Miscellany Monday.....

                                                                        


This is my first time linking up to Miscellany Monday so pardon if I'm doing it wrong...or just sit back and enjoy the train wreck.  And be sure to head over to lowercase letters and link up.  So glad I found her blog, I will be a returning visitor, for sure. 

1.  This weekend we had an abundance of good and bad.  My husband and one of our closest friends were out in the yard way past midnight....up to their knees in dirt....yeah we'll just say dirt.....because the clean out was completely plugged.  They tried every snake they could find and poured everything imaginable down the toilet and clean out trying to flush something, ANYthing out.  To no avail. Since Hubby's a pipefitter, plumbers and the like can only be called after he has exhausted everything he possibly knows to do.  It happened.  I called and sweet talked a guy to come out and use his mega snake to help us out.  Turns out, we still don't know what it was.  He said it felt like a water bottle.....hmmm.  It's working now, so I'll move on.

2.  We had small group this past week for the 7th and 8th graders...this will continue through the year. I had the room all nice and ready for them.....I really wish I would've gotten a picture of it completely full of kiddos.



Looks cozy, right?

3.  Last night after a day full of a baby shower (and shopping for that shower first thing in the morning because I'm a chronic procrastinator), stressing over the plumbing issue, and shuttling T where he needs to be.....I went out to visit with my dad who works in Georgia and I'm glad to have home for awhile.  My gorgeous niece just happened to be there....darn the luck. Holding a newborn....is there a better time? No.


Trying to get a burp out of sweet baby

4.  T will be in his first tournament as a Division 2 soccer player this entire weekend.  He is super pumped and I'm glad.  My brain is also running overtime thinking how I will keep G entertained (and cool) the whole weekend. 

5.  Small group again Wednesday......as the host, I will be making the meals each week.  Buying pizza every week is just not plausible, way too expensive and I would love to give these kids a good, stable meal each week.  This week will be Tacos! 

Well, that was fun.  Now, on to the rest of my day.  I think I can hear my laundry calling me from the hamper....or maybe it's just walking off on it's own. 




Beach Baptism!

I was baptized at the age of 6, in the Methodist church my family and I started going to when we moved to Texas.   It was a sprinkling of water and I really don't remember it....and I had left my church long before having Confirmation classes.  My parents got divorced when I was 14, I don't really remember going to church after that except for holidays or special occasions.  I probably should have been there....I could have avoided a lot of heartbreak if I would have remained in a church and close to God. 
But....I didn't.  I took for granted that He would always be there for me in the End and I probably didn't have to worry about much up until that point.  Then, I got married and had a child, God became something more to me then.  We started getting involved in the same church I was baptized in.  When #2 came along, we were going pretty regularly.  #3, yep, still involved but drifting....felt kind of monotonous.  And my husband wasn't going as much with us, he just didn' feel like he belonged. 
I craved more and wanted more for my family.  So, I started rededicating myself to God and reading the Bible more, studying scriptures a bit, and getting into an amazing group of women who I can't thank enough for their help in our journey.  We have now found the perfect church home for our family and I don't feel like I am going to church on Sundays just to...go to church.  It's about what He has to say to me when I'm there, about the people that are in that church and how I feel when I walk through the doors. 
We were baptized today by immersion.  And it really was awesome.  Our oldest went through a class and has accepted Christ on his own....so he was included today and we got to help with it. 

Happy Friday!....finally linking back up to 5 Question Friday

Friday! Friday! Friday! 
This week has been a humdinger, for sure!  T has to get up at 5:45 now to get ready for school so we can leave by around 6:30....yep, a.m.  I am used to waking up right before I have to wake the kids up, which last year was 6:45.  A whole hour earlier?  Ugh.  Wish I could say I'm a modern day Donna Reed who just looooves waking up before the sun, making coffee and breakfast for her man and getting decked out in heels and chic outfits before taking the kids to school.  But let's get real......not happening.  I drag my tired butt out of bed when the alarm goes off, disturbing my serene waves, shuffle into the kitchen with one eye open and turn the Life Saver on (that would be my coffee pot).  Then wake The Boy up and get his breakfast started while sipping my Saving Grace and mumbling about how darn early it is.  Once we get in the car....I'm still in my PJ pants and t shirt.  Yep, sure am.  Judge away, my friends, judge.away.
Our small group started this week along with school.  On Wednesday I had 14 wild and crazy pre teens and teens crowded in my living room.  It was amazing.

Now, on to 5QF.  If you want to link up just head over to My Little Life, copy and paste the questions and link yourself up!

1. Did you make any fun purchases this week?



I bought 6 pizzas for small group.  Don't know if that counts as a "fun" purchase but it counts as a purchase anyway.  And there only 2 pieces of pizza left out of 6 pizzas.  No waste!







2. If you could go to any musical concert, what would it be?


Adele.  Definitely Adele.  Love her. 







3. What is your least fav/ most fav house chore?


Least Favorite: bathroom.
Most favorite: people have a most favorite house chore???!!! What the crap.  I don't like any.  But I do them.  I guess the one I do without to much complaining would be laundry, I find it strangely therapeutic.





4. Would you prefer new appliances or clothes?


I just bought a new fridge and that's something we really needed.  So, I'll go for clothes now....I really need to revamp this wardrobe.


5. Miracle Whip or Mayo?


Mayo. Enough said.

What I'm Diggin' Wednesday {Blog Linky}

A little late....by about half a day....but I am getting my house prepared for a whole mess of kids to come over for our first small group of the year.  Cleaned yesterday, vacuumed today along with picking up here and there.  I am also having a ridiculously hard time deciding how many pizzas we should order for their oh-so-nutritious dinner.  4? 5?
So....what am I diggin' this week? 

Book I read this week:
Too Good To Be True
Kristan Higgins

I love this author.  Her characters are so flawed yet hilarious and wonderful.  Love them. 


Favorite song of the week:

This song speaks to me in so many ways and I love the message it send to people of all ages.  Makes my heart melt everytime I hear it.  Tenth Avenue North....You Are More

What I've been up to:

Try and ignore the bare light switches and walls....that is my project for this weekend. And the unmade bed in R's room....I need to be more of a stickler but I'm not right when they start back to school.



The walls are killing me because they're so bare.....but I love the antique mirror my aunt gave me!




Our lime green cabinet that is housing ALL games to ALL game systems, turned out funky just like we wanted, it used to be white.




These curtains block out so much heat and light and I got them for 1/2 off at Kohl's! Paired with my Target lamp, I like the pop of color.  And the bowl? It's for the cell phones during small group tonight.




My favorite little section of the room, my beach shelf.  All of the sand is from my favorite beach, Panama City Beach, and so are some of the shells.  The calm in my storm.




R's room. Baby blue walls sprinkled with Peace signs and her masterpiece of a hand painted mirror.





Yes, that is a wall of Bieber and Taylor Swift...more to come I'm sure.

So, what are you diggin' this week?? Let me know.....and link up!



Another First Day......I might need to become a Red Bull drinker according to this schedule.

Today G had his first day back to pre school.....he goes to the most wonderful pre school in all of the world. No, I'm not exaggerating, his teacher is amazing and she knows how to teach any and every personality.  He wanted to stay when we went to his "meet the teacher" day where he just saw how the centers were rearranged, so I didn't have any anxiety about dropping him off this morning.  Until.....one of my friends who's child is also attending the pre school said "have a great last first day of pre school!"......doh! That hurt, I didn't think about it that way.  His very last, first day of the pre school he has been going to since he was 2 1/2.  The next step is Kindergarten (gulp!).  Not sure I'm ready for that and I gotta tell you that I'm not quite sure I will send him.  Texas isn't doing so swell in the Education department right now.....32 kids in one class is not something I want for my little guy.  Anywho.......
Today was T's 1st day of football practice!  He came out smiling and not puking so I guess that's a good thing.  He had a blast and is pumped about the mouth piece....not so much about the jock strap so I'm having to rush to the store tonight for slider shorts.  Yay.  I was in a car rider line 5 different times today. 
1. Dropping off T at the Junior High
2. Dropping off R at the Elementary school
3. Picking T up from Junior High.....until he called me 1 minute (exactly!) before the bell rang and tells me he does have football practice. So I got out of the line I had been in for an hour (2nd in line too!) and came back to pick G up from his school. 
4.  Picking up R from the Elementary
5.  Picking up T from football practice

Then, I had to make it to an Athletics meeting at 6....oh, just 30 min. after I got out of the football practice line.  No biggie.
So, this is what it's like.  I was used to soccer practices and running everywhere but now that T is school sports I can already tell how nutso it will be.  I've never had an energy drink in my life....but it might have to find it's way into my car for all this Taxi driving I'm doing. 

Here is G for his 1st day!


My big 4 1/2 year old!




Yep, that's my 7th grader. He finally got his "tree" picture we do every year and turned it into a silly photo shoot.



Back to School......are you jumping for joy or crying into your laundry?

Well.....I woke up at 5:30 this morning, my relaxing waves replaced with the annoying beep-beep-beep of the alarm.  1st day of school for T and R.  I made cinnamon rolls and cut up some fresh strawberries and made myself a huge pot of coffee.  Our summer is now long gone, only to be remembered by the vacation pictures I tend to revisit at least once a month.  I have to tell you, friends....it was tough dropping my now 7th grader off at junior high.  He just seems to small to be walking into that school full of hormones and Honors classes.  R is headed to 4th grade and will be in the same school she's been in since Kindergarten.  I'm completely at ease about today for her...she even has a teacher she's had before....and we adore her.  It's still a new year though and with girls the social aspects can sometimes be harder than the academics.

My prayer for the first day of school:
God, please guide and protect my children all school year long. 
Please keep their minds and hearts open to new friends, new places and new things.
Help them always carry Christ in their heart and represent Christians the best they can.
Let them feel secure and safe in themselves and confident in their point of views.
Please help give them calm hearts and minds and let them be a catalyst in whatever they do.
Give them the compassion and sympathy they need to make it through this school year with their integrity. 
Help me let them walk on their own two feet and be their own people.
Amen

Tomorrow is G's 1st day back....more pictures to come.

What I'm Diggin' Wednesday! {Blog Hop Linky}

                                                                      


School starts next week for all three of my kiddos.  This is bittersweet.  T will be heading off to junior high, where I am determined that he will not find it as horrible as I did in 7th grade.  R will be making her way to 4th grade, I have no worries here academically or behavior wise.  She does what the teacher asks, she makes excellent grades....I just worry about the girl drama.  Oh, the girl drama...are you with me girl moms??  It's just horrendous and it doesn't seem to matter what age the girls are anymore.  I know a lot of this stems from mama drama and just trickles down to the girls but it's still brutal.  I hope and pray she finds a group of good friends this year and not a lot of the little sneaky girls that you know act differently when parents aren't listening.  G is going back to his pre school, to the teacher I love for him.  I am so glad he's not heading to kinder yet, I am so not ready for that. 
Yet, I've always loved back to school time, even when I was a kid.  It's just a buzz in the air of expectations and fresh starts.  Today we will be heading to get T's haircut.....so long to Bieber hair....even though he has said for years that he had the haircut first.  We had Meet the Teacher at the junior high last night and it went well....he opened his locker on the first try and I guess now his only worry will be how to shower discreetly (but proudly) after athletics. Should be interesting.


Yep, 7th grade...aghhhhhh




My soon to be 4th grader!




My little guy



I'm diggin' makeovers this week!  I would have had some pictures here of our living room we painted orange and the lime green cabinet that is now housing all of the video games but I have 2 boys conked out on the floor in there so I can't get a good picture.  I'll try to get one later today.  We also painted R's room baby blue and she now has peace signs all over her walls and her Bieber and Taylor Swift mecca is back up and displayed nicely.  Again, she is still passed out so pictures will have to be later today.  Yes, I should've been more prepared but that's so not me.
In honor of makeovers and fresh starts....a friend of mine sent me an email this week about this blog post.  Not sure if I should have been offended or not due to the subject......kidding, she knows I hate to clean.  Hate it, I tell you.  She sent me this link to Curbly where this chick blogger tells you the easy way to clean but to do it correctly and where you avoid it forever.  Simple steps for the slackers like me who hate to clean.  This gives really great tips and honestly motivated you to go clean your house!  I have a feeling this will come in handy next week when school starts because all summer I feel like I haven't had a deep clean, I've just been having to clean around people. 
So go check out Curbly, a wonderful DIY blog, she has some amazing tips and posts!

Movie of the week (and no, not a tacky Lifetime movie, an actual movie):

Soul Surfer!

I loved this movie so much!  R and I snagged it at Redbox and I am so glad I didn't wait for it on my Netflix queue.  It was amazing and I sobbed like a baby probably 10 times.  The family in the movie is Christian and I was so happy to see that family showing their faith unabashedly.  If you haven't seen it yet, see it!


Song of the week:

In honor of Soul Surfer, one of my favorite songs from church,

Now, please let everyone know what you're diggin so far this week!  And link up!

i Heart Faces Photo Challenge {Eyes}

This week's challenge on i heart faces is....eyes.  Eyes can tell you a lot about a person can't they?  The wrinkles around some one's eyes might be a sign of all the laughter they've been fortunate enough to have in their life.  The brightness in some one's eyes might show you how content they are with their life.  I just happen to have three kids with beautiful eyes!  (Doesn't every mother feel that way?)  My oldest son has dark brown eyes and amazingly long eyelashes.  My daughter, has brown eyes as well, but they are so different, they remind me of the color of a muddy river, movement everywhere.  My youngest son was born with the blue eyes in the batch.  I have green eyes and my husband has the same color eyes as my daughter so it's not a surprise to me all the colors in our family.  Mr. Blue Eyes has eyes that reminds me of my my dad's, they change from bluish green to gray at any moments time. 
All of the kids have amazing eyes, the color is great but their expressions are priceless.  I can tell their emotions in one glance from their eyes. 
The picture I chose for the entry is of my 4 year old son, while we were on vacation and at my grandfather's house.  He was being extra goofy and jumping in front of the camera non stop.  His eyes in this picture are pure gray, and remind me so much of my dad, given his mood at the time, I now see why.  I had another really great picture of him looking up into the sunshine, his eyes blue green and sparkling, but that just seemed way too serene to  represent him lately. 

                                                               

Jarritos {Review} Mexican soda? Yes, please.

How many of you have had a mexican soda?  I can say that up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't either.  Once I received my case of Jarritos, my whole family popped a top and tried one.  My 4 year old, who is a sugar-aholic, loved these!  His favorite was Fruit Punch.  My husband, a type 1 diabetic, was not supposed to try one.......but I can tell you that he loved the Grapefruit.  I tried the Mandarin and it was excellent!  Who doesn't love an orange soda??  These were a big hit with kids who heard about the review as well....and were lucky enough to get one before they were gone.  Jarritos all have excellent flavor, made with 100% natural sugar.  My kids don't get sodas unless we are out to eat somewhere, and they might have a caffeine free soft drink, but for this review I totally let them try to their heart's content. 
Jarritos has been around since 1950 in Mexico, where it is the official soft drink.  Now in the US, it has a cult following of people wanting to recreate their childhoods or just have that taste of Mexican culture.  With 11 flavors, every flavor seems to have a following of people claiming it to be the best. 
Toronja/Grapefruit
Tuti Fruti/Fruit Punch
Tamarindo/Tamarind
Pineapple
Mango
Mandarin
Limon/Lime
Jamaica/Hibiscus
Guava
Strawberry
Lemon Lime
Their actual top flavors are Mandarin and Tamarind. 
Jarritos has a lot of cool stuff going on on their Facebook page, You Tube and Twitter.  Just a little revolution called Jarritos Nation!  Everyone has the chance to be seen and heard and let the world know what flavor they are.  Also, great prizes, scavenger hunts and events all over the US.  I love how much fun Jarritos is as a company and how they want to connect with their customers. 
You might pass Jarritos up in the store if you had never tried a Mexican soda but just try one.  They are so flavorful, refreshing and a great treat for the end of summer.  There's also Club Jarritos, where you can enter points that you find on the bottle tops and win amazing stuff!  Including up to $100,000.00! 

And if you are wondering what the ingredients are for Jarritos Mexican sodas take a look (this is specifically for the Mandarin flavor):
Carbonated water
Real sugar!
Citric acid
Natural flavor
Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative)
Yellow 6
Red 40
I know for a fact, that most soft drinks have high fructose corn syrup....Jarritos does NOT!  Score 1 for Jarritos!
So....I leave you with this.....try something you haven't before.  Jarritos were really great and now that I know more info on them and know how great they are, I might keep some on hand for a nice treat that doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup and is made with real sugar!
Quick...use the store locator and find one near you!
Just a quick tip: have a bottle opener at the ready!  I felt like such a badass popping the tops.

Junior High....does it ever NOT feel awkward?

Raise your hand if you ever felt awkward in junior high?  Yep, that's everyone. 
Yesterday, I dropped T off at the door to head into his "orientation" for a few hours and then I came back at 5 for the parent meeting.  They introduced the staff, went over rules, including the dress code...which has gotten much more strict since I was there.  We sat there and listened to the principal, who just happens to have been my science teacher back in the day. 
As a sat there, with some friends of mine behind me, listening to her talk and shush the incoming 7th graders (let's face it, they're all motor mouths)....I felt just like I did in junior high....like I didn't want to get busted talking.  Yet, I still did....seeing her eyes land on me every once in awhile.  Same feeling of dread, same feeling awkwardness.  What is it with that junior high gym? 
My kids will be in the same school district I was in from 1st grade through 12th....luckily they are in brand new schools...you know, no aspestos and lead paint....it's the little things.  Fortunately, because of that, I didn't have too many horrible flashbacks when I walked in the gym...with it being a new school.  I can still remember that feeling of dread combined with excitement and anxiety about starting junior high.  The schedule that basically decided my friends for the rest of the year and my stupid 1st attempt at a locker.  I can still remember my combination from 8th grade (I didn't use my lock in 7th grade, scared to death I would be tardy to class trying to open my locker) 36-34-36.  7th grade was my absolute most socially awkward year....I was made fun of everything from my flat chest to my braces that I received the summer before.  I remember the fear of wearing white shorts or pants because of the urban legend that all junior high girls know of....and constantly checking with your friends to make sure that urban legend wasn't happening to you.  "Am I okay?" "Can you see anything?" Ugh. So glad I know better now. When you are a 7th grade girl, you worry about everything from if you have a booger hanging out for everyone to see (and torture you over later) to if you like a boy that one of your friends might have liked at one point in time when she was in kindergarten and now he is officially off limits. 
7th grade was also the year that I was bullied relentlessly by another girl.  On the bus, at school, in the neighborhood we grew up in.  That is something I never want other kids to go through, but I know that they will.  Bullying has reached a whole new level now....cyber bullying adds to the horror of the bullying.  Scares the crap out of me, to be quite honest, but I feel that I will have to worry much more when R gets to this age.  Boys just aren't as.....well....evil as girls when it comes to that sort of thing.  Thank goodness!!! 
So, here's to a school year where everyone can get along.  Hey, a girl can dream. 

What I'm Diggin' Wednesday! {Linky OPEN!}

                                                    

It has been a looong day.  I walked into my 9 1/2 year old daughter's room today before lunch and came out...oh, about 4 hours later with a tub full of clothes that she has outgrown.  I am definitely a bargain shopper....I rarely pay full price, as I've established many times....yet, I still spend a ton of money on clothes for the kiddos.  Why can't they be like me and just rotate the same 7 shirts, 2 pairs of jeans and 4 pairs of shorts every day?  So, now I have $1 million worth of name brand (as name brand as I get, hello! Old Navy and GAP) clothing sitting in tubs waiting for their new owner(s).  I am giving them away because of the Back to School high I'm on instead of trying to get 50 bucks on Craigslist. 
Pro: someone will be very well dressed for the ENTIRE school year. Hoodies, jeans, dresses, shirts...
Con: I will be broke like a joke replenishing my little darling's wardrobe....thanks for growing, kid.



Sorry, it's dark..but you get the idea.  This is the amount of things she could NOT wear in her closet.

 This week, I also registered my oldest for Junior High.  He is now officially a 7th grader. I can honestly say I am not sure how I will be the first day of school.  Think he;ll mind if I walk him in and kiss him in front of his friends?  How about choking on my sobs?  No? Dang. 

What I'm Diggin' this week other than cleaning out closets and my kids getting older.....which I don't dig by the way.


Song of the week:

This song came on the other day and I sang my heart out....much to the dismay of my loathsome pre teen....seriously, I could've won a major karaoke award with my version.  And if I'm not mistaken...this song was on the soundtrack of the Legend of Billie Jean (one of my favorite movies...ever).  If it wasn't, it totally should've been. 


Book of the week:

I am still reading my Sister Freaks book in the morning for my morning devotional.  I also just finished reading another Kristan Higgins book. All I Ever Wanted.  I don't even want to hear it all chick lit haters....because I am one of you yet I am friends with both sides.  I used to not pick out a book if there was a cute dog, lady in high heels or anything that might look like a made-for-TV movie....but I love this author.  She is funny and witty and has great story lines, even if they might be predictable.  Plus, they are one of the cheapest selection of books in my Nook shop at around $5 each.  So...there.


Product I am loving this week:

Paint (Olympic Premium low VOC's of course)
and brand spankin' new curtains. 
I made the impromptu decision to redo one of our living rooms the other day on the way home from church. 
I'll post pictures after we're done because right now I would be embarrassed of all the crap you would see that I own stuffed in the middle of the room. 

What are you diggin' this week???  Link up now and tell me....and share the love (and the button) while you're at it.

And....it's the weekend

It is Friday and I can tell you that it doesn't really feel like it.  This weather has me in the dumps.  I know I live in Texas.  I know that it is supposed to be hot.  This knowledge does not help me from feeling like I will wilt and die in my driveway.  This is not dry heat, this is not normal heat.  This is straight out of Texas-melt your face off-pit out your shirts heat.  So....it's pretty dang hot. 
I had good intentions and even had a solid as Jello plan to go to a waterpark tomorrow.  I have since talked myself out of it (no, I didn't have to work too hard).  I decided that even if water was directly in front of me that the evil sun would be too much to bear and that my children might have the irrevocable damage of seeing their mother have a heat stroke...and in a bathing suit...in front of strangers.  Staying put is a better plan.  And since everyone arond here has the grumpies I think I will make plans to go school shopping. 
I used to LOVE when it was Back to School time, not because of the actual "school" part but because I got a brand new wardrobe and school supplies which back then we got to label everything with our names, not like now where it pretty much goes in a stockpile.  I loved writing my name over and over on my school supplies in my huge, loopy handwriting.  My favorite back to school item ever was the pencils my mom would order, personalized from Lillian Vernon. 
So, I will find solace in the A/C of the mall and Target this weekend.  But until then...here are some super cute pics of G before his first soccer practice this week.  And by the way....that dirt factory...used to be my front yard with nice, green grass.  Thank you drought.

What I'm Diggin' Wednesday Blog Hop! {Linky open!}

                                                               


So far this week has been a blast.  I have had the Durango piled up with kids everyday this week.  Like I mentioned before, this week is Youth Week for our former church.  I am so glad that we have been able to be surrounded by Christian youth everyday this week.  We have had an amazingly fun scavenger hunt and we headed to Downtown Houston yesterday and rode the light rails and visited the underground shopping, which really turned out like a mall, and the kids wondered why we couldn't tell we were underground.  But Jason's Deli was amazing and riding the light rail with the kids was a trip.  I was so scared that we would get off at our stop and see one kid still on the train.  Luckily, they all got off in time and were able to wreak havoc on Houston.  Today that group is heading to the ASPCA to volunteer, which T has already said will be tough after losing our sweet Doberman this past Friday.  And tonight we are going to OUR church's summer youth group, Summer Nights.  Great music and even better company while they praise God. And I get to grab a coffee with my friends. I'd say that's a good night.  So...on to what I'm diggin' this week.


Book of the week:

This book has stories that really make you think and reflect. Love it.

Song of the week:
Who doesn't love One Republic??

It IS a Good Life!


Picture of the week:



Riding the Light Rails in H-Town

What are you diggin' this week???
Link up and tell me!

Simple rules of blog hop:
1. Follow me. :)
2. Follow who follows you if you pick up what they're throwing down.
3. Spread the word and share the hop.



Ecomom {review} On the Go products

I have many websites that I trust with the best advice and products that are Eco friendly.  Ecomom is one of them, with ecomom Approved products you can trust that the products are the healthiest options for you entire family. Within ecomom you can find everything from organic food to clothing and accessories, you can feel good about what you are spending your money on. 
I personally love the Play and Learning section where you can find great Melissa and Doug and Mudpuppy puzzles and games to keep the kiddos sharp.  I like the huge Eco friendly section as well....plenty of things to choose from to please anyone in the family.  Parents have a very simple way to delve into the world of smarter and safer choices with ecomom.  They also have a super cool Daily Deal!  If you sign up, everyday you will receive a Daily Deal in your inbox, and there are some great deals out there.  Today, for example was a Melissa and Doug Jumbo Numbers Puzzle for $10. 
I received an "On the Go" pack of samples to try out and was very happy with everything.  In my On the Go pack I was able to review:
Supergoop-a SPF 30 (yes, I said 30!) lotion that packs a powerful moisturizing punch.  This will be in my purse until I've squeezed every last drop out of there.  I know it's under the kids and babies sections but....come on, I think it's universal!
Nature Babycare wipes- a wonderful addition to any diaper bag or SUV console.  I have also used these to clean hands of kiddos and when it's been a long day and the kid passed out on the couch from exhaustion....we've also used it on feet before tucking him in.  Great to know that they are not going to harm your kiddo if they find the way to that curious little mouth.
Revolution Foods Mashups:  G loved this!!  I am totally wishing we received more than 1 to try.  We reviewed the Tropical flavor mashup which provides my little vegetarian with tons of nutrients and they're organic too!  They are free of high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and artificial ingredients.  These need to be on every kids' breakfast tray in every school!  Real fruit puree and so yummy, I tried it and they really are great. 
Clean Well all natural hand sanitizing wipes: Super handy individually wrapped wipes are great for your purse, diaper bag, car or anywhere else you can stash them.  I'm not usually a germ freak but they do come in handy sometimes.  Zoo trips, field trip, PUBLIC BATHROOMS. These have you handled. 

Ecomom is amazing website with priceless information and trusted products you can use throughout your home and with every family member.  Be sure to sign up for the Daily Deal and they do reward their loyal members, if you are an Ecopass member you receive free shipping (always), 15% savings on every single product, Sneak Peeks, Exclusive offers and promotions, and a preview and opportunity to get the Daily Deal before others. Score! 

Head on over to ecomom and browse around, I promise you will find something you love for your family.  And if I were you....I'd definitely buy some Mashups for Back to School...time to get that lunchbox ready!

Good morning, good morning! (insert happy morning song)

Today is the beginning of Youth Week at our former church.  T has been going to both youth groups, the one at our former church and the one at our new church home.  In my opinion, that doesn't hurt a thing, the more church and fellowship time with Christian kids, the better. 
Since we've been home from vacation it feels as though I have been on the road with T taking him places or picking him up.  I guess this is the age it starts, 7th grade.  They are old enough finally for the youth activities at church and old enough to have a tad bit more freedom.  Wednesday nights is the night at our church where the kids get together and have music, fellowship and a great lesson with wonderful speakers.  A few parents and myself have been taking the kiddos, we have a boy car and a girl car, because there are so many kiddos in their group.  This has been beneficial to me.....our church is 25 minutes from home, so I do not go home while the kids are in church for an hour......I go have coffee!  There is never a wrong time for coffee with friends.  Last week, my friend Paula and I enjoyed the newest coffee place in town...and had an amazingly delicious and sinful as heck brownie called the No-No Square.  I am so looking forward to another one of those.  And after we pick the kids up from church we head to Cherry Berry and get some fro-yo complete with yummy toppings, which is where we sit away from the kids while they try to be cool. 
So, today I have volunteered to pick up a group of crazy kids and take them to Youth Week where they will do all kinds of fun stuff for the week while learning how important it is to serve.  It will be loud and crowded but it so worth it.  I am happy to be able to be with the kids as they enjoy their time with each other and sharing the love of Christ along the way. 
On another note.......
It
Is
Shark
Week!!!!

I heart Shark Week.  When I was a kid and I had high expectations for myself, I wanted to be a marine biologist.  Really, I just wanted to be a Sea World beluga whale trainer....but I knew I had to have some sort of a degree first.  I am amazed by sharks and how huge and beautiful they are......and yes, how absolutely scary. Are you a Shark Week devotee too?