I’m always on the hunt for free and fun activities for my family. Lowe’s has a fantastic program called Build and Grow. On my daughter’s first visit she received a Lowe’s apron, a hammer & protective goggles to borrow and her project. When she/we finished the project we returned the hammer and protective goggle and she was given a certificate and a patch for her apron! She loves the iron on patches that she earned and loves to show them off on her apron.
So, far we’ve built 2 monster trucks and a “Croods” the movie planter. Our next build is a sweetheart frame on May 11th.
Click here or head over to Lowes.com and search for Build & Grow to sign up at your nearest Lowe’s for the next free activity for kids!
This is our second oldest daughter milking. She’s our chief milker at the moment until we train the next one in line to milk. I have helped with milking but I think my nervousness unsettled Eclipse because she seemed jittery and moved a lot. Then again maybe I’m being paranoid and she was just antsy in her new home since I haven’t milked since the first week. Eclipse does seem to do better for our daughter, whom the cow loves I might add! Over the weekend, Eclipse watched the children go from one end of the property, down the tree line to the other end and mooed in their direction after our daughter went over with her younger siblings. Then when our daughter came back across the field, Eclipse followed her again by walking the fence line to greet her – if that isn’t affection, I don’t know what is!
Since Eclipse has been on pasture her cream (and milk) has been slowly increasing. Today the girls got 6 cups of cream from two gallons of milk and made two pounds of butter! The photos below are not all of the same day. The milk bottles are actually some of our very first. The butter photos are from today. All they do is put the cream in a pint or quart sized jar and shake it until it forms butter. The girls like to shake it until it forms a ball, which eliminates the need to shape the butter by hand! Pretty smart, eh?
Click on the image to make it larger and brighter.
It’s a fun milking and making butter! My husband is very happy not to have to stop for milk after work!
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.
Prenatal health is the number one priority for most moms to be. Choosing the right prenatal vitamin can be a challenge with all of the different options available. Sometimes one vitamin does not agree with your body so you have to switch to another. This has happened with a quite a few of the pills I have tried in the past. I was very interested to hear about Premama Prenatal Vitamin, a powdered supplement mix. Recommended by doctors, it is all natural, easy to digest, and flavorless. Ingredients in Premama have been proven to reduce the risk of some birth defects by 70% or more. These include Biotin, B vitamins, DHA Omega-3 fatty acid, Coenzyme Q10, Choline, Ginger Root, and Folic Acid. Many of these ingredients also aid with nausea and digestive relief, too.
Premama comes in a box of 30 on-the-go servings. Each sleeve is divided into two equal doses. This way you can choose to take the entire dose at one time, or break it up into two times a day. For me, it is hard to remember to take my vitamin even one time a day, let alone twice a day, so I took it all it once.
It states you can mix Premama with any juice or beverage so the first day I mixed it with water. I did not care for the texture or taste of the water so the next day I tried it with cranberry grape juice. This was much better! The more juice to mix it with, at least 12oz, the better. Simply add the entire sleeve or one part of the sleeve to the beverage and shake or stir.
Although the package says it is flavorless, I could still taste a hint of it. It is not a terrible taste, but it is a distinct taste that you get used to after a few days. I loved how convenient it was to just throw a couple of the packets in my purse for when I was going to be out of the house. I also noticed a huge improvement in my nail health. My nails started to grow very long and strong, which I have never experienced with any other prenatal vitamin. Premama Prenatal Vitamin is a great option for women who have a hard time swallowing pills, too.
Overall, Premama is a great product. Check out their website for more information on their prenatal vitamin as well as some great information on pregnancy in general.
Break Away is a new movie from the producers of Faith Like Potatoes and Journey to Grace. It’s an inspiring Christian film about how God always provides.
Francois is a husband and father who recently lost his job after his company went bankrupt. He’s struggling to provide and understand why this happened to him. Through the ups and downs, he discovered how to multiply and use what he had. With the help and support of good friends, his wife, and his brother.
Break Away had a good message. At times it lagged and was a wee bit boring, but the message was wonderful. Hearing about how God always provides and loves his children is a message always worth hearing.
We found that the soundtrack sometimes overpowered the sound and it was often hard to follow. Since it takes place in South Africa, the actors accents can be very hard to understand at times.
You can find Word Films on Facebook. Be sure to like them so you can find out more about Break Away and their other old and upcoming films.
Thanks to Word Films for sending us a copy for review.
New from RIDEMARKERZ, it’s XTREME CUSTOMZ! Have a great time building and customizing XTREME Customz rides!
Watch them in ACTION!
Get ready to build and customize the toy car or “RIDE” of your dreams. Choose from a wide range of body styles (about the size of a cell phone) and interchangeable, snap-on parts to transform your RIDE from mild to wild. With so many choices, it’s easy to Mix. Match. Make it Your Own.
XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ comes in two sizes:
1:48 scale ~ about the size of a cell phone
XL 1:18 scale ~ about the size of a football
All parts are interchangeable across 1:48 scale RIDE bodies. All XL 1:18 parts are interchangeable across 1:18 scale RIDE bodies, including RIDEMAKERZ Disney-Pixar Cars RIDEZ.
1:48 scale XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ even have a 4-mode adjustable chassis so you can customize the way you cruise. Choose from Race, Lifted, Jacked, and Off-Road…all with the push of a button! 1:4
Our Party and Review:
We had a fabulous time at our XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ party. All the boys had a blast! We received 10 BATMAN starter kits.
The boys had an exciting time outing the cars together and playing with them. We had races and even a style show where the boys showed their tricked out cars and what they could do! What fun!
Here are some of the boys just receiving their XTREME CUSTOMZ RIDEZ!
They could not wait to open them and enjoy building. Each child built the BATMAN car…some needed more help than others, but overall the build was not difficult. The instructions were very detailed and outlined exactly what to do.
Here is the PDF file of the instructions…Batman PDF… to see how easy and detailed the instructions were to follow.
I had plans to show a Batman cartoon to compliment our RIDEZ but the boys were too wrapped up in playing with the cars to even think of a cartoon! This was great to see them interacting rather than watching television!
Each boy got to go home with his own custom ride and wish list! ~ Our group of boys are partiers and the moms loved the wish list provided by RIDEMAKERZ … this will make birthday party gift giving easier among our group!
Overall, EVERYONE had a blast…boys and mom’s included! Thanks RIDEMAKERZ for making our party a HUGE hit!
You can learn more about XTREME CUSTOMZ by RISEMAKERS by visiting www.xtremecustomz.com
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product from Mommy Parties/ Mom Select 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.
I am sure you know by now that everyone in our house is an avid Veggie Tales fans! Both children and adults will delight in this new DVD! This DVD features the parable of the wise and foolish builders and boasts a lesson in making good choices!
DVD synopsis: When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue! Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob builds his house on a firm foundation ~ following the wise plans from the “Master Builders Handbook!” Will the Three Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses ~ and their lives ~ on solid ground? Find out in this parable that shows children that when they follow God’s blueprints, they can stand strong when the storms come!
Additional Material: THE GOOD EGG OF GOOSEVILLE! Ever wonder what happened BEFORE Humpty cracked? Find out in this very Veggie retelling of the classic Humpty Dumpty story.
Our Review:
As we say time again and again…YEAH Veggie Tales! We love the life lessons that only the Big Idea group can bring to our family through Veggie Tales! This DVD delights both children and adults. We loved the twist on the familiar fairytale story. This episode is a great allegory about building your life on a firm foundation. We especially liked that the parable presented in the DVD opened up conversation with our older children about building a life founded in faith while entertaining the young one with valuable lessons through song and story.
I cannot say enough about the Veggie Tales series of DVD’s we LOVE them! The Bonus features on the DVD are an added plus! The children love the silly songs and back-stories…while adults love the discussion guide!
Do not miss out on this new feature from Big Idea and Veggie Tales!
You can find the Veggie Tales DVD wherever DVD’s are sold or purchase online HERE at Amazon.com
For more information about the Big Idea or Veggie Tales brand please visit www.veggietales.com
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.
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.
Would you ever think to use diaper rash ointment to treat acne, bug bites, excema, rashes, or poison ivy? You would if you have ever tried PINXAV diaper rash ointment. PINXAV, pronounced “pink salve,” contains Zinc Oxide, just like other diaper rash ointments, except it contains more of it. PINXAV also includes aloe, lanolin, vitamin E, menthol, and other natural products. PINXAV is primarily used as a diaper rash ointment. It protects the skin, aids in preventing diaper rash, relieves chafed skin, and helps seal out wetness. It should be applied with each diaper change, especially at bedtime and naptime.
I personally tried PINXAV on a rash on my inner arm. It’s a seasonal rash I get that I have never found a cream that provided complete relief. I put a dab of the ointment on the rash and was pleasantly surprised that it is a pink ointment. I love pink! The ointment is quite thick, but it rubs in very easily. Let me tell you, a little bit, and I mean a little bit, goes a very long way. I put maybe a dime size amount and it covered almost my entire lower arm. I used PINXAV on my rash morning and night for 5 days, and was blown away with the results. After the first day, my inner arm no longer itched. After 3 days the rash began to fade, and after 5 days the rash was almost nonexistent. I still cannot believe it! I started using PINXAV on my son’s cheeks. He has sensitive skin and his cheeks get red blotches on them in the evening. I put just a dab on his cheeks at night and it is starting to clear up. I like how gentle the ointment is. It also smells very nice. I can defintely smell the menthol in it, but it is not too overpowering. The ointment makes your skin feel extremely soft, even hours later. It was definitely unexpected coming from a diaper rash ointment!
PINXAV is an all around great product to always have on hand. I cannot wait to try it on my new baby’s bottom; I am confident it will work miracles. Not only can it be used for diaper rashes, but also for heat rashes, chafing, poison ivy, psoriasis, acne, jock itch, minor burns, and many other ailments. PINXAV is for the entire family, which is why I would highly recommend it. They are so confident in their product that they offer a money back guarantee. Trust me, you won’t be dissatisfied. This would make an excellent gift to a new mom or even a veteran mom who has never tried it. PINXAV is available in either a 4oz tube or a 16oz jar and can be purchased at many Target and Wal-Mart stores, but it can also be ordered on their webiste:
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.
The warmer weather is coming, although it’s taking a little longer here in the Northeast than I’d like. My toes need to see the sun and start wearing sandals. The first pair of sandals I put on this year was from Sandgrens. Sandgrens is located in Sweden and has been making shoes since 1846.
When you first look at them, you would think the wood would make the shoes heavy. Not even close. They are super light and the molded rubber soles gives them a great grip so, you won’t be slipping around. The heal is a little over 2 1/2 inches high. The vibrant pink is perfect for any occasion, they can be easily dressed up or dressed down. These are they type of sandals you pick out first, then coordinate your outfit around them.
I’m amazed how comfortable these sandals are, I’m going to be wearing these all summer.
Being a Swedish shoe they are also in Swedish sizes, you’ll need to use Sandgrens size and fitting guide to find your size. For example, I order size 37 which is a US size 6 1/2 to 7.
I’d start dropping hints for Mother’s Day, if I were you! 😉 Great and comfortable shoes are not always easy to find. Sandgrens gives you both of these fantastic qualities.
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.
Going bra shopping has never been one of my favorite things to do. Normally I have to buy them at stores I don’t shop at on a regular basis so I have to make a special trip all the way there. I’m kind of picky when it comes to bras, so after trying them on in the store, I always go home and try them on again to make sure I like them. More often than not, I have to return one or two of them because they felt different when I tried them on at home. Then I have to make another trip back to the store to return them, and restart the process. Needless to say, I only bra shop once or twice a year. When I received the opportunity to review a nursing bra sold exclusively at Wal-Mart I was delighted. How convenient to buy bras at Wal-Mart when I’m already shopping there at least once a week.
Loving Moments by Leading Lady products include nursing bras for everyday, active, sleep and leisure. They also offer nursing camis as well. Normally I wear bras that have an underwire, so I was anxious to try a couple without. The first one I tried was the Cotton Wirefree Nursing Bra that is sold as a 2-pack. In terms of style, they were absolutely adorable! You can choose either black, black dot, pink, or pink dot and then they come with another white bra. Each has strech lace lining at the top that really flatters the chest and is ultra soft. It also gives a lot so you can easily move in it. I like that the cups are seamless so you don’t see any lines through your outerwear and they don’t irritate the skin. The neck line is low enough that you can still wear V-Neck shirts while wearing them. As a nursing bra it was very easy to clasp and unclasp with one hand. Nursing pads fit very easily inside as well. This bra gave so much support, I could not even tell it didn’t have an underwire. Usually by the end of the day I cannot wait to take my bra off and “relax.” I honestly didn’t feel like that wearing this bra. It was so soft and not confining. I definitely recommend this bra to nursing moms!
The other bra I had the chance to try was their Active Wirefree Nursing Bra. I will be honest. I never knew nursing “sports bras” existed. I always just wore regular sports bras when I was nursing and then it was just a pain in the butt when it came time to nurse. This bra was amazing! It was so soft and comfortable to wear. I loved that the shoulder straps were padded and a little wider to help support when I went for my walks and light jogs. This nursing bra was also easy to clasp and unclasp using only one hand and nursing pads fit in easily. I could not believe how comfortable it was for walking and for doing the day to day jobs around the house. I highley recommend this bra as well.
Loving Moments by Leading Lady nursing bras are absolute great products for nursing moms. They are also extremely affordable and conveniently sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and walmart.com. Their nursing bras are available in a variety of colors, styles, and sizies. I plan on buying more and trying their nursing camis when they debut this month. Loving Moments also created a website for new moms. From product information to sizing assistance and breastfeeding tips, www.LovingMomentsBra.com is the destination for new and expecting moms!
Loving Moments by Leading Lady Giveaway by Theresa
Loving Moments by Leading Lady and Pampers are teaming up to offer new moms a limited time gift with their purchase of a Loving Moments Wirefree Sport Nursing Bra and a Loving Moments Nursing Bra Tank. When purchasing either of these styles, new moms will receive a sample of Pampers Newborn diapers and wipes. Plus, beginning April 8, Loving Moments is hosting a fantastic contest and giving moms the chance to win a complete Loving Moments nursing bra wardrobe and one year supply of Pampers diapers at LovingMomentsBras.com.
Make sure to follow Loving Moments by Leading Lady on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about Loving Moments products, engage with other expecting and nursing moms like our celebrity spokesmom, LPGA Golfer Danah Border, and be the first to find out about promotions, events, giveaways, and more! And check out our giveaway below…
**Because Loving Moments by Leading Lady is a brand new line, not all sizes are currently available. If your winner’s selection is not available in her size, we will accommodate her request with a different style or Leading Lady bra.
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.
As you know, my mom was here for three weeks in March and she’s a smoker. Her first week here right on her birthday she received ecigarettes in the mail. She was anxious to try them. Not because she’s interested in quitting, but because she could smoke inside at the airport or wherever smoking is prohibitive instead of standing out in the cold. It’s my desire she’ll want to quit and slowly reduce the amount of nicotine she inhales, since the ecigarettes do have strong, full, medium, light and no nicotine.
In the ecigarettes kit she received 10 samples of two different flavors of refills, the ecigarette and the adapter. Her samples were the full and medium strengths. The first time, she only took a few drags with the full strength and she said she could have gone out and had a cigarette after using the ecigarettes. We initially thought she could have benefited from having the strong to start out with. Then she tried smoking an ecigarette and took ten drags and said she felt satisfied.
She said it was different smoking with the ecigarette. To be honest, she coughed on her first drag! Mom said that they left an after taste like cigarettes, but old cigarettes. I forgot to ask her if that gradually went away. It’s hard writing a review from another person’s perspective.
For me, it was weird to be near mom while she smoked with the ecigarette because I still had the same reaction as if she was smoking. The vapor I saw reminded me of smoke and my gut reaction was to not want to breath it in or want my children near it. The rare skeptic in me reared it’s head. I was skeptical because when mom smoked she still had to blow out the vapor. I wondered what was in it, was it harmful? Yeah I needed to do more research because I didn’t want to have a false sense of protection from harmful odors and what I was breathing in. Nevertheless, when I did get a whiff of the vapor it smelled like vanilla, the flavor she tried while she was here. It also did not make us cough as cigarette smoke would.
The FDA has not approved ecigarettes nor have there been any clinical studies done. So there is no evidence to prove or disprove any claims about the ecigarettes being better or “healthier”. However, smokers seem to really benefit from them. Even my little sister wanted to try them because she wants to quit smoking. Forgot to ask mom today if she shared any with little sis. Overall, my mom had a fairly positive experience and enjoyed trying something new. She ended up using the ecigarettes when she woke up in the middle of the night so she wouldn’t have to get up and go outside to have a smoke.
I’d recommend you to encourage your smoking relatives to give them a try, especially if they are looking quit smoking.
Click here or head over to Lowes.com and search for Build & Grow to sign up at your nearest Lowe’s for the next free activity for kids!
