Chicago Toy & Game Fair - November 18 & 19 Family Pass Giveaway - Ends 11/18 #chitag

It's almost time for Christmas so what better time than now to have some fun with the coolest trendiest toys around by coming to the Chicago Toy & Game Week this weekend.  There are going to be so many fun things to do and there will be a special Star Wars event!  My family loves Star Wars and this is right up there with Disney's Star Wars events. 

If that isn't enough to trigger your desire to attend, look what else they have in store for participants:

• Walk inside the World's Largest PomPomWow!
• Super Power Sensory Hour 9:00 am – 10:00 am hosted by The National Lekotek Center providing early access to families of children with special needs 
• Inventor Meet and Greet throughout both days!! Want to meet the inventor of BopIt? Operation? Jenga? Nerf? Twister? You can say “hello” and get inside knowledge from all – they’ll at the Fair. Also meet upcoming inventors and try their products out. You’ll be able to say you knew them before they were hot!
• Yo-Yo Championship - Contestants from Coast to Coast
• Attend the Star Wars Lunch
• Enter the Young Inventor Challenge & Young Tech Challenge (free!) Amazing Prizes & Meet Toy and Game Executives and Inventors
• Test drive vehicles from Razor, Peg Perego and RadioFlyer Mini Tesla!! 
• Mommy & Gracie Show Unboxing! Did you catch last year’s unboxing?? https://youtu.be/wslvGlPjDQs 
• IllumiCraft STEM-based Craft Party with Gift
• Upon A Craft Line Holiday Project
• Be entertained by Ben’s Giant Bubble Show
• Test out New Products Before They Hit Retail Shelves
• Shop for the Hottest New and Classic Toys for the Holidays 
• Interactive Exhibits
• Giveaways, Stage Events, Magic Shows, Contests, Laser Tag, Crafts, Characters, GameTruck, Knockerball and much more!

In case you don't win, check out this $3 coupon off ChiTAG Fair Admission. Follow the link, register online and use the promo code CHITAG3:  CLICK HERE CHICAGO TOY & GAME WEEK DISCOUNT

Now is your chance to win the FAMILY WEEKEND PASS GIVEAWAY (value $92). To enter, complete the entries below.  One winner will be selected and notified ASAP on Friday evening.


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Three Key Benefits of an Unlocked Phone & Best Buy Specials Now Through 11/5/2016 #ad

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Purchasing cell phones have become complicated over time and it's almost comparable to buying a tube of toothpaste with all the variations, brands, features and more. I had never broken or lost a phone in the entire time I have owned cell phones until this year. I not only broke one phone but I broke TWO. Now that I am on the path of replacing yet another phone as my renewal isn't up until May of next year, I'm going to seek out an unlocked phone thanks to this post as I really didn't know too much about unlocked phones and had an image of someone shady selling one they stole. It's not that way att all however.

Unlocked phones are becoming a popular choice here in the U.S. Why? Because nothing beats the freedom of an unlocked phone when it comes to choice of models, carriers or plans. It makes no sense to get locked into a certain brand just because your carrier only sells a select number. You can click on Best Buy Unlocked Education Sheet to learn more.

If you are like me, you are probably wanting to know what is an unlocked smartphone? An unlocked smartphone is a phone that isn't tied to a specific carrier or contract. Therefore, you have the freedom to shop for the latest phones and plans as often — or as infrequently — as you like. And when it comes to international travel, unlocked phones can't be beat.

If this sounds interesting to you or you have a Christmas gift you need to purchase, Best Buy has an Unlocked Smartphone savings event going on right now with sales on Samsung, Huawei, Moto, Sony, BLU, Alcatel and ZTE smartphones.

Three Key Benefits of Unlocked Phones:

• They offer freedom and flexibility from carriers and contracts
• Save money
• Great for International Travel

To learn more, click on each brand link to get more details:

Moto:

• Offer: Save $50 on Select Moto Mods with purchase of Moto Z Play
• Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/5/16

Huawei:

• Offer: Save $50 on the Honor 8 by Huawei plus get a free case 
• Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

Samsung:

• Offer: Save $100 on the Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
• Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

BLU:

• Offer: Save $40 on the BLU Life XL
• Valid Dates: 11/6/16-11/12/16

Sony:

• Offer: Save $100 on the Sony XPERIA X Compact
• Valid Dates: 10/30/16-11/12/16

Disclaimer for all offers listed: Offer valid 10/30/16-11/12/16. Phones, service and coverage not available in all markets. Available in New Jersey. No dealers. See a Blue Shirt for details. 4G/4G LTE not available in all markets. Products must be purchased on same receipt to receive bundle/package savings.​​​​ 

@BestBuy

#bbyunlocked  #ad

10 Photos on Why to Visit Beautiful Monterey Bay

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Traveling to not going anywhere but just to go would be a dream existence to many. I am one of those that loves to travel not for the purpose of being able to proclaim I've been there rather to experience the site, the culture, the beauty and all there is to learn about.  I've been to many states throughout my adult life and have resided in over five.  I am grateful for the experience to be able to determine what I want or need from life.  I found my true desire in life is to travel and explore.  I have many favorite places and many of them revolve around beaches, warm climates and Disney.  I am a person who thrives in the sun, the hot temperatures and water.  As part of my journey in exploring different areas, I went to Monterrey Bay and Pacific Grove and I immediately fell in love with the area.

One of my first stops was at Cannery Row which is famous thanks to the author John Steinbeck.  Cannery Row (1945) was made into a movie and it's been one of the most read fictional pieces around. It's a cozy area with a moderate level of tourism and plenty of things to do whether it's just casual strolls around the neighborhoods or store fronts or to shop, eat or visit the attractions. It truly is a picturesque charming area that will captivate just about any age.  Aside from the numerous dining places, which none disappointed, there was great views to be had.  A favorite was getting a hot chocolate from a local coffee shop and sitting on the dock watching the sail boats pass as the water rushed over and beat at the shores just underneath the restaurants.

Whether you want to go beachside, enjoy the nightlife, sip some wine or take in some live music, it has everything. 

Another fun place I visited was the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I'm not a huge aquarium fan but I have to say this place changed my mindset.  It had amazing exhibits, views and great educational messages to deliver.  My favorite was the visit with the person inside the tank and the interaction with the volunteer guide.  It was fun, entertaining and educational and seemed to be quite a hit with the visitors.  One thing to note is all the workers are volunteers from what one worker told me.  It's definitely worth the trip to see as they did a magnificent job with this aquarium.  You can even dine there!

My last favorite spot was the drive to Pacific Grove and the spots along the way.  It was absolutely gorgeous and Pacific Grove would be the ideal retirement spot.  The downtown was lined with nice boutiques and eateries that provided choices that I had not experienced.  Being so close to the ocean was what drew me as well.  It's an old town that includes many activities such as a monarch butterfly habitat sanctuary, beaches, the oldest continuously-operating lighthouse and nationally recognized 18-hole golf course.

It's a beautiful area to see and I hope when I go back to California in November, I'll get to add to my list of great places to visit.

Ghostbusters on DVD with Cute "Boo It Forward" Campaign at Walmart

There was quite a bit of talk about the reboot of Ghostbusters both positive and negative so it was with anticipation that I had a chance to watch it with my children.  I'll have to backtrack on that as my children were actually afraid of the ghosts as they have been sheltered a bit and not exposed to scary or even slightly spooky movies.   If you watched the first Ghostbusters, you will see they didn't stray far from the plot, characters and story.  The actors chosen were a well blended mixture of women that worked well together.   I'll reserve whether or not it's good to your own viewing pleasure as it's now available online digitally as well as in stores such as Walmart.

Walmart is now offering to help others continue the tradition of "Booing your Neighbor" which has been around for several years now and it has really grown in popularity as a fun, safe, family-oriented activity. It's also known as "Ghosting" or "Boo-gramming."  It's easy to participate in and worth an unexpected smile from whoever it is you surprise.  My girls loved the Boo It Forward bucket of sweet treats and what a wonderful surprise this would make at a nursing home too!  

It's easy with the kit at Walmart to get the fun started.  Put together some home decorated or made treats coupled with some inexpensive Halloween treats at Walmart along with a note of instructions on how to "boo" someone else.  The poem is cute and will cheer up anyone that you decide to ghost!

You can always turn to alternatives to sweets by choosing more natural or organic type of foods if you like to take the healthier route.  I was just in Walmart yesterday and there are so many cute ways one could boo it forward.

Don't forget to remind the recipient they have 48 hours to do it to their next door neighbor or friend which creates a chain throughout the neighborhood.  What a great way to bring some Halloween cheer to others!

Just had to mention as an update, my six year old granddaughters LOVES this movie!  She wants to watch it all the time!



*Disclaimer:  I received a copy of the DVD and a sample "Boo It Forward" campaign treat.
 #booitforward 

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Invitations, Military and Epilepsy Related

Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park & Finding Dory – Shedd Aquarium Package

Summer is finally upon us and although to me, it doesn't seem like it started yet given the very long winter, I'm ready to get moving with some homeschool and summer vacation plans.  Getting to Shedd Aquarium is not so hard thanks to all the public transportation options Chicago has to offer.  Chicago has a special sort of unique feel to it given it’s in the Midwest and the culture is different from other big cities.  Military life provides a wonderful opportunity to experience many places across the country as well as around the world. 

The Shedd Aquarium is a perfect homeschool trip to plan on any day.  It’s a great way to introduce fun and education all in one and what better fun is there than to plan an overnight stay in a hotel to relax the night before you venture out to an oasis of activities.  The package deal at the Fairmont Chicago is a great way to bring the magic to the children while not breaking the bank.

Shedd boasts its 20^th century charm that endures with a modern 21^st century attention to ecological awareness, care and interpretation.  John G. Shedd was the one time president of Marshall Field & Company and loved the city so much he decided to build the world’s finest and biggest aquarium.  As a non-profit, forming in 1924, its purpose was for education and scientific purposes exclusively.  The Aquarium has only expanded twice since 1930 cautiously ensuring the original architecture design wouldn’t be compromised thus earning a National Historic Landmark destination.

Shedd was also the first inland aquarium with permanent saltwater exhibits as well as freshwater ones.  The saltwater was actually brought in during the early 30’s via insulated railroad cars that circulated between Key West, Florida and Chicago for a total of a million tropical gallons of ocean water.  To learn more, visit the Shedd Aquarium website for the latest exhibits, hours, and other special events and information.

For more information:

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, 200 North Columbus Drive, is making sure every member of the family, including four-legged ones, enjoys summer in the city with three new family and pet-friendly packages. The Bark Near the Park Package caters to every pampered pooches needs, while the Finding Dory - Shedd Aquarium and Family Getaway Packages keep kids of all ages entertained during a stay in the Windy City.

The Bark Near the Park Package, created, in part, by Fairmont Chicago Team Member Chinook (the Hotel Manager's four-year-old Golden Retriever) includes overnight accommodations in a luxurious Fairmont guest room, two hours of dog sitting, Chinook’s Doggie Biscuits and favorite toy, the Tug Rope, plus all of Fairmont’s doggie amenities including a bed, bowls and bags. The package also includes the pet cleaning fee. There’s even in-room dining available from a new, dog-friendly a la carte menu that includes items like rotisserie chicken and poached Atlantic salmon. Finally, should Fido need a suggestion on the best doggie sightseeing spots, Fairmont’s new “dog-cierge” is available to offer recommendations. The Bark Near the Park Package starts from $249 USD per night, is available year-round, and subject to availability.

For families looking to entertain to the kids, the Finding Dory - Shedd Aquarium Package includes overnight accommodations, four VIP tickets, including Express Priority Entry, to the nearby famed Shedd Aquarium and a $100 AMC gift card so families can end their day of sea creature fun by relaxing and watching the new and largely anticipated Disney sequel, Finding Dory. Rates for this package start at $419 per room per night, and is subject to availability.

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is also offering a new Family Getaway to Chicago Package that includes overnight accommodations for up to four guests, breakfast for two adults (children 12 and under are complimentary), and valet parking (a $70 value). Rates for the Family Getaway to Chicago Package start at $309 per night. This package is also available year-round, subject to availability.

More information on Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park or any of its packages, please visit http://www.fairmont.com/chicago/.

About Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is an AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel located in downtown Chicago.  With 687 guestrooms and 63,000 square feet of meeting space, the hotel provides contemporary elegance and gracious hospitality. Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park is also home to THE BAR in the Lobby and aria restaurant and bar, taking guests on an “east meets west” culinary experience. In addition to uniquely inspired dining and stylish accommodations, the hotel features an exclusive lifestyle spa. mySpa affords eight treatment rooms and provides the perfect urban sanctuary from the busy and bustling Chicago streets.  For more information on Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, call 312-565-8000 or visit fairmont.com/Chicago.

About Fairmont

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts connects guests to the very best of its destinations, providing travelers with memorable travel experiences, thoughtful and attentive service and luxury hotels that are truly unforgettable. Each Fairmont property reflects the locale’s energy, culture and history through locally inspired cuisine, spirited bars and lounges and distinctive design and decor. With more than 65 hotels globally, and many more in development, the Fairmont collection boasts some of the most iconic hotels in the world, including The Plaza in New York, The Savoy in London, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City. Fairmont is owned by FRHI Hotels & Resorts, a leading global hotel company that operates more than 125 hotels and branded residential properties under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands.

For more information or reservations, please visit fairmont.com.

Buy Any GEMM™ Glam Sunglasses & Get a FREE Pair of Interchangeable Smooches Charms - Patent Pending

Just in time for Valentine's Day and perfect for those sunny winter days!  GEMM™ Glam sunglasses are available in many stylish frames perfect for any wardrobe.  What makes GEMM™ Glam sunglasses unique are the interchangeable charms that affix to the arms.  

Pucker up! Buy any sunglasses & get a #free pair of #Smooches interch gems ends 1/25/16!

Homeschool #Travel to Vincennes, Indiana's George Rogers Clark National Historical Park

In a tiny town tucked away in southern Indiana, near the border of Illinois, is one that holds huge historical value to the way of life in the 1700's.  Unfortunately, not enough American history is taught in the school systems due to standards and requiring too many other subjects to be covered.  It would be nice if there were other choices to study either different time periods or specific state history for students pending their individual interests.  Many have not heard of Vincennes, Indiana unless they are actually from the area but one thing that anyone who drives through this tiny town will notice is the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park.  It's size and grandiose nature sits perched above the muddy Wabash River overlooking Illinois.  Second in size only to the national monument in Washington, D.C., the massive granite contains a memorial rotunda depicting seven murals of Clark's expedition.  Each oil on canvas murals stands 28 feet tall and 16 feet long by artist Ezra Winter and six assistants.  In the middle is a commanding bronze statue of Clark by Hermon MacNeil.  The inscription at the base reads, "If a country is not worth protecting it is not worth claiming."

The site is believed to be where Fort Sackville was.  It was President Calvin Coolidge who authorized the Memorial and President Franklin D. Roosevelt who dedicated it in 1936.  In 1966, Indiana transferred the Memorial and property to the National Park Service which also houses a Visitor Center to learn more, watch a film about Clark and purchase additional history books and items for children to learn.  

In a celebrated campaign, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark, older brother of William Clark, and his frontiersmen captured Fort Sackville and British Lt. Governor Henry Hamilton on February 25, 1779. The heroic march of Clark's men from Kaskaskia on the Mississippi River in mid-winter and the subsequent victory over the British remains one of the great feats of the American Revolution.  Clark, a Virginia native, was sent to protect the northwest territory.  After capturing Fort Sackville, he learned that the British recaptured the force so his campaign began.  His other campaign of 1778-1779 included the founding of Louisville, Kentucky and the capture of forts in the lower Ohio and Mississippi valleys.  This allowed the United States to claim control of what would become Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin in the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Other prominent features in the park include Johns Angel's granite statue of Francis Vigo (born Giuseppe Maria Francesco Vigo), a 4-by-9-foot (1.2 by 2.7 m) monument overlooking the Wabash River erected in 1934 that honors the Italian-American merchant who assisted the American forces to include then General Clark during the Revolutionary War. He also helped found the first public university in Vincennes, Indiana.

Born in Mondovì, Italy, he served with the Spanish Army in New Orleans. In 1772 he established a fur trading business in St. Louis. In 1783 Vigo moved to Vincennes and operated a fur trading business there.

Also adjacent to the Park's grounds is the Roman Catholic church Basilica of St. Francis Xavier that holds a 1934 bronze statue by Albin Polasekhonoring Father Pierre Gibault, another figure in the Revolutionary War. Raoul Josset designed the Lincoln Memorial Bridge across the Wabash River to compliment the memorial aesthetically. It includes relief carvings designed by a monument by Nellie Walker on the Illinois side of the bridge and celebrates the migration of Abraham Lincoln. A concrete floodwall that protects the memorial and Vincennes from Wabash flooding is also designed in a complimentary Classical style. The grounds also hold a memorial to the soldiers from Knox County who served in World War I, a marker denoting where Clark's headquarters probably stood during his siege of Fort Sackville, and the original Daughters of the American Revolution memorial, which has moved several times due to construction of the main memorial. (WIKI)

A photograph of my father at the George Rogers Clark Park in 1938.

If you want to learn more about the seven murels, you can click on the links:

1. Kentucky: Entering the great valley
2. Cahokia: Peace or war with the Indians
3. The Wabash: Through wilderness and flood
4. Vincennes: The British barrier to the west
5. Fort Sackville: Britain yields possession
6. Marietta: The Northwest, a new territory
7. St. Louis: The way opened to the Pacific

Places to stay overnight have grown thanks to the University with more modern chains being added in the last 10 years or so.  My favorite place to stay was the Marriott until I've had two incidences with my daughter suffering allergic reactions to prior guests allowed to have pets in any of the rooms.  Unfortunately, this particular chain of the Marriott does not have designated floors or rooms and shifts the pets around which is not too favorable to children and adults with asthma and allergies.  What is nice about the hotel, it provides a kitchenette full equipped and you can choose from a regular room to a one or two bedroom suite.  They also provide the Paul Mitchell brand of hair care products which is one of my favorite things about the hotel not to mention the price is right.

I have stayed at the Best Western, Comfort Suites and Holiday Inn previously which I also liked but none of those chains provided the kitchenette.

Homeschool #Travel Fieldtrip to Arlington National Cemetery

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

I have found my love for traveling has transcended into my children to where they don't mind hopping in a car for over 20 hours to a destination that holds unknown memories for them.  I have found some of the best trips involved little preparation and more just sheer spontaneity to create the most fun.  Whether a trip is set for a purpose such as educational, it does not have to be stuffy, boring or dreary because in my opinion, everywhere I have traveled has been a learning experience.  When this trip was spur of the moment planned, I couldn't think of any better way to explain some of our country's heritage with the sacrifices our men and women partook along the way in the military.  Arlington National Cemetery is an experience both from a profound emotional level but also from the ability to see such beauty in an area that often involved great tragedy.

It proved to be a wonderful homeschooling lesson.

History

As many know, Arlington  is a United States Military cemetery that sits across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.  Orginially, George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of George and Martha Washington acquired the property and build what was to become Arlington House.  Mary Anna Custis, George's daughter, married United States Army Officer Robert E. Lee and eventually for life inherited the Arlington House.  Robert and Mary's son inherited the property.  In 1864, faced with a shortage of property to bury the mass causalities from the Battle of the Wilderness among prior battles, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Miggs ordered an assessment and Arlington House was the most likely candidate.  The first military burial was on May 13, 1864.

Arlington Memorial Amphitheater

The famous Tomb of the Unknowns is part of this feature within the cemetery.  The structure is mostly built of Imperial Danby marble from Vermont. The Memorial Display room, between the amphitheater and the Tomb of the Unknowns, uses Botticino stone, imported from Italy. The amphitheater was the result of a campaign by Ivory Kimball to construct a place to honor America's servicemen/women. Congress authorized the structure on March 4, 1913. Woodrow Wilsonlaid the cornerstone for the building on October 15, 1915. The cornerstone contained 15 items including a Bible and a copy of the Constitution [Wiki].

Field Marshal Sir John Greer Dill GCB, CMG, DSO was a senior British Army officer with service in both the First World War and the Second World War is among those buried at Arlington.

The Tomb of the Unknowns contains unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, the Korean War and had an unknown soldier from Vietnam until the identity was determined and was removed to be returned to his family by order of President Bill Clinton.

Tomb of the Unknown Ceremony

The Tomb of the Unknowns has been guarded by the US Army since July 2, 1937.  The Old Guard also known as the the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard") began guarding the Tomb on April 6, 1948.  The exact routine includes:

1. Marches 21 steps down the black mat behind the Tomb.
2. Turns, faces east for 21 seconds.
3. Turns and faces north for 21 seconds.
4. Takes 21 steps down the mat.
5. Repeats the routine until the soldier is relieved of duty at the Changing of the Guard.

After each turn, the Guard executes a sharp "shoulder-arms" movement to place the weapon on the shoulder closest to the visitors to signify that the Guard stands between the Tomb and any possible threat.

Twenty-one was chosen because it symbolizes the highest military honor that can be bestowed—the 21-gun salute.

Each turn the guard makes precise movements and followed by a loud click of the heels as he snaps them together. The guard is changed every half hour during daylight in the summer, and every hour during daylight in the winter and every two hours at night (when the cemetery is closed to the public), regardless of weather conditions. [Wiki]

There are several other memorials on the grounds of Arlington.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to visit each of them but the trip was a must see for anyone.