Creating Summer Memories with KiwiCo

With tons of subscription boxes in the market, there is no way you think you can make the "right choice" but something really caught my eye about KiwiCo! It's only fair that they get a little monthly surprise in the mail just as I do with all my makeup monthly subscriptions, so I loved that I could get them one box that they could both work together and create. I am trying to instill in them teamwork on a daily basis, because I wont sugarcoat anything - these kids for the most part can't get a long, and with school out and summer here it gets even worse. They are around each other 24-7 which means not much team work going on at all, and LOTS of arguments, and fighting. So finding things they can do together that isn't too hard but also challenging enough for them to learn that by teamwork they will get it done better. KiwiCo is for our little engineers in the making! Hands on science and art projects for kids of all ages. Whats great is that every box is designed by experts and tested by kids. If you haven't heard of the STEAM program - ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math ) it's been an amazing tool that many schools have been embracing in their curriculums!  There are seven lines to pick from depending on your child's age/ or interest. We are currently subscribed to KiwiCrate since it is for ages 5 to 8 which is exactly the ages of both of the boys. But whats awesome is there is no commitment to one line, you can always chose to change it up if you believe its not the best one to fit your kids interests. 

I genuinely love all that comes in the crate, because it wasn't just the hands on activity, but it also came with a handbook that teaches you a topic, and games to go with it. Plus extra activities you can easily make as well with regular every day things in your home. For example last months topic was on Arcade Games, and we got to make our own Claw Machine. Which was so much fun for both of the boys, and super simple for them to get done. But VERY hands on at the same time where they felt like they were big boys doing big boy things. It can really bring out their confidence and I could see it in their eyes as they were building the claw, how excited they were to be making this all on their own, and how proud they were at the end results. 

In this clip we are playing the infamous carnival game but instead of a hammer we are using a pencil to move the penny up the number thermometer to check your "strength". They loved it. They also had other ones like a fortune teller ball that you could drop the penny while asking a question and it would either drop to the yes or no ball to answer their question. They really loved these simple games that were just an add on extra to the main activity. 

Here is our final claw results, and we used our own stuffies instead of the pom poms they send you to add our own little twist to it. They still play this claw game every day and use all kinds of objects to make it a bit more challenging.

We can't wait to receive our next box soon and share with you guys!!!

If you want to get your own box now you can click this link and get $10 off your first box :

https://www.kiwico.com/Refer?i=JessicaS1465

BookCon 2019 and Meeting John Cena!

I am a full on crazy book lady, and proud of it. But what I am most proud of is the fact that I completely turned my whole family into book lovers. YUP, I did that!  I got dad to start reading, and even both of my boys - they literally have more books than I do, already. I just can't say no to buying them more and more books because it makes me the happiest momma on earth when I see them reading. My little one still doesn't know how to read on his own but really enjoys it when his big brother reads to him. I always loved reading. I learned how to read when I was in first grade, and since then I have not put a book down. As a mom now and my to do list piling up I don't get as much time to read, but I squeeze it in when my little one is resting, and me and Jace lay on the bed together and read beside each other. It's one of my favorite things. We just recently set up our terrace, and it has turned into our new favorite reading center.

 So BookCon was a must for us all, and it was even more epic to know that it was a week before Jace's birthday so it was kind of like an early birthday present for him, and he is still raving about it being the BEST present he got. You have no idea how that makes me feel!!!!

There was so much going on and so much to do, and I truly wish I would have gone both days so I could do some adult stuff, but as it was something I wanted to do for his birthday we stuck to a plan and got so much done. We met many amazing authors, and got plenty of free books too! We got there early when doors opened at 10AM so that we could make it to the first kids event which was the John Cena Story time where he was reading his book Elbow Grease. It was great- we got a front row seat where Cena himself sat up in front of us and read aloud his book. After he let the kids ask him questions and Jace jumped up to ask him how long it took him to make his book. I loved how he said he took his time with it, and it took about two years to make. Jace needed to hear that because he is always so tough on himself when he is writing his own books and wants to give himself such a firm deadline, so hearing someone he admires say that it takes a lot of time to make a book gave him confidence that he could get it done slowly, without rushing the process.

We walked around after that just checking out everything their was to offer from Harper Collins, to Workman, to Strand BookStore where we got some really fun stickers, postcards and pins! After we got to meet John Cena himself with Strand Book Store to get a photo with him and get his book signed. It was easy, and not as crazy as I was expecting it to be. Everyone was so nice, and in no way rushing us in and out. The boys were so star struck that they barely even said a word honestly. It was so cute! But it was nice to be able to get a professional photo instantly.

We then got a sneak peak of The Dog Man Musical by Theater Works which will be playing starting June 28th until August 4th at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. We cannot wait to go to opening night and see more because the sneak peek was just amazing!

If that wasn't enough excitement right after seeing the preview we ran to get online to meet the one and only Dav Pilkey, and the boys were so excited because we had some Dog Man and Captain Underpants books with us that they got to get signed by him. We were about to start looking around again but something told me to check the Scholastic/Graphix sign for the rest of their signings and low and behold the great R.L Stine was going to be coming in a couple hours so we found out what time the line would be starting and made sure we made it on time before it got closed off! We got to meet him and get his new book The Dummy Meets the Mummy. Also right next to him was the author of the I Survived Series- Lauren Tarshis and we got her newest book signed as well.

All in all it was a fantastic day with lots of free books and author signings and we are most definitely making this an annual family tradition now.

WonderPark DVD Giveaway!

With school out for the summer, WONDER PARK on Digital* and Blu-ray Combo Pack offers a wealth of entertainment and activities to get kids’ imaginations soaring with singing, drawing, and more!   The fun-filled bonus content gives viewers the chance to sing along with June and her friends, learn how to draw Boomer and the Wonder Chimps, watch Gus the Beaver yodel his heart out, make crazy noises like voiceover artists, and take a tour of Wonderland.

WONDER PARK is the story of a young girl named June with a big imagination who makes an incredible discovery—the amusement park of her dreams has come to life. Filled with the world’s wildest rides operated by fun-loving animals, the excitement never ends. But when trouble hits, June and her misfit team of furry friends begin an unforgettable journey to save the park. Action-packed and brimming with laughs, WONDER PARK is a ride the whole family will love.

The WONDER PARK Blu-ray Combo pack includes access to a Digital copy of the film as well as the following:  

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition

• Bonus Content: 

o Gus Yodeling – Deleted Scene

o The Wonder Chimp Channel

o The Pi Song Sing-Along

o Making Noises (It’s Actually a Job?!!)

o June’s Guide to Wonderland

o June’s Welcoming Crew

o Boardwalk Caricatures:

▪ Drawing Boomer

▪ Drawing the Wonder Chimp Pirate

▪ Drawing the Wonder Chimp Princess

DVD

• Feature film in standard definition

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Win this fun filled DVD plus a huggable Boomer for your little wonder! All you gotta do is comment down below what you are most looking forward to this summer! :) 

-This post was sponsored but all opinions are 100% our own! 

Family Fun at Sesame Place!

Summer is officially here, and we are not dreading the cold, at all. We do however had many awesome memories from all the fun we had last year to  look forward to this year. We did so much last summer, and we were able to do many things I once did as a child myself. Having children is a wonderful experience, and I believe what makes it so magical is that its basically like you are re living your very own childhood at the same time as building theirs. When I was my boys ages my parents always put a lot of effort into making our summers memorable, and taking us to places we would always be able to remember and share with others. Till this day I can go on and on about all the summer memories I have with my cousins, and family friends from camping to water rides, to rollercoasters. So many first times were made during these memories which made it even more of a life changing event I always remember. 

I remember being six years old when we first headed out to go camping on a campground in Pennsylvania, and my parents had lined up a jam packed yet very exciting itinerary for our full week stay. Right dab in the middle of it we were going to go check out Sesame Place for the first time ever, and we all had no idea this first time would end up becoming a annual event for our family. I was not a big fan of Sesame Street around that time, but I did of course know all of the characters, especially since at the time my little brother was around 3 years old, and he absolutely loved all things Sesame Street. It was going to be a great time, and I was so happy to be able to enjoy it with not only my mom, dad, and brother, but also with my cousin and my childhood best friend. As soon as we got there we checked out the map and knew it was going to be a action packed day.

The memories I made through out my childhood at Sesame Place were amazing, and I have shared many of them with both of my boys now. When me and dad were talking about summer spots we would like to take them to it was no doubt that Sesame Place was on the top five, as dad himself had very fond memories from his childhood as well. They were amazed at the fact that this place still existed, because I am that old to them. I remember our first time there they asked me if I was their age at that exact spot they were standing in years before, and it hit me that the possibility of that is VERY possible. As a NY kid we are able to take a mini vacation from the crazy city life, and enjoy a place like Sesame Place that will always have us feeling like we are actually in a whole new world. It was time for me to make new memories with my children, and re live my childhood in their eyes!

There was so much they loved about Sesame Place, but I think the Lazy River was a huge huge hit for both of them. They cant agree on much these days but on this their was no doubts. They loved the fact that they could be in water and just relax, but then there were parts where they could get fully soaked under sprinklers of water. I remember this was one of my favorite parts as a child as well. We also loved how convenient it was to grab a kids meal for lunch in the very spacious Elmo's Eatery. The cute memorabilia plates and cups that come in the kids meal was great too, and we still use them at home till this day.

Elmos Cloud Chaser was a big hit as well. Caleb who was four years old, really loved it because it was the perfect ride for his age, a tad bit on the wild side, but not too wild where it would scare him. Jace who was seven years old braved the Vapor Trail, and I could tell how much he loved it because he could not stop saying how awesome it was, and made him feel. Lately he has been a huge rollercoaster fan! This was his first of many, and the perfect introductory ride for him. As a family we all rode the Blast OFF attraction ride, and we had such a fun time screaming together while blasting up real slow, and blasting down REAL fast! It was such a great time as we all four got to sit all together for this one.

It was the perfect summer for us and Sesame Place really made it a great family adventure for all of us, no matter what age. They both are already expecting to go this summer so this momma has gotta make it happen, again. I truly believe that Sesame Place will live on for a couple more years in our family because you really just cant grow old of it. I am a 32 year old women that has been going since I was 6 years old, and it still has the same magic as it did on my first visit. So here's to many more summers with our furry friends that give us bright sunny days!



- We were invited as guest for the day to visit in exchange for a review, but as always all opinions are 100% honest, and of our own!