Mommy Octopus

Great news Vera Bradley fans! The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale is happening now with an extra 30% off already-reduced prices! New styles and colors added, including Beach. Plus, don’t miss the Deal of the Day! Valid 9/19-9/22. You’ll see the extra 30% come off when you add it to your cart.

This Hipster bag is on sale for $31.50, down from $70. Add it to your cart and the price drops to just $22.05!!!

Browse around the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale and see what you can find while supplies last! Shipping is free on orders over $35.

You can score a 3-Month Amazon Kids+ Plan Subscription for just $.99!  That makes each month $.33! Kids+, formerly FreeTime Unlimited, allows each parent to customize their child’s experience to provide the most relevant books, videos, apps, and more in an environment built from the ground up just for kids.  We’ve been using it for a couple months with our kids and have seen it as a wonderful resource!

**Be sure to select the 3 month Family Plan option to get this deal!!!  You’ll select the option as shown below for the 3 month family plan –

Start your 3-Month Amazon Kids+ Plan Subscription for just $.99!!  Click “Select this offer” to move forward.

I have to say that the Tennessee Aquarium is one of our favorite places to visit. It’s well worth the drive to visit. I love the way it is laid out to walk through and of course all the animals.

On Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Aquarium will celebrate the indispensable role of parent-educators with discounted admission for homeschool families and groups.

“For homeschool families, the Aquarium offers exciting opportunities because it is a place where family members of all ages can learn together,” says Dr. Brooke Gorman, the Aquarium’s director of science education. “In a homeschool setting, there is more freedom to let students’ interests guide their learning, and the Aquarium offers many opportunities for one student or a group of students to get excited about different topics.” 

On Homeschool Day, eligible guests can take advantage of discounted, timed-entry tickets at $29.95 for adults and $9 for students ages 5-18. Homeschool families visiting on Homeschool Day also can purchase IMAX tickets and Aquarium memberships at a discounted rate.

Discounted tickets may be purchased in advance by visiting: https://community.tnaqua.org/events/2020/homeschool-day-at-the-tennessee-aquarium . In accordance with local health mandates, all guests ages 12 and older are required to wear a face covering during their visit. All tickets are timed-entry to ensure proper physical distancing within the Aquarium’s buildings.

We recently learned about a program called HOMER and my son has taken to it immediately!  Already in his first few minutes, he’s tracing the letter A and matching lower and uppercase letters.  This program is geared toward children ages 2-8 and as a homeschool mom, I’m very pleased with how it works!

This is his face after the app showed him how to write a letter T and he did it correctly.  The app cheered for him and he thought that was cool!

HOMER is a highly personalized subscription based early reading app. Research actually has shown that just 15 minutes a day can improve a child’s early reading score by 74%!  Upon creating an account, it asked me to select my son’s likes so that it can make the program just for him!  Plus I can check and see how he’s progressing when I login.

HOMER is offering a FREE 30 day trial subscription to see if it is a fit for your family, but it sure is for my little guy!

Here’s a place we haven’t been to before and this looks amazing! The North Georgia Zoo is offering free drive thru admission to homeschoolers on 9/24. Here are the details from their facebook page:

To say thank you to all Homeschool Teachers, we are offering FREE admission to our Safari Drive Thru. Join us Thursday September 24th from 11-3pm. Offer only valid for homeschool teachers & their family. For more info on our Safari Drive Thru visit https://www.northgeorgiazoo.com/safari-drive-thru.html No ticket purchase necessary for this offer, simply show up and you will be admitted to the drive thru!

This park is located in Cleveland, Georgia.

Erin Condren is having an EC Friends and Family SALE! You can receive 25% off your entire order through 9/23!

Erin Condren offers my very favorite planner, the LifePlanner for everyday use.  I keep mine in my purse!  What is so neat about it is that you can customize the cover and pick the layout and colors of the planner pages to make it uniquely yours.  

If you are new to homeschooling or are a teacher, check out their Teacher Planners.  They are perfect to organize your school year!

I just got an email from our friends at Stone Mountain Park that the Pumpkin Festival is a GO for this year! So exciting to have some tradition happening again!

Stone Mountain Park’s all-new Pumpkin Festival – Play by Day, Glow by Night, an outdoor extravaganza returns bigger, better and brighter this year. Visitors are welcome to celebrate the splendor of autumn during the park’s Pumpkin Festival, a family tradition featuring dozens of new scenes, thousands of jack-o-lanterns, a giant glowing pumpkin tree, costumed characters, glow-in-the-dark mini golf, new storytelling adventures, new glow-along party parade, new glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs, new magic show, and more nighttime family-friendly experiences. Discover a patch of fall fun on acres of natural beauty beginning Sept. 19 – Nov. 1 (select dates).

Stone Mountain Park guests can play by day and experience all of their favorite park attractions and special fall entertainment, then glow by night in a whole new light.

Glow by night is an all-new, immersive experience with more glow and nighttime outdoor fun. Guests can explore 20 life-size Jurassic giants after dark at the all-new Dino Glow Experience and watch magical entertainer Aaron Radatz for a fast-paced, interactive outdoor show before he disappears.

From fairytales to nursery rhymes, be part of the adventure as you encounter your favorite storybook characters! Discover an underwater marvel 20,000 leagues under the sea, catch a fairytale remix with Mother Goose, watch an all-new story book dance-along party parade on the laser lawn, and join the 3 little pigs for an adventure on the scenic railroad. Come immerse yourself inoutdoor picture-book settings with fun fall decor and much, much more!

For tickets and activity schedule, visit the Stone Mountain Park website www.stonemountainpark.com.

In order to provide safe outdoor entertainment, Stone Mountain Park is reducing and managing its daily attractions capacity. The park is implementing a number of new safety measures based on the guidance of health officials including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and appropriate government agencies. Reservations are required and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Guests are also encouraged to review important health and safety procedures at the following link before visiting park attractions: https://www.stonemountainpark.com/PlaySafe.

Hooray! This awesome deal is back and it’s always a hit with everyone! The BESTSELLING Boyfriend Tees are on sale for $7.99 & $9.99 when you use code STOCKUP. This deal ends 8/17 at midnight!

Available in sizes S-3XL and in TONS of Colors! Shipping is free on orders over $35, so consider getting a few or ordering with a friend.

Happy Monday everyone! We are hitting the books hard again this week and getting back in our groove after a late summer break. We are supposed to get a lot of rain and I cannot wait to get the cooler temperatures that are supposed to follow. Bring on my favorite season – FALL! Fall brings soups and easy crock-pot meals, so that’s exciting!

Monday: Pork roast, roasted carrots and potatoes

Tuesday: Grilled sandwiches

Wednesday: Lentil Soup

Thursday: Egg Casserole

Friday: Grilled Chicken

Saturday: Tacos

Sunday: Burritos

How fun are these! Target has really hit the ball out of the park with these fun new Halloween and Christmas Family Matching Pajamas! I’m loving the Very Merry Dinos! If you aren’t fans of these two prints, don’t worry. They have plenty of other holiday prints and even some plain ones, too!

On many items you can select to pick up at the store (where available) or it will ship free with a $35 purchase. Target also has free shipping and an extra 5% off for REDcard holders. You can apply online and it only takes just a couple minutes to find out if you are approved.