Hidden Wisdom in a Confusing World from a Guy

Even though this book is written for guys, it looked like a good book to review.

I have taken those quizzes that ask you about your personality and choices to see if you are more feminine or masculine and I actually got more masculine. Explains why I am a Boy Scout Leader... okay, maybe not, but still. I am not all about pretty make up and dresses, even though I do own some.

I was reading this book and found that the advise was actually quite helpful and straightforward.

Pros:
+ It is an easy and fast read
+ Questions to Consider at the end of the chapters
+ You learn from his experience personally from looking at the people around him rather than ones in the book (isn't that ironic, though? Nice play, Kent, nice play).
+ Although written by a Christian, you don't read from that angle nor do you feel him trying to make you feel less than if you don't believe
+ Gives you non traditional challenges and advise that are far and few between this day in age

Cons:
- Feel that some of the text is drawn out
- It is written as half an autobiography which is fun and helpful but misleading a little bit in the title

Funnies in the book:
"So, considering that what follows is highly embarrassing, if I asked you to simply skip ahead..., would you be kind enough to do so? I didn't think so. Thanks a lot, buddy." This just made me want to read on.

This is an example in the book of how he is really writing on off the cuff and from the heart and does so well. He uses his own words as if he were talking to you to convey his stories, advice, and challenges to you as the reader.

Recommendation:
No matter who you are I highly recommend not only reading this, buying it for the guy in your life, but also to enter to win the title. You can even win it for someone else. 

* I received this book from FlyBy Promotions and City on a Hill press in exchange for my honest review* 

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!



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Is there Magic and Wonder to be Had in Multiplication?

My kids got to review Sunya - The Magic and Wonder of Math and Science Multiplying & Dividing by Sunya Publishing.  

I took the game with me to a face to face event for my kids where my older son goes, and my daughter was waiting outside. So I thought she could brush up on her skills and help introduce her to multiplication. 

At first, it was confusing and I needed to read the directions several times but I finally got it and another scout of mine and girl who goes to the same face to face event joined in on the game. The way learning can truly happen is through games.

This was not as intuitive as I would have hoped so you as a parent will need to completely sit and read the directions as well as play the game yourself before you  include the kids. I do wish it were more intuitive but I do really like this game.

I like that there are different components of learning math that you can do at the same time.  You can do multiplication, division, and word problems. Even if you have younger ones, you can do the multiplication for the older kids and then teach them that the principle of flipping numbers is the same for multiplication as addition while teaching the younger child to add. Yes, I have done this. 

This is a newer company and product. I love that they have given math a fun name! If you look at the book, you will also see they have given you the history of their company and even some really cool information on math and it's history. 

A little blurb about the word Sunya-- the 'u' is pronounced at a 'oo' and comes from Sankrit which is the ancient language of India. Our number system as well started with India over 1,500 years ago! 

Sunya also means without numbers or quantity, so like Uno, you call 'sunya' when you go out. 

This game supports learning math in a fun way that helps build skills without trying to. Things like basic math skills, being multiply and divide, as well as word problems, learn facts about both math and science, use and build creative thinking skills while doing math, and the most important thing, is to have fun while doing it. 

This isn't about sitting at a desk and doing it but taking it with you on the go and doing it while you wait for t ball to end because the older son is too old for t ball but you have to bring him along anyways. He can get special mommy time while we play while the other two do tee ball, and we can get homework knocked out in a fun way. 

Another thing that impressed me about the company was that they supported other companies that help children. Some of these companies are Safe Kids, Kids Health, Missing Kids, Child's Safety, and Mental Health. Any company in support of other companies that help kids are big in my book! 

Come see more what they are about and try them out here: Sunya Publishing

Shepherd the Amazing Little Scientist in Your Home

We haven't had the chance before this to use and review Introductory Science Level B from Science Shepherd but jumped at the chance because my kids love their science.

Especially my older son, LOVES, and I mean LOVES science.

So, when opening the book, I have to say in having a believer and non believer as my children and students, that I was surprised that the first two weeks were religious based. So, for my daughter I would allow her to skip those two weeks to respect her personal belief and allow my son to do it if he wished. I have posted in the past, I am a believer in allowing a kid to explore faith in a wholesome way, but not be forced to do it. So, this part I would live it up to my child.

I love starting this off with The Scientific Method. I think it is a good reminder no matter the level, the process in which one takes to come to a scientific conclusion. It is different than writing or history. So I like that it starts with that.

I also really like that questions are asked within different formats to get students used to different ways to answer questions that they may see later on in life. To expand on that, some of what they use is fill in the blank, multiple choice, short answer, puzzle, video activities, drawing, labeling, etc.

Okay, my favourite week HANDS DOWN was the meteorology week. I like this because it takes what we watch every day on the news and brings into real life and the kids are able to experience it for themselves. I actually have an old fashioned barometer in my house, I love it, and my kids use that to see what the weather would be like.

This course covers dinosaurs, oceanography, motion, astronomy, human beings, animals air, sea, and land, energy, magnets, and much more!

I found this to be SUPER easy for my 4th grader. He would sit down and get this done super fast. Like, a whole unit in a day, fast. He still enjoyed it and learned some new things. The philosophy in my house is that we keep an open mind even on things we know. So he did learn some new things.

My daughter, this was more her speed and she is in the 2nd grade. She liked that the lessons worksheets weren't super long. She learned to show her work in different ways as well.

Overall, I think this is a great course and with a few tweaks, very minor, it could be even better.

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What is Your First Thought When You Think of Stars?

We got the pleasure to review Book of Astronomy Set  by Memoria Press

Surely it must mean the ones in the sky right? Oh you were thinking Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton? Hmm...

When we are teaching our kids more about socio-cultural meanings of the word "star" versus knowing more about the stars in the sky, what does that say about us? Guess what, they are learning more about socio-cultural meanings and realities of what it means to be a star not so much from us even but from what they experience around them.

When it comes to "The Stars"...

We are more apt to name the whose-who of Hollywood than pass the test on what constellations are in the sky. What kind of irony is that? 

It is a GOOD thing we love the Stars in this house!

We could watch the science channel all the time. 

In fact, I remember the first time I took my son into my astrophysics class in college. It was a blast and even though my son was an infant, he must have absorbed so much while I was taking that class because if you asked him what he wanted to be it would be astronomer, astronaut, or baseball player. 

So when we got the chance to review this...

It was a no brainer! 

What we Like:
* The teacher guide helps you teach and know what you are teaching so it is fun for you. I don't know if I am just an astronomy geek but I definitely loved this. 
* You can take this outside and show them at night what they are learning 
* You can use this year round to show the stars in the sky and how they are laid out during each season of the year
* Teaches about each constellation- things I didn't even know. 
* They do a dot to dot constellation so it teaches them about the lines in the constellation
* Teaches them about the Greek myths that go with the constellations
* Teaches about the solar system
* Breaks the planets down by the materials in which they are made of
* Most thorough astronomy plan that is easy to do and understand for parents and kids
* My kids really liked doing this and it didn't feel like school but a fun activity

What we Didn't Like:

* That we couldn't do it at the camp out with our boy scouts because it was rainy! This is definitely a lesson that you can take with you camping or in the dark. One of the best ways to learn. 
* That each kid didn't get a booklet and we didn't have ability to scan but they were at least all able to learn it

I can't wait to...

Use this year round! 

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The League & The Lantern

A new book in a new series is here! And you will be pleasantly surprised, I am sure of it!

 I was very impressed when the book came. It was hardcover and I love hard cover books- they last longer- especially when we love to read a lot. And trust me, we read a lot! Even my kids. This is a great summer time book to read or when you are on a break.

                     

 A Kid's Review

"The story is about a mysterious man who has created a magical lantern that controls something we don't know, at least that's what I read on back of the book, but seriously, the book is really cool. They have three main characters, 2 boy 1 girl. There is also an uncle that is a junk person, so he's really  just a person who takes stuff and makes it new.  From what I've read so far, I have a suspicion that the uncle is the mysterious man who created the lantern. I like the book so far, but I would like it more if they used less words and they had less details. The plot became more darker after chapter 5. I suggest it for 12+ years old. I like that it was signed by the author and it has a good plot. It's a good book for people who like long chapters and scary and dramatic scenes. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars, 1 1/2 stars for plot, 1 star for vocabulary, and 1 star for pure awesomeness. "

                                         Signed,
                                       10-year-old Avi

Since my son has gone over what he has liked and not liked, typing that himself, (see, he read, he typed and learning outside the traditional ways) I will go over a few points and then...

 you should ENTER TO WIN your own copy! (below)

SHHHH! 

If you are a teacher, home school parent, tutor, you may be pleased to know that it has educational value. There are 150 vocabulary words that are meant for middle schoolers.

There is a page on his site for the book where you can access additional things to be able to help your student learn more!  Not many books can say that.

I love reading when you can learn while you do. Learning outside the classroom to enrich reading skills is super important. Vocabulary, history, language arts. It has many historical references which is pretty cool too! So while they get a break from television, they can read a novel that expands their creativity and opens their mind to an adventure.

What the Author Has to Say

"We want The League and the Lantern to not only be a heart pounding, exciting journey for kids, we want it to also inspire them to help others fall in love with reading by giving them their very own copy" ~ Brian Wells

 Come Buy AND give one copy away to another kid! 

Yes you read that correctly! They will giveaway a copy for each bought copy directly from their site! So think birthday and Christmas and even Hannukkah! Give the gift of reading.
Buy it Directly from the book page! 

COME ENTER TO WIN A COPY YOURSELF!

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* I received a copy of the book in exchange for our honest review*

The Magic 13 Tips for Moving Easy with Kids

The Magic 13 Tips on Friday the 13th! Today is going to be lucky, I feel it!

I am moving 4 miles into my new home... my first home.

But... It might as well be 400 miles or 4,000 miles. It makes no difference in moving and packing.
You still have to go through things and throw things out and clean up. You still have to unpack those things and deal with kids running around (if you are a parent or pet owner).

So, after having a Facebook conversation with another mum in the new neighbourhood I am in, whom I met merely through the Facebook group for that neighbourhood, we discovered we had a lot in common. We both have three children around the same age was one of the things we had in common. She asked me about how it was moving with three kids. So that inspired me writing this... because I know I am not the only mum of 3 juggling life, schooling (I home school), sports, scouting, and moving.

#1 Bend the Rules a Little Bit

What... did ... I ... just.... say?!!!

I know, you may think this is crazy but it's not. Think about it. It is a stressful time. And while we are busy packing and getting things ready, they are going to be effected. Allow a little bend in the rules before, during, and after the move for a few weeks to allow yourself and the kids to adjust.

#2 When You Cook, Cook For an Army

Okay, maybe not literally but when you make food, make enough to have leftovers. It allows one less meal you have to cook. I honestly had a crock pot going at the same time I had dinner going. I made two pots of soup at the same time and they are slightly different. If they get hungry, you can point them to leftovers.

#3 Talk to Your Kids

Seems obvious but sometimes we bypass that we need to explain the agenda for the day or answer questions the kids may have surrounding the move or what they are doing for the day. When we ask them to take out the trash and they felt they didn't need to do it and throw a fit about it, it may have nothing to do with the act of taking out the trash but more than that. Explaining why we need help can help them help us when it comes to moving.

#4 Do a Few More Nice Things Just Because

My youngest cried hysterically when he found out we were moving to a new house. At first I was stunned because he had come with my to all the house showings. But he didn't know any other house. So he was going through some stuff emotionally, even if only 5 years old. So I decided, even though we don't eat out anywhere, I would take him to Taco Bell the day we got the keys (it was the closest thing to us around dinner time, please don't judge lol).

Give them extra dessert, extra game time, extra allowance for helping, more free time... whatever it is that your child likes to show them that this is and can be good. It allows them to feel special and that is important especially with moves.

#5 Go Back and Visit the House Before Moving In (if possible)

It allows them to get more familiar with the house and to play in their yard. Dream how they are going to make their room. Build plans for a tree house or garden. You can't always do this but if you can it can ease the transition.

#6 Allow Them to Draw Up Their Own Plans

Allow them to dream about their room and what they want to do with it. It is a big part of their identity at home is their personal space. In the city I live in, Washington DC, you have to get very creative with little space. Something I know New York City and San Francisco can relate to.

When they can dream small and big in their own space, they are more vested in it and want to be there. Even in dreaming big, let them know your capacity to make it happen to.

#7 Allow Early/Late Bedtimes and Sleeping In

I have to even with myself. Allow them to sleep in if they need it, go to bed early or late if they need to. Lax the morning routine or evening routine. I know what I have to go through emotionally isn't easy with moving partially to being up late working and packing. It is a part of life. But so is taking care of ourselves and our little ones when moving.

#8 Have Them Help Pack

It is not something they have to do in helping earn allowance but rather being part of the family and doing what everyone is suppose to do. This is definitely true when they need to pack their clothes and toys. If you have time, have them do it on their own if they are old enough. Have them take out the trash while you are making dinner or go through clothes to see what fits and what doesn't. Every moment counts in packing. I may even have them help with the kitchen packing. It allows them to be part of the process.

#9 Keep as Normal of a Schedule As Possible (with flex)

This means, that if you have sports, still do it. It is good for their brain and it is good for them knowing they will still have baseball practise, or soccer, or drama club. It allows some normalcy in life until their new normal is established.

When moving, there is a lot of unknown in it and the more we can take the unknown out of it for the kids the better. Especially if you aren't moving far, keeping the schedule the same as much as possible let's them know things won't be very different from before. They need the continuity.

#10 Have Them Pack a Suitcase and Pack the Rest

If it is easier, pack all their clothes they need for the week or two in a suit case so you have less to wash and you can pack the rest away to move. It allows your packing to go faster as well. I know with seasons' clothes you can pack the off season away right away. But with other clothes, it is easier to wash less clothes and just do the week's worth of clothes rather than them going through all their clothes in those weeks and having a huge set of loads to do at the end.

Something about keeping it simple that is nice.

#11 Have Them Help Freecycle/Garage Sell/Donate Items

This can bring out the entrepreneur skills in the kids. They can help go through their toys for example and find out what they want to keep and what they want to get rid of. You can even find a worthy cause to help them realise what they can do to help someone else. Choose something that even may be close to their hearts (and have them help decide). If you have more than one kid, have them all choose their own charity if they want. I know mine can't agree on what they want for dinner, so choosing different charities could be good too.

Have them help pick what they want to sell as well.

#12 Everyone Just Needs Extra Space... Especially Siblings

Allow them to take more quiet time. I know mine get along but also fight. Because every set of sibling does this. If they do, then you can tell them they can take extra quiet space to colour, draw, dance, invent science experiments, play games, meditate, sleep, whatever they need to.

Don't give them a time, allow them to take the time they need. It allows for everything in the move to sink in and no hard feelings to transfer from moving to the new place. You want the energy to start off right in the new house and mounting stress can take away from that.

Also, take time yourself. Allow extra rest and time to go through what you need to during the move. You don't always know what will come up emotionally, or even just how tired packing can make you.

#13 Set a Fun Family Activity Ahead of Time To Celebrate in the End

It is only right for you to... CELEBRATE your move! Come up with a plan together as a family what you want to do after you move and budget for it! If you are like me, buying a house represents everything I have worked for and struggled with in my life. I am so proud of my achievement. You should be too of yours!

Even it is camping out in your back yard or going to the zoo, or buying each kid a toy. Do something to celebrate the move so you can enjoy the new life you are creating together.

Channel Your Inner Artistic Pursuits 1 Skill At a Time

My kids loved reviewing 4-5 Book One by ARTistic Pursuits Inc.

Overall, I really liked ARTistic Pursuits. I like that it introduces concepts that I learned back when I was a kid. Speaking from seeing other art programs can do, I really like this one. There is a place for the history kind of art, which is most prevalent to art in schools and then realistic and inspired art which is where this comes into play. Historical art, most found in public schools, is just as much of learning about the history of the art piece and recreating it. There are not many ways to create and move beyond what is given to do. But with realistic and inspirational art assignments it takes real life and allows you to see art in all things. I like this!

What I like about ARTistic Pursuits is that it really shows that we can make all kinds of art based off of what the weather is like outside, what is making news, what the playground looks like, taking a collage and drawing that collage. It helps students to think of Art in a real life way.

Then you go into different techniques that some adults don't learn until an art course in college but it makes it easy to understand for kids. You can learn many different styles, find your style and go with it.

My kids were like, "uh, another one?" 

We are moving and it has been stressful and busy. So this I thought would be perfect in them doing this because it could be fun, cover math and art and be low key. They ended up liking it once we were doing it. They loved using a ruler and I think the grid method was perfect for them. It broke it down so they were free drawing but they were being more methodical about how they were going to do it.

They took a picture from the magazine, a picture of their choice, and we got the ruler out. They learned how to measure the picture. They learned how to measure it which is learning math and art. They learned how to make their own grid and how to evenly space their lines.

They then drew a grid on their paper. They started to draw what they saw from the magazine page to their page. They had a lot of fun doing it and I think the grid lesson was perfect for them to give them "guidelines" while allowing them to think outside the box and add things.

After they did the lesson they had fun adding suns and other personal touches to their art pieces.

Things I love about this:

* My Kindergartner could do it with my 4th grader.
* Skills are basic and instructions are written out
* Allows the kids to observe the world around them and draw it or paint it
* They learn different techniques as a lesson
* They can take their time in understanding the technique
* They can do as one lesson or break apart into several lessons

Things I think can be improved:

* That there be workbooks for the kids that compliment the teachers book (If there is one, I wish there could have been available for review as well)
* To finish the lesson, it took longer than just your typical hour. If they could break up each lesson to separate lessons. The example being, we did grids and what they covered in one sit down was more than they could do as a one hour art class. Needless to say, they get the concept but want to really get everything right about each step.

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Awesome Girl Scouts Learn How to Patent That!

There was a great program today for girl scouts in the Nation's Capital at United States Patent and Trademark Office. They headed the Intellectual Property patch program for the girl scouts. .

I can honestly say that I don't know who it was more interesting for... the girls or the parents.

So goes the story that the head of the USPTO is now a woman and a former girl scout and it was important to her to reach out to the girls and give them inspiration. I know that I wish I had been a girl scout growing up because it seems that they were given tools to do some pretty radically cool things... you know, like making inventions and heading USPTO.

Behind the us (myself, my son Avi, my brownie Via, and my Junior Katelynn) is Lisa Seacat DeLuca from IBM. She is just freaking amazing! Like, Awe-mazing! She is down to earth, problem solver, and inspiring. She has two sets of twins (including 8 month olds), and invents so many things. She thinks outside the box. She finds a problem and tries to patent the solution. How freaking cool and inspiring is that?

Can you tell I am a fan of her? She was awesome with the questions the kids had, even when she got asked the same one twice back to back. She has done so many things and just maintained the balance in life I wish to aspire to. So inspired by her.

Lisa has 400 patents to her name currently becoming IBM's biggest inventor and more coming in. You can see her TED talk here. She wrote a book teaching kids binary. She is currently looking to get a patent on seat-shares at baseball stadiums. She is currently getting patents on many cool things that as a parent you would like, as a business person you would like, and just as you as a person would like. She is just freaking inspirational and cool!

You can learn more about Lisa DeLuca here

I so wish that more of my girls were able to go. Two of them went with me. My boy scout Webelos son even came with us. Let's say he was less than thrilled about going to a girl scout event. He left with feeling he learned a lot as well and had a lot of fun too. He couldn't wait to share his invention with the group and insisted on sharing.

We got to go around to booths were they meet inventors, investors, lawyers of all kinds. I even learned that for some patent lawyer companies the degrees required are insane. For example, there was someone there from the health department and they had patented something that gets used in the ER (spacing the name of the product). The lawyer there said she had to have had a degree in health sciences as well as working in the field plus a law degree to show they had enough knowledge to be able to be a health patent lawyer! Talk about a lot of school!

So not only did you learn things- you got related swag!

They did a puzzle with the invention instructions on it to get the emoticon pillows. They got a solar calculator, colour changing cups based on temperature, and more.

They answered questions to Hewlett Packard lawyers to get a lamp. My son decided to be a smartie pants and ask the question of whether Albert Einstein's brain was bigger or smaller than the average human brain. He told them it was smaller by 2.1 ounces and stunned the lawyer who said she had no idea.

Here is some pictures of the beginning-- what is really cool...

The USPTO got it's first woman head and she is the one who spoke at the beginning. I saw her prepping ahead of talking to the girls and it just shows how amazing she is. She took her role of talking to the girls and inspiring them to a whole new level. I loved it.

All the presenters were high up in the office and a lot of them were former girl scouts.

I think they had the right mind frame- it is not for Daisies. Brownies on up are perfect for this. Brownies may miss some of the main points but I think overall they did well with it. The exposure alone is a great thing for them to want to invent things.

I think they inspired not only my scouts but also me. So it was an all win day for us!

Want them to come speak with your group/scouts?

If you go to their site you can let them know you want them to come speak to your group about patents and liability as well. They will pair you with someone or people that are around you.

I can't even begin to say how inspiring it was! I can't wait to do this again next year with my troop.

Here is Lisa DeLuca's 'Mashable Day in a Life of" Series. 

BE INSPIRED!

How to Declutter Your Home, Mind and Soul

Are you moving? Have your kids grown up?
Can you walk peacefully in your house without it being more about what is there?

I know I am in the midst of moving a house pretty much on my own right now with three kids in tow all the time to sports, testing, homeschooling things, on top of being a scout leader to 67 other kids.

Needless to say, that the time I get to sit for a few minutes let alone clean behind the couch is times of far and few between.

There is a book, "Unstuffed: Decluttering your Home mind and Soul" from New York Times Bestselling author Ruth Soukup, that I am reviewing.

I love that this book is honest from the start in painting a picture many people struggle with. We all collect things whether intentionally or unintentionally throughout the years. Whether we choose to have a proactive approach to changing the lifestyle in which we lead or not is up to us.

In This Book

Home

+ Quick Wins
+ Quick Tidy Habits
+ Fill in the Blanks
+ F.R.E.E. concept of space
+ The Unstuffed Weekend Challenge
+ How to get the kids involved

Mind

+ Physical Red Flags
+ Emotional red flags
+ Relationship red flag
+ Spiritual red flags
+ Pratcical red flags
+ How to create practical family schedule
+ Simple paper storage solutions
+ Memories (in stuff)
+ Dealing with gifts
+ Support and letting go

Soul

+ Cultivating Real Friendships
+ What do real relationships look like
+ Setting boundaries
+ Basic Rules for any relationship
+ How to gauge your Stress

This easily has become one of my favourite books to use and read while packing to leave this place and move on to the next place. There is nothing like being able to purge on all levels so we can move on and up.

I definitely suggest this book. It is easy to read, great ideas, prompts. Everything you could want in a book to help you be able to move on and move up in life instead of being bogged down by the clutter of things.

This has become one of my top reads. Super duper practical and I am putting it to immediate use!

*I received this book in exchange for my honest review*

Get More ideas and help at: LivingWellPlanner.com or unstuffed.com

5 Awesome Things to Protect Yourself Today

I got to review some amazing products from Damsel in Defense, Mia Redd. I met her through my aunt buying through her and it has been great getting to know her. She is from California (go Cali girls). She works for the Los Angeles Superior Court in the Traffic Department. (Hey, Mia, as a side note, when I come out later in the year, if I get a ticket in So Cal, can you waive it for me? Just kidding-- I don't think I will be driving.) She is working on making her Damsel in Defense something she can do full time. So, after you read this, go to the links below and support her either by liking her page or ordering from her!

What I am reviewing!

* The Road Trip Emergency Flashlight
* The Hard Shelley Card Holder
* The Door Step
* The Holler Hers
* The Sock it to Me

These are some of the most common and widely used and needed tools from Damsel in Defense beyond the pepper spray.

Why is that?

You guessed it! They are the most needed and most common things you can get to protect yourself. The Hard Shelley Card Holder for example, someone had asked about when I had gone into my kid's school. Turns out, the grandmother of the parent was so concerned about what she saw on the news about people being able to carry around card readers that could read your credit cards without touching them. This would allow them to steal your credit card number plus all the information that is stored on it. This scared the grandmother so the parent's present that Christmas was ironically the Hard Shelley.

Let's look at the benefits of each of them!

The Road Trip Emergency Flashlight

* Has many capabilities built into one
* Perfect for the mum on the go
* Seat belt cutter
* Glass breaker
* Flashlight
* Beacon
* Alarm (110 decibel)
* magnetic
* water resistant

This is one of my favourite and most used.

Why?

I can take this with me in the car, on scouting camping trips, and so much more. For the car-- you can use this to protect your loved ones if something happens and it is a matter of life and death you can cut the seat belts and get your kids out of the car. Huge benefit. This is something medical first responders use when there is an accident. It is like putting some power back in your hands. The same with the glass puncher.

As weird as it sounds, it is actually PERFECT for camping. My kids tried to used the magnetic part of the flashlight to find gold-- no luck but good try. LOL. The light is pretty bright but not super overwhelming so they can walk to the bathroom. If there is a reason to call me, they can flash the red light and or use the alarm so I can come to them (if they are walking in buddies to the bathroom or down a trail).

Seriously, LOVE.

 BEST flashlight ever!


The Hard Shelley Card Holder

This is one I get asked on when I whip out my wallet- because this functions as one as well as protect you.
* Can hold up to 12 cards
* Protective aspect that keeps your information free of stealing  (blocking of RDIF signals)
* Small
* Cute
* Compact
* lifetime warranty with proof of purchase

This is another one of my favourites. I feel way safer having my metro card for the bus in here, my credit cards, my drivers license and so much more. I don't like the feeling of being worried about my card numbers being read and then my information being stolen. If you have ever had identity theft happen, it is not pleasant. It is scary and you feel robbed, exposed, and unprotected. So why would you not buy this and protect yourself?

Really, it is the perfect stocking stuffer every person needs- and yes, I am already talking Christmas. Good to plan ahead and protect those you love right?

The Door Step

This is great for those that live in the city. Why? It is helpful in protecting yourself.
* Allows you to put behind the door before you go to bed- if anyone opens the door, it blares a loud noise that will wake up the entire house
* 120 decibel alarm
* motion sensor
* adjustable sensitivity
* It works by placing at the door and when the metal piece is touched it will alarm
* Love that it has a sensitivity mode so those people who are sensitive to noise can still hear it without it being or becoming irritating.
* Perfect for everyone especially the mum who stays home with the kids or even when he is away on trips

Thankfully we have not had this go off yet but that shrill of the alarm is something else. It lets me go to bed easier knowing that my kids and I will be protected. Living in the city means that with all the good also comes the need to be cautious and protective of your family. This will give your reassurance.

Holler Hers

* I absolutely LOVE this because it is small and makes you feel safer walking down the streets in the city
* 120 decibel alarm
* Goes right onto your key chain
* LED Light (separate from alarm)
* You can activate the continuous alarm
* I did have this once go off in my bag and thought I set a car alarm off-- so it is loud
* GREAT for KIDS especially those that walk to school.
* The alarm will scare off someone trying to attack you or even your kiddos

Another one of my favourites. I know, I have a lot. But with these products, it's hard not to.

Even though I have accidentally set it off in my backpack already, it also makes me feel extremely protected. I can literally put on my kids' backpacks as they are walking to school and they would be protected. Can't beat that!

Also, if someone is threatening or follows me (which has happened once in the last 5 years living here in D.C.) I can turn the alarm on and I bet it would have scared the person off who was drunk and staggering. It allows you to protect yourself and let them know that you mean business.

The Sock It to Me

* Can go on your key chain
* Looks funny and becomes a "topic of discussion"-- aka, someone thought I would carry a sex toy on a key chain LOL. We had a good laugh for about 30 minutes where we all turned beet red. LOL.
* Legal in all states
* Allows you to strike someone who is attacking you giving you the ability to run away
* It is lightweight but a heavy duty tool (be careful and handle with care)
* Lots of colours you can choose from.

Haven't had to use, but great conversation starter. I like having this on my key chain so I know that I can protect myself and when someone sees that, they hopefully will have the smarts to know better and walk away.

Why Should YOU be Getting Any or All of These?

It's simple really. A no brainer if you will. Why?

* Protecting Yourself
* Protecting Your Kids
* Make Great Presents for graduation, anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays
* It can SAVE YOUR LIFE! Or that of someone you love.
* Crimes these days are either benign and unseen so you need things like  Hard Shelley to protect your identity or they are over the top and you need to protect your family in the middle of the night or walking down the alleyway.
* Can use them in the city to help you feel safer- if anything, it is a confidence booster
* Products are guaranteed for the life that you own them! Not many companies back it up like that!
* You can use them EVERYDAY!

So don't hesitate today!

Want to get ahold of the person who provided them to me to buy some of your own?
Mia Redd-- missioninaction.biz and like her on Facebook at facebook.com/miapro9048

Happy Mother's Day: 43 Letters of Struggles & Hope

Happy Hump Day! That's right, it's Wednesday when you are in the thick of the week, shuffling kids round, getting school stuff done, figuring out weather schedules and spring sports, homework, working, cleaning, not to mention a moment to sit for a minute.

Have you ever had the day where you wish that you had someone that understood the struggles you are going through? You are stuck in the situation where you think that you are the only one that has that particular situation going on. Why we think this as mothers? Because at that point we are overwhelmed, sleep deprived, stressed and still have an ever growing list of things we have to do.

In honour of Mother's Day, you can read this book, "The Mother Letters: Sharing the Laughter, Joy, Struggles and Hope".

It is a great gift for yourself or someone else, a sister, mother, friend.

It is a great encouragement. Each letter is from someone different who has had struggle, pressure from outside or within that had not helped.

Things I love about this book;

1) This was started by the husband to encourage his wife and it took off into a project of it's own
2) It is a letter/short story book, so it's an easy read
3) These are real women, writers, and bloggers that are coming together to inspire
4) They are real stories from mums, some good and ugly
5) You don't have to read it all at once, you can break it into parts
6) Portable and small to fit into my bag
7) The names and social media accounts for the bloggers are on there if I want to follow them

In a world where we are divided between politics, talks about racial differences (which recently was a hot heated debated going on between a few parents), clothes and jewelry, packing and moving, judging each other's schooling decisions, making sure dinner is on the table, what sports they are in, etc etc. We can look at all the differences we have, or we can unite as parents/mums and look out for each other.

I think this is a good and stark reminder what we have gotten lost in and what we really have in common. If you have a mother, sister, teacher, friend who would benefit from this- you should get this as a present for them for Mother's Day!

Buy it here on Amazon as a gift- you won't regret it! 

7 Things You Can Hide As a Damsel in Defense

Oh, this post, is all about protecting yourself!
No hiding anything, just protecting oneself.

As a woman, with kids, I know how it is to need to protect yourself.
I live in the city, you can't just leave something hanging out in a car- that is asking to be broken into. Instead, you have to be extra vigilant to protect your belongings. Truth.

So I am reviewing the Sassy spray/lotion and no, it is not pepper spray. It is a container that you can use to protect yourself by simply not putting on display what you have. You put in it things you normally would have in the back pocket or in your jacket pocket. You take those keys out and throw them on the table or the cash you have when you come into the house or hotel and it isn't the best idea.

Let's speak it from the aspect of having kids. Any mum can attest to having their kid go through their purse. They like to rummage through it. Think about if you leave cash or your keys or jewelry even on the table, say, in the hotel room while traveling and they somehow get it and think it is the perfect time to play hide and seek. This happens. Oh yes it does. And the last thing you want is to be pissed because you can't find something. Imagine being able to put all this into a jar to prevent it from ending up in 5 different places. Plus, your kids are not apt to want to play with hair spray or lotion bottles. So your things are kept safe so you can access them the minute you need them.

This allows you, especially when traveling, to be discrete about what you have. You must have something like this to protect your stuff. What I like about this is that you have something so practical as your diversion. Hair spray or lotion. Nothing more practical than that for a woman. You either use hair spray or you use lotion. If you don't, you are one of the few.

So what kinds of things can you put into your spray/lotion diversion container?

1. Money
2. Medicine
3. Jewelry
4. Your Damsel in Defense Holler Hers Alarm
5. Portable sewing needle and thread
6. First Aid Kit Stuff
7. Anything Small

And that is JUST the beginning. You can add anything. Anything you need or want to hide when you need to. You can throw this to the bottom of your bag, put it on your table, in your bathroom, and even throw on the floor in the car and the appeal to want to take whatever is in there is none! How cool is that?

This has to be one of the most ingenious ways to protect your self in an easy and practical way.
My biggest thing is that they need to bring back the lotion bottle because practically not all women use hair spray so it assumes that when making them what women use most. If we want to make it most affective, we have to make it practical. If my kids know I don't use hair spray they may wonder what's up. Hahaha.

I also would love to see them make one that is flatter because I would love to be able to fit even my Damsel in Defense RDIF credit card holder in there as well. That would be even more rad and practical.

You can order yours here from Keri who has given me this product in exchange for my honest review. I was not asked or forced to write a positive review at all.

7 Perfectly Easy Tips For Your Kitchen When Moving

When you are moving you are going through so much in each room that you are not aware of some of the things you had at the time. So not only are you going through the crazy emotions of moving and or buying a house like I did, you have to clean and really go through more emotionally. You think it would be better with move after move, but it may not get easier for you!

I made the decision to make one of my new years resolutions, like you might have to buy a house and it took only 5 months to find it. But here we are.

So I am going to start with giving you some advise I have learned over the years, very simply and practical tips for your kitchen!

1) Don't Buy More Food

Even comfort food!!! This will save you money and keep you from buying things you may not need in the food department. If you need a gallon of milk that is one thing or a head of broccoli. But when you go shopping for food, shopping for the meal is harder than shopping for a few weeks so even if you try you are more likely to pick up more than you actually need. So keep it minimal.

2) Try to Use All the Food You Have in Stock 

I keep stock for emergencies- should the power go out, etc etc.
Instead of having to lug that all the way to the new house, regardless if it is a mile or across country, it is a good idea to use what you have in your cupboards before moving. You bought it after all.

3) Go Through Each Drawer and Get Rid of What You Haven't Used in a Year

Sounds like, duh, "why would you have something you haven't used in over a year?" But believe it or not it is more common than you think. I just found a cast iron skillet which I love, that I haven't used in a while. I will keep that, but I will get rid of the two pitchers I haven't used in over a year. It takes up space I don't have!

My real estate agent: Jaime's State of the Real Estate Market

4) Use Your Tupperware When Packing

It doesn't have to be for kitchen things either. But do go through your tupperware. Use it for crayons, use it for paper clips, whatever it is that you need to use it for to save space from moving things or throwing things in boxes. It will also serve the purpose of making sure you that you have the lids to all your tupperware so you kill two birds with one stone. Yay!

5) Get Rid of the Kid Ware You Don't Need Anymore or Use for Camping

Your toddlers are not toddling anymore and you still have those babyware or toddlerware? You can plan on making what are called mess kits which are kits with a plate, bowl, fork, spoon, knife, cup so when you go camping you can have a set. It saves money both for camping and saves space in your camping stuff.

I made a resolution to stop being hard on myself and buy a house. 

6) Make Pre Made Meals to Aid in Traveling/Moving

You can make more food for the road if you are traveling far like muffins or anything like that. You can also make freezer dinners so when you move into your new house even a mile away you don't have as much to worry about in moving. You can pop out a dinner for the kids while you melt into a puddle trying to gather yourself to unpack that last box.

7) If Moving Close, Bring Your Kitchen Things and Put Them Right Away

If you are moving close by, move one room at a time. With the kitchen, you should move the things and put them away as if you are already there and getting home from a grocery shopping trip. This will make it easier to assimilate to living there then just throwing boxes on the floor. Especially if you are moving into a smaller place than what you are used to or not used to the dynamics of the house.

Am I Doing it Too? 

When I say I am taking my own advise, I am. All of these things I am giving you tips on, I will and am doing right now! Yes, that means lots of dry beans made into many different bean dishes plus more. So here goes the advise!

Foster the People SOS Series: The Inspiration

I was inspired. Maybe I should have done this a long time ago.

I started this to not only inspire, be inspired, but to bring together awareness for foster care since May is foster care awareness month. On top of that, to also to create a community.

Today is May 1st and all throughout the month of May, I will have people who have experienced hardship (as stated below) share their stories-- myself included.

This series is not just for foster kids- it is for wards of the court, refugees, homeless, or anything of the sort that we have experienced as children. If you have, I would love for you to join the series here!

Why Join? 

You can tell any or all parts of your story. You can remain anoyn if you wish to. The point is to inspire and grow together!

Put the past behind you, right?

Yes, but no. There is something to be said for holding fast on lessons learned from the past. There is a way to hold onto the lessons that have been learned and moving forward at the same time.

This does not mean holding onto negativity at all but moving forward. In my opinion, in any situation you can see it with darkness or with light. It is a choice. Whether we stand still long enough to change that direction is up to you.

This does not mean that you live day to day as if the past is following you- I mean, you can, but what is the point? It is the point of making that you take what has happened and move on from it. You grow from it and you put those lessons so to speak in an archive. You only access them when you need to, when it benefits you for growth, or you use it to help others.

Why a community for this?

Because at the end of the day, we are not all so different. You can come from any walk of life but at the end of the day, put together 50 people who were in foster care and even though their experience won't be remotely similar or the same, they already have a bond- something in common.

When someone says to me that they were a foster child, it is not just the human bond that automatically brings us together. There is a mere deep understanding even at the surface level without having to say a word.

That person no longer is just a stranger with those two words. They are more than that.

Why do a Series for it?

Most people who were in foster care may say that it is not a proud moment for them. They did not cause this. So my point in having people join this series is to show how powerful stories are, how they can help, and also to have it be part of a growing process (both individually and collectively).

Also, not any two stories are a like. Foster kids or former foster kids are like snowflakes that way. Why do I say that? Because unlike your average neighbourhood kids and all their coolness, foster kids have been through more. More than some adults have.

Some kids end up in foster care by chance or by one stupid decision on the act of the parent. Or even the beautiful act of the parent knowing they couldn't care for the kid- which is the opposite end. But sometimes it is that those kids really have been through things that nightmares are made of.

JOIN US + TELL YOUR STORY- Sign up here! 

http:bit.ly/1qpfE9B

Why do the people need to hear this? 

Just as I show in my recent article about the 5 Reasons the Race Question is a Toxic Crisis this stands to show that for similar reasons we stereotype people who have or are in foster care. We tend to try to draw our own conclusions not just about the past of a foster child, but where they are and where they are headed.

People need to understand, that the same point that I bring up about race, is the same point I will make about those that are or have been in foster care. We are all the same when you turn out the lights. You can't distinguish by looks who those are that have been in foster care.

We need to break these barriers down slowly and with force. Society needs to hear YOUR story and your struggles AND your triumphs because when we do, we can band together to understand it and move forward. We can look at this as a community within, not a community without.

We need to show to those are currently in the situation that they have a way out! They can break the barriers and it doesn't matter if they end up working at McDonalds or Target or being CEO of Apple. It matters that they try and grow!

So join the series here and tell your story because if you leave it unsaid, it won't help, but if you do, you can be part of a really cool movement.