Monday, August 7, 2017

Wildcraft! Board Game Review

Hey folks! As I mentioned in one of my previous Peaceable Kingdom game review posts, I just love playing board games. I'm sure anyone with young children will agree, though, it's damn near impossible to play any with kids around! Other than the wonderful games from Peaceable Kingdom that we've had the pleasure to try out, we also recently discovered another one that even our 4 year old is able to play with us! (With some help, of course.)

John and I have been wanting to buy Wildcraft for several years, when we first came across it. It's a bit more expensive than most board games, though, and we just couldn't justify spending the money on it. (I actually just checked on Amazon and it is only $29.99, which isn't bad. I could have sworn it used to be almost $40.) But, I thought it was a pretty unique game and you actually learn from it, so the extra cost is justified, in a way.

“Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game is a cooperative board game that explores healing herbs. Wildcraft teaches 25 important edible and medicinal plants and their uses in mostly first aid situations. (Wildcrafting is the harvesting of wild plants.)” Obviously, it has a pretty specific target audience, but believe it or not, they actually run out of copies quite frequently!

Wildcrafting is just one of many things I would like to learn more about, but just never seem to have or make the time for it. While this game is very basic in what you learn as far as what herbs are good for what types of first aid situations, it's still fun and gives you a jumping off point for looking up further information. I do wish it had more detailed information on the herbs in the game, but I understand that it would probably be against FDA regulations or something.

John, Myka, and I all played together the first time and the rules were easy enough to follow. I was happy to see when we got it that it's actually recommended for ages 4+, so Myka was able to play with us too. She had to have some help, of course, but she loves being able to play games with us. I also like that this is a cooperative game, so instead of competing against each other, we all work together to make it to the huckleberry patch and back before the sun goes down!

I have to admit when I first saw how many spaces there were on the game board, I was afraid it was going to take forever! And perhaps it would have if you were playing by yourself (yes, totally do-able), but with the three of us, it actually went pretty quickly. It probably helps too that there are certain cards you can keep to help catch your friends up to where you are on the board. They come in especially handy if you slip down the streams!

If you're into learning more about plant uses and enjoy playing games with the whole family, definitely be sure to check out Wildcraft. I forgot to mention at the beginning that we actually bought our game when it was on sale for $19.99 AND we got a ton of downloadable bonuses as well. So if you're cheap like me, be sure to sign up for emails from LearningHerbs and keep an eye out for special deals like this!

I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own. No compensation was received.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Bella Luna Gobble Gobble Pocket Diaper Giveaway

Searching for a great handmade cloth diaper shop? Bella Luna cloth diapers feature small and limited batches, one of a kind items and are sewn with love and precision. In addition, Bella Luna cloth diapers are proudly made in Canada. The shop offers amazing designs, custom creations, embroidery and fantastic customer service. Their handmade items include cloth diapers, mama cloth, Bella Bottom undies, Bella Bum pants, swimmers, bibs, pull-up trainers and nursing pads. You can visit the Bella Luna shop to see their selection and enter to win this one-size pocket diaper in Gobble Gobble below! Open to USA/Canada ends 8/21

Bella Luna cloth diapers come in a wide variety of styles. From pocket diapers to covers, custom embroidery and even tails! Yes, tails! Dragon diapers with tails and an amazing assortment of patterns with great bum placement. In addition to a great ready-to-ship stock, Bella Luna has custom orders and limited runs of fabrics and pre-orders that you really have to see for yourself! Inserts are sold separately and allow you the option to add as much absorbency as needed!
This giveaway is for a Bella Luna Gobble Gobble pocket that will be perfect for the fast approaching fall season! The colors have me dreaming of falling leaves, the smell of pumpkin everything and get-together events with friends and family. Bella Luna pocket diaper features:

Outer- Polyester Knit (PK), lined with Waterproof Polyester PUL
Inner- Athletic Wicking Jersey
One-size design: 15-35lbs
Handmade in Canada
Premium heavy bamboo + zorb inserts available separately
Two rows of 10 adjustable waist snaps
Two rows of rise snaps
Machine washable
Machine dry on low or line dry
6 or 12 month limited warranty

Bella Luna has an amazing selection and some of the most unique diapers I've seen! Make sure to enter this giveaway below and take a look at the shop for in-stock handmade items and good luck. Giveaway will run until 8/21 and winner will be drawn from entries received. Winner will be contacted via the e-mail provided and have 48 hours to claim their prize before a new winner is drawn.

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Disclosure: This giveaway is in no way associated with, sponsored, administered, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest or any other social media network. Event organized by Mama Banana’s Adventures. Open to legal residents 18+ of USA and Canada. Confirmed Winner will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Mama Banana's Adventures & participating bloggers are not responsible for lost or stolen prizes. For questions about this event contact MamaBananasAdventures@gmail.com

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Pregnancy Journal #1

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So...If you didn't see my post earlier this week...I'm pregnant again! It feels weird even announcing that on the internet to people I don't even know. Makes me that much more nervous about announcing it to our friends and family. But, I'll get to that in a minute.

It's so funny how different all of my pregnancies, and the circumstances leading up to them, have been so far. With Myka, it took us over 3 years and I was barely sick with her. In fact, I only physically got sick once with her...the morning of the first day of my 2^nd trimester! How's that for irony? Ha ha

It took us a “normal” amount of time with Ripley (several months). I was a lot more nauseous with her. I think I may have gotten physically sick with her a few times, but mostly only when I had the stomach flu with her. Let me tell you, having things coming out of both ends while you're pregnant is not fun!

With this one, it is super early (I just found out last Saturday, June 24^th) and already I've had to take my papaya extract for nausea! And, wouldn't you have it, we weren't exactly trying, but not NOT trying either this time. Like, I could tell you the exact date that it happened because I've been keeping track of my cycles and all that. So yah, I've become one of those women I used to hate that gets pregnant at the drop of a hat, it seems. Go figure, right?

This is DEFINITELY our last baby. (I really want one of those shirts that says “Seriously, This is the Last One!”) John and I decided a long time ago that three was definitely the max on what we thought we could handle. I'm still not completely convinced we can handle this many, but it's too late now. It's all I can do to survive the day with the 4 year old most of the time. Ha ha Not to mention the thought of three girls, especially once puberty hits, is ****ing frightening!

I'm really nervous about telling our family. Well, not so much my husband's as mine...Which is ironic because I come from a larger family than him. I'm sure at least his mom will be excited because ever since we found out we were having another girl with Ripley, his family likes to go on about how we need to keep trying until we have a boy to “carry on the name”. You know. Because we can obviously control that. I could care less about that (probably because it's not my maiden name, huh? Lol), but we are really hoping for a boy this time.

My mom only had me and my step-dad only had one kid as well, so I'm sure they're probably going to think we're crazy! I'm sure we'll get some snarky comments from certain, more distant relatives, but that's ok. I don't care. It's none of their business. I'm sure most of them will be happy for us.

I think that's all for now! I could write more, but I'm really trying to get better about not writing you guys books for each post. ;) Have any of you experienced any negativity with any of your pregnancies? How did you handle it?

Monday, July 31, 2017

8 Reasons Why I Decided to Take a Pee Test

Hey folks! Knowing whether it's time to take a pregnancy test can be tricky, amiright? Maybe it's just me, but I find it a cruel joke of nature that many early pregnancy symptoms are the same as PMS symptoms: bloating, sore boobs, irritability, spotting, and I'm sure the list goes on. So, for fun, I thought I would share some of my common (and not so common) symptoms that told me I should probably test! And, you know, officially announce that we are expecting baby #3! (Not that 3 is a lot, but this is the last one. Seriously.)

*Really sleepy in the afternoon. Between 1 and 3 o'clock, I get super tired. Sure, lots of people do, right? But listen, y'all. I never take naps. Maybe, maybe a few times a year. It's not even because I already have two little kids. (Although it certainly doesn't help. Ha ha) I've just never been able to take naps easily. I knew when I was ready to legit try to take a nap in the afternoons, something was up. I actually got so upset one day that my 4 year old wouldn't let me take one while her sister was sleeping that I cried. Which leads me to my next point...

*I've been extra hormonal and over-reactive. As for the crying thing, I hardly ever cry. Like, maybe a few times a year. I'm more likely to cry over a sad movie than something in real life. I've over-reacted to at least a couple of things too. What's messed up is that I realize I'm being irrational, but I continue being mad over something anyways. Oh. And I guess I should note that I don't usually get like this around my period. (Not since I was in high school, anyway. ;) )

*A pretty obvious sign was my elevated BBT. (Basal body temperature.) I've been tracking this for several months now. At first, I was doing it just to see if I was even ovulating or not because my cycles got really whacked out again after I had Ripley and had to stop nursing. Plus, we weren't exactly “actively trying”, but we weren't not trying either. Anyways, according to my thermometer, my normal body temperature is around 97.3-.4. It was elevated for almost a week, above 98 F, which was strange.

*My sinuses have been extra crazy. There are some mornings where I usually wake up with them bothering me (probably because we sleep with a fan on :/), but my nose has been extra leaky in the mornings. (Sorry. Gross, I know.) I was like this with Myka, too. I actually thought I was catching I cold when I found out I was pregnant with her!

*I haven't been sleeping well either. I tend to go through bouts of this, but it's just been different somehow. I can't remember with Myka, but I definitely went through this with Ripley in the first trimester too. Sleep bad at the beginning, sleep bad at the end!

*This is going to sound really weird or crazy, but that's ok. A few times, especially if I am standing up from sitting on the floor, if I do it too fast, twist weird, or something I get a sensation that can best be described as “pulling something”. Kind of like pulling a muscle, but the sensation only lasts a few seconds. I had this with both previous pregnancies and joked with John that it feels like I'm “pulling my uterus”.

The Walmart cheapies work just as well as the name brand tests, if not better, ladies! Ask anyone on Babycenter too if you don't believe me. ;)

*Ah, the frequent peeing...I never really had this with the girls, but it has been hitting me hard this time already. One day I went before I took the kids to the park and still felt like I had to go again before we even left! We went to the zoo that week as well. It takes about an hour to get there and I went before we left. I still had to stop at the rest area and go on the way! Even though I know it's caused by hormonal changes in early pregnancy, I always thought women were full of crap who said they had to use the bathroom a lot in the first trimester. Whoops!

*And the icing on the cake was....Getting a sunburn on a rainy, cloudy day at the beach! Totally legit. I peeled and everything! (Now that I think about it, guess I'm not going to get to wear that brand new swimsuit very much now. :/ Figures since I finally gave in and bought one!)

My family all thinks I'm crazy, but I get more sensitive to the sun/prone to burning when I'm pregnant. (I know I'm not the only one out there!) It seems like it gets worse with each pregnancy too! Guess it's a good thing this is the last one. I'm already feeling like a vampire after last week. Who gets a sunburn on a day where it's so cloudy that it rains off and on?!

For pretty much the entire week after Father's Day (and my husband's birthday week), I kept getting the nagging feeling I should take a test. I especially thought it would be fun to find out on, obviously, Father's Day or John's birthday, but I kept talking myself out of it because, ahem, we hadn't really “done much” that month. What were the odds?

I finally said something about it to John Friday and we talked about how it was pretty strange how much sun I got at the beach and the kids didn't (Their little red cheeks and noses were gone the next day.) and that he was just thinking that morning that he had a feeling I should take a pee test. (He is the reason I took them the first two times and found out about both pregnancies! Ha ha) Lo and behold, I picked up some cheapies at Walmart (seriously, ladies, they work just as well as the expensive name brand ones!) Saturday evening and got a very obvious positive!

Ok, I didn't mean for this post to get THIS long, but it's hard not to get excited about something like this, right? What led you to finding out you were pregnant in the past?

I See Me Personalized Lunch Box Giveaway

Welcome to the I See Me Personalized Lunch Box Giveaway!

This is part of our Back To School Gift Guide, so please check it out!

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Deliciously Savvy

Tales From A Southern Mom

Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains

Here We Go Again ready

My Silly Little Gang

Everyday Gizmos Sweeps & Views

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Easter Babe’s Theory

Peyton’s Momma

Things That Make People Go Aww

Cook With 5 Kids

Java John Z's

Miles With Christ

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See the review HERE.

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GIVEAWAY

This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated, or associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site.You are not eligible if you have won a prize from the sponsor in the last 12 month. This Giveaway is valid in the United States Only and Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter. This giveaway event will end at 11:59 PM (EST) 8/28/17. The winners will have 48 hours to email their information back to las93063 at gmail dot com or a new winner will be drawn, you may want to put this email address as safe as it could go to spam. The sponsors are each responsible for shipping of the above prizes. No blog associated with this contests are responsible for prize fulfillment. If you would like to be a sponsor in a giveaway like this please email Laura Smith at las930 (at)gmail (dot) com. If you take an entry you must stay following for the entire contest or you will be disqualified.

Also we all “love it if you like us” on Facebook! If you like our blogs on social media it helps us bring you only the best giveaways and more of them!

Enter below and Good Luck!

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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Lighting Shoes Giveaway

Lighting Shoes ~ YZ™ LED Light Up Shoes Giveaway! Ends 8/26 @lightingshoesnet @SMGurusNetwork