Green Kid's Crafts #Kid's Subscription Box Review!

My kids and I recently got to try this wonderful project from Green Kid's Crafts! Green Kid's Crafts is a monthly subscription box filled with easy to do activities you and your kids can create together. The box can be purchased as a one time purchase or in different monthly subscription increments of 3, 6, or 12 months. It is reasonably priced and the different subscription levels offer for flexibility to fit your family or budget needs. This is a review of a win from a twitter party with https://twitter.com/HolisticMomsNet and sponsor Green Kid's Crafts; to join in use the hashtag #Holistic Mom's. The Holistic Mom's have a twitter chat every week at 9 PM Eastern Time. Check out their blog here http://www.holisticmoms.org/. I really enjoy their chats. They have such great information on Holistic Living and offer giveaways from great brands like Green Kid's Crafts, Weleda and many more! 

We won one of the crafts included in their monthly subscription box!. This was the create a Bee Hive project from July's discovery box! Augusts' box will be a Green Energy Box (pictured below)!

The Bee Hive craft was like making a mini pinata. My kids enjoyed mixing the glue and water. It was a very simple project and the kids really had fun. I loved that the steps were so easy to follow; it was almost fool proof. I am not very crafty but love doing crafts with the kids. This was perfect for us. After we mixed the glue and water we blew up or balloon and began to dip the yellow tissue paper to create the hive.

Once we dipped the tissue paper and carefully wrapped it around the balloon we had to allow it to dry for several hours. My kids added glitter to their glue ix because they wanted a sparkly hive. You can easily improvise on a lot of these projects and make additions that fit your kids style! After the hive dried we had to paint black stripes around the hive and make our bees. The bees were made from wrapping yellow black and white for the wings around pencils. I was surprised at how much they actually looked like little bees! We then popped the inner balloon with one of the pipe cleaners and inserted our bees into the hive. Viola the finished Bee Hive below! Super simple but very fun! Green Kid's Crafts is perfect for a wonderful set of monthly crafts for the kids.

We took our Bee Hive one step further as you can see what we created is a mini pinata. The kids filled it with candy and trinkets and when their cousin's came for a visit we actually hung the hive up and they busted it. I was worried it wouldn't hold up to the candy but it did very well! It too 7 whacks to get it popped. The Green Kid's Crafts box i all about enjoying craft time, bonding as a family, learning and creating. The projects make for a great family experience!

To purchase from Green Kid's Crafts go to http://www.greenkidcrafts.com/join/. Make sure you are following Green Kid's Crafts on facebook and twitter to stay up to date on their newest subscription box and discounts.

Make sure to check out the Holistic Mom's Network and join in on their next twitter party Tuesdays at 9 PM Eastern by going to https://twitter.com/HolisticMomsNet and using the hashtag #HolisticMoms to join in. No RSVP required!

I received this product as part of a twitter party win all opinions are 100 percent my own. No financial compensation was received! 

Thames and Kosmos Crystal Growing Kit Review!

Anyone who follows my blog regularly has heard me talk about Thames and Kosmos; one of my favorite children's educational product companies. Thames & Kosmos (T&K) was founded in 2001 with the mission of improving informal science education by publishing high-quality science and technology related educational products for children of all ages. T&K places an emphasis on teaching concepts and skills through hands-on modeling of real-world devices and processes, and by offering comprehensive, meaningful reading materials for a rich learning experience. T&K is headquartered in Providence, R.I.
My kids and myself are big science buffs; we enjoy doing science experiments and projects more than any of other of the school subjects. My kids particularly enjoy growing crystals and the DIY science kits. Thames and Kosmos has the best crystal and mineral kits available. We recently tried the Crystal Garden Kit! The kit contains four different experiments and is recommended for ages 10 and up. Since some chemicals are used I always recommend adult supervision! My kids are younger but with my help they easily were able to grow their own Crystal Garden.

Crystal Garden

With the Crystal Garden Kit you can grow a marvelous crystal garden with these fast growing crystals. The centers of four flower cards bloom into delicate crystal structures in just a few hours. You can practically see the crystals form before your eyes on the branches of filter-paper trees. Learn about how and why crystals form, and experiment with different colored flowers. With the Crystal Garden Kit you can grow marvelous crystal gardens with these fast-growing crystals!To purchase your own Crystal Garden Kit go to http://thamesandkosmos.shptron.com/p/crystal-garden/ignition-series?pp=40&sort_selection=recommended ! This kit is a bargain at only $14.95.

 Looking for a kit that provides for a classroom project I recommend the Crystal Experiments and Crafts Kit purchase here http://www.thamesandkosmos.com/products/cg/cg.html .

 

Crystal Experiments and Crafts

The Crystal Experiments Craft Kit contains 15 different experiments and is recommended for ages 10 plus. This kit is very large and is perfect for a classroom Crystal Growth experimentation! Grow dozens of dazzling crystals and conduct 15 illuminating experiments with this classic science kit. Experiment with four chemically different crystals each with different properties, including potassium alum crystals that form regular octahedrons, rapidly growing sodium sulfate crystals, long needle-shaped sodium acetate crystals, and plaster which is made from gypsum crystals.

Mold fun plaster shapes, including stars, lightning bolts, dolphins, and pyramids, and grow layers of crystals on them. Use dyes to form colored crystals, and mix the dyes to grow a rainbow of custom colored crystals. Display your crystal creations in a clear treasure chest with a locking lid. Mold your own geode — a hollow rock with crystals growing inside — and create a beautiful crystal cavern inside.

Experiment with growing crystals rapidly and slowly, and observe how that affects the crystal structures. See if you can grow one giant crystal, and many small crystals on the surface of a rock.

Measure how the crystallization of solids out of a solution, and the dissolution of crystals back into solution, affect the temperature of the solution. Learn about the energy of crystallization. Investigate solutions, crystallization, and the chemistry of crystal growing. Learn about the structures and geometries of different crystal shapes.

This kit is thoroughly tested and safe: Over one million units of this kit have sold worldwide. A full-color, 32-page experiment manual guides your experiments in crystal chemistry and Earth science.

To purchase from Thames and Kosmos go to http://www.thamesandkosmos.com. Make sure you are following Thames and Kosmos on Facebook to stay up to date on all of their newest products and promotions!

Kinivo M2 Speaker System Giveaway!

I am teaming up with Growing Up Madison to bring you an exciting company Kinivo Electronics. To read the full review of the Kinivo products she received you can check it out here. 

It's one reason why you should never judge a book by its cover. Kinivo Electronics truly pack a punch in the music department and shows you that big sound can really come in a small package. 

Kinivo wants to offer one of you the chance to experience the sound for yourself by winning an M2 Bluetooth Speaker System (RV$120). The giveaway is open to US Residents and the winner will be randomly selected by PunchTab. Winner will have 48hrs to respond to the email sent, failure to respond will mean forfeiting your prize and a new winner will be chosen.
Winner is Austin B

Dinosaur World Cave City, KY Review!

Are you looking for the perfect place to travel this summer? Try Dinosaur World in Cave City, KY it is an absolutely amazing, educational, family friendly destination. We were given the opportunity to review Dinosaur World. Dinosaur World has three locations the one we visited in Kentucky one in Texas and one in Florida. My whole family had an amazing time! Ticket Prices start at $9.28 for a child's admission online and can be purchased online here https://tix.extremetix.com/Online/DinoKentucky?cookieTest=Yes or at Dinosaur World upon arrival. I recommend adults purchase the general admission pass for $12.36/ Seniors $10.34 and purchase the children the Child's Excavation Pass for $16.91 (adult excavation passes also available). The child's excavation pass includes park admission, lucky strike gem bag for the gem excavation ad fossil dig ticket. The fossil dig and the gem mining are more for the kids so its important you bu them a ticket but not so important as an adult you get an excavation pass; a general admission ticket is perfect for an adult.
With a 4 and 5 year old and me being pregnant I was anxious that the trip would be a disaster as children are hard sometimes to entertain. My boys were amazed; there are just so many things packed into Dinosaur World that adults as well as children are engaged and immersed in the world of Dinosaurs. The 5 main parts of Dinosaur World we enjoyed included a trail filled with over 150 of the most interesting Dinosaurs, gem dig, fossil dig, dinosaur themed play land/park and a museum guided tour. The employees at Dinosaur World are so kind and inviting we were treated better than I could have ever imagined. The kids loved every second and me and Chris really enjoyed Dinosaur World as well.

The first part of the our Dinosaur World experience began with the museum. We received a wonderful guided tour by Keith. The museum is filled with fossils, actual dinosaur bones, dinosaur skeleton replicas and even Dinosaur eggs. The kids liked seeing the fossilized teeth of the sharks the most but also enjoyed guessing what skeletons they were looking at. Our guide Keith took every second he could to teach the boys which I loved. He stood in front of the posters and facts that showed the dinosaurs names and had the boys guess what dinosaur he was talking about or what skeleton we were looking at. I was impressed my boys watch a lot of Dino Dan and they got every dinosaur right except one. I didn't even know they knew as may dinosaurs a they do. At the end of the museum there is an interactive area for the kids to play different dinosaur themed matching games. My kids played games for quite some time guessing the different dinosaurs. I loved seeing their eyes light up as they learned.

The next area we went to was the trail that included over 150 life size dinosaurs. Each dinosaur included a description and most of them description were smart phone friendly. You scanned the code with your smart phone and could actually watch and learn more about each exhibit on your smart phone as you looked at the towering dinosaurs. The trail also includes a huge T-Rex that is the perfect spot for a photo op. You have to walk a little farther to get to the T-Rex but it is huge towering above the other dinosaurs on the trail and well worth the extra walk for a great photo of the kids with T-Rex. If you can imagine  dinosaur it is on the trail. We saw the Stegosaurus, Triceratops and the Velociraptors (the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park). I was surprised at how many dinosaurs there actually was.
One of the kids favorite areas was the dinosaur themed park. The park included dinosaurs the kids could climb on and even a dinosaur slide. The garbage cans were even fashioned in the form of dinosaurs. The kids played at the park until the fossil dig started.
The fossil dig was something I even enjoyed. The kids were given shovels and screens for sifting. Each child could dig through the sand to find as many fossils as they wanted to. When they were done digging they could choose their favorite 3 fossils to take home with them. Keith took time to sit with each child and help them pick their 3 best fossils and tell each of them all of the fossils they had found. My children choose to keep a shark tooth fossil, stegosaurus bone and assorted fossilized shells.

The last highlight of our Dinosaur World experience was mining for gems. This included real water and it was very hot so the kids loved getting their fingers wet finding gems. They each got a large bag of dirt to sift through, a screen to sift with, bag to place their finds in and a card detailing what they found. They found everything from crystal points, quartz, emeralds and rubies and their cards showed them how to classify their finds.

The only area we didn't get to explore was the excavation site. There was an area where a dinosaur skeletal replica was set up covered by sand and blocked off in labeled squares. The kids could actually go through and dig up a whole dinosaur square by square. It was a child friendly simulation of an actual dinosaur skeleton excavation site. The kids gave out though as little ones do and it was getting very hot. I recommend you go early and beat the heat but the whole trail is very shady. Dinosaur World has the tourist in mind from the shady location to the gift shop and all through the park every detail is perfectly thought out for an amazing family experience.

Start planning your trip today go to Dinosaur World's website http://dinosaurworld.com  and find the location nearest you! Also be sure to follow Dinosaur World on Facebook to stay up to date on all the special offers for tickets and any special events going on. You can also book your childs next birthday party at Dinosaur World that would be a fun birthday book here http://dinosaurworld.com/kentucky/birthday-party-ky/! You won't want to miss the dinosaur fun Dinosaur World has in store for your family learn new and amazing facts that you never knew about dinosaurs plan your Dinosaur World trip now!

Free For All was given free tickets to facilitate this review. No financial compensation was received all opinions are 100 percent my own!

Survive Monthly Giveaway!

Survive Monthly is a brand new monthly subscription box! I am very excited to see what they have in store for us all. I haven't previewed this subscription box yet because it is brand new! I will be getting one box free to preview and one winner will get a free 3 month subscription! I am very excited to see what the guys over at Survive Monthly bring us. I have been racking my brain as to what the boxes may include. I thought flashlights, batteries, knives, bandages and maybe even food. What do you like to see in a survival subscription box service? Share your thoughts below and you may just see your suggestions in the upcoming box. Each box costs $39.99 and you get 7-10 items per box! The first boxes will be delivered this month so hurry and enter to win today! Survive Monthly gives us a clue on their Facebook page as to what we may expect i this first box. 

SURVIVE MONTHLY POST: Our first box will include the essentials to survival! You'll receive products that cover the basics (fire, water, food, first aid, shelter) to keep you on top of any situation. POST HERE https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1439454512983669&set=a.1424353481160439.1073741828.1394500990812355&type=1

To pre-subscribe to Survive Monthly go to http://www.survivemonthly.com/sub.html. Make sure you like Subscribe Monthly on Facebook! 

Enter to win a 3 Month Subscription Below:

Winner Matt Varney

Free For All received no financial compensation for this post all opinions are my own. Upon post completion I will receive a 1 month subscription.

BARNEY®: A SUPER-DEE-DUPER DAY Review and Giveaway!

BARNEY®: A SUPER-DEE-DUPER DAY

Available Only On DVD July 15, 2014 

From Lionsgate And HIT Entertainment

Street Date: 7/15/14

DVD SRP:  $9.98



PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

It’s a Tee-Riffic day for friends big and small as they celebrate the summer with Barney® in the all-new movie Barney:A Super-Dee-Duper Day available only on DVD July 15, 2014 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.



Trusted by moms and adored by children, Barney displays sharing, caring, imagination, dancing and learning on television, online and through live events, home entertainment, toys and publishing. Barney is celebrating over 25 years of love and friendship with the Barney 25 Million Hugs campaign. Barney is inviting fans of all ages to help him reach his goal of sharing 25 million Barney hugs around the world through the site www.ShareBarneyHugs.com and via email, Facebook and Twitter.   



SYNOPSIS

When Barney takes his friends on a dino-sized adventure, everyone has a Super-Dee-Duper Day! Barney encourages everyone to use their imaginations to remember the lessons they learned during their super Sports Day in the park showing them that sometimes the most rewarding activities are the most simple. From playing ball and hopscotch to riding bikes, playing basketball and much more, Barney, BJ™, Baby Bop™ and Riff™ show how the power of friendship makes everything fun!



DVD BONUS FEATURES

·        BJ’s Batting Cage Counting Game

·        I Love You Karaoke Music Video




REVIEW:




My kids have always been huge Barney fans so we were very excited to review Barney: A Super Dee Duper Day. They loved the game on the special features BJ'S Batting Cage. I love that I can trust Barney to be kid friendly. So many shows now a days are just too explicit for children and so many places market to children. Barney teaches some of the core principles children need such as sharing, caring and friendship! My boys will be enjoying this DVD for a long time!



PROGRAM INFORMATION

Year of Production: 2014
Title Copyright: © 2014 Lyons Partnership, L.P.  The Barney name and character, related characters and the overlapping dino spots and Barney and star logos are trademarks of Lyons Partnership, L.P.  Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. and other countries.

Type: TV on DVD

Rating: Not Rated

Genre: Children/Family

Age Target: 1-4 years old

Subtitles: NA

Closed Captioned: English

Feature Run Time: 56 minutes

Format: 4x3 Full Screen (1.33:1)

Audio Status: English and Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital

Program Website: www.barney.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Barney

Twitter: @DinoMiteBarney

YouTube: www.youtube.com/HITBarney



 Win your own Copy Just Enter Below:









Entry-Form






Free For All received a sample to facilitate this review all opinions are 100 percent my own!

Dino Dan: Tyrannosaurus Trek Review and Giveaway!

Since I started reviewing for NCircle I have waited and waited to get the opportunity to review a Dino Dan DVD. It comes on late here so the kids don't get to watch it as much as they would like. This is in my opinion one of the most informative NCircle Series for kids. It teaches all about dinosaurs and with real life applications. My kids are huge Dino Dan fans

In the Tyrannosaurus Trek episode Trek learns that he can see dinosaurs just like his older brother Dan! His first dino experiment is to find out whether the Albertosaurus hunts in packs or on its own.  Then Grandma helps Trek with his homework for art class, and together they create a comic book entitled “Tyrannosaurus Trek” about a caveman superhero who saves all the dinosaurs when a volcano erupts.  Learn about how dinosaurs lived and thrived in the prehistoric era in these five dino-riffic adventures!

Check out these other great Dino Dan stories: Team Dino, Use Your Dino Senses, Dino Climbers, Tyrannosaurus Trek, and Trekodon! Get your copy of Tyrannosaurus Trek on http://www.walmart.com/ip/29582691

Make sure you are following NCircle Entertainment on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on all of their latest titles!
NCircle wants to give one lucky fan their own Dino Dan DVD Enter Below:

Entry-Form

Free For All recieved a copy free ro faciltate this review. All opinions are 100 percent my own!

School Zone Review!

I can remember being so excited when mom brought home School Zone work books for me. I always got a letter book, number book, writing book, math book but only one hidden picture book. I loved the hidden picture books, so I considered them a special treat. I had to finish my other workbooks before I got the hidden picture one. It was a great incentive to get me to keep up my studies even as a small child! Of course what I didn't know as a child was that mom was being smart she was teaching me and rewarding me with a book I loved at the same time.

With all the new technology today School Zone is growing and evolving with so many new products and apps to fit our buy lives. They have products for toddlers to age 6 and everything from flashcards, workbooks, software to electronic gifts. I love the School Zone Little Scholar Tablet this will be our next purchase for the kids. I am thinking maybe Christian's Birthday or a combined Christmas gift.  Bursting with great content, this tablet is uniquely designed for children in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade! They eevn have educational products for baby! Playful, powerful, and packed with learning, the Little Scholar Tablet will build readiness skills to last a lifetime. Kids will have a blast mastering math, reading, spelling, and more, with over 150 preloaded apps, videos, e-books, and songs. Progressive challenge combines with playful creativity. For example, both parents and kids will enjoy learning and singing 87 original, toe-tapping songs. My kids love tablets and we are very careful about what they get so I was so excited to see School Zone come out with the Little Scholar. The Little Scholar has already received the 2014 Creative Child Preferred Choice Award!

School Zone sent us four amazing books to review. We got the Little Thinkers K (Kindergarten) and P (Pre-Kindergarten) workbooks, the Bible P-K Hidden Pictures, and the Bible Printing Fun P-K. This is the first time we have taken a serious approach to teaching our kids in the summer. Chritian has just finished headstart and Gavin will be starting headstart next year so I didn't want Christian too loose anything he had learned and wanted Gavin o begin preparing for headstart. School Zone was the perfect fit! Each book even came with a free gift; when you purchase you can join the Golden Scholar Club (details below) and get one free Biblical song download! It is easy to know the level your child is on and what they need to work on using School Zone's Workbooks. I was urprised to know Christian after a year of headstart could barely write any letters. So this is an area we are really focusing on. Gavin on the other hand is great at writing but has trouble with math he needs to work on addition skills. I love that we discovered this just by spending 15-20 minutes in the evenings sitting down at the table working through their School Zone workbooks. Just like me growing up they love the Hidden Picture books!

The Golden Scholar Club is so wonderful to join! When you enter your free code from any participating School Zone product you will be able to instantly get started. When you register for the Golden Scholar Club you will receive special online coupons and you will receive updates on all the great products School Zone has to offer! If you are like me we shop mostly online with two kids and one on the way going out a lot is hard so the online coupon savings are very handy!

Make sure to check out School Zone to purchase your children their very own workbooks and educational products! Follow School Zone on all of their social media channels to stay up to date on contests and their newest products:

Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Google Plus 

Free For All received a sample to facilitate this review no financial compensation was received all opinions are 100 percent my own!

My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic Available July 29th! My kids can't wait!

My Little Pony – Friendship Is Magic:

THE KEYS OF FRIENDSHIP

COMING TO DVD JULY 29, 2014

Los Angeles, CA – Ponies make the best friends! With that in mind, My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: The Keys Of Friendship is coming to DVD on July 29 in the U.S. and Canada from Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios.  The 5 episodes include “Rarity Takes Manhattan,” “Pinkie Apple Pie,” “It Ain’t Easy Being Breezies,” “Twilight’s Kingdom, Part 1,” and “Twilight’s Kingdom, Part 2.” A fun sing-along is included as a bonus feature.

Since her arrival in Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle has learned the true meaning and value of friendship. With her very best friends — Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy and, of course, Spike — Twilight goes on the greatest of adventures and comes back with even more lessons. All of this has earned Twilight her wings and the crown of a Princess and now you can learn what Princess Twilight Sparkle has learned and take with you The Keys Of Friendship.

The My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series is currently airing on The HUB TV Network in the U.S. and on Treehouse in Canada.

Also available on DVD from Shout! Factory Kids:

My Little Pony Equestria Girls

My Little Pony: Classic Movie Collection

My Little Pony: A Very Minty Christmas

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – A Dash Of Awesome

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – A Pony For Every Season

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - Princess Twilight Sparkle

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Pinkie Pie Party

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Adventures in the Crystal Empire

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Royal Pony Wedding

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Season Two

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Season One

My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – The Friendship Express

My Little Pony - Twinkle Wish Adventure      

About Hasbro Studios:

Hasbro Studios is the Los Angeles-based entertainment division of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS). The studio is responsible for entertainment brand-driven storytelling for the company across television, film, commercial productions and short-form. It develops, produces and distributes TV shows based on Hasbro's world class brands, including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and FAMILY GAME NIGHT. Many of these shows air on the Hub Network, a U.S. television network for kids and their families, that is a joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK). Hasbro Studios shows can also be seen on networks in more than 180 territories globally.  Since its formation in 2009, the studio has received seven Daytime Emmy wins and 16 nominations.  On the film side, the studio is developing and producing a number of features based on Hasbro's brands, including TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (Paramount), G.I. JOE 3 (Paramount) and CANDY LAND (Sony).  The studio team also oversees the production of commercials that feature Hasbro's brands as well production of short-form content that can be seen on all of the major digital and social media platforms globally.

About Shout! Factory:

Shout! Factory, LLC is a diversified multi-platform entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering, preserving and revitalizing the very best of pop culture. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their entire careers sharing their music, television and film favorites with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD and Blu-Ray™ offerings serve up feature films, classic and contemporary TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials in lavish packages crammed with extras.  Shout’s audio division boasts GRAMMY^®-nominated box sets, new releases from storied artists, lovingly assembled album reissues and indispensable “best of” compilations.  In addition, Shout! Factory maintains a vast digital distribution network which delivers video and audio content to all the leading digital service providers in North America.  Shout! Factory also owns and operates Timeless Media Group, Biograph Records, Majordomo Records, HighTone Records and Video Time Machine. These riches are the result of a creative acquisition mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.  Shout! Factory is based in Santa Monica, California. For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com

I See Me #FREESHIPPING!

Our friends @ISeeMe are offering #FREESHIPPING site-wide on their adorable personalized books & gifts for kids! Just enter code BUZZ at checkout. Hurry! Expires 7/7/14. To order go to www.iseeme.com