Mystery Room is the best place for date night or family night!

Last Friday the kids and I spent the morning defusing a bomb! No, really, we did! Actually, we didn't defuse the bomb, but we did manage to open four locked boxes to get all of the clues that could have helped us. We just didn't pick up on the right clue for the bomb.  But we had an awesome time trying! Want to solve your own mystery? Keep reading......

Mystery Room is a brand new, interactive real world detective adventure! It's located inside Sugarloaf Mills (formerly Discover Mills) in Gwinnett County, right off I-85.  You can either park and enter the Mall at Entrance 1, or go through Bass Pro Shop to get to Mystery Room .

In our family, we like to play a few of those games on Facebook - you know, the ones where you have to escape from a room, or find hidden objects, solve a mystery or puzzle.  Mystery Room is the real life version of those games! It didn't disappoint!  It is a fun place to take your family (with kids, probably 10 and up is best), or your girlfriends for a fun and unique Girls Night Out, or even make it a double date with your best friend and her guy.

It's such a great concept and so different from anything else you can do around here. Everything you need to solve the mystery is in each room - but you will have to work for it! This encourages teamwork, thinking outside the box, and it's a whole lot of fun, too.

There are six rooms for you to choose from.  You can pick a Detective Room - Sherlock's Room, Special Agent Room and Black Ops Room, all hold up to 6 people; or an Escape Room - Hollywood Room & Royal Room both hold up to 10 people, and Sports Room which holds 6 people.

Trust me when I say that you want to go with a group, and the bigger the better! In each room there is much to see, many clues to uncover, and codes to decipher. Oh, did I mention there is a lot to look at? It's not easy! So bring your friends or your kids and help each other solve the mysteries at Mystery Room.  Everyone can work together looking for clues, and also bouncing ideas off of each other to figure out the mystery.  Next time we visit it will be with more people - I think we could have defused that bomb for sure with one more person helping!

David chose the Black Ops room for us and it was much more difficult than I expected! Not gonna lie - I thought we'd be able to solve it pretty fast! But once you begin, you have 45 minutes to solve the mystery, so there is no time to waste.  There are definitely things in there to throw you off - it's very challenging trying to decide what is important and what isn't!

My daughter got a little frustrated early on, but she rallied at the end!  David was our helper, emptying things out and helping to sort through all of it, and writing down clues. The friendly and helpful staff at Mystery Room will let you know when you are about halfway through your time, and you can even buy a clue to help you out if you need to.   Whatever you decide - just have FUN with it!

If you are lucky enough to solve your room in the allotted 45 minutes, you will get your picture on the Wall of Fame!

They change the rooms on a regular basis, so you can revisit every few weeks and solve a new mystery! It was a really fun experience for my kids and me, and all the way home we kept talking about the clues that threw us off, and that last one we missed. We are definitely going back and trying another room!

They offer Corporate Team Building Events & Birthday Parties at Mystery Room, as well.

Mystery Room is located at:
Sugarloaf Mills
5900 Sugarloaf Parkway
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
Phone: 678-847-5002

Mystery Room can be found online:  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  & Trip Advisor.

They are open 7 days a week, so get going and solve a mystery!  Tell them you heard about Mystery Room on Just Kidding Around Atlanta, please!

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Please share your experience in the comments if you've been - I want to hear what you think about the other rooms! (Trying to decide our next room to try!) Or tell me which one you plan to solve first!



Disclaimer: We were given free admission to visit Mystery Room to facilitate this review.  All opinions included in this review are my own.  No other compensation was received. 

First Things First

Summer is all about family and spending quality time with the ones you love. And the more skills you develop, the more time you invest in your family and your relationships.  First Things First (FTF) is an award winning, not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

FTF is a resource that collaborates with and is supported by a broad cross-section of community organizations, groups and individuals.  FTF accomplishes it mission through meaningful media messaging and skill building classes.

Did you know:

• 24 million children are growing up in homes without their biological fathers.

• Only 30% of divorces are due to infidelity, addiction or abuse, 70% of divorces are due to couples feeling disconnected.

• Couples who manage to devote time specifically to one another at least once a week are markedly more likely to enjoy high-quality relationships and lower divorce rates, compared to couples who do not devote as much couple time to one another.

• Fathers provide unique benefits to their daughters through their active and positive presence from the time of birth all the way through adulthood.

You can see all of First Things First's e-learning videos here. They cover relationships, marriage and parenting.  Not only are they funny, they are educational! I think these videos are great resources for any family. 

I've watched them all, and this is my favorite FTF video.  Check it out! It's called Dad's Way....

I am the first to admit to being a helicopter mama.  But I realize it is important for kids to have the chance to get a little wild with Dad sometimes.  I need to let that happen more! 

First Things First wants to give one of my readers a fun prize pack that includes His & Hers MoonPie shirts (size L) and two boxes of single decker MoonPies!  

It's easy to enter, there is only one mandatory entry (you MUST leave a comment below this post about the video you like best - if you don't do the mandatory entry, your other entries won't count!) There are plenty of ways to get extra entries. Enter throught the Rafflecopter Widget below  & if you don't see it, click the read more link!

IKEA 2015 Catalog & $100 gift card giveaway!

It's been a busy couple of weeks for us! Tonight I am excited to share our visit to IKEA Atlanta last week. They graciously hosted a group of Atlanta bloggers and I was fortunate enough to be included.  The evening was a celebration of the release of their 2015 catalog, which is just fabulous, by the way! (Sign up here to get yours!)

We were treated to a delicious dinner, then the kids were whisked away to work on some fun arts and crafts.  We watched a video showing how Wellspring Living became the recipient of a $10,000 IKEA makeover! Wellspring Living is a non-profit organization that helps girls and young women who are survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse.  They desperately needed this makeover for their Life Skills building and therapy offices. We also heard from Jason King, who attended the Celebration to represent Wellspring Living.  It was so nice to see such a deserving group get this blessing! IKEA Atlanta loves to give back to the community, and that makes me love IKEA even more!  Then Deidra Cunningham,  IKEA Atlanta's PR Spokesperson, rewarded the IKEA staff members who volunteered their time to complete the makeover at Wellspring Living. It was wonderful!

Soon we split up into groups and were given a cool behind the scenes tour of the huge IKEA Atlanta store. I learned so much, despite having shopped there since they opened!  I never knew, for example, that they offer a 25 year warranty on their mattresses! They also offer a 90 day mattress return policy.  If you don't love it, exchange it for another.  We heard about IKEA's optional services, such as home delivery, assembly service, and even picking and delivery service, where they collect the items on your list and arrange delivery. What a great time-saver!

I enjoyed learning more about their PAX closet systems.  You pick the components you want, like a pullout slacks hanger, or shelving for shoes, even a velvet-lined drawer for your jewelry.  I could seriously spend a fortune just in that department alone! I had fun exploring the PAX planner online which lets you choose the products you want, from color, drawers, baskets and shelves and put them together in your dream closet!

Oh, and when you are shopping at IKEA, you know you have to enjoy some of their delicious food, right? Not just in the restaurant upstairs, either.  They have a variety of foods in the Marketplace downstairs, so make sure you give yourself time to explore there after you check out! They have much more in store for you than just those delicious meatballs! During our tour, we got to sample those meatballs, cinnamon rolls, and learn abou their UTZ Certified Coffee.   During our sampling, I discovered they have a delicious, bite sized chocolate toffee. (it's the red wrapped candies in the glass bowl) Oh how I wish I'd never tried it - That stuff is dangerous for me, but it surely is decadent! You should definitely try it!

Are you a member of the IKEA Family member benefits program? I wasn't, but while we were touring the store we were given the opportunity to sign up at their kiosk.  It only took a couple minutes and my card printed right out!  Some of the perks you get for being a member include getting free coffee or hot tea every day, product discounts and extra time in Smaland, the supervised play area for children.  David is too big for Smaland now, but when he was younger he enjoyed staying there while we browsed the store.

The new 2015 IKEA catalog highlights bedrooms and bathrooms.  In their words, "spaces where people refresh and recharge. Personalize these areas with customizable solutions to make the beginning and end of the day more comfortable, more calm and more organized.  Take a look, get inspired and find out how IKEA can help people begin and end their day in the best way possible."

Here are a few of my favorites from the 2015 IKEA catalog:

Another cool thing ~ IKEA offers a mobile app for their catalog, too.  You can get the Android version here and the iOS version here.

Now for something wonderful!  IKEA Atlanta teamed up with participating bloggers to offer our readers a chance to win a $100 IKEA giftcard!  Entry is through the rafflecopter widget below.  Winner will be contacted via Twitter, and prize will be available on or before September 2.  Click the read more link to enter if you don't see the widget:

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! 

Have you heard about Bloominous DIY Wedding Flowers?

My friend Denise and I are hosting a bridal shower for Katie in September, and we've found some amazing things out there thanks to google and pinterest!  I'll have a post up soon with some of our favorite ideas soon, but one that really stands out is Bloominous.  Wow - what a fresh concept!   They make it super-easy for brides (or anyone who will is entertaining, for that matter) to decorate with beautiful, cut-to-order fresh flowers.


Bloominous Floral Kits come to you straight from the farm, de-thorned, trimmed & ready to arrange. They offer several collections, including Country Charm (with sunflowers) & Vintage Cottage (pale pink roses and other delicate flowers - pictured above).  You can even order a trial kit which will give you the chance to make a centerpiece and a bouquet before the big day.

Bloominous offers step-by-step photo instruction cards for you to follow, and everything is included in your kit to make the bouquet or centerpiece perfect! It's not just flowers, they give you the whole look - tape, lace, ribbon, container, etc. No more trips to the florist AND the craft store to pick up all that you need.  And each collection is designed with the DIY bride in mind - they offer easy-to-arrange flowers so you can complete each piece in about 15 minutes.  You can order & make bouquets for the bride and bridesmaid, boutonnieres, and more. It just doesn't get any easier than this!  And no one will ever guess you did it yourself! They have seriously gorgeous flowers!

Best of all - what you see is what you get. There are no last minute surprises! They suggest you have your flowers delivered two days before your event so they are fresh and beautiful.

Bloominous offers a 100% Fresh Quality Guarantee.  You can find out more here.  I hope you love these flower kits as much as I do!  I'm hoping we can do a centerpiece or two for Katie's shower using their amazing flowers.  The price is can't be beat!

You can find Bloominous online: Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter




(I received a gift card in exchange for sharing my opinions about Bloominous and their service.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are my own and were not influenced by compensation received.)

Daytrip Destination ~ Goats on the Roof Tiger, GA

Looking for a fun daytrip for the kiddos in Atlanta? Take a short ride up 985 to Tiger, GA and visit Goats on the Roof!

The Lego Movie Blu-Ray Giveaway (CLOSED)

If you have kids, chances are that they love everything about LEGOS! I know David does, even at age 10. He has totes full of thousands of LEGO bricks and enjoys pulling them out to build all kinds of things. LEGOS rock!  Did your family see the LEGO movie earlier this year?   David saw it twice, and would have happily seen it again. It is a great movie that the whole family can enjoy together. We are so excited it is finally out for us to watch at home, since it was released on Blu-ray this week! It's an instant family classic.

Stone Mountain Park Lasershow & VIP Terrace Seating

Last weekend, David and I were invited to attend the new Lasershow at Stone Mountain and check out their VIP Terrace Seating. We were so excited to go – the Lasershow is always a blast!

Cheap Summer movie fun!

We love going to the movies, but it gets so expensive!  That's one of the many reasons I love summertime, when we can see some family-friendly movies for a great price.  So many theaters offer lower-priced tickets for families.  There used to be lots of free movies, but now the ones around here cost a little something.
Still, it beats full price!  Here are a few of the theaters participating in summer movie fun in 2014!
(These are the theaters we visit in the Atlanta area - feel free to leave the link to your favorite one if not mentioned and I'll add it to the list!)

Mixin' it up at the dinner table!

Tonight I'm making a few family favorites, but trying a new twist on some of them! I realized that I'm in that awful rut of making the same old stuff all the time, and it's past time to mix things up.