html404 - Faith and Family Reviews

Archive for html404

The Desire by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley

Posted by html404 on September 15, 2014
in Books, Gift Ideas, Reviews, Uncategorized

The Desire by Dan Walsh and Gary Smalley is the third book in The Restoration Series. It is about a young couple who has deals with infertility. This is a Christian fiction novel. The book also deals with crisis pregnancy, single motherhood, showing compassion and generosity as believers. It is a nice story.

I was naughty and did not write my thoughts down right after I read the book a month ago, which is when it is freshest for me. So I am relying on my daughter’s thoughts since she just read the book over the weekend.

My 15-year-old daughter, B, says the book made her really think about the issue of humility and trusting God, which were spiritual themes in the book. She said both of these issues are areas she needs to work on personally.

B said she really liked the characters. She thought they were very well fleshed out and developed. She said she was proud of Christina (single woman facing a crisis pregnancy) for not choosing to have an abortion. She loved Michele’s development both as a wife and daughter of Christ. B said Michele’s parents, Marilyn and Jim were amazing people, as were the rest of her family. I have to agree. They portrayed what a Christian family should be like. B thought the contrast between the beginning and end chapters were beautiful.

B also loved going to Africa with Allan and Ray. B has always wanted to go to Africa since reading missionary stories and having a close personal friend serving as a missionary in Zambia. All in all, she really enjoyed The Desire.

We both really want to read the first two books of the series and we cannot wait for the sequel to this one to find out more about Christina’s journey and that of Michele’s brother, Doug. I missed the fact there was a children’s lesson book, but B said she wants to read that as well.

I think this book has lessons in it, not just women or couples struggling with infertility, but lessons for everyone.

{3 comments}

#35 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on September 13, 2014
in Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

We are joining Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #35 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week. I actually kept better track this week! Hoo-rah!

5. My 14 and 12 year old are sitting next to me and being rude and silly. Then when I made a face, my 14 year old gave an evil laugh and said she knew I was going to make that face hahahahaha!
I live with goofballs!

4. I was eating frozen blueberries while working on my laptop and my 12-year-old son asked, “Mommy, are you going to eat your blueberries?” I said, “Yes, why are you eyeballing my blueberries?” He said he was and wanted to eat them. Then my 14-year-old tried to steal them! My blueberries just are not safe anymore!

3. My 12-year-old said, “I want to learn to say poop in every language. Then my life goal will be complete.” Oh the aspirations! 😉

2. $2.40 for an ear of corn!? NOT, but that’s what I came up with when I did the math the first time after my hubby came home with two big burlap bags with 48 ears in each. I was in sticker shock, ready to write to the farm stand until….I did the math again and came out with 41 cents/ear. Whew.

1. One of the children asked where another child was and our 14-year-old said, “She’s in her stall.” Then started laughing and I said, “That just made the Saturday Top Five Laughs list!” 😉 We had just been talking about the animals and the sheep being in their stall so that’s why she came out with that.

What funny things have you done this week?

{9 comments}

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser

Posted by html404 on September 12, 2014
in Appliances, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Gift Ideas, Home, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser

We drink a lot of water. We are currently on well water. The water itself is fine, however, we have to add salt since the home has an on-demand water softener system. It is the salt in the water that makes our water no-so-great. That is why we were excited to be offered a NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser. No more carting home 10 1-gallon water jugs since we can use!

The NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser is a nice little appliance to have in our home. It has a stainless steel front and black sides and back. It has a slim size, which makes it a great choice for smaller homes or areas within the home. We put ours just off the kitchen in the master suite hallway since there is no room in our small kitchen.

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser Specs

~ 33.65 lbs.
~ 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty.
~ Removable plastic drip tray.
~ Hot & Cold water dispenser
~ Two push button controls – the hot water has a safety regulated “hot water” push button, making it safe for children.
~ Light indicators.
~ Hot water 176°F – 203°F.
~ Cold water 41°F – 50°F.
~ Compatible with 2-gallon, 3-gallon or 5-gallon bottles of water.
~ Features a stainless steel water tank which delivers a plastic free taste when drinking both hot and cold water.
~ UL Certified.
~ Easy no installation; simply remove it from its packaging, add a water bottle and plug in!

NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser Review

We really like having the water dispenser. It saves on boiling a kettle of water, making it very convenient to get a cup of tea or hot chocolate. It is holding up well under our family of ten’s use of it. Granted the younger children cannot get hot water unless they have two of them to maneuver the child-safety feature on the buttons! It is easier for the children to get a drink and a lot less mess too, unless of course they overfill or spill, which they have yet to do, thankfully.

The only thing I really do not like about the unit is the fact that the buttons to dispense hot and cold water, as well as the child-safety button are all plastic. I fear they will eventually snap or break under heavy, extended use. I hope I am wrong but only time will tell. We have had it for nearly a month now, but we did limit the children’s use until this past week when I knew I would be doing the review.

Overall, the NewAir WCD-110SS Water Dispenser has been a welcome addition to our home and I am looking forward getting much use out of it.

{9 comments}

Go Back to School with Harvest Snaps #HarvestSnapsFan

Posted by html404 on September 10, 2014
in All Natural Products, Children's Health, Food and Treats, Health, Non-GMO, Reviews, Uncategorized

This post was created in partnership with Harvest Snaps. I have been compensated for this post in the form of product. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Looking for a healthy back to school snack for you and your children? Try Harvest Snaps ! Harvest Snaps come in six different flavors: Snapea Crisps Black Pepper, Snapea Crisps Lightly Salted, Snapea Crisps Wasabi, Snapea Crisps Caesar, Lentil Snaps Tomato Basil, Lentil Snaps Onion Time.

Our children really liked these snacks. I only got to try a couple and thought they were powdery tasting. It was a weird taste bud war going on, seriously, because I wanted to like them. Our youngest found the Green Peas Black Pepper flavored one hot, so he only liked the non-hot flavors. These made a great after school or before bedtime snack. Of course, I forgot to take photos of them snacking! Other ways I can see Harvest Snaps being used are: back-to-School lunchboxes, post-workout snack, lunch sides, crunchy salad toppings and for sports fans gameday snacks and tailgating events.

A Little Bit About Harvest Snaps

Here are some Harvest Snaps facts:

~ Snapea Crisps are made from 70% pea. Lentil Snaps are made from 65% lentil.
~ Harvest Snaps offers a healthier snacking option. They are baked, not fried.
~ Harvest Snaps are all-natural and guilt-free. Each of the 6 flavors are high fiber and protein, and low in sodium and fat.
~ These healthy treats are a great snack for the whole family, except my hubby did not try them. I think we forgot to ask him! Oops…
~ They are non-GMO.

Harvest Snaps Fun

For fun, you can visit the Lunchspiration microsite, create a Bento Box and be entered to win your own Harvest Snaps!

{13 comments}

Nowhere to Turn by Lynette Eason

Posted by html404 on September 9, 2014
in Books, Domestic Violence, Reviews, Safety, Uncategorized

Nowhere to Turn by Lynette Eason is the second book in the Hidden Identity series. You can read my review to book one, No One to Trust, here. This book series is Christian fiction/Romantic Suspense.

I really liked this book. Once again, I was kept guessing and was rather surprised when one of the characters in the book turned out to be someone completely different. Even my 14-year-old mentioned she was not expecting that twist after she finished the book.

This book review fell due at an interesting time with the Ray Rice and Janay Palmer fiasco came to a head this week. Nowhere to Turn deals with the sensitive and hard (how’s that for a contradictory sentence?) subject of domestic violence and abuse of women and children. The main character, Danielle Harding, of this book leaves her abusive husband and discovers there is nowhere to turn. She enlists Operation Refuge to help her escape the vicious cycle of abuse and violence against her and her 11-year-old-son. They literally run for their lives.

I liked the suspense of the book. It was fast paced. My 14-year-old loved the characters because they were all so different. This is what else she said, “At every turn in the book, I felt like I was with Dani and Simon. I loved learning about the other characters, about their fears and the things that made them go – their drive. I did not like Dani’s husband, Kurt, or his brother Stuart. Stuart was creepy and obsessive with Dani. I loved the ending. The nice characters deserved happiness.” I quite agree with her!

Two thumbs up from us!

Help for Domestic Violence Victims

If you or someone you love is suffering from domestic violence, please get the help you need. Dr. Phil’s wife has a foundation that can help, visit https://www.whengeorgiasmiled.org/#home for more information. Other resources include: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Operation Refuge is a real organization and offers assistance or HelpGuide.org. Do not stay for the wrong reasons (#WhyIStayed) and carefully plan your escape.

{6 comments}

Wilton Armetale Bowl Review and Giveaway

Posted by html404 on September 8, 2014
in Giveaways, Uncategorized

Wilton Armetale Bowl

As you already know, I have eight children. They all help with dishes. Therefore, having bakeware and cookware that lasts is an important quality in our kitchenware. The Wilton Armetale Bowl is a metal bowl that fits that criteria. It will not melt if left near the stove or on top of the stove. It is not glass or stoneware that will break if dropped or knocked off the counter.

The Wilton Armetale Bowl is:

~ Made of food-safe, recycled metal
~ May be used serving hot or cold foods
~ Oven, stove and grill safe
~ May be chilled, keeping foods cold longer
~ Can go from freezer to oven or tabletop to fridge
~ Cleans with soap and water – NOT dishwasher safe
~ Will not break, crack, chip, rust or tarnish
~ Lifetime warranty against breakage

I like this bowl it has come in handy to serve fruit salad or as a fruit bowl on the table, so far. I did notice that water spots do accumulate on the bowl if it is left to air dry. We look forward to using this bowl many more times in the future.

Easy Tailgating Recipe – Waldorf Salad

Sorry our apples were windfall and turned brown very, very fast!

4 apples chopped up into small pieces
2 cups grapes
1/4-1/2 cup raisins
1 stalk of chopped celery
Mayonnaise
Optional 1/4 cup of walnuts, pecans or almonds

Toss fruit, celery and nuts in a bowl. Mix enough mayonnaise to cover fruit. Serve.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Wilton Armetale Package Giveaway

The Wilton Armetale giveaway package is valued at $257.25 and includes: Medium Bowl, Pitcher, Cracker Tray, and Handle Tray. I would love to win it myself!

Entry -Form

{6 comments}

#34 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on September 6, 2014
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

Here it is Saturday once again….so we will be joining Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #34 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week, if I can scrounge up enough fun things to post!

5. Jr. says, “Ah no” when responding to us. It’s a line a minion says in the movie Despicable Me.

4. One of our goats (the one with horns) and our dog knocked each other out while head butting or doing whatever they were doing. One of the children found both of them laying on the ground next to one another. Crazy animals.

3. Hubby and our older two girls went to the library the other evening. I told Jr. that daddy would be back soon and his response was, “Daddy never come back!” He has been saying such weird/funny things lately. Such a goof ball!

2. A little girl who saw cherub angels on TV and said, “Ewwww….naked babies! I see their nooples (nipples!)” Cute or what?

1. Someone dropped by this week and said, “One of your llamas is on the road.” Ahhhh….we do not have any llamas. They did not know the difference between goats and llamas. It made us chuckle!

{12 comments}

Can You Say Huge Farm Fresh Egg? – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by html404 on September 3, 2014
in Animals, Farm Stuff, Food and Treats, Home, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

My daughter showed me this farm fresh egg last night and we could not help but wonder which hen laid this egg. She thinks it was a smaller one because the smaller hens are mighty when it comes to laying over sized eggs! Guess we will never really know.

{16 comments}

Back to College with the Lowest Priced Unlimited Plans

Posted by html404 on September 2, 2014
in Education, Gift Ideas, Parenting, Saving Money, School, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

I have mentioned before that our oldest daughter heads off to college in less than a year. #Phones4School #CollectiveBias. One of the things on our to-do list is to research cheap wireless plans. We desire to get her set up with a technological life line a.k.a a cell phone when she is away from home. A cell phone will enable her to communicate when she’s out, give her a life line if she gets stranded or if, God forbid, she runs into trouble. We also want her to have a phone for when she starts driving by herself in a few months.

My daughter was away at her cousin’s house all weekend. It was fun to surprise her with a trip to the store to buy her an early college present. We purchased Alcatel One Touch Fierce ($99.88) for $34.88/month, an unlimited talk text and data/web plan with Walmart’s Family Mobile (T-Mobile is the carrier), plus $25 for the starter kit. We love the unlimited aspect of this plan. It is also affordable for a college student on a limited budget. Bobbie is already figuring on paying for her phone herself. Of course, we are not complaining!

On the way home in the car she was setting up her calendar, which she is going to need to keep track of classes, assignments, exams and activities while she is away in college. She is obviously very excited to have her own smart phone! Other features she likes are the graphics. She is also looking for apps for homework, budgeting and exercising. She is having fun learning her way around her new phone.

The Alcatel One Touch Phone is perfect for college students because it is not only portable but it is a smart phone with all the bells an whistles – talk, text, web/data, 4G capability, camera and a 4.5″ touch screen. The monthly plans are budget friendly for both students and families.

{15 comments}

#33 Saturday Top Five Laughs

Posted by html404 on August 30, 2014
in Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

I have been under the weather all week and really did not keep track of our funnies very well. And here it is Saturday once again….so we will be joining Mel over at The Mommyhood Chronicles for week #33 (for us) in our Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week, if I can scrounge up enough fun things to post!

5. I was playing with Jr. yesterday on our bed. He left and came back and I was eating frozen blueberries but I wasn’t playing with him any more so he goes, “Mommy play with me!” It was cute.

4. Jr. said to hubby, “Blaze has big eyes!” In case you forgot, Blaze is our horse.

3. Jr. was playing with my blood pressure cup and then started calling himself, Dr._____(and his name). Too cute.

2. Our dog is confused. He’s attracted to our female sheep. Need I say more? Sigh.

1. Our oldest went away for the weekend to help her aunt with a trade show and Jr. goes, “Why did ‘Bobbie’ have to go? Me like her. Me want _____ to go.” He wanted his big brother to go away instead!

{7 comments}

« Older Entries Recent Entries »