Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for a Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas! #OwnTheGalaxy

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #OwnTheGalaxy #CollectiveBias

Guardians of the Galaxy has become one of the biggest movies of 2014. As parents, we know that when a superhero movie hits it big in the theaters, our kids are going to want E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G they can get their hands on that has to do with the particular movie. Adrian is one of those kids. He loves superheroes, begged me to see the movie and now he goes around thinking he's Star Lord! I'm not going to lie, I loved the movie myself and have probably egged on the newfound obsession with the Guardians! I might have even dubbed this year, the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas!

I have been scouring the stores and the internet for Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise to get for Adrian and a few other family members that are also obsessed with the movie. I have found alot of things at Walmart! I have even put all the amazingness into a gift guide that I have sent family and friends that have been asking me what to get Adrian for Christmas!

1. Guardians of the Galaxy Body Pillow: ($9.96) You know kids need to have their favorite character bedding and this pillow is fantastic. I can imagine Adrian laying on the couch, on his pillow, watching the GOTG movie over and over!! 

2. MARVEL: Guardians of the Galaxy DVD: The Blu-Ray/DVD/HD ($19.96) release date is December 9th (just in time!). This DVD inslcudes an exclusive character )-sleeve and exclusive music zinepack and a 64-page magazine with cast and crew interviews, exclusive behind the scenes photos and trivia PLUS a custom "cassette" laptop decal! This will definitely be in Adrian's stocking!

3. LEGO Superheroes Knowhere Escape Mission: ($36.97) This is on the top of Adrian's list. He is a GOTG fan and BIG LEGO fan so this set is perfect! This playset includes the Groot and Rocket Racoon minifigures so this one is definitely a must-have!

4. Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack ZinePack: ($14.88) If you have already seen the movie, you know just how epic the soundtrack is! A bunch of classics that I need to have in my music collection! This ZinePack includes the CD, a digital download and a cassette laptop decal!!  So fun!

5. Disney Infinity 2.0 Groot and Rocket Racoon Figures: ($13.98) OK these are biggies right here. All Disney infinity players looking to grow their collection wants these characters. They play on both the GOTG playset (#6 below) and in the toy box. Oh and right now, you can get a $5 Walmart gift card when you purchase a Groot, Drax or Rocket Racoon figure so these are an amazing buy and a great gift!

6. Disney Infinity 2.0 Guardians of the Galaxy Playset: ($34.96) This is BIG right here. If you have a Disney Infinity fan in your home, then this is the playset I'm sure they have been asking you for! This playset comes with the Starlord and Gamora figures!

7. Milano Starship Vehicle: ($21.98) All GOTG fans need Starlord's amazing plane.

8. Titan Hero Series Rocket Racoon 12" Action Figure: ($7.37) No super hero collection is complete without action figures and every GOTG fan needs a Rocket action figure!

I've already gotten started on Adrian's wishlist while I was at Walmart the other day. I purchased the Disney Infinity 2.0 GOTG Playset, Starlord and Rocket Racoon action figures and I found GOTG wrapping paper!

I quickly wrapped up the items and placed them under the tree. Now, I felt kind of bad for Adrian since he kept looking at the gifts, begging to open one. (I really should have waited until Christmas Eve but I was loving the wrapping paper!). Anyway, I let him open one and guess which one he grabbed:

The surprised look and this smile right here is it for me. Yes he picked the Infinity playset and he has been playing it ever since, any chance he gets! It's looking like the  Groot and Rocket Racoon figures will probably be stocking stuffers, along with the DVD that I already pre-ordered!

Guardians of the Galaxy merchandise is available at Walmart. I have found merchandise in the toy section, home section, entertainment section and the music section. 

Did you see the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in the theaters? Will the DVD be a stocking stuffer for your superfan this year?

Hydrate Your Little Athlete Like The Big Guys!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Ins., and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias

Fall is right around the corner. You know what that means in South Florida? Nothing really! It's still in the high 90's all day, it's humid and it will stay like this through December. The kids are back in school and youth sports, especially youth soccer, has begun. Now you all know how much I love sports but
I do worry about the kids playing in this heat. They don't care though, they play no matter what. The most important thing is to keep them hydrated while they play in this heat!

Our youth soccer practice and games are both on Saturday mornings so I will usually stop at Walmart the night before to stock up on what we need for the game. I'll stop by the juice aisle and grab some Powerade.

I also make a stop at the produce section. Nothing like walking by all these beautiful fruits, so much color and beauty. I like to provide fresh fruit as an after-game snack since the last thing they need is more junk food. Besides, with the amazing low prices on produce at Walmart, it really is the best choice. Where else are you going to find Florida naval oranges for $0.72 a pound? It's unheard of! This week's pick was apples, peaches and oranges.

Powerade is a sports drink that comes in many flavors. Adrian likes the Mountain Berry Blast so we buy the game pack that brings twelve 12-oz bottles (perfect for little hands) and we buy the Fruit punch for the coaches. We make sure to pack it int he cooler with lots and lots of ice!1

First thing we load in the car is the cooler with drinks and the fruit cut in small pieces for the kids. I make sure to bag the fruit in the small size resealable bags so all I have to do is pass them out, one per child, after the game. 

The first day back always consists of meeting new players (and parents), passing out the new jerseys, having about an 45 minute practice session, followed by a 30 minute scrimmage. It doesn't sound like alot, but you try running up and down that field in 90 degree heat!

Once the scrimmage was over and the kids ripped their jerseys off (it's their game "thing"), I opened the cooler and the kids got super excited to see it full of super cold Powerade! I didn't have a chance to pass it out, they just stuck their hands in and grabbed what they wanted. 

Adrian loves his Powerade. He says that he's one of the "big guys" when he drinks this. They feel like real big-time athletes! I trust Powerade to provide the hydration he needs after a morning of running around in this heat! Next stop: pro-athlete and yes I made him put a shirt back on to take pics!

Do your kids play any youth sports? Are they as obsessed with soccer as my family has become?

Why I Love Being A Boy Mom!

Hello! Happy Monday! Today I am over at Chasin Mason talking about why I love being a boy mom! Elizabeth, the lovely mama behind Chasin Mason, created a fun series where she asks other mamas "Why do you love being a boy mom?" and we all get to gush about our boys over at her site. Check out my post here.