reviews

Product Review: Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap

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sugar scrub review

This year is seeing a lot of growth for me as a blogger, and that includes joining with companies like Purex and Dial as a reviewer. It’s exciting! I’ve always enjoyed Dial products, so I was interested in using and reviewing their new Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Deep Cleansing and Moisturizing Hand Soap.

I initially put the bottle in the kids/guest bathroom, but it was clear after not very long at all that that wasn’t going to work long term. You see, Small Fry did not like this soap at all. I’m not sure why, but every time he went to the bathroom and had to wash up afterwards, it was a fight. He just prefers our bar soap instead. So I quickly (after just a few hours) moved the Dial to the kitchen, where it’s found its home ever since then.

So, because of this move, I was the main one who used this soap. Everyone else pretty much washes their hands in the bathroom, but I have to wash my hands in the kitchen frequently during cooking, and it was nice to have a simple soap pump there for doing so (as opposed to just using dish soap, which is what I usually do). I really liked the feel of this soap, too. It’s full of “scrubbers” that feel really nicely on your hands. I just love the feeling of having my hands scrubbed by texture in my soap. But there weren’t too many scrubbers, either. I would have been happy with more of the scrubby “balls,” but as it is, it’s a nice amount. It’s not so much that it would be overwhelming for sensitive hands, but there are enough to make your hands feel lovely after washing.

The only thing I didn’t like about this soap was the scent. I can’t quite place what it smells like, but I didn’t like it. It’s not enough to deter me from use because the soap feels so nice, but next time I try it out, I’ll try a different scent (probably the yellow raspberry/black sugar). Also, quick disclaimer on the scent: I’m perfectly willing to admit that my aversion to it might be first trimester sensitivities. Please don’t let my opinion on the scent dissuade you from trying it.

Blessings,

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Homeschool Product Review: Lord Heritage

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Greetings, homeschool mamas! Today’s review is just for you. I have the pleasure of bringing you HomeSchool Office from Lord Heritage. HomeSchool Office is a planning system for the homeschool, but it’s so much more than that, too. Based on the biblical principles of planning and orderliness, Lord Heritage has created a unique online planner. The website is riddled with scripture throughout, which is a wonderful reminder as to why you’re creating these plans.

When you set up an account, the first thing you do is set up your children’s homeschooling team. This is particularly helpful if you do some of your classes out of the home with other teachers. We don’t, so my “team” section was pretty empty; all I included there was the local ESD (Education Service District – this is who we report to that we intend to homeschool, not the local school).

The other sections are based around the acronym P.O.W.E.R. [Read more…]

Homeschool Curriculum Review: Great Parents Academy

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I knew that our current web-based math subscription was due to expire soon, so when I learned that there was a new one available for review, I looked over it with my kids, and we decided to give it a try. Boy are we glad we did!

GPA LEARN has developed a wonderful math curriculum for elementary age student (grades K-5) called GPALOVEMATH. We’ve had the pleasure of using this program (I received a one-year subscription) for the past seven weeks or so.

Because Seahawk was working through a workbook during this time, this review will focus primarily on Munchkin and his use of the program. I will note, however, that just recently Seahawk has joined the GPA party. [Read more…]

Book Review and #Giveaway: Texas K9 Unit Series

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I recently joined FlyBy Promotions as a reviewer, and my first review for them is this one. And better yet, they’ve given me a copy of a book to give away to one of you! I’m super excited to host my first giveaway, and I can’t wait to announce the winner of this giveaway later this week. But first, the review.

I didn’t actually review the book that I’m giving away, but I did read a book of the same genre by the same author. For the purposes of this review, I was given a copy of Texas K-9 Unit Series of e-books. This set is available for $11.99 on Amazon. I received a single PDF which included: Tracking Justice by Shirlee McCoy, Detection Mission by Margaret Daley, and Guard Duty by Sharon Dunn. Because of the time limitation for this review, I’ve only had a chance to read Tracking Justice thus far, so that’s what I’ll be reviewing today.

Summary of Tracking Justice

When  young Brady Billows is discovered missing in the middle of the night, his (single) mother, Eva, does what any mom would do: she calls the police. When the detective who shows up on her door at 2 a.m. is the handsome Austin Black (and his bloodhound, Justice), Eva knows she’s in trouble. Can she walk the line between allowing Austin to be the father-figure she knows Brady needs while still protecting him from disappointment when Austin leaves after the case is solved? And just as importantly, can she learn to trust Austin herself? Can she give him her heart? Or will she be the one responsible for Austin’s departure after the case? [Read more…]

Book Review: Still Life by Christa Parrish

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Summary

Ada is born into a strict sect of “Christianity” named for her father, the self-proclaimed prophet. In this environment, women are treated as second-class citizens, never to use technology of any sort without the immediate supervision of their husband, father, or older brother (in that order). Her only access to the outside world is in the form of her employment at the sect’s farmstore, where she works as a cashier. Her world spins out of control when Julian Goetz, world-famous photographer, comes to her store, on assignment to document life in the sect. She hears – senses – a voice telling her to meet Julian out by a tree just a few days after they meet. She doesn’t know who (or what) it is, but she obeys. Funny thing is, Julian heard the same voice and met Ada at the tree. Neither knowing why, but both knowing that they must, they leave together and marry.

Katherine Walker is a woman in a bad marriage. She has two teenage boys, and they’re all that’s keeping her with her husband. But she’s not faithful to him. During a business trip, she learns that her flight home has been overbooked. She strikes up a conversation with a young man in the airport and learns that he’s trying desperately to get home to his wife for her birthday. He’s been bumped; she hasn’t. In order to gain an extra night with her lover, she offers the young man her seat. That man is Julian Goetz. [Read more…]

Homeschool Curriculum Review: The Critical Thinking Co.

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Critical thinking

Seahawk is really strong in math. He always has been. So sometimes it’s hard to find things that keep him interested and challenged; the basic grade level math program doesn’t normally do it. So when I heard about The Critical Thinking Co. through the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I started looking at some of their books. When I found out that Pattern Explorer was one of the offerings, I knew that would be just right for Seahawk. He’s always loved searching for patterns, but I’ve never had an easy time finding challenging pattern activities for him (red, green, yellow, red, green, yellow just isn’t difficult for a 5th grader). Pattern Explorer turned out to be just the thing. [Read more…]

Homeschool Curriculum Review: Visual Learning Systems

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I have a super great science program to share with you guys today. It’s called Visual Learning Systems and I received a full year of access to their Digital Science Online: Elementary Edition (Grades K-5) and Digital Science Online: Secondary Edition (Grades 6-12). Obviously, I’m only reviewing the Elementary Edition since my kids are elementary age.

Science is a tough subject for me. I just don’t care that much about it. I took a little more than was required for me to graduate high school, and despite being in the advanced classes and getting good grades there, I just didn’t resonate with science. I was more a math and language arts student. So when it comes to teaching science in the homeschool, I’m afraid my kids aren’t getting that much. For that reason, I’m always excited to review science programs. I know my kids love science, but I just don’t like teaching it, so if I can access a program to teach it for me (at least do the heavy hitting in the subject), I’m all for that. [Read more…]

Product Review: Koru Naturals

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koru CollageReview season with The Schoolhouse Review Crew is officially underway! The first product I have the pleasure of bringing you this year is from Koru Naturals, a company bringing the all natural skin, hair, and lip care products from New Zealand to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. For this review, each member of the review team received a 2-ounce bottle of Emu Oil and their choice of skin balms, lanolin cream, lip balm, or shampoo and conditioner. I chose the Koolpurrie Restoring Balm, which is a combination of Koru’s lanolin and emu oil. [Read more…]

Book Review: Supermarket Healthy by Melissa d’Arabian

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Last year, I wrote about how I was going to try to plan a weekly menu instead of shopping daily. Back then, the plan lasted all of one week. That’s right: we couldn’t even make it work once. So I just kind of accepted it, and we went back to daily shopping. Fast forward to two weeks ago, and I decided it was time to try weekly planning and shopping again. This corresponded perfectly with the arrival of a book for review I requested from Blogging for Books: Supermarket Healthy by Melissa D’Arabian. The premise: It really is possible to make wholesome, healthy meals using whole-food ingredients found in a regular grocery store.

The book, like any standard cookbook, is divided into types of meals: snacks, breakfast, pasta, sandwiches, poultry, beef, soups, etc. We haven’t tried recipes from every category, but we have from several of them. Some of the ingredients aren’t as readily available as I hoped, at least in my area, so I’ve had to make a few substitutions (kale instead of Swiss chard in a soup, for example). But despite that, I have definitely found that the recipes in this book are absolutely amazing. And doable with “normal” ingredients. Out of the 15 or 20 that we’ve tried so far, all but two have gone onto a list for regular rotation. To have found at least a dozen new recipes that we all love is a wonderful thing.

My main complaint of this book is that it’s a trade paperback. I think cookbooks should always be printed with spiral binding so that it will stay open to make following the recipes easier. Additionally, I would like to see a photo of every recipe. I know this isn’t always feasible, but it’s very helpful in making sure you’re building everything correctly. These criticisms are minor in the long run, though. The book is so full of amazing recipes that I’m happy to overlook the problems.

So, what have our favorites been? I can think of three offhand that were exceptional. First, the sausage-lentil soup with chard (we used kale). The soup was very flavorful and hearty, and making it with brown-n-serve turkey sausage made it easy and healthy. We were all kind of sad when the pot ran empty. Next, the garlic chicken with potatoes. Oh, my goodness, that was amazing. Start by roasting some potatoes (whatever kind you like – we used slices of Yukon gold) and (a lot of) garlic in a roasting dish (I used my deep dish 9×13 baking pan) with a little bit of olive oil. [Read more…]

Book Review: Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk

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Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk

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No, my blog is not going to become just a book review site ;). I’ve just really been enjoying the books I’ve been getting from Book Look Bloggers and devouring them. I want to get the reviews up quickly so that I can get new books. Today’s book is called Love at Mistletoe Inn and is written by Cindy Kirk.

Hope and John made a huge decision when they were just 18: they skipped their senior prom and went to get married instead. Immediately upon being pronounced man and wife, Hope regrets the mistake. The “minister,” a college student ordained online for the sole purpose of performing weddings, assures her that if he doesn’t send in the paperwork to the state, it will be as if the marriage happened. Not legal. She feels better armed with that information. [Read more…]