What to do On a Rainy Summer Day?

We love summer and warm weather and we like to spend a lot of time outside, but what do you do when its raining out and the kids are home on summer vacation?  We love snuggling up on the couch and watching Netflix.  The kids take turns choosing episodes of theirr favorite shows, complete with blankets and snacks.  For the same price as a couple of movie rentals, you can stream Netflix on any TV, computer, iPad or tablet in your home, in fact Netflix is available on hundreds of devices that you probably already own. You can watch as many shows and movies as you want and there is no worrying about returning anything by a certain day and time.

Our favorite feature is the just for kids section.  This section is perfect for ages 2-12 and is filled with my kid's favorite shows such as Transformers Prime, Johnny Test and H2O.

One of their most favorite is Pingu.

He is a cute little claymation penguin who is always doing silly things.  I love hearing the kids laughing at this show.  The best part about the kids only section is that every show and movie there is for children, and I don't have to worry about them clicking on something that is for adults.  Netflix is really the best value for your money and you can take your favorite shows with you everywhere you go.  Whenever we have a long wait, like at the doctor's office, I can just log on to my Netflix account on my phone and the kids can watch their shows.  Some nights I like to let them stay up a little later and watch a good movie, then I know they will sleep in the next morning and so will I.

Someone is really cold and wants to wear her footie pajamas for movie night

What are you watching on TV with your family? Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.

And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.

The Clear Way to Straighter Teeth

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, however all opinions are my own

Growing up I thought I was lucky that my teeth were pretty straight.  Many of my friends got braces and had to deal with rubber bands, brushing after every snack or meal, and having their braces adjusted every so often.  I was not envious of them at all.  The truth is that my teeth were not as straight as I would have liked them to be, I had a lot of crowding and some of my lower teeth were rotated.  It wasn't until I was 31 that I finally made the decision to get braces.  I was excited at the thought of finally having straight teeth, but at the same time I did not want to deal with a mouth full of metal and feel self conscious all the time.  Its not as common to see adults with braces as it is to see kids or teens with them, and I really had to talk myself into just sucking it up for 18 months.

I pretty much went with what the orthodontist suggested, as far as braces  go, but to this day I wish I had asked him about Invisalign.  My traditional braces cannot be removed when I eat or brush, I have to floss around them, and they don't look that great either.  Invisalign is a modern method of straightening teeth and uses no wires or brackets.  It uses a series of virtually invisible and removable aligners that move teeth over time. There are many benefits to using this method, such as no food restrictions.  Because you can take the aligners out to eat, you can still enjoy popcorn and other crunchy snacks.  You can also do a better job brushing and flossing your teeth.  There is very minimal interference with sports or other activities, and your teeth get straightened without people even knowing you have them on. 

The cost for Invisalign is about the same as traditional braces, but this system usually requires fewer office visits and shorter appointments.  The best part is that there are no "emergency" visits when a bracket breaks off or a wire starts poking. Those wires can really cut up your cheeks if they slide out of place, and if you have a child in sports there is always the fear of a mouth injury.

My orthodontic journey is almost over (end of summer I think) but my daughter's is going to start very soon and I'm really excited to hear about the new Invisalign Teen.  She will be able to smile with confidence instead of waiting until her braces come off.

As with any medical procedure, consider getting a second opinion if you are told you or your child is not a candidate for Invisalign. Not all dentists and orthodontists are certified Invisalign providers, the best way to find an Invisalign provider is to visit the Invisalign Doctor Locator

Free Blogger Event

Summer Fun Event

Organized by: Iowa Mom

Prizes Include: Skywalker Bounce-N-Learn Trampoline, Intex 10' x 30" Metal Frame Swimming Pool, Glenmeadow 6-Piece Folding Patio Dining Set with Umbrella, Flexible Flyer Swing Free Metal Swing Set & 20" Huffy Rock It Boys' Bike. *5 winners*

Event dates: 6/10 - 6/24

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My Bantams Have a New Home

As many of you know I have been raising chickens for some time, and we have pretty much stuck to standard breed chicks up until this year.  We decided to add some little bantams to our backyard flock this past spring but we wanted to keep them separate from our standards.  I knew we always had the option of building the second chicken coop, but between not being sure about size and style, as well as not having any free time as it is PLUS the hassle of buying all the materials, finding a pre-made coop was exactly the right choice for us.  Horizon Structures generously offered to send me one of their amazing coops and I was so excited when it arrived!

There were actually two more coops at the other end of this trailer and I thought they looked so cute pulling up to the house.  The driver was really helpful with unloading and helping us get it to the right spot in the back yard.  Since all of Horizon Structure's coops come fully assembled, it was only a matter of getting it to where we wanted it.

The coop is perfectly adorable and I love it! This is called the 5 x 6 chicken coop and is designed to house up to 15 birds.  The ground where we set it up was not level so we had to put something under one side, but I have already started planting hostas and ferns around it to make it even more cute.  Horizon Structures offers many options and add ons to their coops, everything from paint colors to dawn to dusk doors, you can even put it on wheels so that it can be moved easily.  I chose the colors on my coop as well as the color of the shingles on the roof.

Someone could not wait to get it ready and more the chickens in.  She even asked if she could sleep in there!

Here is a picture of the inside (with a handful of straw lol).  There are two windows that open and close on the right, underneath those there are nesting boxes that are also accessible from the outside of the coop.  To the left is their little roosting area and above that is an additional ventilation window that can open and close.  I will have to do a full video tour to show all the great features that this coop has.  I love that it is raised off of the ground, it makes it much easier to clean in there.  

Here they all are checking out their new home, aren't they cute?  My bantams are still pretty small, and won't be nearly as big as standard chickens, this makes them an easier target for predators.  This chicken coop is completely predator safe.  We added a small run on the outside, but will have to replace it with a bigger one once these guys grow up.  

I am so happy with our new coop and it looks so nice in our yard, I'm glad we did not attempt to build something ourselves.  You will have to stay tuned for a little video tour and some live footage of this cute little rooster crowing.

Disclosure:  I was sent this beautiful coop by the generous people of Horizon Structures, all opinions and photos are my own. 

NOVICA is the Place for Special Gifts {Giveaway}

Spring and summer are a busy time for us with birthdays, not to mention Mother's and Father's days, anniversaries and so on.  I have a hard time picking out meaningful gifts because the stores around here really don't carry anything that catches my eye.  Shopping at NOVICA has become my life saver.  NOVICA, who is in association with National Geographic, is giving artisans around the world a way to share their craft and it is providing us with amazing products.  The site is easy to navigate and you can search for products by categories such as jewelry, furniture, and clothing or by price range or person you are buying for.

I adore all the treasures that I find on there and really have a hard time choosing what to buy.  Anytime I buy something from NOVICA, it comes beautifully wrapped and usually has some sort of post card from whatever country the piece is from.

One of my readers will win a $40 gift code to use on NOVICA.com, on any item they choose, but good luck trying to figure out what item is your favorite!  All you have to do to enter the giveaway is follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.

Due to the extreme amounts of entries that have not followed directions, I will be verifying each and every entry to make sure it is valid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I received a gift code from NOVICA, all opinions are my own