I participated in the book tour for The Offering. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

You know those old wives tales that supposedly predict how many children you’ll have?  The “pencil test” that my friends and I all did (over and over again) always said I’d have three children.  Here I sit holding fast with two wonderful little ones.  So how could the old wives tale be true?   Read on.

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This weekend we enjoyed visiting with my husband’s parents. They traveled from Pennsylvania to spend a couple of days with us.  On Saturday night we enjoyed a meal at Golden Corral where we met at least five retired military veterans.  One of the gentlemen stopped at our table and told a funny joke with the kids.  Then he shared that he was 77 years old and had served in the army.  He also mentioned that his great-grandfather had served in the Civil War!  That got my daughter’s attention.

When we see a soldier in uniform, we try to stop and say thank you.  Words just isn’t enough to give for the sacrifices, heartache, and grief that so many military families endure.  My family has had its share of military history.  My grandfather served in the Navy, my father and uncle served in the Army, and my stepfather served in the Army.  Now my stepfather serves in the Reserves.  Whatever your view of the government’s use of military force in our country and abroad, we must stop to appreciate the men and women who face danger in the name of freedom.   Those men and women who wave our country’s flag and wear their uniforms with pride are protecting our way of life.  Their families miss them and worry about them every moment of every day.

For all that you do to serve the people of this great nation…..thank you.

There was a time when my keyring looked like it belonged to a latchkey kid instead of a mom. On it, you would find only my house key and a car key. Nothing more, nothing less. I attached the keys to a tiny velcro wallet that was the 90’s equivalent of today’s clutch. Then I added the key to open my classroom at work. I got a purse to look more professional since the fuzz on my velcro wallet thing wasn’t very attractive. My keyring grew heavier with the addition of dozens of shopper loyalty cards. Oh, and then added the key to my husband’s car. Let’s not forget the cute key fob that helped me find the keyring in the dark depths of my ever growing purse. By this time my keyring no longer jingled when I picked it up. It could now inflict serious damage if it were launched as a weapon. [Read more…]

I received products to sample. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Whoever invented my van must have been a mom. The cup holders are in the right places, there are window shades, and even a place for my sunglasses. We all agree, though, that the DVD player is the best part of our vehicle. It’s not that we turn it on all the time. Many mornings we just talk on the way to school. In the afternoon the TV doesn’t turn on until I have heard about the kids’ activities for the day. On a road trip, though, there is nothing as soothing as a TV. When the kids start drawing the territory lines in the backseat it is time to turn on the toons. Mill Creek Entertainment sent me the 100 episode DVD pack. It comes in its own carrying case (no DVD cases to slip around in the car) and there are over 40 hours of episodes! Yes, you read that right– 40 HOURS! [Read more…]

What’s your Memorial Day weekend have in store?  We’re welcoming some houseguests.  I’m crossing my fingers hoping that we can swim and grill out….in that order.  I may do a little shopping since there are so many great sales this weekend.  I also got very frustrated today because my steam mop finally kicked the bucket.  I love that thing!  It was time to replace it anyway, so I grabbed this Groupon deal for a CHI steam mop/vacuum combo.  I had around $61 in Groupon credit sitting in my account, so the whole thing cost less than half of the offer price.  SWEET considering that it is selling on Amazon for $199.99!  The red was sold out so I got the blue.  What color is your preference?I love Tea Collection clothes for my kids and they’re offering some great deals!  You’ll find $15 Girls Dresses, $12 Girls Leggings, $12 Boys Tops……the savings abound.     The sale ends 5/27 so grab the deals while you can.

There won’t be much reading in store for me this weekend.  There are some good books available for FREE so I’m going to download them and save them for a more peaceful day!

In honor of Memorial Day, I’ll start our Freebie Friday list with Deployed.  I hope we all take a moment this weekend to say a prayer of thanks for those men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom.

Deployed (Called to Serve) is free on Kindle and on Nook.

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This post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Today at work we revealed our identity to our secret pals. Having a secret pal is so much fun. Personally I enjoy giving gifts even more than receiving them. Knowing that I can do it in secret makes it special. Making someone smile is my superpower. The reveal party is always fun because we get to see that all of us care for each other. There were so many smiles, laughs, and hugs. It made me glad to be a girl. [Read more…]

I received a copy of this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I was part of the book tour for Catch A Falling Star. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

You’ve gotta love a title like Catch a Falling Star. Who hasn’t wished upon a star at some point? My daughter used to wish for a real mermaid like Ariel’s. As endearing as that sounds, I do want her wishes to come true. Maybe not for a mermaid tail, but someday she will be wishing on a star for true love and for happily ever after. I want that for her, too. In Catch a Falling Star, Kendall is the third wheel. Even her own mother points out the obvious…..”you’re not married.” The image of the barefoot-and-pregnant wifey is just antiquated. These days many women have a full time job life. Juggling a career, home, and social life is fulfillment enough for many women. Kendall is a successful doctor but that doesn’t seem to be sufficient. She seems to want more, too. So what’s a girl to do? Make a wish.

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Piggy Polish sent me samples to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Little piggies deserve polishes made for them. I am a fan of mom-designed products anyway, but I was especially interested in trying Piggy Polish because my daughter chews her nails. We have tried so many methods of breaking the habit (that’s a whole other post!) but so far nothing sticks.  Literally.  Now, Piggy Polish isn’t an edible nail polish, but it is a better alternative than traditional polishes for us!  You’ve just gotta check out the adorable pictures on the Piggy Paint page.  There’s nothing sweeter than those yummy little fingers and toes to nibble on!!  With this polish, I don’t worry about my daughter getting toxic chemicals in her mouth every time she bites her nails.   These water-based colors are gorgeous. My daughter was happier than a bird with a French fry when she saw the sparkly purple polish. I loved the pink…for ME!  That’s right, Piggy Paints are for moms, too.  It must be because Piggy Paint was developed by a mom.  She knew what she was doing. [Read more…]

I will receive a product sample for posting this article. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Cookies have that deliciously crisp crunch with varying levels of sweetness.  Their texture is so different from that of a brownie, which is chewy and decadent.  Sometimes, though, a girl needs the best of both worlds.  Enter THE BROOKIE COOKIE….the delightful cross between a cookie and brownie.   You can see from these comments that The Brookie Cookie really hits the spot for its fans!   I’m a huge fan of small business endeavors so I was excited to participate in the campaign to help The Brookie Cookie open a new location.   You can be part of the kickstarter program, too.  There are many levels of involvement, so choose one that works best for you!  This could be a really fun and unique end-of-year gift for the teachers in your life.  It’s an affordable option, too, and the hand-written thank you will let the teacher know that a pledge was made in his/her name.  The deadline to make a pledge is coming up soon……the campaign ends Friday May 24th at 6pm (EST).

The pledge list includes these options:

$1-  hand written thank YOU
$1.99 – one original sample and promo flyer, hand written thank you  (the original sample is what’s pictured above.)
$2.99- one pretzel crunch sample and promo flyer and hand written thank you [Read more…]