Jillie Pays It Forward - Fundraiser

JILLIE UPDATE: 

Jillie is feeling healthy and ready to pay it forward!

For those of you who are new here and don't know about Jillie, let me give you a brief introduction. Jillie is the daughter of close friends of mine and was diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukemia last year at the age of 2.5. My blog and followers rallied around her with giveaways, messages, love and support and her story has a happy ending as she is now in remission and cancer free!

While in the hospital where she spent nearly every day for 4 months her family noticed the lack of good healthy food and an over abundance of junk food easily handed out to the children with cancer. 

Jillie and her family are now trying to pay it forward. Raising money to bring change and healthy food options to the hospital where Jillie was staying. They believe healthy food in can create such a difference in the healing of these children.

Please visit Jillie's site to read more about her story and the need to pay it forward. Please donate if you can or share her story to make a difference. If everyone donated even just $1 the impact could be so great! Thank You!

Back to School Giveaway Event Week #2

Welcome to the Back To School Giveaway Event - Week 2

Hosted by A Spectacled Owl, Budget Earth, Life With Lovebugs & Kids, Clutter & Chaos

Sponsored by: Matilda Jane, Lakeshore Learning Materials, The Ultimate Green Store, Frecklebox, Rock 'N Learn & Carolina Pad

I remember the excitement of summer coming to a close and preparing for back to school and the unknown of new teachers, classrooms and friends. What I didn't see was the expense and stress that back to school can have on parents. We've partnered with some great companies with products to help with that stress, even if just a little! Read on to learn a little more about each great sponsor and enter the giveaway on the Rafflecopter below.

 Matilda Jane - Matilda Jane lives by their motto "An unpredictable clothing company". When looking through their clothes online, you'll see that their clothes aren't just like all other clothes in stores. Their clothes are fun, colorful & bold! You can find out more about Matilda Jane by reading the review of their Tween Confetti Dress at A Spectacled Owl. Winner will be able to choose 2 pieces of clothing from their new Fall Collection, Paint By Numbers.

 The Ultimate Green Store - The Ultimate Green Store carries hundreds of environmentally friendly products for you, your home, office, kids and even your pets. Their products are from many different companies that sell natural, organic, recycled, eco-friendly goods and are products that are made with your health and the health of our planet in mind. You can find out more about The Ultimate Green Store and see the review of their Bento Lunchbox 2.0 in Primary colors at A Spectacled Owl. Winner will receive a $25 Gift Card to buy their own lunch gear ( or choose from the hundreds of Eco-friendly and organic products they carry).

Frecklebox - Frecklebox is a fantastic company where you can find adorable personalized gifts for kids. Frecklebox allows you to personalize 100's of items like lunchboxes, books, chore charts, notebooks and MUCH more. You can find out more about Frecklebox and see A Spectacled Owl's review of fun personalized items she chose for her three kids HERE. Winner will receive a $40 Gift Certificate to chose their own personalized gifts for kids.

Lakeshore Learning Materials - Lakeshore is a fantastic resource for finding fun, educational, well-made products. They carry products for infants through 6th grade that help kids reach developmental milestones and educational goals, all while having fun! Find out more about Lakeshore Learning Materials by reading A Spectacled Owl's review on the School Days Keepsake Album she received for her son. Winner will receive a School Days Keepsake Album, as well.

Rock 'N Learn - Rock 'N Learn started with the idea that kids will learn better if the information is put to music that is more current, like the music they listen to with their parents. Rock 'N Learn DVDs help students learn math, phonics, reading, early childhood, social studies, Spanish, test-taking strategies, writing, and science. You can find out more about Rock 'N Learn and see A Spectacled Owl's review of their Sight Words Level 3 DVD HERE. Winner will receive their own copy of Sight Words Level 3 on DVD.

Carolina Pad - Carolina Pad creates trendy, stylish and fun school & office products. With a wide array of colors and patterns, you're sure to find a notebook, folder, calendar & more in a style you'll love! You can find out more about Carolina Pad and see A Spectacled Owl's review HERE. Winner will receive a $25 prize pack of school supplies.

Back To School Giveaway Event

• 1 Winner will receive 2 pieces of clothing from Matilda Jane, a $25 Gift Card to The Ultimate Green Store, a $40 GC to Frecklebox, a School Days Keepsake Album from Lakeshore Learning Materials, the Sight Words Level 3 DVD from Rock 'N Learn & a $25 prize pack of school supplies from Carolina Pad (a $200 value!)
• Open to US
• Winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter via Random.org.
• Giveaway ends August 5th at 11:59 pm EST.
• Winner will be notified through email.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond before new winner is chosen.
• Must be 18 Years or Older to Enter Rafflecopter.
• Entering the Rafflecopter means you agree to terms above.
• If you have any questions, feel free to email tara@aspectacledowl.com
• Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Disclosure: Kids, Clutter & Chaos did not receive compensation for this giveaway. Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest are in no way associated with this giveaway. Prize fulfillment and shipping will be handled by sponsor.

If you are a business that would like to see your products featured in a similar type of event & wants to increase your social media exposure, please contact Tara at tara@aspectacledowl.com to see how we can help!

Sun Angels UPF Arm Sleeves Review

*I was not paid for this post but provided with a pair of Sun Angels Arm Sleeves for the purpose of review and my honest opinion. The following is my thoughts and review....

If you are obsessive about applying sunblock to your kids before they head outside, but hate the time, mess and arguments from wiggling children, then by golly do I have a product you must check out! And well if you aren't obsessive about it, then these are a must have for you too!

Check out Sun Angels! Sun Angels has created a new UPF 50+ arm sleeve. You simply slip them on your kids arms paired with a regular short sleeved shirt before they head outside, and then simply pull them back off when they come in. No more missing out on the fun and no more sunscreen mess!

Ok ok I hear you... you think your kids will be HOT with sleeves? Nope. Sun Angels arm sleeves are made with a lightweight and breathable 60% polyester/35% cotton jersey/5% spandex fabric blend and paired with a short sleeved shirt they still allow airflow to the under arm area. And honestly even if they were a tad bit hotter, I'd go with hotter over a sunburn and risk of cancer any day of the week.

Children are more at risk than adults to the harmful effects of UV light as their skin is thinner and has less melanin than adults. Making it of the utmost importance to protect their little bodies. Many children  can also have sensitive skin and it will be irritated by the use of sunblock. You can eliminate both problems and both UVA and UVB rays with UPF clothing like Sun Angels.

We camp a lot and are outside more often than not as well so these arm sleeves have been perfect for us. They are great when your kids just want to get outside, especially camping. No searching for the sunscreen or keeping the kids cooped up in the trailer. Also love them for when the boys want to head out in the backyard. Most often they head out for a bit then come back in, hardly worth the time to apply head to toe sunscreen. Best of all Big Brother can put them on himself and off he goes.

I also love the trendy and fun designs of Sun Angels arm sleeves. We had the opportunity to review the I'm a Star design. The fun pairing of pattern, color and design are awesome. Bright yellow stitching just  pumps up the cool factor. Big Brother couldn't wait to put them on and they held up to his rough and tumble boy play.

Now although they are great for Big Brother, they would be so great on babies. As you know babies are not suppose to use sunscreen under 6 months so how cute would these be on your little one with the ease of mind they will not be getting sun exposure! Make sure you check out the sizing when ordering because they come in small, medium and large and then also special ones for babies. I ordered the large which states is for 5-6 year olds and they are perfect for Big Brother who is 5.

Now what is really cool about Sun Angels is their belief on the importance for ALL children to receive proper sun protection education at an early age. They have created Sunrays of Hope, a program to raise awareness about sun safety and provide support and resources for those who share the same mission.

Each month they choose a new recipient to be supported by Sunrays of Hope. For July it is Grace's Green Wagon in honor of seven year old melanoma survivor, Grace Jarrell. Grace was diagnosed with Stage IIIB melanoma when she was just four years old. Sun Angels will donate 10% of its sales to help Grace's foundation purchase books and supplies so that it can implement its sun safety education program.

Sun Angels Arm Sleeves are just $19.99 and you can feel good about your child being protected and that a portion of your sales will give back and make sure other children will learn about sun safety and be protected too.

Make sure you find Sun Angels on Facebook and show them your support and keep up to date with Sunrays of Hope information as well. They can also be found on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram!

The Young Scientists Club Magic School Bus Wonders of Nature Kit Review & Giveaway

*I was not paid for this post but provided with a Magic School Bus Kit for the purpose of review and my honest opinion. The following is my thoughts and review....

I love watching my kids learn and have fun at the same time. I try to set up activities and projects for them but don't always have the supplies or the organization to make it all come together. I'm happy there are companies like The Young Scientists Club who go above and beyond creating the best learning tools and products for young children.

The Young Scientists Club started as a summer science camp for the founder's 5 year old son and was such a hit with friends that a subscription service was born. The Young Scientists Club believes that children should be exposed to the fascinating fields of science at an early age and learn with hands-on games, activities and experiments. Awarded top prestigious awards year after year this "club" is sure to be a hit with any child.

Although The Young Scientists Club is a subscription service they also offer science kits and games online and at specialty retail stores. With big names you will recognize and that are surely to grab your children's attention like The Magic School Bus and Clifford The Big Red Dog. We had the opportunity to review The Magic School Bus Explore the Wonders of Nature Kit.

Explore the Wonders of Nature is jam packed full of activities to get your child excited about nature and the outdoors. It is designed for ages 5 and up but Little Brother had a wonderful time participating with his Big Brother at 2.5. A great value at just $19.99 you get 12 activities or projects with everything included that you need to complete the projects. Each project has detailed directions in a fun Magic School Bus learning style guide with pictures and colors that make it fun and interesting for kids.

Included Projects:
• Make a bug house
• Nature Scavenger Hunt
• Create a paper maché ant
• Learn about the life cycle of an ant
• Build an ant farm
• Sun Prints
• Leaf Art
• Dry Flowers
• Cast an animal track
• Animal tracks game
• Egg Experiment
• Dissolve an egg shell

We camp a lot and are outdoors any chance we get so this kit was perfect for our family. It was so much fun to see the boys get excited about the kit and eager to do the projects. We took our kit camping and built our ant farm. With ant hills all over camping this was the perfect opportunity for the boys to observe the ants, however they were just as excited to go hunting for the ant hills.

I think their very favorite was the nature scavenger hunt. We did this in our own front and back yard and I was surprised at how many items on the list we could find in our small area. There were just a few that we weren't able to find. The boys were running all over the yard and knew just where certain items would be and others that we really had to hunt for. Item's such as seeds and pollen were great learning opportunities for me as they see these things but we don't necessarily talk about them. It was a great tool to get the ideas started.

Casting the animal track was also great fun. They now have a bear print treasure and it was just as much fun mixing the plaster of paris and getting messy as it was to get the final product.

We also all really loved the Animal Track Game. Trying to match up the many different animals to the tracks was really hard and really interesting. Also to see which animals are similar and how to tell the difference.

Explore the Wonders of Nature is just one of many kits offered by The Young Scientists Club. Offered at just $19.99-$39.99 others in The Magic School Bus Series are the Weather Lab, Slime and Polymer Lab, Blasting off with Erupting Volcanoes and more. The Clifford Series is for ages 3 and up and offers kits like Bubble Science, Rainbow Science and Kitchen Science. I can't wait to purchase some other kits for the boys. They are such a great idea for learning and keeping the boys busy and engaged.

WIN IT:

How would you like the chance to introduce your child to the wonder's of science? Enter now for the chance to win an Explore the Wonder's of Nature kit or your choice of the following science kits from either The Magic School Bus or Clifford The Big Red Dog Series listed below!

Magic School Bus Weather Lab

Clifford Rainbow Science

Clifford Bubble Science

Clifford Kitchen Science

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to School Giveaway Event - Week #1

Welcome to the Back To School Giveaway Event - Week 1

Hosted by A Spectacled Owl, Budget Earth, Life With Lovebugs & Kids, Clutter & Chaos

Sponsored by Mighty Nest, Naartjie Kids, ECOlunchbox, Susabelle Boutique & Order Out of Chaos

I remember the excitement of summer coming to a close and preparing for back to school and the unknown of new teachers, classrooms and friends. What I didn't see was the expense and stress that back to school can have on parents. We've partnered with some great companies with products to help with that stress, even if just a little! Read on to learn a little more about each great sponsor and enter the giveaway on the Rafflecopter below.

 Mighty Nest - Mighty Nest certainly lives up to it's motto "Better Living Made Easy". First, the products that they sell have all been screened & are free of known toxins such as: BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead and other heavy metals, melamine, chemical flame retardants, parabens and other harsh chemicals. They screen each manufacturer to find out about the ingredients, safety procedures & manufacturing practices in each product. Plus, they make it easy to shop for these great products all in one place. At Might Nest, you'll find everything from dishware & kitchen utensils to lunch gear and toys for kids. You can find out more about Mighty Nest by reading the review of the Alexander the Robot Backpack at A Spectacled Owl. Winner will be able to choose a Beatrix bag of their own.

Naartjie Kids - Known for it's colorful, playful, active clothing, Naartjie (pronounced nar chee), has been a fun clothing store for kids in size 0-10 since 1992. In mid-August, they will be expanding their line of clothing for the tween/teen crowd. Now, Naartjie will have clothes up to a size 16. You can find out more about Naartjie Kids and see all the great clothes that Tara at A Spectacled Owl bought her son HERE. Winner will receive a $50 Naartjie Kids Gift Card!

ECOlunchbox - Founded by Sandra Harris, ECOlunchbox was started when she realized how much waste was being made by making her kids their lunches for school. She turned to bento boxes but realized that they weren't durable and plastic wasn't safe to use. The ECOlunchboxes are free of plastic, waste, BPA, PVC, petroleum & vinyl. You can find out more about ECOlunchbox and see A Spectacled Owl's review HERE. Winner will receive a ECOlunchbox Solo Cube, set of 2 ECO napkins, and an ECOstainless Spork.

Susabelle Boutique - Home goods, stationery, personal care, jewelry & baby gifts...Susabelle Boutique has it all and most of the products they carry are Made in the USA! Find out more about Susabelle Boutique by reading A Spectacled Owl's review. Winner will receive a prize pack of school supplies like the ones featured in the review.

Order Out of Chaos - Started by Leslie, a mom whose son has ADHD, Order Out of Chaos brings professional organizing help to people (individuals, families, and small businesses) that really need it! Realizing that great organization skills doesn't just come naturally for everyone, Leslie LISTENS to the client and knows that what works for one person, might not work for another. Learn more about Order Out of Chaos and the Academic Planner that our winner will win in Tara's review.

Back To School Giveaway Event

• 1 Winner will receive a backpack from Mighty Nest, $50 GC to Naartjie Kids, 1 Solo Cube with cloth napkins and spork from ECOlunchbox, a prize pack of school supplies from Susabelle Boutique and 1 Order Out of Chaos Academic Planner
• Open to US
• Winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter via Random.org.
• Giveaway ends July 28th at 11:59 pm EST.
• Winner will be notified through email.
• Winner will have 48 hours to respond before new winner is chosen.
• Must be 18 Years or Older to Enter Rafflecopter.
• Entering the Rafflecopter means you agree to terms above.
• If you have any questions, feel free to email tara@aspectacledowl.com
• Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Kids, Clutter & Chaos did not receive compensation for this giveaway. Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest are in no way associated with this giveaway. Prize fulfillment and shipping will be handled by sponsor.

If you are a business that would like to see your products featured in a similar type of event & wants to increase your social media exposure, please contact Tara at tara@aspectacledowl.com to see how we can help!

Motorworks by Manhattan Toy Review

It is no big secret how much Little Brother is obsessed with cars. Old cars, new cars, the movie Cars, if it is anything to do with cars he is interested. So I knew instantly when I spotted the new Motorworks line by Manhattan Toy that he would be in heaven!

We were lucky enough to have the chance to review not one but TWO of the Motorworks cars which meant more options to mix and match the car parts and most importantly one car for each boy and no fighting!

Motorworks has three different series, a Street Series, a Speed Series and a Extreme Series. Each series has three different cars. So no matter what style of car your kids are into they are sure to find a favorite. All cars and parts in all the series can mix and match giving your child endless options to customize the perfect car. You can also purchase additional accessory kits to really ramp up the customization.

We reviewed the FSX Monster Truck and the FX Fire Chief, both from the Extreme Series. We also received an additional Police Pursuit wheels and trim accessory kit. The boys went to town and had parts and pieces switching and swapping all afternoon. With plenty of parts to go around they have the best time making practical useful cars and also some pretty crazy creations. The cars have been a hit every day since we got them.

My favorite part about the cars is the quality. The body of each car is made from European beech wood. They are built strong and look nice, different than others on the market. No lights, sounds and other crazy stuff just a really cool fun and smart toy any child would love to have.

Best of all Motorworks are affordable. Vehicles are priced from $13.99 to $29.99 (two-pack vehicle sets) and accessories start at just $4.99. Accessories range from custom car decals to monster wheels. I know it's crazy to even mention the word "Christmas" right now, but I like to think ahead. I know any child would love to find these under the tree Christmas morning!

Motorworks is just one of many toys offered from Manhattan Toy. Make sure to give them a "like" on Facebook and keep up to date with all of their great products!

Aeromax Jr. Space Explorer Review & Giveaway

*I was not paid for this post but provided with a Jr. Space Explorer for the purpose of review and my honest opinion. The following is my thoughts and review....

Hot summer sun is beating down on us here in Oregon and that means camping and water fun! The boys and I were both so excited to have the opportunity to review a fun Jr. Space Explorer blow up water toy from Aeromax! 3 - 2 - 1 BLAST OFF!

I was quite impressed straight out of the box. It has so many details and looks like a real space shuttle. It even has QR codes right on the front you can scan with your smart phone or tablet. One shows actual video footage of a space shuttle launch with views of Earth as well as landing. The other gives space history. 

The Jr. Space Explorer is the perfect size for little ones and can hold up to 90 pounds. It is also very stable which is a must with water toys. It has a clear bubble window that looks like you are looking down on Earth and has realistic instrument panels and gauges.

Because of the nice size of the shuttle my boys were instantly in love and couldn't wait to get it in the water. It also was a bonus as it blows up quickly. As I mentioned above it is also very stable so both boys were comfortable floating and playing around on it. We used it many days on our camping trip and it seems durable and should last us many water adventures.

The Space Explorer is perfect for water but could also be used on dry land too. I think it will come in very handy this winter to bring in the house for the boys to play and use their imaginations. It's compact size means this fun toy can go just about anywhere!

This is just one of many (try 300+!) great fun and imagination required toys brought to you from Aeromax. Winning nearly every top toy industry awards, Aeromax was founded 16 years ago and continues to grow. Charitable giving is very important to Aeromax with thousands of toys donated.

Make sure to find Aeromax on Facebook and show your support of this great company!

WIN IT:

Are you ready to beat the heat and summer boredom? Then make sure you enter below for the opportunity to win your choice of either the Jr. Space Explorer (retailing $34.95) or one of the following three great toys from Aeromax!

Fire Power Super Soaking Fire Hose with Backpack (retail $12.95)

Astronaut Space Pack Super Soaking Water Blaster (retail $15.95)

Sky Scrapers (retail $9.95)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the Home Giveaway Hop - BEAN Crafts custom sign giveaway

Welcome to the "For The Home" Giveaway Hop hosted by
Mommy's Favorite Things and Mama's Baby Cupcakes. 

This hop is focused on items you'd want/need for your home! After visiting my giveaway, make sure you use the linky below to take a look at the other 40+ blogs and see what they have to offer! Each blog has a minimum prize package of $25 per winner. 

Make sure to check out the Grand Prize hosted on Mommy's Favorite Things blog. This prize is sponsored by WoodSnap.com and is a great prize of FOUR 12x12 personalized photos printed on wood for a retail value of $280!

_________________________________________________________________________

For my giveaway you have the chance to win this fabulous sign from BEAN Crafts! All signs are hand cut and hand painted! 
A wonderful message for any home and style!

You can see my full review of BEAN and their other fantastic designs here.

Enter the Rafflecopter below and good luck!

Mama's Baby Cupcakes, Mommy's Favorite Things and the "For The Home" participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bean - Hand Painted Ruler Height Chart Review & Upcoming Giveaway

*I was not paid for this post but provided with a discount on a height chart for the purpose of review and my honest opinion. The following is my thoughts and review....

I have been wanting to create for some time now one of the most adorable and highly pinned images on Pinterest - the Ruler Height Chart!

And while I have good intentions and so badly want to make one, day by day, week by week goes by and I just can't seem to find the time. I was so excited to find BEAN, an online shop that just happens to be local to me that creates the most amazing and perfect one of a kind art and wood decor.

BEAN is owned and operated by Nicole a mom of two. With exceptional artistic talent all her artwork and decor is hand painted and hand cut. She makes no effort to hide the original markings of the wood - this just adds to the charm of the piece.

I had the opportunity to review a Ruler Height Chart! Yay! My wall is no longer empty and I can now focus my energy on my boys and how quickly they are growing rather than my list of projects that will never be done.

The details and craftsmanship of BEAN's artwork is impeccable. I couldn't be more happy with how the chart turned out. From the stain to the paint and to the smart saw tooth hanger that comes on each piece, Nicole really makes all of her artwork one of a kind and easy for you to simply hang and enjoy.

My height chart is just plain and looks like a ruler, however you can also have your children's names and even date of birth added as well. I wanted mine to have a plain side so I can add the boys hand prints and maybe a photo or two and really customize it over the years.

Big Brother stands by the chart every single day and asks me if he has grown. I love this addition to our family story and it will be used and treasured for years and years to come.

Here are a few more of my favorite pieces from Bean, although I love everything she does it is very hard to choose!

Right now you can only order BEAN on Facebook but an Etsy shop is in the works! Simply visit BEAN on Facebook - find your favorite artwork (or 2 or 3) and send a PM (Private Message) to get the ball rolling and your artwork on it's way!

WIN IT:

Nicole from BEAN has graciously created a special piece (and one of my favorites) just for me to give away in the upcoming For the Home Giveaway Hop that will run from July 8 - 22nd! So head over HERE and enter and GOOD LUCK!