Site Review: Shirley's Prepackaged Crafts

We are now in our 4th month of homeschooling the 5 year old. We made this decision because his birthday falls after the state cut-off for starting school in September and he would have had to go into Pre-K. The kid is reading at probably a 1st grade level and can do math with digits 0-10. He can name every continent, ocean and most countries. (Thank you LeapFrog Explorer!) We couldn't in good conscience let him be in Pre-K. Mainly because he'd be bored and that just invites discipline problems.

So about early July or so I purchased homeschool material on the Kindergarten level and off we went. Most days go pretty smoothly. Most. Certainly not all!

I had bought the basic subjects: Math, English, Handwriting (like pulling teeth people...), Science and Geography (he LOVES it!). I also wanted to get him into "elective" things like Character, Health, Music and Art. My great plan on Art was to get him doing craft projects and making cute things to hang on the fridge. It ended up not so great. I couldn't find what I wanted  (I'm not crafty and needed help in book form) so I just bought the Kumon First Book of Cutting. He runs from the scissors now because he is so bored with it.

So, on to Plan B...I had to find something to get him interested in learning to cut and paste and make things we can send to the grandparents. I started seeking information in magazines. I found one that had either an article or an ad for Shirley's Prepackaged Crafts. (I read so many I can't remember!) I checked it out and that was exactly what I was looking for! Nothing too hard, but full instructions and supplies in one kit!

We received the October box and my son wanted to sit down and do it all immediately. I limited him to one every other day, just so he wouldn't run out!

Each month's box has 12 crafts and they are tied by theme. For instance, the themes coming in November are blue, the number 3, rectangles and Thanksgiving. December is going to be green, the number 4, stars and Christmas. I love that she does this in the boxes.

There is also a certificate of completion for each month. I know my son loves getting rewards and will be thrilled when we get to this one!

Each box comes with everything you need for the 12 craft pages. The only things you add are scissors, glue, tape, colors and time.

The first craft we did was a simple cut and paste activity. My son didn't mind cutting on the lines when he realized he was making a puzzle that would become a fire truck!

Next we did a pumpkin page and then a Columbus Day craft. He really enjoyed all of it. I did have to help him with some of the cutting though since he's still not great with curves. He noticed the trapezoid shaped pumpkin all on his own!

He was so proud to show them to his daddy when he got home. He's even memorized the "In 1492..." rhyme from the Columbus Day activity. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow when we use trapezoids to make a dump truck! 

The boxes retail for $18 per month and there are discounts for buying multiple months in a package. I just ordered the Nov-Jan boxes and saved about $2.50 by purchasing three months at a time. You can also purchase all the rest of the school year and will get about $1 off per month. If I had ordered that now, I would have saved $7 and that's almost half a month! 

I don't consider this a huge investment mainly because I don't have to spend my time thinking of things that we can do. Shirley does that for me. All I have to do is portion them out during the week. And he loves them. That makes it worth every penny.

If you're a homeschooling mom you have to look into this easy time saver. Shirley is also offering a discount code for my readers. Use the code faithful to save $2 off your first order. She also offers a discount if you're ordering more than one box per month.

All orders for the following month have to be in by the 15th. She's pretty smart to keep overhead down by only printing and compiling the boxes that are ordered. She ships them in time to get to you before the start of the month.

I received the October box in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by the free product. No additional compensation has been received.

CSN Stores have what you need for spring! (CLOSED)

While we're enjoying what is typically our three weeks of winter here in Texas, my mind is thinking ahead to SPRING!! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. This year we intend to spend a lot of the season outdoors in our new yard. I intend to plant (and hopefully harvest) several types of fruits and veggies.

If you're like me and are ready for Spring, you need to check out CSN Stores. They have everything you need for your yard, including outdoor playsets, patio furniture, garden planters, outdoor decor, and outdoor games. Oh, and there's so much more!

To celebrate Spring, CSN is giving one of my readers a $35 gift code to be used on their site.


GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED

Entry Methods:

All entries MUST have your email in them. Entries without an email will not be picked as winners. You will receive the gift code through email.

First, and mandatory, entry: Tell me what you look forward most to about Spring. (1 Entry)


Other entries (leave a separate comment for each), please notice that some entries have changed:
1 entry - "Like" CSN on Facebook (great place to learn about specials!)
1 entry - Follow CSN on Twitter
1 entry - Become a public follower of my blog. The link is on the right hand side of the page. If you're already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.
5 entries - Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to the giveaway (leave a link in your comment so I can verify)
1 entry - Subscribe to my blog by email (link is just under the followers) or let me know if you already subscribe.
1 entry - Become a Facebook fan of Faithful Finances or let me know if you're already a fan.
2 entries - Place my button on your site (You must leave a link so I can verify) 
3 entries - Follow me on Twitter (be sure to leave your name, I will check)

Giveaway Rules: Please be sure you read these before 

you start posting comments. 

Giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada only. Winner will be chosen, with the True Random Number Generator (Random.org), Friday, February 4 at 10 PM CST. Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The code will be emailed to the winner directly from CSN. All entries MUST have your email in them. To keep Spam Bots from snagging you, put your address like this: name(at)server(dot)com

I have received no compensation for this giveaway. Prize is awarded as a $35 credit code to CSNStores.com and will be emailed to the winner from them. Winner is responsible for ordering the prize. Winner may choose to use credit code toward any item on the site. Winner will be responsible for any charges over $35.

Site Review: CSN Stores

I have no problem saying I'm doing most of my shopping online for Christmas. I've been able to get exactly what I want without having to elbow my way to a good deal! My favorite site right now is CSNStores.com because I'm able to find items in their over 200 stores. They have over 1 million products, and that number is rising!

I did find myself one little "me gift" too! I do not like to be cold. Ever. I sleep in long sleeves and pants and socks. I wear sweatshirts and pants and socks all day. Blankets are all over the house. But I've noticed that I'm still cold in the car, so I was looking for a small-ish blanket to keep in the car. This is what I found:

It's a Daniadown Sherpini blanket, in chocolate. It's suedy on one side and fleecy on the other. It's so wonderfully soft and warm! It's a great deal too at $27! I've been using it in the car since my 4 year old insists on looking at "oohs" (Christmas lights) and trains almost every night. When it's on the couch (because I bring it in and just can't stop using it!) I have to almost fight the 4 year old off of it because he loves it too!

I received a credit to CSNStores in exchange for a review. I was allowed to pick my own item and was only required to be honest. No additional compensation has been received.

Product/Site Review: Cowgirl Chocolates

There aren't many things in life that really make me giddy happy. My son's laughter, sinking into a really comfy bed at night and chocolate. Really good chocolate. I can "get by" on a chocolate which is mass produced in Pennsylvania, but I get really happy when I get good chocolate. I had a friend go to Germany and Switzerland and she was totally my best friend for weeks thanks to the bars she brought me. 

I also really love Food Network's Unwrapped. I'm kind-of a nerd and I love seeing how things are made. I saw one episode which featured Cowgirl Chocolates and I've been intrigued ever since. 

Head Cowgirl, Marilyn, founded the company in 1997 as one of the first in the nation mixing chocolate with spicy kick. Cowgirl Chocolates has won a total of 19 product awards and 2 packaging awards and is located in Moscow, Idaho USA. It has also been featured on the Food Network on “Unwrapped” and “Extreme Cuisine” and on CNBC “On the Money”. They have also been written up in the New York Times, InStyle, the Toronto Star among others.

They carry various truffles and bars and even spicy caramels. There are gift assortments and you can buy truffles by the pound (!). 

I contacted Marilyn and she was generous to provide a 9 pc. truffle and caramel assortment for me to test. (It didn't last long in this house...)

I have to tell you...this is the number one, best milk chocolate I've ever tasted. It was smooth, creamy and just melted so wonderfully in my mouth. My second favorite was the Ivory Orange. It's a white chocolate truffle with milk chocolate and orange center. The mild Raspberry Lemonade was a hit too. My 4 year old particularly loved it. It was sweet and tangy and just didn't last nearly long enough to savor it (thanks to the 4 year old grabbing it as I was half way through it). 

The spicy truffles and caramels were a bit much for me. I'm kind-of a lightweight, but I do love spice in small doses. The caramel lasted two days since I could only handle a small bit every once in a while! My husband just ate the Spicy Cappuccino and Spicy Double Dark truffles and he had to run and get the milk! 

I'll be totally honest with you. There have been (in the past year of product reviews) only 3 products I've bought again after testing them. There's about to be 4! I have an order sitting in my basket on the site right now and I can't wait to taste the bars I'm getting (Milk Chocolate Sarsparilla and White Chocolate Lemonade...) and to share the truffles I'm getting (maybe) with my friends and family!

Check out the hot chocolate and the dessert sauces too. They have a large assortment of gifts in all price ranges. They are going to be in the baskets I'm making for my family this year.

So anyway, check them out. You're going to find unique choices for all the people on your list and I can tell you, everyone will be happy with what you give them! While you're there, sign up for their newsletter and you'll be "in the loop" as far as what's going on with the company.

I received product in exchange for a review. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.

Tis the Season!

I'm so excited about this holiday season! It's time to start making lists, shopping for gifts, packing the children's luggage and going to see family! This will be one of the first years in a long time that we'll be at my mom's for Thanksgiving (was way too pregnant to travel last year) and I can't wait!

I'll be honest, I'm about 80% done with Christmas shopping. Although, I know myself well and know that I'll continue to look for things for the boys until I've spent all the budget! Most of my shopping has been done online. CSN Stores has been a "go-to" site where I can find anything! (Including a few things for myself...)

Check them out. You're sure to find what you need in one of their 200+ stores. Lots of items even have Free Shipping. I've always received my items quickly and they're exactly what I expect when they get here.

Site Review: EcoSTORE USA

"ecostore NZ was founded more than 15 years ago by Melanie and Malcolm Rands from their home in an eco village in New Zealand."

"The team at ecoSTORE USA loves making a difference in people’s lives. ecoSTORE USA does not compromise on performance, so customers can be assured of the efficacy of the products - they truly work. We offer more than 100 products, each one meeting the most stringent environmental and sustainability standards. The guiding principle of every formulation is and will always be that the end product must not only be good for the user, but good for the planet."

As a chance to review products and the site, I requested the Natural Baby Sleepy Time Bath and the Toilet Cleaner.

So...the baby bath...it says that "Ecostore’s aromatherapy blend of Lavender and Geranium will help your little one fall into a relaxed, calm sleep." Well, it kinda worked....on us instead of the kids. The scent really did make us calmer. Maybe there just isn't anything out there that can make my kiddo sleepy. I was really disappointed that the bubbles didn't last long at all. For a kid who likes to make bubble beards, this was a let down.

The toilet cleaner...just used it and I have a perfectly white bowl. We have extremely hard water around here and there is always a ring, no matter if I cleaned every day. There isn't one now. ( Tried to get photos and it just doesn't show well, plus...ew...) One use. I did let it sit a bit to try to break through the mineral ring. I'm sold. It will kill me to pay $8 for toilet cleaner, but not having that ring is totally worth it.

I was provided with one of each product in return for an honest review of the site. I have received no additional compensation and I was not required to write a positive review.

Site Review: Little One Books (CLOSED)

Little One Books is a web site run by a set of grandparents who wanted to find things for their own grandchild and then in turn found things for all kids! They handpick and review books, music and movies for kids from newborn to 5 years old.

Their main purpose is to help parents choose between the overwhelming amount of materials for this age group. The site is organized by age group and also by media type. However, the part that meant the most to me was the "Why We Chose" section on each product page. It's more than just a generic product description. You can tell they've actually watched the video, read the book, etc.

I have been honored to review their site as well as The Big Train Trip from their site.

As you're aware (if you've been reading my blog for a while) my son is only slightly obsessed with trains. He does occasionally play with an airplane! We even have a train bathroom and have to go every Thursday evening to the local train yard to watch a train go through! Yeah, obsessed.

Anyway, I knew my son would love this video and I was right. He sat and watched every second! I like that it was narrated by a child and that it explained scientific concepts in a way he could understand. He liked that they passed another train and went into tunnels! When it was over, he looked me right in the eyes and said "Thank you momma. Can we watch it again?"

I was really happy with how fast the movie got here from the site. The order was acknowledged and a notice came when it shipped as well.

I'm also excited to tell you that they are giving a $25 Gift Certificate to the site to one of my readers!

Entry Methods:

All entries MUST have your email in them. If a winning comment does not have an email, a new winner will be chosen.

First, and mandatory, entry: Go to the website and tell me what you would order! (1 Entry)


Other entries (leave a separate comment for each), please notice that some entries have changed:
1 entry - "Like" Little One Books on Facebook, let them know you're referred by Faithful Finances


1 entry - Follow Little One Books on Twitter


1 entry - Become a public follower of my blog. The link is on the right hand side of the page. If you're already a follower, leave a comment letting me know.


2 entries - Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to the giveaway (leave a link in your comment so I can verify)


1 entry - Subscribe to my blog by email (link is just under the followers) or let me know if you already subscribe.


1 entry - Become a Facebook fan of Faithful Finances or let me know if you're already a fan.


1 entry: Place my button on your site (You must leave a link so I can verify)

Giveaway Rules: Please be sure you read these before 

you start posting comments. 

Giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada only. Winner will be chosen, with the True Random Number Generator (Random.org), Sunday, October 10 at 10 PM CST. Winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. All entries MUST have your email in them. To keep Spam Bots from snagging you, put your address like this: name(at)server(dot)com

I received a copy of the DVD for review purposes. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you to Audra from Little One Books for allowing me this opportunity!