Breather

I did something tonight that I haven't done in a very long long time. I actually went to one of the home parties that I was invited to!! I sold Tupperware for a few years, a few years back, and I kind of got sick of going to all of the millions of home parties that I bartered and traded for to get my Tupperware parties booked (I'll do one for you if you do one for me...). The funny thing is that I finally did go ahead and go to this one, a jewelry one, and the consultant never showed!! The hostess was there, along with me and seven other ladies, a very respectable showing, but no salesperson!!! So we sat and visited, and looked at the little catalog. You know, even though the evening didn't turn out as planned, it was kind of relaxing to just sit for a bit, with no real agenda, no demands on me, nobody tugging on my arm. It was good. Sometimes just a small breather is enough to recharge the old mommy battery!!

Great American Seafood Cook Off

As you know if you've read much of my blog, or if you know me "off-line", cooking is not exactly a strong point for me. I heard about a cook off that is going on in regards to seafood, and I thought, just for the fun of it, I should try to enter. Can you just picture me in the Great American Seafood Cook Off?

If you don't include fish sticks, I really have only two possible seafood dishes I could enter. One is a tuna macaroni salad that my mom used to do; it's very yummy, with elbow macaroni, tuna, eggs, mayo, chives, and peas. Somehow I don't think the judges are looking for canned tuna recipes though either. Soooo, my other option is grilled fish. My husband and daughters love fishing, so they quite often bring home bass, trout, and other fish local to the Adirondacks/NE New York. All that I know how to do to prepare it is to put a little bit of butter on it, add some crushed garlic, wrap it into an aluminum foil pouch, and cook it on the grill. Now I know there must be some spices and things that I could add to that to jazz it up, but I am clueless. (Hints anyone?) Again, I don't think I'm quite ready to compete with the big name chefs that will be participating in this event this year in New Orleans. :)

This cook off really does sound like a great event, with not only great recipes featured, but great ideas promoted, like the positiveness of domestic seafood sustainability. It makes sense to buy as locally as you are able. That way the source is known, and the food is local and fresh.

Good stuff!

Jesus, Take The Wheel

I'm not a big country music fan normally, but this song just really speaks to me... especially right now. I'm not the only one who feels totally out of control and overwhelmed sometimes...
Good stuff!

A moment

My husband was a sweet guy tonight and took both of the girls out after dinner, to spend a little quality time with them fishing, and to give me a moment of quiet (Well, I still have the two year old here, so not totally quiet. However, he does go to bed at 7:30, and is perfectly happy to snuggle up and watch Dora or Diego cartoons while I play on the computer a bit, so it's still quieter :)). And now that I have this moment, what am I doing to refresh? Exercise? nah... Devotions? good idea, but not what I ended up with... Bubble bath? nope... Facial? I couldn't even pick out the difference between a clay mask and an acne treatment... Nope, I am just blogging away. I also have gabbed on the phone and cleaned up the dinner dishes. Even though it doesn't sound terribly exciting, I think it was just what I needed. Just a moment, a pause in the noise and commotion to "reset" myself and prepare for a new day tomorrow.

Prayer

Wow!! For anyone out there who is a praying person, please pray for me and my girls. We are having a couple of really REALLY bad days. Attitudes, tempers, all sorts of problems. I need prayers for wisdom and patience, especially patience. They need prayers for peace and repentant hearts. You know, I feel better just writing this. I don't know if I've even really stepped back and prayed about this - I've just been caught up in it all.... Ok - back to it with a better attitude on my part.

Essential nutrients

My mom found a resource a few years back that has proven to be a huge help to her, and though I haven't ordered bunches of products from them yet, I've enjoyed reading their literature online, and in the mailings they send out. TriVita is a company that believes in total wellness, as shown in their "10 essentials" posted here. They sell supplements, but they also help educate the public in keeping healthy all the way through. I want to share this information for two reasons:

1. It's good stuff.
2. My mom is a distributor of these products, and she's a great lady :)

So... check 'em out at www.trivita.com/12953740 .

Hope

"Our problem is not so much that God doesn't give us what we hope for as it is that we don't know the right thing for which to hope...

Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed; no, it is far greater than that. It is a zany, unpredictable dependence on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks and be there in the flesh to see our reaction."

---Max Lucado---

So often I reduce my relationship to God to kind of grocery list prayers. Please do this, this and this. And then, if He doesn't come through like I think He should, I get upset. I question Him. Am I hoping for the right things? Am I walking close enough to Him that He's rubbing off on me, and I'm thinking like Him a little bit more, acting like Him a little bit more, hoping like Him a little bit more? It seems so simple, but to live it out takes so much. How badly do I want it?

Money, debt and bills

I remember reading in one of those getting ready to get married books that money was the number one reason for disagreements and arguing for married couples. I didn't get it. I was young, living with my mom rent free, working full time. Why fight about money? Phrases like debt consolidation and debt relief meant nothing to me. I just really didn't get it. Then we got married, bought a house, and had kids. Then I got it.

We started using credit cards right about when we got married, but did well at paying them back each month, keeping the balance low to gone. Then, we bought the house and had the first kiddo. We needed to do some remodeling, and used the credit cards a little more. My income dropped quite a bit. We used the credit cards a little more. Before long, we had large balances on several credit cards, and my income was still limited, as I was home with two small children. We realized that we needed debt help, and called up both sides of parents for a little advice. With our family's help, a lot of hard work, and the help of a financially wise couple at church, we were able to consolidate debt and get into a better financial place.

During our financially "yuchy" time, a good thing that happened was that we got pretty good at saving money, and try to keep it going today. As we are still mostly on one income, we aren't saving lots of money, as in putting it in the bank, but we are saving lots, as in not spending it. We use coupons, especially when we can combine them with sales. We make do as much as possible with what we have, rather than buying more. We try to streamline car trips, combining errands from the same side of town to save gas. We try to eat at home much more often than eating out. We have a garden, to supplement our groceries for little to no money. We're doing alright.

I desperately want my children to learn from my financial mistakes, and successes, rather than making lots of their own. I'm glad that there are resources like Bills IQ available now to help individuals assess and improve their financial health. Good stuff...

Why is it so hard to sit still?

So I'm supposed to be keeping our two year old kiddo here still today, because he just had tubes put in his ears this morning, you know, a small surgery.... Sure!! He was quiet for a short time just after the procedure, now he is all over the place. Mercifully, God has it raining today, so he kind of gets no playing outside for that reason if nothing else. I would love to be told to sit still and rest for a whole day!! Why is it so hard for little ones to sit still? Why did God make it where they take naps when their parents are the ones who so desperately need them?!? Ok - whiney break is over - sorry about that :)

Things I take for granted

You know, there are so many things that I take for granted, things that I really should stop and be thankful for: brakes on my van; well, even just my van; locks on my doors; a working furnace in the winter; a working air conditioning compressor in the summer; comfy beds to sleep in; so much!! It's so easy to pass through the days without thinking about all of the blessings around us. Even more than these few things, all the people and just so many blessings, things that I've done nothing to deserve. Thanks....

Mega-Huge Super Wal-Mart

Well, today I had two hours with no children in Albany, NY, which is the closest large city to where we now live. Two hours - and what did I end up looking for? A Wal-Mart... I know, it's embarassing. But I had a treat. I stumbled into the largest Wal-Mart in the country!!! Didn't know that it was in Albany, but as I was wandering lost on the edge of Albany I found myself in its parking lot. It looked big, and someone inside said they thought it was the biggest one, but being the geek that I am, I had to research it!

I found this on Wikipedia: "The nation's largest Supercenter, covering 260,000 square feet (24,000 m²) and two floors, is located in Crossgates Commons in Albany, New York." It employs 425 people!!

It was crazy. This place had escalators, not only for me, but separate ones for shopping carts. It was just humungous!! But, I stuck to my list, spent under $30, and moved on. It will be tucked away, however, in the dark recesses of my mind - Christmas shopping most definitely in one store!!! :)

Just a mom trying to be cool

It's official - I am a not cool mommy. My daughters have told me, so I have a choice. I guess I can embrace my newfound uncoolness and just go with it, or I can try to find some fun things that we can do together that would be cool.

I know that my older daughter would love to try paintball. Do I dare? Most likely I'll be the one who ends up covered in hits and splatter before five minutes is up, tripped up on my paintball gear, dropping paintballs everywhere. Either that or I'll be wimping out and calling for paint checks just to catch my breath and get myself together, which I guess would be considered cheating. Or, I could go beyond just embarrassing myself and embarass my girls directly, reminding them to check to be sure their masks are on right, or to be sure that their barrel plugs are in until play begins.

Ok, not sure which way to play this one. If I do decide to give it one more try to be cool, and attempt the paintball, thankfully I've found a site that caters to my bargain hunting ways. Ultimate Paintball (follow links above) has a huge assortment of supplies, as well as, are you ready - free shipping - love it!

Well, if I do end up trying it, it will lend for interesting blog pictures - I'll keep you posted :).

What to do?

Ok, I have child care for one hour, and my list is much longer than that!! Triage I must!!! Clean the garage? A four hour plus project... Laundry? Been there already today, plus can do with little people? Scrape off ugly wallpaper that needs to come down? More than an hour... Plan supper? How much planning does getting subs take?? :) Twitter away time on the computer? Maybe :)!! So ambitious I am. Really, off I go!

Skin care

So any one who's read my blogs much at all knows that I am pretty cheap, er..., frugal :), but I am starting to realize more and more that there are some things that you really shouldn't skimp on. Skin care products are one of them. Especially as I head towards the wonderful age of 40, (not yet, but soon!!) I really do need to start caring for my skin better. Iderma.com is a website that I stumbled across that might be able to help me out. High quality skin care products, including specialties like products for Sensitive Skin, but with all sorts of happy discounts and free shipping incentives. Yeahhh! Now, what to get?....

Real Love

The Lord doesn't base His love for us on our character or achievements. We know this because of God's promise in John 3:16 and His action in sending Jesus to die in our place.

The Savior's dealings with people show us the depth of God's love. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' disciples, ministered closely with the Lord for three years. In the end, Judas chose to betray Jesus. Even though Jesus knew what Judas would do, He never rejected him.

In another example of God's love, a woman was about to be stoned for committing adultery. She was condemned by the religious leaders. Jesus stepped in to protect her. Then, in love, He commanded her to sin no more.

And consider Peter. He loved Jesus and desired to follow Him always. In a moment of weakness however, Peter denied even knowing Christ. Jesus knew in advance the disciple would do this. But Jesus' love for the man didn't waver. In fact Jesus proved his love by appearing to Peter after the resurrection. Jesus gave Peter a prominent place in developing the church.

Two final examples of God's love include Zacchaeus, the greedy tax collector. He took advantage of his fellow citizens. And the Samaritan woman involved with a string of broken relationships and an immoral lifestyle. These facts didn't stop Jesus from approaching each of them and offering His forgiving love.

No one is beyond the reach of God's love. Through faith in Him, everyone, even the worst of sinners, can experience love's richness as His children.

Dr. Charles Stanley

This kind of love is so different from what we see marketed all around us. This love doesn't seem to do much for the one giving it. It doesn't seem to make sense. This is real love.

Drug Proof Your Kids

I read a scary statistic today -

"Some experts estimate that between 85 and 95 percent of teenagers will try alcohol and other drugs to see the effect it has on them."

Yikes!! That is just painful to think about. I made my share of poor choices in the past, but I'm hoping, and praying, that talking things through and really really trying to prep my kiddos will help them to be part of that 5-15% that choose to avoid drugs and alcohol.

I came across a website in my reading that looks to be a very good resource - drugproofyourkids.com . Let's be proactive in this...

Late night

I'm planning a late night today, nothing super fun, but just some catching up on my to do list. I rambled on in my last post about some of it, and then I remembered I also need to balance the checkbook (let's cross our fingers!! :) ) and pay some bills. The good thing about that sort of to do is that it can be done sitting in bed watching tv, which is a luxury I rarely afford myself. So I'll probably catch a crime drama or two, see some ads for Chicago personal injury lawyers, and hopefully get my work done. You know what, that actually sounds like a relaxing night to me - isn't that sad? :)

Today's work

Today is a busy busy Saturday. I've got major housecleaning to do, I was hoping to strip some wallpaper off of our hallway (I planned to do it before we even moved in and we've been here 2 years now!!!), and I have some work to do for my husband and father in law's business. I need to price some marketing materials, like post it notes and personalized pens, and maybe set up an order. Oh yes, and something about taking care of the family who lives here too :) . Fun fun day!!!

Growing up

My kids are growing up. It's a good thing, and I knew it was inevitable, but I'm still not quite ready to cross over from the world of bedtime stories and ponytails to acne cream and slumber parties. Like it or not, though, off we go... I just have to hope and pray, emphasis on praying, that the preparation we've done has been thorough enough to hold them steady as they venture more and more into the world outside of our home.

Substitutions

So, today I decided to be domestic, kind of, and make a meal for someone who was laid up. Halfway through I realized I didn't have all of the ingredients, and I am clueless as to what spices go with what kind of food and such. I was short on time and slightly panicked, so quickly did a web search for cooking substitutions. Thankfully I was able to find a good site to tell me what to subsitute for my missing stuff: http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa072798.htm . This site is very easy to use, even for cooking simpletons like me!!!

This is not a paid blurb - just a helpful site to check out!!! Maybe it will save your hiney someday too! :)

Who is in charge?

Another quote from Sir Isaac Newton. Food for thought...

"Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it can not explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."

Sir Isaac Newton

Why weren't any quotes like this in my Science textbook growing up? This is the same man who penned the theory of gravity and many mathematical equations that I learned. Why didn't I hear about these thoughts of his? Hmmmm...

Check out this job!!

Occasionally I wander online and look at things that would not possibly be an option for me right now, but sound intriguing.

Take this, for example... Park West at Sea - a company that conducts fine art auctions aboard cruise ships all around the world is looking for individuals to join their team, making "significant income" and living on a cruise ship for 4-5 months, then having 4-5 weeks vacation at home.

Ok, so maybe at this point in my life this is not the best option, but if I were a single person without little kiddos, I'd be checking this out!!

Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton... Remember him? The guy with the apple on the head and gravity, right?

I just read a really good article all about him, tons of info about all of the other things that he discovered, and worked on, in his life. He really was a brilliant man.

Here's a quote from Newton that surprised me:

"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being... This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be called Lord God..., or Universal Ruler.."

Why wasn't that take included in my science textbooks?

Making money online

I am always looking for ways to supplement the family income, and I found another one - whoo hoo!! I know that there are lots of scams out there, so when I find one that someone has used, or that has established credibility, I get very excited. :)

I have done just about every making money from part time and/or from home thing out there. I've sold Tupperware. I've sold Avon. I've stuffed envelopes. I've babysat. I've made telemarketing calls. I've assembled doll furniture. I've delivered phone books. Phew!

This one sounds easier...

Getpaidtotry.com is a website full of earning potential. It links you to paid surveys and offers from tons of different companies, paying you directly through paypal, or via check. They even are currently running a special where you can get $20 bonus just for signing up and doing a few offers.

Click here to begin

You are not asked for social security numbers or anything like that in the sign up process (I just did it, so the details are fresh!) so there really isn't any risk. Why not give it a shot? I don't know too many families that couldn't use a little extra money.... Here's a way to help, while you're in your pajamas!!

Happy Monday!

So we made it through a busy week and weekend, and I looked at my calendar last night - I have nothing scheduled until 12:30 - whoo hoo!!! I never realized how incredibly busy a stay at home mom could be... I guess I'm not doing the stay at home mom thing quite like I pictured. I do work quite a bit from home lately, and the homeschool thing does take quite a bit of time too, but still, it is a busy busy thing. It's a good thing though too, and I'm grateful that I'm able to do this, and be around the kiddos a little more than I would otherwise. I don't envy the moms that have to try to juggle even more. Yikes! Anyway, a little bit of work on the computer this morning, maybe even a little cleaning of the house (maybe :)), and I'm even going to grab a few minutes of quiet devotional time before kids wake up. This will be a good Monday!!

Another world

My husband does some remodeling and such for others, and from time to time he gets work in really upscale homes. He gets to go shopping for other people, with their money, which is always fun :), for things like high priced flooring, custom fireplaces, wine refrigerators, and other things that we, at this point in our lives, don't even have on our radar. We are still using those little baby safe plugs in the outlets and trying to keep our couch free of cracker crumbs. Anyway, it is another world, but not a bad one, just a different one :).

What happened?

"How have we grown so deaf? How have we grown so immune to awesomeness? Why are we so reluctant to be staggered or thunderstruck?

Perhaps the frequency of miracles blinds us to their beauty. After all, what spice is there in a springtime or a tree blossom? Don't the seasons come every year? Aren't there countless seashells just like this one?

Bored, we say Ho-hum and replace the remarkable with the regular, the unbelievable with the anticipated. Science and statistics wave their unmagic wand across the face of life, squelching the oohs and aahs and replacing them with formulas and figures.

Would you like to see Jesus? Do you dare be an eyewitness of His Majesty? Then rediscover amazement.

The next time you hear a baby laugh or see an ocean wave, take note. Pause and listen as His majesty whispers ever so gently, "I'm here."

Max Lucado, God Came Near

Often hear of our need for childlike faith. Again, it fits here. How often do my kids pull me aside to look at something that amazes them, and I barely glance as I do "important stuff"? How much I have I missed? Subtly, I've allowed the "grown up world" to rob me of amazement. I've allowed my life to become a series of to do lists. Yikes! Today I put on my list to play with my kids, blow bubbles, be amazed!

More about those glasses...

It seems like I keep finding out more about the crazy deals at ZenniOptical.com that I want to pass on to everyone. Now they're even being talked about on the news - you can see Zenni on Fox here. Just by selling to the customer directly, skipping the expensive marketing and middle men, they are able to offer all kinds of eyewear right to us, the customers, at an incredibly affordable price. I wish I hadn't just gotten glasses!!

The ropes

"..The ropes used to tie his hands and the soldiers used to lead him to the cross were unnecessary. They were incidental. Had they not been there, had there been no trial, no Pilate and no crowd, the very same crucifixion would have occurred. Had Jesus been forced to nail himself to the cross, he would have done it. For it was not the soldiers that killed him, nor the screams of the mob: it was his devotion to us."

Max Lucado, God Came Near

Wow. I am so undeserving of that kind of devotion, that kind of love. And when I know of a love like this, that desires to be freely given, how selfish I am to not share it with everyone I meet! There is a special Someone who loved you enough to give everything for you!!!

Skin care

Have you noticed that there are just way too many choices out there for everything these days? I know that this really is a good thing, but sometimes it can be a little overwhelming as well. I went to CVS the other day and had a coupon for a few dollars off of any skin care product, and I was there without any kiddos, so I decided to take my time and wander the skin care aisles. Yowzers! There are just a million different things for your face. Do you go with a natural acne treatment or one that's stronger but full of chemicals? Do you go with a cleanser or an exfoliator? I guess I haven't spent enough time reading beauty magazines and such, because I am clueless!! So, I bought an exfoliating facial scrub that looked decent but was a good price, and that was that. My face looks pretty much the same as it did pre-purchase, but I feel like I'm doing something fun for me :)

Expelled

Ok, I know this movie has already come and gone in the theater, but I'm a bit behind in reading my magazines, so I'm just reading a review of it now. Ben Stein came out with a movie called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" which is a documentary looking at what happens to educators and other professionals who question Darwinism.

It's kind of a standard in pure academia to not "swallow" anything without questioning it and researching it, so why would asking the big question of where life began be any different? Why would we just make one theory supreme without allowing other academicians to explore others? Very good questions. I think that this is a video to go on my rental list....

Insurance Qs

We have a friend from church who just started selling insurance. He actually is doing financial planning, but a big part of the planning is being sure that you have adequate insurance. We had him over a little while back, pulled out all of our financial stuff: our bills, our insurance policies, our budget. Fun times! Well, of course it turns out that we are underinsured, and we should be buying some more insurance. The question of the hour is term life insurance or whole life insurance? I've heard a case made for both sides.. Buy a cheaper term policy and save the extra money. Buy a more expensive whole life policy and build up cash value. Argghh! These are the moments I want to go back to having my mom make all the hard choices for me - mom!!!! :)

Thank you notes

Today's afternoon activity will involve thank you notes and my eight year old daughter. Not too long ago she had a birthday party, and well, presents came. She was glad to receive them, but not quite so enthusiastic about the thank you notes. So, now, a few weeks later, it's nose to the grindstone time. Fun fun! It actually shouldn't take too long, because she's clever enough to realize if she does them on the computer via email, with the wonderful tool called "cut and paste", she can cut her time waaaaaay down. So anyway, I'm off and she's on :) See ya!

More about that glasses deal...

Hey, back to what I posted on a little while ago. I kind of ran out of time and didn't really do justice to the whole post about zennioptical.com . Really, go check out all of the different frames they have there - huge variety of variable dimension frames.

They also have all sorts of lenses: single vision lenses, sunsensor (potochromic) lenses, tinted suglasses lenses, bifocal lenses and progressive lenses. Plus the good prices I already did go on about. File this one away for the next time you need glasses, or to buy that pair of prescription sunglasses you've thought about but didn't want to spend the money on. Good stuff :)

Jonas Brothers

So my daughters have a new fascination with the Jonas Brothers, and I'm going to be finding myself at a concert with them and a few of their friends before too long. Not my super top choice of where to be, but the more I research them the more impressed I am. They look like they are still good kids, Christian teens who just in their words "like to have good fun". So I will put up with hearing about how cute Nick, Joe, and Kevin are, as long as they continue behaving themselves. Keep it up guys :).

A must see - Glasses deal!

I looove saving money, so this is exciting for me :). Especially in this era of insurance company headaches, it's happy to find someplace to save money on anything regarding to healthcare. I've found a company that sells very very inexpensive glasses, prescription and not. You just need your prescription strength from your eye doc, then head to zennioptical.com and order away. We're talking some for $8.00 plus under $5 shipping! Yeah!! Major money saving, with a full guarantee!

Balance

You know, I really do like this blogging deal, sponsored and just me chatting away, but I am still struggling to find the balance in this. I'm attempting to do this for a few hours a day, plus work part time from home, plus answer the phone for my husband and father in law's business. And oh yes, there are a few kids that live her. And last, and certainly least, housekeeping (yucch!). Anyway, balance would be good. And right now the scale is tipping towards my need for sleep, so nighty night!

Stem Cell Options

When my husband and I were expecting our first child I remember reading about collecting stem cells from the umbilical cord of our baby, and I was all excited about that idea. I thought it was a great way to use something that had awesome potential, but normally just got thrown away. Unfortunately, the hospital, at that time, hadn't yet caught up with this technology, and they had no idea how to collect the cord blood, or what to do with it once collected. Sooo, we were not able to go ahead and save those stem cells for later use for all kinds of good stuff.

Since then stem cells have made the news constantly. Scientists have discovered many many possibilities with these incredible young cells. Unfortunately, along with great discoveries has come great crisis and conflict. Stem cells have been harvested from aborted babies, and that has been a huge moral mess.

A very cool, albeit kind of weird, new development is here. There is now a way to harvest stem cell blood from women's menstrual blood. Again, an opportunity to get something very valuable from something that really has not traditionally seemed to have any worth.

Anyway, there is a press release following my ramblings here, and you can also visit the company's web site to read a little more, and even check out some Celle Client Testimonials. So do the research and read on...



Press Release:

Taking Control: Future Therapies for a Host of Serious Diseases May Be Found in Women's Menstrual Blood

July 07, 2008: 01:28 PM EST


OLDSMAR, Fla., July 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With today’s hectic lifestyle, where most women are juggling careers, family, relationships, and a host of activities, the idea of possibly facing a serious illness in the future is not something that readily comes to mind -- especially when a woman is in the prime of her life. But what most women don’t know, is that the key to treating a number of possibly life-threatening diseases that she, a parent, a sibling or even her children may face in later years, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, may be found within her own body -- in vital stem cells, which can now be harvested from her own menstrual blood.

Now, thanks to the revolutionary research and technology of C’elle, a service dedicated to providing women with a safe and easy method of collecting and preserving stem cells found in her menstrual fluid each month, even the busiest woman can take control of her future, right in the privacy of her own home. With C’elle’s non-invasive collection process, menstrual cells are processed and cryo-preserved (stored at a very low temperature) for potential cellular therapies that may be used in the future. These self-renewing cells one day may even be used for sports medicine or cosmeceutical treatments, such as anti-aging therapies.

"C’elle enables and empowers a woman to take control of her future health, and possibly of those genetically closest to her, in a fast, painless and stress free way," said Michelle Kay, Marketing and Sales Manager for C’elle. "We live in exciting times, as science and technology are discovering how extremely valuable menstrual blood stem cells really are, and the enormous treatment potential they represent for future therapies. C’elle’s ongoing research is supporting these promising findings."

For more information about C’elle, please call 1-877-892-3553 or visit http://www.celle.com/ .

See New York without spending lots

I was reading a magazine the other day and they mentioned a program I remember hearing about a long time ago, but it had slipped into the dusty corners of my mind... The Empire Passport Discount Program. When you purchase this season pass you can get unlimited day use vehicle entry into most all of the NY State parks, rec facilities, DEC preserves, boat launches, arboretums, and park preserves. It's $59 for unlimited use - each time a carful. I believe AAA members can get discounts on top of that too. A cool way to see lots without spending lots.

Holly's Fund

A really neat way to use blogging power is shown at www.hollysfund.com . A young man created a website for his mom's friend, who has breast cancer and no health insurance. He and his mom are asking for prayers, and have set up a way to also make donations at www.hollysfund.com/donations . He is also using his blog, and asking others to as well, to raise awareness of this particular woman and her story, and of breast cancer in general. So go, read, pray, and link too. An easy way to help!

Today

So the lawn got done, the dishes got done, we ate supper that didn't come in a box, one load of laundry got washed, hung on the line AND folded :), kids made it through the day without inflicting excessive bodily harm to each other... I guess we'll call it good. My list is still long, but it will be there tomorrow. I gave myself till 11 to putter on here, and 11 it is. Nite nite!

Air freshener workout

If any home could give an air freshener a workout, it'd be ours. We have an in the middle of potty training toddler, two additional messy active children, a husband who works outside in this warm summer weather, a dog, a cat, three gerbils, and a fish tank. We also have a mother who doesn't really specialize in house cleaning (that'd be me!). That adds up to one smelly house!! I recently got the new Renuzit TriScents to try out in our house, and was pleasantly surprised. We've had every possible kind of air freshener here, but the way that this one changes scents every 45 minutes really helps keep it smelling fresh. I remember learning about this in high school biology - because of the way our bodies process smell, we get used to smells after a while and don't notice them. Since this good smell, from the TriScents, is always changing, we keep noticing it, which is a good thing :). Anyway, I have this unit in our kitchen, which is kind of a central spot in our house, and it's working very happily. Oh, and a coupon is available too. Go to their website, http://www.triscents.com/ , and print out a coupon to try this system out. Good stuff!

New life

Found these tucked up under our carport today... It's always exciting to see new life, just beginning!! It give me hope. There is so much death and just yuchiness out there... This is good. This is a promise that life goes on, in some small way, as God intended it to.

Home sweet messy home

I have spent the bulk of today cleaning up, or, like right now, avoiding cleaning up, my house. It's amazing how much yuck accumulates after one week of vacation, both in the stuff you take and in the empty house!! Now I am not a terribly picky person when it comes to tidiness and such in our house - I know sometimes it is wished that I was :) There are lots and lots of things out there to help get my house organized - I know that: baskets, totes, cabinets, LCD tv mounts, shelves. I'm not lacking in the tools, but rather, I suppose, plain old fashioned interest :) Oh well - maybe the season in life will come when I get interested- but for right now staying afloat is the name of the game! :)

John Piper

When I have had enough caffeine, and children are not screaming, and responsibilities are not buzzing in my head, and I can really really focus (so this doesn't happen often :)), I enjoy the writings, and speakings, of John Piper. He is a deep thinking man of faith, and just has lots of good stuff to share. I've added a widget onto my main website, www.stayathomemama.info that has some of his sermons and talks fed there. Worth checking out if and when you have a thinking moment!!

Computer stuff

We have a friend coming to visit in a few weeks who is one of those computer guys. He knows just about everything about them, it seems anyway, so his visit will probably end up including a once over of our aging desktop. I know that there are many things that we could add to this bad boy to help it along: adding an external hard drive would be good, cleaning out its computer brain would be helpful I'm sure. I am way too cheap to pay someone to do this, so pizza and a place to sleep will have to suffice. I'm thankful for friends who don't mind sharing their smarts!!

Little bit

Two loads of laundry washed, none put away, all kids bathed, cooler unpacked. Kitchen table is covered with "stuff". Lawn desperately needs to be mowed. Mail to be picked up. Groceries to be bought. Day one of being back from vacation begins. I feel refreshed :).

Dressing up

I have sooo much cleaning and putting away to do, yet here I sit typing away. It really is a de-stresser though, just rambling on....
Thinking back over the week away and one funny time in specific. There was a garage sale to raise money for college kiddos giving up their summer to work at a Christian camp for very little pay, and one of the tables was selling really beautiful jewelry made by a self-help organization overseas. I stopped for a moment to look, and it really was pretty, and decent priced, and going to a good cause, but I had to really think long and hard about the last time I wore any jewelry besides my wedding band, engagement ring, and a plain pair of earrings. It's been a while. I honestly can't even remember wearing a simple gold chain anytime recently! So I decided probably not the best purchase for me. I can't complain though. During this week my younger daughter surprised me with a birthstone ring that she bought out of her own money for me - and it's even adjustable :). I'll be wearing that ring for a long while!!

Working vacation?

I attempted to bring work with me on our camping vacation this past week. I really did. I knew that where we were had wi-fi and so I figured I'd be all set. I figured I could sandwich a little bit of work in between family fun moments. Unfortunately I didn't think about things like router malfunction, laptop memory issues, and lack of places to plug in power cords. I spent quite a bit of time "spitting and sputtering" about not being able to get my hours of work in, but finally, towards the end of the week, I realized that maybe, just maybe, my lack of working computer access was a good thing. I had time to just sit, to think, to pray, and to fully be there for my family. So I worked a little bit for pay, and I worked a little bit more on recharging myself and my family. Good deal...

And we're back...

So we are back from camping, and the kitchen table, and floor, and well, into the hallway, is covered with sleeping bags, souvenir rocks, laundry, and who knows what else. I know that we've created memories, and I know that I will look back at these days fondly, but right now I am just very, very tired. Vacations for parents and not the same as vacations for kids, that's for sure! Time for another call to my mom to tell her thanks for all the vacations, and even more so, all the packing and unpacking... :)

A "Bright" Idea :)

There is so much stuff out there that I look at and think, "Why? Why did someone take the time and money to develop that thing?" Then there are the things that I look at and think, "Oh, I wish I had come up with that!!" Back about 20 years ago now someone named Barry Cohen took a new self powered illuminating technology and applied it to watchmaking. That was the beginning of Luminox , and also of many spin off copy watches. It really is a great idea, not only for things like camping, and just using your watch at night, but also for a little extra help for aging eyes. Anyway, a great resources for getting the real Luminox watches is http://www.lapolicegear.com/ , where they provide not only the high quality product, but also great shipping, discounted prices, and a 2 year warranty. Good stuff...

Kids in a cage!!!

I was reading the news today and saw a story about a "suburban Chicago man" who had kept his 2 and 5 year old children in a cage in the back of his pickup because he didn't have a babysitter. The story goes on to say that the children didn't live in the cage - wow! That's a relief - only 8 hours a day being caged up!!! Yikes! It also says that the children's mother had previously been found neglectful, and supportive services were being provided to the family. Especially after my involvement in the foster care and child protective services systems this past year, as a foster parent, I find this soooo unsettling. This is a family that had already been "flagged", and yet these poor little kiddos are being stored in a cage. God, this world has fallen so far from what you made it to be. Help me to be used somehow to make it more like it should be....

Weighty choices

Not too many days ago I was rambling on about choices in keeping healthy and losing weight, and now I've come across a tool that looks to be useful in that journey. There is a website that offers diet pill reviews , giving statistics about different pills and supplements that can be used as one works on managing their weight. Like anything, it needs to be used judiciously, but check it out... The more info the better!

Time to leave

“And you can be sure of one thing. Among the voices that found their way into that carpentry shop in Nazareth was your voice. Your silent prayers uttered on tearstained pillows were heard before they were said. Your deepest questions about death and eternity were answered before they were asked. And your direst need, your need for a Savior, was met before you ever sinned.

And not only did he hear you, he saw you. He saw your face in shame the hour you first fell. The same face that looked back at you from this morning’s mirror, looked at him. And it was enough to kill him.

He left because of you.

He laid his security down with his hammer. He hung tranquility on the peg with his nail apron. He closed the window shutters on the sunshine of his youth and locked the door on the comfort and ease of anonymity.

Since he could bear your sins more easily than he could bear the thought of your hopelessness, he chose to leave.

It wasn’t easy. Leaving the carpentry shop never has been.”

Max Lucado, God Came Near

You know, I really do believe this stuff. I do. I believe that the Jesus we talk about at Christmas really did do what He said He was going to. I believe that the Bible really is a true collection of things that really did happen, just they way it says they did. I believe that because of this all there really is hope in this seemingly hopeless world.

The troubling part of that is that since I really do believe that, why don’t I live like it? Why isn’t my life markedly different from the lives of those around me who don’t have the same beliefs? The same hopes?

I guess it’s time for me to leave the carpentry shop in my life, and to step out and really live like I should be. Not easy. Not comfortable. Right.

The Look

I am a thirty seven year old homeschooling mommy. I have two kids and a foster care child. I work from home when I can. My life is busy busy busy... My hair care routine involves two questions: "Is it clean (free of food and other debris)?" and "Has it been brushed sometime recently?"

I heard about a contest involving Victory Hair called the Ultimate Flirting Championship, and it made me realize just how old I am. This sounds like fun - it's really all about flirting, and giving "the look" to others, but I don't think I really have "the look" to give at this point in my life!!! Thankfully, my husband and I are aging and growing together, so he doesn't seem to mind this mommy with lollipop sticky in her hair, but I don't think I could toss my sticky hair like I did in my younger years (wasn't actually sticky back then so it was easier!!) and get too much attention. If I smile at young man in the grocery store I'm more likely to get a "How can I help you ma'am? " then any flirtatious attention, which is just fine, because truly, the attention of my kiddos and my husband are plenty.

So anyway, here's a snapshot of my two, giving the only "look" that really is working in my house right now. Not flirty, non-verbal or not, but just cute. Cute cute cute. Someday they'll grow up and be more concerned about their hair, their looks, and gettting their flirtiness going, and I'm sure they'll be trying things like Extreme Style by VO5, but right now we'll just stick with cute.

Anwyay, 'nuf rambling of this mom... If you are still in the flirting game, check out the contest linked above. It really does look like fun... Enjoy!!

It's a gift

“Bloodstained royalty. A God with tears. A creator with a heart. God became earth’s mockery to save His children.

How absurd to think that such nobility would go to such poverty to share such a treasure with such thankless souls.

But he did.

In fact, the only thing more absurd than the gift is our unwillingness to receive it.”

Max Lucado, God Came Near

How dense we people are!!