Polar Express Coming to Mount Hood Railroad

All Aboard! THE POLAR EXPRESS comes to life this holiday season as the Mt Hood Railroad rolls out of the station bound for the “North Pole!” Come early and climb aboard with your family to cozy-up and enjoy our festively-decorated vintage train cars. Dancing chefs deliver hot chocolate and a cookie to each guest to savor while music from the Polar Express movie plays en route to the North Pole. Make sure to have your tickets handy, because your conductor will be by shortly to punch each child’s ticket.

Before arriving at the North Pole, the iconic book, The Polar Express is read as your Chef turns the pages to share the beautiful illustrations in the original book. With the station far away, THE POLAR EXPRESS magically arrives at the outskirts of Santa’s North Pole village, where Santa Claus himself and his elves joyously welcome the train! As you stay comfortably settled and warm in your seat, Santa and his helper elf board the train! During the return trip, Santa will greet each child with his signature holiday spirit and the first gift of Christmas: a bell cut from his sleigh. It is said that only children and those who still believe can actually hear the bell ring. Join in the singing as your Chef or Conductor lead Christmas caroling on the 30-minute return trip.

For those wanting the magic to last or to do a little Christmas shopping, visit our gift shop in the station for special POLAR EXPRESS gifts and merchandise. Oh, one last thing, children are encouraged to wear their PJ’s; adults who still believe have been known to wear them, too! So, are you coming? All Aboard!

Dates and Times
Nov 9-10, 16-17, 22-24, 27, 29-30
Dec 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, 26-29
11:30am, 2:00pm, 4:30pm, 7:00pm

110 Railroad Ave. Hood River, OR
https://www.mthoodrr.com/mt-hood-polar-express.html

All Aboard the Polar Express is coming to the Mt Hood Railroad, visit https://www.mthoodrr.com/mt-hood-polar-express.html or call 877-726-7245 to climb aboard.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER:
For my participation in this US Family Guide Promotion I will receive FOUR FREE coach seats valid weekdays in November.

Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Disney Classics Box Set Pre-Order Now!

Every one has their Disney song favorites. There is a lot of ground to cover. From Aladdin's A Whole New World to Mary Poppins' A Spoon full of Sugar to Kim Possible's The Naked Mole Rap, there is sure to be some favorites for everyone.

Disney Classics box set, the latest compilation from Walt Disney Records that features 94 original classic recordings from film, television, and theme parks celebrating over 85 years of Disney music magic! It's the perfect gift for Disney music lovers.

The four volumes of the collection – Disney Modern Classics, Disney Timeless Classics, Disney Theme Park Classics, and Disney Television Classics – bring favorite musical moments to fans of all generations.

Come along, sing the songs, and join the jamboree! Pre-Order Now!!

Disney Classics Box Set: Song List – 94 Songs

Disney Modern Classics

1. Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid
2. Be Our Guest – Beauty and The Beast
3. Seize the Day – Newsies 
4. A Whole New World - Aladdin
5. What’s This? – Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. Circle of Life – The Lion King
7. Colors of the Wind - Pocohontas
8. You’ve Got a Friend in Me – Toy Story
9. Out There – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
10. I Won’t Say (I’m in Love) – Hercules
11. Reflection – Mulan
12. The Time of Your Life – A Bug’s Life
13. Strangers Like Me – Tarzan (Phil Collins)
14. When She Loved Me – Toy Story 2
15. Whopp-de-Dooper Bounce – The Tigger Movie
16. If I Didn’t Have You – Monsters, Inc.
17. Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride – Lilo & Stitch
18. Look Through My Eye – Brother Bear
19. One Little Slip – Chicken Little
20. Happy Working Song – Enchanted
21. Dig a Little Deeper – The Princess and The Frog
22. I See the Light – Tangled (Mandy Moore)
23. We Belong Together – Toy Story 3

Disney Theme Park Classics

1. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room – Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
2. Swisskapolka – Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse
3. Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me) – Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Splash Mountain Medley – Splash Mountain
5. The Bear Serenade – Country Bear Jamboree
6. Grim Grinning Ghost – Haunted Mansion
7. It’s a Small World – it’s a small world
8. There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow – Carousel of Progress
9. The Great Outdoors – Country Bear Vacation Hoedown
10. Space Mountain – Space Mountain
11. Soarin’ – Soarin’ Over California
12. It’s Tough to Be a Bug – It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
13. California Screamin’ – California Screamin’
14. The Best Time of Your Life – Carousel of Progress
15. Space Mountain – Space Mountain (2005)
16. Universe of Energy – Universe of Energy
17. Kitchen Kabaret Medley – Food Rocks
18. One Little Spark – Journey Into Imagination
19. Canada (You’re a Lifetime Journey) – O Canada!
20. Golden Dream – The American Adventure
21. Finale – Fantasmic!

Disney Timeless Classics

1. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf – Three Little Pigs
2. Whistle While You Work – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
3. When You Wish Upon a Star – Pinocchio
4. When I See an Elephant Fly – Dumbo
5. Little April Shower – Bambi
6. The Three Caballeros – The Three Caballeros
7. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah – Song of the South
8. Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) – So Dear to My Heart
9. A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes – Cinderella
10. All in the Golden Afternoon – Alice in Wonderland
11. You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly! – Peter Pan
12. What a Dog/He’s a Tramp – Lady and The Tramp
13. Once Upon a Dream – Sleeping Beauty
14. Cruella De Vil – 101 Dalmatians
15. Let’s Get Together – The Parent Trap
16. The Ugly Bug Ball – Summer Magic
17. A Spoonful of Sugar – Mary Poppins
18. The Monkey’s Uncle – The Monkey’s Uncle
19. Fortuosity – The Happiest Millionaire
20. The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book
21. Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat – The Aristocats
22. Whistle Stop – Robin Hood
23. Someone’s Waiting for You – The Rescuers
24. It’s Not Easy – Pete’s Dragon
25. Best of Friends – The Fox and The Hound

Disney Television Classics

1. Mickey Mouse March – The Mickey Mouse Club
2. The Ballad of Davy Crockett – Davy Crockett – King of the Wild Frontier
3. The Triple R Song (Yippi-A, Yippi-I, Yippi-O) – The Adventures of Spin and Marty
4. Theme of Zorro – Zorro
5. Scarecrow – The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh
6. Winnie the Pooh – Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
7. Minnie’s Yoo Hoo – The Mouse Factory
8. Who, What, Why, Where, When and How Day – The New Mickey Mouse Club
9. Gummi Bears Theme – The Adventures of the Gummi Bears
10. Duck Tales Theme – Duck Tales
11. Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers Theme Song – Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Rescue Rangers
12. Darkwing Duck Theme – Darkwing Duck
13. Theme to Lizzie McGuire (Extended Supa Mix) – Lizzie McGuire
14. Rockin’ at the House of Mouse (Extended Version) – House of Mouse
15. The Naked Mole Rap – Kim Possible
16. Cheetah Sisters – The Cheetah Girls
17. Aloha, E Komo Mai – Lilo & Stitch: The Series
18. Hot Dog! – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
19. Get’cha Head in the Game – High School Musical
20. Nobody’s Perfect – Hannah Montana 2
21. Gitchee Gitchee Goo – Phineas and Ferb
22. This Is Me – Camp Rock
23. What Time Is It – High School Musical 2
24. Everything Is Not as It Seems – Wizards of Waverly Place
25. Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater – The Mickey Mouse Club 

Pre-orders begin October 22nd and the box set will be available wherever music is sold on November 12th. You can pre-order HERE. The box set is also currently available for purchase in the Disney Parks.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am participating in a blog post campaign from One2One Network and Walt Disney Records. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. Thanks to One2One Network and Walt Disney Records for providing me this promotion information and free sampler CD which I am getting in the mail and some free classic Disney songs from the box set that I can stream. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promotion information. My post is also eligible for prizes via random drawing.

Green Giant “Raise a Giant”

This post is sponsored by General Mills and Green Giant through MyBlogSpark.

Green Giant® knows that raising kids is a lot more involved than just getting them to eat their vegetables.

Bullying is something that unfortunately we have all been exposed to at one time or another. In fact I can attest that it isn't just kids that are bullied. Unfortunately bullies come in all sorts of forms, but the fact that kids are targeted, especially by peers, is really sad. Not only do kids these days have to watch there backs in school, at the playground, etc. but in this day and age kids can even be bullied on the internet. This is why I believe that our children need our help by giving our encouragement and support to help them learn and grow with confidence.

Green Giant has teamed up with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and We Day Minnesota to help parents Raise A Giant and put a stop to bullying in their community.



What Does it Mean To Be A Giant?
Being a giant isn’t about being the biggest or the best. Being a giant means standing up for others. It means lending a hand to those who are in trouble and speaking up for those who sometimes find it hard to speak up for themselves.

Studies show that an effective way to stop bullying is for kids to simply speak up and say, “That’s not okay” when they see bullying happening.

But asking kids to have the courage to stand up to bullying is a tall order and that’s why they need our help.

How Do You Raise A Giant?
Green Giant is asking parents to write a letter to their kids telling them how special they are and encouraging them to be part of the bullying prevention solution by being a giant.

1. Visit RaiseAGiant.com to find inspiration from the letters parents have written to their children.
2. Start your letter by letting your child know how special he or she is. Give examples of the unique things you love most about your child.
3. Encourage your child to always be proud of who they are, no matter what others may do or say.
4. Help your child recognize the signs of bullying.
5. Ask your child to not stay silent when they see someone being bullied. Show them that the right thing to do is help the person being bullied or go tell an adult. And, if they are comfortable with it, to speak up and say something.
6. Explain to your child how bullying is never ok, no matter what.
7. Share a story from when you were a kid of a time you experienced bullying and how you handled it.
8. Offer some suggestions for how to deal with bullying and explain how just one kid saying “that’s not ok” can influence other kids and help them become giants too.
9. Make sure your child knows that you will always protect and support them.
10. Let your child know that they are not alone and reassure them that you will always work with them to overcome whatever problems they may experience.
11. Share your letter at RaiseAGiant.com to inspire other families to be a part of the bullying prevention solution.

With your encouragement we can help all of our kids create a safer, happier world.

My Letter to my kids:
My Dearest Children,
I am so grateful to have you all as my children. You are so very special to me and I love you so very much.   Each of you have special talents and interests unique to you and that is what is so great about each of you. It is very hard for me to admit that you are all getting older. Each step into adulthood from childhood brings with it more responsibility. Standing up for truth and right are some of the things I have taught you.

When a child at school is bullied by another, speak up! Tell an adult about what is happening. Know that you are not alone and what ever problems arise I am there for you. Bullying is never right, no matter what the circumstance. Have courage to stand up for what is right and defend the one being hurt. Always be kind and caring to everyone. Don't ever make anyone feel bad about themselves. Lead by good example. I have faith that each of you will make the correct decisions. CTR and hold to the rod!

Love, Mom

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I was given the opportunity to give someone of my choosing a $25 Gift Card and have $25 donated in my name to the PACER Center for Bully Prevention. Information were all provided free by General Mills and Green Giant through MyBlogSpark. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this promotion.

Free Eggy Alphabet App from Reading Eggs

Reading Eggs is offering a FREE download of their Eggy Alphabet app for one week only from today Monday October 28^th. Offer ends Monday November 4^th! Eggy Alphabet normally costs $2.99.

Eggy Alphabet is compatible with iPad, iPhone and Android devices and available to download from iTunes or Google Play today!



About Eggy Alphabet app for iPad, iPhone and Android

• Suitable for children aged 3+.
• Includes 5 alphabet games that cover all upper and lower case letters of the alphabet.
• Children learn to identify and write letters in both their upper and lower case forms, while developing phonemic awareness and letter sound recognition - all essential skills for early literacy success.
• Fun rewards to earn include 624 golden eggs and 18 critters to hatch and collect. 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this promo information to post. Thanks to Reading Eggs for providing me this promotion information. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo. 

A Child's Introduction Books Review and Educents Deal

We received products free from Educents and Workman Publishing Company to facilitate this review.

Right now Educents is having a deal for A Child's Introduction to... Books! Get A Child's Introduction to The Environment, A Child's Introduction to The World, and A Child's Introduction to The Night Sky for only $39.90! That's a discount of 33%!

This bestselling, award-winning series for kids explores the sky, environments, and cultures of our world. Readers ages 9-12 will enjoy this information-packed introduction to astronomy, geography, and more. Inside the front flap is a bonus envelop that has extra goodies that come with each book.

A Child's Introduction to The Environment is a book about the air, earth, and sea around us. Explore oceans, deserts, icecaps, cities, farms, forests, animals, plants, wildlife, climates, and weather. It has experiments, projects, and activities to get involved to help protect the planet. Includes a reusable lunch sack, stickers with save-the-Earth messages, and a poster from NRDC's Green Squad. Great for the budding environmentalist.

A Child's Introduction to The World is a book about geography, cultures, and people - from the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China. Includes a pop-up paper globe and stickers. Fun facts about far-off places, interesting people, continents, countries, climates, animals, sports, foods, inventions, and holidays from all over the world. Wonderful for the little explorer or geographer.

A Child's Introduction to The Night Sky is a book about stars, planets, and constellations and how you can find them in the night sky. Includes a star wheel guide to the constellations and glow-in-the-dark stickers of the solar system for your ceiling in your room. This book can help your little astronomer gaze at the sky with confidence.

We love these books! They have so much great information and we love the extra inserts too! We love the interaction the books give and great illustrations. These are very educational. These are great for homeschool or after school instruction.

Go get this deal at Educents now and save up to 33%! Click on the Educents button below and find the A Child's Introduction to... Book deal! Hurry! It is only here for a limited time!



DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and promo. Affiliate links may be present in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

eShatki Savings For Newbies

The best thing about eShakti is that you get the chance to customize your order or pick straight off the rack for ready-to-wear clothing. They have a fabulous selection of dresses, tops, skirts and jackets for women. They are available in sizes from 0 to 36W. You can also specify custom sizes too. Depending upon the piece of clothing you can also pick to customize it with a number of sleeve types, hem lengths and neck lines. The first time you custom a piece of clothing through eShakti it is free! They also have 25%-40% off clothing sales going on now.

If you are new to eShakti, use my referral promo code CRYSTAL68MX and take $30 off your first purchase.

Why eShakti?

• They offer Sizes 0-36W
• They give you Custom sizes
• And they give you the option to Customize styles

Conditions:
Your new customer gift coupon is worth $30 because you were referred you to eShatki.
The Referral Promo Code can be used only by a customer who does not share the shipping address of an existing customer of eShakti.
The Referral Promo Code is valid for use through 11/30/2013.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: The above has affiliate links and the code is a referral code. Thank you for supporting my blog. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this information.

Costume Discounters Snow White and the Huntsman Armor Costume Review

Snow White and the Huntsman Armor Costume

I received this costume for free to facilitate this review.

I admit that I still haven't seen the movie Snow White and the Huntsman. It is on my list of ones I want to see eventually. However, when I saw the Snow White and the Huntsman Armor Costume at Costume Discounters I had to have it. For one thing the costume is modest, great for autumn weather, and very fierce looking. I love that it comes with everything minus the sword and shield. The costume is fairly complete and comes with: tunic, chest piece, shoulder piece, gauntlets, shin guards, and pants w/ attached skirt and boot tops.

Snow White and the Huntsman Armor Costume with homemade sword and shield.

My son, Jaedan, made this shield and sword in Boyscouts. It looked the part so I had to borrow it for the photo shoot. When I suited up I felt like I was prepared to overthrow the evil queen and go to battle :)

Snow White and the Huntsman Armor Costume: closeup of the tunic top.

I love that the tunic top looks like protective chainmaille from afar. The gauntlets and chest and shoulder pieces are made of a soft foam material that has a shiny silver covering. I loved how the costume looked on me, but I probably should have picked the tween size because of my petite build instead of the adult woman size because it was a bit baggy in places around the pants. It is not that flattering from the back, either. Also, the Velcro likes to attach to the fabric and pull it. Still it is a great costume for a Renaissance fair or Halloween!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Warner Bros. Spook-Tacular Movie Giveaway and Blog App

I have the opportunity to give away a Spook-Tacular Movie below free for posting this information. All information and giveaway prizes are provided by PartnersHub and Warner Bros.

What is the best part about Halloween?

The pumpkin carving? The costumes? The free candy? All are amazing, but whether you are the bunch that loves dressing up and scaring the neighbors or you plan to stay-in, Warner Bros. has a line-up of Spook-Tacular Movies to get you in the holiday spirit. From classics like It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown & Scooby-Doo The Goblin King to Adventure Time – Jake the Dad, you can count on a spook-tacular selection that the entire family can enjoy!

Before you and the kids take the neighborhood by storm, get in the mood by sharing some spooky stories! Download copies of the Spook-Tacular Story Time PDF, fire up the flashlights, and gather in a circle..... this Halloween it's STORY TIME! Perfect for kids ages 7 to 73!

Announcing the Halloween Spook-Tacular Blog App!

Blog App:

• Which Spooky Family Are You? QUIZ - Is your family all about the candy and costumes? Or are you pumpkin-carving crazy? Take the quiz to find out which spooky family YOU are! 
• Spook-Tacular Story Time PDF - It's simple... Halloween is not Halloween without spooky story time! Print out a copy for everyone, sit in a circle, and have everyone craft their own spooky story!
• Get Social With It! - Tweet using the #WBhalloween hashtag and get excited about these movies for Halloween!

WIN IT
Prize: a copy of ONE of the following Spook-Tacular DVDs to award a lucky reader! (Prize will be chosen randomly from the titles below!)

• Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales: Run for your Rife!
• Regular Show – Fright Pack (V4)
• It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition
• Tom and Jerry: Tricks and Treats
• Bugs Bunny’s Howl-oween
• Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King
• Tom and Jerry: Halloween Hijinks
• Sesame Street: Elmo Says Boo!
• Adventure Time – Jake the Dad (V5)

Giveaway open to the U.S. & Canada. Each household is only eligible to win 1 WB Spook-Tacular Family Movie [CHOSEN AT RANDOM] via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Spook-Tacular Movie Blog App I am getting a Spook-Tacular Movie free for my readers as a giveaway. Thanks to PartnersHub and Warner Bros. for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this blog app and giveaway. 

The Pumpkin Patch and Keeping Portland Lost Corn MAiZE in Sauvie Island Oregon

 Welcome Sign for The Pumpkin Patch and The Corn Maize

We received free media passes from US Family Guide to facilitate this review and post.

We've been to The Pumpkin Patch and The Corn Maize before at Sauvie Island in Oregon, but it had been more than a few years. I recall the last time we went we still had our daughter, Tatiana, with us and Zari hadn't been born yet. I definitely thought it was high time we visited again. We sure needed a break from our super busy lifestyle that we have been having and this was just the ticket! We went as a family again on Saturday October 12th. This was Zari's first visit and since Teela was just a baby when we first went she didn't remember much about her first time there.

It's muddy! Bring boots!

I admit I really hadn't been in a corn maze before. The last time we came Tatiana was stroller bound so I stayed with the little ones while my husband and my boys went through. I did remember that there was a lot of mud, so this time I came prepared with my Safeway rain boots. We also weren't sure what the weather was going to do so we brought warm jackets, scarves and gloves. While we were there it actually was super nice and didn't end up raining on us at all. It had rained previously, however; so it was very muddy like I suspected.

Sunflowers

There are a number of places you can pose to get pictures. I love sunflowers, so I had to have my girls pose in this cutout that was under a nice covered picnic table area behind the ticket booth where you would pay for The Corn MAiZE. You can see parts of the corn stalks from the maze in the background. There are also helpful guides that you can take to help you through the maze. They have a lot of different ones you can choose from and they have different trivia questions on them you need to answer correctly at each numbered marker in order to go the right way.

Lost in The Corn MAiZE

My girls and I went through The Corn Maize together, but we got lost and couldn't find our way to the exit even with the trivia card we had. So we just tracked our way back through the entrance. My boys got all the way to the end in no time at all...I chalk it up to more experience. We did have fun winding our way through some of it though.

Keeping Portland Lost Corn MAiZE 2013

Hay ride to The Pumpkin Patch

We got on the free hay ride next. They have signs posted to follow to have a safe trip. We had a fun bumpy ride all the way there and I held on tight to my littles so they wouldn't fall off. The hay bales were a little damp that we sat on so maybe next time I will bring something to lay under us.

Delbin with his pumpkin he picked at The Pumpkin Patch

I let both my boys pick pumpkins at The Pumpkin Patch. You get a slight discount if you pick one there instead of at the store or market. Make sure to look at the skin and stem thoroughly when picking. You don't want to come home with one that is going to mold right away or has mushy spots. Pick one with good coloration too.

After the hay ride the boys brought back perfect pumpkins :)

My boys posing with their pumpkins and my husband being silly :)

Big Red Animal Barn

Next we went to the Big Red Animal Barn where they had an assortment of farm animals to look at. We especially loved the llama, cow, goat, and sheep that were there. Zari wanted to pet them all.

Teela and Delbin riding on the cow train.

Jaedan riding the cow train.

We waited in line for the cow train and I wasn't sure whether these were also included in our package. I asked if the bloggers got free cow train rides too and they said yes, so off we went on our ride. I held Zari in my lap, Jaedan got a slightly smaller cow all to himself, and Delbin and Teela shared one. I think they gave us an extra long ride because they knew I was blogging about it :) We had a lot of fun on the ride and really it is worth the actual price.

They have some really big pumpkins there too.

There is also a hay climbing pyramid that the kids had fun climbing on, but I didn't get pictures of them doing that this time. As we were leaving Jaedan had to get his picture with one of the large pumpkins at the outdoor market.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received free tickets for my family to go to The MAiZE at The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island Oregon to facilitate this review. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Fandex Family Field Guide Review and Educents Deal

We received products free from Educents and Workman Publishing Company to facilitate this review.

Right now Educents is having a deal for two different Fandex Family Field Guide Bundles. You can choose the Nature Bundle to learn about Bugs, Butterflies, and Trees or the History Bundle with facts about Dinosaurs, Mummies and Mythology. Or you can choose both! Each bundle is only $21.90! Original price was $32.85. That is a savings of $10.95!

Have knowledge at your fingertips! Each Fandex has 50 cards for different things linked together with a small button at the bottom corner and they look very much like a fan when opened out to see the cards, hence the name "Fandex". The science ones are great for hikes, wildlife trails, nature walks, and field excursions. The history ones are great for learning interesting things about the past.

The Bugs Fandex features die-cut-full-color photos of the insect, spider or other arthropod on the tops of the cards. Below this is scientific name, common name, habitat, detailed description, lore, field notes on life cycle, identifiers, and size, along with side notes that are highlighted. Great for going on a bug expedition or the budding entomologist in your family!

The Butterflies Fandex features die-cut-full-color photos of the butterflies on the tops of the cards. Below this is life cycle, diet, habitat, gender variations, and the secrets of butterfly survival: camouflage, poison, and mimicry. Each card has the scientific name, range, plants used for laying eggs and drinking nectar, migration and mating habits, and how to recognize the species in its caterpillar, pupa, and adult stages. Great for learning about metamorphosis too!

The Trees Fandex features die-cut full-color photos of the leaf and bark of the featured tree on the tops of the cards. Below this is general information about the tree, keys to identification, height, shape, habitat, range, Latin name, life cycle, and more. Has identification by leaf, bark, and seed and information on the tree's place in history and culture. Great for exploring trees in your forests, neighborhood, or own backyard!

The Dinosaurs Fandex features die-cut full-color photos of the dinosaurs on the tops of the cards. Below this is name, meaning of name, age, home, size, diet, and lifestyle. This deck also includes key paleontologists, fossil-finding methods and a glossary. Great for Dino lovers everywhere!

The Mummies Fandex features die-cut-full-color photos of the Pharaohs, pyramids, gods and goddesses, mummies, hieroglyphs and other Egyptian things. Great for future archeologists and Egyptologists!

The Mythology Fandex features die-cut-full-color photos of the ancient Greek and Roman Gods, heroes, monsters and nymphs. Each entry is illustrated with a rich selection of images drawn from statuary, painting, pottery, frescoes and mosaics, and includes the subject's lineage, personality and symbol.

These are all great for homeschooling. Even though they are made of sturdy coated card stock I am worried that the die-cut tops are going to get all bent up after use. These are still awesome field guides though because of how much great information they pack into these! I will definitely be using them for my boys study.

Go get this deal at Educents now and save up to 33%! Click on the Educents button below and find the Fandex deal! Hurry! It is only here for a limited time!


DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and promo. Affiliate links may be present in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Zaycon Foods Chicken Breast Review

I had heard very good things about Zaycon Foods, but had never tried them out before. They have fresh: meats, produce, and sometimes even milk in bulk at rock bottom prices because they cut out the middle men. These are all natural, fresh, and better for you than the usual store bought.

USFamilyGuide gave me the opportunity to experience them for my first time and get 40 pounds of chicken for free. These were their 100% natural, additive-free, hormone-free, minimally processed, USDA inspected, boneless, skinless chicken breast for about $1.84/lb. These go straight from the farm to the refrigerated truck and then to you. They do not take the long journey that regular store bought chicken does.

I ordered the chicken early on July 29th just to be sure that I would get my order in. These events sell out fast! The ordering process was easy on their website and they sent us reminder emails about the event a few days before so that we wouldn't miss it.

Zaycon Foods refrigerated truck.

On the morning of October 11th my husband and I headed over to the Elks Lodge in Kelso Washington to pick up the chicken. We pulled into the parking lot and followed the signs to the refrigerated truck. We drove up and volunteers checked our information and loaded the box of chicken into our van. We didn't even have to get out or load the chicken ourselves. They even laid some plastic down before putting the box in just in case there was leakage.

The box of chicken in our van.

Zaycon Foods chicken being separated out into freezer bags.

When we got home we unloaded the box and pulled out huge bags of chicken breasts. These were giant boneless skinless chicken butterfly breast with rib meat and came from Wayne Farms. We were very happy with the size of them. We unpacked them and repacked them in freezer bags with about 3-4 of them separated out per bag. It was a cold slimy process, but well worth it because it was a lot of chicken. You could go in first and trim off the fat and separate the chicken breasts further if needed, but I was kind of feeling lazy.

We now have a freezer full of chicken and they are so yummy cooked up in all kinds of recipes!


To Get Started Click on this link https://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf141740

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received 40 lbs FREE Chicken from Zaycon Foods through USFamilyGuide to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this review. There is also affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

LEGO® KidsFest in Portland - My Experience

We received free media passes from US Family Guide and free product from Bissell to facilitate this review and post.

We got to go to  LEGO® Kids Fest 2013 in Portland on Friday, October 11, 2013 as a family. We are huge LEGO® fans and so it didn't surprise us when our kids loved going.

There are tons of hands on activities and things to look at while you are there. There are also activities your kids can participate in to win free LEGO® prizes. As you come into the convention center you will see a Lost Parent Zone off to the right where you can tell your kids and other family members to meet in case they loose track of you. Also they have a lost and found there in case you loose something other than kids. My daughter, Zari, misplaced her rain jacket and we found it there moments later.

LEGO® Model Museum: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks. Here is Superman with my good friend (of 16 years) and fellow Cascadia Connect Blogger, Erin of Connected2Christ, and her daughter with me and my daughters (taken by Erin's husband).

When you look straight ahead you will see the Model Museum, where life-size models of characters and other things from movies and TV are completely made out of LEGO® bricks! My favorite was a life size model of Iron Man! His eyes and arc light reactor even glowed. I wanted to get a picture of my son, Jaedan (the Iron Man fan), with him, but he is camera shy, so it never happened. There were all kinds of others though too: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Sponge Bob, Batman, Lightning McQueen, Superman, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, LEGO, Toy Story characters, etc.

One of the many Construction Zones at LEGO® KidsFest

My kids had the most fun at the Construction Zones where they could build anything their minds could fathom with LEGO® bricks that were provided in bins and on tables. My husband and my kids spent the most time there.

Creation Nation: My boys both added their LEGO® creations to the huge map of the USA

Zari in the Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment.

LEGO® Galaxy Squad: Zari firing missiles at aliens.

Challenge Zone: Jaedan's space ship that he made.

Jaedan raced against others to build something space related at the Challenge Zone and got a LEGO® Batmobile from the LEGO® DC Universe SuperHeroes as a participation prize to take home.

Zari at the LEGO® Friends zone.

Zari and Teela loved the LEGO® Friends zone. These LEGO® sets are made especially with girls in mind. Both Zari and Teela loved to build with these bricks and sets in this construction zone. I loved the cute deer, dolphins, and horses that come with some of the sets. I am placing these in the girls' wishlists because they liked them so much. They even had a LEGO® Friends photo booth to get your picture taken in.

Activity Area: Delbin's team built a bridge.

In the Activity Area Delbin competed as a team with other teams to build a bridge with Duplo LEGO® bricks. They then put each of their bridges on pier columns that were spaced apart on either side and placed weights in the middle to see how much stress it could take before it buckled. Delbin's team took a good 20lbs, but a previous competition we watched there was a team that took on almost 50lbs of weight! It was amazing to watch! All the kids who participated got a LEGO® Star Wars fighter to take home.

Delbin trying out the Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo that actually sucks up small LEGO® bricks. WOW! A smile while doing a "chore".

Zari trying the Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo out too. The handle can also accommodate kiddo size.

The kids got their hand at trying out the Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo. It actually picks up small LEGO® bricks and has a clear viewing compartment that holds the stuff it picks up. I received one free to review later, so watch out for my post about it!

Honest Tea: Free Drink Samples.

We visited the Honest Tea booth to get some free Honest Kids drink samples and we also watched as Honest Kids drink pouches were made into friendship bracelets for kids. We tried both the Berry Berry Good Lemonade and the Super Fruit Punch. These USDA organic drinks are sweetened with only fruit juice and don't contain GMOs. I am so glad they were there to quench our thirst along with the drinking water fountains stationed around the floor.

Some of my fellow Cascadia Connect Blogger friends. From left to right Me, Mary Ann of A Cloth Life, Carol of All Mommy Wants, and Beeb of Beeb-Log, Contest Corner, and Super Coupon Girl (taken by Jai).

I saw some of my blogger friends from Cascadia Connect and their families at the LEGO KidsFest too! I also saw Maryann of Coupon Savvy in Cowlitz Co. and Jana of Merlot Mommy that are not pictured.

Some of the free swag we took home from LEGO KidsFest

Sessions:
Friday, October 11, 2013 4 pm - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2013 Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2013 Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
(Note: Each session offers the same exhibits and activities)

Where:
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Portland, OR 97232
Halls C, D & E
(503) 235-7575
www.oregoncc.org

Other notable things to see and check out that aren't mentioned above:

• LEGO Art Gallery: display your LEGO works of art
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Race Ramps: build your own custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Games Arena: roll the dice to play LEGO board games
• LEGO DUPLO®: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail and KidsFest Marketplace: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• LEGO KidsFest Theater sponsored by Cartoon Network: watch cartoons while you rest
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Mindstorms: build and program robots
• Reading Rest Stop sponsored by DK Publishing and Guidecraft: sit comfortably and read books about LEGO
• And More!!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received free tickets for my family to go to LEGO® Kids Fest 2013 in Portland to facilitate this review. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. I also was contacted by Bissell and given a free Perfect Sweep Turbo to review later at my leisure because I went to the event. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.