Phones.....

Why... Why are phones soooo necessary anymore?  

Who the heck came up with this bright idea to put the internet into the thing you call people from, and then encase it with a glass screen??  UGH!  

Anyway... I never had a single problem with my iPhone 4.  Then I got the 5s.... and I replaced that screen- TWICE.  Then it broke a 3rd time.  Yes, I had a glass protector on the front and it was in an otterbox.   JUNK.  Not only did the screen break, but the stupid phone was bent.  BENT.  How does a phone bend?  UGH.  I'm not hard on them, I promise.   Anyway, I had to get another new phone.  So this time I opted for the iPhone 6.  And thank goodness for reviewing- because I didn't have to pay for tempered glass screen protectors or for cases!    Here are a few reviews for your enjoyment!

TEMPERED GLASS SCREEN PROTECTORS:

Spigen 6/6s

Spigen 6/6s Plus

CASES:

LoHi 6/6s (My Favorite)

Maxboost 6/6s  Coral/Gold

Maxboost 6/6s Turquoise/Gold

Cheerleading Crazy?!?!?!?!

NEVER in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined myself as a cheer coach.  NEVER.  I spent most of my crazy life disliking cheerleaders.   But when my kids want something, I find myself reevaluating everything I ever thought was true.

For the last 2 years my DD has loved Cheerleading.  I'll never tell her I'm not a fan.   Let her have her dreams and soar, right??

Anyway, the coaches sucked.  Completely horrible.  Disorganized chaos.  Last season we cheered 3 games without uniforms because they didn't order soon enough.  They didn't want to travel, because it was too far and too much work.  They did not listen to me when I told them there was a banquet coming and to inform the parents ahead of time (I'm also a football mom, so I have info from the other side).  They didn't even schedule pictures and I found myself big, fat, cranky, and pregnant, crouching into uncomfortable positions at the beginning of the banquet to get some assembly of a portrait for the parents.   UGH.

Well, this year came.  And somehow, even with a 9 month old CRAZY baby in my arms, I pushed in and with the help of a lovely woman (who is an awesome retired cheerleader) and another mom, we took over.  Its sort of been chaos as well- picking up in the middle and correcting mistakes, stupid warmup order that fit noone, and trying to find our groove.  And now I'm finding myself learning cheers.  What the heck?!?!?  Not what I imagined I would ever do.  But I would do anything for my crazy kids.....  Welcome to the next chapter in our life.   And enjoy this awesome candid shot by one of the parents during our actual PROFESSIONAL photo shoot!

Fashion Show, Gymnasts, Olympians. Say what???????

The P&G Championships were 2 weeks ago, here in good ole Indiana.  I went round and round and round about getting tickets and finally decided not to.  Why should H miss 2 of the 3 first days of school just to go watch gymnastics??  Why should we spend that money??  Never again will I second guess myself.

There is some serious truth behind "Sometimes money is better spent on experiences and memories, than on stuff."

H got this seriously AWESOME opportunity to model leotards in the 6th Annual GK Fashion Show. Sure, lets try, see if she gets picked.   Say what??  She was chosen!  25 girls total, and shes one of them!  WHAT THE WHAT?!?!?!?!  Is this really happening?

Let me tell you.  I've seen my fair amount of fun, crazy, exciting, memorable things in my day.  But this... this was more.   I am so glad I got to let her have this opportunity.  I am so happy.  We got to meet Olympians Samantha Peszek, Carly Patterson, the entire men's Team Hilton,  And then... then we met Bela Karolyi!   YES!  Bela Karolyi!!   Talk about making your heart flutter!

I won't bombard you with all of the pictures, but I'll add a few.

Reviews

Its been awhile since I've posted any reviews. I'm not gonna delve into details over the products here. But I will just summarize it and link you to my most recent product tests.

Tea tree oil

Eucalyptus oil

Furniture leg plates

Stanzino tunic

Kangaroo mini beach ball set

Child safety locks- watch the video on these.  For real.  Link is in the review

Mamaway Baby sling

I LOVE BABY WEARING!  This Mamaway Ring Sling was a pretty awesome sling.  Pretty great quality, really comfortable, and cute!

I was super excited to be able to review this!  Not only was it FREE, but I am LOVING it.  It is super easy to use.  Just put the rings over the shoulder with the fabric towards the back, pull the excess under your arm to the front, put the tail through both rings and back down through the bottom ring.  Put the baby in and pull it tight!  Its that easy- takes literally less than 30 seconds to hoist your baby up!

Check out my Amazon review above, and you can buy it too!

Cheese slicer... and it comes with a storage bag???

Everyone is raving over the storage bag.  Honestly- who keeps their kitchen items inside storage bags.  It really seems silly and excessive to me.  Yes- its a really cute linen/canvas bag, with a cinch closure.  Maybe it keeps you from cutting yourself?  I'm not sure, but I really don't have the need for all of that.  I won't be using the bag.

The slicer is very easy to wash, and it is dishwasher safe.  This is extremely sharp.  It cut through the first slice like a hot knife through butter.  We sliced an entire brick of cheese up with this, and it didn't seem to get caked with cheese.  Nor did it become harder to slice the further into it you got.   It makes a perfect size slice- not too thin not too thick.   Very lightweight and easy to hold

You can buy this HERE

Toys... So many damn toys...

How many toys do kids need?  For real.  We have thousands.  With 5 kids I'm sure you can only imagine.  And do they play with them...... Never.   Well, maybe for like 5 minutes, then either its broken or it gets tossed to the bottomless toy box.  Or maybe theres a chance that they actually like the toy.  Where does it go then.... to the floor.  For me to step on.  In the middle of the night.  Ya'll know what its like stepping on a stupid Lego, or a Barbie hand.  Sucks.  Like wanna punch the toy sucks. But that's dumb so you just keep on moving along and swear to yourself.  I hope to God I never step on this Egg- because that might just actually sweep me right off my feet.   Say some prayers.  Cuz I really like this Zenit Audio EGG SHAKER...

The Zenit Audio Wood Egg Shaker is pretty awesome! At first, I wondered if my baby would just throw this one to the side after 5 minutes as well. She did not! She played with it for nearly an hour. When she dropped it, it would roll and she would chase it. She would pick it up and hear the noise, then laugh and shake it hard.

Whoever created this concept is a genious. I can't wait to order more of Zenit Audio's baby toys!

Some highlights of this are:
- Fits in any hand size- my 9 month old holds it with no problem!
- Made of natural birch wood with a non-toxic finish, preventing rot or dangerous fungi colonies
- No fear of my baby swallowing or choking on this.
- Solid and durable, It can be bitten, stepped on, and thrown and teething babies don't leave marks.

This egg is nearly unbreakable, leaving me fearless of spilled pellets and choking hazards for my kids. This egg can also be used as a toy by children of any age, even my 12 year old loves it.

I received this Egg Shaker at a discount in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another thermometer? Yes, another!

Ya'll, I've reviewed a few thermometers lately.  I have to say, with all the trouble I had a few years ago with thermometers (buying and returning a dozen in less than 3-4 days), I've been pleased with all of them.   I was very partial to my Braun ear thermometer.  I spent quite a bit on it.   But then, I got this Little Hummingbird ear thermometer.  I liked it, I carry it in my purse since Baby #5 is a teething nightmare.   But then.... Then I got this Innovo.  I LOVE THIS ONE!!!  It is the best of all.  For real.  Not just because it was severely discounted, because it is AWESOME!  Check it out! 

De-tangling brush

I have kids.  I have girls.  Hair is EVERYWHERE.  And, sometimes it is a struggle to brush my oldest girls' hair.  She is 9 and does competitive gymnastics.  We have to spend ALOT of time doing hair. A good brush is essential.   Especially one that doesn't hurt and damage your hair.   I got this detangling brush to review.   Its pretty nice.  Makes alot of noise, but works great.

Here is my review on Amazon

Misspellings

How in the world can a company spell something different so many times on a product? For real. Cinnamon or Cinammon? Didn't auto correct catch that at least ONCE??? 
Check this out