Thursday, May 31, 2018

Organic Pest Control for Gardens (Natural Options)

how to prevent and control pests in organic gardens

Gardening can be a great way to save money and eat the freshest food available, but it can also come with its fair share of frustrations. From pests to proper watering, there are a lot of factors involved, especially if you are using organic methods to avoid chemicals. Garden pest control is a constant battle...

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Angel Iligan Out as CEO of Bridgestone Golf. More Changes Coming?

It appears some things are starting to hit the fan down in Georgia. MyGolfSpy has learned that Bridgestone Golf CEO Angel Iligan has been dismissed from his position. In addition, we hear other changes may be forthcoming as Bridgestone's bread and butter ball business has lost market share this year, falling to 4th place (behind TaylorMade) in balls sales.

Bridgestone announced the move in a prepared statement last evening:

"Bridgestone Golf and its President and Chief Executive Officer, Angel Iligan, have made a mutual decision to part ways. The company greatly appreciates the energy he put into leading Bridgestone Golf over the past two years, and wishes him well in future endeavors. An immediate search is underway to identify a new leader who will help carry Bridgestone Golf's recent momentum forward."

In corporate speak, a mutual decision to part ways, especially without a permanent successor in place, suggests an upper management team less than enamored with recent North American performance and an immediate need to change leadership and direction. It's a polite way of saying you're fired.

tiger-woods-bridgestone-2

Dropping to 4th in balls, despite Tiger's early season performance, can't be sugar-coated.

Iligan has been Bridgestone's head man since 2016. He brought Tiger into the fold in December of that year and has also signed Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau to ball deals. Iligan has been a vocal supporter of rolling back golf ball performance, at least on the professional level, making Bridgestone the only ball company we're aware of in favor of a rollback. Earlier this year, Bridgestone reported 2017 as a record-setting year for both balls sales and profits, although industry insiders have countered that while Bridgestone may have, in fact, set a record for actual balls sold, those balls were sold at heavy discounts, meaning actual dollar sales were down and the company, in fact, lost money.

Likewise, Bridgestone's golf equipment business has remained non-existent during Ilagan's tenure. The two-year-old premium Tour B line, originally sold exclusively through fitters, is now being sold on the company's website. Bridgestone has also introduced several limited edition clubs for sale online only, including a forged driving iron and a premium priced boxed set - an idea that's been met with plenty of both eye rolls and skepticism. Bridgestone remains firmly in the Other category when it comes to equipment market share.

Bridgestone Driving Iron - 4

What Does It Mean?

Changes at the top are sometimes planned, but when sales, profitability, and bread and butter market share are all trending downward, the corporate sphincter tends to tighten. When those trends continue, changes are inevitable. Given the current climate, Iligan's ouster may not be surprising, but making such a move without a replacement ready is, at the very least, curious. Bridgestone bills itself as a golf ball company first and foremost, so losing ground to TaylorMade had to be particularly galling.

In reality, golf gall sales are all about reach and marketing. Titleist, of course, leads the league in reach. It's the #1 Ball in Golf, has extensive tour staff and a death grip on pro shop sales. Callaway backs its Chrome Soft franchise with top-notch marketing that's helped fuel its rise to number two in market share. It's still a distant second, but Callaway's continues to grow while Titleist's overall market share has dropped below 50%. TaylorMade has elbowed its way into the 3rd position with a decent combination of both reach and marketing prowess.

Angel Iligan

Bridgestone? It certainly has ball street cred,  but it can't claim the same level of industry reach as Titliest, whose stranglehold on green grass makes life difficult for everyone else. And unlike its three key competitors (and challenger brands like Wilson Staff and Srixon), Bridgestone doesn't have strong equipment sales or promotion to buoy its ball sales. Despite using Tiger this season, and spending on advertising and on select Tour staff, Bridgestone's needle is moving in the wrong direction.

Bridgestone's market share drop also brings into further question Tiger's ability to driver equipment sales in any meaningful way. We know Tiger sells shoes and apparel, but the Nike experiment shows the man who is arguably the world's most recognizable athlete may do little to sell hard goods. Despite Tiger's strong early season, the You're Back There ad campaign may be the most ironic in recent memory.

Where Does Bridgestone Go Now?

If the rumblings are correct, Iligan's ouster may be the first move in an overall Bridgestone reboot. Globally, Bridgestone is a $32-billion-dollar behemoth, and is a major player in the Asian golf market. Struggles in the UK prompted a withdrawal from that market several years ago (Bridgestone is only now re-entering the UK), and while a similar withdrawal from the North American ball market is highly unlikely, getting out of the equipment business wouldn't come as a surprise. Bridgestone's golf club market share is negligible and despite considerable effort over the past two years,  the company hasn't demonstrated an ability to improve its position through either product innovation or effective marketing.

Bridgestone-Tour-B-Golf-Balls-6-1174

Bridgestone made its bones in the ball business via its extensive ball fitting program. While you can argue whether ball fitting with a driver is ideal way to determine which ball is for you, you can't argue with the program's effectiveness. For years it was the only ball-fitting game in town and it's important to note that, as Bridgestone's market share has dropped, we've also seen fewer actual live Bridgestone ball fittings in the real world. That can't be a coincidence.

Bridgestone's current position serves as an interesting business lesson. There are some very talented people working at Bridgestone, and the company makes exceptional golf balls and quality forged irons. But for whatever reason, the formula in North America isn't working. Offering good products is one thing, but without effective marketing and distribution strategies it doesn't really matter how good your stuff is; you're going to struggle.

We get that the kneejerk reaction out there will be Bridgestone should simply cut prices - that way they'll sell more. Well, that's essentially what the company did last year with its extensive Buy 2, Get 1 Free promotion - it moved a lot of golf balls, which is important. Smart Business 101, however, says moving fewer golf balls profitably beats moving more golf balls unprofitably every day of the week.

Bridgestone B-FIT App - 1

It will be fascinating to watch how Bridgestone navigates its way through the second half of 2018 and beyond, and to see what kinds of additional changes, if any, are coming. We do know that Bridgestone Sports Senior Officer and Bridgestone Golf Chairman Shigeru Nakayama will return to Covington to serve as Acting President/CEO while the company looks for a permanent replacement. Whoever is chosen will have a tall task in front of them.



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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Pool Noodle Fine Motor Balance Tray

Click here to read Pool Noodle Fine Motor Balance Tray on Hands On As We Grow


With summer just around the corner, this pool noodle fine motor balance tray from Lisa is perfect! Your little one will be eager and excited to play while building their basic fine motor skills.

I love utilizing items that we already have around our house as part of our learning for many reasons. Not only does it allow for spontaneous and hands-on play, it’s an easy way to keep activity costs in check.

In our case, we had plenty of pool noodles in our garage that were just waiting to be used for something other than swimming!

This pool noodle fine motor balance tray is a simple fine motor transfer activity. It strengthens hand-eye coordination and allows for the optional development of pattern following.

Build Your Pool Noodle Fine Motor Balance Tray

Your little one will love the fun challenge of balancing those pom poms on each slice without letting them fall through the hole!

To create this tray, you will need one pool noodle (on the thinner side), a handful of medium size pom poms, along with a child size tweezers (affiliate link).

I used a kitchen knife to cut slices of the pool noodle about 2 inches wide and then arranged them on my tray, with the bowl of pom poms next to it.

Make a pool noodle fine motor tray to practice fine motor skills!

If you are wanting to try this with a younger child who has not quite developed the skill of tweezers, you can modify the activity by having them use their fingers. This will help reinforce their developing pincer grasp.

Although the main focus of this activity is the development of fine motor skills, I decided to add an extra learning benefit to this activity by introducing patterns to my three-year-old.

Using toothpicks and cardstock, I created colored flags to match the same color of pom poms he chose. I chose to only pattern the first row for him in encouragement that he would continue the pattern on his own as he went on.

Let your child get creative!

Ezra was so excited to start his challenge!

He went along quickly, utilizing his hand strength while grasping his pom poms with the tweezers. Ezra was carefully balancing each pom pom on top of the hole.

DIY a pool noodle fine motor activity with supplies you probably already have!

He followed the pattern correctly with the first row of flags. Then he continued on with the same pattern throughout the duration of the activity.

He called out each color as he balanced it on top of each pool noodle slice!

Use big tweezers to balance pom poms on sliced pool noodles

After he completed the tray, he decided to push each pom pom through the hole.

He had so much fun doing this and enjoyed the added tactile sensory benefit.

Try out different ways to play with your pool noodle fine motor tray!

The, he decided he wanted to build a tower of all the slices on his tray. He was counting out loud to see how many he could stack until it toppled over.

I love activities that allow for multiple interpretations and learning. It is so fun to see!

Stack the pool noodle slices to practice building and balancing.

In the end, this tray turned into multiple activities and learning opportunity for him.

What are some other hands-on activities that you have created using pool noodles?



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Natural Remedies for Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease

Natural Remedies for Hand Foot and Mouth Disease

I always prefer natural remedies for illness when it’s appropriate since they often shorten illness (rather than just relieve symptoms). Hand, foot, and mouth disease (strange as the name may be) is just another illness that is usually best tended to at home. What Is Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease? Hand, foot, and mouth disease...

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{VIDEO} – Callaway Releases Rogue Pro Black Irons

As it did previously with Apex and Steelhead, Callaway has created an all-black version of its Rogue Pro Black Irons.

In this short video, MyGolfSpy Editor, Tony Covey breaks down what separates the Black version from the original (Spoiler Alert: They're black), explains why companies release products like this, and tells you what you need to consider before buying the Black version.

Pricing and Availability

The Callaway Rogue Pro Black irons are available as a custom option only through from CallawayGolf.com beginning 6/8/18.

Retail price is $825 for 5-iron through PW and $1099 for 4-Iron-AW.



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TaylorMade Launches MySpider Putter Customization Platform

TaylorMade's brand identity is built on the success and more specifically the PGA Tour success of its drivers, so it's interesting that its first foray into consumer customization is with a putter.

Take that in for a moment.

TaylorMade's recently announced MySpider custom program allows golfers to mix and match three hosel types (short slant, double-bend, and L-neck), three sightline options (single line, single dot or T-line) and eight stock colors in whatever combination the consumer desires, though there are some limitations.

MYS-6

No doubt customization templates are cool and engaging because it allows consumers to feel some increased sense of ownership both over the process and the final product. That said, such programs aren't anything new and, in this case, TaylorMade requires you to pay a premium for the privilege.

With a retail price of $360, the MySpider Tour is 20% more expensive than the standard Spider Tour ($299) and though the program touts 250,000 as the number of possible iterations, that's probably overselling it a bit.

Custom isn't necessarily synonymous with unlimited. Case in point; the MySpider is available in exactly one head weight (355g) and offers multiple colors in a single grip option (SuperStroke GTR 1.0). Both the sole plate and weights are black and face insert options are limited to red or black. The eight stock colors for the body, wings and sightline/logo offer a reasonable menu, though consumers willing to pay the rather steep upcharge might be disappointed if the hope is to honor Wiz Khalifa or any number of professional organizations with yellow, orange, or navy as team colors, which as it turns out is a bit over half of NFL teams.

No doubt, the Spider is TaylorMade's most visible model on tour thanks primarily to Jason Day and his affinity for the color red, but one of the luxuries of being a professional golfer is never having to ask how much clubs cost. Consumers do. So is this one worth it?

Tell us what you think.



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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

First Look – 2018/2019 Srixon Z-Series Drivers

26_Apr_mono09

Five new Srixon drivers have found their way to the USGA’s Conforming list, though it’s unlikely that all of them will make it to retail. Srixon’s current models, the Z765 and 2017 Most Wanted Winning Z565 were released nearly 2-years ago, so new models aren’t unexpected. It’s also true that Srixon has aggressively prototyped in the past, so it’s not particularly surprising that initial model count is high. My guess is that no more than three make it to store shelves.

The Z585 and Z785 are virtual locks for retail. If the past is any indicator of the future, the Z585 will be the higher launch, more forgiving option with a full or even oversized footprint.

26_Apr_mono05

The Z785 will likely be regarded as a lower spinning option for better players, though the existence of 3 other models leaves the door open for the standard 785 to be comparatively more forgiving (and less compact) than the Z765.

The Z585 and Z 785 are joined on the USGA list by a Z785 Tour, Z785 Tour LS, and Z785 Tour FL. While discerning relative scale from USGA photos is a dicey proposition at best, the pictures suggest the Tour models may more compact than the non-Tour Z785.

26_Apr_mono03

If tradition holds, the Tour models likely offer lower launch and spin, a more open face, and potentially, a flatter lie angle. It’s a reasonable assumption that the LS is Tour LS stands for low spin; no further explanation necessary. The Tour FL is a bit of a mystery, but we’re leaning towards FL standing for Flat Lie as less upright models are often preferred by tour pros and better players. Admittedly, that’s just a guess.

While it’s possible that all three tour models are legitimately tour only, it’s at least possible that one of the three will make it to retail. I’d wager the three tour models are reasonably similar and that Srixon is working with its tour staff to determine which of the three best produces the desired launch characteristics.

26_Apr_mono01

All of the drivers on the list feature Srixon’s adjustable hosel. Each features a single removable weight which is almost certainly for swing weight purposes. We expect that Srixon will again make alternative weights available.

The new Z series is expected to launch later this year. We don’t expect much more in the way of details until then.

26_Apr_mono05



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Healthy and Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternatives

Healthy Alternatives to Coffee

If you’re looking for an interesting variation on coffee, give coffee kombucha a try (it’s an interesting taste for sure!). But if you’re looking for healthy coffee alternatives, keep reading. Why Not Drink Coffee? There are many reasons someone may want to skip their morning “cuppa.” One reason is that it may not be that...

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The Best Premium Gloves of 2018

Easy Homemade Window Paint Recipe

Click here to read Easy Homemade Window Paint Recipe on Hands On As We Grow


Make this easy DIY window paint recipe with your kids and create art on your windows! It’s fun to wash off this window paint and create again and again.

I love when Henry chooses the activity for the day. This time he wanted really, really badly to paint the big window again!

Make your own DIY window paint with a simple recipe!

When we made window paint last time, it was super sticky and goopy. This time, I looked up a new window paint recipe from Home Spun Threads.

Very similar recipe to the last, but this time, no cornstarch.

Make easy homemade window paint with a simple DIY recipe

Easy Homemade Window Paint Recipe:

  • Dish Soap
  • Tempera Paint for color

Can’t get much simpler than that. And fast!

I mixed together a dish of each primary color, keeping it as simple as possible.

While I mixed together the paint and gathered supplies (all of 2 minutes, maybe), Henry placed Blue Dog on the back of the couch to look out the window to watch him paint.

Setting up Blue Dog to watch our window painting fun

Henry went to town painting the window. This paint was much thinner and easier to spread than the cornstarch recipe. They both have their pros and cons.

Try out different painting tools with your homemade window paint

This time, I armed Henry with a scrub brush.

His new favorite tool to paint the window with!

Window painting can be super fun and easy with a DIY paint recipe

Blue Dog is watching Henry in action from inside.

I took advantage of our primary paint colors and explored mixing them together with Henry.

Make different designs and pictures with your homemade window paint

Henry and I mixed together yellow and blue to make green. This one isn’t new to Henry as we’ve had to come up with a way to paint with green in the past without actually having green paint.

But orange and purple are new to him! Henry really liked that yellow and red made orange.

Maybe it will be a new favorite color… though I’m not sure orange would pass the test… (there aren’t a lot of Allis-Chalmers machines around here, at least not at Grandpa’s farm.)

To show how much thinner this homemade window paint recipe is:

This thinner homemade window paint would be great for drip painting too
I think now I can say we created our own drip paintings! This would have been a great recipe for that activity, too!

The edge of the window looked pretty cool. Henry thought so too and pointed out the drips many times as he was making them.

I think next time we try window painting, I’ll just add a tad bit of cornstarch and hopefully, we’ll find a happy medium.

Try 50 more painting ideas for kids!

To add a little more fun, I brought out his squirt bottle. I thought it would be fun to see what designs we could make with squirting it onto the painted window.

Use a squirt bottle to wash the homemade window paint off afterwards

Henry had plans to clean off the entire window with it.

Henry has been going through a stage of throwing fits for every little thing. This time he threw a fit and ended up in a timeout in his room before completely cleaning the window.

The plan was to hose it off and have a little water fun. I ended up doing that myself, though.

Another fun day of us painting the window can be found on Make and Takes!

A simple homemade window paint recipe to get creative!



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Monday, May 28, 2018

How My Kids’ Capsule Wardrobe Simplified My Life (& Laundry)

How Creating Kids Capsule Wardrobes Simplified My Life and Laundry

I must admit… when the capsule wardrobe trend took over Pinterest, I was mostly uninterested. As a mom, I based my wardrobe much more on function and flexibility. Times like pregnancy and nursing required certain types of clothes and limited my options. Then, I discovered the concept of a kids’ capsule wardrobe. Freedom from endless laundry,...

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163: Fascinating Fungi and How to Use Medicinal Mushrooms With Tero Isokauppila

Fascinating Fungi and How to Use Medicinal Mushrooms with Tero Isokauppila

I have admired the work of today’s guest for years and I can’t wait to share him with you. His name is Tero Isokauppila and he’s leading a worldwide mushroom movement. You might have heard of Tero since I talk all the time about his company Four Sigmatic and how I love their amazing mushroom...

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DIY Brown Sugar Sand Castle for Easy Beach Fun Indoors

Click here to read DIY Brown Sugar Sand Castle for Easy Beach Fun Indoors on Hands On As We Grow


When something forces you to change your beach plans, use this easy brown sugar sand castle tutorial from Brigitte to make your own indoor beach fun!

Have you ever planned a trip to the beach with your kids, but the weather forced you to change your plans? Thankfully, some outdoor activities can also be done inside with a little creativity.

It’s still too cold where I live to build sand castles at the beach. My daughters recently decided to build “sand castles” in the kitchen using brown sugar.

Not only is brown sugar moldable, but it is also relatively inexpensive.

For more indoor “sandbox” fun, try a cornmeal treasure hunt or an oatmeal sandbox.

Easy Indoor Beach Fun with a Brown Sugar Sand Castle

To begin the indoor “sand castle” fun, I poured a bag of brown sugar into a large bowl. Then I gave each of my daughters her own large cookie sheet, and set out a variety of measuring cups, measuring spoons, and craft sticks.

Create your own indoor beach fun with brown sugar sand castles! This super easy tutorial will help your family have beach fun even when the weather doesn't cooperate.

One of my daughters built a tower by sorting the sizes of the measuring cups. She packed each measuring cup with sugar and pressed it firmly.

She stacked each scoop of sugar into a single straight column from largest to smallest.

Create indoor beach fun with brown sugar sand castles! Sort each scoop by size to build a tall tower.

My other daughter did something similar, but she used more than one measuring cup scoop for each layer. Using more than one scoop per layer, she built her castle into a pyramid shape.

She even added a moat to the front of her castle using craft sticks.

Make a pyramid shape with layers of scoops for your brown sugar sand castle for indoor beach fun.

One of my daughters also built a submarine.

Make more than just brown sugar sand castles for indoor beach fun. You can mold brown sugar into almost any shape!

After they were done creating, I hid a couple of craft sticks on a cookie sheet covered with brown sugar. They searched frantically for the craft sticks to see who would find them first.

This did make more of a mess, but they seemed to have fun.

Dig into your brown sugar "sand" for hidden objects for even more indoor beach fun! It's fun and a little bit messy!

If your beach plans get canceled, try making some beach crafts.

What do you do when your beach plans get canceled? Share your indoor beach fun ideas!



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Mr. Locksmith Welcomes Randall Bath to New Westminster and Delta!

Mr. Locksmith Welcomes Randall Bath to New Westminster and Delta!

For further information go to our New Westminster Locksmith website http://www.mrlocksmithnewwestminster.com/

Randy has been with Mr. Locksmith as a fully qualified locksmith for almost 10 years now and is now the new Mr. Locksmith Franchisee for New Westminster, Delta, North Delta, Annacis Island and Ladner. Randy is also an Automotive Locksmith and a Licensed Auto Mechanic. Randy is an Authorized Abloy Protec 2 Dealer, Schlage Primus and other High Security Locks.

Randy Bath
Your New Westminster Locksmith and Automotive Locksmith

Again, Congratulations to Randall (Randy) Bath.

Randy at Mr. Locksmith New Westminster provides emergency locksmithing services for residential, commercial and automotive. Our fully qualified, licensed and insured locksmiths in New Westminster are available 24/7/365.

We offer the following services:

  • MASTER KEYS
  • CARD ACCESS
  • KEYLESS ENTRY
  • HIGH-SECURITY LOCKS
  • KEY CONTROL
  • SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS
  • DESK OR CABINET LOCKS
  • DOOR CLOSERS AND DOOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
  • BREAK IN REPAIR
  • New Westminster Locksmith
  • AUTOMOTIVE LOCKOUT
  • ANTI-THEFT CHIP AND SMART KEYS
  • LASER CUT KEYS
  • REMOTES / KEYLESS ENTRY
  • PROX AND FOB KEYS
  • PUSH TO START
  • LOST KEYS REPLACEMENT
  • LOCK AND IGNITION REPAIR
  • DELTA LOCKSMITH
  • LOCK REPLACEMENT AND REKEYING
    • LOCKS CHANGED
    • DEADBOLTS INSTALLED
    • HIGH-SECURITY LOCKS
    • WINDOW AND SLIDING GLASS DOORS
    • HOME AND APT. ALARMS
    • GUN SAFES
    • BREAK IN REPAIR
    • VIDEO SURVEILLANCE
    • KEYLESS ENTRY
  • NEW & USED
  • LOCKED SAFES OPENED
  • COMBOS CHANGED
  • ANY SIZE SAFE MOVING
  • RENTALS
  • WE BUY USED SAFES
  • TL RATED JEWELRY SAFES
  • DEPOSITORY AND CASH MANAGEMENT SAFES
  • BIOMETRIC AND ELECTRONIC SAFES

And much more!
 We cover every corner of New Westminster Locksmith and Annacis Island  Locksmith– New Westminster with locksmith services. If you have an issue with your locks or keys, don’t wait any longer and call Mr. Locksmith New Westminster or book your appointment online now.

Mr. Locksmith New Westminster Call Randy 604-259-2522


Terry Whin-Yates is the Founder, President and CEO of Mr. Locksmith and is proud to have known Randall Bath for 35+ years.

 

The post Mr. Locksmith Welcomes Randall Bath to New Westminster and Delta! appeared first on Mr Locksmith Vancouver.



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Friday, May 25, 2018

Easy Craft Stick Bridge Building Activity for Preschoolers

Click here to read Easy Craft Stick Bridge Building Activity for Preschoolers on Hands On As We Grow


Work on fine motor skills with an easy craft stick bridge building activity that invites creative play, too! Your preschoolers will love this super simple construction project.

Being an Activity Room member can totally inspire busy moms and dads to get more hands-on with their children! That’s exactly what Emily, our Member of the Month, discovered when she joined.

Emily loves that having hands-on fun with her children is now so super easy!

With a three-year-old and an infant, time is at a premium. The done-for-you plans are perfect for busy parents, just like Emily.

“There’s very little planning, which saves me a lot of time!” Emily explained.

She loves to put her own unique spins on Activity Room plans. Emily has also been known to use one of the ready-made activity plans to create a whole new activity, too!

“I love to piggyback off from The Activity Room activities and come up with new activity ideas,” Emily shared.

One of Emily’s newest Activity Room-inspired activities is a craft stick bridge building activity for preschoolers.

She loves the creative play, and fine motor skills practice, that this super simple activity sparks!

Let’s Meet Emily

Activity Room Member of the Month, Emily, and her family love the pre-made activity plans!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

3 years old and 7 months old

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

3 months

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

My son loved the card number match

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Go outside and explore

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Have an idea of what you would like to do, but allow your kids to take the lead. Be flexible. Let them be creative!

If you were to tell a friend about The Activity Room, what would you say to them?

The Activity Room provides me with weekly activities that are easy to put together with simple materials. There’s very little planning, which saves me a lot of time!

Share your favorite quote

“Play is the highest form of research.” -Albert Einstein

Craft Stick Bridge Building Activity

Creating bridges for animals! We used animal figurines, craft sticks, and cups!

A craft stick bridge building activity is perfect for preschoolers to develop fine motor skills and play creatively!

Use craft sticks from the craft store. We have colored ones, but plain wooden craft sticks work, too.

Show your preschooler how to balance the craft sticks between two cups to create a bridge.

A craft stick bridge building activity is perfect for preschoolers to develop fine motor skills and play creatively!

You could even add extra challenges:

  • How many craft sticks can you fit side-by-side between two cups?
  • Can you push the cups farther apart and still build a solid bridge?
  • How long (with multiple connections/segments) can you build a bridge?
  • How many animals can you fit on one small bridge at a time?

Working through these problems together will add an extra dose of critical thinking and problem-solving to your playtime!

A craft stick bridge building activity is perfect for preschoolers to develop fine motor skills and play creatively!

How do The Activity Room plans inspire your play at home?



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The Bettinardi BB56 Armageddon Limited Edition Putter

In honor of Memorial Day and our military, Bettinardi Golf is releasing the second putter in their military-themed Armageddon Limited Edition series, the BB56 Armageddon. Like it’s predecessor, this Armageddon putter features a military motif, but putter also features maybe the coolest metal that I have ever seen used to build a putter.

It was about a year ago when Bob Bettinardi and crew unveiled their first military-themed putter, the BB1 Armageddon Limited Edition putter. That putter featured a military color palate, and other military-inspired design elements, like the Picatinny Rail top line. Combine that with their first uPatch headcover, and you had a truly unique putter offering.

This new Armageddon putter blows away its predecessor. Not because the BB56 placed third in this year's Most Wanted Mallet Test. Not because of how precisely it’s made, we are talking about Bettinardi after all. Instead what sets it apart is what its materials.

Yes, I’ve just teased about the metal for the second time. I feel no guilt about that. The metal in this putter is next-level cool

BB56 Armageddon - 1

BB56 Armageddon Specifications:

  • Material: High-grade (Military) Kaiser 6061 Aluminum
  • Insert: 303 Stainless Steel Topline
  • Face Milling: Floating Fit-face
  • Weight: 350 grams
  • Finish: Stealth Desert Sand TPT
  • Lie: 70 degree
  • Loft: 2 degrees
  • Grip: Bettinardi Lamkin Deep Etched Cord Orange Grip
  • Number Made: 125
  • MSRP: $500.00
  • Release Date: May 24, 2018 (10:00AM CDT)

So, About That Metal...

BB56 Armageddon - 7

Some of you metal heads out there may be poised to strike at your keyboards, sharpening your wrath as you prepare to explain to me how this Kaiser 6061 aluminum is not different from the typical 6061 aluminum of the stock BB56.

Maybe you have a point. I’ll defer to your metal expertise, but you are dead wrong about the metal in the BB56 Armageddon being typical aluminum.

I’ll let Specialist Ryan Finch explain about the metal.

The material came from the shop my Dad worked at. They cut door armor for Humvees. There were blanks that were the window cut outs that normally would be scraped. Dad asked the owner if he could save some to do a project for me. He always took pride in making the armor and the deployment was hard on the family. We sat on the material for 10 years trying to come up with something to make.

So Ryan’s dad worked at the factory (Magna Machine Company) where they manufactured the armor that was protecting his son while he was deployed. His dad saved this metal, and that is the metal that the BB56 Armageddon putters were milled from.

How amazing is that? That is so amazing to me that I’m at a loss for words to express my amazement. I’m not often awestruck by putters, but reading the email from Ryan stopped me in my tracks.

Finch-Visit

But why putters, and why Bettinardi? Again, I’ll let Ryan tell his story.

I started golfing with Dad when I got back home, at first it was a way to hang with dad and drink beer. More I played the more I grew to love it. As my PTSD really started kicking in it was a good forum of therapy.

I reached out to Bettinardi because Dad’s a big Bettinardi fan and they're the perfect company. Big enough to be in retail stores and across the globe but small enough to do cool projects and actually answer emails. Robert and the crew are big military supporter and awesome to work with. I couldn't have picked a better company to work with. Bettinardi is more of a family than just a company, Dad and I are proud to be a small part of that family now.

Again, I’m pretty much speechless about all of this, which is not so helpful when trying to tell a story, but what else can I say? I am amazed, impressed, and in no small way touched by the story of how these putters came to be.

Armageddon vs. The Stock BB56

As if the story of the metal was not enough to establish the uniqueness of the BB56 Armageddon, there are also some design elements that separate it from its stock brother.

Color Scheme

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Like the BB1 Armageddon, the BB56 Armageddon features a previously unreleased finish. The Stealth Desert Sand finish is a bit lighter, and less Earthy when compared to the Flat Dark Earth finish of the BB1 Armageddon.

Looking at the photos of military Humvees, I’d say that this Stealth Desert Sand finish is a pretty good match, which is likely the point after all.

Design Changes

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In addition to the different color, there are a few other design modifications worth pointing out. First of all, the stock BB56’s flymill face has been replaced with a Floating F.I.T. Face. The F.I.T. face milling removes material (and mass) from the face, which will make the putter feel softer.

When you look at the address position, you will also notice that the milling pattern in the side cavities has changed. The BB56 Armageddon features five ridges per side, compared to the far more numerous, and smaller ridges found on the stock BB56. The bottom of the BB56 Armageddon also lacks the milled furrows found on the stock BB56. And yes, the sight line is bright orange.

MOLLE Headcover

Once again, the Bettinardi Armageddon release comes with a one of a kind headcover. This time, rather using the uPatch Velcro design again, Bettinardi designed the headcover to look like the MOLLE webbing system found on military packs. My civilian self had no clue about the MOLLE system, but thankfully there is Wikipedia.

MOLLE is an acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment. The system's modularity is derived from the use of Pouch Attachment Ladder System (PALS) webbing as rows of heavy-duty nylon stitched onto the vest to allow for the attachment of various compatible pouches and accessories.

Not only does this headcover keep with the military theme, but you have spots to lash things to it as well. Sure, you could probably just slide a pitch tool or tees in there, but I’m sure that there is a little pouch out there just begging to be attached to this headcover.

It’ll be a Rapid Deployment

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With only 125 of these being made, you can expect them to sell out quickly, so head over to Bettinardi, or contact your local authorized Bettinardi dealer. Some of you are going to be turned off at the $500 price tag on these, but in the land of limited edition putters, $500 seems a bit low even.

Custom BB56 putters have been instantly selling out in The Hive for $900, leading me to believe that these Armageddon BB56s, with the amazing metal pedigree, Bettinardi could have sold for more.

Just like last year, Bettinardi will again be donating a portion of the proceeds to the Warriors for Freedom Foundation, who provides support for veterans and their families.

So, with the BB56 Armageddon, you get a performance-tested design, metal sourced from actual Humvees, a solid father-son story, and some of your purchase goes to a deserving charity.

Well done Bettinardi Golf, well done.

Win a BB56 Armageddon

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Do you know a veteran or someone currently serving in the military who would like to bag this putter? Well, you will have a chance to win one for him or her! Just keep an eye on the Bettinardi Instagram page this weekend for your chance to win.



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