The Fairy Hobmother has visited me!

March 4, 2013 By

 

fairy hobmother

If you don’t already know who the Fairy Hobmother is, let me enlighten you. He is this awesome fairy guy that goes around the internet looking for really cool and interesting blogs to visit. Usually he gives the blogger a little something under the table *wink wink* to talk about the business of his fairy overlords. Oddly they are inappliances, who knew? Anyway, I was lucky enough to have the Fairy Hobmother “pay” me a visit. After spending a little time talking with him I started to get a real good idea of what he looks like in real life. I keep seeing these other posts about him and they always have him dressed in these silly fairy outfits, carrying a wand and stuff. But I know that isn’t true. I mean, he has overlords! Overlords do not allow their workers to carry wands and “twinkle” about.

fairy hobmother
No, they have guys that look like this working for them.

They have mayhem. See, this Fairy Hobmother is one rough and tumble kind of guy. Think Michael Madsen. But he is smart and sexy and the kind of guy you want working for you, if you happen to be a fairy overlord. Or at least I would. So if you want the Fairy Hobmother to stop by and um “pay” you a visit, leave him a message in the comments. I heard, from a very good source, that he likes to keep track of things and reads all the comments. And don’t be surprised if his overlords take notice of you too!

 

This is a sponsored post and I have received compensation.

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Diamonius Simulated Diamond Ring Review

February 23, 2013 By

 

Diamonius Reviews Monaco Ring

When I was pregnant with Matthew, our first child, Larry decided to take me to Las Vegas for one last hoopla. Of course things never turn out exactly like we expect. This time my brother-in-law and his fiancee asked if they could join us. Of course we said yes, the more the merrier! Well one thing led to another and instead of it being my last birthday party before we became parents it turned into my brother-in-law’s wedding. Larry and I were asked to be the best man and matron of honor. We were both so flattered, especially since I was 8 months pregnant and very swollen, and probably not looking my best. So when we walked out of the little chapel, arm in arm, me carrying flowers and visibly VERY pregnant it isn’t surprising that people on the street outside loudly stated “Aw, isn’t it nice they finally got married.”

Because of my pregnancy I couldn’t wear my wedding set, and right after that statement was made I told Larry he had to buy me a replacement band for me to wear for the duration of my pregnancy. Wouldn’t Diamonius have been the perfect solution? Diamonius has simulated diamonds in gorgeous settings at very reasonable prices. I had to settle for a so-so looking band when I was in Vegas, but with Diamonius I could have had a set that looked remarkably similar to my real wedding set.

Diamonius Reviews

Diamonius sent me the Monaco Ring to review and I have to say it is lovely. The setting has a brilliant cut center stone with two smaller brilliant cut stones on either side. It is finished with 5 pave set stones on the outside of those simulated diamonds. It is a delicate and feminine ring that I think would make any woman feel good. I know I was very excited when I opened the box for the first time. I have actually been wearing it daily since receiving the Monaco Ring. The base metal of the ring is sterling silver and the simulated diamond is actually hard enough to cut glass! I think that is super cool. The Moraco Ring is also inclusion free and clear in color. That means is sparkles and shines all the more.

To find out more about Diamonius please visit their website.

Want to see what else I like from Diamonius? Come check out my Pinterest Ring Board.

I was provided with the Monaco Ring to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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My Job Chart and the Demise of Guys

February 18, 2013 By

The Demise of Guys? Over My Dead Body

I was recently reading an article written by Gregg Murset called The Demise of Guys? Over My Dead Body. Gregg is the creator of My Job Chart and he was discussing how young men and boys are getting caught up in online technology so much that they are losing a large part of their lives to video games and pornography. Gregg has 4 boys of his own and he wants to make sure that his boys, and all boys like them, do not get caught up in electronics to the point where they are neglecting other, more important, aspects of their lives. He discusses the fact that because of the intense stimulation that video games produce, our boys minds are becoming “rewired” to expect constant stimulation at a higher and higher level. It is leaving them with an inability to relate to real life. And the graphic nature of pornography is harming their ability to develop normal, caring relationships. Again, they are becoming stimulated in an artificial way, which leaves them expecting life to be different than it really is.  As the graphic below shows, this is a scary and disturbing trend.

The Trend & What Can Be Done

My Job Chart

My Take On This Issue

As the mom of 3 boys I am very concerned about my kids well being and how they will develop as young men. With autism thrown into the picture, life becomes very complicated. One of the only things Matthew truly enjoys is video game, and there in lies a large problem. We know they aren’t healthy for him, but when given the opportunity to have free time, he has no interest in other things. My husband and I are really looking for guidance in helping him, and his brothers, choose other activities to stimulate their mind and keep them active. We are hoping he and his brothers will choose to join a swim team as they get older, since it is a great activity and something we think they will love.

But the main idea is to get our boys away from the computers and get them involved around the house, or in outside activities. So what do you do to keep your kids active and off the computer?

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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AutisMate iPad App Review

February 16, 2013 By

 

I don’t think anyone expected the iPad to become the go-to product for working with autistic individuals, but it really has become the perfect vehicle to help them learn and communicate. AutisMate is a new app available through iTunes or the AppStore that encompasses many tools that are usually separate products, brings them together and allows them to be customizable and portable.

AutisMate offers preexisting scenes, but more interestingly, the ability to build your own scenes with photos that mean something to the person with autism. I built one using a photo of our pantry. I used the tool to put “hotspots” on the photo which are “clickable”. I used hotspots to designate the area where gluten free snacks are stored in our home. I also opted to record my own voice instead of using the synthesized voice that comes with the app. I think this is a great option since it allows the user to hear familiar voices in the correct setting. You may wish to have a teacher or therapist record their voice in the school or therapy settings. This helps to build consistency which is very important when dealing with autistic children who thrive on stability.

AutisMate also offers the ability to create visual stories which can be likened to social stories. You can, again, populate the stories with photos of specific items and people in your child’s life. This would be great for all sorts of situations such as going to school, to the dentist or even on vacation. As long as you have photos you can customize these stories and review them as often as necessary. If something changes, you can easily change the scene.

photo provided by AutisMate

It also offers a Sentence Builder which uses PEC type symbols and allows the user to “write” sentences to communicate wants, needs or information. There is the Visual Scheduler portion which allows you to customize routines and schedules for your child. These can be very helpful for children that need reminders of what to do in certain situations or at different times of the day.

AutisMate is a complete toolkit which can be completely individualized for each user. It can also easily be updated as a user’s skills and needs change. The fact that it is on an iPad not only makes it interesting but it is very portable and there is a GPS option which can build items around your location. AutisMate retails for $149.99. It is not limited to those with autism, but instead, can be used for anyone with communication issues. For more information visit AutisMate online.

I was provided with a free beta version of AutisMate to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

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