Book Review: The 5 Love Languages of Children

     I was recently asked to review the book "The 5 Love Languages of Children" by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell. The book "The Five Love Languages" was originally written by Gary Chapman for couples, but found that the same principles could also be applied to how you love and treat your children.
     The premise of the book is that there are five love languages and everyone "speaks" one more dominantly than the the others. Whatever your child's "primary language" is, that is the one that will be more effective at communicating with the child on an emotional level, and will thus make him/her more responsive.
     The five love languages are physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts and acts of service. There is a whole chapter for each of the love languages as well as chapters on discovering your child's language and how they affect discipline and learning.

     Here is a basic summary of the five languages, though you will want to read the book for more detail and how to apply them effectively. 

     1. Physical Touch--These children will be more responsive to physical contact, such as hugs, a pat on the back and even play-wrestling.

     2. Words of Affirmation--This means the children need to know you are proud of them and that their efforts are appreciated, even if they don't do something perfectly. 

     3. Quality Time--This child responds more to getting to spend time with you. Even if it's just tagging along with you to the store you are doing something together. 

     4. Gifts--These don't necessarily have to be expensive, or even bought gifts. Just a token that shows them you were thinking about them while you were away. 

     5. Acts of Service--This includes things like packing their lunch before they go to school, helping them with homework or bringing them a snack. 

     All of these things are important, of course, and are generally appreciated, but certain things mean just a little more than others. And these principles can be applied to any relationship--especially marriage. There is even a chapter on Marriage and the love languages and I think the original book was written for marriage.

     So I found it a very useful book and look forward to applying the principles as my children get older. For now, they really need them all equally. I'm still trying to pinpoint my husband's "love language" and even my own. I'm sure I will be holding onto this book for a while, and may even try to get him to read it! 
     *I received this product in exchange for my honest review through Mom Spark Media. All opinions expressed are my own.*

June Teethe Me Box

     I got another Teethe Me box this past week. It was at a discounted price again this month, so I decided to get it. While these products may be worth a whole $24 (in fact the info sheet that comes with the box says they are worth $66) they are mostly things I probably would not have bought myself. And for someone trying to cut back on and get rid of unnecessary items, that's not a great thing.

     While it is fun to receive a box of surprises, I just can't find that it is worth $24 a month to me. So, here is what was in the box: 

     1. Swaddle Designs Lovie--This is a small blankie. The one I got had Minnie Mouse on it. Which is nice because Kay-kay really likes Minnie Mouse.

     2. iplay Sunglasses--These are toddler sunglasses, but they're actually worn more like goggles. Which on one hand is good, because they won't break as easily and they stay on better. They look kinda goofy to me, though. 

     3. NuturMe babyfood--I got this in last month's box. I think it's funny these are included as if they are part of the package even though they were supposed to replace the ones that we weren't supposed to use from last week's box. But they gave us four packs instead of two this time. either way, I'm sure they will all get used.

     4. City Grips--These are handle covers for your stroller. It seems like kind of a gimmicky thing to me and I'm not too crazy about the color scheme. Also, these kind of covers won't work with my type of stroller. 

     5. Little Pim Language DVD--This DVD is supposed to teach my toddler some Spanish words. We haven't watched it yet, so I can't say how great it is, but I've read some less-than-enthusiastic reviews about it. 

     If you feel like this is something you feel would be useful to you, you can subscribe here and get 20% off your first month's box. I don't feel it's really for me, but it may be for you.

Summer Spruce Up Cravebox

     I got my Summer Spruce-up Limited edition Cravebox recently. This was honestly the only one of the limited edition boxes I was interested in. The others are themes that are not really relevant to me. But check them out to see if you might be interested in one. There are four you can still sign up for, and there are more spots available than in the regular subscription box program. The boxes are still $10.

     I was moderately impressed with my Summer Spruce up box. Most of these are probably things I would not have tried otherwise, but glad to get them just the same. And they came just in time, since I needed to clean that day because hubby's parents were coming in that night!

     1. Mr. Clean Bliss Gloves--I'm happy to get these just because I've been meaning to get a pair of cleaning gloves and have always forgotten to get them when I'm at the store. I will feel so much better cleaning the toilet with these protecting my hands from germs!

     2. Bar Keeper's Friend Cleanser and Polish--This scouring powder claims it will remove rust and clean stainless steal. Well, it cleaned the tub pretty good, but didn't get the "white rust" or whatever it is off the tub spicket with any amount of scrubbing. And I didn't really care for the smell. But I will still use it because I don't want to waste it! 

     3. Dawn Duo Sponge Cloth--I haven't gotten to use this yet, but it looks interesting! It is a dish cloth that has a scrubby side and a smooth side. You can wipe counter tops with it too. 

     4. Sprayaway Glass Cleaner--"World's Best glass cleaner" Well, that's debatable. I used it to clean the mirror in the bathroom and it still seemed a little foggy to me. I even used two different cloths to clean it. 

     5. Glad Tall Kitchen bags--This one was actually a coupon for a free bag (which I haven't used yet). But we can always use garbage bags! 

     Make sure you check out Cravebox and maybe try to get on one of the special edition boxes if you're interested. It is kinda fun getting a box of "surprises" and the stuff is generally worth more than the $10 you pay for the box, even if the items are not things you would normally think to purchase!

Storyland Yoga Product Review

     I've had the opportunity through tomoson.com to review the Storyland Yoga DVD from Playful Planet. Storyland Yoga is yoga for kids. It is a yoga DVD that is geared toward young children (ages 3-8). It makes yoga and fitness fun for children through story telling.

     I was interested in this DVD because my daughter often tries to imitate me when I do yoga on my Wii Fit game. She is too young to do many of the poses properly, but I think it is good for her to get in the habit, and as she gets older she will get better at it.

     The Storyland DVD uses interactive story-telling to get kids interested in yoga. For example, pretending to be a snake or mermaid or sailing a boat are all yoga poses.

     There are two different stories to choose from: Condor Trek and Save the Whale. Several of the poses in each of these stories are the same, though they are called by different names. And although the instructor only did each pose a short time, it still gives you a workout.

     Mostly I had to do the workout too before my daughter would do it. Some of these moves made me feel old! Especially the ones where you have to jump from one pose to another! So I had to rest at various intervals. It was super-cute watching her do the yoga poses, though! And she will sometimes say she wants to watch "yoga." 

     If you have kids you are trying get more active or want to introduce your children to yoga, this a great choice for a kids yoga DVD! And if you do it with them, you might get a nice little workout yourself! 

     Go here to read more about the DVD. You can purchase the DVD on amazon or download the individual stories here. The individual stories are cheaper, but the DVD has a bonus feature that shows various poses, some of which I don't recall seeing in either of the stories. 

     Make sure you also check out the Playful Planet website for lots of other resources for teaching your kids about health, fitness and conservation. 
 

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

Filipo Berio BzzCampaign

     I was really excited to into the Filipo Berio olive oil BzzCampaign. I use olive oil quite a bit and olive oil is one of those "healthy fats" we're supposed to have more of. So I use it for cooking, roasting, salads, etc. The only problem is the bottle didn't last too long! So here are some of the things I used my Filipo Berio for: 
     I used it along with vinegar for my salads. I really liked the way you could drizzle just a little out of the spout! I don't need salad dressing--just olive oil and vinegar for me!

     I used my Filipo Berio for roasting vegetables, like asparagus , eggplant or potatoes. I also used it for basting or marinating meat.

     I also used my olive oil in homemade pizza crust.

     Other things I made with the olive oil include hummus and tabouleh, dipping oil for bread and pasta tossed with chicken and cherry tomatoes! So these are all ways to use olive oil. Of course there are many other things to use olive oil for, but my bottle was only 8 oz. I guess you can see why it went so fast! I love olive oil! 
*I received this product complimentary via BzzAgent. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Skillet Pumpkin Sauce Review

     I recently got the opportunity through Tomoson.com to try out Skillet Pumpkin sauce. You may recall last week when I did a review on Skillet Bacon jam and Skillet Pumpkin sauce is from the same company. 

     There are four flavors of the Pumpkin sauce to choose from: Thai Coconut, Chipotle, Apple Vinegar and Brown Sugar. i chose to review the Chipotle flavor. 

     When I first opened my jar and smelled it, the first thing I thought of was barbecue. Which makes sense, since chipotle is kind of a southern flavor. We used it in homemade salsa first. 
     Other things I would use it for are shredded chicken bbq sandwiches, chili or burger flavorings. The pumpkin sauce does not have as many calories as the bacon jam did. I would like to try another flavor next time--I'm sure they all have their uses! 
     If you want to find out more about the Skillet Pumpkin sauce or their other products, make sure you check out their website. You can direct any inquiries to them at eat@skilletstreetfood.com

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

Trudeau Stress-Less Review

     I was super-excited to get to test a set of stress-less kitchen gadgets from Trudeau. I was given six different products to test out. The stress-less products are touted as putting less stress on your hands as other products with similar functions. 

     1. Stress less Safety can opener--This can opener works differently than the can opener that we grew up with. It was a little confusing at first, but I eventually got it. It uses a hand crank instead of the little knob you use your fingers to twist. I couldn't say that this one was better or worse than the traditional can-opener--just different. 

     Another difference is where the can opener cuts. With the traditional can opener, the cut is just inside the lip of the lid. With the Trudeau can opener, the cut is under the lip of the can. I couldn't tell it was cutting at first, until I smelled the contents and looked more carefully. A down side to this can opener is that it makes it more difficult to drain liquid out. I'm used to pressing down with the lid to drain excess liquid, but the way the Trudeau ca opener cuts makes it harder to get all the liquid out. 

     2. Stress Less Garlic Press--This garlic press really works the same as the other garlic press I own. One difference is that it comes more apart, which makes it easier to clean. 

     3.  Stress Less Easy Grind Salt and Pepper Mills--My husband was thrilled with these. They turn with a crank and the salt and pepper come out super-fine. So fine, you have to look carefully to see it and make sure you don't over salt! This is the kind of salt you would put on fries. So we really love these! 

     4. Stress Less Pizza Cutter--this really didn't work any different from me than any other pizza cutter, but still nice.

     5. Stress Less Rotary Cheese Grater--The rotary cheese grater is a "grate" product. Haha. No really, I like the rotary cheese grater, and I've never had one. My mom used to have one. You put the cheese in the grater, crank and get lovely shredded cheese. Much easier than the traditional flat cheese grater. This was probably one of my favorites--along with the salt grinder.

     These are really great, high quality products and I hope you will check them out! You can see these and other great products Trudeau has to offer on their website. 
    
     *I received a complimentary set of Trudeau's Stress Less products for this review. I received no further compensation and all opinions expressed here are my own.*

Fundamentals Product Review

     I recently had the opportunity to review Fundamentals, an educational DVD geared toward very young children (infant to preschool). As the name suggests, the Fundamentals DVD teaches the basics, like shapes, colors, letters and names of common objects.

     Honestly, I myself did not find it exciting at all. In fact I found it rather boring. The video consists of a lady naming objects or actions as they appear on the screen. She speaks very short, clear sentences like "This is blue star" and "Let's have fun."

     However, that being said, my two year old seems to like it. A lot. She especially likes the stars. There are 12 different colored stars that appear in the video and help illustrate what is being discussed. My daughter stays glued through most of the video. This very simplistic approach to learning these basic concepts is optimal for a very young child just learning language. It is much like it would be if you were going over these concepts with your child. 

     The package also included a disc that is for parents. It goes over how parents or caregivers could incorporate these principles with their children themselves. I found that disc very interesting and inspiring, even though it did have some of the same content as the main disc. 

     Most of the concepts on the disc are the things you could do on your own, but if you want it done in a ready-made video, then this would be a good, basic one to start with. To get more details or to purchase, go to the website here. 

*I received this product for free using Tomoson.com. However all opinions expressed are my own.*

My First Cravebox

     I received my very first Cravebox this weekend. Cravebox is a subscription box service that comes from the same founders of She Speaks. I was not part of the "beta testing" group, but I heard great things about Cravebox from those who were. 

     The Cravebox is $10 a month and I would say it is probably the best "deal" as far as subscription boxes go. This is the first time I paid full price for one of these boxes, but the full price of a Cravebox is in the same neighborhood of the discounted prices I've paid for other subscription boxes. The regular price of a Bluum box is $12 a month, and it only contains sample sizes of products. 

     The down side is only a limited number of subscriptions are available (I think it's something like 500) and so many people wanted one that they had to do a drawing to see who would be allowed to subscribe. And there's a waiting list in case anyone decides to drop out. They may expand further in the future--but I don't know for sure.

     Now, for my $10, here is what I got: 

     Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Sugar body scrub--This is a FULL-size product! I love sugar/salt scrubs, but rarely buy them, so I am excited about this product! 

     Skintersection Intense Repair Cream--I live in dry Texas, so I'm sure I will be using this. 

     Guylian Original Belgian Chocolate Shells--I looove chocolate. This wasn't the most spectacular chocolate I've ever had. Of course, the fact that it had melted into a blob may have done something to the precise combination of the flavors. 

     Sunsweet Plum Amazins--Diced dried plums. I'm not a huge fan of dried fruits, but I like plums, so i will give them a try. And I'm sure my toddle will like them--she loves raisins! 

     Lipton Tea and Honey To Go Packets--This is just one sample, but I'm sure that will be enough to see if I like it or not. 

     So, there it is. This one I may keep for a while, since it is pretty reasonably priced for what you get. And if you're interested, go ahead and put your name on the list. You may be able to get in if they open more spots!

    

Skillet Bacon Jam Review

     I recently got the opportunity to try out Skillet Bacon Jam through Tomoson.com. Though I'm not a fan of bacon, my husband is, and there are certain things (like green beans or cornbread) he thinks should have a piece or two of bacon in them for seasoning. I don't mind a hint of the taste in some foods, but I don't like the strong smell of cooking bacon. So i thought this would be great to try--the flavor without cooking. 

     Skillet Bacon Jam is pretty much what the name says. It is a rather gelatainous, bacon-flavored condiment you could use as a spread or flavoring. It contains the flavors of bacon, onions and spices and you can smell it when you open the jar! 

     My husband refused to try it as a spread, but liked it when I added it to the green beans. Green beans are a staple vegetable around here, but I think I cook them a little too bland for his taste. Usually I just add a little salt and onion, but the last couple of times I added the Bacon Jam. 

     The first time I used it I just tried to cook the onions in the Skillet Jam. The onions seemed to soak it all up, however, and I was afraid it wouldn't be enough to add the flavor, so I still ended up adding a little extra to the green beans. 

     The second time, I was in more of a hurry, so I just used dehydrated onions and added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Skillet Jam to a can of green beans heated on the stove. Both times they turned out pretty good. I didn't taste too much of a bacon flavor--maybe I will up it to 2 teaspoons next time--but my husband liked them, and so did I. 

     If you would like to find out more about Skillet Bacon Jam and their other products, check out their website here. You can also direct any inquiries to them at eat@skilletstreetfood.com

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*