Jumpin-Beans

CURRENT GIVEAWAYS on JUMPIN BEANS Bob the Builder DVD (ends tonight ) Chicken Soup for the Soul Cat or Dog Lover Books   Dinosaur Train Prize Pack (DVD and BOOK)   $50 Gift Code to NOVICA Pair Of Stompeez   Hallmark Prize Pack Optics Lab Prize Pack    

We keep saying that we are going to exercise... but that is about it... We have a walking track near us that we have gone to a few times and I will officially start walking when Broxton goes back to school in the New Year.  I have a Fan Band to wear, but to be totally truthful, I doubt I will wear it. First of all... What is a fan band?  It is an armband for you to show your support of your team/player without breaking the bank!!! I was excited to see that they had the Braves... Hey, I am from Georgia.. and I am not a bandwagon fan.  Good, Bad or Ugly, I am still a Braves fan.  (Marc is a SF Giants fan...)  Well, they sent me a Braves one alright :) But they did not just send any Braves fan band... They sent me a CHIPPER JONES fan band.     So, this fan band is not going to be worn!  He just retired...  I wanted to put it up for safe keeping for Broxton, but I did not know if that was just me being crazy, or what.. I ended...

Can you believe Christmas is almost here? Wow... It really seems like this year has flown by!!! Where does the time go? Since the holidays are approaching, I wanted to remind you to take time to relax and enjoy the time, yes, life is hectic, but you can sneak a minute or two now and then!! For me, I love when I have a few minutes to take a nice hot bubble bath!  Especially when we do have cold weather (Not too much of that lately, but I don't want ice again, so I am not going to complain that much!) When I DO get to enjoy a bubble bath, I love reading a couple pages of a good book and that is why I want to share a couple books for you to check out. I have to admit, I have not read these yet... Life, hectic.. remember?  But, I do plan on reading them soon!!!! Until then ( I will post reviews when I actually do read them) I did want to share so you could see if this was something that might be of interest to you. Super Cowboy Rides : Meet six year old Tommy John...

Working in a sports bar for so many years, I have very dry eyes.   Well, I guess that is why they are so dry.  I really don't know why.  I used to wear contacts, but then I had to basically stop wearing them to work, as my eyes were so dry that it was miserable.  I actually had my eye doctor give me those artificial tears drops to try and help me... Now, I hardly ever wear my contacts.  I normally wear them if I am going on a road trip (so I can wear my sunglasses) or if I am going out somewhere...   Other than that... glasses are 24/7. I now also try and keep a bottle of eye drops in my purse at all times.  We were at a going away party once and this girl needed eye drops... They were from out of town and there was no where near us to go shopping to buy any.  I gave her my bottle and told her I had more, so she could keep it... but, what if I had needed some on the way home?  I remembered when I was younger my mom had these i...

When Broxton was a baby, I noticed this nasty rash on him one day... He kept clawing at it and I eventually took him to the doctor. Come to find out, he had eczema (I really had no clue what that was) and I needed to learn about it. He would scratch his skin to the point it looked like he was clawing his skin off and at times, he would cry when I tried lotions and what not on it... That being said, whenever I have the chance, I read and learn about eczema.  He does not get that many flare ups, but he still does... When I saw that there was a children's book, Malcolm Finney, Medical Detective: The case of... itch and rash , I wanted to read this to see if it might shed more information on it... Or at least give me something to read to him to try and explain it to him. Since Broxton is 3, I did feel as though the book was for older kids... but, I did love that they had little note sections to tell you the definitions of different words... Also, they have illustrations with t...

  We all know when it comes to cooking that I can always use the extra help. Not that I am a bad cook, I am just not that big on exploring and creating new dishes... I get paranoid that I will work my butt off to make a great dish, but then not like a certain spice and the whole meal be a waste... I am doing better with it now, but it is a slow process.   That was why I was pretty excited to have the chance to work with Mrs. Renfro's Gourmet Salsas. Since 1940, Mrs, Renfro's Salsas has been making a name for themselves... They have changed with the times to continue to create products that the customer will love and let me tell you, they do not disappoint.   We had the chance to try out a couple of them and wow... I actually used one as a sauce for a pasta dish.. and I thought Marc was going to lick the bowl clean! With his weird work schedule, I had made him a meal and left it for when he got home... We used the Garlic Salsa and he went on and on ...

Broxton is at the age where he is really getting into the different holiday movies.  We love the Kung Fu Panda movies, so when I saw that they had a sort film that is called Kung Fu Panda Holiday, I was hopeful that we could add it to our movie collection.  It arrived just in time for us to be able to take it with us on our last "road trip" down to South Georgia.  We had to leave bright and early one morning, so I knew that Broxton was not going to be a happy camper.... As soon as I showed him the case of what he would be watching along the way, he was happy.  I will admit, I was jealous that I could only HEAR it, as Broxton was cracking up laughing!  We have watched it since we have been home, as I wanted to see it too!  At first, I was sort of put off as to why it seemed to be so rushed...  Yes, I knew it had a run time of only 26 minutes, but it seemed as though it was on fast forward... THEN it made sense... The way it was set up, about hal...

Just thought it would be nice to share... CeeLo Green just released his rendition of "Mary Did You Know" from his holiday album... and this video includes a preview of The Bible.     THE BIBLE is an epic 10-hour television series produced by Roma Downey ( Touched By an Angel ) and Mark Burnett ( The Voice , Survivor , Shark Tank , Celebrity Apprentice ) premiering on 3/3/13, and Blu-ray and DVD soon after.   **** This is not a sponsored post, I just wanted to share this with you all.

I recently had the chance to check out the site, Naturally Me.  Naturally Me is a store from a mom.  The owner, Chaundra, has 2 kids.. While growing up, they had skin issues and just as most parents, she could not afford to buy the expensive treatments... that was when she took matters into her own hands and created a product that they would be able to use... without the cost of it!  I for one am glad she did, as the prices on her site are very affordable.  That being said, I had to head over and check it all out... Of course, dealing with Broxton and his eczema flare ups, I was going to check out what they had for skin with eczema .  I was impressed that they not only had a body butter, but you could also purchase an eczema sampler set.  Surprisingly, I decided to treat myself! I noticed that Naturally Me had a gardenia soy candle .  If you know me personally, I love gardenia. It reminds me of my Nana and I love seeing gardenia scented pr...

I love cards... Love, love, LOVE them!!!! Hallmark has been a well known name in our house as long as I can remember... Seriously.... My mom has one of those card boxes that has separate sections for each occasion.  Yes, I have one now as well :) When we had a Hallmark down the street from us, I would go there on a regular basis.. One, to buy cards (they always have specials like buy 3, get one free and the likes.)  But also because all of the items in Hallmark have the look of showing you care. We actually did some of our Christmas shopping there this year! Cute ornaments for Broxton's teachers were a quick grab as soon as we saw them!  I was excited to know I would be working with Hallmark again this year and I am excited to share that one lucky winner will win a prize pack.  Please note that you will not receive this before Christmas, but by winning this, you would have a starting point for next year! We were sent a cute selection of Christmas...

Do you love baseball?  We love all sports here,  but Marc is a huge fan! When I opened up our package and saw that we had just received Sports Illustrated Kids: Full Count , I knew that he would be eager to read it...  Little did I know that I would too! This is a great book that is full of Top 10's of baseball... From Mascots to Rivals...  to Ugliest Uniforms and most unusual windups!  This is a book for those that love baseball and for those that love baseball to share with those that might still be on the fence as to if they are fans or not!  I actually took this with me to read while I waited for Broxton in carpool.  I learned so much and really enjoyed not only looking at the pictures, but about the sport of "America's Pastime!" I really think that boys and girls, men and women... All ages would really enjoy reading this!!!! FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by t...

Ice Age: Continental Drift is such a great movie...   We have really enjoyed it and we can even talk daddy into watching it with us! With that being said, I wanted to share with you a post about "daddy and me" time events! Go to the Movies  The movies are a fun outing for any day of the week. Choose a new movie that interests you both, or check out a theater that plays classic family favorites. Depending on the time of the movie, you can go to lunch, dinner, or dessert afterwards to talk about your favorite characters. Camping Camping is a great way to take a break from everyday distractions like texting and Facebook and enjoy the great outdoors instead.  It provides the perfect opportunity to teach your daughter how to pitch a tent and start a fire. Many campgrounds also offer great hiking trails and rentals of canoes and paddleboats if near a lake. DIY Project Everyone has a creative side and a DIY project is perfect for showing it off. You can try a large p...

We had the opportunity to review a pretty neat book and now I get to tell you about it. Time Books (which I love, as we have several of them already) has released the coolest 3D book!   We recently had the chance to review, Zoo 3D and we loved it! The images are outstanding and you really get the feeling that the animals are right there in front of you.  I was very surprised with the quality and was telling Marc about how impressed I was when we looked over at Broxton.  He was reaching out trying to grab the animals!  At that point, I stopped looking at the book and enjoyed the time watching Broxton as we flipped the pages! You will be impressed with the images, but that is not all... Time truly grabs you, as there is so much to learn as well! Kids will love the pictures and the adults will love the time bonding and reading all the text on the pages!  Here is a sample of knowledge from the book: Know why a gorilla yawns? Nope... no...

How cool is this?! Remember how I told you I "knew" an Olympian? (If you don't...  Long story short, I went to Seattle with a great friend of mine.  While there, we went to visit some of her family.  One of her family members, that I met for a brief second, was Courtney.  Wonder why the visit was so short?  She was on the way to Volleyball Practice... and now years later, she was IN THE OLYMPICS and yes.. I met her... ) Well..... Image Credit: Linda Thompson I thought it would be neat to ask her a few questions and share them with you... so here we go: Up first, I asked who she called first when she found out that she would be traveling with TEAM USA....   I can't remember who I called first, either my mom or my dad. Then Craig and Trevor and G-ma Cooper. It was such an incredible moment, and it was really cool getting to share it with all of them. How long has she played Volleyball: I have played volleyball since I was in 6th grade, so 18 years n...

I realize that not all of my readers are in the US, so I am excited to tell you about a new site I have learned about.  If you are working on a new design for your toddlers room... Kidsen has a great selection to check out! Up first, I was trying to decide what I would do if we did not live in an apartment and I could decorate any way I wanted to.  But then I thought, you know, there is no need to worry about painting a wall when there are so many wall-stickers out there these days!  You know how I am about decorating without making a mark... Remember my love of the phototrax that we now have hanging in our house? We all know how much my little one loves trains, so as soon as I saw the train stickers, I knew it was something he would love! Then, I saw something that I want so bad for Broxtons room. The only problem is I have not seen any in the states... and even if I did... We really have no where to put it right now... Remember, apartment... in Atlanta... ...

If you remember my post about Love's Christmas Journey , you will be so happy to hear about the Operation Santa Twitter Chat! This Friday, December 14th...  from 4-7 pm PST. Read the details:   Join @OperationSanta’s Twitter chat about the film for some fun trivia questions, and then head over to  http://operationsanta.com/ wcc_contest/bring-love-home- this-holiday-season-2/  for a chance to win some cool prizes! Simply tweet @OperationSanta using the hashtags #ChristmasContest and #HallmarkMovieNight on  December 14 th  between the hours of 4PM and 7PM PST.   In addition to the Twitter chat, visit Operation Santa for your chance to win an iPad, iPad mini, Kindle Fire or other great prizes!   Just thought this was a great thing and thought I would share.  Let me know if you plan to tweet along.  

I do not remember making my Christmas List as a kid from the different infomercials... But, the times... they are a changin'!!!!  If you ask Broxton what he wants for Christmas, he can rattle off the list (that continues to grow daily) but I am lucky that for the majority, the list stays the same... One on the list... STOMPEEZ !!!! You know what I am talking about!!!! The slippers that have the ears that pop up to reveal their eyes!!! I think they are just too cute and I can NOT wait to see his eyes when he opens them for Christmas!!! Come to find out, they are under new management following issues from last year, so that should put a smile on everyone's faces!!!  Also, it is not just little kids that are putting these on the wish list... I saw a friend of mine post on facebook that her kid had it on his wish list... and then a grown up friend of mine posted on her facebook that she thought they were cute and she wanted to sport a pair around her house!!!...

A while back, I had the chance to work with NOVICA in a review of their products. Well, I checking my emails the other day and I learned that NOVICA is constantly working on improving the shopping experience for all of their customers... To start with, NOVICA has some of the most beautiful gifts I have ever seen. They have items from jewelry to purses, sculptures to picture frames and so much more to look at.  What I think is so cool is that they are from all over the world. When I had a chance to review in the past, I picked a beautiful ring for my mom... but that wasn't it... They had it packed in this beautiful box (that was traditional packaging for that area) and included a note that was written to the recipient. Well, I was lucky when it came to picking that ring for my mom... but not everyone is so lucky! Some people need a little help and that is where NOVICA is kicking it up a notch! They have introduced their GIFT FINDER to help you find unique gifts for e...

Have you ever had a headache?  What about a fever? If so... (or if you are that lucky to not know what I am talking about, but know someone that does)  please keep reading!  We were sent a Head Coolie for review and this is pretty neat! It is like a headband.. that has a little mesh backing on it.. with Velcro to hold the mesh to the front. Well, the reason there is Velcro and all is there is an gel pack that you put in there. The  pack is pretty thin, so it doesn't need too terribly long in the freezer to chill. (The pack reminds me of those popsicles that everyone has probably tried at least once in their life.) The other day, I noticed Marc had a headache.  (He hold whatever he is drinking to his head to get the cool to help his headache.)  So, I went and grabbed the Head Coolie.  I put it on his head and he laid there for a while and it appeared as though it helped to ease his headache. We have not used it for fevers yet... b...

  THIS IS AN ADULT POST.        With the holidays in your life.... Why not spice it up another notch with Zestra ? All from the Zestra Site: Many women say that feelings of desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction do not happen as naturally as they would like. Zestra was developed to provide a much needed option that is safe and effective for all women to feel more sexually satisfied effortlessly. Zestra is a safe, patented blend of botanical oils and extracts, created to help women feel more — effortlessly. Topically applied Zestra works within minutes by heightening your sensitivity to touch — for deep, pleasurable sensations, sexual satisfaction and fulfillment. After applying Zestra, the effects — the Zestra Rush™ — begin within 3 to 5 minutes and last for up to 45 minutes. Zestra Featured in Shape Magazine Zestra has been recommended by millions of women, clinically proven, and physician approved. Despite all this, Zestra has...

I have mentioned before that Broxton loves Dinosaur Train and I actually enjoy watching with him.. Hello, trains and dinosaurs?  He loves it! Well... Today, December 10, 2012... We are getting introduced to 2 new Characters on the show!  Meet the Grandparents!   Grandma and Grandpa Pteranodon!!!! Look at the new line up for this week: “Tiny and the Crocodile”/“Meet the Grandparents”  Premieres December 10 Team Pteranodon travels to Dienosuchas Swamp to meet Deanna Dienosuchas, a crocodile over 12 meters with many big teeth, and a crabby attitude. Tiny leads the way to warm up Deanna who turns out to be friendlier and less scary than the kids imagined. The Pteranodon kids have special visitors - their Grandma and Grandpa! The kids delight in realizing they share similar traits with their grandparents (laughs, expressions, and interests), and love showing Grandma and Grandpa around the nest area and playing some games they all like. “The Egg Stea...

What do you get a kid that has everything? Why not a gift subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids? My dad has been getting Sports Illustrated for as long as I can remember... I honestly think he was a subscriber back when I was in high school, but I could be wrong.. All I do know is that at one point, my little brother had the kids version as a subscription as well!   I can also remember when Marc and I first got together... when the boys would come... They would want a magazine for the bathroom (one especially) and I felt bad, as I had none for "boys" and what athletic boy wants to read Cosmo, Popular Photography and the likes? I guess if I had thought about it, I could have ordered SI for kids...  but I did not think about it... BUT, you better believe when they come for Christmas there will be one ready for them!    Keep in mind, it doesn't matter if you have boys or girls, if they love sports... They are sure to love this...  and wha...

Just in time for the holidays, Chicken Soup has 2 new books to put a smile on any animal lovers face! Up First: I Can't Believe My Cat Did That Take a look inside: My Favorite Yarn Impawsable Miss Congeniality Mr. Right Stalk to You Later I'm Just Staff A Good Mousekeeper Love Me, Love My Cat Out of the Box Eight Lives and Counting The second book: I Can't Believe My Dog Did That Inside this book: One of a Kind In the Doghouse Let's Play Ball Barking Mad For the Love of Dogs Treat, Play, Love Throw Me a Bone Love Me, Love My Dog Dog Gone Smart My Best Friend If you are interested in winning either of these books... It is your lucky day! FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. a Rafflecopter giveaway ...

I was very intrigued when I heard about " packaways ."  Have you ever heard of them?  If not, you are going to love this!!! Packaways are storage containers that are reusable.  But get this, they are not just any storage container!  They are collapsible!!!  You can write on them and erase when needed!  Yes!  I think it is awesome!!!! Picture this... You have all of our Christmas decorations packed up.  It is labeled CHRISTMAS.  You unload and decorate... Then, you just collapse them and it takes up less room.  You decide to donate them and decide to buy Halloween decorations... Next year, you break out the boxes and pack up your Halloween decorations. Since they are "dry erase" you just erase off CHRISTMAS and then write HALLOWEEN.  Or.... do you camp?  (I don't so no worries there...)  Well, you can pack up what you are going to take on your trip in your packaways... then, when you get to your campsite, just u...