Rock Out with Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits for Nintendo DS

My kids and I have long been fans of Guitar Hero for PlayStation so we were thrilled to find out that we could now enjoy the game on our Nintendo DS systems.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits for Nintendo DS is a follow-up to the On Tour and Decades games previously released. The games are SO much fun and very addictive. There are three different versions to choose from: Guitar Hero on Tour, Guitar Hero on Tour- Modern Hits, and Guitar Hero on Tour - Decades.

Thanks to Mom Central, we were able to review the Modern Hits and Decades games. And we love them so much, I'm planning on purchasing the third game, Guitar Hero on Tour. I really, really love the songs available on that one..."Spiderwebs" by No Doubt, Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl," and they even have an old song my husband dedicated to me when we were first dating more than twenty years ago- "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughan.

You can view the set list for all three games here, but I'll give you my favorites from Decades and Modern Hits.

Decades

~"One Way or Another" by Blondie
~"CrushCrushCrush" by Paramore
~"Any Way You Want It" by Journey
~"We Are the Champions" by Queen

Modern Hits
~"Sweet Sacrifice" by Evanescence
~"Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven
~"Where Are We Runnin'" by Lenny Kravitz

Each game includes 28 songs in all, and they're radio-edits so you don't have to worry about exposing your kids to mature lyrics.

I was worried that it might be difficult to play Guitar Hero on a Nintendo DS console, but the creators really knew what they were doing when they designed these games. There is a strap that attaches to the DS with four, colored keys to press in accordance with the notes shown on the DS screen and I had no difficulty getting used to it, and neither did my kids.

There are stickers for players to personalize their "guitar" and a guitar pick stylist to "strum" with. You can also play with your regular Nintendo DS stylus if you prefer.

You can choose your band name, guitarist, outfit and guitar. As you earn cash at each of the five all-new venues you tour at, you can go into a shop to purchase more guitars and clothing.

My kids love to play every chance they get, but especially in the car. Portability is the biggest advantage of playing the games on a Nintendo.

The most excitement for my kids, though, comes from the multiplayer, head-to-head mode (requires two games and two Nintendo DS consoles). Here they are battling out to "Unconditional" by The Bravery:



The wireless feature not only allows mutliplayer modes, but it also allows for song streaming.

Other key features:

~Choose your path to stardom – For the first time ever, players can choose how they take their band from the underground music scene to worldwide rock stardom with the exciting non-linear gameplay progression in Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits.

~Do it for the fans – Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits delivers an all-new gameplay experience with Fan Requests. By completing Fan Requests players build their fan base and open up new challenges to rock-out like never before including jamming to an entire song in Hyperspeed, battling it out in a Guitar Duel with active Bomb Notes or whammying every single hold note in a song.

~Rock out anytime, anywhere – Fans can take the Guitar Hero experience wherever they go with Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. The Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ mimics a guitar fret board and fits seamlessly in people’s hands to deliver the same core gameplay that defines Guitar Hero.

~The party never stops – Song streaming features allow players of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and its predecessors, Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, to share songs via local wireless connectivity. Players can rock out together in multiplayer modes, jamming to tracks from all three versions of the game.

Guitar Hero On Tour retails for $49.99 and is rated “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and older – Lyrics). Be sure to visit GuitarHeroOnTour.com for more information and enter to win all three Guitar Hero On Tour games!

Keds Green Label

Green is the new black. But black can be very green as well.

Confused? Click here and check out the cool, new, black Keds Green Label Canvas shoes I received for review.



Keds Green Label shoes are both fashionable and friendly to the environment. Here are the features that make these shoes so special:

• 100% Organic Cotton
• Laces are made from 100% recycled water bottles
• Recycled rubber outsoles (20%)
• Non-toxic, soy and vegetable-based inks and dyes
• Nickle-free eyelets
• ISO-9001 certified factory and recycled insoles

There are two styles: Willow Lace Up and and Meadow Mock Toe. Mine are the former and I love them! They're extremely comfortable and I love the design inside the shoe and on the sole. It reads, "The world is at your feet. Tread lightly and change your footprint. Every small step makes a difference. Be true, Keds.'

My favorite aspect of the shoes' design is how they make the laces out of recycled water bottles. How cool is that?! Such a perfect way to keep those bottles from filling up our landfills.



The colors, made from non-toxic dye, are gorgeous! I chose classic black, though, since it goes with almost everything.

Check out the Keds Green Label Website for more information and/or to purchase these fabulous shoes. You can also enter to win a $250 shopping spree while you're there. Good luck!

Guest Post and Giveaway: To Do List? Make That a "To Be" List

Please give a warm welcome to author Mindy Friddle, who is guest posting today for So a Blonde Walks Into a Review as part of a Wow! Women On Writing tour.

There's also a fun "Seedy Characters" giveaway in celebration of Mindy's latest book Secret Keepers, so be sure to read to the end!

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Are you a list maker? I am. I write and rewrite lists on stickie notes, deposit slips, notebooks, and--on rare occasions, when I'm feeling organized--I sign up for some new free software that promises to help you prioritize. It's the kind of task master system that sends you emails to remind you what to do everyday.

Such ambition for compulsive organizing and prioritizing is--for me anyway--fleeting. Thank goodness. Now if I could get an email task list every morning that said: drink coffee and listen to the birds, write half the day, garden, take a long walk with the dog, have a drink and a leisurely home-cooked meal with your family, read for hours, repeat next day....well, I'd sign up for that one.

In this frenzied hyper-connected digital world, it's easy to get caught up in the undertow of doing, doing, doing and forget being. I try to remind myself that it's the process that counts, not so much the end result. [Yeah, I know. Insert eye rolling. I can hear you laughing. But notice I said, try to remind myself.]

So many of us are in the habit of just trying to get through something, to get it over with so the real fun begins, wishing away the minutes, hours, days, years. I've noticed too many of the "what's on your mind" statuses of my pals on Facebook say, "Can't wait until Friday." Usually that's on a Monday!

But all this stuff...It never ends, you think. Paying bills, dentist appointments, taking the critter to the vet, the kids to practice, job responsibilities or looking for a job, haircuts, groceries, volunteering, buying birthday presents, and on and on. But dig up an old list in your glove compartment or some dusty drawer, a list you made a year ago, or five or more years ago, and you see all the tedious stuff that's passed, floated on down the river, that debris that seemed so important at the time. "Life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans." John Lennon said that.

About a year ago, I decided to try to live more in the "now," and that meant to remember to give my full attention to whatever I am doing now. That's pretty much the opposite of what the busy world demands--multitasking, anyone?-- but I find doing one thing at a time makes me more productive, anyway.

When I write, and when I'm outside, in the garden, it's easy for me to "lose myself"-- in a good way-- and escape the frantic tick-tock of time and deadlines, and access a real sense of peace. The zone-- some call it-- when your focus quiets the mind. Not so easy in a traffic jam or at a family reunion!

But it helps to start small if you don't want to sweat the small stuff. And noticing just how often your mind chatters--planning, fretting, remembering, scheming-- is the first step. "To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else." Emily Dickinson wrote, which always reminds me to pay attention to the smells, sights, and sounds around me right now, no matter where I am.

I was in a crowded parking lot recently. Hot asphalt, grumpy people, jumbled shopping carts, car exhaust. I looked up at the lazy, beautiful clouds and there was a rainbow! No one else around me noticed. It was faint, but you could just see it if you looked up, and you were paying attention.

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Bio: Mindy Friddle's first novel, The Garden Angel (St. Martin’s Press/Picador) was selected for Barnes and Noble's Discover Great New Writers program in 2004, and was a National Public Radio (NPR) Morning Edition summer reading pick. Secret Keepers, her second novel, was published by St. Martin's Press in May. She lives, writes, and gardens in Greenville, South Carolina where she directs the Writing Room, a community-based nonprofit program she founded in 2006. She often posts photographs of her garden on her blog Novel Thoughts: Musings on Reading, Writing & the Earth.

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Win it!



Mindy is sponsoring a fun "Seedy Characters" giveaway for readers of So a Blonde Walks Into a Review! In addition to an autographed copy of Secret Keepers, one lucky reader will win packets of seeds hand-selected by Mindy.

In keeping with the theme of Secret Keepers, which features a rescued garden and a range of flowers--both real and imagined, Mindy will send packets of her favorite flower seeds to the winner!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post letting me know what you loved most about Mindy's guest post. Be sure that there is an email address for you that I can find, or your entry will have to be disqualified. By entering, you automatically agree to all the rules and disclaimers listed here.

You can receive additional entries by doing one or all of the following (one entry for each step):

~Twitter with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with your Twitter link.

~Blog about this contest with a link to this post. Then leave a separate comment here with the link to your post.

~Follow this blog. Simply click on "Follow this blog" found near the top of the sidebar to the right (under "The Blonde"). Then, leave a separate comment letting me know you are following.

~Post the button below on your blog and then leave a separate comment here letting me know it's posted and where. Here's the code for the button:



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~Add So a Blonde Walks Into a Review to your Technorati Favorites (just click the button below and follow the simple steps). Then, leave a separate comment here letting me know you've added this blog to your favorites:



Deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. Good luck!

Purex Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets Winner

Congratulations to David Johnson! His name was selected at random via Random.org as the winner of the Purex Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets giveaway.

Thanks to all who entered and to Marina Maher Communications for sponsoring this fabulous giveaway.

Stay tuned for more fun contests to come!

First-Hand Account from Lucky No Doubt Fan

If you read my review of the No Doubt show at the Nissan Pavilion in Virginia, you know that one fan had the experience of a lifetime...being pulled on stage by Gwen Stefani!

Bob has kindly agreed to share his experience with all of you here, complete with pictures and video.

One thing you should know...Bob is a firm believer, as I am, in the power of prayer and the law of attraction as found in the book "The Secret." And he utilized both to make this happen, which I find tres cool.

Here is the story, straight from Bob himself. I'm sure he'd be happy to hear your thoughts so leave him lots of comment love, please. :) Enjoy!



OK...BEST concert I have EVER been to!!! One truly amazing night. My dream finally came true! From start to finish, this was my day:

Actually, rewind. First, I was just eager at the possibility of being front-row. But after getting home from work Saturday night, I read online that Gwen had been pulling fans on-stage at recent shows. So I planned on waking up early the next morning, getting to the store, making an amazing eye-catching sign that would be sure to grab Gwen's attention.

Tossing and turning. Anxious.

Fast-forward! I woke up yesterday morning earlier than I should have, and sat around getting nothing done. I kept trying to think of an awesome idea for a sign, and nothing would come to me. So I got ready. Thought about shaving, but didn't. But I don't regret ANYTHING about yesterday because everything fell perfectly into place!

So anyway, I hit the road around 12 and head for Best Buy to buy a memory card, and to Michael's to pick up some supplies to make a sign. I got back out to my car and my first attempt was dreadful. It was just a yellow posterboard with black marker that read, "Pull me up Gwen PLEASE" Not fancy enough.

So I took a couple minutes (and only a couple minutes) and threw together a sign made of yellow posterboard, cut into the shape of an arrow pointing down. Going down the arrow, in glittery letters was the word HUG with two question marks on the head of the arrow.



I thought, 'This'll never work' but I thought I was running later than I was. I hit I-95 ready for the show. Speeding. Doing 90 and blasting "Hella Good" and the rest of the No Doubt catalog...feeling GOOD!

Got to the venue at 3pm, and they said parking gates wouldn't open until 4:30pm so I went to Target to pass some time. Bought a new shirt because the one I was wearing wasn't bright enough. Also bought some hot yellow sunglasses. Changed in the bathroom, headed out to my car, then realized the memory card I bought at Best Buy in Baltimore didn't work in my camera. Ran back into Target and bought one that did.

Got everything ready and headed over to the venue at 4pm. They were letting people in already. So I parked and headed to the Fan Club line. Met two really awesome people over there (who for reasons we discussed while leaving will remain nameless!) and hung with them until the gates opened.

5:40-ish we get in. I take off running, faster than I ever have before, and caught up with them (They had already taken off). We ended up front row, just right of the center. The Sounds rocked. So did Paramore. Now the good stuff.

No Doubt comes out, opening with "Spiderwebs". While Gwen's covering the stage, back and forth, I'm holding up my sign. 5 years ago in almost the same exact spot, Gwen had sang a line of "Simple Kind of Life" to me, and before she did, she gave me this look that said, 'Get ready. I'm choosing you!' Sounds silly I know.

But during "Spiderwebs", she glanced at my sign and gave that same look. I felt then that she'd definitely pull me up. She just lingered while looking at it. So I kinda knew.

They do a couple more songs, and Gwen starts reading other signs before the next song. She starts off to my right, and she's moving closer and closer...and I'm getting nervous. Then she skips over me. I was crushed. I thought, 'Oh no...this isn't gonna happen for me.' She read another sign, then they went into the next song, so I thought, 'Good, she didn't pull anyone up yet. I still have a chance.'

I don't remember honestly if she did one or two more songs. It's all a blur at this point. But after whichever song came before "Simple Kind of Life" (I honestly cannot remember right now) the lights came up and I held my sign up again. I'd been holding it up quite a bit and felt ignored. She kept skipping over me.

So this time, she walks right over to me, and I'm holding it up and thinking, 'Oh Sweet Lord, this is it!' She glances down, and (I cannot remember exact dialogue) but she says, "What's that? What's that say!?" So I hold it up, and she says, "Give it here!" so I try to reach but it was too far. So security hands it to her.



She holds it up, and I snapped two pics of her holding it...then, to my complete shock and amazement, she says, "COME AND GET IT!" Then whirlwind. People behind me start pushing me over the railing, while security is pulling me from the other side.

Security lights the way to the stairs and I run (I think I ran - I don't remember!) up the stairs. I do remember I almost tripped once I got up there. It's vague. But I remember it.

And there she was. Arms wide open. Gwen was waiting to hug me. In front of thousands! So I give her the warmest hug, which she returned just as warmly. And it felt like it lasted SOO long.



And I leaned in and thanked her for her work in helping HIV/AIDS research (campaigns such as One) and I told her that I'd lost (someone very special to me) to that disease and it meant a lot. There was this true bonding moment...just in that instant. But it lasted an eternity. And it meant the world.

Then she noticed my camera and said, "Do you want a picture!?" I remember the crowd roaring behind us, and she took my camera out of my hand, held it in front of us, and snapped two pictures.



Lemme just say...I had NO idea what to do with my hands. As I recall, one was around her bare waist. I remember thinking, 'I'm crossing a line, they're gonna throw me out!' but it was all cool. I remember Gwen giving me a second hug, and I turned around and waved to the entire band, and headed back down the stairs.



I truly hope I remembered to thank Gwen...but if I didn't, I was able to mouth it repeatedly to her at the end of the show. I went back to the spot my friend saved for me and enjoyed the rest of the show. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

At the end of the show, so many people approached me, and a number of people even asked for pictures with me...which was kind of mind-blowing. I've always dreamed of someday being a celebrity...for what I don't know...but tonight, I had a taste of it. And it tasted like Reese's Peanut Butter cups, and milk - sublime.

Dreams absolutely do come true. Gwen made mine come to fruition on a stage at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia on June 14, 2009. So very grateful. All you need are the powers of whatever you believe in - prayer - positive thought - The Secret - sounds a little out there to some...but I'm proof :)



Note: Originally published at So a Blonde Walks Into a Blog.