Just Mom's Blog

Know Your Breasts

2012-02-25T14:54:00.001-07:00

I recently read a post called Protecting Your Boobs! and I wanted to share the information. The post is about breast cancer and has some prevention tips. My step-mother died a couple years ago from her battle with breast cancer. We all think we are invincible – we aren’t.

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women. It is estimated that an average of 445 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every WEEK in Canada alone. Sadly 100 Canadian women die of breast cancer each week. Although one in nine women are expected to develop breast cancer by the time she is 90, there is cause to be optimistic. Because of advances in treatment, support through donations, and improved screening, the incidence of breast cancer has stabilized and the death rate has fallen by more than 30%.

A huge advantage in the fight for survival from breast cancer is early detection. Be aware of your breasts. Do examinations regularly so you know what your breasts feel like and can detect any changes. Breast cancer is also not restricted to women, approximately 180 men are diagnosed annually.

Some changes to be aware of are the following:

Changes to the size or shape of one or both breasts.

Unusual, persistent pain the breast or armpit area.

Swelling under the armpit or below the collarbone.

Nipple changes including the shape, position, being pulled inward, or discharge

Redness, irritation, rash, or scaly skin

Consistency like lumps, thickening, dimpling, or puckering

If you are not sure about a change, check again after your next period or in a few weeks if you are not menstruating. If you are still uncertain, contact your doctor.

There are many options available to donate for the cure. A list is maintained on the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s website.

Take Care, D

Resources:

Protecting your Boobs
http://jenandjoeygogreen.blogspot.com/2011/10/protecting-your-boobs.html

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
http://www.cbcf.org/

Disclosure: I am not a health professional and all information expressed is either based on my non-expert opinion or the above mentioned resources. Please see a real health professional if you have any concerns.

I'm Featured at BunkZunk!

2012-02-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Today I’m over at BunkZunk’s zlog doing a featured post on The Learning Game. Come on over and check it out!

You should stop by their main site since they have some amazing printables for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents!

See you over at BunkZunk!

Take Care, D

I was not compensated by bunkzunk.com or anyone else in any way for creating this post. Any similarity to any other games is purely coincidental as this was my personal creation. There are no guarantees that this game will influence or inspire any children in any way; it is simply what works for my family.

Should I Go Back to Work?

2012-01-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Now that both children are in school full time, I have been struggling with the option to go back to work. I really don’t know what to do. I know I HATE cleaning and it has become 90% of my job around here – and is never appreciated or usually even noticed…just expected. I know I love being at home to be able to run errands and appointments during the day, handle the tasks set forth by the Scouting Group we volunteer with, being sure my home is well cared for, and maybe even accomplish a project or two.

I am very fortunate in my situation. I don’t HAVE to work. My husband brings home enough that I can comfortably stay home and, although we can’t live like royalty, we have all that we need. I am also fortunate in that over the last few months, I have been approached by many different organizations who would like me to come back to work with them. They are willing, for the most part, to let me pick and choose my hours and amount I would like to work. If I do go back to work, I could hire a housekeeper to come in once or twice a week to handle the major cleaning leaving me with only the day-to-day stuff (although I find it difficult to pay someone $40/hour to scrub my toilets – not to mention the guilt over not being able to do it all).

What to do, what to do.

I have discussed this with Hubby and kids. C was all for it, so long as nothing changed on her end – other than different chores and R was on board so long as I was there to walk him to and from school. Hubby was harder to read. He seems happy for me no matter what I decide. I don’t know if he’s just being supportive or if he’s wanted me to go back all along and was being supportive then. Whatever he feels, he’s not sharing and he wants me to do what I think is best. It’s great that he’s that wonderful but I really need an opinion right now. I know he doesn’t want to give it because he knows I’ll do what he thinks and he wants me to make this decision for me.

Anyone else struggling with this? What made you decide? How did you know your decision was right for you?

Take Care, D

Check out these blog hops by clicking on the button then following the rules to find some great blogs. Don’t forget to leave comments wherever you hop so participants can hop by your site. Thanks for hopping by!

Talking To My Teen About Drugs

2012-01-06T07:02:00.000-07:00

I love it when we’re sitting at the kitchen table or in the family room and the TV is off. Often this is when I get to hear what’s going on in my kids’ lives. This is when I take the time to listen and perhaps impart a few words of wisdom or share a story from my past to relate, or even just sit and listen. This is especially important now when C is growing into some more social issues and is more independent. We don’t sit and do crafts together much anymore, nor do we cuddle on the sofa and tell each other our wishes and dreams. It’s even difficult sometimes to get her to play games with us. These chats really don’t happen often enough. But every now and then... it’s golden.

Last night, the topic that came up was drugs and alcohol. C swears she does not do drugs nor does she drink alcohol and I believe her. I do know that as a teen, it does come up in conversation with some of the kids at school, and I really want to keep open communication about it at home.

My extended family has had issues with drugs both in the teen years and in adult years. Drugs have messed up their lives. Some of them talk about how much they feel they’ve lost from those years. How their thinking and speech has suffered even now when they try to use skills or terms they know they’ve learned or experienced but simply can’t recall them. It has changed their behaviours and impacted their decision-making skills. Those are the family members who are now clean. Some still use and some place more importance on their drugs than their family or children. Some have criminal records.

I don’t want any of that for my children. I have allowed C to be a part of discussions with some of the recovering addicts so that she can hear some of what they went through and patterns that occurred. I know that people often feel invincible or that these things won’t happen to them but I hope I got across to her that things become unpredictable when drugs are involved because it alters thought processes and decision-making.

When we had the conversation last night, I am proud of her outlook on drugs and alcohol. She is noticing things in school with other kids and is not impressed by their behaviours. I hope that by keeping our communications about these hot topics open I'll be able to spot changes in her outlooks and ideas to pick up on potential issues before they become issues...hopefully.

So far, she doesn’t see it as cool. That’s cool with me.

Take Care, D

Children’s Activity: Puzzle Game

2011-12-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Looking through my Google Reader, as I do at least once per week, I found this fantastic game on Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational. This website is fantastic for educational games and crafts. We all know kids learn best when it’s fun so I keep a close eye on this site and recommend that everyone follow this blogger.

The puzzle game has so much educational potential and would still be fun for preschool to early school-aged children. It could be used for math in discovering the different methods numbers can be written and it all means the same (as explained in the article) or to write math expressions, or even story sequences, word families, or spelling. Seriously, check out this blogger and this article.

Take Care, D

It’s All the Same (a Math Puzzle Game): I wanted a fun way for my son to see how that the same math problem can be written in different ways. And I wanted him to be able check ...

Danger! Protect Your Children from this Smartphone Privacy Risk!

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

A fellow blog Mom posted a video on how easy it is for people to find the location from which pictures were taken with smartphones. So if you upload any pictures from your smartphone, for your children’s safety, WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Thanks for the heads up Edelis.

Take Care, D

Resource:

Blog Hops: Check out these blog hops by clicking on the button then following the rules to find some great blogs. Don’t forget to leave comments wherever you hop so participants can hop by your site. Thanks for hopping by!

Christmas Countdown Activity Chain

2011-11-28T09:49:00.001-07:00

Here’s a twist on an old craft. Remember those old paper chains we used to make? You know, the ones where we would cut the paper into strips then tape, glue, and/or staple them into circles linking each together? Well, what if we put a Christmas activity, joke, or link inside of them and removed one link each day leading up to Christmas?

We’ve been doing this at our house for a couple years now. Beginning December first the kids would check what fun awaited them while counting down the days until Christmas. I did number these and place them in order so that we could arrange for more elaborate or late-night activities on non-school nights. Also, I wanted to coordinate things like Christmas Concerts and other local community activities like our annual Santa Claus Parade. Most of the activities are things we would do anyway but they seem more special when it comes from the chain.

Some of the activities were links to online games or printouts, a Christmas joke, a movie suggestion, sliding at our favorite hill, cold weather games, something to try that day (example: smile at someone today and notice what happens), or even a fun fact about Christmas or that day in history. I’ve heard of some people putting a small lesson plan or religious discussion for that particular day on their strip. You can also make it a math lesson for counting, determining days left, how many links have been removed, etc.
You can make it whatever you like and the kids love making the chain as well as taking it apart one day at a time. How do you and your family countdown to Christmas?

Take Care, D

Glad We Were At Home

2011-11-17T08:32:00.001-07:00

Something happened the other night at dinner that made me so grateful we were at home instead of out somewhere for dinner. R excused himself from the table to go to the washroom. Usually, this is a non-event. This time, after a few moments, we heard giggling and cheering coming from the washroom. Things like, “Oh yeah!” And, “Woohoo!” Even a, “That was awesome!” This was the beginning of my gratitude of being home and the rest of us are looking at each other at the table and shaking our heads.

R emerges from the washroom and re-joins us at the table. I hold my breath because I know something is going to be said. “Hey Mommy! Guess what!” he manages through his giggles. I release my breath and respond, “What?” He laughs a true belly laugh and when he laughs like this, no matter what has happened or why he’s laughing, I just can’t help but join him. This encourages him and he laughs harder still unable to tell me. Finally it subsides enough that he blurts out, “When I was on the potty, I farted so hard that I fired out a poop!” And everyone at the table erupts in laughter.

I know I should be disgusted by this and admonish him for saying this at the table, but I can’t, I’m laughing too hard. R and I feed off each other when we laugh and we laughed for a good five minutes straight. After the laughter ceased I did tell him that it’s ok to celebrate these things and discuss these things when it’s just us at the table at home but NEVER when we’re in public or other people are over. Then I commended him on his forceful flatulence and started up another round of giggles.

Take Care, D

Hunger Games Promotional Preview

2011-11-14T09:53:00.001-07:00

This series is one of my favorites of all time. As I read these books all I could think about was how fantastic a movie it would make. When I heard that the rights had been sold to a production company I was ecstatic. Then the casting came and now a promotional preview.

Behold, fellow book lovers, THE HUNGER GAMES!

Lest We Forget

2011-11-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

November 11^th, 1918 at 11 am marks the end of the first world war, hence the commencement of Remembrance Day in most commonwealth countries. We commemorate our fallen soldiers since the first world war on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month each year.

Pre-children, I attended Remembrance Day ceremonies where I am reminded of what a wonderful country I live in and how grateful I am to the men and women who gave their lives to make this country the incredible place it is and afford me the freedoms that I have. Now that I have children who have difficulty staying still and quiet for long periods of time, we always watch the ceremonies on television and without fail, I observe the two minutes of silence.

Though Remembrance Day is to commemorate fallen soldiers, I must give past and current soldiers their due. Although they may not have paid the ultimate price, they have paid a price and many continue to pay for that trauma long after they leave the fighting behind. Although my thanks is not enough, it is all I have.

Thank you and God Bless.

Take Care, D

Movember Madness!

2011-11-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

I’m so excited that so many men are taking the Movember challenge and growing bad moustaches. Movember raises awareness for prostate cancer where men register or join teams to get sponsors for their moustache growth and to bring awareness to men’s health, especially prostate cancer. Mo Bros can register at http://www.movember.com to start growing their best moustache and have the conversations that are so needed.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer to afflict the men in our lives. One in seven men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. That being said, the recovery rate is extremely high if cancer is detected early. Over 90% of prostate cancer cases are curable if detected in the earliest stages. Many men can have cancerous cells from their prostate for years without detection so it is very important that men be tested regularly. Typically the first symptom is difficulty urinating or blood in the urine, but there may be no symptoms present in early stages of cancer therefore testing is the best way to ensure diagnosis.

The cause of prostate cancer is unknown, but there are some common risk factors such as age. The risk of getting prostate cancer increases swiftly at the age of 50 and almost two out of three prostate cancer patients are over the age of 62. If there is a family history of prostate cancer and you are 40 years of age or older, you should discuss this with your doctor as he/she would likely recommend testing. Risk factors also include diets that are generally high in fat (including a lot of red meat, high-fat dairy, etc.), obesity, lack of physical activity, and possibly those who have worked with cadmium.

Every man 40 or older should talk to their health practitioner about having a simple blood test called a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This provides a number for future comparison so that if that number changes, it can be investigated closer. If no issues are found, this test only needs to be repeated every five years until you turn 50.

Another test that may be done is a digital rectal exam (DRE) whereby your health practitioner inserts a gloved and lubricated finger into the rectum to investigate the area of the prostate where most cancers are found. Prostates are soft, rubbery, smooth and symmetrical. Any signs of lumps, hard, or irregular areas may indicate prostate cancer. Men over 50 should be tested annually to catch any issues in the earliest stages.

Our favorite men are at risk by this disease but there is hope with early detection. If you or your favorite man is 40 or older, have them speak to their health practitioner about testing…it could save his life.

Take Care, D

Resources: http://prostatecancer.ca

http://www.ca.movember.com

10 Halloween Safety Tips

2011-10-27T06:04:00.000-06:00

Halloween is my favorite time of year. I love when all the little ghouls and goblins escape their homes pretending to be their favorite character or imaginary being ringing doorbells and show off their awesomeness.

When it comes to our own children trick-or-treating there is no escape from the sugar high that lasts for days to come. Despite no safety from that, there are a few things we can do to keep them safe when they're (hopefully) impressing the neighbors with their manners and general cuteness.

1. Adult Supervision. Accompany your kids. If they are old enough to trick-or-treat without an adult, tell the kids to stay in a group and make sure they have a way of getting a hold of you in case of an emergency.

2. Map a Plan. Designate a route before your kids begin trick-or-treating, and make sure they stick to it. Have your kids stay in areas where there are a lot of people around and avoTid taking short-cuts through alleys and parking lots.

3. Trick-or-Treat-Friendly Homes. Ensure your kids only visit houses with lights on. Remind them to NEVER enter someone’s home. Wait outside for candy or leave.

4. Say "NO" to Strangers. Tell your kids to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger. Encourage them to keep at least arms reach from them.

5. Remain Visible. Dress your kids in a bright costume so others can see them. Light up shoes might be fun. If their costume is dark, have your kids wear reflective strips or carry a glow stick or flashlight.

6. Appropriate Clothing. Goes without saying but just in case you forget, ensure your kids’ costumes aren’t so long that they can trip over them. Pay attention to the weather to be sure your children will not be cold or overheat. Consider appropriate footwear for the long walk and terrain.

7. Watch for Obstacles. If your child is wearing a mask, be sure it is not restricting his/her view. Do not cut across driveways or yards because there may be obstacles which are less visible at night.

8. Quality-Check Treats. Check your kids’ candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with. Remind your kids that no candy can be eaten until your check is complete.

9. Obey the Law. Encourage your kids to follow all the regular rules for walking around. That includes looking both ways before crossing, and using cross walks and crossing lights where available.

10. Have a Spooktacular Time! Finally, make sure your kids have tons of fun and get lots and lots of candy.

Take Care, D

National Bullying Awareness Month - Cyber Bullying

2011-10-20T09:25:00.000-06:00

I was unaware that October was National Bullying Month until I found this on a fellow blogger’s post. Definitely something we, as parents and community citizens, need to be aware of. Check out this link to get a few pointers on how we can protect and hopefully prevent this from happening to our children.

Take Care, D

National Bullying Awareness Month

via Jen's Blog of Random Thoughts by Jennie Yuen on 10/17/11
October is National Bullying Awareness Month and parents are looking for ways to protect their children from cyberbullying, the online pandemic that is causing severe emotional and psychological pain to children across the nation. More and more parents are resorting to the use of computer monitoring software to find out if their child is the victim of cyber bullying (or the actual bully)…

Overwhelmed with Fundraisers

2011-10-17T19:00:00.000-06:00

It’s that time of year again. When all the extra-curricular and school activities are looking for funding for their new year of expenses. Although I understand the necessity of fundraising and appreciate that things are not priced any higher than they are to cover costs – I still am having trouble getting the funds together for fundraising. It seems the last couple weeks, all we’ve been doing is bugging our close friends, family and neighbors to buy or fund something.

We just completed the Terry Fox Run pledges and now we are starting Unicef. As an accompaniment the school and Parent Council has completed one fundraiser last week, and this week we begin the next. Then there’s the other groups we’re with who are fundraising as well. Of course, for safety sake, we are not recommended to go door-to-door and only approach friends and family. Most of our friends have their children in the same school and in similar extra-curricular activities so they aren’t buying from us and our family doesn’t live nearby. I feel bad because I see the value in fundraising – but I’m tapped out.

Any ideas? Suggesstions? Do you experience this?

Take Care,
D

October Book Releases

2011-10-10T15:38:00.000-06:00

I am so behind in doing my book reviews but I just keep getting distracted by all the great books that have been released lately. Here are some of the books are being released this month and I can’t wait to lay my eyes on them. I’m currently reading “Lord of the Vampires” by Gena Showalter. This is the first book in the “Royal House of Shadows” series being written by 4 different authors. I’m only on the fourth chapter so I can’t really give a review but I can say that it’s been fantastic so far. Here are some more books I’m looking forward to this month.

September Books I mistakenly thought were October Releases:

October Releases:

What books are you excited about right now or eager for its release?

Take Care,

D

Disclaimer: This is not intended to be a complete listing of New Releases for this month, simply New Releases I am eager to read – usually in the Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, or Paranormal Romance genre.

Winterizing Your Home

2011-10-03T09:47:00.000-06:00

It’s that time of year again. The temperatures are dropping and some mornings I’m scraping the windshield of our vehicle. Doing a few things around the house and yard can prevent a lot of issues from Winter leaving you out in the cold. Here is a checklist I have put together for my home.

1. Furnace Inspection

Call a professional to come in and inspect your furnace and have your ducts cleaned out. In our province Atco Gas is our Natural Gas provider and schedules a free appointment for inspection of all your Natural Gas appliances. Be sure to keep the area around your furnace and hot water tank clear (don’t forget to change your furnace filters each month).

2. Inspect for Air Leaks

Move the back of your hand around the edges of all doors and windows and framing. The back of your hand is more sensitive and will feel any drafts. Repair any worn or missing weather-stripping around doors and caulk any leaks around windows.

3. Clean and Inspect Roof, Gutters, and Downspouts

Remove debris from your gutters and ensure your downspouts are clear and free-flowing. Do a visual inspection of your roof for missing shingles and areas where moisture can enter the home. Now is the time to fix any leaks you may have. A little caulking can go a long way on those leaky gutters.

4. Yard work

Clean up all trash from the yard. Rake debris edible vegetation from the foundation. Seal up entry points to keep critters from crawling under or into the house (mice can slip through spaces as thin as a dime).

5. Prepare and Check Equipment and Supplies

Drain gas from lawnmowers. Have your snow blower serviced. Replace worn snow shovels, sharpen ice choppers, and buy ice-melt. Clean, dry, and store gardening equipment. Seal driveways and decks. This might also be a good time to lubricate your garage door. Spray the wheels, springs and chain to prevent it from getting stuck on a cold day.

6. Winterize Plumbing

Drain all garden hoses. We like to use our compressor to ensure the hoses are dried before we store for winter. If you have an exterior water shut-off valve in your home, turn it off and drain remaining water from taps, leave taps open. Replace missing insulation on exposed exterior plumbing pipes.

7. Prepare Air Conditioner

Drain the AC pipes. If your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off. Clean away all debris from the fan as well as around the unit. Cover for the winter.

8. Safety

Trim branches of trees that are too close to the house. Replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, then test. Inspect and replace extinguishers based on manufacturer’s specifications. Review your family's emergency plan. Prepare an Emergency Kit (add diapers if you have babies, wipes for personal hygiene as well as candles, a lighter and blankets for warmth).

Plummeting temperatures are not always fun but if your home is prepared, the risk of winter disaster is minimized and you can focus your creativity on finding family fun!

Take Care,
D

Blog Hops: Check out these blog hops by clicking on the button then following the rules to find some great blogs. Don’t forget to leave comments wherever you hop so participants can hop by your site. Thanks for hopping by!

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Extra-Curricular Activities-How Much is Too Much?

2011-09-25T19:05:00.000-06:00

I believe that extra-curricular activities can add value to children’s lives in many ways. These activities teach things that are often not taught in school or can focus on specific areas of interest for the particular family or child. There are many activities available to us even in our small city and it is often difficult to determine which to enroll the children in. Each of my children are enrolled in two activities which occupy their time outside of school. C is taking piano lessons as well as rehearsing to perform in the school play and perhaps later she will attempt a larger play with our local college. R is enrolled in swimming lessons as well as Beavers through Scouts Canada. Is that enough? Is that too much?

I want my children to experience as many different things as they can because the more exposures they have, the better choices they can make about their futures. I want them to find their passions but I also want to ensure they learn that making commitments mean seeing them through so they are not allowed to enroll in a bunch of things and drop them as soon as it isn’t fun anymore…unless it is affecting their education.

On the flip-side, I also don’t want to overwhelm the children either. Education is most important and they have certain levels in which we expect them to maintain. Those levels are set based on the child and what he/she can and has achieved in the past. An easy indicator of a child being overwhelmed is grades. If grades begin to suffer, all extra-curricular activities are re-examined and some may be put on hold until the grades in question return to the expected levels. Another indicator is interest. About a year and a half ago, C was involved in various activities and we asked her to take time off from all of them to focus on her grades as they had been slipping a little and mid-terms were coming up. When her mid-terms were over, we asked her what she missed and found that most of the activities she was enrolled in, she wasn’t all that interested in anymore.

I don’t believe there is a set number of activities that works for all children as each child is different and each activity requires a different level of commitment. For C, that number is two and her interests lay with the fine arts. In this level of commitment, she maintains an honor roll grade level and still has time for friends and to be involved in other smaller activities in her school community. For R, we haven’t determined the exact number yet as his school commitment has only now become full time. We keep him at two for the moment but it may increase or decrease as other things peak his interest or his grades and focus comes into question. It really is a trial and error type of thing from my perspective.

What works for your kids? What kinds of activities are they interested in?

Take Care,

Boys and Dating Around the Corner…Yikes!

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

We are embarking on a new stage in the teen years…boys. C has been interested in boys for a little while and I suspect that, although I have only recently been hearing about it, she and her friends have been discussing boys for much longer. C is a fairly reasonable young woman though and has not made any steps toward dating...at this time. I do suspect it won't be long, maybe a year, until we hear of her having a boyfriend. What boyfriend entails to her, could be a number of different things in the relationship spectrum. She is only 13. That hurdle we'll jump when we get to it.

We joke about her not dating until she’s 30 and that we pity the first boy she introduces to her father as her “boyfriend”. In fact, Hubby and his friends who have daughters have a pact to gather at the respective father’s house to greet and interrogate the young man (perhaps while cleaning their guns or sharpening their hunting knives). In actuality, we have not placed any limitations on what age is or isn’t appropriate for dating. We have focused on appropriate behaviour for a young woman along with facts and warnings about sex, conduct that may mislead boys, and peer pressure. We hope this guidance along with rules around knowing where she is at all times, who she’s with, and meeting all friends of either gender will help us keep her safe and that she will make the right choices.

It’s scary as hell!

This is my first post about concerns for boy troubles and outlooks but I’m sure it won’t be my last. Here’s a post from a friend on Facebook which made me smile while giving a bit of advice:

To all the girls who are in a hurry to have a boyfriend or get married, a piece of Biblical advice: " Ruth patiently waited for her mate Boaz." While you are waiting on YOUR Boaz, don't settle for any of his relatives; Broke-az, Po-az, Lyin-az, Cheating-az, Dumb-az, Drunk-az, Cheap-az, Lockedup-az, , Goodfornothing-az, Lazy-az, and especially his third cousin Beatinyo-az. Wait on your Boaz and make sure he respects Yo-az.

Take Care,

D

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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Cowboy & Cowgirl Day

2011-09-14T08:35:00.000-06:00

This week is Spirit Week at R’s school for our local Food Bank. So long as you bring a donation you may dress up for the daily theme. Today is Cowboy & Cowgirl day but R refused to let me take a pic of him this morning…so I’ll use one from last year. Doing so adds a bonus – C’s in it too!

R's trying to wink but sometimes forgets to leave his other eye open.

Take Care,

Blog Hops: Check out this blog hop by clicking on the button then following the rules to find some great blogs. Don’t forget to leave comments wherever you hop so participants can hop by your site. Thanks for hopping by!

A Bike Ride to Remember

2011-09-12T17:27:00.001-06:00

The other day, R and I decided we wanted some cookies to go with our milk. Not just any cookies…Oreos. So we suited up for a long bike ride to the grocery store near our house. It was a half hour ride there, then after our purchases were made, we stopped outside the store and sat on a pallet for a drink before the half hour ride home.

The ride gave us some great mother-son time to chat about school and R’s new friends. We admired the changing colors and made some predictions for seasonal weather. We laughed at a cute puppy and returned someone’s run-away garbage can. It wasn’t an exciting event but it is definitely a bike ride I will remember.

Take Care,
D

Book Review: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

2011-09-09T16:59:00.000-06:00

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas.

The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—-and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won’t include the one man she’s risking everything for...

Succubus Revealed is an Adult Urban Fantasy by Richelle Mead which was released August 30, 2011 from Kensington Books. It is the sixth and final installment in the Georgina Kincaid Series. When I began reading this book, I knew it was the last of the series and hoped that it would end with fewer questions than many other series’ ends that I have read.

The book held a strong storyline in and of itself with Georgina finding herself, once again, in the middle of a hellish plot…literally. Georgina has always been a remarkable character, probably because she’s such a contradiction. She is a succubus in the employ of Hell, yet she strives to do the right thing. Roman was right when he spoke of Hell to Georgina stating she was too nice and “They should fire you out of principle.”

Having read the other books in this series made this book all the more exciting. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much had I not read the previous five. I found many references to the previous books in this installment as the whole series came together. The Georgina Kincaid series became less of a collection of good stories about the same characters and more of a fantastic single story broken into parts (which is better in my opinion).

The entire book seemed to finish off the series effectively and answer most of the outstanding questions I had from the other books. The end allowed each of the remaining characters a way to move on with their lives in a normal fashion. Although I’d like to hear more about these characters, I think this was a suiting end to their story.

Take Care,
D
Available from Amazon as Hardcover or Kindle eBook

This review is based on my opinion and any similarity to other reviews or expressed opinions are simply coincidence. I was not compensated in any way for this review

Punch Buggie or Tickle Buggie?

2011-09-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

Car rides seem like they must be some kind of torture for kids. I mean, we strap in these bundles of energy, tell them not to move and to be quiet. I don’ t know about your kids but that usually doesn’t last until the end of the block. Any number of complaints begin to surface like “C is being mean.” or “R looked at me.”…need I go on?

One day while driving down the road we saw a Volkswagen Beetle and I remembered that old game where we (as children) would punch each other and scream the color of the VW Beetle then “Punch Buggie, no returns!” When I brought that up to the kids, they thought it was silly but C had actually heard of this before. We began playing the game. About 10 minutes in, the children started in on the complaining and whining again. It seems that looking for a vehicle that isn’t very popular in our area gets old very quickly if it isn’t spotted often enough. I racked my brain for more ways of keeping the kids entertained and would span the age gap between C and R. That’s when I spotted three mustangs within two blocks of each other. The light bulb went on!

I talked to the kids about adding some vehicles to our game. C started giggling and said, what if the Beetles were Tickle Buggies? She kept giggling, “That’s so fun to say!” Smiling I said sure. What about adding sports cars? “Yeah!” was the response from the back, in stereo by both children. Finally , success!

So that day we planned out what vehicles we would have an activity for and what that activity is. The list has been added to and sometimes the additions seem to be getting a little out of hand. Hubby and I are having trouble keeping up with all the activities. We also explained to the children that the goal of this game is not to inflict pain on each other but to be the first to spot the specific vehicles so be gentle with each other.

Some of the vehicles and activities are Tickle Buggies (C’s right it is fun to say), Punch-stangs (Mustangs), Kick Camaro, Double Kick Corvette, Charger Chop, Double Chop Viper, PT Poke (PT Cruiser) and everything had an added activity if the vehicle was a convertible.

So far, so good. This has kept my kids busy in the back seat for over a year now. The kids’ observation skills are boosted a little because everyone always has their eyes out to be the first to spot those vehicles – even if we don’t actually punch or kick each other…most times.

Take Care,

Quiet House

2011-08-30T19:18:00.000-06:00

I did it! I survived the first day of all children being in school full time. Yesterday was the first day of school. C learned to take the city buses to school and R started grade one. I had a ton of errands yesterday to keep me busy so I wouldn’t focus on the fact that I have no more babies at home. I still fought off tears twice. Once when I dropped R off at school and once when lunchtime came around and I had no one to pick up from school. Both kids were super excited when they got home from school and couldn’t wait to tell me all about their days. It warmed my heart and I radiated pride.
Today was a different story. I tried to settle into my new routine but when the afternoon came, I missed that time that R and I had together doing “Special Learning” which was often a simple educational game or activity. I became rather sluggish and found it difficult to keep my focus on tasks at hand. The house was so quiet. I put on my audio book and tried to get into my chores but I kept pausing the book and checking each noise to make sure I wasn’t missing a phone call that my children needed me…they didn’t. After checking the phone 2…million times, it was finally time to pick R up. Thank goodness. Here’s to getting better at this tomorrow!
Take Care,
D

Mom’s Night Out: Stampin Up Workshop

2011-08-28T20:16:00.000-06:00

Last night was our Mom’s Night Out. A few moms who met at our children’s school got together last night. The Mom who organized this get-together has been discussing this idea of us having outings once per month where it’s just the moms with no children. We would have a project or something planned for that night which we would all enjoy as a night out. Most of us have Mommy syndrome where we don’t really have a special something of our own and some of us, like me, don’t even know where to begin to have something that’s just for us. This gives us some direction and something fun to try out. This gathering was a Stampin Up Card Making Workshop.

One of the moms is a Stampin Up demonstrator so she got some Halloween product in and made some cards as templates. We simulated the templates with slight modifications to personalize the cards a little. The simplicity and step-by-step instruction was fabulous for those of us who are not extremely creative, are easily overwhelmed, and/or are new to stamping or card-making.

Throughout the night we made several different cards saving the most complicated-looking one for last. The last card is a waterfall card. This is my finished card. Ain’t it pretty?

Although the night ended at 2am and I was very tired this morning when the kids got up, it was soooo worth it. What a great night.

Take Care,
D

Glow In The Dark Drinks!

2011-08-23T19:09:00.000-06:00

The end of the summer seems to be upon us. School is approaching and the temperatures are dropping to single digits at night. Some back to school parties may be planned or end of summer barbeques and when I saw this craft I had to post it. What a fantastic idea! I can foresee the following site being highlighted quite a bit in the coming months for kid craft ideas.
has the following craft idea to spruce up any drink in the dark. Follow the link below to get the simple instructions.
Take Care,
D

Making Memories ... One Fun Thing After Another: Glow In The Dark Drinks: What could be better than a drink that glows in the dark, right? Darn right! My kids thought these were so much fun. We made them on the ...