One of the reasons this blog was started was to encourage me and my previous co-author to spend more quality time with our kids. I admit, work and social media have gotten away from me lately and quality time with my girls has been in short supply. This summer, I'm determined to unplug a bit more and spend face-to-face time with Kiki (aka Nutty) and TJ (aka Tottie). I came up with a summer bucket list for kids that should be fairly easy for the girls and me to complete this summer. Our summer vacation is about 3 months long so I came up with 60 things for us to do. That equals 5 things a week. Totally accomplishable as we can double up on some of them. When my girls say, "I'm bored" I can point them to the summer bucket list and have them pick something to do off the list. I think the two hardest things for us to complete will be geocaching and going to a baseball game but the girls haven't done either of them before so I decided to add those as new things to try. They've … [Read more...]
Don’t Miss Camp Macy’s June 14th!
I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.Did you know that Macy's is more than just a department store? This Sunday, June 14th, Macy's turns into a place to camp!! No, it's not an overnight camp, but it will be a great day camp! As part of their American Icons campaign, Macy’s is hosting Camp Macy’s with all sorts of family fun and summer activities. Kids can enjoy a camp experience indoors with storytelling, BINGO, crafts that show off your American spirit, refreshments, giveaways, and more! Sounds fun huh? Want to give back while you're at camp? Take photos during your camping experience at Camp Macy's and use the hashtag #AmericanSelfie. Macy's will donate $1 for each #AmericanSelfie up to $250k, to support America’s veterans with Got Your 6. You'll also be entered into a contest run by Macy's - some winners will be selected for an awesome moment in Macy's … [Read more...]
6 Friendly Summertime Reminders
Today is the first day of summer vacation for my girls. Today begins 98 days of fun (at least for them, maybe not for me). Today I bring you some friendly summertime reminders... Drowning Is Silent I will repeat this over and over again on my blog - drowning is silent. I wrote a post about it last year (see link) and I'm considering republishing it this year. I can not reach enough people with this message! Also remember that most drownings occur when multiple adults are present. Don't assume someone else is watching your child(ren) in the water. Designate someone to watch children in the water and make a clear hand-off when you want to switch people watching. Don't always rely on the life guards either. They have more than just your children to look out for. Food Shelves Need Your Donations There are tons of food drives during the school year and especially around the holidays, but did you know that summertime is when food shelves need your donations the most? Children are … [Read more...]
Sizzling Summer $1000+ Cash Giveaway!
I am so excited to be joining 37 fellow bloggers to bring you a sizzling summer $1000+ cash giveaway! There will be three (3) winners in this giveaway. Two (2) people will win $500 cash and one (1) person will win $250 cash. $500 or even $250 can go a long way in making your summer awesome! If I had extra cash I'd use it to take a boating trip with my family. We've been wanting to take our girls (and our boat) to the Apostle Islands. What would you use the money for? Terms & Conditions: This giveaway is open world wide and runs from midnight EST May 15th to 11:59 EST on June 15th . The (3) winners must be 18 years or older to win. The winner will be chosen by random.org no later than June 20th. All mandatory entries must be completed. The entries will be verified. Toys In The Dryer is not responsible for choosing winner or awarding prize. Full Lives Reviews blog is ultimately responsible for this giveaway, choosing winner, and awarding prizes. Full Lives Reviews can void an … [Read more...]
Fun Last Day of School Activities for Those Who Walk
In my neighborhood area most kids walk to and from school (including mine). On any given school day there are at least 30 kids who meet at the 4-way stop for the crossing guards to let them onto school grounds. This year, I've decided to do at least one (if not all) of these last day of school activities for the kids who walk. I can't wait! Though I say that these activities are for kids who walk to and from school, you CAN do some of them for bus stop kids too. Shhhh...don't tell my girls or their friends. It's going to be a surprise! I'm gonna need some help from a few parents (or the older kids in the neighborhood who get out earlier) to pull off the last one though! Hand Out Freezies What kid doesn't like freezies? They are fairly inexpensive and are mostly allergy-free. Hand them out to the kids as they walk home for a nice last day of school treat. Decorate the Walking Paths or Sidewalks Grab some sidewalk chalk and get to decorating! Phrases like "Welcome … [Read more...]
Catapult Painting
This post is sponsored by Tum-E Yummies® fruit flavored drinks however all opinions are my own. A few weeks ago the girls and I were supposed to run in the Color Vibe™ race sponsored by Tum-E Yummies®. However, last minute I discovered that there was a miscommunication with my scheduler at work and I did not get the day off. I was so bummed (as were the girls). Tum-E Yummies® asked me if I had another way to "color my world" besides the race. Of course! We LOVE colorful arts and crafts around here and catapult painting is a definite way to color things up a bit. To paint with a catapult, you'll first need to make a catapult. Directions to make a simple one like in the photo above can be found under our popsicle stick catapult post. Next you'll need some paint and cotton balls. Hint: water color paints are easy to clean up and this craft can get messy colorful! We diluted out some thicker water color paints thus you see stir sticks in our containers. Get your … [Read more...]
