Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

September 13 – October 28, Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO presents the National Crafts & Cowboy Festival, featuring some of the nation’s finest craftsmen and authentic cowboys. Over 125 visiting craftsmen from around the country demonstrate their art, including Best of Missouri Hands juried artists, all joining Silver Dollar City’s 100 demonstrating craftsmen.

The festival also features great entertainment, including a Wild West Show with trick riders, ropers, and a world-champion Native American Hoop dancer; Western music; a barn dance, and 125 visiting craftsmen. When you get hungry, the nation’s pioneer culinary heritage comes to life with campfire cooking and cowboy cuisine, including Cowboy Beef Stew and Dutch Oven Desserts, plus Chuck Wagon & Food Network Chef Kent Rollins and Extreme Mustangs are featured in the Red Gold courtyard.

This event draws approximately 300,000 visitors each year, and has been a tradition since 1963. This became the nation’s largest festival of demonstrating craftsmen. The focus on authentic craftsmanship was one of the reasons the U.S. Congress in 2010 proclaimed Silver Dollar City the “Home of American Craftsmanship.” In addition to craftsmen, Silver Dollar City added features with another American icon several years ago, the cowboy, to carry on the festival as The National Crafts & Cowboy Festival.

Get more information at www.silverdollarcity.com

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

Have you ever wanted to take a DNA test to learn about your ancestry?

I recently took a DNA test through GPS Origins (Geographic Population Structure) which is a new ancestry DNA test that will take you deep into your ancestral history and wow!  Typically, DNA ancestry tests will offer to provide a report of your ‘ethnicity’ and identify continents in which your DNA can be located, but that is about it.  DNA test do not traditionally get very specific.  Oftentimes, you won’t even know the country from which your ancestors were from.  The great thing about the GPS ancestry test is that it combines the newest and best research in genetics with new tracking techniques that enable you to pinpoint more precisely where your DNA started.   The GPS Origins test indicates the town or village where groups of your ancestors from different cultures met – building a vibrant picture of the migration journeys that formed your deep genealogical heritage.  How great is that?  It is amazing to me that we can delve so deep into these things now!  It is truly amazing where technology has taken us, is it not?

So what were my results?  

I have to say, based on what little I DO know about my family lineage, these results were totally correct for my father’s side.  However, on my mother’s side, I know for a fact that I have Native American blood 2 generations back in a direct line, yet there was no mention of it in the test results.  That being said, I was very interested to learn of my Nordic heritage!  My ancestors were Vikings and explorers.

Save $10 on your DNA test

If you have been thinking about taking an ancestry type DNA test, GPS Origins is a great resource.  Plus, they are currently offering promo codes via their website so that you can save up to $10 on an Ancestry DNA test.   They even offer an Ancestry Report for those that have already had their DNA Testing done elsewhere, so you can learn even more!  This would make a GREAT gift.  In fact, my husband wants one of these for himself.

Once you submit the DNA testing, you should receive your results in just a matter of weeks.  In case you were expecting otherwise, you may find that you are surprised by the results as they seem to be extremely accurate.   With these results, you can find yourself with a sense of connection to the past as you will no longer have to wonder about your heritage.  You can see where they started and how your ancestry line got to where it is now.  It is really fascinating to read, and it sparked a sense of completeness to know my family journey.  It is very cool and educational and I would highly recommend this.

Once you receive your results, you can actually download them as a .pdf from the GPS Origins website (www.gpsorigins.com), so that you may keep them safely stored for future use.

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item from C Space as a thank you for participating.

In order to support the development of better contraception/family planning services, C Space has created a private online community of women who wish to share their voice and opinions.  Within the One Woman to Another community women will be able to confidentially share their experiences, connect with one another, and participate in market research activities.

What to Expect: 

• Fast and Easy – As a member, you can expect to spend 10 to 15 minutes online per week contributing to various community activities.
• Influence – Your voice is powerful! Help us understand your experiences, challenges, successes and unmet needs. Members will express their insights though surveys, discussions, quick polls and other online interactive activities to help inform decision makers in the healthcare industry who are working to ensure the relevancy of future programs, services and products.
• Learn New Things – Anonymously connect and collaborate with other women like yourself.

Privacy Note: Your personal and identifying information will be kept confidential and is NOT shared with the sponsor or anyone else – this is true for your completion of this brief qualifying survey as well as for your participation within the community. Your identity and contributions on the community site will be completely anonymous. This isn’t a clinical trial. It is anonymous, healthcare market research.

Membership is by invitation only and spots are filling up fast for the One Woman to Another community, so take this quick survey today to see if you qualify: http://bit.ly/2l1t0Yn

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.

Camp Registration Now Open! Save Up to $250

Digital Media Academy is celebrating their shiny new website and an exciting new summer camp lineup with deep discounts on all of our course offerings now through November 4th!

Save up to $250 during the Launch Sale and discover exciting new summer camps and courses for your kid or teen ages 6-17. Since 2002, Digital Media Academy has set out to be the thought-leader in tech education for kids, teens and adults at prestigious universities across the U.S. and Canada

In addition to summer camp programs, DMA offers year-round learning via DMA Online and powers tech ed programs through its curriculum licensing program around the globe. DMA instructors and curriculum developers include industry professionals and outstanding technology educators, with a driving passion for inspiring, teaching, and mentoring.

What will you create this summer? Don’t wait – the Launch Sale ends November 4, 2016!

Balanced Experience

DMA camps offer more than sitting in front of a screen all day. The DMA learning experience strikes a balance between tech time and social time; sending our campers home with new tech skills and confidence and new friends.

Top-Notch Staff

The DMA staff is an impressive group of industry professionals and tech educators who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience. Small staff to student ratios keep learning personalized and ensures that no one gets left behind.

Project-Based

Students learn by getting hands on and collaborative in search of solutions to relative, real world problems. Infused with design-thinking methodology, our courses teach students to lead with empathy, test and retest through prototyping, and work as a team to get results.

Safety Matters

Your child’s safety is DMA’s top priority. All DMA staff are trained and certified in CPR and First Aid.

Couponista Queen was compensated for this post.