Tag Archive for Seasonal Stuff

5 Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

If you are heading out shopping this weekend and still need a few stocking stuffers, we have some ideas for you! Below are some products we have recently tried and reviewed or have used in the past. From techie stuff to kids toys, there are last minute stocking stuffers for nearly everyone in the family!

1. Shredz. We got our first snow the other day and our boys have been outside playing with their new Shredz action figures and accessories. The boys really like them! The photos speak for themselves.

2. Eco.Ditty. Eco.Ditty is a company that offers eco-friendly, organic cotton, reusable sandwich and snack bags.

3. Fruit. My mom use to always put a huge apple and orange in our stockings. We never saw that size of fruit any other time of the year.

4. Love’s Christmas Journey DVD. We won this movie in a drawing or something and received it this week. Planning on watching it this weekend or sometime over Christmas.

5. PlayMG. PlayMG is a portable mobile gaming device. It is very cool. So cool that my husband and I have enjoyed playing NBA Jam. 😉 If you knew us, you’d know that we both love basketball both watching and playing, but don’t do much of either anymore. Though PlayMG is a pricier item for a stocking stuffer, it is the size of a perfect last minute stocking stuffer, especially if you are stuck in what to get a special someone. No need to buy extra equipment, as it uses a standard cell phone charger to charge. Accessories can be purchased separately, like a case, charger etc.

We have really been enjoying learning to us our PlayMG, but I wouldn’t say it hasn’t been as user friendly as I would like. It took me an email and a couple calls to support and I still cannot get the internet to work even though my WiFi says it is connected. I have to call them again after Christmas. The game has frozen on us a couple of times causing us to reset it by pressing the brightness and volume down buttons, which I need to ask about. Support has been great though.


There were a couple of cards like this and that was the extent of instructions. 🙁 It came beautifully packaged though in a nice box that slide out like a drawer. Too bad my children sort of wrecked ours already or I could show you how nice it was.

I will say that so far the PlayMG has been a motivator for my boys (9 and nearly 11) to do their chores, so it is working in the sense that I want it too. I like that it is portable and needs no other service other than WiFi and it will work with our NetZero device. I also like that we can use the Bill My Parents card. I added $20 to it and Bill My Parents added another $10, so I can use that as an extra incentive for chores. OR if certain individuals are not complying then I can say I get to spend the money instead. Hoping I don’t have to resort to that but if I have to play hard ball I will!

The Bill My Parents card works like a debit card but teens cannot overspend if there is no money on the card. Parents can be notified via email of purchases etc., but they will not be able to get a report of websites visited or what their kids watched. That’s a downfall, if you ask me. I like that it’s a debit card. Now that my girls are getting older, it will be a useful tool to use to educate them about responsible credit card use.

Overall, we like PlayMG, I just wish more instructions came with the device on how to get everything set up -email, internet etc. This is a great device that gets my children OFF my iPhone and onto THEIR games without expensive cell phone charges or contracts.

Have fun with any last minute shopping, visiting or preparing you have to do this weekend!


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Reverse Charades Holiday Edition Review


Reverse Charades Holiday Edition Review

So, I think I still have pains in my side from laughing so much!  My husband, myself, and 2 other friends played this one evening when the kids went to bed. I’ve never had so much fun with a game and it got very competitive! I’m laughing as I write this remembering my husband trying to act out “Cindy Lou Who”. Start laughing now…  imaging trying to act out “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, “Nutcracker”, or “Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen”. Bring some tissues because your going to laugh until you cry! Reverse Charades Holiday Edition is a must have for a Christmas Party!  Great stocking stuffer also it a small box (it’s about the size of an iPhone).

Reverse Charades also come in Girls Night In Edition and Sports Edition. To purchase Reverse Charades online click here, Amazon.com, or 2000 other store locations.

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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Christmas Tree Hunting – Wordless Wednesday

We went Christmas tree hunting at a friend’s farm. They had a beautiful white birch grove as well as a grove of silver trees that this photo does not do justice. It was beautiful.

In our search we had to be careful for holes left from where trees were dug up. Blondie is standing in on in this photo. Our friends’ farm use to be a tree nursery.

We eventually found a tree very similar to this one. It was huge and a monstrosity to get into the van!

We each took turns cutting down the Christmas tree. We actually had to go back out and buy a new saw because ours was too dull to do anything significant in the way of cutting. Makes for an interesting story to pass down through the years. 😉

When we finally got the Christmas tree shoved into the van it was a tight squeeze for everyone to get back into their seats.

This is what the tree looked like for a few days. It took a few extra cuts to get it just right and I haven’t yet taken an updated photo of it cut down to size or completely decorated.

When do you put up your tree?


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Sears #styleSURPRISE

Over the years Sears has been a trusted brand in my life. Guess I learned that from my mother, as well as my mother-in-law as they shopped at Sears…and still do. As most of you know, Sears provides everything from appliances and apparel to jewelry, electronics and more.

This holiday season Sears is hosting their Holiday #styleSURPRISE Sweepstakes where entrants can enter to win $5K worth of SYW points. I entered. It’s very easy, especially if you already have an account. Just sign in or sign up and follow the prompts at the link I just provided.

I think if I won the Holiday #styleSURPRISE I would update my wardrobe, costume jewelry and even buy my family some goodies. Below I’ve shared a little bit of my style.

My Style

At Sears.com I found a pretty Maxi dress that I like, except for the low neckline, love the empire-like waistline though. I usually have to buy petite sizes because I am so short and regular size/length dresses are too long.



Fashion Accessories

I like pretty simple and practical when it comes fashion accessories. Here are a few pieces of jewelry that appealed to my eye and no I don’t think either of them go with the dress above:

You can visit Sears for more everyday fashion inspiration.

Imagine if you won $5k worth of SYW points? What would you buy? Leave me a comment.

This is a sponsored post, I am a Sears blogger, though all opinions are my own.


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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Faith and Family Reviews!

Hope you have a wonderful day with family and friends! Once again we are flying solo this holiday, opting to stay at home – no hosting even – and we are going to enjoy our own home grown meal of turkey, potatoes, butternut squash and pumpkin (in a pie of course!). Then other yummy things we are making or have bought to gobble down with the rest of our meal.

We are very grateful for many things but here are some at the top of our thankful list:

1. Jesus who died on the cross for our sins to give us eternal life in Heaven one day. He’s the ultimate reason I live.
2. God’s provision financially has been huge for our family over many years but this year has been amazing in a different way. I could say so much more but it would take a book. Seriously. Just when we think we are at the bottom of the barrel, He comes through.
3. Family. A husband to love and who loves me, and our children…other reasons I live. I can’t imagine life without any of them.

May this truly be a season of thankfulness for all of us…

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Ephesians 5:20 ESV


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Carpet One Review and Giveaway

When we went to Brandcation Blog Cabin we received swag (products from companies sponsoring the event or bloggers). Amy from Grinning Cheek to Cheek was sponsored by Carpet One. We all received a mat. There was a choice of pet paws and a fall mat, since I don’t have a fall mat I chose that one, though my kids would have loved the pet paws! Mommy rules! 😉 I think there were even two 5×7 mats given away – they were nice too!

Carpet One Review and Giveaway

Carpet One mats are water and stain-resistant, machine-washable and made in the USA. We have already washed our mat once – didn’t want to take a photo of a dirty mat even though the browns hide the dirt really well. Another reason I chose this mat. The pet paws had a light color for the paws which I figured would show the dirt more. With ten people in our home we track a lot of dirt in even though I have mats at every entrance and the children are required to take off their shoes and wash their feet if they go barefoot. The mat washed up nicely and did not fall apart. I’ve had that happen before, probably on mats that weren’t machine washable though as they frayed and the back disintegrated. 🙁

I actually put our mat in front of our kitchen sink. It’s soft under the feet and give extra support while standing doing dishes. It looks nice too. We really like it there.

Overall we are very pleased with our first experience with a Carpet One product.

About Carpet One:

Carpet One Floor & Home has more than 1,000 independently owned and operated stores in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Carpet One Floor & Home carries carpet, wood, laminate, ceramic, vinyl, and area rugs, including exclusive brands like Bigelow and Lees.


Carpet One Giveaway

Now for the giveaway!

Please make your entries via the Rafflecopter below to win one of these Autumn mats supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month, which was this past month.

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.


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OctoNovemCember Shopping Holidays #OctoNovemCember

Can you believe there’s only a week left of October? Seriously, I don’t know where time goes. Before we know it we will be snowed in! But shhh….you didn’t hear that from me!

What does the above image make you think of? To me it denotes Autumn, Thanksgiving and Christmas (insert your preferred holidays) all rolled up into one. I generally only shop for food for Autumn and Thanksgiving, as we do not give gifts for either of those holiday events. I shop for gifts for Christmas.

For Christmas gifts I am usually shopping all through the year. I am not as good about starting right after Christmas with the end of year sales as I use to be, but I am done shopping well before Christmas except for maybe…one…or two last minute gifts for the hard-to-buy people in our family.

This will probably be weird but I don’t shop on Black Friday. I have never relished putting myself or my children‘s lives at risk through the crowds and hassle of racing for the sales. It never seemed worth it to me.

It saves money to shop early and to have a budget in mind of what you are going to spend. With the advent of technology there are even more ways to save by taking advantage of online sales, FREE shipping, using sales or coupons in conjunction with FREE shipping offers increases your savings.

Shopping Holidays

This holiday season, you can visit the promotion page to learn about the OctoNovemCember™ shopping season and watch the video about Pumpkin-Headed Turkey Claus, the King of OctoNovemCember™:

Win a $1000 Shopping Spree

Now thru 10/31 you have a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree by sharing the Pumpkin-Headed Turkey Claus video. The more times you share, the more entries you get (up to 20!) and one winner is picked each week.

Tech Savvy Shoppers

RetailMeNot has Coupons App for iPhone and Android phones to access deals, coupons, popular stores and categories to help make shopping easier.

Social Media Shoppers

If you are a Social Media Maven be sure to “like” RetailMeNot.com on Facebook, follow the company via Twitter @RetailMeNot and add them on Google+ to stay current with deals you don’t want to miss.

Happy OctoNovemCember™ Shopping!



This is a paid post by One2One Network and RetailMeNot.com


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Fall Table Top Ideas

Fall is pretty much here and lately in our state we have been experiencing cooler weather and all the stores have begun to stock fall goodies. A great way to celebrate the coming of the new season is to use some great fall table top items from Bormioli Rocco – an Italian glassware company that offers modern designs with classic twists.

 

The first item on our list are the Bormioli Rocco, Sorgente Fuchsia Glassware that come in a set of six. I really like the two glasses sent to me. They are cool looking and a great addition to our glassware collection. I have been using them almost every day and the frosted color is very cute.

 

With the fall season you are sure to have guests over for a football party or just a fall dinner and these glasses are a great way to showcase some color and fall style without going overboard. You can find the Fuchsia Highball Glasses for $46.00 per set at Macys.com

The other item that is perfect for fall are the Bormioli Rocco Quattro Stagioni 8 1/2 Ounce Canning Jar, Set of 12 $32.55 at Amazon.com

This jar set is really cute and even though I haven’t used the one I received it’s pretty safe to say that I will probably put jam in it. If you don’t do fall canning you can also use these jars to organize meals for the back to school season. You could also use these jars for table top decorations or candle holders.

You can find these products at Macys.com and Amazon.com

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.


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Canning and Freezing Veggies – The Labor of Love

Well, I did it! I accomplished canning and freezing veggies! My first canning season in the new place with most of my own veggies!  The other veggies that we didn’t grow I bought from a local stand.  The kitchen heats up awful fast in the middle of August, but it will be so nice in those cold months to make my family meals with vegetables from our own garden!  Here’s what I canned:  pickles, crushed tomatoes, 3 pickled beans, pickled grape tomatoes, salsa, BBQ sauce, pickled hot peppers, white peaches, and bruschetta!  In all that makes exactly 50 jars of wonderfulness!

I also blanched and froze bags of corn, cut peppers, whole red peppers, peas, beans, cucumbers, and zucchini!

I looked up most of the recipes on the internet with a few out of an old Ball Canning Book I found. I received and email from Grit Magazine awhile ago with the “Ultimate Guide to Food Preservation”, that would have been VERY handy a few weeks back!  There is a wealth of information on their site, including sweepstakes!  Go and check them out!

~ Brande


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Melissa & Doug Giveaway on Facebook!

I’m a HUGE Melissa & Doug fan and wanted to share about this great giveaway!  Every week they pick a new winner for a great Melissa & Doug Camp Sunny Patch Product – virtual camp for you and your kids! I missed the first 2 weeks, eek! Forgive me! The sprinkler above was for the week ending the 19th. According to their terms page here’s the weekly line up:

6/21 to 6/26 – Spark Shark Floating Target Game

6/17 to 7/3 – Happy Giddy Bug Net

7/5 to 7/10 – Speck Seahorse Sand Ice Cream Set

7/12 to 7/17 – Winner’s Choice Role Play Costume

7/19 to 7/24 – The Box Girls Camp Bunk Box of Questions

7/26 to 7/31 – Backyard Explorer Role Play Costume

8/2 to 8/7 – Spark Shark Fish Hunt Pool Toy

8/9 to 8/14 – Activity Cones – Set of 8

8/16 to 8/21 –  Trunki Prize Pack (includes 1 Trunki Suitcase, 1 Trunki Saddlebag, 1 Trunki Tote Bag, 3 packs of Trunki Stickers)

8/23 to 8/28 – USA Map Floor Puzzle

Let me know which Melissa & Doug Giveaway your kids would love!


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