October is a wonderful time to visit the mountains of Tennessee. The tree leaves adorn the mountains with an array of beautiful colors. The air is crisp and clear. The sun is still bright and warm. It is much too beautiful outdoors during that time of year to be cooped up inside a hotel room. A cabin nestled deep inside the Tennessee woods beside the river is a much nicer choice. Too expensive? Not at all!

Park Side Cabin Rentals in Gatlinburg, Tennessee offers a variety of rental cabins appropriate for groups of all sizes. Whether you need a small cabin just large enough for a couple’s romantic retreat or a cabin large enough for an extended family vacation, Park Side Cabin Rentals has just what you need.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living (Tina Truelove)

Parkside Cabin Rentals - Gatlinburg, Tennessee

My husband and I enjoyed a two night stay in a small, one bedroom cabin. We did an online search for an inexpensive place to stay in the Gatlinburg area and came across Park Side. Small cabins rented for about $94.00 per night. I thought the price sounded too good to be true but we needed a place to stay and all hotel rooms were booked. Larger, more luxurious cabins were too expensive and the photographs posted online looked appealing so we decided to “take a leap of faith” and we booked the cabin.

Rustic Wood Cabin Decor

Get your rustic wood cabin decor here.

The staff was very accommodating. We were going to be driving into the area during the “wee hours” of the morning. When we explained that we would not be there until about 3:00am, they accommodated us by leaving a key with a map and directions to our cabin outside in a box by the front door. There would be no staff available upon our arrival.

We reached the office building and spotted the large, white envelope with our names written on the front. We were exhausted and eager to reach our cabin and get some rest. We did have a difficult time finding the cabin at first. The road leading to the cabin was not well lit and we did not recognize any of the landmarks indicated on the map. We wondered how old the map was and how much the area might have changed since the map was printed. Becoming desperate, I searched the paperwork for a street address. Finally, on the back page, was a street address that I plugged into our GPS unit. According to the unit, we needed to turn around, but the trustworthy machine indicated that we would reach our destination within five minutes. I was relieved that we had not traveled too far out of the way.

Map of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge

Planning a trip to Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge?  You might need this map.

We pulled up the cabin and I immediately wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. I am a “clean freak” and very picky about where I stay. Cleanliness is everything to me when I am away from home and the outside of this cabin did not appear satisfactory. I reminded myself that it was “pitch dark” outside so maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked. We were exhausted and we had no place else to go unless we turned around and drove three house back to our home. We resolved to unload our belongings and made our way around to the front door. We could hear the sound of the rushing water of the river below and I wondered what it would look like the next morning in the morning sunlight. The lighting on the porch was very dim so we had to feel our way to the door lock. I wondered exactly what we were feeling our way through, but decided that as long as the bed was free of bugs, I would survive the night.  

We opened the door to the cabin, turned on the light, and I stood there for a moment, exhausted but in awe of our surroundings. The little cabin was absolutely adorable. It was simple, clean, appealing – nothing like the outside had indicated. There was a leather couch on one side of the room and a table with four chairs on the other. On the far wall, between the comfy looking couch and table, was a gas fireplace. On the fireplace mantel sat a television set and a basket which held magazines. The windows were protected by wooden blinds. The kitchen area was well kept. The refrigerator was nice and cold and the utensils inside the drawers were clean. The light inside the bathroom and the wooden towel rack were both cracked, but the toilet and tub were clean and ready for use. The cracked light didn’t really bother me. After all, cabins are supposed to be a little rustic. We made our way into the bedroom where we found a double bed adorned with a quilt which featured bear and deer habitats. The bed had a “tree trunk” frame and was equipped with matching night stands and lamps. There was a dresser at the foot of the bed. On top of the dresser was another television set. We pulled the quilt cover down, fluffed our pillows, and settled into a night of peaceful sleep – what was left of the night anyway.

Cabin Bedding

This rustic cabin bedding is gorgeous.

The next morning, we walked onto the front porch and enjoyed the beauty of the river just down the embankment in front of the cabin. There was no walkway to the water, but just standing there looking over the porch railings into the water and listening to the sound of the rushing water was pleasant enough. We spotted an outdoor grill which had been lined with clean aluminum foil. We decided to put that to good use later that night.

There was a large hot tub on the porch. It was covered and clean. Later that night, after enjoying grilled burgers from the newly lined grill, we decided to try the hot tub. Our only “complaint” was the hot tub. The water was much too hot. We tried to find a way to turn the temperature down, but we were unsuccessful. We both love hot water and usually enjoy hot tub temperatures as hot as we can stand, but the water inside that particular hot tub was so hot that that it could have caused burns. Our cabin did not include a washer/dryer unit, but we did not ask for one. Other than that, our stay at the small, riverside, Park Side Rental Cabin was most enjoyable.

We highly recommend them if you are ever in the Gatlinburg, Tennessee area. There are other cabin rental companies with much more luxurious cabins, but for us, price is of most importance and Park Side offers nice, clean rentals for an affordable price.

Their brochure lists the following amenities (Be sure to ask for amenities that you desire because not all cabins contain all amenities ):

1-5 Bedrooms, Sleeping 2 – 17

TVs, VCRs, PlayStation 2 

Jacuzzis

Indoor Wood burning/Gas Log Fireplaces

Decks With Charcoal Grills

Hot Tubs

Rustic Furniture

Full Kitchens

Pool Tables

River Views/Mountain Views

Washer/Dryers

Outdoor Wood burning Fireplaces

Game Room

Contact Park Side Cabin Rentals by phone at: 1-866-747-6181 or 865-436-5053

Park Side Cabin Rentals Website: www.parksidecabinrentals.com
 

Address:

Park Side Cabin Rentals

125 Dudley Creek Road

PO Box 54

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

     

Labor Day Activities for Kids

Image Credit:  Free-Photos - CCO Public Domain Image - via Pixabay

Why Celebrate Labor Day?

In 1894, Labor Day became an official national holiday in the United States. Labor Day is a special day set aside to honor American workers for all the hard work they do each day. In the world of education, teachers use Labor Day as an opportunity to teach their students about various careers. Teachers usually accomplish that task in the form of thematic units such as “Community Helpers.”

Families might celebrate Labor Day by going camping or organizing a picnic. There are many ways to celebrate Labor Day and teach children about the holiday. However one chooses to enjoy Labor Day, many American citizens are able to enjoy the day by doing no labor at all.  Instead, they choose to relax with family and friends.

Parents and teachers can take time on Labor Day to teach children about many of the careers that make up the workforce in the United States.  It is impossible to cover all areas of the American workforce but the following ideas will help children learn about a few while parents and teachers can teach them to appreciate all American workers.

Postage Stamp Heroes

Ask the children to identify the images on several postage stamps and discuss the reason that particular person is famous. What job did that person do? Do this with several postage stamps so that various historical figures and their professions are identified by the children. Then ask the children to think of someone they know who works hard every day doing a particular job that was not discussed during the postage stamp discussion. Instruct the children to create a postage stamp honoring the person they chose and the job that person does. Display the stamps in the school hallway or classroom to honor those professions on Labor Day.

Appreciation Cards

Whether at home or at school, children can express their appreciation for the adult workers around them. Talk to the children about people who impact their lives and the jobs they do. Some children will tell you about a firefighter or a policeman they know. Other children might name a doctor or a nurse. Some might discuss a favorite professional athlete or the mechanic who works on the family vehicle. Still other children might name their teacher or the mom who works hard all day at home to take care of her family. So many working adults, inside and outside the home, affect the lives of children every day.

After leading a discussion about those people, ask the children to create a special card for the person they chose to discuss. Give them ideas about how to express their gratitude, but allow them to use their own words and decorate the cards themselves. If possible, obtain addresses and teach the children how to address envelopes. Take the children to the post office to mail the cards or ask a mail carrier to visit the classroom and discuss his job with the class and then collect the cards to mail for them.

Career Dress Up Day

Organize a “Career Dress Up Day.” Ask each child to think of the job they might like to do when they grow up. Tell them to come to school on a pre-determined day dressed for that career. If the children are older, perhaps third, fourth, or fifth grade, allow the children to develop and present a presentation to the class explaining the details of the career he or she chose to represent. In the meantime, have various speakers visit the school to discuss their careers with the class. Be sure to include a diverse variety of jobs. Include professionals such as doctors and attorneys and businessmen, but also include mechanics, bus and truck drivers, clerical workers, retailers, etc. Remember to discuss with the children the importance of all sorts of jobs and job types. Remind them that it takes all types of jobs and all types of people to do those jobs in order to keep America and the communities around them functioning every day. Don’t forget to stress the importance and value of every citizen, including the importance and value of every child.


Are you planning to teach your children or students about community helpers or other careers?  Usborne Books can help.

Learn About Firefighters

Firefighters

Fires, accidents, earthquakes and floods -- firefighters are never far from danger. Discover in this thrilling book where they work, how they fight fires and how they rescue people.

"Firefighters" is part of an exciting series of books for children who are beginning to read on their own. The easy-to-read text has been specially written with the help of a reading expert.  Check it out here.  

 Learn About Mechanics

At the Garage

Spend a day at the garage where busy mechanics repair and restore all kinds of vehicles, including motorcycles, police cruisers, trucks, and cars. Hold the special pages to the light to see inside all the inner workings of the garage!  Check it out here. 

 Learn About Construction Sites and Construction Workers

On the Construction Site

Young builders will delight in exploring all the hidden secrets of a construction site. They simply hold the book’s pages to the light to “see-through” everything that’s being built – inside and out.  Check it out here. 

Learn About Airports and Airport Workers

On the Plane

What can you spot at the airport today? Shine a light behind the page and see … From the airport staff who X-ray the baggage and check passports, to the pilots who fly the planes, each page-turn takes you behind the scenes of an exciting plane trip.  Check it out here.

Learn About Veterinarians

Vet Academy

Packed full of fun, educational activities, Vet Academy lets children explore life as a veterinarian, from the rigorous training involved in learning about different kinds of animals to the importance of food, exercise and conservation.

The book is broken up into sections -- Pet Vet, Zoo Vet, and Farm Vet -- and each section includes arts and crafts, puzzles and quizzes, plus tasks and missions. Everything from learning about dog body language to a day in the life of a zoo elephant (and her vet), to farm vet hygiene – it’s all in here. Plus, there’s also a pull-out poster, game, cards and sticker sheets to add to the interactive fun.  Check it out here. 

Learn About Scientists

Scientist Academy

Discover the essential skills required on the way to becoming a scientist in this innovative activity book

Packed full of great illustrations, fun facts, and absorbing activities, Scientist Academy introduces and then guides young readers through five different types of scientists—laboratory scientist, investigative scientist, space scientist, earth scientist, and life scientist. Practical projects, each carefully designed to introduce the types of skills required by the different real-life scientists, help kids pick up the basics in a fun, hands-on way. Create a pendulum, investigate a crime scene, uncover some fossils, and study the solar system—the sky’s the limit!

The “Science File” section contains all sorts of goodies, such as Science Pairs game cards, a periodic table poster, and zoology stickers.  Check it out here. 

Learn About Astronauts

Astronaut Academy

  

An activity book like no other! Through a series of fun and challenging tasks, kids will begin to understand the skills and training required to become an astronaut on a mission to Mars. There are “classes” for kids to attend as part of their training. These include Space Pilot, Space Living, Space Engineer, Space Scientist, and Space Gym. Each topic is explored in detail and accompanied by astronaut missions, including physical and mental challenges, as well as drawing and craft activities designed to mimic the skills involved in real-life training. Kids will tackle hand-eye coordination exercises and obstacle courses and learn how to build a balloon rocket, as well as first aid skills. There are also stickers, a poster, and a model space shuttle.  Check it out here. 

Learn About Engineering

Engineering Academy

Packed full of great illustrations, fun facts, and absorbing activities, it guides readers through each strand of engineering science – Mechanics, Aerospace, Robotics, Energy, and Materials. Practical projects, each carefully designed to introduce the kinds of skills required by real-life engineers, help kids pick up the basics in a fun, hands-on way.

Design a robot, learn how to construct a simple car, create levers and pulleys, build paper planes, plus many other educational and inspirational activities – the sky’s the limit!  Check it out here. 

Learn About Coding

Coding for Beginners Using Python

An introduction to coding for complete beginners, this friendly and accessible book will teach children the basics of Python (a widely used programming language), allowing them to get inside the code of their computer and create simple games and animations on screen.  Check it out here.

Learn About Doctors

Doctor Academy

Learn all about the skills you need to be a primary care doctor or surgeon, including how to work out what’s wrong with your patient, what different organs and bones do, how to take a pulse, and how an X-ray machine works. So grab your stethoscope and start your training!  Check it out here. 

Summer Games for Kids

Summer Games for Kids

After spending the winter indoors, children need the benefits of outdoor games. Outdoor summer games for kids provide children with exercise and opportunities to participate in social activities while developing large and small motor skills. In addition to skill building, summer games provide an opportunity for kids to cool off and just have fun whether at school on a playground or at home in a back yard with neighbors.

Barnyard

Take the kids outside for a game of Barnyard. Designate one child as “It.” Instruct “It” to think of three barn animals. If a large number of children choose to participate, “It” may choose a greater number of animals. Tell “It” to whisper the name of an animal to each child, rotating the animals so that several children represent the same animal. Call out “Go!” Each child must walk around while imitating the sound of the animal whispered into his ear. While imitating animal sounds, the children must discover other children who represent the same animal and herd themselves together. The first animal group to herd together wins.

Dribble, Dribble, Dribble, Drench

Play “Dribble, Dribble, Drench” the same way as “Duck, Duck, Goose,” — but with water. Provide a group of children with a cup or medium-sized pitcher of water. Have the group sit in a circle and choose an “It.” “It” walks around the group while dropping one or two drops of water onto each child’s head while saying the word “Dribble.” She continues until she finally yells “Drench” as she dumps the rest of the water onto a fellow player’s head. The drenched child chases “It” around until she captures “It” or until “It” finds her way to an empty spot to sit. If the drenched child fails to capture “It,” then the drenched child becomes “It.” Otherwise, “It” remains so until captured by a drenched playmate.

Relay Races

Set an outdoor area up for relay races. Draw a starting line with paint or mark it with durable tape. Line the kids up in rows and give the first child in each row a spoon and an egg. At the signal, the first child in each row must travel to a predetermined spot while keeping the egg in the spoon. If a child drops an egg, he must return to the starting line and begin again. Once the child reaches the predetermined mark, he must turn around and go back without dropping the spoon and hand it over to the next child in his line. Each child continues until every child in his line gets a chance to participate. The first line to finish wins. The same procedure may be used with a potato, apple, orange or water balloon. The heavier or messier the item in the spoon, the more challenging the game.

Olympic Summer Games

Kids need a lot of play time to grow and develop age appropriately, but it's also good to keep them academically challenged so that they are prepared for the next grade level. Usborne Books offers several Learning Wrap-Up Kits that are sure to keep your child academically challenged and prepared for the next level.

First Grade Reading Center Kit

The Learning Palette Reading  Pack is an ideal way for children to have fun learning important basic phonetic, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and word usage skills. 

Each 1st Grade Reading Intro Pack includes 1-Learning Palette Base and 5 curriculum packs. Each Intro Pack will include curriculum that is grade appropriate and will provide material to last the entire school year. Each pack will offer challenges and opportunities for students at all levels and has been designed to meet state and national educational standards.  The Learning Palette Reading Packs will be great for travel, summer study, and fun day to day learning. Check it out here.   

First Grade Math Kit

 

A Learning Palette Math Intro Pack is the ideal way to help children enjoy and understand all aspects of important mathematical concepts. Each Intro Pack includes curriculum written at the specific grade level of your child. Did you know your child can learn and understand Algebra, Geometry, Probability, as well as Numeration problems as early as First Grade and Second Grade. With Learning Palette Math Intro Packs your child will have FUN and be CHALLENGED to learn the appropriate mathematical skills necessary in his or her grade level.

Each Intro Pack includes 1-Learning Palette Base, and 6 Curriculum Packs (3-Numeration titles, 1-Algebra Concepts, 1-Geometry and Measurement, and 1-Probability and Statistics). Each title which includes 12 curriculum cards has been written to correspond with standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  The Learning Palette Math Intro Pack will be great for travel, summer study, and fun day to day learning.  Check it out here.

Image Credit:  Clker-Free-Vector-Images - CCO Public Domain Image - via Pixabay

Family Friendly Things to Do in Atlanta, Georgia

Image Credit:  NoahHerrera - Public Domain Image via Pixabay

Things to Do in Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta, Georgia welcomes residents and visitors with a variety of activities for the entire family. Rich in cultural history, Atlanta offers museums, theaters, festivals, restaurants and parks to suit a variety of tastes. When planning a trip to Atlanta, consider a variety of activities for children.

Macy’s Tree Lighting

Plan to attend Macy’s Annual Tree Lighting. Family activities begin earlier in the evening, usually around 6:30 p.m. The event typically takes place Thanksgiving Weekend and includes appearances by various vocal artists and celebrities. Prepare to hear the Macy’s All-Star Holiday Choir sing a collection of Christmas carols.

The Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium offers enough activities to fill an entire day’s schedule. The aquarium features a shark tunnel and provides opportunities for a behind-the-scenes tour, a deep sea diver show, a 4D theater and various seasonal displays such as “The Titanic.” Check with Georgia Aquarium event planners for a full list of seasonal displays as they can vary.

Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta houses a large variety of animals and plants. Safely and well-maintained animal habitats offer visitors various views of the animals. Zoo Atlanta offers a variety of camps, scavenger hunts and a small amusement park for younger children. Parents can schedule birthday parties at Zoo Atlanta or sign up for various workshops.

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta offers opportunities for children to integrate learning with play. Exhibits allow children to play while learning about subjects such as water, solar and wind conservation and energy. Children learn about the concepts of farming and wildlife. Other exhibits offer children opportunities to explore and enhance creativity and problem-solving skills.

Stone Mountain Park

Plan to spend a day at Stone Mountain Park. Take the children on a train ride around Stone Mountain. Either hike or ride to the top of the mountain, where children can roam freely and take in a mountaintop view. Stone Mountain offers a variety of shops, small museums, animal exhibits, parks, picnic areas and a nightly laser show and fireworks.

World of Coke

Visit Atlanta’s World of Coke museum and learn about the history of the soft drink. The museum offers exhibits featuring a variety of media resources, including paper programs, videos and a 4D Theater. Allow children to taste various versions of the soft drink sold around the world. View a bottling line that actually produces a glass bottle of the soft drink for each World of Coke visitor.

Traveling with Kids?  

Usborne Books has a whole bunch of books for kids to read and interact with while traveling.

First Sticker Book - Travel

 Children can create their own busy travel scenes with this fun sticker book.  Check it out here.

Travel Pocket Puzzle Book

There are over 100 pages packed full of travel-themed activities in this pocket-sized puzzle book - the ultimate boredom buster. Contains mazes, picture puzzles, word searches, number problems and much more (with all of the answers at the back of the book). Great for tossing into a backpack or suitcase.  Check it out here. 

 Travel Activity Pad

Whether you’re in a car, train, boat or plane, long journeys will pass by in a flash with this fun-packed pad. Includes over 200 tear-out pages packed with pen-and-paper puzzles to keep the whole family entertained, wherever you happen to be! Includes picture puzzles, word puzzles, simple logic puzzles, odd ones out, spot the difference and lots, lots more. Perfect for slipping into your hand luggage.  Check it out here.

  Travel Crosswords

With four sections of increasing difficulty, children can puzzle their way to the top. There are over 150 themes of crosswords to conquer so the puzzles never get boring, and kids might even learn a new word or two.  Check it out here.

Travel Doodles

There are over a hundred doodling opportunities in this pack, and the cards are wipe-clean so you can doodle over them again and again.  Check it out here.

 Travel Games Pad

This tear-off pad is packed full of ideas inspiring children to get busy during a journey - all you need is a pen or pencil (no special equipment required). With 200 activity sheets included, this is the perfect antidote to rainy days or long journeys - or just tear off a sheet at a time for some quick on-the-go games!  Check it out here.

 

Letters to God Movie Review

Letters to God:  A Family Movie

If you are looking for a movie which teaches faith, hope, endurance, and strength, Letters To God is the movie for you. It is truly one of the best movies I have ever seen. Once you rent or purchase the movie, you will need to be sure to have tissues handy before you begin the film. Within the first few minutes, you will find yourself laughing, crying, and laughing and crying at the same time. You will likely remain in that state throughout the entire movie. Letters To God is a movie to be viewed by the entire family.

A young boy, Tyler Doherty (played by Tanner McGuire) battles cancer with the strength, courage, and hope that is rare in the life of anyone in his circumstances, especially in the life of a child. During Tyler’s battle, he writes letters to God which are really his prayers in written form. Tyler mails his letters to God and they end up in the hands of his mailman, Brady McDaniels (played by Jeffery S. S. Johnson) who is suffering trials of his own. Jeffery does not know what to do with the letters at first, but he develops a relationship with Tyler and his family, including Tyler’s mom (played by Robyn Lively). Tyler’s mother, grandmother (played by Maree Cheatham), and brother, Ben (played by Michael Christopher Bolton) all work together to remain strong for Tyler while facing their own feelings of neglect, selfishness, fatigue, and even doubt. Their faith is challenged.

I don’t want to spoil your movie watching experience so I will not reveal too much information beyond what I have already explained except to say that Tyler’s faith influences so many others around him, especially Brady, the mailman. Within this remarkable movie, faith is challenged, the gospel is shared with viewers, decisions are made, lives are changed, and faith prevails.


Letters To God is based on a true story.

 

Get Letters to God Here