Faith and Family Reviews: Product Reviews You Can Trust

eco.kid Organics for Kids

Posted by 278Wife on December 18, 2012
in All Natural Products, Kids Stuff, Organic, Personal Care Products, Reviews

The company, eco.kid, is a company dedicated to making healthier choices for our children and our environment. Their products contain no synthetics, no silicone, no sulphate, no artificial preservatives, no artificial fragrances, and no artificial colouring. They have an entire line of products for children’s hair, skin, and body. The products are most suitable for kids ages 3-12. I was able to review five of their products, in which I was extremely impressed.

Prevent and Prevent Sensitive Daily Shampoo

Prevent and Prevent Sensitive are shampoos that contain a botanical complex of Australian essential oils opposed to sulphate detergents. The goal of these shampoos is to make the hair unattractive to head lice, which is a common problem in children ages 3-12. I found both to be very gentle on my son’s scalp. Both shampoos were easy to lather and easy to rinse out. They had a citrus like odor, and left the hair shiny and soft.

Daily Tonic Leave-In Conditioner

Daily Tonic is a leave-in conditioner enriched with organic moisturizers and ultramarine biopolymers that assist in detangling hair while adding strength and shine. I had a friend of the family try this on her 6 year old daughter’s very curly hair. She raved and raved about how amazing the product help detangle her hair. She was amazed, too, at how shiny her daughter’s hair was even the next day. Daily Tonic has a very light plant-like odor to it, and a little goes a long way.

TLC Hypo-Allergenic Hair and Body Wash

TLC hypo-allergenic hair and body wash is a gentle, “no tears,” formula for extra sensitive skin. This was by far my favorite product. It can be used on both the scalp and the body. My 3 year old son is very active, so switching back and forth between a shampoo and body wash is not the ideal situation. I loved that I could use this on his entire body and not worry if it should happen to get in his eyes. My son has sensitive skin, and TLC was so gentle on his skin. It lathered nicely, and rinsed away easily. It left his skin very soft and smooth. I liked that I only needed to use a small amount of it, too.

Outback Jack Aussie Outdoor Spray

The final product I received from eco.kid was their Outback Jack aussie outdoor spray, also called Bug-a-Bug. This is an organically certified hypo-allergenic insect repellent spray. It soothes the skin and at the same time repels insects. It is a very light feeling spray that smells more like lotion than a bug repellent. It would be a great product for any family that spends lots of time in the outdoors, or even just going to the playground or beach.

Finding quality organically made products for children is a very arduous task. It makes it that much more difficult when your child has sensitive skin. Eco.kid products do it all. Their products contain all pure plant essences and certified organics and many of their products are designed for sensitive skin. These would definitely make great stocking stuffers.

For more information or see the other products they offer, visit their website.

www.ecokidUSA.com

We will be hosting a giveaway a week from Friday so be sure to come back and enter!

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.

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Reverse Charades Expansion Pack Review

Posted by html404 on December 17, 2012
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Girl Stuff, Holidays, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Reviews, Sports

Reverse Charades Expansion Pack

Reverse Charades and Reverse Charades Junior are a twist on an old favorite. In this game the whole team has 60 seconds to act out as many words as possible with one person guessing. Newly available are three different expansion packs, Girls’ Night In Edition, Sports Edition, and Holiday Edition, to keep the fun going. Each fits inside Reverse Charades Original or Junior Edition, or can be played by itself.

Basic rules (from the publisher):

1. Split into teams of three or more. Decide on a number of rounds or a point target to win.

2. 1 word guessed correctly = 1 point. Each team has one minute to guess as many words as possible.

3. Each team selects a guesser (everyone gets a turn) and the rest of the team acts out the words.

4. Shhh! Not a peep among the team members.

5. Ready, set, go! The first team to your target wins.

Each edition comes with 220 words, for 6 or more people aged 6 and over.

Girls’ Night In Edition

I was able to review two of the Reverse Charades Expansion Packs. I brought the Girls’ Night In to my Wives Club Christmas party, and we had an absolute blast! I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. I loved how easy it was to teach everyone how to play and set up took under a minute. The small and compact box fit easily into my purse and clean up was a breeze. One of the teams acted out the word, “pregnancy test,” and everyone was laughing so hard! I would recommend this to any and all women groups. It would be fun at a bachelorette party or any party as an icebreaker.

Sports Edition

I brought the Sports Edition Expansion Pack to our last Monday Night Football party. There were 5 couples and we decided to do husbands vs. wives. I don’t know who laughed more, the husbands or the wives. We played until 20 points, and played three rounds. The husbands won the championship round, but the wives gave them a run for their money. This would be a great edition to any board game night, family party, couple’s night, or sporting event party. It was extremely easy to learn the game and even easier to set up.

Overall, Reverse Charades Girls’ Night In Edition and Sports Edition are hilarious and fun filled games to play. Since they come in a small box, they are great for travel and easy to set up. They would make a great gift for anyone on your list!

Retail price of expansion packs $9.99. Check out their website for more information:

ReverseCharades.com

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Whole Fruit Sorbet for the HOLIDAYS!

Posted by Professor on December 15, 2012
in Food and Treats, Holidays, Recipes, Reviews

Whole Fruit Sorbets are an award winning member o the Whole Fruit Line by J & J Snack Foods. Whole Fruit Sorbets are made with chunks of real fruit and bursting with refreshing taste. Whole Fruit Sorbets are available in five flavors: Mango, Black Cherry, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Lemon. Voted Best Flavors by Cooking Light Magazine!

Naturally Fat Free
Full 16 fl. Oz. Size pint
Smooth and creamy taste
Refreshing, unique flavors.

We found that Whole Fruit Sorbets live up to their reputation! They are so YUMMY! The Raspberry and Lemon were by far the children’s favorite! Those flavors did not last long in our house! The other flavors are just as yummy…although I did find that the sorbets were great for a Holiday punch! Just mix ginger ale (we used the cranberry ginger ale) with the raspberry sorbet for a wonderful holiday or any party punch! Recipe for larger parties (4 liters ginger ale & 1 gallon Whole Fruits Raspberry Sorbet)

Here is a different smaller Holiday recipe:

Raspberry Sorbet Punch

3 Cans Hawaiian Fruit Punch

1 liter 7 up or ginger ale

½ qt Whole Fruits Raspberry Sorbet

I am sure that the above recipes can be used with any of the Whole Fruit Sorbet flavors… we are just partial to the Raspberry.

If you are not into a party punch…then Whole Fruit Sorbet can be delectable as a way to cleanse your palette during a formal holiday meal…or as a dessert item at a informal holiday gathering! In any respect Whole fruit sorbet makes a great presentation at any meal!

Check out the JJ snack brand and their whole entourage of products at this link:

www.jjsnack.com

Check out the Whole Fruit line at

www.jjsnack.com/wholefruit/home1.aspx

You can also check out Whole Fruits on facebook at:

www.facebook.com/Wholefruit

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Daisy Red Ryder Plus a Giveaway #bb4me #cbias

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Contests, Family Stuff, Giveaways, Holidays, Movies

For the past few years our oldest son has been asking for a BB Gun, remember Ralphie asking for “the holy grail of Christmas gifts….Official Daisy Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!” in the movie, A Christmas Story? That may even have been what started our son’s desire for all we know! But we were very hesitant to buy one for him because of fear. Fear that he wouldn’t be responsible with it, fear he’d get hurt, or fear he’d shoot some other person’s eye out. Like the adults in the video clip below:

I had to share that clip! 😉

We ended up using our son’s desire for a BB gun to motivate him with his school work. He got the BB gun for part of his 10th birthday gift at the beginning of this year and for accomplishing a milestone in school. Then we made him work for his BBs in the form of reading books! He also had to show us that he understood gun safety and could be responsible the BB gun.

However, that BB gun didn’t even last through the summer. We were very disappointed in the quality. Our son was disappointed not to have a BB gun anymore. We’ve wanted to replace it and finally did; just in time for holiday gifting. One of our family traditions is to get each of our children one larger gift, plus a few smaller ones, so we bought our son a Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun at Walmart for his larger gift. Silly me had to ask where I’d find BB Guns – Sporting Goods for those of you who draw a blank like I did – we found them just fine. The Daisy Red Ryder was actually on sale too – bonus!

The new gun is bigger than our son’s first BB gun, which I think he’ll like. But Daisy Outdoor Products seem better made. This gun is made of wood and metal not plastic. If Daisy Red Ryder has been around for nearly 30 years, surely it will be durable enough to last a young boy’s love of shooting it. He’ll be so surprised as he’s not expecting it! I can’t wait to see his face.

Gun Safety

Gun Safety is very important and since it has been several months since our son has used a BB Gun, we will be going over safety issues again. We even bought him safety glasses. Here are a couple important ones to remember:

Guns not in use should always be unloaded.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Learn more about gun safety.

The new BB gun will create lots of outdoor family activities as we watch our son improve his markmanship ability. Fun for our whole family. Now your family can enter to win a Daisy Red Ryder!

Daisy Ryder Giveaway

To enter to win a Daisy Prize Pack that includes either a Daisy Red Ryder or a Pink Carbine Model 1998 (your choice), BBs, and safety glasses, fill in the Rafflecopter below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Daisy. #CBias #SocialFabric

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Bloggers Wanted for an Upcoming Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System Giveaway

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Contests, Free Stuff, Giveaways

Coffee lovers, bloggers and giveaway lovers will delight in this upcoming opportunity to help promote and participate in a Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System. Check below for complete details:

Seeing Double! Keurig Vue 700 Event

Hosted by Mom To Bed by 8 and Donna’s Deals and More

Prizes: Keurig Vue V700 Brewing System + K-Cups

Event dates: 1/7 – 1/20 and 1/21 – 2/3

Free Blog Event! Sign-up here, BLOGGERS WANTED

Have fun!

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NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband Review and Giveaway

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Giveaways, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics

When we moved into our new house last year we had to change phone companies because our old one did not service the city we were moving to; and with that change came the opportunity to use what was called a “hot spot”. It was our first experience with a hot spot mobile device…and it was terrible. That device was so slow and unreliable. So much so that I finally stopped using it. It sat on our shelf for months until the phone company sent a notice saying that it was discontinuing that service/device. Sad, eh? I never did seek out a device to replace it. I really wanted it for our Zyto Compass, which I use in conjunction with our Young Living business and to avoid using public Wi-Fi.

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband Review

Well, there’s good news. This past week I was able to review NetZero‘s 4G Mobile Broadband device.

It comes with a USB cord, wall charger, installation CD and instructions.

What’s so special about NetZero 4G HotSpot?
It can be shared with up to 8 Wi-Fi devices.
It’s super easy to use!
It’s obviously for people on the go.
No contracts or committments.
Plans start as low as $9.95/month.

I love it! It works fast. To be honest I didn’t notice any difference to our home service, but an incredible difference to the other “thing” we tried last year. This is 200% better, truly. I always have a ton of windows open and multiple browsers, to the annoyance of my oldest daughter and husband. Just how I work, but NetZero’s Mobile Broadband device worked great and I only had 1 bar…see the photo below:

On the screen of the device it gives you the name of your network and your password, which is what I covered for security reasons.

I can only imagine how fast it would have been had the strength of the signal been all four bars.

It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to use NetZero’s 4G mobile device. I am very happy to have found something so easy to use. I set it up by myself without any help from my husband – probably a first.

I look forward to being able to use it with my Zyto Compass at our educational events instead of having to use a public Wi-Fi network or wait until I get home to send Zyto Reports to my clients.

Here in the Chicago area there are still pocket areas where 4G is not available so be sure to check the coverage areas on NetZero to see what areas near you have 4G.

NetZero 4G Giveaway

For the NetZero 4G giveaway one winner will receive a NetZero 4G mobile device and 3 months of service! The giveaway value is $300 worth of NetZero’s 4G Mobile Broadband product and services. Awesome or what? Enter to win now!

Please note: This contest is only until Wednesday, December 19 at 12:00am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and NetZero partnered in support of this campaign. NetZero

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Pet Movies & Diary of a Wimpy Kid Giveaway

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2012
in Animals, Contests, DVDs & CDs, Giveaways, Movies

Everybody’s favorite wimp, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon), is back for three times the fun in the latest film based on the super-popular book series! When Greg’s dad (Steve Zahn) threatens to send him to military school if he doesn’t stay out of trouble, Greg finds all-new ways to land himself in the doghouse! For starters, Greg’s in over his head when he pretends to work at the swanky country club where Rowley’s family has a membership. Things don’t go much better on a father-son camping trip with the Wilderness Explorers, and then there’s the Heffley’s new dog, Sweetie, who fetches even more trouble for Greg in this hilarious family film!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days will be available for sale on Monday, December 18.

Most Mischievous Movie Pets

Sweetie is lovable but, at times, completely devious! In addition to Sweetie, here are some more of the most mischievous movie pets including everyone’s favorite lasagna lover, Garfield and canine icon, Marmaduke.

Beethoven

Most people don’t know that in real life, Beethoven’s real name is Chris. He was owned and trained by Karl Lewis Miller who also trained animals for Cujo, K-9, Babe, and many others infamous animal flicks.

Garfield

From 1982 to 1991, twelve primetime Garfield cartoon specials and one hour-long primetime documentary celebrating the character’s 10th anniversary were aired but the first film about the clever feline created in 1978, did not come out until 2004.

Marley, Marley & Me

Because the film covers 14 years in the life of Marley, 22 different Yellow Labradors played the part alongside Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston, who continuously try to maintain their marriage and family despite Marley’s opposing ambitions.

Marmaduke

Owen Wilson lent his voice to the oversized-but-loveable pooch who moves to a new neighborhood with his family, where he proceeds to – accidentally – wreak havoc.

Hooch, Turner and Hooch

Before he was a two-time Oscar winner and beloved film icon, Tom Hanks was a detective trying to solve crime, while guarding his star witness, a large and slobbery Dogue de Bordeaux named Hooch.

Beast, AKA Hercules, The Sandlot

Hercules, known to the neighborhood kids as “the beast,” is an English Mastiff with a penchant for hoarding lost baseballs. After five failed rescue attempts for one very special ball, it turns out all the kids had to do was ask the owner, and suffer the affectionate slobbering of a very big dog.

Sweetie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

When Sweetie the Labradoodle first comes to the Heffley house, Greg wants to give him a legitimate name like ‘Ripjaw’ or ‘Shredder’ but Susan thinks them too violent and opts for something more her taste.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review

We thought Diary of a Wimpy Kid was really funny. The facial expressions of the actors are hilarious. Of course parental guidance is strongly suggested as DOWK is usually full of rude humor. As much as we try to curb rude behavior at home it still comes out and movies with rude humor usually only encourage our kids to do it more, unfortunately. I don’t know about yours. I started watched DOWK with my husband but because of the laughter heard from our bedroom where we were watching it, most of children ended up on the bed with us about midway through! We did end up shooing them out before it ended either due to their noise (our Dell laptop has awful sound :()

For more conservative readers, there are pool scenes with bikinis and some boy/girl conversation, just so you are forewarned.

The underlying story between Greg and his dad is sure to resonate among many families.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Giveaway

If you are a movie loving reader or just haven’t seen this movie we are giving away 2 copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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. All of this post was compliments of Think Jam, except my review.

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Twitter Party with MailPix!

Posted by html404 on December 13, 2012
in Blog Stuff, Contests, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff

Do you know what a Twitter party is? It is a chat done on Twitter or a tweet chat. There are a number of ways to participate TweetGrid is popular, as is Hootsuite, which is what I usually use but it does lag in time. We will be using the hashtag #photomemories and that is the hashtag you will search when looking for this particular Twitter party or Twitter chat.

I am co-hosting a Twitter party with Sasha from MailPix, Professor just reviewed their products, and Bobbie from Verbosity. Here are the details for the Twitter party:

When: Wednesday, December 19
Time: Noon-1pm CST, 1pm-2pm EST, 10am-11pm Pacific
Where: Your Twitter account, TweetGrid, Hootsuite
Topic: Photo Memories
Prizes: 5 photo memory related prizes from Mailpix!
Hashtag: #photomemories

Prizes will be chosen using Random.org throughout the hour. Winners will be announced and asked to DM (Direct Message) the host with their contact information.

If you are interested in attending, please sign up using Mr. Linky below with your Twitter ID and link to it:

Please feel free to help spread the word!

P.S. By signing up you are insuring you are entered into the giveaways during the party!

Thanks!

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Christmas Entertaining Ideas

Posted by html404 on December 13, 2012
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Health, Health and Nutrition, Holidays, Organic, Recipes, Reviews

With the Christmas season upon us so is Christmas entertaining. In the past few years we haven’t done as much entertaining, mostly because I cannot seem to keep my house as clean as I once did before I worked from home – I’m home working, but not always cleaning – and let’s just say we have a long way to go in that department.

We try to eat healthy and serve healthy food during the holidays, but we don’t try to force our eating habits on others. We like kefir and yogurt, but not everyone does. However, for those of you who do have family and friends who are adventurous and will try anything you serve on the nutritional spectrum, we have some Christmas entertaining ideas and recipes just for you, compliments of Redwood Hill Farm and Green Valley Organics.

Christmas Entertaining Ideas

We love mixing fresh (or frozen) fruit with our yogurt/kefir products. The following recipes do just that and we appreciate all the nutritional value and information Redwood Hill Farm has shared right along with them.

Brainy Blueberry Smoothie
Makes one Smoothie (approx. 10 oz.)

Need a little brain boost Don’t get blue; enjoy a healthy helping of blueberries, known for their phytochemical prowess and antioxidants, both thought to improve cognitive function. Combine with walnuts for their essential fatty acids and our easy-to-digest Redwood Hill Farm Plain Goat Milk Kefir or lactose free Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir for a thoughtful drink that will have you pondering (and answering) the meaning of life in no time.

1/2 cup Redwood Hill Farm Plain Kefir or Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 cup unsweetened blueberry, pomegranate, or orange juice
1/2 medium fresh or frozen banana
2 TBPS. walnuts (about 6 halves)
1/2 cup ice cubes, adjust to reach desired consistency

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Bigger Boost: Add a teaspoon of lecithin per serving, a natural source of choline required by the body to support nervous system health, brain function, and heart and liver health.

Per serving: 256 cal; 8g protein; 10g total fat (1g sat. fat); 39g carb; 5mg chol; 47mg sod.; 5g fiber; 26g sugar*

Go-Go Greens Smoothie
Makes one Smoothie (approx. 10 oz.)

Has your get up and go, got up and gone? Juice up your day with nourishing greens, bursting with energy to spare. We added a kiss of apple and a handful of strawberries for sweetness and recommend including a frozen banana for an extra creamy texture. Our Redwood Farm Plain Kefir or Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir pack a punch of protein and are the only kefirs available with Flourish R – a proprietary blend of 10 live active probiotic cultures. Make enough to share as a family and friends will be green with envy of your renewed vim and vigor.

1 cup (about 1 handful) leafy greens (chard, spinach or kale with ribs removed)
1/2 cup Redwood Hill Farm Plain Kefir or Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir
1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (about 5 whole berries)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or cider
1/2 medium frozen banana
1/2 cup ice cubes (adjust to reach desired consistency)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Bigger Boost: Add a tablespoon of chia seeds for a boost of fiber, omega 3s, and calcium. Add a scoop of lactose-free whey protein isolate powder for added protein.

Per Serving: 182 cal; 6g protein; 2g total fat (1g sat fat); 36g carb; 5mg chol; 64mg sod; 4g fiber; 1g sugars*

Pumpkin Pie in the Sky Smoothie

Makes one smoothie (approx. 10 oz.)

Our favorite smoothie tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass – without the guilt of buttery pastry and whipped cream. Its cinnamon goodness is just that: a boost that’s anti-inflammatory and getting kudos for lessening the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Our Redwood Hill Farm Plain Kefir or Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir adds just the right amount of creamy indulgence with the benefit of belly-friendly bacteria for easy digestibility.

1/2 cup Redwood Hill Farm Plain Kefir or Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or cider
1/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 medium fresh or frozen banana or 2 pitted dates
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 TBSP. sweetener of choice (we like maple syrup)
1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1/2 cup ice cubes (adjust to reach desired consistency)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Top it Off: Add a couple of tablespoons of cinnamon granola (and a bit of candied ginger) to the top, grab a spoon, close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re enjoying Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.

Per Serving: 295g cal; 8g protein; 5g total fat (2g sat. fat); 54g carb; 5mg chol; 124mg sod.; 5g fiber; 32g sugars*

*Nutritionals calculated using Green Valley Organics Plain Kefir

Enjoy and let me know if you try these recipes! For more recipes from Redwood Hill Farm visit http://redwoodhill.com/recipes

Faith and Family Reviews received product coupons in exchange for this feature.

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FREE Movie Screening Chicago for Parental Guidance

Posted by html404 on December 13, 2012
in Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Movies

This is last minute notice but we have a movie screening Chicago opportunity. Those of you in the Chicago area have the chance to attend a FREE movie screening for Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei and Billy Crystal’s new movie, Parental Guidance (Rated PG)! Looks funny!

When: TONIGHT at 6:30pm
Where: AMC River East in Chicago

Arrive early because the movie screening is overbooked, like airlines, theaters do this too.

How can you get tickets? You and one guest can get tickets by going to this link:

https://www.gofobo.com/rsvp/promotion/7116e86caa7763fbd2d03bcd743b19c4

Watch the Parental Guidance trailer (this is a PG movie):

Please let us know if you attend and how you liked the movie, as none of us are unable to attend!

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