Seasonal Stuff | Faith and Family Reviews

Archive for Seasonal Stuff

Kmart Layaway

Posted by html404 on October 30, 2013
in Deals, Holidays, Saving Money, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored post. I am a Kmart blogger, though all opinions are my own.

I’ve never actually used a layaway plan before but have always thought it was a great idea. Whether or not you want to admit it; the countdown is on to the holiday season! Although many of us don’t start shopping, decorating and celebrating until after Thanksgiving, there are a few holiday ‘musts’ that you need to start sooner rather than later (we’re talking before Halloween). First, putting your big (or small) items on Layaway. Since most Layaway contracts are eight weeks long, this is the ideal time to shop now and pay over time. You don’t want your wallet to go into shock on November 29th, do you? Didn’t think so. Still need convincing?

Kmart Layaway

Here are a few ‘Layaway Lessons’ to keep in mind:

1.) The cat ate your Christmas tree. OK, so even if you don’t have a cat but last year’s Christmas tree was on its last limb and this is the year you need a new one. On the other hand, maybe you just got a cat and the days of having a real tree are over. Either way, you need some new decorating digs. Pick up a pre-lit tree (because that’s the way to go), LED lights, wreaths and village houses now and pay them off in time for decking those halls! Or simply buy a real Christmas tree.
2.) Your gift list has grown. Maybe you’ve found a new group of friends, entered into a new family or you’re just feeling extra generous this year. Long gift lists call for Layaway. Fill that cart to the brim and roll it over to the Layaway counter. Your pals won’t know you paid their gifts off over time.
3.) Money is tight this year. It’s not just you; many of us are watching our spending. If you’re having trouble staying afloat while keeping those bills paid, Layaway is a must. Not only will you avoid ‘wallet shock,’ you’ll keep your pre-holiday peace of mind.

Whether you have one or 100 items , you can Layaway almost everything on your list without paying a service fee through 11/23. Plus, you can pay in store, online or using a mobile phone. Eight or 12 weeks later (depending on your contract) pick up your items and you’re good to go! Bonus: After you figure out how easy it is, you can Layaway all year round at Kmart.

Do you use a layaway plan during the holiday season?

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Minted Holiday Cards

Posted by html404 on October 23, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

This is a featured holiday post.

I have always loved shopping for and picking out Christmas cards. Holidays have been the one way to stay connected with my friends and family in Canada, as well as the United States. I use to take great pride in writing notes or a family newsletter and including a family photo or just one of the children in our holiday cards. However, since I started working at home the task of letter writing, newsletter writing and getting Christmas cards ready has fallen to the wayside. It is one of those enjoyable tasks I had to let go. I love receiving holiday cards because it reconnects me with people I do not talk with throughout the year, sometimes Christmas is the only time we connect. This year I think I will be doing a flyer, but it will be for my newspaper customers. Apparently, some of them can be quite generous at Christmas time and I am hoping I have done a good enough job for them to feel like giving me a little something extra this Christmas.

What about you? Do you send out holiday cards? Photo cards or a family newsletter at Christmas or Thanksgiving? There are many card places online to choose from. This year Minted is coming to mind. I seriously contemplated getting an order of cards but with the nearly 300 newspaper customers to connect with I did not think I would get any family cards done. With my husband out of work, tasks that provide revenue take precedence. Sorry dear friends and family!

Minted Holiday Cards

The selection at Minted.com is better than I have seen in years. They have some really nice looking cards, not only for Christmas but also for Thanksgiving. Currently, they have a special going on 10% off on all holiday cards. Code: FALLHOL10, expires on Tuesday, October 29. You can buy now and upload your photo later. Cool feature, eh?

I love the cool shaped cards because they are different from the traditional ones, like this Christmas tree ornament style:

And this round style:

Though sadly the odd shaped cards take more postage for some reason! So much for being different.

You can have your cards and envelopes pre-printed – for a price – but if money is no object and convenience is your mantra, then the extra expense won’t bother you too much. If I had the extra cash, I would definitely take advantage of these services just to save time!

Minted’s site is very easy to navigate. Since I did not place an order, I cannot confirm whether or not the order process is smooth or not. I am assuming it is pretty straight forward from adding items to the my shopping cart and clicking through the process that way.

Don’t just take my word for it….check Minted out for yourself!

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Fruit Sparx Candy Review

Posted by Brande on October 7, 2013
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Organic, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

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.

Halloween is right around the corner and my daughter is already excited about all the candy. Sparx has a wonderful product! Recommended by dentist & hygienist, it is 100% Xylitol and tooth friendly! These all natural sugar free candies are also gluten free. They come in citrus, berry, & fruit flavors.

My first question was what is Xylitol? Direct from the Xlear.com site – here is the answer.

“Xylitol is a natural sweetener derived from natural sources. It is also produced in the human body as a by-product of a normal metabolism. Our xylitol is of the highest quality possible. It is a pharmaceutical grade, meaning it must be more that 99.95% pure, and is made from non-GMO (non-genetically modified organism) corn fibers. It does not contain any of the corn grain and it is tested to ensure that no corn allergens, mycotoxins, or corn proteins of any type are in the product.”

Fruit Sparx Candy Review

Sparx candies are tiny dot like goodies; they are on the hard side. I would recommend these for your older kids, just because you don’t want your younger kids swallowing a bunch of them at a time. My daughter and I shared a package and I really enjoyed them, she kind of wished they weren’t as hard to chew. You can get a great Halloween bag with all the flavors or order you favorite flavor directly from Xlear.com. They sell them in tubes and are only 1.49 each!

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Early Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted by html404 on September 4, 2013
in Gift Ideas, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping

This is a featured post.

It’s never too early to think about Christmas shopping, right? There has been many a year that I started my holiday shopping right after Christmas during all the end of season sales. Then I’d continue throughout the year to buy gifts so we would never have a huge Christmas bill to pay for after the holidays. It would all be paid for up front. Free and clear. Makes for a stress-free holiday season.

Holiday Gift Ideas

I just wanted to share a few little holiday gift ideas to get you started on your Christmas gift list.

There are always Christmas gatherings and holiday celebrations to attend. What better way to say thank you than a nice little festive hostess gift. These little holiday gift towel sets are so cute!

Holiday Gift Towel Sets

We have always made Christmas ornaments and decorations a part of our gift giving, especially for our children. When we got married we barely had any Christmas decorations or tree ornaments. We had to buy it all. Good thing I worked at a craft store and had a discount, plus I’d use coupons to reduce what we spent even more.

I’ve always purchased my husband ornaments of his favorite sports teams. He is such a goofball that he made it a family tradition that besides our little manager ornament that lights up, his Chicago Bulls ornaments go on the tree first! You should see him get after the children if they dare put one of their ornaments on first! All in fun though. We have been given a couple holiday houses – a lighthouse to remember my native land of Nova Scotia and a church – but we do not have any like these NFL collectible holiday houses.

NFL Collectible Holiday Houses

My husband and I have carried over some of the traditions we had growing up to but we have also made it a point to create new ones just for our family. The Legend of the Christmas Nest made me think of how we have implemented new holiday traditions.

Legend Of The Christmas Nest

So what are your holiday gift ideas this year? Feel free to share them with us as we might need a little inspiration this early on in the “holiday” season!

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Homecoming Dresses

Posted by html404 on August 30, 2013
in Clothing, Fashion, Seasonal Stuff

Homecoming Dresses

School is back in session in many areas, which means fall is just around the corner. With fall comes football practice, football games and homecoming. If you children old enough, you may have a daughter who is planning attending the homecoming dance and will need to purchase a homecoming dress. DressFirst has some very cute styles that are sure to tickle her fashion sense.

Princess Sweatheart

One of my daughters thought this dress was nice:

Sleeveless

A-line with Sleeves Short Length

A-line Long Length

Prices vary but on average are in the $100-$150 range. There’s quite a few “baby doll” styles that young ladies can choose from, whether they like lots of frills or keeping it simple, these homecoming dresses are sure to please most girls. We, moms, on the other hand might cringe a little that our little girls are becoming grown up enough to wear plunging necklines and strapless dresses for a night out with their favorite guy. Sigh.

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A May Baby?! – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on August 28, 2013
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Pregnancy and Birth, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Nope, it isn’t me that’s having a baby. It’s little Miss Moo! Well, hopefully. We had the vet (Dr. M) out on Saturday for a meet and greet. Kind of ridiculous but we have three vets, one for the horse, one for the cow and one for the cow and dog. Anyways, we’ll figure that all out later and hopefully narrow it down to one eventually! I wanted this vet to look at Miss Moo because we’ve been having a hard time putting weight on her. She came to us thin and while she’s gained some, she still isn’t where she should be and we’ve had a friend telling us she’s too thin and of course people driving by call Animal Control. So now I can say we’ve had her looked at by two vets who say while she’s a bit thin, she’s fine or she’s healthy and happy. Whew! That’s a load off my plate. Not only do I have children to worry about but now I have our animals! Oy, oy, oy!

A May Baby

This week the calendar indicated Miss Moo’s heat was due. We were kind of disappointed to find out that it takes a week to get bull semen straws for AI (artificial insemination). Then as “fate” would have it I get into a conversation on Facebook with Miss Moo’s second owner, who shared that she still had a straw left in Dr. M’s tank (they freeze bull semen and keep it in a freezer tank that he carries around) from the last time Miss Moo was bred and would I like to buy it!? I said sure, of course.

So when our daughter “B” told me yesterday that Miss Moo was showing signs of her heat cycle I put in a call to Dr. M. He came out yesterday afternoon checked her and confirmed she was in heat, he AI’d her with “Grumpy” a Guernsey bull that two of our cow friends have recommended.

If the AI “sticks” we will have a May baby calf! We are kind of hoping for a heifer calf (female) as Dr. M suggested thinking about replacing Miss Moo since it takes a couple of years. Miss Moo is such a sweet cow we’d love to have one of her heifers so that’s what we are praying for! We want to try raising beef sometime in the future too but have to finish our fencing, which is a whole ‘nother blog topic or two!

For now, I told my husband if I’m not having any more babies I’m going to be excited and plan for farm babies! He just kind of looked at me like I had horns growing out of my head. Nah, just kidding! He likes Miss Moo too.

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OMG Nail Strips Review

Posted by Brande on August 27, 2013
in Deals, Fashion, Fun Stuff, Personal Care Products, Products for Mom, Reviews, SALES, Saving Money, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Imagine having great nails that look expensive BUT, without the appointment and expense! OMG Nail Strips bring that to you at a low cost and it’s do it yourself at home! Hook me up, right?

These super easy nail adhesives are so much fun with little effort. Pick your favorite design from OMG Nail Strips; rather pick 4 of your favorite designs. There’s a sale going on right now 4 designs for $20.00! Tell me where you can go to get your nails done 4 times for $20.00? Not where I live.

OMG Nail Strips Review

They come in a strip with 12 sized strips. You need to make sure your nails are clean, apply a small amount of hand lotion. Wipe the excess and start applying the nail wraps. File the edges and you are ready to go! Yes, it’s that easy.

I wore them out to a picnic and one of my friends asked… “Do they really last?’” My answer was yes. After I applied OMG Nail Strips, I peeled and canned tomatoes. The strips lasted through the scald, cold bath and peeling tomatoes.

The strips last up to 10 days and come off very easy and there’s no drying time. For a mom & wife on the go these are great and very fun!

Click Here to visit OMG’s Nail Strip Website or visit their Facebook page.

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Coppertone Water Moms Recipes

Posted by Brande on August 24, 2013
in Camping, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Recipes, Safety, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

With the end of summer drawing near (sniff…. sniff), I wanted to share Coppertone Water Moms recipes for upcoming parties! Enjoy and don’t forget your sunscreen!

Coppertone Water Moms Recipes

Summertime Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 liter of lemonade

1 cup of Strawberries, sliced OR 1 cup of Raspberries

½ cup of sugar

2 cups of water

Ice

Directions:

Combine sliced strawberries/raspberries and sugar in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the berries into the sugar, leaving some large chunks. Chill for 1 hour. In a large pitcher, combine the berry mixture, the lemonade and the water and stir. Add ice then serve!

Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes

2 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice sweet potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices, then coat slices with olive oil by tossing together in a bowl. Place slices on baking sheets in a single layer so there is no overlap and then sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, slipping once, until lightly browned and crisp.

Beach Sand Pudding Cups

Ingredients:

2 cups of Milk

1 (3.5 ounce) package instant pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 ounce) package of vanilla wafer cookies, crushed

Variety of candy topping to decorate

Directions:

Combine milk and pudding mix in a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until well blended, then let stand for 5 minutes. Add in whipped topping and half of crushed cookies and fold in. Place 1 tbsp. crushed cookies into each cup, and then fill each up ¾ of the way full with pudding mixture. Top with remaining crushed cookies. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Decorate with fun topping such as gummy worms, gummy snacks, gummy fish, paper umbrellas, or get creative and come up with your own!

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The Ultimate Back to School Bash #bts2013

Posted by html404 on August 17, 2013
in Contests, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Kids Stuff, School, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Welcome to the Ultimate Back to School Bash #bts2013!

I don’t know about you but I still have school supplies to buy…oy! I so want to get back to the store before the sales are over! Since it is back to school season, I thought it would be fun to join the Ultimate Back to School Bash and let you all have some fun trying to win some awesome back to school products!

3BoysandaDog has teamed up with A+ Interactive Math and some fabulous other brands to bring you this giveaway.

Prizes:

A+ Interactive Math – 1 year FREE Online Full Curriculum – A+ Interactive Math – 1 winner (choice of: grades K – Algebra I) Value $124.99 . A+ Interactive Math is dedicated to making math enjoyable and learnable for all ages. A+ Interactive is perfect for homeschooling parents or parents that just want to give the child some extra math help. A + Interactive Math offers full curriculum books, workbooks, online education and interactive math CD’s. You can purchase A+ Interactive Math or view their catalog here.

Door Prize for all participants:

Multiplication for Elementary & Middle School – download (value $21.99)

link: http://aplustutorsoft.com/SpecialOffers.do

Code: enter 3DOGSMATH upon checkout

$100 Visa Card – This fabulous gift card is being brought to you by www.learntobloghangouts.com! This is the perfect way to get a great jump start on your back to school shopping! You can use this $100 Visa gift card at any location that accepts Visa.

Back to School Survival Guide – This back to school guide is brought to you by The Confident Mom. In this Back to School Survival Guide you will find everything you need to help you ensure the school year runs seamlessly. This guide is an 80 page printable that will help you keep your child safe while using the internet, help with homework, making packing school lunches easier, become a savvy back to school shopper and much more! You can read more about the Back to School Survival Guide or purchase one here.

Office Depot Sackpack of School Supplies -Office Depot is committed to providing affordable school supplies! You will find $25 worth of school supplies in this sack pack. The Office Depot Foundation donates over 30,000 backpacks to school children each and every year!

BYOU Magazine Subscription

Go Picnic Ready to Eat Meals – Go Picnic makes packing lunches and snacks a breeze. They offer gluten-free, kosher, all-natural and a variety of other snacks that are perfect for back to school lunches and snacks. You can view the large variety of products they offer here.

Tummy Calm – Have a little one with an upset stomach? Tummy Calm is a safe option to helping your child feel better. Tummy Calm is made with all-natural FDA regulated ingredients. You can read more about Tummy Calm and place an order here.

BIC School Supplies – BIC offers a wide range of back to school items from pens, pencils, markers, highlighters and much more! BIC is your one stop shop for your back to school supplies.

Teach My Preschooler – Teach My is your one stop solution for giving babies, toddlers and preschoolers a jump start on education. You will find interactive learning products that promote learning in a fun manner. You can order a Teach My learning program here.

Texas Instruments – Texas Instruments should be your go to supplies when it comes to tools for math and science calculators. One lucky winner will be receiving this http://education.ti.com/en/us/nspire-family/cx-handhelds. This is a colorful and engaging way for to learn math and science!

Wild Planet Foods – Wild Planet Foods has tuna like you have never tasted before. This tuna is the perfect ingredient for a healthy and delicious school lunch. Wild Planet offers tuna that has 6 times the Omega 3 and 1/2 the mercury other brands have. Order up your own supply of Wild Planet Foods here.

GHCretors – GHCretors offers all-natural, non-GMO and gluten-free popcorn in a variety of flavors! You will love that a healthy snack can taste so good. This might just be the best popcorn you have ever tasted. Get your order placed here.

ListPlanIt – Are you ready to get your life organized? If so then ListPlanIt is the place to visit! Any kind of list you can imagine you will find on ListPlanIt. The winner is going to receive 2 ePlanners (Student ePlanner and Home Education ePlanner, value $10) + a coupon code for a 3-month trial to ListPlanIt! This is a fantastic prize to get the school year started off. You can also sign up for ListPlanIt here.

Go to The Ultimate Back to School Bash (<<—-click there) post to enter for your chance to win this HUGE giveaway worth well over $350 dollars!

Awesome line up of prizes, eh? Have fun and I hope you win!

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End of Summer Footwear Shopping

Posted by html404 on August 13, 2013
in Fashion, Products for Mom, Seasonal Stuff, Shoes & Footwear, Shopping

This is a featured post.

Sadly summer is coming to an end soon. I love summer and it’s bittersweet to say good-bye to my favorite season. However, shopping end of summer sales is always fun! That’s about the only good thing about the end of summer, if you ask me.

I love wearing sandles or crocs in the summer time. My feet like to breathe and not be cooped up in tight, enclosed shoes like running shoes or even rubber boots. Hot. Hot. Hot.

When end of summer footwear shopping I look for the best deals for my children. For myself, I have to go by comfort first, with the extra weight I am carrying I need good supportive shoes that will not only support my feet but also my legs and knees. More often than not that means sticking with the same brand that has been working.

It’s easier to shop for children’s footwear, unless it is my older girls. They have varying tastes and one or the other likes something that is bright, colorful and fashionable. Then there is the issue of heel or no heel. I prefer flats, while I have daughters that want to wear heels – my feet hurt just thinking about it. I also like basic looking sandles that will go with everything . I am practical.

I will shop in-store or online for end of summer footwear. I will look at thrift stores but will only buy them if they seem almost new as every person’s feet are shaped differently and who knows how much the inside is worn if the shoes have been well cared for. As you can see from the photo above, my Velcro is no longer sticking well, the straps are getting stretched out and while they are functional, they are no longer very “pretty”.

Where do go for end of summer footwear shopping?