while...

I had thought of making myself my own hidden picture lunch but then John saw the little fish guy from the Big Fish Games logo and asked for that. I couldn't say no!

In his EasyLunchbox he has some leftover pizza with the Big Fish Games fish drawn onto colby jack cheese. He also has some Sour Cream & Onion goldfish, a clementine, and Swedish Fish.

And now I go back to Ulysses S Grant's house to try and figure out how to put his clock back together ....





Please note: While I did purchase the game I am now addicted to with my own funds, I am receiving game credits as a thank you for oohing and aahing reviewing. I would have oohed and aahed anyway, but I felt you should know. Now. Back to that clock ....

Scholastic @Storia_eBooks Giveaway!

John with his lunch for Monday and the Storia eBook it's based on: Learn About Weather: Snow

 Unless this is the first time you've been here I'm sure you already know what HUGE fans John and I both are of Scholastic's new eBook service, Storia. When I was growing up I would always get excited when the Scholastic Book Fair happened at school or those Book Club order forms would get sent home to my folks. John started to get those same order forms sent home with him when he was in preschool and I always try and make sure that he has at least one item with his name on it when the orders come in.

Now we don't have to wait!

With Storia eBooks I have 24-hour access to their online store where I can always find a great book to add to his "bookshelf." And he loves them. The app download is free and comes with five books of varying reading levels. This isn't just a beginning reader app ... this goes from 3 up to 14! (And even older if, like me, you still enjoy a well-written "young adult" novel from time to time.) Some of the books are even enhanced with added bells and whistles and activities for the kids to click on!

From Scholastic's online press kit:

 You can also check out the far more complete "About Storia" page!

(Not sure if you're device is compatible? Give them a call at 1-855-STORIA1 -- they have AMAZING Customer Service reps and I'm sure they could tell you!)

Now a cute pic of John and some of his Storia-inspired lunches:

And NOW the big huge exciting news!

I contacted the good folks at Storia via Twitter not too long ago and asked if they would be willing to sponsor a giveaway here at What's In Our Lunch Bags? 

I was thinking maybe a couple of books ....

They're giving 20!!! 

That's right, boys and girls. One extremely lucky reader will be receiving their choice of TWENTY Storia eBooks to load onto their virtual bookshelves! Perfect timing for the holiday season, too! 

Have more than one kid? No problem. You can set up multiple bookshelves within the app easy peasy lemon squeezey (as John would say)!  

 

Storia will be providing a list with over 100 titles to choose from. I must admit, I'm more than a little jealous of whoever wins. I would probably stock up on books John would enjoy reading now and grab a handful for when he advances in his reading skills a bit more!

Entering the contest is as easy as a couple of comments. They are both mandatory entries. If you don't do them, you don't win.

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Follow Storia eBooks on Pinterest and leave a comment here with your Pinterest username so I can check.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Follow Storia eBooks on Twitter and leave a comment here with your Twitter username so I can continue to stalk you.

That's it! No need to share (although that would be nice) or to like or follow me (although those would be nice, too). 

Leave those two comments any time between now and 11:59 PM ET on DECEMBER 10, 2012 (which happens to be my birthday -- I like giving stuff away on my birthday) and on December 11th I will notify the winner of their awesomeness. (Which means that I need some way to contact you. If your email isn't linked to your profile or I don't somehow already talk you on a regular basis, I need to now how to get you.)

PLEASE NOTE: At this time, Storia is available to be downloaded by anyone in the United States and those with APO/FPO addresses only.  Sorry my international peeps!

ThrifTee Gear Waste Free Lunch Bag Giveaway (and review!)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED! CONGRATS TO BETH!

Of all of the things that I've been thankful for lately one of the most fun has been the opportunity to try out ThrifTee Gear and have my own custom lunch bag made out of a t-shirt of my choosing (being, of course, a Doctor Who bag! I know ... I'm a geek.)!

I love that it's a mom-based company.
I love that it helps further my quest to provide John and myself with waste free lunches in that it's made from an upcycled shirt.
I love that I have complete control over how "normal" or "geeky" it can be.
I love that regardless of the shirt chosen it's pretty much guaranteed to be the coolest lunch bag out there.
I love that they're big enough to fit an EasyLunchbox flat (more on that in a bit).
I love that they're great to take to work or to school. Kids, tweens, teens, adults ... they're great for everyone!
I love that they aren't just for lunch. Mine has already been to work, John's school, and the grocery store as a purse ... holding my reusable shopping bags & wallet!

And what I REALLY love?

I LOVE that ThrifTee Gear has given me the opportunity to give a bag to one of my readers!

Now, about my Geeky Awesomeness ... then on to how you can get your own!

It took me a little while to decide which shirt to use but I finally decided on my Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey shirt. The image was a bit longer than would fit onto the bag. The bag dimensions are 12" x 12" x 4" but for the image it would have been better if I had chosen something closer to 9" long. It's still a great bag that John and I have both fallen in love with!

Before cramming it full of stuff to take to work:

Everything that I planned on taking the night in question -- an Easy Lunchbox, my Psych thermos, the new Christopher Moore thick paperback & wristlet:

And it all fit perfectly!!!

I've already picked out which shirt I'm going to have transformed next, but first you get a chance to get your own bag from ThrifTee Gear! (Keep it for yourself or use it as an awesome holiday gift!)

What You'll Win: An awesome, cool, wonderful, waste-free custom lunch bag from ThrifTee Gear (retail value $19.95)!

How You'll Win: Leave a comment! (or five if you want more chances -- leave a separate comment for each entry!)
MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Visit ThrifTee Gear and comment here about a bag design you like.
ENTRY #2: Like ThrifTee Gear on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall so I can check up on you actually doing it ... and leave a comment here telling me to go spy (or you could just copy the link to your post)
ENTRY #3: Follow ThrifTee Gear on  Twitter and leave your Twitter username in the comment here.
ENTRY #4: Follow ThrifTee Gear on  Pinterest and leave your Pinterest username in the comment here.
ENTRY #5: Share this giveaway! Blog it, Tweet it, Facebook it, Pin it ... just do it and leave me a link knowing where to find it!


When You'll Win: Entries will be accepted starting now (yes -- right now) and will cease at 11:59pm ET on Saturday, December 1st. I will use random.org to pick a winner and will contact the winner on Sunday, December 2nd. If I don't have a way to contact the winner I will have to pick again. PLEASE make sure I have some way of getting a hold of you!

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM THRIFTEE GEAR: This giveaway is offered to US residents only. Please do not enter this giveaway if you have won or received free product from ThrifTee Gear within the past 3 months.



AND A NOTICE FROM ME: I did receive my ThrifTee Gear bag free of charge and they are also footing the bill for the winner. I was not in any way pushed into saying how awesome I think they are, though. That's all me. And John. (He keeps trying to claim the bag as his own!)