My boys have grown up watching various video series for kids, series that teach Christian values and character traits and I am sure if Auto-B-Good had been around when they were young, my 2 car guys would have loved them. In fact, my 15yo is the audio-visual tech in our children’s church and when I pulled out the Auto-B-Good DVD to review he said, “We have some of those in Kid’s Church, the kids love them.”

Auto-B-Good is the Emmy™ Award winning animated series that teaches great lessons in character development to children ages 4-10. The 10 characters are all cars with distinct personalities and they make up the town of Auto. The lessons are well played out throughout each episode and after viewing them with your child there are plenty of ways you can apply what has been learned in each lesson. I can easily see how you could use 1 episode each week as the basis of your homeschool character/Bible curriculum.

I reviewed “Blazing the Trail-Season Two-Volume 6″. The episodes on this DVD are “Breaking New Ground” which is about caring and empathy, “Level 39″ which is about willpower, “Western Hero” about hero worship, and “Road Rage” which focuses on self-discipline.

The people at Rising Star Studios want to give 1 lucky reader of TheMomMaven their own copy of  “Blazing the Trail.”

Mandatory 1st Entry: Visit AutoBGood.com and click on “about the show” and then on “character traits” and read about the different character traits featured in episodes of Auto-B-Good. Then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which character trait you’d like to focus on with your child.

Bonus Entries: To be completed after the Mandatory 1st Entry

• Follow AutoBGood on Twitter
• Like Auto-B-Good on Facebook and leave a comment about this giveaway (with a link back here) on the Auto-B-Good Facebook wall.
• Tweet about this giveaway and include @MomMaven @AutoBGood and a link to this giveaway in your tweet
• Blog Subscribers get 1 entry
• GFC Friends get 1 entry
• Networked Blog Followers get 1 entry
• Facebook Likers get 1 entry

This giveaway is open to everyone! The winner will be chosen at 10pm on August 6, 2010.

Disclaimer: I received 1 copy of this DVD for the purposes of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now, the cherished entertainment spectacular is being extended by popular demand, Walt Disney World announced today.

“The return of Disney’s ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’ to the Magic Kingdom has been an overwhelming success,” said Magic Kingdom Vice President Phil Holmes.  “Guests begin cheering as soon as they hear the opening fanfare and see those fantastic floats covered in lights.  The parade is a magical part of a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort, so we’re thrilled to be announcing we’re leaving the lights on.”

Fronted by a new lead float starring Tinker Bell, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” officially bowed at Magic Kingdom June 6, 2010.

Beloved by generations, the parade anchors Disney’s multi-park “Summer Nightastic!” entertainment extravaganza of attractions and events.  Once “Summer Nightastic!” draws to a close on Aug. 14 as previously announced, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue an open-ended run.

The iconic pageant of illuminated floats dates to 1972 when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and became an instant hit.

Prior to its current run in Florida, the parade last performed at Walt Disney World Resort from 1999 into 2001.  This summer, Magic Kingdom guests have been treated to all-new elements that continue in the encore phase of the run:

• Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
• Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
• There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.

Beloved floats like the Honor America finale display – featuring the American flag and giant American eagle – are among parade favorites, along with popular characters such as Alice, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Especially Good News for Florida Residents

The extension will enable Florida Resident Seasonal and Weekday Select Passholders to experience the parade on their passes. And with the ability to sign on for a new monthly payment program, Florida Resident Passholders can enjoy the parade and so much more Disney theme park magic for as little as $16 a month, after an initial down payment. The payment program is available only online and complete information is available at www.disneyworld.com/payments.

Animals in need and endangered species and around the world will benefit from more than $1 million in grants awarded by the non-profit SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund. Since its creation seven years ago, the Fund has granted more than $7 million to protect wildlife and wild places.

The Fund’s board of directors approved the 2010 grants to 95 wildlife protection projects including rescue and rehabilitation efforts of endangered manatees and sea turtles, protection of critical habitats such as the Florida Keys, studies of declining shark populations and education programs that inspire people to care for at-risk wildlife.

“The challenges and pressures facing wildlife and entire ecosystems are greater than ever,” said Brad Andrews, president and executive director of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund and chief zoological officer for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “We identify projects with the greatest potential to positively impact conservation so that every dollar we grant works as hard as possible to protect the animals.”

Just a few of the many projects and organizations supported in 2010 include:

Preserving the Florida KeysThe Florida Keys are known for sunshine and good times, but the area is also a vital ecological region suffering from environmental degradation. The Florida Keys Wildlife Rescue facility rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife and educates the public on the importance of keeping the environment safe and clean for present and future generations.

San Diego Turtle and Tortoise SocietyThe San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society is the only non-profit organization in San Diego that rescues turtles and tortoises of any species. They also provide medical care, foster care and permanent home placements. The Fund’s support will help with medical care requirements of the California Desert Tortoise and education of the public concerning the proper care of the tortoise as well as how to help protect species native to California.

Safe Guarding Sea Turtle Nesting SitesCameroon Sea Turtle Society is protecting newly identified green and leatherback turtle nesting sites along the Wole beach in the Republic of Cameroon. This is an important nesting ground for sea turtles threatened by ship building, toxic waste and egg poachers. The Society’s efforts include nesting site clean-ups, creating safe zones that would limit access and educating egg poachers in other income–generating trades.

Bald Eagle Rescue and RehabilitationFlorida supports one of the largest breeding populations of bald eagles in the continental United States. The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey is the leading raptor rehabilitation facility in the region and works to protect bald eagles and their habitat through its rehabilitation program, nest monitoring program, and educational programs that reach more than 35,000 people annually.

Sand Tiger Shark Conservation Due to their unfortunate reputation as a “man-eater”, sharks are often not thought of when the public considers wildlife conservation. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is currently doing a study on the decline of the sand tiger shark population along the east coast of the United States. This information will be integrated into the development of the Coastal Sharks Interstate Fishery Management Plan by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to further the conservation of this threatened species.

Conserving the West African ManateeIn Africa, the lack of basic knowledge about West African manatees has been a great hindrance to the long-term conservation of the species. The Wildlife Trust is working to create a unified network of African researchers in countries of the animal’s range to collect collaborative research on the endangered species.

Save the ElephantsThe Mobile Education and Monitoring Unit is a new project that will double the outreach and education capabilities of the Save the Elephants Education Program in Samburu, northern Kenya. The work being done there includes long-term elephant monitoring and conducting mammal census in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs Reserves.

For more information on the Fund, please visit www.swbg-conservationfund.org.

I love ice cream any time of the year, but in the summer, ice cream seems to taste better. We all know we shouldn’t eat too much ice cream, cause the good stuff is loaded with fat and calories. Breyers just launched their Smooth and Dreamy line of delicious, lower calorie and fat ice cream treats and I am in heaven!!
The Triple Chocolate Chip bars are my favorite…though I’ve enjoyed all of them that I have tried. The Triple Chocolate Chip bars are chocolate light ice cream with a chocolate fudge swirl and dark chocolate chips…all dipped in a milk chocolate coating. YUM!! This is a perfect snack for a chocoholic like me, it only has 130 calories and at my grocery store they cost $1.00 less than the other 2 major brands of low calories ice cream treats.

My son’s favorite is the Chocolate Caramel Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich. This yummy treat has chocolate light ice cream with a gooey caramel swirl and fudge brownie pieces between two scrumptious brownie cookies and only 160 calories.

You can check out all of the varieties at SmoothAndDreamy.com while you are there you can enter the Wheel of Delights Sweepstakes and try to win lots of great prizes!

I know you want to win some ice cream too and I have 4 coupons for a FREE box of Breyers Smooth and Dreamy Ice Cream Treats to give away to 4 different winners!

Mandatory 1st Entry: Visit SmoothAndDreamy.com and check out all of the varieties available and then come back here and tell me which one you want to try if you win one of the coupons.

Bonus Entries to be completed after the Mandatory 1st Entry…please leave a separate comment for each

• Follow Breyers on Twitter
• Like Breyers on Facebook and leave them a comment on their wall with a link to this giveaway
• Tweet about this giveaway and include @MomMaven @Breyers and a link to this giveaway in your tweet (you may do this 2x a day) leave your tweet URL in the comment
• Blog Subscribers get 1 entry
• GFC friends get 1 entry
• Networked Blogs followers get 1 entry
• Facebook “likers” get 1 entry

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen at 10pm ET on 8/3/10.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers and received products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

For years now I have been seeing some of my Twitter friends posting these awesome deals they get at CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Kroger and lots of other stores and I have been a bit jealous of all the money they saved. So, a few weeks ago I organized a “Super Couponing 101″ class at my church and I had my college buddy Pamella Perkins come teach us how to save big.

The class was a huge success, we filled the class room with men and women who wanted to learn how to be better stewards of their money. I learned so much I couldn’t wait to get started. Now we are a few weeks down the road and I wanted to let you know how easy this is to do and how much I save on my shopping trips.

If you want to learn how to start couponing I recommend checking out CouponDivas.com and Hip2Save.com. Both of those sites have great tutorial videos to help you get started. If you are looking for a great community with a treasure trove of coupons check out ConsumerQueen.com.

Here is this week’s CVS shopping trip.

Item                                         Reg Price Sale Price         Coupon            ECBs   earned

Ziploc Sandwich Bags        $3.59               $2.50               $1.25

Ziploc Freezer Bags            $3.29               $2.50

Irish Spring Body Wash     $4.99               $3.00               $0.50

Irish Spring Body Wash      $4.99               $3.00               $0.50

Soft Scrub Body Wash         $4.99               $3.00               $1.00

Soft Scrub Body Wash         $4.99               $3.00               $1.00

Soft Scrub Body Wash        $4.99               $3.00               $0.75               $5.00(when you spend $15)

Gatorade                             $1.99               $0.88

Gatorade                             $1.99               $0.88

SoBe Life water                  $1.59               $0.88

Renuzit Crystals                  $6.99               $3.99               $2.00

Kotex U Tampons                 $5.29               $4.99               $1.00               $4.99

Totals                                          $49.68             $31.62             $8.00              $9.99

$5.00 off $25 or more coupon that I printed at the kiosk

$2.98 in ECBs from previous trips

Total $17.31 and $9.99 in ECBs for next trip 65% off the original price plu lots of ECBs for next trip!

Are you a couponer? How did you do at CVS this week? If you are interested in starting and have some questions please leave them in the comments, if I don’t have the answers I’ll find them for you!

Last week was all about baby steps…meeting small goals in my healthy lifestyle and at work. Last week was full of prep and organization for Vacation Bible School which starts 7/26 and for our huge Back to School Bash at church where will are planning for 500 kids to come ride waterslides, climb rock walls, eat cotton candy and 200 of them will go home with backpacks full of school supplies. Phew, I’m tired just writing that.

I got in all my water and made healthy eating choices 90% of the time! I got in 1 day of exercise too! Oh…I finally weighed myself and…I maintained! I am super excited about that. This week is VBS week so water is a given and I’m going to wear my pedometer because I am pretty sure I’ll be getting in 10,000 steps a day with no problem. I’m sure I’ll be sound asleep before the Mamavation TV show, which is really a bummer because I really want to hear what Katie Bowman has to say about her Aligned and Well series. Oh well, I need my sleep so I can keep up with the VBS kids, teach piano lessons and work my regular job on Tuesday.

*update On Monday 7/26 I got in 10,000 steps before 4pm!!

A few weeks ago my family attended the Splash Up at Aquatica. We have never been to Aquatica so we were very excited to check out this waterpark. Aquatica is SeaWorld’s waterpark, and it is located across the street from SeaWorld Orlando. This one-of-a-kind waterpark is home to some of the world’s most thrilling water rides, featuring 36 slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 80,000 square feet of sparkling white, sandy beaches.

We checked in for the event and were guided to the Banana Beach Cookout, where we would be having dinner. Banana Beach Cook-Out is an all-you-care-to-eat restaurant featuring traditional burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken and classic side items.

After eating we were greeted by Aquatica staff and informed about the new After-2 p.m. Pass. For slightly more than the cost of a single day’s admission, guests can enjoy Aquatica after 2 p.m. throughout the rest of 2010. With no blackout dates and unlimited admission to Aquatica after 2 p.m., Orlando’s coolest beach is a hit for all ages time after time. Whether it’s tiny tots splashing around in Kata’s Kookaburra Cove, teens sliding down Tamauta Racer or adults relaxing on the laid-back beaches, guests can enjoy Aquatica all year long. This is a great deal for Orlando area residents.

Loggerhead Lane

Then we were free to explore the park. Wanting to take things easy after eating we headed to Loggerhead Lane, the lazy river ride which takes you past some beautiful fish tanks. Loggerhead Lane was the shortest lazy river ride I’ve ever been on. It was also very crowded with lots of people and lots of empty tubes floating a long. Now we were ready to try something a little more adventurous so we headed to Roa’s Rapids. This adventure river zips guests through 1,500 feet of rapids, past geysers and through waterfalls at a speed three to four times faster than a typical waterpark river. Roa’s Rapids quickly became a family favorite, I can’t even tell you how many times we rode it. There are no tubes allowed on this quick moving river, though life jackets are available, you just pick your feet up and float along. I’ve never been on a ride like this and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Omaka Rocka-photo courtesy of Aquatica

Next we walked around the park to check out the slides…and burned the bottom of our feet on the HOT walkways. Aquatica does have the occasional spritz of water shooting out onto the walkways but there aren’t enough to keep from burning your feet. What Aquatica does have, that I haven’t seen at any other waterpark, are sneaker keepers at each ride. You know, like at a McDonald’s Play Place, we didn’t know this and our shoes were on the other side of the park when we realized this. Also, I probably wouldn’t have left my Crocs laying around with all the other shoes so here is a hint…when you visit Aquatica wear cheapo flip-flops to keep your feet from burning.

We looked at Omaka Rocka, Walhalla Wave & HooRoo Run but the lines were soooo long we chose not to ride. Instead we headed over to the 2 wave pools Cutback Cove and Big Surf Shores. Wave pools are classic waterpark fun and you have to have some fun bobbing in the waves. Our next stop was Walkabout Waters, even though my boys are 15 and 17 they LOVED playing here. I think it has something to do the being able to dump water on stranger’s heads, hee hee.

Walkabout Waters-photo courtesy of Aquatica

Next Ron and Aaron rode Dolphin Plunge while Jordan to another few laps on Loggerhead Lane. Then we finished our day with a few more trips around Roa’s Rapids. We had a fun time at Aquatica, though the park closing time of 7pm seemed awfully early on a Florida summer day. We will be back, some day…when public school is in session and the lines aren’t so long.

If you are planning a trip to the Orlando Area, check out Aquatica, a single-day ticket  for ages 10 and up is $47.95 (plus tax).

Disclaimer: My family and I enjoyed 3 hours at the waterpark as guests of Aquatica. We received dinner and a few small gifts while attending the event. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are not big souvenir buyers. Most of my Walt Disney World Resort souvenirs are shirts or trading pins. On a recent trip to Downtown Disney I spotted a new souvenir that was right up my alley…a Tinkerbell Tervis Tumbler, for only $19.99.

In case you don’t know about Tervis Tumbler… We discovered Tervis Tumblers when we moved to Venice, Florida 30 years ago, though they began in 1946. Tervis Tumblers were the world’s first insulated tumblers. Using the insulating properties of air, the two engineers created a permanently sealed, double-walled tumbler that kept cold drinks colder & hot drinks hotter longer than traditional drinkware. Tervis Tumbler’s corporate offices & manufacturing facility are located in North Venice, FL.  Even the main entrance to the building is shaped like a tumbler!

Since moving to Florida, Tervis Tumblers are all we use…because they work! The also don’t condensate and leave nasty rings on your tables. Also, Tervis Tumblers are guaranteed for life! Should your Tervis Tumbler become defective, simply send it to Tervis for free replacement, even if it has been over 40 years since you purchased it!

Anyway…I was so glad to see 2 of my favorite brands (Disney and Tervis) together! I didn’t buy the cup that day-I figured I’d get it at the factory store on my next visit. Fast Forward a few weeks and I see that Tervis is running a Facebook promotion…if they get to 11,000 Facebook fans by July 11th ALL of the fans get a 25% off coupon! They reached their goal so I printed out my coupon and took it to the factory store in Osprey, FL, along with a few that became defective and shopped. Unfortunately, the Tinkerbell design pictured above is only available at Walt Disney World, so I will have to pick it up next time I am over there. I did get 5 new tumblers though! I got Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Disney Fairies and 2 Disney/Tampa Bay Rays (one of which I gave to my dad).
You can find Tervis on Facebook, Twitter and on their website.

Disclaimer: This post is 100% my opinion. I received nothing in exchange for this post. I received the same coupon every other Tervis Tumbler Facebook Fan received. I just wanted to share my love for Tervis with my readers.

My sons and I all suffer from nasal allergies. Jordan, my 15 yo has been on a prescription nasal spray for the past year. I don’t like long-term prescription allergy treatments because they are often easy to get addicted too. While I was searching for alternatives I was contacted about reviewing an over-the-counter, all-natural, non-addictive option Xlear Nasal Spray with Xylitol. They have a child’s version and an adult version and my son tried the adult version.

From the website:

Xlear (pronounced ‘clear’) is a patented, non-addictive nasal spray designed to aid in the relief of irritation caused by pollutants, allergens and germs in the nasal passages.

It is the ONLY nasal spray that has combined an effective amount of XYLITOL and the health-promoting practice of a saline to help wash, hydrate, and moisturize the nasal passages. Ingredients: purified water, xylitol, saline, grapefruit seed extract (preservative).

Jordan used the Xlear for a month and he says it works just as well as his prescription medicine did, and he wants me to buy more. I am happy to note that I can buy Xlear right up the street at Good Earth Natural Food for only $6.99! If you, or someone in your family suffer from nasal allergies I recommend you check out Xlear.

Disclaimer: We received 1 bottle of Xlear Nasal Spray with Xylitol for the purpose of this review. They opinions are 100% mine and Jordan’s.

I may live in Florida…but I never go to the beach. Actually…the last beach I went to was last October…in Cozumel. I have this aversion to sand and sand and beach go hand-in-hand. I’m a pool girl…but I digress. In the new Wii game Vacation Isle: Beach Party all the fun of the beach comes to you…without the sand or the salt water!

This game, which is good for 1-4 players and uses your Wii remote, nunchuck and balance board…to get your whole body moving, takes place on an island full of sun vacation activities. You can choose from Slalom Skiing, Wake Boarding, Surfing, Stand Up Paddling, Ski Jump, Stunt Park and Hula and Fire Dancing. Each game is filled with obstacles, fun challenges and awesome awards. The game’s adjustable difficulty settings help balance the fun for players of all skill levels.  Even the tiniest beachgoers can join in the fun with the game’s easy pick up and play features. The kids love the customizable avatars while I like the fact that this game is a fun way to get the family moving.

Stand-up Paddling

The only problem we had with this game is we couldn’t get the second-fourth controllers to work. Every time we play we all have to share one controller, which gets very annoying. The game is made to work with 4 controllers so hopefully you will have better su8ccess with that then we did. Overall, Vacation Isle: Beach Party is a fun, family game that gets you moving…and yearning for your next tropical vacation.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this game for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.