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See ‘n Store

Posted by 278Wife on September 3, 2013
in Baby Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Organization, Reviews, Uncategorized

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.

For the most part, my children love going for walks in the stroller. Whenever I go to the mall, though, I always end up shopping too long for their liking. Usually I hand them my phone and let them play games or watch videos. This works okay, but I’m always stressed making sure they don’t drop it, or someone steals it from their little hands. Now there’s a way for all of us to be happy.

The See ‘n Store multi-media stroller organizer does it all and more. This lifesaver fits a tablet, iPad, iPad2, or portable DVD player. In addition, it contains a trash bag (with kids I always have trash!), drink holder, key ring, and other pockets to store baby supplies, phone, or whatever else you carry with you. It can be used in two different ways, either for mom to look at or the kids to look at. When the See ‘n Store is placed on the stroller facing mom, you can easily access your tablet to check e-mail, surf the Internet, or view photos and videos. I found this to be great. At the playground while the kids are running around, I can easily check my e-mail while still keeping tabs on the kiddos. It’s also nice for when my daughter falls asleep in the stroller. She likes movement for her naps, so I’m always rocking her. Being able to watch videos while rocking her, sure passes the time.

Then when I need to keep the kids occupied, I can simply reverse the See ‘n Store organizer to their side, so they can watch videos hands-free. I loved this. I no longer had to worry about my son dropping my electronic device, or touching it with his cereal-eating hands. He could just relax, enjoy his snack, and watch videos.

The See n’ Store is very easy to attach to the stroller. It fits on rear-facing and front-facing strollers for mom to “see” and rear-facing strollers for baby to “see”. This organization tool is very well made, and holds everything you can possibly think of. I plan on bringing mine to Disney. It will be a lifesaver while we wait in line, and at the airport. I would definitely recommend the See ‘n Store multi-media stroller organizer to all moms on the go!

http://baby-beehaven.com

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He’s All Boy Alpha Cards

Posted by 278Wife on August 26, 2013
in Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, School, Uncategorized

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.

As a mother, I am always on the lookout for fun, innovative ways to teach my kids important lessons and skills. Learning your ABC’s is especially important since it is the basis of reading. I started early teaching my son his letters, always looking for fun ways to teach him without him knowing he was “learning.” He’s All Boy has made this an easy task!

He’s All Boy Alpha Cards are not your ordinary flashcards. “A” is no longer for “Apples” and “B” is no longer for “Ball.” “A” is featured as an “alien” having an “accident” and “B” shows a “bear” picking his “booger.” These silly cards are gross and funny, a perfect mix for any boy and even girls.

I have found that when I relate things to my son, he is more likely to remember what I taught him. What better way than teaching him that “F” is for “fart” rather than “feather.” What will your child more likely remember? My son is really into the Ninja Turtles right now so his favorite card was “N” for “Naked Ninja.”

Every card he laughed out loud at, and when we went through the entire deck he wanted to do them again. These Alpha Cards are an absolute GREAT learning tool to get kids excited about their letters.

These cards are also nice because they are larger than most making them very kid-friendly. They are also thicker and have a shine to them so they would be easy to clean. He’s All Boy also sells a Matching Game and Vinyl Placemat which would be great for reinforcement! Overall, I highly recommend the He’s All Boy Alpha Cards to any mom. They are definitely fun for everyone playing. I’m not sure who laughed harder, my son or I!

www.he-is-all-boy.com

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Kids II Taggies Bedding and Bouncer

Posted by 278Wife on August 15, 2013
in Baby Products, Bedding, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Shopping, Uncategorized

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Kids II. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

Kids II Taggies Bedding Review

My four month old daughter LOVES touching and feeling different textures. The Taggies Owl Crib Bedding Collection arrived at a perfect time for her to really explore. The 4 Piece Crib Set contains a brightly colored polka dot crib sheet, a matching diaper stacker with an owl perched on top, an adorable owl and polka dot textured comforter, and a coordinating cribskirt.

When I put the polka dotted sheet in the crib and laid my daughter on her tummy on it, she was enthralled!

She probably stared at all of the dots for ten minutes straight. I don’t cover her up in her bed, so I use the comforter for tummy time. She had a ball, touching all of the polka dots, and looking at the whimsical owls. Her favorite part of the comforter were all of the “Taggies” placed around it. The tags are satin-like and of all different colors.

The Taggies Owl Comforter has now become her new favorite tummy time spot! I loved how soft the materials were and that it is machine washable. The colors are so bright, yet very soothing at the same time. It is a perfect bedding set for any little girl. My daughter sure enjoys it!

The Taggies Owl Crib Bedding Collection can be purchased at Buy Buy Baby.

Taggies Soft ‘N Snug Bouncer Review

My daughter is one of those babies that likes to be held at all times. It’s very cute at times, but not when I want to get something accomplished! I was very anxious to try the Taggies Soft ‘N Snug Bouncer. First of all, it was super easy to put together, it took less than five minutes. The only tool required is a screwdriver to put the batteries in.

This bouncer is very unique in that it has two positions so it can either be upright or reclined. This is great if you wanted to use it for when your baby takes naps.

It features hanging plush animal toys, and a Peek-A-Boo blanket. The bouncer has a removable headrest and a sunshade, too. I love that it has music and vibration, and that you can use them singly or simultaneously. When I put my daughter in it, she loved it right away. I think she felt very secure. She loved batting at the hanging toys and feeling all of the “Taggies” all around the bouncer. Her favorite, though, was the Peek-A-Boo blanket. She loved snuggling it and looking at all of the brightly colored tags. She didn’t care too much for the vibrations, but she enjoyed listening to the music.

The bouncer is very lightweight, yet sturdy. It is one of the nicer ones I have seen. I would highly recommend the Taggies Soft ‘N Snug Bouncer. It has so many great features and my daughter loves it!

The Taggies Soft ‘N Snug Bouncer can be purchased at Babies ‘R Us

To see all of the many great Taggies products go to their website here.

Check Taggies out on Facebook.

See the Taggies Instagram Page.

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Kwickeye Review

Posted by html404 on August 15, 2013
in Children's Clothing, Crafts, Deals, Eco Friendly Products, Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Kids Toys, Shopping, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post.

What is Kwickeye?

Kwickeye is a social platform that lets you follow products/services that friends want for their kids and also makes it easy and fun to surprise moms and kids with the things they love!

Kwickeye has a “quick add”, or “Kwickadd” as they like to call it, button that is very easy to install, much like Hootsuite’s or Wishlist’s, simply drag it to your bookmark toolbar and voila! it’s installed. This makes it convenient to add products you like from any online store to your Kwicklist. Your Kwicklist enables friends and family to see the products on your list and allows them to comment, provide recommendations or opinions or maybe even purchase the product for an upcoming gift! You can also receive surprise notifications of an anonymous gift!

Kwickeye was founded by a mom – Gayathri Santhanam, an entrepreneur with technology background. She has two adorable kids, Aadit(6) and Anishka(3). She lives in the San Francisco BayArea. The site was featured on CNBC as one of the most promising startups globally.

You can find Kwickeye on Facebook here.

My Kwickeye Review

Kwickeye has a wide variety of products displayed on their site. From clothes, books, toys to organizational tools for mom – I found a fabulous daily organizer from Pottery Barn on that I would love to put in my office. I also found eco-friendly clay, Pure (organic snack bars) and sweet clothing for children.

I like the idea of Kwickeye and can see how helpful it would be to busy moms, moms with family close by and far away and be a general help to moms who attend a lot of birthday parties. Moms and kids could just look up their friend’s lists and pick a cool gift based on their Kwicklist. Eliminating unnecessary gifts and returns. Bonus!

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Halo SleepSack

Posted by 278Wife on August 11, 2013
in Baby Products, Bedding, Children's Clothing, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Safety, Uncategorized

Having the opportunity to try the Halo SleepSack could not have come at a better time. Up until about a week ago, my three month old daughter could not fall asleep without being swaddled. Last week, though, she started kicking off the thin blanket I had swaddled her in and started waking up because she was cold. She also rolls a lot in her sleep, so the swaddle would come undone. The Halo SleepSack became my lifesaver!

The Halo SleepSack is basically a wearable blanket. It has no sleeves, so it can easily be worn over your baby’s sleepwear comfortably. The arm holes are the perfect size, not too snug and not too large. The SleepSack comes in a variety of sizes and styles. My daughter will definitely be able to wear the size Small for a very long time. It’s roomy enough for her to still kick and move her body without it affecting her sleep. My favorite feature of the Halo SleepSack is that it has an inverted zipper. You can only appreciate this feature if you are lucky enough to change a diaper in the middle of the night! Since it zips from the top down, you only have to unzip part way to change a diaper without completely disrupting your baby’s sleep. The material is lightweight so your baby will not overheat, and the prints are adorable! The best part is that it is machine washable. I plan on buying another one so I have a spare when this one is in the wash.

I absolutely love the Halo SleepSack. I use it as a “sleeping cue” for my daughter. When I put it on her she knows naptime or bedtime is approaching.

Halo Innovations’ mission is to help babies sleep safely. They have definitely achieved this goal with the SleepSack. Go to their website to see a variety of products they offer for the many different sleep stages of a baby. They also have some great tips on safe sleep habits for your child. Remember “Back is Best” when putting your baby to sleep!

www.halosleep.com

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The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on August 4, 2013
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Quotes, Reviews, Uncategorized

I enjoyed another book last month titled, The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher. This book is about an Amish widow seeking a way to provide for her family after her husband passes away. It is inspired by a true story.

Within the first few pages I could relate to Rose’s life. Her rambunctious-work-avoiding boys, her weariness with her responsibilities (page 10) and struggles and worries over how to provide for her family.

I admired Rose’s ability to give her anger, lack of forgiveness and faith over to God. Amidst difficulty she always seemed to choose the high road. I had to ask myself if I do the same when facing difficult circumstances.

It wasn’t until the end of the book I discovered this book is a part of a new series, The Inn at Eagle Hill. The thought of existence of such a place in real life was refreshing and how invigorating it would be to visit.

I fear in places the storyline was predictable, which always lets me down. Nevertheless, it was nice to put my feet up and enjoy a good book. I admit I wondered at the miracles happening. We are a the point in our lives where we need a miracle vocationally and I can’t help but wonder if it will happen in the time it needs to.

Here are a couple quotes from the book I enjoyed:

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. (page 9)

Rose Schrock had been raised not to complain, so she didn’t, but the truth of the matter was, the last seven months had been the hardest stretch of her life: so many things had gone wrong that it was hard to know which trouble to pay attention to at any given time. (page 10)

I need more faith to guide us through dark times and while I try not to complain, I don’t think I am the example Rose was and have tons of room for improvement.

As always, I love Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books, she combines all the emotions for a great read. So of course I give The Letters two thumbs up.

“Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Polly Pocket Lea Fashion Collection and Wall Party Tree House

Posted by html404 on June 26, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Holidays, Kids Stuff

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Polly Pocket. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

I have to admit we do not buy a lot of toys. Easy to understand when you realize and understand we’ve been buying real, live animals instead. Nevertheless, one thing our children have always, always enjoyed is people figures of any kind, which is why the Polly Pocket Lea Fashion Collection and Wall Party Tree House appealed to me for our youngest daughter.

Ever since we got the packages, Blondie and her brothers have been pretty much playing with them non-stop, except when chores have to be done and they are called away from them. Blondie has been quite generous in sharing her new toys. However, the youngest has been teasing her quite a bit and taking things on her- aggravating to say the least.

The Polly Pocket Lea Fashion Collection and Wall Party Tree House have been a huge success here at our house and I have a funny feeling more will be added in the future if Blondie has anything to say about it – especially when it comes to using her own money!

What My Daughter Likes About Polly Pocket Playsets

They are fun!

They are fun to play with!

They are easy to carry around.

I like to change Lea’s clothes.

I like that I can put Polly Pocket’s tree house on the wall.

I like to play me and Polly Pocket’s friends are playing around.

Mommy note: The pieces are very small so be aware if you have little ones younger than four.

We would highly recommend a Polly Pocket Playset for the little girl in your life. They are very inexpensive, at least for our children’s birthday or Christmas budgets. If you have birthdays or need a late end of school year gift, we would like to share that purchasing either of these Polly Pocket products is easy if you click on the Amazon Social Store below.

Enjoy! We are!

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Littlest Pet Shop Sweetest Pets DVD

Posted by Professor on June 11, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Movies, Music, Reviews, TV Shows, Uncategorized

Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios has released a NEW Littlest Pet Shop Sweetest Pets DVD!

The DVD is entitled “Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets” and it is based on Hasbro’s popular Littlest Pet Shop brand and animated TV series. The DVD contains FIVE fun-filled episodes and captivating entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The DVD also features bonus content including a brand new coloring sheet.

For those of you who have not seen the series … basically, Littlest Pet Shop is an animated half-hour comedy series that follows Blythe Baxter and her father as they move into a Big City apartment above the Littlest Pet Shop store (an amazing day-camp for pets of all kinds including a doggie diva, dancing gecko, a sweet adorable panda, and others. Her real adventure begins when she discovers that she alone can miraculously understand and talk to all of the pets. Blythe joins them on fantastical adventured that include uproarious songs-and-dance sequences featuring all-new original music by Daytime Emmy Award nominee Daniel Ingram and the vocal talent of Ashley Ball, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver, and Peter New.

Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets sees Blythe embark on five more wild adventures with her newest friends: Pepper, the hilarious skunk; Sunil, the magical mongoose; Penny, the adorable panda; Russell, the highly organized hedgehog; Zoe, the diva Spaniel; and, of course, Minka the artistic monkey!

Episodes on DVD include:

Topped with Buttercream
Trading Places
Sweet (Truck) Ride
What’s in the Batter?
Bakers and Fakers
Penny For Your Laughs

DVD Bonus Content

Coloring Sheet

The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW!

Our Review:

My children absolutely ADORE Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop Products and Toys. So of course they were thrilled when the HUB TV network aired the cartoon series and released their first DVD. Now they are overjoyed with a SECOND DVD that they can watch anytime they wish! As a mom I have to say that this is a great cartoon series. The characters are engaging and suitable for children…there are some cartoons out there that are inappropriate that I will not let my children watch …but this is NOT one of them! This is a delightful series about a young girl and pets. What I like is that even after the cartoon is over I find my children reenacting the episodes and imagining new adventures with their Littlest Pet Shop Toys and figures. I have three children, 2 girls ages 9 & 4 and a boy age 7…they ALL enjoy the series and the toys. Although honestly I have to say that my girls are more “into” Littlest Pet Shop than my son…but he will play along with them or watch the series and have just as much fun!

Overall, we cannot say enough about the release of the DVD…my household is enjoying the product and will for years to come…

For more information about the Hasbro brand please visit: www.habro.com

The DVD is reasonably priced at your local store or on Amazon.com here for 12.99

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Longhorn Steakhouse – Take Dad on a “Steakcation”

Posted by Brande on June 6, 2013
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Guest Post, Holidays, Houseware, Products for Dad, Restaurants, Reviews, Shopping

Written By Guest Dad Blogger – Scott

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for LongHorn Steakhouse. I received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”

Father’s Day is coming! Is your Dad a “cut above the rest”? Forget the tie! Your favorite Dad really wants a “Steakcation” at Longhorn Steakhouse!

Come on down, grab a cold one and let Longhorn Steakhouse grill experts take care of Dad this Father’s Day. With a choice of 7 different cuts of steak at any temperature, it will be hard to decide which to cut choose.

After you decide which cut to choose (18 inch bone-in Outlaw Ribeye, Flo’s Filet, sirloin, strip, flat-iron, T-Bone or porterhouse). You need to choose a side; you can even upgrade your side to roasted corn on the cob (available for a limited time off the “Peak Season Menu”).

Hungry yet?

This was my family’s first visit to a Longhorn Steakhouse and we were very impressed. Here’s what we ordered.

When the waitress took our drink order she dropped off honey wheat bread that was still warm. Very tasty, my daughter ate most of it before her dinner came out.

Appetizer – Parmesan Crusted Asparagus (New off the Peak Season Menu)

The asparagus had a great favor, was crunchy, and the batter was light. It had a few parmesan shavings on top and was served with a delicious red chili ranch sauce.

Lunch –

I had the Prime Rib – My dinner also came with a choice of salad and side. I chose a garden salad and a side of vegetables. I prefer my steaks to be rare and it was cooked perfect! Served with au jus and horseradish sauce. The broccoli was nice and green and the carrots still a small crunch.

My wife had the Bold Balsamic BBQ Sirloin, She also got the garden salad, but upgraded her side to the roasted corn on the cob. She ordered and received her sirloin medium to well done. Her sirloin was topped with roasted garlic cloves and a smooth balsamic bbq sauce.

My daughter had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries off the kids menu. There was a great variety on the children’s menu which was great. We have a picky eater and that can be a concern when going out.

We really enjoyed our afternoon out. The food is very good and cooked to your expectations.

We ate so much that we did not have room for dessert. I took a look at the dessert menu and the offerings were very intriguing. The Chocolate Stampede which has 6 different chocolates in a piece of cake and is served with vanilla ice cream. Another dessert that caught my eye was off the Peak Seasons Menu, The Very Berry Grilled Pound Cake (I’m going back just to get this dessert), it’s a piece of lemon pound cake grilled and served with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream!

Stomach Growling? Mine is!

So, your favorite Dad is not into going out for Father’s Day. He prefers to say at home and do his own grilling? Here is Longhorn Steakhouse’s Tips on “How to Grill a Great Steak”.

You still need to get Dad a present too! My suggestion is the Longhorn Steakhouse Knives – Available at your local Longhorn Steakhouse for $29.99. The Knives are made with high carbon steel and serrated blade. Stop tearing your steak and cut it with these fabulous knives.

Click Here to find your nearest Longhorn Steakhouse to purchase your knives or a great Father’s Day Meal!

Happy Father’s Day!

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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!)