The Mom Jen, Author at Jen is on a Journey - Page 110 of 322

Percy Jackson, Sea of Monsters: Fun Activities for the Kids #PercyHeroes

December 5, 2013 by The Mom Jen 23 Comments

Coming to stores December 17, 2013 on Blu-ray and DVD, the magical, mythical adventures of teenager Percy Jackson — son of the Greek god Poseidon — continue in this heroic, action-packed thrill ride! Out to prove he’s not just a “one-quest wonder,” Percy and his demigod friends embark on an epic, cross-country journey into the treacherous Sea of Monsters, where they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate evil. With time running out, Percy must find and bring home the fabled Golden Fleece, which has the power to save his world…and save us all!

DIGITAL HD
The movie is available right now for download on Digital HD on platforms like iTunes, Amazon.com, Google Play and more! For more information visit http://www.foxdigitalhd.com/percy-jackson-sea-of-monsters.

Special Features
PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS Blu-ray/DVD

Tyson Motion Comic
Back to Camp Half-Blood
It’s All in the Eye
Deconstructing a Demigod
Total Run Time: 107 minutes
U.S. Rating: PG

Activity Sheets
Click on the photos below and print out these fun Percy Jackson activities for you fans!

imagespj2_activity_sheet_getthelook copy

imagespj2_activity_sheet_whatsmysign copy

imagespj2_activity_sheet_seaofmonsters_glossary copy

Quest
There is also a brand new online game: Percy Jackson’s Quest for the Golden Fleece you can play today!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

We received copy of the movie in partnership with the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders program.

6 Reasons We Flew JetBlue Airways to Cancun

December 4, 2013 by The Mom Jen 3 Comments

Flying from California to certain parts of Mexico is not a quick trip. Most airline flights we researched were 7 hours minimum with layovers and I hated wasting half a day traveling. We looked at dozens and dozens of options before we settled on flying JetBlue Airways, here are our top 6 reasons we flew JetBlue Airways to Cancun!

1. One remedy to wasting a day in the air is red-eye flights! You start your flight later in the evening and fly over night getting to your destination early and with more time to enjoy your vacation. JetBlue Airways is one airline that offers red-eye flights out of my home airport in San Jose, California and offers some nice perks to go along with it like earplugs and sleep masks at no extra charge! So instead of 5pm or later, we arrived in Cancun at noon!

2. Every seat gets a personal TV! Many airlines offer one movie on long flights for everyone to watch, music channels to listen to, or you can rent tv/movie players for an extra cost. On JetBlue you have your own TV with armrest remote for 36 channels of DirecTV at your fingertips, newly released movies (flights over 2 hours), and 100 Sirius XM radio stations included with your ticket price!

3. Snack variety is available on JetBlue outside traditional peanuts, thank goodness! I am more a cookie person than a peanut person! You can choose from the following items for free along with other snack boxes for a small fee:

PopCorners® Popcorn Chips
Terra® Blues Potato Chips
Linden’s® Chocolate Chip Cookies
Stauffer’s® Animal Crackers
King’s® Fancy Nut Mix
DORITOS® Tortilla Chips

4. Boarding according to seat number doesn’t seem like a big deal, but when you get to choose your own seats like we usually do when we book, knowing that our back of the plane seats will board first (after Even More Space occupants) is a bonus!

5. First checked bag free is HUGE for me. If you know me, you know I hate doing carryons because I don’t want to document all my toiletries in one zip baggie. I like to be semi-hands free in the waiting area and boarding, so if at all possible I like checking my baggage and not worrying about it. A savings of $25-30 a bag is big when I travel, thanks to JetBlue!

6. Even More Space is a luxury seat you can purchase at a small extra cost but is SO worth it! This trip we had a seating snafu and got complimentary Even More Space seats on our return flights from Cancun and that 38″ of legroom was a blessing to my husband. He’s not super tall at 5’10” but when you want to rest in the plane for over 8 hours, you enjoy more room. Plus, since it’s a perk, you may not have someone next to you and they you get MORE Even More Space!

And, although this doesn’t apply to me, you may travel with small cats and dogs on JetBlue for an added fee. This cutie sat behind us for a 6 hour flight and hardly made a peep, well I did have on head phones!

To find out more, visit http://www.jetblue.com/.

Tell me one of your favorite airline perks that makes you fly them again and again!

I received a media discount on my airfare, all opinions are 100% mine.

2013 Ford Flex Review

December 4, 2013 by The Mom Jen 11 Comments

We are a Ford family. We have had 2 for years and recently acquired a third vehicle and have had wonderful luck with them overall. I got my feet wet in some of the newer Fords and test drove a Ford C-Max Hybrid up and down the central coast and was eager to try out the 2013 Ford Flex for a week last month!

The long rectangular profile is sleek and elegant. It immediately made me thing of a SUV-limo and it had a ton of room inside! I’ve mentioned it time and time again in my car reviews, our family of 5 needs space! The gorgeous 2013 For Flex in deep impact blue was a 6 passenger vehicle with leather trimmed seats (the two in the center were autofolding) and having enough captain chairs for everyone was a true treat! Comfortable and with plenty of legroom that impressed friends and family, all our road trips were 100% complaint free! The two seats in the middle row have access to car chargers for electronics plus climate control, plus plenty of room for backpacks and dance bags on the floor by their feet during afterschool carpool when the kids must endure about an hour in the car round trip.Headrests in the third row are tall and when up offer a diminished view out the back window, they are easily tucked down flush into the seat without discomfort to the passenger, or when the passenger is tiny like my youngest.As the driver I love all the perks of the Flex like:

keyless entry
folding side mirrors, great for when you’re parking a second car in the garage and have limited space
the power liftgate when you have your hands full with luggage, children, or groceries
10-way power drivers seat-I’m short so I love that it raises the seat as well as having a lumbar support for my lower back!
The option of power-folding the 3rd row seats to flat for groceries or to tailgate seats

Check out some of these perks in action:

blind spot light is perfect day or night and is just another safety feature I love about the Flex

It’s no surprise that my husband was shocked at the power behind the pedal with the Flex’s 3.5 L V6 Ecoboost engine. I took a roadtrip to Napa alone in the Flex and found myself hitting 80 mph on the highway without really “feeling” it and had to use the cruise control so I wouldn’t get pulled over!

The navigation system, Sony audio, and Sirius radio got me to and from my roadtrip with ease. I set up the bluetooth to my iPhone in no time, plugged in the destination and was directed to the event without issue and that is so important when I’m driving alone. On my return trip, I unfortunately found myself at prime commute time and the navigation alerted me to traffic backups and allowed me alternate routes. At one point on the ride home, I found myself taking an early exit. The navigation rerouted me almost immediately and got me back to where I needed to be.The front center console is deep and has electronic connections including USB that is great for passengers. The middle row center console has something I’ve never seen in a vehicle! A refrigerated compartment that can be set to freeze or refrigerate! The kids got a kick out of this and tried it out with a fast-food treat! This is great for family road trips for snacks and even for parents of babies that need to keep milk/formula/baby food cool! The Flex averages 18 mpg combined city/hwy with about 5.6 gallons per 100 miles with an approximate fuel cost of $2,950. I made it to Napa and back (256 miles), plus a 94 mile round-trip shopping adventure with some gas to spare. I love when the digital reading on the dash tells me how many miles left I have before empty to save me from any awkward predicaments.

I notice every Ford Flex on the road now that I’ve test-driven one and I really love it. The Ford Flex carries a hefty price tag at $50,105 for the model we drove, and for our one-income family it would be a pretty big investment. We haven’t had a car payment in nearly 10 years, but this car could be something we could make happen. The car is worth a test-drive and I bet you’ll really enjoy it, we sure did!

We received this car loan for one week, all opinions are 100% ours.

Milestones Have Me Considering Zact Mobile for My Tween #MC

December 2, 2013 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Zact. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

This Christmas I have a dilemma. I’ve been wanting to hold back on getting my almost 13 year old son a smartphone mainly because of the added cost and he really didn’t need one. Just before Thanksgiving break he proposed a question, “mom, can I walk home from school with my friends?” This is new to me, I’ve been an at-home mom since my 15 year old was born and have always picked up the kids. My son is in junior high now and wants to hang out a little longer with his friends, and the school is about a half mile from home. I’m letting go of the complete control I had and it’s tough! What do I do now, what ifs bog down my brain regarding safety and I am contemplating a way to stay in touch with him during this new milestone yet I still need that peace of mind.

I recently learned about Zact, a no contract nationwide mobile service with parental controls like time-based restrictions for talk, text and individual apps and set when the device can have Internet access all via an app I am in charge of.

Also, the monthly bill is only $22! Compared to my daughter’s $62/month bill, I’m going to seriously look into this option! What do you think? Check out Zact Mobile and learn more about how they can provide the peace of mind moms like me need!

Gift Ideas for Caped Crusader Wannabes

November 28, 2013 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

Superheroes are undoubtedly one of the most favorite topics of conversation for little boys (and grown men, come to think of it!), with a plethora of superhero-inspired games, toys and movies hitting the shelves all the time. While it’s hard to choose one to call your favorite, many lads would choose Batman as their hero, with youngsters imagining their own Gotham City during play.

This Christmas, why not indulge his superhero fantasies by filling his Santa sack with inspiring toys and games that pay homage to the Caped Crusader himself? There’s an abundance of goodies on the market for you to choose from to make his Christmassy dark knight dreams come true.

Playsets and Figures

Head for the toy shop and you will find a huge range of playsets and figures that will work perfectly in a Batman-inspired sack. The Imaginext Batcave is undoubtedly on many a Christmas list and it’s easy to see why. Robust, durable and with excellent reviews from kids and their parents, the Batcave is a must for any Batman fan. Include some of the other sets and figures from the range too, such as Catwoman, the Joker and the Penguin for an all-round goodie vs. baddie experience.

Simple action figures will also make perfect additions to a stocking – there are loads of simple and hi-tech ones nowadays to choose from.

Batman Fancy Dress

Whether you choose a deluxe outfit or something cheap and cheerful, your kid will love to don the cape and run around pretending to be Batman, fighting crime. You may or may not have seen the Make a Wish dream that has gone viral recently, of a San Francisco boy who’s dreams came true by being Batkid for the day, and if you have, you may have been reduced to tears – let your child have his own piece of caped crusading fun with a batman costume this Christmas.

Comics

Perfect for an older boy, comics continue to be a big hit with many lads even as they approach their teenage years and beyond. Keep an eye on eBay for some of the old Batman classics, or pop down to your local comic book shop to see what they have on offer.

No matter how old he is, Batman is bound to be a favorite of your boy if he’s a lover of superheroes. Treat him to one or two of the Batman movies too – from Adam West to Christian Bale, there’s plenty to choose from!

Special guest post provided to Jen is on a Journey.