Company Girl Coffee

I'm so glad you're here! It's been a vicious week at work/school due to state-mandated testing, so it's a great time to get together with girlfriends and relax.

I got a wonderful surprise this week. I won a giveaway, a starter set of 3 body butters from Main Element Love in luscious fragrances (Mango Berry - my fave- Pomegranate Mojito - and Blue Rose)! Turns out that this company is right here in my home city, but it took the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes for Mom to get us together.
How did you do with your "small things" tasks this week? My favorite is "Minimum Maintenance Day." Straightening up for 5-15 minutes really makes my home feel more orderly and put together.

Since the main goal at Rachel Anne's Home Sanctuary is to "help create a sense of sanctuary in this busy world," I began wondering where I find peace in my life and where I can create some myself. Daily peace comes to me at the end of the day during prayers with my children and by myself, then again when everyone else is taken care of and in bed, and I can have a few moments to myself to unwind. When I know that my obligations have been fulfilled, that's when I can actually experience peace. Well, that plus an afternoon nap on weekends! LOL How do you create peace in your busy life?

Have a great weekend Company Girls!

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Thursday Thirteen

13 Things I Miss About Being a Kid

1. Saturday morning cartoons such as The Pink Panther.
2. Comic books! My favorites were Archie and Richie Rich.
3. Swimming in the pool in my grandmother's neighborhood in Canyon Lake, TX.
4. Summer camp at Winiwaca with Camp Fire Girls.
5. Knowing all the words to current songs on the radio.
6. Cream of Wheat for breakfast.
7. Playing Red Light, Green Light.
8. Going roller skating (the kind with 4 wheels!) on the weekends.
9. Playing freeze tag.
10. Riding my bike all over the neighborhood with no helmet and feeling pretty safe doing so.
11. No bills to pay.
12. Buying a treat from the ice cream man.
13. Sipping a cherry coke in the Rexall Drugstore.

What do you miss about childhood?
More Thursday Thirteen.

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Lily Me

Oh, don't you love to receive pretty jewelry! I just got a beautiful bracelet from LilyMe. It's so dainty and coordinates well with my clothing. I chose a gold-plated heart stamped with the word "love" on an adjustable silk cord to remind me how important my loved ones are. Mine is exactly like the photo above except I chose a black cord because it matches so much of what I wear. Even my daughter thinks it's fashionably trendy and wants one for herself.

LilyMe creates custom jewelry charms in gold plate or sterling silver. Some of the designs include hearts, flowers, circles, and butterflies. Many of them can be personalized with a special name or phrase and come with your choice of 15 colors of adjustable silk cords. They also have a beautiful line of necklaces and chains that are gorgeous. I especially like this one.

With Mother's Day right around the corner, what a great gift idea! My readers receive a special 10% Promotional Discount off any order placed before Mother's Day. The discount code to enter at checkout is "mother." Please take a look and let me know what you like. I'd like to know which item you chose! Here's to great Mother's Day gifts!

This post was written as part of a campaign with Family Review Network and LilyMe who provided the product for review. All opinons are 100% mine.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read,
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!),

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaserMy current read is Dead Time by Stephen White.

Page 213

"He departed the empty conference room at 2:15 the next morning with a topo map of the park, a couple of pages of notes he'd taken, and a string of questions in his head about what had actually happened to Jaana the night she had disappeared. Sam told me he left a note for Ranger Ramona detailing his new questions.... He wanted to know if the park's visitor logs showed Nick Paulson returning to the canyon floor around the time the hiking boots were found."

I love Stephen White books and phychological, suspenseful stories in general. This one should not disappoint, like my two previous reads!

Giveaway

My friend Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy is hosting a fabulous giveaway for $60.00 to any CSN store. Stay tuned to Forgetfulone for soon-to-come product review.

The Dinner Chair

Seated around the heavy oak table, hearts heavier than the wood, we go through the motions of Sunday dinner. This regular weekly meal that once was a time of joy, reconnection, and renewal is today an empty routine.

Family prayer: "Dearest Father God, Please bless this food and bless this family. Thank you for each one of us at this table and especially for the one who is missing. We know you are loving him and enjoying his company as much as we did. Amen."

Family dinners will never be the same with the vacant chair at the head of the table.

Prompted by Sunday Scribblings topic #212 "dinner." Also posted for Weekend Writer's Retreat.

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Camera Critters

Mommy, pleeeeaaaaase take me with you!


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Company Girl Coffee

Come in! Come in! Welcome! I'm glad you're here! I hope you're having a beautiful Friday. I know I will be having an interesting day. I'm going to Alabama to attend a marriage enrichment seminar.

Which of Rachel Anne's small things did you get done this week? Did you get that "one last thing" finished up on Wednesday? I did. I ordered my son's birthday present, which he's been bugging me about for a month now. Done! Feels good.

Did you complete her "groupies" thing? Hop on over to BlogFrog and join! I've already begun following 7 people and have joined both Rachel Anne's community and the one for 5 Minutes for Mom. And speaking of groupies, I started reading I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie by Pamela DesBarres (for a book club, not my selection). I'm not too sure I'm going to like it or finish it, though. It's certainly not as good as the last book I finished, Nefertiti. I love to read, though!

Thanks for stopping by, and I wish you a happy weekend! And while you're here, why not stop by and put your name in to win a copy of Love in a Time of Homeschooling:A Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year, by Laura Brodie?

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Friday Fill-ins

Friday Fill-ins is a great meme where our hostess poses several fill in the blank questions/statements. Won't you join us?

1. Where are my keys? (You can hear me exclaim this frequently, but I do always find them!)

2. If wishes were horses I'd be standing in quite a pile of dookey!

3. I'd like to see New York City someday.

4. When I was a teen, I thought we would have flying cars by now!

5. One of my mother's favorite sayings was, "I'll wash your mouth out with soap!" (when I would talk back, which, obviously was not very often. tee hee!)

6. I'd have a hard time doing without my computer. Can't imagine the thought!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing some sights in Alabama, tomorrow my plans include a marriage seminar, and Sunday, I want to get back home and relax before the work week starts again.

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Thursday Thirteen

Since my children have been studying Greek mythology in their literature class, I decided to make a list of everyday references to mythology. There are so many to choose from!

1) Titan (something of superior size and strength, for example, the ocean liner the Titanic.)
The Titans were the elder gods.

2) Achilles heel (your weakness or your Achilles tendon).
When Achilles’ mother dipped him in the River Styx to cleanse him of his mortality, the only spot that was left vulnerable was his heel where she held him.

3) Atlas (a book of maps and several travel and moving companies).
Atlas was a Titan who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
4) Ajax (a popular household cleaner).
Ajax was a Greek hero of the Trojan war.
5) Trident (a popular brand of chewing gum).
The trident was the three-pronged spear of Poseidon.
6) Amazon (ever heard of Amazon.com?)
The Amazons were a mythological race of warrior women.
7) Styx (rock band of the late 70’s and 80’s.)
The River Styx, also called The River of Oaths, was the river the souls crossed in order to reach the Underworld.

8) Midas (a muffler company)
Everything King Midas touched turned to gold.

9) Nike (athletic shoes, although I don’t want to support them since seeing their most recent commercial which I hope is pulled off the market).
Nike was a winged goddess who could run and fly at great speeds.
10) The Olympics (world-wide competition, you might have heard of).
Named after Mt. Olympus , home of the gods, and the Olympians, the 12 main gods and goddesses of Greek mythology.
11) Apollo (a famous theater in New York and the name of a space mission)
Apollo was the Greek god of music, prophecy, and light.

12) Poseidon (travel company, seafood company, but also the name used in a few movies such as The Poseidon Adventure [the original 1972 film] and Poseidon [the imitation remake of 2006]).
Poseidon was the god of the sea.
13) Psyche (referring to the mind, psychology, psychosis, psychedelic, etc.)
Psyche was the Greek goddess of the soul who was loved by Cupid. This is really a great myth, if you’ve never read it. Click here.

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It's Just My Opinion

Witch & Wizard by James Patterson


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
As a huge James Patterson fan, I have to say that I am so disappointed in this new book that appears to be a series of which Witch and Wizard is the first. If the first book is any indication, the series will be trite, cliche', and unimaginative.

Patterson is obviously trying to capitalize on the success of Maximum Ride as a young adult series, but this is no Maximum Ride. There are obvious instances of imitation of J. K. Rowling, but again, this is no Harry Potter. There even appears to be an imiatation of Suzanne Collins and the Gregor series, but Witch and Wizard is no Gregor the Overlander.

Perhaps much of the work was done by the co-author, Gabrielle Charbonett because I am completely unimpressed with this book and don't plan to read the remainder of the series. What reputable author ends their book, "to be continued"? If only that were the only problem with this one.

View all my reviews >>

After the Party

Wow! 5 Minutes for Mom sure knows how to throw THE ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY! I had fun visiting new blogs and "meeting" other bloggers. I actually won a prize, too, but more about that later. Right now, I want to introduce you to three new blogs I found.

First up is Get Along Home. Cindy, a Christian home-schooling mom, writes this very friendly blog. One thing I really like about her blog is she sometimes posts a list of blog contests. She does the "running around" so her readers can enter for great prizes. She hosts her own giveaways, too, but she also writes about her life.

Another new blog for me is Sugar and Spice and Frugal Advice. Barbie and Joelle are moms who love a good deal and share their finds with their readers as well as fun crafts, recipes, and a slice of life.

Third, I want to mention SandwichINK. This blog is for anyone, but especially the "sandwich" generation, those who are "sandwiched" between elderly parents, children, and sometimes grandchildren. You'll find articles, research, praise, and encouragement. I hope you check it out.

Thanks, Susan and Janice, for once again hosting a fabulous party! I didn't get to visit near as many blogs as I wish I had time for (there are only so many hours in a day), but I'm certainly happy I found a few new friends.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read,
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!),

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser!

This is the book my book club chose to read this month.

I'm With the Band: Confessions of a Groupie
by Pamela Des Barres
Page 146

"While Larry blasted away at the innocent cottontails, I made my escape from the Studebaker asylum and silent infant, trundling through the tumbleweeds until I found a four dollar motel next to a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. I sat down on the lumpy bed, and opened my fiddle case, hoping to soothe my worried mind by sawing on it for a few minutes, and to my abject dismay, the dregs I hitched a ride with had weighed down my fiddle case with a rusty old electric razor I couldn't even hock!"

Not sure if I'm going to like this book or not. It's billed as a "sexual memoir" based on the author's exploits during the 60's and 70's rock scene. We shall see.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the book Love in a Time of Homeschooling.

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Love in a Time of Homeschooling - Book Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is CD.
As a public school teacher who's also a mom, I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to homeschool my children. I can only think about it, though, because I don't have the luxury of being a stay at home mom. My income is necessary for our survival. But, I've wondered what it would be like.

That's why I was intrigued when Harper Collins gave me the opportunity to read Love in a Time of Homeschooling (a Mother and Daughter's Uncommon Year). The author, Laura Brodie, did what many parents can only think about. She took a year-long sabbatical from her job as an English professor to home school her 5th grade daughter Julia. The book is a memoir of that year.

The catalyst for her decision was Julia's anxiety over homework. What would take most children twenty minutes might take Julia an hour. Julia, a strong-willed, creative child, had difficulty in the traditional classroom setting. Brodie decided that one year of homeschooling might be exactly what Julia needed. In the book, she describes both her triumphs and her many challenges in her experience of educating Julia for her fifth grade year.

Would you like a copy of this book? (Wouldn't it be a great Mother's Day gift?) It is available from Harper Collins for $25.99. Or, if you'd like to win my copy of the book, just leave a comment on this post before midnight April 27. Tweet this giveaway for a second entry. Just make sure to leave a comment with your tweet link, and make sure I have a way to reach you via email.

This review is completely my opinion. I was not comepensated in any way other than receiving a copy of this book.

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Sunday Scrappin'

Yay! I found some time to craft this week. I was able to get 6 pages (3 2-page layouts) done. They're very simple layouts, but I'm happy with them.



This week, or in the next few weeks, I'd like to get some more Disney pages done. I planned to do that last night when we went to Archiver's, but I had forgotten my Disney photos at home. I also need to organize my next stack of "daily life" photos.

The optional challenge at Sunday Scrappin' this week is to scrap something for springtime. Have a scrappy week!

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Camera Critters

Thanks for stopping by. Don't forget to check out the other Camera Critters posts!

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Company Girl Coffee

Welcome! I hope everyone has had a good week. I'm looking forward to a great weekend, too!

What was your favorite Small Thing this week? I would have to say the best thing I did this week was Approved! Were you able to give some deliberate approval to a family member? The easiest task, but one that will probably need to be redone weekly, was Going to Pot. Did you organize your pots and pans?

Don't you just love Rachel Anne?! I've been reading Home Sanctuary since 2008, and I'm always impressed and inspired by her. I wish I could say that I complete each task every day, but I do what I can. And even when I can't work the task into my busy life, I still enjoy reading her posts.

Before you go, let me leave you with a super-easy, delicious dessert/salad. Only three ingredients: grapes, whipped topping, and cream cheese. Even my kids love it. Have a great weekend!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

First the good:

1. My daughter was selected as student of the week.

2. I didn't have to cook dinner Tuesday night.

3. I'm loving my new planner.

4. Got to wear some new, cute capris today.

5. Attended my daughter's UIL band competition. Great scores!

6. Only worked half a day today.

7. I've been visiting blogs for the Ultimate Blog Party sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom.

8. I've been able to take part in Home Sanctuary these past two months.

And on to the bad:

9. I have to put up with my testing group for an extra half hour every day until state testing is over.

10. The mowers blew leaves all over my patio, and I dont feel like sweeping them.

11. I'm not enjoying Witch and Wizard as much as I usually enjoy James Patterson's books.

Last, the ugly:

12. The orthodontist tortured me today during what was supposed to be a quick, routine visit. I'm not kidding! My mouth bled for what seemed like ever. My teeth are killing me and I have a horrible headache.

13. My favorite uncle died, and I won't be able to drive to Arkansas for the funeral. It's too far, and I'd have to take too many days of work, and that makes me very sad. I will miss you Uncle Bill.

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Wordless Wednesday

Congratulations to my "student of the week!" I'm so proud of how responsible, conscientious, and loving my young lady is growing up to be. This is a picture from last Christmas.

Click here to see more Wordless Wednesday.

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