Giveaway & Review: We The People Fight Tyranny Game

Hey y'all!

Hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend.  We had my daughter and son-in-law over for a cookout.  After we ate lunch, my daughter, son and I played a super-fun new game that I received to review last week!

We opened the box and set up the board - it's BIG!  There are several different types of cards and several decks of trivia cards as well. (more about these cards below) We started by reading the instructions and picking our colored pawns for playing.  Then David (he was the Game Czar!) chose identity cards for each of us. These cards determine each player's occupation, salary, family members and vehicle for the game.  I was not too happy with my card - he got me good!

We love a good board game and this one didn't disappoint! We laughed a lot during the game, and had a great time playing.  I was surprised that I knew a good number of the trivia questions (but not always the ones I got on my turn, ha ha!)  I think our game took about an hour to play before Katie was declared the winner. David came in second place and Mom came in last - wahh!

We can't wait to play again - it was so much fun and the trivia questions are great! We all learned things while playing this game.  Some of the questions we encountered were about religion, historical events and figures, Supreme Court cases, and the Constitution.

Oh, and the "Social Justice" cards are hilarious! They show you how ridiculous an intrusive government is to our society, and teach players about modern day tyranny.  The "Disappoint Big Brother" cards represent ways "We the People" can restore America.  This game WILL spark conversations about our government and changes that are needed!  My kids and I already talk about that often, but the game really encourages discussion!

If you homeschool, this makes a great history resource.  Heck, even if you DON'T homeschool, it's great!  It's meant for 3 - 8 players, and ages 15 and up.  David is 12 and he surprised me with how many trivia questions he could answer.  So I think some younger kids would do just fine playing this game!  Oh, and another great thing - this game is MADE IN THE USA!

Visit the website to learn more about the game, or to purchase your own copy!

I am so excited that the game designers are sponsoring a giveaway of We The People Fight Tyranny. This giveaway has a retail value of $56.99 but they are going to send one of my readers a FREE game!  Isn't that awesome? 

All you have to do is enter through my rafflecopter widget below.  Make sure you complete the mandatory entries (one of which includes leaving a comment below this post) so your bonus entries will count!  Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway ~ Atlanta JapanFest "Cooler Japan" 2016 tickets!

Want to learn about Japanese culture?  This year’s JapanFest “Cooler Japan,” offers an electric combination of cool tech-advanced modern Japan with a traditional twist.  It promises to be a fun weekend for the whole family!

JapanFest Weekend will be held on September 17-18, 2016, from 10 am to 6 pm (Saturday) and 10am to 5pm (Sunday) at the Infinite Energy Center (located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097).

We make Japanese culture COOL in our Children’s Area! Children will be able to make paper puppets and enjoy Kamishibai, a form of Japanese theatrical storytelling that uses paper puppets. They can also learn Japanese calligraphy, try on traditional Japanese clothes, make kites, color in Japanese coloring books, fold origami figures, and play with traditional Japanese tops and paper sumo wrestlers! For our modern counterpart, children will get to play with Samurai Borgs (Japanese fighting robots), Beyblade (modern Japanese tops), Hyper yoyos, and Kendama (modern cup and ball game).

Kids will also be given the opportunity to let their creativity shine. This year we will be featuring a 3D pen that will make their art literally stand off the page! And with our 3D aquarium, they can bring their art to life! Children will draw their fish, and after scanning it, they will be able to see their fish swim around our 3D fish tank. Everyone in your family will find something to enjoy at JapanFest!

If you need a pick-me-up from all the fun, JapanFest Konbini store and Japanese grocery store, Tomato, are providing tasty and unique Japanese snacks!  My son is looking forward to this!

Love music? JapanFest will feature a variety of musical performances sure to suit all ages and interests, including taiko drumming, J-Rock and J-Pop, and classical music. The festival will also feature Japanese dance performances, a kimono fashion show, and kabuki theater.

Want a selfie taken in Tokyo without the jet lag? Take a virtual trip to Japan with our Magical Photo booth. Take a picture in famous Japanese locations such as Mt. Fuji, Harajuku, or even a photo with a sumo wrestler! Other photo ops include the cute Japanese mascot Domo-Kun, who will be at the festival.

This will be our second year collaborating with anime convention, MomoCon. The Anime village is a section of the festival completely dedicated to anime products, anime viewings, and gaming. Keep Momocon is also sponsoring a Pokémon Go! Meetup. Capture and boost a gym, claim resources from Poke Stops and build your team, all factions welcome!

For fans of more traditional fighting methods, rather than Pokémon battles, there will be demonstrations of virtually every Japanese martial art in existence, including aikido, karate, kendo, kyudo, and sumo.

Shoppers will love the amazing array of Japanese goods available. Ginza-dori, organized by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Georgia and named after Tokyo's famous shopping district, will feature Japanese ceramics, traditional Japanese clothing and accessories, and fun items such as masks and toys. For those who want to try on a kimono, the Konnichiwa Club will dress them in the latest kimonos from Japan.

Attendees are encouraged to purchase  tickets online to minimize waiting at the event entrance, as additional entrances are provided for pre-purchased ticket holders.  Individual tickets are available for sale until the day before the event (Though Infinite Energy Center ticketing system, AXS).  http://www.infiniteenergycenter.com/events/detail/japanfest-2016 .  The deadline for our corporate ticket package is August 10th for e-tickets https://japanfest.formstack.com/forms/ticket_package  (60 tickets and above)

Tickets are $10. Children age 6 or younger free. Teachers can bring students to JapanFest for free by applying online at www.japanfest.org. Larger organizations can purchase ticket packages online.

No pets other than guide dogs are allowed inside the convention center. For more information,  call 404-842-0736 or visit www.japanfest.org.

Sponsors:
Platinum-Delta, Gold-Aflcac, Coca Cola, Silver-Fisher-Broyles, Kumon North America,  TV Japan/NHK Cosmomedia America Inc., WSBTV-Channel 2, Bronze-American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Power Equipment Division; LeafFilter; Miura America Company; PriceWaterhouse Coopers; Sapporo USA, Inc; Temple University, Japan Campus; TOTO USA Inc; Fuji-Dexerials America Corporation, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,  Inside Gwinnett Magazine, Panasonic Automotive Systems, Yamaha Motor Corp.U.S.A, Sakura-Atlanta Parent Magazine; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Ernst & Young LLP; Global Atlanta; Gwinnett Daily Post; Holiday Inn Gwinnett Center; Creative Loafing; Honda Precision Parts of Georgia; KPMG; Nidec Elesys Americas Corporation; Toppan Printing; Ume-Atlanta Braves, Kuraoka Clinic, Machida Family of Duluth

Doesn't JapanFest look awesome?  I can't wait to take my son! This will be a fun, educational experience for us both.  

Local friends, I'm giving away a four pack of tickets to JapanFest! Enter via Rafflecopter below! (Must live in metro-Atlanta area to be eligible to win)

Review: We Choose Virtues poster

As a homeschooling mama, I love finding new resources and companies that offer products to encourage and motivate my son.  This colorful poster is a treasure!   It clearly illustrates what is expected in our home, and it's been a cute yet important addition to our homeschool room. 

According to Heather McMillan, the creator of We Choose Virtues, this poster features a complete list of all 12  Virtues, their Catchphrases and Antonyms. The Kids of VirtueVille are pictured next to each Virtue for easy reference. The Kids Virtue Poster presents a language of Virtue that is both clear and positive.  If you are looking for a precise and consistent standard for both attitudes and actions that everyone can understand, this is a great place to start. It will help you create a brand new culture in your home or classroom that will eliminate confusion and build hope. 

The 12 Virtues are: I am Diligent, I am Obedient, I am Kind, I am Helpful, I am Forgiving, I am Honest, I am Perseverant, I amSelf-controlled, I am Content, I am Patient, I am Gentle and I am Attentive!

My readers can use promo code VIRTUE15 for 15% off this item from http://wechoosevirtues.com/  


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Atlanta Fun for Kids Tiny Towne ~ Norcross, GA

This week David & I were very excited to visit Tiny Towne in Norcross, GA.  I heard about it from a friend and it sounded like a cool place. I checked out their website and discovered it's a large indoor "edu-tainment" complex where kids from ages 3 - 15 learn all about the rules of driving and being safe on the road. They get to drive cars (different sizes according to their age).  Tiny Towne believes learning should be fun, and strives to inspire the next generation of safer drivers! I love the idea of David learning about safety and driving rules while he is still young.  This is the first Tiny Towne location in America.  According to the website, there is a similar driving edu-tainment park in Lebanon called Rio City, and based on its success, they brought the concept to America.  So glad it is close to us!

David's Driver's Permit

I wasn't sure what to expect, but when we arrived David got his driver's permit, and we were given a wonderful tour of Tiny Towne by Rebecca.  It really is like a town, with streets, red lights, stop signs, etc.  Rebecca introduced us to Pierre Maalouf, the founder of Tiny Towne and I told him I think this is the coolest kids place ever! Kids won't even realize how much they are learning - they just think they are having fun!

On our tour we discovered two "street" tracks - one for younger kids, and one for kids 57" and taller. Circling these tracks are painted train tracks, for the train kids can hop on and ride around the "towne", finishing up with a trip through a tunnel! Towards the back of the building you'll find a large computer classroom with touch screen computers. It is just perfect for field trips, and they also have several party rooms.  I hope to set up a field trip for some of our fellow k12.com homeschool families here this Fall.

                                             Tracks from the viewing deck

Classroom

Party Rooms

At the front of the building there are simulators for testing the older kids before they actually drive on the tracks.  There is also an area where the bigger kids take a computer test that they must pass with 100% correct answers before driving. Don't worry, little kids don't have to test!  Tiny Towne has a cute "Carcade" game room too.  Upstairs (actually over the tunnel) is a comfortably furnished deck for parents to sit and watch their drivers navigate the tracks.  And when you want to take a break from all the fun and learning, there is a nice restaurant called The Grill where you can order lunch or a snack.

Simulators

                                                                 The Carcade

Viewing Deck

The Grill - a great spot for a quick meal or a snack!

As mentioned above, David had to take a written test first.  It took him 4 or 5 tries to get 100%,  but he was learning with each retest so it didn't take long to ace it!  There were park benches nearby for parents to wait.  Next he had to spend time on one of the simulators up front. Pierre helped get him started on that.   It was like a video game, but more realistic.  He learned to shift, use the turn signal, use the rear view mirror to check for traffic, and then how to maintain speed.  He did a great job, so next it was time for a smart cart on the track!

Learning on the simulator, with help from Founder Pierre Maalouf

He went out on the track and I went up on the deck to check out his skills! I was pleasantly surprised - he did a great job! I really like that they have realistic street signs, traffic lights, and even police officers patroling the streets of Tiny Towne.  And yes, you can get a ticket! (Luckily, David didn't!)  After about 20 minutes of driving, we spent time having fun - playing air hockey and other games in the Carcade.  By then it was past lunch time, so we grabbed some tasty sandwiches and chips over at The Grill. They had a variety of foods that kids will enjoy (pasta, sandwiches, pizza) plus salads, appetizers and desserts.

To sum up our wonderful day of learning and fun at Tiny Towne ~ we love it and plan to go back after school starts! It's a unique learning experience for kids and parents will enjoy themselves too.  Thanks for having us for the day, Tiny Towne! 

Tiny Towne offers yearly membership options, and you can read about driving for each age group here.   Admission to Tiny Towne complex is free, but attraction prices vary. To find out prices, hours, and directions, click here. 

Follow Tiny Towne on FB. 

Please use the twitter and facebook share buttons at the top of this post to share this review with your friends! Let's spread the word about this great new attraction in Gwinnett County! Thanks for stopping by!

Disclosure: David received free track time and tokens to allow us to visit Tiny Towne for this review. No other compensation was received, and opinions stated above are 100% my own! 

Great deal on Liberty Kids 40 episode boxed DVD set!

Awesome deal if you pre-Order Liberty Kids 40 episode DVD boxed set for only $9.99 on Amazon!!  Available July 16th ~ check price before you order to make sure it hasn't gone up - it is $9.99 right now! :)