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My Very First Easter Story Sticker Book

Posted by html404 on March 18, 2013
in Books, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Reviews

Easter is less than two weeks away and this is my first post about anything pertaining to Easter. We don’t even have any plans yet either, which is how it has been for the past few years. Our children, however, have been enjoying My Very First Easter Story Sticker Book by Lois Rock; illustrated by Alex Ayliffe.

This is a traditional Easter story book about Jesus dying on the cross, however, it leaves out why He died. Yes, He died to make the world a better place, but He died for our sins. That little piece of truth was missing, which was disappointing and seemed dumbed down, in my opinion.

My Very First Easter Story Sticker Book has a twist on the traditional books, as it has an activity at the bottom of each page and children can put stickers in the appropriate pages.

My almost 7 year old and 5 year old loved this book. They really enjoyed putting the stickers on the pages and were eager to finish putting them on – I made them do it in stages so to make it last longer. They just finished it up tonight.

This book may be purchased through Kregel Publications for $5.99 and is paperback.

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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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/

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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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Go-Go Blanket

Posted by 278Wife on March 7, 2013
in Baby Products, Bedding, Kids Stuff, Reviews

Do you ever wish you could keep your baby or toddler warm in the car or stroller without the need of a coat? Here’s the solution, the Go-Go Blanket. It is a soft, cuddly, fleece blanket that fits easily over car seat and stroller straps. It has oversized sleeves which keep the blanket in place while still alowing your child to move their arms. This product is designed for infants and children through size 5. Once your child is securely strapped into their car seat or stroller simply place their arms in the sleeves and tuck in the sides of the blanket. That’s it! The blanket stays on the child and they can still use their arms to play, stretch, eat, drink, and relax.

I tried the Go-Go Blanket with my three year old son. He is a big blanket lover so he was overly excited to try it out! I have read many articles about child safety in the wintertime and how unsafe it is for children to wear winter coats in a car seat. I always feel bad putting my son in the car without a coat since it is so cold out. With the Go-Go Blanket he stays nice and warm in the car! He loved that it covered his legs and his arms and he thought the lambs were silly looking. The arms were a little long so we just rolled the sleeves. Once we arrived at our destination, it was super easy to remove and put his coat back on. I loved it! We also used it when we went on our afternoon walk. Normally I put a blanket over him and it ends up falling and sometimes even lands on the ground and gets all dirty. With the Go-Go Blanket it is impossible for it to fall off and he stayed warm the entire time! My son loved wearing it so much he even asked if he could wear it to sleep.

This product is so simple, yet so genius. I don’t know how I lived without it before. It is so easy to use, extremely soft, follows safety regulations, and most importantly, machine washable. These would make great gifts! For more information and to see all of the pattern options go to their website
www.gogoblanket.com and be sure to visit them on Facebook and Twitter.

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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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Messages of Love – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on February 27, 2013
in Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Wordless Wednesday

On Valentine’s Day the children enjoyed making sugar cookies. They did the usual with flour on the table and rolling out the dough. My youngest daughter took it a step further and made me messages of love in the flour. So precious!

Then as I am doing this post putting the watermarks on it she saddles up to me and says, “No not pink” for the words “Messages of Love”. She takes me through yellow, blue, green when I finally say, “You just want to see the words change colors!” She snickered and nodded her head and promptly told me, “Pink!” She also informed me that she had other pictures and that she would choose the colors. So without further adieu her are the other ones she chose, above and below…

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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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Celebrate with Clifford DVD Review

Posted by Professor on February 16, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Movies, TV Shows

Clifford the Big Red Dog: Celebrate with Clifford DVD Review!

Clifford celebrates 50 Big years!

Celebrate 50 years of big fun, big friendships and everyone’s favorite big red dog in seven party-packed Clifford tales! Whether it’s working as a team to put on the Fall Carnival, finding the perfect gift for a birthday party, or building a float for the Birdwell Parade, Clifford and his pals – Emily, Charley, Jetta and T-Bone discover that always following your heart and being yourself is the best way to be a BIG friend. Let’s get this party started!

Episodes on DVD include:

The Best Gift
Clifford’s Carnival
Clifford on Parade
Screaming for Ice Cream
Clifford the Pirate King
Team Spirit
Tough Enough
Plus 5 Bonus Speckle Stories

DVD Bonus Content (Bonus DVD inside)

8 additional episodes

The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW !

The DVD is available here at amazon.com

Our Review:

Clifford has always been a favorite in our house. My 9 year old still enjoys reading Clifford books to her younger siblings! What a wonderful event to celebrate Clifford with my children on DVD! We can now watch our favorite character come to life on television!

My children have watched the Clifford cartoon before, but are now enjoying more Clifford, more frequently since we received the DVD. The episodes are wonderful and always teach a lesson. My children love to see what trouble the characters will get in each episode. The children have had countless laughs watching this DVD.

I am sure you will be as pleased with the content of this new DVD as we were! Happy 50 years Clifford!

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Mommy’s Bliss

Posted by 278Wife on February 15, 2013
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Kids Stuff, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Establishing a soothing bedtime routine for your child is the best way to encourage a deep, restful sleep. I have always thought this way and even do certain routines myself to wind down for the night. Ever since my son was about a month old we would give him a bath, massage him with cream, read stories and say prayers, and have a bottle. Now that he is three, we still do the exact same routine except he has a small snack instead of a bottle. I have always believed that having this bedtime routine and sticking to it, has not only made him a good sleeper, but has helped him to fall asleep on his own. We even play an ocean sound machine in the background and dim the lights throughout the routine. I was anxious to try Mommy’s Bliss products, since they would only enhance our bedtime routine.

Mommy’s Bliss has three products to encourage a wonderful night sleep for babies. They include a Sweet Slumber 3-in-1 Baby Wash, Sweet Slumber Massage Cream, and Sweet Slumber Mist. All three products contain soothing extracts of lavender, chamomile, and ylang ylang that are associated with relaxation and sleep. Begin with the Sweet Slumber 3-in-1 Baby Wash. This can either be added to warm bath water to make a soothing bubble bath, or added to a washcloth as a shampoo and/or body wash. My son has sensitive skin so I am always cautious as to what I bathe him in. I used it as a shampoo and bodywash for him and loved how easily it lathered and rinsed off. It is a very gentle and mild wash. Once dry, I applied the Sweet Slumber Massage Cream onto his skin. It was a very soft feeling cream that made his skin feel silky smooth. It was also very gentle on his sensitive skin. Finally, I sprayed the Sweet Slumber Mist on his pajamas, blanket, and pillow. He asked me why I was doing that, and I told him the sweet smell would help him relax and fall asleep. He loved that idea! I even sprayed it on my pillow and felt relaxed immediately.

All three Mommy’s Bliss products smell amazing. They have a sweet and calming smell that is not overwhelming or overpowering. The next morning his bedding still had the lavender aroma. Mommy’s Bliss products are 100% vegetarian & vegan, contain no artificial fragrances or petroleum, contain no alcohol, parabens, or harsh chemicals, and are free of gluten and soy. These products can be purchased at Walgreens. I am looking forward to using all three Mommy’s Bliss products on my newborn to begin a relaxing and soothing bedtime routine from early on.

For more information visit their website:

http://www.mommysbliss.com/

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.