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Discovery Toys – Play To Achieve

Brandy Wojcik

Discovery Toys Educational Consultant and Team Leader

For more information about starting your own Discovery Toys business visit www.PlaytoAchieve.com and click enroll now!

Discovery Toys Is Ready For BACK TO SCHOOL!!

Host a Discovery Toys Back To School Product Show of $400 or more and qualify

to receive a $20 Bonus In FREE Toys!

Discovery Toys is also  having a Going, Going GONE Sale! Get your favorites before they are gone!

Contact Your DT Consultant for More Information!

“When we treat children’s play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that’s to be found in the creative spirit. It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”
— Fred Rogers

I have my own domain! No more not being able to put up a picture or some information because it is in javascript, or not being able to add advertisements, or be an affiliate for a homeschool curriculum or diaper company! I can now do what I want! Yippee!!

I am truly sorry for the inconvenience of following me again!

All open giveaways etc have been moved over, along with ALL entries and comments… there is NO need to re-enter!

BUT YOU WILL HAVE TO BECOME A FOLLOWER ON THE NEW BLOG UNLESS YOU WERE A GFC FOLLOWER!!

 I am offering EVERYONE that becomes a GFC FOLLOWER of the other blog three free extra entries to BOTH of the open giveaways that are up right now to help with the inconvenience! :O)

You can now find me at

www.misadventuresofafamilyof8.com

Be Blessed…

~Katie

Amy Adele Calling Cards Review!

I have been looking for some totally adorable calling cards to call my own. After checking out some other pages, I was really happy to run across Amy Adele. Her calling cards are printed on 100% recycled paper, and she even packs them in Eco-friendly peanuts made from 100% cornstarch. The kids even tested them to make sure they actually disintegrated under water! They did! ONE child even went so far as to eat one to prove it was safe… I don’t recommend this testing to other parents!

I didn’t get pictures of the peanut testing. Sorry.

I am very happy with my personalized calling cards. They look very professional, and don’t state on the back how cheaply I got them for. A major drawback for me on other sites. I also like the fact they are slightly smaller then business cards and come with envelopes. They are great to pop in a giveaway prize package, or to pass out as needed.

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It was also very easy to personalize my cards. There are so many designs to chose from that it took me a awhile! I finally settled on this cute monkey print called Two Monkeys Calling Card.

SO, if you one the lookout for some totally adorable Personalized Calling Cards, or birthday invites, or stationary, or labels, check out Amy Adele.com… you won’t regret it!

Be Blessed…

~Katie

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Crawler Covers and More Review and Giveaway!

I love leg warmers. Not only are they adorable they keep little legs warm when it’s cold and padded when babies are crawling.

They also make diaper changes super easy, without the need to take off pants!

I was sent these super adorable black with hot pink hears warmers and a doll diaper to review from Crawler Covers and More.

Leg warmers and doll diaper

Aren't they pretty?!

I have seen a couple doll diapers but never really noticed them before. Putters has recently been very into putting diapers on her dolls, and gets several of her cloth diapers dirty trying to do so! And it never fails, I go to reach for a favorite diaper and it’s gone! I usually find them on a doll or a stuffed animal outside in the dirt! So I am very happy that she now  has her own doll diaper to use.

The Doll Has Her OWN Diaper Now!

It was almost like Christmas!

I also have to add that I have not ONCE found this diaper laying around… it is always on a baby somewhere!  I wish that were so with all the kids toys :O)

Doll Diaper

Unfortunately it has been super hot here, almost 100* so the leg warmers won’t stay on long enough for me to take a picture. Putter’s is a super warm  baby and has been spending most of her time in nothing but a diaper, day and night! While the rest of us freeze in the early morning hours, she is sprawled out and hot to the touch and yells at me in her sleep if I cover her up.  I can not wait for the cooler weather so we can pull out all our leg warmers and start using them again! They are all so cute! And I have the perfect black and hot pink outfit for her to wear with these one too…

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Just a few of my favorites! I love the Halloween/fall ones! Too cute!

You can get your own adorable leg warmers from Crawler Covers and More here. There are many to choose from including stripes and hearts and flowers and skulls. There is something for every baby here!

Crawler Covers and More is generously giving away FIVE pairs of Crawler Covers, Winner’s Choice! WOW!

That is a $40 Prize!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO THE U.S. AND CANADA ONLY!!

THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS 

September 14th, AT 4:00 P.M. PST

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO www.misadventuresofafamilyof8.com

Sorry for the inconvenience! IF you have already entered, ALL previous entries have been transferred over! No need to re-enter!

Wordless Wednesday

SILLY BOYS

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Of course they won’t wear their REAL glasses…

Be Blessed..

~Katie

And It Begins….

Today starts off the school year here in Oregon. For us that is not such a big deal as we schooled year round this year. But we took a week off so the kids could spend one last full week enjoying their friends, the nearby creek, and all that goes with the last week of freedom. So I will start off this morning with a yummy breakfast, a bible story, and the beginning of a great math lesson. I am trying to get into the school year, but it’s been a really difficult week around here, and I just don’t really want to do anything. Maybe it’s because I am doing everything?!

We did celebrate NOT Back To School this weekend with some black berry picking, popcorn, and some root beer floats… all of which I completely forgot to take pictures of! OOPS…

Last night, we celebrated the coming end of summer (even though it was close to 100 here today!) with the baking of our favorite fall cookie. Grandma Florence’s Ginger Cookies. They are so yummy! I found the recipe on MckMama’s blog last year, not too long after I discovered her blog.  I don’t know who’s Grandma created these delightful yummies, but I do know they grew up pretty darn spoiled.  You have got to try these.

I am really looking forward to the fall… pumpkin muffins and cookies.. and more.. walks in the woods with the crisp fall leaves… I missed my beautiful fall leaves living over on the coast! What are your favorite things to do in the fall with your kids. I would love some ideas!

I will share some more of this years home school journey as we walk it…

I don’t really know what will happen as so many things are kinda outta whack right now…

Be Blessed…

~Katie

 

 

BOOM! By Cindy Joseph Review and Giveaway!

I rarely wear makeup…

As a busy home schooling mom of 7 who has time to primp in front of the mirror?

But there are times when I do like a little color. Something natural that doesn’t look painted on.  Like when Hubs is on the Oprah show, and I was scared to attempt flying with my makeup bag, so I went without any! EEK!

Along came BOOM! By Cindy Joseph.

This handy little trio of sticks is WONDERFUL!

I can put on makeup in less then 5 minutes, and it looks natural, and fresh and all three sticks fit in my hand! Good Bye overstuffed makeup bag!

The first stick is an all natural moisturizing stick made by a bee keeper in Hawaii. With a few simple ingredients such as bees wax, olive oil, and honey, it is super moisturizing and protecting anywhere you need it! I even put it on my feet!

The second is a color stick that you can apply to cheeks, eyes, forehead… anywhere you need a little color. This color is specially formulated to customize to EVERY skin tone there is!

And the third is a shimmery light color that adds just the right amount of sparkle to shoulders, lips, eyelids or anyone you need a little pick me up!

I also love that Cindy Joseph tells women and girls that TRUE beauty comes from the inside. The rest is just accessories.

“I created BOOM! to celebrate the beauty we, as women, were born with. These products allow your personality and character to come through with the sensual glow of joy. I made them for peers and the young women in our society who look to my generation for inspiration. I want women to know that you don’t have to ‘put on your face’ anymore. You already have one, let it shine.” – Cindy Joseph

This shows you how easy it is to apply!

I love my BOOM! Trio and  you will too! While it seems pretty expensive, remember this is a whole arsenal of makeup in three sticks! And mine has lasted a VERY long time. I use it almost every day, and the sticks are almost still full! I will definitely not go back to other makeup!

You can purchase your own BOOM! By Cindy Joseph products here on their website, it makes a great gift for any woman! You can buy all three and get 10% off your order right now!

 
It’s about beauty

 It’s about women
It’s about time
www.boombycindyjoseph.com

BOOM! by Cindy Joseph is offering one blessed reader a BOOM! Trio!! This is a$65.00 Prize! WOW!

THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS  September 12th, AT 4:00 P.M. PST

GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO U.S ONLY

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO www.misadventuresofafamilyof8.com

Sorry for the inconvenience! IF you have already entered, ALL previous entries have been transferred over! No need to re-enter!

The Well Planned Day WINNER!!!

YAY! For some reason when I copied and pasted that into my Word Docs it numbered them for me! So easy!!

It’s never done that before!

So here is the winning number…

Congrats Ali!

Ali on August 30, 2011 at 7:29 am said:

I follow the Home Educating Family on FB #2

I will be emailing you within the next 24 hours, and then you will have 48 hours to claim your prize or a new winner will be picked!

Thanks for participating everyone! If you didn’t win, you really should go get one of these. They are worth the money and then some! Thank you Home Educating Family Magazine for the wonderful review item and the fabulous giveaway!

Be Blessed…

~Katie

Sarah’s Poodle Skirt WINNER!!

Sorry All, I was grocery shopping at 4PM yesterday… remind me to NEVER grocery shop on a holiday weekend again! It was insane! BUT.. I finally got the comments numbered and have picked a Poodle Skirt WINNER!! And DIED laughing!! Several people have commented to me how funny it would be for this person to win, since she won an accessory set earlier this year… in fact the WINNER even mentions it in her comment! :o) God is good…

Out of 53 comments, number 33 won.

Just for proof! LOL

 

Amanda Alvarado on August 25, 2011 at 8:19 pm said:

I can’t decide btwn the Baby Pink or the Ruby Red. Dd has the accessory package to match the Baby Pink but I love the Ruby Red! #2
Congratulations Amanda! I am still chuckling..

Look for my email, and respond!!

~Katie

 

 

Busy Little Bee

Life has been crazy lately… we had company, I have been looking for a job, the kids are getting ready to start school back up full swing. We have done school on and off all summer to catch up, but this coming Tuesday they start back 4 full days a week.

We will be utilizing a number of free sites this year, until I can figure something better out.. the first is Head Of The Class. This is a fun site, that is mostly online with some printouts. They only go up to 5th grade now though and I have  6th grader. I will also be using Brightly Beaming Resources.  With this program even Putters will have something to do! I never thought I would give a 2 yr old school work, but she is DYING to sit at the table and do something with every one else! I am looking forward to scouring the library for the needed books for this program. It looks like it will be a lot of fun.

I have been trying to figure out how to do this work, home school, blog, keep the kids alive and the house clean thing.. and not in that order.. any hints?!

I am not looking forward to working. It would be nice if hubs would keep a job long enough to support us. But he has gone through two jobs already since we moved here… here being where we were supposed to start all over… find a good church to be involved in (we haven’t been to church once!), work on our marriage, and at the moment our rent, cable, electric, water, sewer, phones, insurance and more are all due. Plus ALL the kids need clothes and shoes and school supplies. Since this last week has been spent with him here at home drinking, I am assuming he won’t be working at this job much longer. He always says he doesn’t make enough to pay the bills anyway…  well lets see.. we are always about $3-400 short.. that is about what he spends every month on tobacco and beer.. UGH!

So I am hoping to get something not quite full time, but enough. It’s not easy though when you have no experience!

I got a call back today for a retail position, but the online application wouldn’t work. Very frustrating.. it would of  been on weekends making $10/hr. 6-12 hours a weekend. Perfect! But it just keeps sending me around in circles!

I have also applied at Wal-Mart, a coffee shop, and am still looking.

I need more coffee..

~Katie

Preserving A Sense Of Wonder…

No this is not another of my super fantastic blog posts.. hee hee… but rather a sharing! A dear friend is beginning her journey on the road of blogdom and I want to send you all over to wish her well on her journey! Cassie’s blog is titled, “Preserving A Sense Of Wonder.” You will find on it great tips for things to do with your kids that are free or almost free. Fun reviews and giveaways! In fact she already has her first lined up! Amazing huh?!

Today is Preserving A Sense Of Wonders FIRST day, so head on over and see what’s happening!

I can’t wait to see what she does with this blog. I love that she is dedicated to preserving the wonder that our children naturally have in the world around them and I really can’t wait to read about these great things to do with kids that are free or almost free! With 6 kids of my own, these ideas sound divine!

Watch this new blog.. I think it will go places!! You can find Preserving A Sense Of Wonder here… or on Facebook here.You may all know Cassie already from Simply Inspired Crafts, where she makes amazing things for very little money!

Cassie has this to say about her new venture:

The main focus of the blog will be to provide a list of free/almost free activities to do in your local area. As with anything involving children, the blog will also have tips on simplifying tasks and will also review products that are helpful to get you out and about or that engage your children.

Blog readers may request that their local area be added to the event/activity list, so they will be updated on what is available in their area. See blog for more details.

I am also interested in reviews/giveaways of products that we help others get out and about with their children or will engage their children when it isn’t possible to leave the home.

So keep your eye on this new blog, and see what happens..

Be Blessed…

~Katie