Better late than never??

I finally got in the "tech" world with my new i-phone! I am learning and exploring, well when I can get my hands on it...I think my children got a new toy! They have already told me what games I have to put on it. My 7 year old can probably use it better than I can. I am excited I will be able to have educational apps to use while we are "on the road" for school days.

Crest/Oral B Stages mommy party!

The nightmare is over! Having your kids take care of their teeth is now "FUN". Thanks to Oral B Stages, Oral-B/Crest Pro-Health FOR ME! They have a line of toothbrushes, flossers, anti-cavity rinse that your kids are sure to love! Crest/Oral B has designed products to meet your child's needs at any age. Products range from 5-7 years and 8-12 with rinse flavors they will want to use.

We were recently selected to host a "Mommy party" with Mommyparties.com and Oral B. Our guests enjoyed getting a new toothbrush, flossers, toothpaste, "Cars-2" trial size vitmins, coupons, along with other goodies. They learned about good/bad choices to help them take better care of their teeth. Children love getting "things", even if it is a toothbrush! The guests enjoyed a night of watching the new Disney/Pixar "Cars 2" movie thanks to mommyparties.com. My kids loved getting all the cool items, especially the movie! My daughter immediately went to try them out the day the package arrived.

For more information, check out Crest/Oral B on facebook or online.

*DISCLOSURE* I was selected by mommyparties.com to host this event. I was sent a party package that included everything I needed for the said event. The opinions expressed here are my own.

blogging!!!

I am so excited to be getting more "blogging" business! I have recently had two opportunities you will see soon. Thank you, God for sending it my way!!!

Thankful....

Although 'THANKSGIVING' holiday is over doesn't mean that's where we stop and wait until next year. We have to be "thankful" everyday. It is a gift from God!

When you feel down and depressed by the stresses of this life, and there are plenty, start naming your blessings! You are alive, you may not feel good but you are alive. You have another chance at another day. You choose how to live it!!!! "For I know the plans I have for you, saith the Lord. Plans to give you a future and a hope." God has awesome plans for your life. Will you accept his?

I am so thankful for life, my salvation through Jesus Christ, my relationship with Jesus, my family, my friends, my home, clothes, food, health, and so much more!

Today's challenge: When you think of something negative, list 5 things positive to counter the negative! You will be amazed at what happens!!! I DARE YOU!!

FYRFLYZ are the buzz!

Your child will love to have their own "lazer light show" right in front of their very own eyes! I received the free product as part of a promotional program with Fyrflyz and MomSelect. This product has a switch to turn on the light show. There are strings that are attached to sturdy finger handles. Your child can create many different light forms by manipulating the strings in motion. You can find several tricks on-line at www.youtube.com.

• Normally found near the Nerf items in the store
• Comes in 3 colors
• Under $10
• Has won Toy of the Year by many organizations
• Makes a great stocking stuffer or Kris Kringle gift

THANKSGIVING!!!

It is a special time of year that we all look forward to:  Thanksgiving. We take a few moments, maybe a few days, to stop and give "thanks" like our ancestors did so many years ago.  I have so much to be thankful for, but I wonder why we can't be more "thankful" during our lives instead of just one day or week.  I am glad that we can take time off from school and work to focus on our families.  Our lives in just the past ten years have changed so much and the world around us in NOT THE SAME!  I can even see that this luxury of "Thanksgiving" may be at risk in our near future!  So, during this special week please take time to spend with your family or friends.  Take time to tell others how you are thankful for them, even if it is difficult.  Don't look back on your life with regrets when you have the chance now!  Just last week a loving, young family encountered a harsh reality.  The young father, husband lost control of his vehicle and is now in a medical induced coma fighting for his life!  I'm sure, as no one would, they didn't plan on this for Thanksgiving!  However, they are still "thankful" for what God is doing in their lives!  When we are faced with heartache and pain, we determine what road we will take....bitterness and grief, or thankfulness and love for those around us! Be thankful and love your family and friends!!!  HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

30 days of Thanks!!

How can I choose only 30 things I am thankful for?  There is NO WAY!!!  I have been sooo blessed!  Each day brings MORE BLESSINGS!!!  God is so good.  He is faithful.  So here is my "attempt" to list my 30 days of Thanks!


1. I am thankful for God, who created me, who loved me and KNEW me before I was ever conceived!
2.  I am thankful for Jesus, God's only son who was sent as a sacrifice to cover my sins so I could have eternal life in Heaven!


Each day I will post a new "THANKS" for the month of November...but of course it will just keep growing!  
God bless!  Pass it on and Pay it forward!!!

NOVEMBER already???

Ok...The weather is showing all the signs of fall, but I still can't believe it is November 1st!!  Yikes...Ok so who has already counted how many days left til Christmas????  Not me!  I guess my next post will be closer to Christmas and YES I will be freaking out!!!  

I'm learning it's okay to be invisible!!!  I will share more about that later...Most mom's feel "invisible" at times!  It's okay....REALLY!!

I'm still here...really!

I guess with the hustle of getting school started again I have not been very attentive to this blog.  Sorry!  I am alive.  I will post again.  I have so many new things to tell you.  Guess you will have to come back tomorrow to see what it is...See you then!

Back to School!!!

I am so excited to get back into the swing of the new school year. We have home-schooled for the last 5 years and it still works for us so we will continue on!! We will be using the ACE curriculum this year for both kids. They are excited about the change, too.

After buying school supplies for our Christmas in July project, I am thankful I only have two kids and don't have to worry about specific supplies!

A great man goes home!

Earlier today a great man, Calvin Hazelwood, went home to heaven! He was not a perfect man, but he was a forgiven man. Hearts are heavy with sadness as we will not be able to enjoy his smile and love, but we rejoice in knowing he is healed! He was 92 years old and lived a long, full life. He leaves behind a wife, Inez, who will be lost without him. He has three children, three grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. Many family and friends will mourn our loss, but rejoice in his gain.

We know you are singing in heaven today! It won't be long til we see you again!!

We will miss you, Paw Paw! Thanks for some great memories!! We are all better from knowing you!

Boxes everywhere!!!

Cleaning up and cleaning out....boxes sitting everywhere! I need to have a yard sale, but no time. What to do? What to do? I guess I just have to find some time!! Yeah, right!

A busy summer!!!

One week of vacation, swim lessons, Vacation Bible School, and the rest of our schedule makes for one busy summer! The kids are really enjoying time off from school. I am trying to clean up this years school stuff and make plans for next year.

Dylan is in level 3 of swim lessons. Julia is moving up in level 2.

We have been able to enjoy a few days in the pool already. I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer brings! Looking for more blessings to come!

The Clan McLeod: Publix Great Deals on Great Meals

The Clan McLeod: Publix Great Deals on Great Meals

DiGiorno Pizza Party by Houseparty.com

I was recently given the opportunity to host a DiGiorno Pizza party from houseparty.com. This is a portion of what they sent for us to enjoy an awesome night with our friends. They provided us with coupons for FREE DiGiorno pizza and coupons for our guest to receive a discount, too.

The night started with some "hoops" in the yard while the pizza was cooking. The kids had a blast, as well as the adults. The pizza was wonderful. We tried the combination pizza and wyngz, as well as, the pizza and cookies. It was nice to be able to offer my guests a variety of pizza and chicken with dessert! Everyone was so excited they would be able to buy some for their families with the coupons included.

Thank you, House Party for a great night! If you would like to be considered to be a host for one of their many parties, go to http://houseparty.com/events and register today!

*As a host for houseparty.com , I received coupons and accessories to complete the party required of me as a selected host. No money was exchanged. I received these gifts in exchange for my blog posting and website requirements.

clothes swap....

Changing of the seasons means changing of the wardrobe!! Today we pulled down the spring and summer clothes out of the attic and packed up the winter ones...that means extra laundry!! Well, almost done, at least for tonight!!

nutella and mommy parties

nutella....

Yummy!!! I was so excited to be chosen from http://www.mommyparties.com/ as one of their host for the nutella party. I have been wanting to try nutella, but wasn't sure I wanted to spend money on something my kids might not eat. I was so WRONG! Nutella is wonderful! No lingering after-taste like you might think. If you love chocolate you have to try nutella! My kids are picky about some things, but this they are not! They love nutella sandwiches and I feel good about giving it to them!

I couldn't wait to share it with my friends. They all loved the goody bags, too. Mommy parties sent goody bags with idea cards, free samples of nutella, an amazing nutella insulated cup, coupons for $1.00 off nutella spread enough for 10 people. I love blessing my friends with free stuff and knowing I am giving them good quality items is even better! My family is enjoying our free standard size of nutella so much I am going to have to use my coupon this week!

I hope I can do more mommy parties. If you would like to be included in their program, you can check them out on facebook or at their website, http://www.mommyparties.com/. Thank you, mommy parties!!! I look forward to many years with you!

Mommy Parties!!

I am so excited to be a part of this wonderful group! www.mommyparties.com is soooo cool! I received my first package today. All I have to do is share it with my friends!!

Keep your eyes out...next post...NUTELLA...yummy!!!

February Deal of the month!!!

My deal of the month has to be "coupons"!!! I have recently learned how to use coupons, other than just cut and forget where I put them or let them expire. I am loving it. I really love the way I am saving my family money!



Since being a full-time stay at home mom, I really feel I have found a way for us to manage our money better. Just over the last month I am basically saving around $20 from my subtotal to the total I pay at checkout. I have saved more with in-store electronic coupons which are actually taken off as they are checked out. My receipt shows my yearly savings is already over $135.00 in just one month!!! I'm loving it. I am continually learning. I can't wait to get the big deal, where I get a buggy full of groceries for less than $10.00!!! Crazy, but it can be done!!

Back to Normal????

Is there such a thing? I think we all have a definition of what is "normal" to us.

Whatever it is for you, I hope you find your way back to your "normal" this year. We have been on a roller coaster ride in the last two years. I have learned so much about myself and others. I have also learned more about how amazing my God is and how much he loves me!

As we start a new year, we are more settled. We are still on a journey. I am excited to see where God will take us this year. The more I think about our life and our family, I really don't know what our "normal" is. I really don't think I want a "normal" life. I want to be in God's will. I want to do what He wants me to do. I want to be faithful to Him. He is always faithful to me!

Deuteronomy 7:9
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the FAITHFUL God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS."

I don't want a "normal" life. I pray you don't either!

THE ITEM OF THE YEAR!!

ZOUT Action Foam....is the best stain remover ever!!! Yes, I spelled it correctly! Zout! I started using Zout about four months ago. A friend was cooking supper for us. As she splattered and soiled her shirt while cooking, she merely went and sprayed this product directly on her shirt she was wearing. I was shocked! It immediately started to disappear! I have been very pleased with this product until this week. Now I am in love with this stuff! I had grease stains on the front of one of my best shirts. I immediately sprayed Zout on the stain and washed it the next day. I didn't think about the stain, so without checking for it I put it in the dryer. The stain was still there. "Okay," I thought. I will try this one more time. So I put more Zout on the already washed in and dried grease stain. Your hand could not cover the area of the stain! To my amazement, after the second wash with Zout the dried grease stain was gone!!!! I will not buy anything else again!!!

You can find Zout at your local store. The price is comparative to the other brands. It comes in a bright red bottle. DO NOT CONFUSE this red bottle with another name brand item. I also used the other "name brand" item in the red bottle... After using their brand, my shirts look like I had sprayed oil on them on purpose! I hope you will try it and let me know if you like it as much as I do!

*This is not a paid endorsement! No money or product was given in exchange for this testimony/review. AAS.

Angel

My mod-podge Christmas....

This Christmas was wonderful...full of special times with family and friends! I wanted to make something special for Christmas gifts this year. The grandparents and special friends are getting harder to buy for! They either have everything I can't afford or I don't want to buy what I can afford! So, as I started on this journey I was inspired to buy a few unfinished wood pieces. As I began to think about what I could do, pictures of the kids came to mind. I didn't want to ruin any good pictures so I decided to just print them from the computer. As I kept going with this thought it just all came together. The kids painted the wood. We found a cute tray for grandma, a closable box for Granny and Nana Pat. I used a circular piece for Nanny. I collected some pictures when they were younger to the present. I wasn't so sure about the "mod-podge" at first. I had some air bubles and was just praying all the pics wouldn't be smudged. They were awesome. A priceless gift for just a little effort!



I made rectangled wood signs for some friends. Some were sports related, others quoted great scriptures! I will continue this throughout the year. Thank you, God for the inspiration!!!