Chocolate 'N Children

January 5, 2022January 23, 2022

New Year!

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I don’t know about you, but I have a love/hate relationship with the new year. On the one hand, I love all the new beginnings, planning, resolutions, etc. And on the other hand, it’s January, it’s cold, and I don’t actually want to do anything.

One thing I do love about the new year is New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Pockimals

We went to a super fun New Year’s Even celebration with friends and got my little guy a new shirt (and a new stuffed friend) for the event.

Let me introduce you to “Pocket”, the little green dragon that fits in my little guy’s pocket. If you check out their website, his name is “Taco” but little man didn’t think that was a good name for a dragon and has landed on “Pocket”. I think Pocket is adorable and he’s so cute with his little Pocket Dragon.

Pockimals makes super comfy clothing with a pocket with a button hole. Each little animal has a button on it, and it buttons into the pocket. Making it easier to keep up with your little one’s bring along toy.

Pocket fits well in his hand and in his pocket and had lots of fun with us at our New Year’s Eve party.

Braxley Bands

One of my goals for this year is to exercise more. I’ve made some good effort at it this year, but with work being busier and with it being a desk job, I’m just not getting in the physical activity that I really want.

I’ve joined a January exercise / nutrition group and was super excited to try out this Braxley Band on my Apple Watch. Because it’s important to look good while I’m exercising, all the way down to my watch!

This band is super comfortable and secure and so much fun! I love having a cool new watch band to go along with my January goals!

Broken Top Brands

I love a good candle! And what better way to start off the new year than with one of these amazing candles from Broken Top Brands.

They started as a candle company and have branched out into home and bath products.

I absolutely love the scents of the two items that they sent me. They’re very natural and smooth smelling and I love using them.

I feel like I can use them to add scent to a space (like a room or linen) and it’s not overpowering. It’s subtle, which I really like!

All of their products are gluten-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and vegan. And the scents are all very neutral so that anyone can use them. For example, I can use the linen spray on things for me and for my husband and neither one of us feels like the scent is too masculine or too feminine, it’s like this perfect middle.

December 24, 2021

Last Minute Gift Ideas

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Looking for a last minute gift that doesn’t feel last minute? Check out a few of my favorite subscription boxes! These are the kind of gift that keep on giving throughout the year, and are fun Christmas Morning as well!

Honey & Roses

Honey & Roses sells coffee, and it’s delicious! For your last minute gift, they have a variety of coffee subscriptions available. Decaf, Basic, KCup, Cold brew, etc. Basically, something for every single coffee drinker you know.

And they have the most amazing cookies ever! These cookie are so big and rich you’ll want to have a friend over for coffee and share. Maybe offer to bring the snack if your friend will share their coffee with you.

The coffee is made fresh by small batch roasters and has amazing flavor! There are so many varieties to choose from, and as a coffee lover myself, they make it the way I like it. In small batches and recently roasted.

Toca Life Box

Toca Boca is one of my favorite app companies for the kids. And, now they’re doing more than apps! They sent me one of their awesome Toca Life Boxes to review.

This box was super duper cute, and hilarious. The outside of the box was fun and creative, and inside, was a project for sewing your own slippers and sleep mask.

My 10 yr old daughter loves little needle crafts so she was all over this one! I had to help with a few knots hear and there, and she did a great job on the rest. The slippers and mask turned out super cute!

This is a monthly kids box of fun, and each month is something different. This month, I really enjoyed sharing a fun project that produced these super cute slippers for my daughter!

This is a super fun gift for that hard to shop for kid!

Fab Fit Fun

One of my favorite subscription boxes. Click through my link to get $10 off your first box! This is a quarterly box packed full of fun items ranging from household items, to clothing, to kitchen accessories, to bath products.

Don’t quite know what to pick for someone on your list? A few weeks before boxes ship, they can log in and customize the box. I love this feature because I get to choose between some items and make sure that my box is only full of things that I will love!

Fabletics

This is a monthly workout and clothing subscription. I love it because not only do I get cute clothing. They also have an app that has a variety of workouts. It keeps me motivated to try out my new stuff and exercise.

No worries, you get a monthly member credit that you use to select your monthly outfit, so you get to pick what you want to wear. I’ve been super happy with my selections so far.

And, while I may be a bit lazy about it in December, I do love the variety of workouts on their app and I’m making a plan for January!

December 15, 2021December 24, 2021

Stocking Stuffers

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Looking for some unique stocking stuffers? I have some fun suggestions for you that are good for the entire family!

Bubble Tree

Every Kids loves bubbles! And these bubbles from Bubble Tree are terrific! Not only are they great bubbles – great bubbles being easy for the kids to get bubbles from. They come in metal bottles that are sturdy and refillable. And they sell these bubble refill stations.

So, no more throwing away a handful of bubble bottles every time my kids play. We just refill and have our same bottles ready for another day.

Another really nice feature of having bubble refills is that it’s easy to solve the whole “child spills all their bubble juice” problem. I just fill it back up and everyone is happy again!

Ecologie

I’m loving these swedish dishcloths that they sent me! A Swedish Sponge Cloth is reusable and compostable. It’s a great replacement for paper towels, dish cloths, or a dish sponge. They’re super absorbant and you can just keep reusing and rinsing for months. If it gets too dirty you can even toss it in the washing machine! And then, when it’s totally worn out, it’s compostable so you don’t even have to throw it away.

I’ve been cleaning with my new blue Swedish Sponge and it’s amazing! It leaves my counters nice and smooth and makes scrubbing dishes quite easy. I even used it to sop up some water that the kids spilled and it soaked it up amazingly well.

Not only are these super useful, they also have super cute designs and are perfect for slipping inside someone’s stocking on Christmas Eve.

Toca Life Box

Toca Boca is one of my favorite app companies for the kids. And, now they’re doing more than apps! They sent me one of their awesome Toca Life Boxes to review.

This box was super duper cute, and hilarious. The outside of the box was fun and creative, and inside, was a project for sewing your own slippers and sleep mask.

This is a monthly kids box of fun, and each month is something different. This month, I really enjoyed sharing a fun project that produced these super cute slippers for my daughter!

DKCOS Cosmetics

Looking for something small and fun to slip in a stocking? DKCOS Cosmetics has things like these awesome smelling shampoo bars, sweet pink bubble mask, panda mask, and so many more small fun items that fit so well into a stocking.

They have vegan products, charcoal products, and natural products. So, there’s a little something for every stocking on your list!

MyWish4U

Fun and unique lunchbox notes. These are super fun and they have all sorts of different holidays covered. You can stick them in a stocking and be reveled by jokes from your kids all day, or make it an early Christmas present, or all year present, and put a note a day in your kid’s lunchbox.

Either way, I tested these out on my kids and they loved the jokes. I even made the mistake of letting each kid grab a tablet to see what they thought of things and all 4 wanted to tell jokes at once! Whoops. I ended up making them take turns and we had some really great dinner conversation that evening.

I know these weren’t designed as dinner conversation starters, but they work really well for that with kids. So, think of all the fun the kids have at lunch time when they have a joke to start it all off with!

For Keeps Fashion Dolls

Just small enough to fit in a stocking, For Keeps Fashion Dolls are not only a great fashion doll with fashion forward hairstyles, outfits, accessories, and the like, it’s also the ORIGINAL positive message driver at retail delivering a unique, and sincere message of Inclusivity, Love, Acceptance, and Self-Empowerment.

Standing 5.5”inches with 9 pts of articulation, interchangeable outfits, a secret positive message tee, an autographed photo, a 20 pack of affirmation stickers, and a cupcake-style stash box which you can share your positive messages with your friends in secret without being interrupted!

When mine arrived to review I barely got a picture in before my daughter took it off to meet her other dolls. These dolls are super cute and so fun! Perfect for Christmas morning!

December 1, 2021

Christmas Gift Basket

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One thing I love to do is hand out Christmas Gift baskets to friends, neighbors, teachers, employees, and basically anyone else I can think of this time of year. This year, I found several fun, new items to include in my gift baskets!

I LOVE gifting snacks! I feel like their consumable – so they don’t sit around someone’s house forever. And, I feel like snacks are super easy to regift. If you don’t like a specific snack, wrap it up and pass it on to that impossible person to shop for on your gift list. So, this year, I’m including a few favorites and a few new items as well.

Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels – I discovered these a couple years ago and just cannot get enough of them. They’re amazing! Seriously. I don’t actually ever like pretzels, but these are so good. They have tons of flavor and a great crunch.

Hot Monkey Nuts – They sent me 3 of their 6 different hot nuts to review. And they don’t disappoint. They’re hot! And full of flavor. My kids don’t like spicy, so these are mine and my hubby’s (who loves spicy!) and we’re sticking a few in Christmas Baskets for friends who we know love a little heat. They’re gluten free and made with non-GMO ingredients. So, not only tasty and fun to eat, but also a pretty healthy snack – something we all need a little more of during the holidays.

Congo Tropicals – They sent me coffee and chocolate to review. But, they also ship other tropical fruits – or there’s local delivery if you’re in Florida. I usually find dark chocolate a bit bitter but this Congo Organic Dark Chocolate is delicious! It’s got lots of chocolate flavor without being bitter. Amazing! I can’t be without my coffee and this coffee is terrific! I had coffee in my gift baskets last year as well and it was amazingly popular, so I’m excited about sharing another new coffee brand with friends!

Preggo Pickle – These are made by the pickle company. They have 3 flavors of preggo pickles and 3 different kinds of pickles (if you’re not wanting to give preggo pickles to friends there’s also the Pickle Co and Cleveland Pickle). Though, I will say. I love pickles – see above, I could pretty much live on pickles and coffee and chocolate – and these are delicious! They’re cut kinda chunky and they have amazing flavor. Even friends who aren’t pregnant, I want to give some pickles to, because they’re so good! These pickles are certified kosher, vegan, soy free, dairy free, gluten free, and fat free. Basically perfect for practically everyone on your list!

Apex Meat Sticks – I love a good meat stick pretty much any time of the year, and I feel like the holidays are a great time for gifting unique protein snacks like these. Of course, my kids tried to steal all mine for after school snacks! Theses Jalapeno Flavor Backcountry Meat Sticks are amazing. They’re just enough spicy, but not too much and each stick has so much protein, it’s almost not a snack! I have been slipping a couple sticks into each of my gift baskets this year. It’s a super fun way to gift the traditional “meat and cheese” while being just a tad non-traditional.

November 24, 2021

The Wonder of Creation – Review and Giveaway

Many thanks to HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

The Wonder of Creation – by Louie Giglio

Well known for his powerful messages about science and the Bible, Louie Giglio has a passion for inspiring kids to notice, enjoy, and be in awe of God’s creation. In the Wonder of Creation, children will find new delight in God’s creativity with 100 devotions that explore:

Animals – from honeyguide birds to flying snakes to white rhinos
Space – from black holes to volcanic moons to gamma-ray bursts
People – from optical illusions to brain freezes to our immune systems
Earth – from rainbow rivers to blue lava to flowing glaciers

With engaging illustrations and striking photography, this fun and informative book is ideal for children ages 6-10. Each of the 100 devotions features a scientific fact or an easy activity for exploring faith, a short Bible verse, and a bookmark. As kids dive into this awe-inspiring devotional, they’ll be amazed at thee many wonders God has made!

My 8yr old son actually loves this book so much, he packed it in his suitcase for our Thanksgiving trip because he doesn’t want to miss a single night of his science devotion!

I love that he loves science so much! And I love that this book starts with scripture and talks about science in a way that he easily relates to and enjoys. He wants me to keep reading and not stop at one story each night.

For added discussion with your child, you can download the discussion guide here. They have some pretty fun questions here!

You can buy your own copy here. And enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy for yourself or to give away.

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November 14, 2021November 20, 2021

God With Us – Review and Giveaway

Many thanks to Shepherd Press for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

Author Jeremy Pierre and illustrator Cassandra Clark want to awaken children to a brave journey — a journey home. This world is not our home. We live east of Eden and short of Heaven. The earlier children understand this, the more sense they can make out of this sad, wonderful place. This storybook aims to share their vision of the world as a place in-between, to awaken them to the brave journey they must take toward their true home — their home with God.

This is a super cute kids book, written from the perspective of angels watching the things happening on earth. It’s simple and easy to read and perfect for a quick, evening devotion with little ones. I love how it talks about our journey to God and how he has a plan no matter what.

“God with Us delivers truth with imagination, creativity, and beautiful illustrations. The gospel message becomes clearer with every turn of the page. Like a symphony of truth that crescendos to the final fanfare, God with Us ends with a finale that connects the gospel dots and offers an invitation to believe. Bravo and well done!” —Marty Machowski, Pastor and author of The Ology, Wonderful, Long Story Short, and other gospel-centered resources for church and home.

Check out their website here. Buy here.

And, enter below for a chance to win your very own copy of “God With Us”. Keep it for yourself or gift it to a kid in your life.

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#GodWIthUsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

November 9, 2021

Thanksgiving Hostess Gifts

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Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I am excited about our Thanksgiving gathering planned for this year! Getting together to share what we’re all thankful for is always a terrific start to the winter holiday season.

But, what do you bring the Thanksgiving host? I found several super fun (and tasty) hostess gifts that you can bring to show your appreciation the moment you arrive.

Sweet Chaos

I highly recommend bringing more than one bag is you bring this as a hostess gift. It’s delicious and impossible to put down until the entire bag is gone! Black & White Sugar Cookie is my favorite, but in the interest of fully reviewing I tried all of these, and they’re all delicious!

They’re basically all drizzled kettle corns. And they’re basically all amazing. Seriously, you’ll probably want to hide a bag in your car for the trip home. They have just the right amount of sweet and salty, crunchy and gooey, and the perfect drizzle flavors to top it all off.

This hostess gift is simple, fun, and something your hostess can either share or enjoy later. Basically, perfect for Thanksgiving!

Color My Cookie

Anyone can create amazing cookies! Just check out my turkey before and after! Color My Cookie is awesome! They send you the white iced cookies, cookie “paint”, sprinkles, and everything else you need to create awesome looking cookies! The Gobble Gobble Cookie kit that they sent me is so cute!

Best of all, they taste as good as they look! Worried you might not have what it takes? Each cookie set comes with a QR code or link to watch a video tutorial. Seriously, though, these are so easy, even my 4 yr old made one!

Delysia Chocolatier

Looking for chocolates, but want something unique! Delysia Chocolatier is awesome! From unique flavors to fun shapes, they have so much chocolate to choose from that picking out the perfect hostess gift is a breeze!

Check out their Thanksgiving Hostess Truffle Collection. With flavors like sweet potato casserole – covered in chocolate, obviously – you’re sure to surprise your host with something unique and fun.

Plus, the prints are so fun and perfect for sharing with Thanksgiving guests. Because you know you want to try one!

October 25, 2021October 25, 2021

Zombie Chase

Thanks to PlayMonster and Tryazon for the awesome game! My kids (ranging from teen to preschooler) all love this game!

Zombie Chase by PlayMonster is so much fun for everyone.

I love how easy it is for the preschooler – he likes to get turned into a zombie as soon as possible and then chase everyone else around the board!

While my older kids are focused on collecting all the items necessary to escape and win the game while not being turned into a zombie.

We had some game time with friends as well and I had to make sure every mom knew exactly what the game was called and where to get it, because it’s now on several kid’s Christmas Gift lists!

They also sent me a game called Reign by PlayMonster. It reminds me a lot of Risk, but it’s way way faster (as in you complete an entire game in 30 to 60 minutes). My 8yr old son loves it and has been bringing it places when he knows he’ll have friends to play with. It really is the perfect game for elementary and middle school aged kids!

#tryazon, #zombiechase, #zombiegame, #playmonsterfun

October 7, 2021

Pure Flix – Review and Giveaway

Roar Like a Lion – Review and Giveaway

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive the product in exchange for this review and post.

Roar Like a Lion by Levi Lusko with Tama Fortner is a 90 day devotional book for kids.

With eye-catching art, fascinating stories and facts, Bible verses and prayers, and simple action steps, this 90-day devotional will help your kids approach both fun moments and tough times with their hearts set on God’s faithfulness.

Facing fears about school and friendships
Dealing with peer pressure and bullying
Handling new challenges, disappointments, and grief
Having courage to try something new
Understanding how we each fit into God’s great story

I love the fun pictures and the little extra info in the bubble at the end of each devotion . I also love how each devotion is short and perfect for reading to kids.

Each devotion starts with a verse and ends with a little prayer. And, 90 days of devotions is perfect for encouraging a daily devotion habit in my kiddos. They’re enjoying these devotions and absolutely LOVE the lion on the cover!

You can order your own copy here! And enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of Roar Like a Lion!

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