Thursday, February 23, 2012

Birdcage Press Review and Giveaway

Update Feb. 27: The giveway is now closed. Congratulations to Becky J. - who selected the 52 Amazing Places: National Parks playing cards as her prize! Remember, Birdcage Press is still offering FREE shipping through the end of March when you enter the code IN12 at checkout.

I’m a sucker for games. Since my children were small, we’ve incorporated educational games into our learning time. We all learn something, and we have fun. A win-win for all.

Then I Heard About Birdcage Press

When I first heard about Award Winning Birdcage Press and took a look at all the wonderful art games that they offer, I almost drooled. I couldn’t wait to wrap my fingers around one of their games!

I was excited to select a deck of playing cards to review, and thrilled when my package arrived. Not only did I receive the product I had selected, the Birdcage Press actually sent me a bonus product to review as well!

Why I Chose to Review a Deck of Cards

52 Amazing Places National Parks Playing Cards by Birdcage Press

52 Amazing Places: National Parks Playing Cards, retail price $9.95

I chose 52 Amazing Places: National Parks Playing Cards to review.

You may wonder why I would chose a deck of cards? Let me tell you.

  • A card deck is perfect to tuck into your duffle bag when traveling (think LONG layovers at the airport).
  • A deck of cards is a great way to break the monotony of a boring hotel room.
  • A deck of cards are a lifesaver when you’re on a camping trip, get caught in the rain, and have to stay INSIDE the tent.
  • And, as my teenagers found out on our trip to Alaska, a deck of cards make you very popular on a cruise.

As practical as a deck of cards can be for a traveler, this deck of cards from Birdcage Press is not your basic set of cards; these are playing cards with an educational twist.

As soon as the kids and I sat down to play a game of Rummy, we noticed a few differences between the national parks playing cards by Birdcage Press compared to a regular deck of cards.

The first difference is obvious. Just take a look at the beautiful, full color photos that adorn each card.

National Parks Playing Cards by Birdcage Press

These cards showcase some of America’s most beautiful natural treasures.

In addition to the scenic photograph, each card offers pertinent information; where that national park is located and a tidbit of two about the park.

Take Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California, a park that I’ve dreamed of visiting for years! Did you know that Monterey Bay actually has an immense underwater canyon that is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon? You may know that the Gateway Arch commemorates St. Louis’ role in the country’s expansion into the Wild West during the 1800’s, but did you know that it can sway up to 18” in a strong hurricane? I love learning little tidbits of information.

Now that you know the cards are beautiful and educational, there are a couple other differences that set them apart. The cards from Birdcage Press are also heavier than our normal deck of cards and they are also a tad bit larger, as you can see from the picture below.

52 Amazing Places National Parks Playing Cards from Birdcage Press

The only downside I can see in purchasing this deck of cards is that after playing a few hands and seeing the beautiful, picturesque settings, you may decide that you just have to add a national park or two to the places you want to visit. And if you’re anything like me, that list keeps getting longer and longer. Consider yourself warned.

One More Item to Mention

Remember I told you that I received a second item to review? That item was the Go Fish for Van Gogh & Friends Card Game and Book Set.

Go Fish for Van Gogh and Friends

Go Fish for Van Gogh & Friends card game + book, retail price $12.95

This set is equally as beautiful as the playing cards and allow you to learn about some of the Post-Impressionist painters that Van Gogh associated with; Seurat, Gauguin, Cezanne, Rousseau and Toulouse-Lautrec .

The accompanying full color booklet gives brief information about each artist to enhance the learning experience. Did you know that Cezanne created scenes using three-dimensional elements like cubes, spheres, cones and cylinders? Or that Rousseau, famous for his jungle paintings, lived his entire life in Paris and was inspired by the jungle books he read as well as trips to the zoo and botanical garden?

The booklet also includes instructions on how to play Go Fish for Art, Masterpiece Memory and Art Pairs, making this game perfect for all ages.

Go Fish for Van Gogh and Friends card game and book

Something Special for My Readers

Birdcage Press offers dozens of games, including digital products. When you visit their website, you are bound to find something that you love. Now through March 31st, 2012, you can receive FREE SHIPPING on your order from Birdcage Press! Just enter the code IN12 when you checkout.

Time for a Giveaway

Not only did Birdcage Press graciously allow me the opportunity to review a sampling of their products, they have extended their generosity to my readers so pay attention.

One reader will be randomly selected to win their choice of either 52 Amazing Places: National Parks Playing Cards OR Go Fish for Van Gogh & Friends Card Game + Book Set.

Entries are easy and you have several options to chose from- just make sure you leave a comment telling me which one you did. And since I know it’s a pain to leave multiple comments, one comment is fine. I’ll go through each entry and tally up your points.

  1. Mandatory- visit the Birdcage Press website and tell me what product you would love to have.
  2. Visit the Birdcage Press Facebook Page and say something nice.
  3. Follow Birdcage Press on Twitter.
  4. Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to mention @BirdcagePress and @Travelermom. Leave your Twitter handle in a comment so I can RT your tweet. :)
  5. Sign up on the Birdcage Press mailing list to hear about future specials, promotions and new product releases.
  6. Just for fun, tell me why you love a great deck of cards.

This giveaway will end Sunday, February 26th at midnight. I will notify the winner on Monday and you will have 24 hours to respond with your mailing address so make sure to include an email address so I can contact you.This giveaway is open to anyone in the US. Birdcage Press will fulfill the giveaway by shipping the winners choice of item directly to the winner.

Enter More Giveaways

Not only am I hosting a giveaway of the products that I reviewed, but each of the following bloggers have also received products to review and giveaway. You can see what products they reviewed listed beside the links to their blogs.

Spell Outloud -- Choice of Egyptian Art Cards or Battle Cards-Military Jets Finding Joy -- Choice of Wild Cards – North American Birds or Art Ditto Game Jimmie's Collage --Choice of Impressionist or Renaissance Art Game Mama's Learning Corner -- Renaissance Art Game Handbook of Nature Study -- Wild Cards-Backyard Birds Harmony Art Mom -- Choice of Go Fish for Art or Art Close-Up Cards The Curriculum Choice -- Art Ditto Memory Game Hodgepodge -- Go Fish for Wildlife – Sea Creatures Get Along Home -- Choice of Wild Cards, Backyard Birds or Renaissance Art Game

*I received 52 Amazing Places: National Parks and Go Fish for Van Gogh & Friends card + book set at no cost. In exchange, I used the products with my family in order to write a review sharing my honest opinion and thoughts of the product with my readers.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Homeschool Appreciation Week at popular Pigeon Forge Attractions

The Tomb Homeschool Appreciation Week 2

Are you looking for a fun, family getaway? The Tomb, MagiQuest, Fire House Golf and the Clarion Hotel in Pigeon Forge have teamed up to offer homeschool families some awesome savings during Homeschool Appreciation Week.  

During the week of March 18th- 25th, homeschool families are invited to visit one of Pigeon Forge’s newest attractions, “The Tomb”, Fire House Golf and MagiQuest at special discounted prices.

The Tomb, a perfect combination of history, geography, and problem solving skills in an “Indiana Jones” themed setting, is sure to provide a great, interactive, and one of a kind experience.

Great for ALL ages and families, it will leave you with a new expectation of a hands-on activity.

In addition to Homeschool Appreciation Week, we also offer year round educational discounts.

If you plan to take advantage of the discounted admission during Homeschool Appreciation Week, you will need to RSVP and present a valid homeschooling ID and photo ID upon arrival.

Pricing is as follows:

The Tomb & Fire House Golf

Free admission for ONE homeschool teacher and ONE guest to The Tomb & Fire House Golf

Additional guest will pay $5 plus tax per person

Admission to MagiQuest

ONE homeschool teacher ONE free guest

Additional guests will only be $10 plus tax

Remember, reservations are required. RSVP to Andrea (865-548-1702)with name, email, cell, date, and approximate time of arrival.

In addition to the above discounts, the Clarion Hotel in Pigeon Forge is offering a special rate of $68 plus tax which includes a full continental breakfast, cookies & popcorn nightly, with access to the fitness room, indoor pool, and free massage chairs.

This is a great weekend trip for the family and to further enhance the educational, value,  you can request the Social Studies Curriculum alignment prior to your trip, make sure you include the grade(s) you need when you make your request.

So, who’s up for a field trip?

Friday, February 3, 2012

How to Minister to a Sick Friend at The Homeschool Classroom

Ten years ago, I went from living a normal active life to not being able to get out of bed almost overnight. Today I’m sharing How to Minister to a Sick Friend at The Homeschool Classroom, as a result of that experience. I hope you stop by and share any tips that I may have forgotten. 

Monday, January 30, 2012

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Krista, winner of Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly DVD from Crowe’s Nest Media! Woohoo! 

Don’t forget, Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly is currently available to purchase for $19.95, but Crowe’s Nest Media is offering my readers a special discount. If you purchase the DVD before Friday, February 3rd, and use the code TravelingPraters you’ll receive a coupon that will entitle you to $1 off your purchase PLUS a FREE DOWNLOAD of the upcoming, accompanying study guide as soon as it is released! This promotion will save you about $10!

crowes nest media study guide cover

Be sure to follow Crowe’s Nest Media on Facebook and Twitter to learn about future products.

*Just so you know, if you use the coupon code to purchase the DVD, a small percentage of the proceeds will go to The Traveling Praters to fund our gas tank, of which we appreciate greatly! :) 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly DVD Review and Giveaway

I’m really excited to have had the opportunity to review a product that I absolutely love; Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly DVD.

Rarely have I watched a video that points out and refers to the amazing complexities of God’s creation as this production has done effortlessly throughout the entire one hour long DVD.  From the storyline, to the  behind the scenes collections and the testimonies in the bonus features, Crowe’s Nest Media has done a remarkable job sharing the amazing design of the Monarch Butterfly that points to our Creator.

Watching this quality, first rate DVD, produced entirely by the Crowe family, it’s easy to see why Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly was selected as a semi-finalist in the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival in not one, but two categories; Best Documentary Film and Best Creation Film.  Here’s a snippet of the video from YouTube:

Though much of the video can be enjoyed by the entire family, the DVD was produced with younger family members in mind, though my older teens did learn a thing or two about the life cycle and design of the Monarch butterfly (as did I).  I guarantee after watching this movie, you’ll never look at Monarchs the same again!

Check out Everything you will Learn by Watching this Entertaining and Educational DVD:

  • Watch a Monarch caterpillar hatch
  • Watch a butterfly emerge from it’s cocoon
  • Learn how and why to tag Monarch Butterflies
  • Learn why Cape May is a great spot to view the migrating Monarchs (now I want to go there!)
  • Learn how to tell a male from a female Monarch
  • Learn about some of the threats to Monarch butterflies and how we can help protect them
  • Learn why children collected milkweed during WWII and how it was used towards the war effort  
  • Learn about Mr. Jules H. Poirier, a Creation Scientist, who has spent much of his life  observing what science can teach us about God

Your backyard scientists will also:

  • Learn what Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha is and how to test for it
  • Learn how to perform an ultrasound on a Monarch chrysalis
  • Learn how to record and track the Monarch butterflies that flutter through your yard

Coming Soon! A Study Guide to Enhance the DVD

crowes nest media study guide cover Crowe’s Nest Media is currently working on a downloadable study guide to enhance the DVD which is also ideal for homeschooling families.  The guide will be appropriate for all ages. Some of the features of the book include content review, discussion questions,diagrams to label,  essay questions, copy work selections, copy work pages for various ages, notebooking pages, and opportunities for further study.  The study guide is scheduled to be released sometime in April 2012.

A Special Offer for The Traveling Praters’ Readers

Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly is currently available to purchase for $19.95 but Crowe’s Nest Media has offered my readers a special discount.  If you purchase the DVD before Friday, February 3rd, and use the code TravelingPraters you’ll receive a coupon that will entitle you a FREE DOWNLOAD as soon as the study guide is completed which will save you the approximate retail value of $8.95! 

One More Surprise- A Giveaway

Crowe’s Nest Media has also graciously offered to give one reader a copy of Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly. The giveaway will close Sunday night at midnight and I will announce a winner here, on Facebook and on Twitter Monday morning.

How to enter: Simply visit the Crowe’s Nest Media web store , and come back here and leave a comment telling me you did.

Extra entries: You may also increase your chances of winning by doing one or all of the following and leaving me a comment letting me know that you do it. 

  • Subscribe to the Crowe’s Nest blog RSS feed or email updates.
  • “Like” Crowe’s Nest Media Facebook page
  • Follow Crowe’s Nest Media on Twitter @crowesnestmedia

    Details: This giveaway is open to anyone with a US address. The giveaway will end at midnight on January 29, 2012 and a winner will be chosen by random.org. I will contact the winner by email so make sure to include your email address in your comments. You will have 24 hours to respond to my email. If I don’t hear from you, I will select another winner. The DVD will ship directly from Crowe’s Nest Media.

    Read More Reviews and Enter More Giveaways

    Each of the following bloggers have also reviewed this DVD and are giving away one copy. I encourage you to stop by their blogs, read their reviews and enter their giveaways for an added chance to win Your Backyard: The Life & Journey of the Amazing Monarch Butterfly.

  • Spell Outloud

    The Curriculum Choice

    Finding Joy

    Handbook of Nature Study

    Mama's Learning Corner

    Get Along Home

  • Disclaimer:  I received this DVD and the giveaway copy, from Crowe’s Nest Media,  in exchange for an honest review here at The Traveling Praters. I have given my honest opinion and thoughts about this product. If you decide to purchase this product using the coupon code above, I will also receive a small affiliate commission.

  • Monday, January 16, 2012

    A New Blog on the Block

    I have a secret to share...
    While I have enjoyed sharing my family’s fun, family friendly, educational travel adventures and while I’m certainly not ready to stop traveling or writing about our experiences, My Homey Haven is about everything else that interests me. More specifically, my new site is focused around homemaking, household management, thrift store shopping and decorating, with an emphasis on hospitality- topics that may not be of interest to my Traveling Prater's readers.

    So, if this sounds like something you may want to check out, I hope that you’ll stop by and visit. If not, rest assured that The Traveling Prater’s will remain all about our traveling and homeschool adventures- the same thing it’s always been about. I also have some exciting changes taking place, a few product reviews and some fun giveaways that I’ll share with you in the next week or two so stay tuned. I can’t wait to tell you what I’m up to!

    Monday, January 9, 2012

    Tennessee Aquarium Homeschool Day

    The 2012 Winter Homeschool Day at the Tennessee Aquarium will be will be Monday, January 30. The homeschool day offers discounts on admission, the IMAX Theater and gift shops in each facility as well as special programming for homeschool families. 

    Prices:
    Home School Students:
    $6.50 Aquarium
    $5.00 IMAX
    $10.25 Combination Aquarium and IMAX

    Home School Parents:
    $22.50 Aquarium
    $ 7.75 IMAX
    $27.50 Combination Aquarium and IMAX

    A guided behind-the-scenes tour will be offered for $5.oo and must be purchased at the ticket office when you purchase your tickets. Be warned- this sells out quickly. I’ve been at the aquarium twice, once on a homeschool day,  and it was full both times.  If you plan to take part in the special behind-the-scenes tour, plan to arrive early in the day. 

    In addition to the discounted prices, homeschool students and parents will also receive a 10% discount at the Aquarium gift shops. If you are a member of the Tennessee Aquarium and you are a homeschool student or parent, you will receive a 20% discount. These prices and discounts for homeschool families are available only on January 31st, during the Tennessee Aquarium Homeschool Day event. 

    Do you have questions about visiting on the Homeschool Day? You’ll probably find the answer on this FAQ Page. If  you’re unable to find what you’re looking for, you can contact Bray McDonald at brm@tnaqua.org or call (423) 785-4093.

    The Tennessee Aquarium has also put together a wonderful page of educational resources to use prior to your visit and while visiting the aquarium for all ages. Don’t forget to download my free field trip notebooking pages e-book to document your trip.

    You can read about our first visit to the Tennessee Aquarium at Field Trip Friday: Tennessee Aquarium.

    Stop back later in the week when I’ll be sharing other Chattanooga attractions that my family has enjoyed!

    Tennessee Aquarium                                                                                                                           One Broad Street, Chattanooga TN, 37402 
    800-262-0695

    Have you been to the Tennessee Aquarium? What tips would you give a first time visitor?

    Wednesday, January 4, 2012

    Welcome and a Free Offer

    Welcome to The Traveling Praters! If you are stopping by from the Homeschool Channel and this is your first visit, I’d like to offer you a special gift and quickly tell you a bit about me and my site.

    I am a homeschooling mom of three teenagers that has spent extensive time on field trips and traveling with my husband’s job, which once lead us to be a full-time RV family! You can read more about me and my family on my About Page

    I mainly write about the fun, family friendly, educational travel that we experience, travel tips, money saving secrets, and homeschool curriculum reviews.  If you’re interested in some of those posts, My Top Ten of 2011 will give you a good example of what I share at The Traveling Praters.

    I also share information on upcoming Homeschool Days, like the 2012 Winter Homeschool Days at the Creation Museum and other family friendly events.

    I am currently updating my site and have some exciting changes planned. If you’d like to know when this happens, you may choose to stay in touch by:

    Subscribing to my RSS feed.  

    Following me on Twitter.

    Or liking my Facebook page.

    As promised, I have a special gift just for stopping by my site Field Trip Notebooking Pages, a free excerpt from my upcoming family travel e-book, due to be released in February 2012. 

    FT notebooking pages snip

    I hope you enjoy what I’ve put together for you and I hope to see you here again!

    Free Entrance to the National Parks Jan. 14-16

    I love visiting the America’s National Parks! In fact, when we travel, I always check the map to see if we’ll be near any of these amazing places so we’re sure not to miss it.

    Entrance to many of the National Parks are free all the time but several times a year you’ll find free admission at ALL National Parks and one of those days is right around the corner.  January 14 –16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend) will kick off the first of 2012’s free entrance days at the National Parks.

    Other 2012 dates you’ll want to remember:

    • April 21-29
      National Park Week
    • June 9
      Get Outdoors Day
    • September 29
      National Public Lands Day
    • November 10-12
      Veterans Day weekend

    Discounts are also offered from these park partners:

    Start Planning Your Visit to one of the 397 National Parks today!

    What is your favorite National Park to visit?

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