Dove Giveaway at Let's Just Give It Away!

First off....I love giveways! Second of all.....I love Dove products!  And over at Let's just give it away they are combining both. 
The ages my kiddos are I am constantly thinking about things that can make them more aware of their bodies in a good way.  They have so many negative things coming at them from all directions it's pitiful.. You watch Nickelodeon with them at 6:30am while they are getting ready for school and you can see so many Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig commercials even a fit model can start to reevaluate herself.  That is the specific reason why I choose Disney over Nick anyday...not Nick Jr. (formerly Noggin) though because they have no commercials at all.  With a son on the cusp of tweendom (he'll be 11 in March) and a daughter in 2nd grade it seems as though they are being redirected every day in the wrong direction.  If not by tv, radio then by their friends have never learned anything differently.  My three year old is far from this problem.  As most 3 year olds, he's proud of ALL that he's got. :)  But I think the earlier we start the self esteem talks and encourage our children to talk and act in a way they can be proud of the better.  Dove is taking these talks to a whole new level and has developed a foundation to do so.  The Dove company's ads are always amazing and always show the people you can relate to.  This should be a wonderful giveways to take part in.  Go on over to http://www.letsjustgiveitaway.com/ and check it out!

You gotta love sick days......

I have been sick for 3 days now. Ughh.....
You know, I'm not saying I'd like to be bed ridden with a stomach virus but this stuffed/runny nose but just in one nostril thing is really getting to me.  Could it pick a nostril? It would be nice.  Then I could know which one to shove toilet paper in while I sleep.  I did get to sleep in this morning though...until 8:30.  That's super late for me because Griff doesn't realize that 6:30 am on a weekend morning is weird.  Bryan let me sleep in this morning and I only woke up when I heard Griffin picking on Tyler and his spend the night company.  Then made my own coffee (which Bryan got a cup of).  I'm just saying that I think if coffee isn't made by 8:30 but you've been up since 7...you're not allowed any when the other person finally drags themselves out of bed for it.  Wish I could stay in bed all day but I've barely sat down at all.  We've already accomplished doing dishes and finding stray animals.  The sweetest pug found his way to our back fence and we of course had to call the police to make sure he was taken somewhere safe.  We live right near a highway and were dreading him running acroos it.   His running a buddy, a dapple daschaund, made the venture across the busy highway, even though we tried catching it beforehand.  Hopefully he will be found too.  Would like to say we just added them to our animal family but we've already got 3 dogs.  One of them being a dapple dauschund, how weird is that?  Well, I am subbing at the elementary this week for 2 days that I know of so let's hope all goes well!!!

Been a while......

Well, my dinosaur computer finally bit the dust!  We've been without for a month or more now and over the weekend finally got a new one.  Whoo hoo!  So glad to be connected again. 
On another note,  I have had a jumpstart to my mood lately.  Not sure what happened but I have decided that the people that want so bad to get under my skin are no longer worth it.  Have you ever realized that the more you try to get rid of negative people in your life the more they want in??  That's my issue right now but I just have to remember that they are not my priority.  Faith, family and friends.  That's it.  Period.  I hope everyone gives their lives a little jumpstart too.  A short visit with a neighbor yesterday really put things into perspective for me ina very simple way.  She said her mother always used to tell her not to do anything that she wouldn't want Jesus to see.  Now I know some of you are taking this a different way.  You're thinking well, there's plenty that I don't want anyone to see, let alone Jesus, bathrooom company anyone?? But you know the jist of what I'm getting at.  Even the books and magazines in your house.  Would you really want Jesus to see those on the day He comes back for us?  I know I have some major editing to do.  Including the thoughts that run through my head.  Everyone have a blessed rest of the week.  And whenever that person comes around that you find yourself cringing to see just close your eyes and pray that God will give you the grace to get out of the situation.  And let the devil know that today is not the day!

New Year, new economy? Doesn't matter, we're sticking with the new way of life.

This has been one heck of a year so far for this family.  Not that the kids would know it.  Anytime we've had financial difficulties our kids have not known anything specific.  There's really no point, it won't change the problem if the kids are just as stressed out as us.  They do know that the economy is bad all-around.  We've discussed how big corporations are having troubles and how it would be silly of us to spend a lot of money on material things.  I can tell you that this horrible economy has really brought us closer though.  It's also got us eating at home more and that helps everyone.  We're not going places as much and if we do it's definitely local.  On New Year's Day it's normal to reflect on the past year and I know that it's had some really bad downs but those downs have inadvertently led to ups. More family time, healthier food choices, less material things, more focus on what's truly important.  I have found new ways to cook dinner without going to the store for days.  My freezer has been more of a help this year than any of the 11 that my husband and I have been married.  Couponmom.com and coupons.com have become great favorite websites of mine.  I have also decided that staying home completely will probably not be an option anymore.  I don't know how anyone is doing it these days with only 1 income.  I think after school starts back I will sign up to start substituting at my kids' school.  It will kill me to leave my 3 year old but luckily God blessed us with wonderful grandparents so he doesn't have to go to daycare.  Especially since it will be sparatic.  I am looking forward to moving on from 2009 and to a great year where we will keep what we have learned in tough times in play and the material things that led us to such a horrible economy will hopefully beome less important to us all.  And I am sorry for anything that is misspelled but my computer recently had a meltdown and for some reason it chose to eat my spell check button! :)