Wild Kratts Wild Animal Babies DVD #entertainment

This past school year, I attempted to do a unit study on mammals. Since our son is such an animal lover, I thought it would be fun and educational to really jump in to learn more about a few animals. After the first day, I quickly realized that I was going to have to change up my lesson plans. Not only did he already know every little detail I had researched and prepared activities on for these animals; he also started telling me more about their specific habitat, special characteristics and other cool facts.

Three New Books From Little Gestalten This Spring #Review

One of my favorite parts of blogging is being introduced to new-to-me publishers who have a wide variety of books that will be great reads and keep learning fun for my kids. Recently I had the pleasure to be introduced to a publisher who has some fun new releases, and I am so excited to share them with you.

The League and the Lantern Review

My daughter is finishing up her seventh grade year, and boy has it just flown by. Now that the school year is winding down, she is doing more reading for enjoyment. Recently she has been drawn to adventure fiction, and as always, I have been searching for a good read that not only will be educational but entertaining too. Now I am excited to share with you a wonderful book for middle-school age kids that is jammed packed with adventure and educational references too.

Keep Reading Fun With Smithsonian Leveled Readers

Our eight year old son loves to read non-fiction. I am always on the hunt for readers that will grab his attention and keep reading fun, so first thing I look for is great pictures to draw him in to find out more. Now I am thrilled to share with all of you a new set of leveled readers from Smithsonian that include beautiful pictures and educational topics that are perfect for your young reader.

*I received the titles below in order to facilitate this overview. All opinions are my own. see disclosure.

National Bird Day Giveaway Featuring Cockatoo, Too Picture Book

I have inherited a love for bird watching from my Mom. We used to have a large picture window with a few bird feeders right outside. We would watch the birds, located them in a book, and observe their behaviors when I was younger. My children have happily picked up this hobby from both of us. Since January 5th is National Bird Day, I thought it would be fun to celebrate with all of you by sharing a brand new children' book for your little ones. {Be sure to check out all the other wonderful January giveaways linked below too.}

Encourage Reading With Ivy Kids Kits #HolidayGiftGuide

I was on the hunt this year for the perfect gift idea that would encourage reading for our eight year old son. He struggles so much in this subject area. The monthly kit I found has me super excited because your child will not only get a new book but a bunch of fun activities to go along with it! 

A Cloth Diaper For Christmas From Thirsties Modern Cloth Diapers #HolidayGiftGuide

When I was pregnant and first made the decision to cloth diaper our youngest a couple years ago, we were gifted six diapers for Christmas. I was thrilled!!! Using cloth diapers over the last year and half has helped our tight budget. Plus given the fact they are eco-friendly and just so cute doesn't hurt my opinion of them either. This year for the first time on my Holiday Gift Guide, I have teamed up with one of my favorite cloth diaper brands to showcase an all in one cloth diaper, and give you the chance to win both a diaper and a wet bag! Cloth diapers for Christmas.... the perfect gift! 

STEM Approved Construction Toys That Light Up ~ Laser Pegs #HolidayGiftGuide

My kids will play with construction toys for hours adding to and perfecting their designs. Do your kids love to build with toys too? I have found an innovative construction toy that will have your kiddos building and learning with light that's STEM approved!

*I received product in order to facilitate this feature. All opinions are my own. see disclosure. 

Laser Pegs is the ultimate construction toy for kids. They offer a variety of sets and products for ages three and up that encourage multidimensional play by combining light with building sets. Laser Pegs are also STEM approved! These fun construction toys promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to be an award winning STEM toy for kids.

The Laser Pegs 24-1 National Geographic Dinosaurs set I received includes 191 construction bricks of all different colors, 27 Laser Pegs that will light up, the triangular power base, and a construction manual that gives step by step graphic instructions to create a T- Rex. (You may also download additional manuals to create the other dinosaurs too.) After building your dinosaur with both the Laser Pegs and construction bricks, the last step to see that creation light up is to attach it to the triangular power base. Your T-Rex or other dinosaur will be illuminated! How fun right?!

The Laser Peg bricks have a slide, stack and spin play pattern that are easy to attach together. We found that they will pop together with ease, and even littler hands should not have a problem building with these toys. This set was approved for ages 5 and up, but there are other options for the younger ones on your list too. This 24-1 National Geographic Dinosaurs set does requires three AA Batteries to power the base, but you may purchase the AC adapter sold separately. I personally would recommend doing so since the more Laser Pegs you use in your design the quicker the batteries will run down.

Our son loves this set, and I can't wait to add more Laser Pegs to his collection. There are other National Geographic sets of different sizes available that explore the sea, land, and space. Laser Pegs also has robots, helicopters, all different types of vehicles, architecture and many more sets to choose from. Keeping learning fun is exactly what I look for in a product or toy. STEM approved Laser Pegs definitely keeps learning fun with their super cool light up construction toys for kids!

Make sure to follow Laser Pegs on Social Media!

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Fine Art For Your Kids From Oopsy Daisy #HolidayGiftGuide

Making memories during the holidays that my children will look back on when they are grown with a smile, is something that I hope to accomplish. Art and creativity are a huge part of my own childhood memories. I am doing my best to bring the element of art into the holidays and our daily lives too. I am so excited to share with all of you a place to find beautiful artwork for the kids to display this holiday on the Christmas tree- personalized porcelain ornaments.

*I received product in order to facilitate this feature. All opinions are my own. see disclosure. 

Oopsy Daisy has fine art for children each originally created by their very talented group of artists. They have gorgeous canvas and art prints, growth charts, wall decals and murals. There is also lighting options, and great personalized gift choices too. As you look over their wide variety of designs for each product, I was so excited to notice that you can not only see which artist contributed that design but see what other items they have created too. All of the items are custom made just for you from the original art work! This holiday season what caught my eye was their precious porcelain ornaments for children that you can personalize.

Language Fun With Rock 'N Learn #HolidayGiftGuide

Exposing my children to a foreign language early is something that I feel strongly about doing. I want them to learn and have fun at the same time too. Our daughter recently mentioned she was interested in learning more than one language and wished we would have started the second one when she was younger. For the holidays why not gift some fun foreign language DVDs to give your kids a head start.

Stocking Stuffers That Rock From KIDZ BOP

If you have followed me for very long at all, you know we love listening to music in our home. My tween especially loves to have her favorite music cranked up most of the day. I have some fun stocking stuffer ideas that will have your kids and tweens rocking out as part of this year's Holiday Gift Guide. 

New Holiday Music ~ #Adore :Christmas Songs of Worship From Chris Tomlin

I love the holiday season and everything that goes with it! The festive decorations, putting up the Christmas tree, wrapping gifts, and the holiday music all play a huge part in making the season special to me. 

*I received product in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own. 

This year Chris Tomlin has given us an album filled with new Christmas music to enjoy during the holidays. "Adore: Christmas Songs of Worship" is the new Christmas release from this American contemporary Christian music artist, worship leader, and songwriter who has sold nearly 30 million records. 

New Bamboo Pajamas For Baby This Holiday From Silkberry Baby ~ #HolidayGiftGuide

Every year for the Holidays we have a tradition of giving our kids new pajamas on Christmas Eve. They look forward to opening this first gift, and we have a fun family evening together snuggled up in their new pajamas usually watching a holiday movie or listening to music by the fireplace. This year I am happy to share with all of you some adorable and super soft pajamas that will make a great gift for your baby or toddler as part of my 2015 Holiday Gift Guide.

*I received the pajama set below in order to facilitate this product feature. All opinions are my own. see disclosure.

Silkberry Baby offers eco-friendly clothing for baby and toddlers. They carry both 100% organic cotton clothing and a signature bamboo collection that are just beyond adorable. With everything to dress your little ones from dresses, hoodies, and onesies to even crocheted hats and sleepwear. Silkberry Baby has even won an award for their organic cotton footed sleepers with it's innovative front zipper that slides up instead of down to make diaper changes a breeze.

Diaper Changes With Memory Foam Comfort ~ Ah Goo Baby The Plush Pad Review

Our small three bedroom home is super crowded now that we have three children, and we decided to opt out on purchasing a changing table when our son was born last year. Still I wanted to have a comfortable way to be able to change our son. Luckily I found a memory foam changing pad that is perfect since it saves space and is beyond soft! 

*I received product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. see disclosure

Organize Your Homeschool With The Well Planned Day ~ Review

Lesson plans are a huge part of my life, and the reason I am Coupons and Lesson Plans! I am sort of a planning freak! Still I have been trying to juggle keeping our lessons organized and my home running smoothly. Really it comes down to the simple fact that life in a homeschooling family isn't just lessons; we have field trips, groups/ meetings, lessons outside the home, sports, and much more going on too. The standard lesson plan format, that educators use in private or public school settings, just doesn't work for us. Looking for a better way to organize our homeschool and our family life was my goal this year, and this Back To School season, I have found the planner that will do just that! 

Warrior Huntress Costume Review ~ Halloween 2015

This year was the very first time my daughter had trouble deciding what to be for Halloween. She has always enjoyed dressing up, but now that she is nearly a teen her style is changing from that of a little girl. As a Mom, I was worried about finding something that both of us would agree on since she is already an inch taller than I am but still only twelve. When we started looking at costumes in adult sizes the selections were not what I would consider age appropriate for my tween. My daughter had quite a few stipulations on what she was looking for too, and to be honest I didn't know if there was a costume out there that would be what she was hoping to find.

After just a few minutes of searching online we found the Warrior Huntress costume at Costume SuperCenter, and it is perfect! The Warrior Huntress costume includes the dress with attached cuffs. and a belt with a satchel.  The main part of the dress is 100% polyester, and trimming and emblem on the bodice have a faux leather look and feel. This sleek costume is the right style for our girl since she is not into anything low cut. The dress goes all the way up to her neck line. With the long sleeves she will stay warm in the chilly October air we usually have here in the Midwest on Halloween. Note- To complete her look we added the black leggings and boots that we already had. Both of these were not included with the costume.

Personally I really love the look of the Warrior Huntress costume since it reminds me of one of my favorite movies, but my daughter has no idea how closely it resembles the main character's look since she hasn't ever seen them. Our daughter is super excited for Halloween 2015, so she can sport her new costume. This Mommy right here is so happy my girl loves the look, and that we found an excellent choice that is modest for girl her age. When a tween and their Mom actually agree on a clothing choice even if it is a costume... it's worth a happy dance right?! =)

If you are on the hunt for a unique or classic costume this Halloween make sure to check out all the fun costume New Arrivals! 

I would love to hear what your kids will be dressing up as this Halloween! Make sure to leave me a comment below. 

Is There An affordable All-In-One Cloth Diaper? ~ Nicki's Diapers Bamboo All-In-One #ClothDiaper Review

My husband was on the fence when I first brought up the idea of cloth diapering our third baby while pregnant. I won him over with the money we would save, and then started researching what would work for us. While I had a variety of cloth diaper styles to begin with the one type my husband really preferred to use were all-in-ones. Those can be pricey, and I hadn't added many to our stash. I am so excited to share with you an All-In-One cloth diaper that is not only affordable, but available in so many adorable prints too!
I received the product below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. see disclosure.

 Nicki's Diapers ~ Bamboo AIO One Size
Woven Night Print

Nicki's Diapers caught my eye recently, and after just a few minutes on their website, I was smacking my head that I hadn't noticed their brand sooner. These diapers are not rebranded and are made exclusively for Nicki's Diapers. They offer a Bamboo All-In-One cloth diaper in both one size and newborn. This AIO fits most little ones from 8-35+ lbs. {They also carry pockets, covers, prefolds and other accessories each at a great price for a family's budget.} 

The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden Review

Most all of us know the story of the Garden of Eden from the Bible, and have heard about the great flood, plagues of Egypt, and the miracle birth of Jesus. Still trying to understand, especially for children, the overall message of these stories, and God's plan is lost in the details. I received a book geared towards children, The Biggest Story: How The Snake Crusher Brings Us Back To The Garden, that shows how everything is linked and really does explain the biggest story.

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

The Biggest Story written by Kevin DeYoung- a best-selling author, senior pastor, and father of six -takes the stories of the Bible, and turns them into a fun journey connecting the dots from the garden of Eden all the way through the death of Christ then to the new heaven and new earth. Below is a few sentences pulled from the first chapter.

Back Drops For School Pictures and More ~ DropPlace Review

Photographers have been using back drops for years to give their pictures a professional and polished flair. Now bloggers with all different focuses from food to family are beginning to use them more frequently, but what about homeschooling parents and groups? They could really benefit from being able to take their own pictures right at home for the school year too. I recently found a place that not only has a wide variety to choose from, but they are priced so that a family can easily afford them too!

What's The Secret To Success In Math? ~ Saxon Math 7/6 Homeschool Complete Kit

Math. This has been a subject that I have struggled to find a curriculum that will fit with my daughter's learning style. I have jumped from one curriculum to another each year. Our girl needs review in her lessons, so she will have time to absorb the information. Most texts we have tried would be testing over a new concept immediately without hardly any review at all from one lesson to the next. This just didn't work for us, and she was feeling defeated and giving up. I looked into a source that had worked for me when I was homeschooled, and guess what? We found just want she needed to succeed in math!

*I received the products below for reviewing purposes, but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. see disclosure.