Friday, November 21, 2014

Have A Magical Holiday With The Amazing Zhus!

Disclosure:  Product received.  This Post is part of a sponsored campaign with Cepia LLc and Mom Select.  All opinions expressed here are that of my own :)



There is something magical about the holidays.  I love  all the twinkling lights, the baked goods, family gatherings, and gift giving.  I love the wonder on the children's faces, the trees, and the presents.  This is by far my favorite time of the year.

Each year families go out and about looking for the perfect gift for the kiddos in their life.  Some years I am out looking for something I have never even heard of because my kids saw it on a commercial or heard about it at school.  Then the stress kicks in when you find the empty spot on the shelve where this top toy would have been if it hadn't sold out.  

This year there is a toy that is sure to be on the top of every child's toy list!  The Amazing Zhus is a new collection from Cepia LLC, the master toymakers behind ZhuZhu pets.  The Amazing Zhus Magician pets are motorized pets that will amaze your friends as they perform magic tricks and gravity-defying stunts!!  These Amazing Zhus play with magic cards, follow a magic wand around, and even find their way home to the magicians houses!!  These talented adorable pets can even perform stunts!

The Amazing Zhus pets and accessories are available at Walmart.com/AmazingZhus.  These amazing toys will sure to be a hit to all the children on Santa's nice list!  The amazing Zhus pets and accessories are affordable ranging in price from $7.99-$24.99 and are recommended for ages 4 and up!


So go on...What are you waiting for??  Go on and get one of these Amazing Zhus before they magically disappear off the shelves

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Happy Halloween

Here is a little poem written during free time at the local Elementary school.

"Happy Halloween"


Hats, masks, whips, and makeup.

Come on!  No Sleep!  Just WAKE UP!

Get your biggest bags of all,

To fill with treats and bouncy balls.

Get out the pumpkin,

Light the candle.

Fire is one thing you need to handle.

Hold out the bag,

Say trick-or-treat.

Then a person is there to meet.

All this candy will come in handy'

Eat, eat, eat the tasty treat!

When you open your mouth to shout,

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, will come right out!!


Written by,
A.M.O age 10



Friday, October 17, 2014

Getting To Know The Person Behind BuckeyeMomsMeet in Just 50 Questions :)


I have recently seen some of my blogging friends taking on the challenge of answering 50 questions in order to help their readers get to know them better.  I have decided to jump with both feet in and join in on the fun!!  So here it goes...Getting to Know Me in 50 questions!


  1. What are you wearing?  a tank top and sweats...I know, I'm super fancy and stuff ;)
  2. Have you ever been in love?  Absolutely!  Being in Love is a wonderful feeling :)
  3. How tall are you?  I am 5 feet 7 inches
  4. Ever been through a terrible break up?  Ugh...yes!   That is all I've got to say about that ;)
  5. How much do you weigh?  A whopping 120 pounds!
  6. Any tattoos?  No...not yet.  Planning on one soon in memory of our Son, Zaiden.  R.I.P
  7. Any piercings?  just one hole in each of my ears.  Got my ears pierced at age 13!
  8. Favorite Fictional couple?  Baby and Johnny on Dirty Dancing!!  haha...I know!!
  9. Favorite Show?  Survivor, New Girl, Raising Hope, Master Chef, Hells Kitchen
  10. Favorite Music?  Bob Marley
  11. Something you miss?  My parents!  Lost both of them at young ages to Cancer :(
  12. Favorite Song?  Imagine by John Lennon...
  13. How old are you?  40 born in December of 1974
  14. Zodiac Sign?  Sagittarius
  15. Quality you look for in a partner?  Someone who makes me laugh and a hard worker!
  16. Favorite quote?  Live your life in a way that someday everything will be known.
  17. Favorite Actor?  Jim Carrey
  18. Loud Music or Soft?  Depends on my mood, but usually soft!
  19. Where do you go when you are sad?  In the shower!  You can cry without anyone knowing..
  20. When was the last time you cried?  September 15th
  21. How long does it take you to shower?  I am usually pretty quick!
  22. How long to get ready in the morning?  30 minutes...shower, dress, comb hair, brush teeth...
  23. Ever been in a physical fight?  Nope, I'm a lover not a fighter!  :)
  24. Turn on?  someone who makes me laugh.
  25. Turn off?  eating ribs on a first date and stinking of cigarettes :/  Blah!!!
  26. Reason you started blogging?  I have always loved to write!  I have kept a journal since I was the age of 8!
  27. Fear?  Unfortunately I have a lot of fears!  Fear of cars, heights, my children getting injured, and so on, and so on....
  28. Last Thing that made you cry?  Losing our son :(
  29. Last time you told someone you loved them?  twenty minutes  ago, I told my husband!
  30. Meaning behind your blog name?  oiy...I wish I would have put more thought into it!  Buckeye is where I live Mom's because I am a mom Meet because we meet everyday topics.  Hence the name BuckeyeMomsMeet
  31. Last Book You Read?  The Bible
  32. Book you are currently reading?  Always go to the Bible if I'm up for reading :)
  33. Last Show you watched?  Survivor...love a good blindside!!
  34. Last Person You Talked to?  other than my family...my neighbor!
  35. Relationship between you and the last person you texted?  former co-worker.
  36. Favorite Food?  Top Ramen...Haha...I can live off this stuff!
  37. Place you want to visit?  Costa Rica
  38. Last Place you were?  San Diego, California
  39. Do you have a crush?  Yes...I have a mad crush on my husband!!  Fall in love with him over and over again daily!!!
  40. Last Time you kissed someone?  kissed my family good morning.
  41. Favorite Flavor of sweet?  Reese's peanut butter cups.
  42. Last Time you were Insulted?  I can't recall??  I just assume everyone is joking or not worth getting insulted by??
  43. Instrument you play?  I have a set of Bongo drums and a finger piano...
  44. Favorite piece of jewelry?  My mom's wedding band.
  45. Last sport you played?  Volleyball
  46. Last Song you sang?  I've been a bad bad girl by Fiona Apple
  47. Last place you camped?  Lake Pleasant in Arizona
  48. Favorite Line From a movie?  A lot of lines from "The Three Amigos"  an old family inside joke favorite :)
  49. Last Time you hung out with anyone?  Just this week, my husband and I hung out with an old friend!
Who should answer these questions next?  You!!  I would love to hear some of your answers to the questions above!  Or just answer them as you read along for fun :)

I hope you enjoyed getting to know me better!  Thank you for following BuckeyeMomsMeet!  Have a wonderful day!!!

"You Reap What You Sow" Encouraging Communication with Harvest Time Partners :)


In this day and age with everyone's nose in a smart phone, Ipad, or other device, face to face communication is becoming a thing of the past!  It has come too easy to send a text or quick reply, message someone on facebook or email. Today's online chatter has actually caused our families to become more and more disconnected.   The new age is great for the shy or extrovert, great for the children with selective mutism or social anxiety...or is it??  It has become so easy to communicate without actually speaking a word to someone, that these folks are able to climb deeper into their hole, soon to never escape!  We are losing the critical life skill of effective face to face communication.  I, myself suffer from some social anxiety and if something isn't able to be done via email you might as well count me out!  As many of you know we have a daughter who suffers from Selective Mutism, she has been in treatment and is doing much better, but she does still have her "quiet" days.



We make it a point in our family to sit down to dinner every night together and have a discussion about our day.


   Another way we try and keep open communication and togetherness in our family is to have family movie and game nights.  We recently sat down together for family game night with a game from Harvest Time Partners.



 Harvest Time Partners, Inc. was formed over 20 years ago to provide resources to support and encourage individuals, families, and organizations to reach their full potential in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.  In addition to it's award winning conversation games, harvest time partners provides custom programs designed to increase personal effectiveness, enhance character development, and strengthen the bonds of marriage and family.

Our family played the board game, Abundant Harvest For Teens & Adults.  The purpose of this game is to help families and educators open the door to communication, encourage decision making based on principles such as honesty, loyalty, and commitment with the intent of reinforcing the law of harvest..."you reap what you sow".  In this game you spend quality time together discussing real-life situations, encouraging your teen or adult to open up about dealing with their reality.

This particular game is from 2-8 players recommended ages 13- adult.  In this game you move around a game board while reading different scenario cards out loud.  The player then makes a decision using a principle from his/her principle card to support his/her decision to the scenario.  Each scenario card ends with the phrase, "what would you do?"



I enjoyed listening to my children's answers to each of the scenarios.  I learned my kids have a great heart and are always wanting to help those in need.  The game did indeed open up our family to communication.  If there is something i would change about the game, I would add some happier scenarios to it.    The game brings about a lot of life topics that are good to talk about, but each one was a bit negative per say.  Bringing more happy scenarios would make this game an A+ in my book.

I do recommend Harvest Time Partners and their products to my readers!  I think they have put a lot of thought into helping families and educators.  I am interested in purchasing the Abundant Harvest For Kids game next which is focused on ages 7 an up for the younger kiddos in the family.   So if you are interested in a game to open up to one another and help build character skills I recommend you check out all that Harvest Time Partners has to offer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Disclosure:  
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Friday, October 10, 2014

E-i-e-i-o and on The farm They Had a...Our Day at Tolmachoff Farm :)


There is something wonderful that being out on the farm does to your soul.  The sounds, the smells, the absolute joy of walking amongst fresh un-touched food growing from the earth.   My family and I just spent the most wonderful day, packed with memories I'm sure will last a very long time at a very cool farm in the heart of Glendale, Arizona.  The farm otherwise known as Tolmachoff farms is a unique four generation family farm which grow a large variety of produce. They strive to provide you and your family with the ultimate in fresh produce straight from the field to your table!  They offer many special events and activities throughout the year.


Right now at Tolmachoff Farm it is Pumpkin Days/ Corn Maze!  They have a six acre corn maze with a new theme each year, (we did the family corn maze, you search for pieces of  your map as you walk through)  each piece of your map awaits you in a mail box hidden deep inside the maze.  I will admit it is much harder than you would think!  I do recommend grabbing a bottle of water before heading into the maze!  We did not, and I was quite certain I was going to die and never be found until it was corn harvesting time!  Thank goodness as soon as we were sure we were lost for good, a nice young man would appear in his orange Tolmachoff farm shirt and point us in the right direction!  You can spend a good hour inside the maze!  It was a great adventure my kids will remember for a lifetime!

  Tolmachoff farms has so much for the whole family to enjoy!

Rubber Ducky races

Corn Sensory Box

Great Photo opps

Slides

Train Ride

and so much more!

After we had a wonderful time exploring all the fun the farm had to offer we decided to relax in the shade for some Pumpkin Painting!!




Once we were done painting pumpkins we decided to grab another from the Pumpkin patch for Halloween!



So if you are looking for some fun this fall season or just want to spend a day out on the farm with some furry friends I recommend heading to Tolmachoff Farms in Glendale, Arizona!  Right now, every Friday and Saturday night through Halloween Tolmachoff farms also is hosting a Haunted Corn Maze: AZ Field Of Screams (dare to enter)!
Like I said FUN for the whole family!!!








 Farm Location
5726 N. 75th Ave.
Glendale, AZ. 85303
1/4 mile south of Bethany Home Rd on the west side of 75th Ave.


Now go on...get to the Farm!!!  Those pumpkins aren't going to paint themselves you know!  :)

Thank you, Gracie Tolmachoff For allowing our family to visit your beautiful farm!  We had the most amazing time!

Disclosure:  Tolmachoff Farms and Us Family Guide provided my family with free admission to tour the farm in exchange for a review.  No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed here are that of my own!




Sunday, September 28, 2014

Eat, Drink, and Be Spooky Without Leaving a Footprint!

As we inch closer to October lots of folks have Halloween on the brain!  What will my costume be?  Where will we go trick or treating?  How will I decorate the home this year?  Who is having the party??

 Our family over here at BuckeyeMomsMeet LOVES Halloween!!  Every year we go above and beyond the normal Halloween goers and decorate our house and yard to a crazy extent!!


 We often have a Halloween party that is talked about for years to come!  The best thing other than all the decorating for the party is trying to decide what kind of ghoulish treats and spirits you will share with your guests.  Here are some fun spooky spirits I have been playing around with...


Now if there is anything spookier than Halloween it is How we treat our earth!  There is a great Native American Proverb that goes like this:

“We do not inherit the planet from our ancestors, we borrow it 
from our children”

In my really cool Halloween drink above you will see I used an Eco friendly Stainless Steel Straw; made by ECO AT HEART.
EcoatHeart is a specialist website, with their main focus to provide high quality stainless steel reusable products, so you can reduce your 'Plastic Footprint' on the environment.  After all we only have ONE planet.  All it takes is one step at a time and it starts with something as small as a straw.  If you are concerned about the damage that you may be causing to the environment then make this simple first step by choosing Eco at Heart!

I received a set of Eco Friendly Stainless Steel straws in a box of five with a cleaning brush included.  These straws are so cool!!  They are easy to clean and should be cleaned after every use.  They are nice and wide, so they would even be great for smoothies or thicker drinks like slushies...  and the best thing, they will last forever!!

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween! 
Eat, Drink, and be Spooky :)

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this post; however Ecoatheart provided me with a set of stainless steel straws to sample in exchange for a review.  All opinions expressed here are my own :)





Saturday, September 27, 2014

Add A Little Spice To Your Life With This Jalapeno/Cilantro Roasted Chicken Sandwich!

            
           Chicken Breast Sandwich with Jalapeno/Cilantro spread and Dave's Killer Bread!!!



What you need:

Dave's Killer Bread (I used Good Seed) This bread has a heavenly texture and is sweet to the taste.  Good Seed has the boldest texture and sweetest flavor of all the Dave's Killer breads!

Sliced Roasted Chicken Breast I stopped by my local fresh deli and got roasted chicken breast sliced at a 1 1/2 thickness on the Deli slicer, which is a little thicker than shaved.

Pepper Jack Cheese once again I got my cheese fresh from the deli and sliced at a 1 1/2 as well.

Romain Lettuce I like the flavor and texture of the Romain lettuce and it provides more nutrients than your typical iceberg

Jalapeno/Cilantro Spread this is made by adding 6 jalapenos, 1/2 a bunch of Cilantro, 1 C. sour cream, 1 C. mayo, I packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mix.  Mix well in your food processor and chill

Grab two slices of the Good Seed Dave's Killer bread.  Spread with your Jalapeno/Cilantro spread.  4-6 oz of roasted chicken breast.  Two slices of Pepper Jack cheese, Romain lettuce. 

 You now have a very delicious addicting deli sandwich that you can write home about or on your blog ;)  A little sweetness and a little spice makes everything nice!!

A little about Dave's Killer Bread...


Dave's Killer Bread started as the favorite organic bread at their local Farmers market in Portland, Oregon.  Less than a decade later, they were the #1 best-selling sliced organic bread in the country.  Their mission has always been to make the best bread out there.  the first to deliver a complete line of organic, non-GMO project verified breads.  ALL KILLER, NO FILLER. Always :)  Now that is a bread you can feel good about!!

One serving of GOOD SEED has 6g protein| 4g Fiber| 670mg Omega-3| 130 calories

Disclosure:  Dave's Killer Bread and Moms Meet provided me with samples in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions and recipes here are my own :)

What Tea Tree Oil can do for you...The Vast Diversity oil!!

If you love essential oils as much as I do, you are going to love the vast diversity of Tea Tree oil!!  Tea Tree oil is one of the most versatile essential oils!  It has been known to naturally fight Acne, Toenail Fungus, Lice, Yeast infections, skin tags, cold sores, dandruff, ringworm and more!  You can use it to make everything from your own shampoo to bathroom disinfectants and kitchen sprays!


After I received my 4 fl oz bottle of Tea Tree oil in the mail I went straight to work at trying it on different things around the house.  I will tell you I have used it for many things and a little bit goes a long way!!  I do believe my 4 oz bottle will last me a very long time which I am very happy about!

I have put together a few of my favorite helpful recipes on how to use Tea tree oil around the house.

  • Tea Tree Oil Acne Spot Remover

  • What You Need:
    •  1 oz. Aloe Vera gel
    •  3 drops Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil
    •  2 drops of raw honey
    •  Lip balm tube or small tin storage container 
    Apply it: Place a small amount of the spot remover on the pads of your fingers and apply to acne spots. 

    • Replenishing Tea Tree Oil Body Scrub

  • What You Need:
    •  ½ cup raw brown sugar
    •  8 drops Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil
    •  1 tbsp. raw honey
    •  ¼ cup sesame oil   
    Apply It: Scoop some up with your finger tips and rub on face, neck and body. 
    Continue to rub the scrub in for a few minutes, then rinse off with warm water. 

    • Detangling Tea Tree Oil Conditioner
    What You Need:
    •  10 drops Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil
    •  1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
    •  Clean spray bottle
    •  1 cup distilled water  
    Apply It: After shampooing your hair spritz enough detangling conditioner to coat 
    hair and come through damp hair. 

    • Antiseptic Tea Tree Oil Ointment 
    What You Need:
    •  2 oz. grated beeswax
    •  1 tsp. Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil
    •  1/3 tsp. vitamin E oil
    •  15 drops lemon essential oil
    •  20 drops lavender essential oil
    •  1 ¼ cup coconut oil
    •  Sterilized jars or metal tins with lid  
    Apply It: Rub ointment on scars, scraps and scratches in a thin layer. 
    Note: This ointment has a shelf life of about 5 years.

    • Tea Tree Oil Steam Inhailent
    What You Need:
    •  4 cups of hot water
    •  2 drops Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil
    •  1 drop eucalyptus oil
    •  1 large bowl
    •  1 large towel  
    Apply It: Inhale the steam for 5 to 10 minutes to relieve nasal and sinus 
    congestion. 

    Apothecary Extracts provides a free e-book with your order with over 50 recipes inside!  You can find this Amazing deal Here

    Now for a little bit about this amazing oil...

    The popularity of Tea tree oil has increased in the last few years, but he history of the Melaleuca Alternifolia Is a n interesting one.  The orgins of tea tree oil and its vast diversity date back to the aboriginal Australians in New South Wales.  History indicates that tea tree oil has been used as a sort of catch all medicinal ingredient to treat a variety of ailment and injuries.

    This small tree has leaves that resemble pine needles and it is decorated with light purple or yellow flowers.  This tree has been known to grow more than twenty feet tall.  The Melaleuca tree is naturally sustainable and will grow again within two years of being chopped down!!  Simply amazing!!  The sustainability makes this tree Ideal for all natural healing, cleaning, and beautifying :)

    Extracting the oil from the tree leaf is quite complicated!  The entire process is done in two steps and takes hours to complete!

    Extracting the oil from the Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf is quite a 
    complicated process, which can explain why natural tea tree oil is such a hot 
    commodity. The process of extracting oil from tea tree leaves is essentially a two 
    step process. The first step extracts crude oil from the leaves and branches of the 
    Melaleuca tree through steam distillation. During this 2 hour process the leaves and 
    branches are drenched with steam in sealed stainless steel chambers. When the 
    contents have reached about 212°F (100°C) the combined oil and steam vapor 
    starts to rise and filters through a condenser. 
    Inside the condenser the mixture experiences a sudden drop in temperature, which 
    allows it to condense into a mix of oil and water. From there the oil & water solution
    passes through a separation chamber to extract the oil from the water, which gives 
    us the beautifully scented 
    and all-natural tea tree oil. 

    A little about the company that provides this amazing oil...








    Apothecary Extracts was founded in 2013 because, as consumers, we were tired of not knowing what was in our essential oils. There are so many vendors that dilute their essential oils, or use unsafe extraction processes which contaminate the final product. The only way to be sure what is in your essential oils is to test them. But the tests are expensive so most brands don’t want to pay for this. Or they don’t want you to know the results!
    We will only carry essential oils that we are 100% confident represent the best quality and potency available. And we’ll show you the test results to back it up. 

    You are more than welcome to check out their website :www.apothecaryextracts.com

    Now For The Giveaway!!!!  

    You can win a free bottle of Apothecary Essential oils Tea Tree Oil for your own home by entering below!!  Have a beautiful day and Good Luck!!!



    Disclosure:  BuckeyeMomsMeet received a 4 fl oz Bottle of Tea Tree oil provided by Apothecary Extracts and BrandBacker to sample in exchange for a review.  No other compensation was received, and all opinions stated here are that of my own.


    Saturday, September 20, 2014

    Join Zulily in the fight against Childhood Cancer!!

                  
    It's National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and zulily is partnering with the Ben Towne Foundation to change the way childhood cancers are treated and cured.  Just click on the big blue banner above to make a donation, starting at just $1.00!!
    Your donation
    100 percent of your gift will be invested in groundbreaking research towards curing childhood cancer at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute. All gifts are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Ben Towne Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, and zulily is accepting donations on their behalf from 9/2/2014 through 9/30/2014. Note that Zulily cannot accept donations from residents of Mississippi.
    Information concerning the Ben Towne Foundation, including financial, licensing or charitable purposes(s) may be obtained, without cost, by emailing info@bentownefoundation.org, writing to Ben Towne Foundation at 4616 25th Ave NE #717, Seattle, WA 98105, or by calling 206-395-5217.
    • 20 years from now, harmful treatments could be a thing of the past
    • Real alternative cures are being developed at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research
    • Doctors at BTCCCR can train a child's own T cells to destroy cancer cells


    Looking for something to do with your family this fall?? Visit Arizona's Best Family Farm...Tolmachoff Farms!!!

    Arizona's Best Family Farm!! 


    Bring the whole family out to Tolmachoff Farms where there is something for all ages.


    Tolmachoff farms is a unique four generation farm operated in Glendale, Arizona.  This farm grows a large variety of produce and strive to provide you and your family with the ultimate in fresh produce right from the field to your table.  They also offer many special events and activities!!

     Check out their website here for further details and what events are happening throughout the seasons. 


    So head out to Tolmachoff Farms this fall and have a day on the farm with your family!  They are now offering a coupon for 10% off Produce at your next visit!!  Just tap on the link below to get your coupon!!

    10% OFF PRODUCE