Category: review

October 17, 2017

The Key to a Perfect Night Sleep: Your Pillow

We all know the awful affects that a rough night of sleep has on our body the next day. We are left feeling drained, irritable, exhausted and sometimes just unable to function the next day. When you add a family and the responsibilities of child care and work into the mix, it can be a disaster.

So how do we find and achieve that perfect night sleep?

The key is in your pillow!

You may be asking how and why your pillow helps with a great night sleep. How many times have you woken up with a stiff neck? A headache? Poor head and neck support during the night can cause a greater occurrence in these types of symptoms the next day. Poor sleep can also lead to increased pain throughout the day, irritability, exhaustion and difficulty dealing with stress. Combine this with young kids and it makes for a perfect storm, with usually your loved ones taking the brunt of it.

So what makes a perfect pillow?

Research has been done comparing traditional pillow design vs a roll pillow vs water based pillow and has actually found that a water based pillow is associated with improved quality of sleep and increased pain relief (research can be found in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Cervical Pain).

Mediflow pillows are water based pillows that combine the water technology with the softness of a foam or down filled pillow. There are three versions of the Mediflow pillow: Fiberfill, Gel-Memory foam and down. The Floating Comfort pillow falls under the Fiberfill category and has an amazing ten-year warranty. Water based pillows work by the water adjusting and moving direction as your head moves during the night. This ensures your head always has the same amount of support no matter which way your body moves.

What I loved the most about the Floating Comfort pillow is that you can customize it to suit your needs. All of us need a different level of support while we sleep and that is okay. This design allows you to choose your level of support by the amount of water you add to the pillow. If you like a firmer pillow (which is me) then you add more water – softer pillow, use less water. The choice is truly yours as you decide your comfort level. I recommend filling it up with less first and then test it out to see if it works for you. Adding the water is simple, so you don’t have to worry that it will be difficult to go back to add more water. We filled it up with the recommended amount first, tried it out on the bed laying in different positions and ended up adding a bit more in after we tested it.

The pillow was soft to the touch which our youngest loved (of course he had to steal it from me on the first night!). On top of the water base is a layer of soft fabric that gives you that traditional pillow feel. This pillow is actually softer than the pillows we currently own! It is a bit heavier than our other pillows but that doesn’t affect sleep or how we used the pillow.

I fell in love with the Floating Comfort design, it was soft and provided the exact support I needed. I didn’t have to fold it in half to get the extra neck support and I wasn’t waking up constantly throughout the night to adjust it (win win, right?). This is the perfect pillow for parents of young kids and babies who crave (and most definitely need!) a good nights sleep.

Make sure to follow Mediflow on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest news and more.

Disclosure: I received the Floating Comfort Pillow in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 3, 2017

Fitness On Your Time with Aaptiv

When you talk to your friends, co-workers and family about fitness, what is your number one barrier to exercise?

For many women, their greatest barrier to participation in fitness is TIME.

As Mothers, we tend to give so much of ourselves to our children, our spouse, our family and friends that we have so little time left over for ourselves. When we do get time to ourselves, we are usually exhausted and not motivated enough to give a workout 100% (not to mention most times we don’t have anyone to watch our children or they have their own extra curricular activities).

BUT exercise is crucial for our mental, physical and emotional well-being. Exercise not only helps improve our physical fitness but helps with sleep, metabolism, stress and so much more. The benefits of exercise are too important for us not to be putting ourselves first.

So how we squeeze in an extra fifteen to thirty minutes a day of exercise?

Aaptiv is a mobile app for your phone that contains a broad range of traditional workouts with more focused workouts such as cardio for weight loss, maternity program and yoga for beginners. The app is designed to be just like a personal trainer without the expense. You have your own coach at the tips of your fingers and in your ear for the whole workout – this is that extra motivation that we sometimes need.

Once you download the app, you can go through and choose a specific workout or program that suits your needs on that day. Plug your headphones into your phone and get ready for extra motivation to help get you through that workout that you have been avoiding. The workouts vary in their time range so you can choose the correct time needed for your workout (on the right hand side of each workout it tells you exactly how long that one will take). I loved that each program has a beginner, intermediate and advanced setting.

The workouts were very easy to follow and motivating. I also enjoyed listening to the meditation programs during the afternoon to help me de-stress and re-focus my mind (beats trying to accomplish this with caffeine that usually makes my stress worse).

For Moms to Be and New Moms, Aaptiv has a special program just for you! Top fitness talent, including Kira Kohrherr of FitBump and yoga guru and author Kristin McGee, have helped to designed a specialized pre and post natal program. The program is divided up into the three trimesters and post natal. Since this is usually a time where we don’t give ourselves and our bodies enough love and attention – this is a great way to help us keep on track with our fitness and health goals.

Aaptiv can be started on a free weekly trial and then membership for unlimited classes starts as low as $9.99.

Make sure you follow Aaptiv on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest programming and fitness updates!

How do you ensure you include at least fifteen minutes of exercise a day into your daily routine?

Disclosure: I received a trial of Aaptiv in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 28, 2017

Bringing Maggie Home Book Review

Bringing Maggie Home contains decades of loss, an unsolved mystery, and a rift spanning three generations.

About Bringing Maggie Home

Hazel DeFord is a woman haunted by her past. While berry picking in a blackberry thicket in 1943, ten-year old Hazel momentarily turns her back on her three-year old sister Maggie and the young girl disappears.

Almost seventy years later, the mystery remains unsolved and the secret guilt Hazel carries has alienated her from her daughter Diane, who can’t understand her mother’s overprotectiveness and near paranoia. While Diane resents her mother’s inexplicable eccentricities, her daughter Meghan—a cold case agent—cherishes her grandmother’s lavish attention and affection.

When a traffic accident forces Meghan to take a six-week leave-of-absence to recover, all three generations of DeFord women find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof. Meghan knows she will have to act as a mediator between the two headstrong and contentious women. But when they uncover Hazel’s painful secret, will Meghan also be able to use her investigative prowess to solve the family mystery and help both women recover all that’s been lost?

My Thoughts

Bringing Maggie Home is a brilliant novel following the lives of three generations of women in the same family. Each of them has been impacted by Hazel’s past and the disappearance of her younger sister Maggie although her daughter Diane and granddaughter Meghan do not know about Hazel’s past and the loss of her sister.

When Hazel’s sister disappears, her world is shattered. It tears apart her parents and she carries a guilt that no child should bear. As Diane and Meghan later learn, the impact on the remaining years of her childhood and teen can be greatly seen in pictures and Hazel’s refusal to talk about what happened. Maggie’s disappearance causes Hazel to later on in life hold on too close to Diane, to the point where Diane felt smothered and anger towards her Mother.

When Meghan decides to investigate more into Maggie’s disappearance, the family dynamics begin to change. Hazel becomes more open and Diane becomes more understanding. It is amazing the amount of damage that one secret can cause! Hazel’s refusal to talk about her sister caused a great rift between her daughter and herself. If she had chosen to speak to Diane about it in the beginning, Diane may have appreciated more why her Mother was so protective and overbearing.

Bringing Maggie Home is a well written novel showcasing forgiveness, compassion, hope and love. It shows us that we need to be honest with those we love and to learn to show compassion and forgive each other for our mistakes. I laughed and cried along with Hazel, Diane and Meghan always keeping my fingers and toes crossed for the happy ending that this family deserves. This is a definite must read novel!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Kim Vogel Sawyer is a highly acclaimed, best-selling author with more than one million books in print, in several different languages. Her titles have earned numerous accolades including the ACFW Carol Award, the Inspirational Readers Choice Award, and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Kim lives in central Kansas with her retired military husband Don, where she continues to write gentle stories of hope and redemption. She enjoys spending time with her three daughters and grandchildren.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 21, 2017

Many Sparrows Book Review

In Many Sparrows, either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would.

About Many Sparrows

In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail.

When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son . . . especially when her second child is moments away from being born.

Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do-be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

My Thoughts

Many Sparrows is the story of the power of a Mother’s love, strength, compassion, forgiveness and understanding. It is powerful and the emotions pour off of the page. Lori has a great way of dragging you into the story and you feel as if you are side by side with Clare on this journey.

The journey focuses on the Inglesby family as Philip (who has never been a man satisfied with his lot in life) forces the young family and his pregnant wife to travel across the dangerous frontier. When he is murdered, Clare is alone in the wilderness with her young son and begins to go in to labour. As her labour begins, Clare does not want to frighten her son and moves further off. It is in these moments, that her young son is kidnapped and claimed by the Shawnee’s as their own.

Jeremiah enters into her life and finds so much of himself in her. He helps her through her labour and together they set off to find her young son. Jeremiah is more than just her guide, he becomes a friend and teacher. Possibly even something more?

The novel focuses on Clare’s ultimate goal to reunite her family and move forward into the future. We watch as she struggles with her faith, her courage and as she learns compassion and forgiveness for the people who have taken away the most precious gift she has.

Many Sparrows is an amazing novel from start to finish and I could not put this one down!

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of this book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lori Benton was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of “Burning Sky,” recipient of three Christy Awards, “The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn,” Christy-nominee “The Wood’s Edge,” and “A Flight of Arrows”.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

September 20, 2017

Reconnect With Family Game and Activity Time #PlayTestShare

With school starting up this month and the return of many after school activities, the focus on family down time can be pushed to the back burner. While we sometimes have to do a give and take at home, it is so important to carve out time for your family. This could be setting aside twenty minutes a day or a couple of hours together once a week. It is important to choose what works for your family so that way you know you will stick to it.

The best way to use that family time? Play fun and interactive games and activities that get you talking and laughing!

Raincoast Books has put together nine games, activities and books that help strengthen the family bond through laughter. We tested out Royal Bingo and After Dinner Amusements: Family Time and had an amazing time!

About Royal Bingo

This majestically illustrated bingo game features portraits of 64 royal icons from around the world. Spot famous faces like William and Kate, or meet some less familiar figures such as the playboy prince Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein. Each royal is further brought to life in an accompanying booklet, which details their personalities, foibles, gaffes and romances. Who will reign supreme?

Who doesn’t love learning about the royal families? When I saw this game I thought immediately of my Mom who is a HUGE royalty fan. She loves the English royal family but will read books, magazines and more about all the royal lineages. This game was pretty cool as you were able to learn about more than just the popular royal names and you were given a bit of background about each one. It takes Bingo to a whole new level while being great for young and adult players a like although I have a feeling that adults will love and appreciate this one a tad bit more!

About After Dinner Amusements: Family Time

This is a fun little twist on classic games and activities and offers easy amusement during family dinners, holiday gatherings and road trips! This miniature deck of cards features fifty thoughtful and playful questions about the past, present, and future – a great way for family members to connect and learn new things about one another.

This was an amazing way to get our kids and us talking about our family – what we loved and more! It had great questions and thought starters. We pulled it about an hour before bed time and let the kids choose three questions. While we answered the questions we also found ourselves discussing even more about what we want to see more of in our family time, what we want to do in the upcoming year, etc. We also set a monthly mini golf challenge and formed our teams. It was fantastic to have this time dedicated to talking about us.

The other seven titles include:

Animal Friends on a Parade Puzzle

From a gorilla in a party hat to a hedgehog rat-a-tat-tatting on his drum, these animal friends from different habitats—the jungle, farm, woodland, and Arctic—know that togetherness is something to celebrate. Featuring twelve double-sided uniquely die-cut pieces by artist Junzo Terada, this fun puzzle offers (nearly) endless combinations, providing hours of entertainment.

Say Zoop!

The newest book from Herve Tullet magically responds with bursts of color and moving shapes, empowering children by letting their imaginations liberate and direct each page’s reaction. Tullet’s books define the genre of participatory bookmaking, encouraging readers to explore and interact with the physical book in all its dimensions. The reward is tremendous: a journey of whimsy and sheer fun that extends well beyond the book’s pages.

Donner Dinner Party

Who’s safe when there are cannibals hiding among you? That’s the question at the heart of this fast-paced game of social deduction in which cannibals and pioneers face off in a fight for survival. Set in the winter of 1846, players are members of the ill-fated Donner Party wagon train, stranded atop a mountain with no food. Rowdy, outrageous, and full of deception, this party game packs a delightfully wicked twist!

Ghost Story Box

Based on a unique and original format, this game contains 20 story-telling puzzle pieces printed on both sides. Each piece can be interchanged or flipped over to allow for all kinds of plot twists and turns, and there are even two alternative endings! When all the puzzle pieces are used, they stretch out to over 8-feet long to tell your own mega ghost story!

Make and Move Mega: Dinosaurs

Press out, slot together and play with your very own T-Rex, Triceratops, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Pteranodon. Created by talented paper artist and engineer Sato Hisao, each of these detailed 3D models comes with easy-to-follow assembly instructions. No scissors or glue required!

Star Wars: Super Graphic

Graphic design guru Tim Leong presents STAR WARS trivia via playful pie charts, bar graphs, and other data-driven infographics. From a Venn diagram of Yoda’s idiosyncrasies to an organizational chart of the Empire to a line graph of Grand Moff Tarkin’s management decisions, STAR WARS SUPER GRAPHIC shines a new light on the much-adored universe. Equal parts playful and informative, this visual love letter to the vast STAR WARS universe will enchant fans of all ages.

Travel Matching Game

Mix and match with this classic matching game, which includes 36 robust, jumbo-size cards featuring charming illustrations by Greg Pizzoli that will have kids ready to pack up their bags and explore the world! Children will adore pairing colorful images of suitcases, taxis, stop signs, and other classic travel imagery as they develop memory, concentration, and identification skills.

The Giveaway!

Now my Canadian readers have the chance to win one of the above games or activities of their choice to help them plan out their own family activity night! Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received two of the above mentioned books in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.