UPDATE: Congratulations to Christina, the winner of the Well Planned Day planner!

Today is the last installment of Home Educating Family’s review team’s Not-Back-to-School blog hop! The team has enjoyed it, and we hope you have, too. Remember to read all the way to the end to discover how to enter our final giveaway. One of my readers will win a Well Planned Day planner!

Three years ago I read one of the best tips ever for a family with a child on the autism spectrum–since spectrum kids can be so unpredictable when it comes to presents, ask for money towards a membership to a museum/zoo/attraction instead of presents. This is fabulous advice!

Whether or not you have a special needs child, I highly recommend following this nugget of wisdom. Not only does it cut down on unnecessary clutter in your home, it also provides a year’s worth of family memories and educational opportunities!

We have enjoyed a membership to the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village complex in Dearborn, Michigan thanks to grandparents. The beauty of this particular combination is that we can enjoy the outdoors at the village when the weather is good, and then when Michigan cold sets in we can enjoy the museum.

Here are a few reasons I recommend you consider a membership to a special place:

~With a membership, you can come and go as you please. Many attractions are expensive for one day, and you would feel guilty spending only a couple hours on a visit. However, when you have a membership you can spend a little bit of time or all day and know you’ve spent wisely.

~Membership has its benefits. Members often get discounts in gift shops or special activities/extended hours. Additionally, if you visit at a time when it’s not that crowded, you may find yourself with opportunities for perks. For example, one morning we visited the village and were the only ones riding the carousel. Since no one was waiting in line for a new ride, we got a second ride for free!

~Your children can build relationships with staff. Aren’t “outsiders” worried we’re not socializing our kids enough? Students can learn social skills by interacting with staff. Who knows? Your family may make new long-term friends!

~Extra education! When you visit at off hours, docents have time for more stories. You get to hear things that other people don’t. You get to learn facts about animals that others never hear. You get to touch things other people can’t.

These are just a few reasons. I hope I’ve inspired you to consider a different kind of Christmas present this year! I believe you won’t regret it.

Drum roll…the winner of the On the Go planner from last week’s giveaway is Shelly! This week I get to give away Home Educating Family’s most popular planner, the Well Planned Day! This planner packs a punch for homeschool parents! You can read about it here.

If you’d like to enter to win, simply leave a comment like “I want to win!”. If you’d like extra entries, you can like Home Educating Family and/or Many Hats Mommyon Facebook. Finally, you can earn one entry per day for each share (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Each entry MUST be a separate comment to count. Have fun!

Do you enjoy sharing about products you love? Do you consider yourself a good writer? Can you give both pros AND cons in a review? Maybe you should apply to join Home Educating Family’s review team!

Speaking of review team, make sure you head here to find the list of the other ladies participating in this week’s blog hop. You’re sure to find lots of great ideas and each one is giving away a planner!