Products for Mom | Faith and Family Reviews

Archive for Products for Mom

End of Summer Footwear Shopping

Posted by html404 on August 13, 2013
in Fashion, Products for Mom, Seasonal Stuff, Shoes & Footwear, Shopping

This is a featured post.

Sadly summer is coming to an end soon. I love summer and it’s bittersweet to say good-bye to my favorite season. However, shopping end of summer sales is always fun! That’s about the only good thing about the end of summer, if you ask me.

I love wearing sandles or crocs in the summer time. My feet like to breathe and not be cooped up in tight, enclosed shoes like running shoes or even rubber boots. Hot. Hot. Hot.

When end of summer footwear shopping I look for the best deals for my children. For myself, I have to go by comfort first, with the extra weight I am carrying I need good supportive shoes that will not only support my feet but also my legs and knees. More often than not that means sticking with the same brand that has been working.

It’s easier to shop for children’s footwear, unless it is my older girls. They have varying tastes and one or the other likes something that is bright, colorful and fashionable. Then there is the issue of heel or no heel. I prefer flats, while I have daughters that want to wear heels – my feet hurt just thinking about it. I also like basic looking sandles that will go with everything . I am practical.

I will shop in-store or online for end of summer footwear. I will look at thrift stores but will only buy them if they seem almost new as every person’s feet are shaped differently and who knows how much the inside is worn if the shoes have been well cared for. As you can see from the photo above, my Velcro is no longer sticking well, the straps are getting stretched out and while they are functional, they are no longer very “pretty”.

Where do go for end of summer footwear shopping?

Share and Enjoy

{2 comments}

Shopping for a New Tea Kettle

Posted by html404 on August 12, 2013
in Appliances, Family Stuff, Home, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Shopping

This is a featured post.

We drink a lot of tea in our house. Since we mostly drink decaffeinated tea, the children also drink it. I’ve never owned an electric tea kettle, we’ve always had one that you heat on top of the stove. My parents always had one electric kettle and one for the stove, if I remember correctly.

Here’s a photo of our two year old tea kettle. I really like it, but it’s missing the knob on the top cover and wait until you see inside! The outside will actually clean up for the most part with a good scrubbing.

The inside of the tea kettle seems to have a lot of salt or sediment build up making the kettle that much heavier. It’s all around the sides and on the bottom. This photo does not really show the full extent of the build up but gives you a good idea:

I like a nice looking tea kettle and I really liked this green one, but I have no idea what kind I would buy next so I am appealing to all of you for recommendations! What brand, style, electric or on the stove tea kettles do you recommend? Leave your recommendations in the comment section!

Share and Enjoy

{No comments}

The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

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

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.”

Share and Enjoy

{7 comments}

Smiley 360 – Centrum Flavor Burst Review

Posted by Brande on July 1, 2013
in Coupons, Health, Health and Nutrition, Personal Care Products, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

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

Centrum Flavor Burst Review

When presented with Centrum Flavor Burst I have to be honest, I was a little skeptical. How could a multivitamin actually taste good? Sometimes the things that are good for you don’t always taste good. I’m here to tell you that Centrum Flavor Burst Supplements actually do taste good. The cherry (red), blueberry (blue), and grape (purple) balls look similar to gum balls. Centrum suggests taking 4 chewable tablets per day and they can be consumed with or without food. I do caution that they contain soy.

Who has kids? You probably need more energy and an immune booster, Centrum can help you out. With the Vitamin B and antioxidants included in your flavor burst delivery capsule, you’ll keep up with your kids and be healthier!

Packed with Vitamins A, V, D, E B6, B12 and folic acid, this is the vitamin for everyone! Get yours today, Centrum is offered at most grocery and big box stores, as well as your local pharmacy!

Click here for a coupon and don’t forget to like Centrum on Facebook.

Share and Enjoy

{6 comments}

Cascade

Posted by Professor on June 17, 2013
in Contests, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.” www.momcentralconsulting.com

Cascade© Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade while simultaneously helping to maintain the sparkling look of your clean dishwasher interior.

Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.* *Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors.

Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits:

• Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food

• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes

• Helps maintain the look of new machines and helps prevent additional hard-water build-up

• Delivers exceptional dishware shine

Our Review:

This review piggybacks on Theresa’s review of Cascade Platinum, as our family was also fortunate enough to review the product. We have gone through many dishwashers and many dish washing liquids and powders, powder pacs, etc… Cascade is by far the BEST product we have tried. I have always been a cascade buyer…after trying various other products and never being completely satisfied … I tried the traditional Cascade Complete dishwasher pacs on the recommendation of my sister. My sister told me that these pacs were the ONLY thing that worked for her and were by far the best out there. Well, after one use I was sold. NOW I have tried cascade PLATINUM and can give my sister a bit of advice to switch from the cascade complete to the cascade platinum. The Platinum is by far much better than the cascade complete…we have seen a difference in overall cleanliness of both dishes and dishwasher. I truly think that this product has boosted our dish washing performance.

I also liked the fragrance of the Cascade Platinum pacs… it was a nice fresh scent…BUT when perusing the store aisles for Cascade Platinum I noticed that they also sold a “lemon scent” so of course I just had to purchase them…they also work great but have a nice lemon scent! I CANNOT wait to find a 43 pac tub size! Right now I have only been able to find the smaller bag sizes in my area…but know I will find the jumbo size soon… !

Overall, Cascade Platinum works wonders on our dishes and dishwasher… I will not go back to my old brands anytime soon…and sorry Cascade but the platinum is so much better than Cascade complete that I will now only buy the Platinum!

Do not forget to enter the contest that Theresa wrote about and submit your pictures to win some prizes from Cascade!

Please make sure to check out the following links for more information on Cascade:

Cascade website: http://bit.ly/16Te3N5

• Cascade Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/10Y8RQQ

• #MyPlatinumInstagram contest: http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog.

Share and Enjoy

{6 comments}

HBL Hair Care Review and Giveaway ($62.90 value!)

Posted by html404 on June 14, 2013
in All Natural Products, Contests, Giveaways, Personal Care Products, Products for Mom

When I was contacted by HBL Hair Care about doing a review and giveaway, I couldn’t refuse. I really appreciate products that are sulfate, paraben, allergen and gluten free. All of HBL Hair Care products are formulated to ensure that your hair is healthy, beautiful and shiny.

They sent me out the HBL Volumizing system for review. It includes the:

· HBL Volumizing Shampoo

· HBL Volumizing Conditioner

· HBL Hair Masque

The set is supposed to perk up limp, lifeless hair. The shampoo and condition were designed to cleans and provide lightweight conditioning while the hair masque gives a boost of overall moisture.

I’ve been testing the products out for the past week and while they aren’t the most amazing hair care products of all time, they do work. Too much of the conditioner left my scalp irritated, but the overall products smell good and I really like that they are all natural. I think for people with thinner hair the volumizing set would work much better and give them a boost.

You can buy HBL products at www.hblhaircare.com.

Enter to win your very own set in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share and Enjoy

{3 comments}

The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer

Posted by html404 on June 4, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Products for Mom, 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.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer. I guess I went into it thinking I know what to expect, after all I’d read other books by Tricia Goyer. While The Promise Box is an Amish romance, it was much more than that. It is the journey of a hurting young woman and young man, whose lives cross and finally blend as they discover strength, healing, a deeper faith and commitment in a community of supportive family and friends.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I truly love the community and faith of Amish believers (or Christians). They have something the world is missing and I believe that is why the rest of us are drawn to and fascinated by them. It is one of the reasons the Amish are so popular among us Englischers.

Here are a few points from the book that I particularly enjoyed:

Page 185, when Gideon said:

I heard it said once you cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper.

I couldn’t help but think of that in relation to child training.

Page 186, when Gideon spoke:

It’s not about pride, Lydia – it’s about stewardship. We’re supposed to take care of what God puts into our possession. Going forth and subduing the earth isn’t about forcing yourself. It’s tending to.

This made me think of our little farm and all that God has blessed us with….it’s an ongoing work to tend to and care for all of it, plus our family.

Finally, page 200 and the “Be” phrases”:

Be REVERENT in spirit low
Be GENEROUS, give all you can, then give a little more;
Be THOUGHTFUL of the people who are lonely, old, or sad;
Be READY quickly to respond to special appeals;
Be UNSELFISH – all self-seeking with abandon cast aside;
Be HOPEFUL for the best of life, for hope has wondrous worth;
Be APPRECIATIVE for great riches of Christ and His love,

As Lydia indicated in the book, these are easier to memorize than to live.

Hope you can take something from these little excerpts too. I am looking forward to the third book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. The Promise Box receives two thumbs up from me!

Share and Enjoy

{No comments}

The Offering by Angela Hunt

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

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!

Share and Enjoy

{10 comments}

Premama Prenatal Vitamin Review

Posted by 278Wife on April 23, 2013
in All Natural Products, Health and Nutrition, Pregnancy and Birth, Products for Mom, Reviews

Prenatal health is the number one priority for most moms to be. Choosing the right prenatal vitamin can be a challenge with all of the different options available. Sometimes one vitamin does not agree with your body so you have to switch to another. This has happened with a quite a few of the pills I have tried in the past. I was very interested to hear about Premama Prenatal Vitamin, a powdered supplement mix. Recommended by doctors, it is all natural, easy to digest, and flavorless. Ingredients in Premama have been proven to reduce the risk of some birth defects by 70% or more. These include Biotin, B vitamins, DHA Omega-3 fatty acid, Coenzyme Q10, Choline, Ginger Root, and Folic Acid. Many of these ingredients also aid with nausea and digestive relief, too.

Premama comes in a box of 30 on-the-go servings. Each sleeve is divided into two equal doses. This way you can choose to take the entire dose at one time, or break it up into two times a day. For me, it is hard to remember to take my vitamin even one time a day, let alone twice a day, so I took it all it once.

It states you can mix Premama with any juice or beverage so the first day I mixed it with water. I did not care for the texture or taste of the water so the next day I tried it with cranberry grape juice. This was much better! The more juice to mix it with, at least 12oz, the better. Simply add the entire sleeve or one part of the sleeve to the beverage and shake or stir.

Although the package says it is flavorless, I could still taste a hint of it. It is not a terrible taste, but it is a distinct taste that you get used to after a few days. I loved how convenient it was to just throw a couple of the packets in my purse for when I was going to be out of the house. I also noticed a huge improvement in my nail health. My nails started to grow very long and strong, which I have never experienced with any other prenatal vitamin. Premama Prenatal Vitamin is a great option for women who have a hard time swallowing pills, too.

Overall, Premama is a great product. Check out their website for more information on their prenatal vitamin as well as some great information on pregnancy in general.

www.drinkpremama.com

Share and Enjoy

{23 comments}

Sandgrens Sandal Review

Posted by Brande on April 18, 2013
in Fashion, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Shoes & Footwear, Shopping, Uncategorized

The warmer weather is coming, although it’s taking a little longer here in the Northeast than I’d like. My toes need to see the sun and start wearing sandals. The first pair of sandals I put on this year was from Sandgrens. Sandgrens is located in Sweden and has been making shoes since 1846.

I was delighted slipping on Sandgrens Panama style sandals from their 2013 Spring & Summer Collection.

Sandgrens Sandal Review

When you first look at them, you would think the wood would make the shoes heavy. Not even close. They are super light and the molded rubber soles gives them a great grip so, you won’t be slipping around. The heal is a little over 2 1/2 inches high. The vibrant pink is perfect for any occasion, they can be easily dressed up or dressed down. These are they type of sandals you pick out first, then coordinate your outfit around them.

I’m amazed how comfortable these sandals are, I’m going to be wearing these all summer.

Being a Swedish shoe they are also in Swedish sizes, you’ll need to use Sandgrens size and fitting guide to find your size. For example, I order size 37 which is a US size 6 1/2 to 7.

I’d start dropping hints for Mother’s Day, if I were you! Great and comfortable shoes are not always easy to find. Sandgrens gives you both of these fantastic qualities.