Flint Children's Museum

A couple weeks ago the kids and I met up with my blogging friend, Alexia, from The Mommy Rambles. We found a city halfway between us and then chose a place to go in it and the day couldn't have worked out any better! The Flint Children's Museum was not only nearly EXACTLY the same distance from each of our homes, but we happened to go on a $2 day! So instead of paying $18 each family, we only paid $6!! (We also took lunches, so it was a very inexpensive trip!) Plus the kiddos got along great for never meeting before and we all had a wonderful time. :-)

The kiddos started out in the "How Things Work" exhibit.

We then went to the Discovery Zone, which, at the time, was featuring Camp Bullwinkle where the kids saw a moose, played in a tent, cabin, raft, fished, colored binoculars and sat around a campfire. (All play things of course.) I didn't get pictures because it was super crowded while we were in there.

After that we went to "Sproutside" (outdoor garden area), so the kids could get their faces painted. Morgan was the only one to get painted on....

...the boys saw sand and they were hooked!

Back inside and after grabbing lunch, the kids played in "Performing Arts" exhibit. This is the "Aerobic Sounds" spot.

This was Morgan's favorite thing. It's called "Center Stage" where the kids could dress up behind stage and perform a play. They even had spotlights and a video camera hooked to a TV so the kids could see themselves perform!

Here the boys are in the "Catch Your Shadow" spot.

Then, on to the "Health and Fitness" exhibit with a where they could"Climb Every Mountain"...

...and ride bikes with "Mr. Bones".

I think the best exhibit of all was called "Our Town", with a "Fractions Pizza Parlor"....

..."Smart Mart Grocery Store"....

...and "Sam's House".

Then the "Transportation Alley" exhibit had a Police Helicoptor that the kids were using to deliver mail, food and supplies to....somewhere....:-)

Plus there was a Fire Station that was a huge hit!

The kids could have spent the rest of the day between "Our Town" and "Transportation Alley". It was neat to see them using their imaginations in what I'm sure they thought was the best play area ever! :-)

Thank you Alexia, Noah and Jack for inviting us out to spend the day together! It was definitely a great time and we'll have to watch for their $2 days and make it back again!! :-)

Prenatal Pilates Review and GIVEAWAY *Closed*

*The winner is comment #4: AmyLynn. Congratulations!! :-)
When I found out I was going to have the opportunity to review Prenatal Pilates with Dale Shea, I was excited! NO, I'm not expecting, I was just excited to be introduced to not only Pilates, but also prenatal workouts in general! When I was pregnant with the kiddos I wished I knew what to do to exercise besides to go for walks. I didn't have the internet at the time to research workout videos and I honestly didn't even know prenatal workout videos existed! The Pilates aspect intrigues me too. I've had a lot of problems with my knees while working out and Pilates has seemed like one of the workouts that would be easier on my knees.

About the Instructor: (from the DVD case)
"Dale Shea is a graduate of The George Washington University and holds a bachelors degree in Exercise Science. She has been a certified Pilates instructor through the PhysicalMind Institute for 10 years and she owns and operates her own studio on Long Island, New York."

About Prenatal Pilates: (from the website)
"Prenatal Pilates will allow you to bring balance back into your life, physically, physiologically, and emotionally. Balance your hormones to help you become more emotionally balanced. Stay fit and keep your balance and flexibility throughout your pregnancy. Additionally, you will maintain your muscle tone, keep the weight gain down and return to your pre-pregnancy body more quickly."

The DVD includes:

Workout 1: Mat

Workout 2: Light Weights

Workout 3: Resistance Band

Workout 4: Stability Ball

My Review:
Dale Shea does a wonderful job at guiding the mom-to-be through each of the four 20 minute workouts. I was able to do the first two workouts (the second two call for a resistance band and stability ball which I do not have) and I was quite impressed. Dale guides you through your breathing, the pace is perfect for an expecting mom and it isn't too intense or difficult, so even someone new to exercising would enjoy these workouts! As for my knees, they didn't hurt through the workouts at all! :-) This is definitely a DVD that I wish I had while I was pregnant with Morgan and Blake! (FYI: The kiddos had fun exercising with me too!)

Buy it!:
Prenatal Pilate with Dale Shea runs $19.95 and you can purchase it through the Prenatal Pilates with Dale Shae website and at amazon.com

Win it!:

Dale Shea has offered to send a copy of her Prenatal Pilates DVD to one lucky winner! Just leave a comment telling me why you are interested in this workout along with your e-mail address!

Giveaway will end Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 at 10:00pm EST. Winner will be chosen that night and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.

*Disclosure: I was sent the Prenatal Pilates with Dale Shea DVD for my honest review. I was not compensated in any other way.

Wordless Wednesday: Our Gardens

The Vegetable Garden

(Everything is fairly small because it went in late due to a very wet Spring.)

Morgan's Flower Garden

(Morning Glories are growing up the compost bin and the others are 2 types of Zinnias.)

The Kids' Growums Herb Garden

Just planted Saturday and today (4 days later)....

....we already have Oregano....
.....and Basil! :-)

New HSN Arcade: Watch, Shop and Play all on the same Screen!

HSN is celebrating their 34th birthday in a BIG way! Not only have they started a new HSN Arcade where you can play games and shop on the same screen, but there are also thousands of dollars worth of giveaways available!

Here is what HSN has to say about their new arcade:

*In an unprecedented move to combine casual gaming with the ecommerce experience, HSN Arcade allows people to play their favorite games online while they simultaneously watch HSN streaming live in HD, view the item currently on-air and quickly shop the last 15 items aired…all on one screen.

*HSN Arcade integrates with Facebook® to allow players to easily share their scores and achievements with their Facebook friends.

*HSN Arcade hosts 25 games, including the exclusive Today’s Special Jigsaw Puzzle, Lights! Camera! Subtraction! (featuring HSN’s celebrities), Crossword Puzzles, Word Search, Mahjongg, Dimensions, Sudoku, Treasure Hunt, BlackJack and more.

*Celebrities like Wolfgang Puck, Colin Cowie, Lisa Price and Wei Briant among others will play a role in some of the games.

*The games are FREE to play.

*Players can win prizes, including the Today's Special product or a gift card, by being the fastest to complete the daily “Today’s Special Jigsaw Puzzle” and receiving the best score.

*People can participate in tournaments with HSN’s celebrity guests, hosts and other players for the opportunity to win other prizes, such as gift cards and products.

*Winners can be announced via TV, online and mobile.

*HSN partnered with Arkadium, the largest provider of gaming solutions, to develop this new platform. Entertainment agency WME helped HSN frame the gaming opportunity with external vendors.



Sounds fun, doesn't it!?

During HSN's 34th Birthday Party, the daily giveaways add up to more than $100,000 and you can win one of eight once-in-a-lifetime experiences...like a trip for two to New York City, including accommodations at The Plaza Hotel and dinner at Todd English’s Food Hall restaurant!

Be sure to stop by soon if you're interested! The Birthday party has already started and only lasts until the end of July!





***I was asked by a HSN representative to share this with my readers and help spread the word in case some of you might be interested. :-)