Digital Media Academy Summer Camps: Save up to $200!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Digital Media Academy and US Family Guide. All opinions are mine.

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Summer is about halfway over here.  If your kids are starting to get to that point where they’re complaining about being bored and driving you and each other crazy, check out these amazing Digital Media Academy Summer camps!  At DMA, kids (ages 6-12) and teens (ages 12-17) learn computer programming, app development, 3D modeling, robotics, graphic design, filmmaking, and much more!

Right now, you can save BIG (up to $200 off) on these popular summer programs!  Check out the discount codes here for savings at a location near you–> Digital Media Academy coupons

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Campers get hands-on experience creating projects using the latest hardware and software from Apple, Canon, Adobe, and more.   Digital Media Academy also offers STEM camps just for girls, called Made by Girls! Learn from a female role model and tech professional in an environment of creative girls just like you!

Choose from one week DMA Camps, or step it up with two week DMA Academies, all taught by industry experts and tech professionals.  Hurry, save up to $200 with discount codes found here –> Digital Media Academy discounts

See you this summer at Digital Media Academy! #CreateTheNext

Questions? Call 1(866)656-3342 or email info@digitalmediaacademy.org.

Swagbucks 4th of July bonus!

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Fourth of July is one of my FAVORITE holidays!  I love the fireworks, time with family and friends, and yummy food!  Swagbucks wants to help you celebrate the 4th of July this year in a BIG way! They’ve partnered with MyGiftCardsPlus (powered by Swagbucks) to give you a 100 SB bonus with ANY gift card purchase of $50 of more!

Need a break from cooking?  Choose from Chili’s, Domino’s, Olive Garden, Landry’s, Red Robin, and more!   There are 38 different restaurant gift cards to choose from!  Maybe you need a little extra entertainment.  Choose From AMC, Groupon, Dave & Buster’s and more!

If you’re planning some home improvement projects, they’ve got both Lowe’s AND Home Depot to choose from!  If you’re spending the money anyway, you might as well get a little cash back!

Starting July 1st, you can earn Cash Back* plus a 100 SB Bonus on ANY Gift Card of $50 or moreIt’s the perfect time to stock up on all your favorite Gift Cards at MyGiftCardsPlus!

Don’t have an account yet? Sign up today to be a citizen of Swagbucks: land of the free gift cards, home of the savings!  Register here–> Swagbucks registration

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*Cash Back is paid in the form of SB points good for popular gift cards or PayPal cash.

**100 SB Bonus can be earned only once per store.

This offer expires at 11:59pm PST on July 4th. Your SB will credit when your electronic gift card is delivered. Must purchase a Gift Card with a value of $50 or more to qualify for a SB bonus. Only one SB Bonus is available per retailer (ex. If you buy two $50 Gift Cards to one retailer you will ONLY receive one (1) 100 SB Bonus). You will not get a SB bonus if you stack smaller denomination Gift Cards (ex. 2 Gift Cards of $25) to equal $50, $75, $100, or more.

The BFG is a magical story your entire family will love!

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During my childhood, my reference point for giants came from Jack and the Beanstalk, and the giant in that book was far from friendly.  My children and I both really enjoyed the antics of the awkward yet whimsical giant featured in Disney’s latest movie The BFG, which stands for “Big Friendly Giant.”  

The movie, The BFG, is based on the children’s book The BFG by Roald Dahl.  Unfortunately, we did not have a chance to read it before we attended the screening but after seeing the movie, both of my kids want to read the book so that they can see how it compares!

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In the movie, Sophie, a young orphan girl who suffers from insomnia, wanders around the orphanage at 3 in the morning (which she has defined as the “witching hour”) and eventually settles into her bed to read when the giant “BFG” plucks her from the window and carries her off to Giant Country.

When they arrive in Giant Country, BFG urges Sophie to be careful because his fellow giants are “bone cruncher” “meat dripper” “man gobbling cannybullies” who prefer “beans” (humans) as a food source rather than for their company.  He quickly realizes he has met his match with feisty little Sophie who refuses to follow any of the directives he gives.  Ironically, BFG is the one who is scared, while “Brave Sophie” emphatically proclaims that she is not!

Sophie and BFG have a number of magical adventures including catching a “golden Phizzwizard” (wonderful dream), sharing dreams with families, trying to avoid the other giants, and even meeting the Queen of England!  You’ll laugh hysterically at things like the Frobscottle which produces epic Whizzpoppers and be on the edge of your seat at other moments as you wonder if little Sophie will be able to pull through and avoid the other giants yet again.

I have talked to so many people who say they haven’t heard of this book or weren’t sure what The BFG meant.  Don’t pass this one up!  My kids and I absolutely loved this movie from start to finish and will definitely see it again after we read the book!   It’s everything you’d expect from a Steven Spielberg movie!

Grab a copy of the book to read with your kids here–> The BFG book by Roald Dahl

Make sure you download the GobbleFunk Dictionary to help you decode The BFG’s funny language!  Your kids will love these BFG Coloring sheets, too!

Check out the trailer below:

Have you seen the movie? What did you think?

DISCLOSURE:  My family and I had the opportunity to attend the screening of The BFG.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Easy Mexican Dishes in Minutes with Bush’s Cocina Latina line!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Bush’s and Savings.com. All opinions are mine!

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If you’ve read my Menu Planning Monday posts, then you know that my family and I LOVE Mexican food!  I work full time and I have two kids who are involved in a number of extracurricular activities, so I try to find quick recipe ideas because I don’t have a lot of time to spend cooking.  I’m super excited about all of the options available from Cocina Latina, a new line of Latin-inspired beans from Bush’s!  They make it easy for you to create your favorite Mexican dishes in minutes!  There’s no need to spend time soaking beans overnight and then slow cooking them all day.  They do all the work for you ahead of time!  The Cocina Latina line includes a series of black bean and pinto bean varieties that were started as traditional slow cooked beans and then they add additional ingredients and seasonings.

Here are the varieties that are available: find them at your local Walmart stores in Texas!

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  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles Cubanos – black beans in a rich sauce seasoned with garlic and green and red peppers
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles Negros Machados – smashed black beans seasoned with poblano chiles, tomatoes, and a touch of bacon
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles a La Mexicana – pinto beans in a tomato and serrano sauce with a touch of bacon
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles Charros Machados – smashed pinto beans with tomatoes, serrano peppers, and a touch of bacon
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Pintos a la Diabla – pinto beans in a spicy chile de arbol with a jalepeno and serrano pepper sauce
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Traditional Refried Beans
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Fat Free Refried Beans
  • Bush’s Cocina Latina Refried Black Beans

Growing up, I loved it when my parents would make their slow cooked pinto beans.  The Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles a La Mexicana have all the deliciousness I remember from my childhood in minutes!  All of these new options are great as stand alone side dishes or to jazz up your favorite Mexican dishes!

Chips and dips are my happy place! You can make this delicious 5 layer chip dip using Bush’s Cocina Latina Traditional Refried Beans in just 10 minutes!  This is perfect for your next tailgate party or for entertaining friends at home, too!

I would have never thought to use pinto beans in guacamole, but I was browsing different recipe ideas from Bush’s and came across this Pinto Bean Guacamole recipe that uses Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles a La Mexicana. I definitely need to try this one!


You can even use them to make an Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich. I would have never thought of that one on my own, but it sounds DELICIOUS!

If you’re looking to feed a crowd, I love my Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Burritos recipe!  I have taken it to potlucks many times and served it at large family gatherings, too!  It’s always a favorite.

Ingredients:
1 taco/fajita seasoning packet
2 cans black beans or pinto beans, drained (the Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles Cubanos or Bush’s Cocina Latina Frijoles a La Mexicana are perfect for this!)
2-3 chicken breasts
1 can green enchilada sauce

Instructions:
Place chicken breasts in bottom of the crockpot and then add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken before serving and serve in tortillas. We add cheese, sour cream, etc. to the tortillas. We sometimes add rice (cooked rice to the mixture once we’re ready to serve, not in the crockpot!). This is also really good if you use shredded beef instead of the chicken!

If you haven’t tried the new Bush’s Cocina Latina line yet, here’s your perfect excuse! Right now, you can save $1 off when you buy any 2 Bush’s Cocina Latina Beans. The coupon is valid through 9/20/2016 for my readers who live in Texas!

Natural Bridge Caverns Tour Coupons!

DISCLOSURE:  This is a sponsored post on behalf of US Family Guide and Natural Bridge Caverns. I am receiving complimentary tickets for my family to visit for writing this post.  All opinions are 100 mine!

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A trip to Natural Bridge Caverns has been on my family’s bucket list for awhile now.  I grew up visiting Carlsbad Caverns almost every year.  I loved it and have been wanting to share a similar experience with my kids.  We are finally going this summer!  I was super excited to find out that there are money saving coupons available and that I can share the offer with you guys, too!

Click here to check it out–> Natural Bridge Caverns coupons

You’ll save $2 off adult Discovery Tour tickets and $1 off a Child’s Discovery Tour tickets!

Natural Bridge Caverns Tours

If you’re not familiar with Natural Bridge Caverns, they have several different tours that sound amazing:

Emerald Lake is one of many large, natural pools found within Natural Bridge Caverns. The green color comes from the diffraction of light waves passing through the water.

Emerald Lake is one of many large, natural pools found within Natural Bridge Caverns. The green color comes from the diffraction of light waves passing through the water.

  • Discovery Aquifer Tour – 75 minute tour of the Glen Rose Aquifer
  • Lantern Tour –  75 minute tour using cave lanterns, available only at 9 am
  • Hidden Passages Tour –  70 minute tour gives guests an up-close view of rare and delicate cave formations illuminated by a state-of-the-art lighting system and includes a total darkness experience
  • Discovery Adventure Tour – 3-4 hour tour, explore the Discovery Passages the way the discoverers did in the early 1960’s on this incredible tour that allows you to follow the path that the original discoverers took. This tour includes a half mile through wild cave and passages that have not changed since the caverns’ discovery.

Prices for the tours start at $21.99 for adults and $13.99 for children.  Don’t forget to get your money saving coupons!

Here are some of the other experiences available at Natural Bridge Caverns:

NBC Canopy Challenge 7-23-12, San Antonio, TX

NBC Canopy Challenge 7-23-12, San Antonio, TX

  • Canopy Challenge Adventure Course – a 4-level, 60 foot high challenge course and zip lines! Climb, navigate and hang while secured from a safety harness before you “zip” over the Hill Country on one of 4 zip lines.
  • AMAZEn’ Ranch Round Up – unique Texas attraction that’s fun for all ages. Our one-of-a-kind maze experience was built to honor 5 generations of ranch ownership history in the Natural Bridge Caverns family.
  • Gem & Fossil Mining – Pan for gems, minerals and fossils like miners panned for gold at the Natural Bridge Mining Company.
  • Discovery Village – Enjoy  new food, beverage and retail spaces along with a beautiful courtyard.

Prices for these additional experiences start at $5.99 for children and $9.99 for adults.

Natural Bridge Caverns is open year round and opens at 9 am during the summer!  I can’t wait to share my experiences!