YesterLand Farm Fall Activities- Canton, TX + $2 off admission

My favorite time of year has always been fall, especially since having kids. There is just something that is so much fun about going out to a farm or pumpkin patch , riding in the hay on a tractor and picking out pumpkins! I look forward to it every year- and now so do my kids! This year we will be checking out the YesterLand farm in Canton, TX

Old-Fashioned Fall Fun on the Farm in Canton, Texas. Pumpkin patch, corn maze and amusement park rides. Reserve a campfire and bring your hot dog & s'more fixings, cheer at the pig races and mine for gemstones. The Amazement Band brings squeals of joy for all day mechanical amusement rides ($15 in addition to admission or purchase individual ride tickets.) Shoot the corn cannon or launch a punpkin. Weelends September 22 through November 11 and Columbus Day, October 8. See their website for details! My readers will save $2 with this coupon!

Sounds like there is quite a bit to keep kids (and adults!) entertained!

Corn Maze at YesterLand Farm!

Disclaimer- I was not compensated for this review, however I will receive free admission to the YesterLand Farm for posting about the fall activities. 

Dark Shadows Blu Ray Combo Pack Giveaway!

I don't think I have ever seen a movie starring Johnny Depp that I haven't liked. He always plays interesting, diverse characters and I am always interested when I hear he has started a new project. One of his most recent films, Dark Shadows, will be released on dvd on October 2nd. Dark Shadows is a film about a couple from 1792, Joshua and Naomi Collins and their son Barnabas (Depp) who move from England to Collinsport, Maine. Everything goes well until Barnabas breaks the heart of a witch who then turns him into a vampire. Then, 2 centuries later, Barnabas is released from his tomb in the year 1972. He returns to his family home to find it in ruins...

Now if that is not an original plot line, I don't know what is! Warner Bros. wants to give one lucky reader a chance to win the Dark Shadows DVD Blu Ray Combo pack. Check out the Dark Shadows App Below (hint: you will need to visit the app to enter the giveaway) Take the quiz to see if you are creepy enough (I wasn't) check out some hilarious memes and find out what your horrorscope is!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- I was not compensated in any way for this post, but Warner Bros is providing the Dark Shadows Blu Ray Combo Pack for the winner of the giveaway.

90 Day Weight Loss Challenge with African Mango Lean

Hello everyone! If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that I struggle with 10-15 pounds that I just can't seem to keep off. I have started eating vegetarian, recently started jogging and I have seen a pound or two come off. I thought to give myself a little jump start, I would take the Creative Bioscience 90 day weight loss challenge. I chose African Mango Lean as my weight loss aid. See my guest post at Mommy's Favorite Things. That is where I will post about this journey and where someone else will have a chance to win a 90 day supply of African Mango Lean at the end of my 90 day adventure. I am excited. I am hoping to get this weight off and keep it off this time! Be sure and leave a comment on Mommy's Favorite Things on my post, I am going to need your support! :)


 

Halo Oral Antiseptic Review + Giveaway

I can not count the number of times I have been at the grocery store where I have been way too close a proximity to someone who has coughed without covering their mouth or has sneezed and spread their germs everywhere. There are germs everywhere, especially during this time of year. What if I told you there is a new product on the market that you could use BEFORE you were exposed to those germs? Pretty exciting, right? Introducing Halo Oral Antiseptic. Halo is designed to keep airborne germs (including H1N1, Influenza and pertussis) at bay and has been clinically and scientifically proven to kill up to 99.9 percent of these airborne germs for up to six hours. Halo is really simple to use. You just spray it three times in your mouth, let it coat all over and then swallow. It is so simple. There are two flavors for adult use (ages 12 and up) citrus and berry, as well as a great grape flavor for children 2 years and up. 

I am sure you have had a "Halo Moment" when you wished you would have had some sort of defense. Mine was when I took my twin boys to their doctor's office for their 3 year check up and they started coughing and having runny noses the very next day. I will be using Halo on them any time we go to the doctor's office or anywhere else where germs abound. My husband works in the Emergency Room as well and you can bet he has been using Halo during his shifts and will continue to do so. He will also be telling all of his fellow co-workers about this great product! We all want to protect our families from getting sick. Now we have a starting point besides washing your hands like a mad person and avoiding public crowds! 

You can find Halo at your local retail or drug store. Halo Oral Antiseptic retails for $12.99. Purchase yours today and keep those germs away!

The awesome people at Halo would like to give one lucky reader the chance to win their own Halo Oral Antiseptic to try. Enter below via the rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Disclaimer- I was given complimentary Halo products in order to conduct this review. All opinions stated are 100% my own.

Tasty Favorites Cravebox Review

A few days after I got my Back to School Limited Edition Cravebox, I received my regular monthly (4-6 weeks to be more accurate) Cravebox. The theme of this box was "Tasty Favorites." SEVERAL people have complained on the Facebook page that this box is not worth $10, but to break it down it is worth $12.33 + several valuable coupons for some of the products. No, this box was not as packed or as high value as some of the other boxes that Cravebox has spoiled us with, but I do think it was a good box and I am not disappointed in it at all. In fact I found a new product in it that we will most definitely be buying in our house which is kind of the whole point of this subscription box thing!

Here is the break down of what was in the box:

Plentils: These are a GMO free, GLUTEN free product! These are chips made out of lentils. What I got was a bag of garlic and Parmesan. My 3 year old twins and my 5 year old daughter automatically decided that these were theirs to eat, I did manage to sneak a few out to try. All of the kids ate theirs and asked for more and the ones I had were delicious. Let me stress that these have the right crunch for a chip. Many alternatives to potato chips don't quite hit this the mark. These do, plus they are made of healthy ingredients and I don't have to wonder about their source with a trusted company like Enjoy Life AND they taste awesome. Oh, did I mention there are only 100 calories in the bag? I am IN LOVE! <3 Plentils retail for $3.99 (Enjoylifefoods.com)

Next up was a bag of caramel apple filled Werther's Originals. I wasn't sure what to expect. I love the original Werther's candy, so I thought I would most likely probably like these. The best way I can describe this is Werther's meets sour apple jolly rancher- if the jolly rancher was liquid. I thought they were pretty good and a perfect candy to have around for the start of Fall! Werther's Caramel Apple candies retail for $2.49. (Walgreens.com)

Also included was a package of Crum Creek's soy nut trail mix. Check out my previous review of Crum Creek products here. Unfortunately, the soy nut trail mix was the one thing I tried that I didn't like. I gave these to my five year old though and she ate almost the whole package! The Crum Creek soy nut trail mix retails for $5.50 for a case of 10, making the cost of one around 55 cents. (CrumCreek.com)

There were 2 flavors of Mini Balance Bars in the tasty favorites box. I love that these little bars are only 100 calories. I think they make a great little pre or post workout treat or even just a quick fix for a chocolate craving. These are also good for kids. Mine love them. Mini Balance Bars retail for $8.99 for a box of 10 making the two that are included around .80 cents each or $1.90 total (shopbalance.com)

The last thing included was a bag of Mystic Harvest Purple Corn Chips. This is another gluten free and non-gmo product. This is a huge deal to me. I try to only buy non-gmo foods for my family so the fact that Cravebox just introduced me to 2 of them is a HUGE win in my book. We have not tried the Mystic Harvest chips just yet as we are saving them for my daughter's birthday party. The    Mystic Harvest Purple Corn Chips retail for $3.50 (mysticharvest.com)

Overall, I thought this was a pretty nice box. The only thing I would have done to improve it is maybe include one or two more products to further fill up the box. I hope Cravebox does another box like this in the future and fills it up just a teeny bit more.

*Disclaimer- I was not compensated in any way for this review. All opinions stated above are 100% my own.

Back to School Cravebox Review

It has been like a Cravebox overload this week! Due to an error in shipping with the limited edition Back to School box, it showed up  a little late and just a few days before my Tasty Favorites Cravebox. The awesome people over at Cravebox made right the shipping error by generously giving EVERYONE their Back to School box for absolutely free! And let me tell you, I would not at all have minded paying the measly $13 for this box. It was filled to the brim with awesome products and well exceeded the amount I would have payed for it had we not been offered the refund. Here is what was in the box:

A full size bottle of yummi bears DHA vitamins for 

healthy vision & brain function. These retail for $21.99 (Drugstore.com)

so the box had already paid for itself with this one product.

My kids and I all enjoyed the taste and have been taking 

these vitamins daily!

 A coupon for a free Lunchables lunch combination.

                                   We are not a lunchable kind of family, but I love

 that they are trying to healthify their options and we

    will definitely give the new lunchable with the fruit  

smoothie a try with our free coupon!

Pocket size Kleened. I love that you open this up 

and take them out of the middle. Then it reseals. 

So it is super convenient to grab a tissue!

I am always up for free writing utensils. My kids 

     are all at the age where they are interested in writing,

 my husband is a serial student and I love to write,

   so these bic mechanical pencils are awesome.

I love that they are cute, but not too cute that

my husband wouldn't consider using them. I also

love that they are thicker than most mechanical

pencils and have a great comfort grip for your fingers!

retail price: $5.79 (Office Max)

Halo oral antiseptic is a new innovative product

designed for keeping the germs away. You spray

it in your mouth before you go somewhere (store,

work, airpline, school, ect.) and it works for up

to 4 hours to keep the germs at bay. Watch

Cristi's Reviews for more info on Halo and

a great giveaway coming up this week!! :)

Halo has a retail price of $12.99 (CVS.com)

More Bic products! This time it's Bic Atlantis Colored

pens! My kids and I love these. Because sometimes you

just need to write in pink! Retail price: $3.28 (Walmart.com)

Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel

This is pure aloe vera gel. No added 

ingredients, which is great for those of

us who try to stay away from chemicals

and stuff. Retail price: $5.99 (Drugstore.com)

And last, but not least one Little Pim's Spanish

Language DVDs. They have several videos in each

language to expose your kids to something new. 

This video retails for $17.95 (LittlePim.com)

As you can see, SEVERAL of the products cost more than the cost of the entire box! There was just so much fun stuff in this box, my kids and I have really enjoyed it. This has definitely been my favorite limited edition box from Cravebox yet! I will continue to sign up for these! You can too! Check out Cravebox.com and click on the link for limited edition boxes to be signed up when they become available. You do not have to be a monthly Cravebox subscriber to sign up for the limited edition boxes!

*Disclaimer- I was not compensated in any way for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

                             

Milk Unleashed App + Giveaway!

Check out this new Milk Unleashed app! There are several fun activities to explore:

Snacks and Activities- you click on the milk carton to shake it and it gives you a random activity you can do or snack you can enjoy. Kind of like a virtual magic 8 ball! My favorites so far have been The World’s best smoothie recipe and a game called
Dashboard Reward – a game where you tape a reward to the dashboard, play a game and the winner gets the prize! What a fun way to keep children entertained on a long drive!

There is also a quiz to see what type of family on the go you stack up to be!

And last, but not least, there is a great section full of Milk Unleashed tips!

Be ready for being on the go or packing your children’s lunches or even just for those times when you run out of milk in the fridge with shelfable milk from Milk Unleashed.

**One lucky reader will win a variety pack of shelf stable milks from brands like Hershey’s, LaLa, Horizon & Organic Valley via Milk Unleashed!

To enter, visit the Milk Unleashed app below and tell me either what your favorite snack or activity was or what your results from the quiz were in the comments below. Better yet do both and enter twice! For a bonus entry, make sure you are a follower of this blog. Leave a separate comment for each of the 3 entries you choose to participate in! Winner will be chosen via random.org. Contest ends on 09/24/2012

Disclaimer: I will be receiving a complimentary assortment of milks for holding this giveaway. All opinions stated about the Unleashed Milk App are 100% my own.

Sneak by Evan Angler- Book Review

Book Description from the back cover:

When Logan Langly backed out of getting the Mark and went on the run, no one thought he could survive on his own. Without the Mark, you can't buy food, go to the doctor or use a tablet-you aren't even a citizen.

But when he discovers that his sister is being held in a mysterious hidden prison named Acheron, Logan risks everything to travel through an underground network of the Markless to rescue her.

Logan arrives only to find that Acheron holds more secrets than anyone could have guessed and that all his careful planning is worthless against a government that will do anything to gain absolute control. It seems there is only one place to turn.

But can a banned book with whisper-thin pages and warnings about the real meaning of the mark really hold the answer?


My thoughts:

Sneak is the second book in the Swipe Series by Evan Angler. I have not read the first book Swipe- but that did not make the story at all difficult to follow. I do however wish I would have read it because I feel like I have missed watching Logan's character develop and I would have liked to follow his journey from the beginning. I definitely plan to go back and read Swipe VERY soon.

Even without having read Sneak, I really enjoyed Swipe. I thought it was a wonderful portrayal of how the future might be in apocalyptic times.  I like that it is a middle grade story, it doesn't sugar coat things, but it is a good starting point to get kids interested in Revelations, it is also a great novel for adults as well. This would be a great book to have a family book club meeting with if you have middle grade or even high school kids. Logan's journey to find his sister and kind of figure out what is going on as well kept me turning page after page. I also love the band of teenage Unmarked known as The Dust. They add such a depth to this story. Angler is a gifted storyteller who is able to weave Christianity throughout the book without being overly preachy, but showing how things would play out in a post apocalyptic world. I already find myself looking forward to the next book in the series and to see what is in store next for Logan and the dust. Swipe ended on a very interesting note and I look forward to continuing where it left off when the third book is released. I recommend this book for anyone interested in The Bible, apocalyptic times or the young adult genre.

Connect with Evan Angler at his Website
Connect with Evan Angler on Facebook
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Connect with Evan Angler on Goodreads

Purchase Sneak on Amazon.com
Purchase Sneak on Barnes&Noble.com

*Disclaimer- I received a complimentary copy of Sneak via Book Sneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are 100% my own.

LoveSac Chaise Sectional Giveaway!!!

Welcome to the Sactionals Sectional Furniture Giveaway!

Sponsored by LoveSac.com

There are only 2 pieces. Combine any quantity of Sactionals "Bases" and "Sides" to arrange (and rearrange) any chair, sofa, sectional, loveseat, or bed you can imagine - no tools necessary. Sactionals Covers are removable and can be changed at any time, so you’ll never be stuck with furniture that doesn't match if you decide to change your home décor. Sactionals Covers are also machine washable, so when the kids spill their food and drink all over the furniture or the dog uses your Sactionals to wipe his feet off, just take the covers off and throw them in the washing machine!
Sactionals Four Cushion Chaise Sectional with Chocolate Rhinoplush Covers ($3,260 Value)

• 4 Sactionals Base Pieces, 5 Sactionals Side Pieces
• Machine Washable, Changeable Chocolate Rhinoplush Covers
• Easy to Change Covers Anytime!
• Easy to Rearrange Into Dozens of Positions
• Most Versatile Number of Pieces
• Fast and 100% Free Shipping
• Lifetime Guarantee!

Four Sactionals Bases and five Sactionals Sides make a Four Cushion Chaise Sectional. A Four Cushion Chaise Sectional is not only the world’s most popular sectional furniture setup, but one of the smartest ways to buy your first Sactionals as well. Just nine pieces offer you eight everyday furniture solutions to real life dilemmas. In minutes and with no tools, you can turn this TV-room sectional into a Movie Lounger for a cozy family movie night, a bed for unexpected house guests, a Long Sofa with Ottoman for more formal entertaining, an L-shaped sofa for maximum seating capacity, four individual chairs for game night or two loveseats for couples entertaining.

I need one of these sectionals for my house! There is nothing better to a mother of 3 preschoolers than things that can be easily removed and washed! I also love that you can update the look by getting a different color cover. The options here are pretty endless! Whoever wins this giveaway is super lucky!

One lucky winner will receive a Sactionals Four Cushion Chaise Sectional {$3,260 Value}!

Choice of Chocolate Rhinoplush, Taupe or Seawater Covers.

Giveaway ends October 1st at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Hosted by Mom to Bed by 8, My Vegan Gluten Free Life, Mom Blog Society, Zoes Printable Coupons and Its Not Just Another Bag.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: In the event of a winner outside of the lower 48 US states is selected {Alaska, Hawaii or Canada}, the winner is subject to paying the shipping and handling fees associated with this prize by the sponsor. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Cristi's Reviews is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.

Unreal Candy Review

Finally! A candy that I do not mind my kids eating. Unreal's philosophy is the"unjunk" candy! This means no hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors or colors, no corn syrups AND no gentically modified organisms.  

I know you are wondering "okay, but does it taste good?" I have tried several different types of Unreal candy now and they were all good, if not better than their traditional counterparts. There is a caramel and peanut bar, much like a snickers that I think tastes way better! Same with the peanut butter cups. My 3 toughest critics, my 3 year old twins and my 5 year old, all devoured the m & m like candy that I shared with them. They didn't seem to notice a difference.  I know exactly what treats I will be putting in their Christmas stockings this year!

Unreal candy is available at your local CVS. I have heard they are also available at some Kroger stores and Walgreens, but unfortunately not the ones in my area just yet. This is a new brand and it according to the Unreal website, it will soon be available in over 30,000 stores nationwide, including Target in October!

What I love so much about this candy, other than that it allows me to satisfy my sweet tooth or give my kids a sweet treat without the guilt of wondering what harm the ingredients are doing them is that the idea for Unreal came from a dad and his 13 year old son. I love that a child wanted to do something about the problem!

Unjunk your junk food with Unreal Candy!

Connect with Unreal on Facebook
Connect with Unreal on Twitter


*Disclaimer- I received coupons from Bzzagent to try Unreal candy. All opinions are 100 % my own.

Coming soon- American Family Keurig Vue Giveaway

The American Family Keurig Event is hosted by Mom Powered Media.

Prize: Keurig V700 Vue Brewer

The event dates: 10/8 - 10/29

Free Event ~ Sign-Up Here – Bloggers Wanted American Family Event

Be sure to come back on 10/8 and enter to win  the Keurig v700. What a fun early Christmas present this would make!

Conquer Your Fears and “Live to Give” Webcast TONIGHT!

Thomas Nelson Author and Hoops of Hope founder, Austin Gutwein, to host September 6 online event to focusing on themes his latest release, Live to Give. On September 6 at 8 PM EDT, Austin Gutwein will be hosting a live Facebook web event to encourage participants to conquer their fears and use their talents to help others. The webcast will center on the themes Gutwein writes about in his latest release “Live to Give: Letting God Turn Your Talents into Miracles” (Thomas Nelson/August, 2012). At the conclusion of the webcast, the winners of a month-long social media fueled “Get and Give” contest will be announced, including the winner of a Kindle Fire and $250 donated to the winner’s charity of choice. Join Austin on the evening of Thursday, September 6th as he shares about his own experiences and encourages others to conquers their fears and “live to give”. Austin will also be taking audience questions and interacting with participants. PLUS – there will be several “Live to Give” giveaways – books, gift certificates and much more! RSVP today and tell your friends. Based on the John 6 story of Jesus feeding the 5000, in “Live to Give” Gutwein challenges his readers that regardless of age and talent, God can use them to make a difference. Even though God could take care of everything Himself and doesn’t really need our help, He desperately WANTS us to help Him care for others. Gutwein walks young people through discovering and embracing their unique God-given strengths and abilities, then figuring out how to use those talents to help others. Sometimes doing that takes a leap of faith on our part, and often becoming fearless in the process.

More about Austin: At eighteen years old, Gutwein speaks with wisdom and has the experience to reinforce his message. When Austin was just nine years old, he watched a video that showed children in Africa who had lost their parents to AIDS. Gutwein realized these kids weren’t any different from him—except they were suffering. Feeling called to help, he took his love of basketball and decided to shoot free throws to raise money for orphans in Zambia. On World AIDS Day in 2004, he shot 2,057 free throws to represent the 2,057 kids who would be orphaned during his day at school. Through sponsorship from parents and friends, Gutwein raised over $3,000 that day to give hope to eight orphans in Zambia. Over the past eight years, Gutwein’s efforts have created Hoops of Hope, the largest free throw marathon in the world. With an estimated 40,000 people in more than 25 countries participating, Hoops of Hope has raised more than $2.5 million to build schools, medical clinics, dormitories for orphanages, and the only computer lab in Zambia. Enter to win a Kindle Fire and have $250 donated to your favorite charity. Click for the banner for details and entry or visit http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13528976/livetogive. Learn more about Austin and Hoops of Hope at www.AustinGutwein.com and www.HoopsOfHope.org.

God gave this kid an amazing heart! We should all strive to help others in this way! Check out my review on Austin's book Live to Give!

Zoya Nail Polish Trio GMA deal- 50% off!

Hurry over to Zoya to get nail polish trios! If you use the code GMATRIO05 they are 50% off! There are 5 trios to pick from and Zoya will also include a free sample of their fabulous nail polish remover! Zoya is BIG5 free (free of harmful toxins many other nail polishes contain) cruelty free AND vegan friendly! This is an awesome opportunity to try their polish if you haven't yet, stock up if you have or save for gifts for Christmas as well!

Hurry! This deal  is only good today and tomorrow! (9/6-9/7)

August KLUTCHclub Review

 I am excited to once again be reviewing a KLUTCHclub box for you all. If you missed my last review KLUTCHclub is a subscription box that focuses on health & fitness. You can check out my first KLUTCHclub review here! Today, I will be reviewing the August box, packed full of goodies that do not disappoint! KLUTCHclub subscriptions are as low as $16 a month if you subscribe for the 3 month option or at most $18 if you opt for just one month at a time. And men should be excited as well, as KLUTCHclub just started offering a KLUTCHmen box!


Back to August's KLUTCHclub box. As you can see above, it was packed full of goodies! My favorites were definitely the year's worth of premium subscription to iBodyfit.com and the twistband. I am pretty sure I have never been so excited about a ponytail holder in all of my life!

My kids made me share the popcorner's. We enjoyed them. They were a nice snack, a cross between a crispy chip and popcorn. We are always looking for healthier snack options so I love that something like this was included in the box. It was empty rather quickly!

You can not really go wrong with granola. Once again, I shared with my kids!

Biopharma nanogreens & nanolean. These are powdered supplements you add to water. Included were a few of each- The nanogreens are a fruit and vegetable superfood supplement and the nanolean is for wieght magnagment. Both taste pretty great!

I really wanted to like Alo- this drink of aloe vera. It is very good for you! I just couldn't get into it. However, my 3 year old twin boys drank this like it was the best drink they ever had!

 The GoSport Id is a really cool concept. The idea is that you may not always carry i.d. on you while you work out, this way you can have your name and an emergency phone number engraved in case anything were to happen. As a bonus, you can add words to motivate you on your i.d. band as well.

The twist band is probably one of the coolest inventions ever! This is a pony tail hold that will not leave creases AND stays in your hair, even through vigorous work outs. It is super comfortable as well. I plan to get several more of these

Tieks look super comfortable, but even with this $50 gift card, they are out of my price range I wish they weren't and appreciate the discount offered anyway!

I was really excited to see that a year's worth of membership to a fitness website was included in this box. I find the ibodyfit website a little hard to navigate, but I know I will be getting much use out of it. There are several trainers and exercises to pick from and I know I will utilize each one of them!

For some reason, I didn't get a picture of the Japan Gold Seaweed Salad. It was kind of cool in the respect that it seemed like astronaut food to me! You open the package, which is dried seaweed and cover it in water and 5 minutes later voila! You have a seaweed salad. For me, the taste was WAY too strong, but then I have never liked Japanese food, so it isn't much of a surprise to me. I bet many people would really dig the seaweed salad!

I thought this box was worth it just for the twist band and ibodyfit membership, the other products were a bonus. There were a few misses for me, but I think that is the cool thing about subscription boxes, if you don't think you will like something, pass it on...you have several other things to try out anyway! I thought overall this was a pretty good box and I am always excited to see what KLUTCHclub will offer next! If you would like sneak peak check out the September Box! 

Connect with KLUTCHclub on Facebook

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*Disclaimer- I received a KLUTCHclub box for the purpose of rendering this review. All opinions are 100% my own.