Inside Out Halloween Activity Sheets

This year I am excited to announce that I have been selected to be a SeaWorld Wildsider! What does that mean? Well it means I get to attend fun events and bring you behind the scenes look into the world of SeaWorld! My first event is going to be this Saturday April 11th! I will be joining 14 other Wildsiders at the Just for Kids breakfast with Elmo & Friends then heading out into the park for a day of fun!
If you live in Texas or will be in the San Antonio area this month and would like to join us for this fun breakfast as well as the Just For Kids event there is a BOGO deal going on! Buy 1 Adult Ticket Get 1 Child For FREE!
What’s is the Just For Kids Event?
Bring your little ones to sing, dance and play the day away at Just for Kids!, SeaWorld’s park-wide festival made just for kids! From Shamu’s Party Zone, to kid-friendly entertainment and a super-sized foam pit, there’s no better festival that’s Just for Kids! So come join us Saturdays & Sundays this April.
Shamu’s Party Zone & Foam Pit
Shamu’s Party Zone is the place to be for fun! With a super-sized foam pit, a live family-friendly DJ, dancing on Shamu’s dance floor, games, and a host of interesting and friendly costume characters, it’s fun for the whole family all weekend long! Look for the party in front of Nautilus Amphitheater.
Elmo Rocks!
It’s a rock ‘n roll sunny day with Elmo, Zoe, Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie in this hilarious musical show. Don’t miss your last chance to see Elmo Rocks! before it’s gone for good! And be sure to visit Sesame Street Bay of Play to see more of your favorite characters after the show. Location: Nautilus Amphitheatre.
Ocean Adventure
This is an activity that’s “Just for Kids!” Go on an Ocean Adventure and learn all about the fascinating animals here at SeaWorld San Antonio. Grab your Just for Kids! festival map for all of the details.
SeaWorld Express
This kid-sized train equals lots of smiles. A ride in the SeaWorld Express, located in front of Nautilus Amphitheatre, is sure to entertain SeaWorld’s littlest guests. All aboard for fun!
A Sesame Street Breakfast
Limited time offer during Just for Kids weekends ONLY – kids eat FREE at Sesame Street Breakfast! When you purchase 1 adult reservation, you get 1 FREE reservation for your child. So start your day with a delicious buffet and great big hugs from Elmo and his Sesame Street friends. Reserve your spot early; space is limited and you will not want to miss this! Book now >
Sesame Street Bay of Play
Sesame Street Boy of Play is an attraction for the whole family! Featuring Elmo, Big Bird, and all of their friends, it is three acres of exciting rides, shows, and play areas that will bring out the child in everyone! Explore more >
Be sure to follow me on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter and follow the hashtag #Wildside15 to keep up with all the Sea World fun!

It seems like there’s always something to worry about when having 4 kids…keeping my home safe shouldn’t be one of them. This past weekend my husband and I attended an event and let my oldest baby sit his younger brothers. While I trust him, having all 4 kids home alone was worrisome. Thank goodness a few days before I received the new Canary Home Security System so I was able to implement it while we were out.
The Canary is a small “canister” about the size of a coke can, that sits on a flat surface and captures a high-definition, wide-angle views. The Canary is a motion-sensor activated camera that’s connected to your home’s wifi and to your smart phone or tablet. Not only can you see what’s going on live in your home when you’re not there, but you can also receive smart phone alerts when activity is detected.
I received plenty of alerts while at the event, but every time I checked in on them they were on the couch or the floor watching a movie…or two…or three. So most of the alerts were from when they did a sudden movement or at night when a car drove by and shined the lights through the blinds. I did happen to accidently hit the alarm button at one point during the afternoon, which gave them quite the scare..but hey, at least I know it works well! Having the Canary Home Security System certainly gave me piece of mind!
The Canary Indoor Wireless High-Definition All-In-One Home Security device helps keep your home safe and sound with motion detection notifications, a 90+ dB siren and HomeHealth Technology. It learns the cadence of your home so it can send you accurate notifications with fewer false alarms triggered by pets or other regular activity in your house.
Easy to set up: just place the Canary in a central location, plug it in and connect to your Wi-Fi
Stream live video from your home anytime: Canary’s free mobile app let you see what’s happening from anywhere with your iPhone® or Android smartphone
Vivid HD 1080p resolution allows you to see small details on your screen, the 147° field of view which lets see more with minimal blind spots, and infrared night vision lets you see in the dark – you can keep an eye up to 20′ away when there’s little to no light
The device is a great way to check in on kids or caregivers. If the device is set to “Arm,” you’ll receive a notification when someone arrives in your home. Use the “Watch Live” feature to check on everything from homework being done to house rules are being followed
Gives you a complete picture of what’s going on at home, it puts you in control of how to react when something goes wrong.
Canary is the only solution with a 90+ decibel siren and a localized emergency call feature, which lets you contact authorities close to home from anywhere in the world
Notifications keep you informed: receive movement-detection notifications that contain recorded footage and give you the options to watch live or sound the 90+ dB siren
Since the March 2015 launch, nearly 75 known burglaries, home invasions, caretaker abuse and other emergency situations have been captured by Canary, resulting in multiple arrests
Canary’s HomeHealth feature lets you know if the temperature and air quality of the home is safe and comfortable – you can monitor the air quality, temperature and humidity in your home from almost anywhere
In addition to purchasing the Canary Home Security system, Best Buy has suggestions to make sure you get the most out of your system. Upgrade your router to boost your signal with the Netgear® Nighthawk™ DST Router and DST Adapter with Geek Squad included – exclusively developed between Netgear, an industry leader in the networking world, and Best Buy, to help provide consumers with an easy, all-in-one solution to support their home’s connected devices.
As the number of Wi-Fi dependent products increase in a home – the average US household has 7 “connected devices” – from smart phones (often several in a home), to tablets, to laptops, to computers, and Wi-Fi printers, this puts a strain on the home’s network, especially the router. With the interest in online gaming and 4k TVs, connected devices such as smart thermostats, plus the need to stream shows from Netflix or hulu, it places even more demands on the network. Many households may experience slow Wi-Fi, dropped calls, or experience “dead zones” – which could be improved upon with an “AC” router, Wi-Fi extenders and expert help.
Best Buy makes it easy to set up the new high performance wifi router and extender with Geek Squad Set Up and Support via phone & web, for one full year. You’ll get support via phone or web and get help 24/7 instead of scheduling an appointment.
Disclosure: This is a review for Best Buy. I was sent product, but was not compensated.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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My guess is you may have a few beauty lovers on your holiday shopping list. Which, well for me, is the most fun to shop for because you can just buy things that you really like yourself! If you do have a beauty lover or two on your list, there’s no better place to shop than Ulta Beauty. Because no matter your budget, they have you covered.
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette
Makeup Revolution’s Romantic Smoked Redemption Eyeshadow Palette is a perfect mix of pearl, shimmer and matte shades. The best reason to be late for date night! Flirty peaches, seductive plums, and alluring greys will give your eyes the Romantic Smoked-out look you crave.
I love the colors in this palette. These colors would suit just about everyone and take you from day to night! At on $7 you can stuff a lot of stockings with this! A great teacher gift to toss in her gift basket!
Ulta Ultra CHI Glitter Sweet 1″ Iron
The Ultra CHI Glitter Sweet 1″ Iron features tourmaline ceramic plates for even heat distribution and a ceramic heater that produces far infrared and negative ions. This iron instantly adds moisture and shine, reduces frizz and static electricity.
Key Features:
1″ Tourmaline ceramic plates
Versatile “all in one” ergonomic design
Professional salon model
Flash quick 30 second heat up
Swivel cord for tangle prevention
Reaches a max. temperature of 392 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius (heat is non-adjustable)
Dual voltage but requires an adapter
If you don’t already have one, a CHI iron is a must have. It features tourmaline ceramic plates that really make hair shine and look healthy. Don’t wear your hair straight? This styling iron also works to create frizz-free curls and is the ultimate professional grade hair styling tool! I’m still trying to get the hang of curling with it but it’s always fun trying! The color…the sparkle, couldn’t be more my style!
This and 7 other CHI’s come with a FREE metallic tote that is included in the product box. So not only do you get an amazing hair tool, you get a tote too?! Fabulous gift!
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This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Today marks the first day of winter! I know for some of us we’ve felt its icy breath already…Traveling in winter can be a little scary. Driving through snow & ice is no picnic and even if you’re flying you may still have delays from the snow & ice. Red Roof Inn has some fun facts about Fun Facts & Tips For Winter Travel to help whether you’re flying, driving, staying with family or getting a hotel.
Five Fun Facts-Fall/Winter Travel
New England is famous for its glorious foliage as billions of leaves change from green to a kaleidoscope of colors. Generations of families can travel together and enjoy the changing colors in the northern regions of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire typically around mid-to-late September and peak around mid-October.
Extend a business trip this winter with a skiing excursion at one of the 477 ski resorts operating across the U.S. 11.42 MM people signed up to ski in 2013.
Looking for a solo winter getaway? 84% of Americans prefer visiting warm destinations over cold locales during winter trips. The beach is the most popular destination this winter (51%), followed by city escapes (37%), and cruises (12%).
Over the holiday season families often travel great distances to share the holidays together. The average Thanksgiving trip is 214 miles, compared with 275 miles over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday.
Even though 73% of Americans plan to fly for any winter leisure trips5 they may take, many report that flying can be stressful for them. But Americans are streamlining the stress by using high-tech tools to make routine travel tasks, research and time management easier.
3 Quick Travel Tips
Flying during the holidays? Don’t wrap gifts — security will just have to tear them open. With TSA searching checked bags as well as carry-ons, this applies to all luggage, not just what is brought onto the plane. Consider shipping gifts ahead of time or wrapping them at your final destination.
If driving, make frequent rest stops – winter driving is much more tiring than a summer drive, so make time to stop and stretch. Just a few minutes off the road makes all the difference in improving alertness when back behind the wheel.
When traveling as a family, hotel rooms can sometimes become chaotic. Instead, try to book a suite (or two connecting rooms). The extra square footage can be beneficial and if you drove to your destination, you can even stow empty suitcases in your car to alleviate some clutter. Keeping rooms clean will cut down on frustration as well.
Remember to take your time, plan ahead and you should have happy & safe travels.

Working in public service
Working in the public service sector can be quite an exhaustive job, but it can certainly be one that provides you with such pride and admiration. Whether you choose to work in the health sector which could mean nursing and taking on something like a dnp degree. Maybe you want to protect people on the streets by joining local law enforcement or even joining the fire brigade to potentially save peoples lives, working in public service could be a great career move to make. Of course, many of these roles may need qualifications in advance or some intense on the job training, but it could be a real positive move for you to make in regards to your career.
Working in marketing
Maybe you want to consider marketing as a potential career move, and with companies really focusing on brand awareness and their advertising options then this could be a real solid and lucrative career move to make. With so much focus on the digital side of things, marketing has fast become a great career for someone. With dedicated courses and degrees you can take online, you could find yourself becoming hot property in this field. Marketing is only going to be more of a focus for companies in the future, so maybe this could be the change for you.
Take on a digital career
You may be wondering what a digital career is, but with the increase in social media, blogging and even things like YouTube channels you can now make an honest living from all things digital. It could also provide you with a job that can work around your current lifestyle such as studying or even a family. Which makes it a real possible option for some. Vlogging, blogging and social media management is something that you can just start, as there are plenty of tutorials online to get you going.
Using your love for numbers as a career
Finally, perhaps you have a real flare with numbers and would like a career doing something that you enjoy. Which could mean that you change your career and go for something like accountancy or economics. Number crunching won’t always appeal to some, but there are people out there who have a real flair for it. Again you may need to take on additional qualifications, but accounting or banking jobs could be the ideal choice for you this year.
I hope that you find these options food for thought when it comes to your career ideas.

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
The benefits of making your own baby food are enormous …
You know exactly what your baby is eating – none of the dreaded “fillers” commonly found in commercial baby food
You know that the ingredients are fresh and healthy
You can “tailor make” your baby’s food to best suit his/her preferences and needs
You will save money. These homemade baby food recipes cost a fraction of the price of ready made foods
And most importantly … making your own baby food is tremendously satisfying – for you AND your baby.
It’s not nearly as time-consuming as you might think! On the baby food preparation and storage page you’ll learn how to prepare batches of food quickly and easily.
Your baby might be ready for solids if he/she:
Sits up alone, without assistance
Consistently seems hungry after a full feeding
Shows interest in or grabs at your food
Can refuse food by turning head
Has outgrown reflex to spit out solid food
My Sparkling Life recommends introducing one food at a time, waiting at least 3-4 days before introducing another food. Watch closely for adverse reactions such as excessive gas, diarrhea, vomiting or a rash. If there is a reaction, discontinue food and wait at least 2 more weeks before reintroducing the food.
Sweet and delicious, it’s sure to please your little one’s palette. And the recipe could not be easier!
1 package frozen organic peas*
½ cup water
Place frozen peas in steamer. (If you don’t have a steamer, place metal colander over a pot of boiling water and cover.) Steam peas for 6-7 minutes or until tender.
Remove cooked peas from steamer/colander and put in food processor. Add water and process until completely smooth.
Once cooled, distribute mixture evenly amongst ice cube trays or cupcake tins, dependent upon desired portion size. When ice cubes are frozen, remove cubes from tray and store in a resealable plastic freezer bag or freezer container. Label package with contents and date. Use within 1 month. Before serving, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
*You can substitute frozen peas with fresh, but I’ve found the quality is exactly the same and it’s much less labor intensive to use the pre-shelled frozen peas. And we busy moms need all the time-savers we can get!
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
1/3 cup water
¼ tsp. fresh ground cinnamon (optional, for babies at least 6 months old)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, for babies at least 6 months old)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place washed sweet potatoes directly on a baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until sweet potatoes are completely tender. Set aside to cool.
Once sweet potatoes are cool, peel off skin and cut into large chunks. Place sweet potatoes in food processor, add water, cinnamon (optional) and vanilla (optional) and puree until completely smooth. Add more water if necessary, to achieve desired consistency.
Distribute mixture evenly amongst ice cube trays or cupcake tins, dependent upon desired portion size.
Go get your green on with this yummy vegetable staple! Their mild flavor ensures little ones will gobble up their greens!
1 lb. fresh green beans, washed and ends removed
½ cup water
Place green beans in steamer. (If you don’t have a steamer, place metal colander over a pot of boiling water and cover.) Steam beans for 7-8 minutes or until tender.
Remove cooked beans from steamer/colander and put in food processor. Add water and process until completely smooth.
Once cooled, distribute mixture evenly amongst ice cube trays or cupcake tins, dependent upon desired portion size.When ice cubes are frozen, remove cubes from tray and store in a resealable plastic freezer bag or freezer container. Label package with contents and date. Use within 1 month. Before serving, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
1 4 ounce large carrot, cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup water
Place carrot in a medium saucepan. Add water. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
Remove carrot with a slotted spoon and put in food processor. Add water and process until completely smooth
Once cooled, distribute mixture evenly amongst ice cube trays or cupcake tins, dependent upon desired portion size. When ice cubes are frozen, remove cubes from tray and store in a resealable plastic freezer bag or freezer container. Label package with contents and date. Use within 1 month. Before serving, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.