Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter by Emily Belle Freeman Book Review

I received this book free from Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak to facilitate this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

You might have heard already how some of the traditions of Easter tie into Christ. The egg can be likened to the resurrection tomb, Jesus' death can be likened to the sacrificial lamb of the Passover as Jesus is often called the "Lamb of God", Lilies were growing in the where Jesus went to pray His final days in the Garden of Gethsemane, bunnies are a symbol of renewal and new birth, and the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus. These are some of the main Christian symbols of Easter and their meanings.

Celebrating a Christ-Centered Easter: Seven Traditions to Lead Us Closer to Jesus Christ by Emily Belle Freeman is a great book for the Easter holiday! As a follow-up book to Celebrating a Christ-Centered Christmas and The Peter Potential, it helps us remember that Jesus Christ should be the center of the Easter Holiday. The author, Emily Belle Freeman, shares her insights by retelling the stories of the followers of Christ during the time surrounding His crucifixion and resurrection. Each chapter has a brief first-person narrative from the perspectives of Jesus, Mary, Lazarus, Simon, Mary Magdalene, and others. Also there are wonderful traditions to symbolize each of these stories. You will discover the meaning behind the wheat baskets, the forget knot, the red egg, and other traditions to add to your festivities. At the end of this short, but sweet, book you feel as if you know each one of these important people even more deeply and you also come away with seven Christ-Centered Easter traditions that you can apply to your own Easter celebration.

With only 96 pages this small book is a treasure to be had. The author has a gift of storytelling that brings the thoughts, emotions, and character into seven disciples in Christ's life, death, and resurrection. These people have life breathed into them by the author. A scripture is placed at the beginning of each chapter with a black and white line art illustration of the tradition to go with each beautifully woven true story. At the end of each is a tradition with a hymn to play or sing, the scripture passage to read with questions to ponder, the description of the tradition to try, and words that sum up the lesson. These stories and traditions exemplify Easter and all that is so holy about it. The symbols are enriching and help us bring back the true meaning of Easter and make it a "High Holy Day" of celebration in each of our hearts and homes.

About the Author:
Emily Belle Freeman is a coach's wife, a mother of four, an author, and a sought-after inspirational speaker. She coauthors a popular blog putting religious teaching into practice: www.multiplygoodness.com.


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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Shadow Mountain and Ensign Peak for sending me this book for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders DVD Review

I received this DVD for free to facilitate this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

The My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic: Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders DVD is one of my favorite collections from Hasbro and Shout! Factory Kids. This DVD has my favorite threesome, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (CMC), in some of their most loved episodes from seasons 1-4 of My Little Pony (MLP) - Friendship is Magic (FIM)...along with one episode about Pinkie Pie which seems a bit out of place to me, having very little to do with the CMC.

Obtaining a cutie mark (the symbol on a ponies flank) is a very important coming-of-age moment for a young pony. A cutie mark helps a pony discover unique characteristics about themselves that set them apart from all other ponies. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo form a instant bond when they notice that all three young ponies have blank flanks. They make up their own team called the Cutie Mark Crusaders and are on a mission to find their cutie marks!

Episodes Include:

• The Cutie Mark Chronicles: This is the 23rd episode of the 1st season of MLP FIM. This episode has the CMC asking each of the Mane Six how they got their cutie marks. I love this episode the most on this compilation because it shows how the Mane 6 were connected even before they knew each other very well. It also shows my favorite song from the series, when Fluttershy sings about squirrels, bunnies, birds, and bees.
• The Cutie Pox: This is the 6th episode of the 2nd season of MLP FIM. This is a great episode that shows how Apple Bloom in her hearts desire to find her cutie mark gains understanding that being patient is important and good things come to those who wait. This also shows that hard work (not taking shortcuts) and honesty is also best. I love Zecora's character and even if her presence was brief in this episode she was still awesome!
• Flight To The Finish: This is the 5th season of the 4th season of MLP FIM. It shows the CMC in their quest to be able to carry the flag at the Equestria Games. After being taunted by the Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, Scootaloo is unsure of her abilities and needs her confidence and determination gained back with the a little encouragement from her friends and Rainbow Dash. Message: Friendships matter most and to do the best job you can do regardless of your disabilities. I love the scene where the CMC do their routine the first time and Rainbow Dash almost can't contain herself because it is so good. The look on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's faces is priceless.
• Pinkie Pride: This is the 12th episode of the 4th season of MLP FIM. It is very odd in my opinion that they picked this episode to be in this compilation since it should have been on the Keys of Friendship DVD. This episode only has the CMC as background ponies. Still, this is a great episode about Pinkie Pie learning to share responsibilities and let someone else have the spotlight as the Party Pony and Cheese Sandwich is voiced by none other than "Weird Al" Yankovic! It is a very fun episode, but I still think that Call of the Cutie, The Show Stoppers, Hearts and Hooves Day, or Ponyville Confidential should have been on this DVD instead of Pinkie Pride.
• Twilight Time: This is the 15th episode of the 4th season of MLP FIM. The CMC learn that being popular isn't all its cracked up to be and taking advantage of some other pony's (Princess Twilight's) fame isn't the right way to gain popularity, especially since she is a good friend of theirs. I love the part with Spike and the nachos...classic :)

Bonus Features:

• Sing-Along: Super Duper Party Pony
• Downloadable Wallpapers: There are a total of seven of wallpapers to download, but these are pretty lame. They include the Mane Six's cutie marks with their names written all over the page. Although I can understand...sort of...why they did this...being a cutie mark DVD and all. The wallpapers all could have been better with actual pictures of the CMC doing stuff instead.
• Coloring Sheet: This is a large PDF file, but it only has one picture to color in it of the CMC.

The Bonus Features on this DVD really need to be quite a bit more than 20% cooler!

If you haven't seen My Little Pony Friendship is Magic with your kids, I urge you to. My whole family enjoys the episodes...even my husband and my teenage boys! The show has wonderful morals and a great storyline. Since we are huge fans of My Little Pony (MLP) Friendship is Magic (FIM), my family had seen all of the episodes from Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders before, but we always enjoy watching these episodes again and again, which is why we love having the DVD on hand.

Here is the trailer:


Here are some fun activities for Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders:


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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post contains affiliate links which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Crystal Wash Review

I received this product free from Crystal Wash to facilitate this review.

Having to do laundry is one of those inevitable things for all of us. Most of us dread doing it because we believe it is a chore. At least we can say washing clothing and linens has gotten easier over the years. Instead of wash boards we have washing machines and most of us buy our laundry detergent or soap at the store instead of making it ourselves. Society has made things progressively easier for us. But what is the price we pay for the luxury of store bought laundry detergent?

There are a lot of laundry detergents on store shelves that claim this, that, and the other. Most of these have things in them that I wouldn't want touching my skin. My son is highly allergic to detergents with perfume and dye, so I end up getting the stuff that is for sensitive skin and says hypoallergenic on it. Lately, though, I have been looking into maybe making my own laundry soap at home with ingredients I am familiar with or seeing what other products are out there that might be better to use than the traditional detergents that you can find at just about any big box grocery store. I am not into harsh chemicals that might very well be toxic to my family and I...not to mention the Earth! I would rather use something that has ingredients that are safe, efficient, and effective.

I saw a laundry ball called Crystal Wash online and by the description these laundry balls seemed at first glance a great way to do laundry. Crystal Wash comes with two laundry balls that you use simultaneously in the wash together. I have never used laundry balls/washing balls in the past, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I love products that are natural, eco-friendly, and non-toxic and Crystal Wash said they were all of the above. This seemed valid enough, but Crystal Wash has other claims as well that seem to be not backed by actual science. Crystal Wash's claims are very intriguing and appealing, but I am not just sold by claims. I needed to try the product out for myself to see if they work.

If you look up Crystal Wash online you will find a lot of naysayers that say the product doesn't work, is a lot of hooey and quackery, and is backed by pseudoscience. Most of these people haven't tried this product for themselves and don't care to. I, however; like to give products that are supposedly better for you and/or the environment the benefit of the doubt, unless I know otherwise, and test them out for myself before I say they don't work at all.

This is what they say on their website: "These special Bio Ceramics were developed using various minerals with very effective antibacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

The pH level of laundry water impacts the wash greatly. If the water is overly acidic or alkaline it can damage delicate clothes and fabrics, cause colors to fade and cause clothing to still seem dirty even after washing. Most detergents on the market are a pH level of 6.5 – 9, but they use chemicals to achieve these levels."

Crystal Wash claims the bio ceramics in their product...

• produces far infrared rays that effectively reduce negative ions in the water of your laundry machine, which raises pH level to 8.5 or greater
• shrinks the water molecule clusters to a size that allows dirt and soil to be soaked free naturally
• create Hydrogen Peroxide (which yes, is a chemical...just one that you can put on your skin) which disinfects the clothes, kills bacteria and odor
• needs to be recharged in the sun for one afternoon every 30 days (or every 30 loads)

I am still very skeptical about their bio ceramics claims. I do not see actual science to back these things.

What Crystal Wash claims their laundry balls do and my families thoughts:

• Save You Money: Crystal Wash is supposed to last for up to 1000 loads of laundry. Crystal Wash is $50 per 1000 loads, verses around $300 per 1000 loads for store bought detergents. So, if you swapped Crystal Wash for store bought detergent you would indeed save money.
• Make Laundry Cleaner: It also says it will get your laundry cleaner. I am not sure about the science behind Crystal Wash's bio ceramics and its validity, but my husband who understands more chemistry and physics than me says that these claims are a bunch of big words thrown together to make it sound cool. He says these are nonsensical.
• Make Doing Laundry Easier: So, how does Crystal Wash make doing laundry easier? You don't have to go to the store to buy detergent or lug those heavy bottles or boxes of detergent home with you. You don't have to deal with messy detergents at all. No more spilling or having to measure out the correct, exact amount.
• Are More Natural and Better for the Environment: Crystal Wash's laundry balls do not use detergents, (toxic/harsh) chemicals, dyes, or perfumes. They are gentle on sensitive skin and fabric. By using Crystal Wash you are reducing contaminated waste water filtered back into the water supply, saving water by lowering required rinse cycles, and effectively reducing CO2 production by requiring less energy than a traditional detergent based wash. Although you would also be doing this by using just water to do your wash...or water with a bit of homemade soap.

What I do know that works for cleaner laundry and why:

• More agitation during the wash means your laundry is getting cleaner. The big dirty secret among detergent makers is that we don't actually "need" them to get our clothes clean. The agitation is what gets the laundry clean not the soap!
• Hot water gets most stains and dirt out better and kills germs. It says to use warm-hot water with these laundry balls. If you are not already using hot water you should know that along with killing germs it also gets most stains out more effectively...even without laundry balls like Crystal Wash.

My observations and tests...
I did a side by side comparison with a load with just my laundry detergent, a load with the Crystal Wash, and a load with just water. It was very hard to see a difference when washing with these verses with my hypoallergenic sans free detergent or just with water. I do not wash my laundry in perfumed detergent or detergent with dyes because my son is allergic, anyway, so there usually isn't anything to cover up odor and my front loading washing machine does just fine.

Crystal Wash Crowdfunding Campaign:
Crystal Wash has a crowdfunding campaign to fund their Crystal Wash 2.0. This lets you get connected with your laundry. Their new Crystal Wash 2.0 will give you recharge notices, real-time wash pH levels, wash complete alerts, wash cycle tracking stats (graphs, counters, social sharing), savings tracking, Crystal Wash (wash cycle counter – time to order new Crystal Wash), stain guide, and a label decoder all in one handy app that is integrated with the Crystal Wash ball for easier washing.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Thanks to Crystal Wash for sending me this product for free to review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Wordless Wednesday Chickens and Eggs!

Our new chickens (Rhode Island Reds)...they had a rough time at their previous location...their friends got snatched up by what we think was a bobcat. Hopefully we won't have the same issue with predators.

Top: Our first egg from our hens that they laid at our farm, Left: Our chicken eggs vs store bought, Right: Our first dozen...well sort of, LOL!

My chickens in their makeshift coop. More eggs, yay!