~ Nov. 18, 2009
The Gift that Always Fits

Over at The Mom Maven I have been writing abut Christmas shopping, CyberMonday and Black Friday all week long and I thought I'd share post on the same theme over here.  Sometimes we have that person who is hard to shop for on our holiday list. You know you don't want to give them another generic gift basket but what else can you do? Give them Gift Cards! Shop.com has a great selection of gift cards available to retailers nationwide.

Here are just a few suggestions of gift cards you could give:

Teen Boy

• Converse
• FansEdge
• Gap

• Old Navy
• GAP
• Nordstom's

• Home Depot
• L.L. Bean
• MLB Shop

• QVC
• Kohl's
• Frontgate

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~ Nov. 16, 2009
Vacation Rental Homes

When traveling with a large group or for an extended stay,vacation home rental homes offer a nice alternative to a typical hotel. Many vacation homes sleep 8-12 people so, if you are traveling with extended family or a group of friends it is often more cost effective to rent a home than multiple hotel rooms. Another nice feature of a rental home is having your own kitchen. You will save money by making some of your meals instead of eating out for every meal.

There are lots of great vacation rental homes around the country including tourist destinations like Kissimmee, FL (Walt Disney World area) and Gatlinburg, TN. As you plan your next vacation, think about a vacation rental home as an alternative to your usual accommodations.

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~ Oct. 28, 2009
Shopping Help is Here

The holiday shopping season is upon us. For some people that means the excitement of finding the perfect gift at  a great price; for other people it means dreading trips to crowded malls and shopping plazas trying to find something for everyone on the list. I have come across a helpful online tool that makes shopping easier.

ShopWiki.com is a comparison search engine that helps the shopper find the products they want at the price they are willing to pay-without having to traipse all over the Internet to find the best deals! I have been searching for months for a specific Vera Bradley purse. I put the information in the ShopWiki search engine and it returned several stores with great deals on the bag I've been looking for. I found out that I can get the $40 purse for only $20 from a reputable store I hadn't ever bothered for it at!

You don't have to be in the US to use ShopWiki either, they are expanding into the European nations too. You can visit ShopWiki for the UK,  France and Germany. Please tell your friends about this great resource and let it take some of the stress out of this holiday shopping season.

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~ Sep. 14, 2009
Net Spend for Teens

NetSpend is one of the leading providers of reloadable prepaid debit cards services in the United States. The company's debit cards enable virtually anyone to make purchases, pay bills, secure reservations, and shop online without the need for a bank account or credit history.NetSpend has one of the most convenient and accessible retail networks in the country, including more than 30,000 card purchase locations and a total of approximately 90,000 debit card reload locations.

I feel this is a great way to start teaching our teens how to use a debit card without the fear of overdraft fees and penalties. In this day and age most people carry little cash and use their debit cards for their purchases. NetSpend allows your teen the convenience of a debit card without the hassles of a traditional card. If you would like more information on the NetSpend prepaid visa mastercardclick the link.

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~ Jul. 17, 2009
Dental Care

I don't know about you but I have been searching for affordable dental care. Since my husband and I are both self employed we have no health insurance or dental insurance. We make sure our boys go to all of their dentist appointments but the costs have doubled in the last 5 years. My oldest son has had braces and my youngest son needs them. My husband and I are both in need of what will end up being thousands of dollars of dental work...when we finally get there.

Fortunately, we may get there sooner than we originally thought. Today I found the Dental Direct Website. They are a national discount company that gives individuals the ability to maintain their oral health without any financial burdens. They offer up to 60% savings on a patients dental work with a national network of qualified dental provider office locations to choose from. Dental Direct benefits are $15 a month for an individual plans, $25 a month for a family up to five people living in the same household, and they even offer a senior discount 65 and older $9.99 a month. Their plan coverage includes general, cosmetic, restorative and even specialty dental services. If you need help affording your dental care check out Dental Direct Website.

This post was sponsored by Dental Direct.

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~ Jul. 15, 2009
Wrinkles

Wrinkles seem to be an inevitable part of the aging process. You can do something about them though. Oro Gold Cosmetic's Wrinkle Treatment  stands out from the crowd. By combining the leading Botox alternative Argireline, with the lifting serum and the Instant Stretching Mask, Oro Gold Cosmetics has designed the premiere wrinkle penetration kit in the industry. If you want to keep your skin young and beautiful, check out Oro Gold's Wrinkle Treatment .

This post is sponsored by Oro Gold Cosmetics.

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~ Jul. 14, 2009
1st Blogiversary

Today is my 1st Blogiversary. It is hard to imagine my life without blogging and social media. This blog started it all. Last summer was a difficult one for my family. We were having a lot of financial struggles, we were holding on to the hope of a new job for my husband and the move that was sure to come soon after. The job never came, neither did the move. That is ok.

Last summer we knew we were facing a new and different homeschool year because our co-op was not continuing. I learned about notebooking and lapbooking and how to incorporate those into high school lessons.

Since starting this blog and TheMomMaven as well as writing MommyBabble and MomMaven'sMemos I have embraced the talents and gifts God has given me in new and creative ways. I am thankful that I stepped into the world of blogging when I did.

Thank you, my friends and readers for making this past year very interesting.

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~ Jun. 30, 2009
New Feature

Starting this week, I am adding a new feature to this blog "Sunday's Sermon Notes". Here I will write out the notes from Sunday's sermon at Journey Assembly of God in Bradenton, FL. This is a multi-purpose feature. I will dig deeper into the message so that I can share it with you and hopefully you will in turn be blessed by the message. You can always feel free to visit our website at www.journeyassembly.org.

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~ Apr. 29, 2009
Ride the Flying Ray in Orlando

In less than a month the coolest new roller coaster is opening in Orlando. Manta is opening May 22nd at SeaWorld Orlando. Manta is a flying coaster, one of just a handful in the world. I am not a roller coaster expert, I don't even like most coasters but, I want to try this one, I think. I am intrigued by the flying aspect of the coaster and I want to try it, at least once.

Even if you aren't a roller coaster enthusiast, Manta still has something for you. The attraction boasts multiple aquatic habitats which house more than 3,000 animals. There are 300 rays from 8 different species, sea dragons, sea horses, over 2,000 exotic fish and one Pacific Octopus! There are "pop-up" aquariums where kids can "pop up" in the middle of the aquarium and be surrounded by fish. There is also a 220-square foot over head viewing panel so the guests can experience hundreds of rays swimming over them!

SeaWorld Orlando has set up a website to whet your appetite for Manta. It is an interactive website, I just spent about 45 minutes learning all about the ride, watching an interesting behind the scenes video with izea's Ted Murphy, and learning about all of the marine life that are part of this attraction. When you go to www.ridetheflyingray.com you register for a free account and participate in 6 different activities.

• Take the Manta quiz
• Submit to Flickr
• Fill Your Row
• Submit to YouTube
• Make a Manta Mask
• Follow & Tweet

If you complete 2 of the activities you will earn ONE complimentary electronic photograph from your Manta ride experience at SeaWorld Orlando. If you complete all six activities, you'll go straight to the front of the line when you earn a Manta "front-of-the-line" pass (see rules on the actual website) at SeaWorld Orlando. I have completed 2 activities and I am going for all 6. I figure if I have a front-of-the-line pass then I have less time to chicken out! I hope to get to SeaWorld Orlando this summer and I hope to see you there!

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~ Apr. 17, 2009
I'm Sorry I have neglected you

It has been weeks since I have posted here, I'm sorry. I have been busy on my main blog. I just moved it to WordPress so it is now located at http://themommaven.com.

I haven't posted a fitness Friday post in weeks because I gave up and fell off the bandwagon. I got bored with the Wii Fit. I have gotten back on the bandwagon as of today. I got My Fitness Trainer for Wii and this will be a great complement to the Wii Fit.

I haven't post a Destination Disney post because 2 weeks ago the topic was the Disney Cruise Line and all my post would say is-Never been hope to go May 2010. Last week the topic was Typhoon Lagoon. I wrote a post and it disappeared off my screen and I didn't have time to re-write it. This week's topic is Frontier Land. I have pictures for this...on my laptop that has a virus and is currently in the shop. If they don't have to wipe my hard drive then this may get posted eventually. If they have to wipe my hard drive I will say goodbye to 5 years of digital photos that are not backed up anywhere. i know, I know-my fault. I've been beating myself up for days.

So, that is where I have been. I am working on a review of a book and homeschool curriculum that I will post here sometime next week. Thank you for your patience.

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~ Feb. 4, 2009
Winter's Tail

My family and I have been following Winter's story on our local news. When I received this information about the book being written of her story, I couldn't wait to share it.

“Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again”

 In Bookstores October 2009

Turtle Pond Publications, the private media and entertainment company based in New York, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium

“Winter's Tail” is the official version of Winter's story authorized by Clearwater Marine Aquarium. The book uses stunning photography that chronicles Winter's dramatic rescue and the subsequent heroic efforts and dedication by doctors, CMA staff, engineers and scientists to help Winter by fitting her with a breakthrough prosthetic tail, designed to be flexible enough for movement and durable enough for swimming.  Beyond all expectations, Winter has thrived at her home at CMA and has become an inspiration to the disabled and able-bodied alike. “Winter’s Tail” will deliver an important message of hope, friendship and universal acceptance.

“My daughters and I were mesmerized by Winter’s amazing story and wanted to share it not only as a source of inspiration for those who struggle with and overcome all kinds of disabilities, but also as a way to introduce a difficult topic to a wide range of young audiences in an accessible way that encourages discussion, compassion and understanding. The truly loveable Winter puts everyone at ease through her sheer resilience,” said Craig Hatkoff. “The heroic dedication and collaborative solution to her dilemma using state of the art prosthetic technology has captured the world’s imagination that anything is possible.” 

“We are thrilled that our Winter is the first U.S.-based subject of the Hatkoff’s collection of true animal stories from around the world,” said David Yates, CEO of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. “Winter has already touched the lives of so many and we look forward to welcoming new friends at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium who will learn about her story through the book.”

“Winter’s story is an inspiration to children and adults around the world who face everyday challenges. This incredible tale of a ‘little dolphin that could’ will resonate with readers of all ages,” said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade Publishing. “Scholastic is thrilled to collaborate with the Hatkoff family and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on this amazing and stunning picture book.”

“Winter’s Tail” marks the fifth installment in the critically-acclaimed Turtle Pond Collection of non-fiction picture books about remarkable animals overcoming adversity, all published by Scholastic. The books by Craig Hatkoff, and his daughters Juliana (14) and Isabella (10), include Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (2006)

About The Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a Florida non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to marine life rescue, rehabilitation and release, and environmental education. For additional information, visit www.SeeWinter.com

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~ Jan. 19, 2009
Marriage Class

Sunday night my husband and I started attending a marriage class at our church. I am a firm believer that all marriages need work and can be better than they already are. We try to be a part of a marriage class or seminar at least every couple of years.

Last fall our associate pastor and his wife facilitated "Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage" video course with Mark Gungor. Most of our friends took the class and said it was wonderful. Due to our schedule, we weren't able to take the class then. Now our senior pastor and his wife are facilitating the class and we are a part of the class. We are about 15 yrs younger than any other couple in our class, but that doesn't matter, I love inter-generational fellowship.

Class number one was all about the 2 brains-the man brain and the woman brain- and how God created them to be very different. Pastor Gungor teaches in a very humorous style and we definitely laughed hard and often. We both learned a lot too. There are 6 more weeks of classes and I am excited to learn more. If you want more information about the video series or Pastor Gungor's seminars visit his website.

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~ Jan. 13, 2009
Blog It Forward

I am happy to be Blogging it Forward! Thanks to Tori at Tastefully Simple for sharing this great cause with me. Let’s Eat Cake, an amazing fundraiser hosted by the equally amazing Melissa Margarita-DiStefano, is coming up quick: Tuesday, February 17th at the Plaza Paramount Hotel! Let’s Eat Cake is a cake decorating competition with all proceeds going to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Learn more about the fundraiser right here. In an effort to make sure we get the word out to everyone (and raise money), we are starting this chain-blog (Ok, not sure if that is correct terminology. But it’s like a chain letter so let’s just go with it, shall we?)

Here’s what we need you to do…Repost this post (or create your own new version) on your blog and ask others to post it on their blogs. Melissa will donate one dollar to the fundraiser for EVERY BLOG that posts on Let’s Eat Cake this week! With the power of the blogosphere, that can QUICKLY add up! Let’s make Melissa Pay! Once you have reposted it, leave a comment letting us know that you posted it along with the url to your blog. It’s for a great cause and it will be fun to see how far it will go! So lets do it… Lets blog it forward and raise money for a great cause!!!
**Kudos to Unique Designs for creating this fun chain-blog effort!
** P.S. Ok, Melissa… time to kick in another $1! ;)
 P.S.S. If any business wants to help out with a matching challenge, Melissa would love to hear from you! Blog it forward, then leave a comment and share your blog link!

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~ Jan. 8, 2009
Orlando Science Center Hosts Otronicon V. 4

Orlando Science Center has an exciting educational opportunity coming up later this month. Otronicon V.4 presented by Full Sail University, will be held January 16-20 and will be open to school groups January 20-23. What is Otronicon? It is a huge educational, interactive video game experience. This event is a “must do” for families with tween and teen gamers. Not only will they be able to play their favorite games, your kids ages 12-18 can register for workshops on the science and art of video game creation. The workshops are broken down into 3 different sections: Game Design, Game Development, and Asset Creation. You can download more in depth information on the workshops here .

There are several hands-on areas at Otronicon V.4. In Simulation Universe you can try your hand at military, racing, aviation and medical sims. At the Wii Family area you can play on the Wii Fit on 12 big screen Wii stations! Playstation Nation is the place to go and play Medical Sim City. While Xbox Rocks will host Guitar Hero and Call of Duty: World at War play. PC gamers have an area to play World of Warcraft and Spore. Your little ones will enjoy the Pint-sized game area with V-Smile Art Studio, piano teaching stations, dancing games and V-Motion. Parents will have fun introducing their kids to the games of their youth in the Classic Arcade. Show your kids who rule at Tron, Centipede, Ms Pacman, Frogger and other classic games.

When you are ready for a break from playing games you can check out the Machinima Film Festival or stop by the gaming competitions. There will be competitions in everything from classics like Pac Man and Donkey Kong to current faves Wii Fit and Guitar Hero.

Orlando Science Center is located at 777 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Florida 32803-1291. Daily admission to Otronicon is $17 for adults $12 for children under age 12 and OSC members receive free admission. For more information click here to go to the Otronicon website .

Otronicon @ Orlando Science Center

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~ Dec. 18, 2008
The Christmas Tree, The Star and The Clapper

For the last 3 Christmases we have been so busy with Christmas plays (usually 2-3 a year), our annual trip to Disney World in December (which isn't happening this year), and everything else going on in our lives that we did not get a full size Christmas tree.  We had a tabletop tree on a TV tray.  The tree was covered only in Disney ornaments. We all came to love that little tree.

This year we only have 1 Christmas play, tonight in fact, and that is it so we decided to put up all our Christmas decorations. Ok, we can't put them all up because it seems the collection has grown and the house hasn't.  Anyway, last Friday Ron and the boys went to Lowes and got a live 6' tree on sale for $20! Saturday we put on the lights. When we unpacked the angel topper she looked pretty sad.  She is 17 yrs old, we bought her our first Christmas together.  It was time to retire her.  We decided we wanted a star.  Jordan and I headed to Wal-Mart. 

The Wal-Mart stars were all cheesy or tacky looking. We went across the street to Sam's. We couldn't find any toppers, we talked to the man working in the Christmas decorations dept. and he said they didn't carry the toppers and my best bet would be to go to Target. We head to Target and find a few that are ok.  We really wanted something that was classy but lit up and was preferrably silver.  We found a cool red one but decided against it.  Then we found 2 modern looking silver wire ones and we were trying to figure out how to add lights to it. We were just about ready to give up when I spotted a different box on the bottom shelf behind 4 other boxes.  Jordan pulled it out and it was a beautiful star, brushed gold with mirrors. No lights, not silver but we both knew this was the one.  It cost $14.99-almost as much as the tree but we bought it anyway.

Saturday night the boys decorated most of the tree and Jordan and I finished it on Monday.  The one thing we couldn't find in all of the boxes was the timer.  We had been climbing behind the tree to plug and unplug it.  Our tree is in an odd space.  There is no place in our small living room for a 6' Christmas tree. So, our tree lives in the kitchen/dining room next to the microwave. It works and we can see it from the livingroom so all is good.

Tuesday, Jordan and I were in CVS picking up a few things when I saw "The Clapper". Last year we bought my husband the clapper for Christmas because he is so hard to buy for and he never asks for anything specific.  He also jokingly often walks into a room and claps his hands and then laughs when the lights don't come on. Well, it has set on his closet shelf for a year, unopened.  When we got home I got the clapper off the shelf and the boys installed it on the Christmas tree.  We didn't tell Ron what we did, and sat down to dinner with the tree behind Ron's seat. Well, the clapper is a VERY sensitive instrument. Any noise with the correct rhythmis pattern will make it work.  Several times during dinner the tree turned on and off (and I'm not talking about the blinkie lights). The boys and I giggled and laughed through dinner and Ron had no idea what was going on. While cleaning up from dinner it was on and off some more. Later Tuesday night, as I was making popcorn in the microwave, Ron started laughing.  The tree kept turning off and on while the popcorn popped!

Wednesday at lunch Aaron popped open the parmesan cheese container and the lights turned on.  Ron closed a kitchen cabinet and they turned off.  Oh my goodness, this was too funny-and annoying. The boys tried to see what sounds they could make to get the tree to turn off and on. Well, Ron bought a new timer Wednesday afternoon and the clapper has disappeared. It was fun while it lasted.  I'll have to find out what he did with the clapper, I can see it being used for other harmless pranks in the future.

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~ Dec. 16, 2008
Cool Techie Gift for Mom

I know what my big Christmas present is.  I am so excited, I can't wait for Christmas.  I have been blessed. On Thanksgiving day on Twitter people were posting their Christmas wishes on Tweetmas. Oh, why not, just for fun, I wished for an iPod Touch. A few hours later, I had a message from a woman who had one in like new condition that she wanted to sell. This amazing lady sold my mom an iPod Touch for $75!! It arrived the other week, I charged it up and checked it out for about an hour then, like the dutiful daughter I am, I packed it back up and told mom it had arrived and was in wonderful condition.  My dad came and picked up the box and now I am as excited about Christmas as the kids are.

So, now I am getting this awesome blessing and I need accessories right? On Twitter I found out about the #1 must have accessory for my iPod Touch and that accessory is chicBuds.  ChicBuds are the most beautiful earbuds I have ever seen.  They come in white or black and are encrusted with Swarovski Crystals. The watermelon colored ones would look so awesome with my iPod Touch, especially paired with the Vera Bradley Pinwheel Pink media case that is also on my wish list.  (hnt, hint)

If you are a techie mom or if you know a techie mom chicBuds are the gift this Christmas vist chicBuds and get some for the techie mom in your life.

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~ Dec. 11, 2008
Christmas Giveaways

I have been blessed to win 4 giveaways so far and have 2 Christmas wishes granted in the last 3 weeks. I want you to have the same fun I am having so I am linking to some of my favorite contests here.  Please join in the fun!

1. Mimobot is running a Twitter contest-click on the link for the rules mimobot contest
2. MommyDaddyBlog.com is giving away The Ultimate Lounge Around Prize Pack as part of their Three Gs For The Holidays event! Click on over right now to get in on fun giveaways, get shopping ideas from their Gift Guide, and learn how you can help children in need this holiday season!
3.  I am hosting a giveaway on one of my other blogs. I am giving away a beautiful Cookie Lee necklace. Mom Maven will take you to the post.
4. My friend at MommyBrainReports has several giveaways including this one for a Disney Bingo DVD game and this one for a $100 DELL Gift card
5. Everythingupclose is giving away PZI Jeans and t-shirts

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~ Dec. 5, 2008
Thanksgiving Day 2008

So, I am finally getting around to telling you all about our Thanksgiving  I think our Thanksgivings are pretty normal.  We go to my mom and dad's house for 3 days, Thursday-Saturday. My parent's live about 30 minutes south of us. Our goal is to arrive at mom's before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 10am. We pack the car with everything we need for the weekend-clothes, video games, food and Christmas shopping lists.

We arrived by 9:30, got our stuff situated and plopped in front of the television.  During the beginning of the parade, mom get the turkey in the oven.  Mom cooks the best Thanksgiving dinner. My sister and I bring munchies to nibble on over the 3 days.  After the parade it is game time. We all love to play games, card games, board games, video games and PC games.  During the course of the weekend we play them all.  We are so competitive that there is now a "House Champ" chart on the kitchen bulletin board with a list of the games we usually play. The list is updated daily and is usually filled with the name "Poppop".


My sister arrived during the parade and her husband will arrive closer to dinner time, he's a police officer and he works the overnight shift so he sleeps in. We play games until about 2:00 when it is time to start the final preparations for the big meal. I am in charge of cooking the rolls.  I'm not sure how I got this job, but I have been in charge of the rolls for years. 

My brother-in-law arrives and we sit down to eat.  We have moist, delicious turkey, mom's amazing stuffing, real mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, sweet potato casserole, crescent rolls and boiled onions.

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~ Dec. 3, 2008
Support Moms While You Christmas Shop

As I told you before, I am part of a group called Twittermoms. One of the many awesome things this group has done is put together a shopping guide so that we can Christmas shop businesses that are owned by moms.  When you shop these businesses you know you are supporting families.  What a great idea! You can click on the widget here and check out all the great gifts these moms are offering.

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~ Nov. 26, 2008
Black Friday

I have read a lot of posts and twitters this week about why people don't shop on Black Friday. I've heard some valid answers like "no one to watch the kids","I have to work so you can shop".  I have also heard the ones I consider pretty lame like "I don't like crowds", "No one shares the holiday spirit on Black Friday", "I'm not getting up that early". Well, I wanted to share why I go shopping before dawn on Black Friday.

Years ago my dad worked overnights dispatching for 9-1-1. One day after Thanksgiving dad didn't come right home after work. I remember he was a few hours late when he finally came through the door.  Mom and I had already done what we could to rationalize away the reason he was that late coming home.  Anyway, he came in the door and told us we had to go in the other room because he had been Christmas shopping and he had to bring stuff in to hide in his bedroom.  Of course we dutifully obeyed.  Dad has always loved Christmas.  He has the largest collection of Christmas music on LP, Cassette and CD that I know of, but shopping?

After he emerged from hiding his purchases, he told us about all the fun he had shopping from 6am on. He shared with us goody bags that some of the stores handed out.  Target's goody bag was the coolest.  It had candy and an energy bar, some mints and other goodies to help get you through a long day of holiday shopping.

For a few years Black Friday was dad's day. He went after work and when he arrived home we left him alone to hide his purchases.  That all changed in 1993.  This was my first Christmas as a mom.  Christmas takes on a new meaning when you are a mom and when your baby is the first grandchild in the family.  So this is the first year I accompany dad on his Black Friday trek.  I am the newbie but he shows me the ropes, he coaches me in the fine art of keeping your hand on the item you have to have at Wal-mart even though the sale doesn't "officially" start for another 30 minutes.  We have a blast together and he even takes me out to breakfast at about 8:30am.

In 1994 we spend part of Thanksgiving Day searching the ads for the items on our lists, we plan our course of action and check out the store opening times.  When we arrive on line outside Target waiting for the store to open, we run into an old friend of mine from high school, Gina.  She also worked with my dad for a while so we all spend time catching up while we wait. We have run into Gina many Black Fridays at Target.

This will be my 15th Black Friday.  Dad and I will get up early, we will hit the stores like Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart and Radio Shack all before breakfast.  Unless there is a deal we just have to get we will wait to head to the mall until later in the day. After breakfast we head back to the house and everyone else is getting ready to shop.  We usually take a little nap and then, when the entire clan is ready we head to the mall. We use this time to let the other family members show what they would like for Christmas-we don't usually do too much shopping on this trip. We usually eat lunch at the mall and some years we go out to dinner on the way home. To me, Black Friday is more than the money I save and the gifts I buy.  It is the one day of the year that everyone knows belongs to dad and I. Memories no one else in the family shares with us.

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