The Tooth Ninja: A New Hero for Your Child

This is a sponsored book review.

Product was provided in exchange for an honest review.

My house is full of boys.  Energetic, ninja-loving boys.  We just found out a neighbor down the street is a professional parkour stuntman and after watching his Youtube videos, my boys have been outside constantly jumping over things, trying to do flips, and attempting to be just like him.  They think he's a real-life ninja.

You can imagine, then, how a book about ninjas would go over really, really well.  The Legend of The Tooth Ninja is a sweet tale about a village captured by a dragon.  Only one little ninja boy escapes the dragon and then feels responsible for setting the rest of the village free.

On his quest to help he meets a fairy who has also been captured.  After setting her free, she gives him an important gift of a tooth which he carves into a sword to frighten the dragon and free the villagers.  From that time onward he is instructed to always have the villagers leave their lost teeth under their pillows for him to collect and use to protect them if he ever needs to fight again.

This story is creative and poetically written.  It's enjoyable to read (be honest, as parents, there are a lot of books we read once and hide away forever-this will not be one of them).  And as my boys are in tooth-losing age, I've been listening to them scheme all afternoon how they can speed along the process and have something to leave for their new nighttime hero.

Please visit The Legend of the Tooth Ninja Kickstarter page, 

read more about the author's inspiration,

and find more information on the book's upcoming release!

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Ice Castles: Walk Into Your Fairy Tale Dream

This post is  my honest review of a product received via US Family Guide.

Grab your bucket list.  Right now, go and grab it.  Now, somewhere close to the top-let's say in the #1 spot-add "Explore an ice castle."  There, you've added it.  Next step-do it...as soon as possible! There's still time this winter even, if you hurry.

With four life-size ice castles to choose from across the United States, I know you'll be able to find one in a destination you've always wanted to go.  Here in Utah this year we are having a beautifully warm winter.  Unfortunately, spring temperatures in February aren't ideal for keeping an ice castle frozen.  Ours this year was only open for 2 short weekends.  I guarantee this isn't the case for anyone back east though.  The ice castles in Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Vermont are still open, still taking visitors, and still enchanting.  

To tell you what to expect when you make your ice castle pilgrimage, I want you to close your eyes and picture yourself in the middle of a magical icy fairy tale.  Designed to feel like you're in an old European village square, there are ice, water, and fire features around corners in every direction.  To the right, slides and tunnels to climb up, crawl through, and amble down.  To the left the romance of a double spouting water fountain.  Straight ahead slot canyons and narrow passageways to explore and get lost in. It's a child's paradise, for young and old alike.

 

As a parent taking my four young boys to this winter wonderland, safety was a big concern.  Ice, obviously, can be very slippery.  I was so impressed that throughout the ice castle, there is staff positioned to quickly and unobtrusively break up the ice as it gets packed down and starts to become slick.  Even more than knowing my kids wouldn't fall on the ice, it assured me that I myself wouldn't be taking an embarrassing spill to the ground in front of half the population of the Wasatch Front.  

The crowds were thick the night we made our visit, but it was the opening weekend, and as I said, here in Utah the ice castle was only open for two weekends.  I've read that the other 3 locations do have heavy traffic on the weekends, but I imagine as it gets later in the season, the crowds are dying down.  Even with the crowds, though, we felt comfortable to spread out and let the kids roam a little way away from us without fear of losing them.  We got to explore everything we wanted to with only one short line to wait in for one of the slot canyons.  If I had anything negative to say, it would be a caution to any non-Frozen lovers:  the soundtrack is appropriately playing at full volume for all hear to hear.  

 I know when I posted before, so many of you said, "I've heard of these and want to do it some day!"  I'm telling you, it's something worth doing right now!  If you have one within driving distance, why not make it a weekend adventure and spend time exploring in the area.  I promise you won't regret it. The castles in Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Vermont are scheduled to be open through March 7.  If you do plan to go, make sure to check their website for updates, but with all the snow the east has been enjoying, I'm sure they will be open until that day.

Want to save on your admission?

Use code "AwesomeIce" to receive 20% off admission! 

Book online at www.icecastles.com.

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Math Needs To Be Fun Sometimes (Product Review)

This is a sponsored post via USFamilyGuide.

Freemples received product to review, 

but shares opinions & information honestly.

I'm a little delayed in sharing my review of the web-based computer program, Splash Math, with you. If you'll remember, we first introduced you to Splash Math right before Christmas and were looking forward to giving it a try. In this instance my procrastination is to your benefit as I can now say with for certain that the game has staying power...

I should start by telling you that our kids are math lovers.  This is bizarre for my husband and I-we both struggled in math all the way through college-but, hooray, go kids that don't know math isn't supposed to be super easy!  Loving math is not a prerequisite to loving Splash Math, though.  The only requirement for that is being a kid who loves a talking hippo...what kid wouldn't think was fun?

Math lovers or not, as a parent it's hard to tell a child his screen time is over when he's pleading with you, "No, Mom, just let me do 20 more problems!"  

But Splash Math is not just a game, and this is what I love about it.  During set-up, you select your child's grade level.  It was encouraging to find the scope and sequence follows very closely with what my 2nd grader knows how to do and/or is learning.  As homeschoolers, that's been great because I can let him play knowing it's not too easy or too hard.  But if your child is in the school system, it's also a great way to look at what they're learning at school and then give them extra practice on that math topic at home.  Once logged in, you can work from the beginning and go straight through, or pick and choose which problems you want to work on.  

This short video will give you a better look at how the program actually works...

As you could see in the video, there is a game aspect with each question answered correctly earning points that can then be used to purchase animals to play with in an aquarium or the jungle.  Honestly, that's the only part of the Splash Math program that underwhelms me.  My 7- and 4-yr-old love it and race through their 20 questions to get to play with the crabs and giraffes again.  But it's pretty elementary, and I can't imagine it stays entertaining forever.  I especially can't imagine that someone using the whole program, K-5, would care much at all about that part once they were in the upper grades.  Also, our introductory session on Splash Math had a 20-question limit per day.  While I love my kids being able to do as much math as they'd like each time they play, I have to pay more attention that they aren't hurrying through their questions, playing in the jungle, and then forgetting to go back and do more problems.

Overall, we LOVE Splash Math.  I'm certainly not going to be the ones to tell my kids that they're really do school work every time they play.  You should let your kids give it a try!

Try Splash Math on the Computer

Try Splash Math in an App.  

Product provided for honest review via USFamilyGuide

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We had an Urban Adventure!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign via US Family Guide.

Remember shortly before Christmas when I introduced you to Urban Adventure Quest?  After several delays for a nasty 3-week flu in our house, I finally got my family bundled up and went out exploring on the Salt Lake City, UT, self-paced scavenger hunt.  I'll tell you up front, it was a great way to spend a few hours on a weekday afternoon!

As I explained before, Urban Adventure Quest is an "Amazing Race" style scavenger hunt throughout the city of your choice and at the pace you set.  You can race against the leader board of other people who've competed in that city, or just take your time and complete the challenges at your leisure.  I think our Adventure Quest experience was fairly typical, so I'll share the highlights of how it went...

The Beginning

Our initial instructions included a general starting place with basically no other details, other than to have a smartphone, paper, and pencil with you.  The Salt Lake City starting place is an open-air mall downtown.  After checking in on the website, the challenges begin and you input your answers as you go along.  Our first clues included finding statues, bricks engraved with specific words, and reading a plaque to find a person's name.  

Challenges & Clues

All complete, our Adventure Quest had around 20 questions that took us on a path through approximately 20 city blocks and covered all of the downtown area.  Several times there were options to either use public transportation or to walk and also an option to skip past several clues if the group wanted to avoid going up the steep hill to the Utah Capitol Building.

We were impressed with the variety of puzzles and hints used to figure out the clues.  Some were local sports or history facts, some involved counting objects in an area, and several involved sketching out pieces of answers to figure out the clues. Each clue gains you points and also has options for getting hints. Some of the clues are easy with a Google search, and some of them took some actual problem-solving.   For example, this is the clue that taxed our brains and took us the longest:

Urban Adventure Quest clue: Find the next location by combining the 1st letter of each starred 4-letter name

The Ending

The Salt Lake City Urban Adventure Quest concluded in a very central location, albeit one we had walked directly through earlier in the day.  After entering our last answer, we automatically were given our scavenger hunt time.  We had actually skipped the steep capitol jaunt as our boys are all under 7 and we were still recovering from the flu.  Our time ended up being 2 hours and 43 minutes.  There is a leaderboard on the website where you can compare your times if you are so inclined.  Also at the end is the option to take a survey and give input on your day in exchange for a discount code on your next adventure.  

Those are the things we really liked.  Here are a few of things I'd like to see improved in the future:

~More detailed initial information on where the scavenger hunt begins and ends so you can choose a logical place for parking.  My husband had to run back and move our car out of a 2-hour parking spot and then had to leave us to go get the car when we were done.  The ending spot would have been an ideal place to park and walk to the beginning, if we'd known beforehand.

~The web application could use some finessing.  The print was quite small and if we zoomed in, the "hint" and "submit" buttons overlapped.  It was easily solved by zooming back out, but should work better on a technology-centric program.

~For the Salt Lake City adventure quest specifically: Allow extra time for the clues that take you through Temple Square.  We did not have any trouble there, and never felt uncomfortable, but by nature the LDS missionaries working there are very friendly and will stop to make sure you're having a good time.  I think they would've been more than excited to help us find the answers to our clues, if we'd asked, but just know it's going to take longer to say hi to everyone you pass along your way.

I LOVED going on our Urban Adventure Quest!  I'm undecided if it was because I was in an area I am familiar with, or if I would love it just as much in a city where it all was brand new.  At a group price of $45, it'd be an extremely economical to spend a day on vacation or to show visitors around when they're in town.  Right now, the 20% discount I mentioned before is still available if you enter FGBLOG when signing up at Urban Adventure Quest.

Check out the list of available Urban Adventure Quest cities here.

I'd love to hear if there's a scavenger hunt near you!

This post is part of a sponsored campaign via US Family Guide.

I received a complimentary product to complete my review 

but the experiences and opinions are my own.

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A Subscription Box For Your Little Space Explorer

Freemples received a 2-month subscription

 in order to faciliate this review with USFamilyGuide

A few weeks ago, I introduced you to new subscription box service geared towards the space enthusiasts in your life.  

After receiving and using the first two month's subscription boxes, I'm prepared to tell you we LOVE Space Scouts and can wholeheartedly recommend them!

Here is a look at what is provided in the 1st and 2nd Space Scouts shipments...

1st Month: Lunch Box, Poster, Sticker Puzzle, Wiki Stix, Worksheets, Constellation Ring

2nd Month: Magnet, Astronaut Figurines, Stickers & Sticker Puzzle, Worksheets,
 Constellation Cards, Robotic Space Arm

Here are my boys completely engaged with their Space Scout activities...

And here are the reasons I think Space Scouts is a great investment...

Reason #1

 Educational-As a homeschooling parent, I could easily incorporate these boxes into a unit study each month.  They are in-depth with information pages and interactive with worksheets.  The recommended age for is 6+, but I found the worksheets to be a good mix of challenging for my 7-yr-old and also entertaining for my 4-yr-old.  Each month's box also contains a new "Space Plan" to study and a new constellation to learn about.

Reason # 2

     Quality Products-The toys are not cheap plastic that will break the first time they are used.  The poster, stickers, and magnets are durable and meant to be long lasting.  And the metal lunchbox is a fun but sturdy way to contain all the components for a long long time. 

Reason #3
     It's Fun-Being young boys, my kids don't always sit in one place for very long.  The afternoon we opened up the Space Scouts packages, they sat at the table learning and playing for nearly 3 hours.  They loved the bright colored worksheets and activities.  They got along deciding how to apply the stickers and magnets, they used their imaginations with their new astronaut figurines, and calling a generic toy grabber a "robotic space arm" is absolutely genius!  They followed their challenges to accomplish different space arm missions to the letter...

We loved our Space Scout boxes.  I think you would, too.  At $11.95/month it is an extremely affordable way to both entertain and educate.  I thought I might want 2 boxes so my boys wouldn't fight over what was inside, but each month comes with enough items to divide that we didn't have any problems. At that cheap price, though, it wouldn't be exorbitant to order an additional subscription if we decided to in the future.  

One last thing, whether you decide the Space Scouts subscription box is the right fit for your space-loving loved one or not, I highly recommend joining the Space Scouts Facebook page.  They update frequently with current space related news events that are incredibly fascinating. 

Think the Space Scouts Subscription Box would be a great fit for your family?

Use code USFAMILY20 at checkout to get 20% off your initial purchase!

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Space Scouts: An Educational & Affordable Idea for Christmas

This and future posts may be associated with promotions sponsored by the company.

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't love the trend of subscription boxes?  If you can dream of it, I'm pretty sure you can find someone out there willing to mail it to your door once a month...for a price...and usually that price is FAR more than I can afford.  That is one of the reasons I am uber-excited to have found this...

We haven't received our first box yet, but this is what I know about the program and what we are expecting...

Space Scouts monthly subscription club for kids is a delightful learning adventure aimed at discovering the wonders of the universe! Each month your child will explore a new place in space -- stepping into the worlds of space exploration, space science, and astronomy. Join Roxy and Jett as they scout about the galaxy engaging your child in fun learning activities, hands-on discovery, and exciting challenges. Packages arrive each month filled with fun additions to your collection -- magnets, stickers, toys, and more! 

And best of all they start at only $11.95 per month + $3.00 for shipping.  What other subscription box have you found that is that affordable?  Follow this link to check them out and receive 20% off of your holiday order!

I'll share my review as soon as we've received ours!

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Relished: Stop Planning, Start Cooking (Sponsored Review)

I received 3 complimentary meals from Relished for review.

The opinions provided are honest and mine.

Links within this post may be affiliate links.

My grandmother passed away two weeks ago.  The day I found out I was at my parent's house picking up a delivery from Chicago-based company, Relished.  The timing of that delivery could not have been more fitting; I'll tell you about Relished, and then I'll tell you why.

What is Relished?

The concept behind Relished is simple-Once a week receive a delivery of fresh ingredients you'll need to prepare 3 delicious meals without the hassle of grocery shopping and without the traffic headache of eating out.  The company is based in Chicago and the ingredients are sourced locally from there. 

What Will I Receive?

Each week, a set menu of 3 meals is available for order.  Your delivery will include all the ingredients (minus salt, pepper, & oil) needed to prepare those meals, as well as a sturdy and detailed recipe card with pictures and directions.  Every detail is covered, from how to prep the vegetables to how to present your food on the plate.  Each of the ingredients are individually packaged  and labeled for easy assembly in your kitchen.

Ingredients for Pepper-Crusted Flat Iron Steak & Vegetable Ramen

How Does It Work?

After signing up for Relished, you will begin receiving a 3-meal delivery once a week.  You can choose between 2, 4, or 6 servings at the price of $9.99/serving.  The ingredients are shipped fresh, not frozen, with the goal of arriving at your house the same day it leaves Chicago.  Right now they are able to ship within 250 miles of Chicago, or most places east of Colorado.  Their website provides a helpful zip code locator to ensure you are in the delivery zone before finishing your order.  

Once your receive your delivery, you simply put the ingredients in the refrigerator and pull them out when you are ready to make a meal.  Each week the menu will change, providing variety, and if you want to skip a week, there is a simple process to do that through the website or via email.  

Why It Was So Great For Me...

I mentioned I received my fresh food delivery the day I found out my Grandmother had died.  Funerals are never a planned event, and they take up a lot of time and energy.  Everything I had planned to do that week (grocery shopping, for example) went right out the window as family started to arrive.  By the end of the week I'd missed several appointments and just wanted to hibernate in my house to breathe and take a break from the world.  How grateful I was to have 3 full healthy and easy-to-prepare meals already waiting in my refrigerator!  We made the first meal the day the ingredients arrived because of the unexpected change in plans.  The second meal I threw together for lunch between funeral activities and family coming and going.  And the third meal I saved for after everyone had gone home.  It happened to coincide with Valentine's Day, and my husband appreciated a nice steak dinner with just the two of us after all the out-of-towners had gone back home.  

I believe in what Relished is doing!  It might not be cost-effective for my family of little ones every week, but if you are a family that eats out often, the price per serving and quality are very comparable to anything you would find in a restaurant without the cost of gas and no crowds to fight. The instructions were so easy to follow and made me feel good to be preparing beautiful dishes with fresh food.  I look forward to trying out another week of menus soon!

Want to try a week of 

Relished Fresh Meal Deliveries for free?

Sign up for your 1st week of deliveries and enter

freemples@gmail.com

in the Referral box at checkout.

Simple as that, and cancel anytime!

Want More Information?

Relishedfoods.com

Relished on Facebook

Relished on Twitter

Relished on Instagram

Relished on Pinterest

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The Pan That May Change My Life (sponsored)

Products in this post were provided free in exchange for review. 

 No other compensation was received.

I got married 10 years ago and have been cooking with the same cheap aluminum pots and pans I received back then.  Most of them are no longer circular, but vary in shape depending on how it was banged around in the cupboards or thrown haphazardly in to the sink.  Most of them also are showing varying amounts of remaining Teflon.  Yes, we've gotten rid of the peeling, dangerous ones, but the ones with scratches still grace my stovetop just waiting for food to immediately stick upon contact.

When I was asked to review a pan with new non-stick technology for Ozeri, I jumped on the opportunity and it has been nothing but love in my kitchen since then!

After cooking on this small skillet since Christmas time, these are the reasons I will gladly consider replacing all of my cookware with this new Green Earth cooking line:

1. Solid Construction  No cheap aluminum-this pan feels substantial, but is not heavy.
2. Ceramic Coating is thick and non-assuming.  The bottom of the pan is textured to aid your food in not sticking, and my food really hasn't been sticking!
3. Silicon Handle I've always been afraid my cheap pan handles would melt if I put them in the oven.  With silicon handles, these pans are safe to go in the oven for warming or to finish cooking something you started on the stove.

There was one learning curve with this pan...The ceramic material conducts heat extremely well.  It took me a couple times to figure out, but I've discovered the need to use these pans with a much lower heat than I'm used to doing with my older pans.  This is definitely not a bad thing-it seems like it would save me money on my gas stove in the end-but it did take a few test runs with "blackened" grilled cheese sandwiches before I figured out the heat sweet spot.

It is definitely time to replace the decade-old pans I have jammed into my kitchen cupboards, and I would not think twice about buying the Ozeri Green Earth Pans when I finally get around to making the change.

How about you-is it time to replace the pans in your kitchen?

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Sanity for Mom, A Treat for the Kids: Kidoodle.TV (sponsored post)

I participated in a Blog Blast program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kidoodle.TV.

 I received a promotional item and a free trial as a thank you for participating.

If your house is like mine, the next week is going to just be plum crazy.  Preparations, celebrating, entertaining, cleaning up and then probably doing it all again.  I try to avoid getting to annoyed with the kids during times like these, but sometimes all you can do is look for a way to keep them distracted and quiet while your hands are busy wringing, wrapping, and baking. This holiday season Kidoodle.TV has been the source of my sanity...

Let me tell you up front the reason I love this new service: With a parental passcode, I set up an account for each of my kids with the shows I think are appropriate or that they will like.  Then when they sit down to watch, they choose their profile and I don't have to worry at all about what they're watching while I'm busy someplace else in the house.  

Screenshot of Kidoodle.TV Child Profile Screen

Want a few minute breather with your kids in the coming days?  Here are some tips to get you started:

• You can set profiles for up to 5 kids. 
• Shows can be filtered by age, making it easy to choose appropriate entertainment for all ages
• There is no advertising after you are logged in, so no chance kids will accidentally click on anything 
• HUGE variety of shows:  My kids' favorites have been Sonic Underground, Monster Math Squad, and Zoo Babies.

Try Kidoodle.TV today!

(Free trial through December 2013) 

Kidoodle.TV Holiday Giveaway

Try Kidoodle.TV for FREE and enter by December 31, 2013 to win 1 of 10 tablets or 1 of 10 Kidoodle.TV year-long subscriptions!

To enter, sign up for your free trial and follow the on-screen directions

Want to hear more from Kidoodle.tv?

Follow on Twitter @kidoodle.tv

Follow on Facebook: Kidoodle TV

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Double Creativity, No More Boredom...Sign Me Up! #sponsored

I received a complimentary subscription

 for this service via US Family Guide.

  You know the thoughts are mine, though, don't you?

A few weeks ago I shared an information post on the new toy rental company, Pleygo.  Now that I have had a chance to test out the service myself, I want to let you know that I LOVE it, and also share a fabulous deal Pleygo is offering right now.

The #1 reason I'm in love with Pleygo is that this little guy loves it.  His 6-year-old creative brain can be a lot of energy to deal with, but the minute the Pleygo box comes in the mail it's all focus and thinking.  I love the suggestion from Pleygo to contain the pieces of each set on a baking sheet.  It has done wonders to keep us from losing pieces...B can just pick it up and move it if the babies are coming near or if it's time to put it away for awhile.  

I've been really impressed that the instruction manuals we've received have all been pristine and looked brand new.  I know that we haven't always sent them back in such good condition and so I appreciate that Pleygo is appreciative of the wear and tear that comes with normal play and provides new manuals with their packages. Even better, most Lego sets can make 2-3 different objects, and the manuals for each set are always included.  I discovered this week that you can also go into your account online and bring up a file of the manuals if for some reason you don't have access to the ones they sent you.  

The #2 reason I think Pleygo is such a great company?  Their customer service is amazing! 

 Periodically they send out a short survey asking for input and both times I've responded, I've received an email back either answering my questions or addressing my concerns.  This picture is a product of one of those interactions...

The original advertising I had seen showed the toy packs showing up in  fabulously branded packaging, but our first several sets arrived only in a plain grey plastic envelope.  There was no way to know what it was without further investigating and nothing for the kids to get excited over.  Can you see the re-enacted look on his face when we finally got a set in the Pleygo packaging?  He could see the box waiting on the front porch before he'd even left the car that day and couldn't wait to get inside and open it.  And if you set up your account with your child's name, it will come addressed to them specifically.  Real mail for them...how can that not be exciting?

In addition to the appearance, the box also offers improvement on the instruction sheet.  In the plastic envelope the instructions were on a separate sheet of paper and were ripped and wrinkled by the time they got to us.  With the box, the instructions are printed very professionally on the inside top flap.  

In 3 months we have received 5 or 6 sets of Legos.  It seems like we've kept each one about 2 weeks before returning it and waiting for the next set on our wishlist to appear.  Even in the past few weeks we've seen continued improvement from Pleygo as they've decreased the wait time by shipping your new set as soon as they've received confirmation from the post office that you've mailed your last one.  In some cases this can literally mean a 1-2 day turn around time.  That is definitely value for your money!

Pleygo is a new and developing company and I think they will have some hiccups along the way.  But they seem to have all the elements for success already and if they keep listening to what kids and their parents are saying, I'm confident they have big things ahead of them.

Be sure to check out my first post on how the Pleygo system works and then head to their website for your one-month free trial.

Ready for the great deal?  Right now Pleygo is offering a $20 account credit to customers who purchase a gift subscription for someone else.  That is even more free!

Who in your world would be excited to see their 1st Pleygo box waiting in the mail?

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Not Waiting for New Year's-Jumping on the Scale #sponsored

Item in this post was provided for review in exchange for my opinions.

No other compensation was received.

Three years ago I quit fitting into my favorite skirt.  I squeezed and wiggled and pulled and pushed.  It would not go on.  So I hung it on a hanger, took a picture, and challenged my sisters to join a Facebook Group with me called "I Want To Wear This..."  Sometimes successfully, and sometimes not, we use that space to encourage each other in exercise pursuits, healthier eating, and the ups and downs that come with trying to live a healthier life.  

In the middle of that two years my twins were born.  I have never owned a scale, but when you're pregnant the doctors do a great job of making sure you know every ounce that your body packs on.  When the babies are born, at least for me, the weight yo-yo begins and I've been trying this time to take my best guess what a scale would say that I weigh.  Thank goodness for the people at Ozeri!  A bathroom scale to try out and review just in time for the holidays...

Sleek packaging!

I'll have to say I was surprised to open up the packing box to find something so flat and unassuming.  I think my last memory of an in-home scale is from my grandma's house 25 years ago.  The Ozeri Rev Digital Scale is reminiscent of grandma's old clunker with it's electro-mechanical dial, but fits in unassumingly in my much more modern decor. 

Very Unassuming size and design.

I love this scale!  It's simple with only 2 instructions:  Set the switch on lbs or kgs and then step on.  At first I was a little disappointed it didn't have bells and whistles like measurement memory or settings for more than one person, but realistically, I do not need that and would probably just be frustrated knowing it was there and I wasn't using it or couldn't get it figured out.  This scale does have an option to set a daily alarm if you want a reminder to check your weight at the same time everyday.  

After having the Ozeri Rev Digital Bath Scale in my home for a few weeks now, I can honestly say I needed to have a scale in my house.  I had been doing pretty good at guessing what my weight was, but with an inanimate object telling me the straight facts about how my eating habits affect my weight, I've already felt a kick in the pants.  And it's helping me not to over-indulge on all the holiday yummies that surround appear at this time of year.  I know everyone waits until the first of the year to set their New Year's resolutions of perfect exercise and eating, but I'm glad to have my scale now and have some factual encouragement to go along with the "Good job!" and "You can do it!" I get from my sisters along the way.  Here is where I'm at today...check back for the day I finally fit into that skirt again!  

Love that the bright display, and that it has both a needle and a digital display

The Ozeri Rev Bath Scale with Electro-Mechanical Dial 

will support up to 400 pounds 

and has StepOn technology requiring no extra steps to turn it on.

Available at Amazon.com

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Enjoy Education with Your Child: GenZ Read Together Program

This is a sponsored post.  

I received a free trial as compensation.  

The opinions are my own.

I had the privilege a year ago to homeschool my oldest son through kindergarten.  It was so rewarding to sit beside him, teach him how to read or express his creativity, and really watch his brain grasp onto concepts he would use the rest of his life.  Sending him to 1st grade at a public school this year made me nervous.  The majority of his learning is now done with his teacher (who thankfully has turned out to be amazing) and I miss that personal interaction we had working side by side.  Not wanting to over-work him after he gets home from a long day at school, I've been looking for simple ways to still sit down and spend some fun educational time with him.  Signing up for the new email subscription service, GenZ, has allowed me to do that in a current and enjoyable way. 

GenZ Read Together (www.genZreadtogether.com) emails wonderful real-life stories and activities each day to parents’ smartphones, tablets or computers. Whether it's at breakfast, bus stop, or bedtime -- GenZ makes it convenient to read about amazing people, places and things. 

Created by educators and award-winning children's writers, stories are written at two levels, for children in grades K-2 and 3-5.  Titles include:

The Atocha (world's greatest treasure hunter), Captain Sully Saves the Day, The Chilean Miners' Rescue, Wilt Scores 100 Points!, Owen and Mzee - an Unusual Friendship, The Invention of Velcro, and hundreds more!

Buried Alive! The Chilean Miners Rescue

I love that many of the stories available are fairly current topics.  The Chilean Miners Rescue, Captain Sully landing his airplane in the Hudson, or even a bio of Lady Gaga.  The information is presented in an age appropriate way.  There are comprehension questions to discuss, and pop quiz questions. 

Each story has several layers of activities to complete together with your child.  As you progress, your child earns points towards sweepstakes items.  This part seems a little hokey to me, but if you're using GenZ to engage with your child on a meaningful level, then throwing in a chance to win a Chipotle gift card can just be icing on the cake.

I appreciate companies that promote interaction between parents and their children. I'm excited to read more stories from GenZ with my boys and I hope you'll give it a try as well!

My readers receive a FREE Trial Subscription 

(no cc required) to GenZ Read Together! 

 CLICK HERE and Use Promo Code: A156

This offer is open to everyone! Please share this link and promo code with your friends and family.

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A Shark On the Loose (Cityville Invasion) #gotitfree

This product was provided for review from BzzAgent.

Opinions are 100% mine and true.

When was the last time your kids were this excited for something...?

A few months ago my kids seriously loved me.  (If you're a parent, you know that comes and goes...)  And I seriously loved BzzAgent for choosing me to review the Kre-O Cityville Invasion Marina Madness set.  I never would have bought it in the store before first trying it out.

In the past I have loved miniature building block sets for my 6-year-old.  They're challenging, but not too difficult and they keep him busy for hours.  The mini-book that comes in the Cityville Invasion sets disguised as an instruction manual was a little more daunting at first.  As if often the case, though, B opened it up and explained all the confusing parts to me.

The Cityville Invasion Marina Madness set comes with a LOT of pieces!  Again a little daunting, but it translated into two hours of my kids and I concentrating on something together and was absolutely worth the time.

There are two distinct features with the Kre-O Cityville Invasion sets.  First is in a sonic motion technology.  I tried really hard to get a decent video of the shark and machines moving around with no success, but know that a battery-powered box makes marina noises while gently vibrating the toy's platform so the pieces will move around.  It was pretty cool to see the shark "swimming" around, but as with most noise-making toys, it got a little wearing on mom's ears and didn't hold the kid's interest for all that long.

The second thing that makes Kre-O Cityville Invasion sets unique, are the ability to combine sets together to make an entire city.  I LOVE the idea of adding to my sons' imagination with a similar toy that will expand the story rather than giving him something entirely different, relegating this set to the back of the closet.  In addition to the Marina Madness set, Kre-O sets includes other city scenes including a skyscraper, a bank, and a haunted construction site.

My favorite part of the Kre-O Cityville Invasion set we received were the tiny people in their shark-catching uniforms and disguises.

My 3-year-old really likes his new friends...

My boys really love their Kre-O Cityville Invasion set.  Having so many pieces has allowed them to use their imaginations creating a multitude of structures and scenarios above and beyond just a shark on the loose in the marina.  The blue building platform helps to keep the building mania contained.  My only tip?  Buy a teeny tiny screwdriver when you're buying your batteries or you'll never get into the battery box.  

Want to win a character from Kre-O Cityville Invasion? 

Check out my giveaway for Kre-O Dr. Mayhem's Jewel Heist

Have older children?

Each Cityville Invasion set includes a free code for the 

Cityville Invasion Mobile App that lets your child add even more to the story.

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