CRAZED MIND: September 2011

81 or 18

Well here in the middle of our week we are pulling out all the stops. Why? Well to celebrate my Mom-in-law's birthday. She is 81 but acts much younger. Having fought her way through strokes (using only 1/3 of her heart), knee replacement (on both knees) and a myriad of falls and illnesses, she just keeps skipping along. This week alone she has ran a booth for the teens of her church at Pow Wow. She is the teacher for the teens.

;Ran across the state to visit the doctor and a granddaughter who was in a horrid car accident. (She is going to be okay, Thank God!) And today, will get to sit at my dining table and eat in her favorite way. By picking at this and that. Yeah, I love that she loves to 'graze' through a meal. So I made nothing but finger foods so we can just pick away. And of course talk, giggle and sing Happy Birthday. My mom-in-law is not slowing down so we decided to just re celebrate her 18th birthday instead!

I am glad to see that my mom-in-law keeps looking at life with a spunky attitude. And that she can stay in touch with the youth so well. What will drive Dear Hubby and I up the wall just makes her chuckle, pat us on the shoulder and say "Why that is the way of youth today. Let it roll off your back." We eventually see it is not worth all of our upset and sure enough let it 'roll off our backs'. She is so excited to see all the family this weekend too. It is our annual family reunion that Dear Hubby and I 'host' at the lake. A great time to visit, watch the kiddos play and eat fantastic food. We also have a white elephant auction, door prizes and a quilt raffle.

Our grandbabes are going to be here too. And as Landon would say....he wants to fight the kids. That means play fencing on the Wii. Well that copy of Wii Sports Resort is getting pretty damaged. So instead we are going to play with a new set of kids. I have the newly released DVD of Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Yo Ho, Mateys Away!, a DVD packed full with seven episodes from the series and two incredible bonus features including Yo Ho, You Want To Be A Pirate?, where Jake teaches viewers how to talk like a pirate, and Pirate Party With Pirate-oke, a collection of music videos performed by The Never Land Pirate Band that allow viewers to enjoy with or without the sing-along/karaoke-like feature. It will be fun to also sing and dance to the Cd of songs included. The album features a variety of songs that kids and parents can enjoy together. Songs include the kooky, comical "Hot Lava," “Aw Coconuts,” "Pirate Password,” and the arrrghhh-rated “Talk Like a Pirate.” Some songs refer to popular characters in the show, such as “What’s Cookin’ Smee,” "Captain Hook (Is A Cranky Crook)," “Tick Tock Croc” and “Bucky’s Shanty.” Others capture the island spirit of Never Land, such as “Castaway on Pirate Island," "Shipwreck Shuffle" and "Never Sky," as well as the "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" theme song. All songs can be heard in episodes of the show. Oh and best yet, there is a eye patch too. So we can all swagger around and look like a pirate too!

It is all going to be a fun week and weekend. Well it is time for me to dash. I know we still have plenty of goodies in the fridge to nibble on. And there has to be some cake left somewhere. Thanks to Disney Junior for sharing the DVD with me. Gosh I am so lucky!

Autumn's Song

It is becoming fall here. Not that wonderful crisp Autumn days I am looking forward to yet. But still the

The photo was taken at 7:50PM EST on April 7, ...

Image via Wikipediamornings have a cool breeze that makes you long for a sweater. And the late nights is becoming still once again. It is during these times that my mind can float to other worlds. The ones we make up, see in shows or read in books. I know I am disappearing into the smokey mountains of Tennessee.

I have been reading The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe. And it has taken me to a world not here but still not quiet far away. One that seems to just be on the cusp of reality. It is there in the songs from the Tufa I am floating. A world that is part mythology, part folk tale and part reality. When the first Europeans came to the Smoky Mountains, the Tufa were already there, quietly living in the hills and valleys of Cloud County, their origins lost to history. But there are clues in their music, stories hidden in the songs they have passed down for generations.

It is interesting when you find a world that you did not know yet seems to call to your soul. Giving a sense of peace that makes you feel protective of it. The Hum and the Shiver tells the story of Private Bronwyn Hyatt, a true daughter of the Tufa. Bronwyn has returned from Iraq, wounded in body and spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless haint lurks nearby waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worse yet, Bronwyn has lost touch with herself and with the music that was once part of her. With death stalking her family, will she ever join in the song of her people and let it lift her onto the night winds?

I challenge you to read this one if you like fantasy. I challenge you to read this one if you like folk tales. But more so I challenge you to read this if you like to travel in a book. ALEX BLEDSOE grew up in Tennessee, and draws much of his inspiration from his homeland. He’s been a reporter, editor, photographer, and door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. He is also the author of the Eddie LaCrosse books—The Sword-Edged Blonde (Tor, 2009), Burn Me Deadly (Tor, 2009), and Dark Jenny (Tor, 2011). He lives with his family in Wisconsin. Keep up with him on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, and read his blog here.

Giving by Leaps & Bounds

Image by tricky ™ via Flickr
So much of our lives is caught up in the development and maintenance of security and control. I know min
e is all about feeling safe. That is best compliment I ever give my Dear Hubby. That with him I know I am always safe. But as Helen Keller observed, "Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." And when our only experience of Christianity is safe and controlled, we miss the simple fact that faith involves risk. Sometimes we have to have the faith to know when we jump out there to do our good deeds that we will not fail. I know that in those moments I have made the leap. Most people do not know of my 'revolving door' on my home. As long as I have a place for one to lay their head, I have had someone living with us as they get back up on their feet. These are people that most would never consider. I loved meeting and becoming friends with a hara krishna couple that was traveling through the area. They were looking for a farm and where low on their funds. We were able to give them a bed, meals, ability to clean up and they gave me laughter and a joy of dancing with me. We still keep in touch by email. I have had homeless and those who are out on the streets suddenly without a clue as to where to find help. Families with children, beautiful ladies and yes even currently our Gentleman who is fighting cancer. I know that in all of these relationships I had to take a Leap of Faith or more so the Faith to leap!

In The Faith of Leap, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch challenge you to leave the idol of security behind and courageously live the adventure that is inherent in our God and in our calling. Their corrective to the dull, adventureless, risk-free phenomenon that describes so much of contemporary Christianity explores the nature of adventure, risk, and courage and the implications for church, discipleship, spirituality, and leadership. What would be the leap for you? Where are your security nets at? How can you challenge yourself to set out to do for others? Would you like a lil help? I have a copy of The Faith of Leap to giveaway. Yeah, you should have known. Just enter with the rafflecopter below.

Written by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost. Alan is founding director of Forge Mission Training Network and cofounder of Shapevine.com, an international forum for engaging with world-transforming ideas. Currently he leads an innovative learning program called Future Travelers which helps megachurches become missional movements. He is the author of numerous books, including The Forgotten Ways, and coauthor of Untamed and Right Here, Right Now. Hirsch lives in the Los Angeles area. Michael Frost is vice principal of Morling College; founding director of the Tinsley Institute at Morling college in Sydney, Australia; and a Baptist minister. He is the author of Jesus the Fool, Seeing God in the Ordinary, and Exiles, and the coauthor of The Shaping of Things to Come. He lives in Australia.

Keeping Young

Oh what a week. I loved my weekend with a quick in and out of the grandbabes. Our local festival of the Pow Wow is always a favorite for me too. My brother had his motorcycle entered in the contest there too. I was so proud for him. Yes, that is me beside his pretty Harley. My Grandbabe TK loved riding the ponies too. She does this every year! I can not believe how much she is growing. Then my Grandbabe Landon enjoyed watching the antique tractor parade with my son-in-law Jordan. How adorable as they judged the best looking tractor.

I know I am getting older now. Seeing signs of it all around me. Yes, I am now a grandmother to 3 lovely grandbabes. But I also hurt more often. Can not get up and down like I use too. And I have this horrid spot on my hand I can not dig out. "Out damn spot, out I say!" Top that off, I had my first skin tear this week too! Hit the back door and that easy was bleeding. Dang the luck. So what are the benefits of getting older?

Well there is great stories that you gather over the years. And if your lucky someone to listen to them as you spin your yarns. We can learn quite a bit from this wealth of knowledge. I know that I was thrilled this last week to read Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for the Young at Heart. This was filled with 101 stories that share the wisdom as well as the humor of life once you reach that certain age. I am not quite there but getting closer every day. I am also going to be sharing this one with Granny M. She has shared a some great stories with us earlier. So to let her read about others who have developed new passions, even pole dancing! Wow! That was a hilarious story....and one full of women who know who they are and how to have fun. Even going so far as to raise money to help others too. Yes we can stay young at heart....some even stay youthful in their appearance. Myself, I am working on staying young in my sense of humor.

Well you should know it....I have 3 of these books to share with you. So just use the rafflecopter below to enter. I love that app....works like a dream. And yes, I got a copy for myself as well. Thanks so to Chicken Soup!

Optimize your savings with pre planning

Today for breakfast I had Yoplait Yogurt Light in Cinnamon Roll. It is normally .69 but I had a coupon for it to be free so 0.00 was the perfect price. This was the coupon that I had from that wonderful Yoplait Do The Swap Giveaway. Add in a glass of ice water and I was already set. Hydrated from my nights sleep and the probiotics in the yogurt was working to keep me healthy. With 100 calories and 0 fat this is a great tasting breakfast for me. And let's not forget a good source of protein too. You can get download a printable coupon for $1.00 off the purchase of three (3) cups of Yoplait Light yogurt to get you started with the "Yoplait Light Swap" HERE.

And I have also picked a winner too! The winner for the Do The Swap Yoplait Yogurt goodie bag is: Maurine who won by Following @CrazedMind on Twitter. Thanks so to her and congrats! I have e-mailed her and am waiting on her response to send in to Yoplait and My Blog Spark.

At lunch today I had a wonderful thanks st T.G.I.Fridays. Wonderful Cajan Style Alfredo Chicken & Shrimp heated up quickly in the microwave here at home. See I did not even have to dress up to have a resturant meal at home. Add in that I had a free coupon from SocialSpark. So that 3.69 cents became an automatic 0 too. I added in a Route 44 soft drink from Sonic. Yeppers, from the info on the bottom of my last reciept I was able to get a free Route 44 drink. Lunch served up at no cost.

Image via Wikipedia

Dinner now I had to take care of 4 of us here at home. I was not able to bring that about for nothing though. But I did get the Real Big Deal from Brookshires. It was FREE ONE Of Each Item:
Kings Hawaiian Rolls 4 Ct,
Food Club Vegetables 28-29 oz I opted for corn,
Pillsbury Brownie Mix 19.5 oz
Country Crock Deluxe Side Dishes 21-24 oz there we went for the brocolli and rice cassarole.
WHEN YOU BUY ONE Hormel, Lloyd’s Woodfire Barbeque Or House of Tsang Entrees 10-17 oz. I chose the Lloyd's Woodfire Barbeque as we could make sliders with it using the Kings Hawaiian Rolls.
With Brookshire’s Thank You Card I SAVE UP TO $10.86. It was 7.98 for the main course. I then stopped at Sonic again. Used two more of the savings codes from the survey on the bottom. Ordered 2 Rt 44 drinks without ice. Took them home to serve up for drinks for all four of us. Dinner for four at just 1.99 a person.

If I took the whole day, I served 6 meals and only spent 7.98. That is 1.33 a meal. This is what they mean by Saving Savvy! Kelly Hancock, founder of the wildly popular blog FaithfulProvisions.com, started employing easy money-saving strategies of her own. After slashing her families grocery and eat-out budget by 80%, she started blogging her secrets. Soon, legions were following her simple steps and daily deals, and her wisdom is now collected in Saving Savvy: Smart and Easy Ways to Cut Your Spending In Half and Raise Your Standard of Living...and Giving! I love the ideas and planning tools in here. And was not surprised to see that my frugal lifestyle already had 90% of these habits in it. But that is not the norm. Most people do not feed a family of four on $100 a month at best. Inside Saving Savvy, readers learn how to:
· Learn their saving style, via a special spending-style quiz
· Eat/cook organic foods on a budget
· Create a money-saving freezer template
· Cook ³ingredient-based meals based on sale + seasonal items
· Teach children about money and budgeting
In addition, those who buy a copy of Saving Savvy can receive a free issue of All You, a magazine packed with high-value, exclusive coupons and offers on national brands (up to $100 of savings). The redemption form is on the back flap of the book for the reader to return with their store receipt for the free issue. I wish I could do this one! But since I was sent the book as a review I do not have the store receipt for the free issue. Alas that is the life....can not get everything for free but I sure am trying to do all I can to help out my family.

On FaithfulProvisions.com, the site that inspired her book, Kelly's money-saving e-tips are eagerly gobbled up by 150,000 unique visitors per month. Links to offers by national brands, such as Target, CVS, and Walgreens are available on her site, which has even become its own iPhone app and thriving Facebook community. Just saying, you may wanna go hang out there for a bit too. Sadly most of these items do not work for me in my one horse town. With only one grocery store and very few chains of fast food we have our limits. Let's not even think about any kind of a discount store bigger than the local Dollar General. But I do shop smart, shop locally and find many savings just by applying my time and attention to doing the pre-planning.

Cha-Cha-Changes

This has been one busy week. And the weekend looks to be even busier. So forgive me if I slur my words here as my fingers go flying over the keyboard. I am in a bit of a rush to get everything done around here. Been like this all day long. It has made my morning breakfast of champions pretty sad looking. Yes a handful of medication chased down with my Cinch shake. Why sad when I love the shakes? Well because I have been too busy to really play with many of the flavors this week. But I do love it when I mix it up with apple juice and cinnamon...now that is a crisp fall morning in a glass.

We all get busy with life. And find ourselves rushing from one project to the next. So much so that sometimes we look back and shake our head trying to figure out just how we managed to get some things so screwed up. Oh yes, we all do in one way or the other. This last few weeks I have had several people ask me about events in my past. How come I decided to do the things I did. And why did I feel it was important at that time. Well, I did and that is that. You know. Those things you prefer not to share anymore. Yeah that one you just thought about!

Well that is the way of life. Now what I find most interesting is that some people think that your previous actions define you. That you can only be that one person. Never changing. And that makes me laugh. I mean we are ever changing evolving beings. For example my Dear Hubby had a scary horrid drinking problem in the past. Now he does not have a single drink. And he is night and day difference. Thank God! Granny M feels that some of the people she knew as teens must have the same actions as adults still. How could we get stuck there and never change or grow. I believe we all are ever changing. And who we were at one time may not be anything as to who we are now. I pray that we change for the better but that is not always so. Personally I am not the girl I was a teen scared of the world. Nor when I was in my 20's and thought I was in one constant party. Nor my 30's when life was the most confusing for me. But now leaning on the door to my 50's I am much more mellow. And accepting too of many things I did not know I could understand.

I was reminded of all of this while I was reading Terri Blackstock's book 'Showow in Serenity'. This was my fun read this week. Set in small town Texas (gosh just like where I live), Carny has settled down. Leaving her past well....in the past. Or so she hopes. Knowing that she must guard her previous life from others thus not to be judge she finds that she is pretty aware of what is going on around her most of the time. And those old bells and whistles are clanging when she meets up with Logan. Yes he seems to be cut from the same cloth she use to be from. Now here is the deal. Carny has to know does she allow Logan the chance to see if he really has changes as she did. Or should she warn those around her so they will not be scammed? Where is the fine line of privacy and being a good citizen. And if she does will the townspeople see her for who she is now and not in the past. More so, will she still have Logan in her life? Oh how God plays games with us at times. Letting our hearts open up when we have held it closed for so long.

I am glad to read that Carny learns to trust in what God has put before her. To forgive over and over again. And to love freely without fear. I myself thank God for just exactly this very thing. He taught me to trust my heart, believe in change and to forgive til there is nothing left but the pure love he has given me. It has made my life much easier and infinitely happier. Thanks also to Zondervan for sharing this book with me. Of course this is my take on it....unpaid and purely because I adore reading.

Attitude, Decide, Try and Unwritten Rules

This has been one busy week for me. Helping our Gentleman to his treatments for cancer every day takes a lil toll out of both of us. Not only the trip but the interruption in life to remind us all is not right in his world right now. And I have been in a housekeeping sweeping out the nest mind frame all week too. I want to throw everything away....well almost everything. If some one would back up one of those large dumpster out my front door, I would have it filled in a days time. Just feeling over crowded right now.

But I don't have to. I can change my 'Attitude!' Karen Okulicz has sent me her three books on how to change my Attitude, make decisions with Decide and Try to find a job. Today's economy has everyone looking for ways to just make it. The playing field is getting to be....hey I have a pulse so I can go to work here. Every job has a learning curve in one way or the other.

But you can (and should) look at these three books. I am loving the first one, Attitude! I am not really hard pressed to make decisions so Decide! may not need much to help me out there. My problems there are that the items I want to get rid of are ones others want to keep. And as for Try! I am not looking for a job. But my neighbor across the street is. So I am going to share these three books with her. Maybe it will help her to spur on the changes that she has to face.

Now that is half of it. Because once your out there you still need to follow the Unwritten Rules. You know them. Quentin Parker put it all down in 'The Universal Code of (Formerly) Unwritten Rules'. I love seeing the 251 rules of common civility that we should all be following. My favorite for us ladies is #125: A lady should always remember that gentlemen cannot read minds. Of course we need to tell them what is wrong and what we are thinking and feeling. They can not guess and always hit the nail on the head. In our house rule #224 always seems to be missing. One must always replace the toilet paper when one uses the last of the roll. Oh how I wish! How come only moms know the secret to inserting a roll of toilet paper on the holder?
And College Girl wishes her apartment mate would adhere to rule #236: One should always wash one's dishes in a timely fashion rather than just leave it in the sink to fester.

What are you unwritten rules? Does the family know them? Share them with me....I wanna see if they made in the 251 rules here!

Unwritten Rule #41- One should never take the last doughnut in the box.

Unwritten Rule #64- One should never sing or whistle at work, despite Walt Disney's suggestion to the contrary.

Unwritten Rule #103- A gentleman should never eschew the "thug" look and thuggish behavior.

Unwritten Rule #140- A lady should never use sex as a weapon.

Unwritten Rule #185- One should never write an entire e-mail in all capital letters.

Life Lessons

What was the life lessons you learned growing up? Where they stumbled upon while going down the rocky paths? Or was it that loving nurturing lesson at the hands of your parents? Was you taught that 'You are a Gift to the World'? Well I did not learn that lesson as a child. But have found it to be true and pray that I did give that gift to my College Girl. Michael Paul Brown learned many of his blessings from his mother. And now is sharing them with everyone else in his book 'You are a Gift to the World'. This is a great page by page guide in learning just that lesson. And then letting yourself grow into it too.

I love helping kids understand they are the most important commodity we have. That their future is what will help sustain this world in the years to come. And how they act, think and behave with greatly effect that life. So in that, they must hold true to their gifts and share them too. Thankfully Michael was able to grab just that nugget of wisdom to share as a spiritual life coach. I am sure his mother is very proud of him for doing just that!

In learning life lessons we make decisions on how we are going to take them in. And how we learn them is so different than when I was a youngster. Do you remember that report card you brought home. You know back in 3rd grade. You slid it out of the envelope with a big smile on your face. As you unfolded the report card you made sure to hold up that one side. You know where it had all the S's on it. Not the reading, writing and arithmetic. But where it had your citizenship grades. There where we were graded on how well we worked with others, showed respect to others and their belongings, showed healthy practices and was productive in a timely manner. I do not see that anymore. Who is teaching these lessons to our kiddos? Are they being taught these lessons? 'Uncle Dan's Report Card' does just that. Gives you a guide on how to help your children (or grandchildren) to learn just those life lessons. I love that it focuses on how to behave and conduct yourself. That there is a focus on handling money they earned. Where they note lessons in hygiene are being cared for. And that one should be truthful, honest and kind. Have you thought are you taking the time to really teach your children their citizenship? What grade would they have right now? Can it be improved and how? Maybe you need a chance to read just what lil lessons can be incorporated into their daily routine.

And since I am bringing up how we raise our kids. And what we teach them. Have you thought of what they are learning when they are so busy you can't slow down? You know what I mean. Wake early so they can dress, have breakfast and do a morning jog before school so they have that extra practice for track and field. Or as soon as school is out they are headed to the barns to care for their FFA project animal. What about rushing home to have a quick meal in the car so they won't be late for the baseball practice or is it soccer today? Multiply kids equal multiply activities. Dance, sports, music, community groups......what do they do? Are your kiddos learning to run run run through out their days?

Or is it wake, breakfast and then plenty of time without the rush to get to class? Home after school so that they can do their homework, have a snack and decompress some before the family time begins? Weekends of games with the family and home projects while learning at mom and dad's side? I am not saying do not have activities. But to do so with moderation. 'It's Your Kid not a Gerbil' is a great book by Dr. Kevin Leman that helps you create a happier and less stressed home. A great guide to know what is good at what age for kiddos. How they can learn and still be part of a loving family unit. And more so just what steps you can take to help make the stress levels for everyone be at a minimum. Even better? I have a gift certificate for one of my lucky readers to receive this book from Tyndale House Publishers. It is good til the end of this year. So you can also use it as a Christmas gift for that son or daughter who is starting their own families too.

I do wish to thank the great publicity and publishing companies for allowing me to review these books. As always unpaid and my own opinion. But gosh it is great to share. And that I am happy to do. Here is how you enter to win.

Oh How I Indulge!

What is your favorite indulgence? That just perfect lil bite that makes you smile all the way down to your toes. Can you get it at anytime or is it seasonal? Well I thought mine was only a holiday one. But I found out today it is not.

Normally every year at Christmas I stock up on Liberty Orchard fruit and nut candies. These are lil bite size morsels of fruit gels with nuts in six orchard-fresh varieties: slow-simmered Strawberry-Walnut, marmalade style Orange-Walnut, cool mountain Blueberry-Pecan, sweet island Pineapple-Macadamia, tangy ripe Raspberry-Pecan, and summer-fresh Peach-Walnut. I adore them. Stack the boxes on my nightstand and have one every evening as my own special treat. So much so that I hate to even share. I know how stingy. But once they are gone I have to wait a whole year to get them again.

But today I tried out a brand new box of Liberty Orchard fruits. And I can share them too. Why? Well because these are also sugar free. Yes they are delicious too. I was wondering if they could hold up to my favorites and they did. Our Gentleman here is diabetic. He too can indulge in a lil treat now too. Top it off that the box has 48 pieces in it. So I do not feel like I will lose out when I share them.

Now for me can this get any better? Yes, it can. I found I don't have to wait to get them in our lil store at the holidays. No I can order them online. Wow, why did I not think to look for this before? So we all know where my few extra dollars are going to be going soon. Okay, we have a happy woman. Almost......because they had to do me one better even. How? How about a all natural fruit bar that is:

A Good Source of Protein!
Made with Heart-Healthy Nuts!
Rich in Antioxidants, High in Omega 3*
All-Natural, Non-GMO, and 60% Organic!
No Preservatives, Trans-Fats, or Cholesterol!
Vegan & Kosher, Low in Sodium!
Gluten-Free! & Dairy-Free

Sounds like it is healthy. But that translates into flavorless, right?

Orchard Bar blew me away. Oh the flavors were amazing with fruit, nuts and seeds. Moist and just the right amount of natural sweetness. I could throw over a chocolate candy bar for one of these any day. Of course I will also have to fight off College Girl and Dear Hubby for them too. Why? Because when we tried the 3 flavors I had we were fighting for each morsel. Yeah really! I cut each up into thirds and did a blind taste test with them. Not telling them what they were or anything. Scoffed them right up....all of them. So now I need to order some of them too. For just $2.50, they will send you two 1.6 bars… Blueberry Pomegranate & Almond and Strawberry Raspberry & Walnut. And they will pay the shipping and handling too! Limit: This special offer is for "First-Timers" only, and is limited to one sample shipment per customer. Sorry, U.S. Shipments only.
They will also send you a "Samplet" of their two most popular brands...a 4 piece package of famous Aplets & Cotlets, and a 4 piece package of popular Fruit Delights for just $2.95 plus FREE SHIPPING! Limit: This special offer is for "First-Timers" only, and is limited to one sample shipment per customer. Sorry, U.S. shipments only.

I have to say this was a red letter day for me. Yummy goodness that is all good for me too. YIPPPPEEEE! You can get a catalog with coupons in it too. Thanks so to Liberty Orchard for sending me my treats. I am a thrilled to know I do not have to ration out these gels one a night to have them. And more so that they are just a click away. Yeah as always, non paid. But did get to eat them. Well not all of them....some habits are just too hard to break. Want to have one with me tonight?

Good Marriages

This last summer we were so thrilled when two of our best friends were married. It is so wonderful when you see a couple come together to create a new union. A bond that was not there before but now seems like it will always be. We looked at the combination of a down to earth lady and a man who dreams of things to be and knew that they could combine into a life that would be magical. Every day he takes his beautiful dog for a walk in the northern woods and explores. And then he shares his finds with his lady. She then joins in with her camera to memorialize the beauty of nature that he sees. Fantastic!

It is that way also in other ways for me. I love what Shaklee stands for in working so hard to stay a company that helps others succeed while caring so for our earth. (Did you know they were the first company in the world to obtain Climate Neutral™ certification and totally offset our C0₂ emissions, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment.) Their products are also concentrated so you can use them for a much longer time by mixing them up yourself. I combined the Basic H²™ Organic Super Cleaning Concentrate with my Libman Freedom Mop. Now I have a super duo here. An organic cleaner that uses less to work combined with a wonderful mop that I can wash the pad and reuse over and over again. That is a marriage of clean and green that is not only good for our earth but money saving too.

There are other ways to combine a good marriage of products too. For example every year our local Curves joins in to raise money for breast cancer research. We have a sponsored walk. Now that combines our ability to continue a healthy exercise with a way to help others find a way back to good health. It is wonderful to see so many people come together to make this happen. This time I get to add in a third company in the fold. The Tic Tac® brand launched its 2011 Shake, Share & Care campaign in support of Breast Cancer Awareness and CancerCare®. This is the seventh year of the Tic Tac brand’s partnership and commitment to CancerCare® where Tic Tac® will again make a $100,000 donation to the charity. Tic Tac® has also launched the Tic Tac® Extraordinary Caregiver Contest on the Tic Tac® USA Facebook page to honor the many caregivers that have dedicated themselves to helping those affected by cancer. They have also sent me 12 packages of the new Pink Grapefruit Tic Tac® candies to share with our own team of walkers. It will help them keep their mouth fresh, moist and energized while walking for a cure. What a marriage of good will all the way around.

Speaking of good marriages, I also combine my love of Curves exercise with my fav Shaklee Cinch shakes. Work outs require the energy. And Cinch starts my day off. My favorite combo so far has been mixing Vanilla Cinch with ice, apple juice and a touch of cinnamon for a refreshing breakfast smoothie. With this Texas heat you have to have a way to stay cool and keep energized. And I have lost 10 lbs this last month too! You know just 10 lbs a month will get me to my -100 lbs goal in a year.

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So what two or more products have you ever brought together to make a wonderful mix? And has it been something that you shared with others? I mean we all know that Reeses brought together peanut butter and chocolate. And we all love a good combination of Kraft with Mac & Cheese. Right. So when we find that right mix we stick with it. I feel that way with many things I have been lucky enough to share. And these I try to share with you. By the way, this was unpaid. I just love Shaklee and Libman. They are my favorite two companies. Tic Tac® did share candy with me and my walking team. But I admit, I asked them to do it for the Curves girls....they (Tic Tac®) were a doll to do so for us.

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Autumn's Song

Giving by Leaps & Bounds

Keeping Young

Optimize your savings with pre planning

Cha-Cha-Changes

Attitude, Decide, Try and Unwritten Rules

Life Lessons

Oh How I Indulge!

Good Marriages

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