Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Slides at Rock Ranch/Celebrate America

DJ and I had such a great time playing on the playground equipment at Rock Ranch, during Celebrate America!

























These next pictures are of the tunnel slides that go underground down a hill. DJ refused to let me go to the bottom to take pictures, I had to go down AFTER him. :)













What a great day we had! If you have not had the pleasure of visiting The Rock Ranch, you need to go!

Good For The Kids $75 GC Giveaway

Over at Good For the Kids They are celebrating!

They have an awesome sale of 25% off , but then they also have a giveaway of a $75 gift certificate!

Here it is straight from their site:

More Than Amazing 25%-Off Sale & Fantabulous Giveaway
It’s
amazing.It’s incredible.It’s fantabulous.It’s ridiculously cute. ——>And you
are benefitting.
All Melissa & Doug toys as well as all Zoobie Pets stuffed animals are now on sale for 25%
off.
Told you. FANTABULOUS.
Most Melissa & Doug items and all of the
Zoobie Pets will not be re-stocked after they sell out. Stock up now, people.
Stock. Up. NOW.
GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the giant sale and get your
attention, Good for the Kids is giving away a $75 gift certificate. (That’s a
load of toys. HUGE.)

Head on over and enter today! http://www.goodforthekids.com/blog/2009/06/more-than-amazing-25-off-sale-fantabulous-giveaway/

Vacation Bible School Thursday

DJ and I had such a great time last week at Vacation Bible School. I have to send a big thank you to the entire group at New Richland for inviting us and welcoming us.

Here are just a few of the pictures that I took on Thursday night.

































































I loved the way that VBS was set up here. The church family is small enough to where everyone knows everyone, and yet everyone is very welcoming to newcomers. Which I have experienced as being hard for some church communities (if you have not always been a member, since birth, they almost shun you.)
DJ and I loved the small class size, and the fact that I was allowed to step in and "help" when he didn't want me to leave him alone.
This was especially nice, since a few churches that I tried going to when the girls were this age turned away the extra hands, because I had not been in on the planning. Which in turn just made all of us not want to attend.

And we all know my issues, with going to an organized church setting.















































Thank you New Richland for welcoming us into your church family!












Monday, June 29, 2009

Mom of 2 Boys, Wife of 1: Wow! Jumeau Handbags Review and GIVEAWAY

Mom of 2 Boys, Wife of 1: Wow! Jumeau Handbags Review and GIVEAWAY

Go over to Mom of 2 Boys and enter to win a great handbag prize!!! I am in LOVE with several of the handbags, and I know that I have to keep that site from the girls! :)

Twitter Party! Bedtime with Elmo!

With Elmo #SesameSleep
Come celebrate the upcoming release of Bedtime With Elmo, from Genius Products and Sesame Workshop, with Mom of 2 boys on Twitter this Monday, 6/29.

They’ll be giving away a total of 10 copies of the Bedtime With Elmo DVD and a Graco Suite Solutions Pack n’ Play to one lucky Grand Prize winner! Check out the details below.


Bedtime With Elmo – Available 7.7.09 – It’s bedtime on Sesame Street! Just like all little kids, Elmo and Abby would rather make funny faces and sing silly songs than go to sleep. Luckily, Elmo’s dad Louis knows just how to deal with extra glasses of water and little monsters who are afraid of the dark. Parents will love the practical strategies Louis uses to get Elmo and Abby to go to bed, and children will love snuggling under the covers with this timeless DVD. Featuring the special extra of Andrea Bocelli singing “Time To Say Goodnight” to Elmo. Amazon.com

After all the 4th of July festivities, children across America will be feeling the same way as Elmo in Bedtime With Elmo and Sesame Workshop is here to help! Check out these great tips from Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street.

Bedtime Tips For Parents – Bedtime can be a wonderful time to bond with your child and help them feel safe and secure. Here are some fun and simple ways to make bedtime enjoyable and to help your child get a restful night’s sleep!

Establish a Consistent and Positive Bedtime Routine

Help your child transition to bed by having predictable activities that take place at the same time each night, such as going to the bathroom, brushing teeth, getting into pajamas and reading stories. Children can be comforted by routine and benefit if their bedtime schedule is followed as regularly as possible.

Quiet Playtime
Help your child wind down from the day by getting him into pajamas earlier than usual and engaging in relaxing activities like reading, playing a quiet game, doing a puzzle, or drawing together. Give him extra long cuddles before putting him to bed!

Sharing Special Moments
Talk to your child about her day before going to sleep. Ask her to choose a favorite part of the day and discuss why it was special. Encourage her to think of something that she is looking forward to doing tomorrow as she falls asleep.

Bedtime Stories
Help your child choose a favorite book at bedtime. After reading the story, ask him what he thinks his favorite character might do to get ready for bed. Talk about ways his bedtime routines might be similar or different. Remind him that everyone needs a good night’s sleep to feel rested and energized in the morning!

Glimmer of Light
Help your child feel safe when sleeping in the dark by placing a small night light in his room or hallway. You can also let him keep a small flashlight under his pillow to help him feel safe. Talk to him about how he is feeling and let him know that while it is okay to be scared, reassure him that there is nothing to be afraid of in the dark and you are always close by if he needs you.

Sweet Dreams
Provide your child with a quiet, cozy and comfortable bedroom for her to sleep in. Your child should look forward to sleeping in her room and feel safe and secure. Allow her to have her favorite blanket or stuffed animal nearby for comfort when going to bed. You can also set up a CD player to play soft calming music or lullabies as she falls asleep.
Those tips are great, but don’t sleep on this Twitter Party! Here are the details and how you can win!

Four ways to win!
1. RSVP to our Twitter party by signing the Mr. Linky. (1 DVD winner will be chosen by RSVP)2. Follow us on Twitter:
@MomFuse
@NicoleMomFuse
@lisasamples (also add @Momof2BoysLisa for party)
Once you’ve followed all three Twitter accounts, leave a comment on Mom Fuse. (1 DVD winner will be chosen from comment left on Mom Fuse)
3. Tweet this message anytime between today and Monday 6/29:
Can’t get your kids to sleep? Join us 6/29 8-9pm EST for sleeping tips & giveaways from Sesame Workshop #SesameSleep http://bit.ly/7aGTp
4. Last but not least, be sure to join us live on 6/29 from 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm EST for the #SesameSleep & Bedtime with Elmo Twitter Party! We’ll be giving away copies of Bedtime With Elmo and our grand prize from Graco randomly to party goers! Make sure you are following all the Twitter accounts mentioned above, join in on Tweetgrid using the #SesameSleep hashtag, share your best sleeping tips, learn some new tips from other moms, and share photos of your sleeping angels.
We will be choosing one DVD winner from the RSVPs that are left here – one DVD winner from the comments on Mom Fuse – eight random DVD winners throughout the hour of the twitter party along with the grand prize winner which will be announced at the end of the party. In order to be entered for the grand prize, you must actively tweet with us between now and Monday 6/29 during the party.
For more tips and family-friendly fun, be sure to visit SesameWorkshop.org!

Atlanta Hawks, Thrashers, and Braves @ Celebrate America

Three of the Atlanta professional sports teams brought down events for the kids at Celebrate America/Rock Ranch on Saturday.

DJ loved it! The only one he didn't want to try was the Braves batting or throwing, and I think it was because of the lines.






















































I Heart Faces~June 29th - Wedding Bells

I heart faces Wedding bells: I had a hard time deciding between this one that I chose: My sister in law and her attendants at the wedding.

From 2009-05-25 memorial day weekend




And then this one of my brother Matt and Angela's first dance:
From 2009-05-25 memorial day weekend



And then for the just for fun category: DJ and Mariam at the cocktail hour.
From Online Edits




Get on over to I heart faces and check out all of the great entries for this week!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Celebrate America Part One~Great American Duck Race



I took a TON of pictures on Saturday at Celebrate America which was held at Rock Ranch.

If you do not know about Rock Ranch, it was founded by Truett Cathy, founder of Chik-a-Fila (my favorite, fast food place). Yesterday was one of the few times a year that they actually have Chik-a-fila sandwhiches on the property.

Their mission is to unite families with the land and with each other.

Let me tell you both times we have gone they have succeeded in doing just that. My only complaint? Its too far away!!! About 75 miles from our house, so we don't go as often as we could/would if it were closer. If you live in Middle Georgia, or just in Georgia period I highly recommend a trip to Rock Ranch one day soon!

Since I took SO many pictures yesterday I decided to put them into several posts over the next couple of days.

This post is going to be devoted to the pictures I took at the Great American Duck Race that was held yesterday to benefit Stepping Stones. According to their website: Stepping Stones Educational Therapy Center is an accredited therapeutic and educational center for children with special needs with typically developing children. We provide a nurturing environment offering quality education supported by a strong foundation of Christian values.

I believe they said that they sold 10,000 ducks for yesterdays race!












You saw this guy as you came in the walk through gate (DJ didn't want to ride the hayride).




The start of the race





He was mad because from where we were at after riding the John Deere Gators you couldn't see very well. So we went to go closer and he didn't want to leave his rock. The end of the race, they started pulling ducks out of the water about here.

























































From 2009-05-25 memorial day weekend
On the left here is my friend from work Cherry's husband and nephew. We ran into them when we got something to eat.