Dolphin Tale 2 Movie Poster

I have the official Dolphin Tale 2 Movie Poster to share with you today!  My family loves Dolphin Tale and the story of Winter and we are so excited about the upcoming hope-filled movie, Dolphin Tale 2.  Enjoy!

Squiggle On-The-Go Product Review

I want to tell you about a new product that my family has been enjoying, Squiggle On-The-Go Barnyard version.  Squiggle doodle pads are based on the simple concept of turning a squiggly line into a picture.  It gives children a starting point of where to begin while encouraging creativity.  It can take away the intimidation sometimes felt from a blank piece of paper. 

 The kids circled around watching.

Simply spin the wheel to select your animal and try to draw the spun animal beginning with the squiggle you are given.

A's first squiggle, she spun a horse

A's finished horse

A wasn't excited about her first attempt but I thought she did a good job.  And as we continued playing I noticed improvement in everyone's drawings.  There is something to be said about practicing!

 B working on a chicken

 B's favorite was her rabbit.

 C working on his pig

His finished pig with a loop :).

D and her pig, not bad for a 4 year old!

My rooster

 And David's turkey

 I love that we can play at home, in the car, at the park - anywhere!  It truly is portable and able to go with you.  Children and adults can both appreciate having this around and creating works of art.

The Squiggle line of award winning games and activity pads now include over 30 doodle pads and Spin and Seek hidden-object pads that offer something for all ages and interests.  The pads are designed for ages 4 and up and retail for $4.99/$5.99.

Disclosure:  I received the Squiggle-on-the-Go Barnyard version to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

All My Belongings Giveaway/Webcast

Cynthia Ruchti asks what it takes to overcome your past and become who you were meant to be in her latest novel, All My Belongings.  Cynthia has woven a heart-wrenching tale of forgiveness, grace, and learning what it means to truly belong.

Cynthia is celebrating the release of her latest novel with a fun giveaway and a live webcast event!

 
One winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa cash card
• All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th.  Winner will be announced at the All My Belongings LIVE webcast event on June 11th.  Connect with Cynthia for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Cynthia will also be taking questions from the audience and giving away books, fun prizes, and gift certificates throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of All My Belongings and join Cynthia and friends on the evening of June 11th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by signing up for a reminder. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

And stay tuned for my book review!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered Series

I have a new original series to tell you about, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."  It is a wonderful mix of romance, comedy and drama.  This series follows the lives of four postal detectives who ban together to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail.  I love the premise as my Mom and Grandmother both retired from the post office (my Grandmother as a clerk and my Mom as a letter carrier).  I could actually see my Mom doing this!  If she picked up letters that didn't have enough postage she would often times add postage herself so the letter wouldn't be returned! 

I thought this show was delightful.  The episode I watched is about a special couple with Down Syndrome.  When a lost letter is delivered, the couple discovers their future which in turn inspires their parents.  And there are lots of flowers and stars in this episode, both of which I love!

The American Bible Society has built a bible study to go with this series that you can sign up for here!  Please check out this wonderful series and let me know what you think!

Read more about this series below and tune in yourself to the Hallmark Channel on Sundays, 8/7c.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered 

The new original series "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" is a wonderful combination of romance, comedy and drama that follows the lives of four postal detectives who transform themselves into a team of detectives to track down intended recipients of undeliverable mail.  Their missions take them out of the office where redirected letters and packages can save lives, solve crimes, reunite old loves and change futures by arriving late but somehow always on time.  The team includes charming Oliver O’Toole (Eric Mabius), the group's leader is a man of faith who prayerfully approaches his work with the goal of making a difference in people's lives; new team member, Shane McInerney (Kristin Booth), a technophile who brings 21st century sensibility to the group; free-spirited, “girl next door” Rita Haywith (Crystal Lowe) who has a photographic memory; and lovable Norman Dorman (Geoff Gustafson), a master in conventional research methods.

Hot Air Balloon Party - Up, Up & Away

C's Hot Air Balloon Cake!

As you know C turned 7 last week.  He had an amazing Hot Air Balloon party over the weekend.  I made a lot of the decorations (with the girls help) and David made an awesome cake (as always)!  Hope you enjoy.

 

 Decorations including a photo op I set up for the kiddos.

 Baby F flying away.

 B floating away.

The Birthday Boy

D taking flight.

And E.

The Food Spread

C picked his menu.  Fruit tray, pigs and blankets, chips and guacamole, M&Ms, bags of chips and of course cake and ice cream (Rainbow Sherbert and The Great Divide).

 

 I made balloon baskets using 1/8inch wooden dowels and balloons.

 M&M basket made with wafer cookies.

 

Hot air balloons we made with paper lanterns and small seed planters.

And a fun banner!

Fun plates I found.

And hot air balloon napkins

Another fun photo of the cake.

 C blowing out his candles!

 The oldest 3 kids also made a homemade pinata.  Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of it completely decorated but you get the idea.

Scents of the Season-Scentational Spring Giveaway

The Scents of the Season-Scentational Spring Giveaway from Purex is live!  Don't try and say that three times fast.

With the freshness of spring in the air, inspiration is in full bloom.  What scents inspire you this spring?  Create a board titled "Scent-sational Spring" and pin at least 1 item inspired by the fresh scents of spring.  Check out more about this contest and enter here!

If you need some inspiration you can check out the Purex Pinterest board as well.

And here is a link to my own board that you can see above!  Some of the things that inspire or remind me of spring are bluebonnets, flowers, lawnmowers, grass, Easter, picnics, butterflies, babies and so much more!

Hurry, this giveaway ends May 30th, 2014 at 3:00pm PST.

Disclosure:  Thanks so much to the Purex Insiders program for allowing me to be a part of this campaign and providing information about this Sweepstakes/Giveaway!  As part of this campaign I am eligible to win prizes!

Happy 7th Birthday C

Happy Birthday to my oldest son, C!  You are a super sweet boy and an amazing son.  I am so proud of the ways that God is growing you.  I am looking forward to your party.