Tips to Start Selling Your Crafts Online

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Crafting can be a fun hobby, but if you do it a lot, the cost of materials can get pretty expensive. A good way to recoup some of the costs of yarn or paint or pottery clay, and potentially even start your own business, is to sell your crafts online.

Parenting Hacks for Road Trips

Are we there yet? How much longer? When will we get there?

These questions. I’ve heard them. Over and over again. I’m not alone. Every parent out there that has attempted a cross country trip has faced these questions.

Necessities for an enjoyable road trip are: games, books, snacks, and exercise. Also, if you can’t avoid traveling during the months with the most traffic, at least use an app like Waze to avoid construction zones and rush hour pileups. 

Below are some hacks every parent should have up their sleeve to keep their kids (and everyone else) happy on road trips. 

The Restoration Series: Jonathon's Walk

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Do you have a connection with someone in prison? I imagine, whether we realize it or not, we all know someone who is in or who has been in prison. My great uncle was in prison...though I don't know any other details than that. The closest I have ever come to prison was when we sent our dog to the local prison for their dog training program. When I went to pick our dog up, I had to walk through several gates with razor wire, and check in. I watched as the prisoner who trained our dog showed us his new tricks. The program they have there rehabilitates dogs from shelters so they can be adopted and also trains dogs for families. Through this program, I came to have a slightly better appreciation for the men and women who do this program...who spend their days making the lives of those dogs better.

 Jonathon's Walk is a series that goes live today. It shows us how he has spent 15 years in prison from a mistake made at age 18. Through the series, we see how his family has had to carry on without him, and how they will have to reintegrate as a family after being apart for so long.The odds are stacked against him because over half of America's prisoners who get released end up back in prison. He has gone through a program called The Academy to help him reintegrate into life outside of prison walls.

The Restoration Series: Jonathon's Walk is a five part documentary. If you would like to watch this series or send the link to someone that might be touched by it, check it out and sign up to watch it at this link. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

"The Star" releases tomorrow (11/17/17)

Disclosure: In exchange for this post, I will be given movie tickets. However, all opinions expressed are my own. 

If you are looking for a family friendly movie to go see during Thanksgiving break, or any time during this holiday season, definitely look into "The Star"! If you haven't heard of this film yet, check out this trailer:

Simple Eating for Toddlers on the Go

I am a huge fan of simple, portable snacks to keep in my diaper bag for my 2 year old. It never fails that when we are out and about, she suddenly says "Mommy, I'm hungwy!" For this reason, I love the pouch foods that are so popular right now. If you go down the baby food aisle, or even the canned fruit aisle, you can see a variety of pouch foods with twist lids available.

Needless to say, I was more than happy when I got the chance to try out the Go & Grow by Similac pouches (This post was developed in partnership with Similac. All opinions are my own.). When I went to buy them at my local Walmart, I found out that they don't carry them, so I ordered them on walmart.com and had it shipped to my local store for free. It took 5-6 days, then I got the text saying I could pick them up. 

How to Survive a New York City Trip with the Kids

With all its office towers, street canyons, and traffic, Manhattan may seem like a foreboding place to take your kids. That is hardly the case. Hidden within the vast skyline, highlighting the headquarters of big corporations to the homes of billionaires, are many kid-friendly attractions and activities. You can keep your children endlessly entertained in The Big Apple.

Here is a list of child-friendly things to do, but keep in mind this is not an exhaustive one.

Flavor Your Life with EVOO

We all know how important oils are in cooking. A few years ago, I started using olive oil in much of my cooking from the non-stick spray I use on my pans, to replacing vegetable or canola oil in certain recipes. However, it wasn't until I became involved in the Flavor Your Life campaign, that I learned about the quality required of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO).
(Disclosure: I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.”)

As part of this campaign I was asked to cook something with EVOO. I've used olive oil a lot in my stove-top recipes, so I decided to try EVOO in a baked product...specifically Honey Lemon Olive Oil Muffins. I found the recipe at Pinch My Salt. Having never used olive oil in my baked goods before, I was worried that the olive oil would have too strong of a flavor, but my husband and I both agreed that these muffins were phenomenal! They were moist, and the flavor was perfect.

Help Little Ones Feel Better with ClearPop (Giveaway! Ends 4/10/17)

Growing up I was one of those kids who had regular ear infections. I think I had at least one each winter and it was debilitating! One year I slept through my brother's birthday party due to an ear infection. When my family went to Australia, I spent a good portion of the trip in pain from an ear infection. Apparently I never really outgrew them, because I even had one two years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter! Needless to say, I am well aware of the pain, discomfort and overall misery that ear infections inflict on kids.

Thankfully, my kids have never been prone to ear infections...they've had maybe one or two in my 10 years of parenting. But, if they ever do have one (or if I have another!), I know exactly what I will be reaching for to ease their pain...ClearPop! I can't even express how much I wish these had been around when I was little.

"The Angel of Forest Hill" review

The story line in Cindy Woodsmall's Christmas romance book was so unique and intriguing that I couldn't put this book down. I finished it within two days and loved every bit of it. While this book is fiction, I felt as though I was getting a glimpse into the less-perfect aspects of Old-Order Amish life. In this book, a bereaved Amish widower asks a complete stranger to marry him so that she could live in his home and help care for his three young children. Over time their relationship evolves from that of a "business" proposition to friendship and beyond. 

Even though Amish fiction is my favorite genre right now, the one complaint I have about it is that it's hard to keep track of names, places, etc because many Amish names are the same or very similar. I tend to get story lines mixed up and it takes me a while to get fully into an Amish fiction book because I'm just trying to keep up and keep track of what's happening. "The Angel of Forest Hill" was not the case!


"The Angel of Forest Hill" is a well-written, clean story of love, healing and family. Anyone who has read Cindy Woodsmall before will love this new book, and it is perfect for the Christmas season.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

To learn more about this book, visit Waterbrook.

"Where Jesus Slept" review & giveaway (ends 11/21/16)

I know, I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I wanted to share this cute book with you so whoever wins the giveaway can get their book in time for their little ones to enjoy during the Christmas season. "Where Jesus Slept" by Norma Lewis, and illustrated by Katy Hudson is a fun little book with a cadence that reminds me of the book "This is the House that Jack Built" where each page builds on the previous one.

"The Book of Heroes", "The Book of Heroines" review & giveaway (ends 11/9/16)

My 9 year old is an avid book reader. He will often finish books from the library within a day or two and seems to just consume them. When "The Book of Heroes" and "The Book of Heroines" showed up at our door, I knew he would love them! I showed them to him when he got home from school and I don't think he set those books down for the rest of the day.

He took them to his brother's soccer game that night, and to school the next morning. Suddenly I was hearing random facts about amazing people while he read through the books. Basically, they were a hit here! I got to explain to my son what a heroine is, and it gave him the opportunity to realize that heroes and heroines can be anyone, from a kid, to a dog, to a woman or man. These aren't people with super powers, just people who did amazing things.

"Baby, Baby!" Review & Giveaway! (Ends 9/29/16)

Disclosure: Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

My 2 year old LOVES books! She can sit and look at books for ages every day, so I was excited for the chance to get a new book for her to read and add to our collection. As soon as Baby, Baby! arrived, she insisted on reading it.

We read it again today repeatedly, and though she's not a baby anymore, she is certainly fascinated by them. She loved pointing out all the objects in the book and had fun with the mirror at the end. I like that the end of the book is a reminder of God's love for everyone, especially our children.

Pirate or Princess?! Giveaway! (ends 9/8/16)

You guys, The Swan Princess: Princess Tomorrow, Pirate Today is coming out on DVD on September 6th! It's produced by Sony Home Entertainment, and it involves young Princess Alise who is fighting the chance to become a princess because she would rather be a  pirate. With my daughter loving dinosaurs as much as she loves baby dolls, this sounds like the perfect story for her.

Check out the app below and take the quiz to find out if you're a pirate or a princess and enter in the Rafflecopter form at the bottom for a chance to win this movie.

"Would a Worm Go On a Walk?" review & giveaway (ends 7/5/16)

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My kids love books! We frequent the public library, and our bookshelves are stocked with a variety of books that all of my kids love. When I had the chance to review "Would a Worm Go on a Walk?" by Hannah C. Hall, I knew my kids would enjoy this book too.

Help Baby Faster with NeilMed Naspira Aspirator

Disclosure: I received products from Moms Meet in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

 My daughter is almost two, and she has been very blessed to rarely be sick. My 7 year old always had a stuffy nose and I remember frequently having to suction his nose out so he could have a little bit of relief. When I first heard about aspirators that use suction from someone's mouth, I was honestly grossed out, but I've heard so many moms say how much they love these products, so I was excited to try out the NeilMed Naspira Aspirator!

Room for Hope book review

I'm at the stage of life where I don't feel like I have the time to sit down and read...during the day, my toddler insists that I would much rather read board books, and by the time she's in bed, I'm too exhausted to want to read. However, once I started reading Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer, I really enjoyed it! (I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.)

Sawyer's writing style is relaxed, and doesn't have an overly complex plot. When I sit down to read, I want to relax and not have to process what I'm reading too much. Maybe it sounds silly, but I just don't want to think too hard. Anyhow, I loved the main character Neva and learned a lot from her in ways I can improve my own life in order to become a better person. This is a Christian fictional book and refers to Christianity with regularity, but is relates easily to many Christian sects.

All-in-all, I fell more in love with the characters as I got further into the book and was even thrown for a loop at one of the plot twists. I love that there were no swear words or risque scenes in this book and recommend it to anyone who loves religious fiction books. It is a beautiful story about finding love and hope despite the challenges life throws at you.

A Sponsored Holiday

Disclosure: I was provided with samples to give away to other moms and compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year with the holidays and the excitement in the air. It is also one of the most stressful times of the year for moms. From school programs, to holiday parties, to traveling plans and gift shopping. It can be exhausting.

Take Care of Your Loved Ones with Cardinal Health

Cardinal Health sent me this product to try, and donated to a charity of my choice.

A few years ago, my oldest (K) had a tonsillectomy. I hired a sitter to sit with my younger son at home, so I could wait at the hospital without worrying or chasing him. It was a routine procedure and everything went well. When I was able to see K, he was groggy and grumpy, and would not let me leave his side. I had to sit in the wheelchair and hold him on my lap so the nurse could wheel us to the exit because he would not let me go! He was miserable from the pain and discomfort. 

Keep Baby Close with Björn

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own.

When my daughter was a newborn, she did not want to stay in her car seat carrier when I went shopping! The only way I could get my errands done was by putting her in my Björn front carrier. When she was in that carrier, she would snuggle up to my chest and sleep soundly for the whole shopping trip. I got lots of comments on how content she was, and I got a lot of shopping done. It was wonderful because I still had my hands free to grab things off the shelf, but she was close and secure. I knew she was breathing because I could feel it against my chest and I loved that I could bend my head down and kiss the top of her head.

Back to School with Febreze & a giveaway! (Ends 8/31/15)

Back to School is coming fast, and I'm teaming up with Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator to offer a back to school giveaway.
 
One winner will take home a $100 Walmart gift card, $50 Dicks Sporting Goods gift card plus Febreze In-Wash Odor Eliminator to help you expel the smell.