Created and Called

Call to Art

2010-03-02T08:58:00.002-05:00

Eileen felt a yearning to paint...and then she allowed herself to do it. As a result, many have been blessed and touched by the heart of the Father. Join us this March at MIA and be encouraged to step out into something new.

If you don't live locally, you can still be blessed by her work...

Call to Spiritual Motherhood

2010-02-02T08:46:00.004-05:00

Periodically I have been asked if I miss teaching. Sometimes I do but not because I miss imparting my biological knowledge to high school students or I like to challenge them to think critically. Although that is a lot of fun. Yes...I used the words "fun" and "high school students" in the same paragraph. LOL.

The students. My kids. That is how I thought about them. Interacting with them and having a positive impact on their lives...that is what I sometimes miss.

My husband is great with all kids - even little ones. And they adore him. He is like a magnet or the pied piper where children are concerned. During Parent's Day at my son's school, Simms was constantly surrounded by children that are not ours. They would ask him questions, want to show him something, request that he read to them, etc. He graciously complied and blessed each and every one of them that day.

Are kids drawn to you? Is your house the one where they congregate? It might be due to more than your great cooking. Join us in February for MIA when Pastor Beth Kempf shares her journey of spiritual parenting.

Monday Munchies - Chicken

2010-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Recently I've receive a few of those emails asking for a recipe. It's not that I don't want to give a recipe but then I've got to send the email to a bunch of friends and they have to do the same before I get any recipes. On top of that, the people that I would ask a recipe for were already included on the list. So...here is my recipe. Super good and super easy.

Chicken - skinless and boneless
Brown sugar
Salsa
Dijon Mustard

Preheat the oven to 350. Place your chicken in a baking pan. Mix together the other 3 ingredients and pour over the chicken. How much of the ingredients do you mix together? You get to decide. I know that is a little crazy but I seriously don't think you can go wrong with this. So you get to be in control or how spicy or sweet your chicken is. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Trust me - your family will love this! I got thumbs up from all of my boys and that doesn't always happen.

It's killing you that there aren't exact measurements isn't it? It caught me off guard at first too.

I Heart Food Coloring

2010-01-29T14:52:00.004-05:00

I love food coloring! I use it to make things fun for the kids. Here is a list of some things we do with it.

1. Bath Paint. I put some of their body wash in a small cup (we have stackable cups in the bathtub that they play with). Then I add just 1 or 2 drops of food coloring. They use a Q-tip as a paint brush and draw on the tub or their bodies. It doesn't stain. They wash it off with a wash cloth before they get out of the tub (so really they are cleaning the tub for me).

2. Colored Water. This is another fun thing for in the bathtub. I fill an empty body wash bottle with water and add a couple drops of food coloring. Their imaginations go crazy with it. They have used it to "wash" a baby (tub toy) and "cook" with it. It's fun and it also turns their bath water color.

3. Change the Color of Food. We have had green pancakes, purple noodles, blue milk on cereal, etc. You can do this to make a holiday special, i.e. red pancakes for Valentine's Day, green noodles for St. Patrick's Day. Or just to have fun.

4. Paint Eggs. This seems obvious, but you don't have to wait until Easter to paint eggs. You can paint eggs all year.

5. Paint Toast. Add food coloring to milk and let the kids use it to "paint" their bread. Then toast the bread (to basically dry it out). Then they can eat their artwork.

6. Science Project. I found this science project that I am going to try with the kids soon. All you need is milk, food coloring, and dish soap. I am not going use is as a science project, just something fun to do and watch.

7. Paint the Snow. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to water in a spray bottle. Let the kids spray the snow. The more colors you have the prettier your yard becomes.

8. Change the Color of a Flower. In the summer, I stop along the road and cut some of those Queen Anne's Lace flower/weed things. We bring them home and put them in water with food coloring. Then watch over a couple of days while the flowers change color. I think you could do this with any white flower.

What do you do with food coloring?

Getting Rid of That Winter Itch

2010-01-07T07:37:00.002-05:00

Do you have that winter itch? Itchy skin, that is. A couple of us have it in our family. It is very common in during these dry Pennsylvania winters. (I post this every winter hoping to help someone.)

I worked 9 years as a medical assistant in dermatology. This is what the professionals recommend to get rid of that winter itch.

Take 10 minutes or less in the shower. If your skin wrinkles, you have been in too long. Wrinkles (from being in the shower too long) mean dehydration.
Before drying off, rub baby oil or mineral oil over your skin.
After drying off, use a thick CREAM (Cetaphil or the drug store brand of Cetaphil is my favorite) on your skin. If it comes in a pump bottle, it is not thick enough. (Lotions are not thick enough and often times are more irritating to your skin)
If you can stand it, rub petroleum jelly on your skin before bed.

After taking control over your skin (or if you only have a mild itch to begin with), you don't have to continue with every step. You can usually manage it with just oil or cream.

Call to Prayer

2010-01-05T08:28:00.003-05:00

What do you do to celebrate the New Year? Get together with family and or friends? Stay up much later than usual to watch the ball drop? Do you make resolutions and/or keep them?

You may do one or more of the above or you may do nothing. I like to reevaluate the year that we have completed and contemplate what the future holds. I don't necessarily make resolutions. Rather, I prefer to seek God and inquire what changes would benefit me and my family. Does that sound super spiritual to you? Really...it isn't. It's my life. Real life. That doesn't mean that I am able to seclude myself for a large part of January and just rest in His presence. Sounds lovely. Picture that for a moment...back to reality...I am a mom and wife and there are a lot of responsibilities that are mine on a daily basis. Responsibilities that He has blessed me with.

How is this (time with God) accomplished? I rest in the knowledge that He knows where I am at and meets me in that place. I take comfort in the fact that no matter what I am doing, I can talk to Him. There is no other relationship I have that is like this. It's special. And the best part is, no matter what I am doing, I can listen to Him. Conversing with God = prayer. Prayer in my life will not always look like this but in this season - for this period of time - it largely does.

This month at MIA, Sue Eichelberger will be joining us. She is a seasoned mom - one who has faced many storms and challenges. If you live locally, be sure to join us as she shares how she has learned to balance her call to prayer and intercession with the responsibilities of family.

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-21T11:51:00.008-05:00

These are last years pictures because I forgot to take some this year.

I know, I know. You guys probably already think of me as the "crazy craft lady", so I am going to give you more reason to think that.

This is the 3rd year I have had my 2 nephews and my daughter make gingerbread houses. They enjoy coming up with new designs every year. We do the same basic house each year, but change decorations/candy. (Actually we mostly use the stale stuff that we find in our cabinets.)

First you start with a sturdy base. It can be a board, cutting board or even sturdy cardboard (tape 2-3 pieces together to make it sturdier.)

We use this recipe for "glue". It is edible; however, since we use stale crackers and candy we don't eat much of it.

Layout all of your crackers and candy. I forgot. We just use graham crackers for the house. We haven't ventured out to actually make them out of gingerbread. Every year we talk about buying those kits, but haven't done that either.

I find it easier to build the house for my daughter. My one nephew likes to try building his own and he always uses too much glue. It ends up falling apart because the glue can't dry. Besides, I think the kids like decorating it the most. After I build the house, I glue it to the base.

Now it is time to glue the candy/decorations to the house and the "yard". When all the decorating is done, we put marshmallow creme on the yard to make it look like snow.

That's it! I know it sounds like a lot, but the kids love it. And seriously, I think I LOVE IT MORE THAN THEY DO!

Radio Flyer "Big Wheel" for $30!

2009-11-30T00:23:00.003-05:00

EDIT - it appears that the price online has gone up to $39 today (glad I did this last night), but when I called the store, they are selling it for $30 - some people have reported it ringing up at $21. So, I would call the store to see if it is in stock, and what the price is!

When I was a little girl, I remember going to my cousins' house and watching them have fun on their big wheel and also taking a turn on it. I remember having so much fun - and my male cousins would do things like a spin out or something like that. Well, for over a year, I have been thinking about buying my son(s) a big wheel. I did some research on the original big wheel, and I have to say that I was not impressed with the reviews...and that made me sad! I could picture my sons having a great time on them! However, things changed today!!!!

Mercedes over at Common Sense with Money posted about a great deal on Walmart.com for the Radio Flyer Big Flyer. They are selling it for $30! I have seen this being sold at other stores for almost $80!!! The reviews seemed good, overall. So, if you were thinking of buying one of these for your little kiddo - this might be the time for you to get it! Oh, and don't mention it to my boys, because it is going to be a Christmas present!

Mercedes also mentioned that if you use Bing Cashback you can get 15% cash back. You can read her post about it here.

Ebates offers 3% cashback on Cyber Monday, and if you click on this link, you will get an additional $5 sign up bonus from using my referral link.

Free Christmas Photo Cards*

2009-11-29T17:08:00.002-05:00

Do you have your photo(s) picked out already, and are you waiting to make up your Christmas photocards? Well, if you are ready to go, there is a way to order a total of 100 cards and only pay for the shipping! You will have to complete TWO separate orders, since each code is only good for 50 cards, but if you want the same card for all 100 of them, just save your project, and go back and make another order - shipping is only $3.19 per order! I just completed mine, and I am VERY EXCITED that I only paid $6.38 for 100 cards!

***THIS EXPIRES ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30th!*** (as far as I know)

So, here is the information that is found on Money Saving Mom's blog:

Here's how to get 100 custom photo cards with envelopes for free:

::Just go here to set up an account with SeeHere (or login if you already have an account) and then upload and create your photo card. Mine took me about 30 minutes to put together--but that's because I had to wade through photos and figure out which ones to use!

::After you've set up your photo card, be sure to save it. Then put 50 photo cards in your cart and go to the checkout and use coupon code newbaby and you'll get all 50 for the price of shipping, which is $3.19.

::Log back in and click on your saved items and order another 50 photo cards this time using the coupon code from Freebies4Mom here, which is freebies4mom-1109. Again, you should get 50 for the price of shipping, which is $3.19.

A HUGE thanks goes out to SeeHere for providing this great offer for us and to Freebies4Mom, and Money Saving Mom for telling us about it!

Flashlight Fun - Friday Fun

2009-11-25T06:22:00.003-05:00

This Friday Fun is actually brought to you on Wednesday this week. I'm going to busy with family and SHOPPING on Friday. I also thought this is something you may want to do with your family on Thursday if you run out of other fun things. Any how here goes.

Take advantage of the early darkness. The kids and I turned off all of the lights in the house to play with flashlights. I made the rule at the beginning that you don't shine the flashlights in other peoples eyes. They started just looking around the house, but then we played 2 games.

The first game: I picked an object from their toys, i.e. a chair from one of their toy sets. We turned all of the lights off. They felt it and guessed what it was.

The second game: My little girl came up with this game. She took her baby doll into another room and hid it. Then I took the flashlight and went searching for it. We took turns with hiding and searching.

Let your kids come up with more ideas.

Simple, but hours of fun.

Another Great, Yummy Thanksgiving Recipe - Munday Munchies

2009-11-23T06:13:00.003-05:00

This is one of my favorite recipes.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

2-3 cups cooked and smashed yams (2 large cans of Bruce's drained)
1 cup granulated sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 or 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup melted butter (can also be reduced)
3 eggs
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk

Mix yams, butter and sugar. Add eggs (slightly beaten), spices and milk. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min.

Topping:
3/4 cup crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix together. Spread on top of yam mixture. Bake another 15 min.

Fettuccine with Shrimp and Zucchini

2009-11-09T06:38:00.005-05:00

Fettuccine with Shrimp and Zucchini - from an Olive Garden cookbook
Cook time: 20 minutes 4 servings

1 lb. dry fettuccine
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 medium zucchini
1 lb. large shrimp
1 c. dry white wine
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. butter
6 lemon wedges
dash parsley, chopped

Cut zucchini into 2" x 1/4" sticks. Peel and devein shrimp. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and parsley. Cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini. Cook additional minute. Add shrimp, wine, salt, pepper and butter. Stir well and cook shrimp for 5 minutes or until they are no longer opaque. Add drained pasta to the mixture. Toss all ingredients to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use tongs to pull pasta onto serving platter. Top with shrimp, zucchini, and seasonings. Squeeze two lemon wedges over dish; garnish with remaining wedges and parsley.

The last time I made this, I cheated. I bought 1 pound of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp. All I had to do is open the bag and dump. No tedious peeling.

This is an awesome recipe!

Fall Fun

2009-11-06T06:47:00.005-05:00

The kids and I took advantage of this nice fall weather and had some fun this week.

First we played in the leaves. We don't have many leaves in our yard, so we asked the neighbor if we could play in her leaves.

Then we went to a local lake, fed the ducks and had a picnic lunch.

Take advantage of this fall and play outside with your kids.

Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes - Monday Munchies

2009-11-02T09:04:00.003-05:00

Anyone thinking about the holidays yet?  This is a great recipe
for making mashed potatoes.  You can make them in advance and
not have to stress about making the potatoes the day of your dinner.


Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes
5 lb Potatoes
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
2 T. Butter
2 t. onion salt
1/2 t. pepper

Cook potatoes, drain and mash.  Add all ingredients
and beat until light and fluffy. Cool.  Cover and
place in refrigerator.  Keeps for up to two weeks.

When ready to cook, please desired amount in greased
casserole, dot with butter and add grated cheese to
cover top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This is a recipe I got from Natalie several years ago.  Enjoy!

$15 Kodak Gift Card

2009-10-30T07:20:00.003-04:00

Kodak Gallery is having a "Million Thanks Giveaway". They are giving away $15 gift cards or 40% off during 3 different promotions. Here is a breakdown of the offers:

~1 FREE gift of $15 good towards the Kodak Gallery website (fulfilled as a digital code) per person limit.
~If/once the $15 gift codes are exhausted in each phase, 40% off gift codes will be given away.
~If you are the recipient of a 40% off gift code, you may come back to the promotion during the next phase to receive a $15 gift code.
~Visitors must register for the promotion and opt-in to receive future information from the Kodak Gallery in accordance with our privacy policy to be eligible for the FREE gift and/or discount code.
~300,000 $15 gift codes will be given away over the course of the promotion. Please see the breakdown to see how many $15 digital codes will be given away per promotion phase.
~Kodak Gallery is also giving away other gifts through other offers, totaling 1 million gifts.
PHASE DATES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Phase 1 (Oct 20 - Oct 28):Minimum 100,000 $15 Gift Codes will be given away
Phase 2 (Oct 29 - Nov 5):Minimum 100,000 $15 Gift Codes will be given away
Phase 3 (Nov 6 – Nov 13):Minimum 100,000 $15 Gift Codes will be given away
Must be eligible for the promotion according to eligibility within the Official Rules.

I have already used mine. You do have to pay for shipping.

Quick and Good - Monday Munchies

2009-10-26T06:31:00.008-04:00

I've been posting some of my favorite recipes the last couple of weeks. However all of them require a little bit of work. I'm sure you have days that you just need something quick so that you family can eat a healthy meal and then run out the door. Today I am going to highlight 2 of my favorite easy meals.
1. Bertolli's Classic Meals and Mediterranean Style Meals:
These are found in the freezer section of your local grocery store. They usually cost around $6 a bag. This is seriously how easy they are to prepare them. Open the bag. Pour it into a large skillet. Put the lid on. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. THAT IS IT MY FRIENDS!!! The only down side is one bag only serves 2 (non-starving) adults. I suggest throwing some garlic bread in the oven as a filler. It is still cheaper and better than going to Wendy's. Here is an online coupon: $1 off

My Favorites: Chicken Parmigiana & Penne and Garlic Shrimp

Oh and my favorite garlic bread is New York Texas Toast. You pop these into a preheated oven for 6-7 minutes and it's done!
2. Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites
These are found in the aisle of your grocery store where you would find box macaroni and cheese. One box costs around $3. However, you do have to buy the chicken to go with it. These take about 20 minutes to make and have more prep work, but is a no brainer to make. The down side with these is it doesn't come with much pasta. I usually prepare extra pasta to go with it. Here are 2 online coupons: $1 off, $1.10 off

My favorites: Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata (I have never tried the other flavors, but I'm sure they are good too.)

Amish Corn and Chicken Soup with Rivels - Monday Munchies

2009-10-20T07:39:00.004-04:00

AMISH CORN AND CHICKEN SOUP WITH RIVELS

4-5 lb roaster chicken
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery, chopped small
4 qts (16 cups) water (strengthen with chicken stock if needed)
6 - 8 ears of fresh corn, cut from cob (6+ c frozen)
handful chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Rivels: Wait until soup is done to prepare. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp salt and 2 beaten eggs, blending until the mixture is crumbly (not smooth).

In a large soup pot, combine onion, celery, chicken and cold water or stock. Bring to simmer over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low and continue simmering until the chicken is done and ready to fall off the bones - 1 hour or more. Remove chicken and let cool. Cut meat into pieces and reserve, discarding the bones. Skim fat off of the stock.

When ready to finalize the soup, add the corn kernels, the chicken, parsley, and the salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let cook for 10 minutes.

Make up the rivel dough. Add to the soup by rubbing the mixture between your fingers over pot of soup, dropping in small amounts bit by bit. (Make the size of a pea or in strings)

Some people like this soup with the rivels, others do not. Rivels are not necessary for the soup to be good.

No-Sew Fleece Pillow

2009-10-16T09:07:00.005-04:00

Making this cuddly pillow is so quick and easy, it's like performing a magic trick. What's the secret? Knots. The pieces are tied together (fleece fabric needs no hemming), which makes this gift simple enough to complete in an afternoon, and cute enough to give to a best friend or cousin.

Materials:

Fleece
Scissors
Ruler
Chalk
Fiberfill

1. Cut 2 identical heart shapes from the fleece, 1 red, 1 green. To allow for a 4-inch fringe, be sure to cut the hearts 8 inches larger than you want your finished pillow. We cut ours 26 inches across and 22 inches long for an 18- by 14-inch pillow.

2.On 1 fleece heart, use a ruler and chalk or a disappearing-ink pen to draw a heart 4 inches in from the edge of the fabric (see illustration). Measure and draw fringe that's about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long (up to the center heart, as shown).3. Stack the hearts with your chalk lines on top. Cut the fringe, through both layers of fleece, stopping at the center heart.

4. Begin at the bottom point of the heart and tie the top piece of fringe to the bottom piece by double-knotting them. Continue up the side of the pillow. At the dip at the top, knot together the top 4 fringes (2 pairs) into 1 double knot to cinch the opening more tightly. Then go back to knotting just 2 fringes until only 4 pairs are untied.

5. Stuff the heart with fiberfill. Tie the remaining fringes. Brush off any chalk that still shows. Ink lines should disappear according to the package directions.

6. For a twist on this gift: Try a different shape, such as this lion pillow. We knotted together squares of orange and yellow fleece and brought our king of the jungle to life with cord whiskers, and felt eyes and nose attached with tacky glue. For square pillows, cut off and discard the corner fringes before you begin knotting.
Taken from Family Fun website

Free Pregnancy and Ovulation Tests

2009-10-14T16:19:00.003-04:00

Are you trying to get pregnant? Well, if you are, you know how expensive pregnancy tests can be! I found out a great deal from Money Saving Mom! You can get any combination of free ovulation or pregnancy test for free (up to 10) from Sacred Heart Mission. Just go here and sign up for them!

Beef Vegetable Soup - Monday Munchies

2009-10-12T13:17:00.003-04:00

Soup season is here!!! This is one of my favorite soups for the winter. It also freezes well.

BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP (Crock-Pot Recipe)

1 lb beef roast, cooked and pulled
14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
3 cups water
1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
3 beef bouillon cubes
*10-oz bag frozen mixed vegetables

Put all ingredients except frozen veggies in Crock-Pot. Cover. Cook on low 8 to 12 hours (High 4-6 hours). *Add frozen veggies during last 2 hours of cooking.

We're Going on a Treasure Hunt

2009-10-09T06:40:00.005-04:00

The other day Princess told me that she was bored (in so many words, because she doesn't know the word "bored" yet...thank God). I asked her if she wanted to go on a treasure hunt. She got all excited.

We started by making the "treasure chest". I cut an empty egg carton into strips so each of the kids would have one. (If you plan ahead, you could use save egg cartons so your child has the entire carton and a lid) Princess and Little Guy colored the inside of each egg holder a different color. That's it! Time for a treasure hunt!

We started in the house. They had to find something of each color to put in the egg holders. For example, Princess found a strand of red beads for the color red. The only rule was that the items had to be small enough to fit in each hole. After the indoor treasure hunt, we decided to take it outdoors. We had to make a few rules like do not pick the neighbors flowers and no picking up cigarettes or nasty trash. We did allow them to pick up some "clean" trash.

The kids have had so much fun doing this. We have been on several Treasure Hunts in the last week or so. Oh and did I mention that for toddlers, this is a great way to teach or review colors!

Sausage, Peppers & Potatoes - Monday Munchies

2009-10-05T08:33:00.004-04:00

Good 'ole meat and potatoes! This is what we are having for dinner tonight. I love this meal.

SAUSAGE, PEPPERS & POTATOES
3 lbs lean sweet and/or hot Italian sausage cut into 2-inch pieces
3 large onions, sliced
5 medium green, red and/or yellow peppers, seeded and sliced
1 lb potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). In a large skillet, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, over medium-high heat, brown sausages on all sides; remove sausage to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Add onions and cook over medium heat until onions are slightly softened and lightly browned. Transfer onions to large baking dish. Add sausages, peppers and potatoes; toss lightly to mix.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently, until sausage is thoroughly cooked, and potatoes are just tender. Remove from oven.

We usually serve this with a balsamic vinegar glaze (premade from the grocery store) to put on the sausage.

Supposedly you can freeze this, but I've never tried. Enjoy!

Field Trip to Paulas Orchards

2009-09-30T13:57:00.003-04:00

Last year I posted about taking the kids to the orchard to pick apples. We were invited by a friend to go to the same orchard for a field trip today. Let me just tell you up front the kids loved it!

They rode on a "wagon" pulled by a tractor. They each picked a pumpkin and 3 apples. They got to play at their playground and go through the corn maze (which I thought we would never get out). They were able to see how the small apples (used for juice) are separated from the large apples (sold at the market). And my son's favorite part, they got to see the bees making honey.

Here are some pictures to show you their fun!

Peanut Butter Balls - Monday Muchies

2009-09-28T07:24:00.003-04:00

These are fun to make with your kids. Let them do some of the stirring. Then they can roll the "dough" into balls. Princess' look like caterpillars sometimes.

Peanut Butter Balls

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups peanut butter
12 oz. semi sweet mini chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together. Shape into balls. Keep refrigerated.

I wish I had a picture for you, but I'm not making them just for a picture. I would eat all of them myself!

Kellogg's Fuel For School Rebate x Four!

2009-08-26T05:30:00.002-04:00

Something that I really enjoy doing is saving money on things that I purchase by using coupons. It is part of who I am and is a sort of game at times - especially when I shop at CVS (but that is a completely different post).

I wanted to pass something along to you that I found on the blog Be Centsable:

Good news for those who have already participated in the Kellogg's Fuel for School rebate program: you can actually submit up to four rebates! There are four different addresses for the rebate program, and you can submit a separate rebate form for each one. Each rebate is for $10 when you buy 10 participating products in a single transaction. (you can make the deal even sweeter by using coupons when you purchase the products!)

You must do four separate transactions and submit each receipt only once. The known addresses are listed below:

* In-Store Coupon Booklet (P.O. Box 185116, Battle Creek, MI 49018-5116)

* Online Offer (P.O. Box 7023, Kalamazoo, MI 49003-7023)

* In-Store Ad - I found one in the Kmart circular a few weeks ago. (P.O Box 7019, Kalamazoo, MI 49003-7023)

* Fuel for School Magazine (this came with the coupons a few weeks ago)

Participating products include:

Any Kellogg's cereal
Any Keebler or Austin product
Any Sunshine product
Any Eggo product
Any Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal bar
Any Special K cereal bar
Any Kellogg's pop tart toaster pastries
Any Rice Krispie Treat squares
Any Kellogg's fruit flavored snack
Any MorningStar Farms veggie foods product
Any 100 Calorie Rite Bite

I have three of the four rebate forms, so I am definitely going to stock up on a few things! Just remember that you have to buy the 10 items in one transaction!

CMP Dessert - Monday Munchies

2009-08-24T15:37:00.004-04:00

I'm not exactly sure what CMP stands for. I think it usually stands for Chocolate, Marshmallow, and Peanut. However, there is no marshmallow in this recipe. I say it stands for Chocolate Mud Pie. My hubby says another name for it is Better Than S**. You call it want you want.

With Labor Day coming up, I wanted to post a recipe that we make for picnics/get-togethers quite often. It easily becomes a favorite among friends and family.

CMP Dessert

Layer #1
~1 stick of butter, softened
~1 cup of flour
~ 3/4 cup of chopped nuts
Mix together. Press on bottom of 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

Layer #2
~11 oz. cream cheese
~1/2 cup powdered sugar
~1/2 cup peanut butter
~1 1/2 cup whipped cream
Beat together and spread on top of layer #1. Put in refrigerator.

Layer #3
~1 large and 1 small instant chocolate pudding
~3 cups milk
Beat until thick and spread on top of layer #2.

Layer #4
~Top layer #3 with whipped cream. Drizzle chocolate syrup. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and maraschino cherries.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

A Time of Refreshment

2009-08-19T20:21:00.003-04:00

Remember when I wrote here about taking care of yourself, and having some rejuvenating "me" time, in this post? Well, if you have seen me since then, you can see that my hair is not any shorter and there are no highlights in it! However, that will all change next week! Yes, I finally made the appointment (with a little prompting from me sis - thanks!). I am really looking forward to this!

So, have you done anything that has rejuvenated yourself? If not...then think of something that you could do. Maybe going out shopping by yourself (or with a friend), grabbing a cup of coffee or water, or taking the time to read in that book that you really want to finish. Whatever it is, be sure to take some time out for yourself. It not only is good for you to do it for yourself, but it is also good for your family too...who wouldn't want a Mommy that was feeling refreshed?

P.S. I think that I am also going to make the time to read in a book that I have been wanting to read! :)

Grilled Chicken Salad - Monday Munchies

2009-08-17T10:41:00.004-04:00

Now that summer is almost over, I'm going to share with you my favorite summer recipe. Ok, who am I kidding. We eat this year round at least twice a month.

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

~Grill Mates Baja Citrus Marinade

~3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

~ bag of salad (Romaine is my choice)

~dried cranberries

~can of mandarin oranges

~pecans

~white cheddar cheese, shredded

~Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing(there is no substitute!)

Grill chicken as directed on the marinade packet.

Put salad in a large bowl. Add cranberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, and cheese to salad while chicken is cooking.

When chicken is no longer pink in the middle, cut into strips or bite size pieces. Add to salad. Mix.

Serve with dressing.

Serves 4 (Probably. Dave and I can eat almost all of it because it is REALLY good.)

Sometimes I just put all ingredients on the table and we make our own salad. Works well if not everyone likes all the ingredients.

Friday Fun - 101 Summer Fun Ideas

2009-08-07T13:26:00.001-04:00

If you need any ideas on how to have fun with the kids these last few weeks before school starts, don't forget about this list.

Let us know how many of the things on the list you have done with your children this year.

Preschool VBS: Wildwood Forest

2009-08-05T05:00:00.000-04:00

So you have a (potty trained) preschooler? If you do, why not take them to the VBS that is happening at CCC next week?

Here are the details:

Theme: Wildwood Forest: Discover the Untamed Nature of God

Who can attend: ages 3 - entering kindergarten (potty trained)

When: Tuesday, August 11 - Thursday August 13

Time: 9:00 - 11:00 am

Registration ended, Sunday, August 2nd, so if you did not sign up, you would have to call the church to see if there are any openings.

My 3 year old, Brady, really enjoys VBS, so he is excited about this! Hope to see you there!

Super Power Muffins - Monday Munchies

2009-08-03T22:37:00.001-04:00

1 cup brown sugar (don’t pack it!)
¼ to ½ cup peanut butter (I decided to use 1/3 cup)
1 banana
*optional ½ cup of apple sauce or carrot puree
(I am not sure if this is additional or not, but I did not add this in today's mixture. I am going to try adding it next time - it may make them a little more moist...or, I am sure that you can add another banana too.)
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
*optional ¼ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in dry ingredients. Spray muffin tray. Bake for 15-18 min. Makes 12 (double for 24)

Monday Munchies - Roasted Potatoes

2009-07-27T10:25:00.002-04:00

I like simple and easy. And I want it to taste good too. Here is a recipe that I believe fits these qualifications.

12-14 red potatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 - 1 tsp salt (we've been cutting down on salt)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper

Note: I've also thrown 1/2 tsp rosemary into the mix. What I love about this recipe is that you can add/delete spices depending on the season or the dish that this is complimenting. Regardless of how we've changed it around, it has always been good.

1. Clean potatoes and peel a strip of skin from each
2. Place in ungreased baking dish.
3. Combine oil, butter and seasonings in a bowl and drizzle over potatoes
4. Bake uncovered 350 for one hour, turning the potatoes every 15 minutes.

Fun at Lake Tobias!

2009-07-24T07:00:00.001-04:00

Laney turned 3 the other day and so we decide for her birthday we would make it special for her. We sent Ark Man to the grandparents and off we went to our adventure! First stop was breakfast which was yummy and then off to Lake Tobias. Laney loves animals so that's where we decided to take her.

The cost to enter is $4 for ages 3 and up. That price give you access to everything but the Safari Tour. The safari tour is when you ride around in the half bus (the top is cut off) and the bigger and safer animals come up to the bus and you can feed them.

Even if we didn't go on the safari tour it would have been a blast! Laney had so much fun looking at the animals BUT her favorite was the petting zoo. We saved this for last because we wanted to get her used to being around the other animals first to see how she did. She went in and started trying to pet every goat she could find. The animals that stole her heart was the miniature pony. She stood by him for 20 minutes and cried when we had to leave him.

She loved it and we will be returning again soon to see "her" pony! Also...you can pack your lunch because they have picnic tables and pavilions there for your convenience.

Here are some pictures we took during the day.

This is Jr. and the there was a lioness named Nala

"Laney's pony"

And yes the camel came over to kiss me!

Funny Happenings

2009-07-22T10:07:00.002-04:00

A bowl of cereal at the edge of a counter + a curious 18 month old = a mess on the floor!

Oh my!

I was definitely grateful that no milk was present in the bowl of cereal! I was right there, but not close enough to intercept what I saw happen! I definitely need to remember that his reach has increased quite a bit, and he is interested in the world above him!

Anything funny happen to you today?

Monday Muchie: Blueberry Muffins

2009-07-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

I love to make muffins...and eat them too! I found this blueberry muffin recipe on Martha Stewart's website, and I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.

2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.

3.With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.

4.Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 12 muffins, if you are using the large muffins tins (probably 24 regular size muffins).

Enjoy...and you may want to make a double batch, because I am sure the they will not last too long!

Friday Fun...Hike Anyone?

2009-07-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Sticks and boys. I don't know if you've experienced this but there seems to be a magnetic-like attraction between the hands of my boys and sticks. What is it about a stick that is so alluring?

I've gotten to the point where I am able to sense this stick-hand attraction and disrupt the process before the transformation from stick to sword is complete.

There is one use however that this mama allows and that could be one reason why my boys love to go on hikes. You guessed it...the stick isn't just a stick, it is a hiking stick. This important piece of equipment may help you with balance or stability while hiking...my boys just think it's really great. The best part is, the one end is in their hand and the other end is on the ground.

No trail nearby? No problem. Children have the best imaginations ever and I bet they would love to take a "hike" around the block. You could discuss the wildlife that you see - birds, worms, grass, flowers, trees, maybe mountain ranges or flat plains and any other little critter you may walk into or near. You could even pack a lunch and take it in a backpack with a blanket for the impromptu picnic that you planned well ahead of time. Have a pair of binoculars? Take them along OR tape two toilet paper rolls together and pretend they are binoculars. Add a piece of string/yarn/curling ribbon and let them hang around their necks.

Sometimes the simplest activities are the most memorable.

What Have You Done?

2009-07-15T05:30:00.000-04:00

Once you get married, life certainly does change. Two schedules suddenly merge into one. Life changes more than you thought that it would...then, when you add kids into the mix, there is a lot more activities to juggle than when you were single! With each new addition to the family, life gets a little busier...but it is a good busy!

There are park dates and play dates, trips to the library and stores, errands to run, appointments to keep, practice and games and performances. These things add enjoyment into our lives, but they also can wear us down a little bit too.

Sometimes, we need to take care of ourselves - not in a selfish way, but in a rejuvenating way...a little bit of "me" time. There are different ways to take care of yourself - today, I am going to focus on the "me" time. What is something that you can do just for you? Paint your nails? Get your hair done? Buy some new underwear - (by yourself)? Go for a jog? Take a nap? Get a massage? What is is that will help you to feel refreshed and renewed?

I am going to make an appointment to get my hair cut! I am so excited to do this. I have put this off for over a year (sad, I know), and I think that it is time to "treat" myself to a nice haircut (and maybe highlights??? We will have to see about that!)

What are you going to do for yourself? It does not have to be anything expensive, but it should be something that helps you to feel refreshed and renewed! Leave a comment and let me know what your plans are!

Chicken & Wild Rice in Wine Sauce - Monday Munchies

2009-07-13T18:33:00.002-04:00

Another favorite chicken recipe:

Chicken & Wild Rice in Wine Sauce - from a Near East rice box
Prep Time: 8 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes 4 servings (1 cup each)

1 pkg. Long Grain & Wild Rice Chicken
1/2 c. white cooking wine
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
4 chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup zucchini or mushrooms, sliced

Prepare rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, whisk wine, water, garlic powder and cornstarch until well blended. Set aside. Rub chicken with Italian seasoning. In medium size skillet, heat oil and cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink inside. Add wine sauce and zucchini (or mushrooms). Simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce thickens and is bubbly. Serve over prepared rice.

I promise it will not be another chicken recipe next week.

Friday Fun - "Chick-fil-A Style"

2009-07-10T12:07:00.004-04:00

This morning the kids and I dressed up like cows and headed to Chick-fil-A. Today only for Cow Appreciation Day, if you dress up like a cow, your food is FREE.

The kids had fun helping with their "costumes". They also got a balloon and a little stuffed animal cow. AND they got to play on the playground. Fun FREE morning!!!!

Couple fun things:

~making costumes

~free stuff

~playing on the playground

Trust in the Lord

2009-07-08T05:00:00.002-04:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

There are some thing in my life that I do not completely understand...it seems like an impossibility. I don't know how to make the situation better and it seems like it may not ever improve. However, I do not have to try to figure this out on my own.

As I was meditating on the Lord, this Proverbs 3:5-6 came into my mind. It is so true. I need to completely put my faith and my trust in the Lord. He will show me the way, He will make a way, when there seems to be no way.

Monday Munchies - Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-07-06T07:38:00.002-04:00

This is a simple, but very good recipe. I have made this for several mom's with new babies and they all have loved it. The only thing I do different is I pound my chicken to make it thin and I don't serve over spinach.

Chicken Cordon Bleu - Prep time 10 min; Cooking time 15 min; 4 servings
1 tsp margarine or butter
4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 pound)
1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 thin slices cooked ham (2 ounces)
4 thin slices part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
5- to 6-ounce bag prewashed baby spinach

In a nonstick 12-inch skillet, melt margarine over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and turn chicken over; cover and cook until chicken is golden brown and just loses its pink color throughout, about 5 minutes longer. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in broth, vinegar and pepper; cook, uncovered, 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat; top each chicken breast with a slice of ham, then a slice of cheese. Cover skillet until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Arrange spinach on large platter; top with chicken breasts and drizzle with pan sauce.

Nutrition information per serving: About 210 cal., 24 g pro., 5 g carbo., 6 g total fat (3 g saturated), 62 mg chol., 560 mg sodium.

Friday Fun

2009-07-03T07:35:00.003-04:00

I began reading a devotional each evening after I put the kids to bed. The book is called A Cup of Comfort Devotional for Mothers by James Stuart Bell and Jeanette Gardner Littleton. I wanted to share last night's devotion with you.

Managing a Joy-Filled Home

"Give me happiness, O Lord, for my life depends on you." Psalm 86:4

Much of life with my 8-year-old son is spent in our car, or with me as his task manager. He dutifully checks off daily chores and completes homework before running outside to play with neighborhood buddies. He rarely asks me to play tennis with him anymore or even to spend time with him.

One summer evening he asked me to walk to the park to play tennis. I readily agreed. Ten minutes into our game, he said, "Mom, you look really happy. Like a girl or something."

I laughed and told him I felt like a girl. It was good to play with him. This was the most joy-filled moment we'd had together in quite a while.

Too often I let days pass by without finding time to play with my children. I'm too busy managing their tasks and obligations. But you know the old saying, "The family that plays together stays together!"

Manage to find playful, joyous moments each day with your children.

-Heidi Shelton-Jenck

"Friday Fun" posts are going to help you do just that. We are going to remind you of fun things you can do with your children.

So today I am going to encourage you to go JUMP IN THE PUDDLES! That's right. We've been getting a lot of rain. Use it to build relationships with your children. Put on a pair of flip-flops and show your kids how it is done!

You are My Masterpiece

2009-07-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

If you haven't seen this yet...take the time.

The first time I saw this was at a women's meeting at our church. The message of Julie Meyer's song Paint your Picture coupled with Eileen's artistry is powerful.

Motherhood: What YOU DO IS Significant!

2009-07-01T05:30:00.000-04:00

I was having a conversation with someone the other day, and something that was (innocently) said, kind of struck me - especially with what I began to write about last month. (Before I continue, I do want to say that this person did not intentionally mean to offend me, and I am not upset with this person at all. )

The said person was telling me about a former classmate of theirs. The statement below is what really stuck out to me:

"I never thought that she would do anything significant in her life...I figured that she would get married and have a bunch of kids...but she is a town clerk - which is an elected position!"

This really hit me. It made me realize what some people really think:

SAHM = Insignificant Job

As a former high school teacher and a current SAHM, I have to say that I completely disagree with this thought process. Spending time with our children and choosing to raise them ourselves is a very significant job! We are responsible for instilling so many things into them including: our faith, love, confidence, humor, respect for themselves and others, love for one another, and the list goes on.

Instilling love and values into our children is an important job, and I will change the equation above to:

SAHM = SIGNIFICANT JOB!

Monday Munchies - Braised Chicken w/ Baby Veggies and Peas

2009-06-29T13:16:00.006-04:00

This has become my husbands favorite recipe. It is a little more work than I like for a meal, but well worth it. (It is not hard. You can do it.) We got it from the Cooking Light magazine...I have altered it some. BRAISED CHICKEN w/ BABY VEGGIES AND PEAS (4 servings)

2 TBSP butter, divided

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

28 oz fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

1/8 tsp ground thyme

12 baby potatoes

12 baby carrots

12 pearl onions

1/4 tsp parsley

2 TBSP all-purpose flour

3/4 cup peas

Melt 1 TBSP butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; saute 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan.

Add broth to pan; cook 1 minute, scrapping bottom of pan. Add wine and ingredients through parsley; stir. Add chicken, bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and veggies from pan.

Bring liquid to a boil; cook until it is reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 5 minutes).

Melt remaining TBSP of butter in a small skillet. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to cooking liquid; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Return chicken and veggies to pan; stir in peas. Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

ENJOY!

Curator Club

2009-06-11T00:52:00.000-04:00

It is Curator Club time again.

Don't know what that means? Children in third through fifth grades are invited to register for the Curator Club, a multifaceted science program at The Oakes Museum on Messiah College's Grantham campus.

There will be six Saturday sessions beginning June 13th where members will study topics including animal super senses, the Community Garden, wildlife art, alternative energy sources, wetlands, and the Yellow Breeches. You can go online for details.

Curator Club members receive an annual membership card for free admission to The Oakes Museum, a 10,000-square foot museum that features a collection of Smithsonian quality African and North American mammals, bird eggs, fish, seashells, minerals, insects, and fossils; as well as email updates on upcoming events and activities at The Oakes Museum and a newsletter about museum related science topics. Members who attend three or more activities will also receive a birthday certificate for three free children’s admissions and a Curator Club t-shirt.

The activities held are on Saturday mornings from 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM. The cost is $10 per activity or enroll in all six activities for $50.00 (a savings of 20%). Registration is now available online. If you need more information you can call Helena Cicero, Education Coordinator for The Oakes Museum of Natural History at Messiah College, or Beth Erikson, Curator Club Coordinator, at (717) 691-6082.

Reading Around His World

2009-06-09T01:00:00.000-04:00

In this post, #7 talked about the summer programs that are being offered this year at your local library. There is another reading program in the local area that you may be interested in as well.

Servant's Heart is offering a summer reading program called "Reading Around His World". It is available for children from preschool through sixth grade and meets weekly Tuesday mornings from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM. Registration has already begun but it isn't too late to get your child signed up. And if you do, I might see you there!

Union28

2009-06-07T00:21:00.004-04:00

Remember back in February when I talked about my love for dark chocolate? The tees, not the sweets! If you don't, you can always check out that post but meanwhile, I have some news for you. Here's a hint:

Same Company, Same Products, Same Mission...NEW NAME!

Why UNION28? Let me break it down for you...

Union: Marriage is a sacred Union.

2: Marriage is an exclusive relationship between 2 - a husband and his wife.

8: ("forever") Marriage is marked by commitment and steadfastness.

That's not all...there is also a new website. New Name = New Website.

How do you access such fine attire? Click on the link or use the following url's: http://www.union28.net/, http://www.myhusbandrocks.net/, or http://mywiferocks.net/. And if you forget and go to the old site, it will bring you to the new one.

While you are there, you might want to check out the new design for the older boys and girls in your life. You know the ones that think they are too old to call you "mommy" or "daddy" anymore? That's okay. They can still let the world know that their "mom" or "dad" rocks with these great new tees.

101 Things to Do Here & There & Everywhere - Updated for 2009

2009-06-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

In my preparation for this summer, I decided to undertake the task of updating the awesome 101 ideas that Natalie put together for us last year. The easy part was that I didn't have to come up with all 101 ideas on my own. My major task was to check and update all of the links, deleting the ideas that are no longer valid and replacing them with new activities.

The ideas are specific to Central Pennsylvania and the surrounding region where I live, but they still could spark an idea for a similar outing in your area. Other ideas are for activities that kids can do anywhere.

1. Join other moms in the area every Tuesday morning for a playdate at a different area park. See sidebar for complete schedule.

2. Make an obstacle course with sidewalk chalk and time each other on how long it takes to complete the course.

3. Teach the kids how to decorate cakes and let them experiment with a few cupcakes.

4. Plan a scavenger hunt. All you need to do is list 20 or so items that are frequently found in nature. Then distribute the list to each of the kids. The first person or team to find everything and bring them back wins a small prize.

5. Bike or walk the Capital Area Greenbelt Trail, a 20-mile loop around urbanized portions of Harrisburg, linking many city neighborhoods, parks and open spaces. It provides recreational opportunities such as hiking, biking, birding, walking, and jogging for visitors of all ages and can be accessed at multiple locations.

6. Take the kids to a free movie at Hoyts Theater in Harrisburg. They offer a G and PG movie every Tuesday and Wednesdays at 10:00am.

7. Keep your kids reading this summer with the "Be Creative at Your Library" summer reading program at your local library. The program runs June 1 - August 31 and gives your children the opportunity to win prizes and attend great events and activities. Be sure to check out the Be Creative Blog for book reviews, coloring pages, craft sheets and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Check out your local library for more details and to pick up your reading log.

8. Introduce your kids to the theater through the Popcorn Hat Players. Shows running this summer are Rapunzel and Cinderella. Tickets are $7 for adults and children and shows are performed at the Gamut Theatre in Strawberry Square.

9. Go tubing down the Yellow Breeches.

10. Have lunch or just browse the booths at the Broad Street Farmer's Market or at the West Shore Farmer's Market.

11. Bike the many rail trails in Central Pennsylvania. These biking trails are great for beginner riders because they are always flat or with minimal incline. Natalie recommends Stony Creek in Dauphin.

12. Catch fireflies.

13. Put the PJs on the kids, pop some popcorn, and load into the mini-van for a nostalgic night at the drive in movies. Haar's in Dillsburg still has the magic.

14. The Children's Garden at the Hershey Gardens is filled with surprises at every turn. This magical world of whimsy provides a self-guided learning environment designed specifically for children. Kids of all ages are enchanted as they scamper, climb and dance throughout the 30 colorful theme gardens. The Children's Garden even makes it fun to learn the ABCs, colors, counting and math!

15. Have your kids help you wash the car. Or let them wash their bikes.

16. Set up a lemonade stand.

17. Go outside during a summer rain and play.

18. Play miniature golf: Adveture Sports in Hershey, Challenge Family Fun Center in Hummelstown, Bumble Bee Hollow in Harrisburg, Water Golf at City Island.

19. While they call it the "Children's Lake," visitors of all ages will also enjoy sharing a rest with the ducks calling the Boiling Springs Lake home. Take along some bread or buy some food for the ducks at the cafe on the corner.

20. Children tend to marvel at it and adults tend to marvel at how it intrigues children! It's Strawberry Square's three-story clanging, clinging, ball-dropping, kinetic clock. Its playful whimsy is pure enchantment. And it tells time to boot!

21. The largest one-day street-fair on the East Coast takes place in Mechanicsburg. Admission to Jubilee Day is free and so is the fair's non-stop entertainment.

22. Sway to the beat of reggae, soak in sounds of jazz or country's latest hits. Harrisburg's free summer music festivals at Reservoir Park offer great musical entertainment, as well as an excuse to walk the grounds of a city park recently receiving $1.6 million worth of improvements.
23. On Sunday nights, Italian Lake in Harrisburg is the place to be for free summer concerts that will include the Harrisburg Symphony, American celtic and Latin Jazz music.

24. Get lost in Cherry-Crest Farm's Amazing 5-acre Maize Maze in Lancaster. Travel 2.5 miles through an elaborate corn maze and collect clues along the way to find your way out. The maze opens July 15. It was listed in Sports Illustrated Kids as one of the "25 Coolest Things to do this Summer."

25. Even if you're not interested in the Maze, you can still enjoy great family fun at Cherry-Crest farm. They have a Pumpkin Slinger, Hay Chute, Singing Chicken Show, Barnyard Jump, Lil’ Farmers Playland (Play House - Coloring Barn - Sand Box - Bean Toss - Climbing Structures), Cherry Crest Farm Tour Wagon, Petting Zoo, Big Ball Play Area and general store.

26. Ride the Millersburg Ferryboat.

27. Learn about some of the Indians that first settled in the Susquehanna Valley at Indian Echo Caverns.

28. Plant a vegetable or flower garden together.

29. Decorate flip-flops with puffy paint, beads, foam shapes or even small toys to make a one-of-a-kind fashion statement.

30. Slip n' Slide

31. Enjoy a Summer Concert on the lawn of the Fredrickson Library. Concerts include the Baltimore Steel Orchestra, The West Shore Symphony, Greater Harrisburg Concert Band and Voxology.

32. Take a ride on the Hershey Trolley Works. This memorable excursion delivers good, old fashioned fun as singing trolley conductors dressed in period costumes entertain and inform you on an enchanting ride through CHOCOLATE TOWN, USA.

33. The Pennsylvania State Capitol building is supposed to be one of the nicest state capitol buildings in the US. It was "architecturally inspired" by St. Peters Basilica in Rome and dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Guided tours of the Capitol are offered every half hour Monday through Friday.

34. For the lil' fireman in your family, consider visiting the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum in Harrisburg. The Sights, sounds and history of firefighting come to life in the 1899 Victorian firehouse Reily Hose Company No. 10. The museum houses an outstanding collection of artifacts from the hand-drawn equipment of yesterday to the modern tools of today.

35. The Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat is an Authentic Paddlewheeler that sails the Susquehanna River. The Riverboat is docked on City Island. The island is a lovely park where there are walking areas, a free playground, a miniature golf course, and places for children to play and eat lunch.

36. Have you ever wondered how chocolate is made? Take a trip to Wolfgang Candy in York or Wilbur Chocolate in Lititz to see how your favorite treat is concocted.

37. For the budding journalist in the family, show them what it takes to put out a paper by visiting the Upper Dauphin Sentinel. Visitors tour the various departments of the newspaper and learn how the paper is produced from start to finish. Demonstrations of cameras, computers and printing presses are included.

38. Food and snack makers are in abundance in the Susquehanna Valley. Martins Potato Chips, Snyder's Hanover, Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna, and Utz all offer tours so you can see what it takes to make a bag of your favorite snack food.

39. Unleash your child's inner artist at The Crayola Factory. You can color, draw, paint and create with the latest Crayola products without the worry of cleanup afterwards. Each creative space invites you to play and explore while learning and having lots and lots of fun. See how Crayola Crayons and Markers are made.

40. Lake Tobias, located in Halifax, offers safari tours, petting zoo and a reptile building to see various kinds of animals up close. African Lions are their newsest exhibit for 2008.

41. Ranked among the top 5 children's museums in the US, Port Discovery in Baltimore provides experiences which ignite imagination, inspire learning, and nurture growth through play. Less than two hours away, Port Discoversy allows kids to learn about life on a real farm, explore a three-story urban treehouse, create in the art works gallery or take part in running a 50s diner.

42. A rainy day is the perfect day to explore the many hands-on type houses in the area. Locally, Museum 4 Me in Lemoyne, Curiosity Connection in Harrisburg are great choices or you can travel to the Hands On House in Lancaster or Explore n' More in Gettysburg.

43. All Aboard! The Choo Choo Barn is a one-of-a-kind hand-uilt display of miniature trains. This unique experience for your train enthusiast will enjoy over 1,700 square feet, with 150 animated figures and 22 operating trains.

44. Show your kids the kind of fun we use to having by going to The Castle Roller Skating rink in Lancaster. This family-oriented rink is the perfect place to do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. Every Wednesday night is Christian music night.

45. Color Me Mine is a fun for the entire family. Create your own one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Choose a piece of pottery, paint it and then have it fired. Great for all ages.

46. For just $1, kids can enjoy the sounds of the Gretna Music summer concert series. Experience theatre, comedy, jazz, pop and our signature classical chamber music concerts in the beautiful Mt. Gretna Playhouse.

47. After the concert, head over to The Jigger Shop. A lot has changed about the Jiggershop over the years, but their generous serving sizes and incredible ice cream treats haven't. Introduce your kids to a Mt. Gretna landmark while enjoying the beauty of the area.

48. A summer's not complete without a trip to the zoo. In our own backyard is ZooAmerica featuring its exhibits of animals native to North America.

49. If you head south, you'll find The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Currently the Zoo’s animal collection encompasses more than 1,500 animals displayed in natural settings replicating their native habitats.

50. The Philadelphia Zoo is America's first zoo, established just after the Civil War. This 42-acre Victorian garden is home to more than 1,300 animals, many of them rare and endangered.

51. Visit one (or more!) of the 18 State Parks are in the greater Susquehanna Valley. Camping, swimming, boating, hiking, canoeing, fishing, nature trails, rock climbing, biking, picnicking and wildlife watching are just some of the activities offered for free at the parks.

52. Letterboxing is an intriguing pastime combining navigational skills and rubber stamp artistry in a charming "treasure hunt" style outdoor quest. A wide variety of adventures can be found to suit all ages and experience levels. Visit the Letterboxing web site to learn more about this growing pastime.

53. Take your kids to their first ball game! The Harrisburg Senators or Lancaster Barnstormers, the area's newest farm team, are great choices for even the smallest fans.

54. Attach a note to a helium balloon and ask the finder to send you a postcard and let you know how far it travelled.

55. Make a home fire plan and have a surprise fire drill.

56. Research your family tree.

57. Clean out your closets, host a yard sale and donate the earnings to a charity.

58. Make ice cream in a bag.

59. Tie-dye tee shirts. Bandanas are fun to make too.

60. One of the highlights of the summer is the Smith Barney Harrisburg Mile that takes place every year on Front Street. Thousands of people come to run in the largest race in our area. It's a great event to take the kids and watch or if your kids like to run, they even offer a half-pint half mile and a fun run/walk.

61. Keep the kids' reading skillz sharp doing MadLibs.

62. For the older kids, a little adventure is probably what they want. Treat them to a wild White Water Rafting trip.

63. Take advantage of those clear summer nights to expose your kids to the science of astronomy. Head out to your local observatory for programs and viewings especially designed for the your astonomer.

64. Teach your kids how to make a daisy chain.

65. Check out the Kids Bowl Free program. Children are able to bowl 2 games everyday. All you need to do is register.

66. Build a time capsule.

67. Mix 2 cups water with a little food coloring, add 6 cups of cornflour/cornstarch to make goop.
68. Go pick your own strawberries.

69. Take the kids to breakfast at a diner.

70. Everyone enjoys a good amusement park and we've got lots to choose from in Central Pennsylvania. The obvious first choice is Hersheypark, featuring the new Wave Pool and Lazy River at The Boardwalk.

71. Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster is a great choice if you need an amusement park that's scaled to young kids. With over 30 kid-friendly rides, including coasters, water-play, miniature golf, and live entertainment, Dutch Wonderland provides many of the first and most memorable moments of childhood.

72. Knoebels is the home of free admission, free parking, free entertainment and free picnic facilities. Is there really anything else to say?

73. Clyde Peeling's Reptiland, along Rt. 15 in Allenwood (north of Lewisburg), has alligators, tortoises, snakes and much much more. With interactive exhibits, multimedia shows, touching sessions and programs running five times a day, this fun adventure is not to be missed.

74. Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house is Come visit one of the world's most significant architectural structures. The key to the setting of the house is the waterfall over which it is built. Entrusted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963, Fallingwater is the only remaining great Wright house with its setting, original furnishings, and artwork intact.

75. Vacation Bible Schools are a staple of any kid's summer---and don't believe the myth you can only attend the one at your own church. VBS's are plentiful and usually offer crafts, drama, games, and, of course, Bible truths for kids that follow a fun theme. Held usually in the morning or the evening, age requirements will differ from VBS to VBS. Call around or watch your local newspaper for VBS's offered in your area.

76. For those football punks in your house, take them over to Carlisle late summer to watch the Washington Redskins practice. Yep, you heard me right. The Washington Redskins hold their pre-season camp in Carlisle in August.

77. I'd like to think that this next idea is a no-brainer for anyone who lives here, but just in case there's a newbie out there, a trip to Hershey's Chocolate World definitely needs to be on your short list for the summer. Cute music, fun "ride", free chocolate. Any questions?

78. The Doll House Museum in Harrisburg is an extraordinary collection of dolls and toys displayed in a life sized Victorian doll house. There are ten rooms filled with over 5,000 dolls and toys from 1840 to present day.

79. Hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail.

80. Visit Boyd's Bear Country in Gettysburg, the world's most humongous teddy bear store. Adopt a bear, visit the free museum, sample some vittles, or make your own bear to take home.

81. Get up close and personal with miniature horses at the Land of Little Horses and their farm animal friends. Races, Displays, and Special Events are sure to delight the kids and "kids at heart."

82. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. It also provided President Abraham Lincoln with the setting for his most famous address. Give your kids a tour of the battlefields and be sure to stop by the brand new visitor's center. Whether you choose a guided tour, audio tour or you do it on your own, your kids will love walking with history.

83. Teach your kids about Amish culture with hands-on projects at the Make-A-Friend Workshop in Lancaster. Kids can choose to make an Amish doll or become a craftsman and build a wooden Lancaster County barn, steam train, or tractor and wagon. The workshop supplies everything you'll need to build your special creation.

84. Have the kids write a letter to grandparents the old fashioned way---with a pen and paper.

85. On a rainy day, host a Brady Bunch or Little House on the Prairie marathon. Check the library for the complete seasons of both show.

86. For the kid who likes to concoct new delicacies in the kitchen, they might enjoy getting their hands dirty at The Kitchen Shoppe's in Carlisle's Cooking Classes for kids.

87. Got a kid that can't keep his feet on the ground? Head on over to the Climbnasium in Mechanicsburg. Climbnasium is an indoor rock climbing facility that caters to first timers as well as advanced climbers. Kids as young as six can climb 40 feet walls.

88. Build an ant farm.

89. Teach your kids how to speak pig latin.

90. Have a picnic on the lawn of the State Capitol.

91. Take a bike ride along the Harrisburg side of the Susquehanna. Head down to Shipoke. Stop at the park.

92. Play flashlight tag at night.

93. Camp out in the backyard.

94. Fly a kite.

95. Get an appliance box from a store and let kids turn it into a space ship, house, fire engine, or store.

96. Wade in a creek and try to catch fish with your hands.

97. Visit a local nursing home and have your kids play an instrument or sing, pass out pictures colored by them or simply sit and let residents tell them stories of yesteryear.

98. Learn how to crochet or knit.

99. Make popsicles.

100. Watch falcons, eagles and other birds of prey hatch their young with these awesome bird cams from around the world. To see young falcons nesting in Harrisburg, scroll down to Harrisburg Falcons, then click on June 2 falcons sitting atop the Rachel Carson Building.

101. Check out classes offered at Michael's or AC Moore that your kids are sure to enjoy!

Free Family Film Festival

2009-06-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

Say that 10 times fast!

I told you that I was getting prepared for the summer months with my boys. Here is another fun thing to do that doesn't empty your wallet.

Have you heard of Regal theatres Free Family Film Festival? This festival runs for nine weeks over the summer, providing movies for kids and parents. This service has been provided by Regal since 1991 (I only learned about this last year!) and the best part is it is FREE!

Selected G & PG movies start at 10AM each Tuesday and Wednesday and seating is limited to those that are first-come, first-served. And if you get there too late, you will be in the very front row. Yes, that is how we watched The Pirates that Don't Do Anything last summer.

To find out what movies are being shown at participating theatres, simply select the state you are interested in.

How Do You Save Money on Groceries?

2009-05-30T16:39:00.003-04:00

You may remember that about this time last year, I had a fun and hair-raising experience with the good people at GIANT Foods and their Shop at Home feature. Well, even after all the madness, they still kept my phone number and recently called to ask if I would be a panelist for their Affordable Food Summit which is being held Friday, June 5 from 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM at the Camp Hill GIANT Super Food Store.

This panel discussion will examine food prices and the Pennsylvania economy as well as how GIANT is offering customers ways to save on their weekly grocery bill. My role on the panel is to offer ways families can manage their family budget when it comes to grocery costs. This is where I need your help!!

What are some ways YOU are squeaking out more food for less dollars these days? Coupons? Generics? Food planning? What else are you doing to offset the rising cost of food with your family's needs and income? If you shop at GIANT, what store features are helping you to better manage your food costs?

The Affordable Food Summit is open to the public and, actually, will be taking place right there in the produce section of the Camp Hill GIANT. You won't be able to miss us!! They are building a stage and seating right in the midst of the lemons and broccoli. Seriously.

You'll be happy to know that there are bigger and more knowledgable people joining me on this panel.

Hon. Dennis Wolff, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture - food economics and PA agribusiness landscape
Sylvia Emberger, GIANT corporate nutritionist - eating healthy on a budget and ways Giant offers savings
Natalie Martin, GIANT shopper - ways to manage the family budget
David Black, President, Harrisburg Regional Chamber - state of the local economy
Kendall Hanna, Executive Director, Central PA Food Bank - resources for folks who are in need and changing face of hunger

Come out and join us Friday morning. There is even rumors that they are having an ice cream social after the event!

But first, let me know in the comments what you are doing to keep food affordable!!

An Encouraging Story....

2009-05-29T12:45:00.002-04:00

A Story Worth Sharing

“Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

May God’s love lead us to encourage someone today...

Lands End Swimsuits

2009-05-28T18:02:00.004-04:00

Summer. Swimsuit.

Summer is here. Do you have your swimsuit?

If not...you may want to check out Lands End and the sale that they've extended through today. They are offering 30-50% off all of their swimwear with FREE shipping.

While you're online, if you think ahead like me, you might want to look at their overstocks section.

One deal that I think is absolutely amazing is the value of their backpacks, bags and lunchboxes. I took advantage of this over a month ago when the color selection was greater but the green is great for boys and the light blue would be pretty for girls. I like the ClassMate Junior for children in elementary school - it's just the right size and Jeter's has already lasted him three years and is good for at least another two. Talk about value. If you go with the light blue backpack, you might want to check out the ClassMate Lunch Box to match. I was tired of buying new lunch boxes every year. This has been a wonderful solution that both I and my boys love. Because of the deal (and the fact that my one purchase lasts at least 5 years!) I paid the extra to have it monogrammed for them. Other colors (the newer ones) are available for the lunch box as well.

Happy shopping!

Summer Time Fun

2009-05-28T12:27:00.002-04:00

The temperatures are rising and the school year is coming to an end. I don't know about you but I am looking up things to include for our family plans this summer.

I recently learned about the Kids Bowl Free program that is available in many states. You simply need to register your children for the participating bowling alley in your area to receive coupons for two free games everyday! Shoe rental is not included but this is still an excellent money saver - especially for rainy days.

Upon registration, you also have the option to purchase the family pass. The family pass provides the same great "2 games a day" package for up to 4 adult family members for a one-time payment from $23.95. This can include parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, babysitters, etc.

I was especially pleased to see that Trindle Bowl - the only smoke-free bowling alley in the area - is participating in the program!

Stay tuned for some more summer activity suggestions...

Motherhood: "So, What Do You Do?"

2009-05-27T14:20:00.003-04:00

What is your response when someone you have just met asks you this question,

"So, what do you do?"

If you are a SAHM, I bet that a thousand things could come rushing into your head that may include (depending on your kids' ages): get the kids up, change diapers (throughout the day), dress the kids, feed the kids, clean up the dishes (or pile them in the sink for later), have a playdate, run errands, play with the kids, go to the library and try to make sure that your 16 month old does not take every book off of the shelves and dump them on the floor (maybe that one is just me!), make the kids lunch, put the dishes in the sink, nap time - or more play time if your kids do not nap, laundry, get dinner ready, feed the family, clean up the dishes for real this time, family time, bath time, brush kids teeth, get kids to bed - read books, sing, pray, etc, and then you have some time to do whatever else needs to be done...and I am sure that my list is not complete! (Whew, I am tired after writing all of that!)

Getting back to the question that you were just asked by someone that you just met...how would you answer that? Would you tell them all of that or make up some cool sounding title? Or, are you unsure of how to answer that question...maybe you say,

"I am JUST a Mom."

Whatever you may give as an answer, do you ever feel that you feel less significant than another person who works out side of the house?

I have to admit, that when I first began to stay home, my answer would be something like, "Well, I taught biology and chemistry for the last 7 years, but now I stay at home with the kids." I don't feel that there is anything wrong with saying that, however, I have also realized that there is nothing wrong with saying,

" 'I am a wife and mother and proud of it!'
(With great pride in our chosen career, we must share with people that we are in the profession of motherhood)." (p. 18*)

As a SAHM, I think that what we need to realize that motherhood is a profession, especially if a profession is something that we feel is "Important enough for our time and our energy, and it also enriches our lives in some shape or form." (p.28). Motherhood definitely fits that definition of profession and what we need to do is shift our way of thinking. What we do has value. We have chosen this career, and we may not get paid monetarily, but it is a career, and we can be proud of what we do.

There is no shame in being a SAHM...and may I add, there is also no shame in being a working mom - you need to be doing what the Lord has called you to do for your family. It does not matter what other people do or think...it really only matters what God thinks of you and what you are doing.

How have you responded to this question in the past? Are you ready to shift your way of thinking...if you haven't already? If you have shifted your thinking, please share your thoughts too!

This post contains ideas and quotes from the book Professionalizing Motherhood, by Jill Savage It is a continuation from my original post about Motherhood that you can read about here.

Spring Coffeehouse

2009-05-12T12:06:00.002-04:00

We had such a good time in December that we had to add a new twist to our Coffeehouse again this spring...games!

When was the last time that you were able to play something other than Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders? Gear up and get you game face on as we gather for a great time with Pictionary, Catch Phrase, Scattegories, Jenga and cards. While you are attempting to come up with a city that starts with the letter H or determine which piece you can pull without knocking over the leaning tower of Jenga, there will be a variety of snacks for you to enjoy!

This is an evening gathering (7:00-9:00 PM...tonight!) so it is a perfect time to invite moms who work outside the home or have scheduling conflicts with our morning meetings.

Please note that childcare is not available.

Questions? Click on Questions? (in the left column under MIA FAQ) and email us.

The Kashi Community

2009-05-02T22:25:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy the products that Kashi makes - If you have not joined the "online community" at Kashi's website, I highly recommend it! Last week, they sent me a coupon for a free box of their GO LEAN frozen waffles and also five $1.50/1 box of GO LEAN frozen waffles - they were on sale this week at Giant for $2 - so that was a GREAT deal!!! I stocked up!!! I do enjoy making my own, but when I can get Kashi at a great price - I will definitely buy it and we will eat it! :)

Once you join, I believe that you will be able to print out some coupons for yourself! So, click here and get started with the savings on high quality all natural food! (you would think that they were paying me to tell you about this, but they are not - I am just excited!)

Look What Some Awesome Ladies Have Done

2009-04-30T12:46:00.008-04:00

Community Connectors met again for the Month of April sewing, knitting & crocheting baby blankets for the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Harrisburg Hospital. They have done such a fabulous job and this is only half of our stash. I would need a wide angle lens to cover them all. It has been a great time and I know I have been blessed to be a part of this and minister with such beautifully talented ladies (you young ladies are included too).

Some side information for those who participated -

Drop Off Date : Last day to drop off finished blankets is Wed. May 6th at Christ Community Church.

Hopefully that will give me enough time to finish some of mine too. :)

Next Community Connectors Date: Fall of 2009. We will be taking a break over summer and regrouping with lots of great plans in the Fall. More details to follow.

Delivery to Hospital : Tuesday May 12th. We will meet at the church at 10am and head over together to the Hospital.

Great job everyone and have an amazing summer!! See you in the Fall!

Jumpstarting "Green" for Free

2009-04-22T13:19:00.005-04:00

Interested in FREE?

Go here for your Reynolds Earth Day Rebate. You can read more about it as well as enter another giveaway at The Campbell Corner.

Healthy Lifestyle Challene, Week ?

2009-04-20T09:18:00.002-04:00

It has been several weeks since I last posted about my weight loss. That's because I'm in a holding pattern. Not going up but not going down. I'm still around the 149 - 152 pounds mark, depending on the time of day.

Last week the kids were on spring break and I wasn't particularly good about keeping to my healthy living rules, but mercifully, it wasn't reflected on the scale today.

With spring here (I think) and summer quickly approaching, I am going to be in need of some new clothes that fit but I still don't want to go down that road until I lose more. So as my good friend likes to say "Poop or get off the pot." Sorry, that sounded a little crude this early in the morning but it makes the point nicely.

So this week I'm challenging myself to take the shrink wrap off the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD. That's it...shrink wrap off. I'm trying to pace myself. Plus, if I aim low surely I can exceed my goals.

Where are you at with your goals?

One Dish Wonder

2009-04-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Chicken Broccoli Divan - from the Campbell's Kitchen Recipe Collection

1 pound fresh broccoli, cut into spears or 1 package (about 10 oz) frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained.

1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey

1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed Broccoli Cheese Soup (regular or 98% fat free). You can also substitute this with Cream of Chicken soup.

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

2 Tbs dry bread crumbs

1 Tbs butter, melted

1. Place the broccoli and chicken in a 9-inch pie place or an 11x8 inch shallow baking dish.

2. Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle with the cheese, if desired.

3. Mix the bread crumbs with the butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the cheese.

4. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until hot.

This recipe was easy and my family loved it. Jeter said that this was the Best! Chicken! Dish! Ever! Both boys ate what was on their plate and requested seconds. There weren't any leftovers which was fine with me.

My total prep time was actually 30 minutes rather then the 15 minutes stated in the recipe but that is because I had to cut up and cook the chicken. For those that are health conscience, I would suggest selecting a soup that is low in sodium.

Excellent dinner for the family that desires to incorporate dinners together amidst the busy-ness of evenings filled with sports and activities.

Which Fork Do I Use First?

2009-04-15T11:33:00.007-04:00

Hospitality. It sounds so simple and yet this very thing can cause knees to knock and stomachs to turn. Why does the thought of having guests arrive send some of us into a frenzy while others joyfully sing as they are setting the table? Could one reason could be that you have a 3 year old following you around and an infant in your arms? How could you possibly think of entertaining?

On April 14th we had a mother and daughter team up and share their passion for welcoming and ministering to those that enter their home. This is truly a gifting that they have been blessed with and I appreciated the heart in which they shared with us - regardless of what you do, the key is to love and honor your guests. It really isn't about entertaining at all. Rather it's about serving and blessing those that enter your home.

This dynamic duo offered sound advice on how to practically serve others as well as how to incorporate details that add a special touch. Here is a sampling of the goodies we received:

Seating Cards - removes the confusion that can ensue before people are seated. This also allows you to place people in such a way that conversation is able to flow more easily. Cards can also be decorated by your children if you trust them with crayons and/or markers.

Centerpieces - keep them low so it doesn't prevent conversation across the table. These can also be themed according to the meal or the season. They suggested the use of branches, flowers, leaves, small candles, etc.

We learned that the napkin is one of the most important parts of your table. It is the one item that your guest will be in contact with throughout the meal - either in their hand or on their lap. Hmmm...I'm thinking of investing in some soft cotton napkins now!

When guests arrive, have tasks for them to do - let them be part of the evening. They also encouraged us to allow the guests to bring something if they ask.

Consider incorporating a palette cleanser before the entree. This could be a sorbet or mint ice cream. Who wouldn't be thrilled with two desserts?!?

I was inspired and although we didn't have any guests arriving yesterday, I wanted to bless my family last night. So I set the table for dinner yesterday afternoon. Guess what happened after dinner? My 5 year old couldn't wait for us to clear the table so he could prepare it for breakfast! He even put away the place mats that we had for dinner and chose four new ones for our breakfast. The guide for an informal place setting was not followed but that didn't eclipse the blessing and joy the emitted from his action of service and love. Another reminder of how our actions are powerful communicators.

Sale At Joann Fabrics

2009-04-02T07:55:00.003-04:00

It's rare that Joann Fabrics does a really good sale like this one so I thought I would share it with everyone. This weekend April 3-5 Joann Fabrics is having a Friends & Family 3-day sale. You can get coupons at the store for this event and get 20% off you final purchase no matter if the stuff is on sale or not. That's right 20% off your Final purchase. This is an in-store sale so the 20% coupons do not include on-line purchases.

There is some fine print on the coupon stating the 20% does not include the following...

Gift Cards
Sewing Machines & Sewing Machine Department
Cricut machines & cartridges
Yudu machines

Again you can pick up the coupons at the store or register online for their coupons and receive them via email. I might just see you out there this weekend! :)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...Just Feed Me First!

2009-03-30T13:09:00.003-04:00

Spring is here! For our family that means baseball season has begun. This year both boys are playing and, as it turns out, their practices are on different evenings. Therefore Monday - Thursday we are out of the house by 5:15PM to get to practice and don't return until after 7PM.

It's both busy and fun. My greatest challenge is meal planning. The last two weeks our family (often without Simms) has sat down for dinner at 4:30PM. Then, after practice, if they are hungry, they can enjoy a piece of fruit or a yogurt before bedtime rather then a full meal. I've definitely utilized the crock pot a few times. We've also had simple meals like grilled cheese and tomato soup. But this is the next two months of our lives and I do not want grilled cheese on a weekly basis. So, I thought, while I am on this journey and discover some new dishes I could at least post a recipe once each week over the next two months.

Without further ado, I give you Laura's Chicken.

Chicken pieces - on the bone - but you could do this with skinless/boneless as well.
Pepper
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Butter (1-2 Tbs)

Place prepared chicken into a baking dish. Sprinkle with spices. Place small cuts of butter over the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350-375 for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and sprinkle with spices. Bake for another 20-30 minutes. Serve with sides of your choosing.

This recipe is so EASY and leaves room for your personal touch. Trying to cut out salt? Use garlic powder instead of the garlic salt. You could even put together your own combination of spices. This is just the combination that my cousin used and that is why the recipe is named after her.

Community Connectors Blanket Instructions for April

2009-03-25T07:41:00.006-04:00

Instructions & Supplies for Rag Quilts for
Community Connectors in April

We will be sewing rag quilts for Harrisburg Hospitals NICU. Please bring your supplies and a sewing machine if possible (we will have a few extra machines available if you don't have one or need one). If you have never sewn or maybe it's been a few years we will have experienced sewers on hand to teach you. :) This is a great quilt to learn how to sew because it makes for awesome gift ideas.

1) Go to your local fabric store (Walmart does carry a great selection of fabrics cheap too) and choose 3 different but coordinating flannel fabrics.

It can be for a boy or girl. Mix and match colors with patterns. Please remember to look for flannel. Ask a sales associate if you need help finding it. Flannel is a wonderful cotton material soft & gentle enough for preemies or newborns.

2)Purchase 1 yard of each fabric.

3) You will then need to purchase batting. Batting is the fabric that is sandwiched in between outside fabric and gives the quilt stability and fluffiness. Warm & Natural is what I highly recommend. It can be found at Walmart for a great price and is a wonderfully soft and natural batting. Please no Synthetic batting material.
Purchase a 1/2 of a yard.

4)Your last item will need to be thread. Look for a Machine Quilting thread in a great contrast or matching color. Examples of how I like to match my thread are displayed in the picture to the left. Contrasting thread really adds to the quilt. Just look for the colors in your fabric for help in choosing the thread. I would recommend picking up two spools just to be safe.

Sorry for the confusion but the following information is for knitting & crocheting. :)

If you are not interested in sewing we are continuing to Knit and crochet baby blankets. Afghans or blankets need to be at least 24" x 24" or the largest size being 36" x 36". Yarn must be a very soft acrylic so the sensitive skin of a preemie or newborn will not be irritated. For specific patterns leave me a comment and I will email you the directions.

Also we added the option of a No Sew Fleece blanket. You can purchase two yards of fleece that will then be cut into a square and tied together.*Walmart also had some great prices on fleece.

Please come out and join us April 7th at 9am at Christ Community Church for a great time of fellowship and learning. Again if you have never tried any of these crafts before we encourage you to come out and learn from the other women in the group. Free childcare is provided please contact the church at 717-761-2933 to sign-up for childcare in advance. Any other questions please leave a comment and I will contact you directly.***Please let me know if this was helpful for future Community Connector projects. Thanks!

Community Connectors

2009-03-23T07:51:00.010-04:00

Hope Bag Ministry

Community Connectors has another outreach opportunity
for ladies at Christ Community Church through
the Women's Ministry. Women can join
other women on Thursday nights to fill bags with
wonderful gifts. They then pray over the bags and
ask the Lord for a scripture. These bags are then taken
to an area hospital where they are distributed to those individuals
who have love ones in the hospital. They go to the hospital
waiting rooms and hand out each bag with love. They also
ask for prayer opportunities. Here are a few quick pics
of Thursday night as the ladies poured out their hearts into
these bags of hope.

If you would like more information about when the group meets and the dates they go to the hospital to distribute the bags please contact the church at 717-761-2933 and ask for more information regarding Bags Of Hope or ask for the Women's Ministry. If you just don't have the time to go and participate please consider donating bulk snack foods, water bottles and money to this wonderful outreach. Each bag is supplied with Pastor David Hess's book Hope Beyond Reason and they need donations to continue this amazing blessing.

Also coming up Community Connectors will be connecting ladies to Harrisburg Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as we knit, crochet & newly introducing sewing blankets for these precious babies. Check back Thursday for more info....here's a sneak peak at the sewing project!

Healthy Lifes Challenege - Week #10

2009-03-23T01:25:00.001-04:00

Ladies, if you are lacking motivation to get back on the healthy living train, I suggest you go look at all the new bathing suits that are sitting in the stores right now. They will put the fear of God in you and you'll be eating salad and doing sit-ups faster than you can say "I am the biggest loser."

Aparently, just the sight of those bathing suits whipped me into shape because I'm happy to report that I weigh 149.5 this week. Let me say that again, 149.5!!! I barely made it under the mark, but I'll take it.

I've also been noticing that my weight seems to be shifting a little. I'm not sure what that means but I think as I lose a little weight everything is moving around and smoothing out. I also have realized that my favorite pair of (fat) jeans and my favorite pair of (fat) dress pants are getting awful loose. I'm either going to have to add a belt or see if I can a (ahem) find a smaller size of pant in my closet.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, I really think the key to my slow and steady approach has been reducing the soda, adding water and not eating in the evenings. Just those three changes have yielded big results for me.

So tell me...what changes have worked for you?

Then Life Happens

2009-03-20T23:10:00.002-04:00

My husband and I have financial counseled young couples for many years. No matter how much you tell people what they need to do, unless they are committed to making hard changes to their spending habits, there usually isn't much progress.

As much as I'd love to do the work for these couples, they ultimately hold their own futures in their hands. Getting in debt can happen overnight. Getting out of debt takes years of hard work and discipline.

Although we aren't in a counseling relationship with Say Anything and her husband, I've been cheering them on from the sidelines for several years as they have tried to eliminate their debt

This past fall, they decided to kick the process into high gear and attack their debt since they could see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Then life happened. Say Anything's dishwasher died and there was no money to replace it.

Now most of us would say that the dishwasher wasn't a need, so we'd just suck it up and wash our dishes by hand. After all, we're focused on paying off debt. No problem, and that's what Say Anything did.

Then life happened. Say Anything's oven went out. And there was no money to replace it.

A dishwasher is one thing, but an oven is another. After all, the family has got to eat so surely an oven is a need. Well, not in Say Anything's eyes. She was determined that they weren't going to go in debt to buy an oven. They would just make do without one until they could save the money for a new one. Did I mention she doesn't own a microwave?

So for the next 3-4 weeks (I lost count), Say Anything fed her family three square meals a day using nothing but a crockpot, a stove top and a borrowed toaster oven. She even hosted and cooked Christmas Day dinner.

Then life happened. And Say Anything's refrigerator died. But there was no money to buy a new one.

Say Anything borrowed an army of coolers and became even more determined that she wasn't going into debt to buy new appliances. Her husband cried "uncle" and begged for a few modern conveniences. But she held her ground and carried on caring for her three children with no dishwasher, no oven and no refrigerator.

A few days later, they called a repairman who declared the dishwasher and refrigerator definitely dead, however, he was able to fix the oven. The repairman also sold refurbished appliances and gave them a great deal on a refrigerator that didn't break the bank. They still don't have a dishwasher.

Now don't get me wrong, this was an agonizing 4-6 weeks for Say Anything and her family. They were pushed to their brink of sanity and questioned everything they were doing and why God wasn't moving faster to answer their prayers.

But sometimes the lessons of life come through the trials of life and in just a few short months when the Say Anything family pays off another credit card, they will look back on those weeks as a turning point.

In the end, God did provide an inexpensive repairman who was able to sell them an inexpensive refrigerator. More importantly, they learned that they have the discipline it takes to stay debt-free in this world of excess.

I'm proud of them. Most of us would've folded as we became increasingly uncomfortable. In this day and age, we think TVs in every room are necessities; we really don't know what it means to sacrifice. But I saw a family put into practice what it means to have laser-focused dedication to a goal. Amazing things can happen when you sacrifice for the right goals.

It can happen for you too.

If you are struggling financially, I urge you to seek financial counseling or take a course that can help you learn to budget and spend responsibly. With our crazy economy, it is important we get our financial homes in order. It's important we identify what truly is a need or a want in our life, make financial goals, and then work as a family with perseverance to meet those goals.

You can do it.

Healthy Living Challenge - Week ?

2009-03-18T14:06:00.003-04:00

For those of you who like rigid schedules and predictable outcomes, this may not be the challenge you want to follow. I've been anything but rigid and predictable when it comes to doing this post each week.

But for those of you who are more loosey goosey with your life, we may be kindred spirits right now.

Well, last week I wasn't on speaking terms with my scale. You see two weeks ago I was on the verge of breaking the 150 barrier and started to weigh myself every day because I just couldn't stand the excitement. Somewhere around Wednesday or Thursday I hit the magic number...149. But for only one day. I never saw it again and when it came around to the following Monday I actually weighed in at 152. Now you can see why I was at odds with my scale.

This week I've been yo-yoing between 152-150. I think this morning I was at 151.5. As my wonderful husband keeps reminding me, "I bet if you added in exercise you could easily drop another 5 pounds."

Sounds so simple, doesn't it.

I'm doing well with cutting back on soda and still trying to get enough water each day. I've not been doing well getting to bed at a decent time. That's just a hard one for me because I really do like staying up late.

So let's go around the room and hear how everyone has been doing the last two weeks. Don't be shy.

I'm on a Break. And Much, Much More

2009-03-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm dedicating this post to all my gals at the Federal Corrections Center.

It's Wednesday and I've yet to post a Healthy Lifestyle Challenge for this week. Well, there won't be one this week because I'm not on speaking terms with my scale. We're trying to work out our differences and I'm hoping we can call a truce by next week, but we'll just have to weight and see.

American Idol

Last night's opening show was THE best AI opener in the history of the show. Usually the first 2-3, even 5 shows are just a little boring because we're just marking time trying to get rid of all the marginal contestants. Once they are all systematically picked off, then we can start the real contest with the top 4-5 people who actually have a shot to make it in the music industry.

So when Randy dawg said at the top of last night's show that this was the best group of contestants ever and any one of them could be the next AI, I did my week 1 eye roll and gave my best 'whatevah' . Because they say that every year. And no one believes them anymore.

But Lord have mercy, Randy was telling the truth. One after another they marched out and did one killer performance after another. Of course, there were several that were a little off, but even their 'off' was a hundred times better than most people's best. Michael Jackson's music provided the backdrop for the night, and nothing compares to a little MJ and Jackson 5.

If you're not familiar with my AI recaps, I always make the disclaimer that I have absolutely no musical knowledge or talent and I wouldn't know pitchy or off tune if they slapped me in the face. I just know what I like and don't like. Plus, I like to add my own personal commentary on aspects of the show you may have missed.

Most weeks I go through every contestant, but since 13 is a lot of people for me to pay attention to, I'm just going to comment on those who left a strong impression.

Robert Downing, Jr: I mean Danny Gokey. Love him, love him, love him. I don't like his glasses, but I love him. And PYT never sounded so good.

Megan: As soon as I saw her I had huge flashbacks of Carly from last season. Looks like I'm going to have to suffer through another season with a gal who has a huge, crazy tattoo snaking down her arm. And, of course, she likes to wear sleeveless shirts. But she's quirky, crazy, and can't dance worth a lick. She's my type of girl...minus the tattoo.

Scott: Love him behind the piano.

Kris: What a cutie. In a slightly geeky, yet hip way. Thought for sure Simon was going to bash his plaid farmer's shirt, but he choose to chastise him for being proud of his wife. Another reason why Kris rocks.

Allison: She's a young Kelly Clarkson. Love the gravely voice. And the RED hair is growing on me.

Adam: The judges loved him. He was a little harsh for me, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to send him a barrette before the season is over to keep his bangs in place, but I'm willing to give him a listen. Oh, and Adam, please lose the black fingernails. Thank you.

Matt: He looked just like Justin Timberlake sitting at the piano, if you cocked your head to the right, squinted at a 45 degree angle and coughed. Seriously, there were several times I definitely saw and heard glimpses of JT.

Alexis: Pink and red must be the 'in' colors for hair this season and Alexis has a serious pink streak front and center. I actually like it and I loved her performance.

Dancing with the Stars

Although I don't plan on doing weekly updates on this crowd pleasing show, I can't resist giving a few observations from another stellar opening season show.

Lil' Kim: She gave the BEST shout out in reality television history and it will forever be part of my vocabulary. I actually thought I was watching Janet Jackson dance during her performance.

Chuck Wicks: Never heard of him, but Julianne is absolutely giddy.

Law of the Universe: Playboy Playmates and rodeo cowboys should not do Dancing with the Stars. Ever. Never.

Shawn Johnson: Adorable. And she's only 17. And 4'11". Why didn't I look like that when I was 17? Or when I was 4'11"

Steve Jobs: Black socks, the thinking breaks, breaking down the dance into analogs, the pink boa. Please, please, please America, keep Mr. Jobs around for a while. I love him.

And now for the best rebound in reality TV history: Melissa, the woman the bachelor jilted just one week ago. (and, of course, we had to relive the moment once again) She was incredible!! And she only had 48 hours to learn the dance. Her outfit was hideous, but she and her diamond encrusted tattoo were floating on air. Incredibly elegant and the smile never left her face.

Community Connectors Update!

2009-03-09T10:34:00.006-04:00

Saturday March 7th we headed out to Harrisburg. The Streets Ministry hit the sidewalks of Harrisburg pumped and ready to see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit come to this city. Along with our arsenal of love we were able to hand out free hats and scarfs hand made by some fantastic women participating in Community Connectors at CCC. The scarfs and hats were a hit. I have to admit with 60 + degree whether I was a little nervous about how many would need hats and scarfs but of course God had all of that in control.

Let me tell you ladies these men and woman were blown away by your generosity and love. They couldn't believe they were hand made just for them. One older woman asked if she could take ten hats. She has ten grandchildren and she shared with me that she can rarely give them gifts so blessing them with some cool hats would be awesome. She painstakingly picked out a hat for each grandchild noting how this one loves purple and the baby would love the bonnet. Then if that didn't fill your heart she looked up at me and asked if she could have one for herself. Absolutely! She actually came looking for us because she had heard there was a group of people out on 13th Street praying for people and she said she needed some prayers.

We had little kids run off excited with their new hat and adults just tickled that someone would go to the trouble of making such beautiful things for them. We have a small bag of left overs but 3/4 of the hats and scarfs are gone. If we had stayed out all day I am sure there would be none left. Those leftovers will be held for the Street's Ministry to take out with them in the fall or winter of this year.

Thank you, thank you ladies! Your time and prayers were powerful and effective. We had a Muslim man accept Jesus into his heart and many, many others seeking us out for prayer. I believe that your hats and scarfs were so filled with love and anointing that it changed the atmosphere of Harrisburg that afternoon.

Stay tuned for April when we make NICU blankets for Harrisburg Hospital. More details to come...

Healthy Living Challenge - Week 8 (Sort of)

2009-03-03T08:19:00.005-05:00

I'm so torn this week because although I know I'm suppose to talk about all things healthy, I've got much bigger things on my mind. Things so big, it's amazing I weigh only 151.5 pounds this week. I wasn't really focused on my new routine and got a little sidetracked at times...thus the small gain. But can you blame me when I've been anticipating for the last 7 days the grand finale of The Bachelor, plus, the finale of Top Chef. It's more reality show stress than I'm use to and I may have tried to alleviate the anxiety with one or 7 bags of chips or cookies. And maybe a little chocolate.

First, Top Chef. I really wanted Carla to win. Yes, she's quirky and eccentric and nerdy, but I love her and wanted her to take the top prize over the boys because she knows how to cook with soul. And love. But it wasn't her night and the honor went to Hosea, whom I also liked. I'm guessing he is probably single right now, but we'll see what his status is Wednesday when they gather all the chefs together to "dish." Oh, how I love a good "dish."

But people!!! The drama! The conflict! The tears! The heartbreak! The Bachelor!

Oh my goodness...if I'm honest, it all started for me when Jason let Jillian go. She was a charmer and I thought that she had totally swept him off his feet, only to be axed at the next rose ceremony. But this week was the MOST EMOTIONAL, EXCITING, EXCRUCIATING, DRAMATIC AND TV HATING EPISODE EVER!!! And that just wasn't a marketing ploy like it has been the past 19 seasons.

First, he choose Melissa. Then during the "After the Rose" show, he dumped her. It was like a gruesome car accident that you don't want to look at but you can't help looking for the bodies as you drive by. Or maybe that's just me. Anywho, I couldn't turn away from the carnage. But Miss Melissa told him not to call or text her EVER again and she stomped off to the limo where a camera crew was ready to comfort her in her time of need.

Then, they bring out Molly, who had some serious frizzes going on, and make her relive the most horrible day of her life. Chris asked her these introspective questions that had foreshadowing written all over them and then they brought out Jason. He asked her to go and have a cup of coffee with him. Seriously. A cup of coffee. She must have been thirsty because she said yes and they bolted off the set faster than you can say "I'm never watching The Bachelor again."

But we all know I probably will.

Tonight is "After the Rose, Part 2" and I'm not sure I can handle another hour of lame questions, man crying and bad hair. But I've come this far, I ain't stopping now. Plus, I'm dying to know if Melissa keyed Jason's car.

And so, you see, those are the reasons I gained 1.5 pounds this week. But it was so worth it :)

How'd you do? I know none of you probably waste your precious time with such frivolity, but if you did, what did you think of this week in reality television?

Consider Adding this to your Easter Celebration

2009-03-02T07:50:00.001-05:00

You can go here to reserve tickets.

Wrapping Up Our First Month of Community Connectors

2009-02-25T09:54:00.006-05:00

Just a few of the ladies getting started. You definitely
can't knit/crochet without chugging some Coffee!
I know I can't!

Some of us had to finish breakfast first. :)

Now they are off and running!

We had some serious action going on with lots
of fun and fellowship.

To end out our month of work & fun we gathered our
newly made creations and prayed over them before
sending them out in March for the
Street's Ministry.

They are not only talented ladies but powerful
and anointed prayer warriors.

There is going to be some powerful testimonies
this month. Prayer time was awesome!

If you didn't get a chance to come out and join us we will be meeting again in the month of April. This time we will be adding sewing to our list of skills. We are making NICU blankets for Harrisburg Hospital. For sign-up info call the church. Please remember to sign-up for childcare if you need to. I look forward to seeing everyone in April and hopefully seeing some new faces too. It was wonderful! Great work ladies, be blessed!!!

Healthy Lifestyle Challenge - Week #7

2009-02-22T18:07:00.002-05:00

Drum roll, please.....

150.

(I'm not going to always post a picture of the scale b/c the logistics of doing that have contributed to me getting this post out late almost every week. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if I'm under 150 next week...there WILL be a picture)

Yes, I finally made it down to 150. Which means that there is a good possibility that I'll make it under 150 next week.

Yahoo.

And, I was able to wear a pair of black pants yesterday that had gotten way too tight over the last several months. So I'm liking it. I'm definitely on the "slow and steady" path but that works for me.

With the exception of exercise, I'm still doing well with all the healthy disciplines that I've incorporated. I really think that not eating in the evenings and cutting down on the soda have been the biggest contributors to the weight loss. Now if I can just get the excercise going!

So how did you do this week? Link up and tell us.

Question for next week: What have you learned about yourself over the last six weeks from doing this challenge?

Some Fun Pic's from Community Connectors!

2009-02-20T08:33:00.005-05:00

We have been having an blast! These precious women have been making some amazing creations of hats and scarfs. It has been a huge blessing to be a part of. Our last meeting date for this month is Tuesday Feb. 24th from 9-11am. If you are interested in joining you still can. Call the church for childcare details if needed. We will be taking the month of March off but starting back in April. We will add a new skill of sewing to our agenda. If you have never sewn before and would love to learn to thread that machine of yours sitting in you attic then come on out. Also if you are a crack sewer we would love for you to come and show us your stuff. That month we will be making blankets for Harrisburg Hospital for their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. If don't want to sew but continue on Knitting/Crocheting we would love for you to come out and knit or crochet mini afghans for the NICU too.

More details about supplies and patterns to come so stay tuned....

Good News & Bad News

2009-02-19T08:08:00.003-05:00

The bad news is that The Learning Express is going out of business. That makes me really sad.

The good news is that you can pick up some of their great learning toys for a lot less. Not sure how long the sale will last, so don't delay.

Husbands Beware.....

2009-02-19T07:55:00.001-05:00

Husband says: When I get mad at you, you never fight back. How do you control your anger?

Wife says: I clean the toilet...

Husband says: How does that help?

Wife says: I use your toothbrush.....

Healthy Lifestyle Challenge - Week #6

2009-02-17T15:23:00.002-05:00

If I thought last week presented some challenges to staying on track, this week made it almost impossible. It's hard to stay focused on healthy living when there is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate everywhere. And beautiful and decadent desserts. And candy hearts. How can you turn down a candy heart?

So I was expecting the worse when I stepped on the scale yesterday morning, but was pleasantly surprised to see 152 staring back at me. That means one of two things: either my scale is broken or my metabolism is picking up some steam. The jury is still out on the answer.

Other than a few nibbles or chocolate here and a few bites of chocolate there, I did pretty well staying on track with everything else. Still no exercise, but Jim is going to do it with me which should make it much easier to incorporate.

Starting Weight: 156.5
Week 1: 156.5
Week 2: 154
Week 3: 153
Week 4: 152
Week 5: 152

I'm hoping that next week I can declare that I've lost a full 5 pounds! Whoo Hoo!

What about you? Was Valentine's day good to you or did cupid stick you with more than an arrow?

Link up and tell us all about it!

Community Connectors

2009-02-15T00:01:00.003-05:00

Connecting lives. Connecting hearts. Connecting hands.

Interested in getting together to learn a craft, bless others and enjoy wonderful fellowship? Then this opportunity is for you!

Livin' jumpstarted Community Connectors February 3rd and about 20 ladies joined us! If you didn't get the chance but still want to join us - good news - you still can! We will meet again on February 17th and 24th. You will have the opportunity to learn and or continue to knit or crochet hats and scarves. On the 24th we will pray over them and then donate them to the community through The Streets Ministry. Please bring your own supplies (needles and yarn). Patterns will be provided.

If you plan to join us and haven't signed up yet for childcare, contact the church. Other questions - leave a comment or email our team.

Always Check Your Children's Homework…..

2009-02-12T06:56:00.003-05:00

Dear Mrs. Jones,
I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.
I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.
From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

G.N.O.

2009-02-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

Girls. Night. Out.

How many of you could use one of these? If so, mark your calendars!

Girls Night Out, sponsored by Anne Katherine Modern Children's Portraiture, is scheduled for Friday, March 6th, 7:00 PM -9:00 PM.

What to expect? A night to pamper yourself with a chair massage, splurge on decadent desserts, network with other women and 'window shop' with local businesses all while raising money for Dress for Success. Be one of the first 50 women to arrive and you'll receive a goody bag with gifts from several local venders. Admission is only $8 and will automatically enter you into a raffle drawing. Prizes include a massage, clothing, dinner and a portrait gift certificate. Space is limited.
If interested, please contact The Playhouse Cafe at 717.612.1234 by February 27th. If you have any questions, contact Anne Smith.

Healthy Lifestyle Challenge - Week #6

2009-02-10T10:19:00.004-05:00

Not much to say about this past week. Still plugging along and doing well on most of my goals. Exercise is the last frontier I need to conquer and I believe if I could get that engine going I'd see a more rapid loss of poundage. We had several get togethers so I didn't eat as well as I would've hoped, but at least the damage wasn't that bad.

I asked this week to share with us your love language. As far as I know, love language has nothing to do with weight loss. I just thought it was a good question for this week long celebration of L-O-V-E. My love language is quality time. I think next is words of affirmation.

You can read more about the 5 love languages here. Take a quick quiz and determine you own. Plus, I highly recommend the 5 Love Languages for Children book. It is invaluable to learning what motivates your child and how to better connect with them. The also have a book on the 5 love languages for teenagers.

Okay, you know the drill. Link up and let us know how you fared this week. And stay strong amidst all the chocolate that will be flowing this week. Remember, you've got to check in next Monday!

Check Back Tomorrow

2009-02-09T17:02:00.001-05:00

Check back tomorrow for this week's edition of the Skinny Girl Report. Just didn't get to it this morning and I refuse to weigh myself any other time than first thing in the morning. See ya on the flip side.

Artistic Expressions

2009-02-09T08:47:00.006-05:00

How do you define 'art'? Is it confined to the use of paint, crayons, glue, pottery, etc.? Maybe you consider music and drama to be included in its genre. How about other gifts or talents? Is it possible for a broader definition to include these? What happens to a talented woman when she enters the world of motherhood and discovers all of the wants and needs that seem to be included in the job description of 'Mommy'?

If you have been asking yourself how you fit into motherhood - know that you aren't the only one. Join us tomorrow at MIA while we tackle this topic. Our guest speaker will share her journey and experiences as she learned to adjust to motherhood without ignoring the gifts that God has blessed her with.

Did Someone Say Dark Chocolate?

2009-02-03T11:27:00.009-05:00

Simms and I have never gone crazy over Valentine's Day. I'd hypothesize that it's because our Anniversary (both when we started dating and when we got married) is in January and we've already celebrated how much we love each other. It kind of makes February 14th a day to say "oh yeah, by the way, just in case you've forgotten, I love you again!" Don't get me wrong - we still let each other know how much we love them but we've never established a tradition for Valentine's Day. Throughout the years cards have been given, a love note tucked in his lunch, e-cards sent online, dinner out or in but not cooked by me (now that's a huge gift!). You get the point. Last year I gave Simms a chocolate my wife rocks tee and myself a chocolate my husband rocks tee which can be purchased at from*me tees. He loved it and wears it often. I liked that I was giving him chocolate without the calories!!!

For our anniversary this year, we treated ourselves to the two shall become one tees - his and hers.

Since we did that a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know what I was going to do this year for Valentine's Day until I saw the debut of the new black metro tees. Can you tell we like to live the tag line celebrate your spouse in style?

I appreciate being able to give Simms a gift that is thoughtful, loving and will last long after the flowers have wilted and the candy has gone to your waist or hips. LOL. I will probably still leave a love note in his lunch and we'll go out to eat but since we are both watching our calories, this year, the black metro tee is my dark chocolate.

What if you aren't a chocolate kind of gal? No problem. From*me tees has a large selection for both men and women and there is even a Winter Sale going on right now! While you are checking the site out, you may want to note that the company has recently expanded their line to include selections for children and babies. My boys were thrilled to receive their daddy rocks (mommy's right) tees at Christmas and have already told me that they want the mommy rocks (daddy's right) tee as well.

Regardless of what you choose to do this year, take time to say I love you and remember to say it on the days that lead up to the 14th as well as those that follow!

Community Connections

2009-02-02T11:31:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow morning from 9am-11am at CCC we will be starting a new ministry called Community Connectors. Here woman of all ages can come and learn a new skill/craft and then bless others with their new creations.

This month we will be focusing on Knitting & Crocheting. Never knit or crocheted before? Well here we will learn from each other. Expert you say? Well we need your input and knowledge. We hope to gather those who have never done this before and those who are experts.

We will be making hats and scarfs and donating them to The Streets Ministry. This ministry meets on the first Saturday of the month in Harrisburg in the Allison Hill district. They offer prayer through street evangelism and outreach opportunites like free food and clothing. In March, Community Connectors will provide our hand made gifts to bless those who need to stay warm in the cold winter season. I will continue to post updates and photos of the great time we have. If you have an itch to join us, contact the church for sign-up information.

This particular hat pictured above was knit for a friend of mine and her beautiful little "bug". To find out who go to GlamourHippie. I hope she likes it.

Healthy Lifestyle Challenge - Week #5

2009-02-02T08:41:00.003-05:00

Dark chocolate. That is my answer for the one food I have a hard time turning down. But since it is suppose to be good for you in small doses, I've decided to not limit myself during my healthy challenge. I don't crave it all the time, just at certain times of the month...if you get my drift.

It was another decent week here at the ranch. I had 1-2 sodas but have to say that I'm definitely losing the taste for them. Now they seem way to sugary and just don't satisfy my thirst as much. Progress! Water intake is steadily increasing and bed time is getting closer to 11pm each night. I had hoped to start my exercise video this week but it didn't happen. I also seem to still be avoiding that darn vitamin. I'm not sure why since that would be a no-brainer thing to accomplish every week.

But I am happy to report that I weighed in at 152 pounds this morning!! (Picture coming). Let me recap:

Starting Weight: 156.5
Week 1: 156.5
Week 2: 154
Week 3: 153
Week 4: 152

Slow and steady wins the race! What about you? How are you doing with your personal get healthy goals?

Question for Next Week: What's your love language?

Dry Skin: A Flaky and Sometimes Burning Topic

2009-01-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

Our corner has definitely benefited from the use of our new humidifier this winter. We aren't waking up with dry throats or coughing in the night. Simms has seen a decrease in headaches as well. We also don't "shock" each other any more. The only down side is that I was still struggling with symptoms that my friend Thrills told me was due to dry skin.

My annual trip to the dermatologist this January confirmed what Thrills said. She told me that the humidifier definitely helps however age also has something to do with dry skin. Great. Another annoyance to deal with. She said that when she was in her early 30's, she only needed to moisturize her legs but as she moved into her late 30's, her entire body needed to be moisturized - especially her back where the effect of dry skin caused itchiness and tingly/burning sensations. If you haven't experienced this, the description may sound weird (and good for you!) but if you have, then you understand exactly what I'm saying.

Wonderful. More evidence that I am indeed getting older. Another step to add to my daily routine.

Now, after I shower, I pat dry, and then slather on cream. This is important. Lotion isn't good enough. How do you tell the difference? According to Thrills, if it's from a pump, it's a lotion. Creams are in tubs. My dermatologist confirmed the benefits of using a cream instead of a lotion. I thought I had a pretty good supply of creams that have been purchased on sales here and there but after emptying one of my containers in a mere two weeks I can see that my supply is going to be depleted pretty quickly. My next quest is to locate and purchase a vat of cream at a good price! Any suggestions???

Enough about me. How about you?

Have you hit the late 30's stage of dry skin?

Do you slather on cream? I've heard you can use baby oil but for some reason I have an aversion to that right now.

If you use cream, care to share what kind?

Has another remedy worked for you? Seriously I'd love to hear about it. Not saying I'm going to do it (see above comment about baby oil) but you never know, it might benefit another reader.

One final note - the cream works. I haven't had any of the symptoms of dry skin!

$300 For Me...I'll Take It!

2009-01-30T10:07:00.001-05:00

I just posted the following information on my personal blog, but thought that it would also be important to post it here as well - I am sure many people that I know (and some that I don't know) will be interested in learning more about this too!

Did you have a baby in 2008? You may also be qualified to receive an additional $300 too!

I just found out that the economic stimulus checks that were issued last spring were intended for every person that was alive in 2008...so, since Smiles was born in 2008, we should be qualified to receive a recovery rebate credit!

You can claim the recovery rebate when you do your taxes this year, and you can read more about it here. (thanks, Kacie!)

My Favorite Quote from the Day

2009-01-27T22:28:00.001-05:00

"I am a mother; I can tune out distractions like it's an Olympic sport."

from Big Mama

The Winning Recipe

2009-01-27T11:14:00.002-05:00

Our small group had a Chili Cookoff last weekend and my chili took top prize! I thought I'd post the winning recipe so you can all go and win your own chili cookoffs.

1 - large can of diced tomatoes (I use tomato sauce)
(I include all juices for falling ingredients)
1 - can Great Northern Beans
1 - can Black Beans
3 - cans dark Kidney Beans
1 - small can Pork and Beans
1 - lb of lean cooked hamburger meat
7 oz fat free smoked turkey sausage or kielbasa, cut up
1 package of chili seasoning

Brown hamburger first. Add the other ingredients and cook in crockpot all day.

Dessert?

2009-01-26T10:16:00.004-05:00

Last week Barber and I joined my parents for lunch. This was a challenge for me because when you are watching what you are eating, going to a restaurant can be tough - especially because you are then watching what everyone is eating.

I decided to have a cup of soup and a salad and it was delicious. Barber told me he wasn't hungry for his own meal and that he would just eat some of my salad which was A-OK with me. It was also easier to watch my Mom and Dad eat because they chose soup and salads as well. At the end of the meal the waitress came by and asked the obligatory question - dessert? I shook my head no and knew my Dad would politely decline for all of us when Barber loudly and enthusiastically responded "YES!". I giggled, made eye contact with the waitress to make sure she understood that the answer remained "no" and then reminded Barber that we were not having dessert. He accepted it well but then stated "But she asked."

Wouldn't it be nice if they would not ask?

Skinny Girl Challenge - Week 4

2009-01-26T10:12:00.004-05:00

I am really enjoying reading about how everyone is doing with their healthy lifestyle changes. I've been getting a lot of great ideas from all of you. Keep up the great work!

This week I asked what kind of exercise you enjoy most. I enjoy variety. I get bored going to the gym every day or running every time. I do best when I incorporate a variety of activities like walking, biking, hiking, swimming, etc. Now in the winter variety is much harder to achieve. Actually, any exercise at all is harder to do but I picked up an exercise video at Target that incorporates interval training. This particular interval training does 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs.

TCC and I realized we both have the same video so I'm anxious to hear how she is liking it and what type of results she is getting. But that's on my slate to start this week.

Otherwise, I'm drinking more water and doing fairly well with not having an evening snacks. I had two sodas Saturday night while at a company party for Jim. And let me tell you, partying with accountants will definitely drive you right to two sodas. I'm lucky it wasn't more. I'm really trying to get to bed earlier, but I'm hit and miss on that one.

The scale this week still has me at 153. I'm hoping by starting up with some exercise I can start to see a few more pounds start going.

What about you? How did you fair over the last week? Link up and spill the beans.

Next Week's Question: What one food can you almost never say no to?

Catie

2009-01-25T17:04:00.002-05:00

Last Wednesday, I asked you to pray for Catie, a local girl who was battling cancer. This morning, she received her healing as God called her home. These words are from her father:

Today, MaryCatherine O’Brien was called home. The perfection of heaven is a bit brighter today as our sunshine with the radiant glow and smile is welcomed to her eternal reward. Catie’s battle on this earth is over and she has triumphed. Her shell of a body, assaulted for months by her cancer has been restored to perfection and I am so thrilled for her. She went to sleep Friday at 4pm and never woke up.

Thanks for your prayers. Please continue to lift up the family as they grieve the loss of their beloved daughter, sister and friend.

Kids & Media Usage

2009-01-23T09:29:00.003-05:00

One of my daily reads is Church Relevance. They have a great post today about the media usage trends among kids. Here are two nuggets I found interesting:

Diaper Gamers
Four out of every five 2 to 5-year-olds play video games. Think about that. Some still struggle with pooping their pants or wetting the bed, yet they are learning how to master gaming. While playing video games at such a young age does not completely rewire a kid’s ability to enjoy childlike things, I do believe early gaming makes kids pickier and raises their level of expectations for entertainment.

Instant Gratification
Unless you are 8 years old, it is difficult to imagine growing up in a world where you can often instantly watch your favorite show, listen to your favorite song, call your best friend, look up an answer, or play a game. While these conveniences are wonderful, they also eliminate many opportunities to learn patience and self-discipline.

You can read all the statistics and how this information should be important to your church's children's ministry over at Church Relevance.

Please Pray for Catie

2009-01-21T13:23:00.004-05:00

Last summer, I learned about a 7-year-old girl in our area that is battling cancer. I don't know her or her family, even though they live just over mile from me, but learned about her through a friend.

This past summer, Catie learned she had a spinal tumor that is an extremely rare type of cancer. A very aggressive regiment of chemo, radiation and stem cell recovery was started, but the cancer has continued to spread and her parents decided to stop treatment in November.

Just in the last several weeks, the tumor has spread to her brain and is currently affecting the left side of her face, specifically her eye, cheek and mouth. She is not able to open her eye completely. Catie can no longer smile or chew with ease. She cannot drink through a straw. She is having difficulty speaking so that she is understood.

You can follow Catie's story on her Web site. Her parents update the site almost daily with Catie's progress and condition. Here is just a snippet of what her father wrote today:

It has been 57 days since that Tuesday when we first learned of the tumor spread
and stopped treatment. We have had two months to enjoy her. We can look at the last two months and see pictures of Catie and be saddened by what she has lost; mobility, eyesight, the ability to smile her trademark smile, the list goes on and will continue to grow. Or we can look at the gift of 57 days and realize that there are parents who lose children in car accidents and do not get 57 seconds to say good-bye. Tomorrow will be Day 58, and God willing, I will have another chance to hold my child in my arms and feel the rising and falling of her chest and be able to be blessed enough to witness her strength, her piety, her inner beauty, and her love. Every parent will tell you that the first time you hear your child say “mommy” or “daddy” it will melt your heart. As Catie lives from day to day, and her final day approaches, each day that I still get to hear her say “daddy” is a gift to be treasured.

Please pray for Catie and her family. Her parents know that she could be taken home any day, but they still hold on for the miracle of healing. Let's stand with them for that miracle.

Skinny Girl Challenge - #3

2009-01-20T09:31:00.006-05:00

Oh me, oh my. Well I'm a day late and a dollar short with this post. My apologies to the rest of you who had your posts up yesterday.

My question this week is what type of accountability works best for you when you are trying to lose weight or establish healthier routines. Personally, my husband is the worst person to hold me accountable. I feel like he is nagging and it usually ends with hurt feelings or a fight.

I'd have to say that knowing I have to post whether I had a soda or went to bed on time each week is definitely causing me to think twice before I eat that extra cookie or skip the eighth glass of water.

But I also came up with another idea to keep me on track each day because I was having a hard time remembering how much water I was drinking or if I had taken my vitamin. So I employed a simple trick I use for the kids: I created myself a sticker chart!

It is a daily chart that tracks my main five goals for right now:

1. Take vitamin
2. Drink 8 glasses of water
3. No Soda
4. No evening snacks
5. Bed by 11pm

When I've complete the task, I check it off for the day. Then I have a visual reminder of how well (or not) I'm doing and where I need to improve. Plus, it's on the refrigerator for everyone else to see so that provides a little extra incentive. The kids think it's funny.

This week I only had one soda, I drank more water, and only had evening snacks once or twice. I was in bed by 11 only two nights and didn't take my vitamin at all. Week two was much easier for not craving soda. So I'm getting there but I'm hoping the chart will help yield even greater results.

The best news is that I lost 2 pounds!!! I'm at 154. I wish I had a picture but my camera needs new batteries, so you'll just have to take my word today for the 2 pounds.

Next week's question: What kind of exercise do you enjoy most?

So link up and let us know how you did this week on the challenge!

FREE Suave - TODAY ONLY

2009-01-14T16:03:00.003-05:00

Those who know me, know that I enjoy bargain shopping - I love to stretch my dollar as much as I can...especially when it comes to CVS...that is a whole other post!

Anyway, I wanted to share this deal with all of you - it is really easy to get and you can do this first part in the comfort of your home, but you NEED to do it TODAY!!!

Suave is giving away a bottle of their product to every woman who signs up here! They will mail you a coupon for a free item and then you can pick that item up when you go grocery shopping!

So, what are you waiting for? Click here and stretch your dollar a bit!

Skinny Girl Stuck in Post-Baby Body - #2

2009-01-12T09:13:00.007-05:00

I think I may have set a world's record for falling off the healthier living wagon. Here's the ugly breakdown:

After going 8 days with no soda, I broke down and had three in a 5-day span.

I didn't take my vitamin even one time.

I did drink a little more water, but didn't meet my target

Only about half of the evenings I didn't have any PM snacks.

I never was in bed before 11:00PM

A bleak and dismal week indeed. But it's Monday and I'm ready to start a new week with a fresh attitude and a fresh start.

Last week I asked you to think about if you are an emotional eater, or do you eat when you're bored? Stressed? Or do you just love to eat?

For myself, I've always found eating to be an interruption in my day. A nuisance. An obligation.
I've been able to take it or leave it. It has never been anything that has held any real meaning to me...just a means to an end. Namely, life.

But as I reevaluated when I'm eating now, I think I'm eating when I'm bored. I find that when I'm watching TV or playing a game or just relaxing, that's when I'm most apt to grab a snack.

So with that new revelation, I'm going to make a conscious effort to either choose healthy snacks or avoid the food altogether. Have the time I really didn't even realize or think about what I was doing, so just being aware of that habit should help.

Well, I know you're all waiting anxiously for this week's scale picture. For those of you keeping score at home, the number didn't move. Now I'm off to drink some water. But first, link up and tell us how you did last week with your goals for healthier living! And next week, be ready to share what methods of accountability do you find the most helpful: husband, weight loss group, best friend, your kids?