In the meantime, the other thing that has kept me busy is opening my own craft, collectibles and gift shop in July of 2022 – also by the name Pea of Sweetness (LLC). So check out my craft, gift and collectibles shop!

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How to Manage Pictures of Your Kids

Step #1 – Back Up 

All of the pictures and videos are priceless to you, right? Okay, well make sure they are automatically being backed up (aka saved) somewhere. Use iCloud, Google Photos, or something similar to keep the photos on your phone safe. If you ever lost your phone, ran over it with your car, dropped it in the toilet – yes, these things happen all the time – you would lose all of the pictures and videos you didn’t have backed up somewhere. Just think of all those goofy smiles and proud moments captured…gone forever. Don’t risk it. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMW8LFAVU0E

Step #2 – Move Over 

Regardless of how you do it, you need to move all those pictures to your computer. This is in addition to the automatic saving explained in step one. The automatic backup will save everything and is essential in the event of a lost, stolen, or broken phone. This is the next step every proud parent needs to take: move them to your laptop, desktop, whatever you use that has at least a decent amount of storage. Once they are on your computer, you can choose your favorites, organize them, and do something with them. More on that later.  

Step #3 – Delete

Today with phones being equipped with excellent cameras, it’s easy to have them bogged down with thousands of pictures. Don’t be like me walking around with nearly 10k photos on your phone. You can delete as your step two or three. If you prefer to delete on your phone before you move them to your computer, that is fine. As long as you are deleting. 
Delete everything but a few favorites from special days and occasions. Right now I have about 175 pictures of the same thing: a close-up of my baby’s face. It’s cute, but I need to delete 174 and keep the one good one that captures his smile, chubby cheeks, and pretty eyes. Then I can look back on those few best 3-month-old baby pictures and have room to capture milestones such as his first time eating real food like these parents did to get the adorable clips below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWvek7bFen8
Keep in mind, if you have hundreds of pictures from one day (of all basically the same thing), you will never be able to find your one or two favorites years from now. 

Step #4 – Organize

Once you dump all the photos onto your computer, don’t ignore them. Then you won’t be far from where you started. This next step is so important if you want to ensure all the pictures don’t just sit there unviewed, unenjoyed, and forgotten about for decades. Organize them! 
Make folders on your computer to group the photos in a way that makes the most sense to you. I do a folder for all of the following: friends, family, trips, Christmas, each of my son’s annual birthday parties, professional photo shoots, etc. There are a crazy amount of folders on my computer – folders within folders. This may seem weird, but it really helps me know where to find a photo I am looking for. I label each one by year as well, so within friends, I will have a “Friends ‘17, ‘18, ‘19. Check out the screenshot of my folders below. There are millions of photos in there, but they look so neat and tidy, don’t they? See the darker folder, “Unorganized Pics”? That’s where the photo dump happens, and where I go to get them organized. 

Organize the crap out of those photos. You will thank me later.  

Step #5 – Back up Again

This is going to sound redundant, but you need to back up your computer too. Technology will fail you, and if you don’t back up your pictures and videos, you will lose them. You did all that work to organize them…save those folders, my friend! 
Get an external hard drive (like this one that has 8TB of storage) and keep it in a fire and water-proof box. FYI: Eight terabytes of storage = about 16 million photos. Make sure all the important folders full of pictures and videos organized by occasion are saved on that external hard drive. Do it every few months or so—more often if your computer is old or on the fritz. 

Step #6 – Delete Again

Just like with your phone, don’t bog down your computer by keeping all the old pictures. This is another reason why dating folders by year helps. Once 2019 rolled around, I deleted everything dated 2017 and prior. If you follow these steps correctly, you will have your older pictures organized by folder and can easily find and access them on your external hard drive whenever you want. They don’t need to be sitting on your computer and hogging precious storage space. There’s nothing more frustrating than a computer that crawls at a snail’s pace. 
If you properly follow steps one through six, you will have all the raw, duplicates mostly unorganized somewhere in cyberspace (while there’s room up there), organized old favorites on your external hard drive, and organized recent favorites on your computer. 

Step #7 – Use Them!

Oh boy, you didn’t think I was done at step six, did you? Heck no, this is the most important – and most rewarding – part! I mean, yeah, the nerd in me takes great pleasure in seeing my neatly organized folders, BUT, this is the part where you (and your family) can see and benefit from those extraordinary memories. Below is a list of ideas for how you can use those photos in ways that everyone can start enjoying them:

• Digital photo frame: Buy one with good reviews that takes a USB stick. Fill the flash drive with your favorite pictures, and update it every six months to a year. This makes a wonderful gift too. 
• Photo book: I make my photo books each year on Shuttefly’s Custom Path, but there are lots of websites out there that have online software that allows you to custom-design a photo book for a special occasion such as a vacation, graduation, or wedding. Or, you can make one each year (like I do), which will make for a big task and many pages, but one killer book to look back on. If you’re too busy to design your own photo book, there are websites, like chatbooks, that can make one automatically for you as you upload pictures.
• Slideshow: There are many options out there that can take your photos and make a cool slideshow—like this one where you can add text and songs that you can showcase at a party or just watch with the family.  
• Movie: Take it a step further and purchase software like PhotoStage, where you can make your own movie of your family pictures and videos. You will be able to edit your pictures and videos directly with the software, set background music and publish it to YouTube, Venmo, or burn it to a blank DVD to wrap and gift to a proud grandparent. Since my first son was born, I have made one of these a year. I gift the DVDs to family members and play them at birthday parties and family get-togethers. Once my boys are older, we will watch them together as a special family tradition.   
• Photo gifts: Snapfish, Minted, Mpix, Photobarn, Personal Creations …I could go on for hours listing websites that have hundreds of gifts you can create with your favorite photos. There’s a reason why these companies and photos gifts are so popular. Keychains, paperweights, pillows, blankets, plaques, calendars, mugs, tote bags, magnets, notepads…there are so many gorgeous keepsakes you can personalize online with your photos. These treasures make the best Christmas, birthday, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day gifts, too. And, don’t forget to make one for yourself. 
• Prints: Sometimes with new technology, we forget about the old-school stuff that’s hard to beat. You don’t need boxes upon boxes of photo prints taking up space, but it’s really cheap and easy (even straight from your phone) to print photos now. So, grab a photo album that’s easy to slide in 4×6 photos (this is the cheapest size to print). Then either print and fill the album gradually or all at once with a year or two of favorite pictures. 
• Photo Ring: Order wallet-size prints of your favorite photographs, buy binder rings, hole punch the prints, and make a photo ring. You can hang your one-of-a-kind photo ring anywhere. A magnetic clip or hook makes it easy to stick onto a metal file cabinet, fridge, or whiteboard too. This makes for the cheapest, cutest little “brag ring” ever. Most companies print four wallets per sheet. I use the extras for baby books, putting up around my desk, the fridge, and giving to friends or grandparents.  
• Photo Cards: Now that you have your pictures backed up, saved, cut down, and organized like a boss, you can quickly find your favorites to make photo birthday invitations and holiday cards. With everything being online these days, your family and friends will love getting something tangible in the mail with your child’s face on it. 

Your family and friends will say, “How do you do it??” Seriously, I get it all the time. Now I can simply email them this article. 

I Promise, It’s Worth the Effort to Manage Pictures of Your Kids

Dedicate some time each month to moving over, deleting, backing up, and organizing your pictures. You will then realize you can actually USE all the awesome photographs on your phone and/or camera to better manage pictures of your kids. I can tell you from experience, these steps really work! Yes, organizing and doing something with your pictures will take time, but it pays off. Almost all – I’m talking 99.9 percent – of the gifts I give throughout the year are photo keepsakes. You don’t have to be as picture-obsessed as I am to benefit from these steps. Okay now, SAY CHEESE! 

About the Author:

Sara Routhier is a Research Specialist and Staff Writer for Exercise.com. In addition to obtaining a degree in Elementary Education, being a public school teacher, family nanny, and tutor, she has over four years experience in content marketing. As a working mom with two boys under three, she takes tons of pictures and has learned how much it helps to keep them cleaned up—the photos and the kids!

The post How to Manage (and Use) all Those Pictures of Your Kids appeared first on Pea of Sweetness.

Disclosure: I received complimentary accommodations and other promotional items to facilitate my review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and those of my family. Please see my Disclosure Policy for more information.

I know we were definitely ready to escape the cold weather and enjoy some warm temperature and the water. Not to mention, we were all in need of a break and were ready for some fun. We couldn’t wait to enjoy the 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and fun activities.

Our Castaway Bay Getaway

We headed up to Castaway Bay after the kids got out of school on a Friday so we arrived in the evening. We were quite eager to check out our room, drop off our bags, and go have some fun! Castaway Bay not only has an indoor waterpark, arcade and fitness center, but they also have a variety of kid-friendly activities as well! All the day’s activities can be found on the Island Times which can be picked up at the front desk and is displayed in the elevators as well. We picked one up when we arrived as well as another one on Saturday morning.

We were welcomed by the colorful entrance and tropical themed decorations. The boat in the lobby and gorgeous fireplace are a couple of our favorite features. On a cold day it’s the perfect place to relax!

Family-Friendly Accommodations

Our room was on the third floor, and we had a balcony with a gorgeous view of the Sandusky Bay. Although it was cold out on the balcony, we all sat out there to look over the bay and talk about the geese.

We were in a Tarpon Suite which is a two-room suite that includes a King Bed, a Semi-Private Bunk Bedroom with two sets of bunk beds, fridge and microwave, coffee maker and the private screened balcony. Like all rooms, free WIFI and waterpark passes for the day of check-in and check-out are included.

The Tarpon Suite is a great room for families with more than two children…especially older children. My three kids (ages 12, 11, and 9) were excited to have their “own” little room with their own bed and a TV where they could control the channel. The Semi-Private Bunk Bedroom is within the main room with a curtain door and a window into the main area with nice bamboo railing and blinds.

Indoor Waterpark Fun

After getting everything settled in our room we were ready for some fun at the indoor waterpark! The Wave Pool is always a favorite, and we spent a lot of time there. Because I am still recovering from neck surgery I had to pass on any of the slides and the Rendezvous Run (also known as the “water rollercoaster”), which I love, but it didn’t stop my 12-year-old from enjoying it! He was ambitious and tried just about everything there. Some of my favorite time was just relaxing in the lounge chair next to my fiance as the kids had fun. Rest and relaxation is just what the doctor ordered!

As always, I appreciated the diligent lifeguards on duty, the available life jackets, and plenty of towels.

Family Fun

This year we had a blast at the arcade. The kids played multiple claw machine games, we had fun dancing, shooting hoops, playing air hockey, playing arcade style games, playing Ice Ball, and more. There is so much to do in the arcade! It’s fun for the whole family! Of course, one of the best parts is winning tickets and cashing them in for prizes!

Additionally, we took advantage of some of the family-friendly activities at Club Castaway before we headed home Saturday afternoon. My 8-year-old got to play some Mario Kart on the big screen while we started decorating our souvenirs. They have t-shirts, bags and pillow cases that can be colored using various fabric markers. Eventually they started the movie Coco which we enjoyed while we finished our souvenir. It was a great way to wrap up our Castaway Bay getaway!

Don’t Forget the Food

Of course, I can’t forget to mention the great food options! In particular, we enjoyed lunch at Quaker Steak & Lube. I always enjoy the atmosphere there and eating there in general. I got the chicken tenders and fried pickles again because last time they were just so good! We all enjoyed our food and it was a great way to fill our bellies so we could continue having some fun!

Our Castaway Bay Getaway

We had a great time at Castaway Bay, and it was a great getaway! Having fun at the indoor waterpark was perfect for cabin fever. With beautiful views, a fun atmosphere, good food and a fun arcade, Castaway Bay is a great place for families looking for some fun and relaxation to overcome those winter blues!

If you just want waterpark fun without the stay, day passes are available (and you could win some as well below!).

Connect with Castaway Bay

Website | Facebook | Twitter

*Giveaway!!!*

Would you like to win 4 Day Passes to Castaway Bay (ARV $116)? This giveaway runs through 4/13/19 at 11:59pm Eastern Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. *Please note this giveaway includes the day passes only. Travel and accommodations are not included.* Winner is subject to eligibility verification and will have 48 hours to confirm before a new winner will be drawn. For any questions/concerns please email emilee.roberts@peaofsweetness.com (consider adding this email to your “Safe List” as winning email notification will be sent from this email). Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.

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Sponsored By: Utzy Naturals

Hosted By: Love, Mrs. Mommy

5 Winners Will Receive:

Allurtica Seasonal Support – 120 Capsule Count Bottle! A $52.40 RV!

Allurtica is a targeted blend of flavonoids, antioxidants, and botanicals designed to provide comprehensive support for seasonal challenges.

The post 5 Winner Utzy Naturals Allurtica Seasonal Relief Giveaway! $262 TRV Giveaway! appeared first on Pea of Sweetness.

Hosted by Pea of Sweetness

Castaway Bay is Cedar Point’s 38,000-square-foot indoor waterpark loaded with water activities for all ages, a day spa, fitness center, 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art arcade, a craft and child activity center, three restaurants, retail shops, adjacent marina and space for meetings, group events and birthday parties. No matter the weather outside it’s always 82 degrees at Castaway Bay, so you can enjoy family fun all year long! It is perfect for a winter weekend getaway!

Would you like to win 4 Day Passes to Castaway Bay (ARV $116)? This giveaway runs through 3/14/18 at 11:59pm Eastern Time and is open to US residents ages 18+. *Please note this giveaway includes the day passes only. Travel and accommodations are not included.* Winner is subject to eligibility verification and will have 48 hours to confirm before a new winner will be drawn. For any questions/concerns please email emilee.roberts@peaofsweetness.com (consider adding this email to your “Safe List” as winning email notification will be sent from this email). Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.

 
Disclosure: I received complimentary accommodations to facilitate my review. No additional compensation was received. Pea of Sweetness is responsible for prize fulfillment.
 

The post Spend the Day at Castaway Bay {Enter to Win 4 Day Passes!} appeared first on Pea of Sweetness.

The Fun Begins

When we arrived we piled out of our car with our bags eager to drop them off in our room and go have some fun! Castaway Bay not only has an indoor waterpark, arcade and fitness center, but they also have a variety of kid-friendly activities as well! All the day’s activities can be found on the Island Times which can be picked up at the front desk and is displayed in the elevators as well.

We arrived just before 3pm which was the perfect time because cookie decorating was about to begin! So we dropped off our bags and headed to Club Castaway to decorate some cookies as well as souvenir bags and t-shirts. The movie Zootopia was playing on the big screen while we enjoyed the cookies and coloring. Then we had personalized souvenirs to take home!

Good Food

After making our souvenirs we were ready for dinner. The Quaker Steak & Lube is actually connected to Castaway Bay which means we didn’t even have to go back out into the cold. It has such a fun atmosphere! We really enjoy eating there. My chicken tenders and fried pickles were so good! Plus we had food left over to take back to our room.

A Beautiful Bay View

Our room was on the first floor, but we still had a balcony with a breathtaking view of the Sandusky Bay. If you haven’t seen the bay in the winter with snow and ice on it, you definitely should! It’s beautiful!
We were in a Starfish Bay-View Room which includes two double beds, a single sleeper chair, fridge and microwave, coffee maker and the private screened balcony. Like all rooms, free WIFI and waterpark passes for the day of check-in and check-out are included. In order to do more this year, I brought my mom with us to help with the kids. The Starfish room can accommodate up to 5 people, but it was a little snug. I think it would be perfect for families with smaller children.

The door has multiple lock options from the inside. This is something you may not give much thought to, but I was definitely grateful for them as my sleep walking child tried to walk out the door around midnight!

Castaway Bay Indoor Waterpark Fun

After dinner on Saturday we were ready for some fun at the waterpark! The Wave Pool is always a favorite, and we all enjoyed some time in it. Because I had help this year I was able to do more with the kids including riding Rendezvous Run (also known as the “water rollercoaster”) with my oldest, go down some slides, play on the animal rafts with my youngest two and enjoy the hot tub with my daughter. This was all in one day!

Something neat I discovered this year was that the hot tub actually goes outdoors. We went out there, and it’s a really neat experience to be in a hot tub in freezing cold weather, but we didn’t stay out there long! I was convinced my hair was going to freeze!
As always, we felt safe with plenty of lifeguards on duty and looking out for everyone’s safety. They even checked up on my daughter to make sure she was over the height requirements for wear a life jacket in the Wave Pool. She was, but I appreciate that they check.

Our Winter Weekend Getaway

We had a great time at Castaway Bay, and the timing was fantastic! There is nothing better for cabin fever than having fun at an indoor waterpark. With multiple activities both in and out of the waterpark, beautiful views, good food and a fun arcade (which we surprisingly didn’t spend time in this year), Castaway Bay is a great place for families looking to beat those winter blues!
If you just want waterpark fun without the stay, day passes are available (and you could win some as well below!).

Connect with Castaway Bay

Website | Facebook | Twitter
 

*Giveaway!!!*

Would you like to enjoy some family fun at Castaway Bay? You could win 4 Day Passes to the Indoor Waterpark! This giveaway runs through 3/14/18 and is open to US residents ages 18+. *Please note travel and accommodations are not included.*

Enter the Giveaway by Clicking Here!

The post A Winter Weekend Getaway at Castaway Bay appeared first on Pea of Sweetness.

• Paint By Stickers
• Strong is the New Pretty
• Today Is Going To Be A Great Day
• 1,000 Places To See Before You Die

Would you like the chance to win one of these calendars for yourself? Budget Earth is excited to be working with some of their favorite bloggers on this fantastic giveaway! Four lucky readers will win one of these awesome calendars (all values between $15 – $20 each). To enter, make sure to read the rules below and then enter through the Rafflecopter!

Best Calendars of 2018 to Inspire Giveaway

• Four readers will win 1 of 4 Calendars (listed above).
• Open to US Only.
• Winners will be chosen at random through Random.org.
• Sweepstakes ends December 6th at 11:59pm ET.
• Winner will be notified via email.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.
• Budget is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
• Must be 18 years or older to enter giveaway form.
• Only one entrant per household.
• Void where prohibited.
• Entering this giveaway means you agree to terms above.
• Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for this giveaway. Pea of Sweetness is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
 

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I love to celebrate with my winners, so if you won something that was hosted by Pea of Sweetness be sure to post a picture to my Facebook Wall or send it to me so I can add it to the Winner’s Circle!
I know what you’re thinking – there haven’t been many (or any) lately. Good news! I’m back from my unintentional “mini break” and will be rolling out some more giveaways very soon (like starting tomorrow!) plus I’ll be helping promote more giveaways from other bloggers and well!
*Please note, winners on this list have already received communication and confirmed their winning. We will not announce giveaway winners through a post to notify them of their winning. It will always be done via email before we announce them here.*

CONGRATS!! Thank-you everyone for participating in these giveaways!

Giveaways Hosted Pea of Sweetness

Castaway Bay Giveaway: Robin Abrams
 

Giveaways Hosted by Other Blogs Pea of Sweetness Helped Promote

A Whole New Experience in Blow Drying Giveaway: Amy Conyers, Annmarie W., Sandy Cain, Cynthia Green and Heather C.
The Original Sunscreen Giveaway: Sharon Rooney, Gloria Patterson and Stephanie Liske
Academia Barilla and Bialetti Giveaway: Cindy
$50 Little Adventures Gift Certificate Giveaway: Darcy Koch
The Fun Way to Teach Kids about Money Giveaway: Amber Ludwig
 

If you would like to be one of our next winners be sure to enter our current giveaways or check out our Giveaway Linky for more great giveaways!

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Health Education Resource

MarshMedia really does cover a variety of topics. I love that I can not only teach the kids about health topics but also things like social skills as well. It has definitely been a great health education resource for our homeschool.
In the past, MarshMedia has been available for schools, but they wanted to be able to offer these same resources to homeschoolers at an affordable price. If you wish to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the MarshMedia curriculum to your home schooler(s) click on the link below for more information:
https://marshmedia.com/pages/homeschool-offer

Connect with MarshMedia

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | YouTube

Other members of the Homeschool Review Crew also shared their MarshMedia reviews. See what they thought by clicking on the banner below!

 

 

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What is K5 Learning?

The K5 online program is a supplemental program for not only homeschoolers but any child in Kindergarten-5th grade who needs extra practice! It is an account based program easily accessible online. It can be used for up to four children, and each child has their own log in. So there is nothing to download, and progress is saved online. It includes K5 Math, K5 Reading and K5 Spelling.
Although it is a supplemental program, it’s not simply a “sit down and practice” program. It definitely helps foster a sense of independence because it actually offers instruction as well. Lessons are short and interactive. They are fun, interesting and engaging.
Additionally, K5 Learning includes customized worksheets to take the learning offline. The worksheets are produced based on what your child is learning. It further reinforces key lessons and offers learning without the screen. This reduces arguing about who gets to use the computer right now as well!

Assessments

One of my favorite aspects of K5 Learning are the Assessments. I am generally not one to focus on grade level as much as having the kids work wherever they are in each subject. That is what the K5 Learning Assessments are all about. How kids progress through K5 is based on the assessments. Children start right where they are rather than where their age or grade says they should be.
I am so glad they offer this option because, otherwise, my kids wouldn’t have started the program where they need to. Because of my kids’ special needs, they do have some learning challenges. My oldest (Autism spectrum) has a moderate reading delay but does very well in math. In fact, he tested a grade above in math! So he was able to start at a lower level in reading, but a higher level in math. My youngest son (Sensory Processing Disorder) has a slight reading delay but is on target for math, so he was able to start where needed as well.
My daughter’s assessment suggested she’s at a 5th Grade level for both subjects. So in her case, I’m glad she has been able to learn at a higher level. By “school age” she would be in 3rd Grade, but for curricula that is based on grade level she does 4th Grade work. I love that she doesn’t have to be held back.

Our K5 Learning Review

My kids have been enjoying K5 Learning. The short, interactive lessons keep their attention, and they have been both practicing as well as learning things. Spelling has been great for my older kids because it’s something I just don’t do enough of as it is. It’s really challenged them in a good way! This is one of those programs that I don’t have to beg them to do. They get online and do it independently.
What they are learning and practicing goes beyond just the basics. It’s not just reading. It’s inferences and comprehension as well. Math isn’t just numbers. It’s shapes and money as well. Even doing the worksheets has encouraged the kids to do more.
We did come across a couple of challenges, though. For example, my oldest (who has the moderate reading delay) does well in comprehension. So, the comprehension portion of reading would be at a higher level. It required reading at that level, though. So I would have to read with (or to) him so he could answer the questions. For math, the older two kids were working on things they’ve never learned. There was no way to go back or skip it from what I’ve seen. I’m not sure if this was a case of problems associated with Common Core because I try to avoid Common Core so it would make sense that they didn’t learn it if that is the case. Otherwise, it might just be above their level.
Regardless, we like K5 Learning and definitely plan to continue using it to supplement our homeschool.

Connect with K5 Learning

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+
Members of the Homeschool Review Crew have been using the K5 Learning online program with their children of various ages/grade levels. See what they thought in their K5 Learning review by clicking on the banner below!

 

 

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