I just signed up for Picket Fence Blogs, which is a FREE ranked blog directory. However, I need some votes for my blog to show up in the directory! So if any of you are inclined to click the “We’re on the Fence” button at the bottom of the page to help out, I would very much appreciate it!
Bloggers if you click my button and have one of your own, please leave a comment and I will reciprocate by clicking yours! 
Well, things have definitely changed around here weather-wise. The weather men were right! Take a look at these from our doorways, but first a before picture of the fields behind the horse barn:
Before
After
It’s suppose to continue snowing all day. Looks like we may end up with 4-6 inches….maybe. The children have been out to play, but I did not get any photos of them yet, thought my daughter was going to and she didn’t so that is on my agenda! After all it is the first snowfall of 2012 and the latest snowfall we have ever had in the Chicago area! Fun in the Snow!
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.
Young readers create versions of their favorite bible stories with the Pocket-Sized Doodle Book!
Youngsters can put their imaginations to work ~ in an outside the lines ~ with the delightful new addition to the Zonderkiz library. The Pocket Bible Doodle Book! In this new edition, children can draw, color, and doodle their way through the Bible stories in their very own pocket sized book.
The first of its kind, The Pocket Bible doodle Book allows kids to interact with Bible stories in a unique way rather than simply reading them. Unfinished drawings and fun prompts encourage creativity while simple and humorous text relates key Bible stories. Available with two covers (a bright spring blue and an eye-catching green) both include classic stories like the Creation, Noah’s Ark, the Last Supper, and more than 100 Bible pictures for kids to complete.
The Pocket Bible Doodle Book is a must-have for traveling, waiting rooms, restaurants, and families on the go, offering hours of creative learning for kids four and older (and their parents.
OUR REVIEW:
We were very excited to have the opportunity to review THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK! We received one in each color, which made me very happy, as there would be no fighting as to who got to draw in what when! My daughter picked the green book and my son picked the blue book! My children LOVE to doodle in the books! They were very excited to start drawing in the books! My son (5) was excited to finish the pictures and would frequently as “mom what does this say”…since he is just a beginning reader. However, my daughter (7) was self- sufficient reading the directions and stories …and completed her pages with ease! This has been a great product for us on car rides…this children LOVE to have their Doodle Book on hand to color and create at will! This Book has also proven a wonderful in house activity as well…providing hours of entertainment and learning for my children. As a mother I love that the children are having fun while learning about the Bible and that the Doodle book reinforces key stories that we have taught our children!
There is honestly nothing bad I can say about this product…the only thing I wish is that it came in a third color so that my 3 year old could have her own book too! But I am grateful she is content to share with her sister!
Thank you ZONDERKIDZ for another great product! Look for THE POCKET BIBLE DOODLE BOOK January 2012!
To find The Pocket Bible Doodle Book or peruse other collections and items available from Zonderkidz please visit this link.
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.
What if you could make your own photo collages, cards, calendars, and scrapbook at home, without fighting with your computer. Here’s your answer the “Picture Collage Maker” by Pearl Mountain Software.
I’m not the most savvy person when it comes to editing photos and making cards. But, this software is very user friendly. With this software you are able to print, create desktop wallpaper, and email.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, why not bring a collage or calendar for your host/hostess. With this program they have 16 different Thanksgiving templates to choose from. Here are a few.
After choosing a template, you click on photos. It brings up your computer files and you can choose which photos to use. Easily by dragging them into the photo and they “pop” in. No more extra step by having to download pictures first on the Internet. Then drag them. Then having to wait for them in the mail.
Picture Collage Maker also have many other holiday and non holiday templates in addition to Thanksgiving.
I was experimenting with the program. Here’s my Thanksgiving photo of my dog and cats! (If you notice the template is the first one in the above group of pictures)
This is a wonderful and easy program to use. The hardest part was deciding which template to use! I will be spreading the word to all my friends about this product. Here’s their website to download your own Picture Collage Maker! http://www.picturecollagesoftware.com . I had lots of fun, I think you will too!
GIVEAWAY:
Photo Collage Maker wants to give 20 readers a gift code to make your own Photo Collage! We are trying something new and using Raffle Copter to host our giveaways, so let me know what you all think ok?
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.
Imagine what you can do with Avery Sticky notes…
Avery is the maker of wonderful office products. We are all aware of their sticky notes…who could live without them! Well…Avery has gone one step further and created ‘see through” sticky notes so you do not cover up information while still being able to tag your documents!
Avery is running a campaign to give back to schools:
The “Avery® Sticky Notes Mark the Spot” sweepstakes that launched on October 3, 2011.
Twenty-thousand people who register for the sweepstakes will randomly be selected to win a FREE pack of Avery® See-Through Sticky Notes. Five of those winners will be randomly selected to receive 100,000 Box Tops coupons (valued at $10,000) that will be applied to a school of their choice. The selected schools of the “Avery® Sticky Notes Mark the Spot” promotion will be presented with credit for the 100,000 Box Tops for Education®.
All anyone has to do is go to the Avery Facebook page (facebook.com/avery) and sign up to win a free pack of Sticky Notes and then choose the school they’d like the money to go to should they win. Pretty simple and it’s a great cause!
You can also grab a coupon for $2.00 OFF sticky notes at: http://www.avery.com/avery/en_us/Promos/Avery-Sticky-Notes-Coupon-Offer.htm?cmp_id=search-Google-avery+stickies
Imagine what you can do with Avery Sticky Notes and what schools can do with ½ Million Box Tops coupons!
OUR REVIEW:
We were pleased to review Avery’s see through sticky notes! I currently use Avery’s regular sticky notes … their lined sticky notes are my favorites. However, these have a special place in my heart! They are wonderful for marking documents and being able to see through the note without having to remove it and replace it … risking the loss of the tackiness of the note. One never has to worry about placing and replacing a note again! This is a wonderful innovative product. The notes are great for anyone…anyone who needs to post a note! I especially like that the notes work with ballpoint pens, pencils, and permanent markers…what an array! Finally, each note package had a box top for education on the package…very important for those who collect for their local schools!
We have been reading up on the dangers of PVC and have found out that it is actually a pretty deadly chemical. Think of how many things are made from PVC! We are surrounded by products made from PVC. So, we thought that we would share a few articles on the topic of PVC to show you how dangerous it really is.
PVC: The Poison Plastic Website
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=saftey+of+pvc+rainwear#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=danger+of+pvc+in+children’s+products&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=4488cb887e893d25
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=saftey+of+pvc+rainwear#hl=en&expIds=17259,27617,27642,27868&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=danger+of+pvc&cp=12&qe=ZGFuZ2VyIG9mIHB2&qesig=1qqIvQP1ClDOULtYnhJ0Vg&pkc=AFgZ2tmn9Qs088FczgNmIObRvzSmYDtsx6RgZaq45l9wOf8_vnuETqIiKNj-LkZn8BYpJsWZRLAlTV2q-EUju4_kmmnQOMMiRA&pf=p&sclient=psy&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=danger+of+pv&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=4488cb887e893d25
Food Show Lady
Guest post written by Kevin Beach
I love all the food shows on TV and I’m so glad there are so many now! I consider myself a bit of a baker so I especially like all the cake shows and stuff that’s on. Cake Boss is my favorite because I also live in New Jersey and Buddy just has a really good vibe about him. I also really like all the Food Network Challenges because it’s really inspiring to me to see what other bakers can do in a short time with nothing but edible ingredients! There’s a relatively new one called Cupcake Wars that I absolutely adore even though I feel like the cupcake craze is really ending a slow death. I like seeing what they do with all the different ingredients and flavors and I also like the element of competition that’s always out and about. I got satellite from a satellite TV company because they had all the obscure food channels I wanted and I couldn’t be happier with the selection. They’re really helping me fine tune my hobby!
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.
Company Information
“VEGGIE PATCH, the brand name for FoodTech International’s products, is making a big impact in the rapidly growing soy foods industry. In fact, since it was founded in 1995, Veggie Patch has become a $15 million business and is the fastest growing company in the $300 million meat alternatives retail category.
Featured prominently in produce aisles at leading supermarkets throughout the country, Veggie Patch is well positioned to appeal to this consumer segment: American families wishing to make more healthful food choices. Veggie Patch’s recipe for success is a simple one. We offer America’s favorite foods in familiar and attractive new packaging, with fresh ingredients and delicious taste, making meatless foods “user-friendly.”
An added bonus of the Veggie Patch line is its appeal to children. Kids don’t find vegetables to be intimidating when they look and taste like chicken nuggets! This means parents can feel relieved to know their children are getting the nutrition they need, without the extra fat, calories, chemicals and other modern-day concerns posed by meat— it’s “meat” you can feel good about!”
Product Veggie Patch Offers
Spinach Nuggets, Chick’n Nuggets, Meatless Buffalo Wings, Chick’n Cutlets,, Broccoli Bites, Spinach Bites with Cheese
In addition, they have Simply The Best Veggie Dogs. And 3 varieties of Meatless Sausage, including Jalapeno Cheddar, Spiced Apple, and Sun Dried Tomato with Artichoke.
My Review
First off, I’d like to thank the Veggie Patch team for all their help. For the past few weeks, I had a hard time trying to find Veggie Patch items. Of course, it was my fault. I was looking in frozen food and the Veggie Patch products are located by the tofu’s and veggies.
When I visited the Veggie Patch website (http://www.facebook.com/eatveggiepatch.com) today, I noticed my grocery store only seemed carry about 4 of the 19 products. I will be suggesting they add more Veggie Patch products.
My family and I received the Falafel Chickpea Balls & Spinach Bites with Cheese. One word. YUMMY! I wish my grocery store offered more of the varieties that Veggie Patch offers.
The Spinach Bites with Cheese are wonderful! Our next gathering we are getting them again! Even with the breading they are not “heavy” on the belly.
My husband LOVES chickpeas and the Falafel Chickpea Balls did not disappoint. There is a recipe on the inside of the packaging that is not to be missed, Falafel Pockets. Try them for yourself.
Veggie Patch has a few more new fans! I’ll be speaking with my local grocery store to ask them for more varieties!
Congrats to all the winners!
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.
Father’s Day is coming! What are you getting for your Dad or Husband? Not sure yet? Well, head over to Red Envelope 
(www.redenvelope.com) they have lots of great items. Make it even more special and add personalization!
Red Envelope has everything for the garden & grilling dad to the office dad! They not only carry items for Dads, but graduations & weddings too. Don’t forget Father’s Day is fast approaching!
I received the “Hidden Message Money Clip Wallet” (Item #30006492) – shhhh… Don’t tell my husband! 
“Surprise him with a secret note tucked into his wallet – a secret shared only by you and your loved one. Our hidden message money clip wallet allows you to engrave a special inscription of love, hope or encouragement on a brushed nickel plated insert. He’ll think of you every day with this handsome bonded leather wallet. Exclusively from RedEnvelope.
My Review:
If your husband, father, or whoever is not into a big bulky wallet, this is great for him. This is great for my husband, as it has room to hold cards and the clip is great for any cash that he carries. The money clip on the outside has his initials and the pull out insert (the hidden message) is perfect for just you and him to know about. My husband and I have shopped at Red Envelope in the past and have gotten wonderful items. Many of which have a special message for just us to share. I would recommend this product and most of the Red Envelope products.
