Something Like Life

8 years ago I was blessed with the most amazing little boy ever. We have gone through struggles his whole life but I wouldn't have him any other way. 

Working in a school it amazes me how even at such a young age bullying is very widely spread. Even at 4 years old the children start picking at each others clothing, hair, speech and well just about anything they can! When I got the chance to review this great new series called Captain McFinn and Friends I was really excited to see if it could be something to use with my kids and students alike.

Recently I was given the chance to review a product by Purex that I had not yet heard of. Purex Baby is a great new formula designed especially for your babies sensitive skin. While I do not have a baby I do have several children with very sensitive skin. I really enjoyed this product, it has a very light scent and cleaned very well. I didn't have any big stains while I was using this product so I can't say how well it would remove some of those stubborn stains.lol It was nice to use a product that did not cause a reaction with their skin. Do  you have little ones?? Are you looking for a new laundry detergent for someone with sensitive skin in your family, why not give Purex a try! Make sure to enter our giveaway on the Rafflecopter below one lucky winner will win 3 free product coupons. a Rafflecopter giveaway **I received the above mentioned products in order to do this review. All views expressed are those of my own and were in no way influenced. Thank you Purex for

Recently my family has started to go gluten free....problem is in my small town not much is available on the store shelves. I had a box of cornbread in my closet only to find out it was not gluten free! Luckily after much searching I was able to find a recipe I could alter enough to suit my tastes.lol Gluten Free Cast Iron Cornbread 3/4 Cup rice flour 1 Cup cornmeal 2 to 3 Tablespoons of sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon butter 2 beaten eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup melted butter Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt) together in a medium bowl and set aside. Melt the one tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch cast-iron skillet(you can use smaller for thicker cornbread) Swirl the butter around the pan coating the bottom and sides. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and 1/4 cup butter. Add this mixture all at once to the flour mixture and s

Certainly by now everyone has heard something about the fast approaching fiscal cliff. With only 5 days left until we "fall off" of the cliff. Now I won't lie I really tend to over think things but with shows like Doomsday Preppers it is hard not to. If 5 days pass and the government can't get their heads out of their butts what do you think will happe n?? Are you doing anything to prepare??

This has fast become a great tradition in our family. Every Christmas Eve we head to Norad Track Santa so we know just when the big man will arrive at our house! The kids LOVE it and honestly I do to so don't miss out spend time with your kids this Christmas Eve bringing the magic to your house. TRACK SANTA HERE

Nothing makes the holidays seems closer then the smells of the season. Obviously we cannot keep the oven cooking 24 hours a day so F ebreze has come up with ways to keep your home warm and inviting. The Febreze Holiday Collection is the perfect finishing touch to your holiday home.With six refreshing holiday scents there is sure to be a scent for every home.

COLD & FLU TIPS FROM DR. DAN HUSSAR ·    If your sore throat is caused by a viral infection, antibiotics won’t help it. Nonprescription products such as Chloraseptic® Lozenges and Sprays may be beneficial. Phenol in the Chloraseptic® Sprays and Benzocaine in the Chloraseptic ® Lozenges will numb the pain and discomfort.  Allow lozenges to dissolve slowly in the mouth.  NEW Chloraseptic® Warming Spray eases the pain with a nice warming sensation, like “Hot Tea On The Go.” Here are some other great tips to help pull you through that cold or flu this season.

With the Holidays fast approaching I can't help but think about the way that material possessions have all but over taken the lives of everyone. The movie The Three Day Test came in the mail I was excited to have a new family friendly holiday movie to share with my family.

Recently I was given an amazing opportunity to interview design professional Candice Olson, who has teamed up with Febreze to kick up your Holiday decor. Now if you think this name sounds familiar you might be right. Candice has a top rated television show called "Divine Design" that ran for 9 years and 215 episodes that quickly became a go to source for interior design. Unfortunately this year I have a job that keeps me away from home during the day but she was amazing enough to record my questions for you my readers. Please take time to watch her amazing tips and tricks to take your holiday season to a whole new level!

We have all seen and heard about the tragedy of Sandy Hook. Nothing will ever explain why a human would take the lives of children. How are you feeling about this tragedy?? Have the schools in your area done anything different since this tragedy?? What do you wish would be done in your area to keep people safe??

We have all seen them driving down the road. Little stick figure families on the back of vehicles rolling down the road. The problem was they all looked the same. That is where a company called Vinyl Disorder came in, they saw the need for a custom vinyl sticker for not only your car but your home. With a design for nearly every personality you can make your vinyl car sticker as unique as you are. recently we were given the the chance to pick a style that fit our family. My son picked a sticker for the wall of our house and of course being the Star Wars fan he is he picked THIS collection. When it came in the mail he was super excited to get to place it on the wall. The application was a little time consuming for us, but I think this was because out walls have a bit of a texture to them. Once we got it all stuck down it looked GREAT! My favorite part is that these are easily removed if you ever change your mind you can simply peal it off , wipe down your wall and you never would

By popular demand I am going to try and post coupons on the Saturday mornings I find them. $3.00 off (1) ROGAINE Hair Regrowth Treatment $2.00 off (1) REMBRANDT Toothpaste or Rinse $1.00 off any (1) LUBRIDERM Men's product $1.00 off any (1) TUCKS product $0.75 off ANY (1) o.b. product $2.00 off (1) ZYRTEC product 14 ct. or larger $2.00 off (1) VISINE product 1/2 fl oz or larger $0.50 off (1) LISTERINE Pocketpaks $1.00 off any (1) NEUTROGENA MEN product $1.00 off (1) LISTERINE WHITENING Rinse $1.00 off on any (1) Children's TYLENOL product

When the opportunity for this review came up I was a little leery about taking it. As a non coffee drinker I just kept thinking what am I going to do with these?? What purpose could they possibly hold for someone that doesn't drink coffee. I learned when they arrived that Torani is more then just a coffee flavoring. I received two flavors in the mail a Pumpkin Spice and a Vanilla Bean. While I have to admit the Pumpkin Spice Torani was used for just the plain old coffee ;o) I took it to work for our Holiday party and it was a huge success! Monday it was very very cold here and never made it past freezing. All the teachers were hovering the coffee pot waiting for their turn to warm up. When it came time for the Vanilla my first thought was how good it would be in my soda haha. Then an emergency situation came up! I was in the middle of making my first batch of fudge for the holiday season(see I told you it was important) and I realized I HAD NO VANILLA! As I am stirring my fudge a

This week there is so much to be thankful for. I have come to accept that for at least a period of time my son will deal with ironically what he has always dealt with. We had an MRI yesterday to see if it is something that perhaps one day he will outgrow and we are blessed that he has that chance. He may never be normal but I hear that is over rated anyways ;o) I'm so thankful I have 6 more days of work before I have a nice long Christmas vacation because boy do I NEED IT! I am also very thankful for all the love and support I have gotten from friends, family and co-workers. I can't say enough how great the people I work with are. Only a truly great person will tear up before you do when you find out your son has a chance at a normal life.

http://woobox.com/oqvs5w/2gc1zq go to vote in the top right then select the top left picture should says Koda in the caption :O)

I you have children and a video gaming system by now you have heard of the new Skylanders Giants . I know we have seen a display at nearly every store we have been in and my children are HOOKED. Skylanders Giants is more then just your average video game it is a fun new way to for your children to become part of the game. With the portal base and characters you can customize your game in a way you never have before.

I really enjoy the peaceful sounds of classical music. During the Christmas Season there is no difference, if anything I enjoy it that much more. Recently I received a beautiful instrumental CD of all my favorite Christmas Carols. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and other carols I have really enjoyed. For the last week I have had it playing in my room at school. It has really brought a peaceful feeling of cheer to everyone who has come by. I really love the way the Manor House String Quartet has taken many classic songs and made them beautiful. If you are looking for an amazing collection of music for your holiday season I highly recommend this CD. You can purchase it online at the following locations: iTunes:I Three Ships HERE Amazon: HERE Manor House: HERE 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.

Christmas is by far one of my favorite holidays. I love this time of year, everything from Christmas caroling with my children to make crafts with my students. With just over 2 weeks left till Christmas I have finished my main Christmas shopping and I have moved on to the stockings! Of course we have the basics like candy canes and chocolate coins, but one of my favorite things to put in our stockings are Mike & Ikes and with their festive holiday packaging it makes it even more fun. What are you filling your stockings with??  Mine favorite candy is Hot Tamales, best part is....no one else can stand the heat ;O) haha.

Do you have pets?? If so you don't want to miss out on this great giveaway from Pawalla and my friend over at Priceless Products Reviews Giveaways & Freebies . 3 lucky winner will each receive a a code for a free pet product box. Mak e sure to check out her review and find out all the great things you can get for your pet.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nothing can bring a smile to a child's face like a new fuzzy friend. In our house when we are looking for a new friend we turn to Build A Bear Workshop .

I'm sure you have heard it said that laughter is the best medicine and I must admit I have those days that I really need to hear something funny. Recently I met a fellow called Humerus The Talk Funny Bone who has helped to keep me smiling even on the toughest days. Activated by the clapping of your hands he is sure to keep the applause going for a long time. He measures 11 3/4" x 2" (about the size of the average Humerus) and is packed full of jokes that are sure to keep him the "funniest guy in the joint." I love that he comes in a package that is just like a stage and complete with his friend Ulnar who is always nervous about something.lol My kids have really had a ton of fun playing with this jokester. I was worried being clap activated that the cats would set him off all night but it really does take a good clap of your hands to get him talking. This would make a great present for any adult or child, but make sure in hurry if you want it in time to give

Today I am thankful for the things I can't explain. I have mentioned before that my middle son struggles in life. We have known since he was a baby that something was wrong and he has many tests done. After nearly 8 years we had resorted to testing for learning disabilities(from the urging and support of a teacher) because it seemed nothing else was wrong, yet he has poor skin, is always tired, does very poorly in school. Out of the blue I got a call from a Neurologist saying he had a referral for my son to have an EEG and it needed to be done as soon as we could. It was scheduled for the next day and we went in. Just a few minutes into the test the doctor stopped and without saying a word began making calls. I am not sure I will ever get the look on his face out of my head. A doctor with 25 years of experience looked scared...I cannot put it any other way. He took about 30 minutes explaining to me what the tests showed and what we would need next. Last night I found out that my s

<a href=" http://totsandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuesday%20Giveaway%20Linky "><img alt="Tots and Me" src="http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt58/kewkewphoto/TuesdayGiveawayLinkup2.jpg" border="0" alt="num2"></a> Welcome to Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up with your hosts Karen @ Tots and Me  and Emily @ Emily Reviews Our co-hosts this week are  Ashley from  Forgetful Momma-Bottles, Diapers...Babies    and   Mellissa from  Something Like Life .

You can buy this large Gift Pail for a great gift. Bigger is better right??.... Well come to find out there are many things that bigger is never better. My waist line is one of those things and new Protein Bakery Minis is another. The bad thing about a smaller waist is it means that you have to change what you eat. I have found that having a protein filled snack after my evening work out really helps to not only help my muscles heal from the workout but to keep me from craving those "bad" snacks. At 100 calories a piece they are the perfect size to help me not indulge to an unhealthy point. I was lucky enough to get to try a large selection of these new mini both the brownies and the cookies. I have to say my favorite was the Pumpkin Walnut Cookies , which are a new seasonal cookie they have available and will certainly fill you seasonal cravings. Out of the brownies I tried I like the Peanut Butter Chocolate the most.These treats are perfect if you are looking to star

Chips....one of Americas favorite snack foods. Problem for my family is that chips really aren't that healthy and you must eat a ton of them in order to feel satisfied. Recently I was introduced to a fairly new brand of chips that my family has really enjoyed. Simply 7 has a great line of Lentil, Hummus and Pomegranate chips. I know what you are thinking....and yes at first I was a little afraid myself to try these chips. I started with the Bruschetta Lentil chips and I can tell you after one bite I was HOOKED. You get 31 chips per serving for only 140 calories, I know it doesn't seem like a lot but it really was enough to satisfy the craving I was having. The best part is when I turned over the bag I could actually pronounce what I was eating. My children are in love with the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus chips(despite the fact that my sons teacher told him hummus was degrading organic matter, gotta love public schools). My husband is just a man *sigh* he

 One of my daughters favorite toys is Littlest Pet Shop , so when we found out that the Hub TV Network would be premiering a new show based on the toys she was over the moon. We had been selected for a MommyParties viewing premier party , so we planned to have a couple friends over and have some fun. We ordered pizza from our favorite local p lace, made up some caramel and cho colate covered popcorn and put in the show. The girls(and my middle son) were ENTRANCED by the cuteness of the show and I loved it! Of course we quickly lost the attention of any males in the ho usehold and they went to do something else but that i s ok. The girls were so excited to wear ma sk s and "look just like the pets" I sent the awesome brushes and chapsticks home with the girls . Aft er watching the show they were not done with the fun of Li ttlest Pet Shop and had to go p lay!  My oldest showing his true pain haha  Since the part y we have set our DVR to record the show every time i

Wow can you believe that there is only 23 more shopping days before Christmas. While I sit here and wonder where the time has gone it also leads me to make a list of what I still need to purchase for my family this holiday season and with 3 children I am sue you can guess how big that list is getting. Luckily I have discovered some great things at BestBuy.com that are making my holiday shopping so much easier. With all the top gifts for kids, teen, him and her, you are sure to find just what you need for the people on your shopping list. One of my hot holiday wants is the iPad 2 ,