With the boys back in school and in the middle of this year’s football season, we are busy trying to keep ourselves on task and focused while still finding time to enjoy those “life” moments. Our daily schedules keep us on our toes and we are constantly looking for ways to not only unwind but help assist us in our productivity and our daily tasks. It doesn’t matter if your a student, teacher or parent… the day to day can get the best of us so any help… counts! With everything we have available at our finger tips, I knew that there just had to be a way to find something that would not only keep us on task, but also help us relax, focus and unwind some. Thankfully, there is a solution and a little assistance to help us out. Whether it be on an android smart phone or tablet, free apps (actually free) from Amazon Underground are to the rescue.
When you’re looking for something to keep your kiddos busy or to help with learning their alphabets or reading, there are apps that can help. Interested in getting a bit more organized or need something to unwind and relax your brain for the day – hey, Amazon Underground Always Free apps got you covered. You never have to worry about your kids downloading apps and games that will cost you money and you can get access to over 3,000 apps and games that are 100% FREE. Simply download them from Amazon Underground to your Amazon Fire tablet or Android smartphone and you are good to go.
There are so many apps available in the Amazon Underground catalog that there is something there for anyone – my whole family is enjoying the selection. 100% free apps & games are a part of the Amazon Appstore with access to great content that you would normally have to pay for in “other” App and Playstores, but they are at zero cost through Amazon Underground. I am loving that some of my favorite games are available through access to premium apps and my family and I get to take advantage of the fun and convenience while we take a break from our busy day.
As a mother the Amazon Underground apps allow me to take my coloring on the go – letting me take a few minutes to focus on me while coloring – utilizing an easy app I love called Adult Coloring or Zen: Adult Coloring Book. When my family and I like to work our brains and have some fun together, we enjoy playing Brain It On! or some of our favorite games called Cut the Rope, Sonic Dash and Zootopia also make for some family enjoyment. For drawing, sketching and note taking, the app Notepad+ is also a great selection for fun as well as productivity.
On night that I need to unwind and relax and fall asleep soundly and easily, I love using the White Noise Sleep Aid – the Forest Noise is ideal for falling right asleep and feeling rested the next morning when I awake. You see, the options are endless and the Amazon Underground app store offers you a variety of selections for the busy mom and dad, student and school performance and studying and even the college bound teen that needs a little help making the transition.
If you are looking for something fun to do, get productive or organized or just have a little “me” time, I highly suggest checking out Amazon Underground. It’s easy to use and many apps and games are available at your fingertips.
A video posted by Honey 🌺Honeygirlsworld.com (@honeygirlk) on
If you’re interested in checking out the Amazon Appstore and learn more about what it has to offer, click here and check out the Amazon Underground catalog of 100% free apps and games. You can also access the Amazon Underground on your Android smartphone by visiting here.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
As a family, our lives tend to be a bit hectic and busy. I just consider us busy because we are out in the world, making memories and enjoying life. This year all three boys started school the same week they started Football practice for Pop Warner. Let’s just say it has been a busy month so far and keeping the littles on task for school while still getting them to and from practice and games can be a challenge but overall rewarding and we make it work to the best to our ability. With a schedule that starts from 6am and ends at 8:30pm for the boys, they have a long day and their little bodies keep truckin from rise to bed. To keep t hem on top of their game and play, I try to incorporate great tasting snacks like CLIF Kid Zbar® that have important nutrients for active kids.
It seems like I have a household full of guys that literally eat like crazy, but with three growing boys that’s exactly what is going on. To keep them on their toes, I give them CLIF Kid Zbars, which are nutritious snacks that are made from organic ingredients, all of which are specially-crafted for kids’ developing taste buds and active lives. My sons absolutely love how the CLIF Kid Zbars tastes and they have asked me to purchase them many times.
CLIF Kid Zbars are the perfect portion size for kids. I especially love that they come in flavors that they love and they fit perfectly in their lunch box or backpack to take with them to school. All three boys snack on their CLIF Kid Zbars during break for that mid day snack so that they are not starving when they come home from school. I enjoy that they are made with organic ingredients, are Non-GMO (something we try to steer clear of in our household) and have no high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors or synthetic preservatives.
CLIF Kid has been an essential part of our back to school routine and the boys have been loving the taste and flavors of the snacks they have tried. But, what I love is that they don’t need to be used for just school. CLIF Kid is dedicated to reclaiming play! With balance and active play laying the foundation for skilled, healthy, resilient and successful society, we are keeping our kids active and still providing them fun. This is one of the reasons why my sons are engaged with Play time, no matter what it is. Our play time is football and the boys enjoy CLIF Kid Zbars as a part of their snack after practice.
When my sons are on the filed, they not only get a little active time, but they have a lot of fun and CLIF Kid helps to encourage that. Let’s face it, play is disappearing at home, in school and in communities now a days, especially since technology, television and video games have a little part in that. I remember as a kid, I played outside all the time and it’s sad to see that 70% of moms like me played outside while only 31% of our kids play outside today. I encourage outside play whole heartily and enjoy that my sons love to play and keep active.
Whether it’s back to school or on the field, foraging through the woods or riding a bike – no matter the play time your family enjoys, get out and enjoy it all. Remember, like I said before… make memories while having some fun.
What about you? Do you remember being out exploring and playing till the lights came on? What are your favorite memories of your play time? Encourage play time with your kids if you don’t already, have some fun and create memories.
“This post was sponsored by the PLAY-DOH brand from HASBRO as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.” When I…
The boys and I have been enjoying our summer months together since my husband is usually working on the weekdays. Come on now, we live on Maui, which has been rated the number 1 Vacation Destination by Conde Nast many years in a row, so we do have a plethora of sites to see and lots of fun to be had. While we live on the mountain, we experience really hot days so I decided to pack the boys up into the car and take a drive up to Kula to cool down – since the air is much cooler there. Our journey led us to the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm, a place we have visited many times before – but it’s been years since I bought the twins here, so I decided it would be a perfect place to venture.
The Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm is located on the slopes of Haleakala and overlooks some of the most beautiful views on the South side of the island. It is a 25-30 minute drive away from the Kahului Airport (the main airport into Maui) and a popular spot for visitors to stop at and have lunch after watching the sunrise at Haleakala or hiking the crater. At one time, it used to be free to enter the Lavender farm, so I was surprised to see a guard house at the entry (it was not there my last visit a few years ago) and entry for adults is $2.00. It’s well worth the cost however. You can bring your own lunch and have a picnic or hike the grounds for a great adventure. The air is so cool up there, it was a perfect place for the boys and I to getaway to beat the heat.
There is a little shop that sells tasty delectables featuring the fresh picked lavender, but the boys and I decided that we would just take in the sites and cool down and head home to eat lunch instead. We walked around the gardens and admired the fragrant lavender as we took in the sites.
It was a short little adventure, but a beautiful day out so I took this opportunity to take some shots of the boys and my eldest son Kevin helped take a few photos of my casual outfit I wore.
The best part about our little drive and excursion today was that I was able to spend it with the boys. They go back to school in about 2 1/2 weeks and this summer break flew by too quickly. The twins are off to 1st Grade and Kevin is off to 7th Grade. With Football season starting for all three boys August 1st – I know that times like these will be few in between, so I’m glad we made great use out of our Summer break.
Kimono Cover up – Forever 21 Plus
Ribbed Tank – Old Navy
Linen Shorts with pockets in black – Torrid.com
Flip flops – Guess Jeweled Slip ons
Watch – Invicta Angel
Sunglasses – Maui Jim Maui (style no longer available)
Nail Polish – Sinful Colors Kylie Jenner Trend Matters Collection in Kozy
My embedded video above also showcases our dinner for that evening… I made my homemade poor man’s rissotto (recipe coming soon) and we watched a beautiful sunset from our porch to end a wonderful day. If you’re not following me on Snapchat – my code is in my side bar, come and follow me on my daily journey. What about you, are you enjoying the summer months? I’m thankful to live in Hawaii and blessed to have a lifestyle where every day is an adventure and a vacation.
Since my DSLR hasn’t been working, it’s been really nice to find reasons to take my phone out to practice shooting with it… all the images that you see in this post were taken with my Samsung Note 4.
Disclaimer: Everything mentioned or featured was purchased with my own money. Affiliate links may be posted through out.
Since all three boys will be heading back to school in a month after a fun Summer break, we have been preparing diligently for the upcoming school year.…
“This post was sponsored by Hello Happy. Hello Hershey’s, as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central.”Summer has officially begun in our household and as a family we can pretty much all agree that some of our most happy moments are shared during the summer months. Since time together can be far and few in between because of a very busy schedule – when it comes to summer break, we love to spend time together as a family, whether it be enjoying dinner or an easy summer treat that we can make together. Who doesn’t love chocolate anyway? My family and I love a simple dessert that’s easy to make and features some of our favorite chocolate delectables from HERSEY’S. Today my family and I would love to share with you our easy Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies and Chocolate Dipped Wonton Chips – a great summer treat.
We love to make most of our yummies from scratch, but having some fresh baked shortbread cookies on hand just called for a quick dip in HERSHEY’S chocolate. We also had some wonton chips on hand which are a fun and popular snack here in Hawaii, so tossing them with some of our favorite chocolate make for a great summer snack.
We used 2 HERSHEY’S products to create our chocolate dipped shortbread cookies and chocolate dipped wonton chips: HERSHEY’S KISSES Chocolates and HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bars.
Here are the easy steps to create your Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies:
Melt your HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bars in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir until smooth.
Dip your shortbread cookies into the chocolate and place onto wax paper to set.
Put cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes so that chocolate will set and slightly harden.
Serve
I baked shortbread cookies the day before – but you can easily get store bought or make your own. That’s what makes this recipe so fun and easy – because it literally takes minutes to make a quick treat.
Here are the easy steps to create your Chocolate Dipped Wonton Chips:
This recipe is easy and while the wonton chips are drizzled in chocolate, I like to mix in a few chocolate pieces to give it a little texture.
Unwrap your HERSHEY’S KISSES and chop or crush into small pieces. I like to use my Ninja Chopper and pulse until the chocolate is into tiny parts (as pictured above).
Melt your HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bars in the microwave for about 30 seconds until melted and stir until smooth.
On a wax paper – spread the melted chocolate evenly in a thin layer. Make sure to reserve half of the melted chocolate to drizzle on the chips.
Sprinkle the wonton chips onto the melted chocolated and then top with the crushed HERSHEY’S Kisses pieces.
Drizzle the remainder of the melted chocolate onto the wonton chips.
With a spoon or fork, toss the wonton chips until they are coated with the chocolate.
Refrigerate for about 10 minutes until chocolate sets and hardens.
Serve
We used store bought Wonton chips that are from a local Hawaii brand that is popular here in Hawaii. But, you can make your own if you would like as well.
In between snacking and mixing up some treats, my family and I were able to get in some fun and spend time with one another. Whether it be some play time at the park, sunbathing at the beach or pool or just sharing some sweet treats with one another, it really is hard to beat summertime with my family here in Hawaii – especially when your home town is a playground all on its own. It’s easy to get wrapped up and taken with every day life that keeps us busy and on our toes, but having good ol’ fashion family time is priceless.
On the first official day of summer, June 20, HERSHEY’S will set out to remind people that happiness is a choice and sweeten their day by celebrating “Hello Happy Moments” – the intimate, individual and personal moments of happy that we choose each and every day, which build connections and create memories that last a lifetime. Creating memories with fun, unexpected, happy moments with our children are what we look forward to.
Time with one another to enjoy happy moments in our lives is priceless and stepping away from your computer and phone or work with just a few moments of fun is worth every second. It always amazes me at how fast time flies and happy moments with my sons and husband are so important to me. It is so important for our family to choose happiness each and every single day and make each moment count! Whether you are sharing a sweet delectable treat with your favorite littles or a chocolate HERSHEY’S KISS this summer, CHOOSE HAPPINESS!
Share a “Kiss” with a loved one!
From my family to yours, we wish you the best, most wonderful summer. May every moment you experience leave lasting memories of happiness. Happy Summer!
When it comes to cleaning our teeth, I’m the warden in our house and I’m constantly on top of the tooth brushing and cleaning each day. But, I also believe that brushing your teeth shouldn’t just be a habit you develop, but it should be fun and you should want to clean your teeth several times a day. I think the boys share a similar attitude towards dental hygiene as I do. They love to go to the dentist (I remember as a kid hating to go) and they enjoy brushing and flossing each day as much as I do. A few months ago I had the opportunity to try the Foreo ISSA Toothbrush and Foreo ISSA Hybrid brush head and really enjoyed it so I wasn’t surprised when all three of my boys were drooling over the new gadget I got to try. To our surprise, we got a wonderful email from Foreo asking if we would like to give their Mini Toothbrushes a whirl and today, the twins are talking about their experience with the toothbrushes and how they like them. I’m excited that the twins get to try the Foreo ISSA Mini Toothbrushes because I think it will be a great tool to have… now I just have to save up so my oldest son Kevin can get one for himself and big Kevin too. lol
The Foreo ISSA Mini Electric Toothbrush is specially designed for kids (or the kid in you). Like the Foreo ISSA (which I reviewed previously and you can read about here), the ISSA mini brings color and brightness to your teeth cleaning with a fun and bold silicone design that includes their innovative Sonic Pulse Technology. This toothbrush is suitable for ages from 5+ which makes it ideal for the twins since Luke & Isaiah are 6.
The ISSA mini electronic toothbrush combines Sonic Pulse Technology that includes soft silicone bristles, resulting in extremely gentle yet effective cleaning of your child’s teeth. This helps to protect the teeth and gums from over-brushing while keeping your teeth squeaky clean and promoting a healthier mouth overall.
What is so great about the Sonic Pulse Techology for the ISSA mini? The ISSA mini’s silicone bristles channel 9,000 high-intensity pulsations per minute to create micro-sweeps that effectively and gently clean the teeth and gums.
Retailing for $119.00 – the Foreo ISSA Mini Electric Toothbrush comes in four fun colors and the boys got Mango Tango (Orange) and Summer Sky (turquoise). Each toothbrush comes with a 2-Year Limited Warranty and a 10 Year Quality Guarantee. While it is specifically designed for children, I actually find that the brush head is a great size for my own mouth and like the size of the smaller brush in comparison to my adult version of the Foreo ISSA.
Most dentists suggest that anyone brushing their teeth brush for at least 2 minutes, 2x a day. The ISSA mini features a Smile Helpers “Glee” and “Glum” to keep your child’s brushing routine on target. You’ll see the “Glee” after 2 minutes of brushing (happy face) and the “Glum” will light up if you haven’t brushed for the 2 full minutes. You will also see the “Glum” if you haven’t brushed in over 12 hours making this a fun tool for the boys to keep track of their brushing habits. The boys look forward to seeing the happy face when they are done brushing.
ISSA Mini replacement brush heads come in two different types – the ISSA mini Hybrid ($19.95) which is used for heavier plaque buildup since it has PBT polymer bristles that deliver more vigorous cleaning while the silicone bristles remain gentle on the gums and the ISSA mini replacement brush head ($24.90) which is made from medical grade silicone and lasts for one whole year. Our household replaces our toothbrushes every three months, so I love that the Foreo ISSA mini brush head replacements are not only affordable, but good for a whole year. The natural properties of silicone and PBT polymer harbor less bacteria which also means you get a more hygienic brush head and overall better oral health.
“I love my toothbrush. It feels like little scrubbies are cleaning my teeth and my teeth squeak when I’m done. I want to make sure I get a happy face each time I brush.” – Isaiah
“My toothbrush makes brushing my teeth fun. I love the color of my toothbrush and the brush feels really soft and smooth. I love that it cleans my teeth, and gets all the germies out. I like the way my teeth feel and my gums are getting hand massages by the toothbrush.” – Luke
What makes the ISSA mini so great for my family is the gentle silicone that is used to create this product. The ISSA mini brush head consists of soft and flexible silicone bristles that don’t scratch tooth enamel or damage gum tissue. This makes this the perfect brush for children’s softer tooth enamel and for more sensitive teeth and gums. I also love that this unit is completely waterproof (I wish my sink and countertops were too – lol, if you have kids, you understand) and the ISSA mini is ergonomically designed to be easy to hold with a built-in timer and 3D flexible brush head to reach every part of the mouth.
We also wanted to mention the Foreo ISSA mikro which is currently in Pre-Sale. Available in five different colors, the ISSA mikro is made specifically for babies and is the only baby toothbrush to combine silicone bristles with gentle sonic pulsations, making it a safe, effective and fun way to teach your children to brush their teeth. Suitable for children ages 0 to 4, the soft silicone bristles deep clean teeth and the sonic vibrations are delicate to help soothe gums providing relief from teething pains. The brush comforts and calms babies making brush hassle free. Check out the ISSA mikro and their presale specials that are going on right now.
Overall, the boys absolutely enjoy their Foreo ISSA mini as much as I enjoy my ISSA. They have been using it for a few weeks now and I have noticed that they have a little competition in the bathroom to see who gets their happy face to come on first. It’s fun and the colors would make anyone excited to brush their teeth. As I mentioned before, I also own the adult version – the Foreo ISSA and it has made such a difference in the way I clean my teeth. I do not use mine exclusively – I have a few other brushes I use in combination with it, but my gums have been so healthy because of it. The twins (Luke & Isaiah) have been loving the little massages they get when brushing their teeth and they tell everyone about their cool toothbrushes. I have noticed that their gums look healthy and their dentist says he thinks this was a good addition to their dental hygiene.
If you have been on the fence to picking up something like this for your kids, I highly suggest checking it out. They are costly, yes – but considering the benefits, you have something that will be worth it. Did I mention you only have to charge it for an hour and the charge lasts for 200 uses? Yes, I consider this a lifesaver for sure. Foreo is easily becoming a household name here and we love the products we have and will continue to support the brand and their products. I have tried many different things that I consider to be gimmicky but we are loving the products Foreo offers and look forward to trying out more.
Do you think this may be something you’ll invest in for your kids? Have you tried the Foreo ISSA toothbrushes before? You can purchase these products and learn all about them on their website here.
Disclaimer: The products mentioned in this post were sent to me for review consideration. All opinions are my own, 100% honest and unbiased. Affiliate links are posted through out.
** “This post was sponsored by Hello Happy. Hello Hershey’s. as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central.” As a work-from-home mom, it can be a challenge…
