The Classical Historian - Learning Made Fun!

I like to think that I take an active role in the education of my children. The truth is, my son (and someday my daughter) will spend 6 hours a day, Monday through Friday, from September to June, in school, being taught by a professional. I give credit to all of the teachers in the world because I know for certain I could not do what they do day in and day out, and still have hair, my sanity or my sense of humor at the end of the school year. I also think that teachers, including parents who Homeschool, deserve more than just a day or a week to honor the job they do. While I choose to send my child to public school, I still like to take part in his education, and consider myself to be very involved and in-tune with his performance from an educational standpoint.

I am a member of the Mosaic Reviews Team (see my badge), and am lucky enough to use and review material that is aimed towards families who Homeschool. As stated before, I do not personally Homeschool, but plan to use the material I get chosen to review to support and encourage my son's (and eventually my daughter's) learning. Additionally, one of the most magical things about being a parent is being able to witness the whole learning process firsthand. From the day your baby puts the right shape in the top of the shape sorter to the day they write their first essay (to the day they graduate), it never gets old!

One thing I struggle with, when it comes to bringing education into the home is making it fun and exciting. I walk away from parent-teacher conferences and report cards knowing areas we should be focusing on, but lack a way to do it that will not send my son running for the hills. Enter in, my latest review: The Classical Historian Medieval History Memory Game!

Such a nice set!
(price $14.95)

The Classical Historian provides enticing products for families who Homeschool (and those who don't too!) from curriculum material, to textbooks to DVDs and games. On top of that, their products can be used from the time your child enters Kindergarten (and even earlier) to the time they graduate high school. You can see all they have to offer here. They currently have a free Summer lesson plan to use that focuses on Independence Day which you can see here. You can also "like" them on Facebook here to keep up with any new and exciting products or updates.

There is nothing to dislike about this set! I love the quality of the product; the cards themselves are very sturdy (i.e. they will last a long time), the pictures are bold and colorful (i.e. they grab the attention of even the younger players), and there are a couple of different ways to play (i.e. the game has longevity). While this set is a bit more expensive (the cost is $14.95) than the traditional memory-type games you can grab at your local store, the benefits make it worth every penny.

My favorite quality of this set is the versatility. There is nothing more wasteful to me than spending money on a product that serves us for only a short while. I am always buying clothes a little big, toys that can "grow" with age, etc... First and foremost, this set comes with 64 cards. You can choose the number of card matches to play with, with less (and simpler ones) for younger kids, and more for the older kids and when playing with several players. Second, this set is educational. Whether the child(ren) are just familiarizing themselves with the concepts present during the Medieval Times, or older children being able to define the terms and happenings, this works for all ages. And last (but certainly not least!), there are two ways to play the game. There is the traditional matching game where all of the tiles are placed face-down and players take their turn flipping over two at a time to find matches, or, you can take it up a notch to the categorization version of the game where one player is timed while they find their matches, and place them under the correct categories (i.e. Europe, The Americas, Far East and Arabia). This makes the game relevant up to the high school level and beyond, meaning it has many more years of use in my house. It also has the benefit of refreshing our memories, as adults, as we play this fun game with our children!   

My son loving his new game!

We really loved this set, and I give it 10 stars!

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Summer Reading, Anyone? - Broken Build by Rachelle Ayala

I remember being in High School (it was only 10 years ago).... This time of year was always the most hectic. Between wrapping things up for the year, handing in final assignments, making final presentations and signing year books, the impending summer vacation was at the forefront of everyone's mind. In the back of every student's mind was the dreaded summer reading and project that would overshadow every exciting and enjoyable experience they had that summer. Oh, you had a blast at that trip to the amusement park? Nice, now remember the 300 page book and the paper and presentation you have to concoct in just a matter of weeks; total buzz kill every time.

I have always enjoyed reading, but for some reason, being forced to read is quite the turn off. I have honestly found more enjoyment (and understanding) of the books I was forced to use Spark Notes to write papers for read while in school, now that I am an adult. The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, The Giver... I could go on, but I think you get the drift. As an adult, I look forward to choosing my summer reading, and actually reading it. If you are anything like me in that respect, please, let me suggest my most recent read to you: Broken Build by Rachelle Ayala!

This is such a perfect read for summer because it is fast paced, and attention grabbing - perfect beach read material if you ask me! There is nothing more obnoxious than having to wait until page 100 to get roped into a book. This one hooks you in almost immediately, and then you are in for the ride (don't forget to reapply your sunblock). This book is a Romantic Suspense and Technothriller - How is that for a mouthfull? (side note: I am not ridiculously tech savvy and I was able to read through and understand the tech-y happenings, so don't let that disinterest you). Obviously, I cannot give away the entire story line, or what would entice you to grab a copy yourself and start your summer vacation a little early? 

In short, the story revolves around a young woman named Jennifer who works as a computer software builder for a company owned by a man named Dave who she has wronged in the past. There is a hit-and-run murder early on the book that starts the roller coaster that is Broken Build. From there, a closet full of of secrets, lies and deception unfold. A steamy romance begins between Dave and Jen and readers see how her twisted past has crossed with his to lead them to where they are now - running from thugs, protecting an innocent person from their past, and answering the question of who wants Jen dead.   

This book provides the reader with an array of thrilling and suspenseful situations. From blackmail, murder and thugs to romance, scripture and forgiveness, this book really does have a little bit of everything. It also leaves you guessing until the end. I love this aspect of the book, as there is nothing more frustrating than figuring out who the protagonist is from the get-go. What is the point of reading any further if you have already figured it out? Exactly - there isn't one. I prefer to keep my mind questioning every minute detail and each and every character. Rachelle Ayala is truly talented in her ability to keep the suspense high. I found myself up much later at night than I would like to admit hanging on to each page and guessing what would happen next.  

If you wish to learn more about the author, Rachelle Ayala, you can access her blog here. And don't forget to follow her on Facebook (here) to keep up with her newest releases and news!

Ready to grab your copy? You can go here and purchase the Kindle edition for under a dollar, or the paperback for everyone who prefers to physically turn their pages. You can also purchase it from Smashwords where it comes in a variety of different digital options. 

I give Broken Build an 8 out of 10 stars:

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Disclosure: 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.

Scrub-a-Dub-Dub, Saving Time in the Tub - Thanks to Ivory® 2-IN-1 Hair & Body Wash

One of the first things that you notice once you become a parent, and especially once you have multiple children, is the fact that your time is precious. You used to spend your free time reading for hours on end, taking luxurious baths to ensure you properly shave every last hair on your stubborn knees, or maybe even taking a refreshing mid afternoon nap. The reality of parenthood is the fact that these former "passers of time" are now luxuries.... The one thing I struggled the most with was having time to sneak a shower in. There is no longer such thing as a long, hot, relaxing shower unless someone else is watching the kids or I am wearing ear plugs to avoid the impending knocks on the door, because my son might die if I do not tell him what 52 x 3543 + 104317084 is....

Luckily, for those of us who fall victim to this lack of time, energy and motivation to bathe ourselves on a regular basis (let alone our kids!), Ivory® has come up with a solution! In their ongoing quest to provide pure, clean and simple products for the entire family that do not cost an arm and a leg, they have recently introduced Ivory® 2-in-1 Hair and Body to their line! You can access information about their entire line of products, including where to find them, if they have any available coupons and even the answer to the age old question "What makes Ivory® bar soap float?" (I will not spill the beans! Look for yourself!) on their Facebook page, here.

This is what I got :)

I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to test this product for free courtesy of Influenster, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised! I have long (below my shoulders), thick hair, and past experiences with 2-in-1 products have failed miserably, therefore inducing anxiety about using the Ivory® 2-in-1, and ONLY the Ivory® 2-in-1 on my hair (I wasn't concerned about using it as a body wash). I am pretty sure I contemplated 5732 times whether or not I would try it alone, or add conditioner. In the end, I used it alone to provide a more accurate review, and for that, you are welcome.

First and foremost, this soap passes the smell test - it has a nice clean, refreshing scent that is appropriate for even the pickiest of bathers (my 7, going-on-18 year old loves his "man body wash", but he gave this new Ivory® the seal of approval). I am interested to see what the orange bottle smells like (energizing scent), and may selfishly keep one of the coupons for myself so that I can try that one too! Secondly, it reduces the need for the 437 bottles in your shower, and for someone who suffers from minor bouts of OCD when things get too cluttered, this product gets a star of approval! Third, this is safe for use on the whole family! Both of my children have sensitive skin (Little Miss even suffers from eczema-poor baby), and they both used this without a problem. I even got my husband to try this out, and THAT is a feat. This man has used the same shampoo and bar soap since we started dating 9 and a 1/2 years ago. He gave it two thumbs up, which has to be the equivalent of a Nobel Soap Prize or something! My favorite thing about the Ivory® 2-in-1 Hair and Body soap is the fact that when we go on vacation this summer, I will have no need to pack separate hair and body product for each individual family member. I can throw ONE bottle in the suitcase, and feel secure that we will be fresh and clean for our entire vacation.

After using the Ivory® 2-in-1 consistently for a week, I have come to the conclusion that I will use this as a body wash for myself and as a 2-in-1 for my children. As mentioned earlier, I have long, thick hair, and while I was able to comb through my hair without creating a rat's nest, I found that after blow-drying I looked a little "afro-ish" (but not NEARLY as bad as when I use only shampoo). I have found that this is easily repaired by the use of conditioner, or an after shower leave-in treatment. I have confidence that if you have normal or thin hair, you will not experience an issue with this whatsoever. This could also be due to my crazy blow dryer too....

Definitely due to the blow-dryer

If you are interested in getting your hands on your own bottle of Ivory® 2-in-1 Hair and Body, here is some helpful information:

• You can find it at most local retailers
• It comes in a generous 24 ounce size
• You can choose from the Refreshing or Energizing Scent (or both!)
• Retail price is around $4.25

After thorough review, I give the Ivory® 2-in-1 Hair and Body a 9 out of 10. An excellent product for sure!

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If you still need additional convincing, check out their video short here.

Disclaimer: I have received this product for free from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions expressed 
are my own.

What's a Momma Gotta Do To Get Some SLEEP?

This is the question I ask myself each morning as the alarm clock blares in my face and I open my eyes feeling like I have been asleep for mere minutes. I typically have a baby in/on my face, while my husband enjoys her adorable little toes jammed into his rib-cage. Yes, you are picturing it correctly-we look like a capital "H"; we are sleeping with one eye open so as not to tumble to our death over the edge of the bed, while Little Miss has the entire middle of a Queen-sized bed to her 22 pound self. I know.... you aren't supposed to sleep with a baby in your bed and yadda yadda, but the one night you get 3 extra minutes of sleep because you simply laid the baby next to you in bed, is the beginning of the end. You tell yourself that it was just this one time, that it won't happen again, that you haven't created a monster....But deep down, you are only fooling yourself. 

It wasn't always this way for us. Believe it or not, Little Miss was once a 2-,3-,4- and 5-month old who slept 10-12 hours EVERY single night (don't hate me, read on). Then, around 6 months, she stopped. I figured with her rapidly developing brain and new interactions with the world around her, she would experience a few regressions with sleep here and there, but never once did I figure she would stop her glorious sleep pattern indefinitely. No joke, she has MAYBE slept through the night without waking a handful of times since she was 6 months old, and she is going to be one in less than 2 weeks. My son, on the other hand, began sleeping through the night at 6 weeks old, and we haven't had a problem since...he is now 7 (you can hate me for this one). Needless to say, my latest review campaign came at, seemingly, the most appropriate time (although it would've been even more phenomenal 6 months ago): The Happiest Baby Guide to Great Sleep: Simple Solutions for Kids from Birth to 5 Years by Dr. Harvey Karp.

My new book!

In our constant attempt to do what is best for our children, we oftentimes turn to books by professionals who  have worked with these little people on a larger scale. They can track trends and keep up on the current research, and we trust their opinions because, lets face it, we barely have time to shower everyday, let alone perform research and keep track of hundreds, and thousands of children. I guess that is why they are the doctors, and luckily, they are generous enough to share their findings and professional opinions with us. One such doctor is Dr. Harvey Karp (pictured below). He is the author of "The Happiest Baby" books, DVDs and products (you can access information on the entire collection here). If you are a parent, or do anything that has to do with young children, you most likely have heard of him unless, of course, you live under a rock.

Dr. Harvey Karp

Some key information provided in his new paperback, include:

• How to encourage better (and longer) sleep - even for brand new babies

• The magic of white noise, and which kind works best (low, rumbling)

• The 5 S's of turning on the "calming reflex"

• Everything you need to know about swaddling

• "Powering down" at night - limiting the use of electronics/bright lights and over stimulation

• Non-stressful tips and tricks for getting your little angel(s) to sleep, minus the meltdown

Dream come true, right? Chances are, if you have been missing out on sleep, you are wondering how to get your hands on this little gem too (the answer? right here). 

I love that this book is easy to navigate, with key points presented at the beginning, helpful tips scattered within, and a "crib notes" review section at the conclusion of each chapter. This makes it easy to start and refer back to the point in the book that is most relevant to you, your child, and your their crazy sleep habits. At the conclusion of each section (birth-3 months, 3 months-12 months and 1-5 years) there is a decent sized Q&A section too! On top of that, the first chapter focuses on the science of sleep, and more importantly, baby sleep because, yes, it differs from our own, and "sleeping like a baby" is actually NOT synonymous with 8+ hours of sleep at night. Plus, trying to mend the sleep issues in your home without understanding how a baby sleeps is like trying to build a house without the blueprints; bound to end in disaster.  

Precisely...

Sometimes parents, grandparents, friends and even strangers bombard us with their unwarranted opinions, and follow-up with "...I did that with my kids and look, they are still alive and doing fine" (which is always up for interpretation). I was pleased to find several "myth-buster" sections in this book which address some of these commonly held opinions. One myth: Do not wake a sleeping baby. I always thought that was such a big no-no, and come to find out, lightly arousing an infant before laying them to sleep encourages their ability to self-soothe. 

I have to say, after reading the first part of this book (which focuses on babies aged birth to 3 months), I wished I could turn back the hands of time and start healthy sleep habits the right way, from the get-go. Thankfully, there are other sections of the book that focus on older babies through young kids (up to age 5), the issues that can arise at those ages, and some easy, painless solutions. 

I, unfortunately, fall into the category of the parent that has accidentally made their child dependent on them to fall asleep. Do we have a bed-time routine? Absolutely! It involves her and I and lots of cuddling, and it is so rock solid that she will not even allow another person to put her to sleep at night. She has stayed up WAY past her usual bedtime a time or two awaiting my arrival home and our routine to take place. While I never intended for this to happen, I am almost positive that I am one of her sleep cues. I have already applied the advice from Dr. Karp to power down and introduce white noise and a lovey into our nighttime routine. I'm hoping that eventually (they say it takes 21 days to form a habit) these will serve as new cues that dreamland is just around the corner. So far, it has cut down the time it takes her to fall asleep by about 15 minutes, and with minimal effort on my part-Success! I look forward to tweaking our sleep-time routine with my new set of tools to help Little Miss become a confident, healthy, independent sleeper.

If you are having sleep issues with your child, or are hoping to create healthy sleep habits in your new (or older) baby, I highly recommend getting your hands on this book! It is very quick to read, easy to understand, and as I said before, you can skip around to get exactly what you need out of it. Again, you can learn more about this book and purchase your very own copy here. I give this book a 10 out of 10!

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Disclosure: I am participating in a book review campaign with One2One Network. I received this book from Harper Collins for the purposes of reviewing it. I have not received compensation. My participation in the campaign enters me into a drawing for a gift card. All opinions stated are my own.

Mommas, Unite!

I am a Mom. I am not only a Mom, I am not just a Mom, and I definitely am not the Mom, but I am a Mom. It is a title I use to describe myself more than I even notice. That being said, I couldn't even begin to define what a "Mom" is. I'm not sure whether it is the fact that there are too many characteristics that can be used to describe a Mom, or if it is because it varies from culture to culture, family to family and mother to mother. Out of curiosity, I looked up the definition of mother in the dictionary. I knew the definition would be nothing more than disturbingly inaccurate and disappointing (just to further my belief that defining the word Mom is too heinous a task):

          moth-er n. 1. female parent 2. that which gives rise to something else 3. head of a female 
religious community -v. 4. treat as mother does 5. give birth to
Taken from The American Century Dictionary

There is FAR more to being a mother than that. By no means do each of these five descriptions even begin to scratch the surface of what it means to be a mother. (I will disclose that this dictionary looks like it is 584 years old, so if you find a more recent edition, I would be interested to see if there is any evolution of  the word mother. Or I could look it up on-line...)

            

For me, being a mother is the most natural thing in the world. It is the one thing that I was certain I would do when I "grew-up", and probably the only life goal I have followed through with. When you decide to become a parent (and my "decision" at 19 was a far cry from easy), you take on the responsibility of another human being (it sounds less epic than it truly is). Your life immediately changes, and from that point forward, you will NEVER be the same. Only when your first child is born and placed into your arms, can you begin to see the tip of the iceberg that is parenthood. It is an emotionally and physically overwhelming experience; one of those life moments that is forever stored in your memory, and marks the beginning of your new life.

This new life is miraculous, it's exciting, it is terrifying, and it is forever-changing. I remember, after my son was born, having a difficult time remembering what my life was like pre-child. He became such a part of our existence that it felt like he had always been there. I'd like to think that he was such a joy we just didn't care what life was like before him, but in reality, there is probably some adaptation-based, biological explanation as to why we don't truly remember what it is like to only have to be responsible for one person-our self. Add a baby to the mix, and instantly you are concerned about things that would've never mattered to you in your previous life; the temperature setting on the hot water tank, the colonies of germs on the cart at the grocery store, the anatomy of baby poop, the growing trend of Autism....The list goes on and on. Basically, you begin to worry about EVERYTHING. You question your capability of taking on this role EVERYDAY. And, worst of all, you compare yourself to EVERY other mother on the face of the Earth.  

It's true, we all do it. It may have been another mother who had her brood of perfectly behaving little angels at the mall while you had one kid kicking and screaming for a tenth ride on the merry-go-round and the other picking their nose and eating it. Or, you are having a fantastic day on the motherhood front and you witness a child behaving questionably and consequently, a mother who loses control. There is no RIGHT or WRONG to parenting (aside from the obvious here-I'm not referring to child abuse and neglect); there is no instruction manual, no one-size-fits-all guide to children. We learn, as parents, what it is our children need from us, and what we can, in turn, provide for them. No two children are the same, and no individual approach works with every child. There will always be bad days, and when they arise, you WILL be in a crowd full of perfectly behaving children, and glowing parents.  I've been in this situation before, and it is nothing short of embarrassing. You question your parenting abilities, you stress out, you replay the situation, and the judgmental stares over and over in your head-you become your own worst enemy.

Does it have to be this way, though? Are we not entitled to bad days, moments of weakness and imperfection? Shouldn't we band together as mothers and give each other a break? For all we know, the mom pulling her hair out could be a single mother, working her tail off to provide for her children who just recently experienced the loss of her most supportive family member. And to all of the onlookers on your less-than-impressive parenting moments, perhaps you, yourself are having the worst day of your existence. Do you want to be judged based on your worst ever performance? Of course not, and chances are, neither do they. I'm not saying we need to go out and offer our help to every mother out there who looks as though they need a break, but you would be surprised at the impact of a compassionate, nonjudgmental nod of the head and a smile. Sometimes just knowing that someone else has experienced a similar level of mortification can lessen our own self-doubt and depreciation. There is no woman out there (in her right mind) who will tell you that she is the best mother in the world, however, it is important to note that we, as Moms, are experts on our own children. We know them better than anyone else, and we don't need some else's unwarranted opinions and parenting tips in our lowest moments.

In honoring my belief that we need to be more supportive and less judgmental of one another, I took the StrongMoms® Empowerment pledge here (and you should too)! Whether we breastfeed or formula feed, vaccinate or not vaccinate, return to work or stay at home, soothe to sleep or cry-it-out, spank or use time-out, introduce solids early or wait....we do not make these decisions on a whim. They are oftentimes well researched and thought-out choices we make for our children based on our own personal circumstances. While we are all entitled to an opinion on the issues that arise throughout the journey of parenthood, we don't have the expertise (no matter how many kids you have raised) to judge another person's choices they have made for their family. We, as Moms (and Dads too!), must work together-as the proverb goes, "it takes a village to raise a child".

Disclosure: I am participating in a blog campaign with One2One Network. I have not received compensation. All opinions are my own.

    

The Breakfast Time Battle is Over....

Actually, it never really began.... My youngest (we can call her Little Miss) is still too young to care, and the older one (we can call him Little Man) doesn't complain at breakfast time. That being said, I am always on the lookout for products and recipes that allow me to feed them as nutritiously as possible. Let's be honest, they are going to do so much damage to their insides between the ages of 16 and 21 (and probably thereafter) that I better prep them as best I can! I recently was invited, courtesy of BzzAgent, to test and review a new cereal from Post, tailored towards toddlers. I received a free box of Post Sesame Street Cereal in flavors Elmo Apple, and Cookie Monster Banana.

What is awesome about these cereals is the fact that they seem pretty nutritionally sound, and more importantly, Little Miss likes them. Every time I bring out the box her little hands and feet start twirling around and she starts saying "mom, mom"-apparently she associates me with all of the things she enjoys and I'm cool with it. My favorite thing is the fact that there is only 1 gram of sugar per serving and no artificial flavors; I find it difficult to walk away from the cereal aisle with anything low in sugar AND artificial flavors that, in turn, tastes better than stale paint chips. Because Little Miss is still new to solids that are not the consistency of pudding (her two bottom front teeth JUST popped through), I haven't started counting calories or monitoring her intake of specific vitamins and minerals. However, if I was, this cereal would be a pleaser! It only has 110 calories per serving (1 cup or 3/4 cup for those under 4) and has decent amounts of several vitamins and minerals. The iron, zinc and choline present in these cereals also assists in the healthy development of the brain as well, so two thumbs up for a smarter, healthier baby!

As far as taste and texture go, I would describe this cereal (yes, I tried it too) as having a taste similar to cheerios with a slight hint of the aforementioned flavors. I have to mention that I despise most things that are banana flavored (which is odd because I like bananas), but I did enjoy the flavor of the Cookie Monster Banana-this may be due to the lack of ARTIFICIAL flavor. I think this is perfect for little taste buds that are developing, as it is not overpowering. With regard to texture they are a mix between the "puff" snacks for babies and cheerios which makes for the perfect texture for my "toothless wonder" who is comfortable with chewing but can't necessarily handle "crunchy" in high doses.

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Overall, I give this cereal a 9 out of 10 stars  

For more information about the nutritional value of this cereal, a $1.00 off coupon and to find out where you can grab some for your little one(s), check out Post Sesame Street Cereal!

Disclaimer: All of the content in this post is my honest opinion. I am not paid to give my opinion, I simply received the product(s) for free and reviewed it for other consumers who may be interested in purchasing this/these product(s).

     

Let Me Introduce Myself

I suppose I should take this initial post to introduce myself to any and all followers I may acquire along this journey, so here you have it:

I am currently a 27 year old stay at home mother in upstate New York. I am Momma to the funniest, most intelligent and handsome 7 year old boy I know, and the most stubborn, inquisistive and hilarious 10 month old little girl. I am married to the man that stole my heart, and while that may sound cheesy, it's true. He is the love of my life, and while he may drive me nuts at times (really, who doesn't?), I would not change our journey and the outcome for anything. 

My interests inspired me to start this blog because I am oftentimes given the opportunity to try out new products at the simple expense of reviewing them. I get more street cred by reviewing the products through a blog (and probably one that has followers, so please, stay tuned!), and therefore figured I would give this blogging thing a test drive. I will warn you, I am not a writer in any way, shape or form. I do plan to give honest reviews of the things I am fortunate enough to try for free, and possibly the things that I have found to be helpful in my own personal life as well. 

If you have made it this far, thanks for reading, and hopefully I will have some new content for you to check out soon!