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Clevamama

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.

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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!

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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.

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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/

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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Kidz Gear Headphones

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Kidz Gear headphones are a line of headphones made just for kids. We’ve been testing out a pair for a few weeks now and we’ve come to the conclusion that they get two thumbs up from us! All of my kids have been using them for school and love them.

The volume and sound that the headphones give is adjustable so older kids can have a louder sound, while your younger child can still have a low sound. All while still giving off a high quality sound.

The overall quality of the headphones themself, is worth the $19.99, but in the hands of young children under eight, they are easily breakable. So we’d recommend that only older kids use these. Otherwise please do make sure that your children know that these headphones aren’t indestructible and may break if misused.

Special features include; a limited lifetime warranty, five colors (pink, orange, blue, green, and purple), and come with an audio control cable. They work with iPads, iPods, iPhones and many other audio devices.

We’ve tested them out on my daughter’s iPod, my iPhone, and our various laptops and they work great.

You can find Kidz Gear Headphones at gearforkidz.com

Oh and these headphones have a lifetime guarantee! If the headphones get broken, Kidz Gear will replace them for free! Bonus, eh?

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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Love in a Broken Vessel

Love in a Broken Vessel

Love in a Broken Vessel by Mesu Andrews is a biblical fiction novel. My husband loves the minor prophets and I’ll have to admit that I’ve never really fancied them. I enjoyed reading through many of them when reading through the Old Testament because they were quite often the shortest books! Ha! I have found it takes a lot of brain power to try and wrap my mind around God’s prophecy concerning Israel. Biblical fiction helps me put it into perspective for some reason.

This book captivated my interest for the very same reason Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith did. I enjoyed reading Mesu Andrews’ “take” on the prophet Hosea’s obedience to marry a prostitute, make her his wife and to love her as God loves Israel. Can you imagine receiving a command like that? It seems unfathomable, doesn’t it?

At times I detested Gomer, Hosea’s harlot wife. She couldn’t see what was right in front of her – a loving, tender man who loved her with all his heart regardless of her past or her continual gravitation back to her old way of life – prostitution. God gave him an unselfish love for Gomer and she could not see or believe it for what it really was – God’s love pouring out through Hosea. She had so many walls and barriers up around her heart…Yet Hosea pursued her. The picture of Hosea’s pursuing love showed me anew God’s love for us.

Have you ever thought of God as a pursuing beau? It’s a rather beautiful thought. God’s love is so great that he pursues us. What amazing love!

As with Mesu Andrews’ other biblical fiction novels, Love in a Broken Vessel made me want to read the book of Hosea in the bible and try to understand all that God truly accomplished through the prophet Hosea, who had the hard task of delivering prophetic messages to God’s people. This book truly showed that God’s love endures, even when we are unfaithful – like Israel and Gomer were to their bridegrooms – just as the bible teaches.

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

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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Go-Go Blanket

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.

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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.

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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.

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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Seventh Generation Wipes Review & Giveaway

Baby Boy Seventh Generation Wipes 2

Wipes are an must-have essential in a home with children, at least they are in our house. We not only use them for diaper changes, but for wiping faces, traveling and quick cleaning. Our youngest son has learned from our example and likes to get wipes to clean himself up and he will even clean with them. ;) This is what he’s doing with the Seventh Generation wipes. Can you tell he’s very excited about helping me with the new wipes?

Baby Boy Seventh Generation Wipes

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We have been using Seventh Generation wipes over the past few weeks. They are thick, have just the right moisture and do not seem to dry out, unless of course you leave the flip-top lid open for a day. The ones we have came in packages of 64. The packages are plastic with a closeable lid. We like them and are very grateful for no allergic reaction from baby, like some generic brands we have tried. They are actually pretty comparable to other name brands, but better in terms of being hypo-allergenic, free of dyes, fragrances, parabens and having less harmful chemicals. They score well on EWG.org, which is the kind of personal care product our family wants to buy. They soft, just not as soft as I would have liked.

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Here are some product details:

• Available Packaging:
− 64 ct. flip-­‐top
− 128 ct. value pack (2 refill packs with re-­‐sealable tape)
− 256 ct. value pack (4 refill packs with re-­‐sealable tape)

• Significant environmental savings

• Unscented

• Hypo-­‐allergenic

• Free of fragrances and dyes

• Free of parabens and phthalates

• Suggested retail price for 64 ct. is $2.99 and is available at Target, Whole Foods and Diapers.com.

Seventh Generation Wipes Review & Giveaway

You all have the opportunity to try Seventh Generation wipes too! Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a box of four packages of 64 wipes! Giveaway ends Monday, March 18 at 12:00am. Please allow 4-6 weeks for fulfillment of the prize. One package will be coming from Seventh Generation and three will be coming directly from Faith and Family Reviews as our gift to you – and no they aren’t the ones we were sent for review, those are almost gone already!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing and participating in the Seventh Generation Wipes Campaign. We are being compensated by Seventh Generation and The Motherhood. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review and compensation, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.


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SafetyTat Review

tatsWe’ve all had it, that sudden panic blood rush in an amusement park, in the store, or in a large crowd.  Where is my child!  This is one of those products that I love the idea but, hopefully will never have to use it to it’s fullest extent.  SafetyTat is safety tattoos that you write on for an emergency situation.  They are very easy to use too!

Step one you need a clean area on the skin – SafetyTat suggests the inside of the forearm.

Step two peel the entire tattoo off the backing and stick to the child’s skin and firmly press for 20 seconds.  No water needed for these as the adhesive will stick because of body heat.

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SafetyTat Review

Step three peel the band aid like top layer off, then write your mobile number on the tattoo.

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Removing them is also easy they peel off like a band aid.  However, when they are removed they will NOT stick again.

They are very durable and waterproof!  We tested the waterproof feature under the sink and yes, they are waterproof.

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At SafetyTats online you can order many different tattoos for several occasions too!

Click here to order your SafetyTats at their website!

 

 

 


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Children’s Mucinex Review for Smiley 360

Mucinex 1’tis the season. Oh the joys of noses running and hacking coughs. As much as I appreciated the Smiley 360 Blogger offer to do a Children’s Mucinex review, I didn’t want to have to try it. I’m sure all you Mom’s understand. Well, low and behold my little darling started showing signs of the stuffy nose and cough. Good thing we had our Children’s New Formula of Mucinex in the closet. The multi-symptom cold with expectorant cough suppressant and nasal decongestant was just the thing we needed. It covers the stuffy nose, cough, chest congestion and breaks up mucus in a favorable flavor of Very Berry. After I read all the warnings, uses and directions the first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the dosing cup. It’s a short and wider than other dosing cups included in other brands. Which was much easier for my daughter to drink, it fit her mouth more like a cup she normally drinks out of. She’s not fond of tastes of medicine (but who really is, right?), she said it was good. The Children’s Mucinex helped her cough and stuffy nose, especially throughout the night, which makes this Momma happy. :)

Children’s Mucinex is alcohol free and there are 7 kinds of liquid forms to choose from depending on the ailment. In addition, there are 3 “mini melts”. From what I read about Mini Melts, you open the packet and pour the contents on your child’s tongue and they swallow it.

Complete drug facts, uses, warnings, dosing chart, and active ingredients please click here.

If you are unsure about using Children’s Mucinex® Multi-Symptom Cold liquid for
your child, talk to your pediatrician. With Children’s Mucinex and all medication, please read all the instructions before you dispense it to your child! Please call the toll free number 1-866-MUCINEX (1-866-682-4639) if you have any product related questions.

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product and promotional products from Smiley 360 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.

 

 


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Decluttering Made Easy Giveaway

Decluttering Made Easy

Decluttering and organizing has been a recurring theme here at Faith and Family Reviews. It started with a new year and setting goals. Then the news of my mom’s three week visit, which is now only a week away! Eeeks…..going to be busy this weekend!

When I was pitched to review and share about a brand new Decluttering Made Easy ecourse another blogger developed I thought it was an appropriate topic as so many of us do seem to struggle with staying organized and keeping clutter to a minimum.

Decluttering Made Easy is a 52-week long ecourse that includes coaching, exclusive website membership and access to the Decluttering Made Easy Community Facebook page and private forum.

Each week members will receive tips, ideas and an actual assignment for the week to declutter their home and get better organized. Time management is also discussed. Included with the weekly assignments are 15 minute how-to videos, PDF assignments and goal sheets (beginning lessons).


What I Liked About Decluttering Made Easy

The questions and suggestions are great and help make decluttering decisions of what to keep and what to get rid of and how.

Encouragement and support through the Decluttering Made Easy online community, IF you make use of it.

What I Didn’t Like About Decluttering Made Easy

Tiffany really didn’t show us examples or what she personally does. Guess I wanted proof of what she was learning herself. I love real life testimonies and photos of before and after a decluttering session. I would have loved to see what her home looked like and how she stays organized. She does tell her story but you have to read about it on the forum, at least I did.

The course is a bit long and cumbersome, at least for this busy working mom. Even though each lesson was 15 minutes long, the thought of having to sit down and listen to a video, do an assignment etc. made me feel a little overwhelmed to be honest. These days I need something simplified, like the 5 Days to a Clutter Free House.

Decluttering Made Easy Giveaway

Need extra help getting organized? Enter to win a year of full access to Decluttering Made Easy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. It also contains an affiliate link in an attempt to earn money to support this blog for those who sign up by using it.


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Monsters Inc 3D Review

Monsters Inc 3D – Image provided by VUE Cinemas

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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Tidy Cats Pure Nature

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We are always on the look out for new products to try, especially products that are all natural (REALLY all natural and not just hiding ingredients under that label). When we heard about Tidy Cats Pure Nature kitty litter I knew it was something we had to try.

Tidy Cats Pure Nature is 99.9% natural. It’s ” made with corn cob by-product sourced from seed corn production, and cedar and pine recycled from construction, furniture, and window manufacturing whenever available.” We like that about this product, how it’s made out of recycled material.

All four of our cats liked the Tidy Cats Pure Nature. They seemed to stake it out and sniff around to check it out. It smells good, well as far as kitty litter goes, right? I am truly not sure what else to say about cat litter but it works and our cats like it so if they are happy, we are happy. ;)

To end this review, there’s a cute video below that is a comical take on Michael Bolton as he runs away from a concert and runs into Tidy Cats’ fictional folk group Cedar, Pine and Corn, who help him “get back to nature”.

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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