Day Out With Thomas!

A Larger than Life Train for the Ride of Their Life.  The GO GO Thomas Tour 2013, visiting the National Railroad Museum on June 12-16, 2013. This fun-filled event offers little engineers and their families the opportunity to take a ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, star of the popular Thomas & Friends series. Children will take a ride along with their favorite engine friend on his latest adventure and participate in Thomas-themed activities including:

* A 25-minute (approximate) ride with
Thomas the Tank Engine  
* Meet Sir Topham Hatt, Controller of the Railway
* A Thomas & Friends Imagination Station; featuring stamps, temporary tattoos, hands-on arts & crafts, train tables, and coloring sheets
* Storytelling
* Video viewing and much moreThe GO GO Thomas Tour 2013 is visiting the Kentucky Railroad Museum onJune 1-2, 2013 and June 8-9.  Get Your Tickets Today!http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=14221&pl=thomas13&REFERRAL_ID=dowtsplash

Book Review: Road To Madina by Alaa Alghamdi

I hate how busy I have been lately. I don't have time to read any good books anymore. Reading used to be something that I really enjoyed but lately I haven't really had the chance. Boo. However, I recently got the chance to review the book "Road To Madina" by Alaa Alghamdi. When I heard the book's description, I was really interested:

Set in Madina, Saudi Arabia and Leeds, U.K, the novel tells the story of a young Saudi woman, Maryam, who somewhat reluctantly decides to pursue postgraduate studies in Leeds. Her hesitation stems from the fact that she is a devout and traditional person, deeply dedicated to her Muslim faith, and is initially ambivalent about leaving the world she has always known. However, encouraged by her mother, an academic who also studied and lived in the West, she ventures to this new place and encounters both enriching experiences and a sense of displacement. Her sojourn in the West leads to a new set of decisions to be made. The novel follows Maryam from the age of 22, when she is deciding to apply to study in Leeds, to her eventual return to Saudi Arabia several years later.

I have to say that this book was really interesting to me. I am a little older than Maryam in the story, but I really connected with her character and found her to be a great inspiration. I also really love to read about different cultures and connect with different ways of life than my own, and this book really gave me a lot of insight into what life is like on the other side of the world.

This was a really great story, about a girl, nervous, shy and afraid, who turns into a young woman in a relatively short period of time. It was kind of like a coming of age story. I really grew to like Maryam and want the best for her during this story. I was proud when she made good choices, and cringed when she made different ones than I would have made, but I always wanted her to succeed. This was a great book and I think it is a perfect beach or poolside read for Summer! I highly recommend it!

Newport Aquarium, Here We Come!

I can't believe Summer is almost here! What about you guys? Tater only has seven more days of school left, and we will be done! I am so excited, and really ready for some Summer fun! We are going to be doing several "small vacations" close to home this year. Bean is still small, and I am a little nervous to take him anywhere for more than a few days, so we're breaking up our vacations into four 3day increments! Fun fun! Our first mini vacation will be in just a few weeks, when we head up to Ohio for some fun at King's Island and The Beach Waterpark! I can't wait to stop by Newport Aquarium on our way home! 

Newport Aquarium is a little under two hours from our house. We've never been, strangely enough. I always thought my boys wouldn't really enjoy the aquarium all that much, but after our trip to Gatlinburg in January, I saw how much fun they had at Ripley's Aquarium, so I knew another aquarium visit needed to come soon! 

I was really excited to learn that the Newport Aquarium was named the No. 1 aquarium in the 2012 Readers’ Choice Travel Awards from 10Best.com. I really can't wait to visit, so I decided to do a little bit of research and see what we were going to be seeing on our trip! First of all, I was thrilled when I found out about the Penguin Parade that goes through the Plaza in front of the aquarium every single day. I know we are going to have to get there early so we can check this out! Our whole family is penguin crazy! 

I am really excited about all of the different exhibits, it looks like there is going to be something for everyone in our family! There are over sixty exhibits! I have to say that I am particularly excited about the Amazon exhibit, it even has a tunnel that you can walk through to see the awesome fish, including the Pacu. I had a Pacu when I was a little girl, he grew so big he couldn't fit in our aquarium anymore and we had to send him to an aquarium to live.. I love these fish and can't wait to check them out up close! 

As for Tater, I am sure that his favorite exhibit will be the Bizarre and Beautiful! He loves things that are weird and unusual, so I know this will be right up his alley! I know how much he enjoyed the giant Spider Crabs at Ripley's, so I know he'll be thrilled to check out this exhibit! 

I know that my hubs will love Gator Alley. His favorite animals are gators, dragons, lizards, etc.. He could spend all day checking them out! And for little beanie? I am thinking that the Frog Bog, with over 20 different species of exotic frogs will be his very favorite!

But, the coolest part, I think we all can agree on? Newport Aquarium features the largest collection of Shark Rays in the world! You might be asking, what's a Shark Ray? Well, folks, Shark Rays are an extremely rare species that have fins like a shark's, but a smooth belly like a stingray. They almost look like a prehistoric creature of some sort! Shark Rays are a super rare species that are hard to find anywhere else in the world, so seeing them at Newport Aquarium is going to be a real treat for our family! We can't wait to meet Sweet Pea, Scooter, Sunshine and Spike! So excited! We can't wait to check out this awesome aquarium! Stay tuned for our review once we get home! 

Do you want to check out the Newport Aquarium too? Here's some more info for you! 

2013 General Admission 
Newport Aquarium Adult Admission (Ages 13+) $23
Newport Aquarium Child Admission (Ages 2 - 12) $15
Children under the age of 2 FREE

The hours for the aquarium vary, but usually are from around 9-10am to around 6-7pm. You can check out this link http://www.newportaquarium.com/What-to-do-in-cincinnati/Aquarium-Hours.aspx to check out the hours for the day you would like to visit and plan your day! Are you a planner like me and want to plan your visit out even more? Visit http://www.newportaquarium.com/Things-to-do/Aquarium-Map.aspx for an interactive map to help you decide what to do first! 

Our family will receive complimentary passes in exchange for our honest review. As always, all opinions are our own and not influenced by any outside sources. 

Take The AvoDerm Challenge! #Ad

Are you up for the challenge? The AvoDerm challenge, that is! 

I was compensated for this sponsored post made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. 

We all love our pets, and now AvoDerm is challenging us to all be a little more particular about what we feed them! The AvoDerm challenge asks you to switch your dog or cat to AvoDerm food and see if you can see the difference! You can see a softer, shinier coat for your pet in just 6 weeks! AvoDerm will even give you a $5 coupon to make switching easier! If you agree to take the challenge, you will even have a chance to enter the AvoDerm sweepstakes for a chance to win a year's supply of AvoDerm! 

What makes AvoDerm different? Well, is full of high quality meats, rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids from natural avocados and completely balanced for the total health of your pet. Want to learn more? You can learn more at the AvoDerm website and be sure to connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. Ready to take the challenge for yourself? You can take the challenge now and receive your $5.00 off coupon.

I was compensated for this sponsored post made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.