Painting Lulu 3-in-1 Activity Book & Stylus Crayon #review

Product: Meet Lulu Activity Book, Stylus Crayon, and Painting Lulu App
Company/Creator: FlyCatcher Ltd
Where to Buy: Amazon,
Connect: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Recommend?: Yes











Miss O is a big technology fan. She loves to play on the computer, her tablet, or her LeapPad2. I don't typically let her play on my phone since she got her own Android tablet, the the (free from Amazon, Appstore, or Play store) Painting Lulu app wasn't compatible with hers, so we did download it onto my phone to try it. I believe it's because her tablet only has a front facing camera.
**Note: I mentioned this on Twitter and they got back to me right away saying they would look into it.

Anywho, she was so excited that she got something in the mail just for her to test!

I love that the book is based on recycling, and all the characters are recyclables or tools for recycling. The paper it is printed on is even 100% recycled.

"Is that can recycling herself?"

It can be used like any average coloring book. Each page also has a QR code that can be scanned and will open a blank coloring page. With the Painting Lulu app you can also take a picture of the image and continue coloring it with the app. You can purchase digital copies of the two additional coloring books through the app, or purchase a print copy which has a code for the digital version as well.

Since we couldn't get the Painting Lulu app on her tablet, we tried using the stylus with other coloring apps, as well as other apps. The crayon stylus seems easier for her to use than a regular stylus.  We did have some issue with her pressing to hard and the tip inverting. Wasn't really a big deal though. Overall, she loves it and I would absolutely recommend it for kids that like to color!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Charlie the Cavalier Printable #Review

Product: Charlie the Cavalier Dancing Image
Company/Creator: Charlie the Cavalier
Type of Product: Printable Decoration
Where to Buy: Etsy
Connect: Website, Facebook
Recommend?: Yes

Earlier this month I reviewed Charlie the Cavalier Begs for Attention, which is now available in print format. I've also been given the opportunity to print out an illustration of Charlie the Cavalier, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, for my girls' room.




The artwork is cute, and the image received is great quality to print as an 8x10. The price isn't bad. This is kind of a tough review because I'm not sure what else to say about it, haha. It's a nice addition to the book if you use that with your children, great reminder that Charlie is with their long distance loved one. It could also be cute on its own, though.

Check out this image and other in the Charlie the Cavalier Etsy shop!

::: Copyright Information :::

All of the materials received in your purchase are copyrighted by Lisa Rusczyk and Magdalena Takáčová, all rights reserved. For personal use only. These files are for personal use only. The files or designs cannot be shared or used commercially or resold for profit. Marley Design retains all rights.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Creativia Books #Review & #Giveaway (Sapphyre)

Title: Sapphyre
Series: Runestar Chronicles
Author: Jason Komito
Genre: Fantasy
Price: $6.99 on Amazon
Connect: Creativia: Facebook, Twitter, Website
                Jason Komito: Facebook, Twitter, Website
Recommend?: Maybe....

Creativia was founded by Miika Hannila in 2012 to "find great, authentic and unique stories and publish them with the quality they deserve."

I was given the opportunity to choose a Creativia book to review. My preferred genre is fantasy and sci fi, so after briefly looking those over I chose Sapphyre.

This book is written in present tense which may put off some readers, it really doesn't bother me. It could use some polishing in other respects though. Such as early in the book the main characters features changed...and no one acknowledged it. That was rather strange.  Other parts just sort of lack flow. I really like the character Sapphyre, though, and the concept of the story.

Are you an indie writer? Get your book published with Creativia here!

Creativia has offered 1 Book in PDF, ePub or Kindle format to one of my readers. There are multiple genres to choose from, your bound to find something that interests you! Enter below for your chance to win!

Entry-Form

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Menu Plan Monday July 21

Well, summer reading program at the library is over...so I'm not sure what we'll be doing until story time starts again. Anyway...I don't know, nothing happened this week. On with the eats! I'm feeling like sandwiches and salads with this hot weather...

I try to keep it pretty Clean.

On the Menu this week:

• Cobb Salad
• Chicken nuggets + veggie fries
• Soft tacos/wraps 
• Chicken (&cheese for some) BLT
• Burgers (turkey & beef)
• Fruit salad for snacks

If there are new recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.
And then I will move them here with my commentary after I've tried them.
See more MPM at OrgJunkie

Vegetarian Quick & Easy - Under 15 Minutes Review

Title: Vegetarian Quick & Easy -
Under 15 Minutes
Author: Jonathan Vine
Genre: Cookbook - Vegetarian
Price: $3.50 on Amazon
Recommend?: Yes








Note, I am not nor do I intend to ever be a vegetarian. However, my kids and I aren't huge meat eaters. I tend to appreciate vegetarian dishes for their flavor and variety. Sometimes we add a little meat to them. Anyway, back to the book. I think this would be a great resource for a newbie vegetarian.

Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

There are four sections in the book with recipes for busy mums, romantic meals, recipes that even kids can make and recipes for parties.. All sound very promising. Unfortunately for my little, quite a few of them have cheese, so we were a bit limited. Of the things that were left, several I have done before in a slightly different way, but didn't really think about. I found the introductions to the recipes a bit repetitive, but that's not terribly important anyway. The food is what matters, right?

Guacamole Bites

The recipes live up to the name...very quick and simple. Not a lot of prep or cleanup. Probably not my first choice, but good for a last minute forgot-about-dinner night.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Menu Plan Monday week of July 14

Slacking, slacking, slacking! I'll get caught up and post more eventually... I haven't done our preschool post, but I meant to. I may just save it and do it all in one this weekend.  Trying to get caught up on crochet as well. I'm such a procrastinator. This week I'm trying a few recipes from a cookbook I am reviewing. I'll save my thoughts on it so far for that post.

I try to keep it pretty Clean.

On the Menu this week:

• Fried rice with tomato
• Guacamole bites
• Tomato and basil sauce pasta
• Roasted bell pepper soup
• Chicken broccoli casserole

If there are new recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.
And then I will move them here with my commentary after I've tried them.
See more MPM at OrgJunkie

Mashed Potatoes

I love mashed potatoes. I typically load them up with butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and/or cheddar. Sometimes I use ranch! So yummy. I made mashed potatoes for the first time since we started to lose the dairy.

Dairy free mashed potatoes.

Dairy. 

Free. 

Mashed potatoes.

It was....difficult to say the least. I used coconut milk, and while it is creamy, it doesn't make up for the loss in richness. I'm going to have to look for tips here....sigh. Help?!

REVIEW: Charlie the Cavalier

Charlie the Cavalier Begs for Attentions is a book for ages 2-6 that helps them cope with long distance. It was written by Lisa Rusczyk and Illustrated by Magdalena Takáčová.

Being Separated From Loved Ones Is Difficult for Children and Adults

Every child need to be left by a loved one at one time for another, no matter how much the loved one wants to be with their child.  When people are separated by space, children want to know that there family member loves them and will be there for them.  They may try to video chat with their loved ones but not be able to get the attention of small children.  Charlie the Cavalier teaches children that their loved ones are safe and allows them to interact with loved one though being entertained while skyping.


Charlie the Cavalier Begs for Attention gets kids excited to interact by teaching families how to sing, whistle, dance, play games, and more while video chatting.The Charlie the Cavalier puppet started with a little girl who did not want to Skype with her family members that did not live close to home.  She wanted to interact but there was nothing that sparked her interest.


Now the Charlie the Cavalier puppet and book brings friends, families, and little ones together to interact while they may not be in the same physical location.
Meet the Creators

Lisa Rusczyk- Founder
Lisa Rusczyk has been a software trainer, mulitmedia technican, and instructional designer in the past. But she is now a stay at home Mom.
Lisa is currently earning a doctorate from the University of Phoenix in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Teaching and Learning. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia but now lives in Lock Haven, PA.
Magdalena Takáčová- Illustrator
Magdalena is from The Czech Republic.  She comes from an artistic family. Magdalena amazing illustrations and love of animals makes her a perfect fit for this project.  In her free times she organizes art-workshops for local kids.

The book explains how sometimes family or friends are far away, but they will be back. With the help of a free printable puppet, the book assures children that Charlie is keeping their loved one safe while they are away. Print it out on heavy cardstock or attach to a paper bag for best result. I think the puppet would be cute for the other party to take on "adventures" and take a snapshot together.

At this point, my 4 year old wasn't that interested, though she does often talk about our friends that live far away. It may just be that it was an ebook. The author IS planning to release it in print soon, however. I do really like the concept, the artwork is cute, the rhymes are ok, and the inclusion of the familiar Twinkle Twinkle and ABCs is great.

You can purchase your own copy of Charlie the Cavalier begs for attention on Amazon for $2.99, and don't forget the free printable is available on the website!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Menu Plan Monday Week of July 7

This will be almost-dairy-free week 3. It's...difficult..but we're making it work! I may have ate half a pound of mozzarella by myself last night. Don't judge me.

Hope you had a great Independence Day, reader. We went to some fireworks. Miss Em was not impressed. 

I'm gonna do things a little differently this week. Just a list of meals, rather than an assigned day. That's really how it ends up anyway, just works better for me. 

I try to keep it pretty Clean.

On the Menu this week:

• Found some sirloin in the freezer. Will do something with that..maybe with the kale/spinach I have left as well?
• Cottage pie
• Pizza Chicken
• Breakfast
• Asian noodle bowl

If there are new recipes for the week, I will have them pinned here.
And then I will move them here with my commentary after I've tried them.
See more MPM at OrgJunkie

Finding new Doctors...avoiding crises

I received a letter in the mail about change to our insurance options. Fine, whatever. Figure I'll just pick whichever one and move on.

Or not.

I log on to choose one. The girls' doctor is not showing up. Ok, maybe it's because she's not taking new patients. I should be able to call and let the insurance know we're already her patients, right?

"Would you like me to search for another doctor?" the lady asks.

What? No, I want my doctor. I don't want  a new one that I might not like as much. Minor panic. I say I'll research and decide another time. Narrowed it down to three options and was going to call them with a list of questions.

But first...guess I should call and cancel Miss Em's next appointment and see what my doctor thought of my options. Shortly realized that this should have been the first call I made. The receptionist assured me they would be accepting one of my insurance options soon and I should call back to get the number for my insurance. I still need to do that. Slacker.

Still, it got me thinking. With Miss O I got really, really lucky...I hadn't really considered my parenting "style" at that point. I based my choice of doctor on my insurance provider and how close it was. We ended up with a really great doctor. She's easy going and willing to work with me when I want to change things up.

Knowing where I fit now, somewhere on the looser end of attachment parenting, this is what I would ask a new doctor (of course there may be follow ups based on answers):

• Are you supportive of families that cosleep?
• What would you recommend for babies that cry when put to bed at night? Toddlers that wake at night?
• How do you recommend dealing with a tantrum?
• What are your thoughts on babywearing?
• Do you feel babies should be fed/sleep on a schedule? Wean by a certain time?
• How do you feel about alternative medicine?
• Are you supportive of families that choose to delay or not vaccinate?
• Do you have separate sick and well waiting rooms?
• What is the scheduled time length between appointments?
• How long do patients typically wait?
• How long do you typically spend in the exam room?

What questions did/would you have for your new doctor?

REVIEW: Grazia® Silicone 24 Cup MINI Muffin Pan Review

I love silicone bakeware. I have several I got on the cheap from a sketchy company years ago. The company is no longer in business...

Wasn't a great plan, I know, but $1 bakeware is hard to pass up!

I digress.

Grazia's silicone mini muffin pan is made with 100% food grade silicone and heat resistant up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It is safe for both oven and freezer use. Silicone is safer than Teflon coating and won't rust like an aluminum pan, and you don't have to use all those paper liners!

I always put my silicone bakeware on a cookie sheet, for stability and in case of spills or bubbling over. It's great because it's so easy to pop the food out. If it does happen to stick, especially with a muffin pan, you can just push on it from the bottom!

Aslo really easy to clean as everything pretty well just wipes off. I wouldn't use anything abrasive on it and use a gentle soap. (side note - the Grazia pan will have a plastic-y taste if you don't pre-wash it a couple times.) You can fold it up for storage if you need to!

I did have a little sticking. Nothing major. Mostly the white -- not sure if it was because of the slight texture difference or from being in the middle.

I didn't get a chance to be creative with it yet. I made a pinterest board with some ideas for later, though! So many great options from breakfast to dinner to dessert. Even smoothies!

 You can purchase your own Grazia Silicone Muffin pan on Amazon for $19.88. It's not the cheapest, but silicone will last you a long time and Grazia offers a lifetime guarantee on their products.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

REVIEW: Adovia Dead Sea Salt Soap

Adovia is a unique skin care line, combining natural ingredients with modern science to formulate an effective blend of minerals and the finest herbal ingredients nature has to offer. The vital nutrients, anti-oxidants and minerals present in Adovia products are responsibly gathered at the place closest to the soul of Mother Earth - The Dead Sea.

This Dead Sea Salt Soap is my third Adovia product. I really do enjoy them and this soap has a better ingredient list than the shampoo and conditioner. There are no parabens or harsh chemicals. The scent is made up of "natural extracts", which I would prefer to be more specific.

 Item description:

- Infused with 100% Pure Dead Sea Salts from the Dead Sea
- Dead Sea Salt Contains over 21 Minerals Key to Skin Health and Beauty
- Deeply Moisturizing and Hydrating Soap great for Dry and Normal to Dry Skin
- Dead Sea Minerals Essential to Skin Function Contained in the Soap Include Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc and More.
- Great Value and Benefits for A Daily Moisturizing Facial Cleanser

The soap smells like you would expect a soap to smell and isn't overly strong. It's not my favorite scent, but it's not unpleasant. Because of the lack of chemicals, there's not a lot of lather. If you use more natural soaps that's something you'd be used to. It leaves skin feeling smooth and clean. No grittiness from the salt, though it seems to do its job. Great exfoliation for dry skin.


It's a little bit pricey for a bar of soap, running at $18 on Amazon for 4.4oz, but if you have eczema or dry skin and haven't been able to find something to work for you, it may be a good option.
It is also available at Adovia's website for $11.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.