It's Time for the Ohio Renaissance Festival!!

Forget your cares and step back in time to this 30-acre re-created 16th Century English village and enjoy over 400 years of fun in a single day! The festival offers something for everyone featuring nearly 100 shows daily on 12 stages, over 150 unique arts and crafts shops, hearty food and drink, games of skill and human-powered rides to amuse all ages.

Over 150 costumed characters welcome you to the village! Rub elbows with Royalty as you cheer your favorite knight to victory in the thrilling Full-armored Tournament Joust. Welcoming you to a festive day in the village are dueling swordsmen, rowdy pirates, nobles, peasants, and daring jugglers. The sprawling landscape is dotted with hundreds of unique shops in the Medieval Marketplace featuring many one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted items. See time-honored crafts of glassblowing, stone carving, blacksmithing, leather tooling, boot making, and more demonstrated. The air is filled with the scents and smells of the foods of the Renaissance period. Feast like Royalty on juicy, giant roasted turkey legs, fresh baked bread bowls overflowing with soups and stews, fish 'n chips, steak-on-a-stake, succulent roasted corn on the cob and a wide variety of the finest ales and wines. There's something for everyone's taste buds! 

Visitors of all ages will be amused by the games of skill and human-powered rides. Try your hand at archery and see if you're a modern-day Robin Hood, or climb the castle tower and rescue the lovely damsel in distress.

Get $4 off Adult and $2 off Child tickets by using Promo Code "queen17" when purchasing on our secure website at www.renfestival.com. Tickets valid any day of the 2017 season (Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day Sept 2 - Oct 29). Online discount only. Not good with any other offers.
http://usfamilycoupons.com/coupon.php?regionid=75&bid=11996&dealid=1936 .@usfg

My family loved spending the day at the Renaissance Festival. There is something there for everyone, from food to crafts, drinks, shows and more. It is an all day adventure that is well worth taking!

Funko POP Heroes: Arkham Asylum Joker

I expected this figure to be the same quality I am used to with Funko products, and I was not disappointed at all.

 This full sized figure does a great job of expressing the crazy that is Joker. I love the small details that matter, like the chain on the waist or the stitching on the pants. It is perfect for collectors and little Batman fans too. My nephew is 6 and he loves playing with Funkos as action figures.

This Joker figure does not stand up on it's own, so if you want a figure that will stand alone, do not buy this one! It will not do it, no matter how hard I tried. I normally leave them in the box when displaying, so that was not a problem for me.

This Funko was for my son and he just propped it against other items on his dresser, which worked fine for him. To me, the look of this, and the fact that he is Joker, are enough to justify the price. I am satisfied and my son loved it as a gift, so it was a win/win for me.

Time Is Money, Save Both With Groupon

Being a busy mom of 3, I don't always have time to look around for the best deal. Being a busy mom of 3, I need to find more deals, because, really..who doesn't want to save money?? My solution is Groupon. 

Using one simple site, I can easily find discounts on things I do,and buy, every day. I can save on entertainment and meals, or even plan a trip using multiple deals and options. 

When I am in need of a quick gift, or just want to send a favorite to someone special, I can zip over to Edible Arrangements, grab a beautiful bouquet or boxed treat, use one of the offered codes, and in just a few clicks, I save money and get an awesome gift, right from home. Win/win! 

It's almost time for back to school, so a visit to Walmart, Foot Locker or Office Depot may soon be in order. I will be sure to browse the codes for the best savings, discounts and offers before making any purchases. 

 It's easy to do when they are all together for me to see and choose from, and I can look by item or store to find the best deals overall, not just from one place. That is a big plus when looking for a certain brand or specific item. Again, it's a time thing for me. 

Groupon updates constantly, so you can always find current deals and codes to use, not waste time with tons of outdated links. Find the best savings on all the things you need and keep your time for all the things you want to do instead! 

*This post is sponsored by Groupon 

SmitCo

It's almost time for the school year to end..and that means finding activities for the kids to do all summer long. Thankfully, you can find quality, affordable gifts for girls ages 2 to 12. SmitCo LLC has several different diaries with lock and keys and diary sets for girls in Emoji and Diva themes, as well as several different nail art sets to provide hours of fun

 A huge hit is the brand new Mermaid themed scrapbook kit, as well as 3 unique princess dress up sets

SmitCo products also include rose gold, gold or rhodium plated jewelry and sets, as well as very popular stretch sets for little girls - all packed in cute gift boxes.

Fiesta Colorful Paper Fans

These fun little fan style decorations are so simple, anyone can assemble them. They literally just unfold and hook at the ends with a paper clip. Then you use the attached string to hang them. 

When the party is over, you just remove the clip and fold them back down to save for the next time. It's that quick and easy. The fans looks great hanging from the ceiling, light fixtures and doorways. 

You can even hang these from a porch, canopy or tree branches for outdoor use. The fans are made from a thick paper that is sturdy enough to use multiple times. I love that the color variety allows these to work for endless occasions too, so you don't need a new package for every event. My only complaint with these is that I wish there were more in the set!

*I received a discount on this item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own

120 Colors Reaeon Colored Gel Pens

I love that everyone is into adult coloring now. I have always colored here and there, but admit i do it more now that I have a few of my own books.

 For great pictures, you need great colors,Not all pens work well for large spaces, but I was happy to find that these do. The tips are not super fine or sharp, so they didn't rip the pages.
The color applies smoothly, with no clumps or runs so far. I had two pens out of the bunch that kind of stuttered, they would color for a few strokes and then freeze up mid stroke. A little scribbling on scrap paper corrected the flow, but it still felt scratchy when shading, so I just use those two for writing and not coloring. Aside from that, I had no issues with these. the colors are beautiful and look great on paper, especially the glittery ones.

I like the variety of colors included and love that they come with refills. The refills are in a bulk package and each one has a plastic cap to prevent leaking, so I can store them until I need them. There are neons, pastels, glitters and even multi colored pens in this set, which my daughter loved. 

The description says 120 colors, but the refills look like the same colors as the pens, or at least most of them do. I think it is closer to 60 colors with 60 matching refills. You can only use 1 color per pen at a time, so that was not a problem for me, but be warned if you are expecting 120 actual different shades. Unless I somehow got the wrong package of refills, that was not the case.

*I received a discount on this item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.

Jxstar Little Girl's Classical Animals Printed Sleeveless Summer Dress

My daughter the diva loves new clothes, so when I saw this dress covered in kittens, I knew it would be a hit with her. 

This rainbow cat dress is made from a stretchy, lightweight material, so it is comfortable and cute at the same time. The dress feels soft and silky on the skin, not itchy or scratchy in any way and the sizing is spot on too. It fits perfectly, and she even has a little room for growth too. 

I love how the skirt is ruffled, so it doesn't lay flat and clingy, and it swirls around her when she walks. The dress has zig-zag stitching, which I think holds better than a straight stitch does.

I really have no complaints about this dress. It's cute, she loves it, and it was a big hit with all her friends at school.



*I received a discount on this item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.

GDEALER Solar Outdoor String Lights

These solar lights are a fun tear drop design, so they stand out a little more if you are hanging them than they do on the ground. I used these to circle my flower bed anyway, and inserted the panel in a corner to try and hide it from view.

The 20 foot strand was not long quite enough to go all the way around the arch, so I centered it in the front, and I love how it turned out. With 30 bulbs, there is just enough light from these to highlight my plants, making them visible even at night.

The control functions are on the bottom of the solar panel for easy access, and they are simple push style buttons so it takes just a second to switch patterns or turn them off/on. I love how these highlight my yard with a shimmery light that I don't have to mess with.

I have no complaints with these, they work perfectly, look great, and have lasted through the intense heat, as well as several episodes of rain, with no problems at all.

*I received a discount on this item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.

Emoji Gumballs Are A Hit

Emojis are so popular with the kids, and these gumballs are no exception. My kids wanted them as soon as they saw the package.

 The box contains 24 individually sealed packs of 5 gumballs, and the balls in each package contain the same 5 emoji faces. For me, this means no kids complaining or fighting because one didn't get the same style as the other, so that is a plus!

The gum itself has a nice sweet taste to it, although I think the balls are a bit hard to chew. The kids had no problems with them though, and they love tucking a pack into their bag on the way to school.

I have shared a few packs with their friends too, and had no complaints there either. As quickly as these disappeared, you can safely say they were well received. With Halloween coming, I know these would be a big hit with the trick-or-treaters here too. Happy kids equals happy mom, so I have no complaints.


*I received a discount on this item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own.

Expandable Flexible Garden Water Hose by Kelley General

This flexible hose is not as small as I was expecting it to be when not in use, but much smaller than my traditional hose. I like that it can be coiled, curved, or even stacked in a small box for storage, so it is much easier to put away than the stiff rubber one I had before.

The expandable hose can be used alone, or added to another hose for longer length, and it comes with everything you need right in the box. Connecting it is super simple, and takes only a minute to do, and the multi function nozzle lets you control the force and direction of the water flow. 

The spray options go from a thick, strong blast, to a soft mist, so I can switch from cleaning the sidewalk to watering delicate flowers with one twist. It sprays about 15 to 20 feet on most of the settings, a little more with the stronger spray, and a little less with the fine mist. 

The only thing I question about this is how well it will hold up to children. My kids love playing with the hose in the summer, and I am not sure if this can handle the abuse. It might be fine for filling water balloons and running in the sprinkler, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with them riding a bike over this or stretching it to the limits like they do with a rubber version. The material just feels too dainty for that. I still plan to use this because I like it better, but I might hold on to my old one for awhile, just in case.

*I received a free item in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are my own