Walt Disney Worlds Resorts with Scholastic’s Can’t Wait for School Break collection

June 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Now that the sun is finally starting to peek its head around the clouds and warm that nip out of the air its time to start thinking about family trips. As with most family trips kids will of course be coming, drat. But fear not human parents, with the help of Scholastic there are many tips to be found to make the most of your trip, either during the school year or just making it through a long car or plane ride.

In our house Dad likes his audio books in the car while Mom can’t stand them, but what if the audio books were more kid centered. With audio books the longest of rides are simply eaten away at with a good story and an enthusiastic reader. Scholastic has a few suggestions for children of all ages and I am sure if Mom, Dad and little one look through the list together they will find at least one story they can all enjoy together.

If audio books aren’t for you there are also tablets for the kids and adults, as well as portable music players and digital games for little kids, big kids and adult kids. With your in flight entertainment figured out its time to wrap your head around school work. What are some ways to keep your kid stimulated and learning while on vacation?

Below are a few tips from Scholastic:

1) Give your teacher the heads up at least a week before hand, they will be happy to keep your child in the know with current school work.

2) Double check supplies, make sure you have pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks, etc. Especially if leaving the country or going to a more rural area where office supply stores are not available.

3) Stay in touch, check the class website, email the teacher, etc.

4) Every day is a learning experience if you look and be creative, have your child journal her experiences and feelings (reinforces ELA connections and mindfulness), research the destination (underscores study skills and social studies concepts), bring her own independent reading book for the trip (always a good idea), help calculate mileage and a budget for souvenirs (enhances math connections) are a few suggestions.

5) remember bed time stories, keep the bed time rituals going and read as often as possible. Keep a book log and find topics relevant to your trip. Going to New York City, find a book about it, etc.

6) Bring a tablet or laptop, the internet is a wealth of information for kids and parents from tutorials to video lessons, a topic is just a few clicks away.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Disney. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: disney, education, entertainment Tagged With: , ,

LASIK – a good option for parents and why #VisionGoals

May 31, 2016 by 5 Comments

Disclosure- This post was written by my husband, who wears glasses, on behalf of the client.  All opinions are his own and honest. For more, see “I Disclose” .

Parenting can be a difficult but rewarding experience, and every one of us can use all the help we can get.  One of the oddest experiences is definitely having glasses or corrective lenses and having kids.  It is amazing how many finger prints and smudges get on your glasses that are from little fingers.  It boggles the mind how many activities lead to glasses smashing onto the ground, including rough housing, playing  outside, water parks, even just helping cleaning up toys.  Each activity comes with it’s own unique glasses smashing experiences.  People think that the simple answer is “so don’t wear them during these occasions”.  Well for those of us ‘blessed’ with horrific vision, this is not possible, your family turns into blobs of color, and those three dimensional objects you want to grab at, quickly become flat and two dimensional.   It’s really not an option.

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This is where LASIK eye corrective surgery comes in.  After a few weeks of recovery, you will have new eyes, where vision is as it should be without glasses or smudges.  No longer will you need a glasses case in the beach bag, a pair of glasses for the car, prescription sunglasses, a glasses repair kit at work and at home, or time spent trying to clean off those finger prints or smudges from little fingers.  These reasons may seem superficial, but another good reason is in an emergency situation in the middle of the night do you want to stumble about looking for your glasses or jump into help mode and make the situation less of an emergency.

Contact lenses are another possibility for getting rid of your glasses, but there are added cleaning rituals that need to be followed as well as more chemicals and stuff to carry around with you.

Some parent guided LASIK tips are below:
Have a friend, family member or babysitter come over to take care of the children on the day of your surgery and perhaps spend the night if your children need care during the night.
Have your special someone (spouse, significant other, mom, dad, bestie, etc.) drive you to the LASIK center, stay with you during your procedure, drive you home and make sure you rest afterward.
You’ll be able to shower the next day and get back to your normal routine but you shouldn’t exercise or do any heavy lifting for at least four days—get the kids to take out the trash.
Let the kids know they need to be careful around you: no pokes in the eye or roughhousing.
You won’t be able to take part in any contact sport for one week after surgery or swim for 10 days, so rest on the sidelines during family outings.
Remember to take your post-op drops for as long as your surgeon prescribes, usually four days or so.
Keep your eyes protected when outdoors on sunny days. Bonus! Have your family help you choose a cool new pair of nonprescription sunglasses.

Filed Under: health, review

WIN Highlights Every Day App #HighlightsEveryDay

May 31, 2016 by 30 Comments

Highlights magazine has been the most read children’s magazine for years, and has a long history of delivering child friendly, educational, and fun activities month after month.  Since its inception in 1946 by Dr. Garry and Caroline Myers, Highlights was built on the belief that “Children Are the World’s Most Important People™.” Today, every Highlights product is designed to help children become creative, curious, caring, and confident.  Have you seen their newest app, “Highlights Every Day”?  This app is a new way to get Highlights fun to your children.

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The way it works is every day your child will receive a digital “present” from Highlights, which will contain up to 5 pieces of content ranging from original videos and quizzes, engaging fiction and non-fiction, and fun puzzles that build skills and stretch young minds.  Also included are the enjoyable Hidden Pictures puzzle, popularized by Highlights magazine.  This app is not simply a re-hashing of Highlights magazine, but is a way to get safe, trusted, educational content that you expect from Highlights in a new on-the-go, portable format.

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The app now features a free 30 day period to try it out. After this initial trial, there is a monthly fee of $7.99 per month.  This includes new content delivered daily, as well as the ability to revisit any content previously delivered in your child’s collection.  As more digital presents are delivered, your child can save more content and build their own custom place to learn, play, and engage their creative side.

This app is perfect for children of all ages, especially new readers who just want to absorb everything they can.  My son isn’t the best reader (this is something he tends to struggle with), but Highlights Every Day is still engaging, and encourages him because it’s enjoyable and fun.  When you like what you are doing, it’s not a chore, and learning is something one looks forward to.

There are some deals going on you will want to take advantage of.

·        Monthly subscription: $7.99/month (or just 23¢ per day for 5 new daily activities!)

·        Free 30-day trial

About Highlights:

Devoted to providing “Fun with a Purpose,” global family-media brand Highlights for Children, Inc. has helped kids become their best selves for generations. In addition to its flagship magazine (Highlights), the company’s other offerings include a preschool magazine (High Five), a bilingual magazine (High Five Bilingüe), an infant and toddler magazine (Hello), a children’s book company (Highlights Press, which includes Boyds Mills Press), puzzle book clubs and a variety of digital products.

About Fingerprint:

Created in partnership with Fingerprint, Highlights Every Day features classic Highlights “Fun with a Purpose” activities reimagined for the growing digital consumption habits of children. Fingerprint is a global mobile technology company that powers games and curates play-and-learn content to targeted customers around the world through dedicated mobile networks. For more information, visit fingerprintplay.com or facebook.com/FingerprintPlay.

Highlights Every Day is available for iOS 8.0 and higher and Android version 4.4 or higher.

You can win a gift bag of reading and puzzle fun from Highlights (value=$50).  Please feel free to enter the RC form to win.  Ends June 17, 2016.  Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: education, giveaway, review

Travel Light, Pack Right

May 27, 2016 by 2 Comments

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own and honest.  See more at “I Disclose”.

When you are taking a family vacation, you want to be ready for anything.  You also don’t want to pack everything and the kitchen sink.  What do you really need when you are headed out?

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A good cell phone is key.  I know some people are die hard apple fans, but I love Samsung.  In my opinion, it is the better option and I have preferred them for years. The new Galaxy S7 is amazing, you won’t want to put it down. The photos are sharp- which is a must for not only travel but anyone with children, the apps you can download are great and varied (nearly everything comes in an android version now, and if it doesn’t there is something similar), and most of the new versions are water resistant, which makes them that much more durable.  They tend to last longer then other brands I’ve had as well, without getting “glitchy” or throwing as many errors or slowing down as much as they get older.  (Yes, I keep my phones for the long run, then I let my son play with them on wifi only when I upgrade.) Sprint, the network that I’m using, also pairs really well with the new Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge  and has some really awesome offers at the moment for both new and existing customers, so it’s the perfect time to upgrade.  Summer travel is only a few weeks away, check out all that you can get with these new phones and services. No one likes to be in a dead zone, or “out of range”.   Options and prices vary, visit your Sprint store for details.

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While your phone will likely be your main source of photo taking, lets be real- you need a camera for all the “big stuff”.  You don’t want to take your phone into a lake, the ocean, the pool, or ziplining- at least I don’t.  The photos might be awesome, but I don’t want to lose the phone (or ruin it) in the process of getting those “must have” shots.  The new GoPro HERO4 Session is the smallest, lightest camera that has come from the GoPro family yet, and the price point is doable at $200.  It has an app that lets it connect to your phone (for free) and you can see your photos and videos right away if you would like.  Smart remote sold separately. You can hold it, mount it, wear it- really, anything you’d like.  It’s waterproof, so you can take it jet skiing, snow tubing, kayaking- whatever suits you.  It’s really a camera that is ready for any adventure, and provides high resolution, sharp, professional-looking video.  Charge it up, and it’s ready to go capture some memories.   Pick yours up at https://gopro.com/ .

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You will want to dress appropriately, without having to pack everything. A good pair of shoes is top of the list, and one pair that I really like (and that does double-duty) is The Sara by NAOT.  Not only super cute, but super comfortable. Dress them up or down, these gladiator inspired sandals are padded, and have an anatomic cork and latex footbed which  is wrapped in oh-so-soft suede.  Yes, it can get wet and still look fine and function.  As you wear it, the sole molds to the shape of your foot. The heel and back panels have additional lining and padding as well for extra comfort no matter how long you wear them.  I have worn these all over the place, and have not got blisters or weird “ow” spots from strange rubbing . Of course, that doesn’t mean go hiking the first day you wear them, be smart- they are still shoes, break them in.  Get them at http://naot.com or Amazon for about $150, several colors available.

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Looking to stay warm? Why not keep the dreaded bugs (now with added Zika virus) at bay with the new line from Craghoppers.  The NosiLife Apparel with Insect Shield® insect repellent as well as sun protection woven into the fabric is non-irritant and non-hazardous to the skin.  The jackets are cute and comfortable as well, perfect for summer weather excursions and nights when it gets cooler.  My son tried out the new Nat Geo NosiLife Chima Jacket, which is soft and lightweight, has front pockets, zip front, and a hood for when it gets chilly.  It’s also nearly impossible to wrinkle, which mom appreciates. I tested out the NosiLife Astrid Cardigan, which has neither pockets nor hood, but is easy to dress up or down, so it’s perfect for trips where you can’t pack too much. Also soft, lightweight, and hard to wrinkle, neither of us had bug bites on our arms while wearing these jackets.  Pick up jackets for your crew at http://www.us.craghoppers.com/

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One more item that has become somewhat of an essential for me is the RFID Travel SCOTTeVEST.  It’s perfect for all those times when you don’t want to or can’t carry a giant bag, but want to carry things with you.  Your camera, binoculars, tablet, granola bars, wallet, maps, whatever provisions you prefer- this vest has room for it all. It has 18 pockets, is super lightweight, and looks nice on as well. You won’t look like the marshmallow man when wearing it- huge plus.  It comes in several colors, and has a special RFID blocking pocket to keep your passport, credit cards, etc safe from pickpockets and identity thieves.  Because the pockets are on the inside, your stuff is also safer from wandering hands.  You can choose from a regular or 2 way zipper as well- and yes, there are men’s versions.  I’ve been using this for way more then travel, it’s certainly gotten tested.  Regular life can require a lot of pockets sometimes! Since getting it, I’ve been surprised how much use I’ve gotten out of it.  Pick one up, and you will see what I mean.  http://www.scottevest.com/ for $135 .

Filed Under: clothes and shoes, review, traveling Tagged With: , ,

Join Me For the #TMNT2 Twit­ter Party

May 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Promo

Join the TMNT 2 Twitter Party 6-2-16 at 9p ET. RSVP bit.ly/tmnt2rsvp

Join Blog­gin Mamas as we host the #TMNT2 Twit­ter Party on Thursday, 6–2–16 at 9p EST/6pm PST! We’ll be chat­ting about the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 movie in theaters on June 3rd!

Date: Thursday, June 2nd, 2016
Time: 9p EST / 6p PST
Hash­tag: #TMNT2
Pre­sented by: @BlogginMamas and @AlliedHispanic
Featuring: @TMNTMovie
Mod­er­a­tors: Eng­lish– @HeLoEnterprises Span­ish– @BBabushka
Co-Hosts: @EnzasBargains, @BabySavers, @HaveSippy, @DonnaHup and @MamasMission
Panelist: @MommyPowers

About Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : Out of the Shadows

TMNT2-- Image for Twitter Party_2 (1)

Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder (Brian Tee) escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.

Tweet­share:

About the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows Toys

To celebrate the release of the new film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Playmates and Mega Bloks have created an amazing line of movie toys for Turtles’ fans of all ages! You can collect all your favorite Turtles and new characters like Casey Jones, Bebop and Rocksteady, plus recreate your favorite scenes from the film using the new Battle Truck and Lair. Whether you want action figures, role-play sets, vehicles, or construction sets, Playmates and Mega Bloks have you covered when it comes to the new movie. You can find the new movie toys at your favorite retail and online stores now.

Dur­ing the Twit­ter Party there will be a chance to win one of the fol­low­ing prizes by answer­ing var­i­ous ques­tions about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Win­ners will be selected at ran­dom from all eli­gi­ble entries.

Prizes
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card (ARV $25)
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card + one (1) 11″ TMNT Assorted Figure (ARV $40)
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $50 AMEX gift­card + one (1) 11″ TMNT Assorted Figure (ARV $65)

First Prize
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $100 AMEX gift­card + one (1) TMNT Battle Truck Toy (ARV$150)

Grand Prize
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $100 AMEX gift­card + one (1) 11″ TMNT Assorted Figure + one (1) TMNT Lair Hideout Toy (ARV $185)

RSVP Prize
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $50 AMEX gift­card (ARV $50)

RSVP Below

Terms and Con­di­tions
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.
By RSVP’ing to this event and uti­liz­ing the # hash­tag, the atten­dees acknowl­edge hav­ing read and agreed to these terms and con­di­tions.
Twit­ter Party Prize Give­away begins June 2nd, 2016 at 9:00 pm ET and ends no later than June 2nd, 2016 at 10:30pm ET (the “Twit­ter Chat Entry Period”). Entrants enter via fol­low­ing @TMNTMovie, @HeLoEnterprises & @BlogginMamas, and post­ing a tweet with the #TMNT2 hash­tag dur­ing the Twit­ter Chat Entry Period. Five (5) Win­ners will be drawn ran­domly by random.org at approx­i­mately 12 minute inter­vals dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. One (1) Win­ner will be drawn ran­domly via random.org from the event RSVP’s on the Mr. Linky wid­get.
Prizes include:
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $25, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner.
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card and one (1) 11″ Assorted TMNT Figure. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $40, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner.
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $50 AMEX gift­card and one (1) 11″ Assorted TMNT Figure. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $65, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner.
One (1) First Prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $100 AMEX gift­card and one (1) TMNT Battle Truck Toy. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $150, for one (1) win­ner.
One (1) Grand Prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $100 AMEX gift­card, one (1) 11″ Assorted TMNT Figure, and one (1) TMNT Lair Hideout. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $185, for one (1) win­ner.
One (1) RSVP Prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $50 AMEX gift­card. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $50, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner who RSVP’s via the Mr. Linky wid­get.
Each win­ner receives one (1) prize pack. Entrants who fail to com­plete said actions will be dis­qual­i­fied and an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from all entrants who entered dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. Win­ners will be noti­fied via Twitter Mention & will need to complete a claim form. Win­ners will have 48 hours to complete the claim form including pro­viding ship­ping info, or a an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from amongst all entries received dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. All prizes will be awarded pro­vided they are validly claimed by June 6, 2016 at 11:59AM EST.
Entrants agree to release and hold harm­less the Blog­gin’ Mamas, Heather Lopez Enter­prises, LLC, Allied Hispanic, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Twit­ter, and any other orga­ni­za­tions respon­si­ble for spon­sor­ing, ful­fill­ing, admin­is­ter­ing, adver­tis­ing or pro­mot­ing this give­away, and their respec­tive par­ent, sub­sidiaries, and affil­i­ates and each of their respec­tive offi­cers, direc­tors, mem­bers, employ­ees, agents and sub­con­trac­tors (col­lec­tively the “Released Par­ties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­ity, includ­ing but not lim­ited to neg­li­gence and dam­ages of any kind to per­sons and prop­erty, includ­ing but not lim­ited to inva­sion of pri­vacy (under appro­pri­a­tion, intru­sion, pub­lic dis­clo­sure of pri­vate facts, false light in the pub­lic eye or other legal the­ory), defama­tion, slan­der, libel, vio­la­tion of right of pub­lic­ity, infringe­ment of trade­mark, copy­right or other intel­lec­tual prop­erty rights, prop­erty dam­age, or death or per­sonal injury aris­ing out of or relat­ing to a participant’s entry, cre­ation of an entry or sub­mis­sion of an entry, par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away, accep­tance or use or mis­use of prize. Entrant agrees to indem­nify, defend and hold harm­less the Released Par­ties from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­i­ties (includ­ing rea­son­able attorney’s fees) aris­ing out of or relat­ing to an entrant’s par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away and/or entrant’s accep­tance, use or mis­use of prize, includ­ing, with­out lim­i­ta­tion, lia­bil­ity for per­sonal injury, dam­age, or loss.
The Released Par­ties make no war­ranties, and hereby dis­claims any and all war­ranties, express or implied, con­cern­ing any prize fur­nished in con­nec­tion with the give­away. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING,SUCH PRIZES ARE PROVIDED“AS IS”WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND THE RELEASED PARTIES HERE BY DISCLAIM ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILITY,FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Dis­clo­sure: Blog­gin’ Mamas is man­ag­ing this Twit­ter Party. Indi­vid­ual co-hosts are receiv­ing com­pen­sa­tion for their par­tic­i­pa­tion. All prize ful­fill­ment is the respon­si­bil­ity of the spon­sor.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: ,

Star Fox Zero for the Nintendo Wii U

May 26, 2016 by 2 Comments

Star Fox has quickly become one of the fun Nintendo staples for each of its consoles, from his debut on the Super Nintendo right on through to the Wii U with Star Fox Zero.

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Each one builds upon the familiar,  rails shooting style to open area dog fights, while building up on new vehicles as well as mechanics.

In addition to the familiar Arwing, which is Star Fox’s memorable space craft, there are also the Walker which is a bird type running hopping transformation of the Arwing.  The Land master is a tank design which can also perform on ground rolls from side to side adding much needed mobility to the force of destruction.  The newest addition is the Gyrowing and Direct-i.  This combo vehicle includes a slow moving but very mobile helicopter feeling hover craft which is attached to a small drone type robot which can collect items as well as hack computer systems.

Star Fox has also brought some classic friends along for the adventure this time around as well, including the tough guy falcon, Falco Lombardi, the troublesome Slippy Toad, and the tactician Peppy Hare.

The enemies are varied and a blast to mow through a galaxy of more then 9 locations.  Also Star Fox Zero interfaces with the Fox McCloud Amiibo as well as the Falco Lonbardi figure.  Both of which unlock new Arwing designs for Fox to use.

The controls do take some learning to master, but with the proper amount of trying and learning the game mechanics are easy to get into. My son was more drawn to the Star Fox Guard game, while Dad liked Star Fox Zero.  For fans of the series you are going to have fun, for new comers this is also a nice way to get your feet wet in the gorgeous graphics and fast paced gameplay of a Star Fox dog fight.

Star Fox Zero is out now for the retail prices of $59.99 and includes a second tower defense type game called Star Fox Guard.

Filed Under: entertainment, gaming, technology Tagged With: ,

Win @fodorstravel #FodorsOnTheGo Prize Pack! #ad

May 25, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Disclosure- This post is brought to you in partnership with Penguin Random House.

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Hit the road this summer with Fodor’s Travel and Listening Library!

Summer is right around the corner and planning your family vacation has never been easier thanks to Fodor’s Travel. For 80 years Fodor’s has been a trusted resource offering expert travel advice and in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial in 2016, their experts unveiled a new suite of online tools and updated guidebooks to help travelers plan an unforgettable family trip to America’s incredible natural wonders. Throughout 2016, all parks, including the venerable Yellowstone and Yosemite, will celebrate the centennial with activities and initiatives that allow visitors to revel in their natural, historical, and cultural splendor.

There’s no better way to explore a national park (or a few!) than to hit the road and let’s face it, picking which parks to visit and what scenic routes to take can be overwhelming. Fodor’s National Park Road Trip Itineraries, found on Fodors.com, include the most road-trip worthy adventures to parks across various states. And that’s not all you’ll find – National Parks 101 tells you everything you need to know about planning a trip to the national parks, including booking, budgeting and packing tips; and National Parks Finder helps you find and compare national parks based on activity, region or season. When you use these tools with Fodor’s National Parks of the West, on sale May 10, which includes completely updated coverage of the best sites, dining, and lodging in and around each park, you’re sure to have the best summer trip yet.

And while you’re on the road with your family, you’re going to need some travel entertainment. The solution: Listen to an audiobook! With an audiobook, you can completely lose yourself in the journey, enjoying the scenery while listening to a great narrator tell you a story. Ideal listening with kids in the car, audiobooks expand vocabulary, teach pronunciation and improve reading comprehension. In fact, 85% of what we learn, we learn by listening. Whether it’s a charmingly, quirky tale for your middle grader like Jennifer L. Holm’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, a brain-teasing mystery like Chris Grabenstein’s Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, or Jack London’s classic The Call of the Wild read by Emmy Award winner Jeff Daniels, you’ll be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Follow on SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow Fodor’s Travel on Twitter and Facebook

Follow Listening Library on Twitter and Facebook

Use the hashtag #FodorsOnTheGo

One of you can win this awesome prize pack;

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One (1) winner receives:

  • Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West;
  • 3 audiobooks to listen to on the drive: The Fourteenth Goldfish, Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library, and Call of the Wild;
  • PLUS a $50 Visa gift card to put towards filling up the tank!

Giveaway open to US addresses only.

Prizing and samples provided by Penguin Random House.

Good luck! Ends June 22, 2016.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Povi App For Kids #ad

May 24, 2016 by 2 Comments

This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Povi. I received compensation for my participation, but my opinions are my own.

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Povi is a brand new toy with a very special lesson.  Instead of teaching children the alphabet of mathematics and reading comprehension, Povi helps improve your child’s Emotional Quotient.  An emotional quotient is how your child deals with emotions,  feelings and empathy.  These abilities and social skills are dissolving with the addition of more screens and less face to face interaction.  Learning school subjects is of course important, but in order to have a happy, successful child grow into a happy successful adult, they sometimes need help.  This type of education has gained momentum in recent years, in large part due to concerns over school violence, bullying, and teen suicide. Parents want the best for their kids but it can be difficult sometimes to break through the hard shell of, “How was your day?” “Good”, “”What did you do today?” “Nothing”.

With Povi, there is a chance to interact with your child on various life learning topics like caring, resilience, confidence, motivation, thankfulness, and other valuable life skills.  The toy was designed to be play with a parent, not alone. This helps conversations blossom from stories and flow naturally into a learning experiences.  Kids learn to ask and answer questions like, “If you could be someone else for a day, who would you like to be?” or “How can you tell when someone is sad?”

Povi comes with 10 stories and a free app (available for Android or iOS) featuring additional questions parents can ask related to those stories, as well as 20 additional stories that are age appropriate for each individual child. Parents can choose from three levels- for ages 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8. The stories are written and curated by experts including psychologists, teachers, and parents.  Povi is available for funding on kickstarter now and if you are one of the first 2,00 backers you can get Povi for 40% off, for the price of $49.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: