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Ultimate Back to School Bash

Posted by html404 on August 10, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Contests, Education, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Giveaways, School, Uncategorized

Still shopping for back to school supplies? Have you thought of entering giveaways to see if you could win some cool back to school products? We are participating in the Ultimate Back to School Bash! The giveaway will run from August 18th at 12:01 am and run through August 31st at 11:59 pm.

Currently, the giveaway prizes include the following list, valued at $202, but growing fast:

$100 Visa Gift Card from 3 Boys and a Dog
Back to School Survival Guide from The Confident Mom (value $10)
GoPicnic Set of 6 Meals (value $28.49)
Teach My Winners Choice (value up to $39.99)
One subscription to BYOU ‘Be Your Own You!’ Magazine (value $23.70)
Office Depot Foundation Sackpack of Supplies (non-profit)
Texas Instruments The TI-Nspire CX handheld (value $150)

**More prizes being added daily!

Bloggers, you are welcome to sign up as well as This is a free event! Each blogger will get 1 free link, either Facebook or Twitter. Please say I referred you. Sorry for the short notice but Today is the last day to sign up!

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TWR360 Free Christian Programming

Posted by html404 on August 9, 2013
in Downloads, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Home, Parenting, Reviews, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

Even though TWR is the world’s largest Christian radio broadcaster with missionaries around the world and has been around for nearly years, I think this is the first time I have heard about it. They have created a brand new beta consumer platform TWR360 and are harnessing the power of technology in the digital age to reach new listeners for Christ. As I stated, the site is currently in beta and the official consumer launch is January 1; new programming is being added between now and the end of the year. What a great free Christian programming resource.

TWR360 Free Christian Programming

Like any other online account creation, creating a TWR360 account is very easy.

Here are my favorite programming:
Unshackled!
Adventures in Odessey (listed under the program schedule)
Children’s Bible Hour (listed under the program schedule)
Children’s Story Hour (listed under the program schedule)
Family Life Today

I found the site a little hard to navigate and the search engine for the site didn’t seem to bring up programs I searched for that were on TWR360’s programming schedule. So I think that is something they should improve upon during this beta stage before their official launch in January 2014. Otherwise I thought it was a resource Christians and others should know about as they have a decent variety in their programming schedule.

You can find TWR360 on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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Back to School with Old Navy #myONstyle @OldNavy

Posted by html404 on August 8, 2013
in Children's Clothing, Family Stuff, Fashion, Girl Stuff, Kids Stuff, Saving Money, School, Shopping, Uncategorized

Back to school season is here already, can you believe it? I still have shop to for school supplies but I did take one of our children, our third oldest daughter shopping at Old Navy as a treat and she needed more immediate things than the rest. Old Navy has their back to school promotion going on right now in all U.S. stores – $10 and under – from 8/3 thru 8/14. Old Navy is also inviting parents to come into stores to take a picture of their kids rocking their favorite Old Navy back to school looks in front of the store’s Step and Repeat!

Back to School with Old Navy

Old Navy Gift Card – Accepted via my iPhone since our printer is not working!

I have to admit we headed for the clearance section first. Not only did the bright colors attract my daughter but we wanted to make the most of our limited budget. It would have been easy to spend it all on one or two items, but instead we came out with eight things! Not too shabby, eh?

My daughter is still growing, as a matter of fact she’s taller than me by a couple inches, not saying much since I am only 5’3. I say that because we now have to shop in the ladies or women’s section just so we can get the height part to fit her. We did sneak a peek at the girls section to get a feel for what was available for my youngest daughter. The girls section was tucked all the way back in the left hand corner of the store, but very easy to find.

She loved these shorts, but wished they were longer or pants!

O with her clothes selection – 2 dresses, 5 pairs of socks, including horse socks and a pair of black leggings.

Don’t forget Old Navy’s Back to School promotion – $10 and under – and consider getting your kids to show of their back to school fashion style in front of the store’s Step and Repeat! After you upload your photo, enter to the Multiply Your Sweet Style here: www.nick.com/OldNavy! It includes an Old Navy $1000 shopping spree, $500 cash to play in L.A and a shopping experience with Jennette McCurdy and Ariana Grande from Nickelodeon’s Sam and Cat!

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Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on August 7, 2013
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Recipes, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Peanut Butter Popcorn Recipe

Peanut butter popcorn has become a favorite treat for our family. It is so very yummy! And pretty easy to make.

3 quarts of popped popcorn
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of honey
1 cup of peanut butter

Heat honey, sugar and peanut butter until bubbly. Remove and add popcorn. Spread on wax paper. Let cool. Enjoy!

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Back to School with KIWI Shop

Posted by html404 on August 6, 2013
in Contests, Crafts, Eco Friendly Products, Education, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids Stuff, Organic, Reviews, Uncategorized

Back to school time! We received a fabulous back to school kit from our the KIWI shop that included eight back to school products. KIWI is a natural, organic online shop offering eco-friendly, organic products for parents, kids and the home.

Back to School with KIWI Shop

Below are the products we used and reviewed:

Wean Green 4 oz. Wean Cubes, 4-Pack, Garden – I loved these little glass cubes! Not only are they cute and colorful but great for little snacks. I wouldn’t necessarily send my children to school with them because of the glass material but from a storage stand point they are great containers to have in the cupboard. Though a little pricey.

LiceLogic Repel Conditioning Hair Spray – I don’t think all the girls have used this product yet but one of them said they did try it and liked it. We’ve never had an issue with lice but now that we have this hopefully we will continue to enjoy a lice free life!

Facial Gel Cleanser – I know one of my girls has tried this product and she says she liked it and how it made her skin feel softer. She was experiencing a bit of a pimple outbreak on her nose and forehead and she stated this Gel Cleanser was helping get rid of it.

Eco Lunchbox – made of stainless steel and very sturdy. Love this as well as the crocodile one for younger children.

Safari Bento Box, Green Crocodile – is super cute and our son loved it for his new Vegetable Crayons!

Vegetable Crayons – My almost 3 year old loved “his” organic vegetable crayons! They were easy for him to handle and fun to use. The only thing negative I noticed is the colors are not as dark as the crayon, even the dark blue and green or red for that matter.

Kids AlternaVites STRAWBERRY 30 CT – all of our children liked the AlternaVites, except for our 14 year old. They reminded her of the antibiotic she use to have to take before she went to the dentist (she use to have a heart condition). All the children who liked the AlternaVites, asked to have their vitamins. That’s always a good sign in our house….when they don’t run away when it’s time to take any sort of supplement! 😉

Artterro Handmade Paper Bookmaking Kit – Our children enjoyed working on the bookmaking kit together. The only thing the younger children needed my help with was the book binding. This kit makes a great rainy day craft project or a 90 degree plus day.

We really love the product mix offered for back to school! It was fun for all of us to go through the products and test them out.

If you would like to win some cool back to school products from KIWI shop, please visit their giveaway to enter: http://www.kiwishoponline.com/back-to-school-giveaway

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The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted by html404 on August 4, 2013
in Books, Gift Ideas, Products for Mom, Quotes, Reviews, Uncategorized

Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.

I enjoyed another book last month titled, The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher. This book is about an Amish widow seeking a way to provide for her family after her husband passes away. It is inspired by a true story.

Within the first few pages I could relate to Rose’s life. Her rambunctious-work-avoiding boys, her weariness with her responsibilities (page 10) and struggles and worries over how to provide for her family.

I admired Rose’s ability to give her anger, lack of forgiveness and faith over to God. Amidst difficulty she always seemed to choose the high road. I had to ask myself if I do the same when facing difficult circumstances.

It wasn’t until the end of the book I discovered this book is a part of a new series, The Inn at Eagle Hill. The thought of existence of such a place in real life was refreshing and how invigorating it would be to visit.

I fear in places the storyline was predictable, which always lets me down. Nevertheless, it was nice to put my feet up and enjoy a good book. I admit I wondered at the miracles happening. We are a the point in our lives where we need a miracle vocationally and I can’t help but wonder if it will happen in the time it needs to.

Here are a couple quotes from the book I enjoyed:

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark. (page 9)

Rose Schrock had been raised not to complain, so she didn’t, but the truth of the matter was, the last seven months had been the hardest stretch of her life: so many things had gone wrong that it was hard to know which trouble to pay attention to at any given time. (page 10)

I need more faith to guide us through dark times and while I try not to complain, I don’t think I am the example Rose was and have tons of room for improvement.

As always, I love Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books, she combines all the emotions for a great read. So of course I give The Letters two thumbs up.

“Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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CaringBridge

Posted by html404 on August 1, 2013
in Encouragement for Moms, Family Stuff, Giving Back/Charity, Health, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for CaringBridge. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

We have friends in our old church who had a child born with a facial birth defect. She has had numerous doctors appointments, wonderful care and has experienced great progress in her growth and development. However, when she was first born many things were pretty much up in the air because lots of discussion and follow up had to be done in order for the parents and doctors to the right path of treatment for this child. In order to keep all of us who were surrounding them with love, care and prayer, the family created a webpage dedicated to update specific for this child. They used a site like CaringBridge to send out updates and photos.

Most of us have experienced a life-changing illness or had a family member or friend who has. CaringBridge is a nonprofit organization which has served families for more than 15 years, offering hope and inspiration to struggling families. Sona Mehring, the founder of CaringBridge shares a collection of these important hope-inspiring stories in her new book, Hope Conquers All. The stories range from young children with cancer, to adults awaiting transplants, these first-person accounts reveal the importance CaringBridge had in their personal journeys. If you have someone special who needs your love and support through a troubling health issue, or you are even faintly interested to learn how brave these individuals were through such hard times, consider learning more or purchasing Sona Mehring’s book here: http://caringb.org/hope. All author proceeds will go to CaringBridge.

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Brutus the Hog – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on July 31, 2013
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Wordless Wednesday

This is Brutus the Hog. He is a heritage breed Tamworth pig. We met him on one of our trips to a local farm to purchase turkeys. His owners said he climbs into his water trough every day to do this (see photo below) and makes a ton more work – because the trough has to be washed out every day rather than weekly or however often the farmer deemed best. We thought it was hilarious that Brutus did this.

Then what does our cow do a week later? Yes, Miss Moo climbed in her 25 gallon water trough and cracked it! Argh! Those stock tanks are not cheap. Thankfully, we had purchased ours used, but still they are hard to come by in good shape even when purchasing them used. So she now has to use her hay bucket for water.

My husband is interested in raising some heritage hogs. They are really fun to observe. Not sure at what point we’ll get to raising hogs but thinking of all the bacon we’d get from a hog makes our mouth water!

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Credit Cards

Posted by html404 on July 30, 2013
in Education, Money & Finances, Tuesday Tip, Uncategorized

This is a featured guest post.

What type of credit card is right for me?

If the time has come to get a new credit card you might find you’re presented with a slightly overwhelming number of options to choose from. This can make it hard work knowing where to start, which is why it’s a good idea to educate yourself about how best to go about it.

Know the different kinds of card

When credit cards are mentioned, many people will think of them in simple terms – a piece of plastic that lets you purchase goods or services and pay for them at a later date. However, there are different types of cards to suit different circumstances.

Balance transfer cards – if you have existing debts then the 0 per cent interest period offered by a balance transfer credit card could help you pay the balance off at a more manageable rate. The interest free period can vary, so be sure to know how long it lasts before signing up.
Rewards cards – if you’re able to regularly pay off your balance each month and want to get a little something back then it might be worth going for a card with a reward scheme. What you get in return for your spending is likely to vary so be sure to compare credit cards to find the best one for you.
Platinum cards – a range of additional benefits are typically offered along with this kind of product, such as insurance. They normally offer a higher credit limit and are only those with a good credit rating are likely to be approved.

Pre-paid cards – if you’re travelling overseas or want a little added security while shopping online then a pre-paid card might be the right option for you. It can be loaded with a set amount of cash, so might be a good option for parents to give to older children heading on school trips.

Compare fees and interest rates

Perhaps the easiest way to get an overview of the interest rate you’re likely to pay on a card is to compare the Annual Percentage Rates (APR). In terms of your monthly repayments you’re always best paying for what you’ve spent by covering the full balance each month, but if you can’t do this then it’s typically better to find the lowest APR on offer. It’s also worth looking in to the charges you will face for any missed payments, or for using your card in another country.

Time to apply

Once you’ve done all this it could be time to apply. Make sure you’re aware of your credit rating before doing so and avoid making multiple applications, as this is one of the things that could harm your chances of getting accepted.

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GoodNites Underwear

Posted by html404 on July 29, 2013
in Uncategorized

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of GoodNites. All opinions are 100% mine.

I've mentioned before that we still have a few stragglers when it comes to bedwetting. It isn't every night, just some nights. Bedwetting is not always an easy thing to overcome. It can be a challenge for parents waiting for their child to stay dry through the night, as well as for those on laundry duty. It is difficult for the child who wants to be a big boy or girl but struggles with bedwetting. To save on bedding having to be washed frequently we rely on disposable underwear. They have been "laundry-savers"!

Bedwetting is more common than I used to believe. 13% of all six year olds wet the bed. 5% of all ten year olds. That's a lot when you think about it. Surprisingly, bedwetting also runs in the family. (Source: Kidshealth.org)

We have tried a few products to see how they worked. The lastest product we tried is GoodNites Underwear.

GoodNites has introduced a new highly discretionary shield of GoodNites Underwear for the battle against bedwetting.

Our child who wore the GoodNites liked them. They found them comfortable and liked how they fit. I liked the extra padding the GoodNites Underwear seemed to have. There were no leaks or accidents when our child wore these disposable underwear. Both child and parents felt confident that bedding would remain dry when retiring for the night. Mission accomplished!