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Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Posted by html404 on March 17, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Or as some say, Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Especially to all of you who are Irish!

Today is usually a day when you can witness the Chicago River being green. Yesterday they dyed it that color in celebration of today’s Irish holiday. The St. Patrick’s Day parade was also yesterday, plus there are other special celebrations of this day going on around the city. Visit the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day 2013 website.

To be honest we have never really done much other than maybe wear green for St. Patrick’s Day. I have witnessed the Chicago River being green, but have not attended the parade or any other of the St. Paddy’s Day festivities.

Here are some fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day (source: Chicago Tribune):

– There are some 36 million people in the USA who boast of an Irish heritage. 9x that of the population of Ireland itself!

– St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious Christian holiday. The holiday honored St. Patrick who shared his Christ with Ireland in the fifth century.

– Today the holiday is a celebration of everything related to the Irish.

– March 17, 1762 marked the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world. It was held in New York City.

So do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Are you wearing something green, cooking something green or attending any St. Patrick’s Day festivities?

Another inspired post from Mama Kat’s writing prompts: Write a blog post inspired by the word green.

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Goat Milk Soap – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on March 13, 2013
in Crafts, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Handmade Items, Wordless Wednesday

Ta-da….Goat Milk Soap curing for 4 weeks. We are going to melt it down again and put it in molds tomorrow to sell at two events this weekend!

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Clevamama

Posted by 278Wife on March 12, 2013
in Baby Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Kids Toys, Reviews

Clevamama is a company that strives to create products that make the lives of parents easier. They sell baby products for bath time, bed time, feeding, and safety. I was sent four different products to review including an Infant Formula Travel Container, ClevaPortions freezer and storage pots, a Splash & Wrap Baby Bath Towel, and a Clevabath Extra Long Bath Mat. All four Clevamama products were of great quality.

The Infant Formula Travel Container looks similar to other formula containers on the market, but have a few unique characteristics that make it that much better. It has three seperate compartments to hold three premeasured amounts. The container is tall so it can hold at least two scoops of formula in each section. It features an easy pour spout that is longer than others I have tried. This is a huge plus for me, since sometimes water from the bottle would splash back into the formula container making a mess. This is almost impossible to do with this formula container. It also has a secure snap top lid and special finger grips on the side for easy pouring. Best of all is it is BPA free and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning!

The ClevaPortions freezer and storage pots are a great product for parents who make their own baby food. It features eight storage pots with individual lids. Each pot can be removed seperately without using any of the other pots. Basically, you can make eight different pots and freeze them, and only take one pot out at a time when it’s time to eat. This makes it a breeze for travel in that you only need to bring as many pots as you’ll need, rather than bringing an entire tray of baby food. You also have the option of using only a few pots a time, rather than the whole tray. Many of the other baby food storage systems I’ve used you must unthaw the entire tray or try to pop out one of the “food ice cubes” yet more than one would always come out for me! The whole Clevaportions tray is a little smaller than an ice cube tray. Each pot holds up to 2oz of food and are safe to use from freezer to microwave. You can either feed from the pot or push the food out into a bowl. For me, I just feed right out of the pot. Who wants to do more dishes? Not me! The pots are dishwasher safe and see through so you can see what is inside of each pot. I love this product and highly recommend it to moms!

The Splash & Wrap Baby Bath Towel is another genius product designed by Clevamama. I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten soaking wet from taking my son out of the bathtub. With this towel, it is almost impossible for this to happen! The towel features straps that snap around your neck so the towel fits like an apron. Then you simply lift your baby or toddler out of the tub, place them inside the towel and you can hold them without your body getting wet. The towel also features a hood, so their head doesn’t get cold and straps on each side that you can tie around your waist (I didn’t feel the need to use these). Wearing this towel like an apron makes it easy to dry your child off since both of your hands are free. The towel is 100% cotton, is machine washable, and is VERY absorbent. It fits a newborn all the way through a four year old. It is ultra soft, even after washing it, and has a cute neutral teddybear on the hood. This was definitely one of my favorite products!

Lastly, I was able to try out the Clevabath Extra Long Bath Mat. I love that it covered pretty much the entire bathtub, and not just the middle. It has many little suction cups all over the bottom to keep it secure to the bottom so it doesn’t move. These did not work as well as I had hoped they would. Only about half of them would stay suctioned down, but the mat still did not move. The material is made of a soft non-slip material that is ultra cushiony and dries very fast. The bath mat also came with a free kneeling cushion. This was great! My knees always hurt after bathtime, and this cushion is made with the same material as the bath mat, so it was very soft and very cushiony. Overall a good product.

Clevamama offers many unique baby items that definitely make it easier on parents. I cannot wait to see what they will come out with next! Check out their website to see where their products are sold.

http://www.clevamama.com/

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.

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Kidz Gear Headphones

Posted by html404 on March 11, 2013
in Fun Stuff, Music, Reviews, Technology/Electronics

Kidz Gear headphones are a line of headphones made just for kids. We’ve been testing out a pair for a few weeks now and we’ve come to the conclusion that they get two thumbs up from us! All of my kids have been using them for school and love them.

The volume and sound that the headphones give is adjustable so older kids can have a louder sound, while your younger child can still have a low sound. All while still giving off a high quality sound.

The overall quality of the headphones themself, is worth the $19.99, but in the hands of young children under eight, they are easily breakable. So we’d recommend that only older kids use these. Otherwise please do make sure that your children know that these headphones aren’t indestructible and may break if misused.

Special features include; a limited lifetime warranty, five colors (pink, orange, blue, green, and purple), and come with an audio control cable. They work with iPads, iPods, iPhones and many other audio devices.

We’ve tested them out on my daughter’s iPod, my iPhone, and our various laptops and they work great.

You can find Kidz Gear Headphones at gearforkidz.com

Oh and these headphones have a lifetime guarantee! If the headphones get broken, Kidz Gear will replace them for free! Bonus, eh?

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.

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5 Things to Do in Our Town During Spring Break

Posted by html404 on March 11, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Home, Kids Stuff, Seasonal Stuff, Travel

We do not have a lot planned while my mom is here. Our beast is out of commission. It broke down a couple of weeks ago right at the end of a farmer friend’s driveway when we were visiting to learn more about goats. Our 14 year old has been interested in goats for…oh…about five years or more I’d say. We gifted her an educational goat class through one of the local farm organizations one year for her birthday and this year we plan to give her a goat. So what we’d do, but what another family chooses to do on Spring Break will probably completely different.

Here are 5 things to do in our town during Spring Break:

1. Go to the theater. Surely there’s one family friendly one playing.
2. Visit a park. Depending on the weather you might be able to hit a few during the week of Spring Break.
3. Go to the Farmers Market.
4. Coordinate a visit to a local farm. This is for the sake of other families since we live on a farm. But even so we enjoy visiting other farms and learning from them.
5. Travel to Chicago to visit a museum or Shedd Aquarium. This is something we plan to do in the fall when the public schools are back in session and the crowds are minimal.

So what is there to do in your town during Spring Break?

Inspired by another one of Mama Kat’s writing prompts: 5 things to do in your town during Spring Break. Mama Kat’s prompts sure came in handy when it came time to do up blog posts in advance for my mom’s visit!

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Melissa & Doug Easter Shop and Giveaway

Posted by Brande on March 8, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Contests, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Giveaways, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Kids Toys, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Click the picture above to be entered into Melissa & Doug’s Easter Basket Giveaway!! What child or children wouldn’t love $20.00 worth of Melissa & Doug products for Easter! How cute is Brambles Bunny you can find him and lots of other fantastic Easter toys at Melissa & Doug’s Easter Shop!

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CraftProjectIdeas.com

Posted by 278Wife on March 5, 2013
in Crafts, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Parenting

CraftProjectIdeas.com is dedicated to kids’ arts and crafts projects for preschool children through tweens. The website offers step-by-step instructions to inspire kids with arts and crafts. The products shown on the site are all available in the Kids’ Crafts aisle at popular retailers. CraftProjectIdeas.com has a “How To” section featuring basic techniques, a featured material for each month, rainy day projects, seasonal projects, and even a teacher’s corner. There’s also a “Products” section, which shows an array of different materials and craft kits, a “Videos” section showing clear concise directions and what the end project should look like, and a “Store Locator” where you can find a store that carries the products. My favorite feature of the site is the Project Finder search engine. Just choose the age, season, theme, and materials and it will find a project you can make!

I received a wonderful selection of products from them including the following:

Glow in the Dark Alphabet Beads

Metallic Pony Beads

Large Bling Acrylic Jewels

Shimmer Poms

Neon Glitter Shakers

Craft Buttons

Multi-Size Suction Cups

Mini Wooden Clothespins

Skinny Sticks

I decided to help my toddler make some Valentines for his grandparents with some of the supplies. I had some red and purple foam sheets on hand so we used those as our base. I also had pink foam stickers that he enjoyed sticking on. To add some more sparkle he stuck on a few Large Bling Acrylic Jewels. They were super easy to remove from the sheet, and they stuck on easily to the foam. Then I had him pick out the letters to his name, “R, O, C, K, Y” from the Glow in the Dark Alphabet Beads and we glued them on each valentine. The beads were nice and flat and glued on easily. Finally we used the Neon Glitter Shakers to finish the valentines. I wished the glitter would have come out a little better than it did. You had to hold it at a certain angle for enough to shake out. Overall, we had a blast making them and the grandparents LOVED them!

We also decided to make some picture frames for some birthdays that are coming up. I had my son color the Skinny Sticks with markers and then we glued them into triangles and squares. Then we glued Craft Buttons onto each corner. I loved how flat the buttons were; it made them very easy to glue on. To finish off the triangle picture frame we glued on Shimmer Poms to the Craft Buttons. These took a little effort to stay glued on, but with enough glue they finally stuck. All we need to do is add a picture to the back, and they will be perfect!

All of the products I received were of excellent quality. The colors are so vibrant and the pieces are very child friendly to use. My favorite part? Most of the bags are resealable so you when you are all done with a project you can seal the bag without losing any extra pieces! I am so excited to make even more projects with my son. He loves doing arts and crafts and doing projects teaches him so many skills. The sky is the limit with all of the inspiration from CraftProjectIdeas.com!

<em>Faith and Family Reviews received the following product free from
<a href=”http://www.Craftprojectideas.com“>www.CraftProjectIdeas.com</a> in exchange for writing a
review about these crafting supplies. While we consider it a privilege to
receive free products, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the
product.</em>

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The Importance of Family Bonding

Posted by html404 on February 23, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Home

Amazing things happen when a family comes together to do things together. A family that can bond will be a family that is united forever. It is important to plan family bonding activities because they strengthen family relationships. Family bonding happens naturally, but it can also be enhanced with just a bit of effort. Good communication and group activities are good ways to improve your family ties.

In today’s fast paced world, work tends to take away the time we spend with our children. It is important to take some time out of our busy schedule and make sure that we provide them with the quality time that they deserve. One particular activity that my family and I love to do is already done right in the comfort of our own home, and that is having lunch or dinner together. Eating a family meal together not only promotes healthy eating habits, but also gives family members time to catch up with the day’s activities. Another thing that my kids love to do is to watch movies together. Whether it is a new film on the cinema or an old Disney classic watched from your living room television, the warmth and presence of the whole family together certainly helps in strengthening family ties.

Another thing to do as a family is to have fun and play games together. We actually have one particular night were in we play board games like monopoly at home or play a game of bingo on weekends. My love for the game of bingo started when it was introduced to me by my grandmother when I was still a young child growing up. And in today’s world of online games and in today’s world of online games, I was lucky enough to come across Cheekybingo.com to enjoy my favorite game. Cheeky Bingo is the UK’s top online bingo site and has grown to become an iconic figure in online gaming. Playing bingo and other games at home with my family is certainly an activity that helps promote family bonding. These are just some of the many activities that a family can do together to maintain good family ties. It is important to tell your children you love them every day, but it is just as important to show it to them. Spending quality time with the family is the key.

This is a featured post by a guest writer.

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Monsters Inc 3D Review

Posted by html404 on February 19, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Movie Reviews, Movies, Reviews

Monsters Inc 3D Review

Originally released in 2001, Monsters Inc. was proof once more than animation studios Pixar could do no wrong in the eyes of the public or the critics. Although ever so slightly less well-received than the likes of Toy Story and Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. was still an instant box office smash, and is now as popular today with a new generation of children as it is nostalgic adults.

Joining the ranks of other Disney classics (Disney recently bought out Pixar Studios making it an official Disney franchise), Monsters Inc. is being given the 3D treatment, following in the footsteps of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. But is the 3D enhancement worth parting your cash for a
second time?

For anyone who didn’t see the film during its original release, a trip to the cinema is nothing short of a necessity. The hero James P. Sullivan (voiced by actor John Goodman) is a larger than life monster hero who must be seen to be believed. Sidekick Mike Wazowski (voiced by actor Billy Crystal), is a zany, funny little monster with a personality bigger than his tiny physique would suggest.

The city of Monstropolis is inspired, and the story is simple yet genius; a monster city which is powered by the screams of children. Only thing is, the children are a little more difficult to scare these days, and the monsters need an alternative power supply. Simple, compelling, hilarious and touching, cinema-goers that missed out the first time are lucky to be given the opportunity to watch a now modern classic piece of children’s cinema.

Those who already love the film and have from the beginning will no doubt appreciate a chance to take the kids to a cinematic showing, or to just relive the initial joy in an updated nostalgia fest. While the 3D does not enhance the film to any great extent, there are moments where the extra ticket price seems to justify itself. In particular, the climactic scene within the door factory is turned from brilliant into legendary with the addition of 3D.

With the new release the animations are touched up, made a little more vibrant, and given the new age treatment, meaning it essentially watches like a new film. Unlike The Lion King which at times appeared artificial with its 3D release (perhaps because it is a much older film), Monsters Inc. 3D seems brand new and shiny, giving you a fresh look at a much-treasured story.

This image was taken from the VUE Cinemas website.

This is a featured post by a guest writer.

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Melissa and Doug Outlet

Posted by Brande on February 12, 2013
in Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Kids Toys, SALES, Shopping, Uncategorized

My kiddo and I are HUGE Melissa and Doug fans. They really understand what each age group of children need and want to play with. From chunky puzzles to pretend play, MelissaAndDoug.com – Toys and Childrens Products! Click Here!They have it all.

Have you visited the Melissa and Doug Outlet online? You can save up to 50% off! Save Up To 50% On Selected Items Now At MelissaAndDoug.com! No Code Needed! Click Here!

Go and check it out! Everything is while supplies last and believe me some go really fast!

Inside Melissa and Doug’s Outlet page you can find the Wacky Scratch Art Bundle for $4.99, which is half price! Scratch art is a type of paper with a black backround when you use a wooden stylist to scratch the paper and color appears underneath. Flip flops with Starfish or Octopus’ for $4.79! The Outlet also has sand toys (summer is coming!), puzzles, drinking cups, games, stuff animals, play fruit and veggies.

The Easter Bunny is coming!!! **wink**

When you spend $50.00 or more use the code FREESHIPFIFTY for Free Shipping!

This post contains affiliate links which help support this blog.

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