Mommy Octopus

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Disney Giveaway – ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY

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Great news Star Wars fans!  You don’t have to wait too much longer before ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is released!  It will be available On Digital HD March 24 and Blu-ray™ April 4.  

My husband and son have been wanting to see this, but we have just been too busy the past few months!  We will definitely be snagging the digital HD download so they can watch it over and over.

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Synopsis:

From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves.

Giveaway:

2 lucky readers will win a digital HD download code for this movie!  Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 Tips For Making the Most of Dinosaur Explore at Stone Mountain Park

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7 Tips for Making the Most of Dinosaur Explore at Stone Mountain Park

 

Stone Mountain Park has recently completed a new attraction in their Crossroads area.  Dinosaur Explore is set to open on March 30th and runs through the 2017 season.  This attraction features more than 20 life-size dinosaurs with special effects that give them the appearance of moving and roaring just like dinosaurs might have when they were alive.  The Dinosaur Explore attraction is included with a daily Adventure pass and with Mountain Membership.

We had the privilege of being at Dinosaur Explore during the ribbon cutting ceremony this past week and being among the first to check out the new exhibit.  We were blown away!  All 7 of us had a great time visiting the dinosaurs and digging in the sandpit for fossils.  If you’d like to see what to expect on the path, check out my Facebook live video.

My 18 month old couldn’t get enough of the dinosaurs and we ended up walking through the exhibit several times to satisfy his desire for seeing the dinosaurs.  He wanted to stop and wave at each one and then growl at it!  Even the 13 year old and adults were having fun exploring the exhibit.

It was so much fun that the park employees are completely in character at this attraction.  There are dinosaur trainers and even a scientist that talks about how he made the Dinotorium.  Very well done all around.

There are so many things to experience in Dinosaur Explore.  I’ve posted some tips below to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

7 Tips For Making the Most of Your Dinosaur Explore Trip at Stone Mountain Park

  1. Be sure to visit each dinosaur along the path and read the facts.  There are interesting tidbits all along the path so your Dinosaur Explore trip can count as a learning activity, too!
  2. Take your time and watch each of the dinosaurs move.  You never know how they will move or the sound that they make.  Let your little ones set the pace and watch as they soak it all in. 
  3. Visit the Dino Dig and dig in the sand.  At the bottom, you just might find a fossil or even a bone!  We did!
  4. Visit with Bagel!  Look for times posted when Bagel, the dinosaur in training, makes his presence.  The trainer will walk the audience through helping Bagel perform tricks including singing!  Feel free to ask questions about Bagel.  The employees are all in character and love to talk about the exhibit.  You can pet Bagel as well.
  5. Watch for Hattie, the baby dinosaur.  Hattie is seen in a little carrier being held by her handler.  She loves interacting with the public, but remember use only 2 fingers and pet the dinos only on their nose or chin so they don’t get nervous 😉
  6. Look for Reggie, the dinosaur that walks around and visits with the public.  He’s fun to pet as well.
  7. Swing by the Dinotorium to let the kids unwind and run off some energy.  The Dinotorium is 4 levels of fun, featuring super slides, trampoline floors, climbing structures and over 65 interactive games for families and children.

For More Information:

For more information and tickets, you can visit Stone Mountain Park’s website.  Dinosaur Explore is available as part of the Adventure Pass.

Also, be sure to read our post about camping at Stone Mountain Park.  It’s fun for the whole family!

Huge thank you to Stone Mountain Park for inviting us out to check out this new exhibit.  We had a blast!  

 

Zipadee-Zip Review and Giveaway from Sleepingbaby

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I’ve been hearing a lot about the Zipadee-Zip from other moms, mainly from the little boy I keep once a week.  His mom is a huge fan of the Zipadee-Zip and they’ve been very pleased how it keeps him warm and cozy and comfy!  We have had the opportunity to write a Zipadee-Zip review for you guys and we will even have one to give away as well!

About the Product

The Zipadee-Zip has pointed sleeves and a starfish design to help transition little ones from a swaddle.  The Zipadee-Zip provides the comfy, enclosed feeling and sensation of the womb or swaddle but with full range of movement to push up and roll over.  It’s thin enough to use right in the carseat to keep baby cozy.  Designed for babies 3 months old and up, sizes continue to size XL, which is geared toward  a 3-6 year old!  Their prints are limited, so if you see one that you like, be sure and grab it up before it sells out.

After your little one starts outgrowing the Zipadee-Zip, Sleepingbaby offers a fun pajama called the Flying Squirrel.  Made from the same comfortable material as the Zipadee-Zip, but with optional hand and feet covers.

Our Zipadee-Zip Review:

When I first pulled the Zipadee-Zip from the package, the first thing I noticed was how soft and comfy it felt!  It gets even softer after being washed.  I can’t help but wonder if they would consider making adult sizes!  I know I would wear it!

We received the adorable Busy Town Zipadee-Zip print to review since we have a thing for police car stuff 😉  It’s super easy to slip on and zip right up for bedtime and nap times.  I really appreciate that the zipper has a little cover because Simon has been able to bust out of other brand sleep sacks lately!  I’m hopeful that it will be a bit before he figures out how to escape from the Zipadee-Zip.

Simon knows that when the Zipadee-Zip goes on, it’s time for some snuggles, stories, and then sleepy time.  It’s a great way to get him into his bedtime routine and off to dreamland with little to no fuss.  Consistency helps big time when you’re dealing with toddlers and sleep.

We are very pleased with the Zipadee-Zip and wish we had one when he was smaller!  I bet that would have helped with all those sleepless nights!  Nevertheless, toddlerhood is the perfect time to start using the Zipadee-Zip  to make sure he’s not kicking off covers in the night or taking off his diaper….

For More Information:

For more information on the Zipadee-Zip and the Flying Squirrel, please visit the SleepingBaby website.  You can also find out more on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Giveaway:

One lucky reader will get their chance to pick their favorite product from the SleepingBaby website.  For your chance to win, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meal Plan Monday!

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I certainly am late getting this up, but with good reason.  We have been moving this weekend!  It’s gone pretty well, despite several of the kids being sick last week and ending up with a sinus infection myself.  It’s been a challenge, but it’s going to be worth the work.  Above, you can see that the chalkboard wall in the schoolroom has been a big hit. The kids love it!  There is dust,but nothing a broom can’t handle.  I had the school room flooring done in sheet vinyl so it would be easy to clean up with our school projects.

The week ahead brings fun and adventure with a journey to Stone Mountain Park for their new Dinosaur exhibit.   I’ll have information on that up after we check it out!  It looks like a ton of fun.

Here’s what I’m making this week:

Monday: Cajun Cream Chicken, okra, salad

Tuesday: Hamburgers, zucchini, salad

Wednesday: Black bean burritos

Thursday: Dinner out

Friday: Homemade pizzas, salad

Saturday: Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

Sunday: Chicken Fajita Casserole, salad

What are you making this wee?

Review & Giveaway: Laura Story Open Hands CD

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I have been a huge fan of Laura Story’s songs for a while.  Her song Blessings makes me cry almost every single time!

We are happy to announce that Laura Story has released a new CD called OPEN HANDS.  This one is just beautiful!  Sometimes I can’t find time to have a quiet time, but I love having good Christian music playing in the background during the day.  This can make a difference in everyone’s mood around here.

You can find OPEN HANDS on Amazon or other retailers.  It is also available on iTunes.

 

For More Information:

For more information, please visit Laura Story’s website,  or find her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

 

Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a copy of Laura Story’s Open Hands CD!  Fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

LEGO Easter Chick

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Have you seen this adorable LEGO Easter Chick?  This would make a great Easter basket filler for your LEGO fan!

  • Create a variety of cute poses.
  • This set includes over 110 pieces and offers an age-appropriate building experience for ages 7 and over.

Children’s Dimetapp Cold & Allergy Brings Relief This Season

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This post has been sponsored by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own.

This week was crunch time for getting the new house ready.  The goal is to be ablate spend the night there on Friday night, whether it’s in sleeping bags or hopefully our beds!  Of course nothing ever goes as planned and the past few days, we’ve been plagued with sickness.  I think it started off with allergies and turned into colds or maybe a minor virus.

Since we stay fairly busy, we don’t need colds and allergies getting us down!  We need to be able to play outside, pick flowers, and make memories.

To get through allergy season, we often make tea out of local honey and cinnamon to sooth those sore throats.   Another thing we do is make sure we wash hands and faces when we come in from outside.  I love it when things are blooming, but the pollen can be pretty bad here in Georgia.  I’m talking yellow EVERYWHERE!

When itchy and watery eyes hit our family, along with stuffy and runny noses, I know that we can turn to Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Allergy, for our children ages 6 and up.  Their grape flavor makes taking meds much easier for kids!

Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a $25 gift card and one (1) Children’s Dimetapp® Cold & Allergy.  Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*It is important to remember to always read and keep the cartons for complete warnings and dosing information on Pfizer Pediatric products and to use as directed.

Meal Plan Monday

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It’s Monday already again!  We’ve made great progress on our new house and are hoping to move in maybe this upcoming weekend.  Thankful that we have had the time to get the house looking like what we want.  It’s coming together nicely and I am SO ready to move in!  Here’s what we are planning this week for meals:

Monday: Chili

Tuesday: Unstuffed Pepper Medley

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, salad

Thursday: Salsa Chicken, brown rice, broccoli

Friday: Grilled cheese, soup

Saturday: Dinner out

Sunday: Pizza

Eclectic Foundations Review

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Language Arts {Eclectic Foundations }
The past few weeks, I’ve been looking over Eclectic Foundations Language Arts Level B the past few weeks in order to provide an Eclectic Foundations review.  I have been using this program with my 7 year old as part of the Homeschool Review Crew.  She has been struggling with reading the past few years, but I think she’s really starting to catch on now and I think this program has helped reinforce her knowledge.

Language Arts {Eclectic Foundations }

About the Product:

Eclectic Foundations consists of 144 lessons to cover 36 4-day weeks, a complete year’s worth of lessons.  Each level covers Phonics, Grammar, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Handwriting, Composition, and Poetry, so no need to buy extra books.

McGuffey readers are utilized in the Eclectic Foundations program.  The guideline for levels is as follows:

  • Eclectic Foundations Level A uses Eclectic Primer: 1st grade
  • Eclectic Foundations Level B uses 1st Eclectic Reader: 1st–2nd grades
  • Eclectic Foundations Level C uses 2nd Eclectic Reader: 3rd–4th grades
  • Eclectic Foundations Level D uses 3rd Eclectic Reader: 5th–6th grades
  • Eclectic Foundations Level E uses 4th Eclectic Reader: 6th–8th grades
  • Eclectic Foundations Level F uses 5th Eclectic Reader: 7th grade–college sophomore
  • Eclectic Foundations Level G uses 5th Eclectic Reader: 7th grade–college sophomore
  • Eclectic Foundations Level H uses 6th Eclectic Reader: 9th grade–college senior
  • Eclectic Foundations Level I uses 6th Eclectic Reader: 9th grade–college senior

It’s important to note that if your child recognizes letters, they may do better with Level B as Level A assumes that your child does not know their letters and cannot read.

Eclectic Foundations Level B is for the student who recognizes simple words and is ready for silent e words and covers McGuffey’s First Reader.  Phonics utilizes word lists from Word Mastery by Florence Akin.  Handwriting consists of letter practice, famous quotes, short poems, or the “slate work” from McGuffey’s First Reader.  Each week offers a new poem and comprehension questions.  You can view the scope and sequence for Level B here.  You can also preview the first 4 weeks to get a feel if it’s a fit for your family.

The products are available in both paper copy and digital download and are very reasonably priced.

My Thoughts:

 

I really appreciate the simplicity of this program.  All of the books are spiral bound which I just love.  It’s so much easier when books lay flat!  With the Phonics Practice Sheets being laminated, they can easily be reused for extra practice, which makes me happy as well.

The Teacher’s Guide walks the teacher right through every step of the program and explains what to do and how to do it.  It has suggested questions to ask your child to ensure comprehension.

Having several subjects all combined into the Language Arts Student Workbook makes it easier to stay focused and get the day completed.  We can easily transition between handwriting/copy work, poetry, grammar, etc.  Most days only offer a page of work, so I would likely be inclined to add a little more, however I think it would be fine as a stand alone as long as your child doesn’t need extra practice.  If they do, the Phonics Practice Sheets are perfect for that!

My daughter didn’t mind doing the work, although it wasn’t her favorite thing.  She found it a bit easy, but I think that it was great to help give her more confidence in her language arts studies.    The work is fairly simple and not distracting with pictures and colors so that worked great for her personality type.

For More Information:

For more information, please visit Eclectic Foundations on facebook.  You can also see more reviews on this level and othersby the Homeschool Review Crew by clicking the banner below.

Language Arts {Eclectic Foundations Reviews}
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Meal Plan Monday

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It’s a new day.  It’s a new week.  Yesterday was my 33rd birthday and we were able to celebrate with a few of our community group friends.  One of these dear friends brought me some beautiful tulips!!

Thank you so much to the readers that commented and sent me messages about my “Getting Real” blog post.  It’s good to know I’m not the only one that struggles with not “drowning” in the day to day.  I can breathe a little easier as the play is over for my big kids!  That means no more late night practices or early morning plays!  It was fun though and the kids did great!

This week brings another busy week at the new house!  Meeting with the septic tank cleaners, more painting, 18 month checkup for the baby (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!), ducts cleanout from our friends at Athens Servpro (highly recommend them – the owners are our dear friends), hopefully finding someone to put down flooring (any recommendations??), and then hopefully moving in next week!  We really just wanted the house to be completely ready when we move in and it’s going along great!  So thrilled!

Let’s see if this week can go a little smoother in the dinner department.  I think only 1 or 2 dinners last week went according to plan!  It was one of those weeks!

Monday: Omelettes, sausage, biscuits

Tuesday: Paprika Chicken, salad

Wednesday: Chicken Fajita Casserole, green beans

Thursday: Tacos

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Lazy Lasagna

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas, salad

What are you making this week?

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