Praises of a Wife and Mommy

Have you heard of Peet's Coffee?  I had not either until they contacted me about their " Do you give a cup? " campaign.  To celebrate this journey, they are launching Give A Cup, the Internet's very first social sampling experiment.   Here’s how it works. Each week, you can go to  doyougiveacup.com   and vote on a topic. The topics are fun, current and sometimes a bit quirky. Your votes determine where we host our sampling events each week.   Check out Peet's Give a Cup social sampling experiment! Each week, you can vote whether you "give a cup" about a new topic. Your vote helps to determine where Peet's hands out their new Single Cups. So do you #GiveACup?  I have participated in the questions regarding "Do you Give a cup."  This weeks question was Do you give a cup about hot dog eating contests? So for me I'm sorry but I am not a big fan of watching someone eat and eat and over eat some more as fast as they can....

 One of my favorite Children's Bible is the "Jesus Storybook Bible."  I am really thrilled that they took that entire children's Bible and made DVD sessions from each Biblical story.  These videos are 5-9 minutes long and are helping in our church Sunday School program.   I was very curious if the stories from the book would be word for word or done differently.  When I watched the first episode it was a delightful experience to watch the video with the bible open and follow along.  Every part of the DVD was word for word from the Bible.  The pictures were nice and vibrant and my heart got excited to share with all the little kids at church.  You must check out these DVD's for your personal collection.    I was given a copy of the DVD's to conduct my review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.  

I know I'm not the only wife with a husband who has t-shirts with those nasty yellow pit stains.  Ladies there is an easy solution!  Check out the before and after pictures above and that is just from using Raise!  WOOT!  No more throwing all the shirts out because of pit stains.  Get rid of the stain with Raise don't throw the shirt away. 

The question of the week...month is when will my daughter lose her two front teeth?  Anyone want to make some guesses?   The two bottom teeth are getting to come out.  I think my daughter is so excited to lose a tooth she is constantly pushing on her teeth to help the process along.   So come one and leave a comment with a date you think she will lose one or both.  :)  Play along she really wants to lose them before she turns 6 in September.  She likes to set goals and achieve them... it's a great quality I love about her. 

Yes, those are the two cutest kids you have ever seen.  :)  We had a smaller pool that was used as a ball pit for the balls but we got another hole and since I have taped up several holes I thought we should try to find a pool that did not need to be blown up.    We filled the pool up and got the balls in and the kids sure had a blast throwing the balls out of the pool and aiming for the big grey container.   Easy entertainment and easy clean up. 

Another year has come and my love for my husband is still stronger then ever.  We may have had several changes over the last 7 years but my love only grows.   Our date last night is one that will never be forgotten!  Let me just start at the beginning.   We left our house a little after three and we had a little drive to arrive at the museum we wanted to go to.  The clouds were rolling in and we had already had a few storms come and go but no big deal.  Once we took our exit I got my phone out to take some pictures of the neat and scary clouds.  My husband and I noticed right away that these clouds were low and moving very fast.  A few seconds later our phones were sending us this message: Let me remind you that we were driving!  Within a couple more minutes it started to rain and then down pour.  So we turned into the nearest place, ironically it was a motel, HAHA and took shelter there.  A...

The most awaited part of the years-  S-U-M-M-E-R  has finally come. Aren't you excited to be in the beach, wear shorts, be tanned, be sweaty yet gorgeous and go to music festivals? Well I definitely am! What is summer without a new pair of eyewear? An easy remedy for this is to stop by  Firmoo.com  and pick up a free pair of glasses so that you won't miss a moment this summer. New arrivals are part of the First-Pair- Free -Program. Now get yours for  FREE ! + Looking for Retro Style Glasses? A retro glasses frame offering a quirky retro look. This eyewear with bold color and fashionable design will lighten up your summers. The rectangular lenses are surrounded by thin and sleek rims, extending out to metal stems. Spring hinges add extra comfort to wear. Find out your own and unique style. + Looking for Oversized Glasses? To be yourself and find your own way to show yourself! This eyewear with big conspicuous frame is so unique and attracti...

Today I celebrate 7 years of marriage with my best friend!  After 7 years we have 2 awesome children, have had 4 dogs, and lived at 4 different places!  It sure is an adventure that we share.  I love you Anthony, we make a great team and I love sharing life with you.  

Admit it, this is the biggest watermelon you have ever seen?  It was heavy and super red and delicious.  I brought it to our church potluck this weekend.  This huge watermelon was found at Aldi's and was only $5.49-Woot!  

We finally went out to dinner in our new town and had a nice walk along the Mississippi this evening.  It was nice relaxing and enjoying each other and filling our belly with some local grub.  We went to a restaurant called "Sneaky Pete's" and they are known for cutting ties off you if you wear one in.  I still feel like a tourist in our new town but it's fun that way.  :)  Seriously look at all the ties!  I also heard President Obama came through and ate here.  Not sure if he has his tie on the wall though.  

We had just gotten back home from getting the mail and then we had a parade of bikers come park in the church parking lot.  (During the week we share the parking lot down town)  It was neat to watch them all park and many were waving to my kids.   Makes me want to do a Biker Blessing!! :) I counted 47 bikes!!  Wowzers!  Sadly they were not in town too long because a bad storm was coming and they had to get back to another town.   

I participated in a campaign on behalf of  Mom Central Consulting  for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.” What it is: Cascade© Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade while simultaneously helping to maintain the sparkling look of your clean dishwasher interior. How it works: Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.* *Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors. Why you need it: Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits: • Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food • Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes • Helps maintain the look of new machines and ...

I though one of the first things I would do after moving is join a local gym.  Well, I have been touring a few places but still unsure of what to do.  So many choices and really confusing as I wait to hear about job possibilities for myself. (Did I tell you I have been applying for some teaching jobs- still waiting on God's leading.)  So far I have checked out Planet Fitness, YMCA, Snap, and the local Rec area.  Each vary in prices, location, and what they offer.  I like more classes, I want child care option, and well it makes it difficult.   So this week I have had some fun working out in my neighborhood.  My daughter is a great warm up partner and I am always impressed with her running skills.  We have a lot of hills here and she did not give up and we had a ton of fun running down them.    Isn't this view breath taking?  I had to stop my job and just take it in!  You can see our new church and home and amazing ...

I really liked how Rick Warren wrote this devo so I wanted to share it with all of you!   Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself? This is the power of suggestion working within your mind. We naturally move toward whatever our attention is focused on. The more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you. This is why repeating, "I must stop eating too much or stop smoking or stop lusting" is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you don't want. It's like announcing, "I'm never going to do what my mom did." You are setting yourself up to repeat it. Temptation begins by capturing your attention. What gets your attention arouses your emotions. Then your emotions activate your behavior, and you act on wha...

We are still having lots of fun exploring our new town. I am all excited for a zoo trip with my family after meeting some of the members of the Niabi Zoo when they came to visit our local library.  I love learning new facts about animals too- life long learner here! :)   My daughter thought it was so funny when the bird made a cellphone ring squawk because that is what the bird is familiar in hearing.  I found it more entertaining watching all the kids faces when the zoo keeper talked about bringing elephant poop in with the lions for them to roll around in.  (you know they do this because they want to hunt elephants and they cant smell like a lion they need smell like the prey.) Those kids were so grossed out knowing the zoo keepers allowed them to do it.   I encourage you to take a trip to your local library and see what fun summer events they have planned.  

I did this activity a few weeks ago with the boys.  I sure do miss watching little Benny!  I traced the boys and allowed them to color in their bodies.  They were not to thrilled with laying down still but they had fun seeing the finished product.  I will have to do this soon with my year old since she might enjoy it more. 

If you are exhausted with the typical selling, car washes, brat sales, and door to door fundraising options then Teespring just might be what your looking for.  What is it??  Well first check out this quick video that explains it.   Many of you know I have been doing my own fundraising for my upcoming Light the Night Walk. So I immediately jumped on and created a t-shirt.  Now I have not finished setting it up for people to purchase them but hopefully I will get it all set.  Here is what I created in just a matter of minutes: This idea is very neat because you the fundraiser does not have to spend any upfront costs.  I know you have been there were you purchase tshirts in hopes to sell them and then you only sell a few and have several left.  This process takes all the risk out completely.  You also get to be the designer which is awesome and fun.   Another factor that I love is the shirts are delivered so you d...

This is just a good reminder for me today.  AMEN!  Thank papa God for listening to my prayers.  

Dear Daddy, We are so thankful for all you do!  We love you!!  You all know I recently moved to a different state but what you dont know is that for about 10 days straight my husband fixed up the parsonage for our arrival.  We are talking about ripping out all the carpet and even replacing dry wall, painting every room, and a whole lot of cleaning.  He worked the hardest he has ever worked all for our family.  Not only can daddy fix anything but he can make anything too.  I sure am blessed to be married to my best friend, the father of my children.  He is the best dad for them and it is always precious to watch the interactions they have.   This morning we gave daddy his presents but my daughter also wrote her own song for her daddy and proudly used the "Elmo" microphone and sang her little heart out.  She gets that talent from her daddy!  I was teary eyed as I listened to her love and affection she had for her d...

I hope you all will be blessed my this message on POWER!  Yes we do have the POWER!  WOOT 

The Fruit of the Spirit Bible, NIV helps explain the importance of cultivating the nine fruit of the Spirit (from Galatians 5) that everyone should try to grow. Got Fruit? Don’t you love the taste of fresh fruit? God likes fruit too, but not the kind that comes from orchards. The fruit God loves best grows within you: qualities such as love, joy, peace, and kindness that delight God and can make you the kind of person others simply love to be around. The NIV Fruit of the Spirit Bible will help you cultivate all nine “Fruit of the Spirit.” Twelve special, full-color pages tell you about each kind of fruit: what it is, why it’s important, and how, with God’s help, you can grow it in your heart. You’ll love the handy, take-anywhere size, and since this is the complete, bestselling New International Version, you know it’s easy to read and understand. It is always a positive thing to practice the fruits of the spirit.  It allows us to see the growth God has been doi...

I am so glad this week is wrapping up.  WE have officially had one full week in our new place.  We still have projects to finish but most of the house is set up and its starting to feel like a home.  Yesterday the kids and I enjoyed a couple different parks and there are several more parks to explore in the coming days.  

Yes, I lived in a place that never had a Chick-Fil-A but now with the move we have one and today I ate my first yummy chicken sandwich.  I enjoyed it and I loved reading about all the other fun events they are offering at our local one including kids times, financial peace classes, and so much more!  GOOD JOB CHICK-FIL-A GOOD JOB!  

Another sign that my baby is no longer a baby.  With the move we decided to change from the crib to the toddler bed and I am thrilled that little man has done a amazing with all the transitions he has made in the last week.  I love you Tman!  :)  How many of you saw this picture and made the "awwwww" sound?  That's what I do!  :) 

I am starting to love my new view at my new home.  I absolutely love seeing the show boat floating by with the adorable music playing.  I will admit I thought we had an ice cream truck coming when I heard the music but nope it was the boat.  Not sure if the kids were thrilled with the no ice cream but trust me we have good ice cream choices around.  :)

I am a proud mommy!  My daughter finished 4K this year and I think she was the favorite in the class.  Her teacher loved to brag on her and I read her report card and I was thrilled.  She had straight 4's which is like A's.  :) On top of the grades she had the sweetest comments.  "Selah remains a strong role model for all students both academically as well as socially."  WOOT- I also pray she was the light in her school showing Christs love every day!  :)  GO SELAH GO!  I am proud of you!  Excited to see how Kindergarten goes.  :)  WOOT

Zondervan has a great Bible for the boys!  I was given a copy of this Bible in exchange for an honest review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.   About:  The Brave Knight Bible helps boys ages 6-9 learn about the character traits that God wants his brave knights to showcase: traits such as respect, honor, love, truth, and bravery. This portable compact Bible includes the complete King James Version translation with 12 full-color pages. For bold young knights riding into battle, the Brave Knight Bible provides the sword of God’s Word so they can vanquish their fiercest foes. Besides the complete King James Version, this Bible also includes twelve full-color pages to encourage young boys to develop character traits of respect, honor, love, truth, bravery, and other knightly qualities. The compact size lets a youthful warrior carry it anywhere. Other features include: Presentation page for personalization Concordance for help in ...