What I learned This Week: Choosing Music for a Crowd

January 27, 2009 By 10 Comments

What-i-learned-this-week

Jo-Lynne over at Musings of a Housewife is holding a carnival about "What I learned this week" so here goes:

I am learning about music. I know what I like, I know what makes me feel peaceful in my heart, what fills me with joy and what touches the depths of my soul. I have no idea how to pick out music for the prayer retreat I am in charge of this coming weekend at which 8 of the 11 churches in our presbytery will be coming. No, I am not have anxiety pains. Okay, just a little.

I know I am out of my league. With the help of a delightful woman named Lisa who is in charge of music at her church, we looked over the following sites to come up with a worshipful, prayerful selection:

Getty Music: In Christ Alone

Reformed Praise: By Grace Alone

From these sites, she lead me through buying and printing music for the crowd (called a lead sheet) versus the pianist who gets different music – something else I didn't know.

When you are in charge, you also learn how little you know and how much you need to rely on others. As various bouts of anxiety have set in, I would pray and realize that on that point or another, I hadn't asked my team. Sending out a request, almost immediately I would receive the answer. God has blessed me so much through the preparation of this event, I just pray the attendees will come away feeling the same.

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Ephesians 3:16-20

Head over to Jo-Lynne's to link your own learning moment. CLICK HERE for the conclusion after the retreat and how I got a little distracted before the retreat when I got to meet a movie star!

Filed Under: What I Learned This Week

Book Review: "Who By Fire" by Diana Spechler

January 26, 2009 By 3 Comments

Coverweb

I held my children closer after an afternoon of reading a book about the kidnapping of one child and the "rebellious" behavior of the other two. Even if it was fiction, I think mothers just tend to do that. If fact is stranger than fiction, I would probably never let them out of my sight.

Diana Spechler has written a raw, emotionally charged, information packed novel about a Jewish girl who doesn't want to be Jewish, a brother who is criticized for his extreme commitment to the Jewish lifestyle, and a mother who is just trying to understand what happened to her family in the years following the abduction and presumed murder her youngest daughter.

The chapters alternate between first person narratives. Beginning with the daughter, Bits, we are given a self-proclaimed sexually aberrant individual who is testing all the rules and laws of normal and legal behavior. She alienates those around her as she tries to find her true meaning in life, using and abusing the men around her.

The brother, Ash, is followed into the strictly religious life of a yeshiva in Israel where he is tempted by the outside world as he tries to live his religion fully, at the same time putting behind him all memories of the moment when his youngest sister was captured years earlier as he played in the drive near the incident.

The mother, Ellie, is the cliche Jewish mother, kitchy sayings and all, who spends too much time worrying and getting herself in trouble as she tries to save her children.

While, I enjoyed the well-researched cultural lesson about life in Israel, I didn't care for the depth of depravity we were drug through with the main character. While the story developed through delightfully interesting twists and turns, I think I want a main character I can sympathize with rather than dislike.

"Who By Fire" was a highly descriptive, explorative novel about a dysfunctional family dealing with a tragic circumstance that moves quickly and is written with skill of an practiced novelist. I look forward to seeing what Diana's future novels hold.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

VLOG: Plan Toys Wooden Refrig & Play Food Set *GIVEAWAY*

January 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Head over to Reviewsings for your chance to win a Plan Toys Wooden Refrig and Play Food set just like the one you see us playing with here in our little VLOG! Their motto says it all: "Green, Safe, Smart."

I am donating this one to our local YMCA nursery but you can try to win your own set by clicking HERE and commenting as instructed.

Go check it out! The contest will be running until Jan. 30th.


Kids Playing from sarah peppel on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways

Bloggy GIVEAWAYS Carnival – $25 Chocolate Gift Cert.

January 25, 2009 By

UPDATE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you for stopping by. And.. . . the winner is EMMA. Congrats, Emma! Enjoy your sweets.

Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival Button

Chocolate.com is letting me GIVE AWAY $25 in FREE chocolate for the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival.

Right from their site:
4816-bubbly-indulgence-champagne-truffles_108x108
Thank you for visiting Chocolate.com, your source for milk chocolate, unique chocolate gift ideas, and specialty confections including chocolate truffles, chocolate bars, and milk chocolate gifts. Please take a moment to browse our gourmet chocolate products available with a gift note or in a chocolate gift basket. If you are planning to buy chocolate for yourself or send chocolate to a loved one, Chocolate.com is the right place to order chocolate today! We encourage you to view our product tags section to explore a variety of product groupings. Please keep Chocolate.com in mind for the upcoming season of: Valentine's Day Gifts

Here are the rules:

1) Go visit Chocolate.com and leave a comment here on where you would spend your $25.

2)  OPTIONAL:  You can get a second entry for twittering the contest.  Just be sure to leave a second comment so you get your second entry.

3)  OPTIONAL:  Give yourself a 3rd entry if you’re a subscriber.

4) You may enter once daily through the end of the week.

5) You must have a mailing address within the continental U. S. or Canada.

FYI,  The contest will end on January 30th. More giveaways are in the works so keep checking back! Enjoy the fun!

For MORE bloggy giveaways, GO HERE for more awesome prizes (after Jan. 26th).

For a free bottle of Welch's new AquaJuice, leave a comment HERE and for a chance to win a Plan Toys wooden refrigerator and complete set of wooden food head over to Reviewings HERE!

It is always a fun week during the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival! Pace yourself but have fun.

 

Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways

Ace of Cake's Valentine's Day Guru Challenge

January 24, 2009 By 3 Comments

What do you think? Should we try this?

Filed Under: Food and Drink

On the Frugal Warpath

January 23, 2009 By 3 Comments

Hello frugal world! I am adding a page to my site for the weekly Frugal Living articles I have been writing for our local paper. Check out the sidebar for more info.

I also added a sidebar link for couponers called WeUseCoupons.com. They have just started adding frugal authors to their wall of frugal sites and I am excited to be ON THE WALL. So, I am feeling compelled to add more of my frugal input on THIS site for all you wonderful people.

For my article in about two weeks, I put a request into HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and got TONS of ideas for frugal Valentine's gifts. I'll have to put up some here as I get them and mentally process all the ideas. You get some crazy stuff too because product reps will spin anything they represent. I got some HILARIOUS ideas that I don't want to offend anyone with but . . . . okay, well, I just don't see how a light up toilet seat fits in the category of frugal Valentine's gift. Now, isn't that just a little stretch?

Tonight, I am writing an article about odd jobs and extra income. So . . . I just happened to mention it at gymnastics tonight. One woman said that when she was younger, she worked at a movie theater. Wanting to earn a little extra cash, the manager paid her more to go around and scrap gum off the bottoms of seats. EWWWWW. . . .  What people do!

What have you done for extra cash?

Filed Under: Frugal Living

Which part of my life gets tossed?

January 23, 2009 By 6 Comments

When you leave a job and spend a year deciding what to do next, you spend a lot of time feeling like you are running behind a train trying to catch it, hoping it is the right one, straining, reaching, wondering if someone will be there to pull you on when you get close.

After MY year of exploration and having wonderful friends and many different "trains" to follow, I don't know what NOT to do to free up the time to do the things I really want to do. Like my house that I have been cleaning out, I need to do the same with my life. So, I thought I'd go down the list for you and get your opinion:

1) Kids – Non-negotiable. They pretty much have to stay around for a couple more years and I LOVE them so that's that.

2) Husband – Yeah, non-negotiable too. Love him too. Life just wouldn't be the same if I tossed a perfectly good white guy. (To get that reference, you MUST see the movie "Better Off Dead." It IS classic.)

3) Blogging – Nope, sorry, my sanity won't let me stop writing about life even though I've given up on the perfect house. Okay, a perfect house was never my talent. ANYWHOO… .

4) Blogging at 5 different places – I have tried to cut back to semi-active participant, with only 1-2/mo. posts in other sites. I do have to do SOME things with my kids and fold laundry once in a while. (Of course I am addicted to microblogging at Twitter but that's a whole 'nother story.)

5) PCA PresWIC President – BIG retreat in ONE week. Then, I can relax throughout the year – or at least until the annual leadership conference in TN in a March but that will be fun and is paid for!

6) Volunteering at local pregnancy center – Great chance to help others once a week and share the hope I have in Christ on a very personal level with girls in desperate need.

7) Teaching craft classes at the Y on Wed. AM – gives me a free membership to the Y along with a SMALL salary and the kids really are adorable.

8) Teaching a college course at a local college on Tues. nights – a MUST-DO. Pays the bills and gives me a chance to share what I have learned over the years.

9) Writing a column on Frugal Living in the weekly paper (the Phoenix) – Good exposure and experience.

10) Writing personal profiles on an online website called Story of My Life. Love meeting the cool people.

11) Doing online product reviews at Reviewsings.com- Get cool stuff and it is a fun thing to do with a friend.

12) Selling Pampered Chef cookware. Okay, this is ending this month because something has GOT to give and I already earned all the cool stuff I want.

13) Republican Committee Woman - Elected and really have to stick with it. Meetings only once a month

Okay, that was cathartic.  I doubt too many people will see it anyway since I haven't had time to go visit other bloggers, comment, meme, connect, link, monetize, widget, and do what it takes to build an online community BECAUSE life is nuts. It is hard keeping up with the community I have in the HERE and NOW.

So, what do I toss and what do I keep? What are you thoughts and what is keeping YOU up at night?

Filed Under: Current Affairs

AquaJuice *GIVEAWAY*

January 23, 2009 By

UPDATE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you for stopping by. I will announce the winners of all contests on Monday!

Image008 Welch's is making a splash on the kid scene with their new AquaJuice. When I taste-tested it on a crowd here, the kids loved it and it went quickly. When I tried the apple juice version sent to us, I expected lightly flavored water, resembling the varieties on the market right now. Instead, the Aquajuice is more flavorful and pretty much reminded me of the times I would add water to my children's glasses as toddlers when I thought a juice was too strong. Only this tastes better. I think it will be a bit hit!

An 8oz. glass of Welch's AquaJuice™ contains:

AquaJuice Content Cartoon

  • Less sugar than leading kids' fruit drinks*
  • No high fructose corn syrup
  • No added sugar
  • No artificial sweeteners
  • 80 calories
  • One full serving of fruit (1/2 cup)
  • Excellent source of Vitamin C

Available in 52oz. bottles in these great flavors:

  • Fruit Punch
  • Strawberry Kiwi
  • Apple

Simply comment here through January 30th and I'll pull a winner to send a bottle! Tweet or comment once a day for more chances to win. Enjoy.

This contest was brought to you by MomSelect, a program started by Maria Bailey to connect companies and moms. Go check it out!

On a different note, Maria has graciously offered to sponsor the room at the blogging conference Blissdom 09 for myself, Sara from Real Life, Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife. Thank you Maria!

Maria has also written a book called Mom 3.0: Marketing with Today's Moms, which covers about everything under the mom blogging sun. Whether a mom blogger or business marketing to moms, it has ALOT to offer.

Now, head over to Reviewsings.com for tons more BIG giveaways coming up this next week. We are giving away a wooden refrig. and complete set of play food by Plan Toys! And, go check out the HUGE the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival HERE!

For a chance at $25 in Chocolate, click HERE! The fun has just begun!

Filed Under: Contests & Giveaways

Tagged for a Handbag Meme

January 22, 2009 By 7 Comments

I haven't participated in meme in AGES so when Jo-Lynne tagged me, I figured it was about time. It appears the originators of this meme are fellow Philly gals Theresa from Elebelly who tagged Jo-Lynne and Beth from Total Mom Haircut who came up with the idea.

TOPIC: HANDBAGS
RULES (as designated by Beth):

1) Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today.

2) I want to know how much it cost:) And this is not to judge, because I’m honestly telling you I was ready to put down some cash; I just got lucky. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it.

3) Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your diaper bag/non-diaper bag.

So, here it is as classic, stable and sturdy as I was born to be. I like plain leather bags in the winter and I've tried the trendy ones and they just don't work for me. (The fun prints come out in the summer time.)

Picture

WHEN:       This Fall
WHERE:      Bass Outlet
WHY:         75% Off!
HOW MUCH: $25 (or at least close.)

I'm just too easy to please I guess.

I am tagging the following gals who hopefully have a cuter purse to share!

1. Grace (Blackbelt Oma)

2. Denise (Denitra's Den)

3. Val (Stinky John's Jones)

4. Amy (Occupation Mommy)

5. Shannon (You Ott to Know)

Have fun and let me know when you post your purse so I can come check it out!!

Filed Under: fashion

Prayer for the Nation

January 20, 2009 By 4 Comments

Pray with me today.

God, a new leader, President Barack Obama, is being inaugurated today, a man for whom I did not vote  but whom I must respect and pray for and support against outside evils. You have known this since the beginning of time and you have appointed this man to guide us through troubled waters with the wisdom of advisors and government surrounding him.

John 10:11(ESV)  "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

You are the ultimate authority and to you we lift our hands to praise you for all good things. We take comfort in knowing that you are sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and that YOU have a plan. We take comfort in knowing that in you, GOD, in the sacrifice of your son Jesus for us, in your Holy Spirit in our hearts, in your glory, WE TRUST.

Jeremiah 17: 7-8 (ESV) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."

In you Lord, we do not need to be afraid, because you are with us, through us, in us when we place our faith in your ultimate goodness.

We lift up our nation, our new leaders, our countrymen to you, Father. Give us each wisdom to know where you would have us make an individual difference, strengthening the whole, walking in love, grace, mercy and yet righteous anger over ills that must be corrected throughout our country and the world. Help us to know the sometimes fine balance of being in this world and not of it.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 (ESV) "We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves."

In Christ alone we walk, live, breathe. Amen.

For more prayers for the new president and our nation, see Max Lucado's site.

Filed Under: Current Affairs
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