Washed Ashore: Georgia Aquarium's Newest Exhibit AND Giveaway!

Our little scientist really keeps us on our toes. He is the first to remind me to put the paper in recycle and sometimes he even lets me know he turned out of the lights as he left my room. Hint hint, mom.

T loves nature, animals, and all things outdoors. At Dauphin Island last spring, he collected shells but also picked up litter as we walked along the shore. I love him. I just love him. 

As you might imagine, he was THRILLED when I told him our family is renewing our dedication to reducing waste by partnering with Georgia Aquarium. After our recent trip, he declared "I love that the aquarium is not just about the shows mommy." He's right. There's so much more!

Through September, the Aquarium is hosting a very special exhibit-Washed Ashore:Art To Save the Sea. The exhibit offers an artsy twist on the global problem of ocean pollution featuring 13 larger than life pieces all created from ocean debris. Now T loves art almost as much as he loves nature, so he is very excited about this exhibit! 

Since June is World Oceans month and this awesome exhibit is so close to home, we decided to create our own piece of art using a few recycled materials.

T and "Elephant's Dream"

Now N and I have no idea where he found all of these bottle caps (obviously our neighbors,) but we were so happy he found a good use for them! He painted his cardboard with watercolor, placed his caps into just the right elephant shape, then added a newspaper scrap tail. 

This masterpiece is now proudly displayed on our mantle. I can't even tell you how much we love it. It shows his creativity and passion for animals. I have no doubt the Washed Ashore exhibit will leave me feeling the same way! 

Would you like to see for yourself by winning 4 tickets to the Georgia Aquarium? 

(Admission to Washed Ashore exhibit is included with general admission!) 

1. Use at least 3 items that you would normally throw away or recycle and turn them into art! 

2. Post a picture of your creation on Facebook or Instagram! 

3. Tag @mymommyreads, @georgiaaquarium, and tag #TrashtoTreasure and #SavetheSea.

4. Proclaim your family's commitment to reducing ocean debris!

One winner will be randomly chosen by midnight Friday, July 8th. 

Looking forward to seeing your art! 

The BFG Freebies!

Have you read The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) by Roald Dahl? I'm going to be really honest and tell you that we have had the book on our shelf for maybe three years and I had no idea what it was about. When I read the blurb, it gave me the hivvy jivvies. (I am such a wimp!) 

When T saw the preview for the upcoming movie, he said, "Hey, don't we have that book?" Yes, yes we do. I tried to change the subject, but he went to look for it and then he said, "Can we read it?" 

I think we know what happened next! While I still got the hivvy jivvies a few times, we both enjoyed the book. The language is amazing and the silly words from BFG are fun to read and play around with. "Am I left or am I right?" has become a common phrase in our house. 

Will I be reading it to my first graders? Nope. Am I so glad I read this with my son? You bet! 

I know older grades read the book in class and I know others read it just for fun. Maybe you are going straight to the movie though! That's cool, too! No matter how you choose to enjoy The BFG, I have something to share! Our friends at Disney have given us a couple of very cool FREEBIES! Click on the picture below to download several BFG coloring pages and some totally awesome two sided bookmarks! 

Disney's The BFG hits theaters July 1st! Click here to follow the fun on FB! 

Summer Lovin'

Let's be honest. When summer rolls around each year, teachers are happy, really happy.

It is not because we do not love our students, we do. I do. I really do. There are other reasons out there you know? 

Here are a few of mine:

1. I have two, super cute little boys and one pretty cool husband at home and I love them, TOO.

2. I want to go to a workshop to learn something new and not have to do sub plans. UGH! Sub plans!

3. I want to stay up late reading a book-any book I want, and not have to teach small people the next day! 

4. I want to shop for my classroom and future students. It's true. I've already started.

5. I want to plan stuff that might not ever happen and dream up big, elaborate lessons and make lists that will never be completed and jot down ideas that might not ever come to fruition. I want to write! 

Teachers love summer because it is a break. It is a much needed break. We need to recharge, not only for ourselves, but for our students. 

With that, happy summer teachers! Cheers to you and whatever your reason is!