Tuesday, July 30, 2013

How to make a Countdown for your next vacation or big upcoming event. WW

Have you ever wanted to create a Countdown for a special trip you are going to take or an upcoming event?  There are some great sites online that allow you to create them for free.



My kids are heading back to school and so I thought I'd create them a countdown and post it on my blog. This is where I went to make the countdown...
http://www.timeanddate.com/clocks/freecountdown.html



How about one for Date night with your special someone!  This could be a fun way to Countdown till your sweet night!



My boys have some championship games coming up in basketball so this was the last countdown I made.



I really enjoyed using the free service, it was so easy to implement and post the code in my blog.  What kind of Countdown's would you make?  



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Friday, July 26, 2013

Love No Matter What Book Review

I was given the opportunity to review Love No Matter What, When Your Kids Make Decisions You Don't Agree With, by Brenda Garrison with Insights from Her Daughter Katie.  Rating 4 out of 5.



I have three children and I always look for books that provide parenting tips or stories of how others handled a situation with their kids.  This book looked very interesting because, just like the title, I've had to love my kids, no matter what.  Each child of mine has their unique way of making choices. I know that my husband and I are an influence on their decisions at this point, but we've had our fair share of decisions we don't agree on.  I was intrigued by how she shared her struggles and than her daughter would discuss her thoughts.

This was one of my favorite quotes...
Our hearts should be open toward our children so we can do whatever we are called upon to do for their benefit--whatever says to them, "I love you no matter what."   

The book comes from Brenda's own struggles with her daughter Katie.  She talks about her daughter wanting to move out and other families shared about their kids' drug and alcohol problems.  

One section in the book was about Wrong Motives For Parents.  When you make yourself the primary issue, you are reacting from wrong motives instead of considering what is best for your child.  Your wrong motives might include some of the following:

*Pride--you want to keep your reputation and your child's reputation intact.

*Your expectations--you want your dreams for your child fulfilled, especially since you know best.

*Your needs--you want everything to stay the same so your needs will continue to be met through your relationship with your child.

*Selfishness--you want to parent the way you always have.  You don't want to find new ways to effectively reach your child.

*Comfort--you don't want your child to venture where you yourself are uncomfortable.

Have you found yourself having any of these wrong motives?  The nice thing about reviewing these is that I can reflect on how I am parenting.  If I find myself coming from a state of selfishness, then I can work on that and figure out a better way to make my request known.  

Brenda shares that our stress is amplified when we try to look at our new situation through the old glasses.  Our new situation--one in which our child is making decisions we don't agree with--requires a new paradigm.  Our "normal life" is no longer what it once was.  We have a different life--not the one we expected, but one that God knew was coming.  If we are to be effective in it, enjoy it, and move ahead with our children, we must adjust our thinking.  But that is the essence of life, isn't it?  We never know what's coming next.

Many of the parents tips were very helpful.  It's very important in my family to establish our ground rules and to stay involved with our kids.  One of my favorite suggestions was to fill your kids with love.

Brenda's daughter Katie shared how once she was at a restaurant with her college friends and there was a family celebrating a birthday party.  Several of Katie's friends said that they had never had a birthday party and missed that experience.  Katie's parents always had birthday parties and deposited love in her heart.  

Know that the love you deposited in your child's heart is still there, and they know it.

For families that struggle with their children's drug and alcohol problems, the book suggested finding a support group.  Teen challenge was recommended and it helped the families find counselors and a place for their child to learn ways to make better choices.

Brenda Garrison is an enthusiastic and authentic speaker and author.  She ministers to women in all stages of life but especially to moms--encouraging them by keeping it real and based on God's Word.

Visit her website at www.brendagarrison.com

I am a proud member of BookSneeze where I get to read books and review them for authors!  I can browse their list of books they have and pick the one that interests me then I have to post my honest review of the book on my blog and a consumer retail website.  


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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

The Heartbeat Magazine July 2013 Cover and Giveaway, WW


This month's cover is my friend Angie Meister and a sweet girl from Destiny Village in Haiti. She recently visited and has a wonderful story to share about her mission to Haiti.  Their smiles captured my heart for the cover of The Heartbeat Magazine!   Read more about Angie in the Giving Hope story on page 9. 

In our July issue we have a new Giveaway, one t-shirt, one wristband, and one 8x10 print from www.BelieveAustin.com!  Austin is my nephew and we are so blessed to see his continued steps to recovery after his auto accident he was in.  Thanks for all the support and prayer!


a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Turn your kids basketball skills up a notch by doing simple drills every day.WW

My family loves basketball, our boys this summer are having fun going to camps and learning from coaches that have been in the NBA.  They also are a part of the local Southwest Florida Basketball League and it's so much fun watching the weekend games.  Yesterday, my son Jake wanted to show me a great basketball drill he did at camp.
Jake Dribbling the Ball and Tapping the wall.
Bounce the ball, tap the wall with your opposite hand.
Go as fast as you can while switching hands!
My husband printed out a great list of drills he found via google for the kids to work on daily.  The way I view it, is if they love the sport and want to improve the more we can encourage them, the better chance they have at being successful.  If they stumble and fall, I'd love to help them up but now at their ages they want to do things on their own.  I support them in their ups and downs and provide them with fun ways to be the best that they can be!

Do you like basketball?  Please share your tips in the comments!  


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Please take a minute and Enter Our Book Giveaway!
Something Stinks! 
by Gail Hedrick, a young adult mystery and adventure.
Only 4 days left!






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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Are you on overdrive? 3 Ways to Tell

I always can tell when my kids are on overdrive, they fight more, they don't listen, and the simple things that they enjoy aren't as nice.  Sometimes I know I'm on overdrive when I can't remember what I did with my pen or why I just yelled instead of slowly made my request known.

Here are three ways to tell if you are on overdrive...
1.  You don't know what kind of weather is outside today.
I think I see a Heart in the sky!
2.  You haven't seen the latest flowers blooming in your neighborhood.
The wildflowers are so lovely this time of year!
3.  You don't remember what kind of trees you have outside.
Palm Trees captured my eye, there is just something magical about them!
So, I hope you will take a few minutes, and relax.  Overdrive is great to get things accomplished at times but too much and your headed for a disaster!

What ways do you cope with overdrive?


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Something Stinks! 
by Gail Hedrick, a young adult mystery and adventure.







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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

How to get Amazing Wallpaper for your Computer Screen for Free

Do you ever change your wallpaper on your computer screen?

I sometimes mix in family photos and outdoor scenes that I've taken but lately I've wanted to find one that just makes me say, "Wow!"

I found a few great photos via National Geographic and they are free to download.

Here are my top five...

Penguin Siblings, Port Lockroy, Antarctic Peninsula

Sweet Baby Elephant under Mom's Protection

Fun Bird Bath

Beautiful Puffin
Moss-Covered Truck, Michigan


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Please take a minute and Enter Our Book Giveaway!
Something Stinks! by Gail Hedrick, a young adult mystery and adventure.  Emily Sanders is a typical seventh grader – reluctant to see the summer end, discovers that, well, Something Stinks!. When she stops by to see her Uncle Joe and Aunt Sylvie, Emily gets a whiff of something nasty. Her uncle tells her that now and then scores of dead fish clog the river near his apple orchard. He can’t figure out why and the local authorities haven’t taken much interest in helping him. Once school starts Emily joins her school newspaper and begins looking for stories beyond the middle school world of football and bad cafeteria food. The adventure begins as she explores the science of the river and the businesses that line its banks.

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