Painting with Pachyderms at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey!

Today we had the extraordinary opportunity to Paint With Pachyderms

at the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus!

We were greeted by our favorite clowns, always ready to share a smile!

Ashley Vargas, circus hostess extraordinaire, welcomed us to the event

and explained to us what we would get to do today!

Mabel and Baby, two of the talented Asian elephants from the show

came skipping out to paint with us!

We watched as these amazing animals painted a rainbow of colors onto their canvas!

We learned that they can pick up anything from a huge log to a tiny dime,

so holding onto a paintbrush is not a problem!

Then it was our turn to make our own masterpieces!

Jeremy painted a tiger elephant, and Kelsey created a rainbow rock.

It was so fun to have our clown friends there to paint along with us!

We enjoyed coming to the circus for an up-close and personal experience

with the amazing Asian elephants and their circus friends!

Thank you Ringling Bros!!

Here are some interesting facts we learned about the Ringling Bros. animals:

• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has more than 138 years of experience working with and caring for exotic and domestic animals.
• The animals are fed fresh food which is shipped directly to the the arena from local sources.
• Ringling Bros provides around-the-clock security for their animals - protection from other animals, natural predators, public harassment, vandalism and trespassers.
• The relationship between the humans and animals that perform with Ringling Bros. is built on mutual respect and trust. Training methods are based on reward and repetition. Verbal or physical mistreatment is prohibited.
• All animal enclosures were specially designed by the Ringling Bros. staff to meet the unique needs of each individual species.
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey joined other conservation-minded organizations, such as World Wildlife Fund, The Sierra Club and Wildlife Preservation Trust International, to oversee support and enactment of the Asian Elephant Conservation Act. Ringling Bros. is committed to and supports efforts with international conservation community and the United States Congress to continue funding for Asian elephant conservation.
• The Asian elephant is in grave danger of extinction. Because of the care they receive, elephants in captivity live healthier and safer lives than their counterparts in the wild.
• The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Central Florida is a research, reproduction and retirement facility dedicated to the preservation of the Asian elephant.

For more info check out their websites!

www.feldentertainment.com

www.elephantcenter.com

www.Ringling.com

*We were invited to this special event by Feld Entertainment. All opinions are our own!

Wow Me Wednesday #107

Welcome to the party!!

It's my favorite day of the week,

and I'm so excited to see all your fun projects!!

Grab the WOW button,

check out other entries that catch your eye,

and leave a little crafty comment love along the way!!

Ready, set, GO!!

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Jelly's Are Back!

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Jelly Beans 

but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #JellysAreBack http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO”

We're jumping for joy, full of excitement, and can't wait to share...

...our favorite '80s style hit has made a comeback!

A crowd favourite since before you were born, Jelly Sandals are back! 

Australian Owned and operated since 2011, 

Jelly Beans is dedicated to providing the world 

with shoes they know and love. 

Made from high quality PVC, these sandals will stand the test of time 

as a fashion statement as well as practicality.

We've been wearing our Jellys everywhere!

They are perfect for summer since they can go from school to swim class

and on all the adventures my little girl has in a day!

They're casual enough for every day 

and are perfect to pair with her sweet dresses for church as well!

We chose the pink, because every girl loves a pair of pink shoes!

But they also come in lots of other great colors

for kids and their moms!

That's right, you can get in on the fun too!

But whatever you do in your Jelly's,

you can bet it's going to be a whole lot of fun!

Don't be jealy, get your own Jelly's today HERE!

Shipping is FREE, hooray!!

And check out Jelly Beans online at:

WEBSITE

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Built To Amaze!

Tonight was opening night for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey: Built To Amaze

 at the Honda Center in Anaheim!

From the moment we walked in, excitement was everywhere!

Clowns were running around, and entertainers of all kinds 

were in the arena getting us excited for the show!

From beginning to end, the show kept us laughing, 

gasping in awe, and thoroughly amazed!

We loved it all, and I loved that it was truly something the whole family could enjoy together!

There are still tickets available!

Get yours now!!

A N A H E I M

WHEN: Friday, July 26 – Sunday, August 4

WHERE: Honda Center (2695 E. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92806)

TICKETS: Ticket prices range from $20, $26, $42 (VIP), $70 (Front Row) and $100 (Circus Celebrity)

Tickets available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com or HondaCenter.com, 

charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or in-person at the venue Box Office.

*tickets may be subject to service charges, facility and handling fees.

S'mores Goodie Bag with Free Printables!

Summer is totally S'more Season!

We live near the beach and we love to make s'mores at the fire pits there!

But in a pinch we have been known to roast our marshmallows on the stovetop.

Today I've got a fun gift you can give a friend to celebrate summer!

Just wrap up a package of graham crackers,

a bag of marshmallows and 2 bars of Hershey's chocolate,

along with a couple roasting sticks!

And I've even got a couple cute printables to tie on for fun!

Choose one and print as a 4x6 at your local Costco or print center.
Download HERE:

S'mores Friends
Keep Calm S'mores

Happy S'more Summer!

Wow Me Wednesday #106

Welcome to the party!!

It's my favorite day of the week,

and I'm so excited to see all your fun projects!!

Grab the WOW button,

check out other entries that catch your eye,

and leave a little crafty comment love along the way!!

Ready, set, GO!!

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Toast of Tuesday!

I'm excited to share with you some of my favorites from Wow Me Wednesday!

Pam's Party and Practical Tips showed us her awesome changing table makeover!

Orchard Girls put all my favorite ingredients together in this BLT Dip!

The Project Palace put together this adorable bedroom based on favorite children's stories!

Little Miss Kimberly Ann did a great job remaking this thrifty find dress!

If you loved these ideas, please go the original blogs and pin them!

See you tomorrow for another Wow Me Wednesday!

Daphne's Greek Cafe: Mini Pita Trio!

I have been hearing people talk about Daphne's Greek Cafe for a while now.

They've been telling me how awesome it is, and I just never tried it.

Last week I had the opportunity to try their new menu items!

I packed up the kids and prepared them to taste some new food.

(They can be a little picky, so I wasn't sure what they would think.)

We started with an assortment of dips and spreads.

Fire Feta, Hummus, Guacamole and Tzatziki Sauce!

We tried them all and found our favorites,

but the best part was the fresh pita chips and bread!

The California Greek Salad came out and I gave it a try.

Every bite was filled with a new delicious surprise!

Roasted chicken, fresh avocado, pine nuts, roma tomatoes, 

yellow corn, feta cheese, carrots, cucumbers 

and mixed greens with gorgonzola vinaigrette, 

with fresh pita slices on the side!

YUMMMM!!!

Then came the main affair, the Mini-Pita Trio!

Greek Mini-Pita - A Greek style pita sandwich with savory gyros, 

red onion and tangy tzatziki sauce.

Cali-Greek Mini-Pita - Two world flavors in one pita. 

This pita sandwich features grilled chicken, Daphne’s sauce, 

salsa fresca, feta cheese and kalamata olives.

California Mini-Pita - A pita style sandwich with California flair 

featuring grilled chicken, jalapeno bacon and guacamole topped with salsa fresca.

The Cali-Greek was my favorite!

You would not believe how much food this entree has,

and all for a very reasonable price!

And you know I was excited for dessert!

In addition to the mouthwatering Baklava,

they have a treat that I fell in love with!

The caramel pecan is possibly the best thing made on earth.

Phyllo dough filled with caramel and dipped in chocolate.

Be still my heart.

But the very best part is that my picky eater loved it too!

He loved it all, from the gyro meat, to the pitas, and the spreads!

It's been almost a week and I crave Daphne's every day.

I can't wait to go again!

*I was provided with a meal for my family and a gift bag in exchange for this review. 

All opinions are our own!

Book Review: Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink

A few weeks ago I received a new book to review, 

Jungle Fire by Dana Mentink!

I was so excited because Dana is one of my favorite authors!

I love how she writes great suspense 

without throwing in unnecessary bad language and sex.

The deadliest animal in the jungle is the two legged kind.

Nina Truman is a missionary nurse, serving in a tiny Guatemalan town 

not far from the Mexican border.  

It's a fulfilling life, tending to the village poor, 

a way to serve in the country from which she was adopted. 

The day she leaves on furlough, is the day her life falls apart. 

Her bus is ambushed and she must flee from forces who inexplicably wish her dead.

 Trapped between a ruthless drug lord and his assassins, a corrupt police chief, 

and colleagues with ulterior motives, 

her friends may prove just as deadly as her enemies 

as she uncovers a plot tangled deep in the roots of her own past.

Nina's only hope of survival lies in the hands of Shaw Wilder, 

a man who despises missionaries and the God they serve.  

His skill is in handling a landmine detection dog, 

not helping a woman he blames for the death of his sister. 

When the lethal drug kingpin El Escorpion seeks to capture Nina, 

and the local police are no help, Shaw has to choose: 

flee into the Guatemalan jungle with a naive woman who has vowed never to take a life 

or follow his own spiritual demons and walk away. 

His choice may leave them both imprisoned in a jungle from which neither will escape.

From the first few pages, I was hooked on this book!

Dana kept me guessing til the very end, not really knowing who the real enemy was.

The twists and turns kept on coming and I enjoyed every minute!

You will not be disappointed by Dana's latest work;

I can't wait to read the next one!

You can find Dana here:

danamentink.com

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Discovery Science Center: Lego Castle & Da Vinci Exhibits!

Are you looking for something to keep your kids busy while they're out of school?

This summer you do not want to miss the new exhibits at Discovery Science Center!!

When I saw that the Lego Castle Adventure was coming to Discovery Science Center,

I knew my son was going to be so excited!!

 

 We were greeted at the door by the knights from Medieval Times!

A huge Lego dragon was guarding the treasure!

 

Build, Build, Build! 

Builders of all ages and skill levels can construct castles, 

learn about real-world castles and their building secrets, 

and plan their ideal castle’s defenses.

 

Explore a Giant Castle! 

Explore the inside of the royal castle full of LEGO brick decorations, 

the king and queen’s thrones, and secret passageways.

Aim a Catapult! 

Virtually build a fortress wall on screen 

and test its strength with a LEGO catapult.

The Lego Castle Adventure will be at Discovery Science Center 

through September 15, 2013!

Veni, Vidi, Vici! 

Come explore, see real art designs and conquer the world of Leonardo da Vinci 

this summer at Discovery Science Center. 

Young inventors are invited to experience art and science like never before. 

Da Vinci: The Genius and Da Vinci Jr. will take you back in time 

and show you the mastermind of da Vinci through stations 

designed specifically for your little inventors.

Get ready to explore the full scope of Leonardo Da Vinci’s remarkable genius 

as an inventor, artist, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, musician and architect. 

Guests will enjoy more than 200 unique pieces including 75 life-size machine inventions, 

three-dimensional renderings of da Vinci’s most notable Renaissance works 

and an eye-opening, in-depth analysis of his most famous piece, “Mona Lisa.”

Come face to face with life size inventions bigger than you. 

See replicas of the first bicycles, helicopters and more, 

then create and draw your own invention!

Experiment with cranks, levers and pulleys used in da Vinci’s many inventions.

Step inside Da Vinci’s Workshop where YOU become the inventor 

with new hands-on activities every weekend! 

Little inventors will love to tinker, investigate and play 

using their creativity and imagination.

Hands-On Activities & Programming

Center of Gravity: July 27-28

We’re all experts at controlling our bodies, but how much do you really know about how you are built? You’ll be amazed at da Vinci’s discoveries as you find our own proportions and center of gravity.

Proportions of Nature

Discover the mathematical secrets of the Vitruvian Man for yourself by measuring your own forearm, thumb and hand. Then, learn about the proportional relationships of the human body using your own measurements.

Balancing Act

Did you know that it’s possible to balance 14 nails on the head of another nail? You’ll be surprised that the same principle that allows you to ride a bike and even walk on your own two feet is also behind the amazing balancing activities in this station!

Transportation Challenge: August 10-11 & 17-18

When it comes to building and flying paper gliders, there’s more engineering involved than meets the eye. Build a paper glider and test its flight accuracy and distance in a series of glider challenges.

Go-Go Gliders

Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a self-moving cart over 400 years before the first self-propelled vehicle was invented by Henry Ford? Investigate some of da Vinci’s sketches and designs and discover what a sophisticated inventor he really was. Then, try your own hand at designing a glider!

Sounds of the Renaissance: August 24-25

Not only was da Vinci a great inventor, engineer and artist, he was also a man of music. Whether you play an instrument or not, you’ll discover that building instruments is all about uncovering the science of music and sound.

Whack-A-Note

Explore the many sounds that combine to make music by experimenting with resonance, pitch and volume to make your own musical masterpiece.   

Da Vinci: The Genius and Da Vinci Jr. are the most amazing exhibits

I have ever seen at Discovery Science Center.

I can't wait to go again and learn more!

Come see it for yourself through September 8th, 2013!

Admission Prices

General Admission

• Children (ages 3-14): $12.95
• Adults (ages 15+): $15.95
• Seniors (ages 62+): $12.95
• Parking: $4.00

*Activities and schedule subject to change without notice.

*We were provided with admission to review Lego Castle Adventure and Da Vinci: The Genius. All opionions are our own!

Wow Me Wednesday #105

Welcome to the party!!

It's my favorite day of the week,

and I'm so excited to see all your fun projects!!

Grab the WOW button,

check out other entries that catch your eye,

and leave a little crafty comment love along the way!!

Ready, set, GO!!

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