Laid Out Flat

When you are laid out flat on your back you gain a whole new perspective on what life would be like "relaxing" all the time.  To be honest, all I want to do right now is take my kiddles to the park and go visit my friends before they make their move tomorrow back to Minnesota.

How did I end up with so much pain in my lower back today? Of all days?!
Did I do anything that took super hero strength yesterday?  Nope.
Did I attempt to regain the thrill of being a 7 year old daredevil?  Nope.
Was there a contest to see who could pick up the most bricks of gold?  Again, nope.

What did I do?  Well, I vacuumed yesterday and moved a few things into the spare bedroom. Yep, nothing exciting.  Plain, old, boring everyday activities.  Somehow that was all it took for me to be in excruciating pain today and desperately trying to stretch-out my legs and back to stop it.

For those of you who, like me, attempt to do everything yourself...learn a lesson from my pain today.  Don't do it!!!  Grab whoever is around and have them help you.  Don't end up in a bed, pillows propping you up, heating wrap around your waist and pain cream slathered all over your lower back.  Being independent is just not worth it.  Feeling like you're 100 years old and incapable of getting in and out of your own bed on your own is not worth it!

Will I remember to take my own advice?  I'll probably forget.  That's the stubborn Norwegian in me.

Reno/Carson City Area Deal!

Gymboree Play and Music

Four Weeks of Play & Learn, Music, or Art Classes and Unlimited Open Gym Play ($34)

OR

One-Month Membership to Monday Play Classes in Carson City ($22)

This deal ends in 3 days! (6/24)

San Diego Culinary Deal!

I can't help but keep track of what's going on and deals available in the Southern California Area...San Diego has a great deal for a 3 hour culinary walking tour of Coronado!

Visit LivingSocial's page to take advantage of this deal...it ends in 5 days! (6/26)

Pay $22 to take a three-hour culinary walking tour of Coronado (regularly $45).

Pennypickle's Workshop ~ Children's Museum (Temecula, CA)

I've been trying to make some really great memories for my kiddles while on vacation in Southern California and trying to do it with as minimal an expense as possible.  Let's just say that I scored BIG TIME when I remembered that Old Town Temecula had a hands on children's museum...Pennypickle's Workshop.

Children get to spend a 2 hour session adventuring through Professor Pennypickle's Workshop / Home.  It is brilliantly laid out with each room having a different  theme.  For example, the study is really a Time Travel Room and the basement is a Recycling Center.

Let me just quickly share that the wall all the way in the back of the house was my absolute favorite portion...it's just the artist in me.

Okay, now back on to our tour of Professor Pennypickle's Workshop!

As soon as you walk through the door you know that you're in for some fun.  In fact, your eyes quickly start darting around to try to take in all that is before you.  And yes, that is a hot air balloon basket in the hallway...and it has a VERY loud pull bell on it.

And there's plenty more along the halls to be found...I even found my Grandma Stella's workstation.  Think I could do this job?  (I don't think so...too many holes)

Can you imagine how many bad connections I would make?

I had never seen one of these before...and I know, outside of Pennypickle's Workshop, I never will again.

Grace was so excited to play with this old typewriter...she had seen one at a friend's house 2 days before and thought it was "awesome".

As you wander through the museum you can join the hunt for all of the hidden Penny+Pickle combinations...in honor of Professor Pennypickle of course.

Albert Einstein is here and there, everywhere...in news paper clippings, little sayings, displays and even his head!  (now I know how they made those statues watch you as you walk through The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland)

Even the bathrooms are packed with clippings to entertain you...yeah, even the bathrooms.

Part of the fun is the search for the Professor's pet mouse, Beaker.  It almost made me crazy.  I was looking on top of cabinets, in corners, ontop of all of the do-dads that were everywhere. Of course, right when I give up my little Rose spied Beaker with about 20 minutes to go in our session.  I would have never looked where she did way up in that grate.


I have this feeling that they move Beaker around so that the kids have to start the hunt all over again if they come in on another day.  Which means that I would be going batty looking obsessively for him as well.

My favorite room was the kitchen...of course it would be.  You would think that there wouldn't be anything very interesting in a kitchen, but then you haven't seen Professor Pennypickle's kitchen before.  If you look closely at the stove you'll even spy a lavalamp!

An who says that kids can't have fun in a kitchen?  Well, not the professor for sure...they get to twist and giggle their time away thanks to the stack of pizza boxes!

If you needed a snack, well the pantry was fully stocked...including a cargo net full of cereal!

This kitchen even had the most ingenious system for making a PB&J sandwich...if it didn't take up too much space I'd get the whole system installed.

And what's right next to the kitchen?  Why the Basement Recycling of course!  And you have to crawl through a dark little opening...unless you're the adult that finds the secret doorway to get in instead. (I was not that adult)

The Power & Electricity Room (a.k.a. dining room) is full of hands on fun too...my favorite was the electric window. (It was Rose's favorite part of the room too)  And the Professor's assistants are happy to sit down and help with questions and experiments too.

Grace just wanted to control all of the power for the Professor's house...she wasn't very successful though.

One of the favorite rooms for all of the kids seemed to be the Music Room where drums can be beat, a piano can be played and an organ can become a broadcast center...there's a bit to do in this room.

 

I almost felt bad for the other patrons...but then their kids started in right afterwards.

The room that my Grace chose as her favorite was suprisingly the Time Travel Room (Professor Pennypickle's Study).  When we first went in she cowered behind me because of how dark it was combined with flashing lights...but after mustering up the courage to go through the time travel maze it was 100% fun!

Just in case you aren't sure of the time, this wall has been equipped to help you.

 After the time travel light show...you'll come across this bright bucket of water making your way through the maze.

And somehow the kids always end up in this wardrobe here...hmmm.

There's a room set up with giant gears and a sit n' spin...plus a Morris Code station.  It's just SO much fun!

At the end of it all, and after hitting the gift shop for some magnifying glasses, bugs and rocks, our little crew of kiddles were already planning their next outing back to Professor Pennypickle's Workshop. I think they had fun, don't you?

So, if you're in the Riverside County area (California) and you're looking for some relatively inexpensive entertainment for the kids, head to Old Town Temecula and look up Professor Pennypickle's Workshop on Main Street.  You won't be disapointed and your kids will be well entertained.  There is SO much more to discover than what I have pictured in this post.

PLUS Professor Pennypickle has special events on Fridays during the summer months! (event tickets are $5/person)

Our crew at the end of our adventure.

Line-Free Friday Giveaway From HANES

There's a giveaway going on every Friday on HANES' Facebook page!  It's their Line-Free Friday Giveaway! 

It's a perfect win if you don't want to have lines under your favorite jeans or skinny skirt. Fingers are crossed that I'm one of the lucky 100 today!

Don't forget to enter, this giveaway ends July 2, 2012.

So. Cali Getaway ~ Swim Day!

What do you do when the weather is picture perfect...not too hot and in the comfortable 70's?  Why SWIM of course!

My little kiddles donned their swimsuits, cover-ups and flip-flops for a day of fun filled sogginess with their "cousins" (my best friend Jennifer's son & daughter).  We started off with lunch, pool prep and then everyone made their way into the pool at about 2:20p.  Mind you we had warned them all to eat plenty of protein at lunch because they were going to need the fuel for their little muscles as they thrashed and splashed about...mine didn't listen. (of course)

4:00p hits and all of a sudden my little Rose is begging for some turkey rolls, apples and peanut butter. "My tummy's starving!  Listen.", she says as her waterlogged hand thumps on her little belly. Once her request is met then it was SPLASH back into the pool for more fun. In fact, it was after her snack that she dowsed me with her water canon...wet jean shorts are not such a good thing.

Finally, as pizza (and donuts) walks through the door with "my other brother", we pull our soggy exhausted troop out of the water at 6:10p.  Were there gruffs, grumbles and groans?  Of course, but there were more empty bellies wanting some food.

Aside from being completely thrilled at the opportunity to watch my kiddles play with Jennifer's kiddles (which was always a dream of ours), sitting and visiting with my "sister", I was blessed with returning to Nan & Papa's house with two girls who both fell asleep on the sofas before bedtime!!!

So. Cali Getaway ~ Disneyland

Right now I'm missing my Charming pretty badly...even though it has only been 5 days since I saw him...and I talk to him every day.  The reason behind the longing for my Hubby..other than the fact that I love him?  The girls and I headed back to Southern California for a little visit with my parents (a.k.a. Papa & Nana) for the first couple weeks of the Summer Break...first really fun stop: DISNEYLAND

Surprisingly, it wasn't as crowded as I had anticipated it being on a Friday...but we did hit it right before most of the Orange County area is let loose for the summer.  Most likely we were also the blessed recipients of all of those families waiting to come until the new  CARS attractions are unveiled.  The weather - Perfect.  Not too hot, not too chilly, just enough sun and just enough cloud cover.  There wasn't a care in the world regarding sunburns this time...plus I had my Banana Boat SPF 50 sprayed from head to toe on my little kiddles.

First thing I noticed is how different the entrance to Disneyland's California Adventure Park now is...no more gigantic letters spelling CALIFORNIA out front.  Miss those mosaics!  Bring them back Disney!!!

I managed to not hand-hold for the first attraction stop at the Wilderness Explorer portion of the California Adventure Park...and OH was it HARD.  It must have seemed like I was a crazy lady running below the rope bridges trying to follow my girls while giving them a bit of freedom.  Grace (now 7) managed to take a wrong turn on a bridge and ended up in a mini-panic because I was tracking Rose (still 5).  Tears and a bit of fear of being "lost" would bring out some caution in most kids, don't you think?  Not Grace.  Nope she pulled the same thing a few more times throughout the day and was more worried about how mad I would be rather than how lost she could be.

We spent time with my mom & my Aunt Laila, and for the first time we also got to enjoy the park with my sis-in-law Rachael and my nieces & nephews.  (and of course Rach is missing from my photos because I was focused on the kiddles...go figure)  It's still shocking that we hadn't done the trip with all of us together before my little family made our move out of state.

There was a whole lotta estrogen there...which means a whole lotta "What do you wanna do?" "I don't care, whatever everyone wants to do." "Well we can do whatever you think is best."  Our focus for the day was simply getting on as many rides as we could...with the shortest wait times.  The winning ride for the most enjoyment with the least wait...Ariel's Undersea Adventure.  We rode it 5 times with only a 5 minute wait each time!

On a side note: We were laughing about one incident that was happened upon...someone had a smoothie that didn't agree with them and it ended up all over the walkway right in front of the Jungle Cruise.  Somehow it took a long time to get someone there to clean it up and keep people from walking through the mess ("Ewww, it's puke mom!") yet there was no sign of  bird droppings anywhere.  What's up with that?!?  How does Disneyland keep the birds from making deposits all over the walkways and eateries?  The parking areas have plenty of "mess" but the park is basically "dropping free".

Well, with that said, the kids were all bursting at the seams and walking hand in hand from the time we started to the moment it ended...so many plans for our day. My only controllable regret was that I forgot my camera and had to rely on my phone...which was turned off to conserve power for photos and yet still died long before our adventure was over. All in all it was a day filled with smiles, Capri Sun drinks, kettle corn, squeals & giggles!  A fund day to be had by ALL.

I wonder what other adventures lay before us?  Hmmm...

Giveaway Link-Up ~ Beginning OR Ending In June

I am busy searching for great giveaways & sweepstakes that I find every month...

There's not time like the present to enter.  Here We GO!

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Do you LOVE entering giveaways?  We have a nice little assortment for you to enjoy below! AND there is no limit to the number of giveaways you can access & enter!

OR

Do  you have a giveaway beginning or ending in the month of June? 

Leave a comment with a link to your giveaway and I will add it to our ever growing list! 

SO, why not link-up and share information for readers to find your great giveaways?

1.  $100 GC Amazon.com ~ SimplyStacie.net (thru Facebook)
2.  Revision Skincare - Multiple Items (Enter Daily) ~ Woman's Day
3.  $100,000 CASH -  Pay My Bills Sweepstakes ~ Woman's Day (Ends 1/31/14)
4.  Coastal.com’s Derek Cardigan Sunglass Giveaway (ARV $129.00 )~ Woman's Day (Ends 1/31/14)
5.  HERSHEY’S Save the Day Instant-Win Game - win 1 of over 4 MILLION Prizes!!! (Ends 9/30)

6.  Revlon Purse-SUIT Of Power (Facebook) Giveaway ~ Enter Daily! (Ends 10/13/12) 
7.  Kellogg's 2012 Earth Day Sweepstakes - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco ~ (Ends 6/30)
8.  All You Live Your Dream Giveaway  - Chance to win $25,000 or other prizes! ~ Enter by 6/01 for early bird prize entry!(Ends 1/31/13)
9.   Two bags of Eight O’Clock® Coffee and a Travel Mug (Two Winners!) ~ SimplyStacie.net (Ends 6/21)
10.  Recipe.com $5,000 Kitchen Essentials Giveaway (enter daily!) ~ Recipe.com Facebook Page (Ends 6/30)
11.  Better Homes & Gardens Fan Appreciation Giveaway ~ BH&G Facebook Page (Ends 6/30)
12.  Just for Mom Giveaway: KitchenAid, Cricut, Coupon Clutch, $100 cash! ~ MelissasBargains.com
13.  iPad3, Kid-proof Case & $100 iTunes GC ~ EBONY Parent Magazine
14.  $350 GIFT CARD from Cloud 9 Living ~ Mom365.com (Ends 7/31)
15.  Artspace.com $5,000 of Seriously Great Art - Your choice! ~ (Ends 7/15/12)
16.  Win 1 of 30 bottles of Method Detergent Laundry Starter Kits ~ 5MinutesFor mom
17.  Win $500 Cash with ContestChest.com ~ SaraLee's Deals, Steals & Giveaways (Ends 6/29)
18.  Louis Vuitton Giveaway May 12 - June 12 ~ Madame Deals (Ends 6/12)
19.  $1,500 Cash to Spend on Pampered Chef  ~ Consumer Expressions (Ends 6/30)
20.  2-piece Terry Hooded Bath Towel Set from Gerber Childrenswear ~ BellaSavvy (Ends 6/03)
21.  Ghirardelli Chocolate San Francisco Sweepstakes ~ (Ends 7/31)
22.  Children's Book: What Would The Founding Fathers Think? ~ SimplyStacie (Ends 6/02)
23.  $75 Amazon Gift Card  ~  BentoSchoolLunches (Ends 6/03)
24.  Technogel Pillows ~ RoyalLegacy (Ends 6/03) 
25.  Yu-Be, Mineral Mate and more!~ PrettyChinaDoll
26.  Safe Play Package GIVEAWAY (for 3 winners) ~ LifeWithLisa (Ends 6/01)
27.  iPad May-Nia! ~ MommysMemorandum (Ends 6/14)
28.  Timeless Family Classics DVD Pack ~ Tiaras&Tantrums (Ends 6/02)
29. New Life Hiking Spa, Killington, VT, Getaway Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/18)
30. Lysol® No-Touch™ Kitchen System Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/12)
31. HP Omni 120 Personal Computer Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/21)
32. Dansko Pippa Clogs Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/14)
33. BJ’s Wholesale Club 18-Piece Melamine Dinnerware Set Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/16)
34. One for the Money DVD Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/15)
35. Waterpik® EcoFlow® Rain Shower Head Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/10)
36. VMV Hypoallergenics Ooh-La-Lash! Volumizing Mascara Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/11)
37. TOTSY.com Beauty Basket Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/02)
38. Todd English GreenPan Cook Set Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/10)
39. Thompson’s® WaterSeal® Prize Package AND $500 certificate to Plow & Hearth ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/04)
40. The Oaks at Ojai, Ojai, CA, Getaway Giveaway (ARV $1,390) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/11)
41. Tempur-Pedic® TEMPUR-Simplicity™ Mattress (winner's choice) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/25)
42. Teleflora® ‘Deal of the Day’ $50 Gift Card Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/12)
43. Soap & Glory Bath and Body Products Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/09)
44. New York Yankees™ For Him and For Her Fragrances Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/09)
45.  NetGear® NeoTV™ Digital Streaming Player Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/27)
46.  Murad Skincare Prize Package Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/16)
47.  Mastrad Sink Mat Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/24)
48.  Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa Giveaway (ARV $1,150) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/06)
49.  Joyful Noise Blu-ray™ Combo Pack Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/17)
50.  Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, GA, Getaway Giveaway (ARV $1,390) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/06)
51.  iRobot Scooba 390 Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/26)
52.  Disney Store Tinker Bell Prize Pack Giveaway (ARV $240) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/26)
53.  Dawgs Bendable Flip Flops Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/13)
54.  DailyBurn.com One-Year Membership Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/03)
55.  Connecticut Getaway Giveaway (ARV $1,753) ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/19)
56.  Coby® Attitudz Earphones Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/09)
57.  Carved Creations $200 Gift Certificate Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 6/04)
58.  Coastal.com Derek Cardigan Sunglasses Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/03)
59.  Braun Cruzer Men’s Electric Razor Giveaway ~ Woman's Day (Ends 7/05)
60.  Dad’s Backyard Oasis Father’s Day Giveaway including a $500 Black & Decker Tool Package ~ Mom To Bed By 8 (Ends 6/03)
61.  Britax B-Agile Stroller ~ Mom to Bed by 8 (Ends 6/05)
62.   Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (1st FIVE books) ~ Mom to Bed by 8 (Ends 6/25)
63.  $10,000 Nursery Sweepstakes ~ PARENTS Magazing & American Baby (Ends 6/22)
64.  Ultimate Grilling Sweepstakes (ARV: $1,000) ~ Harry and David, Cooking.com (Ends 7/13)
65.  Line-Free Friday Giveaway ~ Hanes' Facebook Page (Ends 7/02)
66.  $10,000 Oragnize In Style Sweepstakes (enter daily) ~ Better Homes & Gardens (Ends 9/30)
67.  $10,000 Spring Into Color Sweepstakes (enter daily) ~ Betterh homes & Gardens (Ends 6/30)
68.  $5,000 Free Grocery Sweepstakes (enter daily) ~ Recipe.com (Ends 6/15)
69.  Win over $1,200 in quilting supplies! ( The One Million Pillowcase Challenge Sweepstakes ) ~ AllPeopleQuilt.com (Ends 7/31)
70.  Keri Glassman Thin Calm Sexy Book Giveaway ~ MomsByHeart.net (Ends 6/14)
71.  Diamond Candle Giveaway (6 Winners!) ~ CentsLessDeals.com (Ends 6/17)
72.  Pur Minerals' Ultimate Summer Giveaway with OKA b. Shoes! ~ CreditSesame.com (Ends 6/14)
73.  Walker Edison Bunk Bed valued at $549 ~ SimplyStacie.net (Ends 7/10)
74.  $1,500 gift certificate to La-Z-Boy! ~ OurKidsMom (Ends 7/31)
75.  12 x 36 Intex SWIMMING POOL ~ OurKidsMom (Ends 7/18)
76.  $50 Gift Card - Simple Stencil Vinyl Transfers ~ OurKidsMom (Ends 6/22)
77.  Serenity Gel Pillow 2 Pack ~ OurKidsMom (Ends 6/22)
78.  Springfree Trampoline (ARV: $1899) ~ OurKidsMom (Ends 6/24)
79.  $25 The Children's Place ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/24)
80.  Lalaloopsy Littles Bundles Snuggle Stuff Doll ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 7/01)
81.  KitchenAid Mixer ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/30)
82.  Garden Tool Set For Kids ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/30)
83.  $50 My Urban Child ~  KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/25)
84.  Backyard Escape Giveaway ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/30)
85.  Cuisinart Slow Cooker ~ KateN'Kaboodle (Ends 6/30)
86.  COACH HANDBAG AND COACH WALLET GIVEAWAY ~ MamaTo4Blessings (Ends 6/30)
87.  Fashionable Camera Bag by Kelly Moore ~ Makobiscribe.com (Ends 7/12)
88.  Fendi Bag Giveaway ~ MadameDeals.com (Ends 6/30)
89.  Ritter Sport's Chocolate Package (enter weekly) ~ Ritter Sport (Ends 7/27)
90.  $500 toward your ideal Summer Party ~ The Night Owl Mama
91.  International Delight Iced Coffee (one entry per day) ~ International Delight's FB Page (Ends 7/05)
92.  SWIFFER duster, TIDE, old spice, set pringles computer speakers, reusuable bag ~ The Night Owl Mama (Ends 6/30)
93.  Win a trip to New York and a $1,000 shopping spree at the Disney Store with Cinderella! ~ Disney Movie Rewards (Ends 9/15/12)
94.