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The Salvation Army – Red Kettle Reason

Posted by Brande on December 24, 2014
in Community Issues, Giving Back/Charity, Holidays, News Worthy, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Influence Central for The Salvation Army. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

‘Tis the season to be giving and what better way to give than to The Salvation Army. I’m sure you’ve seen people ringing their bells near that red kettle.

This is one of the oldest and biggest providers. Established in London in 1865, The Salvation Army has been serving people for about 150 years internationally and over 130 years in the United States.

Here are few great facts about The Salvation Army.

“In 2013, The Salvation Army’s 3,600 officers, 59,000 employees, and 3.4 million volunteers served nearly 30 million American in need. That’s almost one person, every second, every day.”
“The Army has nearly 7,600 centers of operation covering nearly every zip code in the country.”

How did The Army’s Red Kettle start? In December of 1891, The Salvation Army’s Captain McFee decided to provide Christmas dinner to the poor. He needed to raise money and put with the approval from the authorities, he place a large pot on the Oakland Ferry Landing in San Francisco. By Christmas of 1895 there were 30 Salvation Army locations.

You can help online or via text messaging! Anyone can become a virtual bell ringer and raise money for their local communities by creating an Online Red Kettle at onlineredkettle.org.” Or “Donors can text the word “KETTLE” to 80888 to make a $10 donation to support the campaign.” End of the year giving is extremely popular and is also tax deductible with the proper documentation, please make your donation by December 31, 2014.

I believe giving is very important throughout the year, however around the holiday’s it seems a bit more meaningful to my family. I look at what I have and wish that for everyone, I have meals on the table and a loving, healthy family. With a 6 year old daughter it’s sometimes hard for her to understand the real meaning of Christmas. I really have instilled that Christmas is not all about gift, but, giving and thoughtfulness.

Please visit The Salvation Army at RedKettleReason.org.

#RedKettleReason #Sponsored #MC

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Wordless Wednesday – 20th Wedding Anniversary

Posted by html404 on July 30, 2014
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, News Worthy, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Robert and I will soon celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary! Hard to believe twenty years has gone by already. Here’s to the next 20 or more!

We plan to celebrate by going out for Chinese food. Yummy!

We have only ever celebrated our anniversary by going away overnight once and that was the summer we were in Canada in 2005. A friend took care of our five kiddos. When our girls are a bit older and officially adults maybe we’ll do that again….some day.

How long have you been married? How do you usually celebrate?

Photo Copyright: totallyout / 123RF Stock Photo Used with permission.

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AAOS + AA Distracted Driving

Posted by html404 on May 12, 2014
in Automotive, Family Stuff, News Worthy, Parenting, Safety, Uncategorized

If we are honest, we all can probably say we have been distracted at one time or another while driving. Driving with a newborn crying with hunger? Driving with a toddler who wants to get out of his or her car seat? Driving by a car pulled over by 2-3 police cars leaving you curious as to why? What about cell phone users? Texting? We have a teenager on the verge of learning how to drive (she’s studying her driver’s handbook now) and it scares me to think of her out on the road. It isn’t that I think she’ll be a terrible driver, it’s the distractions, it’s the other drivers and their distractions.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Auto Alliance want to increase awareness about the risks of distracted driving.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of the nearly 33,000 roadway fatalities in 2012, there were 3,328 fatalities and approximately 421,000 injuries in distracted driving-related crashes. Orthopaedic surgeons—the specialists who put bones and limbs back together after road crashes and traumas—along with our partners, the automakers, would rather help all drivers “decide to drive” each time they get in the car and to keep bones and limbs intact.

We all want to see accidents reduced so remember, the most advanced safety feature of any vehicle is the driver. The AAOS and the Auto Alliance urges all drivers to keep their most sophisticated safety features engaged at all times: eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.

Decide to Drive Campaign

The Decide to Drive program aims to empower drivers and passengers to speak up about distracted driving, continue the conversation at home, work and play, and reduce distracted behaviors behind the wheel.

Do you have the best slogan or catch phrase to make the Decide to Drive campaign pop? Enter the Decide to Drive Catch Phrase Contest between May 28 – June 13. Your words could be chosen as the official Decide to Drive campaign catch phrase, and you could win one of two $500 runner-up prizes or the $1,000 grand prize! Can’t wait to see what you come up with! Enter here: http://clvr.li/1nwa6CV

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Review – Smiley360

Posted by Brande on April 21, 2014
in Cleaning, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Home, News Worthy, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!”

Cleaning just started smelling better in my house! Many thanks to Mrs. Meyer’s brand cleaners, I no longer have a harsh chemical smell my kitchen. It now smells of geraniums and it’s so refreshing! All of Mrs. Meyer’s products are “cruelty free, not tested on animals and are all biodegradable. “

I was happy to test of the following products all are scented in geranium:

Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Dish Soap – At least 97% of the ingredients are naturally derived. It has essential oils that get the grim off dishes. Yet it is safe for you and our environment.

Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Hand Soap – The hand soap also has essential oils that are easy and soft of your hands and it smells great!

Mrs. Meyers’s Counter Top Spray – Just spray this product on no-porous counter tops and whip away the dirt.

Mrs. Meyer’s has a wonderful line of products to choose from, including household cleaners, hand & body, laundry, and air fresheners. You can choose from 14 different scents, ranging from radish to baby blossom.

I really enjoyed these products no only do they smell good, they clean really well also.

Mrs. Meyer’s is available online as well as your grocery store. Head over to Mrs. Meyer’s Facebook page for great tips!

Happy Cleaning!

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Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue

Posted by html404 on April 8, 2014
in Entertainment, Kids Stuff, Movies, News Worthy, Uncategorized

We have enjoyed all of Disney’s Planes and Cars movie. Coming July 18th to theaters near you is Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue!

View the trailer below:

PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE (In 3D)

DISNEY

Website: Disney.com/Planes

Like on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes

Follow on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures

Genre: Animation/Adventure

Rating: TBD

Release Date: July 18, 2014

Voice Cast: Dane Cook, Julie Bowen

Director: Bobs Gannaway

Producer: Ferrell Barron

“Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero. Directed by Bobs Gannaway (“Secret of the Wings”), “Planes: Fire & Rescue” hits theaters in 3D on July 18, 2014.

“Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure in which Dusty joins forces with a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft and learns what it takes to become a true hero.

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Introducing a New Contributing Writer!

Posted by html404 on March 25, 2014
in Blog Stuff, Contributing Writers, News Worthy, Uncategorized

You may have noticed a new name on yesterday’s movie review of God’s Not Dead . Rosemarie Pagano. She is our newest contributing writer! Rosemarie is not another reviewer, as her posts will be focused on encouragement, faith and any other topics that appeal to her. She is volunteering her help in exchange for a writing platform.

B and Rosemarie the day we brought our goats home!

Rosemarie is a family friend whom we met nearly a year ago through our farm’s vegetable CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture). She lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with her husband, who is originally from Italy, and two dogs. Rosemarie and her husband both enjoy cooking.

Rosemarie is a freelance writer working on her first novel. She is an avid reader and has a servant’s heart! She has blessed us with not only her friendship but her service from bringing a meal during haying season, special Italian breakfast rolls (hot chocolate and fruit too) on Christmas day or to helping us bring B’s goats home.

We are blessed to know Rosemarie and now privileged to have her use her gift of writing here at Faith and Family Reviews! Please make her feel welcome!

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5 Ways to Save on Time and Money at Healthcare Clinic Chicago

Posted by html404 on February 4, 2014
in Children's Health, Downloads, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Wellness, Men's Health, News Worthy, Parenting, Saving Money, Uncategorized, Women's Health

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. #HealthcareClinic #CollectiveBias

It has always been important to us to do everything we can to keep our family healthy. In the past when our large family has been under the weather it has taken us a l-o-n-g time to get over colds, the flu and even the chicken pox (7 children had it one after the other!). We are very grateful for our current health. It isn’t very often we get sick but when we do there are things that help us get healthy again. For example, when my husband gets wax build up in his ears to the point he can no longer hear, he goes to the Healthcare Clinic Chicago to get his ears candled or cleaned out. He has done this a couple of times, dropping by the clinic while out on errands or after work. No appointment necessary. It is very convenient and time saving for a busy parent.

The Walgreens Healthcare Clinic in Crystal Lake, IL has been very clean when we have dropped in and the Healthcare Providers have been courteous and personable. Both of these things has given us confidence in the professionals caring for our needs.

5 Ways to Save on Time and Healthcare Costs for Parents

1. As stated above, the Healthcare Clinic takes walk-ins. No appointment necessary, though you can schedule one should you desire to do so.

2. Use the Walgreen app to find a healthcare clinic nearest you.

Put in your information, customize what you are looking for and a list of clinics near you will come up:

3. Save on costly and unnecessary trips to the ER by visiting a Walgreens Healthcare Clinic, since they are open on weekends and evenings.

4. With Walgreens Prescription Savings Club, club members receive 10% savings on all Healthcare Clinic services. Please note Walgreens website states: This discount cannot be used in conjunction with insurance.

5. Healthcare clinics have on-site pharmacies. No need to go elsewhere for prescriptions.

As you can see, Walgreens Healthcare Clinic is very convenient and affordable. The next time we visit a Healthcare Clinic Chicago it will probably be to see if our youngest daughter’s ears need to be candled because we have a funny feeling she’s taking after her dad in that department!

What about you, have you ever visited a Walgreens Healthcare Clinic?

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Depend Fit Flex – Dad Central

Posted by Brande on January 31, 2014
in Guest Post, Health, Men's Health, News Worthy, Personal Care Products, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Uncategorized, Women's Health

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for Depend. I received products samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

By Guest Dad Blogger – Scott

Here’s another one of those taboo conversations.

Many people have had that moment after they sneeze or just can’t hold it. The panic sets in…. wondering….. can anyone see anything? You may have a feeling of being ashamed or just bummed because you are getting older.

I’m here to tell you. You are not alone. Millions of people suffer from incontinence. No need to be embarrassed or ashamed. Depend’s new Fit-Flex is here to help.

Many people expressed concerns to the Depend brand about being bulky and not being able to live life to the fullest. Depend revamped their design and with Depend Fit Flex there’s no need to slow down your active life. Depend Fit Flex is so discreet you are able to wear your regular favorite attire and it goes unnoticed. Making you feel more confident and able to take back your active life style!

On the Depend site there are 3 inspiring stories. My favorite is Paul’s, he is living with incontinence. When Paul first experienced bladder issues he became embarrassed. Being unable to cope with this condition, Paul’s marriage fell apart. Then he began gaining weight in his 40’s and on his 50^th Birthday he made a decision. He was going to turn his life around. He began running and his life changed after marrying his 2^nd wife. She helped him cope with his incontinence and get on with his life. Paul now uses Depend Fit Flex regularly and has lost his weight gain. This is such an inspirational story in many ways.

Get on with your life! Enjoy running, bike riding, hiking, and vacations!

Mar Jennings is known as a top lifestyles expert. Here are a few active lifestyle tips from him.

* “Staying active is easier when you love what you do, be it hiking, horseback riding, tennis, or taking a brisk walk. Find what calls to you and get moving!”

* “Have a clear vision of what you want “you” and your life to look like in six or 12 months. Start small and think big; the results over time will be impressive.”

Don’t stop living because of bladder issues. Depend offers underwear, briefs, guards, and shields for men and women. Click here to request a free sample.

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New Swiffer Sweep and Trap #NewFromSwiffer

Posted by html404 on January 13, 2014
in Cleaning, Home, News Worthy, Reviews, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Swiffer.

Our family of ten creates a lot of dirt. I mean a lot of dirt. It is extremely hard to keep the house clean. Add living on a farm, forget it! We’ve tried many different cleaning products, but ever since we had laminate flooring at our townhouse we’ve used and gone through a lot of Swiffers over the years. When you let children help clean…ah…things happen…lots of things…especially breakage. Now, here at the house we are renting we have a combination of laminate, ceramic tile (cold in winter!) hardwood floors in the bathrooms, kitchen, front entry way and our main farm entrance at the side of the house, which is the reason I was interested in trying the new Swiffer Sweep and Trap.

I like the new Swiffer Sweep and Trap for light traffic areas and quick mop ups. It is perfect for the bathrooms and our front entry way. It does not get the corners very well without some maneuvering.

Even though we were using the dry Swiffer sheets for cleaning, my sheet was damp when I took our photos as I had just rinsed it out to reuse for the purpose of this review. As you can see the sheet was picking up dirt…

And the trap was picking up dirt…the sheets are very easy to put on the Swiffer via the two little hole at the top and two on the bottom of the trap flap. The sheets can be reused too if you wash them but do not put them in the dryer, just hang them to dry and they last longer.

The trap easily comes off to discard the dirt…

By the squeeze of the two grey buttons.

The Swiffer Sweep and Trap is light weight and easy to use and just hit the shelves at Walmart today!

For more information about the New Swiffer Sweep and Trap visit:

Website: http://www.swiffer.com/products/swiffer-sweep-trap
Program Hashtag: #NewFromSwiffer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swiffer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Swiffer

Do you have a favorite Swiffer product? If so, what do you like about it?

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MinuteClinic at select CVS Pharmacy Stores

Posted by Brande on December 12, 2013
in Family Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, News Worthy, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for CVS MinuteClinic. I received promotional items as a thank you for participating”

By: Guest Dad Blogger Scott – #MC

“Children suffer around 6 or 12 colds a year.”

And

“Americans get 1 billion colds a year.”

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

With cold and flu season fast approaching it’s good to know that MinuteClinic in select CVS Pharmacy Stores are here to help you.

What’s a MinuteClinic you ask? Good Question!

MinuteClinic is an affordable alternative to visiting your doctor when you or a family member is suffering from a cold, cough or flu illness. No appointments are necessary and they are open 7 days a week with evening hours! The MinuteClinic can vaccinate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe for cold, cough, and/or flu!

Board Certified Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are there for you to treat a variety of common family illnesses. Not just limited to cold, cough, and flu. They are able to diagnose strep throat, ear infections, pink eye, and UTI’s. In addition, they are able to provide vaccinations for flu, pertussis, and others. The MinuteClinic can also provide physicals for sports and /or camps and wellness services to stop smoking, lose weight, and screening for diabetes and cholesterol.

This program is terrific for that on the go person or family. The MinuteClinic also accepts insurance! If your regular doctor is not available and you visit the MinuteClinic, they will send your summary visit to your primary care physician (with your permission). No regular doctor? No problem – The MinuteClinic can even help you find a provider.

Currently the MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy Stores is available in 28 states and in Washington DC.

If you sneeze or cough, please cover your mouth, this is how most germs spread. One of the best ways to avoid sickness is wash your hands with soap and water and try not to touch your face.