Praises of a Wife and Mommy

Grab a dish, straw, bubble bath, and add a few drops of food coloring and your kids will be entertained in the bath tub until the water starts to get cold!  I had my 22 month old and 5 year old both enjoying the bath by simply creating more and more bubbles from a straw.  My daughter of course picked pink food coloring and my son picked green.  We also discussed how the bubbles were created with our breath.  Then we did a little color mixing with the red and the green.  Now I think we need to hit the Library for more Science books since my kids are asking more questions about bubbles.  :)  This was such an easy way to create a fun and learning experience for your kids!  :)  

Ok Ladies I have a great Valentines Day gift idea that is fun for both you and the hubby!  :)   I know I love new underwear and lets be honest I'm pretty sure our hubby's won't complain either.   So for this Valentines day get the gift that keeps on giving.  Sign up for the monthly subscription to Panty by Post so you will receive an adorable new panty delivered by mail each month!   Add a little spice in your marriage this Valentines Day!  :)   Simply visit the site:  http://www.pantybypost.com  and broswe the styles, pick the months you want to purchase, pick your size and then have fun getting your mail each month.  :) There is a section for men and for women!  What is Panty by Post? Panty by Post is an online subscription service to send a pretty panty in the mail monthly. We bring back  the nostalgia of receiving a wonderful surprise in the mail! What are the Company Origins? The founder, Natalie Grunberg, has had a lifetime appreciation

I am excited that Educational Toy Planet is going to be sending a toy for my son or daughter or maybe both to review.  :)  I am not sure what it will be but I am excited.  There are so many toys on their site that I would love to review including:  the toddler trampoline- my lil man would have so much fun on it, or he might enjoy the turtle mower since spring will be here soon.  My daughter would love the "Fashion in the Tub" kit, Alphabet Soup Sorters, or even headband craft kit.   What ever item we do receive you can be sure to find my review here on my blog.   Stay tuned and I will let you know what we think once we get the toy.  :) 

Put your hand up if you treat your pet like your child???  Mine is half way up, hard to put my hand all the way up when I do have 2 real children and I see childless people who really spoil their dogs.   About John Paul Pet: John Paul Pet – pet care with a salon pedigree. 30 years ago John Paul DeJoria, co-founder of Paul Mitchell Systems, revolutionized the professional salon industry by banning animal testing for his line of hair products. John Paul’s in-depth expertise in hair and skin care formulations also led to research in new standards for pet grooming and hygiene, which lead to the creation of John Paul Pet shampoos, conditioners, sprays and pet wipes. John Paul Pet shampoos and conditioners are pH balanced so they don’t irritate sensitive pet skin and the entire line is “tested on humans first” to ensure effectiveness and safety for all pets. John Paul Pet actively supports programs benefiting all animals, including Best Friends Animal Society, The Morris Ani

It finally happened!  You know where the hubby and I left on an overnight adventure without our kids.  We found a sitter to stay at our house with the kids and the dog, we sure are blessed to have people we can trust.  :) My husband and I have been married for 6.5 years but I think our honeymoon was the only time we have gone on an overnight adventure without our children, so it was much needed.   We left Sunday morning at 10 am before all the snow and freezing rain made the roads terrible.   We had enough time to enjoy the water park, the amusement park, go shopping, and eat some yummy food.   I will admit that going to the Kalahari resort without the kids was a bit strange since it is such a kid friendly place and I did start to miss my kids, but it is a good think to miss your kids so you can enjoy them even more when you get home.   I may have missed my kids for a few minutes here and there but being able to enjoy adult activities instead of staying in the kiddie

The bond of a mother and her daughter Every person finds that they have to lean on their loved ones from time to time. No one knows when these times will come, but they eventually visit us all. I personally experienced this when I was 36 years old and my entire life was thrown into turmoil. It started on a much happier note though. My daughter Lily was born on August 4th, 2005 and my family came to see its newest addition. Everyone was so in love with Lily. My husband and I were truly on cloud 9 in those first few months of her life. However, things were about to change. Once I returned to full time work I started noticing some troubling signs. I was losing approximately 5 to 7 pounds per week and had very little energy. These are all things that often accompany new mothers, but I still felt the need to see my doctor about this. After many tests, we found out what the real problem was. It turns out that the symptoms I was experiencing were not just those

You all know my husband is a pastor but many of you do not know what type of church we attend or serve at.  We are part of the foursquare church that was founded in California by an awesome women named Aimee Semple McPherson.  I love knowing that the church I belong to activates and encourages women in their gifting and callings.  :)  So back to the foursquare and the logo: The name represents the four-fold ministries of Jesus: THE SAVIOR "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him..." –Isaiah 53:5 (Titus 2:14, Isaiah 55:7, Hebrews 7:25, Isaiah 1:18) THE BAPTIZER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT "For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." –Acts 1:5,8 (John 14:16-17, Ac

Did you know that you could get a new pair of socks sent to you every month!!  YES, a sock of the month club does exist!!!  It costs $11 per month with free shipping and you will get name brand, adorable, and comfy socks sent right to your door.  No eye rolling at me, I know there are many people as excited as me about a fun new pair of socks.  I love the crisp feeling of putting on new socks, so why not do it every month.   Thanks Sock of the Month Club for sending me a pair of socks to review your service.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions expressed are 100% mine.     The Sock of the month club is EXCLUSIVE, FASHIONABLE, and CONVENIENT!!  You can gift this membership to someone or sign yourself up today.   Did you know that most people have to throw a pair of socks away each month anyways so why not get it replaced the easy way, the Sock Club way!   I love my new purple pair of socks, they fit well, and are stylish   I love how quickly they were

The new year is here and many resolutions have been set!  Have you kept your resolution so far?  One of the top resolutions being made includes eating healthier.   Eating better can sometimes be scary but look no further for healthy snacks then Healthy Surprise!  A monthly subscription of healthy snacks sent to your house.   My Review: The box arrived and it was packed full of several different goodies!  There were products I have never heard of such as the Kale Chips or yummy chocolate granola!   The variety in the box was amazing and would be worth the subscription.    I can always give a product 2 thumbs up when the kids are happy!  :)  Just look at the happy boy eating his  apple chips and mango snack.  My daughter was also a fan of those two items.   If you are trying to eat healthy then you understand how eating the same old healthy snack can get boring, but with the help of Healthy Surprise your taste buds can get a fun surprise each month.   The plans start

Not only do we love Bigby's but I love seeing my adorable kids sharing!  How sweet is that picture?  My kiddos shared one of the yummy smoothies and I had a minty treat that helped warm me up during this freezing weather. What is your favorite Coffee chain? 

Valentines Day is fast approaching and the fun crafts have started here at our house.  On Saturday my daughter and I made a Valentines Card and she brought them to church and handed them out.  :)  She loves to give her hard art work to people she loves.   This craft was very simple so toddlers can do this too!  My little guy will have to do this this week, he was coloring and doing his own art project at the time his sister did this one.  I pre-cut the heart and wrote out so my daughter could get the spelling for the words.  She also had to cut all the pieces to glue on the heart.  You could cut or rip depending on your preference.  (We used paint samples to cut up for the heart)  After the heart is filled with pieces my daughter personalized her card with more hearts that she drew.   Check out our other fun Valentines Day Activities: Glow Stick Valentines Play Doh Valentines Toilet Paper Roll Valentines Love Tree Love Bugs Snow Globes

I had a big laugh the other night as I was trying to find my internet connection.  I had to reset the router and I still could not locate our WIFI but I did find Abe Lincolns.  HAHAHAHA!  I really am curious to find out what neighbor labeled their WIFI with that funny name!  I am not sure if they are just a very humorous person or if they are just very negative...hoping just funny!   So have any of you had the chance to see funny WIFI names like this?    

Well, I knew the unusual warm winter would soon pass and the real cold front would come in.  Today was a  frozen day and tomorrow's high is -2 and the windchill is probably -15 to -30!  This is the time of year that I always question myself, "Why do I still live in Wisconsin?"   I have always said once its below 0 you can't tell if its 0 or -30... its just cold.  brrrrrrrrr I have lived in this state my whole life and you would think at 28 years old you would just be able to tolerate the frozen tundra but every year when the cold spell hits it leaves me with numb toes, a cold butt, and thoughts in my head about spring and summer.   So how is the weather where you are?  

This is a giveaway for a "Be My Valentine" Jewelry Candle. The giveaway is for the US only. The giveaway will run from 1/18-2/1. If you haven't heard of Jewelry Candles yet, they are candles with jewelry hidden inside. They could have a necklace, earrings, bracelet, ring, anklet or pendant. You never know what you're going to get. Good luck to everyone! I think any women would love for her man to buy her a candle with such a neat surprise inside.  :) I sure hope one of my readers will win!!!   Loading Entry-Form... ... Loading Entry-Form... Disclosure: Kathy's Freebies & Savings and Praises of a Wife and Mommy is not responsible for prize shipment.

I love opening my daughters school bag each evening and pulling out these fun and adorable projects.  :)  We have not made a snowman yet this winter but my daughter must have some fun memories of building a big snowman and snow slide last year.   I just have to brag on my amazing husband, HE is an amazing, awesome, super, fantastic DADDY!  I am one blessed wife and mommy!  :)  

BORAX What is Borax? Borax is 100% natural mineral from the earth.  Once removed from the ground it is washed, dried, and boxed for consumers.   Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the perpetual evaporation of seasonal lakes.  Absolutely nothing is added.  No phosphates, chlorine, or other additive chemicals.  Borax naturally softens hard water, which protects your detergent, so it can maximize cleaning power.  Simply add 1/2 cup of Borax to every load, along with your Purex detergent. Once you start using Borax you will notice it will naturally softens hard water and improves detergents cleaning power and help keep stains from being re-deposited back onto clothes.  My Review:  Thank you Borax for providing me a free sample of their product so I could review them.  However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.   I have never used Borax before but after using it on the last 10 or

Thank you Dr. Lucy's for sending me cookies to review.  I was not paid for this post and all opinions are 100% mine.   Are you Gluten free?  I remember when we tried to go gluten free when my daughter was an infant there were not many choices on the market for good and tasty food. I am so thrilled that these cookies are absolutely tasty and satisfying.  These cookies are a crunchy cookie and there are several flavors.  I love the MAPLE BLISS!   My kids also enjoy the cookies too so this mama has two thumbs up!  Just writing this post I want to go eat more cookies!  YUMMY! So who is Dr. Lucy? When Dr. Lucy Gibney discovered her child had severe food allergies, she got down to some serious medical research—in the kitchen. What began as a mother’s tasty recipe for her child has today developed into a delicious alternative for people with or without special dietary considerations. Lucy's  cookies are gluten free and made without milk, eggs, peanuts or tr

Since we currently own two homes because we bought a house then moved and now rent one out and live in one we are constantly doing house projects.  I love doing projects on the house I live in but it is a challenge when we have to spend money on the house we don't live in.  One project we keep discussing and trying to figure out is the roof.  Should we do the roof or should we just try to sell the house.  Tough choices!   Since we have purchased our house that we rent we have had insulation put in, done floors, redone the steps, painted both porches, refinished the step out porch, painted a bedroom and the kitchen, and purchased a new stove, water heater, furnace, and toilet.  We purchased the house in 2006...that's a lot of completed projects. I have to give so much credit to my husband who has made several 2 hour trips to go fix things.  I am so thankful I have not had to do all the work he has had to do.  I like projects at our house but not at our rental property... I kn

Thank you Mikarose for sending me a dress to review and supply a $50 store credit to the winner of this giveaway.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.   I have always wanted to create a fashion show with our youth and call it "Modest is Hottest."  They would have to study modesty and then find ways to turn non-modest clothing modest.  Learning the tricks when it comes to dressing!  We live in a world where it is so easy to forget about modesty and why its important.  Find a few Bible verses here to help you when discussing modesty.                 About Mikarose:                       " Mikarose is a clothing company that specializes in modest, elegant and fashionable dresses. Our company's idea evolved when the owners realized how difficult it was to find modest dresses in today's market. We are sure you have had similar experiences when looking for a modest dress. After many frustrating outings, we formed Mikarose. Our goa

Do you have a hobby?  I think my hobby right now is the gym, and I guess that's a good thing!  Can a hobby be getting fit and eating healthy???  I mean I do like to read, do Pintrest projects, make hair clips, be outside gardening, and probably many other things I can't think of at the moment.   I look at my amazing husband and I think his hobbies are amazing.  He can literally pick up an instrument and in minutes have a song to serenade me. :)  When I met him he played guitar and he was not a rock n roll type guitar player but more of a classical guitar player and I adored it!  I remember buying him a guitar for Christmas, he was all giddy and smiley!  I sometimes thing about getting him a new guitar but the man has like 6 or 7 guitars so then I think again.  I have never thought about doing something special to one of his guitars like an inlay design .  I know my husband worked hard on one of his cases and stained a very detailed picture of Jesus on it.  It looks neat,

I am having so much fun coming up with ideas for fun bath times.  I know I am not the only mom out there who has a child who would scream in the bath.  Well the cure for my son is literally creating some of the most educational and fun baths around!  We have Sesame Street numbers 1-10 and the colored bears with cups counting set.  I threw those in the bath and my son had a great bath.   Be sure to check out some of our other bath fun!  Bath Tub Painting Glow Stick Bath Easter Bath  Noah's Ark  Pipe Cleaner Bath  Bubble Bath Ball Blast

So I stepped on the scale today and I had a little victory dance!  :) January 1st I was 122 pounds and this morning I weighed in at 118.5.  :)  I am making healthy choices and working hard at the gym.  I FEEL GREAT!  I know some of you see that number and think I wish I was that number.  The truth of the matter is it is just a number.  I am a very short women and I may weigh less now then when I got married but the body is still not like it used to be I am trying to firm up the middle, and tone the legs.  I still have lots of baby fat to loose!  I put the number on here to help keep me accountable and not to make anyone stumble in jealousy or anger.   Today I challenged myself to run a 5K and beat my time from last year-- SUCCESS!  I did it in 27 minutes and 30 some odd seconds.  :) WOOT!   Like I mentioned before I am being honest here in my weight and my struggles for the whole world to see! So what struggles did I have this week?  Food!  I was with teens on Saturday an

WHAT IS MIRACLE FROOTIES:  How to use?     Dissolve a Frootie on your tongue and the effect will last from 15 minutes to 2 hours,depending mostly on what you eat.   Important: Miracle Fruit needs to coat your tongue (mouth) in order to have an effect, so don't swallow it! You should hold it in your mouth and swoosh it around, until the Frootie (Miracle Berry tablet) dissolves completely. What are Miracle Frooties?   Miracle Fruit or Synsepalum dulcificum is a plant, native to West Africa.  Miracle Fruit   berries  cause sour and bitter foods, such as lemons, pineapples and kiwi, consumed after eating Miracle Fruit berries, to taste sweet.   Miracle Frooties are guaranteed to contain extract from first grade Miracle Fruit  berries.  Fresh miracle berries are freeze dried moments after being picked to produce powdered Miracle Berries with the same effect as fresh berries.  The powder is then compressed into Froooties (dragees) for easier usage