in the Fishbowl

Peeled snacks: review!

2012-02-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

Peeled snacks!

So, I was recently given the chance to sample Peeled organic snacks for free through SheSpeaks. I was excited to try them because I am all about eating healthier. First, I had trouble finding them in the store. Then the package was tiny for the price. I also was given a $10 gift certificate for their online store. I was super excited to get something for "free". Well, little did I know that their prices are more outrageous online! There was one thing online cheaper than $10 and it was the Farmer's Market trio. It had dried raisins, cherries, and apples. I like all of those so I ordered it only to find shipping was $7! I thought that was extremely high. Thankfully I had some paypal to cover it and awaited my Peeled snacks. They arrived pretty quickly and were packed fine. I thought they were very good, but I like that kind of stuff. The apples were a little chewy. (My mom said it was like chewing rubber!) She didn't like the taste either. Overall, I liked them. I thought they were good tasting and I like that they are organic but they are WAY to expensive. So I'll probably forgo buying them for my other snacks because of it!

I love that it's real food!

Thankful Thursday!

2012-02-09T06:48:00.000-05:00

Psalm 136:25
"Give thanks to the God of heaven.

His faithful love endures forever. "

It's been some time since I've done a Thankful Thursday so I thought I'd do one this week. I've much to be thankful for!

B last winter

1. A mild winter (so far!) I suffer from S.A.D and am incredibly thankful for such a mild winter! Last year was our first winter and I was a bit shocked at all the snow we had! And this week has brought some warmer temps and I've enjoyed going outside!

2. I am thankful that God graces me every morning. Somedays I feel like....Blah. I know I've screwed up and the day is just terrible. I am thankful that God washes His grace over me and beckons me to come and sit with Him under His forgiving song.

3. I am thankful for God's voice. He spoke to me clearly about homeschooling, moving to this church, leaving the pregnancy center and much more. My quiet time with God is something I cherish.

Josephine Cochran

4. I am thankful for Josephine Cochran. Just who is Josephing Cochran? Why she's a woman who hated to wash dishes by hand! In 1886 she invented the first working dishwasher! Praise God for a woman after my own heart!

5. I am thankful for my mother in law. Yep, I am. She is an amazing and strong woman. (any woman who makes it through burying their husband is strong in my eyes!) Not only is she like a second mother to me, she is a good friend!

Me, my mother in law, and my sister in law. A good looking bunch of ladies!

Homeschooling resources!

2012-02-07T06:43:00.000-05:00

Over the past few months I've come across quite a few resources for homeschooling parents. Maybe you've heard of them and maybe you haven't. I thought I'd share some of them. If you have any additional please list them in the comments and I'll check them out and add them as well!

FREE RESOURCES

KB kids and Professor Garfield - for grades K-6, math, LA, science, and social studies

IXL - preK-8th grade, has many, many differenct skills for each grade including algebra. It's an all math site

EZSchool - K-12th grade, has many activites for each grade including all core subjects (math, LA, social studies, science, as well as world languages)

ABCya - K-5, math, typing, LA

FunBrain - elementary, mostly math, some reading

APlusMath - 1-5 math

Sheppard Software - PreK-5, great math skills up to algebra, geography, science, LA, nutrition

PBS kids - PreK-1 different math and LA learning games

Kent trust web - K-3 LA, reading

Funschool- K-5, LA, math, science, language, sports, geography and history, art and music

Roy the Zebra-K-2 Reading, LA

Sesame Street-PreK-2 Different learning games

A Maths Dictionary-K-12, You look through the ABC to find what you want. Like F for fractions and it gives you interactive definitions

Spelling City-1-12 You put in the spelling words and there are many games and ways to learn them. There is also a premium membership if you wish to pay for more features but it's not necessary

Multiplication.com-2-5, lots of multiplication games

Here is a large list of Math websites

Starfall.com-preK-2 Lots of reading, letter sounds, alphabet, word blending, etc. It also has a premium membership for only $35 a year. I am planning on subscribing. :)

Khan Academy-4-12, This site has tons of amazing videos to help with math (even calculus!) It also has many videos on arts and humanities, biology, civics, geometry, arithmetic, health, history and test help. Very good site!

Mathway.com-4-12, A site that helps you solve basic arithmetic to trigonometry and calculus!

The Factor Tree- When The Factor Tree first came out it cost money. I had a free trial and I did like it but wasn't sure if it was worth the money it was asking. Well, it seems it is now free! It's definitely worth that price! Factor Tree adjusts to your child's learning. You can even make up a schedule when you want them to practice and track their work online. I really like this site and am going to use it again now that it's free!

Progressive Phonics-preK-1 reading, LA, phonics

ABC teach- PreK-middle school, Reading, holidays, interactives, core subjects. A great site with lots of features. You can also join for arond $40 a year and get more options as well as make custom worksheets.

First School-PreK activities, crafts, ABC, theme units and the likes

Letter of the Week-a whole preschool, PreK program lasting 26weeks that you can do at your own pace to fit your own needs

Learning Page-free teachers resources including lesson plans, books, worksheets and more!

Easy Fun School-Tons of resources for all ages including history, home ec, LA, math and much more!

Homeschooling Adventures- Lots of links and information for homeschooling preK-12th!

The Math Worksheet Site-make your own math worksheets

Handwriting for Kids-handwriting worksheets

Kidport-K-8 has many online games for core subjects

HippoCampus-8-12 Has multimedia presentations for math (including calculus, geometry, etc) and natural science and social studies

NeoK12-videos, lessons and games for k-12 on just about any subject you can think of! Looks like a great site!

Mr. Nussbaum-1-5 Has TONS of stuff to do on all core subjects

Now are some paid ones that may or may not be worth your time!

Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. Brain Pop is 3-5 and Brain Pop Jr. is K-3. I love these sites. They do always have a free movie of the week. And they both cover many things. Reading, math, history, science, art and music, health, safety and so much more. The price is for one full year and varies depending on if you do one user in your house, multi users and if you get one or both. Brain Pop Jr. is $85 for the year for one user. They also have it in Spanish and for ESL.

Landry Academy I'd say this is for Jr High and up. It has "Christ Centered online classes and summer camp" They have online classes for just about anything including Math, History, English, Geography, Art, Bible, Computer, Foreign Languages, Science, etc. (I've not had any personal experience with this but it looks cool!)

Compass Learning (link takes you to samples) I'm not sure how expensive this site actually is because we get it free through a cyber school. It is an amazing tool. it is for K-12 and has math, LA, science, reading and more. It has about every thing you can think of when it comes to lessons. Can track online.

DreamBox (link takes you right to homeschool section) This is an online math help that changes according to your students need. If your student is advanced it moves to the next level. If they need additional help, it adjusts to offer more help. There is a 14 day free trial. One child is $12.95 a month or $59.95 for 6 months. Up to 4 children is $19.95 a month or $99.95 for 6 months. Grades K-5

Allows you to track them online.

Raz-Kids-PreK-6 This has tons of leveled readers to chose from. A little pricey at $65 to $90 for a year.

I know this is A LOT! There is so much out there and hopefully you found something useful in all of this! If you have found any that you think are amazing let me know and I'll add them to the list!

Goals for the week!

2012-02-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm actually getting my goals up before the beginning of the week this week! So how'd I do last week? First, I only posted a shortened version. I actually had 2 notebook pages filled with things I wanted to get done. I'd say I got done about 3/4 of it. I was also feeling sick (and still am) so I thought that was good!

Here was my list from last week:

I'm a little late with my goals for the week! I have just a few. I thought it would be good to start tracking some small goals for the week for myself. Since I only have a minute I'm only going to list a couple for this week. (although I have quite a few more!)

~~Finish watching Fresh the movie. (it's free this week only streaming from their site~~ ~~Fresh the Movie) I have about 20 minutes left to watch. Very eye opening about where our food comes from!~~ DONE!

~~Watch~~ ~~Homestead Blessings the art of gardening~~. DONE!

~~Start planning my garden by taking measurements of my plot.~~ DONE!

Work 15min in the basement backroom. (I'll post before pics soon. YIKES!) Unfortunately, not done. I just didn't get time!

~~Finish reading~~ ~~Runaway Pastor's Wife. (I'm about 85% of the way through. I may post a review if I get a chance.)~~ DONE!

~~Start reading~~ ~~Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll~~ STARTED!

~~Finish helping N with his dog house project for school.~~ DONE!

I have more but it is so nice outside and the boys (and me too!) are dying to go out and play while we can!

THIS WEEKS GOALS (2/6-2/12)

Exercise at least 30 min a day
Read at least half of Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll
Plan more of my garden by figuring out what I want to plant and where!
Work 15min in the basement back room
Finish watching Homestead Blessings The art of Herbs (I'm halfway through!)
Start watching Homestead blessingsThe art of Sewing
Start reading Made to Crave by Lisa TerKeurst
Play a game with my boys at least twice. Maybe a nerf gun fight? I think that would be fun! They're favorite thing is football!
Peeled snacks review
If I think of anything else by tomorrow I'll add it

These are just a few things on top of all my regular "chores" and schooling that I would like to do. And if some of you are wondering how I fit in watching a movie, well, I'll tell ya! I put it in my laptop and watch while I'm loading/unloading the dishwasher or making dinner. I watch what I can! As for reading, I try and take 10 minutes every day with my lunch and read. I do my Bible and prayer time first thing in the morning before anyone is up.

Have an amazing week!

Goals for the week.

2012-01-31T13:43:00.002-05:00

Finish watching Fresh the movie. (it's free this week only streaming from their site Fresh the Movie) I have about 20 minutes left to watch. Very eye opening about where our food comes from!

Watch Homestead Blessings the art of gardening.

Start planning my garden by taking measurements of my plot.

Work 15min in the basement backroom. (I'll post before pics soon. YIKES!)

Finish reading Runaway Pastor's Wife. (I'm about 85% of the way through. I may post a review if I get a chance.)

Start reading Real Marriage by Mark and Grace Driscoll

Finish helping N with his dog house project for school.

I have more but it is so nice outside and the boys (and me too!) are dying to go out and play while we can!

My sweet boy!

2012-01-31T13:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I wanted to share another quick update on our homeschooling adventures. Things are going well and we're still doing hands on tech stuff with N. Up sometime next week will be his model dog house for a beanie baby dog!

With MyMy we're still working on letter/sound recognition, blending words, counting by 10's and normal kindergarten stuff. I did take a pic of him and our dog who was waiting patiently for him to finish school. She saw me get the camera and jumped up. She was laying at his feet! They are best buds.

Princess waiting for MyMy to get done!

With T I've been working on the letter T, M, the numbers 1 and 2, the colors blue and red, and the circle shape. It's been lots of hands on manipulative stuff for him! He was so proud he could write his "name" T on his paper! This week, however, a gentleman from our church was putting tile around our shower because the drywall was getting all mushy. So T got a lesson in putting in tiles! Today, he was excited he got to help take out the spacers!

T holding a spacer!

I really wanted to share what B did for writing. I gave him the prompt that every year the U.S. Postal service honors people by putting their portrait on a stamp. He was to pick someone and write about why he thought they deserved to be on a postage stamp. Here is his entry:

I hope you can read it. He is getting OT for his writing. It is about his Papa. It says, "I think my grandpa, Papa as I like to call him, should be on a stamp. He always worked hard. He spent time with me and my brothers. He loved God. And cared for his friends and family. He loves me and my brothers. That's why my grandpa should be on a stamp. "
*heart melts* For those of you that don't know, their Papa was a HUGE part of their lives. He was such a presence and always there for my boys. He passed away 2.5yrs ago from a brain tumor. So I wanted to share what my sweet boy wrote! Blessings until next time!

A Year with Jesus: Book review

2012-01-29T18:23:00.000-05:00

Recently was given the opportunity to read and review A Year with Jesus by R.P. Nettelhorst. This book is a 365 day devotional. There is no one like Jesus. Ever. He has touched so many people from the beginning of time and is still working today. This devotional is all about the actual words Jesus spoke. I like that these are each one page long so that if you are pressed for time you can read it and think on it through the day. I wouldn't use it for in depth study unless I used it as a supplement to something else. I do like that you can do the book right in order or it breaks it into sections.

The sections are Love and Hate, Truths and Lies, Arrogance and Humility, Friends and Enemies, Belief and Disbelief, Patience and Impatience, Deserved and Undeserved, Good and Evil, Fidelity and Treachery, and Life and Death. Under each category is a whole slew of the words Jesus actually spoke on the subject broken down even further. For example, under Love and Hate it has a list of 30 devotionals such as compassion, legalism, the truth that frees and more.

I like that this devotional does not have dated pages because sometimes I don't always start on January first. It is simply numbered Day 1, Day 2, etc. Overall, I really like the book and the layout for a quick devotional in addition to my more in depth.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Homeschool: Technology!

2012-01-24T19:51:00.003-05:00

Bridge building fun!

So, N and I have been having a lot of fun doing some technology stuff and I wanted to share! First we were learning about about loads and forces on bridges. We built our own bridge out of straws, straight pins, and tape. We had a pretend town called Tiny Town and the people needed it as cheap as possible so we had to build it strong enough to hold a baseball without sagging. That was fun! (You can test out loads on various shapes by going to an online shapes lab HERE.)

My tallest tower!!

To the left is a picture of him with his tallest tower. The first challenge was to use two sheets of newspaper and nothing else and try and build a tower as tall as you possibly could. That was a struggle. Then the tower above was built with two sheets of newspaper and 10 inches total of masking tape. It was much harder than it looked to get it tall and to stay up! He ended up getting it 4'9" tall!

We also talked about wind loads. (we used the website above as well). Then we made our own "building" out of paper. Our materials for this were 2 sheets of paper (regular printer paper), masking tape, toothpick or similar object, ruler, hair dryer, 4 strips of thin cardboard, 2 inches wide and the same length as the paper, glue, and scissors. This is what we did next. (and I wish I had a picture but I forgot to take one!)

Fold both pieces of paper in half lengthwise and tape the long sides together to make a rectangular tower. Set it up as shown, attaching the toothpick using a little bit of glue or tape in the top, middle of the back side. Notice that there is a little piece of tape at the bottom of each side, attaching the building to the ground. You will need to have the ruler set up with the zero lined up with the toothpick, as shown. That will be the way that you measure the effects of the wind load. Set the hair dryer on cool and hold it two feet away from the structure. Point it so the air will blow on the left side, so the wind load pushes the building from left to right, towards the ruler. We then measured how far it moved.

Next we reinforced our "building" by folding the strips of cardboard in half and taping them on the corners. Next, we put tape x's all over the sides of the building and measured again to see if it could stand the wind load better.

So, as you can see we've been having lots of fun! :)

Lab idea from Skyscrapers! Super Structures to Design & Build, by Carol A. Johmann

I'm losing it!

2012-01-09T12:35:00.000-05:00

Yep, I'm losing it. Weight that is!!! I am in it to win it! I have entered a biggest loser contest and I am aiming for first place!! I sure could use the prize money and in return I'll be healthier and slimmer! It started on Friday and so far I'm doing pretty well. I was using Spark People but decided to try My Fitness Pal this time around. (Yep, I've been on this diet thing more than once!) In fact, before I had my oldest I was 145lbs. Funny thing is I thought I was fat! (Oh how we learn as we grow older!) I gained 70lbs with him and never lost it all. I was about 205 after he was born.

I was much more careful with each subsequent pregnancy but still got up to 219 which was my heaviest. When my youngest, T, was born we found out he was allergic to eggs and milk. Since I was nursing I had to cut that out of my diet and I ended up losing 40lbs quickly! Being the emotional eater that I am, when my father in law passed away (he was very close to my family) I gained 20lbs IN ONE MONTH!!! So again I set out to lose that weight and I did. I got down to my slimmest since having kids and was 179.

Fast forward a year and a half later and I was back up to 195. I did lost one pound and started the biggest loser challenge at 194.6. I'm down to 193.6. I am exercising 30-60min a day. I have to split it up. I just don't have a one hour chunk of time. So this morning I did 30min of kickboxing and this afternoon I'll do another 20-30. I've been eating healthier as well and can already feel myself having more energy! The contest runs through March so I'll let you know how I do thoughout!

My favorite workout videos: (Click on link to watch a short clip!)
30 minutes to Fitness: Stepboxing with Kelly Coffey-Meyer
30 minutes to Fitness: TLC Train Like a Contender with Kelly Coffey-Meyer
30 minutes to Fitness: Bootcamp Kelly Coffey-Meyer (yep, I love her videos!)
Kelly Coffey's Stepboxing
30 minutes to Fitness: Kickboxing with Kelly Coffey-Meyer
Peak 10 Cardio Interval with Michelle Dozois (This is HARD!)
Peak 10 Cardio Strength with Michelle Dozois (Yep, it's hard too!)

I love to challenge myself and these videos are all intense. The last two are very intense and I can't finish more than half at a time. Anyway, happy exercising!!

12 in '12

2011-12-31T09:22:00.000-05:00

Last year I wrote out my 11 in '11 which were my goals for last year. I don't think I did that well! This year I want to keep tabs throughout the year so I can actually track my progress! I know one was to eat healthier and I definitely did over the summer since I had my first garden! Then once winter hit and I started with SAD my eating wasn't so great! So here are my goals for 2012.

1. Spend more time with the Rev. Sometimes, especially when we're both busy, we let our time together slip aside. We definitely need to be more intentional during these times. I'm hoping we can do our devotions together at least twice a week.

2. Spend more time with my boys. I know that I homeschool but I want to do more fun things and actually get involved in the fun things! Like playing football with them, or a game. My goal is to do one thing every day even if it is small.

3. Let my housecleaning go....sometimes! I know that I have to clean. I do it all the time but I want to be more intentional in letting go sometimes and doing what really matters. Like spending time with the family.

4. Read more! I love to read and I never have time. I am hoping to read 2 books a month. I'm coming up with a list of books.

5. Continue to stay active. I love being outdoors, riding my bike, jogging, etc. I can't always do it in the winter but I still want to get 30-45min 5 days a week of activity that gets me breathless and sweaty! I have been using my DVD's and it's been good.

6. Spending more time with God. I have been doing better and that is one thing that I think did change and get better last year. I want to keep on with that.

7. Invite people over. Yep, my house is my private sanctuary and I don't usually invite people over except family. Hopefully I can break out of my shell a bit and invite some people over. I'm going to start small and say 3 families over the next year. I think that's doable!

8. Cut back my internet time. I have done thing already since homeschooling started. All it does is each precious time I could use for other things!

9. Make a menu plan every week. I was doing so well and then I stopped. Every day I get in panic mode and thing, "What's for dinner?!?"

10. Get back into couponing. I did really well tracking my expenses every time for 7-8 months and then I lagged off because we got so busy!

11. Keep in touch with extended family. That's self explanatory.

12. Keep saying I can do this, because I can!

Let's hear it for the boys!

2011-12-22T10:50:00.000-05:00

Fall 2010

Yep, it's time for boy bragging! If you didn't know my boys are pretty amazing and it's time to tell all about it. First off, last night for church we went to a local trailer park and delivered presents to kids and sang carols. It wasn't as cold as it could've been but it was still very chilly but it had rained almost all day and it was sopping wet! HUGE puddles and yards just all mud. And still my boys (and many other kids from church) trekked through for two hours and they had a great time! I don't think I heard any of the kids complaining!

Also, I am so proud of B because he really struggles with math. When we pulled him out of public school and into cyber school he was a month behind what they were teaching. Well, after doubling and tripling up on lessons he finally caught up to his classmates yesterday!! Just in time for Christmas break!

Next up is my little T. He is the most helpful four year old you'd ever want to know. Anytime anything needs done he is always willing to help and he does a great job!

MyMy is such a sweet guy. He is listens so well and had been obeying mom and dad very well this week. This isn't always easy for kids! He always does his morning chores and does them with a smile. I'm so proud of him!

Mr. N has been excelling at his school work. He's been working hard and working ahead. This week he finished his work two days early so he got extra Christmas break this week!

And my oldest, L. He has been working so hard at basketball this season. I definitely see improvement from last year and I am proud of the hard work he's putting in at practice to become better.

There are so many more things. My boys love each other so much and it is evident to me daily. They love their friends like brothers. They are the best boys and I am thankful that God chose me to be their mother!

Spending time with God

2011-12-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

So, sometimes I think it's funny that we have to "find time" to spend with God. Like it's some kind of after thought or just another thing on our to do list. I've been trying to be intentional in having meaningful time with God. And I do make it intentional. You need to do what works for you. (and that may be different than what works for me!)

I am naturally a morning person. I function my best from 5:30am until about 2-3pm an then I crash. I am my absolute most productive before lunch. Also, I have five boys. (four of which are homeschooled, so I'm busy!) I find what works for me is first thing in the morning. My oldest gets up at 6am for school. I find that getting up at 5:20-5:30am gives me some time to eat something small and spend some time in the word. After that, I get my exercising in. I actually break my exercising into two parts. I do 20 minutes in the morning.

Then comes one of my most favorite parts of the day. While my oldest is waiting to get on the bus I walk or jog and spend time with God. One on one. He and I. Together. Completely alone with each other. No mp3 music to distract (although sometimes I sing a song of praise by myself). I love the silence (often the only silent time all day!) I love pouring my heart out to God and waiting for a reply. Sometimes I have a lot to say. Other times I'm quiet, just listening. There have also been times when I just don't have words and I've simply cried out, "Please, Jesus!" over and over. And I do this no matter what. I've walked in the rain, under amazingly starry skies, watching the sun come up, under completely black skies and in freezing temps. It is time I cherish.

Maybe for you it's time at night after the kids go to bed. Maybe it's during their afternoon nap. Maybe it's while you're in the tub or shower. (although, mine is usually interupted!) Maybe it's while you're folding laundry, taking time to bring each person in your family before God as you fold their clothes. Maybe it's while making dinner. It is so incredibly important to have time with God. Not only reading the Bible and digging into His Word, but spending time talking to and listening to God. God has answered me many times in this quiet time with him. I encourage you to find sometime to spend with God daily. Taking time to read His Words of love to you and to talk and listen to Him. It is time you will not regret spending with Him ever!

The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-12-09T19:22:00.001-05:00

I read a book not that long ago by Cindy Woodsmall and really enjoyed it. If you like reading about the Amish you'll like her books! She has a book out now called the Christmas Singing. Here's a little video about it. (to turn off my music go to the right, scroll down and click pause!)

It looks like a really great book and I wanted to share! You can also read the first chapter.
The Christmas Singing (Chapter 1 Excerpt)

Homeschooling update!!!

2011-12-06T13:46:00.000-05:00

So we are now in our 3rd full week of homeschooling. It was with much prayer and talking that the Rev and I decided that this was what was best for our family and our younger boys. L still goes to public school and loves it an is doing well. My other boys (N and B were in public) hated it. I hated it. There were many things that factored into us decided to pull them out. The biggest factor was God. Seriously. I was so distressed and unpeaceful about sending them daily. I spoke to the Rev about it at the end of September and we agreed to pray seperately and together.

If you don't know, I walk or jog every morning while L is waiting to get on the bus in the mornings. Even when it rains. (I esepcially LOVE it when it rains!) I use this time to pray, worship God and talk with him. I brought this matter before him for a couple of months (even before I mentioned it to the Rev.) and I was already feeling that God was saying yes. I knew this would be a big undertaking. Not only would I need to ensure my kids were all schooled every day, I still have all my daily chores and stuff to do. And I am doing stuff at the church too. I in no way wanted to do this unless God was truly calling me because I knew I couldn't do it otherwise.

So, after the Rev and I prayed we both agreed that we both felt it was indeed what God was calling our family to do. So far it has been fairly smooth. Some days it's trying and seems to take forever to get done with the day's work, but God has truly enabled me to stay calm (not stressed!) for the most part. I am more sure than ever that this is what God has called us to do!

You've been RACK'd!!

2011-12-01T07:01:00.000-05:00

Photo by tsjphotography

OK so what exactly is RACK? Why it's Random Acts of Christmas Kindness!! So I've decided to try and give away Christmas some this year with RACK. I first found it on pinterest. I was immediately interested in it. I love to give things away and give gifts. Something about giving feels sooooooo good! So when I went to the original blog post at tsjphotography I knew it was something I wanted to do with my boys. She is doing it for every day of advent. And it need not be anything expensive. (Believe me, we don't have money for expensive!) Sometimes it's the little things that make someone's day! She had ideas like taping candy canes to atm machines, pay library fees for 5 people, visit a nursing home with cookies and cards. Really the possiblities are endless! I'm not going to be able to do it everyday (as I don't leave my house everyday! I'm a major homebody!) but I'm trying to do one thing every time I go somewhere. Some ideas are taping quarters to those machines that kids love! (you know the kind that your kids always beg you for quarters at the exit of stores!) Also leave a few dollars bills in the toys section of a dollar store. Or visit a nursing home with some cards. Unfortunately, some of those people never have anyone visit. This is something I really want to look into with my boys! I am also thinking of leaving something in my mailbox for my mail person. (although this wouldn't be so random! She'd know it was from us!) You could also leave a few dollars on a coffee shop's table. And on the other blog (listed above) is a template that you can leave with your little acts so that people know what it is! I think it is fabulous and I am going to talk to the boys and the Rev about it today! So I encourage you to maybe try something small, even one thing a week until Christmas. That only makes 4 things! Completely doable!

Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T07:04:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving. What a wonderful word and a wonderful holiday. I think we should have thanks giving every day! Yep, thanks giving. (not Thanksgiving!) As much as I love the holiday, I don't think I could handle turkey every day! Giving thanks should be a daily choice that we make. The Rev's sermon on Sunday really spoke to me about how giving thanks is a choice! In fact, in the Bible we are even commanded to be thankful! Ephesians 5:20 says this "²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (emphasis mine) We are to ALWAYS give thanks. Well, what about when....ALWAYS give thanks. But that one time when.....ALWAYS give thanks. YIKES! (and those what abouts are my own!!!)

Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the moment of what is happening to us that we lose sight of what is right in front of us. The many, many blessings that God has blessed us with. Just look around where you are right at this moment. Maybe you are at home. Where you have heat, and food, and a warm bed at night. Maybe you are at a coffee shop where you can afford a Mocha Grande. We are so incredibly blessed that even if God chose to never bless us again we still have so much to be thankful for! And since He is an amazing God, that won't happen! He loves to bless us!

Blessing is not only a choice, it's what God wants us to do! 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says it this way: "16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. " Give thanks in ALL circumstances. Whew! That is not easy and I definitely struggle with this. What's funny is Paul wrote this IN PRISON! I am writing this from the warm comfort of my home sitting in my soft and comfy chair! So this is my misison. To have thanks giving every day. Every day I do have something to be thankful for even if it is only the death of Jesus on the cross so that I may have life.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Heaven is for Real

2011-11-17T09:13:00.000-05:00

I just got done reading Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this book is. Colton Burpo was only 3yrs and 10months old when he underwent an emergency appendectemy. He was literally at death's door. And while he was in surgery, he says Jesus was holding him. This book showed how Jesus shows Himself to a child and what Heaven is like.

This story goes over the months and years after Colton's surgery and recovery and how he slowly revealed what he saw while he was in heaven. Things that he couldn't have possibly known about. One instance is his sister. Colton never knew that before he was born his mom had a miscarriage. In heaven he met a brown haired girl that was his sister. He also met Pop who was his great grandfather that had passed away before he was ever born! He talks about what heaven looked like, things and people he saw. All throughout, Todd Burpo (Colton's dad), who is a pastor, weaves scripture throughout that backs up Colton's claims of what he saw in Heaven.

I really wish I could tell you about this whole book in great detail. I was amazed and couldn't stop talking to the Rev about it! With the author writing from a pastor's perspective some things really made it better for me because I know what the Rev does and I was shaking me head yes in some parts. So I'd give this book 10 thumbs up if I could! It's a must read!

Here is a Today Show interview with the Burpo family. To turn off the music look to the right and scroll all the way down and hit pause.

I received this book for free from booksneeze.com for review. All opinions are my own.

SAD

2011-11-12T19:25:00.000-05:00

Hosea 6:3

"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

If you know me, you know that we are entering my least favorite season soon. Winter. Now, I love snow...well, I actually hate it when I have to drive. It paralyzes me with fear. But I love it when I have absolutely no where to go and now that I'm homeschooling again I'm excited to have more time to take the boys out into the snow.

The problem for me is S.A.D. It is also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. It seems to hit me at the end of every October and this year was no different. I could tell that something was changing in me. I love to run. I love to run outside. All of the sudden I had no desire to exercise at all. (and most days I still don't but I make myself!) I was eating more. BLECH! Then I felt even more terrible! I've been more tired and grumpy.

What exactly is S.A.D.? Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is episodes of depression that occur at a certain time of the year, usually during winter.

What causes S.A.D.? People who live in places with long winter nights are at greater risk for SAD. A less common form of the disorder involves depression during the summer months.

Other factors that may make SAD more likely include:
•Amount of light
•Body temperature
•Genes
•Hormones

What are the symptoms? (I've highlighted what I've been feeling) Symptoms usually build up slowly in the late autumn and winter months. Symptoms are usually the same as with depression:

•Increased appetite with weight gain (weight loss is more common with other forms of depression)
•Increased sleep and daytime sleepiness (too little sleep is more common with other forms of depression)
•Less energy and ability to concentrate in the afternoon
•Loss of interest in work or other activities
•Slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
•Social withdrawal (I have already been feeling like not going ANYWHERE!)
•Unhappiness and irritability

What are my treatment options? As with other types of depression, antidepressant medications and talk therapy can be effective.

Taking long walks during the daylight hours and getting exercise can make the symptoms better. Keep active socially, even if it involves some effort.

Light therapy using a special lamp with a very bright fluorescent light (10,000 lux) that mimics light from the sun may also be helpful.
•Follow your doctor's instructions about how to use light therapy. A common practice is to sit a couple of feet away from the light box for about 30 minutes every day. This is usually done in the early morning, to mimic sunrise.
•Keep your eyes open, but do not look straight into the light source.
Symptoms of depression should improve within 3 - 4 weeks if light therapy is going to help.

So what am I personally doing? Well, I go outside every time I possibly can. I try and get at least an hour outside a day when it itsn't raining. I absolutely LOVE being outside. I feel so much better when I can go out and get some fresh air and some sun! I have also increased my vitamin D intake. This is supposed to help due to decreased sun exposure. And as an added benefit, it is supposed to help boost your immune system! I have also continued to exercise. As much as I've been hating it (mostly because I can't run outside anymore) I've been making myself do 30 minutes a day. I also want to check into a light box. My mom works for a doctor, so I'm going to see if I can talk to him about what is going on and see if he reccommends one for me!

So if you hear me say I hate winter, this explains why. And it's not even so much winter as what it does to me. I don't feel like myself at all. I hate that feeling! I am trying to be content in the seasons right now (and I mean literal seasons! I'm still talking about winter!) I know that God will bring me through. It is just so rough for me. People who love winter don't understand why I don't like it and this is why. I'm ready for spring already!

Hosea 6:3

"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”

I am thankful that He comes to me even in winter rains.

All information was taken from this website. This post is not meant to diagnose or treat anything. If you think you are suffering from SAD or any other form of depression please contact your doctor immediately!

Homeschool Room Remodel-Only 5 days left!

2011-11-02T10:58:00.001-04:00

So, after much consideration and a lot of prayer the Rev and I have decided to homeschool the boys again. We prayed for months over this decision and spent a lot of time talking about it as well. So I have been feverishly redoing and finishing up the playroom which is now also going to be a school room! I had much to do and still have quite a bit left but it is starting to look good! I have finally painted a border around the top of the room, found a desk for Nolan at Goodwill, rearranged the room, and painted some cabinets for storage. I'm wishing I would've taken before pictures. Here is some of my progress:

First, I really didn't want to waste money on storage and such when I was sure I could find things to use around my basement/house. I found two plastic drawers. I had seen people using scrapbooking paper to cover the front. Well, I don't scrapbook, but while walking in Walmart I saw some printed duct tape. I covered the front with that to make it look prettier, hide the junk and make it coordinate with the room a little better.

Top: after; Bottom: before

both all done!

Next was setting up each boys work space. We already had a small picnic table that my dad made a looooooong time ago, and I was given a cabinet by a friend so I used this for T's and MyMy's space.

Space One

Next, the Rev and I had found B's desk last year shortly after we moved here. I was in the beginning stages of redoing this exact room and new it would be perfect. The store was going out of business and so it was dirt cheap. The first shelf will be for his books and the second has supplies. The only thing I hate is all those cords!!!! I really need to find a way to hide all the computer cords! And I didn't get to duct tape the plastic drawers in this space yet but it's coming!

Space 2

Next up is N's space. We had found a table leaf in the garage when we moved in here so I started painting it white and thought we could buy legs and make a table. Well, little did I know that the cheapest legs that would be of proper height were over $8 each! So that would be over $32 plus we had to buy the hardwear to go with it! So I decided to go to Goodwill on half off day to search for something cheaper. Low and behold, God answered my prayer and I found a nice, simple, clean lines desk! I paid $15 so much cheaper.

Then in this picture is a cabinet that the church was getting rid of. The Rev sanded it and I painted it white and distressed it. My mother in law gave me the small shelves when she moved and I painted those white as well. I am going to add my printed duct tape to the back of the shelves to make it look a little nicer. This shelves will hold N's books and the cabinet will hold B's and N's other school supplies. The drawers are for added storage.

space 3

Now this also serves as the boys TV/video game room. There used to be a bed where space 3 is so I wanted to come up with something they could use to sit. I had already made some big pillows for the bed so I hung the comforter I made on a quilt holder that the Rev picked up cheaply at a flea market (I think it was $5). I stacked the pillows underneath. They also have some small chairs they can use.

blanket area

And then (I actually did this first!) I put a painted border on two opposite walls. I wanted somethign fun but simple because this will eventually be 2 of the boys' bedroom.

border

I have a few finishing touches (Like some sort of covers for B's and N's chairs, taking care of those ugly computer cords and making additional seating out of some old crates we had laying around) Overall, it's coming along and I am ecstatic to be homeschooling again and the boys are excited as well! In 5 days they will be schooling at home again!

Back from Women of Faith!

2011-10-10T08:48:00.000-04:00

Well, a couple of months back I wrote a post on how Book Sneeze graciously offered me tickets to out local Women of Faith conference and in return I would blog about it. As it started on Friday morning and Sheila Walsh started talking I knew that it was going to be near impossible for me to blog about everything that I wanted too! Honestly, every speaker was amazing and I learned from each one. Each speaker had spoken about their life with such transparancy. It was so good to hear them and then I thought, I can't believe she just admitted that because I'm the same way and never would let anyone know! Then I thought, "Oh, my! This whole time I thought I was the only one!" I'm not sure why, as women, we feel that way!

The speakers that spoke to me the most (and all were equally amazing! I promise! But these 2 in particular resonated with my own life experiences) were Nicole Johnson and her talk on her parents divorce and Angie Smith. I had actually never heard of Angie Smith before Women of Faith but her story had me almost sobbing. And while I never lost a newborn, I lost a baby by miscarriage and what she said after her baby was born, was what I said when before my ultrasound confirming my baby had died. I knew that God could perform a miracle and I prayed and begged He would and it didn't happen for me.

I had an absolutely amazing time with my monkey, which happened to be my mother! (You'll have to go to one yourself and listen to Dr. Henry Cloud if you want to know what my monkey talk means!) I was fascinated by his talk as he is a clinical psychologist and his talk was amazing. I always love hearing about how God wired us to be. Overall, I had an amazing experience and absolutely LOVED it! The worship team was amazing, Natalie Grant was spectacular and while I'd heard of Mary Mary I never really listened to them and they were fantastic!

All of the speakers were fabulous as well. There was also Lisa Harper, and Luci Swindoll. Each one was wonderful in there own way. They made you laugh and then they made you cry, and then they made you laugh again! It was amazing and I am praying that the truths I learned about God and His love for me will change me from the inside out as He makes me into who He wants me to be. So thank you a thousand times over Women of Faith and Book Sneeze for the amazing opportunity!

Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters; Review

2011-09-27T20:29:00.001-04:00

Just a few days ago I received a wonderful goody in the mail for my boys. It was a Tonka XT Ricochet Tricksters remote crontrolled stunt vehicle by Hasbro! My family was chosen through BzzAgent.com to play with and review this for free! I couldn't wait for my boys to get home from school and as soon as they saw it they couldn't wait to play with it!

So it looks really cool as you can tell from the picture above. The actual car comes with a battery. The remote does not, however, and it requires five (yes FIVE!) double A batteries. YIKES! Too many for my liking. The good thing is you charge the car battery with the remote. The bad thing is I'm not sure yet how much that drains those 5 batteries! Ours haven't died....yet!

Each one has a designated "trick" where you can just press a button and it automatically does the trick. That was cool. It was a tiny bit tricky for my 4yr old to use at first as it has a button on each side of the controller and you have to push both up or both down for it to move in a straight line. It didn't take long before everyone had it under control! And it really does flip and keep going! We've had others in the past that would just get stuck. (and you'll see this later in my video). Once you charge the battery you get 20 minutes of use before it needs charged again. It retails for $24.99. Overall, my boys loved it and I think it is a great deal. Next is a video of it in action. You can pause the music by scrolling all the way down and hitting pause. It's on the right. And you will see this thing is FAST and is hard to keep in the camera view!

Happy Birthday, L!

2011-09-19T06:15:00.000-04:00

Well, 14 years ago today I became a mother. Not much more than a kid myself I was determined to be the best mother I could be. I made many, many mistakes, but God has carried us both through. I remember very clearly when I went into labor with L. I worked at a grocery store as a cashier/deli worker/stock person. By this point I was so large I was only working as a cashier and only 4 hour shifts. I worked on my due date and I worked past my due date.

I was ~~going absolutely insane~~ very eager to have this baby already! Thursday, September 18th I worked until 3 and then my granparents picked me up and took me to my appointment at 4. My grandma loved going with me and I appreciated her love and support. Even more so now looking back. The doctor checked me out and said I would probably go through the weekend and he'd see me then. Since I was overdue I was having non stress tests and doctor's appointments twice a week. Now, by this point I was only 4 days overdue but it seemed like forever to me! On the way home I felt something. A sharp pain. I dismissed it as nothing. But then a little while later another one. I said to myself, "The doctor said at least through the weekend so this can't be the start of labor." My gram and gramps dropped me off at home and I went about my business. But these sharps pains kept coming back.

Finally at about 8pm I called my mom. I was home alone and told her I was scared something was wrong with the baby because I kept getting sharp pains in my stomach area. She said she would be right up that I was probably in labor. So she came and we kept time of all the contractions noting length, how many minutes apart and all that. Finally, at 3am they were 5 minutes apart for the past hour. We were off to the hospital! I got there all excited and then found out I was only 3cm. They had me walk (even though I was completely exhausted by now!) and if I made any progress in the hour they would keep me. I made it to 3 and a little wiggle room so I was admitted as being in labor!

They kept asking if I wanted an epidural but I was terrified of the huge needle and all the scary warnings they give you like permanent paralysis or death! I said no way. So as I progressed, it got way more painful than I had expected. I had never been in labor and I hadn't taken any classes or read any books. I was going in completely blind with my mother and the nurses leading me as I went. Finally the pain got so bad I begged for an epidural but I was 8cm and they said it was too late. I was FURIOUS. I remember kicking the nurse when I was getting ready to push because it was hurting so bad! (I feel really bad about this! ) Finally, at 9:19am (on 9/19 no less!) my son was born. He was 8lbs and I was told this is large. I thought he was absolutely perfect and as I was looking at him I said, "I love him already!" Then I said, "I can't believe women have more than one child!" Now I have 5 so I have obviously forgotten that pain!

Anyway, L is an amazing young man who I am proud of. He absolutely loves his brothers (although he'd never admit it outright to you!) and loves to play basketball. He does well in school and is active in our church. I pray daily that God would draw L near to Him and show L His amazing love that He has for L. I want L to learn to trust and lean on God daily. Fourteen years ago God chose to send an amazing blessing that wasn't deserved and I am grateful to Him. I totally wish I had some baby pictures of Lane loaded in my computer but this was before I had a computer or a digital camera. I actually didn't get a digital camera until right around when Micah was born. If I get a chance I'll have to scan some in. Here's a few.

2008

2009

2010

Happy Birthday T and Rev!

2011-09-08T06:13:00.000-04:00

Well, it's another celebration for us! We have many from the end of August through the end of September.
Today is not only the Rev's birthday, but it is T's as well! September 8th is a good day all around!

I remember when I found out I was pregnant with T. I also think it's something the Rev will not forget either. He was extremely content with our 4 boys. I was happy as well. I think I will always have a desire to have more but I really thought we were done, because, well, the Rev wanted to be done. So, way back when we went grocery shopping together with the whole fam, I, for some reason unkown (probably God telling me to!) decided to pick up a pregnancy test. The Rev was like, "Really?" I said, "Yeah, just to check."

So we get home and he's downstairs in the garage putting stuff away in the freezer. I could not wait to rip out that test and use it. Almost immediately it was positive. I was in shock! I ran downstairs and said, "You're never going to believe this!" then I help up the test. He said, "I don't believe it!" And we obviously meant those words because the next day we bought a digital so we could actually read the words PREGNANT.

And so, God in His wonderful wisdom and grace and love, gave us another amazing blessing in little T. The day I went into labor it was a week early and I didn't think I was in labor. I never really went early. We had just gotten done eating dinner at Garfield's and decided to walk around the mall. The Rev was looking at suits at JC Penney's when I thought I had a contraction. Sure enough we kept walking and and I kept having them. We had missions conference at church and I told the Rev to go and my mom came over. I kept telling her I was NOT in labor and wanted to wait. Finally at 9:30pm I called the Rev at the church and told him maybe we better go just to check.

We got there a little after 10 and sure enough I was 5cm! I ended up having T at 1:11am. Happy Birthday! (that's what I told the Rev. I told him it was the only present he was getting that year!) So today my T is 4yrs old. Here are some pics: (stay tuned for more on the Rev's birthday!)

Hours old with big bro MyMy and Papa

6 months old

1st birthday!

T was allergic to milk and eggs. This was when he was about 4 months old before I knew.

2 yrs old

This summer on vacation!

Next is the Rev. Even though I wasn't born when he was (and I'll always remind him of how he's older! :D )my life was forever changed on the day he was born. From that day God knew that this man would one day be my husband and had his life mapped for him. I am so glad that the Rev answered God's calling which in turn caused our paths to cross. His mom told me he was 4lbs when he was born so he was a tiny little thing. I also know that she says he was just like Nolan is! I don't have many baby pictures to share and he'd probably be completely embarrassed if I show my favorite picture of him wearing this super loud and bright shirt in one of his school pictures! But I am forever thankful for the Rev. What you see is what you get with him. He is a wonderful guy no matter if he's at church or at home. So Happy Birthday to my two special guys today!

The Rev and B

I love BzzAgent!

2011-09-07T12:15:00.002-04:00

So if you're not familiar with BzzAgent you need to check them out! They have an amazing camgaign today that I would absolutely go crazy to join! It is for a Kindle 3! Now I am a book junkie. I absolutely LOVE books and reading. When we moved a year ago I sold and gave away 10 boxes of books. I still have TONS of books. So I will show why I should be included in receiving a Kindle 3 in pictures.

Bookshelf 1

Bookshelf 2

magazines by couch

books by chair in living room

books on my sewing table

books in bin 1

books in bin 2

books beside my bed

books on my hope chest

I have books and magazine everywhere! I am usually very organized and clean except my books and magazines get all over the place! I can't seem to keep a handle on all my reading materials and I am also constantly getting new stuff! So I would be ever so grateful to get in on this campaign! On top of that I am teaching my youngest 2 sons to read and this would be a good tool to use for them as well!

I am also editing to add that I totally forgot about the hutch in my kitchen with my cookbook collection. I also love cooking. And I love books. So I have another thing full of books! And I'm sure my hubby would like me to mention that the bookshelves I have are in his man cave. It's why there is only 2. He would also love for them to be out so he could totally reclaim the room for himself!

Plus, what's not to love about a Kindle!? They are so lightweight (only 8.5oz) and it is seriously like having a library with any book you could imagine at your fingertips. It's making me drool just thinking about it! (OK, so I'm not dope, I'm a dork, but still!) And I could talk about the Kindle all day long if I get in. I may just start now...

Happy Anniversary to me and the Rev!

2011-09-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I can't believe it's been 11 years since I married the most wonderful man of all time! Yep, ladies, you missed out and I snagged the best husband ever! Things really do get better and better every year for us. He is my best friend, my helper, my leader, my strong back bone when I have none, my shoulder to cry on, my support when I'm weak and so much more! I love you, Rev!

I remember the first time I saw him up on the pulpit the first words I thought were, "I'm going to marry that man!" Our first date was on November 22nd and we were engaged by February 14th. We married September 2nd, 2011. And the good news is my wedding dress still fits! I wanted to scan in some pics of our wedding day but I haven't had a chance. Maybe in a few days!

Are you a morning person?

2011-08-30T12:06:00.000-04:00

Most people who really know me know that I am a morning, early afternoon person. Once 3pm hits, it's like I've hit a brick wall! I am my most productive in the morning and early afternoon. So I was eager to sign up for something called Maximize Your Mornings by Inspired to Action. I was introduced to it through one of my favorite blogs called Keeper of the Home. So, while I am a morning person and this seems fairly easy for me to do, it is nice to have someone there encouraging you because even I don't like getting out of bed everymorning! And sometimes I don't feel like taking my morning run, but if I don't do it first thing, it never gets done! Same with reading my Bible, spending time with God and praying. Many times I pray while I'm running!

Maybe for you this would really be a challenge. I love what Kat said about waking up for your kids, not by your kids. (And I added waking up for my hubby too!) When I really will need it is this winter because I hate winter desperately and I will not be able to run in the winter. :( So hopefully there will be another one in the winter! I just wanted to share this with you because I thought it sounded really great!

Happy 6th Bithday, MyMy!!!

2011-08-26T07:09:00.000-04:00

MyMy at 5yrs old

Ahh, my sunshine after the rain. That's my MyMy. I found out I was pregnant with him 3 months after I miscarried. Three months after I vowed to never get pregnant again for fear of loss. Well, I am sure glad that God blessed me again! MyMy is such a sweet laid back boy! He is easy going and loves to play with star wars guys, ride his bike (he just learned this summer!) and sing. This boy sings all the time! We pretty much only listen to Christian music and I will catch him often singing these songs as he's playing, riding his bike, getting a bath, riding in the car, at grandma's house and so many other places!

He has brought so much joy to the Rev and me that you can't even imagine. He was also my fastest birth and biggest baby! I was 6 days overdue when I went in for a non-stress test and checkup. I was huge and miserable and ready to be holding my baby! The doctor said I was 2 cm along. Still no labor. I remember that evening walking all over the church parking lot and I even took a few jumps on the trampoline to try and get things started! The next day I was to go to the hospital first thing to be induced if I hadn't started on my own.

So I was induced! They started pitocin at 8am. Every so often they would come in and up my pitocin and my contractions would grow stronger. Then they broke my water. Unfortunately there was meconium (baby poo) in the fluid and I was put on all kinds of monitors and one was put into MyMy's head. I had something that was continuously flushing in and around the baby. I now had to stay in bed. The doctor told me how imperative it was that she be in the room when the baby was born because she would need to do deep suction right away. If he sucked in fluid with meconium it could cause serious complications. At 9:30 I was 5 cm along. Everyone thought I had plenty of time so at 9:45 when I told my mom and the Rev I had to push they went to tell the nurse. She didn't believe them. She took her time. I started to panic. I told the Rev again that the baby was coming NOW! My mom ran out and said I needed the nurse NOW.

She came in and said, "OK, just calm down." She put on her gloves and when she went to check MyMy was crowing! Now I think she started to panic on the inside! She called another nurse and told another to call the doctor who was down 3 floors and across the street. And at 9:52am MyMy was born. I didn't hear crying at first. I kept asking if he was ok. No one was answering me! My mom and the Rev were just looking at him and finally, I heard a beautiful cry! I breathed a sigh of relief. Then the doctor came in!

MyMy weighed 8lbs 10oz and was 21inches long. He was absolutely perfect! Take a look for yourself!

Just minutes old!

2 months old

12 months old

2yrs old with his favorite blankie!

At his party yesterday!

When Hello means Goodbye.

2011-08-23T08:36:00.000-04:00

10weeks gestation. This is how big my baby was when I miscarried.

I honestly can't believe that it's been over 7 years since I lost my little one. It was August 13, 2004. I didn't forget about it but I didn't have time to write about it like I wanted too on that day. It is a day that I remember every detail about. I remember finding out I was pregnant on my birthday. I was so ecstatic! I also remember waking up to some bleeding on August 12th. I was terrified. I've told the story before. It took me all day to get ahold of the doctor due to a new staff member putting my message in the wrong call back pile. Finally, while dh was coming home from work I called him in tears and he called and said he needed to talk to the doctor. They put her on. She called me a apologized but now I had to wait until the next morning.

It was a very long night. I remember laying in bed that night knowing that my baby had died. Still I prayed. I prayed to God to breathe life back into my baby because I knew He could do it. I prayed the same thing for hours. Please God, bring my baby back to life. I love him or her already! Please don't let this be! I fell asleep with tears on my face.

The next morning as I woke I said a silent prayer that there wouldn't be any more bleeding but their was. And I was now starting to cramp. I went to the doctor's office alone as the Rev stayed with the boys. The ultrasound tech started the ultrasound and I knew immediately there was no heartbeat and the baby was gone. I held myself together for as long as I could and finally I started crying. She told me that maybe I had my dates wrong. I knew I didn't because it was my birthday that I found out!

I went into a room by myself and the doctor came in and she didn't even have to speak. I burst into tears. Even now I can't hold them back for my baby lost. I don't think I'll ever know this side of heaven why God chose to take our child straight home to Him but I do know that I am thankful my baby never had to experience sorrow, shame, sickness, heartache, war, disease and so many things that are wrong today. She went straight to a perfect place into the arms of her maker and I am so greatful that someday I will see her again.

Is it the end of summer?

2011-08-19T12:29:00.000-04:00

Is it the end of summer? I sure hope not! The first day of fall doesn't actually start until September 23rd. Well, that means I have over a month left of summer vacation!! Except my boys start school on Wednesday. You know, summer vacation should last ALL SUMMER! I really dread sending my boys back to school. I love having them home. I really struggled with sending them back to public school again. I am homeschooling My for at least Kindergarten this year. I am excited and looking forward to that! I am also doing preschool for T. I am starting them both on September 6th, the day after Labor Day.

I have been busy getting things ready and seeing what I want to do. I use cyber school curriculum for My and T I am doing my own thing. I am ready to do it again. It just doesn't make sense for me to send My to Kindergarten that is all day. He would get on the bus at 7:45am and get home at 3:40pm. We will start school at 8am and probably be done by 10-11am.

As for N and B, the Rev really wanted them to try another year of public school. N was not happy at all. He absolutely HATES it! But hopefully it will go well and maybe next year I can start homeschooling again.

As far as summer break I am going to enjoy it for as long as I can. I absolutely LOVE being outdoors. I love exercising outdoors and that will become close to impossible in the winter. :( The 3-4 months of snow and frigid temps are something I abhor. It really stinks! I try and get outside still it's hard when you get 5 boys ready and they are out for 10 minutes and want back in. Meanwhile it took an hour to get everyone ready!!

Anyway, I am just dreading the day my boys are heading back to school. I love homeschooling and having them here. I am trying my hardest to raise them up in things of God and I know that is lacking in the schools.

So, is it the end of summer? NO! Not officially until September 23 and I am going to celebrate summer until that day!

Purity

2011-08-12T12:27:00.001-04:00

As my boys get older I must say I am terrified that they won't remain pure until marriage. Now that I have an almost 14 year old this is breathing down my neck! And why does this have to be a subject that seems so hard to talk about and yet it is something that MUST be addressed? I know B (who is 10) is just about on the cusp of having "the talk" with the Rev. My main concern right now is L, my almost 14 year old. I pray, pray, pray and the Rev and I try and tell him all the Biblical reasons why it is good to wait. Afterall, I didn't, and let me tell you it really made me see the reasons why God wants everyone to wait! What's funny is I've never really talked to L about it and I'm wondering if I should. I've always held back because it has to do with such a personal issue and it also has to do with his dad as well. (What's funny is I often have to remind myself that the Rev isn't his bio dad because he's been in L's life just as long as his bio dad!)

So if I were to talk to L I'd tell him a good reason to wait is because God has a perfect plan for his life. A plan that may include a wonderful, godly woman (I'm praying about this already, too!) that he may someday want to marry. If beforehand L chooses to go his own way (as I did and so many others) then he could be forced to grow up sooner than expected by becoming a father. He would then have a wonderful blessing, but this blessing would change the course of his life. Not only that but STD's are rampant, and it creates an emotional bond like no other. It is a bond that only God can heal so you can be with Miss Right. And not only that but p*rn. YIKES! Yes, at almost 14 my son has confirmed to me that his good friend already struggles with p*rn. So now I have been diligently checking my son's computer history (I did before sporadically). But, man, how do I get my boys to see that God's way is best?

On Wednesday night, we went to a family camp and the speaker just so happened to be talking about this very issue. I was so glad we picked that night to go because L really seemed to see the damage this causes and he even stayed to talk to the speaker after. I have been fervently praying over this and I know dh is also planning an overnight thing with L to do Passport to Purity. If anyone has any wisdom or insight or has been here I would love some godly advice!

Couch to 5K; UPDATE!

2011-08-06T14:18:00.000-04:00

So a few month ago I posted about doing the couch to 5k program (c25k). It was supposed to train me for a 5K in 2 months. I wanted to give an update on how I was doing since the 2 month mark is coming up in 9 days! Well, I've been doing OK. With moving my mother in law and then vacation for two weeks I wasn't able to follow their plan as strictly as I wanted to. But I am still doing it. Actually, I started doing my own version! I do a brisk warm up walk for 5 minutes and then I run for as long as I can. Lately I've been making it to 2 miles which is about 18 minutes for me. I am gradually trying to work my way up to 3.1miles.

And my new goal is to walk 10,000 steps most days of the week. Running every morning has really been helping me to get closer to this goal. Yesterday I reached 8549 steps. Today I am already at 7324 and it's only 2:17pm. Ten thousand steps is approximately 5miles and that is my goal. If I don't do my 2 mile run in the morning it is extremely hard to make it to 10,000 steps!

I have also not lost any weight but it's ok. I've been praying that God would help me to accept my body the way it is. I have had 5 children and my body shows the miracle of that! It's not perfect but as long as I am doing things to keep healthy and eating right I am praying for peace and happiness with how God made me. (and how He didn't make me, which is NOT a size 6!) I've discovered I really love running and being outdoors to exercise. It makes it more fun for me! And I love eating veggies from my garden! So things are going well!

Old Navy Deals!

2011-08-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

I know I've been terrible keeping up with my savings this summer. I haven't had time! I know this fall and winter I'll be back up to it again. I wanted to share some amazing deals I found (well the Rev actually found) at Old Navy a couple of weeks ago. I always go straight to the clearance and here's what we found!



So these three pair of pants had an original total of 88.50. They were originally priced at $29.50 each. I paid a total of $2.41!!! Two pairs were $0.97ea and one pair was $0.47!

Rumors of God: book review

2011-08-01T08:48:00.000-04:00

Recently I received the copy of Rumors of God; Experience the kind of faith you've only heard about by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson. To be honest, when I first requested this for review I was thinking it was going to be another boring book that took me forever to get through. I was dreading reading it before it even got here! Well, thankfully I was absolutely and totally wrong!

They talk about how we can see the real God shown in the Bible today. They also talk about how most Christians today settle for less because we just accept that this is how things are when God wants so much more from us! We can live a life that is radically changed and on fire for God. I love how they are so real and use everyday language weaving the Bible throughout. I was deep in thought throughout this whole book and kept telling my husband about it and how he should read it. They use real life stories on lives radically changed and on fire for God. I really loved this book and it definitely gave me food for thought and changed my perspective on a lot of things!

I received this book for free from booksneeze.com to review. All opinions are my own.

Summer fun: Homemade Fudge Bars!!

2011-07-27T12:08:00.000-04:00

Well, last week it was roasting hot. Today it is a perfect summer day so I made homemade fudge pops! They were so chocolately and yummy! And they were so simple to make! Here's what you do:

Mix together 1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14oz), 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Mine looked like this:


Then you pour into molds. If you don't have molds you can use paper cups. I actually think they are easier because these froze a little soft set (even after overnight freezing) and you can just peel the paper cup away. The sticks came out of my actual molds and we have to use a spoon to eat them!




Then you freeze at least 4 hours. Last you enjoy!!

Women of Faith 2011

2011-07-26T21:10:00.001-04:00

I am super duper excited to write this post about Women of Faith!!! Why, you ask? Well, I'll tell ya. I've never been to one. I've heard about them and dreamed about going for years but my boys ages always kept me from going since I'd have to spend the night. Finally, my youngest is old enough to stay with daddy! Also, I won two registrations through booksneeze.com! I review books for them and when the opportunity came up to win 2 registrations to a location near me this fall I jumped at the chance and was ecstatic to be one that was chosen!!

So what exactly is Women of Faith? Well according to their website Women of Faith is a faith-based women’s organization encouraging women of all ages and stages in life to grow in faith and spiritual maturity through a relationship with Jesus Christ and an understanding of God’s love and grace. In other words, God love you know matter what and desires for you to have a relationship with His Son, Jesus! And to do this there is worship, humor and the love of Jesus shown through speakers.

This year the following women are speaking at the confrence nearest me: Sheila Walsh, Luci Swindoll, Lisa Harper, Angie Smith, and drama by Nicole Johnson (she does an amazing job. I've seen her on youtube doing something called The Invisible Woman and the impact it had on me!) Music is by Mary Mary and Natalie Grant and special guest is Henry Cloud. You can always read all about Women of Faith by clicking on any of the links on their name.

This event has always looked amazing, inspiring and God breathing fresh life into women everywhere! I cannot wait to go! And lucky for you I will be blogging all about it when I am done! I am sure it will be a life changing weekend for me!

Here is a little video that gives you a bit of an example of what goes on at a Women of Faith event. I'm sure it will get you as excited about it as I am! (to turn off my music scroll down to near the bottom of the screen. It's on the right hand side and is a black box. Simply click pause!)

And you can click HERE to see if there is an event near you!

Pie throwing fun!

2011-07-26T13:05:00.000-04:00

So at VBS this year the Rev was ever so generous in agreeing to get a pie in his face at the closing. Knowing I would never have another opportunity like this I graciously offered to be the pie thrower! It was all in love and the Rev was a super good sport!

Secrets of the Vine for Women; review and giveaway!

2011-07-19T16:06:00.001-04:00

I'm not even sure where to begin on this book! Secrets of the Vine for Women by Darlene Wilkinson was a wonderful and short read. It was based off of the vineyard analogy Jesus used in John 15 to his disciples. Many people have heard it. I am the vine, you are the branches. The thought of being pruned in my life isn't something that I ever enjoy. However, it is necessary to bear fruit for God. It is exactly like the pruning and tending of a vineyard. To bear more fruit you have to cut away the bad and unproductive stuff in your life.

And if you've read anything of my blog you know I am a Martha type of person. Always doing. I feel like if I'm sitting and being quiet or still then I am not...I don't even know what the word is but I feel like something is wrong! That is why the parts about Mary and Martha in this book struck home with me. I struggle daily with being Martha so when I read in the book, "Mary had chosen to be with Him, and that was better than doing for Him." YIKES! How often am I rushing around doing so much that I don't actually sit and spend quality time with the Lord of my life?!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely reccommend it to any woman. It really makes it clear what John 15 is all about. And now you can win your very on copy right here!

1. Mandatory entry; tell me why you would like to win this book!

2. Follow my blog on google friend connect (over to the right!)

3. Subscribe to my blog via email (and confirm!)

4. Follow me on twitter @inthefishbowl (leave your twitter name)

Please don't forget to include your email in you comment so I can contact you if you win!

Contest will run until midnight eastern time on July 26th. Winner will be chosen by random.org on or after July 27th. Winner has 48hrs to respond to email or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

I recieved this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah for free to review. All opinions are my own. I was not asked to do a giveaway and am doing it on my own.

2 years ago today...

2011-07-06T18:41:00.000-04:00

My Father in law with my 4 youngest right after T was born.

It's been 2yrs since my father in law passed away. It all started on May 31st, Memorial Day, my father in law and mother in law were going to come down to visit and have a picnic with us. My father in law had been dealing with a blood cancer already and had to have chemo. He was a little sick and went back to the hospital instead that day. They ended up doing a brain scan where they found 2 brain tumors. He was given radiation on those tumors. He had numerous scans to check his body for cancer and they found a mass in his chest. They did a biopsy and it was melanoma that had metastasized to his brain. We were upset but knew that our God was bigger than this. We prayed and hoped. We were able to go and be with my in laws for most of the time he was in the hospital. Still though, he grew worse and worse. So bad that we didn't want my boys to see him. He was everything to my boys and they to him as well. Finally he slipped into a coma and was taken to a nursing home where my husband, brother in law, and mother in law stood vigil around the clock. My sister in law and I would visit daily as well as numerous family and friends. My "dad" had signed a paper saying he did not want any measures to help him live. No IV's, no feeding tubes, no nothing. So we waited and prayed and talked to him. He went in on a Thursday and on Monday, July 6th he finally passed immediately after my mother in law had left his room that night.

I will never forget the impact this has had on my family. He loved my boys so deeply. He came down to see them every chance he got. Even when he worked he made the time. And so to make a difference, even if it is small, I want to raise money for cancer research. I will do this by doing the relay for life. This is my second year and I'll be walking on Saturday. I want people to know that if you haven't been affected yet by cancer you probably will be (meaning you or someone you know) will get cancer. I will never forget the hurt and pain we went through in watching my father in law struggle. I will walk in remembrance of "dad".

And I wanted to add that although it is the most recent time my family has had to deal with a loved one dealing with cancer it's not the only time it's happened. My granmother had breast cancer and is a survivor. My other grandmother battled colon cancer for many years and passed away when I was about 16. My husbands grandma battled breast cancer and survived for years after. And his aunt (my father in law's sister) also passed away from cancer. So this is something that is way too close to home and I want to make a difference even if it is small.

Nutri-Vet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil and BestPetHealth.com review and giveaway!

2011-07-05T15:04:00.001-04:00

The winner chosen by Random.org is #5 Little Painted Polka Dots! She's already responded. Congrats!

I love my dogs. They are part of my family. Everyday they share in our lives and make it a bit better. This is why I was excited to get the chance to review the Nutri-Vet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil from Best Pet Health. Now, most people know that fish oils benefit humans but it is also beneficial to dogs as well. The Nutri-Vet Wild Alaskan Salmon oil has omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that aren't found in normal dog food. It also has EPA and DHA. All of these promote healthy skin, glossy coats and support the immune system of our precious dogs. Also, this pure oil is made only from wild, non-farmed Alaskan salmon. On the ingredient label it lists, Salmon Oil and Rosemary Extract.

I have been giving this to my two dogs for a few weeks and I think it is helping! I have a yellow lab, Princess, who is 5 years old. She is pretty picky about foods and tastes and surprisingly she liked it! (It does smell and I'm assuming tastes like Salmon!) You do one pump per 10lbs of dog. She is 50lbs and so I would do 5 pumps into her daily moist food. I would do the same with my chihuahua mix. She gets two pumps and is 13yrs old. She's not so picky and wolfs it right down!

Also, take a look at Best Pet Health. They have products for both dogs and cats like bone and joint, vitamin and mineral, condition specific and much more! The site is easy to navigate and they also offer free shipping on orders over $45! They also have low cost shipping, fast delivery and it is produced in the USA!

One of my favorite items that I like is the Grass Guard. My yard has bare spots where my dogs go. There's not much I can do, at least I thought, until I discovered Grass Guard! I want to give it a try as well! Now you know you want to see my dogs eating up the Nutri-vet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil so I made a little video of them eating it. You may need to pause my music playing by scrolling down all the way and looking on the right for a black box.

Overall I've been pleased with the Nutri-Vet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil and I do think it is making my dogs coats shinier and giving them better overall health. Now it is your turn to try it for yourself with your dog! Best Pet Health has generously offered one of my readers their own bottle of Nutri-Vet Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil!

Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

1. This entry is required and will be your first entry! You must like Best Pet Health on Facebook!

2. Follow @bestpethealth on twitter.

3. Sign up at Best Pet Health.

4. Follow my blog with google friend connect.

5. Subscribe to my blog via email.(must be confirmed)

This contest will run until July 18th, 2011 at midnight eastern time. A winner will be chosen using random.org. I was given Nutri-Vet Salmon oil to try for free to review. All opinions are my own. All information was taken from Best Pet Health website and all pictures as well with the exception of my video.

Happy Birthday B!!

2011-06-22T08:29:00.001-04:00

Well, it only seems like yesterday I was holding my smallest baby. Which is funny because the doctors kept telling me he'd be over 8lbs. Not my sweet B though! He was 6lbs 10oz. He was born at 5:07am after laboring all night long. He hasn't always been the laid back boy he is today, 10 years later. He was a fussy baby and had many, many ear infections. Or one long ear infection that lasted from 4 months old until 10 months old when he finally had tubes put in.

Then he kept throwing up. I couldn't get him to eat solid foods. Finally after a year he was diagnosed with reflux. The meds definitely seemed to help him. Then he became my relaxed little boy. (who has grown out of his reflux, yay!)

I am so proud of the little man he's becoming. Yesterday in the mail he received a card from his great aunt and it had 5 dollars in it. Right away he said, "This is for me to do whatever I want with right?" I told him yes and he said, "I'm giving it to VBS for charity!" That's my thoughtful boy who makes me beam with pride! I love him very much. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy of him throughout the years.

Christmas 3yrs old

3yrs old playing his favorite game (at the time)

coloring easter eggs

silly face! 4yrs old

Tae Kwon Doe-Hi Ya! He made it to a Phoenix belt (2nd degree purple)

first day of pre K!

My first lost 2!

8th birthday

His 10th birthday!

The Lady Of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden; book review

2011-06-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

My love for historical fiction/romance led me to another book called The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden. This is the author's debut book and it was absolutely amazing!

It starts off set in the 1880's with Clara Endicott who was born into wealth and Daniel Tremain who was born into poverty. Their love of music brought them together but in their teens Clara's father, Reverend Endicott ripped them apart by sending Clara off to London. She becomes a journalist while Daniel builds his way up the wealth ladder by changing the railroad industry and harboring rage and revenge against someone. (you'll have to read the book to find out who and why!)

Then she takes you from the prison's of London back to Baltimore where the book started. Daniel and Clara hadn't seen each other in 12 years but the sparks still fly! This book weaves history, culture, excitement and God's forgiveness throughout. I absolutely LOVED it and could not put it down.

I was given this book for free to review from Bethany House publishers. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.

Couch to 5K

2011-06-14T17:07:00.001-04:00

Well, as summer gets closer and closer and the weather is remaining fairly decent I am looking for more ways to exercise outside. I LOVE being outdoors. So, while I love my kickboxing (you can check out my favorite video here as well as watch a clip. My other 2 favorites are here and here.) I also love being outdoors. So I've been riding my bike, I've jumped rope a few times and now I am doing Couch to 5K. I've always wanted to run/jog and have wanted to do a 5K. It is supposed to take you from sitting on your couch to being able to run a 5K in two months. I did today and it went well. I could've done more but it said to pace myself and so I am following their plan right now. (scroll down and see it!)

So we'll see how it goes! So far I like it and on off days I'm going to do my strength training or my kickboxing. I don't mind exercising so much if it's outdoors! It's all a part of being off for summer vacation! I have also been slowly altering my eating habits. I am such an emotional eater and I've really been praying about it and trying to give it over to God. I've been putting at least half of my plate fresh veggies or fruit one small piece of meat/protein and a small bit of carbs. I love fresh veggies especially so it hasn't been too hard. The hardest is giving up most sugar. BLAH! I love chocolate! Anyway, hopefully my couch to 5K will go off without a hitch and I'll keep you updated when I find a 5K I can attend!

Off for summer vacation!

2011-06-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

Lake Erie

Ok, the Martha in me is really struggling with letting go of my routines! I feel like I always must be doing something. I promised myself that when my boys were out of school I'd relax on cleaning and routines and just have some fun with them. And yet I find myself always thinking about my to do list! Sometimes it's good to have that Martha mentality but sometimes it really stinks! So here I am, declaring to the public that I will NOT spend my summer fretting about cleaning! Of course there are some things I must clean (like the dishes and laundry!) but I will not be overly crazy about my cleaning. And I'm going to try and save most of it for rainy days. In fact, my boys could care less if the house is clean. This is shown in the messes they leave strewn about all over the house and the state of my teenagers room!

What's even more funny is the first day that L's good friend came over I was cleaning like crazy. I didn't want him to think we lived in a pigsty or anything! Then L looks at me and says, "Mom, stop cleaning. He's going to think we're those kind of people." He must've seen my puzzled look and then he said, "You know, clean people!" He said it like it was so horrendus for his friend to think we were clean that I almost had to chuckle. And you know what? His friend didn't care! So I am relaxing even though it won't be easy at first. Today we are taking up an offer from someone from church to go swimming. I debated over it and decided today is as good as any to start my summer off!

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Week 25 savings; 6/6/11

2011-06-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

Adventures in Potty Training update: the final chapter!!

2011-06-03T19:22:00.000-04:00

First, I must apologize for not keeping up with my blog this week. I've been super busy. And now that the boys are out of school I'm sure it'll be even busier!! I wanted to give the final update on T and his potty training. I have good news!!!! He is fully potty trained (even at night) and finally got to earn his special prize that grandma promised....A ride on her horses!! T loves horses and it was all the motivation he needed. It took a week for daytime training (if even) and a few days for night. Here he is in all his glory:

MyMy's preschool graduation.

2011-05-28T09:02:00.001-04:00

Yes, my MyMy graduated last night from preschool. Beforehand, one of the directors was passing out tissues and I thought, "I'm not going to cry. It's not like he's graduating high school and moving out!" Well, as soon as MyMy got his certificate and gifts and sat down I couldn't help be get teary eyed. My baby is growing up! It was a wonderful ceremony and I am very proud of MyMy. You see, at the beginning of the year I could barely pry him off my legs and get him to stay. He would cry then I would leave and cry in my car thinking I was the worst mom ever. (and I was always assured he stopped crying the minute I left the room!)

Then he couldn't wait to go to preK. In the middle of the year they had a bit of transition time as his regular teacher was very pregnant. That's when Miss J came in. The other woman! There has never been any other woman but mom in his life and now this other lady came in and stole a piece of his heart. I'll never forget the first time he told me he loved miss J. It was Valentine's Day and he wanted me to write I love you on his card to her. He kept telling me, "Make sure you write I love you on it!" It was bittersweet then and his graduation is now.

Here they are singing In Right, Out Right. (to turn off the music scroll all the way down and hit pause. It's on the right side.) MyMy is in the back row, third from left.

Being shy when we first got there.

Walking down the aisle!

The "other" woman, Miss J his wonderful teacher!

All done! This is about the time I started to cry!

Old Navy Deals!

2011-05-27T13:16:00.001-04:00

So I mentioned in another post on how I save on clothing for my family. Well, I signed up for emails from Old Navy (and any store you like to frequently shop at is good for finding out deals) and I got an email that the entire outlet store near us was having 40% off of everything! Including clearance! The Rev had stopped in and said they did have it all 40% off. So we went yesterday hoping to snag some good deals.

I found a pair of black jeans for $3.97 and 40% off of that made them $2.38!

Then I found this super cute shirt:

And look at the price!

With 40% off that made the shirt just $2.69! And most people know that every year they come out with shirts with the American flag on them. They are usually pretty cheap to begin with. They were $5 so I got two for $3 a piece with the sale!

The Rev found a steal on khaki's for work after discount at $7.79ea! Not bad when they are originally close to $30!
I know my rule is to not spend over $5 for an article of clothing (I do once in awhile if I know it's a fabulous deal) I did splurge on this Beach Boys t-shirt:

It came out to $7.79 but I love t-shirts. I am a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal so I splurged.

We got a few more items at great prices and the sale it going on at outlets only until Monday so you can get in on the deals if you live near an outlet!

Thankful Thursday week 5!

2011-05-27T06:56:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know technically it's Friday but I was so busy replanting my garden and spending time with the family I didn't have time to write my Thankful Thursday post! And my devotions were on being thankful so I thought I'd do it anyway. It's week 5 and here is my list!

1. I'm thankful for getting to plant some flowers and replanting my garden! (more on this later)

2. I'm thankful for the birds playing outside my window.

3. I'm thankful for my hubby who made dinner last night since I was replanting my garden!

4. I'm thankful for good deals at Old Navy this week! (more on this later too!)

5. I'm thankful for MyMy who graduates from preschool today! (*sniff*sniff*) more on this later as well with pics!

Claritin for Kids; Review

2011-05-24T14:58:00.000-04:00

Take a deep breath with me...sssmmmmm....aaaahhhh chooooo! Ah yes, allergy season! I absolutely love spring. I hate the allergies my B (my 9yr old) suffers with it though. And he likes to be outside but his allergies can really get to him. Sneezing and his eyes water and itch like crazy. Poor guy.

So how about the normal allergy meds? Snoooooooze. Yep, that's what happens to B when he takes it. Who wants their kid to be all groggy and tired when there are scooters to ride and football to play?! Not me! That's where non drowsy Children's Claritin comes in! The key thing is it's non drowsy! And it attacks all of B's allergy symptoms so he can play outside and not be out of it! And if your kid hates the liquid (mine aren't always fans) they also have redi tabs! You can take them anywhere you go! It is also the #1 pediatrician reccommended non drowsy brand.

They also have an allergy profiler on their site so you can get allergy tips and product reccomendations! You can also get a $3 off coupon at the bottom of the page. Overall, I have been pleased with how Claritin kids has taken care of B's allergies.

I was given a free sample of Claritin Kids liquid to try from bzzagent.com . All opinions are my own.

Who needs toys when you have grass?

2011-05-24T11:43:00.000-04:00

If you remember some of my other posts like this you know my kids have imagination! I have been learning that sometimes toys just don't cut it. There is no need for expensive things when you can use free or cheap things like duck tape and now in this post grass. It's day old cut grass. The grass was long from a week of rain and so it had been 12 days since it was last cut. It was nice out and we were all out playing with the boys.

I see T gathering up loose grass. Then he walks by me and is hugging it and saying, "I love you, grass friend!" Then he laid it nicely down for a nap in the driveway and got mad if anyone messed him up!

"This is my grass friend!"

"GRASS FRIEND!!!"

Week 24 savings; 5/23/11

2011-05-23T13:39:00.000-04:00

Week 23 savings; 5/16/11

2011-05-21T11:13:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm finally getting around to posting this from Monday!

Green=Free, Red=$1 or under, Q=coupon, MQ=manufacture coupon, WQ=Walgreens coupon,

BOGO=Buy 1 get 1 free, GQ=Giant Eagle coupon

IVC=Instant value coupon (walgreens store coupon) EC=Electronic coupon loaded on my Giant Eagle card.

If there is a number before the product that's how many I bought.

And for reference if it says RR that is register rewards that walgreens and Giant Eagle give out. It is a coupon that you can use off your next order that prints out at checkout time. I do multiple orders and use them immediately.

No walgreens this week.
Last weeks wags:

Original Total: $26.94

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $.72 (tax)
Total savings:$26.22
Week 23 Walgreens Total Savings: $725.69
Coupon only total week 13 =$364.31

Giant Eagle:
4 Ritz Crackerful=$14.36 (on sale 4/$8-$1.50MQx4=4/$2 or .50ea)

Multi Item Deal:
Gillette mens deoderant and Gillette body wash=$8.98 (on sale total=$6.50-$3.50MQ-$2MQ=both for $1 or .50ea)

4 Wishbone dressings=$10 (on sale 2/$3 so 4/$6-$1.25MQ-$1.25MQ=4/$3.50 or $.88ea)

2 Hidden Valley farmhouse dressings=$7.18 (on sale 2/$5-$1MQ-$1MQ=2/$3 or $1.50ea)

2 Whisker Lickin's cat treats=$3 (on sale $1.25ea so 2/$2.50-$1MQ=2/$1.50 or .75ea)

2 Eckrich smoked sausage=$9.96 (on sale BOGO so 2/$4.98-$1.10 (MQ doubled)-$1.10(MQ doubled)=2/$2.78 or $1.39ea)
.
4 Ronzoni Garden pasta=$7.92 (on sale2/$3 so 4/$6 -$1MQx4=4/$2 or .50ea)

Egglands Eggs=$2.99ea (on sale $2.50-$1MQ (.50MQ doubled)=$1.50)

9 Ragu pasta sauce=$20.61 (on sale total=$11.25-$7RR=9/$4.25 or .47ea)

Original Total: $85

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $21.53
Total savings:$63.47
Week 22 Giant Eagle Total Savings: $1319.51
Coupon only total week 13=$601.71
Week 22 two store total savings: $2037.20

Put Your Dream to the Test by John Maxwell; book review

2011-05-20T06:50:00.000-04:00

"It's one thing to have a dream. It's another to do the things needed to achieve it," says Maxwell. I thought this book looked interesting. Ten questions and I know if I can seize my dream! Well, sort of! I do think this is a good book. Some parts were hard for me to keep going but most of the book kept my attention. In this book, Put Your Dream to the Test; 10 Questions to help you see it and seize it by John C. Maxwell asks 10 questions to help you see what your dream really is and how to go about getting your dream. Here are the questions:

1. The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
2. The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?

3. The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?

4. The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?

5. The Pathway Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?

6. The People Question: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?

7. The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?

8. The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?

9. The Fulfillment Question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?

10. The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?

If you are familiar at all with John Maxwell's work you know that he is big into leadership and is considered a leadership expert. This book has those tones behind it. While I do think it has a lot of leadership undertones, your average, regular, well, me can use many of the principals of this book. (and if you know me, I prefer NOT to lead but to be behind the scenes!)

Each question has it's own chapter which opens up with the story of someone who has reached a dream. I like the stories and found most of them inspiring. The first one was of Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was interested although maybe him being on the front page news now might skew your view. Overall, I think it's a good read for anyone who wants to test their dream and make sure it's their dream. (He does talk about sometimes we may want to live out others dreams like our parents.) I enjoyed the book and would reccommend it.

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson publishers to review. All opinions are my own.

Love & War; Book review

2011-05-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

Recently I recieved a copy of the book Love & War Find Your way to Something Beautiful in Your Marriage by John and Stasi Eldredge. When I first received it I wasn't sure if I'd like this because I had read Captivating and thought it was ok. I really liked this book though. If you want 7 easy steps to fix your marriage.....LOOK ELSEWHERE! This book isn't like others you might have read. It doesn't give you these easy steps to follow but talks about how you are broken, your spouse is broken and marriage is hard work!

It goes into wonderful detail about how we are in a love story with our spouse set in the midst of a war. A war against our marriage and our enemy is not our spouse! It also talks about how God gave us marriage as a picture of His love to the world and because we need each other.

I love how they use their own personal stories and aren't afraid to mention some serious trials they've had. (Like when Stasi told John she wanted a divorce!) This is beautifully written and has some wonderful God given advice and doesn't sugar coat how marriage is tough. I highly reccommend this book and really enjoyed it.

I recieved this book for free from waterbrookmultonmah.com for review. All opinions are my own.

Thankful Thursday week 4!

2011-05-19T13:23:00.000-04:00

It's time for another addition of Thankful Thursday! Even in the midst of busy lives and sometimes not so good situations it's always good to think of the good. Today is my 4th week of thankful Thursday.

Today I am thankful for...
1. My bike. It feels so good to ride my bike and be outside again! (now if it would quite raining long enough again for me to ride!)

2. My Bible. What better way to start my day than with the very word of God spoken straight to me.

3. My car. Where would I be if I couldn't get from point A to point B?

4. Indoor plumbing. Need I say more?

5. My toothbrush. I like having clean teeth and fresh breath! (the little stuff counts too!)

7 years ago today...

2011-05-18T06:23:00.001-04:00

(above picture is me and my grandpa) Seven years ago today this world suffered a great loss. My grandpa passed away. It's a day I'll never forget. I remember visiting him the night before with the Rev and boys. Then the next day I got a call he had pnumonia and was being transferred from the VA hospital to a different one. That night I remember my dad calling. He didn't even say anything other than hello but I knew. I called my mom and she came and met with the boys as the family gathered at my uncle and aunt's house. Sometimes it seems like ages ago and sometimes, when I really think about it again, it still hurts like yesterday. (kinda like right now)

More than his death I remember his life. I know he wasn't perfect (because no one is) but he sure seemed like it to me! He and my gram always took time with us grandkids. They spent many years living many states away and yet I remember being around them often. They always took us grandkids on road trips. Once we went to Colorado in and old car of theirs. (I live in the east so it was a loooooong drive). We went camping all the time. We went to visit them at least every summer in their Florida home. Then they started taking the grandkids separately on different trips, most were missions related. They took me to Missouri twice to help at a New Tribes mission thing for missionaries that were on furlough but getting ready to return.

He always shone the love of Jesus wherever he went. I remember him always saying these funny little sayings like I'm wide awake, I'm up now too, now here's your rrr, rrr, roooo! (that's a rooster call there!) The way he and my grandmother modeled Jesus to us was simply amazing. I am so thankful that they both took the time to be with us together and individually. I miss him terribly and can't wait to see him again.

To God Alone Be The Glory...while doing dishes!

2011-05-15T20:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I caught myself (again!) being grumpy while doing some housework. Awhile back I posted about finding joy in the calling of motherhood. Well, God is still working on me! I know there are days I will still struggle. For some reason, I have been extremely tired. Exhausted is more like it. And, if you are anything like me, exhausted=being a little more grumpy than usual! So after we ate our Sunday lunch I am finishing up and look up to see everyone gone. Except me and all the dirty dishes and leftover food. (and my dogs who wanted the leftovers!)

Immediately I began to think inside, "Gee thanks guys!" Then I actually said, "Gee, thanks boys! Don't worry, mom will clean up all the mess!" No reply. Hmph. The invisible woman strikes again! So I begin thinking, " Don't they all know how tired I am? I am exhausted and all I want to do is sit down for a minute but now I have all these dishes to do (and I don't really "do" them. I put them in the dishwasher.) and then I have to get my coupons and grocery list ready before I can even sit down."

YIKES! I felt God tug at my heart. "Remember finding the joy? What are your reasons for doing the dishes?" So I listed them off in my head. We need clean dishes so we don't get sick from disgusting moldy food on them. We need clean dishes to we don't get nasty bugs all over them. We need clean dishes because in doing so I bless my family. Hmmm....how'd that get in there?!? Then I was reminded of finding joy in my calling of motherhood. I prayed God would change my attitude and then you know what song I started singing? To God Alone by Aaron Shust. (a great video. You should watch it!) Let everything I say or do...Let it be all for You. The glory is Yours Alone.

I love how God can use things like doing the dishes to bless us and teach us. Even in the every day ordinary He longs to show us His way and His will.

Thankful Thursday 3rd edition!

2011-05-12T06:04:00.000-04:00

Today is my 3rd week of Thankful Thursday!

1. I am thankful for the beautiful weather!!!

2. I am thankful for getting to ride my bike yesterday.

3. I am thankful for books. I love to read!

4. I am thankful that Jesus loves me beyond measure, even when I'm at my ugliest.

5. I am thankful for the love of the Rev and my boys.

What are you thankful for today?

Stressed!!!

2011-05-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

Well, the next couple of months are going to be super busy. It generally takes a lot to make me stressed and last night I was super stressed thinking about it all! On top of keeping up the house (which I know I place to high of expectations on myself), trying to start a garden, making dinner from scratch every night, spending time with the Rev and the boys, the pregnancy center, teaching preschoolers at church Sunday mornings and 2 weeks a month on Wed. evening, some more things are coming up. The Rev's mom is moving. :) That makes me happy. She's moving about 15 minutes from us. I really love my mother in law. She is wonderful and like a second mother to me and I am happy about that. It's the moving part I don't like.

It's pretty much going to be the Rev and I moving everything and I'm not the most muscular lady around. In fact, my muscles are down right pitiful. Well, maybe not that bad as I have been strength training. Anyway, back to the point at hand. She gets the keys June 1st. Well, her granddaughter lives 10hrs away and is graduating this June. So my mother in law is supposed to go there from June 2nd through the 9th. This doesn't leave us much time to move her because our first half of summer is booked! There are numerous events at church. VBS is coming up on the week of the 20th (did I have that in my list above? If not add that in!) and the Rev is taking B and N to a camp that he's the director of the week of the 27th.

Then you have the fourth of July. After that we are supposed to having vacation starting on July 10th. I feel like half my summer is gone already! I don't want to take all summer to move (which is an option) because I want to spend time having fun with the boys. I've missed them sooooooo much since they went to public school this year. I can not WAIT for summer! I am counting down the days! (23 actual days or 15 school days.)

We do have yard/moving sale date of June 18th and moving dates of June 23-25. The moving dates do run into VBS but we don't have much other option.

I think I am at maximum capacity in what I can do. I am trying to rest in God's peace, but my Martha mentality has me getting all worked up! So, no one else ask me to do any more, please! And maybe say a prayer as well. Thank you!

Saving on Clothing and household items

2011-05-10T05:57:00.000-04:00

So in my Couponing 101 post I talked about how I organize and use my coupons. Today I am talking about how I save on clothing and household goods. With 5 growing boys it is easy to spend tons of money on new clothes and shoes. And, let's face it, I'm a woman and I like to buy clothes for myself and the Rev as well. How do I save? Well, I'll tell you. I never pay full price for anything! In fact, I rarely pay over $5 for anything!

There are 3 stores I really love. TJ Maxx, Old Navy and thrift stores. (our local one is Goodwill) I love TJ Maxx because I have found many items on their clearance rack for $1-$2! I've gotten shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, skirts, shorts, yoga pants, capris and much more. I once found a Tommy Hilfiger shirt for $1! You can ask them when they do new markdowns on their clearance items and go on that day. Here is the shirt I bought for $1.

I also love Old Navy. Their prices are much to be desired for many items though. So I go to the clearance. Often times I can find things for under $5, but a few times a year Old Navy does half off it's clearance rack. This makes things super cheap! I signed up for their email newsletters so I know when it is half off clearance items. Then I go and stock up on things for the Rev as well as the boys and I. I got these pants for $5!

And my next favorite store is the thrift store. Our local one is Goodwill and I recently found another one that I just read has a $2 a garbage bag day on the third Thursday of the month. I'm going to try it out then. And our local Goodwill has a half off day the last weekend of the month. I go then and I usually spend at least an hour looking through clothes for everyone (and I check for stains, that zippers work, etc) as well as household goods. I recently bought this springform pan from Pampered Chef for $1.50 and it was brand new!

I also bought a brand new Martha Stewart food chopper for $2 as well still new in the box! I've gotten lots of new things this way!
Our Goodwill also has a stamp card and when the card is filled you get $5 off your next purchase!

Of course, it's not a deal if you are buying it but aren't going to use it or don't need it! Just because I find something super cheap doesn't mean I automatically buy it! If I don't need it or don't have a use for it then I pass it up. Also, I find if I take cash I am more careful as to what I am buying so as not to go over my set amount.

So sometimes savings is work but I like a challenge and I love to find cheap bargains! (You should ask the Rev. I literally get giddy when I find a super good deal!)

Week 22 savings; 5/9/11

2011-05-09T14:43:00.000-04:00

Green=Free, Red=$1 or under, Q=coupon, MQ=manufacture coupon, WQ=Walgreens coupon,

BOGO=Buy 1 get 1 free, GQ=Giant Eagle coupon

IVC=Instant value coupon (walgreens store coupon) EC=Electronic coupon loaded on my Giant Eagle card.

If there is a number before the product that's how many I bought.

And for reference if it says RR that is register rewards that walgreens and Giant Eagle give out. It is a coupon that you can use off your next order that prints out at checkout time. I do multiple orders and use them immediately.

Walgreens
4 Clean and Clear body wash=$23.96 (on sale BOGO so 4/$11.98-$5.99MQ-$5.99MQ=FREE)
2 Carefree pantiliners=$2.98 (on sale 2/$1.98-.99MQ-.99MQ=FREE)

Original Total: $26.94

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $.72 (tax)
Total savings:$26.22
Week 22 Walgreens Total Savings: $725.69

Coupon only total week 13 =$364.31

Giant Eagle
4 cookie crisp cereal=$14.36 (on sale 4/$10-$1.50 (MQ doubled)-$1.50-$1.50-$1.10=4/$4.40 or $1.10ea)

Suave Dry Shampoo=$3.49 ($3.49-$3.49 MQ=FREE)

Tampax Pearl Tampons=$4.79 (on sale $4-$2MQ-$2EC=FREE)

4 Lysol Toilet bowl cleaner=$9.96 (on sale 4/$8-$1MQ-$1MQ-$2 instant savings when you buy 4=4/$4 or $1ea)

2 Schick shave gel=$6.96 (on sale BOGO so 2/$3.48-$1.50 MQ doubled-$1.50 MQ doubled=2/$.48 or $.24ea)

Tide stain release=$6.99 (on sale $5.99-$2MQ-$2EC=$1.99)

Bailey's Creamer=$2.29ea (on sale $1.67ea-$1MQ=.67)

Magic Eraser 2pk=$2.50ea ($2.50-$1.50MQ-$1.50EC=FREE I made $.50!)

2 coffeemate creamer=$4.98 (on sale 2/$3 -$1MQ=2/$2 or $1ea)

6 Lean Cuisine=$16.74 (on sale $2ea so 6/$12-$1MQ-$1MQ=6/$10 or $1.67ea)

3 San Giorno quick cook pasta=$4.50 (on sale $1 ea so 3/$3- $1-$1-$1 (all MQ's doubled)= FREE)

Crest pro health toothpaste=$4.19 (on sale $3-$1.50MQ-$1.50EC= FREE)

Uncle Ben's ready rice=$2.49 ($2.49-$2.49MQ= FREE)

9 Ken's Salad dressing=$26.01 (on sale 3/$5 so 9/$15-$1MQ-$1MQ-$1MQ=9/$12 or .75ea)

2 Ken's Marinades=$5.78 (on sale 3/$5 so 2/$3.34-$1MQ-$1MQ=2/$1.34 or .67ea)

2 Texas Toast Croutons=$4.98 (on sale 3/$5 so 2/$3.34-$1-$1 (both MQ doubled from .50) = 2/$1.34 or .67ea)

2 Bertolli pasta sauce=$5.70 ( on sale 2/$5-$1.20-$1.20 (both MQ doubled from .60)=2/$2.60 or $1.30ea)

2 Purina Beyond cat food=$5.38 ($5.38-$2MQ-$2MQ=2/$1.38 or .69ea)

4 Nestle Chocolate chips=$13.16 (on sale 2/$6 so 4/$12-$1.50MQ-$1.50MQ=4/$9 or $2.25ea)

20 Yoplait light yogurt cups=$14 (on sale 20/$10-$1MQ-$1MQ-$2RR=20/$6 or .30ea)

2 Tyson grilled and ready chicken/beef strips=$7.98 (on sale BOGO so 2/$3.99-$1.10-$1.10 (both MQ's doubled from .55ea) =2/$1.79 or .90ea)

2 Smart Balance omega oil=$10.78 (on sale $4.49ea so 2/$8.98-$1.50-$1.50 (both MQ's doubled from .75ea)=2/$5.98 or $2.99ea)

4 Rachael Ray Nutrish Dog food=$65.16 ( on sale $13.99ea so 4/$55.96-4 $2.50off coupons=4/$45.96 or $11.49ea)

And I also got a RR for $4 off my next order so that needs to be subtracted as well!

Original Total: $243.17

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $108.43
Total savings:$130.74
Week 22 Giant Eagle Total Savings: $1256.04
Coupon only total week 13=$570.51
Week 22 two store total savings: $1973.73

A couple new coupon resources...

2011-05-08T16:25:00.000-04:00

So recently I did my couponing 101 post. Well, this weekend as I was doing my grocery list I came across two more places that have printable coupons!

couponnetwork.com
shortcuts.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T08:34:00.002-04:00

Well, Happy Mother's Day!! I all you moms out there are doing fabulous! I am doing well after a long and stressful week for me. I am especially grateful for Mother's Day because I get pampered. :) The Rev and the boys treat me like a princess. I truly would love a morning of sleeping in, breakfast in bed, and a long bath. The Rev thinks I need more than that. I really don't but my sweet, dear hubby always gets me a gift and makes me feel special and I am thankful for that.

This year I actually got my gift early! It required a baby sitter. My hubby knows me so well. I absolutely love antiques. Usually the older and rougher it looks the more I love it! (I always joke it's why I love him so much but he really doesn't look old!) So I was blessed with a gift certificate to our local antique store in the mall. It is one of my favorite stores to browse in. Yes, some of the bigger items are really expensive. I've even seen some items that I had in my house growing up selling for $1000 or more! (makes me wish we wouldn't have thrown it away!)

Anyway, my mother in law was down (and I love her soooo much! She's the best!) and watched the boys. We've taken the boys into the antique store before but we don't stay for long. This time I got to spend as much time as I wanted going in and out of every nook and looking at everything. The Rev never said a word as I looked and shopped for 1hr and 40minutes. The longest I have ever been in there and the longest I've shopped and not gotten bored. (I like shopping but I do it fast!) I love old kitchen linens and stuff. Here are some of the treasures I got.

tea and spice containers

old cigar box

maple syrup tin

Curtains

table cloth

tea towels

candy sack

feed sack

shot sacks

Scarlett and Rhett towel. I love Gone with the Wind!

table cloth

tea towel

So what am I gonna use this stuff for? Well, I'll tell ya, but in another post. I want to show you what N made for me at school first.

the wrapping

the other side of wrapping

front of card

Inside of card. Nolan said we aren't really sad. He just wasn't paying attention when he drew our mouths!

A flower, book of all the nice things I do for N and a tea cup with a tea bag.

And my sweet B made me a book of poems that he wrote all by himself! They were wonderful and I am putting all the paper things the boys made in a special bin where I keep their best stuff. I am truly blessed!

Thankful Thursday!

2011-05-05T06:21:00.000-04:00

Well, there is much to be thankful for today! I started thankful Thursday last week. So, without further adieu here is my list!

1. I am thankful for God's protection. I'm sure there are countless ways He has protected my family when I didn't even know it! (and many times when I have known)
2. I am thankful for my health and that of the Rev and the boys. 'Nuff said.

My lab

3. I am thankful for my dogs who are always happy to see me no matter what.

4. I am thankful for my house. Having shelter over me is a great blessing!

5. I am thankful for books. I love to read. There is nothing like having a good book in your hands and a quiet minute to read! (or in my house, not so quiet!)

What are you thankful for today?

Couponing 101

2011-05-04T15:17:00.000-04:00

My coupon holder

You know you are all dying to know how I organize my coupons, right?!? Ha! Well, I'm going to show you and tell you how I maximize my savings when I go shopping.

First, I always get 4 Sunday papers. I buy two of one that has all the inserts (usually Red Plum and Smartsource weekly and P&G and General Mills once a month or so) and then I buy two of another paper that has everything but Red Plum (because in that area Red Plum is mailed). If you are luckier than me your local paper has a super thick thing of coupons. It's why I buy two of the closest cities paper as well. Our local paper's coupons stink but it's the only way I can get a couple of Red Plum. Anyway, if you really want to save money grocery shopping, I really reccommend getting some sort of Sunday paper. I know it's money, but in the long run I save more even after spending to buy the papers.

Then I write the date on the front of the insert. I used to cut out every coupon and file under different categories like baked goods, frozen, etc. But I don't use all the coupons in every insert and it was too much to cut them all out. So I started writing the date on them because the sites I use will tell me which insert on which day. I file mine in a big accordian file (picutred below) according to month. So if it says SS 4/13 I go to April and find the Smart Source with the date on the front that says 4/13. I can then find my coupon.




Well, usually I can. Coupons vary from town to town and even newspaper to newspaper. Our local newspaper has a thin insert while the closest city's that I buy has much thicker and more coupons. Then I go to the sites I use. These sites tell me what's on sale at my local store this week along with the coupon available. It tells me what the final cost will be so I can decide if it's low enough to buy it. It must be a savings of at least 50% for me to even consider buying it. Here are some of the sites I use:
couponmom.com-free
thegrocerygame.com -paid $10 every 8wks but your savings is more than this cost if you do it right
hotcouponworld.com-free

I also have places I go for printable coupons.
coupons.com
smartsource.com
redplum.com
thegrocerygame.com has printables you can use as well even if you aren't a member

And you can often go straight to your favorite products website and often times they will have coupons as well. I also subscribe to various blogs that sends me emails about deals and coupons all over the place. My favorites are the following;
moneysavingmom.com
thefrugalgirls.com
christianclippers.com
momsbyheart.net
couponsandfreebiesmom.com

Overall it takes me about one hour to get my list and coupons ready and then it takes me about 2.5hrs to shop. I go to 3-4 different stores to get all the good deals and then the essentials I need that aren't on the list. I have not had to pay for toothpaste, deoderant, and a few other things for over a year now because of coupons and sales. I buy as many product as I have a coupon for and then I am stocked up until the next sale.

You can even buy coupons on ebay for very cheap. I usually only buy dog food coupons because our dogs only eat one brand and since dog food is expensive I buy about 10-20 coupons (usually $1 or less for all of them) and then when it goes on sale for a good price I buy 10.

So I hope this was helpful. I know it was very lengthy but this is how I save on groceries. I usually don't buy it if it's not on sale and I don't have a coupon!

Next up: how to save on clothing and household goods.

Hormel Compleats Kids Meals; review

2011-05-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

I have picky eaters. I mean really picky! B and N are actually the worst. L will eat anything and T will eat just about anything. M is getting more picky the older he gets (and he's only 5!) So when I had the opportunity to review Hormel Compleats Kids Meals through shespeaks.com I thought, "No one is going to eat these except L!"

So one day I am making lunch and I didn't have anything N wanted. (I am trying to cut back on processed stuff and my boys don't like it!) Well, I happened to have the Compleats kids meals and to my surprise N wanted to try the spaghetti and meatballs!

And the great thing is that they only take 45 seconds to heat up! So easy! When I am in a pinch these are perfect to use. I do like to make homemade as often as possible but some days I am just running behind or super stressed or there's not time! These come in handy on those days. And the best part is N LOVED it! I was shocked when he said he liked it! Here he is enjoying it.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Hormel Foods provided samples of Hormel® Compleats® Kids Microwave Meals for me and my family to try. No payment was given and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Bin Laden...

2011-05-02T14:09:00.000-04:00

Yep, we all know the news now. He's dead. I know many are celebrating but this is only the beginning. (I know we've been in this war over 10yrs now!) He was one of many that hate our country and that he has groomed. Plus, this verse keeps ringing in my head:

    ¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
   when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
   and turn his wrath away from them. (Proverbs 24:17-18, New International Version, ©2011)

This man is probably in hell. Some say justly so. Don't we all deserve hell though? I know that I am not a terrorist nor is anyone I know but we were all sinners. It's also hard for me to fathom that Jesus actually loved/loves Bin Laden. That is hard to chew on! Such an evil man filled with such hatred and yet the same Jesus who died for me died for him as well. Have you ever thought of that? Jesus loving these hate filled men and women?

Anyway, I am thankful for the military and all they do for us. I know they sacrifice daily so that we can be free and safe.

An early Happy Mother's Day to my Mom!

2011-05-01T14:58:00.000-04:00

So, I had a good talk with my mother today. Unfortunately, someone who read my blog told her that I put she was abusive, a bad mother, that I blamed her for not having water. I have never said any such thing (or wrote any such thing). I told her to read it for herself. My mother never beat me, abused me or anything like that. I love her very much and she is one of my best friends. She is always there for me no matter what. If I need her for anything she would drop whatever she was doing (and she has done this many times) to come and be with me.

She was there for the births of each of my children, for their birthday's, holiday's and just plain old normal days. If anyone has been blessed with a wonderful mother it's me. I know that she's not perfect (nor am I the perfect daughter) but I love her and am thankful for all that she's been to me. No matter what came at me in life she was there. Yeah there were bad times but there were many more good times. The times we went to Florida on vacation. When we would go to the beach and spend all day there. When we would make Spam surprise together. :) She is an amazing, giving woman and I was upset to hear that someone is saying these things to her.

My mom is the best and I am so thankful that God chose her to be my mother. I'd never want anyone else to be my mom and words can not express the love and grattitude I have towards her for putting up with me my whole life! Happy Mother's Day Mom!!!

L's Baptism

2011-05-01T14:30:00.001-04:00

Today was a good day as L was baptized. I thought I share the video. He said he was so nervous and thought he stuttered but he didn't. He did great and I am so proud of him! You can turn off the music by scrolling down to the bottom right and hitting pause.

Hannah's Hope; book review and giveaway!

2011-04-29T14:51:00.001-04:00

Recently, I was given a free copy of the book Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss by Jennifer Saake. Jennifer suffered with infertility for many years and this chronicles her trials as well as going through the story of Elkhana and Hannah in the Bible. (the parents of Samuel) She beautiful goes through the story of Hannah's suffering in wanting to desperately have a child and talks about her own and other's infertility. It is so wonderfully written and would be wonderful for anyone suffering from infertility.

Jennifer talks about her 15 year struggle with infertility, her anger, hurt, tears as well as many adoption losses and miscarriages. She now has two living children and while she doesn't promise everything will turn out as you hope it will turn out as God has planned for you. (and we all know that's not always easy!)

I originally chose this book because I have had a miscarriage. While this book does mention miscarriage and adoption loss it doesn't really go into depth on these topics so I would reccommend other books and wouldn't use these for those two topics. Overall, Jennifer shares her heart and struggles. She offers hope in God's plan and timing and also offers suggestions for friends and loved ones of the one going through infertility. I loved this book and would reccommend it to anyone suffering though infertility.

Now for a giveaway!! My first one! I am giving away a copy of this book! All you have to do is leave a comment telling me that you want to be entered. One entry per person please! Giveaway will end on 5/6/11 at 12 midnight eastern time. Winner will be drawn 5/7/11. Please leave your email so I can let you know if you won!

The winner is comment #5 as chosen by random.org! You have until Monday at 8am eastern time to respond to the email I am sending you now!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from NavPress Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Warrior Prayers

2011-04-29T05:48:00.001-04:00

So this week there were some things that I felt were really major in praying for my boys this week! One of the most important was salvation. There is nothing I want more than to see my boys continue to grow in their faith and be men of God. I already pray daily for this area in their lives. I know I started off strong in my faith and then I waivered. I pray my boys don't.

I also prayer for Anger. Oh, man, anger can destroy a person's life! It always seems to me that anger also stems from something deeper like resentment, bitterness or something like that. (I know some anger is justified an ok so don't get me wrong on that!) I'm talking about someone who walks around angry all the time. I pray often for my boys for this too already!

Another one was humility. Nothing is more off putting than an arrogant person! And I know Jesus humbled Himself and what better example than that? I want to make sure that I am modeling all these things to my boys in our daily lives.
I know that as I've been doing warrior prayers, God has really made me see that in today's world I really need to be on my knees as the first step in doing battle for my boys' souls. I know today is technically the last day for the 21 days of prayer challenge but I started late so I'm going to keep going. I know that through this challenge I have seen changes in me and how I view my boys. I know God works in his own timing and I pray that as I continue to pray these scriptures over my boys that God will slowly change their hearts and hold them firm in His grasp. I don't know the plans He has made for them but I know they are good and He wants nothing but the best for my children.

I know that doesn't mean that their lives will always be easy but it means that God will use them and refine them until they are as He wants them to be.

Thankful Thursday!

2011-04-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

So I decided to do thankful Thursdays. I mean, it's always good to be reminded of all the wonderful blessings that I have to be thankful for. I'm going to do 5 things every Thursday.

1. The Rev. I can't say enough good things about how wonderful he is to me. He even told me I looked good today when I was a mess! That man is sent to me straight from God and I am thankful.

2. My boys. I have been blessed with 5 active, healthy, smart, handsome, amazing boys here on earth. (and one child in heaven!) It has always been my dream to be a mom and I am thankful that God made it easy for me to become a mom.

3. Sunshine today. I truly didn't think I could handle one more day of rain!!! Nothing helps me feel good like a little sun. :)

4. The garbage man. Every week without fail this unknown man comes and takes away all our smelly trash so I don't have to. And he does it early. He's here by 4:30. (Insomnia, anyone?)

5. Sweet tea. It is my drink of choice. I make it every other day at home myself and I love it! I drink about 5-6 glasses a day but I don't actually make it super sweet and I use decaffeinated!

What are you thankful for today?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T06:44:00.000-04:00

I've just not had the words to write this week so I decided to do a wordless Wednesday. I'm posting more than one picture though. This is when my grandpa came to visit a couple weeks ago.

First T and I had to meet to pick up the boys who had spent the weekend at their friends' house.

L being a typical teen. Don't take my picture!

Me and my grandpa. I wish I could see him more.

My sister, brother and I. (we don't see each other enough either!)

My boys with great grandpa.

OK so that wasn't exactly wordless but I wanted to share anyway!

Adventures in Potty Training update!

2011-04-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I must say potty training has been going very well! I have always let my boys lead the way when it came to potty training but when my mom offered a horsie ride to T in exchange for him wearing underwear I decided to give it a try and it has been going great! The first day he did fabulous. The few days following, not so great. Lots of accidents and washed clothes. But I think it's mostly because he simply forgot he was wearing underwear. I mean, when you've worn diapers for your whole life I would expect a few accidents. But now T is doing great!

So as soon as it quits raining on a weekend we are going to my mom's for T to ride horses! I will take lots of pics and we can close this chapter of the book! It's a little sad because this is probably my last time doing this! After 13.5yrs of diapers they are just about no more!

Week 21 savings; 4/25/11

2011-04-25T12:36:00.000-04:00

Green=Free, Red=$1 or under, Q=coupon, MQ=manufacture coupon, WQ=Walgreens coupon,

BOGO=Buy 1 get 1 free, GQ=Giant Eagle coupon

IVC=Instant value coupon (walgreens store coupon) EC=Electronic coupon loaded on my Giant Eagle card.

If there is a number before the product that's how many I bought.

And for reference if it says RR that is register rewards that walgreens and Giant Eagle give out. It is a coupon that you can use off your next order that prints out at checkout time. I do multiple orders and use them immediately.

Again, no walgreens this week. There weren't any coupon inserts because of Easter and there were only 2 things I was interested in so I skipped it.

Week 21 Walgreens Total Savings: $699.47

Coupon only total week 12 =$350.35

Giant Eagle
2 Marcal paper towels 8ct=$8.99ea so 2/$17.98 (on sale $4.99ea so 2/$9.98-$1MQ-$1MQ=2/$7.98 or $3.99ea)

4 Eckrich skinless smoked sausage=$4.99ea so 4/$19.96 (on sale BOGO so 4/$9.98 -.55MQ-.55MQ doubled-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=4/$6.28 or $1.57ea)

2 Whiskas tray cat food=.80ea so 2/1.60 (on sale .50ea so 2/1.00 -.50MQ=2/.50 or .25ea)

6 Birds Eye steamfresh frozen veggies=$1.69ea so 6/$10.14 (on sale 10/$10 so 6/$6-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=6/$3 or .50ea)

Kraft 2% singles=$4.29 (on sale $2.28-$1MQ-$1.28)

2 Kraft shredded with a touch of philly=$4.29ea so 2/$8.58 (on sale $2.28ea so 2/$4.56-$1MQ-$1MQ=2/$2.56 or $1.28ea)

4 Johnsonville breakfast sausage=$3.99ea so 4/$15.96 (on sale 2/$6 so 4/$12-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled=4/$7.60 or $1.90ea)

2 Hefty Storage Bags=$2.50ea so 2/$5 (on sale 2/$3-$1MQ=2/$2 or $1ea)

3 Band Aid boxes=$2.48ea so 3/$7.44 (on sale BOGO so 3/$3.72-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=3/.72 or .24ea)

Nivea for Men body wash=$4.49 (on sale $3.49-$3MQ=$.49)

2 Angus London Broil=$40.07 for both (on sale BOGO $40.07-$19.11=$20.96

Yoplait fiber plus 4 pack yogurt=$2.79ea (on sale $2-$.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50EC=.50)

Digiorno pizza and cookies=$8.99 (on sale $7.99-$2MQ-$5.99)

2 French's mustard=$1.85ea so 2/$3.70 (on sale 2/$3-.30MQ-.30MQ doubled-.30MQ-.30MQ doubled=2/$1.80 or .90ea)

2 French's Dijon mustard=$3.19ea so 2/$6.38 (on sale 2/$4-$1MQ-$1MQ=2/$2 or $1ea

Original Total: $179.23

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $61.66
Total savings:$117.57
Week 21 Giant Eagle Total Savings: $1117.30
Coupon only total week 12=$495.33
Week 21 two store total savings: $1816.77

The Lightkeeper's Ball; book review

2011-04-23T19:19:00.000-04:00

Recently I was given a copy of The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble to review. There are certain things that really make me love a fiction book. Romance, mystery, Christian values, historical fiction and a little bit of suspense. This book had all those things! I loved this book and the more I read it the more I couldn't put it down!

Olivia Stewart gets word of her sister's drowning after she leaves their home to marry Harrison Bennet. It is 1910 and the Stewarts are on the verge of a financial collapse when money and status are everything. Knowing that something isn't right about her sister's death, Olivia goes to meet Harrison Bennet under her proper title Lady Devonworth. As her life is put in danger, she sees that status isn't everything and God truly cares about her and her circumstances.

Over and over I kept trying to guess who did it and why and what really happened to her sister Eleanor? All at once I was waiting for love to be proclaimed, the killer to be caught and money to be raised for a fallen lighthouse. This story was wonderful. I love historical Christian fiction and the suspense and twists only added to the story. I loved it so much I want to get the first two books in the Mercy Falls series! (you do NOT need to read them to understand what is happening in this book! It stands all it's own)

Overall, and amazing book that I absolutely loved!

I received this book for free from Thomas Nelson publishers to review. All opinions are my own.

When God Created My Toes; book review

2011-04-23T14:13:00.001-04:00

Recently I received the book When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall for free to review. This is a cute children's book! My 3yr old really enjoyed the rhyming and talking about all the body parts that God made and what God may have been thinking as told through the eyes of a child. This book is full of cute rhymes like, "When God created my toes did He make them wiggle? Did he know I'd giggle?"

I just read this book to my kids and I think they really enjoyed it. It really talks about how God designed each part of you in an amazing and unique way. This is a great book for showing kids that God designed them the way they are and it is a good thing! I will say this book is geared more towards younger children. My 9yr old said it was ok but my 3 and 5 year old really enjoyed it! Overall, it's a good solid book for kids to read about God's amazing creation; them!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah free to review. All opinions are my own.

Forgiveness.

2011-04-23T09:16:00.000-04:00

Luke 23:24 "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."

Yesterday I posted about the cross. Today I was thinking about forgiveness. I was thinking about it a lot yesterday as well. I can't imagine what Jesus went through and then on top of all that He is on the cross and in the midst of all His suffering He asks God to forgive them! That boggles my mind. Sometimes forgiveness is so hard. I know in the midst of being wronged forgiving the person is not usually what I am thinking about. Right in the middle of His suffering and pain Jesus did just that. When I'm in the middle of being hurt I can say that most of the time forgiveness is not what I am thinking of!

This example of forgiveness really speaks to me. How many times have I held on to my hurt? So often I think of forgiveness as giving the other person a free pass. It's like if I forgive them then I think in my head that I've just OK'd what they did. But that's not the case at all. It doesn't free them. It frees me. In my head I know this but sometimes it's just so hard to move past things. I know God has been working in me with some forgiveness issues that I didn't even know I had buried deep down. I am a stuffer. I stuff my feelings down over and over and over and finally they come bubbling up. So as I look to the forgiveness that Jesus himself showed on the cross, not to mention the countless times I've been forgiven by God, I yearn to have that heart of forgiveness.

The cross.

2011-04-22T08:46:00.001-04:00

So I'm sitting here thinking about what to write and I keep thinking of Easter and the cross. How could I possibly express what I feel about Jesus dying on the cross for me. I can't even imagine the pain and anguish before it even happened! I mean, Jesus knew what was coming which was evident in His drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. Has anyone else to this day been so distraught that they've sweat blood? Maybe, but I've never heard of it.

How many times have I been so in "anguish" over something but nothing like my dear Saviour. How many times have I said, "forget it, God! I can't handle this!" And yet, not Jesus. Can you just imagine the agony that night as He spoke to His Father? It brings me to tears. Still Jesus did it. He endured such great suffering, more than I have ever known. Nothing that's happened to me has even come close.

He is often pictued in pictures and movies as having a little blood from the thorns, his beard still in tact, still looking mostly normal. I don't think most people realize how horrific He really looked. They punched Him repeatedly in the face. Matthew 27:30 says they spit on him and took a staff and hit him on the head again and again! John 19:3 says they struck him in the face. I'm sure he was swollen, blood all over. Maybe even missing some teeth. They pulled out his beard! (check out the prophesy in Isaiah 50:6 for this)

When He was flogged The skin on his back would've been almost completely gone or just hanging in pieces. Muscles, tendons and even bone were probably visible. Talk about a horrific thing! (even worse than the picture above I would imagine) I just can't even imagine what He went through. And then to think that it was me that He did it for. It is sobering. I certainly didn't deserve it. Really it should've been me but He took my place. He took your place. Just the thought of this leaves me speechless. I seriously don't have any more words to describe. I am forever grateful (more than words could ever express) what Jesus did for me that day.
He Died by Sacred Warrior (an oldie but goodie!)
Up next: Well, most of us know what happens next. It makes death not scary for us believers!

An interview with B

2011-04-21T06:34:00.002-04:00

Here is B's interview. You can pause the music by scrolling down and pushing pause. It's on the right.

Mrs. Meyer's Countertop Spray; Review

2011-04-21T05:53:00.000-04:00

So a couple of weeks ago I won Mrs. Meyer's Countertop Spray (in Lemon Verbena scent) from Viewpoints. I've been trying to be more natural with my cleaning. I used to totally make all my own cleaners and since I've moved I've gotten away from it a little bit. I'm starting to slowly get back to that. In the meantime I'm trying to use more natural cleaners like Mrs. Meyer's.

Mrs. Meyer's products are made with essential oils (they smell great!) and aren't full of harsh chemicals like modern day cleaners. You can watch what Mrs. Meyer's products are about as well as meet Mrs. Meyer herself. (Yes, she's real!)

What did I think? Well, it smells great! And it did clean just as well as chemical cleaners. I used it in my kitchen, bathrooms as well as on my washer and dryer. This is not just for countertops! Overall, it did a great job but without all the harsh chemicals that aren't good for anyone or the environment.

Week 20 savings; 4/18/11

2011-04-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

Green=Free, Red=$1 or under, Q=coupon, MQ=manufacture coupon, WQ=Walgreens coupon,

BOGO=Buy 1 get 1 free, GQ=Giant Eagle coupon

IVC=Instant value coupon (walgreens store coupon) EC=Electronic coupon loaded on my Giant Eagle card.

If there is a number before the product that's how many I bought.

And for reference if it says RR that is register rewards that walgreens and Giant Eagle give out. It is a coupon that you can use off your next order that prints out at checkout time. I do multiple orders and use them immediately.

I did not go to Walgreens this week because I went to a discount grocery store about an hour from my house to stock up on TONS of stuff. Everything there is at least half price. So walgreens carries over.

Week 20 Walgreens Total Savings: $699.47

Coupon only total week 12 =$350.35

Giant Eagle:
2 Kraft Stove Top Stuffing=$2.09ea or 2/$4.19 (on sale 2/$3-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=2/$1 or .50ea)
11 Green Giant frozen boxed veggies=$1.79ea so 11/$19.69 (on sale 10/$10 so $11-.60MQ-.60MQ doubled-.60MQ-.60MQdoubled-.60MQ-.60MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=11/$5.90 or .54ea)

Johnsonville Breakfast sausage=$3.99 (on sale $3-.55MQ-.55MQ doubled=$1.90)

2 Johnson's baby wash=$3.69ea so 2/$7.38 (on sale 2/$6-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=2/$4 or $2 ea)

2 Electrasol Dishwasher cleaner=$4.59ea so 2/$9.18 (on sale 2/$7-$1.50MQ-$1.50MQ=2/$4 or $2ea)

6 Electrasol powerball tabs=$4.59ea or 6/$27.54 (on sale 2/$7 so 6/$21-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled(do that 5 more times!)=6/$16.50 or $2.75ea)

2 Biz stain fighter=$3.99ea so 2/$7.98 (on sale $3.49ea so 2/6.98-$1.50MQ-$1.50MQ=2/$3.98 or $1.99ea)

2 Reynold's wrap foil=$3.99ea so 2/$7.98 (on sale $1.49ea so 2/$2.98 -.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=both FREE)

4 Pepsi 12 pack cans= on sale 4/$11 -.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=4/$6.50 or $1.63ea

2 Kraft singles 2%=$4.29ea or 2/$8.58 (on sale $3.99 or 2/$7.98-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=2/$4.98 or $2.49ea)

2 Soft soap 32oz refill=$3.99ea so 2/$7.98 (on sale BOGO so 2/$3.99-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=2/$1.99 or $1ea)

Original Total: $115.49
Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $50.75
Total savings:$64.74
Week 20 Giant Eagle Total Savings: $999.73
Coupon only total week 11=$462.03
Week 19 two store total savings: $1699.20

I'm an alien!!

2011-04-20T05:50:00.000-04:00

Psalms 119:19
"I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me."

^{Phillipiams 3:20 "}But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Philippians 3:20, New International Version, ©2011)

Hebrews 11:13-16
¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16, New International Version, ©2011)

Well, those verses just about sum up why I sometimes feel so out of place on earth!! I'm an alien here! Who wouldn't feel different being an alien and all. Ok, yeah, I'm not a green big-eyed alien, but it is true that this earth is not my true home.

For anyone who knows me on various forums or on ebay or anything my username always has homesick in it. My favorite one is homesick for heaven. I started using that name not long after my grandfather passed away. At his funeral we played Homesick by Mercy Me and it really struck home with me at that time. No wonder I feel so out of place. I don't really belong here. I am simply staying here for the short time that God has designated for me. And while I'm here He has work for me to do to further His Kingdom. I may feel out of place and awkward at times but it's ok because I know in the end I will be going to my true home that Jesus left to prepare. Just for me. And just for you if you'll ask Him in.

In my post about being remade I posted some of my favorite songs about being remade and new. Now I wanted to share some songs I love about heaven being my true home.

This Life by Mercy Me
Free by Mercy Me
Blessings by Laura Story
If You Could See Me Now by Don Moen (well, this is sort of like a viewpoint of a loved one who passed on and went to heaven)

Biotrue Multipurpose contact lens solution; review

2011-04-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

Recently I received a new, free bzz kit from bzz agent. I have been wearing soft contact lenses since I was in 10th grade so since I was 15yrs old. Alright, I let you know my age. I've been wearing contacts for 17 years. (don't let anyone else know my age!) In that time I've tried a lot of contact lens solution. At first, all that was available was the two step thing for cleaning and disinfecting. I was extremely happy when multipurpose came out and now I can be happy again because of Biotrue by Bausch & Lomb.

Why am I happy about this? Well, I'll tell you. In all the years of wearing contacts I've never had something that really made my eyes feel , what's the word, not dry. Contacts dry your eyes out. Especially if you are a lazy cleaner like me. What is a lazy cleaner? Well, it's someone who does not take them out every night for cleaning. Mine are disposable contacts, and to be honest, I hate not being able to see and I hate wearing my glasses so I only take them out once a week and sometimes twice. So my eyes get dry. Biotrue actually seemed to help some.

Here are some facts about Biotrue. It works like your eyes in three ways. The first is it has a lubricant found naturally in eyes. Second it matches the pH of healthy tears, so it works well with your eye's natural chemistry. Last, It keeps certain beneficial tear proteins active.

Overall, I think this may be my favorite lens solution yet. If you are interested you can find a retailer near you. I have $3 coupons if your interested I can mail you one or you can get a $1 off coupon here.

How to make your own body scrub.

2011-04-19T06:04:00.000-04:00

Making your own body scrub really is cheap and you can do it with things you probably already have in your house! The ones pictured were made out of epsom salts and grapeseed oil. Here are the things you will need.

Jars or containers to hold the finished product.
Bowl for mixing
Sugar (or epsom salts)
Olive Oil (or grapeseed oil)
essential oil (optional if you want it to smell or not)

How much you need really depends on the size of your containers. You can use those small little jelly jars for canning, or even the next size up. They also sell little plastic containers in places like Walmart or Target.

All you need to do is put the sugar (or epsom salts) in your jars. Take that and dump them all into a bowl. Next add your oil a little at a time. You don't want it to be too runny! Enough to make it like sandcastle consistency would be good. You can add any scent or coloring if you prefer. Then put back into the jars! I use mine about once a week. It can also make a good gift. In the next couple weeks I'll be posting how to make your own soap and lip balm. You could make these, put them in a basket with a sponge or pouf and have a gift basket! And it's so easy. (the oil may separate a bit and this is normal!)

Max on Life; book review

2011-04-18T12:58:00.001-04:00

I was recently very excited when I was given the opportunity to review Max Lucado's new book Max On Life Answers and Inspirations for Today's Questions. The Rev absolutely loves Max Lucado's books (and he owns them and has read them all!)

Lucado is a pastor, husband and father and in this book answers questions that have been asked to him over all these years of ministry. Some have been from previous books and some are new. I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read a couple of pages since it is split up into questions. And the questions are put in to chapters like Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, and a few more H's!

The questions go from on the "surface" to much deeper and in depth. For example, one "surface" question would be "I'm a new Christian. Over the years I've developed a lot of bad habits. How do I get rid of them now? " and one "deeper" might be "Does God allow war? If so, how do we reconcile His commands to love our enemies?"
In each question Lucado offers scripture and advice using these scriptures as well as his many years of knowledge in being a pastor. His answers are direct and easy to understand and full of warmth. He never goes "over your head" and makes Jesus real and in the present. He never comes off as holier than thou and always shows God's love and grace for the sins we've made if we only confess.

Overall, I really like this book and the ease with which you can read. If you have one minute you can read a question or if you have an hour read thirty questions. You can even simply go to the questions that most pertain to you by using the index of subjects in the back.

This is another good book by Max Lucado and I definitely reccommend it.

I was given this book for free from Thomas Nelson publisher through booksneeze.com for review. All opinions are my own.

Interview with N

2011-04-18T06:58:00.002-04:00

Here is N's video. To turn off the music scroll down all the way and it's on the right. Just his pause! :)

Becoming a gracious woman.

2011-04-16T08:07:00.000-04:00

Proverbs 11:16 ¹⁶ A gracious woman retains honor,
But ruthless men retain riches.
(Proverbs 11:16, New King James Version)

So I've been reading a devotional about become a woman of grace. (Becoming a Woman of Grace by Cynthia Herald) It really made me begin to think, "Am I gracious to others? Do I show the grace of God in my deeds and words? Do I give grace as God has given me?" Look at the verse above. I know I want to retain honor! And I want to show the grace that has been given to me from God. I want this "fruit" to come out of every pore of my being so that it might draw others to Christ. I want to extend grace to people who need it so desperately just as it was given to me.

One way is to be gracious in my speech. I am generally pretty quiet in a room full of people I hardly know but once you know me, I promise I can talk! Still I try and be gracious in my talk to others. Proverbs 10:19 says the following, " ¹⁹ In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise."  (Proverbs 10:19, New King James Version) So I guess in my being quiet it actually helps me to be more gracious!

So while I am far from where God wants me to be (but closer than where I was a decade ago!) I am striving to offer grace instead of judgement. I want to extend the hand of hope and grace to those who need it and are longing for Someone to draw them in and let them know that they can be offered grace for free from the One Who gave it all for us. That is my prayer today!

Isaiah 30:18 "
¹⁸ Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
   therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
   Blessed are all who wait for him!" (Isaiah 30:18, New International Version, ©2011)

Warrior Prayers; peace

2011-04-15T07:24:00.001-04:00

A few days ago I posted about praying 10 times a day for 21 days for each of my boys. I am using the book by Brooke McGlothlin called Warrior Prayers. So far it has been good. It is directly inserting my boys' names into scripture for various topics. Today is peace. This is so important for today. It seems like the world is so unpeaceful. I thank God that His peace surpasses all understanding.
Philippians 4:7 says "Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

Many times when it seems like I should be unpeaceful over circumstances this verse comes true in it's fullest. One example was when I miscarried. I remember being so much at unrest and sad and angry and right before I went in for a D&C I felt this extreme peace and God gave me the verse Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" I kept repeating this verse over and over and I felt His peace take over.

I definitely want this for my boys. I want them to have God's supernatural peace.

Tie Dyeing fun!

2011-04-14T13:49:00.000-04:00

N's shirt

I have been wanting to tie dye for a long time and I finally got to yesterday! I only got to do swirls because I didn't mix up enough dye to do the V ones I wanted to do! I ended up doing 9 shirts. I originally wanted to do 18. The black really went all over the place so next time I'll go light on the black and more with the other colors. Here is what I did!

Interview with MyMy

2011-04-13T06:40:00.001-04:00

Here is MyMy's interview. To turn the music off scroll all the way down and it's on the right. Just hit pause!

There is hope for me yet!

2011-04-12T06:06:00.001-04:00

You know, I love songs that talk about being remade in Christ. I don't know what it is about them but I really can relate. I know I am flawed. I know I am far from perfect. I know that on my own I'm not good enough. And that is where Jesus comes in. I like the thoughts that I am not finished yet. That who I am isn't who I will be and I'm certainly not who I was.

Sometimes I think I can relate because I feel like I am never going to be good enough. I've always had self esteem issues but I know I need to see myself the way Christ does. One of my favorite songs says, "He doesn't see me the way that I do." Everytime I hear that I think, "Thank, God!" And I really mean that! Often times we are our harshest critics. I know I almost never live up to my own expectations and when I fail or fall again (maybe for the 20th time in a row) I see myself that way. But I have to remember that sometimes God uses these moment to draw me closer to Him. He uses them to make me more dependent on Him.

Another reason is because I am remade. I am new. Yeah, I may not have been the best person and maybe I can't deny some accusations, but God has remade my heart and my soul. Everyday I become more like Him if I let Him. Daily, small changes are happening in me and although I don't notice them at the time I can look back at when I began my journey with God and see big differences now. So I'm not who I was. I am new. Everyday.

My current favorite songs:
Jason Gray; "I am New"
Brandon Heath; "I'm not who I was"
Brandon Heath; "Wait and See"
Tenth Avenue North; "You are More"

When the Soul Mends; book review

2011-04-12T05:51:00.001-04:00

When the Soul Mends by Cindy Woodsmall is the third book in the Sister's of the Quilt series. I was immediately intrigued by the opening of this book. It is about Hannah Lapp (who changed her name to Lawson when she was basically ousted from her Old Order Amish home. That is in the second book though!) It begins with her returning to Owl's Perch after a deadly fire that her sister is suspected of setting. It turns out that she did set the fires and Hannah stays to get her sister help. While at home she must face her past and her former love Paul Waddell while being in love with an Englicsher. She has had some tragedies in her life and it left me wondering how this would turn out. Would she stay with Martin, the Englicsher or go back to Paul? (I won't tell you, you have to read the book!) What will happen to her sister? Will the relationship between her and her father ever mend? You will have to read to find out. I think I would suggest reading the first two books first. I haven't and I feel like I missed some important things. Even though it's told in this book a little bit I'm sure the other two would be fabulous reads.

You can read an excerpt from chapter 1 to see what you think!

I recieved this book for free from Waterbrookmultnomah.com for free to review. I was not required to give a positive review and all opinions are my own.

A Bushel and a Peck!

2011-04-11T06:56:00.001-04:00

I was going to post MyMy's interview today but I recorded him singing this and I thought it was so cute I had to share!! (as always, you can pause the music by scrolling all the way down to the bottom right and clicking pause.)

Week 19 savings; 4/11/11

2011-04-10T19:27:00.001-04:00

Green=Free, Red=$1 or under, Q=coupon, MQ=manufacture coupon, WQ=Walgreens coupon,

BOGO=Buy 1 get 1 free, GQ=Giant Eagle coupon
IVC=Instant value coupon (walgreens store coupon) EC=Electronic coupon loaded on my Giant Eagle card.
If there is a number before the product that's how many I bought.

And for reference if it says RR that is register rewards that walgreens and Giant Eagle give out. It is a coupon that you can use off your next order that prints out at checkout time. I do multiple orders and use them immediately.

Walgreens:
Multi item deal;
Biore pore strips=$7.99
Biore facial scrub=$7.99 (both on sale $5.99ea so 2/$11.98 -$5.99MQ-$5RR=2/.99 or .50ea!)

3 Yardley soap=$1.49ea or 3/$4.47 (WQ makes them .69ea or 3/$2.07)

Carefree pantiliners=$2.49 (on sale for .99ea-.99RR0.50MQ=FREE I made .50!)

3 Kraft mac and cheese=$1.49ea or 3/$4.47 (walgreens q makes them .69ea or 3/$2.07)

6 butterfinger easter eggs=$1.47ea or 6/$8.82 (on sale for .29ea or 6/$1.74)

3 Hyponex potting soil=$1.50ea or 3/$4.50 (WQ makes them .99ea or 3/$2.97)

Original Total: $40.73

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $9.34
Total savings:$31.39
Week 19 Walgreens Total Savings: $699.47
Coupon only total week 11 =$350.35

Giant Eagle:
Jello Temptations=$2.89 (on sale $2.69-$2.69MQ=FREE)

6 Crystal Light Pure fitness=2/$5 so 6/$15 (on sale 3/$5 so 6/$10-$2.50MQ-$2.50MQ=6/$5 or .83ea)

4 Hormel Compleat's kids meals=$2.29ea or 4/$9.16 ($9.16-$2.29MQ-$2.29MQ=4/$4.58 or $1.15ea)

20 various Hershey bars=$1ea so 20/$20 (on sale BOGO so 20/$10 or .50ea)

2 Luna Bars=$1.25ea or 2/$2.50 (on sale $1ea so 2/$2-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=FREE)

2 Spencer beef roasts=total for both $21.61 (on sale BOGO so 21.61-$10.78=$10.83)

2 Shoulder steaks=$10.46 for both (on sale BOGO so $10.46-$4.96=$5.50)

2 Reynolds release foil=$4.29ea or 2/$8.58 (on sale 2/$5 -.75MQ-.75MQ doubled-.75MQ-.75MQ doubled=2$2 or $1ea)

4 betty Crocker fruit snacks=$2.69ea so 4/$10.76 (on sale 2/$5 so 4/$10-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled-.50MQ-.50MQ doubled=4/$8 or $2 plus extra 20cents off per gallon fuel perks)

4 Giant Eagle pasta sauce=$1.50ea so 4/$6 (on sale 4/$5 plus extra 10 percent off per gallon fuel perks)

3 Bailey's creamers=$2.19ea or 3/$6.57 (on sale 2/$3 so 3/$4.50-$1MQ-$1MQ-$1MQ=3/$1.50 or .50ea)

Original Total: $113.53

Total out of pocket after coupons/sales: $52.41
Total savings:$61.12
Week 19 Giant Eagle Total Savings: $934.99
Coupon only total week 11=$430.28
Week 19 two store total savings: $1634.46

21 days of prayer for my sons!

2011-04-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Recently I discovered an amazing site for moms of boys by moms of boys called The MOB society. (MOB stands for moms of boys!) And it linked me up to something called 21 days of prayer for our sons. It is being put on by Brooke McGlothlin who wrote the book called Warrior Prayers; Praying the Word for Boys in areas they need it most. I was lucky enough to have won an ecopy of this book! I was supposed to start on April first but I forgot. Completely embarrassing. I mean, what does that say about me as a mother?! But, you know what, I am human and I forget. I am glad God doesn't and he brought me to another mama of boys blog that talked about it. So now I am starting today. It is praying 10 times a day every day for each son. That means I will be praying a total of 50 times a day for my boys!! It is a commitment, but it is very worth it. I was inspired by this post that one of the most amazing ways I can show I love my boys is to show them by being on my knees for them in prayer. I am excited about what God is going to do through this 21 days of Warrior Prayers and will keep you updated. Since I started late I will be going through May 1st! I'm going to start on what everyone else is on right now. Purity!

I definitely feel that this is a HUGE issue facing our young men today. You can't even turn on a family show without seeing a Victoria Secrets commercial with practically nude women! It is really something that must be prayed about often for our boys. I'll post more later this week!

True love!

2011-04-10T08:12:00.000-04:00

So, what is true love? Let me tell you. It's when you worked hard digging and tilling and hoeing and planting. It's when you've been working hard for hours outside in your garden while your hubby patiently waited for you to help put together a basketball hoop because he knew how important your garden was/is to you. It's when your done and beging helping hubby and realize that the hoop won't go together he returns it but doesn't stop there. He comes home with dinner and not only that he comes home with a McDonald's sweet tea which is your favorite. It doesn't stop there, while he's walking in the door he's telling your oldest son that when he's married these are the little things he should do for his wife especially when she's tired from working hard all day. I love the Rev. God has truly blessed me. (and not just because he buys me dinner when I'm tired!)

Who needs toys when you have ducktape?

2011-04-09T10:09:00.000-04:00

I think the following pictures speak for themselves. There is no need for expensive dress up toys when you can make beards and mustaches out of ducktape!

Or you could just sneak a pen and draw one on yourself!

PS: I promise my boys got the duck tape out and did this to themselves. I do NOT duck tape my children!

Adventures in potty training!

2011-04-08T12:54:00.000-04:00

Well, the time has come to potty train T. I have always done child led potty training with great success (my kids just one day said, I have to go!) but having been changing diapers for 10yrs now I'm getting ready to push a bit! Plus, T is already 3yrs and 7 months old. Plenty old enough for a little push. Plus, I know T is totally ready. I've been talking to him about underwear for a few months and he always says, "I don't want to get bigger! I wanna wear diapers!"

But, all that changed the other day win then my mom came to visit. You see, T's favorite animal is a horse. He loves horses. My mom has 2 horses. So while she was here he asked if he could ride them. She said that you have to be a big boy and go in the potty. He was all for it! So two mornings ago we went to walmart and he picked out his underwear. It was a Nickelodeon mix of wonderpets, Deigo, and Spongebob. He had 2 accidents all day which I thought was fantastic. I think he just forgot he was wearing underwear. I am so proud of him in wanting so badly to ride these horses that he is giving potty training his all! I will update soon on progress!

Friday funny; No swimming allowed in the grass!

2011-04-08T05:42:00.000-04:00

Um, I usually follow the rules but this time I just don't think I could resist! I might just dive in and get cooled off!