Netflix December 2014 #KingJuliencountdown #StreamTeam

 

**I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

The New Year is almost here and I wanted to share how we will be "ringing" it in. I was a lucky gal because this lovely party kit was sent over to announce a special Netflix event. They just came out with a new series called All Hail King Julien! I was rather excited to share this kit with my five year old as he is into all this dancing, partying and decoration fun!
 
"King Julien is back and shaking his booty harder than ever! Discover the wild world of Madagascar as the king takes on the jungle’s craziest adventures in this comedy series". This series are recommended for ages 11 to 12. It does have adult humor for the older audiences so keep that in mind before watching.

This month we have been really reflecting on the year as a whole. By showing Mac, my five year old, some of the movies we grew up with. 
Luckily Netflix has a bunch to choose from! 
Here are a few we have been watching:
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids-
"Wayne spends his days and nights trying to get his miniaturization machine to work, and he succeeds -- only to shrink his and his neighbor's kids".
 
Cool Runnings-
"When Derice Bannock's chances of qualifying for Jamaica's track team are dashed, he and his islander friends attempt to form a bobsled team".

The Karate Kid-
"When bullied teen Daniel LaRusso teams with a martial arts master, he ends up learning much more than just self-defense in this classic underdog tale".
December  

Alpo Wholesome Biscuits

**I received a product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

It is that time of year we not only buy gifts for ourselves BUT also our furry friends. We decided to keep the treats to minimum and give her some Alpo Wholesome dog biscuits. They cost right around the $2.69 mark.

They come in three size: Small, Medium, and Large. Of course we got the small size since Lily is not all that big. How cute are they?? They are even a perfect size snack for training your puppy/dog.

Alpo Wholesome dog biscuits also have:

🐶 23 Vitamins & minerals
🐶They contains Calcium to help support strong teeth and bones.

🐶 Helps with Puppy Breathe!!!!

But do dogs actually like them? Lily gets one of these little treats daily and I have to say they are gone in a few seconds time. They do not upset her sensitive stomach and or cause any unhappy smells later on like some treats. The best part about these biscuits are they help with her stinky PUPPY breathe.

TMNT Stretch N’ Shout Leonardo

 **I received a free product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
My five year old has been a bit difficult to buy fr this year! He changes his interests like he changes socks! He was scanning through Netflix and saw
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, proceeded to scream he LOVED
Leonardo and that started his turtle obsession! When the TMNT Stretch N’ Shout Leonardo came in the mail I was SUPER excited!!

 "You can hear this turtle's iconic battle cries when you pull his arms apart. The more you stretch his arms, the higher he shouts, allowing you to recreate sounds from the Turtles film in an authentic way". I will say I love the new friendly faced Turtles  because they really are find friendly.

Product Highlights:

🐢 Leonardo is armed with his traditional twin katana for taking down the evil Foot clan.

🐢 Stretch his arms farther apart to hear Leo's continuous yells get higher 

🐢 Requires three AAA batteries (included).

🐢 Nice quality toy that bends and moves to your little ones imaginations.

What I liked: New Friendly faces, great quality material, competitive pricing!

What could be Improved: My Five year old really enjoys this toy! We have no productive criticism.

Overall Rating: .

Holiday entertaining with the Keurig 2.0

**I received a free product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

I was just squealing & carrying on when my Keurig 2.0 hot beverage brewing system came in the mail!! They are on the market right now for about $179.-199. It is the first Keurig to brew both a single cup and a four-cup carafe. When they first announced the launch of this new system, all my Mommy friends were getting them and I was so jealous. I LOVE coffee, so it seemed only fitting to go ahead and try this out to see what all the hype was about! I host a few Holiday parties around this time of year so perfect timing!

 

Some of the new features include: 

☕ New K-Carafe packs allow you to brew up to four cups of coffee at once – a great feature for people who will be entertaining at home this holiday season 

☕ Has the ability to brew all of the more than 275 different beverages from the more than 50 brands, including beverages from brands such as Snapple, Lipton, Dunkin Donuts among others.

☕ Personally I have been loving the Gingerbread KCups! They are a prefect blend of Holiday Spirit without being to strong flavored.

 

What I like: The ability to make a large "pot" of coffee for guests and or a smaller travel mug size when it is just myself.

What could be improved: This machine has a down fall to me personally that I thought I should mention. It only uses BRAND Keurig KCups. I have no problem with that except they are not sold locally. Which makes purchasing them is a bit harder for me.

Overall Rating: .

Canon is a great family gift from Best Buy

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I have been struggling with the idea to purchase a new camera. My first camera was a great choice, but in my line or work, I need more features. I have had my eye on Best Buy because they house several different types of  cameras. I not only want to capture our holidays but also provide great photos here on my website for you all! The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is one of the best-selling DSLRs that have caught my attention! "This camera makes advanced photography easy and fun, and gives you exceptional image quality, along with a host of features to enhance your creative expression".

Here are some great features I think you would also enjoy:

☢      Captures Hollywood caliber full HD video   
☢      Continuous autofocus while taking HD video 
☢     Features an 18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 5 image processor to ensure vivid, crystal-clear images. 
☢    The 3" vari-angle touch screen simplifies navigation.

Like I said I have struggled with the idea of a new camera for the last few months. Canon comes with so many add on feature options, like a wireless remote! I wish my camera, who is not a well known brand, did as well. Best Buy has great customer service professionals to help show you types of cameras and features. I feel more comfortable ordering online because if I need any hands on help I can go to our local store. "Save $150 on the Canon EOS Rebel T5i at Best Buy*. (Visit Best Buy to learn more. *offer valid 12/7-12/20)."

DIY Snowman Cards

 Over the weekend we made these cute Finger snowman additions to generic Christmas Cards. Since I am always buying Christmas Cards on Clearance I decided to Jazz them up a bit with some creativity!

 What you will need:

Finger paint/ acrylic paint works too!

Paint brush

Christmas Cards or Make your own cards from Paper

Marker Sharpie (thin)

Pretty easy to make just paint a finger and press onto your cards!

 I used both my little guys finger and mine to give some size difference. 

Once made allow to dry!

 Then with a marker or Sharie start to draw character to the snowmen!

 None of our cards turned out the same. 

I added some different hats, scarves, expressions etc.

 Really play around and get creative.

HaPPy Crafting & Holidays!

Hallmark #keepsake Ornaments

**I received a free product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. 

Hallmark #keepsake Ornaments are a tradition in my family. Ever since my little one was born I have gotten him an ornament. The first few years were run of the mill one's because he was little and edger to touch break them. As he has gotten older I have started to collect Hallmark ones. Each year showcasing his interest & favorite movies!

This year Hallmark was kind enough to send him a Harry Potter one! I cannot thank them enough for how perfect this ornament choice was. Not only does this reenact a scene from one of his beloved movies BUT....

 It also plays the scene through animated sound!!!!

 This ornament is already a treasured piece of Christmas decor. It will continue it's showcase every year for the Holidays. What a great tradition and something we look forward to every year. If you are interested in checking some of the other ornaments out click here.

Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 Review #SprintMom

Sprint released the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5! I was lucky enough to have one sent my way for review. I wish I could say I was the first to really break it in and try it out. However, my mom took to this tablet first & started downloading apps right away. She is not much a fan of technology but she absolutely loves this tablet! This was great when she was in the hospital stuck on bed rest after a surgery.

 This tablet also has a great Kids Mode  which restricts accessibility to apps. As a parent, Apps can be a little scarey so here are some ones I would recommend you start out with Kids Academy. One of the nice features about this tablet is you can set time limits for play time in the kids mode as well.

 But let's get down to the tablet itself.
 Here are some other features that stand it out from the rest:
Dimensions: 9.7 inches x 7 inches x 0.3 inches (247.3mm x 177.3mm x 6.6mm) 

Weight: 16.5 ounces (467 grams) 

Display: 10.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED™ display 2,560x1,600 resolution 

Battery: 7,900mAh lithium-ion battery 

Memory: 3GB RAM, 16GB memory⁵ & microSD™ card slot supporting up to 128GB memory card

I also wanted to mention if you want to use this tablet frequently a great accessory would be the Tablift. I am featuring it in my Holiday Gift Guide because it holds several different types of tablets, for easy use. 
Things I like: It has a nice size screen, easy to operate and light weight. 
Things that could be Improved: Perhaps automatic wifi connecting.
Overall Rating: 

Lemon Basil Carrots Recipe

Lemon Basil Carrots Recipe

What you will need:

1 lemon

2 tbs honey

2 tbs butter

Basil leaves

Cut & steam your carrots in a double broiler.

Once they are soft transfer to a skillet, I just used the same one I cooked dinner in. Toss the honey, basil, lemon juice and butter into the frying pan.

Once caramelized I zested the lemon and added it before serving.

Can toy by 3truedogs Review

 **I received a free product to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.
We took in a puppy named Lily this year and she has become like another child. Totally spoiled beyond belief and just warmed my heart to all furry little animals! You can check out her story here. This year I had to add a Pet category to my Holiday Gift guide, so here is a great suggestion!

 Can toy by 3truedogs, is Made in the USA. Can Toy's natural rubber material is both chewy and durable as well as sustainable, non-toxic and biodegradable.

 They come in three sizes medium (for small dogs), Large & XL.
I simply popped some of Lily's favorite treats into the "can" and tossed it on the floor. 
She basically did the rest. Great Holiday gift for your little or big furry friends!!