It’s never a bad time to learn about safety. Chick Fil A knows how important parents feel about not only, keeping their kids safe but learning how to stay safe.

The community has come out to support a fellow caring community member. All kids love seeing the police vehicles! And they brought out three of them.

The kids were able to sit on their motorcycle and go inside to tour a mobile command post! The officers were so awesome answering questions from both kids and parents.

The fire department was there, too!

And yes, they let the kids sit inside!! Smiles abound!

When thinking of protecting our children we should consider a Child Print ID Kit. It’s not just the fingerprints, but there are areas you complete- descriptions and details that only the parents know.

Also offered, were self defense pointers provided by a local Martial Arts. Complete with boards to “break”.

Now, there was fun there too!

Who can forget a cow bouncey house?

Let’s spin the wheel to see what Chick Fil A treat we’ll win!

The Cow Calendar is so popular at the Holidays (great stocking stuffer) . Sometimes we forget our cards at home. Solution? The Chick Fil A app.

Their table was there to answer any questions you may have about the app. Personally, it has come in very handy for me!

What a great afternoon! Remember to check with your local Chick Fil A for dates of their events. There are more wonderful events to come!!!

Maggiano’s cooking classes for the kids is always a great experience. Today was extra special, all Maggiano’s across the country held their cooking class simultaneously! Wow!!

So let’s begin!

The banquet room is ready, as are the tables. With the apron and “design your own” toque is an extra bonus. There’s a punch card! Your little Chef gets a “punch”/ stamp for every class they attend. When you reach 7 classes your little chef will receive their very own Maggiano’s chef jacket on their eighth class!

As always you’re with family at Maggiano’s. Breakfast is ready for everyone to enjoy.

Chef Mike has been introduced and we’re ready to begin.

Today lasagna is on the menu. To ensure the chefs are seeing all the steps, they are invited to the chef’s prep area.

The kiddos go back to their tables where awaits all the ingredients to create their lasagna. Prepped to take home.

But wait! That’s not the end. There is a mini ice cream sundae buffet! Yum!!

Today, the parents learned that you can book a child’s birthday party. Not just for big milestone birthdays. They offer a “cooking” birthday package (starting at 20 guests) where the celebrant gets to pick the menu, and the party get to learn step by step the dishes chosen!

What a great idea and something a little different from what you usually see.

Maggiano’s is helping create the future chefs and foodies!!

Contact your local Maggiano’s or go to the website for class schedules and details on how to reserve your spot!

http://www.maggianos.com

Sunny Saturday and we are on our way to our local Toys R’ Us. Why? Toys R’Us is having a great fun packed event!!

With the LEGO Ninjago Movie hitting the theatres right around the corner they have us prepared! In conjunction with LEGO they are holding a “make and take” .

As always Toys R’Us knows how it can be with kids and long lines!!

Everything was laid out neatly and easy to assemble, instructions included!

The end product is a LEGO dojo!!

The fun doesn’t end there!! A scavenger hunt is waiting!!

What a neat prize once your done- a LEGO Ninjago headband!

This isn’t the first, or last event they have. Check the website in their “events” area.

http://www.toysrus.com

It’s almost hard to believe that the first day of Fall will be on September 22nd, which of course also symbolizes the official end of summer. Which isn’t really a bummer, as we turn our attention to the beautiful leaves changing colors and pumpkin everything! Another thing about Fall, the weather starts to get a little chillier.

As the weather gets colder we find ourselves indoors more. Being inside means that allergens, pet dander and odors are inside with us.

So, how do we “clear the air”?

I have had the pleasure of being introduced to a company called Winix

last year at an event sponsored by MomsMeet (www.momsmeet.com).

They have such remarkable air purifiers. Why do I say that? They don’t have just one model. They have various models to chose from ranging in sizes and features.

One model I’ve been “eyeing ” is the NK-105. I like its sleek design, and it’s not too big that it would stick out like a sore thumb or take up too much room in the room.

I did do some research because you want to make sure that it does the job and not just look cute in a corner.

On their website (www.winixamerica.com) it lists all the usual specifications such as height and weight. It’s the features that got me. They don’t just have aa air filter like the others. From what I’ve learned they incorporated a four stage cleaning system. And yes, there is a filter, but it is a 99.97% true HEPA filter. It is also a 360(degree) all in one filter that has a hair collecting filter. When in combination with a coated DeOdorization Carbon filter it controls pet dander and odor the most.

But what about the dust and tiny stuff in the air? They’ve got what they call Plasmawave to handle all of that.

Check out what happens to the air going through the unit.

As cool as that looks, I’ll admit there was a feature that made me feel like this was a product I could recommend. Like so many other things… they have an app!

Yes, Wi-Fi enabled!! In a time of smartphones, it helps me be smart with the air in my house.

This is what the app would look like when you search for it

Here are a few features in the app:

I love that I can check the air quality in the room before even going in it.

I can turn it on or off when needed, or set it on a schedule.

This to me is just great information to have and help me gauge times in the month where we might have needed the purifier on High or Low.

What do you think? Need some more information or maybe a different size? Go to: http://www.winixamerica.com you’re sure to find one that fits your lifestyle!!

Like many of my friends and family, we wouldn’t trade being a mom for ANYTHING in the world. Our kids are our heart. But, for some of us those pregnancy months can be trying. For me it was the nausea! Ugh!! There was only so much saltines and sprite you can handle. Oddly, cold grapes helped too. So many home remedy suggestions, and it’s a no to medicines.

But, there’s something that’s new and old at the same time. Sea-Band Mama has an alternative solution that’s handy and safe for soon to be mama’s and kids too!

Look at all the various products they have in their line. From bands to lozenges to rollerballs. I received these products for free from MomsMeet (MomsMeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.

Now, I’m not pregnant ( or will be in the near future) but I had to investigate for my friends and family members that are or may be pregnant in the future.

I tried a lozenge. I can be a whimp when it comes to ginger, but knowing the “medicinal ” traits and help ginger can be to the body. Yeah, it’ll work well.

In the pregnancy “line” there is also a rollerball that has ginger and a bit of spearmint in it. And with the popularity of essential oils this does not disappoint! Truth be told, I wish I had this one when I was pregnant. Two kids later, this would have been an essential.

Then there’s the bands…. when you open the box it’s a fairly soft band with a white dot. Looking at it you kind of think, now what? What does this do? Will it actually work? So I read up on the facts behind the products in the brochure that came with the product. It seems that the Sea-Band Mama bands use acupuncture to help soothe the nausea. An old remedy in a new and “fearless” form.

So here’s the bonus…. the bands are not just for the soon to be moms!!

They have bands for children and adults that suffer from motion sickness.

The bands are safe and non-invasive. So a child can wear them without any pain or needles puncturing their delicate skin.

Wearing the band to soothe that nausea feeling is way better than taking a pill!!

And, I may not be pregnant, but after trying the rollerball- I may just have it in my purse for those just in case moments!

I really wish this was around, or I knew about Sea-Band Mama back in the day!!!!

Would you like to find out more? Check them out at :

http://www.sea-band.com

Or be a part of MomsMeet:

http://www.momsmeet.com

It’s always special when you’re invited into someone’s home. It’s where you learn so much about someone, things that are similar or different between you.

But what if your invitation is to see the “backstage ” if one of your favorite restaurants? I recently received such an invitation…

It was a special invite to moms that are on the Chick-fil-A “A-List”, that gave moms an “inside” look at what Chick-fil-A is about.

Tables were set and ready with information pages and little goodies for the moms. Kids had their own table with an activity to keep them from getting “bored”.

We took our seats and began the “getting to know us” portion. At our seats/tables were nutritional facts of the foods served at Chick-fil-A.

Not just great nutritional facts, but even a small look into the various fundraiser opportunities you can do with them. With the many school, PTA/PTO, and sports events in need of extra funds for the kids it’s refreshing to know that there’s more than just the “usual” way to raise funds through a restaurant.

As like with any house invite, the host is more than happy to give you a tour of their happy home. As is at our Chick-fil-A, we began our tour with a look at heir family history.

It’s here that we see that it really is ALL about family. The Chick-fil-A Bartuch and has been around even before it was an actual brand. With its own milestones such as being the first to introduce “in mall dining”. The one thing that will stand out is how each generation ensures that the values and methods that lay the foundation of Chick-fil-A will go on for more future generations.

At any gathering where do we usually “end up”? The kitchen, it’s where everything happens and where all the great memories begin. So, we went into their kitchen. This was during operation hours so we got to see them prepare the meals first hand.

We are shown the freshest of ingredients that they use. Yes, it was hard to look past those yummy cookies- their were no cookies disappearing during the tour 🙂

Look at those fresh vegetables! Ok, I would love a prep station like this complete with vegetables cut and chopped just the way I needed at hand…. but I digress. From here we saw how they cook the most important ingredient- the chicken. It is seasoned fresh on the spot, not a frozen pre-seasoned chunk of meat. They are careful to keep items cooked at certain statins to ensure no cross contamination.

But what really makes the food come out to us being so delicious, are the ones preparing them. We had a chance to talk to a few of them in the kitchen, and it’s their love if their job and what they do that makes the difference. Just as we as moms take every effort to make sure what we feed our families is fresh, nutritious and made with love.

The event did not end there! Upon going back to the tables we started at, the kids were each given a 4 pc. chicken nugget kids meal to enjoy. The moms were treated to one of their newest features, the hash brown scramble bowl!

But wait, there’s more!

A gift card to have breakfast on them, and an invite to be a part of a special “A-List” that’s just for moms!!

What a great event and we learned that there is so much more to Chick-fil-A than what we see on the outside!

School has begun, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. The leaves are slowly changing and the weather is still beautiful. What better way to enjoy the soon to be Fall season then being outside.

We can play croquet and bocce ball, though I have found something new!

From the Blue Orange Games comes the Djubi outdoor games. There are three varieties; the classic, the sling ball and the dartball.

So what makes this so special? Like other outdoor games all ages can play. But unlike some of the conventional games, the equipment is light, so even the youngest can enjoy.

The classic and sling ball has a built in launcher. Not to fret the balls are not hard to cause injury. Of course, they should not be launched towards the face.

Kids can play with the adults without concern of injury. Just some wholesome fun!

The other game is the dart ball. This is when the competitive side in us comes out.

The first team to reach 500 points wins! The target is easy to set up and clean up. It also has its own set of launchers, with balls that are “kid friendly”.

With the weather so beautiful, who can resist being outside? And now there are new and fun ways to bring friends, neighbors and family together with activities that keep us moving!

I would like to thank Tryazon for the opportunity to try these games. And a special thank you to Blue Orange Games for my complimentary sets, and the additional gifts of “preview” sets of other games the have.

http://www.tryazon.com

http://www.djubi.com

http://www.blueorangegames.com