This Week in Photos-12/30/15

            Hey folks! Since I haven't done one of these posts for a week or two, it's more like a "half a month in photos" post! (Don't worry. I tried not to go too crazy since I have a lot of pictures from the past couple of weeks and made them into collages. :D )

            Since we won't be able to do anything fun like this for much longer with baby sister coming, we went to see the lights at the zoo after one of my doctor's appointments since we were already in Indianapolis. She was really excited to ride on the train. Can you tell?

            We also attempted a Christmas festival in a nearby town one Saturday, but I think we got there too late for all of the kids stuff. She still had fun going on a wagon ride pulled by horses. She actually did not get her face painted there: John did that when we got home. (More on that in a second.)

            THIS is why we happened to have face paint! Baby Starfish, as we've been calling her and hence the picture on the right, has kind of gotten the shaft since we already have a girl, so we thought it would be fun to still do the whole belly painting thing with her. We painted a pumpkin with Myka since she was born in October. ;)
            Btw, Myka has been totally obsessed with having kitty cat faces since John painted her face the first time. She's always asking for it now!

            We made our first Yule log this year. Unfortunately, the weather's been so crappy and we don't have a fireplace or wood burning stove inside, so we haven't even been able to burn it yet. :/

            Myka had fun with Christmas this year since she's old enough to be excited about presents. We only bought her a couple of things since I feel like the random things we buy her throughout the year is enough, but she got plenty from family. We actually stayed at my parents house for Christmas, but I will admit it was fun to see her face when she was the presents under the tree. :)

            How was your holiday? Do you celebrate a holiday other than Christmas this time of year? I'd love to hear about your traditions!

FREE Arctic Animals Handwriting Practice Sheets from Educents

 This post contains affiliate links.

What do adorable arctic animals and the alphabet have in common? They’re both part of the hottest freebie currently on Educents.com - a marketplace for educational products! The Arctic Animals Handwriting Practice Manuscript is available to download FOR FREE right now.

 You may have seen me post about these on Twitter last week. If not, read on below to find out more about them! After all, it's the perfect time of year to learn about Arctic animals and why not make handwriting practice more fun with this freebie? I'm excited to get it myself as we are getting ready to start on Arctic animals soon and have been dabbling with learning how to write letters as well. :)

  

These adorable arctic animals are sure to get your kiddos excited about practicing the alphabet! This one is our most popular freebie right now.

What is it?

For parents and educators who are looking to help their children with handwriting, look no further than the Arctic animals handwriting practice manuscript. The free download features handwriting lessons accompanied by cute cartoons of the most adorable arctic animals around. Polar bears, moose, narwhals, and more are all represented. The sheets, which are perfect for children age 5-9, features over 30 downloadable pages of exercises covering the full alphabet, both upper and lower case, as well as the animals themselves. Instructions for kids are simple and clear, and can be re-printed for multiple lessons or children.

Looking to further educate your kids about the arctic animals? This video showcases some of the cooler land and sea animals in the arctic, like the penguin or the seal. This video might be the perfect companion piece for children working on the manuscript. Educents offers more than 400 freebies, many like these ABC worksheets, as well as other great educational items. Check it out and you're sure to find something you'll love.

 

What people are saying about the worksheets:

• "These are cute. My kids get bored copying just the letters, but I bet they'll have fun writing the animal names.” - Mary J. via Facebook
• "A very creative and helpful way for students to practice their handwriting!" - Maria  P. via Educents

So, what are you waiting for? Even if your child(ren) may not be ready for them quite yet, grab them now while they are free! You can always use them next year. :)

Ozeri Green Earth Pan Review

             Hey folks! It's hard to believe Christmas is just a few days away. Are you still looking for a last minute gift for someone or already planning what to spend with a gift card you might have received as a gift? Even if you're trying to find something for that person who has everything, I think this ceramic pan from Ozeri will fit the bill!

             The Green Earth Pan by Ozeri has lots of unique and awesome features:

• Durable, scratch-resistant ceramic
• No harmful metals or chemicals
• Ceramic coating is derived from nature
• Patterned cooking surface helps prevent food from sticking
• Pattern also makes for more even cooking
• Easy to clean
• Silicone handle
• Safe for use with induction stoves

             We have a set of ceramic pots and pans that we received for Christmas last year from a different brand that we absolutely love. AND, we also had the chance to review a set of Instavac storage containers from Ozeri a couple of years ago and love those as well, so needless to say, we were excited to try out the Green Earth Pan! 

             We received the 8” pan to review, but you can also get it in 10” and 12” diameters. The 8” is the perfect size for small things, such as cooking eggs, a grilled cheese sandwich, sauteing veggies, etc. It comes in handy for us as a family of three and it would definitely be good for a single person or couple, but I would love to have one of the bigger ones too!

             Like I said, we love the ceramic pots and pans we already have, but we especially like this one because it's even easier to clean. The ones we already have don't have coating on the rivets which makes cleaning them a pain in the butt, especially with eggs. The Green Earth Pan has EVERYTHING coated, including the rivets, so that's why cleaning it is even easier! 

 It also comes with this nifty cover to protect it while storing!

             The patterned cooking surface also makes cleaning super easy. Depending on what you cooked in it, you almost don't even need to wash it. You could easily use a cloth or paper towel to wipe out any leftovers, kind of like with cast iron pans.

             I also like that this pan doesn't have any nasty chemicals in the coating like most “non-stick” pots and pans. I know I won't have to worry in years to come about nasty bits coming off and mixing in with my food, let alone dangerous fumes. Ew! Who wants nasty black bits in their food?!

             I have noticed it seems to take a little longer to cook with this pan. However, I attribute that to still getting used to it since it's new to me and because it cooks everything more evenly because of the textured cooking surface. In other words, not necessarily a bad thing!

             You can order your own Ozeri Green Earth Pan on Amazon. (Don't forget: There are three different sizes to choose from!) If you like, you can also learn more about Ozeri on their website or stay up-to-date with them on Facebook.

Disclaimer: I received this product through Moderna Housewares in return for an honest review. Regardless, all opinions are my own and may differ from your own.

Simply Earth Peppermint Essential Oil Review

            Hey folks! By now most of you probably know how much I like and try to use essential oils. We mostly use them in our homemade bath and body products, but I've been trying to get better about using them for other things as well, like getting rid of colds quicker, helping with headaches, etc.

             Naturally, I was excited to try out a new brand that I hadn't used before: Simply Earth.

Simply Earth specializes in essential oils, as well as deodorizers and air and fabric fresheners. (All at affordable prices too!) “Simply Earth is a small, eco-friendly, purpose-driven, family company. We donate 13% of the profit from every product purchased to organizations that are rehabilitating trafficking victims because the average age of these beautiful woman is 13 years old.” Pretty awesome, right? Not only are you helping support a small business and purchasing something you need at an affordable price, but you're helping others out too!

         

            I recently had the chance to try out Simply Earth's Peppermint essential oil. Now, truth be told, I'm usually not a fan of peppermint, but I had some plans for trying it out. And, now that I've been using it, the smell is actually kind of growing on me!

            First of all, peppermint seems to remind a lot of people of Christmas-time, so it was the perfect scent to try out in our liquid soap for this time of year! Although I was leery to try peppermint soap out myself since, again, it's not my fave, it was kind of a nice change. We usually alternate between our jasmine, cedarwood-patchouli, and lemongrass soap, which are all nice and earthy, so the “in your face” scent of peppermint was invigorating. I definitely recommend it for helping to wake you up in the morning!

            I took my husband's idea of having cotton pads with essential oils on the air vents to make the house smell better to our bathroom. On top of our house sitting vacant for over a year before we moved in, the bathroom off of our bedroom has terrible ventilation. So, it gets a little musty smelling in there still and quite frankly grosses me out because I'm pregnant and I smell EVERYTHING. Anyways...

            I put a few drops of the Simply Earth peppermint essential oil on a cotton pad and put it on top of the towel storage thing to help the bathroom smell better. It definitely smells a LOT better and I only have to put a few drops on the pad every few days. It's pretty potent and lasts awhile! (I actually went a little overboard the first time and you could smell it as soon as you walked in the house...The door is on the opposite side of the house from our bathroom. O.o)

            I also meant to try this out on spiders, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Huh? That's right. It's said that peppermint essential oil is supposed to help rid and keep away spiders. Funny story: I was at my mom's house sitting in a recliner and a big spider crawled down one of the arms and disappeared inside of the chair. (How many of you have the heebie jeebies already?) My husband put her peppermint EO on a cotton ball and through it under the chair (with the foot rest up) and I swear to you that sucker came running out less than five seconds later! Lol

            So, whether you're looking for a festive, clean smell for your house or trying to keep spiders away, I definitely recommend Simply Earth's Peppermint essential oil! Many essential oils are super pricey (some for good reason), and that's another thing I love about Simply Earth: you can't beat the price to quality ratio! Plus, I feel like more people will be willing to try them out that want to because they're not $40 a bottle!

            To see all of the essential oils Simply Earth offers, be sure to visit their website. You can stay up-to-date with them on a multitude of social media websites as well: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Disclaimer: I received this product through Tomoson in return for my honest review. No other compensation was received and my opinions may differ from your own.

Maze Runner-The Scorch Trials Giveaway

Hosted by: Queen of Reviews

Sponsor: Fox Home Entertainment Group

Prize: Maze Runners: The Scorch Trials BluRay+DVD=Digital HD

The Maze was just the beginning. After the harrowing adventure of escaping the maze, the Gladers find themselves right in the center of an epic mystery in MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS.  There’s more action, more excitement and more spectacular effects in this thrilling new chapter of the epic Maze Runner saga by James Dashner. 

Dates: 12/19-1/2

Open to: US Residents 18+

Enter to win using the widget below. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: Mixed Bag Mama was not compensated for this post or responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media platform, including, but not limited to Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. 

I'm an Educents Blogger!

This post contains affiliate links.

             Hey folks! I am super excited to share with you today that I am now an Educents blogger and affiliate member! Homeschooling has been something that I've been interested in for quite some time and I'm even more excited about all of the possibilities now that we are starting to do some schooling this year. With that being said, I was intrigued when I came across Educents and think they will be a great company to work with!

             What is Educents? In a nutshell, it's a central hub where parents, homeschoolers, and teachers can find a wide variety of educational materials, from supplemental materials to full curriculums. You can shop by grade, which includes everything from pre-school to college, and, the best part is that everything is discounted! On top of that there are daily deals, freebies, giveaways, and more!

             So, what does being an Educents blogger and affiliate mean for Mixed Bag Mama? Since I've already been trying to share some of our homeschooling fun and struggles with you, you can also expect occasional updates on freebies and deals, hot products, product reviews, and more from Educents. (I will probably be sharing a lot of those through my social media channels, so be sure to follow me on them, which you can find in the upper right corner of the blog!) I will receive a percentage of any sales that are made through my links, but I don't sign up for programs like these unless I think they're a quality company that's a good fit for you guys!

             Let's go ahead and get started with some freebies, shall we?

-Peekapak social-emotional curriculum freebies (Pre-K): Teaches kindness, gratitude, and more. Includes 6 lessons.

-More Peekapak freebies

-Ukloo's Early Reader freebie is a seek-and-find literacy game for ages 4 and up! Available on iPhone and iPad.

-One year of free math lessons (multiple grades)

-Christmas Literacy & Math Pack (1st-3^rd grade): Holiday themed morning work

-And, if you're still looking for more freebies, search through over 500 items HERE.

             Not a bad deal, right? Have you used Educents for any of your learning needs?

Real Kids Shades Giveaway

Welcome to the Real Kids Shades Giveaway!

Sponsored By: Real Kids Shades

Hosted By: Mixed Bag Mama 

             Hey folks! Eye protection may be the furthest thing from your mind right now if you have gloomy weather like us during the winter, but it's still important! Harmful UVA and UVB rays still pass through clouds. That's why they recommend you wear sunscreen even on cloudy days during the warm months. But what about protection for our eyes, especially our children's eyes? That's where Real Kids Shades comes in!

             Real Kids Shades offers high quality sunglasses for kids from birth to teen. Not only do they come in five different sizes and numerous styles, so you are sure to find the right fit, but they provide protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Their flexible frames are perfect for even the most active kids and, if you have a really active kid, there are some styles that include straps as well! You can find out more about Real Kids Shades by visiting their website and reading Mixed Bag Mama's review. 

            One lucky reader will win a pair of their own sunglasses from Real Kids Shades. Winner will be able to choose what size, style, and color of glasses they would like. This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents 18+. Only your email is mandatory to enter (used only to contact the winner), but the more entries you have, the better your chances of winning. Good luck! 

Entry-Form

Mixed Bag Mama and all participating blogs were not compensated for this post or responsible for prize shipment. This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media platform, including, but not limited to, Facebook Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Real Kids Shades Review

             Hey folks! I don't know about where you live, but it gets pretty gloomy here in Indiana this time of year, so eye protection from the sun isn't exactly in the forefront of my mind. As parents, most of us probably tend to forget or don't realize we're not protecting our children's eyes as well as we think either. Even if we do get sunglasses for our kids, it's easy to get caught up in the cheap, cutesy ones at stores that, more often than not, don't provide all, if any, of the protection your child's eyes need. The folks at Real Kids Shades saw a problem with this and thus “the leading innovator of children's 100% UVA/UVB eye protection” was born!

             Real Kids Shades takes protecting your children's eyes very seriously. Besides providing both UVA and UVB protection, their sunglasses contain shatterproof and impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses and they offer flexible and wrap around frames to help prevent your child from breaking them and to block out peripheral sunlight. (They also offer polarized glasses as well.) Sun damage is permanent and cumulative, so that's why they take their product so seriously!

             All of that is fine and dandy, but who's to say your kids will even wear them, right? Real Kids Shades strives to make their sunglasses appealing to children as well as parents by offering them in different sizes for different age ranges as well as different styles and colors for each group as well! You can find their shades in five different sizes, ranging from birth to teenager, a range of colors, and different styles for any lifestyle, whether they be sporty wrap-arounds or cute, girly square-framed ones like the ones we reviewed below.

             We actually reviewed a pair of the baby size Real Kids Shades when Myka was very young and really liked them. (You can read that review HERE.) Needless to say, I was happy to try out another pair for her now because she could really use some quality sunglasses. Since she has had a big noggin since she was born (I can thank my hubby for that), I decided to go with the Child 4+ size instead of the Toddler 2+. (She just turned 3 in October.) Sadly, but to be totally upfront, they did not fit correctly. 

             I don't think it's the glasses themselves to blame (the Breeze style, by the way), but if you have a kid with a large head, you may want to order a size or two up and check out the sizing diagram for whichever pair you're thinking about purchasing. In our case, the glasses seem too small, like the arms, while flexible, will not bend out far enough and essentially push themselves off her face. (For the record, I know I probably should have sent them back to try to get ones that fit, but I didn't want to be a nuisance and we can just save them for baby #2 when she's older.) Perhaps a different style with the adjustable band to help keep them on would have worked better, but I didn't think Myka would stand for it.

             Other than that, they ARE well-made. (Even my husband said so upon inspecting them. Trust me. If he says they're high quality, they are.) They are very flexible, which is great for young kids. For being a girl, I joke that Myka acts more like a boy as active as she is and as much as she likes playing outdoors and rough housing. So, flexible is good. I love the color combination we received and she did too. (Despite my better efforts, she likes pink stuff. ;) ) And for the record, I do think she would wear them if they fit. She was pretty excited about getting new sunglasses. :)

            I liked the nifty carrying case too. We have a tendency of leaving her other pair of sunglasses in one of the cars, so I like that I can put this pair in the case and remember where they are better! (And protect them from the heat and cold some if you do happen to leave them in the car, of course.)

             So, I hope I haven't put you off from checking out Real Kids Shades' products. They really are good quality and it's hard to find sunglasses that protect from both UVA and UVB rays. Hubby and I honestly just think our kid has a giant head! Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube to stay up-to-date with important information and special promotions.

            Speaking of promotions, Real Kids Shades is also generously giving away a pair of their sunglasses to one of my readers as well, so be sure to head over to the giveaway page for a chance to win. Winner chooses size, style, color, and all that fun stuff. :)

Disclaimer: I received product in return for my honest review. No other compensation was received. My opinions may differ from your own. 

KidSafe Germ Destroyer Roll-On Giveaway

Welcome to the KidSafe Germ Destroyer Roll-On Giveaway!

Sponsored By: Plant Therapy

Hosted By: Mixed Bag Mama

             It's that lovely time of year when everyone (hopefully) gets to spend extra time with friends and family, whether it be from celebrating holidays together or being stuck indoors due to nasty weather. Unfortunately, germs also seem to run rampant this time of year! This year, however, Plant Therapy has you and your children covered!

             Plant Therapy offers a wide variety of pure essential oils, synergies, and accessories, such as diffusers. They even offer a KidSafe line to take the guessing game out of which essential oils are safe for use with children and what ones aren't good to use with them. Be sure to visit their website to view all of their products to keep your family healthy and happy the natural way.

             Alicia from Mixed Bag Mama recently had the chance to review the KidSafe Germ Destroyer Roll-On (Intended for children age 2-10). Plant Therapy would generously like to give one away to one lucky reader as well! Simply enter the Giveaway Tools form below for your chance to win. Only your email is mandatory to enter (only used to contact you if you are the winner), but the more entries you have, the better your chances are of winning! Good Luck!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: All participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. (Mixed Bag Mama did receive a product sample in return for her honest review.) The sponsor is responsible for prize shipment, not the participating bloggers. Opinions expressed here may differ from your own. This giveaway is not affiliated with any social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Plant Therapy KidSafe Germ Destroyer Review

 

             Hey folks! It's that time of year that everyone is visiting friends and family more or out battling the crowds, shopping for gifts. That also means it's the time of year that germs and illness seem to spread like wildfire! Luckily, especially if you have young children, I've got a great product to share with you to help keep the germs at bay this year!

             Plant Therapy offers all kinds of essential oils (singles and synergies), for adults and children, as well as accessories, such as diffusers and carrier oils. What caught my attention about Plant Therapy is that they have their own line of kid-friendly essential oil blends which are aptly named KidSafe.

             As some of you may know, some essential oils are not safe to use with young children, which is a big part of why this line was created: to take the guessing game out of which oils are safe for what ages of children, etc. (What parent couldn't use less things to worry about?) KidSafe oils were created for children aged 2-10 and common ailments for that age group, such as colds, attention issues, sleeping troubles, and much more. You can find them in their pure form and dilute them yourself, use them in a diffuser, etc., or pre-diluted roll-ons, if you prefer.

             I recently had the opportunity to review Plant Therapy's KidSafe Germ Destroyer roll-on. Although designed to help your kids feel better and get well when already sick, I have been using it as a preventative measure. Try as I might not to be a germophobe, I am a little bit, especially this time of year. Plus, we have been out and about a lot for play dates and doctor's visits lately. You know. Like the worst possibly places to spread germs!

             It's still early and we've only been using it for a few weeks, but, knock on wood, we haven't caught anything yet. (I've been using it as well because nothing is worse than being sick when you're pregnant!) Although I'm sure it will catch up to us eventually, I like that I have a natural way to help Myka feel better when she does! And, as you can see below, she enjoys putting it on herself. ;)

             There are a couple things I especially like about the Germ Destroyer roll-on. I like that it is convenient. Besides being pre-diluted, it's the perfect size to stick in your purse or pocket on the go. It smells good too. You might think the smell of some of the essential oils would clash, but it's a nice blend of trees and flowers with the spruce and lavender. (It also contains marjoram, rosalina, and lemon.)

             Be sure to get your own Germ Destroyer roll-on or regular, undiluted bottle by visiting Plant Therapy's website. You can stay up-to-date with them and watch for special sales and promotions by following them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Oh. And if you're feeling extra lucky, be sure to stop by the giveaway page to enter for a chance to win your own KidSafe Germ Destroyer Roll-On!