Zoocchini Review & Giveaway

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Such cute stuff. As the title implies it's Zoo related items. Avery received a Doinkie The Pig hooded towel and a Safari Dinner Set. I LOVE her towel. It's plenty big for her toddler body now that she's outgrown the baby towels (like 2 years ago) and She loves the cute little piggy on their. We also love the dinner set. Although we haven't used the sippy cup because she doesn't really use them anymore, the plate, bowl and utensils have all gotten plenty use.

It's very warm and cuddly and I love seeing her little face under a piggy's face. So adorable. She loves this towel and wears it even not after a bath. She's been demanding more baths so she can use this towel lately. Silly girl!

The Dinner Set is dishwasher safe!! WooHoo

Zoocchini also has Plush Friends and they are adorable. They also carry Rugs and Wall Dots.

So many cute things. I LOVE this Rug

Price: The towels are $30. They have 9 designs to choose from. Avery is in love with elephants and I'm sure that would be her first choice! The Dinner Sets are $23. I think they are a little overpriced. 

Overall: **** the price is high, but quality is great.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Green Sproutlets Review & Giveaway

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Eco Friendly and Organic clothing. I LOVE them. They are a little bit more pricey, but so worth it. They are super soft too. Have you ever felt an organic cotton shirt? WOW!! You're in for a treat.

Avery got a Layered Long Sleeve Tee in Pink Polka from Green Sproutlets and we love it.

I just love the colors and the print of it. It's just perfect for fall. It fits her perfectly (3T) and has a little growing room. I know we'll be able to wear it through March/April. Through the cold months for sure. Avery is so small she'll be wearing some 3T's next fall even and this may even still fit her then.

Violet Affleck daughter of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck was spotted wearing this same tee!!!

I love just how soft it is. I love the layered look. 

Some info about the shirt

For infant sizes, it features two snaps on the left shoulder for easy dressing.

Water-based tagless back printing so that skin won't be irritated.

It is made of 70% Viscose from Bamboo for silky softness and 30% Organic Cotton for more substance.

They also have this same shirt in boy's colors. 

Love the colors on that one as well!!

Info about Green Sproutlets

Green Sproutlets was inspired by a husband and wife team who felt the need to provide their daughter and other children who have sensitive skin with soft, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly clothing, which promotes social and environmental awareness while being stylish and hip.

"These products are for our children, our future. They are the most important part of our lives, therefore they deserve to have the best 'not harmful to mother-nature' has to offer." -Green Sproutlets

Our products are eco-friendly, using mainly certified bamboo, organic cotton, and other sustainable fabrics such as soy or hemp. We use water-based ink for our printing and low impact dyes. Absolutely no pesticides, lead or any other harmful chemicals. Certified lead-free. Making them safer for the children and the environment.

Awesome! Love to find a company who actually cares and isn't just in it for the money!

Price: The shirt was $30. A little pricey, but well worth it.

Overall: ***** love the shirt and the colors.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Oh My Goodness

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So I just realized that it's almost September and I need to start homeschooling Avery in 2 weeks. I know this isn't real homeschool, but we're setting a schedule. Nothing too fancy, just start by 10 and be done by 1 with a 30 minutes snack break thrown in there.

We are ready, I just have to buy some more workbooks. I'm starting her so early, so that I have 2 trial run years before officially deciding this is what I want to do. I don't know that I can dedicate 3 hours to homeschooling her and then more and more as the years go on. I'm not so sure, so We'll see how it goes. I'll probably be ok.

Since we're going on vacation this weekend I have decided to start her schooling on the 13th. And although we do a lot of stuff already, I'm really going to crack down!!! I'm usually just climbing out of bed at 10. I need to quit going to bed at 1AM (yes look at the time I posted this 12:48 AM my time) and I need to have her at the table eating breakfast by 9:30. I figure I can shower after while she's watching an educational video, but I need to get up a little earlier. I guess it doesn't matter what time we start and end, but I want it to be the same time every day. The sooner the better so we can do field trips and parks after.

I just need to buy some last minute stuff and then I'll be totally ready (I think).

Jewelry Payless Review & Giveaway

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I love me some jewelry and most of all I love CHEAP jewelry. Well at Jewelry Payless they have everything you could want, but cheaper. 

I received the Lariat Style Linked Heart necklace. When I chose this necklace it was on a regular chain. I don't care for the lariat style. So he told me it would be sent as lariat style and I agreed I thought I would like it and decided to give it a try. 

When I got it the chain was all tangled up

After sending NUMEROUS emails back and forth he was able to talk me through getting it untangled. It worked!!! So although it came slightly ruined he was able to have it fixed for me in no time at all. It only took a few tries and I finally got it. GREAT customer Service!!

I just don't like the look of the lariat. HOWEVER, I have worn it a couple times for the purpose of this review and I have to say it's growing on me. I do find that every couple hours I have to tighten it up again so it doesn't fall off my neck, but other than that it's pretty good about staying still. The cubic zirconia's have stayed in place. 

One thing I don't care for is the way the hearts are connected, the bottom one swivels a lot.

If I would've seen this necklace as a lariat style I wouldn't have chosen it. My choice would've been this one

They have so many other great necklaces and pieces altogether. I love all their things and I could see myself spending hundreds here.

Price: My Necklace is $30. Not bad at all!!

Overall: ***** love the item. Style is ok, but it is growing on me!

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Pediped Review

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You might all remember my review about 6 months ago for Pediped, Well this time I got to review the new fall line. 

We received the Rozy Chocolate Brown flex shoe for Avery this time. I love it. It's sparkly so you could dress them up, but they're casual enough for every day.

They fit Avery perfectly and she loves them. They sent us a size 26 (9-9.5)

As always we love these shoes. They come with extra inserts that take up a little extra room so the shoes have growing room. These shoes will surely last us into spring. She wears them now with the extra insert in and she has about 3/4" at the end. So they should last us a while.  I just love the look of them. They are beautiful!

Pediped has recently added a new line of shoes called Grip N Go. They're for that in between originals and flex age. I think they are so cute.

The Grip N Go is for size 4-7 and I think they give extra stability for those early walkers. 

Price: This shoe we reviewed is $34. It's one of the cheaper in the Flex line. I think this is generous pricing. It seems a little much, but these shoes are needed for correct development and to me that's worth it.

Overall: ***** love Pediped!

*Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

The Posie pocket Review & Giveaway

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The Posie Pocket has some absolutely beautiful items. She has hair items as well as clothing. 

I received a Grey Rosette Trio headband as well as a clip in Chocolate Satin

I love how beautifully they are put together. I have worn the headband 3 times now and it's still stretchy, hasn't stretched out and nothing has come undone. The clip I haven't gotten to wear yet, but I know that once I start wearing my hair down more I will. Avery can also wear the clip so I like that about it. 

These items arrived fast and very well packaged. They were safe and very neatly placed. Everything is in tact and is remaining that way.

She also sells kids head bands and like I said before clothes, and she also has necklaces

Check out some of these other items I LOVE

Those are just a few of my other favorites.

Price: The headband I received is $10 and the clip is $9. I think this clip is a little much, but the headband is the perfect price. 

Overall: ***** So happy with these items.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Galison/Mudpuppy Review & Giveaway

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We received a Very Hungry Caterpillar Puzzle from Galison. The company's name is Galison and the brand is Mudpuppy.

The puzzle is 42 pieces and Avery was able to do it pretty well with some help.

The pieces were easy to put together, but stayed together, they weren't real flimsy, but weren't too difficult to put together. They were just right for a child of Avery's age. 

I loved the colors on the puzzle, very bright like the book. We got this puzzle just a couple days before our Caterpillar week with the Homeschool group, so it was very fitting and we did this all together as an activity. With 3 kids and 2 adults working on it it only took a few minutes. 

They have plenty other stuff over at Galison as well. So many different Puzzles and clocks and stationery. Journals and Diaries and many others to choose from. I'm sure you're child will find at least one item they like.

Price: the puzzle I got for review is $12. I think this is very generous.

Overall: *****

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

TradingCradles Review & Giveaway

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A fun new website for selling your children's old gear and items. I know I have a lot of stuff still lying around from Avery, it would be great to sell on here and get it out of my house for good. 

TradingCradles has made this site super easy to use. It combines Twitter, eBay and  Craigslist in one and it's also the first website to approve all items for sale before they are made available for purchase. I like to know that my item has been checked over by admins before I bought it. Or that my item was checked over so more people are comfortable buying it from me. It could go either way. 

Some tidbits from the Press Release

We want to make parenting more affordable and less stressful. Times are tough. And, while new parents are struggling financially, their closets are full of outgrown car seats, cribs and clothing. That’s valuable stuff. It is essentially brand new and it is collecting dust.” says Jason Tenenbown, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Trading Cradles LLC, “We are giving parents a new way to turn that stuff into dollars and an easy alternative to buying new.

There are no logins, no credit cards, and no hassles. All ads posted are safe-checked by a parental team and distributed across the TradingCradles.com network of parents that is already 20,000 strong.

I haven't posted anything yet, but I'm sure I will be soon and I'm sure I'll be very pleased with the process. It seems like it would be very smooth operating and I can't wait to see the experience I get from it!

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Bobux Review & Giveaway

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There are so many cute children's shoes out these days. Have you guys noticed? Remember 20 years ago when it was just those white walker shoes and some dress shoes for the girls.Black patent to be exact? Remember those days? NO MORE!!

Welcome Bobux here. I can't believe all the fashionable shoes they have!!

Avery is just now in a size 8 and that's as big as the I-Walk shoes go. I told her to send me the biggest 8 they had in the Raspberry Rose Sportshoe. She did and they fit perfectly.

It does say their size 8's are for 5 1/4" to 5 1/2" feet, Avery is nearing 6" and these fit with some wiggle room!

I like that their shoes are wider. They still fit her, but were a little wider. I think these would accommodate those New Walkers with still chubby feet well. The I-Walks start at size 3 so if I remember correctly right around 9 months or a year.

They are made from Eco Leather and are so buttery soft. Avery could walk in them well and said "They Don't Hurt" I don't know exactly what that meant, because NONE of her shoes hurt her! I only put her in high quality shoes so I'm lost on that comment, but YAY BOBUX!!! They don't hurt her feet.

I'm very excited to try these out a little more this fall (hopefully they'll still fit) and actually we're taking them up to Grammy's house (my grandma) next weekend on our vacation. She lives in woods and I'm sure we'll do lots of walking in the woods and on the street. We'll see how they hold up!

Besides the I-Walks for toddlers they also have the Originals from size Small-X Large which is 0 months through 6 years!!! They also have I-Walk Jr which is size 1-4.5 So these are just before the I-Walk stage! 

Price: The I-Walks are $47.95 with FREE Shipping! The Originals are $28.95 and the I-Walk Jrs are $34.95 with FREE Shipping.

Overall: ***** so happy with them!

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

 

Healthy, Natural, Green Week

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Coming soon! I think the first week in October. It will start the 3rd and run through the 9th, but it may end up being 2 weeks long. I have lots of sponsors already and hope to get some more by then. No special button will go up, just the event.
We have cloth diapers, cloth pads, fitness DVD's, Teething Necklaces, Food, Laundry Detergent, and I'm sure plenty others. Already have 9 sponsors. Let's see how it goes.

Are you excited for Healthy, Natural, Green Week here at Mommy Of 1 and Counting? Let me know your thoughts.

Maylee's Garden Review & Giveawa

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Yummy Smelling Laundry Detergent is my favorite!! I LOVE the smell of my clothes being CLEANED. Maylee's Garden was very generous enough to send me 4 BIG samples!

I received 4 different scents and they were Lemon and Honey, Chai Tea, Peppermint Chocolate, and Blackberry Lemon. They all smelled so yummy. I think she makes her soap the same way I do, but these scents could never be achieved by me. They are simply amazing!!! Yummy! Also the scents she uses "dyes" the soap colors. My chai tea was brownish and the lemon ones were yellowish.

The box smelled so good before I even opened it up. It was a collaboration of all the scents, but they all meshed well together. 

So I started with a load of diapers. I used about 2 tsp of soap and it cleaned really well. I started with Chai Tea, I love chai tea and this was pretty accurate. After drying the smell is no longer there, THIS IS GOOD it means nothing is building up in your clothes, diapers, towels etc. It's GREAT to not have scent. 

Secondly was Blackberry Lemon on our clothes. YUM this one was great.Third was Lemon Honey on the towels very good!!! And because I had a 4th scent to try I washed the sheets, they needed to be done anyway, I was just procrastinating So these were washed in Peppermint Chocolate. I was a little leary at first, because the mint usually with chocolate is spearmint or something else, not peppermint, but it surprisingly was good. It smelled great and did a great job of cleaning.

I was very happy with the way they all cleaned and smelled. They smelled up my washer! YUM

Price: $8 is for a 14oz bag of detergent. This is est. to do about 25 to 30 loads (top loader) more for HE machines. I think this is a generous price!

Overall: ***** Happy with it!

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Trading Phrases Review & Giveaway

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Vinyl really has made a huge transformation in my entire house. We have a vinyl in the living room, Avery's room, playroom, our bathroom and our Laundry room. It has made a huge transformation and I can't wait to share this one with you!

We received a great vinyl from Trading Phrases. It came with 2 samples as well so you could ensure that you're doing it correctly without ruining the big main one you paid for! We received the Laundry Room Loads Of Fun vinyl as well as 2 samples.

The first sample was some butterflies. These went in Avery's room

You just stick it where you want, rub it with the enclosed scraper tool and then peel it off. 

This picture and vinyl are hanging in between Avery's 2 closet doors. It's the main focal point of her room as it's the first thing you see when you walk in. I think the butterflies made a great addition to her picture.

Then the Laundry Room. 

I had to get it painted before applying this and we didn't even know which color we were going with paint wise, so I just chose the vinyl in black. Although we were either going with a yellow or a light blue, I think a dark blue vinyl would've looked good as well.

Before. This is the EASIEST Vinyl I've ever applied. It peeled right off the paper backing and went right on the wall. No complaints with this one.

I was going to put this on the wall behind the washer and dryer (first wall seen) but we have our sprinkler unit there and the vinyl wouldn't be centered and that's a HUGE pet peeve of mine. Kind Of OCD so it had to go on this wall. It's on the right when you walk in, over the washer.

I love all my new vinyls. I'm so happy with all of them and they have brought so much to the house. Plus they are a CHEAP decoration. And if you decide you don't like them anymore, just peel them off and throw them away. They aren't reusable so you have no reason to keep them.

They are much cheaper than more wall art, so they are the way to go, plus they are much more personable and really define the person you are. You can't always find that with wall art and most vinyl companies will do a completely custom design for you. Trading Phrases does. You can get a quote from them as well. 

Price: My Laundry Room vinyl was $29. It was the size I chose there are 5 sizes on this particular vinyl. So you can almost guarantee it will fit in your space. I think this is very generous.

Overall: ***** they were super easy to apply and I'm very happy with the transformation.

G

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Farm Dog Review & Giveaway

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I love homemade things. I love getting an item that is out of this world and so much better than commercial because it was homemade. I got that feeling when I received my items from Farm Dog. I received a Happy Candle and a few Dog Biscuit samples. 

The biscuits came wrapped in a paper bag to prevent the scent of the candle getting on them. I thought this was very generous. She sent me 2 of the Fresh Flavored biscuits and one of the relax. Bella got 2 because well she's 4 times Boog's size!!

They ate them right up. Their noses were right with the package the entire time from entering the door, so I only had time to snap a picture before giving them to them. I didn't necessarily like that they were wrapped with a label because I had to peel that off before giving it to them and this only made my puppies much more anxious, but I think it was worth the wait. They devoured them very quickly.

The candle smells great, I don't usually care for Lavender, but this is a Lavender Mint and it smells divine. It is a soy candle so it burns evenly. It did, but it didn't last very long. Maybe 20 hours? When I burn my candles I burn them all day, so I really only got 2-3 days out of this, but it did smell great. 

I loved the handmade container as well and I saved it, for what I don't know, but it was cute!

Price: The candle is $21.99 and 6 treats are $8.99 or a Dozen for $15.99. I did notice that on her Etsy the candles are $18.99. Either way I think this is all a little overpriced.

Overall: **** because of the candle not lasting long and the high prices.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Pure Pearls Review & Giveaway

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I received a very gorgeous Lavender Pearl Bracelet in an AA+ quality in a 7.0-8.0mm from Pure Pearls It's absolutely gorgeous and I'm in love with it.

It looks pink here, but I promise it's lavender. It is absolutely gorgeous, it fits great (a little extra room) and I just love it. I've worn it once and I got 3 compliments on it. It is just beautiful. It is stranded very well together and they only use the highest of quality on all materials. I can tell this. The clasp has a very beautiful engraving on it and it's awesome as well.

They use Freshwater Pearls only and they are all absolutely exquisite. 

Our philosophy is simple! Pure Pearls offers high quality, fine pearl jewelry at exceptional discount prices. Our team of experts bring to you the top 3% of our exclusive harvests. By sourcing pearls straight from the pearl farms, we cut the middleman and bring incredible wholesale prices to our customers without sacrificing quality. Because our customers are so happy with their purchases, we receive a high percentage of repeat customers and incredible advertising by word-of-mouth.and is very high quality. You can just tell.

Price: The average appraisal on this exact bracelet is $285, but with Pure Pearls it's just $57. That's a HUGE savings and to get genuine pearls for under $60 is amazing!!

Overall: ***** Great quality, fast shipping and an awesome product.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

My Fairytale Books Review & Giveaway

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Personalized, you all know how much I love personalized items. We also love books. Avery and I read probably 10 books a day if not more. She doesn't like one before bed though, but she loves to be read to during the day, I take advantage of this because I know the importance of reading. This one particular store has Personalized Kids Books and we got the Farm Animals book. 

It has Avery and her friend Sophia's name in it. It also has her town and state listed. You can dedicate the book as well, but I chose not to and you can also add your child's age. It is truly personalized and Avery's name is on almost every page. 

We love this book, the illustrations are great and Avery just loved the front cover. She loves pointing out all the animals and naming them. She will actually sit still for this little bit longer book and she listens. I think she likes it because it has her name in it. 

They have plenty other books to choose from as well. They also have CDs

Price: This book is $11.95 on sale and I think it's so worth it.

Overall: *****

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Dali Decals Review, Discount Code & Giveaway

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Vinyl. I have recently discovered it. My first win ever was a vinyl last January (almost 2 years ago) and I just put it up when we realized we were staying in this house more than temporarily. I contacted Dali Decals to see if I could get a vinyl for Avery's room for review. They allowed me to and I settled on the set of 36 bubbles in Violet. Which looks perfect on her mint green wall!

I assume that UPS busted my tube in transit. I know this is a mistake because companies don't intentionally send out damaged products.

The decals were a little bent out of shape, but they all went on okay without wrinkles. 

Silly me though I didn't apply them from the center out, so some have bubbles in them. But They're alright. I was a little concerned that she would get up on the toy chest and peel them off, but she hasn't touched them yet.

They were super easy to apply, Just rub the transfer paper to make sure it's sticking. Peel off the thick paper backing. Stick on wall. RUB with the included scraper and take off the wall. It was a little time consuming since they arrived in bullseye form. So I had to do one little circle at a time. I think it turned out great though. I'm not usually imaginative, but I think it looks good and that I did a great job. I wish I wouldn't have done it so square and uniform though. Wish it was a little more scattered.

Price: The 36 ct bubbles like I received are $25. They also have 72 bubbles for a larger space

Overall: ***** Very easy to do.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

PeaceLoveMom Review & Giveaway

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I love unique clothing. You know the clothes you really don't find anywhere else. Well PeaceLoveMom has that for sure. 

I was originally sent the Festive Mom Black Burn Out tee, but it was a size too small (it JUST fit me) and was because it was a black burn out you could REALLY see through it majorly. So I kindly contacted her and asked if she could send me my second choice in a medium. She said yes and sent it along with a prepaid label for me to return the other one.

My second choice was the Turquoise Inspired Mom Burn Out tee and I just love it!

This medium fits me great! I love the fit, the feel and everything else about it. It's so soft and THIN as it is a burn out, but that means it's flowy and allows airflow in on those hot summer days like we've had. I love this top and in case you're wondering YES it was seen on KATE GOSSELIN and you all know how much I love her!!  In my defense. I contacted PLM LONG before I saw her in it. Seeing this episode reminded me I'd never heard back from them. So I recontacted and mentioned this as my second choice.

See TOLD YA!

This was my first choice, The Festive tee I already mentioned

It is still my absolute first choice as I love it. Just too see through! Maybe a Medium in the black would've been okay, but I opted for this one.

This shirt washed very nicely and no problems. However, today I noticed a little catch in it and I pulled a little (BAD MOMMY) and it put a little hole in the shirt. I don't really care, I just hope that when I wash the shirt it doesn't get bigger.

Besides tees they carry Tote Bags, jewelry, kids tees, note pads and more!

Price: The short sleeve burn outs are $42. Burn out Long sleeves are $46. Regular short sleeves are $35 and long sleeve thermals are $46. I think these prices are a little high!

Overall: *** 1/2 Prices are a little steep and the hole.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Emily Osment and Carrie Underwood

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So I watch Hannah Montana (yes I do) I LOVE Emily Osment (Lily) and I have just come to realize how much she looks like Carrie Underwood. LIKE REALLY. I have only noticed this in the past few months or so. I finally looked up comparisons and this is ridiculous!!

Same hair even

Have you seen enough yet? I just thought it was crazy how much they look alike.

Snapware Review & Giveaway

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I'm always struggling with storage issues. Either for the closets, shoes or food storage. It doesn't matter we don't have enough storage items or space. 

When I contacted Snapware I was delighted that he sent me everything I asked for. I asked for EITHER the 14 pc Airtight Storage Container Set or the 6 pc glass. I was delighted when I opened the box and saw he sent BOTH!!

When they say airtight they mean it. When these airtight plastic ones close up they really get a grip. When you unlock them to open them you really have to pry them open. It's great though because no moisture gets in. I actually have the one on the top left holding pasta in my pantry right now. It allows the pasts to remain good and dry. 

I have used these for everything! LITERALLY. I love that they are microwave, fridge, freezer and dishwasher safe! I use the little ones in Jon's lunchbox. I use the VERY little one for cheerios or grapes at the park or beach. I use these A LOT.

Price: The Glass set is $30 and the plastic is $25. Reasonable!!

Overall: ***** I love these and use them all the time

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Dropps Review & Giveaway

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The easiest possible way to do laundry, can you think of it? Well think no further then Dropps detergent. It's a little pac like the ones you stick in the dishwasher and it dissolves in the washer!! Very easy to do. I received a sample of the Fresh scent and the Scent and Dye free ones.

They also have a baby one as well.I wish it had a smell to it, but I'm sure it works great!

When Avery was little I used Dreft until she was like 9 months old. That was such a mistake. With my next I will use like 1/4 the amount of regular detergent. It was such a waste to buy that stuff, although it did smell very yummy. I think I might buy a free and clear detergent with the next just because Avery and I both have eczema and I'm sure the next will as well. This will prevent a sensitivity reaction.

I might just buy the Dropps Baby detergent. But they are kind of pricey. But it's SUPER easy. 

I had a good experience with both the detergents I tried. The fresh scent was fresh coming out of the package and a little smell lingered after washing, but the dryer completely removed the scent. Kind of disappointed. And the Scent and Dye free obviously had no smell, but when my clothes came out they just smelled clean!

Price: an 80 load Pack is $24. This is a little pricey, but I think it's great for those first few weeks after baby is born and you're just so tired you can't even function.

Overall: **** pricey!

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Lola's Loft Review & Giveaway

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And such a beautiful store Lola's Loft has. She makes cloth pads. Gorgeous ones at that! She was my first cloth pad I received and I put it to use RIGHT AWAY!!! I received the Purple Flowers pad for review.

It's a 9.5" and I think that's the perfect length. It fits just right. It has a white fleece backing and the top of it is flannel. In the middle is multiple layers of flannel and 1 layer of PUL which is a waterproof barrier. The fleece on the back is also waterproof. Fleece doesn't absorb it repels! 

I was happy with this pad. I like that Lola's Loft was able to break my cloth pad virginity lol! It definitely left a GREAT taste in my mouth and I will for sure continue to use cloth pads. 

She carries 9.5" light-medium flow pads, 11" medium-heavy pads, panty liners as well as postpartum/overnight pads. 

Her postpartum are 14" long. Definitely enough protection. 

Story: When I had Avery I bled not for the normal 6 weeks. OH NO it was not easy, I bled for 13 weeks YES 13. More than double the normal time and the Dr. said nothing was wrong with me. I later discovered that I probably had an infection :( THEN get this 2 weeks later? I started my 2 week period!! UGH. I just couldn't get a break! Oh and My PP flow was HEAVY the whole time. I went through 2 hospital pads a day for 8 weeks, then switched to regular overnight pads the remainder of the time! I would've been thankful to have had cloth pads then. I could've gotten by with 8 of them or so and just kept washing them over and over. I spent probably $40 on pads in those last 5 weeks! Seriously I could've spent that and then still be using them!

I wish I would've known!

Oh and just in case you were wondering, She also owns SnakSaks that I just did a review on!

Here are some of my favorite prints

Delicae Gourmet Review & Giveaway

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I love salads and I try and eat a salad about 4 times a week. Most times we go out to eat I order a salad.A gourmet salad not just a side salad. Like Grilled Cranberry Chicken salad. But I love to eat them at home as well. A lot of times you can catch me eating a salad for lunch. I love them!!

I am also all for easy meals. Crockpot meals are some of my favorites. Well I received a few great items from Delicae Gourmet. We received the Southwest Roadhouse Chili, Cherry Balsamic Salad Dressing, Strawberry Balsamic Salad Dressing, and the Southern Italian Pasta E Fagioli

I love that with the slow cooker meals they just require a meat, tomatoes and the fagioli required chicken brother. I thought it was easy enough!!

The dressings are to die for. I LOVE balsamic dressing so to add a fruit in it is yummy for me!

Now I didn't say my salads are always healthy so lettuce, lunchmeat, feta cheese, black olives, tomatoes and this dressing was SO YUMMY!!! I tried both of them. The cherry is a little tangier than the strawberry. The Strawberry was my family's favorite though! Very good. 

The slow cooker meals were easy. You layer the ingredients (the way it says) and DON'T STIR it. It was super easy to make and was ready on high in 5 hours. Both of them! They tasted very good as well and were great. I will say though that my chili is better :) I make a MEAN chili in the winter!!

Price: CHEAP!!! I'll put it that way. Fagioli is $6.15. Chili  and the dressings are all $5.95. 

Dressings are a little much, but think about it for the meals... By the time you buy the beans, and seasoning and noodles for the fagioli you're spending that anyway, so why not make it easier on yourself!! 

Overall: ***** Love them all! 

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Maggies Pure Land Review & Giveaway

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Natural, Natural, Natural!! I can't stress it enough. I have been doing everything in my power to change the entire way we live our lives. This includes Laundry detergent! 

We received some awesome "samples" from 

I don't remember if they came with a bag or not. You put them in a muslin bag 3-4 of them and wash. Once they're grey and mushy, they do about 5 loads for every 3-4 nuts, then you throw them away. For extra heavy loads I would use 5-6 of them. I have 2 muslin bags 1 of them has 6 nuts in it and the other has 4. I use the 4 one for my diapers and my lights. The 6 I use for darks and sheets, blankets and such. 

I love using these. They are super easy to use and are much cheaper than standard detergent. 

The liquid I'm in love with. It's even easier to use. 1 oz per load of laundry. I LOVE using this. No measuring, just pour and go. A lot like regular detergent, but so much nicer. It smells great and comes out clean from laundry. I love them both equally and I think I will continue to buy soap nuts. My own detergent doesn't even compare to this.

Soap nuts can also be used as a skin and hair cleanser. You can also make a homemade, multipurpose cleaner! 

They are 100% natural, safe and hypoallergenic. Great for Avery and I who have eczema.

I had to remove the Giveaway portion and half my review because blogger was messing up and nobody could see it anyway.

Snap-EZ Review & Giveaway

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I keep trying different cloth diapers in hopes that Avery's rash can get cleared up and stay that way. Most fitteds work because of the breathability. I have made some fleece covers that I can pin shut so she can't get the diapers off. WOOHOO. 

We received a Seaspray OS diaper from Snap-EZ

There was 1 loose thread

And one thing I don't care for but it didn't bother the efficiency was that the elastic isn't encased so it kind of rolled funny

Avery can't wear microfiber because that's the main cause of her burns so I'm happy this diaper didn't come with an insert. We have so many so we have been using my hemp insert or bamboo inserts or even prefolds in this diaper. 

However, Avery can now undo snaps so we no longer use it, but it will get use with the next child. 

This diaper washed nicely. The inside is microfleece so it did get pilly, but that's expected. Other than that it was great. The PUL on the outside was perfect and nothing shrunk. I was pretty happy with this diaper. The only thing I don't like is that the tabs don't overlap to accommodate a smaller baby, but other than that I'm very happy with this diaper and it's functioning. 

There are 11 colors to choose from so you won't get bored with all the same color.

They also carry many other products like Feminine Pads, Wet Bags, Detergent, Nursing Pads and more.

ALL the products are made form WAHM's right here in the USA!!!

Price: Right now the OS diaper is on sale for $16 down from $19 and their sized diapers are $14 down from $15

Overall: ***** I know that  a loose thread is just a mishap it doesn't harm anything.

 *Disclaimer* I received these products directly from the Company for Review. I was not paid to try out these products!*

Homeschool Group

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Sorry for not writing about life lately. We've been busy.

The creator of our group, even though it was just all friends, is busy with 2 other groups so she's quitting. I would like to continue with our little group, but half the people have dropped out. Here's the deal. One friend lives over 20 miles away so to come up here to this area once a week is a lot. My other friend is pregnant and was moving. She is due in less than a month and she has temporarily dropped out. So it was 3 people. Well one of them entered her daughter in Dance class from 10-10:45 every Wednesday. On our field trip days we do 10-12. So this is getting hard and it would just be the 2 of us on Field trip days.

So now that she might be quitting we can change days so the 3 of us can still get together, the one friend that's due moved into the same sub we live in so she would be super close. But I'm also thinking of inviting other people in.

I don't know many other people with young children and I definitely don't know any that want to homeschool so I don't know where to start with this. I want to continue this for Avery and the more kids the better for her as well. Jon wanted to send Avery to preschool because of the importance of interaction before 5. Well the more kids I can find the better for her and the more reassuring for him. I just don't know where to look. I guess I'll send something out to locals on my Facebook and see if that works!

If anyone here is in SE Michigan and wants to join a homeschool group please let me know. It's now even just homeschool stuff. At this age. PLEASE have your child be under 5 for this group. We do a lot of arts and crafts, circle time with a book, puzzles stuff like that. Every other week we go on a field trip. I think now that it will be getting cold soon I will switch to to once a month field trip. But for now it's every other week.

If you're interested please let me know! THANKS