Hogwarts, Quidditch, Lord Voldemort and more - Bring on the Imagination with LEGO's New Harry Potter Sets

 

LEGO is selling 6 new Harry Potter LEGO sets just in time for the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Part 1" on November 19th. Be prepared for your kids adding these items to their Christmas lists. Enjoy double the fun of building these amazing LEGO sets and then watching your child use their imagination as they re-enact the Harry Potter stories. Be sure to purchase or order your selection early because once the new movie is released and the holiday rush is on, these sets will be very hard to find.

Hogwarts Castle
Bring on the imagination! This set includes Dumbledore's office with the Sorting Hat, Gryffindore's Sword and the secret stairs. The Great Hall is decorated with the Gryffindore and Slytherin colors, and remember Tom Riddle's book, it's hidden in the knights armor. Also in the Castle are the Gryffindore and Slytherin common rooms, the moving staircases and so much more. The figures included with this set are: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lord Voldemort, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, professor Flitwick, Argus Filch, Mrs Norris and two Dementors. Recommended for 8 to 14 year olds. Price $129.99 

Attack at the Burrow
This set includes the Weasley's home, 3 floors to play with. The back is open to make it possible to play. The doors windows and gates open and the kitchen is furnished with table, chairs, sink and dishes. There are six figures, Harry Potter, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix Lestrange. Recommended for 7 to 14 years. Price $ 59.99

Quidditch Match
Catch the Golden Snitch as you fly through the goal posts, Hufflepuff Tower or over the stands. This set includes five figures: Harry Potter, Oliver Wood, Draco Malfo, Marcus Flint and Madam Hooch. Recommended for 6 to 12 year olds. Price $19.99

Hagrid's Hut
The half-giant Hagrid's hut is full of what we grown to expect including a giant spider, baby dragon and a light-up fireplace. The figures included with this set are: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Rubeus Hagrid, Norbert and Aragog. Recommended for ages 7 - 14. Price $39.99

Freeing Dobby
Free Dobby the house elf from his cruel master Lucius Malfoy. This set includes Harry potter, Lucius Malfoy and Dobby and the additional items of spiders, a special magic blast push function and Tom Riddles diary. Recommended for ages 6 - 12. Price $10.99

Hogwart's Express
The top of this three car train can be removed to move the figures and load the cargo. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfo are the figures included in this set. And the cargo accessories include suitcases, the food trolley, owls, invisibility cloak and lots more. Intended for ages 8 - 14. Price $79.99

These are the same trusted LEGO products that have been enjoyed by children for years. now with the excitement of the Harry Potter series. Remember in order to ensure you have these items for the holidays purchase or order them before the release of the new movie.

For more gift ideas and reviews go to http://coolelectronicgizmos.com

Happy Shopping!

Shark Portable Steam Pocket – add it to your holiday wish list!

I finally bought the Shark Portable Steam Pocket. I have owned and loved the Shark Steam Mop for 2 years, so I was excited about the portable steamer after watching the infomercials. My first project was my daughters bathroom. Please be aware that it takes a sandblaster to get the grime off the shower enclosure. I’m not sure what products she uses that adhere and look like glue on the walls, but it has always been a major project.

I started cleaning using the steamer with the wedge shape and a regular pocket cover. It removed the simple soap film but it was the combination of steam and the scrubber pad tool that removed the goo on the walls. I was more than happy with the results, The goo was gone and the surface was shining without having to use any chemicals.

I have also used the Shark Portable Steam Pocket on the kitchen cabinets and it cleaned up the grease and grime covered areas without a problem. I love the way the unit works, and the fact that it does not require any cleaning agents. The drawback to using this unit is that you have to hold the cleaning wand in one hand while holding down the steam switch on the main unit with your other hand, which becomes uncomfortable and it prevents you from being able to move objects, etc. Hopefully it is a design flaw that will be corrected soon.

With the Shark Portable Steam Pocket you will receive 2 wands, 5 cleaning pockets and an assortment of covers. I would recommend the Shark Portable Steam Pocket based on how it cut through the tough dirt and grease and it’s ability to sanitize.

Add this one to your holiday wish list.

The Competition is On – The Amazon Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi vs the Barnes & Noble Nook – The Shopping War is on!

The choice between the Amazon Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi and the Barnes & Noble Nook will be a tough choice if you are shopping for an e-reader.  Both products have gotten terrific reviews, but it is the differences between these 2 e-readers and your personal preferences that will make your decision. Priced at $189 for the Kindle 3G and $199 for the Nook, the decision will be based on your choice of features.

Both units have 6 inch diagonal E-Ink electronic displays, with 600 x 800 pixel resolution. The weights are comparable, the Kindle at 10.2 ounces and the Nook at 12.1 ounce. And the actual unit sizes are 8" x 5.3 for the Kindle and 7.7" x 4.9 for the Nook. Both have an internal memory of 2GB but the Nook has an expandable micro SD slot which would only be necessary if you think you need to store more than the 1,500 books that 2GB will hold.

The Battery life is comparable, 10 days or 7,500 page turns, with the wireless off.  And both completely recharge between 3.5 and 4 hours. Both units can be used as an MP3 player, the Kindle with built in stereo speakers and the Nook with built-in mono speakers. Both also have headphone jacks.

 Your preference for options and usage make the determinations here. The Amazon Kindle has a keyboard at the bottom, it does not display in color but has a 16-level gray-scale that does a great job with images. The Barnes & Noble Nook has a color touch screen at the bottom. Are you more comfortable with typing on a keyboard or touch screen?

For anyone who has suffered with cell phone transmission this may be your deciding factor - the Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi uses Amazon's Whispernet through Sprint's 3G high-speed data network for U.S. wireless coverage. No charge involved. And there is expanded coverage available if you are traveling internationally. The Nook has free wireless via AT&T, and free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores. If you intend on down loading books while traveling service from these providers would have to be available.

The Kindle has an additional feature, Text-to-Speech. You can switch from reading a book to listening to it with the audio book reader. You can enlarge the print with both units. The Kindle's screen is less reflective than the other e-book readers which eliminates the problems that reading off a screen in the sunshine can create. The Nook's screen is ranked better than most of the competitors but not better than the Kindle. Where will you be reading?

Have you determined what options are more important? Which  keyboard, and what wireless carrier do you prefer? The Kindle 3G and the Nook e-Book readers have great reviews and thousands of books available. 
Either e-reader would be a great choice.
Happy shopping!