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Big Brother from Wordless Wednesday

Our Wordless Wednesday photo was taken last Saturday when our family went to the Zoo. We had a picnic lunch and beside the picnic area was the small wooded area where the children found a great place to play! All of the children had come back to the picnic area and Noah, currently our youngest at 2 years old, ran back to into the bushes to play – with a bright smile on his face! His big brother, Jerbear, ran after him and grabbed his hand to go with him into the little area that is filled with rocks, sticks and all the fun stuff boys love in nature. I didn’t have time to get our camera out and snap a picture of them going in, so when they came around the bushes holding hands, I acted fast to catch the moment so we’d have it as a precious memory of big brother looking after his little brother.

Looking at the picture still makes my heart swell because we didn’t ask our son to run after his little brother. He did it all on his own. I love it when the children do things like this and can only hope and pray that their relationships will only grow in love and devotion towards one another.


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Wordless Wednesday – Big Brother

Big Brother


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Too Close to Home – Revell Book Tour

I received the following book in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the book.

Too Close to Home

The book Too Close to Home was a refreshing change from the historical romances that I usually enjoy and receive for reviews. It is about Special Agent Samantha Cash entering an investigation with Homicide Detective Connor Wolfe to crack the case of what appears to be a series of unsolved murders and disappearances of teen girls. Of course, intertwined within the case is a budding romance too. The story was filled with suspense and intrigue. It kept my attention and made me want to read until I found who committed the crimes.

This story also comes close to home to parents or it should. Due to the advances in technology, we all need to be watchful of our children’s activities online. I don’t think a week goes by without there being an article on how the police have arrested some person for solicitating sex from a minor online. I also found the details of Too Close to Home interesting in how investigators track and find these perpetrators.

Too Close to Home should also give us, as parents, pause as far as how busy we are in relation to how much time we spend with our teens. Teens need us as much, if not more, than younger children because of the many temptations that are bombarding them. Are we available and open and ready to listen to them when they need us? If we aren’t, then they are going to find someone else who is and just who will that person be?

I really enjoyed this suspenseful book and am looking forward to the next book in the Women of Justice Series, since Ms. Eason left me with a cliff hanger at the end of the last chapter! Reading this book was like watching a really good, clean detective show, seriously. Too Close to Home is Book One is the Women of Justice Series.

“Available April 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”


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Facebook Fan Page

I just wanted to invite everyone who is reading Faith and Family Reviews to become a fan on Facebook. If you already have a Facebook account becoming a fan is pretty painless, you just click the “Become a Fan” button! Creating an account is a little more detailed but painless too.

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The 2010 Ultimate Blog Party – Reminder

I don’t know about you, but The 2010 Ultimate Blog Party slipped my mind until yesterday. I was so busy though that I didn’t even get to it until writing this post last night! Not sure how much I will have time for this week – I tried keeping up with the #UBP10 Twitter Party. Faded fast though…

So remember to check out the Ultimate Blog Party at 5MinutesforMom.com!

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Kickin Berries Giveaway

The Mom Blogs is hosting a Kickin Berries Giveaway. There will be 5 winners! I even entered, that’s why I am writing this post so I get an extra entry. Here’s the info on the Kickin Berries:

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This Extremely high antioxidant drink mix has been formulated for moms and kids alike.

From the creator of Kickin Berries: “I was tired of giving my kids high sugar drinks for school and home so, I developed the Kickin Berries Mix.” This mix contains extracts from ACAI Pomegranate Goji and Elder Berries. This High antioxidant mix has tons of Berry flavor in one easy to carry anywhere stick pack. If you are looking for a great alternative to the daily sugar filled drinks for you and your kids give us a try-Its FREE just click here to request a sample

Also try the Kickinberries giveaway to have a chance to win one of many free thirty day supply’s (30 packets) of Kickin Berries. 5 Winners in All!

Click here for complete details on how to enter at The Mom Blogs.


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Do You and Your Kids Know the Map of the USA?

A friend emailed us a resource that is fun for moms and children! It is a website with an interactive map of the United States. This website allows you to practice where the states are located.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_drag-drop_Intermed_State15s_500.html


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Dr. Sharp Product Review

I received the following book in exchange for writing a review. While I consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, my review is my honest opinion and thoughts of the book.

We had the privilege of trying Dr. Sharp’s fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash recently.

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Over the years, we have tried many organic, eco-friendly personal care products. Some have resulted in finding favorites that we still use today and some have been flops that we had no desire to purchase again. Dr. Sharp was a pleasant surprise, as we weren’t sure what to expect, but found a great product we all like.

The children the strawberry flavored kid’s toothpaste and a couple of them really liked the “adult” mint toothpaste too. With our crew, it says a lot when we get a full round of “YES!” for liking a product. The kid’s toothpaste comes with a cute little monkey that attracts a child’s eye. The children liked the kid’s toothpaste so much they asked if we could use it from now on.

My husband and I have really liked the mint toothpaste. I think I like the mint better than the green tea, but both are comparable to brand name toothpastes. Yes, I know that is a big claim, but seriously that was my initial thought, “Wow, this could be a brand name toothpaste.” But I will say that my sensitive teeth started to become sensitive again after a few days of using Dr. Sharp’s toothpaste, so I have now gone back to using Young Living’s Thieves Dentraome Plus toothpaste, as it is the only toothpaste I have found that does not bother my sensitive teeth. We are a distributor for Young Living, so we actually get the wholesale price. If any of you are interested in trying it, please let me know because if you buy under me then you will help us earn money on your purchase. Or if you are interested in more info, feel free to email me at faithandfamilyreviews {at} gmail {dot} com.

Our oldest was the only one to experience whiter teeth after a couple weeks of using a combination of the mint and green tea toothpastes from Dr. Sharp. I am not sure but her teeth are whiter and she is very pleased about it!

Only two of us have really used the mouthwash, which is mint flavored. It is ok, but it took a while to grow on me. My daughter liked it from the start. Again, I do prefer my Young Living Thieves mouthwash.

All in all, our family really liked Dr. Sharp’s organic, fluoride free toothpaste and mouthwash. The eco-friendly monkey tote is an added bonus and very cute too. Dr. Sharp’s products are pricey, even more pricey than Young Living’s products.

For more information on Dr. Sharp products, please visit www.drfluoridefree.com


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The Business of Being Born

Ever since I heard about documentary, The Business of Being Born, I have wanted to see it. There was even a screening here in the Chicago area, but being a bit of a miser I decided to wait until it came out on DVD. Then life happened and I forgot about it until this past week when a friend and colleague mentioned it on Facebook. So I looked it up online, found it and watched it. It was really good.

Business of Being Born dvd

Director, Abbey Epstein and executive producer, Ricki Lake did a great job of documenting how birth has become big business and how normal, healthy pregnancies can produce a healthy birth at home. Both of these ladies actually had a birth filmed and a part of The Business of Being Born.

Here’s another tidbit about me, I am actually a bit of a prude. So I don’t enjoy seeing other women in all their “glory” giving birth. Although, I do love their responses as they meet their newly born child – that moves me to tears. I also do not like fowl language, which The Business of Being Born did not “bleep” out the few times that it was uttered by participants in the movie, but that did not detract from the message of the film. It did make my ears ring though. Not that I don’t ever spout off something I shouldn’t when I am upset, I do, after all I am human. However, I do not use the “F” word and think it sounds atrocious to be honest. Very unlady like and unprofessional in my opinion. But I will say that some of these ladies were giving birth and in pain, so in part they really did not have had much control at the time either.

I think this is a must see film for all women planning to have children, expecting or who may even be done having children. Each group of women will take something away from it and it will challenge the way they view and think about birth.


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The Guys and Spring

Just wanted to update you on our Wordless Wednesday. This was one of the days we made it to the park last week. The guys were enthralled with the pee wee baseball practice going on behind the playground. They should have just turned around in their swings and they could have been swinging while watching the other boys and their dads/coaches practice!

A cute thing happened this week when our two-year-old came up the stairs with a milk crate of clean cloth diapers, without being told! We wouldn’t ask such a little tike to do a job like that anyways. His big brother helped with the last step but other than that we had no idea he was dragging up the crate. He barely made a sound while doing it. Then once he had it in our room, he proceeded to start folding diapers! How’s that for training? Just by watching others do it he figured he could too! Truly a precious boy.

This week has been cold, wet and rainy. We had to cancel our appt. to see the farmland and will reschedule on a nice day next week.

Yesterday, I had my first midwife appointment. I am 20 weeks and 2-4 days. Baby wouldn’t stay put for very long when the doppler was used, but at least we did get to hear his or her heartbeat. My blood pressure was good, but my iron is down a bit. That was odd for me, mine is usually higher, so I am going to try and up my iron intake. Technically at 28-32weeks it is suppose to have a healthy, expected drop, but we don’t want mine to drop we want it to remain the same.

Tomorrow Milwaukee Zoo is having a free day if anyone is near that city and interested!


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