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Celebrating Valentine’s Day as a Family

Posted by Brande on February 4, 2014
in Crafts, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Handmade Items, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Recipes, Saving Money, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized

Ah! Love is in the air – Valentine’s Day is coming!

I remember the days of being Sweethearts – going out to dinner, flowers, & candy. My…My… can things change once kids enter the picture. Valentine’s Day has changed in our house, we now celebrate as a family. Here’s a few inexpensive ways to make Valentine’s Day a family event!

1.) Make heart pancakes for breakfast – Make your favorite pancake mix, add a few drops of red food coloring. Stir up the batter good and cook them. When they are done cooking, take a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out your heart pancakes.

2.) Heart shaped sandwiches for lunch – This is a good craft as well as lunch. Build your favorite sandwich and then use the heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out a really cute sandwich.

3.) You need flowers for Valentine’s Day – Material needed: a few sheets of colored tissue paper and a pipe cleaner for each flower. Take the tissue paper and lay them on top of one another and then twist a pipe cleaner in the middle. Fluff out the tissue paper to make tissue flowers.

4.) You can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate – My favorite is chocolate covered strawberries. Buy strawberries at your local store and a bag or a few bars of your favorite chocolate. Using a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 30 second intervals at first. Stir the chocolate. Once the chocolate starts to melt only microwave about 10 seconds or less, be careful not to burn the chocolate. Use oven mitts to take the chocolate out of the microwave, it will be very hot. Then dip your washed & dried strawberries into the chocolate, I sometimes use a spoon to coat the berry. Place the chocolate strawberry on wax paper to dry.

Enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day as a family!

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React Mobile App

Posted by html404 on February 3, 2014
in Downloads, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

This is a sponsored campaign with Mums the Word Network and React Mobile. All opinions are my own.

Have you ever felt like you need to do more to insure your family stays safe? I think we all have. React Mobile is a free safety app for Androids and iPhones that allows you to call out for help with the touch of a button if you encounter any kind of danger or safety issues!

The React Mobile App is very easy to use. All you have to do is download the app to your phone. Here are the specific features of this app:

– SOS Alerts email
– SOS via text
– SOS to Facebook and Twitter
– SOS to dedicated user console
– GPS location tracking
– 911 button/prompt
– Group SMS messages

The app will give you several options right from the get-go.

You can sign up using your email or Facebook account. I choose to register using my email.

At the bottom of the app you have four different choices: Map, Send SOS, Contacts (you can add your own contacts) and Send SMS Message to broadcast to your contact list.

The SOS messaging system allows you to alert authorities, family and friends if you are in trouble or need assistance with the swipe of your finger.

The React Mobil App even has a “Follow Me” feature and your family can follow you in real-time for those non-emergency situations where you may feel unsafe and just want to touch base with those you love. How reassuring is that? I can see this being very useful when you have teens in the house!

There is a “Settings” feature that allows you to post your alert message to Facebook or twitter, as well as a setting to choose which country you are in. The React Mobile App is currently only available in the USA and Canada.

To learn more about the app, check out the video below:

React Mobile Personal Safety App from Robb on Vimeo.

You can also connect with React below:

React Mobile Web site: www.ReactMobile.com
Apple iTunes Download: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/react-standard-edition/id522851588?mt=8
Google Play Download (available on select smartphones): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.reactmobile.lite

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Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

Posted by html404 on February 2, 2014
in Books, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley is a romantic suspense and the first book in the Logan Point series.

Taylor Martin, a Psychology professor and criminal profiler, experienced abandonment when her father up and left their family when she was a little girl. That event in her life left her with so many unanswered questions she sets out to find her father. Little does she realize that in doing so she would put herself and others in danger.

The book details how Taylor and her family find closure to the biggest mystery of their life. Taylor also finds love in an unlikely place, Nick Sinclair, the brother of one of the suspects in one of her murder profile cases.

Patricia Bradley really kept me on my toes. I was guessing until three quarters the way through the book. I was torn between who was behind the threats thrown at Taylor, the violence and the murders. There was only one murder mystery I figured out right away. I liked the twists and turns the plot took. As always the romance was pretty predictable, but how many different ways can you spin boy meets girl or girl meets boy and likes, then loves each other?

I really like these kinds of books not only for the mystery and intrigue but the character’s development and growth, as well as the fact there is no coarse language or raunchy sex. I believe sex is good, even great, (insert smiley face) within the boundaries of marriage, but I don’t need to read stories about sex when I have my own intimate life. Just saying, and thought I’d point out a different aspect to like about this book series and others like it.

Two thumbs up from me.

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Week #14 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on February 1, 2014
in Family Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

For the 14th week, we are joining Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles in the Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week.

5. The little boys asked to go to “Toyland”. They meant Disneyland!

4. We were talking about school and grades etc. My husband jokingly told our oldest daughter that if she were in public school she would “kiss up”. Amelia Bedelia said, “You guys can kiss people?”

3. This week I found our youngest calls bright yellow cars “bumblebee” cars. So cute!

2. Jr. has been at it again, drawing!

1. Jr. was burping on purpose and my oldest daughter called him out on it by telling me. Then Jr. exclaims, “Purpose rude! Me rude!” (meaning burping on purpose is rude) and continues to burp. Sigh. What am I going to do with that boy? If he’s like this at three, what will he be like when he’s older? I’m kind of getting scared.

Share some of your funnies this week!?

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Depend Fit Flex – Dad Central

Posted by Brande on January 31, 2014
in Guest Post, Health, Men's Health, News Worthy, Personal Care Products, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Uncategorized, Women's Health

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for Depend. I received products samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

By Guest Dad Blogger – Scott

Here’s another one of those taboo conversations.

Many people have had that moment after they sneeze or just can’t hold it. The panic sets in…. wondering….. can anyone see anything? You may have a feeling of being ashamed or just bummed because you are getting older.

I’m here to tell you. You are not alone. Millions of people suffer from incontinence. No need to be embarrassed or ashamed. Depend’s new Fit-Flex is here to help.

Many people expressed concerns to the Depend brand about being bulky and not being able to live life to the fullest. Depend revamped their design and with Depend Fit Flex there’s no need to slow down your active life. Depend Fit Flex is so discreet you are able to wear your regular favorite attire and it goes unnoticed. Making you feel more confident and able to take back your active life style!

On the Depend site there are 3 inspiring stories. My favorite is Paul’s, he is living with incontinence. When Paul first experienced bladder issues he became embarrassed. Being unable to cope with this condition, Paul’s marriage fell apart. Then he began gaining weight in his 40’s and on his 50^th Birthday he made a decision. He was going to turn his life around. He began running and his life changed after marrying his 2^nd wife. She helped him cope with his incontinence and get on with his life. Paul now uses Depend Fit Flex regularly and has lost his weight gain. This is such an inspirational story in many ways.

Get on with your life! Enjoy running, bike riding, hiking, and vacations!

Mar Jennings is known as a top lifestyles expert. Here are a few active lifestyle tips from him.

* “Staying active is easier when you love what you do, be it hiking, horseback riding, tennis, or taking a brisk walk. Find what calls to you and get moving!”

* “Have a clear vision of what you want “you” and your life to look like in six or 12 months. Start small and think big; the results over time will be impressive.”

Don’t stop living because of bladder issues. Depend offers underwear, briefs, guards, and shields for men and women. Click here to request a free sample.

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Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad App Plus $50 iTunes Giveaway

Posted by html404 on January 30, 2014
in Apps, Downloads, Ebooks, Education, Fun Stuff, Giveaways, Homeschooling, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Reviews, School, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

This is a featured review.

Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad App Review

by Brande

Dabby Dill woke up in a Pickle, she had the hiccups! Follow Dabby on her journey to find the remedy for these hiccups. This book app is recommended for kids 4 to 8 years old. This iPad app requires a 6.1 operating system or later.

There are 4 modes in the book app.

Story Mode – You have a narrator reading to you and you touch the arrow for the next page.

Read Along – You narrator will read to you again. However this time each word is underlined as the narrator reads, helping your child as they read & follow along.

Self-Read – Your child will read by themselves. Allowing your child the freedom to read at their own pace.

Play Game – Great memory game! Follow the hiccup pattern with Dabby and her 3 friends. It’s very similar to the game Simon.

I found this book app very educational. My favorite is the read along. With the words underlined it really helps my daughter learn her words and vocabulary. I love each mode, this book app can grow with your child.

Click here to find Dabby Dill & The Pickle Hiccup in the iTunes store!

Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle App Giveaway Plus $50 Giveaway

by Theresa

Five of you have the opportunity to win an iTunes’s code to download Dabby Dill & The Hiccup Pickle iPad app for free, plus each of you will also receive a $10 iTunes e-gift card with the app code! Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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My-Baby-Book App

Posted by html404 on January 29, 2014
in Apps, Baby Products, Downloads, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Pregnancy and Birth, Reviews, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

My-Baby-Book app is a cute little app to record all the necessary information from your pregnancy test, pregnancy through to your baby’s first 18 months of life. I think it would be a great tool since so often I would write down milestones on sticky notes to add to our baby book….once I got around to it. Then I would end up losing them or misplacing them. Whereas with the app I always have my phone on me and it would be easy to grab it and make the necessary notes in the My-Baby-Book app for milestones baby reached as they happened. Very handy and convenient. Busy moms, techie moms and moms trying to go digital will appreciate what this app has to offer by way of storing important dates, times, milestones etc.

The home page needs to be swiped to start the app and takes you to the cover of the My-Baby-Book app, which allows you to edit and personalize it with your baby’s name:

The next page is the table of contents. The main menu is a bear with building blocks…cutest menu I’ve seen yet! The main menu is located in the top left corner when not in use.

Here’s what Kim, mom of two, had to say about My-Baby-Book app:

What a useful app! I love that you can store all of your baby’s growth information on your phone or tablet so when you’re at the doctor it’s on hand and easy to update. My favorite is the baby’s firsts section. I’m always writing down on post-it’s when my daughter does something for the first time. The post-it notes have been piling up since I haven’t had time to dig out her baby book to write them in. Great features and super user friendly!

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Children’s Art Work – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on January 28, 2014
in Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

I love my children’s art work. I use to be so anal about it as I use to save every drawing. When we moved from our townhouse we literally went through bags of children’s art work from our older girls. They were like, “Mom, why did you keep this?” I seriously hated the thought of throwing anything away. Several children later and I was completely over it. Though Jr. has been making it hard lately. Wait ’til you see what he’s made this week in my Saturday Top Five Laughs post!

A few weeks ago B brought me this drawing of her finger. Her first attempt, mind you! She has always loved art, drawing, painting, etc. And with Miss Moo’s arrival she had to put it on the back burner, so she’s been having fun getting back into it again. B says she has so many interests there’s not enough time to do them all! I can completely relate to that! There are so many things I’d love to do but cannot because of time constraints. Maybe we should split our time between all the things we are interested in and see if we can get even a little bit accomplished in each area? Kind of like setting up daily, weekly or monthly activities for ourselves. Hmmm…..something to think about.

Do you have a favorite hobby? Any artists in the family?

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Blog Forward 2014 Challenge #1 by ZonePerfect

Posted by html404 on January 27, 2014
in All Natural Products, Blog Stuff, Health and Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Monday Motivation, Uncategorized

This post is taking the place of my Motivation Monday post.

Blog Forward 2014 Challenge by ZonePerfect

I am a ZonePerfect blogger and part of the requirement is to write a post and in exchange I receive ZonePerfect bars! Yum! We got a box of 28 bars and thoroughly enjoyed them!

The first assignment is a challenge:

Challenge #1: Post a blog article detailing 3–5 New Year’s resolutions and include a letter to your future self that encourages you to stay on track or get back on track.

New Year’s Resolutions

You all know I don’t make resolutions so here is my “loose” list of goals for 2014:

1. Increase our income. (I *think* God is well on His way to answering this prayer…need a bit more time to be sure.)

2. Nutrition. Eat and grow more vegetables to we can freeze and can our winter supply.

3. Take our children on more field trips.

4. Get more organized as a whole family – mostly the house as it is an ongoing battle, that and getting the children to stay on task.

Letter to Future Self

Dear Self,

Just wanted to remind you of a couple of things to assist you in accomplishing your 2014 new year’s resolutions or “goals”. You have to be focused and keep your “hand to the plow” so to speak. There are going to be times when you don’t think you are moving forward but realize you are, no matter how small the step. History has proved that. Remember when you moved to the farm nearly three years ago?

Count your blessings amidst your successes and failures.

Work hard, play with your children and set aside time each day to organize something together as a family.

Your goals are not unattainable, which is good because it will make the journey to fulfilling them much easier.

Press on,
Your “Past” Self

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With Autumn’s Return

Posted by html404 on January 26, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

As you know from past book reviews, I enjoy Christian historical fiction. With Autumn’s Return by Amanda Cabot is one of those books. I wanted to read it because I have read the first two books in the Westward Winds series (Book 1 and Book 2). This book was about Elizabeth Harding, the youngest sister in the Harding family.

Elizabeth Harding is a female doctor in Cheyenne, Wyoming during the 1800’s. I appreciated her fortitude to do what she felt called to do despite the disapproval of many. Women doctors were not popular or accepted easily in that time in history. Dr. Harding’s fortitude is something I could use a good dose of on my bad days! Ha! I also related to her struggle as a working woman and her fears and concerns over having a family with her chosen profession. She had working mom guilt before she was even a mother, but I think many of us must struggle with this when we choose to work or are forced to because of circumstances out of our control.

Dr. Harding showed godly character when she chose to treat the ladies of one of the local brothels. She treated them with respect and dignity despite their profession. I think this is something lacking in today’s Christianity. As Christians or followers of Christ, we are called to love, yet there’s still so much hatred in the world against those who may be different from us and that’s not just outside the church it is within it as well.

I enjoyed the friendship between her and Jason. I think friendship should be the basis of any romantic interest and like it when it’s portrayed in that light.

The book wasn’t all a bed of roses. Mystery, murder and deceit were woven into the plot to spice up the book and make it more than just a romance novel. Don’t get me wrong it was not a mystery novel but it definitely those elements made it more than just another boring romance.

Was the book predictable? Admittedly, yes. Was it interesting? I’d have to say so since I like reading about that time period. Was it one of my favorite books to read? No, not really, but I enjoyed it and give it a thumbs up.