Wordless Wednesday: Signs Of Spring

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom. You can also share your post by leaving your link below.

Teaser Tuesdays: A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"Mother's constant harping on her to get married-and soon-was starting to make Alaine feel like something was wrong with her for still being single at her age. The facts that Joe and his wife couldn't have kids and that Tony, at age twenty-six, wasn't anywhere near ready to settle down put all the pressure of producing grandchildren anytime soon on Alaine. And she wasn't even sure she wanted kids."

--pg. 16 A Case for Love by Kaye Dacus

What are you reading? If you have a teaser, you can head on over to Miz B's blog or share it here by leaving a comment.

Simply GoGurt Coupon

We have a lot of yogurt at our house. So I'm always looking for good sales and coupons to save money. We also try to choose the healthiest options when it comes to yogurt.

Yoplait has a new yogurt called Simply GoGurt that does NOT include high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors or flavors. Each tube contains a good source of calcium and vitamin D and is made with low fat milk. They have two flavors: strawberry and mixed berry.

You can find a $1.00 coupon to try their new GoGurt here.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post. This information was provided to me as member of Pssst... and from General Mills.

You're Invited!

Have you heard about the Ultimate Blog Party 2010 at Five Minutes For Mom?

It is a blog carnival where bloggers publish a “party post” introducing themselves and then party hop through the linky lists and meet other bloggers. It is also a great way to network and make new friends! Even if you don't have a blog, you can still participate in the party.

Oh, and did I mention that there are also amazing prizes?

The UBP 2010 will be held April 9-16th and you can find instructions on how to join here.

This will be my 2nd year participating and I can't wait! Hope to see you there!

Aloha Friday: Have You Ever?

Here is how Aloha Friday works from Kailani's blog An Island Life:

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were discussing the topic of texting. They were asking people to call in if they had ever accidentally sent the wrong text to the wrong person. It reminded me of a funny story about my mom. My mom mistakenly sent a text to my hubby's phone instead of mine. She wanted to show me her new bathing suit. It was pretty funny and something my hubby and I probably won't forget.

My Question For This Week: Have you ever received or sent a text from/to the wrong person accidentally?
(Please remember to keep it family-friendly)

Wordless Wednesday: The Gang's All Here

Picture from the Maryland Zoo


For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom. You can also share your post by leaving your link below.

New Living Translation Breakthrough To Clarity Contest And Giveaway

Here is a contest that I thought I would let you know about through Tyndale:

The New Living Translation Break Through to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway

Visit www.facebook.com/NewLivingTranslation and click on the tab that says “Sweepstakes”

Fill out a simple form, take a quick Bible clarity survey, invite your friends to join and you’ll be entered to win one of our exciting prizes.

With each fan number milestone a new prize will be given away.

Grand Prize

Apple iPad 64G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the fifth milestone
Retail Value: $829.00

2nd Prize - Already awarded

32G iPod Touch and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the fourth milestone
Retail Value: $300.00

3rd Prize – Will be awarded when fan count hits: 3500

Kindle DX and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the third milestone
Retail Value: $489.00

4th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 16G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the New Living Translation Fan Page hits the second milestone
Retail Value: $499.00

5th Prize Will be awarded when fan count hits: TBD

Apple iPad 32G and a Life Application Study Bible
Awarded when the NLT Fan Page hits the first milestone
Retail Value: $599.00



Prize Eligibility – Recently updated to include more countries

Sweepstakes participants and winner(s) can be U.S. residents of the 50 United States, or residents of any country that is NOT embargoed by the United States, but cannot be residents of Belgium, Norway, Sweden, or India. In addition, participants and winner(s) must be at least 18 years old, as determined by the Company.



Sweepstakes Starts

March 17, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)



Sweepstakes Ends

April 30, 2010 @ 10:24 am (PDT)

Book Review of The Power of Half by Kevin Halwen and Hannah Salwen

Summary from Amazon:

It all started when 14-year old Hannah Salwen, idealistic but troubled by a growing sense of injustice in the world, had a eureka moment when a homeless man in her neighborhood was juxtaposed against a glistening Mercedes coupe. "You know, Dad," she said, pointing, "If that man had a less nice car, that man there could have a meal."

This glaring disparity led the Salwen family of four, caught up like so many other Americans in this age of consumption and waste, to follow Hannah's urge to do something, to finally just do something. And so they embarked on an incredible journey together from which there would be no turning back. They decided to sell their Atlanta mansion, downsize to a house half its size, and give half of their profits to a worthy charity. At first it was an outlandish scheme. "What, are you crazy? No way!" Then it was a challenge. "We are TOTALLY doing this." Each week they met over dinner to discuss their plan. It would transport them across the globe and well out of their comfort zone. Along the way they would inspire so many others wrestling with the same questions: Do I give enough? How much is enough? How can I make an impact in the world? In the end the Salwens' journey would bring them closer as a family, as they discovered, together, that half could be so much more.

Author Bios
Kevin Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, was reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journalfor over 18 years. After his tenure at The Wall Street Journal, he started a magazine, Motto. He serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, and works with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Hannah Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, will be a junior at the Atlanta Girls' School, where she plays for the varsity volleyball team, and is her grade's representative to the student council. She has been volunteering consistently since the 5th grade at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Cafe 458, among others.

Review/My Thoughts:

I was really intrigued by this story of a family choosing to give up their comfortable lifestyle in support of helping others. I was also surprised to find out that this was inspired by a teenage girl. I imagined most teens were more wrapped up in their clothes, school work, relationships and status than they would be in community service.

This story is an inspiring one. It got me really thinking about what my priorities are. While I couldn't relate to the amount of money that this family had, I could relate to the desire to help out others no matter what our circumstances might be. Although the writing in this book took me a while to get into, I would recommend reading this with your family or book group. It will bring a lot of good discussion and hopefully inspire you to get involved in helping others who are less fortunate.

You can find a reader's guide, the family blog, and a news clip on their web site:
http://www.thepowerofhalf.com/

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from FSB Associates for the purpose of review.

Rockin' Birthday

Last week was my birthday and my hubby gave me an amazing birthday present. He called into the 95.1 SHINE FM radio show with Tracey, Mike & Dave to play the "Uh Um Game."

The "Uh Um Game" is a fun game where the person has to talk about a given topic for 30 seconds (I think that's the time frame) without saying "uh" or "um".

I heard my hubby on the radio while I was driving home from dropping off my son at school. I sat with baited breath and crossed my fingers as he pretended to be an Air Traffic Controller. And when he made it to the time limit without saying "uh" or "um", I bounced up and down in my seat, pumped my arms, and yelled "yes"! (which is probably not a good thing to do when you are driving)

What did my hubby win you might ask...

He won two tickets to the Awake Tonight Tour in Baltimore with Tobymac and Skillet. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you probably have guessed that I am a huge Tobymac and Skillet fan!

It was the perfect birthday present! I had an amazing time and the seats were awesome. We sat in the 100's and had a perfect view of the front stage and the back platform. Skillet rocked the house with some crazy pyrotechnics and Tobymac had everyone jamming.

Here is a video clip from their site to give you a taste of the concert:



Thank you so much to 95.1 SHINE FM for the tickets that made my birthday so special! You can check out Tracey, Mike, and Dave on their radio show 5:30-10AM EST live here.



Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Friday Follow

Welcome to this fun blog hop from One 2 Try, Midday Escapades, and
Hearts Make Families.  It's a great way to make new friends! 

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

* * Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add to one blog linky.
* * Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
* * Follow as many blogs as you like
* * Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow
* * Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

If you are follower, please leave a comment below with your blog link so I can follow you. 

Happy Friday!





       

Free Kindle Downloads On Amazon

For those of you who have a Kindle, I thought I'd let you know about two of my favorite authors' books that are available right now for free downloads.


First, Karen Kingsbury's Take One is available for free download on Amazon here for a short time.  This is the first in the Above the Line series and if you haven't read it yet, is a great read!

The second book available for free download is Camy Tang's Sushi for One.  It is also available on Amazon here for a short time.  This is the first book in the Sushi Series and you definitely won't want to miss it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day holds many memories for me growing up. I remember my dad making me a birthday cake that had PB&J in the middle, cool whip frosting and green cherries. (Yes, I'm Irish and born on St. Patty's Day but they didn't name me Patty). We'd watch Darby O'Gill and The Little People when it came on t.v. I'd wear a leprechaun hat and shamrock glasses or some other funky outfit. And I'd never get pinched because I always wore something green.

It also brings back memories of my dad's mom singing "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" when we came to visit her in the nursing home. I always think of her when I hear that song.

I couldn't find a Celtic Woman version of the song, but I did find one of my other favorite songs "Over the Rainbow."



Do you have any special St. Patrick's Day memories or traditions?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Teaser Tuesdays; Mr. Darcy Broke My by Beth Pattillo

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"I studied her expression, prickles of suspicion darting up my spine. I was pretty sure she was either lying or crazy. Most likely just a garden-variety cat lady suffering the beginnings of dementia."

--pg. 27 Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

What are you reading? If you have a teaser, you can head on over to Miz B's blog or share it here by leaving a comment.

Bloggy Blog Designz Giveaway

Bloggy Blog Designz is having a St. Patty's Day Giveaway!!! They are giving away all kinds of goodies. The giveaway closes on St. Patty's Day at midnight. Be sure to check out their website for more information, or to enter yourself. Take a look at their portfolio and packages to see what suits your fancy! ;) A total of 13 prizes up for grabs, and if they reach 100 followers they will add another!

Marketing Mondays at Trendy Treehouse

Ok ladies. My friend Jen and I tried and tried to get our Mompreneur Monday meme going, but it just didn't seem like enough people were interested in linking up. I know there are lots of Mompreneurs out there with Etsy shops, eBay stores, and direct selling businesses. I tried to get the word out through every mommy group and bloggy group I'm in and Jen did as well. But after five weeks, we decided to call it quits. It was a bit discouraging to put in all that effort and find that only 1 or 2 folks besides us were participating.

So this Monday I thought I'd try hooking up with a blog hop from Tara at Trendy Treehouse.



What is Marketing Mondays?

A blog hop to share your Blogs, Websites, Photography sites, Etsy Shops, Giveaways & more!

So, click on Want To Be a Part of This Blog Hop underneath the Mcklinky Box to join in. You could get some free advertising for your blog or business.

Aloha Friday: Spring Sneezy Peezy

Here is how Aloha Friday works from Kailani's blog An Island Life:

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

I like Spring, don't get me wrong. I love flowers, birds, warmer weather, and outdoor activities. But along with it comes allergy season. It is my least favorite thing about spring. I have gone through so many tissues my nose feels like crisp thin crust pizza despite being armed with Claritin and snuffing Nasonex.

My Question For You This Week: Do you have this problem and if so, what do you do to cope with allergies?

Winner of SmartKnitKids Seamless Socks Giveaway

Thank you to all who entered the SmartKnitKids giveaway! The winner of the 3 pairs of socks is:

Deb said...
14

I follow with google friends


Congratulations Deb! I will be emailing you for your contact information.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday: Sticky Oooey Gooey Goodness

 Guess what we made?











Snap!  Krackle!  Pop!  MMMM.....





















We definitely enjoyed these yummy Rice Krispies Treats!  Thank you to Five Minutes for Mom for sending us these delicious goodies that we won!

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom. You can also share your post by leaving your link below.

Teaser Tuesdays: Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"I stepped off the pavement into the street to avoid a gaggle of children about to engulf me.  This is what I had dreamed of, I thought to myself, the jumble of family life that signified a truly happy ending.  A dream that had never been further away than it was at that moment."
--p. 20 Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

What are you reading?  If you have a teaser, you can head on over to Miz B's blog or share it here by leaving a comment.

One of Those Days

Ever have one of those days where your brain just doesn't function and you feel like going back to bed?  I'm havin' one of those.  My brain feels comatose.  Which reminded me of this video.  So I figured I'd share this.  Because I need some rockin' music to get me moving.  Happy Monday!

Friday Follow

While you are here, don't forget to stop by and enter my SmartKnitKids giveaway!


Welcome to the 8th edition of this fun blog hop from One 2 Try, Midday Escapades, and
Hearts Make Families. It's a great way to make new friends!

Here's how YOU can join the celebration:

* * Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky below. Only need to add to one blog linky.
* * Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots.
* * Follow as many blogs as you like
* * Comment on the blogs telling them you're from Friday Follow
* * Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow

If you are follower, please leave a comment below with your blog link so I can follow you.

Happy Friday!

Mad Grammar on National Grammar Day

Did you know that today is National Grammar Day?  I didn't know that until I saw it on Facebook.  There is even a website in honor of the day:  http://www.nationalgrammarday.com  It has a Grammar Girl challenge you can play with your child and even e-cards you can send to your friends!


In honor of National Grammar Day, I'd like to share with you one of the funny Mad Glibs my son & hubby came up with over the weekend.  Mad Glibs is a fun game you can play online together and helps reinforce your child's grammar skills at the same time.

Be Kind Be kind to your Ryan Seacrest-footed boys For a duck may be somebody`s dog, Be kind to your boys in Saudi Arabia Where the weather is always slimy. You may think that this is the mom, Well it is.

 
You can find more fun grammar games like this online at Mad Glibs.

Disclaimer:  I did not receive any compensation for this post. 

Wordless Wednesday: Yeah, It's Like That

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom. You can also share your post by leaving your link below.