Rub-a-dub ABC and 123 toy Review

We recently received the Rub-a-dub ABC and 123 bathtub toy through Growing Tree Toys' Blog Sponsorship Program.  Growing Tree Toys is known for their imaginative learning toys for kids. Be sure to check out all of their educational toys!

As soon as Sydney saw the container of letters and numbers, she HAD to dump them everywhere and tell me what the letters were.  It was pretty funny, but I was worried that she would lose one of the many pieces before they made it to the bathtub!  The Rub a dub ABC set is made by Alex toys and includes 62 foam pieces (2 sets of alphabet letters and numbers 0-9).  These foam pieces are thick, sturdy pieces that will stick to your tub or tile when wet. 

Be sure to check out some of Alex Toys other bath items - they have some VERY unique, fun toys for kids!  I was impressed by their collection because there always seems to be a lack of tub toys in stores for toddlers.  Sydney got the Rub a dub Dirty Dogs as a Christmas present last year and loved them...over the year their spots don't seem to come and go as easily, but she still loves that she has dogs that can play in the tub.

**I received the mentioned Alex Rub a dub ABC and 123 toy from Growing Tree Toys as part of their bloggers network.  I received no other compensation.  See full disclaimer for more information.**

Uncle Goose Toys - Review

As many of you have seen in my pregnancy post, I received these adorable alphabet blocks from Uncle Goose Toys, which is manufactured and distributed by Lindenwood, Inc.  Our whole family has enjoyed these blocks!  They are larger than our other set of alphabet blocks, and therefore are easier for Sydney to hold and stack.  My husband and I use them as a message board on occasion (such as announcing I was pregnant, or just to say I love you).

These are very sturdy blocks, and they came in a nice cardboard case (though we haven’t put them up since we received them)!  They have uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers 0-9, and BUGS!  Yes, these alphabet blocks have pictures and names of bugs, such as bees, wasps, spiders, walking sticks, and many, MANY more!  If you have a bug lover, you need to get these blocks to help teach them letters and numbers, or to work on spelling and reading!  I know these blocks will last for many years…hopefully even through grandkids!

Lindenwood offers a unique selection of blocks.  Check out there selection on their website HERE.

I received a set of blocks from Lindenwood in exchange for my review.  No other compensation was received.  See my full disclaimer for more information.

Classy Sassy Girls - Review

If you have a problem buying all the cute little girl stuff you see: Beware! This this store offers a LOT of cuteness!  Classy Sassy Girls has some amazingly cute little crocheted beanies, pettiskirts, pettirompers, and hairbows!  Their little dresses make adorable flower girl dresses. 

Classy Sassy Girls were nice enough to send me 2 little hairbows to review.  They are small crocheted flowers on a small snappy clip.  They are very well made and are the perfect size for my little girls hair.  My 13 year old sister actually borrowed one from me to wear for awhile, and it looked just as cute in her hair as it did in my 20 month old’s hair!

I just love looking at all of the items Classy Sassy Girls offers!  I’m sure you all will love looking at them as well…so head on over HERE and check them out!

You can find Classy Sassy Girls on Facebook HERE.

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

“Within My Heart” by Tamera Alexander is part of her Timber Ridge Reflections series, but can definitely be enjoyed alone.  This was my first book to read in the series and I enjoyed it and hope to be able to read the other books in the series soon.

This book is set in a small town out west in the wilds of Colorado (back when Wal-mart and cars didn’t exist – I know, forever ago haha).  Rachel Boyd is left a widow with 2 young boys, and a ranch that was her late husbands dream.  She struggles to keep up the ranch and be the mom her boys need. When faced with a loss she simply can’t afford, she’s forced to trust in Dr. Rand Brookston, the one man she has tried to avoid at all costs.  Dr. Brookston tries to prove to Rachel that he is not the arrogant doctor she thinks he is, but realizes that she may be more stubborn that he originally thought.

The characters in this book go through more troubles than I can imagine, although I know people face troubles that are equally as difficult every day.  I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down.  So many things were always at stake for the characters in this book that I just HAD to know what would happen next!  I predicted the ending, but I had no idea how the author would get their, and I was pleasantly surprised by how she did it!

I received “Within My Heart” from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review.  No other compensation was received.  See my full disclaimer for more information.

The Baby Giraffe by Mikelle A. Bryant-Mataya

I received “The Baby Giraffe” by Mikelle A. Bryant-Mataya from Dorrance Publishing in exchange for my review.  I decided to order this particular book because it talked about the baby giraffe who had no one to play with.  Her parents decide to ask God for help, and they have a new baby!  I thought this book might be helpful since Sydney is getting a new baby soon!

The pictures in the book are hand-drawn in black and white so that your children can color them in themselves.  The story is very simple, and talks about the day to day life of the giraffe family.  It talks about the siblings playing and helping each other.  I think Sydney will enjoy coloring the pages of this book, and maybe it will help her adjust to a new sibling.

Masquerade by Nancy Moser

“Masquerade” by Nancy Moser is a Christian fiction novel set in 1886. Charlotte Gleason, the main character grows up in a wealthy home in England. She soon finds herself and her maid, Dora, on a trip to New York to marry a wealthy heir whom she has never met. On the way, her doubts get the best of her and she decides to swap identities with her maid. They both think this is the chance of a lifetime. Charlotte wants a chance at a real life and real love, and Dora is given the chance to live a fairy tale. Will they be discovered? Will they decide that the grass isn’t greener on the other side?

I very much enjoyed this book! I love stories set in the 1800s and early 1900s. I enjoyed the story line, and thought the ending was a great one. If you enjoy reading fiction, I’m sure you will enjoy this one. At the end of the book, the author offers a “Fact or Fiction” section which tells you which parts and settings are actually true, which I thought was very interesting. She also includes pictures of the outfits they discuss wearing in the book, which is helpful when you are trying to picture the lavish outfits they wore. There are also discussion questions for book clubs.

I received “Masquerade” from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review. No other compensation was received. See my full disclaimer for more information.

Madeline's Great Adventure and Madeline: Lost in Paris

Have you heard of Shout! Factory? Even if you haven’t heard of Shout! Factory, I’m sure you’ve heard of some of the DVDs from them. They offer DVDs such as My Little Pony, Jane and the Dragon, Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, and one of my old favorites – Punky Brewster. They were nice enough to send me two Madeline movies to review! They sent “Madeline: Lost in Paris” and “Madeline’s Great Adventure.”

“Madeline: Lost in Paris” is an adventure in which Madeline’s lon-lost Uncle shows up to take her to a new and wonderful home, but soon after leaving the school, Madeline realizes her new home isn’t what she wanted at all! She has to use her courage and her friends to find her way back to the only family she has ever known.

In “Madeline’s Great Adventure,” Madeline and her canine companion Genevieve encounter their very own Arabian lamp, get a visit from a Prince, meet a band of pirates, and even track down thieves! This is a very exciting movie for Madeline and all of her classmates from Miss Clavel’s Parisian school!

I was very excited to receive these because I was pretty sure my 3 year old niece would love them. As soon as I got them, I sent them to her house. She didn’t want to watch them at first because she didn’t think she would like them, but her mom put them in and she realized they were cartoon-like characters. She liked both movies, and I recently snuck them back to my house to see if Sydney would watch them. They actually kept Sydney’s attention for most of the movie, which was surprising to me! She’s used to short, simple story lines, and these are over an hour long. She still seemed to enjoy them!

Check out other movies from Shout! Factory HERE.

I received the two Madeline movies from Shout! Factory in exchange for my review. No other compensation was received. See my full disclaimer for more information.

A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker

I received “A Christmas Prayer” by Amy Parker from Booksneeze in exchange for my review. If you have a blog and are interested in joining Booksneeze, please visit their website HERE.

“A Christmas Prayer” is a short book, written in rhyme. It goes through a simple version of the story of Jesus’ birth, thanking God for each special part of the story. I love that the author points out that Christmas isn’t about toys and dolls, because we are trying to teach that to Sydney already! The first part of the poem says, “So this, my Christmas prayer, is not for toys and dolls- it’s thanking You for Christmas gifts You’ve given to us all.”

I love this book! It is a simple story to share with your toddler about Jesus’ birth and the story of Christmas. I was glad to see that it was a sturdy board book also, because Sydney still hasn’t quite learned to be gentle with paper books. The illustrations, by Marijan Ramljak, were simple and colorful. Sydney likes to help me find the star on the pages.

12 weeks – and morning sickness won’t go away

I’m now 12 weeks along in my pregnancy, and already wishing I were 37 weeks! The morning sickness has gotten better, but still pretty bad some days. While participating in the contest from Mom4Life.com, I came across Psi Bands.

Psi Bands use acupressure therapy to help prevent nausea due to pregnancy, chemotherapy, motion sickness, and many other types of nausea. They cost about $20 for 2 bracelets, which I thought was a small price to pay for relief! I ordered a set of Cherry Blossom Psi Bands (they offer a few different designs), and counted the days until they came in the mail. Luckily, Mom4Life has quick processing and shipping! I tried to put them on when I got them, but it was a little difficult to get them positioned correctly by myself. So, when hubby got home I had him help me re-position them.

I have worn them during the day on several occasions and they do seem to help. I wore one last night while I was asleep instead of taking my prescription medicine, and it helped enough to let me sleep. I didn’t even wake up feeling sick! They do take a little getting used to, and I still haven’t gotten used to wearing the one on my right arm, but for me wearing one seems to help. They are completely reusable and water-proof as well!

If you have nausea, I’d suggest trying these! Especially if you can’t afford a monthly prescription, or if you aren’t able to take nausea medications due to other medications, or if you just prefer the no-drug route!

If you want, you can check them out at Mom4Life…be sure to check out the other great items while you’re there!