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Week #8 Saturday Top Five Laughs – Join the Blog Hop!

Posted by html404 on December 14, 2013
in Animals, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Home, Humor, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

I was not good at writing down the funnies this week. But regardless, join us as we participate in The Mommyhood Chronicles Saturday Top Five Laughs – Week #8 for us – I think we are on a roll with eight weeks in a row!

5. My husband was filling waterers and carrying our dog’s 5 gallon water pail to him and our horse, Blaze, comes right up behind him to steal a drink. My husband was completely unaware until Blaze drank. Blaze didn’t have a care about the dog barking at him or the fact it was not his waterer. He simply knew it was closer than the pasture and barn water! It was funny to watch. Too bad we couldn’t get a photo.

4. Listening to my children’s laughter as they watched the movie “The Croods” was hilarious.

3. Listening to my children’s laughter as they watched the movie “Denise the Menace”….I actually fell asleep. Nothing like laughter to lull a tired mama to sleep, eh?

2. I smile every time I look at the side of the tree our three year old decorated because many of the ornaments are just laid on the branches or are in clusters. 😉

1. We got our Christmas tree last Sunday and it brought back memories of getting last year’s tree, which was so huge it would not fit in the van. We had to shove it in and the children had to sit ducking underneath it’s branches! Getting our tree this year was pretty uneventful.

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MinuteClinic at select CVS Pharmacy Stores

Posted by Brande on December 12, 2013
in Family Stuff, Health, Health and Nutrition, News Worthy, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Uncategorized

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for CVS MinuteClinic. I received promotional items as a thank you for participating”

By: Guest Dad Blogger Scott – #MC

“Children suffer around 6 or 12 colds a year.”

And

“Americans get 1 billion colds a year.”

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention

With cold and flu season fast approaching it’s good to know that MinuteClinic in select CVS Pharmacy Stores are here to help you.

What’s a MinuteClinic you ask? Good Question!

MinuteClinic is an affordable alternative to visiting your doctor when you or a family member is suffering from a cold, cough or flu illness. No appointments are necessary and they are open 7 days a week with evening hours! The MinuteClinic can vaccinate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe for cold, cough, and/or flu!

Board Certified Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are there for you to treat a variety of common family illnesses. Not just limited to cold, cough, and flu. They are able to diagnose strep throat, ear infections, pink eye, and UTI’s. In addition, they are able to provide vaccinations for flu, pertussis, and others. The MinuteClinic can also provide physicals for sports and /or camps and wellness services to stop smoking, lose weight, and screening for diabetes and cholesterol.

This program is terrific for that on the go person or family. The MinuteClinic also accepts insurance! If your regular doctor is not available and you visit the MinuteClinic, they will send your summary visit to your primary care physician (with your permission). No regular doctor? No problem – The MinuteClinic can even help you find a provider.

Currently the MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy Stores is available in 28 states and in Washington DC.

If you sneeze or cough, please cover your mouth, this is how most germs spread. One of the best ways to avoid sickness is wash your hands with soap and water and try not to touch your face.

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Tylenol SMILING IT FORWARD™

Posted by Professor on December 11, 2013
in Community Issues, Family Stuff, Health, Health and Wellness, Uncategorized

I have received information and products from McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., the makers of TYLENOL®. The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks

Tylenol SMILING IT FORWARD™

Share a smile and help a child feel better!

I’m Smiling it forward because… I want to share the joy of my little one’s smile with everyone! Smiling is contagious… one smile goes along way! If everyone took some time to smile the world would be a happier place!

I am glad Tylenol has created this campaign… I feel so blessed when my little ones smile after they have been sick. It warms my heart to know that the worst is over and that they are now feeling better. It also means that I have done my best to get them better.

With the help of Tylenol…all moms can help their little ones feel better when feeling under the weather.

How can you help in SMILING IT FORWARD™?

Join TYLENOL, a brand relied on by moms for over 50 years, by SMILING IT FORWARD™. Together with Children’s Health Fund, we can help ensure a doctor’s visit is always within reach for children in need.

Just upload a photo here or use this link: https://www.smilingitforward.com/share/upload to help kids in need. It’s as easy as that.

How can your smile help?

We all love a child’s smile. There’s baby’s first smile, the wake-up smile and the first step “I did it!” smile. But, there’s something special about the smile that comes after a fever breaks and a child starts feeling better.

Creating those “feel better” smiles is what Tylenol is all about.

For decades, moms and pediatricians have relied on Tylenol to provide relief from fever and pain. The smile of good health is one every child deserves and every mom should see.

You can help make more smiles possible for families in need.

That’s where Children’s Health Fund comes in. Their mobile medical clinics provide children in need with access to the doctors, nurses and medicine they deserve.

Join us by SMILING IT FORWARD™.

By simply sharing a photo that makes you smile, Tylenol will make a $1 donation to Children’s Health Fund (up to $100,000).

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Zact Mobile – Great Gift for your Teens!

Posted by Brande on December 9, 2013
in Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Parenting, Products for Dad, Products for Mom, Techie Stuff, Technology/Electronics, Uncategorized

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

By: Scott – Dad Guest Blogger – #MC

So, your teen has asked for a phone with all the bells and whistles. However, you are not sure they are ready for that responsibility. There’s a new mobile program called Zact – no contracts and a minimal average payment of $22.00 a month. Zact Mobile has gotten the seal of approval from The National Parenting Center. Zact has parental controls! You can set the amount of data and texting they use as well as set curfews. You customize your plan to you or your families needs. Zact is currently available online at Zact.com or Best Buy.

Check out this Video about Zact Parental Controls:

Parental Controls with Zact from Zact Mobile on Vimeo.

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Babydoll Sheep

Posted by html404 on December 8, 2013
in All Natural Products, Animals, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Gift Ideas, Home, Kids Stuff, Organic, Uncategorized

Our farm is going to grow yet again! I’m kind of nervous thinking about it but excited at the same time. When we bought the wool dryer balls from the sheep farmer we also put down a deposit on a breeding pair of sheep for our oldest son! We will get these lambs in the spring so there’s lots of time. It’s just fencing, shelter etc. We do not want to put much money into permanent infrastructure like stalls in the barn because we cannot take it with us. We will probably do temporary housing outside. I know the sheep farm uses calf huts, but I think those can be pricey so we’ll do something like our little hoop house over our raised bed.

The sheep in the photo above are from the sheep farm but owned by our neighbor. When I went there with my friend to look at their Dutch Belted cow, I snapped a photo of the Babydoll sheep. Our neighbor knows the sheep farmers, which is what prompted me to get in touch with them, remembering I had their business card from the Green Expo. I had inquired earlier in the year but never got around to calling them back because we were not at a place of being ready for more animals with all our delays in fencing and waiting for pasture to grow. But our son has been asking so we took the leap of faith and put a deposit down knowing we have to plan ahead for things like this, especially if we want unrelated lambs to breed. Thankfully, we do not have to worry about shearing wool until spring of 2015 and the ewe won’t be bred until she is a year or two old.

Our son’s sheep will be registered Babydoll sheep. He has his names picked out already – Atlas for the ram and Juno for the ewe. It’s always interesting to see what names they come up with. I questioned him gently making sure those were names he wanted before I sent them to the breeder. I just wanted him to be sure. I also asked him if he was going to be able to sell his lambs. He said yes, but we’ll see.

Babydoll sheep are a recovering sheep breed on the Livestock Conservancy priority list. We chose them because they are smaller, plus they are cute!

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Week #7 Saturday Top Five Laughs – Join the Blog Hop!

Posted by html404 on December 7, 2013
in Animals, Blog Stuff, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Humor, Kids Stuff, Saturday Top Five Laughs, Uncategorized

I think I did better writing down funny things as they happened this week so it is officially time to laugh with the Goulds again! We have joined The Mommyhood Chronicles for Week #7 – for us – in the Saturday Top Five Laughs of the week.

5. We were talking about the Prince and Duchess of Wales and our Amelia Bedilia said, “They live in whales?” I believe she knew what we meant but was trying to be funny because she repeated it to her brother next to her and then they high-fived.

4. Love the honest laughs of my children. Nothing makes us smile more than to hear their genuine laugh.

3. The kittens were their playful selves again. Our three year old son was told to clean the crayon off the patio door and while he was wiping, Freckles was trying to grab Jr.’s cloth!

2. We had one of our sons get sick yesterday, which made our older son paranoid about getting sick. My son applied DiGize essential oil to help ward off a tummy ache. My husband pulled a fast one on him by asking him which way he applied the DiGize clockwise or counter clockwise. My son replied, “Counter clockwise.” My husband proceeded to tell him if he circled counter clockwise everything would come up, but if he had of applied it clockwise everything would stay down. My son goes, “Arghhhh!” And my husband comes in our bedroom laughing that he couldn’t believe he fooled our son. I chuckled and told him to go tell him the difference before he thought he’d be sick!

1. Last night while I was working on my laptop our children were all watching the movie “The Croods” next to me. I loved hearing them all burst out laughing. I was listening to their laughter more than the movie so now I have to watch it for myself! Gotta love the sound of children laughing! This is kind of a repetition of #4, oh well! I was doubly blessed this week to think of it twice! 😉

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Wool Dryer Balls – Dryer Sheet Alternative

Posted by html404 on December 5, 2013
in All Natural Products, Animals, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Farm Stuff, Gift Ideas, Handmade Items, Health, Parenting, Safety, Saving Money, Uncategorized

About a month ago my 14 year old daughter “B” and I went to a Green Expo to promote our farm. We collected a few business cards, one of which was a local sheep farmer. I finally got around to visiting their website and discovered they sold wool dryer balls. These wool dryer balls are handmade by M.

When my older girls were little I had to stop using dryer sheets because a couple of them broke out with rashes. I never liked the expense of liquid fabric softener so we’ve basically gone without. I have used a rag with vinegar on it to get rid of static cling.

That’s why I was excited to try the wool dryer balls come in as an alternative. We have been using them since the weekend and they are working. We do not seem to have to turn the dryer on for a second cycle on our larger loads so it is doing what I hoped they’d do in reducing dryer time by soaking up extra wetness. No one has said anything about static cling yet so I am hoping that will be rectified as well.

I think I’ll get my mom a set of dryer balls the next time she comes to visit.

Do you have any dryer sheet remedies?

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Pampers Celebrating Firsts & Giveaway

Posted by 278Wife on December 1, 2013
in Baby Products, Diapers and Accessories, Family Stuff, Kids Stuff, Parenting, Uncategorized

“This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.”

As a stay at home mom I have been absolutely blessed to witness all of my babies’ “firsts” first hand. These moments I will never be able to get back and I cherish & hold them close to my heart. I will never forget the first time she smiled at me or her first word, “MaMa.” From the moment I laid eyes on her in the hospital, I knew I was the luckiest mom ever. Pampers has been there every step of the way with me.

Pampers Celebrating Firsts

As a newborn, through her infancy, and now into her “walking” stage, I have always used Pampers diapers. My favorite feature is the color-changing wetness indicator, which lets me know in an instant when my baby needs a diaper change. The elasticity around the legs keeps leaks in, all while still being very comfortable for my daughter to crawl, sit, stand, and attempt to walk. Pampers Swaddlers are Pampers softest diapers ever from newborn all the way through size 5. Imagine a pillow for your babies’ butt! As Annabelle takes on her next challenge, her “first steps,” Pampers will be there keeping her dry and comfortable. Here is Annabelle taking her first steps with her push toy. I couldn’t be more proud!

From your baby’s first smile to their first step, Swaddlers can now be there for many more firsts to come! To celebrate Swaddlers sizes 4 & 5, Pampers has 30 days of incredible giveaways and a grand prize of FREE Swaddlers diapers & wipes for a year. Join the celebration and enter our 30 days of sweeps on the Pampers Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Pampers/app_1426402564246361 where you can win daily prize bundles, plus the grand prize of free Swaddlers diapers & wipes for one year!

Check out Pampers at http://bit.ly/18psPH0

Pampers Facebook http://on.fb.me/1eWzMVD

Pampers Twitter http://bit.ly/1brDKYn

Be sure to join the #SwaddlersFirsts Twitter Party on Thursday, December 5th at 9pm EST. You can RSVP at http://twtvite.com/SwaddlersFirsts

Twitter Party prizes include:
Prizes include:

3- Celebrating Firsts Gift Packs, which include:

· Baby’s First Friend Plush Doll

· Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box

· Baby’s First Words Book

· Baby’s First Steps Push Toy

· $50 Shutterfly Gift Card to celebrate all “firsts” moments

· Baby’s First Bath Robe

· Pampers Swaddlers

Grand Prize: Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR camera worth $450!

Pampers Giveaway

As a part of the Pampers Celebrating Firsts, we are hosting a giveaway for the following package:

· Baby’s First Friend Plush Doll

· Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box

· Baby’s First Words Book

· Baby’s First Steps Push Toy

· Pampers Swaddlers

Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Week #6 Saturday Top Five Laughs – Join the Blog Hop!

Posted by html404 on November 30, 2013
in Animals, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Home, Humor, Kids Stuff, Uncategorized

Ha! Getting into the habit of keeping track of our family’s funnies! These are not all necessarily from this past week though. Can’t believe I made it to six weeks of participating in The Mommyhood Chronicles Saturday Top Five Laughs! I think I’ve made it a habit or at least I hope so!

5. My husband was doing laundry and came out of the laundry room holding a skirt saying, “Really, we are keeping this?” It was “B’s” black skirt. It has a rip down the side. See the photo below. B said, “Yes, I need it” laughing. Then he proceeded to go on a tirade about how I throw out his holey clothes (I don’t throw them all out), but he’s right that I have literally ripped one of his old, holey t-shirts off of him in order to prove my point that it needed to be thrown out. Let’s just say B and I were more humored about the skirt than he was! He thinks it’s ridiculous that B wants to keep the ripped skirt.

4. I forgot this one on one of the other Saturday Top Five Laughs post. Padfoot, our dog, was barking so my husband went to the window of our room to see what he was going on about. Turns out Padfoot was barking at a caterpillar! The caterpillar was just out of his reach and he wanted to get it. Silly dog.

3. My husband has this particular way of raising and wiggling his eyebrows when he’s being goofy. Our youngest has started doing it. It’s very cute, though because his eyebrows are not as dark as his daddy’s it doesn’t have quite the same affect.

2. Our daughter “B” posted the above notice on a couple of our bedroom doors.

1. Bear in the house! We have a couple of those adorable animal hats with the mittens attached and my little guy kept coming up to us with it completely over his eyes growling at us. 😉

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Holiday Craft Ideas from Kid Made Modern

Posted by 278Wife on November 28, 2013
in Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Handmade Items, Holidays, Kids Stuff, Reviews, Seasonal Stuff, Shopping, Uncategorized

Arts and crafts projects are always a big hit in our household with my four year old son. They are even a bigger hit around the holidays, since we like to give homemade gifts to grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Kid Made Modern collection is a great affordable option for kids and parents alike, plus they have great holiday craft ideas. Sold exclusively at Target and target.com with nothing over $20! They offer everything from crayons & markers, to craft kits like tie-dye & ornaments.

My son had a blast using the Double-Pointed Crazy Crayons, Mini Colored Pencils, and Washable Markers to color a birthday card. The crazy crayons were nice and thick so they were easy to hold, and had super vibrant colors. My son loved how “crazy” he could color.

I loved how the mini colored pencils were packaged. They came in a tube where the cover easily comes off and you can choose your color. It was way easier for him to get them out of the tube opposed to the traditional box where they are all aligned in a row.

The markers were very unique, too. They had ridges on them like a pencil, but they still felt smooth. It made it very easy to hold and color. Any of these would make great stocking stuffers!

We also had a chance to try one of the Kid Made Modern Faux Stained Glass Ornament Kits. Even though the age on the box says 6+, I figured my four year old could do it with my help. It contained all of the supplies to create six ornaments including the directions.

My son had a great time painting the ornaments and waiting patiently for them to dry so he could see them finished. Each ornament was individually wrapped with a plastic film to protect it from getting scratched. I found this to be very difficult to remove. It took me a couple of minutes for each ornament. I wish I would have removed all of the plastic films before I had my son sit down for the project. I loved how many different color paint choices came with the box as well as two different sized paintbrushes.