Mommy Octopus – Page 160 – We can all use a few more hands

Review & Giveaway: The Biggest Story CD & DVD

September 15, 2016 By MommyOctopus 7 Comments
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the-biggest-story

A while back, we had the wonderful opportunity to review The Biggest Story book and I’m so thrilled that we have had the opportunity to check out the DVD and the CD as well now!

About the Product:

The Animated Short Film: Featuring beautifully animated illustrations adapted from the book, The Biggest Story: The Animated Short Film will captivate children and parents alike as they see how all the classic stories in the Bible connect to Scripture’s overarching message about God’s glorious plan to redeem his rebellious people.

The Audio Book: This audio book of The Biggest Story—written and narrated also by the best-selling author Kevin DeYoung—leads kids and parents alike on an exciting journey through the Bible, connecting the dots from the garden of Eden to Christ’s death on the cross to the new heaven and new earth.

Kevin DeYoung is senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, MI, husband to Trisha, and father to seven children.

Our Thoughts:

My kids love watching The Biggest Story movie. The animation is very colorful and instantly drew my kids into it. The pictures and words in the movie match the book and help bring it to life. I love how it shows many Bible events pointing toward Christ.

My kids also really loved the audio book. They love listening to books before bed and this one is no exception.

Both of these products would be a perfect addition to your audio and visual libraries in your house.

Giveaway:

One lucky reader will win a copy of both the DVD and the audio CD! Enter below for your chance:

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, 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.”

Creating a Simple and Stylish Baby Wardrobe with Carter’s

September 12, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

“This post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.”

My last baby turned 1 a little over a week ago. I cannot believe how fast time flew this past year. The sleepless nights are almost gone, but I still want to savor every little bit of babyhood that I can.

Throughout his first year of life, we have turned to Carter’s to keep him well dressed and comfortable. Now that he’s on the move, The Original Bodysuit makes it simple to slip on, snap, and then he can go back to exploring.

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With a 100% cotton Carter’s Original Bodysuit, he can quickly transition from relaxing at the house to going out for a day by simply adding coordinating pants and shoes. Carter’s baby clothing holds up well for his adventures and antics.

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A simple 5 pack of Carter’s The Original Bodysuits is an essential and can enhance any baby wardrobe with color and fun. My favorite part about Carter’s bodysuits is the expandable shoulders at the neckline. If my son makes a huge mess, I don’t have to pull it up over his head! I can slip his arms out through the top and just pull the whole bodysuit down his body at his feet. No mess on his face and less mess for me! As we approach toddlerhood, I know I’ll be using that method of changing him more often!

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The baby clothes designs offered by Carter’s are always stylish with fun colors and sayings. This Mr. Adorable set is totally perfect for my little guy! This particular set came as a 3 pack, which included the short sleeve bodysuit, long sleeve bodysuit, and the adorable bear-on-the-bottom pants.

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With this set, my son is completely ready for fall here in Georgia since some days we need long sleeves and some days we are still wearing short sleeves. Plus I just loved the bears and the campers!

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Many of the sayings are funny, but true as well, such as this one. “Daddy & I Agree – Mommy’s the Boss”. Just have to laugh and smile at it! With this bodysuit, you can add pants and the zippered hoodie to be ready for venturing out on cooler fall days. If it gets too warm, drop the hoodie and you still have a fun and stylish set. The bodysuits are easy to mix and match with other items in his wardrobe.

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Ready to shop the latest in baby fashion for your own little one? You can check the Carter’s store locator and find a store near you or shop online. Be sure and take advantage of the coupon below to save 25% off your purchase of $40. This can be used in store or online. Online, you can use code CARSEPB to get the discount.

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Pin Baby Pin Contest:

Carter’s is hosting their Pin Baby Pin contest from now until 9/26! 75 people will be randomly chosen to each win a $50 Carter’s gift card! To enter, participants must upload their favorite Carter’s baby’s first look at this link here. Good luck!

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Meal Plan Monday

September 12, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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Another crazy week and weekend. My mom ended up in the hospital this week after her diverticulitis started acting up again. Not fun! The week ahead is filled with training for my husband, homeschooling for the kids, and enjoying much cooler weather! So happy we will be in the 80s instead of the 90s! Here’s what is on our menu this week.

Monday: Pork Chops, Salad

Tuesday: Burgers, okra

Wednesday: Simple Crock Pot Chicken Quesadillas

Thursday: Lazy Day Enchiladas

Friday: Parmesan Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin, Salad

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: Taco Pie

Giveaway: THOMAS & FRIENDS: GREAT RACE BLU-RAY + DVD COMBO PACK

September 9, 2016 By MommyOctopus 12 Comments
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

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Do you have a Thomas & Friends fan at your house? I don’t currently, but I know I will soon as my youngest son gets old enough to enjoy Thomas!

THOMAS & FRIENDS: THE GREAT RACE is set to be released on DVD & blu-ray on September 13th, just a few days away!

Synopsis: Get ready, get set, GO! When the best engines from around the world gather to compete in The Great Railway Show, Thomas is determined to find a way to represent Sodor. But he’s left disappointed as Gordon is chosen to be the new “Shooting Star” for The Great Race. With Gordon and the other engines making the journey to compete, something suddenly goes terribly wrong… and Gordon is in danger! Will Thomas get to the mainland in time to help him and save the day? Join Thomas and his new international friends in this high-speed musical adventure where friendship always wins!

Interested in winning your own DVD & blu-ray combo pack? We will have FIVE winners for this set! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION!

September 9, 2016 By MommyOctopus 18 Comments
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

Beauty and the Beast SA 2 line Blue

WOW! I can’t believe it has been 25 years for this movie! Man, that makes me feel old! I remember watching this as a little girl. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is excited about the upcoming release of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 25^thANNIVERSARY EDITION! It will be coming to Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Tuesday, September 6^th and Blu-ray™ combo pack on Tuesday, September 20^th.

Synopsis:

Be our guest at the enchanted 25^th Anniversary celebration of Beauty And The Beast, universally acclaimed as one of Disney’s finest animated features and now honored in the Walt Disney Signature Collection. Join brave, independent Belle on the adventure of a lifetime as she sets out to rescue her father and finds herself in the enchanted castle of a mysterious beast. Enjoy this timeless tale overflowing with unforgettable characters and Academy Award®–winning music (Best Song, Best Score, 1991)!

We have 2 HD Digital Download codes available for 2 readers to win! Fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2016 LEGO Advent Calendars are Available!

September 6, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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LEGO Advent 2016

If you love collecting the LEGO Advent calendars, now is the time! The 2016 LEGO Advent Calendars are out! Typically they sell out and become very hard to find as we approach Christmas. I’ll be keeping an eye out for other popular Advent Calendars as they come out. Can’t wait to see what else will be offered this year.

LEGO City Advent Calendar – $29.99

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar – $39.99.

LEGO Friends Advent Calendar – $29.99

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Astronomy Review

September 6, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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When I was planning this school year, I was trying to decide what we wanted to do for science. When the opportunity came up for us to review Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition from Apologia Educational Ministries, I was thrilled! The kids have been asking to learn more about Astronomy and this gave us the perfect chance!

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Astronomy Review

About the Product:

Children can explore the galaxy using the new and revised Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition. Packed full of hands-on activities to introduce elementary aged children to the Universe using a Biblical base. Available for purchase is the Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition textbook, Notebooking Journal, Junior Notebooking Journal, Audio CD, and the Science Kit.

In the second edition textbook and notebooking journals, you will find:

• Biblical wisdom used throughout the textbook
• Infographics to help children see information in an understandable format
• 14 lessons updated with current scientific data
• Wisdom from Above and Think About This callout boxes which give special attention to God as Creator
• A new color-coordinated schedule for the textbook, notebooking journals, and lab kit
• Fresh layouts for activities found within the textbook
• All new full-color illustrations
• Space to journal each textbook and notebook activity

Our Thoughts:

For review, we received the Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition textbook, a Notebooking Journal, Junior Notebooking Journal, and the Audio CD.

We have been using Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition for about 6 weeks now as part of our 2016-2017 homeschool adventures and we have been super pleased!

Even though this product is geared toward elementary age students, I’ve been working on it with all 4 of my big kids, and just having my elementary schoolers do the notebooking journals. The notebooking journals have been a wonderful edition to the textbook and provide lots of hands-on activities, instruction, and experiments. There are places to record observations from experiments or write down interesting facts that you would like to remember. The Notebooking Journal is geared toward children ages 3rd-6th grade and the Junior Notebooking Journal is geared toward children ages K-3rd. I believe they are right on track with the grade levels for the journals. The Junior Notebooking Journal has fun coloring sheets intermixed with the projects and the Notebooking Journal has more writing opportunities. Both can be done simultaneously if you have multiple students of different ages like I do. In the journals, there is a schedule to help pace out your year and provide time for the experiments and the reading. That has been very helpful for me as a parent to make sure we stay on track.

The kids eagerly look forward to science time during our homeschool day. So far, we have learned about parts of the solar system, the planets, the sun, and have done some great projects like build a 3D solar system out of balloons!

Right in the textbook, you will find experiments and projects to help bring all the science knowledge to life right before your eyes. I also really appreciate how Apologia circles everything back to our Creator so we can see His hand in everything in the universe. We are always very pleased with Apologia!

For More information:

For more information, you can visit Apologia’s website to check out these products. You can also find Apologia on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

You can also read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew on this product and others by clicking the banner below.

Exploring Creation with Astronomy, 2nd Edition Review

Review: DIY Electro Dough Kit from Timberdoodle

September 5, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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The past few weeks, we’ve been having fun with DIY Electro Dough Kit that we received to review from Timberdoodle.

What Is it?

The DIY Electro-Dough Kit is a great, hands-on approach to teaching younger children about simple circuits. Using homemade conductive and resistant modeling dough, your child will build silly or scary sculptures that light up and make sounds. Because the kit uses modeling dough that your child helps you make, he will be able to investigate a playful side of electricity in a fun, safe, hands-on way.

Timberdoodle also offers a 10 lesson instructional guide as a PDF that comes free with every Timberdoodle purchase of the DIY Electro-Dough KIT. The instructions will take you and your child through a series of circuits to build, which develop in complexity and teach the rudiments of electronics in a very child-friendly way. Discover the difference between connecting your LEDs in serial and parallel, build switches, and introduce the buzzer. The DIY Electro-Dough Hardware Kit is a select collection of components that will make your explorations easy.

This kit requires four AA batteries, and your homemade dough, which is not included. Kit includes: Battery Holder, Buzzer, 6 Crocodile Clips, 3 Dough Cutters, 10 Jumper Wires, 10 Green LEDs, 10 Red LEDs, and 2 Tilt switches.

Our Thoughts:

What fun we have had with the DIY Electro-Dough Kit! The 10 lesson instructional guide has been a huge resource in learning more about circuits and putting together some fun projects. When we get the kit out, my kids play happily for hours building all sorts of creations and testing to see if their circuit is complete.

The recipe in the 10 lesson instructional guide seems to be far better for use with the kit as well, so we are very thankful for Timberdoodle providing this awesome resource. Topics covered in the instruction guide include finding out if water conducts electricity, testing human circuits, and a fun doctor game.

The instructions are so simple that even my 1st grader was building the more complicated circuits! That is, when my 4th grade son would let someone else play with it ;-). The circuit is complete when the lights light up or when the buzzer is buzzing.

If you have a child that loves hands-on activities, go ahead and put this on their Christmas list and definitely one to add to the homeschool room! The dough has kept well for us in an airtight bag, and we get it out a LOT to play!

For More Information:

You can find the Electro Dough Kit and more information on Timberdoodle’s website and as part of their 1st Grade Curriculum Kit.

Meal Plan Monday!

September 5, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
By clicking my links, I may earn a small commission to support this blog. Please see our Disclosure Policy.

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Well, that’s it! Our last baby had their first birthday! Such a bittersweet day! He had a great time and a great first birthday party. I think he wasn’t quite sure what all the fuss was about but he loved it anyway! The week ahead is filled with more school, friend time, and we are finally buying a couch! Our current couch has lived a good life, but now it’s time to say goodbye. It will have a new home in a friend’s basement as part of a teen hangout area.

I know I’m really slacking on blogging, but as the kids grow, more and more is needed from mom! I have a lot of fun reviews coming up for you guys and even some giveaways planned. Thanks for still reading for a peek into our world.

Here’s meal plan Monday!

Monday: Black beans and rice in the pressure cooker

Tuesday: Porkchops, brown rice, steamed broccoli

Wednesday: Unstuffed Pepper Medley

Thursday: Meatloaf, salad

Friday: Chicken Alfredo

Saturday: Taco Salad

Sunday: Pizza with our community group.

What are you making this week?

How to Make a Simple Outdoor Tic Tac Toe Game

September 4, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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Simple Outdoor Tic Tac Toe Game

My kids love playing outside and I’m always looking for fun activities to keep them engaged. A year or so ago, we had some giant trees taken down in the yard, which left behind some huge and gorgeous logs and stumps. These stumps were just begging to be put to use! We decided to use the stumps and make some fun outdoor games for the kids to enjoy! First up, see how we made an outdoor Tic Tac Toe game! If you have paint on hand, this game won’t cost you anything.

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First off, if there are any cracks, fill them in with wood putty and allow to dry. We started the project off by priming the top of the stump. This step is quite easy and takes just a few moments. A nice thin coat is just what is needed.

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Next, select your base color. A nice bright red was chosen here.

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At this point, you just need black paint, a paint brush, and a ruler. I recommend mapping it out and planning in pencil and then covering the pencil marks with your black paint. It’s fairly easy with a steady hand.

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Next, simply gather some stones and paint X’s and O’s on top of them and then you are set for an inexpensive and fun outdoor game! Enjoy!

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