Family Fun Night Plans

9 May By Leah Kanaan Leave a Comment

One of the things I like, more than anything else in this world, is family time. I crave it. Literally. Between having a husband that travels a ton for work and two kids that are both in travel sports, we don’t have a lot of family time. So, as you can imagine, the time we do have together, I want it to be special and fun! As often as we can, we plan a family fun night. The kids love them and so do we!

*This post may contain affiliate links*

Planning a Family Fun Night

To be honest, there are times that we do something really low key like pizza and a movie from the movie rental place…they still exist! The kids enjoy walking up and down the aisles looking for a movie. Zack usually disappears in the video game section, while Bella is trying to find some 80’s or 90’s movie that I used to watch like The Goonies. I love that she wants to watch all the movies I grew up watching! If you are looking for movies with a faith based background, then check out Pure Flix’s collection of Christian movies.

I will admit, we love video games in our house. Some really fun, family friendly video games that we enjoy are:

Mario Kart 8 – Nintendo Wii U Mario Party 10 Just Dance 2017 – Wii U Super Smash Bros. – Nintendo Wii U LEGO Jurassic World – Wii U Splatoon

When we are planning a family fun night, at least one of those games (usually Mario Cart) is on the list of things to do. The fun part is how competitive we are with each other. The kids laugh so hard when I tell them they’re going down! If you are a fan of the Lego video games, then you really need to consider the Jurassic World Lego game. It’s my favorite out of ALL the Lego video games!

If we aren’t playing video games, then we love to play board games. One of my FAVORITE things about Christmas is when we are with our entire extended family and we sit around and play board games. It’s so loud, but fun. It’s because of those times, that my kids always want to play a board game on our family fun night. Some board games we like are:

Monopoly Empire Game 5 Second Rule – Just Spit it Out!Watch Ya’ Mouth Family Edition – The Authentic, Hilarious, Mouthguard Party Game Exploding Kittens: A Card Game About Kittens and Explosions and Sometimes Goats Sequence Game Bananagrams Wild Tiles

In my opinion, and if you ask my kids, it is truly essential to plan a family fun night as much as possible. Not only are they fun, but the things your kids will remember when they are older are all the fun times you had together as a family.

What is your favorite family fun night activity?

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Unique Gifts for Mom

5 May By Leah Kanaan Leave a Comment

There really isn’t much I want in life, gift wise. For years, I have been telling my husband that I want a weekend alone in a hotel so I can just veg out, watch TV, eat take-out and live in silence for a couple days. I’m still waiting on that gift, but when I get it, it will be, hands down, the best gift I have ever gotten. Well, maybe a close second to my Kindle…that’s still my favorite gift ever! But in all honesty, I really don’t want much. I enjoy those unique gifts. You know, the quirky gifts like this Caffeine Molecule Necklace I saw on Amazon.

*This post may contain affiliate links*

My husband is really good at giving unique gifts. I collect camels (I know…it’s kinda weird) and he is excellent at finding me the truly unique camels. Usually it’s from an airport gift shop. World Market used to have some really good ones, but I think they went out of business by me. Total bummer. Camels aren’t the only good unique gifts out there. I was searching on Amazon and found some really good ones! Hint…Mr. DGoddess, if you are reading this, pick me up any one of these things and I will be very happy!

Unique Gifts for Mom

Whether you are a mom to be or a brand new mom, any one of these gifts would be perfect! One thing I wish was that when I was pregnant, I wore cutesy shirts like the one below. The Mom Life hat is perfect for those days when you just don’t get a chance to wash your hair (or plain don’t want to…not worries…I won’t judge). The hat says it all!

Extra Baby Life: Maternity Cotton T-Shirt Mom Life Embroidered Trucker Style baseball Cap Hat (White/Emb)Experimenting with Babies: 50 Amazing Science Projects You Can Perform on Your Kid

If you really want to get mom jewelry, then you have to check out these options. My personal favorite is the anatomical heart necklace. It is truly unique and not at all like any other heart necklace everyone else is wearing!

Captain Americas Shield Stud Earrings – Pair Anatomical Heart Necklace in Silver Tone by Silver Phantom Jewelry Happiness Molecule Serotonin Molecule Necklace for Pursuit of Happiness and Wish for Well-being, Unique Nerdy Science DNA Chemical Pendant Necklaces (Rose Gold Tone)

Mom may not collect camels like I do, but some like unique coffee mugs with funny sayings on them. I can tell you right now, if I drank coffee, that is what I would want. I would want to make sure every mug I owned had a funny saying or picture on it. A friend of mine loves Disney. So every single one of their mugs is Disney themed. It’s fun!

I Like Long Romantic Walks at Target Funny Coffee Mug 11oz – Unique Gift Idea for Her, Mom, Wife, Girlfriend, Sister, Grandmother, Aunt – Perfect Birthday Gifts for Women – Mother Day Gifts Eitly 11 Ounce Might Be Vodka Coffee Mug World’s Okayest Mom Coffee Mug – 11 Oz Mug – Mother’s Day Nice Motivational And Inspirational Office Gift

Or maybe you just want to pick something totally random for mom! I’m not one to put decals on my car, but the Wife. Mom. Boss. decal is one I would definitely put on my car! If the mom in your life likes bags with funny sayings on them, then this tote is definitely for you.

365 Printing Women’s Funny Can’t Live Without Canvas Tote Bag Natural Women’s Mom Of Boys T-Shirt Gift For Mother Day Cool Funny Mom Tee Medium Dark Heather Wife Mom Boss Decal Vinyl Sticker|Cars Trucks Vans Walls Laptop| White |5.5 x 5 in|LLI442 This Bag Contains My Face Toiletry Bag Travel Kit Cosmetic Makeup Case

So what do you say? Are you like me? Do you like to receiver (or give) unique gifts? There’s still time to order these unique gifts on Amazon. Simply use your Amazon Prime account to get the gifts in TWO DAYS! Don’t have an Amazon Prime account, or are you not sure you want to spend the money for the yearly membership? No worries! Simply click below and start your FREE 30 day trial. Use that account for 30 days and cancel anytime before those 30 days are up!

Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free TrialHappy Shopping!

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A League Of Their Own – 25th Anniversary

17 Apr By Leah Kanaan Leave a Comment

I bet if I said the line, “There’s no crying in baseball“, you would be able to tell me exactly what movie it’s from and who said it. There are movies and lines that just stick with us and A League of Their Own is one of those movies. I was 11 years old when that movie came out and not only did I see it in the theater, but we also had a copy of it on VHS. It was one of my favorite movies. I even got to stand very close to and say hi to Geena Davis when she came to my home town for an archery competition!

*I received a copy of this movie for the purpose of this post. This post may contain affiliate links*

If you are like me and love A League of Their Own, then you will be happy to know that a 25th anniversary Blu-Ray™ on April 18, 2017. Pre-Order your copy right now and it will ship out tomorrow morning! This movie is on our list to watch for our next family movie night! My kids, especially my daughter, loves all the movies I used to watch, so I am very excited to show her this movie!

About A League of Their Own Anniversary Edition

Besides just being a really great movie, this 25th anniversary edition includes an all new bonus featurette “Bentonville, Baseball & The Enduring Legacy of A League of Their Own,” which is an unforgettable visit to the annual softball game at the Bentonville Film Festival. It features all new interviews with Geena Davis, and so much more! Another thing this Blu-ray includes is 15 deleted scenes. The deleted scene section on DVD’s and Blu-ray’s are my favorite!

Synopsis

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this hilarious and beloved comedy, starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis and Madonna. With baseball lineups and locker rooms left empty during Word War II, the newly-founded All-American Girls Baseball League brought talented women to the big leagues–and brought fans to the stands. The indomitable Dottie Hinson (Davis) finds herself leading a rag tag group of players who end up winning over the heart of their has-been coach, Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks). Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell and Jon Lovitz round out the all-star roster. Based on the true story of the pioneering women who blazed the trail for generations of athletes.

Like I said, A League of Their Own is a great family movie night movie. It has a run time of about 138 minutes and it is rated PG for language.

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Bottle Flip Board Game

27 Mar By Leah Kanaan 7 Comments

If you have tweens and teens, then you are more than familiar with the bottle flip craze that has been sweeping the nation. My kids will flip anything. In fact, this morning, my son flipped the gallon of milk. No joke. Thankfully it did not break. Can you imagine that mess?!? I have to admit, I do yell “stop flipping things” quite often. However, when I was asked to review the Bottle Flip board game, I knew I had to!

*This post may contain affiliate links*

Bottle Flip Board Game

I will admit, I almost said no to reviewing this game. Bottle flipping is VERY annoying to me. BUT, after playing this game, I realized why it bothers me so much. It’s not the actual bottle flip action, as much as it is the sound of the water bottles we have. That crinkle sound is what drives me crazy! With this game, there is zero crinkle sound! So it’s all good!

Bottle Flip Board Game

How to Play

Playing the game is really simple. Each player chooses their own bottle cap piece in the color of their choice. Then players draw a card to see what their “challenge” is. First player to make it to the top, wins! It’s really that simple…or is it?!? Being the overly competitive family that we are, this is a great game for us. It says it is recommended for ages 13+, but my 10 year old daughter did just fine!

If you like board games, you will definitely want to add this to your collection! We always give the kids a board game on Christmas Eve with their brand new pair of pajamas. Since we are close to Easter, this would be a great game to pick up for the kids (and you too…let’s be honest)!

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Tween Easter Basket Fillers

14 Mar By Leah Kanaan 13 Comments

Both of my kids are tweens. My son will be an official teenager in June. I know. I’m kind of scared! Each year, I get really excited to fill their Easter baskets. Since we celebrate Orthodox Easter, which is sometimes on a different date, we get 75% off Easter stuff! However, as much as I love filling Easter baskets, now that my kids are older, I sometimes feel like I’m filling it with a bunch of junk because most of the traditional Easter fillers are geared towards younger kids. To help you all out, I’ve put together a list of tween Easter basket filler ideas.

Sport Themed Tween Easter Basket

Right now, my kids spring sports are starting up. My daughter plays soccer and my son plays lacrosse. A fun Easter basket idea would be to make a Sport Themed Tween Easter Basket! I don’t know about your house, but at mine, the kids are forever leaving their water bottles somewhere. Whether they leave it at the field, in the back of my car or at school, I am always buying new water bottles. Here is what I would put in a sports themed tween Easter basket:

Under Armour Undeniable Squeeze Bottle with Quick Shot Lid, Lead, 32 Ounce Swax Lax Lacrosse Training Balls Blue MadSportsStuff Flaming Soccer Ball Over The Calf Socks39 (Royal/Large)LAX Lacrosse Crew Socks (Black/White, Large)Stunning White Soccer Ball with Pink Crystals Pendant and 16 PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets – Soccer Ball

I know my daughter would be beside herself if that soccer PopSockets showed up in her Easter basket this year! Get a few of the items above (be sure to click on them…they come in other sports and colors), add in a couple pieces of chocolate or jelly beans and you are good to go!

Tech Themed Tween Easter Basket

Is your tween more of a techy? Don’t worry, I got you covered for the tech loving tweens! If your tweens are anything like mine, then they love gift cards! For the tech lover, I highly suggest you get them an iTunes gift card. I like to use my Speedway rewards to get gift cards! Other things I suggest adding are:

iPod Touch 5th 6th Gen Cover Case Transparent Clear Glow Shock Resistant Hybrid Fintie Folio PU Leather Case Cover for iPad 4th Generation With Retina Display, iPad 3 & iPad 2 (Black)iPad 2 3 4 Screen Protector,TANTEK [HD-Clear][Anti-Scratch][Anti-Glare][Anti-Fingerprint] Tempered Glass Screen Protector for Apple iPad 2 / iPad 3 / iPad 4 (9.7 inch),[Lifetime Warranty]-[1Pack]Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Controller Atari Flashback Classics: Volume 2

We got my husband the Atari game for his 40th birthday and the kids have had fun playing the games, in between making fun of how the games looked “way back then”!

Book Loving Tween Easter Basket

One thing I really love is that both of my kids love to read. They are always asking to go to the library so they can check out a new book. My daughter is always getting a non-fiction book about animals or something scientific. My son gets any and every graphic novel he can read (that’s appropriate…some of them…not so much). Besides the obvious Amazon Gift Card, I’d also put the following in a book lovers Easter basket:

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader – Black, 6 Fintie SmartShell Case for Kindle Paperwhite – The Thinnest and Lightest PU Leather Cover With Auto Sleep/Wake for All-New Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (Fits All 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Versions), Black The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #1-4 Box Set: Full-Color Edition Maximum Ride: The Manga, Vol. 1

While the Kindle Paperwhite is a little more than we would typically spend at Easter, it is a gift that will get them reading. We have a lot of soccer and lacrosse tournaments this year, it will be nice for them to have.

Glamour Girl Themed Tween Easter Basket

My daughter is not a girly girl right now. The idea of getting nail polish and other “girl” stuff is not something she would enjoy. Her friends or one of my nieces would love this basket! In this basket, I would put the following:

Color Club Halographic Hues Nail Polish, Halo, Graphic, .05 Ounce FairyGlo Long Lasting Night Glow Gel Nail Polish Soak Off UV LED Dramatic Manicure Decor Kit Nail Art For Party Carnival Dressing 10ml 6724 Tinksky 50 Sheets 3D Design Self-adhesive Tip Nail Art Stickers Decals(Random Color Pattern)Caboodles On the Go Girl Classic Case, Purple, 2.4 Pound Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Moisturizing Lip Gloss, Ocean Sunrise, 1 Tube with Wand Applicator EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm Sphere, Vanilla Mint, 0.25 Ounce