Mommy Octopus

It’s tailgating time!  This past weekend, our city of Athens was bustling with excitement as we played our first home game.  The Bulldogs played and pulled out a win with ease.  If your tailgating chairs are looking a little rough, you’re in luck.  Academy Sports is offering Tailgating Chairs for $4.99! Select to pick up in the store for free or free shipping over $25! There are many colors to choose from in your favorite sport team colors.

I love throwing these in the back of the truck since we never know when we might need an extra chair on an outing.

It’s Monday again.  I had trouble sleeping last night so I’ve been up for a while and making Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins for the crew.  The week ahead brings another homeschool week, a field trip to a local historic site, and culminating in Monster Jam.  I’m hoping to find some time to get some fall cleaning done this week.  It’s hard to think fall when it’s supposed to be 98 degrees here today!!!

Here’s what is on the menu for this week:

Monday: Egg Casserole

Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken and Brown Rice

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Rotisserie Chicken (Did you know Fresh Market has $5 Rotisserie Chickens on Thursday this month!!?), veggies

Friday: Dinner Out

Saturday: Smoked Boston butt, veggies

Sunday: Low Carb Chicken Chimichangas 

Have you tried a new recipe lately?  Leave a comment and tell me about your favorites.

 

SALE DAYS EXTENDED!!! The Code STILL WORKS!! 

Tie it up or let it hang down, either way, this is a steal for the Jagger Boyfriend Tee at only $7.95 Shipped.  Simply head on over, make your selections and use code JAGGER at checkout to score the deal!

So many fun colors to choose from at this sale price, too!  This sale ends 9/7/19 or while supplies last.  Which one will you choose?

 

AHH! Our dream come true!  Monster Jam is finally coming to Infinite Energy Arena in Gwinnett!  It’s so much closer to us from Athens and we cannot wait to attend.   Here’s the info:

Monster Jam®, the unexpected, unscripted and unforgettable family-friendly motor sport, announced today that tickets are now on sale for Duluth. Monster Jam will play Infinite Energy Arena for the first time ever from September 13-15 and will bring a new level of high-flying, four-wheel excitement for the entire family. Tickets are on sale today at InfiniteEnergyCenter.com or calling 770.626.2464.

Featuring eight of the most intense athletes of Monster Jam, Duluth fans will witness a fierce battle for the championship with each competitor contending in customized high-powered vehicles: Monster Jam Speedsters, Monster Jam ATVs and of course, the iconic Monster Jam trucks in six events sure to leave fans on the edge of their seats.

Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 12,000-pound machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 70 miles per hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motor sports action seen around the world. Fans will have the chance to vote for the winner in the two-wheel and freestyle competitions by real-time, in-arena fan voting on their smartphones.

The following trucks are scheduled to appear at Infinite Energy Arena:

Grave Digger – Driver Krysten Anderson
Max-D – Driver Blake Granger
El Toro Loco – Driver Mark List
Soldier Fortune – Driver Kayla Blood
Alien Invasion – Driver Bernard Lyght
EarthShaker – Driver Tristan England
Blue Thunder – Driver Matt Cody
Monster Mutt Rottweiler – Driver Cory Snyder

*Trucks/drivers subject to change.

Fans will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal to the Monster Jam trucks and drivers by purchasing a Pit Party pass that allows them early access to the event for photo opportunities and autographs.

WHEN:
Friday, September 13 – Sunday, September 15
Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 14 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, September 15 at 1 p.m.

Saturday Pit Party from 10 a.m. – noon
Sunday Pit Party from 10 a.m. – noon

TICKETS:
Tickets start at $20
Pit Party Passes start at $20 each

Tickets and Pit Passes will be available for purchase online at www.InfiniteEnergyCenter.com  or calling 770.626.2464.
**ticket prices subject to change – venue/ticketing fees may apply.

Woo hoo!  Disney has released their 2019 Advent Calendars!  There are 2 options currently, a Disney Junior Advent Calendar and a Disney Mickey Mouse Advent Calendar.  These tend to sell out far before Christmas, so don’t hesitate to grab them now.  Check them out below:

Disney Mickey Mouse Advent Calendar

Disney Junior Advent Calendar

Also don’t forget to check out the LEGO Advent Calendars that are currently available, too!

When my kids were younger, we used the online Reading Eggs program for them.  I’m happy that Reading Eggs is offering 200 Essential Reading Skills for Fourth Grade and other levels and workbooks, too.  Upon receipt of the workbook, I flipped through and liked it so much that I immediately ordered the 200 Essential Reading Skills for Third Grade for my other daughter.

For reviewing purposes, even though we now have Fourth Grade and Third Grade, I’m just focusing on the Fourth Grade book. 200 Essential Reading Skills for Fourth Grade has 200 pages of comprehension, grammar, spelling, and review and is based on the multi-award winning #1 reading program.  It is proven to increase reading levels in just 15 minutes a day.  Inside the book, there are 5 days of work for 36 weeks.  In the midst are four different review checkpoints.  Typically Days 1 and 2 of each week is spent working on comprehension.  Days 3 and 4 are spent working on spelling, and Day 5 is grammar.

The Comprehension pages are probably my favorite part of the workbook.  On these pages, the student needs to read a passage and then highlight/circle/underline/color certain parts of the passage to help them answer the comprehension questions.  This is definitely something that my girls needed to work on.  It is approached with such simplicity that my daughter hasn’t struggled at all to find the answers.

 

The spelling sections were a little frustrating for my daughter.  It’s hard to only work on spelling words for 1-2 days.  Some of the words they expected the kids to know the definitions of were challenging, such as sluice, retinue, and sinew.  This did cause us to bring out the dictionary and look up words, but I feel like they could have used more common words since they are only used during a short time.

One thing that was a little frustrating for me as the parent/teacher, is that the answers are in the back of the book.  While I appreciate this for quick checking, the first page of the answers are printed on the back of the last page of work in the book.  I can tear out most of the answer pages and keep them at my desk, but I wish they had left a blank page first so that it wouldn’t be on the back side of the last lesson.

Another thing to point out is the book has a plastic film over the cover for protection.  We’ve been using it normally for several weeks and it’s already starting to peel.  This isn’t a dealbreaker, but worth noting.

Overall, I’m thankful we had a chance to put our hands on 200 Essential Reading Skills for Fourth Grade for this review.  I have no regrets in grabbing the Third Grade edition and we plan to continue it throughout this school year.

Reading Eggs is generously offering 4 weeks of their online program for FREE to my readers.  Sign up today and watch your child become a stronger reader this Back-to-School season!  A multi-award winning online learning program for children ages 2–13, Reading Eggs supports the essential foundations of reading with its highly engaging lessons, games, and e-books!

For More Information:

For more information, you can visit the Reading Eggs website.  You can also find out more on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. You can also click the banner below to read more reviews from other homeschooling families on this product and others from Reading Eggs.

So sweet!  Check out these adorable dolly and me matching pajamas for only $22.99 shipped!  That’s a great price for matching doll stuff!  There are tons of fun prints to choose from at this price and sizes are available from 2-14.

FIT & DETAILS

• Fits american girl doll & 18 inch doll
• 100% Soft Cotton
• Many Fun print to choose from.
• Tag-less Label to protect child’s skin

Wow!  Walmart is offering a Carseat Trade In Even this month, where you can receive a $30 gift card to use toward baby purchases.  It’s important to note that boosters aren’t eligible for the gift card.  Here is information from the press release:

The first-ever Walmart Car Seat Recycling Event will take place Sept. 16-30, in celebration of National Baby Safety Month. Customers can trade in used car seats at the Service desk in any participating Walmart store and receive a $30 Walmart gift card* that can be used in store or online to buy items for their baby. All car seats collected in this program will be recycled through TerraCycle, and each component will be diverted from the landfill.

*Walmart $30 gift card offer with car seat trade in valid September 16, 2019 through September 30, 2019 at participating Walmart retail store locations. Not available at all Walmart Neighborhood Market locations. Limit of 2 gift cards per household. Booster seats not eligible for trade-in. Please see Customer Service desk for assistance with all car seat trade-ins.

To find out more, you can read the entire article here.