News & Reviews Archives - Page 18 of 31

Bring The Good Dinosaur home today

We missed seeing Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur in theaters by mere hours, and my kids have been reminding me about it ever since. The kids are both dinosaur obsessed, and since it’s Disney•Pixar, it’s always a safe bet so I thought it would be a fun film to own once it came out. But, I will admit I knew absolutely nothing about the film, except for the fact that it was about prehistoric times and it had a boy in it.

The Good Dinosaur finally arrived on DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, and Disney Movies Anywhere {DMA} today, February 23rd, and we immediately sat down for a family movie night to check it out with the kiddos. It turns out I was right, it was about prehistoric times {thank you, obvious title}. And, I was definitely right that this is a film that we needed to own. But, I had thought that the movie was about a boy who finds a dinosaur. It turns out it’s about a dinosaur who finds a boy. I know that probably seems like a distinction without a difference, but if you have seen the film, you understand.

Guard Your Teeth: why you should always have dental insurance

You don’t fully appreciate dental insurance until you are ever left without it. In 2014, we made the mistake of letting our dental insurance lapse and to this day we are still dealing with the fallout… and the medical bills.

Who would have ever guessed that my daughter would get knocked into a desk face-first, smashing her gums and breaking the two front teeth in the last month of that year? Or that my husband would get his first cavity, ever? Or how about guessing that I would find out that your bite can get misaligned seemingly out of nowhere and that the result is super painful? Never again will I go without, folks.

Fair warning: the image below could bring a grown man or woman to tears. Now imagine seeing your child in this kind of pain with tooth and gum damage and knowing your options are extremely limited because you don’t have insurance.

Our blogging community has seen more than our share of tragedies in the past few years, but none have hit me as hard as hearing that my friend Tiffany’s husband, Sean, passed away unexpectedly this past weekend after complications from a liver biopsy. He underwent two emergency surgeries and I was clinging to my phone … Read more

Donating to Beautiful Lengths

Mornings are not my favorite. They start with my “alarm” going off, which is still currently sleeping in the crib beside my bed, and they usually end with us all running across the field because, as usual, we are running late for school. With three kids to get moving, get dressed, and get fed and … Read more

Enjoy the moment while capturing memories with the LUMIX G7

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Panasonic. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Every year after CES the emails and messages start rolling in asking me the same question. That question: what kind of camera should I buy? Most years, I will go back and forth with the person asking whether they want a large DSLR or a compact purse camera and then ticking off features and benefits of both. Typically, it is 10-15 messages or so before I give my recommendation based on their answers.

But, this year, it’s really easy on me because the camera I recommend whether you are looking for a small, compact camera or you want a DSLR is the same camera, the Panasonic LUMIX G7. It’s just that versatile.

Taking time for me: my New Years resolution

By Leanne, editor and founderIt’s resolution time!

Do you make New Years resolutions? Every year I make a resolution that helps the family – whether it’s getting a big household project done, making room for growing kids, or taking more family trips. But, this year I’m doing something different. I’m doing something for myself. You know how on airplanes they always tell you that in the event of an emergency you should take care of your life jacket or air mask first so you can then help others? As a mom, that has never resonated with me, and I’ve always wondered how I would feel in that situation actually putting on my mask or jacket before my kiddos. I think we can all agree that we would just prefer to not ever be in a situation that required an emergency supply of air or floating in an ocean waiting for rescue, right?

But, what if you use the same line of reasoning to survive the day-to-day tasks with three kiddos in tow? Maybe doing for yourself makes sense because it gives you more that you can then give to others. These days I need to give a lot, and I’m realizing I can’t care for the kids the way I would like if I’m not taking care of myself.

Goodbye 2015, it’s been a great year

By Tyler, editor and reviewer

2015 was a great year all around. Not just for the fact that I finally made that fireplace mantle I'd promised my wife years ago, or our amazing trips together up and down the West Coast as well as our big trip to the Caribbean and then over to Georgia. No, what made this year truly amazing was that we not only added our third {and likely final member} to our little family, and we also made huge strides towards getting healthy, together.
As you get older you really start to feel your age more. As I've become much more aware of the fact that I'm no longer in my twenties, I've found myself needing to pay a little more attention to personal upkeep. This is where Jenny Craig came in.

You may remember that my wife and I did the Jenny Craig program together in late summer/early fall. But, what you may not know is that after finishing our review period with Jenny Craig, we decided to stick with it a little longer since we were both having such great success in the program.

Thankful

Being on social media all day, I feel like there are days where I go down this rabbit hole of drudgery. From sad news posted from friends to horrible national and international conflicts, every day there is something else to feel bad about.

There are days I just sit and cry thinking about things and I'm broken apart thinking of the children with nowhere to sleep, of parents grieving the loss of kids, of people living in fear, and of towns I love in chaos. Then I get sad thinking about the state of the world we will be leaving our children.

This fall has been especially hard for me as I'm in a state of uncertainty. Since 2008 I've been running this site and sharing what gadgets, gear, and places we love. But, most people don't know that through it all, this has mostly been my night gig. My day job has changed throughout the years after I left my corporate job and began to freelance, but I always has something that offered steady income and a soft place to fall.

Keep an eye on what matters most with the Samsung SmartCam HD

Do you ever wish you could see inside your home when you’re not in it? Or maybe you wish you could see upstairs in your house while hanging out downstairs? If so, you should definitely check out Samsung’s newest smart home solution, the SmartCam HD Pro.

Designed for the security conscious as well as those who need to check on kids, pets, businesses, or deliveries from afar, the Samsung SmartCam HD Pro is as versatile as they get. A 1080p Full HD camera that can be linked to your smartphone wirelessly through the Samsung app, the SmartCam allows you to see everything in striking clarity, remotely.

10 insider tips for Beaches Resort Villages & Spa Turks & Caicos with small children

After visiting Beaches Turks & Caicos two years in a row with little kids, we like to consider ourselves experts of sorts. The first year we were just figuring out the ropes and crossing our fingers that we fit everything in that we were hoping to do, but this second year, we went in with a plan of attack and made it happen. While I could go on and on about all the things you can see and do with kids at Beaches Turks & Caicos, this list is just a starting point.

Here are just some of our tips for how to make the most of the trip with young kids: