Family Musings

When I was a little girl, my family experienced the unpleasantness of divorce. As is normal in these situations, every one hurt and mourned for what was lost. Of course,  I can't speak for anyone's experience but my own. And I know that it hurt. It was hard to be separated from one parent or the other on opposite weekends. But I always remember something my mom did to make it a little easier. She gave me a bear. It was a small stuffed bear with rainbow fur. And she told me that the rainbow was a promise that things would get better. My mom has always been a good gift giver. She's thoughtful and likes to think about how the recipient will use the gift. I try to be like her in this way. This month, DaySpring (in)spired Deals helped me give a special gift to my husband. They sent me this set of Mr. & Mrs. mugs. What makes these thoughtful is that the inside rim is printed with "I found the one my heart loves. Song of Solomon 3:4"  We have a lot of...

I know people love a good giveaway and this week I'm giving away a copy of 50 Things To Make & Do , from Usborne Books (see below for details on how to enter). I am in love with almost every book in their catalog and have already ordered several of them as Christmas and birthday presents. I love them so much, I bought one with my own money to giveaway to one of you. You'll have to scroll down to the bottom of this post to find out how to enter. Also, I've received several books to review over the past year and it occurred to me that many of them would make excellent Christmas gift ideas. Browse this list and let me know which ones you think might work for someone in your life? Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Their New Skates : This is a sweet throwback book based on the original Flicka, Ricka, Dicka series from more than 30 years ago. The updated edition includes paper dolls so your children can recreate the story from memory. I think this would be a great gift for ...

This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been announced here . I recently started juicing but find that some days or mornings I just don't have time to get it all done. In those instances, my girls either drink milk or pre-made fruit juice. I was recently sent a sample of V8 V-Fusion Concord Grape Raspberry 8 ounce cans (along with a lunch kit) and was surprised to find that all of us enjoyed the taste. I packed it in Bruce's lunch and split one between the girls and each of them asked for it again and again. I'd like to let you all in on the juicy goodness and here is what you can win: A green lunch tote (which I really like, but let Bruce use) Reusable Velcro bag, the perfect item for keeping and snacks fresh Branded cards for moms to include notes for their children (or husband) to read at lunch Branded grocery list notepads A coupon for one free V8 V-Fusion, V8 V-Fusion Light or V8 V-Fusion + Tea beverage (46 ounce or 8 ounce 6 pack) A pack of NEW Goldfish...

Sometimes I go back and forth as to whether or not I want to continue reviewing and giving things away on this blog. But then, an opportunity to give away a family four pack of tickets to see Sesame Street Live at the Lakeland Center comes along, and I remember that I love blessing people with free things like this. So I agreed to share a little about the upcoming show in exchange for a four pack for myself and for one of my readers. This year, the theme for Sesame Street Live is “Elmo’s Super Heroes.” And according to the press kit, Super Grover has lost his super-ness! But never fear, the fabulous five Super Heroes are here -- featuring Elmo as Captain Fuzzy! Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Zoe and all their furry friends are on a quest to put the “super” back in Super Grover. Singing and dancing their way through fun lessons on healthy habits, they discover how exercise, rest, nutritious food and good hygiene can save Super Grover -- and turn your children into Super Heroes, too! You’ll b...

Some times my giveaways are fun things for the family. Some times they are useful things for the kitchen. And some times, I have the privilege of giving away something that is so meaningful every life touched by it will be moved. Today, I have the blessing of sharing Shop To Stop Slavery with you. It was started by Robin, a MOPS mom, who knew there had to be a better way to give lovely gifts to our friends and family, a way that didn't rely on slave labor. So, she opened Shop to Stop Slavery and now connects people all over the world with fair trade vendors through mutually beneficial purchases. When I met Robin in person, her passion for helping the impoverished and victims of human trafficking was clear. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the realities of forced labor around the world. Robin told me that she designed her store to be "the online resource to buy slave free products and abolish slavery through socially responsible shopping." As you consider the...

It used to be, BC (before children), that I wore jewelry every day. I had such a large jewelry collection that I talked my parents into buying me a fancy jewelry armoire for my birthday. There was jewelry to match every outfit in my closet. I had matching sets, funky stuff, refined pieces, simple strands... I rarely lacked for the right piece to wear. None of it was terribly expensive either. The vast majority of it was costume jewelry, with a smattering of special precious pieces mixed in. Then, came Charlotte. She loved my jewelry. She would pull on my cute, dangly earrings or get her fingers tangled in my multi-layered necklaces. As with other new mothers I know, I eventually just stopped wearing jewelry. I did find a couple of simple pieces that worked, but truly, my accessories no longer really reflected my true personal style. It's been four years since the birth of that little girl... And over time, my style disappeared changed. Pieces from the first decade of this centu...

My first paid job was at Winn-Dixie as a cashier. But that isn't as far back as Winn-Dixie and I go. Apparently, everyone in my family was so excited that my father had a job at Winn-Dixie when I was born, they decided to photograph me with a can of beans sold under the Winn-Dixie brand! The 70's were a classy time people! However... since I can't seem to find a scan of that picture to share with you tonight, how about, in honor of being my first employer and in honor of a Box Tops for Education promotion they are running, why don't I give away a $25 Winn-Dixie giftcard? I love collecting Box Tops for Education (BT4E). I get a weird sense of satisfaction when we finish a box of something and I get to cut the box off and drop that little rectangle in to the container I store them in. Then, when it gets full, I have fun delivering it to the local private school I support. Last time I filled up my box, I had nearly 100 box tops in it! Usually, I get most of my BT4E f...

My 3 (nearly 4) year old knows that some day, Jesus is going to knock on her heart's door. And to hear her tell us that she is looking forward to that day makes my heart happy. And maybe it makes my eyes a little wet too. She already has a love for God that impresses me and I can't wait to see what happens when He really takes hold of her life. I'm sure I'll need some help letting go, but she'll be in good hands. Almost daily, my husband and I make efforts pour the love of God into her and her sister, in ways they can recognize and in more subtle ways that they may never notice. Bruce prays Numbers 6:24-26 over them each night. I try to teach Charlotte and Mary  Bible verses that will build their character . Ultimately, we are trying to teach them that they are loved not only by us, but by God too. Some of these efforts come out in the books we read to our girls. Some of these efforts are seen in the television shows we let them watch, or not  watch. And more r...

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® . All opinions are 100% mine. Social Spark sent me a coupon for a single slice of pizza. I thought it was a bit odd since I'm used to seeing whole pizzas sold at my grocery store. But, when I went to the store the next day, I found out that Freschetta now sells pizza by the slice! So, I used my coupon, bought a slice, and had it for lunch. And you know what, it fulfilled my desire for pizza. The crust was chewy. and the pizza was cheesy (because I picked the Six Cheese Medley flavor). Overall, it was a satisfying lunch once I added an orange and a tall glass of cold water. FRESCHETTA® By the Slice  comes in 4 different flavors: Six Cheese Medley BBQ Recipe Chicken Vegetable Medley Chicken, Spinach, & Mushroom This product is too expensive to serve for an entire family. And not big enough to throw in the oven for those nights when my husband is "bachin' it." But, the serving size is bi...

I like having a clean house. But I hate cleaning. And Spring Cleaning? Forget about it! All year long I fantasize about the various Spring cleaning tasks that I just know I'll be eager to do when Spring comes. I mean, after all, Spring cleaning is supposed to be fun and help us usher in the season of open windows and blue skies. But then March 21st comes, and I am always distracted by the blue skies. So Spring cleaning never officially happens in my house. The base boards never get dusted. The cabinets don't get cleaned out. The crumbs that accumulate in the silverware holder stay put. (Extra entry to the person who knows how they even get there in the first place!) The top of the refrigerator stays icky. You see, the list of ought to's is just too long for beautiful Spring days. I can never bring myself to get those yearly tasks done in a timely manner. Can any of you relate? There is one part of the house that my ick factor is pretty low on though, and that's th...

Does your child believe in the Easter Bunny ? Santa Clause ? The Tooth Fairy ? If so, I found a website sure to delight both you and them as you try to build anticipation of big events in their lives. It's called Catch A Character and it allows you to insert a picture of these elusive characters into your own pictures. Imagine you child's surprise on Easter morning when they wake to find eggs scattered around the house and a picture of the Easter Bunny trying to hide them. Or the morning after they leave their tooth under their pillow and then you surprise them with a picture of the Tooth Fairy in action. You'd be the coolest mom on the block with that picture! I played around with the site a bit and had a lot of fun putting the right picture with the right Santa image. You can adjust the size of the character as well as the coloring or brightness. This helps make it look as real as possible. I was really impressed with how easy it was to use. I have 5 free picture c...

I'm doing something a little different today. I'm partnering with a new friend to give away a $50 gift certificate to the Just Between Friends North Tampa children's consignment sale. I'm doing this to help out a mom and a business that I think can help lots of other moms dress their kids in style for less. I've been to consignment sales before and let me tell you... $50 goes a VERY long way! Here are some details about the Just Between Friends North Tampa sale: As a part of the Nation's leading children and maternity consignment event, Just Between Friends of Tampa is the Tampa area's largest selection of gently used children's items - everything from clothing and toys to books, games, room decor, baby equipment and more! If kids can use it, we've probably got it. Consignors make 65% of the selling price of their items. They price their own items prior to the sale and then bring them to the event the day before it starts. All items are inspect...

Sometimes I come across the cutest idea in kids clothing.And I kick myself because I know I should have thought of it first. Does that ever happen to anyone else? The most recent example of this happening to me is the Chalkboard Tee. It is a t-shirt with a built in chalkboard and chalk holder to keep your kid entertained where ever you end up - in line at the post office, waiting for friends at a restaurant, or just on the living room couch. Charlotte really loves to wear her Chalkboard Tee. I can't wash it fast enough to keep up with her requests. We've washed it 3-4 times already and it still looks perfect. The tee shirt comes with a small box of 5 colors of chalk. One piece fits into a small sewn on pocket on the front seam of the shirt. The five most popular styles offered by Chalkboard Tee are Light Blue Tie, Grass Skyline, Light Pink Heart, Red Apple, and Light Pink Butterfly (the one Charlotte has). One thing I really appreciated about this company is their...

It isn't often that I seek out products to review. I receive enough PR emails that I can typically pick and choose my opportunities. However, when I heard about Curly Girl The Handbook and that an expanded second edition was coming out soon, I contacted the publisher. Much to my delight, they sent me a hot off the presses copy to review along with travel sized samples of 4 Deva Curl hair products. Plus, they offered three more books to giveaway to my readers! I didn't expect to love the book as much as I do. But from the very beginning, my eyes were inundated with pictures of curly haired women with gorgeous locks. Never in my life can I recall seeing so many people with beautiful, bouncy curls. It was like hair heaven for me. In the past I've experimented with giving up shampoo . And you've born with me as I shared the results. But I never had staying power. And eventually I decided to add some fun, purple highlights to my hair , so I thought dropping my no-poo rou...

For Charlotte's 3rd birthday party, I included some really cool wind up toys. These are not the windups you remember from your childhood either. Not only can they go forward or backward, but they can spin, dance, sway, and some of them can even swim! These are way cooler! Of the dozen or so I received to review, I did keep one Z Windups for Charlotte to play with in the bathtub and it is a regular favorite to wind up the little swimming alligator and chase him around the tub. I've thought about getting her some more but hadn't gotten around to it when I found them at Michael's craft store. Yay! I think I know what she'll be getting in her stocking this year. One thing to note though, due to small parts, these are children 3 and older. The selection of Z Windups available appeals to all ages. I am pretty certain the adults in our house had much fun playing with them before we put them in the goody bags as the kids who received them did. You can either pur...

A week ago, I put on my crazy hat and drove several hours to TN with just the girls. All to celebrate a 1st birthday (pictures and stories coming soon). Bruce thought I was crazy. But I knew better - I am crazy! :) Overall the trip went well. Thank you for asking. Since the weather was cooler there than in "no-Fall Florida," I was able to let Mary try on one of her newest outfits - a mini mioche Fresh Dress with Snug Pant leggings . It was perfect for an afternoon at the pumpkin patch when it's too cold to stand in the shade and just perfect when you step out into the light. It was one of those days when you can't help but smile as you feel the sunlight warm your skin while at the same time the breeze tickles your cheeks to remind you that it is actually cool outside. And just like that simple pleasure, the premise for mini mioche is simple: Amazing basics and fashion styles The absolute softest organic cotton  Great fitting products  Interesting and diffi...