Saying Goodbye To A Pet Is Never Easy.

My daughter added the cross to the photo

The 411:

It is never easy to lose a pet. I remember as a kid my friends would bury their pets in the backyard in a cardboard box. It never felt right. All I ever thought about was how cold the pet must be. It was a pathetic resting place for a loved pet.

The Pod is 100% biodegradable and made of bamboo powder, cornstarch, and rice husk which allows it to break down to beneficial compost within 5 years.

They Pods come in different sizes from fish size to medium pet size and can be painted or personalized if your child wishes. Let them lead the best way for them to cope. Maybe leaving good-bye messages or writing their pet's name is what will help them most.

It also comes with a sympathy card in the same shape that is featured on the top of the pod. After placing the pod in the ground you can place this card that contains seeds for a living memorial

I think this is a beautiful tribute to a much loved pet.

Target Is One Of My Favorite Stores To Shop For Christmas Gifts

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30 Years? Really!? Remember Richard Simmons Sweatin' To The Oldies?

The 411:

I was and still am a avid General Hospital fan which is where I first was introduced to the Bob Ross hair styled Richard Simmons.  He was the exercise instructor at the Campus Disco back in the very early 80s that introduced aerobic dancing to the characters of GH. It was a whole new way of exercising and it was sweeping the nation.

With Sweatin' To The Oldies you basically danced yourself thinner. Richard came up with exercises that anyone could do. Big, small, old and young could dance themselves to a fitter self. The songs were mostly songs that everyone knew.  It was mostly low impact and so much fun!

Everyone exercising with Richard was your every day person. There were no leotards or tights, just normal street clothes. It was like a dance party!

When I was younger I had two of these and thought it wasn't enough for me. Now at 51 I have done I love Sweatin' To The Oldies. It is just right for me to get back into the swing of things.  I was able to keep up and looked forward to doing it every night the past 2 weeks. Usually I get discouraged because I can't keep up with the routines. This is perfect!

Who Wouldn't Want To Swim Like A Mermaid?

The 411:

What little girl doesn't love Mermaids? I have heard about a few boys who do too and now with the shark fin and sea monster tails at Sun Tail Mermaid this can be a reality for boys as well.

My daughter has seen the other little girls at the pool with their tails. She has always wanted to try one and now has her wish.  Mermaid Tails are not only beautiful but allow you to swim much faster than without them. They are easy to put on, comfortable to wear and when it is time to take off they come right. My daughter had no problem getting it on from the first time she used it. 

The monotail is important to the Mermaid Tail. Your ankles have full range of motion which is what allows the movement of the tail.  This is the piece that your feet will go in. It also is inside the bottom of your tail. It really is what allows you to do all the mermaiding that  you can do!  AND...they make them in adult sizes so don't let the kids have all the fun.

The Mermaid Tail we received came with the tail, a monofin and black bumpers. The mermaid tail fabric is very special but you have to imagine that the floor in most pools is non slippery which means it can be rough. The bumpers are to be placed on your monofin mermaid tail tips so that when you rub your tail against the bottom of the pool you won't damage the fabric. Believe me as someone who takes water aerobic classes in the summer I can tell you that scrapping the bottom of the pool hurts. I lost part of my toe nail this past summer just by rubbing against the bottom accidentally during a class.  Eventually you will learn how to safely swim and protect your tail without bumpers but until you do, it is nice that they include them.

You do not need to use the fabric over the monofin to swim like a mermaid but you do if you want to look like one and really why wouldn't you?

Has Snoring Become A Problem In Your House? It May Be More Than Just Annoying

The 411:

Over the past few years my husband has complained about my snoring. I never snored, it was always him. Now, he complains nightly. I heard myself once and it was not pretty. It actually woke me up. So, I was really happy to read this book to see if maybe there was a way I could get myself to stop. 

The book has made me make a ENT appointment so I can see if there is something else going on. 

Stop The Snore explained that most of the time snoring is because of issues with the mouth and or nose. I have a deviated septum, allergies, have gained weight and an overbite. All of these things can be contributing to me snoring problem. I want to make sure it is just this. BUT...I also know that many people can also have sleep apnea which can kill you. I made this ENT appointment as soon as I finished the book and next will be an appointment to my dentist because I had no idea that the placement of your jaw and your tongue could be contributing to your snoring. I want to see if maybe a mouth guard would help me with my jaw position while I sleep. 

I  found this book to be very helpful. I will update on all of this as I learn more.

I Don't Leave Home Without Man Vs. Wild Bear Grylls's Water Flask!

I never leave my house without my keys, cellphone and water. I am one of those people who is always thirsty. It probably has something to do with my deviated septum and post nasal drip. If I don't have water, I am annoyed. In fact I am taking a swig of water right now.

Over the years I have gone through many water bottles. This is my favorite and there are so many reasons why.

It is purple! This flask comes in 9 colors but look at this purple. This is the perfect survivalist flask, you can spot it anywhere. It will never go missing.

There is even a motivational message on top! Don't worry Bear, I will never give up!

It has yet to leak. Every single water bottle has leaked on me at one time or another. This is 2.5 weeks in and not a drop of my precious water escapes or wets my bag or pocket.


It is Stainless Steel inside and super easy to clean.

It is also 10 oz of liquid.

AND...it will keep my cold drink cold for 24 hours and my hot drink hot for 12 years. You cannot go wrong with that. 

It is truly a fabulous thermos, flask or water bottle. Whatever you want to call it. I have called it all of these.

Scratch And Grain Gave My Daughter Confidence To Try Baking

You can see on the back everything is easy to read and follow. Perfect for anyone intimidated by baking or beginners.

Once you open the box, you see all these filled packets of ingredients.

Each packet is numbered with the instruction on the back of the box. You know exactly which ingredient to use.

All we had to add were eggs and butter.

The surgical mask? Don't ask. I have no idea. She is crazy.

She did a great job and was so proud of herself. Her brother said they really are the best cookies he ever ate.

 

The were pretty amazing.

The next kit she tackled was the Honey Cornbread Kit

She asked if baking other things was as easy as this. I told her no but that she should be proud and that she was doing a great job. It is really a matter of following directions and Scratch and Grain makes it really easy by measuring everything for you.

When we took the cornbread out of the oven she pointed at it and said proudly, "I made that people!"
I has gained so much confidence with just 2 kits. I can't wait for her to make the pumpkin bar kit. I love pumpkin.

Skee-Ball, The Original Family Friendly Game Leaps onto your Smartphone!

After 100 Years and 40 Billion Quarters, America’s Favorite Alley Roller Game Goes Digital Across All Major Platforms!

Skee-Ball Makes The Leap From Arcade to Smartphone with Launch of New Premium App, Debuting November 2017 on iOS and Google Play

The 411:

My kids and I love Skee-Ball. We compete against each other and love that the game has some different options like scoring circles (hit the 30 3 times and get more tickets), there are also Magic Balls. It is a challenging game and we love the tilt feature. Sitting in the car waiting with the kids has become easier.  The only thing I don't like about it is that it resets every time I close the game. We are just a few tickets away from the next level but if we have to close the game and come back it is back at the beginning again. 

I hope to unlock the next level the next time I am sitting for a long period of time.

Great price and loads of fun.

Our Chocolatey After School Snack

After school my kids come home famished. I get it. School is hard and hey lunch was almost 3 hours ago. Sooooo during homework they like something. Just a little something to take the edge off and keep them at the table doing tons of homework before dinner. 

My kids are allergic to peanuts so tossing a PB&J at them doesn't work but sandwiches are so easy. Soo....in comes Nocciolata Dairy Free.

My daughter's favorite is a bagel with half Nocciolata and half Almond Butter.

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Super Blanky® The Blanket You Wear

The 411:

Adorable and soft and at a great price the Super Blanky is adorable and even kids at 12 and 14 want to wear one at least in my house. They fought over who would do this review.

We love that it comes with an easy to wear mask and that you wear the blanket by placing your arms in arm holes.  This is especially good for kids who are constantly kicking off their blanket like the kids in my preschool class. I am constantly putting their nap blankets around their shoulders while they sleep. 

We love that it also comes with a To: From tag on it. Perfect for gift giving. 

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