Praises of a Wife and Mommy

We of course had to make some Despicable Me pumpkins to go along with our costumes!  :)  My daughter had fun creating the purple one.   My son was enjoying painting his pumpkin.  We sure had a big mess when we were done but they all turned out awesome. 

Let the barn animals free!  WARNING- playing Riddle Moo This will cause others to think live farm animals have invaded.  :) Thank you Learning Resources for sending me this game to conduct a review and one game to the winner of the giveaway.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.  About the game: Cock-a-doodle do you know the answer?! Giggle, learn and grow vocabulary with this exciting riddle game! "It's a fruit, it can be red, and it crunches when you take a bite." Buzz if you know the answer! Features 2 levels of game play (age-appropriate common nouns) and Barnteaser cards for an extra challenge! Includes 4 animal-sound buzzers and 150 double-sided cards My Review: My daughter was the first to play this game and she was slow at first to understand how riddles work.  Once the connections were made she enjoyed the questions.  My 2.5 year old son might not be at an appropriate age to play the game the animal noises

I did this at home and in my classroom.  Buy some pumpkins (we purchased the mini pumpkins) then get out the colored dry erase markers and let your kids draw faces over and over again.   You can discuss emotions and what they might look like then draw them.  Its a easy, affordable, and fun project.  

What a fun afternoon we enjoyed with some church families and our local community.   Our church decorated our trunks and had a great time handing out candy and other fun prizes to some adorable kids in their Halloween costumes.  I was amazed at some of the creativity in costumes and car decorations.   We were able to see over 200 kids and next year we plan on making it even better.   So can you tell me what I was for Halloween?  Think "Despicable Me."

Thank-you Big Fish Games for supplying me with a free code to review a game for an honest review.  Big Fish is also supplying 2 more codes to two lucky readers.  Make sure you enter the giveaway below using the easy rafflecopter form.  About the game of Life:  Spin the wheel and choose your path – the possibilities are endless! Anything can happen in The Game of Life! Choose your car and take a spin on the winding road of life. Play it safe with sensible choices like college, marriage and kids. Or play it risky with high stakes investments and lavish luxuries. You can even increase your chances of getting rich and winning big with Share the Wealth cards and Life Spaces. Either way, discover what your future holds in colorful, 3-D play. The Game of Life has never been better! Play the classic game at your own pace Live it up in 3-D gameplay Fun for all ages! With my code I decided to pick a familiar and old time favorite game that I played as a young girl.

Yes, it was a tough day in the classroom and this was the reminder I needed.  Lord, help me each day I am there to show your love!  Let your light shine bright in my classroom!  

Christmas shopping is in full swing for many people!  If you are a parent then this review might help you in selecting a book that will turn into a treasure.  Lets be honest, every child who finds their name in a story all of a sudden is overjoyed!  They become the STAR of the story and can better relate to the story.  Take a moment and order your personalized kids storybook today!  KD Novelties site is an easy 1-2-3 process for ordering your personalized children's story.  I was able to conduct my order in a simple manner and I was pleased with the fast shipping.  I ordered "No More Diapers" for my 2.5 year old son who had several successful potty trips months ago but has since become stubborn.  We have been reading this book for the last 2 weeks and he is started to sit on the potty again!  Now I can't say its all due to this book because there are tons of other factors but we have read this book while sitting on the potty and I know it is encouraging him!

I have the opportunity to share with you, my loyal readers, this fun Halloween giveaway.   :)  I have had the pleasure of doing reviews in the past for a few of these companies and think you will enjoy the opportunity to win!  Enter below using the easy rafflecopter form.  :) Halloween is near and we wanted to have some fun!  Enter below to win – one winner will receive five prizes!  With our Halloween theme here are some must have items for families: 1.  Woombie Air Baby Swaddle Perfect costume for babies this Halloween! The Woombie Air is a new breathable swaddle for babies that allows for proper ventilation and helps regulation of body temperature. Swaddling is a great way to help babies sleep and is used to calm fussy babies. The unique peanut-shaped design requires no wrapping and is the safest and most comfortable swaddle for baby. Gently hugging baby to recreate the security and comfort of the womb, the soft 4-way stretch Bebeflex (TM) fabric allows baby to move nat

I was sent this image and I thought there was so much important information for parents to consider! Source: Best Psychology Degrees

I was so thankful for the sunshine on Saturday morning so we could enjoy the beautiful colors.  :)  This family time was well overdue!  It sure has been a crazy few weeks and the whole family just needed to be together and outside in the sun!  :)   How is your Fall Colors coming?

What is Matcha Green Tea? Matcha DNA™  green tea is organically grown and hand picked. It can been made as delicious tea, latte, martini or used in food like green tea ice cream and cooking. Few people know that the current practice of drinking powdered tea in the Japanese tea ceremony is actually from the song dynasty in China. It dates back to over 1,000 years ago. This practice was carried on in Japan and is now considered a pillar of Japanese culture. Today. once again high quality Matcha is being made in China. The tea has a slightly different character than its Japanese counterpart. Both teas have a deep green color and thick, savory taste and texture. Both are high in EGCG and antioxidants. However, our Chinese MatchaDNA™ is smoother, without the bitterness, and has rich, smooth and fresh taste unlike any other! POWDERED GREEN SUPERFOOD TEA CERTIFIED ORGANIC NOT MADE IN JAPAN CHINESE ORIGIN ULTRA HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANT AND EGCG One glass of

How are you sleeping at night? To be honest I am blessed to be able to fall asleep quite fast but ever since having children I seem to wake up often.  Sometimes its due to children waking me up, sometimes its the bathroom calling my name, and even sometimes I think it happens because my body is in a pattern of waking up.   Since going back to work full time my body is trying to adjust to less sleep and no opportunity for those afternoon cat naps.   Thank you Ancient Minerals for sending me a bottle of your Ancient Mineral Magnesium Goodnight lotion to review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.   It was easy for me to welcome this review because I desperately yearn for uninterrupted sleep!  So here is the nitty gritty details of my review.  I have been using the product for about 2.5 weeks.  I use it occasionally (2-3 times a week) and not every night.  The biggest difference I have noticed for me are my dreams.  It may sound stran

Yes, this was another Pinterest find and it was perfect for my classroom!  I really wanted to add some more color in my room so a lil Halloween decorations was great.   We read a Franklin book first and Franklin is Franklinstien for Halloween so it was perfect!  :) I realized that my students need to use scissors more often!  Since I have a behavior classroom we do not do arts and crafts very often so this important skill is not used often.  It was very apparent that it might be worth it for them to find more cutting activities.  I will admit that I had a fun time creating these too!!  :)  All you need are paint samples from your local hardware store, and other paper to cut the face pieces from.  Then a little glue and your done!  Simple yet entertaining and a positive reinforcement activity for students who had completed nice neat work!  :)

Before you speak think and be smart it's hard to fix a wrinkled heart. Last week at school we focused on Anti- bullying.  This was one of several activities I planned for my students.  First I read a book that discussed how powerful our words are.  I really wanted my students to understand that words might not make black and blue marks like hitting and punching but they do leave a lasting impression that stings.   I handed out the paper then I gave several scenarios such as, "you were on the bus when a peer yells out and call you and idiot."  Then they would have crinkle their paper a little bit because it would hurt their feelings.  I think I went through at least 6 scenarios before the students papers were in a small ball.  Keep going until you know the papers is going to be full of wrinkles.   Next they were instructed to try to flatten the paper out.  Obviously the paper is going to have several wrinkles that will not come out.   Lastly they

I had a lot of fun during our Anti Bullying week at school.  I read some awesome books and found several activities that the kids enjoyed.   This was a super easy one!  Now remember I only have 6 students so their is still a lot of space on the pieces of paper.   I had each student give each other a compliment and write it down.  I took a picture of all my students and plan to put them up in the classroom to remind them how important complimenting and positive behaviors truly are!   

I live in a much smaller town then before but I am highly impressed with the size of our local Fire Station.   There are several fire engines and a rescue boat.   We had fun going on a fire engine ride, going through the smoke house, walking through the ambulance and mobile emergency unit.   I only wish my kid would not have been shivering in fear when they saw the fire dog costume... seriously how do I rid that fear in my children??

About I'm in Love with a Church Girl: Have you ever had a crush that changed everything?   Miles Monetego has it all.  Including a past, but when Miles meets Vanessa Leon, a woman who is different that every other women he's met, he is drawn to her beauty and her faith.  Increasingly, he is torn between a life that he knows and a that he feels.  As Vanessa experiences his lavish lifestyle, mobster-type freinds, gun play, and encounters with past women, Vanessa must reconcile her faith in God and her growing love for Miles. I'm in Love with a Church Girl is a powerful, inspiring story of a love between a man and woman, a gift of second chances, and a family at home and in church that never stops praying and Believing. Hits theaters October 18th!  Cast members include:  Ja Rule, Arienne Bailon, Stephen Baldwin, Michael Madsen, TobbyMac, and T- Bone. Be sure to get the APP:   Why your audience will LOVE the I’m in Love With a Church Girl Blog App: • 

Support Breast Cancer Assistance Help Make a Difference   In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ShaveMOB will donate $0.25 of every purchase to breast cancer support this October.  All donations will benefit Rocky Mountain Cancer Assistance, a non-profit organization helping cancer survivors and patients battling this disease.   Go order your pink razor here:   http://shavemob.com/razors-for-women.html

            Calling all juice fans!!  First, I want to thank  V8 V-Fusion ® Refreshers for sending me 2 bottles of juice in exchange for an honest review.   As a mother of 2 kids I have sampled many different types of juice.  It is scary to walk down the juice isle and not know what juice I should pick for my kids.     I try to keep my kids away from high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and dyes.   Here are some important details to know about  V8 V-Fusion ® Refreshers.   For far too long, moms have been in search of a great tasting drink the entire family will enjoy – and  that she feels good about. New V8 V-Fusion ® Refreshers are a light and crisp juice drink with a 20 – 25%  blend of fruit and vegetable juices that come in four delicious – and unique – family pleasing flavors. Made with both fruit and vegetable juices, V8 V-Fusion ® Refreshers are naturally sweetened, contain no  artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and are an excellent source of Vitamin C.

I started teaching again this fall and I am absolutely enjoying it even with the hard behaviors I see daily.  It is interesting as I learn more about each school in my area.  I remember in Wausau how our demographics looked compared to Iowa. In Wisconsin when I subbed it was a very high Hmong population and the schools needed to have Hmong translations.  Here in Iowa it is completely different.  I don't see many Hmong people but a higher Mexican population.  Wisconsin to Iowa is not that far away from each other and it is so interesting to me to see the different demographics in the areas.  The schools here need more Spanish translators. Maybe it is so interesting to me because I grew up in the same state my whole life and did not get to travel a whole lot. I think I might have found another option for my school here in Iowa.   I think I will recommend the services of Rosettta .  Rosetta is a Worldwide Translation Service.  Rosetta, translation services and be your go to sit

Jane Iredal Longest Lash Mascara is formulated to thicken lashes and promote growth while providing other nourishing ingredients to condition and to defeat clumping, breaking, and flaking.   Just one coat will leave the lashes looking phenomenally lengthy, thick and shaped into a perfectly fanned formation.  Jane Iredale Longest Lash Mascara Features and over sized brush that reduce clumping and promotes silky layering for sleek, sexy lashes.  Available in black ice, slate grey, and espresso.  My Review: Thank you Jane Iredale for sending me this mascara to review.  I was not paid for this review and all opinions are 100% mine.   Mascara is my one make up item that I love to use.  I always feel more self confidence when I apply the mascara!  With my bright blue eyes it always helps them pop out!  I love the squeeze tube of this mascara compared to most other brands.  I think it is easier to always ensure you have mascara on your brush.   I have had some issues with