review – Page 11 – Chocolate 'N Children

August 24, 2015April 9, 2016

Homeschooling Mondays – My 4 Favorite Curriculums

Having been homeschooled myself I entered homeschooling my children having already formed some opinions about curriculums. So I like to pick and choose what subjects to do from what curriculum based on what my children need.

1. A Beka Book – This is the curriculum I used the most as a child. I really like their math. I tried saxon with my daughter for Kindergarten and First Grade and it just didn’t work well for us. We’re using A Beka this year and it’s going way better.

And I love their reading/literature. They have the kids reading many classic stories and lots of random chapters from classic children’s books (like Little House on the Prairie). This is great for expanding kid’s literary horizons and encouraging them to pick new books to read.

Their history, science, and english is equal to any other comparable homeschool curriculum provider but I tend to buy from them because I’m ordering math anyways so it’s easier to just place one order.

I really like their Bible curriculum but it’s very expensive because you have to purchase the entire kit to do it. So I’ve never actually purchased my Bible curriculum from them.

2. BJU press – I get my Bible curriculum from here. It works well for us and we’ll probably use it for a few more years. Once the kids are old enough to do more of a Bible study format I’ll be searching again for something that does more of this. BJU Press is great for teaching kids the basics of the Bible and the Bible stories.

I have also use their history and science and really like them as well. This year we’re using A Beka for science and history because they’re half the price of BJU Press.

Their reading/literature is acceptable but I don’t like it as well as A Beka’s. And their math and english are pretty much the same as every other homeschool curriculum.

Mostly the differences between A Beka Book and BJU Press are in how they present the information. Depending on how your child learns best you may find one curriculum easier to use than the other.

3. Hooked on Phonics – This is by far my favorite curriculum for teaching my children to read. Once they’re reading the A Beka or BJU Press readers are awesome. But for getting your child to read, I prefer Hooked on Phonics. I started with Kindergarten and about halfway through the First Grade set my child was reading well enough that she didn’t want to read them any more. We actually started First Grade Hooked on Phonics about halfway through her Kindergarten year and took a break for the summer. Over the summer she did a lot of reading and when we came back to the First Grade set to finish it the beginning of her First Grade year she was way beyond it. It had made learning to read easy and fun and with the dvds, books, stickers, and workbook there’s so many ways to teach reading it’s easy to find a method that works for your child.

My 4yr old desperately wants to learn to read this year so we’re working on the Pre-K Hooked on Phonics with her. Another month and we’ll start in on the Kindergarten set!

And they’re easily reusable for multiple children. So, buy one set, and use it for all your kids.

4. Saxon – Even though Saxon Math did not work well for my daughter, I have many homeschooling friends who just love it. My husband used it as a child and he liked it. So, the curriculum itself is great, it just was not the right method for my daughter.

Even if you’re not using their curriculum, the Saxon Math Manipulatives Kit is great for using with any math curriculum!

There’s a lot of great homeschool curriculums available and if something doesn’t work for you, try something else, and eventually you’ll find the perfect fit for you and your child!

This post does contain affiliate links and I do earn a small commission on any sales from those links.

August 19, 2015April 9, 2016

Seedybeads

So, I discovered this cute little Etsy shop the other day. Actually, I won a contest she had on facebook and she sent me two pieces of jewelry, that’s how I discovered it. But looking through her jewelry I found so many pieces that I like that I just had to share her shop.

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She sent me this awesome necklace – that I am hiding from my kids, because they tried to claim it the second they saw it.

And these earrings – which I don’t have to hide because I’m the only one who can wear them. Though, my 7yr old has also just decided that she’s ready to have her ears pierced. Not sure if that was because she just turned 7 or because she’s decided to start stealing earrings from me as well.

This Metal Kumihino bracelet is one of her newest items and it’s so sparkly and feminine.

I just love elephants and this Elephants in Time bracelet/watch is just adorable.

Plus it’s only $20 and if you use the discount code below you get a discount and free shipping!

My favorite item on her shop are these barefoot sandals. Perfect for a bride or bridesmaids for a wedding. I really wish I had these when I got married 10 years ago. I couldn’t wear shoes with a heel or my dress would have been the wrong length so I ended up wearing white bedroom slippers, because finding flat white shoes for a bride is impossible. No one actually saw my feet, but these would have been just perfect with a cute pedicure.

Check out Seedybeads here!

You can get 45% off and free shipping with code save45

If you want to keep up with her sales and new products you can follow her here on twitter or on pinterest.

August 5, 2015April 9, 2016

evian® Facial Spray Review

The exquisitely fine mist produced by evian® Brumisateur® penetrates and rehydrates the upper layers of the skin. evian® water has a unique mineral balance along with exceptional purity which suits all skin types, even the most sensitive. Leaves skin looking healthy and feeling refreshed. Dermatologically tested. The leak-proof canister is the ideal product to take on-the-go in any purse or travel bag. Unlike other water sprays, Evian Spray is sealed at the source, so it can not be contaminated.

At first I was somewhat skeptical about spraying water on my face during a workout but after trying it, I’m quite impressed. The sprayer provides a gentle spray of mineral water mist that is instantly refreshing and cooling.

And, as you can see, my yoga usually involves the kids climbing under me during all the warrior and lunge poses. They also enjoy climbing ON me during poses such as down dog or when I’m doing push-ups. Definitely adds to the challenge!

I enjoyed the rejuvenating spray of the mineral water even while the kids were “aiding” my exercise.

I also dropped this in my gym bag and took it to the gym with me, but pictures at my gym aren’t really encouraged so no pictures from there. It was awesome to have along there. When I got back to my locker after my yoga class I sprayed some on before picking up the kids to go swimming, so nice!

The instructions say you can dab any excess off after a few seconds but it soaks in pretty quickly so I haven’t had to do this. I guess my skin needs lots of hydration while I’m working out!

I also tried it while doing yard work. I set it next to my water bottle and whenever I went and got a drink of water I would use some evian Facial Spray at the same time. Worked great and made my yard-work breaks doubly refreshing.

For more information check out their website Evianspray.com or visit their facebook page.

I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

July 29, 2015April 9, 2016

Patterns of Evidence Exodus – Review and Giveaway

About Patterns of Evidence Exodus:

For more than 50 years, the vast majority of the world’s most prominent archaeologists and historians have proclaimed that there is no hard evidence to support the Exodus story found in the Bible. In fact, they say that the archaeological record is completely opposed to the Bible’s account. This view of extreme skepticism has spread from academia to the world. The case against the Exodus appears to be so strong that even some religious leaders are labeling this ancient account as historical fiction.

Filmmaker Timothy Mahoney begins with the questions, “Is the Bible just a myth, or did the archaeologists get it wrong?” He decides to tackle this issue wit a deliberate scientific approach. After examining the details in the biblical text, he journeys across the globe to search for patterns of evidence firsthand. The result is the most in-depth archaeological investigation into the Exodus from Egypt ever captured on film. This scientific documentary’s goal is to communicate the TRUTH of the Bible and help equip believers with defending their faith and the Bible.

The DVD features stunning animations and a cast including narrator, Kevin Sorbo (God’s Not Dead, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), interviews with leading archaeologists including Israel Finkelstein, Kent Weeks, and David Rohl, and guest appearances by Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres.

That’s a lot of text! Watch the trailer here and you can get all the info, with pictures.

For more information you can check out their official site here. Also you can check out interviews on their blog.

You can purchase the Patterns of Evidence DVD here.

My opinion:

I enjoyed watching this movie – I would have enjoyed it more if my kid’s hadn’t needed something every 2 minutes. This movie is fully kid-safe so I attempted to watch it with them. They were bored and got kinda noisy so I ended up pausing and finishing it after they went to bed.

Documentaries are always fun to watch, I enjoy hearing opinions and research and with it being Egypt, that just made it more interesting.

The videography was good and the opinions are well thought out and well articulated. It’s definitely an interesting take on when and how the Exodus event occurred. If you have questions about how archaeology and ancient history line up with the Exodus this is a must watch.

Entry -Form

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.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

July 15, 2015April 9, 2016

Gym Dandy Teeter Totter Product Review

Last fall we tried out this Gym Dandy Deluxe Teeter Totter at a friend’s house and just loved it. So, the beginning of spring I bought one for the kids.

I love the bright colors, it’s such a fun looking toy!

It’s easy for the kids (even the 2yr old) to climb on and climb off of.

And best of all, it’s extremely hard to tip over. I think it would take 2 adults intentionally trying to tip it over to actually tip it.

You can see the red base that makes it hard to tip. The yellow arms let the kids play without being able to tip too far. And the seats are comfortable and the handles are easy to grip.

We had some friends over the other day and at one point all 5 kids had piled on it without a problem – I don’t actually recommend using it with this many kids because there’s not quite enough room on the seats for 5. The seats can seat 4 kids total though if you have older kids who want to give younger kids a ride.

This has been one of my best toy purchases!

July 8, 2015April 9, 2016

Lashem 3-in-1 Bright Eye Give-Away + Review

Lashems 3-in-1 Eye Bright helps diminish dark circles and fine lines as it smooths the appearance of puffiness and wrinkles. This paragon free, hyperallogenic formula is PETA Certified Cruelty Free and helps to hydrate, nourish, and condition the delicate eye-area keeping you looking and feeling your best.

With 3 little kids running around, I’m pretty much always tired. So, I jumped at the chance to try and review a product that is supposed to help me look less tired.

Pros:

This product is easy to apply – I love the consistency, it’s easy to get it right where I want it.
It rubs in quickly – no one wants to be rubbing around their eye for too long
It has no scent – I’m not a big fan of scented facial products, so I love things that don’t smell
It dries well – as in, it’s not sticky after it dries. The eye bright seems sticky when I start rubbing it in, but after it’s rubbed in, my skin feels smooth with no sticky residue.
It lightens under my eye – It does help my eyes look less tired. It’s been a busy week with lots of traveling and having something that helped me look less tired was pretty awesome.
It’s in a cute bottle that’s easy to store

Cons:

The dispenser is hard to use – I’m always getting twice as much product as I can actually use at one time, the push down sticks a little so I get a lot or none.

All in all, I really like this product. It works well and it’s easy to apply.

This product is listed for $40 on their site here.

Not sure you want to buy it yet? Enter their giveaway here for a chance to win a free 3 in 1 Eye Bright.

I received this product free for purposes of my own. All opinions are my own.

June 24, 2015April 9, 2016

Etekcity Portable Outdoor Camping LED Lantern Flashlights Review

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There are so many things I liked about these lanterns.

1. They come in a pack of two – Very useful that is with multiple children, they each get one and everyone is happy.
2. They are very bright – much brighter than you might expect from a lantern this small. A small lantern with a lot of light is perfect!
3. They fold up small, and they’re light. So they’re super easy to just close up and toss in your bag for later use.
4. The handle is just right. The handle folds down as well so it’s not in the way when you’re storing the lantern and it’s big enough to easily carry the lantern when you need it.

The batteries are individually wrapped, so you need to unscrew the battery compartment on the bottom, unwrap them, and stick them back in for the lantern to work. This is good for shipping, but it took me a minute to figure it out when I first got the lanterns.

This is a great product and I’ll be using it a lot this summer.

I received this product free for purposes of my review, all opinions are my own.

June 17, 2015April 9, 2016

OZ Naturals Ancient Orient Rice Enzyme Dermafoliant – Review

OZ Naturals Face Scrub Exfoliant has bamboo, green tea extract, Vitamin B-5, lactic acid, and alpha lipoic acid. It’s goal is to remove dead skin cells and reduce fine lines and wrinkles while leaving your face with a healthy glow.

This product is a rough powder, that you dump out into your hand, mix with a little water, and then scrub your face with.

I found it rather interesting to use, I put some in my palm, mixed in a little water, and started scrubbing my face. I had to add water a couple of times since it dried pretty fast.

The Face Scrub Exfoliant scrubs really well – I was worried when I was scrubbing that it was too rough, but it did what it’s supposed to do so I think it was just fine. The directions say to let it sit for 5 minutes, but I’m impatient so I let mine site for about 3 minutes before rinsing it off.

When I rinsed the Face Scrub Exfoliant off my skin was soft and smooth. And it stayed soft throughout the next day. Using this every-other to every-third day would work great for me.

It has no smell, which I love. I’m not fond of using facial products that are very aromatic, so I was pleased to be using something that doesn’t have any added scents or dyes.

I enjoyed using this product and I love the soft and clear skin I got as a result of using this Exfoliant.

You can purchase it online at Amazon.

I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

June 10, 2015April 9, 2016

Adovia Exfoliating Body Scrub Review

I received this product free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

I received a container of Adovia Exfoliating Body Scrub with Dead Sea Salt and Natural Oils for review.

This Dead Sea Salt Scrub is an Exfoliator and Moisturizer. With dead sea salt and 21 minerals, this product is designed to exfoliate and moisturize your skin. You can use it in the shower or bath or just as a hand or foot scrub at your sink.

This product works great. I used it in the shower. It exfoliated well and was very moisturizing. I didn’t even have to use lotion after my shower!

It is a bit hard to get out of the container. It’s rather liquidy, so a small spoon would be helpful.

The only thing I didn’t love about this product is the scent. It has a perfume smell that I didn’t really enjoy. Fortunately, it doesn’t last long after your shower so it’s not a big deal, but I would like this product better in a different scent.

They sell this product on amazon. And free shipping is available.

Influenster Bella Vox Box Review

I just love my latest Influenster Bella Vox Box! So many great products!

EcoTools Complexion Collection Mattifying Finish Brush

This brush is so very soft! As in it’s so soft you almost don’t feel it. It also blends really well – which is what it’s supposed to do. It blends my finishing powder in without smearing any of my other makeup.

I love this brush! And it’s only $9 from Amazon, a great price for a terrific brush!

DOVE^® Fruit

When this product arrived it was melted, not just soft, melted. I don’t recommend shipping it to anyone any time soon since the weather is rather hot these days. I stuck it in the freezer and let it harden, then pulled out my tiny cheese chopping block and cheese knife and sliced it up. It was still very delicious! And the kids thought it was pretty awesome to slice and eat chocolate.

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Mascara created by Kate Moss

I was happy with this product. Rimmel Scandaleyes Idol Eyes Mascara by Kate Moss is also $9 on Amazon. I don’t wear mascara often because my eyes are sensitive to it for some reason. Happily, this mascara did not irritate my eyes. Horray! It does however bleed a tad more than I like so after wearing it for the evening when I get home there is some black under my eye. I don’t think it’s noticeable to anyone but me.

This mascara is easy to apply – the curved brush looks hard to use but it actually gives me a lot of flexibility so I can turn the brush which ever way I need to best apply my mascara. It also washes off pretty well – so no black eyes the next day!

This is the best mascara I’ve used in a long time and achieves 2 of my 3 mascara needs. 1. Does NOT irritate my eyes. 2. Washes off easily 3. Doesn’t bleed while wearing (it’s not too bad, but I do notice it)

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate

I love this lipstick! It’s such a great shade. Pink (Shade number 17) but still a bit muted so my lips aren’t neon! They have lots of great shades. I was sent a light pink. It adds color to my lips without being too bold.

This lipstick is also moisturizing and doesn’t dry out my lips. It stays on a long time. And it tastes ok. Seriously, there are some lipsticks I can stand because they taste terrible!

This is a great lipstick and I’ll definitely be trying out some of the other shades as well.

Not Your Mother’s Deja Vu Do Style Extender

This is my favorite product that I received in my Bella Vox Box. I have so much trouble controlling my hair! I’m always hunting for a product that gives me more control and less frizz. This product actually keeps my hair tame for days! You know, with 3 little kids I honestly don’t get to wash my hair every day.

I’m just loving this Style Extender. It does exactly what it says, it extends my hair style for an extra day or two when needed. And it makes me feel so much better about my hair, even on days when I haven’t had time to do anything with it.

It’s a bit pricey. Almost $12 on Amazon, but one bottle lasts a long time and it works so well, it’s totally worth it!

Club W

I actually don’t drink wine and they sent a coupon for buy 2 get one free so I didn’t end up trying this product. I did browse their website, look at the wines, and recipes. They have some great looking stuff on there!

If you want your own wine they also gave me a coupon code to share use coupon code REFERME on their website for your own buy two get one free wines. Most of their wines are $13 a bottle, so not terribly expensive.

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

This product was not in my box, it was supposed to be in there, but got left out :(. I’m so sad. With summer just arriving here, I was so looking forward to trying this out! I received lots of other great products so I’m very happy with my box. This does look like a great product to try if you don’t quite have your tan yet but you want to wear a short skirt!

I received these products free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.