If you’re like me, last minute plans are a specialty. Haven’t decided how you’re going to celebrate the 4th of July? If you’re looking for fireworks displays in Cobb County – and maybe a little farther – let me help you! Fireworks Displays in Atlanta and Stone Mountain Centennial Park, Downtown Atlanta – July 3rd Look Up Atlanta is hosted by the Georgia World Congress Center Authority on July 3rd – which is cool, because you can take these in and then do something else on Monday, if your family is hard-core festive like that. General admission tickets are only $10.00. All proceeds benefit the ..read more

A few years back, our county got a little nutty with Lexile level requirements. What is Lexile? Is Lexile level important? Yes and no. What is Lexile Level? It’s a measure – how hard or easy a book may be to read for an individual.  There are assessments a student takes in school to determine their Lexile measure.  They are then given a range – it’s basically saying “books in this range aren’t too easy or too hard for you”. A book’s Lexile is determined by a few things, among them are number of words on a page, sentence length & complexity, and the complexity of the vocabulary ..read more

Was one of your resolutions to get healthier? Do you have a bucket list race that you are wanting to complete? Just always wanted to try running? Awesome. And welcome! The running community is pretty freaking supportive. But getting started can be overwhelming. If you are a new runner, here are some tips to help you start running. Set Expectations You are not going to lace up and run 3 miles non-stop out of the starting gate. I mean, my teenage son did that, but unless you are an athletic 15 year old boy, the likelihood is low. It’s going to be difficult, and you’re going to have to get past ..read more

My youngest and I have started a thing – we pick a movie series or genre to binge and watch one movie every other night. A Jurassic Park movie marathon was a foregone conclusion; he has loved these movies for years. Of course, we had to be a little extra about it and make it into an occasion to get creative with our snacks. I turned to the internet for help and we had some absolutely adorable dinosaur themed food! The Jurassic Park Movies In Order Jurassic Park, 1993 The Lost World, 1997 Jurassic Park III, 2001 Jurassic World, 2015 Jurassic World, Fallen Kingdom, 2018 Dinosaur Themed Food for ..read more

Disclosure: My entry in the Coastal Half Marathon was sponsored by Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events. All opinions are my own. The Coastal Half Marathon, 5K and 1 Mile Run This event is typically held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so it’s the perfect post-Turkey Trot! The fact that so many distances are involved means this is perfect as a family event. I ran the half marathon while my husband ran the 5K. I’ve been in kind of a grudge match with this race. *2018* Registered for the half marathon, I had a bad chest cold and switched to the 5K. *2019* Registered for the half mara ..read more

Fitness vacation? Some people don’t think the words “fitness” and “vacation” should be in the same sentence. If you have an outdoorsy family like mine, though, you might seek out more active things to do on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Hiking When you think of hiking, do you think of the beach? Gulf State Park has some fantastic hiking trails – 28 miles of them! Explore the different ecosystems in the area while you get in some exercise. The trails are a mix of pavement and boardwalks, so strollers are not a problem. They are also pet friendly! Head over to the Alabama State Parks page to see a map ..read more

Think only people who like thrill rides will enjoy Six Flags Holiday in the Park 2021? I tested that myth with my 13 year old son who is NOT a coaster guy. We had a great time on the tamer rides, taking in the decorations and trying out the holiday snacks at Six Flags Over Georgia. Decorations at Six Flags Holiday in the Park New this year is the The Grand Fir, the feature in the Holiday Light Spectacular. Parked at the front entrance, this 28 foot LED Christmas tree gives an animated light show set to fun Christmas music. Decor in other areas of the park is themed. A Georgia Christmas is pea ..read more

Have you resisted the call to borrow e-books from the public library? My name is Amy, and I am a recovering “Real” Book Snob. When electronic books started to be a thing, I was torn.  Like most people who are passionate about reading, I appreciate the feel and smell of an actual print book.  But… if you are telling me that I can carry around hundreds of books in my purse at any given time, you kind of have my heart with that. I’ve since gotten over any reservations I had.  Amazon deals and sites like BookBub make it easy to find ebooks on the cheap.  You know what’s better ..read more

This post about games older and younger kids can play together is sponsored by Genius of Play, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving parents everything they need to make play an important part of their kid’s daily lives.  All opinions are my own! Trying to Find Games Older and Younger Kids Can Play Together My oldest two children are only 18 months apart.  They went through everything together.  Were interested in the same toys, played all the same games, had roughly the same age friends.  That was convenient. Enter my youngest, five years after my middle child was ..read more

Our family is deep into SEC football, y’all. Go Dawgs! When my son and I got the chance to attend the Haunted Hall of Fame event at the College Football Hall of Fame Atlanta, we were all in! All kids 12 and under were given free admission – if they were in costume! But you don’t need a special event to have a blast at the Hall! Register Your All Access Pass The first thing you’ll do is take the pass you were given at the ticket window and register it at the above kiosk. You get to pick your favorite team! The pass uses RFID technology to automatically pull up your team when you approach any ..read more