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Cascade

Posted by Professor on June 17, 2013
in Contests, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.” www.momcentralconsulting.com

Cascade© Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade while simultaneously helping to maintain the sparkling look of your clean dishwasher interior.

Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.* *Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors.

Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits:

• Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food

• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes

• Helps maintain the look of new machines and helps prevent additional hard-water build-up

• Delivers exceptional dishware shine

Our Review:

This review piggybacks on Theresa’s review of Cascade Platinum, as our family was also fortunate enough to review the product. We have gone through many dishwashers and many dish washing liquids and powders, powder pacs, etc… Cascade is by far the BEST product we have tried. I have always been a cascade buyer…after trying various other products and never being completely satisfied … I tried the traditional Cascade Complete dishwasher pacs on the recommendation of my sister. My sister told me that these pacs were the ONLY thing that worked for her and were by far the best out there. Well, after one use I was sold. NOW I have tried cascade PLATINUM and can give my sister a bit of advice to switch from the cascade complete to the cascade platinum. The Platinum is by far much better than the cascade complete…we have seen a difference in overall cleanliness of both dishes and dishwasher. I truly think that this product has boosted our dish washing performance.

I also liked the fragrance of the Cascade Platinum pacs… it was a nice fresh scent…BUT when perusing the store aisles for Cascade Platinum I noticed that they also sold a “lemon scent” so of course I just had to purchase them…they also work great but have a nice lemon scent! I CANNOT wait to find a 43 pac tub size! Right now I have only been able to find the smaller bag sizes in my area…but know I will find the jumbo size soon… !

Overall, Cascade Platinum works wonders on our dishes and dishwasher… I will not go back to my old brands anytime soon…and sorry Cascade but the platinum is so much better than Cascade complete that I will now only buy the Platinum!

Do not forget to enter the contest that Theresa wrote about and submit your pictures to win some prizes from Cascade!

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Littlest Pet Shop Sweetest Pets DVD

Posted by Professor on June 11, 2013
in DVDs & CDs, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Kids Stuff, Movies, Music, Reviews, TV Shows, Uncategorized

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.

Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios has released a NEW Littlest Pet Shop Sweetest Pets DVD!

The DVD is entitled “Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets” and it is based on Hasbro’s popular Littlest Pet Shop brand and animated TV series. The DVD contains FIVE fun-filled episodes and captivating entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The DVD also features bonus content including a brand new coloring sheet.

For those of you who have not seen the series … basically, Littlest Pet Shop is an animated half-hour comedy series that follows Blythe Baxter and her father as they move into a Big City apartment above the Littlest Pet Shop store (an amazing day-camp for pets of all kinds including a doggie diva, dancing gecko, a sweet adorable panda, and others. Her real adventure begins when she discovers that she alone can miraculously understand and talk to all of the pets. Blythe joins them on fantastical adventured that include uproarious songs-and-dance sequences featuring all-new original music by Daytime Emmy Award nominee Daniel Ingram and the vocal talent of Ashley Ball, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver, and Peter New.

Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets sees Blythe embark on five more wild adventures with her newest friends: Pepper, the hilarious skunk; Sunil, the magical mongoose; Penny, the adorable panda; Russell, the highly organized hedgehog; Zoe, the diva Spaniel; and, of course, Minka the artistic monkey!

Episodes on DVD include:

Topped with Buttercream
Trading Places
Sweet (Truck) Ride
What’s in the Batter?
Bakers and Fakers
Penny For Your Laughs

DVD Bonus Content

Coloring Sheet

The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW!

Our Review:

My children absolutely ADORE Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop Products and Toys. So of course they were thrilled when the HUB TV network aired the cartoon series and released their first DVD. Now they are overjoyed with a SECOND DVD that they can watch anytime they wish! As a mom I have to say that this is a great cartoon series. The characters are engaging and suitable for children…there are some cartoons out there that are inappropriate that I will not let my children watch …but this is NOT one of them! This is a delightful series about a young girl and pets. What I like is that even after the cartoon is over I find my children reenacting the episodes and imagining new adventures with their Littlest Pet Shop Toys and figures. I have three children, 2 girls ages 9 & 4 and a boy age 7…they ALL enjoy the series and the toys. Although honestly I have to say that my girls are more “into” Littlest Pet Shop than my son…but he will play along with them or watch the series and have just as much fun!

Overall, we cannot say enough about the release of the DVD…my household is enjoying the product and will for years to come…

For more information about the Hasbro brand please visit: www.habro.com

The DVD is reasonably priced at your local store or on Amazon.com here for 12.99

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Our Farm is Growing AGAIN! – Wordless Wednesday

Posted by Theresa Gould on June 5, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Home, Parenting, Pregnancy and Birth, Uncategorized, Wordless Wednesday

Our farm is growing AGAIN! About 8 or 9 weeks ago we got two lines! (I start having symptoms right away just a day or two late) Nope this was not planned per se and we were completely surprised. We thought our family was done with “Eight is Enough”, but God had other plans….

So far my pregnancy is going well. Nausea has been a constant companion as has the tiredness. Napping has become a daily thing. Since losing our son Matthew in December of 2004 in a second trimester miscarriage – he died in utero at 14 weeks but we did not discover it until 18 weeks when we did not detect a heartbeat – my pregnancies have been rough for me emotionally as I struggle not to worry about losing the baby up until 18 weeks. My worst fear now is a still birth, which could happen. It happens to others, why not me? It’s about the only thing I have yet to experience so I really do not completely relax until I have baby in my arms. Trusting in God’s plan for me and this little one is no easy task. I wouldn’t wish a pregnancy loss of any kind on my worst enemy. It’s a horrible thing at any stage of pregnancy because as moms we love the baby from the time we know of his or her existence.

Our older children are, interestingly enough, very excited about a new sibling. Then again they’ve also been asking for another sibling. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was their prayers that were answered regarding this new baby!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

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The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer

Posted by Theresa Gould on June 4, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Products for Mom, Reviews, Uncategorized

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer. I guess I went into it thinking I know what to expect, after all I’d read other books by Tricia Goyer. While The Promise Box is an Amish romance, it was much more than that. It is the journey of a hurting young woman and young man, whose lives cross and finally blend as they discover strength, healing, a deeper faith and commitment in a community of supportive family and friends.

Not to sound like a broken record, but I truly love the community and faith of Amish believers (or Christians). They have something the world is missing and I believe that is why the rest of us are drawn to and fascinated by them. It is one of the reasons the Amish are so popular among us Englischers.

Here are a few points from the book that I particularly enjoyed:

Page 185, when Gideon said:

I heard it said once you cannot train a horse with shouts and expect it to obey a whisper.

I couldn’t help but think of that in relation to child training.

Page 186, when Gideon spoke:

It’s not about pride, Lydia – it’s about stewardship. We’re supposed to take care of what God puts into our possession. Going forth and subduing the earth isn’t about forcing yourself. It’s tending to.

This made me think of our little farm and all that God has blessed us with….it’s an ongoing work to tend to and care for all of it, plus our family.

Finally, page 200 and the “Be” phrases”:

Be REVERENT in spirit low
Be GENEROUS, give all you can, then give a little more;
Be THOUGHTFUL of the people who are lonely, old, or sad;
Be READY quickly to respond to special appeals;
Be UNSELFISH – all self-seeking with abandon cast aside;
Be HOPEFUL for the best of life, for hope has wondrous worth;
Be APPRECIATIVE for great riches of Christ and His love,

As Lydia indicated in the book, these are easier to memorize than to live.

Hope you can take something from these little excerpts too. I am looking forward to the third book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series. The Promise Box receives two thumbs up from me!

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Enter to Win an Amish Baking Box from Tricia Goyer and RSVP for Her 6/12 Facebook Party!

Posted by Theresa Gould on June 4, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Contests, Giveaways, Reviews, Uncategorized

Enter Today – 5/22 – 6/12!

Tricia Goyer is celebrating the release of her lastest novel, The Promise Box (Zondervan), by hosting an Amish Baking Box giveaway and connecting with readers during her June 12th Book Chat Party!

One “promising” winner will receive:

Apron, hot mitts, and kitchen towels
Amish baking items (rolling pin, pie plate, etc…)
Sherry Gore’s Simply Delicious Amish Cooking
The Memory Jar and The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 11th. Winner will be announced at the “The Promise Box” Facebook Author Chat Party on June 12th. Connect with Tricia for an evening of Amish fun – book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Tricia will also share an exclusive look at the next book book in the Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Promise Box and join Tricia Goyer on the evening of June 12th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

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Enter to Win a Nook HD from Angela Hunt and RSVP for Her 6/5 Facebook Party!

Posted by Theresa Gould on June 2, 2013
in Blog Stuff, Books, Contests, Giveaways, Uncategorized

Enter Today – 5/14 – 6/4!

Angela Hunt is celebrating the release of The Offering with a Nook HD Giveaway and an Author Chat Party on Facebook {6/5}.

One winner will receive:

A Nook HD
The Offering by Angela Hunt

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 4th. Winner will be announced at the “The Offering” Facebook Author Chat Party on June 5th. Connect with Angela for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Angela will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of The Offering and join Angela on the evening of June 5th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

Don’t miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 5th!

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Azure Standard

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 29, 2013
in All Natural Products, Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Uncategorized

Our family eats a lot, as you can imagine since we are a family of ten. We eat as much organic products as we can but to buy them in the grocery store or at Whole Foods is really expensive. Co-ops like Azure Standard or Country Life Natural Foods enable us to purchase organic products in bulk and save money at the same time.

We have been using Azure Standard for a year and a half. We place a monthly order on our Azure account. Our drop site is in our town at our local Farm and Fleet parking lot. The drop site is where we help unload the truck for our group’s order and pick up our individual orders. We have a drop site manager who reminds us of order deadlines, pick up times and any changes Azure Standard announces.

Azure has many different products from personal care to bulk rolled oats or quick oats to bulk produce items like a 25 lb bag of organic carrots we like to buy. We have come to love the creamy ice cream they carry – Alden’s – which has no propylene glycol (antifreeze basically) or other harmful chemicals in it.

I love that I can add to or change my order throughout the month right up until the order deadline, since the shopping cart will save my order until I click “submit order”. I appreciate that Azure accepts C.O.D orders so we don’t have to use a credit card but pay with cash or check on pick up day. I love that we do not have to order every month.

There is a minimum order of $50 but our family does not have any trouble meeting it.

There are no member fees, though there are freight charges based on the weight of your total order. To become a member, all you have to do is contact Azure Standard to see if there is a drop site in or near you and they will put you in touch with the drop site manager. Azure even offers a free catalog upon request.

Country Life operates similarly but different. Anyone can place an order, no membership is required, but the minimum is $500 or $600 so more often than not groups of families place an order together and get the order delivered to one family’s home. We really like Azure because of the many different items they carry so we rarely order from Country Life anymore. For the most part, prices are pretty comparable between the two.

Are you a part of any food co-ops? Feel free to share to give readers more resources and choices.

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The Last Time We Were Sick…

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 27, 2013
in Articles, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, Home, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts

We are pretty protective of exposing our children to illness if we can help it. With as many children as we have, it takes us a very long time to get over any sort of flu bug, cold or illness when it goes through all of them or us. You will probably be surprised to learn that the last time we were sick was probably 18-24 months ago. My husband was sick last fall but only because our landlord’s handyman discovered mold in the wall where the washer had leaked. Once that was taken care of my husband was well again. It’s weird to say but his body really is a mold detector. He’s the first one to experience any adverse affects of mold.

I am usually the most healthy and I chock that up to being a mom. Mom’s cannot get sick because we have to take care of everyone else! My last bout was with my tooth but it’s been behaving itself, thankfully.

Here are the reasons I believe we have gone so long since the last time we were sick:

1. We have managed to avoid large crowds during the winter by just staying at home. We live simply and most of our children are content just to be home bodies. Thus, we avoid any flu bugs going around.

2. We try really hard to eat healthy. We are not fanatics by any means but a healthy diet is a huge part in having a strong immune system. This means we try not to eat prepared foods or anything in the center of the grocery stores. We try to shop the perimeter of the store. We also cook and bake from scratch avoiding harmful sweeteners, artificial flavors and colorings and preservatives.

3. We avoid chemicals and pharmaceuticals as much as we can. We use natural cleaners and fertilizers.

4. We use essential oils on our bodies and even ingest them if we feel a cold or sore throat is beginning. We diffuse them in the air to purify it of germs and impurities.

5. We try to get enough rest. Sometimes that is harder to do during different seasons, but we are pretty adamant about our children getting to bed on time and getting enough sleep.

6. Our children spend the majority of their time outside since we have moved to the country. They are not cooped up in the house all the time and they are much more active than they were when we lived in the townhouse.

I don’t know for sure what has kept us healthy but these are the things I think have helped us. I am extremely grateful for this long run of good health. In the past we have been sick for weeks on end as it went through the whole family, so this has been a blessing to say the least.

What do you do to keep your family healthy?

P.S. This post was inspired by Mama Kat’s Writing Prompts.

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What You May Not Know About Newspaper Delivery

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 22, 2013
in Articles, Business, Family Stuff, News Worthy, Uncategorized

You may or may not remember I took on a newspaper route in late December 2012. It’s been interesting, but I am grateful for the weekly paycheck that helps out while waiting to be paid for my other “solo gigs”. I discovered a lot of things about people who deliver newspapers in the last five months and thought it made an interesting enough blog topic and a way to share a little more about my day between 2:30 and 5:30AM…..plus some of my winter frustrations.

What You May Not Know About Newspaper Delivery

We have to hand bag the papers.

We have to stuff the papers with the flyers and often a second insert.

We have to travel in all kinds of weather – winter is the worst.

We have to walk over icy areas with little or no ice melt.

We often get complaints from people who say they didn’t receive their paper, but the wind may have blown it a little to the left/right or in the street. So look a little harder before you file a complaint against your newspaper delivery person.

We do not get paid enough for having to drive hours in the snow, sleet and ice to deliver your paper. We are risking life and limb for a bundle of paper. Think about it.

We get up in the wee hours of the morning to deliver your paper on time.

During high gas prices, our pay is probably used for a quarter to a third for gas, as gas allowance only covers barely an extra tank of gas for the month.

We are independent contractors and not employees of the paper – at least I am.

We have to double bag the newspapers on rainy days, which takes us longer to bag.

We do get use to the odd hours, sort of. At least I think I have, but I still take a nap! The joys of having three teen daughters in the house!

When I started I suffered from sore shoulders and hands from throwing and folding newspapers. That has since subsided except on days when the paper is really thick.

Rural routes can often be 100 miles and take a newspaper delivery person 3-4 hours to complete! That amazed me when one of my co-workers told me that.

In town routes are usually heavy on newspapers but shorter in miles. Like mine. I have 18-25 miles to travel and 80-275 papers to deliver on any given day. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are my heaviest day. I have to admit Monday, Tuesday and Saturday are my favorite days to deliver on my own since I get home by 4:30pm. On Wednesdays and Sundays my older daughters are my helpers and I enjoy those days only because I have their company…and help!

Overall, I am thankful for my little newspaper route and the fact that I have one in my town so my drive time is not as long as those with rural newspaper routes.

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My Perfect Spring Day

Posted by Theresa Gould on May 20, 2013
in Articles, Family Stuff, Home, Seasonal Stuff, Uncategorized, Writing Prompts

I love all the seasons and the fact that we live in an area where we get to experience all four season to their fullest. However, I must admit that I get tired of winter and the other three seasons never seem long enough.

My Perfect Spring Day

My perfect spring day would be sunshine and weather in the 65-70 degree range, with a slight breeze. I would be able to smell the cherry blossoms or lilacs (if in bloom). There would be lots of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths in bloom; an the irises would be budding. It would be a day without any rushing around. All of our family would be home and we would be working together, with minimal fighting or disagreements. But hey, this is my perfect day so let’s just eliminate any fighting among the children and all disagreements!

We would also take a leisurely walk, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. We would be thankful and enjoy being together for the day. We would eat dinner out and the house would remain neat and tidy – for once!

That’s what my perfect spring day would look like….I have to say that I have experienced all of this, just not always all in the same day.