Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes Review



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


I have been turned on to bamboo products in the past several weeks and I have to tell you, I am hooked! Not only does the idea of sustainable material appeal to me, but the durability and functionality of bamboo is amazing.

I have had the pleasure of trying several items from the Bum Boosa line of products, and now I get to share with you Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes.

I admit, I was leery of this product. I have tried a ton of baby wipes, and I have found that my son has sensitivities to several brands on the market. The only wipes we have used with success in his life have been Huggies brand.

We are using fewer wipes now that he is using the "little potty", but we still need wipes several times a day for the occasional accident and for general clean up. As many of you will know, first hand, boys are like a magnet for grime, dirt and in general, messes.

I started off by opening these and trying them on his hands. When he had no negative reaction to Bum Boosa wipes, I tried them on his face. Again, he was fine after several uses so I tried them on his tushy. I was thrilled that these didn't break him out.

The first thing I noticed upon opening the package was the fragrance. It is amazing. Imagine baby wipes with the fragrance of Sweet Orange and Lavender oil. They smell refreshing and lovely.

The next thing I noticed is how strong they are. I was surprised by this as they appear to be thinner than our normal wipes. These did a wonderful job of cleaning my son up, from head to toe without breaking or falling apart.

I liked that they are alcohol free, paraben free and sulfate free, and that each pack contains 80 wipes. The added bonus is that with every purchase a tree is planted!

I have been very impressed with Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes and I wish I had discovered them sooner. I would recommend this brand to other parents, as it is a great product and it cleans up the dirtiest of kid messes with ease.

Connect with Bum Boosa to learn more.
Website
Facebook
Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Saturday #163

Saturday #163 was laid back for my family. We decided to take Rolfie on a picnic lunch at the reservoir. It was a nice way to enjoy lunch together and get in a little outdoor time. We strolled through a short stretch of woods and came upon a colony of abandoned cats, where someone leaves food and has constructed a shelter for them, of sorts. It was heartbreaking really to see so many cats left to survive in the woods.  One in particular has been tugging at my heartstrings ever since I saw her. She was a fluffy black and white girl, who was sweet and friendly. She playfully rolled around and let us pet her, she purred and rubbed all over our legs and my son was intrigued, he couldn't resist her and she liked him alot too. I have been pleading with my husband to go back and get her, she needs a family and a home. He is resisting, but I don't know for how long, as he has mentioned her several times since.

After lunch and our walk we came upon a community yard sale, I wasn't really in the mood to shop, but my son batted his eyelashes and talked us into buying him a school bus and a wizard.

We came home to play outdoors, I cooked a lovely meal and we dined on the deck. It was a slow paced day, but it was as close to perfect as a day could be.


I was very tired as I am still trying to get over being sick, so my husband entertained himself while I napped on the sofa after putting the little one to bed. I must have needed the rest as I slept the evening away.

Saturdays seem to come so quickly. I love that we have spent them together as a family over the past few months, trying to do something together. I hope that you had the chance to spend time with your family over the weekend.


WallMates Peel and Stick Decor Review


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.



We live in a really small house.  This has been a concern for me since the day I found out I was expecting baby #2. I have literally lost sleep trying to determine... where will we put Harper? 

My son has a little room, it is the playroom  filled with toys and books, and this is where Harper will sleep and eventually, if we haven't completely outgrown our home, she will play and store her toys and books as well. However, the room is all boy, it has a cars theme and checkered racing flags for one of the borders in the room. 

I know girls like the movie Cars too, but I really felt like we needed to add something to the walls to make it girl friendly, without completely turning my son off of his little room.

When I got the chance to try out some wall decals from RoomMates Peel and Stick Decor, I was really thrilled to see that Sesame Street was one of the options available. My son likes Sesame Street, and I am sure that someday my daughter will as well!

These decals are so easy to use. You simply, peel them off of the sheet and stick them on the wall. It is that simple. I had added a little something to the soon to be shared space of my children with absolutely minimal efforts.


This set of wall decals contains sheets of decals, roughly 40 total, and contains a ton of characters including Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar, Abby, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie and many more.

My son was very excited to see the new images on his walls, and I was excited with how easily I could add a little something to the room without spending much time. I also like the price of the product, at under $15 for 4 sheets this is a great way to give any space a makeover without going broke.

WallMates offers many other characters to delight just about any family member.

Check out their selection or connect on facebook to learn more.
Monday, June 17, 2013

Beau Coup Review


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.



The day I announced I was pregnant, people started asking me "Who is throwing your baby shower?" I hadn't given it much thought really, as I didn't expect to have a baby shower for baby #2. My loved ones had other plans and began planning things right away.

When I heard about Beau Coup I knew this would be a fantastic place to find everything we would need for a baby shower. They have an amazing selection of goodies for weddings, bridal showers, birthday parties and baby showers. Imagine how happy I was when they offered to send me a few of their lovely items for my baby shower.

I received some really cute Rubber Ducky soaps. These are perfect for giving out as favors to the guests at a baby shower. I swooned over them, as did my 3 year old, who is convinced they are meant for him to play with. He has a fondness for rubber duckies, as one might guess if they spied his collection in my bathroom.
They are nothing short of adorable and have a really great, clean and soapy fragrance.

I received a few sets of the cutest candles I have ever seen, which are sure to make my baby shower guests gush. Shaped like cupcakes, they are a perfect little token to say "Thank you for coming!" for anyone that comes to my baby shower.

I also received a few packages of napkins, in a really lovely owl print. My baby shower will be an owl themed one, and these are super cute and colorful. I love how cheery they are, which is perfect for a baby shower!

I literally spent hours browsing the selection Beau Coup has to offer, and I saw hundreds of too cute for words items that would make any shower or party super special and memorable. The selection they have to offer blows storefront party stores away. I would definitely recommend Beau Coup to anyone planning a wedding, bridal or baby shower.

One lucky reader is going to win a $50 git certificate to Beau Coup! The giveaway begins on 6/17 and ends on 7/2. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with facebook, and I release facebook from any potential liability.

Connect with Beau Coup to learn more.
Website
Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, June 16, 2013

A Love Story

I met my husband in 1998. I fell head over heels for him instantly, but I felt shy around him. I was also very worried about him rejecting me. He was a friend of my brother, and I thought that I might become the butt of a few jokes if I admitted just how much I liked him.

A few months after I met Adam, a mutual friend of ours got married. I had to work and could not attend the wedding. I worked my shift and went out with another friend that night. The next day, another friend that Adam and I shared called me and said "Adam asked me like 4 times what time you got off work last night." I blushed. I very casually said "Oh, yeah?" He said "Oh, yeah, he was fairly drunk at the reception and begged me to drive him to meet you after your shift, but I was too drunk to drive too."

The next time I saw Adam, he showed no signs of being interested in me, so I figured the friend was lying to me. Time passed, and I had started to give up hope that this really cute guy would ever ask me out. 

One evening a friend was pressuring me to go out on a date with a friend of a friend who had asked me out. In a moment of frustration I blurted out "But, I would have to kiss him goodnight... and he is not Adam, so I couldn't do it." Jaws dropped, eyes got round, and my friends were all blown away. "Adam? Really?!" One friend exclaimed. I solemnly nodded my head. After the cat was out of the bag, there was no keeping it a secret among friends. Everyone, including Adam, knew how I felt within a matter of hours.

Over the next few months we began to see each other casually. In all honesty, we were sneaking around to see each other, we didn't want it to become some huge deal and I am the type to keep my love life private. But during those few months, we fell in love with each other and eventually we were inseparable.

It took us many years, in fact, we lived together for 10 years, before we got engaged. I don't know why we waited so long, as we were very committed to one another, but we did. Adam proposed to me on Valentine's Day, 2009. I eagerly said yes and we were happier than we had ever been. We got married 4 months later.

We had no desire to have a big wedding, we quietly said our vows in private, at the courthouse, with strangers as our witnesses. We couldn't have been happier with the way it all worked out. I look back on that day, and I can't help but smile. It was perfect. 

We found out we were going to be parents about 10 weeks later. Our son Rolf was born just about one month before our first wedding anniversary.

In the past few years Adam and I have seen our share of highs and lows. We have had great times together, we have experienced life in many ways, we have faced dark days. We have been in positions of really thinking our marriage was over. Only to wake up the next week to find it is only beginning.

My husband is not a hopeless romantic. He doesn't sweep me off my feet with romantic gestures, love poems or even flowers. But he does take my breath away frequently...usually from laughing so hard. We do have a good time together, when we find the time, we very much enjoy one another. I know he can be a grouch, and he knows that sometimes I transform from Sweet Silly Sara to Seriously Not So Sweet Sara... but we take it in stride. I think we enjoy knowing that no one is perfect... including each other.

I wouldn't change him, or our life together, for anything. Sure I gripe about him from time to time, and he gripes about me, but when the day is done, we come home to each other and feel thankful that we get to do it all over again the next day. In my opinion, having the chance to experience life on a day by day basis, to learn from mistakes and try to do better the next day is one of the greatest gifts that God gives us.

Our Love Story isn't made for TV perfect, it isn't really even traditional, but neither are we... but we are perfect for each other, in our own crazy way.

I don't know what the next 4 years will hold for us, but I can't imagine facing anything with anyone else at my side. 

Happy Anniversary Adam, by best friend, the father of my children, the funniest guy I have ever known. 





 
Saturday, June 15, 2013

Julie's Organic Ice Cream Review

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


Isn't it funny how pregnancy cravings can be so strong that they might drive a woman crazy if she doesn't get exactly what she wants? I have had a variety of cravings, it seems like they change each week. I went through a brownie spell, then it was Bean Chips, Salads, anything chocolate... now I am on a kick of ice cream, but please not just any old brand. My taste buds have been completely spoiled, thanks to Julie's Organic Ice Cream.

Julie's Organic Ice Cream is a true decadent indulgence. Made with cream from USDA certified organic cows in the Northwest USA, the finest chocolate and vanilla, and certified organic fruits, this is an ice cream brand that will easily sway your opinions of other brands.


We live in a small town, so small that is hard to even find a name brand product, let alone something of a high quality. This means I must travel to the nearby Mansfield Ohio to purchase groceries for my family. On my last trip into the Kroger Marketplace, I was nothing short of thrilled to find Julie's tasty treats in the Organic section of the store.

I picked up Julie's Ice cream Bars, which are Vanilla Ice Cream, wrapped in dark chocolate. I snagged a box of Ice cream Sandwiches which are an organic chocolate cookie with smooth and creamy organic vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between the cookies. I also got a can of gluten free round cookie sandwiches too.

My son was anxious to help taste test the Ice Cream bars. He eagerly began munching on his ice cream bar, and was nothing short of amazed. This was his first experience with an ice cream bar, and he was happy to give it his quack like a duck seal of approval. I had to agree, this was one super yummy ice cream bar.

My husband was leery of trying the Ice Cream Sandwiches, as he doesn't share my desire for organic products. Finally, he caved and decided he should try these, as he cannot resist an ice cream sandwich for very long. His eyes got wide with surprise, he said "This is the BEST ice cream sandwich I have ever had", I had to agree, I have never had one that I liked more either.

Finally, we sampled the gluten free round ice cream sandwiches. They are the perfect size for an after dinner treat, and the cookie was superb. The ice cream was heavenly. I really loved these, and have added them to my shopping list for the next time I hit up the grocery store.

Julie's Organic Ice Cream is seriously good stuff. I can't wait to try the pints of Julie's delicious ice cream. After trying this brand, I will never look at other non organic brands the same. The flavor and the quality of Julie's speaks volumes to my heart and my taste buds.

Connect with Julie's to learn more. You can use the store locator on the site to find this yummy brand in a store near you.

20 Mule Team Borax Review and Giveaway


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.



20 Mule Team Borax is a diverse product with many household uses. I have used Borax for several years now for laundry and ant control. I have been rediscovering this powerful cleaning product and using it in new ways over the past several weeks.

A few days ago, before trying out the Soft Scrub 4 in 1 Toilet care product, my toilet needed to be scrubbed. We have hard water and that leads to toilet ring like stains. If you are not diligent and scrub the toilet each week, you can rest assured you will have a rust or dark yellow colored stain awaiting your attention. I normally use another cleaner, but this week I thought... When in Rome... use Borax.

I flushed the toilet and sprinkled about 1/4 cup of 20 Mule Team Borax into the bowl. I walked away and returned in 30 minutes to scrub the stain away. I was impressed that the stain came off with ease and there was no evidence of my hard water remaining.

I also add 20 Mule Team Borax to my laundry. This helps my clothes get much cleaner than before, as I mentioned, the hard water in Ohio can make life difficult in terms of doing laundry or keeping porcelain clean and white. Borax leaves my whites whiter, and my colors brighter every time.

We have had ants a few times, thanks to having a small child in the house and the amount of drinks that he manages to spill and the food he tosses around with no regard. If you have ants, let me tell you a trick that will save you a small fortune.

Mix equal amounts of powdered sugar and Borax together. Sprinkle this mixture in areas that your family and pets CANNOT reach, such as behind your stove and refrigerator. The ants will be attracted to the sweetness of the powdered sugar, and they will track the Borax back to their nest. This will take care of an ant problem in a flash. However, use caution when doing this. Don't put it anywhere where the ones you love  or other animals can get into it.

20 Mule Team Borax is a diverse product with many more uses. From flea control, to spot cleaning rugs to name just a few.

Would you like the chance to win a coupon for a box of 20 Mule Team Borax? This giveaway will have 3 winners! This giveaway begins on 6/15 and ends on 6/29. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with facebook. I release facebook from any possible liability.



a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, June 14, 2013

Bum Boosa Bamboo Bathroom Tissue Review


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.


I strive to use eco-friendly products whenever they are accessible, affordable and effective. When Bum Boosa sent me a roll of their Bamboo Bath Tissue, I was curious about how well this product would work for my family. We can be picky about the brands of bathroom tissue we use.

I liked that this product is made with soft bamboo fibers instead of coming from trees. Sustainability of materials is important to any green product. I liked that the product is whitened without chemicals containing chlorine. It is safe for septic systems and it has no added dyes or fragrances.

The product was surprising. I didn't know what to expect from a bamboo bathroom tissue, the softness of the tissue really surprised me, I also liked how a little went a long way and that it was easy to tear off the roll, but it didn't tear easily during use.

My husband had no idea what kind of bathroom tissue this was, and he didn't complain one bit, which is a sign that this is a good product. While he is kind to the environment, he can be a much harder sell on organic, non gmo and green products. All he had to say about Bumboosa Bamboo Bathroom Tissue was "Is this a new kind of toilet paper?" I said "Yes dear," He said "Okay, it works!"

I would purchase this brand in the future and I would recommend it to other consumers that are looking for sustainable options for a product that gets used in pretty much every household, day in and day out.

I have another Bum Boosa review coming up soon, so stay tuned to learn more about their baby wipes.

Connect with Bum Boosa to learn more or to order.
Website
Facebook
Thursday, June 13, 2013

Tami Hoag: The 9th Girl

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tami Hoag has a new book coming out on June 18th called The 9th Girl. In this book on a cold New Years Eve in Minneapolis the brutalized body of a woman, Zombie Doe falls from the trunk of a car into traffic which raises questions about whether she was alive when she hit the pavement. The victim is unidentified and not the first nameless victim of the year, she is in fact the 9th nameless victim.

The villain  a cold blooded killer, Doc Holiday travels the country to snatch his victims then leave them in another city, always on a holiday.

The investigators, Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska must uncover who despised Zombie Doe enough to destroy her life, they find that in this case, the victim and the killer might have resided closer to home than originally anticipated.

This book is suspenseful, thrilling and filled with evil. It was my first time reading a Tami Hoag book, and I am now hooked and cannot wait to give her other 30+ books a read. I would recommend adding The 9th Girl to your summer reading list if you are looking for a thrill a minute page turner.  I found the story to be addicting and I could barely put it down and had it finished within a matter of days.




Win a Britax Car Seat!!

My friend over at the Woman of Many Roles blog has a great giveaway to share with you!
Someone is going to win a Britax Marathon Car Seat!!

Check out her review here:
Woman of Many Roles

And enter to win via the rafflecopter code below. This giveaway is open to residents of USA and Canada, and runs until the end of June.
Good Luck!!


a Rafflecopter giveaway