Back to School Giveaway~Orkin Household Pests 101 Back to School prize pack!

It’s back-to-school time and class is in session! Orkin is back with Household Pests 101 – featuring some of Orkin’s scientific knowledge of pests. The Orkin Man is here to help you #LearnWithOrkin so you don’t get schooled by pest problems in your own home.

But Back-To-School doesn’t just mean for the kids. Orkin knows that moms are on the go more than ever and wants to make sure you’re all set when driving the kids to soccer practice, racing to make it to school on time and just maybe getting a minute for yourself!

At Orkin, we use the latest technology and unparalleled training to develop an effective treatment that's right for your needs. To learn more about our pest control based in science or to schedule an inspection, visit orkin.com or call 1-800-800-ORKIN.

Orkin on Facebook: facebook.com/OrkinPestControl 
Ask The Orkin Man® on Twitter: twitter.com/AskTheOrkinMan 
Orkin YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/OrkinVideo



• Class is in session! Orkin is back with Household Pests 101 – featuring some of Orkin’s scientific knowledge of pests. The Orkin Man is here to help you #LearnWithOrkin so you don’t get schooled by pest problems in your own home.
• Watch the “Bite Back at Mosquitoes” video, as well as the rest of Orkin’s How-To video series, to get the most up-to-date knowledge on dealing with those pesky home invaders.
• Download the “Protect Your Home” Checklist for valuable tips on keeping pests at bay.


Check out the great Prize Pack Orkin wants to give one of my readers!


Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good luck!

How to get FREE Pudding at Publix through August 5....

We have a wonderful vacation/homeschool field trip to Walt Disney World coming up soon, and I've been on the hunt for things to take so we can stock our rental home on a budget.  Publix has Snack Pack 4 packs of pudding cups on sale 5 for $5 right now, and they also have a display in most stores (or ask at Customer Service) with a Publix coupon for $1 off 1 4 pack.  That means your pudding packs are FREE!  Most Publix stores will allow you to use 8 like coupons, so you can grab 32 cups of pudding for free! These would be great for school lunches or snacks, too.

Just take enough coupons for your family, please don't take more than you need.  There are plenty for everyone, and the coupon is good for a couple weeks, so don't stress if your store is out right now!

Which pudding flavor is the favorite at your house?  David likes lemon best!

Summer Series: Medieval Times at Sugarloaf Mills

It's almost time for school to start back, can you believe it?! I always like to do something special to celebrate the beginning of another year for my son.  One year we went to the park to feed the ducks early one Sunday morning, then had brunch. We went to see a movie he wanted to see one year. Another time we went for ice cream the night before school started!  If you like to celebrate back to school, I've got a fun idea: take your kids on a trip back in time at Medieval Times at Sugarloaf Mills! 

We took our first trip to Medieval Times a few weeks ago and it was a blast!  We got there about 1 hour and 15 minutes before the show, and there was a line already - it is popular! When you arrive you will be given a crown with the color(s) of the Knight you will be cheering for.  If you'd like,  you can have your picture taken with the King before you enter the huge gathering area.  Relax and enjoy cold drinks for everyone from the bar - they have smoothies for the kids.  Visit the Dungeon (there's a nominal charge for this).  Check out the beautiful offerings in the gift shop. You can even visit with some of the cast members before the show begins.   Before long, they will call you to the doors and begin letting you in, one color at a time.

Proudly wearing our black and white crowns!

Once inside the arena, you are seated at long tables, grouped by the colors of your Knight.  Your server will let you know the drink choices, and before long, your drinks, garlic bread and soup are in front of you.  One note here - everything is served without utensils. You are, of course, in the middle ages!  Your soup is in a bowl that you can sip out of.  We went with our friends Tiffany & Seth, and Tiffany brought along plastic cutlery for us to use, thank goodness! So, you may wish to bring your own if you prefer to eat with a fork & spoon and not your fingers!

Photo from the Medieval Times website

About this time, the show began.  Beautiful horses, Royalty, the Royal Falconer, and a storyline that will have your family cheering loudly for your Knight!  My son's favorite was the horses - he really enjoyed watching them perform.   The Falconer was fascinating to watch, as well.  And then came the jousting - I was really surprised at how much David got a kick out of that!

While we watched, we were served our main course of chicken with corn on the cob and potatoes.   Everything was delicious and so filling.  After your plates are cleared, you'll receive an apple pastry and coffee, if you'd like.  They also offer to-go boxes if you can't finish everything.   There is a vegetarian meal available if you let them know when you book your tickets.



Medieval Times was a wonderful experience.  Before we visited, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I am glad I was wrong! It is a great family attraction, and to see those beautiful horses performing was magical.  That's why I think this makes a great back to school tradition - it's so special and unique! Your kiddos will definitely remember this night.  And if you homeschool like we do, you'll love the Partners in Education pages Medieval Times has on their website.  I really appreciate that our special night out can be turned into a history lesson for David, too!

David & his friend Seth joined us!

I don't want to spoil the show for you, so I won't give many details, but here are some pics of our night out at Medieval Times.

Such pageantry on display!

We cheered for the Black and White Knight!

King Don Carlos & Princess Catalina

I highly recommend visiting Medieval Times for your special family night, or celebration.  It's something you won't soon forget! We had a wonderful time with our friends, enjoying a delicious dinner and an exciting show.  I am sure we will be back again!

There are some great specials on the Medieval Times website right now - check them out here.  They also offer discounts for military families and free admission on your birthday.

Medieval Times is located at 5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043 in the Sugarloaf Mills Mall.  It is on the back side of the Mall and you can't miss it - just look for the big castle!

Photo from the Medievel Times Website

Medieval Times provided complimentary admission for us to attend in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received.  

What's for lunch Wednesday #2

This week's lunch is a result of an impulse buy at Walmart Sunday, and getting down to the end of my perishable groceries (I shop every 2 weeks, and I'll go again tomorrow!)  He doesn't get Capri Suns, chips or cupcakes often!!

This picture stinks, too - I was in a hurry and it shows - sorry y'all!  Inside the Cars reusable bag is a peanut butter & honey sandwich on wholegrain thin sandwich rounds.  The pirate bag has D's favorite natural sea salt & vinegar chips.  There's a container of Trader Joe's applesauce & plastic spoon, a wedge of Lite laughing Cow cheese and a mini cupcake (the impulse buy from WM - half price cupcakes!)  He has a Capri Sun lemonade for a drink, with an ice pack to keep it all fresh.

The pirate bags were in Target's Dollar Spot a few weeks ago - he loves them!  The little lunch note was in a pack I got from Toys R Us when I got his new lunchbox & back pack for this school year.  On the back there is either a trivia question, joke, fact or place to write a note! I think he likes them - I find them in his room, folded up from his pocket! : ) 

Please share your kiddo(s)' lunchbox contents in the comments section  - all moms can use new ideas!! Better yet, let's all share a picture once a week to help inspire each other with fun or fresh ideas for food, treats, and special touches for our kids lunch times!

What's for lunch Wednesday?

I often talk with other Moms on FB, Twitter, discussion boards and in person about what our kids are eating for lunch.  I'm not thrilled with school lunches, especially since Mr. Picky Pants will usually eat only a bite or two of his $2 lunch, and drink a chocolate lowfat milk.  That doesn't give him the protein or nutrition he needs for the 2nd half of his school day.  The options our school offers don't thrill him.  (Well, there are 5 or so meals a month he will eat, but that's it)

So most days, I pack his lunch in his cute little Star Wars lunch box.  I thought that once a week I'd try to share his favorite lunch here with y'all, and ask for comments on what your kids eat in their lunches!  I run out of ideas, so new menu ideas are always welcome!!

Here's D's fave lunch of this week (he's buying Thursday & Friday because he likes the food those two days!)

Yesterday's lunch was: low salt wheat thins, a mini cream cheese pack to spread on them, grapes cut in quarters, a Go-gurt, mini S'mores Luna Bar, and an orange juice.   (plus an ice pack to keep it all cold)  He ate everything but some of the grapes!  He doesn't eat a lot of meat, so the Luna bar offers protein, as does  the cream cheese... I included an Ikea plastic knife for the cream cheese, which he brings home for me to wash...

One easy way I like to make lunches fun for D is to put a cool napkin in there. I buy holiday-themed ones after the holidays, as well as any clearance ones at Party City, or other specialty stores.  This week he gets Star Wars napkins, which I found in the birthday party section of Target for under $2! 

What are some of your kids' favorites? 

Back to School Shopping Tips & Tools

Best Back-To-School Shopping Tips & Tools


According to The National Retail Foundation, parents expect to spend an average $603.63 on clothing, supplies and electronics for back-to-school. While this is the second biggest shopping period of the year, your back-to-school shopping list doesn't have to ring up in the hundreds of dollars.  Before joining the back-to-school frenzy, take a look at Credit Karma’s back-to-school shopping tips and tools to get an A+ on your savings.

Cool Tool: Let the sales come to you with Saleslocator.com, a nifty website that aggregates retail sales in your area. With a dedicated Back-to-School section, chart your shopping trip according to the sales and, with some smart planning, you won’t have to pay full price for anything.

Terrific Tip: Sign up for e-mail alerts from your favorite retail stores, especially for clothing. You’ll be the first to know when special one-day sales, online promotions, or daily deals are afoot, so work these special savings opportunities into your shopping game plan.

Cool Tool: Earn cash on back-to-school expenses by shopping with a cash back credit card. Earning 1-5% cash back on every purchase effectively shaves a few dollars off your bill, especially since you’re spending more than usual this time of year. Just make sure you pay the bill in full at the end of the month! A good choice for excellent credit is the Blue Cash Everyday from American Express; for fair credit, check out the Capital One No Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Terrific Tip: Follow stores on Facebook and Twitter, another great real-time source for the latest deals, especially for electronics like laptops, smartphones, and mp3 players. The key is to act as soon as you get word of the deal; these social media tips are great for significant savings on big-ticket items, but they sell out quick.

Cool Tool: Get an upper hand shopping in-store with your smartphone. Use price-comparison smartphone apps, like Compare Everywhere for Android, Red Laser for iPhone, or ShopSavvy for Android and iPhone, to swipe product bar codes and check for cheaper prices online and at other brick-and-mortar stores. You can check if your kid’s most-wanted Captain America backpack is cheaper a few blocks down.

Terrific Tip: Before hitting the mall, shop your own home first. You’d be surprised how many school supplies you already have tucked in drawers, closets, and under your kids’ beds. Take a full inventory of supplies, equipment and clothing that will work for the coming school year so you can cross a few things off your list before spending a penny.

“Split your back-to-school shopping list into two columns of needs and wants,” suggests Justine Rivero, Credit Advisor at Credit Karma. “This will help prioritize your spending and set aside the super-cool lunchbox your child wants (unless there is a great deal for it)."

First things first—shop smart on what you really need and avoid overspending.


Justine Rivero is the Credit Advisor and resident Credit Rockstar for Credit Karma, the pro-consumer credit advocate that helps more than 2.6 million consumers realize the everyday cost savings of having great credit health.  Credit Karma provided this useful article for me to share with my readers!

Totino's Learn a Ton When School is Fun Sweepstakes & Giveaway!!

Are y'all familiar with the Box Tops for Education Program?  We collect those little squares from products we buy and also friends and family who save them for us all year long, then turn them in to D's school to help them buy things they need.  So far, that includes playground equipment, computers equipment and more.  It's an easy way for families to help their schools raise money.   Buy products with Boxtops on them, send them in to school and presto! They get 10 cents per Boxtop collected! And believe me, they add up quickly!

Totino's is one of many companies that participate in the Box Tops program.  This year, they will give away one million Bonus Box Tops (equivalent to $100,000) to help bring fun ideas to life both inside and outside of the classroom, through the "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" sweepstakes: 

This school year, four participating schools in the Box Tops for Education (BTFE) program will each win 250,000 Bonus Box Tops, equivalent to $25,000, from Totino´s to help fund a fun project at their school. View official sweepstakes rules here.    You can start, or continue to earn cash for your kid´s school by collecting Box Tops coupons from hundreds of products, including Totino´s!

This back-to-school season, Totino´s® Party Pizza® and Pizza Rolls® Snacks will feature double Box Tops on select varieties to help you earn even more for your kid´s school!

Fun is an essential part of learning.  In fact, there´s a special connection between having fun in school and academic performance.  According to a recent survey, 93% of parents believe their kids perform better when having fun during the school day.  Continue to help make your kid´s learning environment more fun and exciting by taking advantage of these simple opportunities from Totino´s - enter the "Learn a Ton when School is Fun" sweepstakes for your chance to win 250,000 Bonus Box Tops.  Serve up a quick and delicious after-school snack with Totino´s Party Pizza and Pizza Rolls Snacks, while collecting double Box Tops from each. You can also check out these videos from a group of Totino´s Fun-Atics, Box Tops Coordinators who are bringing fun to their local schools.

1 According to a survey conducted by Totino´s June 2011

Totino's & MyBlogSpark provided my family with a fantastic prize pack, and an identical prize pack to give away to one of you, too! The Prize Pack includes:

•  Brain Quest Smart! Game
• Micro Rubik´s® Cube Key Holder
• Drawstring backpack
• Three Coupons:  one each for a  free package of Totino´s Pizza Rolls Snacks, Totino´s Party Pizza and new Totino´s Pizza Stuffers.

On to the giveaway:  Check out the new entry form I'm using below ~ it's from Rafflecopter & should make entering contests on my blog SO much easier.  There is one mandatory entry and then several other ways to earn additional entries. : )   Good luck y'all!

Back to School ~ Tea Leaves & Thyme Tea Room

Taking tea is a long-time tradition in our family.  My mom, known as Grandmama or G-mama to her grandkids, started this back when her three oldest grandchildren were small. That first time, my sister & I took the girls with Mom to Woodstock to Tea Leaves & Thyme.  It's a beautiful little tea room where you can go in, sit down and let your worries and cares disappear for a couple of hours.  Taking tea is all about relaxing and enjoying the flavors and variety of delicious foods and hot tea that will be served to you.  Each bite is savored, each sip is enjoyed.  We've visited other tea rooms, but Tea Leaves & Thyme is the one we keep going back to, time and again.  I love love love tea rooms!

This year, I wanted to take both kids for a special back to school tea.  K is a senior, and D is a 2nd grader, so they both have much different interests, but both were excited about this tea party! 

We arrived and were seated in a sweet little room all by ourselves *yay*!  We each picked out something fun to add to our outfits: I grabbed a big floppy hat with feathers and a bow.  D grabbed a fur coat and a top hat, and K grabbed a fur coat because she was cold! *She wasn't so much in to the dressing up part this time*  : ( 

We ordered Full Afternoon Tea - which is all of the goodies you get for tea time on a three tier tray, plus a chicken salad croissant and an endless tea pot.   D got the Mad Hatter's Tea ~ a smaller three tier tray of kid-friendly goodies, plus his own tea pot.   His tray included:  top tier:  fruit, plus chocolate chip scones, middle tier: a chocolate-dipped, heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a chocolate-dipped raspberry cream cheese (rabbit shaped) sandwich with a marshmallow tail, and a ham stripe sandwich.  Dessert tier - a chocolate cherry & hershey kiss mouse, a petit four and a jello tulip.  He LOVED it all!

When our tray of food arrived, here's what we got:  top tier - cranberry scones with lemon curd and amaretto whipped cream,  plus fresh fruit.  Middle tier: finger sandwiches - ham stripes, pineapple cinnamon cream cheese, egg salad with maple bacon, cucumber cream cheese topped with sour cream swirl & a radish curl.

The dessert tray included cookies and cream brownies, some type of bar with chocolate chips, nuts, etc., lemon bars, and a butter cupcake with pinapple center and pink frosting. 

Plus we got that giant chicken salad croissant!

 Our first pot of tea was creme brulee, the second was winter comfort (I think) - it was a chocolate mint tea.  David had a creme brulee pot and a vanilla spice pot too! YUM!  We had a wonderful time making memories and enjoying a special afternoon before school started.

I am hoping to get my mom, aunt, cousins and others together at Tea Leaves & Thyme for a Christmas tea this year - that would be so much fun!!

If you live near Atlanta you must try out Tea Leaves & Thyme.  It would be a great place to have a bridal or baby shower, too.  I love going there for tea with friends & family - it's such a nice way to take some time for yourself!  Make sure to call first and make reservations - you probably won't get in without them!

Have you visited a tea room? What is a fun back to school tradition you share with your family?

** This is not a sponsored post - I was not compensated in any way for writing this! We paid full price for our teas and will do so again ~ we have been going there for over 10 years now! I really wanted to share this fabulous Atlanta tea room with y'all! **

Back to school with two giveaways!

Good morning y'all!  We are on day three of back to school here in Atlanta.  This year both of my kiddos are at schools outside our district - that means we leave the house at 6 am to drive K to her high school (senior year - yay!) and then at 7:30 D & I leave to go to his school.  At 1:50 I'm back in the car to go get in D's carpool line.   He gets out close to 3, but I need to be near the front of the line so I can drive to K's school by 3:10 to pick her up ~ she gets out at 2:20.  Crazy schedule, huh?! So far it works though. 

Anyhoo...it has been a little nuts here the last 10 days but now that school is back in session, I'm ready to be a f/t blogging mama again.  To kick it off, I'll have two new giveaways this week!! Want two hints?  \

Well....one is for some super-fun and some super-yum things to celebrate back to school from a company that will give away one million boxtops for education (which equals $100,000!) to schools across the country.  And the other will allow you and the guest(s) of your choice to enjoy a free night at a Bed and Breakfast of your choice when you purchase one night - so you can enjoy a nice little getaway for half price!! Stay tuned for both of these fantastic giveaways later this week!

Don't forget - if you are a local resident, enter my Atlanta History Center giveaway (next post below!) for a chance to win one of two family passes.  It's a great place to hang out and learn more about Atlanta in a really fun way! Kids and parents will both love the AHC.

Back to School!!

So my babies went back to school this week. It's always bittersweet. I love having the summer with them, but by this time of summer, they are ready to get back to school to friends, afterschool activities and more. This year Katie is in 11th grade, and David is in 1st. The time seems to go by faster and faster each year - didn't I just take back to school pictures?!