Super Sharpener Begets Pointy Pencils

So about eighteen months ago I was sent a pencil sharpener to review on the blog.  And then life happened literally.  The sharpener arrived at my house at right around the same time I found out we were expecting.  The energy to blog was hardly there and the sharpener hung out on my kitchen counter reminding me daily that I need to write a review.  Then the baby was born and well, it's been a whirlwind nine months, but today is the day I write this review!

I've had a lot of pencil sharpeners over the years.  I've killed more electric sharpeners than I can remember.  I have no luck with the electric ones.  They seize up on me and some of them are just awesome at breaking the pencil points before we even get to use them.  I've had more success with manual sharpeners, but I'm not particularly fond of sharpening a dozen pencils with those little hand sharpeners.  I always end up either breaking the point or dumping shavings all over the place.  Me and sharpening pencils just don't go together.

As a kid I remember how much I loved sharpening my pencils at school using the cool wall mounted sharpeners that were in every class room.  Those sharpeners rocked!  So imagine my delight when I was given the opportunity to review a sharpener that was just like those school sharpeners.

The sharpeners from classroom friendly supplies make the pointiest pencil points I've ever seen.  So sharp that if Ralphie from A Christmas Story had asked for one of these sharpeners for Christmas instead of a Red Ryder BB gun, everyone would have said "You'll poke your eye out!" instead of saying "You'll shoot your eye out!"  Seriously, if you pull the guard out all the way, this sharpener can give you the sharpest pencil you've ever seen.  It took me a few tries with this sharpener before I figured out how to sharpen a pencil so that it didn't look like the perfect eye gouging weapon.

My kids love this sharpener.  They're happy that all it takes is a couple quick cranks of the sharpener to have a perfect pencil point.  Hardly any effort is required to get a nicely sharpened pencil.

Have I mentioned that this sharpener is pretty quiet, too?  Our electric sharpener is wake the baby loud so using that sharpener isn't an option when the little ones are asleep.  This sharpener is quiet enough that there are no worries that sharpening will wake the baby.  In a classroom setting, this sharpener won't create a disturbance.

The sharpener comes with a clamp to mount it to a table top or counter.  I wasn't overly impressed with the clamp.  It always ended up popping off while we were using it.  I actually find it easier to just hold the sharpener in place when sharpening the pencils.  There is an optional permanent mount available for this sharpener, which is sold separately, but I have no experience with it.  It looks like it might be the solution to having it securely mounted to a table or counter.

Overall, I'd say this is a great sharpener if you're looking for a manual sharpener that does a great job sharpening pencils every time.

I was provided with a free pencil sharpener by Classroom Friendly Supplies in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Classroom Friendly Supplies for more information on their sharpeners.  They come in five different colors so you can find just the right sharpener to suit your homeschool or classroom.

Shaklee 180 Review

A few months ago I was asked if I'd be interested in doing a review of a Shaklee weight management program.  I'm not really into the scene for a couple of reasons.  First, I watched my mom struggle with different diets for most of my childhood and have an overall negative outlook when it comes to weight management programs.  Second, I don't have any weight issues that would send me in pursuit of help for dropping weight.  My husband, however, is a different story.  For the past two years he's been trying to lose weight.  He's had some success with other weight management and exercise programs, but seems to hit a point where he hits a wall and his success is halted.  It's frustrating for him and it's frustrating to watch.  So I asked my husband if he'd like to give Shaklee 180 a try and give me his thoughts on the program.  He was up for it.  The Shaklee 180 program is supposed to help you maintain muscle while losing fat.

Starting back in April,  Bryan began drinking the Shaklee smoothies and eating their meal in a bar and snack bars.  The kit also included an energizing tea and metabolic supplement.  He found that he was getting headaches when he took the metabolic supplement, so he had to discontinue using them.  He didn't care for the tea (hot or cold) at all so he didn't use that either.

The Shaklee 180 kit includes a "Plan for Success" to help you take your shape in a whole new direction.  The meal plan is based on a 1200 calorie diet, but you can use the Shaklee 180 app to create a personalized nutrition plan.  The app is similar to the My Fitness Pal app that my husband has been using for about a year and a half.  It helps you keep track of the calories you've consumed and I think that helps him feel like he needs to stay accountable for what he's consuming.

So back to the plan for success.  The program makes this really simple.  It has each meal, plus snacks laid out for you in an easy to understand format.  A breakfast with Shaklee 180 is a serving of fresh fruit, an energizing smoothie and 1 metabolic boost supplement.  To spice things up a bit you can add your fruit to the smoothie.  The mobile app offers some fruit smoothie recipes to get those creative juices flowing.  Lunch is either a meal-in-a-Bar or a smoothie with a metabolic boost supplement.  Of course, the program is flexible enough that if you want to swap out dinner for lunch and have a meal-in-a-bar or smoothie for dinner you can do that with this program and be perfectly fine.  When it comes to snacks you can choose from the energizing tea or a snack bar along with 1-2 servings of guilt-free foods.  The plan for success insert even offers some suggestions of guilt free foods that make great snacks like raw carrots or broccoli and pickles or cucumbers.  Dinner consists of a healthy meal and a metabolic boost.  The guide offers you a breakdown of what a healthy meal looks like.

With any weight management plan that involves using specific program food, the first thing you're probably wondering about is the food, right?  No one wants to start out a weight loss program and find out that the food is horrible and leaves you feeling hungry all of the time.  That's just a recipe for disaster.  So I asked Bryan to be perfectly honest about the food and tell me what he thought about it.

Bryan is definitely a fan of the energizing smoothie. He enjoys the taste of them and describes them as  thick, filling and lasting the entire morning.  Other shakes he has used in the past didn't have as much substance to them and left him feeling hungry within two hours.  He says the Shaklee shakes are like a meal by comparison.  Bryan chose the chocolate shakes for the kit and he thought they tasted pretty good.  He said a lot of other chocolate protein shakes are chocolate colored but they don't really taste like they have chocolate flavoring.  With the shaklee shake he said if it didn't have the gritty powder consistency to it, you might actually think you're drinking a chocolate milk shake.  He said the shakes mix up well.  Initially he was mixing the shakes with just a spoon and it wasn't mixing up as well and as quickly as he would have liked so we got a little single-serve blenderand he gets perfect shakes within seconds.  The energizing shakes come in four different flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and cafe latte.  Bryan can't speak to the other three flavors, but the chocolate variety gets his recommendation.

The Meal-in-a-bar comes in two varieties blueberry & almond crisp and peanut butter & chocolate chip.  Bryan decided to continue along his chocolate theme and chose the chocolate peanut butter variety.  He thought the bar was quite sizeable.  He describes it as being like a very heavily compacted krispy treat that has a deep peanut buttery flavor with chocolate chips.  He says it was filling and very convenient for on the go eating.  It's great for a quick eat while lunching.

Snack bar is essentially a mini version of the meal in a bar.  The snack bars are available in the following varieties: chocolate chocolate,  lemon & cranberry, and crunchy peanut butter--there's even a option to get the snack bars as a variety pack.  Bryan tried the chocolate chocolate flavored snack bars.  He found them to be a satisfying snack  that banishes the munchies.  The chocolate chocolate variety has a nice rich cocoa flavor so it's great if you're a chocoholic.

Between the smoothies, and the meal and snack bars Bryan was very satisfied with the meal-plan.  He felt like he had enough to eat for the most part, but he does think he could have benefitted from the energy that he would have gotten from the metabolic boost supplement.  He was disappointed that that part of the program didn't work out for him.

So I bet you want to know what kind of results he had while using Shaklee 180, right?  Well he didn't do too badly.  He lost seven pounds in the five weeks that he used this program.  Five weeks for a 30 day program?  I know, the math doesn't add up there, does it?  Bryan had a week long business trip the second week he was using the program so he had to take a week off from it.  So we're not looking at perfect use results when we look at Bryan's experience.  I suspect he might have lost more weight if he had been able to use the program for 30 consecutive days.   I know he's happy with the overall results.  In his first week of use he dropped three pounds and after that he lost about pound a week.  Now he did combine the meal plan with moderate exercise to optimize his results.   About four days a week he would walk or bike and then two days a week he would do a little bit of running around on the soccer field as he coached our daughters' teams.

So I asked Bryan if he would recommend this weight management program to others.  Given his experience with the metabolic boost and his general dislike of the tea he said he'd really only recommend the meal and snack bars and the smoothies.   He says the smoothies were the best part of the meal plan.  If, like him,  you don't like tea, he doesn't see the point in going for a kit that includes the teas.  Also, since he had issues with the metabolic boost he points out that perhaps the program isn't for everyone, but I think that can be said about almost every other weight management program out there.  I suppose it's just a matter of finding what works for you and gets you the results you're looking for.

From what I can tell, the Shaklee 180 Turnaround program isn't just about eating a few specific foods to lose weight, a big part of it seems to be about learning to eat healthy and get fit.  It's not just a matter of eating a few specific foods and expecting the weight to melt away.  So if you're considering this program, or really any weight management program, it's pretty important to make sure you have some support.  It's helpful to have someone cheering you on and offering encouragement along the way.  There's an awesome team of people who are dedicated to cheering you on and helping you reach your goals with the Shaklee 180 program on FaceBook.  They certainly offer plenty of inspiration and lots of helpful tips for healthy living.

You can learn more about the Shaklee 180 weight management program by visiting this site.  Becky will be happy to answer any questions you may have for her about the program.

I was provided with a Shaklee 180 Turnaround kit by Becky, an independent Shaklee distributor, in exchange for my honest review of the program.  Visit Becky's Shaklee page for more information on this program and many other Shaklee products.

Preparing for Advent: Make An Heirloom Jesse Tree

After I wrote about how my family celebrates Advent using a Jesse Tree, Lisa linked to her beautiful hand made Jesse Trees, do-it-yourself Jesse Tree Kits and her awesome pattern for the same.  My girls love having their own paper Jesse Trees on their bedroom doors, but I loved the idea of having beautiful handmade Jesse Tree that can be displayed somewhere on the main level of the house. During Lent we have a felt Jesus Tree that is in a prominent location and the girls will go over to it and discuss the different bible stories that go with each of the symbols on the tree.  I imagine they might do the same with a Jesse Tree of this sort.

Lisa was gracious enough to send me a copy of her Jesse Tree pattern so I could make one for my girls and tell you about it.  The pattern is very straightforward and is very easy to follow if you have some basic cross stitching or sewing experience.  Over the course of an afternoon I sat down and cut out all of the patterns and the felt for the ornaments.  This beautiful Jesse Tree is certainly a project.  Personally I find cutting out the pieces for the pattern to be the easy part, but sewing it all together is where you need to find a bit of time to get the job done.  This isn't a project that you want to start a day or two before Advent.  If you have a toddler in the house, like me, you'll want to give yourself a bit of time to make this.  I find craft projects like this are best done when little ones aren't around to "help".

I had hoped to have most if not all of this Jesse Tree finished so I could show you how well it turned out for me, but after being sick and then having to tend to sick children I'm afraid I haven't gotten much further than cutting out the ornaments.  Comparing this pattern to the Jesus Tree I made two years ago I'd say they're very similar but I like how complete the directions are with Lisa's pattern.  I also like that these ornaments are stitched together.  I learned the hard way that gluing felt doesn't work well when I made our Jesus Tree and that meant I wound up having to make several of the ornaments twice.

Lisa's pattern comes with the readings for the Jesse Tree.  After paging through our Catholic Picture Bible,I'm pretty sure you can match up most, if not all of the readings with this bible.  I also compared it to the Holy Heroes Jesse Tree.  For the most part, the symbols and reading from the Holy Heroes version match up with this one.  To keep my girls happy, I'll be making a few additional felt ornaments to coordinate with the Holy Heroes Jesse Tree.

If you think you'd like to make a beautiful Advent heirloom for your family check out Lisa's Etsy shop Navy Mango.  If you're not the crafty type and you love the look of this great Jesse Tree, you can purchase a ready made one from her.

Arma Dei Review: Color Me Catholic

Let me start off by saying that Monica from Arma Dei must have the patience of a saint.  I've had Color Me Catholic New Roman Missal Edition in my possession for nearly a full year now (maybe longer) and I'm just now getting around to writing the review.

Color Me Catholic New Roman Missal Edition is a set of ten booklets grouped into five categories to familiarize children with the new translation of the Mass.  The booklets each cover a different portion of the Mass.  The each of these booklets have little check boxes next to the responses that children can check off once it has been done during mass.  In theory, this should help children follow along and be attentive.

Perhaps you're wondering about the "five categories" for the booklets.  Each of these booklets has eight pictures with the names of items you'll find in the church or hear mentioned during Mass.   These pictures include those you'll find in the Reverence and Awe collector cards and Catholic Lingo Bingo game.  Depending on the booklet you are using, the pictures will either focus on Vessels, Vestments and Symbols, Furnishings, Parts of the Mass or Sacraments.

If you follow directions carefully for printing the Color Me Catholic booklets you should have no difficulty assembling the booklets properly.  I, however, failed to read the directions first and took many frustrating attempts to get it right.  Then I read the directions and it all came together beautifully.  [Moral of the story: Read the directions first.  You'll be glad you did.]

I really like the concept of Color Me Catholic, but I had a few issues with it.  First, I would have liked it better if all of the "people's parts" of the Mass responses were in a single booklet since my middle daughter who was my tester for this product would lose focus during Mass instead of following along.  While I like the idea of familiarizing children with the different things found in the church, the idea of doing a scavenger hunt during Mass didn't sit well with me especially when my daughter was careening to get a better look around the church.  Of course, that is the point of these booklets to get her looking around and becoming familiar with what you'll find at church.

Since the booklets are in black and white children can color in the pictures and customize the booklets to suit their style.  My daughter enjoyed getting to color the booklets which is something she doesn't get to do with her weekly missal.

Overall, this is a nice way to help your child actively participate in the Mass and learn about the things found around the church.

I was provided with a review copy of Color Me Catholic New Roman Missal Edition printable download by the publisher, Arma Dei in exchange for my honest review.  Visit the Arma Dei Shoppe for more information on this product or to purchase.

Catholic Family Gifts: First Communion Music Box and Giveaway

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Catholic Family Gifts and asked if I'd be interested in blogging a product review and giveaway.  I didn't have any previous experience with their online gift shop so I decided to take a look and see what they have to offer.  They have a great selection of gifts that are appropriate for sacramental milestones.  Whether you're looking for a baptism, first communion or confirmation gift for that special child in your life, chances are you'll find just the right gift at Catholic Family Gifts.

This school year our middle daughter, Ellie, is preparing for the sacraments of first reconciliation and first communion, so you can imagine that my thoughts are already turned towards her reception of these sacraments.

I was quite intrigued when I saw that Catholic Family Gifts had a great selection of first communion music boxes.  And since I absolutely adore the beautiful Ave Maria tune, I decided that I would select a First Communion Music Box for this review.   They had so many wonderful designs to choose from for the music box art work, that I had a hard time deciding which one would be just right for Ellie.  Her big sister stepped in and weighed in on the decision so I went with her choice.  Once it arrived I knew that Ellie will love it when she sees it.

The music box has a nicely sized compartment for storing a a special First Communion rosary or a few pieces of jewelry.  Next to the velvet lined compartment is the glass covered music box mechanism.  I've always liked music boxes and I particularly like the ones like this one where you can watch the music play.

The insert on the lid of the music box can be swapped out for a favorite photo if you choose.  Perhaps Ellie will keep the first communion artwork in the framed portion of the music box, or maybe she'll want to have a photo of her first holy communion added to it instead.  I like that you have the option to swap out the insert since it will allow the music box to grow with the child.

I'm sure that this music box will become a treasured keepsake for our daughter.  I like that this item is a bit different from the ordinary gift you might give to a first communicant.  Typically I lean towards giving items such as a rosary or a missal for a first communion, but this music box is a bit different but still every bit as appropriate as my standard gift ideas.  I think most young girls would be delighted to receive this music box as a gift.

Catholic Family Gifts online store is an extension of the family owned Catholic retail store, Vineyard Books, Gifts and Church Supplies.  At CatholicFamilyGifts.com they strive to provide customers with quality products quickly and accurately, while also displaying their rich family values.

Catholic Family Gifts is sponsoring a giveaway where you have a chance to win an item of your choosing (from a select group of items).  Among the great items you can choose from are a lovely St. Anne Rosary, The Handbook for Catholic Moms and one of my favorite books to use with my religious education class, The Catholic Encyclopedia for Children.

The giveaway starts today and will end on September 26th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Catholic Family Gifts sent me this music box in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: St. Francis of Assisi Coloring Book

Hmm...a coloring book review?  Maybe it seems odd, but I just discovered that a particular line of coloring books which I've passed over as nothing spectacular for the past few years is more than just a bunch of coloring pages.  TAN publishes a line of coloring books written by Mary Fabyan Windeatt and illustrated by Gedge Harmon.  The coloring books in this series are essentially vintage coloring books from the mid 50s.

I ordered St. Francis of Assisiprimarily to bump a recent order from Holy Heroes up a few dollars to get free shipping. (Buying the book was cheaper than paying for shipping.)  I was also ordering it hoping to find a better St. Francis coloring page to use with my kindergarten class this October.  Other than that, I wasn't expecting much which made the book all the more surprising when I opened it up to discover that it was a story book and coloring pages.

For every coloring page in this book there is a complete page of text telling the story of St. Francis.  Woven into this story is the story of the first nativity scene, the start of the Poor Clares, and St. Francis' encounters with the animals.  I was particularly excited about the portion of the story that tells about the first nativity scene because it ties in beautifully with another storythat I like to read to my class during Advent.

As a coloring book it will work well for any child who is old enough to color, but the story is best suited for children who are old enough to sit through a somewhat lengthy story.  An older child of around 7 or 8 and up should have no problem sitting and listening to this story all at once.  For younger children it would probably be best to read the story a little bit at a time.

Now that I know what a treasure these little coloring story books are, I'll be looking to order more in the near future.

App Review: Easter Hunt

I was recently provided with an opportunity to review an app designed for iPad and iPhone.  The app is called Easter Hunt.  It's an app that seeks to combine the fun of an Easter Egg hunt with the Easter story.  In this app, children can search a colorful springtime theme for hidden Easter eggs.  Once the egg is found you need to perform a certain task to crack the egg to reveal a portion of the Easter Story.

Let me start off by saying that I like the overall concept of this app.  It combines the secular fun of Easter with it's true meaning.  In theory, this app should be a winner.  In actual practice I feel the app needs some more work to be executed well.

Since I have both an iPhone and an iPad I tried Easter Hunt out on both devices.  On the iPhone the screens that contained the Easter story had poor rendering.  What I mean by this is as you scroll through the text you would get flashes of light and breaks in the text and background.  This problem did not exist when  I read the text on the iPad.  One thing that frustrated me, my children and my husband as we tested out this app was how slow it was.  The app is slow and unresponsive.  By the time your child gets the gratification of finding the egg they will likely be bored.  If they're not, the act of cracking the egg to reveal the next part of the Easter story will likely frustrate them.  Some eggs crack easily the third time you perform the action (that's a perfect example of the app's unresponsiveness) and other's require a specific action to crack the egg.  Since it takes about 30 seconds for the instructions to slowly scroll across the bottom of the screen, little ones will be frustrated before they know what they're supposed to do.

The story/devotional portion of the app seems a bit too long winded for young children.  I have been teaching religious ed for a few years now and they respond best when you get to the point quickly and in a way that captivates them.  The devotionals in this app aren't going to grasp their attention in most cases.  My own kids, who eagerly drink in the daily readings we do from our children's bible during Lent for our Jesus tree were ready to move on after the first few lines of text.

My husband who is a IT architect by profession, and who also dabbles in app development as a hobby,  felt that the app wasn't intuitive.  He feels the poor rendering and unresponsiveness give the impression of poor memory management.

While I like the overall concept of the app, I cannot in good conscience recommend it.  If the current issues with the app's slow response time were resolved along with a revision of the devotional portion I would be more inclined to suggest this app to others.

I was provided with a free download of this app by it's creator, Square Smith, in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Catholicism For Dummies 2nd Ed.

Catholicism For Dummiesis a book that a wide range of people will find useful.  Whether you're a cradle Catholic who has questions, a convert, or someone who just wants to know more about Catholicism, this book has something for you.

As far as books on Catholicism go, this book tries to give you a pretty comprehensive tour of the faith.  I think this is a great jumping off point for anyone who is either trying to learn more about Catholicism or for those who are already Catholic but are unsure of what the church really teaches.  I spend a lot of time reading and reviewing various books on various aspects of the Catholic faith and this book is perfect for someone who is not well versed in their faith.  Everything is explained in a way that is easy to understand.

What I particularly like about books like this one is it gives you a nice overview of a variety of topics.  So while you may not be riveted by every topic covered in this book, you may find something that resonates with you and piques your interest that will lead you to wanting to delve deeper into understanding a particular aspect of the Catholic faith.  For example, after reading the chapter on the Mass, you may find that you want to know more which will likely send you looking for a book that covers the Mass in greater detail.

Overall, I think this is a great book on Catholicism and I certainly don't hesitate to recommend it.  It's perfect for someone who is in RCIA, or even a newly confirmed Catholic.  It is also a handy reference book for a cradle Catholic.  Even with all the reading I do on Catholicism, I managed to find a few bits of information in this book that I hadn't encountered in other books that I've read.  I don't think you can go wrong with this book.  For those Catholics who may be wondering if this book is fully vetted, it carries both the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur.

I was provided with a free review copy of Catholicism For Dummiesas part of the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review.

Product Review: Easy Canvas Prints

A couple of months ago I was provided with the opportunity to turn one of my photos in to a canvas print by EasyCanvasPrints.com.  I spent nearly two months procrastinating on ordering the print in hopes that I could get a nice picture of the new baby with Madeline and Ellie.  Katie, of course, had other plans and decided that she wasn't going to make her entrance until the day after I had to place my order.  That left me with the agonizing task of picking just the right picture for this canvas print.  Choosing what picture to use was certainly the most difficult part of the entire process.  When you have thousands of pictures to choose from, it's never an easy task.

After spending a couple hours in the wee hours of a Saturday morning I decided that the picture which was our Christmas card photo last year, would be the one I'd use for the canvas.  Once I had picked the photo ordering my canvas print was relatively easy.  To order a canvas you simply pick your size, upload your picture, choose how you want it laid out and how you'd like the wrapped edges to look and you're done.

I did have a slight issue with sizing my photo just right and choosing my wrapped edge.  I would have been spared a little bit of frustration if there was a button that allowed you to reset the photo.  That small issue was my only gripe about the entire ordering process.

My canvas had an estimated arrival date of November 2nd which would have put the processing and shipping time at around a 2 1/2 week wait.  I was pleasantly surprised when the canvas arrived on my doorstep in well under a week's time.  Having a newborn in the house made last week a bit of a blur and I had actually forgotten that I ordered a canvas print.  I was rather surprised to open my front door on Friday and find the canvas I ordered on October 15th sitting there.

I'm very pleased with the quality of the print.  The colors are exactly as they are on the 8X10 prints I had made last year.  I particularly like the wrap around edge since I can hang this canvas on a wall or display it on a shelf with out having to frame it.

EasyCanvasPrints.com provided me with the 8X10 canvas print you see pictured in this review free of charge in exchange for my honest review.  Having seen a sample of their canvas prints, I would certainly recommend giving them a try if you are looking to turn a photo into a canvas print.  I'm sure I'll be ordering a few more canvas prints in the future.

Product Review and Giveaway: My Comfort Cross

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to review an olive wood comfort cross that was hand carved in Bethlehem.  I had seen and heard of comfort crosses before and I had always sort of wondered what was so special about them.

I don't know much about the other comfort crosses that you might see in catalogs, but the comfort crosses from MyComfortCross.com are individually carved from a single unique piece of beautifully grained olive wood pruned from the olive trees around Bethlehem.  My Comfort Cross's mission is to ensure that the Christian artisans who carve these lovely comfort crosses receive a fair market price for their goods so that they can support both their family and the Christian community.

The folks at MyComfortCross.com provided me with one of their lovely comfort crosses so I could tell you about it.  The cross came nicely packaged in a maroon velveteen drawstring bag which is suitable for gift giving.  The little comfort cross fits in the palm of your hand and not only feels nice in your hand, it's also quite beautiful.  The day it arrived I set it out on the dining room table and everyone in the house noticed it.  My five year old, in particular, was very interested in this cross.  She really liked holding it and wanted to know what we were supposed to do with it.  I let her know that you could hold it to pray and she seemed quite happy with that suggestion.

This past week, I discovered a new use for this comfort cross.  I always take religious books and a rosary to Mass with us for my younger daughter so she stays content.  On Good Friday I noticed that the family sitting behind us gave their young children crosses to hold during the service.  Then at the Easter Vigil Mass the next day, I noticed one of my religious education students holding a small crucifix during Mass.  Instantly a light went off.  This little comfort cross would be a great thing to give a small child during Mass.

MyComfortCross.com generously offered two comfort crosses for my blog giveaway.  To enter the giveaway tell me why you'd like to have one of these crosses and visit www.mycomfortcross.com or like them on facebook.  Earn one extra entry each if you tweet, blog or facebook about this giveaway and provide a link back to this post.  Make sure you leave a comment here for each extra entry you earn. The giveaway ends at midnight, Friday, May 6th.  Winners will be announced on Saturday May 7th.

MyComfortCross.com is also offering a special deal for readers of this blog to get two comfort crosses for $12 when they use this link.

Arma Dei Review: Cathletics Key Cards

Arma Dei has a lot of great products that are great tools for teaching children about the treasure of our Catholic faith.  Several months back I was given the opportunity to write some product reviews of a select group of the products Arma Dei has to offer.  My final review in this series of product reviews is the Arma Dei Cathletic Key Cards.

In all there are eighteen different Cathletics Key Cards offer by Arma Dei.  These cards cover a wide range of Catholic topics.  There are Cathletics Key Cards for the rosary, bible heroes, angels, daily prayers, altar servers, patron saints, vessels & vestments, reconciliation, rules to live by and several more.  For the purpose of the review, I was send three Cathletics Key Cards: Vessels & Vestments, Rules to Live By, and Reconciliation.  All three of the cards have been well received by my older daughter who is nine and a half.

I have to say that I think Vessels & Vestments is a favorite.  My daughter is a fairly new altar server (she's been serving since the feast of the Immaculate Conception) and she has found this card to be a great way to learn the names of some of the vessels that are used during Mass.

I think the Reconciliation card is a great aid for preparing for the sacrament of reconciliation.  This card walks you step by step through the sacrament.  This is not only helpful for children, but I imagine many adults would find this card nice to have on hand.  The card also offers a child friendly examination of conscience.  An Act of Contrition is also printed on this card.  I think this particular card could be very helpful for students who are preparing for  first reconciliation.  

The Rules to Live By card is one that is packed with information.  Children can use this card to learn the ten commandments, the eight beatitudes, the seven virtues, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy and the six precepts of the church.  Where applicable, this card also lists references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Geeky moms like me get excited when they see Catechism references like that on kid's things.)  I like this card because it can be used as a sort of trivia game.  You can use the information on the card and ask questions to see just how well your child knows the rules to live by.  

I like how these cards nicely complement other Arma Dei products.  The illustrations on the Vessels and Vestments card are just like those on the Reverence and Awe and Cathletics Playing Cards and Catholic Lingo Bingo game.  All of these cards are great for fostering an interest in our Catholic faith among children.  

For more information on Cathletics Key Cards, visit Equipping Catholic Families, the Arma Dei blog.  While you're there, check out some of the other great products this Catholic apostolate has to offer.  You'll be glad you did.

I was provided with three Arma Dei Cathletics Key Cards by the publisher, Arma Dei, in exchange for my honest review.

CSN Product Reviews

About a month or so ago I was contacted by CSN Stores and asked if I'd like to do another product review for them.  I was happy to oblige, and had the opportunity to expand my cookware with two new pots.  This time, I decided to review the 1 quart saucier with pouring spouts and the 2 quart sauce pan with pouring spout and lid.

Here's my take on the 1 quart saucier:

I've been using the stainless Emerilware pots and pans from All-Clad for two years and have been very pleased with them.  I was pretty excited to try out this 1 quart saucier with pouring spouts because my husband and I frequently find ourselves wishing we had a small pot to work with for certain sauces and other items.  We had hoped that this pot would be the perfect solution.

Our hopes would have been answered if this pot was balanced.  Unfortunately, the handle on this saucier is heavier than the pot which causes it to tip very easily if there isn't enough in the pot to balance it.  This isn't much of a problem if you have the saucier at least half way filled, but it's certainly a problem when you are making something such as a roux.

It's not an awful saucier, and I certainly appreciate the pouring spouts which allow me to transfer liquids with no drips, but buyers should beware that they may have a few unexpected messes for those occasions where the pot decides to tip over on the stovetop.

My thoughts on the 2 quart sauce pan:
In the two years that I have had my Emerilware cookware, my biggest gripe has been that the set didn't come with a 2 quart pan.  I had 1.5 quarts and 3 quarts, but I was feeling a bit like Goldilocks and the three bears when it came to my cookware.  Enter the 2qt sauce pan with pouring spout and nifty lid with drainage holes.


This pot is perfect for cooking up pasta for those times when I don't need to cook for more than just my children.  I love the pouring spouts and drainage holes on the lid.  I can easily drain pasta without needing a colander.  Anything that saves me from needing another cooking device that will have to be washed gets bonus points with me.

The pot is a nice weight and is fairly well balanced.  As far as pots go, this one is a little short and wide (I'd prefer taller and thinner, to be perfectly honest) but it gets the job done and that's what's important.

I was provided with both of the above products for free (I did put close to $5 of my own money towards the cost) from CSN Stores in exchange for my honest review.

Arma Dei Review: Cathletics Playing Cards

If your children are anything like mine, they probably like playing card games.  Whether it's trivia cards, Uno or Go Fish, the kids are always happy to sit and play a card game.  I'm a fan of card games because they neatly pack away into a compact box that doesn't take up much space.

Recently, we've had the pleasure of playing with Arma Dei's Cathletics Playing Cards.  Just as with any ordinary deck of cards, there are four suits.  Each of the four suits is a symbol that represents the Blessed Trinity.  The suits are a shamrock, the cross, a dove and a heart. What makes Cathletics Playing Cards different is every card is different and each one contains key facts about our Catholic faith.  For example the 7s deal with aspects of our faith for which there are seven, such as the Sacraments, works of mercy (both spiritual and corporal), virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The cool thing about these cards is your child can play an ordinary game like Go Fish and learn about his or her faith at the same time.  As a mom and religious education instructor, I love that these playing cards offer good solid catechesis.

My nine year old thinks these cards are cool.  She particularly likes to quiz me on the faith facts found on these cards while we play.  Apparently the fun thing to do these days is see just how knowledgeable Mom is about Catholicism.  I, of course, like to use these cards to see how much she's retaining about our faith.

I think these cards are great for kids in the 2nd to 8th grade age range.  Moms and Dads may even learn a little something from playing with these cards!  I don't recommend these cards for very little ones who can't yet read or or just learning to read simply because I think they're too advanced for them.


For more information on Cathletics Playing Cards, visit Arma Dei.  I was provided with a review copy of these cards in exchange for my honest review.

Movie Review: The Story of St. Perpetua

Last month I gave Madeline The Story of St. Perpetua, a Catholic Heroes of the Faith DVD, to mark her baptism birthday.  During the summer we had seen a preview of this movie which you can find on the publisher's website.  Once Madeline had seen the preview and colored in the coloring pages provided on their website she began to ask me almost daily if we could get the DVD.  I finally capitulated, and I'm incredibly glad that I did.  The movie has been a smash hit in our house.

The beautifully done animated movie tell the story of St. Perpetua and her martyrdom.  Children who watch this movie will see how the early Christians were persecuted for their faith in Jesus.  They will also learn about a few of our courage ancestors in faith when they watch this DVD.

The story is told in a way that will inspire young hearts to hold steadfast to their faith.  My nine year old was prompted to ask many questions about why the Romans persecuted the early Christians, so this movie was a great starting point for her to learn more about the early church.  She was also happy to learn more about two saints whom she frequently hears referenced at Mass, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity.  After having watched this movie a few times she declared that St. Perpetua is now one of her favorite saints.

I do want to mention that I do not feel this movie is too graphic or violent.  When I was deciding whether or not to purchase this for Madeline I was a bit concerned when I had read a review on Amazon.com where a reviewer had claimed this movie was too violent and therefore inappropriate for children.  Children will see some of the Christian heroes in this movie being handled roughly, and they will see them sent into the arena to be executed, but they will not see any of the martyrs actually meeting their death.  The animation is sensitively done in such a way that children are shielded from such savage violence.

I think this DVD will appeal to most children between the ages of 4-12.  Parents will likely also enjoy watching this movie with their children.  I know I enjoyed it and my husband had no complaints about watching it a few nights in one week.

We loved this DVD and can't wait to see what Catholic Heroes of the Faith will come out with next.

Absolute Green Kids Natural Bug Repellent

I'm a min-van driving soccer mom, and as such I'm very familiar with a very annoying problem.  Bug bites.  Yes, while it's great to sit in my folding chair on the sidelines of a soccer field and watch my kids play I'm keenly aware of the fact that while we're outside mosquitos and other irritating flying and biting creatures look at me, and my kids like we're dinner.  Can you tell I'm not a fan being a food source for bugs?

I've mentioned in the past that I'm not a fan of bug sprays that contain DEET, that lovely chemical that can repel bugs and can pose health risks to people at the same time.  Perhaps the bugs are  just smart and that's why they stay away from the bug sprays with DEET.

Finding a DEET free bug spray that is safe to use on my kids has been a challenge for me for several years.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when a bug spray labeled "for kids" or "for families" contains DEET.  It's not safe for kids and slapping a colorful label on a product and saying it's for kids does not make it safe.  Most of the time, because I can't find a safe bug spray we go without it and simply hope that we don't get eaten alive by the bugs.

Recently I was asked by the folks over at Absolute Green if I'd be interested in trying out their Kids Natural Bug Repellent which is a DEET-free bug spray.  With soccer season looming ahead of me I instantly told them I'd be happy to give it a try.

This past weekend I finally got the perfect opportunity to try out their all natural bug repellent.  As I sat and watched Madeline's soccer practice I took notice of the mosquitos circling my head.  I laughed at them knowing that we had come to practice prepared.  Ellie and I sat on the sidelines protected with Absolute Green's Kids Natural Bug Repellent.  Ordinarily, we would have come home from the practice covered in itchy bug bites, but that night we came home bite free.

I told the other mom's about the spray and how we weren't getting bit and they were certainly interested. One of them asked to try it out.  She commented that the spray had an interesting scent (that would be the lemon eucalyptus oil) and then remarked that the arm she sprayed looked like it had been moisturized when compared to her other oil.  Sure making your skin look and feel nicer wasn't the purpose of the bug repellent, but it's a nice side effect.  I particularly like how this spray doesn't leave your skin feeling stick and gross like many of the chemical sprays on the market do.

I have to say that I'm very pleased with this bug repellant and I'm quite happy that Absolute Green gave me the opportunity to try it out.  I think we finally have a bug repellent we can trust to do the job and keep our family safe at the same time.  Watch out mosquitos, were no longer on the menu!

I was provided with a sample of Kids Natural Bug Repellent by Absolute Green in exchange for my honest review.

CSN Product Review

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to choose a product from one of CSN's 200+ web stores and write a review.  Selecting an item was no small feat.  They have practically everything you can think of in their many web stores.  After putting plenty of thought into what I could possibly use, I decided to add a piece of cookware to my currently overworked pots.  I was delighted when I discovered that Cookware.com carried pieces from the same line of Emerilware pots and pans we purchased nearly two years ago.  I selected the Emerilware Stainless 4 quart Sauce pan with pouring spout and lid to review.

In the time since I purchased our original Emerilware set of pots and pans I have been very happy with them.  They're dishwasher safe, which wasn't the case with the hard anodized cookware that I accidently ruined in the dishwasher prior to buying my current set.  Since they're stainless steel, I don't need to worry about any non-stick coating flaking off and getting into our food (I've had this happen in the past with other cookware.).  Since I've been so happy with the Emerilware cookware, I was fairly certain that I'd be just as happy with the 4 quart sauce pan.  It turns out that my assumption was correct.  This pot is awesome.  For the past two weeks I've used it many times to cook pasta.  Thanks to the pouring spout and thoughtfully designed lid that has two sets of straining holes (one big and one small) I have been able to eliminate the need for a colander when making pasta dishes for my family.  Anything that saves me the trouble of loading another item into the dishwasher gets my seal of approval.

I'm a comparison shopper by nature so before coming to my final decision on whether or not to select this sauce pan, I shopped around on line to see what CSN's competitors were charging for this same piece.  In many cases their price was the same or lower than their competition.  I also liked that they were offering free shipping on this item as well.  Not all of their competitors were offering to ship this heavy sauce pan for free.

Free shipping is all fine and well, but I was preparing myself for super slow shipping since I find that's generally the case when places offer free shipping.  Much to my surprise the order that I placed on a Friday afternoon arrived four days later.  Fast delivery times always make me happy.  I liked that the product came nicely packed.

Over all, I am pleased with the sauce pan and found shopping with CSN to be a snap.  From check out to delivery everything went smoothly.

For the purpose of this review I was provided with a $60 gift card to use towards a product of my choice. The item I selected was $69.99 and I paid the difference.  This review reflects my honest opinion of the product and my shopping experience with CSN stores.