QwikWord Swag Giveaway

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Dates: 9/30-10/14

Open to: US Residents 18+

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Disclosure: Says Me Says Mom was not compensated for this post and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Tips for Tuesday- Movies: Grease and And So it Goes

While we were not financially compensated for this post, this post may contain affiliate links. All opinions expressed here are our own.  

 

Me - Today I am recommending Grease. It is a good movie. It has good music. I especially like the song Summer Nights. I like the romance between Danny and Sandy  Sandy played by Olivia Newton John is my favorite character. She is pretty and she has a nice singing voice. I like her Australian accent too. All in all, it's a great movie.

 

Mom - Today I am recommending And So It Goes. At its heart this movie is about people who have loved and lost and are afraid to open their hearts and be hurt again. At first Michael Douglass as Oren Little seems to be playing just another crotchety old man. However, Oren acts the way he does because he is taking it out on the world that his wife got sick and died.  Then, there is Leah played by Diane Keaton. On the surface , Diane Keaton seems to be playing the same role she always plays. However, the role is a stretch for her since she is required to sing. While she won't win any awards for her singing, it is not cringeworthy either. Also, her usual reserve works well here since she plays a character who has is holding herself back after also having suffered a loss. These two characters are drawn together by Oren's granddaughter, Sarah played by Sterling Jerins, a young actress with very expressive eyes. Sarah is  a little girl who also knows about loss since her mother is drug addict whom she has never met, and her father who has cared for her for her entire life has been wrongly jailed. The way all those characters come together and learn to love and trust again makes for a good and entertaining story.

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

Monthly Mash-up for September 2014: D.I.Ys and Sports Movies

Me - My topic for this month is D.I.Y.s. D.I.Y.s are super fun ways to change from plain and boring to super fun and interesting and unique. You can just get totally creative with them. No matter how you do it, you can't be wrong. You'll never create exactly the same thing twice. They don't always turn out exactly how you planned, but they'll still end up looking really cute and super creative anyway. They don't have to be really extravagant either. You can always just do something simple and quick like draw a picture and glue it on to something. You can do a D.I.Y. for almost anything. They are just really cute creative ways to spice things up. Lately, I have been really into doing D.I.Y projects.  Some of my recent D.I.Y.s have been folders, a pencil case, a binder, a pencil bin. I have also done light switch plates. D.I.Ys are especially great during the back-to-school season. School supplies with designs can be pretty expensive. Instead of buying the expensive supplies that come with designs, you can buy the plain ones and just decorate them at home. That way, not only will you have saved money, but it will be super fun, and your finished product will be super creative and unique and no one will have the same design as you.  You can be proud of yourself too because you created it yourself.  I love D.I.Ys!

Mom- My topic for this month is sports movies. I love sports movies. I like them even better than I like sports. I mean, don't get me wrong I do like some sports in life too. For example, I like baseball, hockey, gymnastics and figure skating. I don't actually participate in any of these sports I just like to watch them. However, on the big screen I even like sports that I don't actually like at all in life like football or race car driving or even boxing. Boxing is a sport  that I particularly hate in real life. I mean a sport where the object is actually to beat each other up, there is something wrong with that. Yet, there have been boxing movies that I have really liked like Million Dollar Baby and The Champ. I do not like all sports movies, however. Of the ones that I do like, I am particularly fond of the inspirational based on a true story ones even though I do not even always like all of those. However, chances are if the trailer alone makes me want to cry, I am going to love the movie.

VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus Giveaway!

VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus Giveaway!

Hosted By Golden State Mom & Sponsored By VTECH

You can read the review of the VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus by going here!

Now onto the GIVEAWAY:

• 1 reader will win a VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus
• This giveaway will begin on 9/29 at 5 am and end on 10/13 at midnight PST.
• This is open to the U.S. only
• Void where prohibited by law
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• Winner will be notified by email
• Must be 18 years of age or older
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• Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure- Golden State Mom was compensated either by free product. All opinions and experiences are my own. Open to the US, must be 18+. Confirmed Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 24 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Entrants must only enter with either one email address, IP address and/or Facebook account, anyone found violating these rules will be disqualified. It is at the sole discretion of the admin of the giveaway if the winner has met the rules or not. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of the giveaway. 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. 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. For questions about this giveaway or to have me promote your product, Please email goldenstatemom@gmail.com

Funny Friday - Baseball Stories

In honor of Derek Jeter's amazing final game at Yankee Stadium, we present another baseball Funny Friday.

Me- 

When my sister was two, my Mom, my Dad, my sister and my brother went to a Minor League baseball game. They were seating behind the visiting bullpen. When the pitcher finished warming up, one of the players handed my sister the ball. After that, she thought the player that handed her the ball was her boyfriend.

Mom -

Back in the 80's, I was staying with my brother in New York City. When his roommate found out I was going to a baseball card show and some New York Mets players were going to be appearing there he asked me which players would be there. "David Cone, Mackey Sasser..." I replied. Both of them were active  players on the Mets at that time.

"Mackey Sasser?" said my brother's roommate. "Ask him about AJ's!" He explained to me that AJ's was this dance club where the players all hung out in St. Louis.

When I went to the card show and saw Mackey Sasser, I said "My brother and his friend went to school in St. Louis, and they told me to ask about this place where you hang  out there."

So he named some fancy restaurant or something which I forget the name of now.

"No." I said shaking my head. "I don't think that's it. DJ's or something." 

"AJ's?" he replied knowing it immediately.

"Oh." I said. "I don't know. I mean I have been to St. Louis, but I have never there."

"I saw you dancing there!" he replied.

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

Photo credit:photo credit: reillyandrew via photopin cc

The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park

Me - The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, wow! It was fun. I learned a lot of stuff. For instance, I learned that Thomas Edison had the most patents. They had laid out all pictures and documents related to all the big events in his life. There was a picture that showed what the property looked like when it was Edison's lab. Then, there was a button you could push, and it lit up the picture to show what  the building and property is like now. On one of the walls, there was a lot of Edison's patents. They had this model house that was built out of pieces of  the old building. They had three different models of phonographs. We got to listen to recordings on all of them. They actually sounded pretty good considering they are hundreds of years old. Edison built the first electric train and it ran right across the street from where the laboratory is located.  There was a picture of the train. My Dad said it looked like the boat in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  There was a tower there too. They were doing construction on the tower so we couldn't go in it. All in all, it was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be.

Mom -  Although, of course, I had heard of Thomas Edison before I went to the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, I really didn't know that much about him. In the museum, I got to learn a lot of interesting things about Thomas Edison. I learned about his early life, in Ohio where he was born and later in Michigan. I learned about how originally he used to sell newspapers and later became a telegraph operator. I learned about his early experimenting and how he first became an inventor.  I learned about his early inventions like the stock ticker and the electric vote recorder. I learned about how he came to build his research laboratory and how it was the first of its kind. I also enjoyed learning about Edison's family life. For instance, I never knew that he was married twice and had three children with each of his wives and that one of his children was even Governor of New Jersey at one time. The pictures and artifacts in the museum really made everything I learned about Edison come alive. There were pictures of young Edison and pictures of him and his family. There were many of his inventions including light bulbs, a generator and various incarnations of the phonograph. It was especially fun to listen to the original phonographic recordings. I also enjoyed seeing the model house someone made out of the wood from Edison's original laboratory and gave to him as  a gift. I also really enjoyed seeing many of Edison's original patents especially since I used to work in a patent law office. I learned  and saw a lot more as well much more than I could put in a paragraph. The museum really made Edison come alive for me much more then ever before. If you have an interest in history, science, inventions, and/or Thomas Edison and you ever have the opportunity to visit the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park, I would highly recommend it.

 And that's our view. What would you be most interesting in seeing or learning about at the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park

 

What: The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park


Where: 37 Christie Street
              Edison, NJ

Who: 10 and up

Our view: The Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park is located at the site of Edison's laboratory. It consists of a museum and and The Thomas Edison Memorial Tower. The tower, however, is currently undergoing renovation and is closed to the public. The museum while quite small is very interesting and informative. Many artifacts related to Thomas Edison are located here, such as, some of his patents, phonographs and light bulbs. There are also many photographs of Edison, his family, his inventions and the property as it existed during Edison's time. A particular highlight of the museum is the opportunity to listen to phonographic recordings made during Edison's time. The museum is small and only consists of two rooms. It is expected to eventually be renovated into a much larger museum. However, while the renovation of the tower has begun work on the new museum has not been started nor has a date been given for starting on the project let alone when it is expected to open. However, even in its current state the museum is still worthwhile. Guided tours of the museum are optional. Even though the museum is very small, we would still recommend the tour because it is very informative. We would not recommend the tour for small children or people with short attention spans, however although they still might enjoy looking at some of the exhibits and listening to the phonographs. There is no fee for visiting the Center. However, the center is supported by donations. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 10:00 to 4:00.

And that's our view. Tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topics post for more about the Thomas Edison Center at Menlo Park.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Web-Sites: Frogbert and E! Pop Community

Me - Today I am recommending Frogbert. If you want to hop, you press the left side. If you want to catch flies, you press the right side. You can play challenge mode where there is different levels or you can play endless mode. If you land in the water or on a snake or in a fire you die. The object of the game is to beat the level. To beat the level you have to get a certain number of points. To get the points you have to catch a certain number of flies. It is a fun game.

Mom - Today I am recommending E! Pop Community. If you are a fan of E! and you want to give your opinion of their shows, join this panel. If you're only interested in rewards, this may not be the panel for you. There are no other rewards here other than the satisfaction of giving your opinion and possible early access to E! programming. For more information go to https://www.epopcommunity.com/Portal/default.aspx.

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

Kidszignments Fall 2014 Kids Consignment Sales

Disclaimer: We were compensated for this post. However, we do blog with integrity and any and all opinions expressed herein are our own based on our experiences.


What: Kidszignments Children's Consignment Sales

Where: NJ Convention and Expo Center
              97 Sunfield Avenue
              Edison, NJ

When: Thursday September 25,  9am - 8pm
             Friday September 26, 9am -7pm
             Saturday September 27, 10am-6pm - 1/2 price sale

In addition to the following for children of all ages:

every day clothing. formal clothing, footwear, dress-up clothes, costumes,  indoor toys, outdoor toys, sports equipment, books, videos, and DVDs

you will find:

infant gear and baby furniture

as well as :

ladies designer handbags. ladies coats, ladies shoes

and even:

home furnishings

Plus a whole lot more!

You won't want to miss it! Stop by and tell them Jeryl and Melia from Says Me Says Mom sent you.

For more information regarding  the current sale or future sales or to find out how to become a consigner yourself  go to  http://www.kidzsignments.com/ or 

follow Kidzsignments HERE on Facebook!


The next sale will be held on October 9-11 in Branchburg, NJ. More information on that sale will be provided in a future post.

Interesting Ice Cream Flavors

 Me - Interesting ice cream flavors, wow! I do not usually like to try different flavors of ice cream. I like to stick to the flavors I like. My favorite flavors are chocolate and cookies and cream. Some flavors have interesting names though. Some I would actually try are Bobsled Brownie ice cream,  3 Point Chocolate ice cream, World Class Chocolate Ice Cream, Buttered Popcorn ice cream and PA Dutch Pretzel ice cream.  Other flavors that sound cool but I probably would not try are Love Potion #31, Hunka Chunka PB Fudge, Celebration, Fried Ice Cream,  and Lady Liberty Mint. I would love it if they had chocolate ice cream with crunch and/or chocolate ice cream with cake. I like to hear about interesting sounding ice cream flavors but I don't really like to try that many.

Me - I am not really that daring when it comes to food, but I like to try different kinds of ice cream flavors. I don't really like any with fruit flavors, coffees flavors or coconut, but I will try most others. Some interesting flavors I have had are Snickers flavor, Milky Way flavor, Reeses Peanut Butter flavor, Buttered Popcorn flavor, and Birthday Cake flavor. Some interesting flavors I have never tried but would like to  are Bobsled Brownie flavor, 3 Point Chocolate flavor, Quarterback Crunch flavor, Tax Crunch flavor, Winter White Chocolate flavor, Hunka Chunka PB Fudge flavor, Party Cake flavor, and Chunky Peanut Butter flavor. Ice cream flavors that sound interesting but I probably would not try are Baseball Nut Ice Cream, Getrude Hawks Box of Chocolate, and Whoopie Pie. I would love it if there were an all White Chocolate ice cream flavor. I just love ice cream, and I love to try new and interesting ice cream flavors.

And that's our view. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

photo credits
photo credit 1: seriouslygood1 via photopin cc
photo credit 2: She Who Shall Not Be Named via photopin cc

Amazon $50.00 Gift Card Giveaway

We are happy to bring you another opportunity to win a great prize sponsored by Fronto and hosted by some of our fellow bloggers. See below for your chance to win a $50.00 Amazon Giftcard!

Hosted by: Queen of Savings, Tammie's Reviews, Giveaways & More

Co-hosted by: Bridget's Blog, Here we go again, ready?, Michigan Savings & More, Just Married Mom of 3, My Fab Fit Forties & Blogger Nicole

Sponsor: fronto

Fronto began with a really simple idea: Your smartphone screen can be smarter.By revolutionizing the front of your phone, they make brands, news and other important information more accessible. Download fronto for your Android device here.

Prize: Amazon $50 GC

Dates: 9/20-10/4

Open to: US Residents 18+

Enter to win using the widget below. Good luck!

Amazon $50 Gift Card Sponsored by fronto

Funny Friday - Bathtub Tales

 Me -

Once when I was little, my Dad was taking a bath. I kept going over and handing him my bath toys.

Mom -

Once when Melia was little, my husband was taking a bath. Melia went over and stood by the tub, and she kept leaning in and leaning in until she fell in with her pajamas on.

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

photo credit: jeremylukehill via photopin cc

Garden State Discovery Museum

Me - Garden State Discovery Museum, wow! It was a good place for younger kids. However, I was too old for it. Aurella had a good time, however. There was a diner that looked like Johnny Rockets. This little girl kept bringing my Mom and I pretend food. At one point, she stole it from my sister and gave it to us. They had a little mini basketball court. It was out to get me. It would not let me score a basket. There was a little mini hockey rink. Of course, there was not real ice though. Also, the pucks were not hard. They were soft foam. I walked along the rink and just pushed the puck into the goal. My grandmother thought I was cheating. I thought I was being creative and using my resources. I was too big for the Dinosaurium. I was following my sister around, and I kept hitting my head. Either it was really small or I am really big. There were some live fish. One of them was a really big fish. There was a science room. There was a tube where you put a scarf in and air was blowing inside the tube, and the scarf blew all around the room in the tube and out the other end. There was a vet's office. My Dad said that the toy dog looked real when I showed him the picture. There was a pizza parlor. Outside, there were animals and gardens. For a while, I was outside with my grandparents.We were looking at Turtles. The turtles were surprisingly interesting. There were also rabbits. They were really cute. Garden State Discovery Museum is a fun place to take little kids. I would like to go with my little cousin some day.


 Mom - The Garden State Discovery Museum seems small from the outside, but inside there are a lot of different areas.There were areas to pretend. Aurella pretended to be a Vet. She pretended to be a doctor. She also pretended to be a cook and a waitress at the Silver Diner. She pretended to shop at a farm's market. She pretended to be a news camera person, and Melia pretended to be a newscaster. That was one of the only times Melia didn't seem totally bored the whole day. Mostly, the museum was too young for her. Aurella pretended other things too, but we won't mention them all here. There were also areas to learn. Aurella learned about fractions at the pretend California Pizza Kitchen. In the Dinosaurium, there was an area where you could find out what dinosaurs would have been found in what state. I found that interesting. There was also a whole science area. There were areas to get exercise. Aurella climbed on the skelton of T Rex in the Dinosaurium. She also played on the mini hockey rink. Philadelphia Flyer fans would really love that because the rink is actually a miniature Flyers hockey rink. We are not Flyers fans, however. There is also a mini basketball court and a climbing wall. The climbing wall is pretty small. There is an arts and crafts area, but it was not open when we were there. There are plant and animals outside the museum. There is a turtle pond, a rabbit hutch, an edible garden and a flower garden. Aurella had a good time at the museum, and I enjoyed spending time with her there. I am glad we went when we did. In another year or two, Aurella will be too old for the museum just like Melia is already. That makes me a little sad. Time is just going by too quickly and my girls are growing up too fast. Part of me wishes they could just stay my babies forever.



And that's our view. What do you think kids would like to pretend to do?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Garden State Discovery Museum

What: Garden State Discovery Museum

Where: 2040 Springdale Road
            Suite 100
            Cherry Hill, NJ

Who: 10 and under

 

Our view: Once your children come to the Garden State Discovery Museum, it will be hard to get them to leave.  There is so much here for them to do and see in this fun interactive museum. They can pretend to be a vet tending to sick animals. They can pretend to be a cook working in a diner. They can play basketball in a mini basketball court or pretend to play hockey in a mini hockey rink. They can climb around in the Dinosaurium. This is only a small fraction of the things that are available to do at the museum. Although not as big as some other more well known museums, Garden State Discovery Museum is certainly no less entertaining for young children. Older children, however, especially children in their late tweens and beyond would probably be bored with the museum. There is also a theater at the museum where children's plays and special events are staged. In addition to the usual birthday party packages available the museum also offers a sleepover birthday party. The museum is generally open from 8:30 to 5:30 every day. However, from October to April Saturday hours are from 9:30 to 8:30 and in July and August Monday through Thursday hours are from 9:30 to 8:30. Admission is $12.95 plus tax  for adults and children 12 months and over and $11.95 plus tax for seniors. Monday through Thursday in July and August admission is only $5.00 plus tax after  5:00. All programs are free with admission unless otherwise noted.  For more information go to http://www.discoverymuseum.com/.

And that's our view. We will also be talking more about Garden State Discovery Museum in tomorrow's Talking Topics post.

Tips for Tuesday - Misc.: SPCA

Me - Today I am recommending the SPCA. That is where we got our wonderful cats. I like the SPCA because they take in strays and find them good homes. I would always get my animals from there.

Mom - Today I am also recommending the SPCA.  In addition to adoption centers, depending on the location they also offer spay/neuter clinics, vaccination clinics, grooming and even doggy daycare. Besides, even if all they did was take homeless animals off the streets and help find them good homes that would be enough.If I am ever looking for a new dog or cat to add to my household, I would never go to a pet store only to the SPCA.

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

Mermaids

Me - Mermaids, wow! I like mermaids. I read this series called Real Mermaids. It has four books in it so far. It's about a girl named Jade who finds out her mother is a mermaid and she is one too. I like it a lot. There's a show called H20 about mermaids. It is about three girls who are mermaids. Other people don't know they are mermaids except for one named Lewis. He  is a friend of theirs. They don't want other people to know they are mermaids because they are afraid they will be poked and prodded at. H20 used to be one of my favorites shows. It was one of my sister's favorite shows too. It was the only favorite show we ever agreed on. I even got an H20 necklace from e-bay. However, it is not one of my favorite shows anymore. It is hardly ever on, and I decided I like other shows better. I also like the Disney movie The Little Mermaid. I like the character of Ariel. I like mermaids but I wouldn't want to be one. It seems like too much work having to keep it secret so people don't want to poke and prod at you.

Mom - I like the original Hans Christian Andersen story The Little Mermaid. When I was little, and I saw the movie Hans Christian Anderson on TV, I think that was the first time I ever heard of mermaids. Melia read a series of books about a girl who finds out her mother was a mermaid and she is one too. She recommended them to me, and I read them as well. The first book in the series is called Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings. There are three other books in the series as well. I like the Disney movie The Little Mermaid. I also like the movie Splash, which was also about a mermaid. Aurella and I also saw the movie Ponyo for one of her birthdays.It was also basically a mermaid tale (no pun intended.) My daughters were  really into H20: Just Add Water. Aside from it's redundant title, my husband and I just don't get it. The show really seems like nothing more than an Australian soap opera where the girls happen to be mermaids. It is not that that I am against soap operas. There was a time in my life when I was really into soap operas. However, I just don't really like that particular soap opera.

And that's our view. What do you think about mermaids?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.