Kidlandia Review and Giveaway!!!!

Here's a company with a great sense of adventure and imagination!!

Kidlandia specializes in gifts geared toward geography and fantasy lover alike. Your child can make their own customized map of the world, the United States, or even make their own family tree!! Take a peek at some of these options:

Whimsical World Map

Or....you could try a vinyl wall cling. They offer all kinds of themes (including the Disney princesses below):

Perhaps a placemat?

Or how about a personal map of the United States (with colors that would be *perfect* for a 4th of July present??):

Any way you go, I guarantee you'll be pleased. We received a personalized place mat and United States poster and I can tell you that they are a big hit. The place mat is heavy duty and nicely sealed....it can handle a lot of handling. :-) It also is a great conversation starter, the perfect functional item for a family to bring along to a restaurant. It distracts and interests and most importantly, *teaches* at the same time. The poster map is lovely, great quality paper and very strong. It'll be a wonderful addition to Munchkin's room. 

Kidlandia would like to offer all the readers of Marvelously Messy a 20% off code: BHGARB20

AND.........

Kidlandia is offering to one reader a $40 gift code (one-time use only).Wooohooo!!

To enter to win this contest you must do at least ONE of the following (Please leave a comment for EACH type of entry):

~Go to Kidlandia and tell me what product you like the most!!

~Follow Marvelously Messy on Google Friends Connect

~Like Kidlandia on FACEBOOK

~Like Marvelously Messy on FACEBOOK

~Like Kidlandia on TWITTER

~Subscribe to Marvelously Messy via EMAIL

This giveaway will be ending June 17th at 11:59 EST

Good Luck!!

~I received compensation from Kidlandia in the form of products to review. All opinions stated in the post are my own and it is written entirely in my own words.~

Free Sweepstakes and Contests

Backyard Tire Swing Project

POST HAS BEEN UPDATED 

Please read the red writing.... and always use chain instead of rope when making a tire swing. Thank you.

~Yours sincerely, the idiot who can't follow directions.~

 I have UPDATED this post. Turns out, there is a reason why they recommend chain instead of rope.....the rope will eventually fray and break under the weight of the tire and the several people on it. This, luckily, did not happen to several people....just me. At first I was mortified that my own weight could destroy the rope with just one sitting....then I looked at the rope and saw how frayed it truly was from all the friction. 

You wouldn't believe it, but THIS is the tire swing I grew up swinging on. :-) I recently revamped it for my munchkin to cruise on. Sure, I could have gotten a newer tire....but this one came with lots of memories. And, as many scientist will tell you....tires are not going to go anywhere for a long time. So, this one is still in good shape. 

I found directions for making my own tire swing HERE. Then, I promptly disregarded half the directions and used my own ideas. :-) (Turns out, not a good call.) I recommend the professional directions, personally. Mine turned out kinda *interesting*. For instance.....I decided to use rope instead of chain (And, that was a really bad idea. Use Chain instead. K?) . Nothing wrong with that, right?? (Wrong) Right. (WRONG.)Unless you buy *dynamic* rope instead of static. My rope kept stretching and every time I tied the knot higher the tire kept sinking back to the ground. Speaking of tying knots.....take a look at this beauty:

Can you believe how professional I tied that sucker?? It never even had a chance.

The truth is, I did actually use some professional (directions followed) knots in the making of this tire swing. For instance, I whipped out the ole Buntline Hitch and sprung a little Backup Knot for added security.  The reason why the knot above looks so darn funky is because I had a lot of leftover rope and I didn't want to cut it in case I had to retie it at a later point (because of all the darn stretching). But, you're not going to use rope anyway. Right? RIGHT? You're going to be good little crafters and use chain.

The only other part of the directions I varied on was where I used a locking nut on the rope-tire attachments. They recommend using a locking washer before the fender washer....which is all fine, but I feel so much safer having a locking nut on there as well. So, in my mind that was a solid choice. I'm going to stand behind THAT one choice, however.  Feel free to decide not to follow me, as apparently, I'm not too bright. :-)  Just make sure you choose the most sturdy and safe hardware out there and ensure that everything is well tightened for the safety of the children who'll be riding on it.

I shared this post at the following funky parties:

A Crafty Soiree

Barksters and Chloe

Chloe loves her Barksters. Has your pupster tried them yet?
We were given two different flavors to try from the website Loving Pets: Brown Rice and Alfalfa. The brown rice flavor (in the purple) was for digestive health and the alfalfa treats were for freshening breath. Both flavors could be found mixed with chicken, beef, or liver.
The verdict??

They were devoured. :-) She treated them like I treat chips when I've had a several drinks....like candy. And, they even have the ripples like chips. Granted, it's hard to get a really good review of a doggie treats from a dog....they are *treats*, ya know?? My dog (now Dogs!!) will chow just about everything. But, here's why *I* like these treats for my puppies:

~Only 12 calories each
~Manufactured in the USA
~Low in fat
~Made with only USA ingredients

 Chloe and Buddy give these their paw print of approval!!

I received product in return for a review. All opinions are my own and written entirely in my own words!!!