"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well."

Blogging is amazing for so many reasons. Being able to look back at all the things we've done and knowing that friends and family can look in when they want and see the way our family is developing really makes me smile, It's what keeps me motivated to write. Being able to review the odd product along the way is also a nice little bonus. I never thought at this point in my life of blogging that we would have worked with so many amazing companies. But we have worked hard and have been really blessed.

There are a few things i have been concerned about though and sadly although its not a huge and devestating thing one of these things happened this weekend. The boys have been so lucky to receive some great items and it has all been so much fun. It must be great for them to see packages delivered to the house knowing that there is a good chance it is something for them. I was worried though that at some point one of them would take it for granted.

I don't see any of the things we are sent to review as 'free stuff' which i think is important when you are a blogger that reviews. I work really hard writing posts, reviews and making videos and we put a lot of effort in to making sure that many of our posts are different from most reviews. So because of this i cant see it as 'Free Stuff' as we work for it. The boys get involved too which i also see as very important as it teaches them values and I'd hoped it was teaching them that things don't just come for free.

This weekend we had had some great news from a company about something that was being sent for Seth. I was excited and really touched that they were sending it as its not a cheap item (not that price is important) and because they had already sent us two items a month back, it was very generous on their part. It was going to be a surprise for him when it arrived but while were at the park on Saturday Mrs M said i should tell him. I told Mrs M to tell him as its usually me dishing out the fun products as they usually come during the week while Mrs M is at work. So Mrs M told him and he smiled and dismissed it like it was nothing. Ill be honest i was really angry and extremely disappointed in his response, or lack of.

The boys are so lucky when it comes to the things that they have and i really never wanted to see this in either of the boys but there it was staring me in the face. Well we had to do something about it so we told him we had cancelled the item in question as at this time we didnt think he deserved it. I think that's where it sank in and not because he wasn't going to get something but because i think it clicked just how disappointed both myself and Mrs M were with the way he had reacted as we had never done anything like that before. The remainder of the afternoon was dominated by a grumpy face and Seth feeling sorry for himself, we had tears and was told "i feel like a horrible person" but we assured him he wasn't and that he just needed to think about things and be a little more considerate. We explained the effort that needs to go into working with companies and i think he understood so fingers crossed that is the last of that and who knows? with a bit of good behaviour the item in question may find its way back to him.