Nikon Coolpix S8200 Review

 

 I haven't had a nice digital camera since I can't remember. My last one broke sometime in November, it just quit working one day, and of course isn't under warranty anymore. Well, before we went to Utah I was telling hubby how its breaking my heart that I'm missing out on so many pictures of the boys and that we needed to buy a camera. After debating between a nikon and a canon, I picked up the Nikon Coolpix s8200 to waste time waiting for hubby, knowing it was about $30+tax more then we wanted to spend. Isn't there a rule about not looking at something you know you can't afford? I fell in love, it had features that we both liked. I had to give up some zoom but that's a small price to pay. This camera is awesome! My old camera gave me blinking pictures of my children all the time. All of Brody's pictures he either is "camera sleeping" or "camera drunk" I don't have many good pictures of him till now. No more blinking pictures. The shutter speed is quick enough that I get good pictures before they are gone. I love the micro mode, I'm getting the most beautiful close up pictures of clovers (my favorite). The video is awesome, and I'm not one to normally take videos, but I can hear them clearly and the picture is crisp. I can go on and on about how much I love this camera and about how awesome it truly is. I love the features, I love the way the pictures turn out, I love everything about it. If it's out of your price range...either save some more money or make the splurge to get it, it's worth every penny!
(I have not been asked to do this review, these are my own true opinions on the camera)

Here is info from the manufacturer that I got off of amazon.com:

 Catch those summer evening shots around the bonfire, or freeze the action of the winning goal. Fast, responsive and boasting an incredible 14x optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens, the Nikon COOLPIX S8200 will help you capture images you may previously have missed. Its 16.1-MP CMOS sensor crisply renders your view of the world—whether low light, far off fast action or sweeping panoramas. Capture sharp, clear photos and Full HD (1080p) movies using Nikon's incredible optics. Spice up stills and movies with special effects, and view everything on a 3-inch, ultra-high resolution (921,000 dot) display. 

See whats possible
 Capture what most cameras cannot If your old camera never quite captured the moment, the S8200 will! It boasts a high-resolution, 16.1-MP CMOS sensor so you get superb image quality—even in low light. With fast, versatile, continuous shooting modes, you can capture those spontaneous moments shot after shot. Then show family and friends your movies and still creations on the 3-inch ultra-high resolution (921,000 dot) display. Stylish and compact, the S8200 tucks into a pocket but packs brilliant performance and advanced features.

 From macro to mountains
  14x optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED glass lens Despite a slim profile of approximately 1.3-inches, the S8200 delivers amazing versatility with an incredible 14x zoom (25mm to 350mm equivalent). Imagine creating macro images of a bumblebee in a spring flower, then zooming out to frame a mountain range for a panorama. With the S8200, you can go from wide-angle to telephoto to macro/close-up views in an instant, preserving photos or movies of most everything from grandstand crowds to a stage performer's smile.


 Put your memories in motion 
 Full HD (1080p) movies with stereo sound A single photo may not always be enough to recreate the moment; sometimes memories are best shared with a movie. Portable and ready when important things happen, the COOLPIX S8200 lets you create stunning Full HD (1080p) movies with stereo sound at the touch of a button. You'll love its ability to zoom in and out at will—while keeping subjects in focus. Stylize your story with one of various special effects or by recording in 15, 60 or 120 fps for fast/motion effects. Life doesn't stand still; neither should your memories.


 Automated versatility Easy Panorama, Night Modes, HDR and more! 
 Maybe you've wanted to create panoramic photos but thought they were too difficult. Maybe you've tried shooting photos at night but they never turn out. The S8200 takes the guesswork out of shots like these and more with handy Scene Modes at the ready. For sweeping panoramas, simply pan the camera and let it detect and automatically combine images to build a gorgeous vista. Going out at night? The S8200 takes great low-light photos. You can even create amazing HDR shots in-camera. The S8200 does the work.

 Discover your inner artist 
 In-camera effects for unique results Let the artist in you go from ordinary to extraordinary! With a variety of in-camera effects, such as Low Key, High Key, Hard Monochrome, Nostalgia Sepia or Selective Color, your world takes on a new dimension. The S8200 provides you the tools to fashion photos and movies with more than just your great eye—just select an effect and go! For your still photography, bring out your creative side with a fisheye, miniature or even an artistic look. Finally, you can make the kinds of photos and movies you've always wanted to make.



 High-speed continuous shooting 
 You'll never miss a shot with the S8200 because it starts right up, has a quick autofocus and shoots five shots in approximately one second at full resolution.

Strength in numbers 
 You'll always get a great shot with Nikon's Best Shot Selector. Press the shutter once, and the S8200 takes up to ten shots and then selects and saves only the sharpest image.

My Diaper Rash Cream Favorites

We all have been there, first baby gets a diaper rash and you kind of panic. You know the little one is in pain by the crying and you scramble for whatever diaper rash cream you received from your baby shower. It cures it after a few treatments and baby and you are happy again.
I wish this was the case in my home, luckily Neacel had one diaper rash, I used a blow dryer to dry it out and it was gone in hours. Yes, the blow dryer works if baby will let you use it. He had a horrible rash between 10-16 months, but we found out he was allergic to something in Luv's diapers. My little guy Broden hasn't been so lucky. He gets a rash no matter what, I've used everything in our budget and tried every wives tale out there. He gets them so bad and so often, but nothing seems to help him. I tried the blow dryer, and he freaked out. Luckily, I have come across 2 diaper rash creams that I make sure I always have in the house now. These are life savers. I do love the one more then the other, but the other is just as great...


My favorite diaper rash cream is Burt's Bees Diaper Ointment! It cured a horrible bleeding rash in less then 24 hours. Seriously moms, this is the best cream out there, in my opinion. It doesn't cost too much, more then I personally was able to spend, but I'll spend more on making my little guy feel better. Even after Broden will poop the ointment stayed on and kept his skin away from it, allowing it to actually get better. Most creams I've used disappear as soon as the little one tinkles! Not to mention its all natural, which I have never 100% supported but holy cow, this won me over!!!


My second favorite is Pinxav. A little tube was given to me in the hospital after having him and I loved it, but never bought it because being a family of 4 on a student budget is tough. Luckily, Walmart has a good size tube for $6.00 so I may have bought more then one tube. It stays on for the most part but not as well as Burt's Bees. It works well if the rash isn't that bad, but the bad horrible ones that my little guy gets, it doesn't help like I need it to as soon as I want it to, but I still love it.

Of course this is simply my opinion. I have tried other creams and nothing worked for me. Not saying it wouldn't for you. I will always have these 2 diaper creams in my home. I will reach for Burt's Bees first and then Pinxav.

Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio Review

Kalahari recently gave us the wonderful opportunity to stay there for a night. They have two locations, one in Sandusky Ohio were we stayed and another in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. At first glance you might look at prices and think that it might be a little much. Let me tell you, we loved it and thought the prices are perfectly fair and totally worth it. Our room was called the Nomad Room, it was a wonderful size and the beds were perfectly spaced to let my oldest jump from bed to bed! There was a microwave, fridge, TV, table and chairs for meals, a couch (that pulled out into a bed), fireplace, nice bathroom area and a balcony. We had more then enough room to put our youngest in the pack-n-play and we didn't have to try and climb over it to get around the room. We got there around 3 p.m. and unloaded our stuff into our room and went to the water park.


The water park, where do I begin? It was amazing! The kids are required to wear a life vest; I loved this! Even better, Kalahari provides the vests for free. The water park was huge; tons of different playing areas, a wave pool, kiddie areas, lazy river etc. My oldest had a blast, being 3 he was able to go down a few slides without daddy, and loved them. The kiddie area was perfect for both boys. Broden loved going down the slides and wading through the water. Although, he would try to crawl in the water with his head under, and would yell at me anytime I tried to help him! He was having too much fun to worry about some water in his face. Neacel loved the wave pool, he also liked the kiddie area but he is a true little adventurous spirit, and it wasn't enough thrill for him. He thought the wave pool was great though. You can also rent out cabanas which were a wonderful idea. We didn't, but I saw many families who did and had a bed made for kids so that when they got tired they could go lay down and watch TV for a little while, without having to return to the room!

My biggest fear about the water park was the chlorine smell, it gives me horrible horrible headaches that make me sick. Usually with indoor places the smell is the worse, but there was only one area that I smelled chlorine. When you are walking down the hallway to rooms and pass the water park, that was the only place I smelled it. (and this pregnant nose can smell everything!) Even in the park itself, no smell, they kept it so vented. I was so happy to not have to smell chlorine the whole time we were there.

There also is an indoor arcade which Neacel loved! What kid doesn't love arcades? There was the Tree Top, indoor play area; you can let the kids climb forever! There are balls in the area too and plenty of different ball shooting things for the kids. My personal favorite was the volcano in the middle. You fill it with balls to your hearts content, then hit the button and they all come flying out in a big explosion. The boys would run and giggle every time we set it off. There are a lot of slides, tunnels, ladders and obstacles for the kids to climb all over.

There are plenty of other things that we didn't have time to enjoy, Spa Kalahari, Safari Adventures Animal Park (closed during winter), mini golf and the outdoor water park (seasonal); either way, it was an amazing trip and I'm so thankful for the opportunity we had to go.

So here is my short sweet and to the point opinion: This place is amazing, prices were amazing and it's perfect for all ages. It was perfect during the winter because it was empty, no lines or overcrowding for anything. The rooms were clean, the kids were happy and the ice cream was great! They really take the whole theme and run with it. Save your money, book a trip and visit Kalahari as soon as possible!!!

Enjoy some of our pictures from the trip! I think it's only fair to say we had an amazing time! You can also see how empty it was while we were there!

Broden enjoying a water spout

Ice cream addiction, Neacel's tasted like Fruit Loops

Enjoying the indoor play area

Daddy and Broden relaxing

Water park area, Neacel loved it!

Wave Pool in action

Next Time I will get one of these Cabanas

Relaxed wave pool

Kiddie Pool area

Note: Kalahari gave us a complimentary one night stay in exchange for a review. Please note that we were not paid, and this review is honest and sincere.

Krome Photos Review and Giveaway!

 

In a perfect world we could upload photos and tell an editor how we want them to look. Then they put all the photos you want in a photobook for you, you can tell them how many images you want used and how many pages you want in the book. That amazing editor does all the work. You sit back, relax, chase the little ones, sip some coffee (or in my case hot cocoa) and in a few days you recieve your online copy of the book. You then can order it if you like it, or if you want somethings changed you email your editor and make sure its done just the way you like. Sounds almost too good to be true right??? WRONG! This service actually exisit! (hear the angel choir?)

Krome Photos does all this, I uploaded my wedding pictures, and within a day or two I recieved all my "kromed" photos to make sure they looked the way I wanted. They were beautiful of course, you can even look at the before and after, which really helped me to see what all was done. Then I told them I wanted a photobook and a few days later I recieved my online copy. They choose the best photos to put in the book, so not all of mine were in there....out of 90 something I only did 75 photos. They captured the right ones, and the book tells its own cute little wedding story without words! Now let me yell this part....IT'S A FREE SERVICE! NO charge for anything right now unless you order a book, and at that point the prices are fair for what you are getting! This is perfect for moms who love to have yearly books of children, family etc. I have wanted to do a wedding book for years, but never have time to put one together. Not to mention when a sale pops up everyone else is trying to grab it so the site runs slow...not with Krome Photos. You don't have to worry about a deadline for a sale, about finding time to put it all together or anything!!!

Here is my photobook cover that they did. The quality is great, this picture doesn't give it justice I swear. Picture on here looks grainy but the print is perfect. It took about a week from when the book was ordered to recieve it. But I'll be honest, I love it. I love everything about the book. Im glad that after 4 years I finally have a wedding book! The print quality is really nice, everything is so wonderfully done. I got a hardcover book and I would like to see my kids try and distroy it. Ok not really! In total I think it took about a week and a half to upload photos, have them edited, in a book and ordered. Not bad for not having to really do anything huh??? (link to full photobook if you want to take a look)

How does winning a 20 page book sound? The book will be edited and shipped free of cost! Pretty awesome right? And again, all you do is upload, approve, order. Simple as pie or cake, which ever you prefer. Well Krome Photos is going to give one reader a chance to get a photobook! Let's all say thank you!

Well use the rafflecopter form below to enter. But here is my suggestion....go ahead and make an account with Krome Photos and upload photos, go ahead and have them edited and a book ready...so that if you are the lucky winner you can order your book instantly and have it in time for Christmas! And if you aren't the winner you can still order a book in time for Christmas!

Giveaway Details: Winner will recieve one 20 page book with any number of pictures. Giveaway ends on Dec 14th at 12:01am. I will email the winner and that person has 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. You can do one or all of the entries. One entry per person...not daily!

Katmarval Photography Review

Yup, these are my little dudes! The ones I spend my days with, the ones that are making me go gray before 30 and make me love life more then anything. These two dudes are one of the biggest blessings in my life. I can't live without them.

I love this picture of my little dudes, playing in the leaves, there is no pushing or shoving. No taking toys from each other, just true brotherly love that they apparently don't like for others to see. A friend of mine took our family pictures last weekend, and I have to brag, they are amazing! She did an amazing job of capturing our personalities even though the wind was trying to blow us over. If you are needing some new pictures I recommend contacting Katelynn(katmarvalphotography@gmail.com) 

You can see some of her work here, as you will see, she has a talent. Her photos aren't overworked like a lot are now a days. They are natural and so pretty. This girl can make muddy shoes look pretty, I swear! She is fun to work with the gets the edits to you quickly.We got our photos in less then a week, and I can order prints as I want them. She edits the best ones and then emails you a link to download the photos. You then save them to your computer and print as you please. She also downloads them to Shutterfly so you can order through them if you choose. Katelynn is in the Cleveland area and currently does photos for a price that can't be beat. Christmas is around the corner and I know everyone is scrambling to get their pictures done. Email her, and see if you can get a photo date with her.

I love the photos of my boys and can't wait to get them printed and on the walls. Broden with the stick in his mouth is priceless! Neacel's blue eyes are perfect, and the innocent smile, it could be a trick. I love photos, it's freezing time for that second, having a permant memory that can never be erased. I will always remember family picture day, picking outfits, the stress of making sure the kids stay clean, finding the place and still making sure that Neacel doesn't follow the geese into the pond, or take a dive into the river...family pictures are a blast to have, but the process is stressful at times.

Boogie Wipes Review and Giveaway!

What season is it? COLD SEASON! Those little boogies are everywhere. I know between my 2 boys we have had our fair share of colds this season and to think, its not even close to being over. Boogie Wipes are amazing. Gentle to the nose and smell good. Neacel loves then grape scented ones that we were sent. There is no more fights about wiping boogies away. He actually doesn't mind. Thank goodness! Broden just hates his nose being touched, but I did catch him trying to eat them. Maybe he thought they were actual grapes. The kind people over at Boogie Wipes sent me a grape scented 30 count pack of wipes, plus some sample packs. including saline wipes that my husband used up. Can we say perfect timing? The day before I received them Broden came down with a cold, that gave me about 6 days before Neacel would get it. I love that my boys share, but I would be ok with not sharing colds. We love Boogie Wipes, I personally love the grape smelling ones, but anything to get the boogies away is nice!

A little news regarding Boogie Wipes. The people at Boogie Wipes are looking for 3 "Extraordinary Kids" to be featured on their Fresh, Grape and Unscented canisters, during the 2012 cough and cold season. They will begin taking "Extraordinary Kid" contest submissions, beginning August 1, 2011. For more information, just visit: Boogiewipes.com , or SaveTheSleeve.com. Go enter and you never know, you could win!

Also, Boogie Wipes has recently introduced their 90 Count canisters, that are available now at Costco.com, and most major retailers like Target, Walmart and Babies R Us. Stock up for cold season! I think I'm going make sure I have a ton every cold season. I will not make it without these in my home anymore. I really have missed out.

And finally, their on-going promotion is called Save The Sleeve! It’s a fun, interactive way for kids to learn to put their boogies in a Boogie Wipe and not on their sleeves! Every moms nightmare is to see your child wipe their nose on their sleeve...yuck! You can learn more at SaveTheSleeve.com . They also have a Teacher’s Kit available for classrooms!

Enter to win 2 packs of Boogie Wipes (30 count each)! Just enter using the rafflecopter form below! The giveaway will end Nov 30th at 11:59pm. Only one entry per person. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. Good Luck to everyone!!!

Sirens Soul Jewelry Review

My husband bought me the best anniversary gift ever. Besides taking me to Columbus the weekend before, he bought me a vintage 4 leaf clover necklace. My 2 favorite things vintage and 4 leaf clovers! He even shopped on Etsy to find this beauty. I have always liked vintage, I love the look and the stories behind things. My obsession with 4 leaf clovers came from no where really, I remember going to girls camp with my church and one year found a 4 leaf clover. I put it between 2 pieces of tape and placed it on my mirror when I got home. I had it for many years until I moved and it was misplaced. I love that you really have to look hard to find one, they are so unique. My husband had found me a new one this past summer but it dried up before I got it between tape. So I was quite angry with myself. So he replaced it with this necklace. I will NEVER loose it. It even came in a cute box that I don't want to get rid of, not to mention the little card that I thought was adorable so I hung it up on the fridge. The etsy shop that he found it at is called Sirens Soul Jewelry. It's all vintage, rare, it's all beautiful! I wish I could buy more pieces(like the key earrings, bunny earrings and the paperweight necklace and earrings.)  I'm not a fan of gold but I love this necklace, so I went and bought my first pair of gold earrings!I think I'm becoming a fan of gold now. If you are looking for unique Christmas gifts please check out this shop, you will find pieces you can't find anywhere else. So go look at the shop, find something beautiful and buy it. We all know every women loves things that she won't see a million other women wearing when it comes to jewelry.

Our Best Bites Cookbook Review

My sweet Mother in law sent me a new cookbook last week. If there is one thing people know about me it's that I love new cookbooks, not to mention I love to cook and bake new things! It's filled with some AMAZING recipes. Tonight I might go for homemade pizza's using a breadstick recipe and a homemade pizza sauce recipe....then the boys can put whatever they want on them. I might be to lazy for that tonight though....only time will tell. I sat here looking at each page/recipe. It's filled with bright colorful pictures (which are a must for me) of each dish. I would like to make every single thing in this book. Each recipe is simple to follow and doesn't have a list of a million ingredients, really user friendly. The spiral binding makes it easy to keep open which is a huge plus because Im tired of trying to keep some cookbooks open with spoons and what not, only to get the pages dirty, then they stick and tear later on...not a worry. Of all of my cookbooks, and I have a pretty good collection, this is one of my favorites. Easily in my Top 3! You can purchase the cookbook on Amazon for $14.73, and if you live in Utah Im sure Seagull Book carries it too!

Dangerous Book for Boys!

Christmas Present Idea for Boys of Any Age!!!!

Before I was even pregnant with our first my husband saw this book in Target and had to buy it. It's full of everything boy! We knew we would have a boy one day so it was a good investment. Little did we know, we would have 2 boys and I could only dream pink. Good thing I didn't buy the girl version of this book, it would still be collecting dust. Our oldest is now going on 3 (where has time gone?) and I was thinking the other day that its time to break out that book. It's time that my husband and our oldest sit down and do some of the more simple things in the book. Paper airplanes being first on the list. What child and father doesn't love paper airplanes? I think even our almost 1 year old would love watching the planes fly, and then he would try to eat them. It's a book that they can use until your son/sons move out, and even then pass it on to grandsons! The book has everything in it, it's a perfect gift for a husband and his son/sons. Plus its under $20 so its afforable for any budget!There is also The Boy Book of Survival, For Boys Only The Biggest Baddest Book Ever, and The Boys Book How to Be the Best at Everything. There are girls books to, but in my home, boys have taken over so no need for me to dream right now.


Google Product Review Says this about the book:
The bestselling book for every boy from eight to eighty, covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is. In this digital age there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal have put together a wonderful collection of all things that make being young or young at heart fun—building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, and flying the world's best paper airplanes. The completely revised American Edition includes: The Greatest Paper Airplane in the World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Five Knots Every Boy Should Know Stickball Slingshots Fossils Building a Treehouse Making a Bow and Arrow Fishing (revised with US Fish) Timers and Tripwires Baseball's "Most Valuable Players" Famous Battles-Including Lexington and Concord, The Alamo, and Gettysburg Spies-Codes and Ciphers Making a Go-Cart Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary Girls Cloud Formations The States of the U.S. Mountains of the U.S. Navigation The Declaration of Independence Skimming Stones Making a Periscope The Ten Commandments Common US Trees Timeline of American History