Got Sunscreen? Try KINeSYS

We spend a lot of time outside in the summer, especially in Ohio when it's the warmest and sunniest months of the year. We have to take advantage of all that great sunshine. We are either outside playing, swimming or reading and definitely use sunscreen. I am fair skinned and have to be careful and my son is not as fair skinned but needs to protect his skin as reports are showing that most skin damage occurs in our childhood years. I was thrilled to receive full size products of KINeSYS Sunscreen to use this summer.

We received KIDS SPF 30 Alcohol free Sunscreen Spray I hadn't heard of this product before and was thrilled when I read on the KINeSYS website that their products are:


Oil-free / Alcohol-free / PABA-free / Preservative-free• Very Water-resistant / Sweat-resistant• Hypoallergenic / Non-comedogenic• Fragrance-free


My son has food allergies so this was excellent information to know as well:


Allergy Information:No parabens, preservatives, nanoparticles, nuts, nut oil, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, sulphites or colourants have been added to these products.







We were also sent a Travel Size Girl SPF 30 Alcohol free Spray Sunscreen which I used as my son would not consider using it as it was pink and had "girl" written on it. He did like the scent, the girls spray sunscreen has added Vitamin E and a Vanilla fragrance. I liked the fragrance which I found very natural and light and not overpowering at all.
What we loved about the KINeSYS Products were that they spray on very easily and are not oily, greasy or sticky. It was a breeze to use at the pool and sprays on quick and easy without any rubbing and dries fast. I would highly recommend these products. I think that they would be great for any summer activity and sports.

An added plus on the environmental side is that the KINeSYS website states:

" KINeSYS Skin Care sun block products are carbon neutral, our packaging is made of 100% recyclable materials and our products are 100% cruelty free. "


Check out the KINeSYS website for more information and to find a retailer near you or order online directly.



Thanks to KINeSYS and Family Review Network for sending me the KINeSYS products to review.

Review: The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick Niece

The Side-Yard Superhero by Rick Niece is a delightful book that takes you back to small town living in simpler days when you knew your neighbors and you could leave your front door unlocked for the paper boy to deliver your newspaper. When Rick was just four, he moved with his family to the small town of DeGraff, Ohio (population of about 900). He found a sense of community and friendship there that solidified who he was and his experiences shaped his character. When Rick was 9 years old, he became a paperboy which were coveted jobs at this time as there were only 4 paper routes in DeGraff. He kept this job for 9 years until he left to go to college at The Ohio State University. During those 9 years, he got to know the neighbors along his route and made many special friendships. The most important one was with Bernie Jones, a young boy with cerebral palsy who was confined to a wheelchair. Bernie would wait for Rickie, as he called out to him in his side yard every day he delivered the newspaper. Rickie would read Dick Tracy and other comics to Bernie daily. I was impressed at how much compassion and empathy Rickie had as a young boy with Bernie. This was a true friendship and it may have been the only friendship that Bernie had ever had. Rickie became close to many customers over the years and they were all sad to see him turn over the route to his brother when he went off to college.

As a reader, you get the feel of this small town life during the 50's and 60's and Mr. Niece shares many stories and experiences from his childhood. I enjoyed the stories related to his years as a paperboy who delivered the paper 6 days a week accompanied by his faithful dalmatian dog, Lady. These were the days when you actually knew your paper boy and left the envelopes with your payment inside your screen door. One of my favorite stories was when Rickie and his friends took Bernie in his wheelchair to the town carnival. Bernie experienced the fun house, the food and had a blast with the kids as any kid would experience at a carnival. There was even a surprise in store for him that I won't give away.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It reminded me of my younger years growing up in the 60's and 70's when my older brother was a paper boy. We also grew up in Ohio and I still live there today. I would often help him fold and deliver the papers and accompany him on his route as he collected payment from his customers with his handy dandy coin changer. It made me wish that young children today and my own son would have opportunities and freedoms such as being a paper boy. Also, that they would have a greater sense of community and maybe even learn more compassion through these type of experiences.

The Side-Yard Superhero, is described by the author as "Automythography" this is defined as : A work of nonfiction that looks reflectively at what we think we remember and how we think we remember it; an iridescent memory based upon truth and fact. It is also considered book one of a trilogy. Mr Niece is currently the President of the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas. He lives with his wife, Sherée, and they are the proud parents of 675 students. You can read more about Rick Niece, here

Thank you to Phenix & Phenix and Family Review Network for the opportunity to read this book.

Review: Transforming Family

I had the opportunity to receive a life coaching lesson via telephone with a wonderful Family Life Coach, Tracy from Transforming Family. Life coaching is a way that you can talk with someone about challenges and struggles that you would like to discuss and brainstorm ways to improve and resolve. It's not therapy, but more of a guidance process to empower you to find answers that are right for you. Tracy describes on her website:

"Coaching is a co-creative relationship.... it is to provide support, truthful dialogue, and new perspectives all designed to empower you to make the desired shifts in your life. You will connect with your true self and achieve the goals you desire to live your new transformed life."

As a Life coach, Tracy is trained and certified and follows the International Coaching Federation guidelines.

I had my lesson yesterday, and spoke with Tracy by phone. For me, talking with Tracy was like talking to a friend that was not judgemental and who listened with an open mind. She was very easy to talk with and I felt comfortable very quickly with her kind and calm approach. Tracy is a mom as well and she has a background in Early Childhood Education which enhances her understanding of children and family life. I have some challenges with my 10 year old son that I discussed with Tracy. It is a situation that has had me frustrated as I have tried several approaches and have not had success with. Tracy has her own personal philosophies that she shares as tools she has found successful in her family. I asked her about these philosophies and was able to take away several ideas that I found may work for me and my situation within our family. Some of Tracy's philosophies are different than my own and she is not pushy or forceful about them if you are not interested in these ideas. I did find myself opening up to new ideas and a different approach of switching away a bit from my own need to control a situation and allow my son to have some of his own control and choices. I found myself taking a different and calmer approach with my son yesterday and today and it was more effective. It's definitely a trial and error process that will take time and patience. I'm so glad that I had this opportunity to talk with Tracy. I feel that after our life coaching lesson that I have a few more tools to try and resources that I can explore.

I asked Tracy to share some of her favorite books that she would recommend.

These are a list of Tracy's top 5 books:

• Connection Parenting - Parenting through Connection instead of Coercion, Through Love instead of Fear by Pam Leo
• Parenting A Free Child:An Unschooled Life by Rue Kream
• Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
• Winning Parent, Winning Child by Jan Fortune-Wood
• Nonviolent Communication, A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg
  

In addition this is a link that has just about every book and a summary of the books that are related to Tracy's philosophy : Consensual-Living

FREE 30 MINUTE SAMPLE COACHING SESSION:

Tracy is offering FREE 30 minute coaching sessions to experience what coaching will be like. I encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and experience this for yourself. Don't be afraid to try it, Tracy is NOT pushy and it is a FREE sample session. For your FREE session, go directly to Transforming Family at this LINK.

For more information about Tracy or life coaching please visit:

Transforming Family Website

Compliments of Family Review Network and Transforming Family.

Review: Manifest Your Magnificance

"Manifest Your Magnificence is a unique set of 64 affirmation cards and an audio CD designed specifically to nurture a child's self-esteem. Beautifully illustrated, written and spoken, each affirmation carries a powerful message that connects children to their magnificence. This unique set of cards and CD encourages positive interactions between adults and children, creates communication about feelings, promotes values such as honesty, responsibility, and compassion, and imprints positive attitudes and beliefs in the subconscious through use of "I AM" statements."

I am a firm believer in the importance of building a childs self esteem. Children have so many challenges as they grow and develop and many need guidance to remind them that they are special and unique. Susan T Howson, the creator of Manifest Your Magnificence has described it perfectly when she states "sometimes things are said or done to us that make us forget about who we truly are and our self esteem suffers." Manifest Your Magnificence products and services are tools that can help remind children of their Magnificence.


When the Manifest Your Magnificance affirmation cards were offered to review through Family Review Network, I jumped at the chance to review them after I checked their website and read about these products. I have a 10 yeard old son who is at the age where he is dealing with challenges with friends. He's had some struggles and he was starting to feel badly about himself. We have used these colorful and bold cards with such positive affirmations to remind him that he is a very special boy.

We had the chance to sit down and open the box when it arrived. We were both impressed at the packaging as the affirmation cards are all housed in their very own box that is bright and colorful. You can keep them all together and then choose a card a day to focus on , discuss or even carry one with you as a visual reminder. The cards appear very durable and the drawings and sayings are just wonderful, very upbeat and positive. Children can use the cards to journal and write about, or they can even use them in a dramatic way through singing, dancing and acting. There are many options to use the cards.


Some of the cards look like this:



(Front of the card) .........................................(Back of the Card)


(Front of the card) ...........................................(Back of the Card)



There is also a CD version that you can listen to the same positive affirmations that are on the cards. You can listen to a sample tracks at the Magnificant Creations website HERE.

You can find more information about Manifest Your Magnificance cards and the CD at Magnificant Creations website.

Curse Of The Bone Pirates:Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventures

Curse Of The Bone Pirates:Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventures

by B.T. Hope

Description:An evil force is destroying the natural wonders of Nui Island, and it’s up to three new friends to solve the mystery. When Big B is dragged from his comfortable life and close friends in Chicago by his grandfather’s mysterious affliction, he’s sure he’s going to have the worst summer ever. But soon after arriving in the tropical paradise of Nui Island, he is caught in a web of danger and intrigue. The Maemae reef is dying, his grandfather’s brilliant mind has been infected and creepy Island legends are coming to life. Big B and his new friends, Sam and Nalu, rely on wit, courage and strength to unravel Nui’s ancient mysteries. What they uncover will help them save the Island, restore his grandfather’s soul, and break the curse of the Bone Pirates. With a captivating plot, fascinating characters and an important ecological message, Curse of the Bone Pirates: Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventures will haunt and delight young readers.

This children's book takes an adventure story and turns it into a learning experience. It teaches them about the threats to our environment and encourages them to take action at home, at school and in their neighborhoods. Curse of the Bone Pirates: Nui Island Eco-Logical Adventures is set in the South Pacific Ocean on exotic, fictional Nui Island. The story focuses on three friends who face challenges and solve mysteries in an adventure to save Nui Island.

Here is some interesting information about Nui , the company and Publisher of this book:

Nui, is a healthy kids lifestyle brand that donates 50 percent of its beverage profits to children's health and environmental charities. The mission of the book is the same as the company's: to encourage kids to improve their physical, social and environmental health. Their hope is that by telling these adventure stories, in a manner that kids can relate to, kids will gain a better understanding of these issues.

The Nui website states "From the sale of each copy of Curse of the Bone Pirates, Nui donates $1 to support Healthy Child Healthy World and Surfers for Cetaceans."

The Nui website also has some fun features for kids such as Fun Facts, Games, Downloads, Coloring Book and you can register to win free gifts.

Thanks to Family Review Network and Nui for sending this book.

Review & Giveaway: Purry Logic by Jane Seabrook

Purry Logic by Jane Seabrook

My Review: This is a delightful book that both children and adults will enjoy. I read this book with my 10 year old son who loves all animals, but sadly is allergic to many, including cats. He adores cats and we both loved the beautiful full-color illustrations of the 30 different cats that are featured in this wonderful book. The author, Jane Seabrook, wrote and illustrated the book. She captured perfectly, the adorable expressions and positions that cats can get themselves into and express their unique personalities. These illustrations are complemented by matching quotes that are wonderful companions to the illustrations. Purry Logic is a beautifully bound medium sized hardcover book with rich colors. And, who cannot be pulled in by the adorable cat on the cover with those gorgeous blue eyes? This lovely book would make a wonderful gift for cat lovers as well as animal lovers. It would be a perfect stocking stuffer or hostess gift for the holidays. It is not a book about Christmas or the holidays at this time of year but stands alone in the category of Inspirational books that can be read year round. I like to display a collection of holiday books for different holidays and seasons and this is the type of book that complements my collection.

Here are some examples of the beautiful water color illustrations and quotes inside the book:

About the author from Ten Speed Press: "JANE SEABROOK is a designer and illustrator who, in recent years, has focused on paintings of wildlife. She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband, two teenage children, and four cats--three adorable seal-point Birmans named Fizz, Bean, and Maisie, and one elderly British blue named Philby." She also has another collection of books called The Furry Logic Series which you can read about here at Ten Speed Press.




*Make sure to check out the Purry Logic Book Page at Ten Speed Press here.*

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Giveaway of Purry Logic:

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Ten Speed Press has graciously offered to give away a copy of Purry Logic to one lucky winner! This would be a wonderful book for anyone and it would also make a wonderful holiday and/or hostess gift. To Enter: Please comment below and make sure that I have a way to contact you by email. This giveaway is only open to US Residents and ends on November 30th. This should allow enough time for the sponsor to ship the book to the winner for the holidays. I will choose a winner using random.org. The winner must respond to my email notification with their mailing address within 2 days or I will need to randomly choose another winner.

Thanks to: