#Free #LEGO Monthly Mini Build!

I honestly don't know why I'm telling you about this because that just means more people in the dang line, which is long enough already. But I like to share, and if that bites me in the butt, so be it. My karma will be intact.

The first Tuesday of every month LEGO stores do this thing called a free monthly mini-build. They give you a little package which contains all the pieces to make this tiny creation in the store. You don't grab it and go, people. They want you to build it there, fueling your already obsessive love of LEGOs and then peruse the other LEGO offerings in-store then go home $200 poorer.

But I digress. Here's what the boys and Callie build in July after their dad stood in line for a century. Sorry it's so tiny; blame LEGO because I got this off their site. It's a crab, people.

Here's what they built in September (we missed August and September): (it's a pirate)

If you miss one, you can download instructions for how to build it at home, but sometimes your kid might not have all the pieces. Bummer.

So when Michael kept asking about going again, AND MICHAEL NEVER ASKS FOR ANYTHING, I decided I was going to make it happen. It might entail paying a sitter tomorrow while I go stand in line with the 2-3 oldest kids, but I'm going. I'm camping out at the LEGO store so we can get that dang mini build witch, so there!

So here's the link to check these out in the future. Find your store to find out the exact times and all that.

See you in line! I'll bring the wine! (hey, that rhymes!)

Callie, the American Heritage Girl

This is my little American Heritage Girl. It's like Girl Scouts only different. Meetings are held at the church where I became a Catholic and where Aron and I got married and where Callie was baptized. Her peers are other Catholic girls and homeschooled girls. I love how she is wearing zebra pants with her uniform! That's my little fashion baby! While she was in her meeting, here's what we did:

Sam played some b-ball cuz that's how he rolls.

Joel, Michael and Eva talked about Christmas lists

Later, the Littles got into some sidewalk chalk trouble on their faces!

Free 5-Week Trial of Reading Eggs Through 9/30 @readingeggs @usfg

I've heard so many great things about the Reading Eggs program, so when they asked me to check them out and offer my readers a free 5-week trial, I could not pass it up (this offer is only good until the end of September, then it's a 2-week free trial). No credit card required!

We are big fans of phonics around here and I taught my two oldest sons to read using that method. My daughter, however, is struggling a little bit so we're excited to try this program with her so she can learn to read and with my kindergarten-age daughter, as well. Here are some things to know:

This program has been developed by terrific team of teachers, educational writers, animators and web developers so it's perfect for kids and a lot of fun.

·         Reading Eggs focuses on a core set of reading skills and strategies essential for reading success and is suitable for children aged 3 through 12. (hey, my 5 kids are in that age range!)

·        Since launching in the United States and Canada in 2011, Reading Eggs has signed on more than 500,000 subscribers and presented more than 15 million lessons in North America.

     Here's a great press release about how great online games are for teaching kids how to read!

     Check it out! I'll be doing the same!

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Could You Survive on $30/Week for Groceries?

I found this blog called Money Saving Mom and I think I have a little Bloggy Crush. I have this Bloggy Crush because even though I'm working about 20 hours a week and bringing in some decent cash, it's disappearing. We don't live high on the hog or anything, either. We have home improvement projects that are eating the money, and then there are the groceries!!!

I know 80% of the problem is ME, too ... I like to grab fast food every now and then and have a nice coffee once a week or so and take the kids on field trips. I spend too much money even when I'm getting deals (like 50% off our recent trip to SeaLife).

So here's the post I was perusing. Someone asked about living on $30 per week for groceries as a single woman.

That would be $210 per week at my house, right? Since there are 7 of us, that's $30 times 7 = $210. And $840/month. Guess what? That's what we spend anyway on all food and household products.

So I'm doing great, right?

Not necessarily. I think I can do better. And if you figured in fast food and coffees, you would get a higher figure, friends.

I think the first step is realizing that just because your family brings in decent money doesn't mean you can spend it all. It means you have to set up some dreams and goals and then REALLY start saving for them, knowing that when you sacrifice that fancy coffee you should be putting 5 bucks into a Legoland vacation jar somewhere and NEVER TOUCHING IT.

Let's discuss.

SeaLife Aquarium Today! Homeschool Week at Crown Center

I'm so excited! This is where we're going today: to the SeaLife Aquarium at Crown Center in Kansas City. Here's where I wrote about it in April of 2012 and we haven't been back since because usually it's EXPENSIVE!

Plus when it first opened it was nutty in there and we were hoping it would die down a little. We hope that by going on a Thursday in September we can really enjoy ourselves and I won't have to be all freaked out about counting my kids because they will all be within sight and not in a crowd.

Why are we going this week? Have we won the lottery? Nope; it's Homeschool Week at Crown Center and they are BRILLIANT for doing this! Here's the link to Penny Pinchin' Mom's post about all the cool events that are going on through tomorrow AT A DISCOUNT.

So we got to go for about $38 last time, but that was a field trip rate and I didn't have a 12-year-old (the price goes up at 12 just about everywhere, boo). Today will be about $48. Normally it would cost $98 if we just wanted to trot our happy butts on down there and walk in the door.

Nope, having a slew of kids never stopped me from going to all the cool places in town (and in the United States, for that matter). Just gotta be in the know (and it never hurts that Tutu buys us a Kansas City Zoo Membership every year, which saves us HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ... thanks, Toot).

I'm off. Gotta finish proofreading this really cool soup cookbook so I can have the funds to go on this outing.

Catch you in the next picture-filled post!