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The Offering by Angela Hunt

Posted by html404 on June 2, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Family Stuff, Products for Mom, Reviews

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

The Offering by Angela Hunt is a story of an emotional journey of two women’s desire give/have a child. Mandy and her husband decide Mandy will be a surrogate for a couple desperately wanting a child since they feel they are not ready financially to add to their own family. However, before Mandy is through her pregnancy her life is changed forever by a tragic event. In her grief stricken state, she willingly goes through with her surrogacy obligations. Two years later she discovers a horrifying mistake.

This novel had to be one of the most emotionally charged books I have ever read. I have actually looked into surrogacy, but in the end because of my history of losses and age wouldn’t qualify for most surrogacy programs. I really don’t know where I stand personally on surrogacy but feel for some it is the right choice for them. I admire surrogate mothers, as well as families seeking a surrogate.

The Offering shows the ultimate sacrifice of a mother. I have no idea what I would do if I were in a similar situation to Mandy. Probably drown in my grief.

I admire Mandy and her courage to seek the truth, as well as her ultimate “offering”.

I highly recommend this book. It is a great read, full of information and will give you much to think about, however, be ready to shed many tears!

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Sambazon Smoothies Review & Giveaway

Posted by html404 on June 1, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews

Disclaimer: I received Sambazon Smoothies and Juices coupons for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

I have mentioned time and again that we really try to eat well. I’ve also shared how much our family enjoys fruit smoothies and green smoothies, which we usually make at home with our blender. However, we learned of a pre-made product called Sambazon Smoothies and Juices that peeked our interest. Sambazon also has superfood juices as well.

Sambazon Smoothies Facts:

Sambazon smoothies and juices are made with the finest organic Amazon
Superfoods™ on the planet such as Açaí [Ah-sigh-ee], Acerola [Ah-sir-o-la], and
Yerba Mate [Yur-ba Mah-tay].
• Their juices and smoothies are available in ten different delicious flavor varieties,
and packed with antioxidants and healthy omega 3-6-9s.
• All Sambazon Superfood juices are NON-GMO, USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free,
and provide whole food nutrition.
• A bottle of Sambazon Superfood juice (10.5 ounces) retails for $2.99.

Sambazon Smoothies Review

My two year old and I really enjoyed the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices. We tried the Blended Breakfast Smoothie with Strawberry, Banana, Chia and Ancient Grains (Amaranth & Quinoa) and Acai Superfood Juice. They tasted like green smoothies to me. The juice is not as thick as the smoothie. Not too sweet but not bitter either. I cannot say I noticed any difference in how my toddler or I felt after drinking the Sambazon Smoothies and Juices but appreciate the nutrition they provided our bodies.

I thought they were a little pricey for such a small bottle, but have come to accept that we often have to pay premium prices for good food. I also found not all smoothies and juices are available at all locations so if you decide to look for them check for their availability and store locations on Sambazon’s website.

Feel free to follow Sambazon on Facebook and Twitter. Please use the hashtag #momsmeet. And be sure to enter the giveaway below so you have a chance to try Sambazon Smoothies and Juices too.

Sambazon Smoothies Giveaway

One winner will receive three free product vouchers, plus a wooden bowl and spoon (pictured in the photo above) valued at $45. Giveaway prizes will be sent to the winners directly by Moms Meet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Azure Standard

Posted by html404 on May 29, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Uncategorized

Our family eats a lot, as you can imagine since we are a family of ten. We eat as much organic products as we can but to buy them in the grocery store or at Whole Foods is really expensive. Co-ops like Azure Standard or Country Life Natural Foods enable us to purchase organic products in bulk and save money at the same time.

We have been using Azure Standard for a year and a half. We place a monthly order on our Azure account. Our drop site is in our town at our local Farm and Fleet parking lot. The drop site is where we help unload the truck for our group’s order and pick up our individual orders. We have a drop site manager who reminds us of order deadlines, pick up times and any changes Azure Standard announces.

Azure has many different products from personal care to bulk rolled oats or quick oats to bulk produce items like a 25 lb bag of organic carrots we like to buy. We have come to love the creamy ice cream they carry – Alden’s – which has no propylene glycol (antifreeze basically) or other harmful chemicals in it.

I love that I can add to or change my order throughout the month right up until the order deadline, since the shopping cart will save my order until I click “submit order”. I appreciate that Azure accepts C.O.D orders so we don’t have to use a credit card but pay with cash or check on pick up day. I love that we do not have to order every month.

There is a minimum order of $50 but our family does not have any trouble meeting it.

There are no member fees, though there are freight charges based on the weight of your total order. To become a member, all you have to do is contact Azure Standard to see if there is a drop site in or near you and they will put you in touch with the drop site manager. Azure even offers a free catalog upon request.

Country Life operates similarly but different. Anyone can place an order, no membership is required, but the minimum is $500 or $600 so more often than not groups of families place an order together and get the order delivered to one family’s home. We really like Azure because of the many different items they carry so we rarely order from Country Life anymore. For the most part, prices are pretty comparable between the two.

Are you a part of any food co-ops? Feel free to share to give readers more resources and choices.

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The Last Time We Were Sick…

Posted by html404 on May 27, 2013
in Articles, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, Home, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts

We are pretty protective of exposing our children to illness if we can help it. With as many children as we have, it takes us a very long time to get over any sort of flu bug, cold or illness when it goes through all of them or us. You will probably be surprised to learn that the last time we were sick was probably 18-24 months ago. My husband was sick last fall but only because our landlord’s handyman discovered mold in the wall where the washer had leaked. Once that was taken care of my husband was well again. It’s weird to say but his body really is a mold detector. He’s the first one to experience any adverse affects of mold.

I am usually the most healthy and I chock that up to being a mom. Mom’s cannot get sick because we have to take care of everyone else! My last bout was with my tooth but it’s been behaving itself, thankfully.

Here are the reasons I believe we have gone so long since the last time we were sick:

1. We have managed to avoid large crowds during the winter by just staying at home. We live simply and most of our children are content just to be home bodies. Thus, we avoid any flu bugs going around.

2. We try really hard to eat healthy. We are not fanatics by any means but a healthy diet is a huge part in having a strong immune system. This means we try not to eat prepared foods or anything in the center of the grocery stores. We try to shop the perimeter of the store. We also cook and bake from scratch avoiding harmful sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings and preservatives.

3. We avoid chemicals and pharmaceuticals as much as we can. We use natural cleaners and fertilizers.

4. We use essential oils on our bodies and even ingest them if we feel a cold or sore throat is beginning. We diffuse them in the air to purify it of germs and impurities.

5. We try to get enough rest. Sometimes that is harder to do during different seasons, but we are pretty adamant about our children getting to bed on time and getting enough sleep.

6. Our children spend the majority of their time outside since we have moved to the country. They are not cooped up in the house all the time and they are much more active than they were when we lived in the townhouse.

I don’t know for sure what has kept us healthy but these are the things I think have helped us. I am extremely grateful for this long run of good health. In the past we have been sick for weeks on end as it went through the whole family, so this has been a blessing to say the least.

What do you do to keep your family healthy?

P.S. This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writing Prompts.

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What You May Not Know About Newspaper Delivery

Posted by html404 on May 22, 2013
in Articles, Business, Family Stuff, News Worthy, Uncategorized

You may or may not remember I took on a newspaper route in late December 2012. It’s been interesting, but I am grateful for the weekly paycheck that helps out while waiting to be paid for my other “solo gigs”. I discovered a lot of things about people who deliver newspapers in the last five months and thought it made an interesting enough blog topic and a way to share a little more about my day between 2:30 and 5:30AM…..plus some of my winter frustrations.

What You May Not Know About Newspaper Delivery

We have to hand bag the papers.

We have to stuff the papers with the flyers and often a second insert.

We have to travel in all kinds of weather – winter is the worst.

We have to walk over icy areas with little or no ice melt.

We often get complaints from people who say they didn’t receive their paper, but the wind may have blown it a little to the left/right or in the street. So look a little harder before you file a complaint against your newspaper delivery person.

We do not get paid enough for having to drive hours in the snow, sleet and ice to deliver your paper. We are risking life and limb for a bundle of paper. Think about it.

We get up in the wee hours of the morning to deliver your paper on time.

During high gas prices, our pay is probably used for a quarter to a third for gas, as gas allowance only covers barely an extra tank of gas for the month.

We are independent contractors and not employees of the paper – at least I am.

We have to double bag the newspapers on rainy days, which takes us longer to bag.

We do get use to the odd hours, sort of. At least I think I have, but I still take a nap! The joys of having three teen daughters in the house!

When I started I suffered from sore shoulders and hands from throwing and folding newspapers. That has since subsided except on days when the paper is really thick.

Rural routes can often be 100 miles and take a newspaper delivery person 3-4 hours to complete! That amazed me when one of my co-workers told me that.

In town routes are usually heavy on newspapers but shorter in miles. Like mine. I have 18-25 miles to travel and 80-275 papers to deliver on any given day. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are my heaviest day. I have to admit Monday, Tuesday and Saturday are my favorite days to deliver on my own since I get home by 4:30pm. On Wednesdays and Sundays my older daughters are my helpers and I enjoy those days only because I have their company…and help!

Overall, I am thankful for my little newspaper route and the fact that I have one in my town so my drive time is not as long as those with rural newspaper routes.

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My Perfect Spring Day

Posted by html404 on May 20, 2013
in Articles, Family Stuff, Home, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts

I love all the seasons and the fact that we live in an area where we get to experience all four season to their fullest. However, I must admit that I get tired of winter and the other three seasons never seem long enough.

My Perfect Spring Day

My perfect spring day would be sunshine and weather in the 65-70 degree range, with a slight breeze. I would be able to smell the cherry blossoms or lilacs (if in bloom). There would be lots of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in bloom; an the irises would be budding. It would be a day without any rushing around. All of our family would be home and we would be working together, with minimal fighting or disagreements. But hey, this is my perfect day so let’s just eliminate any fighting among the children and all disagreements!

We would also take a leisurely walk, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. We would be thankful and enjoy being together for the day. We would eat dinner out and the house would remain neat and tidy – for once!

That’s what my perfect spring day would look like….I have to say that I have experienced all of this, just not always all in the same day.

What would your perfect spring day entail?

P.S. This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writing Prompts.

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Mother’s Day 2013 Charity Gifts

Posted by html404 on May 17, 2013
in Family Stuff, Giving Back/Charity, Holidays, Parenting, Uncategorized

This is a paid post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Our family enjoys giving when we can, which isn’t as often as we use to give. We feel it is an important aspect of our parenting and beliefs to give back. That is why giving charity gifts during the holidays has appealed to us. It helps us take the focus off ourselves and what we get onto others and what we can give. Usually the season of giving is Christmas for us. We never really thought about too many other holidays to be honest. Have you?

I know I wrote a little Mother’s Day 2013 Wordless Wednesday post the other day, but motherhood is a wonderful enough blessing (and challenge, I might add) that’s worth mentioning again. Most of us in North America are not as challenged as mothers in third world countries. We haven’t had to see our child struggle to survive because there isn’t enough food. Nor have we had to see our child battle health issues because there is no doctor available to help diagnose what is wrong with our child. We have access to health care, food, clean water and educational resources. Does that mean other mothers don’t care? No. It’s because these things are not readily available to them for their families. That’s why I wanted to share an idea I never even thought about – giving charity gifts in celebration of Mother’s Day 2013 to help other mothers provide these things to their families.

Unicef offers a variety of charity gifts to give back. Perhaps you have yet to send your mom a gift – you could send her your gift and tell her you also gave a gift in her honor for Mother’s Day. Or maybe you would like to send a gift of your own in celebration of your own motherhood to help other mothers in need.

For a glimpse of the charity gifts offered, here’s a list:

– Mother’s Day Measles Vaccine to protect 100 or 200 kids
– Mother’s Day Family Water Pack
– Maternal Health Kit
– School-in-a-box
– Therapeutic Food
– Pencils
– Story Books
– First Aid Kits
– Footballs
– Bicycle
and more…

You can check out all the Mothers Day 2013 giving opportunities at this link provided.

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Mother’s Day 2013 – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on May 15, 2013
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Home, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Mother’s Day 2013 saw me served with a delicious homemade breakfast in bed. (I was also served with a yummy meatloaf dinner the night before and a strawberry dessert Yahoo featured!)

The whipped cream is homemade from our own cream – yummylicious!

And I bought these for the purpose of having a Mother’s Day flowers photo….we ended up giving them to Grandma on her special day too….

How was your Mother’s Day? Were you given the royal treatment too?

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Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt

Posted by html404 on May 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

Our family loves yogurt. We’ve even made it ourselves and plan to do it again once our garden is planted. So when a Wallaby Yogurt review opportunity presented itself I agreed to do it. We had tried Wallaby Yogurt before but had not tried their new Greek Yogurt.

Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt is smooth, silky, creamy and yummy. If you don’t know the difference between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt it’s the thickness and texture, in my opinion. It stays on the spoon better for kids (and adults too!) Sometimes, but not always Greek yogurt has less sugar in it. It depends on the brand and of course the fruit flavor.

My hubby brought home blueberry because it’s one of my personal favorites. The yogurt and blueberries were in separate sections like so:

Then I mixed them together like this:

The only thing I didn’t like was the curve of the container made it hard to get all the blueberries out of the bottom. I actually used the end of my spoon to get as much as I could out and added to my yogurt. The more blueberries the better in my book. Spoken like a true Bluenoser (person from Nova Scotia ) I think one of those new inventions shown on the show Shark Tank called Spatty (and the larger one Spatty Daddy) would have come in handy to get all the blueberries out.

Otherwise the yogurt was delicious and definitely one we’d buy again.

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Long Grove Chocolate Festival

Posted by html404 on May 7, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Things to Do in Chicago, Travel

This past weekend I really flubbed up on a blog opp. I felt horrible, seriously, because in all honesty I was really looking forward to doing participating in the opportunity since it was for Chicago area bloggers. However, since I was already at the Long Grove Chocolate Festival I determined to make the best of a sad situation – I bought chocolate – of course.

Blondie and “B” were with me and we spent a little over an hour walking around the festival. Thankfully, we had arrived a little before opening time which enabled us to find parking very easily and we avoided massive crowds and lines during checkout. It definitely pays to be an early bird to popular Chicago events.

It was a beautiful day on Sunday for the Long Grove Chocolate Festival. We enjoyed stopping to smell all the tulips and daffodils in bloom. We rested on park benches and watched people. We visited a Christmas shop called, The Pear Tree Shoppe, the Scandinavian shop, the Irish shop, the Nifty Fifties shop as well as an antique store and others.

My girls were very pleased with our outing, especially when it came time to visit the Confectionary and buy chocolate! We treated ourselves to creamy chocolate fudge, a chocolate covered pretzel and a peanut butter cup with M&Ms on top. We treated those at home to a dozen apple cider donuts and chocolate coins.