Monday, October 26, 2009

Mailbox Monday


007

This Monday was all about the coupons. I finally got my Pop Tarts “Sprinkling” package along with an Alouette mailing, through SheSpeaks with a coupon for a free crumbled cheese and more coupons to pass around, and the Fructis shampoo and conditioner samples.

For some reason I also got a Bed, Bath and Beyond mailing. The nearest store is over an hour away but hey it did have a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $15 or more, so they next time I go I’m prepared and Christmas is right around the corner!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Feeling Tall!


After reading Max Lucado’s Fearless I was jumping at the chance to review his newest children’s book, The Tallest of the smalls. On the first page Lucado asks parents, “What do you do when your child feels small and insignificant? What do you say to smooth hurt feelings? What does your child need from you?” The answer to those questions is on the pages of this book.

In Stiltsville there are those that are low and those that aren’t. Every day at the exact same time the lows are reminded of their position when ‘they’ come out and parade around on their stilts. In a show of superiority they choose one person from the lowly crowd to “…move up the ladder.” Of course we all know that when you try to be something you’re not or hold yourself to someone else’s standards and judgments you are bound to fall. And when you fall in Stiltsville ‘they’ will be there to laugh and take away their good judgments. But their judgments don’t matter, or God loves us and wants us to keep our feet on the ground.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Maria Monescillo. I liked the simple, non-descript faces on the characters, the rich colors and seemingly textured clothing. Still the images didn’t overpower the text and instead created a nice balance.

I highly recommend this book. While reading it to my little ones they felt sorry for the main character Ollie before he got his stilts and they felt even worse when he fell back to the ground. By relating to Ollie I think it helped them to understand that Jesus is there for us and doesn’t want us to make ourselves into someone else’s image. We were made in his image and he loves us!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Mailbox Monday


006

So this time is was a stack of magazines! I wanted to point out to anyone looking for a free body and soul subscription that I actually used my coke rewards to get that. There is also a free sample from philosophy and a nice package of stuff from Beingirl.

On a different note the houseparties went well this weekend. I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed the Green Works samples. We didn’t have a chance to ‘play’ with Windows 7 so I think I’m going to have another smaller get together to go through it.

In regards to tips about being selected for houseparty I can only say be honest. My first party was a Splenda party and the second was the Green Works and I was honest in the survey process that I didn’t know that much about either products and what I did know wasn’t positive. (Being Splenda always tasted bad to me and Green Works was a Clorox company jumping on the green bandwagon.) That being said, I have NO IDEA why or how I got to be a Windows 7 host other than my self proclaimed lack of computer knowledge. Maybe they select people who ‘know’ about a product but don’t have extensive knowledge of it. Which would explain why my admission to being an avid crafter DIDN’T get me selected as a Martha party host, bummer!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Stupid Moment

I wanted to thank everyone for the mailbox monday comments...okay now the stupid moment. When I set up this blog I didn't realize I needed to change the setting so that I KNEW when people had commented. So talking to my sister she mentions all the comments about Windows 7 and I think she's crazy or looking at someone else's page. OOPS :)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

What Difference Do It Make?



What Difference Do It Make? By Ron Hall, Denver Moore and Lynn Vincent is one of those books filled with so much information and inspirations you won’t want to loan it out but rather buy copies for your friends and family.


It’s hard to read both Ron and Denver’s writings and not feel instantly moved by the honestly and brevity of their words. I didn’t have the pleasure of reading their first book, Same Kind of Different as Me, but I can assure you it is on my to-read list. I never felt like I came in halfway through a story both authors do a great job of keeping the reader up to speed and referencing the previous book. Their stories are real and never feel staged which too often happens in books aimed at “Hope and Healing.” I mean these aren’t a bunch of sappy stories that will make you reach for the soup if you catch my drift. These are the kind of spoken memories that make you say, “Oh, no he did not just say that out loud did he?”


Semantics aside I cannot describe to you the hope and warmth emanating from both these soulful outpourings. Besides Ron and Denver you are also treated to insights from others touched by their stories. Carolyn’s story, in particular, spoke to the gardener in me. I couldn’t agree more with the Garden School’s Philosophy, “…schools should be like parks, not prisons; the best way to learn about good food is to grow it and children have to know nature to love it.”

While I received this book free of charge I was not encouraged to provide a review other than my own. That being said, I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a bright spot on a cloudy day.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Mailbox Monday October 12th



I was gone for a week for a work conference but what a nice surprise it was to find all this waiting for me! Really the magazines are for the hubby and while the Secret, Lever 2000, Nature Valley samples and coupons are wonderful they pale in comparison to what else was waiting for me! Windows 7!!!!!
The Windows 7 party will be my third through Houseparty and all I have to say is, "If you aren't on this site go there now!" As you can see from the pictures with this most recent party I received an awesome poster with streamers, balloons and napkins for the party, a puzzle, playing cards and super great reusable bags! Oh yeah I also got two versions of Windows 7 ( a 32 bit and 64 bit). I'm combining this party with another houseparty and my son's birthday party for a ton of fun all in one fell swoop! Saturday will be a very busy day at our house!