Five Minute Friday

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Every week Lisa-Jo invites everyone to join her in writing for 5 minutes total. No editing. No over-thinking. Just raw thoughts.

This weeks prompt: Song

I’ve had an unusually anxious week (this why I’ve been a little absent). I’ve had a song that I’ve been singing everyday. All. Day. It’s been helping quite a bit. I’ve only been singing one verse. I can’t remember the rest. Ha.

my hope is in you Lord
My strength is in you Lord
My life is in you Lord
It’s in you
It’s in you

I’ve been interchanging the words strength, life, and hope, for anything that I need to at that moment.

I just belt it out as loud as I can. The kids are used to me singing LOUD. And silly too.

Try it ☺

Five Minute Friday

Waterproof Bible Review

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Waterproof Bible

 

MR disclosure

As part of the Mosaic Reviews Team I was able to review the Waterproof Bible.

The Details:

  • This amazing Bible is completely waterproof
  • Rip proof
  • Durable!
  • Can be written in (ball point pen, pencil, or dry highlighter)
  • Multiple designs
  • Customizable
  • Multiple versions
  • Pricing available monthly or yearly and for one or more children

 

Our Experience:

I must say I was a little hesitant to test this out. We did though, and it was fun.

First we tried some smoothie (thanks Mom!) by dripping some on a page, letting it sit, and trying to rub it in. NOTHING happened. It just wiped right off. NOT one single pigment was left on the page. The page wasn’t ruined, the ink wasn’t smudged. I was extremely impressed.

Then I tried to rip the page (uhh..this was so hard to do! I felt like I was going to be in so much trouble! haha), it just dented a little. I can’t even find the page I tried to do this one. Seriously, every little kid needs this Bible.

The third and last thing we tried was putting the Bible in a bucket of water. We dunked it, opened it in the water, splashed with it, everything you can imagine! The kids had a BLAST doing this one and as you can see, not a thing is wrong with this Bible now! It’s absolutely amazing.

Waterproof Bible2

Waterproof Bible3

This Bible now stays in my purse and goes everywhere with us. I love being able to have it all the time and not worry about something happening and it being ruined.

I think this would be an awesome gift for anyone, young or old. (*hint hint* Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Pastor Appreciation Day) My Grandfather is a Preacher and he would love this! Do you know how much easier it would be for him to take the Bible in the water with him and just lay it down on the water next to him, when baptizing someone?!

Go HERE to check them out.

Sambazon Juice Review and Giveaway!!

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Disclaimer: I received this product for free from
the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May
Media Group LLC, who received it directly from
the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I
agreed to use this product and post my opinion
on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or
the manufacturer of the product.

I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to try Sambazon juices and smoothies! Being a Moms Meet Blogger ROCKS!

Sambazon products are made with premium quality whole food Amazon plants and fruits. All Sambazon juices are NON-GMO, USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free, and provide whole food nutrition. They are also Fair-Trade Certified! This is such an awesome company!

sambazon-logo

There are 10 different options when looking for a Sambazon juice or smoothie. They taste delicious! The kids even love them. There are personal size bottles and family size bottles. I love having one in the morning with my breakfast. I also use them to put my vitamins in (I have powder vitamins).

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We tried the Acai Original, Mocha Java, Breakfast Blend, and the Chocolate protein. The juice isn’t like regular juice, they have a lot of texture and flavor. They all tasted wonderful, I personally don’t like the ones with soy milk, as I don’t like to drink soy often. I can’t wait to try more flavors. We will definitely continue buying Sambazon products.

You can find these and other Sambazon products at local grocery stores. Check HERE before you go shopping.

sambazon

I’m excited to let you know that I also get to have a giveaway! YAY! Winner will receive three free product vouchers, plus a wooden bowl and spoon valued at
$45. Contest open to U.S. Residents only. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ooka Island Review

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MR disclosure 

 

As part of the Mosaic Reviews Team I was able to review Ooka Island.

Ooka Island is a reading adventure game for Pre-K to 2nd grade. It is aligned with Common Core State Standards.

 

The Details:

  • It teaches Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Comprehension, Fluency, and Vocabulary.
  • There are 3 editions. Home, School, and Homeschool.
  • There are printables that go along with the game.
  • Your child gets to design their own avatar.
  • Your child will move up in the game and open new games as they get better.
  • A downloadable game.
  • Keeps your child focused and entertained with bright colors and lovable characters.
  • Was actually called Booka Island but the children in the trials dropped the B and called it Ooka and it stuck.
  • Parent portal where you can see how they are doing.
  • Pricing available monthly or yearly and for one or more children.

 Ooka Collage

Our Experience:

We absolutely LOVE Ooka Island around here. Princess asks to play everyday, and I truly don’t mind letting her. I can see such an improvement in her skills in the short amount of time we have had the game. ( we had some issues and got ours a little late). Her recognition of letters and phonics, are so much better after playing the game for just 30 minutes a day a few times a week. There are a few areas she has trouble with in the game, like the rock climbing part. WonderBoy even loves it. He will sit next to Princess and say all the letter sounds that he is hearing. I think we are going to continue with this program.

 

Click HERE to get 30% OFF until June 1st, 2013!

 

Check back on Monday, May 13, 2013 for a link to the Mosaic Reviews page listing all of the Ooka Island reviews from the team.

Five Minute Friday ~ Brave

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Every week Lisa-Jo invites everyone to join her in writing for 5 minutes total. No editing. No over-thinking. Just raw thoughts.

This weeks prompt: Brave

He sits there. Quiet. Worn. Strong. Brave. Soft. Loving.

If you ask him how old he is his answer is “pushing 90″. He’s proud and loves to say it.

I’ve often wondered what he thinks about. If the days of WWII and the Korean war are constantly in the forefront of his mind. If it brings sadness or anger into his life. Or if it brings a feeling of pride, the thoughts of being a Marine. Does he remember faces of those he fought against or those he helped? Does he remember his soldier buddies and their families? Or does he wish he could forget it all?

I’ve only heard him talk of war, maybe once or twice.

He fought for me. My babies. He fought for YOU. He fought for our freedom. BRAVE in every sense of the word. My grandfather, Marine.

Thank you to all of you who fight for our country and our freedoms. Thank you wives, children, and parents who stand beside them. Thank you.

Five Minute Friday

I’m also linking up with Fellowship Fridays today!

http://christianmommyblogger.com

It’s That Simple

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This post isn’t written pretty and I don’t mind. It’s just me. It’s real and I need to get it out. I need my kids to know that mom went through this. Especially when they start having babies. I want other women to know they aren’t the only ones.

It’s not easy. Going through postpartum anxiety and grief at the same time. I don’t know which one is which half the time.

It sucks. It’s that simple.

I don’t have all the answers on how to fix it, or even deal with it.

I know what helps me most of the time. Reading my bible, praying, Exercise, eating right, vitamins (regular but also added vitamins and supplements)…writing. Crying. < --- I'm not so good at that. I'm a stuffer. I stuff way down. I've always done it. I'm learning not to.

I've also been reading that low blood sugar can cause anxiety. I've always known that I need to eat every 2-3 hours or my blood sugar gets too low. Now I'll be making sure I have snacks with me at all times.

I know people think that because WonderBoy is 14 months, this postpartum anxiety shouldn't be happening. It is though. There is no timeframe for this stuff. Everyone is different. I've read that even mothers who adopt babies can have PPA/D. The crying of the babies triggers hormones in the mother. Interesting, no? Hormones. Those darn things.

6 stages of PPD/A (from postpartumprogress.com)
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
Post Traumatic Stress (worry that it will come back)

And grief..well it's grief. Does that really ever go away? I don't think so.

5 stages of grief
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

So I get to go through all of this...double. Nice.

Thankfully PPA and grief don't effect my everyday life, for the most part. I'm learning to handle things. Learning to talk and pray through. To share and open up because someone else might be able to relate.

This quote has also been a huge help since I found it.
"You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it" I know that my strength isn't always my own but God's.

How do you cope with anxiety and/or grief?


No I’m not a doctor. Yes I know everyone is different and some need/want meds. I just prefer a holistic approach for myself when possible. It may not be enough or what some people need. We are all different in how we approach things. If you feel you need to talk to someone please do so, whether it be a friend, relative, or Dr.

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Woolzies: Replacing Dryer Sheets

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Woolzies Giveaway

Disclaimer: I received these items for free in exchange for my honest review. A positive review was not guaranteed.

My friends and family are probably sick of hearing me tell them how much I LOVE Woolzies Dryer Balls! So now I get to tell you and give them a break. haha.

I have wanted to make the switch to dryer balls for a while now. I hate all the junk that is in the dryer sheets now-a-days. So I jumped at the chance to review these. I know your going crazy waiting to read about them! Aren’t you?! Ok, so maybe I’m the only one who gets THIS excited over laundry care.

The Details

Woolzies Dryer Balls are 100% pure New Zealand Wool. Dryer balls act as a fabric softener, static cling reducer, and an energy saver! They cut drying time up to 25%! Woolzies last for 1,000 loads. So if you wash one load a day that’s about three years. Each box has 6, yes 6, dryer balls in it.

My Experience

I’m in love. Seriously. As soon as they came I opened the box and popped them in the dryer. I havent looked back since. My clothes are softer. Less static. Actually the only issue we have had since using these was with static was with Princess’s leotard. Less drying time. At first I was concerned about the noise they might create, but in all honesty, we don’t even notice them anymore. I say anymore because the frist load or two, I was focusing on the sound TRYING to hear them to see if they would be an issue. I would NOT be telling you all these things if they weren’t true. I’m a true believer and user of these and can’t imagine not having them.

The kids love finding them in the laundry while we are folding.It makes laundry fun! WonderBoy thinks they are his and doesn’t like to give them up, heehee.

They are a pretty fair price from what I have researched and I think they are well worth the money! Go HERE to buy your own or keep reading for your chance to win some. Then if you don’t win, you can buy some!

Now for the BEST part. You can win your own! Just enter the giveaway below and if you win you will receive a box of 6 woolzies on your doorstep!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saving Memories Forever

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As part of the Mosaic Reviews Team, I was given the opportunity to review Saving Memories Forever. Oh how I wish I had this a couple years ago.

Saving Memories Forever is a wonderful website and smartphone app. It lets you record stories and memories forever. It was created by a husband and wife, Harvey and Jane Baker, who, after building a family tree with their children, realized that something was missing. Then, saving Memories Forever was born.

Having the Saving Memories Forever app is like having a super audio recorder in your hand. It lets you specify who is telling the story (even add a photo for the storyteller). It even has questions and prompts if you need some help picking a topic. This app is truly amazing. Their website has a ton of fun questions to go through. They have a video to watch on how to use it and a breakdown of what you get with the free version and the paid version. The paid version is $3.99/month or $40.00/year. Honestly, I think it’s so worth it. To preserve such stories and your loved ones voices. I can’t even begin to explain how much I wish I had this a couple years ago.

We have used the app as a way to record fun things that have happened recently as well. Like the deer in our yard, my birthday, and even just chatting with Princess about her favorite things right now (although all her favorites probably changed the next day LOL). I plan to record some family recipes, voice mails, interviews with my kids, and oh so much more. The possibilities are endless. I love it!

Membership is FREE for all active military. That way they can record stories and such for their families to listen to. I love that they do this for those that are sacrificing so much for us

I would LOVE to see this be able to link to ancestry.com. That way, as your finding your family tree, you can link stories about each person to their ancestry.com profile. Oh how awesome that would be!!

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Five Minute Friday ~ Friend

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Every week Lisa-Jo invites everyone to join her in writing for 5 minutes total. No editing. No over-thinking. Just raw thoughts.

This weeks Prompt: Friend

I have been blessed with many friends. My closest being my hubby, my sister, my mom, and the wonderful lady scratch that…it makes me sound old…girlie. Wait that makes me sound too young….what do you call your best friend at 27??? (Uhmmm im 27?!! how did that happen??) Anyways, I’m writing about her today.

Today is my birthday. And just like very other Friday, my best friend and I met up with our kids (her oldest is in school though).

I crave this time all week. I love spending time with them. I love that the kids get to run around with each other, acting all crazy. It’s such a blessing to “get it all out” every Friday. We talk every day, Yet we can’t seem to stop talking when we finally see each other on Friday. Even if we saw each other 2 days before.

We have been friends for 21 years now….wow! We’ve had our ups and downs. But I know she’s always there.

I cherish my dear sweet friend

Ok so I went over 5 doing all the links and adding the photo…oops! LOL why are these so hard for me?!

Five Minute Friday

I’m also linking up with Fellowship Fridays today!
http://christianmommyblogger.com

You Made WHAT?! Banana Pancakes

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I’ve been watching this recipe bounce all over Pinterest lately. Every time I saw it, I became increasingly curious. A friend of mine made them and I quickly asked her opinion. I just HAD to try this recipe!

Well, today I made them. Banana Pancakes. You might be thinking “wait, banana pancakes?” “Why is she so excited about banana pancakes?”

Here is why. These aren’t your regular banana pancakes. There’s no flour, no dairy, and only 3 ingredients. Yes. 3 ingredients and one of them is even optional!

The recipe:
•1 medium banana
•1 large egg
•Cinnamon ( or some other spice) to taste (I’m not one for measuring)

•Mash banana
•Add egg and mix thoroughly
•Add some cinnamon (or nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice..whatever) do a quick stir
**Be heating your skillet while you do this part.

Now your ready to cook
•Spray your pan, add coconut oil, or whatever you do to make your food not stick to the pan
•Then add half of the mixture and cook
•Flip them over and cook other side
•Repeat as many times you need to get the desired amount of pancakes

I made 4 pancakes for me and the kids this morning (2 for me and 1 for each kid) which was 2 bananas and 2 eggs. For 1 serving (2 pancakes) it’s 175 calories. Not bad.

We enjoyed ours with some Greek yogurt. The kids put their yogurt on top. We all agree it was scrumptious!

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Have you ever made this? If not, are you to try them? If so, come back and let me know what you think! I love to hear your thoughts!