 My kids love puzzles. Okay, scratch that. They're still toddlers, so much of the time, they just enjoy "helping" their Daddy put together his very complex puzzles. They will literally sit and watch Dan tackle even the most daunting of puzzles for hours on end. The idea of taking a ton of little, oddly shaped pieces and turning them into a beautiful picture seems to just fascinate my preschoolers. And I am pretty sure they think Daddy has super-powers because he's quite skilled at getting them done quickly.
Sure, Sophie and Xander like little wooden puzzles meant for infants and toddlers, but they would much rather take on puzzles that are a bit more complicated. Sophie does surprisingly well for her age, and Xander basically just observes. He will be fitting pieces into puzzles in no time though, I am sure. So when I learned about the brand new, 3D interactive puzzle games from Popar Toys, I just knew my kids would love them. We have one of their augmented reality 3D story books, and it never ceases to amaze my kids. Seeing the story come to life, literally, is pretty neat. (I wish my books and puzzles could do that when I was a child!)
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 ***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation has been provided and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***  We have a zoo. Okay, not literally...But we do have both cats and dogs. (Makes for very eventful and amusing times!) Our pups are Bear, a Shih-Tzu, Snickers, a Lab-Shepard mix, and Trouble, my Yorkie.
When it comes to food and dog chews, Snickers and Bear are not at all picky. They will both devour anything you give them. Trouble on the other hand is a bit of a diva, and is very, very picky. She will turn her nose up in a second if you don't offer her the exact right thing. (It gets a bit tiresome, but she's a typical, snooty Yorkie, and I adore her anyway.) Recently, I got the opportunity to try Pork Chomps.Pork Chomps are vet approved dog treats that just happen to be the safest and healthiest dog chew available for your pups. A recent university study proved that Pork Chomps are much easier to digest than rawhide, dissolving up to twice as fast in a dog’s digestive enzymes. (Check out the study here.) Pork Chomps are a healthy dog chew made from baked pork skin without dyes, fillers or rawhide. Because they are 99.9% digestible, when dogs switch from rawhide to Pork Chomps, the risk of intestinal blockage is greatly reduced. A daily offering of Pork Chomps was also found by a recent university study to reduce healthy dogs’ cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This is especially good news for those who have dogs that suffer from tummy troubles, or are of an advanced age. ***Disclosure: The Ultimate Life supplied these materials, and are responsible for prize fulfillment.All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.*** Are you living THE ULTIMATE LIFE?
Between the pressure of running a foundation started by his late grandfather, being sued by his greedy extended family, and seeing his beloved Alexia leave on an extended mission trip to Haiti, Jason Stevens' world is unraveling. But when Jason discovers a journal that his grandfather began as a Depression-era lad, his writings transport Jason on an incredible rags-to-riches ride. With everything he loves hanging in the balance, Jason hopes he can discover THE ULTIMATE LIFE. Opening in theaters September 6, THE ULTIMATE LIFE (the sequel to The Ultimate Gift) reminds us some things are worth more than money! Check out this fun blog app to see if you're living life to the fullest! *** Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***  I have to admit, I don't handle stress very well at all. And lately, I have been dealing with what feels like mountains of it. I recently lost a loved one, which has been consuming me with grief. I also have had to prepare for my son to head back to school, which as all parents know can be a harrowing experience. And we also had to deal with a basement that got flooded with raw sewage due to the main drain being backed up. (Don't flush baby wipes. Tell your kids not to flush baby wipes. Trust me here, the results are not at all pretty!) In addition to these things, I have been trying to be a good friend to my bestie, who not only is dealing with her own health issues, she just found out her mother has breast cancer and will need a double mastectomy. So yes, I have really had quite a bit on my plate recently. I have been trying to focus and relax, and just get things done. I have been more successful on some days than on others. Some days I just can't bring myself to do more than what is absolutely needed.
A friend recommended I try out Mindfulness. I hadn't heard of it before, so I was definitely intrigued. Mindfulness is a kind of meditation that is meant to help restore balance to one's life. It relaxes, and helps us to live in the present and rid the mind and spirit of negative thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness can be applied to many different conditions, including depression, anxiety, stress, fatigue, or illness. Practicing mindfulness promotes well-being and improves quality of life.  ***Disclosure: I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. No other compensation has taken place and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***  My daughter Sophie is almost 4, and she is already at the point where she's graduating past "baby" dolls. She much prefers dolls older girls play with, such as Bratz dolls. (Where did my little baby go?!)
Another thing Sophie really, really likes is anything that has to do with superheroes. She has her own cape, complete with an "S" monogram, and she will zip around the house yelling things like "So-Phie POWERS!" It's really very cute until she tries doing things that are truly death-defying, like running along the top of our sectional and then leaping. Trying to convince my kiddo that no, she cannot really fly, has been quite the challenge! So when I learned that Bratz has come out with a brand new Action Heroes line, I knew Sophie would absolutely freak. After all, Bratz Action Heroez dolls combine 3 of her favorite things: Fashion, dolls, and superheroes. Bratz have been a long time favorite of young girls everywhere for years, and this summer they have completely gotten a makeover. This line is no exception!  In my house, I am very strict when it comes to snacking. I don't really allow many sweets, unless they're homemade. I just don't really trust most prepackaged cookies and mixes because they are often loaded with ingredients I cannot pronounce. Also, they're chock full of preservatives, additives, and yes, GMO's. (Genetically Modified Organisms. If you're not familiar with these, google it and be prepared to be scared.)
Of course my husband is a goner. He buys his gross, processed snacks all the time, and thinks he can stash them away and I won't notice. He isn't fooling me one bit, but at least the kids can't get into them. So imagine my husband's surprise when I told him I was getting some decadent baking mixes to review! Cookies...Fruit crisp...Yum! He asked what the catch was. Were they somehow sugar-free? Tasteless? Do they taste like cardboard? (Yes, I was asked all of these questions.) He was very happy when I told him that none of these were the case. Among Friends makes baking mixes that are full of high quality organic ingredients you can pronounce, and many varieties are gluten-free. (But you'd never, ever know it!) Haven't heard of Among Friends? Allow me to introduce you to this great company!   With so many kids going back to school, parents are scrambling to make sure all their ducks are in a row. School supplies? Check! Clothing and shoes? Check? Emergency contact forms filled out? Check! Well, one thing parents should also consider is keeping their kids safe even if they happen to wander away from school grounds. Trust me...I have worked in the school system, and this does happen, especially among younger kids. Maybe a child sees a puppy run off into the woods and goes to catch him. Perhaps they are lured away by someone they don't know. I know. Scary scenarios, but they do happen.
Or perhaps a child has severe allergies or a medical condition that requires special attention. Sure, most homeroom teachers are well aware of these issues with a child, but what if there's a sub? What if a teacher who is unfamiliar is supervising multiple classrooms of kids on the playground? If tragedy strikes, it's a good idea to make sure your child's important info is readily available for officers and first responders. Luckily, the folks at PicturesOnGold.com have you covered. They are offering a great product called K.ID pendants that are not only absolutely beautiful, but contain vital information about your child. You can list contact info in case a child gets lost, allergies and other medical info, or anything else that may help in an emergency situation.  ***Disclosure: I received both the John Deere Whistle & Go Puppy and the John Deere First Animals Puzzle in exchange for my review and giveaway post from TOMY. No other compensation was exchanged or received. The above opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***  My toddlers, like most small children, love animals. We have a zoo of our own with both cats and dogs, but they also really like farm animals. Sadly, we don't live in farm country, so all of their interactions with horses, pigs, cows and chickens are through toys or television. I need to see if we have any farms within a couple hours of us that allow kids to pet the animals. Perhaps Amish Country does this? Hmm...I will need to check and potentially plan a trip!
Anyway, since my kids have such a love for animals big and small, I was very excited to learn that TOMY has teamed up with John Deere to offer some adorable, animal-themed preschool toys. My kids are 2 and 3 years old, so these are right up their alley! ***Disclosure: I received a copy of the Donkey Kong Country DVD and a party package for my review. Any opinions are 100% my own.***  I am a child of the 80's. Being born in 1981, I remember teasing my bangs into a super high wave and using loads of hairspray, wearing neon colors, and collecting slap bracelets. I even remember MTV when they used to play nothing but music videos. (Yes, folks, it really did used to be music television!)
Of course, we also had a Nintendo, and later on, a Super Nintendo. One of our favorite games was definitely Donkey Kong. I have always had a thing for monkeys, and this lovable character made his way into our hearts. We also loved the Donkey Kong cartoon series that was played early on Saturday mornings. My brother and I woke up super-early, probably much to my sleeping parents' dismay, and raced to the TV to watch cartoons. And try and kill each other in the process, but hey...what siblings don't?! When I found out that Donkey Kong Country was coming to DVD, I was super excited. My own kids love anything primate-related, and I knew they'd just love his crazy antics. And I was excited about a little blast from the past, even if it does make me feel really darn old! On August 20, 2013, (TODAY!) the hit CGI series, Donkey Kong Country, will be available on DVD for the first time ever. Featuring four classic episodes and a run time of 90 minutes, the DVD will be available major U.S. retail stores for $9.99. ***Disclosure: I received this product for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here!***  My husband just turned 36. He started getting gray hair in his early 20's though. We always joked that this was due to his crazy ex-wife and the stress she caused. Since we met his biological father, though, we see that premature graying is actually hereditary. (That's okay. I still attribute most of his grays to the she-devil. Or maybe the fact that we have 2 toddlers!)
While he's never been overly concerned with his gray, when I got the opportunity to review Just For Men Mustache & Beard color, he thought it sounded like a fun thing to try. Dan has a goatee, and he was eager to see what he'd look like after trying this product. I admit, I was curious, too! My hubby doesn't ever dye his hair, so it sounded like fun! Especially since we've been giggling at all the current commercials on TV featuring the Beard Team. |
  PR Friendly Mama!
I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3@gmail.com 
 
 
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