$50.00 Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway

Warm up this fall with a delicious drink from your local Starbucks compliments of eMeals. This September Wife.Mother.Teacher. is giving away a $50 Starbucks Gift Card to one lucky winner. 

This giveaway is open to all US residents, aged 18+. The giveaway will run for the entire month of September with tons of great ways to win - so take advantage of the daily entry options. :)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. Giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook, Twitter,  or any other social media sites. All entries will be verified. Winner will be notified via e-mail and have 48 hours to claim prize before new winner is chosen. Wife.Mother.Teacher. is responsible for prize fulfillment. Direct any questions to Tiffany at tiffy75@aol.com.

Loot Crate Monthly Box for Geeks and Gamers Giveaway

Hosted by: Queen of Savings, Dividing by Zero, That's Mashed Up & Something to Fill the Time

Sponsor: Loot Crate

Loot Crate is the monthly gear and swag club for those that live and embrace the geek and gaming lifestyle. Loot Crate is a product discovery box, connecting our subscribers, known as Looters, with the best new and emerging companies producing gear, snacks, toys, hardware, art, and other goodies for the geek and gaming market. Each month, Loot Crate handpicks 6-8 new items to include in the box, which are kept secret until the boxes are delivered!

Prize: 1 Loot Crate Monthly Box

Dates: 8/30-9/13

Open to: US Residents 18+

Enter to win using the widget below. Good luck!

Loot Crate Monthly Box

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Monaco Addict Mother and Daughter Giveaway

Monaco Addict "Mother & Daughter" Giveaway!

Hosted by Coupon Crazy Mommy and Dividing by Zero

Sponsored by Monaco Addict

One lucky reader will receive their choice of Mother & Daughter dress or t-shirt set from Monaco Addict! Giveaway open to US residents aged 18+. Giveaway will run until Sept 12 at 11:59PM EST. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email or another winner will be chosen. Enter below and Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Tara over at Dividing by Zero is also hosting a giveaway from Monaco Addict! Head on over here for another chance to win! Disclosure: The above item was received by the blogger hosting the giveaway in order to facilitate review. Neither we nor they have been compensated for this post. The Coupon Crazy Mommy blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed as do we at Says Me Says Mom. We will only recommend products or services that we feel are of benefit to our readers. Neither Coupon Crazy Mommy nor Says Me Says Mom is responsible for prize fulfillment; sponsor will be responsible for prize fulfillment. This event is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network. If you have any questions, please contact couponcrazymomblog {at} gmail {dot} com. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Funny Friday - Get It For Me

 Me-

When my sister was 1 and didn't really talk much yet, one day my brother was lying on the couch and he told her to go get his shoes and she very clearly replied. "Get up!"

 Mom -

I asked Aurella if she could see if my water was in the refrigerator, so she went up to the refrigerator opened the door and looked inside. "Yeah, it's there." she said shutting the door again.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.


photo credits
photo credit 1: Headphonaught via photopin cc
photo credit 2: spablab via photopin cc

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell

Me- Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, wow! Independence Hall is a very historic place. We went on a tour there. It was a really short tour. It was pretty interesting though. I hadn't really learned that much about the Revolutionary period in school yet. I heard that next year we will be studying mostly American History, however. It's too bad I won't remember anything I learned at Independence Hall by then. The Liberty Bell is so cool close up!  It is both bigger and smaller than I imagined it would be.  I can't really explain what I mean by that. There were also exhibits about the Liberty Bell in the same location. The exhibits were interesting, but at that point of the day I was kind of hungry so I went through them really quickly. I would like to go back there some day and look at them more carefully. The crack in the Liberty Bell was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The bell itself looked different than I thought it would too. It looked kind of dirty. Also, I thought it would be outside and not in a building.  I wish I could have stuck my head in the Liberty Bell that would have been cool. I wanted to at least touch it. I couldn't because there were a lot of people, and I couldn't get close enough. Besides, they have it all blocked off so you can't get that close. I am glad I saw it though.

Mom- Philadelphia is truly the birthplace of America. Independence Hall is the Center of that. When you look at it as just a building, it doesn't seem all that impressive. There are a lot of places all over the world and even in this country alone that are much more beautiful to the eye, However, when you think about what this building stands for, it is more impressive and important than all of the most beautiful places in the world. The ideas that were generated here about freedom and independence are even more important now than they have ever been in light of the state of the world today. I like the feeling of being able to stand where our forefathers stood. I think if they could see this country now in some ways they would be proud in others not so much. The world and this country are so different now than it was then in both good ways and bad. The Liberty Bell makes me think about how far this country has come and ways that it has changed even more so. It is probably the most well known and important symbol of our country besides the Statute of Liberty. It is fitting that the two of the most important national symbols both have to do with liberty. That is one of the most important reasons why this country was formed because as it says in the Declaration of Independence "All Men are created equal". So many problems in the world are created by people not believing in this ideal. People want to believe they are better than other people or want to believe they are more important than other people, or just plain want to have power over other people and control them or even want to believe that other people don't have the right to exist. I am not even sure are forefathers completely lived up to the ideals upon which this country was based. I mean a lot of them had slaves. Having slaves, is certainly not treating all people as equal. I guess nobody is really a completely good caring person who treats everybody else as a complete equal and respects everybody else's rights all the time. However, seeing the Liberty Bell makes want to try to do so as much as possible. Besides, in this day and age when so many people just want to trample over other people's rights or don't even believe certain other people have a right to exist or want to wipe out whole groups of people that they don't even know for some alleged cause it is even more important to try to hold true to these ideals.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Liberty Bell

What: The Liberty Bell

Where: 525 Market Street
            Philadelphia, PA

Who: All ages

Our view: The Liberty Bell is currently located in what is known as Liberty Bell Center. There is also a video presentation and exhibits related to the Liberty Bell located in the same building. However, you can easily bypass the exhibits and go right to the bell if you prefer. We would definitely recommend doing that if you are traveling with young children or people who get bored easily. Otherwise, the exhibits are interesting. The Liberty Bell is open year round from 9:00 to 5:00, and you will have to go through security to get in the building. You can actually see the Liberty Bell even if you are not actually inside the building. However, it is our opinion that is not the same as being able to go right up to it or at least as close as you can get to it. You cannot go right up to it or touch it as it is roped off. Tickets are not required for entrance to Liberty Bell Center. However, you may have to wait outside in a long line so we would recommend going as early in the day as possible since the later it gets in the day the longer the line gets. For more information about the Liberty Bell and Liberty Bell Center go to http://www.nps.gov/inde/liberty-bell-center.htm.

And that's our view. Tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topics post for more about the Liberty Bell.

Blogiversary Giveaway Cash and Prizes - Blogger Sign Ups

My Pinterventures and Intelligent Domestication are turning One!

Blogger Opportunity!

My Pinterventures and Intelligent Domestications are celebrating their One Year Blogiversary together with a Cash Giveaway and surprise prizes from each blog!

Sign-Ups are August 26 - September 6

Giveaway Dates September 15 - 30

Co-Host Spots are $12 with up to 6 links, a link back to your blog in the body of the HTML and listings at the top of the Rafflecopter based on order registered.

For Co-hosts with Shops (Etsy or Independent) who would like to sponsor a prize on the giveaway (minimum value of $10) can choose to have their shop logo/button in the body of the HTML with a link to the shop. *All prizes are subject to approval and will be the responsibility of the shop owners to ship prizes to the winners.*

All other links are $2.00 to $3.00 each and will be listed in the order registered.

Links included: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, and Bloglovin

Send Payment via PayPal to Shirley Wood at swood97@yahoo.com as Gift with “Anniversary”  in comment section

Total cash prize will be determined by participation with a minimum of $150.00 Paypal Cash with each host adding a surprise gift to the giveaway!

Open to Worldwide age 18 and older

Sign-Up Here

Tips for Tuesday - Misc.: Wendys and Ruby Tuesdays

Me- Today I am recommending Wendy's. The food is yummy. My favorite is the pretzel bacon burger when they have it. Otherwise, my favorite is the baconator. Even when they do have the pretzel bacon burger; sometimes my favorite is the baconator if I am not in the mood for the pretzel bacon burger. I like the fries too. They are better than McDonald's fries. They are even better with Sea Salt but they hardly ever seem to use the sea salt. I love Frostys.  You can't really drink them with a straw because they are really thick so you have to use a spoon. I only get the chocolate ones because I don't like vanilla. All in all, Wendy's has great food.

Mom- Today I am recommending Ruby Tuesdays. The food is good. I especially love the pasta. However, what I especially love about it is that the portions are filling without being too overwhelming. I also like the dessert at Ruby Tuesdays. The dessert portions are a nice size too. So many restaurants either give too much food or too little. It is nice to be able to go some place where I can get just the right amount.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

photo credits
photo credit 1: JeepersMedia via photopin cc
photo credit 2: JeepersMedia via photopin cc

Monthly Mash-up for August, 2014: School and The End of Summer

Me - My topic for this month is school. School sucks. Next, week I'm starting a new school. I am not looking forward to it. It wasn't that I was so attached to my old school. I was only there for one year. I just don't adjust to change all that well. Also, I get lost really easily. I got lost in my much smaller previous school until like the second to last month of school. This school, that I will be going to, is like three times bigger.  So far, I don't know anybody who I am going to have classes with.  I am not really upset about that. There is no one I really want to reconnect with. However, when you are in a room full of new faces, it's sometimes comforting to see a familiar face even if you don't particularly like that person. I am also worried that now that I am getting older, the work is going to get harder, and I will start struggling with grades. I hope that this year I make a lot of new friends. I want to continue to make honor roll each marking period. I'm going to try to make straight A's on my report card.  I'm going to try to study for all my tests and quizzes. I am going to try to keep everything organized: my backpack, my locker, my homework, etc.

Mom - My topic for this month is the end of summer. I can't believe it is here already, and my girls are going to back to school next week.  The summer always seems to go by so quickly. The first part of summer is always better. I spend the first part of the summer feeling relaxed. I feel like I have plenty of time to get everything done I have planned. The second month of the summer I go into panic mode. I feel like I have hardly gotten anything done that I wanted to and that I am never going to get it all done. Before, this summer started, I didn't think it was going to be a very good one. Then, we made plans to go to Philadelphia for a few days. We went right at the beginning of the summer, and it was great, and we had a good time. With a start like that, it seemed it liked it was going to be an awesome summer, but it really wasn't. After that, it was all down hill. We had a lot of fun plans, but we kept having to cancel them because it was just one thing after another, trouble with one of ours cars, trouble with the other, etc. Oh well, maybe we can still have a good fall. The kids will be back in school so we can't really go any place during the week, but there is still weekends.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Back to School Giveaway Bash

Coupon Crazy Mommy is proud to present the Back to School Giveaway Bash!

Sponsored by:

Koolez

"Chicken Soup for the Soul" books,

Skylanders Swap Force,

Dividing by Zero, Barbara's Beat,

and Coupon Crazy Mommy!

One luck winner will receive the following items:

1) 4 pack of Kooleez (ARV $16.00)

These are great for yogurt in lunch boxes! They keep them cool all day! They can also be used for ice pops.

2) A copy of "Chicken Soup for the Soul: A Multi-tasking Moms Survival Guide" (ARV $14.95)

This was such a great book! Any Mom would love to read it. Laugh and learn with 101 inspiring and amusing stories for moms who do it all.

3) $25 Amazon Gift Card for Back to School Shopping! ($25.00 value)

4) Skylanders lunchbox or back pack (ARV $19.95)

5) World GeoPuzzle (spanish) (ARV$15.99)

Award-winning GeoPuzzles make geography fun. With pieces shaped like countries, and groups of countries, children learn geography by putting the puzzles together. See the full review from Dividing by Zero here.

This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email and supply mailing address or another winner will be chosen. Good Luck to all those who enter!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: I have not been compensated for this post. The Coupon Crazy Mommy blog will always provide honest opinions, beliefs or experiences on products reviewed. We will only recommend products or services that we feel are of benefit to our readers. Coupon Crazy Mommy is not responsible for prize fulfillment of Kooleez and Skylanders; sponsor will be responsible for prize fulfillment. This event is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network. If you have any questions, please contact me couponcrazymomblog {at} gmail {dot} com. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Saturday Special- Food Truck Festivus at Franklin Square

What: Food Truck Festivus

Where:Franklin Square
           200 N. 6th St
            Philadelphia, PA

Who: All ages

When: Thursday August 28, 2014 6-9 PM

Food Trucks Scheduled to Appear:

Little Baby's Ice Cream
The Grill Cheese
LeMoNade
Mamma's Meatballs
Seoulful Philly
Sweet Box Cupcakes
Farm Truck Philly
Oink and Moo BBQ
The Cow and the Curd

There will also be games such as volleyball and horseshoe as well as a temporary beer garden.

For more information check out  Franklin Square on Twitter at twitter.com/FranklinSqr or on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/FranklinSquare.

Funny Friday - Check It Out!

Me-

When my sister was little she said to my parents one day, "Check it out, Melia's reading!"

Mom-

When Melia was being toliet trained one day she called out "Check It Out!" when she was going to the bathroom.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us.

Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

photo credit: kylemac via photopin cc

Hollywood Game Night

Me - Hollywood Game Night, wow! I like Hollywood Game Night. I like a lot of game shows. Hollywood Game Night is one of my favorites. It is so different than the other ones I watch. I love seeing a different side of Jane Lynch , who is the host of the show. I am used to her on Glee where she plays Sue the nasty cheerleading coach. On Hollywood Game Night, she is really nice and funny. Some of the celebrities get really drunk.  It so funny to watch everyone play the games whether they are drunk or not. Every time, I watch I am just laughing so much. For a lot of the games, it is more fun to watch them than to play it yourself. My favorite celebrities that have been on it so far were Cobie Smulders of How and I Met Your Mother and her husband, Taran Killian of Saturday Night Live. I also liked when Matthew Morrison is on because Jane Lynch is friends of his from Glee and she calls him "Matty Fresh". One of my favorite games is one where they play music and one person puts on soundproof headphones and the others on the team act out song that the band is playing titles and the person with the headphones has to guess the names of the song. I also like another song game called How Doo You Do? In that game, one person sings a song using the word doo in place of all the lyrics and the others have to guess the song. Whoever, guesses gets to do the next one. There are four types of game in Hollywood Game Night. There are games you can play along with the show as your watching. There are games you can play along with the show and when you are not watching the show you can play at home. There are games you can  play not when your watching but when your at home. There are games you can't play at home at all. I enjoy of all them.

Mom - I like game shows. Hollywood Game Night is one of my favorites. I like Jane Lynch as its host. She is much more likeable here than she is in Glee. I like the mix of celebrities that come on the show. There have been people as varied as Martha Stewart, Tara Lipinski and Olivia Wilde and on the men's side as varied as Curtis Stone, Tim Gunn and Wayne Brady. I love when they have real life couples on the show. Real life couples who have appeared on the show include Cobie Smulders and Taran Killian, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, and Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick. Of course, real life couples usually appear on different teams just to make it interesting. I also like when they have several people from the same show like Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves and Wendie Malick of Hot in Cleveland. I love that you get to see a different side of the celebrities that appear on the show than you do ordinarily. On this show even the people who you would think would not be fun and friendly seem both of these things. I pretty much like all of the games they play so I will just talk about a few here. There is a game called Little Picassos where they have to guess what famous person a child's drawing is supposed to depict. There is a game called  Block Busters where each person on a team is given a giant block each person's block has words. Clues are given and the team has to find the movie title that matches the clues and put them together in the appropriate order to form the title. There is another similiar came to this where instead of having words on the blocks there are segments of a picture of a celebrity and they have to put together the right picture in the right order to fit the clues given. There is also a game called Time Line where a team is given a bunch of pictures like a certain celebrity over the years or James Bond girls or something, and they have a certain amount of time to put the pictures in chronological order. These are just a few of the games that have appeared to date on the show, and they always seems to be coming up with new games. The one thing they all have in common is that they are all fun to watch. That's why Hollywood Game Night is such a great show.

And that's our view. What celebrity would you like to see on a game show?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

photo credits:
photo credit 1: ~Brenda-Starr~ via photopin cc
photo credit 2: Mark Strozier via photopin cc
photo credit 3: newagecrap via photopin cc

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Independence Hall

What:  Independence Hall    

Where: 520 Chestnut Street            

            Philadelphia, PA

Who: 10 and up

Our view: It is nice to know that there are actually some things in life that there are still free, a visit to Independence Hall is among these things. Although it is free to visit Independence Hall,  you cannot go through on your own only on a tour and tickets are required except in January and February. Free timed tour tickets can be picked up at the Independence Vistors Center located at 599 Market Street.  The tour is interesting and very informative especially for anyone who is particularly interested in U.S History. Children who, in school, have learned about or are learning about the Pre-Revolutionary war period may enjoy the tour. However, very young children or anyone else who has a short attention span and/or cannot stand for long periods of time may get bored or tired.  Other historic buildings in the vicinity of Independence Hall that you can visit for free include Carpenters Hall, Congress Hall, and Old City Hall. Tours are available in some locations and not in others.  Tickets are not required for these other locations.  Please note that Independence Hall and the surrounding area is a secure area, and there are no bathrooms located within the perimeter. Keep in mind that once, you go through the security checkpoint, if you need to leave to use a bathroom facility, you will need to go through the security checkpoint again. For more information about Independence Hall go to  http://www.nps.gov/inde/index.htm.  For more information about Carpenter's Hall go to http://www.ushistory.org/carpentershall/ For more information about Congress Hall go to http://www.nps.gov/inde/congress-hall.htm. For more information about Old City Hall go to http://www.nps.gov/inde/old-city-hall.htm. For more information about the Independence Vistors Center go to http://phlvisitorcenter.com/. We will also be talking more about Independence Hall in next Thursday's Talking Topics post.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topics post.

        

Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: Hollywood Game Night

 

Me- Today I am recommending Hollywood Game Night. It's a good show. Three celebrities and one noncelebrity compete against another team of three celebrities and one noncelebrity. Some of the games you can play at home. Some not. Most of the games have to do with popular culture. It is very amusing to watch them play the games.

Mom - Today I am also recommending Hollywood Game Night. If you like game shows and celebrities, this is the show for you. Whether you just want to tune in to see the celebrities having a good time making fools of themselves or to play along with the various word and/or picture games or both, Hollywood game night is a fun time for all. It is one of those rare shows that actually seems equally as entertaining for the participants and the audience. For more about Hollywood game night see Thursday's Talking Topics  post.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

photo credit:
photo credit 1: Scott Beale via photopin cc
photo credit 2: Patrick Q via photopin cc
photo credit 3: Adrian Kingsley-Hughes via photopin cc

Dentists

Me - I am afraid of the dentist. When  I go I don't like to sit in the chair, and then, I don't open my mouth. I don't really know why I'm afraid of the dentist. She just looks at my teeth and cleans them. It doesn't really hurt. ttickles kind of. Once, I went to the dentist, and  I found out I had two loose teeth on the top of my mouth.  After my check-up, I get prizes. Once, I got a really nice bracelet that I loved. It broke. I think at school. The next time I got another bracelet.  I also get stickers, tattoos, a toothpaste and toothbrush. I don't care about the toothpaste and toothbrush. I hope I don't need to get braces some day. My Mom has had them. My Dad has had them. My brother has had them. My sister has them now. I don't think I will because I have really good teeth.*

*The above is a guest post by little sister, Aurella as dictated to Mom.

Mom - I am not crazy about going to the dentist, but I do not have a phobia of it like some people do. When I was young and went for the first time, I was really afraid and refused to lie down in the dentist's chair. After that time, I was always fine, and did whatever was asked of me. Both of my girls are much more afraid than I ever was. When Aurella was little, she refused to let the dentist look in her mouth. When she got old enough to actually be examined, she didn't want to open her mouth. When she was older she would not sit in the chair. Even after we got her to sit in the chair, she sometimes still would not open her mouth. She usually likes the prizes the dentist gives out so sometimes we can get her to cooperate by using that. Melia did not like to sit down and let the dentist examine her.  Sometimes, she would literally go and hide behind a chair or something. Once, she had to have five teeth pulled to prepare her for getting braces. My husband had to carry her and put her in the chair so that the dental surgeon could pull the teeth out. She has gotten a lot better though the last time we went to the dentist, she did everything the dentist asked of her. My husband is a dentist's dream. He is the only one I know who actually brushes after every meal even if we are out. He carries a little toothbrush and toothpaste with him everywhere. I must say it works too because he hasn't had a problem with his teeth. Even knowing that, however, I cannot get myself to be as diligent about it as he is, and I don't know anyone else who can either.

And that's our view. How do you feel about going to the dentist?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

photo credit: Dave Lanovaz via photopin cc

Funny Friday - What's so exciting?

 

Me-

When my mother told me she had a pair of clogs, I said "Show them to me! I want to see them!"

Aurella said "I want to see them too!" Then, she said, "What are we talking about?"

Mom-

I ordered some shoe racks for my closet, and we waited a long time for them to come. When they finally came, Melia and I exclaimed excitedly. "Yay! Shoe racks!"

"Yay! Shoe racks!" repeated Aurella. "What are shoe racks?" she asked.


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us.

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topics.

photos credits:
photo credit1: Lotus Carroll via photopin cc
photo credit 2: Jilligan86 via photopin cc

Franklin Square

We were not financially compensated for this post. We received free tickets to the the carousel and golf course at Franklin Square for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience.

Me - Franklin Square, wow! I really liked Franklin Square. They had a carousel. It was just a regular carousel, and I'm too old for carousels so that was boring to me. My sister really liked it though. The playground was divided into two parts. One was for really  little kids. The other was for ages 6-12. Most of it was too young for me. However, there was this one really cool spinny thing which I really liked. You could either stand or sit on it. After someone gives you a starting push, you use your body weight to go around and around in a circle.  I wish they had they had one of those in a playground near us. They had a miniature golf course. I loved the miniature golf course. It is one of my favorite miniature golf courses ever. They had these cute little buildings that I loved. I just wanted to open the door and see if there was anything inside them because they were so cute. They also had a food stand called Square Burger. The food was amazing! That was my favorite part because I love food. I got a burger. It was so juicy and good. For dessert, I just got chocolate custard.  It just tasted like soft serve chocolate ice cream. I don't get the difference. My Mom, Dad and sister all got Tastycake Butterscotch Krimpets shakes. I had a sip of everyone's because I didn't think I was going to like it but I loved it. Franklin Square is a really fun park, and I wish they had one like that near me.

 Me - Franklin Square is a really fun place. Melia was kind of bored with the carousel, but the rest of us liked it especially Aurella. Aside from the miniature Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, and Ben Franklin Bridge at the golf course at the Square which we talked about in yesterday's Where-Go-Wednesday post, there was also a miniature Elfreth Alley, a miniature Friendship Arch, a miniature Love sculpture, and a miniature Philadelphia Art Museum complete with Rocky's footprints next to it. Elfreth Alley is the oldest continually inhabited street in the U.S. The Friendship Arch can be found in Philadelphia's Chinatown. The Love sculpture can be found in Love Park a plaza in Center City Philadelphia. The plaza actually was named for the sculpture and not the other way around. The Philadelphia Art Museum is the place where the character, Rocky ran up the steps in several of the Rocky movies. There is still a bronze statue of Rocky at the museum as well as statute of Rocky at the Independence Visitors Center. There is also a hole on the golf course at Franklin Square that it is a tribute to Philadelphia's 4 major sports teams, baseball's Phillies, football's Eagles, basketball's 76ers and hockey's Fliers, and it has all of their logos. Aurella had fun playing on the swings at the playground. Melia liked spinning around on one of the spinners. We all loved the food at SquareBurger especially the Cake Shake. Vanilla ice cream. caramel and pieces of Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpet, what is not to like?  Good food, good fun, Franklin Square Park is a great place to go.

And that's our view. What would you like to see a miniature of on a miniature golf course?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Franklin Square

We were not financially compensated for this post. We received free carousel and miniature golf tickets for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are own based on our experience.

What: Franklin Square

Where: 200 N. 6th Street
            Philadelphia, PA

Who: All ages

Our view: Franklin Square is a great park located in the Historic district of Philadelphia. There is a carousel. It is a pretty typical carousel. Younger children will love it, older children may be bored with it. There is an 18 hole miniature golf course. If you are a fan of old fashioned miniature golf courses like we are, you will love it. Throughout the course, there are models representing Historic Philadelphia sites, such as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Ben Franklin Bridge. There is also a playground. The playground is divided into two sections a section for youngers kids 5 and under and a section for older kids 6 and over. That is pretty standard these days. The younger kids section is pretty typical with the usual swings and climbers. The older kids section was different than any playground we have ever seen before. There were the usual swings. However, instead of having slides there were climbers that almost looked like inverted slides. There were also these unique spinners. Even the monkey bars looked like they were tilted at a weird angle. Anyway, even though it all may have looked strange and unfamiliar to grownups, kids seemed to love it. The spinners were particularly popular. There is also a restaurant called SquareBurger at Franklin Square. The menu is not very varied. However, the food is very good especially the Cake Shake made with Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpet which is just as delicious as it sounds. All in all, Franklin Square is a really fun place. For more information or to find out about upcoming special events at Franklin Square go to http://www.historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/what-to-see/.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for more about Franklin Square.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Web-Sites: Ava Allan and Bedbugreports.com

Me - Today I am recommending Ava Allan's YouTube channel. She does beauty and make-up tutorials. I don't think she is a as good as Bethany Mota, but I still like her. She also has a lot less videos than Bethany. I also like that she does a lot of cool tag videos and stuff with her sister. If you're a tween or a teen girln, you should definitely check out this channel.

Mom - Today I am recommending bedbugreports.com. This is a great web-site if you are going to be traveling and staying in hotels. You can go to this web-site, look up the state and city you will be visiting and  the hotel you are interested in and find out if any bedbugs have been reported. That way, you know what hotels you should definitely avoid. For more information go to http://www.bedbugreports.com/

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Boating

 Me- Boating, wow! I have been on lots of boats. I have been on a paddle boat. I have been on a motor boat. I have been on kayak. I have been on a canoe. I have been on a cruise around New York. My favorite kind of boat that I actually steer by myself or with another person is a kayak. That is really fun. When I was little and I went on a canoe with my brother and another boy, it was rocking. My brother said there was too much weight so that  I should jump out. I didn't. I really liked cruising around New York. The motor boat was really fun too because I got to go with my adorable little cousin. I would like to go on a sailboat. I would like to go on an overnight cruise. I would like to go on a Disney cruise. I would like to go to the Statute of Liberty and not just go by it this time, but actually stop and visit. I would like to go on a Circle Line Cruise. Boating is a really fun activity, and I would like to do more of it.

Mom - I have been on many different boats in my life. I have been on a motorboat. I have been on a canoe. I am sure my father remembers that well. I knocked off his sunglasses with an oar into the Raritan River when went canoeing.  I have been on a ferry several times including once or twice to visit the Statue of Liberty. I went on a cruise to the Greek Islands with my grandmother when I was 13. We didn't go to all the Greek Islands but we went to a bunch of them including Rhodes, Crete, and Mykonos.  I have also been on several cruises around New York Harbor. Those, of course, only last an hour or two. I would like to go on an Alaskan cruise someday. Sometimes, when I first get on the boat, the rocking of the boat bothers me. However, once we set out to sea, I feel fine. As a matter of fact, the faster the boat goes, the better I feel. When we went on our Greek cruise, the last day of the cruise the seas were really rough and the boat was rocking a lot. It gave me a really bad headache. That was the worst day I ever spent on a boat.  Boating is okay, but in general I prefer to stay on dry land.

And that's our view. What is your favorite kind of boat?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday. photo credit

photo credits
photo credit 1: antonychammond via photopin cc
photo credit 2: Duncan Rawlinson. Duncan.co via photopin cc 
photo credit 3: dan.kristiansen via photopin cc

Funny Friday - At the Library

Me -

When I was 2, we were at storytime at the library. My friend, Jason had been sick the week before.When the librarian was in the middle of reading a story, I yelled out "Is Jason feeling all better?"

Mom -

Melia at age 2 to the Librarian "When I grow up and get married and go potty I'm going to have a teeny tiny baby and bring her to storytime, and she's going to like it."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

photo credit: Enokson via photopin cc

Betsy Ross House

We were not financially compensated for this post. We were given free tickets to the Betsy Ross House for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience.

Me- Betsy Ross House, wow! Betsy Ross' house seemed bigger to me than our house. However, our house does not have a gift shop. They also had a snack bar right outside the house. I wish our house had that. The rooms in the house seemed to be a nice size. They had a play kitchen for little kids to pretend they were making turkey pot pie. They also had a real kitchen. Most of the rooms were blocked off. You could look in but you couldn't really go in. Downstairs, there was Betsy's upholstery shop. A Betsy Ross impostor was there.  She stayed in character so well my sister asked if the gift shop was always there, and she said something like thouest doest not have a gift shop in my day. She taught us how she made stars for the flag using only one cut. She cut a star out of paper and let Aurella and I keep it. There was a fountain on the grounds with all these statutes of cats on it. Aurella was obsessed with it and especially loved one of the cats. The Betsy Ross House was interesting.

Mom - The Betsy Ross House, this little tiny old fashioned house seems so funny nestled in the middle of all these more modern looking buildings. The house has been restored and is not the original house that was on the site. When the house was restored Betsy and her third husband, John Claypoole's grave was moved there. They are buried in the courtyard. Ross was the last name of Betsy's first husband. There is also a fountain with cat sculptures all over it in the courtyard. My girls really loved that especially Aurella. In fact, while we were in Philadelphia for a few days, they made us stop at an animal shelter that we passed just so they could play with the cats for a while. It is not known, however, whether or not Betsy Ross was particular fond of cats so it is unknown why there are so many cats on the fountain. The fountain was  not there in Betsy's time. It was built when the house was restored. There is also a gift shop and a snack bar in the courtyard of the Betsy Ross House. Of course, they were not there during Betsy's time either. It felt kind of strange to me that they were there now. I mean it seemed strange that this tiny little house had a snack bar and a gift shop. In the house, downstairs, there is a kitchen, a storage room, and a cartridge room for making gunpowder. Next to the kitchen is a little play kitchen for kid's to pretend to make turkey pot pie. Of course,the play kitchen wasn't there in Betsy's time either. Upstairs, there is Betsy's bedroom, The Widow Lithgow's bedroom (Betsy boarded with the Widow Lithgow), and a parlor. There is also Betsy's upholstery shop. The woman who plays Betsy in Betsy's upholstery shop is really good. She never breaks character. The house also contains an exhibition gallery.

And that's our view. What famous person's house would you like to see if you could?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesdays - Betsy Ross House

We  were not financially compensated for this post. We were given free tickets for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experience.

 What: The Betsy Ross House

Where: 239 Arch Street
            Philadelphia, PA
Who: 10 and up (although there are some areas that younger children will enjoy as well)

Our view: Years ago, I believe there were guided tours, of the Betsy Rose House. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. However, you can rent an audiotape tour, I would recommend doing that because otherwise, it is just like looking at a bunch of old furniture. Knowing what you are seeing, makes it a lot more interesting. Although, most of the house would probably bore very young children, there are several areas that they would really enjoy. In the basement, next to the real kitchen, there is a play kitchen where children are encouraged to make pretend turkey potpie. In the lower level, there is Betsy's upholstery shop, there is an actress playing Betsy who will answer questions. She only talks as if she really lived during the time period when Betsy actually lived so be prepared to translate her answers to your children if necessary. She will also show children how to make a five point star by folding paper and making only one cut. It is also fun for kids if you get to the house early enough to raise the flag with Betsy which happens every day at 10:00 AM. Several young volunteers are even chosen to help in the flag raising ceremony. The Besty Ross House is open all year around. March 1 - November 30 it is open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. December 1 through February 28, it is closed Mondays. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for children/students/seniors/military. Tickets with the audio tour are $2.00 extra. For more information go to http://historicphiladelphia.org/betsy-ross-house/visitors.

And that's our view. Tune in for tomorrow's Talking Topics where we will be talking more about the Betsy Ross House.

Tips for Tuesday - Misc.: PInk and Schoolhouse Rock

 

Me - Today I am recommending Pink, the singer not the color. She's got some really good songs. I really love Just Give Me A Reason,  So What, Perfect and Raise Your Glass. All of her songs are so completely different, you would never know the same person sings them.  She has so many different singing styles. I like that about her.

Mom- Today I am recommending Schoolhouse Rock. When I was young, Schoolhouse Rock was a collection of cute little songs that were on between TV shows. They taught us things about English grammar, multiplication, social studies and science. It was a fun way to learn and even now years later so many of the songs  are still stuck in my head from my childhood. Nowadays, you can get  the whole collection on DVD. We have it, and my girls love it as much as I did. It is especially great for kids learning their times tables. There is also a newer Schoolhouse Rock DVD about the Earth and conservation and recycling and related topics. However, that one isn't as good as the originals.