Young children sometimes have a hard time making friends; this is especially true in military families where a lot of the time every two to three years the family relocates. Jamie and the Angel is about a little girl named Jamie – a member of a military family – who is a little different than other children. This “difference” makes her shy around them – so she finds it hard to make friends. Her “difference” is that she sees just a little more deeper into people – a “gift from God” that she isn’t sure is much of a gift. He parents tell her it’s “just her imagination” at work but Jamie knows it’s more than that.

Jamie and the Angel is a touching story about having a “gift” and accepting it as part of yourself. I thought it was a lovely story but I also believe it ended too abruptly; I would’ve loved to hear more about Jamie’s gift and if when she accepts it if she gets more social at school and makes friends.

This book is for children of any age. It opens the door to a higher relationship with God and doesn’t belittle those with special “gifts” from God. I thought that this story was incredibly positive and I like to see the connection between parapsychology and spirituality.

There is a great section after the story that is a guideline for parents. It talks about how to deal with special gifts and how to talk to your children about them. It explains that these special gifts are indeed gifts from God and that God loves everyone.

The book’s author – Carol Guy – is also the author of several books and hosts her own radio program on Blog Talk Radio called Earth Angel. Carol has many special gifts including Clairvoyance. She can be found at her website www.CarolGuy.com

If you’re interested to learn how Jamie and the Angel fared with other readers, here’s what our mommy bloggers thought of the book:

Maria’s Space : While the cover may look like a child’s book, this book is not for children only. I believe that Carol is writing for people everywhere who feel different than others. The message of the book is quite simple, “it is OK to be different.” We are told as children and we tell our children that being different is what makes them special. The little girl in the book has a rare gift where she can speak and see Divine beings. If this is not something you believe in, the book is a great resource in self acceptance on an elementary level.

Idaho Jill – I think the message of this book would appeal to any age group. We all need encouragement sometimes that being different is a good thing, and Carol Guy has brought that concept to life in her very understandable book. My daughter liked the book, and the rich illustrations. Overall, I liked the book, too, even though it had some spelling errors and was more focused on the God aspect of spirituality than I believe in. But, I do believe in the overall message that everyone is special, and was happy to have the opportunity to review and share this book.

Moomette’s Magnificents – Beautifully illustrated by Richa Kinra, Jamie and the Angel is about children who are gifted in the psychic area.  I’ve written here before that I, myself profess to have some sort of psychic ability, or Sixth Sense, if you prefer.  Although my “gift” didn’t develop until I was older, children are capable of such  intuitive insights also.

Written in an easy to understand prose, Guy tells the story of Jamie, an 8-year old girl who doesn’t understand why she feels different from her peers, until an Angel appears to help her by providing guidance. Appended at the end is a reference guide for parents.

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By Dr. Michael Aziz, author of The Perfect 10 Diet

Many families are struggling these days to make ends meet, and sometimes the first thing to go when faced with a tough financial situation is what food you’re putting on the table. What many families don’t realize is that you can eat healthy without breaking the bank.

Some food is cheap for a reason; it is made from the poorest quality ingredients and with an abundance of additives to cover up the poor quality and taste. Food is medicine. So if you take your health into account, processed food or fast food is not cheap at all – it leads to poor health which leads to higher medical bills.

We all want to feed our families good food, and it doesn’t have to stretch the budget to do so. Here are some words of advice:

• Although I advise that my patients eat organic as much as possible, you don’t have to buy everything organic to avoid pesticides – some fruits such as bananas and oranges have thick skin which keep pesticides out.
• Your local produce stand or farmer’s market can be a great source for healthy bargains. For the best deals, shop often and look for reduced produce or end-of-the-day specials.
• Instead of white pasta or white rice, go for for frozen vegetables with no additives. Cruise down the frozen food aisles, and you’ll find big bags of veggies at bargain prices – sometimes as little as $1 a bag.
• Slash your produce prices even further by growing your own vegetables and fruits. Like fresh herbs? Grow your favorites in small pots by the kitchen window, and take a snip whenever you need it.
• Beans and lentils, whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups, and can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice.
• Although brown rice takes more time to cook than white rice, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. The same goes for pasta. Pasta, whole wheat variety, is quick and easy to prepare, and can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, and herbs).
• Reserve a day for cooking – plan the week and even freeze food to be used later.
• Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock. Not only do you save money, but vegetable stock also makes a nutritious base for casseroles and soups.
• Capitalize on one-pot dishes, which generally save prep time and money, and often make great leftovers.

Saving money on grocery bills does not have to come with sacrificing our health. For more information, including healthy recipes and shopping lists from The Perfect 10 Diet, please visit www.perfect10diet.com.

About the Author

Dr. Michael Aziz is board certified in internal medicine and the founder of Midtown Integrative Medicine on Madison Avenue. Dr. Aziz is also an attending physician at St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he teaches residents and medical students. He is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Society of Internal Medicine, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom. Dr. Aziz has been a national and international speaker in front of many distinguished organizations including the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the leader in natural hormones replacement. He is the author of The Perfect 10 Diet.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

When I was pregnant with my now five-year-old son I read a popular pregnancy book that all my friends had read before me. Why they didn’t tell me that the book made pregnancy out to be the scariest and most unnatural thing in the universe – where whatever can go wrong will go wrong – is beyond me.

I wished that there was a book that would tell me what to expect my body to do while I was pregnant that didn’t make me want to crawl under my covers and cry. Thankfully, now there is with the Laugh And Learn About Childbirth book written by Sheri Bayles. Sheri’s Laugh and Learn DVD series is the #1 series of pregnancy classes in America – and she’s put everything from her classes into this little (and might I add portable) book!

Sheri has a free and easy style of writing. She writes like she is talking right to you (the reader). She doesn’t aim to scare you; she wants to teach you what to expect during your pregnancy but in a reassuring way. Suffice to say that my “old” pregnancy book is going in the trash. I’d much rather recommend the Laugh and Learn About Childbirth to my girlfriends!

Learn more about Sheri Bayles’ Laugh and Learn series (along with her book) at her official website.

Buy It: Find the Laugh and Learn series at the official website or online retailers such as Amazon.com!

Win It : Thanks to Laugh and Learn, we’re giving away a gift pack consisting of Sheri’s 3 part DVD Series, book and a T-Shirt.  To enter and win, just following the requirements below:

• One mandatory entry –  Visit www.laughandlearn.com and tell us one fact about Sheri Bayles, the author of this book.
• Two additional entries – Follow Laugh and Learn on twitter OR add Laugh and Learn on Facebook
• Three additional entries – Follow us on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please leave your Twitter id.
• Five additional entries - If you blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave your post url in the comment section.
• Entry is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway closes on 22nd March 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

TO THE WINNERS OF

Dolcetta Designs Photo Card Creation

 Misty VanEpps #7

AND

Joanie Leeds and The Nightlights “I’m a Rock Star” CD

Candie L #18

 Robyn #5

The winner is required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted.
3. If any winner does not claim her prize by the 18th March 2010, we will do a second draw.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAD PARTICIPATED!

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Once again, congratulations to our lucky readers who have won a copy of Chicken Soup : True Love each. They are:

1. Pamela Berube
2. Steve Andrie
3. Victoria Krukowski
4. Charity Hantla
5. Diane Stokes
6. Kris Johnson

It does not matter if you’re not a teacher, because there must be a time in your life that you have been a student or former student somehow. Thus, I am sure many of you will appreciate Chicken Soup For The Soul: Teacher Tales because this title will bring back a lot of memories of that person who held a special place in your heart during those school days.

Written by a majority of teachers  (all of the 2009 State Teachers of the Year and the 2009 National Teacher of the Year), Chicken Soup For The Soul : Teacher Tales pays tribute to the noble profession – TEACHING. It is both deeply touching and heart warming to read about how each of these teachers make that extra effort to influence, encourage and inspire their students, despite the trials and tribulations of working with children of all ages, some of which may even be academically handicapped.

My favourite include the story about how a teacher thought she was going to receive a complain from a student’s parent but instead she received a visit from a very grateful Mr.Wagner who thanked her for changing his son’s perception towards school. In the parent’s own words “Our boy is a happy boy again”.

“Secrets Students Keep” is one of the more touching story from the book. The teacher’s sensitivity and ability to emphatize with her student Sam was probably one of the best thing she could do for him during that day of tragedy. And if you’re just wondering, yes, I made good use of my Kleenex

Teachers who are feeling the pressure of the job should pick up a copy of this book as it will definitely give you a sense of renewed passion and fresh vision for changing your students’ lives. This book is also a great way to say thank you to those special teachers in your lives.

Now, you’ll have a chance to own it or to give it away to that deserving someone in your life. We have six copies to be given away to our email subscribers who reside in US.  All you need to do is subscribe to our feed via email. It’s that easy, no catch!

Disclosure : Review copy as well as giveaway copies courtesy of www.chickensoup.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are solely my own.

Right, I’ve read about it from a member of our panel of reviewers and I know for a fact that many other bloggers have came across companies not sending prizes out to their winners. BUT we’ve been pretty lucky so far. For the past 1 year plus, we’ve worked with some of the most professional companies and PR reps around….that is of course, until we ran a review & giveaway for this company, Ultimate Cloth.

Since our giveaway post went live until now, I’ve sent several emails to the company representative who sent us his PR pitch as well as directly to the email contact listed on its’ site but not a single email was responded to.

Though our contests & giveaways terms states that we are not responsible for non shipment of prizes by sponsor, it peeves me that our readers who have won will not be getting the prizes.  So, we have decided to remove the review and giveaway post which Su did earlier on. Parent Reviewers absolutely refuses to endorse companies that cannot hold their end of the bargain.

TO THE WINNERS OF

ID Me Labels School Combo Pack

Danetta #43

AND

SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion 

Mariel #60

The winner is required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted.
3. If any winner does not claim her prize by the 23rd February 2010, we will do a second draw.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAD PARTICIPATED!

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I have one kid, two cats and one dog – so I’m always worried that the bug spray that I am using will hurt them in any way. We’ve got spiders in the garage, the occasional ants in the living/dining room and wasps in the bushes in our backyard. In other words – I am always spraying some type of creepy crawly!

I was thrilled to have the chance to try out a great  organic bug spray from EcoSmart – I received two bottles of EcoSmart Wasp and Hornet Killer for our bushes out back. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really able to give them a good try because all the cold weather (and out-of-the-ordinary snow) that we’ve had in Virginia lately has chased all the creepers away!

I did spray some in our garage just to check out the smell and was happy that it smells kinda awesome! The spray has peppermint oil in it! As it is made from organic plant oil, this particular spray is also safe to use around children as well as pets. Though recommended  for outdoor (and attic) use, it’s not supposed to be “directly” sprayed on plants – but I think spraying around my bushes will still get rid of some of my wasps. Hopefully this spring I will be able to really try out the product.

About EcoSmart products:

EcoSMART’s technology is based on the natural defenses that plants and trees use for their self-protection against insects and pathogens. Unlike other botanical pesticides, EcoSMART’s formulas are composed of the most effective combinations of organic plant oils. EcoSMART’s patented technology combines plant oils that target and block a key neurotransmitter receptor site found only in insects and other invertebrates.

A great thing about the EcoSmart products is that they are not much more expensive than the name-brand products that most people buy anyway. There are also cool “bundle’s” available – like the “personal care” bundle or the “plant and garden” value bundle.

BUY IT : You can purchase EcoSmart products like  organic weed killer and more at local stores including Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depot or you can shop online at the EcoSmart website.

WIN IT :  Thanks to EcoSmart, we’re giving away a “Safe Lawn and Outdoor Value Bundle” worth $31.00  to one lucky reader of this blog. To enter for a chance to win, this is what you need to do:

• One mandatory entry – Name one of the product in this “Safe Lawn and Outdoor Value Bundle“.
• Three additional entries – Follow us on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please leave your Twitter id.
• Five additional entries - If you blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave your post url in the comment section.
• Entry is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway closes on  22nd February 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

The winners of our January 2010 email subscriber draw are:

1. Jane Maritz
2. Candace Trino
3. Sarah Champeau
4. Kay Heitfeld
5. Pending reply from winner
6. Pending reply from winner

And for the month of February 2010, our giveaways are 6 copies of Chicken Soup For The Soul : True Love.

From the beloved, bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love is the latest addition to their popular collection of love stories, featuring 101 heartwarming and humorous love stories from people of all walks of life.

This title is  not only meant for the young but suitable even for a mature hopeless romantic  like me Though I am a pretty big fan of Chicken Soup For The Soul series of short story collections, I have to admit that I don’t read every one of them from cover to cover BUT True Love drew me in from the start and kept me reading page after page. Each story is so personal and unique and most important of all, they are REAL….stories you can relate with…..not those sappy, saccharine, and predictable made for the movies kind of stories. These are heartwarming, humorous, and poignant stories that I believe, may even be reflective of  some readers’ own relationships. It is an excellent book to find inspiration whether you’re just starting out in a relationship, going through a difficult one or simply want to find reassurance that there is such a thing as “ever lasting love”.

True Love includes chapters about love which develops over time with a close friend,  commitment, intimacy, and the unmatched beauty of old relationships that have been rediscovered. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, True Love will definitely be an ideal gift and perfect token for family members, a beloved spouse or just anyone who is passionate about love.

YOU CAN WIN THIS AWESOME TITLE COURTESY OF CHICKENSOUP.COM RIGHT HERE AT PARENT REVIEWERS. JUST SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED VIA EMAIL….WE’RE GIVING AWAY 6 COPIES. NO CATCH, IT’S THAT EASY!!!

* Prizes will be shipped to North America only.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

When I was little and my mom still had to send me to school with an extra set of clothes she used this little “fabric pen” (that was supposed to be waterproof) to mark my name on my clothes. Unfortunately for her the pen never stayed put and she always had to re-mark the clothes.

Nowadays my son heads off to school with not only his stuff marked with his name but also his clothes and let me tell you – those names are not coming off!

I got a chance to test both clothing labels along with all-purpose (think dishwasher safe) from a company called I.D. Me Labels. I promptly tagged my son’s extra clothes (jeans, t’shirt and underwear) and threw them in the hamper (they have to sit 24-hours before they are washed). I also tagged his backpack with a neat little alien Bag Tag (which lists his name and phone number). I even put a couple stickers on a sippy cup and his snack box – the cup eventually went through the dishwasher and the label is still sticking tight!

I love these labels – they really stick and they come in all different colors, fonts and styles. The combination pack that I received included several (each) of the All-Purpose Icon Labels, Streamline Labels and Stick on Clothing Labels. I also received a couple of the Bag Tags! I got to choose not only what the labels would say (of course) but also colors and even the font that I wanted to use. You can even order labels with a custom photo of your child which is really super cool.

BUY IT :  I.D. Me Labels are all weather-resistant, microwave and dishwasher safe. They even offer free shipping on orders over $50.00 (US only) so you can order tons of labels, get organized and keep track of your child’s stuff! I.D. Me Labels are available at their website.

WIN IT : Thanks to I.D. Me Labels, we’re giving away a School Combo Pack worth $59.95.  To enter and win, just following the requirements below:

• One mandatory entry – Visit our sponsor I.D. Me Labels and pick your favourite choice of label.
• Three additional entries – Follow us on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please leave your Twitter id.
• Five additional entries - If you blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave your post url in the comment section.
• Entry is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway closes on  9th February 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

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