Monday, January 25, 2016

WrestleMania Reading Challenge - Become a Reading Superstar!

My family and I love this time of year. There are many things to be excited about. Valentine's day is coming up in a few weeks. Even more exciting, we are on the road to WrestleMania. Of course if you are not a WWE fan (which would be a tragedy), you may not know why that is so exciting. Well the road to Wrestlemania brings a lot of fun and excitement, but one of the best things is the WrestleMania Reading Challenge.

The WrestleMania Reading Challenge is just one of the many ways WWE works to make a difference. The challenge is simple: read 15 minutes a day. For every day that your child reads for at least 15 minutes, they can can submit an entry into the WrestleMania Reading Challenge for a chance to win awesome prizes.

The grand prize is a trip for two to WrestleMania! There will be two winners for the grand prize. There will also be four first prize winners of 1,000 books donated from the First Book National Book Bank to the First Prize winner’s designated beneficiary school or program. There are even 10 second prizes of a replica WWE Championship Title belt. Of course, a love of literature is a prize in itself.

My son has been doing this challenge for the past four years. We look forward to it every year. My daughter will be starting this year as well, since she is four now, the same age my son was when he started. They both love to read, so it is exciting for them to have the chance to be rewarded for something they already do. I think just entering the contest feels like a reward to them, since they have to achieve the goal (of 15 minutes, which they would do even without the contest.) I think it is like when adults check things off their to-do list, it is just satisfying to know you completed a goal.

I love that the WrestleMania Reading Challenge is such a great way to get children excited about reading. A love of reading is so rewarding and can educate not only the mind, but the spirit and the imagination. Not only is the contest a great motivator, the promotion, with WWE Superstars and Divas talking about reading and setting an example is a wonderful inspiration.


Millions of children look up to these men and women, so that example is priceless. Everyone wants to be like their hero, and when they get a positive example, it makes a positive impact that could shape a child's life for the better and leave a lifelong impression.

I think a lot of people do not understand how much good the WWE does. They are actively involved in several charities, are very involved int he Be a STAR anti-bullying movement, extremely committed to Make A Wish, active in supporting troops and veterans, advocating for reading (with this challenge), and much, much more. I am so glad that I grew up a fan of WWE and that my kids are fans and have such wonderful role models. They see that is is "cool" to care, and that is a special thing.

Whether you are a fan of WWE or not, I think you have to respect all the positive things they do. If you are a fan, I think you have to love the WrestleMania Reading Challenge. If your kids already love to read, it is just a reward for something they already do. I they don't like reading so much, it is an incentive to read more, and they will hopefully grow to love it(especially if it wins them a trip to WrestleMania.)

The WrestleMania Reading Challenge began on January 21st, but it is is going on through February 19th, so there is plenty of time to still get involved. Just have your child(ren) read for 15 minutes a day, then go HERE to enter each day. Good luck!

Friday, January 22, 2016

FREE Unlimited 4×4 or 4×6 Photo Prints with the Shutterfly Mobile App

If you are anything like me, your phone is full of thousands of photos, many of which are very precious. Especially with the holidays having just passed, there are bound to be tons of holiday photos just sitting on your phone.

Having photos on your phone is great, but it takes up a lot of memory. Not only that, but you can't hang a picture file on your wall. And pictures should be enjoyed, not just stored. I cannot even download apps at this point because so much of my memory is occupied by photos. I have concert photos, family reunion photos, holiday photos, school events and so much more just sitting in my phone.

That is why I am so excited about the amazing offer that Shutterfly has going on right now. For a limited time you can get UNLIMITED 4x4 or 4x6 photo prints from Shutterfly using their mobile app. All you have to pay is shipping, and you can get literally as many photo prints as you want. I am going to clear out my phone.

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The Shutterfly app is available on iPad, iPhone and Android. Download it now and clean out those old photos, to make room for all the new memories you will make this year. There is no better excuse than free prints. Shipping is a small cost to pay. Hurry, this is a limited time offer.

How many photos are on your phone? How often do you erase them? Do you still print them out, or do you just save them like I usually do? Have you ever run out of storage space right when you needed it most (like I have?) I would love to discuss with you all.