The Giving Jar

Nourish your soul with the first in Doodle Dots Heirloom Collection.

Designed to be treasured and passed on for generations to come

There are moments in life when a seemingly small act of kindness can teach unforgettable lessons. A memorable summer spent at his Grandma’s farmhouse is such a time for 11-year-old Billy. Join Billy on his incredible journey where he discovers the magic of giving, the healing power of love, and that angels can reveal themselves in the most unlikely of places.
- information taken from the website

Krissy Smith is a mother of 5 and created this book for her family to teach them the importance of giving.

So what did I think of the book?

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. Each picture is a work of art and enhances the story beautifully. The story itself is very nice. The main message of the story is the importance of unselfish giving and that is communicated very well.

I tried to read the story to my children (ages 7, 6, and 2) but it was a little long to hold their attention. They did enjoy the pictures though. I suspect older children would enjoy the story more.

Here is the book trailer:

Thanks so much to Krissy Smith and The Moms Review for providing me with this book to review!

My Little Pony Twinkle Wish Adventure

Written by Suzanne of Crunchy Green Mom

I remember spending hours sitting on the floor of my room surrounded by pastels and fake hair. Between my dolls, my doll’s furniture and their beautiful steeds, I was set for hours of hair styles and braiding.

I played with My Little Pony horses for hours on weekends. I watched the show and loved all of the horses, though I didn’t have them all, I had silly dreams that I would one day.

Click Here to Read the Full Review

The Writing Course

I recently had a chance to briefly look through The Writing Course – Educators Edition and was thrilled with all it had to offer. We each have our very own teaching style, but this is definitely worth checking out.

This is a great resource for homeschooling families! But, it is also a terrific supplement for children who are in public or private school but not performing as well as they could in their writing.

It is an online course that is downloadable as you progress through, be sure to read through these great details for even more information…

Grammar Made Easy, Writing Made Great
Faulty modern educational approach to writing is REVOLUTIONIZED by
The Writing Course-Educator’s Version created for home schoolers, high schoolers,
parents, and college students,

Did you know that you can learn to write with correct grammar and proper punctuation without learning the rules? This summer, author, pastor, and teacher Fred Lybrand introduces a radically different way of thinking—and learning—about grammar in his simple, yet revolutionary, new curriculum, The Writing Course-Educator’s Version. He straightforwardly offers twelve basic writing “secrets” that virtually anyone can master and that will transform “grammar-challenged” students, parents, and even professional adults into excellent writers. “We are losing a generation of writers to email, IM, and instruction that doesn’t show students how English really works,” says Lybrand.

The Writing Course-Educator’s Version is not only designed for those who constantly struggle with the difficulty of writing, but also for those who just want to write better. Lybrand’s proven approach to writing and grammar solves the problems of what to say, how to say it grammatically, and how to make sure the punctuation is correct. And, the course also shows the sure-cure for poor spelling!

“When a student is not worried about grammar or punctuation, he can learn to write in his own uniquely powerful and effective style; which is the current emphasis placed on writing by the recently modified TAKS test (Texas) and on the SAT college exams,” says Lybrand. “Something more is required than just throwing grammar rules at our students. Instead, our goal should be to teach our children ‘to learn how to learn for themselves.’”

While history has clearly demonstrated the value of the principles taught in The Writing Course-Educator’s Version, there is no writing course even remotely similar to what Lybrand teaches. With a methodology that teaches parents or students how to get engaged in the process of learning the elements that go into writing correctly and effectively, The Writing Course-Educator’s Version immerses students in twelve secrets all truly great writers finally discover (and sometimes aren’t aware of themselves).

“For anyone who likes (or even dislikes!) writing, this course can totally release him or her from the constraints of grammar and punctuation rules and regulations,” says Lybrand. “It also allows parents to become more involved in the schooling process of their own children, whether they attend public, private, or home school.”

Working as either a full curriculum or a supplement (kids in public or private schools can use this training after school to improve their own writing), The Writing Course-Educator’s Version comes as a combination of audio lessons, a printable workbook, and a full transcript of Lybrand’s writing seminar. In sessions of about 30 minutes each, over 21 lessons, students will experience the instruction and exercises necessary to learn the strategic principles which are the building blocks of great writing.

For more information or to order The Writing Course-Educator’s Version, please visit http://advanced-writing-resources.com/cmd.php?af=1012599

Disclosure: I received access to The Writing Course in order to review and present it to you. We always provide honest reviews.

Wendy’s Boneless Chicken Wings

I love chicken wings, but honestly pass them over more often than not simply to avoid the mess. So, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered that Wendy’s just came out with Boneless Chicken wings!

The fun part though is that we can combine affordability and the fact that dinner out means a break from cooking for mom and wow, I’m even more excited!

Wendy’s new boneless chicken wings, made with 100% whole chicken breast, get hand tossed in one of three sophisticated flavors: Bold Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken.

I was able to check these out personally and I was definitely not disappointed. I’ll be back to try all the flavors with my family and think this may very well become a new family favorite!

Be sure to try them yourself next time you’re trying to decide which take out to get!

Disclosure: I was sent a gift certificate by Mom Central as part of a blog tour to try out these wings for myself and to thank me for participating in spreading the word.  I do not review products that pose a conflict of interest or that I do not like.  All reviews are honest and forthright.

The Precious Girls Club

Finding great sites and products for girls can sometimes be just as challenging as it is for boys.  Keeping little girls “little” and not exposing them to themes and subjects that are simply too advanced for them is a major challenge for all of the moms with girls that I know.

I have already introduced several of them to the Precious Girls’ Club and my niece and another friends’ little girl are both very involved and love it!  It’s a safe and sweet place for them to go and participate in activities and things that are wholesome and virtuous…which is huge for them and their moms.

The Precious Girls Club is based on an all new book series for girls that revolves around the life of Katie Bennett and a diverse group of her friends. Their world is brought to life not only through books, but also through a state-of-the-art virtual world where girls can learn and play in a safe, wholesome environment based on the values embraced by Precious Moments.

They are dedicated to providing an environment and products that help moms in their effort to make sure that their little girls do not grow up too fast. These sweet products are available online. When your little girl is playing on the site, you get to interact with it as well, all in a safe online environment.

I’m very excited to be able to offer one lucky commenter a prize pack from The Precious Girls Club. The package includes a copy of their latest book Operation Kindness and one of their adorable mini plush paw dogs…so cute!

To enter, be sure to leave a comment telling me why you’d like to win this package.  There are ways to get extra entries too of course…be sure to leave a new comment for each one!

• Blog it – Write a blog post on your blog linking to this post. Leave us a link to your post in your comment.
• Tweet it – Send out a tweet with a link to this post and leave a comment here with your Twitter name.
• Stumble it – Submit it to stumble to let others know about it. Be sure to comment here to let us know.
• Subscribe to it – Subscribe to The Moms Review and leave a comment letting us know you do.
• Technorati it – Add this post to your Technorati faves, then leave a comment here telling us who you are on Technorati.

This giveaway ends on August 5th, 2009 and is open only to US addresses and is void where prohibited.

Even though the environment at The Precious Girls Club is very secure, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to teach your child about online safety!

Disclosure: All of our reviews are honest and forthright.  We do often receive the same products that we offer to you in order to ensure that we are writing about something we have tried first hand and have experience with (thus the honest review part).  This review is part of a Mom Select blog tour.

Nan’s Corner DVD

One of the best things about summer is taking a break from the fixed schedule – and sometimes hectic pace – of the school year. As my family relaxes, so do the routines. Bedtimes creep later and later as the days grow longer. Habits we worked so hard to develop start to fade and become forgotten.

If your child’s bedtime, mealtime or any other “in-between” time have turned into a struggle, the Nan’s Corner DVD offers helpful solutions in an enjoyable and fun format. Through songs, stories and role-playing parents and children work together to solve common problems found in everyday life such as getting up and ready in the morning, homework, mealtime and bedtime. It encourages communication and cooperation between parents and children.

The DVD is geared to children between the ages of 4 – 10. My 7 year-old enjoyed the singing and dancing while my 9 year-old appreciated hearing the children tell their side of the story. I was glad for the opportunity to reinforce to both the need to be courteous and respectful – parents included!

We are offering one reader the opportunity to receive the new Nan’s Corner DVD. Just visit their website, check out their fun children’s songs, then come back here and leave a comment telling us why you’d like to win (not “choose me,” “I want to win,” “great prize,” etc. Those comments will be deleted as spam.)

You can earn extra entries (simply leave a new comment for each extra you choose.) Just…

• Blog it – Write a blog post on your blog linking to this post. Leave us a link to your post in your comment.
• Tweet it – Send out a tweet with a link to this post and leave a comment here with your Twitter name.
• Stumble it – Submit it to stumble to let others know about it. Be sure to comment here to let us know.
• Subscribe to it – Subscribe to The Moms Review and leave a comment letting us know you do.
• Technorati it – Add this post to your Technorati faves, then leave a comment here telling us who you are on Technorati.

All of this gives you a grand total of six chances for entries! This giveaway ends on July 21, 2009 and is open only to US addresses and is void where prohibited.

Wow Baby Giveaway

Wow Baby offers an amazing variety of stylish, functional bibs and burp cloths for baby!  They are made of Natural Cotton and Organic Bamboo so they are soft to baby’s skin, but very absorbant!

Hand crafted in the USA, we use sophisticated prints to create irresistible baby gear that complement and add to your babies ensemble. A blend of natural cotton and organic bamboo fabrics create an attractive and yet absorbent combination that feels soft and luxurious against a baby’s skin. Our patent-pending detachable liner technology protects clothing against wetness even under the most trying circumstances. Cloth area provides maximum absorbency and is gentle on babies skin. Our products have been certified by the USA Federal Product Safety Board.

Wow Baby sent me one of their Bibs N Burps sets (the Sunrise) to review. My sweet 2 month old niece is a spitter, so we knew it would come in handy and we were all immediately in love as soon as we used it for the first time.

The idea of having a detachable liner for both the bib and the burp cloth is ingenious! When everything needs to be cleaned up, simply detach the lining and rinse it off in soapy water and wash the bib as you normally would. When done, pair the two together again and away you go! So great!

I also have to say right off that we really appreciated that the fabric used in these products truly are very soft and the detachable liner is also surprisingly flexible and soft…NOT hot, crinkly and sticky like most of them are!!!

It’s also very obvious that Wow Baby takes customer care and satisfaction VERY seriously!

We take great pride in our products and as such offer a money back guarantee on all purchases. In addition, because we believe moms & dads our the best product reviewers, we greatly value their opinion and offer them 10% discount and free shipping all year if they sign up to be a Preferred Customer.

Their best seller is the Bibs N Burps collection which retails for $29 (unless you’re a preferred customer of course). Right now they are offering their 2008 cotton bibs and burp cloths at 20% off (no code needed, in shop promotion – Limited availability). But of course, Preferred Customers get 10% off and free shipping all year.

Wow Baby is offering one lucky commenter a set of two Signature Stripes Bibs. To enter, simply visit Wow Baby and take a look around, then, when you’re done, come back here and leave a comment mentioning your favorite product.

Want extra entries…well then:

• Tweet It: Twitter with a link to this post and make sure to mention your twittername in your comment.
• Blog It: Write a blog post about this giveaway with a link to it and make sure to leave a link to your post in the comment.
• Add to (or vote up on) Stumble Upon, Kirtsy, Mommy Blips: make sure to mention who you are on any of those (submitting/voting at each earns a new entry).

Lots of great ways to get entries!  Be sure to leave all your comments by June 24th.  Giveaway open to US addresses only and void where prohibited.

Electrolux Virtual Lemonade Stand

Today I opened my very own lemonade stand!  It isn’t just any Lemonade Stand…nope, just by opening my Lemonade Stand Electrolux donated $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) and allows others to easily donate to this amazing cause as well.

You are more than welcome to donate through my stand, or better yet, open up your very own Lemonade Stand and be entered to win the new French Door Refrigerator by Electrolux.  Then every day you visit your lemonade stand, you will get another entry for the Refrigerator!  I love that they are doing yet another great (and fun) campaign to benefit OCRF!

A little info about the new French Door Refrigerator….

There is the Perfect Temp Drawer™, which provides storage for any number of items that you want to keep at the ideal temperature. It’s also a large enough refrigerator to store everything from party platters to juice boxes. The French Door Refrigerator also offers double the ice so there is always enough ice on hand to fill your pitchers of lemonade.

So, hop on over there and open up your lemonade stand and start sending virtual lemonade to your family and friends…and feel great because you are helping support a cause that is determined to find a cure for Ovarian Cancer!

This post brought to you thanks to Mom Central.

Nanny Deprived Giveaway

There are those shops that you may happen upon once in a blue moon.  The ones that serve a bigger purpose and offer truly unique and functional products at the same time.  I have recently been introduced to just one such shop…Nanny Deprived.

When owner Amanda Cummings contacted me and asked if I would review her Mom T-Shirts, and showed me a few photos to choose from, I was definitely interested (and very excited).  When the T-Shirt arrived, I was thrilled to find that it was just as fun as I had imagined and it fits great!  I wear it all the time!  I am Nanny Deprived.

When I asked Amanda about the birth of Nanny Deprived, this is what she said…

We wanted our site to be more than just a store but more of a shrine to moms filled with fun quotes, poetry, mom facts, story contests, our blog and shopping. We try to find and sell the most fun and functional products for moms!

Their entire line of Mom T-Shirts is definitely a fun place to start, but they offer so many products that moms will love that you must keep looking while you’re there. Their best selling product is Mom Spit, but they also carry amazing products like slings, diaper bags, jewelry, potty training needs, bath and body, great blankets, what seems like everything for baby and MUCH more!

I could seriously go on and on, but instead, I’ll send you over to the shop to get 15% off any order over $20 by using the code FROGGY. Just be sure to do it soon since the offer expires on June 30th!

You may also want to decide what one of your favorite products is while you’re there (let me tell you, that will definitely be a challenge since you are definitely going to love a lot of their products) so that you can come back here and leave a comment to be entered to win your choice of any one Nanny Deprived Mom T-Shirt (non-bling)!

Once you’ve left a comment telling me your favorite, be sure to take advantage of any of these great EXTRA entry opportunities – remember to leave a new comment for each one:

• Tweet It: Twitter with a link to this post and make sure to mention your twittername in your comment.
• Blog It: Write a blog post about this giveaway with a link to it and make sure to leave a link to your post in the comment.
• Add to (or vote up on) Stumble Upon, Kirtsy, Mommy Blips: make sure to mention who you are on any of those (submitting/voting at each earns a new entry).

So, as you can see there are quite a few ways to get entries for this great giveaway!  Just remember, this giveaway is void where prohibited and make sure you leave your comment by June 17th.   Open to US and Canadian addresses.

Windex Outdoor All-In-One

It’s hard to believe that spring will soon be giving way to summer. Not so hard to believe is there’s still plenty of spring cleaning left to do in my home. That’s why I was pleased to try out the new Windex Outdoor All in One window cleaning tool.

Contained in one small box, this product and a garden hose are all you need to get rid of dirt and grime, leaving your windows beautifully clean and streak-free. The easy to assemble cleaning tool allows you to reach as high as 11 feet, so I was able to wash even my large sliding glass doors without the use of a step ladder.

Window washing can be time consuming, but it doesn’t get any quicker or easier than this. Simply spray the windows with a hose, use the cleaning tool and enclosed pad to wipe the windows clean and then rinse off. There’s no need to dry because the sheeting action of the cleaner eliminates streaks and spots.

My windows were now clean but the cleaning pad was still ready for more. It lasts for up to 20 uses, with replacement pads available in many stores.

We are offering 2 readers the opportunity to receive one of these great Windex Outdoor All-In-One starter kits for your home! Just visit their website and check out their video, then come back here and leave a comment telling us why you’d like to win (not “choose me”, “I want to win”, “Great Prize”, etc …those will be deleted as spam).

You can earn extra entries (simply leave a new comment for each extra you choose) by…

• Blog It – write a blog post on your blog linking to this post, just leave us a link to your post in the comments.
• Tweet It – send out a tweet with a link to this post and leave a comment here with your twitter name.
• Stumble It – submit it to stumble to let others know about it.
• Subscribe to It – Subscribe to The Moms Review and leave a comment telling us you do.
• Technorati It – Add this post to your Technorati faves, leave a comment telling us who you are on Technorati.

All of this gives you a grand total of 6 chances for entries!  This giveaway ends on June 10th, is open only to US Addresses and is void where prohibited.

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