Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide - My Little Veterinarian Kit

Do you have a little caregiver at home? I do. My little girl loves animals. She is always asking for one kind of pet or another and sticks like glue to any animal she comes into contact with. She is a "helper" too. Always trying to take care of people and things.

I recently found a great line of toy kits for her. My Little Medical School has 3 awesome kits. My Little Sports Medicine Kit, My Little Pediatrician Kit, and My Little Veterinarian  Kit. For my little animal lover, I chose the My Little Veterinarian Kit. She has mentioned wanting to be a vet when she grows up, so I know it would be perfect.

 The kit is so cute. It has a doggy patient, a workbook, a diploma, patient assessment forms, adoption certificate, glove, tweezers, tick stickers, dough and mold to make dog treats, a lab coat and more. I love all the content. It seems very thorough for a toy.



As expected, my little girl loves this kit. I love that it all fits inside the box it came in. It is sturdy and has a Velcro closure, so it works great for storing this set, and I know it will hold up for awhile.My daughter just cares about how much fun it is. And it did not disappoint.

She played with it for over 2 hours in one sitting. And she plays with it every day. She also keeps the doggy with her, pretty much at all times. It sleeps in her bed with her and she drops it off at "school" in the morning before she goes to school. 




I'm really glad the coat fits her. I was worried about that. My MIL got her a doctor kit like 2 years ago, and she was (already at that time) way too big for it. Some many play costumes are very small. This set is recommended for ages 6+ and she is 6 (and big for her age), she still has some room, so that is great.

In addition to the darling medical kits, My Little Medical School also sells an awesome helmet, the Brain Hat-ter. And it is designed like it sounds. It looks like a colorful model of the brain. So unique and fun.


Unfortunately, neither one of my kiddos knows how to ride a bike just yet, mostly for lack of anywhere safe nearby to ride. But they get taught bike safety and riding in PE at school and they bring a helmet for that. Both of them want this one, but my son has a larger head, and this seems to fit him better, so he got it. It is so cute that if I had a bike I would have kept it.

We are loving these products from My Little Medical School. I am probably going to get the other 2 kits, one for each kiddo, for Christmas. If you have a child that wants to help others/animals I highly recommend these kits.

*Although I received these items at no cost to facilitate my review, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Monday, December 11, 2017

7 Ways to keep our skin soft and youthful

Every woman wants to have and maintain a fair and youthful appearance. The skin is one of those body parts that indicate your health and vitality. With age comes the formation of wrinkles and other signs of aging like skin sagging. Most people, however, would prefer to maintain a youthful look and appearance as they age.

It is better to find ways on how to keep and maintain a soft, youthful skin instead of waiting for wrinkles and sagging to occur before rushing to get skin care treatments from dermatologists which might be costly. Below are some of the ways that you can maintain a clear, soft skin.

1. Large water intake

A well-hydrated skin is firm and smooth. Water makes up a large percentage of the skin and by drinking plenty of water; you’ll be maintaining a healthy and younger look. Soft drink like sodas and fruit juices can be drunk, but water is the best option because it’s natural and hydrates the body more. Soft drinks might contain might be harmful to your health when consumed in large amounts and frequently. Take an average of eight glasses or more on a daily basis to maintain a hydrated skin.

2. Use a moisturizer

Moisturizers hydrate the skin and boost the production of collagen and elastin, which maintain a firm skin. You can purchase a moisturizer depending on your skin type, whether it’s dry or oily skin.

You can also purchase ointments like Aphrodite cream to increase hydration and improve your skin elasticity. Placing a humidifier in your room when you are sleeping is also a great option. It would humidify your face while you are sleeping.

3. Use an Exfoliator

Exfoliation removes the topmost layer of the skin, speeding up the repair and collagen production. The exfoliator should contain natural components and lack chemicals. Exfoliate your skin at least twice a week using a soft piece of cloth. Exfoliation leaves the skin feeling and looking radiant and healthy.

4. Wash your face regularly

Excess dirt and oil on your face can lead to acne and the formation of firm lines, wrinkles and even cause bacterial infections. Wash your face before sleeping at night using a mild cleanser gently. This cleanses the skin leaving the pores open. If you have makeup on, use a cotton ball to remove the makeup before rinsing off your face.

5. Massage

Massage your face on a daily basis to boost the production of collagen. Massaging can be on the face or entire body and it stimulates the lymph gland resulting in a clear skin.

6. Avoid or Limit Sun Exposure

Collagen and elastin fibers are broken down by the effect of harsh sun rays making them less functional leading to skin sagging. The sun is good for your skin but avoid overexposure which can lead to wrinkle formation due to the ultraviolet rays. Use a sunscreen or wear a hat when it’s too sunny to reduce the effects of the sun rays.

7. Don’t pop your pimples

Popping pimples that are not yet ready is a bad move since it might enlarge pores as well as lead to the formation of scars and spots that might be difficult to remove later on.

A clear, soft and youthful skin boosts one’s confidence. Work towards maintaining a healthy skin all the time.

Friday, December 1, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide - Strictly Briks

This year has just flown by. Now it is time for holiday shopping and planning. I LOVE to buy gifts, and I generally start early and buy what I can when I can, since I don't always have money to spend. As much as I love getting gifts in general, choosing gifts for my son is practically impossible.

I love my boy to death, he is the sweetest kid you'll ever meet. He's thankful for any gift he gets, but with his autism, he tends to stick to very few activities. Mostly drawing, and using the iPad/computer. There is not much to do with that for gifting, since he already has his own computer and 2 iPads. But I can't just get him fewer gifts than everyone else.

When I ask him what he wants, he asks for food items that no longer exist or are from other countries (things he would never even taste anyway.) I get him books and DVDs and art supplies, and then I just have to wing it and hope he likes what I pick.

The things I've always had the best luck with are building toys. But that is a double-edged sword. He likes them usually and will use them, but many varieties have hundreds of tiny pieces that get everywhere and end up getting lost (or chewed, which is something he needs to stop doing.) Some sets are made to include every piece or they don't work correctly. Making the useless when pieces inevitably get lost.

With my son, I like things that can help him open his mind and create his own ideas. He is already good at copying from examples (instructions), so something more open is actually more out of his comfort zone, which is great.

So I said all that to say this, I found a great building toy line: Strictly Briks. These are similar to other bricks on the market, but Strictly Briks have some wonderful pieces, like base plates, that I have not really seen from other brands. Also, they have silicone sets, which are really cool, and much less painful if stepped on.


My kids share, but I basically got the Big Briks set for my son and the Silicone Straps for my daughter. Of course, she was the first to open both. She always has to be first, especially for something exciting like this. (She pounces on me every time I get a package to try to see what it is before I even have a chance.)


She loves both kits, but as expected, the silicone strap kit was her favorite, because she could make it into a bracelet. Plus, that color scheme is just so adorable. My son was not far behind to join in the fun.


That's when the real fun started, since he helped her build buildings. They were making a city, they said. He explained it to me, how there were roads and an office and skyscraper. It was so sweet. Even funnier is when Little Bit chimed in and was trying to elaborate on his explanation. She does that often but usually does not even fully understand what was going on, so her explanation is unrelated.

Anyway. They had tons of fun with these from the first day they got them. They still play with them regularly, though not together for the most part. I think that is more of a timing thing than not wanting to share. They just do their own things sometimes.

The quality of these Strictly Briks sets is top notch. They are very well made, thick and durable, but not too clunky. Whereas the silicone ones are also very thick and well made, while being soft and pliable. The colors are vibrant and fun. The selection of sizes is very good. So many sets have way too many small blocks and not enough larger ones. These have a nice balance.



I plan to expand their Strictly Briks collection for Christmas. One (well a few) less gifts for me to guess and stress over for my dear son. At least I already know he'll like it, and it's something that will last for years, and even be donated when they are done.

And if my humble opinion is not enough reason to have confidence in Strictly Briks, perhaps the fact that they have won 29 awards in only 6 weeks will help. They were also featured on the The Today Show in the Black Friday Toys Spot. This kind of achievement is relatively unheard of for such a new company.

Have you heard of Strictly Briks yet? What do you think? How would you compare them to other kinds of building blocks? Are you planning to buy any building toys this holiday season? If so, who for and what do you have in mind? I would love to discuss this in the comments. I enjoy sharing ideas and getting advice.

*Although I received these items at no cost to facilitate a review, all opinions are 100% my own.*