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BabyGanics

Posted by 278Wife on February 16, 2014
in All Natural Products, Baby Products, Family Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Keeping my kids clean is always one of my top priorities as a mom. Making sure my son washes his hands after using the bathroom, before eating, and after playing outside is important to me. Sometimes we are not always at home and finding a bathroom to wash up is not always easy. In the summertime we like to go to the playground and have picnics. I try to always bring hand sanitizer along so we can be clean before we eat. Have you ever looked at the label of hand sanitizer, and noticed how much alcohol is in them? Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain at least 62% alcohol; that’s insane!

BabyGanics is different. Their alcohol free, hypoallergenic formula kills 99.9% of germs. The problem for me, with most hand sanitizers, is that they dry my hands out so much that I need to apply lotion immediately after. I most definitely did not need to do this with BabyGanics Foaming Hand Sanitizer. They have a unique moisturizing formula.

The pump style bottle is very convenient and simple to use. My 4 year old can easily pump a small amount of foam onto his hand and rub until it’s all gone. He loves that it’s a foam.

Making a somewhat boring task such as cleaning hands, fun for kids makes a world of difference as a mom. The BabyGanics Foaming Hand Sanitizer is available in Fragrance Free and Tangerine. I tried the Tangerine, and it was such a light scent I barely noticed it. The smell was fresh, but not overbearing.

BabyGanics offers an array of products from Personal Care items to Household Cleaners. Their mission is to create products to create a safe, healthy, and happy environment for babies and parents. Their products are available in store and online at numerous places. To learn more about BabyGanics and all they have to offer, visit their website at:

www.babyganics.com

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SitStay.com Pet Treats for Valentine’s Day

Posted by html404 on February 14, 2014
in All Natural Products, Animals, Holidays, Pet Food, Pet Products, Pet Treats, Reviews, Uncategorized

Our Newfie/Golden Retriever mix dog, Padfoot, recently tried Shindig Valentine’s Day Treat Trio dog treats from SitStay.com. Valentine’s Day is a day to remember our pets with “sweet” treats too, right? And since dogs cannot have chocolate Love Licks, Heartbreakers and Love Birds are the next best thing…for a dog.

Love Licks – 3″ jumbo patties made from USDA inspected bison tongue & heart. Nutrient-rich and tasty!

Heartbarkers – 100% USA raised beef heart. High in protein & coenzyme Q10 for good heart health.

Love Birds – Human-grade chicken & turkey breast fillets – raised & packaged right here in the USA! Perfectly combined poultry proteins.

All include ingredients are sourced right here from the USA.

The ingredients in these dog treats are actually pretty good. I had photos of the ingredients to include but they are stuck on our DSLR camera.

Padfoot really likes these treats, then again he’s not a very picky eater. Sometimes he gets sick of certain things he has a lot, like chicken, eggs or bread if the children are tossing their leftovers to him! He definitely preferred these over his peanut butter that you see in the video. He usually loves licking out the peanut butter jar, not so much this time when a Valentine’s Day treat was available instead.

Be aware I was really loud at the beginning so have your volume turned down!

Padfoot gives Shindig Valentine’s Day Treat Trio dog treats from SitStay.com two thumbs up!

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You’re Going to be Okay by Holley Gerth Book Review

Posted by Bobbie Gould on February 8, 2014
in Books, Reviews

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.

You’re Going to be Okay is a novel that uses scripture and the encouraging words of Holley Gerth to lift women up emotionally and mentally.

Covering topics ranging from depression to feeling insecure and unworthy of love, she writes with words of love and understanding.

She acknowledges the fact that life hurts and sometimes we feel down, or that bad things do happen. And while she doesn’t attempt to sugar coat it, she writes in a way that makes you feel as though there is hope when things feel dark.

Using examples from her personal life, she makes the reader feel as though you are talking to a close friend. The scriptures that she uses are uplifting and back up everything that she says through the novel.

She also offers tips and advice that she has found helpful through her personal struggles. Some good points that she made were that we were not made to settle for anything less than joy, exercising to help lessen our stress levels, and eating better to help improve overall health.

I recommend this to anyone who is looking for encouragement, and to know and realize that they are enough and that they will be okay.

“Available February 2014 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

Posted by html404 on February 2, 2014
in Books, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley is a romantic suspense and the first book in the Logan Point series.

Taylor Martin, a Psychology professor and criminal profiler, experienced abandonment when her father up and left their family when she was a little girl. That event in her life left her with so many unanswered questions she sets out to find her father. Little does she realize that in doing so she would put herself and others in danger.

The book details how Taylor and her family find closure to the biggest mystery of their life. Taylor also finds love in an unlikely place, Nick Sinclair, the brother of one of the suspects in one of her murder profile cases.

Patricia Bradley really kept me on my toes. I was guessing until three quarters the way through the book. I was torn between who was behind the threats thrown at Taylor, the violence and the murders. There was only one murder mystery I figured out right away. I liked the twists and turns the plot took. As always the romance was pretty predictable, but how many different ways can you spin boy meets girl or girl meets boy and likes, then loves each other?

I really like these kinds of books not only for the mystery and intrigue but the character’s development and growth, as well as the fact there is no coarse language or raunchy sex. I believe sex is good, even great, (insert smiley face) within the boundaries of marriage, but I don’t need to read stories about sex when I have my own intimate life. Just saying, and thought I’d point out a different aspect to like about this book series and others like it.

Two thumbs up from me.

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Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad App Plus $50 iTunes Giveaway

Posted by html404 on January 30, 2014
in Apps, Downloads, Ebooks, Education, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Homeschooling, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, School, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

This is a featured review.

Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad App Review

by Brande

Dabby Dill woke up in a Pickle, she had the hiccups! Follow Dabby on her journey to find the remedy for these hiccups. This book app is recommended for kids 4 to 8 years old. This iPad app requires a 6.1 operating system or later.

There are 4 modes in the book app.

Story Mode – You have a narrator reading to you and you touch the arrow for the next page.

Read Along – You narrator will read to you again. However this time each word is underlined as the narrator reads, helping your child as they read & follow along.

Self-Read – Your child will read by themselves. Allowing your child the freedom to read at their own pace.

Play Game – Great memory game! Follow the hiccup pattern with Dabby and her 3 friends. It’s very similar to the game Simon.

I found this book app very educational. My favorite is the read along. With the words underlined it really helps my daughter learn her words and vocabulary. I love each mode, this book app can grow with your child.

Click here to find Dabby Dill & The Pickle Hiccup in the iTunes store!

Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle App Giveaway Plus $50 Giveaway

by Theresa

Five of you have the opportunity to win an iTunes’s code to download Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad app for free, plus each of you will also receive a $10 iTunes e-gift card with the app code! Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My-Baby-Book App

Posted by html404 on January 29, 2014
in Apps, Baby Products, Downloads, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Pregnancy and Birth, Reviews, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

My-Baby-Book app is a cute little app to record all the necessary information from your pregnancy test, pregnancy through to your baby’s first 18 months of life. I think it would be a great tool since so often I would write down milestones on sticky notes to add to our baby book….once I got around to it. Then I would end up losing them or misplacing them. Whereas with the app I always have my phone on me and it would be easy to grab it and make the necessary notes in the My-Baby-Book app for milestones baby reached as they happened. Very handy and convenient. Busy moms, techie moms and moms trying to go digital will appreciate what this app has to offer by way of storing important dates, times, milestones etc.

The home page needs to be swiped to start the app and takes you to the cover of the My-Baby-Book app, which allows you to edit and personalize it with your baby’s name:

The next page is the table of contents. The main menu is a bear with building blocks…cutest menu I’ve seen yet! The main menu is located in the top left corner when not in use.

Here’s what Kim, mom of two, had to say about My-Baby-Book app:

What a useful app! I love that you can store all of your baby’s growth information on your phone or tablet so when you’re at the doctor it’s on hand and easy to update. My favorite is the baby’s firsts section. I’m always writing down on post-it’s when my daughter does something for the first time. The post-it notes have been piling up since I haven’t had time to dig out her baby book to write them in. Great features and super user friendly!

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With Autumn’s Return

Posted by html404 on January 26, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

As you know from past book reviews, I enjoy Christian historical fiction. With Autumn’s Return by Amanda Cabot is one of those books. I wanted to read it because I have read the first two books in the Westward Winds series (Book 1 and Book 2). This book was about Elizabeth Harding, the youngest sister in the Harding family.

Elizabeth Harding is a female doctor in Cheyenne, Wyoming during the 1800’s. I appreciated her fortitude to do what she felt called to do despite the disapproval of many. Women doctors were not popular or accepted easily in that time in history. Dr. Harding’s fortitude is something I could use a good dose of on my bad days! Ha! I also related to her struggle as a working woman and her fears and concerns over having a family with her chosen profession. She had working mom guilt before she was even a mother, but I think many of us must struggle with this when we choose to work or are forced to because of circumstances out of our control.

Dr. Harding showed godly character when she chose to treat the ladies of one of the local brothels. She treated them with respect and dignity despite their profession. I think this is something lacking in today’s Christianity. As Christians or followers of Christ, we are called to love, yet there’s still so much hatred in the world against those who may be different from us and that’s not just outside the church it is within it as well.

I enjoyed the friendship between her and Jason. I think friendship should be the basis of any romantic interest and like it when it’s portrayed in that light.

The book wasn’t all a bed of roses. Mystery, murder and deceit were woven into the plot to spice up the book and make it more than just a romance novel. Don’t get me wrong it was not a mystery novel but it definitely those elements made it more than just another boring romance.

Was the book predictable? Admittedly, yes. Was it interesting? I’d have to say so since I like reading about that time period. Was it one of my favorite books to read? No, not really, but I enjoyed it and give it a thumbs up.

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The Calling

Posted by html404 on January 17, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher is another great book by Suzanne Woods Fisher. It is the second book in The Inn at Eagle Hill series. It is a clean, all round good read.

As you all know, I am intrigued by the Amish and appreciate their deep sense of community and commitment to one another and this story exemplifies this in a very real and strong way. I cannot tell you how or I’d reveal part of the mystery of the book.

I really enjoyed getting to know Bethany’s character better. I loved how she played hard to get with her “friend” Jimmy. She also displayed wisdom and how she learned from her past mistakes.

The mystery, twists and turns surrounding Bethany’s mother kept me guessing and wondering. I also cried buckets over the revelation of that whole story line.

Another part of the Amish community I enjoy is the respect the younger have for the elderly. In this series, there is a group of five spinster sisters who stand out for their service and commitment to the community, but they also stand out for the way in which they care and interact with the younger generation. The younger in turn cares and respects them. It seems more rare than common in our society today.

I love Bethany’s sister Mim and how she secretly provides advice in her Mrs. Miracle column of the newspaper and how supportive Bethany was of her endeavor.

The growth of Bethany’s brother, Toby, was revealed in this book and I was relieved when he turned out to be a “good” person and chose to do the right thing in spite of the consequences. That’s not always an easy thing to do but it is the honorable thing to do.

The guest, Geena, who visited the Inn at Eagle Hill in this book was a central part of the book and I appreciated her struggle with her “calling” but also how she allowed herself to be used where she was and how she integrated into the Schrock’s family and community.

If you haven’t guessed already, The Calling gets two thumbs up from me!

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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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Chicco NaturalFit

Posted by 278Wife on January 12, 2014
in Baby Products, Parenting, Reviews, Shopping, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Chicco. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.”

Chicco is a brand name that I have come to trust and love. They sell a multitude of products designed with babies and parents in mind. Their new line of bottles and pacifiers, Chicco NaturalFit, go above and beyond to keep babies happy. Their advanced feeding and soothing system grow with your baby as your babies feeding style is constantly changing.

Their NaturalFit bottles come in three distinct nipple shapes. The first stage is Squeezing and the nipples are designed for newborns. The nipple is actually angled so it is easier for a newborn to drink. Because of the way it’s positioned the nipple will always be full with milk so it is almost impossible for baby to swallow air. This is super important since babies swallowing air can lead to an upset tummy, which means the baby may be cranky. I noticed the nipple is also very soft and flexible, similar to a breast. This makes it easier for moms who decide to breast and bottle feed. These nipples come in two flow categories, newborn and medium.

The second stage is Transition and the nipples are designed for babies around four months old. The nipples are more upright since babies have better neck control. My favorite feature about this nipple is it has three different flow positions. One nipple can adjust to three different flows; slow, medium, and fast. This was amazing to me! When I have purchased bottles in the past I would have to be constantly buying new nipples to go with how my baby was eating. Sometimes I would even have one faster flowing nipple for lunchtime when she was super hungry, and then another slower nipple for bedtime when she was relaxing and just enjoying her nighttime bottle. Trying to keep track of all of the nipple flows was a pain in the butt! This nipple you simply place in the baby’s bouth with the flow number you want closest to baby’s chin. That’s it! It is way less nipples to keep track of, and very easy to use.

The third stage is Sucking and the nipples are designed for babies around six months old. The tip is more elongated to encourage swallowing and to help with the muscle development. This nipple is available in fast flow and a Y-cut flow for introducting thicker liquids. For my daughter, she is 9 months old, we used the fast flow. It seemed a little faster than what she’s been using, but she didn’t seem to mind. She finished faster and had an easy time holding onto the bottle. She thinks she’s a big shot and likes to hold her own bottle on my lap.

Their NaturalFit orthodontic pacifiers are also great products. They are BPA free and Latex free. Their designed with soft silicone and they have tiny ridges and grooves at an angled shape. They come in a variety of colors and sizes based on how old your baby is.

Overall I was really impressed with Chicco NaturalFit. Their design and genius adjustable flow nipple are something I would highly recommend to my mommy friends. These products are now available in store and online at buybuy BABY. For more information on Chicco NaturalFit check out their website:

http://www.chiccousa.com/