Bring a Little Summer to Your Shower with Softsoap's Latest Body Washes!

 **Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Ah, the smell of summer!  If you are a fan of light, fruity scents, get excited about Softsoap's two latest limited edition fragrances, Summer Breeze and Coconut Splash:

What we love about Softsoap Summer Breeze and Coconut Splash Moisturizing Body Wash:

-The moisture-rich formula leaves our skin feeling soft and smooth

-These body washes allow you to affordably indulge your skin and delight your senses

-A little bit goes a long way, which makes them very budget-friendly:)  

You can find Softsoap products at grocers and mass merchandisers nationwide!

Click to shop Softsoap Body Wash!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Chewy.com July Pick: Merrick Lil' Plates Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew Trays

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Chewy.com is your one-stop shop for all things cat and dog!  One of the fantastic products you can find at Chewy.com is from Merrick:

Merrick Lil' Plates Grain-Free Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew Dog Food Trays

Merrick Lil' Plates answer the demand for delicious dinners made just for small breed dogs with Grain-Free Itsy Bitsy Beef Stew Dog Food Trays. This meal is everything your tiny friend dreamed it would be with real beef mixed with wholesome sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans and apples. A mouthwatering beef and venison broth tops it off for a hearty stew that’s easy on tummies with highly digestible ingredients in a perfectly sized portion for small mouths.

These little trays are great for small dogs, but our pup is medium sized and we find pouring a tray over her dry food is a great motivator to get her eating on days it seems she's avoiding her dish:)  Whatever your dog's size, they are likely to really love this stew that is full of meat and veggies swimming in gravy.  Jessie sure does!

You can find Merrick Lil' Plates at Chewy.com for $17.68 for a case of 12 3.5 oz trays.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Book Review: Missing by Lisa Harris

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Missing

by Lisa Harris

The Nikki Boyd Files

Nikki Boyd isn't usually called in on homicides; her forte is missing persons. But when a case with two murdered and two missing pops up on a quiet suburban street, she's ready to start the investigation and find missing homeowners Mac and Lucy Hudson. When the first clues lead her to the boat of her friend Tyler Grant--and another dead body--Nikki must untangle what ties Tyler to the Hudsons. The clues pull her into a deadly maze of counterfeit drugs and a killer who will stop at nothing to silence anyone who threatens his business--including Nikki.

Christy Award-winning and bestselling author Lisa Harris puts you right into the action in this fast-paced thriller.

My thoughts:  

You won't be able to put this one down!  The twists and turns will keep you hanging on the edge of your seat from start to finish.  The perfect, fast-paced summer read!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Chewy.com July Pick: Blue Buffalo Wilderness Bayou Blend with Alligator & Catfish Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Chewy.com is your one-stop shop for all things cat and dog!  One of the fantastic products you can find at Chewy.com is from Blue Buffalo:

Blue Buffalo Wilderness Bayou Blend with Alligator & Catfish Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Bring the exotic flavors of the bayou to dinner with Blue Buffalo Wilderness Bayou Blend with Alligator & Catfish Grain-Free Canned Dog Food. Satisfy your dog’s wild side with the taste of real alligator, a nutritious and high-quality protein that brings some variety to his diet. And no Southern bayou cuisine would be complete without the delicious inclusion of catfish and shrimp in the mix. Made without grains or gluten, Bayou Blend provides a meat-rich diet with diverse protein sources for a meal that’s inspired by the wilderness and nutritionally complete.

Jessie loves adding a little wet food to her mainly dry food diet.  It's always a treat to get canned food and as soon as she sees a can in our hands, she gets super excited.  Being the pup of a reviewer, she has gotten to try lots of different foods and treats...she's a bit spoiled:)  

She absolutely loves Bayou Blend!  I wasn't sure how it would go over since she's never had alligator before, but it was a huge hit!

Chewy.com makes it easy to spoil your fur babies with their great selection, competitive pricing and lightning fast shipping.

You can find Blue Buffalo Wilderness Bayou Blend canned food at Chewy.com for $36.94 for a case of 12 12.5 oz cans.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Squishy Summer Fun With Collectible My Little Pony and Batman!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

With summer still in full swing, Tech4Kids shared with us a few of their cool collectible goodies featuring your favorite My Little Pony and Batman characters!  We got to review  My Little Pony Squishy Pops, Fash’Ems and Micro Lites, as well as Batman Micro Lites:

 Mash'ems and Fash'ems are a highly collectible toy that all kids will love. Hidden inside capsules, they hold the thrill of a concealed mystery item. The colorful capsule doubles as carry case. 

Micro Lites are squishy characters that feature a cool light when you squeeze them:

Squishy Pops are cool too!  These little guys stick to so many surfaces with their suction cup bottom and the kiddos adore their little heart-shaped cases:

My kiddos loved this round of cool collectibles from Tech 4 Kids!  Any time they can get their hands on a blind bag or mystery case, they are all in and they love growing their collections:)

These fun toys are an affordable way to start and grow a neat collection of popular character goodies:)

Twist, squeeze, squish and stick collectible fun with Fash'ems, Squishy Pops and Micro Lites!

Click to buy Mash'ems, Squishy Pops, Micro Lites and Fash 'Ems

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

KIDZ BOP 32 Now Available!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

It's time to sing the summer away with the latest addition to the KIDZ BOP family, KIDZ BOP 32!

Check out the song list from KIDZ BOP 32, aka: our summer soundtrack:

Cake By The Ocean

No

My House

Love Yourself

Don't Let Me Down

Work

Never Forget You

Out Of The Woods

Hide Away

One Call Away

Just Like Fire

Stressed Out

7 Years

One Dance

Life Of The Party (Bonus Track)

Our thoughts:

My kids LOVE music.  They love listening to the newest music, however not all of these songs are as kid-friendly as I'd like them to be.  That's why I love KIDZ BOP!  All of your favorite hit songs, safe for the entire family!   Even B and I can rock out to these fun CDs without getting annoyed which makes them great for the car:)  You never have to worry about explaining "grown-up" lyrics with Kidz Bop.  

KIDZ BOP 32 is available now for your family's listening pleasure all summer long!

For more information visit KIDZ BOP

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Parragon Books July Picks: Under the Sea Adventures!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Parragon is one of the largest illustrated non-fiction publishers in the world. From great selections of Disney, Barbie, Monster High, Ever After High, Discovery Kids, Dora, TMNT, Sponge Bob to in-house favorites including Little Learners, Pinkabella, Dino Supersaurus, Glitterbelle, Life Canvas, Love Food and more, they make books affordable and accessible to readers all around the globe.  They also feature several fun book kits for all ages.

This month, our favorite books from Parragon are all about the ocean:

First up, a fun activity book to tie in with one of this summer's biggest movies:

Join your favourite characters from Disney Pixar Finding Dory with this Unforgettable Activities book. Have fun with Dory and her friends, color the coral, count the starfish, crack Dory’s code and so much more! This activity book comes with over 40 things to do and even a fin-tastic chalkboard necklace. This book also comes with a bonus code for a free Disney digital storybook!

Everyone loves a good sticker book!  Hours of fun await with Parragon's 4000 Stickers Under the Sea:

Discover a whole world of adventure under the sea, including playful dolphins, a mysterious shipwreck and a colorful coral reef. This fun activity book will spark children's imaginations as they complete the scenes and solve the puzzles. Includes activities like join the dots, coloring in, and spot the difference... plus 4000 awesome stickers to choose from!

Finally, a new Discovery Kids Factivity kit just in time for the trips to the beach:)

Journey inside the amazing underwater world of sharks in this Discovery Kids kit! Learn hundreds of facts and complete tons of activities, puzzles, mazes, and more while you explore this Shark Factivity kit. Check out 6 awesome shark teeth included in this cool Factivity set. Read the book. Discover the facts. Complete the Activities.

My kiddos love the ocean and learning everything they can about what lives in it, so they really enjoyed this month's Parragon Picks!

Click to shop Parragon Books!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Keep Your Pups Happy All Summer with Evanger's!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We have always loved giving our pup, Jessie, Evanger's dog food and treats.  They have an amazing variety of foods to choose from that could keep any pup from getting bored with their diet

Jessie's favorites are the canned foods and with names like these, it's no wonder!

Just the sound of some of these makes me want to serve up their people food counterparts:)  You always get huge chunks of meat and veggies you can identify in every can and that's a huge plus!

Jessie is also a fan of the Semi-Dried Hi-Bio food that is 85% meat:

and the Grain Free jerky treats from the Nothing but Nature line:

These jerky treats are also full of fruits and veggies with a healthy amount of pheasant and venison thrown in.  Real winners!

Evanger's also has dry food which is a great option for dogs on a dry or mixed diet like Jessie.  

We have always been impressed with the quality of Evanger's products and if they get Jessie's stamp of approval, we recommend them to every pet owner we know.  Needless to say, Evanger's is a winner in our book!

Make your pups happy and get them some Evanger's!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

#ShopWithYourHeart Initiative from the ASPCA!

Today I'd like to share with y'all an exciting new initiative that ASPCA launched to improve the lives of farm animals called Shop With Your Heart.

As you may already know, most of the nearly 9 billion animals raised for meat, milk and eggs in the US are suffering in inhumane factory farms. And animals are not the only affected, as factory farms impact human health—they can be breeding grounds for dangerous pathogens and the antibiotics used to prevent disease create the potential for dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria to develop. 

To fully harness the power of our collective purchases and demand better lives for farm animals, the Shop With Your Heart initiative gives consumers the resources to recognize, locate and demand meaningfully welfare-certified meat, eggs and dairy products as well as plant-based alternatives.

Book Review: Barefoot Beach by Toby Devens

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

I recently had the chance to review Barefoot Beach by Toby Devens:

Spend a summer at the beach with this enchanting and emotional story about love, loss, and the powerful bonds of female friendship…

The beach house carried some kind of spell, concocted of—I don’t know—salt air, sea grass and Old Bay seasoning that over the years had permeated its walls and floorboards. Whatever it was, the place cast fabulous magic.

For Nora Farrell, Tuckahoe, Maryland, isn’t just a summer refuge, it’s home—where she married the love of her life, decided to have a child, and has remained connected with her two closest friends. Even now, long after her husband’s passing, Nora reunites with Margo and Emine every June….

But this year, challenges invade the friends’ retreat. Even as Nora delights in teaching at her dance studio, she is shaken by the possible loss of her beach house…and by a tentative new romance. While Margo directs a musical at the Driftwood Playhouse, she finds her marriage on rocky ground. And Em, who relishes running her family’s café, struggles to handle her rebellious daughter.

With their personal dramas reaching a fever pitch, the women will discover that it isn’t only the beach that brightens their lives. Their bond with one another provides the ultimate magic.

My thoughts:

A great beach read this summer, Barefoot Beach is a winner for sure!  The characters are so likeable and their struggles are very relatable, making this book a real treasure.  Barefoot Beach proves that the bond of true friendship can weather any storm and I loved it!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Collectible Secret Life of Pets Gift Cards from Fandango + Giveaway!

**Disclosure: I have accepted free Fandango promotional codes and other compensation from Fandango in exchange for my review.  Any opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

The Secret Life of Pets Fandango collectible gift cards are now available! In celebration of the movie's release, fans can now buy these fun gift cards for their favorite movie lovers in both digital or physical form at fandango.com/giftcards.  

In addition to the gift cards, Fandango has some great Secret Life of Pets content, including an exclusive interview with the film's stars, a time-lapse video, a quiz and much more. Check out all the fun and games:

Exclusive Interview with The Secret Life of Pets Cast

Time-lapse Video

QUIZ: Who’s Your Movie Pet BFF?

Real Secret Life of Pets

I don't know about you, but our family cannot wait to see The Secret Life of Pets!

Thanks to Fandango, one lucky reader will win a $50 Fandango gift card!  Enter below:

Loved + Blessed: An Encouraging Faith-Based Subscription Service July Edition

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review the July box from Loved + Blessed:

 Loved + Blessed is a Christian faith-based subscription box service that delivers a box of encouragement right to your door each month.

Each box revolves around a central theme and comes with a mini poster, a sticker, a purse-sized scripture card and a gift.

The theme for the July box was Victory:

The scripture card this month featured 1 Corinthians 15:57:  "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

There was also a duplicate set of theme and scripture cards to share with a friend.

The special gift in the July box was a delicate necklace to remind you that you are "Victorious":

I definitely think there is room for Loved + Blessed in the subscription box market and I love that their mission is to deliver encouraging products that support a fantastic message!

If that wasn't enough, Loved + Blessed gives a portion of the proceeds of each box sold to Union Rescue Mission, a charity that offers hope and healing to the homeless.  What an amazing cause!

At just $10 per month you can get your Loved + Blessed box or gift someone else with this monthly dose of encouragement today!

Click to shop Loved + Blessed!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Summer Toy Hot List: Super Impulse Precision RBS!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Just in time for summer, Precision RBS offers a unique line of rubber band launchers that allows for safe and intense fun -  a great product to get kids outside and active this summer!

RBS delivers intense fun – with more ammo, more power, and more on-target accuracy. Meets all safety requirements!

3 exciting models to choose from, all with interchangeable features. Precision RBS is the next evolution Rubber Band System.

We got to try out the Chiron:

The Chiron has storage for up to 100 rubber bands, so you’ll never run out of ammo! Chiron’s unique design has a quick-loading clip for rapid reloading, and a release option to separate into 2 completely different RBS Shooters, including a hand launcher for any size band.

These launchers are great for fast-paced fun for ages 8 and up!  D has really been enjoying using his Chiron and I'm really impressed with how far it can actually shoot.  He's really been improving his accuracy using the targets that came along with the launcher.

Precision RBS launchers are perfect for getting kiddos up and moving this summer and a lot of fun too!

Click to find out more about Precision RBS!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Crazy Cups July Flavor: Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Single Serve Cups + Giveaway!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

As an ambassador for Crazy Cups, I get to review a different flavor of single serve coffee cups each month.  The flavor for July is Chocolate Raspberry Truffle:

Crazy Cups are single serve cups that contain 13 grams of coffee in each cup for a flavorful cup of coffee.  They are compatible with all Keurig K Cups® Pods brewers and other single serve machines as well.   We use an iCoffee brewer and they fit perfectly.  Crazy Cups are gluten-free, nut-free, and contain no calories.  The cups use cool-peel-recycle technology, making them recyclable after use.  We peel ours back once they're cool, toss the grounds into our compost bin and recycle the cups, easy peasy and eco-friendly.

Flavor description:

A luscious combination of tangy raspberries and rich dark chocolate. It's a party in a mug.

Our thoughts:
We really enjoyed this indulgent blend!  It's the best of both worlds.  You get the fruity tang of the raspberries balanced by the velvety smoothness of the rich chocolate making this a truly decadent cup of coffee!  It's perfect for lazy Saturday mornings:)  What a treat!

Click to shop Crazy Cups!

One lucky reader will win a box of Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Crazy Cups!  Enter below:

Summer Toy Hot List: Whiffer Sniffers!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Get a whiff of one of summer's hottest toys: Whiffer Sniffers!

What are Whiffer Sniffers?  Whiffer Sniffers are amazingly scented collectible plush characters with personality and charm. Each character’s scent matches their appearance.  The strawberry smells like strawberries, the popcorn smells like popcorn, etc.   The fragrances are produced in the U.S., so you know they’re good.  In fact, they’re so good that they will last for at least a year. 

Whiffer Sniffers come in several fun sizes: a huggable super size, a backpack clip that lets you take your scented friends with you, as well as in collectible scratch 'n' sniff stickers. 

There are also exclusive characters only found inside specially marked mystery packs. The Whiffer Sniffers have built a craze as the ultimate fun and friendly scented collector’s item.

Our kiddos loved them all, especially the Mystery Packs!  They got a Watermelon plush and a rare Bubblegum plush in their Mystery Packs and couldn't have been more excited!  

Each Whiffer Sniffer comes with a card full of fun facts about the characters personality making it fun to collect them all!

It's no wonder kids love these adorable little plushies, they smell great!  I know I'm keeping an eye out for the Dill Pickle Whiffer Sniffer...MMMMM!

Click to shop Whiffer Sniffers!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Dive Into Cool Summer Reading with Nat Geo Kids! + Giveaway

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Releasing just in time for summer trips to the aquarium, the beach and, of course, Disney Pixar's Finding Dory, Nat Geo Kids Books is debuting two titles that encourages kids to "dive in" and learn all about the REAL characters from the hotly anticipated movie.

As lovers of all things related to the ocean, we were SUPER excited to review these books!

Ocean Animals: Who's Who in the Deep Blue ($12.99, ages 8-12) is an oversized book and it needs to be!  Featuring huge, stunning underwater photographs this book covers it all -- from life in coral reefs to sharks and rays, to bizarre creatures of the deep and even sea birds -- and all the favorites from Finding Dory including, sea lions, octopus, beluga whales, whale sharks and of course clown fish and Dory herself -- blue tangs!  

As to be expected, this book was full of visually stunning ocean photography and tons of great information!

This book will be a great resource for years to come!

My kiddos are always up for an activity book and since they have a little more free time during summer, this book was perfect:

Ocean Animals Sticker Activity Book (ages 4-8, $6.99) has over 1,000 cool stickers of the most popular, adorable, ferocious and weird ocean animals, like dolphins, coral, fish, sea turtles, seals and more. Also included are skill-building puzzles and mazes, spelling and pattern games, drawing, photos, facts, and other activities that will keep kids you entertained (and learning) for hours on end. Perfect for road trips and plane rides!

Pack full of super fun and stimulating activities, this book would be great for road trips or those hot summer afternoons when the kiddos want to stay inside and cool off.

We really enjoyed both of these Nat Geo Kids books and the adorable Dory plushie and thanks to Nat Geo Kids, one lucky reader will get to share this prize pack with their kiddos this summer!

We are giving away a "Dive Into Summer" Prize Pack consisting of one copy of Ocean Animals: Who's Who in the Deep Blue, one copy of Ocean Animals Sticker Activity Book and a Dory plushie!

Enter to win below: