You already know I am a fan of Mayim Bialik’s books Girling Up (I reviewed it here). I was so excited when I saw she was coming out with the Boying Up for, you know, boys. Bialik writes about growing up, puberty, and sex from a […]
Originally Funded on Kickstarter A few weeks ago I received Game Night in a Can in the mail. The creator, Jason, was kind enough to send me the game, hoping I’d like it enough to mention it on the blog. It was originally funded on Kickstarter but now can […]
Unfortunately, sleep doesn’t always come easy in our house. Between health issues and anxiety to just light sleepers, we are always on the lookout for sleep solutions. Because of this, we have tried out a variety of products. The most effective, by far, for a good night’s sleep, has been weighted blankets.
Over the past couple of years, we have tried a variety of brands of weighted blankets and found they are not all made equal. I have been reviewing different brands of blankets because they can be expensive and if you are going to invest in a product like this, I want to help you get the most bang for your buck.
Weighted blankets have been proven to help with anxiety and stress.
The JM weighted blanket is one of the highest quality blankets that we have tried. The squares are the perfect size to distribute the beads in an even and comforting manner. Padding in with the beads means they don’t all pool at the bottom of each square (something we’ve experienced with other brands).
The JM Weighted blanket comes in two sizes 15 and 20 pounds. Both are great sizes for teens or adults. The blanket is a generous twin size (60×80”), meaning an adult can lie under it comfortably and be fully covered (I love to pull mine up over my shoulders and sometimes even ears).
The blanket is made of 100% cotton and comes with a zippered Minky cover.
Price $179-199
The price of the JM Weighted Blankets is right in line with others we have purchased. It is a great value for a great product. We consider weighted blankets a true investment in our house and have been buying them one at a time for our kids (and me).
I received Milton the Mealtime Companion in exchange for a review. I received no other compensation for this post. Post contains affiliate links. Our Feeding Struggles My six-year-old son, Apollo, had a g-tube placed in his stomach when he was just 22 months old. He was born […]
{Timberdoodle provided me with Marie’s Words in exchange for giving an honest review. According to the back of the box: “Marie’s Words is the work of a high school junior who was preparing for the SAT. Its original illustrations convey the meanings of these 550 words […]
This Circle With Disney Review contains affiliate links. The Circle was purchased by me.
We bought the Circle With Disney (1st Gen) shortly after they came out on the market in 2016 and we have been using it ever since. The Circle enables me to control every device that hooks up to our wifi, which includes our guests.
I set up a profile for each of the kids and when they have their friends over, I automatically set it to the same filter as my child. For instance, if Avi has a friend over and they hook up to our wifi, I automatically add Avi’s filter. This is done with the touch of a button.
“Circle allows your family to manage all of your home’s wi-fi connected devices. With Circle, parents can now filter online content and limit online screen time as well as set an Internet bedtime for every connected device in the home. Circle can even Pause the Internet and share what kids are up to online.”
For $99 (no subscription fee) I am able to control each device in our house. Unfortunately, each device is registered to only one person, but I have gotten around this by assigning several of the devices to Kids. I have the filters on these sets really high. They cannot access Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, to name a few sites. I also have the internet blocked from 7 PM to 8 AM.
To test this out whether or not it was blocking adult content, I took our iPad and googled “n*aked lady” and “s*x”. What popped were stock images which made me vaguely uncomfortable (a couple in bed, under covers) but not showing anything. Typing s*x brought up a lot of diagrams and such, but no pornography or actual n*ked images.
The other thing I love about Circle is it gives me concise reports on what each person has been doing on the internet. The picture on the left is Tilly’s activity. As you can see, I can quickly view where she has been and what she is doing online. No need to search through a long history. At 17, Tilly has the most freedom on her device. I have the default settings of “teen” and she is able to access Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Her internet turns off at 10 o’clock at night (so she isn’t tempted to stay up late).
I am absolutely loving this device! The other awesome thing? If anyone tries to unplug the device or remove it from the home, I get an alert on my phone. The Circle with Disney has given me the confidence to have the luxury of wi-fi in our home!
We are still loving our Circle with Disney! In fact, I love it more now than when I wrote this post. One of my favorite things is something I didn’t realize at first, but I can control and filter any device that hooks up to our wifi. When my kids’ friends come over and hook up to wifi, I get immediate notification on my phone. In less than a minute, I am able to apply filters to their devices! I routinely block YouTube and a few other sites when the kids’ friends come over. This has been a lifesaver for us.
I didn’t think it was possible, but I love Circle with Disney even more than when we purchased it. The main draws?
What do you use to monitor internet usage in your home? Have you heard of Circle with Disney?
These AfterShokz Trekz Titanium headphones were purchased for review by me. This post contains affiliate links. AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones Review I have a secret (or not so secret) addiction. It is listening to podcasts. I have become about 17 jillion times […]
Beanboozled Review: Jelly Belly game where you Dare to Compare! This post contains affiliate links. A couple of years ago we had family visit us shortly after Christmas. The five cousins and our children had a great time reconnecting. While they were here they gave […]
Post contains affiliate links
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we get rain, rain and more rain in the winter. But the summers? They are filled with sunshine and warmth. After a winter of damp weather and rain, our kids can’t wait to go outside in the summer.
Last summer we decided to take the plunge (literally and figuratively) and bought an above ground pool for our kids. After doing a lot of research we settled on the Intex 12′ by 30″ pool.
We chose this pool because of the price ($79) and the size (12′). This pool is big enough for our children to get in and totally submerge themselves but no so deep that it would be a safety hazard to our then five-year-old son.
Our kids literally spent hours in this pool on every single sunny day we had. They filled it with pool toys, they floated, swam and had water fights.
For the price, we figured it was worth it to buy this pool even if it only lasted the one summer. Well, friends, we just put it up for the summer of 2017 and it is had no leaks or issues!
In the end, we used it for two summers, then upgraded to this pool.
So after having it a full year, I am ready to write a review of the Intex 12′ x 30″ above ground pool.
Pros
This is totally 100% worth the $79 price tag. It held up to heavy use and is into its second year. While the filter is somewhat inadequate we used it all last year and plan to replace it this year. If you are looking for a sturdy, inexpensive pool the Intex 12′ x 30″ pool is perfect.
The ground must be level! A pool like this will only work if the ground is level.
Below is a five-minute video that shows us clearing the ground and making a firm foundation for our Intex Pool. This is more of a demonstration and less of a how-to.
We used Dow Styrofoam Sheets to provide a solid platform for our pool and pumped it up with All, in all, it took about half a day to get the ground cleared and our pool set up for use.
Recommended accessories to buy with your Intex Pool.
These are the must-haves according to my husband.
Buy this and set it up on day one to keep a clean, healthy pool.
This set has everything you need to check and maintain your pool water.
This cover with keep out debris and heat your pool.
Do you put up a pool in the summer? What type do you have?
If you are looking for an Elf on the Shelf alternative then you really need to check out North Pole Ninjas.