Wordless Wednesday - Wishing for Spring!

Exciting News!

No, I'm not pregnant! But I wanted to announce that Judy (lucky #1) won the 39DollarGlasses giveaway, and coming up really soon will be a giveaway for a $50 gift card of your choice!


Photo Credit: Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Pillsbury Potluck Planning!

I'm planning my Pillsbury Potluck Party where each family will prepare a Pillsbury recipe to share with the others. With 30 minutes and 5 ingredients or less, which sound good to you?!?

• Crescent Cranberry Wreath
• Italian Crescent Casserole  
• Chicken-Chili Crescent Bake 
• So-Easy Chicken Pot Pie
• Spicy Chipotle Twists

Get these and other great recipe ideas at Pillsbury.com!

Wordless Wednesday - Santa's Little Helper?

Making a Christmas List?

And just like that, Thanksgiving is over and the frenzied season of (Christmas) shopping begins. On our local news, a lady who had camped outside Best Buy since Monday (for Black Friday shopping), said that camping out for several days was "the only way" she could get her family presents for Christmas since she had lost her job. I grew up in all simplicity of gift-giving -- whatever you could afford which suited the person gifted was wonderful. So all the focus on Christmas lists and having certain presents under the tree is extreme for me. If someone asks me what I want, I'll say something, which probably I'll forget to use in a few months, but most presents that are given without my insights seem to be treasured more because I know they were thinking of me when they bought it.

For some people in my extended family, I'll probably have to buy something for them off their list. But we'll try to throw a little creativity in and see what happens!


Photo Credit: Image: Kittisak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tokii Review

 

Remember seeing commercials with the family sitting around the dinner table, and instead of talking directly to each other, they're all texting each other on their phones? Or maybe you know friends like mine who will be in the same house, and even the same room, but on their own computers or phones, chatting and posting each other on Facebook?!?  The digital world presents lots of opportunities but also presents relational challenges.

Tokii is a free online resource that uses technology to bring fun and closeness to relationships. Tokii's goal is to provide couples with tools to playfully and easily grow their relationships, using simple Discovery Games and questions, not discussions or clinical diagnoses.They have all sorts of categories, from love to spirituality. And know that Tokii takes privacy and security very seriously.

Originally I sat down alone to check Tokii out. My husband wandered over, and we tried out the Spirituality section.

It was a simple way of tapping into each other's minds and provided opportunities to talk more about different ideas!

Tokii is new and innovative. Sign up to connect and rediscover each other!

Thankful Thanksgiving

I was teaching my weekly class of 4, 5, and 6-year olds. As we were sitting around the tables eating our snacks, one 4-year-old boy was talking about Thanksgiving and said, "God made Thanksgiving." In reply, his classmate matter-of-factly said, "I thought the Pilgrims made Thanksgiving!" It just made me smile! These boys were looking back to the beginnings of Thanksgiving and not to the hectic rush of entertaining or even mad shopping preparations. It made me appreciate and desire the simplicity the holiday warrants. Probably at the first Thanksgiving there was a feast, but I'm sure they weren't concerned about straining family relations, proper table settings, or menu planning -- it was a feast celebrating survival and partnership.

We have so much beyond survival to be grateful for, and I'm choosing to recognize the simple blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours!

Wordless Wednesday -- Will she hit it?!?

Win $5,000 For Your School!

Team up with everyone you know for a chance to win $5,000 for your favorite grade school or high school. Register and watch the trailer for "Game of Your Life" -- it's a video gaming drama about a promising young video game designer who has to make a choice that will affect his future and the lives of everyone around him. Then ask all your friends, family, teachers, fellow parents and PTO members – everyone you know – to watch it so they can vote for your school once a day, too. Because if any one of the people you tell wins, your school wins $5,000. 

Enter here!

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Legal residents of the 50 United States (D.C.) 18 or older as of the last day of the month prior to the date of entry. Ends 12/2/11. To enter and for Official Rules, including odds, and prize description, visit http://tremor.promo.eprize.com/gameofyourlife/. Void where prohibited.