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Babo Botanicals

Posted by Professor on August 27, 2014
in All Natural Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

We have found a new love! Babo Botanicals! Wow…I cannot say enough about these products…they are new and innovative, not to mention safe and natural!

This brand is all about natural living…and their brand promise (below) proves that their products are pure!

Pure Flower and Plant Extracts
Sulfate Free
Formaldehyde Free
Paraben Free
Phthalate Free
Tear Free
Allergy Tested
Dermatologist Tested

No Icky Chemicals
No Synthetic Fragrances
No Synthetic Colors
Dairy & Soy Free
No High Allergy Nut Oils
Biodegradable Formulas
Color Safe for Mom’s Hair, too!
Recyclable BPA-Free Packaging

We also LOVE that a portion of all Babo proceeds go toward urban gardening projects in public schools… read more about it here (Social Responsibility).

We were able to review 6 of their products…and were pleased with everything! One thing we LOVED about the products is that they are SAFE and EFFECTIVE for the ENTIRE family! Yes … moms and dads can use this and it works great!!!

Below I will highlight each of the products received and what we thought about them. But overall they were awesome!

Moisturizing Baby Shampoo and Wash

This is an amazing product…especially for those with dry or sensitive skin. My daughter has eczema and it worked great on her skin. But I also used this product and I liked it too… although I do not suffer from dry skin… I do tend to get drier on my legs after bathing …and this worked great…no drying like I usually get! PLus, the scent is wonderful and do not forget their seal of Nutri-Soothe blend!

Moisturizing Baby Lotion

Who says baby lotion can’t be for the whole family! This is a such a great product that we all started using it after bath time! It goes on smooth and absorbs well to hydrate the skin. Since there are no chemicals we never have to worry about irritants! This is a wonderful lotion suited for baby or the entire family!

Swim and Sport Shampoo & Wash

This was by far our favorite product! My children are avid swimmers and swim at least twice a week in a chlorinated pool. We liked that this was a shampoo & wash specially formulated for swimmers and/or sports players. One thing the product does is removes chlorine… which was a plus for us! No more drying out of the hair…only hydration!

Swim & Sport Conditioner

This product is a great addition to your shampooing regimen after play or swim! Get ready for hydrated hair! No more dry feeling! I used this on my three children AND myself after swimming and boy does it make your hair feel good! I LOVE that it is natural …why use a chemical laden shampoo to get rid of chlorine…. go the natural route!

The next two products I did not get a chance to use because school has just started and my children have not gotten that dreaded “lice” letter yet… you know the one I am talking about…”there has been a case of head lice reported in your child’s classroom” Ugh…makes me shudder! Well … shudder no more! There are two great products that will repel lice and make moms breathe a bit easier when that letter comes home!

Lice Repel Shampoo

I like this product because it is a preventative shampoo…use it before a lice letter even comes home. YOu can send your child to a sleepover or camp without worry if you use this first! If you get one of those dreaded letters use this shampoo to ward off the little pests!

Lice Repel Conditioning Spray

The final product and perhaps the most intriguing of all is the spray! This detangles , conditions and repels lice all at the same time! NO more worries about lice ending up in your home!

Over all Babo botanicals are WONDERFUL products at a great competitive price in natural market! Check out their site and shop today you will not be displeased!

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Book Review ~ Made by Raffi

Posted by Professor on August 24, 2014
in Books, Reviews, Uncategorized

Celebrated singer and actor Craig Pomranz debuts his new children’s book, Made by Raffi, that embraces differences and promotes diversity in children.

Synopsis:

Raffi is a shy boy who does not like noisy games and is often teased at school. But when he gets the idea of making a scarf for his dad’s birthday, he is full of enthusiasm even though the other children think it is girly to knit. Then the day draws near for the school pageant, and there is one big problem: no costume for the prince. And that’s when Raffi has his most brilliant idea of all — to make a prince’s cape. On the day of the pageant, Raffi’s cape is the star of the show.

Our thoughts:

This was an EXCELLENT book! We enjoyed sharing it with our children. The story , message and illustrations all exceeded our expectations. The message that runs through the book is acceptance … it is so great to see a book written from this perspective. We often read books about a little girl being a “tom boy” but rarely …dare I say never do we read about a boy being a “tom girl”. This book did an excellent job tackling a subject about acceptance.

I cannot reiterate how much we enjoyed reading this book to our children. It was a GREAT way to start the school year and facilitated discussions each time we read the text …and even each time my children ran into a child that did not fit into the square box as I like to call it! I love books that help convey a message and values that I am trying to convey to my children… this book did just that!

Though thoughtful text and vivid illustrations the author have a winner here in my opinion! Go ahead and peruse the text over at amazon (you can even look inside the text and preview the book) …you will not be disappointed!

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Natures Baby Organics & Giveaway

Posted by Professor on August 22, 2014
in Baby Products, Faith and Family Reviews Friday Giveaway, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

We are pleased to share another company which offers NATURAL Organic products for children.

This company developed their products specifically for children with skin irritants. Thus, they avoid using any ingredient in their product line that might irritate skin!
We were able to review five of their products. The products came well packaged and they are nice large sizes so you get quite a bit of product for your expenditure in natural products, which is delightful!

Children will look forward to jump into the tub with this fun new Bubble Bath. Made with 70% certified organic and the highest quality botanicals, essential oils and luxurious moisturizers. Our Bubbles are long lasting and extremely gentle so they will not dry or irritate baby’s tender skin, while the natural scents fills the air. Great for Babies and kids of all ages. Also Paraben free, SLS Free, 1-4 Dioxane Free, Synthetic Fragrance Free, Gluten Free & Vegan.

This was such a great bubble bath! My children really enjoyed being able to use a bubble bath again! The traditional bubble baths i buy in the store ALL irritate their skin and we have just forgone the pleasure of a sudsy bath time…but now I am pleased to say my children can bask in a sudsy bath once again with this product! …and boy are they delighting in bath time now that there are bubbles!

A Healing Balm for Minor Ouchies, Eczema and Irritated Skin.

Organic Tamanu Oil, Shea Butter, Sunflower Oil, & Coconut Oil.

Use Organic Soothing Stick to treat minor cuts, scrapes, burns and any dry patches. Rub or touch lightly onto skin to soothe and promote healing. A roll-up tube for easy application, it can go with you in your pocket, diaper bag or purse. Ideal even for chapped lips and winter cheeks – you’ll be surprised by how many uses you find for this convenient skin-soothing product. Gentle enough for baby, effective enough for the whole family. Fragrance Free Scent.

This was an interesting and exciting product! This worked wonders on my daughters Eczema outbreaks! We also found it worked well on skinned knees from bike rides and outdoor play. Cannot wait to see what uses winter brings!

Calms Dry, Sensitive Skin.

With Organic Aloe, Organic Chamomile, & Calendula.

When it comes to moisturizing and soothing the skin, nothing surpasses Aloe. It’s even ideal for those hard-to-treat irritations. Jojoba Oil and Aloe absorbs quickly, retains moisture and restores elasticity, leaving skin very soft to the touch. Calendula promotes healing and is gentle for delicate skin.

We liked that this product did what it said…without irritation and NO greasy feel! We also LOVE the fact that it is usable on the face. I have found that some products irritate or dry out the face if applied…NOT this one!!! It is AWESOME for sensitive and delicate skin!

Made with the highest quality botanicals, essential oils and luxurious moisturizers like shea butter to pamper you and your baby’s tender hair and skin without drying. You will love how this luxurious shampoo and body wash will bathe your skin in luxury. Also available in Vanilla Tangerine and Lavender Chamomile, in both 8oz. and 16oz

We LOVED that this is a combination shampoo and body wash! This makes life so much easier! We can use this product at home or at the gym when we take the children to swimming lessons… having a combo product certainly makes life easier when showering on the go at the health club!

This Conditioner uses organic & natural ingredients to provide an incredibly soft and manageable finish for your babies’ hair. Using ingredients such as Organic Aloe.

We LOVE that this product is a leave in or shampoo out product. My daughters’ hair is so easily tangled and this product is AWESOME at relieving those tangles and making brushing a breeze. We have used the product both as a leave in and have shampooed it out…either way it worked wonderfully! I can say that for hair that is severely tangled this worked well as a leave in conditioner to help alleviate the knots! My youngest is so pleased that the brushing routine in our house has gotten much easier with this product. No more crying when time to detangle!

Overall, Nature’s Baby Organics is doing a wonderful job at providing consumers with products that are Natural, organic and family friendly! We really enjoyed the product and hope you will take a moment to peruse their website and find your favorite products!

Natures Baby Organics Giveaway

In case the prize does not show up correctly in the rafflecopter, here’s the complete list of products you could win –
One winner for all five of these products:

1 – 16 oz. Shampoo & Conditioner Coconut Pineapple (New Scent!)

1 – 16 oz. Conditioner & Detangler Coconut Pineapple (New Scent!)

1 – 8 oz. Face & Body Moisturizer Fragrance Free

1 – 0.63 oz. Organic Soothing Stick Fragrance Free (USDA Certified)

1 – 12 oz. Bubble Bath Tangy Tangerine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

Posted by html404 on August 15, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin is book three in the Nightingale series. Each book is a stand alone book. The series is set in WWII and is about flight nurses and the men serving in the war. I have enjoyed this series. You can see my reviews of the first two books of the series here and here.

I enjoyed the adventure and intrigue of Lt. Roger Cooper’s flights in this particular novel. It kept me wanting to turn the pages. A couple of flights are based on true WWII flights, which my husband found hard to believe when I relayed information to him. He’s a skeptic though and a war buff so he likes the facts and the flights were pretty amazing feats so that’s why he was a doubter at first.

There is a definite Christian theme in this book, as there are in most of the books I read. This particular book’s theme centered on the fact that God loves sinners no matter what they have done. We are all redeemable and do not need to earn forgiveness but to accept it as the gift it is.

In Perfect Time provided me with the back stories of a couple of characters featured in the first two books. It was nice to finally learn more about them and what made them tick, as well as the follow-up story of some of the other characters.

I even enjoyed the romantic side of the book this time. It was realistic, romantic, humorous and heart-breaking all rolled into one.

There was an underlying theme of parents who do not display confidence in their children’s talents and abilities. For me this was sad to read about, it made me feel sorry for the characters and question if I am expressing my belief in my children so they know that I truly believe in them and what they are capable of doing with their lives. The characters in this book only learned in adulthood what should have been impressed on them in childhood – you are talented, you are worthy, you are capable and you can do anything you put your mind to. Every parent should instill self-belief into their children, especially if the child does not have it in themselves. What a responsibility we have as parents!

I give In Perfect Time two thumbs up and recommend it to all history lovers and romantics.

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Just Natural Organic Products Review

Posted by Professor on August 10, 2014
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Reviews, Uncategorized

Just Natural Organic Products… MADE IN THE USA!!!!

This is a wonderful company providing organic products to consumers! We were very pleased that Just Natural let us review part of their product line!

The company offers a wide array of effective, powerful, hair and skincare products with formulas inspired by nature. Most importantly … NO GMO’S…Eco friendly and NOT tested on animals!

The Just Natural Line stated the following about their ingredients:

This is such a wonderful list it makes my heart smile knowing that I can bring healthy non-chemical laden product to my family!

We were pleased to receive and review the following products:

Kids Body Wash
Natural Detangler
Daily Spray Detangler
Peppermint foot lotion
Body Lotion
Turbinado Brown Sugar Scrub

Let me start off by saying that the scent of these products is heavenly!! I always wonder and am pensive about the scent of organic products… but EVERY product I received is something that smells inviting … something I WANT to smell and lavish my hair and body!

Kids Body Wash

This product is a great addition to any household! We liked it because it comes in a larger size 16 oz size! Most of the time when I am shopping for organic natural shampoo I find it in an 8oz size…. this was a treat! It lathered well and has a pleasant orange Blossom scent. Most of all I liked that it is gentle on the skin. The product is also moisturizing which is an added plus! My youngest daughter has Eczema and since this product is not made with harsh chemicals or synthetic additives it has not made the Eczema flare up as other products can.

Natural Detangler

Let me tell you…I am always looking for a detangler for my hair (naturally wave to medium curl) and my daughters’ hair (thick and long). This is a great leave in deep conditioning/detangling option! I liked that the product does what it says… “effortlessly and easily” unravels tangles! It does this!!! My children take swim lessons every Monday and after they shower I like to brush out their hair…sometimes because of the harness of the chlorine their hair gets brittle and dry…and tangles easily! We like this product because it is easily portable in the jar that it comes in and it makes the hair easy to brush through. We have not only reserved the conditioner to swim days … but have made it part of our hair care regimen (yes even for mom…it worked wonders o my hair)!

Mom’s hair… I used this product and loved it on my hair…I am “air dry” styling type of person so this product worked great for me! Just put some on run a comb and fingers through my hair and I am good to go and my hair gets enriched with extra vitamins, proteins, and nutrients!

Daily Spray Detangler

This is a STAPLE for kids hair… let me tell you that it is a hard to find a good detangler. This one is by far one of the best we have used! I LOVE that it comes in a large bottle…but would love it even more if it came in a travel size…so we could take it to the pool! Anyway… we Loved that the product has no harsh chemicals to strip and ruin the hair follicles… this is GREAT. Secondly the product reduces breakage while combing. While we sometimes have breakage due to knots in hair this product actually helped alleviate that issue. When used right after showering the hair is easily combed through and no breakage occurs… What a GREAT thing, no breakage helps keep hair healthy!

Peppermint Foot Lotion

What a YUMMY treat for your feet! This was so soothing and luxurious. I loved being able to try it! First off the scent is heavenly! Peppermint sooths and eases my tired feet and arouses my senses at the same time! It also began to moisturize and rescue my poor dry and callused feet. It penetrates the skin immediately and goes to work… I like that it has a nice feel and does not leave my hands slimy… I have had experience with other foot lotions where the product was soooo slimy/greasy I had to wipe my hands with a towel afterwards because it just would not absorb.

Body Lotion

Natural Body Lotion

This lotion was also a quick to absorb into the skin! Can you tell I am a fan of quick absorption? I love it when a lotion goes on smooth and actually hydrates and moisturizes the skin instead of just sitting on top of the skin! This lotion is wonderful! It comes in a large pump container, which is great!!! It makes it easy to pump and apply after the shower! The scent is heavenly…it has a sweet orange blossom smell with other blended flowers that makes this lotion double as a wonderful aromatic experience!

Turbinado Brown Sugar Scrub

Can you say INDULGENT??? This is such a luxurious addition to any shower ritual! … I LOVE body scrubs because they exfoliate and moisturize the skin leaving it soft and supple! This product does just that with NATURAL/ORGANIC ingredients! (YEAH!) This scrub has replaced my old Burt’s Bees Scrub … which I though was good…boy was I wrong this is SO MUCH BETTER! What about the scent?

What about price? The Just Naturals line of products are VERY well priced for organic/natural products… they offer larger sizes for a great price! At a farmers market or retail store you cannot get the larger sizing or the QUALITY!!!

Please take a moment to visit justnaturalskincare.com you will not be displeased! Their products are SO awesome I cannot wait to try other items from their product line.

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Chiquita!

Posted by Professor on August 7, 2014
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Reviews, Uncategorized

What comes to mind when you think of the word Chiquita??? Bananas of course! But I am here to tell you that the Chiquita brand is MUC HMORE than bananas! It is a whole variety of snacks and good things with fruits!

Chiquita sent us a bunch of products to try! They were great! So great that they got eaten REALLY fast in our house! We took the snack packs to a local firework show and shared with friends and family whose children thought they were equally yummy and fantastic!

The best part of the products we received is that the larger (multi-size) packs can be resealed and the smaller individual packs are hand sized and easily opened and eaten!

Here is what we reviewed:

Family Pack Green Apple Bites and Red Apple Bites

This family pack was great because it allowed us to open and reseal the bag! This is a great option if you want to buy in bulk and reseal for later. For the purpose of this review we ate a few apples from the family pack and resealed and ate the rest later. Normally our family would devour the entire family pack as we LOVE apples. However, the resealing worked great! the children were able to open and reseal with ease as was mom! The fruit inside stayed fresh and moist with the reseal option so this was good…also no browning!

The next product we reviewed was:

These little bags are AWESOME!!! Although we reviewed these in summer and found they are GREAT for picnics…I must say I will be buying them for school lunches this year! What a wonderful alternative to chips in the lunchbox! The packaging is easy to open and provides 1/2 cup of fruit for little tummies!

Finally…

These were by far the favorite…of course who does not like a dose of caramel with their apples! LOL! We loved these…they went fast at our firework picnic! Although … being at a picnic …at night… the caramel apples was probably not the best option because the caramel got everywhere and stuck to little hands because it was dark out and all we had for light were a few glow sticks. BUT…in normal picnic pr lunch situations … THESE ARE GREAT!!! The caramel cup is small and individual and the apples are yummy. We have tried competitor brand apples and caramel dip where the dip package was attached to the apple container and that always made a mess because when you pulled the tab to open the caramel it either flung the apples out of the package or the caramel dripped. THESE ARE SEPARATE and AWESOME… I like these 10 times better than the ones I used to buy since the caramel container is a separate “sauce” that comes inside the apple bites… it lets the caramel REMAIN separate from the apples and it opens with ease and no dripping (unless you tipped it over LOL)

OVERALL… I was very please to review these products … they will most certainly be purchased for the upcoming school year and packed into lunches! Way to go Chiquita!!!!

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The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide To Your Child’s Health

Posted by html404 on July 28, 2014
in Books, Children's Health, Health, Health and Wellness, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide to Your Child’s Health

Reviewed by B, my 15 year old daughter.

I thought The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide to Your Child’s Health
was very informative. I liked the fact that it had both natural and traditional preventives and treatments. I wish it hadn’t had so much of the “take your child to the pediatrician if he/she has such and such a symptom.” I completely understand taking them to the doctor for what you think could become/be life threatening i.e. Leukemia, A Brain tumor, TSS and others like these, but I would have liked to have known what to do in the meantime to ease my child’s symptom(s).

I like that it was written by a mom and a pediatrician.

I found this book to be really informative and easy to read. The illustrations were handy and easy to understand (especially to a non-picture reader like me :)) I loved the 3-in-1 First Aid, Choking, and CPR chart you can take out and hang up, I thought that was a nice touch.

About the Authors

Edited by two esteemed members of AAP, Steven P. Shelov, MD, FAAP, and Shelly V. Flais, MD, FAAP, The Big Book of Symptoms is an A-Z directory and ultimate guide to over 100 of the most common childhood symptoms from infancy to adolescence. From bee bites and colic to fever, sleep and skin problems, the new guide is designed to help parents evaluate their child’s symptoms and distinguish minor every day concerns from more serious conditions. It also includes an illustrated first aid manual, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) chart, and age-specific safety and injury prevention tips.

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Non-GMO Artisan Oils

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2014
in Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

We try really hard to eat healthy, and as I always say, we are a work in progress. As organic farmers, I think the difficult part is walking our talk, which means avoiding GMO products as much as humanly possible when there are no labeling laws in the state of Illinois or much of the United States for that matter. Here is an interesting article that includes a map graphic of how many states have labeling, which ones are reviewing it and which ones have done nothing: http://onforb.es/1ls9AUE). Walking the organic talk also means eating organic, which we do but we are not at 100% yet.

We love learning about companies committed to offering us organic, Non-GMO products. That’s why I was interested in working with Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils.

About Emile Noel

Emile Noel is a family run business, started by Emile Noël in Southern France. Their website states, “The Emile Noël oil mill offers only organic products – farmed without chemical fertilizers, synthetic pesticides or GMOs. In 1972, we were the first oil millers in France to press organically-farmed seeds.”

Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils offers a variety of organic, virgin-pressed oils including: mild olive, robust olive, sesame, toasted sesame, sunflower oil, sunflower spray, pumpkin seed, hazelnut, walnut, and sweet almond.

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

We were sent a bottle of Sweet Almond oil. I have never used almond oil so at first I was at a loss as to how to use it. Then I decided I would substitute it for the oil we usually cook with.

We made egg muffins and used the Sweet Almond oil to cook the eggs in:

There wasn’t any difference in how the oil cooked the eggs and I don’t think we noticed anything different about the taste of the eggs either.

However, when I made homemade bread we definitely tasted a slightly nutty flavor and I don’t know if it was the oil or perfect weather but the bread turned out great, if I do say so myself! I just made regular bread with unbleached white flour.

For not having used almond oil before, I’d say that it was a good experience and you can expect us to purchase it in the future. I mean what was there not to like about the Sweet Almond oil? Nothing. My only concern would be finding a large enough bottle. I used the whole bottle making these two items. We usually buy most oils in a gallon size. But that isn’t going to be most families dilemma is it?

Visit http://usa.emilenoel.com/oils/seed/ for more information on these tasty non-GMO artisan oils.

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Mickey Mouse Squish App Review

Posted by Brande on July 23, 2014
in Apps, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Mickey Mouse Squish App

This fantastic new Disney app is perfect for the child that loves to play with dough! Now they can squish and create on the go! Squish: Mickey Mouse Club House is the perfect app for you! It is available for an iPad or iPhone.

Mickey Mouse will greet you and walk your child through clay play and making options. Your child will have an option to pick a “clay” Mickey, Minnie, a ball, or square. There are also 8 color options to choose from. Once at the clay play station you can add different shapes to your squish mold, there are 5 different categories to choose from and each has approximately 8 clay shapes to choose from.

There is a texture tool as well as a scoop tool, this is an app that will let your child’s imagination soar! There is also an eraser button that looks like a magic wand. Your child can take a picture of their creations.
Once they are finished they can “melt” or “blow up” their creation and start a new one!

This is a great app for car rides and keeps them busy. It is recommended for child 4 and over. My daughter is 5 and just loves this app in the car.

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Whaley’s Big Adventure ~ Children’s Book Review

Posted by Professor on July 17, 2014
in Books, Reviews, Uncategorized

Join Whaley on his big adventure in the ocean as he meets Whales of all different sizes.

Written by 5 year old Alexander Luke and presented by his grandmother, award winning children’s author Carole P. Roman, this oceanic adventure of whale sized proportions will teach youngsters about the different whales that live in the oceans.

Our review:

This really is a unique book… in the fact that it was written AND illustrated by a 5 year old. We loved that the book was written for and by a child. The story is wonderful… Whaley is such a great character! We liked that the book not only gave Whaley and adventure but we learned about Whales along the way! What a great way to learn non-fiction facts in a fiction story!

For more information about the author or her books please visit www.carolproman.com

This book can be found on Amazon.com

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Archive for Reviews

Babo Botanicals

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Book Review ~ Made by Raffi

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Natures Baby Organics & Giveaway

Natures Baby Organics Giveaway

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In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

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Just Natural Organic Products Review

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Chiquita!

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The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide To Your Child’s Health

The Big Book of Symptoms: A-Z Guide to Your Child’s Health

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Non-GMO Artisan Oils

About Emile Noel

Review of Emile Noel Non-GMO Artisan Oils

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Mickey Mouse Squish App Review

Mickey Mouse Squish App

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Whaley’s Big Adventure ~ Children’s Book Review

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