#Win $50 GC to Family Fare Supermarkets - 2 Winners

I'm so happy that there are Family Fair Supermarkets by my house, and by my work. I shop during my lunch breaks often. 

They have everything you could possibly need for Labor Day weekend!

Family Fare Locations:

• 5110 S. 108th Street Omaha NE 68137 
• 14444 W. Center Road Omaha NE 68144
• 2650 N. 90th Street Omaha NE 68134
• 3003 N. 108th Street Omaha NE 68164 
• 3026 S. 24th Street Omaha NE 68108 
• 1801 Valley View Dr. Council Bluffs IA 51503 
• 7402 N. 30th Street Omaha NE 68112 
• 1510 Harlan Dr. Bellevue NE 68005

I went their this week to get everything I needed for a spectacular meal. I wanted a recipe post to go up for Labor Day, but importantly it was a great meal for Travis' birthday.

What was on the menu?

• Southwestern Cheeseburgers
• Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
• Corn on the Cob
• Carrots
• Pears
• Cupcakes (a very special treat)
• Flathead Lake Gourmet Huckleberry Sodas (also a very special treat)

Their Butcher Shop had a lot of options. Hamburger of course is pretty easy to spot out.

South Western Burgers - Recipe

Grill Time:

This is what everything looked like on the grill. I was so hungry!

The pepper were stuffed with hamburger, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, and diced garlic.

When they started to get the grill lines Travis flipped them over.

Time to Eat!

It didn't take super long to make this. The burgers were so good! 

I picked up some fun football cupcakes at Family Fare. That way Travis would have some "birthday" cake. He loves football, so it was fitting. The boys were so excited!

I have to tell you about the sodas I picked up. Flathead Lake Gourmet Soda was so good! I love that they have different flavors. I got huckleberry. 

It's Giveaway Time! 

2 US readers have a chance of winning a $50 GC to Family Fare Supermarkets. You must be 18 or over to enter. Ends September 16th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this product for a discount in exchange for an honest review. The opinions on this blog are my own.

The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today DVD Giveaway

At one point in my life I wished I had girls. Don't get me wrong I love my boys. I had sisters growing up, my mom has sisters, and Travis has a sister. I just thought I'd carry on that tradition. We'd play dress up, have tea parties, play with dolls, do hair, and watch princess movies.

My boys are a blast. They are active, funny, and keep everyday interesting. 

The Swan Princess: Princess: Tomorrow, Pirate Today is out on DVD September 6 from Sony Home Entertainment! 

In the brand new original animated film, Princess Alise (that's kind of like my name) is training to be the perfect royal, but in her heart all she wants to do is sail the seven seas as a swashbuckling pirate! After setting sail, Princess Alise is shipwrecked and washes ashore on an island where she meets Lucas, a young boy who has been living there by herself. They have to work together to survive and get back to civilization!

Are You A Princess Or A Pirate?

Take the Quiz to find out.

 

Buy it: The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today!
http://sonypictures.us/swan

Follow: The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today! https://www.facebook.com/swanprincessmovie

Giveaway: One of my readers (you) will win a copy of The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today on DVD.
Rules: Each household is only eligible to win The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today! DVD via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. No PO Boxes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Sony Home Video provided me with some of the materials I used in this Blog Post/Giveaway. The opinions I share are my own.

WW: Hitchcock Nature Center {Linky}

First off a big Happy Birthday goes out to my husband that's 41 years old today!

Now on with the post...A few weeks ago we went to Hitchcock Nature Center in Iowa. It's only $2 to get into the park. There's a lot of explore. It's located on the Loess Hills.

The first thing we did was climb their observation tower.

Here's the view:

Here are 3 of the 4 of us. Isaak wasn't in the mood for getting his picture taken.

Looking down from the tower:

We went hiking on a trail and saw some pretty close-ups:

I could have take 500 photos of these poisonous berries:

A hungry little caterpillar:

A field of flowers:

The boys really enjoyed hiking. I on the other hand was lagging behind. I was fasting for a medial procedure (all is ok). I don't do well with fasting though. I just wanted to faint. I took my time by taking photos.

We got to one more spot with a really pretty view.

 Mica was the only one that would let me take his photo. He's my handsome knight.

Do you like to go hiking? Is there a place within driving distance to hike at from where you live?

Parenting in the Digital Age

One thing I love are events at Do Space. I recently went to Parenting in the Digital Age put on by Common Sense Media.

Thankfully my boys are at good ages to entertain themselves with computers. During this session there was no one that could watch the kids.

If it were up to the boys they would have played in the lobby the whole time. They had rockets on a screen that put their face in them, and followed them where ever they went.

While the kids did what they did, we got started talking about Parenting in the Digital Age.

First Common Sense Media talked about how they are active in creating laws. Kids can swipe their online presence to start over when they are 18.

This is when I felt a little guilty about blogging about my kids so much. I think of my blog as a recording device. A modern baby book that worked its way into when they are kids. Lucky for me they are good kids. When I blog it's not like I'm throwing them under the bus each post. We all act up, and go through phases in life at times.

A mom that was there doesn't put her kids on facebook at all. I felt like I was in the wrong. So my kids have an online presence. If I had to start my blog over again - knowing what I know now I'd give my boys nicknames that they have in real life. Isaak is Zeek and Mica is Moose at home, and Smarty at Grandma and Grandpa's. It's a little late for that now I feel.

My boys are leaders in their classes, they get good grades in school, and they crack me up on a daily basis. I don't think I've messed them up that much.

I respect those that choose to give their kids online privacy. It would be super hard for me to not share my kids with the world. They are a part of my life.

We had to make a word web of our kids that included our online concerns for them, and something positive they'll get from being online.

Here's Travis':

Here's mine:

Travis' was more artsy, but mine had more words on it.

I have different concerns from one child to the next. Mica doesn't know his online limits. Isaak gets his feelings hurt easily, which could result in being bullied online.

Common Sense Media works with teachers, parents and educators. In fact they work with my boy's school district. They are not just in Nebraska. Check to see if they work with schools around where you live. Please check out their website: commonsensemedia.org

Things Parents Should Talk to Their Kids About:

• Having positive online decisions
• No cyber bulling 
• Data privacy 
• They shouldn't violate copyright laws

Common Sense Media Has so Much on Their Site! Here are Links to a Few Things We Went Over:

• You can see movie reviews here. I love that they have ages for movies. No longer will my husband try to get them to see something they aren't ready for. Can I say Sixth Sense? I had to say "NO!" to that one. They also have online discussions topics about movies. Families can have dialog about what they watched. How great is that?!
• There digital glossary is here. It is a glossary of terms that older students use. So many of them I have heard, but didn't know what they meant. This covers their lingo. This I will use for my own students. 
• They have media agreements here. It's a downloadable PDF that you can print out for your kid to fill out. I have to say that I don't know how much I'll use of that. We just discuss when they've had too much media. They get off at that time. 

There's a lot more on their site, so check it out!

We Talked About Apps:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Musical.ly
• Vine
• Kik Messenger
• Snapchat
• Tumblr

Some I knew a lot about, while others were new to me. While I've heard of Snapchat, I've never used it. Vine, Musical.ly, Kik Messenger I've never heard of. I brought up others like Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn. I guess LinkedIn is supposed to have a come back. I thought it was dying.

What app do you use the most? I'd have to say that I use Facebook the most. I control the school's Facebook page, as well as my blog one, and my personal one. Pinterest is helpful. Not just for recipes, but for holding onto things I want to talk about in class. I like Instagram, but am still newish to it. Twitter just seems like a spot to get the word out about things.

Overall I really enjoyed Parenting in the Digital Age.

Cooling Base Layer Tank Top by Homaste Review

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I received the product mentioned in exchange for this review. All opinions are mine.

I'm always on the lookout for shirts that fit my oldest. He's now in men sizes. Yikes! How did that happen? He's not too picky with clothes yet. He certainly has his favorite shirts. He's into sporty shirts, with fabric that stretches. I'm so happy that I found him a tank top that has the same type of material as the shirts he loves so much.

Cooling Base Layer Tank Top by Homaste has the best material. 

It's a tank that is meant to be worn in layers. It keeps his temperature cool where the tank is worn. He can wear it to do anything boys and men like to do: 

• To the gym
• To the beach
• To school (for boys)/work (for men)
• To do yard work
• To amusement parks

and more...

If you have a boy/man in your life that's picky with the way clothes feel, this is the perfect tank for them. It's tag-free, seams can not be felt, and the material stretches as one moves. The material allows moister to be wicking. Meaning sweat and water dry fast on it. It's odor free.

It's made of cotton, polyester/lycra blend. It's cool with a silky soft touch.

The tank will not ride up, bunch up, or untuck its self. It's a fitted tank that has a material that breathes.

Sizes:

• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Extra Large

It's a little big on Mica, but he'll grow into it. I've been buying him small adult sizes for shirts.

One thing I did notice on pictures of other reviews on Amazon was that the armpit area is pretty tight. Mica doesn't have the problem, but as he grows he might.

If I could change things about this tank they would be:

• To give more room in the armpit area.
• To make it a little shorter. How it is now it brings attention to the gut. 
• To offer more colors to choose from. It's only offered in white. I think this tank would look great in black and charcoal grey as well!

Cost: 

$19.95, but on sale for $14.95 with Prime as an option. 

Do you or anyone you love wear tanks alone, or under your shirt?