Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Hidden Lake Gardens

Yesterday, we packed up and headed out to enjoy a day at Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, Michigan. The gardens are a bit of a drive for us, but oh so worth the time it takes to get there.

Owned by Michigan State University, Hidden Lake Gardens is a 755 acre botanical garden and arboretum that is full of natural wonder.

Admittance is $3 per person, and once inside you can drive your car through winding roads, hike, bike, or walk around at will.  We drove through some of the scenic areas, and then got out to walk the trails.

This was the Outside of the Tree

This was underneath that awesome tree.

It was the perfect tree to do a little climbing. ;)

There were all kinds of treasures along the way, like the tree above that allowed you to go underneath it's canopy and explore.

Happy to lead the way.
He's checking out something moving in the woods.

The trails are interesting to walk along because even though they're clearly designated, they're also following the natural path, with no man-made embellishments along the way. It's perfect because you get to see the animals, hear the frogs, and even get tangled up a bit in the brush.

Um yeah, you can't see around the corner, so no more was it fun to 'take the lead.'  :)

Little man was happy to lead the way until the trails got twisty and you couldn't see what was coming around the bend. Then he hung back and gave up the lead spot, lol! ;)



Getting ready to have our picnic, but still making time to explore one more tree. 

We brought along a picnic for fuel, and that was good thinking because it takes a lot of energy to be a great wilderness explorer. :)


We visited the gorgeous special species plants and flowers too, that were carefully nurtured in the different indoor climates (I presume by students at MSU?).

For me it was love at first sight when I saw this huge Aloe plant.

For me it was love at first sight when I came across this huge Aloe plant. I think Aloe has so many uses, and I'd love to have a huge plant in my yard...maybe not this big, but you get the idea.

Cocoa Tree

I thought the Cocoa Tree was really interesting, and this one appeared to be flourishing!


There were a lot of pretty flowers to see too.


Hidden Lake Gardens was beautiful start to finish
& provided a great outlet for us to be able to get outside and enjoy the warm air.

If you're in the area, or have something similar in your neck of the woods, I encourage you to go! It was really just a great family day out, and a fun way for us to explore everything that is now (hurrah!) blooming, growing, and green!

Wordless Wednesday: You Got the Money, Honey...

Anyone remember that song? :)

Who says money doesn't grow on trees?
Origami Money Tree
Someone donated it to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, MI.
& my son thought it was really cool. ;)

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

MerryMakers Inc. Pete the Cat Plush (Review & Giveaway)

Disclosure: Mail4Rosey received a product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Merry Makers Inc. is such a great place to find storybook characters (they also sell sets that include the plush and the book). They've got tons of family favorites like a great Skippyjon Jones puppet, an awesome 'On the Night You Were Born' plush polar bear, an Olivia, and oooooh my goodness a cute Fly Guy plush, just to name a few.

Pete the Cat! A character from one of our favorite books!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Monster Math Squad DVD Review (with giveaway)

Disclosure: I received a product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.


A screen shot from our television.
Monster Math Squad has (30) math-filled episodes on (3) discs
that blend math challenges seamlessly into an engaging story line.

Mill Creek Entertainment has found a way to make learning math fun with their (30) episode, (3) disc DVD set of 'Monster Math Squad.'

The episodes in these DVDs are cute, intriguing, and fun to watch too!!  My son (age 6) wanted to keep watching them this morning instead of getting ready for school.  You know, he had the "stare straight ahead so you don't miss it" thing going on while mom was trying to button shirt buttons and comb wet hair. That's pretty good considering he's always quick to get ready himself in the morning, and this was a learning video.

The episodes include Max, Lily, and Goo...three loveable monsters that head about a daily task, such as babysitting, only to find math challenges all along the way.  There is counting, number recognition, sorting, and the like involved, but it's all cleverly integrated into the attention-capturing story line.  There's also a 'word of the day' in each episode (a math word) that viewers are to recognize and use to interact along with the monsters when it's found.

We thought it was a great way to get children interested in Math challenges, without pushing them to just sit and learn. The natural progression of learning that occurs during the plot of each story is what captures the children's attention (along with the colorful, and very cute monsters). It makes learning effortless and fun too.

I highly recommend this DVD for the younger crowd (Pre-School to Young Elementary Grades).  Five out of Five stars from me on this one. I loved it, and my Kindergartner did too.


If you'd like to know more about 'Monster Math Squad,' head on over to the Mill Creek website, where it is also available for purchase. It can also be purchased (for a slightly higher price) on Amazon.

You can also follow Mill Creek Entertainment on Facebook, Twitter, and/or their YouTube account.

One winner gets a 'Monster Math Squad' DVD (30 episodes on three discs) to call their own. US entrants only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Groovy Girls (with Doll & Doll Bed Giveaway)

Disclosure: I received the same products being offered for giveaway to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.




Every little girl loves to have a pretty doll to call her own.  Add a great accessory like a bed for the doll, and the little girl is going to be over the moon happy. Groovy Girls from parent company The Manhattan Toy Company, has been sparking imaginative play with their beautiful dolls and fun accessories line since 1998.