Praises of a Wife and Mommy

With the economy at a low, it’s created a difficult job market, especially for moms  who have spent a significant amount of time out of the office, working hard from  home to raise good kids. If you’re among the thousands of women who are looking   to return to the workforce, three cheers for you! It’s a scary world out there, but  with the proper tools, it might not be as scary as you think. Employers out there are  looking for people with your maturity and experience -- you may just need to brush  up a little on the current job market’s demands. Continuing Education If you can, take the job search slow, identify the places you’d like to work, and begin  the process of preparing yourself to be an asset to those corporations. If you need  to continue your education but are trapped by evening obligations at home, try a  flexible program, such as MBA online programs to help you gain the edge you need.   Most institutions are accustomed t...

One of New York Times bestselling author, Karen Kingsbury, writes a heartwarming story about a little girl and her loving father in a beautifully illustrated children's book.   Book Description:  Blow the trumpet, sound the horn,  Daddy’s princess has been born!   The timeless journey of a daughter and father  is poignantly captured in the story of a girl’s  growth from childhood to motherhood.  Playful, emotive prose, enriched by the whisper of God’s scripture on each  beautifully illustrated page, invites girls and dads to see themselves reflected  in this keepsake book and to be reminded of the blessings and the bonds  between them. Throughout tea parties, soccer games, braces, and boys, a girl  is her daddy’s princess every step of the way. My Review: I feel silly admitting this but this children's book got me all choked up and teary eyed.  I also got the warm fuzzy feelings as my husband sat down with my daughter...

Who is Way Better Snacks ? Simply Sprouted. What do you get when you add sprouted whole grains and seeds to a tortilla chip? A Way Better Snack! Every chip in here is bursting with goodness, because we’ve unlocked the powerful nutrients found in perfect, unprocessed ingredients. So when you share these deliciously sprouted chips, you’re actually improving someone’s well-being. You’re the best. Still good and crunchy. Still great with salsa. Just better for you. Doesn’t that make snacking better too? Our Story It all started with a simple vision to create a better snack.  We wondered, wouldn’t it be great to go back to a time when the food we ate was actually nutritious and good for you.  You know, before decades of environmental harm and mega food conglomerate processing wiped out most of the nutrients which used to be abundant in the food your grandparents ate.  To make products you could feel good about eating again and sharing wit...

Buy the Book during Launch Week! To express our gratitude to you for your help with a strong launch we have put together an amazing package of  parenting resources worth over $400 that we want to give to you for free  just for helping us. Here’s what you need to do. 1. Purchase the book  during Launch Week, April 29 to May 5, 2013 at one of the major retailers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CBD, etc) 2. Email, fax, or mail us your receipt.  Be sure to include your email address so that we can tell you how to obtain your free gift. Email: Gift@biblicalparenting.org  Fax: 609-771-8003. Mail: 76 Hopatcong Dr. Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. That’s it. It’s simple. We will give you hundreds of dollars worth of parenting tools just for helping us in the launch that first week. The offer is only good during the Launch Week. 3. Just one more thing.  Would you please help us now by telling all your friends about this offer. Please post it, tweet it, email...

We finally hit 70 degrees this weekend!!!  Spring has been so cold and miserable but the last weekend in April it finally showed up and we sure hope it stays.  One thing to remember when the warm weather shows up is sunscreen.  Buying sunscreen today can actually be scary when you realize all the chemicals that are in them.   No need to fear when you order all natural sunscreen from Sun Grubbies .  This weekend was my first weekend to use Tropical Sands All Natural sunscreen.  The sunscreen protected us from sunburn while we were outside for majority of the day.  The face stick was easy to apply and rub in.  The regular sunscreen has a fresh citrus smell.  I learned quickly that this sunscreen can go a long way. My daughters arms were a little white from using a bit too much.   Thank you Sun Grubbies for sending me product in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid for this ...

Why on Earth would I have ice cream smashed on my forehead?  I had a challenge with my daughter to raise money for Light the Night 2013.  We each needed to raise $100 in one week and we successfully completed the challenge thanks to awesome friends and family.   I have the video below and I hope it makes you giggle.  It sure would be a blessing if you were able to donate a little to help fight cancer.  :)  Just follow this link to donate:  http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCiti13/AFlanigan FIND A CURE FOR CANCER!!!

Over the last few months God has opened the door for my family to step out of youth ministry and step into a senior pastor position.  In February we headed down to Iowa to check out the church and then we were back again at the beginning of April.  The decision is not an easy one to make.  Our family has truly been blessed  being here is the norther part of Wisconsin the last 4 years.  We have a great church, great friends, nice house things here are comfortable and fun but when God calls you somewhere you go even when it might not make sense or be easy- step out in FAITH- Put my trust in HIM!  One hard aspect is obviously saying good-bye to many great friends we have made here.  The other part is selling our house we just bought a year ago.  I love our house here but I know the plans that God has for my family are calling us to move.   Last night I needed to share my heart regarding us leaving at church.  It o...

We can safely say SPRING is HERE!   Today we are going to hit 60's and this weekend we may hit 70's!  I am about to do a happy dance!!!    To actually bring in the nice weather the kids created a "Spring is Here" crown.  After we were done we had to go on our own parade!   These three kiddos sure had a great time on our walk and at the park.  Spring stay here we do not want any more cold spells and absolutely none of that white stuff. 

2013 will always be the year that winter never wanted to leave and spring took forever to come.  These pictures were what I looked out and saw when I woke up this morning.  We got just over 2 inches but thankfully it all melted this afternoon.  Even though I am a huge spring fan I will admit there is still beauty in this snow fall even in late April.  

Last week I told you that I would be sharing my review on the book " The Christian Parenting Handbook ."  Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller wrote an amazing story that every parent should read.  The book outlines 50 different strategies that are easy for parents to try and use each day.  I ultimately love the ideas and stories that are shared with in the book.  It was really helpful for me to understand what heart issue my children might be facing when there is disobedience.  After reading " Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids" the "Christian Parenting Handbook"   was the next book to follow up with and take honor to the next level with looking at heart issues in myself and with my children.  Using a lot of the strategies are also so important for keeping parenting on a Biblical foundation.   I also told you to get excited about all the freebies you can get by getting your book La...

I'm a Wisconsin girl so I automatically love cheese, but on cold rainy or even snowy spring days a nice grilled cheese sandwich can make the dreary day much better.   Thanks Udi's for sending me some bread to sample and try for my grilled cheese sandwich.   Udi's bread is amazing!  It is gluten free, GMO free, no artificial flavors, no coloring's, no preservatives, and no synthetic additives.   The goal of Udi's is to provide people with the best gluten-free food on the planet.  They create delicious products that will fill everyone's stomachs and warm our souls.  The flavor and texture of Udi's Gluten Free breads, buns, bagels, muffins, cookies and granola's are so good fans have been known to cry with joy.  I truly would never know that Udi's was gluten free because the flavor is full and very good on the taste-buds.  My kids love Udi's bread as well and enjoy fruit sandwiches and toast al...

                      About OOFOS: OOFOS  was formed by a passionate group of colleagues and shoe experts experienced in designing, developing and sourcing in the footwear industry.  They share the common goal of challenging the status quo to continually make a positive difference in consumer's lives. They created the revolutionary  OOFOS  brand experience powered by an innovative, visionary material called  OOfoam . The patented foot-bed design delivers an unprecedented experience because of its unique energy absorption capabilities.  You may think these initial designs look like something you've seen before, but the OOFOS  brand experience is like nothing you've ever felt before. Learn the facts about our exclusive  OOFOAM technology  and how it helps you recharge and rejuvenate your feet There is nothing else like  OOfoam  on the market. My Revi...

How to Build a Backyard Pond You’ve been putting it off long enough: now is finally the time to get that backyard ready for summer and to build the pond you’ve been dreaming of. To create a quiet, relaxing setting for you and your family, gather the instructions, tools, and plans together to create your very own backyard pond. Before you begin, consider all factors of lifestyle to determine the size of your pond, and also consider what you want it to contain. If your neighborhood contains lots of cats, or if you have a pet that might bother fish, you might consider creating instead a pond that contains only plants or rocks. Planning Your Pond Choose the area for your pond. We recommend that you use a pond pump to filter the pond and to keep the water flowing. You’ll want to make sure that area has adequate access to electricity to run your pump. Pond pumps from Swallow Aquatics are available online and offer a variety of options for all shapes and...

RAGE!! Well, at least for me I keep getting a little bit more frustrated as I see snow falling outside again and its April 21st!!!  Where is spring!  These three smiling faces still liked seeing the snow.

Praises of a Wife and Mommy Welcomes You to the Massdrop Giveaway Event Are you a coffee drinker?  I am!!  I might be a coffee snob because I add yummy flavors to my coffee and would never drink it black.  My husband can drink his coffee black.  My daughter and son love to make apple cider in the Keurig and I like tea too!  We love our Keurig maker!  Massdrop takes a group of people that each want to buy the same thing, combines their order, and places that order directly with the manufacturer. If you are interested in a product for a group buy you can start a poll to see how many people might be interested. When people vote on a poll, Massdrop calls the manufacturer and negotiates with them to get the group the best price possible. As a result, everybody in the group gets the large quantity price while only having to buy one, or however many you want. Of course, the larger the group the better price everyone will get!! Massdrop just had t...

About the book:  Little girls are invited to color and doodle their way through God's Kingdom in a lovely new addition to the Zonderkidz library.  Packed with tiaras, butterflies  pretty dresses, and flowers, The Precious Princess Bible Doodle Book offers page after page of princess- themed coloring activities, unfinished drawings, and creative prompts to encourage faith-building, fun, and coloring- in and outside the lines.  With a bright pink cover the book is laced with important Bible Verses about the Father of all princesses- "The King of all Kings."  My Review: I think this book might be my daughters new favorite. The fact that she gets to become part of the author/illustrator is such a fun bonus for a 5 year old. My daughter has enjoyed every princess activity she has completed thus far.  She has designed a crown, built her kingdom  and several other fun activities.  She also is enjoying the stickers that come ...