This Week’s KidVentures {May 17}

The weather has been PERFECT for some easy KidVentures this week.  We even got to break out the sprinkler for the first time! Which is always a hit for about seven minutes….anyone else experience this?  I’m not sure if it’s because the water is too cold, or the sprinkler isn’t that exciting, or what the non-draw is!  {Vent it out with me in the comment section!}

jumping in the sprinkler for the first time of the year

There were melted marshmallow and chocolate mouths that come from the pure pleasure of ingesting s’mores…

making s'mores on a firepit

There was a team effort bug hunt for butterflies, dragonflies, and spiders (eeeek!),

kids trying to catch butterflies

And we even a “magic” tree house discovered in the woods.

finding a magic treehouse in the woods

Hello, Simple Outdoor Pleasures of Summer!  Welcome back!

If you need some simple ideas for this upcoming season – KidVentures is chock-full of them!  From building a homemade sprinkler from PVC pipe, to how to skip rocks, to making chalk sidewalk people, to geocaching… great ideas that you can pick up and go!

As a fellow mom of four boys, I’m always looking for ways to keep my wild bunch active. When my boys get too wiggly and wild in the house, we say, “Are you acting like an animal? Where do animals live?”. They always run to the closet and grab their shoes and answer, “Outside!”. Kidventures is so comprehensive and detailed, Jen makes it too easy not to head out and play. I’m looking forward to putting KidVentures to use this summer, making sweet memories with my boys while keeping my house and sanity intact.

- Hayley Morgan,TheTinyTwig.com, Founder of The Influence Network

Oh and good news!  KidVentures is now available on Nook!  And I’ve had a handful of people who are new to ebooks asking if they could get a copy without a reader or tablet.  ABSOLUTELY!  You can download the PDF and read it on your computer, copy it off, or read it from an app on your phone! 

I was going to spend a few hours planning summer fun for my 3 kids, now I don’t have to. Jen’s book is PACKED with fun, simple experiences that are very well laid out and clearly explained. Honestly? I’m just as excited as my kids are about doing these activities!

-Kat Lee, InspiredToAction.com

So what KidVentures are YOU conquering first?

 

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Making a Commercial at Connor Prairie

You might remember our early spring trip to Conner Prairie…we had such a great day, and couldn’t wait to go back.  Little did we know that the next time we would find ourselves at our favorite interactive history park, we would be filming a TV commercial! 

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Who knew “working” could be so much FUN?!!! The boys spent the day on several “sets” which were really just set up for them to enjoy the park for the day.

From pretending to be Civil War soldiers…

civil war days at conner prairie 

To checking out the newborn piglets…

conner prairie baby animals 

Making pottery creations…

conner prairie pottery

And science experiments that were entirely hands-on! 

conner prairie science area hands on  

And that doesn’t even cover half of it! I can’t even describe what an excellent experience we had as a family.  The entire crew at Lodge Design were wonderful to work with, the staff at Conner Prairie were fabulous, the other “talent” family became our fast friends, and the boys did everything they were asked without complaint! And although we were exhausted at the end of the day, we couldn’t have asked for anything to have gone better!

Check out how an entire day of shooting was cut into this 30 second television spot! 

 

We love that at Conner Prairie it’s ALL hands on and that questions are encouraged!  Learning comes so naturally when you’re having fun, which is why we’ll be back several times over the summer! Who’s coming with us?

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I Can Breathe Clearly Now {with my Airocide Air Purifier}

airocide stock image

I’m the one out of five people who suffer from allergies or asthma.  Lucky me.  And like most allergy sufferers, I’ve tried it all – medications, nose sprays, air filters, etc. without much relief. So when Airocide contacted me and wanted me to give their fancy smancy NASA developed air purifier a whirl, I didn’t have a thing to loose!

First off, I was impressed with its sleek design.  It didn’t say “Look out, ugly plastic air purifier in the middle of the room”. It was more of “Hey, aren’t you all cool over there all blending in and looking hip with those clean simple lines?”.  

airocide living room stock image

Next, I was blown away by its easy functionality.  You simply plug it in and let it do it’s magic.  No changing filters every month or crazy instruction manual.  It has 3 simple options – low/high/auto.  Here’s the thing I love about the auto setting….so say you aren’t into white noise while you sleep, the air purifier has a light sensor and when the room darkens, it automatically switches to a quiet low setting.  Every once a year or so, there’s a reaction chamber that needs replaced, but that’s the only maintenance required.

Lastly, I love the results.  My throat and nose have been clearer this allergy season than any I remember.  Because Airocide eliminates (not filters) virtually 100% of all airborne pathogens including the main allergy triggers: mold, fungi, pollen, dust mites, viruses, bacteria and VOC’s — basically the harmful gasses emitted by products like aerosol sprays, cleaning supplies, dry-cleaned clothing, building materials, pesticides, carpet, furniture and even air fresheners (a claim traditional air filters can’t even come close to making). I love the peace of mind that our family is breathing cleaner, purer air.  Most people report feeling better overall in the first few days of use!

The only downside would be the price, but if you look at it as kickback for your health, and a savings from potential medications, illnesses, allergic reactions, it’s definitely worth the initial investment.  That to me would be worth the 65 cents to operate it per day, and Airocide stands behind their product and offers a money back guarantee!

{You can find out more about breathing clearer on the Airocide website, or also find them on Twitter and Facebook. }

So how do YOU attempt to breathe clearly during allergy season? What works for YOU?

*Thanks to Airocide for providing the air purifier for review purposes, as always my opinions and overall impressions expressed are my own.
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