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Kernel Seasonings Review

Posted by Professor on July 28, 2012
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Reviews

No More Naked Popcorn! Kernel Seasonings is a great way to flavor popcorn!

Kernel Seasonings is an all-natural way to flavor popcorn.

Kernel Seasonings currently offers 22 different flavorings.

OUR REVIEW:

I was excited to have the opportunity to review Kernel Seasonings popcorn flavoring. My children LOVE going to the movie theatre and using the seasonings…NOW there is an at home alternative! We loved that there were so many different varieties of flavorings to choose from…we received White Cheddar, Kettle Corn, Parmesan & Garlic, and Nacho Cheese flavorings. All of the flavors were tasty…my children especially loved the Nacho Cheese!

Overall Kernel Seasonings is a neat way to flavor popcorn. While perusing their website I noticed that there are recipes to use the flavorings in everyday cooking. I have to admit that I have not been that adventurous as to use the flavorings in my cooking… but it is something that I am mulling over. Maybe I will get bold and try the Parmesan garlic with my next spaghetti dish!

Check out the Kernel Seasonings website at www.kernelseasoning.com and see what they have to offer.

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.

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Goat Milk Yogurt vs. Cow Milk Yogurt Review

Posted by html404 on July 17, 2012
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Health and Nutrition, Reviews

Redwood Hill’s Goat Milk Yogurt Review

We were excited to try two different brands of yogurt. Green Valley and Redwood Hill Farm yogurt and kefir. Our store only had Redwood Hill blueberry yogurt in stock so that is what we got to try. And to clarify Redwood Hill Farm makes the goat milk yogurt, kefir and cheese. and Green Valley Organics Lactose free makes cow milk yogurt, kefir and sour cream.

See? All natural organic yogurt. It’s really hard to find in stores, but I love that you can pronounce all the ingredients and that it is healthy and good for you. As organic farmers and a mom of eight children it is important to feed my family food that doesn’t contain ingredients that could harm them.

My family was eager to see how goat milk yogurt would taste. In the past we haven’t really liked goat milk products that we tested out, but this brand was different.

A few children thought that they could taste the goat milk, but the majority thought that it tasted just like regular yogurt. My kids could eat yogurt everyday and they really enjoyed Redwood Hill’s. Even my pickier eaters liked it.

Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Yogurt – Cow’s Milk Yogurt Review

My husband loved the Green Valley Organics Lactose Free strawberry yogurt, which is made from cow’s milk. He thought that it was the best strawberry yogurt he had tasted – we have tried many brands and my husband can be very particular when it comes to food! He thought this strawberry yogurt was creamy and very good. The strawberry flavor really popped and it’s affordable as well. My husband eats yogurt almost daily and he is rather picky about what brands he will buys, but this one hit the spot for him and he would buy it in the future.

The Redwood Hill Farm Kefir was yummy. My oldest daughter who is very health conscious, loved it and thought it was the best kefir she had ever had. She typically doesn’t care for goat milk products, but loved this one. My other kids really enjoyed it too. We could not even tell it was made from goat milk due to the yummy flavors and fruity texture.

You can find Green Valley and Redwood Hill Farm’s products at Whole Foods stores nationwide as well as Jewel-Osco. Organic, all natural, and free from harmful chemicals and additives – sure to be a family staple at our house.

Visit Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery or Green Valley Organics Lactose Free on the web to find out more information about their farm and their products.

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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Drawing, Art and the Magic Whiteboard

Posted by html404 on July 11, 2012
in Education, Fun Stuff, Reviews, School

My children love to draw. They create paper dolls, they draw pictures of families, animals and have lots of fun doing so. What’s that old saying about idle hands? Well drawing keeps my children mostly out of trouble because their hands are kept busy. They can draw for hours on end and be pretty quiet while doing so…until they start fighting over markers or crayons (grimace). Drawing has been a great activity to do inside during this hot spell we have been experiencing.

Last summer I invested in a number of wipe off activity books so my younger crew could practice writing their names, alphabet and numbers. I thought this would help save on the amount of paper we used, in addition to saving money. They worked really well, except now we go through more white board markers!

Speaking of whiteboard markers, drawing, art and the Magic Whiteboard have been lifesavers for me during times I need to get work done.

Magic Whiteboard is a roll of whiteboard paper that has 25 sheets per roll ($59.99 retail value). It is portable so setting up a whiteboard on the go never got any easier. The surface wipes off really well and is completely reusable. Ripping the sheet of whiteboard paper off straight and in one piece is challenging at times, especially now that my children broke the box the roll came in. Update: Let me amend this by saying I completely missed the perforated sheets! It works great even with my broken box. (wry smile)

It works great for keeping little boys busy too. What do you think, is it a keeper? I would have to agree!

Interested in the Magic Whiteboard for your family? Feel free to connect with Magic Whiteboard on their website, Twitter , Facebook or Pinterest. Be sure to check out their other products too while you are there!

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Toys for My Boys

Posted by html404 on June 27, 2012
in Baby Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Toys, Reviews

In a consumer driven age it’s hard to keep “the stuff” at bay. I have always been one to go through my belongings and get rid of stuff. I can thank my mom for that trait or habit. Our home growing up was never cluttered with stuff and that’s the way I have strived to be, I just have double the people my mom did. It gets tougher when you have eight children, especially when they are home every day. Some of you have the advantage of purging while your kids are at school, I don’t have that luxury. I can’t throw out things they really want to keep, but are useless and take up space. You know all those little trinkets, drawings. They are wonderful but I can’t keep every single one my eight children make or I’d live in paperville! Thankfully, the older my children get the better they are becoming about keeping things to a minimum – that does not mean they are neat about it though!

We have always been on the conservative side of toys too – didn’t want to live in toyville either! So when our children receive toys it is usually something that they have really talked about or we thought they would play with it long term, a figure or little people or an educational toy.

People figures have always been a favorite in our house and something our children never really get tired of playing. Our children recently saw a transformers trailer and so we thought our four year old would enjoy playing with the Transformers Rescue Bot. It is really easy to transform and both our little boys love playing with it. It retails for $12.99.

Here’s a little video with my daughter showing how it works before we let the little boys have it, as I didn’t want to have to hunt for it!

Now my littlest guy gets a kick out of the Playskool Poppin’ Park Squeezn’n Pop lion toy. It’s this little toy lion that has a circle mouth where you can place a ball, then you squeeze and out pops the ball! Junior laughs every time. This is a toy for little ones 18 months and up.

Love these new toys for my boys!

Have your children received any new toys lately? If so, what?

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EasyTwist Review

Posted by html404 on June 8, 2012
in Personal Care Products, Reviews

There are seven out of ten of us in our family who wear glasses. Our second oldest, “B”, had a lazy eye and got her first pair of glasses at the age of four. She has been by far the most responsible with her glasses out of our five children…for some reason. We have tried the mall kind of glasses and they do not hold up as well as the ones we have got at our eye doctor’s office. I cannot remember the name of them, but they are special frames they offer for kids and they are pricey but worth it in the end.

One of our son’s, Jag, broke his glasses recently and I decided to try something new. EasyTwist from Aspex Eyewear are an all new fun brand that sells flexible glasses for kids. (They have glasses for adults as well.)

They are made from Trilaston a metal developed by Aspex. This metal is known for it’s elasticity and ability to recover the orginial shape of the glasses. I love that they are nickel/titanium free. As a mom I want the best for my child, yet want something that will last. These frames are free of nickel and are hypoallergenic so they shouldn’t cause your child any skin reactions. So far my son has had no reaction.

Typical glasses will eventually lose their flexibility, these frames should not – we haven’t had them long enough to verify this yet. EasyTwist can tolerate stress, shock, and temperate changes! These glasses also retain their shine and luster.

We love these frames! Aspex sent us out a pair for my one son and he just loves them. He thought that they were very comfortable and he loved the cool design on them! After testing these we found that these glasses really seem to be everything that they claim to be. With the EasyTwist frames we don’t have to worry about them easily breaking if my son accidentally bent them a little out of shape – which is a huge bonus.

These frames get two thumbs up from us and if you have a child needing new eyewear we suggest that you check them out. For styles, prices and colors visit this link.

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Kidorable “Lucky Cat” Backpack

Posted by Professor on May 22, 2012
in Children's Clothing, Family Stuff, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Kids Toys, Reviews

Kidorable delights both children and the adults who love them by transforming everyday, functional kids accessories into objects that excite their imaginations and enrich their lives at play.

From rainwear to backpacks to knitwear and towels, Kidorable speaks to the precious spirit of childhood.

OUR REVIEW:

We were very excited to have the opportunity to review an item from Kidorable’s backpack collection. We were able to choose which backpack to review and my daughter chose the “Lucky Cat” backpack! When we received the product both my daughter (3 years old) and myself were elated with the product. My daughter loved the whimsical kitty design on the front of the backpack as well as the little mouse zipper pull! I loved that the backpack is made of sturdy PVC material that can withstand a toddler’s wear and tear. The backpack is the perfect size for my 3 year old…the dimensions are roughly 10”x8”x6” so the size is great for little shoulders! I also like that it has both and inside and outside pocket for children to stash their items! ”

I do have to say that there are so many cute backpacks to choose from that I had a hard time deciding which one to review…so I did actually pull my 3 year old to the computer and let her “shop” for the one she liked. The online photos and dimensions were great! We were not surprised with any difference in the product than what is listed on the website…everything is just as described! This was great! The product also cam very quickly (to my surprise) and was packaged neatly in a box…this was great because too many times I get items mailed in an envelope that arrive misshapen because the bubble mailer was smashed and mishandled! Kudos Kidorable for great packaging and delivery!

Thank you KIDORABLE for another great collection!

From May 23 through May 31, you can purchase your own backpacks for 20% off by using code BACKPACK99 at checkout on www.kidorable.com.

Check out all the backpack styles for girls and boys.

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Quick Travel Tip

Posted by html404 on May 10, 2012
in Reviews, Safety, Travel

I have vacation on the brain! This is just a quick travel tip because it always annoys me that I never have anything appropriate to carry knives in while traveling. Plastic bags aren’t safe nor to they hold up if the knife goes through the bag. You may wonder why I would even travel with a knife, it is to cut up fruit especially and occasionally veggies. I do have a bread knife that has a cardboard sheath, but I do not usually need a bread knife while traveling unless we take homemade bread. More likely than not we just stop at a grocery store at our destination and pick up bread so it is not squished beyond belief.

Back to knives, there’s a neat little product on the market called the Quick Split that solves the safety issue of traveling with knives.

Benefits:
– portable
– faster
– easier to use
– has a snap on “child proof” cover to keep mess contained while traveling, but a simple rinse with water would make it good as new
– attaches to a key ring holder in diaper bag
– dishwasher safe
– super quality BPA free plastic – bonus!
– stainless steel
– made in the USA

It looks just like a pizza cutter. My daughters used it for lunch the other day when we got it and found it was great for carrots, but the other fruit or veggie they found difficult.

This is a patented gadget and is the first of its kind on the market! Definitely fills a need in our house for traveling!

Feel free to connect with Quick Split on their website or Facebook.

Enter the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

“I received a Quick Split to review as a part of my participation in a MomPact.com campaign. Quick Split has been invented by moms, for moms.”

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Nudge Your Kids

Posted by Brande on May 9, 2012
in Children's Clothing, Cleaning, Clothing, Education, Encouragement for Moms, Family Stuff, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Humor, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, School

Nudge your kids with a Nudge Tee that is! So, what has your child accomplished on their own? Brushing their teeth? Making their Bed? Feeding an animal? Reading or writing? Celebrate with them! For $20.00 you can praise their efforts, and by wearing one of these tees they can let everyone else know of their good doings!

Guess what! They have them in adult sizes also! If your husband’s like mine and doesn’t like washing dishes. Get him a shirt that says “I wash dishes”! lol……! I Love You, Honey!

My Review:

Here’s the shirt my daughter received from Nudge Tees.

Granted we are still working on this, but she’s getting better. I would have shown my daughter in her new shirt Nudge Tee shirts as my daughter achieves more accomplishments. I love these shirts and what they do to boost my child ego.

Head over to Nudge Tees and encourage your child!

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Mother’s Day Gift Ideas – PeaceLoveMom

Posted by Brande on May 8, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Children's Clothing, Encouragement for Moms, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews

Mother’s Day is coming! What a better way to celebrate than to receive a new shirt celebrating motherhood! Head over to PeaceLoveMom and get one today!

They have a variety of shirts and other products, including short and long sleeve shirts, tank tops, even Maternity! In addition, PeaceLoveMom also has accessories and kids and baby items! Can’t find the perfect gift? They also have gift certificates!

I received this burnout short sleeve shirt. Turquoise is shown here.

My Review:

I received a burnout shirt in a mossy color. For those who are not sure what a burnout shirt is. Here’s a picture.

It’s got a worn out, weathered, vintage look to it. You really can’t tell unless you hold the shirt up. If/when you wear a shirt like this you may want to wear a tank underneath to better cover your undergarments. The weathered look makes the shirt very soft and it’s long enough to keep everything covered.

The shirt says “Peace Love Grateful Mom”, which suites me just fine. As I am VERY grateful to be a Mom!

There are wonderful presents for expecting moms or any moms! Don’t forget Mother’s Day is May 13th! Head over to PeaceLoveMom to order today! Happy Mother’s Day!

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5 Tips for Family Vacation Traveling

Posted by html404 on May 7, 2012
in Diapers and Accessories, Reviews, Travel

We have not taken a family vacation in a number of years. We’ve enjoyed staycations right here at home. However, I am really hoping to surprise my husband with a real vacation this year or next. The last time we took a vacation it was on the fly. Seriously. My mom and her best friend were here visiting. My mom is a huge country music fan and has always wanted to visit Nashville. Mom and her friend were here during my husband’s unemployment so while I was all gung-ho to take my mom to Nashville, my husband was not too sure we could swing it. I think I finally convinced him by telling him that we had our hotel points to use and we would eat if we were at home anyways, so it was just our gas money that would be an expense.

At that time I was house cleaning to earn extra income on top of getting my VA business off the ground and that Friday morning I had to clean a house. When I returned from cleaning my husband decided we were going to Nashville for the weekend! Oy! I was excited, but a bit unprepared to say the least. My husband, children, mom and “Aunt” had done most of the packing but there was food and other items to buy.

This is not the way I usually plan our family vacations. I have been known to make lists, print them off and hand them to children to gather things on the list so my husband or I could pack the items in bags or in the van.

Here are 5 tips for family vacation traveling or planning tips, if you will:

1. Make lists of what you will need in the areas of clothing, personal care products and food. That way you won’t forget anything, unless you forget to put it on the list!

2. Take a crock pot and food items that can be warmed in it so you can save money on eating out. We also take fruit, veggie sticks and other snack items as well because you can never know how expensive food will be at your destination.

3. Choose a lodging that offers you at least a refrigerator so you can store food.

4. Plan your activities for your family vacation before you leave so you can budget time and finances accordingly.

5. Plan on using more convenience items, after all it is your vacation too. One example of this would be in the area of food like a family sized can of chili or baked beans. Another would be the DiaperBud. It is a disposable diaper in a vacuum sealed package that is compact, easy to store in your purse, diaper bag, pocket or glove compartment. It’s really hard to stuff a normal diaper in the pocket of a jacket, even some purses won’t accommodate a diaper nicely. Also, the larger packs of DiaperBuds could save room while traveling. DiaperBuds are available at buybuyBaby, BabiesRUs.com, diapers.com and Amazon.com