I’ve always envied people like Cathi who are able to visit Disneyland on a whim. “Hmmm . . . what should we do today? How about going to Disneyland?” No planning, no packing, just get in the car and go. Well, today was kind of like that for Kaila and I.

I was at home trying to find our Disney Trading pins for our upcoming Disneyland trip when I realized it might be pretty cool to add some Aulani pins to the collection. I searched online and found that people were selling them at an outrageous price! However, I was desperate and even considered buying a few. But then I remembered, “Hey, I live 20 minutes away from Aulani! Why don’t I just go there and buy them myself?” Within 15 minutes Kaila and I were on the road headed to Ko’Olina.

Here we are pulling up to the hotel.

The beautiful “Rainbow Wall” behind the Registration Desk in the Maka’ala Lobby. These photos were taken by Hawaii students, grades K to 12. Their mission was to take a photo of something that they feel showcases our beautiful islands. Each submission had to focus on one color.

The view from the Maka’ala Lobby. Here you can see most of the property as well as the property’s Waikolohe Valley. This Valley includes various water activities. You can see a partial view of the Waikolohe Stream where visitors can take a relaxing tube ride along the 900-foot-long path.

The 3,800 square-foot Rainbow Reef where guests can snorkel with beautifully colored fish that live in the waters around the islands.

Or how would you like to get up close and personal with some friendly stingrays at the Makai Preserve?

Here’s the 2,200-square-foot Menehune Bridge where kids will have a blast playing on the bridges, slides, and waterfalls.

Or take a swim in the hotel’s main pool

You can even take a stroll to Ko’Olina Lagoons and spend the day on the beach.

I mean, who wouldn’t love to sit under these beautiful cabanas?

You may even get to see a concert under the stars.

Back in the lobby is where we found this cute little area for the kids.

And of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without meeting a few Disney characters. Stitch decided he was hungry and tried to eat some of Kaila’s cereal. She was definitely NOT happy about it and started to cry. He tried to kiss and make-up which brought a few smiles and in the end Kaila threw kisses to him as we left.

Mickey was another story. She just would not look at him!

The Aulani is a beautiful resort showcasing the largest collection of contemporary Hawaiian art in the world. At every turn, you’ll see beautiful Hawaiian flowers, artifacts, photos, painting, statues, and music. What I really liked was the laid-back feel that the hotel promotes. You just can’t help but relax as you slowly stroll through the property as the cast members greet you with smiles and Hawaiian greetings. It’s truly paradise.

Your truck loving child can drive around with the Steer-me Steve Dump Truck by MEGA Bloks and pretend he is a big rig driver himself. Steer-me Steve is perfectly designed for little hands to grip the steer along wheel as they drive through the house picking up the included blocks in the set as his cargo. Stack the blocks on the truck bed or carry them to a new location for construction – it’s all up to Steve and where your child takes him. Once Steer-me Steve and your child reach their destination, the dump truck bed empties the cargo with a simple lever pull. After Steve is empty, it is time to go find another load!  

courtesy of MEGA Bloks

Steer-Me Steve is a big dump truck filled with possibilities. He comes with 9 pieces of MEGA Bloks which are great for hauling around or building towers. And since all the MEGA Blok collections are interchangeable, we can mix and match with our existing collection.

As soon as Kaila saw Steve she just had to play with him immediately. She really liked loading up all the bloks and then using the lever to dump them out again. Load, unload, load, unload . . . she could do that all day long.

She also liked filling the dump truck with other toys and steering them around the room. The big plastic wheels make for a smooth ride and since the truck is divided into two separate moving sections, she can actually use the steering wheel in the direction she wants to go.

However, the best part is the red lever that makes dumping things out so much fun! She really liked that the lever could be moved in both directions which meant the cargo area could be maneuvered without actually touching it. After all, playing with the lever is most of the fun anyway. Plus, it teaches her cause and effect.

Steer-Me Steve encourages imagination, focus, attention, fine motor skills, and social development. All that and fun, too! How could you not love Steer-Me Steve? We do!

Connect with MEGA Bloks:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

This post was written for MEGA Bloks who provided the complimentary item for review and giveaway.

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I feel that some of the most important and inspirational people in my child’s life are her teachers. My girls have been so fortunate to have had such supportive, knowledgeable, and caring role models in their lives. Their teachers go above and beyond the classroom in ensuring that their students have the safest and most positive educational experience possible. Whether it’s helping them deal with bullying, extra tutoring after school, or just calling and wishing them a Happy Birthday during Winter Break . . . our teachers have made a lasting impression on my children.

That’s why I’m so honored to participate in Avery’s 3rd Annual “Give Back to Schools” Campaign just in time for Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7 – 11).

CAMPAIGN INFORMATION

Beginning May 7th, you can stop by the Avery website and vote for your favorite school to help them win some amazing prizes! You can even sign up for daily reminders so you never miss a chance to vote. Here are the prizes up for grabs:

• 500,000 Box Tops for Education coupons
• $50,000 worth of Avery school supplies
• $5,000 in gift cards to teachers for school supplies

You’re able to vote once a day so make sure you get all of your family, friends, fellow parents, and educators on board! It only takes a minute to vote but think about the possible rewards! What school (or teacher) couldn’t use some help with obtaining much needed schools supplies? You have until September 14, 2012 to vote! Isn’t your school worth it?

GENEROUS DONATION

Now, I thought Avery was very generous in hosting this campaign but they went a step further and donated $1,000 worth of Avery supplies to my favorite school! How cool is that? Of course, I chose Kacie and Kiana’s elementary school as my recipient of this wonderful surprise!

PRODUCT REVIEW

In addition, we received a shipment ourselves of some cool Avery products to try out for ourselves. Of course, we were already familiar with their glue sticks, sticky notes, hi-liters, 3-ring binders and dividers because we buy them for back-to-school supplies. Through our past experiences, these Avery school products are durable and can last the entire school year without needing to be replenished.

We especially like the 3-ring binders because they really do last.

We’ve purchased cheaper ones before but find that eventually the rings will shift causing a gap and making it hard for the kids to flip their loose leaf papers without tearing the hole punches. And if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s papers that don’t align properly in binders. All those pages sticking out at different angles just bugs me. I guess it’s the OCD in me.

We also like that when you insert your index dividers that the tabs don’t stick out. This ensures that the tabs stay protected while the binder is being shoved into my kids’ backpacks. However, for me the best part is that the Avery binder has a non-stick finish so that printed material won’t transfer onto the surface. I don’t know how many times I’ve thrown away a binder because my printed paper got stuck to the inside cover and left an inky mess when the sheet was pulled away.

However, some of the products that Avery is most known for are their labels and other printable stationary items. I use their labels and website’s templates all the time when I’m making goody bag tags, shipping labels, and greeting cards. But did you know that they also made Custom Print Flash Cards? Me, neither! These printable Flash Cards are 3″ x 5″ in size and come in tabbed (dividers) and non-tabbed (content) versions. There’s also a metal ring included to keep your cards together and easy to take along.

To design your flash cards just go to the Avery design center where you’ll find everything you need to make amazing flash cards. Since I’m not the creative type I really appreciated all the real-life photos and illustrations provided for me. You start with one of their themes . . .

. . . and customize from there. Here is the template . . .

. . . and here’s what I did to customize it.

Their design center allows you to add in text, shapes, your own images, as well as provide you with various edit tools to ensure your cards turn out perfect.

Here’s another card that I made using my own photo:

You can also print on both sides of the card if you prefer something a little more detailed. I had so much fun making my cards that I had to make a conscious effort to stop so I could finish writing this review!

So what are you waiting for? Stock up on Avery school supplies and don’t forget to vote for your favorite school!

Connect with Avery:

• Avery Website
• Avery Give Back to Schools Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

This post was written for Avery who provided the items for review and giveaway. I was also compensated with school supplies to donate to the school of my choice.

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Future Fortified is a public awareness campaign of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). We enable individuals, businesses, and organizations to help millions of women and children around the world access to the essential nutrients they need to lead healthy, enriched lives.

courtesy of Future Fortified

I am honored to be a part of this amazing campaign to help educate the public about how they can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Some may benefit from generous donations while others may just need access to information on how to live a healthier lifestyle. However, it doesn’t stop there. We need to find long-term solutions so that these families will be able to help themselves in the future.

Future Fortified can provide you with resources, ideas, and ways to contribute. It’s a great way to get involved and teach your children that even they can make a difference.

Connect with Future Fortified:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

And come check me and the other bloggers out at the Future Fortified Features Facebook page for some yummy and healthy recipes that you can serve to your family!

Even though a lot of my friends are moving away from landlines, my family refuses to give it up. I just like the idea of having a stationary phone system in my home that stays in one place. Plus, with my kids always on my iPhone playing games and watching videos I’ve been known to miss a call or two. However, I do like the freedom that a cell phone has where I can use a bluetooth device and stay on the move.

Well, with the new VTech Handset Cordless Answering System ($99.95) I just got the best of both worlds!

Refined style and innovative features define the VTech LS6475-3 cordless phone system. With two handsets and a DECT 6.0 cordless headset, you can have a private hands-free conversation anywhere at home.

courtesy of VTech

We received a unit to try out for ourselves which came at a perfect time since our current phone seemed to be on it’s last leg. The box came with the following items:

• (2)  Handsets
• Telephone Base
• Handset Charger and Charger Adapter
• (2) Handset Battery
• (2) Handset Battery Compartment Cover
• Telephone Base Power Adapter
• Cordless Headset with Earbud attached
• (3) Ear Hooks
• (3) Additional Earbuds
• Telephone Line Cord
• Head Band
• User Manual
• Quick Start Guide

I liked that it came with absolutely everything I needed to get started . . . including the telephone line cord. Instead of grabbing the User Manual I decided to take a look at the Quick Start Guide first. It gave me an overall view of how to get started and I had my phone hooked and charging in about 5 minutes.

First, I just telephone base power adapter and telephone line cord into the appropriate ports on the bottom of the telephone base. Then I plugged the power adapter into a wall outlet and the telephone line cord into the telephone wall jack.

Next, install the battery into the handset by plugging in the batter connector into the socket inside the handset battery compartment. Place the battery inside the handset and slide the battery compartment cover on. Make sure that it locks in place.

Finally, place the handset and cordless headset into the appropriate slots on the telephone base. It is recommended that you completely charge both items before the first time you use them.

TELEPHONE BASE

Our previous phone was also a VTech so we were already pretty familiar with the handset and telephone base. Basically, when you receive a message the number of unheard messages will flash on the display. Once you listen to them the total number of messages that are being stored will now be on the display. You can press delete at any time while listening to the message. I really like that I don’t have to listen to the entire message before deleting it. Plus, this phone lets me delete all my stored messages at once rather than one by one like my previous system.

I also like that there’s a “Find Handset” button to locate a missing handset or headset. With 3 kids who love to play around with the phone I’m always on the hunt for misplaced handsets.

HANDSET

The handset is packed with handy features that make communicating so much easier:

• Charge light – illuminates when the phone is charnging
• Volume to increase or decrease the sound
• Directory – store up to 50 names/numbers for easy retreival
• Mute button
• Flash button to answer a call waiting call
• Speakerphone button
• Redial/Pause button
• CID – Review the caller ID list. You’re also able to make a call using the CID list.
• Push to Talk (PTT) – one-to-one or one-to-group broadcast
• EQ – adjust the audio quality depending on your surroundings

One of my favorite features from the above list is the Directory. This allows me to make quick calls without having to consult my personal phone book. All I had to do was look up the name and hit send. That’s it! I also liked the Push To Talk option since we live in a 2-story home and the kids are always upstairs or in different rooms. It was so easy to call everyone to dinner with the one-to-group broadcast. I just pushed on the button located on the side of the handset and talked to everyone at once. The reception was very clear and they were all downstairs at the dinner table in seconds. Finally, the CID log was very helpful for those times when the phone would ring but the person wouldn’t leave a message. This happens a lot when Kacie’s friends call. This way we could still see whose calls we missed.

We found the handset to be very lightweight and comfortable to hold. It was also user friendly with everything labeled and easy to use. We probably could have figured out how to use it even without the Quick Guide.

CORDLESS HEADSET

For the headset you have 2 options – ear hooks or head band. Hubby preferred the ear hooks because it was so unintrusive that he almost forget he was wearing it. The ear hooks come with 3 different sizes of earbuds so you’ll be able to find the perfect fit. To use it, just attached the desired earbud onto the ear hook then snap the ear hook onto the cordless headset.

For me, I prefer the head band because I can’t wear things that hook over my ear . . . it’s just the way my ears were made. To use the head band I just had to snap on the cordless headset and I was ready to go. The head band is lightweight,  adjustable and fits very comfortably. I like that it doesn’t have a tight fit because I tend to get headaches that way.

The cordless headset itself has an on/off button, volume control, rotating clip, mute/flash button, earpiece, and microphone. The first time I tried it out I had my husband call me on his way home from work. I already had the headset attached to the headband and was waiting for the call. When the phone rang I just pushed the on/off button briefly and we were connected. I was surprised at how good the reception was. Hubby couldn’t tell if I was on the headset or the handset . . . which is a good sign. I could also hear him very clearly.

Another feature of this phone that I appreciated was the Voice Announce Caller ID which audibly announces the name and number of the caller on all of the handsets and base unit. Yes, I’m a screener and we do have the service where the name and number is shown on our television set when a call comes in. But what if we’re watching a video or the television is not on, or I’m in another room? Now I don’t have to run to the handset only to see it’s some telemarketing person. Love it!

I could go on and on about the VTech Handset Cordless Answering System but I think you get the gist of it. It’s so packed full of features that I can’t think of anything else I’d add on . . . except maybe someone to talk for me while I telepathically send my message. Maybe one day . . .

Until then, stop by VTech and check out this and other equally cool phones in their product lineup. There’s sure to be one to fit your needs.

Connect with VTech:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

This post was written for VTech who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.