Camp Giveaway: British Soccer Camp

We are blessed in Pittsburgh to have a wide range of summer camps to choose from for our kids. The past few years, my kids have participated in British Soccer Camp of Challenger Sports and it is definitely one of the highlights of their summer!

One of my desires as a parent is to help give my kids a wide worldview and help them learn about cultures that may look differently than ours. One of the cool things about British Soccer Camp is that all the coaches come from cities in/around England. So, not only do they have those fun accents, but they give our kids another perspective from another county. Another great aspect is that you can host the coaches in your home for the week as well. We have done this and my kids have loved getting to know their coaches in this way! (You can also receive a rebate towards the cost of your camp if you host a coach!)

Another aspect I love about British Soccer Camp is that they learn a lot of interesting facts about other countries throughout the week. Each team is assigned a different country for the week and they spend the week learning about the flag and facts about the country which is an awesome learning experience!

One of their assignments was making the flag of their team, so my son to chose to make the largest one. 😃

The coaches are all very personable and extremely good with the kids! They are very encouraging while teaching them great soccer skills.

Each camp program includes a free ball, camp t-shirt, action poster, and a camp report, plus if you register 45 days or more before camp they will ship you this free British Soccer jersey (s&h applies). 

They have programs for all ages! Each day includes individual foot skills, technical drills, tactical practices, small-sided games, coached scrimmages, and a daily World Cup tournament.

FIRST KICKS
3 – 4 year olds • 1 hour per day
A fun introduction to the very basic elements of the game.

MINISOCCER
4 – 5 year olds • 1.5 hours per day
Fundamental practices, fun activities and small sided games.

HALF DAY CAMPS
5 – 16 year olds • 3 hours per day
Emphasis is placed upon individual skill development and technique.

FULL DAY CAMPS
10 – 18 year olds • 6 hours per day
For serious players focusing on techniques & tactical development.

There will be close to 20 British Soccer Camps in the Pittsburgh region this summer so there's a good chance you'll be able to find a summer camp that works for your schedule and location! Go here to see their full schedule. 

GIVEAWAY: 
I am thrilled that we have a free week of camp to giveaway to one lucky winner! Whether your child is a first time player or has played before in a league, this will be a great option for summer fun.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We're looking forward to a great week of soccer fun this summer! 

This post is sponsored so I received compensation or products in exchange for my promotion. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse companies that I don't value.

Blue Ribbon Farms: Little Farmer Camp Giveaway

Whether we can believe it or not, winter will soon be fading in the background and summer will be upon us once again. (YAY!) Like me, you may already be thinking about what activities and camps you may want your children to be involved in this summer. I was recently contacted by Blue Ribbon Farms about their Day Camps + Birthday Parties and I think they're a fantastic summer option! I love camps and birthday that are outdoor and provide hands on experiences. Read on to find out more!

If your child has a spring, summer or fall birthday, Blue Ribbon Farms is an awesome venue for a celebration. Birthday parties at Blue Ribbon Farms are a one-of-a-kind experience! Parties are held in an authentic barn.  The area is clean and spacious with room for lots of fun in any weather.

Parties include:

• Tour of the Farm
• Playtime with animals
• Cupcake Cake
• 2 hour barn rental
• Keepsake craft to decorate

Another birthday party option they offer is bringing a Bunny Party to you! 

They will bring all animals (bunnies + a few extra animal guests) to your location equipped with enclosures suitable for indoor or outdoor parties.  Perfect for birthday parties, Easter and Spring themed events, picnics and family reunions, nursing homes, daycare, etc.  Who wouldn't want beautiful little snuggly bunnies and some friends to visit?! 🐇🐑🐐🐔 All set up and clean up is taken care of by Blue Ribbon Farms. Go here for more info. 

Little Farmers Day Camp is an experience that your child will never forget. Let your child be entertained, educated and amazed by the everyday wonders of the farm. They will love the hands on interaction with the animals.

Experience Farm Life

Your child will experience bottle feeding a new born calf, riding a pony, holding and petting a bunny.  They will also get to feed and care for lambs, goats, ducks, chickens and baby pigs.

Another great life skill they will try is learning to care for and cultivate an expansive garden.  Collecting eggs, preparing dishes made from goods grown on the farm.

However, this farm life camp is not all work!  Crafts, games and nature walks will also help round out the day of work, play, exercise and learning.

Camps may fill, so go here to register your child for a camp week listed below! Camps are open for ages 4-13. 

2017 Day Camp DATES

June 13-15 

June 20-22 

               June 27-29                 

July 11-13

              July 18-20                 

August 1-3

August 8-10

August 15-17

GIVEAWAY:

We are also thrilled that they are offering to giveaway one Day Camp to one of our readers for one lucky kid ! Head to link below to enter to win. (You will choose the week your child can attend).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLUE RIBBON FARMS, INC.

384 Cowpath Road

Aliquippa, PA 15001

blueribbon5@verizon.net

(412) 974-1650

Thank you to Blue Ribbon Farms for sponsoring this post and sharing your great venue with our readers!

Summer 16 in Pittsburgh

I feel it. Sunshine, smiles, unscheduled time......SUMMER must be here. We are soaking it up! I am so happy for a break from regular alarm clocks (if you don't count my kids, of course!), school schedules and cold days cooped up inside. We are ready to enjoy Pittsburgh summer to the max!!

We have SO MANY amazing opportunities for summer fun in Pittsburgh. The hard decision is which activities do we choose? This summer, I've partnered with the Summer 16 Campaign which is providing a website dedicated to helping your kids stay active and find learning activities, events and even youth employment opportunities.

My kids are ready to help me choose some summer fun from pghsummer16.com!

Our Summer 16 team includes Mayor William Peduto, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, United Way's Allegheny Partners for Out-of-School Time and other organizations to promote Summer 16 Dream! Explore! Do!

Summer 16 Dream! Explore! Do! provides thousands of local children, grades K-12, with fun, learning activities. The goal of Summer 16 is to engage at least 16,000 youth throughout the city and county in meaningful summer learning opportunities. The Summer 16 website includes a checklist for parents, an activities calendar and a centralized repository of summer programs to ensure that all children have a safe, healthy and productive summer. The website also enables parents and youth of all ages to request information on no cost and fee-based activities in the region this summer.

One of our family's favorite free summer activities is being involved in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Summer Reading Contest. I'm always amazed at the amount of free books (and even free Pirates tickets) my kids have been able to earn through reading. Join us in helping CLP reach their goal to have 90,000 books logged by Pittsburgh readers this summer!

Some other resources that might be helpful to your family, depending on the ages of your kids, include:
• Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board (3RWIB), the City of Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County Learn and Earn Initiative: http://www.trwib.org/learnandearn/
• Citiparks programming: http://pittsburghpa.gov/citiparks/
• Youth Express: http://youthexpress.org/

What are your favorite activities planned for this summer?

Let us know how you’re spending the summer by participating in the Summer 16 Selfie Promotion! Snap a selfie and share it on social media (#PghSummer16).

If you're on Twitter, come join us on Friday, June 17, 12:30-1:30pm, for the #PghSummer16 Twitter Party. You'll find out more about events and activities for your family that happening this summer.

HAPPY SUMMER!

I’ve teamed up with Summer 16 to help ensure all Allegheny County children have a safe, healthy and productive summer. Although I am receiving some form of compensation, all opinions remain my own. #PghSummer16

The Summer 16 campaign is generously supported by PNC.

Giveaway: Family Getaway at Jellystone Park Kozy Rest

This past weekend will probably go on record as one our favorite family memories! We were invited for a weekend stay at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park at Kozy Rest. "Glamping" is my favorite. When you can combine a cozy cabin (with it's own bathroom and kitchen) + the amazing, relaxed feel of a campground, you have the best of the best! Kozy Rest has a variety of cabins, yurts and camp sites available for rent to perfectly fit the needs for your family. And it's only a little over an hour from Pittsburgh so you can have the feeling of getting away without spending a lot of time in the car!

Our family cabin had a bedroom with two sets of bunk beds + a loft that slept more! Cozy Rest is family-owned and one of the first details you will notice during your stay is how attentive the staff is to all those who are their guests. From checking you into your cabin, helping you back up your camper or simply being available to answer any questions, everyone is extremely helpful and attentive! There is definitely good reason why Kozy Rest has been ranked #1 in the country out of 16,000 campgrounds in recent years. Free wifi is also included, but since you're in the middle of the woods, it's pretty limited. Plan to UNPLUG during your stay which will add to the relaxation factor!

Our cabin also included dishes, a full refrigerator, stove top (no oven), coffeepot, toaster, a grill, firepit and outdoor furniture which was a big help! Some amenities vary by cabin size. You'll want to bring your own bedding, pillows, towels and hand soap. Some cabins allow pets, others are pet-free. 

And definitely alllll the ingredients for these nomnoms. :)  

The myriad of activities to do with your family at the campground is amazing! The pool, playground and hiking trails are all free for everyone. 

For $15 per kid / $7 per adult, you can get wristbands that allow you unlimited access to trail bikes, mini golf and the jump pads (for up to 7 days). Totally worth it as we enjoyed all these activities immensely during our stay!

Seriously, every campground should have these bikes. My kids spent hours on them over the days we were there! You're allowed to sign them out for 1/2 hour at a time and will need a $5 deposit that you will get returned each time you check it back in. They have bike helmets for you to use, but I also suggest bringing your own bike helmets from home if you have them. 

They have quad, double + single bikes so all the family can enjoy the fun! And hey, if like me, you're always looking for ways to sneak in some fun exercise, this is the perfect activity! 'Cuz rolling those quads are no joke. :)  

An 18-hole mini-golf course, included in the wristbands, means you don't have to worry if your kids only want to play a couple of holes before they're ready to move to the next activity. 

My kids loved the jump pads as well! They're surrounded by sand (and require socks) which is also a fun play space for little ones.

Some of the other free amenities they offer on the weekends are fire truck rides, train rides and wagon rides. How fun are these vehicles? My kids loved them! 

Every weekend this summer will have a different theme such as Chocolate Fun, Wizarding Weekend, Christmas in July, Western Weekend, Water Fun + more! Go here to see their full schedule. Our weekend was Carnival Games and part of the fun included a foam fest with their bubble machine. My kids loved it so much!

Ever have the desire to spend some family time in a YURT? 

This Pacific Yurt features two sets of combo double/single bunk beds for six campers. Includes a table & chairs, small refrigerator, and a microwave. For your enjoyment, a charcoal grill, picnic table, and fire-ring are provided right outside. All you need to bring is eating and cooking utensils, water, bedding, pillows, towels, & toiletries. Six people max. Restrooms & showers nearby. No smoking inside yurt. Pets are not permitted inside or on yurt site. No tents can be added.

How quaint is that?!

You would think that One Direction appeared to a group of tweens when these celebrities arrived! :) You might find them stopping by your cabin or holding dance parties and you can even arrange for them to come read a bedtime story to your kiddos!

And if the rain happens to appear during your stay, as it did for us, you'll be grateful for a little arcade fun! Have you ever been on vacation and have a need for something only to find it's double or triple the price of a regular store? One of the things my husband and I greatly appreciated about items for purchase at the camp store is that they weren't price gouging you for anything. My son spiked a fever while we were there and I was able to get him some ibuprofen for the same cost as Walmart. Arcade games? As cheap as 25 cents! Ice cream, ice and other camp store items were also normally priced. So thank you, Cozy Rest Campground!

Are you ready to plan your family adventure yet??? Cabins will fill up quickly this summer, especially on the weekends, so book now for this fun family getaway! 

GIVEAWAY: 

Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground at Kozy Rest has generously offered to give away a FREE night stay in a cabin to one lucky family (up to 7 people). 

Free night stay on a week night (S-TH), you may also purchase additional nights. If you prefer to stay on a weekend (Friday or Saturday) you will be required to purchase an additional night for their required 2 night stays on the weekend. 

OR

If you prefer tent camping, you can choose to win a camping spot for two free nights. 

Not available to redeem on holiday weekends. 

Must be redeemed by September, 2016. 

Enter at link below, good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you, Kozy Rest Campground, for providing our family with such a great getaway! 

I was provided a free stay in exchange for my review. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues that I don't love!

For your first entry, leave a comment on the blog post below on what activity would your family most enjoy at Jellystone Campground at Kozy Rest?