Honea Express

Archive for the ‘prizes’ Category

The day the Mechatars box arrived on our doorstep the boys went wild. Well, they were already wild, but suddenly their screaming and shouting had focus, which is nice.

You: What in the wide world of shorts are Mechatars?

Me: You have clicked to the right place, because for the duration of this post I am a paid spokesperson for Mechatars and am thereby contractually obligated to tell you all about them.

You: What does that mean?

Me: It means quit talking to your computer screen and keep reading. Also, that I received a Mechatar from iLove Robots for my boys to review. Well, they just played, and I reviewed. Also, I’m being paid to write this (but the content and opinion are ALL ME unless otherwise noted).

You: Thank you for clearing that up. I’ve read your policy on reviews and giveaways, and find you to be a trusted and knowledgeable voice in the world of product endorsement. Also, handsome.

Me: You’re right.

And now the stuff about the thing.

What they say: Mechatars are a new, interactive play experience iLove Robots call “blended reality.” Brand-new and launching this fall, Mechatars combines the best of online gaming and RC robotic toys by connecting the physical world and online world through cloud computing.

What I say: The Mechatar that we received looks like a dinosaur. It makes cool noises and scared the crap out of the dog, which is always funny. It was a bit difficult to sync online (there is a special link for Mac users that we didn’t notice, and drives to download and install), but once we got it going the boys really enjoyed the website.

What they say: Even young kids expect a high-level of tech sophistication and Mechatars meets them where they are playing (perfect for ages 6-12).

What I say: I work online. I know the internet. Within five minutes of playing on the Mechatars website I felt really old. It moves fast and I couldn’t figure it out. However, the kids took to it immediately. This is why the “perfect ages” doesn’t stretch to 40.

Why do you need to go online? Because your respective Mechatar can “accept missions in the physical world to traverse the terrain and then continue to battle it out online using strategic tactics to earn points to upgrade your weapons across the Eight Elements in the Mechaverse.” I’ve heard worse reasons to go online. Heck, I’m one of them.

The verdict: One of the boys really preferred the remote control aspect of the Mechatar, and the other was more interested in the online options. Both thought the idea of battling another Mechatar in real life was a great one.  They gave it two thumbs up (actual thumbs up not pictured).

Mechatars will launch across America this fall. They will be available at stores like Target, Radio Shack, Amazon, Toys R’Us and iloveRobots.com (MSRP: $39.99). If you visit the iloveRobots.com site before 11/30/2011 you can use this coupon code for 10% savings: MECHMOM

Tech dads can use it, too.

You: That’s all very interesting, but where’s the giveaway portion of this post?

Me: Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of pushy?

The Giveaway Portion of This Post

Here’s how you can win a Mechatar of your very own!

Visit www.Mechatars.com and look at the Mechatar lineup (you must click “play now” and “register” but you do not need to submit any information), then leave a comment on this post (below) saying which one you would like to win and why. Yes, why. Please note, I don’t need a lot of backstory.

All entries must be in by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Monday, September 26. Winner will be drawn at random by someone random. It’s a circle of random randomness. Like college.

Contest open to the lower 48 (that’s the U.S.A. minus AK and HI and Canada).

Prize fulfillment will be subject to stock limitations. You may want to include a second choice just in case. That’s called being prepared, people.

See you in the Mechaverse!

A winner has been picked at random. Congrats to Stephanie V. and her new Mechatar.

I was selected to participate in this sponsored post series by Clever Girls Collective. I’m sure they regret it already.

As I mentioned before, I have a stack of things to review and frankly, I’m tired of looking at it. In fact, I think I’m done reviewing stuff unless someone sends me more stuff.

In the meantime, humor me as I keep my word while spreading it at the same time. I know, it’s awesome.

STUFF:

Hasbro was kind enough to send me a new spin on the classic game Mouse Trap. It’s part of their U-Build  series where the players actually build and customize the board. Yes, you read me.

The game has a bunch of U-Build bricks which are exactly like, but are not, another popular building brick that the kids love. It also has a Space Boot(!), some small parts and the trap.  Sadly, the mouse is not included and that actually turned out to be the most difficult, yet most rewarding, part of the game. Do you know how hard it is to catch a mouse with a plastic trap and a bunch of building bricks?  Pretty hard. The sense of accomplishment that my children achieved was worth all of the rabies shots in the world.

The U-Build spin on an already fun game pays off. It’s like two games in one: the building game where my kids fight and scream over how the board will look and the Mouse Trap game where my kids fight and scream over the first aid kit.  Of course, neither of those last two sentences are true. However, the part about it being two games in one is an actual fact based on my opinion as well as those of the people at Hasbro, and they’re right.

If U-Build it the fun will come. Also, rodents.

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The Idle Parent by  author Tom Hodgkinson looks like a nice book. It has a reddish-orange cover that I’m tempted to call a burnt sienna, but it could be the light in here — or the 4 months of dust that the book has accumulated. This is not the fault of the book or Mr. Hodgkinson, who also wrote How to Be Idle and The Freedom Manifesto.  No, it is the fault of time and my lack of it.

The book is subtitled, “Why Laid-back Parents Raise Happier and Healthier Kids,” which is a statement I’m inclined to agree with.  The kids on the cover look happy enough and their dad is totally napping on the couch. And he’s wearing Vans.  If that doesn’t scream laid-back then I don’t know what does.

I think the book weighs about a pound and a half. Give or take. It has 251 pages.

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I really dropped the ball on a review that I was supposed to write for All About Beer Magazine and my fellow DadCentricite, Greg, by losing a copy of a book they sent me called Beer Across Texas. Here’s the thing, Texas is huge and the book isn’t, which leads me to believe that the authors only discussed the good beers across Texas and not every crappy can of suds they came upon.  In the industry we call this attention to “quality” and we like it. My most sincere apologies to All About Beer, Greg and the authors of Beer Across Texas. Also, smaller books are apparently easier to lose.

Seriously, I can’t find it anywhere.

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Candlewick Press was kind enough to send a collection of summer reading over for my boys. The titles include:

It’s Vacation Time by Lerryn Korda, which is a really cute book that my 4-year-old loves. It’s about, wait for it, vacation time! The story is big on using your imagination and we’re big on that.

Maisy Goes to the Museum by Lucy Cousins is about Maisy the mouse and frankly, I can’t read it without hearing the narrators voice from the TV show. And what’s up with Charley?
But I digress. This book is for preschool kids and my preschool kid thinks it’s great and he doesn’t care how many times Charley has been dropped on his head.

Flanimals Pop-Up, which was written by Ricky Gervais, yes, that Ricky Gervais, and illustrated by Rob Steen. With a name like Flanimals Pop-Up, it’s exactly what you’d expect, but with a writer like Ricky Gervais it’s like nothing you could ever imagine. Within reason. It’s good fun.

Judy Moody’s Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of More Fun Stuff to Do, The Oceanology Handbook – A Course For Underwater Explorers and Show Off – How to Do Absolutely Everything are big hits with my 7-year-old for all the reasons clearly stated in each book’s respective title. He likes wacky, uber, awesome, underwater exploring and doing absolutely everything. It’s like they were made for him.

Where’s Waldo? The Ultimate Travel Collection by Martin Handford is billed as the essential travel companion, and after it kept my kids quiet on an airplane for two hours I’m inclined to agree.

I still don’t know where Waldo is, but I think he stole my beer book.

All of the Candlewick Press books listed above have been big hits with my kids and for that I’m thankful. Thanks, Candlewick Press!

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And now for something completely different.

Scholastic sent me two new books, Max Spaniel: Funny Lunch and Firehouse! that my boys love.

They’re both about dogs and they are loads of fun. I’m supposed to write a review on them, but I don’t want to spoil the plot(s). Besides, this post is already longer than both books combined.

Here’s the fun part, I’m giving away 3 sets of the books! Yes, now you can own your very own copies of these entertaining books and all you have to do to win is leave a comment stating that you would like the books! I’ll send the books to three(3) random entries. The contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and P.O. boxes are not allowed. My apologies to other countries and anyone that rents a mailbox.

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And on that note, my pile of items to review is gone! Literally, I’ve been moving each item out of my office as I go and whoa, carpet!

Please note, I really do appreciate the items sent to me for review (which are all of the items listed in this post) and I wouldn’t include them here if I didn’t think people would enjoy them.  Stuff that sucks doesn’t make the page, man. Honea don’t play that.

Peace out.

Here’s the deal, you can win ONE YEAR OF FREE HILLSHIRE FARM’S PRODUCT(S)! Hence, the WIN and the MEAT in the title of this post. Yes, I’m a genius with stuff like that and Hillshire Farm recognized it. My mom must have called them.

So the good people at Hillshire Farm sent me some Beef Smoked Sausage and Polska Kielbasa, respectively.  They were, in a nutshell, yummy. Or should that be in a meat casing? Mmm, meat casing.

They provided some recipes for such fancy meals as Sausage Jambalaya, Italian Style Smoked Sausage with Rice (rice not included) Barbeque Smoked Sausage Pizza, Tortilla Chip Lasagna, and Smoked Sausage Fried Rice. I didn’t use any of them — not because they didn’t look tasty, but because I’m lazy. I’m more of a “slice up the meat, throw it in the frying pan, add onions and peppers, drown it in beer” kind of guy. Always have been.

This is where all of your meat-related dreams come true, or to put it in layman’s terms HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment about meat

2. Earn a second entry by tweeting a link to this post (include @whithonea so I can count it in the entries)

3. Stay classy

Can you handle that much? Sometimes I wonder about you (not YOU, I’m talking to them).

I will draw a winner at random on April 15th, for tax purposes. The winner will be contacted by any means necessary, which will be either your email or twitter account if you provide the address to them.  Otherwise you’ll have to come back here and claim your winnings: A YEAR SUPPLY OF HILLSHIRE FARM’S PRODUCT(S)!

Special thanks to Hillshire Farm and to you, the reader (yes, I’m talking to YOU this time).

Seriously? Drawing? Star Wars? The video with the noise and the force and the I. WANT. THAT. Well, you got it, kid. Also, you’re all clear.

It’s Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Atticus is beside himself. Zane would also enjoy it if his brother let him anywhere near it. This is something that will never happen. Ever.

Here’s a rundown of what’s inside (via Klutz) – … filled with tips, techniques, practice space, and translucent overlays to make you a master of drawing. Start with stick figures, move onto basic shapes, and finish up with the details. Use the included double-tipped metallic-colored pencils and black marker to make 20 Clone Wars characters come to life.

Here’s the part where you come in. I’m giving away five (5) of these bad boys. Just in time for whatever you do in December! Also, birthdays!

The contest is open to anyone in the United States with a mailbox. Everyone knows that only the dark side uses P.O. Boxes or lives outside of America. These rules are set by the PR company that is supplying the prize. If you live in a galaxy far, far away you can always have the prize sent to an American friend and work out the shipping from there. I know, it’s not easy, but do you think blowing up the Death Star, twice, was easy? There is no try. Do. And all that.

To enter: Leave a comment with your favorite Star Wars story. It can be something from the movies, books, comics, rides or your life. Keep it short, people. On December 1st I will announce the winners, which will be picked at random.

May the force be with you. Always.

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Behind the curtain of the great and powerful Whit:

Compensation: No
Products Received: 1copy of “Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars” for review. Prize copies will be sent from PR contact.