The Noticer Project

"When we notice things about ourselves and other people that allow us all to regroup, take a breath, and begin our lives again, the best is surely yet to come."

From The Noticer

by Andy Andrews

There's a new movement on the scene and it's hitting every social media site (or at least the big ones) at a time when looking at ourselves and the people we care about could make all the difference in the world as to how we proceed. The Noticer Project is a chance to look at our lives and recognize those that have mad our lives special, made us who we are, or offered a random act of kindness that touched us.

I encourage everyone to take the time to thank at least 5 people in your life that in some way have made a difference. You can send them a note, call them, publicly recognize them on Face book or right on The Noticer Project site. I'll be doing this and invite you to join me.

I'm currently awaiting copies of The Noticer by Andy Andrews and will do a review of the book after reading as well as host a giveaway for your chance to own this life changing book.

Now go NOTICE someone!

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Circus

Don't forget to leave a comment after linking.

Happy WW!

Info for Those Looking for Alternative Web Hosting

Most of you know that this blog was moved from bravenet to here. I had a hard time deciding where to move the blog too as there are so many choices and I'm somewhat HTML challenged. Sure I can copy and paste. I've even been known to edit a picture or two through the coding (at least the size of the image), but that's pretty much where it ends. I do have an account with Hostgator, but I get a headache every time I try to figure out all I would need to do to get a blog moved over there. Thank goodness for sites like blogger that have basically created "blogging for dummies" platforms. Not that I think the people who use blogger are dummies. The blogs I've come across are well written, interesting, and are by people who have something to say that I enjoy reading. We're just somewhat "lost" beyond the writing part. The easier it is to set up a nice looking site, the better...in my opinion.

For those that are looking for something a little more challenging, webhostinggeeks.com can provide you with all the information from the different web site hosting companies and breaks it down into different features, price packages, and reviews from users. Their easy-to-navigate site makes it easy to quickly determine which host would be best for your needs, whether it's for business or for personal growth.

There has been some talk in different forums that blogger should be removed from paying sponsorship companies due to the ease of obtaining a blog and the numerous "spam" blogs that exist on the platform. Suggestions have been made to the "serious" bloggers using this system to move to a self hosted, non-free site. If we are already self hosting and just using blogger because of it's ease of use, should we be penalized? I think a lot of these bloggers are already looking to other sites for hosting and hope they find the information and resources they are looking for to make informed decisions.

Wordless Wednesday 4/22

Oh yeah. It's gonna be one of those weeks. Lots to do. Puddin Pop has her 3 year check up (and hopefully NO shots). Mommy gets her Boobies squished on Friday (can't wait), we have the circus, a family math night at school, preparations for PP's birthday and so much more. My head hurts thinking about it (and my boobies too)....I'll be quiet now.

Don't forget to comment after linking! Now go check out some other pictures!

Tuesday Random

Just a reminder that you have 9 days left to enter my cookbook giveaway here. Comment, tweet, follow it's as easy as doing one of those, so head on over.



I'm still looking for charities and foundations to spotlight and support, so let me know your favorites or any new ones you've become aware of so I can check them out. I'll even give you the credit for keeping me informed (linky love).

Busy,busy this week. Car tags to renew, cell phone sevice to change (not service, but plan) 2 doctor's appointments, the circus, and a possible weekend trip to NC. I'll try to post something exciting, but if I don't...you'll know why.

On My To Do List

My parents were taking bi-yearly trips to Hawaii up until last year. I told them that a great 40th Birthday gift would be for them to take me with them. They not only missed their trip that year (never planned one) but haven't been this year either. I guess I ruined it for them. They always came back with stories of great food and drinks, relaxing time in the sun and have enjoyed different excursions from snorkeling to whale watching. I am jealous and will make it to Hawaii with or without them in the next 10 years. That's my goal.

I love the beach and the water and to have the opportunity to visit a Maui Resort with my own family would be like Heaven on Earth. I have a friend who will be moving to Hawaii within the next year and may just plan on going to visit him and his family. What a wonderful way to relax and forget about the daily grind.

I enjoyed snorkeling in St.John's and would definitely take the opportunity to do that again. By waiting a couple years, the kids would be able to enjoy this activity with me. I know Boog would LOVE it. I would also like to try my luck parasailing, but am pretty sure the rest of the family would just like to observe this activity rather than participate.

This is on my list of things to do.
I hope I can make it happen.
I WILL make it happen.

A Mom Gets Pictures of Her Baby

How cool is this?

I posted a while back about my Step Mom's dog Colonel. He is an assist dog that was bred and trained by Paws with a Cause to help her in her day to day life with Multiple Sclerosis. I had the opportunity to meet Colonel on my last visit home and had posted about how amazing this dog is and how much he helps WSM (wicked step mother, her name of choice). Through the power of the Internet, WSM now has these pictures and more of her baby colonel...when he was a baby.

In the first picture Colonel is the pup in the red collar. The second is of his mother, Dash, and his entire litter. Here's how I came to receive these:

WSM wrote a letter to all her contributors that helped her get Colonel and sent a copy to Paws. They asked if they could publish it in their quarterly News Letter and she said yes. A couple living not far from them who also participates in the Paws program saw the letter and decided to do an Internet search to see if they could get more info about the new owners of their dog's pup...and found the post I had done here. They e-mailed me with the pics above and explained that their dog, Dash, was originally being trained as an assist dog but they (the trainers as Paws) determined that she had a strong heart and good hips so they pulled her from the assist program and she joined Paws' breeding program. She is bred each year and the top pups are returned to Paws to be trained as assist dogs. Colonel was Dash's first pup put back into the program.

I was glad to be involved in getting WSM baby pictures of Colonel. She is now contacting Dash's owners to see if they can all get together. Isn't that fun?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Easter

I have to add, the only reason my daughter went to church with a tattoo on her cheek is because the tattoo was put on her cheek at church the day before at the egg hunt...and we couldn't get it off!

Amazing Technology

Technology amazes me. I am regularly checking into different charity foundations and seeing what new procedures and medicines are being produced for different illnesses. I love going to the St. Jude website and just the number of children being helped and cured through their services is overwhelming. We have come so far in the sciences that hopefully we will see cures for all of the illnesses that affect our loved ones.

What if you could help save the life of a loved one? If you had that opportunity would you say no? As women we are empowered with the ability to help those closest to us and it only takes a few moments each month to achieve. C’elle has put together easy collection kits to preserve the valuable stem cells found in menstrual blood. These cells are being used to treat more than 70 different diseases and disorders and testing is being done to increase that list. If you would like more information you can check out their about page and if you would like to preserve your precious stem cells you can check out their order Now page.

Last Day

Today is Boog's last day of Spring Break. Tomorrow he will head back to school. He had an extra 3 days due to Strep so I hope he remembers where his classroom is. Hubster will go back to work tomorrow as well so we can get back on our regular schedules.
Puddin Pop and I have an (after) Easter Egg hunt with my Mommie's group. I'll admit that I'm taking 12 eggs from her (3) Easter Baskets to hide. Both kids got more than enough candy and I don't see any reason to add to it. Why has Easter become like Halloween? It drives me nuts. I am not one of those parents that refuse sweets to my children, and fortunately they do not have any allergies preventing them from enjoying certain treats, but they get so much candy at Easter (and I bought NONE) that it will seriously still be around at Halloween.

We just finished Easter leftovers, yum. Ham, mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, corn pudding, green beans, and more. I now need a nap.

T-shirts for a Cause...or Many Causes

In an effort to honor loved ones who have been afflicted with different illnesses, My Mommies group has decided to participate in some different fundraisers the foundations have set up. The first one we will be raising money for is the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Second on the agenda (chronologically, not second in importance) is the Alzheimer's Walk, and the third one (that I still have to talk them into since it's 30 miles and will take 2 days and it's a little long to bring the kids along) is the MS Walk. I'm committed to doing all three and we each have our different reasons as to why we participate.

I'm participating in the Relay for Life to support a friend. I think it's a great cause and have had individuals in my life afflicted by cancer, but mostly I'm doing it because my friend asked me to and I want to support her in what she feels is important.

I'm participating in the Alzheimer's Walk, again, because a friend asked me to. We had a great time doing this walk last year. It's an event the whole family can do and I like the idea of getting the kids involved in helping others. This walk works best for that. I think almost all of us will deal with Alzheimer's in our lifetime (either be afflicted with or know someone who is).

I'm doing the MS Walk for me. Not really for me, but for all the people in my life who have been stricken with this disease. This is the one that is closest to home for me and I would do anything possible to take away the pain and suffering my loved ones feel/felt. I hope the others will join me but understand if they can't due to the length of the walk and the time involved. I'm doing it either way.

Anyway, I was thinking it might be nice in each of these "walks" to honor the people who brought us together to raise money for each cause. This isn't a new idea, people do it all the time. I was thinking about having custom t-shirts created. The difference being that I think it would be nice to do one shirt for all three. Either with the Logo's of the foundations or with pictures of the people we are walking to honor. Loved ones lost to these awful diseases. I think the shirts would not only represent our support to the causes and the people we have lost to these diseases but would also represent the support to our friends and the pain we feel with and for them for the ones they have lost.

She has Arrived

Dear Marley,
Welcome to this world. I know your Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sister have been waiting for you and I'm sure they are thrilled you are finally here (especially Mommy). I look forward to meeting you and know that you are going to do great things with your life. You have a wonderful big sis to help look after you and know the two of you are going to be best friends.
Make sure you and Mommy get plenty of rest in the hospital and when you get home. Mommy is going to need her energy back soon to get ready to move to the new house.
I wish all of you the best and know the world is a better place with you in it.
Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Peacock

We took the kids last week to our local petting zoo to see and feed the animals. I had never seen a white peacock so when this one spread her feathers I had to run over and take her picture. Ist't she stunning?

Do You Do HD?

If you are a fan of HDTV, like Hubby is, then you know that accessibility to receive such channels is getting easier all the time. We record several shows and upon playback I always get asked "Why didn't you record it in HD?" I don't care and never remember to look up the HD channel. If we're watching something live Hubby always grabs the remote and changes it to the HD channel and insists it's a way better picture. He's the one that needs glasses (seriously) so who am I to disagree.

Charter Communications is offering a free 22" HDTV every day in April and a grand prize of a 52" HDTV plus a Home Theater System and Digital Cable Service with HD programming for an entire year. To be eligible you must either sign on as a new customer or upgrade your current services and you must do it online. That's easier than most of the blog contests we all participate in. Last year Charter gave away XBox 360's, laptops and a new Civic Hybrid. They want to stay connected with their customers and reward them with great give-a-ways. They also are committed to achieving an online presence that you won't get from other cable companies. Think I'm kidding? Why don't you follow them on Twitter @ CharterCom.

Yet Another Blog

Okay. In under a year I have created 4 blogs, with 3 different themes, and today I launched a 5th. While they started for enjoyment purposes, I do make a little money from the first 4. This 5th will solely be for self awareness, understanding and enlightenment. Here's and excerpt from my first (and only) post:


The Bible Tells Me So

This blog is probably not what you think it is. If your looking for religious insights about traditional beliefs, you're probably in the wrong place. For the past few years I've been struggling with reactions to different things from child rearing to acceptance of same sex marriages and everything in between. My problem lies in the statement "The Bible says so." This to me is a cop-out. I must first warn you that I have not yet read the Bible, but feel as though these statements are not what the actual individuals have deciphered the Bible to say but rather what their "Teachers of the Bible" have convinced them to believe.



If you'd like to read more, hit the link. I'm looking forward to the journey and hearing what you think regardless of what side you are on. This is my journey and not meant to offend anyone. I hope you will be open to my ideas and I challenge you to make some interpretations of your own.

Childhood Fears

As a child I would often awake, somewhat, in the middle of the night to what I was sure was someone in the house. I could hear windows open and the stairs creaking. I would see shadows in the hallway. All of these episodes happened in a semi-conscious state. I know this because they continue to this day, just not as often. I'll awake to the familiar sounds of an intruder in the house and yet be paralyzed in a semi-conscious state, unable to move. When I do finally force myself to consciousness, I survey the room and go back to sleep. It took years to get to this point. As a child I was allowed to go to my parents room, but I was told to sleep on the floor next to their bed and NOT to wake them. I learned over the years to weigh my options. I could stay up all night waiting for nothing to happen, or I could take my chances and go back to sleep. It worked.

As a parent I am committed to always making sure my children feel safe. Our feelings are our own and no one can un-justify them or tell us to feel differently, although many will try. If my children awake with a bad dream I will immediately go to their room and lay with them. I would also ALWAYS allow them to get into bed with us if it would make them feel safer.

If my negative dream situation ever becomes a problem (I am currently more fearful for my children than I am for myself), I would not hesitate to install a wireless security system . Being able to sleep and know that my house and our children are protected would be worth every penny.

Protect America has several packages available to protect your home. The bronze package (that I'm looking at) includes coverage of 7 entry points, one button activation, Internal Siren and Door chime, window decals and a yard sign all for $34.95 per month. You can call 877-470-2751 right now and get two key chain remotes free with your order.

The benefits of being safe are numerous. The benefits of feeling safe are priceless.

We're Saving Up for a Vacation

I remember as a child the vacations we would take. Their weren't many, but the memories of the time spent as a family bring a smile to my face.
One of the best vacations I've taken as a Mom was a trip to Michigan with Boog (Hubster had to work and hates the 13+ hour drive, Puddin Pop had not yet graced us with her presence). It wasn't the time spent with the grandparents (although fun), but rather the time we spent together that I cherish so much. With the drive being so long, we decided to take 2 days to get there and get back. There's something about staying in a hotel and using their amenities that brings a vacation to life. Maybe it's just me, but taking a swim, having a pizza delivered and snuggling up in the same bed for the night, without the distractions of home, is a wonderful way to bond.

Hubster has decided to start a vacation account so we can start making our own family memories that, hopefully, our children will treasure and remember throughout their lives. We just need to decide where to go.

Kissimmee is currently giving away vacations for four. 6 nights, including air fare and a rental car. You know I've already registered. I'm thinking a relaxing low paced vacation with fun things to do that don't involve waiting in long lines. We have Busch Gardens here, so I think theme parks would not be on the agenda.

Maybe a round or 2 of mini golf. Here's something that would be fun for the whole family and with several venues to choose from, we could try a couple different courses.

The Old Town Shopping, Dining, and Entertainment Complex would be perfect to spend the day soaking in the art, enjoying good food and time together. We get so wrapped up at home with cleaning, shopping, paying bills, phone calls, homework and such that time to just enjoy each others company would be a nice diversion.

Regardless, I'm looking forward to a family vacation spent together. Relaxing on the beach or by the pool. A non-agenda trip where we all have a say in what we would like to do. Cell Phones turned off, laptops left behind, Memories to be made and shared.

What I Learned Today

I like to learn new things. I don't like to learn them at the expense of my children. Today I achieved both

Boog has been out of school since Wednesday with a sore throat, mild fever and some vomiting. My main concern was the soar throat because it was preventing him from eating. He's had tons of Popsicles and ice cream, but nothing substantial. So off to the doctor we went. Guess what? He has Strep Throat. No culture necessary, apparently strep can be accompanied by a rash (that is the lesson of the day) called Scarlatina. I was warned by the doctor (who was at least 60) not to tell the grandparents about the scarlatina because they would associate it with Scarlet Fever and "freak out" (his words)

This got me curious, exactly what is this scarlatina rash? Want to know what I found out? I googled it and every article I read came to the same determination. I'll share the briefest definition I found (care of MedicineNet.com)

Scarlatina: Also called scarlet fever, a disease caused by infection with group A streptococcal bacteria that occurs in a small proportion of people with strep throat.

So I'm not supposed to tell the grandparents because they might "freak out" thinking it's Scarlet Fever, but I can't find anything that says it isn't. I guess we've come a long way in medical practices when Scarlet fever is nothing to even be worried about. I'll try not to be.

Childhelp Celebrates 50 Years

3 million cases of abuse are reported throughout the US every year.
It is estimated that only a third of all cases gets reported.
I find that statistic horrifying and heart-breaking. Every Day 4 children will have their life cut short due to the negligence and/or abuse from those that are supposed to be protecting and nurturing them (in most cases).

What can you do to help?
I'm glad you asked.

Fifty years ago, two brave actresses could no longer ignore the injustices to children that they witnessed in their travels. Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson co-founded ChildHelp and have been helping young victims of abuse for the last 50 years.
Through a variety of programs as well as prevention and intervention services, these ladies have taken on a life mission to rescue as many of these children as they can. They have also set up a National Childhelp Abuse Hotline 1-800-4-A-CHILD

Their philosophy:

Childhelp believes that every child has a unique contribution to make to the world. We do everything within our power to help each child heal and develop self-esteem to reach their God-given potential.

We believe unconditional love is the foundation upon which all healing begins. The entrance of each Childhelp facility features the words "All Who Enter Here Will Find Love."

These children, who have seen the worst that life has to offer, deserve the best that we can provide while they are in the care of Childhelp.
Not surprisingly, the perspectives of the children served by Childhelp are varied. Some have known nothing but abuse and neglect, believing they were alone and that no one cared. Others lived in happy homes with caring, loving families, only to be hurt by someone outside the home, usually someone they already knew and trusted.

Let's all Celebrate these ladies and their 50 years of passion and service to children by making a donation to Childhelp or getting involved volunteering.

My Kid has Holes in His Jeans

My 5 year old heads off to school in a brand new pair of jeans and comes home with a hole in each knee! I'm wondering what the heck he is doing to get these holes. I'm also wondering where the Toughskins of my childhood are.

Yes, my parents were huge fans of Sears. While, as a kid, they didn't always offer the greatest selection in style, they more than made up for it in durability. We would pass clothes from my brother to me to my younger brother and they would still be good to pass along to neighbors and friends. Sears has come a long way since then (30+ years) in style but have lost nothing in the lasting, durability of their clothing.

I went looking for Toughskins today.

I got sidetracked.

Sears is currently offering 75-80% off their fall and winter stock. I started looking around and totally forgot about the jeans I went there for. I started shopping for me. It's not often that I shop for me, but at these prices I thought I'd indulge. I'm a total sweater girl. Growing up in Michigan, I wore sweaters 6 months of the year. I love a good sweater. So I'm looking at the Sears website and saw this

Want to guess how much? Go ahead. It was on clearance and marked down to $5.99. It's a cotton blend, mock turtleneck, cable-knit sweater and it now resides in my shopping basket. I would have already purchased it but the sale goes on until April 18th and I'm going back for more.

As a child, Sears represented non-original clothing, to me. Now, as a parent, they are a retailer of classic, made-to-last clothing, that will be in style as long as they last.

Okay, I have to go back and look for the Toughskins now. I think I may also buy the kid's boots for next year...and maybe some more things for Mommy.

Thank You Top Droppers

A couple days late and more than a couple dollars short, it's time to pay tribute to those who make me feel important and keep me coming back to give you more useless dribble. I use Entrecard for exposure, but mostly it gives me the opportunity to easily blog hop and visit blogs I would never have the pleasure of visiting.

I appreciate everyone who stops by and love hearing from each of you. I've only gotten 10 comments since "the move" and that kinda sucks, I'm sure you've been busy. I'm always looking to link with other like-minded bloggers, so don't be shy.

Here is a list of the TEN people who visited me the most in March.

Wine at Five?

Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Grampy and You!

The Matthias Chronicles

Being Bipolar

More Fun Than Allowed... With Kids

Letters

Steven Humour

Symphony of Love

Hello Kitty Gifts

A great big Thank You to you All!

Getting Signs

I believe in signs. You know, when something happens for a reason, reassuring what you already know...or should. Take for instance this morning. I knew I had to get some things done, but I continued to sit with my laptop and visit all my friends in cyberville, as if they wouldn't still be there after my "mommy tasks" were done. Then it happened. The all telling sign. My computer completely froze up and I could not access anything, thus forcing me to get my stinky butt in the shower so I could move on to other tasks. I got it!

Another sign I received this week was info about BeeWell Miles . Now that it is finally getting nicer outside, Boog and I have decided that we would like to go out for a run after dinner a couple night a week. He loves to run. I used to run, and could always use more exercise, but mostly I thought it would be something fun for just the two of us to do. So when I heard about BeeWell Miles from Bumble Bee food, I was super excited to be able to track our mileage, and help out a worthy cause. Bumble Bee will donate 15 cents for every mile walked/ran to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. This sign was a sure signal that my choice to start getting more active was a good one. Boog and I will spend time together, get some exercise, and help out a great cause all at the same time. I love a win-win program

If you are interested in joining this amazing program just click the link above. They have everything from tracking your progress to training tips from Coach Jenny to recipes and reviews on different healthy products and so much more. It costs nothing to join and the benefits are great.

Won't you join Boog and I in getting a little fitter and raising money for Breast Cancer Network of Strength?