Jumpin-Beans

A friend of mine has a little girl named Nina.  As soon as I read the book "Normal Nina and the Magic Box" that I was sent for review, I knew that I would be giving it to her.  I mean, it was a book with Nina's name all in it!!!!! I really enjoyed the book.  In it, we meet Normal Nina who finds a magic box.  She gets three wishes and wishes to no longer be normal.  She wants to be tall, but then she is too tall and doesn't fit in her clothes... NOR HER HOUSE!   Lucky for her, she got to make another wish...  You have to read the book, but lets put it this way.. Happily, she finds out that being "normal" really isn't that bad.  I mean, what exactly is "normal" these days? 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.

If you remember, I recently posted about the contest at Zulily for their "thank a teacher" contest.  Well, they picked the winners and for Teacher Appreciation week, they have some great deals going on. I am sharing part of the email below, read it and learn about a few great teachers out there. Then, head to zulily to grab a few deals before they end!   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. Just part of the email I received: The growing costs associated with children's education is not limited to parents alone. The average teacher spends $500 investing in their classroom, with one in ten having spent $1,000 or more. In honor of their commitment, zulily kicked off the Thank a Teacher Contest in April, receiving more than 8,000

At 8 years old, we are into the Chapter Book stage of reading.  Broxton has a love hate relationshop right now and I think it might be more hate than love, since he is totally burned out with school this year.  I have already told him that he will still be reading and writing this summer and we have a new book in our stack to read.  (No, I am not going to make him do school work daily, but I do want to keep his brain going and not just on video game mode.)   One book we have to read?  The Explorers: The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress.  One thing I like about it?  It is book one, so hopefully he will enjoy it and we have just found a new series to read!   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. THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY is filled with adv

Stop what you are doing right now.  I have what I think is the coolest thing to share with you.  A company contacted me about hosting a review for Mothers Day and when I learned that I would be making a "signature scent" of perfume, I was all over it.  How fun does that sound?!?!?!   Of course, I said yes and quickly went to see what I had to do to create my scent.  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. Okay, so let me hurry up and tell you about Waft personalized perfume so you can head on over to order one for you or a loved one.  I am telling you, I am totally loving this!!!!  So, you go to their site and you answer a set of questions.  (It doesn't take that long, so don't worry about that!)   It was really easy things, so you

May is Celiac Awareness month and while none of us lead a gluten-free lifestyle, it is nice to eat healthier from time to time.  I was surprised at how good the muffins actually are and since Marc nor Broxton know they are "healthy" items, they eat them up.  They taste good... that is all they need to know.  I know they are made with veggies, so I don't mind when Broxton asks for a second chocolate muffin! 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. May is Celiac Awareness Month, and Garden Lites offers gluten-free products including scrumptious veggie-rich muffins and waffles. Garden Lites is committed to keeping the “delicious” in all of their gluten free foods, and as always, vegetables are their first ingredients. Gluten- free food is e

Still trying to decide what to get mom?  Maybe you have her covered and are looking to get an awesome gift for dad.  Either way, don't forget to check out Loot Crate and see about getting a subscription for someone you love!!!  Like I have said in the past, I have been impressed with every box that we have been fortunate enough to review.  I might not be familiar with it all, but I am still amazed every time by what all they stuff in there.  Let's not forget that the box transforms to something pretty cool as well, so that is always neat to discover! 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. This is a past Loot Crate that was full of great looking products.  I will admit, I was not familiar with anything in it, but in this case, this would be a gr

Several of my friends rave about how wonderful Coconut Oil is.  I really had no clue anything about it, until I was lucky enough to be sent a selection of Skinny & Co. Products for us to review. Broxton has eczema flare ups from time to time, but Savannah has it really bad pretty much all the time. Everyone said to give coconut oil a try and with this review product being sent to me, I figured why not.  I just did not know it was a good product to have for your skin.  Lucky for me, the containers that were sent to me also had on it what it was best used for! 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. Here are a few things that stand out about Skinny & Co. Coconut Oil:     ● Skinny Coconut Oil is the only 100% raw, alkaline coconut oil on the market

Broxton has watched a wide variety of shows through the years.  One that he loved (and I hope Savannah enjoys) was Bubble Guppies.  They are just so cute, don't you just love Bubble Puppy??? I am excited to see if Savannah will enjoy this, so we will be checking out this new DVD that was sent to us for review. 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. The Bubble Guppies are back with an all-new DVD collection featuring five heroic "tails" in  Bubble Guppies: Super Guppies . Whether they're diving into a comic book, going on a treasure hunt or helping to keep the streets safe, the Bubble Guppies prove that being a hero is a lot more than just fighting crime. Produced by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Medi

Want to know a gift I love to give and receive?  Candles!  They just smell so good and just makes the place amazing.  I noticed that when people take a hostess gift, it is a candle and I can see why! Mother's Day is a great time to give candles and even teachers love candles! (Our school has a form teachers fill out at the start of the year and then when it is close to a reason to give a gift, the room mom sends out a list of "favorites" for the teacher. Sometimes it even has favorite scents! Bright Endeavors has a limited edition scent this year, just for Mothers Day and it is "Black Currant Orchid."  It smells amazing and even Broxton has commented on the scent!   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 new, limited edition sce