...Cheryl to Between the Lines! Cheryl has graciously agreed to join me in writing for Between the Lines. We are happy to have her and excited to hear what she has to say. Cheryl is as stay-at-home mother of two who happily homeschools her adorable little daughters. Please make her feel welcome and add some comment love! :)
Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love everything about it! Apples, pumpkins, changing leaves and fall festivals. Along with fall comes Halloween; which is right around the corner. I think you either love it or hate it. Not everyone participates in Halloween, but we do in our household. We don't focus on the meaning or scary aspects, but we celebrate all month long with all sorts of fall festivities. We visit the pumpkin patch, apple orchards and mazes. We also decorate our house. Both of my girls get to carve their own pumpkin with their choice of theme. Then we finish with a night of trick or treating. We even have a tradition of dinner before trick or treating: mummy hot dogs, spider web pizzas, and witch finger fries. We have always made dressing up a family affair including our dog. We have had themed costumes since my oldest was 3. Some of our themes included: The
Wizard of Oz, The Addams family, Little Red Riding Hood and Alice in Wonderland. This year my girls decided against a theme. I knew this day would come when they grew older, which makes me a little sad. My youngest is going as Rapunzel and my oldest is going as Frankie Stein (Monster High) with our dog going as Frankie's pet dog. She is trying to convince her dad to dress as Frankenstein. I may still dress as Mother Gothel from Tangled, trying to hang onto the family costume theme. Do you have any family traditions for fall or Halloween?
My girls and I came across WAT-AAH! a few weeks ago and were intrigued about their fun looking bottles. Like most children, the colorful labels caught their attention. What's not to love with bright colors and a silly looking boy on it. I, on the other hand, was intrigued by the different names on the labels.
You can purchase five different types of Wat-AAH! bottles: Body, Brain, Power, Defense,and Energy. While all five contain pure clean water, each contains a little something special that targets our children's specific needs. Defense contains zinc that helps boost the body's immune system. I think this one is great for the school where everyone is sharing their germs daily. Energy has extra oxygen in it to energize the body. Power has added magnesium to help build stronger bones. Brain has kid-friendly electrolytes to help keep those little ones thinking clearly.
Last week, I presented my girls with the WAT-AAH! Back to School Challenge. In this challenge, parents and teachers were suppose to offer their children the choices between various drinks for their lunch box. WAT-AAH! was interested in what kids would choose given the choice. I didn't tell my girls that there was a challenge because I wanted to get their honest choice. I had a row of juice boxes, sodas, WAT-AAH! bottles, and regular water bottles lined in the refrigerator.
Given the direction to go pick something for the lunch boxes, the girls both chose WAT-AAH!. My oldest chose the Brain bottle and my youngest chose the Body bottle. Since they had only seen these bottle on the computer screen before, they were very excited to give them a try.
I wondered if they only chose the WAT-AAH! because it was something new, so I let them choose again the next next day and they both chose the WAT-AAH! again. They are happy to have the cool, refreshing WAT-AAH! for their lunch and I am happy that their bodies are getting what it needs without the added sugar and other junk that most drinks have.
Do you or your kiddos want to give WAT-AAH! a try? Well, the folks at WAT-AAH! hope so because they are going to give one lucky reader a WAT-AAH! prize pack that includes a mixed case of WAT-AAH! bottles and WAT-AAH goodies (including sticker, tattoos, pencils, etc..). Estimated retail value: $35. Simply follow the Rafflecopter instructions below to enter. Please email me if you have any questions. Good Luck!
Easy to make, yummy to eat! This is a great dessert that the whole family will love. Cut your bars out as small or as BIG as you like! Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? I'd love to feature you on Fabulous Food Friday. Just shoot me an email at betweenthelines-kam@hotmail.com. Enjoy!
Ingredients
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix • 2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats • 3/4 cup margarine, melted • 1 cup Strawberry, Raspberry, or Blueberry jam • 1 tablespoon water
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. 2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, cake mix, and melted margarine so that it makes nice clumps and there is no dry mix left. Press 1/2 of the oats mixture evenly into the bottom the prepared pan. In a separate bowl, mix jam with water, and spread over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top. 3. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 23 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Cool before cutting into bars.
Like TV, there is an ongoing debate about whether video games are harmful to our children. The quote, “Too much TV will rot your brain!” sticks out vividly in my mind. However, I actually feel that video games can be beneficial to our children. Of course, like everything else they do in life, they should be played in moderation. Video games have come so far since we were children. Kids no longer sit still in front of a computer with a small joystick. They are up and about with wireless controllers working on their eye hand coordination while doing physical activities. The video games that require movement are not the only ones that are beneficial. Many of the children’s games improve fine motor and cognitive skills as well. My girls love playing games that have jigsaw puzzles and mazes. Completing these tasks with a controller or stylus is much harder than completing them with a pencil. My girls also have games that help reinforce reading, math, and social skills. They think, create, and explore through a medium that they couldn’t do elsewhere. Handheld games, like the Nintendo DS, are also great for travelling or when your child isn’t feeling well enough to play with other kids. Why not let your kiddos have some fun instead of sitting around all day being bored? Do you think video games are harmful or helpful to our children’s development? Grab a latte, put up your feet, and join the discussion!
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the entire Muppet gang wanted to make sure you were ready for Halloween! Here’s a sneak peek of Fozzie’s very best Halloween jokes and Kermit’s pumpkin carving activity!
2. To ensure that Pink Dandy Chatter will follow you back, you need to make sure and leave a comment (below on this post) saying that you are a new follower and also leave a link to your blog.
3. Add your blog name and the URL to one of your favorite posts on the Linky below.
4. Please follow at-least 2 blogs on the list that appeal to you
5. Your blog must be family friendly ONLY. Explicit sites will be removed from the list.
