Pet Turtle Popularity Spike Expected with TMNT Theatrical Movie Release This Weekend

Nature

Guest Post

by Susan Tellem & Marshall Thompson
Co-founders, American Tortoise Rescue

Save a Turtle's Life While Protecting Your Child

Save a Turtle From Losing Its Life
This weekend a whole new generation of kids who missed the 2007 animated film will head to theaters for the re-release of the extremely popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles  movie. While this animated classic film is fun and great entertainment we have an important message for consumers and especially, parents.  Since the first movie came out in 1990, hundreds of thousands of live turtles, mostly water turtles called red eared sliders, were purchased for between $10 and $25 after each TMNT film was released.  Soon after many, if not most, were dumped and even deliberately killed or flushed down the toilet.

Baby Turtles, Image from American Tortoise Rescue

Unfortunately, children don't realize real turtles do not fly, perform stunts or do any of the exciting moves and heroics fictional movie turtles do.  Moms and Dads, trying to please their children, purchase live turtles as pets -- most taken out of the wild and sold through pet stores and a variety of other sources. Sadly, the turtles soon lose their appeal to kids. They end up dumped illegally into rivers and lakes as well as dumpsters, flushed down toilets or relinquished to shelters and overcrowded rescues and ultimately, about 90 percent of them die.  

Melanistic Slider, Image from American Tortoise Rescue

Safeguard Your Child Against Salmonella
Here’s the bigger problem.  Turtles carry salmonella which can make a child, the elderly and those who are immune suppressed very, very sick and can even kill them.  That’s why turtles less than four inches were banned from sale in the U.S. in 1974 and still are…tiny turtles easily fit into a child’s mouth and children don’t wash their hands after touching turtles.  

This illness is an ugly problem causing nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and in extreme cases, can even cause death. A nine month old baby in Los Angeles got salmonella meningitis from a turtle after its parents touched it and then held the baby.  We do not recommend live turtles or tortoises for children under 13 because of salmonella exposure and because younger children lose interest almost immediately. 

Frack Sunning, Image from American Tortoise Rescue

Save a Turtle’s Life, and Perhaps Even a Child's
Turtles have been around for 200 million years and outlived the dinosaur.  Is this the way we want to treat our precious disappearing wildlife?  What can you do to help? Buy Ninja action figures and toys instead of live turtles for pets.  

About American Tortoise Rescue
For more on protecting turtles visit American Tortoise Rescue at Tortoise.com. You can also stay informed on turtle rescue and preservation by following the organization on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

FTC Disclosure:  American Tortoise Rescue provided the content and images for this post. However, no payment or other compensation was exchanged in connection with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Keep Art in Schools - Donate #Clothes4School + Schoola Funds Raised Support Your Kids

Community

This is a sponsored post

Donate Gently Used Clothing to Raise Money for The Arts in Your School

Preschooler me, MommyBlogExpert.com

Back in the day when I was a kid, music, art, foreign languages and other electives were all standard fare in school from Kindergarten through 12th Grade. Even before I had graduated from sixth grade I'd taken multiple years of French as well as studied art, sung in the choir, and learned to play the flute and played in the school band. As a Baby Boomer, I remember those days fondly and truly appreciate how much they were a part of my formative elementary educationcal experience.
 

3rd grade before my school stage debut, MommyBlogExpert.com

Fast forward four decades past that idyllic childhood. It pains me -- no, shocks me -- to no end that my own children lost out (they are teens now) and kids in 2014 have few if any of the enrichment experiences I had. Sadly, the lack of extra curricular opportunities for today's young students couldn't be more dismal in schools across the USA than right now. 

In fact, with the United States now ranked 36th in the world academically out of 65 countries, many educational experts and parents like me think that missing out on essentials like music and art -- both proven to enhance mathematical and reasoning skills -- have contributed to the downward spiral of education in America.

Arts Are Essential to a Well-Rounded Education
Why are the arts so important to elementary kids today? Why must we all do our part to save what's left or bring it back if nothing remains? 

Watch this short Schoola video to see and hear why, directly from the mouths and hearts of some of today's promising young students at Yick Wo Elementary, why art in their school matters.

It's time to turn the tide and support Yick Wo Alternative Elementary in San Francisco, which has a goal to raise $25,000 to fund their art program, and others across the country including schools in your local community. Our children, and those of every American in the U.S., deserve to have access to the same well-rounded education we had in past generations. One that includes art, music and other important programs -- their future and success depend on it and on us. 

It's Easy to Make a Difference

The good news is that there's an unbelieveably simple way that parents can help. It's called Schoola, an online consignment store founded by a mom and former educator that sells your donated clothing online and then gives back 40% of the proceeds to schools. Simply by donating your child's gently worn and outgrown clothing you can raise money that will go to the local school you designate.

As a matter of fact, just one bag of donated Schoola clothing sold equals enough money to buy art supplies for FIVE kids!

MommyBlogExpert.com

How Schoola Works

Request a shipping bag from Schoola which they will mail to you
Clean out your kid's closet, filling the bag with up to 22 suitable items
Drop the pre-addressed, postage paid bag in the mail
40% of proceeds from the sale of your donated clothing is contributed to your child's school or other school you designate

Save on Your Kids Back to School Wardrobe Too!

Remember to also shop for your child on Schoola for brand name clothing in great condition to save huge amounts on your back to school shopping with FREE shipping on orders over $50.

Just one example of what you'll find

Right now at Schoola

70% Off this Children's Place girl's skirt, $6 (retail $20)

Image from Schoola.com

About Schoola

Schoola is an online store, dedicated to recyling brand-name gently worn children's clothes fitting ages one (preschool) through 13+ (high school). Featured by Fox News, Forbes, Parenting Magazine, the Los Angeles Times as other media, 40%  percent of the site's proceeds from sales go directly to schools in need. Parents can help by both donating clothing to Schoola as well as purchasing boys and girls clothes from the site. For more information visit Schoola.com as well as follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

FTC Disclosure: Schoola is compensating MommyBlogExpert to facilitate a series of MBE posts about the brand and its #Clothes4Schools awareness campaign. However, all opinions in this post are those of MBE. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Review HEOS5 Wireless Speaker Denon MultiRoom Sound System at Best Buy August #AudioFest

Audio

This is a sponsored post

The August Audio Fest at all Best Buy stores begins today with one month full of audio specials and deals, events and more running through 8/30/14. To celebrate, in this audio review I'm excited to tell you about the HEOS 5 by Denon Wireless Speaker Multi-Room Sound System -- just one way Best Buy can help you upgrade and enhance your home entertainment experience this summer.

HEOS 5 by Denon on the Patio, MommyBlogExpert.com

The HEOS 5 is the one speaker you need for the ultimate audiophile listening experience at home. Perfect for every room in the discerning music lover's house from the dining area to bedrooms, home office, living and family rooms, even outside on the patio or by the pool, the HEOS5 consistently plays clear and crisp sound to your ears.

What's in the HEOS5 Box, MommyBlogExpert.com

Whether you are in the mood to listen -- and maybe even dance -- to classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, techno or any other style music, this speaker delivers, making sure you get the most out of your listening experience every time. There are even controls for the treble and bass notes, enabling you to listen to and enjoy those low beats without having to strain your ears.

HEOS by Denon App, Screenshot

Another cool thing about this audio sound system is that it can play music from multiple sources. If you want, you can blast out your favorite playlists from your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. Or, you can stream music internet radio and from services like Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody and others. All this is made possible by the free HEOS App -- just download it, set it up with the app by pairing it with your HEOS5 speaker and your Wi-Fi source and in 5-10 minutes you can let your wireless speaker to do its thing.

HEOS5 Sideview, MommyBlogExpert.com

Asthetically, the speaker is lightweight and very modern and edgy looking with its angular shape. In fact the speaker doesn't only look pretty nice, it is acoustically designed to deliver the advanced aduio performance that Denon is reknowned for. Available in black, the speaker can surely go with any room and any style of decor. And because it's wireless you don't have to worry about any unsightly wires getting tangled up making it a mess to pick up and move from room to room. 

Portability, with a well-designed and positioned comfortable carrying handle on the back of the speaker, makes it that much easier to transport and enjoy your tunes from the Cloud and any of your desktop computer or compatible mobile devices. 

HEOS 5 Wireless Speaker Back, Image from Best Buy

Another great feature of the HEOS5 is that it is able to synchronize sound between multiple HEOS devices. So if you have more than one of the brand's speakers in your home, you can have it play on each of them while being perfectly in synch with one other, so you don't miss any part of the song. But even if you have only one, the listening experience in unparalleled.

Now you no longer have to settle for uncomfortable earbuds in your ears or need to cup your hands behind the speakers of your smart device to hear that one quiet part, because the HEOS5 takes care of all of that. Denon really outdid itself this time. And if you want a speaker that is bigger or smaller, then you can also purchase the HEOS 7 or HEOS 3 to meet your size requirement. But with the HEOS 5, and its ability to fit both small and big rooms, what isn’t there to love?

HEOS 5 Wireless Speaker, Image from Best Buy

HEOS5 by Denon ($399.98) is ideal every day enjoyment, entertaining and parties and works equally well in medium to large rooms such as dining rooms, large bedrooms, offices or in smaller living areas. The HEOS3 ($299.98) is best for apartments and smaller rooms throughout your living space while the HEOS7 ($599.98) is at the other end of the music appreciation spectrum and is most suited to large spaces such as living rooms, formal dining rooms, great rooms and more.

Love The Way You Listen
Don't just take my word for it. You're invited to your local Best Buy store to try the latest and coolest audio products on the market for yourself ranging from portable Bluetooth speakers and headphone to complete home theater systems and audio for your car. Your ear will hear the difference when you come in to the store and allow Best Buy to show you how to upgrade your sound.

@BestBuy #AudioFest August 3-30, 2014, Image from Best Buy

Best Buy merchandise is perfect for every budget as my personal experience has been that their selection and prices can't be beat. The store offers their low-price guarantee and free shipping with qualified purchases. Learn more about the brand at BestBuy.com. You can also stay up on all the latest consumer news by following on Facebook and Twitter.

More good Best Buy reads...
Best Buy Gifts for Grads

True Detective Season One Bluray HD at Best Buy

Best Buy Gifts for Fathers Day

Best Buy Gifts for Mothers Day

Maximizing Your Multiple Screen Experience

Best Buy AudioFest Deals

Best Buy Free Tech Recycling Program

Air Purification for Spring at Best Buy

FTC Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. However opinions in this post are my own. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.