Tag: review


Jul
2021

Stainless Kitchen

categories: Reviews

Tavva Kitchen is a great company that creates stainless steel kitchen products. The brand cares about creating practical and innovative products that are very earth friendly. As a company, Tavva’s goals are to reduce the reliance on single-use plastic. Their products are perfect to replace plastic containers in your kitchen.

Their containers are super safe. They are non-toxic and free of BPA, BPS, and phthalates. These are just some of the ingredients in plastic that are harmful to our bodies, environments, and life’s. Kicking these ingredients out of our home is super easy with these Tavva Kitchen alternatives.

The stainless steel containers are completely leak proof. The steel container along side the silicone lid creates a perfect, sealed closure. When the lid is on the container properly there is such a nice seal, I never have to worry that it will leak when it’s in the lunchbox.

Another perk of these Tavva Kitchen containers is that they are completely dishwasher safe. I pretty much put everything in the dishwasher (sometimes even if it’s not supposed to be), so having these be dishwasher safe is a lifesaver. It’s great to not need to worry about the silicone or steel get damaged because it is being washed in the dishwasher.

One of my favorite features of these stainless steel containers is that they are light weight. Bringing them when we pack lunches is much more handy than packing glass containers. They make our lunchbox significantly lighter.

I also love that the containers are safer than glass. By this I mean that I don’t have to worry about them falling on the ground and breaking. We pack our lunches very often and we sit at picnic tables, on the ground, and sometimes in the back of our van, having containers that cannot break is so great. Three boys eating lunch on the go is not calm in any sense, so this is just something that I don’t need to monitor anymore.

These containers are basically indestructible. The strong stainless steel that makes up the container is tough to destroy; much tougher than glass. With three boys in the house, these containers are just perfect. Not only is the steel strong, but the silicone is really strong too. It can’t be broken and is hard to be torn.

These Tavva Kitchen stainless steel containers are just perfect for our kitchen. Having three boys in our home means that things break very easily and quickly. The stainless steel and silicone are basically indestructible, and that’s just what we need. The containers are light weight, nesting, stacking, and leak proof. Such great characteristics for storage containers.

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Jul
2019

Backpack Pets

categories: Reviews

As kids grow older, you’ll soon ditch the diaper bag.

Seriously moms, the day is coming where you won’t have to carry around a heavy bag with you everywhere you go.

My oldest is 3 and we recently have moved him out of the diaper bag and into his very own backpack. This is great because the diaper bag is lighter and he loves carrying around the bag. It may just be because its new still, but he wants to take it everywhere we go.

 

The Fenrici backpacks are so perfect for kiddos. The animal backpacks they offer are sure to make your child smile. There are so many options to choose from and all of them are fun, bright colors.

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We love the backpacks because of the large compartment that can hold all your child’s needs. We keep a pull-up, extra pair of underwear, and a pair of pants in the backpack at all times. Even with the necessities, there is still a lot of room for my sons wants – cars, toys, books, you name it.

 

This mission driven company offers products for kids of all ages. Fenrici partners ‘with families and children who have been touched by pediatric rare diseases to share the stories of determination, hope, and selflessness. 5% of proceeds from’ their ‘product sales are used to fund the education and research of pediatric rare diseases through the national non-profit organization Global Genes.’

When you shop Fenrici you are supporting children and families who share their stories and impact the world. The founders of the company have been inspired by so many families who have been impacted by rare childhood diseases. They’ve seen the resilience, hope, and selflessness from these children and families and they want to share that with others. They want to teach and inspire other kids using the stories they have been touched by.

Each backpack is named with a character of resilience such as Bravery, Joy, Hope, Kindness; among others. There are also cards of inspirational messages included with each backpack – a card for the owner and one for them to share. Fenrici really wants to inspire others, and anyone who purchases from them can help with that!

You are invited to share your story or comments on the Fenrici Facebook page.

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Mar
2019

My Usborne Family

categories: Reviews, Uncategorized

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

– Dr. Seuss

As a child I hated reading! I remember it being hard, I remember being made fun of for making mistakes, and I remember my heart pounding whenever I was asked to read aloud.

It never really became a huge issue until I hit high school and was struggling in my honors math and science classes!

MATH and SCIENCE!

The problem was I couldn’t read fast enough to complete my tests. I eventually took speed reading classes to better improve my efficiency and develop better strategies for tests and note-taking.

After high school I pursed my dream to become an elementary teacher and quickly became passionate about children’s literacy. I took additional classes on phonics as well as studied children’s illustrations, language arts methods, and best practices for teaching in a pluralistic society. After graduation I took my first job in the inner city as an academic specialist. My job: get title 1 3rd and 4th grade students to read at grade level.

The love for literacy only continued to grow as I taught elementary school kids, after school programs, and then eventually my own children.

I was the determined teacher training first graders to read silently for 45 minutes a day.

I was the innovated dance teacher incorporating literature into tap class.

I was the passionate mom reading books to my 1 day old baby in the hospital.

I am THAT homeschool mom checking out the maximum number of books from the library.

I have experienced first hand how reading can actually change your life for the good or bad. I’ve seen the facts, statistics, and testimonies how early exposure to books can build a beautiful foundation for children.

PC: Cherish’s Literacy Corner VIP’s

 

So when I met Cherish, I was instantly inspired by her love for literature and learning! As a past high school English teacher her knowledge of literature is extensive, while her heart for student learning is enormous. As a mom, Cherish has establish a home that invites learning with fun and engaging activities

But her passion for education doesn’t end there, Cherish works to enrich the families around her by helping bring high quality books in their homes through Usborne books.

As an Usborne book consultant, she is passionate about equipping parents with the best resources for raising life long learners!

 

Meet Usborne Books 

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In 1973, Peter Usborne saw TV and comics controlling the attention of kids and wanted to give non-fiction books a fighting chance. This led to the birth of Usborne books and the mission to make both reading and learning fun, not intimidating. The magic of Usborne books is that they break down children’s resistance to reading and learning at home. In return, it opens the door for parents and children to explore and absorb the world of learning together.

Today Usborne books are high quality, innovative, engaging, and educational! There are over 2000 titles to choose from covering a wide variety of subjects and age ranges.

Usborne in my Home

As a past educator, a mom, and homeschool teacher I can’t express the amount of times I’ve been grateful for Usborne products in our home.

It all started with the That’s Not My collection. From a young age my children were drawn to the high contrast but simple illustrations. They loved to feel each new texture as well as look for the silly mouse hiding on each page. We read the same book too many times to count until I happily discovered Usborne had a HUGE collection of That’s Not My books. I honestly did not love reading the same type of book, but I persevered because those books helped open a world of reading to our children. At a young age they were exposed to the wonders of reading and built stamina to sit through 2-3 long picture books each night.

 

Now with preschool aged kids, Usborne’s collection of activities are a real hit. Usborne provides hands-on educational activities for babies to middle school aged kids. My family uses their sticker books for long car trips, water painting books for quiet independent play, and craft books for art projects. 

As a homeschool mama I’ve only just had a tiny taste of how Usborne can enrich and support our curriculum.

Each month we study a different theme that supports and connects to the Core Curriculum standards for preschool age children. Some of the topics include family units, habitats, space, hygiene, and plants. I was delighted to see Usborne’s books align with State Standards and therefore I could find at least one developmentally appropriate book for each of my units.

For most subjects I have a variety of titles and forms to choose from; peek-inside, lift-the-flap, Big Books, wipe-clean, young beginners, and so much more. Cherish even went the extra mile to examine my preschool syllabus and offer book recommendations for my units.

Usborne wipe clean books have also been instrumental in developing my children’s fine motor skills as well as practicing and refining their writing.  The lively illustrations and game-like set up makes handwriting drills a fun reward rather than a frustrating mundane task.

Working with Cherish

Cherish is not just an Usborne consultant that throws parties and sells books. She works almost daily to post innovative ways to bring reading into your home.

I would highly suggest checking out Cherish’s Literacy Corner on Facebook!

Cherish posts fun activities she is doing with her little ones and ways she incorporates reading into her home.

In addition, her literacy corner keeps followers up to date on Usborne new releases! Often when there is a big release Cherish goes live on social media to give followers an inside look into the books. If there is a book you have your eye on but not quite sure, Cherish helps to provide you with a real view video so you can fully see the illustrations, text, and story line.

Last but not least, her page provides insider deals and specials!

Check it out!

I’ve truly only scratched the surface on Usborne’s collection. Their website is a must see when looking for quality literature to bring into your home! To take it the next step further follow Cherish’s Literacy Corner to join a community of families who love and pursue the benefits of reading!

 

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May
2018

Father’s Day Simplified – Clubs of America Subscription Service

categories: Reviews

Father’s Day is approaching and us wives and daughters are thinking of useful but fun gift ideas.

Does he need more socks? Does he really want another tie?

What are the things he will really use and enjoy? Beer, Coffee, Cigars, Food! These are what wins a man’s heart

The most simply way to find the services you want are through Clubs of America. They offer beer, wine, flowers, cigar, fruit, coffee, chocolate and pizza subscriptions – they the added bonus of being able to MIX them up!!

Mix Your Clubs is an amazing feature I have never seen before. You can select how many months service you want, then mix up which types of boxes you want. Start with beer, switch to fruit then hop over to cigars. Or, if they’re trying to quit smoking, you could get them some extra strong, Swedish snus by Odens instead.

If you are going to be treating any of the men in your life to a cigar subscription, then just make sure that they have a cigar cutter to enjoy their favorite cigars with ease! Accordingly, you can learn more about cigar cutters by researching a few different cigar cutter (review, brands) online.

Ultimately, all of this makes Clubs of America a truly customer based business with your satisfaction a top priority.

Beer of the Month Club

Each month you would receive 12 bottles of rare craft beer with 4 different varieties. Each shipment contains a great write up – the Beer Expeditions monthly newsletter subscription. It will give you great information on the fresh beer you received this month for your Beer of the Month Club subscription as well information on the featured breweries.

All of our featured microbrews for our Beer of the Month Club are traditionally brewed from only all natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast and water. Absolutely NO chemicals, corn, rice or preservatives are used in these beers. Only the best beer is hand-selected for our members of the Beer Club!

We were very impressed with how it was delivered. It was packaged so that none of the bottles were touching, to avoid crash breakage. But without all those annoying foam peanuts or plastic parts. The top slide right off and the 12 bottles were standing there perfectly.

Each box will come with a Beer Expedition Newsletter. This newsletter is jam packed with information about each of the beers and breweries in this particular box.

The Beer of the Month Club keeps with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 – which means all their features micro brews are traditionally brewed from only all natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast and water. Absolutely no chemicals, corn, rice or preservatives are used in these beers.

The month which MamatheFox received beer it come from 2 breweries, Carson’s Brewery (RIPA Red IPA & Red Dawn Amber Wheat Ale) and Mt. Carmel Brewery (Coffee Brown Ale & Hibiscus Blueberry Blonde Ale).

They give you a variety of flavors and styles in each shipment, allowing you to find the perfect beers for you.

Wine of the Month Club

The packaging for shipment of the wine box was stellar! I was highly impressed with the custom cut packaging, allowing each of the 3 bottles to be safely shipped, without any worries about the bottles touching or breaking turning transit.

With the Wine of the Month Club, each month you will receive 3 premium bottles of wine.

Again, a wonderful newsletter is included with the box titles “Wines Expeditions” giving us tons of fun information about wine in general, like paring and flavors. However, the most beneficial parts are the ones where it talks about the 3 bottles of wine which you received.

This month they shipped out :

  1. Viognier-Chardonnay from the Estampa Family Estate (2017 white). This bottle was from Chili and had 90% Viognier grape and 10% Chardonnay.
  2. Red Rhine – Pinotage. The components are 100% Pinotage – which is a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes.
  3. Yapa Carmenère 2014 – From Chili and pairs well with beef.

Coffee of the Month Club

Each month with the Coffee of the Month Club, you will receive 2 bags of coffee. You have the option of requesting ground beans or whole beans.

Coffee lovers can tell you that there is a large difference in the taste of beans. The regions which they are grown, how they are grown, how they are roasted and even how they are handled.

This months shipment contained bags from Mexico and Nicaragua.

Of course, you get the very helpful Coffee Expeditions newsletter with each shipment.

The beans from Mexico were SHG EP Topacio – an American Roast. They are grown by small producers and hand-pulp their coffee and ferment it in little tanks before sun-drying the beans. These beans are grown in volcanic soil, with a grea combination of sunshine, temperature and precipitation – all essential for growing Strictly High Grown coffee.

The beans from Nicaragua are Tierra Madre – a Vienna Roast.

This coffee is produced exclusively by women in Jinotega – who all receive a premium pay based on their high quality coffee. This Arabica coffee presents flavors of caramel, toffee and notes of tangerine. Its sweet and fruity aroma is perfect for summer and fall mornings.

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May
2018

Our New Friend Leo

categories: Reviews, Uncategorized

We have a new friend and we hope you are as excited to meet him as we are!

If you haven’t heard of ikiki shoes then PLEASE pop on over to read our ikiki review we did in the fall!

Connect with ikiki

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Thanks to our ikiki shoes leaving the house has been fun, simple, and extra comfortable. We finally have shoes that are easy to put on, made for developing walking feet, and inspire my independent free spirited children. So when we saw they were releasing new friends we knew we needed to add them to our ikiki zoo!

This spring ikiki released a new friend Leo Longfire.

The moment my son saw Leo’s lime green skin with cool spikes he was ready to take him on an adventure.

 

Leo’s ikiki Adventure

On a bright sunny day Leo heard a cry for help from his home of iron and rock. 

As he listened closer he recognized it was Princess Patty Potamus!

She needed help!

Leo quickly jumped into action to save his precious friend.

With high tops, breathable skin, and durable soles he knew nothing could stop him on his voyage! 

Leo quickly suited up and tightened his velcro.

Then with an ikiki battle cry, he began his quest to save Princess Patty.

With strong ankle support he charged up the green mountain towards the magic castle. 

With every squeak he knew he was one step closer to seeing Princess Patty’s glittering soles! 

When he arrived to the castle he spotted Princess Patty!

She was squeaking for help from the top of the castle’s tallest tower.

But the castle was full of challenges and obstacles to trip Leo up!

First Leo turned off his squeakers in order to not attract any bad guys.

He quietly descended the steep shoot without leaving a trace of evidence by using his white nonskid bottoms. 

Then with his breathable skin, Leo kept cool while crossing the firey lake of lava.  

With durable rubber soles Leo conquered each step up Slipper Slope Mountain.

At last he met his final obstacle!

With flexibility Leo grasped each stone rung to climb the giant beanstalk.

Princess Patty was saved!

Princess Patty and Leo were finally reunited to make the perfect ikiki pair! 

The End

We hope we’ve inspired you to find your little one their ikiki solemate and take them on a wild adventure!

 

 


May
2018

The Chair that Grows

categories: Reviews, Uncategorized

Hey Mamas!

We wish you the happiest of Mother’s Day and hope it is spent doing what you love best!

I love this day of celebration mostly because I get a chuckle out of watching my husband take on the impossible task of independently feeding and clothing two kids for church and brunch. I can’t help intervening to inform my husband our daughter isn’t wearing shoes or my son yet again took off his dress pants and switched back to pajamas.

That’s why Mother’s Day always involves brunch right? Dad’s can’t keep the kids alive and clean all the way to dinner so we have to get the celebration out first thing in the morning!

Then nap time rolls around and exhausted dads everywhere finally find the time to sit and praise their wives with the common phrase

“I don’t know how you do this all day, everyday!”

Moms are a special beings because we do it all day every day…and love it.

Yes we love the drama, kissing ouchies, sweeping a forever dirty floor, and even dare I say it, changing diapers. We love the chaos because it’s OUR chaos brought to us by OUR kiddos. We love our kids unconditionally and want nothing but the best for their lives.

Which leads to my husband getting a chuckle from my Mother’s Day want list. You see the word “want” has lost a lot of value since being a mother. Why waste money on things I want when there are two little humans with a ton of needs. But the funnest part is I actually geek out over baby and house wear items! One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was an avocado tool.

So my husband struggled yet again between finding a balance between getting me something beautiful and getting me something I wanted for our house.

But if you geek out over baby gear like I do, you will agree the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair is not only practical its a beautiful piece of accent furniture for your home.

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Tripp Trapp Chair 

  • Brings baby closer to the family

My family is a huge supporter of family dinners. I think it is important to have everyone in one place at one time with no distractions. Family dinners is also one of the reasons we chose to introduce solids with baby led weaning. We want our children eating what we are eating and engaging in the same healthy habits we choose for ourselves. The Tripp Trapp Chair was specifically designed to fit comfortably against a table. An infant, toddler, and adult can all find a perfect fit up against any table with the adjustable seat and diagonal design.

We love having our children at the table and using our Stokke chair for meals, crafts, games, and baking.

 

  • Adjustable seat

Any little one can find maximum comfort by having the perfect height and depth combination with the adjustable seat and footplate. The goal is to promote correct body alignment for a seated child by getting their feet to rest squarely on the footplate. A 6 month old and 60 year old can both find the same comfort and support in the Tripp Trapp Chair.

I love that my 3 year old can easily climb onto this chair and be at the perfect height to reach his food.

My 6 month old nephew can be supported and secure in the Tripp Trapp and still have the benefit of eating at the table with the family.

And I actually love using this chair when I am sewing! I adjust the seat so that my foot rests perfectly on the sewing pedal. The leveled seat and angled backing supports my postures and prevents me from hunching over. It is encouraging to know that once my kids eventually stop using this chair it can still find use in our home.

  • Safe and Secure

I truly appreciate the ingenious design of the Tripp Trapp Chair! We use to have a lot of chair battles with our kiddos. My 3 year old son liked to push against the table with his hands and consistently got disciplined for sitting on his knees. My 18 month old daughter liked to push against the table with her feet and watch me have a panic attack.

The concave design of the chair back helps me scoot my kids’ lower half under the table; preventing their legs from escaping.

The Tripp Trapp chair extender gliders provide increased backward stability. Meaning pushing, rocking, and backward arching isn’t going to tip this chair. Our first dinner using the Tripp Tripp my daughter was being ornery and pushed the table with her hands to try and rock backward. Her chair scooted away from the table and didn’t rock in the slightest bit. I was amazed and my daughter was defeated and frustrated her little “trick” only made her food unreachable.

 

Also included with the Tripp Trapp chair is a 5-point harness. The straps are durable and very easy to clean.The back of the straps includes a fastener that can be adjusted to keep the straps from slipping off baby’s shoulders. My 6 month old nephew felt very secure strapped in and my 18 month old could not escape.

 

 

  • Easy to clean

Yes! My favorite part of this high chair! I had a fancy chair with a cushion for 2 months. 2 MONTHS and then I gave it away! Personally I thought it was the dumbest baby product in our home. Even with a toothpick and toothbrush I couldn’t completely clean the cracks and crannies of our highchair, which resulted in mold!

The Tripp Trapp Chair is pretty straight forward when cleaning. The solid beach wood is easy to quickly wipe down with a wet cloth and there is no place for food to hide. I am confident our chair is clean and there isn’t dingy food bits wedged in crevices waiting to mold.

  • Variety of colors

Check our the variety of woods and colors the Tripp Trapp Chair comes in. You can easily find a chair that accents your kitchen, matches your dinning set, or is a bold vibrant pop of color in your house.

 

Tripp Trapp Baby Set 

One accessory you can buy for your Tripp Trapp Chair is the baby set. The environmentally friendly plastic accessory easy attaches to any Tripp Trapp chair. The set was made to support children from 6 months to 3 years.

   

For my newly sitting 6 month old nephew, the hi-back and seating rail supported him from loosing his balance.

He was able to sit at the table without the risk my face planting into our oak table top. He was certainly happy to be sitting at the table with his older cousins.

Although my 3 year old does not need the baby set to sit securely in the Tripp Trapp chair I appreciated he can fit in it. We have the baby set on our chair to keep my 18 month old safe and secure. My son eats multiple snacks a day while I work, clean, or tend to his sister. He thinks it is awesome to sit in her cool chair while I appreciate the assurance of his safety while I am multitasking. With the baby set my son can’t get down without my help, he can’t sit on his knees, he can’t fall off a chair, and he can’t tip the chair back. So if you have multiple little ones under 4 you can use the Tripp Trapp with the baby set without having to remove baby set to fit the older ones.

Tripp Trapp Cushion 

For an extra splash of style and comfort Stokke makes cushions for the Tripp Trapp chair. These lush comfort cushions prevent babies from slipping down during meal time and provide extra support on little backs from 6 month to 3 years. The 100% polyester material comes in a variety of colors and patterns.

We loved our cushion was able to to fit on the baby set as well as directly onto Tripp Trapp chair.  The versatility and durability make it a practical addition to our chair.

My sister was completely impressed when she started to wipe down the cushion after her son “ate” an avocado. Everything cleaned up perfectly without staining or scrubbing.

I personally loved how waterproof it felt as my daughter dumped her cup on herself. Baby can be ready to sit back on the cushion without having to let it dry, which also means the inside stuffing is safe from molding.

More from Stokke

If you love the ingenious deign of the Tripp Trapp Chair then chances are you will love Stokke’s other baby products as well!

 

We hope you have a beautiful Mother’s Day and you get spoiled on this special day!

Heres to many more years of wishing for clean floors and geeking out on baby products!

 

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May
2018

Chill Out with Arctic Zero Light Ice Cream

categories: Reviews

I love this heat wave we are finally getting!

The Midwest needs some sunshine, and nothing goes better with the sunshine then ice cream!

 

We are true ice cream fanatics in the Fox household.  We have tried so many brands and flavors it would amazing you. Each of the members of my family have their top favorite flavors and combos.

 

My son loves vanilla – nothing but plain vanilla for that little boy

My daughter loves chocolate and mint chocolate chip

My husband loves peanut butter and ice cream with crunchy bits mixed in

This Mama loves the sweet and salty flavors like caramels and toffee

 

 

Whatever flavor you love best Arctic Zero, the new light ice cream now available in stores, will have one that will make your mouth water.

 

The most popular ice creams on the market now are the “light” and “low calorie” options. I am loving this craze! I have a problem with self control and proportions with it comes to sweet treats with ice cream. With the containers conveniently packaged with a low calorie total – clearly stated on the carton – I am way better able to gauge how much I can splurge on.

 

 

There are a lot of light ice creams on the market now – so what makes Arctic Zero different?

 

The new pints are packed with rich flavor and a creamy texture from real milk, cream and cane sugar.

Arctic Zero is made with clean ingredients.

No Sugar Alcohols

Non-GMO Verified

rBST Free

 

Connect with Arctic Zero

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Now Available at Select:

Fresh Thyme, Giant, Giant Eagle, Jewel, Martin’s, Russ’s, Safeway, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Super Saver & Woodman’s stores.

* Arctic Zero light ice cream flavors contain between 64%-74% fewer calories and 84%-94% less fat than similar flavors of full-fat ice cream.

 

Have more questions about Arctic Zero – click here for FAQ’s


Apr
2018

Meet Fun and Function

categories: Uncategorized

As a mother and past educator, now homeschooler, I am always trying to find a happy medium between teacher and parent.

I want the best for my child.

The mother part of me wants them to be happy and health. As a teacher, I want to create life long learners that love to learn. The balance is meeting my children where they are and equipping them with the right tools for optimal learning and development. Best practice is building on a child’s schema and teaching in an engaging and exciting setting.

Best practice also means identifying where my children are gifted and deficient.

Knowing where my children struggle allows me to address any specific emotional, cognitive, or social needs that could potentially be hindering their ability to learn.

Fun an Function was started by a family looking for kid-friendly sensory tools and toys that would make an authentic difference in the lives of children.

Who is Fun and Function

The founder of Fun and Function used her expertise in occupational therapy, as well as being a mom, to develop products that support children with special needs. Everything designed is kid-friendly, affordable, and most importantly, makes a real developmental and therapeutic difference in the lives of children. Fun and Function listens to their customers in order to refine and develop tools that meet the needs of real children.

Fun and Function products cover a vast variety of needs and resources. As their name states, their tools are not just for special needs but also to make learning engaging and developmentally appropriate.

Their website is a great resource for searching for the perfect tool that is in your budget, meets special needs diagnosis, or helps with deficiencies. In addition they provide resources for parenting, finding therapists, and running productive intervention sessions.

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Fun and Function 

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Cocoon Climbing Swing

Both of my young children are introverts but often project themselves as extroverts. As a result, my children often get over stimulate after interacting with large crowds or having an eventful day. At first I blamed their bad behavior and melt downs on fatigue. As a grew as a mother I started to recognize signs of over stimulation and my children looking for a outlet to recuperate.

So when outfitting our homeschooling room, I wanted to cater to the specific needs of my children and create a “detox” safe place.

The Fun and Function Cocoon Climbing Swing was the perfect solution!

My 3 year old son is able to climb in and out of his swing independently. This means his safe place is always accessible whenever he feels he needs it. I love that he doesn’t have to ask, but rather can jump right in on his time.

A durable cushion is easily installed in a zip pouch in the bottom of the swing. The cushion is inflated with air which keeps the swing light weight; which means less stress on the suspensions.

It also gives the base structure so children can easily adjust and move without feeling like they are trapped in a bag.

I love that my son is able to sit cross legged and read or lay down and relax.

The high backing assures my children are safe and won’t tumble out during swinging.

The Cocoon Swing is made with highly durable fabrics and can hold up to 100 lbs. Since my children are still young they are even able to share the swing together. It is a safe quiet place for siblings to bond and share a good book.

When the suspension is moved to a single point, children can have more active play. This swing can be a great outlet for all those little monkeys who love to climb and swing. I am sure as my son gets older and develops more balance strength he will love the play of spinning and twisting on his swing.

Most importantly, this swing is fun! It engages little minds and bodies while developing and challenging them to grow towards success.

Something for Everyone

I do really want to stress that while Fun and Function has a passion and talent for designing for special needs children, their products are universal.

All children benefit from active, engaging, developmentally appropriate learning!

Sensory play has proven to support the brain’s growth while also improving cognitive, social, and emotional skills.

As all moms know, children have a LOT of energy. Physical activities keep kids healthy while positively impacting cognitive skills and academic behavior. Not to mention exercise has been said to help increase oxygen for to the brain and improve its function.

 

 

 

I lastly want to note that all kids have strengths and weaknesses. As parents looking for the best for our children, I find it so important to meet our child at their weakness. Even if that “weakness” is just a skill waiting to be developed. Rather than avoiding or discipling our children’s fixation, fidgeting, hyperactivity, or anxiety we have the power to celebrate their uniqueness. As parents we can empower our children with tools to find success and build confident life long learners.

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Apr
2018

Button Diapers are Super!

categories: Reviews, Uncategorized

Who loves Fluff Mail?!

This month I had the opportunity to try out Buttons Cloth Diapers. My sister has used them for both her boys so I wanted to see why she was so loyal to this particular brand.

Meet Button Diapers

Buttons was created by your typical mom who wanted to keep things simple. Her and her husband’s goal was to keep cloth diapering affordable and easy to use.

Their diapering options continue to expand and new adorable prints are frequently released.

 

 

 

 

 

I also want to add their social medias are a delight to follow! They always give great encouragement to cloth mamas and have fun revealing new prints!

 

Connect with Buttons

Facebook.

 Twitter.

 Pinterest.

 YouTube.

Instagram.

 

 

 

 

The Diapers

Buttons diapers takes a new and improve twist on past cloth diapering systems. The outer shell is waterproof and wipeable, meaning it can be used multiple times before washing. Rather than changing the whole diaper (like inserts and AIO), just the insert can easily snap out and be replaced with a fresh clean one.

 

It also makes it convenient to use the same diaper night and day. Snap the daytime insert in for play time then at bedtime add a nighttime insert underneath a daytime insert for a peaceful dry night.

Sizes

Button Diapers covers have the same great quality in three different sizes.

Newborn, One-Size, and Super.

I especially loved their sizes because one-size really doesn’t fit all!

NEWBORN

Both of my cloth diapering sisters had babies in the fall. My sister with newborn Button diapers started cloth diapering way before my sister with one-size. The cut of these pip squeak diapers fit perfectly around even tiny newborn chicken legs and while still preventing mega leaks.

It is a big deal because after changing and washing 6-12 diapers a day, no one wants to add wardrobe changes to the laundry. Also with the estimation of newborns using over 300 newborn diapers, cloth can be a mega money saver in the end.

ONE-SIZE

One-size diapers are a great option for frugal cloth diapering. Both of my kids were born weighing over 8 pounds, so I assume I would have been able to put them in One-Size diapers before a month old.

I do find a lot of mom’s prefer waiting a month or so before switching to cloth. It gives them time to recover and relax before taking on diaper laundry.

Since these diapers can fit up to 35lbs it is likely they will fit until potty training. My son being of of those kids! So if you have a pretty average baby, one-size Button diapers could be your one stop shop for cloth diapering.

SUPER

Now a mom with an above average size babe, I appreciate the Super size. My daughter has always been in or above the 85% range for height and weight. Before she was mobile she was especially rolly-polly.

All the more to love right?!

I remember around 6-9 months thinking she was going to outgrow her one-size cloth diapers! The snaps were on the second to last spot and her back side would creep out when she was sitting. Fortunately, when she started walking and crawling she leaned out and developed more of a toddler shape. I actually was able to snap her diapers tighter.

However, the hight issue stayed the same. I could never find a diaper that completely covered her bum, and more importantly kept messes from spilling out. I feared she would exceed the maximum weight of her one-size diapers before we hit potty training.

The super sized diapers became a great addition to our cloth collection. They provide maximum coverage and maximum protection!

As if my daughter knew I was reviewing her diaper, she almost immediately “tested it out” if you know what I mean. I was happy to say her Buttons diaper held strong through crawling, rolling, walking, and even a dance party.

Inserts

Buttons offers a variety of snap inserts to meet the needs of your diapering preference.

DAYTIME: Buttons cloth inserts snap right into our diapers covers to keep inserts from shifting around.

  • Hemp/Cotton 3 Pack
  • Bamboo 3 Pack
  • Microfiber 3 Pack

NIGHTTIME: They work as a doubler when snapped underneath Buttons daytime inserts.

  • Hemp/Cotton 2 Pack
  • Bamboo 2 Pack
  • Microfiber 2 Pack

Since we are new to Buttons diapers we tried out their Hemp/Cotton Daytime Inserts.

These inserts are made with an incredible 4 layer absorbent system. Moisture-wicking fleece sandwiches layers of hemp and organic cotton.

The inserts are very durable and feel well made. I especially loved the seem and edging on each insert. It is rare to find both, and honestly I think it helps all the more to lock moisture in and prevent leakage with movement.

The snaps hold the inserts in place and are easy to remove and replace.

Overall I loved joining the Buttons Diapers family!

And to especially support Earth Day I wanted to leave you all with a few diapering facts!

  • Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.
  • No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.
  • Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.

 

 

 

 

  • Comments Off on Button Diapers are Super!

Apr
2018

Click Your Bricks with a Brick Loot Subscription Box

categories: Reviews

Click Click!

 

That is the sound every day at the Fox house. We LOVE building with bricks. Lego, Duplo, any brand you can think of – we love them all.

 

My husband is the brickman. He loves playing with bricks with the kids and has really helped them develop a creative side that I never knew how to engage.

My son, age 4, loves to play with things that allow him to create his own, one-of-a-kind toy. The easiest way for him to do this type of play is with bricks, which is also why they are so popular in this house.

 

By engaging our kids in STEM activities, we help them unlock new ideas & learn to use their minds in creative and healthy ways.

 

Thankfully, Parker, creator of Brick Loot, also has a deep love for LEGO’s!  As a boy who collected massive amounts of bricks, he quickly saw something missing in the marketplace, a subscription box for people who love LEGO’s and bricks!  He took this as a hint and decided to act on this issue, by creating his own company! Parker, now age 13, with the help of his awesome parents, has launched this highly successful subscription box. As time goes on, and as Parker has grown, he keeps taking on more and more of the responsibility of running and managing the business.

 

Let’s help support child entrepreneurs by gifting someone you know a subscription to Brick Loot

 

 

 

But we all know that bricks aren’t just for kids!

 

 

 

With Brick Loot you can get new, exciting Lego’s and other compatible Bricks, along with other exciting items shipped to your home each month!

 

AWESOME ITEMS INCLUDED IN EACH BOX

Custom Kits with LEGO Bricks

Kits by famous LEGO Designers

Brick Loot Exclusives

LEGO Accessories

Custom LEGO Minifigures

LEGO Compatible Products

 

 

We received the March 2018 Brick Loot Box

 

The March 2018 Brick Loot Box had the following items:

  • Motorcycle Madness  (Exclusive 100% LEGO Build Designed Set)
  • Speedway Racer Arcade – with an LED Light Kit!
  • Pinky’s Arcade Hat
  • Arcade Mystery LEGO Minifigure

This months theme was Game On II – giving you several exciting arcade themes products.

 

We really liked the LED light that was included, which made the arcade game way more exciting and was extremely interesting for our 4 year old son.

 

What was kinda tricky were the directions – they were not like a typical LEGO instruction set.  They showed several steps per step, making it sorta confusion for an adult, so it would probably be a tad tricky for a kid. This may have been a unique circumstance for only that one set/box. Just a heads up.

 

Connect with Brick Loot

Facebook                    Instagram                    Twitter                    Pinterest                    YouTube

 

 

Extra Extra Read All About It

Also available on the Brick Loot website:

Exclusive mini figures

Lego Artwork

Storage Containers

and much much more!!

Brick Loot is a box subscription company for LEGO and Brick fanatics! Their subscribers will receive a monthly box filled with unique, custom and never-before-seen items that work with LEGO bricks and custom building.