BACK TO SCHOOL FUN

11.  SCHOOL
12.  PENS
13.  PENCILS
14. BOOK BAG
15. FOLDER
16. GLUE
17.  BINDERS
18.  BUS
19.  READING
20.  MATH
21.  HIGHLIGHTERS
22.  RECESS
23. TEACHERS
24. UNIFORMS
25. CALCULATORS
26.  CHALK
27.  LUNCH BOX
28.  PAPER CLIPS
29.  LAPTOP
30.  MARKERS

What is on your back to school list?

Nothing says back to school like Crayola!  Have you seen the new Silly Scents from Crayola?  They are scented markers in an array of vibrant colors. My kids were excited to get these in our back to school kit from Crayola.

I think the Silly Scents bring out the creativity in kids because you can "smell" the color.  From scents of cherry to strawberry,you can smell them all.  It is fun to color with Silly Scents. My kids love creating with them and all the products from Crayola

Crayola has always been at the top of my back to school list.  I am brand loyal to Crayola.  Their products are the best! 

Make sure to check them out!

    

 Crayola

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  I was provided product in exchange for this review,

Unique Party Ideas

Planning birthday parties can be so challenging! You have to come up with a unique theme, send out invitations, buy decorations, figure out food options, put together the party, host the party, clean up the party, and more. If not ‘hard,’ it is definitely time consuming. Nowadays, kids have the most elaborate and creative parties! Everyone is coming up with new, unique parties and the pressure is on when it’s your turn to host. I know what it’s like to have that pressure on me, so I wanted to help you all out and give you a few creative party ideas!

• Rock Star Party

A rock star party would be a blast for any kid (or adult) that loves to perform! There are so many ways you can incorporate this theme into a party, but some of my favorite ideas are to set up a red carpet for all of the kids to walk when they arrive, make a stage and put on performances, make VIP passes for all of the kids, give out pop rocks or rock candy as a favor, create cute star decorations, and for invitations, make concert passes. If you put on performances, a bonus (if you can do it) would be to record all of the songs sung by the kids and create a CD at the end of the party with all of their songs on it. You could double this as a favor, or just add it along with the rock candy or pop rocks favor. An amazing gift for this party would be a guitar or set of drums!

• Hawaiian Luau Party

Who doesn’t love Lilo and Stitch?! Creating a luau is fun for all ages and both genders. The best part about a Hawaiian themed party is that it is easy to do! A lot of decorations can just be flowers and food items. For example, if you have cards to label your food options, you can put them on floral paper to stay with the theme. Some of my other favorite ideas are creating easy grass skirts, making Hawaiian chicken kabobs, drinking out of coconuts and maybe even having the party by the pool! There are so many ideas for a Hawaiian Luau party and you cannot go wrong, no matter what you end up doing. A great gift idea for a Hawaiian Luau party would be a trip to Hawaii - can you beat that?!

• Art party

An art party is a great way to have a traditional party, but there are a lot of ways to put a spin on it. For one, hiring a painter to actually live paint the party is an amazing, fun idea that the kids would love! If you don’t like the idea of hiring a painter for that purpose, you could also hire a caricature drawer so that all of the kids could take home their own caricature. If you don’t want to spend that much money, you can always just set up art stations for the kids. An example of this would be a tie dye shirt station, a painting station, and other creative stations! A great gift idea for an art party would be art classes, or a lot of art supplies.

• Ninja Party

Calling all the ninjas! This is an amazing idea for all of those kiddos that love ninjas, self defense classes and even the show American Ninja Warrior. A few great ideas for a ninja party would be black belts, ninja balloons and maybe even an ANW course. A great gift idea for the ninja lover would definitely be a ninja sword! You may be wondering where to get one of these, but fear not, I have your solution. Swords of Northshire sells samurai swords, ninja swords, knives, custom swords and accessories. According to them, their “goal is to exceed your expectations, and in turn, create a new standard for the sword industry.” Their highest priority is customer service and they prove that with their contact information, offering live chat, email and phone. Also their shipping and return policies are amazing. They allow free shipping and 100% money guarantee back if you are not satisfied. On their website, there is a variety of hand forged weapons that are battle ready and even some that are collector’s replicas, so they are most definitely works of art. Choose an amazing sword from Swords of Northshire and have it framed to keep as a keepsake for years to come.

Planning birthday parties can be challenging, but hopefully this short list helps relieve some of your stress. Do you have any unique party ideas?

Leap! Movie

Check out the brand NEW trailer from The Weinstein Company’s  LEAP!, featuring Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit song from the soundtrack, “Cut To The Feeling.”

In LEAP! 11-year-old orphan, Félicie has one dream – to go to Paris and become a dancer. Her best friend Victor, an imaginative but exhausting boy with a passion for creating, has a dream of his own - to become a famous inventor. The two friends flee their orphanage in pursuit of their passions. But Félicie quickly learns that talent alone is not enough, but determined to succeed, Félicie finds her mentor in the tough and mysterious school custodian, Odette who, along with Victor’s encouraging friendship, help her reach for the stars.

This charming animated comedy will inspire the whole family! Parents, kids, anyone who has ever dreamed of following their heart will fall in love with LEAP!. The entire cast captures the spirit and humor of the story and the music will have you dancing all the way home!

Make sure to get your tickets early!

LEAP! opens in theaters nationwide on August 30th and stars Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff and Maddie Ziegler alongside Mel Brooks, Kate McKinnon and Carly Rae Jepsen.

#LeapMovie

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 This sponsored post is brought to you by The Weinstein Company and coordinated by Wendy’s Bloggers 

 Are you going to see this movie?

A Master Class In The Tough Art Of Cooking Meat

Cooking meat is a tough art to master. Veg takes care of itself, but a meat dish is a labor of love. From ribs to steak, the methods are much the same. All you need do is bare in mind a few simple steps to ensure your meat is as good as can be. Quality aside, there’s a more serious reason to perfect your meat cooking game. Meat products carry the most risk of any food you could work with. As such, cooking it well is a matter of safety. The good news is, we’ve got you covered with this list of must-follow meat prep steps.

GET THE RIGHT GEAR

Having separate gear on which to prepare your meat is essential. Professional kitchens have designated equipment for different foodstuffs and you should too. If you chop meat and veg on the same board, you open yourself to a world of trouble. Don’t take the risk.

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When buying your meat board, consider options which will be easy to clean. The smallest speck of bacteria could cause major illness. As such, plastic options are your best bet. There’s no grain for bacteria to hide in, and you’ll be able to clean without worry.

Think, too, about what you’ll be cutting with. Blunt knives would rip rather than cut. Obviously, that’s not what you want. It’s worth turning to pros here, too. Chef knives like those reviewed by Cut It Fine are sure to serve you well. Reviews are fantastic because they specify the strengths of each option. It’s a fast way to find the right fit. You’ll also want to keep those knives sharp as possible, so invest in a blade sharpener. Get into the habit of using this whenever you feel the need.

MARINADE FOR FLAVOR

Making a meat dish isn’t as simple as getting it out of the fridge ten minutes before dinner. The work should start the night before. Making your marinade early and letting the meat soak is the best way to achieve a great flavor. It’s also a sure way to make your meat tender. All you need do is cut nicks into the meat and refrigerate it and the marinade in an airtight container. While this step isn’t essential for a fantastic dish, it’s sure to add something special.

HIGH HEAT VS. LOW HEAT

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When the time comes to cook, it’s hard to know the right way. Some recommend high heat to develop flavor, while others swear low heat preserves moisture. It’s a minefield. In truth, it all depends on what you’re cooking. A steak, for example, is best cooked fast and high. Here, you’re searing the outside rather than cooking. For a larger piece of meat, like a leg of lamb, slow is your best bet. You want this to be so tender it falls off the bone, and you aren’t going to get that with high heat. Don’t worry; the more meat you cook, the more understanding you’ll have of which method to use.

Tedious Travel: Getting Through a Long Haul Flight

Booking a trip and getting away from it all every now and again is just what the doctor ordered. And as fun as vacations are, the actual travel part is a different matter. Waiting around at airports and coach stations, scurrying to find transfer buses and everything else is nothing short of stressful. If you have a long haul flight planned for this summer, here are a few things to consider.

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Dress in Comfy Clothes

Do you ever look at girls at the airport dressed up to the nines and wonder why on earth they would do that? Looking good is important and dressing to feel good is great, but when you’re sitting in one cramped spot for hours, it makes sense that you’d dress for comfort on this occasion. A pair of leggings with a t-shirt, a loose fitting cardigan and sneakers will allow you to stay comfortable and relax as much as possible. Avoid jeans, blouses and anything else that’s too restrictive. You might think your outfit looks cute when you put it in, but hours into a flight and you can barely move you will soon regret your decision.

Bring Some Skincare Staples

The air on planes is incredibly dry, this is a problem as it leaches your skin of moisture. Do you ever find that after a flight your skin feels dry, sore or irritable? This is the reason why. You don’t have to just deal with problem skin and try and fix it when you arrive at your destination. Taking a couple of products in your in-flight bag can stop the issue before it starts. A clear face mask applied for thirty minutes will hydrate your skin without freaking out the other passengers! Be sure to bring some face wipes so you can remove it. Or just apply a small amount of serum with hyaluronic acid which has excellent moisturizing properties. It takes a couple of minutes to do and could save your skin for the rest of your trip.

Don’t Forget Entertainment

Depending on the flight, you might have some pretty decent in-flight entertainment. However, it’s always worth bringing your own along, especially if you’re in the air for a long time. Even if they’re showing new movies, they’re not likely to all appeal to you (and you might not want to watch them consecutively). Download a series you’ve really been wanting to watch to your tablet or phone, which is sure to keep you busy for hours on end. Since many flights now have USB ports, you don’t have to worry about the battery life and can busy yourself with whatever you’re doing. A really addictive game or a good book are also great ways to kill time.

Pack Some Snacks!

Airplane food is pretty grim if you’re a fussy eater you might be best bringing some food along yourself. Most things are permitted provided they don’t contain more than 100mls of liquid (i.e., soups and saucy dishes). Some sandwiches and other easy to eat lunchtime snacks will do the trick.

Alternative Eats With Prices That Can’t Be Beat

In the past, saving money on your food would mean using substandard options or simply missing out on the things you like. Most people would only have access to one example of each type of shop. And, would get most of their goods from these places alone. The modern world of mass production and supplying demand has changed this, though. Now, it’s possible to save money on even the weirdest and rarest of foods. To help you with this, this post will be going through three different scenarios where you would need to buy food. Along with this, it will also be showing you exactly how you can save money through these places.

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As an occasional treat, a lot of families like to buy takeaways for dinner. This is the sort of food you buy from a restaurant or other food place, and take it away to eat at home. This sort of treat is affordable for most people if it’s only once a month or so. But, the price tag you have to face may still leave something to be desired. Unfortunately, the big chain restaurants which offer home delivery, like Dominos and Pizza Hut, are some of the more expensive options out there. To save money here, it can be much better to go somewhere local. There are loads of food apps out there. And, these are perfect to get good deals at places which charge reasonable prices. If you really want to go for one of the big companies, you could try finding some coupon codes on the web, before you order. This could save some money. And, it could also help you find more cheap alternatives.

Most people’s biggest food expenses go into their normal food. Each week, it’s surprising how much it can cost to feed one person, let alone a family. So, it makes sense that people want to save money on this area. One of the best ways to do this is through online shopping. Most supermarkets will offer the chance to order their food for home delivery. This enables you to avoid impulse purchases. And, it gives you the chance to look through options based on their prices. Sometimes, going to a different brand or basing purchases on the available deals is the best way to shop.

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At some point in your adult life, there will come a time where you have to arrange an event. Whether it’s a wedding, a birthday party, or anything else, the food for this sort of activity is usually very expensive. And, you will be bombarded with loads of choices. In most cases, it’s best to cater something like this yourself. Companies offering this service will charge over the odds for it. And, so, it’s much cheaper to gather the pieces yourself. A lot of people don’t know what to expect with Safeway cakes or Walmart snack food. But, these sorts of places are often just as good as the expensive shops claiming to offer more. Reading some reviews should help you to feel comfortable with their offerings.

Hopefully, this will give you an idea of what needs to be done when you’re trying to save money on your food. A lot of people will spend without consideration when they’re trying to feed themselves. But, this can cost you a lot more than it has to. So, it’s worth being frugal.