P&G eStore

Proctor and Gamble, or better known as P&G, has an online storefront. Did you all know that? Many of their products are used by many of us on a daily basis. Now, you can do a one-stop-shop for items you use regularly and have them shipped to your door. P&G, currently, has many deals going on that you should check out. 

While we are, pretty much, out of the diaper phase we do still use them occasionally at night. There is a fabulous deal going on right now for all of you diaper users and battery hoarders. If you buy a box of Pampers diapers you will also get an assortment of Duracell batteries. Who doesn’t use batteries? This deal is awesome, at least in our house. It’s a win-win, since we use diapers and go through batteries like they’re water. 

If you’re not into the whole diaper thing, but you still use batteries like crazy you can buy big Duracell battery bundles from P&G too. There’s also a battery sweepstakes you can enter to win. If you win you’ll get $100 worth of batteries.  You can't go wrong there, right?

If diapers and batteries aren’t your thing there are some other awesome deals for Covergirl, Braun, Tide, Oral B, Crest White Strips, Olay, Gillette, and Downy. That’s huge range of products don’t you think? They even have bundles you can purchase, so you don't have to put much thought into what you need. They would also make for some great Christmas gifts.

I think there’s still some time do some Christmas shopping online with them. You do know that there are 12 days of Christmas, right? So, if your package arrives after December 25 there’s no worries because it is still Christmas. You can even use coupons with your orders. A lot of products include coupons or rebates. Every order also comes with samples of other products. How fun is that? Shipping is also free when you spend $25 or more. And, if you're a first time shopper you can get 15% off your entire purchase using promo code: A9Z-MN5-KY3-ISA. See? Good deals. 

RightStart

School in our home can get a little crazy with so many children working on their schoolwork at the same time. I try to get one child going on their work while working with another. The craziness comes when they have questions and you have to switch gears from one child to the next. Sometimes it helps to have them working on the same subjects.

After trying a different math program in the past, the last couple years we have settled on using RightStart Mathematics. I wanted to find a program that actually taught the children why they were doing what they were doing. I also wanted them to understand how it all works rather than just memorizing facts. 

This program, while it could be better in the teaching script aspect, is great because it uses a very hands on approach. It took a little while to get used to teaching in a different style from which I grew up and learned, but overall this program just seems to make more sense, at least learning wise for the children.

RightStart uses a lot of visual manipulatives as well as games to solidfy math concepts. It's great to teach a concept and then have our children show us visually how they came up with the answer. That's my kind of learning style.

Visualizing ones, tens, and hundreds has never been easier.

***Be sure to enter my Mia Mariu giveaway HERE. Just one more day to enter! ***

Shurley

Have you gotten back into a school routine yet? We are getting there in our household. While we did have school all summer it was a bit more low key interspersed with some breaks here and there. Now we are trying to get back into things full boar! Some people have asked what curricula we use, so maybe I'll fill you in over the next few days or weeks. Our current grammar program is Shurley English. We tried a different program as well, but ultimately enjoy this program. It has worked well for teaching as well as being easy to understand for the children.

The really great thing about this program is that everything is written out for you-- I mean everything, all the way down to what to a script to read to your children when you are teaching them. The program is laid out in a way that makes everything predictable which is how most children thrive. They know that they have jingles to practice, then there is a little review, and then a new lesson is taught. A few days a week there is also vocabulary where they get to use their dictionary skills.

Some days are a little repetitive, so, for us, sometimes we'll skip a lesson here or there. Right now, this seems to be the case with Thomas. He is picking things up so quickly that we've been able to move along and we're almost half way finished with his book. We should be starting Level 2 sooner rather than later. One of the many reasons I love to school our children at home is that we can move at a pace that works for each child.

It's All About the Hair!

This is me with my oldest daughter, Rebecca. She turns 11 in a couple weeks. It seems that as my children get older they also become more opinionated. They begin dressing themselves, deciding how they want their hair cut, and then they begin choosing their own hair products.

Awhile back my older girls ran out of shampoo and conditioner. While I was out I just picked up whatever was on sale at the store. They never really complained about what I bought. Then came the day that they were beginning run out of hair products again. Rebecca came to me to let me know that they needed more shampoo and conditioner. I told her I’d pick some up when I was out. The next thing I know she requested Dove Conditioner. What? Since when did she care about what I bought? She told me that I used to buy Dove, but then bought something different this last time and she didn’t really like the stuff they had been using. She said Dove just works better and made her hair softer. Okay, Dove it is!

When the chance to review the Dove Advanced Conditioners came up, I jumped on it. I already knew that Rebecca liked their regular conditioner and so it made we wonder if she would like this conditioner as well. We were sent Dove’s Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner. It’s supposed to smooth dry, rough, and frizzy hair. I have to say that since I began getting highlights in my hair, it has become dry and more course. Once I began using this conditioner I noticed a difference almost instantly. After just a few uses my hair was definitely softer. What I really loved about this nourishing conditioner is that it didn’t make my hair greasy while it made it silky smooth and shiny. This condtioner was also a winner with my girls. Not only do we all have shiny smooth hair, but we also have less static in our hair that comes along with living in a very dry area. 

I’m guessing that you all want to try this for yourself now don’t you? Well, you’re in luck. I have a coupon for $1.50 off your purchase of any Dove Hair Therapy product.  Also  be sure to enter this contest to win a $1,000 gift card to Spafinder. You can’t go wrong there! See below!

Enter to win a $1,000 Spafinder gift certificate!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: "#SweepstakesEntry"; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will have 72 hours to claim the prize, or an alternative winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 9/4/2012 - 9/30/2012

Be sure to visit Dove^®Hair.com to get a coupon for $1.50 off Dove Hair Therapy products.

Women and Fat

I have always been intrigued with the subject of food and diet, so I’ve ready plenty of books and even watched a few documentaries on the subject. This book Why Women Need Fat is just another book that confirms a lot of what I’ve already seen and read.

I enjoyed reading about the history of women’s shapes and sizes from 50 years past as well as the differences in omega-6 and omega-3 fats. It was helpful to read that a lot of our omega-6 consumption is found in very over-processed corn and soybean oil. Corn and soybeans are vegetables and vegetables generally contain little fat, so it’s surprising to find that there is so much polyunsaturated (unhealthy) fat in these oils. 

While this book discusses why women need fat, primarily for child bearing, many studies and comparisons used in the book were about men or women in other countries. There was a study of interest to me even though the only people in the study were men. It showed how men who are overweight and put on a limited calorie diet do tend to lose quite a bit of weight quickly, however, after a few months the weight loss trails off, the subjects became depressed, and all they could think about was food. When the subjects were able to eat whatever they wanted they ended up eating more than what they used to eat before they went on the diet causing them to gain back all the weight they had lost as well as more in very little time. I’ve actually seen this happen to friends that I know who have been on all sorts of diets.

I also found it a bit irksome when the author compared us to our “ape cousins.” What? There is no way we are related to or did we evolve from apes. That’s just nonsense. I think that whole comparison was an unnecessary part of the book and could have been taken out all together.

All in all I think this book was an okay read for those who don’t know much about natural fats, diet, and food, but for me it was all stuff I’ve already heard.

This is a paid review by BlogHer Book Club, but all opinions expressed about this book are mine.

The Lake of Dreams

It's been a long time since I've sat down and read a novel. My reading consists of magazines, cookbooks, homeschooling materials, and friends' blogs. When I saw the chance to join in on a book club through Blogher I jumped at the chance. It was time to start reading again, for fun. I had the chance to read a book called The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards. When I began reading the book it didn't grab my attention right away and I feared that I would never finish the book. I pressed on and within a few chapters I was hooked and it was very difficult for me to put the book down.

Lucy is a young lady living in Japan although from the United States. It had been a few years since Lucy was home last. She suddenly returned home at the news of her mother being in a car accident. When she returned she was reminiscing in the cupola and came across a keyhole underneath the window seat. When she picked the locked she found old newspaper clippings and a letter. Little did she know that she was about to unlock an old family secret.

While at home feelings of her past also came to the surface. Her father had died nearly 10 years ago and his death was never really talked about in the previous years that she had been home. On this trip home there were many changes. These changes were difficult for Lucy to deal with and accept. Her mother was finally ready to start going through old things that had accumulated in the house as well as her father’s things. Lucy’s brother, Blake, was also moving on you could say. Blake and their Uncle seemed to have reconciled their differences and were now working together. An old boyfriend also appeared and Lucy found herself confused since she currently had a boyfriend in Japan. All of these changes seemed to catch Lucy off guard while at the same time she was intent on finding the answers to the family’s old and almost forgotten secret.

This book was beautifully written and had me wanting to keep reading most of time. There were a few areas which I felt could have been left out for they were unnecessary details. All in all I really enjoyed this book and could really relate to the characters. 

Though I am paid for participating in the Blogher Book Club all opinions about the book are my own.

Freshen Up

My friend Carissa did a segment on Colorado's Best  the other day. With the holidays coming you're sure to be getting together with plenty of family and friends. Carissa shares some great products to have your skin glowing in just a short time. We all want to look our best when getting together with family and friends, right? One of those products happens to be Lexli's Aloe Base Lightening Lift.

I've been using this mask for about a month now. I absolutely love it. I noticed a difference right away. My skin was looking a little drab and dull. I used this mask and as I washed it off, my skin felt incredibly soft. My age spots, if you will, were a bit lighter and my skin just looked renewed.  

Check out Carissa's segment. Then check out her blog Hooked On Beauty. If you're curious about a certain product most likely she has tried it and you might find it on her blog.  She recently gave it a makeover and it looks great!

Get More Energy!

Vitamins have been a big thing in our house lately. When we used to stream Netflix movies my Lutheran Stud and I would watch all sorts of documentaries about food, health, and vitamins. When I received these vitamins in my Shaklee box I was quite intrigued by all of them.

The Vitalizer vitamins for women are fantastic. After just a couple days I felt a difference. Do you ever sort of crash after lunch or feel like taking nap? After just two days my energy level went up and I don't feel tired after lunch anymore. Being an on the go person these vitamins are great. After doing the math they are about what the same price I am paying now for the vitamins we are taking, so I will probably be switching since these vitamins seem to have more of what my body needs.

I also tried out the Nutriferon. This vitamin is supposed to help boost your immune system and help with allergies. Now I can't say that it has or hasn't work other than the fact that I haven't gotten sick. Maybe that means that they do work. :)

I've heard wonderful things from people who have used it though. I've heard that the Stress Relief Complex is wonderful as well. I've been told that people have been taken off of their depression and anxiety medications after taking this vitamin. How fantastic is that? What's so great about all of these is that they are all natural products with little side effects.
I also had the opportunity to try out teas, shakes and bars. The Cinch program has everything you need to lose a few pounds or if you're constantly on the go there are shakes and bars to eat on the run. The teas were great in the mornings for me. It gave me little boost of energy and tasted great. The Chocolate Shake is a good meal replacement. Often times I don't eat lunch until the little ones are napping because I'm too busy doing other things. These shakes are great for a quick meal when you've got things to do! The fiber bars and the peanut butter crunch bars (not pictured) were fantastic when I wanted a little snack. They definitely helped fill that craving in the afternoon for munchies.

We got a sampling of children's vitamins as well. My children love these vitamins more than their Halloween candy! The Incredivites are all natural and don't contain artificial sweeteners and coloring. That's a huge plus for us because those are things I am trying to get rid of in our household. They also are the only vitamin on the market that has lactoferrin which is found in breast milk and helps support the immune system. Mighty Smart supplements are for brain support and development. These days children aren't getting enough DHA in their diets. DHA is mostly found in fish and around here we don't eat much seafood, so these supplements are perfect.

I have been enjoying the Meadow Blend cleansing bar recently. It's soap free so it doesn't leave any residue on your body and doesn't dry out your skin. In fact I've been using it in the shower as well as on my face. This would be great for kids. Have you seen this article? If you use Johnson & Johnson products I would recommend that you stop using them. They are horrible for you children's bodies. Parabens are also harmful to your bodies. They are found in many soaps, shampoos, and cosmetics, so finding a cleansing bar that is paraben free if wonderful.

I also had a small sampling of C+E Repair PM and Enfuselle which is a firming serum.  While the samples were a bit small in order to notice much of a difference you could definitely feel your skin tightening after using the Enfuselle Instant Skin Firming Serum. The C+E Repair had a tingly feeling when you put it on your face, but felt nice and wasn't greasy.

 

Well, that ends my Shaklee review. I've had a great experience with these products and will definitely be using a lot of them in our home now. If you're interested in any of these products or even want try some out feel free to email me or follow this link and get  15% off your first order of $25 or more. I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you're interested in the Vitalizer vitamins, which I love, contact me or Beth directly and she's got a deal for you.

Goodies

A big box of goodies landed on my doorstep courtesy of Jared's cousin Beth. When she contacted me about trying out some Shaklee products I was a bit skeptical. I'm not really into buying things from online companies like this, however when the box arrived I was pretty excited to try all of these products. I began asking people I knew if they had heard of Shaklee. Every single person I talked to had heard of Shaklee. I must be out of the loop because I had never heard of nor used any of their products. For the record, everyone I talked only had fabulous things to say about the products, so this got me even more excited. Look at all of this fun stuff! I'll just tell you about few of the products for now.

I have to admit that I'm a bit of a clean freak. The skin on my hands is cracked and sometimes they even bleed. I've been told that I have this problem because I clean too much. What? How can a person clean too much, especially when you have 6 children following you around waiting to mess things up again? I am always up for trying out new cleaning products and couldn't wait to start using Basic H. This stuff is fabulous! This cleaner is non-toxic too which is a huge plus when you have little children. I've noticed with other cleaners that I have to clean my kitchen countertops more than once because there always seemed to be a strange film left on them. This Basic H gets everything super clean and doesn't leave a nasty film behind. It does an excellent job on my stainless steel appliances too. It doesn't leave streaks like my other products. Do you want to know something else? See that bottle on the far right? That's the cleaner. It's super concentrated. You take those three bottles, fill them with water and then add just a teaspoon or two of the concentrate to each bottle, depending on it's usage, and you're set. The Basic H cleaner could last you a year or even longer depending on how you clean. :) There are also Germ Off wipes that I use to wipe down toilet seats and door handles. It's perfect for quick cleaning. I am also sampling the Hand Wash soap (not pictured) and it has been pretty great too. My hands aren't being stripped of the oils in them, so I think that's why they aren't so cracked anymore. My hands are slowly healing and I think it's because I haven't been using harsh cleaners anymore.
I've heard rave reviews about the laundry concentrate, from one of my favorite church ladies, and couldn't wait to try it out when it came. The soap is so concentrated that it takes just an ounce per load. How cool is that? It did not disappoint either. If you have sensitive skin this laundry concentrate is perfect for you.The Nature Bright Laundry Booster not only works on clothing, but other stains in carpet as well. I just put a little scoop in with my laundry to get the job done.
Another wonderful product that I love is the Dish Washer. This stuff is amazing. I actually used just half a scoop (1 scoop is recommend) and it cleaned everything really well. I don't rinse my dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. The other thing I noticed is that sometimes there is a white film on plastic or melamine dishes and this Dish Washer got rid of all of that and there was no film on any dishes. You won't be disappointed with this cleaner. I absolutely love it!

The detergent drawer isn't even a quarter of the way filled. A little bit goes a long way. 

Stay tuned because we'll be chatting about how to boost your energy and maybe even lose a few pounds later. In the meantime if you're interested in any of these fabulous products let me know because I can get you a 15% discount on your first order of $25 or more. There's also no obligation to join if you don't want to either. Because I have loved using these products I thought I'd share them with you all. If you've used some of these products I'd love to hear about it; what you loved or what you didn't. Tell me all about your experience with Shaklee at just dot imagine dot heaven at gmail dot com. Also if you have any questions about any of these products you can contact Beth directly. Tell her I sent you!

The Brazilian Steakhouse

A few weeks ago I came across a Denver Daily Deal that I couldn't pass up. (Denver Daily Deals are like Groupons if you know what those are.) I had heard many great things about this restaurant from some people at church, so when I saw this deal I snatched it up and I was off to the Rodizio Grill with my Lutheran Stud.

Warning: This restaurant is more geared toward carnivorous folks, though the salad bar was pretty good. We arrived to a quaint restaurant, in LoDo (Lower Downtown), that was laid out beautifully. The lighting in the restaurant made the ambiance perfect for a relaxing evening. Then these men would show up to our table, yes those men pictured above, with swords. On those swords were perfectly prepared meat. I'm not joking either. I've never tasted so many different meats that were so wonderfully prepared. I just couldn't stop eating. It got to the point where I had to turn the food away and it made me really sad. It all looked so good. We had everything from steak tenderloin to bacon wrapped turkey to chicken hearts. There was also spicy chicken, pot roast, and honey glazed ham with grilled pineapple. Oh, there was some sort of tilapia too, but since seafood isn't really my thing I didn't try it. My husband, on the other hand, said it was just incredible. I think we probably tried 20 or more different meats and they were all amazing. They also had this amazing salad bar chock full of all sorts salad items. This was not just a regular salad bar from Pizza Hut or something like that. There were things I couldn't pronounce, but I tried them anyway.

If you're in the Denver area and you're looking for a marvelous place for dinner this would be the place. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, but not the typical buffet that you're used to. It's far better. The food is served to you, except from the salad bar, by these macho men. The meats are grilled Brazilian style with fancy Brazilian names. They have a decent wine selection, but obviously you're there for the food. You won't be disappointed. I think I'm still full from that dinner.

Smencils

A couple weeks ago we received these Smencils in the mail. Have you ever heard of them? They pencils and colored pencils.

They're made from recycled newspaper. How cool is that?

Oh, did I mention that they smell fantastic? Smencils. Get it? Smelly pencils. What a genius idea! There are so many different flavors. 

We've been messing around with these Smencils for the last couple of weeks. My kids just love them.

David is really starting to enjoy drawing. Now that the Smencils have come around he's been drawing just about everyday. He'll sneak into the house while the other children are outside just so he can draw by himself. Pretty good for a four year old, don't you think?

Rebecca is more meticulous about her drawings. She likes to brainstorm before she begins right down to the colors she wants to use.

Guess what else these Smencils are great for? Schoolwork! School can get boring and mundane at times, but add some smelly pencils and the children perk up just a bit. Every little bit helps, right?

These are regular #2 pencils, except they're not a boring yellow color and they smell great. They're the kind of pencil you have to use on standardized tests or in school only better because the lead doesn't break easily. (We've been having that probably lately. We must be buying cheap pencils?) Root beer is Thomas' favorite flavor. 

Rachel is working on her spelling using her favorite Smencil, Cotton Candy.

Anna even snuck in some time with the Smencils. Have I ever told you about Anna's crayon eating problem? She likes to eat crayons, so we don't keep them out around the house anymore. These Smencils have been wonderful. She actually colors with them rather than eating them. That was a fear I had. I thought they would smell so good that she would try and eat them, but she hasn't.

Let me just say that this entire paper that Rachel colored smells absolutely outstanding. These Smencils are pretty incredible. The colors are bright and bold. The lead in the regular pencils are strong and they don't break easily. If I were you I would run, don't walk, and get yourself some of these Smencils. They would also be fabulous gift. They are awesome!

If you've got some fundraising to do for school, church, or your homeschool group they also have a pretty cool fundraising program. Who wouldn't want to buy something they use daily with the added bonus of it smelling really good. What a fun product. We have really enjoyed these pencils.

The Beauty Blender

 There was a raffle at the beauty swap that Katie and I attended.  Katie and I both won stuff! I won this Beauty Blender.

 I love it! I use it everyday. It looks a little scary at first sight, but it's well worth getting and using. Have ever used beauty sponges to apply foundation? Or maybe you just use your fingers and the foundation gets all over the place. What a mess.

 The Beauty Blender is incredibly easy to use. Just run it under water and squeeze out the excess liquid.  Then dip the beauty blender into a little foundation and start dabbing it onto your face. The pointed tip fits nicely in hard to reach place, like around your eyes.  If you're like me and don't like a heavy, cakey feel to your makeup, this beauty blender is what you are looking for. You control how much foundation you put on. A little bit goes a long way and it feels just like a light moisturizer. It's perfect and there's no mess. 

When you're finished use the blendercleanser to clean your beauty blender. A few pumps of the cleanser and a rinse under water and you're set. Then just set your beauty blender on the pedestal to dry for the next day. It doesn't get any easier. You can also pick up a beauty blender from Make Up Mania if you are in the Denver area.

Honey For A Child’s Heart

I was at the bookstore the other day. As I browsed through the books it was almost overwhelming. There were so many books and so many titles on these books that I knew nothing about. Should I be letting my kids read some of these books? I was really turned off by some of the titles as well. Then I remembered this book.While we lived in Fort Wayne I got to know some great people. Rebecca was just a tiny little thing then and homeschooling seemed so far away. There was one family in particular that we got to know quite well and I really learned a lot about homeschooling from them. I was given this book, Honey for a Child’s Heart. It has some of the best book suggestions for children of all ages. It’s exactly what I needed before I went to the bookstore.

The book gives suggestions beginning with babies all the way up to age 14. It has great read aloud suggestions as well as books for the children to read on their own.

Awhile back, Jared read the Chronicles of Narnia to all of our children. Now Rebecca has been reading them on her own. We used to love those books when we were younger. That’s what I love about Honey for a Child’s Heart; the book suggestions are classics. They lead children into wonderful adventures with their imaginations. I guess some of the books I looked through at the bookstore didn’t give me that sense. So if you are looking to grow your own library or looking for a good read I highly recommend this book.

Marco’s Coal Fired Pizza

Earlier this week some friends invited us downtown for pizza.  Without exaggeration I have to say that Marco’s Pizza is the best pizza that I have ever had.  Not only do they have incredible pizza, but they are an extremely family friendly restaurant.  It was an excellent dining experience for our large family.  When we arrived and were seated the waitress brought the kids pizza dough to play with while we were trying to decide what to order.  Then Marco came out to see if the kids were enjoying his dough.  They definitely liked the dough. It was better than play dough.

 

I think we ended up trying five different pizzas.  I can’t even decided which one was my favorite because they were all so good!  And get this, you order a pizza and it makes its way to your table in just minutes.  They have the most amazing oven.  Pizzas are cooked at 1000 degrees for 90 seconds.  Then they’re done. Marco was kind enough to take the kids to the back and show them his ovens and how they make pizza.  Can you believe I forgot to take photos of that?  What was a I thinking?  It was the neatest thing to watch and see.

Oh, and don’t forget the dessert we ordered this Cannoli and it was to die for!  We also got the Nutella Pizza and the kids wore it home on their faces.  It was quite tasty.  I don’t think I was the only one who enjoyed Marco’s.  Thomas couldn’t stop eating either.  On our way home he said he had a stomachache because he ate too much pizza and he was never, ever going to eat pizza again.  Thanks Mike and Carissa for inviting us.  We had so much fun!  (I’ll leave my sunglasses in my purse next time.)