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TOS Revives Molly Green – Saving Money!

Posted by Brande on April 12, 2012
in Animals, Baby Products, Books, Cleaning, Coupons, Ebooks, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Home, Money & Finances, Organic, Parenting, Recipes, Saving Money, Shopping

TOS (The Old Schoolhouse Magazine) revives Molly Green Magazine / Econobusters! Each week Molly Green is delivered to your inbox with tips, recipes and other inspiring ideas related to saving money! Molly Green Magazine / Econobusters offers decorating tips, pet care, health and beauty care for less. Let’s not forget tips on coupon clipping and “Abundant Blessings” (large savings for large families). With a paid monthly subscription to Molly Green Magazine / Econobusters you will receive “FREE Menu-Planning E-Book and Home Work: Juggling Home, Work and School Without Losing Your Balance E-Book“. Let Molly Green Magazine / Econobusters save you money too!! There is also “A Minute with Molly” a free newsletter.

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Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus ~ Book Review

Posted by Professor on April 9, 2012
in Books, Reviews, Uncategorized

Aging and recent widow Harriet Beamer insists she’s getting along fine with her dog Humphrey in Philadelphia … until she falls for the fourth time, injuring her ankle, and causing her son and daughter-in-law to cry foul. Insisting Harriet move in with them in California, they make a bet that her ankle is broken, and she foolishly promises to move if they’re right. Four x-rays later, Harriet’s ankle—and her heart—are broken. She packs up, ships her huge salt and pepper collection to California, and prepares to move away from the only life she knows. The only catch? She’s doing it her way. Just wait till her daughter-in-law hears Harriet will travel cross-country only by public transportation and alternate means. What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming journey by train, metro bus, ferry, and motorcycle. Along the way, Harriet discovers that although her family thinks it’s time for her to be put out to pasture—God has a different plan.

Our Review:

I have to admit that the title of this book did not thrill me…it was intriguing but not enough for me to open the book right away to devour the pages. However, after reading the book I can honestly say I truly enjoyed the story woven by author Joyce Magnin.

I do have to say that the book is not a book that I would stay up nights reading but yet a good book to read at my leisure times! The book is full of fun and surprises from the heroine Harriet. I enjoyed the people and places that Harriet got to visit on her adventure. The author writes in such a descriptive tone that I could visualize each place Harriet was visiting! One added bonus was the intermingled Christian tones of the book. I found it refreshing to read a book that gave God “props” when due! He is great and well recognized in this piece of literature!

While skimming the website Amazon.com for the listing of the book to see the price (10.98 – pre-order price) I noticed they mention that this is a book from the Harriet Beamer series… I did not know this was a series of books … it looks like this is the first book in Harriett’s adventures and I look forward to reading more about Harriet in her future adventures as the series continues!

The book will be available April 24, 2012 and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com

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A Juicy Update

Posted by html404 on April 9, 2012
in Books, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition

Mysterious (or should I say juicy? ;)) blog title, eh? Here are a couple excerpt from an upcoming book review and giveaway….

A Juicy Update

The answer to whether or not young children should be allowed to drink juice on a regular basis has been a bit of a sticky one for years. After all, the fight against childhood obesity has most definitely included a focus on limiting sugary liquids. And juice—whether it is delivered in a box or carton, sippy cup or straw—most definitely contains sugar. In fact, when we set out to write the first edition of Food Fights, the latest research at the time had us all but convinced that fruit juice was almost as much to blame for childhood obesity (not to mention tooth decay) as soda pop. Sugar was sugar, after all, and it was hard to look past the fact that a 12-ounce serving of 100% grape juice had been shown to have 11/2 times the calories as grape soda. Additionally, a few small initial studies suggested a worrisome connection between obesity in young children and their fruit juice consumption. But unlike soda pop and its utter lack of redeeming nutritional qualities, 100% fruit juice has since proven itself significantly more worthy of further nutritional consideration. Several subsequent large national studies have revealed some interesting findings about kids, juice, nutrition, and obesity, not the least of which has been the lack of an association between drinking 100% fruit juice and an increased likelihood of children being or becoming overweight. These new findings have led us to reassess our take on juice, and to reformulate our own juice-related advice for parents accordingly.

A Convenient Juice Box

If and when you plan on incorporating juice into your child’s diet responsibly,we suggest the following approach:

• Make sure it’s pure fruit juice. Fruit drinks that aren’t 100% juice typically
contain added sugars and/or sweeteners that can up both the cavity and
calorie counts.
• Hold off on introducing your child to juice for at least his first year and
refrain from serving it in a bottle.
• Avoid letting your child sip on juice (or any other sugar-containing liquid,
for that matter) for prolonged periods. Whether by bottle, sippy cup, or
cup, bathing one’s teeth in sugary liquids can cause serious tooth decay.
• Consider diluting it with water.
• Encourage your child to eat fresh, whole fruits whenever available.
• Whenever possible, serve juice that contains pulp for added fiber.
• Make sure juice doesn’t entirely drown out your child’s interest in drinking
milk and water.
• Buy only pasteurized products (shelf-stable juices, frozen concentrates,
or specially marked refrigerated juices) to avoid potential diarrhea-causing
infections.
• While the American Academy of Pediatrics does suggest 100% fruit juice
as an acceptable part of a healthy diet, be aware that it’s wise to offer it in
age-appropriate moderation (none under 6 months of age and no more
than 4 to 6 ounces a day for older infants and children).
• Keep an eye out for warning signs of excessive juice intake, such as tooth
decay and “toddler’s diarrhea.” Not only do young kids tend to suck on
sugary liquids for prolonged periods when allowed, thus putting their newly
acquired teeth at considerable risk., but kids
between the ages of 2 and 3 tend to have the highest juice consumption—
in some instances enough to cause persistent diarrhea.

Come back Friday to learn more about the book and giveaway!

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Girls and Boys Bibles – Last Minute Easter Gift Idea

Posted by html404 on April 7, 2012
in Books, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Holidays

The NIV Girls Bibles if for girls 9-12 and not only does it have a Bible inside, but it also has a ton of extra features like a dream girl section where girls can use their imaginations, finding out what they have in common with great women of the Bible, words to memorize, and answers to questions that they have always wanted to find out about.

My girls really liked the notes on the side/bottom of the pages and the index in the back too. Most girls will love the frilly pink design and cute flowers that are scattered throughout. It also has a read the Bible in a year index is something that most girls will love and I know that my girls did. They will also love the list of verses to read when you are feeling bad or upset.

The NIV Boys Bible is targeted with boys ages 9-12 in mind. With tons of cool features and devotions designed to strength your boys walk with God parents will love that their boys are leaning values at a young age. The colors and textures in the boy’s Bible will appeal to them since it is very “manly” and they will love the metal cover. They will also love the gross and gory section that features all the weird and cool thing that you never knew was in the Bible. It seems to be very sturdy and I am guessing that it would last through even the most destructive boy.

Both Bibles are really nice and tweens will love the extra features. I’m not too crazy about the hardcover, but I prefer soft cover Bibles so that is just a personal preference. I think that these would make nice bibles for tweens and then you could “upgrade” to a more adult Bible when they reach their teen years and outgrow these.

The NIV Bibles can be purchased at bookstores nationwide and www.Zondervan.com A great last minute Easter gift idea!

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Pre-Order KIWI’s New Cookbook!

Posted by Brande on March 31, 2012
in All Natural Products, Articles, Books, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, News Worthy, Organic, Recipes, Shopping

I just got this email! KIWI Magazine is all about natural and organic ways of living. LOVE IT! They just came out with this cookbook for families with food allergies. It will get released on April 10 but, you can pre-order it through Amazon.com.

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FREE “Dummies” Books

Posted by Brande on March 29, 2012
in Articles, Books, Downloads, Ebooks, Education, Encouragement for Moms, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom

I’ve used “Dummies” books before and they are helpful. Check out these 3 that I ordered. “Living the Boomer Life for Dummies“, “Well-Being for Dummies“, and “Retirement for Dummies” – Get these FREE Dummies books as a download if you need them faster or in hard copy. They are available at REAL Powered by Humana, which so far, for me at least, seems to be an equally good site for various information about work, family, self and play. If you look near the middle of the page you will see Marketplace that’s where you will find these “Dummies” books too. They are on the right side of the Marketplace link.

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Simon and the Easter Miracle Review

Posted by Professor on March 26, 2012
in Books

Synopsis:

The gospels tells of Simon of Cyrene – “”a man coming in from the country”” – who was ordered to carry Jesus’ cross. Over the centuries, his story has been woven into Polish folklore: When Simon the farmer brings his wares to market, little does he expect how he will be involved in the events of that very special day, nor how his produce – of bread, eggs and wine – will become important symbols of Jesus’ passion and resurrection, remembered throughout the ages. Together with sophisticated artwork, this picture book retelling of a traditional European tale is both thought provoking and engaging, with the events and meaning of the first Easter at its heart.

Our Review:

What a wonderful thought-provoking book! My children enjoyed the wonderful story and the vivid illustrations. The book was engaging to all of my children ages 3, 6, and 8. I especially liked that the book was in large format and hardcover…this let all of the children be able to read the book along with me and no one was craning their necks to see the pictures!

This is really a good book to read and then to discuss the passion of Christ with the little ones. It gives a different perspective and invokes thought about the Gospel for little minds. It truly weaves the Easter miracle and the message of peace in its words.

Being of Polish heritage I liked the fact that this was taken from Polish folklore…something my children and I discussed after we read the book. My children and I often read literature and tales from different cultures so it was nice to add a polish Gospel story to our repertoire.

For more information about this book or other Kregel publications visit www.kregel.com

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Going Green with The Gigglin’ Garden Gang #GoGreenNGiggle #Cbias

Posted by html404 on March 23, 2012
in Books, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gardening, Gift Ideas

As you all know, we are all for going green and living a healthy lifestyle while making use of the earth’s resources in a responsible and sustainable way. We desire to be good stewards. You are also familiar with our farm journey. That’s why when we were introduced to The Gigglin’ Garden Gang we were excited because it was right up our alley!

In recent years our family has enjoyed planning, preparing and planting our garden. This “Go Green and Giggle”® Book & Tote Garden Activity Gift Set fits perfectly with our fun family activities, but first I had to buy it.

Shopping Online for the “Go Green and Giggle”® Book & Tote Garden Activity Gift Set

First I went to GigglinGardenGang.com. They have some fun music playing that my little guys zoomed over to the computer to “see” being so use to music videos we watch. The website is very easy to navigate and very pleasing to the eye.

To order the product I had to click on their Amazon link to the left side of their home page:

Once I clicked the link it took me to The Gigglin’ Garden Gang’s Amazon shop:

From there is really was a piece of cake, click add to cart:

Amazon will then confirm that the item is in your cart:

After that just click to place order:

Completing the order was a matter of imputing credit card info or editing personal information. I really did not have to do much because we do have an Amazon account so most of my information was already stored. It really is that simple and took less than 5 minutes to do! I love shopping online, can you tell?

Green Children-Friendly Activities

If you are looking for sustainable activities to do with your children on Earth Day, which is only a month away, the “Go Green and Giggle”® Book & Tote Garden Activity Gift Set is the perfect one to choose! Our children loved it! Of course, I only bought one so they all had to share. It contains the “Go Green and Giggle”® Book, the tote, the greenhouse with six soil wafers, sunflower seeds, a sticker, a coloring sheet of Sunflower Suzi and a CD featuring Sunflower Suzi singing cute little songs – a Theme song and a Go Green and Giggle Rap & Instrumental – my children loved listening to it! We played it a few times while doing our planting activity and they just asked again as I was typing.

The kit unpackaged.

My four year old holding the greenhouse.

Individual components of the kit. The sunflower seeds were tucked safely on the back page of the book by Sunflower Suzi after all she is providing them to us, right?

The soil wafers up close.

The sunflower seeds.

We added warm water to the soil wafers. The children took turns and actually did very well pouring the water! Very little mess, surprisingly! lol!

Each of the children planted a seeds. We actually had 7 sunflower seeds in our package. Our oldest did not participate. She was on her laptop!

As you can see from the greenhouse tray there are actually 12 cells in which to plant. The directions recommended taking it off, but we kept it on and decided to plant the extra sunflower seed as well as some snap peas. My daughter experimented last year with seed saving and these are actually seeds she saved from our snap peas. We hope to do more seed saving this year! All a part of stewardship and being sustainable.

Baby even helped!

Ta-da! All done with the planting!

We really had fun. I read the book to the children, then they sat and read it. Very cute illustrations and funny little jokes that made us giggle! We hope to get permission to use those in our farm newsletter in the future!

What a great rainy day activity too! I was glad to be able to keep my children busy this morning since they couldn’t go outside!

Connect with The Gigglin’ Garden Gang Online

To connect with the Gigglin’ Garden Gang on their social media sites, please visit:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/GoGreenNGiggle (@GoGreenNGiggle)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sunflowersuzi

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for

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Love’s Sacred Song

Posted by html404 on March 20, 2012
in Books

Love’s Sacred Song is a fictional account about the wisest king ever to have lived, King Solomon. Mesu Andrews creatively spins a story based on the book of Song of Solomon in the bible.

I loved the character, Arielah, known as the Shulammite woman in Song of Solomon and Solomon’s lover. She was a picture of naivety, beauty and enduring love. I don’t think I would have survived what she was put through in Love’s Sacred Song. She was courageous, full of faith and strength.

In fictional stories liberties are taken to get a point across and I found it interesting how Mesu chose to reveal King Solomon’s weaknesses. I don’t think I would have taken it as far as she did, mostly because it is a very disappointing viewpoint and steals away the beauty of the book of Song of Solomon, in my opinion. It has long been seen as a book about love and the part about Solomon getting involved with a harlot while involved with the Shulammite, Arielah, is not supported biblically and takes away from the mystic of Song of Solomon. At least for me. On the other hand, we do know for sure that Solomon had a weakness for women, as it is stated in the bible that he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. I will never get my head wrapped around that fact, however, in light of that I suppose in his weakness Solomon could have sunk to a new low and entertained a harlot. I just never thought of it before. It certainly reveals the struggle of monogamy for one man.

I really did enjoy reading this book, but grappled with certain components of it. It was intriguing, entertaining and certainly not boring.

If you have wondered even a little about the book of Song of Solomon in the bible you will find reading Love’s Sacred Song very thought provoking.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Kids Consignment Sales!!

Posted by Brande on March 15, 2012
in Baby Products, Books, Children's Clothing, Clothing, Deals, DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kid's Footwear, SALES, Saving Money, Shopping, Thrifty Thursday

Don’t pay full price!!! Kids grow in leaps and bounds, why pay full price when they just grow out of them within a few months?! I found this site this morning http://kidsconsignmentsales.com/. You choose your state and it gives the current sales coming up! In fact, I thought I knew about all the sales in my area. Low and behold, there’s another one, really close to my home. There are lots of sale starting soon for spring & summer clothes. I’m heading to one this afternoon! I love these types of sales and I hope you can get some good buys in your area too!

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