Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Sunday Coupon Preview

Guarding against Gardasil

Okay, I know I might be opening a can of worms....

I know Gardasil has become a debate in some circles. 

Personally, we had never planned on giving mija the Gardasil vaccination.  We hadn't considered health reason in this choice, but moral reasons.  Pardon my bluntness, but teaching my daughter to keep her knees together before marriage will deter a lot more problems in her life than Gardasil would.

To me, insisting that young girls need the vaccine because of viruses encountered through promiscuity means the teaching of purity and obedience to God's word on the matter of intimacy has just thrown in the towel, sent up the white flag, surrendered.

Then there is the whole health side of the issue.

Dr. Mecola had an article on Tuesday that included several videos and much commentary on the health risks involved.
Just CLICK HERE to go to the page.

December Celebrations

 

There are all the normal holidays to get ready for this month.

BUT

If you are looking for  something a little different to add to your routine, here are some more things to celebrate.

December

1       National Pie Day

4       National Cookie Day

6       St. Nicholas Day

7       Pearl Harbor Day

8       National Brownie Day

13     National Cocoa Day

14     Roald Amundsen became the first man to reach the South   Pole, 1911

16     National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (Yup, you read that right!)

19     Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was published, 1843


22     National Haiku Poetry Day
 
24     National Egg Nog Day

26     National Candy Cane

This is only a partial list, but it's definitely enough to pack some calories if we celebrate them all!  ;-)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sally Clarkson Conference Ticket Giveaway!

{Week 11} 1 John 5:13-21 & a Sally Clarkson Conference Ticket Giveaway!

I've really gotten a lot of the Good Morning Girls Bible study I've been doing. This week they posted the opportunity to win tickets to The Mom Heart Conference with Sally Clarkson.

Just click the link above to enter the giveaway!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure

Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure - Click Image to Close Time for my Gabby Mom review!  This month's review is "Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure" from Eternal Encouragement.

I've been yelling more lately.  I know it.  Between health issues acting up and playing around with meds, I've have not been in a "happy place."  In fact, it's been more of a hurting, upchucking, crying kind of place.

All that makes my fuse much shorter than normal much to my chagrin. I'm feeling poorly enough but resorting to yelling makes me feel that much worse as a mother and a person. 

Lorrie Flem recognizes that in this e-book.  Yelling makes moms feel like failures, and so, she offers an 11-step plan to help us stop yelling.  It's an great mix of things from prayer to practical.  (Not that prayer isn't practical!)

Thanks to "Yelling: The Cause, The Casualty, The Cure" I have a few more tools to use even if I'm not feeling well, especially if I work on preventing the triggers.

I received this e-book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Santa Claus is coming to town...or is he?

Next to the question of whether you do Halloween is the question of whether Santa comes to your house on Christmas Eve.

So, controversial.  And sometimes, unfortunately, a litmus test of one's "spirituality."

Just for the record, Santa doesn't come to our home.  You can't help but notice the guy this time of year, however.  It's not like you can say, "There's no such thing as Santa," because there he is!  Everywhere!

We tell mija that Santa gives gifts to remind us about the Gift we received from God, but that we don't celebrate Santa, because we'd rather celebrate the Gift of Jesus.

We do watch some of the Santa shows that come on.  My hubby and I have fond memories on watching Rudolph and Frosty and such although we are much more selective about the newer stuff. 

We have, however, taught her about Saint Nicholas.  We've brought him up before and mentioned him this year with our study of the Byzantine Empire.  I like teaching her about the real person who served God.

I found out about a website by St. Nicholas Center.  It's The Real Santa.  It has numerous stories and poems, online games and activities and activities to print.  So, if you'd like more resources about The Real Santa, check it out!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

And....we're off....

The holiday season if off and running. 

Thanksgiving was a success and great fun.

I was in charge bring mashed potatoes. Mija even helped by peeling 3 small potatoes!  I mixed things up by adding cream cheese and half and half to the recipe, and it was very well received.  You always have walk gingerly when changing traditions, you know.  Even if it's just a recipe!

Mija really wanted to make some recipe by herself.  I suggest 5-cup salad which is also often called ambrosia.  I purposely called it 5-cup salad to make it easier for her to remember how to make it.  Five ingredients.  One cup each.  But I had to get my home ed. momma on and double the recipe which added a touch of math without her knowing it!

It gave her good practice with her "folding" vs. "stirring" skills!

She was very satisfied with her finished product, she received compliments including one from Grandma!


Surprisingly, dinner started relatively on time (which is a "relatively" rare event with my "relatives"), and we even had time to visit and play some SkipBo before having to leave.

On Friday, the tree went up.  We practice eclectic tree decorations.  Some have pretty color coordinated trees, but ours has ornaments of various ages, styles, colors, shapes and most especially various stories.  As we unpack ornaments, we tell mija stories about where we got certain ornaments or whom we received them from.

Like ornaments that have been around longer than I have.


Or the set of ornaments we purchased after Sept. 11.


Or compare the ornament I made when I was in first grade with the one she made when she was in first grade.

And while some hang the greens in the kirk, my family hangs the Kirk in the greens.

Yes, there are other Star Trek ornaments!
A fairly new tradition is The Nutcracker.  Mija is getting ready to perform in her third performance of The Nutcracker.  We've started getting a nutcracker each year.  I label the year on the bottom, as well as, her parts and one major thing that happened that year.

Unfortunately, there's one tradition started 5 years ago that I would like to bring to a close...so I can actually start it!

I started a cross-stitched advent calendar.  Last year, I finally finished the actual calendar although I still don't have put together.


I know, four years for just the calendar seems a long time.  However, I did usually only work on it in the fall, AND it's very detailed.

There is TONS of shading involved even if you can't tell in the photo.
So, I've been working on the daily ornaments for the calendar.  Umm, I have some work to do.


Still need to do the detailing.
I'm thinking if I get the calendar together and continue to work steadily even after December starts, I might be able to use it this year. 

It would be pretty important to do so. As my SIL pointed out, the world will end next year according to the Mayan calendar, so this will be about the only year I'll really get good use of it!  ;-D  (Joking, of course.)

Well, one last tradition I'll share.  Micki assembled our Nativity scene.

It's tradition.  You see, this is the exact same scene I set up when I was a child.  In fact, this set is older than my mom!  I know!  It's old!  ;-)

But what's even more important than passing on these traditions is passing on the faith that sparks them. I'm glad it's the weekend in which we can be thankful for so many things and begin to celebrate the birth of the one to whom we are thankful.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Don't be a turkey with your leftovers!



Back on 11/11/11, I posted about Food on the Table.  You can sign up for free if you use the service for 3 meals or less a week. For more than 3 meals a week and more recipes, the member can upgrade to the premium version for a low introductory rate of $5/month.
They sent me an email with a link to a cool video with 3 quick ideas about what to do with leftover turkey.

Don't forget coupons last longer than Black Friday! ;-)

Friday Funny--But how do you socialize your children?



Just so you won't have to look it up if you didn't recognize the passage mentioned...
Mat 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Let's Talk Turkey

Have a Great Thanksgiving!
Thank you for reading my blog!
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you
Philippians 1:3

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you"  Philippians 1:3

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Tootsie Roll Pop Turkeys

Earlier this week, I shared a list of Thanksgiving ideas I gleaned from Pinterest.

One of the things I shared was Tootsie Roll Pop Turkeys. Here's what theirs looked like:

Pinned Image

We made 33 turkeys today.  I had us do ours a little differently.  We cut feathers from construction paper for the tails, and used red marker on the kiss paper to make the wattle.  We used black markers to make the eyes. 

Here are all our turkeys in a row.

Here is one of the turkeys being displayed by a cheeky model.


And lastly, a flock of turkeys.


Hope you have a great "Turkey" Day tomorrow!




Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Can't see the disobedience for the cuteness...

I don't regularly follow college basketball, but something about this article caught my eye.

The coach of Texas A & M has a 7-year-old daughter.  She's become the teams MVP, of sorts.

Every time the opposing team goes up for a free throw, the girl screams.  It seems to work since in the game in question, the other team missed six of eight foul shots in the final four minutes.  After all, she screams.  Screams so loudly, in fact, you could hear it throughout Madison Square Garden.  Hear for yourself:



Yup, she's loud.

But out of the whole article, here's the sentence that caught my attention:
"...she's been doing this for about a year even though her dad has asked her to tone down the screaming on the road."

It gave me a couple of thoughts.
1. Apparently, her father thinks his team needs his daughter's unconventional help. What's that say about his coaching skills?
2. Apparently, her father told her a year ago to "tone down the screaming on the road."  Yet here she's getting news coverage and even interviewed about her blatant disobedience.  What's that say about his parenting skills?

Maybe I'm overreacting, but it did give me pause.  How often do I allow disobedience because it's cute, helpful or in public?  Hopefully if I do, it won't make the news!

FREE--Thanksgiving tongue twisters -cards

Thanksgiving tongue twisters -cards are free from Ingles 360.

Could make a really fun Thanksgiving dinner pastime!! ;-)

Ding! Dong! The Rewards are Dead!!

 

For any of you familiar with my disdain of the Walgreen Rewards program that some areas (like mine) have been trying, you will understand my rejoicing.  

Good News from Kansas City Mamas, the test market is coming to an end!!!

Here's what they report:

This has been confirmed by multiple sources.
If you have any points from the Walgreens Rewards Program, get them cashed in and spend them because..
On January 31, 2012, the testing period of “Rewards Points” will be OVER and we will back to the regular Walgreens Register Rewards.


That means no more confusion. Better deals. More Register Rewards. And more shopping (for me anyway) at Walgreens.

Now, I believe AFA is calling for a boycott of Walgreens because they aren't use the word "Christmas" in any of their advertisements.

Make your choice about shopping their during the "Holiday" season, but the removal of their rewards program is a great New Year's resolution!

Canvas People Deal

Hope I don't come off as one big sales pitch this week.  There are just so many great deals I want to share.

I really had to share this one from Canvas People because I had some many compliments about mine at mija's birthday party on Friday. 

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, Canvas People takes you photos and puts them on canvas so they are like a painting.

Here's what mine looks like:

So many commented about it.  "How did they make a painting from the picture?"  "This is so cool."  And more!

I purchased the 10 x 13 with the discount, but you can get an 8 x 10 for FREE with this deal or $55 of any other size like I did.  Shipping rates start at about $15, so you can get a cool 8 x 10 canvas for only $15.

Again, a great idea for a Christmas gift.  Even my mom whose not a photo person was hinting that she'd like one!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Give Thanks: A Thanksgiving Coloring Book

Free from Currclick.com this week
Give Thanks: A Thanksgiving Coloring Book

VistaPrint has some great deals for Christmas


Of course, VistaPrint is trying to get a jumpstart on Black Friday with this deals, so they are only good through Friday, Nov. 25.

I've mentioned great deals I've gotten from VistaPrint before, so I wanted to share some with you. Last year, for instance, I took a picture of mija from The Nutcracker and put it on a mug for a dated remembrance of her performance.  I've also purchased the bag and decorated for ballet and have saved for mija for this Christmas.  Of course, the calendar, my MIL loves it when I made one for her with all the grandkids and great-grandkids.

So enough chat, here's the deals.

10 FREE Holiday Products & Gift Ideas! Get our top 10 Holiday Products for FREE Today! Choose from Flat and Folded Holiday Cards, Wall and Desk Photo Calendars, Holiday Postcards, Totes, Holiday Labels, Mugs, Stamps, & Business Cards. Products are FREE, pay only for shipping & processing. Order today; receive in as few as 3 days.


Holiday Postcards FREE Holiday Postcards (Qty. 100) Get your message across this holiday season with customizable postcards! Use them as holiday cards, invitations or announcements for home and business use. Mailing services available. Matching envelopes available at checkout. Create today and receive in as few as 3 days. Printing is free, shipping starts at $7.

FREE BUSINESS CARDS FREE Business Cards (Qty. 250) Choose from 45 templates printed in full color on premium 80 lb card stock. Select a design template and personalize it to best suit your needs. Easily add your own logo or photo. Business cards can be used mommy contact cards, personal contact cards, networking cards, appointment reminder cards, loyalty cards, tiny greeting cards, referral cards, raffle tickets, place cards & much more. Upgrade to premium business cards and save 50%. Printing is free, shipping starts at $5.67.


Holiday Cards
These are the flat cards.  There is also folded
 FREE Photo Holiday Cards (Qty. 10) Choose from flat or folded holiday cards with Free Envelopes. Order today, and save 50% off higher quantities. Products are free, shipping starts at $4.60.






Photo Wall Calendars
Two kinds of calendars: wall (like above)
or desk.
 FREE Photo Calendars (Qty. 1) Impress family, friends or customers with customizable photo wall calendars this Holiday Season. Select from Wall or Desk calendar and hundreds of templates to suit your style. Choose icons, add captions and highlight important dates. Upload your photos from Facebook, Flickr or Picasa. Calendars make perfect holiday gifts! Create today and receive in as few as 3 days. Bonus: Order today and save 50% off higher quantities. Printing is free, shipping starts at $5.67.


Holiday Return Address Labels
These can be made into To-From
stickers for packages!
  FREE Holiday Labels (Qty. 140) Spread the cheer with every letter you send! Stick your labels on festive holiday letters, cards and packages. Choose from thousands of designs, upload photos or create caricature return address labels. Create up to 7 caricatures of your family, friends and pets! Use labels as To-From stickers, gift tags & more! Printing is free, shipping & processing starts at $3.07.

FREE MUGS FREE Mug (Qty. 1) Serve up some fun with a 11-oz full color ceramic mug. Choose from a variety of designs and personalize with your text. Have fun creating a gift to warm hearts this holiday season! Printing is free, shipping & processing starts at $6.06.

FREE Rubber Stamps FREE Holiday Stamp (Qty. 1) Choose from over a dozen designs and make holiday labeling a tad easier this year. Choose from red, black or blue ink. Printing is free, shipping & processing starts at $5.67.


FREE Tote Bags FREE Tote Bag (Qty. 1) Perfect for everyday use, these 100% canvas tote bags can be customized with your name and message. Choose from 24 designs. Printing is free, shipping & processing starts at $4.41




So, snag some easy and inexpensive gifts from the comfort of your home!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Thanksgiving on Pinterest

Do you all do Pinterest Logo?  If you do, you know how addicting it can be.  If you don't, I warn you that it can be addicting!  You have to be invited, so let me know if you want an invite.

The biggest challenge for me, with Pinterest Logo is actually doing some of the things!  I mean, I've over 300 pins right now.  Some are just like this...
Pinned Image
While you might find that very handy to keep in mind at the Thanksgiving dinner table, most involve projects and such.

SO

In order to get my tardy self ready for this week's celebration, I thought I'd post about some of the cool things I have found, which I may use this week for fun school stuff or dinner stuff. 

I'm going to link them back to the actual source instead of my Pinterest board just for your convenience.  You also might bookmark the original sources for ongoing ideas.  Some of these people are just sooooo creative!

First, here are some great lesson plans.

Thanksgiving Lession Plan for homeschool.
The idea for the cute pumpkins would be enough but trust me she has a lot more.

We actually did this one and I thought it would be cute to use different colors and shape some like feathers and make a turkey potato print!

Painted Potato Pumpkins
You could make these for placemats!

How about another crafty pumpkin idea?  This one takes two days so plan accordingly.

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Now, some acorns for the nuts in my family tree.

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This game could be great for school time OR for killing time waiting for dinner to be ready or for it to digest!

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How about some paper crafts?

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No website for this one.
Wouldn't it look really cute
with googley eyes?

Pinned Image

Last but not least, playing with food.  Some edible, some not!


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Definitely not edible!

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And these are a little more dinner specific, but would be great to include the kids in the making there of!  ;-)

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I noticed that I had a lot of TURKEYS.  I'm hoping it's not a Freudian slip!

Well, I've come this far, so I might as well go full fowl!        
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I so would have had mija wear this for her first Thanksgivng seven years ago! 

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