Medieval Times Review

This post may be sponsored


We had the opportunity to attend the new Medieval Times show with the kids.  We went for the twins 3rd Birthday so they were just at the age of needing a ticket, but barely.  It is pretty expensive for newly turned 3yr olds, but I was glad they had their own seat.  They would have been okay sitting on my lap and sharing on my plate, but we have two.  

Long story short, the kids LOVED it.  

The food.  I was worried about the food because of my picky twins.  They are toddlers for sure.  It was ALL delicious to me.  Only one didn't eat much of it.  The older kids enjoyed most of it too.  It was way too much for them, but they ate it.  I do wish there were cheaper prices for the kids especially the 3-6 range and less food.  We had SO much chicken leftover.  Thankfully, we could take it home.  I basically used my plate to pile on the stuff I knew the kids wouldn't be able to eat.  The food we took home was never touched by the kids so it was like new take out. :P  The soup was great, the bread, potato, and corn too.  I didn't think the kids would like the soup.  3 out of 4 liked it.  I did sneak in a butter knife to cut the corn off the cob for my daughter with braces.  I knew she'd be upset if there was something she couldn't eat even if she isn't the biggest corn fan.  I also brought a smaller cup for the twins with a lid just to avoid spilling the big cups of water.   Our dessert was ice cream. They provided booster seats for the twins which was perfect to help them see better!  Just be sure to ask. 

3yr old H. enjoying the tomato soup!  

The show.  I'll admit that I missed some of the story line because...well...kids.  It has been many years since we had gone before.  I think it was over 5 years ago at the Myrtle Beach location.  It's been hard to get out much with the twins.   There is now a Queen instead of a King.  I won't spoil the story line, but there is still plenty of Knight fighting.  The horses and Knight's did great.  I may be a little biased, but our Knight, the Red Knight, was the best and he won too.  I'm not sure how I'd feel if ours was the "not so nice" Knight.  My daughter's favorite was the falcon flying over.  That and our Knight came up to the table in front of us so we got to see him up close. 

 

It was a great show.  I'm so glad we were able to go.  The twins had fun cheering.  I was worried they wouldn't sit through it well, but it kept them entertained.  I did tell one that they were pretending.  He can get more scared easily, but he was fine.  Sissy, 11, and Bubby, 8, enjoyed the show even more.  We were all cheering our hearts out.  There are additional things you can buy so be prepared if you want glowing and flashing swords etc.  We bought the $2 cheering flags for each kid.  It was a great experience for all of us.  If you are able to spend the money, I recommend trying it out.  

Crayola Experience Orlando - Review

Tickets were provided to enjoy this experience.
 
We went to Crayola Experience yesterday and all four of my kids had a blast! We actually went last summer, but my twins were only 1 then and really couldn't do a ton. They loved the play area, but trying to contain them was difficult with their newly acquired skill of running. This year there was much more for them to do. My twins ran in excitedly yelling "color, color!" They grabbed the first marker coloring area they could find.

My older two kids are 10&7 and right away they settled into the coloring table. I took the twins to the toddler play area which they love. They especially loved the huge light up display like a gigantic lite brite.

 We all did drip art and the crayon mold.  My twins were so happy about their car and shark crayon.  They also enjoyed the chalk and dry erase section where they could write on the walls, floor, characters (puppy was their favorite). 

There was plenty to do to keep them busy for hours.  Think of it like the ultimate craft day.  All those crafts that you are meaning to do at home, but it takes time, you need supplies, the mess, clean up etc may keep you from getting to it.  The kids can do any kind of craft or art you can think of.  Coloring, markers, crayons, digital art, origami, painting, molding, cutting, etc.  My boys threw a tantrum when I finally said we needed to leave the painting section.  It's SO hard being 2!  The amount of time you will spend all depends on how long your little ones will want to spend on the various projects.  My older 2 spent almost an hour coloring their dragon that they took to a computer and brought to life and coloring a dolphin.  My twins won't sit still for that long, but they enjoyed the play areas and sat for awhile to paint. 

Here is a map of the main area for activities.

I think for the older two the Adventure Lab was one of their favorites.  It is new and not listed on the map.  It's where the paint palette is listed.  You get a tablet and it leads you to three different areas inside to complete a puzzle or mission.  They must have completed 3-5 missions each.

Everything inside is included except for the personalized crayons and the model magic.  You get 2 tokens with each ticket to spend on the model magic or creating your own crayon label.  We even got two coins for the twins who were free because they are under 3.  They loved the model magic.

We happened to be there during the Clearwater Marine Aquarium presentation/event.  My daughter and son stopped to learn about Otters.  They were both given a plush Sea Turtle which was a nice surprise.

I think Crayola Experience is great for kids of all ages.  My kids ages 2-10 were quite happy to spend most of the day there.  There was plenty to keep them busy.  Plus it's a much slower go at your own pace than nearby theme parks.  I will say that it is most cost efficient to get a year pass if you live nearby.  It's only a few dollars more than the ticket cost.

Are you planning on going?  If so SAVE $4 OFF General Admission to Crayola Experience when purchased online via this link.

Ps. My 10yr old took several of the pictures included in this post. 

Ozeri Touch II 18 lbs. Digital Kitchen Scale Review

This post may be sponsored or contain affiliate links.

I receive this kitchen scale to review. I have been looking to get a kitchen scale for a while now so this was perfect for us. I will admit I do use it for weighing packages for the mail as well as weighing food. It works great for this double purpose. I have not had any issues with accuracy or else I would be charged more for postage.  I've used it for several things.  One item was over 4lbs.  It was a little hard to see the weight because my box was huge, but this scale isn't meant for that.  I love this scale. It's small lightweight and accurate.  I can think of lots of uses for it.

Here is information provided on the scale.  It comes in 3 colors (white and red as well as the blue/teal above).

• Industry exclusive scale features Microban antimicrobial product protection that helps prevent the growth of stain and odor-causing bacteria.
• Boasts 2 touch sensitive buttons, 4 high precision GFX sensors, a large Blue LCD screen, and a capacity range of 0.05 oz to 18 lbs or 1 g to 8000 g.
• Award-winning thin design is infused with Microban antimicrobial technology to provide an added level of protection that won't ever wear away.
• Precision Tare button subtracts the container weight for the net ingredient weight; easy Unit button instantly converts between lb/oz, g, fl.oz., ml.
• Includes 2 Lithium batteries and an easy-access battery compartment (no screwdriver needed). NOTE: remove the battery insulating strip before attempting to use the device.

Find it on Amazon HERE.  The price varies from $18 - 28

Mamaway Baby Sling Review

Product was provided for review.  All opinions are my own.

I recently received a mamaway baby sling to try out. With twins many times both want to be held by Mama which can be quite difficult. I've been looking into baby wearing more and more.  With four kids and two being infants, it is a necessity.   One of my favorite go-to baby wearing items is a ring sling because it's fast and easy to put on. No buckles. No straps.

Cozi Tot baby sling review

I've been MIA for a bit. I needed a break from social media etc.

I'm back and have doubled our number of children. We now have twin boys. They are two months old. I've been looking into baby wearing because well there's two and it seems necessary. One little guy hates his car seat and the car.

I recently received the cozi tot baby sling to review. It isn't a sling,  but is a mei tai style carrier. I'm not very good at baby wearing yet and getting straps and things right somehow look so easy yet seem complicated to get just right.

This carrier had an odd smell out of the bag,  but smells better after washing. The pictures on Amazon show babies facing outward but as far as I know it's meant to face inward on front or back. The instructions have pictures. I still got confused and looked at YouTube videos to show how to do different mei tai wraps.   These make more sense. It's just easier to see it live.  I tried an infant carry with his legs in.   My first try with cozi tot instructions we did legs out.

My little guy seemed content once he was in. I'm sure I have some adjusting to do. I wore it around the house. It helped calm him down during his fussiest time of day.

The straps felt comfortable.  There was no digging. In doing some research,  many say the stitching should be a certain stitch to make these carriers safe which I don't see on this one. I don't know that I'd trust this as a back carrier,  but I'm scared to back carry right now anyway.

This is a cheap and easy carrier to start baby wearing with.

Putting Edge Glow in the Dark Mini-Golf Orlando Review

During Spring break we had a chance to try out the Putting Edge Glow in the Dark Mini-Golf in Orlando.  The kids were very excited.

When we got there we realized it is in an abandoned mall that they are trying to remodel and build back up.  It was completely deserted there and was a little creepy with all the empty stores.  At least we didn't worry about crowds.  The only stores occupied were at the ends of the mall.  A movie theater, Fudruckers, a little book shop, and Bass Pro Shop,

We were glad we were able to find the place.  There was some worry it might not be open...that would be our luck.  Thankfully, it was.

It wasn't a huge place, but we figured that.  It did seem bigger once inside.

We got our putters, a glow and the dark bracelet, and ball.

 The glow in the dark is always cool.  Each hole was very close to the next.  There were little platforms that you could stand on while waiting for others to take their shot so you weren't in the way.  The only thing I didn't like is that each hole isn't separated from the next.  There were quite a few times we accidentally shot into the next area.  Others did in ours as well.  Also, I didn't see a bathroom.  I took Bubby all the way out into the theater next door to go.  If there was a bathroom close by, I didn't see it.  I was quite surprised at how well Bubby did.  I think he did better than Sissy and probably better than me as well.

We decided to go to Ikea afterwards and as soon as we pulled in this is what we saw. Looks like we wore him out a bit. 

We had fun at Putting Edge Glow in the Dark mini-golf.  We love the glow in the dark effect.  I just don't know if we'd spend the money to go back again.  Well...maybe not just full price.  There was a small party area, but I don't think it would be as fun or convenient as other "party" places.  When looking online it says there is Pizza provided for the two upper end packages, but I didn't see any food place in this Putting Edge.  It is quite small and the arcade is just a few things.  It's definitely really quiet for now.  I do hope that this mall picks up and fills all the stores.  It is actually a really cute mall.

Reading Eggs - Reading Eggspress

Disclosure - We were provided a free trial offer to review Reading Eggs

We did a review on reading eggs before here, but this time we focused on the Reading Eggspress for older children.  My daughter is a great reader in KG, so she could read and do the Reading Eggspress game/program that is mostly for 2nd grade and up. 

She did pretty well, but did need me close by to help for somethings.  Considering she is in Kindergarten, she was doing amazing.  I really liked how much was included in Reading Eggspress.  The kids earn golden eggs for every question answered correctly.  With the golden eggs you can purchase items and pets for your apartment.  I also love how the child is assessed before starting that way they know what level to start on.

I'll give you a quick overview of some of the games and lessons that are in reading express.

The Gym

 The gym is where they take reading quizzes.  Some things are simpler like this puzzle/quiz.   I love how it teaches her how to look up words in the dictionary.  It teaches alphabetical order, definitions, and parts of speech.

It also gives parts of a book or story and asks questions about each paragraph.  It really does look for reading comprehension.  This is perfect for elementary grade students!

The Library

There is also a library you can go to and read whatever books they have available.  At the end of the book there is an option to take a quiz.  Right questions on the quiz earn more golden eggs.

The Mall

My daughter's favorite place when she has eggs to spend.  She loves looking through all of the items available trying to decided what to buy for her apartment.

The Stadium

 The stadium is a place where you can play games.  This particular one is a spelling sprint.  You have to answer the questions correctly to beat the computer or a another person.  There's even a level that you find the word spelled wrong and you get extra time for spelling it correctly.  This game is a bit difficult for my daughter, but she can change the level to an easier level if needed.

The Apartment

My daughter's next favorite place.  As you can see, she likes buying pets.  She even bought her brother a bed to put in her apartment.  She loves checking on her animals!

My daughter loves this game and I love that she's learning when she is playing.  I know that she started Kindergarten ahead of most students.  I love that she can use this game to get reading enrichment and build on her knowledge.  I highly recommend for kids that love reading, kids that struggle with reading, and kids that love games (who doesn't?).

Readers can still enjoy a 2 week free tiral!  No Credit card required!  

Learn to read online. Free TWO Weeks to @ReadingEggs! No Credit Card Required! http://ow.ly/olYYS @usfg

Make a Plate with Makeit!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored.  I received 3 plates to review.

We were so excited to have the opportunity to review Make a Plate Art project from MakeIt!  We received an envelope with 20 or so templates and markers.  I gave them to my kids and they had a blast drawing on them.

I loved having all the extra templates in case they messed up.  I asked my art teacher friend if she could make our 3rd one a family one for us.  She got a little excited and did several of them.  My biggest problem was only picking 3!

I still may have to go back and order some more because I seriously debated for a LONG time which 3 to get.

The kids loved having their artwork on a plate.  Now I don't want to eat off of them because they are so nice!  They are dishwasher safe which impressed me.  I think for these we will display and I may go back and order some more that we can eat off of.

My readers save 30% on their Prepaid Art Plate Kit (that’s a savings of over $5!) - USE PROMO CODE: USFAMILY at http://www.makit.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductCode=K1100PP

 Check it out!  It is so fun and so worth it.  

 

LeapReader™ "Ready, Set, Read & Write" Party

I received free LeapFrog products to host a LeapReader Party.  All opinions are my own.

I absolutely love LeapFrog products.  My daughter, Sissy, is in KG and is reading somewhere around a 2nd grade level.  I feel that we owe some of that success to LeapFrog.  She learned her letter sounds with the help from Letter Factory.  She loves that movie and now Bubby loves it too.  She has had several LeapFrog items that help and encourage reading and learning.  It is so fun for her!

We were so excited to have the opportunity to try out the new LeapReader and host a Ready, Set Read & Write Classroom party.  I'll be honest when I first heard there was a new reader pen, I was a little disappointed because it wasn't long ago that we bought Bubby his Tag reader.  With most electronics, they are coming out so fast that we can't keep up and can't afford to buy the newest updated version.  Those feelings of quickly disappeared as I started to try out the new LeapReader. There are so many awesome changes. The first 2 that caught my eye - lots more space (we desperately needed this and it is rechargeable through USB!   YES! No more batteries!  Music to my ears...ironic considering I'm a music teacher.  ;)   I LOVE the LeapReader so do the kids.

I hosted a classroom party at my school to show off the LeapReaders.  I targeted my Kindergarten and 1st grade students.  All the kids that tried it out loved it.

 

The parents loved it too.  One Mom was telling me about some great discounted Tag deals she recently found.  She was so excited to see the newest version.

 

I decided to show different ways the new LeapReader can be used in a classroom.  I know I'm not a "classroom" teacher, but I do use lots of books in my class and I know how important reading is.

 

 I am lucky enough to have a lightspeed sound system system, laptop, projector, and document camera in my room.  With this set up, I was able to use the LeapReader with an entire group of students.  The document camera projected the book image for the everyone to see.  The LeapReader was plugged into the sounds system so it was nice and loud throughout the room.

 

 You would have thought they were watching a movie!

There is a new writing component.  The books have special writing paper between each page.  When the child uses the pen on the special paper it will leave marks on it so they can see what the wrote.  The pen directs the student to write the letters on the paper and can actually tell what they are writing.  It is pretty picky about not lifting the pen on some letters.  I know some schools use different handwriting programs and may not like the LeapFrog way, but our school doesn't have a specific program.  The only down side is the paper is really meant to be used only once.  They do come with extra paper and there is still tons to do in the book that isn't on the special paper.

 Students can use them in a listening station with headphones to work on individual skills.

Flash Cards take on a whole new meaning with LeapReader.  These are interactive.  You can make your own words and practice blending.  You can play several different games.  There is a list of words to reference like a portable "word wall."  

My favorite part!  It has learning songs on the pen.  I we listened to and sang some of the LeapReader learning songs and my students were so excited because many of them have heard them before in their favorite LeapFrog movie.  There are several learning songs to pick from like ABC's, AEIOU, Punctuation, blending, etc.  Teachers can use the pen plugged into any speakers they have whether a classroom sound system, computer speakers, or portable speakers to have the students sing and learn.

It also has a Trivia fun.  It tells cool animal facts.  The kids love cool facts that they can share and they are learning science.  There are maps bundles that can be purchased as well, so they can learn geography, world culture, science, etc.  There's even a math writing book.

Audio books are another section.  There are books that the children can listen to without a book.  This can help them increase their imagination as they picture in their heads what is happening in the story.  This is actually a big part of reading.  Many kids that struggle with reading have a hard time imagining what settings and characters look like without pictures. 

So, needless to say, I am very impressed.  I imagine this will be a hot Christmas item this year.  If you aren't sure if it is worth upgrading to the new LeapReader from the Tag, it is!  I'm a cheapskate so if it wasn't worth it I would just say stick with the older LeapTag, but there is just so much more this thing can do.  You can still use your LeapFrog Tag books (thank goodnes!!)   It's worth it in just the batteries you'll save by reacharging! 

Here's a video showing how we used the LeapReader in the classroom!

I received free LeapFrog products to host a LeapReader Party.  All opinions are my own.