a carpenter's WIFE's tool box

What a nice day it was!

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Mon, 28 May 2012 17:52:00 +0000

It was a nice day yesterday. A perfect day for my planned surprise birthday party for my Sweetest. It supposed to be a surprise but apparently, his radar is too strong to keep it a secret so he knows what's gonna happen except for some cute details.

the lovely wild flowers center piece courtesy of Heather.

The Gregoires, so happy to see them together in one picture.

Well, it was a nice day yesterday and the day before that. Oh I am so loving the weather up here in Maine. Can't complain. So there I was crunch on precious time to get my act together and had successfully delivered a lobster cookout birthday party for my Sweetest complete with party favors. If I didn't forget the party hats it would have been perfect. hahaha.

My Veggie/Fruit Salad Bar with blue and green color scheme.

It was indeed a nice day yesterday but then, I can't brag about it all by myself because my step-daughters did an amazing job in helping out too.

I call this, The Sweet Bar which the girls helped me put up.

The Birthday Boy, blowing his candles.

It was just a nice day yesterday and the girls did great cakes for their father and they too shared the joy they brought to their father.

Heather's yummy triple berries cheesecake.

Steff's Boston Cream cake specially made for Dad.

And the Birthday cupcakes.

And on a nice day such as yesterday it was indeed a great day for a cookout. Thanks for my Father-in-Law who loves grilling. We all enjoyed the chicken wings while waiting for the lobstah and corns to cook.

The sweet corn.

Another famous Maine's pride - the steamers.

And of course, Maine's pride - the LOBSTAH!

Yes, it was a nice day yesterday to celebrate my Sweetest special day with our closest friends and family.

Digging in with a smile.

Enjoying the feast with closest friends and family.

Advance Happy Birthday, Lover Boy. I love you.

My Sweetest.

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 18 May 2012 23:59:00 +0000

It all started with a walk. Now I run and I refuse to get tired of it.

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Going organic? Go Whitney!

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Mon, 07 May 2012 07:54:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring has sprung. And yes, it’s the time of the year when my garden will be blooming again with all kinds of plants. This year, I have decided to go organic. I started buying organic produce since I realized that the price is not that much compared to non-organic. And aside from the health benefit that I get from them it is no brainer that going organic helps the environment too.

A couple of weeks ago I started a green smoothie detox diet to flush out toxins from my body caused by all the preservatives that I put in my body through all those food that I ate. And the best way to get the best benefits from these green smoothies is to use organic fruits and veggies. So this year, I have decided to grow my own organic garden where I can get the produce I need for my green smoothie like baby spinach, arugula, lettuce, cucumber and all kinds of veggies to make a healthy green salad. And to make this possible, I already started getting our gardening supplies like organic soil from Whitney Farms which is a full line of 100% natural plant foods and soils will be a key player in my gardening style. I like Whitney Farms because they don’t use any additives in their farm products. There is nothing artificial about the product and just natural ingredients from the earth that are designed to help you grow big, beautiful flowers and veggies.

With Whitney Farms® 25+ years of leading gardening experience, it is just enough reason to trust that their products will help me produce the healthiest veggies for my green smoothies. They contain beneficial microbes that are specially designed protein-based blends to provide your plants with both macro and micronutrients that they need to grow and thrive in any garden condition. They are easy to apply. They are also low to no dust content like other products. And yes, they have no stinky and disgusting manure odor.

Convince enough? Then try out Whitney Farms with the $3 coupon! This surely will give you a win-win attitude towards your health goal and environmental concern. Wink**
Our health is our personal concern. It is up to us if we want to be healthy and remain healthy. It is basically our personal choices that help us live a healthy life. Given a choice between an organic plant food garden and a conventional plan food garden, we know which one is the best for us and our loved ones. We don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that with Whitney Farms products, we can produce the best and healthy garden and help save the environment at the same time. So yes, let’s make it a goal to live healthy in a safe environment.

Those Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 23:36:00 +0000

Five year ago... those eyes laid a loving look at me. Today... those eyes are the first light I see when I wake up in the morning.

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Spring Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

I just love when inspiration sneaks up on me from out of nowhere. Now that spring is in the air I was ready to clean out the closets in our home and purge all the items we simply did not use anymore. My beautiful collection of great clothes and accessories inspired me to find a local consignment to give them new life for someone else. After my fifth bin of items I realized I was certainly on a roll and I had the thought: How else could I make a positive change in our home? I moved from the children’s closets to every closet in the house. It felt so wonderful having all those unnecessary items out of the home. I knew I was certainly on a roll when inspiration struck again as I was opening the mail. I came to the electric bill and wondered if my company was the most competitive out there. I took the time to contact New York Energy Rates and got loads of information on providers in my area of New York. I was so surprised by all that I learned and to think, it all started with cleaning out the closet.

Think Smart

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lenovo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a teacher, visual aids are a must to keep students motivated and lessons understood. It’s no rocket science that students’ attention span is as short as the girls’ skirt on hot summer days. Haha. And in this modern age of technology, if you teach your students the “old school” way, you will be branded as “uncool”. Well, I had to admit, I love innovation. Who doesn’t? That is the reason why there is an apps for everything. Wink* And if we are talking about teaching and learning process there is no better way to accomplish one’s teaching objective that to use innovation. And for this modern technology is one of the best teaching tools that a teacher can utilize to teach more effectively and efficiently.

And as a modern and innovative teacher, I am always in the lookout for new tools to use to benefit my students. And one of the new innovations we have around is the Lenovo ThinkVision . Yes, this baby is a state-of-the-art thingy that will make any student motivated and focused on any lesson I present. And with the convenience of a laptop, my lessons will be presented in high quality production that I bet will help my students pass the subject [wishful-thinkingly].

What I like about this mobile monitor that is only under two pounds and less than an inch thick. It is easy to set up and I can carry it anywhere where I need it. And then, I don’t have to drag my bag-on-the-wheel where I used to put my rolls-upon-rolls of tattered manila paper visual aids that I handmade years ago. Hayyy.

Well, this ThinkVision is not only good for teaching. It is an innovation that will benefit any field of expertise from business to education. And right now you can avail a 10% off the ThinkVision LCD monitor if you purchase it online. Just refer to the following information:

Code: LENOVOMONITOR10
Dates: 3/1/12 - 3/31/12
Discount: 10% off
Part number: 1452DS6

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself this ThinkVision and get that innovation in your hand.

My Lover Boy

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:49:00 +0000

I rarely discuss anything about my Sweetest here except when I write him a letter [which he never reads, anyway]. Why, because he doesn't know I have a blog. Well, he kinda know I am writing on blogs but he doesn't know what they really are about. But don't get me wrong. He is no computer-fool. He knows how to use the computer. We met online, remember! Wink*He shops online. He does his banking online. He googles. And yes, he facebooks too [just recently].

My Sweetest is a big guy. He is 6 feet tall and has the body of a football player because he has a build-in shoulder pads. Just kidding. What I meant was, he has broad shoulders that makes me feel so safe and protected. I feel that he can beat anybody in a heartbeat when he feels that I am in my damsel-in-distress mode. LOL.

Though big and strong, my Sweetest is the meekest of them all. Soft-spoken, gentle and loving. But what I love most about him is that... he makes me breakfast in bed... on Saturday mornings. He washes the dishes and folds my laundry. And most importantly, he knows Jared. wink*

Renting a Vacation Home

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:15:00 +0000

Spring is coming and in no time summer will be at our doorstep. This is the best time to plan for our next summer getaway. With the economy still at its toughest we need to plan ahead and plan wise. Well, not because the economy is tight it doesn’t necessarily mean we need to just stay home and work, work, work. We need to have some fun too to recharge our tired body. As the saying goes – all work and no play makes Ruthi crazy. Yeah, there is no saying like that. I am just being silly and maybe trying to justify that I do need a vacation. So around this time of the year I am getting my fingers busy browsing at www.rentedmonton.com because this year, we will just be vacationing somewhere close to home.

Why not? Home is where your heart is. And I can’t go too far this year because of economic reason. But I don’t really need to justify anything, do I? I do need a vacation because I deserve it. And this year, I will just go somewhere really close to home and not too close to feel that I am home. I am thinking of Canada. I am thinking of Alberta. And I am thinking of Edmonton. Why not, it’s one of the best places to explore in our backyard. Yes, Canada is just in our backyard and that makes it easier to go to. And it will surely save us a lot of money if we will just rent a vacation house instead of staying in the hotel.

But for those of you who are thinking of moving to Canada… check out Rent Edmonton and you will surely find the best place to live in.

Moving Here

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Thanks for the article from Rubin Osborne

Moving here was really tough on the whole family but we have instituted a couple of things that have made it easier. We can't have to hang out with someone new at least once a week and that has really helped them reach out and make friends. We also got http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/ for the house and we have started doing a weekly family movie nights that makes sure we spend a lot of time together so we can talk about how we are changing since the move. I know my husband and I really like it here but it was much harder on the kids because they have such established groups of friends at their old school and I know they really missed them. I think overall everyone is going to be just fine here, though, and this was a good decision to make for the whole family. It's just going to take some time for everyone to get used to her new life but it will happen!

Whatever makes you happy

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:11:00 +0000

The internet is no longer new. This is the way of life now… from learning to doing business to teaching new things, from searching to researching to relearning old things and yes, from reaching out to family to friends to customers and business partners. Everything is done through internet. And yes, I found the love of my life through the internet. [shhhhh] But that is only one of the amazing benefits of the internet. If you are a business man, it helps a lot if you know how to take advantage of the internet to get your business move fast and move up. And with that, you need to keep in mind that there is no other way to achieve your goal but getting the right Advertising Agency.

Advertising is still the right way to do business especially in this time of modern technology. And to get best result for your business, using the right tools and the right advertising agency makes the difference. So if you are a serious businessman who is seriously thinking of doing serious business the serious way then take that simple step – go to That Advertising Company!

You see, there are different advertising companies and not every one of them “makes you happy”. Not every one of them is born digital and not every single one of them is – That Advertising Company. Because with them, the only thing that matters is to make clients happy and I believe that a happy client means a successful businessman doing business with a happy client. Then, everybody is happy. What do you think? Wink*

EAT not?

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:23:00 +0000

These may look so yummy but dare not to eat. They are only food for the eye.

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Chocolate-frosted or Chocolate-coated Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 01:08:00 +0000

WARNING: To all wives out there... Never underestimate what your husbands are capable of doing.

Two weeks ago, my Sweetest and I were watching TV when the new Valentine's Day Dunkin Donut commercial came on. Right before our eyes a chocolate frosted heart-shaped donut with nut sprinkles flashed like a teasing goddess. And right that instance, my Sweetest told me... "that's what you are getting this Valentine's Day!" And I was like - "Ah Ok."

Well, it was better than last year. Because last year. he didn't get me anything because he forgot it was Valentine's day. LOL.

FAST FORWARD to Valentine's Day 2012, Lunch Time, PTC Room, Waterboro Elementary School: I was having lunch with my colleagues when the Secretary came into the room with a box of flower. It was for the 3rd Grader Teacher whose birthday is today. The rest of us were so jealous. I could tell. Or maybe it was just me.

After a minute the Secretary came back in with another box and announced... "Well, someone didn't want to get outdone here," and she put the box down in front of me. I was like... "Is this for me?" And she said..."Well, I think you are the only person who got that name." So I put my glasses on and read. It was indeed for me.

The "return address" read San Diego, Ca so I was wondering who could it be. I have friends in SD but I had no clue why any of them will send me this box. So I scrutinized then box and it said there - Perishable. Once opened content disappear immediately.

It was from a box of chocolate-coated strawberries from Sheri's Berries... and the card inside read - Love you always Sweetie, Love Mike.

And I can't believe I was expecting chocolate-frosted donuts!

Planning a wedding

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:14:00 +0000

Thanks for the post, Kathy Shelton

My boyfriend of four years finally popped the question, and we are getting married next fall. I am so excited about every part of planning our wedding. It is like a stranger has possessed my brain, and all I can think about is picking out everything for the registry, planning the ceremony, looking at invitations, and designing programs. This has got to be one of the most fun times of my life. I mean seriously, how often do you get to plan a gigantic party for all of your closest friends, with the best food and drink ever, and they all show up and bring you a present? It is way better than a birthday party. Since we got our cable television through http://www.cabletvadvisor.com/, I have become obsessed with watching the program “Say Yes to the Dress”. I haven’t picked out my own dress yet, but I am getting close. I hope that there is not so much drama when I actually do go to pick out the final one. I don’t think that I am going to take a huge group of people like those brides on the show. There are too many opinions from friends and family there. I am just going to take my mom and my sister. They know better than to tell me something looks terrible if it is something that I really want.

A pain-in-you-know-what

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s the time of the year when my allergy is in full blast. And with all the outdoor running that I do on weekends not much I can do but to do it with my running buddies [saline and non-drowsy allergy pills]. And when I run out of these running buddies, I don’t worry because I can get them even in the middle of the night at my neighborhood pharmacy... Walgreens, that is.

Too bad my neighborhood pharmacy Walgreens and Express Script contract already ended last December 31 of last year due to unsuccessful negotiation for Walgreen to renew its contract with them and to continue as its pharmacy provider network. This really had a huge impact on us because Hubby’s prescription insurance plan is managed by Express Scripts. As well as his Veteran friend whose under Tricare health and prescription drug program. The termination of the contract poses a great impact not only to us but to most people in our neighborhood because it can also affect the longtime relationship we have with our pharmacist who we already considered as friends. We now have to travel in town to get our prescription medicines since Walgreens is no longer part of the network. This indeed a pain in the bu**, literally and figuratively.

But then, despite of what happened, Walgreens like any good neighbor is willing to help their loyal customers to ease their burden. They are now offering special discount on annual membership for its prescription savings club. This is a huge thing because individuals may join for only $5 and they can receive discount prices on prescription medicines. Other benefits that they can get includes:

Savings on more than 8,000 brand-name and all generic medications
Discounts on flu shots, pet prescriptions, nebulizers and diabetic supplies
Bonuses when you purchase Walgreens brand products and photofinishing services

So we took advantage of that program. Hubby and I are now members of Walgreens Prescription Savings Club because for only $10 a year, our family membership covers even Brandon and his new cat – Claire, which his Nana and Grandpa gave him last Christmas.

Oh well, life is tough indeed, but then Walgreen is doing its best to help people like us. That is why I showed my support by liking Walgreens on Facebook and following Walgreens on Twitter. So if you want to help those people who are affected by the discontinued contract between Walgreens and Express Script, come do your share.

He went to Jared [again]!

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:12:00 +0000

Tell me if I was wrong. Wives like me wish that our husbands will have super powers to read our minds. If there is an APP for that - I will surely download it super fast. I don't care how much it will cost me. LOL

Well, Christmas time is the time when you are a little insecure. A little insecure that you might not get what you want or that you might have bought more that what you are going to get. hahaha Well, it's a childish thing, I know.

At my age I don't really expect to get anything anymore. I am just happy that my family is healthy and that we still have each other.

I am just contented that I have a job. Well, two part-time jobs and I get paychecks on a regular basis. For my Sweetest... to be able to work and projects keep coming in is indeed a great bonus.

And I am just really happy to get new Pandora Charms. hahahaha Well, it's a tradition with me and my Sweetest. But to get another set of jewelry is way over my expectations.

Yes, He went to Jared...

and to G.M. Pollack, too!

And I felt so bad that I only got him a hunting suit and a gift card which cost not even 1/8 of how much he spent for me. Well, it's over the return period now - so there is no way I can return the gifts. Wink***

Love you so much Sweetest.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 12:38:00 +0000

From a cold place to a warm heart. Merry Christmas to all from the Carpenter's household.

The Crazy Little Thing I did Last Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:34:00 +0000

Life here in New England has been a little crazy lately. Well, for the most part of it and I am speaking for myself only, by the way. The weather has nothing to do with it and please don't even dare to say the "S" word. Not yet. I am not yet ready.

Craziness has something to do with the Craft Fair that I finally joined recently. Yes, this is another new thing for me. Last Spring, I discovered that I can do cool stuff with play dough. I was just playing with some kids during the April school vacation when I found myself not only trying to get my kids involved and engaged in artistic activities but found myself a new passion. Next thing I knew, I was at Michael's, A.C. Moore and Jo Ann's buying all the tools and materials for polymer clay art making.

I spent the whole summer molding and making clay arts. That is when I was not running and training for my 5Ks. When summer vacation was over, I realized that I overdid it. I was too overwhelmed with my new-found passion that I became uncontrollable. I made tons of jewelries, magnets, key chains, deco boxes and whatnot. And yes, I also came up with a website for my craft. [Check out sample of my work at my website] Now, I am stuck with it.

So last weekend I finally let the public see the craziness in me. I joined the Holiday Fair and sold my stuff.

Well, I really did not sell a lot. But what is kinda interesting is that, people liked my stuff. I got good reviews and there were people who kept coming back giving me compliment for doing a really great job. And there was this old lady who's probably in her 80s who spent 10 minutes in my booth inspecting each item and whispering "Oh my God" every time she picked an item, then she would look at me and say "You are amazing".

Well, I blame the economy for not making well at the Fair. But I am not really upset about it because it's my first time and I only want to introduce myself to the public. There are some who took my business cards and I am hoping that "customized orders" will be my main thing. So for now, the left-overs will be "Christmas presents" for loved ones and friends. You don't have a choice!

Caught Laughing-Out-Loud

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Family Insurance for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Oh I love weekend. Who doesn’t? Working 12 hours a day… the weekend is always a day to look forward to. The weekend is my chance to take my sweet time in front of the computer to do my online stuff and hoping that one of my brothers will pop up so we can catch up.

This weekend, while I was waiting for either one of them to get online, I browsed and surfed the net and accidentally came across some cool and funny videos by AmFam - Stand Up For Family. They are stand-up comedy videos by some talented comedians. I watched each one of them and I found myself laughing out loud. Those videos are hilarious. One of my favorites is Mark Viera’s “In the Window” where he talks about his Granny. It was entertaining and utterly funny. It reminded me of my own Grandmother who knew everybody and everybody’s business despite the fact that she is deft. LOL.

As I watched all the videos though I found them hysterical, I realized what these comedians are trying to say in a comical way what real family life is all about. It is all about family values. It is all about the importance of family. And it is all about the influence our family in our upbringing.

Old values compared to modern ones are basically rooted in family values. I can understand the importance of having a family and the uniqueness of the family I belong too. And it being put in a very entertaining way is something people can really appreciate especially in this tough situation where family relationship is faced with crisis and challenges.

I love stand-up comedy. And I love family comedy simply because I can relate to it. It is a great way to see my own situation through other people’s take on life and family situation. And American Family Insurance truly brought out the best in family values in a light and entertaining way.

I was carried away by all the videos and didn’t realize that Hubby was already home and watching me with a bewildered face. Well, to save my face from embarrassment I handed him our Chinese diner. End of the story. But I was still laughing [quietly].

Noon

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 00:37:00 +0000

It was one of those nippy November days at noontime...

when I took the kids at work for an adventure walk to the woods. They had fun looking for frogs inside the logs, chasing squirrels and watching wild ducks swimming in the pond.

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

The Cuddly vs. the Cutie

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puppies vs. Babies for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
A friend of mine asked me a favor I cannot refuse last weekend. She and Hubby celebrated their 2^nd Wedding Anniversary and wanted to go on a date. She asked me if I could babysit her 9-month old little princess who happens to be my Godchild too. Well, what can I do? I so love the little one to pieces so I said – yes. But there is a catch. Together with the little one, she also asked me to watch their newly adopted puppy from the shelter. That – I cannot refuse too.

So there I was trapped in my home on a nice warm Saturday [where I was planning to go for a run] taking care of a cuddly baby and a cute puppy. It was such a wonderful sight to see them sleeping on the opposite ends of the couch. Too bad, I didn’t have a camera to take their photos. My Sweetest borrowed it the other day.

The awesome sight reminded me of the Puppies vs. Babies online contest where you can vote for the cutest photo of the puppies or the babies. Well, if only this opportunity came earlier and if I had the camera then, I would have taken their photos and join the contest. Who knows I might win the $5,000 cash prize. But since the submission of entries is already over I just voted and wrote some comments. The contest is open for voting till the 23^rd of November only. For those who are dog and baby-lovers

I so love the photos of Puppies vs. Babies there. I actually voted for one baby who captured my attention for his captivating smile. He made me smile too when I saw his picture.

So if you are a dog and/or baby-lovers why don’t you check out their site and vote today. And while you are there, share who and why you are voting for in the comment section. Yes, we do love to hear from you. So come on because you still have time to participate in this awesome opportunity.

The One

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 13:43:00 +0000

My Sweetest... at the East Swift river in Byron, Maine where we usually go for gold panning.

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

Sweetest Had a Date

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:09:00 +0000

My Sweetest had a date last weekend! Yes, last weekend Hubby dated this charming, irresistible, brilliant, interesting and awesome lady that I realized he was flirting with for over 4 years now. It was me! LOL

Well, I asked my Sweetest to go on a date with me last weekend. And yes, he was kinda playing hard-to-get but his stubbornness and football didn't win over my persistence and charm. wink* Glad he said yes because I miss him so much. No, we still live together. It's just that we don't spend more time together now since school started. I usually leave the house while he was sleeping and come home to find him already sleeping.

I work 12 hours now. No, I am not complaining either. In fact, it is awesome to have 2 part-time jobs in this tough economy when we all know that there are lots of people who are unemployed. And on some weekends, he would be out in the woods hunting [yes, it's hunting season here once again] while, I am on the road running.

And last weekend, we finally got the change to be home at the same time and had no special thing to do. I asked him to go out to eat. It took him a long time to get his bu*t off the bed watching TV because the Patriots were on. Finally, he said yes and we had a lovely night.

NOTE: Will blog detail of the date next time. I am really that busy. It's not an alibi. wink*

SuperMom writes too

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:26:00 +0000

I had a chance to get interviewed by blogger-children's book writer mom Anna Denskins a few weeks ago. And it was indeed a wonderful opportunity to be featured in her blog. So here I am returning the favor. Here is the excerpt of the said interview.

Your children's book, The Adventures of Smitty looks magically. Tell us about it.

It's the story of a magical island of little creatures called Smilies and the mischievous little main character, Smitty. He's such a naughty boy. Haha! All the moms and kids I've shared it with have been giving me such a wonderful reaction. I cannot believe it. I have to tell you how excited I am to finally have a life-long dream come true. Writing The Adventures of Smitty was really about finding a story that I would want to read to my children at night. It has to be exciting but not scary so that my two daughters can go to sleep. Basically, I was looking for that perfect blend to read to my kids at night and decided, "Why not try writing my own?"

We've had a lot of changes in our life recently, so I want to make sure that when I put my daughters to sleep that they feel safe. I have short chapters because I know how busy we moms are but if you can just sacrifice 5 minutes at night reading to your kids, it makes a world of difference. Your kids will never forget it. And although we're running around the whirlwind of life, our kids grow up so fast, and that time that we'd rather finish watching what happened in our favorite soap opera instead of reading to our kids will never come again. I hope that The Adventures of Smitty and books like it help moms do exactly that.

And it's only 99 cents this week. That's what I love about it. Now, You are recently divorced. How have you been able to continue writing when going through such a change?

Yes, it is by far one of the most challenging points in my life. To see a marriage you thought would last forever to not last forever was difficult for the two of us. I really learned a lot about myself and most importantly, it's brought me closer to my daughters. I think that's what really motivated me to finish this children's book no matter what. When you're going through changes in your life like this, you need something to hold on to. There's a part of you that wants to prove that you can make it, that you will be a success even if it's not with the partner you originally imagined building a life with. I had to keep writing, for my kids. I want to show them that they have to keep strong, no matter what.

We as women, as moms really need to stick together to support each other and our dreams. We're living in an age when I think we're finally realizing, although we want love, the men in our life aren't the answer to everything. We have to stand up on our own two feet and keep going. True love will happen, but until then, we have to keep moving forward. Our children depend on us and we depend on us.

In addition to being a children's book author, you're also a small business owner. How do you juggle taking care of two daughters and at the same time running a business?

Yes, I am a fashion designer and have a retail store. Any type of creativity is what I'm passionate about. That's why writing The Adventures of Smitty was so important to me. Let me tell you, running a small business in today's economy isn't easy especially when raising two girls at the same time. But somehow, it seems someone's watching over me because my dreams are coming true no matter what. To have that many moms glowing about my children's book, means so much to me. And I know my girls are proud.

When do you ever have time to write?

You mean, in between laundry, running a business, chasing my girls around the house, cleaning the house, and flying back and forth from Miami to New York? Haha? That's one thing I've learned, when you really want to do something, you find a way. Things fall into place if you just go for it and that's what I want to encourage all the moms who are reading this right now. Whatever your goal is, you can do it. Don't let the challenges in your personal life stop you from going for your dreams. Just go for it and it's almost magical how things fall into place.

Where can we get a copy of "The Adventures of Smitty"?

Right now, it's available online by going to: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94655 You can also visit my website: http://www.AnnaDeskins.com where you can read more about my writing process, my recommendations for other books and my own adventures in Mommyhood.

I'm so grateful for your support and the support I'm getting from so many wonderful moms who dream of writing children's books one day too. Writing The Adventures of Smitty has been such an emotional experience for me, a true journey as I was going through so many changes while writing it. It's truly been a blessing in my life. It, along with my daughters, and that guy upstairs have really pulled me through a challenging time.

Thanks for the interview, Anna. And let's go out and support a fellow mom by getting a copy of The Adventures of Smitty today. I know I will!

Cars

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 23:54:00 +0000

This 1930 Ford Roadster is for sale for $16,000. But the memories of countless joyrides it brought is priceless.

To Join Photo Friday Challenge... click HERE.

How to Get His Approval

noreply@blogger.com (ruthi) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 12:05:00 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you love the idea of feeling richer? Can you imagine what you would do with the amount of money you can save by making a wise decision? And what you would you buy with all the savings you can get just from switching phone?

In this tough economy, everybody are looking for ways to save. Everybody are on a look-out for bargains. And everybody will do anything just to ease expenses. We can't be accused of being cheap by make good choices. We cannot be blamed if we want to make good decisions on money matters. And yes, we cannot feel guilty if it means that we have to sacrifice something very important to us.

The time has come for us to make crucial decision. It's time to choice the best thing that ever happen to mobile phone service. Yes, by just switching to Straight Talk, you can get connected and save a lot of dough. Why? Because you can cut your cell phone bill in half! And yes, you must be crazy to be on a contract these days when you can get everything you need without one.

Switching to Straight Talk is no brainer. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out. Here are some facts to consider:

With Straight Talk…

There are no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. It has great nationwide coverage and excellent reception/connectivity. Finally, Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung.

Their Monthly Plans:

The “All You Need Plan” meets even the needs of heavy phone users with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data. The Unlimited Monthly service is only $45, and includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web. Plus, unlimited calls, text, picture messaging and web for a whole year, for only $499.00! 411 calls are included at no extra charge. And free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees

For their International Long Distance:

Straight Talk International Long Distance Service is a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates.

And their Phone Selection:

Reconditioned phones are available from $10.00 with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability. Great for young users! They also have mazing smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth®

Now check out this video from their real Straight talk customers to see my point.

And here is another real Straight Talk customer testimonials to stress my point.

Life is tough but it doesn't necessarily me we need to go unconnected and untouchables. Don't waste time in nonsense deals with other phone companies who are ready to suck your money out to the last penny. Don’t waste your time and decide now. Straight Talk is everything you need to call a friend no matter where in the world they are and no matter how long you want to get connected. Trust me, this is a mommy-proof advise. And as the saying goes mom knows best. And if you have a Hubby who is passionate about fishing – your savings can buy him Hook, line and sinker… and this is everything you need to get his approval on that stilettoes you are eyeing for. wink*