Looking for a Laminator that is easy to use? I love the A6/A4/A3 Thermal Laminator by Sarki! It is super easy to use and even looks quite stylish! It has a two roller system and a jam release switch. I really like that it has an automatic shut off function and that it warms up super quick! As a homeschooler, I can see so many uses for this product! I absolutely love it! I’m in the process of laminating my son’s report cards and certificates and love how easy it is to use. This is perfect for personal use, for the office, and for school! I’m also pretty impressed that it has 4 different temperature settings.

You can find it on Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received a discount to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received.

I love Halloween time and decorating! I recently received some really fun and spooky decorations. These scary faces were easy to cut out and display around the house! (Frames not included).

I love this Jack Skellington Jack-o-lantern? It’s great to put inside or outside on your porch!

And, if you are looking for Party Favors..I love the Tattoos for the little ones and the Little Treat Bags! These will be a hit at any children’s party!

Is your little girl or boy all about Disney’s Descendants? Check out these  Disney Descendants Party Ideas to prepare an amazing party for your little one!

From invitations, to decorations, to food ideas, Costume SuperCenter has put together a grand compilation of everything you’d need for a stellar Descendants party. Perhaps the kiddos aren’t quite old enough for Descendants yet? They’ve got you covered there as well, with their post on Disney Party Ideas!

All items can be found at https://www.birthdayinabox.com

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this Halloween post. Top images are my own. The bottom image was provided to use for the post. Thank you to Costume SuperCenter for the great tips!

It’s time to get ready to carve some pumpkins! Go all out this year with one of the most fun, lasting Halloween traditions. Our Paw Patrol Pumpkin Stencils are the perfect way for you and the kids to create a masterpiece this year!

You and the rest of the family are bound to find a stencil that you love for decorating your pumpkins this year. From Cars to Up, we have stencils from various children’s’ movies. But, of course, we have to draw attention to the most popular category of all this Halloween–Nightmare Before Christmas.

These beloved stencils have been popular for quite some time, and don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Don’t miss this opportunity to impress everyone and do some artwork with your kids this Halloween!

Thanks to our friends at COSTUME SUPERCENTER!

Courtesy of COSTUME SUPERCENTER!

It’s that time of year! It’s Fall and Halloween is almost here! Hotel Transylvania 3 will be available on a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on October 9th! How about having a fun Hotel Transylvania themed party with the kids?

Check out this cool recipe!

How about a sleepover?

I received an exclusive HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 Movie Night Kit ( All items in the kit are courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Jazwares to facilitate this post) and can’t wait to throw our Halloween party and watch this fun DVD with all the kids! I did watch it the other day and found it so entertaining! This one is a must for Halloween! I received some really fun items such as Vampire Makeover: Mavis and Drac Tutorial: Mavis make-up kit with Vampire teeth and a Mavis Halloween costume.

Jazwares, an award-winning toy company that created a whole new series of toys based on the HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA characters are super cool!  You just have to look for them at a store near you!

The Drac Pack is back with HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3, which will be available on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on October 9, just in time to for a spooky, fun, family movie night right before Halloween! This must-own family comedy, which has grossed more than $425 million in theaters worldwide to date, follows in the tradition of the blockbuster Hotel Transylvania franchise when Mavis surprises Dracula with a family voyage on a luxury, haunted monster cruise ship. Of course, the rest of the Drac Pack has to tag along, and that’s when things get a little…batty. The monsters are having a great time, indulging in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to colossus-sized buffets and exotic excursions, but then the unexpected happens when Drac falls for the ship’s mysterious (and dangerous) human captain Ericka. The third film in this family-friendly monster franchise is the best reviewed installment and you’re invited along on the haunted cruise vacation!
The all-star voice cast is back, along with some new faces as well including Adam Sandler (Grown-Ups), Andy Samberg (TV’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Selena Gomez (Spring Breakers), Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2), David Spade (TV’s “Rules of Engagement”), Steve Buscemi (TV’s “Boardwalk Empire”), Keegan Michael Key (TV’s “Key and Peele”), Molly Shannon (TV’s “Saturday Night Live”), Fran Drescher (TV’s “The Nanny”), Kathryn Hahn (Bad Moms), Jim Gaffigan (Super Troopers 2) and Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein).

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 is filled with more than an hour of engaging bonus materials including three “All-New Scary-Oke Sing Alongs,” a monster dance party dance along to “I See Love” by Joe Jonas featuring Jonas Blue, plus a fun zing-tastic read along with Drac. Families can enjoy all the frightful fun with a “Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover” feature and “Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial,” and go behind-the-scenes to explore the amazing talent who bring these characters to life in “Behind the Screams – The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3.

Bonus Materials Include:
• Three All New Scary-Oke Sing Alongs: Sing along to three Hotel Transylvania 3 inspired songs with your favorite characters!
o “Dennis Had a Giant Dog” – Sung by Dennis & Winnie
o “Monsters Like to Party Down” – Sung by Johnny
o “Oh These Wolf Pups” – Sung by Wanda Werewolf
• Plan Your Own Spook-tacular Sleepover: This feature will give you all details on how to make your own sleepover spook-tacular! From snacks to crafts to games and more, follow these steps to create a Hotel T sleep-over with your friends and family, the perfect setting to binge watch all 3 Hotel Transylvania movies.
• Vampire Make Over: Mavis and Drac Tutorial: Learn how to turn yourself into your favorite Hotel Transylvania 3 characters.
• Behind the Screams – The Voices of Hotel Transylvania 3: Step behind the “screams” with the returning stars and hilarious new cast to see how these characters are brought to life in the recording booth.
• Johnny’s Home Movies (Franchise Recap): Johnny brings viewers up to speed on what’s happened in the Hotel Transylvania franchise so far.
• “I See Love” Monster Dance Party Dance Along: Get up and get moving to this haunting monster mash.
• Drac’s Zing-tastic Read Along: It’s storytime with your favorite characters have a silly tale about Drac’s search for a Zing! Read along or sit back and enjoy!
• Two Mini Movies (rated G): Two mini-features that will have you howling.
o Puppy
o Goodnight Mr. Foot

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 has a run time of approximately 97 minutes and is rated PG for some action and rude humor.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group includes film labels Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ANIMATION
Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated and family entertainment for audiences around the world, including comedy hit franchises such as The Smurfs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and Hotel Transylvania. Next for the division are Genndy Tartakovsky’s Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, in theaters now; the groundbreaking animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse from the minds of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in December 2018; the original feature comedy The Mitchells Vs. The Machines in January 2020; and the animated musical Vivo, featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, in November 2020. Sony Pictures Animation, which was founded in 2002, is a division of the Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group.

• Website: http://www.sonypicturesanimation.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAnimation
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/sonyanimation
• Tumblr: http://sonyanimation.tumblr.com/
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SonyAnimation

Self Disclosure: I received a fun-filled movie themed kit to faciliatte this post. Images, information, and recipes were also provided.

Tired of dealing with stains when you are doing your laundry? Stain Devils will put your mind at ease in dealing with those pesky stains! I like that there are different ones for the different type of stains. I was quite impressed with how well #8 worked on juice stains!

Every stain is a shame, but there are certain kinds of spots that are unspeakable. Whether it’s that time of the month or the morning after, Carbona® Stain Devils® stain-specific formulas stain-specific formulas will keep your secret.

– For visits from Aunt Flo: Stain Devils® #4 removes blood

– When nature calls: Stain Devils® #8  removes urine and vomit

– The sweat escape: Stain Devils® #9 removes perspiration and deodorant

Stop playing multi-purpose stain remover roulette. With the Carbona Stain Devils product range of nine different spot stain removers, you can (discretely) conquer any laundry stain – even the ones you’d rather not talk about. That’s because each Stain Devils product is specifically formulated to remove a different stain type. And, they have been dermatologically tested and can be used on washable or dry clean only fabrics. Carbona Stain Devils are available in stores nationwide or online on Amazon or www.carbona.com  (MSRP: $3.99).

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this post. Images were also provided. 

In advance of National Coffee Day  Saturday, 9/29, Melitta Coffee is taking a look back at their century-long commitment to innovation, spurring from founder, Melitta Bentz, the inventor of the pour-over. In fact, every time you take a sip of drip coffee it’s a nod to Melitta Bentz, who revolutionized the process back in 1908 when she invented pour-over coffee. We’ve come a long way since she first punched holes in a brass pot, took a piece of paper from her son’s notebook and created the first two-part filter system.

Here are some helpful tips on behalf of Melitta Coffee – everything you will need to enjoy that delicious coffee shop experience right from the comfort of home. Follow along, and a great cup of coffee (or two or three) is just a mug away.

Brewing Tips:

So, what’s the secret to a really great cup of coffee? Melitta’s got a few simple tricks to help perfect your brew-at-home skills:

1. Buy coffee weekly or bi-monthly. Once opened, ground coffee begins to stale in about 24 hours. To slow this process, store coffee in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.
2. For the fullest flavor, buy (or grind your own) extra fine grind coffee. When using finer grinds, it’s possible to use less coffee due to higher extraction levels. We recommend 2 level teaspoons per 6 ounces of water.
3. Use paper filters to effectively trap bitter sediments. Cone shaped filters allow for full saturation of the grounds, but all good, quality paper will ultimately enhance the final cup.
4. Drink coffee as soon as possible after brewing. If left on a burner, the coffee will continue to cook and starts to degrade in as little as 20 minutes.

5. For the single-serve coffee drinker, never sacrifice flavor and quality for convenience. Be sure to buy eco- friendly, as well.

For additional tips to a better cup, visit: https://www.melitta.com/en/The-perfect-Cup-510,5987.html

Recently, the brand released two new vintage-inspired products, the Signature Series Pour-Over and the Heritage Series Pour-Over Set.

And, they have the best coffee too!

Happy National Coffee Day!

Self Disclosure: I received a free coffee sample to post. No other compensation was provided. Tips and images were also provided.

Many people researching healthier diets have discovered the benefits of plant-based foods. Studies across the board agree that plant-based meals can boost your health by helping you maintain a healthy weight – along with decreasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

However, implementing plant-based foods into your diet is often more difficult than it sounds. While everybody enjoys a good bowl of sautéed vegetables or similar meals, many of the recipes behind the most ideal plant-based dishes often sacrifice flavor. Of course, adults have the willpower to stomach healthy meals without enjoying their flavor, but what about when it comes to children? It doesn’t need to be said that if kids don’t enjoy what’s on their plate…they’ll keep their mouths shut until parents finally relent, and give them what they want.

Enter Lika. Produced by the Amazing Protein Company under the direction of well-regarded vegan food expert, Swami Nathan, Lika is a series of specially-prepared plant-based meals that make flavor their priority. Take a look at their offerings and you won’t believe what you’re seeing —

Orange chicken! Beef and Broccoli! Barbeque! Meatloaf! Meatballs! Even Southwest Chili!

Delicious favorites you know and love – but only prepared with plant-based ingredients. And unlike other vegan meals you may have tried, these taste like the real deal. From their flavoring to their texture, it’s nearly impossible to tell you’re not eating meat. From the first bite, it’s clear that Lika is designed for people (both adults and children!) who love meat.

Lika will soon be available for purchase, so be sure to follow the Amazing Protein Company online to learn more! http://www.amazingprotein.com/

School’s back in session—and so are after-school activities! From soccer to singing to scouting, there’s certainly no shortage of kid-centric extracurricular programs where you can spend your time and hard-earned cash. But how do you know which ones are right for your kid? We’re here to help you find out!

Gauge Their Interests

The best activity for your kid is the one they’re interested in. Older kids are likely to be drawn to what their friends are trying. Toddlers and younger kids may have trouble articulating what they want to try, but there are sure to be clues to look out for. Are they constantly running around? Maybe soccer would be a good fit. Do they like to bop along to the radio in the car? Perhaps they’d appreciate a music class.

Consider Their Personality

Have a shy kid who hides behind mama when meeting new people? An acting class probably isn’t the best idea. As tempting as it can be to use activities to help break kids out of their shell, it’s best to stick with classes that align with a kid’s authentic spirit. The more comfortable they are, the more confident they’ll be—which will hopefully lead to a willingness to try new things later on.

• Individual Activities

Independent-minded kids tend to enjoy individual sports, such as gymnastics, tennis, dance or martial arts. Non-sport options could include private lessons in music or art. Benefits of these types of activities include building self-esteem, motor skills and attention/focus.

• Group Activities

Socially-minded kids often prefer the camaraderie of team sports, such as soccer, basketball or hockey. Non-sport options could include scouting troops or theater arts. These types of activities emphasize teamwork, communication and discipline.

Take Advantage of Free Trial Classes

Once you’ve narrowed down your options, see if you can “try before you buy” with a free trial class. Many program facilitators understand that kids can be finicky creatures, with a passion for tap one day and taekwondo the next. And it’s a good idea to decide as a family before the program starts whether you’ll let your kiddo quit before the session is over if they don’t enjoy it or ask them to stick it out to the end to honor their commitment.

Think About Your Schedule

How many activities are too many? Well, that depends on the family and the child. Some kids have the interest and energy to take a bunch of different classes while others may feel overscheduled and stressed. Budget and work timetables can also be a factor. Only you can know what’s right for your family, so trust your gut and enjoy the ride!

When shuttling kids around to activities, be sure to take along Go Organically Organic Fruit Snacks. Made with real fruit and no artificial colors, our gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free kids snacks are individually packaged for on-the-go convenience. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for kid-friendly ideas and inspiration!

Check out their blog post: https://www.goorganicallysnacks.com/choosing-after-school-activities/

My family loves their Fruit Snacks!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this post. No other compensation was received. Credit for Tips and image: Go Organically Organic Fruit Snacks.