Review: Great book series for reluctant young readers!

I am fortunate to have a child who loves nothing better than a good book. He comes by it honestly, from his mama!  I've literally got books started all over the place - one is always in the van, in case I have to wait somewhere. Then there's a bathtub basket of books, and one on my nightstand too! You might even spy one on my kitchen table, and one on the coffee table!  So you can understand why I'm thrilled that he loves reading so much, too.  Some days after his school work is done, you'll find us both cozied up in my bed with our books, or reclining on each end of the sofa reading.  It's definitely a passion for us both!

D's breezed through several series of books this year - including the Maximum Ride books and the Gone series, plus the Maze Runner and The Giver.  When I had the opportunity to check out the first book in a series by author Jeff Gunhus, I knew my son would be excited too! I read the description and knew he would be hooked.

The series is called The Templar Chronicles and so far, there are four books in it.  Book one is Jack Templar, Monster Hunter.  You can read more about it here!  My son gave me his mini-review to share: "GREAT characters, a plot that was fast-paced with lots of action, and I really liked reading about all of the monsters in the book!"  He was really bummed when he finished the last page of Jack Templar, Monster Hunter. Well....he doesn't know it, but he will be getting the next book for New Year's, so he can continue the series!  (there will eventually be seven books in it). If your kiddos enjoyed Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson, they are going to love this series too.  Even a child who doesn't love reading will enjoy all of the action and adventure in Jack Templar!

If you are still looking for a last minute Christmas gift for a special kiddo in your life,  this book (or all four!) would be great for young readers (maybe 5th/6th grade and up)   You can get it for kindle too - no leaving the house required!

Jeff Gunhus also has a highly rated book for parents with kids who don't love reading. It's about reaching the reluctant readers in your life, and you can find out more and purchase it here.
Over on Amazon, learn how he turned his son, a reluctant reader, into an avid reader!

You can see all of the books from Mr. Gunhus at his website.  I'm thrilled that my son loves his books so much - we are now big fans of his work and look forward to finishing this series!

I received a free copy of the book for my son to read for this review.  No other compensation was received.  

Review: 2.5% Retinol Moisturizer by Body Merry

I have been using this Body Merry 2.5% Retinol Moisturizer for about 3 weeks.  I love it! It is so rich, yet absorbs very quickly.  I can apply makeup very soon after using this.  I didn't have any irritation from the Retinol when using this either. It does take time to see big results, but I am quite happy with it so far!  I'm also super-happy to share and support products made in the USA!

Product Information:
Retinol has time and again proven itself to be a potent youth reviving ingredient. Body Merry's Retinol Surge Moisturizer combines the power of 2.5% Retinol with a bunch of soothing natural antioxidants & ingredients (Wildcrafted Green Tea, Organic Jojoba Oil, Vitamins E & B5 plus Shea Butter) that work together to visibly reduce the signs of aging. Plant Derived Hyaluronic Acid hydrates and nourishes your skin. This unique formulation not only helps to provide a flawless tone and texture, but also leaves your skin feeling and looking smoother, plumper and younger.  Works its charm on discoloration, acne, hyperpigmentation and sun damage. Both men and women can use this moisturizer! Works well for all skin types.  

The formula does not contain any harsh chemicals such as Parabens, Sulphates or Phthalates. The moisturizer is made in the USA in an FDA registered and GMP compliant facility. It is not tested on animals.

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.

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.

Review: PureSOL Konjac Sponge with added Bamboo Charcoal

I received this fabulous facial sponge from pureSOL to review, and I only wish I'd heard about it sooner! It's the strangest looking thing - a black shrink-wrapped disk that comes in a cute little eco-friendly box. It also arrives with a little suction-cup hook to hang in your bathroom. That's where your sponge will hang to dry between uses!

Here are some of the wonderful things I've learned about this sponge:

Konjac is a moisture rich plant fibre which is by nature alkaline, and thus balances the acidity of the skin's impurities and oils. The unique net-like structure of the sponge gently massages the skin, breaks down dirt, stimulates blood flow and new growth of skin cells. This leaves the skin extremely clean and refreshed!

pureSOL Konjac Sponge is unbelievably soft and excellent for all skin types! It is made of 100% pure vegetable fiber and processed without any coloring or additives, great for hypersensitive skin!

IMPROVES SKIN TEXTURE: pureSOL Konjac Facial Sponge gently exfoliates while deep cleansing and removing any toxins and impurities, leaving you with a radiant complexion. It is extremely soft and gentle for everyday skin care. Great for all skin types.

BRIGHTER LOOKING SKIN: The natural woven fibers of the sponge gently massage the skin and stimulate blood flow. It detoxifies and encourages skin renewal while balancing the skins pH, leaving your skin extremely clean and refreshed!

PREVENTS SPOTS, BLACKHEADS AND BREAKOUTS: The added BAMBOO CHARCOAL contains activated carbon and essential minerals to deeply cleanse and absorb excess sebum, toxins and other harmful chemicals from your skin. You will see your pores getting smaller, tightening and brightening your skin.

100% NATURAL AND ECO-FRIENDLY: Why compromise your health with products that contain harsh chemicals and additives on your skin? pureSOL Konjac Sponge is completely natural, eco-friendly and free of parabens, sulphates & chemicals. It is biodegrade, cruelty free and vegan. After use, you can compost the sponge and feel good about the environment! You can even add it to your flower pot! At pureSOL our packaging is 90% compostable.

Here's what my sponge looks like after I soak it in water for a minute:

So I've been using this sponge for about a month, and I definitely see a difference in my skin.  It looks brighter, and feels so clean after using the sponge each night.  I don't even use a cleanser these days, just a good "scrubbing" with the sponge and water before bedtime.  My skin's never looked better!  Yes, I received one free in order to review it, but I'll be purchasing more for future use! This is the greatest addition to my skincare regimen! So thankful to have found out about pureSOL's konjac sponges!

The pureSol Konjac sponge is available on Amazon.  You can also learn more by visiting the company's  Facebook.

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.

Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals Review & Giveaway ~ Ended~ no more entries

UPDATE:  The winner (drawn by random.org) is Gia for comment #11! I'm emailing her now, if I don't hear back within 48 hours, I'll draw a new winner! Thanks to all who entered!! ~ Aimee 

As a member of Shespeaks.com, I was recently asked to have my little guy try the new Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals.   I was hesitant, because I know how picky this kid can be!  He will reluctantly eat chicken in nugget form, but not other meats, or any other form of chicken. He isPiCkY!

 We received several meals to try, plus two coupons for Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals   Well, David chose the ravioli for lunch the next day, but after discovering that it contained beef, he clamped those lips shut and wouldn't try another bite.  I tried them and they were delicious - rich sauce, tender ravioli - yum!!! So it's just MY kid that doesn't like any dishes made with meat!  Your child will LOVE these meals! 

What I liked most about these is that they are an easy-to-fix, complete meal for a kid! They come in four
kid-friendly, delicious varieties:  (well, at least for most kids, lol!)

•Spaghetti and Meatballs

•Pasta and Chicken

•Beef Ravioli

•Macaroni and Beef

They are portable too - easy to take on the go and heat up when it's mealtime!  So quick, too - just heat them in the microwave and it's time to eat!  I also like that there are often coupons for Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals in the Sunday paper!

       *************************************************************************



Now on to the giveaway!!  I'm giving one winner two coupons to try Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals for FREE, valued at $2.29 each - coupons expire 12/31/11.

Mandatory Entry:

Must do this entry before any of the additional entries!! Leave a comment, telling me which variety of Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals your child would like to try first!  (Make sure to include your email address in the comment so I can contact you if you are my winner!)

                                                                   Additional Entries:

• Follow me on Google Friend Connect - box is in the right sidebar, then leave me a comment with your GFC id & email address.  If you already follow me, tell me that & leave your id & email address in a comment.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed OR Email newsletter & confirm it in your email, leave a comment with your email address. If you already do subscribe, just leave that in a comment with your email!
• Vote for me on Picket Fence Blogs (click the PFB button near the top of the sidebar!), then leave a comment saying you did so, with your email address.  Can do this once daily til contest ends, just leave a comment daily!
• Tweet about this giveaway using the button near the top of my blog post ~ then leave a comment, your Twitter id, and your email address.  Can do this once daily til contest ends, just leave a comment each day that you do it!
• Like my Facebook page (click the FB box in sidebar), then leave a comment with your FB id and email address.
• Follow me on Twitter, leave a comment with your Twitter id & email address!

Don't forget - you can leave one comment per entry that you do, and on the daily ones, you can leave an additional comment each day after you do the required entry method!  I will verify that entries were completed before winner is notified!

Contest is open to US residents, and will run through 11:59 pm EST on Friday, June 10.  Winning comment will be drawn & verified that weekend and notified via email by June 13, 2011.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing address.  If I don't hear from them in that time, a new winner will be drawn, verified & contacted!  Coupons will be mailed via USPS by June 20, 2011.  Once the winner's prize envelope is dropped off at the US Post Office, I can't be held responsible for lost/undelivered mail.

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review, but we were sent Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals to sample, and two free coupons to use.  I would rather share the free coupons with one of my blog readers, since D won't eat the meals due to the inclusion of MEAT! lol  All opinions about the meals are honest and are completely my own.  I passed the additional sample meals on to a friend to use when they camp - I know her son will enjoy them this summer!

Review ~ Stone Mountain Lasershow Spectacular in Laservision!

Last Thursday we were invited to attend the premiere of the brand new Lasershow Spectacular at Stone Mountain Park in Atlanta.  I've lived in Atlanta since 4th grade, grew up going to the park, and I have been to many, many Lasershows since it started more than 25 years ago! I was very excited to see this new production in Mountainvision!!

Unfortunately, Katie had an exam early the next morning, so she had to miss this.  David chose to miss the last day of school so he could see the Lasershow.  Being seven, he didn't miss much - they have a picnic and play a lot!  So Randy, David & I set out on a stormy night for the 40 mile trip to Stone Mountain. 

Stuck at Spaghetti Junction, trying to get on 285! Rush hour + storms = delays!!

 

Our view for dinner ~ sweet!

Delicious cupcakes ~ sweet ending to dinner!

Despite the rain and storms, we got there about 7 pm and checked in.  We ate dinner out on the Terrace (luckily it was covered, because the rain kept coming and going!)  Then we enjoyed some delicious cupcakes while waiting for the darkness to fall.   Kids played on the terrace, and it was a nice, relaxing way to spend the evening!

Finally, the lasershow began at about 9:30 pm! It's not completely new, but that is good.  The fan favorites of Stone Mountain's Lasershow are still here:  Dixie, Sweet Home Alabama, Georgia on My Mind, and other favorites are still played much to the delight of the hometown crowd.   But there are fabulous new additions.  The new, state-of-the-art, multi-dimensional show is amazing!  Watch the mountain open up, and turn into an erupting volcano! Or watch pieces of it "crumble" and fall to the ground.  It's really something to see!  The fireworks were so beautiful, and it was truly an inspiring, feel good show.  We loved it.  It's a little over 40 minutes long, which is just about perfect!

See my little D's head? He sat in front of us and clapped so hard - he can't wait to go back and see the Lasershow Spectacular again!

I never got a truly good shot of the gorgeous fireworks, but here is another attempt!

Here are some facts about this amazing new show:

• The Lasershow is free with $10 vehicle admission to the park.  Or buy a $35 parking pass good for the entire year!
• Mountainvision is four to five times the size of an IMAX screen, taller than the Statue of Liberty!
• Seeing the show in Mountainvision is similar to owning a 5500 inch high definition tv!
• Mountainvision is included in all parts of the show, but there is one section of the show that really shows off the new technology - the volcano, ice cave, and skyline section! It's really, really fun!
• There are some all-time favorite music medleys, along with some new!
• Heroes Salute is a tribute to everyday heroes
• Georgia Artists showcases our fabulous homegrown artists - Sugarland, The Allman Brothers, The Zac Brown Band, REM and more
• The Devil Went Down to Georgia - need I say more?! : )
• An American Trilogy - Elvis segment where the beautiful Mountain Carving comes to life!

And here are some facts about Stone Mountain and the park:

• It's the world's largest exposed piece of granite, home to the world's largest relief sculpture. 
• The carving features three Civil War figures: Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, & Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and their horses. 
• The carving measures 90 feet tall, 190 feet wide, and is 11 feet deep.  It spans three acres, and is larger than Mt. Rushmore!
• Stone Mountain Park is Georgia's most popular attraction, and one of the top historical attractions in the U.S.!

Other attractions to see at the Park include:

• Crossroads - a village of shops, restaurants and activities!
• Yogi Bear 4D Adventure - new for 2011, this is a 12 minute experience with 3D film and 4D special effects!
• Mini-Golf - 18 holes of fun!
• Paddlewheel Riverboat - 150 passenger authentic paddlewheel boat cruises Stone Mountain Lake
• Ride the Ducks Siteseeing Adventure - the only place in Georgia you can ride the Ducks!
• Scenic Railroad - fullsize 1940's locomotive with open-air cars takes you on a five mile excursion around the mountain
• SkyHike - a treetop adventure course!
• Summit Skyride - high-speed Swiss Cable Car takes you to the top of the mountain for stunning views - on a clear day you can see for more than 40 miles! 

There are also hiking trails, picnic areas, lodging and camping areas!  The park is open from 6 am until midnight daily!  Access to Stone Mountain's natural areas is free with parking admission.  There are options for annual passes, day passes and more - check out http://www.stonemountainpark.com/ for all of the details!

The park now offers VIP Terrace seating, with snack or casual dining options.  Reservations can be made online at http://www.stonemountainpark.com/.  The new laser show runs nightly now through August 7 at 9:30 pm.  August 13, 20 & 27 it runs Saturdays only.


Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post.  We did receive free admission to the park, plus dinner with my family to view the premiere of the new Lasershow Spectacular.  This review is my honest opinion of the show, and I would have said the same thing whether we had to pay to see the show or not - it was fabulous!!

Georgia Renaissance Festival Review

If you live in North Georgia or Eastern Alabama, you should do your best to visit the Georgia Renaissance Festival this Spring! It's a family-friendly event that you will really enjoy!  Located off I-85 a few minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, it's a daytrip destination that will delight young, old and all ages in between!

We took the kids down to Fairburn for the Festival a week ago Saturday, which was the opening day for this year's Festival.  It was packed by 11:15 when we got there!  Luckily, there is plenty of free parking available. 

Once you enter the village, you'll feel as if you've been transported back in time! Be on the lookout for pirates, wenches, wizards,  knights, fair maidens, monks, kings and queens.  We haven't been to the Georgia Renaissance Festival since David was 3, so he was staring at everything and everyone ~ it was all fascinating to him!

We grabbed a map inside the entrance and first tried out the Tortuga Twins show, but it was a little too grown-up for David, so we followed the map and headed straight to The Mud Show with Filthy Rotten Scoundrels.  If you've got kids, this is probably going to be one of your favorite shows of the whole day! 

The performers take turns doing stunts and telling tales, then jumping into the blackest mud you'll ever see.  After each round, the audience picks their favorite.  I won't spoil it for you, but the grand finale is hysterical! 

So fun!!  After the shows at the Festival, the performers have a hat for you to leave a tip in if you enjoyed it, so show them some love if you had a great time!  After The Mud Show ended, we browsed through some really neat stores.  They have shops featuring musical instruments, crystals, leather goods, perfumes, candles,  jewelry, pottery, handmade bath products, and  more. There is something for everyone!  David checked out a sword & shield, but finally chose a handmade leather journal.  Katie bought a gorgeous crystal bracelet, and Randy got a journal too!  We spent a lot of time exploring the shops that line the village streets.  David and Randy went in the maze, too. After they made it through to the other side,  David exited via the slide, while his Dad chose the steps!  There is also a new haunted house to check out this year if you're feeling brave!

Next we caught the end of the Tartanic show - they do an amazing bagpipe version of Amazing Grace!  Wish we had seen the whole show! By then it was time for lunch.  The Renaissance Festival has a huge selection of food to choose from!  We picked Chicken Caesar Calzones (me & K), Pepperoni Calzone plus fried pickles (R), cheese bread (D).   These were followed with ginger beer (R), coffee smoothie (R), and shaved ice (the rest of us!).  They also have ribbon fries, turkey legs, grilled corn, funnel cakes, and a lot more! The tables fill up quickly, but they have tables for you to stand at, which we did until a table opened up.  It was really great people watching from there!

Guess what we found next?  A petting zoo!  They have a sanitizing station, but after having the animals eat from our hands, I was glad I had some wipes in my purse! : ) (Kind of a germ freak, I admit it!)

You can even catch a sheepdog demonstration beside the petting zoo a few times a day - check the schedule for times!

This gorgeous creature is a Scottish Highlands cow ~ beautiful!

We also found time for some games:

 

and a few of these too...

As our day at the Festival came to a close, we checked out some of the Belly Dancers  ~ how do they do that?! Beautiful dancing, lovely costumes, exotic music = lots of fun!

Then we walked over to the The Royal Pavilion where the Fairy Court was in residence.  I wasn't sure if David would like it, but he did! There were five or six other kids there talking with the Fairy Queen and her fairy friend.  They played games like freeze tag, and had story time.  Definitely worth checking out!

So after all this, do you see what I am talking about? It's fun at the Renaissance Festival! Fun for adults AND kids!! There is a Kid's Kingdom playground, games, crafts, activities, plus face painting, hair braiding and much, much more for the little (and tween/teen) kids in your life! This is a unique experience they'll never forget!

There is SO much to see, so many shows to check out, non-stop entertainment at 10+ stages,  plus there is  a jousting arena with three Royal Jousts daily.  Then there are the many characters wandering the streets of the village in costume, the rides, the food - it's really tough to fit everything into one day! We live about 1 1/2 hours from the festival site, so we'll only go once this season, but we could easily have filled a second day with more activities & shows!  We'll definitely be going back to the Renaissance Festival next year!




Check out the Georgia Renaissance Festival's Facebook page, or subscribe to their email newsletter on their website.  Follow them on Twitter, too!

Hours are 10:30 am - 6 pm Saturdays & Sundays through June 5 (including Memorial Day Monday)
Directions are found here.   Now get your tickets and head to the Festival this weekend!! 

Disclosure: I was given two adult passes to the Renaissance Festival to attend so we could review the festival. We purchased additional tickets for the kids. The free passes did not influence my review in any way, the comments and opinions expressed in this review are completely honest and 100% my own! 

Coming soon~ Georgia Renaissance Festival review & another giveaway!!

Oh my, has it ever been busy here.  I've got some great things coming up - including a review of the super-fun Georgia Renaissance Festival, plus another great giveaway from Purex!! So check back soon, so much great stuff coming up! : )  Hope you are enjoying your weekend!!

Have you heard of SocialSpark?

I just signed up with them ~ they hook you up with advertisers who will pay you for blog posts about their products and services!! What a great way to make some extra money via paypal!  Please click here to join, and I will get credit for referring you.  Thanks so much ~ let's go make some money!!  (It took me less than five minutes to have my blog set up with their website.  Very easy to set everything up!!)

Review ~ Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium ~ Orlando

Last month the kids and I were fortunate enough to go on a wonderful trip to Florida with some dear friends.  We were on a pretty tight budget, so the big theme parks weren't on our itinerary this trip.  I knew there were plenty of other places to visit in Orlando!  My seven year old has a huge appetite for learning, and I thought he would really enjoy Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium. 

We visited Ripley's on our first full day in Orlando, which happened to be the coldest day of the this winter so far in Orlando - it was in the 20's, brrrrrrrrr!  When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was that the building is tilted!  Really, it looks like it is being swallowed by a sinkhole - yikes!

This picture is from the Ripley's website, and shows the exterior of the Orlando Ripley's Believe it or Not!

Parking is free, and there is a shopping center next door with plenty of extra parking spaces if the Ripley's one is full.   Once inside the newly-renovated, 10,000 square foot building, we started our self-guided tour with many other folks trying to avoid the cold weather! 

Each gallery you visit is full of interesting displays.  Depending on how much reading you want to do, you could easily spend a couple of hours looking at every single item!  But when you have little ones, you tend to follow at their pace, and my kids were all about looking quickly and moving on to the next thing! 

First we learned about Robert Ripley, the founder of Ripley's Believe it or Not.  He was an explorer, an adventurer, and cartoonist.  He spent much of his life on a quest for unusual and bizarre items to share with his readers through his cartoons.  He truly had a passion for finding unique things to share with his readers, and he traveled the globe seeking them out!  Eventually he began hosting a television show to showcase his collections.  There were many books written detailing his unique finds over the years as well.  David loves reading the Ripley's yearbook at the library and here he is next to an entire stack of Ripley's books at the Orlando location - my boy was in book heaven!

David with a huge stack of Ripley's books!

Even after his death in 1958, Robert Ripley's legacy continued through his cartoons and the many Ripley's museums.   Millions of visitors are entertained at his museums every year!

Soon after your tour begins, you'll find change machines, so go ahead and cash in some dollar bills for quarters.  You'll be glad you did when you enter the next gallery where you can use them in various novelty machines.  There are also brain teasers, optical illusions and interactive exhibits to try!  David used some of his change to have his fortune told, and he and Katie even tried out the passion throne (against my wishes!!)   This section reminded me of a game arcade and it was very exciting for kids.

David in the Passion Throne - it said he is passionate, which cracked him up!!

Next up is the tilted room.  It will mess with your head, let me tell you! But it's so much fun to walk through this room at an angle, and the kids loved that the balls on the pool table rolled uphill!

You will feel very off-center while walking through this tilted-sideways room!

There are a variety of collections to see in each of the 16 unique galleries.  And there are a few surprises along the way! For example, keep an eye out for tourists who aren't what they seem!  Both my kids thought the wax figures were hilarious!

Believe it or not, she isn't a tourist, she's a wax figure!! And her "hubby" is in the same gallery!

A few of our favorite things at the Orlando Ripley's Believe it or Not! Odditorium are below:

This HUGE wall mural of Jimi Hendrix was made with over 8000 playing cards!

So amazing to see an actual piece of the Berlin Wall!

There are so many exhibits of human oddities, like this man with double pupils.  Fascinating stuff for kids & adults!

There is so much more to see.  Like the lifesize model car made entirely of matchsticks, or the gallery of miniatures you can observe.  There's a real human shrunken head, and authenticated dinosaur eggs!  There is even a gallery with animal anomalies.  Check out the picture of Beyonce, made entirely of candy! Trust me, you won't want to miss any of it!

An actual human shrunken head

I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to because I was chasing David from exhibit to exhibit! He loved it all!  Katie was with her friend and they went ahead without me - who wants to hang out with your mom (or your friend's mom) when you are a teenager?! Both girls enjoyed the Odditorium as much as David did;  it truly is fun for every member of the family!  The displays will interest young and old alike.  There are even large flat screen tv's throughout the museum showing behind-the-scenes footage and information about various exhibits.

Before you exit the exhibit area, you'll discover a trick played on unsuspecting visitors! And then there is the coolest tunnel you can walk through to get out.  It feels like you are moving, but it's really a walk-through tunnel that moves around you! If you don't want to try it, you can bypass the tunnel and exit through a hallway. We walked through it more than once, getting dizzier each time! So much FUN!

On the way out of the building make sure to take a look at the gift shop.  You'll find the usual wares - t-shirts and more bearing the Ripley's logo, plus lots of toys and fun stuff for the kids. There are items for any budget.  My son was intrigued by the insect candy.  Yes - lollipops and other candy with worms, scorpions and such! Just what you'd expect at the Believe it or Not! Gift Shop.

We really enjoyed our visit to Ripley's Orlando, and I can honestly say it is a place families would have a blast exploring together for a few hours.  As I mentioned before, there is something for everyone!

 Ripley's is very easy to find on International Drive.  The address is 8201 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819 and their phone number is 407-345-0501.  They open every day of the year at 9:30am and the website says they are open til midnight!

Visit the Ripley's Orlando website here. To buy tickets online visit here.  Tey have a Valentine's Special coming up with 50% off tickets only on February 14th.  If you buy the tickets online, they are good for one year from date of purchase, so you can enjoy the savings and use the tickets later!   Check out the details on this Valentine's Special here.    You can follow Ripley's Orlando on Twitter here.

Giveaway!

I have a coupon we received in a Kids Meal from Wendy's that is good for free admission for up to 3 kids with the purchase of an adult ticket.  It's good at any Ripley's attraction through September 30, 2011.  I'd like to give this to one of my blog followers!  If you are planning a trip before September 30 and will definitely be able to use it, please leave me a comment below and I'll draw a winner on Valentine's Day. 

Have you ever visited Ripley's? Which location did you visit, and what did you think of it?




***The kids and I received free admission to Ripley's Orlando in exchange for this review.  However, the opinions expressed are completely and totally my own! ***