Black Friday: My No-Crowds Way

I don't like crowds.  Crowds of hurried people, long lines... those pretty much just suck the joy out of holiday shopping for me.   I mostly try to go on "off" days, like a Tuesday morning, when stores aren't so busy.  I also do more and more of my shopping online.

Here are a few of my favorite deals so far:

•  Amazon has a lot of great $5 magazine subscriptions. Titles include Redbook, Woman's Day, Popular Science, and more.  Personally, I think magazine subscriptions are great gifts because they last all year long.  (I can't tell you what I bought, because the person reads my blog.)
• Money Saving Mom tells you how to get toys from Kohls for $3.81, including shipping.  I am debating about a toy I have in my cart- not sure if it's the best price I can find yet.
• Amazon also has all kinds of toy deals, including Fisher Price Doctor kits for $6.49, LeapFrog Tag books for $7.49, and more.  I may or may not be purchasing any of these deals. ;)
• Sidenote: having a child who can read makes it a little harder to keep Christmas secrets, LOL!

And, of course, I try to use CashBaq whenever I shop online.  Just clicking through the CashBaq site on my way to a retail site usually earns me cash back, and sometimes they even have extra coupon codes that I can use.  I've earned $27 there, doing nothing more than the shopping I would have done online anyway.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving 

and praying that you have many blessings to be thankful for!

* And yeah, I know the grammar is wrong there. 

World Diabetes Day

It's World Diabetes Day- an international day of awareness.   You can light the blue candle below by using your mouse to move the flame.

This evening I'm hoping to be home from work in time to go to see a local city's monument lit up in blue. This will be our family's first year to participate in any WDD events.  You can also check out a World Diabetes Day event near you- see the listings HERE.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

D-blog Day: 6 Things About Diabetes

Today is Dblog Day, the brianchild of Gina.  

The topic for the day is: 6 Things You'd Like People to Know About Diabetes.

1.)  There are several types of Diabetes, and they are different diseases.   I sincerely wish they had different names, because people might understand how very different they are then.   When the news talks about some new study or miracle treatment for diabetes, they almost always are referring to Type II.  

2.) My daughter did not cause her Type I Diabetes by eating too much sugar or by lack of exercise.  It insults me when people ask that- it feels like they're trying to blame me for causing this horrible disease in my child. Yes, some Type II Diabetics can go off their meds with diet changes and increased exercise... but that has nothing to do with my child.  Her pancreas doesn't make insulin, and it never will.  No amount of diet changes can change that.

3.) It is never ok to be the "Diabetes Police" for someone unless you are the responsible caregiver.  If you absolutely must voice your opinions about what's on a diabetic's plate, do it in private-- not out loud so that you make everyone uncomfortable.  I recently witnessed an adult Type II Diabetic be humiliated at a party when her adult daughter shouted across the room at her about the cookie she was eating.  The lady had her insulin right there, and there was no reason she shouldn't have quietly enjoyed the treat like everyone else there.  I really had to fight the temptation to go and get the lady a second cookie just to spite her daughter. 

4.) Just FYI, the term "Brittle Diabetic" is considered outdated.... but, I'll confess that sometimes, I still use it.  I find that people seem to understand that DD's numbers will never be "under control" if I use that term. It's not my choice of terminology, but hey, if that helps people understand, then I can go with it.

5.) Diabetes does not stop my daughter from anything that your child does.... birthday parties, Trick or Treat, swimming, softball... you name it. 

6.) There's a really cool project going on in the online diabetes world right now.  PLEASE take 1 minute and 49 seconds to watch this video. Roche has committed to donating life-saving insulin to children in need based on the number of people who go watch this video by November 14, which is World Diabetes Day. Pass it on!

Check out more dblog day posts HERE!

Recent Reads

I always have at least one book going.... usually two.  There's a stack on my nightstand, and usually at least one book on the table by my favorite seat in the family room.  Anybody else read while listening to a tv show?  :)

Some recent books that I've enjoyed:

No More Christian Nice Girl by Paul Coughlin & Jennifer D. Degler, PhD

This was kind of interesting, but I skimmed through it in one evening and feel like I got everything that I needed from it.  The authors talk about how "Christian nice girls" tend to feel that they have to say yes to others, never talk about sex (even with their husbands), and can often feel powerless because they feel that Christians must always be nice.  The authors make their case for empowering women to speak up for themselves, while still following their Christian faith.  



Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

A young unmarried woman finds herself in a crazy situation- her father, a pastor, is accused of murder, and Ruth is sent off to hide with the child of a prostitute that her father was helping.   Ruth's life is suddenly completely different from anything she could have expected- she's now a mother with a new name, living in an unfamiliar town with strangers.   

I found the story to be captivating, and the twists and turns to be believable.  I felt real sympathy for Ruth's plight and I couldn't predict the exact ending... both of which made this an enjoyable book to read. 

My copy of both books was provided free in exchange for my honest review by Bethany House Publishers.  Sign up HERE if you'd like to apply to become a Bethany House book reviewer.

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Can you think of a better use for the next two minutes?

PLEASE take 1 minute and 49 seconds to watch this video. Roche has committed to donating life-saving insulin to children in need based on the number of people who go watch this video by November 14, which is World Diabetes Day. Pass it on!


This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Go VOTE!

Tonight at my house would either thrill or horrify a guest... we'll be sitting around eating snack foods for supper (hot wings, sausage dip, etc.) and watching the election results.    Election nights tend to be very similar to sporting events around our house-- there will be channel flipping, cursing, and there's a pretty fair chance that some political arguments (yes, with the tv) will ensue.

This election is big.  Here in Ohio, there are a few key positions up for grabs.   We also had a local levy up that would mean a large tax increase- I'm really not sure how that will pan out. 

Personally, I'm hoping to see a huge Republican sweep.  There are some Libertarians and Independents worth taking a look at, too, but since in the big picture it's all red or blue, I'll be rooting for those red seats.  It should be an interesting night in the world of politics. 

Have YOU voted yet?

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.