Tuesday, July 31, 2018

BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE - Letting Go, Isn't Always About Letting Go! #GIVEAWAY



 
Have you ever wanted one thing – just one thing – more than anything else in the world? A toy? A new bike? A computer game? Did you imagine that this one possession would make you incredibly happy – forever? For Benji that one thing is an enormous orange kite.

In BENJI AND THE GIANT KITE (Clavis Publishing; August 2018), bestselling author Alan C. Fox tells the enchanting story of a young boy who learns that possessing something is not quite as meaningful as letting it go.




The 411 by Maria:

I loved this book about an adorable little boy named Benji (FYI this is based on the authors own childhood story) who loves kites. He loves them so much that when he spends his last dollar on them works out a deal with his mom to do extra chores until he has enough for the creme de' la creme of kites which she holds in her closet until he has earned it. 

Benji loves the kite and the way it feels so it was shocking when he decided to let it go. I was surprised by the characters actions but not by the story. When we love something, sometimes we must set it free. It is how I feel about my children. For me the kite was a metaphor for my kids.   I love them so much, my life is completely wrapped up in them; their wants and needs. Everything I do is for them but one day, I too will feel the tug as they need to move on and live their own lives. I hope I am as strong as Benji and rejoice in the fact that "my dream was accomplished" and now they must fulfill theirs. 

I highly recommend this book!


Thursday, July 26, 2018

Getting Kids To Detox From Electronics Before Summer Ends

I try daily to get my kids off their electronics. It is a conscious effort. Sometimes it means giving them a ton of small chores that keeps them moving and too busy to miss their electronics. It might be a movie they have been asking to re-watch again or even a new movie (DVD, Library Borrows, or Netflix (I will not spend movie if I don't have to). We volunteer as much as we can at an animal shelter cleaning cages, play cards, do puzzles, play board games, read books as a family (this year it is Harry Potter). I also sign them up for every free class given at the school or library AND sometimes we just head to the park. Anything that doesn't cost money because who has a ton of cash laying around to just take them out every day?

I am happy even if they are off line for a few short hours so if you guys have any suggestions for other things we can do that do not cost money but get them off their electronics doing something they will love I am so interested in hearing.

Yesterday we headed to the park with friends and their parents were excited that they were moving "in real life" and not just in a game.   It wasn't a great weather day and drizzled on us a few times on top of being so damn hot but mostly I was just happy to see them all outside.












Things got even more interesting when the Goonies found a dead something under a grate. They couldn't distinguish whether it was a bird or a rat or a mouse but were so upset that it was being eaten by bugs.



I didn't get any great pics because I wanted them to just do their thing without me shoving a camera in their face or making them pose but I am so glad I got some shots of Goddess hanging with her oldest friend and her current BFF.

We LOVE Toadlets #toadlet

There is something about these tiny toadlets. First, they are friggin adorable and perfect. They look like a full size toad or frog but miniature.

Toadlets will eventually be full size but until then they are some of our cutest finds and we never get bored of seeing them.


Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Get Off Your iPad, iPhone, Tablet or Computer and Spend Some Quality Time Together - This Is Not Your Grandmother's Puzzle


Adult themed puzzles are coming and they are awesome!  You can get yours August 15th but until then let me tell you all about it and show you one of the puzzles.


Guys, it is TIME to make a conscious effort to put down the electronics and get back to real socialization. My husband and I sit in the same room with the TV on in the background on our separate electronics and maybe talk for 20 minutes out of the 4 hours we watch TV before bed at night unless we make a conscious effort to get off our respective devices.  In fact, I spend some of my nightly online time doing puzzles on my iPad. It's crazy. I love puzzles and love how competitive it can get when we do it as a group. What? You don't get competitive? Is it just us?



Anyway...let me mention a puzzle I did the other day with my husband and then my daughter (she loves them too) Yeah, I put a puzzle with shot glasses together with my 13 year old don't judge.

I did this puzzle twice and will be doing it again Friday night!
Buzzed Puzzles is going to flip the adult puzzle world from crappy landscapes, cute animals and homely cottages to graffiti, tattoos, booze, weed, zombies and lots of sexy sexiness. In addition to the holidays and rainy days we want to bring puzzles to cocktail parties, the waiting room at a tattoo parlor or barber shop, even a corner table at a bar, tap room or winery. By adding some sex, drugs, booze and shenanigans to the puzzling world we can finally bring a fun and nostalgic pastime back into the homes and hearts of a badass new adult generation. 

I was craving a shot after this puzzle
AND get ready for this! Two other aspects of Buzzed we are excited about; Buzzed will also be launching the first ever Drinking Game Jigsaw Puzzle! Also, Buzzed will be focusing heavily on an Artist Affiliate program in which we find edgy tattoo, street, graffiti artists as well as any other edgy influencer art such as anime, gaming, music etc. that we can use to make amazingly diverse puzzles with relevant and new art!

Follow Buzzed Puzzles on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on the latest and greatest. 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Looking For Something New That Makes Your Tastes Buds So So Happy?!




Polaner Fruit & Maple premium fruit spread. It is made from delicious fruits and real(pure) golden  maple syrup – from Polaner, a food company that is over 100 years old. Their ingredients are so clean and simple:

Raspberry: raspberries; maple syrup; raspberry juice concentrate and fruit pectin.


Peach: peaches; maple syrup; peach juice concentrate, fruit pectin and citric acid ( natural preservative in the peach)


The 411:

GUYS...I need to tell you about Polaner Fruit and Maple Fruit Spread. I am a huge fan of jellys and jams but I am not someone who uses them often I am always thinking of calories. Not obsessively but enough that I don't allow myself to eat the way I would want. I have the occasional Peanut Butter and Jelly or Cream Cheese and Jelly but not even once every other month. HOWEVER, now that I have said that....I found myself eating these spreads with my daughter (who can eat whatever she wants but is so picky) twice today including on a spoon. Oh come on...that is not okay. I only worked out once last week and no time to go to the gym yesterday but it was so good!

The spreads use pure maple syrup instead of cane sugar. How can this not taste good?! I haven't tried it on anything else yet but I bet the peach would be good on chicken and on sweet potatoes. I added some of the raspberry to my plain yogurt for lunch and it was probably my favorite yogurt to date. I am very picky with yogurt and only eat it because I know it is good for me. 


This morning I went to the gym and came home and made my son breakfast and myself a bagel with Polaner Fruit and Maple Spread Peach flavored. It really is amazing. It is sweet and yummy just like I like my guilty pleasures. 


Above is my daughter's breakfast and below...her afternoon snack. Needless to say..Polander is a hit!


Disclaimer: I received complimentary products for my honest opinion. No monetary compensation was offered.