Fall Break Bucket List

And here it is...Fall Break!

 

As a teacher one of the perks of the job is the many breaks through out the school year. And, as a mother of young children, this time is spent relaxing as well as craming every family moment I can think of into the week we have together. So, on with the list!

 

 

...2013 Fall Break Bucket List...

 

1. Fishing

2. Boo in the Zoo

3. Old McDonald's Farm

 

4. Planting bulbs

5. Planting a tree

6. Morning runs

 

7. Juicing

8. Smoothies

9. AquaScarium @ The Tennessee Aquarium

 

10. Finish reading my newest book, The Courage to Start, by John "The Penguin" Bingham

 

It's certainly not in any order or the only activities I have planned, but these are at least some of the highlights. What plans do you have for Fall break?

 

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Yep, My Kid Drops The F-Bomb

Disclaimer: This post contains words some may find offensive. 


As a preschool teacher I'm able to bite my tongue 95% of my day, however, the other 5%, when I'm at home relaxing, is my time, and many times my language becomes flavorful. I don't feel my choice of words are over the top or disrespectful, but words such as "shit" and "holy shit" do fly out of my mouth enough times to know I use them daily on occasion. 
Now, out of 4 children, only 1, so far, has decided to pick up my foul mouth and begin using her own freedom of speech to express her wants/needs/comments. For example, Maddie picked up our cat, GiGi, danced her around and then in a little kitty voice said, "What the fuck, Maddie?" That's right...she totally did. My mouth fell open and I instantly looked at her dad and said, "I don't say that!" I then turned to my 4 year old daughter and nicely explained that the word, "fuck," is not ok for her to say and if I hear her say it again, she was getting a spanking.
Now, you may think I jumped overboard and went straight to captial punishment without first giving her the chance to monitor herself, but, let's back up for a moment. This little language has been going on for a couple months now and honestly, I'm just sick of it! The other day Maddie made the comment, "that damn bird just flew over my head." And then this past gorgeous weekend when we were outside, Maddie heard some teenage boys walking up the road, and she quickly giggled and said, "Momma, that boy said shit." I responded with, "yes, Maddie, I know, but we don't say that word." Her only response, "Momma I didn't say shit, that boy did!"
So true. So true.
So, here I am, a wonderful mother of a wonderful, foul mouthed, sailor drinking, pot smoking kid. Ok, so not really, but still, every time I hear her spout off one of these words I totally imagine her sitting in a bar, drunk, with a cigarette slanted out of the corner of her mouth. Come on, Life, what do ya do when your kid starts cussing? Spank? Yell? Or simply move to a country that doesn't understand English and just smile every time your kid opens her mouth and vomits out profanity? Yeah...so going to get my passport.
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Learning Through Play - Playing Outside

I love taking my kids to the playgrounds, encouraging them to climb and explore everything but there's something most playgrounds simply don't offer and that's unstructured play. When a toy/game is placed in front of a child that has a particular end purpose it's hard to bring in creativity and the same goes with large movement play.
So, today we stuck to the yard and explored all the items we had around the house. Maddie found a garden shovel and went to work on digging while Jacob continued to crawl up and down the front steps, something he doesn't typically get access to inside. We also checked out all the bugs {since the cold weather hasn't seem to hit yet there are plenty of bugs still out} and Maddie even did a bit of climbing herself on the swing. Her and her brother enjoy a good challenge. 
Overall, the kids were able to explore, laugh, and learn all through their own play. There was no right or wrong way of doing anything, simply moving or not moving was the way to be.
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Weekend Review: Farm Rich - Delicious Made Simple

With Summer quickly approaching, school about to be out, and soccer practice and games every time I blink, it can get a bit frantic at our house when it comes to dinner time. That's why I was so excited when Farm Rich became a staple in our home.
There are so many great items to choose from that your family will never get bored with the same ole meals. Some of the fan favorites include: Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, Mozzarella Bites, Philly Cheese Steaks, and Pizza Slices . Now all of those sound absolutely delicious but because I'm doing this review and my most current cuddle bug, Jacob, is lactose intolerant and being the good nursing mom that I am, I can't, don't, and wont eat dairy. So I had to skip on the cheese and instead went with the mushrooms for my food of choice. And let me tell you, I was in no way let down on flavor or quality of these bite size goodies. We baked ours and with my first bite I instantly thought, "restaurant style!" My only recommendation would be that Farm Rich carry their own mushroom sauce to go along with these little treats. That's the only thing I missed. The breading was perfect, not too thick, and the mushrooms were big and juicy. I'm serious, just a great appetizer, side, or snack that carries that awesome focus of Farm Rich - always there for moms, with awesome, easy-to-prepare snacks sure to please the entire family. And don't just take my word for it, go out and pick up your own bag of family goodness!
I'd like to thank Farm Rich for the opportunity to review this product. These opinions are 100% mine and honest.
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Oh My Darling Baby: MyBabyClothes.com Designer Clothes

 mybabyclothes.com  has an adorable variety of girl/boy designer clothes ranging from newborn to 4 toddler. So when I was contacted to do a product review, I jumped at the opportunity. I ordered this Bonnie Jean Black and Yellow Flower Dot Dress  and it arrived within days. The dress is vibrant, lined inside, and machine washable. And, this darling item sales for only $28.99.


Not only does mybabyclothes.com have the cutest fashions but they also provide the latest styles in tutus and baby hats as well as other accessories. 


They carry brands such as: Mud Pie, Good Lad, Knucleheads, and Zilly Bean. Their prices range from a couple dollars to $100, however, as I browsed through the site, the prices seem to average between $20 and $60 dollars. And yet, at this moment they are offering a 60% off sale on their clearance summer and winter items so it would be a great time to stock up for the year! mybabyclothes.com has also generously offered my readers FREE shipping plus $5 off your first order of $50 or more, simply by using the code: Code 50OFFNOW.


Overall, mybabyclothes.com offers unique, darling designer baby/kids clothes for reasonable prices, they are shipped within days so you don't have to worry about ordering for a special occasion and not receiving it in time, and the quality of clothes they sale are as durable as they are gorgeous. I look forward to ordering from them again, and now it's your turn...shop happy and enjoy!


You can follow mybabyclothes.com on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest arrivals and specials.  mybabycothes.com compensated me with a free product for review, these opinions are 100% honest and my own.

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