Mar
2018

How to UnGlue Your Kids From Screen Time

categories: Reviews

Let’s face it, technology is not only the way of the future but it is also the future for our children.

They are growing up in a society where cell phones and tablets are like an extension of their body. They are going to be in a society that heavily depends on the use of these types of technology for their careers and lifestyles. They need to be assured that they are secure when using their cellphones no matter what so showing them phone security statistics and discussing with them ways in which they can protect themselves is very important.

Teaching your children to use a cell phone and a tablet is really a very important part of growing up today. However, we do know that too much screen time is not a good thing. We need them to be able to walk away from the phone or tablet and get back to real life, face to face interactions. Playing with toys, talking to people, running around at the park. Taking nature hikes with hiking sticks and exploring the world around them.

I love letting my kids have screen time, I mean I need a break too! I need to finish mopping the floors, cook dinner and maybe check my own Facebook page. But like all things, there is a time and place for everything. Look into internet access guide for kids and parents.

The most helpful new app, and my new obsession, is unGlue. This new app is what all parents have been wanting and it’s finally here!

With unGlue, you can turn the internet on and off of your child’s devise through an app! Plus there is so much more it offers.

Available on Android and iPhone devices

I have an android for my cell phone, and my children both have their own iPads. I was able to quickly and easily set up the app on my phone and their devices and link them together in under 10 minutes. I was so impressed with the easy flow of set up, I honestly expected it to be a little more involved.

Once on my cell phone and on their tablets, the little app icon is available for you to click on. On the parents device you can see the different accounts you have connected, one for my sons iPad and another line for my daughters iPad.

I use the Premium plan, but you can try it out for free for 14 days before purchasing. With the Premium plan I am able to set up daily limits on internet time. I set my kids up for 90 minutes of internet Monday through Friday, and on the weekends I allow them 3 hours per day.

If my kids are not listening to me, and need to stop watching YouTube and come to the table, I can instantly shut off the internet from my device. This is such a handy tool for the stubborn days when they just cannot peel their eyes away from the latest blind bag video they discovered, or you could look into services like unrankedlolaccounts.com if your son can’t take his hands away from the keyboard trying to level up his character.

unGlue – How to add more screen time

I can also access reports, showing me how things like how long he watched YouTube this week or even this month.

unGlue – see reports

If you want, you have the opportunity to allow your kids to earn more screen time. They can go into the app through their device and request the opportunity to earn more screen time by completing chores like reading a book, empty the dishwasher, set the dinner table, walk the dog, and you can even add custom options too!

Time: Earn it. Spend it. Save it.

Screen time may be the most precious commodity in your home. unGlue lets your kids treat it like cash – a minute saved is a minute earned. Teach them to spend it wisely. You can put put limits on how much earned time your child can use in a day too – so that they cannot veg out for 8 straight hours on the internet.

unGlue – How to use the chores option

Once the time is out for the day the app or website will no longer work. They can click over to their unGlue app and see that they are out of time and ponder whether they want to ear more time, use the time they earned or switch to a non internet, education game which you have already place on their device.

The unGlue app will quickly become the most important app you have every used. It will change how you manage screen time. It will help motivate your children to do their chores. It will bring your family closer together. Try it out for free today and see why MamathteFox is so excited about unGlue

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Mar
2018

My Favorite Lil Helper

categories: Uncategorized

Do you know what I love? When a company I already love continues to strive for innovation and perfection!

Lil Helper cloth diapers have my Fluff Love heart.

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I could write a whole article on why Lil Helper Cloth Diapers but I feel they’ve already make a pretty good case on their website.

But If you want the short version:

Almost 3 years ago MamatheFox did a review on Lil Helper. Two years later I started experimenting with cloth diapers and got all of MamatheFox’s hand-me-downs. I was given one Lil Helper diaper and immediately I wanted more! I loved the fit, bamboo inserts, and system of using the liner multiple times.

Which how awesome is it that I fell in love with a second hand diaper!

It definitely sheds light on the life span of Lil Helper and their quality.

Recently Lil Helper upped their fluff game and not only made their diapers even more dependable, which I didn’t think was possible, but also started making a variety of products for all babies, not just cloth diapered.

 

Charcoal Cloth Diaper

Now sometimes it is scary when a company you love makes changes. There is definitely hesitation and sometimes resistance from us stubborn folks. If it ain’t broken why fit it right?

However, I also highly appreciate companies always trying to be better. Lil Helper engineered a beloved cloth diaper that is working great, yet they stay diligent to keep up with technology and assure customers they are providing the best. Lil Helper recently redesigned their diapers to have a higher back.

It definitely gives my very tall daughter extra coverage and protection, while still fitting close to her body comfortably. She is a very active toddler that is always on the move…or climb. With a higher back I feel her bum stays in and all the nastiness can’t come out.

 

As for the rest of the diaper, it has all the same great features Lil Helper promises.

Each diaper comes with 2 inserts that attach to the diaper cover with snaps. There are two reasons I love this feature so much. First because the chore of “stuffing” cloth diapers is eliminated. Snapping inserts in a diaper is very quick and self explanatory. I have no worries if the insert is wrinkled or if wiggly baby girl is going to displace the insert and have a mega leak. Secondly, laundry is so much easier. I don’t have to fear reaching into the dark pee filled diaper cave to separate diaper from insert.

Oh and my favorite reason (which I guess makes 3 reasons)…

My husband voluntarily does diaper laundry, and I let him! He has a strong distaste for pulling out inserts and I have a mini panic micromanaging attack every time he tries to help stuff diapers. Since Lil Helper is so user friendly he happily unsnaps diapers for washing and perfectly assembles diapers for wearing.

Day made!

Lil Helper has a variety of diaper inserts that meet the needs of your cloth diapering preferences. And of course, all their inserts are interchangeable with Lil Helper’s adorable diaper shells. From bright solid colors, to playful graphic prints, you are sure to find a style to match your little fashionista.

Cloth Wipes

Now I have to admit I am still working on my reusable cloth wipe game. I go back and forth on whether or not I’m sold on the idea. Lil Helpers sells a 4 pack of two layer bamboo cotton/micro-fleece wipes. They are made with same great quality and materials as their diapers. I loved the size and absorbency of the wipes and was especially impressed with how soft they’ve stayed after multiple washes. The super soft wipes are so gentle on baby’s bums and have multiple uses. I’ve used them for wiping noses, bath time, and sticky hand clean up. The affordable pack of 4 would make an excellent gift for any mama whether they cloth wipe or not.

 

Reversible Bandana Bibs

A new addition to Lil Helper’s collection is bandana bibs! If you have a baby then you definitely have drool problems. With three gender neutral prints, these adjustable bibs are perfect for any baby, or dog!

I have also been a big user on baby bandanas because they keep my little one fashionable while still fulfilling their purposes. In the winter bandanas are a great layer of warmth and protection where a coat might not cover.

A waterproof layer is sewed in-between the printed cotton and micro-fleece, keeping kids dry all day. I especially liked the soft micro-fleece option when my kids are sick. As gross as it may sound, I’ve caught a lot of snot with the fleece side. It is soft on their skin and easily assessable. As moms know, there is about a two second gap between a runny nose and kids doing something disgusting with their snot!

 

During that wonderful stage when babies leave their mouth open and the drool pours out by the gallon (how can one child hold that much liquid!?) bandana bibs save laundry and the hassle of changing shirts. They are also great during teething when again it seems like the drool is never ending.

 

Bamboo Change Mat

Another great addition to the Lil Helper collection is their organic Bamboo Change Mats. If you enjoy Lil Helper diapers then you will also love their bamboo change mat. It’s huge area of 86cm X 91cm can be used in a crib or spread out on a toddler’s bed.

Made with only the best fabric, this mat is pesticide, bleach, BPA, leads and heavy metal free. The medical grade waterproof material sandwiched between the layers of bamboo absorbs 10 time its weight in water. The bamboo/cotton on both sides is organic and provides soft cushioning.

We’ve used this mat for multiple uses such as a play mat, sleeping area, a cushion, and a protective layer in a hard travel crib before we got our and pack n play mattress. We also used it to protect my couch when my son had the flu.

For easy cleaning pop this pre-washed mat in the washer and even finish off in the dryer! This multi-use Bamboo Mat is an essential for bed time, diaper changes, and on the go.

So wether you are a cloth diapering expert or looking for the perfect baby accessories, I highly encourage you to check out Lil Helpers high quality products. Their witty website will have you laughing while also providing you with any answer or resource needed for fluff love mamas!

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Mar
2018

LectroFan Kinder Giveaway

categories: Giveaway

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Welcome to the It is a Great Day for Pi Giveaway Hop!

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Be sure to come back daily to get your daily entries and increase your chances of winning.

Scroll down under the form to find more awesome giveaways to enter.

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Sponsored by:

Adaptive Sound Technologies

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Hosted by:

MamatheFox

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Enter for your chance to win (1) LectroFan Kinder from Adaptive Sound Technologies, Inc.!

An $80 value!!

 

Runs 3/1 – 3/15

Open to US residents. Must be 18+ to enter

 


Feb
2018

A Sound Sleep

categories: Reviews

My oldest turns two in April. Since birth he’s been the best sleeping baby I’ve known.

Seriously.

The first four months of his life were pretty much spent sleeping. We didn’t know it wasn’t normal until now. Our second baby opened our eyes up a little bit to a more normal baby schedule. Number two is still a great sleeper, but I’m not sure any of our kids will ever compare to baby number one. As for our sleeping, baby number two really test our ability to sleep through anything. My husband even suggested that we visit a site similar to CPAP to try out one of their sleep machines to see if we could get a good night’s sleep. Many parents do struggle to get a good night’s sleep when their baby is trying to settle into a normal sleep cycle, so we’ve been quite lucky really. I do know that some of my friends who have had kids recently have been using gummies for sleep. They contain CBD, which promotes calm and improves rest without sedating them, so they can still get up if their baby needs them during the night. There are countless other things that you can do to help both you and your baby to sleep better at night, such as using lavender oil or reducing blue light emissions. A combination of a few things, therefore, might be the perfect recipe for the perfect night’s sleep.

All that being said, when I found the LectroFan Kinder I was super excited. This sound machine is something you didn’t know you needed for your kiddos. It’ll be interesting to see how it compares against other sound machines as it’s up against some strong alternatives, as seen in this Hatch baby rest review which seems to be a particularly advanced product.

We have a small house and my son’s room is downstairs just off our living room and kitchen. When my husband and I stay up and watch tv you can hear it very well in the kid’s bedroom.

Like I said before, both my kids sleep well, so a sound machine isn’t a necessity – they can both sleep without it no problem. But the noise is seriously such a help. Keep reading to see why we like the LectroFan Kinder so much.

The LectroFan Kinder is so easy to use. Using the Kinder app on your phone with the bluetooth feature on, you can control the sound machine very smoothly. Turn the machine off and on with app the; and if you don’t have your phone with you for bedtime, no worries! Just hit the power button on the sound machine.

Using the app you can set different sleep options and save them so you can reuse them over and over again. You can name the sleep options so no one is confused while using the app; they cross over to any device. That’s the beauty of using the bluetooth feature! Currently our sleep options are ‘Nite’ and Napp’.

There are almost an unlimited amount of sounds with the LectroFan Kinder. Below are just a few. There are six different categories, each with more than nine options in them! Tons and tons of sounds to choose from!

I’m excited to use this sound machine in the future when I’m homeschooling my children. The natural category will be perfect for teaching and learning sounds – especially ones that we don’t hear where we live.

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There are literally unlimited options to choose from when deciding what color you want the nightlight to be. As you can see in the photo below, you can simply tap anywhere in the rainbow circle for the color you want.

In the photo I am showing the brightness of the nightlight. The top photos are full brightness and the bottom photos are a little less than half of the brightness. These photos were taken during the day time, so in the night the lights will be even brighter!

The LectroFan Kinder is the perfect on-the-go sound machine. My parents live two hours away and we visit them often. I love that there are no cords attached to the Kinder; it will make packing so much easier! I can plug it in any outlet and there are no strings attached – literally!

This weekend we are going on a trip to some friends house, I 100% plan on bringing our LectroFan Kinder with us. It’ll be great because it will help the kiddos feel like they’re at home still, while also blocking out new, unrecognizable sounds.

Newborns, school aged children, and every age in between will have a better nights sleep when sleeping with a LectroFan Kinder.

Parents, seriously check out this sound machine. If you travel a lot with kids, this is the sound machine you want. I bet you’ll love it! The LectroFan Kinder can be used from newborn and beyond! The uses are endless; and the age range is too!


Feb
2018

Possibilities with Photowall

categories: Uncategorized

Do any of you have that blank wall that you can’t stop staring at?

Does it drive you crazy every time you are in the room?

Just screaming at your to “DO SOMETHING!”

Maybe you are like me and the stress to figure out what to do with the giant blank canvas is greater than the actual blankness of the wall.

In my house, my decorating kryptonite was in my daughters room. A giant blank wall behind her crib.

When I found out we were having a girl I was ecstatic for all things girlie! To make matters worse, we wouldn’t be moving into our home until she was 7 months old. So I had 9 months of pregnancy plus 7 months of baby to dream up the perfect girl room. I Pinterested my little heart out until I had a divine plan for a vintage eclectic room.

Once we finally settled in and the common areas were completed, I started working on the kids’ rooms. The first thing to do was to make sure that the base colour was there and so I used a company similar to Lenny Martin painting to come and freshen up all of the walls. After that, I searched garage sales, vintage shops, DIYed, and raided my families’ belongings until I had the perfect amount of trinkets to fill her shelves.

I loved the final look…except for one wall. Of course this was the wall I looked at every single time I nursed my daughter. Multiple times a day I would sit there dreaming up ideas for this blank canvas.

The wall behind her crib was huge and like I said, it was by her crib. I didn’t want anything to be in arms reach that she could potentially rip off and destroy. I played with the idea of painting her name on the wall but never did. I remember one of my friends suggested that I look into getting a Neon Sign with her name on it. That would have looked really nice on the wall, and it could’ve provided some extra light in the room. Whilst we didn’t end up getting one of those signs, I am still thinking of getting one for the living room or another room in the house.

I was cautious about buying anything with her name on, just in case.


What if we have another girl and I have to paint another name?

What if we eventually have bunk bed and I have to repaint the whole wall?

What if…

What if we wallpaper it?

I had finally found my solution when I came across Photowall.

Who is Photowall

Photowall is a Swedish company with an eye for design. They produce high quality murals and canvas prints that are environmentally friendly and fire retardant. Their prints do not fade in sunlights and are selected with care.

The options for decorating are limitless. Photowall has a collection of over 3,000 motifs from more than 70 designers around the world. And if you seriously can’t find what you are looking for, Photowall has the tools to turn your digital image into the perfect wall decor.

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Finding the Perfect Print

3,000 does sounds overwhelming and at first I didn’t know how I would choose. Luckily Photowall has a variety of ways to dwindle down the options. You can search by category that include choices like animals, children, landscapes, and maps. This is actually how I found my daughter’s print. Since her room was vintage theme I clicked “vintage” and my choice was right in front of me.

You can search by which room you are looking to spice up whether it be your office, hallway, bedroom, nursery, or more. I actually spent a lot of time under the kitchen category day dreaming of a sharp graphic print of tea pots on my wall. The colors matched my kitchen perfectly! Maybe next time right?

Speaking of colors, you can also search by colors. I loved this option because if definitely helps you stay focused on your vision while giving you a variety of styles and designs.

Lastly, if you are a sophisticated art lover or admire a particular artist’s work, you can search by designer. Artists from around the globe have contributed to Photowall’s beautifully crafted collection. Each artist’s unique style is showcased in their collection and Photowall lists how many products each artist has on their site. I think this particularly helpful if you are decorating a whole house. By choosing one artist you can keep a unity and smooth flow through the walls of your home.

Ordering

When the hard part is over and you’ve chosen your favorite print, ordering is simple.

First the choice of wallpaper or canvas needs to be made. We chose wallpaper for baby girl’s room since I didn’t want anything loose on the wall.

Next we typed in the dimensions of our wall. If you are getting a canvas, you can choose the size you want, while wallpaper size influenced by the size of the wall. I enjoyed having the options to keep the original proportions to sustain the art’s integrity, however in the end I needed to use the width and height of our wall. I was then able to crop the image according to our walls proportions.

For canvas prints their is an option of ordering just the canvas or adding on a DIY frame. In addition, there are three options for the edging.

For wallpaper, you must choose the material; standard or premium. Photowall immediately calculates the price per square meter so you can compare prices.

Then for an additional $20 you can add on a wallpaper kit! I was seriously so excited to have this luxury. I know myself, and if I would have had to go to Home Depot to buy whatever I “thought” was wallpapering supplies I would have been in trouble. I probably would have procrastinated for a few months and then eventually bought the wrong tools. This way it was all delivered together and I could get started right away.

As an added bonus shipping was free and through DHL. I received text alerts when my package was coming and it arrived in great condition.

Installment

So I have to be honest here and say I did not do the installing! My kids and I were out of town visiting my grandmother while my husband was left at home to work. I really weighed the options and knew that if the kids were home it would be a disastrous task.

Kids + Glue + Paper…..um no thank you. It did make me think about going back and looking at some of the 3D Wall Panels that could look good on some of the other walls that are seemingly a little blank now compared to the big rose flower wall! This way her room has a little more personality to it, and I can also join in on the decoration installation!

Originally I had planned for my husband and brother-in-law to tackle the task together. My husband is not handy in the least bit nor does he have an eye for perfection. However, my brother-in-law completely redid his home so I figured he could be a big help.

Still not sure of all the details, but I called my husband while on vacation and he was ALONE in my daughter’s room hanging the wallpaper.

I panicked.

I begged him to stop but he told me he had it handled, and besides the glue was already made. He also told me he was learning from his mistakes.

Yikes!

So first thing I did when I got home was run to my daughter’s room. To my surprise he did really well! There is one good wrinkle on the first panel; obviously this was his ‘learning from his mistakes.” Luckily the wrinkle is towards the floor and covered by the crib.

So although I did not experience the hanging of our wall mural, I would have to say it is pretty easy! If my non handy hubby can do it alone, I think just about anyone can do it perfectly with two people.


Overall I have to say we had a delightful experience with Photowall! I loved the unlimited options while still having the tools to narrow down my search. In the end our Photowall mural completed my daughter’s room and cured my blank wall stress. My designer brain has already started to pinpoint new walls in our home that could use a little sophistication with the help of Photowall.

What are you excited to decorate?

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Feb
2018

Hop to It Giveaway Hop Sign Ups

categories: Blogger Opp

 

Theme – Open
Minimum prize value of $10. Must be a new item.
Date: 4/1 – 4/16
Start time: April 1 – 9:00 am EST
End time: April 16 – 11:59 pm EST
Winner(s) must be drawn on  4/17 . Events must be open to US entrants.

Adding your link means you agree to the following terms:
Your post must include the following:

The full HTML which will be provided by email.
A clear form of entry (a giveaway form or a blog comment)
The giveaway hops image (in HTML and also included by attachment to the email)
The linky must be included in your post (code will be sent in email)
Your giveaway item(s) have a value of $10.
Must include disclosure included in email
A Link to the hosts: MamatheFox (https://mamathefox.com) 

This giveaway must be dedicated to this event only

If you sign up and can no longer participate please let me know so I can remove you from the linky.

 

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Feb
2018

The Star – a Movie about the First Christmas – Now on DVD

categories: Reviews

On February 20th, 2018 the amazing movie The Star is available on DVD

 

The Star is a movie featuring Bo, a small donkey who reaches out of his comfort zone and goes on the journey of a lifetime. He meets up with several other animals who join him on the journey – when they accidentally become heroes in the story of the first Christmas.

 

 

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  • Release date: Nov 17, 2017 (United States)

  • Director: Timothy Reckart

  • DVD release date: Feb 20, 2018

 

 

 

PG · 2017 · 1hr 26min · Animation/Fantasy

 

 

 

 

 

THE STAR is filled with more than an hour of engaging bonus materials including the “Star-aoke: Sing Along with Bo & Friends,” a dance along to “Life Is Good” by  Great Big World, plus a collection of fun lyric videos that will have you singing along to the inspiring music from THE STAR. Families can enjoy crafting and baking with “how-to” videos “Star Mason Jar Votives” and “Sweet and Sparkly Stars,” and they also can go behind-the-scenes to explore the amazing talent who bring these characters to life.

In “Faith All Year Round,” renowned pastor and motivational speaker, DeVon Franklin delivers a fun and engaging children’s sermon discussing the themes of the film and keeping the spirit of this inspiring story alive in us every day.

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Feb
2018

Scrub-A-Dub

categories: Reviews

Kids get dirty, it’s just a part of life.

So, in the bath they go!

We have an almost two year old and he gets a bath nearly every night, so we use the tub a lot. In fact, we recently had to replace our old tub with a new one from Room to Rooms. We used it so much it had just started to look old and dirty no matter how hard I scrubbed it. We all love the new one and use it more than ever.

Filling up the tub night after night can get to be a lot. A lot of water means a lot of money.

Sometimes, this is money that we simply don’t have. We have been able to scrimp and save where we can, and haven’t quite fallen behind on payments yet, but this could soon happen and we need to be prepared for any eventuality. Ultimately, this means that we need to save in other areas of our life (which is going to be hard to do), or we need to start thinking of ways to improve our financial situation. In fact, our friends have recently told us about how they have decided to Startup Aktien kaufen, or buy startup stocks, because they needed the money and it worked. They now have the finances needed for emergencies, which is why I should think about doing the same too. I better ring her and ask her how she got started.

Whilst this a solution, it’s not ideal. We can’t be losing this much money just from filling up the tub and having a bath every day.

There’s got to be a better way, right?

Yes, there is!!

The BabyDam Bathtub Divider is the perfect solution! This bathtub divider allows you to [easily] section off a portion of your bathtub creating a smaller, safer, and more comfortable space for your little to bathe in.

Instillation is super easy with the BabyDam. Just follow these instructions and you’ll be all set! You can see more clearly the instructions HERE along with an instructions video.

This product is brand new and has only been on the market for 1 year.

Originally designed for European bathtubs, the BabyDam was redesigned and started distribution in February of last year.

The high quality materials that the BabyDam is made with are BPA free and safety tested; it’s eco-friendly!

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The BabyDam has been proven to save time, money, water, and energy. As you can see in the photo below, the BabyDam makes it so easy to save. With this example we see that using 100% of the tub uses roughly 30 gallons of water; but using 50% of the tub uses just 15 gallons of water. A clear cut picture of how easy it is to save!

This is seriously the coolest, smartest contraption for kids the bathroom.

I love that I can get right in the tub and clean my child on this level. Reaching and leaning over the the tub can really take a tole on your body, so just having to squat for a short time really makes a difference.

The BabyDam will last much longer and is more beneficial than a baby bath tub. The BabyDam will grow with your child. As they get older you can move the BabyDam further and further away from the faucet; giving them more room to bathe.


I love that the BabyDam is easy to store. The holes on the top give you the option to hang it from a hook; but you can tuck it away very easily because it is so slim. We have it tucked between the shower wall and towel rack – works just great.

There are a lot of sizes, shapes, and textures of bathtubs; the BabyDam is not compatible with all of them. Use this quick and easy guide to decide whether the BabyDam is right for your tub.

You can even click HERE to watch a short video explaining how to determine if your tub is compatible for the BabyDam.

Seriously people, go and check out the BabyDam. This small invention makes such a large difference in more than one aspect – water, energy, heat, money. You will not be disappointed after getting a BabyDam!