A Very Thankful Prayer Book Review and Giveaway

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

A Very Thankful Prayer is a board book by bestselling author Bonnie Rickner Jensen and illustrated by Natalia Moore. It uses fun rhyme and sweet illustrations to give a wonderful message of thankfulness to its readers. This delightful book shows illustrations of cute furry or feathery animals showing their gratefulness to God for the many blessings that autumn holds.

Zari reading the A Very Thankful Prayer book.

What We Thought:
This lovely family-friendly story is perfect for little ones because of its sturdy pages, rhyming verse, and gorgeous illustrations by Natalia Moore. I love the shiny, eye-catching, foil-embellished cover too. This book portrays fall perfectly including: the changing & falling leaves, to pumpkin patches, picking apples at the orchard, and sharing Thanksgiving around the table with family and friends. Each moment shown is something that children can relate to and are great to share together with family and friends.

I recommend this board book for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners most of all. My youngest daughter, Zari, who is in first grade also loves this book! It is the perfect size for little hands to hold and the sturdy pages are less vulnerable to tearing. She is learning to read and it has the perfect amount of words on each page for her. She also loves looking at the adorable illustrations as well.

This book celebrates Autumn, Fall, and Thanksgiving. It is a great reminder to thank God for all that we have no matter how small. We cherish this book and its message of family and of being grateful. It would be a perfect gift for Thanksgiving.

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WIN IT
Prize: A Very Thankful Prayer Book
Host: Thomas Nelson Publishing and FrontGate Media.
Who Can Enter: Open to US Residents 18 years or older.
Selection Process: winners will be selected on 9/25/2017 and notified by email.
Where to Enter: Go to this link http://www.blessedfreebies.com/averythankfulprayer.html and fill out the form to enter.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free 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 doing this review.

Pumpkin Patch Blessings Book Review

I received Pumpkin Patch Blessings free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Fall is almost upon us. The official First Day of Autumn this year is September 22nd. With it brings trips to pumpkin patches; harvests of nuts, squash, apples, and other delectable crops, colorful leaves, and fashionable layering. Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year!

A peek inside Pumpkin Patch Blessings.

Pumpkin Patch Blessings is an adorable Zondervan Zonderkidz children's die-cut board book written by Kim Washburn and illustrated by Jacqueline East just in time for fall! This sweet book invites the fall season into the home and tells a story in rhyme about two young children and their adventures at the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin. As this book is read to them children will remember how much they have to be grateful for. Perfect for ages 2-5.

I love this delightful board book! Its illustrations are so precious and the rhyming text has a joyful message of gratitude and blessings. My girls adore this book as well and Teela loves to read it to her younger sister Zari while both love looking at the cute animals and children on every page. This is a wonderful book to share with little ones with Fall just around the corner!

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You can also purchase the Zonderkidz Pumpkin Patch Blessings at Zondervan for $8.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free 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 doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult Review

I received this book free to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult written by Mike Berenstain has 40 delicious recipes that cater to different American holidays around the year. Join Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey Bear as they share 40 of their favorite Bear family holiday recipes. These include traditional favorites like Hot Apple Cinnamon Cider, Cozy Hot Chocolate, and Pumpkin Pie to fun and unique recipes like: Candy Corn Punch, Creepy Crawly Pasta Salad, and Gobbler Apple Muffins.

This hardcover cookbook is laid out well. At the beginning there is a contents page with a list of the recipes in each section and their page numbers. It has 6 sections for different holidays: Valentine's Day, Easter, Forth of July, Fall Festivities, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each section has 6-8 recipes. Each section starts out with a scripture, a short story, and a poem. Each recipe has a title, what is needed, and directions along with a photograph of the finished food or beverage. At the end there is a page of Kitchen Measurements in both standard and metric.

A peek inside The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook.

I remember The Berenstain Bears' book series from my childhood. I love them and have ever since I was very young. These books teach children how God want them to live everyday. The Berenstain Bears' book series teach children good character traits and values. I love the simplicity of the illustrations and country town feel that the Bear family has.

I adore The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook! My kids love to help me cook and bake and this is a great cookbook just for that bonding experience. I can't wait 'til we can make the: Christmas Holiday Pinwheels, Valentine's Day Pizza, Krispie Easter Eggs, or Forth of July Freedom Trifle! There are so many other fun recipes as well. It has wonderful kid-friendly recipes that are perfect to make with your children or grandchildren for the holidays.

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You can also purchase The Berenstain Bears' Holiday Cookbook: Cub-Friendly Cooking With an Adult at Zondervan for $12.99.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free 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 doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

The MAiZe at the Pumpkin Patch - Portland, Oregon Sauvie Island Deal

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Portland's original cornfield maze celebrates its 16th season at The Pumpkin Patch on beautiful Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon. Sixteen years ago, Craig Easterly, founder of the original corn maze, brought his weird idea to Sauvie Island's famous Pumpkin Patch and it soon became a fall tradition. The MAiZE attracts 30,000 eager explorers annually to the giant labyrinth of field corn, located just fifteen minutes from downtown Portland. Portland's premier agri-tainment attraction, The Maize and The Pumpkin Patch, have combined the local food movement with down home fun on the farm.

The MAiZE theme this year is "Dream Big" and depicts a happy child thrilled to find one of The Pumpkin Patch's giant pumpkins in the field. The MAiZE encourages visitors to come out and enjoy the rest of this fantastic summer we have all been enjoying as they lose themselves in the two miles of twist and turns in the five acre cornfield.

2015 "Dream Big at The Pumpkin Patch" Maize
September:
Open every day: 10am to 6pm
October:
Sunday thru Thursday: 10am to 6pm, Friday thru Saturday 10am to 10pm. Also open until 10pm on Oct 25 (Sun) and Oct 28 (Wed).

*They will open The MAiZE up after hours in September and October for groups of 25 or more that book in advance and provide a deposit.

If it's been raining, DON'T FORGET YOUR RAIN COATS AND MUD BOOTS!

My Readers Save $2 Off The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch http://www.portlandfamilyguide.com/coupon.php?regionid=213&bid=11366&dealid=1429 @portlandmaze @usfg 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the The Pumpkin Patch and Corn MAiZE in Sauvie Island Oregon Deal I am getting free admission for my family to go. 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.

Wordless Wednesday Our Blueberry Plant in Fall

Pretty red leaves of our blueberry plant. Taken in November.

Creekside Farms Apple Quince Wreath with Hanger Review

Apple Quince Wreath

I received these products for free to facilitate this review.

Creekside Farms hand makes artisanal wreaths with freshly hand picked and naturally air dried herbs and flowers. They are located in California's Monterey County where the climate is warm and dry which is ideal growing and drying conditions for their herbs and flowers. They are also grown naturally without harmful pesticides and dried in small bunches upside-down on wire racks in their warehouse. Once they are ready, the ornamental and culinary herbs and flowers are used in their lovely wreath designs. Creekside Farms has wreaths for all sorts of occasions like weddings, baby showers, fall, and Christmas. They also have some wonderful smelling culinary and ornamental herb wreaths to brighten up anyone's kitchen or home.

Apple Quince Wreath fresh from the box.

The wreath arrived zip tied to the inside of the box it came in. The hanger was wrapped in a bag zip tied to one side on the inside of the box nestled beside the wreath. The zip ties were a bit annoying to get off of them, but I realize it probably was the best way to attach them so that they wouldn't move around much inside the box while being shipped. It also comes with a card that has information about Creekside Farms on one side and care instructions on the other. When I opened the box the wonderful fragrance of the wreath emanated into the room.

I am very glad they sent me a metal wreath hanger with my wreath. It is very handy to have so that I could hang the wreath from my doors. Once I freed the wreath and hanger from the box I selected one of my hallway doors to hang it from. Some of my doors won't hold it, however; because they have a tight seal and won't close while the hanger is over the top. So when purchasing a wreath with a wreath hanger make sure the door you will be hanging it from will take a wreath hanger. If you don't want to hang it from a door it can also be hung by other ways on a wall or over a mantel.

I received the Apple Quince Wreath with hanger to review for free. I got to pick it from an assortment of gorgeous looking wreaths from the Creekside Farms website. I wanted a harvest wreath that would go well with my farm home style. It was hard to choose just one wreath as I thought they all were very pretty. Since their Fall Wreaths are in season now I thought that the Apple Quince Wreath would be a festive decoration to deck my halls for autumn harvest and Thanksgiving. This particular wreath is made with fresh Eucalyptus, Salal, and Juniper and decorated with Quince slices, pine cones, Tallow berries, faux apples, Curly Willow, Artemisia, Sweet Annie, and cinnamon sticks. The one I recieved didn't quite look as neatly made as the pictured one from their website, but it was still very beautiful. I love the circle of green with the browns, oranges and reds peaking through. The bright orange quince slices and cheery red faux apples really stands out among the other foliage. The wreath looks very nice where I placed it and every time I go past I love taking in a big whiff of the lovely aromatic smell.

You can purchase this and other lovely wreaths from the Creekside Farms website. Get a 15% discount when you use the code ABEL.

You can also follow Creekside Farms on Facebook and Twitter.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received these 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.

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

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

We sure had a lot of fun last year at The Pumpkin Patch and The Corn Maize on Sauvie Island Oregon. My whole family was excited to go again. We had planned to go on the 11th of October, but bad weather and a family mishap pushed it to the 18th. The staff at The Pumpkin Patch was wonderful in working with us to reschedule a better time and day.

I wanted to make sure that we didn't miss the Corn MAiZE and also see some things we hadn't seen in years past. The market was definitely on our radar so that we could partake of some of the awesome bounty that Sauvie Island had to offer. I was also hoping to go through the Corn MAiZE completely with the girls as we didn't get to last year.

Sauvie Island

Sauvie Island Oregon is a large island bound by the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. It comprises of approximately 30,000 acres of land and lakes. The scenic drives wind around through farm and dairy lands. The gorgeous Sauvie Island Bridge crosses the Multnomah Channel of the Willamette River near Portland, Oregon, United States. This 1,198' (365 m) truss bridge was built from July 2004 - June 23, 2008. I got to see it in construction.

Corn MAiZE entrance.

The entrance to the Corn MAiZE is a covered area with picnic benches and places to take photos. There are also interesting things to read about the maze. There is a whole board filled with past MAiZEs, a large corn cutout, carved pumpkins, a sunflower cutout to poke your head in, a rule board, a large ruler cutout to measure how much you've grown since the last time you were there, and other things as well to keep you occupied while waiting for others to finish the maze.

Corn MAiZE Passports.

Grab a Corn MAiZE passport card before the you start through the maze. They have different categories to choose from, each having their own set of questions to solve. We think they are a lot of fun and very educational. When you get to a checkpoint (numbered sign) along the way, stop and look for the same numbered question on the passport. Answer it and it will tell you which path to take. If you answer correctly you will be on the right path. A wrong answer could get you very lost, so choose wisely.

The girls and I went through the first half of the Corn MAiZE without any trouble!

My daughters, Teela and Zari braved the mud and went through the first half of the maze without any trouble! I remember last year getting very lost and having to turn around and go back the way we came. I am so glad that we made it this year.

Corn MAiZE Fun

While in the corn maze there are 2 points where you go up stairs and over a bridge and then down again into the mud. Yes...I said mud! At first there was a little mud and then there was a lot of mud! I saw people come out of the maze covered in it. I was glad we didn't get too muddy. Next time I think we need to invest in some muck boots for the kids. Also you can see for miles when you are up on the bridges and you can sort of get your bearings. We saw The Pumpkin Patch from one which looked like a dotted orange part of the field from afar.

2nd half of the Corn MAiZE. We made it all the way to the end! Yay!

Feeling rather bold and proud of ourselves for finishing the first half we even decided to go further and try the second, apparently harder path through the maze. We made it all the way to the end and although the whole maze took us a while to go through because I took a bunch of pictures we were so glad we persevered and got to finish!

We love the silly brain teasers called CORNundrums that are throughout the Corn MAiZE.

Along the way through the maze we had fun solving corny brain teasers called CORNundrums. These are silly signs with pictures that represent funny play on words. We laughed so much! It was a great activity and good for the soul.

The Pumpkin Patch Animal Barn

 We love to go in the animal barn at The Pumpkin Patch to see the animals. It is a small barn with a few animals. There are bunnies, chickens, a cow, sheep, goat, llama, etc. There are animal facts posted by some of the animals. I learned that rabbits can purr just like cats do and chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes. I love the mural on the back wall inside of the barn. It is old and flaking off in spots, but still nice.

Pumpkins from The Pumpkin Patch

This year we didn't visit the pumpkin patch like previous years, mainly because we wanted to go look inside the market. I got some pictures of the kids as we were on our way over to the market. Jaedan wouldn't smile for me in these pictures...oh well.

The Pumpkin Patch Market

We checked out The Pumpkin Patch Market next. There is a fabulous selection of flowers, fruits, vegetables, herbs and other local homegrown or homemade treats. Someday I am going to have to buy a Bolga Basket here because I absolutely love them! Maybe I will buy two or three because my girls also found a cute one in their size. They also had some of the largest sauerkraut cabbages I have seen. I love their wall of locally made honey, dressings, sauces, spreads and syrups. They have a wonderful variety of items made of pumpkin. You can pick out a nice pumpkin here or at The Pumpkin Patch.

Our market finds, Jaedan using a cabbage leaf as a hat, and Delbin's pear.

We bought two regular size cabbages, a large mesh bag of hot peppers we are going to dry into pepper flakes, a Blue Hubbard squash to possibly make into a pie, some pears: including a gigantic one Delbin picked out, and some apples with our WIC farmers market coupons before they expired at the end of this October.

Floral gardens and leaving Sauvie Island with a Pumpkin Truck.

As we left The Pumpkin Patch and Corn MAiZE on Sauvie Island we passed some of their pretty flower gardens. Maybe next year we can explore more things we missed in the past years we have been. We were also following a large semi truck filled to the brim with pumpkins across the Sauvie Island Bridge as we drove back home. We had a very fun day at The Pumpkin Patch and Corn MAiZE on Sauvie Island and we hope to get to go back next year.

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.

Long Live Indian Summer with Karina Dresses

Karina Dresses provided this information to me to share with you. This is a sponsored affiliate post. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase.

We wish Indian Summer would last forever! When it's cold enough to wear boots, but still warm enough to dine outside. When it's sleeveless during the day and cardigans after the sun goes down. Karina Dresses has exactly what you need for those Indian Summer days and nights. You're in luck too because from 9/26 to 9/28 all of their sleeveless and short sleeve dresses will be marked down to $99. So grab a few new frocks you can throw on for the warm days and layer up on those chilly evenings.

Karina Dresses was founded in 2007, based upon fashion industry veteran, Karina Cousineau's, vision of creating dresses for every woman. She knew there was a real need for a fashion line that makes every body (and everybody) feel and look great no matter what shape or size. A line that made every woman feel like a Frockstar™. Handmade in New York from limited edition fabrics, Karina Dresses creates a custom collection that is both classic and fashion-forward. Through a deep dialogue with retailers and direct clients, Karina takes a “slow fashion” approach, patiently nurturing dresses with artisanal attention to fit, fabric and construction.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Karina Dresses provided this information to me to share with you. The links in this post are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

The Pumpkin Patch and Corn MAiZE in Sauvie Island Oregon Deal

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Portland's original cornfield maze celebrates its 15th season at The Pumpkin Patch on beautiful Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon. Fifteen years ago, Craig Easterly, founder of the original corn maze, brought his weird idea to Sauvie Island's famous Pumpkin Patch and it soon became a fall tradition. The MAiZE attracts 30,000 eager explorers annually to the giant labyrinth of field corn, located just fifteen minutes from downtown Portland. Portland's premier agri-tainment attraction, The Maize and The Pumpkin Patch, have combined the local food movement with down home fun on the farm.

My Readers Save $2.00 off coupon for regular maze tickets. Limit 4 person customer. ----- Order tickets online at www.PortlandMaze.com/Buy.php ***** Enter the code: 2014 *****

"Keeping Portland Lost Since 1999" Maize
September: Open every day: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October: Sunday thru Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
October: 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-27, 30- 31 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Open Sunday, Oct. 27, Wednesday, Oct. 30 and Thursday, Oct 31 until 10pm

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the The Pumpkin Patch and Corn MAiZE in Sauvie Island Oregon Deal I am getting free admission for my family to go. 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.

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.

Fall Festival Savings and Deals

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Ready for some Fall Festival Deals! I have put together a great list of Corn Maze Coupons and Fall Festival savings nationwide. Download valuable coupons for Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches and Fall Family Activities by clicking the links below for your local Fall Festival.

Arizona
Tolmachoff Farms - Glendale
Schnepf Farms - Queen City

California
Forneris Farms - Mission Hills

Colorado
Anderson Farms - Erie
Flat Acres Farm - Parker
Fritzler Maze - La Salle
Sunflower Farm - Longmont
Mile High Farms - Bennett
Wishing Star Farm - Calhan
Harvest Farm - Wellington

Florida
Harvestmoon Farm - Masaryktown FL

Georgia
Lane Southern Orchards - Fort Valley
Poppell Farms - Odum

Illinois
All Seasons Orchard - Woodstock
Kuipers Family Farm - Maple Park
Odyssey Fun Farm - Tinley Park
Siegel's Cottonwood Farm - Lockport

Indiana
Amazing Fall Fun - Waterloo
Guffey Acres- Kokomo
Harvest Tyme Pumpkin Patch - Lowell
Hobson's Fun Farm - Rockville

Louisiana
CM Farms - Dry Creek

Maryland/DC
Summers Farm - Fredrick County

Massachusetts
Sauchuk Farm - Plympton

Michigan
Farmer Charley's Corn Maze Adventure - Monroe

Minnesota
Afton Apple Orchard - Hastings

Mississippi
Seward Farms Maze - Lucedale

Missouri/Kansas
KC Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze - Gardner
Shuck's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch - Pleasant Hill

Montana
The Maize at Grandpa's Farm - Billings

Nebraska
Camp Fontanelle - Nickerson

New Jersey
VonThun Farms - Monmouth Junction
Sahl's Father Son Farm - Egg Harbor City

New York
Wright Family Farm - Warwick
Harbes Family Farm - Mattituck

North Carolina
Patterson Farm Market and Tours - Mount Ulla

Ohio
The Corn Maze at the Sharp Run Market - Millersburg
Meadow View Growers - New Carlisle

Oregon
The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch - Portland, OR

Pennsylvania
Hurricane Hill Farm - Coatsville
Triple B Farms - PittsburghReillys Summer Seat Farm - Pittsburgh

Rhode Island
Confreda Greenhouses & Farms - Hope (Western Cranston)

Texas
Devine Acres Farm - Devine
Fiesta Farm - San Antonio
Yesterland Farm - Canton
South Texas Maize - Hondo
Dewberry Farm - Brookshire
Brazos Valley Maize- Brenham

Utah
Cornbelly's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest - Spanish Fork

Virginia
Cows-N-Corn - Midland
Wayside Farm Fun - Berryville
Belvedere Plantation - Fredericksburg

For Daily Updates on these coupons and coupons for other family attractions please visit and bookmark: http://www.usfamilycoupons.com

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Fall Festivals I am getting free admission for my family to go. 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.

Foodie Friday Dinner in a Pumpkin

Dinner In A Pumpkin
This recipe has been a tradition around the time of Halloween or Thanksgiving for my family since I was a very little girl. I love squash in the fall and autumn. Pumpkin is a autumn/winter gourd-like squash and is perfect for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 large pumpkin (however, needs to be small enough to fit in your oven)
• 1 lb. hamburger (ground beef)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3-4 stalks celery chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped (you can also do a mix of equal value green, red and yellow peppers if you have them for extra color)
• 1 container chopped mushrooms
• spoonful minced garlic
• spoonful mined ginger
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups cooked rice (can use white, brown or mixed)
• basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out seeds. Save the seeds for yummy roasted pumpkin seed recipes. In a large skillet brown hamburger and add onions, celery, peppers, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Mix and sauté. Add cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, brown sugar and rice to other ingredients. Mix well. Add all ingredients to the inside of the prepared pumpkin. Place stem top back on the pumpkin. Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and and put the whole pumpkin on it. Bake for about an hour or until the pumpkin is soft on the inside.

*if you want to make it a Jack O' Lantern as we did for a festive table you can by carving only the top layer of pumpkin skin off in your design and then pealing it off to show the face.

BabyLegs Fall Frenzy Sale, Halloween Costume Contest, Review and Giveaway

Halloween is coming fast and if you need some accessories to go with your little ones costume BabyLegs has great leggings/legwarmers, tights and socks to add a little something extra to your child's costume and keep their legs, arms, feet and/or tootsies warm on that brisk night of trick-or-treating. I looked around at their website and saw some great ones for ballerinas, princesses, fairies, wildlife (like zebras, leopards, giraffes, tigers and cows), witches, warlocks, firemen, astronauts, robots, sports fans etc. They even have a costume section on their website. If you are at all imaginative you could probably come up with some that would go great with any costume! One great thing is that the leggings are one size fits all and even adults and teens can wear them! The tights and socks do have a great size range you can pick from too.

We were given the opportunity to review some adorable leggings free to go with both of the costumes that I put together for my daughters. Teela who is now age 4 is going to be Little Red Riding Hood this year and so she was given the Rainbow Legwarmers to try. These are made of a soft organic cotton, have wonderful bright rainbow stripes and are great for boys as well as girls. Zari who will be 2 on the 19th of October is going to be a leopard kitty cat this year and was given the Loveable Leopard Legwarmers to try. These have cute pink hearts and leopard spots on them and were so precious with her costume.

I am so glad I am pretty imaginative to be able to put together these costumes pretty much from scratch. I had so much fun making parts of them and seeing the costumes come together in their entirety. I am also glad for the donations I was given to make them even more special. Teela's Red Riding Hood costume was made with a red IKEA pillowcase I found at Goodwill that I split down one side of stitches and folded over for the hood, a red scarf I wrapped around her neck, a fancy red dress she already had, my heirloom baby blessing dress folded down on the top with the arms slipped through the dress sash to make an apron, a basket Teela had and of course the Rainbow Legwarmers from BabyLegs. Zari's Leopard Kitty Cat costume was made with a cute costume (complete with: gold bow tie, leotard, skirt, and tail) handed down from the neighbors, a spotted coat with hood from a different neighbor, black cat ears wrapped with spotted fabric and of course the Loveable Leopard Legwarmers.

My daughters also got the chance to test out a pair of tights each for free. My daughter Teela received the Trapeze Girls Tights and they are very fun and bright! They have both polka dots and stripes. Zari received the Acrobat Girls Tights and these have purple stars that promenade across a magenta background. These are great tights that are footless and have ruffles around the ankles.

BUY IT

BabyLegs is having a Fall Frenzy Sale going on now til Oct. 24, 2012. You can get 75% off a purchase of $75 or more sitewide with coupon code FALL75OFF

COSTUME CONTEST
Along with the savings BabyLegs is also holding their 3rd annual Halloween Costume Contest! Entries are due Oct. 26, 2012 at 5pm PST. Just email them a photo of your child(ren) in their costumes complete with BabyLegs on before the closing date of the contest.

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WIN IT
Prize: Win a Grab Bag of BabyLegs products.

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: Thanks to BabyLegs for sending me product for free to review and letting me giveaway some also. 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.

My Favorites of Fall

This autumn has been great so far and I would love to share with you some pictures of past falls that I have enjoyed and tell you some of my favorite things of the season. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons for many reasons. Here are some of them.

I love when the leaves on the trees change their many colors.




I love going to the many fairs, festivals, harvest parties, farmers' markets, orchards, and pumpkin patches. Having hay rides and going through corn/hay mazes.



I love the flavors of fall: mulled hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, spiced chai, sparkling cider, toasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, turkey, sausage stuffing, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, yams, mashed rutabaga/potatoes, Thanksgiving feast, etc.



I love the scents of fall: autumn scented candles, my neighbor's scentsy, apples, caramel apples, mulling spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves allspice, star anise, pumpkin pie spice, clove orange/fruit pomanders, cinnamon pine cones, chai mulch, grape vines loaded with grapes, wood stoves, etc.



I love fall fashions. Especially sweaters, shawls, scarves, dupatta (long scarf), and ponchos (esp. ones with fringe, metallic threads, eyelash yarn, etc.), capes, caplets (esp. hooded ones).


What do you love about autumn? What are your favorites? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share with me! Thanks!