The mechanism for the Piranha Plant is very simple and consists of pressing down a lever connected to a rubber band. Excited little hands have a tendency to smash the lever down, causing pieces to fly about here and there. It’s easy enough to fix but it’s hard to gently control the plant as you’re anxiously trying to stop speeding karts.

Mario has removable legs so he can be firmly attached to the kart. Running on two ‘AAA’ batteries, this 4-1/2″ kart can MOVE! It’s fast and surprisingly sturdy! With this being the case, though, it really makes no sense to buy this set by itself. In under a second the car has already run through and passed the track and obstacle. To really enjoy the MarioKart Wii set, you need to buy a few more or all of the other sets in the series. I can imagine that, then, it would be a ton of fun.

The Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas
Upon receiving the book, my daughter said, “Oh, road trips! We can use this on a road trip! When’s our next vacation?” There are maps, facts, attractions and more for each for the fifty states. Thanks to this book I have been hearing odd traffic laws and state quirks for the past three days straight. Did you know that Arkansas, ‘it’s illegal to walk your cow down Main Street in Little Rock after 1pm on Sundays’? Have you ever visited the Mini-Golf Capital of the World in South Carolina? Additionally, games and other boredom busters can be found toward the back of the 128 pages.

National Parks Guide U.S.A.
This book will build anticipation to visit the many national parks across the U.S. or enrich a vacation to one that you already have planned. This is a great resource with National Kids to Parks Day coming up this Saturday, 5/19. The National Park Trust and their mascot Buddy Bison want everyone to enjoy a great day at their local park. Don’t forget to check out the National Geographic’s National Parks App as well.

Thanks to National Geographic Kids Books and The National Park Trust, I get to offer my readers a very special Road Warrior Giveaway that includes:

• The Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas
• National Parks Guide U.S.A.
• A Stuffed Buddy Bison
• A Buddy Bison T-shirt

I wish you the best on the giveaway and hope you have a great summer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

• ground and air transportation
• two (2) nights accommodations
• two (2) tickets to the ET’s Exclusive Emmy® Gala Party
• two (2) seats in the VIP section during the party’s music performance

Don’t forget to share the contest with your friends – each one that signs up gets you an extra entry. So hurry and get your entry in and start sharing!

The rooms were spacious and clean. The decor was tasteful and very functional, with hidden outlets throughout the room. The temperature was perfect and the air-conditioning/heater was quiet when in operation. In case you feel like sleeping in, you only need to flip the switch near the door. This changes your lighted room number in the hallway to glow red instead of orange, letting housekeepers know you don’t want to be disturbed. Be careful not to put items on the cabinet above the refrigerator because it does get warm (we put a box of chocolates there – not a good idea).

The restaurant on the second floor is hip and easy to access. The full buffet breakfast was very good but runs about $32 per person. We did order food in our room a couple of times but we had to call repeatedly to inquire about the order as it took more than an hour to arrive. Still, the front desk and other staff members were courteous and kind. Spa services were available but I didn’t get a chance to try any of them.

The bathroom was stocked with plenty of towels and all the necessities. I loved the over-sized showerhead – it felt so good!

Being in an end unit on the 17th floor, we had a fantastic view of the city. As for noise, our room was quiet most of the time. One evening we could hear the water pipes creaking and, during the three nights of our stay, we could hear the people in the next room VERY clearly when they spoke or ‘did’ things. This might have been because our room had the possibility of adjoining to next room over and the walls were a bit thinner. Next time I’d probably request a different room.

As I was busy with the press trip, I didn’t have much time to explore the hotel. My husband and daughter, however, enjoyed several hours of lounging in the room and were very comfortable. Since we joined the free InTouch loyalty program, we had access to free WiFi and up to $10 for the mini-bar. I was impressed with the lodgings and hope to return again soon. I also love the fact that the hotel caters to families and those with pets.

My stay was part of an all-expense paid trip through Disney/Marvel and in exchange for an honest review of the hotel itself.

Additionally, you can also purchase a family pass for as low as $24.95 (it’s $39.95 at our local place) which allows up to four adults to take advantage of the same program. We loved being able to just pop in, play a couple of games, then go home. Even if my daughter wasn’t in the mood to play one day, my husband and I sure had a great time!

Make sure you check the ‘Terms and Conditions’ of your local bowling alley (in the right-hand column) as some charge for shoe rentals while others don’t. Our local bowling alley (Bel Mateo in Belmont, CA) is charging $1 for child and adult shoe rentals but a couple years ago it was full-price for adults. Also, if you have little ones, you might want to check if they have bumpers available.

This is a great way to do something fun with the whole family for basically the price of one regular-priced game. Sign up now to get the most out of this special program. If you put ‘cookiesandclogs@gmail.com’ in the referral box, we can both be entered to win prizes throughout the summer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Each participant receives:

• A free ticket voucher (valued up to $40) to see the Globetrotters during their 2013 World Tour
• Autographs and photos with the stars!
• 3-day trial pass to 24 Hour Fitness

You can save $10 on registration by entering USFAMILY on the cart page after completing your registration or mention it when calling 1-800-641-HOOP (4667). To find out more information, check out the 2012 Summer Skills Clinics page.

Clinic Locations:

• Phoenix, AZ
• St. Louis, MO
• Denver, CO
• Houston, TX
• Dallas, TX
• Miami, FL
• San Francisco, CA (in San Mateo, San Jose, and San Ramon)
• Los Angeles, CA
• Las Vegas, NV
• New Jersey
• Seattle, WA