Growing Smalls: 2013

Tuesday

Lightscoop- a must have for your camera!

Last year for Christmas, hubby bought me a very nice Cannon camera because I just love taking pictures. But with several editing programs, and even sending pictures to get edited and smoothed out, they never seemed to be professional quality. I was once in a blue moon that I got the lighting just right. But when I did, those pictures were
amazing!

Now, I don't have to worry about getting the lighting just right because I have a little gadget that does it for me and the difference is amazing! I found Lightscoop and have been playing with their deluxe version which has made a world of difference in my photos. This is a must have for anyone who loves taking photos, professional or just for a hobby.

With Lightscoop

Without Lightscoop

The Lightscoop redirects 100% of the pop-up flash light to the ceiling or a wall before it shines on your subject which creates a more effective and larger light source. All of my little children look like they are sitting in the perfect light for the perfect picture! I was able to create professional looking Christmas cards for the families of all my foster children. Sadly enough, due to privacy laws I can't share those images. But I did some playing with the camera again with my boys and those I can show you. Even the most simple picture looks amazing!

With Lightscoop

I love my Lightscoop Deluxe! It was easy to slide onto my camera and finally I can take professionally smooth pictures! I will say it again and again, this is a must have!

Check out Lighscoop at the following links;
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One or more items received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers.

Wednesday

Santa Donation

A neighboring town is really organized during Christmas so when I heard what they put on for local children I knew we had to be a part of it. Not only do they sponsor families for Christmas in the entire county, but then they drive the fire trucks town to town and hand out toys to children. Any child in the town can come up and get a toy from Santa. It really is something to remember and it’s memories like that, that will last a lifetime.

Here is our donation to their program. 207 Items Retail $1752!!! YAY!!

Christmas Donation

Every year the city I work for sponsors families for Christmas. This year we just had one family apply so I gathered some things up and here's what AlyGators sent.

30 Items valued at $157. It doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a start and with what the city will provide, these two little boys will have a Christmas morning.

Guylian Chocolate

I am a true chocolate lover! It doesn't matter if its 8 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon or 11 at night, I can always find the perfect excuse to nibble on a few bites of chocolate. So when I received this massive shipment from GuyLian I was super excited!

The GuyLian Artisanal Belgian Chocolates are so rich, smooth, and creamy they are a perfect treat! The signature hazelnut filling inside is sensational proving their slow roasting and caramelizing process to be a success. There are several different varieties as well. They have everything from sugar free to dark chocolate so I'm sure you will be able to fulfill your sweet tooth craving. My favorite was the Hazelnut truffles! You have to try them they were great!

"The Guylian Story
        Guy Foubert was a passionate Belgian Chocolatier making handmade chocolate truffles in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. In 1958, Guy and Lilian joined their names, both in marriage and in their company name creating Chocolatier Guylian; a small artisanal chocolate maker. Today, Guylian crafts the finest authentic Belgian chocolate truffles, selling them to chocolate lovers in Belgium and in more than 100 countries across the world."

Guylian Chocolates are a great gift regardless of what day it is, but there is still time to get your order in for the Holidays at the following links;
        Use coupon code "Chocolate10" for 10% off your order!
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Never miss a deal with their newsletter CLICK HERE

GIVEAWAY

One – 22 piece marbled chocolate seashell truffles

One – 22 piece extra dark chocolate seashell truffles

Two - 6 piece marbled chocolate seashells truffles

Four - 2 piece marbled chocolate seahorse truffles

One - No Sugar Added Milk Chocolate Bar

One - No Sugar Added 54% Dark Chocolate Bar

I received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers. AlyGators is not responsible for any Giveaway items. All giveaway items will be shipped directly from the company that sponsors our giveaway.

Stone Earth Pan by Ozeri

So this isn't a review I did lightly because I have been using this pan now for a few months just to see if it really holds up over a period of time. Guess what, it's still good as new. I even recommend that if your looking for a easy gift for the cook in your family, you should get them The Stone Earth Pan by Ozeri.

I have cooked everything in it from hamburger meat, eggs, to steak. (It's a little cold to grill outside so we had steaks cooked in it the other night.) The stone-derived coating heats up evenly and my poor cooking habits are proof that it's scratch-resistant. I've been known to use metal in my "non-stainless" pans.

The non-stick surface has even proved to be really easy to clean, because who has time to sit there and let a messy pan soak? Not me! Which makes the Stone Earth Pan even better for my kitchen. I pretty much like everything about this pan, the only thing I wish was different is I wish it was just a little deeper so I could cook bigger meals in it. After all, cooking for 6 kids requires a lot of food!

Check it out on Amazon CLICK HERE

Monday

Free Jiffy Cook Book

Super easy sign up for a free Jiffy Recipe book. Receive in 2-4 weeks.

CLICK HERE

AlyGators is not responsible for fulfillment.

Thursday

Music to my Nose

So I seen this tag and I knew it was something I had to check out, at least look into right? "Music to my Nose" is so catchy, I couldn't resist!

The selection is endless from "Classical" to "Country", "Hip Hop" to "Jazz". But where did the idea come from? With a singer as a father and a mother who loved to cook, she one day thought "if music were to have a scent, what would it be?"

Well she nailed it! I received "Country" and I love it! It's better than candy, or a
baked dish. If it were a food I know for sure I would be in real trouble! The sweet candy like frangerance is long lasting and easy to apply with the roll on to go applicator.

I also received "Arpeggio" which is a fresh clean citrus smell. I actually wore this one last night to a appreciation dinner and got several compliments on it! It's another
favorite for sure!

Be sure to check out Music to my Nose at the following links. And use them for some of your holiday shopping. They are another great company that gives back!

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers. AlyGators

Wednesday

California Delicious

Everyone has that one person who is so hard to shop for, right? Well this year I encourage you to check out California Delicious for that hard to shop for person.

I ordered a Golden Delights Gourmet Gift basket from California Delicious and was amazed with what I received! Isn't it beautiful? The presentation was glamorous and perfect!

I almost unwrapped it before I took the picture because I was so excited. Once I got it all unwrapped I couldn't believe how many different things were inside. I ordered it for the chocolate but there were so many different yummies inside that we dug right in! From this basket, my favorite was the salted caramel almonds and the Ghirardelli chocolate.

California Delicious has such a huge selection your sure to find something for everyone! Their website is also really easy to navigate around. They have great coffee and tea gift sets, wine sets, special occasion sets, and even great gifts under $30!

Be sure to check them out at the following links;
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Pinterest

I received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers. AlyGators

Saturday

Black Friday List

Are you ready for the 2013 Black Friday? Here is your one stop add list!

WalMart: Click Here

Target: Click Here

Lowes: Click Here

Home Depot: Click Here

Best Buy: Click Here

Walgreens: Click Here

Sears: Click Here

Monday

Clothing Closet Donation

Every year it seems like we get so busy with whatever projects and events we have going that as a family we tend to forget how many people out there need just a little helping hand. But as the holidays quickly approach, we are reminded more and more to give back and the harsh reminder is how much we forgot in the several months prior. For this reason, we will continue throughout the year to feature our Giving Back link.

To give us a kick start on our giving back program tomorrow we will be taking a large donation of new clothing to our local Children’s Division Office. Why do they need this clothing? Unfortunately, hundreds of children each year come into foster care with just the clothing they have on at that given moment. Our local Children’s Division Office has a clothing closet set up to try to assist with some of the bare essentials and I recently found out that closet had next to nothing left in it. So here we go! We are stocking that baby back up!

What did we send them?
80 Pairs of shoes
Over 100 Toddler shorts, shirts, pants, onsies, & P.J.s
92 Junior/Misses Tops
31 Pre-Teen Bras

All of these items were deeply discounted so between my best friend and I, we did a great job shopping! Our major expense is gas and time but we had a lot of fun along the way so I can’t wait until we do it again!

Sunday

$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills Kid cereals

$1.00 off TWO BOXES General Mills Kid cereals:

Wednesday

Wafu Japanese Style Dressings

THIS POST COMING SOON!

Be sure to check out Wafu at the following links;
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Bullet Designs Fire & Ice 40 Cal Jewelry Set

Do you have a fashionista on your shopping list? Bullet Designs has a great gift set for that hard to shop for fashionista or that not so girly girl who still has her heart set on jewelry this holiday season.

Check this out! Their jewelry is made out of bullets! Yup, I said it, bullets! The Fire & Ice 40 Caliber Jewelry set is so unique and yet still very beautiful with the bling bling.

I love this stretchy ring that is sure to fit everyone. This picture can't even begin to do justice! You can even change the colors of the crystals to match birthstones making this a great personalized gift.

We also received these Fire and Ice 40 Cal Earrings. Yet again, these are great earrings and as high quality as the pictures are, they look much better in person. I really expected them to be heavy and pull down on my ears but that's not the case. Although they are made out of the bullet, they are still light enough to not be irritating after wearing them all evening.

But I have saved the best for last, my favorite piece out of this collection is the Fire & Ice 40 Cal Necklace. It dangles just right and sparkles beautifully! Plus all of these pieces are supper affordable. Bullet Designs has some amazing products so take a look and let us know which is your favorite!

Be sure to check Bullet Designs out at the following links;
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Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

AshleyBug Spa

We have reviewed AshleyBug before and loved their Organic baby bibs so when I heard they had come out with some spa products I knew they were a perfect fit for our Gift Guide and donation baskets.

AshleyBug Spa has sent us some of their Organic Lip Butter to put in our donation baskets. Out of the
assortment they sent I pulled out and tried the Organic Red Delicious Lip Butter and love it! I've tried other organic lip balm before and felt it was either greasy or didn't provide any relief at all. That's not the case here. The ingredients in this balm is an excellent moisturizer. The scent is great to because it's the perfect combination without being overpowering.

I love AshleyBug products in general and their spa products are just as wonderful as everything else they have created in the past. Here is the complete product description and be sure to check them out at the following links;

"Our wonderful organic lip butter is made from all organic ingredients, creating a moisturizing lip butter that will last the entire day without feeling sticky. Organic extra-virgin coconut oil leaves a light, summery 'beachy' smell without being overpowering. Made with organic extra-virgin coconut oil, organic unrefined shea butter and natural beeswax, this simple lip butter will be your go-to beauty product. .15 oz All of our products are handmade in small batches to ensure high quality standards."

Website Facebook AshleyBug Past Review

Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Shirley J Mugging Sets

Everyone loves a sweet treat but taking the time out to bake or running to the store for that late night craving isn't generally an option. Well last night, after all the kids were snuggled into bed, I tip toed down to the kitchen and found just the treat to cure the craving! We received a box from Shirley J Mugging company this weekend and I finally had the opportunity to try it out.

Shirley J Mugging has some great tasting treats and a
ton of easy recipes on their blog. Last night I took the opportunity to try the Chocolate Brownie Cake mix and I love it! It was so easy to make and I was back upstairs with it in a matter of minutes.

The packet is already to go just pour it in one of the terribly cute mugs and add 6 tablespoons of water. After popping it in the microwave for 90 seconds I sprinkled some chocolate chips over the top and it was a perfect frosting.

Shirley J mugging kits are a perfect gift for anyone who likes a little sweet treat! Be sure to check them out at the following links;

Get Shirley J recipes Follow Shirley J on Twitter Shirley J Facebook Shirley J Blog
Shirley J Newsletter

Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Tuesday

Bambooki Tables

Recently we did some work on the front of the house which consisted of everything from painting the entry way to removing 16 inches of dirt from the ground. But when it was time to put everything back together again, I knew I found just the right pieces for the porch when I ordered my 3 Piece Bamboo Hexagon Nesting stools by Bamboo 54.

These bamboo stools have complemented the area really well serving as little tables. But the eco friendly bamboo construction is so sturdy that just about anyone can sit on them. The largest one is 17" x 17" so I decided to put it in-between two of my chairs and set the two smaller ones beside our park bench.

We really enjoy sitting on the porch watching the kids play but when there are extra adults over there isn't always enough room. These bamboo nesting stools have done exactly what I wanted! They have provided a great look to the porch and the needed additional seating! Be sure to check them out at the following links;

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Read more about our Curb Appeal Post here!

Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Architectural Mailboxes House Numbers

So as I have said in my Curb Appeal post (read that here) we received these house numbers from architectural mailboxes and they really did the trick. I removed all the decorations from the front of our house in hopes to take away some of the clutter and make it more functional and make the porch seem a little bit bigger. But taking away all of the decorations made it look pretty bare. So when I added these letters I was super impressed at how they stood out and did just the trick.

Although Architectural Mailboxes has several different designs I choose the solid antique copper to match our rock siding. These letters were easy to install and the floating design added a crisp clean look.

Plus now maybe people will be able to find our house. It's never really been hard, but the roads can be confusing and the numbering never made since anyways. These house numbers can be seen from the road really well. They are bright and bold so hopefully they should eliminate some of the confusion.

Be sure to check out Architectural Mailboxes and all of their high quality products at the following links;

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Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

A Little Curb Appeal

Finally a little curb appeal! When we bought our house we knew there was a lot that needed to be done. But as the case usually goes, this comes up and then a little of that comes up and things get put on hold. It’s taken me much longer than I could have ever imagined but I have to say I am almost done so I knew I had to share the progress with you.

Although it may seem a little silly but the biggest problem I saw was I hated the way our house looked so dark from the road. But as honey does, he knew there was much more needed than a fresh coat of paint and a little de-cluttering. Our first tackle was leveling out our yard because we had so many bare spots where the grass wouldn’t grow or the drainage was horrible every-time it rained. Since we made the decision to take a tractor to the yard we cut out 16 inches and planted grass. We officially have some gorgeous green grass growing and I’m so excited because the last few times it’s rained there hasn’t been a single puddle.

Fall is the best time to do any outside project. One it’s much cooler outside and a lot easier to work and two the clearance section is huge and you can do so much more with a whole lot less. I was able to get some mulch on sale which saved a few dollars and added flair of color under our front window. But the exciting part was the $30 plants that will grow back year after year that I paid less than $2.00 for each of them.

I then added a fresh coat of paint to the porch. At first I was really worried how this was going to turn out because the wood was originally stained not painted and the stain kept coming through the killz paint. But after a few really good coats I think the white really brightened things up. I also added these antique copper house numbers from architectural mailboxes. (Read that post here) I really liked the house numbers because they added the little touch of decoration back to the porch without being on the ground or in the way. After we cleaned the light fixtures and hubby put on a new door-bell I then began to piece everything back together again.

I left the park bench and added some great chairs that were a steal at $1.50 each. See I told you fall clearance was the best time to do outside work. The tables are pretty awesome to! I just got them here in time from Bambooki for this post and I’m excited because not only do they serve as a very sturdy table but they are a great extra seat to. Yes, they are strong enough to sit on! (Readthat post here).

Redesigning the porch to make it more functional rather than just covered in decorative pieces really proved to add some curb appeal because it made our little space seem much bigger. And even though the temperatures are dropping outside, I still love sitting out there with a piping hot cup of coffee before I begin my work in the mornings.

So yes, there is more to come on this post. We are going to sand down our wooden doors and get the stained glass window’s fixed up. There will always be more to do when you’re a home owner but I guess that’s just more thing to love and take care of. What’s your favorite house project?

Read more about Architectural Mailboxes
Read more about Bambooki

Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Monday

Pork Chomps

Every now and then I look for new treats for my fur babies and I am so excited to put a basket of Pork chomps for them under the tree this year. They are going to love it!

So what makes these different than other dog treats? "Pork chomps are more digestible than rawhide because they are made from skin not hide. Rawhide was just an inexpensive byproduct of the cattle industry and virtually has no flavor on its own. That's why most rawhide is basted, stuffed or sugarcoated in order to interest pets."

So all the products I received from Pork Chomps is Rawhide free making them better for my puppies. What did I get to create this snazzy basket? Well we received some Bacon Flavored high protein treats, oven baked pork skin bone shaped treats, some sweet potato wrapped oven baked porkskin sticks, and then some Chicken flavor wrapped sticks, and last but not least some pepperoni twist. How yummy does all that sound?

Pork Chomps has a huge selection and if your looking for a healthy treat for your babies this holiday season you better check them out. Yes, we know the table food is yummy.... But give them something yummy and good for them!

Be sure to check them out at the following links;

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Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

Sprigs.com

So I found something neat that I can't wait to put in the donation baskets! Sprigs.com has these Banjees wrist wallets and they are perfect for anyone on the go! (What a great idea for someone totally active like our favorite teens!)

The stretchy fit makes them the perfect size for anyone and they even have a zipper compartment to hold the most important things that you don't want to lose. While I was looking them over, I even found a "port hole" if you call it that to plug on in the headphones to your favorite mp3 player.

We received 25 of the black design which is perfect for both the girls and guys! but Sprigs.com offers so many different designs you have to check them out! They even have water resistant, sport mesh, and recycled material banjees. These are a great gift for anyone on the go!

I can't wait to stuff these things for the kids! But for now... be sure to check them out at the following links;

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Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide

KleenSlate

KleenSlate has been a favorite toy for the boys for a while now because they can color, draw, practice hand writing and then wipe it away and do it all again. But recently KleenSlate enhanced their design with new clear sleeve for interchangeable templates.

The templates are pretty cool. We received one for music, one for graphing (which is great to help the boys with math homework), one for writing and of course a blank one. The new design of the interchangeable templates really encourages their creativity.

But what I like the most is the overall design of the KleenSlate. The handle has a built in place to store a marker and a ring at the bottom for the microfiber cleaning cloth. As a mom, I know how important it is to keep things together before they get lost and the overall design really prevents from losing all the pieces.

Thanks KleenSlate for allowing us to feature your new design in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. The pink set you sent us is being donated to our Giving Back Program so other local kiddo's can enjoy it as much as the boys do!

Be sure to check KleenSlate out at the following links;
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I received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers.

Ring Stix

As you can see by the first picture, this is my boys natural reaction to a sword like toy. Oh yea smart right? Well truth be told they actually had a lot of fun with Ring Stix, even once they learned how to play with them correctly and outside! My kids crack me up sometimes I swear!

These are really cool because you can order them in a few different styles so they are great for kids and adults. We tested out the Ring Stix Pro and even received a handy bag to keep them in. The bag alone is a great idea because the boys are constantly losing pieces or parts to their toys. So this was pretty handy to keep everything together. So, Yea, then honey and I took our turns with them to and if you really get with it, it can be a challenging game. You take the two sword like wands and put the ring in the middle of them then with certain coordination techniques, the ring will fly towards the other player who then catches it and tosses it back in the same manor. It was actually pretty fun to see who could toss the ring the furthest and who could actually catch it.

Ring Stix treated us good this year! They have not only provided us a review set so we could tell you all about the fun we had with their game but they are helping us donate 5 sets to local families in our Giving Back Program. We are so thankful for companies like them that are helping us fill our 100 gift bags!

Be sure to check them out at the following links;

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Be sure to check out our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide