When the word backpack comes up, my mind typically thinks "school".  But back when I was doing daycare, one of my families actually used a backpack instead of a diaper bag.  Since they only needed a few essentials, it was always super light and it allowed their little boy to be able to strap it on and carry it proudly all by himself.  That was a light bulb moment for me because, until then, it never occurred to me to use backpacks for anything but school. Thanks to Zoocchini for this fun Backpack Read more [...]

Welcome to Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up with your hosts Karen @ Tots and Me, Emily @ Emily Reviews, Shelly @ The Attic Girl, and Rena @ An Ordinary Housewife. So glad you could join us as we share our giveaways on  Tuesday's Giveaway Link Ups.  This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways. Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up 1. Post your reviews and/or Read more [...]

Summer is in full swing and the season for pledging love and celebrating weddings is upon us.  We have one special wedding, in particular, that I wanted to find the absolute perfect gift for.  This young lady spent days, weeks, and months coming over daily to help with cooking, cleaning, and helping with our kiddos when I was completely bedridden due to severe morning sickness.  The only times I was able to gain enough strength to rise was to throw up or head to the doctor for (another) iv of Read more [...]

Summer sun and fun doesn't mean that the learning stops.  For our family, it typically just turns into some extra hands on activities, field trips, play dates, and FUN! A big thanks to Lakeshore Learning for these fun products!  Our family has been having a great time exploring, playing with, and learning with them! Lakeshore Learning Road to Reading Activity Center As a mom, helping my kids learn to read is a huge but exciting task.  I was an avid reader as a child and our older Read more [...]

From the week our kids are born, they are introduced to wondrous worlds through books because every night, we all gather around for family story time.  My husband and I feel that instilling a love of reading is important so we rarely miss this time together.  Then, as the newborns grow into curious babies, their toy box always holds a few board books in the mix.  By the time they are toddlers, they typically initiate book time throughout the day. Thanks to Worthy Publishing for sending fun board Read more [...]

Over the years, I've suffered from a variety of aches and pains including headaches, migraines, back aches, and more.  I rarely go to the regular doctor, though, because I know that will only result in prescription medications.  So I love finding natural ways to deal with any issues whenever possible.  While that sometimes comes in the form of a visit to the chiropractor or homeopathic drops, my eyes are always open to new ways. Thank you to truMedic for providing me with this amazing TENS Unit! I've Read more [...]

I have been provided with a Nutrisystem plan in exchange for sharing my honest experience and results on my blog. All opinions are my own. Ryan has been on Nutrisystem for a LONG time now. He's started getting comments from friends and family members who are surprised that he's still on Nutrisystem. It's made us realize how many people think of weight loss programs as short-term fixes. Ryan will not stay on Nutrisystem forever, but you don't have to use Nutrisystem (or any other plan) only Read more [...]

I was sent a Surprise My Pet box to review. All opinions are my own. I've shared several Surprise My Pet dog subscription box reviews in the past. I am happy to be back with a review of another box. This is from the box that was sent to me the last week of May. I was traveling in June so that caused the delay. As usual, Surprise My Pet found really neat, creative products to include in their box. The May theme was 'Fun In The Sun' Each month, Surprise My Pet includes 5-7 items in their box. This Read more [...]

Ball Canning sent product to assist me with this post. All opinions are my own. One of my favorite things about summertime is being able to see product grow right in our own yard and reaping the fruits of our labor.  Last year was less than great because a deer ate my garden - TWICE!  Thankfully, my sister and her husband were kind enough to share their abundance with me so I was still able to do some canning.  This year, I can't wait for all the harvesting so I can get busy again! Thank you Read more [...]

While periods can feel like a taboo subject, it's just a part of life for most women.  However, there are plenty of unpleasant parts to it including cramping, bloating, mood swings, spotting, and more.  So while I've recently combated the monthly visitor with the really handy menstrual cup (head over to read my Super Jennie Menstrual Cup Review to learn more), there is always the possibility of leaks if not inserted correctly or the need for more protection when utilizing pads, tampons, and other Read more [...]