"Mommy, why are Police guys bad guys?"

All statements below are the opinion of The Review Ballerina.

Trending Tuesday: Blogging or Freebie Foraging?

Consider this either a Trending Tuesday that's already passed, or a Trending Tuesday to come!

When I started blogging almost two years ago, there was one thing in my mind: Oh my gosh! She is getting so much free stuff! I want that!! Then I started blogging and was right and left getting free items and in return I had to review them. Very quickly did I realize something that I think many don't realize: Blogging is not just a hobby, it's a job!

Diane Gremmel -- Psychic Review:

Diane Gremmel: Official Website

From a young age, I have been taken to psychic fairs and things of that nature due to the events that occurred when I was a child. In the last five years or so, I have had a hard time truly letting go of my Mother's death and even had to realize something: I was holding onto a small glimmer of hope that the shocking and truly brutal death of my Mother was not real. That she was alive, and there had been some kind of mistake and at the age of nine I had just been a part of some incredible ruse that my family also had to go through. This may sound childish but sometimes that wish of wanting someone to come to your front door and knock never goes away and you need verification. I reached out to Diane to find out if she could help me get that closure and she most definitely helped.

Black Dagger Brotherhood: A Fan's Adoration Article

In 2008, I was standing in a grocery store looking at books and decided I wanted to start reading again. I hadn't been looking at books very often but I thought it was time to expand and try to give myself some entertainment. After picking up one book, I stood waiting for my then boyfriend to finish looking at magazines when I looked up and my gaze caught Dark Lover by JR Ward. I put the first book back on the shelf and skimmed the pages of the red and black novel, deciding to give the Black Dagger Brotherhood a try.

Depression & PTSD: What Can You Do?

I have battled with depression since I was nine years old, though at that age I had no idea that I had depression. Having a childhood that has a traumatic brick wall getting in the way of your mental drive really has an impact on your adulthood. After having a relapse at age 15 over a simple English project I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder along with chronic depression. As I got older, the diagnosis included chronic anxiety and signs of short term memory loss. This has been diagnosed by multiple doctors, psychologists, and therapists over the years during the times I have had health insurance. 

A Mother's Promise to Her Daughter:

Anyone who knows me, knows that my daughter is my entire world. The usual ladder for me is Daughter, Husband, Family, Me. I'm told I should be higher on the list but that rarely actually happens. Last night after going to a couple of stores to look at Christmas items, my daughter did something that not only broke my heart, but made me cry. She walked around the house playfully saying "Mommy? I can't find you. Where are you Mommy? Where did you go?"

Trending Topic: Child Discipline -- Whose Fault Is It?

Mommy Mondays - The Best Part of Christmas for a Mom:

When I was younger, Christmas was something I could not sleep about. On Christmas Eve, I'd listen to the music on the radio, glance out my window for Santa Claus, even sneak into the living room to stare at the Christmas cards on the front door before being shooed away by my Grandma (I was good though, I never once looked at the tree!). Once I had my daughter, I started to get just like that again. But the reason was completely different; it wasn't for me anymore it was ALL for her. The look she gets when she sees what Santa brings her, the way she sings the Christmas carols and gets excited about baking the cookies. It's all such a magical thing and I love it.

My Dad -- "He's my Uncle and my Daddy!"

When I was two years old, my mother (may she rest in peace) made some pretty bad decisions regarding me. The worst one was choosing to take me out of my bed in the middle of the night through my bedroom window and take me across state. My Dad (Uncle), Mom (Aunt), and Grandma fought and got custody of me. Then, my Dad had to do something that now is a pretty funny story but then was pretty serious. He and a family friend who is like another Uncle to me committed interstate kidnapping to get me back to Texas. You see, the custody papers were only for Texas so they had some work to do. This decision and these actions were the best thing my family could have ever done for me. I have flash-memories of the time I was gone with my Mother and these memories I wish I could forget. When my mother was killed in 1993, the thought that just about everyone had including me was "What if they had left me with her? Would I have died with her?" 

Mommy Monday: Is Profanity Truly A Bad Thing?

Every Mother goes through this argument in their minds. If you were raised around profanity and you know when and when not to use it, you automatically assume your child will figure it out as well. If you were raised without profanity then you automatically assume it's wrong and there's no reason it should be used. This debate has been a big one in our household for many reasons!

The Review Ballerina's Blogging (Fact and Fiction Revealed)

This morning, I awoke to find a rather...disheartening e-mail. I had contacted a company last night regarding doing a review of one of their products and that review would've been shared in multiple Facebook holiday groups. The e-mail accused us of being "junk mail" and just trying to get free stuff and I got rather frustrated. It was clear based on the e-mail I wasn't supposed to see this, I was supposed to just be ignored which happens 85% of the time we reach out to a company. But he hit "reply" instead of "Forward" so I got to see. I rescinded the invitation to work with the company based upon the fact that if he did later on decide we were worth working with on a review, I didn't want my readers to deal with that kind of customer service...or lack thereof. I then decided I should put some information out here so people know what kind of bloggers we truly are.

1. Are you truly a blogger, and do you provide honest reviews? Yes, I started out on Steph's Cheers & Jeers almost two years ago doing product reviews and then in August 2015 I branched out on my own. I have reviewed many products from large named companies such as Little Tikes, Ozeri, See Kai Run, and more. I also have done reviews of local attractions such as Medieval Times and the Perot Museum and even restaurants. All reviews are honest and though the majority are very positive, the companies are not expecting a positive review nor am I compensated financially for any review.

2. Do you make money doing this? I personally do not. I have not decided if I want to, actually. The opportunity is there in several ways for a blogger to make money, but I don't blog for the money so at this time, no I don't. My family (my Dad in particular) is extremely outgoing and friendly in public, and I was raised the same way. So for me doing reviews and reaching the public and new people is my "compensation".

3. Do you review every item you receive? We definitely do try! It may take some time from when an item is received to when the review goes up but yes, it is our intention to review every item! We have only had a couple of instances where it cannot be done and we will contact the company right away when we realize so and offer to return the item if we are sent paid postage. But we try before the item is received to make sure nothing would stand in our way. Currently, turn around time for a review is 7-14 business days.

4. Do you do this just for the free stuff? Absolutely not. At first yes, that was the biggest "highlight" going in, that I was able to get items for my family and in exchange provide honest reviews. But now after doing this for almost two years and establishing my own blog I've realized I just love blogging. I love having themed days of the week, seeing my readers winning giveaways and seeing the positive reaction the reviews have for companies. One of the best things to have come from this is getting to do small "blurbs" here and there of local events. If it was just about the free stuff, we wouldn't do "Recipe Wednesdays", "Motivational Mondays", and more!

5. You just give positive reviews to everyone who gives you something, don't you? I'm sure there are reviewers out there who do that, but we don't. My husband has gained a bit of a reputation for being a very honest vape reviewer, and I have had some experiences that companies wished I hadn't posted up. But the point of this is to be honest, and that is exactly what we do. We do put disclaimers such as "our experience may vary from others" and "Tastes are different from person to person", that way people know we aren't just bad mouthing a company.

6. Is there anything you won't review? We cannot at this time review products for pets such as dogs, cats, birds, fish, etc. We do not have any pets and will not be able to offer honest reviews based upon the pet's use. Other than that, we are open to reviewing any item, service, attraction (based within the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area).

7. Who all does the reviewing? Well, the reviewers currently consist of myself (Elizabeth), my husband Jon, and my daughter Olivia...actually I review Olivia's, she just helps me with the cute pictures and videos. Come on, she is only turning four this month! Once we have grown a bit more I am looking into adding another reviewer or two but I think I will be keeping it in the family.

8. What is something we can look forward to with your blog? My family is extremely Christmas-oriented. I love Christmas for many traditional reasons such as time with family, Christmas songs, and more. You will more than likely see this blog go completely Christmas based from end of October until January 1st with tons of recipes, stories, songs, recommendations, and more. We have already started "Santa's Seasonal Suggestions" which is a gift guide to companies we feel you should order from when buying for others, and you can find a link to the Secret Santa Registry as well.

9. How can we contact you for a review? That's easy! If you wish for me to review an item, you can e-mail me at ballerina@thereviewballerina.com. If you would like my husband to review an item it is oddprime@thereviewballerina.com! Please know, my husband is the chef of the house so cookware, recipes, and food items probably should go to him. On the other hand, cleaning supplies, housewares & decor, and children's items should come to me.

I hope this helps you understand The Review Ballerina more, and you're welcome to ask any questions you like! We have nothing to hide!

Elizabeth is a work at home Mother of a sweet and beautiful daughter. She is a wife of seven years and a blogger for some time now. When she isn't spending time with her "Livvybug" she is looking for new review opportunities and writing or singing along to classic rock and pop music!

Monkeynastix of Arlington hosted by First Presbyterian Preschool:

Monkeynastix of Arlington: Official Website

Monkeynastix of Arlington: Official Facebook

Monkeynastix is a fun and exciting movement education program that helps preschoolers with hand/eye coordination, following directions, and more. I was able to get Olivia into a class today and I was able to observe the class as it was happening and I recommend this for any parent who wants to get their child moving and more active for just 30 minutes a class.

YaY Novelty Wallet & Luggage Tag Review

YaY Novelty: Official Website

YaY Novelty: Official Facebook

Everyone loves a wallet that not only holds what you need, but is fashionable. YaY Novelty definitely gives you this and this is my review of a YaY Novelty Wallet and Luggage Tag. I officially state this as the first in "Santa's Seasonal Suggestions"!

The first thing I noticed with both the tag and the wallet were the quality of the images. I love how clear the luggage tag's image is (Called "Midnight Winter"). It's as clear as you see on their website and that was one thing I wanted to see. Many times you'll see a beautiful, HD shot on the website but you get something in person and it's pixilated or fuzzy. Definitely, not with YaYtag! Clear, beautiful, and very sturdy. It's thick and could take a beating when going through the typical airport luggage areas. I figure I'll put this on my daughter's back pack for school or something so that she stands out even more for classes.

 

I have to be honest I was a little disappointed when I saw the wallet. I expected something bigger, and more of a billfold than a credit card holder. It has the look of a man's velcro billfold on the website, but it's still fantastically (is this a word?) made. Thick material again, and smooth when pulling a card in and out. There's no catching from the inside and the only thing I think I'd be worried about is if I had this in my pocket. The outside material is very smooth so I'd worry it would slip out and I'd never know it. But I love the design of it, there are many options to choose from and again, the design is cute and clear. Nothing fuzzy or blurry here either.



All in all, I have to say YaY Novelty has great items that are cute and well priced. These would be great stocking stuffers for Christmas for your teenagers or your loved one!

Out of five stars, I give YaY Novelty's Wallets & Luggage Tags: !!!!

#review #santasseasonalsuggestions