Whistling Tea Kettle

Everyone in our family seems to have different tastes. My youngest daughter loves hot chocolate only, my middle daughter loves all hot beverages, my son likes tea and coffee best, dad only likes hot tea, and I like it all. Because of this, it is difficult to satisfy everyone's cravings and likes every time.

Now I have that magical ability with my new Whistling Tea Kettle.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017GBADNY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XzS8fAWz8Y&t=10s

After putting some water into it, turning on the burner, and waiting for the stainless steel cap to whistle from the steam, I am able to make everyone's wishes come true making the beverages of their choices in their own individual cups. The tea kettle holds plenty of water so I am able to make steaming cups for all five of the members of my family with water to spare. I love the silicone handle that allows me to lift the kettle straight from the burner after the whistle sounds without burning my hands. #ChefsLimitedTeaKettle



I received the kettle free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The tea kettle pairs nicely with my new pour over coffee cup that I recently also received for review in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. These would make the perfect pair to gift to any busy mom!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YLjRswnmdo

Easy & Quick Decorating

Christmas has long been one of my favorite times of year. I love to see the children's enthusiasm as we celebrate different traditions. We usually purchase and decorate our tree the weekend after Christmas. This year since the weather was unseasonably warm, we decided to decorate outside of our house early.

We placed lights and bows on the lamp post, bushes, and railings. We were saved from crawling up a ladder to place lights on the house however thanks to our new laser light projector.

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Waterproof-laser-lights-Decoration/dp/B01IDAQY5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=christmas+laser+lights

 After much thought and consideration, we found our favorite spot for the light projector in our yard. We did need an extension cord to connect the light to power because the cord attached was much too short to reach any outdoor outlets.

The projector attaches to a stake that can be placed into the ground. A screw with a teeth-like grooved connection allows you to angle the light to the desired height and then secure it.

Once night came and the light was powered up, hundreds of little red and green dots covered our home without all the ugly cords of string lights and without the headache of climbing on a ladder and untangling lights as you installed them.

Without much effort at all, our home is ready to be a neighborhood hit this Christmas season.  #christmaslaserlights

I received these lights at a reduced rate in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Unlock the Weird!

My Sweet youngest daughter continues to keep life interesting with her overwhelming love and fascination with anything odd, unusual, or different. Last year, I got her Ripley's Believe It or Not's book of oddities which she treasured and spent much time perusing.

That's why when they offered this year's volume, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Unlock the Weird!, I jumped on the chance to get it for her.

 
https://www.amazon.com/…/ref=sr_1_2ie=UTF8&qid=1477941498&s…

With all the colorful pages, unusual stories and pictures, and incredible feats, I know she is going to love it!

Who wouldn't want to read about an island that is full of cats?

Or a bridge made from vines?

Or artwork made from old car parts?

The intriguing unique oddities of this world are endless! She is going to love adding this to her collection!
  #UnlockTheWeird

I received the book free in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

You CAN do it!

One phrase that we hear often as mothers is "I can't!" This phrase is one that I very much dislike to hear out of my children's mouths although I have been guilty of uttering it many times in my past as well. They say, "I can't do my homework because I can't read the directions." "I can't clean my room because I don't know what to do with the some of the clutter." "I can't wash my hair because the water is too hot." "I can't mow the lawn because my knee hurts today." All of these are actual phrases that the children have uttered and make me cringe each and every time.

Recently, I have been inspired by my 87-year old neighbor. I can only hope at 87 years old that I am as determined and hard-working as he is today. I went into our back yard to take the dogs out and see him in his yard up an extension ladder cutting down the dead tree that is in his yard. The tree is probably 30-40 feet tall, and he is slowly and methodically moving upper branch to upper branch carefully sawing each branch to bring it safely to the ground. If it had been in my back yard, I probably would have said the hated words "I can't" instead of even trying. His determination inspires me to stop saying "I can't" so much and give that difficult task a try! If an 87-year old man can cut down a dead tree, then I should be able to do the same. No excuses!

Sometimes this "I can't" feeling can be brought on from people in our past. Many times the voices from our past ring loudly with "You can't do that." "You are no good at that." "That is not for you. You show no talent in that regard." I have been guilty of letting these opinions of other people rule how I live and what I enjoy.

As you all know, I do product reviews as a sort of hobby in my spare time. I enjoy it very much. In February of this year, I received a sketch book and sketch pencils for review. In creating my reviews, I discovered that I LOVE sketching.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RCXQ7RE5LJ7DZ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00PG8916A

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2HDGZEEVFWLNH/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00PWCQSV6

In the past, I had been told over and over that I was not the artist of the family, that I could not draw, that I should not draw, and that art and drawing was not for me. I know I'm not a professional artist, but I have found that I CAN draw, I enjoy sketching, and my sketches are not all that bad. I am so happy that I had the chance to review the sketching items and find that I can do it and it relaxes me and makes me happy.

Here are some of my sketches:

As a parent, I do not ever want to make my child feel that they are no good at something. I do not ever want to allow a teacher, a coach, a theater director, or anyone else for that matter to make my child feel substandard and not good enough. Maybe her first drawing won't look like Picasso's last, but if she is encouraged and continues, who knows what her last drawing may be. Maybe she can't stand still for her first theater performance, but if trained well and taught to perform which she already enjoys, maybe she will someday be on Broadway. It isn't my place or anyone's place to tell her what she can and cannot do.

We should all be encouraging each other to be the best we can and enjoy life.

I CAN do it! You CAN do it!