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Back to School With Jane

This is a sponsored post. Thanks to Jane for providing the free back to school items for review! All opinions are my own.

Jane is a daily deal site for the whole family. I got the opportunity to shop on Jane for some back to school items. I bought some backpack tags and a first/last day of school card set. Shipping took a little while on the tags – because they’re custom – and the cards arrived very quickly. I’m very happy with the quality of the items that I ordered. And my kids are super excited to have some cool Back to School items.

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First off, have you ever tried to get 3 excited kids to stand still for a picture? It’s basically impossible! I did get their bag tags attached to their bags but they weren’t shy about moving around while I was photographing. They’re apparently all ready to go!
IMG_20170725_103351 IMG_20170725_103226 IMG_20170725_103104I am quite happy with the tags. They’re a nice thick plastic and my kids names and my phone number are printed on so I don’t have to worry about the information getting lost somehow. This is perfect for if my child looses their backpack or if my child gets lost while at co-op, preschool, or other school activities.

They each picked out their favorite color for the tag. And I think that the tags match well with their backpacks.

Plus the kids are super excited to have their names on their backpacks. I’m sure their teachers are going to appreciate this as well!

The next item I ordered was the First Day of … / Last Day of… cards. The front of the card has The First Day and the back of the card has The Last Day. They come in a deck with preschool to college so I’m basically set for the rest of my life!

I just love the bright colors on these cards! Though, after we took pictures, the kids wouldn’t let me have them back. They insisted on hanging their posters on their walls.

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I’m fairly certain preschool is going to have their hands full with him. I was going for a nice picture and this is what I got!

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She’s all ready for first grade. Her reading and math have both actually improved over the summer so she’s definitely ready to have a great first grade year!

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And this girl is all ready for fourth grade! I’m not sure I’m ready. Seriously, how do I have a fourth grader already? It seems like just yesterday she was a baby.

We had bunches of fun browsing Jane and finding some fun Back to School items. They even have some back to school t-shirts that I suggested to the kids but they thought the posters were way cooler for some reason and since it’s all about them being excited about getting back to School, I got them what they requested.

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Review – Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD

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

Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD – I’m constantly looking for new music for me to enjoy and my children love it when I get a new CD to try out. So, we put this one in the car and have been enjoying it this past week while we run errands and such around town.

I somehow had never heard of Nichole Nordeman before this review opportunity – not sure how that’s possible since we listen to a LOT of Christian music in my house and this is her 5th CD!

First off, I’m excited to discover a new artist. She has a great voice and we’ve really enjoyed her latest CD. The music on this CD is soft, gentle, and thought provoking. She sings about her life journey and how Every Mile Mattered. Such a good reminder of how God cares about everything in our life.

Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered is a great CD and it will be in our car CD rotation for quite a while. Want to know more about the artist? Follow her on her blog: http://nicholenordeman.com.

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You can get your own copy at:

ITunes
Spotify
Amazon

Also, enter the giveaway below for a chance to win your very own copy of Nichole Nordeman: Every Mile Mattered CD.

“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 on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Winner has 36 hours to respond to winning notification or a new winner may be selected.

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Threads of Suspicion Review

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

Threads of Suspicion (An Evie Blackwell Cold Case) by Dee Henderson

This book is about Evie Blackwell, an investigator who is great at cracking cold cases.

She’s such a great investigator she gets appointed to the Illinois Governor’s Missing Persons Task Force.

Evie gets to pick her own case and gets one that is truly puzzling and proves to be harder to solve than she expected.

With lots of twists and turns along the way. New friendships, old friendships challenged, and unexpected events. This book was a great mystery.

The author, Dee Henderson did a great job of keeping me guessing all the way to the end. Who did it? Where is the missing person? And how will Evie keep up with it all and her personal life at the same time?

A great mystery!

This post does contain affiliate links.

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Divatress Bobbi Boss Wigs

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

Ever wanted to change your hair, but don’t want it to be permanent? I know I have! I love to play with my hair, but my hubby isn’t so thrilled with it. To be honest, I’m dying to try out that whole bright splash of color that people are doing in their hair these days – you know, the stripe of hot pink, or turning all my ends blue. I’m just not certain I’ll like it and haven’t tried it because I hate to do something so permanent and then decide it’s no good. And you know what’s worse than doing something I don’t like to my hair? Waiting for it to grow out…

I’ve been checking out these Bobbi Boss wigs, and they’re pretty awesome. They would definitely give me a chance to try out a new hair color without it being permanent. Bobbi Boss is an e-commerce site that carries wigs, haircare, and beauty products. I’m having fun browsing their hundreds of wigs. So much fun, in fact, it’s hard to decide what wig I would try out first!

Like this long wig, I could try out those blue colors that I’ve been dying to try. Without actually dying my hair!

Oh, and I’m loving this red hair. This would be so fun to wear for an extra pop of color!

I realize colors aren’t for everyone. They have regular hair colors as well. This Bob is super cute! And would give me the chance to go shorter without actually cutting my hair. They have a great selection of short wigs.

All of these hair styles have different shades available so you can go really different or get something that’s pretty close to your natural hair color. You could easily make it look like you cut your hair or dyed it when you haven’t actually done anything to your hair at all.

They have long wigs, short wigs, and all sorts of colors for each style. Hundreds of Women’s wigs. They also sell all the wig accessories you’ll need to make your wig wearing a success. It’s like the warehouse of wigs! Just online, so you don’t ever have to leave your home. Or if you’re like me, you can shop for wigs without your children trying them all on… Let’s just say that I’m really enjoying shopping Bobbi Boss online!

 

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Bang Cookies – Review

This is a sponsored post.

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Bang Cookies sent me a box of 6 different cookies to try out for my review. Bang Cookies uses all organic and natural ingredients in their cookies. They make them when you order them and then ship them out right away. They also have a cookie subscription, so if you love them, you never have to remember to order them.

These cookies aren’t pre-made just waiting around for you to order them. They’re made to order and shipped out fresh to your door.

These cookies are huge! They’re also perfectly soft, delicious, and honestly taste homemade.

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Walnut Chocolate Chunk

They have:

Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk
Macadamia White Chocolate Chunk
Triple Chocolate Chunk
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk
Walnut Chocolate Chunk
Oatmeal Raisin
S’mores

You can purchase them in boxes of 6, 8, or 12. For 20% off your order use code JFCOOKIE2 (good until 4/26/17). Choose any combination that you want. I received an assortment with one of every cookie except for the S’mores.

Every one of them was delicious. I don’t usually like oatmeal raisin cookies but I tried Bang Cookie’s oatmeal raisin and I actually liked it. Their cookies are so good!

My favorite was the Macadamia White Chocolate Chunk but the Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk was a close second. My kids preferred the Triple Chocolate Chunk. Basically, you can’t go wrong!

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I love how moist these cookies are in the center. The cookies are large enough that my 3 kids share one together and that’s just right for them.

Want to try them for yourself? You can get 20% off your first order with code JFCOOKIE2 (good until 4/26/17)! Order Here. Though I’ll warn you, once you order, you’ll be hooked. And you’ll want to order more.

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prAna Clothing Review

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

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I was so excited to try out prAna clothing! First off, I’m expecting my 4th child and being as it takes me a while to show, I’m forever in that awkward stage where my regular clothing doesn’t fit but maternity clothing is too loose. I’m just at 20 weeks pregnant and still fit in my jeans for the most part.

prAna clothing looked comfortable and attractive. Plus since most of the pants have an elastic waist, I can probably wear any of them for my entire pregnancy. How could I pass up great looking AND comfortable!

As an added difficulty, I’m tall, and for pants to be long enough I have to get a tall size. prAna clothing doesn’t come in talls, but since I was getting it for free to review, what did I have to loose? I picked out the Mantra Pant in Black Herringbone because it looked comfortable, nice, and long enough.

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I’m 5′ 10″ and these pants are the perfect length! Not to mention, they’re incredibly comfortable. They’re also easy to dress up – I wore them to a company dinner with a nice shirt and they worked great.

They have an elastic waist, relaxed fit, and straight leg. Perfect for now and for later after my baby arrives.

And the soft hemp fabric is oh, so, soft! It’s very comfortable against my skin. Breathes well, and overall a great pair of pants. Perfect for when I’m active or for when I want to look nice and be comfortable at the same time.

Honestly, these pants are so comfortable I almost feel like I’m wearing pj pants out of the house! Even though when I look in the mirror they look very professional.

Shell: 53% hemp / 44% recycled polyester / 3% spandex

Trim: 53% hemp / 42% organic cotton / 5% spandex

I love these pants! I may just need to purchase them in all the other 4 colors 🙂

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Of course, I have to show off my baby bump, and my new shirt from prAna. The Cleo Tee in Vortex Blue.

I told you that the Mantra Pants are soft. This Cleo Tee takes soft to a whole new level. It’s definitely going to be one of my favorite shirts once the baby arrives. Not only is it a great color and one of my favorite styles. It’s also so soft, and I love wearing soft shirts when I have a newborn to snuggle.

This shirt is long enough and loose enough I’ll be able to wear it for a bit longer, and then it’ll be perfect for when I’m nursing.

76% polyester / 24% cotton

It goes great with my new pants! And I’m very happy with my new outfit.

prAna products are made with sustainable materials and support Fair Trade and Renewable Energy initiatives. So, while you’re enjoying looking great in your comfortable new outfit, you can also be happy knowing that your clothing supports some great causes as well!

Get 15% off your entire prAna order with code: MOMSCNC

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#prAnaMama

 

 

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Shop in under 90 seconds with Tophatter!


This is a sponsored post.

Tophatter is a really fast online auction site. And by really fast, I mean that auctions can end in 90 seconds or less.

I see lots of electronics and jewelry on here, but there are also games, cosmetics, and more.

For a $10 credit on your first order of $11 or more go here. Or, if you’re signing up via the mobile app enter code 12f3a. I’m not sure how long the $10 off for signing up for a Tophatter account is going to last, so do this as soon as you can!

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Basically, they have multiple auctions going on all the time and you just stalk the site until you purchase something, or a few things.

You can click on items that you like to review details before you bid.

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From this screen, you can read details about the item and you can go to the seller’s page to see their rating. So far, all the sellers I’ve checked out have had over 4 stars out of 5. Most sellers seem to have a lot of items for sale.

If you see something that isn’t up for auction yet, you can “set a reminder” and your phone app will notify you when that item is up for bidding. I highly recommend installing the app on your phone.

I received a couple of credits to go shopping on here and purchased a bracelet and a necklace.

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Both items arrived within the advertised shipping time and the quality was as expected. In fact, the elephant bracelet was way cuter on than it is in the picture! I paid $12 for the necklace and $14 for the bracelet. Both great deals!

Shopping / bidding is super easy and the auction ends when people stop bidding. So, basically, the auction only lasts about 30 seconds after the last bid.

There is usually an option to purchase the item from the seller’s page without waiting for the auction but from what I’ve seen stuff typically sells for less if you wait for the auction. Also, I’ve been offered an item that I was bidding on – and lost – for just a couple of dollars more than the closing auction price. So there seems to be a lot of ways to buy. Plus, it seems that a lot of these sellers are selling overstock, so they’re new items and they have more than one available to sell, so they keep selling until they run out.

So, check them out and don’t forget to use my link for $10 off your first order of $11 or more. Or, if you’re signing up via the mobile app enter code 12f3a. And happy shopping!

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Murder on the Moor – Book Review

I received a copy of this book free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

I just love Juliana Deering’s Drew Farthering Murdery Mysteries! Murder on the Moor is the fourth in her Drew Farthering Murder Mystery series. I have already read the previous three and Murder on the Moor is a terrific addition to this collection. In fact, it may very well be my favorite.

Juliana Deering seems to be a fan of the classics. In each of her books she highlights a well known mystery writer. This book, was all about Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. She does make references to other Sherlock Holmes stories but isn’t shy about having her characters call attention to similarities between their story and the Hound of the Baskervilles. I’m quite a Sherlock Holmes fan and thoroughly enjoyed the references.

There’s been a murder out on the Moors. Can Drew and Madeline find the murderer before someone else is murdered? The moors are a great place for mystery, getting lost, looking for a murderer, and lots of other great drama. I really enjoyed this book, it’s exciting and mysterious from beginning to end with fun plot twists and plenty of mystery.

The little town of Bunting’s Nest hasn’t seen a murder in ages so the police are only too happy to have Drew Farthering in on the case. As the mystery and suspense grow, it’s up to Drew to find the killer before it’s too late.

If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining, and well written murder mystery. You’ll love this book!

.: This post does contain affiliate links :.

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Rhythms of Rest – Review

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

Rhythms of Rest by Shelly Miller – Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World.

Are you tired? I know as a mom with young children, I am. And not just physically tired. I’m mentally exhausted from all the constant decision making I have to make, from having to be constantly “on” to keep up with the kids, and from the constant churn to keep up with life.

With 3 kids, homeschooling, and being small business owners, I and my husband are constantly busy.

I feel bad taking a break because there’s always more work to be done. This book, Rhythms of Rest, helps put all of that into perspective for me. Shelly Miller does a great job of explaining why we need rest or sabbath and how we can achieve that. From just being present at dinner with the family to actually taking that Sabbath or day of rest once a week and not feeling guilty about it.

It’s not just about taking a physical break from work, but also a mental break, and an emotional break. To just rest. The author encourages you to plan for your sabbath. It’s so hard to actually take a break if you don’t plan for it. Whether that’s doing more laundry on Saturday so there isn’t any on Sunday or just prioritizing my to-do list and knowing what can wait till Monday.

This book has been super helpful in just encouraging me to prepare for a day of rest and just realizing that I desperately need that day of rest and not feeling guilty about taking it. Because, trust me, that Mommy guilt thing is real, and it seriously keeps me from taking a break when I need it!

So, if you feel like you’re just slogging through parenting, don’t have time for yourself, and you’re just tired. Get this book and learn how to better utilize rest and don’t feel guilty about taking time for Sabbath.

.: This post does contain affiliate Links :.

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Conspiracy of Silence – Book Reivew

img_20170104_150636680_top Conspiracy of Silence (The Tox Files) by Ronie Kendig

I love trying out new Action Book authors. Because I love books that are full of action. So I was pretty excited to give this book a try. It sounded interesting and entertaining.

Conspiracy of Silence definitely did not disappoint. It started with some great action and kept going all the way to the end.

From the back cover, “Four years after a tragic mission decimated his team, Cole “Tox” Russell has been disavowed by the United States. And that’s fine – he just wants to be left alone. But when a dormant, centuries-old disease is unleashed, Tox is lured back into action.”

Tox rounds up a special forces team and they head out to save the world. Running into secret societies, deception, a global pandemic, and of course redemption along the way.

Of course, there’s always his past coming back to haunt him. And more bad guys than you can count. Throw in a love interest and complicated family matters, this book is packed with action, adventure, and intrigue!

All in all, an interesting and exciting read.

Want to get your own copy? It’s only $9 on Amazon!

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

This post does contain sponsored links.