Frugal Family Fun

This post is sponsored by BODYARMOR. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Even though school is out for the summer, our schedule is still jam-packed with various sporting events. This is especially true for our family as my husband teaches and coaches our public school district’s only Robotics course and competitive team. From assembling robotics to day-long practice drills, our family invests a lot of time cheering on our robotics team as we take the journey of exploration, from conceptualizing our team’s robot all the way through 10-hour competition day events. 

When you think of competitive events for children, a robotics team may not be the first thing that comes to mind. While organized sports, such as football, basketball, and track are excellent ways to instill team building practices in youth, robotics teams and competitions can even better at preparing children for the future, especially for young women.

According to the National Education Association, young women who participate in Robotics teams average up to thirty percent higher on standardized test scores, are twenty percent less likely to drop out of school, and have fewer instances of low self-esteem. Making Robotics competitions not only competitive but character building. 

Robotics teams encourage student participation at almost every age group, starting with kindergarten and going all the way to college and post-grad programs. Of course, the structure and objectives of these competitions vary greatly depending on the age of the student. Early education robotics programs introduce kids to robotics and programming concepts, challenging them to start thinking like a robotics engineer by encouraging them to create solutions to fun, kid-friendly problems.

There are also highly competitive tween, teen, and college-age year-round robotics programs that train students to prepare for not only tournaments but possible careers in the medical, engineering, physics, construction, architecture, and space exploration fields, often including scholarship opportunities for students of all education styles. Our team is comprised of tween and teen 6,7, 8th 8th-grade competitive athletes, we like to call robothletes. 

As a Robothletes team mom, I want to make sure our children have everything that they need to stay well-equipped, hydrated, and healthy while in the competition. Since I was also into all sorts of sports as a kid myself, including competitive robotics, I know how important having the right gear on hand can be competition day, including snacks and drinks. Which is why I love being able to keep our team well-stocked with my favorite grab-and-go summer snacks and drinks from Sam’s Club. Products that keep our young robothletes hydrated and healthy on and off the competition floor. With this in mind, here are 7 essentials students need at each robotics events.

1. Fresh Fruit: If you were to bump into me at Sam’s Club, it’s a guarantee that you’ll see stacks of fruit in my cart. While I love keeping fresh fruit on hand at home and for our robothletes, my biggest reason for making fresh fruit a grab-and-go snack? It’s completely zero-waste! All you need to do is fill a reusable container with whole or sliced fruit and head out the door. Any leftover fruit scraps can be brought home to compost. Package-free snacking at its best! 

2. Granola Bars: Granola bars are the ubiquitous snack option. Options include low or no sugar options as well as bars that are high in protein too. Granola bars are easy to toss into a bag, are full of flavor, and are a great way to increase nutrient intake while keeping your child full when on-the-go. I like to pick up tubs of bars so that wrappers can be stored in tubs until we come home!

3. Smoothies: I love taking smoothies to robotics competitions! From squeezable smoothie options to pre-made freezable mason jar options, smoothies are simple to pack in bags, purses, and even coolers too! Consider purchasing smoothie packs that sneak in extra servings of veggies along with fruit, for mid-afternoon pick-me-up snacks!

4. Nutrient-Packed Snacks: I love to pack snack packs for the kids that include everything from whole grain cereal and crackers to dehydrated fruit chips and raisins, to low-fat string cheese. I make sure I have a bag full of nutrient-packed snacks so that the robotheletes have a power-packed snack to keep their energy level strong throughout the day.

5. Coolers and Coller Bags: I always make sure to keep a cooler full of ice for drinks and freezer bags that contain freezer packs to keep smoothie packs and jars, snacks, and fruit chilled throughout competitions days. 

6. Noise Makers: When it comes to cheering on fellow teammates during robotics competitions, the more noise you can make the better! Robotheletes are encouraged to bring noisemakers along with them so I always make sure to pack team-colored pom-poms, hand clappers, and air horns to each competition. These inexpensive fun-makers pack a punch in the cheer-making arena!

7. Beverages: Our robotheletes are always thirsty. Especially as they come off of the competition floor. So adding high-quality sports drinks into the mix gives kids a simple way to stay hydrated on and off the field. I recently came across BODYARMOR Sports drinks at my local Sam’s Club, which is premium sports drink that provides superior hydration. It is packed with electrolytes, coconut water, and vitamins and is low in sodium and high in potassium.

BODYARMOR Sports drinks contain natural flavors and sweeteners and no colors from artificial sources. BODYARMOR water is a premium sports water designed by athletes, for athletes. I love that it’s a healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks on the market.

Before I head out the door, I make sure to grab a cooler, fill it with BODYARMOR, and keep the drink on me throughout the day for the times when our robotheletes need to replenish their bodies as they enter and exit competition sessions. BODYARMOR provides their body with superior hydration and comes in 9-great tasting flavors: fruit punch, orange mango, strawberry banana, tropical punch, blackout berry, mixed berry, grape, watermelon strawberry, and lemonade. 

While my husband and I are on the move from one arena to the next all summer long with our kids playing on so many floors – BODYARMOR and high-quality snacks keep our robotheletes ready for each and every round! I also love that BODYARMOR is now available in a 15-pack at Sam’s Club so I’m never running out of drinks for competition day!

Moms are your young athletes, and robothelets, working to be their personal best? I know ours are! As I’m sure your are as well, be sure to check out how your robotheletes at home can become the next BODYARMOR athlete: https://goo.gl/hRK7tC. 

And don’t forget! The next time you’re at Sam’s Club, be sure to stock up on BODYARMOR, especially since it’s on sale for $12.98, a seasonal savings of $3.00, through July 16th, 2017!

Giveaway:

Our friends at Sam’s Club and BODYARMOUR are offering Lady Prefers 2 Save readers a chance to win a summer prize pack. To enter, simply fill out an entry form using the Rafflecopter widget below, and enter for a chance to win the following prize:  BODYARMOR cooler and 1-year Sam’s membership giveaway (ARV: $130.00)! This giveaway will end on 7/11/17 at 11:59 pm CST. All entries will be verified and multiple entries from single ISP addresses will be disqualified. This giveaway is open to all US residents 18 years of age and older. Please note, the winner will be notified by email within 24-hous of giveaway end. Good luck, everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friends, I have to ask, what are your favorite grab-and-go items from Sam’s Club? And what items do you pack for your athletes and robotheletes in your life each summer season? I’d love to hear about it below! 

While many across the country today will be heading out into the cold, dreary November weather to shop this year’s Black Friday sales event, I myself have different plans in mind. As a millennial, my Thursday evenings were all together sacrosanct watching two of my favorite television heroines, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, and the crew of America’s funkiest little town, Stars Hollow, Connecticut.  

I loved everything about that show and I was a fan-girl in every way. From it’s face-paced monologs to it’s to never-ending run-on sentences, the Gilmore Girls was the first show that was etched into my heart and mind, and since its end in 2007, there has been no show to take its place. That was until this year when I found out that I would soon again be revisiting Stars Hollow as the “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life,” would be airing on Netflix on November 25th of this year!  Each of the four 90-minute episodes will reflect each season, Winter, Spring, Fall, and Summer, for a year, based on the Gilmore Girls.

So while you may find yourself scoring amazing deals in-store, I will be in my den preparing for this new four 90-minute episodes Netflix commissioned of pure Gilmore Girls bliss by throwing a Gilmore Girls binge party at home.

We will also be playing along with the Gilmore Girls cider drinking game (see graphic above), and eating Lorelai’s favorite dessert, pumpkin pie, my case, leftover Patti Labelle Sweet Potato pie!

Also, if you are a super fangirl like myself, who has always wanted a musical Gilmore Girls episode (omg, the dream), we’ll be treated to a part of one musical number during the episode, “Summer”. Another awesome fact? All the main cast members from the original series are back for the Netflix show, although their roles are in a limited capacity, except for the main players, Lorelai (Lauren Graham), Rory (Alexis Bledel), Luke (Scott Patterson), and Emily (Kelly Bishop).

All of that said brings me to my main point. Netflix recently launched both a video and a series of ‘invitations’ for their ‘Date Night with Mom’ campaign, stating that while the mother-daughter relationship is complicated, falling back in love wth your favourite show is pretty simple. Date night with your mom, or in my case, my best friend, my husband, will make watching the Gilmore Girls that much more enjoyable.

So that’s what I will be doing this evening. Enjoying leftovers and watching a mega marathon of the Gilmore Girls with my husband and family. So now I have to ask, are you also a fan of the Gilmore Girls? Will you be watching today as well? I’d love to hear about it below! 

(photos courtesy of Netflix)

Hello again, savvy savers! If  a mug of soup, a cup of hot tea, and a great, new book sounds like your perfect night, than that makes two of us! If you are anything like me, than you are nothing short of a bibliophile! Well, you are in luck, as this weeks Tutorial Tuesday post centers around being able to score free books.

How can be score free books?

1. You can become a book reviewer, with one of several dozen online book reviewer programs.
2. The best part is that you do not need to be a designated book blogger, to be able to review books.
3. You simply need to have a love of the written word, a social media following, and a verifiable mailing address.
4. Each blogger will need to apply for book reviews, and just wait for the reviews to come in.
5. Once your books are received (the books will generally be sent via UPS and FedEx for free), you will need to read the books within a 2-3 week time frame.
6. After your books are read you will need to write a small, yet promising review online. 
7. Keep in mind, you will need to keep reviews legal, by always disclosing your reviewer status. 
8. Beyond this, you will need to review books online, as well as reviewing on an online purchasing outlet, such as Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. 
9. Books once read are yours to keep!
10. Also consider donating completed books, or to use them for giveaway materials for your blog!
11. That’s it… easy peasy! 

Here are a list of Reviewer Programs:

BookSneeze:  They have both print and e-books available. Booksneeze sends out a monthly newsletter informing participants of the latest books available for review.  

Blogging for Books: This program is ran by Waterbrook Multnomah. It has a pretty simple sign-up and I like that they send out email notices monthly informing you of the different books they have available. 

Bethany House: Here is a link to the latest newsletter with the list of books available for review.

Tywebbin: Offers a quick simple sign-up to be host of one their virtual book tours. Books offered from this review program tend to be primarily African American books. 

Cross Focused Reviews: This program is a service of Cross Focused Media, LLC. Once you have signed up on their list, you will receive email notifications of available books on tour. 

TLC Book Tours:  Offers a quick sign up process to get on their list of tour hosts. 

Tyndale Blog Network: This program is hosted by Tyndale House publishers. Each month they send out a list of available books once you have been approved. 

NetGalley: This program offers books from a vast number of publishers. According to their website, “NetGalley is a service to promote and publicize forthcoming titles to readers of influence. 

The B& B Media: I have done several reviews through this program. Once you’re on their distribution list, you receive an email notification of available books they have and you simply fill out the form to be a part of that book’s tour. They give you a date the review must be posted by.

Tips for Reviewing:

• This list provides a great start for book lovers and bloggers alike, that are looking to review books.
• Each program offers free books in exchange for an honest review and have their own requirements about review length and where you must publish your reviews.  
• Remember to disclose your reviewer status online, per 2013 FTC regulation.
• Pick books in your genre of choice.
• Have fun!

It also goes without saying that to be a book reviewer, after you start getting books, it can be hard to keep track of who sent them to you. Right now, I have a pile of books sent to me by publicists, authors, and book review sites making sure to:

• Creating a spreadsheet of all books received allows you to track titles, websites, dates you received the book, and the deadline you need to meet.
• Trust me, you’ll want to do this from the beginning.
• You’ll also want to carve out time to read the books. Don’t let them just sit on your nightstand. Read away!

So, today I challenge you look into saving on your monthly book purchasing costs, by becoming a book reviewer!

Here’s to saving,

Hello again, savvy savers! With so many kiddos in the process of getting ready to head back to school, I wanted to blog about a software program and integrated app, that my husband used daily in his classrooms, Classroom Dojo!

Class Dojo, is an free app for educators to help individual children, as well as an entire classes identify areas where improvement is needed in terms of classroom behavior, and setting realistic, attainable, and rewarded goals. From the Teacher’s device, both ios and Android, educators are able to set the behaviors and expectations of their individual classrooms, as dictated by school districts, faith-based curriculum’s, or in the homeschooling curriculum as well.

Moreover, educators are able to set performance levels, for which students can be rewarded for surpassing. and goals can be based on school wide systems or areas identified by you. Progress is determined by a points system, and can be gained by academic efforts, or demoted by poor behaviors in the classroom. Teachers can also give live- feedback to parents as well.

What’s really neat about this app is that parents can sign-up for accounts and have the live feed of students performance, feedback, and behaviors sent to their own phones and devices, as their app feeds or as text messages. Gone are the days of delayed progress reports and notes being sent home!

The app also allows parents and teachers to schedule digital parent and teacher conferences, via the app as well! Students are also allowed to create accounts, for which both parents and teachers can leave feedback, as well as both positive or constructive criticism for them as well!

Here are my assessment of the app.

• Pros: Class Dojo provides real-time feedback for students on how they’re meeting classroom expectations and includes an easy way for teachers to share this data with parents.
• Cons: The effectiveness of the tool for learning depends on how it is used; proactive parenting makes for a better user experience.
• Engagement: Bright colors, fun avatars, and associated sounds for earning and losing points, Class Dojo appeals to the senses of elementary-age children, and fun themes make middle-school aged kids feel engaged as well.
• Support: The website includes FAQs and examples of how the tool can be used, as well as an informational video for students.

My husband gives high praise for this app, and software, and I would encourage you all to check this out as well!

Click here to find out more!

Enjoy,

Calling all parents! As Easter is soon upon us, and so many stores are currently promoting deals on eggs,  today’s Tutorial Tuesday Post is all about the egg!  Here is my DIY Fossilized Egg Tutorial. Here’s how to make them:

Materials:

• 1 dozen large eggs
• Several packets of Kool Aid.

Here’s how to make them:

1. Hard boiling eggs, for 10 minutes,
2. Remove the eggs from heat, when they have began to show signs that the egg shells are cracking; 8-12 minutes for a complete crack to come over each egg.
3. Then pour a mixture of one packet Kool Aid, mixed with 1 cup warm water, then pour the mixture over the eggs!
4. Let your eggs soak for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the egg shells, and voila fossilized eggs!

These eggs make create awesome breakfast items for Easter morning, and are always a favorite in my home!

Here’s to Easter!