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!

·       

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!

In a Fort Night

Making forts with the wood from our fence.

Nine For Dinner!

This was taken the other night when we had our neighbor over for dinner and also our friend Julia. That makes a total of 9 people at our table. Check out the hardwood floors and painted walls and new back door! I'm really proud of Aron and how great he is at this remodeling thing. I think we'll start flipping houses. NOT! NEVER! NO WAY!

Are You Spending Too Much Time on Facebook?

My husband is going to love this one. He refuses to get a Facebook account, and I can't say that I blame him. Although I do find out cool things there; things that are useful in my homeschooling journey, encouragement, new friends, important life events of acquaintances when they are too busy to call every single person to say they are pregnant, for instance.

It's also a place where my heart has been broken with drama, whether I started it or not! The majority of my time spent on there can be quite annoying to many because I'm mostly on there to promote my blogs, my writing, my proofreading, my ebooks.

Today a friend posted this. Asked her if I could share and she said yes. Something to think about. I know it's going to be in my head all day long.

I've been thinking a lot about Facebook lately. At times it is an amazing tool to reconnect with old friends or a great way to share the everyday with loved ones. However, it also is a place I spend too much time, time I could be spending caring for my children or tending to my home or husband. I find it a bit lonely in the day to day real life b/c many of us don't reach out to each other as often b/c we can just "catch up" on fb. Birthday's have become a day when we get excited to get many fb messages but the phone is quiet. That makes me feel lonely. Pictures I see posted can produce a sense of insecurity or frustration and can effect my mood. That is crazy. I've also realized that I have never seen or heard of anyone coming to have a personal relationship with Jesus b/c of the quotes I post or the religious pictures I share. I've also never convinced anyone to see things my way in the political arena but I certainly have offended plenty with my own opinions. As much as I love showing off my kids to the world, I would rather spend real time with my friends and family, sharing real life, the good and bad.

With that said, I"m going to be closing down my fb account. Probably not deleting it altogether but downsizing it to almost nothing. It does not mean I don't want to be friends. It means I want to be real friends and spend real time with you. Please feel free to call me or better yet, stop by, even unannounced! You'll probably find me in the middle of a mess, chasing kids and wearing yoga pants.

I will be keeping up my business page so if you want to see what's going on in that avenue of my life, feel free to drop by there and like my page for updates. You might see pictures of my cute kids there. 

Life has gotten off balance and I need to take steps to reclaim it. This is a hard choice as I love fb and love staying connected. I hope to spend some time with you soon. 

Beanstalk Children's Garden in Swope Park

Alphabet Flash Cards Review

I was so excited to give these alphabet flash cards to 5-year-old Eva when they came in the mail! She was excited to have them! She and Samuel, who is 3 years old but will be 4 in October (time to get crackin' on that reading, dude!), love to play with them.

They remind me of the super successful Hooked on Phonics system which I used to teach my older kids to read. They learn the letter first, then the sound the letter makes, then it's a natural progression to learning to string those sounds together into simple words.

These are a staple in any homeschooling household, and are great for on-the-go, as well!

And now a word about Alphabet Flash Cards sold by Educational Toys Plane

Involve your child in the joy of learning their ABCs. School Zone Alphabet Flash Cards bring skills such as memory, listening, and movement into each fun-filled lesson. Children will get to know phonics and be able to connect letter sounds with objects: K is for Kite, for example. They will also learn that each letter is a symbol that can be memorized. Offer this colorful world of letters to your child today.  

This item is located in their ABC toys section, and can also be found on their site in the following
categories: toys for 3 year olds, toys for 4 year olds or toys for 5 year olds.

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.

#WorkoutsOnDemand Review

Workouts On Demand! Love, love, love this site! A membership is only about $13 per month, WAY less than a gym membership and you can do it in your own home and the variety is out of this world! You can download to your computer or watch instantly on your laptop or stream through your TV.

I dig the Express Workout section, where I can do a quick workout with my son, who is going for his Personal Fitness badge in Scouts. I can try Yoga when the house is quiet. I can go all-out on aerobics when I'm feeling energetic.

And I must mention that one of the Low Impact Aerobics classes is taught by a woman who is my size (meaning, about 20 pounds overweight by the USA's standards and yet she is totally healthy). It's nice to see someone teaching a class who is my age and my size instead of always watching stick-thin instructors, if ya know what I mean! No offense to the skinnies, as I may be one of them someday; I'm just sayin' it's refreshing, that's all.

Follow them on Facebook here. If you LIKE them, you can download a FREE exercise video!

Here's their main site.

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.

Castle Rock Resort & Waterpark #Branson

Castle Rock Resort and Waterpark is located in beautiful Branson, Missouri. They offer a 30,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and 10,000-square-foot outdoor waterpark. They also have an on-site restaurant, a 24-hour arcade and gift shop, and day spa & salon.

The resort features 98 Tower rooms connected to the Waterpark through interior corridors and 102 exterior entrance rooms in the two Atrium buildings located approximately 50 yards from the Waterpark. Each Tower room has a built in Kiddie Cove (6' x 4') with a bunk bed and 19” flat screen tv.  The Tower room accommodations boast 2 double beds or 1 king bed, 32” flat screen tv, mini fridge, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, and hairdryer. The newly refurbished Atrium rooms boast 2 queen beds, or 1 king bed, a 32” flat screen tv, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, and hairdryer.

Castle Rock offers one of Branson’s best attractions right on-site with our 30,000-square-foot indoor and 10,000-square-foot outdoor waterpark.  The waterpark features 150,000 gallons of splashtacular fun with two, 500-gallon dumping buckets, multiple indoor and outdoor kiddie pools with rain showers and waterfalls and more! Enjoy a swim in the indoor lap pool or play basketball in the indoor activity pool. Loop and dip through 2 large three-story thrill slides, kick back for a ride on the lazy river, play on themed water slides or relax on the multilevel sun deck. 

Special Offers: 

Big Savings Weekday Special - Book your reservation online and receive 30% off your entire stay! Valid on new reservations only.  Not valid in conjunction with any other offers, discounts, promotions or packages.  Blackout Dates: 10/13-10/17, 11/28.  Offer Expires: 12/19/13

Wet & Wild Weekend Package - Includes 2 nights lodging, waterpark access, breakfast each morning for 2 adults & 2 children, VIP coupons, 1 water blaster, 2 adult & 2 children Branson Wild World VIP admission (includes animal adventure tour, arcade, and mini golf).  Package starts at $268, 25% off.  On new reservations only.  Not valid in conjunction with any other offers, discounts, promotions or packages. Blackout Dates: 8/30 - 8/31, 10/18 - 10/19 Expires 11/2/13

Call 1-888-273-3919 to book or visit http://www.castlerockbranson.com

Pleygo: Like Netflix for LEGOs! #Free First Month!

I think I'm in love. You know how expensive LEGO sets can get, right? And then the LEGOs are ALL. OVER. THE. HOUSE.

As is common at The Kerrie Show, I have a fabulous life solution for you!

Pleygo is a Netflix-like service for Legos!  Subscribe, rent, play, and exchange sets of LEGOs unlimited times per month.  Shipping is always free both ways and sets are sanitized when returned.  They offer a convenient, quick, and inexpensive solution that relieves clutter and saves space at home while saving money.  Co-founded by influential parenting blogger and creator of A-List Mom Elina Furman, Plegyo is the perfect way to supply your child with endless developmental tools and allow for that much-needed quiet time at home! 

There are three levels of subscriptions starting at just $15 that allow you to find the plan that best suits you.  They offer credit toward your account for sets and mixed bricks that you donate to them, and they provide the shipping label too!  Pleygo is a perfect gift for a family friend, loved one, or birthday party.  Purchase a gift subscription and send it with a special message from you!  They are constantly expanding their inventory with more sets!

Receive your First Month FREE here or directly at www.Pleygo.com to register!

Check this out. Even a one-month subscription would be a perfect gift for Christmas from a grandparent!

Living/Dining Room Remodels Almost Done (with Photos!)

Ding dong, the nasty pink carpet is dead! Check out our remodeling progress. Or, should I say, Aron McLoughlin and Sons remodeling progress, since they are the ones who rocked this out!

BEFORE, nasty carpet that needed to be cleaned all the time

The view of the "L" from the front door

Aron ripping up the carpet on Friday

This might have been Saturday before he started the tedious sanding proces

AFTER, looking toward the front door

AFTER, looking toward the back of the house

Now the question is: do we want to move after all since the house is looking so nice?

The Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook Rocks! #PermaFree on #KindleUnlimited

This is the ultimate yummy comfort food. My kids see it's for dinner and are HAPPY! The next morning you can scramble the leftovers in some eggs for breakfast. It's quick and easy and has 5 basic ingredients.

Somehow Jordan, our daughtersitter, and I brainstormed 35 total recipes for tater tot casserole, including BBQ, gluten-free, vegetarian, bacon cheeseburger, fish stick surprise, Italian, pizza and more!

Then I popped in 13 dessert recipes, including Tutu's Chocolate Stars and Grandma Solsberg's Easy Brownies!

If you don't have a Kindle, no problem. I didn't use to have one, either. There's a thing on Amazon called a Cloud Reader where you can download all your cool ebooks and save them to read on your laptop or PC or iPad whenever you want to later! 

This cookbook is always free on Kindle Unlimited ... you pay $9.99 per month to grab up to 10 KU books at a time. You can only get books that authors put on KU, and I am one of those authors! Then I make a little bit of money from a pool of all KU subscription plan buyers (I have a subscription because I find a lot of other great authors on KU as well!) ... when you actually READ THE BOOK! I only make money if  you are checking out the book and flipping through the e-pages!

Here's the link! I hope you enjoy it. As always, if you love it, leave me a review. If you hate it, keep it to yourself (just kidding)!

Minti Kids Fruits and Veggies App by Minti Games (Review)

Omigosh, I have found the cutest app for kids ever! This makes me want to run out and get a smartphone, and I may secretly download this to my dad's smartphone and iPad so the kids can play it when we are at their house. My two youngest would loooooooooooove this, and I have to say I kind of enjoy watching it, as well!

It's called Minti Kids Fruits and Veggies by Minti Games. Kids learn about fruits and veggies, match them up in puzzles, learn about which veggies/fruits go with which seasons, learn the names of the produce, and get stickers when they are right. It's perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, except I know for a fact my older kids would have fun with this, too! Here's a little video of it!

The music I can't get out of my head because it is so stinking cute, and the characters are to die for, and some of them DANCE AROUND. Adorable.

You gotta get this app!

And now some important information about this app:

Let’s Make Little Ones Love Fruits & Vegetables!

Parents know, it is hard to make kids love fruits and especially vegetables. In the decade of hamburger madness, the question is why kids shall interest in distasteful, crusty vegetables or fruits.

Based on this reality, Minti Kids’ first game Minti Kids Fruits & Veggies aims to  make kids love fruits and vegetables by introducing them with fun.

In this game, kids can choose between four seasons and solve 3 pieces of simple mix & match puzzle to discover which fruits & vegetables grow in which season. As kids solve these puzzles, they learn the name of fruits & vegetables as far as the way of their written.

Suitable for ages 3 and up, joyful music, kid-friendly illustrations, English vocalization and lovely fruit and vegetable characters included in the game earn kids love for sure.

Have Fun and Learn!

Minti Kids Fruits & Veggies helps concentration and problem solving skills of kids improve while making them love fruits and vegetables. Also, kids earn free of charge stickers during the play that feeling of success do strengthen their self-esteem.

This game is focused on developing kids’ knowledge, creativity and curiosity while making them have fun. Therefore, there is neither third-party advertising nor in-app purchases inside the game.

Minti Kids Fruits & Veggies can be downloaded from AppStore to be played on both Ipad and Iphone.

About Minti Kids:

We think playing game is one of the best ways to explore the world for little ones. Therefore, we create interactive games that little ones love and their parents trust.  We build our games to develop kid’s knowledge, creativity and curiosity to discover the world. We do it with care and love.

For more information about us:

www.mintikids.com

To Watch the Lovely Fruits & Veggies Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A76EaIxO9h8

To Download the game:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/id670201535

Follow us:

https://www.facebook.com/MintiKids

https://twitter.com/MintiKids

Press Contact:

myitmen@mintikids.com

8 Kendi Lane in Belton, MO: I Am in Love with a House

This is my dream house. It sits on 10 acres of wooded beautifulness. It is in the middle of a neighborhood so you can be social and your kids can make friends but the neighbors can't see you. There is a park behind it. It's not far from the highway. You can keep horses there. My mom lives close. There is a pond.

It has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms (who needs that many bathrooms?!). It has a 900-square-foot outbuilding with bath and finished office space.

It has a finished basement with possible 5th bedroom. Did I mention the pond is stocked with fish? It has a front porch with a hammock. I have a lovely sales sheet with many more photos of this place on it and since I've gotten it in my hands I am so in love I am even eating less. Go figure!

My stepdad was out and about scouting houses for his parents and found this one. He grabbed a flier and brought it to me on Sunday. We all fell in love with it.

It is $400,000. Pretty far out of our price range and Mr. Kerrie won't budge because he is fiscally smart and doesn't want to be paying on it until we are 90 years old. Thank God for him because I am impetuous and say things like, "We can make more money! I will keep writing and we will pay it off sooner!"

But I know he is right. And that I don't win arguments like this one. Which is why we are not in debt.

Still.

UPDATE: We found our dream house in Peculiar, MO and moved in end of October 2017 and have been happy ever since!

How to Write Magazine Articles

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my 386-page PDF of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! Just head to this page to download How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids and get started immediately!

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

Personalized Etched Wine Bottle Review

I hope my in-laws don't read my blog or they are going to know what their anniversary gift is 3 months in advance! They are this Catholic couple who has been married like 49 years and their anniversary is on HALLOWEEN! I love it!

I love the whole idea of this gift. I know so many people who drink wine. I should get one of these personalized for my sister-in-law who is always gifting me amazing hand-me-down clothes and the cool thing is I can say WHATEVER I WANT ON IT! So she can drink her wine and read the bottle that says, "You are a rockin' sister-in-law. Thanks for everything you do!"

There are just so many options for this running around in my messed-up head. You could be all classy like I was above or you could go total goofball, like "Glad you are moving. Get the hell out of town." or "Welcome to the neighborhood. You are going to need this wine. Good luck."

When the wine is all gone (hiccup), save this and put flowers in it or just display it on a shelf as a reminder of a happy time.

Like this company on Facebook here at Etching Expressions!

Here's how you can stalk them on Twitter.

From the sponsor:
Enjoy a deep hand-etched and hand-painted gift. Each bottle is individually created by our skilled artisans into a truly unique work of art. All bottles are customized, with your design choice and your own personalized four-line message, allowing you to share your special thoughts with the ones you care about! 

Open the bottle to enjoy a delicious cabernet sauvignon, a savory blend of plum and berry flavors. Or choose our private label merlot laced with black cherry aromas and a soft touch of vanilla oak. If you prefer white wine, our select chardonnay is a clean, fresh varietal with a fruity flavor and hints of honey and almond. If you prefer celebrating, our California sparkling wine offers a delightful bubbly that will highlight any special moment. In addition to our house wines, we can etch many name brand wines and champagnes, such as Robert Mondavi, Charles Krug, Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon      
   
Standard size 750ml wine bottle. Item is sold as a single wine bottle.

Note: The cap colors for the bottles differ. The cabernet comes with a red cap; the merlot with a light blue cap; the chardonnay with a bronze cap and the champagne comes with a gold foil cap. 



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.

Good Boy Organics Review

We are in love at my house. With Organicasaurus baked organic corn snacks, that is. Check this out:

• These are 3-D puffed corn snacks that are shaped like DINOSAURS!
• They are certified USDA organic
• Certified gluten-free
• Baked, not fried
• No preservatives or trans fat
• Non-GMO project verified

I can bring these to any hippie homeschooler gathering and not get dirty looks!

Looks like they carry these snacks at the Natural Grocers right up the road from me. I've never been there, but I'm willing to give it a shot. You can check HERE to see where they carry this terrific snack in your neck of the woods.

They also have a lot of other cool snacks you'll love, as well, like I really want to try these next:

We are big fans of Veggie Chips and Veggie Straws but it's hard to find them in decent flavors anymore. Looks like BOPS are going to be my new healthy go-to snack because they come in flavors like BBQ, Sea Salt, Sour Cream and Onion and Aged White Cheddar. Can anyone say ROAD TRIP FOOD?!

Like them on Facebook here.

Follow them on Twitter here.

They are also on Pinterest here!

Taco Soup #Recipe #HealthyMeals #QuickMeals

This recipe has moved over here to Kerrie the Kitchen Queen blog :-)

Everybody is Getting Married at My House Lately

Get out your hankies cuz everybody is getting married at my house. Above shows Mr. Kerrie giving away bride Callie. Notice the paper flowers strung on black string behind Miss Julia, a friend of the family. I believe Callie married a pteradactyl. We are so proud.

A few days before, her sister Eva married a pink giraffe. She says it's her wife. Her little brother, in hula skirt, gave her away.

The things kids come up with when their parents horribly strip them of most forms of technology. Sure, they watch TV and play Moshi Monsters and ABCMouse.com and Bookworm on the computer, but otherwise they have to fend for themselves in the entertain yourself department, just as I had to do when I was a kid and just as Mr. Kerrie had to do.

I think we are okay people!

My Poop Don't Stink: Just a Drop Odor Eliminator Review

Okay, my family was WAAAAAAY to excited to try this little product out. It's this tiny bottle with 100 drops of "personal odor eliminator" so it should last about a week in my house!

You're supposed to put a drop in the toilet BEFORE you do your stinky bizness, but the kids keep forgetting. Plus I put it in MY bathroom because I knew if it was in the kids' bathroom it would all be squeezed into the toilet at once or into the sink or God knows where else.

*I don't personally need this product since everyone knows my stuff don't stink.

The company sez this:
"Just a Drop is revolutionary because it eliminates personal bathroom odors BEFORE they enter the air. Place 1-2 drops into the toilet BEFORE you go, and odors are trapped below the water surface until they are flushed away. All you leave is an odor free bathroom." It comes in 7 scents and big sizes for families like mine. It was featured on Dr. Oz and The Doctors!

So if you know you are going to make a BIG STINKIE, you put 2 drops in, got it?

So this was tried out in my house and it does kinda rock. Better than an aerosol spray or a candle that will burn the house down or lighting matches over and over or running the sucker fan for an hour.

Is it wrong that I am blogging this with a goofy, juvenile smile on my face?

Okay, so this is a terrific product! And the company is offering you a 20% discount on your first purchase with the coupon code Blogger. Follow them here on Facebook and here on Twitter!

I give this 5 Dove Chocolate Hearts out of 5, because I am off the Weight Watchers wagon temporarily.

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.