Harry Potter Themed Digital Escape Room

When we went to Texas in October, one of our friends had planned and put together an Escape Room. She put it together for the teens and young adults, but everyone else wanted to try it too. We formed teams and attempted our escapes. I have friends who really like escape rooms and seem to do them a lot, but this was the first time I'd tried anything like that.

Honestly, I really didn't know what was going on or where to even start, but it gradually began to make sense, and with all of us working, we did manage to escape - with a bit of time to spare. It really was fun, and I know I'd enjoy doing another escape room sometime.

In the last few days, I've noticed several online escape rooms. I'm not sure exactly how they work, but today I saw a link for this Hogwarts Digital Escape Room, and I think I'll start with this one. It can be completed by groups or individuals. Perhaps challenge your friends and see who gets through it first?

Mostly I'm sharing here to I don't lose the link and remember to actually do this one. But who wants to play along?

Free Coloring Pages

I really enjoy coloring. When the grandkids are here, I like to get down on the floor with some coloring books and crayons. And when it's just me, I do like pulling out my adult coloring books and colored pencils - and when I find the books at Dollar Tree, it's hard not to grab a bunch of them. So I have quite a few.

What I don't have is a bunch of time to color. I suppose if I got off Facebook in the evenings... (seriously, by the end of the day my brain isn't really doing anything, and I'm just mindlessly scrolling anyway)

I do find that coloring while I'm listening to an online presentation or sermon helps me listen better, so I ought to do it more often.

If you also enjoy coloring and have some extra time on your hands, you can download some free coloring pages right now. They come from the popular coloring books Whatever is Lovely and Everything Beautiful and each one has a lovely image and a scripture.

It sounds like a great way to relax, calm your mind, and focus on God in this uncertain time.

Betty Reads Harry

How cool is this? Two things I love - Betty White and Harry the Dirty Dog. This video has been around for a while, but this is the first time I've seen it.


Of course, there's nothing quite as special as sitting down with your kids or grandkids and reading books together. Now you can just let Betty read one of them!

Inexpensive Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy

If you've got kids, you know that they always want to have something to do or you're going to hear a chorus of "I'm bored!" multiple times a day. And, if you're like me, you don't want to have to be going and doing and spending lots of money just to keep the kids entertained - though I may be more likely to do that with the grandkids than I ever was with my own kids. It's still a good idea to have some ideas for keeping kids entertained without spending a lot of money.

Here are a few of those ideas:

• Coloring Books - One form of entertainment that has proven its worth for decades is the ageless coloring book. Thick coloring books can fill an afternoon with fun. The best part is that they can be purchased from almost anywhere-- from the local dollar store (my favorite!) to online coloring book publishers. There's always something for every interest. From princess pages to barnyard animals, there is sure to be something that every kid can enjoy, no matter their age or interests.
    
• Scavenger Hunt - If parents have a little more time to be involved with setting up something fun to do, they can try their hands at a scavenger hunt. This activity is entirely free! There are a couple of ways that parents can set up a scavenger hunt. One way is to hide items around the house or outside, make a list, and have the children look for them. Another, less energy-intense way, is to make a list (or find one online) of items that can be easily found outside. This way, no set up is required!
    
• Card Games - A deck of cards is extremely cheap and dozens of games can be played with one! So long as your children are old enough to understand rules, a deck of cards can fill an afternoon with fun. Try teaching little kids games like War or Go Fish. Older kids can have fun with Poker or Hearts.

These are just a few examples of games that parents can use to entertain their children for up to hours at a time. Try your hand at one of these activities the next time your children complain of boredom!

And, if these don't work, chores are always an option. You'll either get some work done around the house, or your kids will suddenly find something to do all on their own.

Get Your Library Card and You Could Win $100

Library cards are some of the handiest things on the planet. With your library card, you have access to so many great things - books, magazines, movies, music, and so much more. Don't have a computer or internet access at home? Visit your local library! Looking for fun activities with new friends? Again, visit your local library!

Best of all, you get access to all these things for free. Just show your library card.

September is Library Card Signup Month, and to help spread the word, the American Library Association is hosting a giveaway. Just post a picture of you and your library card with the hashtag #GetLibraryCarded to Instagram or Twitter, and you could win $100. Don't have a library card? Head on down to your local library and get signed up!

Help us spread the word about the value of libraries this September by snapping a picture with your library card and posting it to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #GetLibraryCarded. You'll be automatically entered in a drawing to win a $100 Visa gift card! Entries can also be submitted by posting as a comment or wall post on the I Love Libraries Facebook page.
Don't forget to cover up any personally identifiable information!
The promotion begins Sunday, September 1 at noon CT and ends Sunday, September 22 at noon CT. Librarians and library lovers are encouraged to participate.
The #GetLibraryCarded Promotion is open to residents of the United States, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories. Employees of the American Library Association are not eligible to participate. Official rules (pdf)

Next Level Breakfast Recipes

I'm more of a yogurt and granola type, but when Jeffrey sent me this video I couldn't help but enjoy it. I think most of these would be a bit sweet for me, but I love the creativity. It does help that he's using Prairie Farms flavored milks.


Do you have any favorite cereal/milk mixtures?

3 Ways To Keep Outside Activities Safe

While outside activities can take place at any time of the year, they are more common during the summer months. It's a good idea to prepare your yard, your family members and your activities in advance in order to keep your family safe.


Protect From Ticks and Mosquitoes
This is a big one, because not only are these little critters annoying, they can also carry serious diseases. There are many ways that you can protect your family and your yard from ticks and mosquitoes, and the diseases they can bring, even some which are organic mosquito control methods. These can be applied to your yard as a whole or to you and your family. Some of the ones you can put in your yard will be easier to use, especially if you would rather not chase the children around with sprays or lotions.

Dress Appropriately
Whether you are engaging in summer or winter outdoor activities, you will want to dress for both the activity and the weather. This means swimsuits and sunblock for summer swimming and heavy coats and boots for building snowmen. Wearing too many heavy layers in the summer can result in heat stroke or heat exhaustion, so can not finding enough shade or water on a hot day.

Have the Right Gear
A big factor in safety is the gear designed to protect you from falls, slips, and bumps. This means well-fitting helmets for riding bikes or scooters, safety tethers for wakeboards and surfing or even GPS locators for skiing. You can find lists of recommended gear, safety or otherwise, for each activity online to know what to pack and what to look for.

When you protect your family from ticks and mosquitoes, dress appropriately for the weather and activity, and have the right safety gear, you can spend more of your time having fun and less time taking care of injuries. With a little research, you can find the best protection for almost any activity you want to do with your family.

Had to Share

Shortly after posting that last post on whether to buy wooden or vinyl horse jumps, I came across this video on Facebook. It seemed almost too coincidental, so I just had to share.


Is that wood or vinyl?

Show Your Creativity with These Graduation Invitations

Students everywhere are looking forward to graduation, and now is the time to be thinking about invitations. As I read through this, I couldn't help but think that it sounds like a great option for creating some personalized invitations you're sure to love:

One of the most wonderful things we can do in life is to be creative. Connecting to our creative sides helps us reconnect with our inner child and can help us feel renewed. Creating and designing is exciting and fulfilling. Our minds are stimulated and engaged. When we have finished designing something, we feel ready to turn our attention to our less creative and inspiring to-do lists again.

It can be difficult to find time to be creative, however. A few weeks ago, I had to help a friend start preparing for her college graduation. It was a very stressful time for both of us. I had graduated the semester before and was frantically looking for a job to pay the bills. My friend had finals and projects to work on. She also really wanted to send out graduation invitations. Initially, I didn’t think this would be a good idea. We were both stressed to the max, and I didn’t think we could find the time to take photos and design invitations.

My friend was adamant, however, and we found a way. One of our friends is majoring in photography, and she agreed to take pictures of my friend for free. It was great going out and shooting the photos. We both felt a huge rush of relief being outside and just having fun.

Then we had to find a stationery company to print our cards. We looked at dozens of websites, but we finally settled on Basic Invite. My friend and I really liked their simple graduation invitations. They are pretty and elegant, and they match my friend’s personality really well. Searching through all of Basic Invite’s graduation announcements was another great way for my friend and me to relax.

Once we chose the invite (the Gemstone Grad Graduation Announcements, above, for those of you who were wondering) we got to the fun part. Basic Invite lets you customize your invitations. You can choose the colors you want your invites to be, from blue to red to yellow, and anything in between. Many of their invitations even have foil options. All of their foil is available in either gold, silver, or rose gold. You can also choose if you want your foil to be raised or not.

Designing the invitations was a joy. It felt great to let our imaginations run wild and come up with the craziest color combos. We had trouble deciding between a couple different color combinations, so we decided to have Basic Invite print out a few samples to help us come to a decision. The samples arrived in the mail a few days later, and we were able to decide which one looked better IRL and chose the paper quality we liked best.

Once we settled on the color scheme, we went to print our order. Basic Invite has over 40 different envelope colors to choose from, and we were able to choose envelopes that matched my friend’s invites perfectly. We also took advantage of their address capturing service. My friend shared a link to her Facebook and Instagram profiles and had all her friends and family input their addresses. Their info was saved on my friend’s Basic Invite account. We selected the option to upload the addresses to the envelopes, and just like that, the hardest part of sending out announcements was finished. And, the envelopes are peel and seal, so we didn’t have to worry about eating gross envelope glue when we mailed the invites out.

If simple grad invites aren’t your thing, you might take a look at some rustic graduation invitations or these Hollywood graduation invitations. Our photography major friend can’t wait to use those when she graduates next year!

 

For anyone who needs invitations printed out, but doesn’t feel like they have the time, I really recommend Basic Invite. I think taking the time out of your day to do something both productive and creative will be a big help to you emotionally. You’ll feel better after creating something unique and beautiful, and if you need to get invites anyway, you might as well kill two birds with one stone, right? I hope you can reconnect with yourself and knock something off your to-do list by grabbing a few invitations from Basic Invite. You won’t regret it.


Right now Basic Invite is offering 15% off with coupon code: 15FF51

Winter is Here

But we still have to wait until April 14...



Who's getting impatient excited?

I think it's time to watch last season over again - just so we're ready. Or maybe we should just start over again at the beginning?

How Long Will it Take You to Read All Those Books?

I got an email today offering to tell me how long it will take me to read all those books on the TBR list. Of course I had to find out! Here are the results:

Yep, 2 years and 4 months to read all the books on the TBR pile... I'm pretty sure there are actually more than 150 books that I want to read, but I just took the number from my 'Want to Read' shelf on Goodreads and rounded it up to 150. That's close enough, I suppose. Or at least a good start.

Wanna know how long it will take you to read all those books on your TBR pile?  Calculate it here.

Let's Play a Game

I found this game several years ago, on a blog that no longer exists. Well, it exists, but it's owned by someone entirely different and written in another language, so I won't be reading it any time soon.  At least I got this game.

It's called One Degree of Separation. It's fun, but only if you play along.

Here's how it works:

• The first person (in this case me because this is my blog) picks an actor or an actress.
• The second person (1st commenter) names a movie that actor has been in.
• The next person names another actor from that movie.
• and then the next person names another movie that the 2nd actor has appeared in.

Actor, movie, actor, movie, actor, and so on. This can go on and on. (Unfortunately, that song is going through my head now. Extra points if you can guess which song I mean; I'm sure my kids know)

A note: Using IMDB is not considered cheating, but do try to come up with your own first. Grab your popcorn and play along!

First actor: Bradley Cooper

25 Things Peggy Said About Me Once

I was looking for a post on my old livejournal, and I came across this fun list. It still makes me smile even (almost) 10 years later.

25 Things Peggy Said About Me - originally published in March 2009

About a month ago I was working on doing that 25 random things list on Facebook. I was having some problems coming up with my list, so my friend Peggy helped me out. Of course, I didn't open my email until after I had already finished my list, or I could have saved myself all kinds of work. Just for fun I've been meaning to post her list too - just finally getting around to it.

Peggy's 25 things about Anna: (any comments by me in RED - because Peggy hates red, and I'm just that kind of friend)

1. does laundry on Mondays--- if I don’t do laundry on Mondays the whole week is shot! Or, Monday is the day I spend with my favorite Washer and Dryer. Monday is my workout day, 20 times up and down the stairs to do laundry.
2. For years thousands of people have relied on my team (my friends and I) to keep their kid’s school activities straight— I have had a large part in the set up of the printed calendar that the school system sends out to the community. (this one needs work)
3. I am addicted to blogging, I have 4 of my own and have helped ? number of my friends and family set up theirs. I just can’t help myself, they’re free! (LOL! - love that free comment)
4. frugality is my life, I refuse to pay full price for anything!
5. I can account for every penny earned and spent in this house since 19?? Receipts rule!! (not quite)
6. I see no redeeming purpose in dogs, but cats are the coolest! (Well, Tillie is the sweetest, anyway)
7. I have two amazing kids….. oh, and a husband that isn’t bad either.
8. I have walked across America. Or , I walk 2 miles every morning, ? days a week. so I estimate that I have walked --- (pick one) across america, to austrailia and back, halfway around the world and my goal in life is to make it around the world. (LOL!)
9. I have walked ? miles in my current pair of walking shoes. 
10. frugality is my life, I refuse to pay full price for anything!
11. I have made some of the coolest websites on the internet or, I love to make website/pages and have designed, or helped design many websites. Here are a few you can check out: http://www.audiorescuers.com http://webpages.charter.net/neverhere/hollis/ http://www.feastgoer.org etc
12. I have naturally curly hair, I like it short, Jeff likes it long--- I indulge him sometimes. (I wouldn't exactly call it curly - just thick and wavy, I guess)
13. I have a coupon for everything
14. I am the queen of rebates
15. I live with a man who hoards Jack Daniels and won’t share. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchagen/sets/72157594464335174/)
16. I see no real purpose for the existence of sugar
17. I rarely shower alone (on the weekends)
18. If you are going to argue with your husband, you should get naked first
19. I often wonder why anyone would put a white plastic spoon in the spaghetti sauce
20. if you come to visit me at my house, bring slippers
21. Jeff is making me a pergola (I think he's making it for himself, but I'll enjoy it too)
22. live life in the sun is my motto---air conditioning is evil
23. I have 3 brothers and really cool parents (yes, I do!)
24. there is my way of doing things, and the wrong way.
25. I have this great friend who can’t remember how to do anything in Photoshop, but writes really cool things about me. (LOL!)

See, that was fun, wasn't it? It was fun for me, anyway.

Some of the things haven't changed much - I still do laundry on Mondays; I still walk every weekday; Jeffrey has even more Jack Daniel's; Peggy still needs help with Photoshop.

That'll Teach Them to Steal Packages!

Glitter is evil. It's exactly what those people deserved.


Have you ever had a package stolen off your porch? Thankfully I'm usually home, and our porch is shielded from view, so we haven't had that problem. But, wow - I would really want to do something to the people who would dare to do something like that.

I've also seen the posts going around that recommend putting some of your old junk into Amazon boxes and putting them out on the front porch for the porch pirates. Might be a convenient way to get rid of some stuff you don't want...

An Online Resource for Your Favorite Hobby

A model railroad can offer hours of amusement and intrigue. People who are fascinated by model railroads may want to devote hours to their hobby and have everything on hand they need to make their models look and sound like the real thing.

When you live in a city that has few if any hobby stores, you might lack the resources you need to transform your model railroad from a beginner's set into one that is more sophisticated and impressive. However, model parts, tracks, city layouts, and model railroading tutorials are available online so you can build and enjoy your model railroad no matter where you live.

If you are just beginning with this hobby, tutorials for how to build the perfect set will give you all the information you need. Learn how to lay out your tracks, what kinds of model trains are best, and what it takes to make your set as sophisticated as possible. The website offers dozens of tutorials that you can read that will help you make your train set all the better. The tutorials are written by people who have sets of their own and have devoted hours to perfecting what theirs look and sound like.

Depending on where you live, you might not have a lot of fellow hobbyists with whom to network. You may not actually know anyone else who builds and has model train sets. The website is a great place to find people who are just as enthusiastic about model railroads as you are.

You also may want to know where you can take your model train set if it breaks down and needs to be repaired. The website can offer you locations near you where you can find repair services for your set. Many of these locations are also hobby stores where you can find new items to add to your model train. You can also add new items by ordering them directly from the website and through the merchants that advertise there.

Reading with Kids

My friend Ruth posted this updated list of Great Read-Aloud Recommendations for Kids this morning. If you've got kids in your life, be sure to check it out. There are some of my favorite books on the list, though I must admit that I didn't do much reading aloud with my kids after they were old enough to read for themselves. Maybe I'll do more of that with Jason when he's here. This summer we did quite a bit of reading together, where we'd take turns reading a few pages or a chapter in a book. That was quite fun. That boy's reading improved so much in the last few months of first grade!

Also included on Ruth's list are some interesting books I want to check out, and even one that I'm currently listening to - The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck. Audiobooks are kind of like read-aloud, right? I'd still rather actually read because the words get into my brain better when I actually see them, but I can't do that while I'm walking in the mornings. So I listen to audiobooks. I'm really enjoying this one and starting to think I should get an actual physical copy of the book so Jason and I can read it next summer. Possibly. He'll be 8 which is a little young for the book's target age, but he likes and understands a lot of things that I think he's too young for...

Now the little guy in this video? He isn't quite old enough to understand this book. Yet. But his granny is getting such a kick out of it, I dare you to watch this without laughing!


I predict this is going to be a regular thing with these two, and eventually the little guy will get just as big a kick out of it as his granny does.

The best thing about reading aloud to kids - besides all the great books - is that special time together.

How to Genuinely Enjoy a Road Trip

Lots of people have planned a road trip absolutely thinking that they will enjoy every second of the trip, only to actually get out on the road and find out things aren't exactly as they envisioned. Now the only thing they want is to get to their destination as quickly as possible and just get this trip over with.

Here are a few things that can help you genuinely enjoy a road trip:

It is important to strike a balance between planning too much and not planning enough. If you over-plan, you will get frustrated if everything doesn't work out according to the plan you have set up. However, if you do not plan enough, you may end up having to stay in nasty hotels, eat unhealthy and gross food, or even get lost on the way to your destination. It is good to have an overall idea of which route you will take, which hotel and restaurant options are available, and also what kind of entertainment you could enjoy along the way while still being flexible and able to take advantage of any opportunities that present themselves.

The amount of time that you have designated for the road trip (and other factors) will determine how much you can see along the way. No matter how much or how little time you have, it is always a good idea to take a little bit of time to relax, see something new, and enjoy yourself. This will make the road trip genuinely enjoyable. It may be something like taking a detour and staying in a relaxing hotel for a couple of days. Or it may be as simple as stopping at a unique bakery Chicago IL in order to enjoy a fresh doughnut - as opposed to just stopping at any old convenience store to grab a snack. Do at least a couple of things along the way that you will truly enjoy and that will make the road trip memorable.


Consider the individuals who will be traveling with you. If this is a family road trip, make sure that there is plenty of entertainment (and plenty of snacks) for the children. Otherwise, you are practically guaranteed to hear, "Are we there yet?" coming repeatedly from the back seat. Many vehicles nowadays come equipped with DVD players, so don't forget to pack the movies! Or, for some family fun, check out this handy list of games to play in the car.  If you need to get to a destination quickly, consider driving at night so that the kids can sleep most of the way. Take into consideration the preferences of each individual in the car so that everyone stays happy and enjoys the trip.

And last but definitely not least, make sure your vehicle is in good condition.  This cannot be overstated. Dealing with car trouble along the way can turn a trip that could have been quite enjoyable into a nightmare. A few weeks before your trip, have your mechanic check the vehicle over. If you do all you can to prepare your car beforehand, you will likely avoid car issues along the way.

So, who's ready for a road trip?

First Days

I had a memory pop up on Facebook this morning - some pictures I'd scanned in a while back. There was a really cute one of my precious daughter Beth. It was kind of weird to realize that she was not that much older in that picture than her son is now. How did that happen?

And that's when I thought it would be fun to put some pictures side by side. Jason started first grade this week. What if I put his first day of first grade picture next to his mom's first day picture?

Aren't they cute?

Here's what my baby girl looks like today (with a brand new first grader of her own):

I think we're pretty blessed to have both of them. <3

Doodle 4 Google Voting Open

I love this every year. Young people are given a theme - this year it's "what I see for the future" -, and they design a Google doodle. These kids are crazy creative!

Judges have selected State and Territory finalists, and public voting is now open to choose five National Finalists. Check out the gallery of submissions and cast your vote before March 6, 2017 at 5:00 pm EST.  Click on the doodles to learn more about the artists' visions of the future and vote for your favorite.

That is easier said than done. I just looked through all of them, and I'm not sure I can actually pick a favorite. There are lots of good ones. Like I said, these kids are crazy creative!

Be sure to check all the doodles out and let me know which one(s) you like best!

Trampolines for Fun and Exercise

Children and adults love to jump and bounce, sometimes for hours, for play and exercise. Trampolines are a fantastic way to stay healthy and fit. With many new technological advancements, they have become safer than ever before. We don't see many trampolines without strong reinforced nets for safety, but  here are a few safety innovations you may not have heard of.

• Springfree trampolines have eliminated the traditional spring system and offer a wider jumping surface and a softer bounce. 
• The AlleyOOP Double Bed is actually two trampolines. You can bounce on the top bed, and the second bed is eight inches below. When the bottom bed engages, it takes stress off knees and joints and creates a much softer and more controlled bounce. A great deal of the kickback force of the top bed is removed and offers less displacement when there are multiple jumpers. 
• A Surestep Trampoline Ladder is easy to assemble and is non-permanent, so that it can be removed easily in order to limit access to the trampoline. In addition to having lasting weather protection, the two-step ladder fits most trampolines between 33 inches and 37 inches tall and has large, flat platform steps.

With safety taken care of, it's time to explore the playfort accessories for even more enjoyment.  Here are a couple that look fun:

• A Pro Flex Basketball Hoop is designed specifically to be used with AlleyOOP Safety Enclosures. It attaches securely and comes with a reinforced full-size backboard, a cushioned hoop, heavy-duty hardware, and a five-inch inflatable basketball.
• An Outback Tent can be used for daytime adventures or sleepovers. Made specifically for AlleyOOP and JumpSport Sports Safety Enclosures on 12 to 14 foot round trampolines, this giant 11-feet-across and 5.5 feet high tent has a netted/screened zippered door and three windows, a full floor, and attaches easily to the Safety Enclosure in under five minutes. No poles are used; the tent uses bungee cords that are suspended to the bottom and top of the enclosure.

Check out Play N Learn’s Playground Superstores for a wonderful selection of the safest trampolines on the market that will give many hours of fun to enthusiasts of all ages.