Sincerely Stacie

Losing It

2012-02-01T16:52:00.000-06:00

A week ago I started Weight Watchers. My cousin is doing the online version and I decided to join in. 10 years ago, after having our second child, I started Weight Watchers and lost 40 pounds in about 4 months. I had a 2 year old and a 1 year old so I am sure that had something to do with the weight loss too! But, I really liked Weight Watchers and how their plan worked. It has changed some since then, but still an awesome program.

Well 10 years later, nearly all of that weight had worked its way back onto my hips, thighs and stomach. Bleh! Before Christmas I had gotten sick and wasn't able to eat for a few days, so that kick started my weight loss. In that time, I lost 8 pounds. Christmas partying put 3 pounds back on, but I kept off that first 5. Last week I lost an additional 2 pounds! I want to have 10 pounds gone by the time I hook up with my cousin for a weekend in March. I feel strongly that I can do it! Only 3 more to go!

So, while I was on Pinterest one night, I saw this FAB AB FEBRUARY and thought, I can do that. What a great way to amp up my treadmill/healthy eating/weight loss. I thought maybe some of you might want to check it out too. You still have plenty of time to get it done today!

Family Time February - Cranium Whoonu

2012-02-01T10:40:00.001-06:00

During the month of February, I am going to have a new feature titled, FAMILY TIME FEBRUARY. I plan to feature board games that our family has played over the years and maybe even some from our childhood that we just loved. Even though February is the shortest month of the year, sometimes it can feel like the longest because we are all cooped up due to the cold and snowy weather. What a perfect time to get down on the floor and play a game with your kids.

Our family LOVES to play boards games. As as kid growing up, I loved playing board games, but since I didn't have any siblings at home to play with, I would often set up my dolls and stuffed animals around the board and play against them. I know....sad.....but I loved to play them so much. I would get board games as gifts which was pure torture because I would have no one to play them with. Yes, my mom would play with my sometimes, but not as often as I would have liked, of course. So, as a parent, I tend to buy a lot of board games for our family and instill that love in our kids as well.

Even though our kids love to play on the iPad or the Wii, they still love to play board games. One of our favorite games to play is WHOONU.

I like this game because you don't have to sit around a board, you can sit comfortably in your living room or even in a car and play this game. This is a game that can be played with people you know or don't know very well. The object of the game is to guess out of the four cards in your hand which item the person who is the "Whoonu" during that round, would like best. So, if I had Roller Coasters, Ebay, Drive-Thru's, and Spiders on my cards to choose from and my son, Bennett was the "Whoonu", I would choose Roller Coasters. (Because of those four items that is what he would like best.) Then everyone else would choose a card from their hand as well. Then Bennett as the "Whoonu" would take all the cards (not knowing who put in what card) and rank them from best to worst. Then we get coins with points on them according to our ranking. You keep going around the room until everyone is a "Whoonu". The winner is the person with the most points in coins. Essentially the person who "knows everyone best". It is fun to play with people you know as well as you don't know. You learn about them either way. There are always a lot of laughs whenever we play this game.

The game states it is appropriate for 8 years to adult, but our daughter has played for a few years, so it just depends on the abilities of your child. Unfortunately, this game has been discontinued by the Cranium company. But it is still available on Ebay or on Amazon HERE.

What is your family's favorite game to play? What do you do to pass the time in the winter?

Book Review: The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey

2012-01-30T08:34:00.000-06:00

THE YELLOW HOUSE

By Patricia Falvey

Published: February 15, 2010

*****

THE YELLOW HOUSE delves into the passion and politics of Northern Ireland at the beginning of the 20th Century. Eileen O'Neill's family is torn apart by religious intolerance and secrets from the past. Determined to reclaim her ancestral home and reunite her family, Eileen begins working at the local mill, saving her money and holding fast to her dream. As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the very personal impact the conflict has had on her own life.

She is soon torn between two men, each drawing her to one extreme. One is a charismatic and passionate political activist determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, who appeals to her warrior's soul. The other is the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and whose persistent attention becomes impossible for her to ignore.

I got this book back in 2010 when I won it from a blog. Unfortunately, I didn't keep track where I won it from though. Since then it has been sitting on my To Read shelf, patiently waiting. Then a few weeks ago, I saw it listed as the Kindle Deal of the Day for $2.99. I had recently started a mini book club with two of my friends and since they both have Kindle Fires, I thought this would be the perfect book for us to read. So THE YELLOW HOUSE got bumped to the top of my reading list just like that!

As you know, I LOVE Historical Fiction and this book gave me plenty of it. I love reading books and learning about parts of history that I never even knew happened. Since I grew up and have always lived in America, I had very little knowledge of the political and religious uprisings that occurred in Ireland. This was another book that gave me a greater appreciation for the country and era that I grew up in.

The story was also filled with family secrets and struggles that I think most of us can relate to. Eileen and her family loved each other deeply, were hard working, but also had a bit of the past that prevented them from moving forward. Some of the twists in the story were expected but others made me drop the book and gasp in surprise. You also can't have a story without a little romance and the author kept the love lives in the story interesting!

If you would have been eavesdropping while I was reading this novel, you would have heard laughter, gasps, sniffles, and even a few sobs. This novel kept you focused and interested. All the characters were easily imaginable and Eileen was someone I would have loved to have been friends with as well as been afraid to cross! She definitely made life interesting! This would be a great choice for book clubs as there are a lot of topics worthy of discussing including: family loyalty, politics, religion, war, friendship, love, dreams, values, grief, and parenting. This book has it all.

Another thing I loved about this book was that it was the author's first novel. It thrills me to find a new author and then to fall in love with their first novel. I'm always excited to hear of their next novel. Since it took me so long to read this one, Falvey has already come out with her second novel, THE LINEN QUEEN, which is also set in Ireland and has been added to my To Read list. Falvey is also working on her third novel.

Courtesy of www.PatriciaFalvey.com

For more on Patricia Falvey, check out www.PatriciaFalvey.com or check out her Facebook Page HERE.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 17

2012-01-29T17:31:00.002-06:00

The week started with a "SNOW DAY" The above picture is what happens in our house when there is a snow day. Kids still in their jammies, each one on a different electronic device, completely happy with another free day at home.

One of the gorgeous sunsets we have had this week. Apparently there is a "storm" on the sun which is helping us to have these beautiful sunsets and others to be able to see amazing northern lights. Wish I could see those here!

We took a little trip this weekend to Minnesota. Pat needed to see some clients so the kids and I went along too and spent our entire Saturday at the Mall of America. Nine hours of shopping and walking around with the kids and I actually had a blast! :)

We were even able to get in a little education while at the Mall of America. There was an American Citizenship ceremony going on in the center of the mall. The Judge told how 40 years ago he came to America with a dream, showed his own immigration papers, and is now giving others their own citizenship. I thought that was pretty amazing! I jumped on the opportunity to talk to our kids about how lucky we are to live in America. During the ceremony they played this video with scenes of our beautiful country along with photos from other citizenship ceremonies while playing Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA". It was very moving. Then each of the people in the chairs walked up to the stage and stated their name and country and received their certificate. We heard people from Kenya, Mexico, and Israel, just to name a few. I had tears in my eyes and am so glad I was able to share that with our children.

Reagan and Lady

We checked out the Disney Store, which they have changed and moved to a new location since this summer. It is now very high-tech with projectors all over the store showing different Disney related images in places you wouldn't expect. It was fun just looking around. Reagan used to LOVE going to the Disney store, but this time, I realized she is no longer my little princess girl. She really wasn't interested in all the princess stuff anymore and I got a little misty realizing she is growing up....tooo fast.

We spent a lot of time here. Even Reagan spent some of her birthday money getting another Lego Friends set to go with her Cafe that she got for her birthday. I hope the kids never grow too old for Legos! We also got one of the new Super Heroes sets for the boys...and their dad!

A LOT of time and money was spent here! The boys could have spent all day in here, but a mom does have her limits! We left with 3 jerseys and some Fatheads.

We spent a bit of time in the new Microsoft store. Reagan had no trouble getting right on a computer and playing computer games!

At the Best Buy store, the kids had fun watching one of the 3D TVs. I can't imagine having to wear glasses every time I watched TV. Reagan kept reaching out thinking she could touch the things that were flying in front of her. 3D TV just isn't for me.

The kids talked us into some rides at the Nickelodeon Universe. The Pepsi roller coaster ride must not have been too scary for Patrick as you can see in the above photo! After the ride, Reagan said, "Mom, I almost peed my pants on that ride!" I guess it was a little scary for her!

Of course, no hotel stay is complete without pool time! This weekend was the perfect little refresher and was full of great family time! I'm ready to begin another busy week!

It Is Going To Be One of Those Kind of Days

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

After spending 15 minutes looking for my coffee creamer, I finally found it....

right where it belongs....in the coffee cupboard.

Oh my....it is going to be a looooonnnnnggg day!

Orange Leaf Yogurt - Soooo Good

2012-01-24T06:42:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of ORANGE LEAF YOGURT STORES? Well, I had never heard of them until they opened a store on the west side of Cedar Rapids a few weeks ago. Don't you love their funky decor? Well, I should have never walked in the door. It could be trouble for my hips, thighs, and rear end! It is a bit like COLD STONE CREAMERY, where you pick your ice cream and toppings. But that is where the similiarity ends.

When you walk in, you will go straight to the numerous Soft Serve Yogurt machines and choose a flavor. This could take you awhile...they have several to choose from....(not all of these are available all the time at every location) I chose Raspberry, Cheesecake and White Chocolate. Put as much or little of a flavor as you want. You are in charge.

Banana
Birthday Cake
Blueberry
Blueberry Banana
Brownie Batter
Butter Pecan
Caramel
Cheesecake
Cherry
Chocolate
Chocolate Caramel
Chocolate Cheesecake
Chocolate Cherry
Chocolate Coconut
Chocolate Mint
Chocolate PB
Chocolate Raspberry
Classic Tart
Coconut
Coffee
Cookies & Cream

Cotton Candy
Dole Pineapple
Eggnog
English Toffee
Gingerbread
Grape
Grapefruit
Green Apple
Green Tea
Hazelnut
Honeydew
Key Lime Pie
Kiwi
Lemon
Lychee
Mango
Mango, Strawberry, Banana
NSA Chococlate
NSA Vanilla
Orange
Passion Fruit

Peach
Peanut Butter
Peppermint
Pineapple
Strawberry, Banana
Pomegranate
Pumpkin Pie
Raspberry
Raspberry Banana
Raspberry Lemonade
Red Velvet
Snickerdoodle
Strawberry
Strawberry Banana
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry
Taro
Vanilla
Watermelon
Wedding Cake
White Chocolate

Then you get to add your toppings. I chose White Chocolate Chips. But, again, they have tons to choose from. I thought the Fruity Pebbles would have been fun to try too! Next time!

Kiwi, Pear, Mochi, Pecan, Peach, Honey, Mango, Banana, Granola, Coconut, Nuts, Pineapple, Blueberry, Strawberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Honey Dew, Jelly Bellies, Cranberries, Watermelon, Oreos, Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, Brownie, Gummy Bears, Dark Chocolate, Captain Crunch, Sunflower Seed, Dried Fruits, Graham Cracker, M&M's, Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Butterfinger, Reeses Cups.

Then you pass your bowl over to the cashier, she weighs it and you pay and you are done. I would say my bowl was average size and I only had one topping so it wasn't too heavy and I paid $3.48 for my bowl of deliciousness.

They also have these funky spoons that make eating your yogurt so much more fun!

What I loved best about ORANGE LEAF YOGURT was how quick I got in and out of there. I didn't have to wait for someone to mix up my ice cream and then mix in my toppings. I was in control of the amount I put in my bowl and how much time I spent deciding what to put in the bowl. My only time waiting was for the 5 seconds to see how much I owed!

Once this place catches on, I expect it to be super busy. I haven't even told my kids about this new place because I know they will be begging me to go there every time we go to town. I plan to surprise them with it one of these days. Thanks to ORANGE LEAF YOGURT for coming to Cedar Rapids and especially to the WEST SIDE!

If you would like to find out more about them, check out www.orangeleafyogurt.com. Once on their website, you can find links to follow them on Facebook or Twitter as well.

Product Review and Giveaway: Tastefully Simple Soups

2012-01-23T10:33:00.003-06:00

Are you familiar with Tastefully Simple products? If not, you should be! I have been a huge fan of their products for a long time.

Tastefully Simple is a dynamic direct sales company based in Alexandria, Minnesota. Tastefully Simple offers a wide selection of convenient, easy-to-prepare foods designed to help people spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the rest of their lives. Their products are available through independent Tastefully Simple consultants primarily at home taste-testing parties nationwide.

Some of our family's favorite Tastefully Simple products are

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix
Cinnamon Muffin Melt Mix
Spinach and Herb Dip Mix
Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce
Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread
Nana's Apple Cake Mix
Truffle Fudge Brownie Mix

All of these items are ones I like to have on hand to. They are great for whipping up quick and taking to a neighbor or to a gathering. All their products are very reasonably priced and I haven't found a product that I haven't liked. I'm lucky to have a consultant that lives close by and can keep me in stock on all my favorite items. You can find out if you have a consultant in your area by going to www.tastefullysimple.com and clicking on Find A Consultant.

When my friend, Daralee asked if I wanted to review some products, I jumped at the chance! I received the SOUPER DOUPER GIFT SET. It retails for $26.95. The soup mixes come in a gift bag ready for giving. The set includes:

Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix - Comfort food at its finest! Just add hot water for a thick, rich soup brimming with wild rice, veggies and almonds. Makes about 5 servings.
Bountiful Beer Cheese Soup Mix - Smooth, rich and creamy with a little nip of onion and sweet bell pepper. Just add milk and beer. Ready in 15 minutes. Makes about 5 servings.
Chicken Tortilla Soup Mix - Restaurant-quality soup at home in 20 minutes with the rich flavors of tomatoes, cheese, bell peppers, sweet corn and spices. Just add chicken and water. Makes about 6 servings.

Our first soup that we tried was the Chicken Tortilla Soup. I added a can of chicken breast, a can of corn and a can of black beans and topped the individual bowls with sour cream. This was the one our family loved the most! It had just the right amount of heat and flavor. You could really jazz this up however you want with peppers, tomatoes, or other spices. Make it your own. That's the benefit of a mix!

Then we tried the Creamy Wild Rice Soup Mix. I again added canned chicken breast and then also added canned mushroom and some more wild rice that I had on hand. This was another delicious meal and reminded me a lot of my Aunt Susie's homemade wild rice soup. The kids even liked this one!

Then, just the other night, we tried the Beer Cheese Soup. I made it just as it suggested by adding Beer and Milk to the mix. We topped our individual bowls of soup with pepper bacon. The soup was good, but frankly my husband likes his soups with a bit more "stuff" in it. The package also suggests using the mix as a macaroni and cheese base by leaving out the beer which would be good. So, of the 3 soups, this wasn't our favorite, but still a filling and tasty one.

All three soups were quick to mix up and were ready to serve in about 20 minutes. All three soups were the perfect amount for our family of five and were great as leftovers to warm up the next day.

Now for the best part: Tastefully Simple Consultant, Daralee Schnor has generously offered to giveaway one SOUPER DOUPER GIFT SET to one of my readers. No matter where you live in the USA, Daralee will send it to you! This would be the perfect item to have on hand to get your through the long, cold days of winter! To learn more about Tastefully Simple products, go to www.tastefullysimple.com.

To enter this giveaway...
Leave a comment stating your favorite Tastefully Simple product or one you would like to try. This giveaway will be open through 11:59 PM on Sunday, February 5, 2012. I will choose a winner using random.org on Monday, February 6, 2012. The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. This giveaway is open to US residents only.

This review is my honest opinion. I was provided with one Souper Douper Gift Set in order to facilitate this review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. I only review products that either myself or my family would enjoy or benefit from.

List PlanIt Winner

2012-01-23T10:26:00.000-06:00

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:

Result:

5Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Sarah said...

I need the most help with completing chores. I would really like to use the responsibility lists for toddlers and preschoolers.

Sarah, I will be contacting you by email shortly. Thanks to all for signing up!

Scenes From Our Week - Week 16

2012-01-22T17:13:00.000-06:00

We had an odd week with very little school. Monday was a scheduled No School day, Tuesday we had a late start and and early dismissal due to weather, Wednesday was a scheduled early dismissal, Thursday was a FULL DAY, and Friday No School due to weather. So, I guess winter has officially arrived! YUCK! I am hoping for a full week of school this week.

Reagan's family party was last Sunday and even though not everyone could make it, we still had a great time!

Reagan was super excited to get these Squinkies.
Has your daughter gotten into these?
Well now they have these Squinkie Zinkies...smaller than your pinkie! Oh my!

Gotta have cake! Thanks to Target, we were able to get this Hello Kitty cake.
Hey, I can't be the mom who always makes the cake! Sometimes you gotta let Target handle that job!

Bennett blowing some snow. We got about 4 inches on Friday.

Patrick was selected for the Marion Honor Band for percussion. Here he is playing the bass drum.

We did a little shopping before the concert and I couldn't resist this new hat for Reagan.
It is super cute on her, don't you think?

After the concert we took the kids to Planet X. It is basically a Chuck E Cheese for bigger kids. The boys tried the Space Bikes, where they spun in full circles, going upside down. Bennett didn't feel so good afterwards.

We certainly had a great week and I hope your week is full of blessings, big and small. Look for any and all opportunities to bring joy to someone's day by sharing your smile and a kind word. It truly can make a difference.

Bit by Bit, I'm Getting Organized - Junk Drawer Organization

2012-01-19T13:41:00.003-06:00

I had been frustrated with the state of our junk drawer for quite some time. Half the time I couldn't open or close it without shoving stuff around. It took forever to find the stuff that I needed to use. So, I pulled the drawer all the way out, set it on the living room floor and this is what I saw!

BEFORE

I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got some wire mesh containers to use in the drawer. I had some mismatched baskets before but the system wasn't really working....obviously! I also used an old muffin tin for the small stuff like push pins and straight pins, nails, screws, etc. But that took up A LOT of space so wanted to find another solution. So, I took everything out of the drawer. Put stuff in piles and got to work. Surprisingly, the throw-away pile was the biggest. Don't you hate that? How did all that crap get in there???

AFTER

It really didn't take me long to organize everything. I had everything back in the drawer in a couple hours. I got rid of the muffin tin and used an idea I saw on PINTEREST using Altoid tins for keeping small items. I was able to scrounge around and find two that could be used. I put the push pins/straight pins in one and nails/screws/button cell batteries in the other. Taking the muffin tin out of the drawer was a huge change and freed up a lot of space! I got out my label maker and labeled the Altoid tins as well as all the chargers we had laying around. I had kept all the cameras and chargers in a basket on the counter, but I was able to fit everything in the drawer and free up counter space. We also had several screwdrivers and pliers in the drawer. I consolidated and kept only the main ones that we use regularly in the drawer. The others were placed in a basket in the mudroom closet. Still easily accessible, but not necessarily needed in this drawer.

1 Week Later - Still Organized

As you can see, it has been a week, and everything is still organized. The kids and Pat are able to find what they need and know right where to put stuff back. I can open and close the drawer without trouble and I gained some counter space back!

One organization task done and off my list! What have you organized lately?

Free Kindle Book Websites - Sharing the Knowledge

2012-01-19T11:33:00.000-06:00

Since I have gotten my Kindle I have been on the search for sites that offer FREE or LOW-PRICED books for the Kindle. Since friends of mine have also gotten Kindles or Kindle Fires they have been asking where I find all the FREE books. So, here is a list of websites that I use to find FREE or LOW-PRICED books.

Follow Amazon Kindle on Facebook - Offer a book deal/day
Follow Ereader News Today on Facebook or go to www.ereadernewstoday.com and sign up for their newsletter - Offer several books throughout the day
Follow WeekinRewind on Facebook or go to www.weekinrewind.com and sign up for their newsletter - Offer several books throughout the day
Follow Pixel Of Ink on Facebook or go to www.pixelofink.com
Check out the blog http://blog.booksontheknob.org/ for daily updates

Keep in mind, these books and their prices have nothing to do with the website listed. These prices are most often set by the book's publisher. They may leave the book at that price for an hour, a day, or several days. You never know. Sometimes they just want to get the book out in some readers hands and get people talking about it. Sometimes the publisher will reduce the price of an authors older book to get you to read their more recent book. Finding these LOW-PRICED books is a great way to be introduced to a new author, to read an older book by a favorite author, or to just find a great book you didn't even know about.

My "rule" (remember rules can be broken, of course) is not to spend more than $5 for a Kindle book. I have found numerous great books (ones I have even been wanting to read) for Free - $3.99. For the price of a Starbucks latte, I can get a book and that is a great deal to me!

Do you have any other sites that you use to find Kindle books? Feel free to leave them in the comments section. Share the knowledge!

Product Review: Lego Friends

2012-01-17T06:47:00.000-06:00

Reagan got the new LEGO FRIENDS CAFE set for her birthday. If you haven't seen this new LEGO series yet, check it out HERE. They are brand new to LEGO and are perfect for your daughter who always wants to help her brothers with their LEGO sets. We got Reagan the LEGO Pink Bucket a couple years ago because she was always wanting to mess with the boys' legos. But, this new series is even better. She has a booklet of instructions and can actually build the set all by herself! She built the cafe in just a little over an hour with very little help from dad or I. She was so proud to have built it and loved the girl figures that came with it. She played with the set for quite awhile acting out a whole cafe scene! Isn't that what Legos are supposed to do....inspire imagination???!!!

There are many other sets in this new Friends Series to check out and all are reasonably priced compared with some of the sets we have gotten for the boys. The cafe set is $29.99, Beauty Shop $24.99 and the Vet (seen below) is $39.99. There are also smaller sets that would be perfect for Valentine's Day or Easter Baskets!

LEGO has always been huge deal in our house. My husband even still has his LEGOS from childhood. We look forward to building with this new series and making LEGO memories with our daughter as well. I am hoping they will come out with a LEGO FRIENDS Advent Calendar next year!!! What do you think, LEGO????? We will be traveling to the Mall of America in a couple weeks and I know that the LEGO Store will be one of our first stops!

Way to go LEGO for creating a set that allows girls to create and imagine in their own little "girly" worlds!

Lego has no idea who I am. I am getting no benefit what-so-ever from this review. I just love them and want to share that love with all of you. This is my honest opinion and I wouldn't review anything that wouldn't benefit myself or my family.

Book Review: On Strike For Christmas by Sheila Roberts

2012-01-16T14:28:00.001-06:00

ON STRIKE FOR CHRISTMAS

By Sheila Roberts

Published October 30, 2007

3.5 out of 5 Stars

At Christmastime, it seems as though a woman's work is never done. Trimming the tree, mailing the cards, schlepping to the mall, the endless wrapping--bah humbug! So this year, Joy and Laura and the rest of their knitting group decide to go on strike. If their husbands and families want a nice holiday--filled with parties, decorations, and presents--well, they'll just have to do it themselves. The boycott soon takes on a life of its own when a reporter picks up the story and more women join in. But as Christmas Day approaches, Joy, Laura, and their husbands confront larger issues in their marriages and discover that a little holiday magic is exactly what they need to come together.

This book was recommended by my BFF, Tammy, who read it last Christmas. It was our book club read for this month and I am glad I didn't read it until AFTER Christmas. I think I might have gotten all wrapped up in the women of Holly's strike and joined in myself! I do have to admit that it would have been really tough for me to carry out the whole strike...not buying presents and baking. I could have easily given up the decorating part though! Even before reading this book, I decided I didn't need to put every single decoration out this year and only put out the decorations that I really loved. That meant I had a lot less to put away!

I could really identify with some of the characters in the story and the relationship they had with their husbands. I am lucky in that my husband does help when we have parties with cleaning and food preparation. But, with Christmas related items, I really do 90% of it. I shared the story with him and told him he was lucky I didn't go on strike! Ha! Ha!

This book is a good read anytime of year, but especially around Christmas for that gentle reminder that what is really important is being together with those you love....and maybe a few cookies to share!

There was a Made for TV movie shown on Lifetime based on the book and is available on Netflix that I plan to rent. Roberts also made a follow-up short story called A VERY HOLLY CHRISTMAS that picks up at the Christmas following the strike. It is only basically one chapter ,but it is available for FREE on Kindle.

I liked Sheila Roberts's easy, light read and would like to check out some of her other novels.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 15

2012-01-16T10:10:00.000-06:00

We had a birthday in our house this week. Our baby girl, Reagan turned 7! It seems like just yesterday, Pat and I were in the hospital room, ~~patiently~~ waiting for our miracle girl to arrive. The epidural was doing its job and we were tuning into an episode of DR PHIL. Then all of a sudden everything changed, the epidural quit doing its job and it was time to deliver. Reagan was born at 3:58 pm on January 11th. And seven years later, we continued to be blessed every day by her sweet, kind and generous personality.

She took #7 cookies to school for her treats!

She asked for flowers and she got them! Aren't they both gorgeous?!

She loves Hello Kitty

Comfy Hello Kitty PJ's. I wish I had a pair!

She wanted me to get a strawberry cake and luckily I found this one at HyVee
. It was just the perfect size for our family, decorated perfectly for her and the best part....Berry! It was yummy!

Reagan had friends over Friday night and they made Shrinky Dink bracelets.
Remember Shrinky Dinks???? Oh how I loved them as a kid!

We also had a little nail salon going on Friday night with the girls!

It wasn't all about Reagan this week, Patrick had a basketball tournament too.

It was a full week and we even got our first snowfall of the season. We are looking forward to another busy week ahead that starts with a lazy day at home on Monday! Have a great week everyone!

How I Get Organized With List PlanIt

2012-01-13T10:05:00.001-06:00

As I said on Monday, HERE, I LOVE List PlanIt and how they help me stay organized. They have lists for everything!

This is one of the many lists that I use here at home. When I can't think of what to do for supper I can go to my Meal List that I have inside one of my kitchen cabinets. For most of them, I always have the ingredients on hand. They are our families favorite and most requested meals.

This is just one of the many, many lists offered on List PlanIt. I'm offering a giveaway for one of their memberships. Sign up HERE to win by Sunday, January 22, 2012.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 14

2012-01-09T17:14:00.000-06:00

Not a whole lot of photo opportunities this week. We were just trying to get back into a regular routine again after the Christmas break! Next week will feature lots of birthday pictures, I am sure!

Reagan is super excited to turn 7 this week!

Patrick with his bridge that he and his dad built for science. It passed the weight test...holding 37 pounds!

Our cat, Baxter found a cozy spot to curl up this week....on my lap....which is rare for him.

Amazingly, on January 8th, we had hot air balloons go over our house.

We are used to seeing the balloons in the spring/summer, but NOT in JANUARY!

Giveaway: Get your List on With List PlanIt

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

If you know me at all, you know I am a LIST kind of gal! I make lists for everything....groceries, errands to run, books to read, things to do today, things to do soon, blog topics, gift ideas....I could go on and on. I just can't possibly keep everything in my head and so I make lists to keep it all straight.

Have you heard of a website called LIST PLANIT? They have all the lists you will ever need and ones you haven't even thought of before. I love this site and get my "list making fix" everytime I visit it.

Hundreds of Lists to Put Your World in Order

List PlanIt is an amazing resource with more than 500 printable lists, forms and planners available for print and download! I personally have the download membership and love how I can download any list to my computer, add or make changes if necessary and print it out whenever I need it.

With many of you having "Get Organized" as one of you New Year's Resolutions, there is no better time to check out List PlanIt. They offer lists to make your life easier including lists that will help you keep track of appointments, shopping lists, medical information, school information, vacation planning, schedules, to-do lists and more.

What I really appreciate is that I can get all that stuff floating around in my head and down on paper where I can't forget it. As I think of something, I just write it on the list for that specific item. So, for example, when I think of a place I want to visit, or at least research, for our upcoming vacation, I can just add it to that list and refer to it later when I have the time.
Jennifer Tankersley, the founder and official list maker, has really made life so much easier for so many. She has come up with lists for just about every area of life imaginable. You’ll find travel planners, homeschooling planners, to do lists and business planners, just to name a few. This site isn't just for your home life either, there are great ways to organize your business/career life as well. Jennifer was also the creator of the 100 DAYS TO CHRISTMAS ebook that I raved about a few months ago!

List PlanIt Goal Sheet

ListPlanIt offers several membership options:

■Print Membership. For $20/year, get instant access to more than 500 lists with the ability to print them out.

■Download Membership. Do you want to be able to save your information digitally? Than the download membership is for you. Get instant access to all of the lists, with the added ability to fill in your forms and save them on your computer for just $30/year.

■ePlanners. If you’re looking for a specific set of printables, you’ll also find individual planners for just $7 each. Browse the ePlanners here.

Check out http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1381356 for all the great options they have to offer!

As I mentioned, I purchased the Download Membership and am anxious to access the List PlanIt site throughout the upcoming year. Some of my favorites lists are:

RESPONSIBILITY LIST (chore charts for kids)
DINNERTIME CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
BIRTHDAY PARTY TIMELINE
GIFT LISTS
ROOM BY ROOM PURGE
HOME IMPROVEMENT WISH LIST
2 MONTH AT A GLANCE MONTHLY CALENDAR (for blog topic ideas/schedule)
VACATION PLANNING

There is even an AMERICAN IDOL JOURNAL to keep track of your favorites while you are watching each week! I guarantee there will be lists that will fit your life! There are so many lists to discover and use on this site.

And.....

I have one List PlanIt membership of your choice to GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

REQUIRED ENTRY: Tell me where you have the greatest need for organization in your life and what list could help you out most.

Be sure to also leave your email address (ex: name AT email DOT com) so I can contact you if you win!

This giveaway is open through 11:59 PM on Sunday, January 22, 2012. All entries after that will not be counted. I will used random.org to choose a winner on Monday, January 23, 2012, and email the winner. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or I will choose another winner.

To stay up to date follow List PlanIt on Facebook or Twitter.

This giveaway is made possible by List PlanIt. I was not compensated in any way for this review or giveaway. I paid for my own membership to List PlanIt. This post may contain affiliate links that will compensate me if a purchase is made. This review is my honest opinion and I only review products that I truly enjoy and would benefit myself and/or my family.

Book Review: The Magic Room by Jeffrey Zaslow

2012-01-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

THE MAGIC ROOM: A STORY ABOUT THE LOVE WE WISH FOR OUR DAUGHTERS

By Jeffrey Zaslow

Published December 27, 2011

*****

The New York Times bestselling journalist and author of The Girls from Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow, takes us to a multi- generational family owned small-town bridal shop to explore the emotional lives of women in the 21st century.

You may not have heard of Fowler, Michigan, much less Becker's Bridal. But for the thousands of women who have stepped inside, Becker's is the site of some of the most important moments of their lives-moments that speak to us all. Housed in a former bank, the boutique owners transformed the vault into a "magic room," with soft church lighting, a circular pedestal, and mirrors that make lifelong dreams come true.

Illuminating the poignant aspects of a woman's journey to the altar, The Magic Room tells the stories of memorable women on the brink of commitment. Run by the same family for years, Becker's has witnessed transformations in how America views the institution of marriage; some of the shop's clientele are becoming stepmothers, or starting married life for a second time. In The Girls from Ames, beloved author Jeffrey Zaslow used friendships to explore the emotional lives of women. In The Magic Room, he turns his perceptive eye to weddings and weaves together secrets, memories and family tales to explore the hopes and dreams we have for our daughters.

I was extremely excited when I found out I had the opportunity to review this book. I loved both of Zaslow's previous books THE LAST LECTURE and THE GIRLS FROM AMES. I had a feeling I would love this one too, and I did. Zaslow wrote this in much the same style as THE GIRLS FROM AMES, giving each bride their own chapter and then coming back to them at the end with their follow-up story. Even though this is non-fiction, it reads smoothly and the emotion of each woman's story is the focus over the research studies that filter thoughout.

I found all the history of brides, bridal dress shopping and familial relationships extremely interesting and made me think of my own dress shopping days. I myself had two bridal dress shopping days, one when I was 20 and one when I was 25. I never got to wear the first dress as I ended up breaking off the engagement, but the two shopping experiences were vastly different and reflected much of the research and experiences in the book. I am sure you will also reflect on both your dress shopping day and your wedding day as you read the stories in this book. I remember the dress I ended up with was one I never would have picked out, but once I put it on, the tears and the emotions were immediately there. It was THE ONE.

What I also appreciated about this book was that even though it focuses on the bride, the dress and the big day, through the stories, it reminds you “It’s not just about the dress, the flowers, the reception. It’s about the man and the marriage and the life that will follow” (p. 256).

The Magic Room at Becker's Bridal

Keep the tissue box close by as you travel through the stories in this book. Zaslow knew just whose stories to tell and you will want to know how each bride is doing after finishing the book. By going to http://www.themagicroombook.com/, you may be able to see updates and find other information about the book and the author. Even though I have finished the book, I know the marriages and lives featured in this story go on. I am praying all of them are blessed by the telling of their stories and their marriages are long, loving and strong.

Thanks to Gotham Books and Librarything for providing me with an ARC of this book. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

Need A Little Organization Boost?

2012-01-03T19:59:00.001-06:00

Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the things you want to clean and organize in your home?

Are you wanting to plan out your meals and actually shop for the foods your family is going to eat?

When was the last time you actually felt like you had a handle on your household chores?

These are all things I was feeling overwhelmed with and at times I still am. But I have an excellent option that I turn to and lucky you.....I'm willing to share this miracle with you as well!

My friend, Susan of THE CONFIDENT MOM has been a real mom that I have gotten some amazing advice from. Her website and newsletters have often times arrived in my in-box at just the right moment. She is real and she struggles just like the rest of us. Her insights and honest perspective makes you realize that you don't have to get through the real-life frazzled days of motherhood alone!

Susan has come to the rescue again with the 2012 WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD PLANNER.

If you are looking for some direction on what to accomplish each week, this planner will make your life so much easier.

It will arrive in 56 pages and you can print them off all at once and place in a binder or save it and just print out each week at a time. You have your daily tasks to complete and then each day will list a new item to focus on like changing the bed linens or cleaning out your car. Then she also gives you these weekly reminders for example, to plan your cards/gift for that month's birthdays, upload your photos, or buy your child's Valentines. You will be much less likely to forget something if you use Susan's planner. There is plenty of room to add your own stuff too and a space to plan out your meals!

THE BEST PART........this planner is only $9! Yes, $9 for the WHOLE YEAR'S WORTH. That is less than $1/month! I know! INSANE! So, click on this little button and get yourself organized!!!!! Right now!!!

As an affiliate, I may receive a compensation for purchases from the above links. This review is my honest opinion. I purchased the above item with my own money and did not receive any other benefit by giving this review.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 13

2012-01-01T13:27:00.000-06:00

Christmas morning joy:

Patrick in his new Tebow jersey, Bennett in his new Shonn Greene jersey

Reagan with her new art set

Patrick trying out the new drum throne (stool)

Bennett's turn. A drummer's gotta have proper seating! Much better than the folding chair they did use!

Grandkids and Great-Grandkids at my folks, ready to tear into the presents!

Snow Princess, Reagan - Now we just need some snow!

Our 4 month old Great-Niece, Aleya - That football is almost as big as she is!

Great-Nephew Henry is always ready to ham it up for the camera!

My mom in her new cozy, plush robe

Reflections on 2011 and Looking Ahead to 2012

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last year I could have done better at some things, yet I followed through on other things. I completely ignored some items on my list, and yet amazed myself with my effort on others. I think that sounds about right for most people.

Some things I am really proud of from 2011:

We chose each of our children to be a special kid for the month. Every month (they each got 4 months with one of them being their birthday month) one of the kids got to have a "date" with mom and a "date" with dad. We went out to eat and then usually did something else, maybe a stop at Target, out for ice cream, played a game, or just had some one on one time to chat. Some months we were down to the wire getting our dates in and even one time we had to carry over into the next month, but these times with each of our children was a priority. It was nice to be able to be alone with that child and give them our full attention. It was nice to have those chats that we can't have when there are the constant interruptions of every day life. It was fun for them to get to chose where they wanted to eat. It was a special time and I look forward to continuing this tradtion in 2012.

I will continue with daily prayer and really focusing it on others. I saw some prayers answered and others answered in unexpected ways in this last year. I am going to continue this in 2012 by focusing on one person each day. I have a calendar and I plan to write that person's name in for a day and then pray for them. It may be because they are on my mind. It may be because I have been alerted to a need. It may be because it is their birthday or some other significant day. But, each day I plan to focus on one person and pray for them throughout that day.

THE. TREADMILL. Umm, yeah, that has really slacked off lately. Well, frankly, it has become non-existent. But, I vow to get back on it and really make some changes to my weight. On my 40 By 40 Challenge, I vowed to lose 20 pounds by the time I turn 40. I have 10 months to do it. It won't happen by sitting around doing nothing. I must get back at it! I've lost 5 lbs so far and with my cousin, Melanie as my accountability partner, the final 15 (or shoot maybe even more) should come off!

In the blogging world, I plan to keep at what I am doing. Some reviews, some inspiration, some snippets from our life, and some things to make you smile! I am not going to pressure myself into regular features except for those that are part of my 40 By 40 Challenge. Thanks to all of you who check in, share and read what I write throughout the year.

I have really been excited about my 40 By 40 Challenge and have already knocked several items off of my list. With 10 months to go, I have no doubt that all will be completed. To see my challenge list and the updates, check it out HERE.

I hope that 2012 is....
full of all the blessings you can imagine,
smiles you can't contain,
and laughter that overflows.

Happy New Year!

Books As Gifts

2011-12-30T05:30:00.000-06:00

I. LOVE. BOOKS. Unless you have been living under a rock, you knew that about me already. This year I gave some books as gifts and got some as well.

BOOKS I GAVE:

FIDDLER'S GREEN (Fin's Revolution #2)
by A.S. Peterson
Published December 15, 2010

Given to my nephew, Eric and his wife, Ericka. They had read FIDDLER'S GUN and loved it, so I sent them the next in the series.

NO HIGHER HONOR
A Memoir of My Years in Washington
by Condoleezza Rice
Published November 1, 2011

Given to my dad because he asked for this book. I'm not sure he knew it was going to be 700 pages though! I hope he enjoys it!

I also gave several magazine subscriptions SPORTS ILLUSTRATED to our boys, AMERICAN GIRL to Reagan, PEOPLE STYLE WATCH to my niece, Jena, and TV GUIDE to my mom. Reading is reading, whether it is in book or magazine or newspaper or online format. I gave my BFF Tammy an Amazon gift card for her birthday last week so she could get some books for her Kindle. I know she preordered HOME FRONT by Kristin Hannah. That's one I want to read too!

I also participated in the LIBRARYTHING SantaThing gift exchange. I chose 2 books to give to my SantaThing recipient. She likes science fiction books and fantasy which are not genres I usually read. So, it was a bit of a challenge, but I hope I picked a couple that she will enjoy.

GAUNTLGRYM
by R.A. Salvatore
Published September 30, 2010

This is the first in a series and came up after some searches using genres and authors she liked. I hope this becomes a new series she enjoys.

FATE'S EDGE
by Ilona Andrews
Published November 29, 2011

Because this was a newly published book, I was confident she hadn't read it yet. This was another author that popped up frequently in the paranormal listings and I thought it might be a good read for her.

BOOKS I RECEIVED:
Pat gave me an Amazon gift card and I promptly purchased two books for my Kindle that I had seen in an email that the publisher reduced the prices....

WICKED
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
By Gregory Maguire
Published December 5, 2000

I have heard a lot about this book as well as the musical. I thought it was time to check this out and with the reduced price, I couldn't resist.

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER
By Tom Franklin
Published October 1, 2010

This is one I have been interested in since it came out and again, with the reduced price, I had to snag it. It is a bit out of my reading "comfort zone", but I have heard so many good things about it, I want to check it out.

THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING
By Nancy Pickard
Published January 7, 2010

I received this as a gift from my sister and was surprised that I hadn't even heard of this book. It definitely sounds like something I would enjoy and am glad she picked it out for me!

THE FEMALE BRAIN
By Louann Brizendine, MD
Published August 1, 2006

This book is obviously non-fiction and I was curious as to why she picked it out for me. But, after reading the back of the book and different reviews, I think it is going to be a very interesting book and one I will enjoy and learn a lot from.

THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE: A WAR STORY
By Diane Ackerman
Published September 1, 2007

This was one of the books I received from my LIBRARYTHING Santa. I can't believe I had never heard of this book. This is definite a book I would choose to read. It is set during the Holocaust and is a true story which makes even more interesting. I can't wait to dig into this one!

VANISHING ACTS
By Jodi Picoult
Published January 1, 2005

This was another gift from my Santa and LIBRARYTHING. You can't go wrong with a Jodi Picoult novel and this is one that I hadn't read yet. I know I will enjoy it!

HOME AGAIN
By Kristin Hannah
Published October 30, 1996

This was the final book from my Santa and LIBRARYTHING. I have become a recent fan of Kristin Hannah and have read her newer novels, but not her older ones. I look forward to comparing her older writing to her newer ones. Thanks so much to my LIBRARYTHING Santa for blessing me with these new books!

In 2011, I added 110 books to my To-Read shelf on GOODREADS. My reading pace isn't keeping up with my to-read pace. I'm gonna have to kick it up a notch and try to get some of those books off my shelf. I set a goal of 40 books to read in this last year before I turn 40 and since October I have read 8, so I am definitely on pace. I have lots of great review books coming up and lots that I want to read, so it should be a year of great reads!

What books did you get as gifts this year? What are you most looking forward to reading in 2012?

My Top Ten Reads from 2011

2011-12-29T15:14:00.000-06:00

I read 36 books this year which is more than I anticipated. They covered a variety of subjects and were reads that were for my Book Club, for review purposes, and for my own enjoyment. Of these books, these were my favorites from the year. Some actually came out in 2011, others were ones I finally got around to reading in 2011. Most were fiction, but there was also some non-fiction. If you haven't read these books, I recommend you putting them on your MUST-READ list today!

#10
EYEWALL
by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard
Published April 15, 2011

I got this for FREE on my Kindle but was drawn to it because of it's setting: St Simons Island, Georgia. I have family that lives there and my husband and I spent our honeymoon there. EYEWALL tells the story of a hurricane hitting the island and focuses on a family who wasn't able to get off the island in time. The science behind hurricanes was just as fascinating as the storyline of the family. If you are looking for a thrilling page-turner, definitely check this one out. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#9
ROOM
by Emma Donoghue
Published September 13, 2010

This was a book club read, but also one I had been wanting to read. The story of Jack and his mom locked in a room was made even more fascinating because it was told from 5 year old Jack's perspective. Keep in mind, Jack has never seen the world outside of his room and only has seen him mom and his "dad", the bad guy who has them locked away. This is gripping and will have you rooting for Jack all the way to the end!

#8
FRIENDSHIP BREAD
by Darien Gee
Published April 5, 2011

This was a book I read for review. If you are looking for a story that pick you up and give you hope, then this story is for you. It is a feel-good kind of story about a community that is brought back together all because someone made some friendship bread and dropped it off on a door-step. The bonus is that recipes for starting your own friendship bread are included. You may just want to start your own batch after reading this story. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#7
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS
by Rebecca Skloot
Published February 2, 2010

This was also a book club read, but again, one I had been wanting to read. Even though this is a non-fiction, it reads like a fiction novel. Skloot tells the story of an African-American woman who changed medical history even though she died in the 1950's. This is a fascinating book that taught me much about cancer, medical research and the value of a life. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#6
JOY FOR BEGINNERS
by Erica Bauermeister
Published June 9, 2011

This was another review read for me and I just loved the premise of it. This is the story of seven women who gather to celebrate one of owns victory over cancer. The celebration leads to them all conquering their one fear. The fears are all unique and are life-changing for each of the women. Again, this is another feel-good story and one you should definitely check out. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#5
EXPOSURE
by Therese Fowler
Published May 3, 2011

This was another review read for me and one that is right from the headlines of our newspapers. It tells the story of teenagers who in the heat of young love, make a decision that will affect their families, their school, and their entire community. As a parent, I found this novel eye-opening. I also respected the author for writing this story from her own son's horrific experience. If you have or will have teenagers in your home, READ. THIS. BOOK. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#4
SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME
by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
Published June 15, 2006

This was a book club read and one my Sister-in-Law had been telling me to read for quite some time. This story will bless you and can be life-changing if you let it. It is emotional, it is powerful, and it is unforgettable. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#3
SHANGHAI GIRLS
by Lisa See
Published May 26, 2009

I read this for my own enjoyment, but also because I was scheduled to review the sequel to this novel and felt I couldn't do that without reading this one first. I was already a fan of See's from reading SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN and was expecting a great story. I was not disappointed. I love reading historical fiction and learning about this that happened in the past that I didn't already know or understand. This story of two sisters in China during the 1930's and beyond had me enthralled right from the start.

#2
DREAMS OF JOY
by Lisa See
Published May 31, 2011

So, as I said above, this was a review book, but one I was very anxious to read, especially after reading SHANGHAI GIRLS. This picks right up where SHANGHAI GIRLS left off. But, this story is capable enough to stand alone. It picks up in 1957 and takes you back to China. The sisters are still the forefront of the story you are instantly drawn in to their world and their lives. Lisa See never disappoints you with her character development and vivid descriptions. This family drama will keep you up all night turning the pages. Check out my review HERE for more details.

#1
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Published August 23, 2011

This was my favorite book of 2011. It was a book I read for review and am so glad I had that opportunity. I think of this story often and can't wait to see it played out in movie form. The rights have been sold and actors/actresses are being chosen! I can't wait! This story of a Victoria who grew up in foster care and is now "graduated" to real life on her own will have your heart aching for her. The other main characters are the flowers and the language they are expressing from the giver to the receiver. I found the story of Victoria just as fascinating as the language of the flowers. This story will leave you with a renewed faith in the good of others, a belief in love conquering all and the hope for second chances. Check out my review HERE for more details.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 12

2011-12-28T12:40:00.001-06:00

You can see all about my day at MISSION OF HOPE on Wednesday at the post below this one. It was a wonderful day of giving to others. I can't wait to participate again next year!

On Friday, we celebrated Christmas with Pat's family. It is so fun to watch all the kids open their gifts and then listen to the cousins playing together while the grown-ups chat and catch up on life.

Bennett was pretty excited to open up his Steelers pennant.

Patrick showing off his LaBron James shirt

Reagan with her new hair feather

COUSINS! (Minus Matt, Krysta and Mykenah)

Siblings and Spouses

Mother and Daughter on Christmas Eve

Sibling love on Christmas Eve

A Day of Giving

2011-12-28T11:27:00.000-06:00

For the second year in a row, I was chosen by CEPIA and the RANDOM ACTS OF ZHU to hand out toys to a charity. I again chose MISSION OF HOPE in Cedar Rapids because of the awesome work they do to help out the least, the last and the lost. December 21, 2011 was their Day of Giving and I was thrilled to be a part of it again this year.

The kids were thrilled to be able to help out with this huge project. They helped unpack all the boxes of toys and sort them out.

Then we sorted all the toys and made them into gift packages with each set including two accessories and one ZhuZhu pet. We tied them with ribbon and off they went.

The hundreds of toys ready to give out at MISSION OF HOPE. Would you believe we went through almost all of these toys???? At one point we even came very close to running out of toys for boys ages 8-12. I stopped and prayed, asking God to help us provide toys for every child that day. I didn't want to tell a parent that we didn't have any toys for their son. Thankfully, a father and son came in and dropped off toys specifically for boys. I was so humbled by their generosity and so grateful that God sent them in to the Mission. Those toys got us through 'til the end!

We also handed out 225 food baskets with fruit, potatoes, veggies, rolls, pie, and chocolate. Then a ham and milk were added to the basket as well. After each person got a food basket, they were then allowed to chose some cold weather items like coats, blankets, hats, gloves, and scarves.

Then the guests came to the toy area where the "elves" had toys for every age group.

The guests were able to choose a toy for each child and then get several "stocking stuffer" items as well.

It was such a full and busy day, but so heart-warming. So many times I was thanked over and over again for helping them provide a wonderful Christmas for their family. So many children had gifts to open because of the generosity of others. So many families were able to find some happiness in their Christmas with a meal, some warm clothing and toys under the tree.

Thanks so much to CEPIA and ZHUZHU PETS for making this Christmas a little happier for so many families. Thanks for letting me play "Santa Claus" and thanks to MISSION OF HOPE for letting me be a part of such a wonderful Day of Giving.

If you would like to learn more about Zhu Zhu Pets, check out http://www.zhuniverse.com/.

If you would like to learn more about Mission of Hope and all they do to serve others, check out http://www.missionofhopecr.org/.

Book Review: Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

2011-12-26T15:16:00.000-06:00

Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

Published October 21, 2009
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this as a cheap Kindle buy and knew I couldn't go wrong with a Wally Lamb book. I wanted a Christmas story and even though Christmas wasn't the focus of the whole story, it was still a fun read for this time of year. I especially liked how it was set in the 1960's and got a lot of laughs about things said and done during that time. This is a fun, light read and is great for any time of year, not just Christmas. I also appreciated how the author brought the disease of MS into the focus. With a family member recently diagnosed, I am aware of the devastating news this can bring.

View all my reviews

A Christmas Prayer

2011-12-24T08:10:00.000-06:00

Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and the wisdom of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world.

Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.

Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clean hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Robert Louis Stevenson 1850-1894

Merry Christmas to all of my wonderful reader friends!
Relax, soak up this special time with your family and remember the REAL reason for the season!

What I've Been Baking

2011-12-22T09:24:00.000-06:00

I love to bake and have been getting my goodies made up for Christmas celebrations.

I've made:

Pumpkin Bread

Almond Bark Dipped Ritz Bitz

Peanut Butter Star Cookies (my Christmas Favorite)

Spritz Cookies (my Grandma made them every Christmas, and my mom, and now me)

Peppermint Sugar Cookies (With Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses)

Almond Bark Dipped Pretzels

Regular Cut Out Sugar Cookies ( Stars and Ornaments this year)

Banana Bread

Phew! I'm exhausted. I have several other recipes I saw on Pintertest and other blogs that I want to try, but those will have to wait. I am pooped and frankly sick of being in the kitchen. So, I'm gonna stop here, and maybe I will make some new ones for New Year's!

Scrabble Lover Gift

2011-12-20T12:14:00.000-06:00

Do you have a Scrabble lover in your family? When I saw this gift idea to make a personalized Scrabble board HERE I knew this was going to be my gift for our Jones Family Christmas. My mom and her sisters and their kids and grandkids get together every year to celebrate Christmas. There can be anywhere from 50-65 of us depending on who can attend. The adults participate in a gift exchange where you draw numbers and then you can open a new gift or steal an already opened gift from someone. Some years it has gotten pretty exciting with all the stealing of gifts that takes place. When I saw the Scrabble Board idea, I knew it was perfect for our family, because Scrabble playing is in our heritage. I play it, my mom and her sisters all play it and her parents and grandparents played it and several of us cousins play it as well.

I used my Grandpa and Grandma's names on the board and then added a photo of my mom and her four sisters standing in front of the house they grew up in. I super glued the scrabble tiles to the board and mod podged the photo to the board. I then just super glued the scrabble board to some 12" square scrapbook paper. Finding the frame took some trial and error. I originally bought a square frame, but it wasn't deep enough to fit the board and tiles. So, I had to get a shadowbox frame. I got the kind that has different depth levels so you can fit it to your specific depth. Both the frame and paper came from Michael's. The Scrabble Me game I found on Amazon. It works great because the boards are about 7" square rather than a regular Scrabble board size.

My Aunt Kathy was the lucky receiver of the gift and I was happy that one of the sisters got it.

Then, since I had leftover tiles, I decided to make some ornaments. I saw the idea for the Scrabble Ornaments HERE. I layed out all the letters I had left and made ornaments with some last names as well and Christmas words.

Pat cut the trays to fit the letters for me so I had more than four trays. I just super glued the tiles and the ribbon behind the tiles. Really, for a non-crafty person, this was super easy! These are the perfect ornament for your Scrabble Geek!

Book Review: THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN By Garth Stein

2011-12-19T17:10:00.000-06:00

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN

By: Garth Stein

Published: May 5, 2008

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

I'm not really a "dog person" and am not really interested in racing, so I wasn't sure I would like this book. But, it kept popping up on every "Must Read" list I had seen, so we decided to make it our book club read for this month and I am so glad we did. I can't wait to hear everyone's take on it this evening.
This really is a very touching story and I loved that it was narrated by Enzo, the dog. I don't think this story would have worked if it wasn't told from his perspective. There were so many facets to this story and lots of things going on, but it all flowed well and keep you turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I actually enjoyed the racing parts of the story and learned a lot about it.

After reading this, you won't look at dogs the same way and you will appreciate all your human abilities!
I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 11

2011-12-19T16:00:00.000-06:00

The weeks are getting quite busy now and I have lots to share from our week!

Every year we celebrate the day we got our house, December 15 - 8 years ago now- by having "Family Day". We have a special meal complete with sparking grape juice. Then after dinner we decorate our Gingerbread Houses together. The kids really look forward to this day and is a fun tradition that I hope they will remember forever.

All the candy!

Hard at work decorating

The finished gingerbread village!

Pat and I off to a Christmas party

Patrick playing "Silent Night" for the church Christmas Program

Reagan, in the plaid skirt, with her friends watching the puppet show at our church Christmas program

The Wild West Chrismas Puppet Show at church

Product Review and Coupon Code: Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream

2011-12-19T09:52:00.000-06:00

On November 1, 2011, I began using APOTHEDERM Stretch Mark Cream. The directions stated that I was to use it twice daily, applying to the stretch mark areas and seeing results in as little as 14 days and up to 12 weeks. Trust me, I was skeptical. It has been nearly 7 years since I had my last child and 11 1/2 years since I had my first. I had years of stretch marks to work on. Some were that white color, but others were that thick dark purple. I had no expectations of this working at all. Plus, I wasn't very good about using it twice a day let alone every day. But, I did use it fairly regularly for the last 8 weeks and...........

IT WORKED!

I am totally serious. I tried taking pictures but decided I wasn't comfortable with those areas of my body all over the Internet. But, I can honestly say, this stuff worked!!!!! Holy cow! I am still in shock. I was applying blindly and not really noticing too much until around Thanksgiving when I actually looked where I was applying the cream and I realized that I could visibly tell the marks were less noticeable. By last week, my mouth actually dropped and I couldn't pull myself away from the mirror. The thick, dark purple ones were visibly lighter. This stuff is amazing! 11+ years of stretch marks sitting on my body and now they are hardly noticeable. The cream also had a nice, gentle scent and softened my skin in addition to reducing the stretch marks.

So, how does this stuff work???????

APOTHEDERM is a Seattle-based dermatology biotech company that develops the most advanced bioactive peptides. They have over 20 years of research and development to back them up. Their peptide technology has been licensed to leading skin care companies around the world.

APOTHEDERM STRETCH MARK CREAM reinforces the skin's fundamental support structures and helps to visibly repair existing stretch marks. The patented SmartPeptide technology helps build collagen while reducing the appearance of red and silver stretch marks as it smoothes skin texture. In a clinical study of 30 subjects, 70% had visible improvement in stretch marks in as little as 14 days and more than 90% saw overall improvement after twelve weeks of continued use. The study included new and old stretch marks as well as red and silver stretch marks. The cream blends four natural emollients : shea butter, coca butter, olive oil and highly moisturizing meadowfoam seed oil for a silky, fast absorbing formulation. For more on the ingredients and science behind APOTHEDERM STRETCH MARK CREAM, go to http://www.apothederm.com/.

Now for the best part - You can get your own Stretch Mark Cream or any of APOTHEDERM's other great products at a discount. If their other products work as well as their Stretch Mark Cream, you won't be disappointed!

Go to http://www.apothederm.com/ and check out all their products. Enter in the discount code TENOFF. You will receive $10 off (expires 01/31/11). The code can be applied to any order. Any orders for Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream will receive free shipping. All orders over $75 receive complimentary priority mail shipping.

For more updates on APOTHEDERM, follow them on FACEBOOK or TWITTER.

This review is my honest opinion. I received one complementary bottle of APOTHEDERM Stretch Mark Cream in order to facilitate this review. I was not compensated in any other way. I only review products that I believe would benefit myself or my family. Thanks to Mamapedia and Apothederm for this opportunity.

A Couple of Winners

2011-12-16T17:16:00.002-06:00

The winner of the PHIX Energy drink mix is

frugalmommieof2 said...
I would replace my afternoon coke or iced coffee.

The winner of the ENERGIZER batteries is

Kris K said...

I would use the Lithium. They would be used up with the remotes and the wireless mouse!

Thanks so much for entering and being visitors to my blog! Your products will be heading your way soon!

Check Out BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP for Your Gift Giving

2011-12-12T15:38:00.002-06:00

We are huge fans of BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP at our house. Our kids love to go there and pick out new outfits for their bears. The boys gave Reagan a bunny from BUILD-A-BEAR when she was born to welcome her to our family and "Rachel" has been very much loved ever since. Reagan's birthday is at the beginning of the year and our celebrating usually takes us to BUILD-A-BEAR to spend some of her birthday cash.

BUILD-A-BEAR has lots of new furry friends this season including those from the latest movies, classic and celebrity characters, hi-tech Kinect enabled bears, gifts that give back, holiday traditions, customized presents and fun stocking stuffers. I know Reagan is eyeing Smurfette from Build-A-Bear and has that on her wish list!

There is something for everyone at BUILD-A-BEAR!

Here are some of our favorite things about Build-a-Bear Workshop this season:

One of the best things about Build-A-Bear Workshop is the opportunity to make or buy a unique gift, add a customized, signature sound or embroidered message and give it to someone special. From newlyweds to new parents, sports fans to foodies, tweens to tough guys, Build-A-Bear Workshop has something for everyone and every budget.

What could be more personal than LIVE elves, ready to talk to your child about his/her wishlist? Thanks to our friends at Build-A-Bear Workshop, your family has a direct line to Santa and his little helpers! By visiting http://play.buildabear.com/, your child can create their own wish list with one of Santa's elves and tell them what they want for Christmas! Parental agreement is needed for all children under 13.

Who doesn't love a great deal, especially during the holidays? Build-A-Bear Workshop knows Moms want to stretch our "bear bucks" as much as possible, which is why they're introducing a great promotion this season. Starting today through 12/18/11, you can purchase any animal PLUS any outfit for just $24.99 (USD). That's a great price for a friend that will last a lifetime!

Check out https://webmail.netins.net/Redirect/r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=tvj4cobab&et=1108939589984&s=49955&e=001qr72uoz0JqXWTVMcv31RU8Io7f_s1IbhNf2PIMO-8vWYeVesGbFRcSed2trMdMBNBmhpwe8kQ1cvZrY1zZBvTTn92WAGbC-uMkPfk4dp3UjwxUSEMtbJow== to see all the great furry friends they have in stock. There will be someone just perfect for your gift-giving this Christmas!

I was entered for a chance to win a Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place. All opinions are my own.

Scenes From Our Week - Week 10

2011-12-11T19:25:00.001-06:00

It has been a long week. I woke up at 3:30 Wednesday morning with the mother of all migraines. I used to get migraines all the time, but over the years I have been more careful about the triggers that would bring them on as well as taking different medications to regulate my hormones. Well, I am thinking it must be time to adjust my medications again. That migraine pretty much wiped out the rest of my week. So, my posts and my photo taking has been pretty limited.

We got the tree up last weekend and I was able to ~~get the kids to agree~~ force a photo in front of the tree.

I was able to take Bennett out for our date for the month. He is our special kid of the month for December and we went to the mall and he tried out Sbarro. He was quite impressed with the massive piece of pizza he got!

On Saturday, we started the first of many of Patrick's basketball tournaments for his traveling team. It was an early morning and a long time on those bleachers. I will have to get my rear back in bleacher training because January and February are quite busy with tournaments. Even though the boys only won one game, they stuck with it and played well against some tough teams.

Patrick ready for the pass

Patrick's got the ball

This year I got a puzzle for our family to do during Advent. Unfortunately, it was more of a Mom and Dad activity than a family activity.....until we were down to the last 20 pieces, then the kids were ready to help out. We are pretty proud we got this 500 piece puzzle put together in just 11 days!

Since Lego started making their Winter Village sets 3 years ago, I started purchasing their featured set each year. It started with the Toy Shop, then the Bakery and this year was the Post Office. We take them apart and then put them together again each year, so again, it is another family activity. This year we put it on top of our entertainment center, but we may have to carve out a special place just for this village as we will be running out of room up there. I added the fake snow to make it a little more fun!

The Bakery

The Post Office and Mail Truck

The Gazebo and Band got with the Post Office Set and then the Toy Shop

The rest of the Toy Shop set

The best way we know how to close out our week is with homemade ice cream! Today was a great family day so what better way to send Sunday night off with a bang but with homemade Cookies and Cream ice cream. YUM!

Book Review: Proof of Heaven by Mary Curran Hackett

2011-12-06T10:05:00.001-06:00

PROOF OF HEAVEN
By Mary Curran Hackett
Published: November 1, 2011

He might be young, but Colm already recognizes the truth: that he’s sick and not getting better. His mother, Cathleen, fiercely believes her faith will protect her ailing son, but Colm is not so sure. With a wisdom far beyond his years, Colm has come to terms with his probable fate, but he does have one special wish. He wants to meet his father who abandoned his beloved mother before Colm was born. But the quest to find the dying boy’s missing parent soon becomes a powerful journey of emotional discovery—a test of belief and an anxious search for proof of heaven.

I received this book as an ARC and was very intrigued by the storyline. As a mom, this book was at times, very difficult to read. I can't imagine watching my child collapse time after time and struggle the way Colm did in this story and feel so helpless. The author was able to put into words those desparate feelings a mother has for her suffering child. Cathleen and Colm had such a unique relationship in this story due to her being a single parent and due to Colm's rare illness. I was fascinated by the lengths Cathleen went to help heal her son and wondered, if I was in that situation, would I do the same?

Even though I was drawn in to the story, I wasn't rushing to finish it. I had an assumption of how it was likely to end and didn't want to get to that point of the story. This isn't the type of story to perk you up but it is one that will remind you of the love of your family, the wonder of life in heaven, and how important it is to have hope.

This is Mary Curran Hacketts first novel. To find out more about her visit her website at http://www.mchackett.com/. I enjoyed the author insights in the back of the book. The author used multiple personal experiences to write this story and it makes it all the more interesting to the reader. Thanks to Librarything for sending me a copy of PROOF OF HEAVEN. I give this 3 out of 5 stars.

Phix Energy Review and Giveaway

2011-12-06T08:33:00.001-06:00

Are you feeling a little sluggish during your afternoon meeting?

When you put your toddler down for a nap, do you want to crawl into bed too?

Are you feeling like you don't have enough energy to get everything done during this busy holiday season?

Are you looking for a safe alternative to that 5-hour energy feel?

About PHIX ENERGY:

Phix Energy is a healthy, all natural energy drink mix that was designed by a leading naturopathic physician and licensed dietitians to enhance the body’s natural healing power. The proprietary blend of herbs and nutraceuticals in Phix is based on therapeutic dosages found to be safe and effective in clinical research trials.

Phix natural energy drink mix contains a small amount (80mg) of caffeine from yerba maté, a traditional drink in many countries. Green tea extract and NADH also have mild stimulant qualities. The result is a gentle and sustained pick-me-up — with no spikes and crashes. Phix Energy contains several types of important antioxidants, which can help protect your DNA from oxidative damage. Phix's natural energy ingredients, such as Vitamin C and Eleuthero, are designed to help support healthy immune function. Phix natural energy drink contains chromium, which helps to balance blood sugar levels. By balancing out extremes of high and low blood sugar, chromium may also help prevent fatigue. If you’re active, it’s important to replace electrolytes and water-soluble vitamins for optimal athletic performance and recovery.

I received several boxes of PHIX ENERGY to try and review. My favorite flavor was the Teaberry, but I liked the others as well. I am the first to admit I need to drink more water and this was a great way to get myself to drink that water along with adding other benefits. Plus it tasted better than drinking plain water! Usually when I am having that afternoon slump, I reach for my Diet Mountain Dew, but instead I filled my favorite water bottle with ice, water and a package of PHIX ENERGY. It gave me the kick I needed and I am also convinced it is part of the reason I haven't gotten sick. Being around kids in my home and at school, I know I have been exposed to numerous cold/flu germs and I usually pick it up immediately. But, I have yet to have any symptoms of any of that. Especially during this busy time of year, I have appreciated the benefits of PHIX ENERGY and the boost that it gives me to keep going.

PHIX ENERGY sells for $9.95 for a 5 pack box ($1.99/package) or $53.73 for 30 packages ($1.79/package). If you bought 5, 20oz bottles of your favorite soda, which at our convenience store in town sell for $1.75, you are really spending about the same amount, but getting healthful benefits rather than aspartame and caffeine.

To find out more about PHIX ENERGY, check out http://www.phix.com/, check out their Facebook page HERE, or follow them on Twitter HERE.
Now for the exciting news: I have a 1 month subscription to PHIX which includes 3 boxes of your choice of PHIX ENERGY and a coupon for 25% off a future purchase to giveaway to one of my readers! This giveaway is open only to US residents. This giveaway begins today and runs through Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:59 PM. I will choose a winner using Random.org on Friday, December 16th.

To enter all you must do is leave a comment below telling me what beverage you would replace with PHIX ENERGY to give you that kick in the afternoon? Please make sure you leave an email address (email AT address DOT com) so I can contact you if you win. Also be sure to check out their Facebook page and Twitter feeds for all the newest information.

Thanks to PHIX and MomSelect for sending me free boxes of PHIX ENERGY to try. I received the product in order to facilitate my review. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. This review is my honest opinion and I do not review products that I don't feel would benefit myself or my family. PHIX will provide the product for the winner of this giveaway.

Scenes from our Week - Week 9

2011-12-05T17:23:00.001-06:00

The boys had their annual Christmas program at school. Since the 6th graders move on to Middle School next year, they get to be the "stars" of the show. The 3rd - 5th graders provide the music while the 6th graders perform the play. Bennett is a 5th grader and played in band and sang. Patrick, the 6th grader played in band, accompanied one song on the drums, played the part of Santa and sang a solo. The whole group did an awesome job and gave us lots of laughs!
The boys also had their last 5/6 basketball game of the season. So, I took some final photos from that as well.

Our 2 percussionists at their school Christmas program.

Patrick rockin' the drums!

Patrick as Santa in the program.

Patrick ready for the ball.

Bennett on defense.

Advent Calendar Time

2011-12-01T12:25:00.000-06:00

We have always done Advent Calendars for the kids. For the past few years the boys have gotten the Lego City Advent Calendar, but this year they will be super excited to get the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar. I can't wait to see their excitement. In order for each of them to "get" something each day, one of them will build the Lego set and the other will draw a football card from a stash that I have.

Reagan will be getting something in her Advent Calendar that my mom made when the boys were young. I had Mom copy it from one that I saw in Pottery Barn. We chose the Christmas fabric and she sewed it for me. Reagan will be getting something little in her pocket each day. Some of the items include Squinkies, hair accessories, lip balm, little dolls, candy, etc.

But, as I mentioned a few days ago, I want to keep the CHRIST in CHRISTmas so I found the idea of a JESSE TREE and made it so it would work for our family. Check out the original post HERE. I made a Christmas tree on card stock, cut out the ornaments in the free printable and I will have each of the kids take turns, each getting 8 turns, coloring their ornament and reading the Bible passage. Then they can place their ornament on the tree. It will be a great reminder of what the season is all about and a lesson on God and his promise of the Messiah. I hope the kids are as eager to dig into this as I am.

Welcome to Advent! Only 24 more days until Christmas!

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-30T21:55:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 29 - Thankful for My Part-Time Job
Today, I am thankful that I have a job that I can do once in a while. I am a Substitute Teacher at the Middle School/High School in our town. I can work when I want to work. I am on the exact same schedule as our children. I work with awesome teachers whom I learn something from everytime I am there. I still get to use my brain once in a while. I am reminded what it is like to be a teenager and what it will be like to be a parent of a teenager(s). And, most of the time, I get paid to have fun with some awesome students! It is the perfect situation for me and my family right now and I am thankful to be a part of such a great school district!

November 30 - Just Thankful
Thanks for sharing in all my blessings this month. Today, I am thankful for my parents who raised me in a loving home and gave me the values I cherish today, including giving back to others. I am thankful that I met my husband, Pat, 13 years and 7 months ago. I don't know where I would be without him. I am thankful for the 3 beautiful, insightful, happy kids we have been raising together. Patrick, Bennett and Reagan each have their own unique personalities and each of them complete the puzzle of our family. I am beyond blessed. My life is truly a blessing each and every day and my cup overflows with love.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-28T20:34:00.000-06:00

A Giveaway From Our Friends at Energizer

2011-11-28T13:47:00.001-06:00

On this Cyber Monday, have you been shopping? Do any of the toys or electronics you purchased need batteries? Well, I have something just for you. One of my readers will win a specially marked package of batteries. These specially marked packages will offer you the batteries for your holiday gift giving as well as a code for a free online movie on demand that can be redeemed from Blockbuster.com, Amazon.com, iTunes.com or the YouTube Store. These specially marked packages will also be offered in stores.

Once you receive your batteries, follow the instructions on the box by entering the code at www.energizer.com/movies. This free movie offer expires on April 30, 2012. This offer is available for one reward per household/email address.

To enter to win the giveaway of 2 packages of either AA Lithium or Recharageable Batteries or combination of the 2 you must do the following:

Required Entry - Leave a comment with which 2 packages of batteries you prefer and how you will use the batteries.

Extra Entry - Leave a SEPERATE comment telling me you are now following or have been following my blog.

Extra Entry - Leave a SEPERATE comment telling me you now follow or have been following me on Twitter Sincerely Stacie

Extra Entry - Leave a SEPERATE comment telling me you now follow or have been following Energizer on Twitter.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM on Thursday, December 15, 2011. I will choose a winner using Random.org on Friday, December 16, 2011.

I was provided with a set of batteries for our family. I wasn't compensated in any other way for this review.

A New Nativity

2011-11-28T09:56:00.001-06:00

A few years ago, I decided I wanted to collect Nativity Sets. There are so many unique sets available and I love looking at them. As part of my 40 Before 40 Challenge, I decided I wanted to get a new Nativity set to add to my collection. But, instead of me purchasing one, I was given a set by my dear cousin, Melanie.

Melanie is very talented and can create something out of nothing. She definately got the artistic gene in our family. Melanie had been felting some things with her mom and kids and so I mentioned that I had seen a felted Nativity set and wondered if someday she wanted to make one for me. Little did I know that she would do it that next day! At our family Christmas a couple weeks ago, she gave me this sweet set! Aren't they adorable?!?!

I have no need to get a new set, this one is just the perfect addition to my collection. Thanks so much Melanie and Aunt Susie for creating this sweet little family for me!

Scenes from Our Week - Week 8

2011-11-28T09:32:00.001-06:00

The kids enjoying the pool after our Thanksgiving meal.

Pat and I

Bennett and Reagan were excited to get up on the roof
with Dad while he was hanging the Christmas lights.

Our house all lit up for Christmas!

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-28T09:07:00.001-06:00

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-26T09:32:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 24 - Thankful for A Wonderful Stress-Free Meal
For the last few years, we have decided to travel for Thanksgiving. We found out Cracker Barrel restaurants offer a wonderful meal on Thanksgiving so we travel to places that have a Cracker Barrel. Their meal includes drink, turkey, ham, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans, cranberry relish, biscuit/corn bread, and pie all for $8.99. No stressful cooking and no clean up! We spent our meal with Pat's sister's family. We scored a nice big round table so we could all sit together and visit easily! It was a wonderful meal and another great time with family!

November 25 - Thankful I Survived Black Friday
Since we are in Des Moines, my Sister-in-law, her teeage children, and I decided to brave Jordan Creek Mall at midnight. Oh my! I wasn't prepared for the mob of people waiting to attack the stores and shop! It really was quite the site to see and experience. The Victoria's Secret store was so crowded you couldn't move and I decided I needed to get out of there immediately. The lines were long and stores we crowded, but everyone that I interacted with was pleasant and kind. I took special care to thank each of the employees I had an interaction with and let them know I appreciated them working these crazy hours. I was able to get some really good deals and I made it until 3:30 AM. We went back out in the afternoon and the shopping was much more manageable. During our midnight shopping, the mall had hired some carolers who were amazing. It was such a nice surprise to hear their Chrismas hymns and songs carrying over the din of the crowd. It was a way for them to remind us of the REAL reason for Christmas while the greed in the mall seemed to overshadow it. As I focus on my lists and shopping over the next few weeks, I am going to try to find ways to keep the CHRIST in CHRISTmas. Stay tuned.........

From Iowa?

2011-11-24T06:29:00.000-06:00

I saw this posted on Facebook this week and thought it was pretty funny: Not all of these apply to me but most of them sure do!

IOWA, according to Jeff Foxworthy:

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May, you may live in Iowa.
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't even work there, you may live in Iowa.
If you've worn shorts and a jacket at the same time, you may live in Iowa.
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Iowa.
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Iowa.
If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you may live in Iowa.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Iowa.
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both doors unlocked, you may live in Iowa. If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Iowa.
If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Iowa.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Iowa.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Iowa.
If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Iowa.
If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you may live in Iowa.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-23T14:17:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 22 - Thankful for A Date, A Deal, and A Hug
On Tuesday, I was able to spend some time alone with my husband over a delicious lunch at Ruby Tuesdays. We don't get that one on one time very often and it was a treat to be able to meet for lunch. While I was in town, I was getting some shopping done and pricing heated blankets and mattress pads. We had decided we wanted to get these for the kids for Christmas. So far, in my shopping, I had found these to be anywhere from $60-$80+. Ugh! But then I went to Target and to my surprise, they were running a 4-Day sale on them for $25!!! I couldn't believe it! I snagged 3 of them and spent nearly the same for 3 that would have for 1....Thanks Target! I had also decided, since I would be getting groceries, I would get all the ingredients necessary for Taco Night for supper. Bennett LOVES tacos and had been asking for them a lot, but I never had the ingredients or the time to make them up. When Bennett found out I was making tacos for supper, I got THE. BEST. HUG!

November 23 - Thankful for a Day to Sleep In
There was no school today and we didn't have anywhere we had to be, so everyone was told to sleep as late as they wanted to. Pat got up at 5:45 to go to basketball, but for once, I didn't even hear him get up and leave. I was able to sleep until 8:00. That was a treat. I was still behind on sleep from last weekend and I know this weekend I will be short on sleep again due to Black Friday Midnight Shopping! So, being able to sleep in today was a treat!

Christmas Giving Around the World

2011-11-21T16:02:00.001-06:00

Several years ago, when Reagan and I were in MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) our group was responsible for an Operation Christmas Child box. After doing that, I knew I wanted to give boxes as a family. I even made it one of my 40 Before 40 Challenges and we accomplished it!

Operation Christmas Child is a part of the charitable organization Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse

So, the first thing you do is get a shoe box. You can use one of your own, or purchase a plastic one with a lid. They are only $1 at Walmart. Then you fill it with items for either a boy or a girl in the age groups or 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14 years old. Some items you could put in the shoe box would be small toys like cars, stuffed animals, kazoos, and dolls. School supplies like pencils, paper, calculators, colors, and markers. Personal items like toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, and comb. You can also include hard candies, gum, t-shirts, socks, jewelry, and hair clips.

Girl age 5-9 box

Boys age 5-9 box

We had a lot of fun filling the boxes with things that our kids love. We also included a letter and picture from us talking about our family, what we like to do, and where we live. Next year, I would like to do boxes for the older age groups as I would expect they are likely the least to get filled.

Photos like this one below, make my heart break.

Boy from Phillipines opening his Christmas Box. Photo courtesy of Samaritan's Purse

I know there are kids in our own country that have needs, but the conditions in other countries seem to be so unimaginable. When kids in other countries are asking for things that we take for granted like shoes and socks and pencils and paper, my heart says, I can do that! Our family will also be contributing to children in our community by purchasing toys and food baskets for the Christmas giveaway at Mission of Hope.

The Operation Christmas Child boxes travel all over the world to some of the poorest places like Mongolia, Phillipines, Africa, and India. Our family is hoping the children that received our 3 boxes will take a moment and write back to us. We can't wait to hear where our boxes traveled.

The shoe box drop-off for this year has ended, but you can still donate money to help pay for the shipping costs to send all these boxes across the world. My mom will be traveling to Minneapolis to one of the warehouses where all the shoes boxes will be packed into larger boxes for shipping. She said there is always a need for money for adding items to boxes and for shipping. To make your tax deductible donation, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/ ! Be a part of bringing Christmas cheer and the love of Jesus to a child today!

Scenes From Our Week - Week 7

2011-11-21T11:54:00.001-06:00

This weekend was our annual Jones Family Christmas. My mom and her four sisters get together with all their children and grandchildren every year. We usually get together in November before the rush of the holiday season. Plus, the weather usually cooperates better for all the travelers. We rent out a place, this year renting the Beulahland Bible Camp and moving in for the weekend. Enjoy the photos from the Christmas as well as from our church choir on Sunday. Have a wonderful week celebrating Thanksgiving and all you have to be thankful for.

Cousins hanging out and watching a movie

Me with one of my favorite people, my cousin Melanie

Cousins Elise and Reagan

Reagan with our newest family member, 4 month old Aleya

Sunday morning's breakfast included a smoothie shop run by the kids!
They had a blast coming up with their own menu and even earning tips!

The sisters in their new sparkly visors! Eileen, Cynthia, Susan, Kathy, and my mom, Tricia
Aunt Susie was the host this year, so she was super busy with breakfast prep and hadn't changed clothes yet!

My loot this year from the gift exchange! YUM!!!

The Goodbye Hug

Whoops! Keys locked in my cousin's car.
The men tried to get them out, but unfortunately they had to call a locksmith.

Our parish choir debuted on Sunday afternoon at our special Thanksgiving service.
It has been such a joy to be a part of it. We'll be singing again on Christmas Eve.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-17T12:24:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 18, 19, 20 - Thankful for family, memories, and traditions
I spent the entire weekend with over 50 members of my family. Every year, my mom and her 4 sisters and their children and grandchildren get together to celebrate Christmas. It truly is a blessing to get everyone together and catch up, laugh, eat, laugh, exchange gifts, laugh, eat more, and laugh more. I know how rare it is for families to stay connected in this way and I enjoy every moment of it. We rented this beautiful Christian camp, Beulahland Bible Camp and moved in for the weekend. I can't express how much I love my family and the memories and traditions we are building for our children. I look forward to celebrating for years to come.

November 21 - Thankful for no phone call
As a substitute teacher, the phone can ring at any moment for a sub job. Yes, I have the ability to say no, but I do always feel guilty when I have an appointment and can't agree to a job that day. But, after the weekend and hardly any sleep, I was praying that I would not get a sub call this morning. I still have lots of unpacking to do and needed to get caught up here at home. Thankfully, there was no phone call this morning and I am taking advantage of that by knocking things off my list at a rapid pace.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-17T12:10:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 16 - Thankful for Customer Service
Today I had several errands to run in a very short amount of time. One of my stops was to Carlos O'Kelly's for a gift card. I didn't want to have to drive back to the west side of town after other errands, so I stopped there at 10:30 AM and they were still closed. The manager was thankfully picking up outside and even though they were still closed, he let me in. He turned on the cash register and computers early and allowed me to purchase the gift card. I was very appreciative and grateful for him taking a few moments to make my time flow a little easier. As someone who used to work in customer service and has found some very disheartening customer service acts lately, this is one that I will remember. Carlos has always gotten a lot of business from us and they will continue to get more from us in the future!

November 17 - Thankful for Birds
The birds have returned to our feeder. As a child, my parents always had several feeders all around our yard and I loved watching them. Some of my favorites were the blue jays, hummingbirds, wrens, chickadees, and gold finches. Our bird feeder is right outside our living room window and as I am typing this, the birds are so happy, flying around, playing with each other and snacking on the suet cake and bird seed. It just makes me happy.

Movie Review: VeggieTales THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY

2011-11-15T05:00:00.000-06:00

In this Veggie-version of a holiday classic, Junior Asparagus stars as The Little Drummer Boy, a lonely child who finds the true meaning of Christmas when he stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus. A story of generosity, hope, and love, this timeless tale will warm the hearts of children everywhere!

I showed this movie to our Kindergarten - Second Grade kids at our After School JAMS program last week. As I talked about the movie, I was surprised how many kids hand NOT heard of the story of the Little Drummer Boy. Some of the kids did recognize The Little Drummer Boy song once they heard it in the movie.

VeggieTales and Big Idea have found the magic way of telling Bible stories with that unique way of entertaining the kids and the parents. They find a way to insert grown-up humor and tell the story with a modern twist to get the kids involved. When I asked the kids afterwards about the movie, they were right away able to identify lessons on forgiveness, anger, and being kind. As a parent, I appreciate the ability to tie in those lessons to real life.

If you are looking for a new Christmas story to enjoy this year, THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY is one to choose. This DVD is available for $8.99 HERE or at your local Christian or discount store. Prices are subject to change.

This review is my honest opinion. As a VeggieTales Ambassador, I receive movie kits with the understanding that I will share them with our church community as well as letting others know about their movies. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. I will not review any products that won't benefit myself or my family.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-14T18:07:00.001-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 14 - Thankful for Books
As an avid reader, I am so thankful for books. They give me an escape from the stress of daily life. They educate me. They expose me to a world outside of my own. They make me laugh. They make me cry. I LOVE BOOKS.

November 15 - Thankful for Friends
Doesn't everyone have groups of friends that fill different needs? I do! I have my book club friends that I can't wait to get together with every month. Then I have my church friends who I rely on for so many things. I have my BFF who unfortunately lives in another state, but our texts, cards and phone calls keep us close. I have my high school friends and college friends who I don't get to see hardly ever, but thanks to Facebook, I can keep up with their lives. I have my dear friend, Mary, who keeps me sane and makes me laugh. I have my Bible Study friends whom I pray for daily. I have those in my family who I also consider some of my best friends and couldn't get through a day without. I have friends from home and friends in our community that are such a joy to hang out with. And finally, I have all my blogger/online friends who impact my life daily, even if they don't know it. Each one of these friends brings something special and important to my life and without them, I wouldn't be the person that I am. Thanks for being my friend!

Scenes From Our Week - Week 6

2011-11-14T11:09:00.001-06:00

We had another great week and I was able to capture some of it in pictures.

All the elementary singing in their Red, White and Blue for the Veteran's Day Program

Reagan (with the red flower in her hair) singing her heart out

Bennett #33, getting some air on that shot!

Bennett, Patrick, and Coach Dad watching the game

Patrick and his friend, Dylan going after the ball

Reagan and her BFF, Izzy roller skating for the 1st time

There was a great turnout for the PTO Skate Night. Thanks for all you do for our kids and our school PTO!

Book Review: THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot

2011-11-14T09:38:00.001-06:00

THE IMMORTAL LIFE
OF HENRIETTA LACKS

By: Rebecca Skloot

Published: February 2, 2010

Non-Fiction

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

This was our Book Club Read for the month of November and I am very anxious to discuss it this evening. I was so excited we could get this book (we get all our books through inter-library-loan, so newer/popular books are hard to get) as I had been wanting to read it for awhile.

Even though this book is labeled non-fiction, most of the story read like a novel. Skloot took great care to tell the story of Henrietta and her family and then tell the story of the cells using words and descriptions for the lay-person. I never once got bored reading through the scientific part of the book, but was instead incredibly fascinated. Throughout most of the book, I know my mouth was hanging open as I was in shock at the things that were happening to Henrietta and her family.

I found the beginning of the story very fascinating because Henrietta died in 1951, just a few years before my own grandmother died of ovarian cancer. Even though the 1950's doesn't seem that far away, the world in relation to other races and the medical world were much different that what they are today. So much has progressed and changed it is hard to take it all in. I think of my mom and her sisters and wonder if they had much of the same feelings Deborah, Henrietta's daughter, had about missing her mom. I think of my grandma and wonder how she managed her feelings of despair and fear after finding out her diagnosis, knowing she was leaving 5 daughters behind.

There was so much to learn about cancer, cells, and medical research that I feel like I could continue to read on this subject forever. Even since this was written in 2009, I wonder how much has changed or progressed just since then.

I appreciate that Skloot has set up a scholarship fund for the decendents of Henrietta and that many of them are going on to college - even in the science field. They are the ones that can change the course of their family's history and make a difference in their own right.

I can't stress enough that this book should be read. As a woman, as a mother, as someone who receives medical care - this book has opened my eyes and has given me a new appreciation for the research and advances in medical care that we have seen and will continue to see in our lives.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-13T12:03:00.001-06:00

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-11T16:09:00.001-06:00

Thanks to our FCCLA chapter, to the Choir, and to the Band for putting on another wonderful program today. If you have never attended a Veteran's Day program/event, I ask you to put it on your list for next year. I guarantee there will be one held in your community or very close by. You will leave moved and with a deeper appreciation for our country.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-10T20:28:00.001-06:00

Shutterfly Christmas Card Review

2011-11-10T15:57:00.001-06:00

Nearly every year I get our family Christmas cards from Shutterfly. This year I had such a hard time deciding because there were so many unique card options. I really like how you can customize your search options. I knew I was only going to use one photo so I knocked out several options that way. Then I knew I wanted the 5x7 Flat Card option. So, that narrowed it down even more. You can also narrow it down by color options. Still, with all those choices, I still had a huge array of cards to choose from.

This card is the one that finally won out. I couldn't decide if I wanted black and white or color, but the family won me over with the color choice. If you want to get 40% off cards right now, enter in CARD40 to get your discount. I saved over $98 buy using that option as well as the free shipping option...enter in SHIP30.

Shutterfly does offer the option of entering in all your recipients addresses and they will ship them for you. I like to be able to write a personal note in them, plus I'm not THAT organized yet. Anyway, they should arrive next week and I will have them out soon after that!

Check out all the great shutterfly options at http://www.shutterfly.com/

Magical Night Christmas Card

Shutterfly Christmas cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-09T22:18:00.002-06:00

I've Been Given A Liebster

2011-11-09T14:26:00.000-06:00

One of my fellow bloggers, Sincerely Jenni, gave me this awesome Liebster award. It’s meant for bloggers that don’t have a lot of followers, but ones maybe you SHOULD be following! Jenni is a fellow Iowan and I think her blog jumped out at me first because of her blog title. Since then I have come to adore her writings and hope someday, we can meet up in person! Heck we are only 2 hours apart from each other. Thanks Jenni for the love!

Now I’m going to pass this award on to five other deserving bloggers. For the Liebster award, the blogs all must have fewer than 200 followers. Those of you I have awarded must keep sharing the love....pretty please. Please, readers, stop on by Jenni's and the other blogs and leave a comment saying I sent you!

Here's what you need to do if you've been awarded:
1. Copy the award to your blog.

2. Thank the giver and link back to their blog.

3. Reveal your top five up-and-coming blogs, and let the bloggers know.

4. Spread the love!

Here’s my five:

READS, RANTS, RAVES, REVIEWS This blog is from another fellow Iowan. She makes me laugh and offers reviews and tips that I enjoy! We also have a mutual real life friend which makes me feel like I should like her even more!

SO FAMILY'S BLOG I just recently found Monica's blog and I am so glad I did. She is positive and inspiring and has all kinds of fun stuff to offer on her blog! You should definitely check her out!

READING CONFETTI Lorie has also been a new find for me and I am so excited about finding her blog. She features kids' books and crafts which I love because I am always looking for new ideas for my Story Time. If you are a teacher, parent, day care provider, grandma, or love kids' stuff....check out this blog!

CREATIVE GENIUS ART I met Keri last year in a Bible Study but never knew how creative she was until she was featured in the newspaper. Ever since then I have been following her blog and drooling over her work. I am trying to decide which design I want her to do for me. She keeps coming up with more and more great pieces that I love them all! I promise you will LOVE her work too!

AN IOWA MOM This was one of the very first blogs I ever read. She is another local Iowan and frankly, I miss her. If you look at her site, she hasn't blogged since FEBRUARY. So, Wendy, I am hoping this gives you a little nudge to come back. She always had a way of making me laugh!

Please check out all the awesome ladies and share some love with them.

Counting My Blessings in November

2011-11-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

Review: TRASH CAN KIDZ

2011-11-08T10:09:00.000-06:00

Did you know there was a way to get your child a gift for Christmas AND help other children across the world? This is where TRASHCANKIDZ come in.

TRASHCANKIDZ aims to entertain, educate, and empower a generation of socially minded children who want to share in their vision of contributing to a better world. The TRASHCANKIDZ want to Free The Luv and they need your help. Buy purchasing a CARRYMEKIDZ, 20% of the proceeds goes to World Vision and other charities that help children who are orphaned, vulnerable, or who live on the street. Once the purchase is made, your child not only receives a cute toy, but also allows others to purchase one as well through your very own Ambassador code. Your child can then participate in a safe, online game that will allow her to learn more about the "FREE THE LUV" concept and contributing to our world as well as interacting with the other TRASHCANKIDZ characters.

Within TRASHCANKIDZ, there are a number of CARRYMEKIDZ to choose from. Our daughter chose, Rose. Each CARRYMEKIDZ has a story of their own, with specific interests so you can choose your own based on your child's interests if you like.

Rose is 5 and is the happiest of the TRASHCANKIDZ. Rose is always cheerful and eager to help. She loves animals, nature and pretty things. Reagan thought that sounded a lot like her, and was excited to choose Rose. Rose arrived in about 2 weeks time and came in her own backpack-shaped trashcan. Rose also came with her own blanket and stuffed animal. Rose is very soft and cuddly. Reagan has played with her a lot and it is easy to take her along on trips by putting Rose right into the backpack. Reagan can also go online and play in the TRASHCANKIDZ world and enjoys that as well.

For more on the TRASHCANKIDS story, watch this music video:

If you would like to adopt one of your own TRASHCANKIDZ, go to http://www.trashcankidz.com/ and enter in this code 320184573. This will allow you to adopt your very own CARRYMEKIDZ, just like Rose.

Thanks to MomSelect for the opportunity to participate in this program. Thanks to TRASHCANKIDZ for sending Rose to us. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. I only review items that would benefit myself and my family.

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-07T19:54:00.000-06:00

Scenes From Our Week - Week 5

2011-11-07T11:14:00.000-06:00

My Scenes From Our Week are numbered from the week of my birthday in October. That is why we are on Week 5 this week. I am doing this as part of my 40 Before 40 Challenge as I am going through the last year in my 30's. If you want to see updates to my challenge, click at the top left of the page where it says 40 Before 40. That is where I keep posting any updates.

Basketball has started for the boys now. With Pat as the coach and both boys on the same team, that gives Reagan and I two nights a week without them. The boys had their first game this week and the team has some stuff to work on, but as long as they focus on the fundamentals they should do well!

Patrick is ready to pass off the ball

Bennett going after the ball

We celebrated my Great-Nephew's 6th birthday with lots of family. My niece purchase a wonderful home and it is finally something that she can host family in. I know she was so excited to have all of us there to celebrate. It was so fun to see all the cousins play together!

Bennett with my Great-Nephew checking out his treasure trove cake

One of my Great-Nieces...isn't she adorable?!?!

The newest member of our family!

Reagan and her cousins waiting to dig into the cake

Over the next several week, there will be lots gatherings with family. This season is my favorite time of the year because of all the fellowship and laughter and all the memories that are made!

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-06T20:36:00.003-06:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 6 - Thankful for Family
Today we celebrated my great-nephew's 6th birthday. It was so wonderful to spend the day with family and watching all my great-niece and great-nephews play together with my kids. They all range in age from 3 months to 11 years and have so much fun together. I even got some baby-lovin time in. It was also great to catch up with my nieces and nephew who are adults with busy lives and have lots of things going on. Both of my sisters and my parents were part of the party action as well. It was just a great family day! We had some delicious food, lots of laughs and a wonderful day. Thanks to my niece, Laura for hosting such a fun day! Pictures posted tomorrow!

Newest Favorite Snack

2011-11-06T06:34:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this???????

I saw this a few weeks ago at Target when I went to grab our regular peanut butter of choice, Jif. This snazzy little item was on the top shelf and just screamed....."Try me"! White chocolate AND peanut butter....UMMMM, YES!

I went to their website, http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/ to find out more. This is what the website has to say about the product: Our all-natural peanut butter blended with sweet white chocolate. More than just a sandwich spread, it is fantastic on fruit, spooned over ice cream, when used as an ingredient in baked goods, or simply eaten out of the jar! It contains no cholesterol, no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, and no high-fructose corn syrup. It is also gluten-free, certified vegan, and certified kosher pareve by the Orthodox Union. The shelf life is 6 months after opening, if stored in a cool, dry place.

When I compared it to our regular Jif peanut butter, it actually has 10 less calories, 2 less grams of total fat, only 35 mg of sodium compared to 150 mg, 4g more carbs, 1g less of fiber, 1g less protein and 5g more of sugars. So, it depends on what you are watching in your diet, but they are frankly quite equal except for the sodium.

I tried it with apples for a snack and OH. MY. GOODNESS. It hit the spot! I tried them with my current apple of choice, the honeycrisp. But, unfortunately, the honeycrisp will soon be gone and I will have to go back to my granny smith apples. But, I think the tart and the sweet will still be an awesome combo. It may not be the healthiest snack choice, but hey, I AM eating a whole apple. That's gotta be good for something. It fills me up and I enjoy it. What can be better?

The White Chocolate Wonderful was a little pricey at $3.59, but if it is a once-in-a-while snack, I think it is ok. You can pay that same price for a bag of Lays chips and they will be gone in a wink! If White Chocolate isn't your thing, Peanut Butter & Co also offers Dark Chocolate Dreams, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, Mighty Maple, and a host of other choices. Check them out at http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/.

What do you like to eat with your apples?????

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-05T18:01:00.000-05:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

Last year I had a blessing for each day of November and kept track of them here. I want to do it again, but I realize I may not get to post everyday, so keeping a list might be more doable for me this year. I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 5 - Football and Pinterest and Magazines

Today we spent a good chunk of our day watching football. We cheered for the Iowa Hawkeyes and they won! I also watched the Bemidji State Beavers win over St. Cloud State. My nephew is the Offensive Coordinator at Bemidji State in Minnesota and I try to tune in to their game every week via the internet. St. Cloud was going to be a tough game today, especially after the Beaver's horrible loss last week, but they played tough today and got the W-I-N! Woo Hoo! I'm sure my nephew will have a much easier week because of it!

While we were watching the games and afterwards, I spent some time catching up on my favorite magazines that had been piling up on our coffee table. I was able to get through 4 of them! I love magazines because I can skim and read only the information/articles that interest me. I love all the pictures and recipes in my food magazines and ideas that I get from articles that I read.

I even spent a little time perusing PINTEREST. If you haven't checked out PINTEREST, you definitely should. It is a virtual bulletin board where anytime you find something online that you like, you just "PIN" it. You can set up different "bulletin boards" based on categories like recipes, Christmas, Crafts, or whatever you are in to. It is definitely a time-waster, but oh so fun! I have found soooo many neat things on Pinterest.

So, that was my afternoon. All spent in the comfort of our home, with my family close by. A splendid Saturday afternoon with all the people and things that bring me joy! Who could ask for more?

Christmas Gift Idea - 50 Days to Christmas

2011-11-05T06:11:00.000-05:00

I am sharing random Christmas Gift Ideas that you could purchase for someone you love. They will be things I have seen during my shopping, things I have seen on PINTEREST, or things that I have given or received.

Today I am featuring a couple items for the boys in your life.

For several years we have given our kids the Lego City Advent Calendar, but this year Lego offered a Star Wars Advent Calendar and I jumped on it! Our boys LOVE Star Wars and so I think they are going to be really thrilled to open up a box every day. So, if you want to use this as an Advent activity, you will need to go to http://www.lego.com/ soon! This calendar retails for $39.99. I promise your little Star Wars fan or Lego fan will LOVE it!

Do you have NFL fans in your house? Every Sunday is football day in our house! Our family does weekly picks and tries to watch as many games as possible. A couple years ago we got the boys the complete set of NFL mini helmets and a display case. They like to line up the helmets based on who they are playing each week. They will also line them up based on AFC/NFC and their ranking. We also have the Big 10 helmets as well, but the NFL are definately their favorite. You can get the helmets and display case on various sites: http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.nflshop.com/, as well as your local sports shot like Dicks Sporting Goods and Scheels. Depending on the location the set with case runs for $75.00 on up.

Stay tuned for more Christmas gift ideas.......

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-04T17:06:00.002-05:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

Last year I had a blessing for each day of November and kept track of them here. I want to do it again, but I realize I may not get to post everyday, so keeping a list might be more doable for me this year. I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 4 - A Day at Home

Today I had a whole day at home. As soon as the kids were off to school I watched my dvr'd SURVIVOR from Wednesday while chatting with my cousin, Melanie. It is our usual routine during SURVIVOR on Wednesdays, but I wasn't home and couldn't watch until this morning. She sacrificed and watched it again with me. After that I got busy on my To Do list and was able to knock some stuff off the list. Then I plopped myself back in front of the TV to watch GLEE Season 2. I got through episodes 1 and 2 this afternoon.

Tonight while the boys and Pat were at basketball practice, I whipped up a batch of Pat's Chicken Noodle Soup! Mmmmmmm, it smells so good right now. I've never made it before, since it is HIS soup, so I hope I did it right! :) While I was chopping and stirring I was listening to my JOURNEY station on Pandora and one of my favorite songs from high school came on....EYE OF THE TIGER by Survivor! You know that I was singing along and even, yes, even stopping to do some of the dance routine that I could remember from when we (the cheerleaders) performed it in high school. Oh, it brought back memories and does everytime I hear that song!

The sun is shining and I have a feeling there is going to be a glorious sunset tonight. Life is great and I am so thankful!

Review and Giveaway: Call Me When You Land by Michael Schiavone

2011-11-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

CALL ME WHEN YOU LAND
By: Michael Schiavone
Published: October 21, 2011

On the brink of her fortieth birthday, Katie Olmstead is in no mood to celebrate. Still tending bar to support a stalled art career, she continues to struggle with her temperamental teenage son, C.J., who wants less to do with her every day. When Katie gets word that C.J.'s estranged father has died and willed C.J. his Harley-Davidson, the gift quickly becomes a wedge driving C.J. and Katie even further apart.

With the past parked in the driveway of their New England home, C.J.'s increasing outbursts and Katie's self-sabotage resurrect memories of Katie's own troubled childhood, one plagued by a mentally ill mother and a neglectful father. As Katie's notion of motherhood is tested, her artistic ambitions dwindle and she begins to feel like an imposter amongst her seemingly refined neighbors.

Suddenly faced with a bullying, overachieving sister she hasn't spoken to in years, an on-again, off-again boyfriend she just can't love, and a drinking habit that's spiraling out of control, Katie finds support in an unlikely place-- her eccentric and ailing great uncle, Walter. From his room on the third floor, Walter watches over them, encouraging both Katie and C.J. to do the work they fear in order to redeem their family.

I received this book as an ARC review. I like reading first novels from writers, which is why I was interested in this one. Schiavone had written several short stories, with this being his first novel. You can find out more about him at his website http://www.michaelschiavone.com/.

This story was raw, emotional, and heart-breaking. It was kind-of like driving by a car accident, you shouldn't watch, but you can't look away. The pain Katie and C.J. were going through in this novel was tough to read and yet, you had to keep reading. I appreciate that the author took the reader to those ugly places and didn't try to clean up every situation. Life isn't always pretty and neat and Katie's life certainly wasn't. For him to turn her life around and make everything great would have been wrong. The novel frequently moves back and forth from the past to the present and at times it was confusing as to the time period the novel was in. But, finding out the past made the characters all the more compelling.

Katie, as a single mom, didn't always make the best or right choices for her and C.J., but I understood her fear, her pain, and her need to make things right with her son, with herself, and with her past. Even though she was spinning out of control, I was rooting for her all the way through the book.

This isn't a happy, feel good story, but it is a real story of life and death, of parenting even when it isn't easy, and of redemption. I think Michael Schiavone is on to something and I look forward to more of his work.

If you would like to win your own copy of CALL ME WHEN YOU LAND, just leave a comment telling me what book you are reading now with your email address such as nameATemailDOTcom. All entries must be received by Sunday, November 20th at 11:59 PM. I will choose a winner using Random.org on Monday, November 21st. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I choose another winner. This giveaway is only open to US residents.

This review is my honest opinion. I received an Advanced Review Copy of this novel as well as one to use as a giveaway to my readers. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I do not review anything that wouldn't benefit myself or my family. Thanks to Allison for sending the books my way!

Counting My Blessings in November

2011-11-04T08:40:00.002-05:00

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

November is the time to count our many blessings - name them one by one.

Last year I had a blessing for each day of November and kept track of them here. I want to do it again, but I realize I may not get to post everyday, so keeping a list might be more doable for me this year. I want to look at each day and name at least one blessing from that day. Something that happened or affected me on that day and not just in general. It can be so easy to igore those little blessings in our day, but sometimes it is the little blessings that can make the biggest impact.

November 2 - Thankful for my church family
We are so blessed to live in a small community and blessed to have found such a wonderful church family. Our church is working on their own "Roadmap to Renewal" and is trying to find new ways to grow and change with the needs of our members and community. We have formed a Community Crew to do some outreach in our community such as our raking leaves project a couple Saturdays ago. We have so many young families who are eager to grow in their faith and to do God's work. It is exciting! We are starting up a choir in our parish as well, which has been absent for a long time and I am honored to be able to be a part of that. Tonight we had meetings to plan for our Christmas program. It is wonderful to see so many children in Sunday School, in church, and to know there will be enough children to have a Christmas program. What a great foundation we are building for our family, our church and our community. Love it!

Counting My Blessings In November

2011-11-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

Christmas Gift Idea - 54 Days to Christmas

2011-11-01T16:48:00.002-05:00

Today I am starting random Christmas Gift Ideas that you could purchase for someone you love. They will be things I have seen during my shopping, things I have seen on PINTEREST, or things that I have given or received.

Today I am featuring a couple items for the the cook/homemaker in your life.

ROBIN TAKES 5: 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or less, 500 Calories or less, 5 Nights a week at
5:00 PM

By: Robin Miller

You will know Robin Miller if you are a FOOD NETWORK fan. I loved her shows and am a fan of her cookbooks as well. This one was excellent as well. You can check out my review HERE. ROBIN TAKES FIVE is available today on Amazon for $18.04 for the book version or $9.99 on Kindle.

This would be a great gift for moms, college students, or anyone looking to cook healthy and fast meals for themselves or their family.

Everyone has to do dishes, right? I wear gloves everytime I do dishes because I want to protect my hands and I want to be able to wash the dishes in the hottest water possible. I usually just get the Clorox ones at Target. But, I recently won these fun GLOVABLES from THE ORGANIZED PARENT which make it much more fun! Who wouldn't love to wear these gloves while cleaning or doing dishes around the house. These would make a fun hostess gift along with a new dishtowel/dish cloth. To find out more about these GLOVABLES, check out THE ORGANIZED PARENT WEBSITE. The GLOVABLES are $14.95 and come in a variety of colors.

Stay tuned for more gift ideas over the next 54 Days.

Scenes from our Week - Week 4

2011-10-31T10:44:00.004-05:00

We had another busy week at our house, starting with Pat's birthday. Unfortunately I have no pictures of that. We had friends over since it was such a gorgeous day and spent the evening on the porch! Fun times!

The rest of the week flew by and suddenly it was time for trick or treating! Our town did its trick or treating last night, which I like. The boys have basketball practice tonight and that way, we got our trial run through with the costumes before they take them to school! We celebrated Pat's birthday again with his sister and family and everyone but me went trick or treating. I LOVE to stay home and pass out the treats. It is so fun to see all the kids in costumes and chatting with them. I always get a variety of treats to hand out. I love to pass out play doh for the little ones who don't need all that candy, but I have realized play doh is a favorite among all ages and I always run out. I also get the mini oreos as well as some favorite candy.....Hershey's, Twix, Reeses Pumpkins, and the Halloween and White Chocolate Kit Kats. It was a very busy evening and I easily handed out over 200 items. It was wonderful to see all the kids and families in town.

Reagan wanted to be Smurfette and rather than buying a costume, we used a white skirt and tank top we already had. I bought the white gloves and white hat and the blue Under Armour. I couldn't find blue tights so we had to stick with white. We opted not to paint her whole face blue. Knowing my child, I figured she would come home with all of her white clothes stained blue as well. She was excited to be able to have her cousin, Ali put on her makeup, including glitter. I even got her fake eyelashes, but those lasted about 30 seconds. She said they itched, so we opted for mascara. I thought she was a pretty cute Smurfette anyway!

Bennett really struggled with his costume, making a list of possible ideas including a lawyer, and a construction worker. From the construction worker idea, we formed the Lumberjack. All we had to get was a flannel shirt! I already had the makeup to do his beard. Pat got an axe handle and fashioned an ax from some grey foam we had in the garage. This is one of our favorite costumes from all our Halloween years! I think he looks very authentic!

Patrick, being a 6th grader, wasn't sure if it was cool or not to still go trick or treating. We didn't push him and let him decide for himself. Once he decided to be a 70's Basketball player, we were on the hunt for costume items. They found the shorts at Goodwill and the sweat band and socks at Dick's Sporting Goods. He put his costume on so I could take photos last night, but chose not to trick or treat and just walked along with the family. He did take his costume to school today to dress up for the party there.

We usually take great pride in our pumpkin carving, but this year we kind of petered out and ran out of time. Reagan knew she really wanted a Hello Kitty pumpkin, so Pat took care of that one for her. I wanted to try drilling a polka dot pumpkin...seeing lots of neat ideas on Pinterest....and since the boys didn't care, we went with easy jack-o-lanterns. So this is what we came up with this year. I still think they are fun and decorated our entry way to welcome our trick or treaters!

On Friday, I, along with our librarian took our Storytime kids around to our downtown businesses. We had about a dozen kids all decked out in costumes ranging from Wolverine to Caption America to a Bumblebee to Thing 1 and Thing 2. I read a couple Halloween stories and we went for our walk. I couldn't miss the opportunity to dress up, and our librarian did too. I look forward to Storytime every month and was glad we could squeeze in a Halloween celebration as well.

Happy Halloween everyone! Be safe, have fun, and don't eat all your kids' candy!

Things I Love - My Insulated Mug

2011-10-28T05:44:00.000-05:00

Things I Love....................

This is my feature where I get to share something that I just love. Since you are my friends, I like sharing things I love with others. It could be anything from a new product, food, recipe, song, image, to a person and everything in between. This will be something I am completely doing on my own, without pressure or compensation from a company, author, PR/Marketing firm, friend, business owner, etc. This will just be something that makes me happy and I want to share it with you. Enjoy some love!

Today's love is............................My Insulated Mug

I was given this mug last year by my Sister-In-Law, Deb. Now, I know, I am sure you are all wondering what is so special about this particular mug. Well, I have 4 of them in various designs including the one in the photo above because I love them so much. These mugs are the BEST because they are STAINLESS STEEL! These mugs are 15 oz of Stainless Steel as well as double wall vacuumed so the hot stuff stays hot! I have filled this up with coffee and driven to my parents house which is 1 hour and 45 minutes away and STILL had HOT COFFEE when I got there! I do not like it when my coffee cools off, which happens quickly because I add cream to it. Not when I use these mugs! The coffee stays hot for hours! One time, I poured hot chocolate into in for a friend and when she went to take a drink (thinking it had cooled off), she had to spit it out because it was still so hot!

A few weekends ago, while tailgating, I decided to try this mug out for cold drinks as well. It worked great! It was a hot and sunny day and it kept my drinks cold. I even found ice inside of it hours later!

So, if you are like me, and are looking for a travel mug that will actually keep your coffee hot this winter, check out http://www.blueq.com/. They retail for $14.99 and are worth every cent!

BlueQ also donates 1% of the purchase of each of these mugs to The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Since their founding in 1951 they have protected more than 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide - and operate more than 100 marine conservation projects in over 30 countries. *Blue Q guarantees a minimum contribution of $50,000 through April 19, 2011.

Product Review: Nature's Hand Granola

2011-10-27T11:30:00.002-05:00

Nature's Hand French Vanilla Almond Authentic Granola

Nature's Hand Wild Blueberry Authentic Granola

I was given the opportunity to try Nature's Hand Granola.My favorite ways to eat granola is either just with milk or on top of my yogurt. Thankfully Nature's Hand sent me a coupon for some yummy CHOBANI yogurt.

They also sent along one of these cute CRATE and BARREL bowls for me to eat my yogurt and granola in!

Nature's Hand Granola was founded in 1971 by Hans Sadlak, a German-born immigrant in Burnsville, Minnesota, who customized his own blend. Since then it has become an American tradition known for its oven-baked taste and texture. Nature's Hand is an all-natural, good-for-you granola that is perfect for moms and their families. It features fewer, simple, natural ingredients with no artificial colors or flavors, no preservatives, no sodium, and no trans fats. Nature's Hand comes in six unique granola blends:

Vanilla Almond
Cranberry Delight
Wild Blueberry
Raisin Hazelnut
Cinnamon Apple
Maple Pecan

The suggested retail price for Nature's Hand granola is $4.99 and can be found at supermarkets, specialty grocery stores, and online. Check out their website HERE to find a store near you. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

I really loved the granola. I had it on top of my CHOBANI yogurt and I loved how the granola stayed crunchy and it had a nice subtle flavor that enhanced my raspberry yogurt.

You can see the nice big chunks of granola and big pieces of almonds! YUM! The granola also comes in a bag with a zip closure to keep it from going stale. But, it won't stick around long enough in our house for that to happen!

The French Vanilla Almond and the Wild Blueberry were both only 140 calories per 1/4 cup serving!

Thanks to Nature's Hand for sending me the granola, coupon and bowl in order to facilitate this review. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. This review is my honest opinoin. I wouldn't review anything that wouldn't benefit myself or my family.

For Your Little Pumpkin

2011-10-24T22:17:00.001-05:00

When our oldest was 2, a bunch of us moms that attended a mommy and me class continued to get together with all of our kids a few times a month. Oh my,I just realized that was 9 years ago! My how time flies! Anyway we made these adorable shirts for our kids and since then our other two children have worn it. But now, our youngest is 6 and this shirt has become the halloween shirt for Reagan's Build-A-Bear. It was just too cute to part with and it reminds me of all those moms who I relied on during those first scary years of parenting. We moved to a different town and I don't see those moms anymore, but I credit them with keeping me sane during those early years.

All you need is:

White T-Shirt
Orange Clothing Dye
Black Paint, non-washable
Sponges Cut to desired shapes

Fold or twist your shirt however you want your design and follow the directions for tye-dying the shirt. This could be a two day project depending on how long you want your dye to set. It is best for the color to sit for 24 hours to get the desired brightness. Once the shirt has been tye-dyed and dried, then dip your sponges into the non-washable paint. Place them on the shirt according to your desired Jack-O'Lantern look. Let dry.

Check out the hundreds of other awesome ideas over at Tip Junkie by clicking the button below!