My amazing son Matthew has Sensory Processing Disorder. He is so smart, but struggles in school because he learns differently.  Consequently, he can really struggle with feelings of self-worth... "I'm dumb, mom."  "I can't do this."  It breaks my heart and we work constantly to shore up his self-esteem.

We've been incredibly blessed to have teacher's in our son's life that understand Matthew and help him achieve and learn.  But it's still a constant struggle to navigate through the system and to try and figure out what is best for Matthew.

Now, it's a little easier with a wonderful book called Don't Count Me Out! 

Don't Count Me Out! is a book for parents by Barbara Dianis, which helps them get their children (more specifically children with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, and other special needs) organized for the school year with the right tools for academic success.

I've been doing this awhile (my son is 14) and have tried to find out everything I can to help him.  I considered myself fairly well-read on how to help my son.  I was pleasantly surprised how much I learned from this book!  Some of my favorite (and very under-lined) chapters were "Why Do Some Students Find Their Intelligence Overlooked?", and "Which Battles Should I Fight? When Meltdowns Occur Too Often".  Both those had such great helps for me.

Then there is a whole other book within this book about how to help your child through each grade.  It talks about social and educational issues for each age group and gives some solutions to things your student may be struggling with.  I loved the part where it started talking about college, something I'd never even considered for my son, but thanks to Don't Count Me Out! I now know that there are programs and universities out there that will help my son succeed in college.  A whole new world opened up for both of us!

I've loved this book and seem to be all the time telling someone about something I've read.  This book is now on the top shelf of my must have books!

I encourage you to check it out.  Even if you don't have a child with special needs, there are still some wonderful tips and strategies to help your child succeed!

Disclosure:  I received this book for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

I admit, it I have a monstrous sweet tooth!  I can hardly contain it at times!  Doesn't bode well for any type of healthy eating I try to do.... until now!

Nonni's THINaddictives... wow!  Love these cookies!  Let me tell you about them...

They are twice-baked almond thins from a family recipe passed on from generation to generation.  They are packed in packages of 3 cookies each, which makes it perfect for me to toss in my purse for a great snack anytime! I always have a couple packs with me.  Though my kids now know they are in there, so half the time when I go to get one, they are gone!

Nonni's THINaddictives are low-fat (0 grams of trans fat) and made from real ingredients like delicious raisins, cranberries, almonds.... yum!  A big plus for me is each package is only between 12 and 14 carbs! 

I got to try all three flavors, Cranberry Almond Thins, Cinnamon Raisin Almond Thins, and Pistachio Almond Thins.  They are all delicious, but I am seriously addicted to the Cinnamon Raisin ones!  My hubby's favorite is the Pistachio Almond Thins.  This is a good thing, so we can each have our own box!

I really love these cookies!  Go try them yourself, you'll be glad you did!

One of you lucky readers can win three boxes of Nonni's Thinaddictives!  Woot!  Just enter using the rafflecopter entry form below!  Good luck!
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Disclosure:  I received this product for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

If you know me, you know I'm an avid reader.  If I like the book, I'll devour it!  I just finished Seal Under Siege.  Let's just say I was voracious in my reading... finished it in two days!  (Would have been one if my kids and husband didn't demand to be fed.... geesh!)

Let me tell you about this book, Seal Under Siege by Liz Johnson:

From the book:


Now, I'm not a typical fan of romance novels, but this is so much more!  It is filled with suspense!  I loved trying to figure out who the bad guy is (this one took me awhile Ü ).  Plus, it's clean!  How wonderful is that!

The very first page sucked me right in!  It starts with the rescue mission and it was so descriptive and well-written that I actually felt like I was there.  I enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Staci.  She survives a harrowing ordeal just to have more terrifying experiences.  Though, if I had to go through what she did I'd feel a lot better having  Navy SEAL L.T. (Tristan) by my side.

It's a great read and hard to put down!  Way to go author Liz Johnson!  You've written another great book!

So, here's some exciting news for you amazing readers!  One of you lucky folks can win your own copy of Seal Under Siege!  Cool, huh!  Just enter using the rafflecopter form below!  Good luck!

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Disclosure:  I received this book for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

It is so refreshing to see life through the eyes of a child!  I had such an opportunity when I took my son to see the new Disney movie Planes.

Disney’s Planes” is about  Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.



To say he was excited is an understatement. I had to smile as all the way there he speculated on what kinds of planes would be in the movie, in fact it was a running commentary the whole way there!

He was fairly dancing by the time we walked into the theater, and he actually did a fist pump and an "Oh Yeah!" when they handed him 3D glasses!

He was mesmerized through the entire movie!  The race scenes had him bouncing in his seat and pretending to radio instructions to all the planes.  I had so much fun watching this movie with my son!  Then all the way home we had to relive the whole movie with commentary on the choices, both good and bad that the planes made.

What did I think of Planes?  I thought it was a cute movie.  I enjoyed the "under-dog does good" story line.  I loved the animation and the 3D!  In fact, the loop-de-loops the planes did, well... they made me motion sick!  I had fun figuring out who did the voices for the characters... loved Brad Garret as Chug!

Is it my favorite Disney movie?  No.  Is it my son's favorite movie?  Oh, yes!  Is it a fun movie to take your kids to and have some fun yourself?  Absolutely! 

Disclosure: I has given the opportunity to see the movie for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

The older I get the greener I get.  I've always loved this beautiful earth and have tried to take care of it, but there was  more I could have done.  Now that I have amazing children, I want them to be able to experience the same beauty that I've loved.  This has made me much more cognizant of what part I can play.

Let me introduce you to TerraCycle, a company that collects difficult-to-recycle packaging and products and repurposes the material into affordable, innovative products.  These products are all-natural, affordable, recycled, and made here in the USA.  I love that!

So, let me tell you about some of their products that I have tried:

First, I got a very cool watering can!  It works great, and looks totally cool!  So cool, in fact, that my kids actually discuss (fight over) who gets to do the watering!  I got a great planter that is now on my front porch with cute little flowers in it.  It has held up very well to our brutal summer heat and looks great!  The best part for me is it looks like terra cotta, but it's plastic so my son can't break it!  I also am now the proud owner of a Terra Stone Plant caddy!  This baby can hold up to 200 lbs!  When I first got it, my son said, "Wow!  Cool square skateboard!"  No son, sorry... it's all mine!  All of these great products retail for under $16.99.

Speaking of brutal summer heat... well it bakes our ground to a concrete-like consistency.  It's hard to get anything to grow and thrive during the summer (unless you're into growing a crop of tumbleweeds, those do great!)  I have some hearts and flowers in my front planter that are not feeling so well in this heat.  Well, I've been applying TerraCycle's Granular Plant Food and they are looking so much better.  I think the secret is the worm poop that it contains. (I never thought I'd blog about worm poop!)  The poor little wormies that live here in Arizona don't last too long so I think there's not a lot of worm poop in our soil.  Now I can add worm poop into my soil and feed my plants! (Look, I got to say worm poop four times, oops, now five!)  The other thing I love is that TerraCycle Plant Food only needs to be applied every 8 - 10 weeks!

So, now I feel like not only are these great products working for me, but by using them I'm giving a little bit back.  Thanks so much TerraCycle!

Disclosure:  I received these products for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all mine and free of charge!

We have been so lucky to have two wonderful dogs be a part of our family for the past 13 years!  Sadly, we just lost one of our dogs to old age.  Lady and Rica were sisters that we rescued.  Now that Lady is gone we try to keep Rica happy as she is definitely missing her sister.

We've always given our dogs treats like Rawhide Bones, Milkbones, etc.  Rica is getting old and her taste is getting a bit more... ah, refined (finicky) so sometimes it's hard to find a treat she likes.  Well, we struck gold when we discovered Jerky Treats from Kingdom Pets.  Rica loves them!

We've given her their Chicken Jerky and the Jerky Twists.  She goes nuts for them!  As soon as she is done with one, she is giving us the "More Jerky Please" look.  I like that they are made with no fillers or by-products, only wholesome natural ingredients.  I love that we found a great treat for our dog!

Speaking of dogs, our teenage daughter has been begging for a puppy to raise and train.  So we've finally consented (given in) and we are looking for a puppy for our daughter.  We are also starting to gather all the supplies that go with having a new puppy in the house.  I remember having puppies as a child and oh, do they do a lot of piddling!  So, our first product to get has been the Absorbz Everyday Convenience Pads.  Absorbz has wetlock technology which means it has a layer that will hold up to 100 times it's weight in liquid, and a layer that will protect my floors and carpets from... well, you know what from!  Absorbz pads would also be great under water bowls or in Pet Carriers.  I love that it will neutralize odors and provides a no-drip disposal (blegh!)

Our dogs have always been an important part of our family and I'm so glad we found some great products for them!

Disclosure:  I received the products for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge.

Did you know that Saturday, August 3rd is Mustard Day?  Did you even know there was a Mustard Day?  Me neither....
 
Well all you fans of Mustard or Trivia, let me elucidate:

French's Classic Yellow Mustard was first introduced in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair.  Since then it's become the most popular condiment for hotdogs.  Plus, there are new flavors too, like Spicy Brown (one of my favorites) Dijon, Horseradish, Honey, and Honey Dijon.  Okay, I'm starting to get hungry!
 
Another interesting tidbit, there is a National Mustard Museum.  It's in Middleton, Wisconsin. You can celebrate National Mustard Day there on August 3rd!  They have a whole day of fun planned for this event, including opening ceremonies with Dr. Mustard, French's Mustard Man, and yes, the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile!  They'll be live music and free hot dogs, mustard games, and magic.

Can't make it to Middleton Wisconsin for National Mustard Day?  Well, you can celebrate by making some delicious food of your own, using mustard or course!
 
Here's a great recipe for Super Juicy Chicken:


3lbs        fryer chicken, cut into 8 pcs
½  cup    FRENCH’S® Classic Yellow® Mustard
3 Tsp      McCormick® Grill Mates® Montreal Spice





Mmmm....

So don't forget Saturday, August 3rd is National Mustard Day.  Go celebrate with some delicious French's Mustard!  Afterall, it's America's #1 mustard brand!

Disclosure:  I will be receiving samples for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!