Thursday, September 29, 2011

Have you heard of Diamond Candles?





If you haven't heard of Diamond Candles, you want to. Diamond Candles are so much fun!  These candles are at the top of my holiday want list!  



So, what is a Diamond Candle?  It's an amazing smelling, large, soy candle that has a surprise in it. In fact, that surprise could very well be.... a diamond!!

Each Diamond Candle has a ring inside. The surprise ring could be worth $10, $100, $1000, or even $5,000! 

Diamond Candles was founded in January of 2011. The founders wanted to make candle-buying fun. I can tell you...they succeeded!

I received the Lavender Lemon candle for review:

 

See that shiny gold thing in the candle?  That is the ring (inside foil). 

I was sooo excited to find out what my ring looked like... I had to burn the candle immediately!

The candle smelled great, even before I lit it...but once I did the scent wafted through my home, Lavender Lemon smells great!

As you can see, the wick was a little off center.. and it happened to be off center more on the side that the ring wasn't. 

Now, these candles take a LONG time to burn. In fact, each candle gets 125-160 hours of burn time!

So, I waited..... and waited....... and waited some more. It seemed to take forever, my patience was getting thin, so I dug it out with a fork once the melted wax had hit the top of the foil!


There it is! I took it to the kitchen and used some dish soap and warm water while I unwrapped the ball of foil...


In that foil was a small plastic bag... and, as you can see, in that bag is my ring!!


Whooo hoooo!

This part was the best... sooo much fun! The ring I got wasn't really "my style", but it was still pretty. And the suspense and unknowing was totally worth it.

 

I haven't had the chance to have this ring looked at yet, being that I live in a very rural area and there are a lack of jewelers in my area. So, I am not sure how much it is worth. 

Diamond Candles responded to a question asking how to tell if the rings are "real",  on their Facebook page the other day. They said, usually the more valuable rings have either nothing stamped inside them, or 10K, 14K, etc. 

My ring has what I believe to be "Thailand" stamped in it:

But, I won't truly know what it is worth until I take it to be looked at by a professional.

Diamond Candles can be purchased online only at this time, they are priced at $24.95 and current shipping charges are $5 for one candle. Diamond Candles can only be shipped only to the U.S. currently, and only purchased on the website.


I definitely think Diamond Candles are worth every penny... the fun they bring is worth the $30 alone! Also, the crooked wick issue resolved as the candle burned. I now only have 1/3 of the candle left and the wick is fine! The candle still smells great, and I still enjoy burning it...now just to purchase my next one!!



I received a Diamond Candle at no cost to facilitate my review. I received no monetary compensation, and all opinions are my own.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Holy Smokes... MORE Facebook changes coming soon!



Thanks to a friend on Facebook and this article, I am trying out the new "Timeline" feature that will be hitting Facebook in early October.  I have to say, it is DIFFERENT!

Now, I am not a fan of change... not one bit. I find security in the same ol' same ol'. 

This one is fairly neat... I am still going to be a little resistant, though.

 Here's a screenshot of my  NEW Facebook profile page..


And here is the page scrolled down a bit...


See the new "Timeline" feature. 

This is definitely a new look for Facebook profiles.... what do you think? Will you like it?

One thing that makes me a little hesitant about this change is the privacy concerns any new changes bring to a social neworking site. Will the new changes create loopholes for hackers, yes, more than likely... so I hope Facebook will be on their toes and get them all fixed quickly when they do come about.

Leave me a comment, I would love to hear what you think of the new Timeline feature that will be coming to Facebook in early October!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Monday Meet and Greet- Mom Mart




This week we welcome Laura from Mom Mart! She has a great interview below, I hope you enjoy getting to know her!


Your Name: Laura Andry

Where do you blog? Mom Mart (Http://MomMart.blogspot.com)

Mom Mart

How did you decide on what to name your blog? I am a stay at home mother with two little boys. My husband always jokes around about how certain "jobs" around the house are mine and fall under my job description. I told him I felt like one of those superstores that is open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, and that he could just refer to me as MomMart from now on.

Tell us a little bit about you:
I am a stay at home mother with a 5-month-old baby boy and a 2 1/2 -year-old little boy. My boys are 100% boy 100% of the time and I love it! I have been happily married to my best friend going on five years now and couldn't feel more blessed. I am a Christian and thank the Lord everyday for all the blessings in my life. I am a glass half full type of girl who looks for the humor in every situation. I am an organizational neat freak who loves being crafty and creative. I have been blogging since April 2011 after deciding that I wanted to try my hand at writing. So far, it has been a lot of fun.

Tell us five of your favorite things and five of your least favorite things:
5 Favorite Things:
My family- I love my entire family, they are my best friends. I have a great relationship with my in-laws and truly love spending time with each and every member of my family.
Baby Gear - I am completely addicted!
Vacations where I don't have to drive - if I have to drive it is not a vacation.
The smell of apples - yummy!
Pedicures- nothing makes me feel more pampered than pretty toes.
5 Least Favorite:
Rude People- I have no idea where manners have vanished to, but they need to make a come back!
Heels - I strongly dislike wearing heels. They hurt my feet :(
Long lines - really, no need to explain.
Getting lost - I feel incredibly vulnerable when I am lost.
Asking for help - I am stubborn and like to think that I can do anything and everything on my own and I rarely ask for help, even when I need it. It is a big fault of mine.

When and why did you start blogging? I started seriously blogging in April 2011 after having suffered from mastitis. I had no idea what was wrong with me and I was frightened. I had a hard time finding information about this subject and decided that I would share my experiences with others and put my information out there. I wanted to write and this was what really pushed me to start doing it.

What do you blog about? I guess it is more accurate to ask me what I don't blog about. I share my experiences and my perspectives as a stay at home mom. I talk about breastfeeding, potty training, family friendly activities, crafts for kids, blog hops, product reviews, giveaways, and have recently started adding quick and easy recipes. I essentially share my life.

What is your favorite blog post ever? Potty Training William Continued (http://mommart.blogspot.com/2011/08/potty-training-william-continued.html) I think my whole potty training experience is too funny. I laugh every time I think about it.

What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? My Hoover Vacuum Cleaner!!
What are your favorite blogs to read?
The Baby Guy Gear Guide (http://www.babyguygearguide.com/)
There are many many more that I check on a daily basis, but these two I check before I check my own email!

Where can we find you?:
Thank you for taking the time to get to know me, I look forward to hearing from you and getting to know you too!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Sunday Funny- Pricey Present




A father went to the local store to purchase a present for his daughter.

On the shelves he sees the Astronaut Barbie for $19.95 and Divorced Barbie for $265.95. 

The amazed father asks:
"What?! Why is the Divorced Barbie $265.95 and the others only $19.95?"

The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers:
"Sir, Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's Furniture, Ken's Computer,and one of Ken's Friends."

Friday, September 23, 2011

The littles got croup. :(




Miss Annabelle, and Nolyn have been sick. We noticed them coughing late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning, and when they woke up they sounded horrible. Well, as the day went on Nolyn's breathing got worse, and worse. I took them to the hospital two hours before their scheduled doctor appointment just because I was so concerned!

When we got to the ER they both had fevers and both were wheezing. Neither of the kids had an appetite and Nolyn was even refusing to swallow his own saliva, and he was drooling terribly. 

The doctor came in fairly quickly, and she said she was pretty sure it was Croup, but that she wanted to do some other tests. Nolyn had 3 x-rays done of his chest/lungs/throat and they gave him a "breathing treatment" to help aid his breathing. Once they determined there wasn't something else like pneumonia or epiglottitis the doctor said that there wasn't much they can do because Croup is a viral infection. Both of the kids were given a steroid to reduce inflammation, and Nolyn has been continuing the steroids since his condition was worse.

So, we've had some sick kiddos these past couple days! Never fun, but I think they are "on the mend" and will be well again soon.

Have you or your children ever had croup? 

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Annoyed with the Facebook changes...






So, there are some big changes today in Facebook world. I am not a huge fan of change, so I am always slow to warm up to them... but this one is especially irking.


Facebook isn't content with being FACEBOOK! The new feed looks and feels more like Google+ and ever since Google + came out, Facebook keeps hitting users with these changes. 

If you are in Facebook land... what do you think? Do you think you'll warm up too the new look, or is it just going to annoy you each time you log in?

There is a current fix for the new look, I haven't tried it, but some say if you go to account settings and change the language to English UK, you'll have the old Facebook back. Worth a try if you really hate the new feed. I have told that this doesn't always work, they are probably rolling out the new feed to UK users too.


I personally really hate the rolling ticker, well, the fact that I can't get my activity OFF it. I don't like ALL my friends knowing every little thing I do! I don't want my posts on other's pages to be broadcasted to everyone else. Grr.


Also, have you noticed that you can now "subscribe" to people who have public posts. Then their posts will show up on your feeds. I wonder if Facebook is going to do away with "friends"?

Monday, September 19, 2011

The truth about glue....






You've probably heard about horses "going to the glue factory".... I always told myself, nooooo, that can't be true.

Well, I am here to say it is, at least partially.

Now, I am no expert on glue, and there are a LOT of different glues out there... but let me tell you a little of what I have learned.

Many, many, many years ago people happened to have eaten an animal and left the bones, tendons, and cartilage to cook a little too long. Well, the cartilage and other proteins from the animal melted and happened to be really sticky.  Someone thought, "hey...this could be useful"- and then there was glue.

Now, there were other natural glues, saps from trees probably worked to stick things together- but it often took a long time for these to "set". Glue made from animal proteins set quickly, and they could be stored- all you had to do is re-heat it (think mankinds' first "hot glue") when needed. Animal glue sets quickly, and thus must stay hot, or be stored- this makes it not very user friendly for the "normal" person.  The glue made from animal parts are usually used in a more industrial setting. These glues are often used for cabinetry, woodworking, glassworking, and for binding books. 

According to Elmer's website, you don't have to fear there are horse remains in your child's creation. They state, No, Elmer's does not use animals or animal parts to make glue. Our products are made from synthetic materials and are not derived from processing horses, cows or any other animals". They also go on to say they do not use milk proteins, or any part of milk, only synthetic ingredients.

What about other glues?

"Super" glue (Cyanoacrylate glues)-  Synthetic polymers- no animals needed.

Hot Glue- Synthetic (save for possible coconut oil and soy) as far as I can tell. Hot glue is melted plastic (thermoplastic).

Rubber Cement- made from rubbers, usually Latex. No animals harmed from what I can tell from the information.

Glue sticks- Unsure. While Wikipedia offers the composition of the Pritt Stick, there are many brands out there. Most likely there is no animal proteins in them.

Any other glue that you can think of that you are wondering about? I'd be happy to check it out!

This is NOT a paid post, nor is it for any specific brand. Any brands that have been mentioned in this post have no current affiliation with Six in the Nest as of the day of this post. 

Monday Meet and Greet- And the Little Ones Too



This week we welcome Ashley from, And the Little Ones Too! Please take a moment to visit her blog and read the interview below to find out more about her and the blog!

Your Name: Ashley T


and the little ones, too

Where do you blog? http://andthelittleonestoo.com

How did you decide on what to name your blog? I wanted something cute but also something that would also cover future kids.


Tell us a little bit about you.... I am a working mother of 2 boys also helping support my husband through school.

When and why did you start blogging? I started blogging a couple days before my son’s first birthday to help my family keep up with how he was doing. In the past year or so, I began doing more writing and dedicating myself to my blog. I dove into reviewing and loved it right away. I’ve been happy with it ever since.

What does your family think of your blog? Do they read it? My husband is the only one who reads it regularly. It doesn’t bother me that they don’t read it… much. I know that if I wrote something that I wanted them to read and told them about it, they would check it out.

When do you find the time to blog? I do most of my writing either right before bed after the boys go to sleep or during work. Sometimes its slow where I work and I could write 3 posts in a day and schedule them to keep up with days where there just aren’t any extra hours.

What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? I have 2 favorite items I’ve reviewed. The first is a post I just published last week called Luminess Air (http://andthelittleonestoo.com/2011/09/luminess-air-airbrush-makeup-review/) and the other favorite is the SodaStream review (http://andthelittleonestoo.com/2011/07/drinking-soda-and-being-green-sodastream-review/). There were the 2 I had the most fun with.

What brand or product would you really like to work with/review? I don’t have a specific company I’d LOVE to work with but I’d love to review a car seat. You can only do so much in the stores and I loved Hayden’s convertible seat but I am always on a lookout for a new one.

What advice would you give a new blogger? Reach out to other bloggers and interact with them. I have found that I wouldn’t know as much as I do without the help of other bloggers around.

What widget or feature could you not live without? Commentluv. It makes it so much easier for me to visit other blogs and check out what they write about. Maybe even start following them.

Where can we find you?

Monday, September 12, 2011

Monday Meet and Greet- Rockin' Deals 4 You!






This week we welcome Amy from Rockin' Deals 4 You! Please take a moment to read a bit about her and her blog, and maybe even visit! 






Your Name: Amy AKA Rockin' Momma

Where do you blog? Rockin' Deals 4 You (http://www.rockindeals4you.com)
How did you decide on what to name your blog? My son loves to play Guitar…well any musical instrument and always seems to be rocking out some kinda of (So-called) music. And since I’m on this journey because of him, I only thought it right to name by blog Rockin’ Deals.
  

Tell us a little bit about you:

My husband, Dave and I have been married for 16 years.  A little over 4 years ago we were blessed with the birth of our adopted son, Jace.  Jace is a very active 4 year old.  I never thought I'd be running my 4 year old around to sports and classes, but he keeps me busy.  I worked for 13 years at a local daycare before Jace came along.  I've been a stay at home mom for most 4 years.  I now work at a local preschool as the preschool assistant 2 days a week.  I love being able to get out of the house but I still get to be a stay at home mom!

When and why did you start blogging?

My frugal journey started about 3 years ago, after the birth of our adopted son, Jace. Mostly to help off set the cost of diapers, wipes and formula. I had been finding lots of great deals and wanted a place for my family and friends to read about them, too.   So, Rockin’ Deals was established on March 16, 2010.  I'd been blogging for about 4 years before that on our personal family blog. 

What do you blog about? I mostly blog about freebies, samples, coupons and HOT deals.   But I also do reviews and giveaways.

What does your family think of your blog? My husband was the one who helped me get started.  He designed my blog layout.  I'm so thankful that I have a husband who is able to do some much on a website!

When do you find the time to blog? I try to do as much as I can while my son is in preschool and in the evenings after he goes to bed.  But as a frugal blogger I hate to miss a good deal, so I'm off and on all day looking for the best deal to post!

What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? Divvies Bakery http://www.rockindeals4you.com/?p=6439

and Imagination Movers Concert http://www.rockindeals4you.com/?p=15365


What advice would you give a new blogger? Make blogging friends.  It's great to be part of a group of people who think like you do and have the same kind of goals.  Help out other bloggers and they will help you in return.  If it wasn't for other great bloggers my blog would not be where it is today!

Where can we find you?
Email rockinmomma@rockindeals4you.com


A big thank you to Amy for sharing with us this week!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

It's ONLY 25 cents!



A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. After the game, he asked her how she liked it.


"Oh, I really liked it," she replied, "especially the tight pants and the big muscles, but I don't get why they were killing each other over 25 cents."


Dumbfounded, her date asked, "What do you mean?"


"Well, they flipped a coin, one team got it and then for the rest of the game, all they kept
 screaming was: 'Get the quarterback! Get the quarterback!' 


I'm like, hello? It's only 25 cents!






Found this gem on Facebook, thanks to one of my friends. ;)

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

First Day of School- 2011





It was my boys' first day of school today.

I captured some pictures this morning before the bus came...


It was a very foggy morning!

Here are each of the boys:

  

  

They all said they had a good day at school, so I am glad!

Bumbo Cover Review and #Giveaway!






Do you have a Bumbo baby seat? 

If not...this is what I mean: 


That adorable baby is sitting in a Bumbo baby seat. 

Now, we received one of these Bumbo seats several years ago for one of our sons. We loved it! It can be extremely helpful! 

Well, the thing is, ours is blue. We have a baby girl. I didn't want to buy a new one in a girly color, and I wasn't going to let it just be stashed away since it was blue, so we used it. 

Imagine my joy when I found out that Bumbo now has Bumbo Baby Seat Covers

dENIZEN Jeans





Today I'd like to introduce you to dENIZEN jeans, from Levi's!  

These new, great fitting, jeans are available ONLY at Target.

dENIZEN jeans are well-crafted, with a fit for nearly everybody!

We first got a pair of these jeans for my husband, for review...

Men's #299

Raymond LOVED these jeans...
However, my husband's usual size in jeans did not fit him well in these jeans, so we were sent the next size up.

The next pair we were sent were:

Men's #233 (except ours was a dark wash).

My husband isn't a huge fan of the dark wash, but I  loved these jeans on him! They look fantastic on him... I really wish he'd wear them more! He said they were comfortable, and felt good, but he just didn't like the dark wash that we received... he thought they were too dark.

Since he hasn't worn them all that often we haven't gotten to wash them as rigorously as I would have liked, but they do feel like good, high quality jeans... just what you would expect from a Levi's jean. dENIZEN's affordability combined with Levi's quality is a great combination that I am sure you will enjoy as well!

dENIZEN has jeans for nearly everyone in the family, too! Men's, women's, and children's styles are available. I was a little disappointed that bigger women were left out from wearing these jeans... the women's size stops at 18. 

I would highly recommend checking dENIZEN out on their Facebook page... you never know what kind of deal you may get! And don't forget to check out a Target near you to try a pair of dENIZEN jeans on!









Monday, September 5, 2011

'Twas the Night Before School....




Twas the night before school started, when all through the town, the parents were cheering... It was a riotous sound!

 By 8, kids were washed and tucked into bed... Where memories of homework filled them with dread!

 New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too! New teachers, new friends...Their anxiety grew!

The parents just giggled when they learned of this fright- and they shouted upstairs: Go To Bed! It's A School Night!!

Monday Meet and Greet- Mama Chocolate




Today we welcome Johanna, from Mama Chocolate. I hope you enjoy her interview!


Your Name: Johanna 


How did you decide on what to name your blog? I wanted something short and sweet, but unique. As a chocolate enthusiast, Mama Chocolate seemed fitting for me. :-)


Tell us a little bit about you....
We are Christians and plan on homeschooling our little ones. John and I are both homeschool graduates (and successful, well-balanced adults,) and we're excited to be passing on that vision on to our children! Like most, our life is hard work, but it's good, and I love it. I'm living my dream: raising beautiful children with a godly, loving husband, out in the country.We enjoy living out in the sticks and raise kids, sheep, dogs, cats and weeds, (the legal kind).

I've been a busy stay-at-home-mama and wife for about four years now, and God has already blessed me and my husband, John, with two beautiful daughters, Katie (2) and Victoria, (10 months.)

When and why did you start blogging? I had a little private blog for some time to keep family and friends updated before I started Mama Chocolate in July 2010.I had officially become a Giveaway Addict and wanted to share the love by hosting giveaways myself, and I knew that if I posted about recipes and such, it would help me actually try new things. 
I expanded on that and hope to bring truly useful information to moms more and more in the future.

What do you blog about? I write about the ins and outs of mothering and homemaking, share recipes, family-related reviews and giveaways, and occasionally brag about my precious girls.

What does your family think of your blog? Do they read it? I finally added my husband to my email subscribers last week so that he would actually read it. ;-) 
My mom and sisters read it (and tell me they love it, of course, LOL,) and are actually quite accomplished bloggers themselves!

When do you find the time to blog? Early in the morning or late at night are my most productive times. I work on blogging sometimes during the girls naps and now and then during the day.

What is your favorite blog post ever? "Why We Canceled Our Netflix Subscription" - http://www.mamachocolateblog.com/why-we-canceled-our-netflix-subscription.html

What is your favorite item you ever reviewed? Teething Tots Amber Necklaces - http://www.mamachocolateblog.com/teething-tots-amber-necklace-review.html

What brand or product would you really like to work with/review? I would love to giveaway an Ergo baby carrier. I love mine and think every mom should have one!

What advice would you give a new blogger? Do not try to do it alone! Do whatever you can to network with other bloggers. There are a lot of nice bloggy people out there who are happy to help you out and there is so much to learn. You can become overwhelmed and discouraged if you're trying to do it alone. 

What are your favorite blogs to read?
Life is Too Short Not to Wear Red Shoes - http://www.fashionandmodesty.blogspot.com/
Enjoying the Small Things - http://www.kellehampton.com/

Where can we find you?
Twitter - http://twitter.com/choreschocolate

A big thank you to Johanna for letting us know a little bit about her!

Glow Crazy Review and #Giveaway






Have you heard about Glow Crazy? If not, I do have to say, Glow Crazy might be the perfect artistic outlet for for your little one.

Glow Crazy has several glow in the dark items that are for 3-12 year old children. 

We received the Distance Doodler and Glow to Go to review; the boys were SO excited!

Glow Crazy products use light from the Light Wand to make the glow canvas light up. The glow will last about 3 minutes and slowly disappear and then your child can have a clean slate to create again. 

Below is a picture of the Glow to Go package. This was our favorite of the two products....


This is the PERFECT bedtime toy, camping toy, and it is a pretty good night-time car toy. 

The Glow to Go case folds up and Velcros for easy portability. There is an elastic bungee and elastic loop to keep the light want with the Glow to Go... you'll always want it with you!

The middle flap is really a zippered pouch which holds stencils so you can create fun scenes on any of the four colors. 

Unfortunately is was difficult to get pictures of my kid's creativity, but we did manage to  capture this photo of a car stencil on our Glow to Go:


We loved that there were four, different colored, glow canvases. The kids could start in the beginning, then doodle on each canvas... once all were full of artwork the kids would flip back to the first and could start again! 

The only reason why I don't think this is a great in-car toy is because the kids figured out that the light reflects off mirrors and windows...it can be distracting if you are driving. This is a great product to have if you have to wait in a car at night, though!

I love that there are no marks left on my wall, no damage to my furniture or carpet, and my kids can have a fantastic creative outlet!

The boys really love the Glow to Go, we only wish we had a few more!



The Glow Crazy Distance Doodler was well received by the boys, but we ran into an issue. We received 2 reusable wall clings. I was happy to hear they were reusable, so I didn't have to commit to having a glow in the dark canvas on our walls. However, the canvas was so easily removable that it hardly stuck to the wall. The first canvas lasted less than 24 hours before it had fallen off the wall. Once the canvas had come off the boys quickly balled the canvas up. I did save the other canvas and we now use that by standing it up on their dresser- it stands up well because of the folds from being inside the box. Beside the canvas not sticking, the kids had a lot of fun making a ton of squiggly lines and scribbles with their Distance Doodler!

We also figured out that the Distance Doodler light wand is also a great cat toy. Really... our kitten thoroughly enjoyed running after the blue dot and the boys got quite a kick out of watching him!

The Distance Doodler can be purchased online for $24.99 at www.glowcrazy.com  with an exclusive free bonus pack including 1 Light Writer, 5 Canvas Wall Clings and 4 Stencils (just pay $5.95 p&h).

According to the Glow Crazy Facebook page there is a new product that was recently released, the Doodle Dome. From what I can tell about the product, it looks like it is a tent that has glow in the dark canvass inside! It looks really fun, and I can only imagine how much fun our kids would have with it.

Wanna have fun without the glow disappearing? Well head on over to www.glowtivitycenter.com and create fun art with the online Glow Games!

GIVEAWAY!





 
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