Buddy Bear Review

Posted by Professor on July 31, 2012
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Fun Stuff, Gift Ideas, Health, Kids Stuff, Reviews

New Warming Bear Provides Natural Kid-Friendly Pain Relief

Bed Buddy Bear® Features ThermaTherapy® to Provide Comfort and Targeted Heat

 

Far more than a plush toy, Buddy is the latest in a series of breakthrough ThermaTherapy® products in the Bed Buddy line that provide warmth and comfort to soothe aches and pains.

Made with 100% natural materials, Buddy Bear’s warm feet, tummy and paws provide deep penetrating moist heat ideal for reducing pain associated with arthritis, fibromyalgia, back problems, ear aches, tooth aches and stiff necks. Living up to his name, Buddy can be counted on to do what any good friend does – provide comfort on a cold night or eliminate stress after a long day.  For penetrating heat that will last up to an hour, place Buddy in the microwave. He can also be hibernated in the freezer to create a cold pack for fever relief and to relax restless sleepers.

Buddy Bear Review:

This is another great product that we were sent from Carex. I cannot express my adoration for their Bed Buddy line enough! We were sent the BED BUDDY warming bear to review…and boy is he cute and cuddly! When I opened the box my children instantly fell in love with this cute little bear…it took much coaxing for me to explain that he was not an ordinary stuffed animal. I had to “warm” him up and show them how he was used for them to understand…what a learning experience for all!

This is a great product…so easy to use and most surprisingly it can be used hot or cold! Pop the bear in the microwave for soothing heat or place in the freezer for cooling relief!

During this portion of our lives we have been blessed with our fair share of ear infections in our children. So of course during the course of this review one of our little ones was having ear pain. Usually the remedy for ear pain is a warm wet washrag that usually has to be rewet/warmed every 10 minutes to soothe the ache. This product did wonders for my sanity … I used the bear in place of the wet washrag for ear pain. My child was more comfortable resting their ear on the bear than on a wet rag and the heat lasted so long that my little one fell asleep and did not complain the rest of the evening. Yes this bear is my new friend!

Overall, this is another WONDERFUL Bed Buddy product that I cannot live without. What did I ever do before the Bed Buddy Bear…oh yeah warm wet wash rags (YUCK!)

You can find this product and many more at carex.com. I would definitely consider perusing the site the company has so much to offer in moist heat and home healthcare products.

Bed Buddy Product Link  http://www.carex.com/products/Bed_Buddy/93

Bed Buddy Bear Product Link: http://www.carex.com/products/detail/635

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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All-Over Comfort Pack Review

Posted by Professor on July 31, 2012
in All Natural Products, Eco Friendly Products, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Health, Home, Personal Care Products

 

Bed Buddy® Herbal Naturals™ Targets Pain with Moist Heat

New Plush & Lavender-Infused Line Includes Neck Pillow, Wrap & All-Over Comfort Pack

The line is comprised of three distinct products (highlighted below), each of which feature the company’s proprietary Moist Heat ThermaTherapy® penetration system, which is shown to be better for treating muscle pain, chronic aches and pains, and arthritis than “dry heat” because it allows quicker, deeper heat penetration into the joints.

  • The Neck Pillow easily drapes over the neck and shoulders to provide deep moist heat to sooth aches, pains, tension or arthritis in the neck and shoulders.
  • The Neck and Hand Wrap, which features a unique design that includes warming hand pouches, minimizes aches and pains in such chronic problem areas as the neck, hands and shoulders.
  • All-Over Comfort Pack targets a wide array of chronic pain areas such as the back, hip flexor, shoulders and abdomen with a large, universal shape that easily molds to the body for indulgent comfort.

The Herbal Naturals™ products are soft, lined with luxurious real lavender and chamomile; contain only 100% all-natural ingredients; warm quickly in a microwave; are fully reusable with a machine washable cover; and remain heated for up to an hour.

A member of Carex’s global family of premium-quality brands, Bed Buddy® offers a versatile and premium-quality line of reusable hot and cold packs that support individuals suffering from aches, pains and arthritis and are designed to fit most body types and to help people of virtually all ages and health profiles.

All-Over Comfort Pack Review:

Let me say this is an AWESOME product. This is the first product of its kind that we have used. Prior to using this product we have used traditional heating pads, which offer heat, but not MOIST heat as this product does. My husband suffers from severe osteoarthritis in his knees (5 operations) and has chronic back problems (1 prior operation) …let me tell you this is SO, SO WONDERFUL for his “aches and pains”…we have iced and heated so many times over the past 17 years of marriage that it has become part of our lives. The moist heat provides soothing relief …and since it stays warm for over an hour it is just right for therapeutic relief!

One great thing (can I say great enough in this review?) about this product is that it is ready in minutes! Just pop it in the microwave and voila instant moist heat.

Another factor that is a wonderful additive is that the product comes with a velvety WASHABLE cover. I LOVE this feature! If the product gets sweaty or dirty…just pop the cover in the wash and it is clean, so convenient!

The scent is WONDERFUL! The product is lightly scented with lavender and chamomile…what an aromatic sensation! I feel like I am at the spa as I breathe in the luxurious scent and drift away in moist heat!

So far my husband has been monopolizing the product…but I do know that this product would be AWESOME for stomach cramps…especially menstrual cramps. When I was a young girl I used to get horrible cramps….how I would have LOVED to have this product…I cannot imagine the relief this would have given someone with those painful cramping episodes!

Overall, I can honestly say my family has fallen in love with this product. The All-Over Comfort Pack has so many uses I cannot wait to go out and shop for the rest of the line. I intend to buy more of this and the other products in the line for Christmas gifts…I know a few people in my family that will adore the products!

You can find this product and many more at carex.com. I would definitely consider perusing the site the company has so much to offer in moist heat and home healthcare products.

Bed Buddy Product link  http://www.carex.com/products/Bed_Buddy/93

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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S2H and Special 15% Off at Switch2Health

Posted by html404 on July 31, 2012
in Health, Health and Nutrition

A couple of years ago we received a S2H for review and we never got the review up because the children lost it. Then when we moved last August we found it while packing and I found the contact to let them know what happened and apologized. Well, FAIL again because I didn’t get the review up and again I have no idea where the S2H is. Of course, it has been one of those odd things that remains at the back of my mind and I was reminded of it again when I got the email below from them.

So finally, I am just going to get the review up and give them the extra feature of their 15% off sale. Maybe it’s weird to be admitting publicly to such a huge failure, but I am just being honest here. I am only human and sometimes I do drop the ball on things like this. Just to let any brands, PR reps and companies reading know, I am using a calendar and reminder system now, so things have improved around here. I also have contributors who help me!

Our Review of the S2H Replay

The S2H Replay is a wrist band that calculates your physical activity. Our children loved this little gadget. They loved seeing how active they were and kind of fought over whose turn it was to use it. I actually think this would be a great little gift to motivate them to stay active. I also think that with a little friendly competition between siblings – nothing like egging each other on – that this could turn out to be a real tool towards better health in our family. I can see it all now and am tucking this little idea away as a Christmas gift idea, especially for the older children.

As you can tell, the S2H Replay is very user friendly, especially since our children were the main users. The only aspect of the gadget and technology we did not make use of was the online part, but I can understand how useful having all that info in one place would be. At the time, I didn’t quite get it or want my children’s info stored online and that hindered me from trying out that part, plus I think we lost the code or something we needed to access the online information. Sigh.

Of course now they have apps and a Step Pedometer available. Check out their special below.

Special 15% Off at Switch2Health Email Announcement

The S2H STEP and S2H REPLAY reward you for exercising- simply wear them, be active, get Rewards!

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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Family Movie Night and Snacks #Snacks4WimpyKid #CBias

Posted by html404 on July 31, 2012
in Family Stuff, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Movies, Uncategorized

Our family really enjoys watching movies. We enjoy a wide variety of movies from super heros to Ann of Green Gables. It has been a while since our whole family viewed a movie in the theater; probably a couple of years ago when we went to see the Tooth Fairy at the Wednesday Morning Movie Series – when they offer movies for $1! It’s a pretty cheap outing for our family. The guys in our family saw Courageous last year. However, we’ve seen no movies release in recent months. It would be kind of fun to see the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which is coming out in a few days. My older daughters and I have watched one of the others and laughed and laughed. I have sort of banned my boys from seeing the whole movie due to the rudeness etc. they seem to pick up on so easily – they come out with enough potty talk all on their own! They have seen clips of DOAWK though and loved it, of course.

Here’s what some of our family might look like in the DOAWK series:


Artwork compliments of our children

When we watch movies at home, our preferred movie snack is popcorn. We make it the old-fashioned way in a pot on the stove. However, when we go out I tend to make them eat something before we go out. Yes, to save money because snacks at the theater are pricey for ten people! I usually like them to eat healthy snacks, like fruit or something and Del Monte Fruit Cups are perfect for traveling or eating at home before going out. They are easy to offer as a healthy dessert after a meal too. There are two different kinds of fruit cups. One is in the produce section and the other is in the canned fruit aisle. We chose the one in the produce aisle as the ingredients seemed healthier and there was no added sugar. Apparently, these are different than the Fruit Cups as they are called Fruit Naturals, which I didn’t know until now. Oops. We have tried the Fruit Cups, just in May as a matter of fact, I just prefer snacks without added sugar or sugar substitutes, like artificial flavors, which I did not see on Walmart’s shelves in the Fruit Cups section, unless I missed some labels as I had already put the Fruit Naturals in my cart.

Robert’s aunt just sent us some money telling us that she’d like to see us use it for something fun and a Del Monte DOAWK family night would be perfect. That or go-carting and mini golfing. 😉 Maybe we’ll plan on doing all three to help celebrate the winding down of summer. August may turn out to be a busy, but highly entertaining month for us!

If you are planning on going to the opening of the new A Diary of A Wimpy Kid consider tweeting about it or Delmonte fruit cups as healthy snacks and please remember to use the hashtag #Snacks4WimpyKid and @DelMonteFoods

Watch Del Monte’s Facebook page for an upcoming Diary of A Wimpy Kid’s contest and be sure to enter too!

Do you have family movie night? What’s the last movie your family saw together? What snacks do you usually eat?

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.”


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18 Years of Marital Bliss (or Not!?) ;)

Posted by html404 on July 30, 2012
in Family Stuff


This summer my husband and I are celebrating 18 years of marital bliss, or not…depends on the year! 😉 No marriage is ever completely easy, it is what you make of it. A few months ago I was asked what our secret was to our advancing marriage and to be honest I was speechless as I really didn’t know how to answer. So as part of our 2012 anniversary post, I thought I’d try to come up with some things that seem to have worked in our favor and hopefully will give us another 18+ years together:

The Grace of God. But for the grace of God, I don’t think any of us can have a successful relationship.

Commitment. When we vowed to love, honor and cherish each other, we made a commitment for life. We are committed to staying together – being a one woman man and a one man woman. During the tougher seasons of marriage, this means sometimes committing to staying together on a daily basis. I think this is something missing in today’s culture: lack of commitment. Today when the going gets tough, the tough runs away or gives up.

Similar Outlook on Life. My husband and I share a similar outlook on life. We share the same faith. We aren’t two different people moving in two different directions, we are one moving in the same direction.

Understanding Personalities and Gifts. While we share similar goals in life, we are two very different people. I am rather intense and focused, my husband is very laid back and easy going. I am gifted, as many women are, in multitasking and administratively. My husband is analytical, logical and mathematically inclined. We understand those differences and don’t focus on them but realize that those differences compliment each other making us a better team. What I am weak in, he’s strong in and visa versa.

Parenting Styles are the Same. We rarely disagree on how the other parents and we back each other up when one makes a decision or appeals to the one in private.

Same Spending/Saving Habits. Money is a huge issue for some couples, but for us we have always been on the same page. Don’t ask me why that is, but I think it part of our “bliss” equation.

We Make Decisions Together. It’s always been my thought that if I don’t want my husband making major decisions without me, then I don’t make major decisions without him. It’s part of mutually respecting the other person and communicating with each other. A marriage is a partnership, it’s team work so we make decisions together. Even if a decision is made without consulting the other, we tell each other right away about that decision. However, all major decisions are usually talked about in advance together.

You may have noticed that love is not on the list. That’s because love plays such a small factor in a long lasting marriage. Love is summed up in all of the above. Love is also a feeling that can come and go. Love also matures as the years go by. “I love you” when we first said it to each other is not the same thing after 18 years of marriage. It’s deeper and more committed than it was in young love.

I’d have to say I am the more critical one of our marriage than my husband and know so many areas we still need to work on. However, I also realize that compared to the many stories I read and hear about, our marriage is a really good one. It takes a lot of work and even more work when you throw in eight children! One thing that makes me satisfied is hearing our teen daughters say that they want a marriage like ours. It also brings tears to my eyes to realize that sometimes I don’t see what they are seeing.

I am very grateful for the 18 years of marital bliss God has blessed us with and pray for many more to come.

What do you think makes your marriage a lasting one?


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Over The Moon – The Broadway Lullaby Project

Posted by Brande on July 29, 2012
in Books, DVDs & CDs, Encouragement for Moms, Family Stuff, Gift Ideas, Giving Back/Charity, Kids Stuff, Music, Parenting, Pregnancy and Birth, Reviews, Shopping

My daughter and I went on an inspiring and peaceful musical journey with Over the Moon – The Broadway Lullaby Project and I invite you to join us. This book and CD are not only fantastic for bed and nap time, it is very calming for adults also.

The Book  – Over the Moon – The inside cover says it best…

It’s often said that “a picture speaks a thousand words,” that “music is the universal language,” that “all the world’s a stage,” and that lullabies fill the special place where babies and those who love them come together.

I’ve never read such a true statement. This 48 page hardcover book is beautifully illustrated and written by many artists, each donating their time for the Over the Moon Book and CD. The CD is attached to the back of the book.

The CD – Pop this 2 CD set of 13 songs each in your player.  Sit down and close your eyes and let the music take you on a voyage. The calming flow of the music will take you and your little one away on a mini vacation.  All the artists on the CD have beautiful melodic voices, including Vanessa Williams.

As is said earlier everyone has donated their time for Over The Moon-The Broadway Lullaby Project, which will raise money for breast cancer charities including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Yound Survival Coalition.

Visit the Over the Moon Website to purchase your collaboration today!  You can also visit them on Facebook and Twitter.

This is such a wonderful book and CD. My daughter and I have listened to the CDs many times and we have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them.  Perfect for a new baby or baby shower gift!

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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Kernel Seasonings Review

Posted by Professor on July 28, 2012
in All Natural Products, Food and Treats, Fun Stuff, Reviews

No More Naked Popcorn! Kernel Seasonings is a great way to flavor popcorn!

Kernel Seasonings is an all-natural way to flavor popcorn.

Kernel Seasonings currently offers 22 different flavorings.

OUR REVIEW:

I was excited to have the opportunity to review Kernel Seasonings popcorn flavoring. My children LOVE going to the movie theatre and using the seasonings…NOW there is an at home alternative! We loved that there were so many different varieties of flavorings to choose from…we received White Cheddar, Kettle Corn, Parmesan & Garlic, and Nacho Cheese flavorings. All of the flavors were tasty…my children especially loved the Nacho Cheese!

Overall Kernel Seasonings is a neat way to flavor popcorn. While perusing their website I noticed that there are recipes to use the flavorings in everyday cooking. I have to admit that I have not been that adventurous as to use the flavorings in my cooking… but it is something that I am mulling over. Maybe I will get bold and try the Parmesan garlic with my next spaghetti dish!

Check out the Kernel Seasonings website at www.kernelseasoning.com and see what they have to offer.

 

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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Forward Facing Vs Rear Facing Car Seats

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2012
in Baby Products, Safety

Safety is important to parents. Car seat safety for children has become more than just a parent’s concern, as laws and regulations have been put in place to keep children in a booster seat until they are 8 years old here in Illinois. The American Academy of Pediatrics (Source: Online Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends rear facing for children up to age 2, whereas it use to be age 1. They even recommend children 13 and under ride in the back seat of the car – mostly because of airbags.

I am not refuting safety, but sometimes I think things can get a little too regulated. I mean my 12 year old is taller than my 13 year old so we allow her to ride in the front seat. I just think this should be a common sense decision but because of lack of common sense other parents get more regulations. I realize that there are probably more cars on the road than ever and paramedics, doctors, nurses and emergency rooms are witnessing an increase of fatalities and injured children. But I don’t think it always depends on just the type of car seat used, the driving skills and attentiveness of the drivers all need to be factored into the equation too.

Statistics. According to Crashtest.Com, frontal and frontal offset crashes combine for about 72% of severe crashes. Side impacts are about 24%. Rear and rear offset crashes only account for about 4%. The NHTSA FARS database shows similar numbers. The odds of being in a frontal crash with a fatality or very serious injury are many times greater than being in a severe rear-end crash. Rear-enders are more common at lower speeds, though most injuries in these crashes are not as severe – typically, whiplash injuries to adults, especially passengers lacking proper head restraint. ~ Car-Safety.org

In countries like Sweden, children are often kept rear-facing much longer, even to 3 or 4 years old. Auto related injury and death rates for rear-facing children in Sweden are near zero because of this. ~ Car-Safety.org

Unlike Sweden, the UK doesn’t even have access to to much rear facing car seats information. They are actually campaigning for more education in regards to this very topic.

We have always used a rear facing car seat until our little ones have been a year or so old. It depended upon their size and weight. As I have already stated, in recent years it’s been recommended and even established that rear facing car seats are much safer for children. Based on what you know and have read, what kind of car seat do you use for your children – rear facing or forward facing and for what ages?

This post is sponsored by Discover Media.


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All I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Posted by html404 on July 25, 2012
in Contests, Family Stuff, Wordless Wednesday

I wanted to capture the moment when my youngest daughter lost her second tooth. When I asked her to smile she gave me this goofy smile exaggerating her toothless grin.

I have been singing,
“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth” and that’s all I can remember of that song!

Without Googling it, who can tell me the next line? The first person to answer correctly without cheating will win a prize! Honor system here, it’s not going to be some flimsy whimsy prize, ok?


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U by Kotex Beginning Period Discussions

Posted by html404 on July 24, 2012
in Family Stuff, Parenting, Uncategorized


The Talk. The Birds and the Bees. Period. Sex. The Passage of Becoming a Woman. Menstrual Cycle. Puberty. Whatever name you have dubbed it, if you have daughters, discussing a woman’s cycle is inevitable. My husband and I basically have three teen daughters (it will be official next year when our third daughter turns 13) in the house. I talked a bit about our beginning period discussions with my daughters here. As much as I hate to admit it, I am an older mom now in my 40’s- don’t feel like it though! 😉 – and know I have moms in their 20’s reading. I am hoping this post will be provide insight or ideas or maybe encouragement to you, especially if your own mother did not model how to go about having period discussions. A lot of moms feel inadequate, don’t we all at some point?

Due to my own mom’s lack of initiative in this area, I actually chose to be quite open and honest with my own children about our bodily functions and God’s purpose for them. From the time my oldest was old enough to know what my maxi pads were, she knew what they were for and where to get them for me if I happen to start and not have any in the bathroom.

I have always waited for my children to ask questions or for the topic of sex, man/woman relationships or periods to come up naturally, unless the opportunity arose that I could bring it up in a natural way. When these issues were discussed, I gave them enough information for their age, the time frame we had and topic of conversation. I found if I talked too much I lost my older daughter, if she asked more questions after a brief response then I tried to answer with more information. For the longest time with one specific question I responded with, “I know you want to know the answer to that but mommy just isn’t ready yet to tell you, but I will when you are older.” That day eventually came and it was as natural as a tea party. Seriously. We were sitting on our bed and it came up and I knew she was ready, I was ready and I think even her sister was there and I told them. There was no awkwardness, not until after the fact when I worried that I might not have explained it as best as I could.

The topics we discussed depended on the girls’ questions and how our conversation evolved. We would cover how much bleeding would happen, what they were to do if they happened to start away from home, where we would keep our supplies, how long a period lasted and probably more I can’t think of.

I actually did give them Maidens by Design to look over, with the intentions of us all doing it together, but we never did. If they had questions, they’d ask after reading it on their own. Maidens by Design is a curriculum for mothers and daughters to work through together or host a class for a group of friends. Just a fun twist on learning about something important in a girl’s life and celebrating becoming a woman. So much of being a woman is not celebrated anymore, especially compared to some countries.

As much as having a period is an inconvenience, there is a greater purpose for it and I want my daughters to recognize that and embrace it rather than grumble and complain about it all the time. This is something I tried to emphasize when having these beginning period discussions.


U by Kotex Tween is a great resource with a Q & A section to help inspire you on how to have those beginning period discussions. They also offer pads that are designed just for tweens. For more information, please visit U by Kotex Tween on Facebook, Twitter and Hello Period for tweens.

“I wrote this review while participating in a Brand Ambassador Campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of U by Kotex Tween and received products to facilitate my post and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”


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