Praises of a Wife and Mommy

Summer may be done but shaving is still a priority!!  

I am still doing a happy dance because I will not need to purchase a new razor for some time!  Thank you Shave MOB for sending me samples to conduct my review and sending one lucky reader some Shave MOB razors as well.  :) I also like that my razor came in the color pink!   I know I am a girly girl but its more fun to shave with a pretty color razor.  :) Be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom of the page.  
About Shave MOB:
1. SELECT YOUR RAZOR Don't worry, all our blades work with all of our handles so you aren't stuck. 2. CHOOSE YOUR SUPPLY Each supply gives you two cartridges per month - our blades rock so you DON'T have to change often. 3. SAVE A TON OF MONEY When it's time to pay, you'll be saving up to 70% compared to comparable premium razors. 4. GET YOUR RAZOR & START SHAVING You get your entire shipment all at once, not once per month - you save on shipping, packing, and handling. 5. REORDER WHE…

I am so thankful my sister organized this walk!  I had a great evening with my family reflecting on my wonderful mom!  I miss her so so so so so much!  I can't even put it into words how much each and every penny that was donated to myself or Selah made me feel.  I love knowing that everyone wants to kick cancer in the face and never see its return!  
I ended up raising $522.42 and Selah got $156.53.  If you still want to donate the page is accepting donations until November some time:  http://pages.lightthenight.org/mn/TwinCiti13/AFlanigan

I hope to do this walk again next year!  

I am so excited to bring you this giveaway!  Here is what is included in the giveaway:
• Grace Unplugged Soundtrack CD
     - Songs by TobyMac, AJ Michalka, Chris Tomlin and Shawn McDonald.
• Grace Unplugged: A Novel by Melody Carlson.
• Own It: The book Discover Your Faith in God by Michael & Hayley DiMarco.
• Grace Unplugged Exclusive Guitar Pick. About Grace Unplugged:
Sometimes, chasing your dreams leads you right to where you belong! Having just turned 18, Grace Trey aspires to more than just singing at her church where her father, a former pop star, is the worship leader.  So, with the help of Mossy, her dad's former manager.  Grace records a cover version of her dad's old top 10 hit, runs off to Los Angeles, and begins to taste the kind of stardom she's always dreamed about. 
Yet with each rung of the ladder she climbs, Grace feels more and more pressure to compromise her values, further straining her relationships with her parents.  Will everything she experiences …

Today my sweet daughter turned 6!  Over the weekend while we were visiting my family we did a birthday meal with them and she got some great gifts. 
We celebrated last night as a family with picking up three new members to the family.  :)  My husband was able to purchase the tank and supplies while we were away.  So when we got home Monday night she got to open the gifts and set up the tank to get it all ready for her fish.  


Meet Sparkle, Speedy, and Rocky.  We will add another one soon since Purpley died in the transport home.  It is a good think fish are guaranteed for 90 days!  I am very proud of my daughter for not getting to emotional over the dead fish.  (I currently have a dead fish in a baggie on my fridge with the receipt--- yes I'm that crazy) 
Both of my kids are enjoying the fish!  I love the black light tank that Wal-Mart has...it takes owning fish to a new fun level.  
This weekend we will have a Lalaloopsy birthday party and I promise I will share some pictures of the …

Pure Health has several new products that became available this last May. Here is a description of each new product: 
Water Trim -  You finally lost the baby  fat and here comes the  grown-up water weight.  Why are the jeans you  wore three days ago  fighting to fit? Your body  may hold on to water for a  multitude of reasons, but  being bloated isn’t ideal.  Water Trim uses plantbased ingredients to  support a healthy fluid  balance for your body.  Water Trim may be the  support you need to get  those jeans on in a snap!  Supports Healthy Fluid  Balance *  800 mg per serving  100% Natural
Thyroid 5 -  The thyroid is the small  butterfly-shaped gland in  your neck that loves to  wreak havoc on your life.  The thyroid is able to get  away with all sorts of  metabolic mischief  because the small gland  wields mighty power  when not in balance.  Thyroid 5 provides thyroid  support with sea plants  rich in iodine. Why iodine?  Iodine is essential to your  body but your body  cannot produce it. We also  add L-tyrosine, an  e…

Today I take a road trip to go be with family and enjoy our Light the Night Walk.  I am so excited that the above video is a happy one!  Congrats Virginia on LSS Girl of the year- You are a Warrior!  
 On Sunday I will walk in honor of my mother.  I know I will get a little emotional but I walk so other's do not have to go through what my family did.   Please consider making a donation- it is helping change lives!  Donate HERE!  :)  
Please pray for my family and I as we enjoy the great memories we had with my mom!  October 30th will mark 11 years since Leukemia took her life.  MISS YOU MOM

Go look in your cabinet at your baggies and get started on some fun math activities with your kids.  Make sure you get the baggie that has the slide lock on it. I labeled my bag 1-10 but you could make them several different ways.  Maybe if you are working on counting by 2, 5, or 10's you could use those multiples.  

Another great think is a dry erase marker so you can write and erase the problem you come up with.  :)

Another idea is label the bag 1-6 and play addition with a die.  :) Or do 12 and use 2 dice.  :)

Math can be difficult for some kids but when you throw in new ways to count, add, subtract, etc etc.  The interest increases and more can be learned.  :)  

Go make your baggie math and have some fun with your kids.  :)

I feel very blessed that for the most part my kids get along very well.  This article is a guest post from babysitting.net.  I would like to add that when you teach and use an honor system there is also much less opportunity for fighting to occur! Also, always remember to set a good example for your children!   
Fights between siblings are so common they are practically a rite of passage of growing up. Even the most well-behaved children fight from time to time, and the fights are often over the silliest things. (Toys, candy, shoes, you name it.) While fighting can be a normal childhood behavior, it can also lead to serious stress, both for the kids and the parents. Too much sibling aggression can lead to depression and anger in children, too. The key to stopping it is figuring out what is causing the fights. Here are the biggest reasons siblings fight: 1. Spending Too Much Time Together
Anytime people spend as much time together as siblings do, arguments are bound to happen. After seein…

Team Bette Boop has one week left to raise funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma!  Please check your finances and see how much you can donate.  Every donation is tax deductible and can make a huge difference.  Any donation big and small is a blessing!  I want to see cancer CURED!!!  Please make a donation HERE.

 2012- 4K                           2013- Kindergarten











I see a pretty pretty princess who is growing up!  I see so many changes from her 4K picture to this years Kindergarten picture.  
Dear Selah, I love you so much!  I know I have said it before but I truly have learned about God's love for each and everyone of us, through loving you!  Having you and Titus has shown me how much love is in my heart!  
The last few months you have done great with all the changes our family has transitioned through.  You have made new friends even while missing your old friends.  You are learning many new things with Mrs. Carter.  
Keep smiling and remember Papa God is in awe of your too!  He created you on purpose and for a purpose!  I hope to help you find that purpose!!  I will be your biggest fan cheering you on!  
Love you,
Mom

This is a guest post from Babysittingjobs.com.  I thought the article was great for me since my son's schedule has changed with me going to work and daddy taking on the mommy role.  
As an adult, it can be easy to think that kids are always happy and stress-free. (After all, it’s not like they have bills to pay.) However, this is not the case. Many toddlers and young children around the world face stress every day, and their anxiety sometimes goes unnoticed by the people who care the most. If you feel that your child is not behaving the way he typically would or is acting stressed out regularly, it is important to look for these signs of stress. When detected early, dealing with childhood stress and anxiety by taking advantage of the following tips can be quite simple: Signs of Stress in Toddlers 1. Nightmares: One of the most prominent signs indicating young children may be dealing with stress is having frequent nightmares. If your child has had a traumatic or stressful experience,…

About Goddess Garden's:
Goddess Garden, a Boulder-based skincare company, was founded in 2004 by Nova Covington, entrepreneur and mom. As a new mother, Nova was inspired to create organic skincare products initially for her daughter Paige, who was allergic to chemicals in traditional bath products. Motivated to develop safe skincare solutions, Nova launched natural products using pure minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the active agents for sun protection — the highest organic content of any sunscreen on the market. In 2009, Goddess Garden launched a line of Organic Sunscreen products that protect and nourish without harsh sunscreen chemicals. This long-lasting SPF 30 sunscreen is made with sheer minerals that reflect 97% of the sun’s harmful UV rays. Goddess Garden’s line of organic sun care products is water resistant to 40 minutes, non-greasy, absorbs quickly and nourishes sensitive skin with the highest percentage of organic ingredients available in a sunscreen—up to 94…

Yesterday morning I again made time to eat breakfast on the deck with my kids watching the sun rise.  I am feeling blessed blessed blessed!  
I realize I have not made a Thankful Thursday post in ages so it is well over due!  So here we go:
1. I am thankful for a job- and a job I am enjoying more and more each day.   Even with the overwhelming feelings at the moment I know God has placed me in an important spot and I am waiting for him to do great things!
2. My husband- He has been such a good dad with all the changes since I went back to work.
3. My new church family- I am slowly starting to get to know each person more and more and starting to feel more like family.  
4. We had 12 kids at children's church last week!  WOOT!! 
5.  My S and T!  My two kiddos bring a smile to my face every day!  I LOVE them so much.  
I know I could keep going but I have to wake up and work out in the morning which is 6. My workout buddy!  She is awesome and gets up at 5:15 to workout with me.  :)  We are…

I am so excited to share this review with you.  Our new church is going through a name change so we needed some new signs.  
Thank you Signazon.com for sending me a free sign to conduct my review and blessing our church with a free sign.  

My awesome hubby created the logo for our church, http://riversidefoursquare.org/. After the logo was complete we simply uploaded it to the Signazon site and picked the size we wanted. The site was easy to navigate and the prices are awesome!  
After the order was complete I received a confirmation email that also included quick care tips to keeping the sign looking and lasting a long time. 
Shipping and printing time was very quick!  I know if we need more signs we will be looking into ordering them from Signazon. Signazon also offers magnets, banners, yard signs, window clings, and so much more!    

About the story:  When Sarah finds something growing up from the ground, that looks like a pencil, she gets very curious and excited. Is it really just an ordinary pencil? Find out what happens when she begins to draw. The adventures are about to begin.  If you are a parent of children ages 4-8
From the AuthorThis book was inspired by my children, and created with much love & joy.
I believe that creativity stands in the base of human nature and we, the parents, should encourage our children to express their creativity every day.

It is very important to me to hear what you think about it so please let me know by leaving a review.
Your thoughts mean a lot to me.
Lots of love & creativity,
Ally
My Review:
What a great little story and a bonus with free coloring pages.  If you want your children to express more creativity then this story might get those juices flowing!  My question for the author is does her parents get her a dog?  My daughter is wondering but I keep telling her to decide t…

I was very shocked that at my new school they do not send kids home when they have lice!!  :(  I have had one student already have it and now I have been a bit freaked out.  I keep my hair up and out of the way every day.  Now it is my job in the classroom to be aware and try to stop the spread!!  Here are some more great tips to follow from backupcare.org
The news of a head lice outbreak at school is one of the most common, albeit most upsetting, aspects of raising children. Some schools seem to have an outbreak every year, and transmission is common among kids who come into close contact with one another through play and socialization. While there’s little you can do to limit kids’ exposure to head lice, there are a few things you can do to reduce their chances of bringing an infestation home. Talk About Appropriate Versus Inappropriate Sharing – After spending your kids’ early years impressing upon them the importance of sharing, the last thing that you probably want to do is start …