Reli On Temple Touch Thermometer GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited to share this great product with you!

I don't know about you, but trying to take a child's temperature when they are not feeling well can be a nightmare. I can pretty much tell by feel if my kids have a fever, but the Drs always seem to want a number when I call. So I pull out my good ole digi thermometer and stick it under the armpit (I am NOT gonna go do a rectal on a sick kid for a number...seriously! Yuck, sounds miserable. And little guys just can't seem to keep a thermometer in their mouth long enough to get an accurate reading). Those of you familiar with taking an axillary temp know that it takes WAY longer than the other methods. So here I am, holding my little one's arm against his side, and he is fighting desperately to get away from me. He just wants to be left alone!

Enter the Reli On Temple Touch Thermometer! Taking a temperature could not be more simple with this small (and can I get a cheer for the price??? Retail on this baby is only $9.94), easy to store thermometer. Here is what you do:

Step 1: Press power button (thermometer will beep once)
Step 2: Listen for thermometer to beep twice (this means you are good to go)
Step 3: Place end of thermometer to child's temple area (or yours, it works great for adults too)
Step 4: Read results when thermometer beeps (about 6 seconds! Yep no more waiting forever)

Four simple steps (and seriously I could have combined 2 and 3) and you have a temperature reading to make the Drs happy, a non invasive method for a happier kid, and a happy mommy (cause you know a happy kid means a happy mommy).

I have tried this baby several times over the past week (everyone has taken their turns being sick, which explains my delay in posting this giveaway), and I can't tell you how much nicer it was to just whip this out to get a quick temp than my old method. Luckily, none of us ever had a fever, but I will definitely be keeping this baby close by for future illnesses (with five kids, most of them in some sort of school now, we are likely to have another round of sickness pretty soon).

Thanks to Reli On and MomSelect I have one Reli On Temple Touch Thermometer for one of my readers! Here are the rules for entry:
-You must live in the US (sorry international readers, I will be shipping this myself so I have to restrict this to US only)
-You MUST answer the mandatory question before you can get any of my bonus entry options
-I MUST have a way to contact you if you are the winner, so PLEASE leave your email address in the comments or have your email set to public in your blogger setting. If I cannot contact you I will draw another winner.
-Winner must respond to my email with their mailing information within 72 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

Mandatory Entry Question: What is one thing you want when you are feeling sick (it can be food, a good movie, whatever makes you feel better).

Bonus entries (you can do one or all of these. Please leave a comment for each of your extra entries):
1-Follow my blog publicly
2-Post on facebook with a link to this giveaway (leave your facebook user name)
3-blog about this giveaway (make sure you link back to this post) and leave a link to your post in the comments
4-email 3 people about this giveaway (cc me at reviewsbychris at gmail dot com) and leave a comment here saying that you did so.


That's it! Easy Peasy right? I will accept entries through Midnight Mountain Time on September 22nd. Winner will then be drawn at random using Random.org and both announced here on the blog and notified by email.

I recieved 2 temple touch thermometers (one for my use to review and one to giveaway) in exchange for my review. No other compensation was recieved. The opinion expressed is completely my own and truthful.

Fearless by Mac Lucado REVIEW

Imagine your life without fear. We all live with fear, in many forms: fear of not belonging, fear of death, fear of violence, fear of not protecting our children and more. Max Lucado, minister and author of the famed children’s book You Are Special (among others), presents the words of Christ as a way to combat fear. Mr. Lucado says, “Fear may fill our world, but doesn’t have to fill our hearts. It will always knock on the door. Just don’t invite it in for dinner…”

I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It was an easy book to read, and did not take much time, but the time spent reading was time well spent. The concepts and scriptures he quoted were not ones with witch I was unfamiliar, but the reminders were poignant. We do NOT have to become bogged down with fear. We can look to the Savior for comfort when needed.

My absolute favorite part of this book is found in the chapter about Fear of Not Mattering. It is a poem about the people of Stiltsville, and I am happy to hear that an extended version of this poem is being made into a Children’s book entitled the Tallest of Smalls. I will be eagerly awaiting the release of this book, so I can add it to my book shelves.

I found a few doctrinal differences from my beliefs, but for the most part the book followed basic Christian principals found in the Bible. My only complaint is the mix of Bible translations used throughout the book, and none of which was the King James, the version that I was raised with and still read today. I think the more modern translations, while at times easier to understand, lose the beauty that is found in the language of the King James.

All in all, this was a marvelous book and I recommend it highly. Fearless is available today at bookstores near you and online. For more information about this book you can head to www.TheFearlessBook.com

Thank you to for sending me a copy to review.

A Man of His Word by Kathleen Fuller REVIEW

Moriah Byler just married the man she loves and is expecting their first child. But things don't seem right between them. Her husband, Levi, has taken a job working for outlanders (non-Amish) and seems to spend more and more time away from home. Her world comes crashing down around her when Levi decides that he wants to leave her and the Amish faith.


Moriah's story of heartbreak and love is not the only one weaving its way through the pages of A Man of His Word. Her brother, Tobias, has a budding romance of his own that is fraught with challenges.

A Man of His Word is well written and enjoyable to read. It is a light read with well developed plot and characters. I found myself easily sympathizing with the characters and hoping for a happy ending for all. The addition of a sub-plot and insights into Amish life added depth to the book.
I definitely plan to seek out more books by Kathleen Fuller in the future.

I received a copy of A Man of His Word from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review blogger program (http://brb.thomasnelson.com/). I received no further compensation for my review. The opinion expressed above is purely my own.

Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage

Thanks to Mom Select, Max, Dane and I were able to see Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage at the E Center in Salt Lake City. Both boys were thrilled to be able to see the trains. For the entire 45 minute drive from our home to the E Center I was peppered with questions about the trains and the show. They were so cute and, so excited!







When we arrived we had to get some yummy snacks, of course (just popcorn and a drink, but that giant bucket of popcorn was exciting for a 2 and 4 year old!) and found our seats. We had a great view of the stage, which featured a beautifully painted backdrop.

The show itself was very cute. Filled with dancing, singing and interactive fun, it held my 4 year old's attention the entire 90 minutes! My 2 year old LOVED the show, singing and dancing along for the first half hour-45 minutes, but definitely got antsy after a while. Thank goodness we had the whole row to ourselves, so he was able to dance up and down the row without disturbing other show attendees!

The show features Thomas, James, Gordon, Sir Toppam hat and many more of your favorite friends from the Island of Sodor. It also features a troupe of Circus performers who have arrived on the Island. Unfortunately the town didn't get the message that the Circus was coming and they have to scramble to prepare for the show! Thomas tries very hard to be a "Very Useful Engine" but runs into a few mishaps along the way. In the end he learns that he can still be a Useful Engine, even if he has to let others help sometimes.

I highly recommend this show for children ages 4-7! It truly is an adorable show (heck even I had a great time singing along!), but a little bit long for the younger (1 to 3 years) set. Want to see if Thomas is chugging his way to a town near you? Head here and see a list of shows and information on ordering tickets!

The Pouchee review

Do you have a love affair with purses? Do you like to change your purse as often as you change your outfit? Do you HATE to have to transfer your basic items everytime you switch purses? Then the Pouchee is perfect for you! The Pouchee is much bigger than you imagine by the photo. It has room for a wallet, your cell phone, a lipstick or two and more! The best part is that you can switch from purse to purse with ease (think date night with hubby...you don't want to drag along your clunky diaper bag, grab your Pouchee from the diaper bag, pop it in your chic tote, and you are ready for a night on the town!).

I was the lucky winner of a Pouchee a month or two back over at The Funky Monkey, and I have to say that I absolutely love mine! I recieved the one picured here and it goes between my purse and my church bag on Sundays with ease. When I am ready to switch purses again (which will be any day now, since I am really getting tired of the one I am using right now), it will be super easy, since all of my basics are all held in my Pouchee. Check out thier new, adorable cotton Pouchees! I know, I already have a Pouchee, but seriously, I want this adorable green one! Go ahead, check em out. You won't be disappointed.