It is Shark Week!  We love shark week in our home.  We look forward to it every year, it’s a big part of our summer break.  One thing I have noticed though is that it’s not all kid-friendly.  My 8-year-old always wants to be involved but can’t watch all of the Shark Week shows so I like to add in some fun activities and things that she will love.  It gives me a chance to add in some education as well.  We love the ocean in our home so it’s always fun when we can teach our kids about sharks and the ocean.  I have put together the Ultimate Kid-Friendly Shark Week Guide with some fun books, movies, games, gear, and recipes.  Hope you enjoy it.  Make sure to scroll to through we have a great giveaway with some really awesome prizes.

Shark Week Schedule:

Shark week is on the Discovery channel and runs from July 23rd-3oth.  They will be featuring 18 shark filled programs throughout the week! (All time are ET)

Sunday July 23rd:

7pm-Great White Shark Serial Killer Lives

8pm-Phelps Vs. Shark: Great Gold Vs. Great White

9pm-Shark-Croc Showdown

10pm-Great Hammerhead Invasion

Monday July 24th:

8pm-Shark Vortex

9pm-Return to the Isle of Jaws

10pm-Alien Sharks:  Stranger Fins

Tuesday July 25th:

9pm-Sharks and the City: LA

10pm-Sharks and the City: New York

Wednesday July 26th:

9pm-The Lost Cage

10pm-Devil Sharks

Thursday July 27th:

9pm-Shark Exile

10pm-Shark Storm

Friday July 28th:

9pm-African Shark Safari

10pm-Lair of the Sawfish

Saturday July 29th:

9pm-Sharkmania

Throughout the day there are also great shark related episodes and shows.  We love watching it and learning all about the sharks.  Check the Discovery page for show details and ratings to determine age-appropriateness.

Shark Week Must-Haves:

Shark Week must have books:

We love to read so we added some fun Shark themed books to our Summer reading list for Shark Week.  We picked up these great titles from Quarto Knows including:

Could a Shark Do Gymnastics and Other Questions

Spot the Shark in the Ocean

Would You Rather Have a Shark for a Sister or a Ray for a Brother

Read our full review here.

Shark Week Must-Have Movie:

If your kiddos are too young to watch the Shark Week on Discovery then check out this fun shark-themed move from NCircle Entertainment.  We love Octonauts so we were super excited to check out their new title Calling All Sharks.  It fit in great with our shark themed week!

Read our full review here!

Shark Week Must-Have Gear:

Janiebee will be keeping us comfy all week with their great shark week gear.  They have a great shark themed 3 piece set that includes a nap mat, backpack, and luck sack.  It’s the perfect accessories for Shark Week.  Lay on your nap mat while reading your books and watching shark week.  Pack your books, movies, and more away in your backpack.  Pack all your fun shark week snacks in your lunch sack!  So cute!!

Read our full review here!

Shark Week Must-Have Game:

If you read our blog then you know that we have a family game night every week. So we had to find us a shark game.  We found this awesome fun-filled game from Pressman Toys called Shark Bite.  See if you can evade the shark’s bite while having a fun family game night.  The anticipation will keep you on the edge of your seat as you dive into fun with this great game.

Check out our Family Game Night here!

Shark Week Recipe:

What would Shark Week be without some fun shark themed snacks?  We made these super fun shark attack cups and my kiddos loved them!

Get the recipe here!

The Giveaway:

Hosted by:  Parenting In Progress

Co-Hosted by: Cspierdowis’ Product Review, Ms. Cat’s Honest World, & KidCongeniality

Sponsors: NCircle Entertainment, Pressman Toys, Janiebee, and Quarto Knows

Entrants must be 18 or older & US residents to eligible to win. Entries will be accepted until 8/25/17. Use the below form to enter.  We will have 4 winners of one of four random prizes:

Prize 1: Octonauts Calling All Sharks sponsored by NCircle Entertainment

Prize 2: 3 Books from (listed above) sponsored by Quarto Knows

Prize 3: 3 Piece Set  (includes nap mat, backpack, lunch sack-shark set) Sponsored by Janiebee

Prize 4: Shark Bite game Sponsored by Pressman Toys

Save

Rooster Fin is a fun company. I mean, they sell games, after all. They major in fun 24/7. I was excited when I was approached to review their Bouncing Bots game. I had never heard of it before, and it really peaked my interest. The first thing I did was to check out their website. They broke the categories of their toys into: Family, Educational, Skill, Card, Strategy, and Party.

This is the description of their Bouncing Bots Game on their website:

“Bouncing Bots is the board game where players compete to get the best score by bouncing their bots on the highest valued numbers on the target boards. Score the most points to win!

Players: 1-4

Ages: 7 to adult (On their box, it states 6 and up)

Skills: Motor Skills, Hand-eye Coordination

Contents:

8 Bot Characters

2 Platforms

Simple Instructions “

The game has one small sheet of instructions in the box. On one side, it mentions all of the characters names: Axel, Crank, Tracker, Rock’in, Plug, Spark, Flack, and Smash. There is even a tiny Bio next to each character. Kids really love this type of stuff. My, just turned 10 year old, son sure does. Each character even has a unique face on it. My son picked out Tracker as his favorite. The other side of the one piece of paper, offers the easy to read instructions. I love that this can be a one person game. My son is homeschooled, and that is an important feature for us. There are directions for multiplayer play, as well as two person play. The whole goal of the game, is to get to 9 points first. That may sound easy, but it really isn’t, lol. Omg, did we laugh. I can get the bots to bounce backwards, completely sideways, and sometimes, over the target, lol. But, we have the darndest time, getting the bot to land on top of the target. There are five different scored areas on the top of the target. When you play by yourself, you can time your games, ad try and beat your time. This game is great for eye – hand coordination, problem solving, since he you have to figure out the best way to bounce, depending on your playing surface. Carpet, well, that is a priceless surface to play on. Lots of laughter there. Fortunately, the targets can be turned over, to form a bowl target. The underside also has the same targets on it, with designated points on the spots. It is easier to get the bot into the bowl, versus, on top of the target. My son was so relieved, once he found out that he could turn the target over.

Here is some fun information about Joe Roosterfin:

“Joe, the owner of RoosterFin brings a unique skill to board games with his ability to create authentic game engines. His gift is in understanding how math applies to games. Joe’s background, coupled with his years teaching kids, enables him to create award-winning games that are continuously simple to learn and fun to play. Since Joe has left his life in the classroom behind, he has devoted his full attention to making great games.”

Fun picture of Joe as a kid: 

Click Here to join their mailing this.

To purchase this fun game, visit here: http://amzn.to/2pU8a24

You can follow RoosterFin on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Overall, we are really happy with this game. It is fun, for all ages to play together, and well put together. We like everything from the bright colors, to the simple to read, instructions. This company offers a wonderful variety of games. Their website is definitely worth checking out.

I received this game as a sample. All opinions are honest and my own.

You can also follow me here on Instagram Pinterest YouTube Facebook

After raising three boys, I have gone through my share of toys. One thing that was common to all of them, was their enjoyment for building things. Be it building things from sticks outside to Lincoln Logs, Legos, and more, we have used them. My youngest is the only one that has been able to experience the world of Magnet type block building. He has the original brand that came out a few years ago, and now there are other companies making them as well. This particular set of 40 pieces is from 4DBlocks.

The set consists of different shapes, and bright, fun colored pieces. It encourages creativity, which helps strengthen the mind. All kids have a fascination with magnets as well, so it really is a well-rounded toy. They get to learn about magnets, in regards to both positive and negative polarities, and how they work together. They get to build and create, and have fun while doing it. The majority of the shapes included are triangular, and square. There are hexagons too, as well as a set of wheel bases and solid plates. So, not only can you build buildings, and creations, but you can also build vehicles with this set as well. Although, it’s hard to push a magnet car, lol. No matter what brand you use. It is easy for the car to fall apart, so you need to pull out your top engineering skills for this, lol. They also include an instruction booklet that gives some great building ideas. My son really never looked at it though. He likes to create on his own. Overall, this is a well-made, engaging building set. If your child enjoys building things, they will enjoy his set.

I received this set, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – 4DBlocks – Play it , Love it! – Magnetic Building Block Set.

If you would like to purchase this set, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXYXKMU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotADiscount #KarmasReviews

I am so excited to be a part of the Tryazon SmartGames Party. I am 100% a family oriented person. My kids are my world, and will always be, no matter what the age. We have been playing games together, and with friends, for as long as I can remember. Everything has become so electronic oriented, though, and it is harder to stay connected because of that. That’s why I really love, we really love, board games, hands on games. These three games from Smart Games are not only fun, but they are also exercise for the brain. That is suggested for all ages now, too. No matter how old we get, we need to exercise our games, and the best way to do that is with games. The games that were sent to us to try out and experience are:

• 2 sets of IQ XOXO

• 2 sets of Busy Bugs

• 2 sets of Ghost Hunters

These games are slated for 1 player each, so it’s great to have more than one, so you can compete and challenge each other, if so desired. Games like this are great for large and small families. A child can keep themselves occupied by themselves this way too. Which is great for my youngest! We had a lot of laughs, and silliness throughout the party. It was a lot of fun. My favorite comment of them all, at the end is: “Wow, that was a lot more fun than I thought it would be.”

IQ XOXO is a game that entails challenges. You are given a booklet of challenges that you need to complete. There are 120 challenges too. Each board consists of 10 puzzle pieces that fit into a built-in grid on the game board. The pieces are solid plastic and highly durable, and everything is self-contained in a small plastic container, for storage. This is a 1 player games slated for children ages 6 through adulthood. My son really like this game. This one is pretty neat. The pieces are nice vibrant colors. You have to fit them into the matching sequence as shown in the puzzles. It’s actually very fun, and enjoyable to do. My son loved the pieces. Probably because they reminded him a lit bit of Legos, lol.

BUSY BUGS is a 1 player game for ages 7 through adulthood. It is also self-contained game, in a book like form, which snaps shut. There are 4 magnetic game pieces that you move around the magnetic board to solve/match up to the many, many challenges set up in this book. There are 48 to be exact. They can be redone, and redone, too. By the time you work your way through, the first one will again be a challenge. The further up you move in the numbers, the more challenging it becomes, too. This is a great one for traveling, and for sitting on the couch, because it can be done on your lap. It really doesn’t get more convenient than this one. There is even answer pages in the back of each puzzle section. Don’t look until you’re done, or you’ll just be cheating yourself.

GHOST HUNTERS is also a 1 player game for ages for ages 6 through adulthood. I love the name of this game, and was drawn to it immediately. This one was my first choice. There are 60 challenges to this game. The challenges, or puzzles, are printed in a foldout pamphlet. I am going to cut the pages apart and laminate them, eventually, so they last longer. You need the puzzles to last, since they are integral to the game. The bottom half of the board opens up to reveal the other game boards, that rest on the top half of the unit. After you place your chosen game board on the platform, you have 6 hard plastic games pieces that cover the board. You will need to find the coordinating puzzle challenge that matches your chosen game board. You need to move them around to reveal the ghosts as shown in your current challenge. I love everything that is Halloween, so I love the game boards, lol.

These games are great to boost and strengthen your cognitive skills and abilities. It’s great for kids, because they don’t even know that they are doing this. It’s just fun for them. The colors, and designs are fun, and engaging. From what I have seen, this applies to all ages. Most brain games for adults are boring to look at, and it’s easy to lose interest. I have been enjoying this set as much as my son. His favorite is different from mine, and it’s fun to see who can do the challenges faster. Overall, these games are well thought out and put together. They most definitely can be used from child through adulthood. They can be used solely, or as entertainment in a group environment. You can create a game/event, where you have to complete a challenge to move on to the next event. That would be fun at birthday parties, rainy days, and more. These have really been an enjoyable set of games. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I am truly glad I was able to share them with you.

Check out their games here: http://www.smartgamesusa.com/

#tryazon #SmartGamesUSA #GotItFree

I have seen advertisements for maze boxes over the years, in magazines. I have always been very intrigued by them, but have never pulled the trigger on ordering one. I give gift cards every year as gifts, and they really aren’t any fun to buy. This baby brings the enjoyment up a notch for the buyer, lol. Maybe not so much for the receiver, haha. This maze box from Gifts and Gadgets Online is pretty cool. I love that it’s see through, and made out of pretty durable plastic. This should be reusable as long as no one pries open the door. It measures out at 5 ½” long x 3 3/8^th” wide x just over ½” thick. It works like any other ball maze. You need to move the metal ball through the maze, until it lands over the slide. When the ball is there, you push the slide firmly over, and it pops the door open. The first time I tried it, I gently slid the slide over, and nothing happened. I then pushed the slide firmly over, and the ball moved and the door popped open. It was a Eureka moment, if I may say so myself! This maze comes with a snowman card in the slot. It’s pretty cute. This will fit any regular sized gift card perfectly. It will also fit cold hard cash as well. I am so excited about using this, this holiday season. For once, a gift card will be a lot of fun to give!

I received this at a discount. I was under no obligation to leave my honest and unbiased review. – Gifts and Gadgets Onlines’ Gift Card Maze by TechTools.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4GJ7NP/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotADiscount #NeonLightsReviews

#GotADiscount #NeonLightsReviews

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I really love everything about it. Trick or treating, of course, is one of my son’s favorite parts. We always look at all of the fun trick or treat bag options. I only got to use a pillowcase when I was little, so I have a lot of fun looking at the bags. This set from TGS Gems is so cute. You get two bags in this set. They are made out of a nice, thick canvas material, so they should last more than one season, depending on how tough your kids are on them, lol. One is the traditional bag style with handles. The handles are made out of a black canvas material, and are long enough so you can carry the bag on your shoulder. The other bag is a drawstring style bag. This can be used to store your trick or treat candy to pass out, or keep away from your kids while you are waiting for the day, lol. You can trick or treat with it, but it’s like carrying a pillowcase all over again, since there are no handles. There is, however, a drawstring, so if you dropped the bag, your candy will not fall out. And that is definitely an upgrade from a pillowcase. You can also use the drawstring bag year from year to dole out a Halloween gift. Some families give their kids little presents for Halloween. Grandma has always done that in our household. The bag with handles has the option to write your child’s name on the bag. At the very bottom of the bag it states: “Bag of Treats Belongs to”, and then there is blank space to write your name in. You can use a Sharpie marker, fabric paint, or fabric markers. This is a great for households with multiple kids. The bags are virtually the same size, and that is a generous size at that. The drawstring bag is 19” long and 14” wide, and the bag with handles is 19 ½” long and 14” wide. You can fit a lot of candy in these bags. Hopefully your kids won’t sneak toilet paper out in these bags, lol. No tricks, just treats with these bags.

My bags arrived in perfect condition. I had no strange odors or imperfections on mine at all. They were perfect and ready to go. My son was thrilled.

I received these for free, in exchange for an unbiased and hones review. – TGS Gems’ Halloween Candy Bags Durable Canvas Halloween Gift Bags or Halloween Treat Bags for Kids 2 PCs 1 Drawstring Trick-or-Treat Bag (19.2 x 14.4inch) & 1 Halloween Tote Bag (18.89 x 14.15inch)

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LYZRTOA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

#GotItFree #BloggersUnited

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love everything about it, espically the decorations. Nothing is more iconic than the Jackolantern either. These lights are really cute. Even though they are not LED, they have them made to keep working, even when a light  goes out. I was able to test this out immediately too. One of my pumpkins would not light up upon arrival. Poor thing stayed dark while all of the other pumpkins slowly blinked along. They include 2 spare bulbs with this set. This is a blinking set. There is no other setting option available. On this set of lights from Liberty Imports, you get 10 pumpkins. The individual lights slide into the top of each pumpkin too. There is only 24” of leader line from the plug to first pumpkin, so you may need to use an extension cord, if you are hanging them up. I needed to use one. The entire set is approx.. 11ft long. Every pumpkin is about 12” apart, and each pumpkin is a pretty good size, at 2 ½” in diameter. They plug into a regular outlet, and can use any extension cord, since they have a 2 prong plug. When I first tested them out, I literally just laid them on the floor near me, and let them run all night. The pumpkins are so large, that they never even get warm to the touch when on. This is great, because little ones are drawn to lights, and will definitely try to touch them. When my youngest was little he was drawn to Jackolanterns because of their faces. He loved everything with faces, lol. Overall this is a fun set of lights. I wish they had an option to stay on fully, but since they blink slowly, they are still comfortable to look at and are enjoyable. Some lights blink so fast, so they can make you dizzy, and hurt your eyes. Fortunately, this set is not like that. The green wiring gives the resemblance of pumpkin vines, so the lights look extra cute to me. With all of the LED lights hitting the market, these almost look old fashioned, lol. I actually shocked myself with that reaction. I love, love, love the look. These are sooooo much cuter than the thin LED pumpkin lights I’ve seen. The wonderful character of a Jackolantern, gets lost that way. These are truly iconic.

I received these at a discount. I was under no obligation to leave my unbiased and honest review. – Liberty Imports’ Halloween Pumpkin Lights Blinking Decorative String Lights – Set of 10 Lights.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M2131X5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My son was so excited to get these slippers. He picked out the Polar Bear ones, from the different designs offered. We measured our feet, and know our shoes sizes, and we ordered accordingly. Unfortunately, these slippers run very small, so I have an upset young man on my side. He wears a size 5, and I wear a 7 ½ women’s. His feet are slightly smaller than mine, and our toes are pressed at the end of them. That, by the way, isn’t comfortable at all. So, be careful ordering these size wise. Quality wise, they were what I was expecting. We’ve all seen fuzzy slippers at the stores around the holidays, because they make fun gifts. These are quite fuzzy, and you will get some fuzz coming off the slippers at first. The fake claws are done in a padded shiny white material. There are 4 claws on each slipper. Overall, really cute. Mine arrived with no odor to them at all. Overall, very clean. They are highly padded as well. The bottoms were covered with silicone dots, creating the non-slip grip. Which is imperative on non-carpeted flooring. There is a tag in the slippers, by the heel area. You may want to cut that out so it doesn’t rub your heel. I’ve noticed no holes on mine, and the only imperfections noted were the fuzz coming off, and that this style runs small. The fuzz does stop coming off, though, so no worries. I’ve experienced this with other fuzzy items, like jackets and stuffed animals, so I wasn’t surprised. Overall these are well made, provide a lot of padding, and are comfortable to walk in. Down side, this style (polar bear) runs small.

I received these for free.  No review was required, but I decided to leave an unbiased and honest review. – Norty – Grizzly Bear Animal Claw and Paw Slippers

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M03PIGL/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have wanted one of these since I was much younger, lol. I remember when they were the biggest phase, and even businessmen had them on their desks. But, sadly enough, I never had one, lol. This one is a little different than the original. But, it still has the cool factor to it. The pins are not metal, but made out of plastic, so children are less apt to hurt themselves, or you, with it. It currently is only available in the blue coloring as well. It is still a great size for a desk. Its measurements are only: 5″ x 3.75″ x 2.25″. So, it doesn’t take up a lot of room. This is great for inspiration, to spark your creativity, or even to help you relax. You can just play around and make your own creations, or you can push an object into it to emulate its shape. My son is big at fidgeting. This is a huge win for a fidgety person. They can just sit and push away, even without a purpose. I have known children with sensory disorders, and one thing that would help them handle a bunch of external stimulation was to hold, and do something with their hands. Be it a rubbing stone, or something they can fidget with. This could be great for some of those children and adults. It’s a pretty silent way for them to keep too much stimulation in check. Of course, as a parent, I love that no batteries, or electricity are required. Your children can actually be amused without power. Imagine that. My son absolutely loves this thing. He plays with it non-stop, while at his computer. He has a lot of fun creating with it. Overall, it’s a fun way to be creative. It’s made well, and runs with no store bought power. I’m glad I finally got my hands on one. It brought back a lot of memories.

I received this, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Perfect Life Ideas’ Pin Art – Make Incredible 3-D Pin Impression Sculptures and Fascinating Shapes of Objects by Impressons of Push Pins.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2M0POU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My youngest has a freaky allergy to bugs. Not sure which ones. He severely reacts at times, and at other times, really welts up and feels very sick. He is not an outdoor type of kid because of this. So, I was happy to see this ball. It’s bright, and fun looking. It can be thrown in the house, and he can run around and be all “kid” with it. I don’t have to worry too much, about him breaking anything. This is a super plush, 8”, volleyball. The bright blue and yellow are reminiscent to me of volleyballs. It is also so vibrant and easy to see where it landed. It is so super plush, you could actually lay on it, like a pillow. This over stuffed ball, is even close to the size of a real volleyball. Depending on the size of your indoor basketball hoop, if you have one, you may be able to use this ball with it. It should swish right through. Since it is easy to grasp, because it is stuffed, it is even good for little ones, when experiencing their first ball play. All of the stitching was well done on this ball. Mine arrived in perfect condition. It has no holes, stains, tears, or odors on it and to it. It’s really well made. I love how all ages can play with this together, in home. Just because you are inside, doesn’t mean you can’t play around and have some fun together as a family. My son can even throw this around to himself to burn off that energy that all our young ones have. He always has to be busy, and this ball fits the bill. He can just hold onto it, and fling it around. He can roll it around with his feet, under his desk, when he’s at his computer, and so much more. It’s the perfect toy for indoors.

I received this, at a discount, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Really Stuffed Volleyball Pillow 8″ Round Plush Gift.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E1Q2YZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1