Braun Forehead Thermometer...It works for cranky hubby's also!

I recently got the Braun Forehead Thermometer to try out from Influenster.  I love getting these things, because they're usually something that I need, and about at the right time.

Luckily, Monster hasn't been sick lately.  BUT, the day I got it in the mail, Mike wasn't feeling well.  So, I figured, hey, I can try this out on him.  He is on the sofa saying he doesn't feel well, and I go over to him and within a couple seconds I can see that he doesn't have a fever.

I had a forehead thermometer from when Monster was little.  It was hard to read because the numbers were small, and it was not backlit.  Which means, if I took his temperature in the dark, I would have to walk out of the room to see what it was.  I rarely used it, except when Monster was really sick because I just didn't like it.

With the #BraunTherms it was much better.  This thermometer not only has a light where you can read the temperature, it's COLOR CODED!!!!  It will show you a green, yellow, or red light when you take the temperature so you don't even have to look at the numbers if you're in a hurry.  (You know...when the kid won't hold still!)  And the numbers on it...they're HUGE!  You don't have to put on reading glasses to see exactly what the temp is.

The only reason I typically use a thermometer is when I have to make sure and document if there's no fever, and for how long.  This is usually for school.  Now, when ever Mike or Monster say they're not feeling well, I can bring out the thermometer without hesitation and make sure they don't have a fever.

If you're a new mommy, or even a mommy or wife, I would suggest this thermometer for your First Aid Kit.  You won't ever have to wonder if you read the numbers right, the color coding makes it super easy for everyone to be able to use, and fairly reasonable in price as far as forehead thermometers go.   I found some on Amazon, starting around $50.

*Disclosure -- I received this product from Influenster complimentary for testing purposes.  All opinions are my own.*

Kristins Gifts Review and Giveaway

Yes, I know I'm wayyyyy behind on this, and I apologize profusely.  There's really no good excuse for this, so I won't try to tell you.  Let's just say that things were HECTIC here for a good two months!

Anyway...Here goes!! Kristins Gifts. Have you heard of them?  

I'm a big pen and stationary person.  I like all kinds of pens and all kinds of unique stationary.  And this is about as unique as you can get.  I first won a small notebook from a twitter party a while back and became hooked on these.  Then Kristins Gifts graciously sent me a WAFF pad and a WAFF book, along with some WAFF cubes to personalize them.  What can I say about these?  They are AWESOME!

And an incredible conversation starter.  

I pulled out my WAFF book and I now use it for my journal.  I've personalized it with the letter M, because lets face it...I don't have much of an imagination when it comes to this type of stuff.  As for my WAFF pad, yep...it sits on my desk for me to use.  I put a diagonal pattern on it and I love it.  I also use my WAFF book Mini all the time to take notes when I'm out and about.  Again, it's a great conversation starter.  

The WAFF Pads are refillable which is great because I take lots of notes around the house.  And the WAFF book is also refillable.  So this is a great investment.  Now, with everyone's kiddos going back to school, it would be the perfect time to get one for your little one.  It can give your little one a way to express themselves, and they can change the front when ever they want.  I love that it's silicone and soft to touch.  Now, for the fun part.  If you head over to Kristins Gifts Facebook page, and tell them that TheMarciFactor sent you, you will be entered for a special drawing at the end of the month for a FREE WAFF Pad and WAFF book with Cubes.  That is what I got in my package, and I love it!  Also, I'm going to giveaway another WAFF Book to one lucky person, all you have to do is enter on the Rafflecopter below.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maggie Bags Review and Giveaway

Ya'll know my LOVE of purses!  Especially unique purses!  Sooooo...I was able to review a Maggie Bags Cicily Tote! I chose the one in Chocolate and LOVE it! I also ordered the chocolate and pink wallet.  I'm really picky about my purses and wallets and Maggie Bags has delivered! 

Now, I have to say, this is NOT the first seat belt purse I own.  I got a different one a couple years ago, and like it, but it was so stiff and narrow that I can only use it for "pretty" days and not daily use.  Here's a picture of the inside of that one.

This is my normal stuff that I carry in a purse.  You can see it barely fits.  

This is that same stuff in my Maggie Bags Cicily Tote! There's room left over.

This is all the stuff that I had in both purses...yes it's a lot of stuff.

As far as quality...I'm in love and want another one!  I just have to wait until I save some money...LOL.

The thing that I like about seat belt bags is that they use recycled seat belts.  What happens is this.  The auto industry has extremely high standards, so there's a lot of seat belts that don't meet the specifications. What happens to all that extra stuff?  It's made into purses and other things. 

This is perfect for my everyday use.  It has the signature PURPLE Maggie Bags lining.  It holds everything AND...the wallet even holds everything.  I like the zipper part of it because it stays closed and it too has the PURPLE lining!! 

You can see it holds everything with room left over.  

And now, for the fun part!  Maggie Bags has been extremely nice and allowed me to have a giveaway of the Cicily tote!!

All you have to do is enter via the rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: The Glamour of Grammar

What do you do about grammar? If you're like most people, you were assaulted with nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives amongst others in elementary school. Me, I would never have survived the standardized tests without multiple choice. Even School House Rock never helped me. The way that our teachers taught it was boring and confusing. Until high school, I always guessed at anything more than a noun and a verb. In high school, it only got a little better, VERY LITTLE. And then there was diagramming sentences...we won't even go there!

 

When I was given the opportunity to review "The Glamour of Grammar" by Roy Peter Clark, I jumped on it. I enjoy reading with a passion. I always have a book with me, even in my iPhone. I also wanted to brush up on my grammar skills for when Monster starts school.

 

The day I got the book in the mail, I was excited. Who can be excited about a grammar book? Yep, that would be me, I'm a nerd! I started reading it that day, not knowing what to expect. What I found was a huge sense of humor combining the classical grammar rules. This was grammar like I've never seen it. There was comedy, wit, and sarcasm all combined in a book about grammar. There were many times I found myself laughing out loud, literally, reading this book.

 

Mr. Clark brings a whole new life to a subject usually approached with a groan by people. I found myself opening the book at every opportunity, if even for a couple of paragraphs.

Mr. Clark outlines the proper use of certain words, for example the difference between lie and lay. He also outlines the proper use of punctuation, "Use the semicolon as a 'swinging gate'." He also suggested something that I used to do when I was younger, read the dictionary for fun and learning. During the summer months, my parents never took me to the library, so we had to settle for reading what was in the house. Since I was the only one that read a lot, I ran out of books quite fast. The encyclopedias were quite interesting at times.

 

Overall, I LOVED this book. It's also a great point of reference if you need to go back and research a certain point. I've bought a copy for my Kindle so that I can have it for reference, and also it became a favorite quite fast. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a child struggling with grammar, and also the college student wanting to write better papers. Heck, I would recommend this book to any avid reader as you will enjoy the wit that comes with learning something new. I bet you there's something in this book that you did NOT know yet!!!

*This book was provided free of charge for this review, it in no way affected my views on the review*