A "Magic Sleeping Potion" Recipe...

We've been experimenting with aroma therapy at our house, and my kids absolutely love it! Here's Violet's recipe for "Magic Sleeping Potion". If you ask the kids, they will tell you it REALLY works and they ask for it every night before they go to bed!

Click here for a great place to purchase essential oils and supplies. Enjoy!


Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies of the product. 

Review: FitBit Flex Fitness Tracker

 

Pros: Comfortable, changeable bands in multiple color choices, fits very small or large wrist sizes, easy to use FitBit app, band works with or without your phone close by, multiple alarm settings available, charge lasts for about 7 days, fast charge finishes in about 2 hours, no distracting screen display, waterproof for long-term wear.

Cons: Slight learning curve to understand and operate device, wish it came with an ankle band, doesn't track movement well if hand is stable.

Summary: Overall a great little device with most of the features I was looking for. Works well as a reminder to keep moving, connects well to social media if you wish to compete with friends and family. A great way to gamify your fitness goals, keep record of how you sleep, track what you eat, and drink.

 

Full Review:

Okay, there are quite a few great things to say about this product! I was pleased with the small sleekness of the Fitbit Flex design as I have small wrists and am not into big plastic digital watch-looking things. There are many different colors and bands to choose from. I like that it sits as a constant reminder to move my body but doesn't have a distracting display. It does have a full read out on the phone app that you can check whenever you want to. It holds a charge for about 7 days and charges quickly in about 2 hours. The fact that it's waterproof allows you to keep it on all the time with less chance of losing it.

You can tell about how many steps you've taken by the number of light-up dots on the band when you tap it. Set it up for any number of steps depending on your personal goals. Mine is set up for ten thousand steps as my goal, so each one of the 5 lights on the band represents 2000 steps. My kids LOVE tapping it all day long to see how many steps I've taken! The band vibrates and lights up as soon as you reach your goal each day and then resets at midnight.

The alarm feature is helpful either as an alarm clock or as a reminders throughout the day. It quietly vibrates to alert you, and stops when you tap it.

It also tracks your sleep quality. To use this feature, you have to rapidly tap on the band until it blinks and lights up two lights on opposite sides of the band then tap again for wake up. It records actual sleep time and also how much time you spent restless.

If you need a little healthy competition, you can easily connect with friends and family on social media like facebook so you can compare and compete, "cheer" or "taunt" your friends. You can also set up group challenges to see who can get the highest number of steps in a set period of time.

I was slightly disappointed with the fact that it does not track well for activities in which your wrist is in a stable position, for example bike riding or pushing a cart or stroller. It would be great if FitBit would create an ankle band to use as an option for different types of exercise!

Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies of the product. No compensation was received.

ENTER TO WIN Minions in your cereal and Movie Theater Ticket Giveaway

To Celebrate the the new Minions Movie, General Mills is giving away Minions in specially marked cereal and snack boxes! Enter below to win a prize package that includes:

~A $25 Fandango gift card to see the film in theatres next month

~A participating General Mills Box of cereal
 

~An exclusive Minions Buddy

~A box of a participating Betty Crocker fruit flavored snack

~Closed~

Review: Wholesale Halloween Costumes

Pros: Good service, nice quality costume, good value, timely delivery.

Cons: The costume size was a little big but still looked awesome for the occasion!

Summary: If you are looking for nice quality costumes in any size with lots of accessories to choose from, check out Wholesale Halloween Costumes!

Review:

 A 6th grade history presentation and costume party created a perfect opportunity to try a costume from Wholesale Halloween Costumes. K chose to be Samuel Adams for his big "history live" project performed in front of teachers, friends and family. The "Founding Father's" costume was an excellent choice!

The costume was a nice quality material that although it arrived a little on the wrinkly side, seemed to smooth out well after hanging on a hanger for a bit. K is currently wearing about a youth size 16, so I ordered an adult (one size fits all) costume thinking it may fit better than a child size. It was a little on the big side, but still looked sharp and appropriate for the occasion. We were very pleased with the timeliness of the arrival. We added a lace collar and boots to complete the look. It would have been fun if we had added a white wig as well. This costume would look great as many other colonial historical figures like Benjamen Franklin, George Washington, or any character with a patriotic theme.

Over all we loved this costume!
Follow Wholesale Halloween on Twitter for more great party and costume ideas!

Disclosure: We received the Founding Fathers costume mentioned above  for  review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Gecko Monitor Software Review and Giveaway

The Good:

Does the important stuff well and out-of-sight. Simple to install and use.

The Bad:

Keylogger did not always work. Price is fair, but not down to today's expectations.

The Bottom Line:

If you need a stable, discreet monitoring software, this is it.

If you want free and basic, it's not.

If you want to filter internet, that's a different product.

When I was asked to review this product, I was thinking about how clunky my present internet filtering program is and how I would not mind replacing it. When I installed Gecko (which was an absolute breeze), I realized that it was not what I was looking for and doubted that I would have much use for it. Surprise! I did.

It just happened that at this time, a certain tween has been doing computer programming AND, um, uh, “testing” of the games – I mean “programs”. So it has been a little programming and a lot of games. Well, the issues became clearer when Gecko began taking screen shots every so often. Suddenly, I knew what was going on throughout the hours. Yes, there was the online homework and math help sites, but there were also a number of hours where the Gecko screen shot showed no change in the code, just more games. It gave us all a common data set to talk about time management and setting limits. I am sure it will come in handy as the children get older and use the computer(s) more and more often.

The screenshot feature was very helpful, but Gecko also tracks the keystrokes (careful! even your own passwords!) web sites visited, applications used, printing activity, and so on. The “Timeline” feature is handy, just giving the highlights over time so you can quickly zoom in on activities as needed. You can even set it up to send you email reports, although gmail gave me a bit of trouble (not Gecko's fault).

One trouble I had was that the keylogger did not work all that well or that the files were somehow lost. They tracked me as I was testing it, but I could not find the archives over the past couple of weeks.

All in all, it is a handy program that does exactly what it says it does, and discreetly. If it is worth it to you, then spend the money. Less than $40 is cheap compared to the myriad problems that the software may point out before it gets too late.

If you are interested in a monitoring program AND an internet filter, there is nothing that beats the following: place the computer in the middle of the house within easy sight of everyone.

Giveaway! 

If you would like a free trial of this software, the first 10 people to leave a comment will win a chance to try!
Here's how:

1. Let me know what your biggest kid internet concern is.

2. Leave your email address

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review: Knight Costumes

Pros: Good service, nice quality costume, good value.

Cons:  The helmet seems to run slightly small compared with costume, but still works.

Summary: If you are looking for nice quality costumes in any size with lots of accessories to choose from, check out Costume Supercenter!

Review:
For school, my son K had to give a "history live" presentation in costume as "King Richard the Lionhearted".  After researching what King Richard wore, he chose the "Deluxe Dragon Slayer" knight Costume to do his presentation in. Truthfully, he wasn't really a knight...but he was a medieval warrior and this seemed like a great match for the part.

I am always amazed at how small they are able to package these costumes! It arrived in a small package, but came out looking great without any ironing or effort. The costume seems well made and includes everything pictured except for the black pants. K was impressed at the shiny silver fabric part of the costume that looks like chain mail.  The body of costume seems true to the sizing chart offered on the website.  The helmet however seemed a little snug although workable (your experience may be different due to variations in head sizes! :)

So if you would like to be a dragon slayer, or King Richard...I would recommend this as a great option! :)

Disclosure: We received the Deluxe Dragon Slayer costume mentioned above  for  review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Review: Tangbaby Fake Cake Greeting

Pros: Funny, awesome, unique, affordable, handmade gift.  No envelope needed... delivers right to your recipient's mail box as is!

Cons:  This cake card looks so real it might make you hungry when you look at it...but it is NOT edible! :)

 

Purchase: at the TangBaby on Etsy.com


Summary:Whether you are looking for a great April Fools Day Card, a calorie-free birthday gift, or just something fun for someone special...this is an awesome gift idea!

Review: This is such a fun birthday, celebration, thinking of you, anytime occasion thing to send to your friends and family! Each slice of "cake" is hand crafted and made for the mail carrier to "serve" right in to your loved-one's mail box! Imagine getting your mail and finding this laying on top of all of the bills! :)

 
 Check out more delicious looking cake cards at TangBaby!
 

Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies of the product. No other compensation was received.

Review: Superman Costumes at Costume Discounters

Pros: Fast service, nice quality costume, true to size, good value.

Cons:  This costume is so neat that now the little brother wants one too! :)

Summary: If you are looking for nice quality costumes in any size with lots of accessories to choose from, check out Costume Discounters!

Review:
My son chose this costume because his little sister begged him to; she wants him to wear it when she wears her Supergirl costume!  What a good big brother he is!

Our Deluxe Light-Up Superman costume came in the mail today, only three business days after we ordered it from Costume Discounters! Although the package was very small and light-weight, the costume seems very well made.  This Man of Steel costume includes the one piece body suit (including huge muscles) and a detachable cape.  The Superman emblem on the front of the costume lights up, which my kids thought was really cool! :)

The length and fit of the costume seemed true to the sizing chart offered on the site.  Since K usually wears slims, the costume fits over clothes, which is better on a cool fall day anyway. 

Another great feature about this company: Costume Discounters guarantees the lowest price on the web, or they will match the price and also give you 20% off. They also offer free shipping on exchanges, allowing you to try their costumes risk free!

Disclosure: We received the Superman Costume mentioned above  for  review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Time4Writing Review: Extreme Paragraphs

Pros: Small time commitment,personally coached by individual teacher, simple way to develop practical skills

Cons: Small icons were at first confusing to navigate after logging in, would love to see more teaching videos, animations to teach writing concepts, or interactive lessons like Time4Learning.

Summary: Overall a great little course with lots of helpful writing tools. My daughter was able to finish with minimal time commitment. Writing teacher was helpful and kind. She usually graded assignments within a 24 hours. Instructions were simple to follow and explained well. I feel that my daughter learned some useful information and had fun using her imagination to write paragraphs.

Full Review: After reading the parent info on the site, we decided that the "Extreme Paragraph" course looked like the right level for our 8 year old. J started off her writing course introducing herself to her teacher Mrs. Jennifer. The course began slowly with exercises and assignments to practice writing all the parts of a paragraph, beginning with topic sentences. 

Each lesson began with a short video clip that explained the concept that she would be learning. Then practice activities and quizzes came before the assignment. After completing her assignments, J's kind writing teacher, Mrs. Jennifer graded her writing and left a grade and helpful feedback to either correct the assignment, or to move on to the next lesson.

J seemed to fly through the lessons and quizzes with ease, but took a lot longer finishing the writing assignments. Once she was finished she was proud of her accomplishment and very excited to get feedback from Mrs. Jennifer.

Overall we thought the course had a lot of useful writing tools and clear instructions. My daughter learned some useful information and had fun using her imagination to write paragraphs. She seems a little more confident and has even expressed an interest in writing a book someday. :)  At the end of the course, J earned an Extreme Paragraph writing certificate. 

About Time4Writing...

My third grade writer is now more than half way through her "Extreme Paragraphs" course on Time4Writing! So far she likes it and has been able to fly through and stay on track even though we took a few days off while we were out of town. Her kind teacher, Mrs. Jennifer,  has offered good feedback to help J write the best paragraphs.  So far she's practiced writing topic sentences, supporting details, and  closing sentences. She has also learned about using good sentence structure, transition words and adjectives.  Her favorite thing to do is write stories from her imagination. Stay tuned for the full review as soon as she's finished!

Teaching your kids to ride a bike...the easy (and cheap) way.

So after having tried all kinds of methods and after many tears and crashes, training wheels, no training wheels, running with little biker,etc...we've finally learned the secret! 

I was recently searching on line for the best ways to teach children to ride on two wheels and learned that bikes with no pedals, which are often quite pricey, work amazingly well. My hubby also heard that the best way to teach adults and kids with special needs is to just take all the pedals and training wheels off. 

We had kids "bike" by pushing with their feet in big "walking on the moon" steps. We made it a game to see how long they could balance without touching their feet to the ground. A few short weeks of practicing and they were balancing for about 10-20 seconds without touching the ground.

We put the pedals back on, and just like magic they all took off riding!

*Note:When removing the pedals, the left pedal is usually threaded differently than the right pedal to avoid unintentional unscrewing during riding. The LEFT pedal is RIGHTY-LOOSEY (clockwise), LEFTY-TIGHTY (counter-clockwise). 

Coming Soon: A Review of Time4Writing

We will be using Time4Writing as a summer writing program for the next couple of months.  We are excited to get started with the interactive lessons.  Our online tutor will correct our work and give us writing tips on how to sharpen our writing skills.  Come visit in a few weeks to see how we like it.

Review: Time4Learning

Pros:   

• Fun lessons cover lots of material in small amounts of time. 
• Animations, colorful graphics, and interactive funny dialog keep kids engaged. 
• Clear explanations and feedback for right and wrong answers. 
• Parent access to quizes and grades, easily printed for record keeping.  
• Clutter free schoolwork, great for big families or small living spaces.  

Cons:    

• Using Time4Learning on a tablet is a little tricky and can be slow.  
• Parental controls do not include the ability to digitally assign specific lessons or assignments.

Summary:  

If you are a busy parent and looking for an effective educational tool that your children will love to use either as a curriculum, supplement, or tutoring alternative for preschool through 12th grade...Time4Learning is a excellent resource!  

Try it:   Time4Learning.com  

Review:  

There are many things to love about time4learning...but I will keep it simple and just name a few.

1. Effective teaching tool
Time4Learning is both fun and really great at teaching concepts and skills to a large spectrum of learning styles.  The lessons are very well written and designed to help children learn and retain the material. We were pleased with how well our kids did on standardized tests this year.

2. Makes life easier
I don't know about you...but as a homeschooling mama of four, it's hard to juggle everyone's schedule some days. This program is kid and parent user friendly and keeps track of where everyone is at. If a subject comes easy for your child, they can fly through...if its more difficult, they can watch the lesson again until they get the concepts.  Work that is finished and graded for you is easily printable for record keeping and reporting.

3. Stuff Free!
Having had a child in public school, I was amazed at the volume of paper that came through the door! It was a constant battle to stay on top of it all and I found myself having to recycle 99% of it to reclaim the space it took up in our house!  Although Time4Learning has optional printable supplements to go with lessons, the work is almost completely digital. It is an ideal curriculum for families living in small spaces as it eliminates the need for many text books. It's also great for traveling as all you need is a computer (or tablet) and an Internet connection.  

Overall we really love this program (we have been using it for years) and we are excited that Time4Learning is launching their new high school program this fall! We hope Time4Learning will become more iPad friendly in the future.  

Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by Time4Learning. Compensation was received for this review.

Make your own ketchup

 

When I use to teach preschool, as far as the kids were concerned, there were the 4 basic food groups...and one of them had to be ketchup! We decided to make homemade ketchup and we really liked it! No chemicals or corn syrup like the store bought brands and the kids still love it! :)

Ketchup Recipe

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic

Blend all ingredients together well and pour into empty ketchup bottle and refrigerate.  :)

Review: Pajaminals Storybook Nap Mat and Cowbella plush toy

We received a Pajaminals storybook nap mat and a Cowbella plush animal for review. 

Pros: Fun, colorful, foldable mat for naptime, great for sending to daycare or preschool to use on top of cots, with babysitter, or to keep at Grandma's. Super soft, cuddly characters that encourage happy napping are always a plus!

Cons: The "storybook pillow" may at first be a bit exciting to "read" when trying to go to sleep. :)

Summary: If you are looking for a great cot-liner or sleeping mat for the babysitter or to keep at Grandma's, this is a great naptime product to have on hand!

Purchase: In most department stores and online. Prices vary.

Full Review:
If you haven't seen the new Jim Henson show called "Pajaminals" aimed at toddlers-preschoolers yet, it is showing on Sprout and NBC Saturday mornings. This show focuses on promoting preschool skills to help their days run smoothly. As a parent, foster parent, and teacher I can especially appreciate the part where they teach healthy sleep and naptime habits!

Along with this show, there is a new line of Pajaminal toys and products.

We loved the snuggle up story mat. It is made with premium fleece material and includes a plush book (all attached) that transforms to a pillow at the top.  Kids can use their imagination to tell stories about the pictures which could help with transitioning from play time to sleepy time. 

A soft blanket is attached at the side of the mat with colorful characters printed all over it. This mat is sized perfectly to fit on top of a nap cot or to use on the floor at babysitters house or at grandma's. The mat folds and velcros shut for easy storage. It is sized for a preschooler up to about age 5.

 

There is also a collection of Pajanimals plush toys (in 2 sizes) includes the characters: Apollo, Squacky, Cowbella and Sweet Pea Sue inspired by the TV series. We received Cowbella, who is made of soft fleecy fabric that is trimmed with silky ribbons.  These would make a great birthday presents for toddlers or preschoolers!

 

 

Disclosure: We received the  Pajaminals storybook nap mat and a Cowbella plush animal  to  review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

JourneyBee Travel Crib Review and Coupon Code

Pros: Very light weight, quick pop-up assembly, folds flat for easy storage or transport.

Cons: Does not come with a bassinet/changing table feature that some travel cribs include.

Summary: If you are looking for a great travel crib that is soooo easy to set up, is lightweight, stores and travels easily ...JourneyBee is the way to go! This would be a great item to keep at Grandma's house or to have on hand for visiting guests with babies and toddlers!

Purchase it at ParentLab.com and use coupon code: H5ezWmQ6 to get 10% off your purchase!

Full Review:

Okay, there are quite a few great things to say about this product! It arrived in a zippered storage bag with a shoulder strap and 2 smaller handles. The bag also contains a front zippered compartment which would be convenient to store toys, blankets or diapers in..

Take out the travel crib and it will gently pop open with no tricky assembly, and no trouble getting it to stay open. The mattress pad easily slides into a pocket at the base of the crib to make the bed cushiony. The JourneyBee comes with a soft fleecy sheet that attaches and lines the inside of the crib and can be removed and washed easily. Assembling and breaking down this crib was so easy it reminds me of the pop-up play tents and tunnels my kids have. This crib folds so flat that it could be stored under a bed or behind a couch.

Thinking back on the other travel cribs we have owned, I'm sure that they weighed at least twice as much as this one, were tricky and took a significant amount of time to set up and break down, and were annoying to store and travel with.

Below is a video of the first time we set up and broke down the crib...we didn't even have to read the directions... :)

The only feature I miss with this travel crib is an adjustable bassinet/ changing table feature that some travel cribs have.. However, the detachable mattress part of the crib could be easily used as a changing mat.

Overall we loved this product!

Find more info about this travel crib at ParentLab.com or follow them on Facebook or on Twitter.

Disclosure: We received a JourneyBee travel crib  to  review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Coming soon: Journey Bee Review and Coupon Code!

Be watching for an upcoming review of JourneyBee- a brand new pop-open portable travel crib created by ParentLab!

In the mean time, head over to the The ParentLab site and check them out..  You can use the coupon code: H5ezWmQ6 to get 10% off of your purchase!

A Meaningful Easter Gift

I've been on the look out for meaningful gifts and activities to do on Easter... To be honest, I'm really tired of the typical Easter basket fillers, and I'm overwhelmed at the colossal amount of candy and junk that goes through our house all the time! In the process, I found this lovely little book:

The Jesus Storybook: Every Story Whispers His Name...  The wording in this little book is so beautifully written and I love the way the heart of the story shines through in such a kid friendly way! I chose the deluxe edition which comes with 3 audio cd's of the entire book which is so pleasantly spoken.

Here is an example:

I'm looking forward to listening to this on long car rides, putting it on my kids mp3 players, and playing it at bedtime when my little people are falling asleep!
   
Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies of the product. No compensation was received.

New ChicoBag and Coupon Code

Check out the new sidekick Cross Body Tote by ChicoBag!  You can get 10% off your purchase ordered by by using the coupon code: SIDEKICK

Coupon offer is good till 4/15/13

Adoption Day!!!

If you've been wondering, we've been a little busy lately! I wanted to let you in on our happy news... We finally adopted our 2 little ones last week on National adoption day! Due to a few miracles and great adoption caseworkers, they are really ours now! This brings our official total family count to 6! So much to be thankful for...