Lego toys are fantastic because kids love them and they are educational as well.  They inspire and encourage creativity and critical thinking.  The company is known for promoting creativity and promoting gender-equal creativity, as seen in their 1974 letter (Snopes Fact Check) explaining that both girls and boys benefit and enjoy building with Legos.

Here are some fun Lego Advent Calendars available at Target!  These are great gift ideas for kids and serve as a great addition to any Lego collection!

Lego City Advent Calendar

Lego Friends

Lego Star Wars

More Lego fun-

Boardwalks, summer days and ice-cream seem to go hand-in-hand.

On our visit to Disney’s Boardwalk Inn Resort, we came across  Ample Hills  ice-cream shop.   In planning our visit we thought about visiting Beaches and Cream (known for their Mickey Sink) at the Beach Club Resort located a short walk or boat ride across the way from the Boardwalk Inn. While exploring the Boardwalk we saw this shop and decided to check it out instead.

Mickey Sink photo from easywdw.com

About Ample Hills Creamery Ice Cream

Ample Hills is actually a trendy ice-cream shop located in Brooklyn.  They have a handful of locations in New York.  Their website states they use the best ingredients including hormone-free milk and cream from grass-fed cows and organic cane sugar.  The Disney Boardwalk location opened in May 2016.

I am not a big ice-cream fan.  I like it on occasion, but typically a bite or two and I’m done. The kids enjoy ice-cream and it’s great for making memories; especially when hanging out on a boardwalk where the smell of waffle cones and funnel cakes fill the air.

Ample Hills at Disney’s Boardwalk

We visited one evening on our trip.  Even before you enter, the lit up sign on the outside looks like it’s a whimsical fun place.  It wasn’t too busy when we walked in but shortly thereafter the line got much longer.

Build Your Own Sundae

Not sure what you want? There are some handy directions while you wait in line to order.

 Order Flowchart

Want to know how it works before you get up there? No worries! They have an easy order flowchart to follow!

Ice-Cream Flavors at Ample Hills Creamery on Disney Boardwalk

Peppermint Pattie Ice Cream 

Cool Peppermint Ice Cream with flakes of Dark Chocolate and  House-made Peppermint Patties

Sweet Cream n’ Cookies Ice Cream 

Sweet Cream Ice Cream with pieces of Back-To-Nature Sandwich Creme Cookies

Chocolate Milk and Cookies Ice Cream 

Creamy Milk Chocolate Ice Cream with Pieces of Back-To-Nature Sandwich Creme Cookies

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake Ice Cream 

the creamiest Vanilla Ice Cream made with Cream Cheese and gobs of House-made St. Louis-Style Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. A staff favorite!

PB Wins the Cup Ice Cream 

Vanilla Ice Cream with Peanut Butter Chocolate flakes and House-made Peanut Butter Cups

Cotton Candy Ice Cream 

100% All-Natural Blue Cotton Candy Ice Cream made with no Artificial Colors of Flavors

Coffee Toffee Coffee Ice Cream 

Coffee Ice Cream with Housemade Espresso-Infused Chocolate-Covered Toffee Pieces

Butter Pecan Brittle Ice Cream 

Dark Brown Sugar Ice Cream with Pieces of Housemade Roasted Pecan Brittle

Nonna D’s Oatmeal Lace Ice Cream 

Dark Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream with Housemade Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream made with Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

Baked/Unbaked Ice Cream 

Vanilla Ice Cream with pieces of Housemade Chocolate Chip Cookies and Brown Butter Cookie Dough

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream 

Rich Dark Chocolate Ice Cream made with 72% E. Guiffard Chocolate

Lemon Sky Ice Cream 

Light and Billowy Lemon Ginger Sorbet made with a splash of Limoncello. Dairy-free and Vegan

Strawberries and Cream Ice Cream 

Smooth and Pure Strawberry Ice Cream

Sally Sells Seashells Ice Cream 

Fresh and Fluffy Orange Marshmallow Ice Cream with House-made Salty Chocolate Seashells

You can get these in an Ice Cream Cup, Cake Cone, Waffle Cone, Pretzel Cone, M&M Cone, Chocolate Cookie Cone, Cookie, or Milkshake.

Decisions, Decisions! Our Ice-Cream Order

My son wanted an ice-cream sandwich cookie, my daughter asked for the brownie sundae (which was gigantic so they were able to do a smaller version with one scoop of ice cream, a brownie, and some hot fudge. ) and I had the sweet cream and cookies in a waffle cone.  My husband knew there’d be plenty to go around so he shared with all of us.

Ice-cream Cookie Sandwich with Sprinkles Single Scoop Vanilla Ice-Cream with Brownie and Hot Fudge Single Scoop Sweet Cream and Cookies In a waffle cone

For the Ice-Cream Cookie Sandwich, they even heated the cookies first so they were nice and soft.  They also heated the brownie for the sundae also.   This may seem like a small detail but it really isn’t when it comes down to the taste of it.

The Sweet Cream and Cookies waffle cone was the most amazing ice-cream I’ve ever had.  In fact, it’s a really good thing I don’t live close to one of these.  This ice-cream could make me an ice-cream person.  It was full of cookies and creamy- just amazing!

The Verdict on Ample Hills

Amazing.  Absolutely amazing.  Skip Beaches and Cream and go straight for this if you’re wanting ice-cream.  Hang out on the Boardwalk and enjoy the entertainment and lights while you enjoy your sweet treat.  It truly brings all the magic together.

*They do accept the Disney Dining Plan snack credit for payment also.

Lego toys are fantastic because kids love them and they are educational as well.  They inspire and encourage creativity and critical thinking.  The company is known for promoting creativity and promoting gender-equal creativity, as seen in their 1974 letter (Snopes Fact Check) explaining that both girls and boys benefit and enjoy building with Legos.

Here are some fun Lego Advent Calendars available at Target!  These are great gift ideas for kids and serve as a great addition to any Lego collection!

Lego City Advent Calendar

Lego Friends

Lego Star Wars

Lego Harry Potter

More Lego fun-

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”-Albert Einstein Click To Tweet

Imagination is the door that leads to endless possibilities. Imaginative play encourages cognitive and social development in children. Through it, kids learn creativity,  how to think outside the box and be resourceful.

Without realizing it, they are learning about the world. They learn skills to manipulate materials, express themselves (both verbally and non-verbally), plan, act, interact, react, and try different roles.

From The Scholastic Website -Young children learn by imagining and doing. Have you ever watched your child pick up a stone and pretend it is a zooming car, or hop a Lego across the table as if it were a person or a bunny? Your child is using an object to represent something else while giving it action and motion. But this pretend play is not as simple as it may seem. The process of pretending builds skills in many essential developmental areas.

“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever.” Walt Disney Click To Tweet

Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education uses critical thinking skills and creative problem solving abilities as goals for a child’s development.

Critical thinking skills and creative problem solving skills are developed through imagination, trying new things and experimenting.

Participating in activities such as playing with playdoh, creating a “recipe” by mixing dirt and water, splashing in puddles or pretending to fly- we are furthering a child’s development.

A great example of this is talked about in Mom Loves Best article- Why Playtimes is an Essential Part of Childhood Development

Social Benefit

It also helps build social/emotional development when kids are able to contemplate different solutions- leading to their confidence being built and therefore being more comfortable interacting with others.

Imaginative play opens up a world of endless learning opportunities.

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” Albert Einstein Click To Tweet

Give Away

**This section includes affiliate links. This means if you purchase something using the links I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you**

Stay tuned… tomorrow I’ll be talking about Little Adventures and there will be a chance to win a giveaway!

Summer is a great time for a picnic. Whether it’s at a park, the beach or even your own backyard it is a great way to spend time together and make memories to last a lifetime!

Fried Chicken & Cole Slaw or Crispy Roasted Potatoes in a Basket –

You can fry/bake your own Fried chicken or pick up some from your favorite Chicken place! Publix has wings that a great idea to use for any picnic
Cole Slaw Recipe
Low Fat Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
Cripsy Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Pasta Salad 

A pasta salad is a great main dish – or side dish for hamburgers, Hotdogs, Chicken, and more.  Plus it’s so easy to do! 

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Option 2 – Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe 

Pizza 

This is always great delivery//Frozen// leftover or making an easy french bread pizza together and going out on the lawn for a picnic.

French Bread Pizza 

Classic – Sandwiches

Focaccia Sandwiches

Pita Bread  Tukey Sandwiches or Just veggie!

BBQ Chicken Skewers! 

Parm Pesto Chicken

Dessert

Roasted Strawberry Sheet cake! 

Baked Apple Chips! 

What are your favorite picnic foods?

This blog is definitely becoming a favorite.  It makes me stop to think, step back and take a moment. Check out the other post too, there’s a lot of good stuff here!!!

2. Children- the similarities and differences

This post is so cute!  It’s funny because I often watch my kids and it amazes me their similarities and their differences.  My interaction with each of them is different based on their personality.  It’s so much fun to watch them grow and see these personalities come out.

3. Why I Don’t Use Cry It Out- The Coffee Mom.

I hadn’t actually asked my own pediatrician about this, because my husband and I argued over it. My pediatrician explained-  If she cries, pick her up. She’s crying because it’s her only form of communication. She can’t talk yet. Babies don’t even connect those dots that you will come when they cry until around 6-7 months. Even then only if it becomes a constant thing should you purposely let them ‘cry it out.’  I just don’t believe in letting an infant wonder if you’re there. I know everyone has their own methods and beliefs.  I really liked this post though.

***Disclaimer to new moms.  Those moments when the baby is crying and you can’t soothe them and you’re ready to pull your own hair out- laying them down in their crib and stepping away to compose yourself and get a breath is completely different.  A frustrated, overwhelmed mommy and a cranky baby mix like oil and water.  To me this has nothing to do with making them cry it out**

Its Back to School time and having quick healthy snacks is always a plus. My kids are..well kids about some healthy snacks but there’s some ideas here I hadn’t thought of!

5.Living Room ReVamp- Not Just A Housewife  

IKEA furniture and revamping a room? This is so right up my ally!! I love doing this and seeing but how other people do as well!! I love the look of the room!

Those are 5 of my favorites from this week! What about you? Did you find a post that was awesome? Tell me about it! Or if you have a great post, I’d love to check it out!!

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A good gift makes you happy and helps you accomplish things.  These are some great gift ideas for working on getting healthy and staying healthy!  After all, when you give a gift that helps someone do that you are giving them so much more than just that gift.

The Perfect Yoga Gifts for Under $20

These gifts are awesome because everybody can enjoy yoga! The New York Times  has a great article on why people of any age can participate.  I’ve even started trying poses with my 6 & 3-year-olds.

Yoga & Pilates Rings –strengthen your core and balance without the strain of heavy weights? The ProSource Pilates Resistance Ring is a small but powerful tool that provides light resistance, designed for total body conditioning.

Yoga Towels -the lightweight ProSource Arida Yoga Towel provides a non-slip surface, designed to absorb moisture. The thin, mat-sized towel provides greater stability and is versatile for yoga, Pilates, or any other fitness activity

Yoga Gloves -Grippy Gloves make yoga or Pilates easier, whether you’re a hot yoga fan, practice your poses on the carpet at home, or struggle with sliding in poses. The open-finger, non-slip design reduces slipping for better balance and stability – no mat required!

Yoga Mats – This mat is great to help reduce pain and perfect your poses with the ProSource extra thick yoga and Pilates mat.

Stability Balls -This helps develop core muscles and overall strength, increase balance, and improve posture with the versatile ProSource Stability Exercise Ball

6 Gifts for CrossFitters Under $25

Speed Jump Ropes – These help develop coordination, agility footwork and overall conditioning. These are used to target upper and lower body reflexes.

12 Rung Agility Ladder – These have often been used by coaches to improving footwork, speed, and quick directional changes.  It helps improve coordination, balance, and body awareness.  These are great for ANY age!

Rubber Medicine Balls -These are great for strengthening and developing core muscles

Multi-grip Pull Up Bars – Perfect for pull ups, push ups, dips and abdominal training.

Kettle Bells – These are awesome because they can be for squats, cleans, swings, get-ups and more! The heavy, uneven distribution of weight forces you to engage your core and strengthen multiple muscles at once

Sports Towels – These are ultra-light, super soft 100% microfiber towels that absorbs large amounts of moisture easily, and dries quickly so you can pack and carry it without a mess after use!

Gift Ideas to Help Aging Parents Stay Healthy

Anti-shock hiking and trekking poles -made to suit the great outdoors and pavement for daily exercise and long hikes.  These are great for easing pressure on elbows, knees, and wrist.

Lightweight dumbbells – These are great for building strength and creating a lean, toned physique.

Stackable Resistance Band Sets – I LOVE these! They are actually great whether you are old or young. Great for at-home use, rehabilitation, travel, or daily gym workouts.  Theyallow you to move through a greater range of motion to improve coordination and stability.

Extra Thick Yoga Mats (Multiple Color Options) -Great for yoga or pilates!

Accupressure Mats (Multiple Color Options) – These are used to help relieve stress, headaches, weariness, tension, back pain, insomnia, and muscle aches. My husband is actually a big fan of acupuncture (which is weird because he HATES needles) and he’ll be getting this as a present :)!

Want more options? Check out this review of the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2 for kids!

One of the easiest ways to get character interaction at Disney World is through Character Breakfast.  You get to east, characters come around to your table and take pictures as well as sign autograph books.  It’s a lot of fun.

As I’ve mentioned before we are all BIG Rapunzel fans.  Many times when we go down we visit Trattoria Al Forno’s Bon Voyage Adventure’s Breakfast also known to my family as the Rapunzel Breakfast.  Also at the breakfast is Ariel and Prince Eric and of course Flynn Ryder (Eugene).

Trattoria Al Forno is located on Disney’s Boardwalk near the Boardwalk Resort.

Trattoria al Forno Disney Review

The menu has changed some from the last time we were there for kids, (a very good change) where they can choose an entree and then two sides.  Previously the steak was part of the Royal Breakfast and came with eggs in the shape of a fish.  My kids aren’t fans of eggs so it was always a big deal to have them on the plate (they were a weird texture too).

At the table, they bring you a small cast iron frying pan (Tangeld Movie Reference) filled with pastries.  My favorite is the Rapunzel Sun and the confetti muffins.  The frying pan is refillable also. Be warned though, it’s very easy to fill up on these delicious pastries and be too full for breakfast!

The sun is a crispy pastry with powdered sugar on it.  It’s delicious!

The kids always try and fill up on these muffins.  They are sweet and tasty but defnitley something I have to limit if I want them to eat their actual breakfast.

The kids totally love steak for breakfast.  I love that the steak they bring isn’t fatty and we basically just have to cut it up and let them eat it.  For their breakfast they do just stick with the steak and sausage which may not look like a whole lot but it’s more than filling for them.

I love the breakfast food there.  I’m not much of a breakfast person so that says a lot.   The Tangled Eggs are my favorite!! It’s eggs with basil, and a Sunday gravy (marina like sauce) with seasoned potatoes.  It is absolutely amazing!

The Characters at Trattoria Al Forno

One of the best parts of breakfast at Trattoria Al Forno is the characters.  As I mentioned earlier, characters come around to each table, are very chatty, take pictures and sign autographs.  This makes it so much easier than waiting in lines to see them at the park sometimes.  Plus it gives you some time to sit and relax while you wait on them to come around.

TIP! Did you know that you can ask Flynn what’s in his satchel??  It’s pretty interesting!  I won’t spoil the surprise!

They have an “Adventurer’s Parade” where the kids line up and follow the characters around the dining room dancing and twirling napkins.  My kids always have a ball with this.

Another great thing about this breakfast is that it is outside the park so even if you won’t be going to one of the parks you can still enjoy seeing the characters- bonus win!

Looking for some places to stay near the Boardwalk?  Check Out my reviews on the Beach Club and Boardwalk Resorts!

It’s important to encourage kids with physical activity without making it seem like a chore or punishment.  As parents, we want them to associate fitness with something positive, not negative. When we get up and move it is not only good for our body but our minds as well.   It’s also good to teach kids to be mindful of what they are doing and how their time is spent.  The Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 is a fun fitness tracker that provides a way to introduce kids to exercise and help them establish healthy habits.

What is Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2?

The band is a fitness tracker geared specifically towards kids.  They have fun bands that include favorite franchises such as Star Wars, Avengers, Disney Princesses, and more. The main purpose of the tracker is very similar to what adults use them for- it allows for steps to be counted, daily goals to be set and it can monitor sleep as well.  To up the ante on fun, Garmin has created a Vivofit jr. App which has fun games that kids earn moves on based on their activity.

Kids are able to set up competitions with themselves or with others to see who can get the most steps in a certain timeframe. This could be anywhere from a toe to toe challenge for two minutes, to a week-long competition.

The bands are waterproof and come with a 1+ year battery (which is replaceable) so there’s no need to worry about charging.

Another cool aspect of the bands is that timers and chores can be set within the app.  When the chore is completed then they can earn coins that accumulate until a reward is reached. You can set reminders which will show on their band, for example, if they should start homework at 3:30, the watch will display an alert at that time.

Why is Physical Activity Important?

It’s been proven that regular physical activity can help kids improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease (CDC).

The Vivofit Jr. 2 Band is a great way to make kids aware of how much activity they are getting and allows them to challenge themselves to real goals.  It’s a great tool to encourage physical activity and make them aware of how much they are getting in a fun way.

Verdict on Vivotfit Jr 2 Band Review

The kids love their Vivofit Jr. 2 Band and that they earn moves on the app when the meet their 60-minute activity goal.  For my nine-year-old, it also helps when she wants to sit in front of the tv and don’t realize how long she’s been doing it until I ask what her activity for the day so looks like.  It also makes for less arguing that “I haven’t been sitting here all day” which is a bonus.

My six-year-old loves his band as well and enjoys the challenges.  He also likes having the ability to set timers whether it’s for a challenge or to see how long it takes him to take a bath.

I want fitness to be a part of what they do not some dreaded forced activity.  The Vivofit Jr. 2 Band helps accomplish that.  Since using the bands, there is a definite increase in awareness of activity and fun in making sure that they meet challenges and goals.  Yes, there are definitely still lazy days but there is also excitement when they meet two activity rings or have a large number of steps giving them a sense of accomplishment which is a lot of fun to see.

The bands themselves are very durable and we haven’t had any issues with the graphics on them or the band coming off.  As mentioned earlier they are waterproof so the kids can wear them in the tub or pool with no worries of damage.   I’ve found that these have been a really fun way to remind the kids to be active without being pushy or feeling forced.

I hope you found this Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 review helpful!

Where to Find

You can find the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 Bands at retailers such as Target and Walmart as well as on Amazon.  You can also find bands only on Amazon so that you can swap them out with new bands.

Bands ONLY

Have you tried the Vivofit Jr 2?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Interested in more fitness ideas for kids? Check out these post!

Summer is a great time for a picnic. Whether it’s at a park, the beach or even your own backyard it is a great way to spend time together and make memories to last a lifetime!

Fried Chicken & Cole Slaw or Crispy Roasted Potatoes in a Basket –

You can fry/bake your own Fried chicken or pick up some from your favorite Chicken place! Publix has wings that a great idea to use for any picnic
Cole Slaw Recipe
Low Fat Oven Fried Chicken Recipe
Cripsy Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Pasta Salad 

A pasta salad is a great main dish – or side dish for hamburgers, Hotdogs, Chicken, and more.  Plus it’s so easy to do! 

Summer Pasta Salad Recipe

Option 2 – Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe 

Pizza 

This is always great delivery//Frozen// leftover or making an easy french bread pizza together and going out on the lawn for a picnic.

French Bread Pizza 

Classic – Sandwiches

Focaccia Sandwiches

Pita Bread  Tukey Sandwiches or Just veggie!

BBQ Chicken Skewers! 

Parm Pesto Chicken

Dessert

Roasted Strawberry Sheet cake! 

Baked Apple Chips! 

What are your favorite picnic foods?