The Memento by Christy Ann Conlin I have known Christy Ann Conlin for a few years. I can’t remember when we actually first met, but I have always enjoyed our coffee dates. She’s given me lots of advice on my own writing projects and we share the same birthday. You can’t get better […]
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Bunch O Balloons *Disclaimer: Our family received a sample of this product to test in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are our own. Besides, who wouldn’t want try this out on a hot day?* Yes, Siree! We have a winner folks! It was the hottest day thus far of the year, and the […]
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The Memento by Christy Ann Conlin I have known Christy Ann Conlin for a few years. I can’t remember when we actually first met, but I have always enjoyed our coffee dates. She’s given me lots of advice on my own writing projects and we share the same birthday. You can’t get better […]
https://i0.wp.com/valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/9780385662413.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1ValleyFamilyFunhttps://valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/vff_logo2-300x69.pngValleyFamilyFun2016-05-27 12:15:442019-10-04 12:47:07The Memento by Christy Ann Conlin
Bunch O Balloons *Disclaimer: Our family received a sample of this product to test in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are our own. Besides, who wouldn’t want try this out on a hot day?* Yes, Siree! We have a winner folks! It was the hottest day thus far of the year, and the […]
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Haunting Gothic elements are exquisitely re-imagined in this strange tale of madness, murder and dark secrets set on the rugged Bay of Fundy coast by the acclaimed author of Heave.
The Memento tells the story of Fancy Mosher as she lives and works in the servants’ quarters at Petal’s End, a formerly illustrious private land surrounded by dense forest belonging to the famed Parker family.
Since the Great War, the estate has been slowly crumbling at the same rate as the family’s reputation. Fancy grows up listening to her family’s ghost stories and watching the Parkers from a safe distance with her best friend, Art, but the summer she turns twelve she not only learns that her family has been hiding a terrifying truth about who she is and what she is capable of, she also begins to experience firsthand the magnitude of secrets and horrors held within the estate’s walls and buried in its lush gardens–secrets and lies that come to haunt Fancy and the large, fabulous cast of Petal’s End, all of whom refuse to move on from a dying way of life.
Christy Ann Conlin gives us a lyrical and chilling meditation on human nature and the manner of recollection in this captivating ghost story where webs of memories haunt and distort reality and ultimately destroy those who weave them.
My Thoughts
Before The Memento was launched, Christy Ann and I had talked quite a bit about the writing process, and where some of the ideas had come from. I couldn’t wait to see them in print. I wasn’t disappointed!
I love reading books that take place in the area because you can perfectly imagine the scene. You can picture the Bay of Fundy shoreline and know how remote areas on the North Mountain can be. It’s the perfect setting for a novel. Especially a scary one.
Throughout The Memento you are left wondering what is real, or what in the past haunting the characters. I loved the interwoven ghost stories (especially the one from Japan as I used to live there!) and not knowing which character was actually in charge of the story.
Because we are going to be reading the book with our book club, I kept thinking about a lot of discussions I want to have:
1. How much are we a product of our parents? Are we bound to repeat their behaviours? Did any characters break free of their parents’ fate? 2. What happens when we ignore or try to change the past? Are we every fully able to do this? Or, will the past always come back to haunt us? 3. How does the isolated, remote setting of this book influence the story? Could this story have taken any other place? 4. What happens to Melissa?
Baking with the Memento
I love to bake, so I always pay attention to what special food is mentioned in the book. The characters in The Memento mention several times a Lady Dundee cake.
I had to investigate. My British husband says this is a common cake in the UK.
I found a few recipes on Pinterest. Be sure to read the instructions fully as they are all made slightly different. Some require soaking the cake in cheesecloth afterwards, or soaking the fruit beforehand.
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*Disclaimer: Our family received a sample of this product to test in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are our own. Besides, who wouldn’t want try this out on a hot day?*
Yes, Siree! We have a winner folks!
It was the hottest day thus far of the year, and the kids had just come home from school. They were hot and tired and I didn’t want them on the computer. I plopped down the box in front of them, and told them we were about to have some fun. Did we ever!
One of the hottest toys of Summer 2015 is back, now with a new addition to the line that can’t be missed! Bunch O Balloons is the ultimate way to make water balloons!
Fill over 100 water balloons in just seconds with this ready-to-go bunch of self-tying water balloons and blast the competition out of the water. Simply follow three easy steps to forget the mess and stress of filling and tying water balloons: connect the attachment to a water source, fill the balloons and see them self-tie to make over 100 water balloons in 60 seconds!
And new for this summer, introducing the Launcher set! Now, you can throw your water balloons up to 60 ft with the lightweight and aerodynamic launcher!
Bunch O Balloons are an environmentally-friendly product, made from recycled materials. The balloons and O-rings are biodegradable and environmentally friendly. The straws are made from recycled plastic and are recyclable as well.
Bunch O Balloons had one of the top 500 Kickstarter campaigns of 2014, exceeding its initial funding request of $10,000 to receive $1 million in only 20 days.
It was the biggest selling summer toy in 2015 in the United States, completely selling out on the 4th of July.
It was also Australia’s best-selling summer toy for 2015 and names the Australian Toy Association’s Toy of the Year 2015. It also recently won Toy of the Year at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. Bunch O Balloons is now on pace to sell over 30 million pieces worldwide in 2016!
Our Experience
I’m not sure about you, but I hate having the kids coming in and out of the house constantly to fill up water balloons. They make a mess spraying my kitchen, they get water all over the floor and they are constantly asking me to tie the balloons for them.
Bunch O Balloons could be used totally independently by the 8-9 year olds with whom I tested this toy.
It’s so easy. There is a step-by-step guide, but it’s pretty self-explanatory.
Hook the balloon bunch up to the end of your garden hose or sink. There is even an adapter if you need it. Then, wait for the balloons to fill up.
There is even a piece of paper that comes with the toy to tells you how full to fill the balloons.
Once the right size, you literally shake it, and the balloons pop off and are already tied! It’s that easy!
The kids had a great time having a water fight, and using the scoops to launch the balloons through the air.
When they ran out of balloons, we grabbed the extra refill packs. Then, they also used the traditional water balloon method, but it wasn’t nearly as fun or as easy as the Bunch O Balloons!
Bunch O Balloons are available this spring from: Toys ‘R’ Us, Wal-Mart, Costco, Showcase, Loblaws, Home Hardware, Shoppers, Sears, Bed Bath and Beyond, London Drugs, Staples, Mastermind Toys, Indigo, Giant Tiger, and Red Apple.
Bunch O Balloons products range in price from $14.99- $19.99 and are appropriate for ages 6 and up.
ZURU BUNCH O BALLOONS RAPID FILL 3 PACK AND LAUNCHER
(Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Ages 6 years & up/Available: Spring 2016)
Blast ZURU Bunch O Balloons spectacular distances with this all new Launcher! Throw water balloons up to 60 ft/ 15m with this lightweight and aerodynamic launcher and blast the competition out of the water! Includes 3 self-tying ZURU Bunch O Balloons.
ZURU BUNCH O BALLOONS RAPID FILL 3 PACK
(Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Ages 6 years & up/Available: Spring 2016)
Each Bunch O Balloons pack includes 3 bunches of 35 balloons. That’s over 100 balloons per package! Simply screw the Quick Connector on to the fitting at the base of the Bunch O Balloons, attach the Quick Connector to the hose fitting and turn on the water. Watch as the balloons fill, give them a shake, and they fall off and tie themselves!
Fill over 100 water balloons in less than a minute with Bunch O Balloons. (Assortment of 3)
Tried Tested and True! From a Valley Family Fun follower: Tried these this last weekend! Soooo easy! Kids loved them, but they have to be used as soon as you fill them. I did up two bunches about an hour before, and some of them lost all their water, so the bucket was full of water too. Bought mine at Wal Mart, but Michael’s has them too so keep an eye out for the coupons for 40% off a regular priced item to get them cheap!!
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