Fun with STEM

Disclaimer:I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.


Up next in the review series is a super cute little game that is good on the go!  We tried out Stratos Spheres recently and I can really see some great uses for this product!  Here's the official link: Stratos Spheres by ThinkFun  (I do not use affiliate links and will not receive any bonus for you clicking the links on our page)

On first look, this game reminded me of those chemical strands that you can build.  Which (Nerd Alert) look like so much fun. So, I was already excited to try this game.  Since Lucy is only 4 we didn't really use the rules as much as we explored with it.  I want her to see learning all around us.  So we played.  We stacked as many as we could, we built them passing back and forth, we built it upside down.  Then, she didn't want me to play with her anymore and took them to play by herself for about 20 minutes.  Clearly, a hit!

Newest item to be reviewed... We like it a lot! #building #STEM #girlsdosciencetoo #thinkfun #recievedfreetotest

A photo posted by Allicia Faber (@alliwait) on Feb 18, 2016 at 1:03pm PST

Some likes/dislikes:
The spheres have two strong connectors, these wont break off, and they stay well connected.  It was a little hard for Lucy to fully connect some of the pieces.  I believe this is due to hand strength, which means the game actually works to strengthen that! Also, this durability means this game is ideal for the car.  It can be easily passed back and forth even to a sibling in the third row.

I was happy to see that a drawstring bag was included. While adorably shaped, the box Stratos Spheres comes in is not too durable itself.. thus, happily, the drawstring bag. It's mesh on one side and the ThinkFun logo is on the other.  Great to be able to see what is inside.  All of the pieces fit in the bag.

Honestly, I enjoyed tinkering with this game and look forward to some 3D thinking and playing in our home.

Check out the cute little video about the game,

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Brilliant Baby Food, a review of Cutielunch Reusable Squeeze Pouch

Reusable Pouches might just be my new favorite thing!



Just starting with the legal bit: I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

Now for the fun part!  Ever thought to yourself it's so expensive to buy those baby food pouches at the store? And then, your baby turns into a toddler and wants the "fun" ones with the pudding which cost an extra dollar... well, solution found!   Cutielunch Reusable Squeeze Pouch to the rescue!

I always wanted to make my own baby food, but since we always qualified for WIC we got tons of baby food jars from them. I am very blessed to have received all this free baby food, trust me.  I always cry when the kids move up to "real" food!  It is great at home, but when we have to go anywhere it is such a mess taking the little container and trying to use a spoon with a wiggly kid.  Besides, I ALWAYS manage to spill on myself opening the foil top.. seriously, how hard does that have to be.

So, reusable pouches have been on my mind for quite a while.  They always scared me a little bit.  When I had the opportunity to review these and receive a set for free I jumped at the chance.  I wasn't going to spend hard earned money on something I just wasn't sure would work.  Boy, was I wrong.

First, cost.  This particular set of 4 pouches is normally $14.99 but right now is marked down to 10.99.  If you have amazon prime (which seriously is a lifesaver in our house) you get free shipping. That comes out to $3.75 a piece at full price or $2.75 a piece if you snatch them up on sale. You might be thinking "but the grocery store ones are only $1" .... and that brings me to the second point...

Second, YOU DON'T THROW THEM AWAY WHEN YOU ARE DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a huge issue, the pre-filled pouches at the grocery store get tossed when you are done.  Hello, landfill.  These are sturdy, and meant to be used over and over again.  I love that they are reusable, I will be saving so much more money than buying pouches at the grocery store every week.  Even if I still bought baby food at the store the savings just keep going up. The little glass jars are always cheaper than the new plastic ones, and can be used for neat projects afterwards.  Or, instead of buying 15 little plastic boxes of apples I can buy the big applesauce in the fruit section and save cost and trash.  Huge win. Want to have Apple/Squash mix? They don't sell that... you can just grab two single flavors, throw them in a pouch (I added cinnamon to mine) mix and eat!  So awesome..

Lets talk about the practicality, the logistics if you will.  Because we all know it's no good if the food just pops out of the seal and we're no better off than before... guess what?! DOUBLE SEAL! BAM. The bottom has two zip-lock like seals, they are deeply ridged so they catch the other side really well.  After I made my first batch I opened it to check and could see that the cinnamon had gotten between the innermost seal but the outer seal was there to make sure nothing spilled.  It was my fault for using the shaker instead of a spoon to put the cinnamon into the pouch. Learn from my mistakes! Use a spoon if adding spices! But still, there was no leak.

Only for babies? NO WAY! Lucy thought the picture was so cute. She is very picky about which pouches she will get from the store (they have to be purple or pink lately) but with the fun fruits on these she is happily asking for them!  I can up the flavor level when making pouches for Lucy or keep it bland for the baby.  I am tempted to make some for myself!  I'm thinking a little peach and cinnamon with a splash of vanilla might taste just like cobbler!  Cutielunch Reusable Squeeze Pouch has changed the way I look at snacks on the go.  Want your own set? Click here!  (this is not an affiliate link, I'm not cool enough for one of those yet): Reusable Baby Food Pouch (4-pack) for Homemade Baby Food. Squeeze Pouch Is Great As a Food Container and for Food Storage.

I received this product for free in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

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The top 7 tolerable shows on PBS Kids

 Peg + Cat

I have a daughter who is two. I do not have cable. So we watch a lot of PBS.

Some of the shows are great. Some of them annoy me to no end. Here are my top seven shows that I can watch with her without losing my mind. Note that Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is not on the list, as it isn't carried by our local PBS station. If it was, it'd be number one easily.

1. Peg + Cat
2. Word Girl
3. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
4. Clifford the Big Red Dog
5. Wild Kratts
6. Sesame Street
7. Arthur

Peg +Cat has the most adorable theme song ever. The two main characters, Peg and Cat, are the most likeable on kid's tv. It's produced by the Fred Rogers company and it teaches math (something we sorely need more of in this country). The animation is very creative, and using graph paper as the background is a very nice touch. This is one of my favorite shows on TV period, and I'd watch every episode even if I had no children.

Word Girl is a fun kid-friendly super hero spoof. A lot of fun humor that adults will appreciate, and the main character reminds me of my good friend @nerdwriter.

Growing up a Mr. Rogers fan, I love Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I like that these characters live on for new generations to enjoy, and hearing Jason Mraz do the theme song in the season 1 finale gave me a whole new appreciation for him.

And being a John Ritter fan, I had to include Clifford the Big Red Dog (the late Ritter provided Clifford's voice). The stories don't grab me the way the previous three shows do, but it's a kid's show and that's to be expected. Still, it's really faithful to the book, and I appreciate that.

Wild Kratts is silly fun. A lot of real-world footage of animals is fun to look at, and it's the one show I watch on PBS Kids that I learn something new from each episode.

I'm not a huge fan of the 3D animated segments that Sesame Street has for Abby Cadabby and Bert and Ernie, but the show still holds up well. I don't despise Elmo the way others do, so I understand those who can't stand Sesame Street due to Elmo's presence. Controversial personal life allegations aside, Being Elmo was a fantastic documentary.

The guest stars on Arthur are nice. And it gives me some nostalgia for my childhood, as it's been on the air since 1996. Some of the secondary characters like Buster can be very annoying, and the stories seem a little too generic, but anything featuring an animated Fred Rogers is ok in my book.

I did not include Callilou on this list. Callilou is a horrible cartoon, and it's painfully obvious that the writers either don't have experience dealing with children, or they check those experiences at the door each morning before starting work. I refuse to let my child watch this stupid show.

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The 16-Bit Catholic, 04-29-2012

In tonight's episode, we talk to Lisa Hendey of Catholicmom.com about drunk intruders, tips on taking small children and infants to Mass, and the lives (and deaths) of saints. Plus, Chris Holland of chrishollandmusic.blogspot.com provides some really great closing music, a rock cover of the Chrono Trigger theme!

Download the file here.

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Give a Little Gift

I was born 8 weeks early. I have spent my entire pregnancy praying my baby would not be premature. I have a friend, Janet, and her husband, Mike, who weren't as lucky as I have been.  They don't know I'm writing this post, and I really hope they don't mind. I'll show it to them when we're done here...

Janet and Mike are a sweet couple, smart, and funny. I enjoy their company.  I met them through a friend a few years ago.  

Janet and Mike got pregnant with twins after being married over a decade.  They delivered their babies early, 16 weeks early.  Which means their twins Jaina and Cade were born at 24 weeks. Sweet baby Jaina fought hard for a few days, but is now waiting in heaven for her family.  Cade spent about 4 months in the NICU surrounded by nurses and doctors who cared for him expertly.

I cannot imagine travelling back and forth every day like Janet and Mike.
I cannot imagine the pain of bringing Cade home without his sister.

Cade 4mo old and home!

Why am I telling you this story and showing you an adorable baby photo?  Janet is participating in the March Of Dimes walk and is raising money in honor of her beautiful son Cade, and in memory of her precious daughter Jaina. I'm hoping that by being a friend of TheCatholicLovebirds and all that we love, you might consider donating to this fight.  There are so many babies born early, March of Dimes is doing everything they can to prevent this. When it can't be prevented March of Dimes does what they can to support these babies and their families.  Think of all your friends, how many have been affected by miscarriage, early births, premature or preterm births, birth defects?  Then click the link below and donate.  Donate in honor of the babies that fight to become adults.   Could you give a dollar? One dollar isn't much of a sacrifice really when you think of it... You've probably got that much between the couch cushions.

I've committed to donate a dollar amount equivalent to the weeks at which Lucy is born. What will you commit to?  Pickel Family MOD page

MOD mission statement

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Yes, they make lingerie for children

This news story should discredit any snobby European who thinks Americans are classless.

On Greg and Jennifer Willits show this afternoon, they mentioned that there was French lingerie company that is selling lingerie! You know, the sexy kind that when you see your wife wearing it, you get all warm and tingly cause she's so beautiful?

Actually no. This lingerie is marketed toward girls ages 4-12.

Lingerie for girls ages 4-12. Lets let that sink in for a moment or two. Lingerie. For girls. Age 4. To 12.

I'm not even going to post a picture. Toddlers and Tiaras makes me feel creepy all over, but this raises that ugly bar ten times more. There is a photo of a kid modeling this stuff with a bare stomach, in nothing but panties and a top.

What's the goal of a photo like that? I shudder to think of the men and women who probably have that as a desktop photo.

The goal of the "loungerie" made by Jours Apres Lunes (headed up by lingerie designer Sophie Morin) is to sell products similar to her adult line of clothing. And while there's certainly nothing wrong with lingerie, it takes on nine shades of ugliness when a child wears something so sexually provocative.

Perhaps the idea of expecting a child in a few months has made me more sensitive to these issues than I was a year or two ago. But this story comes on the heels of Corey Feldman's interview on Nightline where he says that the number one problem in Hollywood is pedophilia.

When you combine the two stories, I think it's long overdue to ask why people feel the need to sexualize minors.  I am scared enough as it is to become a Father. After reading all of this, only the depths of Hell scares me more.

God have mercy on those children whose parents signed them up to model "loungerie."

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