Valentine's Day is just days away so that means, in my world, it's time to start thinking about St. Patrick's Day! I've got a lot of Irish blood in me so I take St. Patrick's Day very seriously. This year I'm starting off my girls' celebration with a fun fill-in-the-blank leprechaun story. I wrote the story then had my girls fill in the blanks. Both did it, and both thought their story was pretty funny. They thought it was neat how each girl had a different story even though it was the same. If a child does this story by themselves, first give them the fill-in-the-blank sheet, then have them transfer their answers into the story. If you are doing this for a party or the classroom, read the fill-in-the-blank sheet out loud and have the children write their answers in the story. This printable is great for St. Patrick's Day parties as well as school classrooms! To download the printable for yourself just click on the photos below. Make sure to click on THIS BUTTON and … [Read more...]
6 Signs A Child’s Parent Is A Blogger
Here are a few signs to let you know a child's parent might be a blogger... 6) The child says their parent "has imaginary friends too." 5) The child is no longer excited about getting new toys in the mail. 4) You get out the camera and the child automatically stops to pose. 3) You ask the child what their parent does all day and they respond, "sits on the computer." 2) At the park, the child does a new trick on the monkey bars and yells, "hey mom, you should post that!" And the #1 sign a child's parent is a blogger... Their school work looks like this: What would you add to these signs? … [Read more...]
Brandcation 2014 #SeasTheDay With Me!
This past August Hubby, I, and our two friends went on a Royal Caribbean cruise. It was Hubby and my first cruise, our friends' too many to count cruise. We had so much fun that we signed up for Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society (loyalty club) and vowed that we would be cruising with them again. Next time we'll bring the kids. As luck would have it, I will be sailing again with Royal Caribbean sooner than expected! MomDot and Brandfluential present a 5 day, 4 night cruise to Cozumel, Mexico aboard the Liberty Of The Seas. That's right, I am one of 40 bloggers invited on a Royal Caribbean sponsored cruise! Ok, now you're all going, "huh? MomDot? Brandfluential? Brandcation? I've never heard those words. At least I've heard of Royal Caribbean but how are you getting to go on a sponsored cruise? That's not fair!" Let's start off with some definitions... MomDot is a blog and a blogging community. Through their forum and facebook page I have learned more than I ever … [Read more...]
Family Bonding With Puzzles
For as long as I can remember my dad has gotten a puzzle for his birthday. My dad's birthday is Christmas Eve so my family would put together his birthday puzzle over Christmas break. We would spend days bonding as a family while putting these puzzles together. My girls have loved and gotten puzzles for presents since they were old enough to put them together. Tottie puts one together at least once every couple of weeks. They keep her busy while Nutty is at school. A couple of years ago, Hubby had carpel tunnel surgery. He bought himself a 2000 piece puzzle to keep occupied while off of work. Little did he know, his puzzle would be the start of a new family tradition. The girls and I loved helping him put together that large puzzle. Since then, once a year we get a large puzzle to put together as a family. This puzzle takes up 3/4 of our dinning room table but Hubby and I think it's worth it. He cut boards so that they can be moved if need be (i.e. for … [Read more...]
Smashburger Open’s It’s 10th MN Store–A Review
Smashburger, the nation’s fastest growing “better burger” restaurant, opened up its tenth Minnesota location in Apple Valley on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Known for localizing its menu in every market with regionally inspired burgers, side items and local craft beers, Apple Valley Smashburger patrons can enjoy the Twin Cities Smashburger topped with layers of melted cheddar cheese, aged Swiss cheese and garlic grilled onions with lettuce, tomato and mayo on an onion bun. My family and I had the privilege of attending a media preview the night before the restaurant opened to the public. I'm not much of a food expert but I appreciate a good burger and this Smashburger has them! The secret is in the smash. It starts with 100-percent—fresh, never frozen, Angus Beef and is smashed on a 400 degree flat grill to sear in the juicy flavor. To further the “better burger” experience, the burgers are served on toasted artisan buns and topped with a selection of the freshest produce, … [Read more...]
Walkie Talkies–Cell Phones For Kids!
Nutty went to a friend's house on Sunday and came home with a walkie talkie. Her friend lives 6 houses away so we knew the signal would reach. The girls talked for at least an hour before bed. Her mom and I joked that the walkie talkies were like cell phones for our kids. School was closed on Monday due to bitterly cold wind chills. I thought it was really funny to see this post from one of my friends on my Facebook wall after Nutty and her friend were playing with walkie talkies just the day before. I told Nutty about it and she decided to see if she could find some other kids stuck at home...Sure enough, she found a girl! It was a bit broken in their conversation, I'm assuming due to distance, but they did talk for a minute or two! I just had to share it with my friend who posted earlier, so I tagged her in this Facebook post. After that post, my friend and I coordinated our kids on the same channel and they chatted for most of the afternoon! Then Nutty's … [Read more...]
