Archive for Family Stuff

Saturday Rewind

Posted by html404 on March 19, 2011
in Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Technology/Electronics

I know, I know, I have not been posting this week. I did not get to Monday Motivation or even a Wordless Wednesday! And I have plenty of photos to share. So I thought I would try to catch you up on the happenings around here with a quick little Saturday “rewind” post this morning.

Family/Work

We have been incredibly busy. On Monday we went on a maple syrup tour with friends and had a lovely time learning about maple syrup. The tour was very hands on for the children, who were able to help find a hole to drill in the maple tree, do some of the actual drilling and taste maple sugar. It was a beautiful sunny day. Then I had to work for a couple of hours by attending a meeting with area farmers. I could have even gone out that night to a nutrition meeting, but thought it would have been a bit much to say the least.

Then the past couple of days I have worked a couple of hours at my colleague/friend’s greenhouse helping get her caught up on her seed planting. Onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, broccoli are all sprouted! It is so exciting. Can’t wait to munch on some of those fresh organic veggies! Yummy!

My husband was able to attend yet another farmers meeting last night and learned some new things about what our county is doing to preserve farm land in our area. Do you know that there is a farmer who is 93 who is still driving his tractor and farming? He is the last farmer in his family. Quite amazing. I bet he has some stories to tell.

The children have been enjoying getting to play outside more now that it not only warmer, but DRYER. Yes, we are getting rid of the mud pit out back (out back, what am I Australian? Just kidding! Would love to visit Australia, so I am not implying being Aussie is a bad thing).

Baby boy is on the move, crawling, walking along furniture and wouldn’t you know it, he donks his eyebrow square with a corner two nights ago. I couldn’t sleep last night for fear he’d break his wound open again. It is bad, but not bad enough for stitches. I need to hurry so I can relieve the girls from “holding” duty. Yes, I am “holding” him captive by cradling him in our arms to keep him safe while his owie heals.

Here he is, but he’s quite happy despite the “check mark” owie. The children think it looks like a check mark, what do you think?

Techie Problems

My laptop had to be sent to be repaired, again. My dear husband and three year old were playing beside me while I was typing away and dear son did one of his somersaults and smacking his head against my screen cracking it pretty much from top to bottom. 🙁 Thankfully, the accidental warranty/insurance covers it. I was worried it wouldn’t. Oh and Nookie’s head is just fine. Obviously he hit it hard, but I don’t remember him even crying much. He’s a tough little cookie….has to be with two big brothers.

My faithful Green Drive is not working properly either, so I have been trying to get the company’s help on figuring out what is wrong. So far they have not asked me to send it back, if only it could be resolved easily without sending it back or risking losing all my data and photos.

Our printer is also on the blitz, I just think I need all new office equipment, what do you think? Maybe I should enter one of those business grants/contests and see if I can win. The thing is I have tried and usually give up because it seems that no one votes for me when I try to promote it. Maybe I give up too soon though and an entrepreneur should not give up easily. (Can you hear me pouting here….believe me I am pouting!)

So that about sums up the rollercoaster week we have had, how about you, what is new in your neck of the woods?

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Costume Discounters Review

Posted by Brande on March 18, 2011
in Children's Clothing, Family Stuff, Fashion, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping

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.

Have your kids picked out their Halloween costume yet? No!? Halloween is only 7 months away! Well, let Costume Discounters help out the whole family! They have an extensive collection of costumes, including Easter, mascots, infants, and plus size.

My Review:

I received a Girls XS (3T-4T) Deluxe Toddler Alice in Wonderland costume for my daughter.

The deluxe costume comes with dress with attached pinafore, ruffle trim petticoat, and headband with a teal blue bow. The dress is 100% Polyester in a beautiful teal blue color. The attached pinafore has a silver edged ruffle with a lovely picture of Alice holding a cup of tea on one side and glittery tea cups on the other. The bow has a plastic piece in the center with a picture of Alice on it. The petticoat that goes under the dress is 100% Olefin. The dress and petticoat both have velcro closures. The headband is plastic, but has a good strectch that seems like it won’t break easily. The entire outfit needs to be hand washed separately in cold water, line dried, and cool iron (if needed).

We are heading to see a certain mouseland this year. This costume will be perfect for our trip. If you’ve been down there in the past few years you’ll notice the little girls in their princess outfits. Those outfits in the parks are VERY expensive. My advice is to buy your princess, fairy, or pirate outfit from Costume Discounters before you head out the door on vacation. Here’s a link to the princess costumes.

These opinions are my own.

Editor’s Note: We do not endorse all of the costumes found on this site to be family-friendly.

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St. Patrick’s Day!

Posted by Brande on March 17, 2011
in Articles, Education, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Seasonal Stuff

I’m far from Irish, but like many other people I will be Irish for a day! I’ve got my corned beef & cabbage in the slow cooker. So, join in on the fun!

Who is St. Patrick?

http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-history-971546/
People all over the world celebrate on the 17th day of March in honor of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Some cities have parades, most revelers wear green, and a few families commemorate the day with traditional Irish fare for their meal. However, everyone may not know who St. Patrick is.

Born in Britain during the 4th century, St. Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders when he was a teenager. Although he was able to escape after six years and become a priest in Britain, he later chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, in order to help spread the teachings of Christianity to pagans. According to Irish folklore, he also used a shamrock to explain the Christian concept of Trinity to the Irish. In spite of continuous opposition from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize for thirty years while baptizing newly converted Christians and establishing monasteries, churches, and schools. He died on March 17th and was canonized by the local church.

St. Patrick’s Day was first publicly celebrated in Boston in 1737 where a large population of Irish immigrants resided. Nearly 200 years later, the first St. Patrick’s Dayparade in the Irish Free State was held in Dublin in 1931. During the mid 90’s, the Irish government also began a campaign to promote tourism in Ireland on March 17th.

While many Catholics still quietly celebrate this day of religious observance by going to mass, St. Patrick’s Day slowly evolved to become a celebration of Irish heritage. Through the years, along with legendary shamrocks, many symbols were included in festivities that are reflective of Ireland’s folklore, culture, and national identity (think leprechauns, ethnic cuisine, and wearing green).Other places that join in on this celebration include Japan, New Zealand, Argentina, and Canada, along with many cities across the United States.

Here’s a fun family dessert for everyone to help out with also from Family Fun Magazine! I’ve made them, and they are really cute! http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-recipes/st-patricks-day-desserts/clover-cupcakes-687369/

Clover Cupcakes

It doesn’t take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty’s Day treats look so sweet — just a clever baking technique.

Ingredients

Cupcake batter
Cupcake tins and liners
Aluminum foil
White frosting

Green food coloring
Toothpick
Green licorice (we used Twizzlers Rainbow Twists sold in a pack with other colors)

Instructions

Place paper liners in 32 standard muffin cups, then fill each halfway with the batter.
For each cupcake, roll three balls of foil (ours were 2/3 inch in diameter) and insert them evenly around the perimeter between the liner and the tin, as shown.
Bake the cupcakes for a few minutes less than the package suggests (because there’s less batter per cup than usual), or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool, then remove them from the tin.
Cover each with green frosting (our ratio was 1 teaspoon of green food coloring to one 16-ounce can of white frosting).
Use a toothpick to draw leaf veins, and insert a 2-inch-long piece of green licorice for a stem.

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2D or 3D Frame Review

Posted by Brande on March 16, 2011
in Baby Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas

Z-Access Display Frame made by the Lewibelle Company developed this product. Upon visiting their website at www.displayit3d.com, they have 7 different colors. The have 2 styles of frames 6″ x 4″ Frame with Base and the one I’m reviewing a pink 6″ x 4″ “Rotating Frame-Within-A-Frame”. It is a wood frame with film insert so, it stretches. It has two (2) “U” shaped clamps to keep the frame together. According to the instructions enclosed, “The 6″ x 4″ frame size will normally display items with volumes up to thirty-seven (37) cubic inches. This volume relates to an item size of up to 5″ x 3″ x 2.5′.” It can hold an object up to three (3) pounds. They go on to state that the films are tear resistant and the films can be replaces. However, I wouldn’t be poking at it with anything sharp.

My Review:

The instructions are understandable and the frames opens and closes with ease. All you need to do is turn the inside frame (Picture 1) and pull off the two (2) “U” shaped clamps (Picture 2), put your object inside, and put the “U” clamps back on. Slide on the base, and your all set.

Picture 1

Picture 2

The hardest problem I had was trying to decide what to put in it. Finally, I selected one of my daughter shoes she had as a newborn. Picture 3 shows the frame with shoe head on. Picture 4 shows the frame from the side, you can see the shoe “sticking” out.

Picture 3

Picture 4

I removed the shoe to see how the film stretched. It did a little, but not enough to where I couldn’t put something else in it. I would suspect if you were to put a baseball in it for an extended time, it would stretch further.

I love it and have gotten many compliments on it. I’m buying this frame for the next baby shower I attend. Check out their site at www.displayit3d.com. This is a great gift for a sports fan also!

Opinions are my own.

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Don’t Forget to Change Your Clocks & Batteries

Posted by Brande on March 12, 2011
in Family Stuff, Seasonal Stuff

Spring is coming! (That groundhog better be right!)

Don’t forget to change your clocks this weekend. The official time to change your clocks is Sunday the 13th at 2:00 a.m. Not happening, we are springing our clocks forward early on Saturday night before bed. Remember this is also a good time to change the batteries in your smoke & carbon monoxide detectors.

I’m excited about some extra daylight. Except for one thing…… my daughter. She’s 2 and these time changes can mess with her head. So, as much as I’m going to dislike it. Her wake up call on Sunday will be at 8:00 am (7:00 am in her mind). My husband and I, well…we will just make more coffee and deal with the grumpy toddler.

{3 comments}

Tail Wags Review

Posted by Brande on March 12, 2011
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Safety, Sports

Name the first thing that comes to your mind when I say Tail Wags. If you said helmet covers, your right! Tail Wags Helmet Covers, Inc. was started by Karyn Climans in January of 2006. Straight from the Tail Wags site, here’s Karyn’s Story.

http://www.tail-wags.com

“Years ago, Karyn suffered a serious ski accident. She was lucky to be wearing her ski helmet because it saved her life! The foremost goal of her company is to help prevent unnecessary injuries and it is her passion for safety awareness along with her imaginative flair, which are the key ingredients for Tail Wags’ success.”

“Initially working out of her basement, Karyn started Tail Wags with 6 different helmet covers: the Red Devil, Beaver, Leopard, Bunny Rabbit, Zebra and Raccoon. These are still some of her best sellers! Today, there are some 40 animal characters to choose from and Tail Wags are sold both online and in stores throughout North America and overseas.”

My biggest question was how do you come up with the company name of Tail Wags and sell helmet covers? Here’s the answer I got from http://www.tail-wags.com

“The company was named Tail Wags in order to celebrate the swinging action of the helmet cover’s tail while the wearer is out riding, skating, skiing – being active, and having fun!”

Makes sense to me!

I have to admit, the first time I went on the site. I giggled. It’s something new and different. More importantly, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my daughter safe.

I received the Fairy Princess helmet cover for my daughter. I opened the package and my daughter immediately put it on her head without her bike helmet. (I wish I had my camera close). She loves playing dress up and if she’ll keep her bike helmet on her head being a Fairy Princess…well, Karyn did her job! Thank you Karyn! Here’s a picture of ours. (I tried to get a picture my daughter with it on and she just wasn’t in the mood today.) I’ll post it another day!

The helmet cover is micro-fleece. It needs to be hand washed and laid flat to dry. The cover stretches nicely and is snug to the bike helmet. My only concern with this particular cover (Fairy Princess) is the “jewels” on the crown. I was picking at them, and they seem secure on the crown. I’m not sure if they are big enough to cause a choking hazard, but as always be careful. All in all, I would recommend it, especially if your child doesn’t like their “normal” helmet.

Tail Wags Helmet Covers come in Adults and Childrens sizes. So, the whole family can join in on the fun!

Check out their site at http://www.tail-wags.com

All Comments are my own opinion.

{One comment}

Baby Clothes: Down Memory Lane

Posted by html404 on March 12, 2011
in Baby Products, Children's Clothing, Family Stuff

Ok, the other day in my post about Please Mum I mentioned that we had a couple of articles of clothing that has last through our four boys and in the comment section I clarified that it was baby items. I was able to scrounge up one of them, I am still looking for the other. Here is the little vest my friend gave our son. I love it not only because of the fleece material, but because it has the Canadian flag on it reminding me of my heritage, of my friends and loved ones still in Canada:

As you can see baby boy was not very cooperative this morning, but that will have to do as I am quite out of time. Trying to take the weekend off and while cleaning found the vest so wanted to post about it before I forgot all about it. If the other outfit turns up, I will post it too. It is a little green vest, a red and white striped shirt (had matching socks but I think they’ve been long lost for a while now) and brown pants. The fabric of the pants is so silky soft. But is a cute little boy’s safari-like outfit.

Oh and here are a few other older baby outfits that all eight of our children have worn:

If I was a mom with more time to devote to a proper post, I would look back in my old photo files and find you pictures of my kids wearing these outfits, but alas, I am a very busy mama who needs to get back to cleaning, sorting and getting giveaway things packed up and ready to ship out. Yep, getting rid of baby stuff too. There is no more room left in the inn. Only a few favorites will stay, just in case another little Gould happens along. No, that was not a hint. There is no new little Gould on its way. Only the Lord knows if and when.

Gotta run….

Ok, I am back again. I found two more of the three missing items. Amazing what you can find in the cracks, beneath the bed, in the clean laundry pile or in the among the other children’s clothing. The striped shirt from Please Mum is stretched out a lot since we got it nine years ago, but still wearable, more so beneath the vest though. Here they are:

{One comment}

Who Wants a Free Movie from Redbox?

Posted by Brande on March 10, 2011
in Deals, Family Stuff, Free Stuff, Movies

I know I do! Ready… Set… GO!

From what I’m reading you need to purchase a movie ($1.00 with tax) and then when you return it you’ll get a free movie. I don’t think that’s too shabby for newly released movies! You can reserve them from home and pick them up at a Red Box location near your home! I like that feature, this way I don’t have to be standing around sometimes outside trying to pick a movie. Grab some popcorn! Here’s the link below.

http://redbox.tellapal.com/a/clk/HY2VJ

I wrote this post in order to enter a giveaway for free redbox movies and movie snack packs as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

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How to Peel a Boiled Potato Without a Peeler or Knife!

Posted by Brande on March 10, 2011
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health and Nutrition

I got this video in an email this morning and was very skeptical. Thinking to myself, there’s no way you can peel a boiled potato without a peeler or knife. Then I watched it.

YouTube – Dawn Wells Potato Peeling Video

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7375897927147969009#

How cool is that! I’m trying this the next time I make potato salad. It’s a great tip! If you’ve done this, does it really work? I wonder if she did that on Gilligan’s Island?

{2 comments}

Children’s Book Review ~ Switching on the Moon: A Very First Book of Bedtime Poems

Posted by Professor on March 9, 2011
in Books, Education, Family Stuff

switching on the moon

This is another wonderful book that I have been privileged to review! I am glad this book is hardcover because it is one I hope to pass down to my children and keep in our libraries for years to come! The book is packed full of short bedtime poems and illustrations to delight both children and adults alike! I LOVE that the poems are short little snip its, making it easy to choose a few to read at bedtime and save more for a later time! We found that this book was a wonderful ending to our nightly reading routine… we read our selected books then end with one or two pages (poems) from this book to end our story time! This wonderful compilation of poetry introduces children to both classic and modern bedtime poems a must for nighttime readers!

{One comment}

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