A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander book trailer

So excited to start reading a new book tonight...


Think this might interest you...here is an excerpt....

A Beauty So Rare by Bethany House Publishers

Not enough hours in the day

There never seems to be enough hours in the days these days. Winter is keeping its cold grip and spring seems so far away even though the calender said Spring started last week. Uggg....

I have so much that I need to do and really no real energy to get it done. Today I need to clean the desk area, spring clean the boys' room, and list some things on facebook sell wall.

I am off work this week due to spring break so going to try to get some things done.

Trip to the zoo

Last Saturday, after we got up, Bill and I discovered something that is amazing in our house. Bill had the day completely off from work and I had not plans either. We had the whole day to spend as a family. We could have spent the day doing laundry and household chores, but we quickly decided that we wanted to do something out of the house as a family. We threw around a couple of ideas, but none really seemed to fit. Until we came to the idea of taking the kids to the zoo. The Columbus Zoo is about an hour from our house. After checking ticket prices online, I discovered that through Monday their admission was 1/2 price! And Benjamin was still free as he won't turn 2 until April 2.. Score! So, instead of costing us $60 to get in, it only cost us $25.

We had a lovely day...it was chilly to start out, but then the winds died down and the sun came out and it was gorgeous. I think the kids had a blast.

When we parked, we were greeted by a ton of sea gulls. Why there are sea gulls in Ohio is beyond me? but there were a ton of them.

The first official animal we saw at the zoo were the flamingos. They were being loud and I am not sure what two of them were doing with stretching their necks up?

Next up was Bill's annual picture with the statue of Pepe the penguin. We started this as a joke when Bill and I were dating, and it has evolved to include each child. This year a nice stranger offered to take my picture with the family, so I get to be included too!

After seeing the koala eating his lunch (yes the koalas were awake and very active, which NEVER happens when we go to the zoo) we stopped to eat our own lunch and enjoy the views of eating while watching some monkeys playing! To save money, I packed the kids' lunches, while Bill and I splurged on zoo food.

After lunch, it was off to see more animals, including the "Queen of the Columbus Zoo"--Colo, who is the oldest gorilla born in captivity. She is over 50 years old and is boss!

The kids had a blast. Jacob got scared by a baby gorilla that came running around a corner throwing hay. Benjamin LOVED the aquarium and would have spent all day there watching the fish if I would have let him. Rebecca enjoyed reading all the animal facts and taking us through the zoo using her map. She was also happy to see her favorite zoo animal, the lions.

The kids had a blast. Rebecca said it was the best day ever! It was a pretty good day. The kids were very tired after we left and Benjamin was asleep before we left the parking lot! Overall, it was a great day! 

Do you have a favorite zoo to visit? What is your favorite zoo animal? 

Sunday Night Chit Chat with new questions!

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!  And since it is Sunday, it is time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla! I was excited to see that Carla has some new questions this week...should make things a little more fun. :) 

So here goes:

We took the kids to the zoo yesterday. A kind stranger offered to take our family's picture! I think it turned out great!

WHAT....

• Are you reading?-- Currently I am not reading anything. I have been too busy and tired at the end of the day to read anything.
• Are you watching?-- Nothing right now, the TV is off. 
• Are you looking forward to this week? -- Rebecca has her spring musical tomorrow on St. Patrick's day, so I am looking forward to seeing her in that.
• Is one thing you did last week that you don't want to repeat this week?--Falling behind on laundry and household chores. Need to get back on track. 
• Was your best moment over the last week? -- Getting to spend Saturday with my family..ALL DAY LONG! We took the kids to the zoo for most of the day and then had a date night at home Saturday night. 
• Is your #1 goal for next week? -- Survive work! This week we are going to be extremely short staffed as our college students are on their spring break, and the kids will be hyper because it is the last week before our school's spring break. 
• Song can't you get out of your head? --"Royals" by Lorde....that song is extremely annoying and happens to be Rebecca's favorite song to sing at the moment...ALL THE TIME! LOL
• Best/Worst financial decision over the last week?--Best decision, was going to the zoo this weekend as it was half price instead of waiting until next week when the price would be regular. Worst financial decision.....compulsively ordered a couple DVDs on amazon to help get to the free shipping standard. I should have shopped around to see if I could have gotten them cheaper elsewhere. 
• Is on the top of your *wish list* right now?-- Chocolate! I gave up chocolate for Lent, and I really, really have been missing it the last couple of days. It is definitely a sacrifice! 

I had fun with the new questions! Hope everyone has a great Sunday night and a great week! 

DIAL GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!!

The winner of the Dial Body Wash Coupons has been emailed. Congrats "midlifemom".

The winners of the Dial Hand Soap coupons are: Lena and Bkittie! 

Winners have until Tuesday to respond to their email or a new winner will be picked! 

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 3

I have decided to follow along with Money Saving Mom on her 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series, starting today. I have been feeling like we have way too much stuff and this will be the perfect opportunity to declutter and NOT be overwhelmed. Each day, she lists assignments that will help you to organize your home and not be overwhelmed. So I have decided to join in.....

Today's assignments were:

Get dressed in something that makes you feel great

Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bedroom

Clean out your freezer.

Find 7 items to get rid of today. 

So, how did I do??

I got dressed in a pair of black dress pants, black dress shoes and a teal sweater. It felt nice to dress up. 

I have not made a morning routine...but am thinking about it.

I did a quick 15 minute clean up of our bedroom. 

I cleaned out the freezer above the refrigerator and our stand alone freezer...Each is now organized and I have enough food to last a couple weeks at the least in dinner meals.

And I found 12 ITEMS to get rid of....I put pot holders, cutting boards, an apron, straws, etc into the bag for Goodwill. I am now up to 49 items gone!  

So I think day 3 went really well....Hopefully I can continue the momentum as the days go on!

Reminder: 2 Giveaways ending this FRIDAY!

Just a friendly reminder that I have 2 giveaways ending this Friday on the blog....

DIAL DEEP CLEANSING HAND SOAP COUPON GIVEAWAY

DIAL VITAMIN BOOST BODY WASH COUPON GIVEAWAY

GO ENTER TO WIN (MUST ENTER ON ORIGINAL POST TO WIN)!! GOOD LUCK!!!

Lent and Me

Today is Ash Wednesday, which for Catholics and many other Christians, marks the beginning of Lent-- the time of sacrifice and preparation heading to Easter Sunday. It is a tradition in the Catholic Church to give something up for Lent. We do this to help mirror the great Sacrifice that Jesus gave for all of us.

Because we are Catholics, we give things up for Lent.

As a family, we are giving up fast food. After not having it all of the month of January, with our no-spend month, we went way overboard with it in February. It was just too easy to do and to make excuses to get it. So we are giving up fast food as a family. The kids understand and are on board with it.

Something else that I will be doing for the family is not buying any more snack foods for Lent. We have plenty of snacks for the kids in our pantry, so I will let them eat those. This does not include snacks like fruit. This is snacks like goldfish crackers, cookies, etc. I want to use up what we have. I am hoping to have a low grocery month this month, as our freezer and pantry are full. Use up what we have.

As for myself..... I am giving things up and going to add things....

I am giving things up that are taking away from my health and well-being. Along with giving up fast food with my family, I am also personally giving up: chocolate in all forms and all pop. If you know anything about me, chocolate is my weakness. I love it in all forms and I eat way too much of it. So it will go away. I also find that I drink way too much pop, so I am going to go cold turkey on that as well. I don't anticipate having caffeine withdrawal as I typically only drink caffeine free pops.

I am going to add things that will better myself as a whole. I will be adding exercise at least 5 days a week. I have a plan in place that hopefully I can follow. I will also be adding in reading time daily as this is something that I enjoy and don't make time for. And I am going to be following along with Money Saving Mom's 4 weeks to a more organized home so that I can better my family's daily environment.

Some of these things are going to be really hard...like giving up chocolate!....but I know that it small compared to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us. I can do this and I hope to be a better person at the end of Lent and am hoping to use this as a springboard to bettering my life in the long run.

Do you give things up for Lent? 

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 2

I have decided to follow along with Money Saving Mom on her 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series, starting today. I have been feeling like we have way too much stuff and this will be the perfect opportunity to declutter and NOT be overwhelmed. Each day, she lists assignments that will help you to organize your home and not be overwhelmed. So I have decided to join in.....

Today's assignments were:

• Get dressed in something that makes you feel great
• Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.
• Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}
• Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your kitchen: wash the dishes/load the dishwasher, clear off the countertops, and, if you have time, wipe down the countertops and the outside of the cupboards with wet rag or cleaning cloth.
• Clean out your refrigerator.
• Find 7 items to get rid of today. 

So, how did I do??

I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a purple shirt originally. Then Benjamin and Jacob decided to come give me hugs after lunch and they smeared ketchup and chocolate chip cookie crumbs on my shirt. So I changed into a blue sweater set, jeans and brown flats for work.

I have not made a morning routine...but am thinking about it.

I cleaned up the kitchen in a 15 minute session after dinner.

I cleaned out the refrigerator...

And I found 12 ITEMS to get rid of....I put baby spoons, ice cream spoons, sippy cup stoppers and a random spatula into the bag for Goodwill. I am now up to 37 items gone!  

So I think day 2 went really well....Hopefully I can continue the momentum as the days go on! 

Dial Deep Cleansing hand soaps: review and A QUICK GIVEAWAY! UPDATED!!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED! THE WINNERS ARE: LENA AND BKITTIE!!! YOU BOTH HAVE BEEN EMAILED!!

I received more happy mail in the mail the other day! As a Purex Insider, I was the lucky recipient of a box of 2 new Dial Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps to try out! 

The New Dial Deep Cleansing Hand Soaps are the latest Dial Brand hand soap bringing luxury to your hand washing experience. These premium soaps feature vibrant scents, a gentle micro scrubber formula that smooths and moisturizes the skin, and a completely new design that adds personal style to your home. 

I received: Dial Water Blossoms Deep Cleansing Moisturizing Hand Soap and Dial Yellow Raspberry and Black Sugar Deep Cleansing Moisturizing Hand Soap. 

My Oh My do these soaps smell wonderful! For me, I have to have a good smelling soap or I won't use a certain brand. Well the new Dial Deep Moisturizing Hand Soaps fit the bill. They are not overwhelming in their smell....they are just right. Personally, I think that the Dial Yellow Raspberry and Black Sugar smells divine! 

These soaps are great for the whole family. We are working with Jacob, my 4 year old, on washing his hand every time he goes to the bathroom. He loved being able to use the new soap. He liked the Dial Water Blossoms soap because "it smells good and it is blue!" I like that the micro-scrubbers allow for a better clean. 

I would highly recommend these soaps to everyone! 

Want to try one out on your own? 

Well Purex and Dial have sent me Free Product coupons  for a free bottle of their new deep cleansing hand soap to giveaway to 2 lucky readers. If you would like to win, just leave a comment saying which scent you would like to try and your email address. Contest ends Friday March 7, 2014 at 11:59PM EST. Open to USA residents only. Winner will be chosen using random.org and notified by email and will have 2 days to respond before new winner will be chosen. 

Please note this giveaway only runs through this Friday March 7, 2014 at 11:59PM EST as the coupons do have an expiration date of 3/31/14 and I would like to make sure the winners have a chance to receive and use them. 

Thanks so much and good luck! 

Disclaimer: I received a free product to try and free coupons for a giveaway from Purex insiders and the manufacturer in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers

The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers

DESCRIPTION:

Children love the soothing sound of rhyme! And now they can enjoy ten classic Bible stories retold in delightful read-aloud rhyme in The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers. From the story of creation ("In the beginning God made the light. The light was for day. The dark was for night.") to the resurrection of Jesus ("All his friends were happy then. Jesus was alive again!"), this is the perfect choice for parents who want to introduce their toddlers to the Word of God. Newly updated illustrations and classic stories told in vivid verse make this padded cover board book a sure favorite that will entertain young ones and teach them biblical lessons that last a lifetime.

MY THOUGHTS: 

I LOVED this Bible version. I have been looking for a fun Bible for Benjamin, who will be 2 in April. He loves to be read to, but he is still at the age where paper books are not strong enough to withstand the hand of a 23 month old. Enter The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers by L.J. Sattgast. I love that this is in a sturdy board book format that is perfect for the youngest. The included Bible stories, 10 in all, are beautifully illustrated and are short and sweetly presented so as to keep the interest of the young intended audience. Benjamin loves hearing the stories and just flipping through the book looking at the pictures. I am glad that I now have a great Bible book to share with him. This is a great first Bible! 

DISCLAIMER: 

I received this book free from the publisher and Booklook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Day 1

I have decided to follow along with Money Saving Mom on her 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series, starting today. I have been feeling like we have way too much stuff and this will be the perfect opportunity to declutter and NOT be overwhelmed.

Each day, she lists assignments that will help you to organize your home and not be overwhelmed.
Today's assignments were:

• Get dressed in something that makes you feel great
• Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and make a list of 5-10 goals for this week.
• Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}
• quickly pick up the main living areas of your home.
• Clean out your purse and/or diaper bag.
• Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

So, how did I do??

I got dressed in a pair of jeans and a green sweater. I did put on a necklace to help me feel a little more put together.

I made a list of goals for the week. 

I have not made a morning routine...but am thinking about it.

I quickly picked up the main areas of the house.

I cleaned out my purse.....

And I found 25 ITEMS to get rid of....I put 22 cups and 3 bowls in a bag to give to Goodwill. 

So I think day 1 went really well....Hopefully I can continue the momentum as the days go on! 

My Weekly Goals

Inspired by Crystal Paine's new book "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life " , I have decided to start making a list of 10 weekly goals that I hope to accomplish this week. Each week I hope to post a listing of my goals for the week in the categories of: marriage, mothering, personal, blogging and homemaking.
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FIRST LET'S RECAP LAST WEEK:

MARRIAGE GOALS:

• Write a love note to Bill on nights he works late
• Date night with Bill

MOTHERING GOALS:

• Read a book to the kids each night, at least 5 times this week
• Plan a fun activity for Friday when Rebecca is off from school.

HOMEMAKING GOALS:

• Catch up and stay on top of laundry
• Mop upstairs and downstairs

PERSONAL GOALS:

• Eat at least one fruit/veggie with each meal
• Come up with exercise plan 

BLOG GOALS:

• Write Kroger Time Saver review and post
• Write Dial body wash review and post along with giveaway
• 1 book review and post

So I did HORRIBLE with my goals this week. I have no excuses. Just didn't do the things that I needed to do. I can say that hubby's work schedule has been crazy busy with tournaments, but I should be able to do better. I just failed this week. 

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Here are my goals for this week: 
Time for new goals for this week. I hope I can get them accomplished. I need to have a good week. 

MARRIAGE GOALS:

• Write a love note to Bill on nights he works late
• Work on not being so bossy

MOTHERING GOALS:

• Play on the Wii with Jacob at least 1 time. 

HOMEMAKING GOALS:

• Print out our city tax form and file city taxes
• Print out our Kroger quarterly rewards and send into Rebecca's school
• Follow Money Saving Mom's 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home

PERSONAL GOALS:

• Exercise at least 3 days this week
• Start Lent sacrifices 

BLOGGING GOALS:

• Write a blog post about Lent and what I am giving up
• Kroger Time Saver Review post
• At least 1 book review post

So there you have it. Hopefully this will be a more productive week. I am excited to follow along on Money Saving Mom's challenge!  I will hopefully be blogging about that as well! Hopefully, this will be a better week and I will have lots of accomplishments. 

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What about you? Do you make weekly goals?

 Care to share what your weekly goals are?