enough wonderful to make me do it all over again

some days they wake up early and play happily for hours together before school.

today is one of those mornings...and it makes me long for the days before all this schooling started. when they were too little for classrooms and we stayed home if we felt like it. when play dates were our big event of the day.

in those days i planned amazing crafts and adventures. we woke up each day and discovered new things and turned the house into something new each day.
i'm so thankful for those days and years.
they weren't easy.
in fact, years of little babies and toddlers is exhausting and stressful.
but it was wonderful too.

actually it sounds a lot like our current stage....exhausting and stressful and wonderful.

I hope life is always a mix of those 3.

enough stress and sleep deprivation to keep me humble and reliant on God's grace when i'm selfish and frustrated.
and enough wonderful to make me wake up each morning and do it all over again.                     

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Gripcase: Get one for your kids & a free one for your school!!

A few weeks ago, I got a snazzy new iPad case from the good people at Gripcase. I'm always up for trying anything new, and since my previous case was on the fritz, it was perfect timing.

(can you tell they are excited? :)

There are several things I really like about Gripcase. They offer lots of great colors, our case is super lightweight and fits my iPad like a glove. But my favorite? Their mission as a company. Gripcase recently launched their own version of a BOGO program. Buy one, give one. When you order a case from the Gripcase website, you are prompted to select a school of you choice and Gripcase will send them a free case! It’s that simple. Get your own Gripcase, and get one donated to any school you select. So cool! My son keeps telling me how much his class would love these for their iPad center.

So, here's my review...

My kids LOVE the Gripcase. They can hold it in any position easily, walk around the house without dropping it because the handles are so well designed. And if, by chance, the iPad slips out of a well intending grip, the case completely absorbs the blow. It is the best kid-resistant iPad case I have ever used. My kids literally carry it all over the house playing Pandora (my 5yo is our resident d.j).

(apparently our kitty likes playing iPad too :)

Gripcase sells a stand that would be very useful. Since we don't have the stand, it is a little awkward to prop the case up if the kids are watching a movie (or a rainbow loom tutorial video - they are obsessed!! :). I'm going to look into getting a stand soon.

One thing I hope Gripcase evolves in the future, is the cases' ability to work with screen protectors. I'm a big stickler for screen protectors (especially with sticky kid fingers) and the Gripcase fits so wonderfully snug, it peels back my screen protector.  If you are a screen protector junkie like me, this might just drive you a little crazy :) But the great thing about Gripcase is that your screen is fully protected from breaking because of the design of the case. The face of the iPad is inverted slightly when inside the case so it cannot be scratched or even bumped if dropped.

My recommendation? This is the perfect case for an iPad for a family with kids. It's lightweight and your kids will LOVE it....their school will too!! I love supporting companies who give back, especially to local schools.

Gripcase would be a great gift for any kid on your list this year! Check them out!

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