Fail Blog

My friend, Crissy, introduced me to Failblog.org. I can't stop laughing. Here are a few examples to explain why.

Wordless Wednesday

Free Smoothie King 9/18

This Thursday, September 18, you can get a free smoothie coffee drink from Smoothie King between OPEN and 10:30 a.m. Go get you some! Click here for more information.

Our two local stores are located at:

1. Columbus Park Crossing Center on Whittelsey Blvd (near Circuit City)
2. Smith Fitness Center at Ft. Benning

Different Strokes

"What you talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
This picture also reminds me of The Rock. Anyone know who I'm talkin' about?

The Great Escape

The boys on their daily adventure with Toad. Andrew captures this same frog day after day. We venture into the backyard every afternoon where he pursues the frog(s), plays with him/her for a few hours and then returns him/her to its home when we finally go inside for dinner. I think Toad finally got the picture and made the decision to escape. He was almost successful but the boys cornered him on the front porch.

Once again, we did afternoon play in the backyard sprinkler today but there was no Toad to be found. Hmmmm......

Soccer Time

Get ready 'cause it's that time. Time for soccer season and lots of pictures that my family loves to see. Today was the soccer clinic where Andrew did dribbling and kicking drills/skills. He really enjoyed it and hated to leave. The color of his face told me it was time for the AC and some H2O so we headed inside to meet his new teammates and coach. Practice starts in two weeks and the games are every Saturday until Thanksgiving. Now it begins.....

Gail, you'll soon be done with the "ballpark" while I'm just beginning. Wanna come sit with me?

Crafter's Medley

Click here to go to a favorite blog of mine, TipNut.com. There, you'll find a collection of various tips and ideas GALORE!

Note to Tera: Watch your clock because this one is addicting!

Free Book

Thanks to Hot Coupon World for sharing this offer!

FREE Blue's Clues "Healthy Snacks with Blue!" Book (3.99 value):

1. Buy: One (1) Sun-Maid Mini Snack Raisin item

2. Send: The complete Mail-In Order Form and include the original UPC (bar code) from any one of the Sun-Maid's Mini Snack Raisin items. Send your original cash register receipt dated between 6/15/08-9/30/09.

Click here for the printable form.

3. Mail to: Blue's Clues Healthy Snacks Book Offer
P. O. Box 8505 Dept. 02
St. Cloud, MN 56398-8505

Limit 1 free book per individual, household, group, or address. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

Pop's birthday

Pop got his birthday picture. He scooped up his five grandkids and put them in his lap. They all wished him a happy birthday and then gobbled down some red velvet cake (pictured). Btw, I took over 10 pictures of this position and this was the best of the group. Not a single one with all five kids looking. And what is up with Andrew and his shirt? Mercy.

Bembo's Zoo

If you have preschoolers or school grade kids, you MUST play Bembo's Zoo with them. So much fun! Andrew loves it. Thanks to Becky and Rocks In My Dryer for sharing this site with me.

What a hoot!

This child makes me giggle. She's always happy...especially when she's outside.
No words can describe what a blessing she is to us.

SCC clip from The Early Show

If you missed it, click here to see Steven Curtis Chapman on yesterday's The Early Show episode.

Haircut!

Guess who FINALLY got a haircut?

Yes, folks. It's been four months since Luke had his last haircut. Why did we wait so long? Well, I kind of liked the length but the main reason we procrastinated was because EVERY time Luke has gotten in the salon chair, he has become combative. He ducks, throws his arms, screams, kicks his feet, and has gotten nicked once. So, it wasn't a battle worth fighting. Of course, this meant his hair was at its thickest during the hottest months of the year...but that was his choice. I can't make him be still, ya know?

BEFORE

AFTER

I had to bribe, yes B-R-I-B-E, him with a giant bag of M&M's for this haircut to be successful. Candy is a powerful tool. I'm so glad God invented it.

Ummmm....ok.....huh?

Thanks, Justin, for sharing this in the blog-o-sphere.

Kim Hill is my twin

I have a twin. Her name is Kim Hill. We share the same disease.


Kim and I also share some of the same friends. Crissy and KP, to be exact. They came to visit me yesterday.

Crissy and KP cured me of my disease Monday night.


There you go, Kim Hill. Don't you wish you were me?

Kid's Art Contests

Does your child like to draw, paint or use a variety of other mediums in their creations? I'm always on the hunt for art and writing contests so I wanted to share one that I came across tonight. Click here to see all the requirements and deadlines for contests sponsored by KinderArt. Most of the contests cover a wide range of age so don't leave that teenager out!

Celebrate Thomas @ ToysRUs

Mommies With Cents says, "

Mark your calendars if you've got a Thomas the Train fan! ToysRUs is hosting "Thomas and Friends" playdates on September 13th and October 11th from 11 am to 1 pm. There's a story-time every half hour, special savings on Thomas products, wooden railway and train station play table time, and coloring. You'll even get a free pack of trading cards while supplies last.

I'm not sure if all ToysRUs locations are participating, so call them to save yourself a trip. Click here for more information.

York Photo

I love using York Photo as my online photo developing and storage site. I've never had a problem with their company, my pictures, or their website. A 4x6 print ALWAYS costs only $.8 everyday at York. However, until September 17, they have lowered their price of 4x6 prints to only $.6!!!! Yeah, you heard me right, mamas out there! There's no minimum order size.

I just placed a huge order of around 100 pics. I try to wait it out for deals like these. If you want to use this special deal, you'll need to enter the code PRINTSFOR6 upon checkout. Remember, you'll have to pay shipping on top of the final cost but, compared to the final total at Walmart, Target, and Sam's photo labs, this is a steal.

Go Dawgs!

The girls in this home are cheering on the UGA bulldogs. We have to stick together. The boys are cheering for that "other" team. Can't recall their name.....hmmmmmm.....

ANYWAY.....

Hunker down, Silver Britches!

Powder

Someone found the powder.

Powder-free but soaked with sweat.

Free master lock at Sears

Click here to get a free master lock from Sears.
Coupon good until Sept 13.

City-wide consignment sale

For those of you who are local, the bi-annual city-wide consignment sale is coming up next week. I always participate and am pleased with the little bit of money it brings. If you're interested in reading more about it (sorry, it's too late to register to consign but it comes around again in March), click here.

SCC on the Early Show 9/10

Jim Houser has announced that Steven Curtis Chapman has been confirmed for an appearance on The Early Show on CBS next Wednesday, September 10.

Another great article

Again, Challies has said it so well.

Wants to be like Dad

Andrew has noticed where and what Mitch lays on the kitchen counter when he comes home from work. The phone is an old one that we don't use anymore so Andrew has been playing with it. Little eyes are watching and learning.

Thanks, Becky!

Both of my boys love to check the mailbox. They like seeing the freebies that come each day. It's a treat! One day last week, Andrew received his own special treat in the form of a beautiful striped blue bubble envelope.

"What could it be?", he asked. "Who sent this to me?", he inquired. I told him that our St. Louis friend, Becky, did. We opened it up and read the note first. Becky said that she and her daughter, "Little", thought of Andrew when they saw the enclosed book and just had to send it to him. He then pulled out the book, "How to Draw 101 Things That Go" and ran to find his pencil.


He loves it! Andrew drew the shrimp boat and choo choo train below (I helped him on most of the train). Do you see the small tiny black dots placed "here and there" on the drawing (click on the pictures to enlarge)? Those were reference points for him to connect with lines. He liked connecting the dots!



Both the train and boat are now hanging on our art wall. Thanks, Becky! You are now officially one of Andrew's favorite people.

This wall will do for now

Art, art, art...oh how I love thee. Andrew and Luke love creating, too. I want to frame and display their creations but there's just not enough space. Well, there is but we're renting this home so I don't want to put too many holes in these walls. So, the toy room wall will do for now. Isn't it lovely?

The family in pictures

Thanks to Parenting Freedom for these fantastic, emotional, inspiring, family pictures!

Once at the link, scroll down to see over 40 pictures that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet.

Lick it good

I smile, cry, and laugh when watching this video over and over.

Here's the linky love

Ok, so you want some more free stuff? Click here to visit a favorite blog of mine, Money Saving Mom. She's hosting a huge giveaway party of sorts - everything from gift cards, candles, jewelry, magazine subscriptions, books, coupons, and so much more!

Office Max Giveaway

Do you have a large office supply purchase to make in the very near future? For your small business or for your church/school/classroom?

Office Max has what they call a MaxPerks Reward program. This program helps to "keep business costs down by getting rewarded for all the OfficeMax^® purchases you make". All you need to do to register is:

* Sign up for MaxPerks or log into your account here.

* Generate your Bonus ID and create your school supply list online.

* Get a $10 reward for every $100 your students spend on qualified puchases from your supply list.

* As always, you'll receive a $10 reward for every $75 you make in qualified purchases.

With every purchase, the rewards keep growing - all the way up to $500!

For every $100 you spend in the MaxPerks Reward program, your business or school will get a $10 reward to spend on qualified purchases from their supply list.

This giveaway is for a pamphlet of additional savings using the MaxPerks Rewards program. I have five pamphlets to give away. Each one is the same and includes:

1. A card of $15 off $50 on your next in-store purchase (expires 9/30/08). Of course, you can spend more than $50 to use this card.

2. A card of %15 off all print and document services, in-store (expires 5/30/09).

3. A coupon of $20 off $100 on your next online or phone purchase (expires 9/30/08)

Please be aware of the expiration dates! Again, enrolling is free and you can do so here. Once there, click if you would like to start saving money with a small business account or with a teacher account.

All you have to do to be enrolled to enter this giveaway is to leave a comment telling me what you would spend your reward money on at Office Max. The reward can grow up to $500 and start as low as $10. Make sure to leave a link to your blog address or, if you don't blog, leave me an email address so I can contact you if you are randomly selected using www.random.org. Please be sure to type (at) for @ and (dot) for . so we can all avoid spam!

I'll announce the winners Monday morning, September 8th, and will also email them of their win. A new name(s) will be randomly selected if the a winner doesn't respond in 24 hours. I want to get these in the mail ASAP since two of the cards expire at the end of this month.

Click here to find your nearest Office Max location.

Exploration in a box

We have new neighbors. Along with new neighbors comes alot of moving boxes. Before they hauled them away, our new neighbors gave us three large wardrobe boxes. One has already become a puppet stage (still needs to be painted) and the second one became a naval carrier today. The boys and I painted together, using the colors red, white, and blue (isn't that so patriotic? Not that they had a clue...and, yes, I kind of helped them decide. We've been talking about our country, flag, and military over the past weeks.).


Don't you love Luke's under-roos? How 'bout that door that's wide open? Hello, electric bill.


The boys enjoyed painting but Abigail enjoyed it most of all. I wish I had taken a picture of her playing in the sky blue paint. I was concentrating so hard on the painting task that I didn't notice that she'd spilled some of the paint and decided to have a party in it. I quickly put her in the bathtub and was thankful it was water based paint!


Upon completion of the carrier, the boys hopped right in. The garage wasn't the best back drop to the scene but if I had carried the boat into the yard, they might have never gotten in together. I find it funny that they look like pirates in a naval carrier. Argh!

Oh well.....

Register to Vote

Are you registered to vote? If not, you can click here to do so. Once there, you can read more details regarding voter registration, state by state. If you'd rather NOT register via the Internet, you can complete a voter registration form at your driver's license office, local library, or health department.

If you are Georgia resident, like me, the deadline to register to vote for the November presidential election is Monday, October 6.

Wordless Wednesday

Chores: Love 'em, Hate 'em

* Chores I like to do:

1. Sweep, sweep, and sweep = I really do like to sweep...especially the kitchen floor where all the cheerios seem to fall, Cheese-It cracker crumbs gather, and dirt is trekked in from outside (I don't, however, enjoy cleaning the bits and pieces of bananas and strawberries because, come on, we all know they never entirely dry out. Yuck!). The one thing I like most about sweeping is the mental grid of the floor I imagine as I repeat the sweeping motion. I like seeing the pattern of dirt go from "crumbs spread out everywhere" to "crumbs now all in a pile".

2. Clean the toilet = Thanks to the new toilet wand and scrubber inventions, cleaning the potty has become quick and easy. No more washing with a cloth while on my knees. Not to mention that I would always throw that washcloth away because I could never use it again after it had made its presence in the toilet bowl.

3. Dusting = I don't do this chore as often as I should only because I don't really notice the dust. Oh, believe me, it's there....I guess it just doesn't bother me as much as it bothers others. I especially love finding a spot in the house that hasn't been dusted in a V-E-R-Y long time (except for the fan). Making shapes and words in the dust is fun....that is until the dust bunnies start flying everywhere and the sneezing begins. It's also not fun anymore when you have to keep your 14 month old child from eating the flying lint balls. Anyway, I got to enjoy this chore on Labor Day. We had our small group over for a cookout so I spent all of that morning cleaning. I don't think I had dusted the top of our entertainment center since we moved in over 17 months ago. I should be embarrassed to admit that but our entertainment center is VERY tall!

4. Making the bed = Simply put, making the bed makes my room look so much neater. Take it from me, considering all the piles of "stuff" in my room, it needs all the help it can get.

* Chores I hate.to.do:

1. Loading & unloading the dishwasher = I suppose that I should be thankful I have a dishwasher. My mother doesn't have one and she actually enjoys hand washing her dishes. Then again, she doesn't have three small children to clean up after nor has multiple bowls full of dried cereal to pick off. Anyway, I know she's been there and done that. Unloading the dishwasher creates more misery for me than loading it. There's not a lot of thinking or moving around on my part when I simply put nasty smelly dishes in the washer. However, when I unload, I have to check all the dishes for food debris, shake off the water excess, and then file it away in it's proper place. After typing that, I sound so lazy.


2. Folding clean laundry = I hate it so much that I don't even want to think about writing anymore about it.

3. Changing bed sheets = The fitted sheet is a pure joy to put on. It just grabs the edges of the mattress for me so I have little work to do. The top sheet, however, is what I hate. You have to mentally measure the top from the bottom and how low/high it hangs off the sides and then tuck it in at the foot and end sides of the bed. Of course, changing a twin bed isn't so bad unless it's positioned against a wall like both of my boys' beds are. But, it's not as time consuming as changing the sheets on our queen size bed that requires constant climbing and walking around to make sure the top sheet is just right. Putting the duvet or comforter on is my favorite, though. It somehow knows just how to fall into place.

4. Cooking (is that a chore?) = I hate to cook. I seem to always ruin a recipe that I followed to a T. It's frustrating. So, I stick to the four or five meals I make well and just repeat them each week. I kid you not. I'm just thankful I have a husband who loves chicken, pork, and beef. At least I try to change it up in how I cook those three meat items. It doesn't get anymore creative than that, folks.

Ok, so, what's the spiritual application here, Burt? Ummmm....even though I hate performing the last few chores mentioned, I can still find great joy in completing them. They are chores that have to get done or no one would have dishes to eat off of or clothes to hide their nakedness. This makes me happy.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

I enjoy my role as homemaker and doing repetitive tasks is just a reminder of how good God has been to me. I'm also reminded and challenged to see each task as an opportunity to glorify the Creator. When I find myself in a pool of pity, crying "recognize me, recognize me!", I hear the Holy Spirit gently remind me that it's NOT about me.

Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Psalm 150:2

Gosh, I'm struggling for a post, aren't I?

Photo shoot with ANDREW

Ok, I need the same thing from you about these pictures. Carolyn is going to draw Andrew, too, so I need help chosing the best of this lot. Luke's collage is below if you want to vote there, too. Just leave me a comment on one or both posts. Thanks eva' so much!

Becky R. I liked how you used the BINGO theme for LUKE's collage (favorite = L3). Imagine Andrew's with the word DREW above it. That might help in giving me reference to a favorite.

Chad, you may not vote for W1 or, obviously, any of the blurry or headless (frog) ones. Duh!