Tiny Blessings

Resting

2012-01-21T14:22:00.002-05:00

If you've been reading here a while, you know that I have dealt with chronic abdominal pain for several years now. On Thursday, I had yet another surgery for related problems... my 7th surgery over the last eight years. I am hopeful that this will be the very last surgery!

Right now, I'm resting, doing a little reading, and trying really hard not to do anything else... which is really hard! Why is it that we moms have such a hard time letting others take care of us?

In other news, I'm trying the Bible in 90 Days reading plan again. (Last fall I made it about 1/3 of the way through before I finally gave up.)

Oh, and perhaps the most exciting news... our family is expecting a new member in about two weeks- a puppy! We have been looking for a while now, and when a friend of a friend had a litter of Golden Retrievers (which I have always wanted), we decided that this was a perfect fit for our family. We'll be bringing home our new little puppy as soon as she's weaned, which will be around the end of January. Clearly I need to rest up and get ready for that!

Your prayers for my healing and quickly regaining some energy would be appreciated!

Menu Plan 1/9 with points

2012-01-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

DH and I have agreed that we both need to get back to eating better. The holiday foods were wonderful, but the extra couple of pounds I picked up were not. Time to start counting WW points+ again!

MONDAY: new recipe from Pinterest: Skinnytaste Quick Skillet with Mushrooms and Onions (might wrap this in tortillas-?) (only 2 pts+ per serving) and tossed salad
TUESDAY: broccoli & sausage crustless quiche (5pts+), toast (1pt+), fresh fruit (0)
WEDNESDAY: new recipe: Skinnytaste Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup (7pts+) I'll have to leave out the chipotle adobo sauce for the kids, of course!
THURSDAY: buffalo chicken salads (salads with grilled chicken tossed in buffalo sauce)
FRIDAY: family favorite meatloaf (7pts+), mashed potatoes (3pts+), green beans (0pts+)
SATURDAY: homemade pizza

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

5 Question Friday

2012-01-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

1. What is the weather like where you are and do you like it? The last few days here in southwestern Ohio have been crazy... sunny and in the low 50's. We didn't wear coats yesterday or today. This is unheard of-- we should be shivering and shoveling snow by now!

2. When you're sick what do you seek comfort from? My warm electric blanket, hot soup, and mindless tv if I have to be awake.

3. What do you need to do before the end of the month? Finish putting away the Christmas decorations. :)

4. Have you ever served on a jury? No, but I've been called four times now. Each time I had to call in to see if I was needed each day, and I never had to go.

5. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? An indoor cat, because they are typically pretty spoiled and get plenty of quiet time when they want it.

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

Menu Plan Monday 1/2/12

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

Last week I was unexpectedly called in to work all week (state survey- nursing home) and worked long days, meaning that supper around here was whatever was quick and easy. Since I hadn't gotten groceries yet (See also: I was supposed to be on vacation all week- arrrghhh!), that meant a lot of fast food and frozen pizza rolls. Between that and the previous week of rich holiday food, this week I'm really craving some simple "normal" food!

SUNDAY: pork ribs and sauerkraut for DH... snacks (BLT bites, deviled eggs, my layered ranch taco dip) and my potato soup for the rest of us
MONDAY: leftovers from the weekend or soup/sandwiches
TUESDAY: our favorite beef enchiladas (they include beef, corn, and beans), chips/salsa
WEDNESDAY: broiled pork chops, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans
THURSDAY: frozen BBQ rib sandwiches, homemade baked fries, veggies
FRIDAY: buffalo chicken salads (tossed salads with tomatoes, cheese, etc. and cooked chicken tossed in buffalo sauce)
SATURDAY: homemade pizza

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

CLEAR in 2012

2012-01-01T12:09:00.000-05:00

2011 certainly went out with a bang in my world... December was a whirlwind! Fun stuff, like family parties and Christmas at home. Not-so-fun stuff, like everyone in this house being really sick, all at different times. And really not- fun stuff, like having my vacation week at home with the kids cancelled because our state surveyors showed up at work... but, at least that had a happy ending: my nursing home was given a perfect rating!

So, my plans for the first few days of January are pretty basic: get my house back in order, and get some sleep! :)

For the last few years I have gone with the idea of choosing a word of the year. I don't know where this idea originated, but I have seen it done on dozens of blogs. Last year, my word was purpose. I have to admit, by the end of the year, I didn't stick with that focus. The best word I've picked was in 2008, when simplify was my word. It was much more useful, and I still try to keep it as a focus in my life-- in fact, I briefly considered using that word again this year.

My word for 2012 came easily, as it's been bouncing around in my head for a good month or so now. This year's word: CLEAR. It has a lot of different meanings for me:

clear surfaces in my home: As always, I am fighting clutter in my home. I've realized that the older I get, the more I enjoy clear surfaces with fewer knick-knacks and less clutter.
clear vision of how I spend my time: I'd like to be more aware of time, rather than suddenly realizing that I've spent two hours on Pinterest or that I'm running late for something yet again.
clear up some medical issues: This is actually at the top of my list. I'm back to a state of chronic pain, so I'm sure there's more surgery coming up for me in the next few months. I've been putting it off but it's getting to the point where I can't ignore it anymore.

I do have one actual resolution, as well: this year I'm going to complete the Bible in 90 Days program (hosted by Mom's Toolbox). I started it once last year and really tried, but life got in the way and I didn't get through the whole Bible. I'm signed up for a new session that starts January 16th, and looking forward to it!

So, those are my goals in 2012. What about you?

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

Recent Reads: Shine! Choices to Make God Smile

2012-01-01T10:01:00.000-05:00

Shine! Choices to Make God Smile by Genny Monchamp is an adorable children's book with a great message. It goes through many situations that a child might face... the temptation to sneak a cookie, for example... and then explains what the right choice is and how happy this makes God.

The overall tone of the book is happy and positive, exactly the type of book I like for my kids to read. The illustrations are colorful and fun. It's a great book to read to little ones and it could easily open the door for further discussions about making good choices.

Disclaimer: my copy of this book was provided by The Catholic Company in return for my honest review. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Shine: Choices to Make God Smile. The Catholic Company is also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Bible.

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

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

Wishing you and your family a

blessed Christmas

filled with the people you love

and wonderful memories.

May we all remember the real reason we celebrate today!

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

Menu Plan Monday 12/12/11

2011-12-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

Apparently, I'm in the mood for comfort food this week. I hadn't really thought about that until I started listing the meals I had planned... this is definitely a cold-weather menu!

MONDAY: DH's birthday- his choice: hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs, sweet-hot pickles, chocolate cake, Oreo ice cream
TUESDAY: crockpot french dip sandwiches (trying an envelope of seasoning I picked up at the store rather than homemade this time), tossed salad, baked fries
WEDNESDAY: chicken, pasta, and veggies cooked with Philadelphia Cooking Cream- Santa Fe Flavor (No affiliation or promotion there- I just love that stuff!)
THURSDAY: family favorite: Southern Fried Pork Chops with Creamy Pan Gravy, green beans, mashed potatoes
FRIDAY: Mexican... something with ground beef. Most likely enchiladas, but possibly tacos. Either one with corn, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, etc.
SATURDAY: homemade pizza

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

Recent Reads: Baby's Little Bible

2011-12-08T22:57:00.001-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to review Baby's Little Bible from Kregel Publishing. I wasn't sure what to expect, as my experience has been that many Bible story books aimed at small children are thin and too wordy. I was pleasantly surprised. Baby's Little Bible is the perfect size for reading while in your lap while holding a squirmy baby. It has a padded cover, cheerful illustrations, and classic Bible stories told in simple language.

From the Publisher: "Baby's Little Bible was written by new mom Sarah Toulmin as a way of sharing the stories she so loved with her own little ones. Her ultra-simple retellings of twenty favorite stories, from Creation to Resurrection, are filled with a sense of wonder, expressing God's love for creation. Featuring Kristina Stephenson’s heartwarming, baby-friendly illustrations, this little Bible offers lots to look at and point to while parent and child share this delightful book together."

This is the kind of book that parents will enjoy reading to their young children. I think it would be a great gift for a newborn or a Baptism.

I received the "Boy" edition of this book for free from Kregel Publishing in exchange for my honest review. You can pre-order your own copy in a boxed set (along with Baby's Little Prayer Book, also by Sarah Toulmin) from Amazon.

..................................... Don't forget to visit my new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. ..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Recent Reads: Lectio Devina Bible Study:The Mass in Scripture

2011-11-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

Lectio Devina Bible Study: The Mass in Scripture seeks to explain the parts of the mass and how they relate to scripture. From the back cover:

"Using the new translation of the Roman Missal, Binz explores the biblical foundation of each element of the Mass, offering 30 lessons to deepen love for the Eucharist, moving readers through study, reflection, prayer, and action.

Lectio divina, the ancient practice of Scripture immersion, is at the heart of this process."

This Bible study is divided up into 30 separate lessons, each with sections titled Listening, Understanding, Reflecting, Praying, and Acting. The Reflecting section offers questions to ponder and room for writing down your answers. I found myself not only wanting to write answers, but also highlighting passages and making notes in the margins.

Honestly, I haven't finished all the lessons just yet. These aren't light and easy Bible study lessons that I can just breeze through... these are lessons that ask us to read, think, and absorb them before moving on to the next. I think this will be a great Bible study to finish in the colder months when I'm curled up in the evening with a warm blanket and hot drink.

I received my copy of this book free in return for my honest review as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Lectio Divina Bible Study: The Mass in Scripture . They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Bible.

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

The Three Trees, a Children's Story of Hope and Rebirth

2011-11-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

written by Elena Pasquali; illustrated by Sophie Windham

From the publisher: Three forest trees dream of what they will one day become. One dreams of becoming a royal throne; one of being a ship that can withstand any storm; and one longs to stay in the forest and grow as tall as tall can be. When they are felled, it seems their dreams are over. But as each tree is crafted into a new item--a manger, a fishing boat, and a rugged cross--it becomes clear that through the role they play in one important life, their hopes are more than fulfilled.

The Three Trees is a charming book with lovely illustrations. I loved the message of hope and rebirth as each tree took on a new life as a significant item. I plan to give my children this book for Christmas, and I know that both my 8 and 5 year-olds will enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this book by Kregel Publishing in return for posting my review.

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

Menu Plan Monday 11/7= Pinterest Inspired!

2011-11-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

Are you on Pinterest? Normally I would think of it more for craft ideas, but lately, I've found some great recipes there. I'm AmyMCGS there... come and follow me, or leave me your email address if you need an invitation to join. And leave me a note here with your Pinterest name so I can follow you back! :)

MONDAY: new recipe from Pinterest: Crispy Cheddar Chicken, smashed potatoes, green beans
TUESDAY: my crockpot spaghetti sauce over pasta, garlic bread, salad (decided on this after drooling over a pasta casserole I saw on Pinterest-- had to make do with ingredients I already had on hand instead)
WEDNESDAY: a new crockpot recipe: chuck roast, an envelope of gravy mix, Italian dressing mix, water. I'll actually be substituting real Italian dressing and skipping the water- I think that will be fine. I think we'll shred that and make wraps out of it (lettuce, cheese, etc.). (If this entire menu entry looks familiar, it's because it's been on my menu twice before and somehow this is always the meal we wind up skipping. Maybe this will be the week I finally make it!)
THURSDAY: my version of McRibs= frozen BBQ Ribettes on sub buns, homemade baked fries
FRIDAY: another new recipe from Pinterest: Chicken/ Broccoli/ Stuffing foil packs
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad.

..................................... Don't forget to visit my other blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. ..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Blue Fridays in November

2011-11-01T05:01:00.003-04:00

Are YOU wearing blue every Friday in November for Diabetes Awareness?

I'm cross-posting this on both of my blogs today in honor of the start of Diabetes Awareness Month. Hope to see YOU wearing blue!

..................................... Join me here each week for Tinseled Tuesdays to share your holiday gift ideas! And don't forget to visit my new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. ..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

The Great Christian/ Halloween Debate

2011-10-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

Every year around this time I find myself in the middle of, or at least witnessing, the age-old debate: should Christians celebrate Halloween? I say YES- in a family-friendly, Biblically sound, kind of way.

Halloween's name originally came from All Hollows Eve, which was the eve of All Saints Day, a Christian holiday set aside to honor the deceased. Around the time the Christian movement was sweeping through Europe, pagan holidays and customs were very popular, often coinciding with celebrating the passage of the seasons. At the end of October, pagans celebrated Sanhaim, a festival marking the end of the harvest and beginning of winter, commonly looked upon as a time of death. The Church chose to celebrate All Saints Day right in the middle of the pagan festival, as an effort to give new converts something else to celebrate and detract attention from the pagan feast.

It was only logical, then, that some of the pagan traditions became mixed with these "new" Christian holidays. In fact, many of our other holiday traditions, including Christmas trees, can be traced back to pagan roots. Even though a Christmas tree was originally an ancient fertility symbol, does that mean we are worshipping it or celebrating the pagan meaning when we have one in our homes? Of course not.

Clearly, Christians are instructed to stay away from occult or satanic practices:

Deuteronomy 18: 10-11:¹⁰ There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, ¹¹ or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

However, it doesn't say anything about dressing up in silly costumes, giving/getting candy, or making a pumpkin look like a silly face. If you dig around you can trace some of these ideas back to the pagan celebration from the same time of year, but, do you really think the average Joe in a pumpkin costume is in a spiritual battle, attempting to hide from evil spirits? No, more likely, Joe is just having fun and being silly, the same as he would wearing a costume any other day of the year.

Here's the best article I've read on this subject to date: Christians and Halloween. It gives a great historical background and a common-sense approach for choosing how your Christian family will deal with the holiday without appearing to be superstitious.

As for my family, we'll be trick or treating in our neighborhood, passing out treats to the neighborhood kids, wearing fun costumes, and attending our school/church Autumn Harvest festival. I can't think of a single thing in there that's sinful... unless maybe we become gluttons on the candy. ;)

What about YOU? How do you feel about Halloween? Will your family participate in trick or treating? I invite you to link up your post on the subject, and please.... let's all play nice. I have seen too many of these "discussions" get nasty online. We can all learn and appreciate one another's view on the subject, even when we don't agree!

Tinseled Tuesdays: online toy deals

2011-10-25T17:35:00.001-04:00

Join me here each Tuesday to share a gift idea- it can be something to make, a frugal deal you've found, a review product you've loved, a pin you found on Pinterest... whatever type of unique, frugal gift idea that you'd like to share.

This week I'm linking up to a few great deals I've found online over the last week:

First up, a great deal from A Proverbs Wife-- she shows you how to get a Sing A Ma Jig toy for about $3.50, and that great price even includes shipping. We have a few babies expected in our circle of friends this winter, so this is a deal that really caught my eye.

Next up: the Crayola/ Kmart rebates. These are great if you have creative little ones in your life! Click HERE for the rebate form. Some of the deals include: $4.00 back on a Glow Dome and $3 back on a Model Magic Jewelry Boutique. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Crayola toys, so I'm happy to see this rebate offer. (I'm not sure if you HAVE to purchase the toys at Kmart to qualify for the rebate... I don't see that on the form. Anyone know?)

And finally, the last deal that caught my eye this week was Totally Target's post about Squinkies as low as $2.99 shipped. Personally, I don't "get" these toys, but both of my kids are fascinated by them every time we go to a store. I might be more easily swayed to pick some up for Christmas at this cheap price!

Now it's your turn... link up to a post sharing a great holiday gift idea. You can link up to any gift idea that you'd like to share. And don't forget to grab the button from my right sidebar so your readers can come back here and share more ideas!

Five Question... yep, on Saturday, again.

2011-10-15T11:56:00.000-04:00

Just one of these days I'd like to actually get Five Question Friday done on a Friday.... ah well. The questions are still fun even when I am chronically a day late. :)

1. Do you prefer your ice cream in a bowl or in a cone? Hmmm.... it depends on the ice cream, really. I like both. I definitely prefer a good sugar cone (pointy end) over those wafer things, though.

2. What three things do you love the smell of? Freshly washed laundry. (Preferably Gain, please... detergent is one of the very few things that I insist on spending more to buy the name brand. I have had BAD luck with the cheaper stuff-- mysterious blue spots, anyone?) Baby powder. And this awesome lavender/vanilla reed diffuser I have in my office at work.

3. Giftcards or no? (In regards to gift giving...) YES! Personally, I'm happy to receive a gift card, because I don't usually have money to spend on myself, and when I have a gift card I enjoy shopping guilt-free. It's even better if the giver has gotten a card to one of my favorite stores, which shows me that they did put some thought into it. For my birthday last month one of my sisters got me a gift card to one of my favorite stores, and I was able to use it towards a pair of brown pants that I had been wanting for quite a while. Perfect!

4. What sports did you play in high school if any and do you still play them? Ha ha ha. No sports for me. No athletic talent here. Does chasing my kids count as a current sport?

5. Were you in band in high school? What instrument did you play? Band, on the other hand, was my life. Marching band, concert band, pep band... well, except the one year when I got kicked out. ;) I played clarinet.

Share your own answers, even if it's Saturday, at Five Question Friday.

Tinseled Tuesdays #2: Quick and Easy

2011-10-11T05:01:00.070-04:00

I LOVE receiving handmade gifts, don't you? There's nothing that makes a person feel more special than knowing that you've spent your time and energy making something just for them. The trouble is, most of us don't have a lot of time these days to make the thoughtful, handmade gifts that we dream of giving.

I have come across several handmade gift ideas that are quick, easy, and frugal. I'll be sharing many of them in the weeks to come.

One such quick and easy gift is a Journal Jar Set. This is great for many people, from children to the elderly. You can get free printable journal questions from Organized Christmas for both kids and adults. You simply print the questions, cut them out, fold them up, and put them into a jar. Then, you pair this up with a journal and a pen, and *poof*, you have a thoughtful gift that your recipient is sure to enjoy. You can get journals in any price range, from $1 at the dollar store, to $50 for a leather bound book. Pair this up with a mason jar full of questions and a cute pen, and you've got a fun gift that fits any price range. I have made several of these and they have been well received.

Another thoughtful and frugal gift? Handmade hand lotion. I made this a while back, and the whole batch cost around $10, but I had ingredients left over for another batch. You could spoon this into tiny jars or dollar store containers for gift giving. If you wanted to go a little further, you could include the lotion in a basket with other pampering products....manicure supplies, a fluffy pair of socks, or bath items.

Now it's your turn... link up to a post sharing a great holiday gift idea. You can go with my theme this week of quick and easy homemade gifts, or, you can link up to any other gift idea that you'd like to share. And don't forget to grab the button from my right sidebar so your readers can come back here and share more ideas!

Tortilla Soup & this week's Menu Plan

2011-10-10T10:02:00.000-04:00

I'm not feeling too great this morning, so I've got two crockpots going... my big one with the roast for supper, and my mini crockpot with one of my favorite soups for lunch. For some reason I always crave this soup when I'm not feeling well:

Amy's Super Easy Tortilla Soup
1 13oz can cooked chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes/peppers (the "fire-roasted" part makes a big difference in flavor)
1 can Mexicorn
1/2 cup salsa (I eyeball this and sometimes use more)
1 can chicken broth OR chicken rice soup
several shakes of Garlic Pepper (love the McCormick California Style Garlic Pepper)
several shakes of black pepper

Throw it all in a big soup pot and simmer a while (or in crockpot on low 3-4 hours). I garnish my bowl with shredded cheddar and croutons- my husband adds diced jalapenos to his.

Sometimes I use leftover chopped chicken... sometimes I use mushroom soup... sometimes add onions...sometimes I just use a can of diced tomatoes with no spice if the kids will be eating it... I pretty much just make it with whatever is on hand!

click the button to share your own menu

My menu is all quick and easy stuff this week:

MONDAY: new recipe: crockpot French Dip Sandwiches, homemade oven fries, sliced tomatoes
TUESDAY: crockpot ravioli, tossed salad, garlic bread
WEDNESDAY: leftovers or something from the freezer
THURSDAY: my very own recipe for General Tso's Chicken with stir-fried veggies and rice (kids will have Sweet and Sour sauce on theirs) We didn't get to this meal last week.
FRIDAY: buffalo chicken salads or sandwiches (grilled chicken tenders coated in our favorite wing sauce-- piled on a giant salad or in a bun, depending on our mood and what's on hand) with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, etc.
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad.

Juicy Juice Deal Alert

2011-10-05T09:38:00.000-04:00

I'm over on my other blog today sharing a great deal on Juicy Juice toddler-sized juice boxes. These happen to be a staple supply in our diabetic world, but I know lots of moms who buy these for lunch boxes, as well. Check out how I'm getting 40 Juicy Juice boxes for just $9.45!

..................................... Join me here each week for Tinseled Tuesdays to share your holiday gift ideas! And don't forget to visit my new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. ..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Tinseled Tuesdays #1

2011-10-04T08:42:00.003-04:00

It's time to start thinking about holiday shopping! Join me here each Tuesday to share a gift idea- it can be something to make, a frugal deal you've found, a review product you've loved, a pin you found on Pinterest... whatever type of unique, frugal gift idea that you'd like to share.

This week, I'd like to share some kitchen gift ideas for the home cook on your list.

I recently reviewed the Leifheit 3086 Vario Board Cutting Board and I LOVED it! It's a nice, heavy board that's elevated about 2" off your counter top, making it easy to slide a plate underneath to transfer your chopped vegetables. It also comes with four interchangeable mats so that you can chop various foods without risk of cross-contamination. The mats are also great for picking up and transferring food directly to a hot pan on the stove. Now, at $39, this is a little more than I would usually spend on a Christmas gift, but if that's in your price range, I'd definitely recommend that you take a look at this cutting board.

There are tons of other cutting boards out there, if this idea appeals to you but that price is a bit much. I like these lightweight cutting mats that come in a set of 3 for just under $5. And there are plenty of other options... wooden boards, decorative boards, small boards, large boards... you name it!

Now, just a cutting board by itself might not seem like a great gift to you. Why not pair it with some other fun things and make it a set? You could match it up with:

a nice set of knives
cheeseball mix, crackers, and maybe a fancy cheese knife
fresh cheese and a cheese slicer
some unusual vegetables or fruits to sample
some home canned vegetables or fruits

So, now it's your turn.... link up below and share a great holiday gift idea!

Link up your post above and don't forget to include a link back here so that your readers can share their ideas, as well! (Button code is available below or in my right sidebar.)

This week's post was about a store-bought gift idea, but next week I'll focus on quick and easy homemade gifts. Any type of gift idea that you'd like to share is welcome!

Coming Soon: Tinseled Tuesdays

2011-10-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year- time to start shopping for the holidays! This time of year can be expensive and stressful, or, with some planning, it can be a lot of fun. Personally, I usually fall somewhere in the middle: I enjoy finding the perfect gift for some on my list, but I become stressed out finding gifts for a few hard-to-buy-for folks.

I usually start in September and have had the goal for many years of getting completely done by Thanksgiving... but I haven't quite made it yet. Every year there are a few more things I have to pick up in December- an unexpected gift, or an item that I've been searching for and couldn't locate. Maybe THIS will be the year that I'm done by Thanksgiving!

To that end, I'm going to start a weekly feature here called Tinseled Tuesdays. I'm going to post some of the great frugal gift ideas I find, whether they are frugal deals or unique items. I'd love to have you join me and share your own gift ideas. These might be great deals you've found online, homemade gifts, products you've reviewed and truly loved, things you've pinned on Pinterest, or any other form of gift idea that you'd like to share. Join me here on Tuesdays and link up!

..................................... Have you heard? I've started a new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. ..................................... This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links. You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu Plan Monday 10/3

2011-10-03T09:57:00.001-04:00

The weather has turned chilly here and I'm definitely craving my favorite comfort foods... how about you? :)

MONDAY: DD's request: our family's favorite meatloaf (I use torn fresh bread, not crumbs), my loaded smashed potatoes (cubed potatoes, boiled, lightly mashed but still chunky, combined with sour cream , chives, and cheddar cheese), green beans
TUESDAY: new recipe: Chicken Noodle Casserole, green beans *Edited to add: as I was out surfing through other's menus, I spotted this Buttery Bread Machine Rolls recipe on Kendra's menu @ Happily Managing a Household of Boys. I think it will go perfectly with this meal, so I'm adding it in!
WEDNESDAY: a new crockpot recipe: chuck roast, an envelope of gravy mix, Italian dressing mix, water. I'll actually be substituting real Italian dressing and skipping the water- I think that will be fine. I think we'll shred that and make wraps out of it (lettuce, cheese, etc.). (If this entire menu entry looks familiar, it's because I'm copying and pasting it from a few weeks ago when we wound up skipping this meal!)
THURSDAY: my very own recipe for General Tso's Chicken with stir-fried veggies and rice (kids will have Sweet and Sour sauce on theirs)
FRIDAY: leftovers or sandwiches & soup
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad.

5 Question Fri- Saturday 10/1

2011-10-01T10:17:00.001-04:00

1. Do you apologize to your kids if you're wrong? Yes. But it's rare. ;) I think it's a great teaching opportunity.

2. Do you have a class ring, Letterman's jacket, or similar obscenely priced high school "must have"? I still have my class rings from both high school and college... though my college one was an artsy one, not a traditional looking class ring. And yes, back in high school, I had my Letterman's jacket. It was weighted down by all the buttons I collected with funny sayings on them. I'm not sure what ever happened to it- it's probably still in my parents' attic.

3. If you could be one age for the rest of your life, what age would you choose? Ha! Well, for several years running I stayed 29 on my birthdays. Now... I don't know. Every age has brought different challenges and different blessings, so I'm not sure there's any one age that I'd like to stay.

4. What is your favorite (unused) baby name? Haley. If my son had been a girl, he/she would have been Haley Johanna. Johanna was my grandma's middle name.

5. If you could make your child like something what would it be? Reading! I think reading is such an important thing in life, and people who read tend to be more educated and better informed about the world. Happily, I think we're finally getting there. I have been confused by my daughter's dislike of reading... she had the ability, but just didn't enjoy it. I, on the other hand, devour books weekly and as a kid I was always getting in trouble for reading when I was supposed to be doing other things. In the last month or so, though, my daughter has suddenly started picking up books and reading for long periods without any prompting from me. We've found some fun new-to-her series at the library, and she's really getting into them. (Among others, she's discovered Choose Your Own Adventure books, which were a favorite of mine as a kid. I didn't even know they were still around!) I'm so glad... now I just have to start working on my son!

Recent Reads: The Hours that Matters Most

2011-09-30T01:15:00.000-04:00

The Hour that Matters Most: The Surprising Power of the Family Meal is a realistic book about family meals and how to make the family dinner hour a priority in your home. I was excited to read this book, because with our crazy schedules, we rarely sit down all at once to eat as a family, even though I do cook most nights.

This book is packed with practical tips, from motivating everyone to get to the table on time, to how to get your kids to really engage in the dinner conversation. There's also a section devoted to how to speed up the cooking process by prepping meals with a group of friends. And, of course, there are plenty of recipes... none of which call for extravagant ingredients. "Super Simple Sloppy Joes" and "Spanish Eggs" are among the kid-pleasing recipes.

And after all of these great ideas and suggestions, my favorite chapter: The Good Enough Family Meal. The authors make a great point: a family dinner doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be good enough. The bonding, the routine, the memories... those will come, no matter what form your family meals takes.

For more information visit, www.thehourthatmattersmost.com or check out the book on Amazon in paperbackor in Kindle format.

Disclaimer:My copy of this book was furnished free by the publisher in return for my honest review.

Invisible Illness Week as a D-Mom

2011-09-17T22:03:00.000-04:00

There's a meme floating around this week about Invisible Illness Week and how these silent battles impact our daily lives. You can check out my answers regarding my daughter's Type I Diabetes over on my other blog!

..................................... Have you heard? I've started a new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. .....................................

5 Question Friday 9/9

2011-09-09T18:48:00.003-04:00

1. What ringtone do you have on your cell phone? I have several. My main ringtone is a snippet of the song Blessed Be Your Name by Tree63. I love that song. I also have some silly tones, like one that sounds like an alarm and says "Alert... Alert.... Your Husband is Calling".

2. What is your favorite memory from this summer? My sister's wedding. No one particular moment, but the whole thing... the fun we had making her bouquets with my mom and sisters, decorating the hall, the perfect wedding ceremony, the fun reception.... and just knowing that my sister was marrying a wonderful guy. Ever looked at two people and just known that they were perfect for each other? Yeah, that's how I feel about my sister and her husband. I like to remind her that I pointed this out even before they ever started dating, back when she swore they were "just friends". LOL! :) (Go say hello to the newlywed on her new blog HERE!)

3. Paper books or ebooks? Well, as of my birthday yesterday, both! I read a lot. A LOT. There are quite literally stacks of books in every room of my house. (Well, ok, not the bathrooms, that's just gross.) Part of those books come from writing book reviews, some from the library, some from thrift stores, some passed on from friends... you get the idea. I have a lot of "real" books. Some I swap out after reading through PaperBackSwap.com, some I share with friends, and some I just keep.
I've mentioned on and off my interest in a Kindle in passing conversations with my husband, but never, ever thought I'd own one... it's just not in our budget. Well, my wondeful husband surprised me with one yesterday. I was totally shocked and very happy. As soon as I get done playing with blogs I'm headed over to the Amazon site to snag some FREE Kindle ebooks! I have a feeling that I'll still enjoy my "real" books, as well, but I am really excited to try out my new Kindle.

4. If you could have one home upgrade what would it be and why? I'd have someone "do" our yard. I would have a deck with a cover and a fence built out back so that our family could make use of our empty lot of a yard. The yard has nothing... no landscaping, no trees, no fence. I'd LOVE to be able to use that space!

5. When was your first serious boyfriend/girlfriend? Ha ha ha. Oh, the stories I could tell. I was 15 and in high school, so I'm not sure the term "serious" should apply, but back then I sure thought it did. We had lots of drama and long, whispered phone calls full of Pink Floyd music in our moments of deep, serious thinking.... AKA: teenaged drama. That drama is exactly why I don't understand people who say they'd like to go back to high school again.... no thank you!

Share your own 5QF answers HERE!

Menu Plan Monday 9/5

2011-09-05T01:01:00.001-04:00

It's another busy week here, so this week's menu is full of quick and easy dishes!

MONDAY: eating at my sister's house :)
TUESDAY: grilled brats, macaroni and cheese, fresh tomatoes
WEDNESDAY: a new crockpot recipe: chuck roast, an envelope of gravy mix, Italian dressing mix, water. I'll actually be substituting real Italian dressing and skipping the water- I think that will be fine. I think we'll shred that and make wraps out of it (lettuce, cheese, etc.) and then have my Tomato Salad (diced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Italian dressing) on the side.
THURSDAY: My birthday! Chinese food... either homemade or out to the local buffet. :)
FRIDAY: another new crockpot recipe-- layer: potatoes, smoked sausage, green beans, onions. It sounds a lot like my favorite way to do ham & green beans in the crockpot, so I'm sure it will be good. I might add a little chicken broth and some seasonings... we'll see.
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad. I'm actually leaning towards making stromboli this week, but we'll see what everyone is in the mood for by Saturday.

The kids and I have been going to the library every Saturday, and this week I checked out Fix and Forget It: 5 Ingredient Favorites. That's where both of the above new recipes came from. I've been a long-time fan of the original, Fix and Forget It and I own a copy of that one. I've gone through about half of this 5-ingredient one, and I love it! I found several recipes that I want to try, and most I already have the ingredients for-- they're nothing fancy. I'd definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of crockpot cooking like I am! (And no, nobody asked me to say anything about this book... I just am really enjoying it and wanted to share!)

You can share your own menu and get great ideas from others over at Menu Plan Monday!

Recent Reads: When She Woke

2011-09-03T11:16:00.001-04:00

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan was a suprisingly captivating read... as in, I read the entire thing within 24 hours. Hannah is a young Christian woman who, through a series of bad decisions, wound up having an affair, and consequently, an abortion. In her society, this is a serious crime, punished by having one's skin turned a bright red hue for a period of many years. Coming out of the prison and into the real world as a "Red" is a brutal life... Reds are hunted down and beaten or murdered on the streets. Hannah's new life is filled with danger, having to trust strangers, questioning the faith she was raised in, and coming to terms with the decisions that led her to this point.

A word of caution- When She Woke is outside of my normal genre of review books. While Hannah's faith is a part of the story, this is not a book that I would consider to be in the Christian Fiction category. It did include some sexual content and some very un-Christian story lines. I'm fine with that in a fiction book, but, I know some might be offended.

Disclaimer: I received my advance reader copy of this book for free in return for my honest review via the Amazon Vine Program.

5QF 9/2/11

2011-09-02T23:41:00.001-04:00

1. Shoes in the house - yay or nay? I hate going to someone's house where they insist that I remove my shoes- what if my socks are ratty? What if I'm not wearing socks and I need a pedicure? Argh. Around home, I sometimes wear shoes if I'm cleaning, but most of the time I go barefoot... in the winter I wear thick socks. When you visit me, you do whatever makes you feel comfy.

2. What do you call them- flip flops, slippers, thongs, etc? Flip-flops. I hate when people call them thongs- makes me think of the underwear.

And while we're on the subject, what's up with everyone wearing the cheap, plain, plastic ones with dress clothes? I've noticed that a lot this summer-- all dressed up for church or a wedding, and you wear cheap plastic flip-flops? At least get some fancy ones!

3. What song are you almost embarrassed to admit you know all the lyrics to? Britney Spears' Piece of Me. I have no idea why, as I am generally not a pop music kind of gal, but I like that particular song enough that I have it on my walking playlist. I'm not even sure how I ever heard it to begin with, as I generally listen to Christian music on KLOVE or a local station that plays music from back when I was in high school (stuff like GNR, Pink Floyd, Metallica... all my old favorites). So, I really have no idea where I first heard it, but yeah... I can sing along. Don't tell anyone. ;)

4. What is the best quality to have in a friend? A true friend will not disown you when she finds out about your secret knowledge of Britney music. LOL. Ok, seriously? One of the most important things a friend should be is trustworthy. If you're going to talk behind my back or tweet my private business, I don't need you.

5. Do you know what you want for Christmas? No idea. Let's go with a winning lottery ticket.

Share your own Five Question Friday answers HERE!

Monday messed with my Menu {but I have a plan}

2011-08-23T12:15:00.000-04:00

It's been a heck of a week around here... yes, already! Around midnight on Sunday we discovered that our upright freezer had died, leaving a gross mess. We salvaged what we could... of course this happened not long after we'd purchased 1/4 of beef. Let's just say that clean-up was ugly (we bleached everything) and tossing part of that prime meat was painful. We did decide that we'd rather pitch meat that was questionable than take a chance on food poisoning.... but still, it's hard to do!

Monday afternoon we went to order a new freezer. That was definitely not planned in the budget, but necessary. I buy all our meats in bulk, I buy bread several loaves at a time at the local bread outlet, and I make/freeze dishes ahead when I can. None of that is possible if we're limited to the small drawer freezer on our regular fridge.

So... belated as it is, I do still have a menu plan. I had to change some things around try to work with what we have left- which means no chicken or pork, other than some kielbasa. You'll notice it's all quick and easy meals this week-- I felt like that was a safe way to go considering how the week started!

MONDAY: bacon, scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes, cinnamon rolls
TUESDAY: new recipe: simmered round steak, our favorite cheesy ranch potatoes,, green beans (I'm going to try putting the round steak in the crockpot for the afternoon instead of baking it.)
WEDNESDAY: one of my favorite soups: tomato-basil soup & grilled cheese or cold meat sandwiches
THURSDAY: kielbasa, macaroni, tomatoes
FRIDAY: crockpot Mexican beef roast (a family favorite- roast beef, taco seasoning, salsa) on tortillas with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, etc
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad. This week I'm going to try and talk the kids into trying ham & pineapple! :)

Menu Plan Monday 8/15

2011-08-16T09:14:00.000-04:00

MONDAY: frozen BBQ Ribettes, macaroni, tomatoes
TUESDAY: First day of school tradition: Tacos! with salsa/ chips/ tomatoes/ lettuce/ cheese/ peppers. And I'm hoping to have time to make a special dessert or cookies, too.
WEDNESDAY: crockpot roast, veggies, salad
THURSDAY: family party @ my sister's house-- lasagna, tossed salad, garlic bread, birthday cake. I'm in charge of the garlic bread and salad. I'll be making THIS, which is a personal favorite. (Will you take a minute to go wish my newlywed sister a happy birthday-- and welcome her to the world of blogging? Thanks!)
FRIDAY: pasta, meat sauce, salad
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad.

What will your kids eat at school?

2011-08-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

Every year about this time I get interested in Bento lunches and all the fun things I could be sending my kids in their lunchboxes. I love, love, love to look at pics of interesting Bentos. In fact, I've got two Pinterest boards going... one for those fancy Bentos I just love to look at, and one that's more realistic in terms of things I might actually make for my kids' lunches.

Our school does not serve the best lunches, so we plan to let the kids eat there one or two times a week, and the other days they will bring a {healthier} lunch from home. That worked out pretty well last year with DD-- she was happy because she got to eat ~~the crap they serve~~ what her friends were eating some days, especially on Fridays, when they get pizza from a local restaurant. I can live with that once or twice a week.

Today the kids and I bought and bagged up snacks... both will need one a day, plus whatever we use in lunches, plus something for the days they go to our babysitter's house after school. Apple straws, cheddar sharks, pretzels, and some low-sugar fruit snacks are all ready to go. Of course we will also do grapes, cheese sticks, orange slices, etc., but it feels good to have something ready in the pantry to grab and go. I plan to make some homemade goodies (granola bars?) to freeze and use for snacks, as well.

Next up: tackling the pile of uniform shirts that need patches ironed on-- yuck!

Five Question Friday.... on time!

2011-08-05T00:21:00.001-04:00

Look at me, posting a meme on the right day....crazy! LOL!

1. Do you have siblings and are you close with them? I have three younger sisters, and yes, we're all close. :)

2. Would you rather be slightly UNDER weight or slightly OVER weight? Hmmm. Tough call. I have a friend who battles being under weight all the time, and it's hard on her. And I see little elderly ladies who are practically wasting away. I guess I'll stick with being slightly over weight.

3. What's your favorite State Fair food to splurge on? Since it's County Fair Week here, and I've spent several hours there this week for work, I am quite freshly versed in Fair Food. My favorites: a giant Italian sausage sandwich (from a specific vendor who is in the same spot every year... and only from him), and, the ultimate guilty-pleasure: Fried Veggie Platter.

I actually just had the fried veggies last night-- broccoli, cauliflower, pickles, and mushrooms, all with a spicy dipping sauce. Mmmmmm. SO much grease... and so many of my WW points (no, I didn't actually calculate it).... but totally worth it! Besides, I figure I'm earning plenty of WW points back as I sweat and haul wheelchairs around the fairgrounds!

4. What are your thoughts on your kid(s) going to school in a few weeks? My kids start the 16th. I seriously can't believe this summer is over already. It seems like just last week we were finishing up the last school year!

5. Pool or Ocean? It depends on what we're talking about. I am a huge fan of ocean life, sea creatures, etc... in fact, I just changed my phone's wallpaper to a gorgeous picture of a sea turtle swimming with tropical fish. I dream of going scuba diving one day. The one and only time I've been snorkeling in an ocean ranks up there as one of the best experiences of my life. I go to sleep some nights listening to the sounds of an artificial ocean playing through a cool app on my phone. But... if we're just talking about a normal swim, I'd rather be in a nice clear pool than on a beach.

Post your own 5QF answers HERE!

5 Question Fri...Saturday (again)

2011-07-30T09:16:00.001-04:00

1. Vow renewal ceremonies-yay or nay? Yay, when they are actually meaningful to the couple. I think they can be very sweet, especially when an older couple does them to celebrate a special anniversary.- like 50 years or something. I mean, it's not like your vows expire or something, but if that's how a couple wants to celebrate, I'm all for it. But "nay" to couples who do them for show, like that silly John & Kate one that came right before their marriage blew up-- surely they knew at the time that things were not right between them, so I'm sure the vow renewal was just for the show. Boo.

2. What sound/s annoy you the most? I CAN'T STAND the sound of someone getting ready to hack up mucus. Eeeewww. Just thinking about it now set off my gag reflex.
I've also developed quite a sensitivity to noise in general as I've grown older. If my kids are being loud with toys and the TV is on and DH is talking on the phone... all of that at once makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. Seriously, it's almost a panic-like feeling. Lots of noise makes me feel very tense. On the other hand, I love to drive with the windows down and the music blasting... so THAT noise doesn't bother me. It's just when it's lots of different noises at once. I have no idea when/how that started, but it's definitely getting worse as I get older.

3. If you had to pick, would you have only all boys, or only all girls for kids? I seriously can't imagine having to choose. I have one of each, and they are so different. My DH and I often talk about how naturally different boys and girls are as we watch our kids grow and play. I used to dream of having three boys and a girl.. for some reason that seemed like the ideal family to me. God had other plans, and I can't have any more kids, but I am so very blessed by both my daughter and my son. Really... I couldn't pick. I'd have to flip a coin.

4. Do you believe in alternative medicine? Yes, I do. I know many things outside of traditional medicine help people, and I don't think the idea of popping a pill for every ache or ailment is the best solution. I firmly believe that faith and spirituality have healing powers, and I believe that things like yoga and relaxation techniques can make a huge difference for some issues. I've tried various herbs and homeopathic remedies myself, and had limited success... but I usually wind up finding that the traditional meds work better. However, when it comes to the serious stuff (like DD's diabetes), we stick with traditional medicine.... no messing around. And one of these days I'm going to wind up punching someone who suggests fungus/ mushrooms/ whatever else as the "magic" cure that I just "have" to put DD on.... argh!

5. Would you take a family member's children and raise them if they needed it? Absolutely, without a doubt.

Share your own 5QF answers HERE!

Lightening!

2011-07-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

I've always loved to watch lightening. Storms relax me, especially at night in the summer. I have never really felt a fear of a thunderstorm. (Now tornado-strength winds are another story... but I'm talking about lightening and thunder here.)

Photo by bjj

I may feel differently now. Our house was struck by lightening yesterday.

We had gone to DD's softball end-of-season pizza party for lunch, and got home around 3pm. Around 3:45 or so, the rain started. It wasn't a loud storm or anything- in fact, I think I only heard about four cracks of lightening through the whole storm. Right around 4pm, I was sitting here at the computer when a VERY loud crack of lightening hit so loud that I literally jumped up out of my seat.

Our power went out. We still didn't realize we'd been hit- we figured the whole neighborhood was out. DH went out on the porch to look around, and noticed the strong smell of smoke. The rain had already let up by then, so we started checking out the house, but couldn't find anything. We came back in and were hit with the VERY strong burnt plastic smell.   We checked the entire house, attic and all, but didn't find anything. The power came back on, and that's when we realized that several things were fried.

We lost a majority of our electronic "toys"-- TVs, cable boxes, video games, phones, garage door opener, etc.   Things that were hit seem to be really random-- one item on a surge protector might be toast, but the other three things are fine.   We were told that this is normal for a lightening strike- that it seems to take random things.

We don't yet know what will and won't be replaced by insurance, as we spent most of today trying to figure out exactly what was fried and what wasn't.   Thankfully, no people were hurt. Our air conditioner and major appliances all seem to be working fine. We're trying to keep that in mind as we deal with the bills and insurance over the next few weeks.

I don't think I'll ever enjoy watching lightening quite as much again!

..................................... Have you heard? I've started a new blog, The Sugar Sharks, all about our life with Type I Diabetes. .....................................

True North: a great perspective

2011-07-23T21:05:00.000-04:00

True North: Choosing God in the Frustrations of Life was one of those books that I loved as soon as I started reading it. It's all about looking up (north) to God in all things. It's a positive, upbeat take on life, but it's not one of those cheesy self-help books.

The book opens with an aptly titled chapter: Life Is Difficult. That title is followed by scripture: "In this world you will have trouble." John 16:33 NIV. What that said to me was that life is hard, but that's exactly what the Bible said would happen, so we know God is there.

The book goes on to illustrate the many ways that we humans are tempted to solve our problems in the flesh, when we really should be turning to God. Are we "grumbling and grasping", or have we reached a place of "grace and gratitude"? The authors share personal experiences, leaving the reader to feel that we are on this journey together- we're not being "preached at" by someone who is a better Christian than we are.

Authors Gary and Lisa Heim are a husband-wife ministry team. Their book spoke to me, and so I looked for the Heims online. I was pleased to find their website, True North Ministries. Their site offers a summary of the book, and also a free study guide to use while reading True North... . I found myself wishing that I could attend one of their 525 retreats.

This is a book that I would freely recommend to anyone who could use a little reminder of where we, as Christians, can turn when facing life's problems.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest review.

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

My new Diabetes blog

2011-07-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

OK, after much thought, I've finally decided to move most of my diabetes blogging over to a home of its own. That's not to say that I'll never mention diabetes here, of course, but several times I have chosen not to post something diabetes-related because it didn't really seem to belong here, tucked in between posts about the Bible challenge and my coupon deals.

Today, The Sugar Sharks blog was born. I hope you'll visit me there!

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

Bible in 90 Days: Week One

2011-07-18T17:05:00.000-04:00

So.... finding time to read my assigned Bible readings every day last week was tough. This challenge is definitely proving to be harder than I expected, but I really want to continue. I'm a still behind on the reading schedule as of this morning, but I think I'll be caught up in another day or two.

I'm hoping as the weeks progress I'll fall into a natural rhythm of a good reading time. My usual before-bed reading slot isn't working out so well-- by then I'm too tired to really soak in Scripture. I'm working on finding a better time... it's just hard with our constantly-changing schedule.

I did receive the official The Bible in 90 Days that I ordered last week. (Remember? I wound up getting it for free, and after some debate, decided I'll add in the apocryphal books at the end.) On one hand, I do like having the "official "Bible to use with this challenge, as each day's readings are marked, so I know where I stand without having to look it up online. But, then again, I could have just as easily printed out the reading schedule and stuck with my regular NRSV Bible. So, really, I guess I'm sort of on the fence as to whether this specific edition makes a difference in my reading or not.

I'd love to hear from you if you are doing the challenge or have even considered it!

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

Bible in 90 Days: Day 1 & a Decision

2011-07-11T16:05:00.002-04:00

Day one of the challenge @ Mom's Toolbox to read the Bible in 90 days. I read half the assigned reading this morning, and I finished it up this afternoon.

As a Catholic, I initially had concerns about the official The Bible in 90 Days not having the apocrypha books. As I had posted a couple of days ago, I was planning to use my Catholic Women's Devotional Bible and/or my The Way Catholic Bible, and just follow the reading schedule.

Well, it seems that fate (and by fate, I always mean God) had other ideas. Just this week I received notice that I now have $13.79 in credit in my Amazon account, thanks to the revenue I receive through this blog. And.... guess what? The Bible in 90 Days costs $13.59, and I have free shipping thanks to my Amazon Moms Prime account. So, basically, I can get the exact Bible I need for this challenge absolutely free. :) I have always believed that things happen for a reason. I decided that it was meant to be, and I ordered the The Bible in 90 Days last night. Until it comes in later this week, I'll keep reading my regular Bible.

So... day one down. I'd love to hear from you if you are doing this challenge, or if you might be interested in trying it sometime.

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

Menu Plan: week of 7/11

2011-07-11T10:13:00.000-04:00

It's a quick and easy menu at my house this week. I'm still trying to use up enough beef to have room in my freezer for other meats, so this week is still heavy on the red meat.

Last week's Star-Studded Mini Pies were a hit- and easy to make!

MONDAY: Tacos, enchiladas, burritos.... something Mexican! I'm home today but we're running a bunch of errands. If we're home in time for me to mess with making enchilada sauce , I will, if not, we'll just do tacos.
TUESDAY: new recipe: Grilled Asian Flank Steak, rice, steamed veggies
WEDNESDAY: kielbasa, macaroni, peas
THURSDAY: leftovers or sandwiches
FRIDAY: family party for my mom's birthday- I'm in charge of the goulash & my sisters are bringing the other dishes. (My way- not really a recipe: a box of bow tie pasta, a jar of sauce, a large can of diced tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperoni, hambuger, and cheese--- all cooked and tossed together.)
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad. Last week I planned to try this Grilled Pizza recipe, but instead we varied from our tradition and ate DH's requested Subway instead of pizza. So I'll keep the recipe on for this coming week and hopefully we'll get to it! :)

Share you own menu @ Menu Plan Monday!

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

Bible Challenge

2011-07-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

On Monday I'm starting a challenge that I'm actually a little intimidated by... I've signed up @ Mom's ToolBox to read the entire Bible in 90 days. I've read much of the Bible, of course, but I've never sat down and made a concentrated effort to read every single word.

I had a concern about the so-called "extra books" in my Catholic Bible, because this program uses a protestant Bible. I checked out the official ministry site, and found that the program had been hosted by Catholic churches in the past. So, it seems like this must be do-able. I think I'll just add the apocrypha books in when I can- or maybe I'll do them the end.

The program offers their own edition of the Bible for ease of reading, and it does look like it would make things simpler. However, purchasing their Bible is not required, and buying anything extra isn't in my budget right now. I will use my own Bible and follow the reading schedule instead. I have two Catholic translations of the Bible... a Women's Devotional Catholic Bible (NRSV), and an easy-to-read one: The Way Catholic Bible. (We also have a large KJV Family Bible that was a gift... but it doesn't contain the apocrypha books.) I normally read the different translations at different times, sometimes reading the same passage in both to try and understand what a particular passage is really saying. I'm not sure which one I'll use for this challenge... I might rotate!

As I said, I'm intimidated by this challenge. But I found myself drawn to the posts describing the program over and over, so I took that as a sign, took a deep breath, and signed myself up. If you want to join in, here's the link to the official Bible in 90 Days signup.

I'd love to hear from you if you're taking this challenge!

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

Five Question Friday 7/8

2011-07-09T00:11:00.000-04:00

1. Do you think cursive writing is overrated? (Schools in Indiana have now voted to take teaching cursive writing out of their curriculum.) What?? Hadn't heard that about Indiana. For shame. I think cursive writing is very important. Granted, I understand that more people probably communicate by typing than writing, but still... can you imagine taking all your school notes by printing back when we were kids? Or currently, I do a lot of charting at work... I can't imagine having to print all that-- it would take twice as long!

2. Do you still use a pocket calendar or notepad or do you keep your info on your smart phone? I use my phone for everything. I am highly dependent on my Google calendar. I can access it from my phone, my computer at home, and my work computer. I have a color-coded, overlapping calendars in place for staff scheduling, work meetings, home stuff, etc. However, at home, we also keep a written family calendar in the kitchen so that everyone here knows what's going on.

3. What 3 things would you save if your house was burning down? (family & pets are already safe)

photo albums/ photos from the walls
computer- where the rest of our photos live
diabetes supplies... mostly out of habit, I guess, but that was one of the first things that popped into my head. I never leave home without them!

4. Country Mouse or City Mouse, err Person? We live in a suburb of a big city, with farmer's fields bordering our neighborhood. Ideally, though, I'd love to move out into the middle of nowhere and become a country mouse.

5. If you could pick ANY reality show to go on, which would you pick? The only reality show I watch is Big Brother, and there's no way ever want to go on there. So, I don't know. OH! Wait! Yes I do... I would want to be on Yard Crashers! I dream of running into that guy at our local home improvement store and letting him come and landscape our big, empty yard.

Post your own answers and link up @ Five Question Friday!

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

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T07:01:00.002-04:00

Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people he chose for his inheritance.”

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

Menu Plan: week of 7/3

2011-07-03T23:33:00.016-04:00

This week's menu is still heavier than usual on the red meat, because we just bought a 1/4 of a cow, and I've got to use up some of this beef so I have room in the freezer to buy other meats. There are also some repeats on here from last week... plans changed a few nights and we wound up eating quick sandwiches instead of cooking.

I really hope to find time on Monday in between the parade and dinner to make some of these Star-Studded Mini Pies to send in to the guys at my husband's police department. I know the guys will enjoy them!

MONDAY: new recipe: Velveeta-stuffed hamburgers on buns (7pts+), salad (0-3pts+ depending on dressing), deviled eggs, corn on the cob, watermelon, s'mores *Please note that I am choosing not to calculate the WW points yet.. LOL! I'll figure it out later and walk off those points during the week.
TUESDAY: family favorite: crockpot beef machacha on tortillas or nachos, with salsa/ tomatoes/ lettuce/ cheese/ peppers, watermelon *The beef alone comes out to 9pts+ as written for six servings, but we usually get more than six servings by bulking our servings up with veggies.
WEDNESDAY: leftovers or sandwiches
THURSDAY: new recipe: Colorado Pork Roast ,sauted squash, tossed salad * The roast comes out to 15pts+ as written for four servings- yikes! Those servings are too big. I plan to make this eight servings at 8pts+ each.
FRIDAY: new recipe: corn and salsa chicken packets (8pts+) *I think I'm going to try grilling these instead of baking them. I might also add a can of black beans, as one reviewer did.
SATURDAY: It's Pizza Night here every Saturday- we pretty much always have some variety of homemade pizza and tossed salad. Last week the kids picked out a cheeseburger pizza recipe- they loved it, but DH and I did not. This week I want to try this Grilled Pizza recipe if the weather cooperates. I'll use my favorite pizza dough recipe-- I make this in the bread maker nearly every Saturday:
Amy's Favorite Breadmaker Pizza Crust
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons canola oil (I've used other oils and it comes out fine.)
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp active dry yeast
Optional: sometimes I add in some garlic pepper or other spices.
Run on the "dough" cycle in breadmaker. Spray pizza pan with olive oil non-stick cooking spray. Stretch crust out, let sit for five minutes, and stretch again to cover large pizza pan. Bake at 450 for 8 minutes, top as desired, then bake for approximately 10 more minutes.

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

Sleeping Bag Invitations

2011-07-03T13:18:00.002-04:00

Hi, crafters... remember me? Once upon a time I started this lovely meme... and then my life got crazy, and now I rarely have time to craft anything anymore. Lucky for us, the always-creative Christine stepped up and has kept the meme going, providing fun challenges and a place to share each and every Sunday at Sunday Scrappin'. I am so happy that she did! :)

I was recently going through pictures on my computer... side note: sorting those is a huge project that I need to tackle soon. Anyways, I realized that I do have a few crafty projects that I've never shared, so here I am.

These are the invitations I designed for my daughter's slumber party back in April. These were simply double-sided card stock, stickers, and text printed within shapes that I created with the PrintShop program on my computer. I folded the cardstock in half, rounding the corners, and then cut a slit on the folded side to bend down for the top of the sleeping bag. I made sure the sleeping bags were the right size to fit into a business envelope. We added the flip flop stickers, heart stickers (on the pj leg), and a small square of felt for the pillow.

My daughter helped put them together, and she loved them. Her favorite part was the little glow-in-the-dark teddy bear stickers we found to put on the felt pillows. We loved how they turned out!

If you've been doing anything crafty lately, be sure to stop by and link up with Sunday Scrappin'!

Update 7/12: I'm also linking up to Made by You Monday @ Skip to my Lou .... mostly because I did a lot of online searches when I started this project. Hopefully these invitations might inspire someone else!

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

Five Question Friday, on Saturday

2011-07-02T12:52:00.001-04:00

1. If you had the opportunity to bungee jump, would you? Nope. Absolutely not. I have never understood the idea of being scared as fun-- I don't do roller coasters, either!

2. Would you rather go to the movie theater or to the drive-in? Oh, can't I pick both? I enjoy the movie theater, the popcorn, the giant screen.... though the prices about kill me these days. (Seriously. We took the kids to see Cars 2 last week, and tickets alone were $30 for a matinee! I tried but couldn't find a better deal anywhere locally at a time that worked for us.) At the same time, I love the whole experience of going to a drive-in, and we try to make it to at least one drive-in movie every summer- it's tradition!

3. Do you have your groceries delivered? Ha ha ha. Oh, wait, that was a serious question? No. I don't know anyone in this area who does, or even if there are services like that around here. Once in a while I order something edible online if there's a great deal (like the peanut butter deal.) But otherwise, no.... and even if it was an option, I wouldn't use it. I enjoy shopping (usually) and enjoy challenging myself to get the best deals with coupons/ clearance finds.

4. Eyebrows: Do you wax, thread, pluck, or stay au naturel? Pluck. Probably more than I should... my eyebrows are a bit thin right now.

5. Would the people you went to high school with be surprised by your life today? Well, it depends on who it is and if they've recovered from the shock of who I married. ;) My husband and I went to high school together, but never would have even considered dating back then. We were friends, and we double-dated sometimes, but we also argued a lot about politics and such. We started dating when we were sophomores at neighboring colleges... he would come up on the weekends to see another mutual friend, and long story short, we started dating. Friends took bets on how long before the relationship imploded...we were still having those loud political arguments, LOL... but in the end, we dated for six years, then got married in 1999. Going back to our five year high school reunion after we started dating was fun-- people didn't believe we were together!

Share your 5 Question Friday answers HERE!

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

Menu Plan Monday 6/27

2011-06-27T09:42:00.000-04:00

Hey, I'm actually posting this on Monday instead of Tuesday for a change. Are you impressed? LOL!

We just bought a 1/4 of a cow, so my menu plans for the next few weeks will be much heavier on the beef than usual. We've got to use up some of this beef so I have room in the freezer to buy other meats!

MONDAY: grilled hamburgers on buns (8pts+), salad (0-3pts+ depending on dressing)
TUESDAY: family favorite: crockpot beef machacha, on tortillas or nachos, with tomatoes/ lettuce/ cheese (points will vary per person)
WEDNESDAY: frozen chicken piccata, noodles, steamed broccoli
THURSDAY: new recipe: crockpot beef & broccoli (9pts+) over rice (5 pts+)
FRIDAY: new recipe: corn and salsa chicken packets (8pts+) *I think I'm going to try grilling these instead of baking them. I might also add a can of black beans, as one reviewer did.
SATURDAY: every Saturday: homemade pizza and tossed salad

Many of my beef recipes are higher in WW points than I usually like to go for supper. I need to find some lower-points beef recipes. Any suggestions?

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

A Good Day

2011-06-22T18:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a big day at my house!

First, my "baby" boy turned five. After months of counting down to his birthday, it finally arrived. We had his family party Monday night (grandparents, aunts, cousins) and then it was just us at home on Tuesday. He has enjoyed playing with his new toys all day. Next weekend we'll go see the Cars 2 movie that he's been looking forward to, so his birthday celebration will really be stretched out for a week. He's happy with that.

Second, DD started wearing her CGM. (For those outside the diabetes world, this is a small device that automatically reads her blood sugars constantly throughout the day.) DD has really not wanted it, and we've been walking that fine line between forcing it on her and allowing it to be her choice.

And here's the best part.... she has been the one watching the graph and the trends on the CGM receiver. She has been the one getting excited when it alarms and I'm able to adjust her insulin pump to bring her back into range. She actually told me around bedtime last night that not only is the CGM much better than she thought it would be, but she actually "loves" it.... of course this was right after she had gotten an extra snack because the CGM alerted us that her blood sugar was crashing. :)

Of course I know that it won't be all sunshine and roses with the new CGM.... but our concerns were about just getting through the first day. So far, so good!

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

Five Question Friday

2011-06-18T10:25:00.001-04:00

1. What is your favorite summer time activity? Cookouts. Planting flowers (not so much the weeding). Watching my daughter's softball games. Taking the kids to the park for a picnic lunch and time to play on the playground.

2. Do you have one laundry soap you stick to, or do you buy whatever's on sale? OK, you caught me. As much as I love my coupons and cheap deals, this is one of the few items that I stick to a specific few name brands on. I prefer Gain most of the time, or Tide if it's cheaper. (And yes, of course I use coupons/sales to stock up on them, but they're still the two most expensive brands.)

I had a terrible experience several years ago with a cheap detergent leaving blue stains on our clothes, and I've had trouble with some others not getting minor spots out. Both problems entailed me having to rewash things- what a pain! Laundry is already my least favorite chore, so to me, it's worth paying a bit more and buying the products that I know will work well for me.

3. What is your favorite dinner to make in the summer? I love to grill things. I'd say my own recipe for hamburgers, or, grilling up some boneless chicken, tossing it in our favorite buffalo sauces, and making giant buffalo chicken salads that are full of fresh veggies.

4. Do you have any talents? Of course! I can look at my child and tell you if her blood sugar is low from across the room.... I can carb count on the fly while driving a car.... I can check a blood sugar without ever waking the child... I can walk around my kitchen doing algebra-style math in my head to figure out carbs for the meal we just ate... oh, wait, you probably meant non-D things, right? Well....I'm often told that I'm creative-- I rubber stamp, make cards, scrapbook, cook without recipes, and design simple websites. I actually haven't gotten to do a whole lot of those things, other than cooking, in the last year or so, but I'm hoping I will get back to them soon. One of my biggest goals this summer is to clean out the spare bedroom and turn it into a craft room for the kids and I.

5. If you could instantly be an expert in something, what would it be? Why? All things related to Type I Diabetes. In some ways, I think I'm getting there-- after all, we live and breathe this disease every day. But there are SO many things I don't know, or don't understand, about the more complex medical aspects. If I'm getting these magical powers of expertise, I'd like to know enough to create the cure, as well. ;) As for the WHY... I guess that's obvious.

Post your own answers to Five Question Friday and link up @ My Little Life!

If you're a new visitor here, welcome! If you've never heard of Type I Diabetes, please let me share with you: My daughter needs insulin every day to keep her alive because her pancreas doesn't work. She wears an insulin pump 24/7, and we figure out her insulin doses by counting the carbohydrates in every bite of food she eats. Nothing she/we did caused this. Type I Diabetes is NOT caused by a bad diet or lack of exercise. When you hear something about Diabetes on the news or read about it, that advice almost always is referring to Type II. However... Type I doesn't stop my daughter from doing anything you child does-- softball, swimming, birthday parties, trick-or-treating.... you name it, she does it!

Menu Plan Tuesday

2011-06-14T18:49:00.000-04:00

I don't have the WW points calculated for these meals yet, but I usually just watch my portion sizes and stay around 8-10 points for supper... these meals should all fall easily into that range.

MONDAY: chicken picatta (frozen entree), ziti pasta, steamed broccoli
TUESDAY: beef chimichangas, chips/salsa, fruit (Can I count salsa as a vegetable? LOL!)
WEDNESDAY: crockpot ravioli (I add diced tomatoes & beef ravioli), garlic bread, tossed salad, broccoli
THURSDAY: chicken stir-fry with assorted veggies
FRIDAY: crockpot pork loin, roasted potatoes, green beans (I use various spices- garlic pepper, oregano, chives, Mrs. Dash, etc.- on my pork loin, add cut-up onions & potatoes in with it, and then add in a can of chicken broth for extra flavor.)
SATURDAY: every Saturday: homemade pizza and tossed salad

5 Question Fri... Sunday

2011-06-05T22:38:00.001-04:00

1. If you had to choose, how would you prefer to choose to spend money...on landscaping or a pool?

LANDSCAPING! That is, in fact, my current dream for the lottery money-- of course, since we've only bought one ticket in the last year, our chances of actually winning any money are very slim. Anyways, we have a completely naked back yard- no trees, no bushes, no fence. Just an open lot. I'd love to have some landscaping!

2. Death penalty, yay or nay? Nay. Definitely not. Although I admit that from time to time it crosses my mind that maybe someone deserves it, I have never truly believed that the death penalty should exist. Thou shall not kill, period, end of discussion.

3. What's the worst thing your kid has gotten into when you turned your back/blogged/showered/blinked? One of my kids was crawling once and found a place where a cat had gotten sick. Let's just say that the kid got to it before I did... and I was right there in the same room. Ewwww.

4. How often do you REALLY go to the dentist? For myself, I will plead the 5th-- it's been a while, but I've never had any cavities. I make sure both kids go every six months.

5. What is your favorite animal (doesn't have to be a pet-type animal)? Hmmmm... My beloved 13 year-old cat just died about three weeks ago, and I miss her a lot. But I actually wouldn't have said that a cat was one of my favorites... I'd probably say giraffes, or polar bears, or penguins (which I collected as a kid), or dogs. And really, one of my favorite things in the world is a beautiful aquarium- I could spend hours just watching the tropical fish. I've had aquariums of my own ever since I was in college.

I'm a little late in posting, but you, too, can still link up to 5 Question Friday!

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

Recent Reads: Marriage- Small Steps, Big Rewards

2011-05-26T23:49:00.000-04:00

Marriage - Small Steps, Big Rewards by Dr. Raymond N. Guarendi is a common sense approach to marriage. It's not a book written just for those who might feel their relationship needs help, but rather, a book for any married person interested in strengthening their relationship.

Each chapter includes one task to do, a list of reasons/excuses why you won't want to do it, and some examples of how it works. I enjoyed the "excuses" part, especially since several times I was thinking of exactly those same things. :)

The tasks are small things, like saying that you're sorry to your spouse more often, rather than just overlooking small slights and assuming that things are fine. That particular point stuck with me more than the other chapters. After a long time together (18+ years in our case), it's easy to overlook this small gesture. I'm trying to be more conscious of this now.

I plan to give my copy of this book to one of my younger sisters who will be married in June. I think there are some interesting points there, and some things to consider, as she and her fiance begin their married lives together.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. I received a free copy of the book in return for publishing my honest review here. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Marriage - Small Steps, Big Rewards. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

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

Find me on Facebook

2011-05-24T18:00:00.001-04:00

Even with my limited online time recently, I've still found time to check in on Facebook almost daily, so I figured that it's about time that I get a page up and running for the blog. I'd love it if you'd stop by and LIKE my Tiny Blessings page on Facebook!

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

Light at the end of my tunnel...

2011-05-20T19:21:00.000-04:00

Finally! After a crazy couple of months with me working 5-6 days a week, I can finally see on the calendar a date when things will get back to a little more "normal" with my {allegedly} part time job. Whew!

A few updates:

for those of you who have been weight watching with me... I'm down 19-20 pounds, depending on the day. ;) (Although this week I have really not been sticking to my points so I may have gained a little back-- we'll see on Sunday!)
for those of you from the DOC (Diabetes Online Community).. my daughter's blood sugars have been fairly stable with no crazy/scary events recently. We have had the CGM in our possession for a month now, but we haven't started using it yet because DD is really fighting us on it. She already goes through so much with her diabetes and her pump that I have been reluctant to push yet another thing on her. I wanted her to have some say in the matter, since this is one of the few aspects of diabetes that she can actually control. However, two days ago we struck a deal: when she starts wearing it, she can get her ears pierced, which she has been begging to do for months now. We may start it this weekend!
for those of you who don't read specifically for either of those reasons, thanks for sticking with me! I realize that my recent sporadic blogging isn't good for growing readership, but during this busy season of my life, I'm OK with that. I'm grateful for each of my bloggy friends!

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

He is risen!

2011-04-24T00:01:00.027-04:00

I love this song-- Christ is Risen-- by Matt Maher.

Wishing all of you a very blessed Easter!

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

Recent Reads: Mysteries of the Virgin Mary

2011-04-19T21:24:00.002-04:00

I've had "Mysteries of the Virgin Mary: Living Our Lady's Graces" from The Catholic Company sitting in my to-read pile for a while now. I started it a couple of times but found it so... serious. It's not written in the kind of conversational tone that I usually prefer in a religious book, so it was a little harder to get into it. Once I did, though, I found it full of detailed, interesting information about Our Lady and the church's special place for her.

Have you ever had that ~~argument~~ discussion with non-Catholic Christian friends about whether or not Catholics "worship" Mary? This book will arm you to explain the truth. The very first chapter covers "Seven Reasons for Marian Devotion" and includes Bible quotes that clearly illustrate God's special affection for Mary. From there, this comprehensive book goes on to explain Marian feast days mysteries of Mary's life, and anything else you can think of related to Mary and the church.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Mysteries of the Virgin Mary. They are also a great source for a Catechism of the Catholic Church or a Catholic Bible.

I received my copy of this book free in return for my honest review. If reviewing Catholic books sounds like something you'd like to do, they are currently accepting new applications-- check it out HERE. You can read my other book reviews here.

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

Menu Plan- week of 4/19

2011-04-19T19:13:00.000-04:00

Whoops, I worked on our menu plan on Sunday but then forgot to hit "publish" on this post! So here it is, a day late. :)

I don't have the WW points calculated for these meals yet, but I usually watch my portion sizes and stay around 8-10 points for supper... these meals should all fall in that range.

MONDAY: DD's request: roasted chicken wings tossed in buffalo sauce, ranch potato wedges, salad
TUESDAY: DH's request: my mom's recipe for crockpot BBQ Ribs, corn

Mom's BBQ Ribs:
3-5 lbs boneless spare ribs
1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce (we actually prefer a store brand sauce)
salt & pepper, to taste
Place ribs in crockpot, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low all day (do not add any liquids). About an hour before serving time, drain liquid that has accumulated, and pour in BBQ sauce to coat ribs. Allow to cook while sauce thickens and you prepare the rest of the meal.

WEDNESDAY: crockpot ravioli (I add diced tomatoes), garlic bread, tossed salad, broccoli
THURSDAY: frozen Chinese sweeet/sour chicken dinner, mixed vegetables
FRIDAY: bean burritos, mexicorn, salad
SATURDAY: homemade pizza & tossed salad

Check out lots of others' menus and post your own at Menu Plan Monday!

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

Watching My Weight Wednesday

2011-04-13T08:01:00.032-04:00

I've been doing Weight Watchers online since the middle of January, and I've lost 14.6 pounds so far. I have lost something every week except for two-- one week (funeral week, where I lived on funeral casseroles at my parents' house for five days and didn't care about points) I gained four pounds, and another week I gained 6 ounces. Every other week, I've lost, usually between 1-2lbs. each time. I'm happy with that... slower than I'd like, but steadily losing, so that's what really matters.

What's working for me:

Making my daily points a game. I'm already carb counting everything we eat due to my daughter's Type I Diabetes. So, adding in the "challenge" of counting my points really is a game in my head.
Tracking everything. I keep track of what I eat in my online food diary at the WW site, using either my home computer or my phone. I know I could do this for free by just writing it on paper, but I am a tech-oriented person... using the computer or my phone makes it fun, which makes me stay with it. So, I'm still shelling out my monthly fee- at least for the time being. (My DH and I have already discussed this budget-wise... it's one of the first things we'll cut if needed, but for now DH wants me to keep it up since I enjoy using it so much.)

One of the best ways for me to play my "game" is by using several different sites for recipe ideas and WW tips. Here are some of my favorite WW-related sites:

If you know of others I should check out, please let me know in the comments.

Check in with others who are watching their weight each Wednesday over at Angie's Healthy Living Blog.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with WW, I'm just sharing my personal experience with their online program here.

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

Ham, ham, and more ham.

2011-04-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

I didn't post a menu plan this week because it would have looked like this:

MONDAY: ham and cake

TUESDAY: ham and cake

WEDNESDAY: ham and cake

THURSDAY: ham.... but we'll probably be out of cake

FRIDAY: ham

LOL! Why so much ham and cake? Well, Sunday was my daughter's First Communion. I had bought a whole ham and half a sheet cake.... and then the guest list kept dwindling. In the end there were just eight of us here. I was able to cut down the side dishes (7 layer salad, jello with oranges, deviled eggs, ranch potatoes, hummus and pepper strips) to better suit that sized crowd, but I opted to go ahead and fix the whole ham. And the cake, well.... it had already been ordered from the bakery that we use for special occasions, so, it had to stay as it was.

Last night we had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and various leftovers from the party. I figure we'll have ham omelettes one night, and maybe my crockpot ham, green beans, and potatoes another night. We've been packing ham sandwiches and roll-ups in our lunches. I might whip up some of my own recipe for ham salad. And when we are sick of eating ham, I'll freeze whatever is left.

In the meantime, though.... what is YOUR favorite way to use up leftover ham? I'd love to find some new ham recipes to try!

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

Menu Plan 3/21

2011-03-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

WW Points Plus are noted when I know them, adjusting for the ingredients I have on hand.

MONDAY: DH's request: Goulash (pasta/ veggies/ ground beef/ whatever else I throw in)
TUESDAY: foil pack taco chicken (8pts+), tossed salad with fat-free vinaigrette (0pts+)
WEDNESDAY: WW Ravioli Bake (using spinach ravioli)
THURSDAY: pork loin (5pts+) & potatoes in crock pot
FRIDAY: grilled cheese (5pts+), tomato basil soup (2pts+)
SATURDAY: homemade pizza & tossed salad

Check out lots of others' menus and post your own at Menu Plan Monday!

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

Menu Plan: March 7th

2011-03-07T09:37:00.002-05:00

This week includes my meatless meals for Ash Wednesday and Friday... those will get some meat added to them for my husband and son. WW Points Plus are noted when I know them. All of these recipes are new to us this week!

MONDAY: foil pack taco chicken (8pts+), tossed salad with fat-free vinaigrette (0pts+)
TUESDAY: Fat Tuesday! Sharon's oatmeal pancakes (2pts+ each) and turkey sausage (4pts+)
WEDNESDAY: egg, cheese, and veggie breakfast burritos with salsa (pts+ will vary per person)
THURSDAY: broccoli & sausage crustless quiche (5pts+), toast (1pt+), fresh fruit (0)
FRIDAY: grilled cheese (5pts+), tomato basil soup (2pts+)
SATURDAY: homemade pizza & tossed salad *This past Saturday I was running ragged and considered picking up a deli roasted chicken for supper while we were getting groceries. My 7 year-old daughter was horrified... "But Mom, it's Saturday, you always make homemade pizza!" LOL. We compromised by buying a clearance deli pizza at the grocery store for $5. ;)

Edited to add: After looking over this post my husband has informed me that going seven days without any "dead cow" is too long for him...LOL! (In truth, I did wonder if it was a little too breakfast-heavy for him when I was writing it up.) Therefore, I will add in his requested hamburgers and/or steaks to switch out some of the planned meals this week. ;)

Check out lots of others' menus and post your own at Menu Plan Monday!

RIP Grandma

2011-03-02T12:46:00.000-05:00

My beloved Grandma passed away early Sunday morning.

In many ways we had already lost her... the last few years had been hard on her. She successfully fought Uterine Cancer, but her health was never good after those treatments were through. These last couple of years she suffered from Parkinson's Disease with tremors and dementia, and she had mostly lost her voice. She had loving care provided at a local nursing home.

That's not the Grandma I'll remember, though. I'll remember the woman who used to crochet Barbie outfits so fast you couldn't even see her needles moving. I'll remember the silly elephant cookie jar that was always full of homemade cookies. I'll remember picking apples and watching her and my mom can vegetables from the biggest garden I've ever seen. And I'll remember her devout Catholic faith and the big black rosary she had hanging in her kitchen. These, and so many more things... that's what I chose to remember.

Revelation 14:13 Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;

let them rest from their labors for their good deeds go with them.

Menu Plan 2/21-- Ten Down edition

2011-02-21T13:14:00.000-05:00

I've officially lost ten pounds now by following the Weight Watchers online program for the last month! :)

Points Plus are listed here when I know them:

MONDAY: pepperoni omelets (egg beaters, peppers, onions, cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce, etc.- pp will vary per person), fresh fruit (0pp)
TUESDAY: WW chicken fingers with BBQ sauce (5pp), oven fries (3pp), steamed broccoli (0pp)
WEDNESDAY: family favorite meatloaf (7pp), mashed potatoes (3pp), green beans (0pp)
THURSDAY: baked macaroni with cocktail weiners (Not gourmet, LOL, but a special request of my 7 year-old who is sitting here working on the menu plan with me!) and veggies
FRIDAY: hamburgers (5pp without bun), tater tots (4pp), salad (0-2pp) (requested by the "boys"-DS and DH)
SATURDAY: To be determined. I'll be spending the entire day baking in preparation for my sister's bridal shower, so dinner will probably be something easy I can toss in the crockpot in the morning. I'll decide after I get groceries and see what I find on sale. ;)

Peanut butter deal... by mail!

2011-02-02T14:47:00.006-05:00

I've never ordered groceries online because I can usually do better in a store, either buying generics or else working a coupon deal. This time, though, I definitely scored on the Skippy Peanut Butter from Amazon, with a final cost of $1.33 per jar!

To get this deal, CLICK HERE to go to the Skippy creamy 6-pack.
= $11.40 starting total

Click on the right side of the page, and use "Subscribe and Save" to order. -$1.41 subscription savings I chose "6 months" so that I'll have plenty of time to cancel before I receive a second shipment.

Go to check out, and enter code UNILVR77, which makes your shipping FREE. -$8.97 savings/ free shipping

Final total: $7.98 for SIX jars of Skippy Peanut Butter!

And did I mention that Skippy is my personal favorite? :) I usually make do with the store brand, but even store brand prices couldn't beat this deal!

Thanks to Melissa for sharing the discount code on her blog, Melissa's Bargain Blog.

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

Ice Storm: and more on the way!

2011-02-01T16:56:00.000-05:00

Here's what things look like outside of my house right now:

Everything-- cars, sidewalks, trees, grass-- is covered in about half an inch of ice. It seems strange that enough snow has melted over the last few days that we can actually see grass through the ice.

It's been quiet for a few hours now, but the second round of this storm is due to hit us within the hour. My prayers are with all those who have to be out in this mess- police officers, rescue workers, and utility workers. Stay safe!

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

5 Question Friday

2011-01-29T09:50:00.001-05:00

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose? Hmmm. My gut reaction is, of course, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I'd probably donate half to them and half to the nursing home where I work-- our Activities Department (my dept.) has NO budget, and there are quite a few things we could use!

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt? It totally depends on what day of the week it is. Some days, love them, we don't have to leave the house in bad weather. If it's a day I have to work, though, I hate them-- I don't like making my kids spend a whole day at the babysitter's house (love her, it's not that, just wish they could be at home instead). On the other hand, those two hour delays? Hate them. Of course I want everyone to be safe, but wow, those really mess up our days in terms of me getting to work on time and finding transportation for our preschooler.

3. What talent did you wish you had and why? I'd love to be able to play piano. It would be great for work, and, it's just something I always wished I could do.

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie? News/politics. I don't write a lot about that stuff here on the blog, but DH and I like to ~~argue~~ talk about whatever is going on in the world. I read the news online, and Fox news is on in our house a couple of hours each day. I listen to it while I'm doing other things, like making dinner. I'm a big fan of Glenn Beck.... and yes, I heard the door slamming as you ran away from my blog. ;)

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!) Ha! These days I have an alcoholic beverage about three times a year- we don't keep alcohol in the house, and we very rarely go out. My favorites: Corona with a lime or a Mai Tai. Yum!

Share your own 5 Question Friday answers and link up HERE!

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

Menu Plan: Weight Watchers, week 2

2011-01-25T18:02:00.000-05:00

I'm a day late, but after figuring this all out I'm posting it anyway! ;)

My menu this week is kind of vague. That's because I'm reading through new-to-me recipe blogs whenever I get a few free minutes to play online in search of great new recipes that are WW friendly.

MONDAY: Little Smokies, WW Baked Macaroni &Cheese with Broccoli (7pp)

*Recipe Review: This was nice and creamy... but kind of bland. To be fair, I left out the mustard as my family usually does not like macaroni recipes with mustard, so that probably would have provided a little more flavor.
Yes, I know, Little Smokies are an odd menu item... but I had one package left after the holidays! The kids think they're a big treat. :)

TUESDAY: something to use up thawed stew meat

my homemade vegetable soup (that's my recipe posted on Food.com) (6pp as written- I'm making some substitutions and it should be around 2-3pp per cup)
or beef stew?

WEDNESDAY: buffalo chicken-- over chef salads? on sandwiches?

I'll grill some chicken tenders in the George Foreman grill and then shake them in our favorite wing sauces. The kids will probably have chicken nuggets.

THURSDAY: ham omelets-- everyone can pick what else they want in them: peppers, onions, cheese, mushrooms, etc. I'm looking at various recipes but will probably make them my usual way with Egg Beaters.
FRIDAY: WW chicken fingers with BBQ sauce (5pp), oven fries (3pp), steamed broccoli (0pp)

I didn't get to this meal last week- we had baked chicken & mixed veggies instead.

SATURDAY: our usual homemade pizza

Last week I experimented with a new crust and sauce, and both got mixed reviews. I'll be trying new recipes again this week, but I haven't decided which ones yet!

And with every meal I'm adding in fresh fruit of some sort-- apples, oranges, bananas, and blueberries

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

Menu: back to Weight Watchers edition

2011-01-17T13:10:00.000-05:00

I officially joined Weight Watchers Online yesterday. I've done WW at home before, using the materials I bought off eBay, but now, with the new PointsPlus system, everything is different. I never thought I'd pay for something like this, but I got a good deal (no joiners fee with 3-month membership), and so far, I'm pretty impressed with their online tools. And no, nobody is paying me to tell you this- it's just my personal opinion!

I'm still learning the new PointsPlus system, so some of these meals are a little high in points. I hope to find other ways to prepare the dishes and lower the points as I go. There will definitely be some tweaking! ;)

MONDAY: family favorite meatloaf (7pp), ww mashed potatoes (4pp), green beans (0pp)
TUESDAY: Kids's request: pancakes (still searching recipes), bacon (3 pieces=4pp), fruit salad
WEDNESDAY: WW chicken fingers with BBQ sauce (5pp), oven fries (3pp), steamed broccoli (0pp)
THURSDAY: my homemade vegetable soup (that's my recipe posted on Food.com) (6pp), grilled cheese sandwiches (6pp)
FRIDAY: pork roast & veggies (no clue on points, LOL) in the crockpot, tossed salad (0pp)
SATURDAY: homemade pizza using my favorite bread machine dough

If you have any pointers or know of any great WW blogs, I'd love to hear from you! :)

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

Living Simply: great book, author needs prayer

2011-01-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

I just finished a book that had been on my to-read list for a while now: Living Simply: Choosing Less in a World of More by Joanne Heim. Everything about the book, from the author's conversational style to the pretty blue cover, appealed to me, and I was not disappointed.

I found that this book really resonated with my goal of focusing on my word- PURPOSE- in this new year. Mrs. Heim advocates really looking at your life and seeing where you can cut back-- on stuff, on committments, on whatever it is that gets in the way of living simply. She's realistic, though-- she doesn't expect anyone to simply get rid of all their belongings or to clear the calendar completely. Instead, she proposes small changes and focusing on one thing at a time.

She also makes frequent references to scripture, which I enjoyed- they don't seem forced or heavy, but they fit right in to the overall ideas she is talking about. Combining more time to listen to God along with reducing all the other "stuff" that takes up our days... now that is the kind of simplified life I am looking for!

In a strange twist of fate, I was reading through some of my favorite blogs today when I came across the news that the author, Joanne Heim, is in need of prayer. Clicking over to her blog, I discovered that she's in intensive care and fighting for her life after having a stroke this week. She is certainly in my prayers!

This is not a sponsored book review- it's simply a book that appealed to me. I obtained my copy for free by swapping with others via PaperBack Swap. If you're not familiar with PaperBack Swap, I highly recommend it-- it's a great way to declutter your book collection and trade your used books out for new books that you want to read!

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

My Word for 2011

2011-01-11T17:56:00.005-05:00

I love the concept of choosing a word for the year, rather than making New Year's Resolutions. I've done this in the past and had some success with focusing on the concept throughout the year.

I hadn't really given much thought to a new word for 2011 until I heard Lisa and Eric on KLOVE talking about the concept a couple of weeks ago. I've been thinking about it on and off since then, and a quick Google search shows that I'm not alone.

Finally, after thinking long and hard, I think I've landed on my word: PURPOSE. I originally typed out a long post about all the areas this applies to my life, but then I realized the irony there-- what's the purpose giving my readers a long, detailed list that only applies to myself? LOL!

I'll give you the short version: I want the things I do with my time and the objects in my life to serve some {good} purpose. No more wasting hours away, no more clutter to clean around (love it or it's gone), and no more spending time doing things I feel obligated to do when there are so many things I truly want to do. I seriously debated between purpose and focus, but purpose just feels right to me.

So, what about you? Have YOU chosen a word to focus on in 2011?

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

Menu 1/10: Family Favorites

2011-01-10T16:08:00.000-05:00

Everything here is a tried and true family favorite... I think this bitter cold weather has me craving some comfort foods! I normally just plan the menu myself, but thought I'd see what DH and the kids (ages 7 and 4) wanted me to include this week. So, here you have it, "Family Favorites" week:

MONDAY: our favorite Unbelievable Baked Buffalo Wings (I make some with super-fire hot sauce for DH, red hot for me, and chicken nuggets for the kids!) with celery and Ranch Roasted Potatoes
TUESDAY: DH's favorite: fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
WEDNESDAY: kids'/DH's request: hamburgers, zesty baked fries, grape tomatoes
THURSDAY: kids' request: kielbasa, alien shaped Kraft macaroni, corn :)
FRIDAY: my favorite: Chicken and Cheese French Bread Pizza, tossed salad
SATURDAY: homemade sausage pizza using my favorite bread machine dough

We're on our second box of clementines, so those will be dessert until we run out. My kids just love those!

What about you-- are you craving comfort foods or trying new recipes this week?

Local Officer Down

2011-01-04T17:21:00.000-05:00


Ever wondered about this Thin Blue Line symbol? It's used to identify Police Officers and their families, and to show support.

I don't often post things about my husband or his job as a Police Sergeant ... but this week, police officers are constantly on my mind. A local officer was shot and killed in the line of duty. Another officer was shot and seriously wounded in the same event, but he will survive.

These officers were not from my husband's department, but the incident happened fairly close to our home. I just happened to drive past the scene (completely unaware of what was happening) and saw more than 20 cruisers there, with more absolutely flying to the scene. I knew then that there was an officer in trouble--call it a gut feeling-- but I knew there was no other reason for the additional units to be flying to the scene when there were already that many there.

When something like this happens, EVERY Police Officer is affected. It's true what they say- cops really are like one big family. They expect up to a thousand cruisers to process for the fallen officer's funeral on Friday.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the officer who was killed, the injured officer, and ALL law enforcement officers in our area- because they're all hurting.

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

First Menu of 2011

2011-01-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

It's back to school with a new evening activity (Tae Kwon Do) starting for the kids... yep, the week ahead promises to be pretty busy! Here's the plan:

MONDAY: ham, leftover (new recipe) homemade macaroni & cheese, broccoli salad
TUESDAY: pork roast (tossed in the oven with potatoes & whatever spices sound good at the time), tossed salad
WEDNESDAY: my crockpot Italian chicken/ pasta (cook chicken pieces all day on low in Italian dressing, shred, serve over tri-colored rotini with grated Parmesan), green beans
THURSDAY: baked potato bar (broccoli, cheese, etc) for the kids and I; chili for DH
FRIDAY: Chicken & Cheese French Bread Pizza, tossed salad
SATURDAY: homemade pizza

Season of Exhaustion

2010-12-13T15:06:00.001-05:00

Where do you find yourself today, with two weeks to go before Christmas? I had hoped this would be the year my shopping would all be finished the first week of December... yet I'm still lacking three gifts. This year we got the Jesse Tree book, made the ornaments.... and have yet to fully assemble and do the nightly readings. I'm finding myself really drawn to writings on Ignation Spirituality (Jesuits) lately, and keep thinking that Advent is the perfect time of year to deepen my spiritual time.... but the only quiet time I seem to find lately is right before bed, when I'm usually too exhausted to do more than stare at the news before I fall asleep. I have a million blog posts floating around in my head, but no time/energy to write them.

I have a lot to be thankful for, too-- DD's seizure from a few weeks ago didn't have any lasting effects; DH's health seems to be improving; things at work (part-time) have settled down.

I'm just.... exhausted. Exhausted translates to forgetful and highly irritable, which is NOT how I want to spend my Christmas season. So, today, I vow to get back into the Christmas spirit. Here I go...

What are your tricks for getting/keeping the Christmas spirit?

WFMW: Frugal Jesse Tree

2010-12-08T07:01:00.000-05:00

I have planned for several years to do a Jesse Tree with my kids. Last year we even colored some free paper ornaments I printed from a website, but that's as far as we got-- the readings were too complicated for my kids to understand. This year, though, I've got my act a little more together!

If you're not familiar with the concept, a Jesse Tree is basically a "tree" of some sort, to which a family adds an ornament each day up until Christmas. The ornaments tell the story of Jesus' ancestors, and of the events before Jesus' birth, leading up to Christmas, through a daily Bible reading. (Here's a better explanation.)

You can purchase kits and books to make a Jesse Tree. There are tons of books on Jesse Trees available. There are also some really cool Jesse Tree craft kits available.

For the more frugal minded folks like myself, though, you can easily create your own tree. You can use any of the free printable ornaments offered online (like these: Faith Magazine, OSV in two sizes, or the ones we'll be using this year from Paper Dali) and let your children color them.

Or, you can get a little more creative and sew, felt , or sculpt your own ornaments (like these: Simple Mom, The Mac and Cheese Chronicles). I confess, I've spent a couple of hours online searching through the many creative ways that people make their Jesse Tree ornaments. Check out the beautiful varieties that Catholic Icing found!

There are also lots of places to find printable reflections and explanations of each day's ornament. I like these from RCA church-- they are geared more towards children, and include a discussion question each day. There are plenty of others out there, including OSV's printable version.

The reading my family is using this year come from Kathleen M. Basi's new book: Joy to the World: Advent Activities for Your Family. (*Note: this is NOT a sponsored post- I purchased this book myself after finding it online.) The book includes daily readings that are geared towards younger children. There are also pages of clip art tags that you could cut out and use for your ornaments... though the graphics aren't great if your kids want to color them.

Jesse Trees either started on December 1st, or, on November 29th, depending on which source you use for your readings and ornaments. There's still plenty of time to get your tree together and share this activity with your family.

Remembering the real "reason for the season" definitely works for me!
Check out more WFMW tips at We Are That Family!

Black Friday: My No-Crowds Way

2010-11-26T13:43:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-11-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-07T18:05:00.002-05:00

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?

2010-11-06T12:24:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-11-02T14:45:00.000-04:00

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.

WFMW: Easy Math Practice

2010-10-27T18:19:00.000-04:00

My daughter is in second grade this year. Each month her teacher sends home two blank calendars- one for recording minutes spent reading, and one for recording minutes spent practicing simple addition & subtraction. The idea is that the faster they can recall the simple math facts, the easier it will be for them to do the more advanced math in class.

Here are the free or cheap ways we practice simple math facts:

a dollar store workbook. My daughter loves to use as she plays school with her younger brother- I think he's learning, too!
as we're driving in the car, anywhere, we will quiz DD verbally. Her younger brother gets into the act, too, although his answers (after he runs out of numbers he throws anything out there- "Chicken!" "Blue!") don't necessarily fit the question. :) It makes it fun for everyone.
use this free online math quiz-- very basic, just like flash cards
a set of Princess flash cards, picked up for $1 at Target
play this free online math pumpkin game-- kids have to solve the math problem to plant/ care for their pumpkins
play this free online soccer math game- for each correct answer, kids get to aim and kick a ball into the net
using free printable worksheets from Kidzone or any of the many homeschool sites
play the free math games on Gamequarium-- all kinds of themes, from Tom & Jerry to Outer Space
and this last one won't apply unless you happen to have a child with Type I Diabetes.... but DD helps us add up the carbs she's eaten at each meal so we can figure out her insulin dose. She can't always add the larger numbers in her head, but she'll help by using a calculator or piece of paper. I'm pretty sure that if I had known back in school that one day my math skills would be needed to calculate the "medicine" that keeps my daughter alive, I'd have done much better in algebra!

Free and fun math practice works for us! If you have any other math practice tips, I'd love to hear them.

Check out more Works for Me Wednesday tips at We Are That Family.

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

Menu Plan Monday 10/25

2010-10-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

MONDAY: just the kids & I: probably grilled cheese & soup
TUESDAY: crockpot ravioli (I add a can of diced tomatoes), texas toast, steamed broccoli
WEDNESDAY: sauted ham steaks, julienne potatoes, peas
THURSDAY: crockpot Italian roast, potatoes, green beans
FRIDAY: tarantula tostadas with all the fixings
SATURDAY: Mummy Pizzas, carrots, salad