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Treats for Dogs: Cesar Cookie Crunchies

Posted by html404 on May 1, 2012
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Reviews

I know a lot of my posts lately have been about our farm animals and pets, but hey they provide fresh content! Tomorrow marks one week since we got our puppy, Padfoot. He provides entertainment, as well as lots of cuddles. He’ll soon be too big to carry – all that nutritious ~~grass~~, I mean, puppy food he’s been eating!

Our children love playing with Padfoot. He is funny because he will start doing rolls as you pet and play with him in his excitement. He going through the puppy biting stage so we have been trying to remind the children not to allow him to bit THEM but give him a chew toy or stick to chew on instead. After all it is normal development for puppies to bite. WE are just not use to it.

We all generally love just holding, cuddling and petting Padfoot or playing with him. The children are teaching him to “fetch” though he responds “get it” better.

Padfoot is a good puppy. He stays within our patio area unleashed and we leash him at night. We do not always give him dog biscuits for good behavior, but when we do we have been using Cesar Cookie Crunchies. He really liked both flavors: Chicken and Fillet Mignon. As you can see from the photos and video he shows a very favorable opinion – he thinks they are the best dog treats!

I think the photos and video speak for themselves. Yummy in his tummy! When handed these treats Padfoot gobbles them up. How’s that for a puppy’s review?

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Cesar and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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The Discovery Review

Posted by html404 on April 14, 2012
in Books, Reviews

If you are looking to read an intriguing book, The Dicovery by Dan Walsh is one to read. This is a sentimental love story, fictional of course, but sweet with a hint of espionage and the lies that often come with being a spy.

I have to admit that I read all the portions written by the main character’s grandson first before I delved into “the discovery”. Not something I usually do, but for me it set the tone for the whole book.

Most of these books that I have been reviewing are not overtly preachy by any means. The Discovery is another novel that brings the main character back to God through life’s hardships. Most hardships people can relate to, however, the details of “Ben’s” story are hardly normal by any means.

I liked the sacrificial love Ben showed, as well as the lasting love and devotion of a couple in their eighties. I also liked the fact that when the grandfather knew he was dying he spoke to each member of his family about the terms of the will and what to expect; thus eliminating any money wars you often read about or see in the movies!

While the story was a bit surreal at times, it had all the elements of a good book and made me cry too. Two thumbs up from me.

“Available April 2012 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 free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

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Harriet Beamer Takes the Bus ~ Book Review

Posted by Professor on April 9, 2012
in Books, Reviews, Uncategorized

Aging and recent widow Harriet Beamer insists she’s getting along fine with her dog Humphrey in Philadelphia … until she falls for the fourth time, injuring her ankle, and causing her son and daughter-in-law to cry foul. Insisting Harriet move in with them in California, they make a bet that her ankle is broken, and she foolishly promises to move if they’re right. Four x-rays later, Harriet’s ankle—and her heart—are broken. She packs up, ships her huge salt and pepper collection to California, and prepares to move away from the only life she knows. The only catch? She’s doing it her way. Just wait till her daughter-in-law hears Harriet will travel cross-country only by public transportation and alternate means. What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming journey by train, metro bus, ferry, and motorcycle. Along the way, Harriet discovers that although her family thinks it’s time for her to be put out to pasture—God has a different plan.

Our Review:

I have to admit that the title of this book did not thrill me…it was intriguing but not enough for me to open the book right away to devour the pages. However, after reading the book I can honestly say I truly enjoyed the story woven by author Joyce Magnin.

I do have to say that the book is not a book that I would stay up nights reading but yet a good book to read at my leisure times! The book is full of fun and surprises from the heroine Harriet. I enjoyed the people and places that Harriet got to visit on her adventure. The author writes in such a descriptive tone that I could visualize each place Harriet was visiting! One added bonus was the intermingled Christian tones of the book. I found it refreshing to read a book that gave God “props” when due! He is great and well recognized in this piece of literature!

While skimming the website Amazon.com for the listing of the book to see the price (10.98 – pre-order price) I noticed they mention that this is a book from the Harriet Beamer series… I did not know this was a series of books … it looks like this is the first book in Harriett’s adventures and I look forward to reading more about Harriet in her future adventures as the series continues!

The book will be available April 24, 2012 and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com

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Just For Men Autoshop

Posted by html404 on April 8, 2012
in Personal Care Products, Products for Dad, Reviews

Neither my husband or I color our hair. Quite frankly, I think it is an unnecessary expense to try to stay looking *young* and I love my husband the way he is. He’s been greying since I met him 20 years ago. While I have some grey since I hit the big *40* a couple of years ago, you can barely tell…so far.

I think my husband wanted to kill me when I told him I “needed” to color his hair for a review! He’s usually a very good sport but had no interest in coloring his hair after finding out that I was not getting paid anything for doing the review! How’s that for honesty? The warnings and ingredients were enough to scare us off, but I had committed to doing this review. Sometimes I just do not think when I accept reviews and this was one time I should have said no due to the probability of chemicals being in the product. I am slowly learning, but have a ways to go yet. Nevertheless my daughters and I ~~forced,~~ I mean, er…um…convinced my husband to let us do a small area just above his ear.

Just For Men Autoshop

Just For Men Autoshop is a hair coloring agent for men who are turning grey. It comes in five colors: Real Black, Jet Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Medium Brown and Light Brown. It was hard to match up my husband’s “real” hair color so I went by his eyebrows and chose Real Black, but it was really dark so I think Dark Brown would have been a better choice.

The warnings are scary, like I said. But hey, to each his own.

It came with an easy to use applicator brush that screwed right onto the tube of coloring. Squeeze and apply. Also within the product box were a pair of plastic gloves to keep the dye off the one applying it. I didn’t find it messy at all and could have done it without the gloves. As a matter of fact, my husband could have done this himself, except he really didn’t want to and remember he was ~~coerced~~ into doing this.

My Husband’s Hair Before

My Husband’s Hair After

I will admit that my husband quickly washed off the dye after I applied it upon seeing how dark it was. You can barely the difference, but it is somewhat darker than the original photo. He did a good job of getting most of the dye out. If you look closely enough you can even see the discoloring of his skin beneath the hair. Just For Men Autoshop recommends trying a test spot and waiting 48 hours before doing the whole head to see if there is any reaction or skin discoloring.

Ta-da!

Almost back to normal.

For ease of use, definitely a great product. For chemical contain, it’s not something we could use on a regular basis in our family. The downfall of being label readers.

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The Little Looster Review

Posted by Brande on April 8, 2012
in Baby Products, Diapers and Accessories, Furniture, Home, Parenting, Reviews, Shopping

“Little Legs Love The Little Looster”, and I couldn’t agree more! This loo stool wraps around 3 quarters around the potty. It stands approximately 8 1/2 inches tall, the step at it’s widest is about 8 inches wide and the shortest is 5 inches wide. So, there’s room to get your child settled. The Little Looster will make your child feel more comfortable when going potty. It is very stable and doesn’t rock around. On the bottom are 8 small rubbery circles that will “grip” your floor.

Here’s what it looks like around our potty.

The Little Looster won NAPPA 2011 Gold Medal, TNPC Winner, and 2011 Seal of Approval.

The Little Looster is available at most baby/children’s stores and online (http://www.littlelooster.com/). You can visit them on Facebook and Twitter as well.

My Review -

The Little Looster is fantastic for my daughter, who has progressed wonderfully with this product. So, that makes me super happy. Her only complaint was that it wasn’t purple. Mind you it only comes in white.

For the adults, your probably going to have to move The Little Looster to go potty yourself. But you’d have to move a stool anyway, right?

It’s a great product and love it. However, I found it to be pricey. So, gather your coupons from your favorite baby/children’s store and buy it there. It really is worth it. My daughter will be using it for a while or until her feet touch the ground.

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What’s a Butt Bench?

Posted by html404 on April 7, 2012
in Furniture, Gift Ideas, Reviews

The Butt Bench

The Butt Bench is an innovative bench to go in your tub to provide a place to sit, rest your foot on while you shave your legs or to hold all your personal care products while you shower or bathe. In their words, the all in one bath tub seat.

View a video here: VID00052

My Butt Bench Review

I have to tell you the name alone makes me smile! A Butt Bench is exactly that and more. I thought it would be a great addition to our girls’ bathroom, however, we must have measured something wrong as the first time we went to use it water got every where. Kind of disappointing. I am going to see if it will fit better in my mother-in-law’s bathtub, but not sure if she will go for it. If not, I will get my husband to ask his brother and sister-in-law to see if they would like it.

I love the cedar wood and look of the bench. It may just be a perfect Mother’s Day gift for yourself or your mom! It is kind of pricey, but for a gift item not too bad at $52-56. For more information, please visit www.ButtBench.com

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Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock Review

Posted by html404 on April 6, 2012
in Food and Treats, Reviews

We tend to eat a lot of soups and casseroles during cooler days and we’ve had some cooler weather the past couple of weeks. My husband found frost on the car yesterday morning! We have been working on cleaning up the garage in anticipation for our turkeys arrival on the 18th, so the car has had to sit in the driveway. Gotta finish this project this weekend!

The other night we made barley soup with Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock. It comes in a package of four little cups, each cup yielding about 3.5 cups of stock. We used all of them for our big stock pot of soup. It was tasty and seriously you could not tell it was packaged chicken stock, but I couldn’t imagine using less than we did. We usually use powdered chicken seasoning to make our chicken stock.

The packaging got thrown out before I could make note of the ingredients so I cannot verify if all of them were on our “good” list and Knorr’s website does not seem to list them, which is disappointing. There is no MSG though, so that is a plus! I know I read them when I received the package but am suffering a memory lapse. I had to look them up on another site:

Water, Salt, Modified Palm Oil, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Sugar, Carrots, Chicken Fat (Adds A Dietarily Insignificant Amount of Cholesterol), Lactic Acid, Leeks, Maltodextrin (Corn), Xanthan Gum, Potato Starch, Garlic, Chicken Powder (Adds A Dietarily Insignificant Amount of Cholesterol), Beta Carotene (For Color), Parsley, Locust Bean Gum, Malic Acid, Thiamin Hydrochloride, Natural Flavor, Disodium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Caramel Color, Succinic Acid, Spice, Mustard Oil, Coconut Oil

Not so bad, but Caramel Color, Natural Flavor and can mean many things and may mean hidden ingredients, including MSG, unfortunately. This is why we need an overhaul done in food labeling!

And I thought we had leftovers so I could take a photo, but it must have been gobbled up because there’s not a bit left. As long as the ingredients are ok, I would probably recommend this product for smaller families. Bulk chicken seasoning is more economical and will last longer for larger families, as this little package is $3.99.

Visit Knorr’s website for more information about their chicken flavored Homestyle Stock.

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PottyCover Review

Posted by Brande on April 2, 2012
in Diapers and Accessories, Family Stuff, Health, Parenting, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Safety

“Mommy, I have to go potty!” The one phrase that makes my skin curl when we are out. All I can think of is all the germs and gross encounters in a public bathroom.

Problem Solved! Here’s the PottyCover. It covers the sides and front of the toilet not just those little doughnut things that slide all over. “Double layered with soft non-woven fabric on top, coated with a layer of plastic on the bottom to keep away from germs and wetness.” So, now you and/or your child can actually sit on the toilet when you are out. Each PottyCover is individually wrapped, so you can toss some in your diaper bag or purse. These cannot be flushed, you’ll need to toss them in the garbage when you are done. Don’t forget to wash your hands!

The PottyCover is available online at Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Bed,Bath & Beyond, and Buy Buy Baby (also available in the store).

PottyCover Review

I want to buy these by the dozens! What a great idea! We went out to breakfast with extended family and my daughter (3 years old) needed to use the potty. It was a stress-free ordeal! I just put the PottyCover on and she was able to sit and hold on without me trying to hold her. No more wrestling with toilet paper trying to cover the seat. Anyone can use these not just your kids. I need to stock up!

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Sibu Beauty Review

Posted by html404 on March 30, 2012
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Health, Health and Nutrition, Personal Care Products, Reviews, SALES

I was recently given the opportunity to review a Sibu Beauty product called Sea Buckthorn Revitalize & Renew, a liquid supplement for skin, hair and nails. I loved the look of the company and their commitment to sustainability and environmentally friendly practices.

Sibu Beauty

Sibu Beauty products all started with a meeting between Sibu’s founder, Bruce McMullin and an ayurvedic specialist (which is Ayurveda, which literally means “The Science of Life,” is an ancient healing science from India Source) in Calcutta, India. This specialist told Bruce about a “powerful holy fruit, the Sea Buckthorn berry” and Sibu was founded in 2003.

Sibu has a complete line of products including: facial cream, body cream, balancing facial cleanser, hydrating serum, replenishing night cream, sea buckthorn seed oil, age defying eye cream and a bar of facial soap. Products range in price: $6.95-$50.90. They even have a couple new products not in their brochure.

All of Sibu’s products are chemical free, contain no artificial flavors or colorings and no preservatives. The company seeks to use the sea buckthorn berry responsibly and in a sustainable manner. Sibu Beauty also practices fair trade in that they offer fair wages to the people of Tibet who harvest the berries, environmentally safe processing techniques and healthy, safe working conditions. (Source: Sibu’s product brochure & website)

The company’s founder is committed to giving back to charity, which you can read more about on their website under the “Giving Back” tab.

Sea Buckthorn Revitalize & Renew

Sea Buckthorn is suppose to improve skin tone and texture, supports hair and nail growth. It is full of Omega 3, 6, 7 & 9 fatty acids. Omega 7 is rare, but supposedly vital for cellular support. It is also a powerful free radical scavenger.

Ingredients: Besides the Omega fatty acids, sea buckthorn fruit puree, apple juice from concentrate, white grape juice from concentrate, acerola fruit juice from concentrate, evaporated cane juice, banana puree, sea buckthorn oil seed oil, natural flavors, pectin, xanthan gum.

Sibu Beauty Review

I am pretty skeptical by nature, but have had such a dry face this winter that I was willing to try anything to help alleviate the flakes and scales! I received a 25.35 fl.oz. bottle of the Sea Buckthorn and started taking it….oh nearly a month ago, I guess. I have taken a tablespoon or so each day, pretty consistently but have missed days and think there might be just the slightest change, maybe. Definitely no overnight differences or incredible results by any means.

By my last tablespoon, which I took yesterday, I think I was finally getting use to it’s unusual flavor. I am not a huge peach or apricot fan and I would have to say that Sea Buckthorn reminded me of a mix of those two fruits. I would literally shiver after drinking it, but I persevered because I wanted to be able to give an honest review of how well it worked. I could have easily given up the first day! Just goes to show that if you keep trying a food/drink you can start to kind of like it, even if you didn’t in the beginning.

I like the idea of this product, but the ingredient “natural flavors” is always something hidden. While the ingredients are not organic, two of these products have a low score on EWG.org (Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic site), so that is very good. The other products were not showing up in the database.

Overall, this was an ok product and I am glad I tried it. However, ultimately I think beauty products are a personal choice and we have to find what works best for us. For more information about this product please visit: www.SibuBeauty.com

Sale & Discount

Right now they have a sale going on until tomorrow night:

20% OFF Sitewide + Free Shipping!
Use coupon code SIBUDEAL20 on checkout.
Free shipping offer excludes Sibu Raw. Offer ends March 31st.

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Tax Time! Time to Organize, Again!

Posted by html404 on February 18, 2012
in Business, Organization, Reviews, School, Shopping

I have a tendency to procrastinate over taxes, but this year I have been working hard to do better. I have been sorting my receipts, gathering my mileage logs, adding up my different streams of income and comparing them to my 1099s, plus getting my checkbook and PayPal ledgers either updated or printed off. There is a lot to do to get ready for tax time. I kind of miss the days when I didn’t have to do anything, my husband just took care of it all. But alas those days are over.

Over a month ago, maybe even less, I organized my office. Now, in preparation for tax season my office has got disorganized because I have been going through files and receipts for each business. I am a paper person so there are usually piles of paper here and there. However, I like my desk to be mostly cleared when doing important paper work so I can keep track of everything.

Another thing I like to keep track of is my pens and pencils. I found a nifty little lamp last summer at the thrift store with compartments to keep things on my desk more organized. That’s where I keep pens, pencils, erasers and sticky notes, etc.

We use a lot of pencils between business and homeschooling. During tax season it’s nice to have sharpened pencils on hand, but I discovered that ours had bit the dust and had to buy a new one. Nothing like having tons of pencils in the house and nothing to sharpen them with! Talk about maddening. There were a few different ones to choose from, but I bought the X-ACTO Spira pencil sharpener because I had a coupon. You can even see photos of my shopping trip here.

By the way, the new sharpener works great! Probably won’t be able to keep the children away from it. If you would like to learn more about X-ACTO products, please consider the following pages:

Elmer’s Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/elmers
X-ACTO Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/XACTO

Then have fun filing your taxes! Ha!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions expressed are my own.#CBias #XACTO