My Mommy Time Online

This Mother Still Breastfeeds Her Six-Year Old Son!

2010-12-16T11:50:00.000-05:00

Is that GREAT or GROSS??

First, read the article ... Here! Right click to open in a new window.

Ok. I'm just curious .... What do YOU think?? Because in my opinion, plopping out your boob for your 6-year old is just plain gross. Pump in a cup lady!!

My Birthday Wish

2010-12-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I went to Catalyst. While I was there I learned about Charity: Water. If you've been to my blog before then you've seen a few of my posts on them. Well, while I was at Catalyst I pledged to give up my birthday for Charity: Water. And that is what this post is all about ...

On January 5, 2011 I will be turning 29 years old. My goal is to raise $500. $500 will give water to 25 people; 5 families!! Please help me reach my goal!

Check out My Birthday Wish page > http://mycharitywater.org/kaprice

Thank you!

12 Days Later ...

2010-12-11T21:09:00.000-05:00

13 Days Until Christmas!!

Y'all!! Where has this month gone? Seriously. It has been 12 days since my last post. During that time my husband and I have been trying to get our super tiny house prepared to add another family member to it. Much easier said than done.

Our computer room/storage room has to be cleaned out. The wallpaper needs to be taken down and the walls either need to be covered again or painted. Deer wallpaper is not sufficient for my little girl's room. This may sound easy to the average "Joe"sephine but it's not ... We have a lot of stuff ... THAT WE USE!

Before we could start on that room though our room needed to be cleaned out and so did the attic. Now remember, our house is like SUPER DUPER small. I mean our whole house has one bathroom. Our closets are tiny and so is the attic space. So needless to say we have donated a ton of stuff to Salvation Army (about two truck loads full).

I'm so over this whole thing. I feel like it's all we do is clean out that room and organize the rest of the house to accommodate our other things. Headache.

ANYWAYS, onto a better note. Our church hosted a Breakfast with Santa fundraiser today and it was so much fun. :o) We're raising money for our Women's Fearless Conference in February. My due date is around that time .... I hope I can come. lol

So, JD has seen Santa FOUR times this year already. The last three times have been the same Santa. We know this Santa personally and he knows JD so this is fun. Well today at the breakfast JD was a total Santa Stalker. He watched him and talked to him constantly. So cute. We've taught him that the real Santa lives in the North Pole but these are all of Santa's helpers; that way he doesn't get real confused.

Anywho, he has continuously asked Santa for a kitchen set. What are you thoughts on boy's with kitchen sets?? Seriously. In my opinion they're girl toys. Now, I did find a Little Tikes Grill that I'm thinking about ordering. But my issue is that we've already met our budget for JD for Christmas. Santa told me today, lol, that if I didn't get that boy the kitchen set he keeps asking for he's going to put coal in my stocking. I don't want coal in my stocking so I guess I need to get it. I don't know ...

Well, I'm sick and coughing so I guess I ought to go get some water. I don't need to keep spreading my germs everywhere. Y'all pray for me. I'm actually taking medicine for being sick! I know it's approved medicine but it still scares me, especially being almost 32 weeks pregnant, ya know?

Good Night! :o) Oh, tell me what you think about 4-year old boys with kitchen/grilling sets. Do you think it's okay?

Snuggie™ For Kids - $5.99

2010-12-01T12:47:00.000-05:00

Momma D Saves posted this on her blog and I just HAD to share it with you guys!!

CarolWrightGifts.com has their Snuggie™ For Kids marked down to $5.99!! It's available in blue or pink and made for kids up to 5 feet tall.

I was so excited to see this, lol. I know, I'm lame. But lemme tell ya, I have a leopard print Snuggie™ that I got for my birthday and I'm not ever able to use it because my wonderful husband wants it or JD wants it. So this year, I'm getting each of them their own.

Wal-Mart has a Georgia Bulldog Snuggie™ for $20. I'd like to find one cheaper than that though. Either way, Dollar General Market in town has a regular Snuggie™ for $15 and if I can save $5 then I will.

Also, Momma D posted a coupon code to save 20% on your order: 5SAV20. :o) Enjoy!

Holiday Etiquette in Cash-Strapped Times

2010-11-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving came and went just like that! I hope you and your family had a great one. I know we did. Did you go out and face the crowds yesterday or this weekend to get some good deals? We didn't. I don't get into all that.

I was looking at the latest poll on CNN.com and so far 84% of the voters said "no" they did not go out and face the crowds on Black Friday.

Speaking of CNN.com, I really enjoyed watching this video. I wanted to share it with you because I like it; it showed me that I'm not the only one who is broke this season. It also gave me some good ideas on some things to do to show my friends and loved ones that while I do just love 'em to death I can't afford an actual gift for them.

In a few of my previous post I've talked about some gift baskets that I'm going to put together. I'm not really sure if I can do that this year but I'm going to try. How are you saving money this Christmas? Where are you shopping?

Thanksgivings - By Margaret D. Mitchell

2010-11-24T08:02:00.000-05:00

A Woman's Walk- Week of November 21 - Thanksgivings

"The Lord is my strength, my shield from every danger. I trust in Him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving." ~ Psalm 28:7 (NLT)

David knew the power of thanksgiving. He understood that thanksgiving reflects a humble heart and is rooted in humble gratitude. He was genuinely grateful. For him, God was his only solution, his only escape from danger. And he trusted God to show up and deliver him. For David, God meant life.

No matter what our circumstances, we can always thank God for who He is and for delivering us from every evil darkness into every blessing of light.

James 1:17 says, "every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights . . ." (NKJV).

Thanksgiving honors God. It is a facet of praise, a biblical precept, a key component of prayer and our Christian love walk. The dictionary defines thanksgiving as "a prayer that offers thanks to God . . . an expression or an act of giving thanks . . . a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness."

Philippians 4:6 instructs us to pray and petition God with thanksgiving. The NIV note for this scripture tells us that thanksgiving is "the antidote to worry."

Psalm 95:2 says, "Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song."

I Corinthians 10:16 refers to the communion cup as "the cup of thanksgiving," which we take in remembrance of Jesus who died for us so we can have eternal life.

The word "Hallelujah," which we often sing, translates into the Hebrew word "halleluyah," which literally means "praise ye the Lord." The dictionary defines Hallelujah as a thankful cry of "relief, welcome or gratitude."

I did a rare thing for myself one day: I bought a cup of coffee at my local grocery store and decided to take my time shopping for our week's meals. God spoke to my heart as I came upon the book aisle. There, I spotted TV anchor Deborah Norville's book, Thank You Power: Making the Science of Gratitude Work for You.

"Interesting choice of words," I thought.

I flipped through the book, having recalled Mrs. Norville publicly proclaiming years earlier that she is a woman of faith. I saw that she included lots of supporting material—quotes and studies professing that the principle of thanksgiving works. And, indeed, in the final chapter, she directly addresses "people of faith," encouraging readers to attend assemblies of worship.

As I stood in the aisle of that market, I was reminded that the same biblical principles that we Christians are to live by also work in the world. God doesn't want to leave anyone out. He loves us all.

It caused me to pause and ask myself, "How is my attitude of thanksgiving? How grateful is my heart? Do I really honor God enough with prayers of thanksgiving? What gifts from above have I taken for granted?

Indeed, thanksgiving is a powerful principle that touches the Father's heart. May we ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts, and may we give the Father of Light thanks for every good and perfect gift.

Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.

NKOTBSB

2010-11-22T08:56:00.000-05:00

Did anybody else see NKOTBSB on the AMA's last night?

Well, I did and I loved it. I was born in 1982 and that performance was right up my alley! I mean hello! Joey McIntyre and Nick Carter on one stage! Oh sweet baby Jesus, I was in Heaven!! lol

I'm a busy Mama and I don't have time to keep up with the latest and greatest from the boy bands I loved while growing up. So, needless to say, I had no clue they were touring together in the Summer of 2011. I will say this though, this chick is going to get tickets!!

A couple of years ago NKOTB came to Atlanta and a friend of mine from middle school invited me to go with her. We had a blast. It was so funny to see all the girls decked out in some 80's gear; big hair, leg warmers, big buttons, NKOTB shirts, etc. And there I was in my UGA shirt, lol. I didn't care. I was just thankful to be there. My big brother took me back when I was like 7 years old to see NKOTB so this was a must!

If you're a fan, they have a website: www.NKOTBSB.com. :o)

Recipes Kids May LOVE!

2010-11-17T08:53:00.000-05:00

I love to cook. I love to try to recipes ... Especially snacks and desserts. I found a product section on BettyCrocker.com and I have feel in love with it. :o)

Here are a few I found on BettyCrocker.com under the 'product recipes' section using cereal.

Kix® on Stix

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 cups Kix® cereal

20 raisins, miniature milk chocolate candy drops, small gumdrops, chocolate- or yogurt-covered raisins or miniature marshmallows

1 to 2 tablespoons multicolored candy sprinkles

20 thin pretzel sticks (2 1/4 inch)



	Print these coupons...





	About Concordance™

In 3-quart saucepan, heat sugar and corn syrup to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter until blended. Stir in cereal. Cool slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Lightly butter hands. Shape 1 to 2 tablespoons cereal mixture into a ball around each candy. Immediately roll in candy sprinkles. Place pretzel stick into each cereal ball.

Substitution

A spray of cooking spray works as well as buttering your hands when shaping these treats.

Make and Take

Wrap in plastic wrap, tie with a ribbon and tuck in a lunch bag for a special treat.

Charming Cheerio® Necklace

4	piece red shoestring licorice (about 32 inch each)
1	cup Cheerios® cereal
1	cup fruit-flavored gummi, ring-shaped candy
1/2	cup pieces pastel-colored tube-shaped licorice candies (from 5.5-oz bag)



	Print these coupons...





	About Concordance™

Working from each end of the piece of licorice, string an arrangement of cereal and candies to create desired pattern on the necklace.
Tie the ends of the licorice together in a double knot to secure the necklace.

Holiday Chocolate Cereal Bars

1	cup sugar
1	cup light corn syrup
1 1/2	cups peanut butter
6	cups Cocoa Puffs® cereal
1 1/2	cups “holiday” colored (red and green) candy-coated chocolate candies



	Print these coupons...





	About Concordance™

Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar and corn syrup to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until melted.
In extra-large bowl, stir cereal and peanut butter mixture with wooden spoon until cereal is evenly coated. Stir in 1 cup of the candies.
Press cereal mixture in pan. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup candies; press in lightly with fingers. Let stand about 30 minutes until cool. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.

There's a lot more recipes on the website but I thought these were cute. I'm sure JD and I are going to be doing quite of few things like this next week since he's out of school for Thanksgiving break.

Butterfinger Cake

2010-11-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Thursday is the Thanksgiving Feast for JD's preschool class. I signed myself up for two easy things, lol. Cranberry sauce and a dessert.

Have you ever had Butterfinger Cake? Oh dear God ... It's so delicious. This is the second one I've ever made and I'm going to try Paula Deen's recipe. It's a little different but only because of the cake mix and the chocolate. But surely those aren't that big of a deal. So here it is:

Ingredients:

1 box marble cake mix
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar prepared caramel topping
1 bag snack size Butterfinger candies
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 cup prepared chocolate syrup

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Bake cake as directed in a 9x13 pan. Let cool. Poke holes all over cake. In a medium-mixing bowl mix condensed milk and caramel topping. Pour over cake. Break Butterfinger candy and sprinkle half all over cake. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining candy. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Doesn't that just sound delicious?

It's Tuesday!

2010-11-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

So, here it is Tuesday, November 16, 2010. Where has time gone? It seems like just yesterday we were having JD's birthday party and that was in April. Now, all of a sudden it's almost Thanksgiving. I feel like I just found out I was pregnant and I'm already at 28 weeks.

Miss Amberly has approximately 12 weeks before she graces us with her presence and our house is no where near ready. I mean, we don't even have a room for her, yet. lol We're trying to get a corner computer desk to put in our bedroom so we can get the computer moved out of here and into there. With that being said we have to find an articulating T.V. wall mount for our T.V. that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

See, our house has a little over 1000 sq. ft. of living space. It's just a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house. It's tiny. We didn't plan on being here this long but with the housing market this way there is no way this house will sell quick in our area.

Because space is limited we are making some serious changes in our house. For instance, I've been reading online on how to make the most out of what you got and one of the ideas was to take down closet doors and hang up, very neatly, a curtain over the door. Well, we are going to do that in our bedroom. We're going to hang the T.V. on a wall mount to free up space on the chest of drawers. We're going to purchase a corner desk that is small and get rid of one of the chest of drawers. We're going to use the plastic storage bins that can slide under the bed to use for clothing storage instead of the drawers. I need to find some el cheapo shelves or a cute idea to put all of my books and stuff on.

Ooohh, speaking of "stuff" we are fiercely cleaning out this house! I'm getting rid of SOOOO much stuff. I refuse to sell on eBay because their fees are OUTRAGEOUS! And shipping these days isn't cheap either. But, I think I'm going to sell some things on CraigsList and hope for the best. I want to have a yard sale but the wonderful Georgia fall weather is settling in so that means it's going to be chilly and wet for a little while.

I just want this room cleaned out so we can take down the deer wallpaper and paint it pink! :o) The bedding we registered for is absolutely precious ... Here's a pic!

Isn't that just precious? It so fits us. lol ... I can't wait! We have a lot to do in this room!! We have hardwood floors and the area rug that is in here doesn't match plus it's kinda nasty because we've had it for so long. I need to find one that isn't too expensive. We are SO on a budget since I lost my job. I'm sure y'all know how it is.

Well, I had to post something because it's been a few days. :o) *Happy Tuesday* I have to get back to cleaning now.

TTFN - Ta Ta For Now!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

First and foremost I would like to say that I am so very thankful for the men and women who have served our country unselfishly over the years to provide freedom and protection. And that's not just for Americans, they're ordered to do this for other countries too.

History.com - Veterans Day

Secondly, I am thankful to be an American! I know that America and American's have a bad reputation for being greedy and trying to run everything but I can't think of another country on earth I'd rather be from. While I agree that most American's just don't realize how good we have it that doesn't mean that I'm not thankful to be an American.

We live in a country where we are blessed (or cursed) with unimaginable freedom. We can do just about anything we want to do. As Christians we are able to go to church in public and worship in public and not be killed. Our women have rights as do our children. We have a crooked government but we do have a government that provides us with resources to help us. Although I may not agree with everything they do it is available. I could keep going but you get the point.

Thirdly, I can't do Thankful Thursday without giving props to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm so very thankful that I can come to Him in prayer and have a peace over me that I know He is alive and listens to me. I'm so thankful for the Holy Spirit who is The Comforter and ministers to my heart. Thank you to my Jesus who died for my sins and made me pure by His blood so that I, the sinner, am accepted and made whole in the eyes of God. Thank you Jesus for your love, mercy and grace!

Prayer:

I pray, in the name of Jesus, for peace to come over American's and for the Holy Spirit to minister to their hearts and open their spiritual eyes and ears to hear God's voice. I

pray for us sinners to rise up and take a stand against the Enemy and say "enough is enough". I ask for us to have a renewing of our minds and hearts so that the things that break Jesus' heart will break our hearts.

I pray that we ask for nothing other than what God wants for our lives. I pray for American's to allow God to lead them down the path He wants for their lives and allow His will to be done in their lives.

Thank you God for hearing me ... Amen!

Fun-Filled Weekend!

2010-11-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend was great!

It all started Friday night when my husband went out of town with a buddy to go deer huntin'. It was just me and JD so we rented Toy Story 3 and ate hot wings and macaroni and cheese bites for supper. And let me just say this, Toy Story 3 is by far one of the saddest movies a mama can watch. My goodness I cried and cried. I'm even telling JD to be nicer to his toys. lol

Saturday was the highlight of the weekend though. :o) I went along with 12 other ladies from my husband's family to The Cheesecake Factory and to The Fox Theater to see White Christmas. I have never been to either of those places and I had a great time.

Me & Amy - My Sister-in-Law

This was a "you had to be there" moment. I ordered the Little Side Salad to go with my pasta. This was the largest side salad I had ever seen. It was stacked up at least 6 in. on the plate. I told Amy she had to get some ... that was her second side plate full and look at how much was left on my plate. LOL

My Sister-in-Law's strawberry cheesecake with extra strawberries!

Mmm! Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake

Me & My Beloved Cheesecake

This is what was left! haha

The Fox Theater

I drove my car to Atlanta because I get terrible motion sickness if I'm a passenger. So, packed down in my little Focus was me, my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law. :o) We laughed and laughed ... It was great. I am a decent driver ... However, I have road rage. And I don't do so well on narrow streets. But, it all worked out. We got there and got home safely.

Saturday evening I got home around 6pm or so and Daniel was already home. He and JD were hangin' out watching TV and we all decided to watch Toy Story 3 again. Daniel had never seen it. JD thinks the movie needs a narrator. Daniel is getting tired and wants to sleep. And there's me over on the love seat just boo-hooin'. JD kept getting me tissue. lol We had a good time though!

Sunday was a super busy day! Daniel worked the first part of the day. JD and I went to church. After that we went to Nana's house for my father-in-law's birthday lunch and around 4pm we all went to my Mom's house for supper. They decided to make Thanksgiving dinner. lol And it was delicious. I love days like that.

I put too much hot pepper sauce in my collard greens so I was up all night with heartburn. lol But it was worth it. I also learned about a new product I want to try, Jennie O's frozen turkey breast. That's why my parents bought and it was delicious. It was only like $7-$8 from Wal-Mart and comes with a bag to cook it in and gravy. Y'all, it was so good. I think it would be great to buy that and make some turkey melts or something. Mmm!

So that brings me to Monday. JD wasn't feeling good Sunday. He kept saying how tired he was and that he had a headache. So when Monday rolled around and he still wasn't feeling good I let him stay home from school (pre-k). Uh ... yea! That was a mess because the turd got to feelin' better right quick but I let him stay home from school anyways. After we got back home from grocery shopping I made him take a nap and poop hit the fan! He was all upset. I don't know where the fit came from and don't really know where it went but he took a nap for about an hour and a half and woke up a new child.

And that conversation leads me to this ... I wish when I had an attitude someone would tell me "You better get it together before I make you take a nap!!" I want a nap during the day. When someone is upset we never think that they're tired or anything we always blame it on something else. When a little rest might perk them up. My most favorite naps are literally those 15 minute naps where you felt like you've slept for three hours.

So, here it is Tuesday!! :o) I got up and made breakfast for my family, took JD to school, came home and did two loads of laundry, loaded the dishwasher and here I sit ... blogging about my weekend. Who knows if anyone will read this!! lol I do know if my hubby read it he would be like would you please clean out your closet and drawers like you said you would. And my response would be "sure honey, in just a minute".

Well Happy Tuesday to ya! :o) I guess I'm going to go clean like I said I would ...

Sparkling Snow Ornaments

2010-11-05T09:34:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited about Christmas this year. I'm going to be making Christmas ornaments to give away again.

This year I'm using Christmas in the Nick of Time for a few craft ideas. I used this book last year, too. There are 750 easy-to-make ideas for crafting, cookie-baking, gift-giving, decorating and memory-making. :o) lol I got that from the front of the book.

Anywho, here's my first project.

Sparkling Snow Ornaments

What You Need:

Purchased clear flat-front ornaments

Loose snow

Small funnel

Snowflake rhinestone stickers

Fine white ribbon

What You Do:

Remove the top from the clear ornament. Set aside. Fill the ornament half full with the loose snow using the funnel. Put the ornament top back on the ornament. Place the sticker on the front of the ornament. Put the ribbon through the ornament hanger to hang.

HOW SIMPLE!!

I can't wait. Each year our Christmas list has gotten bigger and bigger and I can't afford it anymore. So a few years ago Daniel and I decided that instead of buying gift certificates or store bought gifts we would, AHEM! I would create baskets with a few goodies in them to give away. Last year it was ornaments, framed pictures of our family and a few goodies.

This year it's going to be nicer ornaments, homemade apple butter, homemade fudge and marshmallow cocoa mix in a jar with a couple of new mugs. :o)

I thought about going to Hobby Lobby and making the ladies some cute bracelets but I need to price all that first. I know that I'm going to be getting the mugs from the dollar store. And I read in another craft book that when you make fudge let it set in a small dish and just wrap that in cellophane and tie a small knife to it. What a cute idea!

I have a few kids on my Christmas list too, other than JD. That book I posted about has some cute ideas for kids gifts that are homemade. I *might* do something out of there but I'm not sure. Do you guys have any ideas for that? What are your plans for Christmas this year? Are you making any gifts?

Other books I'm using this Christmas:

Sugar Coated Pecans

2010-11-04T09:44:00.001-04:00

I love, love, love recipes and cooking. So, for the next couple of months I'm going to be posting more recipes that are easy to make, great for gift giving and perfect for the holidays.

Sugar-Coated Pecans

Ingredients:

* 1 egg white

* 1 tablespoon water

* 1 pound pecan halves

* 1 cup white sugar

* 3/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Grease one baking sheet.

2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-04T09:26:00.000-04:00

grat-i-tude
-noun
the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful: He expressed his gratitude to everyone on the staff.

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” -- Lionel Hampton

1. I really don't mean to sound so cliche but I truly am grateful for Jesus dying on the cross of my sins. This is an act of love and I did not ask for it. Jesus did something that he did not have to do. Of all the things that people have done or can do for me they can not top that. *thank you Jesus*

2. I'm so grateful that we have a little bit of extra cash stashed away for JD's 4th Christmas. Each pay period my husband puts a very small amount back and I'm so glad he does because that's how JD gets his gifts.

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” -- Oprah Winfrey

3. And last but not least on this list for today, I am grateful that my mother-in-law and I get along so well. I love that woman and she loves me. We have always had a great relationship and I pray everyday it stays that way. *God is good*

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -- Albert Einstein

Whatcha Reading?

2010-10-30T12:21:00.000-04:00

I was just curious to know if anyone was reading any good books? Have you read any good books lately or do you plan on reading any books soon?

I'm reading Bait Of Satan:Living Free From the Deadly Trap of Offense right now and I'm loving it. The good Lord above put that book in my hands at the right time. Little did I know about a week before I got it I found out I was basically going to be laid off from my job. This book along with my Bible has helped me to realize that allowing myself to be offended or holding onto offenses is not healthy. It blocks blessings!

I could go on and on about this book but I'm not going to right now. :o) When I finally finish the book I'm sure I'll do a whole blog post about it, lol. I'll need someone to tell it all to.

Well, tell me about your books!

Home-Based Businesses You can Start in No Time

2010-10-28T18:10:00.003-04:00

Service businesses are a great field to get into, whether you provide offline or online services it's an easy way to start your own business with usually very low start-up costs. With the number of businesses you can easily start from home there simply isn't an excuse to not start your own business.

So if you've been thinking about it, here are a few in-demand home business ideas:

Transcription - If you can type (or can learn how to, it's really not too difficult), have a good eye for detail and want to work from home, this is a great profession to get into. You can find clients online and locally. You can transcribe for real estate agents, insurance brokers, online marketers, speakers, consultants and a huge range of other clients. Transcriptionists are in high demand and is a very easy business to start from home.

Virtual Assistants - Similar to a secretary or administrative assistants, VAs (virtual assistants) are a growing field. Many entrepreneurs have home businesses now and need someone to help them run their business - what better person to turn to than a VA. Similar to transcription this is a high-demand field and a relatively easy business to start.

Ghost Writer - Just the name alone sounds exciting, but make no mistake, ghost writing isn't some mysterious profession you see only in movies, it's a very real in-demand field. This is especially true when it comes to online marketers and website owners who have a need for quality content. You can also write articles for local newspapers, magazines and a number of other publications. If you love to write, you can take that passion and turn it into a very profitable and cool at-home business.

Cleaning Service - Okay, this may not be the most glamorous business in the world, but hey there's a lot of money to be made here. If you enjoy cleaning and take pride in your work you can easily set up your own maid or cleaning service. You can also take one step further and manage the business and hire a team of cleaners to do the job for you. With so many parents and single professionals working such long hours plus the increase of disposable income, you can certain "clean up" with your own maid service.

Those are just a few service businesses you can start from home. Relatively easy to start, low cost and plain old easy, there's no good reason NOT to start your own business.

To learn how to make it BIG with your own service Business, visit Moms' Talk Biz for a range of fun and profitable at-home business ideas.

Thankful Thursday

2010-10-28T08:58:00.008-04:00

I was listening to J 93.3 a little bit ago and they had a segment called "Thankful Thursday". I was very inspired because honestly this has been a pretty crappy week for me.

At 2pm this afternoon I will be a statistic. I am one of many who is being laid off due to lack of work. The tanning salon I work for is closing the doors. I have to file for unemployment. I've looked for a job for quite sometime but I need something super flexible because of my husband's hours at his job and many other reasons. On top of all that, I'm 24 weeks pregnant. I've cried for two days because it's sinking in.

So, when I heard "Thankful Thursday" I said this is perfect for a blog post! I'm going to post 5 things that I am thankful for today. I encourage you to do the same ... I'd love to read your responses.

Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Five Things I'm Thankful For Today:

1. The Blood of Jesus -- Amen! I can come to the Father through my Jesus and call on His name. There is power in the blood.

2. My Family -- My husband and my son, especially. They love me regardless of how hormonal I am. They accept me.

3. My Home -- I'm so thankful I'm not homeless. I'm so thankful to have a bed, sheets, pillows, towels, a shower, running water that's clean. I'm thankful that I have electricity to have heat and air condition. No, it may not be the quality or the print that I would like, it may not be the size or the color I want but the Word of God says "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19)

4. My Husband's Job -- Without my wonderful husband who is not lazy or too afraid to work we would NOT make it. I thank God everyday Daniel has his stable job. Thank you Jesus that you moved him around in his company so he can perform many duties. Thank you Lord for the raises and the over time.

5. And on a lighter note The Internet -- I just don't see how people made it without the internet. lol ... All of my friends have the internet. We send emails, we facebook, blog, play games, read the news, check the weather, etc. Everything I do is on the internet. What did people do before this time?

So, there's my five things. I'm going to do this each Thursday from here on out. :o) That's my plan at least.

Night-Time Potty Training is for the Birds

2010-10-26T08:59:00.002-04:00

VOTE ON THE POLL! It's at the top left of this page.

So, I'm just going to be completely honest with you, I feel like a horrible mom. I know, I know, these things are inevitable and every mother goes through it.

But look, my son is 4-years old. He will be 5 in April. He is so lazy and I have no clue why. We don't allow him to be that way but the kid drags butt like no other. It works my nerves because my husband and I are so not like that.

Anywho, I've been trying to get this turd to go to the potty at night for a very, very long time. He won't get up on his own. I did research and realized that his brain has a lot to do with it and if that little part isn't developed yet then he won't get up. I said, ok, well I'm going to wake him up. :o)

About a month and a half ago I quit buying pull-ups and put him in underwear. I get up about 4 times a night to wake him up to go to the bathroom. We cut off his fluids around 7pm. That's usually after supper and dessert. (I always have dessert, lol) We got a mattress protector for him. The first couple of weeks were like hell on earth; a whiny kid who is all mad at the world because he has to get up to pee.

Y'all ... he is still that whiny kid who has to get up to pee. That heathen even PEED on the bathroom floor because he was too lazy to point it to the toilet. REALLY? I'm not even jokin'. Ladies, I liked to have lost my religion! When I was reading about night time training it said to make your child do all the work, ie. pulling down his underwear, holding his gooby and all that. So, that's what I did. HA!

About three days into it I quit putting sheets on the bed and just laid down a beach towel. I refuse to give him a big comforter because I can't keep washing it in my washing machine. So he gets fleece blankets. Those are much lighter. I'm so sick and tired of dealing with it. I'm tired of constantly doing laundry. I'm tired of hearing the whining at 11pm, 1am, 3am and 5am. I'm tired of him not waking up. I'm tired of threatening him. I'm tired of rewarding him when he does good and the results not continuing.

Everyone I talk to tells me one of two things. 1. Their boys were much older, 6 or 7, before they quit wetting the bed at night. Or 2. Their boys just did it automatically. They didn't have to night-time potty train. I tried that with JD as soon as he got potty trained and it just didn't work.

My husband wet the bed until he was 6 or 7. I, being the smart girl that I am, did no such thing. I was even tying my shoes at 3-years old. My son won't even attempt to do these things. ?? I don't know why! We try. We have patience. We verbally reward, as well as, use tangible rewards. He is even like this at school though.

I mean, don't get me wrong. This isn't a bash JD session. He is a great kid. He's very tender-hearted. He's not ugly to other kids or anything like that. He is forever wanting to pray for people and he loves church. I've never had an issue with him hitting, biting or anything. He's my angel love bug. :o) He is just my 'unmotivated' angel love bug. lol

I'm praying that when Amberly, the new baby, is born JD is going to step up to the plate and start being the big boy that we tell him he is. Oh and that's another thing, he'll say things like "When I'm a big boy .... " and we are like "Dude, you ARE a big boy. That's what we keep telling you but for some reason you don't believe it." If we give him responsibility he whines the whole time and we make him follow through to prove to HIMSELF that he CAN do it because he's very capable. The kid is smart. He has an awesome memory and loves to learn. BUT ... he's lazy. He's unmotivated. He doesn't care.

What do I do? Any tips? Because they things I've read online, advice from friends and family ... all that isn't working with him. Should I put him back in pull-ups and try again later?

Thanks, y'all.

$10 Off Purchase - I See Me!

2010-10-26T00:01:00.004-04:00

Any early Christmas shoppers out there?

Have you ever heard of I See Me personalized books? Well, I just love them!! They make the perfect gift and parents and kids ... people just LOVE them!

Well, I was browsing around on their website looking for Christmas presents and they're having a sale that won't last long:

$10 off your purchase of $49 or more - Use coupon code FSR6785
Free shipping when you order the new Who Loves Me? story book - Use coupon code FSW745

I hope you enjoy the coupon codes. I'm going to go back to snoppin' around ...

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

2010-10-22T09:47:00.002-04:00

Upon doing a search for pumpkin cupcakes I came across this recipe and I just HAD to share it with y'all. Sweet Jesus these look so YUMMY!

From: My Kitchen Addiction

Check out her blog of additional pictures! Great Blog! :o)

Pumpkin Pound Cake Cupcakes

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Combine all of the ingredients (yes, I said all of the ingredients) in the bowl of your stand mixer (or just a large mixing bowl if you are brave and have a hand mixer). Beat on medium speed for 20 minutes (that’s why I said you must be brave… or at least energetic).

While the mixer is doing all of the work, preheat the oven to 350°F, line two standard muffin pans with cupcake papers (for 24 cupcakes). I found cute pumpkin ones at the store, so I used those for my festive cupcakes.

Once the batter is smooth, fill each of the cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pans for a few minutes, and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar (varies based on temperature/humidity)
3 tablespoons half and half (varies based on temperature/humidity)

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and shortening. Whip together with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk until well combined.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternately add the half and half, whipping the icing on medium-high speed after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.

Fill a pastry bag with the icing and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. I used a round tip to pipe spikes and swirls of icing. Top the cupcakes with Halloween candy and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

The Power of a Simple Gift

2010-10-21T09:05:00.000-04:00

Pack A Shoe Box

Fair Food Favorites

2010-10-17T03:19:00.000-04:00

If I'm just being honest ... And I usually am, I'm NOT a fan of fairs. I can't help it. I just don't care for all the screaming, the long lines, annoying kids who can't get their way, etc. I know ... I'm whiny. lol But that's why I don't go. Oh, and not to mention the totally unsafe rides! You can keep all that.

However, other than looking at all the people and thinking my family isn't so bad after all, the food is fantastic! All those weird fried foods are even better. lol

I'm going to post a couple of my favorite fair food recipes that I have found online. Feel free to share yours with me. I love to cook and I'm definitely going to be trying some of the ones I post.

Fried Oreos

A friend of mine posted on FB today how she tried one for the first time. This is why I'm writing this blog post because I had to share this with somebody! She said it's soft in the middle and soooo good. I'm making this asap!

Fried Twinkies
Really? Fried Twinkies ... Twinkies are already so NOT good for you but then you batter it and fry it? lol ... Talk about something to die for! Mmm! These are delicious.

Caramel Apples
I just love caramel apples. Last year at the fair they had caramel apples with so many different toppings on them: crushes oreos, candied corn, sprinkles, super mini marshmallows and the list goes on and on. There were at least 20 different ones to choose from. So good!

And of course there is always the candied apple. Those are okay to me. Caramel is better though. :o)

Fried Snickers Bar
OMG. These are delicious. I think it would be interesting to make these using the fun size snickers too and serving it with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Mmm!

Corn Dogs
I'll admit. I don't eat 'em but they're a popular fair food item that must be shared. Plus, at the fair, you usually eat things that you wouldn't eat otherwise, lol. :o)

So, there's five recipes that are usually always found at a state fair! What are your fair food favorites? Did you find the recipe online? Share it with me.

Blog Action Day: Clean Water

2010-10-15T11:12:00.001-04:00

This morning I woke up and hopped in the shower. After I was finished I woke up JD and he took a shower. We did not use the same water. We had fresh, clean water. We have plumbing in our subdivision that allows us fresh water.

Y'all, there are people in this world who do not have the luxuries that we take for granted everyday.

"Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene can cut a community’s child death rate in half. Your gift to World Vision’s Clean Water Fund will help save children from suffering or dying from parasites, worms, dysentery, and diarrhea. And they’ll be able to attend school, because they won’t have to spend their days sick in bed, or walking long distances to fetch water. You’ll change lives forever."

There is another organization I learned about called Charity: Water. Did you know that $20 can give ONE PERSON clean water for 20 years.

"Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all disease and kill more people than all forms of violence, including war. We're working to change that." Here's how you can help!

You make a living by what you get.
You make a life by what you give.

The Blog Action Day Blog

Life Changing Event

2010-10-11T03:47:00.004-04:00

This past weekend my husband and I went to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta with a few other leaders from our church. This was a life changing experience. We had the privilege of listening to great speakers such as Andy Stanley, Beth Moore, T.D. Jakes, Craig Groeshel and many, many more. We had the privilege of learning about many organizations that have chosen to make a difference in this world we live in.

One of the women who stood up in front of about 13,000 people was Christine Cain. She opened my eyes to something that I have NEVER really thought about. I mean, it's passed through my mind but what she said really hit me like a ton of bricks and made me change my outlook on the topic. I would like to share with whoever is reading this what I've learned.

Christine is the founder and director of the A21 Campaign. It's current mission focus is on human trafficking in Europe and around the world. Did you know that in our world RIGHT NOW there are 27 MILLION slaves? .... Yes, 27 MILLION!! That's more NOW than ever in history.

What hit home with me, especially considering I'm from Georgia and all, is that Atlanta is one of the number one cities for sex trafficking. After doing some research when I got home I learned that 7200 men purchase sex from adolescent girls each month in Georgia. How horrible is that? I found out that information on a website called A Future. Not a Past. They are hosting a 5K Run/Walk in Atlanta in November.

Christine Cain changed my way of thinking when she began calling out the difference in compassion and empathy or sympathy.

em·pa·thy [em-puh-thee] –noun

1. the intellectual identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.

sym·pa·thy [sim-puh-thee]
-noun

1. harmony of or agreement in feeling, as between persons or on the part of one person with respect to another.

com·pas·sion [kuhm-pash-uhn]

–noun

1. a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Christine Cain made it very clear that it doesn't help for someone to have an emotional experience. It helps when someone has an emotional experience and then acts on it with help! People will find excuses as to why they can't help someone or a cause. She said we need to get our "buts" out of the way ... ex: "I wanna help, but ... ".

"A million is just a number until we meet one" - Christine Cain

Meet Rani Hong. At the age of 7 Rani's dad lost his job and his family was hurting for money. A well-respected lady in their community offered to help by taking Rani into her home and helping her with an education and the essentials needed for life. Within one month this woman sold Rani into slavery. Within one year, EIGHT YEARS OLD (think of what you were doing at 8) ... Rani had been beaten everyday. Raped everyday. Told she was never going to be anything and broken. She was physically sick and worn out ... Imagine having to service 40-50 men a day at eight years old. It's horrible.

She was placed up for adoption and eventually adopted out to a woman in Canada whom died when Rani was 16 of cancer. She fended for herself and eventually met her husband and they found out they had more in common than they thought because he went through the same thing. Together they have started the Tronie Foundation which helps the survivors of human trafficking.

StreetGrace.org - An alliance of faith-based churches in Atlanta who have come together to stop the sexual exploitation of children. Check out their movie that's going to be showing at the Fox Theater, Stop the Candy Shop.

Here's my search for "Sex Trafficking in the United States". Very sad.

While I was eating at The Varsity Friday on our way back home I looked out across the skyline. I was thinking, Wow, Atlanta: Home of the Braves, The Falcons, The Trashers, Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium. And one of the number one cities for Human Trafficking.

Do not turn your heads and look away!!

ECPAT USA (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes)', an Anti-Trafficking agency, states that the average age of entry into street prostitution is between 12 and 14 years old, though there have been cases of girls as young as 9 years old. (source)

Human Trafficking Statistics.

21 Ways to Help!