Howling Horn Fluffy Summer 1,000 Fan Extravaganza!

We've reached 1000 Facebook fans! To celebrate, we've put together a small giveaway featuring some of our favorite brands (including a self sponsored item that happens to be really pretty and very hard to find!).

Want to know what the prizes are? I've been dying to share them for awhile now:

First, the lovely owner (and inventor) at Bobee (remember these adorable whales?!) has offered her equally adorable Elephant decals to brighten up any room:

Winner will get to choose their favorite color from the options available. I love these vinyls! They can be re-positioned but stay up so well (we have ours in our bathroom and they haven't budged a bit!), and the colors are so much more vibrant in person. Plus, Stacy, the owner, is so sweet and really easy to work with. I can't say enough good things about this company.

Second, is a One Size Hybrid Fitted Diaper from Beanpop. Beanpop is a new company to me, but we'll hopefully be doing a review soon and I can't wait to share this new find with you! I love the diapers in their shop, they are so cute!

New to the cloth diaper world? Have no idea what I'm talking about when I say "One Size Hybrid Fitted"? No worries, I swear "Cloth-Diapereses" should qualify as a foreign language. Essentially: One size means that it fits babies from about 7lbs-35 lbs (depending on the brand). Hybrid usually means that there's a hidden layer of poly fleece in the diaper. Fitted means that it's super absorbent and you won't have to add any inserts to it. They usually make splendid night-time diapers. Here's a great collection of introductory posts to the fluffy madness that is the cloth world.

Lastly, an AppleCheeks Bee Happy Swim Diaper in Size 1. First off, what's Applecheeks? A cloth diaper company with a reputation for wacky reveal parties for their new colors, women with huge hearts (the generosity of the faces behind this happy company is a astounding. Spend 5 minutes in their company sponsored chat group and you'll be moved to tears by the things that happen there every day), and a brand with a highly devoted following. Secondly, Bee Happy is an exclusive color of swim diaper they're only selling at MommyCon (review and giveaway coming soon for tickets to a local event of your choice!). Size 1 refers to their smallest diapers that fit from 7-20 lbs.

Picture stolen and altered from Applecheeks. I will happily remove pic if needed, I just didn't have any of my own... *Sheepish grin*

Why reusable swim diapers? Why not? They're cute, soft, and you don't have to keep wasting money on disposable ones. Seriously, buy one or two of these (in the event of a poop-splosion) and you're set for your babies swimming career until they're potty trained.

Giveaway runs from 6/27-7/11 @11:59 pm MST There will be one winner for each prize! Good Luck!

Entry-Form

A New Chapter

I don't know where to start so I will start by saying what this post is actually about. I'm here to say that I will no longer be a blogger at the Howling Howl and how much I have appreciated everyone's support. This decision to step down from the blog was not an easy one. I really didn't want to do it because I have enjoyed sharing my preschool ideas, recipes, craft ideas, and family thoughts. However, life decided to present me with some major obstacles.

Why?

The minor obstacle I have been dealing with is my husband's work schedule. The job he has does a lot of mandatory overtime. And, I mean a lot. He works on average between 60 to 70 hours a week so that leaves very little time to do family activities and date nights.

We also own almost an acre of land so we have lots of yard work that has to be done. My husband does what he can, and then I do the rest because I hate having things in disarray. So I have been trying to balance blogging with raising a family and taking care of the home.

The major obstacle that I was dealt this year is one that will not go away. My precious little baby boy, Roo, was diagnosed with a rare disease. Roo has mastocytosis.

What is mastocytosis? Well, let me explain. Mastocytosis is when mast cells start to accumulate in the body's tissues. There are two types: 1) Cutaneous where the mast cells accumulate in the skin, and 2) Systemic where the mast cells accumulate in various tissues of the body. Cutaneous mastocytosis is the better one to have because systemic mastocytosis has more problems and can lead into cancer. Mast cells are part of the immune system and have histamine to regulate allergic reactions.

Roo has mast cells accumulating in his skin so he has lots of "spots" or lesions. When these spots get irritated, rubbed/scratched, the skin becomes red and the spots become like hives. If too many spots get irritated, then Roo can go into anaphylactic shock because all the mast cells mimic an allergic reaction even when no allergen is present. So we now carry two epi pens with us because we don't know when he could have trouble breathing, etc.

Symptoms vary with this disease but here are some: fatigue, nausea, abdominal discomfort/cramping, musculoskeletal pain, flushing, tachycardia, syncope, anaphylaxis, etc. I could go on for a while about this condition, but I feel that this sums it up without getting too technical.

Thankfully, I learned just a month ago that Roo has cutaneous mastocytosis. Roo will have to keep having blood work done every 6 months to a year to make sure his disease doesn't progress into systemic. Roo has struggled with sleeping until just about 2 months ago. I would be getting up with him about 6-8 times a night. Now, I get up with him 1-2 times a night because we have been able to help treat his pain and other symptoms.


What next?

Because I feel that I need to spend more time with my kids and spouse and take some time to refocus on what I want from life, I will be leaving the blog.

I will first take some time to relax. I haven't been able to truly relax all year so a much needed rest is in store. After my rest, I will be spending my time outside gardening. I really want to start up a compost pile so I'm going to learn how to compost really soon. I'm also making plans to make an herb garden and to expand the size of my current garden. I love my yard because I have plenty of grass for the kids to play on, berry patches (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries), a medium sized garden, fruit trees, a fish pond, chickens, and hopefully some bees soon. So don't worry about me, I will be plenty busy

My boys will continue to learn from me at home through our everyday activities. We are having so much fun going on walks to the local library and getting books. So far Monkey has only been picking out trains, trucks, and Curious George book. I'm okay with that because I want him to love books and pursue his interests.

We will also be enjoying the great outdoors by taking a road trip soon to explore the great sites my state has to offer. And, my family enjoys fishing so we will be going fishing several times a month. Like I mentioned several times before, my family needs some time with each other and just appreciate life. I'm so grateful for my husband and two boys!

You will probably hear from me every now and then with some book reviews or some guest posts. Again, thanks for all the support you have showed me! And I hope you will continue to support Hannah and this blog.

PREMIUM (2 Pack) 6 Foot Extension Cables (#solidcordz)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.


About the product

image obtained from website

                        






PREMIUM 6 Foot Extension Cords by Solid Cordz®
Solid Cordz® 6 foot extension cable is the solution to your electronics and power equipment reaching problems. This sturdy and long-lasting 72-inch length extension wire can give your room a clean and organized look. The cable is thicker than the usual which houses a 16 AWG wire. The cables are fully rated for 125 volt/13 Amp applications.

How does PREMIUM 6 Foot Extension Cord work?
The purpose of the Premium 6 Foot Extension Cord is to make unreachable outlets accessible and at range at all times. With its bendable property, reaching power strips and outlets are easily made possible. Our product has easy grip ends which ensures no grounding problems and proven safe.

Why should you buy from us?
Our Solid Cordz® Premium 6 foot extension cable are proven and tested for its top-quality – Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed & CSA approved. Our product is commended by its durability and flexibility considering its low cost value which made it affordable to everyone. Save more with its 2-pack offer plus enjoy the “No questions asked Lifetime 100% money back guarantee” that we offer. Experience the benefits that the Premium 6 Foot Extension Cord can offer.



My thoughts

When my husband got home from work, I showed him that I was going to review some extension cords. He remarked, "They look like really solid cords." I laughed and told him that the extension cords were made by Solid Cordz. My husband loves his tools and electronic equipment (and so do my little boys!). So it is just not me that feels that these extension cords are super awesome!

I love how durable the cords are. I don't have to worry about them getting ruined over time because they are made of strong material. The two pack of 6 feet extension cords is extremely handy because I can combine them to get 12 feet. Now I don't have to unplug my vacuum when I move into each room. The cords have saved me so much time.

I also have used the cords to get some extra length to some outlets. I use my laptop to watch shows, and I like to watch them on the couch. However, my laptop cord isn't very long so I end up having to get extremely creative in order to get comfortable. Now I can quickly get comfortable for my favorite show because of solid cordz!

I love these cords, and I know you won't be disappointed in them when you get them too!


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.

Wire Crochet Jewelry

I like jewelry, but I'm not in love with jewelry. I think the problem I have is that I have a number of sensitivities to metals so I end up being allergic to a lot of jewelry that you can buy at the store. And, I'm very thrifty and don't like to spend a lot of money on jewelry that gets worn every now and then.

However, I was intrigued when I heard about making your own jewelry so I decided to learn more about it. I was able to get information from Adriana Laura Mendez, creator of wire crochet jewelry. She provides ebooks and video tutorials on how to create your own handmade jewelry such as bracelets, rings, and necklaces. There are so many options!

I thought the idea of making my own jewelry sounded like so much fun. Adriana was nice and provided me some ebooks and video tutorials for free. And, I just couldn't resist sharing to my readers about what a fun craft project this is! You can also visit her Etsy shop and see what she has done!


About Adriana Laura Mendez 

Adriana Laura Mendez is a jewelry designer that has always been passionate about the world of fashion and jewelry. In 2005 she discovered wire croceht jewelry and started to design jewelry as a hobby until she perfected it. Three years later, along with her son Julian Oribe she decided to launch her own jewelry company of wire crochet jewelry. 

Adriana made hundreds of unique jewelry pieces. But the road has not been easy. As a self-taught she had to learn by trial and error to finally being able to learn and achieve wonderful results. Today, after 9 years of experience in the field of handmade jewelry she wants to teach you all the secrets so you can make your own handmade jewelry from home.

Alongside with his son and co-founder, Julian Oribe, they have created a series of ebook and video tutorials that will help you to learn wire crochet jewelry. Adriana's dream is to share her passion for jewelry with you and guide you in the process of creating beautiful handmade jewelry.

Adriana specializes in the field of crochet jewelry in which she develops the Peruvian point. After creating numerous collections of jewels, Adriana and Julian decided to expand the knowledge of the art of wire crochet jewelry by selling innovative Ebook and Video Tutorials.

*note all images are obtained from her website in order to show what you can create!

Bracelets

            

                 

Rings

                

                 

Necklaces

        

                       

Earrings

                  

                        

My thoughts

I just have aren't those jewelry items so beautiful! I love looking at them because they are so pretty and unique. It is amazing what can be made using the wire crochet jewelry techniques. Wow!

I decided to first try making a bracelet. It is slow going because I have never crocheted before. However, I do find the ebooks and video tutorials very helpful. Adriana does an excellent job at showing the step by step process of how to make the jewelry, and I love how her ebooks are jammed pack with pictures. The pictures have been a huge help. I also like how she explains about the different type of wires, crochet techniques, and crochet needles.

I am able to start seeing some progress on my bracelet. Right now, I am practicing making the crochet loops because I want to have them down before I make my official bracelet. Hopefully in a few more weeks, I will have something to show. But, I just had to share what a fun project this is.

If you are interested, then click on the banner on the left hand side of the blog. We are doing an affiliated program with Adriana so some of the money earned from the sales will go to the blog. And, still in touch because we might be doing a giveaway where someone will have the chance to win a copy of one of the ebooks!


*Disclosure: all opinions are my own.

Quinoa Salad

This is my favorite salad! I love making it, but I especially enjoy eating it.

Quinoa Salad
*adapted from the Greek Quinoa and Avocados recipe from  the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook
*I omit the feta cheese and put more spinach in since I love spinach
*for 4 main-dish servings (I usually double the recipe)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 2 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2/3 to 1 cup shredded fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1 ripe avocado halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped (can use another one if you want)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Steps

1. Combine quinoa and water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15-20 minutes).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, shredded spinach, onion, avocado, and quinoa. Stir to combine.
3. In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add to quinoa mixture and toss to coat.
4. Enjoy

Tell Me Of Brave Women Review & Giveaway

About the book

image obtained from author's website

                                                       

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: HB Stowe Press; Fiction edition (May 1, 2014)
• Language: English

In this exciting novel, three dynamic women stand up to old traditions and fight abuse in new ways. Samara, a famous storyteller, creates Secret Sisters, an underground society that shelters battered women in the Middle East. She's hunted for her beliefs and stalked for her beauty. Thelma, a tough waitress in Appalachia, witnesses a beating, gets a gun, and changes Samara's destiny forever. Evangelina, a South American teen, is forced to be a drug lords sex-slave until she's emboldened to flee to Secret Sisters. To escape, she must use a killer's own tactics against him. Through escalating dangers, the three heroic women battle abuse and wager their lives for liberty.

About the author

Laura Riley received her B.A. from UCLA, and her M.A. and PhD. degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California. As a psychotherapist, lecturer and teacher, she has helped battered women become achieving women for more than three decades. Studying the status of women in eighty-nine countries, she's met survivors of violence everywhere and believes that abuse will only end when women unite against it. She writes to encourage them to come together and demand justice and equality with men. She loves art, fairy tales, reading, walking, traveling, gardening and listening to people talk. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Patrick, and their extended family. For more information about Laura and her work, please subscribe to Laura's blog, What Nana Knows at tellmeofbravewomen.com.


My thoughts

I was actually surprised to see how long the book was when I received it. However, once I started reading the book, I found that I couldn't put it down. I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next to Samara, Thelma, and Evangelina.

I knew the book would contain dark material because anything that focuses on abuse is not pleasant material. So I warn the readers out there that don't like reading sad and slightly disturbing books that this book will not give you a warm fuzzy feeling. What Tell Me Of Brave Women will give you is the feeling that you need to do something to end the abuse on women. It will make you think about your life and other women you encounter differently. Abuse will never end when society just ignores the problem. The author, Laura Riley, made the theme of the book that violence against women will never end until women start to unite against it. I do agree with this theme; however, I might disagree with the methods to achieve the goal of stopping abuse on women.

Laura Riley did an excellent job on writing a book of fiction to bring attention to how women are abused in different areas of the world. She captured the ways women can say no to the abuse and no longer accept the belief that they have to be a victim.The book made me sad, smile, and really contemplate on how I can make a difference in society.

This is one part of the book that I loved:

Evangelina watched Mother Dolores as the boys revealed their secrets. She was bent forward, looking at each in turn as he spoke and totally immersed in their troubles. No judgment or speculation crossed her face - just acceptance, human acceptance. Oh, to be wise like her.

I loved it because it shows how we need to accept and love each other more. It shows how sometimes we can jump to conclusions without knowing the full story. I definitely want to try harder on understanding, accepting, and loving everyone I meet.

Giveaway
-Open to US and Canada
-Ends 6-26-14 at 11:59 pm
-Winner has 48 hours to respond to the winning email before a new winner is chosen 

Entry-Form

Disclosure: I received the book mentioned in this post at no cost in order to do this review. All opinions are my own.

Pimsleur Spanish Level 1 Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

                                    


About the product

Learn Spanish on the Go with Pimsleur - In Your Car, On the Plane, Anywhere... No Books, No DVDs, No Software Required! Pimsleur Spanish Level 1 (Comprehensive 1) is the easiest & fastest course available to start holding Spanish conversations.

• Highly effective, 100% audio-based learning
• Based on Dr. Pimsleur's famous research. Learn the Spanish language simply by listening & speaking
• Perfect for travelers, business executives, students & anyone who wants to hold real conversations
• No reading, writing, memorization, textbooks
• Just 30-minutes/day!
• Easily download onto your mp3 player
• No software (unlike Rosetta Stone & Fluenz). The Pimsleur method is an audio-only approach unlike any other available. Its revolutionary scientific system allows you to lock language material in your brain after just one listen!Takes you from beginner Spanish to a basic intermediate level in thirty, 30-minute Pimsleur Spanish lessons - 16 hours of real-life speaking sessions on 16 Spanish language learning audio CDs.

• Initiate & hold face-to-face conversations
• Handle everyday situations - ask for information, directions, & give basic information about yourself
• Participate in casual conversations
• Avoid basic cultural errors & handle travel requirements
• Establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries
• Begin sounding out words with native-like pronunciation  

About Dr. Pimsleur:
Dr. Paul Pimsleur was a legendary linguist at universities around the world. His world-famous, scientifically-proven Pimsleur method has helped millions of people learn new languages quickly & easily. Featured on PBS - Purchased by the FBI.

 My thoughts

Pimsleur Spanish 1 is definitely a new approach to learning a language. I took Spanish for 6 years during middle school and high school, and sadly I have forgotten a lot of my hard work. I was fairly good at reading Spanish, but I struggled speaking the language with ease.  So I was really excited when I heard about this new way of learning a foreign language!

Each lesson is only 30 minutes so it is really easy to squeeze that into the day. Each lesson has you listen to the conversation, speak out loud, and answer questions when asked. This is done to help you establish the sounds of the language and reinforce proper speech. You only do one lesson a day. You can repeat any lesson more than once, but you don't move on until you can respond correctly about 80%  of the time.

I just have to say how much I love the Pimsleur approach. It is really easy to do since you can do it anywhere! I find it really helpful how you listen to conversations to learn the language. The CD breaks down the words you hear in order for you to practice the correct pronunciation. The CD then will keep asking you questions so you practice saying the words and sentences until it comes with ease. This is the perfect way to learn the basics of any language.

I have been able to do the Pimsleur approach for a few weeks now, but I can already tell how much I have progressed and learned the basics of Spanish. I find myself speaking the words throughout the day which is a good sign because it shows that I am remembering what I am learning!

If you want to learn another language, then I strongly recommend using the Pimsleur approach!


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.

CureDiva

My father's cousin died of breast cancer in her 40's. I only met her once, and while I know my Dad doesn't remember it, that experience has stuck in my head. Mostly, I remember her smile. It lit up the roomin a way that almost made it 10 times brighter.  She spoke calmly about normal things- her role at church, her house, her kids, needing to cook dinner. To my young teenaged mind, that seemed an anomaly- why was someone, so close to dying so happy? Honestly, I still can't answer that for sure, but as I've thought about it through the years I've decided that it might have had something to do with her being at peace with it. Death was coming, no matter what, so she might as well accept it and make the most of life. That's something that I've tried to apply to my own life in every way I can.

Thankfully, not everyone who is touched by Breast Cancer passes away. The treatments can be brutal, but there are often full recoveries. Having talked to friends who have dealt with other deadly diseases, I know that any sense of normalcy can be a real God-send. That's where places like CureDiva come in. From their website: 

WHO WE ARE

CureDiva is the first ever personalized lifestyle solutions online shop for women facing Breast Cancer. CureDiva offers a one-of-a-kind high-end shopping and community platform that provides women at every breast cancer treatment phase with all of their lifestyle needs. CureDiva's mission is to help women facing breast cancer better their lives with style.

How cool is that? Literally a one stop shop of items custom picked to help make life easier for women going through the hardest time of their lives. 

Obviously, there are other things you can do that don't involve buying gifts: make dinner, give rides, spend time talking, help care for their families, offer to clean their homes, etc. Sometimes though, a little something extra can go a long way.

Guess what? CureDiva has generously offered our readers an exclusive code to get 10% off their merchandise now through Sunday, June 22. Simply enter CD5W2014 at checkout.

*Disclosure- Howling Horn was provided a code to pass on to our readers. We were not asked to write a post and we expect no compensation in return. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this piece are our own.*

Camp MommyCon

I am a crunchy mommy. Alright, that's not entirely accurate. I am a MOSTLY crunchy mommy. We cloth diaper. We did Baby Led Weaning. We baby wear. I'm switching to reusable methods for my Monthly Visitor. I try to make foods from scratch or use pre-made foods that have 10 ingredients or less and that I can actually pronounce. That's it though. Nothing extreme. Just your typical saving money ways that happen to also be good for the environment.

That all being said, I nearly started drooling when I learned about MommyCon last year. What's MommyCon? According to their website: "MommyCon is natural parenting convention dedicated to bringing modern parents together for the purpose of discussion, connection and building community." Basically they get together the rock stars of the natural parenting world and have them give lectures and hold classes and you get to hang out with other natural parents and meet vendors you've been idolizing for year and.... Ok, I'm sounding a bit fan-girlish. I'll stop.

This weekend is Camp MommyCon in Winter Park, Colorado and I'm going! I volunteered to help out for a few hours (while wearing my baby, that's how awesome they are- I get to bring my baby girl with me and they won't blink an eye) and then I'm going to go and see lectures from Jessica from the Leaky B@@b (and her husband Jeremy who she writes the blog Beyond Moi with), the Honest Toddler, Jamie of The Baby Guy NYC, and some local doulas, among other amazing guests. Look at this schedule!

 I hope I get to see a few of you there, but if you can't go to this one there's no need to worry- they'll be coming to Memphis on August 23 as well as more dates to come! Keep an eye out for my post on my MommyCon experience as well as a chance to win tickets to a future Con. If you can't wait to find out if you've won, you can buy some here. Just use code: HOWLINGHORN at checkout. (Disclosure: I will get compensated for every use of this code and expect to be. Regardless all my opinions remain my own.)

Dead Sea Salt Deep Hair Conditioner Review (#hairconditioner)

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

 

About the product

• Imported
• Made with Real Dead Sea Salt - 100% Pure and Genuine for an infusion of 21 Minerals Essential to Proper Skin and Hair Function.
• Leaves Hair Looking Hydrated, Healthy and Silky.
• Helps to Reduce the appearance of Dandruff and Dry, Flaky Scalp.
• Aloe Vera Deeply Nourishes the Scalp and Hair - Hydrating it from Within.
• WE SELL OUT FAST - Get it soon before we run out again. We try to produce this item as fast as we can. Dead Sea Salt contains more than 21 skin and hair rebuilding minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sulfur, bromide, iodine, sodium, zinc and potassium.

My thoughts

I try to take good care of my hair because I'm super sensitive about it. My senstivity comes from my childhood because my sisters would tease me and say that I had "matted down dog hair". The joys of being the youngest and getting teased ruthlessly...not! Anyways, so I have always been paranoid about limp and oily hair.

Recently, I tried Adovia Dead Sea mud shampoo and now I am writing my thoughts on the Dead Sea salt conditioner. The hair conditioner is made out of Dead Sea salt and minerals. It has a flowery perfume scent, and squeezes out of the bottle easily.

After I washed with the Dead Sea mud shampoo, I used the Dead Sea salt conditioner. I let the conditioner sit in my hair for a few minutes before rinsing it out. I noticed that my hair felt soft and silky. I love that feeling! When my hair dried, my hair looked so healthy and vibrant. My hair was also still very soft. This conditioner is wonderful!


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.

Matilda Jane $50 Gift Card

Matilda Jane Clothing's designer and founder, Denise DeMarchis, started the girls' clothing company in 2005. A mother of two boys (good ones, if ever there were) and a successful decorative artist, Denise brought her unique, soulful approach to creativity and relationships to her new venture—an "unpredictable clothing company."

"It's all about keeping a little girl...a little girl. Keeping her youthful. Keeping her spinning and twirling and carefree. And most importantly, bringing her happiness." – Denise DeMarchis, designer and founder.

                             


Matilda Jane offers unique and cute girl clothes. There are so many options that I know it will be hard to decide on what you want to get for your precious little girl or girls! Enter below for your chance to win a $50 Matilda Jane Gift Card!

Sponsored by: Matilda Jane

Hosted by: Confessions of a stay at home mom

Event dates: 6/13-6/27

Limited to the Continental US Only.

1 winner.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Howling Horn is not responsible for prize and/or shipment of prize. If you have any questions about this promotion or would like to appear in the next one please email sandra@coasahmom.com.

The Best Open-Faced Sandwich You've Never Tasted

Don't you love the early twenties? You know- that time in life when you're not quite sure who you are yet and are willing to work practically any job in order to make ends meet. My job like that was working at The Hub. What's The Hub you ask? The food court at Utah State University. I devoted my life to that place. Literally. 40+ hours a week starting at 4 am every morning. Yup 4 am. I was a baker. Never again. Never. Baking bread? So not my strong suit. (Hence my recipe for super easy French Bread.)

The plus side of working in that bakery (called Hazel's by the way), besides the lifelong friendships I made, was my introduction to the Marv'N'Joe. Yes, I know, sounds odd and you have no clue what it is. But, it's easily the best thing you've never tried. Bread, garlic butter, cheese, toasted to warm and golden and melty perfection. I won't share the EXACT recipe with you (trade secrets you know ;)), but I'll give you an approximation here. Try it, try it soon. And, if you ever get the chance, head to Logan, Utah which is the home of the USU Aggies and give it a try.

Yummiest Open Faced Sandwich

Slice of French Bread
Garlic Butter
Salt
Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Oil
Mozzarella cheese
Slice of tomato (optional)

Spread Garlic Butter on French Bread. sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Add a small swirl of balsamic vinegar and oil. Place a slice of tomato on (if you like them, I usually don't add it). Place on slice of cheese. Pop into toaster oven and toast until golden brown. Enjoy!

A Week of the Letter T

This week's post will be a little different since my family was super busy and I didn't get to everything I planned. Also, my computer's hard drive started to fail so I'm using my old laptop and it has major issues doing the basic things. However, we were able to do several activities and doing our busy moments I worked hard on teaching Monkey about the things we were doing. So this post will describe a few of the activities that we did for the letter T.

Letter of the week

Monkey loves to use glue so I was excited when I found this letter of the week project from Crystal and Comp. We had a fun time making a tree from the letter "T".

I let Monkey glue the green squares wherever he wanted to and we ended up with a willow tree. I love it! I find it when I let Monkey take control of the learning session, he enjoys it so much. Don't worry if it doesn't turn out exactly how you imagine it because your kiddo is still learning.


Reading time

During each letter week, I like to read books that feature the letter "T".  I love the books by Jane Belk Moncure because she wrote books about each letter of the alphabet.

I love how during reading time Monkey can practice the sound of the letter "T" and learn about what words start with the letter "T".


T is for Time

As I was thinking about what to do for a math activity, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different. So today I got a clock (bought a cardboard clock from the dollar store), and I taught Monkey about time.

I explained the numbers, the hands, and why a clock is used. Monkey had fun pointing the numbers and counting with me. I was glad that this activity worked on helping Monkey practice counting and learning his numbers.


T is for Tissue Paper

I wanted to do a fun but simple art project. And, that is when I thought of allowing Monkey to rip up tissue paper and glue it on a piece of paper. All you need is tissue paper, a 12x12 piece of paper, and glue.

Monkey was so excited about the fact he could rip up the tissue paper and how he could use glue. I allowed Monkey to do whatever he wanted to. While he was ripping the tissue paper up and gluing it, I talked to him about colors and art.

This is a very easy art activity, but so much fun!



Want more alphabet lesson ideas? Then check out our other posts!

Letter A   Letter B   Letter C   Letter D   Letter E   Letter F    Letter G   Letter H   Letter I   Letter  J

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Father's Day Giveaway!

                                 

Father's Day is the perfect occasion to host a great giveaway! Bargains with Brittanie has teamed up with some amazing bloggers to offer you a Father's Day Giveaway that features over $844 worth of prizes!

We are so excited to offer the Howling Horn readers the chance to win some fun prizes thanks to Brittanie! Wouldn't it be so much fun to win one of these prizes for your husband or father?? Be sure to enter today.

You can enter to win 1 of 11 different prizes! Plus there will be 11 winners (1 winner for each prize listed).

Prizes Include:

• JORD Delmar Series Watch
• Territory Ahead Guy Stuff Bag
• 800Razors.com Men's 5-Blade Razor
• $25 Gordmans Gift Card
• Daddy & Co. Daddy Duck is The Best Book
• CLR Products Variety Prize Pack
• June Loot Crate
• Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening Kit
• ToiletTree STORMMp3 Water Resistant Speaker
• ToiletTree Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush
• Oral-B Black 7000 Power Toothbrush

In addition to this great giveaway you can check out detailed information on each of these items and more in the Father's Day Gift Guide Here.

Enter to Win!

Entering is simple. Use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to United States Residents only. Winners will be chosen via random.org. All Entries Will Be Verified. Winners will be drawn in the order prizes are listed on the rafflecopter widget. Winners will be contacted via email and will have 24 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway ends June 16, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I did not receive compensation for participating in this event. This giveaway is sponsored by the companies mentioned above. This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment or shipment. *** HTML END ***

Dead Sea Mud Shampoo Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Image from website

About the product

Adovia's Dead Sea Mud Shampoo is specially formulated with natural ingredients such as Dead Sea Mud, Chamomile & Olive Oil to bring deep hydration and moisture to the scalp, relieving itching and flakiness. Dead Sea Mud has been known for centuries for it's healing properties and people travel from all over the world to come and experience it's effects at the Dead Sea.

image from website

Dead Sea Salts and Mud have been featured on CNN, in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Dead Sea Mud contains the highest concentration of minerals found in mud anywhere in the world. Finally the benefits of Dead Sea mud and salt are presented to you in shampoo form! These minerals are all essential for proper skin function and help to regulate moisture retention as well as hydration. Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed.

What will this shampoo do for you?

• Helps to Relieve Itching from Dry, Flaky Scalp & Dandruff
• Helps to Relieve Symptoms of Scalp Psoriasis & Seborrhea Dermatitis
• Made with Pure & Natural Dead Sea Mud for an Infusion of Essential Minerals into Scalp & Hair
• Specially formulated for dry, itchy scalps & Dandruff
• Also Contains Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Vitamin E & Chamomile for a Natural Formula that gets results.

My thoughts

I love trying products that helps with dry skin and/or dry scalp. My skin dries out so fast and gets super itchy. Part of the problem too is that I have eczema, mild case, but still bothers me on a regular case. When the weather changes dramatically, I will also get problems with dry skin.

When I read about dead sea mud shampoo made by Adovia, I knew I had to try it out. It was a little weird to be washing my hair with mud, but I ignored that thought and continued to use the shampoo. The shampoo is easy to squeeze out from the bottle and has a slight perfume scent to it.

After using the shampoo for several weeks, I noticed that my scalp wasn't dry and it didn't itch like it used too. What a relief! It was nice seeing that the shampoo worked. I also noticed that my hair was soft and smooth. This a great product to help make your scalp and hair feel amazing.


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.