Mommy Octopus – Page 170 – We can all use a few more hands

Giveaway: GOLDIE & BEAR: BEST FAIRYTALE FRIENDS DVD

April 15, 2016 By MommyOctopus 6 Comments
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I have an exciting new giveaway for you guys! I actually hadn’t heard of Goldie & Bear but after I asked my 2 little girls, was told it was a fun show! We are excited to let you all know that a new DVD is being released on April 19, 2016 and we have THREE copies to give away to 3 lucky readers!

GOLDIE & BEAR: BEST FAIRYTALE FRIENDS

Everyone knows “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” but after that story ended, a remarkable friendship began! Team up with newfound best friends Goldie and Bear on amazing adventures as they laugh, play and learn important life lessons in the wondrous Fairy Tale Forest.

Climb a beanstalk with Jack, try on Little Red’s famous hood, outsmart the tricky Big Bad Wolf, and much more. Join Goldie and Bear – and your favorite fairytale and nursery rhyme characters – for magical, song-filled fun you’ll treasure today and ever after!

Includes 7 Episodes for Over 2 hours of Classic Fairytales with a Twist!

Plus FREE Exclusive Playtime Fun Activity Kit with Re-Usable Stickers, Games and More!

Where to buy:

You can find GOLDIE & BEAR: BEST FAIRYTALE FRIENDS DVD on Amazon or wherever you buy DVDs near you. Available on Disney DVD April 19^th.

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The Giveaway:

Fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!

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Meal Plan Monday

April 11, 2016 By MommyOctopus 1 Comment
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Another weekend over and another week starting! I’m so happy that we are getting close to being able to wind down our school year. We do homeschool year round, but the heaviest subjects are almost to completion and we won’t start on new ones until August. My kids have been doing great this year. So proud of them!

It’s time to make my meal plan for this week. Here’s what I’m making:

Monday: Steak, sweet potatoes, salad

Tuesday: Brat Burgers, chips, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese

Wednesday: Grilled chicken, broccoli, brown rice

Thursday: Taco Pie

Friday: Eggs, Biscuits, Bacon

Saturday: Fajita Stuffed Chicken, Grilled Veggies

Sunday: Leftovers

What are you making this week?

Walt Disney World’s Flag Retreat Ceremony

April 9, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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In our trip to Walt Disney World last week, my 12 year old daughter received the special privilege of saying the Pledge of Allegiance for the Flag Retreat Ceremony along with The Dapper Dans! The Magic Kingdom Flag Retreat Ceremony is conducted by the Magic Kingdom security team.

Check out the video I took:

And here’s the video that my husband took. He was closer since I had the baby in the shade.

The Flag Ceremony happens daily at 5pm, but I would double check on the day you visit to make sure it’s the same time. During the Flag Retreat Ceremony, the Pledge of Allegiance is said and you can hear patriotic songs as the flag is lowered, folded and a special Guest is selected to participate. The flag is usually given to a veteran in the park. It was beautiful to witness.

Interested in the Flag Retreat Ceremony?

Get to the flag at Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom about 30 minutes before the flag is lowered.
Approach a cast member and ask if someone has been chosen to say the pledge.
If not, let them know you’d like to do it!
They will announce your name and where you are visiting from during the ceremony.
Your child will receive a certificate stating that they participated in the Flag Retreat Ceremony, along with the date.

My kids thought this was super cool! Have you participated before?

Interested in booking a trip or just getting price estimates? Contact my friend Jennifer. Jennifer is a Disney Vacation Specialist with Destinations in Florida. Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! There is absolutely no cost for her service and it’s booked right through Disney. She can help make all your dining arrangements and include some special magic along the way.

Chick-fil-A – Free Meals for New Moms?

April 8, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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Is Chick-fil-A offering free meals for new moms? A “new mom meal”? Let’s find out. Today I’ve watched the below post go viral on facebook. It says

“Attention expecting moms. If u contact chic fil a close to ur due date or right after u have the baby they offer a new mom meal for FREE. It’s a small platter, 4 large fries or fruit, a gallon of lemonade or tea, and cookies. Pretty cool!!! So ladies, contact them when its time for this awesome deal! Tag any expecting mothers u know and share! “

Sounds exciting, and as a new(ish) mom, it would be wonderful. Except that it isn’t true for all locations. I reached out to Chick-Fil-A for an answer.

Chick-Fil-A had this response:

Hi! Because Chick-fil-A Restaurants are independently operated, it is the franchised Operator’s decision as to which local events and/or promotions he or she would like to be involved with, as well as all details pertaining to it. Please contact your local Chick-fil-A Restaurant for more information. You can find their contact information here: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Locations/Locator. Have a wonderful day!

In a nutshell, 2 restaurants in Texas decided to have this offer, but the rest have not. It would be awesome if they did, but please don’t get your hopes up!

I encourage you to seek out your local Chick-Fil-A on facebook and see the offers that they have. Ours have great offers all the time, just not this one. With the current baby boom around here, I think it would be darned near impossible to do!

Just a reminder to make sure you check things out before you share with others. Things go viral rather quickly and not all are true. 🙂

Review: Times Tales

April 6, 2016 By MommyOctopus 2 Comments
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Multiplication can be one of the hardest things for children to grasp. It can take a lot of repetition, memorization, and hard work to fully comprehend the correct way to do multiplication. The Trigger Memory Co. has come up with a way to make multiplication fun and easy to remember through Times Tales.

The concept of Times Tables is mnemonic based. Mnemonic means using a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something. This program really does just that! My 3rd grader has been working on the Times Tales program for the past few weeks and has gotten to know all the fun characters. The numbers are made to look like characters so that the kids can remember them visually and recall them later.

Times Tables is a great way to learn multiplication and memorize times tables. They focus on the harder to remember ones: 3×6, 3×7, 3×8, 3×9, 4×6, 4×7, 4×8, 4×9, 6×6, 6×7, 6×8, 6×9, 7×7, 7×8, 7×9, 8×8, 8×9, 9×9. I remember how hard it was to memorize those facts when I was a kid and this program is a tool to make it a lot easier.

What Can I Expect?

The program is broken down into 2 sections, part 1 and part 2. In part 1, your child will be introduced to the characters at the beginning. There is a chair, which represents the number 4. Mrs. Snowman, which represents the number 8. 9 is a treehouse. Many more characters as well.

In the picture above, the chair and treehouse are part of the problem and the kite and balloons are the answer. Do you see it? 4 (chair) times 9 (treehouse) =36! (3 kites and 6 balloons!)

After part 1, there are worksheets that can be completed along with quizzes and tests.

It is recommended to wait a week between part 1 and part 2 so your child can fully focus on one part at a time.

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My Thoughts:

Honestly, my 3rd grader found the program a bit slow and boring. He wasn’t thrilled about watching Times Tales at all and declared it babyish, but in the end, he remembered the stories and the math problems. That is what counts in my book! I remember him saying about halfway through the first part that it doesn’t make sense. He insisted the program had nothing to do with multiplication. However at the end when they had to recall the information, all of a sudden he exclaimed, “OOOOH, now I get it!” It had clicked with him.

My 12 year old watched them as well, even though she knows her facts. She thought it was interesting how they made the stories to teach the multiplication facts. Some of the stories were funny, especially the cats and dogs fighting! That one was definitely memorable!

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More info:

Times Tales is available as a DVD for $24.95 or as a digital download for $19.95. Both the DVD and downloadable versions include the printables. The printables are three PDF files where you can print out tests, crossword puzzles, flashcards, & cube games. These were pretty fun as they had the characters drawn out and not just regular numbers.

For more information or to purchase, visit the Trigger Learning Co. website or check them out on Facebook.

For more reviews on this program by the Schoolhouse Review Crew, click the banner below.

Times Tales by the The Trigger Memory Co REVIEW

Kid-O-Bunk Review

April 4, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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Kidobunk

As you all know, we just got back from a week at Disney World and visiting relatives with our 5 children. We stayed on Disney property at Art of Animation. The rooms at that resort sleep 6, but our big kids are getting to the age where they would like more room without having a little sibling hanging on them while they sleep. To solve this problem, we took along a Kid-O-Bunk that we received to review for you guys. It’s a travel bunk bed and super neat!

Kid-O-Bunk is a portable bunk bed designed for kids that requires no tools to assemble. It is made by Disc-O-Bed, which is a supplier to the U.S. Military. The bunk assembles and disassembles in just moments and holds up to 200 pounds per bed! They store in a zippered bag that is easy to carry along with you to your adventures.

Watch the video below for more info on the Kid-O-Bunk:

My Thoughts:

The Kid-O-Bunk worked great for our family! It’s so easy that my 9 year old son quickly got the hang of how to put it together and how to put it back in the carrying bags. My kids all took turn sleeping on the bunks and were very happy with it. In fact, they were fighting over who got to sleep on it. Another thing for them to fight over 😉

We were very grateful for the extra room that the Kid-O-Bunk provides, where 2 children can sleep in a relatively small space and have their own bed. This opened up our hotel room for more floor space.

We also used it during our trip when we were spending the night at the great grandparents house. They didn’t have enough beds for our large family, so we pulled these out and set them up. The grandparents thought they were so neat that they plan to get a set as well! They were so relieved for everyone to have a place to sleep. The bunks can even slide right under a bed for easy storage.

The colors are fun, too. They have a lime green and a teal blue color. You can also get a side organizer to store your children’s treasures. My kids can easily tote the storage bags as well since the bunks each have their own bag.

I can see us using these a lot during our camping adventures this summer and for when we have friends or cousins over. These will come in handy big time!

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Kid-O-Bunk Features:

Easy to build in just a few minutes
Use as a bunk, a bench or two single cots
Kid-friendly, no-tool assembly
Ideal for all children, ages 7-12 years
No mattress required – 200lbs weight tolerance per single cot
Fully disassembles into supplied carry bag
Quick, easy transportation and storage
Indoor and outdoor use

Our friends at Kid-O-Bunk have offered to give Mommy Octopus readers a $20 discount to snag their own Kid-O-Bunk. Simply use code MO20 at KidOBunk.com to get the discount. Code expires 4/30/16.

For more information:

Visit the Kid-O-Bunk website, or find them on Twitter and Facebook. You can also read some wonderful reviews on the Kid-O-Bunk on Amazon.

Meal Plan Monday!

April 4, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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We are back from Disney and visiting friends and family for Spring Break 2016. We had an absolute blast! We also celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary during the trip. My, how time flies when you’re having fun! Time to settle back in to reality and back into the swing of things with homeschool and chores. Happy to be eating real meals this week instead of eating out or quick microwave meals. Here’s what I plan to make this week:

Monday: Poppyseed Chicken, asparagus

Tuesday: Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas, salad

Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Thursday: Brats, calico beans, salad

Friday: Grilled chicken, sweet potatoes

Saturday: Skinny Burrito Bowl

Sunday: Taco Salad

What’s on your meal plan this week?

We Are at Disney World!

March 31, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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We have been visiting friends and relatives in Florida and enjoying Disney World this week. It’s been a beautiful week it has been! Huge thanks to our travel agent, Jennifer, from Destinations in Florida for setting up the trip for us. She is fantastic at working Disney Magic!

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Not only will she help you find the best rate, she will help you get the dining reservations of your dreams, set up fast passes, and more! We ended up getting a last minute reservation to Cinderella’s Royal Table for our anniversary, which was incredible!

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Somehow I messed up one of my fast passes and ended up getting fast passes for everyone in our family except myself! Jennifer took the time to call and straighten it out instead of me having to spend all day on the phone! Really appreciate her and her work!

He Is Risen!

March 27, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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He is Risen

He is Risen! Every Easter I’m just amazed at how much God loved us! I hope all of you have a great day with your family.

From Luke 24:

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

Weleda’s Calendula Diaper Rash Cream #WeledaBabyLove

March 26, 2016 By MommyOctopus Leave a Comment
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I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Weleda. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation

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We are on the go this week, visiting Great Grandparents, followed by Disney, followed by a visit to the beach and friends. Throughout our journeys, the last thing I want to worry about is my almost 7 month old getting a diaper rash, especially during a long car ride! That would be disastrous!

For the past few weeks, we have been checking out Calendula Diaper Rash cream, Weleda’s best-selling baby product. Calendula Diaper Rash cream is a winner of the Parent Tested Parent Approved award and provides fast and gentle relief for babies suffering from diaper rash.

Being a breast-fed baby and just starting to eat solids, Simon doesn’t get very many diaper rashes, but he does get a little red from all his little “fat rolls”. We often have to powder him to help add a little extra protection for his precious skin. Lately I’ve been using the diaper rash cream instead and it has worked very well.

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Formulated with organic, anti-inflammatory calendula extract, Calendula Diaper Rash cream doesn’t contain any chemical fragrances or preservatives! That way I can rest knowing I’m not putting tons of chemicals on his little hiney. An even bigger bonus is that Calendula Diaper Rash cream is safe for newborns and up AND cloth diapering!

Calendula Diaper Rash cream soothes redness and allows your baby’s skin to breathe leaving it feeling, soft, smooth and protected. That makes Simon happy, which in turn makes this mommy happy!

You can find Calendula Diaper Rash cream on Amazon, and learn more on their Website, Twitter, and Instagram.

Giveaway Details:

Influence Central is offering to give away 15 Weleda prize packs! Each prize pack has a value of $70. Contest opens on Friday, March 18, 2016 and closes Friday, April 8, 2016. I-C will randomly select 15 winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes. To enter, fill out the form below and good luck!

Weleda Giveaway